Episode 397: Return of the Demon Master
Gulp.
Chulyang swallowed hard as he cautiously approached Sabigang. At a glance, it was clear that something was seriously wrong with his master.
“Master…?”
“Rrrgh…!”
“It’s me, Chulyang.”
“Rrrgh…!”
“Please, calm down. I’ve come to take you back. It’s going to be alri—”
“Raaagh!”
Without warning, Sabigang bent his back and let out a ferocious roar, charging straight at Chulyang.
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
Instinctively, Chulyang thrust out his left hand.
Fwoosh!
A mana shield materialized with a burst of energy. But then—
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Chulyang was thrown back, colliding with a massive boulder.
“Argh!”
Coughing up blood, he crumpled to the ground, while Sabigang, with an indifferent expression, walked toward him.
In what seemed like just a few steps, Sabigang was suddenly standing over Chulyang.
Grab!
Sabigang seized Chulyang by the hair.
“Rrrgh…! Master! It’s me! Your one and only disciple, Chulyang!”
“Rrrgh…!”
“Ugh…! This is too much. Usually, this is the part where you recognize me and we have a tearful reunion…!”
Crash!
With a flick of his wrist, Sabigang sent Chulyang flying like a cannonball, smashing through rocks and tumbling to the lakeside.
“Ugh!”
The pain was excruciating, as if his entire body was being torn apart. It felt like he might die at any moment.
But Sabigang seemed oblivious to his disciple’s suffering.
“Rrrgh…!”
A torrent of dark, hateful energy surged from Sabigang’s body. He felt that if he didn’t release this overwhelming power, he might be torn apart himself.
And fortunately, there was a perfect target right in front of him.
Zap!
Using blink magic, Sabigang instantly closed the distance and grabbed Chulyang’s hair again.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A sharp presence cut through the darkness, something flying toward them.
Sabigang tossed Chulyang aside and turned to face the threat.
Clang!
The clash of swords sent sparks flying as two figures leapt apart.
The attacker was none other than Heukgwi. He had sensed something was off with Sabigang but had wisely stayed hidden, unlike Chulyang. He had no choice but to intervene when Chulyang was in danger.
Heukgwi vanished into the shadows, his presence undetectable even to the most skilled warriors.
Sabigang narrowed his eyes, his breath ragged.
Then, suddenly—
Zap!
Sabigang disappeared, reappearing in mid-air several meters away.
Simultaneously—
Whoosh! Boom!
His sword, Veritas, struck something in the darkness, igniting a burst of sparks.
In a flash, Heukgwi’s form was revealed. Astonishingly, Sabigang had pinpointed Heukgwi’s hiding spot.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as their swords clashed repeatedly. Each time, Heukgwi flickered in and out of sight like a ghost.
Finally, Sabigang’s foot connected with Heukgwi’s side.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Heukgwi crashed to the lakeside like a falling star, water splashing around him.
Splash!
He struggled to rise, only to collapse back to his knees, coughing up blood.
“Heukgwi!”
Chulyang limped over to support him.
“Are you okay?”
“Who’s worrying about who here?”
“You idiot… even when I’m worried about you, you act like this.”
Heukgwi managed a faint smile.
As the two leaned on each other to stand, Sabigang landed a few meters away.
“Be careful,” Heukgwi warned, raising his sword. Chulyang chuckled and stepped in front of him.
“Who’s worrying about who? Just stay behind me.”
“Don’t act like you know everything. The master isn’t himself right now.”
“I know. But unless you can hide, my shield’s the better option, right?”
As they exchanged words, Sabigang launched himself at them again.
“Master! Snap out of it!” Chulyang shouted, thrusting out his left arm.
Fwoosh!
A mana shield formed in an instant.
But then—
Suddenly, a small creature leapt from Chulyang’s arms, darting toward Sabigang.
“No! Stop!”
Chulyang reached out, but the creature, a cat-like familiar, was already speeding toward Sabigang.
Startled by the sudden movement, Sabigang swung Veritas reflexively.
Whoosh!
The familiar narrowly dodged the blade, leaping up to bite Sabigang’s right arm.
“Rrrgh!”
Sabigang roared, shaking his arm to fling the familiar away like a leaf.
Crash!
The familiar hit the ground, struggling to rise before collapsing again.
“Familiar!”
Chulyang started to rush over, but—
“Idiot! Get out of the way!” Heukgwi shouted.
Chulyang hesitated, turning to see Sabigang right in front of him.
He never imagined his master could become such a terrifying figure.
With every hair on his body standing on end, Chulyang’s eyes welled with tears as he cried out.
“Master! It’s me, Chulyang! Isn’t it time you finally hugged your one and only disciple?”
Heukgwi watched in disbelief, muttering to himself.
“That fool… again…”
As expected, Sabigang ignored him, swinging Veritas. Chulyang instinctively raised his left arm, forming a mana shield.
