Special Request (4)
I dodged the madman's attack and swung my sword at him in the same motion.
Shwick—!
Huh? He dodged that?
Not only that, but the bastard evaded my blade and charged straight at Jin Yu Warrior.
Jin Yu Warrior raised his sword to block the shard of pottery the madman swung at him.
Clang—!
Undeterred even after his attack was blocked, the madman immediately lunged at another warrior.
"Ugh!"
Yi-pil Warrior barely managed to fend him off.
And so, a seven-against-one battle unfolded between me and the six others versus the madman.
Naturally, in such a scenario, the one facing multiple opponents tires out first.
Yet the madman showed no signs of fatigue—his speed didn't slacken, nor did his strength wane.
Is this even possible?
If anything, we were the ones growing weary.
"Grk!"
In the end, Myeongjong Warrior failed to fully block an attack and groaned as he staggered back.
The pottery shard in the madman's hand had sliced a long gash across Myeongjong Warrior's arm.
Fortunately, his thick fur garment had kept the wound shallow.
But it was his right arm. If it gave out from overexertion, things could get serious.
"Myeongjong Warrior! Fall back!"
"But—!"
He gripped his sword tighter in protest, but Seo-u Warrior barked at him.
"We're not just any warriors—we're bodyguards! Remember that bodyguards must think of what comes after!"
"Kh! Understood."
Myeongjong Warrior finally retreated, and we pressed on with the exchange of blows.
The madman fought like a beast on pure instinct, yet he zeroed in on our weaknesses with uncanny precision.
How can he pull off attacks like that when he seems out of his mind?
Moreover, the longer the fight dragged on, the more adept he became.
"Ugh!"
"Urk!"
One by one, we took hits and withdrew to tend our wounds.
About two hours later, only I, Seo-u Warrior, and Jin Yu Warrior remained unscathed and still facing the madman.
"Hoo, hoo."
I panted heavily.
If not for Master's grueling endurance training, I'd have collapsed long ago.
I glared at the madman and readjusted my grip on my sword.
His breathing had only just started to roughen a bit.
I recalled the testimonies of those who'd previously fallen to this madman.
They said he'd left once they were all down and neutralized.
In other words, he departed if his opponents couldn't match him.
Is that connected to his earlier plea to be killed?
Does he leave if he deems no one can kill him?
But those frenzied eyes brimming with killing intent told me this fight had passed the point of no return.
He might lose interest and withdraw if we suffered severe injuries.
But that would be a loss for us.
We needed to deliver these eyes to Guiju Castle quickly, and recovering from wounds would take days.
I bit my lip.
The skin-crawling sensation still lingered vividly.
Damn it.
Fine, let's see who wins!
"Hah!"
We resumed our fierce clash.
The broken pottery shard in the madman's hand was a small mercy.
If he'd had a proper weapon instead...
I don't even want to think about it.
Boom—!
Krraang!
Our swords clashed against his shard, erupting in a thunderous roar.
It was an attack infused with inner energy, after all.
Which meant the madman was a martial artist who could wield qi as well.
What kind of story leads someone to rampage in the North Sea dressed in nothing but tattered rags?
"Haat!"
Thwack!
"Mmgh!"
Swish—!
This could go on forever.
I decided to switch tactics.
"This won't do. Seo-u Warrior, fall back, count to a hundred, then rejoin."
"Hoo, got it."
Seo-u Warrior retreated briefly for a breather, then rejoined after counting.
Jin Yu Warrior took his place for rest, then I rotated out while Jin Yu Warrior returned.
By taking short breaks in rotation, we gained some breathing room.
But it didn't last.
The madman's movements began accelerating. He should have been slowing down, yet he sped up!
This is insane.
"Guh!"
That's when the madman's shard grazed Jin Yu Warrior's side.
"Jin Yu Warrior!"
"I-It's fine!"
Jin Yu Warrior insisted he was okay and stayed in the fight, but he couldn't hold out properly while injured.
He nearly took another hit.
Clang—!
But Seo-u Warrior blocked it.
"Fall back."
"...Understood."
Jin Yu Warrior swallowed his frustration and retreated, realizing he was just a hindrance now.
With his attack blocked, the madman fixated obsessively on Seo-u Warrior.
His strikes grew faster, more refined.
He'd seemed on par with us at first, but now it was clear.
He was a step above.
Regret suddenly washed over me.
Did we bite off more than we could chew?
But it was too late.
And as the Eunhae Merchant Group's sub-branch leader, this had been the best call.
Now wasn't the time for regrets—it was time to figure out how to win.
"Eut!"
Seo-u Warrior faltered slightly, his strength waning. We'd been fighting for over four hours by now.
He'd held out this long thanks to peak realm mastery.
But protecting me meant he'd moved more, strained harder, and tired faster.
The madman seized the opening, targeting Seo-u Warrior's left shoulder.
"Not on my watch!"
Clang—!
I threw myself in and parried.
The madman wore an expression that said, Not bad.
That look pissed me off.
"Fine, bring it, you crazy bastard."
I spat the words and thrust at his throat.
Clang—!
My sword was blocked, but I spun and kicked at his head.
Thud!
It connected solidly.
A normal person would have tumbled, but he just staggered slightly.
Damn, he's tough.
Before I knew it, it was down to just me versus the madman—one-on-one.
We couldn't win seven-on-one, so this was a hopeless fight.
But retreating wasn't an option.
The cost would be too high.
