“Kuak, Kuak…”
Lee Gu-myung knelt down and began to retch. The area around his abdomen, where the sword had pierced him, was bleeding.
He lost consciousness for a moment, and when he woke up again, he opened his mouth.
“S-Save me…”
A request came out of Lee Gu-myung’s mouth.
The opponent’s sword was in his abdomen. It had missed touching any vital points. If first aid is done, then he could live.
“You have nothing against me. Why are you trying to kill me the first time we’ve ever met…?”
The opponent didn’t respond.
Lee Gu-myung raised his head, and a voice came from the man who was coldly looking down on him.
“Beg me more.”
“…?”
“Beg like a dog. As you said, I might save you then.”
Lee Gu-myung stared blankly at these words, but then slammed his head onto the ground several times.
His forehead began to rip, and blood began to flow down it, as he opened his mouth again.
“Please save me! If you let me live, I will live my life quietly! I will never show myself or my power… please…please…”
He clasped his hands together.
“Please! My life… I will live quietly…”
Seol-Hwi looked at the man in front of him.
A feeling of exasperation washed over Seol-Hwi.
In his previous life, he was killed by this man, and in his present, the same one was begging for his life.
Depending on what preparations were made, the results will be different.
But, was he feeling better?
Not at all.
As he could see from his actions, Seol-Hwi felt a sense of displeasure that something like this would happen again in the future. Seol-Hwi looked at Lee Gu-myung for a long time, and then made eye contact with him.
“You really are a strange guy.”
“Ah…”
Lee Gu-myung had a hopeful expression.
It was a face which saw that the voice of his opponent was telling him that he might live.
“I didn’t know you were someone who values your life so much.”
“Haha… I am a person who thinks living is better, even if I have to roll in the dirt.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Seol-Hwi stroked his chin, and then moved closer to whisper in Lee Gu-myung’s ear.
“But you know what? You’re a bastard who shouldn’t be left alive. You slaughtered my team cruelly in my previous life.”
“…What? Team?”
“That’s why I can’t forgive you anymore. You’re submissive only to the strong.”
“What do you…”
It was then.
Lee Gu-myung’s eyes turned red. Seol-Hwi’s sword had pierced his abdomen again. But this time, he made sure to injure the vital points.
“I made a promise to my men. If I get reborn, I’ll come to kill you. So…”
When the sword was pushed all the way out of his body, Lee Gu-myung no longer moved.
“Die quietly.”
With that, Lee Gu-myung’s body collapsed. This time, without a doubt, it was fatal.
Seol-Hwi glanced at Lee Gu-myung one last time, before he got up and looked around slowly.
Traces of their battle, on the ground. He replayed the fight in his head.
Lee Gu-myung didn’t even properly use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Seol-Hwi was lucky in that regard.
If Lee Gu-myung had a normal battle with him, this fight would have been dangerous.
Of course, with the help of the system, he managed to win, but that didn’t make the bitterness leave.
I can’t rely on the system.
Seol-Hwi knew this well. The system can’t keep saving his life.
The more he fights against strong enemies, the more it seemed that these system conditions would hinder his growth.
In fact, it was to investigate the increase of combat power in Lee Gu-myung, but it was for that reason he used the simulation.
Seol-Hwi felt that his body’s growth was the fastest in the midst of desperate situations.
This battle has been a great help to me.
Seol-Hwi lifted his head and confirmed his new abilities.
He looked at the skill table which saved him.
<Flame Aggregating Demonic Martial Arts skill table> <MAX Power> <Gathering energy: ABCD (Strength)>
Strength.
At first, he didn’t understand it. Then, he applied strength into his hands and feet. And he felt something happen.
His body, which was close to dying because of his careless actions so far, began to change.
It didn’t get just a little better, but a lot…
So he was able to deal with Lee Gu-myung by using the internal energy which was restored to him.
Should I try to do it again?
Seol-Hwi spread his legs apart, and focused. He clenched his arms and legs, and got an instant response.
<Internal energy increases> <Internal energy: 100k (↑50,000)/ 2,4 million > <Internal energy: 150k (↑50,000)/ 2.4 million > <Internal energy: 200k (↑50,000)/ 2.4 million >
…
…
It kept rising.
Since Seol-Hwi was able to concentrate better now than when he was in a battle, it began to rise faster.
And at some point.
“Wow…”
Seol-Hwi was greatly surprised when he looked at his stats.
<Internal Energy: 1.2 million/ 2.4 million >
More than half of his internal energy was brought back. The thing that disappointed Seol-Hwi though was that it doesn’t go up more than that.
No, it was because the effect wasn’t that great even if it went up.
Presumably, this seems to be because of his beginner’s proficiency.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
Seol-Hwi looked up and checked his combat power level now.
<Combat power: 10.01 million (2.02 million) >
Over 10 million.
In addition, he acquired a special ability to recover internal energy. At this level, it seemed like he could subdue anyone.
“Then, let’s go and see the last one left.”
Seol-Hwi quickly turned away.
When it was twilight outside…
In his main office, Geum Man-jung was trembling with fear.
Around thirty of the Blue Dragon Sect warriors had suddenly ambushed them out of nowhere.
It must be because they had lost their people in a surprise attack. And that attack was by none other than Geum Man-jung’s closest escort.
The situation wasn’t looking good. Sang Cheon-jang had no one to back him up, since the team he had brought with him had been eliminated.
