Chapter 159

Chapter 159

This is something that should go without saying, but yokai are generally far sturdier than humans.

For instance, if a person is pierced through the abdomen with a blade, they’ll die unless separate measures are taken, but a yokai can hide in a dark place and leisurely recuperate for about half a month to a month, and quickly recover from that wound. And that’s not all.

Not only is there a difference in innate recovery ability, but there’s also a severe difference in durability. Unlike humans, who can break or crack bones from something as minor as twisting an ankle, a yokai’s body hardly ever breaks or gets injured in daily life.

In the end, yokai are sturdier than humans. That’s why humans, as the relatively weaker party, devised many strategies for dealing with yokai. Conversely, yokai that didn’t unite were in a position to be hunted by strategizing humans.

That relationship of compatibility is bound to reverse the moment yokai possess strategy. Because.

It was only natural that the types of strategies yokai with far sturdier bodies than humans could employ would be vastly more numerous than humans could manage.

Peoeok!

“What are they… doing?”

The second one.

Watching another yokai that had flown over and fallen head-first with its neck broken, Seohwa muttered blankly. The yokai horde continued throwing small yokai inside the barrier despite it being certain they would die or break their legs upon landing and be unable to move properly.

Corpses pile up one by one.

Necks broken, legs broken, barely surviving only to scream in a near-death state before having their hearts pierced through.

“What on earth…”

Seohwa, who had been just watching what the yokai were doing, suddenly widened her eyes. She was beginning to guess the yokai’s intentions.

“We need to clear away the yokai corpses immediately!”

“…Clear away the corpses?”

“Yes. And also anything soft that the yokai could survive falling on!”

At Seohwa’s words, Seomun Cheok, who finally understood the situation, widened his eyes. It was a strategy that would be absurd if they were humans.

“Cushioning material…!”

Yokai bodies are solid. With cushioning material, they’re sturdy enough to avoid injury even when falling from dozens of meters high.

They can survive and fight as long as they don’t hit the ground or hard rocks. However, in the current situation where there are no tents or such set up inside, hoping for such luck would be nonsensical.

That’s why the yokai are trying to create it.

An environment where yokai can fall safely.

Kung! Kungkungkung!

“Damn it…!”

Seomun Cheok grimaced as he threw the corpses of yokai that had died on impact into the wall of flames. We have to block the front and also watch for yokai crossing the flames—the manpower is far too insufficient for this situation.

‘If it continues like this…’

We’ll be breached. It will definitely happen.

Having clearly assessed the situation, Seomun Cheok gritted his teeth. Then, steeling his resolve, he gripped the wooden spear he had prepared in advance.

“How long do I need to block?”

“What? What do you…”

“I’m asking how long I need to block those throws. I won’t be able to block them all.”

Realizing what Seomun Cheok’s words meant, Seohwa’s eyes widened wordlessly, then her mind raced. The answer came immediately.

“About half would be enough! If we can manage that much, we can handle the accumulation speed!”

“Is that so?”

The distance from the center is about two hundred bo. The only obstruction is the flames blocking the view.

‘It’s close.’

For a swordsman, it’s a distant range, but for a skilled spearman, it’s practically point-blank. Having finished gauging, Seomun Cheok gripped the wooden spear shaft firmly and continued speaking.

“I’m leaving the front command to you. Can you do it?”

“Even if you can’t, you must. I’ll soon be excluded from our fighting strength.”

A moment of contemplation.

“I’ll try.”

“Good.”

Satisfied with Seohwa’s answer that eventually came, Seomun Cheok nodded, narrowed his eyes, concentrated his breathing, and stretched his arm back. His muscles tensed taut.

‘What I need to aim for is clear.’

Two hundred bo distance. Yokai that can throw yokai weighing as much as a person from two hundred bo away to here.

Naturally, they’re not common. Among the thousands of yokai milling about outside, only about ten are performing that role.

‘Five before they respond.’

If I’m late, they’ll dodge or build a defensive line. That would be failure.

No mistakes can be tolerated. One slip and it’s over.

“Huuuu.”

Seomun Cheok, his resolve firmly set, took a deep breath and drew up his naeryeok to refine it. And then.

The next moment.

The wooden spear tore through the flames.

Samjae Ohaeng Yeonhwan

Cheongeum

──Ppeoeoeok!

A sound so dull it was hard to believe it was from a spear hit.

The wooden spear, which had even outpaced its own sound, pierced through the wall of flames and penetrated the head of a large yokai that was just grabbing another yokai’s leg to spin. However, without caring about that result, Seomun Cheok immediately picked up another wooden spear.

Twice. Three times.

In an instant, the heads of three yokai flew off. Despite being pierced by spears, their heads burst apart as if hit by cannons. And then.

Ignoring the sound of his muscles tearing, Seomun Cheok used his fourth spear to blow off the head of a yokai whose height reached one and a half jang.

“…Tsk.”

The yokai moved urgently and created a wall with their bodies.

‘Too late?’

Clicking his tongue at the faster-than-expected response, Seomun Cheok clenched his fist. The yokai intertwined with each other, creating a wall of muscle.

He could pierce through, but it wasn’t certain. Even pouring out all his naeryeok, the wooden spear might lack sufficient power.

‘Either way, I’m out of the fight after this.’

What’s important now isn’t preserving his own fighting strength. It’s handling this urgent situation somehow.

Then there’s only one thing to do.

Seomun Cheok grabbed the iron spear he had been carrying across his back.

Yukham Ohaeng Yeonhwan

Cheongan

Kwaaaaang—!!!!!

—Kieeeeeek—!!!

