Chapter 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5
"Aaaargh!"
A fountain of blood erupted as one of Goegeol's arms shot into the air.
The crouching demon ghost finally revealed itself. As its fierce, flesh-slicing aura bared its true nature, the young Dogwi realized they had walked straight into a predator's hunting ground.
This was no mere boy ghost.
The demon ghost standing before them was far more powerful.
"Run!"
Gong Wol-jang trembled violently under the suffocating murderous intent, while Goegeol clutched his spurting stump and wailed in agony.
Gong Il-chwi was the only one still clinging to his sanity. He grabbed Goegeol and tried to escape.
But before he could take more than a few steps—thump—he slammed into something.
An invisible, curtain-like barrier had trapped them.
As if mocking them, the demon ghost that had lured them in slowly savored Goegeol's severed arm, crunching and tearing at the flesh.
Unable to fight back or escape, sheer terror consumed the youths.
Too late, the words of their elders flashed through their minds.
The First Unchanging Rule of Ghost Exorcism Work.
Do not advance toward an unknown enemy.
* * *
A lot of time has been wasted, but it's not like those kids knew the demon ghost's exact location either.
Night was when demonic energy grew thickest.
Given its nature, the creature couldn't have revealed itself too long ago.
Considering the youths didn't know the exact location, at worst, they hadn't been facing it for long. With any luck, they hadn't encountered it yet.
Ise finished his preparations and sorted his thoughts while sprinting at full speed.
Even if he arrived, he wouldn't be of much help. At best, he might buy them a little time.
The bigger problem was that he, too, didn't know the young Dogwi's precise location.
However, he had narrowed down the general direction: the origin point where rumors of the demon ghost crying like a young child had first begun.
Connecting that place and the Ghost-Guarding Temple in a straight line, he ran diagonally, sweeping the radius.
His reasoning was sound.
First, this was the territory of the Dogwi Tribe.
Most demon ghosts instinctively avoided setting foot here simply due to the palpable aura of the Dogwi.
This meant whatever had appeared possessed intellect.
If it had approached intentionally, its goal was likely to hunt individual Dogwi traveling between the village and the Ghost-Guarding Temple.
At the very least, it possessed the ability to conceal its demonic energy, hiding from the likes of Mongryeon and the powerhouses of the Ghost-Guarding Temple. It was a creature capable of manipulating a demonic power barrier.
Ise pulled an artifact from his shirt—a portable sotdae hung with a bell and talismans.
This was the 'Tracking Seal Talisman,' a treasure artifact used to trace spaces hidden by demonic power barriers.
And if this treasure artifact reacted...
Jingle.
The bell, which hadn't made a single sound even while he sprinted at full force using Dokkaebi Footwork, rang out.
Then, as if defying the laws of nature, the talisman fluttered against the wind.
Ise instantly changed direction.
At the end of his path, he felt a thick, viscous demonic energy.
A demonic power barrier.
A domain of sorts that barred entry and exit without its master's permission.
First, Ise fired a signal flare into the sky.
Then, he tore open the barrier with his World-Rending Sword and peered inside.
His blurred vision cleared immediately, revealing the scene inside the barrier.
In the center, casually devouring Goegeol's body, was a demon ghost with a grotesque, chaotic appearance—the face of a human, the body of a horse, and the horns of a dragon.
As expected, it was one of the two types of demon ghosts Ise had anticipated.
Danger level: Grade 6—Intermediate Demon Ghost.
An Aseongyongma.
This is dangerous...
It was notorious among ghost exorcists for its extreme aggressiveness.
Though considered the weakest among its rank, it was a beast that had once reached a higher realm before falling in status after being repeatedly hunted and forced into flight.
In terms of objective combat power, he was no match for it.
The overwhelming demonic energy slicing at his skin practically screamed that a single misstep would turn him into a meal.
Stay calm.
Ise steadied his mind, repeating the words like a mantra.
Six years ago, when he hunted the Wadu Scholar, he hadn't charged in because he had a good chance of winning either.
He had simply acted with the resolve that his life was already forfeit, and he was merely paying its cost.
The Aseongyongma glanced toward Ise, but uncaring whether new prey had entered, it returned its focus to its meal.
It clearly deemed him no threat.
Goegeol is... too late.
There was no way to save Goegeol, who was already disappearing into the demon ghost's maw.
Instead, he had to save the remaining two Dogwi while the monster was distracted by its feast.
Gong Il-chwi lay collapsed, black blood pouring from his stomach, while Gong Wol-jang had wet himself and was completely incapacitated, his eyes rolled back white.
Ise slowly approached Gong Il-chwi without provoking the demon ghost and popped a Medicinal Pill into his mouth.
Though it acted almost like an elixir to humans, it was also a valuable treasure for the Dogwi, helping to stem bleeding and heal wounds.
"Get up. You have to run on your own two feet."
As the Medicinal Pill's effects spread through his body, Gong Il-chwi's eyes gradually regained focus.
"W-Why are you here...?"
"Can you walk? Just nod."
"......"
Gong Il-chwi slowly gave a trembling nod.
"Gong Il-chwi, see the tear in the barrier where I came in? Walk out through there as fast as you can. Gong Wol-jang, when I give the signal, grab this and sprint to the opposite side. Tear open the barrier, escape, and once outside, carry your brother on your back and head straight for the Ghost-Guarding Temple."
