Episode 304: Return of the Demon Instructor
Once again, Sabikang didn’t bother to look back.
Instead, he released his grip on the masked man’s head, stretched his right arm out, and muttered softly.
“Tornado.”
In the next instant,
Whoooosh!
A sudden whirlwind filled the courtyard, spiraling upwards.
Caught in the fierce gust, Gugangryong, who had been charging forward using his air-walking technique, was swept up into the sky.
“Ahhh!”
Watching Gugangryong soar impossibly high, the masked man swallowed hard.
To toy with a master of such high caliber so effortlessly!
Of course, Sabikang could easily subdue Gugangryong if he wished, but the latter’s ignorance of magic played a significant role here.
Unfamiliar with this style of combat, Gugangryong was helplessly caught off guard before he could even think of a counter.
Nevertheless, Gugangryong’s provocation allowed the masked man to barely escape the mental bind Sabikang had cast.
Snapping back to his senses, he retreated with a quick leap.
Thud, thud, thud!
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
He quickly channeled his dark energy to steady his mind.
Maintaining a safe distance, he circulated his demonic energy, allowing him to withstand Sabikang’s mental pressure.
Sabikang glanced at him and chuckled.
“When did you manage to get all the way over there? You were right in front of me just a moment ago.”
‘As expected…’
Terrifying.
Even with his demonic energy bolstering his strength, facing Sabikang was nerve-wracking.
Where did such a monster suddenly appear from?
No, he couldn’t have just appeared out of nowhere.
They must have underestimated him all along.
‘I need to revise all our intel.’
Meanwhile, as the tornado dissipated, Gugangryong plummeted from the sky like a meteor.
Crash!
He crashed through the roof tiles, only to emerge moments later from the debris.
“Ugh, damn it!”
He spat out a bloody glob with a displeased expression.
Standing side by side once more, Gugangryong and the masked man glared at Sabikang, who stood at the edge of the roof.
The masked man spoke first to Gugangryong.
“It seems he’s not the one you were waiting for.”
“Tch, that guy wasn’t part of the plan.”
“It’s unfortunate you betrayed us, but shouldn’t we deal with him first?”
“Are you suggesting the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”
“Of course, once this is over, I’ll make sure you pay for your betrayal.”
“Suit yourself.”
Gugangryong smirked, fixing his gaze on Sabikang.
For now, the two decided to set aside their differences and focus their efforts on Sabikang.
Yet, the masked man couldn’t shake his unease.
‘The fact that the Black Demon Squad hasn’t shown up likely means they’ve been wiped out. Even if I manage to defeat him with Gugangryong’s help…’
If the one Gugangryong was waiting for appeared later, he could be in grave danger.
Moreover, he risked losing the Celestial Demon Physique.
‘Damn it!’
That’s why he had shouted for the black-clad men to stop attacking Sabikang…
But it was too late.
Their bodies had already been torn apart, leaving no trace behind.
Now, the only option was to deal with Sabikang as quickly as possible and seize the Celestial Demon Physique from Gugangryong.
‘Things have gotten complicated…’
The masked man glanced towards the lower fortress.
He had seen the red-masked man leading the Red Demon Brigade, but now there was no sign of them.
They had likely been defeated as well.
At that moment, Gugangryong let out a derisive laugh.
“Hey, I can hear those rusty gears turning in your head. Focus. That instructor isn’t someone we can take lightly.”
“Hmph!”
The masked man snorted, drawing his sword.
In the next moment,
“Let’s go!”
Thud!
Both men launched themselves off the ground simultaneously.
In a flash,
Swish!
“Huh!”
“What?”
As they charged at Sabikang, they suddenly flinched and spun around, swinging their swords.
“There you are!”
Clang!
With a loud metallic clang, Sabikang slid back.
Using his sword, Veritas, he had blocked their attack, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Not bad.”
“Hmph! Don’t underestimate us!”
Bang!
Gugangryong was the first to shout, lunging at Sabikang.
As expected of a master, his movements were so swift they were hard to follow with the naked eye.
At the same time, Sabikang lightly kicked a roof tile.
Though it seemed like a casual kick, the tile flew towards Gugangryong like a lethal weapon.
Clang!
Blocking the tile with his sword, Gugangryong felt a numbing shock in his arm, mentally reeling.
‘He infused the tile with energy?’
This was madness!
How could someone so young possess such formidable martial arts?
The situation was so surreal it felt like his strength was draining away.
But he couldn’t afford to stand idly by!
Thud!
This time, both the masked man and Gugangryong charged in from either side.
The masked man took the left, Gugangryong the right.
In a split second, Sabikang slammed Veritas down, shouting,
“Ground Wave!”
Boom!
Though it was only a third-circle spell, the caster’s high-level abilities made its destructive power formidable.
Moreover, casting it on the roof caused the entire structure to ripple, tiles shattering and flying like a wave.
Crash!
With the roof disappearing beneath them, the masked man and Gugangryong were forced to fend off the flying tiles while air-walking.
This was precisely what Sabikang had intended.