Whoosh!
Fwoosh!
But Chulyang realized his shield was weaker than usual.
‘Why…?’
The answer came quickly. It was because of the familiar.
Normally, the familiar would bolster his mana, but now, after being struck by Sabigang, it couldn’t assist him.
‘Damn! At this rate, the shield will break!’
If the shield shattered, Veritas would slice through his arm.
“Damn it!”
Chulyang squeezed his eyes shut.
But then…
Bang!
A deafening sound rang out, and Chulyang found himself flying backward.
His eyes flew open in shock.
‘Did I… block it?’
Skidding to a stop, Chulyang was steadied by Heukgwi from behind.
“It wasn’t you,” Heukgwi said gruffly, answering Chulyang’s unspoken question.
Chulyang looked around, seeing the energy emanating from Sabigang flowing away like a river.
“Familiar!”
Only then did Chulyang understand how he had managed to block Veritas.
Amazingly, the familiar was weakening the red energy pouring from Sabigang’s body.
It was the debuff effect Sabigang had once mentioned.
Because of this, Sabigang couldn’t focus his attack, and Veritas struck the mana shield with reduced force.
“Familiar… what are you doing?” Chulyang wondered, concern etched on his face.
The red energy from Sabigang was flowing toward the familiar, but it was hard to see the creature itself.
The spot where the familiar stood was so brightly lit with crimson energy that it was difficult to look directly.
“Raaagh!”
Enraged by the interference, Sabigang charged at the familiar.
Whoosh! Boom! Clang! Clang!
“What on earth is happening over there?” Chulyang wondered aloud.
As Sabigang entered the area where the familiar stood, the red energy engulfed him.
The air was filled with the sounds of clashing and roars.
The red energy pulsed like a living entity, forming a large sphere that quivered with each impact.
“Damn it, we have to save the familiar!”
“Wait! You’ll get yourself killed!”
“I can’t just stand by! If we don’t do something, the familiar might…!”
Chulyang couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.
The familiar had always been there for him, not just in spirit but in action, bolstering his mana in every battle.
When the enemy had attacked before, it was the familiar’s support that had saved him from falling off a cliff, allowing him to survive.
Banmyo was no longer just a pet or a beast to Churyang.
It meant something more—much more.
As Churyang prepared to rush forward again, Heukgwi gripped his shoulder firmly, stopping him in his tracks.
“I told you, if you go, you’ll die. You can’t save Banmyo.”
“But…!”
“He’s right… cough!”
A faint voice came from behind them.
Churyang quickly turned to see Onghaein, barely standing, gasping for breath.
Churyang’s eyes widened in concern.
“Elder! Are you alright?”
“Of course not…”
Onghaein collapsed again, but Churyang managed to catch him just in time, preventing his head from hitting the ground.
It was a miracle Onghaein was still alive at all.
Even without medical knowledge, Churyang could tell that Onghaein was on the brink of death.
“Wait… just wait… that child might… perform a miracle… something beyond human ability… if anyone can, it’s that child… even with just a sliver of strength… cough, cough!”
Onghaein coughed violently again.
Churyang held him tightly, clenching his teeth in frustration.
His eyes burned as he stared intently at the swirling red mist.
“Banmyo… Master… please…!”
He couldn’t bear to lose either of them.
How much time had passed like that?
“Rrrr!”
“Rrrr!”
Clang, clang! Bang! Crash! Boom!
The air was filled with the sound of roaring and explosions.
Then, suddenly,
Boom!
A massive shockwave erupted as if the heavens and earth were shaking,
Whoosh, boom!
Out of the red mist, Sabigang shot out like an arrow, crashing into the hut.
“What the… was that just…?”
“Yes, it was him.”
Heukgwi muttered with a grim expression.
As if to confirm his words, Sabigang, who had crashed into the hut, stood up with a roar.
“Raaah!”
He bent his back and let out a fierce roar before launching himself back toward the red mist.
But then!
Whoosh!
Out of nowhere, a dark shadow emerged from the red mist, pouncing on Sabigang.
At the same time, the surrounding mist vanished without a trace.
“What the…!”
Churyang, Heukgwi, and even Onghaein gasped in shock.
The fierce roar didn’t come from Sabigang.
It was the shadow.
Amazingly, the shadow was Banmyo.
But it looked different.
“It’s… it’s grown.”
“And a lot… bigger.”
Banmyo, with its white fur and black stripes, had grown so large that calling it a “cat” no longer seemed appropriate.
It resembled a white tiger.
With blazing red eyes, it bit down hard on Sabigang’s shoulder, tossing him aside with a powerful shake.
Crash!
Once again, Sabigang was sent flying, collapsing the hut completely as he fell.
Banmyo landed on the ground, its nose wrinkling as it let out a low growl.