Episode 196: Return to the Demonic Sect
One of the masked figures, instead of answering, roughly slung Seolbaek over his shoulder and leaped away.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
As Sabikang moved to give chase,
Whoosh!
A powerful energy sliced through the air, narrowly missing him.
Boom!
The energy struck a massive tree trunk, shattering dozens of trees into splinters.
It was a force imbued with both sharpness and power.
Whoosh!
The masked figure exuded a murderous intent, as if to say they wouldn’t allow pursuit.
An unusual aura!
“Who are you people?”
Sabikang extended his hand, and a sword lying nearby flew into his grasp.
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the masked figure.
They had handled Seolbaek with surprising roughness.
The way they had sealed his pressure points was more about incapacitation than protection.
This meant they weren’t his subordinates.
In fact, the aura of these newcomers was even stronger than Seolbaek’s.
And the energy that had just been directed at him…
“Try that attack again.”
Sabikang pointed his sword at the masked figure.
The figure slowly assumed a stance, glaring at Sabikang.
It wasn’t a stance meant for launching energy.
Sabikang frowned.
“I said, try it again!”
With a sudden burst, the masked figure charged at Sabikang.
Whoosh!
‘Fast!’
Clang!
Their swords clashed, sparks flying.
Sabikang was pushed back by the force.
“Stop messing around and do it again!”
He shouted, thrusting his sword forward.
This time, it was an unavoidable strike!
But then…
Flash!
”…!”
Gone?
The masked figure vanished without a trace.
Sabikang spun around, eyes wide,
Whoosh!
A terrifying energy was hurtling toward him from behind.
There was no time to raise his sword to block.
In a split second, Sabikang summoned all his strength to create a shield and protective energy.
Boom!
The energy exploded, sending Sabikang skidding backward.
“Cough!”
He spat out a dark clot of blood, the result of internal injuries from the sudden attack.
But it wasn’t a major issue.
Such injuries could be easily healed.
More importantly…
‘What was that just now…?’
Sabikang furrowed his brow and launched himself into the air.
Whoosh!
He charged at the masked figure like a storm.
The figure’s eyes widened slightly.
He hadn’t expected Sabikang’s martial arts to be this formidable.
He had thought the previous strike would be enough to take him down.
“Hah!”
Whoosh!
Sabikang unleashed a powerful energy attack with a shout.
The masked figure met it with a diagonal slash of his sword.
Boom!
The two energies collided, creating a storm of force that blew in all directions.
The rain that had been pouring down scattered momentarily around them.
Crash! Boom!
Lightning flashed, and thunder roared once more.
Whoosh!
Sabikang gave no respite.
He pressed his advantage, relentlessly attacking the masked figure.
Whoosh!
As his sword pierced through the rain like a beam of light,
Flash!
”…!”
Gone again!
Sabikang skidded to a halt, turning to look behind him.
Whoosh!
This time, a sword imbued with energy was flying straight at him.
Having anticipated this to some extent, Sabikang calmly raised his sword to block.
Clang!
The sword struck the side of his blade with a loud crash, shattering into pieces.
The fragments flew toward him, threateningly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The shards clattered against the shield he had reflexively raised, making a sizzling sound.
Whoosh!
As the chaos subsided, only the sound of the pouring rain remained.
Sabikang’s eyes turned cold.
‘There’s no doubt.’
The way the masked figure had vanished was clearly a blink spell.
And the energy that had flown at him earlier…
It was more akin to mana-infused aura.
For a moment, he wondered if the figure had come from the demon realm, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
It was too soon for them to appear.
Moreover, judging by the way they fought, the opponent knew how to use internal energy.
Yet their handling of mana seemed somewhat unrefined.
This suggested one possibility.
They might be using a completed spell item, like the scroll Seolbaek had used earlier.
It could be in the form of a scroll, or perhaps a ring or necklace.
‘Given the use of blink, it’s likely a piece of jewelry.’
However, with the figure masked and gloved, identifying the item was difficult.
“Let me ask you something.”
Sabikang suddenly spoke, and the masked figure looked at him silently.
“How did you do that just now?”
He was referring to the blink.
He asked as if he’d never seen such a thing before.
But the masked figure offered no response.
Instead, he glanced into the distance, then turned and fled.
He must have sensed the rapid approach of someone from the southeast.
Sabikang knew who it was.
It was the leader, Neung Unpa.
He had likely sensed the battle’s energy while returning from a distant location.
“Stop!”
Sabikang moved to pursue,
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
About fifty warriors descended densely into the forest.
‘Damn, this is getting annoying!’
Sabikang gripped his sword, gathering his energy.
One notable thing was that none of these new arrivals wore masks.
This meant they didn’t care if their identities were revealed.
In other words, they likely knew nothing about their higher-ups.
