‘…!!’
Flustered, I immediately jumped and tried to spread the distance.
My body rotated along with the sword like a whirlwind. Two monsters which rushed from the ceiling had been hit as they jumped down and bounced off.
But at that moment, one of the monsters jumped for my body.
“Euk!”
Thanks to it, I dropped the torch in my hand and fell down entangled with monsters.
“Kwaaak!”
Without missing the moment the other monsters all flocked in. Like beasts of prey looking for food.
“Damn it!”
Papak!
I pushed both feet at the same time and kicked the monster in the stomach. The monster waved his claws and tried to lift me up as it didn’t feel pain.
‘Huk!’
Surprised, I kicked even harder.
This monstrous being came right to my face and the nails touched my cheek.
“Ack!”
I could feel my cheek getting torn and it almost looked like some flesh had been ripped off.
-Get yourself together!
It hurt so much but I had to move from the other monsters rushing at me. So I pushed my legs and began to push away the monster using my feet.
At the same time, I was using my hands on the ground to give me more balance and when I managed to push the monster far, I sprang up.
-Head! Get onto the head!
Short Sword was yelling at me.
‘I was going to!’
Pak!
I stepped onto the head of the monster rushing for me from ahead and when I did step on it, it tried to grab me by throwing its arms at me, but I jumped to the head of another monster.
Pak!
The hands of the monsters looked like hell that had been opened up to devour me and I narrowly avoided this by moving to another head.
But these monsters were stupid. They were jumping like frogs to get me into their hands.
“Kuak!”
Puak!
I jumped and kicked them with the feet and using the force as recoil I wanted to land far from these monsters.
“Kwaaaah!”
“Kuwaaaak!”
They immediately rushed to the place I had landed and I had to use light footwork.
‘The will…’
There was just half of it left inside and it was obvious that the Heavenly Authority from the Blood Demon’s Will wouldn’t last long.
I needed something else.
‘S-should I get close to the water…?’
It would be better to get into the cave in the direction the water was flowing from and then search for a way to drop them there.
From the cave we entered, I jumped to the place on the left. It was close to the canal.
“This way! Over here!”
At the cry, monsters screamed and chased after me
“kwaaaak!”
I entered the cave to avoid being chased and ran straight down and as I thought the cave was receding.
And as I continued to run I began to hear the sound of water and I realized that water was flowing.
Swish!
I had to drag them down as possibly as low as I could and after running for a while I saw another entrance to a cave.
And if I broke the wall here, I was sure the water would drain the cave. So I decided to head further to do this because the force would be strong…
“Huk!”
But I had to stop in place. The floor right in front of me was low and it went down like an endless cliff.
Even with the Luminous stone there, the bottom couldn’t be seen.
-I almost died.
If it hadn’t been for this stone I would have jumped down without another thought.
I never expected such a place to have a cliff. And at this moment I could see the yellow eyes behind me.
‘Damn it!’
This was a slope and a cliff behind me with monsters ahead.
‘Should I just fight?’
There was no other way.
If I fell off this cliff I would die. And there was that silver string to use but that wouldn’t move without any form of qi, so it was useless now.
At that time, Short Sword shouted.
-Wonhwi! Use Illusion Eye!
‘Illusion Eye?’
-You said you can use the first stage of it?
I was taken aback at her words.
‘Will that work?’
-That isn’t the worst thing right now!
Right.
I looked at the monsters and began to chant and despite not being able to use qi, I was using the Will.
They were rushing ahead and I was nervous. What if it didn’t work? If the plan to blow up the canal and drown them had worked this wouldn’t have happened.
And it was then–
The yellow eyes were getting closer.
“Kwaaaak!”
“Kuaaaak!”
The monsters who were approaching from ahead suddenly turned around and tried to escape into a cave.
The monsters behind followed the ones ahead and I couldn’t figure out what happened, it was as if they saw something and ran to the side.
-What is with them?
I am not something they wouldl fear then running like that…
Ah!
Did those monsters see some illusion?
-Illusion?
It was said that if one could reach the third stage it would be an illusion and the opponent would see what you wanted. And I was nervous as I chanted the spell too.
One of them was to drown them.
