Imprinted Terror (3)
Thirty minutes before the deafening roar echoed across the wheat farm.
Taeju's group was tailing the mine from the checkpoint in a car driven by Secretary Geum Suhu.
"Won't we get spotted?"
"It's fine. Our Suhu here was one of the Imperial Intelligence Agency's top elite agents back in the day."
"Nyaa?"
It sounded like praise, but Geum Suhu's face twisted into a pout for some reason.
"Not just the Imperial Intelligence Agency—I served in the Imperial Army too."
"Yeah."
"The Audit Office as well."
"Uh, right."
"Even took a post at the Imperial Police Agency for a bit."
"...I remember."
"Administrative Planning Division."
"..."
"Construction Ministry, Education Ministry, Imperial Palace Secretariat..."
"Can we drop it?"
"Yes, sir."
Geum Suhu was a tough soldier, a nimble intelligence operative, and a capable bureaucrat all in one. In a word, he was a jack-of-all-trades.
No wonder the emperor wouldn't let him go.
The tail went smoothly.
Before they knew it, they'd reached their final destination: Daesan Farm.
"A wheat farm, huh."
"Yes."
"Mines aren't the type to till fields and play house..."
The emperor glanced at Taeju.
"What do you think? Smell anything?"
"Of course. A thick, rotten stench."
"Nyaaaa!"
Ilbaek agreed too.
"I see."
The emperor sniffed the air.
"...Is this that cow-shit smell?"
"That's just fertilizer, Your Majesty."
"Nyaang!"
"Hmm."
The emperor drew his sword with a smooth shing.
A gleaming blade—the emperor's sword, forged by the empire's finest artisans.
"Time to loosen up. I've been so bored cooped up in the palace. Getting some fresh air out here feels amazing."
"Knew you'd say that. Truth be told, isn't that why we came here? For a proper brawl?"
"Yeah, exactly. Why else would I step outside?"
"Sigh, not again..."
"Nyaaaa..."
The emperor knew what Geum Suhu was worried about.
Getting injured and laid up again.
"By the way, Suhu, why'd you come empty-handed? No weapon?"
"...No time to grab one."
"Tsk tsk. You come to fight and forget your sword? Senile already. My one and only friend turning doddering—well, you are that age."
Crunch!
Geum Suhu ground his teeth.
"Yes, senile it is. So I'll resign as secretary starting today."
"No, you won't!"
The emperor brushed it off lightly.
"Grab a stick or something! Just don't get in the way."
"..."
"Nyang!"
In that instant!
Taeju discreetly pulled a sword from his infinite storage space and offered it to Geum Suhu.
A treasure sword sent by Dang Gunak.
Ten in total, but they only needed nine right now—one left over.
"Use this at least."
"Huh? Th-this..."
Geum Suhu's eyes went wide.
It looked extraordinary just at a glance.
The hilt fit perfectly in his hand.
"Impressive."
Shing.
The blade slid out smoothly.
A chilling sharpness.
"Never held anything like this in my life."
Hummm!
Infusing it with qi, mana flowed in without resistance.
The blade glowed with a milky radiance.
"Better than any sword I've used—several times over."
Truth be told, Taeju owed Geum Suhu one.
By recruiting Seo Pilmyeong as Paju administrator, he'd ruined the guy's retirement plan of escaping the emperor.
Least he could do was give him a sword to make up for it.
"Like it?"
"Love it! Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
The emperor's eyes narrowed.
"Gold Secretary."
"Yes?"
"Swap swords with me."
"No thanks."
"That's an imperial command."
"I'll defy it. Exile me if you're mad."
"..."
The emperor's gaze burned with refusal to back down.
He shot Geum Suhu a sidelong glare, as if to say we'll see about that, then,
"So, what's the plan? Sneak in quiet and pick 'em off one by one, or..."
In that instant!
Fwaaaash!
A powerful searchlight from the tall monster watchtower swept over Taeju's group.
"Damn! We lingered too long."
True enough.
Chatting away right in front of the enemy's lair.
The emperor suddenly swung his sword fiercely toward the watchtower.
No time to stop him.
BOOM! Rumble rumble rumble!
The sturdy wooden tower crumbled under one blast of sword qi.
"..."
"What the hell!"
"Nyaaaa!"
Even Ilbaek had something to say, reckless as the emperor was.
