Chapter 480
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 480
Chapter Title: Honestly, I Don't Know
"Kuwaaak."
The darkness slowly descended upon the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
One dire corpse let out a scream as it was split in two.
Woong Cheol, having shaken off the dirt from his blade, indifferently looked down at the remains of the dire corpse.
It was a situation of extremes.
When he had first clashed with the countless horde of corpses and seen those monsters that the word alone couldn't describe...
He had thought this would be the place where he died.
But now, he was slicing through dire corpses with such ease.
"What do you think will happen to us?"
Bi Jin-hyeop, who had just felled another dire corpse beside him, spoke with a strange look of anticipation on his face.
These two were the only ones left here.
All that remained was to return to where Han Seol-bing was waiting.
"The Corps Leader said he'd look into it. With the higher-ups."
"We don't have much left to do anyway. Once that's done, maybe we can just hang out here for the remaining time? That'd be nice. Heh."
That was the source of Bi Jin-hyeop's peculiar anticipation.
The Fierce Dragon Corps.
A combat unit tasked with assisting the Demon-Sealing Corps in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
The Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
This was their assigned duty area.
But the enemies had vanished.
Even though they still had five years left in their service term.
He was hoping they could just spend those five years here comfortably and then go home.
That was the wish he was voicing.
"Isn't that stealing your monthly stipend?"
Woong Cheol asked with a look of disbelief.
"Don't you remember the conditions when we first joined the Dragon Training Pavilion's Fierce Dragon Corps?"
Woong Cheol dredged up memories from two years ago at Bi Jin-hyeop's question.
It was definitely true.
The Dragon Training Pavilion administrator who had accepted their applications had repeatedly emphasized and confirmed it.
That Fierce Dragon Corps members who completed training would serve exclusively in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"Hmm."
Woong Cheol hated thinking, but Bi Jin-hyeop's words had planted many thoughts in his mind.
***
It was deep into the night.
All had fallen asleep except for the sentries standing guard around the perimeter.
Ha Mu-baek rose from his bed.
Shuuuk.
His figure vanished in an instant.
Having completely suppressed his presence, no one noticed his movement.
Not even Wi Ji-gun or Ha Seol-ran.
However, the two soon realized that Ha Mu-baek had moved.
Because his presence had vanished from his tent.
But they had no idea where he had gone.
'Heh heh. At this level already?'
Even though he had experienced it multiple times before.
Every time he encountered Ha Mu-baek's realm, he was surprised and pleased.
'As expected of my brother-in-law...'
Ha Seol-ran, lying on her bed, nodded briefly and resolved to train even harder.
She couldn't afford to be a burden to her brother-in-law.
"Hah. Where the hell did that guy go now?"
Another person who sensed Ha Mu-baek's presence disappear from his tent was So Hwi-woong.
Not just him—Han Seol-bing, Dam Mu-hun, Gong Son Mu-oe, and others also noticed it belatedly.
The truth was, Ha Mu-baek's aura and presence were so immense.
Those at that level couldn't help but sense it.
Especially since it had suddenly vanished clean as if washed away.
That's how they knew Ha Mu-baek had moved.
Though they had no clue where.
"Hey. Open your eyes."
Yang Bi-chang, bound with his limbs tied and chained to a pillar embedded in the ground inside a tent, struggled to open his eyes at the sudden voice.
His energy depleted, he had been on the verge of losing consciousness.
With his internal energy suppressed and bound, transported here, and tied up like this.
Blinking his eyes to regain his senses, he saw the man before him.
"Fierce Dragon Corps Leader..."
He had already witnessed this man's monstrous strength with his own eyes.
The terrifying divine might that subdued even the Heaven-Extinguishing Corpses that even the Alliance Leader struggled against.
'Why is this man coming to me...'
Ha Mu-baek glared at Yang Bi-chang with cold eyes.
"Spill everything you and that Demon-Sealing Corps Leader bastard did in the Demon-Sealing Corps."
"I've already told the Alliance Leader everything..."
Yang Bi-chang spoke with difficulty, his voice cracked and hoarse.