-Oh! It could be!
-Wonhwi, it would be better to get you away from the cliff first!
Iron Sword was right.
I would have to move from the cliff first because the illusion could be broken at any time and I followed the monsters running.
It would be nice if this illusion lasted till I could do something to push them down.
“Grrrr?”
‘Damn it.’
Soon after, the monsters who were trying to escape had come to their senses and turned their backs with glaring eyes.
The illusion ended.
-Wonhwi! There is a cave there!
‘Ah!’
A cave I noticed when running. I went in there to avoid running into the monsters. The cave I moved to was long.
“Kwaaaaa!”
The monsters were eager and came after me. Fortunately I decided to attack with all my might.
And far ahead. As I continued along the passageway I saw a green light.
Upon entering, a small cavity opened up on the wall showing luminous stones attached to the wall.
‘Did he find the stones here?’
This had to be the place the one armed man was talking about.
‘This is warm.’
This place was warmer than other caves I moved into and I didn’t know if this was because of the stones but there were several things in the cavity. The stones were thick and heavy.
“Kwaaah!”
The sound of the monsters could be heard from the side of the cave and it looked like they would arrive soon enough.
I was impatient as I looked around and noticed a coffin stuck to the wall.
‘Can I open this?’
Just in case, I pushed one of them with all my weight.
“Kuaaak!”
And pushing to the side I could see a hole where the person could lie down.
‘Ah!’
Could I fool them by hiding here?
The inside of the coffin was slightly dug in and so the bush could be closed back in. I grabbed it and pulled it.
“Ughhh!”
It was heavier once I laid down and pulled it. However I moved it and completely covered the front.
Their voices got closer and closer.
‘Please! Please!’
Rumble!
I held it tight and calmed my breathing within seconds as I could hear them right outside.
It wasn’t just knocking around and messing around. From the side where I entered the sound steps got closer.
Thud! Thud!
The sound of them walking near the coffin could be heard. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like they would open it.
Based on what I had seen it seemed like their thoughts ended on the level of animals and not humans. And I decided to hold on until they went out.
Clack!
‘…?!’
What was this sound?
I could hear the sound of something.
It made my heart startle. But I couldn’t open the coffin yet.
What was this sound?
It was the–
Kikikiki!
The sound was coming right from the coffin as I lay down and felt vibrations.
There was a hole near the head side of the coffin and when I looked up I saw that it was close to open now. This was something I hadn’t noticed.
There was the sound of water flowing in.
‘What?’
Flustered, I grabbed the top part and tried to open it, however, it didn’t move as if it was locked.
“Why is it not opening!”
As the sound of the water got closer, I began to punch it with the fist
Bang! Bang!
With all my might but all that fell was a scratch on the coffin. Yet I couldn’t give up.
“AHHHH!’
Bang! Bang!
But this coffin was made of unusual stone.
No matter how much I hit, it was only being scratched but never budged open.
And then–
Grrrr!
“Huk!”
Something like liquid surged in emitting an odd and foul odor as it quickly filled in. I was imprisoned in the coffin I stepped into and I was going to die.
My knuckles were bleeding but the lid wasn’t opening!
“Huh!”
Eventually this liquid began to fill in and I couldn’t see anymore. I couldn’t punch anymore as the water felt heavy to move it and with time passing the foul smelling liquid entered my nose and I could feel it sticking to the stomach.
“Grrrrr!”
‘Will I die like this?’
This was a vain death. And absurd too!
‘I cannot die here!’
Using the remaining Will within the body I kicked it in all sorts of places and right then.
Crack!
The bottom part of the coffin broke open and I moved down. Startled, I struggled to find something with my hands but the wall was slick with this liquid.
Drrr!
I slipped down and fell.
“Kuak!”
The liquid which entered my body was being coughed out as I looked around and this was a wider space than the coffin but narrow to stand up.
-Holes?
As Short Sword said, there were many holes around.
-Wonhwi! Break them down and get out!
I was thinking the same, I was already too anxious with so many unknown things happening around so I kicked it.
Bang!
The wall shook.
No, it was correct to say that the entire space was shaking. It felt strange for it to shake as if something was put against it.
