Chapter 47: It's Been a While
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: It's Been a While
CRASH—!
The figure slammed into the concrete wall, their body going limp.
The head, which had been writhing in resistance within the large palm, lost all strength, and soon its movements ceased entirely.
From the one who had crumpled the person into the wall, a low voice emerged.
“...Is this the last of the intruders?”
Martial Alliance Leader Yeo Pil-geuk.
Anyone who witnessed his genuine fury couldn't help but swallow dryly. His usual benevolent smile, like that of an old man next door, was nowhere to be seen; only the iron-blooded martial artist who had beaten the intruder to death like a bug remained.
“We’ve verified the identities of all martial artists within the Alliance. We believe there are no further intruders, but... we are currently rooting out traitors.”
No Gu-cheon, an elder of the Martial Alliance and a prominent figure among the pro-Leader faction, replied with a cold expression. He was a key figure who had planned this License Exam alongside the Leader.
The plan to abduct Yang Ha-yun from within the Spell Formation was delayed longer than expected, prompting the Assassins' accomplices outside to act to buy time. Fortunately, Yeo Pil-geuk, sensing something amiss, personally stepped in to subdue the intruders, but this had put the entire Martial Alliance on high alert.
“Have you ascertained their objective?”
“After reviewing all monitors, we suspect they were targeting Yang Ha-yun of the Sun Moon Sect. And... it’s highly likely Ki Mu-hyeok was also caught up in this.”
As No Gu-cheon answered, profiles of Yang Ha-yun and Ki Mu-hyeok appeared on the central monitor of the control headquarters. A Rising Star, the sole hope of the Sun Moon Sect, one of the Eight Great Sects, and a young man who might be the Sword Demon’s disciple.
However, neither of them could be found on any of the monitors displaying the interior of the Spell Formation. This meant someone inside had tampered with the spell.
Yeo Pil-geuk quickly scanned the monitors and spoke with a grim expression.
“Tell the Spellcasters at once. Immediately release the Spell Formation and...”
“Leader! We have a major problem!”
Just then, an Alliance member burst through the door as if to break it down, shouting in an urgent voice.
“Th-the Spellcasters of the Mystery Hall...!”
WHOOSH—!
The Leader didn't wait to hear the rest, soaring with a Lightness Skill towards the area where the Spellcasters were gathered.
Among the Spellcasters who should have been controlling the spell at the central axis, which constructed the Martial Alliance’s large-scale Spell Formation, some lay collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Beside them were the charred corpses of Assassins who had ambushed the Spellcasters but were struck down by a counterattack.
“There was an ambush. Assassins carrying potent poisons, prepared for a mutual kill, attacked this place...”
Yeo Pil-geuk listened to the Alliance member’s report while personally examining the Spellcasters’ bodies.
“...I will surely capture the culprits and make them pay the price, so rest in peace.”
“L-Leader! The bodies still have poison...”
“It’s fine, you may step back.”
FLARE!
After burning away the lingering poison with his internal energy, Yeo Pil-geuk gently closed the eyes of each Spellcaster who had died from the potent poison. He rose and looked at the Spellcasters with grave expressions.
“Man Bak-ja. Can you release the Spell Formation right now?”
Man Bak-ja, a high-ranking Spellcaster from Mystery Hall, Korea’s largest spellcasting organization, and the one who played the biggest role in constructing the License Exam’s Spell Formation, replied with a dark expression.
“It’s impossible. If we dismantle it slowly over time, perhaps, but attempting it all at once in its current unstable state will surely cause problems.”
He explained that the Monstrous Beings inside the Spell Formation could rampage, or the terrain could shift, causing Disasters. There was also a high possibility of fatal damage to the sensory organs of the Rising Stars inside.
The Leader grunted softly and asked, “How much time do you need to safely release the Spell Formation?”
“At a minimum, two hours. If we had just one or two more skilled Spellcasters, we could cut that in half, but...”
Man Bak-ja said the absence of the deceased Spellcasters was a huge blow, but he would try his best to hurry.
“What about communication with the Black-Whites?”
No Gu-cheon, who had belatedly followed the Leader, replied, “The enemies must have interfered; all contact has been lost. And I suspect some of the Black-Whites are...”