Soon, a massive hole was punched through the wall of muscle that had been blocking his view.

“…Half. Is that enough?”

“Yes…? Ah, yes! That’s enough!”

Empty dantian.

Watching Seomun Cheok ask with a cracked voice due to depleted naeryeok and not even a handful of stamina remaining, Seohwa hurriedly nodded. And watching her, Seomun Cheok let out a hollow laugh.

“My neck’s going to break.”

“Either way, it’s good that it worked. I’ll rest a bit.”

Even though they bought time, it’s ultimately just a temporary measure. To avoid being breached until reinforcements arrive, he’ll have to rejoin the fight even if just holding a wooden spear.

“I’ll rejoin in half a sijin.”

“Understood.”

“I’m counting on you until then.”

Watching Seomun Cheok immediately assume a cross-legged meditation posture, Seohwa quietly nodded and looked at the yokai beyond the flames.

“…I have no intention of being breached, even if you don’t say so.”

The appearance of the army with increasingly thick yogi.

Southeast. Near the third formation axis.

“There’s one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.”

Everyone turned their attention to Seonwoo Gang, who had broken through in a straight line, hidden near the formation axis, and spoke up. Jinwoong immediately spoke.

“Let’s hear the good news first.”

“…Normally, don’t you hear the bad news first in situations like this?”

“If I don’t hear the good news first, I feel like I’ll lose my mind. Even a small citizen like me has my heart pounding right now.”

At Jinwoong’s grinning appearance, Seonwoo Gang smiled bitterly and nodded. The answer came immediately.

“First, the good news is that the formation axis isn’t gigantic like last time.”

“We’ll have to test the durability, but I think we can probably destroy it in one blow. As long as we can approach it, we probably won’t have as much trouble destroying it as last time.”

“That’s definitely good news. If it had been as hard to destroy as the last formation axis, we’d have been hopeless.”

Agreeing with Seonwoo Gang’s words, Jinwoong was about to clap but made a clapping gesture with his index finger, considering it would draw the yokai’s attention. It was fairly good news.

“Then, now that we’ve heard the good news, let’s hear the bad news. What is it?”

“Well…”

“Don’t drag it out and speak quickly. You’re making people anxious.”

“The bad news is simple.”

At Jinwoong’s urging, Seonwoo Gang sighed deeply and continued speaking while looking around. His voice flowed out quietly.

“If we just get close to the formation axis, we can destroy it, but there’s no way to approach the formation axis. Absolutely none.”

“Does anyone have a good method?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s voice, everyone sighed. The lack of a visible method was the same for everyone, wasn’t it?

“Why are there so many?”

When they were running forward earlier.

Seonwoo Gang and Baek Risan had agreed to break through prepared to die. Either way, dying without breaking through as time passes or dying while surrounded after dismantling the formation would be equally miserable deaths.

In that case, let’s at least destroy the formation axis with the hope that Baek Riyun might be nearby. That’s what they agreed on. In fact, that was the best move in this situation.

Of course, that’s only if they could break through.

“The number of yokai gathered there looks like several hundred. It’s impossible to get past all that.”

Even with a single-point breakthrough, they’d need to cut down dozens. And they’d need to accomplish that in just a few dozen seconds before the yokai swarmed in earnest.

For the formation axis destruction team of only six people, it’s a heavy burden. In fact, it would be fair to consider it impossible.

“I wish we had byeokryeoktan.”

“Even if we had them, if we got caught using them, it’d be execution, you know? Do you think the Imperial Army would let it slide?”

“It’s better than dying now. I don’t have nine generations of family to be exterminated anyway.”

“That’s true. But the Uicheonmun would be wiped out instead.”

“Don’t think about things we don’t have. Isn’t this the time to come up with a method somehow?”

At Baek Risan’s blunt retort, Seonwoo Gang scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked at Jinwoong.

“Isn’t there some good method? Like me risking my life to lure the yokai…”

“Well, even setting aside the point that you’d be exposed to danger, I don’t think it would be effective. Didn’t those yokai come to protect the formation axis?”

“Unless something extraordinary happens, they won’t leave the formation axis they need to protect to follow you. Even if they do follow, it’ll be only a few.”

“Kkeueung.”

Agreeing with Jinwoong’s words, Seonwoo Gang groaned and fell into thought. Then Baek Risan, who had been pondering deeply, spoke up again. His eyes had become resolute.

“How about going with the original plan?”

“Single-point breakthrough?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re having this dilemma because that’s impossible, aren’t we?”

“No, it is possible…”

“If your opinion is to draw out your output to the extreme and try breaking through, I’m against it. Even if you can operate the eumhangigong, to break through that, you’d need to run your flames at maximum output, and then you wouldn’t just be unable to use martial arts—you’d become a complete cripple.”

“…There’s no other way.”

“There might be. We just haven’t found it yet.”

Baek Risan looked at Seonwoo Gang with sullen eyes as he cut her off decisively and closed her mouth. She had many rebuttals, but she knew the words were said out of concern for her.

“What should we do…”

This method won’t work for this reason, that method won’t work for that reason.

Single-point breakthrough. Luring strategy. Diversionary tactics.

In the time where every moment counts, several plans emerged only to be immediately discarded. None showed any real possibility.

“Huuuu.”

In the approaching gloom, Seonwoo Gang covered his face and shook his head. And then.

“Is there really no way…?”

Around the time the emotion called giving up was about to settle in everyone’s hearts.

“What about bluffing?”

“…What?”

Everyone focused their attention on the suddenly heard voice.

At the end of their gazes.

“I’m pretty good at swindling, you see.”

Jangil was raising his hand.