Episode 10

“Hehehehe! You’re mine, you little brat!”

“Come here, pretty thing!”

The six members of Ssangsakchilhyung burst into wild laughter as they charged straight at Dang Yeoeun.

But then, something completely unexpected happened.

Dang Yeoeun, who had been running toward them, suddenly froze, then spun around and took off running in the opposite direction.

This was unheard of—she was famous even among the Blood Cultists for her fierce spirit and never backing down, especially as a woman.

“What the—?!”

“Hey, you! Stop right there!”

Panicked, the Ssangsakchilhyung scrambled after her. After a brief escape, Dang Yeoeun glanced back with a cold, sly smile.

It was a smile so unusual that even the reckless Ssangsakchilhyung sensed something was off.

“No way…”

At that moment, several warriors burst out from the dense thicket.

Whoosh!

Each one was a master, their bodies radiating brilliant martial energy, wielding deadly weapons.

“Haah!”

Ssssh!

The first to strike was a man whose sword shot forward like an arrow, piercing the chest of the seventh member who was carrying the woman on his shoulder in an instant.

Thud!

It was the Absolute Blade technique, Ilsi Sa-il, from the Jeomchangpa school—a dazzlingly fast spear-and-sword method that even Sun Woojin had once used, but this was on a whole other level.

“Ugh!”

“Youngest!”

“Jeomchang Sword Dragon Sagunil?! It’s a trap!”

Dang Yeoeun shouted as she spun around, slashing her sword.

“Foolish Ssangsakchilhyung! You only just figured that out?!”

Her sword, wrapped in bright green energy, clashed against the second member of Ssangsakchilhyung, while the third, another top-tier master, was met with a deep blue spear thrust that seemed to come from another dimension.

Boom!

“Grrr! P-Pungyang?!”

The one attacking him was Pungyang, the Storm Taoist and thirteenth generation master.

The middle-aged, taciturn Taoist’s strike surged like a violent storm.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The third member, swinging his twin sickles to block the onslaught, looked like a fragile boat about to be swallowed by a tempest.

Nearby, while Jeomchang Sword Dragon Sagunil was rescuing the woman, three other top-tier younger brothers were being attacked by light, breeze-like sword strikes.

A young man with a gentle, slightly sleepy expression passed by one of them like the wind, muttering softly.

“I was having such a nice dream, but you guys woke me up.”

Whoosh!

“Argh!”

After he passed, the fifth member of Ssangsakchilhyung spewed blood from his chest, which was already riddled with wounds like a spider’s web.

“Even Cheongpung Sword Dragon Han Gyoseong!”

He was Han Gyoseong, the thirteenth generation leader of the Cheongseong faction, known as a prodigy among prodigies.

“N-No way! Aaaah!”

Finally, unable to endure any longer, the third member was slain by Pungyang’s storm strike, and the others were helplessly cut down by Sagunil and Han Gyoseong.

The second, Gu Yojil, launched a fierce attack on Dang Yeoeun before turning to flee.

“Brother! It’s a trap! The others—!”

The first member, Jimak, glanced at the scene, his face twisting in rage.

All his brothers had been killed in an instant. He was so furious he felt like he might lose his mind.

But there was no choice.

They had to retreat.

“You bastard! Just you wait!”

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Jeomchang Sword Dragon Mayugyeom anticipated the escape and swung his sword, but only grazed Jimak’s arm.

“Argh! You son of a—!”

Jimak screamed as he disappeared into the distance.

In the end, five of the seven were slaughtered, but the two top masters—the first and second—escaped, ending the battle.

Son Harang, a member of the Sa faction who had been freed from their grasp, wept bitterly over the corpse of her lover.

“Jeongrang! Jeongrang!”

The others stood silently nearby, their faces heavy with sorrow.

Suddenly, a young man with a strong build shot out from the dense thicket like a meteor.

“Too late! What’s the situation? Was it those Ssangsakchilhyung again?!”

Without hesitation, the Sa faction leader, Jeomchang Sword Dragon Mayugyeom, grabbed the newcomer by the collar.

“Seolpung, you! Why are you only just arriving?! Didn’t you forget that when the alarm sounds, all the masters are supposed to gather?!”

Seolpung, still held by the collar, glanced at Son Harang sitting beside the corpse, crying, before answering.

“Sorry. We were attacked on our side, too.”

But Mayugyeom only grew angrier.

“You want to say you couldn’t come because you were dealing with some low-level demons?! If you’d been here, we could’ve taken down at least one more of the Ssangsakchilhyung! Maybe even all of them!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it! You irresponsible fool! That’s why I said you, a nobody with no roots, shouldn’t be a leader!”

