The Heavenly Demon. This Isn't Apis.
The commander-like figure called out to the others inside the carriage before turning his gaze on me.
“Who are you?”
They dragged someone whose identity they didn’t even know all the way to the execution ground? The surrounding scenery looked nothing like the modern world, so it wasn’t that strange. If anything, it was merciful that they hadn’t simply cut my throat on the spot and had brought me here instead.
To answer, I walked forward until I stood before the commander. Whether they were soldiers or the commander himself, everyone stared at me, but none showed any wariness. They must have thought a bound civilian couldn’t possibly do anything against armed men. That was arrogance.
I would have to teach them personally that the world is full of people who shatter common sense.
“State your name.”
“This seat is called Baek Hwaryeong.”
Proceed with customization?
Skipping will apply the default customization settings.
“Too bothersome.”
Customization skipped.
“Baek Hwaryeong. An illegal immigrant from outside the country, I see. Go stand over there.”
“Before that, allow this seat to show you something interesting.”
“We don’t have time for pointless chatter. Move along.”
Ignoring the commander’s rebuke, I lifted my bound hands. Whoever had tied them had done a thorough job. Unless cut with a blade, these ropes wouldn’t come loose easily. If I had brought my original body, a simple flex of strength would have snapped them, but this game avatar was pathetically weak. Freeing myself would require a rather annoying method.
With one hand, I dislocated the wrist and finger bones of the other.
A sound that should never come from a human body rang out. By doing this, I could move joints beyond their normal limits. Using that freedom, I slipped one hand out of the rope.
Then I simply reassembled the bones. My hands were free once more.
“Ta-da. What do you think? Surprising, isn’t it?”
It was one of the many odd skills I possessed. If I had internal energy, it would have been far easier, but unfortunately this body had not a shred of qi. I had to resort to rather crude means.
“Don’t try this at home. The pain is enough to drive one mad.”
The reaction wasn’t as good as I had hoped. I admit the sight isn’t pleasant, but isn’t it fascinating? Why is everyone saying it’s too painful to watch? Isn’t that strange? All of you get slashed by swords, stabbed by spears, smashed by maces, and whipped in Apis, yet you make such a fuss over a little bone removal and reinsertion?
I had plenty more to say, but right now I needed to deal with the soldier drawing his sword in front of me, so let’s move on.
“Soldiers!”
Normally arrows would have flown by now, but since the commander was nearby, the archers hesitated. Instead, armed soldiers charged to subdue me. Too slow. Wasn’t I standing right in front of their commander?
As I took one step forward, the commander swung his sword. Not bad—for a commander, he had some skill with the blade. But that was as far as it went. For an ordinary soldier, it was decent. That was his limit.
No matter how weak this body was, I would never allow an attack from the likes of him. A downward slash from above was textbook, but that also made it predictable. I twisted my body to dodge, took another step forward, and slammed my palm into the now-empty space beneath his chin.
Staggering from the sudden impact, the commander dropped his weapon. You fool. You claim to have trained in the martial arts, yet you drop your sword after taking a single hit? Do you think that makes sense?
When I picked up the sword and pointed it at him, he raised both hands in surrender. Did he really think I would take him hostage? It wasn’t a bad assumption. It was certainly a valid strategy. But it was unnecessary for me right now.
I punched a hole in the commander’s side with the blade, then kicked him over. When I turned around, I saw the soldiers who had been rushing toward me had frozen in place. Foolish creatures. Their commander had fallen—what were they hesitating for in the distance?
The archers reacted better. The moment they sensed a stalemate, they drew their bows and aimed at me. Unfortunately for them, the ones who should have been threatening me were too scared to hide their fear, so I could see exactly when they pulled their strings.
I hurled the sword at the nearest archer. It flew straight and buried itself in his shoulder blade before stopping. The bow clattered to the ground.
“What are you all doing? This seat is now empty-handed. You should be charging in.”
You are trained soldiers, aren’t you? You should know how helpless a person becomes without a weapon. You should understand the massive gap between having a weapon and not. So why aren’t you charging? Why aren’t you fighting?
Look. The one who harmed your commander stands right here. The one who harmed your comrade is before you. Shouldn’t you seek revenge?
One soldier, unable to withstand the pressure, let out a loud roar and charged at me. That became the signal. The rest began moving one by one.