“Huk!”
“Kuak!”
Despite being suppressed here, the resistance from Sang Cheon-jang was strong.
He easily defeated three to four warriors of the Blue Dragon Sect who attacked him.
But it didn’t end with that.
As soon as Sang Cheon-jang clashed with a large black-masked man, he was the one who was pushed back.
“Kuak!”
After fighting with the opponent for a long time, in the end, he was exhausted, and collapsed without being able to block the opponent’s sword.
As he fell, the man in a black mask said.
“How dare you make fun of us.”
He was Baek Yang-chun.
Aiming for a vulnerable time, they raided the office of Geum Man-jung.
And this escort of the merchant killed his men. So Baek Yang-chun came after him.
“If you do this, do you think you will be safe?”
Sang Cheon-jang stared at his opponent.
He was warning the man that touching him wouldn’t bring good things onto his sect.
Baek Yang-chun snorted.
“You will call the demons?”
“…!”
At those words, Sang Cheon-jang was shocked.
He couldn’t believe the man was targeting him despite knowing that.
“Well, you are a person who will soon die at my hands. When I see a member of the Demonic Sect, I never let them leave. Just think of it like me giving you ample time to live.”
“…”
“And retaliation? Not possible. As long as there is no intention of declaring an all out war with the sect, the Demonic Sect will never reveal themselves. Your death will be an accident.”
This man, he knows too much about the sect!
Sang Cheon-jang was deeply surprised by the words of Baek Yang-chun.
The Demonic Sect hides secretly at a corner of the land. The other sects superficially promote the eradication of the Demonic Sect, but no one could put it into practice.
This is because the Demonic Sect didn’t reveal their ambitions to others. The problem is that not just him, but even Baek Yang-chun knew it.
So Sang Cheon-jang decided to change his excuses.
“That… you people are mistaken.”
“What?”
“The ones who killed your men are not m-”
“Who are you…!”
“…Kuak!”
It was then. Before he could finish saying anything, there was a commotion at the entrance.
At the sound, the people present in the room turned towards it.
The door opened, and a man in a bamboo hat came in. And he said,
“This is insane. There are so many people here.”
“Stop!”
When five to six warriors near him got ready to attack, Baek Yang-chun halted them.
This guy is skilled!
He was coming through the entrance. This meant he took down his men who had been guarding the door.
“Um…”
Meanwhile, the stranger, Seol-Hwi, looked around.
He could see Geum Man-jung trembling in the corner, and even though there was a mask, he knew the black masked man was Baek Yang-chun.
And the one who fell on the ground?
Seol-Hwi knew all too well. It was Sang Cheon-jang.
“Who are you?”
Baek Yang-chun questioned. Seol-Hwi grinned as he replied.
“I don’t think that’s something intruders like you should be asking.”
“… What?”
Baek Yang-chun was bewildered. Seol-Hwi walked towards Sang Cheon-jang.
“You…”
Sang Cheon-jang’s eyes changed as he looked at Seol-Hwi.
His intuition was telling him.
Someone who uses Demonic Martial Arts.
There was no way he wouldn’t be aware of it. Maybe that is why Sang Cheon-jang looked at Seol-hwi who was approaching him and asked.
“Did you come here to save me?”
“Something similar.”
“But these guys are the Blue Dragon Sect. They only sneaked up on me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…”
“Why, do you have another question?”
Is it because he felt the other person was looking too closely at him? Sang Cheon-jang said.
“No.”
After his short answer, the man approached and raised the sword he was holding. Sang Cheon-jang wondered what he was doing, until…
“…!”
A scream, and then Sang Cheon-jang’s head fell, rolling on the floor to stop in front of Baek Yang-chun.
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
The eyes of every Blue Dragon Sect warrior in the room were shocked.
Seol-Hwi spoke calmly to them, who were still in disbelief over what just happened.
“Take this.”
“What?”
“Aren’t you here for his head?”
At those words, Baek Yang-chun regained his composure.
It was because he wasn’t sure what the hidden intentions of this stranger were.
“Didn’t you ask for four hundred gold coins a month?”
“…”
“Two hundred. We stop there.”
Baek Yang-chun was shocked. He realized it; he was able to roughly guess this person’s identity.
“Are you the one?”
“Is that important now?”
“Of course. It is very important to me.”
Baek Yang-chun couldn’t stop his voice from trembling.
Sang Cheon-jang was part of the Demonic Sect.
If the person in front of him is also a member of the Demonic Sect, it would be a problem he cannot overlook.
Seol-Hwi, who was silent, spoke up.
“If I said no, would you believe it?”
“…Do you have proof?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Well, I’m the murderer.”
“…!”
Baek Yang-chun’s eyes widened at those words.
If that was true, then everyone here would die.
Even if all his men attacked at once, he wasn’t sure they could win if they all went against this man.
“Look. Do you have to be that serious?”
To Baek Yang-chun who was still standing there frozen, Seol-Hwi spoke first.
“What are you saying?”
“There are many enemies in the world. Even if not here, there are spies hiding everywhere. Those after me and those after you too.”
“…!”
Baek Yang-chun was shocked again.
He could tell by the gentle trembling of the hand holding the sword.
“Who are you…”
He asked in a meaningful voice.
When Seol-hwi didn’t answer, Baek Yang-chun looked at his men and said to them.
“Let’s head back.”
An order to move out.