Ha Mu-baek smirked.
It was a smile filled with murderous intent.
He had already heard Yang Bi-chang's confession from Dam Mu-hun.
From the righteous faction's perspective, it was an act that would incense heaven and earth.
Processing and consuming the inner cores of corpses to obtain their own inner cores.
It was the way of the evil cults or demonic paths.
And since the power's source was corpses, who knew what side effects there might be.
There was the precedent of qi deviation, after all.
"Yeah. I just checked out that Corps Leader bastard's tent too. And yours."
Yet Yang Bi-chang's expression didn't change.
Ha Mu-baek's voice quieted, but the killing intent within grew ever thicker.
"What was the intent?"
Yang Bi-chang put on a puzzled expression at the question directed at him.
"You deliberately assigned missions meant to get them killed? Especially to squads including fifth-year Fierce Dragon Corps members."
Yang Bi-chang's face stiffened abruptly.
It was a fact he hadn't even revealed before the Alliance Leader.
The orders were still there, but...
Without knowing the situation in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, one couldn't read the intent behind those orders.
"You idiot. Think I wouldn't know if you hide it? Do you find Strategist Gong Son amusing?"
Yang Bi-chang shuddered.
Many involved in that matter had lost their lives in this incident.
But some survived.
Like Black Squad Leader Yi Jo.
Just gathering their testimonies would easily reveal it.
Ha Mu-baek had heard directly from Black Squad Leader Yi Jo about the unfair missions in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, so he already knew.
He had moved to confirm the intent he suspected.
"Yeah, keep that mouth shut tight like that."
A sinister smile crept onto Ha Mu-baek's lips.
His hand moved slowly.
No one here noticed what happened inside.
He had perfectly blocked sound with his qi veil.
And erased his own presence completely.
***
It took three days to prepare coffins, wagons, and carriages to transport the bodies.
The corpses hadn't decomposed because Han Seol-bing had frozen them with her ice arts.
And the Fierce Dragon Corps continued sweeping away the remaining dire corpses in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
It seemed like their roles with the Demon-Sealing Corps had swapped, but the Demon-Sealing Corps had no choice.
Their Corps Leader had fled and died to the corpses, and the Vice Corps Leader was imprisoned for his crimes.
They were now under the Alliance Leader's direct command.
Through the proxy of Hocheon Corps Vice Corps Leader Dam Mu-hun.
On the other hand, the Fierce Dragon Corps, which had gained both a Corps Leader and Vice Corps Leader after a long vacancy, was busy.
To eradicate the remaining corpse seeds in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, they truly roamed every corner busily.
Among them, the busiest was Han Seol-bing.
She had to lead the Fierce Dragon Corps.
And apply her ice arts to freeze the Demon-Sealing Corps bodies.
Yet, there were always those with time on their hands.
The Seon Yu Valley group, the Alliance Leader, and Ha Mu-baek.
Among them.
The people from Seon Yu Valley announced their departure.
"I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help."
Gong Son Mu-oe clasped his hands in a fist salute toward the Alliance Leader.
"Nonsense. We received great assistance thanks to your presence, Elder."
So Hwi-woong accepted Gong Son Mu-oe's greeting, then bowed toward Ma Jin-gi.
"Heh heh. You're gilding the face of an old man who did nothing. Thank you, Alliance Leader."
"We are truly grateful for your help."
With a face that said it was far from nonsense, So Hwi-woong expressed his thanks once more.
He had seen with his own eyes how Ma Jin-gi had inspected the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest walls.
And poured all his effort into strengthening the spells where he guarded.
At that time, they had all done their utmost.
The problem was.
That an enemy beyond their best had appeared.
Even that enemy.
Before even greater power.
So Hwi-woong and Ma Jin-gi's gazes lingered briefly on Ha Mu-baek, who had come out for the farewell.
The wound on his chest was healing rapidly.
No more blood seeping through.
"Corps Leader Ha, we truly thank you."
Gong Son Mu-oe and Ma Jin-gi simultaneously expressed their gratitude to Ha Mu-baek.
"I am the one grateful for your efforts."