Fed up, Geum Suhu snapped at him in anger.
"Your Majesty! Have you lost your mind? We could've just taken out the spotlight guy..."
"Doesn't suit my style."
"You're not doing this just 'cause I wouldn't swap swords, right?"
"..."
Ah, so that was it.
He was sulking.
But that was the emperor's way.
The overbearing emperor.
Smash first, anything blocking the path.
Then!
Rustle, rustle.
Someone rose from the rubble of the watchtower.
"Grrrrrr."
A mine in beast transformation.
The emperor shrugged.
"A mine, huh? Knew it. That's why I hit the tower first."
"What?!"
"Niang?"
The roar spread, and mines poured out from farmhouses everywhere.
Among them.
A middle-aged awakener: Vice Chairman Jamal.
The emperor's eyes gleamed.
Utterly delighted.
"So this is where you were."
Vice Chairman Jamal locked eyes with the emperor.
"...The emperor?"
He knew who they were.
Geum Suhu, Emperor Ryu Taehyeon, Kim Taeju.
No idea about the cat, though.
"How dare you invade this place..."
"What is it? A rat hole where you vermin hide."
Hummmm!
The emperor unleashed his presence.
The mines' faces hardened.
The empire's strongest awakener had arrived.
The second strongest, Geum Suhu, too.
Run?
The mines glanced at Vice Chairman Jamal.
But he stayed calm even facing the emperor.
"Turns out you're the vice chairman? Where's your boss?"
"Heh heh heh."
Jamal smirked viciously.
"You idiots walked right into your graves. Senile and blind to the situation?"
The emperor grinned back.
"Me? Senile? Our Suhu heard that bit."
"Senile? I'm younger than Your Majesty."
"Can't act your age, that's senility. Forgetting your sword like that."
"..."
Jamal's expression didn't twitch at their banter.
They'd die here.
The Samhan Empire would lose a pillar.
Why he was confident?
The Chairman.
Jamal had clashed with the emperor before.
Ten emperors wouldn't faze the Chairman.
Of course, without him, it'd be different.
They'd be the ones dying.
In that instant!
Shhh.
The Chairman appeared without a sound.
The mines trembled in awe at the sight.
"Oh!"
"Ahh!"
"Chairman!"
"Chairman! Sovereign of all demons!"
"Your servant greets you."
"Punish these insolent pups who dare invade our assembly."
The mines' morale soared sky-high.
Taeju observed the Chairman.
So that's the Chairman.
Magic gathered on his face—likely a face-altering spell.
Couldn't see his true features, but something familiar.
Definitely strong.
Or rather, impossible to gauge.
His presence defied measurement.
And the feeling upon seeing him stirred memories from Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Almost certain.
Problem was, this was Earth.
No way the Heavenly Demon was here.
So?
Soul link, as expected.
The puzzle clicked.
The true demon's existence, and a 200-year-old initial awakener mine as subordinate.
Taeju hadn't thought soul links were unique to him.
Why not here, on a vast Earth teeming with people?
But why Murim? No fantasy world with magic and auras?
Anyway, this guy shared a soul with Murim's demonic cult leader Heavenly Demon.
He shared one with Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak.
What a tiresome fateful grudge.
Whatever. End it here.
No need for complications.
Just kill him.
The tense standoff.
Hummm!
They exchanged presences like glares.
The Chairman, the vice chairman.
No pushovers.
Even with the empire's elites—emperor, Geum Suhu, himself—couldn't guarantee victory.
But what you see isn't all.
Taeju had things even Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak lacked.
Talismans in infinite space: Protective Talisman, Wall Gecko Talisman, Binding Talisman, Divine Spirit Tablet infused with sword qi, hidden weapons made by immortals with Beyond elite mana crystals.
And Ilbaek, already slipping into the wheat field on Taeju's orders.
Thin the numbers first.
Taeju secretly drew Blood Death Needles from infinite space.
No need for honor or reasons.
Fight to win.
Preemptive strike, no declaration.
Distract first.
Ilbaek was already in the field.
Go!
Taeju signaled.
"Yaaaang!!!"
Shwooooo!
Ilbaek's body began to grow.
Bigger, house-sized.
Crack!
A farmhouse collapsed under the expansion.
"Gasp!"
"Cr-crazy!"
"...No way."
"Th-three-headed white tiger?"