As Mayugyeom’s harsh words made the other leaders frown, a woman suddenly flew out from the thicket behind Seolpung, shouting urgently.

“Stop it! Sa leader!”

“Hmph! What now? You’re defending this worthless nobody just because he’s your leader?”

The woman’s face hardened as she replied.

“I won’t tolerate any more insults toward our leader! Our seventh faction was fighting five low-level demons when we were ambushed by hidden spider ghosts! Two of our members died! Seolpung led his team through a situation where half his men might have been killed, slew two spider ghosts and low-level demons, and still made it here!”

Mayugyeom flinched in surprise.

“Spider ghosts?”

Spider ghosts were as stealthy as the shadow demons but far more dangerous. Unlike shadow demons, they saw with their eyes and absorbed human energy to grow stronger, making them the most feared of all demons.

Because they grew stronger over time, the rule was to kill them on sight. Given that, it was no wonder Seolpung couldn’t rush here immediately.

Mayugyeom scoffed and turned away.

“Hmph! Is that so?”

Then, the seventh faction’s deputy leader, Naseoyu, shouted angrily.

“Is that all? Apologize to Seolpung immediately!”

But Mayugyeom kept walking without looking back. As Naseoyu prepared to shout again, Seolpung stopped her.

“Enough, deputy. He just lost his men.”

“But so did we!”

“I’m fine. So just drop it.”

Seeing Seolpung’s awkward smile, Naseoyu sighed and shook her head.

“Honestly, leader, why do you always act so foolishly kind after a fight?”

The cold-faced beauty, Dang Yeoeun, added her voice.

“Yeah, I agree. If you act so soft, Mayugyeom will keep treating you like dirt. If you keep being such a fool, only your men will suffer.”

“Haha, d-do you think so?”

Dang Yeoeun’s words froze Seolpung’s expression, and she shook her head in disbelief before turning away.

The first faction leader, Cheongpung Sword Dragon Han Gyoseong, yawned.

“Ah, whatever. Let’s head back. I was just sleepy before, but now I’m hungry. Oh, by the way, did the Grandmaster say new recruits were coming today?”

The thirteenth generation’s Dragon Master, Pungyang, silently nodded. As taciturn as his expression, he hadn’t said a word since earlier.

Han Gyoseong nodded knowingly.

“It’ll take a while before they can pull their weight, but at least that’s good news.”

With that, he leapt into motion, followed by the others as they began their return.

But just as Seolpung was about to follow, Jeomchang Sword Dragon Sagunil grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

“Hm?”

Turning with a puzzled look, Seolpung heard Sagunil mutter coldly.

“Apologize on his behalf. Sorry, Seolpung.”

Then Sagunil vanished with a swift leap.

Seolpung chuckled softly and followed after him.

This was just another typical day for the Thirteen Dragons.

---

After registering our information at the Great Blood Demon Cult’s J Headquarters, we were guided to the Thirteen Dragons.

There were about twenty new recruits gathered at J Headquarters, but only three of us had applied for the Thirteen Dragons: myself, Cheongyeon Sojeo, and a young, cute-looking Sojeo named Cheon Jueun.

I had applied without much thought, recalling the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords from my past life, but for most people, the Thirteen Dragons weren’t very popular.

That was mainly because the Thirteen Dragons were the youngest group by far.

While waiting in the lounge for the unit leader, Cheongyeon suddenly asked me.

“Do you think the Thirteen Dragons are the youngest because all the experienced warriors have died?”

I gave a bitter smile.

Her analysis was painfully accurate.

“That seems to be the case, but actually, it’s not just the Thirteen Dragons—the entire Biryong Corps is trending younger. So the difference isn’t that big.”

That was a lie.

While the Biryong Corps as a whole was getting younger, the Thirteen Dragons were overwhelmingly the youngest among them.

Based on my past experiences, among the Thirteen Greats, there were barely more than two middle-aged warriors—the Grand Leader and the Deputy Grand Leader.

Cheongyeon Sojeo shook her head and said, “This is serious. So, no seasoned warriors are volunteering, and the frontlines are filled only with young fighters forcibly conscripted from each sect?”

Once again, I was impressed by her insight.

To deduce all that from just a few facts—truly remarkable.

I nodded in admiration.

“That’s exactly right.”

At that moment, Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo, who had been listening wide-eyed to our conversation, asked, “Why aren’t the experienced warriors volunteering?”

Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo had been in a different squad in my past life and had died long ago, so I had little connection with her. Judging by her question, it seemed she wasn’t one of those forcibly drafted disciples from her sect. If she had been, she would have known the answer.

“It’s because there’s no benefit, not even fame.”

“Benefit? Fame?”

