Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Sado-ryeon's Total Offensive
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After the Unorthodox Supreme Sword departed, we gorged ourselves on as much of the spirit beast's meat and blood as we could stomach.
It certainly helped. Not so much with boosting my internal energy, but the taste alone was incredible.
"It seems to aid in recovering one's vitality... Hmm..."
"It tastes good, right?"
Once we'd stripped every last bit of meat from the spirit beast, we descended the mountain right away. I made sure to memorize the promised rendezvous point as well.
I entrusted the massive hide and some body parts of the spirit beast that I'd been storing to the Earth Dragon Commander. Given the contributions I'd made up to that point, he readily agreed.
"I'll introduce you to a tanner I know. He's with the Heavenly Dragon Society and a reliable craftsman to boot. As for the clothing... I'll find a suitable tailor for you."
True to his word, the Earth Dragon Commander acted swiftly. He personally invited a skilled tailor to the forward base and even arranged time for the tanner, who complained about having too many tools to move.
The craftsmen were uniformly stunned when they saw the materials. They couldn't tear their hands away, trembling in awe.
"Th-this hide is so magnificent... And the sheer quantity...?! Wh-what do you plan to do with the leftovers?!"
"No intention of selling. Return it all."
"...Ahem... Just a little bit..."
"I have other uses for it."
"May I ask what for...?"
"My daughter's sleeping bag."
".......?"
The tailor's reaction was something like that, but the tanner's was even more intense.
"To think I'd see material like this in my lifetime...! The claws and fangs have such incredible hardness and size... And they look like they'd channel internal energy perfectly! Great Hero Jeok! This is the finest material there is!"
"How many weapons can you forge from these?"
"There's a limit to making items directly from this alone. It needs to be alloyed with suitable metals. We'll need additional funds..."
I handed him the money the Earth Dragon Commander had given me as a reward.
He beamed.
"We'll use the most precious metals we have!"
"So, how many can you make...?"
"Let's see... If we melt this down into an alloy... Excluding test pieces... We can get four to five out of it."
Four to five.
I turned to look behind me. The Demonic Cult members all shook their heads.
"I've already got my treasured sword."
"I don't really need one. I'm not the type to rely on tools."
"Bare hands are enough for me."
"Me too... What Master gave me suffices."
Gu Hwa-rin and Suryeon were the same.
"I don't obsess over weapons either..."
"The hidden weapons made with our clan's secret method are my arms. I don't want that recipe spreading outside."
That left four people, including Sua.
I didn't need one myself, so I called over the three who'd been standing off like it was none of their business.
The ones who'd been poking around the weapons hanging in the forge blinked in surprise.
"M-Master... For us? F-For real?!"
"But we haven't done much..."
"I-Is this really okay?!"
"It's fine. I've wanted to get you each one anyway."
"...Maaaster..."
"Kuhk...!"
"This favor! I'll never forget it for the rest of my life!"
I'd already mentioned Sua's share ahead of time. Black Great Cloud said he'd forge her a sword later, but having a spare wasn't a bad idea.
The swords and clothes were ready in no time. The clothes came first, finished with clean hems in a white fluttering robe similar to mine.
"The material itself is astonishingly mystical. Not only does it resist stains, it can block most blades and swords by default. Whether due to the hide or not... It stays warm in the cold and cool in the heat."
Just like mine.
The elasticity was good too, and the texture felt great to the touch. Sua clung to me after trying hers on.
"Daddyyy..."
"Yeah."
She just hugged me without proper words, sniffling back tears.
Just in case, I asked.
"You like it, right? Nothing wrong?"
"Yeah... 'Cause it's so nice..."
"Good."
The swords were all done too. Not the usual steel gray, but an impeccably pure white reminiscent of moonlight.
"When alloyed, it always came out white no matter what. Couldn't be helped."
"Whoa... This is... my gauntlets...? Awesome..."
"Master. This sword seems to glow."
"Better than what I used before by far... Haha! Warriors say skill trumps weapons, but this makes that sound hollow!"
Seeing them all so pleased lifted my spirits too.
The equipment was complete. All that remained was waiting for word from the Unorthodox Supreme Sword...
Time flew by as the weapons and clothes were made, bringing us close to the promised hour. Luckily, it wasn't far with lightness skill, so on the day, Suryeon and I set out late at night.
But no one showed at the rendezvous. We waited just in case, but still nothing.
"...The Unorthodox Supreme Sword didn't lie, did he?"
"Didn't seem the type..."
Either way, it was a bitter end. At least it was clear he hadn't sent anyone.
I returned to the front lines with a sour taste.
And then it happened.
"Sado-ryeon's on the move!"
"Unprecedented all-out assault!"
"We need to urgently request reinforcements from the Heavenly Dragon Society!"
Sado-ryeon had begun moving.
