Never Lost in the Dark (1)
As the formation broke, the Blood Swordsmen poured out.
The labyrinthine formation had finally been breached. Around seventy Blood Swordsmen surged in.
The moment they entered the formation, they were taken aback. Their comrades were already strewn about as lifeless corpses. Not just the Blood Swordsmen, but even their leader, the Blood Sword Master, and the formidable warriors Jeokyo and Seobulpae, lay dead.
And there were those waiting for them.
Led by Baekpyo, the Black Panther Brigade stood ready, alongside the swordsmen of the Byeok Clan led by Byeok Dojun, Song Wookyung, and Seojoong. Joining them were the warriors of the Song family, including Song Hwarin, and the warriors of the Gwangdu and Taeseong brigades, as well as the small sword brigade led by Gwanhui.
The leader of the Blood Swordsmen shouted.
“Kill them all!”
Had the corpse of the Blood Merchant been among them, he might have ordered a retreat.
But the Blood Merchant was still standing strong. In the center, a massive red pillar of energy loomed, undoubtedly the work of the Blood Merchant’s dark arts.
Baekpyo shouted with equal fervor.
“Leave no one alive!”
The battle erupted into chaos.
Song Hwarin and Gwangdu led the charge. Such is the nature of battle: the more enemies you kill, the fewer allies you lose. Mercy towards the enemy often leads to the death of comrades.
They fought with all their might. Yet, this battle had been decided from the start.
Not a single Blood Swordsman survived.
Of course, there were casualties on their side too. About ten were killed or injured.
But considering the number and skill of the invading enemies, the losses were minimal.
As the battle ended, Song Hwarin walked anxiously towards the red pillar.
Gwangdu approached her side.
“The young master will come out safely.”
“Yes, he will.”
Song Hwarin believed it too. But seeing the towering red energy before her, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“I’m naturally a worrier.”
“A warrior?”
“Yes. I worry about everything. Whether someone close is sick, injured, or in trouble. Even looking at those stacked materials over there, I worry someone might accidentally knock them over.”
“I didn’t know you were like that.”
“Haha, no one knows unless I tell them.”
Song Hwarin found it surprising. Gwangdu was usually such a cheerful person.
Gwangdu continued.
“At first, I worried a lot about our young master. I couldn’t sleep at night.”
“Has it gotten better now?”
“No. I still can’t sleep.”
“I see.”
“I used to try to reduce my worries, but now I don’t. I just worry. It’s natural to worry when you don’t know if someone you care about is alive or dead. Let’s bury our worries with more worries, and maybe we can prevent bad things from happening.”
Song Hwarin chuckled. Even in such situations, Gwangdu had a way of making people smile.
“Let’s worry together then. Don’t keep it to yourself, let’s share the worry.”
Song Hwarin nodded.
“Yes, let’s worry about him together.”
“Sounds good, miss!”
Meanwhile, after moving the injured and clearing the bodies, Baekpyo spoke to Byeok Dojun and Song Wookyung.
“We should leave the Song estate and retreat far away.”
Byeok Dojun and Song Wookyung exchanged glances and nodded. They understood why Baekpyo suggested this.
Song Hwarin, who hadn’t been part of the initial battle, asked why they had to leave.
“Why do we have to leave?”
“Their leader threatened our lord with mutual destruction. The farther we retreat, the easier it will be for our lord to fight.”
“Ah, then we should retreat.”
Baekpyo addressed the Black Panther Brigade.
“We’re leaving this place.”
“Yes!”
There was no need to go far. They could hide in the nearby hills of the Byeok Clan until the battle ended.
They led everyone out of the formation.
Before leaving, Song Hwarin looked back.
The red energy still blazed like a flame.
‘You must win! So this worry can just be a worry.’
＊＊＊
Emerging from the blood-soaked ground was a figure shaped like a person. A person-shaped figure.
More precisely, it was a transparent, person-shaped entity.
There was no other way to describe it. It had the form of a person but wasn’t human.
It had a head, body, arms, and legs.
But the head was empty, with nothing inside. A blank face. Just an oval ball placed vertically.
It looked like a sculpture of a person, yet to be detailed, just a form.
Its material was indiscernible. It reflected light like some metallic substance, but it didn’t look like ordinary metal. It was so transparent that its surroundings reflected on it.
It was a truly strange presence, unlike anything I’d ever seen.
I’ve encountered many dark arts, but this was a first.
The fear of the unknown was palpable. This entity amplified that fear.
It stood before me, staring for a moment.
It glanced at the Suramyungwang Sword in my hand, then extended its own hand.
Swoosh.
Something elongated from its hand, forming a sword. Astonishingly, it looked exactly like the Suramyungwang Sword.
Beyond its shoulder, I could see the Blood Merchant standing with a confident smile. That smile held assurance, the certainty of my death.
The Blood Merchant asked me.
“Why did you retract your sword technique?”
“Because I knew you’d use dark arts to draw me in.”
“What?”
She looked puzzled.
“By now, everyone has probably left the estate. At least now, no one will be hurt or killed by your explosive blood technique.”
“How can you be sure they left?”
