Chapter 51

Chapter 51

When I had just been assigned to the Changcheon Corps.

I had a comrade.

─What do we do? Un-ah. We’re in the Changcheon Corps. The Changcheon Corps……!

─What’s so special about the Changcheon Corps?

─They, they say it’s a place filled with only scary people.

─Places where people live are all the same, Harin. If you were half as brave as you are worrying, you could even curse in front of the Murim Alliance Leader.

─Hi, hiiiiik!

She was a timid person. A weak and foolish person to the point of getting a stomach illness worrying about the hazing from Muryeokdae members who hadn’t even been assigned yet.

Without any other incidents, just because of that temperament, she was treated as a nuisance even in her sect and assigned to the Changcheon Corps, which at the time was no different from a place that housed problem personnel—need I say more?

Nevertheless, she didn’t give up. Even though she was so timid that she struggled to even swing a sword lest the opponent get hurt, knowing her talent was lacking, she continued to come out to the training grounds to swing her sword and tenaciously participated in the seniors’ training and such to improve her skills. And when she was assigned to her first mission like that.

She, Harin, died.

By my hands.

“It’s been a while, child. Truly…… it’s been a while.”

Seeing the darkness taking tangible form, plunging straight down from the torn space, I burst into a hollow laugh and gripped the Uicheongeom’s hilt as if to crush it. At the appearance of the woman gradually revealing her form, anger naturally boiling up.

There’s no way I could forget. This Yoryeok. This manner of speech. And even this voice.

Everything is in my memory. That name is Heukya.

“Right. It’s been a while. A very long while.”

The ruler of Sinseongok, sealed in Sinseongok, one of the three great Yogyeong.

“Huhu.”

Heukya, who lightly burst into laughter, swayed her black fox tail, then wrapped it around her neck and leisurely sat in the void. Then immediately, darkness materialized and functioned as a chair.

Heukya, who tilted her head with her legs seductively crossed, looked around, then gestured toward the Yokai collapsed in the distance. And at that moment.

Chwareureureuk!

Darkness swept out like a torrent and swallowed the Yokai.

Shortly after, when the darkness scattered, the Yokai was already no longer there.

“I sent the nuisance far away.”

“……That’s surprising. I didn’t know even Yokai have a sense of camaraderie.”

“Huhu. How could that be?”

Heukya, who quietly burst into laughter as if reacting to my words, wiggled her finger. Simultaneously, thick Yogi flowing out from the surroundings like a bursting waterfall.

“It’s simply my whim, child. Watching you catch and kill that lowly creature wouldn’t provide you with any emotion at all, would it?”

“……That’s not wrong.”

It’s not wrong. Though that Yokai is a Daeyogoe, its rank isn’t high.

I’ve killed such Yokai many times while carrying out missions. I’ve killed even higher-ranked Yokai too. So there’s no way I’d struggle against such a thing.

However, that’s only the story up until before Heukya directly revealed herself before me.

“If you want to die on a whim, I won’t stop you.”

The Naeryeok I drew up flowed along the sword blade like flames, then soon compressed thinly. As if compressing dozens of Geun of iron to make a single thread.

“You speak as if you can kill me, child. Just ten years ago, weren’t you in a state where you could only desperately run away from me?”

Watching Heukya speak as if it were laughable, I too burst into laughter in response. Isn’t that also true?

When I faced Heukya ten years ago, running away was the only thing I could do. Everything in the Yogyeong rushed at me trying to kill me, and to survive there, I had to do anything.

Because I barely survived like that, I couldn’t even properly notice the Yoryeok burrowing into my comrade’s body. That’s how I lost my comrade.

But what about now?

“It’s been ten years. For humans, a long enough time for landscapes to change.”

“Are you confident you can win?”

“Against the main body, it would be difficult. Because you’re strong.”

Even counting all Yokai, Heukya is a powerhouse who ranks in at least the top ten. In human terms, I’d have to consider her at least at the Sipcheon level, and it would be difficult for me to defeat such a being. Though I’ve become stronger during this time, I’m still far from being on par with the Sipcheon. However…….

I know. Because it was the same ten years ago. The Heukya before my eyes now isn’t the main body but something close to a clone.

“Letting that Yokai go is your plan.”

“That’s right.”

“How fortunate.”

I grinned, gripped the Uicheongeom firmly, and pointed the blade forward.

“I can catch two rabbits.”

If letting the Yokai go is her plan, then if I catch and kill that Yokai, Heukya’s plan crumbles, doesn’t it?

Jeokgi isn’t visible. That means this place isn’t where I die.

I have sufficient odds of victory. An opportunity to feel firsthand the narrowed gap.

Then what I must do is crystal clear.

“I’ll make it so you can never crawl out again, Heukya.”

As quickly as possible, I’ll annihilate Heukya’s clone body here and chase after it.

I swung my sword.

“I’ll gladly face you. Huhu.”

Simultaneously, the darkness that surged up received the slash.

***

What is strength?

Some say strength is the power to defeat an opponent. Others call an unwavering mental state that doesn’t yield or break even in desperate situations strength.

Thus, strength arrives differently depending on the person.

And to ‘A’, strength was surviving.

“Keureuk. Geureuek!”

‘A’, gripped by fear, desperately kicked the ground with both feet to distance itself from the Yogyeong. The appearance of the Yogyeong rapidly distancing.

The Yogyeong created by consuming the blood and flesh of dozens of people rots and crumbles as it distances from ‘A’. The Yoryeok not yet fully consolidated also remains, rippling.

But even so, ‘A’ didn’t turn its steps back. Because.

It’s better than dying.

“Sca, scary. Scary. Scary……!”