Ise grabbed Gong Wol-jang by the jaw, forcing the boy to look straight into his eyes. His crushingly firm grip gradually dragged the young demon's unfocused gaze back to reality.
Gong Wol-jang nodded slowly.
"Wait, then what about you...?"
"If you two take too long to run, I die too. Don't look back—sprint with everything you've got. Got it?"
Sensing an odd shift in the air, the Aseongyongma stopped crunching on Goegeol.
"Now!"
Ise immediately hauled Gong Il-chwi to his feet and shoved him toward the torn entrance of the barrier.
Gong Wol-jang reflexively kicked off the ground.
At that, the Aseongyongma, which had ignored them until now, kicked off the ground in a rage.
It targeted Gong Wol-jang, who appeared relatively unharmed.
Its movement was so fast it was hard to track with the naked eye—a true lightning-fast charge.
But thump! A shield intercepted and struck its horns mid-charge.
Ise had thrust his shield directly into the Aseongyongma's path, deflecting it at an angle.
His prediction was right on the mark: while it might let prey walk in on its own, it would never allow them to leave, and it would target the healthier one first.
Although Ise was the one blown backward by the collision, he had successfully prevented the creature from goring Gong Wol-jang with its dragon-like horns.
I could barely see it.
Tense, Ise held his shield tightly raised. This was an opponent he couldn't possibly dodge or counter by relying on his eyes alone.
However, the small axe and shield he held were treasure artifacts Mongryeon had crafted with great care.
Just as promised—that it was made of a precious material favored by cultivators—the shield's durability was rock-solid.
His best option was to track its movements as much as possible using 'Dokkaebi Sense', absorb as much impact as he could, and endure using the artifact's strength.
Peeking over the top of his shield, he checked the Aseongyongma's condition.
Just in case, he had sprayed the Tiger-Slaying Poison he brought during their clash, but it seemed completely ineffective.
And they said it could kill a tiger instantly...
He had brought this poison specifically customized for a potential middle-grade demon ghost, but as expected, it didn't work on the Aseongyongma.
Just then, with a flash, the Aseongyongma vanished, reappearing right in front of his face.
Appearing at point-blank range, the monster's body heaved, and this time, a horse hoof laden with demonic energy kicked the shield.
Ise summoned every ounce of his strength to hold onto the shield's handle.
Flying backward, he slammed into the barrier. Sparks danced before his eyes, and his body trembled from the sheer impact. Blood leaked from his ears, dripping down his cheeks and pooling at the tip of his chin.
The pressure felt as if a giant bull were systematically crushing his body.
I have to keep it together.
He had intentionally positioned himself so that the blows knocked him toward the tear in the barrier.
Staying low, he backpedaled and virtually crawled his way out.
Trembling from shock and suffering internal injuries, copper-tasting blood trickled from his mouth.
First step done: I made it out of the barrier.
The demonic energy infused in the twin horns atop the Aseongyongma's head glowed sinisterly.
It let out a feral roar, eager to gore this annoying insect immediately, shatter his bones, and chew on his entrails.
In the next instant, with another flash, the Aseongyongma vanished.
Ise braced himself for impact once again, but nothing hit his shield.
'Dokkaebi Sense' shrieked a warning at the back of his head. Sensing mortal danger, he immediately rolled sideways.
Thud! With a heavy impact, the Aseongyongma reappeared from behind, slamming down right where Ise had been standing a split second ago.
A massive crater opened up, and dust billowed like cumulus clouds.
Immediately after, the monster's tail whipped around, striking Ise as he leaped away like a frog.
"Gah!"
The sound of bones snapping echoed, accompanied by a spout of blood vomited from his throat.
Nearing his absolute limit, the blood he shed soaked the ground, and a haze blurred his vision.
He could probably endure one more attack, two at most.
It should be about time...
Just as he thought that lasting any longer would be fatal—
An adult Dogwi leaped out from nowhere and slammed a Golden Shattering Club onto the Aseongyongma's head.
Clang! A metallic screech rang out, and Ise's body floated into the air.
"Dammit, sorry I'm late."
Goe Cheon, on night watch duty for the Ghost-Guarding Temple, along with two other Dogwi, had spotted the signal flare and arrived nearly simultaneously.
Slung over Goe Cheon's back, Ise reported in a murmur.
"Goegeol was already eaten. I sent the other two back to the Ghost-Guarding Temple."
"......"
Goe Cheon marveled at his sheer grit—informing him of the other Dogwi's safety even while barely clinging to consciousness.
What on earth was this kid made of...?
"Do we have a chance of winning?"
But that wasn't what mattered to Ise right now.
Although the two Dogwi had ambushed the Aseongyongma, they didn't seem to have inflicted a single wound on the beast.
Comparing the power of the Dogwi he had experienced with that of the intermediate demon ghost Aseongyongma, the scales of power were tilted hopelessly against them.
"Hold on tight."
As if fully aware of that fact, Goe Cheon seemed focused solely on rescuing Ise from the Aseongyongma.
Goe Cheon's feet instantly kicked off the ground, and the fierce sounds of battle behind them gradually grew faint.
Yet shortly after, the demonic energy felt behind them rapidly closed in with ferocious speed.
The Aseongyongma was closing the gap at a terrifying pace, the severed heads of both Dogwi clamped firmly in its jaws.