Today's Fortune (6)
Thinking about it, maybe the reason my previous life was so harsh wasn't bad luck in my fate, but something worse. Otherwise, how could this life—where I'm far stronger than before—feel even harsher than the last? Hell, what are the odds of running into the Yin-Yang Twin Demons, whom I never even glimpsed in my past life, after regressing? Guess a guy with shitty fate stays that way even after a do-over. What a filthy world.
That's why seeing my misfortune transfer to someone else...
"Heh, Absorption Great Law!"
...feels so damn good.
"That's right, you bastard!"
After spending a few days with me in the Four Black Lotuses, my bad luck must've rubbed off on him. Or did it? A Baekdo hero sneaking into the Kangho, thinking I'm easy prey—only to secretly practice the Absorption Great Law? How much shit luck do you need for that? That's why my parents always said to choose friends wisely...
"Ah! But you demons don't have parents, do you?"
"......"
Whoosh!
The internal energy flowing in through the Azure Dragon Ring linked straight from my dantian to the Sacred Fire Demon-Exterminating Hand in my right hand. Maybe because of the massive influx, the power—which should've stayed contained in my palm—burst outward, igniting flames everywhere.
Boom!
Crackle, crackle.
The Formless Ghost Demon Corps guys, their robes now ablaze, flapped desperately to put out the fire, but the sacred flames fueled by demonic qi weren't going out that easily.
"Kuhk!"
Jegumhak's face drained of color, turning pale white. Huh, up close like this, he looks kinda like a fairy from a beauty scroll. Kinda creepy, so take this.
Boom!
"Kuhk!"
I sucked out his energy to amp up the Sacred Fire Demon-Exterminating Hand and slammed one right at his feet. At the same time, I looped my arm around his neck, yanking him up as a shield in front of me, then menacingly swung the hand toward the Formless Ghost Demon Corps.
"Don't move, you fucking dogs! Just try it, you gutter trash—I'll roast this bastard on the spot!"
"......"
"......"
The guys finally sliced off their burning robes to douse the flames, exchanged glances, and then two vanished into the floor. The moment I realized and tried to turn—
Stab.
"Kuhk!"
Pain exploded from a stab in my right side, spreading through my body. These cowardly bastards! Luckily, the Thousand Silkworm Cloak kept my strength from draining fast.
"You fucking... bastards..."
If that's how you wanna play, I've got moves too. I cranked the Azure Dragon Ring's power even higher. The energy pouring in was now beyond what I could handle.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Do or die—I sprayed the Sacred Fire Demon-Exterminating Hand wildly around me. If I'm going down, might as well not go alone, right? Traveling to the afterlife with these pricks sucks, but at least I can mess with them along the way.
"Come at me, you shits!"
Boom boom boom boom!
Fueled to the max, the Sacred Fire Demon-Exterminating Hand morphed into something like the Blood Jade Hand I'd seen in my past life. My blazing palm glowed red-hot, transforming into the fiery state that incinerated anything it touched.
I snatched the blade that stabbed my side; it melted and dripped away in seconds.
Clang.
Huh? Not bad. I immediately wrapped the hand around Jegumhak's face.
Sizzle—
A foul stench rose as he let out his first hideous scream.
"Kwaaak!"
Just a bit more, and I could snap his lifeline. But then—
Stab, stab.
Blades from the Formless Ghost Demon Corps pierced my right arm and thigh. Damn bastards, always stabbing where the Thousand Silkworm Cloak ain't covering. I gritted my teeth, suppressing the instinct to yank my arm free amid the searing pain. Pull back now, and I'm really heading to the afterlife solo.
"...That'd be too lonely!"
I twisted my body madly, batting away the sword and rolling across the floor with Jegumhak clutched tight. First time hugging someone this intensely while rolling... Fuck, I really am cursed.
"Haa, haa, haa..."
Even absorbing energy to unleash the demon-exterminating hand, my body was hitting its limits. The Azure Dragon Ring helped, but the energy still flowed through my dantian and meridians. Physical toll was inevitable.
"Kuhk..."
Like when rescuing Moyong Sangwon, my whole body overloaded, my mind spinning on the verge of blackout.
"Krhng, krhng, krhng."
Fortunately, Jegumhak groaned in agony too. But then, something weird happened.
Whoosh—
The scorching heat of the blazing Sacred Fire Demon-Exterminating Hand began to subside. My red-hot, fire-state palm rapidly regained its color. The output was the same, though...?
Then, frost formed coldly over my hand. Startled, I checked Jegumhak pressed against me.
"Damn it..."
It wasn't me. Sensing danger, he'd started using some other trick. And—
Crack.
In an instant, from hand to arm, it froze like severe frostbite. The energy flowing from the Azure Dragon Ring changed too.
'...What the hell?'
This wasn't just filling an empty dantian. True energy surged like when I'd absorbed that beastman's inner core long ago. What? I'd never felt this sucking human vitality before...
Looking at him again—bloodshot eyes, hair standing on end—he was using his innate qi. No way.
'This bastard...'
...is a real tonic!
Absorbing his vast sea-like energy plus massive innate qi filled my dantian like swallowing a millennium ginseng. But the sheer volume blocked further absorption, and with my arm freezing solid, I had to let go.
Ending that unpleasant yet thrilling contact, I could only marvel inwardly.
'Holy shit... thirty years' worth?'
In that short time, my dantian had expanded hugely. No elixir lately boosted my internal power like this. Jegumhak outperformed any spiritual medicine in raw internal energy gain.
