episode_0025

Clang! Clink! Kiiing!! Claaang!!!

“Oh…, you’re blocking well?”

“Keuk!”

Cannot be seen.

All Baeklyeon could feel was his voice, the sound of wings fluttering, and the sound of the sword cutting through the air.

Since the initial encounter, he hadn’t been able to see the man at all, and was only blocking the opponent’s black sword with sound and intuition.

“Well, then I’ll increase the speed even more.”

But this cannot continue indefinitely.

Baeklyeon’s stamina clearly had a limit, and that limit was rapidly approaching.

‘Seolrin Young Miss!…’

Considering this situation, Baeklyeon and Seolrin.

I had thought about the two people’s cooperation….

“Kkeureuk kkeureuk kkeu~reuk~!! Did you think I ran away because I couldn’t beat a girl like you!!”

“Shut your filthy mouth, it stinks!…, You’re ganging up on me, and an ugly guy is talking so much!”

She was busy dealing with the Poison Toad beastman, Seomgae, and his remnants, who appeared with the man who introduced himself as Ogam, so she didn’t have the余裕 to support us.

Rather, if there is support, I should be supporting them….

“Hmm, do you have the余裕 to think about other things? This is…, I’ve been underestimated.”

“!!”

He disappeared, and the appearance he had never been able to find appeared.

At the same time, a vast sword energy in the shape of black feathers swirled around the black sword he was holding.

That is dangerous.

Baeklyeon’s intuition warned him.

Simultaneously with the warning, Baeklyeon’s action was so simple and clear.

“Heueueup!!!”

“Hooh, so you can handle sword energy too. It’ll be interesting.”

A pure white cyan light swirled around Baeklyeon’s sword.

Baeklyeon’s sword energy flickered like a burning flame, filling the entire sword, and in that state, he struck down at the enemy who revealed himself.

“Ho-ah (Tiger Fang)!!”

Ogam clicked his tongue, looking at the sword that plunged down sharply like a tiger’s fangs.

“You seem to lack experience.”

With those words, the opponent’s figure disappeared.

Baeklyeon’s sword split the empty air.

“!”

“Even if we had collided head-on…, I wouldn’t have lost, but it’s better to be sure.”

Big techniques create big gaps.

That is a natural law. In order to use a big technique, Baeklyeon had made a big movement, and that gap was very fatal.

“Hyeonik (Black Wing)”

The sword itself had the shape of a black wing.

The black sword wrapped in black feather-like sword energy. It was a very beautiful sword even though it was an enemy…, I suddenly thought.

Chwachachachak!!!

Each black feather, each one, was a small blade itself, extremely sharp.

Baeklyeon, cut by the black sword, felt his body being minced into small pieces and was blown away by the sword energy.

“Keu..heok…”

His whole body was stained with blood due to the largest cut and the small cuts from the sword energy passing by.

But Baeklyeon slowly calmed his breathing and stood up using his sword as a cane.

Ogam was greatly impressed by the sight.

“What great mental strength. Even though you saw this level of difference, you don’t try to give up. You and that girl have considerable willpower. But it seems like that has a limit too. Will you give up now?”

“….I can’t…I can’t give up!…”

“Hmm, why are you so obsessed?”

“Until I avenge….my family’s enemy!!…”

At Baeklyeon’s words, Ogam tilted his head, then smiled as if he understood Baeklyeon’s words.

“Indeed, that’s right. Is that so? But it’s a pity. With that level of skill, you can’t get your revenge.”

“Shut up!!”

“Seomgae, is your side taken care of?”

As if there was no reason to pay attention to someone who was at his limit just standing, Ogam was at ease with his back to Baeklyeon.

But one miscalculation was that Baeklyeon still had a bit of strength left. Baeklyeon, who was watching Seolrin being dragged in front of Seomgae while being restrained by the Poison Toad beastmen, gathered his strength while catching his breath.

“Kkeureuk kkeureuk! I’m in a good mood because I got two pretty women!”

“Well, I don’t care what you do with them, but I did my job, so can you at least let them serve me drinks?”

