The Shattered Light
Shatter---!
It poured down.
Shatter---!
Within the space that felt both vast and cramped.
Countless shards of light rained down.
Shatter---!
It sounded like something being crushed, yet also like something crumbling away.
Ah...
Dang Ye-ran stared blankly at the sight, a soft gasp escaping her lips.
"Ah."
Her single word carried a faint note of awe.
It was beautiful. That was the only thought that crossed her mind the moment she saw it.
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened, or what kind of situation was unfolding before her.
None of that registered.
Only the sheer beauty before her eyes—a slowly falling sky—filled Dang Ye-ran's vision.
What is that?
What could possibly be so beautiful?
Without realizing it, Dang Ye-ran reached out toward one of the falling shards.
Snap.
The moment her fingers brushed it, the shard crumbled.
At the same time, a strange energy rippled through her fingertips.
It's cold.
The energy was freezing cold.
Yet, at the same time...
It's hot...
It was a contradictory sensation. What on earth was this?
She couldn't tell.
But...
I can't look away.
Her instincts screamed at her to imprint this brilliant spectacle into her memory.
So, without even blinking, she stared straight ahead.
Through the radiating light, she saw someone.
At the center of the brilliance stood a figure, a massive greatsword slung over his shoulder, facing forward.
Ah...
He was massive.
His back was broad, his stature easily exceeding eight feet.
Where had she seen a back like that before? Dang Ye-ran searched her memories until a name surfaced.
...Elder Yoo.
The Sword Saint, Yoo Chun-gil.
His back had looked exactly like that.
The moment she made the connection, the broad back began to shrink.
As if it were all an illusion, it transformed into the back of someone else.
It was a back of average width, belonging to someone of average height.
Though he looked nothing like the giant in her vision, she couldn't shake the feeling.
...They look the same...
Looking at that back, Dang Ye-ran was reminded of Yoo Chun-gil.
Why? The question arose, but it didn't linger for long.
Thud---!
A heavy sound reverberated.
The noise snapped Dang Ye-ran back to reality.
Only then did she recognize the owner of the back she was staring at.
"Y-Young Master Bang!"
Standing before her was Bang Seong-yeon.
The very man who had suddenly picked up the Full Moon and engaged Palduyeok in battle.
Had something gone wrong?
Just as Dang Ye-ran's eyes widened in worry...
Thud--!
Another similar sound echoed.
Where was it coming from? As far as she could see, Bang Seong-yeon was still standing.
She slowly turned her head to assess the situation.
"...Huh...?"
Dang Ye-ran realized the source of the sound.
It was Palduyeok.
The giant who had been fighting just moments ago was now collapsed on the ground.
And his head was gone.
"Ah...?"
The massive frame lay sprawled on the floor.
The body of a martial artist who had been radiating sword qi just seconds ago was now rapidly growing cold.
He's dead...?
Palduyeok was dead.
The moment that realization set in...
"C-Captain!"
"The Captain is...!"
Shouts erupted from all directions.
Drip, drip.
The floor was gradually stained red with blood. A sickening, metallic stench and a damp sensation crept up my feet.
My body felt as if it were floating, and my mind was growing hazy.
"...Haa... Whew."
Through my ragged breaths, I desperately clung to consciousness.
I had no choice.
"...Haa... Whew... Haa..."
The situation was too critical for me to pass out now.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.
It beat so violently that I could feel the vibrations even while standing still.
"Whew..."
My breath refused to stabilize.
In the midst of it all, I lowered my gaze to look at the figure on the ground.
...Palduyeok.
The bastard who had been fighting my body just moments ago lay dead on the floor.
Decapitated.
The blood pooling from his neck completely soaked my shoes.
I shifted my gaze to the spear he had been holding.
...It's cut.
The spearhead and the shaft were cleanly severed.
The pieces rolled uselessly on the ground.
How did this happen?
...No.
Palduyeok had charged at me, unleashing his sword qi.
His overwhelming fighting spirit, his murderous intent, and the sheer force of his energy should have terrified me.
How did it turn out like this?
I trembled, my eyes wide at the events that had unfolded immediately after.
In an instant, light had poured out.
No, not poured.
It erupted.
A blinding light had burst from the Full Moon, completely obscuring my vision.
...And by the time the light faded, Palduyeok was dead.
By the time I realized what was happening, he was already in that state.
What had that burst of light done?
...
The question arose, but I already knew the answer.
Even if my eyes hadn't seen it, my body remembered.
It moved.
While the light was flashing, my arm had kept moving.
It was just at a speed I had never achieved in my life.
Zap!
"Ugh!"
A sudden, sharp pain shot through my hand, forcing me to loosen my grip.
Clang!
I dropped the sword I was holding.
I clutched my throbbing wrist.
Crazy bastard.
The pain was no joke. I wondered why, and then I realized the problem was the Full Moon lying on the floor.
...I fought while holding this?
It was a weight I could barely lift for a second, yet my body had been wielding it?
How did my body even survive holding something like—
Throb.
Damn it.
Right on cue, my body reacted to the worry.
My shoulders, elbow joints, wrists... everything.
A numbing pain spread through every single joint.
"...Ugh..."
I barely managed to suppress a groan, forcing myself to stand.
[Heh heh.]
A deeply annoying voice echoed right next to me.
[Well? How do you like it?]
...
It was Yoo Chun-gil. Having slipped out of my body at some point, he was standing beside me, grinning.
What was I supposed to like? I shot him a questioning glare.
[I did what your body could never achieve. I told you to watch every single detail. Did you fail to see it?]