Ha Mu-baek returned the courtesy properly.
And so.
With the Seon Yu Valley people departing.
Now only So Hwi-woong and Ha Mu-baek remained.
The others returned to their busy routines.
Except for the prisoners bound at the Demon-Sealing Corps headquarters.
These two were the idlest.
Even those standing guard over the prisoners maintained constant tension.
"Care for a cup of tea?"
Ha Mu-baek asked So Hwi-woong.
So Hwi-woong looked surprised.
"Mu-baek, what's gotten into you? The sun clearly rose in the east today."
Ignoring So Hwi-woong's silly joke, Ha Mu-baek headed to his own tent.
"Man, you're no fun. Tsk."
So Hwi-woong clicked his tongue and followed.
He put an appropriate amount of tea leaves into the teapot and gathered heat in both hands.
The tea boiled to the perfect temperature in an instant.
Soon the tent filled with the aroma of tea.
Not too hot, not too cold.
Seeing Ha Mu-baek boil the water with precisely controlled internal energy, So Hwi-woong nodded.
"What's up?"
Sitting at the small table, savoring the tea's aroma, So Hwi-woong asked.
"What will happen to our guys?"
Ha Mu-baek cut straight to the chase.
"The Fierce Dragon Corps?"
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"In a few days, we'll completely eradicate even the scattered dire corpses around the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest. Then the corpses here will truly be wiped out."
"Hmm."
"That would fulfill the Fierce Dragon Corps' very reason for existence."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, So Hwi-woong stared silently at his teacup.
"No, it would surpass the purpose of their existence. They were created as meat shields for the Demon-Sealing Corps from the start. And look at the Demon-Sealing Corps now?"
"Urgh."
So Hwi-woong couldn't properly respond to Ha Mu-baek's question.
There was no flaw in it.
"I heard you raised their stipends, Alliance Leader?"
It was true.
That was the last shred of So Hwi-woong's conscience.
He had sent people ignorant of even basic stances into that death trap under the pretext of training.
Gong Son Dan-gyeong had taken some measures, but.
"What do you want to do?"
So Hwi-woong asked directly, without beating around the bush.
Ha Mu-baek coming out like this meant he had something in mind.
"Disband them."
"And the members?"
"Service term fulfilled. What else?"
So Hwi-woong frowned at Ha Mu-baek's answer.
"What about the cadets still at the Dragon Training Pavilion?"
"Same. Service fulfilled upon completion."
So Hwi-woong shook his head at Ha Mu-baek's firm response.
That wouldn't do.
It was minor training, but the Righteous Heaven Alliance budget had been spent raising them.
Moreover.
The surviving Fierce Dragon Corps members were now tempered by the brutal real combat of the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
And the newly assigned ones were properly trained by the Ha Mu-baek before him.
Honestly, letting them go like this would be a huge waste.
And there was another problem.
If he granted that request.
Ha Mu-baek's position would become ambiguous.
Disband the Fierce Dragon Corps, and what happens to its Corps Leader, Ha Mu-baek?
"Are you planning to leave the Alliance?"
Ha Mu-baek looked at So Hwi-woong.
"Isn't that it? Disband the Fierce Dragon Corps, and the Corps Leader position vanishes too."
He had planned to recall him as Hocheon Corps Leader soon, leaving the seat empty.
But seeing Ha Mu-baek here, it seemed unlikely he'd return to Hocheon Corps.
"Honestly, I don't know."
Ha Mu-baek didn't deny So Hwi-woong's words.
His two days of deliberation hadn't reached a conclusion yet.
So Hwi-woong's eyebrow twitched.
He hadn't expected him to truly feel that way.
"Whether I should beat these damn bastards from the inside... or just give up and leave... I don't know."
Anger blazed fiercely in Ha Mu-baek's voice.
So Hwi-woong furrowed his brow.
He couldn't fathom what had suddenly set him off like this.
"The Demon-Sealing Corps. Do you know what these bastards were doing?"
Ha Mu-baek's question.
"You mean eating the inner cores of the corpses?"
Ha Mu-baek smirked at the response.