“Of course, Ogam-nim. Kkeururuk~ Let’s use that girl as a hostage to get all of the Tang Clan guys over there!”

He smacked his lips, making a bizarre laugh as if he was in a good mood.

The moment Ogam completely turned his body to have a proper conversation with Seomgae, he put a lot of strength into his body and kicked off the ground.

【One Sword – Tiger Hunt】

He squeezes out the remaining strength and strikes down with his sword.

He doesn’t even hope to completely cut him down.

If only I could do at least some damage…, if only I could!…

Clang!!

“!”

“Hmm…, I thought you were planning something.”

But such a wish was futile, and Baeklyeon’s sword stopped in the air.

‘A transparent…sword?….’

The feeling of colliding was definitely a sword.

But it cannot be seen.

His sword was clearly stopped in the air, hitting something.

Ogam hadn’t swung his black sword either.

“What should I do…, if a tiger is a tiger, even if all of its teeth and claws are pulled out, it is still a spiritual being that can kill a human. So…, I have to pull out all of your teeth and claws…, so I can hand you over to Seomgae with peace of mind.”

Clang!

Baeklyeon was pushed away by something invisible.

Ogam turned his body again and approached Baeklyeon with leisurely steps.

“I’m going to cut off all of your swords and tendons. Don’t worry. The pain will only be for a moment.”

He raises the black sword and drops it as is.

Just as he was about to cut off Baeklyeon’s wrist with a clean arc.

Clang!!!

“?!”

Ogam’s black sword was bounced off something.

“Who are you?”

“….”

What appeared in front of Ogam was a man with black hair and a strange mask.

He pushed away his sword and stood between Baeklyeon and himself.

“Ah….”

And the moment she looked at the back of the man who suddenly appeared, Baeklyeon let out a sigh of relief and shed a single tear without realizing it.

“Everyone.”

The moment the masked man opened his mouth, an overwhelming presence, as if the atmosphere was pressing down, poured down from all directions.

“Freeze.”

Ogam saw it at that moment.

He could see the eyes inside the mask faintly shining.

* * *

As Seollyun expected, it was a mess.

If I hadn’t come, Baeklyeon would have really taken the bad ending route, right?

‘Yabal, am I going to be NTR’d when I’m not even Leon?’

I can’t let that happen.

Of course.

I’ll throw him away.

“Everyone.”

【King of Swords’s Pressure】

“Freeze.”

I use the King of Swords’s Pressure to apply CC to all the guys around me.

The miscellaneous beastmen, who were only at a level where they could be suppressed by Tang Seolrin, let alone Baeklyeon, were crushed by the momentum and fainted, leaving only a few beastmen standing.

“Who are you…, no, who are you?”

“Kkeu, kkeururuk!!! W, what’s with this all of a sudden!!…”

“Seomgae. Quietly.”

The black-winged beastman stopped the toad beastman from shouting with a strange cry.

“Right now, that man holds the power of life and death here.”

Unlike that toad beastman, that beastman seemed to be accurately assessing the current situation.

“Let go of the Tang Clan’s young lady.”

“Kkeureuk! What is that!…”

“Let her go.”

“O, Ogam!!”

“Didn’t you hear me? Let her go.”

At the coercive words of the beastman named Ogam, the toad beastman, Seomgae, bit his lip as if resentful, but released Seolrin.

Seolrin staggered back and joined us.

“I let her go…, what are you going to do? Will you spare us?”

“….There is only one way for you to live.”

“What is it?”

“Kill me with all your might and run away.”

At my words, Ogam laughed in vain and readjusted his sword.

“I don’t really like ganging up on one person, but…, if I want to survive, I can’t help it. Seomgae. Focus. If you can’t kill that man…, you can’t achieve anything.”

“Kkeu, kkeureuk!…”

At the same time, the guy disappeared.

No, is he just moving so fast that he disappears?

“He disappeared!…”

“Can’t you see him even when he’s retreated!….”

Baeklyeon and Seolrin, who retreated behind me, were startled and showed a spectator reaction.

Can’t see….

Clang!! Jjeo-eong!!

Unfortunately, I can see it.