“Nothing that happens on the frontlines ever leaks out. No matter how many achievements you make here, or how miserably you die, the outside world never finds out. Even for those who don’t care about rewards, without fame or honor, and with only danger, everyone avoids it.”

“Ahhh.”

She nodded as if she understood.

Just then, the door to the waiting room opened, and a middle-aged man with a goat-like beard entered.

It was Heon Yeong-bo, the Deputy Grand Leader of the Thirteen Greats, known as the Secret Blade Swordsman.

Seeing his face, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Who would have thought I’d ever feel glad to see this chatterbox coward who was also so authoritarian?

In a haughty tone, he said, “Greetings. I am Heon Yeong-bo, Deputy Grand Leader of the Thirteen Greats. You must have heard my name before?”

He emphasized the word “Grand Leader” while muttering “Deputy” quietly, just as I remembered.

I smirked, ready to play along, but Cheongyeon Sojeo beside me casually replied, “No, I haven’t. Were you famous?”

Heon Yeong-bo’s face immediately twisted in displeasure, but he tried to maintain his composure.

“Hmph, many masters on the frontlines are forgotten due to secrecy oaths. Sojeo, it seems your knowledge is lacking.”

His attempt to save face crumbled instantly when Cheongyeon Sojeo tilted her head and retorted, “Is that so? I thought most masters above the pinnacle level were remembered. Are you perhaps not at that level yourself?”

His face completely contorted, unable to hide his long-standing inferiority complex. Even among the young squad leaders, there were pinnacle-level masters, yet he, the Deputy Grand Leader, had never reached that height.

I wanted to stop Cheongyeon Sojeo but couldn’t hold back my laughter.

This blunt and unusual Sojeo was truly something else.

“Ugh, enough! There’s no time. Let’s get to squad assignments! The leaders should already be gathered.”

Snatching the letter I had offered, he skimmed it and said, “Seonwoo Jin, third son of the Seonwoo family. Hmm? Seonwoo family?”

His gaze softened noticeably as he looked at me again.

He read on.

“Cheon Ju-eun, eldest daughter of Cheon Ga-sang, the Guiju Guardian? If she’s a Guiju Guardian… that’s from the Sapa, isn’t it?”

He frowned at Cheon Ju-eun, who lowered her eyes slightly, looking a bit discouraged.

I was just as surprised.

For the daughter of a Sapa member to volunteer for a frontline managed by the Martial Alliance was unusual, to say the least.

But then Heon Yeong-bo’s expression darkened as he raised his voice.

“What’s this? Cheongyeon? Sect unknown, parents undisclosed?”

That was Cheongyeon Sojeo’s information.

She had introduced herself to me simply as Cheongyeon—‘Cheong’ as her family name, ‘Yeon’ as her given name.

Even though Jegal Sojeo had called her “Cheongyeon,” it seemed impossible that she wouldn’t reveal her full identity. There must be some reason she couldn’t disclose her background.

“Yes, I am Cheongyeon,” she answered calmly.

Heon Yeong-bo’s face twisted into a fierce scowl.

“Don’t you know that those with uncertain identities can’t volunteer for the frontlines?!”

I looked at him in disbelief.

What a blatant lie.

Even Seol Pung, the leader of the Seventh Squad, had an unknown background.

Cheongyeon Sojeo tilted her head and asked, “The headquarters never said anything like that.”

Heon Yeong-bo shouted arrogantly, “Not in the Thirteen Greats! Either reveal your sect and parents immediately, or apply to another unit like the Biryong Squad!”

Cheongyeon Sojeo’s expression stiffened slightly.

She clearly hadn’t expected this.

Watching from the side, I sighed.

My fondness for this petty man had lasted only until we started talking.

I interjected, “Cheongyeon Sojeo is a friend of Jegal Sojeo and had visited our Seonwoo family.”

He snorted. “Jegal Sojeo? Who’s that? And what does that have to do with anything?”

But the flicker of recognition in his eyes betrayed him.

“Yes, you’re thinking of Jegal Seoyul, the Heavenly Sword Peak Sojeo. Cheongyeon Sojeo is her friend.”

His pupils dilated.

“The… the Heavenly Sword Peak?”

“As you know, she’s the precious jewel of the Jegal family, and the daughter of Jegal Jigang, a senior of the Martial Alliance.”

His mouth dropped open in shock.

“D-d-d-don’t lie! Why would such a Sojeo come to the frontlines?!”

I was curious too, but just smiled knowingly.

“I don’t know the exact reason, but there must be some purpose. Perhaps something connected to the higher-ups in the Alliance.”

“T-t-t-then…”

That ended the matter.

Heon Yeong-bo shut his mouth tight and, from then on, guided us with utmost politeness.

When he led us into a small conference room, I couldn’t help but sigh.

All those unforgettable people from my past were gathered there.