Ah.
Hearing those words brought back the memory. It was what he had told me right before I handed over my body.
I heard you back then, but...
I shifted my gaze slightly, looking back at the dead Palduyeok.
...I didn't think we'd actually win.
An Expert realm martial artist. And a highly skilled one at that. We had killed him.
Even if it was Yoo Chun-gil controlling my body...
How did he defeat a martial artist who can manifest sword qi?
Defeating an Expert who could manifest sword qi was shocking in many ways.
Which meant...
...My body is capable of manifesting sword qi?
It meant I was also a martial artist who could use sword qi.
In fact, I had just used it.
That glowing energy.
The sword qi that had enveloped the Full Moon.
A brilliant, pale-blue light. I bit my lip slightly as I recalled it.
It must have been sword qi to shatter Palduyeok's own qi, but...
Was that really sword qi?
It wasn't like I had seen or used sword qi enough to know for sure.
I couldn't be certain, but...
If it wasn't sword qi...
There was no way I could have blocked Palduyeok's onslaught.
So it had to be sword qi.
But how on earth did he use it?
How could he manifest sword qi? Even if I had absorbed the Great Pill, I was still only a First-rate martial artist.
Common sense dictated that a First-rate body could never manifest sword qi...
[Tsk, tsk.]
Right as the thought crossed my mind, Yoo Chun-gil clicked his tongue.
[I told you earlier. You're a smart kid, but you're slow to learn. Didn't I tell you?]
Yoo Chun-gil let out a sigh as he spoke to me.
[Don't be bound by common sense. Who on earth said a First-rate body can't manifest sword qi?]
...Well.
Now that he mentioned it, who did?
I frowned as I tried to think.
It was common knowledge in the Murim.
Only after reaching the Peak realm could one grasp the sensation of manifesting sword qi.
And only after mastering it could one hope to reach the next realm.
That was the universally accepted truth.
...Was it wrong?
Yoo Chun-gil's words implied that this common sense was flawed.
Moreover...
He literally just proved it.
He had demonstrated it.
He had manifested sword qi using my very body.
Even if that sword qi was somewhat different from what I knew, Palduyeok's corpse was proof enough.
[I'd love to explain it in more detail since you still don't seem to get it, but...]
Yoo Chun-gil tilted his head.
Following the direction of his chin, I shifted my gaze.
"The Captain—!"
"Argh!"
Clang!
Clash! Clash!
"...!"
The battle was still raging.
"Damn it...!"
Just because we took down their leader didn't mean the fight was over. I had temporarily forgotten that.
Do-hyeong and Cheon Ui-jin were still locked in combat. The moment I saw them, I looked around to pick up my sword again.
Where is it?
Where did my sword go?
Shit.
In my haste, I couldn't spot it. Picking up the Full Moon again was out of the question, so I tried to grab any random sword lying on the ground.
Stumble!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, my vision blurred and my legs gave out.
I barely managed to brace myself to keep from collapsing entirely.
Drip.
Something warm trickled down my forehead.
I wiped it with my hand. It was red. Blood.
"This..."
Whose blood was this? I stared blankly at my hand before it clicked.
Ah, right.
I got hit earlier.
I remembered being struck hard by Palduyeok and collapsing.
[Don't move too much,] Yoo Chun-gil warned.
[I used my internal energy to stop the bleeding, but there's a limit. If you force yourself to move now, you'll kick the bucket. Just pass out already.]
...
Stay still? I gritted my teeth at his words.
They were still fighting over there. How could he tell me to just lose consciousness?
I couldn't do that when I didn't know what would happen next.
So, I tried to force strength back into my body, but...
Spurt!
"...Ugh..."
Blood gushed out even faster, and my body swayed violently, much worse than before.
"Young Master Bang!"
Dang Ye-ran rushed over to support me.
"...Ah...!"
She trembled as she saw the blood on my head and the pool of blood surrounding Palduyeok on the floor.
I recalled what Palduyeok had said earlier.
Did he say she was afraid of blood?
It seemed Dang Ye-ran really did have some sort of phobia of blood.
"Are you alright...?"
Even in her state, Dang Ye-ran was worrying about me.
Her face was pale as a sheet, and she looked like she was struggling to even stand, yet she was doing her best to help.
"...I'm... fine..."
I tried to reassure her, but...
Ring---!
My head throbbed, and my vision began to narrow.
Ah, damn it.
This was bad.
It was really dangerous. I felt like I was going to black out any second.
I had to hold on somehow to help Cheon Ui-jin and Do-hyeong.
Just as I was summoning every ounce of my willpower to stay conscious...
[I told you, don't worry. You really never listen, do you?] Yoo Chun-gil said.
[There's no need for you to step in anyway.]
At that moment...
BOOM---!
A massive explosion erupted from the wall.
[Because the owner of this place will take care of it.]
Rumble---!
The left wall—the one where the Poison King had been trapped—crumbled, sending a thick cloud of dust into the air.
Whoosh---!
A fierce gust of wind blew, instantly clearing the dust away.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed throughout the Secret Vault.
Emerging from the dust was none other than the Poison King.
Having successfully broken free, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light as he scanned the room.
The moment he spotted Dang Ye-ran, his face contorted in rage.
His demonic expression was enough to make my stomach drop.
Roar---!
An unbelievable pressure erupted from the Poison King.
The murderous intent radiating from him was on a completely different level compared to Palduyeok's.
But the funny thing was...
Faced with that terrifying, ominous presence...
...Haha.
I actually felt a wave of relief wash over me, and I finally let myself drift into unconsciousness.