“Now then. It is time for an enjoyable lecture. Today’s lesson is how to face many opponents alone. Normally I would explain this leisurely, but unfortunately we are short on time, so I will summarize.”
The first soldier to reach me chose a thrust. How hasty. Are you scared? Are you afraid of me?
Dodging the attack didn’t require much movement. I shifted my foot slightly to evade the blade, grabbed his arm, and ripped the bone out.
“Aaaaargh!”
As I said before, the pain of dislocation is not easily endured. No matter how well-trained a soldier, in the face of agony they can only scream like a child.
“When facing a group, the first step is to eliminate the commander. I accomplished that with the sword earlier.”
I kicked the sword the soldier had dropped into the air with my toe and caught it. Then I gently stabbed the screaming, thrashing soldier in the side, avoiding his vital organs. It would hurt, but he wouldn’t die.
“Next, as you can see, you must deal with the soldiers pouring in.”
The blood on the blade seemed to act as a catalyst. The soldiers began charging in earnest. There was no strategy, no plan—only the desperate will to kill the enemy before them and survive. The group rushing me now was no different from a sandcastle that would collapse with a single touch.
“At this point, the important thing is to subdue the soldiers without killing them.”
One might think it would be better to reduce their numbers quickly, but facing many opponents inevitably turns into a war of attrition. It is better to paint a bigger picture than simply reducing the count by one.
“Soldiers train together. Whether they like each other or not, bonds inevitably form. Imagine it. Could you completely ignore the screams of someone who shares your daily life right beside you? Impossible. As humans, you cannot help but waver. You might even leave the fight momentarily to save a comrade. Therefore, when facing many, inflict critical injuries but do not kill. Leave them to hinder their own allies. Do you understand?”
“Is there any special method? Just dodge well and hit well.”
“Facing many opponents alone involves too many variables to explain in detail. This part can only be solved through experience, so face many enemies and learn.”
In my case, I grew so sick of dealing with groups in the Murim that I naturally mastered it.
“If I must give one piece of advice, it is this: when archers are present, induce a chaotic melee. That way the archers cannot draw their bows.”
Despite my sincere explanation, more question marks than affirmations of understanding flooded the chat. These fools. Instead of just asking questions, you should think and ponder for yourselves. Only then can you grow.
“I apologize, but this seat does not know how to explain it any more simply. Therefore, take only what you understand.”
While deflecting a coordinated attack from three soldiers, I sensed a presence from behind. From the sound of it, he held a weapon but had no intention of swinging it. He meant to tackle me with his body. A good choice.
The moment I heard footsteps behind me, I kicked off the ground and leaped. The man trying to tackle me ended up crashing into his own comrade instead, throwing their formation into chaos. I approached the tangled group and stabbed a few vital spots with my blade. The men’s screams created a rather unpleasant harmony.
It wasn’t a pleasant sound, but it would be even less pleasant for the enemy, so there was no need to stop the symphony.
“Just put eyes on the back of your head.”
It was meant as a joke, but the kids in the chat began seriously discussing whether I actually had eyes on the back of my head. Not a single one laughed. It seems this seat has no talent for humor.
“It was a joke. In truth, I simply guessed the presence from the aura and read the intent from the sound. It is nothing special.”
What is so great about something anyone can do with enough practice? If I were to name something truly special by my standards… Hmm.
“Part the sea and come back. That might be worthy of applause.”
While exchanging such casual talk and subduing soldiers, I soon found myself the only one left standing on the ground. Not a single person had died. None of them were worth killing.
“I’ve cleared away all the obstacles, so when is the dragon coming out?”
“No. It seems it was waiting for someone to mention it.”
From the lofty sky above, a massive object began to fall. As if it thought itself a meteor, it plummeted without slowing down. The moment it struck the ground, the earth shook violently. The snow piled on the ground exploded outward, painting the world white.
Within that whiteness, the dragon with black scales briefly curled its body before roaring and displaying its presence.
Oh. Quite the flashy entrance. If you’re going to bear the title of dragon, you ought to at least do this much. Indeed.
Its fierce, scarlet eyes locked onto me.
You’ve come. Good. This seat went through the trouble of creating a battlefield just for the two of us. Now there is no one to interfere with our fight. Let us enjoy ourselves.