The Bloodbath in Baekun Valley
The cold air of dawn pierced deep into my lungs.
In front of the Jigeom Sect’s main gate, we were making our final equipment checks. Duseong tested the weight of his newly forged sword, Hwaung knocked against his reinforced shield and armor, and Jinu stood there with a backpack full of medicines, his face taut with nerves.
“Everyone ready?”
At my question, the three of them nodded.
“Good. Then let’s move.”
Today’s destination was Baekun Valley.
It lay in western Hubei—more precisely, on the far western edge of Dongho, where the Jigeom Sect stood—and it was very close to an Illusion Gate. The nearer one drew to a gate, the higher the rank of the beasts that appeared, which made the place dangerous, but the rewards rose with the risk.
For us, now that we had decent gear and some experience under our belts, it was the perfect hunting ground.
“Let’s go.”
The moment we left the fortress gate, I felt eyes on our backs. Turning around, I saw two shadows watching us from afar.
Jang Semin and Jang Sejun?
I ignored them and kept walking. Two shichen later, we reached the entrance to Baekun Valley.
“Ugh…”
Jinu let out a small groan.
I almost lost my breath too. Something felt wrong the instant we stepped into the valley. The air was heavy and sticky, and a strange sense of alienness wrapped around my whole body, as if I’d stepped into another world entirely.
“So this is what it’s like near an Illusion Gate…”
Duseong’s voice trembled. I said calmly, “Stay close and be careful.”
The deeper we went into the valley, the more bizarre the scenery became.
The trees that should have been green had turned a dark, bloody red. Their leaves were sharp as metal, and the grass writhed as if it were alive. Even the sky was hidden beneath a pale gray fog, so thick it was impossible to make out clearly.
Rumble…
An ominous cry rolled in from far away. It wasn’t one beast. It was dozens, no, hundreds of voices filling the valley.
“Dasa-hyung, over there. There are other martial artists.”
Following Hwaung’s finger, I saw the others.
The Azure Wind Sect in blue robes, the Scarlet Blood Hall in red, and the Iron Mountain Hall in gray. They were all small and mid-sized sects from the Hubei region. Each sect had formed groups of five or six and was laying down a formation.
“They’ve already staked out their ground.”
The area near an Illusion Gate was a kind of golden fishing ground.
It was an unspoken rule that those who came first claimed the best spots.
“Huh? Isn’t that the Jigeom Sect?”
One of the Azure Wind Sect’s martial artists spotted us.
“Only four of them, and they’re this close to an Illusion Gate? They must not value their lives.”
A Scarlet Blood Hall martial artist sneered.
But I ignored them and studied the surroundings. The three sects had occupied the flat ground near the valley entrance. It was relatively safe, but the harvest there would be thin.
“We’re going deeper.”
“What? Deeper?”
Duseong asked in surprise.
“There’s nothing worth taking from the area they’ve claimed. The real prey is farther in.”
We left the gazes of the other sects behind and ventured deeper into the valley. Once we reached the heart of it, the atmosphere changed again. Duseong and Hwaung tightened their grips on their weapons, the tension in their bodies rising.
Shashashak—
Something moved in the trees overhead.
“Take defensive formation!”
The moment I shouted, beasts came pouring down.
“Kieeek!”
Hwan-yo.
They were high-ranking among the Livestock Class beasts. They looked like monkeys, but they had four arms, and their entire bodies were covered in gray fur. Hwaung rushed to the front at once. He set his shield and quickly counted the number of charging beasts.
“Damn… there must be more than fifty of them.”
Hwaung was aghast.
Hwan-yo were beasts that normally lived in packs. But this number was not normal. The influence of the Illusion Gate had caused their population to swell unnaturally.
Kikik! Kikikik!
The Hwan-yo surrounded us from every direction.
“Don’t panic. Stay calm. Form up!”
Hwaung took the center, and Duseong and I covered the flanks. Jinu hid directly behind Hwaung. Then, from behind the pack of Hwan-yo, a louder cry rang out.
