Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Sending Jiangshi Spirits to the Demon Race Dimension
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The battle was hopelessly one-sided.
The possessed users couldn't stand against Geon-woo's elite guard Jiangshi or the White Guard's ten captains turned Jiangshi.
The invisible Ilryeong's attacks were especially terrifying.
The moment one of Ilryeong's talismans stuck to their forehead, no possessed body could avoid having its spirit ripped out.
The sight of demon race spirits being yanked from their hosts without warning upon taking damage from the Jiangshi attacks was enough to plunge them into panic.
"Run! Get out!"
"Ugh! It's blocked!"
"Uwaaak!"
"Kuhk!"
"O-over there... urk!"
Possessed users collapsed everywhere.
Ilryeong's talismans then affixed themselves to the foreheads of the fallen possessed users.
- What the hell is this?
- No way, is this...?
- No! We can't go back!
The demon race spirits with talismans attached were captured by the talisman's energy.
= My lord! We're ready.
'Good. Be there soon.'
Geon-woo replied to Ilryeong's report like that as he pressed Cheon Su-wan even harder.
Kagagang! Kagang!
"Krahaha! Not so easy, huh? I haven't just been sitting around either!"
But Cheon Su-wan was stronger than expected.
The defense of his exoskeleton armor made of chitin had improved dramatically.
"You're definitely stronger than before. Did you transplant the bio-armor into your avatar again?"
Geon-woo made that guess upon seeing how much higher the bio-armor's quality was compared to last time.
"As expected, sharp eyes. You figured it out. Krahaha."
"But before..."
"Right, transplanting bio-armor into a human body affected the avatar too. But that's nothing compared to transplanting it directly into the avatar. No—transplanting it into both the main body and avatar makes you this much stronger."
Cheon Su-wan laughed loudly, as if delighted that Geon-woo had noticed his changes.
"You transplanted the bio-armor gene twice?"
Geon-woo couldn't hide his surprised expression at Cheon Su-wan's response.
"So what? You think that would've broken my mind? Don't make me laugh. The bio-armor was just a means to get stronger! I'm still Cheon Su-wan!"
Cheon Su-wan bellowed triumphantly at Geon-woo's astonishment.
"Yeah. You're no ordinary guy, after all. Not just anyone could join the 1st Expedition Team in Onbiroad."
"And that's not all. This body's destined to beat you one day and claim the top spot."
"You're full of hot air. You lot will never beat me!"
"We'll see about that? The gap's already closing like this? Krahaha."
Shhh! Kagagagang!
Unlike before, Cheon Su-wan created two daggers and attempted ultra-close combat.
Believing in the defense of the chitin armor enveloping his body, he shifted to a pattern of allowing minor hits while trading blows.
But Geon-woo had no reason to refuse such a fight.
The magic armor he wore wasn't bad either, and even if it broke, his Indestructible Divine Body was tougher still.
"This is gonna take a while."
"Kruruk. Looks that way."
"But I'll win in the end."
"Probably. I'm still not quite there."
After a prolonged exchange of the mercenary-style ultra-close combat with daggers, Geon-woo and Cheon Su-wan stepped back in unison as if by agreement.
Geon-woo predicted victory at the end of this prolonged battle, and Cheon Su-wan acknowledged it.
"Shall we keep going?"
Geon-woo asked.
"You're gonna let me go?"
Cheon Su-wan asked in surprise.
"It's just an avatar. No point in killing it. Especially since you're not possessed right now."
"Suits me fine. Looks like your side's wrapped things up anyway."
Cheon Su-wan glanced around at the battlefield, where the possessed users were either dead or subdued, their demon race spirits captured by Ilryeong's talismans and scattered everywhere.
Cheon Su-wan was the only one left standing intact.
If the Jiangshi piled on now, even he would fall in seconds.
"Go on."
Yet Geon-woo gestured with his head as if he had no intention of killing Cheon Su-wan.
"Why?"
Cheon Su-wan sheathed his two daggers on his thighs and asked.
"It's an avatar."
"You'd have killed me if it wasn't?"
"Wouldn't that be obvious, as long as you're siding with the demon race?"
"Then why let me go? Even if it's an avatar?"
"Call it a whim. Plus, I've got some urgent business."
"Ah, those demon race spirits?"
"Yeah."
"Lucky me, huh? But next time'll be different."
"Keep talking, and I might change my mind."
"Grr! Damn it, just you wait."
At Geon-woo's threat, Cheon Su-wan glared once before leaping away from the battlefield.
"What the hell? Why'd you let him go?"
Paeng ran up, voice full of anger.
"Just a whim."
"What?"
"Pitiful life. Not quite human, not quite demon. Stuck in limbo."
"What kind of nonsense is..."
"That's part of it, but right now, turning those into Jiangshi Spirits is more urgent."
