Black Flame Dragon Swallowing the Blood Sea (4)
As darkness receded and dawn approached, light began to shine through, but the surrounding space brimmed with an ominous red energy.
“……Amitabha.”
Unlike his compassionate recitation of the chant, Ilgak glared sharply at the red energy. Powerful qi condensed in his clasped hands. He extended one hand, slowly pushing at the space as if shoving it away, and a massive Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Palm unfurled in the shape of his hand, beginning to repel the sorcery.
Though it was a clash of intangible forces, the air echoed with bizarre ripping sounds as the enormous golden hand vied against the red space.
Tzzzzz—
Kyaaaaaaa—
The unidentified red space tore open, unleashing piercing shrieks that excessively rattled the mind. Ilgak had thought he'd tasted enlightenment through deep wall-gazing meditation and silent contemplation, shedding his shell. Yet he was deeply disappointed in himself for shaking so violently at even minor defilements.
How did it come to this……
His mind filled with delusions he rarely entertained. But that wretched sound wasn't the cause. It was solely his deep regret over past oversights he'd ignored. No, it was contempt for himself, who had reassured himself it would be fine and averted his eyes from the truth.
Regret is always too late, no matter how swiftly it comes……
He glanced around. Countless Shaolin disciples and lay sect disciples clutched their heads, reciting sutras. Desperately resisting the bizarre sounds and illusions infiltrating their minds. They were still faring better, at least. The spear experts who'd traveled with them and their lay disciples were foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back, convulsing violently.
Seeing even his last hope, Hye-seong, clutching his head alongside Myeonghyeon, a wave of utter helplessness washed over him. No more could be done.
Is there such a blind folly as this?
There had been chances. When Jin Sowoon's letter arrived. He should have at least taken seriously the 'dangerous entity' it mentioned. Even if Myeonghyeon and Hye-seong had scorned and raged at it, he should have considered it. If he couldn't defy them outright, he should have at least maintained strict vigilance.
And the price for dismissing all those anxieties as mere worldly delusions was this present hell.
“Amitabha……”
Repeating the chant offered no solution. Yet it was all Ilgak could do now—cast aside stray thoughts and recite.
“Amitabha.”
He drew upon the power of the Dalma Reverse Muscle Scripture to amplify the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Palm's energy further. Golden light like radiant illumination spread everywhere, but the defilements showed no sign of yielding.
His qi was already bottoming out, too low to intensify the palm further, and retracting it would endanger those behind him.
Clack, clack, clack, clack.
Sudden footsteps rang out, heavy with discipline. Ilgak's unease surged.
No…… could it be……
From between the red spaces, figures clad head to toe in blood-red robes emerged in orderly ranks. The crimson veil obscured their numbers completely.
Is this as far as we go……
Ilgak, who'd lived as a Shaolin disciple without ever imagining such a moment, felt his heart filled not with desperate survival instinct, but regret for a life where he hadn't properly enacted his realizations.
Shing, shing, shing.
The blood-robed figures drew their heavy swords in unison. In the balance of his death or others', choosing the former was only natural for Ilgak.
“Amitabha……”
The blood-robed ones approached slowly, like hunters slitting the throat of a thrashing prey in a trap. Even with unmoving mind achieved, Ilgak couldn't help closing his eyes as death crept leisurely near.
Soon, the cold blade would pierce his nape……
So he thought—
Boom!
Thud!
A drum-splitting roar and impact echoed. Ilgak opened his eyes to see the advancing blood-robed formation utterly shattered.
What in the world……
Whoooosh—
A wind-ripping whistle grazed his ear, his large earlobe burning hot as something streaked past his gaze.
An arrow?
The blood-robed ones spotted it too, raising qi-infused heavy swords to swat it away.
Boom!
Thud!
The arrow, which should have shattered against the qi-charged blade, pierced straight through the wielder's body and flew on. Penetrating power beyond belief, even seeing it.
“Monk, are you alright?”
“……”
Turning, Ilgak saw Moyong Jaehwa staring worriedly with bloodshot eyes. A bow in his hands suggested he was the shooter.
How had he evaded the illusion array? As Ilgak wondered dazedly—
“Jaehwa, benefactor……”
“Ah! Oh no, the monk's ear……”
Touching it, Ilgak found a small gash on his earlobe, blood trickling.
“I'm sorry. It was so urgent, I couldn't aim properly.”
“N-no, it's fine.”
Jaehwa eyed the blood-robed ones.
“For now, I'll push them back. Monk, please wake the others.”
“Wake them? And then what?”
They wielded defiled sorcery, numbers unknown. Those shaken in mind by it couldn't fight again.
“We'll dodge and endure.”
“Endure……”
Seeing Jaehwa's face—bloodshot eyes burst from fatigue, cracked lips bleeding—Ilgak felt his own foolishness anew. Even rallying them here, escape was impossible against such numbers.
“……I'm sorry, Jaehwa benefactor. It's all my fault.”
At Ilgak's remorseful words, Moyong Jaehwa bellowed.
“Monk! Get a grip! How can you crumble now?”
Ilgak felt even more ashamed at Jaehwa speaking of vain hopes.
“Just hold out a little longer. It'll all be resolved soon.”
“What do you……”
Jaehwa spoke with utter conviction.