The main purpose of using Ground Wave wasn’t mass destruction or a critical hit.
It was to buy time.
While Gugangryong was preoccupied with the tiles, Sabikang’s figure flashed as he flew through the air towards the masked man.
“Gah!”
The masked man, stepping on the rising tiles, watched Sabikang approach and swallowed hard.
He caught a glimpse of Sabikang’s smirking face before him.
“Damn it…!”
As he hastily thrust his sword,
Clang!
Sabikang flicked his fingers, striking the blade.
“Ugh!”
Whirl!
The masked man’s sword spun rapidly, flying into the air.
In the meantime, Veritas struck, piercing the masked man’s chest.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Thud, thud, thud!
In an instant, three holes appeared.
As the masked man fell, Sabikang slashed his body with Veritas.
Slash, slash, slash!
By the time Sabikang landed, Veritas was sheathed once more.
Meanwhile, the masked man landed with a thud, standing on both feet.
He trembled, raising his hands as his limbs grew numb.
In that moment, a diagonal line of blood appeared on his face, and soon his entire body cracked, blood gushing out like a fountain.
Thud!
The masked man collapsed, sprawling on the ground.
Having fended off the tiles, Gugangryong looked down, his expression hardening.
‘The masked man…!’
To be taken down so easily.
Even as a master, he couldn’t guarantee victory against the masked man in a direct confrontation.
Yet Sabikang had subdued him with little effort.
Thud!
Landing on the ground, Gugangryong clenched his teeth and spoke.
“It seems I underestimated the instructor.”
“Wrong.”
”…?”
“A student doesn’t judge the instructor. I do the judging. To see how much potential you have. But first, I need to correct your attitude. It’s all wrong.”
“You’re full of yourself…”
“That tone needs fixing too.”
“Who the hell do you think you are to boss me around?”
Enraged, Gugangryong shouted, charging at Sabikang.
Bang!
In an instant, Gugangryong was upon Sabikang, slashing diagonally with his sword.
Swish!
Thud.
In the next moment, Gugangryong’s eyes widened as he stared at Sabikang.
‘How… how is this possible…!’
Astonishingly, Sabikang had caught Gugangryong’s sword with his hand.
To catch the sword of a master with his bare hand!
Understanding his disbelief, Sabikang smiled and said,
“Even among masters, there are levels. You’ve just entered the realm, but I’m at the peak.”
“You arrogant…!”
“No, that’s something I can say.”
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, Gugangryong’s body bent like a bow from the punch.
But Sabikang quickly grabbed his wrist, preventing him from being thrown back.
Instead, he punched him in the face again.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Thud, thud, thud!
“Ahhh!”
Blood gushed from his nose, and his eyes felt like they would pop out.
Sabikang asked,
“Does it hurt?”
“You… you bastard… killed…”
“I’m hurting too.”
“What the hell are you talking about…!”
“If the one I’m supposed to teach is in pain, how do you think I feel?”
Thud! Whoosh! Thud!
“Ugh! Argh!”
Sabigang looked at him with a hint of pity, his fists flying relentlessly.
Gugangryong was getting pummeled so much he couldn’t even think straight.
Every time he thought he had escaped, Sabigang would appear behind him, fists ready to strike again.
It was beyond the difference between an adult and a child.
Just like climbing a mountain, the higher you go, the greater the difference in altitude with each step.
The same goes for martial arts.
Both of them were near the peak in terms of skill, but the level Sabigang had reached was far beyond what Gugangryong could even dream of.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gugangryong’s face was so battered it was unrecognizable, and he was becoming numb to the pain.
Each punch and kick was infused with such force that any ordinary martial artist would have been dead long ago.
“You… damn… who… are you…”
Finally, with his hair gripped tightly in Sabigang’s hand, Gugangryong mumbled through his swollen face.
Thick blood mixed with saliva dripped from his mouth.
Sabigang looked at him with cold eyes and spoke.
“As I said, I’m your instructor. Until now, I’ve been punishing you for skipping class. Now, I’ll address the betrayal of brotherhood.”
“You… bastard! What do you know… to act like this!”
Gugangryong shouted, spitting blood-tinged saliva, his voice a desperate, final outburst.
Even he found it ridiculous.
Wasting precious energy just to scream.
Sabigang stared at him intently before speaking again.
“Live long enough, and you get a sense of things. The world changes easily, but people never do. From what I see, Onggiseung isn’t who you think he is.”
”…?”
Gugangryong looked at Sabigang with his swollen eyes.
What on earth is he talking about?
And what does he mean by living long?
He didn’t look any older than himself.
He’d met all sorts of old-timers in his life, but never one this young.
“What do you know…?”
“What if what you know isn’t the truth?”
“What… nonsense is this?”
“I did some digging on that guy. And on you too, of course. The people I work with are quite good at gathering information.”
“So what are you babbling about!”
“I’m asking what you’ll do if what you know isn’t true.”
Sabigang’s eyes deepened.
Gugangryong twitched his cheek.
‘What the hell is this guy talking about?’