Death in the Cornfield
Dark night.
"Haa… haa…"
Someone was running hard through a field thick with corn, blood streaming from their body. They moved as swiftly and calmly as possible, careful not to rustle the stalks and give away their position.
I have to get out of here, fast.
Of all times for this to happen—while visiting America. If this had been China, his own country, he wouldn't have needed to run like this.
Rustle.
Where the hell does this end?! I've been moving for two hours and it's still nothing but corn… Son of a bitch…
He cursed under his breath, unaware that American cornfields could stretch as vast as an entire country. He had already been moving nonstop for over two hours, and still it was cornfield after cornfield.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped sword aura sliced through the corn, flying straight at the fleeing figure.
Clang!
"Guh!"
The runner blocked the sword aura with a groan. Even with the defense, pain shot through his bones.
"Impressive. You managed to evade my eyes for a full two hours."
"You… damn bird bastard! What the hell did I ever do to you to deserve this attack?!"
The bleeding figure—Wei Liang—shouted as he watched Henry approach. After finishing all his schedules in America and heading to the party venue, Henry had suddenly ambushed him. Without even explaining why, he just kept coming to kill him.
"What you did wrong… There are so many I don't even know where to start."
"If word gets back to China that you attacked me, it won't end quietly."
"That only matters if you're still alive."
Henry smirked coldly. Right now, this place was empty. Nothing around but corn.
"Why are you trying to kill me? I never did anything to you…"
He was a Cheon-oe-cheon himself, but he had no real connection to Henry, the number one among them. No exchanges, not even much conversation at the dinner party. So why keep chasing him to kill him like this? This wasn't just ranking settlement—it was a clear will to thoroughly erase him.
"Because you're no longer useful."
"…What?"
Wei Liang frowned at Henry's words. No longer useful? What did that mean?
"Demon Pill."
"…"
At the words "Demon Pill," Wei Liang's face instantly hardened.
"We don't need you anymore."
"You… which side are you with?"
If he knew about the Demon Pill, it was either the Blood Cult or the Demon God Cult. Which one? To move like this after saying he was no longer needed meant he held quite a high position.
No. Come to think of it, that bastard can't be Blood Cult.
If he were Blood Cult, he wouldn't try to kill him. After all, right now, Wei Liang was the only one in the Blood Cult who could make Demon Pills. There had been one more before, but that one died, leaving only him. And yet he wanted to kill him? Even if Demon Pills weren't needed right this moment, there was no reason to kill him.
"That was my mistake. I thought killing that one would be enough, but there was another who could make Demon Pills…"
"You, don't tell me…?!"
Killing that one? That meant he had killed the Demon Pill maker.
"It was you! The one who killed the maker!"
"That's right. I killed him."
"So you're Demon God Cult. You damn fanatic bastards… stabbing us in the back like this?"
Wei Liang ground his teeth. The Blood Cult had helped the cult members in the Eastern Continent when they were about to be wiped out, and this was how they repaid the favor? If the Blood Cult hadn't helped, they would have all been massacred by the pursuing Namgung Clan.
"Fine. Even if I die here, I'll leave a mark on you."
Whoooom!
As Wei Liang drew up his energy, a crimson aura began to pour out around him. It was so red it looked as if blood had been splattered everywhere nearby.
"My attacks leave traces on the opponent's body. If any other Blood Cult member sees it, they'll definitely recognize it."
"Ah, so that's why you completely abandoned defense?"
Right now Wei Liang was full of openings. This wasn't a bait to lure the opponent—he was truly defenseless.
"Heh. I've already prepared myself for death."
BOOM!
As Wei Liang shot forward, the corn behind him was all blasted away. His movement broke the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom around him.
Slash!
Clang!
"Pretty fast movement, but the attack itself is nothing special."
Henry casually blocked the charging Wei Liang and shook his head. With speed that broke the sound barrier, shouldn't the attack be stronger than this?
"Are you holding back or something?"
"You…!"
Unlike Henry, who was genuinely curious, veins bulged on Wei Liang's forehead. He had abandoned all defense for pure offense, and this guy blocked it lightly and said what? Holding back?
"You mock me to the very end!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
As Wei Liang moved his arms, crimson energy scattered wildly following his hands.
"What, that was your full-power attack? And yet it's this weak…"
"Die!"
ROAAAAAR!
The crimson energy that had scattered into the sky swelled to the size of utility poles and flew toward Henry. It covered front, back, and even the sky. Even if it couldn't inflict a fatal wound, it could leave a mark.
"Tsk tsk. To think a guy like this is the same Cheon-oe-cheon as me…"
Swoosh.
Henry lightly moved the sword he held, and darkness settled around him.
Whoooosh.
Cold…
As the darkness fell, Wei Liang trembled. Not from killing intent—the temperature around them had suddenly plummeted.
"Let's end this."
"Who says it's over…?"
Wei Liang, who had been snorting, froze. The energies charging toward Henry were being absorbed somewhere.
"…A black hole?"
And then.
Rumble.
Whoosh!
Slash.
