Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Gwiranggok martial artist Garam looked up at the sky and lamented.

How did it come to this?

Tadadadak!

“What are you doing! Get your head together and grab the candles!”

Flames engulfing the surroundings.

At the sight of flames growing in scale incomparably to the candles they had been desperately keeping lit, Garam, who had shouted, checked the surrounding environment and frowned. The armory looked as if it would collapse at any moment, burning up.

‘What on earth is going on……!’

When he learned that someone was fighting with Heukya.

Garam was wary of that opponent while simultaneously welcoming this situation. That was because he had been thinking they still needed more hunting.

Advancing to the central area from any zone meant they were strong survivors.

However, those gathered here, including Garam, were closer to riffraff who merely had numerical superiority rather than being strong enough to be called powerful… literally just miscellaneous people. If they could advance to the central area, could such people properly earn points in the central area?

‘That wouldn’t be possible.’

Going to the central area would make it hard to properly earn points from then on. So before going to the central area, they had to gather and gather points to somehow buy at least one elixir.

From that perspective, someone holding off Heukya was a good thing. Because it increased the points they could earn.

That’s why he had sent out a search party.

‘Of all times, to be attacked when the search party was sent out……!’

A fire that started when their forces were reduced.

Two martial artists who had gone out to put out the fire were already lying on the ground like honeycombs from hidden weapons coated with paralysis poison. There must be an expert from the Tang Family among the opponents.

‘What should I do?’

They couldn’t go out, but they couldn’t just endure indefinitely either. If these flames spread completely inside, the armory would just become a grave perfect for burning to death.

Wareureureu!

“Ga-hyeong. The eastern outer wall has collapsed!”

“……Damn it.”

At the bad news that came while he was dwelling on his thoughts, Garam, who inadvertently spat out a curse, looked around and quickly made a decision. No matter how he looked at it, there was only one answer.

“Abandon the armory and find another stronghold.”

“……But, is that okay?”

“Okay or not, we have no choice. If we stay here, we’re finished. We’ll either burn to death or get hit by hidden weapons—one of the two.”

If they stayed here, the probability of perishing was ten out of ten.

If there was even a one percent probability, they had no choice but to escape this place and seek a way to survive. Garam, who had finished his judgment, drew the heavy saber on his back and continued speaking.

“We’re escaping this place and finding a new stronghold. Is there anyone with good vision? What about the prison area?”

“Smoke is rising from that side too!”

“Damn, then there’s only the separate palace…… or the main palace.”

The capacity of each separate palace was about twenty to at most thirty people.

Logically thinking, going to the separate palace would be right. Garam’s group was about thirty people including the search team, which meant it was a number the separate palace could accommodate, though it would be a bit cramped.

‘They’re reading our thoughts.’

The opponent burned down the armory and, not satisfied with that, even burned down Noeyok, literally meticulous bastards. Would such bastards not recognize that they would go to the separate palace?

‘This is a bad move.’

Garam, who had finished his judgment, shook his head and turned his gaze toward the distant Heukya. Heukya was still continuing to pour attacks on someone of unknown identity.

“We’re going to the main palace.”

“……! Is that okay? Ga-hyeong. For our numbers to enter inside the main palace, the candle consumption will……!”

“I know. We’ll run short of candles.”

“But we still have to go. That’s the safest place.”

He had something in mind. If Garam’s thoughts were correct, there would be an appropriately small number of people in the main palace, maintaining a defensive line.

If they couldn’t break through that defensive line, they would perish, but if they could just break through the defensive line, they could plunder the opponents’ candles. The size of the main palace was tremendously vast, befitting a palace where the emperor resided, so it wouldn’t be difficult to attack either.

“If we can just crush the opponent, the main palace is the safest place.”

What’s lacking can be plundered. Surviving by any means necessary comes first. That’s the way Gwiranggok martial artists live.

“Leave a mark so the search team can check when they return.”

“What should we leave?”

“The separate palace is dangerous. We’re…… attacking the main palace.”

At Garam’s words, everyone in the armory grabbed their beloved weapons.

Now it was time to fight.

“Phew.”

Inner palace, atop a high pavilion.

Paeng Jin, who had checked the busy movements occurring at the armory with his enhanced vision, whistled and casually spoke to Seonwoo Gang.

“It seems to be going as you thought. Seonwoo Gang.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It looks like the bastards from the armory are crawling out in droves. Judging by the direction they’re heading, it seems they’re going toward the main palace.”

“That’s fortunate.”

At Paeng Jin’s story, Seonwoo Gang, who had let out a sigh of relief, smiled bitterly and nodded. Even though he was the planner of the operation, it was still an operation without certainty.

‘I have to account for this. The opponent is someone who knows how to use their head.’

Humans are not beasts.

Because they’re not beasts, when you openly try to drive them somewhere, they notice it and try to avoid it. Especially people with high intelligence and good instincts tend to think that way.

The opponent is probably a black path martial artist who has rolled and rolled.

If you try to lure such an opponent somewhere, nine times out of ten, they’ll notice that trap and try to move in the opposite direction. So it’s difficult to directly lure the opponent.

But what if you don’t plan to lure the opponent at all?

What if you predict the opponent’s actions and plan the operation accordingly?

“Seonwoo Gang.”

“Yeah?”