“Even if I tell you to move, you won’t listen, will you?”
Sabikang shouted, launching himself forward.
The warriors blocking his path charged at him simultaneously.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of swords rained down on Sabikang.
Clang! Clang!
“Argh!”
With each flash of light, the rain turned to blood, and the sound of thunder mixed with screams.
Slash! Slash! Clang!
Sabikang danced with his sword in the rain.
Each swing sent raindrops flying like daggers, striking his foes.
Thud! Thud!
They learned that even raindrops could pierce flesh.
How long did he fight like a man possessed?
“You scoundrels!”
A sudden roar erupted, and a figure landed beside Sabikang.
Boom!
The figure extended both arms, sending the warriors flying with screams.
He drew his sword and looked at Sabikang.
It was Neung Unpa.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“It’s fine.”
“We’ll talk later.”
With a nod, the two split, charging at the warriors surrounding them from opposite directions.
**
Thud!
A chilling sound of flesh being pierced cut through the rain.
“Ugh!”
A warrior coughed up blood.
Slash!
As Neung Unpa withdrew his sword, blood sprayed, and the warrior collapsed.
Neung Unpa turned to see Sabikang beheading the last warrior in the distance.
Slash!
As the final enemy fell, bleeding, Sabikang turned with an indifferent expression.
They weren’t particularly strong.
But Sabikang had expended considerable energy fighting Seolbaek and the mysterious masked figure in succession.
Moreover, he had sustained minor internal injuries from the masked figure.
Thus, handling the onslaught of nearly two hundred warriors wasn’t easy.
Fortunately, Neung Unpa had arrived in time to help manage the situation.
Neung Unpa approached Sabikang, surveying the area.
“Who are these people?”
“I don’t know.”
Sabikang replied, moving toward a man groaning in a corner.
The man was still alive, though both his arms had been severed.
“Who are you?”
”…I don’t know.”
The man looked up at Sabikang with hollow eyes.
Neung Unpa clicked his tongue.
“Stubborn fool. Even in this state, you refuse to reveal your identity?”
“Heh. How can I speak of what I don’t know? We have no idea who funds us or why we’ve been raised to this point. All we know is that defiance means death.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
The man managed a strained smile.
It seemed both self-mocking and taunting toward Sabikang and Neung Unpa.
Sabikang stared into the man’s eyes.
He didn’t seem to be lying.
It wasn’t surprising, given what he had suspected.
Sabikang spoke in a detached voice.
“You’ve suffered enough.”
Thud!
A gust of wind pierced the man’s forehead.
He died with his eyes wide open.
Neung Unpa looked around at the bodies and asked,
“Did you lose Elder Seolbaek?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. Something unexpected got in the way.”
“No need to apologize. You still managed to catch up, didn’t you? But if people like this are protecting Seolbaek…”
“I don’t think it’s protection.”
“Then what?”
“Well, I suspect they’re using him.”
“Using him… Who could possibly build an organization of this size? Surely not…”
Neung Un-pa stopped himself from voicing his thoughts and looked at Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang gave a faint nod.
“It’s unlikely, but it’s something we need to investigate.”
They were speaking of the Blood Lotus Leader.
But could the real Blood Lotus Leader be behind this?
There were reasons to doubt, yet something felt off.
Recalling his past life, it seemed unlikely that the Blood Lotus Leader was involved in this matter.
However, since he had altered various circumstances, the future might have changed, so it was worth looking into.
Just then, a presence approached swiftly from a distance and soon landed beside them.
“There you are!”
It was Dang Yi-hyeop.
Sa Bi-gang asked, “What happened over there?”
“The Iron Horse Brigade has been wiped out.”
Upon hearing the report, Neung Un-pa asked with a grim expression, “Were there any who surrendered?”
“None. They all resisted to the end and died.”
“Were any injured?”
“They bit down on their suicide pills and died.”
“How ruthless…”
Neung Un-pa sighed.
Despite the twists and turns, this incident had helped clear out some of the disloyal elements within the alliance.
But the revelation of an unexpected mastermind was shocking.
Moreover, failing to capture him was a painful mistake.
Still, this event would lead the Justice Alliance to become cleaner and more transparent.
Having dealt with the most festering part, the remaining minor issues would be easier to handle.
The rain had stopped, and a damp breeze carried the scent of blood.
Neung Un-pa turned his gaze to Sa Bi-gang, who was deep in thought.
‘Truly an extraordinary person.’
To have set the decaying Justice Alliance back on the right path.
What was the masterstroke?
Perhaps it was when General Gu Yoon sought out Sa Bi-gang, who was merely an instructor at the time.
As he looked up, the thick clouds began to part, revealing a sky full of stars.
‘Maybe now, we can finally see the stars.’