When ‘A’ was still in Sinseongok.

‘A’ had nearly been devoured by a Yokai eleven Cheok tall. The ‘A’ of that time was an even more inferior Yokai than now, so it couldn’t even properly resist and could only tremble while waiting for death.

The moment the Yokai’s mouth opened wide to devour ‘A’, ‘A’ had a premonition of death. And the moment ‘A’ closed its eyes.

─Get out of the way, insect-like thing.

The Yokai’s head flew off.

Simply for the sole reason of not running away despite sensing a superior Yokai’s Yoryeok.

“Run away……. I, run away.”

Instinct is howling. That those who entered its Yogyeong are existences distantly stronger than itself.

There are distantly many things stronger than oneself in the world. Right now, even the Daeyogoe who were called powerhouses can’t even serve as entertainment for the master of Sinseongok who just appeared, can they?

To survive against such beings, it must build up power. It has no choice but to devour things weaker than itself, cultivate power, and become stronger than them.

Then what must it do now?

It’s simple.

“Eat, humans. Much, as much as possible.”

It must eat human blood and flesh, eat their fear. As much as possible.

‘A’, who stopped its running steps and slowly twitched its nose, suddenly perked up its ears and turned its gaze toward the northwest. Screams heard from beyond there since some point. And felt across space, numerous Saenggi.

“……Hu, mans. Geureureureu.”

‘A’, who slowly kicked the ground, extended its claws long and burst into a gloomy laugh.

Distantly far across the land, it was sensing the presence of prey.

* * *

“……Hit-and-run is reaching its limit soon.”

“Mm.”

At the sight of Seomun Cheok speaking casually, everyone heavily nodded and exhaled deeply while looking beyond the plain. The appearance of the Baekgwiyahaeng loosely approaching from the distance.

After confirming that sight, Seomun Cheok clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

“Tsk.”

The ‘hit-and-run’ strategy Seomun Cheok devised at first worked quite well up to the middle. As Seomun Cheok said, intelligence practically didn’t exist among the Yokai.

If they stabbed them a few times, they’d rise like wildfire to chase them, so there was no need to go deep or take risks. Occasionally there were Yokai that cast illusions and such with Yoryeok, but among the Muryeongwando was Unjin, who was a disciple of Buddhism in his own way, so they could break through without much damage.

So they thought they could hold out for the half Shichen just like that.

Until suddenly the entire Baekgwiyahaeng changed its attitude and stopped reacting to attacks.

“We reduced their numbers somewhat.”

“How much did we reduce them?”

“About seventy.”

“Seventy, then what remains is around one hundred eighty?”

At Seomun Cheok’s voice answering while considering the heads of Yokai taken so far through hit-and-run, Seonwoo Gang nodded and looked at the Baekgwiyahaeng in the distance. The Yokai horde approaching while rippling and spewing Yogi at the edge of vision.

Certainly their numbers decreased considerably compared to the beginning. However, with the number of remaining Yokai, it’s still sufficient to ravage the defensive line and reach Akyang. Then what remains is only one thing.

“We must decide now. After this, we truly can’t turn back.”

Seonwoo Gang, who paused briefly, turned his body toward his classmates behind him.

“If we enter combat, our identities will definitely be exposed. Even though until now we could brush it off as encountering them while retreating, from now on we can’t do that. It means clear insubordination.”

“…….”

“Even so, who will take the risk and try to stop that?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s playful appearance, the Muryeongwando all burst into grins without exception. Laughter erupting sporadically from here and there. And.

“What are you talking about now?”

Kung!

As if agreeing with Oh Ryeong’s words, all the Muryeongwando except Seonwoo Gang took one step forward.

“Amitabha. This poor monk has been resolved from the start. It’s not like this happening is a matter of a day or two! Hahaha.”

“Indeed, since you don’t need nutrients for hair, does your brain become sharp as a counterbalance?”

“……Have you said enough, Benefactor Seomun Cheok?”

“Mm, my apologies. I didn’t mean to tease. I just thought it was plausible.”

“That’s even more vicious!”

Watching Seomun Cheok and Unjin bickering, Seonwoo Gang, who wore a small smile, nodded and turned his gaze toward the Baekgwiyahaeng. The appearance of the defensive line now fully preparing for battle.

“Good. Then…… let’s do this.”

The numbers are greatly disadvantageous. This side is at most fifty. That side is one hundred seventy.

However, that side is merely a Yokai horde without a commander. Then there are odds of victory.

Odds that everyone will survive.

“Seomun Cheok.”

“Right.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s call, Seonwoo Gang stepped forward, extended his spear tip toward the Baekgwiyahaeng, and opened his mouth.

“The strategy is one. The moment the defensive line and Yokai horde collide, we burrow in from behind and stab.”

If surrounded front and back, no matter how much they’re Yokai, they can’t help but fall into confusion. Much more so in a situation where there’s no commander to quell that confusion.

“In other words, we become the role of a hidden dagger. A dagger without poison. Understand?”

“I roughly got it.”

“Then prepare. Combat will break out soon.”

“……Right.”

Hearing Seomun Cheok’s words, the Muryeongwando held their breath while drawing up their Anryeok and looked at the Yokai spanning the horizon. Yokai densely filling their vision despite being merely one hundred seventy.

“Huuuu.”

Oh Ryeong, who calmed her tension, wiped her sweat-soaked hands on her clothes and raised her gaze. And.

“Not yet, not yet.”

The moment the slowly advancing Yokai finally roared and began rushing forward.

“──Now. Run!”

Seomun Cheok’s signal fell.

Simultaneously.

Sixteen gales began racing across the plain.