A Shadow in the Night
By the time the sun had completely dipped below the horizon, we arrived back at the plains where the preliminaries had begun.
Guided by the staff of the Martial Alliance, we moved to the gathering point. There, we found everyone we had seen at the start assembled once more.
They all look like absolute crap.
Ninety percent of them were busy grimacing in exhaustion, while the remaining few stood with expressionless faces.
I could tell the moment I saw them.
Those are the ones.
The truly strong.
While some sighed in exhaustion from the fatigue of battle, others looked utterly bored, having barely exerted themselves during the preliminaries.
The Black Greatsword and the Sword Peak were prime examples. The Black Greatsword was yawning repeatedly, looking as if he were about to die of boredom.
As for the Sword Peak...
...Actually, I can't tell.
His face was so completely devoid of expression that it was hard to read, but given the lack of any change, he was probably feeling the same way.
Aside from them...
Nothing different over there, either.
I glanced toward Cheon Hye-in. True to her status as one of the Seven Great Talents, she looked no different from when we started.
However...
...What is wrong with that guy?
Unlike Cheon Hye-in, the Poison Dragon looked utterly drained.
How should I put it?
It doesn't look like physical fatigue...
It seemed more like mental exhaustion.
Well, makes sense.
I could understand. Anyone paired up with Cheon Hye-in of all people would end up looking like that.
Must have had a rough time.
Nodding in pity for Dang Cheon-il, I turned my gaze elsewhere.
"Tsk."
That side was the biggest problem. It was where Seo Pyeong was. He was still unconscious, carried on someone's back.
Yes, that "someone" was the issue.
Who the hell is that guy?
He looked frail and had practically zero presence.
And yet...
What is up with that sinister energy?
A foul, ominous energy drifted around him.
It was the same dreadful energy felt from evil spirits consumed by malice and resentment.
And I'm only seeing this now?
It was absurd that I had only just noticed something so foul.
With an aura that intense, I should have sensed it the moment we entered the mountain.
I only noticed the sinister energy after facing him directly.
That was the part that bothered me the most.
It's strange.
Who on earth is he? I could tell at a glance he was the type of person you should never get involved with.
There's something off about him.
My instincts whispered.
Get involved with him, and you're screwed.
My gut was screaming that getting tangled up with that guy would lead to disaster.
I knew this clearly, and yet...
Damn it...
Another instinct spoke to me.
Usually, when things felt this way, getting involved was inevitable.
No, absolutely not. This time, I will ignore him at all costs and stay far away.
I steeled my resolve.
I don't care what he does.
I just had to pretend not to notice. As I was making this promise to myself...
"We shall now conclude today's second preliminary round!"
An Alliance official shouted at the top of his lungs.
"We will now verify the results. Representatives from each group, please step forward and prove that you have met the passing conditions."
At his words, one representative from each group stepped forward.
They began showing their stones to the Alliance members.
The Black Greatsword also walked up casually and presented his stones.
Clack.
It was exactly one pair of black and white stones.
It meant he hadn't engaged in any unnecessary fights.
Various other martial artists handed over their stones.
Next, the Thunder Dragon reached into his robes and pulled out his stones.
Clatter, clatter!
"...Huh?"
"What's with that amount?"
"How did he..."
The eyes of the onlookers widened as a massive pile of stones tumbled out, far exceeding anyone's expectations.
"Damn it..."
"...Curse it."
A few people muttered in frustration. They were undoubtedly the ones who had lost their stones to the Thunder Dragon and me.
After the Thunder Dragon submitted his, Cheon Hye-in stepped forward to hand over hers.
Clatter, clatter!
She, too, produced a substantial pile of stones.
...Of course.
That sly woman. It seemed she had approached this with the exact same mindset as me.
Once all the stones were verified...
"The second preliminary round is officially over!"
With that final announcement, the preliminaries drew to a complete close.
The number of remaining participants was roughly thirty percent of those who had passed the first round.
A massive number of people had been eliminated in a single stroke.
Immediately after the preliminaries ended, I returned to the inn. I had heard there was an optional banquet afterward, but I doubted many people would attend.
With so many people eliminated, there was no way they would show up.
And if the eliminated ones don't go, the banquet hall will be practically empty.
There was really no point in going.
Most of the others probably felt the same way.
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
I collapsed onto the bed the moment I got back to my room.
I felt like I could fall asleep right then and there.
"Phew..."
Just as I was about to drift off...
"...Ah, damn it."
I forced myself to sit up. As much as I wanted to just sleep...
I have to do what needs to be done.
I hadn't done my training yet.
Since it was a daily routine, going to sleep without training left a lingering sense of discomfort.
I think they said tomorrow is a rest day...
With the second preliminary over, it was time for the main tournament.
Since they said we would rest for a day before starting, tomorrow's schedule was completely clear.
Which meant...
I can train a bit harder.
Ha.
A chuckle escaped my lips at the thought.
I've really lost my mind.
Thinking I could train even more intensely just because I had a day off? It was something the old me would have never even dreamed of.
It was absurd, but it didn't feel bad.
"Phew... let's go."
I steeled my resolve and stood up. Just as I was about to head to the training yard...
Shhh.
Sensing something behind me, I whipped around.
Outside the window, under the rising moon, a familiar, bulky figure was floating.
