Episode 211: Return to the Demonic Training Grounds
“This won’t be easy.”
Bangak suddenly spoke up.
Sabigang tilted his head, puzzled.
“Is that the latest catchphrase in the Blood Alliance?”
“What?”
“Just that everyone seems to be saying the same thing.”
“It’s because it’s that difficult. These guys won’t listen to you.”
“And you?”
“Me? I came of my own will…”
“Alright, then. So where can I find these guys?”
“Are you really planning to track down each one of them?”
“If they won’t come to me, I’ll just have to drag them here.”
Bangak felt the urge to tell him to give up, but he swallowed his words. It seemed pointless to say anything to someone who wouldn’t listen anyway.
Well, maybe he needs to face the humiliation head-on to come to his senses. Then he might finally hate this cursed training as much as I do. And I won’t have to worry about keeping my word.
‘Hmph! If you’re here as a hostage, you should just stay quiet and leave when it’s over. Why make things harder for yourself?’
Bangak finished his thoughts and spoke in a cold tone.
“There’s a place called the Arena of Life and Death. You can find them there.”
“The Arena of Life and Death?”
“It’s a kind of gambling den. You’ll find Yusongryeong there. She practically lives there. If you’re lucky, you might find some of the others too.”
“Got it. I’ll start there.”
Sabigang turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing.
As if remembering something, he casually added, “Oh, and when you take your stance, extend your right foot a bit more, lower your posture, keep your left arm straight, and bend your right arm at a right angle. It’ll help you fight better.”
With that, Sabigang disappeared around the corner, followed silently by Jeokmurin and Churyang.
‘What does he know about my Blood Hawk Twin Blades anyway?’ Bangak grumbled inwardly, turning on his heel and walking away.
Yet, Sabigang’s advice lingered in his mind. He paused, deep in thought.
‘Lower my stance? What nonsense. Why am I even thinking about this?’
Shaking his head, he resumed walking. But before he took five steps, he found himself trying the stance Sabigang had suggested.
Something about it nagged at him.
‘Left arm straight, right arm at a right angle, lower stance… Damn it! This is so uncomfortable! Oh, and extend the right foot a bit more?’
As he adjusted his right foot, something clicked.
”……!”
Bangak’s eyes widened as if struck by a revelation.
‘This is…!’
Something was different. Just by altering his stance slightly, everything felt different.
In martial arts, the stance is both the most fundamental and crucial element. It’s the basis of all attacks and defenses.
The stance varies depending on the martial art and weapon, yet Sabigang had never even seen the Blood Hawk Twin Blades properly, had he?
Could he have analyzed the stance’s efficiency just from their brief encounter yesterday?
Of course, this assumption was incorrect. Sabigang already knew about the Blood Hawk Twin Blades from a previous life, which is why he could suggest a more efficient stance.
Regardless, this simple change gave Bangak an indescribable insight.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew, scattering leaves into the air.
‘Now!’
Swish, swish, swish!
In an instant, the twin blades in his hands danced through the air. The leaves flying toward him were sliced into dust and scattered.
Rustle, rustle!
‘What… what is this?’
Bangak stared blankly at the twin blades in his hands.
How could everything change so drastically?
Just by slightly altering his stance, the blades felt much lighter.
Bangak gazed in awe at the corner where Sabigang had disappeared.
**
A burly man loomed over Sabigang, blocking the entrance to the cave without budging.
Sabigang scratched his ear and said, “Hey, move aside.”
“Entry fee.”
The man repeated the same words he had been saying.
Sabigang, looking annoyed, replied, “I told you, I’m not here to gamble. I’m looking for someone.”
“Entry fee.”
“Seriously, are you deaf?”
“Entry fee.”
Sabigang glanced back, and Jeokmurin merely shrugged with a smirk, indicating he wouldn’t interfere with the rules here.
To enter the Arena of Life and Death, one had to pay an entry fee. It was ten silver coins, but Sabigang didn’t have that kind of money on him.
‘Not that I’d pay even if I did.’
Finally, Sabigang muttered coldly, “Move. Or you’ll get hurt.”
“Entry fee.”
“Heh, I like that attitude. Makes it easier to beat you up without feeling guilty.”
Sabigang cracked his knuckles.
**
The Arena of Life and Death was strikingly similar in size and structure to the fighting pits once managed by the Blood Alliance.
Following the cave path led to a large open space with a ceiling open to the sky, earning it the nickname “The Crater.”
It felt like being inside a volcanic crater.
Here, various forms of gambling took place. Challengers faced dangerous tasks, and spectators bet on their success or failure.
For example, “Survive a fight with a beast without using martial arts” was one such challenge.
People bet on whether the challenger would succeed or fail, making the atmosphere in the arena always intense.