Consuming vast supplies, mobilizing numbers exceeding the Heavenly Dragon Society's...
As if determined to erase the Heavenly Dragon Society from the map entirely.
"Unorthodox warriors are swarming in...!"
It exploded right after the Unorthodox Supreme Sword left.
I easily connected the two. Something must have gone down internally.
Perhaps...
The man called Youngwol had moved personally.
But the immediate issue was the real war crashing down. The massive numbers advancing, led by overwhelming peak experts...
Sado-ryeon's advance.
Once the wave started, it kept surging endlessly. And at the center of that massive tide, we stood.
"What happened to the Unorthodox Supreme Sword? No way... He got quietly eliminated inside...?"
"I don't know."
I joined the fray, eyes wide open at the center.
"But what we need to do seems clear enough."
With the connection to the Unorthodox Supreme Sword we'd met by chance now severed, only one path remained.
Just like planned before-to stand out to the Sado-ryeon Leader by racking up merits.
Irritate her enough, and she'd come for us eventually. Then the truth about the Unorthodox Supreme Sword would spill out.
"Great Hero Jeok. Mind lending your strength again like last time?"
The Earth Dragon Commander hesitated.
"...With the enemy's total assault underway, the Heavenly Dragon Society's main force is heading here. This is a strategic high ground we can't abandon. Someone has to hold the line here against their push."
"You mean buy time?"
"Mountain fortress. We hole up in the one Great Hero Jeok returned to us before. I'll be with you, of course... But frankly, it's extremely dangerous. A death trap. We have to hold out until the main force arrives from afar... Surrounded by the enemy, at least a month or more."
The Earth Dragon Commander spoke gravely.
"If we break, the civilians behind us get plundered defenselessly. But if we hold the key passes, we buy time for the evacuating civilians to reach safety."
"......."
"The wave is crashing in. Someone has to be the breakwater. Will you stand with me?"
I nodded. It was a chance to earn merits too.
We climbed to the mountain fortress, stocked the warehouses full, and awaited the enemy horde.
Given the situation, I wanted to evacuate Sua if possible, but she refused again.
"Daddy's side is the safest."
"...Yeah."
Beyond the ridgeline. The plains below...
Began filling with human specks.
Sado-ryeon's total assault.
As if sheer numbers would crush any lack of skill.
...
Sado-ryeon's Chief Officer Song Nam-cheon surveyed the battlefield.
The Leader's sudden order. Because of the command to shatter the precarious stalemate and advance, unorthodox warriors from countless factions had gathered under one banner.
They'd already looted over a thousand civilians on the march.
Shortages in supplies were covered by the pillaging. The amassed power was so overflowing that the dilemma was how to unleash it.
Hot-blooded warriors. With them all under one flag, incidents never ceased.
Internal brawls erupted daily as each vied to prove superiority.
"...Are all these bastards fucking idiots?"
"Chief Officer. Isn't this familiar?"
"Familiar doesn't make it normal. Leader's amazing. How does she wrangle these morons into one?"
"She's the gray sky blanketing the unorthodox world, a warrior beyond reach. Her personal might is divine; like an unclimbable mountain."
"...Did Leader plant someone nearby? Why's your tongue so slick?"
"You never know."
"Overthinking like that balds you out like me."
"You don't overthink, Chief."
"...Something different."
Song Nam-cheon recalled the past. The Sado-ryeon Leader issuing orders.
Undeniably beautiful. Potent martial arts from her fingertips. But somehow...
"...Can a person change in a day?"
"Pardon?"
"Talking to myself."
She seemed like a different person.
For real.
But orders were orders. Obey.
Leader says kill? Kill anything. Says breach? Just breach.
That's how he'd lived-life got easier. Thinking wasn't his job.
Obeying was.
"Troop count?"
"Over three thousand and still gathering."
"Enough for a solid push. Let's see... Best to steamroll the front straight. Total assault means no looking back... Can't leave enemies at our rear. Sweep clean and shove the line forward."
"Then we must breach here no matter what."
His aide tapped a spot on the map. Song Nam-cheon nodded.
"Mountain fortress. Practically the gateway. More than that, leaving it blocks supplies. Can't let it be. Breach it now."
"Enemy's probably fortified. Terrain favors them."
"Numbers that surpass terrain are here. How many peak experts gathered? Under Leader's order, sects dragged out their hidden masters. Sado-ryeon has enough to crush Heavenly Dragon Society now."
"......."
"Overwhelm with brute force. Defending is surely Earth Dragon Commander... But true to orthodox style, he'll have split forces for civilian evac. At most 1,500? Fortress isn't that big anyway. Our numbers alone are double."
Song Nam-cheon placed miniature figures on the map.
"Main force probably en route here by now... Let them link up and it gets messy. Crush it in three days."