I gazed down at his twitching, floor-bound face. Suddenly, that unlucky mug looked kinda pretty. Well... half-melted, maybe.
"Kaaaak!"
As he clutched his face screaming, the three Formless Ghost Demon Corps surrounded and shielded him. Meanwhile, the remaining ones charged me—but honestly, I had no strength left to move. If only they'd grab him for treatment and fuck off...
"Capture that bastard alive! Drag him to the cult—I'll carve him piece by piece!"
Looks like the tonic guy had other plans. Retract the pretty face comment, asshole.
I forced myself up on shaky legs.
"Haa, haa, haa."
Bigger dantian was great, but I'd hit my usage limit. My lower abdomen and body screamed everywhere; wounds still oozed blood. I tried the Socheon Sword Technique—second nature, even in sleep—but it was half my past life's skill at best.
Clang clang.
Ridiculously, I let attacks through, scars etching my arms and chest each time. Fuck, even in my past life, I never ate such amateur hits. I could see the sword paths clear as day, but couldn't block shit.
Whoosh—
Forced an attack first, but exposed gaps and took more hits.
Thud.
Crash.
Rolled two laps across the floor before staggering up. My trembling legs begged to buckle, but...
I couldn't kneel. Kneeling here meant demonic cult hell, not the afterlife. I'd pass the honor of first Baekdo captive to Yong So-a or that useless bald senior.
'Jegumhak... just that bastard...'
My goal shifted from survival to mutual destruction. Dragging the Yin-Yang Twin Demons to hell might buy Jegal Somyeong more time. And to make the Formless Ghost Demon Corps retreat, no other way.
His shout shook the space—my new target.
"Outta my way! Gotta rip off that fucker's face first."
The tonic man—soon to bear the moniker "half-face, half-scar"—approached, flames igniting in his palm. I focused, unleashing Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth to the extreme.
Humm—
Eight swords materialized in the cramped air.
Damn, eating something good really boosts skill fast. Not stopping there, I poured in energy, wrapping them in sword aura.
A third of my Jegumhak-filled internal energy vanished instantly. Then the eight swords danced, scattering Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The blade storm ravaged the tight space, slicing indiscriminately at Jegumhak and the Formless Ghost Demon Corps.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang.
Shrieking metal clashes and—
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom.
ear-shattering explosions. Flashes from clashing auras blinded me.
Everyone in reach was an enemy—no need to target specifics. I shut my eyes and danced the sword storm.
Kaboom.
Kaboom.
Kaboom kaboom kaboom.
The qi gale filled the narrow room over and over. Had to admit it—this Strange Gates Array Formation was impressive. Even as my organs threatened to burst from pressure, not a single crack. Masterful stuff.
"Urk... blegh."
After the blade and qi storm subsided, my shaken insides spewed a basin of black blood. Blinking my eyes open to check the foes, I grinned wide.
"Fuck..."
One Formless Ghost Demon Corps ragdoll on the floor—dealt with. But—
Slither.
The remaining four, wrapped tightly around Jegumhak protectively, slowly peeled away. Seeing that, I couldn't hold back the curses.
"You fight like shit."
He glared with venomous eyes.
"Is that all?"
Wanna say no and shove a potato in his mouth. But honestly, I was tapped out. Shlick—
Formless Ghost Demon Corps robes ensnared my limbs. Death felt as vivid as in the Small Justice Squad days. Regret for life swelled, fear gripped me.
"I'll make you regret dragging this out—a thousand times over."
Jegumhak's once clear, jade-like voice now rasped like a dying old man's. And it terrified me more than ever.
'...Am I dying now?'
Limbs pinned—no suicide possible. I tried reversing my dantian to pierce Baihui and end it myself. That instant—
As if sensing the end, memories flooded my mind, replaying life...
'Fuck, why these memories?'
Expected Dad's face or Tae-eul Gate folks. First up: a gambler's face from Enigmatic Divine Art pranks.
"Come on, money down, money up! Not every day you get this chance. Even a stray dog nails it! Find the bean. Bean!"
Damn it. Bring something else!
Thrashing inwardly, it shifted.
"It's about infusing sound and detonating it from another space."
Followed by bloodbath scenes. Next: Jegumhak blocking my sword with an ice wall...
No, fuck off, you oblivious memories—scram! Just one! One woman at least...
"Martial arts seek to mimic nature's way yet never merge with it. Can the way of nothingness and nature's way truly not unite?"
But next was Moyong Gang. Why fill life's end-replay with these creepy faces? Can't even die feeling wronged. ...Yeah, won't die like this.
"Ha... haha..."
Jegumhak grimaced at my laugh, his half-melted face twisting grotesquely.
"Laughing?"
I flashed him an even brighter smile.
"You check today's fortune?"
"Fortune?"
"If I did... probably get the Five Heavenly Kings."
He tilted his head at the sudden topic.
"What're you—"
"Means I don't think I'm dying today."
The voice filling my head:
"The attempt to unite the way of nothingness and nature's way."
Soon, my rigid dantian stirred slowly. No forcing through tangled meridians—just quiet motion in place.
No need to extend or reach. The Way simply exists. No forced movement needed. Just harmonize naturally and move together.
That is Void Annihilation.
And...
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Four sacred fires bloomed above the Formless Ghost Demon Corps heads.
"Wh-what...?"
One ignited on a startled Jegumhak's chest too.
"That is the Void Annihilation Fist."
Moyong Gang's voice echoed softly in my mind.