“Soun-hyung will come.”
“Soun? You mean Representative Jin Sowoon?”
They were already surrounded by mysterious blood-robed foes. Likely the second and third lines too. No one could pierce this hell.
Yet Jaehwa's gaze was steadfast.
“Didn't the letter say he'd come for sure?”
“Well…… yes, but…… this place is already……”
Ilgak spoke with doubt, but Jaehwa shook his head firmly.
“Hyung said he'd come! So he definitely will.”
Moyong Jaehwa repeated it like Ilgak's own chants—firmly believing his words as truth, unlike himself.
“……”
Seeing Jaehwa nock an arrow, staring unyieldingly at the blood-robed with unshaken eyes, Ilgak could recite no more sutras.
#
I recalled the paths the Blood Cult had taken in my past life. Overlaying them with the routes the Murim Academy students had followed this time yielded a pessimistic result.
Damn it……
The first line faced the Blood Cult's main force head-on. Another unit likely blocked the path ahead. Charging in was like dousing myself in oil and leaping into flames.
My head grew more complicated.
Can't ask the Green Forest for more 'help' (?).
Having escaped one crisis via the bandit stronghold's 'aid' (?), expecting more was bandit-like greed. And I wasn't a thief like them.
As I desperately brainstormed piercing ahead, Nam Hwaseong spoke up.
“I've got a question.”
Did this guy really come eyeing his clan position?
“Now?”
“Yes. Now.”
“Gotta ask right in this crisis?”
“Yes.”
“Damn bastard……”
He nodded with a harder face than ever. Fine, let's hear it.
“Speak.”
“Moyong Jaehwa and Eunseollan aren't even from your sect. Why go this far?”
“What bullshit is this now.”
“You know too. Against foes like this, they're probably already……”
“What? Dead?”
Nam Hwaseong nodded as if confirming my words. Sure, most would give up here.
“But we haven't confirmed bodies yet.”
“……”
“Maybe they're resisting desperately, waiting for rescue?”
“……Isn't that too optimistic?”
“No corpse, no death to me.”
I met Nam Hwaseong's eyes.
“And if not dead, I'll save them anytime.”
“……”
He continued.
“……Is it because they're your people?”
“You tired or what? Want me to speed up?”
“Jin Sowoon!! It's important.”
“……”
Even after all that ordeal, still dense—his grit rivaled Small Justice Squad's veteran Go Tae.
I finally raised the white flag and answered.
“Yeah, because they're my people.”
“……”
Nam Hwaseong still looked baffled. He wouldn't get it. Couldn't, even if he tried. Understanding required enduring soul-crushing solitude.
In the Upright-Demonic War, Small Justice Squad had no backup. Tae-eul Gate's destruction left me the same. Dropped alone in enemy lines, no hope of rescue.
Was it just us? Moyong Jaehwa too, Eunseollan too. All who toiled unseen for the Murim Alliance behind its back—lonely, dying alone.
I'd seen it. Didn't want repeats.
“Because they're my people.”
To not leave them lonely.
So I wouldn't be lonely alone.
Even if the Demonic Cult razed the Murim world again, not to fear alone.
“I don't let my people die alone.”
Brief silence. Nam Hwaseong's mouth opened heavily.
“Then why save me?”
This guy really……
“Gonna toss you back in the illusion array to satisfy you……”
Nam Hwaseong bellowed.
“Answer me! Jin Sowoon! You could've left me. Why save me?”
Why snap now? Making it awkward.
I eyed him. His gaze pleaded for truth—I had no choice.
“Following my orders means entrusting your life to me. So while obeying, you're my person.”
“……”
Nam Hwaseong finally clamped his mouth shut, serious. Blood Cult units appeared ahead.
“Already this far?”
Some noticed us, shouts rising, weapons drawn.
Even with Heavenly Lone Walker God Step's evasion, breaching that encirclement meant becoming a porcupine.
One to sow chaos, one to cross the dead zone……
Why doesn't Tae-eul Divine Scripture have cloning?
As I indulged in extreme escapism—
Nam Hwaseong spoke again.
“Give me that luggage.”
“……What? You're drained.”
“Hand it to Moyong Jaehwa, right?”
He took the load from my back.
“……What're you doing?”
“One of us has to break through, no?”
He pointed at the forward unit.
“Regrettably, I lack confidence fighting these bastards or resisting sorcery. ……Instead, I'll run till I drop and deliver.”
Did he eat guts or something?
“……Alone? You'll likely die. Almost certainly. You good?”
Nam Hwaseong scowled deeply.
“Even as a ghost, I'll deliver.”
He nodded with resolute vow. No idea why he'd volunteer for suicide now, but no alternatives.
Had to trust, unreliable or not. If I trusted Small Justice Squad gamblers, why not him?
“Fine. I'll draw eyes as noisily as possible.”
“Got it. See you ahead.”
I thanked the willing fool with encouragement.
“Survive this, five talismans yours.”
Nam Hwaseong glanced back mid-stride and bellowed while running.
“Fuckin' bastard!”
Seemed motivated, cursing heartily. Craved those Demon-Exorcism Talismans that bad?
I bolted opposite.
“Blood Demon spawns! Over here! The Murim's promising hero awaits!!”
Time to make a proper racket.