Chapter 57
Chapter 57
************************-
Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Underground Labyrinth
************************-
"..."
My feet touched the ground. The mist had completely dissipated as well.
I naturally lowered my stance. After scanning the surroundings, I checked my own condition first.
Touch. Sight. Smell. Hearing.
Finally, I spat out the sand that had been making my mouth taste bitter, confirming my sense of taste.
Everything was fine. Hadn't the First Demon taught me? No matter how dire the situation...
As long as my body was intact, I could do anything.
I drew my sword and glared ahead. What lay before me was a tangled, complicated-looking labyrinth.
The path split into several branches just an inch ahead. Those branches split again and again in repetition.
"...Yeon-gwang?"
I called out to him. But there was no response.
It was as quiet as if I were the only one there.
---Ppip.
A thin chirping sound reached my ears. The blood hawk, which had been silently nestled in my travel pouch, flew toward me.
I let it perch on my shoulder. The bird rubbed its face against my cheek before slipping into my bosom.
At least that was a relief.
The fact that I wasn't completely alone.
I sheathed my sword back at my waist. I rummaged through my bosom, checking what I had.
Food... none.
No real tools either. The embers were the only saving grace. I opened the fire starter's lid, confirmed the unextinguished coals, then took a step forward.
The interior was bright. Night pearls embedded here and there helped illuminate the surroundings.
Intense mist. Maddening suction.
I recalled the mist. It had been a rampage devouring everything around it.
Was that... normal?
No. It wasn't. Think about it. When the Demon Subduing Leader entered, it hadn't been that chaotic.
Things changed once Yeon-gwang entered.
As if everything had gone awry.
Perhaps... it wasn't Yeon-gwang's actions that triggered it, but something else.
Though I'd only know for sure once I confirmed with my own eyes.
"..."
I walked. Keeping my body pressed close to the wall, I advanced forward.
Nothing appeared in the depths of the labyrinth. But soon enough, I found torn cloth and several bags inside it.
It felt like they'd been thrown in here just like me, due to the suction's aftermath.
Among the numerous bags, I found ones that looked like mine. Even though most were shredded to pieces, mine had kept its shape.
Maybe because the leather was high-quality. The one the First Demon gave me had looked expensive at a glance.
I checked the contents. The items inside were unharmed too. I gathered as much food and clothing as I could from the scattered belongings nearby and stuffed them into my travel pouch.
The blood hawk naturally slipped inside. It chirped as it settled into a spot within.
I ate first. I sat briefly to replenish my stamina.
In the meantime, I noticed it.
"..."
Something even my somewhat dull senses had missed.
I raised my hand. I summoned qi onto it.
Fragments of qi sparkling like stars. But they scattered the moment I manifested them.
...Internal energy.
Something in this space was interfering with it.
"...Hup."
I raised my hand.
Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art
First Form.
Ghost Hand One Demon.
My fist slammed into the wall with force. But it didn't even crack-instead, a ear-piercing sound echoed everywhere.
My internal energy had been absorbed. It felt no different from punching with bare knuckles. Moreover, my energy dispersed in all directions before I could even extend my hand fully.
"...Ha!"
What kind of bizarre nonsense was this?
A formation that completely sealed off internal energy for anyone inside.
"KyaAAAAH!!"
I turned my head. The scream came from far away.
I hurried forward.
"A... ah..."
The place I arrived at was already drenched in blood. One man lay dead, and one woman sat beside him.
The man's shoulder was completely torn off-he was already gone. Only the woman remained, clutching his arm.
I tried to approach. But she raised her sword at me.
"D-don't come closer!"
Her arm was trembling. Was she mistaking me for an enemy?
I kept my distance instead of approaching rashly. I lowered my voice.
"Miss. It's alright. I'm just here to help."
"E-earlier, you said the same... approached like that... aa... then suddenly attacked... I-I won't believe you... get away! Away...!"
I jerked my head.
The sword aiming for the back of my neck mere paper's width away glanced off.
"You dodged that?!"
I immediately widened the gap. The man wore an escort warrior's uniform.
But his face was unfamiliar. His clothes were unusually clean, making his filthy face stand out even more.
"...Who are you?"
"Haha! Crazy bastard! You're a master! Not like those losers lying there!"
The man bared his teeth. He spun the sword in his hand.
"But even a master is useless here! In this space, everyone dies to the blade! You retard! And I'm..."
Five more rag-clad men appeared behind him.
"...alone? Even if you're hot shit outside, you're prey here! Hand over your neck nicely! I'll kill you painlessly!"
"......"
I set down my bag. Drew my sword.
The man charged at me.
"You insist on drinking alone? Fine, as you wish!"
His sword thrust forward. With an attitude like he was used to this space.
Why did this journey keep forcing me into situations where I couldn't use internal energy? But it didn't matter.
What I cultivated wasn't just internal arts.
