No Mercy in the Darkness (3)
As the Suramyungwang Sword sliced through the air, the flames that had been rushing toward me split apart.
Normally, the fire would have quickly reignited, burning even more fiercely. But this time was different.
The flames simply extinguished. It was an impossible occurrence, especially considering the nature of the Amryuyeonghwan Formation.
I walked slowly through the area where the fire had died.
Breaking a top-tier formation with martial arts alone, without knowing its life gate, is an impossible feat. The more force you apply, the more dangerous and powerful the formation becomes.
Under normal circumstances, the flames would have roared back twice as strong.
But I pushed through with sheer force. Every formation has a breaking point. What ordinary masters could never surpass, I had easily overcome.
After passing through the flame formation, a barrage of hidden weapons flew at me from all directions.
Swish, swish, swish!
These weren’t ordinary projectiles. They were coated with a deadly poison, lethal with just a graze. And they flew with the maximum speed and power that the mechanism could muster.
I surged forward, my body a blur.
Swoosh.
I deflected the incoming projectiles, darting forward in an instant. The demonic technique, Mashintanyeong, had activated, naturally repelling the weapons with its rapid spin and protective energy.
I swiftly passed through the zone of hidden weapons and reached the final barrier.
Thud.
An invisible wall repelled me.
This was the end of the formation. If I couldn’t break through this barrier, I’d be sent back to the start.
I drew the Suramyungwang Sword and slashed downward. Without using any sword energy or aura, I relied solely on the sword’s inherent sharpness.
Shiiing!
Rip!
The formation split cleanly, like silk being torn. The world within the formation parted, revealing the real world beyond.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
The formation vanished, and reality came into view.
Beyond the formation, a hundred martial artists stood waiting for me.
Even at a glance, it was clear they were highly skilled. They had endured rigorous training and were seasoned killers.
But I looked past them, to what lay beyond. A high wall stood behind them, and I sensed more enemies beyond it. Their auras were different, indicating they were from another organization, trained separately. That’s why these men were the first to confront me.
The men were tense.
The speed at which I had breached the formation had instilled fear in them. Even the creator of the formation wouldn’t have been able to break through so quickly.
A man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward.
“If you retreat now, I’ll spare your life.”
His words were clearly meant to buy time, likely under orders to delay me as much as possible. Naturally.
But I wasn’t in a hurry.
This battle was about what lay beyond that wall, and beyond that again, unknown to me.
In such a fight, the most crucial thing is managing one’s internal energy effectively. The goal is to defeat as many enemies as possible with minimal energy expenditure. There’s no need for flashy or impressive moves. The fight should flow naturally, like water running downstream.
I raised the Suramyungwang Sword and addressed them.
“Anyone who retreats now will be spared.”
I meant it. My target wasn’t these men, but their leaders. I would have to cut down many, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to kill a few who fled.
Yet none of them ran.
“Attack!”
At their leader’s command, the men in black charged. I dodged the two swords coming at me from the front and swung the Suramyungwang Sword.
Swish.
Slash.
The sword cut through the air, slicing open the bellies of two men simultaneously.
I could have used the demonic technique, Mageomhyulwoo, to kill them all in one move, but it would have been a waste of energy on them.
I stepped on the fallen men and leaped back.
My sword cut through the air at an odd angle. To an observer, it might have seemed elegant and beautiful, but to those on the receiving end, it was inescapable.
Slice, slice, slice.
The men following me fell in succession.
Swords aimed for my face from both sides. I leaped into the air, lying flat as I stabbed the man on the left with my sword and kicked the man on the right.
Thud! Crack!
The man on the left had his throat pierced, and the man on the right had his face shattered.
Different methods, same result. Both men fell dead simultaneously.
Next, I targeted the leader. It’s always wise to take out the leader first, unless the opponent is exceptionally foolish.
Whoosh!
The leader’s sword unleashed a powerful aura, surging toward me.
It was a formidable strike, meant to be his finishing blow.
I weaved through the oncoming sword energy and thrust my sword.
Thud!
The Suramyungwang Sword pierced his heart. In that moment, he must have been shocked to realize his attack had such a glaring weakness.
He might have thought it could be dodged, but not exploited.
It was a blind spot invisible to ordinary martial artists, visible only to those who had reached the realm of the mind’s eye.
With the leader down, the men grew desperate. Their attacks became more frenzied and reckless.
Sword energy rained down from all sides. They attacked mercilessly, indifferent to their comrades’ deaths.
But I evaded all their attacks. My movements were swift and precise. I navigated through the tangled web of attacks as if following a predetermined path that never intersected with theirs.
It was as if I was running parallel to two paths that would never meet.
But my attacks were different.
They followed a trajectory that ensured death for my opponents.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The men charging at me from all directions fell, pierced by my sword. Throats were stabbed, hearts were pierced. The sword targeted only the vital points that meant instant death.
When four men lay on the ground, the head of the man swinging his sword at me flew through the air. Following the trajectory of the flying head, I dashed forward and slashed my sword horizontally.
Shiiing!
It felt like drawing a line with a sword against a wall. Seven men along that line fell, their bodies flipping over.
