Chapter v11c3: The Betrayer and the Betrayed

“Master!”

Majinga called out to Na Baekcheon cautiously. His low voice was filled with heavy tension.

“There is something more important.”

Na Baekcheon looked at Majinga with a displeased expression, as if to say, ‘How can you so brazenly claim there’s something more important than Na Yerin?’

“What is it?”

Majinga’s expression was stern, as if he was about to reveal a top-secret matter. His copper-colored eyes, reminiscent of a fortress of steel, were gleaming with an unusual light. For a moment, Na Baekcheon felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Did you enjoy the tea?”

Was it so difficult to utter this one sentence?

“Of course, it was delicious. But why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to make sure.”

Majinga’s fingers suddenly moved so fast they were almost invisible.

“Gasp!”

Na Baekcheon took a sharp breath.

“This… this can’t be!!!”

Na Baekcheon’s face turned bright red in an instant, and cold sweat began to pour from his body. The emotion on his face was unmistakable betrayal. It was a feeling that could only arise from intense betrayal.

“How could you do this to me!”

His eyes were wide with disbelief.

“The world is cruel.”

Majinga replied indifferently.

“Don’t you think it’s too cowardly to take advantage of someone’s moment of carelessness?”

“Not at all.”

Majinga shook his head calmly. Even the coldest of men couldn’t act as confidently as he did.

“It’s not my fault that you showed a weakness. It’s only natural that I took advantage of it.”

His tone was still indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

“Ugh!”

Na Baekcheon’s face contorted in extreme anger. He still couldn’t shake off the feeling of betrayal. Majinga’s fingers had moved to a specific spot!

There, a cannon was poised to devour his general, its jaws gleaming with sharp teeth. His general had no escape. It was a situation where he was surrounded on all sides, with no way out. He had foolishly eaten a pawn in front of his chariot, only to end up in this predicament.

Checkmate!

Despite trembling with betrayal, Na Baekcheon couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. No matter how hard he tried to find an escape, Majinga’s cannon was indeed threatening his general. It was only a matter of delivering the final blow.

His guards had long since fallen, and no matter how he scanned the board, there were no soldiers left to sacrifice for the general. There was no escape.

Na Baekcheon was in a state of shock.

“What are you doing? It’s checkmate. Is it a cannon checkmate?”

Majinga said, looking triumphant. It was clear he was mocking him.

“……”

There was no response. Na Baekcheon seemed to have lost his ability to speak temporarily. A long silence followed as the Martial Alliance Leader was mentally paralyzed. Then, the master of Cheonmu Academy suddenly looked around nonchalantly.

“Master~.”

After looking around a few times, Majinga called out to Na Baekcheon in a gentle voice. But Na Baekcheon was too busy trying to find a way out of the deadly situation. It took him a while to respond to the voice of the current master of Cheonmu Academy.

“What is it? Did you call me?”

He didn’t even look at Majinga. Majinga didn’t mind.

“I think we need to call the Shin Gyeon Dae immediately.”

“Is there an urgent matter?”

His eyes were still fixed on the chessboard.

“Yes, I think we need to file a missing person report. It seems the person playing chess has gone missing. He was right in front of me just a moment ago… No matter how much I look around, I can’t see him. I hope he hasn’t met with any misfortune… He’s our most important guest and a pillar of the righteous martial world. If something happens to him, it would be a great loss to the entire martial world.”

Majinga said with a smile. For the record, his eyesight was so good that he could distinguish objects 300 meters away. But Na Baekcheon was a seasoned veteran. He wouldn’t give up so easily.

“He’s currently trapped in the clutches of a merciless opponent, trying to find an escape. So there’s no need to call the Shin Gyeon Dae!”

Na Baekcheon replied in a calm but cold voice. He still had one last move, a trump card. His eyes were filled with determination. Suddenly, the Martial Alliance Leader turned his gaze to the master of Cheonmu Academy.

“Gasp!”

Majinga flinched at the terrifying gaze. It was as if he felt the spirit of a warrior ready for a life-and-death duel.

“Hehehe, Master… Jin Ga…”

The granite-like face, which had been gleaming with a blade-like sharpness, suddenly softened with a spring breeze-like smile. The aura of authority and reverence that had surrounded him was nowhere to be found.

Na Baekcheon called out to Majinga in a gentle and friendly voice. His clasped hands even exuded a sense of humility.

“No.”

Majinga replied sternly.

“Oh, come on!”

“No.”

He repeated his firm refusal.

“Can’t you just let me have one move?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Even though I’m asking you like this?”

Na Baekcheon was now trying to use his power to make Majinga compromise. But Majinga remained steadfast.

“I despise people who succumb to power the most. I can’t do that.”