“They’re smart people.”
“Fine, let’s say they did. What about you? Do you think you can escape from here?”
“Is there anything certain in this world? I chose the best option for those who remain.”
“You’re risking your life, yet you’re worried about others? Is this some kind of sacrifice? Or hypocrisy? I can’t understand it.”
“You don’t need to understand. We’re not here to understand or get close to each other, are we?”
“True.”
With a snap of her fingers, the entity moved towards me.
It showed no emotion. No fear, no tension, no intent to kill. It just walked towards me, devoid of thought.
Swish.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, its head turned to the side. I had swiftly swung the Suramyungwang Sword at its face.
But the face wasn’t cut. It just made a dull sound, like a slap, and its head turned to the side.
Its head returned to its original position. The empty face looked at me. My face reflected in it. Up close, it was as transparent as a mirror.
Swish!
Clang!
Once more, I struck its face with internal energy. This time, the impact made its body stagger.
Yet, the face remained uncut, and it didn’t fall.
Its head turned back towards me.
Swish!
The third attack came.
Clang!
This time, the sound was different. It raised its sword to block my attack.
In the next moment!
Swish!
Clang!
It mimicked my move, swinging its sword at my face. I blocked it with the Suramyungwang Sword. Though it seemed a trivial attack, the impact made my wrist tingle.
The Heavenly Demon, who rarely intervened in my fights, muttered.
[This guy is really annoying.]
I wholeheartedly agreed. Annoying didn’t even begin to cover it. It was infuriating.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
My fists, fueled by emotion, pounded its face repeatedly.
Its head snapped back. But still, its neck didn’t break, and it didn’t fall.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Now its fists flew towards my face.
I twisted my body to dodge. It seemed intent on returning my attacks in kind, mimicking my every move.
It wasn’t just mimicking attacks.
As if deciding not to just take hits, it dodged my attacks by twisting its body, exactly as I had done. It was a perfect imitation.
Swish!
Clang!
The Suramyungwang Sword struck its shoulder. This time, the attack was even more powerful. It slid sideways from the force.
Yet, it remained uncut. Not a scratch on its arm.
Without using sword energy or sword force, it was too tough to cut with ordinary attacks. In fact, even with sword energy or force, it might not be possible. It wasn’t made of eternal cold iron, but it was nearly as hard.
Initially, it was just bizarre and eerie, but now it was a serious problem.
I realized defeating it wouldn’t be easy.
What if it couldn’t be killed by any means?
Meanwhile, my internal energy was limited. I had already expended a lot in the previous battle.
Swoosh.
This time, it charged at me, swinging its sword. It was the same move I had used on its shoulder earlier.
I leapt back to avoid the attack.
It was truly mimicking me perfectly.
Alright, let’s see if it can mimic this too.
I launched an attack with the most intricate and challenging move from the Deadly Phantom Sword Technique. It was so complex that mastering it in one go was utterly impossible.
Swish! Swoosh! Swish!
Thud! Thump! Thud!
The opponent, staggering backward, did something astonishing.
Swish! Swoosh! Swish!
He perfectly mimicked the very technique I had just executed.
With the same power and speed, no less.
In that moment, I realized something crucial.
No matter what move I used, he could replicate it exactly. This opponent, this battle, couldn’t be resolved with conventional thinking.
He was getting stronger with every blow he took, learning at an incredible pace. I had never encountered anything like it.
At first, I thought he was just copying the moves.
But no, he wasn’t just learning the moves; he was also picking up the related techniques, starting to adapt and apply them.
Before I knew it, he was wielding his sword with considerable skill.
Realizing this couldn’t continue, I sheathed my sword.
And just like that, his sword vanished too.
Whoosh.
Bang!
My knee struck his face with precision, sending him flying backward, a perfect hit with the Crane Technique.
Yet, he sprang up as if unfazed.
In the next instant, he charged at me with astonishing speed, mimicking my knee strike exactly. Just like with the swordplay, he copied the Crane Technique flawlessly.
“Hahaha.”
I laughed heartily, prompting the Blood Merchant to look at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why are you laughing?”
To her question, I replied, “I feel like crying, but I can’t exactly do that, can I?”
She chuckled at my joke.
Watching her remain so composed, I understood.
To win this fight, I needed to target her, not the mimic.
I leaped into the air, my new target the Blood Merchant herself.
In a flash, I crossed the river and attacked her.
Just as my sword, the King of Hell’s Blade, was about to pierce her heart, she vanished. Like a master of illusion, she disappeared in an instant.
I landed and turned around.
She was already standing across the river, as if she had been there all along.
But no, it was the mimic that stood there, the one who had been copying me. He leaped and charged at me.
Then, something truly astonishing happened.
Swoosh!
As he crossed the river, he split into two. Like a cell dividing, there were now two identical copies.
The two figures landed, identical in size and form. Their movements would likely be the same too.
From across the river, the Blood Merchant flashed a bright smile, revealing her white teeth.
“Every time you try to kill me, they’ll double.”
In other words, each time I crossed the river, their numbers would increase. Now, the two of them began closing in from both sides.