Having absorbed every bit of the crimson energy, Henry smoothly moved his sword. An invisible, impossibly fast sword aura flew out and severed Wei Liang's neck.
Thud.
Thud.
Wei Liang's head fell, his eyes full of questions. What on earth was that black sphere like a black hole he had seen at the end? And around Henry, glittering stars were visible. Just what was this bastard's true identity…?
"Because of the Demon Pills you made, countless people died unjustly. Thinking of that, I'd like to kill you as painfully as possible… but His will is otherwise, so I'll hold back."
Shing.
Expressionless, Henry sheathed his sword.
Shing.
Click.
"Hmm. I'll have to give the farm owner here proper compensation."
With his sword sheathed, Henry looked around. He had wanted to handle it quietly, but Wei Liang had used such a wide-area attack that the surroundings were a mess.
"I'll contact my manager and…"
As he pulled out his phone, Henry saw something and smiled.
"Baek Do-ha."
Looking at Do-ha's photo in the article, Henry's eyes sparkled. He had already figured out early on that A's name was Baek Do-ha.
"He said not to fight… but…"
Strangely, looking at Baek Do-ha made him want to fight.
"There'll be a good opportunity."
Press.
Henry pressed the speed dial and called his manager.
"Yes, Mr. Henry."
"I've taken care of Wei Liang. This is a cornfield—give the farm owner some compensation. Transfer it from an untraceable account."
"Understood."
"And how did it go? Did that bastard really move?"
"…Yes. He moved personally."
"Priscilla?"
"She's dead."
"Haa… So it ended up that way after all. All right. Keep watching."
"Yes."
"Hoo…"
Click.
When the manager's call ended, Henry let out a deep sigh. He should have moved faster, but tracking this damned Wei Liang had delayed him.
"Demon God Cult… You bastards finally crossed the line."
Grinding his teeth where he stood, Henry moved swiftly.
Zaaang!
Boom!
"Uwaah!"
When the magic circle exploded, Association President Kim Hee-jae, drenched in sweat, let out a scream. A few hours earlier, Do-ha had said he needed to become a magic swordsman and immediately started teaching him magic. But contrary to his wishes, the magic circles kept exploding.
"Hoo… I just can't manage three of them."
The Association President scratched his head and sighed. Watching him, Canteas let out a hollow laugh.
"Hey, Association President. Even Double Casting is already incredibly good, you know?"
Even Canteas, who rarely praised anyone, was complimenting the Association President. Kim Hee-jae had learned magic for the first time today. Only a few hours ago. And already he was maintaining two magic circles. The mana was still meager, and he had only barely managed to form the circling, but still.
For someone casting magic for the first time in their life to create two magic circles in just a few hours—that was only possible for geniuses on the level of himself or Emilton.
His talent is outstanding.
How had Do-ha spotted this? The Association President, who had risen to A-rank Hunter with the sword, also had talent for magic. At first Canteas had been puzzled when Do-ha recommended magic swordsman, but with talent like this, the Association President absolutely had to become one.
Since the Association President uses swordsmanship like knights rather than martial arts, if he adds magic he'll definitely be able to advance as a magic swordsman.
Swoosh.
Lost in these thoughts, Canteas turned his head to look at Do-ha. After teaching the Association President magic and checking on Kang Ji-hwan and Han Se-ah, why was he suddenly staring at his phone with such a serious expression?
"Something wrong?"
"Look at this."
Do-ha showed Canteas his phone. He had been texting his grandfather that he would be a little late when he came across an article.
"Huh? What… Wei Liang is dead?!"
Canteas's eyes widened as he read the article.
"Last night… it says Wei Liang, who was visiting America, died in a cornfield. Did he fight another Cheon-oe-cheon?"
"Who knows…"
Do-ha tilted his head. He had planned to look after these three and then go after Wei Liang soon. But for him to die like this.
"Good riddance. The Demon Pill maker is dead."
"Good riddance? Because of that, the trail we could have followed disappeared with him."
"Ah…"
"And more than anything, it feels a little off."
"What does?"
"Wei Liang lived just fine for years, then dies right before we were about to go after him. Is that really a coincidence?"
If someone had always hated Wei Liang and intended to kill him, they should have dealt with him long ago. But right after Wei Minggang's death, the connected Wei Liang suddenly died.
"You're saying they cut the tail?"
"That's how it looks right now."
"Eh, it's just a coincidence. There's no one who even knows you were targeting Wei Liang."
It would be possible if someone other than their friends had been watching from the shadows, but nothing like that had happened. If someone had been watching, their friends would have known.
"Besides, only a few people inside the Martial Alliance even know Wei Minggang is dead."
Officially, Wei Minggang was still known to be alive within the Martial Alliance. If word of his death spread, the Blood Cult would move quickly, so Namgung Je-u had kept the fact hidden.
"So stop overthinking it and tell the Association President about Wei Liang. He's been here all day, so he probably hasn't seen the article that just dropped."
"Yeah, I should."
In the end, Do-ha shook off the thought and rose from his seat.