episode_0108

108. Battle

Clang!

Six swords collided with each other in the place where Johan’s head had been.

Scattered black hair was visible in their vision. It belonged to the man they were targeting.

The attackers were flustered. Suddenly, the ground caved in, and their target fell into the gap.

One of them felt a chill down their spine. In that moment─

Crack- Thwack!

“Ugh······.”

Johan, who had dug a new pit and jumped out, pierced his neck.

Johan immediately retrieved his sword and then crouched low to the ground, unleashing a barrage of attacks.

“Block him! He’s just one person anyway!”

Someone shouted that. It was true. If anything had changed, it was that the number of Johan’s group remained the same, and their numbers had decreased.

Johan’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the attacking line, which had become more vulnerable than before. There were more openings.

Clang!

Johan’s sword met someone’s sword. Immediately afterward, his long sword bent in a wavy motion, slashing the attacker’s eyes.

“Kaaaaa!”

‘I’ve killed one, and now there are only two injured.’

Three left. Suddenly, Johan only turned his eyes to check on the situation of his master and Jang Cheong.

‘They’re holding on, but it’s precarious.’

Jang Cheong and his master were fighting against five people. The balance on both sides was equal. If it tilted even slightly to one side, the victory or defeat would be decided.

They must know that fact too, when someone jumped out from the thicket.

Thwack!

Crimson blood was flowing from his abdomen. Come to think of it, it seemed to be the attacker who had been hit by the magic missile earlier.

I can’t just watch. Johan raised his finger.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

“Do you think we’ll let you use your sorcery again!”

The attackers weren’t complete idiots either. They had learned something, so they blocked Johan’s finger as if they were having a seizure.

Whoosh-

A blue blade aimed for his finger.

“Surely, it must take some preparation to use sorcery with that much power! We won’t allow it!”

Heung, Johan pulled his hand back and tilted his head.

There seems to be some misunderstanding.

‘Ah, it’s because I counted the seconds earlier.’

They must have thought there was some reason for Johan’s actions earlier.

That was understandable. From the perspective of martial artists, it was an irrational power.

Johan opened his mouth wide. There’s no need to use my finger.

Peeeeeeeng-

“”······!””

A blue light flashed from his mouth, leaving a long tail as it brushed past the cheeks of the two men in front of him.

Drip- Thin blood trickled down their cheeks.

Thwack!

The attacker who was rushing towards the master now had a hole in his skull.

The master looked at Johan and smiled. Johan also smiled slightly and then looked back at the attackers.

They were staring at Johan with dumbfounded faces.

“Sorcery? I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is clearly a finger flick technique.”

“······.”

Fear began to fill their faces. Johan aimed his sword with a fierce smile.

I’ve also removed the intruder who was trying to interfere with the battle. It’s time to start fighting again.

***

Smack!

The neck of the man wearing the blue uniform twisted roughly.

Tap, tap. The master casually dusted off his hands and asked.

“I’ll ask you one more time. What is the reason for attacking us?”

“······.”

The man just remained silent. Both of his cheeks were swollen red.

“Tsk, it seems like you won’t answer if I ask you kindly.”

The master said that and then held out his hand to Johan.

“Give it to me.”

He didn’t ask, what? Johan rummaged through his inventory and took out one item.

“······I never thought there would be a time when I’d need this.”

“That’s how life is. My disciple.”

The object had a unique shape. It was similar to the tongs that environmental workers use to pick up trash.

The difference was that it was a bit smaller. It was too inappropriate to pick something up.

The man’s face turned pale when he saw the object.

Click, click. The master bumped the strange tongs up and down and said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this. My disciple. Watch closely. This is a technique that you can’t easily learn even with money.”

“······I understand.”

The tongs’ mouth bit the man’s left thumbnail.

“The reason why I pull out the thumb first is because I have to pull out the shortest one first so that less blood splatters on the other fingernails. Cleanliness is key to this work.”

“······.”

Johan felt a little nauseous. But there’s no other way. There’s no such thing as useless knowledge in the world. Johan opened his eyes wide.

The master moved his hands back and forth.

“Don’t just pull it out, peel it off diagonally as you pull. That’s how it works well. Like this······!”

Crack-!

“Kaaaaa······! Cough!”

The man, who was screaming in surprise, had his mouth blocked by a rough hand. It was the master’s hand.

The master said to Johan in a nonchalant tone.