I was grateful this was the North Sea. In any other place, my qi flow wouldn't have been this natural.
Thanks to the frigid air, my inner energy was plentiful.
That left focus, grit, and endurance to decide the victor.
"Let's go till the end."
How many more hours did the battle rage?
The sun rose, marking morning, but our fight showed no sign of ending.
Yet in the end, my stamina gave out first.
"Eut!"
The madman's strike sent my sword flying.
I clenched my loosening hand, but the all-night fight had sapped my grip strength.
Should've tied the sword to my hand...
The madman approached me.
Shouts from the bodyguards echoed behind me.
"Young master! Fall back!"
"We'll handle him!"
I glanced at them.
They'd bandaged their wounds, but weren't fully recovered.
"I'm fine."
That's when the madman's gaze shifted to them.
Seeing them still standing, weapons in hand, he seemed intent on finishing them off.
Not happening!
Suddenly, Elder Josa's words from the North Sea Ice Palace resurfaced.
"A palace lord must be prepared to wade through rivers of blood to protect their disciples. If unarmed, use your hands and feet to fell the foe."
Now I understood.
So this is what it feels like.
Of course, they existed to protect me. But above all, they were my people.
The ultimate technique I'd learned then: Extreme Yin Chaos Ice Strike.
I recited its final form.
I live, and all shall live—A declaration of supremacy over the world.
I will make it so.
I drew a deep breath and glared at the madman.
"It ain't over yet, you bastard."
Even faced with my murderous glare, the madman smiled.
"I'm unarmed, and you're gonna fight with a weapon? Cowardly?"
Perhaps because of my words, he tossed aside the pottery shard.
Clink—!
We charged at each other simultaneously.
Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Tatak—!
Hands clashed with hands, arms with arms. Our legs never stopped moving.
Our fists and feet became weapons in a desperate, brutal frenzy.
At some point, I began to forget.
Guiju Castle's request, the bodyguards behind me, even that this was the North Sea.
It didn't cross my mind. Only the madman before me filled my vision.
No—even that I was fighting this madman slipped away.
What... am I doing right now?
More importantly, who am I?
I strained to remember, driven by an instinct that I had to.
Then, a vast energy stirred within me.
This is... Hyeonryong?
With it came the memory of the first elixir I'd consumed.
Azure Ice Snow Plum.
I nearly died eating that.
Why did I eat it again?
Right—to fix my constitution. To achieve my goal, I needed to...
My goal?
In that instant, everything sharpened into focus.
My ambition to make Eunhae the world's greatest merchant group, my miserable death at Baekcheon Merchant Group's hands in my previous life.
And my vow of revenge.
Then, a whisper slithered in.
"Be honest—is that even possible?"
"What are you even striving so hard for?"
"Honestly, haven't you wanted to run away more than once?"
"Giving up would be easier."
Whoa...
Whoever this whisper belongs to, you're terrible at persuasion.
A merchant with your skills would go bankrupt without selling a single item.
I chuckled.
Whoever you are, shut up?
This new life was born from Elder's sacrifice. I couldn't die like that again.
Give up? Would you?
I have to survive.
Survive to avenge myself on Baekcheon Merchant Group and the Murim Alliance, and elevate Eunhae to the top.
Sword sent flying in the clash with the madman.
But Eun Seo-ho didn't give up.
His hands and feet replaced the blade as weapons.
Clothes tore, wounds opened on flesh, blood sprayed.
"Are we just going to watch like this?"
Seo-u Warrior bit his lip and shook his head at Chang-un Warrior's question.
"Too late."
"What?"
"Look at the young master's eyes."
They looked—and realized his eyes had lost focus.
"No way?"
"He's entered a trance right now. Interfering recklessly would be tough. Missing enlightenment is the best outcome; he could fall into qi deviation otherwise."
"Then what do we do?"
Yeo Eung-am Warrior answered.
"Watch and trust the young master."
They clenched their teeth and observed the battle between the madman and Eun Seo-ho.
It dragged on.
They'd already pulled an all-nighter, and now dusk fell.
Then dawn broke again.
That's when they witnessed something astonishing.
A silvery glow emanated from Eun Seo-ho's body.
"Ugh!"
"That light...?"
The brilliance blinded them; they reflexively shielded their eyes.
When they lowered their hands, Eun Seo-ho and the madman stood facing each other.
My mind was crystal clear.
Clearer than ever before.
My senses sharpened to an incredible degree.
Power brimmed through my body—a brand-new sensation.
I could do anything.
Shoving that feeling aside, I looked at the man before me.
Those frenzied, unfocused red eyes were gone, replaced by clear, sharp ones staring back at me.
"This place..."
"The North Sea."
"Damn. Right."
He scratched his head as he regarded me.
"Sorry. Wasn't my intention."
His speech confirmed he wasn't ordinary.
His whole demeanor had shifted from the madman he'd been. What the hell is this guy's deal?
"Thanks to you, I escaped the demonic influence. I owe you."
Escaped the demonic influence?
So he'd been possessed by madness, leading to his bizarre behavior?
It made no sense.
Then—
"...!"
I shuddered.
Another skin-crawling sensation, far stronger than from the man before me.
"Found you at last."
I shook it off and turned.
A middle-aged man stood where my gaze landed—but in an instant, he was right in front of me.
The former madman prostrated himself immediately.
"Master!"
The middle-aged man glanced at him, then at me.
"My worthless disciple has caused you trouble."
Disciple?