The colossal three-headed white tiger appeared in the Gobi steppe wheat farm.
At the same time.
"Grrrrrrrr..."
A gut-wrenching low roar echoed across the farm.
Far beyond elite, verging on Beyond—super-elite beast presence.
The terrifying aura forced the mines into beast transformation.
Crack! Crunch crunch crunch!
Mines transforming everywhere.
Taeju seized the moment, unleashing his honed hidden weapon arts across the plain.
Storm Needle.
Tsssring! Tsssriring ring ring!
The Blood Death Needles shot skyward.
They surged like dragons the moment they left infinite space.
Fewer and weaker than Myriad Heavenly Rain.
But the visual was similar.
Why else call it fake Myriad Heavenly Rain?
Ziiiiiing!
Qi gathered on each needle.
With deadly poison that killed in seconds on hit.
At the peak, they spread like a net.
Shwaaaa!
The Blood Death Needles blanketed the farm sky.
Vice Chairman Jamal paled.
He knew the danger of those tiny needles.
"Don't let them hit you!!! Dodge!!!"
Jamal shouted desperately.
And the rain fell.
Plip, plip plip! Plip plip plip...
Furious, Jamal.
Sneaky ambush?
He turned to the Chairman,
"Chairman! This disloyal servant will handle them personally..."
But,
"...Huh?"
Gone.
"Wh-what?"
The Chairman had vanished.
He'd been right there moments ago.
"...Chairman."
Cheon Kyung-ho was already outside the farm.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Racing westward across the Gobi steppe at insane speed.
The Chairman... running away?
The remaining mines gaped.
Running?
For real?
Impossible.
Why?
The Chairman fled.
Sovereign of all demons, their master, the pillar they revered, their mental anchor, spiritual guide.
He'd bolted tail-between-legs.
Abandoning them.
So fast he'd become a black dot.
And the Storm Needles engulfed the mines.
Pfsh pfsh pfsh pfsh!
"Dodge!"
"Argh!"
"Gahk!"
"Kaaaaagh!"
Taeju was just as stunned.
Baffled, but the footwork the Chairman used to flee.
He knew that technique.
Never dreamed he'd see it on Earth, but,
Using Heavenly Demon Overlord Step to run?
Unbelievable.
Imprinted terror.
Engraved from the moment souls connected.
Scars on flesh fade with shedding bones and rebirth, but soul scars can't be erased.
The instant Cheon Kyung-ho saw the Blood Death Needles rise into the sky, his will to fight shattered.
Shraa!
Qi bloomed like flowers.
No doubt.
Myriad Heavenly Rain.
Terror gripped Cheon Kyung-ho.
Could he even judge if it was the real thing?
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
His body shot like light.
Only one thought: escape now.
No destination.
Just get out of here first.
The Heavenly Demon and Chairman, Cheon Kyung-ho, was an ordinary man from the empire's southern Daedeon.
Still, from a notable family—Gold Spoon.
His father ran a thriving arms manufacturing firm.
But Cheon Kyung-ho was the second son.
The company was slated for his older brother.
Most shares went to him.
So he decided to kill his brother.
Classic sociopath.
Only himself mattered.
No qualms for gain.
Guilt? What's that? Food?
Faked an accident to kill his brother, then his suspicious parents too.
But it didn't last.
Police net closed in—somehow.
Were imperial cops that competent?
He chose "suicide."
Or rather, faked it to escape.
Grabbed a body, placed it in his room,
Doused house and corners with gasoline, lit it, tried to flee—but failed.
Too much fuel.
Fire spread from room to whole house instantly.
Blazing inferno, toxic fumes.
Struggled out, but consciousness faded.
Right then!
He met his otherworldly self: the Heavenly Demon.
Escaped death by a hair.
Seven years ago.
Cheon Kyung-ho reborn as Heavenly Demon.
Altered face with transformation arts, hid name, lived in shadows.
No one knew he was Cheon Kyung-ho.
Not even now.
Not his recruited vice chairman, awakener mines, or nurtured true demons.
Escape the empire, total safety.
First to the European Empire...
Cross sea to Amerian Republic.
New place, new identity.
Cheon Kyung-ho wanted to live long.
But why this unease?
Feeling he'd be found no matter how he hid.
Why?
Imprinted Terror (3) End
© Koochi Koochi