Geon-woo nodded toward the translucent demon race spirits standing blankly revealed.
"Just leave it to the Jiangshi and me! You know how much I hate that bastard Cheon Su-wan!"
"You died to him once back at the Yulturen Ruins."
"That wasn't my fault!"
"Hang on, no time. Gotta make them Jiangshi Spirits before the demon race spirits vanish."
"Ugh!"
Paeng could only seethe in frustration as Geon-woo brushed past, prioritizing the task.
Geon-woo himself couldn't clearly explain why he'd spared Cheon Su-wan.
All that came to mind was the flimsy excuse: 'Is there really any need to kill him? It's just an avatar.'
* * *
Woooong! Woooong!
Shhhhwah! Shhhhwah!
"Is it working alright?"
Lord Kolon had come to the underground cavern beneath Bears Territory Castle.
An activated magic circle glowed within the cavern.
It was a magic circle adapted from Ratrohit's design to suit Onbiroad.
A rift in space now tore open above the circle, and Geon-woo was sending spirits through it one by one.
"No issues shoving the spirits into the demon race dimension for now."
Geon-woo paused to catch his breath and replied.
"Tenth batch?"
"Yes. Ten spirits per batch. Then I close the spatial rift, reopen it, and connect to a random new location."
"So you don't lose them all at once if you're unlucky and dump everything in one spot?"
"Exactly. It takes a fair bit of mana to close and reopen the circle, but no helping it."
"Fair enough. Gotta take that risk."
The resources consumed just to operate the magic circle were enormous, but Lord Kolon didn't begrudge it.
This was Onbiroad's first expeditionary strike into the demon race dimension.
The attempt itself held meaning, even if it failed.
"So, what's the success rate look like?"
Lord Kolon asked Geon-woo in a casual tone.
"We're sending 150 modified spirits this time."
"Not bad for a first try, but how many will possess successfully, then feed and multiply? That's the question."
"In Onbiroad conditions, it was 15% success, so if it's the same there..."
"About twenty, then?"
"That's what we're hoping for."
The demon race dimension wasn't all that different from Onbiroad.
Any environment capable of sustaining life was much the same.
That was why he'd pegged the odds of Jiangshi Spirits successfully taking root there as similar to Onbiroad.
"But can you confirm success or failure?"
"......"
Geon-woo fell silent at Lord Kolon's question.
Lord Kolon let out a small sigh at the sight.
"Guess not."
"Not yet."
Geon-woo turned his head, looking ashamed.
If you couldn't verify the results of an endeavor, it might as well be a failure.
From that perspective, dumping Jiangshi Spirits into the demon race dimension with massive resources might prove utterly pointless.
"Didn't you say there was a way?"
Lord Kolon asked again, face hopeful despite himself.
"If one possesses successfully in the demon race dimension, then feeds and multiplies to establish itself properly, the spirit's memory seal will unlock, allowing it to create a magic circle."
"A magic circle?"
"It's from the Rabolas clan's knowledge. That should send a signal back through this magic circle here."
"Oh ho! So there is a way to confirm a successfully completed entity?"
Lord Kolon's face lit up as he sought confirmation.
"Yes, regrettably, that's the best we've got for now."
"Better than nothing. Thank goodness for that. Yeah."
Geon-woo called it regrettable, but Lord Kolon looked relieved, counting it as good fortune.
He watched quietly for a while as Geon-woo closed the spatial rift after ten spirits entered and opened a new one.
After five more repetitions, all the prepared Jiangshi Spirits had vanished through the rifts.
Lord Kolon observed the process to the end in silence.
Geon-woo sensed she had something to say from her demeanor, so once the work finished, he turned to her.
"What is it?"
Geon-woo asked.
Lord Kolon hesitated before answering the question.
She finally sighed and spoke.
"About those spirits you're sending to the demon dimension."
"Yes."
"You're capturing demon race spirits and sending them, right? Not a single one from our dimension's people."
"You saw that yourself. We didn't touch any Onbiroad residents."
There was conviction in Geon-woo's voice.
He had used Earth humans as Jiangshi material when needed, but never laid a hand on Onbiroad natives.
It wasn't strictly necessary, and it was also a matter of respect for the indigenous people.
Even during his mercenary days on Earth, Geon-woo had always aimed to minimize civilian casualties in operational areas.
That habit, combined with respect for Onbiroad natives, had drawn a firm line against turning them into Jiangshi.
However.
"Yeah, I know that. But..."
"Yes, Lord?"
"Those spirits you're sending—they're not in perfect condition, are they?"
"Have to impose restrictions, so yeah, they're somewhat compromised."
"Makes sense, since you're using demon race spirits. That's why I'm saying—why not use our people's spirits?"
"Our people?"
"There are plenty who get wounded fighting demons and can't recover."
"Are you saying we should send their souls to the demon dimension?"
Geon-woo asked, visibly startled.