Kieeek-!
One of the Hwan-yo shrieked.
At the signal, the whole pack launched its attack.
“Leave them to me!”
Hwaung raised his shield.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dozens of Hwan-yo charged at once, but Hwaung didn’t budge. His lower body, hardened through special training, was as solid as a boulder. And the shield made from Dark Shadow Leopard hide didn’t even flinch under the Hwan-yo’s attacks.
“My turn!”
Duseong’s sword moved like lightning.
Swish! Swish!
The blade, wrapped in sword energy, cut through the Hwan-yo. Heads fell, limbs were severed. It was the result of a sword forged from Dark Shadow Leopard bones and a week of brutal special training.
But there were simply too many of them.
“Gah!”
Duseong staggered when a Hwan-yo attacked from the side. I stepped in as he stumbled.
Woooong—
My sword energy drew a crescent moon and cut down five Hwan-yo at once. In an instant, five of them were dead. The opening gave Duseong room to steady himself, and he resumed his assault.
“Let’s finish this!”
It didn’t take long to clear out the remaining Hwan-yo.
“Phew… it’s over.”
Hwaung let out a relieved breath as he lowered his shield. Having absorbed the full force of the Hwan-yo’s attacks with his own body, he looked far more exhausted than either Duseong or me. He’d probably had the hardest time dealing with the ones trying to slip past him and ignore him.
Hmm. I’d like to inscribe a formation onto Hwaung’s shield as soon as possible.
When facing a large number of beasts like this pack of Hwan-yo, it was difficult for a single defender to hold them all in place. The eventual solution to that problem was to carve a special formation into the shield of the defensive fighter.
With equipment inscribed with that formation, you could draw the beasts’ attacks toward yourself.
That kind of gear became essential for shield-bearers, and the stronger the beast materials used to make it, the more effective it was against lower-ranked beasts. Of course, the same was true for armor and weapons as well. Equipment made from the byproducts of higher-ranked beasts was vastly superior.
I said to the others, “First, gather the Illusion Stones.”
We efficiently collected the Illusion Stones and materials from the Hwan-yo corpses. While I gathered the stones, Jinu separately collected the beasts’ hearts and livers, and Duseong and Hwaung skinned the Hwan-yo. The two of them were now as skilled with a knife as any craftsman was with a work tool.
“Dasa-hyung, this is a pretty decent haul.”
Duseong said, patting the leather bag where he had carefully stacked the Hwan-yo hides.
“This is only the beginning. The real prize is still ahead.”
I pointed deeper into the valley.
“In a place this close to an Illusion Gate, there are Human Class beasts too. If we go farther in, we’ll find Hwanrang nearby.”
“Hwanrang?”
“Right. A wolf-type Human Class beast. It’s about the same rank as the Dark Shadow Leopard we fought before. Of course, that one was a special specimen, so Hwanrang should be weaker than that.”
All three of them looked tense, but unlike before, there was more determination than fear in their expressions.
After going another thirty li or so deeper, a low growl reached our ears.
“Quiet. Hwanrang should be close.”
We advanced cautiously. Soon, a wide clearing appeared, and in the center of it lay a pair of giant gray wolves side by side.
Hwanrang.
They looked to be over four meters long, with sharp fangs and claws gleaming in the sunlight.
“Looks like they’re asleep,” Hwaung whispered.
“We’ll take one with a surprise attack first. Duseong, ready?”
“Yes.”
Duseong and I split left and right and moved in. Hwaung and Jinu waited behind us. I sent Duseong a voice transmission.
-Now.
Shrrk.
Two swords flew at the same time toward one of the Hwanrang. Sensing the killing intent, the wolf screamed and shot upright. But by then, Duseong’s and my blades had already struck home.
Shhk.
Deep wounds opened along the Hwanrang’s flank and hind leg. As it staggered, I moved quickly and drove my sword into its neck. The wolf died without even getting the chance to scream.
“Success!”