“Oh dear…”

Na Baekcheon clicked his tongue.

“You’re too rigid. There’s still a thing called respect for elders in this world.”

Na Baekcheon tried to use his age as a weapon, but it had no effect.

“If the world splits in two, I’ll consider it then.”

“You’re too harsh!”

“The world of competition is cold. That’s all there is to it.”

“Just this once, can’t you let it slide?”

The Martial Alliance Leader put on his most pitiful expression. It was a strategy called ‘Evoking Sympathy.’

Majinga wondered how many people knew this side of the current Martial Alliance Leader. He had never shown this side to anyone else. Of course, the matter of Na Yerin was an exception. To others, Na Baekcheon was still the dignified and strong pillar of the righteous martial world.

Na Baekcheon’s strategy had been well-received in many places, but his opponent’s defense was like an iron wall. Majinga’s hands were not only iron fists, but his heart seemed to be made of steel as well.

“Absolutely not.”

“Ugh! Stubborn as iron!”

“Please call it integrity.”

“I’ve lost! This won’t happen in the next battle!”

Finally, Na Baekcheon admitted his painful defeat.

“I look forward to it.”

Majinga replied with the composure of a victor. Na Baekcheon, shedding tears of frustration, resolved to make a comeback in the next battle. The next battlefield was the universe.

The universe on the board!

The next battlefield was Go. That day’s match ended in Na Baekcheon’s defeat. As a result, Na Baekcheon had to pay for the evening’s drinks. A high-stakes gamble among the top leaders! If this were to become known, it would cause an enormous scandal. Fortunately, there was no one else around. Even the guards at the door were his loyal followers, so he felt secure. Thus, Majinga could fully enjoy his victory.

**The Trainer and the Trainees**

Sweat soaked the ground like rain during the monsoon season.

It felt as if all the moisture in their bodies was being expelled as sweat.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

“Pant, pant, pant!”

“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”

“Ugh…”

Their mouths felt as hot as if they had been burned, driven by a scorching thirst.

“Tsk, tsk!”

Yeomdo looked at the delegation with a dissatisfied expression. To an outsider, they seemed to be walking normally. However, they were actually using lightness skills, moving at five times the speed of an ordinary person’s walk.

Despite their rapid pace, Yeomdo remained unimpressed. To his eyes, their steps seemed sluggish.

‘Waddle, waddle!’

Yeomdo’s face slightly frowned.

‘Why do I have to suffer with these novices? There’s no need to invite trouble upon myself. What did I do in my past life to deserve this karma?’

The more he thought about it, the more unjust it seemed. But regardless of his thoughts, the group continued to chat happily as they moved quickly. To Yeomdo, it felt like they were moving at a snail’s pace.

‘Chirp, chirp!’

With each step they took, the distance stretched by a meter. It was a form of lightness skill known as Gyeongshinbo , which allowed them to move quickly with minimal internal energy expenditure, making it ideal for long-distance travel. Although they described it as “walking,” their pace was faster than most people could run at full speed.

After a while, it was time for a scheduled break. Regular rest was crucial for such long journeys. However, even during this sweet break time, some people were not allowed to rest and instead received the “benefits” of malice.

There was a brief, secret conversation.

“Handle it that way. I trust you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they get a thorough mental reformation.”

Bi Ryu Yeon spoke, and Yeomdo nodded.

Bi Ryu Yeon was not the type to easily forget grudges and anger. Yeomdo, who had been around Bi Ryu Yeon for a long time, was well aware of this. He didn’t want his young master to find out that he had done nothing and hadn’t even worried while Bi Ryu Yeon was trapped in the Phantom Demon Cave. To avoid this, he decided to fervently train the Jujakdan, including making up for his own shortcomings.

To keep Bi Ryu Yeon’s attention focused elsewhere.

“Jujakdan, assemble!”

At Yeomdo’s command, a gust of wind blew as the Jujakdan rushed to gather in front of him. There was no room for sluggish movements. They had already experienced the dreadful consequences of such sluggishness.

“Formation!”

Namgung Sang raised his hand to set the formation.

“One, two, three, four, …sixteen. Count complete!”

The Jujakdan members, lined up in a row, turned their heads and counted off. The final number was sixteen. There were no stragglers.

“Total 16, present 16, no incidents, Jujakdan assembly complete!”

Nominally the leader of the Jujakdan, Namgung Sang finished his report.

Sixteen! This number meant that not a single member of the Jujakdan was missing. Remarkably, the Jujakdan had achieved the incredible feat of all members passing, even though other squads had numerous dropouts and injuries. Yeomdo nodded and said,

“Let the games begin!”

With those words, the Jujakdan was plunged into the inferno of hell.