It truly lived up to its nickname, “The Crater.”
At that moment, a woman’s cheerful laughter rang out from a corner.
“Hahaha! I won! I won!”
All eyes turned to a woman hugging a man beside her, beaming with joy.
She wore a top so short it revealed her navel and pants with long slits showing her white thighs. Her large eyes and bright red lips were enough to captivate any man.
But on her back was a large sword with an inscription that read: “Touch and die.”
Perhaps because of that, no one in the arena dared approach her, except for the dark-skinned man she was clinging to.
The man, tall and as dark as if dipped in ink, looked at her with strikingly white eyes.
“Congratulations, Songryeong. But aren’t you worried about missing class?”
“Class? Oh, come on, who cares about that? Do you want to attend class?”
“Not really.”
The dark man chuckled wryly.
Yusongryeong grabbed a bottle of liquor from the table, took a swig, and said, “Ah! This is the life! Winning money and drinking is the best! I don’t care about some class. That instructor is probably just a hostage too. He’s probably cowering in his quarters, wondering how to survive in this scary place. Hahaha!”
The dark man chuckled along.
Just then—
Crash!
A massive man flew through the air, crashing into their table and sending it flying.
The impact shattered the bottle Yusongryeong and the dark man were drinking from.
Clang!
Yusongryeong’s eyebrows shot up.
“What the hell? Damn it, that’s bad luck!”
Gambling dens were rife with superstition. Seeing the broken bottle as a bad omen, Yusongryeong shouted sharply.
The massive man struggled to his feet.
“There’s a problem…”
“Yeah, the problem is you broke my bottle! If my luck breaks too, are you going to take responsibility?”
“Someone’s… looking for you…”
“What?”
Yusongryeong frowned and turned her head.
There stood Sabigang, Jeokmurin, and Churyang.
“Are you Yusongryeong?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the instructor who’s going to teach you.”
Yusongryeong’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to meet him like this.
After blinking her large eyes a few times, she suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! What? You’re really the instructor from the Justice Alliance?”
At the mention of the Justice Alliance, the surrounding martial artists exuded a murderous aura.
Sabigang coldly warned, “Don’t bare your fangs. I’ll pull them all out.”
The killing intent thickened.
Then, Yusongryeong stepped forward.
“But why is the instructor here?”
“I’m here to take you with me.”
“Me? Hahaha! You’re a funny instructor, aren’t you? Are you serious? You think you can take me from here?”
“Wait a minute, is that charcoal stick over there one of our cadets too?”
Sabi-gang’s gaze shifted to the man dressed in black.
“Pfft!”
Churyang couldn’t hold back his laughter this time either.
“Charcoal stick… Oh, Master, you’re too much. I’m going to lose it.”
Churyang struggled to suppress his laughter.
After all, wasn’t this the territory of the dark sect?
With the air already thick with tension, a careless laugh could lead to serious trouble.
Sure enough, Yusong-ryeong shot back with a displeased expression.
“Quite the mouth you’ve got for an instructor. Seoktan-gang’s dark complexion is because he mastered the Snake Black Technique.”
“Ah, I see. So you’re Seoktan-gang. Your name suits your skin tone.”
“Pffft!”
Once again, Churyang clamped his hand over his mouth, his body shaking with suppressed laughter.
“Is Master trying to kill me with laughter?”
He bit his lip hard, feeling the suffocating tension in the air.
Meanwhile, Yusong-ryeong’s expression hardened even more.
“Mocking my friend, are you? You’re a terrible instructor. I should teach you a lesson.”
“Heh, let’s get the facts straight. Skipping class to gamble in a place like this? You’re the one who needs a lesson.”
“Hehehe, and how do you plan to teach me?”
“How about a good beating? I don’t go easy just because I’m a woman.”
Sabi-gang took a few determined steps forward.
But he didn’t get far before he was surrounded by a group of men exuding a menacing aura.
Sabi-gang narrowed his eyes.
“Step aside. I’m not in a bad mood yet. This is your chance to walk away without a scratch.”
Just then, a bright laugh rang out from beyond the human barricade.
“Hahaha! You’re quite the amusing instructor. How about this? Since we’re in a gambling den, let’s make a bet. If you win, I’ll follow you without a fuss.”
Sabi-gang chuckled coldly.
“Why should I? I can take you with me just fine.”
Yusong-ryeong frowned.
‘Who is this guy? Does he even understand the situation? There’s a limit to stupidity.’
She masked her thoughts and spoke.
“Even so, there’s no guarantee I’ll show up tomorrow. I might just disappear. But if you win, I’ll attend class every day. How about it? Worth a shot, right?”
Sabi-gang considered for a moment before speaking.
“Not a bad offer. What’s the game?”