Episode 342: Return of the Demon Instructor
Drip… Drip…
Blood trickled down the blade of my sword, forming droplets that fell to the ground.
Trembling…
“Damn it!”
Maeng Ga-sook bit his lip hard and collapsed to the ground.
With that, he joined the ranks of the injured.
Now, the only ones still able to fight were Ong Gi-seung, Gu Gang-ryong, the Seol siblings, Seok Tan-gang, Yoo Song-ryeong, Baek Gong-bo, and finally, Choo Ryang and Heuk-gwi.
The only silver lining was that the Red Demon Squad and their soldiers weren’t intent on killing the wounded. Instead, they seemed determined to humiliate us, forcing each of the new recruits to surrender one by one.
Even with the injured gathered together, they didn’t launch a full assault.
‘They’re trying to crush our spirits.’
Maeng Ga-sook ground his teeth and glared at the figure standing arrogantly on a distant tree branch.
That was the leader of the Red Demon Squad, the Red Masked Man.
But Maeng Ga-sook was mistaken.
In truth, the Red Masked Man was just as frustrated, watching the battle unfold with a stubborn resolve.
‘Who are these people, really?’
He struggled to keep his composure as he watched the new recruits still fighting fiercely.
He had thought that dealing with Ong Gi-seung and Gu Gang-ryong would be enough.
But each of these recruits was unexpectedly strong.
If he hadn’t brought so many soldiers, it might have been the Red Demon Squad on the losing side.
Initially, he had planned to kill all the recruits except for Ong Gi-seung and Gu Gang-ryong. Of course, he had also considered sparing some to break the enemy’s morale, but that was just a strategic move.
Now, his mind had completely changed.
‘I need to capture them all alive!’
It was a matter of pride.
Too many of his soldiers had fallen to these recruits.
At this point, it seemed more beneficial to turn the recruits into soldiers for the Red Demon Squad.
Of course, the current soldiers were not to be underestimated.
Especially the two hundred elite soldiers he had brought, who were already top-tier fighters before being transformed.
But to hold their ground against such formidable soldiers?
‘If they continue like this, I’ll have no choice but to turn them all into soldiers!’
It wouldn’t be easy.
He would have to sacrifice many of his soldiers.
But soldiers of this caliber could be created at will.
Stronger soldiers, too.
Yet…
‘These recruits are different!’
It’s not just about strength; there’s something unique about them.
Especially…
‘What is that woman?’
The Red Masked Man’s gaze fell on Seol Seo-rin.
A woman with markings on her face like a cat.
She hadn’t had those markings at first.
But during the fight, they appeared like tattoos.
She wielded a whip, but it was no ordinary weapon.
Whether it was due to her mastery of fire techniques or the whip itself being imbued with extreme yang energy, it was constantly engulfed in flames.
Moreover, the whip’s blade-like spikes moved with a life of their own, responding to her intent.
And she wasn’t the only one.
The man they called ‘Heuk-gwi’ was using a strange technique to conceal himself.
An ordinary fighter wouldn’t even notice his presence.
But the soldiers were different.
Somehow, Heuk-gwi’s concealment technique didn’t work perfectly on them.
It seemed his technique was similar to the soldiers’ own energy.
And then there was another.
Despite his awkward movements, he was holding his ground until the end.
The Red Masked Man’s attention was drawn to Choo Ryang.
His clumsy stance and peculiar movements were in perfect harmony with the weapons in his hands.
Moreover, the cat that followed him was quite unusual.
Larger than a typical cat, it moved nimbly, disrupting the soldiers.
For some reason, the soldiers couldn’t easily deal with the cat.
‘Is it a mystical creature?’
In any case, they were fascinating subjects for experimentation.
He couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.
The other recruits, too, would make excellent soldiers if captured alive.
It would take time to keep them breathing, but it didn’t matter.
As time passed, the battle was increasingly turning in favor of the Red Demon Squad.
‘There’s no need to rush. Secure them one by one.’
He had only intended to capture the Celestial Demon Physique, but now it seemed he could secure some exceptional soldiers as well.
Meanwhile, the new recruits were growing weary as time went on.
As Yoo Song-ryeong’s stamina waned, Seok Tan-gang, who fought alongside her, struggled to maintain his strength.
When Seol Soo-min began to falter, Seol Seo-rin also found it hard to focus on the fight.
Finally, when Baek Gong-bo was injured and had to retreat, the remaining fighters faced an even tougher battle.
They had no choice but to rely on sheer willpower and determination beyond their physical limits.
Driven by instinct, they swung their weapons, often dodging the enemy’s lethal strikes by sheer luck.
“Ugh!”
When Seol Soo-min took a deep wound to his shoulder and staggered, Seol Seo-rin rushed over, eyes blazing.
“Brother!”
“Huff, huff, I’m fine.”
“These bastards…!”
Seol Seo-rin gritted her teeth, and the markings on her forehead and cheeks darkened.
But there were too many soldiers surrounding them.
Meanwhile, Gu Gang-ryong and Ong Gi-seung, who had been fighting fiercely on one side, managed to break free and join the recruits.
“Damn it! How do we deal with these guys?”
Gu Gang-ryong shouted, grinding his teeth.