The space was small but better than the coffin so I had to use a sword.
Srng!
I pulled out Iron Sword and it was then–
Swish!
Clouds of smoke flowed out from the holes in the wall
“W-what is this?”
Smoke was coming in and in an instant it filled the narrow space. I covered my mouth, nose with my sleeve as it seemed to be a poisonous fog.
‘Damn it!’
Bang!
Shocked and scared I kicked the wall with trembling feet and the entire space swayed again making me lose balance.
“Kuak!”
I got up and stabbed the wall with Iron Sword.
Kang!
The sword bounced off with sparks. And like the coffin earlier, it was made of this hard stone.
‘What the hell is this place?’
It was the moment I was going to swing the sword again. I felt the body tingle and it wasn’t just itchy but I wanted to scratch the skin off.
Unable to hear it, I did scratch it at first only one spot and then the entire body felt the same
It was when Short Sword said.
-Y-Your skin is weird. You are turning red and skin is cracking.
‘What?’
-Do not scratch Wonhwi.
They were saying it happened all over the body but I couldn’t just stand it. I could feel my body turn hotter. It was as if a flame was put within me so I quickly took the clothes off.
-Get yourself together!
-Wonhwi! Wonhwi!
Jjjkkk!
Looking at the back of the hand I could see the pieces of skin cracking up and my body did seem like it was cracking and I could feel strong pain all over the body
“Kuaaaak!”
The pain made me want to roll on the ground. And the pain was not something I could tolerate.
-Wonhwi!
-Yah!
Other voices echoed in the head but I couldn’t answer with the pain I was going through and with the moment when I thought I was done.
Swish!
I felt something pierce right through the spine and that wasn’t all. Even on the back, something continued to pop out.
Papapang
“Haa… Haaa…”
The pain continued from the dantian and till the chest and then something pierced itself out of my heart as it spit?
‘…!’
It was as if the heart just spit something out. It was the innate qi.
Pak!
And then something, a needle at the side of the dantian and I could feel my body being resuscitated.
The mid and lower dantian were opened up at the same time. I wasn’t sure why but I turned into the fetal position to feel it in my body as I began to cultivate innate qi.
“Phew… phew…”
A warm energy finally spread through the body but the innate qi wasn’t the only thing which moved. Unintentionally, even the internal qi moved and it spread all through the corners of the body. It was the first time I could use both qi’s at the same time.
‘It is odd.’
While performing cultivation within the smoke, both the dantians were getting stronger. I couldn’t understand why but this wasn’t a chance I could miss. And the moment I heard the voice of short sword
-Something black is oozing out of the cracked skin!
“Haa… Haa…”
The one armed man struggled out of the cave clutching the blood soaked waist and there were bundles of grass clenched near his chest.
He brought all that he could
“Damn it!”
A harsh sound escaped from the mouth as he leaned against the wall and cautiously put the face near the cave. So many monsters.
‘Did he die?’
He couldn’t see So Wonhwi around.
‘Wolno…’
Trying to save him, the grandson died.
He hoped that the kid would survive with his martial arts but this turned to be the worst situation
The one armed man bit his lip.
He endured the pain.
“Hu! Hu!”
Biting the lip he took a deep breath and was determined.
‘I will save Wolno. I will not let his grandson’s sacrifice be in vain.’
Clench!
He looked at the exit on the other side and soon he ran, the gazes of the monsters all turned toward him at once, a terrifying sight for a man with nothing to do than run
He could feel the pain flare up as he moved but he continued to run.
“Kwaaaaak!”
“Kuaaah!”
The monsters rushed at the man.
‘Please! Please!’
The man still didn’t stop. He could hear them getting closer.
And they would soon be caught.
It was then–
Slash!
The sound of something being cut made him stop
“Acccck!”
“Kwaaaak!”
He heard the monsters screaming and he turned his head back after reaching the cave.
At that time, he saw someone standing with a sword in their hand.
Around him were monsters with throats being split.
“T-this….”
A single red eye could be seen and among the blood flowing someone with red eyes stepped ahead.
The man walked with the sword in hand and had red hair as if soaked with blood, and this was So Wonhwi who he thought had died.