They tried to block my sword, but not one of them managed to make contact.
For them to die simultaneously, given their martial skills, was an impossible outcome, yet it was reality.
Outwardly, the enemies showed no signs of disturbance. But I knew. They weren’t unaffected; they had been trained not to show it. They were desperately hiding their agitation.
Their movements grew slower and heavier. No human can completely overcome the fear of death.
I continued to move through them.
The sound of the Suramyungwang Sword cutting through the air was constant, and the sound of their bodies being sliced varied depending on where they were hit.
The difference between a master and a true master was now clear.
I had won before, and I was winning now, but the process and my mindset were distinctly different.
Before, I could only think five moves ahead. Kill this one like this, that one like that, and anticipate how the next would react and kill them accordingly.
Even predicting five moves ahead was impressive.
But now, I could see the whole picture. Even without intending to, I could see it all. Not how to kill each one, but the overall flow of the battle.
This way, that way, here a slash, there a sweep.
I could see how to lead and end this fight.
The last man standing fell.
Whoom!
Until now, I hadn’t used any energy attacks, but this time I did. I unleashed a powerful strike.
Boom!
The wall blocking my path crumbled to dust.
It consumed more energy than simply jumping over the wall, but the effect was undeniable.
Three hundred men stood beyond.
They all saw it. The wall turning to dust, revealing me standing there, with a hundred corpses strewn behind me.
Would they be driven by vengeance? Hardly. Their hearts would shrink with fear.
Three hundred men.
Once again, the entire battle unfolded in my mind. I could roughly calculate how much energy it would take to face them.
I suddenly realized that the next stage of my martial arts might be to eliminate even this natural calculation.
I gave them a chance once more.
“Anyone who wishes to live may flee now.”
But none of them fled. The men exuded killing intent as they drew their swords.
This time, I decided to end the fight differently.
The surroundings darkened.
The three hundred men looked up at the sky in surprise.
Whoosh!
A rain of sword energy began to pour down.
The woman and the Dark Master remained silent. They had just received news that the third formation had been breached.
Barely enough time to drink a cup of tea had passed since they heard the first formation was broken, and now the third had fallen.
“He must be well-versed in breaking formations.”
She still refused to accept the reality.
“The Dark Beast Squad has a hundred, the Black Shadow Squad has three hundred, and thirty-three Night Moons guard the outside. Plus, there are six death traps to get through before reaching here. It’s impossible for one person to break through all of this.”
The Dark Master said nothing. He knew that the Wall of Isolation would eventually be breached. All he could do was hope the grand ritual would be completed in time.
“Where’s the escape route?”
“This way.”
She manipulated a section of the wall, revealing a hidden door. Fortunately, the escape route was prepared in the same place where the grand ritual was being conducted.
It was at that very moment.
Another urgent report came in.
“The Stealth Unit has been wiped out.”
“A hundred men, gone just like that?”
She couldn’t believe it, her expression one of disbelief, as she urged the researchers conducting the grand ritual to hurry.
“Move faster.”
The researchers didn’t even have time to respond.
Just then, a second report arrived.
“The Shadow Unit has been annihilated.”
“What the hell? We just heard about the Stealth Unit being wiped out!”
She snapped, her anger flaring, while her subordinate, flustered, clarified.
“No, it’s not the Stealth Unit this time. It’s the Shadow Unit that’s been destroyed.”
“What? We just got news about the Stealth Unit, and now the Shadow Unit too? And there were three hundred of them!”
“They say… it happened in a single move.”
“What?”
Her face turned pale. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined a martial art capable of obliterating the Shadow Unit in one strike. The Shadow Unit was formidable enough to challenge even the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters.
Though they couldn’t conquer the Martial Alliance, they could inflict significant damage. They could have forced a stalemate.
But to be wiped out in a single move?
The Dark Master spoke to her calmly.
“Stay calm.”
“How can I be calm?”
“There’s no need to get worked up. This is our reality. Focus on the ritual.”
She looked at the Dark Master.
“Who exactly were you up against?”
“Someone I should have begged for help from, looking as I do now.”
It was then.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
The building shook.
“The mechanisms are breaking down.”
Even the subordinate who was supposed to report the death of Nightblade didn’t come.
For a moment, she stood there, dazed. It felt as if death was charging at them.
“You were right. This era isn’t ours.”
The Dark Master nodded.
She said something unexpected.
“You go first.”
“What?”
“Escape first!”
The Dark Master gazed at her silently. He hadn’t expected her to say that.
“You’re kind of cute when you’re like this.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes. Go. We’ll meet at the agreed place later. I’ll bring the Demon Seal as soon as the ritual is over.”
“You go first. I’ll take care of the author.”
“No. I’m the master of the Dark Land. You go.”
“For the first time since meeting you, I regret something.”
“What do you regret?”
“Not realizing sooner how adorable you are. And maybe not being so obsessed with money.”
She gave a faint smile at his words.
“This endless string of cursed situations… it’s our life, isn’t it?”
At that moment, amidst all the grim news, the only good news of the day arrived.
“The ritual is complete.”