“Likely traitors.”
Yeo Pil-geuk chuckled hollowly, muttering. He couldn't even guess when the Assassins had infiltrated the Martial Alliance, or who was behind it. Cold fury settled in his eyes.
“Then I will enter the Spell Formation alone. I must quickly find Yang Ha-yun and Ki Mu-hyeok and...”
“Leader. You cannot.”
“That would also be difficult.”
No Gu-cheon and Man Bak-ja simultaneously objected, blocking Yeo Pil-geuk.
“If a Peak Master like you forcibly enters, it would be no different from collapsing part of the Spell Formation. While Peak Masters might be fine, we cannot guarantee what effect it would have on the Rising Stars.”
CRASH!
Yeo Pil-geuk’s fist smashed into the wall beside him. Fury erupted at the fact that he could do nothing while the Rising Stars were in danger.
“Then must I just stand by and watch?!”
The Rising Stars inside were the future of the Korean Martial. If even one of them were to be harmed, Yeo Pil-geuk would never forgive himself.
As Yeo Pil-geuk clenched his fist, staring at the screen in frustration at his own powerlessness, he heard a voice.
“It seems the situation isn’t good.”
Yeo Pil-geuk turned in shock at the unfamiliar presence. A masked figure stood there, still as a statue.
‘An Assassin! And one whose presence even I find hard to detect!’
Even if he had been distracted by the intruders and traitors, it was shocking that an Assassin had managed to enter the heart of the Martial Alliance without anyone knowing.
“How dare you!”
Yeo Pil-geuk, moving with a speed close to the Incorporeal Shift, approached the opponent and threw a punch to punish the intruder.
CLANG—!
Surprisingly, the opponent blocked the Martial Alliance Leader’s punch, a blow worthy of the Fist King, with a sword, dissipating its power by merely retreating a step or two. That alone was unbelievable, but then the opponent’s eyes softened as he spoke.
“Leader. Your temper hasn’t changed.”
“...Could it be?”
Yeo Pil-geuk, who was about to throw another punch, stopped dead at the strangely familiar voice.
“This voice is...”
No Gu-cheon, who had also drawn his sword, looked at the masked opponent with a startled expression. As the Leader and No Gu-cheon approached as if entranced, the opponent slightly lowered his mask, just enough for the two of them to recognize him.
“Leader, Elder No. It’s been a while.”
“Y-you...”
“Hahahaha...”
Sword Demon Choi Geon.
The man who was once Yeo Pil-geuk’s most trusted comrade and the Martial Alliance’s Hidden Sword had reappeared after twenty years.
“You! Where have you been all this time?!”
“We can catch up later.”
Choi Geon spoke quickly, his expression serious.
“I was watching from outside and saw the Alliance was in disarray, so I came to see what was happening. I was also worried my disciple might have caused a big accident...”
He gave a brief, awkward smile, then quickly hardened his expression and continued.
“I’ve roughly grasped the situation on my way here. The Rising Stars are trapped inside the Spell Formation, and some unknown Assassins have been meddling, correct?”
“...Your disciple is in there too. Ki Mu-hyeok. That child, right?”
Choi Geon nodded at No Gu-cheon’s question. However, his expression was remarkably calm for someone whose disciple was in danger.
“Mu-hyeok will be fine. So, let’s resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
Choi Geon turned to Man Bak-ja and said, “I heard you’re short on Spellcasters... Would you like me to recommend one if you need a skilled Spellcaster? They’re close enough to come right away with a phone call.”
“...We need a Spellcaster with a deep understanding of spells and who can handle Monstrous Beings. Someone with mediocre skill would only be a hindrance.”
“They are precisely the talent you just described.”
Man Bak-ja reluctantly nodded at Choi Geon’s confident assertion.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
He didn't know who the masked opponent was, but judging by the Leader’s expression, he seemed trustworthy.
Choi Geon looked back at the Leader and No Gu-cheon and asked, “What’s the situation inside the Spell Formation?”