They had taken down about half of the two hundred soldiers.
But there were still too many compared to the recruits.
Moreover, the soldiers seemed to feel no pain, continuing to fight despite their injuries.
Swoosh!
One soldier tore off his dangling arm and advanced, closing the distance.
The recruits, forming a protective circle around the injured, retreated slowly.
‘Damn… Is this the end?’
Choo Ryang furrowed his brow.
It was remarkable they had held out this long.
Even if others didn’t know, he owed his endurance to Ban-myo.
Whenever he felt he was about to collapse from exhaustion, Ban-myo’s fur bristled, and mana surged from his chest, coursing through his veins.
But even that seemed to be reaching its limit.
Ban-myo, too, was barely standing on trembling legs.
Clap, clap, clap.
The Red Masked Man approached, clapping his hands.
“Impressive. Truly remarkable.”
He spoke in a hoarse voice, scanning the recruits with interest.
“We’ll have a masterpiece that surpasses any ordinary soldier.”
As soon as he finished speaking, about fifty Red Demon Squad members lined up behind him, ready to pounce at any moment.
It was a dire situation.
Around them, a hundred soldiers still loomed, and fifty Red Demon Squad members stood ready.
And with the Red Masked Man, who hadn’t even shown his full strength, the outcome of this battle seemed inevitable.
In the next moment, the Red Masked Man’s eyes turned cold.
“Capture them. It’s fine if they’re crippled, but keep them alive.”
“Understood!”
In an instant,
Thud, thud, thud!
The Red Demon Squad members leaped into action.
But then,
Whoosh!
Boom!
Suddenly, a dark shadow descended from the sky like a comet, landing in front of the recruits.
The ground caved in like a crater, sending debris and dust swirling everywhere.
“What the…?”
The Red Masked Man’s eyebrows twitched as he stared into the dust-filled center.
He wasn’t the only one surprised.
The recruits, too, widened their eyes, watching the scene unfold.
As the dust began to clear, the first to shout was Seol Seo-rin.
“Husband!”
The unexpected call caused the recruits’ expressions to twist momentarily before brightening.
There was only one person Seol Seo-rin would call that.
The one they had waited and searched for.
“Instructor…?”
“Master!”
The recruits and Choo Ryang shouted in unison.
Just then, a familiar voice came from beyond the fading dust.
“Who said you were my wife? I’m a man with commitments, you know.”
The recruits felt like cheering with joy.
It was really Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang had returned!
But Seol Seo-rin, filled with killing intent, charged forward.
“If I can’t have you, I’ll destroy you…!”
Thud!
Sa Bi-gang’s outstretched palm sent Seol Seo-rin flying, landing her on the ground.
Sa Bi-gang picked his ear and spoke.
“How many times do I have to tell you? You should have learned by now. Why make things so difficult?”
Then he glanced at the Red Masked Man.
“And who are you? Why are you bothering my kids?”
“What, what? How did you even get here…?”
The Red Masked Man’s face twitched uncontrollably.
The fear from their battle at the Black Cloud Fortress crept up from the depths of his heart.
At the same time, a warm anger simmered in his gut.
‘This bastard… As if my twisted life wasn’t enough… He twisted it even more!’
The Red Masked Man touched his scarred face with trembling fingers.
His instincts screamed not to face Sa Bi-gang head-on.
He wasn’t an ordinary martial artist.
But his emotions rejected his instincts.
Overwhelmed by the urge to tear that smug, mocking face to shreds, he seethed with anger.
“You… you can’t possibly have forgotten me!”
In an instant, the figure of the Red Mask vanished, only to reappear right in front of Sabigang in the blink of an eye.
“Fireball!”
As he extended his hand, a blazing orb formed in his palm and hurtled toward Sabigang.
Boom!
Yet Sabigang didn’t budge an inch.
Through the thick smoke, the Red Mask’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Did it… vanish?”
Not only that, but the hand that had struck Sabigang felt as if it were freezing over.
“Damn it!”
Staggering back, the Red Mask was quickly supported by his subordinates.
He shook them off roughly, glaring at Sabigang.
Finally recognizing him, Sabigang spoke up.
“Oh, it’s you. The one I saw at Black Cloud Fortress. You look terrible.”
“And whose fault do you think that is?”
“Still, you never learn, do you? After what happened last time, you mess with my people again? If you don’t use your head, your body will pay the price.”
“Shut up! I’ll kill you for sure this time!”
With that, the Red Mask and his men lunged at Sabigang.
In a flash, Sabigang drew Berthas and swung it down vertically.
Crash!
A wave of energy surged forth, rippling toward the Red Mask and his followers.
“Argh!”
“Ahhh!”
This was no ordinary energy wave.
It was infused with the essence of countless poisons Sabigang had absorbed.
The Red Mask’s men felt their skin turn a sickly blue as their bodies stiffened.
Some collapsed, retching on the ground.
Only those who quickly erected a shield to protect themselves managed to escape unscathed.
Barely shielding himself from the poison, the Red Mask looked at Sabigang with trembling eyes.
The fear he had momentarily forgotten crept back in.
Sabigang smirked at him.
“If you can’t be taught, then you might as well be broken. Before you become a true menace to the world.”