“Ah, I accidentally didn’t cover his mouth. I haven’t done this in a while, so I’ve lost my touch.”

Jang Cheong quickly lowered his head and handed over a long cloth. The master took it and wrapped it tightly around the man’s mouth.

“If you scream, the pain is reduced slightly. That’s why it’s important to block your mouth so you can’t make a sound.”

“······I, I see.”

It was truly a demonic idea. Johan was sweating cold without realizing it.

Regardless of his feelings, Johan’s brain was remembering every scene right now. He was anticipating the day when he could use it.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”

In that way, the master’s torture continued for a while. In the middle, it seemed like the man was sending some kind of signal, but······.

Well, it must be a mistake.

***

Was it thanks to the master’s sincerity? Finally, the man revealed the purpose of the attack.

The surviving colleague cursed at the man when he saw that, but when the master held out the tongs, he became quiet.

Johan said.

“You were trying to eradicate the Black Faction heading to Black King Castle?”

The man was gasping for breath. He didn’t seem to be in his right mind.

“Hee, hee. That’s right.”

Johan rubbed his chin.

“The purpose of the Martial Alliance is obvious. To gather insignificant people like you to strike down the Black Faction, there’s no difference between the Black Faction and the White Faction.”

When Johan said that, the man who had been listening quietly beside him shouted.

“What nonsense! Are you ignoring our Clear Water Sect!”

“I’m not ignoring you, but isn’t that the truth? To attack us with only this many numbers, you’re too arrogant.”

“······.”

The man became speechless at Johan’s nonchalant words.

In fact, the man had a lot to complain about. Originally, far more martial artists than now should have attacked Johan’s group.

However, Johan’s group’s movement speed was too fast. They weren’t carrying any luggage! They hadn’t expected that at all.

‘If I can just, just buy some time······.’

His colleagues might arrive. Even the deputy head of the Clear Water Sect was coming here.

“Master. Let’s go soon. Even though we have plenty of time, we still have a long way to go.”

“I agree. It seems like it will be difficult to get some sleep today.”

The group decided to move a little further and then camp.

When the decision was made, Johan stretched out both of his fingers towards the attackers.

“Wai, wait a minute······!”

One of the attackers shouted urgently. Regardless of that, Johan’s fingers flashed blue.

Peeeeeeeng- Thwack!

Thud-!

Johan dusted off his hands and turned his body. Luckily, he was able to acquire karma.

As expected, martial artists were more likely to give karma.

The master, who was looking at Johan from the side, asked in disbelief.

“······Huh, wouldn’t it have been better to use Earth Force from the beginning?”

Johan tapped his sword sheath.

“I can’t rely on sorcery forever. I have to practice swordsmanship from time to time.”

“······My disciple. You must be crazy.”

Johan chuckled.

“Indeed, like master, like disciple.”

“Heh, hahaha!”

The master threw his head back and burst into laughter. In that way, Johan’s group left behind countless corpses and left.

Johan glanced back and thought.

‘It won’t be boring on the way to Black King Castle.’

***

They slept outdoors when they thought they had walked enough, and when their fatigue was somewhat relieved, they continued walking.

The tedious repetition soaked the minds of Johan’s group. Fortunately, there were several events in between, so it wasn’t as boring as they thought.

Thwack!

“Ugh······.”

A man dressed as a vagrant grabbed his neck and collapsed. Johan roughly drew his sword and then rotated his body diagonally.

A faint curve was drawn in the air, leaving a long gash on the chest of another man.

Swish-

“Hoo······.”

Johan let out a faint sigh and sheathed his sword.

They were lower level than the attackers he had first met.

‘It’s a shame. I didn’t get any karma this time.’

Tsk, I wish someone like the Clear Water Sect would attack.

Just as Johan was regretting it, the master spoke to him.

“It seems like the Alliance is very determined. Even these ragtag people are embarking on a Black Faction hunt. These guys who attacked us now. They’re not the White Faction.”

“They’re not the White Faction?”

“That’s right. They must be the insignificant people who are not skilled enough to belong to either the Black Faction or the White Faction. Maybe they were just the leader of the alley in their neighborhood.”

Johan had one question.

“Why is the Martial Alliance doing this? Does this happen often?”

The master shook his head.

“There’s no way. If they did this often, a war would have broken out long ago.”

“Then?”

The master’s eyes flashed sharply. His eyes scanned the faces of the fallen men one by one.

“War. It’s certain that the Alliance is preparing for war right now.”