It was Yoo Chun-gil.
"Ah."
I swallowed a sigh. He had been nowhere to be seen all day, and now he finally decided to show up?
"Where on earth have you been wandering—"
Just as I frowned and opened my mouth to speak to Yoo Chun-gil...
"..."
I had to stop mid-sentence. Yoo Chun-gil had raised his index finger to his lips.
What was this? Why was he telling me to be quiet?
I stared at him in confusion.
Yoo Chun-gil spoke.
"...!"
Chills ran down my spine.
Someone is here?
I had to stay calm. Just as Yoo Chun-gil warned, I couldn't let on that I knew.
Regulating my breathing, I moved slowly.
Acting as if I were simply heading out as planned, I walked toward the door and picked up the Sacred Sword.
As I fastened the sword to my waist and quietly prepared my next move...
Yoo Chun-gil instructed.
The moment I heard him, I drew the Sacred Sword.
Screeech!
With a sharp ring, a brilliant sword light enveloped the blade.
I unleashed it immediately.
Crash!
A deep sword scar tore through the ceiling.
As debris rained down, I scanned the area with a tense expression.
"Whew."
At Yoo Chun-gil's words, I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
"...What was up there?"
He said they fled, but I hadn't heard a single sound of retreat.
"Who was it...?"
Who could it be? Who was watching me?
I hadn't even sensed them. Which meant...
If they had ambushed me, my head could have been rolling on the floor.
If they had launched a surprise attack, it wouldn't have been strange if my throat had been slit.
Who on earth was it? Who was spying on me?
When I asked him about it...
Yoo Chun-gil shook his head, looking genuinely uncertain.
Hmm?
My brow furrowed at his response.
He didn't know? Sure, that was possible. Even Yoo Chun-gil might not know everything, but...
Somehow...
It felt like he was pretending not to know.
There was nothing visibly off about his expression, but...
I couldn't shake that strange feeling.
Tsk... I'm screwed.
Whatever the case, it looked like sleep was out of the question tonight.
Tap.
A dark figure, leaping through the air as if flying, darted into the thick brush.
After moving a bit further by stepping lightly across the tree branches, he dropped to the ground and immediately knelt on one knee.
He bowed his head deeply in a gesture of respect.
Drip. Drip.
Blood dripped from the kneeling man's arm, staining the grass below.
The young man standing before him looked down at the back of the man's hand and asked,
"You are injured."
At the youth's words, the dark figure bowed even lower.
"I have failed you, my lord."
"What happened?"
The young man asked. The kneeling man was not someone who should have been injured so easily.
The figure replied to the youth's query.
"He noticed me."
"Oh?"
The youth's eyes widened at the answer. He noticed? That was absurd.
"Muk-cheong. Are you saying he detected your presence?"
"Yes, my lord."
"..."
He asked again in disbelief, but the answer remained the same.
He had actually noticed? And on top of that...
"He even attacked? And you were hit by it?"
"Please... grant me death."
"Hahaha..."
The young man burst into laughter. The dark figure trembled slightly at the sheer malice laced in that laughter.
"Haha... Hahaha..."
The laughing youth wiped the smile from his face in an instant.
"How amusing."
Whoosh.
As he spoke with a freezing expression, a cold wind seemed to sweep through the clearing.
"...He looked so utterly pathetic that I was disappointed. But I suppose appearances can be deceiving?"
The successor of the Sword Saint had looked tired and worn out.
He had heard rumors that the successor was throwing the Central Plains into an uproar, and expected a true powerhouse.
But the successor of the Sword Saint he had witnessed in person was far more pathetic than he had imagined.
Though impressive for his age, his actual power seemed meager.
With neither passion nor fighting spirit, he had judged the man unworthy of inheriting the Sword Saint's legacy.
And yet...
That guy kept staring at me.
From the very first moment they crossed paths.
Until the moment the preliminaries ended.
The youth had realized that the guy—Bang Seong-yeon—was watching him.
That was why it bothered him.
Could there be more to him than meets the eye?
With that thought, he had sent Muk-cheong to investigate.
"It was a good decision."
Not only had Muk-cheong's infiltration been detected, but he had also been counterattacked?
Is he hiding his true strength as well?
It seemed the successor had a hidden card up his sleeve.
Just like himself.
"Muk-cheong. Is there any chance your identity was compromised?"
"...None, my lord."
"That is a relief, at least."
It would be troublesome if they were exposed now. For the sake of their grand task, they had to remain in the shadows for the time being.
"Hmm."
The youth let out a soft sigh. In that instant...
Shhh.
The youth's dark eyes flushed a deep, crimson red.
Muk-cheong bowed his head lower before the eerie, glowing gaze.
"Muk-cheong."
"...Yes, my lord."
Muk-cheong answered the call, addressing the youth.
"Young Cult Leader."
"Contact the Heaven-Destroying Palace."
The youth did not look at Muk-cheong.
His gaze was fixed on the pale, blue moon hanging in the night sky.
"I believe we have confirmed what we needed."
It was a remarkably bright moon.
"Tell them we will cooperate with their plans."
The youth spoke with a faint smile.
Sensing the emotions laced in his voice, Muk-cheong replied quietly.
"...I obey your command."
The moon the youth gazed upon that night was exceptionally blue.
So beautiful, it made him want to tear it to shreds.