But our brief triumph didn’t last. Having lost its mate, the surviving Hwanrang’s eyes burned red with fury.
Awooo—!
“Hwaung!”
“Leave it to me!”
Hwaung blocked the Hwanrang’s first charge with his shield.
Khoooom.
Even against that powerful body slam, Hwaung didn’t yield. I quickly ordered Duseong, “Aim for its flank!”
Duseong moved like a flash, attacking the wolf from the side. His sword, wrapped in sword energy, cut cleanly into its ribs.
Kieing!
The Hwanrang let out a pained howl.
“You’re doing great! Keep going!”
Jigeom Eighteen Sword Forms, Fifteenth Form — Blood Chain Severance.
Duseong’s relentless sword strikes targeted the Hwanrang’s forelegs.
Shhk! Shhk!
“Kruuu…”
The wolf retreated a step. I pressured it from the front.
Shrrk.
It was a Human Class beast, but being attacked simultaneously from three sides made it difficult to respond.
“Now!”
I forced my inner power to its limit.
Scarlet Moon Slash.
Duseong, too, prepared his strongest blow.
“Haah!”
Two streams of sword energy crossed as they went for the Hwanrang’s neck.
Groooooaaaar!
The Hwanrang made one last desperate struggle. Its huge tail lashed out like a whirlwind.
“Dangerous!”
Hwaung moved to shield Jinu and stepped in front of the strike.
Bang!
“Kuagh!”
Hwaung was blown back and slammed into a tree.
“Hwaung!”
But Duseong and I did not stop our attack.
Thrust!
Both swords pierced the Hwanrang’s neck at the same time.
“Krrr…”
The red light in the wolf’s eyes gradually faded. Its massive body toppled slowly to the ground.
Thud.
“W-we did it!”
Duseong cried out in disbelief.
“Hwaung! You okay?”
Jinu ran over to check on him.
“Heh… I’m fine. My ribs hurt a bit, that’s all…”
“Stay still. I’ll treat you.”
Jinu began his first aid with practiced hands. The trauma ointments he made were truly effective. Once Jinu applied the medicine, the throbbing in Hwaung’s ribs vanished, and he widened his eyes.
“Whoa? This works ridiculously well.”
“That’s because the ingredients are good,” Jinu replied.
After being treated, Hwaung pushed himself upright.
“Ha… I guess I can breathe a little easier now.”
I walked over to the Hwanrang’s corpse.
“All right. Time to collect the harvest.”
When I split open the beast’s belly, an Illusion Stone about the size of my thumb rolled out. It was a standard Human Class stone, but its value was nothing like the Livestock Class stones.
“Wow… so this is a Human Class Illusion Stone…”
Duseong marveled.
“Collect the hide, claws, and teeth too. Especially the tailbone—it’s the best material for making a whip.”
We gathered the materials meticulously. Unlike Livestock Class byproducts, nothing from a Human Class beast was worth wasting. If we brought it all back, everything had its own use.
Duseong was practically glowing after hunting a Human Class beast.
“Dasa-hyung, this is an incredible haul again!”
Hwaung puffed up with pride too.
“Dasa-hyung, we’re going to keep hunting a few more, right?”
I shook my head.
“No. We’re done for today. Let’s head back.”
Duseong and Hwaung both looked disappointed, but they followed my decision. We supported the injured Hwaung as we made our way out of the valley.
On the way back, martial artists from other sects who passed us began whispering.
“Look at that. They must’ve taken down Hwanrang.”
“Since when did the Jigeom Sect get that strong?”
I ignored their stares and quickened my pace. By sunset, we had safely returned to the Jigeom Sect. But waiting in front of us were Jang Sejun and Jang Semin, blocking our way.
“Hold on. We need to talk.”
Without even slowing, I brushed past them and said, “I’m really tired right now. Later.”
As I walked past them, Jang Sejun shouted after me, “Teach me how to hunt beasts too!”
I stopped and looked back at him. Then I gave a faint smile and said, “Don’t want to.”
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