In fact, hadn't the First Demon advised me to neglect external arts all this time?
A sturdy pillar that embraces and endures everything.
External martial arts.
Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art
Second Form.
Soul-Pulling Thrust.
A crunching sound came from my gripped sword. The force sinking into the hilt was pure physical-no internal energy.
Simple external power. From tempered muscles and thickened skin.
---Kudang.
"Huh?"
With the man's death rattle, his sword-sliced corpse split in half and fell. The cackling thugs' laughter vanished.
I kicked the bisected body away. I wiped the blood from the blade's tip with both hands.
"I'll ask once more."
They'd bared their fangs first-no mercy intended.
They'd target my neck eventually anyway.
Beasts get treated like beasts.
"Who are you?"
"Kill him!!"
Over five swords flew at me at once.
I cleaved them all.
Without exception.
"What the fu-?!"
I grabbed the last one's throat and hurled him. Sliced off his hand and pinned it to the wall, then pressed his neck with my toe.
"S-spare..."
"Answer my question."
The twisted man's face gurgled. His frantic eyes searched for escape before whispering quietly.
"Th-that's... that's..."
I leaned in to listen.
The thug's limp eyes sharpened suddenly.
"From hell...!"
I severed the incoming arm. Slashed his throat for good measure.
I detached my gaze from the gurgling scream without regret. Retrieved my sword from amid the corpses and sheathed it.
No information after all.
"H-heeek...!"
I crouched before the woman with disheveled hair crawling backward. Rifled through my bag, pulled out bandages and medicine.
"Your wound will worsen. Come here."
I demonstratively unbelted my sword and set it aside. The panting woman asked me.
"A-ally... are you...?"
"We've only been together less than an hour, so you might find me unfamiliar. I arrived latest, after all."
"Latest... ah...! The one with Young Master Yeon...?"
"Yes. That's right."
Recognizing me belatedly, the female escort collapsed as tension drained. I carefully applied medicine to her arm.
"Fortunately, it's not a dangerous wound."
"Th-thank you..."
Gauging me, the woman gave her name.
"I-I'm Seo Cho-hui of the North Gate Seo Family... from the Raksha Clan..."
"Bicheon. Can you write?"
"Y-yes... b-but... strangely, I can't use internal energy..."
"Same here. Seems like a feature of this space."
A scream echoed.
I helped her stand.
"I'll save as many as I can. I'm from the Demon Subduing Unit, after all. What will you do, miss?"
"I-I'll go with you. T-take me with you. A-and..."
Seo Cho-hui looked down at the corpses.
"N-next to the warrior seems... safest."
"Then follow me."
I headed toward the scream.
. . .
I saved one escort warrior who was cornered.
"Th-thank you...!"
I beheaded the thug who was raping the woman I'd killed.
"B-beasts in human skin...!"
I swung my sword mercilessly.
The number of people grew one by one.
Ultimately, four escort warriors.
One female escort.
They all seemed intact physically but trembled from cold and hunger. I generously shared food with them.
"Th-thank you! Warrior!"
"How to repay this grace..."
"Recover your strength first. We can talk repayment later."
The ground shook. A rumbling like the entire wall was moving reached my ears.
A labyrinth. And not an ordinary one.
After the noise, retracing our path sometimes revealed open passages now closed.
A bizarre space that periodically reshaped its walls.
Over nearly three days, I cut down more than twenty thugs. Hurrying on blood-soaked feet, I arrived at a new scene containing the person I sought.
"Young Master Yeon."
"B-brother!"
I told you to watch your terms.
Yeon-gwang rushed over frantically.
"A-are you alright?! There are weird guys mixed in here! Mad dogs bloodthirsty for killing!"
"I know."
What Yeon-gwang held was his master's broken sword. He'd somehow found it.
A sigh of relief.
I locked eyes with two people sitting in the wide plaza.
One escort warrior and one female escort. One of them I knew.
Eun Seol-ran, with her weary expression, walked toward me.
"Bicheon of the Demon Subduing Unit... right?"
"Yes. Correct."
"Hm..."
Eun Seol-ran's suspicious gaze probed me. Then it flicked away.
"Bicheon. You might not know, but I'm Eun Seol-ran of the Raksha Clan. Looks like you're leading the ones behind you?"
"Yes. Correct."
"Did you see the thugs on the way? Lots of them, but not really skilled. You know?"
I nodded. She was right. Their skill wasn't impressive.
Just the inability to use internal energy and overwhelming numbers were the issues.
If we'd countered systematically, we could've repelled them unless ambushed.
"I caught one and tortured him. Those guys... they're apostates. Criminals caught within the cult. They're doing forced labor here. Under the pretext of testing the female escorts' potential. Disobey, and they inflict horrific pain."
"The cult released them itself?"