I parried and pushed away the sword according to the angle at which the guy was coming in.

“Keuk!!….”

“Kkeureuk!! Take this!! Tueh!!”

Is that…, poison? I’m okay with everything else, but I don’t have a good compatibility with poison.

‘It’s like an extremely unreasonable judgment!….’

I can’t use items.

I don’t know the exact criteria, but most of…, so far, all equipped items have been judged as unusable.

I can pick up things, but the actual performance of that equipment.

For example, a special mask that allows you to change your face.

For example, a holy sword that is an excellent anti-demon weapon.

Things like that become simple masks, or they simply become ordinary iron swords filled with divine power, or disappear altogether. There are restrictions on the use of equipment items. Of course, this isn’t just a disadvantage, and maybe things that have a minus judgment for me.

For example, shackles that seal strength. Those things are also judged as ‘unusable’ and become simple iron shackles.

Of course, even if you consider that, there are more disadvantages than advantages.

“Tsk.”

It gets more complicated when you consider consumable items here, such as potions.

First of all, most normal healing potions, buff potions, or stat-enhancing potions are not applied.

Of course, there are cases where they are applied…, if I’m right, only elixirs… that is, only medicines with very rare and powerful effects are accepted by my body.

On the other hand, poisons work even if they are just ordinary, common poisons.

Healing systems don’t work!!

Are you discriminating against me!!!

The balance is really fucked up!!

Anyway, poison is a difficult opponent for me to deal with.

So…

“!”

Kaaang!!!

“No matter what, I can’t allow that.”

Ogam, who seemed to have read my thoughts one step ahead, forcibly collided with me, preventing me from cutting down Seomgae.

In the meantime, Seomgae uses his poison to try to attack from afar.

Of course, the attack itself didn’t reach, but it’s annoying.

Then….

I’ll make a very brief gap and cut that thing down.

【King of Swords’s Pressure】

I show the King of Swords’s Pressure, which prevents all enemies from moving.

Of course, those guys will quickly break free from the incapacitated state. But the gap that is bound to exist in that fleeting moment.

【Space Slash】+【King of Swords Secret Art】

“Earth Split”

Swish

“Huh?…Kkeureuk?…”

“…What was that just now?”

The toad guy, Seomgae’s body, was split vertically.

Even though he was a beastman, his blood was still red. I glanced at the sight.

‘…This is the first time I’ve actually killed a human.’

So far, I’ve only dealt with monsters, undead, or liches.

So far, I’ve only knocked out or subdued humans with pressure, but this is the first time I’ve completely killed one.

It’s the first time….

‘Surprisingly, I don’t feel anything.’

Is this also an influence of the King of Swords’s memories? Or am I still thinking of this situation as a ‘game’?

“…One mouth to answer is enough, right?”

Thoughts come later.

No, rather, I should be glad that my mental state isn’t shaken by killing someone.

Maybe in the future…, there will be people I have to kill with my own hands.

“Haha…, it’s ridiculous…. Where did a monster like you come from?”

“….”

“The slash was not visible. In the first place, you didn’t even wear sword energy…, but Seomgae, who was far away, was cut…, are you…. have you reached the realm of the Mind Sword (心劍)?”

The realm of the Mind Sword.

It was Seolrin who was surprised to hear those words.

Even though she is from the Tang Clan, famous for its hidden weapons and poisons, she knows how high the realm of the Mind is.

The realm of Mind Slaughter, where you can kill the target just by making up your mind.

I know that there are only a handful of people who have reached that realm.

‘Is this guy?….’

If that’s the case, then the ability he showed at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was just child’s play.

Seolrin swallowed nervously and looked at Leon.

“…There’s no reason to tell you.”

“Keuk…, I see. I guess so…. Haa…, Mind Sword…. I’m so envious.”

“Are you going to give up?”

“I can’t even handle you alone in the first place, so what’s the point of trying more?”

Ogam shrugged his shoulders.

This bastard, where are you bluffing? Do you want to die?

“Really? For someone who says that…, the murderous intent trembling from all directions doesn’t seem to be.”

“….”

The guy, who had been making a face as if he had given up until just now, hardened his face and looked at me.