Choi Geon was once the Martial Alliance’s troubleshooter. Though most widely known by the fearsome moniker Sword Demon, he was also called the Martial Alliance Leader’s Sword for his quick judgment and decisive action. This, however, made him a prime target for the Eight Great Sects, who had begun to check the Martial Alliance Leader’s power.
“...I see. Understood.”
After hearing the full story and quickly assessing the situation, Choi Geon proposed to the Leader, “Since it’s difficult to intervene in the Spell Formation from outside right now, how about asking for help from the martial artists on site?”
“Didn’t I just say? Contact with the Black-Whites has been cut off, and even then, we don’t know who to trust...”
“Leader.”
A long time had passed since those days, but Choi Geon’s eyes still shone with the same piercing brilliance.
“Aren’t there hundreds of talented martial artists in there?”
Following Choi Geon’s finger, everyone’s gaze turned to the same spot. There, the Rising Stars, whose License Exam had been suspended, were gathered and waiting.
“...I had momentarily forgotten.”
Yeo Pil-geuk stared blankly at them, as if struck, then a gentle smile spread across his lips.
“That those Rising Stars are our greatest strength.”
The Martial Alliance Leader’s narrowed vision began to clear with Choi Geon’s advice. Everyone there had come to prove themselves. They were not merely individuals to be protected by the Martial Alliance, but martial artists capable of upholding justice with their own martial arts.
“Man Bak-ja. Can you relay my words to the Rising Stars inside?”
Man Bak-ja nodded at Yeo Pil-geuk’s question, who had returned to his usual Martial Alliance Leader demeanor.
“It’s possible, as long as it’s not too long.”
“I’ll keep it brief. Connect me.”
A moment later, the Leader’s voice was transmitted to the Rising Stars through the Spell Formation.
All exams were suspended with the announcement that something was wrong with the Spell Formation. The Rising Stars, who had been performing missions in teams, were instructed to wait for further guidance and gathered in one place.
“What’s going on?”
“If it’s a Spell Formation problem, isn’t that a big deal...?”
“Where did all the Black-Whites go?!”
The Rising Stars gathered in the plaza looked around with uneasy eyes.
RUMBLE...!
The fluctuating landscape of the Spell Formation was clearly not normal, and the occasional thunder and lightning strikes were so menacing it felt as if the world might be ending.
Of course, not everyone there was fretting.
“Damn it. It was just starting to get interesting...”
Shin Kang-heon grumbled discontentedly, scratching his head. He had been looking around for someone for a while.
“But where’s that bastard Ki Mu-hyeok?”
Ki Mu-hyeok, whom he expected to compete with for the lead, hadn't been encountered once since the exam began. He couldn't have fallen behind, and no matter how he thought about it, something felt off.
—A state of emergency has occurred, making it impossible to conduct the License Exam normally. First, I apologize to everyone.
Martial Alliance Leader Yeo Pil-geuk’s voice began to echo from the thunder-stricken sky.
“Huh? It’s the Leader’s voice!”
“Please explain what’s going on!”
The Leader’s voice continued to reach the startled Rising Stars.
—What I am about to tell you, I guarantee its truth on my honor. Currently, unknown Assassins have infiltrated the Spell Formation.
The murmuring grew louder with the Leader’s explanation. Many gasped in surprise, and not a few cowered in fear.
—The Assassins’ target is Yang Ha-yun, a martial artist from the Sun Moon Sect who participated in the License Exam. And it has been confirmed that martial artist Ki Mu-hyeok, who teamed up with Miss Yang Ha-yun, has also been caught up in this...
But even more Rising Stars were enraged by the fact that Assassins dared to infiltrate the Martial Alliance headquarters, and they gripped their weapons tightly at the mention of a comrade participating in the exam being targeted.
—Therefore, I wish to ask for your help. Can you lend your strength to a comrade in danger?
—Your opponents are Peak Masters capable of infiltrating the heart of the Martial Alliance. You will have to take great risks. There will be no disadvantage if you do not step forward, so please decide carefully...
“So?!”
Before the Leader could finish speaking, many martial artists, led by Shin Kang-heon, Oh Jung-min, and Song Jun-ho, stepped forward.
“Where is Ki Mu-hyeok fighting?!”
Unable to listen passively any longer, Shin Kang-heon shouted towards the sky.