"Yeah. Of course, it probably wasn't this dangerous originally. People wouldn't have scattered so chaotically. Under the Demon Subduing Leader's command, fifteen female escorts would've moved in formation. The terror without internal energy-that's likely the trial of this underground first floor."
"...Underground first floor?"
"Look ahead."
At a glance, an ordinary wall.
But something was off. Four holes adorned the wall before us, with a structure above emitting unknown light.
A needle circling like clock hands. Currently pointing down, slowly shifting upward.
"...This is?"
"When that needle completes one rotation, the labyrinth restructures. Paths vanish, new ones appear. Cycle's about half a day."
I stared at the wall. Confirmed the writing engraved above the structure.
[Seek it. Then it shall open.]
Simple words. Probably meant find something to fit those four holes inside here.
Half a day. Half a day...
If we don't return in time, we're trapped in the labyrinth again? I got lucky reaching here, but unluckily...
We might get stuck in the ever-changing maze.
"No separate exit?"
"None. Once in, we have to take the trial inevitably. Even if there was, the shifting paths make it impossible to find."
"We need to break through the front door. Best to split up and head out simultaneously. Gather items for those holes within half a day..."
"I can."
"Pardon?"
"I sense it. The one qi scent that doesn't scatter. That's how I found this place. You don't sense it?"
I couldn't see it.
My qi sense wasn't that sharp.
"No."
"I see. Possible. Only I can sense it here to begin with..."
"I-I can sense it too."
"...What?"
Eun Seol-ran turned her head. Yeon-gwang stepped forward.
"I can definitely sense three scents. But one is too faint, unsure."
"...Spot on. I can't sense one either. Impressive. You caught it?"
Eun Seol-ran smiled.
"Makes things easier. Let's split the group and retrieve them. Bicheon. You'll cooperate?"
"Of course, Miss Eun."
"...By the way."
Eun Seol-ran glanced at my back.
"Could you share some food?"
"Take half."
"Uh, hey? I didn't mean that much."
"It's fine. I can give plenty to you, Miss Eun."
"Wh-what? Why?"
I handed over half the food. Divided the personnel in half too.
Seo Cho-hui spoke firmly.
"I-I'm going with the warrior!"
"Me too, with brother...!"
"Same here!"
Not just Yeon-gwang-the escort warriors raised their voices too.
Eun Seol-ran glanced at me.
"You must've shown quite the reliable side?"
"...Somehow."
"Good. Better than them refusing to go."
Eun Seol-ran advised.
"This itself is the trial... Probably guardians at each item. The strongest apostates gathered in groups. Can you win?"
"Yes."
"Regroup in half a day, then check the final clue together..."
Eun Seol-ran slightly bowed her head. Sniffed my scent.
"...Hmmm."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Come back alive, Bicheon."
The needle hit the top precisely.
The entire labyrinth shook.
"Hurry. Or everything falls apart."
"Th-this way!"
Yeon-gwang took the lead. We dashed forward immediately.
"Don't sprint full speed. Save stamina for fighting."
"Yes!"
Along the way, I tore spare cloth with my sword, scattering pieces. As long as these marked the path, we could return.
"Kuhuhu!"
"Found 'em! Kill them a-!"
Running made noise impossible to hide. But hiding wasn't necessary anyway.
I instantly drew my sword. Leapt ahead of Yeon-gwang, gripped tight.
---Chaak!
Blood sprayed. Two severed heads soared into the air simultaneously.
Yeon-gwang freaked.
"Wh-what?! No internal energy, and that movement...?!"
"Young Master Yeon! Bicheon warrior is totally out of spec! See that sword just now?!"
"Stuck with the right side after all..."
"No chatter! Run!"
We repeated encountering thugs and staining my sword with blood.
Yeon-gwang turned.
"This way!"
At the maze's end, the waiting apostate looked up. Far more than before-over ten.
The hulking one in the center cracked his neck. Slung the knife he'd been poking a corpse with over his shoulder.
"Back again, prey. Oh. Girl mixed in? Perfect. My plaything died-time to taste life agai-"
---Kaaaaang!!
"Grurk?!"
My flung sword was blocked. But I spun immediately, bisecting two charging foes at the torso.
Spraying blood. I straightened my withdrawn stance.
The apostates, losing two in an instant, growled.
"Listen when people talk! You fuck! What beast spawn are you?!"
"......"
I lowered my gaze.
Scattered corpses and familiar faces.
Demon Subduing Unit members mixed in. We hadn't spoken much, but...
They'd shared rice from the same pot.
Not one body intact. Slashed haphazardly like toys for amusement.
To alleviate boredom, perhaps.
Under the thug weren't just male corpses. Naked women lay there too.
Bodies glistening with strange fluid. Defiled thoroughly.
Even after death, violated multiple times-it was obvious.
Seeing that, I realized.
"...Draw your swords."
No words to exchange.
"If you want to die as humans, at least."