“Heo…, you’re really a monster.”

“Take out everything you can do. That’s the only way you have a chance to survive.”

“….Shadow Bird (影鳥).”

Pabababababat!!!

At that moment, beastmen with black wings appeared from all directions.

Baeklyeon and Seolrin, who hadn’t even noticed them, widened their eyes and stiffened their bodies.

In addition, the guys are quite clever, with some aiming at me and some aiming at the incapacitated Baeklyeon and Seolrin.

Even if half of them are defeated by me, they must be thinking of using the remaining half to take Seolrin and Baeklyeon hostage.

“Hyeonik (Black Wing).”

At the same time, a black feather-shaped sword energy wraps around the guy’s sword.

Ah, the aim is to make me slow down my response to the sword, right?

“Slow.”

【King of Swords Secret Art】

But you have to be faster.

“Mountain Split.”

An instant, a white flash-like line is drawn horizontally in the world.

Puhwak!!

The moment that line disappeared, the guys who had flapped their black wings and soared into the air all had their waists split and scattered blood on the ground.

“Heuaaaap!!!”

But he seemed to have expected even that.

Without hesitation, the guy reversed and raised the black sword wrapped in black feathers.

“Hey, you have three arms?”

“!”

But even that is a trick.

I don’t know how many layers of traps he’s set, but I could clearly feel the invisible sword being wielded quickly by an invisible hand.

【Intuition】+【Counterattack】

I quickly retrieved the sword, deflected the guy’s sword wrapped in sword energy, let it flow as is, and received the invisible sword.

It was a very short time.

It all happened in an instant, so Baeklyeon and Seolrin didn’t understand that momentary attack and defense.

Only the parties involved understood it.

“…Ha.”

“….”

“Haha…, hahaha…., hahahahaha!!!”

Ogam, who had confirmed that even the last resort had been completely blocked, laughed like crazy as if he had given up.

“Hoo…, lastly, can I know your name?”

“….Jang Cheonwoo. Jang Cheonwoo of the Flame Troops.”

“Jang Cheonwoo…, there’s a monster in the current Flame Troops… Our plan… might fail.”

“…Does your beastman alliance have ‘Red Demon’ (赤鬼)?”

Baeklyeon trembled at my question.

He came here to find out about the Red Demon.

He must want to hear the answer to that no matter what.

“Did you find out that much?…, But half of it is right and half of it is wrong.”

“….”

“If I tell you that…, will you spare me?”

“Impossible.”

“Ha!…, I knew it.”

He said, looking at the sky in vain.

“I want to drink alcohol.”

With that last, he cut off the guy’s head in one fell swoop.

“So, do you feel refreshed? Baeklyeon.”

“….”

There is no meaning in a beheaded corpse.

So I turned my body without hesitation and looked at Baeklyeon, who couldn’t make eye contact with me.

“I…, at least I thought of you as a clear comrade, even if you’re annoying. It seems like I was the only one who thought that way.”

“Th, that’s….”

“It’s not like that? Who was it that went even though I clearly told you not to go?”

I took a step. I approached Baeklyeon.

It was fortunate that the timing was right, but if I had arrived just a little later, I knew what kind of situation Baeklyeon and Seolrin would have been in without even having to look.

“No, okay. Let’s say going itself is okay. After all, Baeklyeon, you’re an adult, so you have the right to decide your own actions. But…, what is this mess now? You went with confidence, but in the end, you didn’t accomplish anything.”

“….”

“….It was none other than you who said you would follow me. It was you who tried to stick with me even if you had to force yourself. So I accepted you. But now you’re trying to leave me, so which you should I accept?”

“…I’m sorry, Young Master.”

I stared at Baeklyeon, who bowed his head and apologized, then turned my gaze to Seolrin.

Perhaps because of the fact that he killed so many humans at once and didn’t care, Seolrin flinched as if frightened as soon as she made eye contact with me.

“Young Clan Leader is worried. Let’s go back.”

“A, okay…”

“?”

I understand why Baeklyeon is acting so humble because he did something wrong to me, but why is she suddenly like this?