“I understand the idea of making the three forces clash. Because we lack military strength.”

While Seonwoo Gang was dwelling on thoughts and devising strategy, Namgung Hyeon casually spoke to him and continued while looking toward where the armory was. Flames flickering in his pupils.

“Either force, excluding the force that settled in the main palace, could completely smash us if we faced them head-on. So I understand the story about making the forces clash to wear down their strength.”

“That’s right.”

“But in this situation, you can’t make them clash, can you? We set fire to the armory, but we didn’t set fire to the separate palace. If it’s like this, won’t the martial artists in the main palace just be swept away unilaterally by the martial artists from the armory and that’s the end?”

“That’s a valid point.”

If you think conventionally, that’s right. The armory burned up, but the separate palace where a medium-sized martial artist group lurks is still intact.

On a normal line, in this situation, there would be no reason for the martial artists to leave the separate palace and move. The separate palace hadn’t collapsed due to fire, and from the standpoint of defending against any possible attack, it would be easier to defend from inside the separate palace.

In a normal situation, those in the separate palace would absolutely not abandon the separate palace. Unless their eyes turned due to points, they wouldn’t take risks. The reason they settled in the separate palace in the first place was probably supported by such risk-averse tendencies.

But that’s only the story in a normal situation.

“What did we do?”

“We set fires.”

“Where did we set them?”

“The armory, the prison, and two separate palaces with no people.”

“Right. The remaining place is only one separate palace. The separate palaces with no people are close to that separate palace. Then how will the group in the separate palace view this situation?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s question, Namgung Hyeon, who had thought for a moment, opened his eyes wide. And the answer that followed.

“They’ll think they’re being…… attacked.”

“Right.”

The armory burned down.

That means those who were in the armory have no choice but to come outside. In fact, the martial artists who were in the armory are coming outside right now and migrating to find a new shelter, aren’t they?

“The ones from the armory went to the main palace because they’re wary of our existence, but the martial artists observing from the separate palace have no way to realize that. They’ll probably think the martial artists from the armory might come to attack them.”

“……Mm.”

“Of course, that will remain just suspicion. The people on the separate palace side are cautious, so they won’t move based on just that. But what if we turn that suspicion into certainty?”

“Turn it into certainty……?”

“Right. Certainty. The certainty that the martial artists from the armory will attack them.”

To turn suspicion into certainty doesn’t require much. You just have to show them.

“I sent Paeng Jin to the armory martial artists’ search team.”

“……You sent him alone?”

“Yeah. I sent him disguised as an Evil Sect martial artist. If I may say so, if you just disguise Paeng Jin a little, he’s completely like a black path martial artist.”

His frivolous attitude, flippant movements. And the fact that he carries around a greatsword often used in the black path.

Perfect for infiltration. Of course, it would be different if the armory martial artists all knew each other, but it would be difficult for a team hastily assembled temporarily in such an area to all know each other’s faces.

“Paeng Jin will go to the search team and convey that since the armory burned down, they decided to move the stronghold to another place. And under the pretext of guiding them, he’ll circle around the separate palace once and head to the main palace. What will happen then?”

“……The martial artists on the separate palace side will think the opponents came to scout for territorial conquest.”

“Right. At that point, there are two methods the martial artists on the separate palace side can take. Either fight to defend the separate palace.”

“Transfer to the main palace.”

“Exactly.”

Snapping his fingers to affirm Namgung Hyeon’s words, Seonwoo Gang continued.

“Fight over the separate palace with a large group of nearly thirty people, or take the risk and enter the main palace to occupy a position.”

“At this point, maintaining the position is actually more dangerous. There’s a high probability that the martial artists on the separate palace side will head to the main palace. Then what will happen?”

“……They’ll meet. All three forces.”

“Right. Since they’ve already come to the center while consuming candles, even if they tried to go back, they don’t have enough candles. Then what remains is one thing. Mutual annihilation.”

If there’s something called godu that he’d only heard about in stories, would it feel like this?

As long as the number of candles is insufficient, they literally have no choice but to kill each other until one force remains. It’s like blocking both the retreat and the path of life and forcing them to fight.

“We just have to penetrate after that and strike the back of the head of the last remaining force.”

“……I’ve thought this before, but that part of you is scary.”

“Which part?”

“Should I say the part where you instinctively find a breakthrough? That black path-like part…… Mm.”

Namgung Hyeon, who was continuing to speak but closed his mouth after receiving Jeokryuha’s sharp gaze, shook his head and turned his gaze. The sight of Heukya visible in the distance.

“According to your words, they should start fighting soon.”

“Yeah.”

“But I have one question.”

“Hm?”

“If your prediction is correct, won’t those in the main palace fight with candles lit?”

“Well, yeah, they would. If they receive Heukya’s attacks in the main palace, they’ll suffer damage close to annihilation.”

“……Then, what happens if that martial artist receiving the attacks enters the main palace?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking what happens if that martial artist gets involved in the fight.”

What kind of talk is that?

At Namgung Hyeon’s question, Seonwoo Gang blinked. And at that moment, a thunderous roar shooting up from the main palace.

Kwareureureurng—!!!

At the roar splitting the world, Seonwoo Gang, who had inadvertently turned his gaze, blinked.

That was the sound of thunder that shouldn’t be heard inside the formation.

More than anything, it was familiar.