Episode 419: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
“Damn… that bastard!”
Half a shichen had passed.
Sabikang looked like he was about to collapse, yet he remained standing.
The plan to capture him alive had been abandoned a while ago.
The masked leader surveyed the scene, his subordinates sprawled around him.
Nineteen out of thirty had fallen to Sabikang, groaning and bleeding.
Meanwhile, Sabikang was a blood-soaked specter, barely standing by sheer willpower.
A blood-drenched demon—that was Sabikang.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Sabikang’s breaths were ragged and heavy.
He looked like he could fall over with a mere touch.
Yet the masked leader couldn’t move a muscle. He couldn’t even lift a finger.
“Is he… a monster?”
The leader swallowed hard, feeling as if he faced an indomitable beast.
“Leader… what do we do?”
A subordinate asked, standing nearby.
The leader’s irritation flared.
“Is that a question, you fool?”
He suppressed his anger and spat out his words.
“Fire the signal.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The masked man fumbled for the signal flare in his robe.
But before he could launch it into the sky—
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
Sabikang lunged like a ghost.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The leader shouted, swinging his sword at Sabikang.
Crash!
The blade shattered roof tiles, sending shards flying everywhere.
Thud. Thud-thud!
Sabikang couldn’t deflect all the debris.
Some pieces embedded themselves in his body.
“Ugh, ptoo!”
He spat, blood mixed with saliva.
Whistle, bang!
The signal flare finally shot into the sky, exploding with a loud noise.
The masked leader steadied his breath and spoke.
“I don’t know who you are, but I admit your spirit. Still, you’re as good as dead now.”
As if to prove his words, dark energy began to converge from all directions.
Soon,
Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh!
Warriors in red uniforms descended one by one.
Among them, a man with a face painted bright red approached, glaring at the masked leader.
“What happened here?”
“My apologies!”
The leader dropped to his knees, and the red-faced man slapped him hard.
Smack!
“Pathetic.”
The red-faced man muttered coldly, turning his gaze to Sabikang.
Sabikang, still breathing heavily, grinned at him.
“Long time no see.”
“You know me?”
The red-faced man frowned, scrutinizing Sabikang.
Sabikang chuckled.
“Of course. I killed you with my own hands.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“The dream world isn’t so bad. I get to see familiar faces again.”
The red-faced man clicked his tongue, glaring at the kneeling leader.
“Can’t even handle one lunatic…”
“I’m sorry!”
The leader bowed his head again.
The red-faced man dismissed Sabikang as insane.
After all, no sane person would speak like that to a stranger.
But his assumption shattered with Sabikang’s next words.
“How’s your mother doing?”
”…!”
The red-faced man’s eyes twitched.
Sabikang added another remark.
“There’s a bond between those who give birth and those who raise, isn’t there?”
“You… who the hell are you?”
“I told you. I’m the one who’ll kill you soon.”
“Madmen need a beating. Leave him barely alive.”
“Understood!”
At the command, the warriors in red charged at Sabikang.
“Come on, then!”
Sabikang roared like a demon, clashing with his foes.
His fighting style was crude, to say the least.
“What kind of swordsmanship is that?”
The red-faced man frowned, watching Sabikang fight.
As time passed, Sabikang accumulated more wounds.
Splat! Slash!
“Ugh!”
Sabikang gritted his teeth.
In the dream world, even a criminal could become a martial arts master.
But Sabikang, with his superhuman strength in reality, struggled here with lesser skills.
Yet, he was quickly regaining his senses through the battle.
Thud!
“Gah!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Aaargh!”
Sabikang moved like a man possessed.
His clumsy movements gradually became more fluid, his swordplay smoother.
The red-faced man’s eyebrow twitched.
“Who is this guy?”
An unexpected obstacle, indeed.
And he spoke as if he knew him well.
“Annoying bastard! Get out of my way!”
The red-faced man shouted sharply, launching himself forward.
Whoosh!
His sword aimed for Sabikang’s throat.
In a split second, Sabikang ducked and sprang up, reaching out.
The red-faced man’s eyes widened.
“How did he move like that all of a sudden?”
He was much faster than before.
As if he was improving mid-fight.
Crunch!
“Ugh!”
Sabikang’s hand shot up, gripping the red-faced man’s throat.
The man struggled, gasping for air.
“Master!”
“Curse you!”
The red warriors charged, murderous intent in their eyes.
Sabikang raised his left hand, spreading his fingers wide.
He spoke to the red-faced man, almost whispering.
“You should’ve tried harder to kill me. Curiosity leads to mistakes.”
“What…?”
“Inferno.”
As Sabikang cast the spell, flames shot straight from his palm.
Fwoosh!
“Aaaah!”
“Nooo!”
The leading warrior was incinerated on the spot, while those behind him fell, engulfed in flames.
The red-faced man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“How… who are you…?”
“I’m tired of repeating myself. Sorry to kill you again, but I have no choice if you stand in my way.”
“Who are you? You…!”
The red-faced man couldn’t finish his sentence.
Sabikang tightened his grip.
Snap!
With a sickening crack, the man’s neck broke.
Thud!
Leaving the lifeless body behind, Sabikang took a deep breath.
“Inhale, exhale.”
A dark aura emanated from his body, then receded.
“My senses are returning. I’m almost at the peak.”
His rapid adaptation was impressive.
He surveyed the area.
Enemies lay scattered, some still clinging to life.
But then,
Whoosh…!
The red warriors and masked men began to dissolve into ash.
Sabikang flinched, looking around.
“The scenery… it’s fading.”
Sure enough.
Jingle… jingle…
The bell at his waist chimed.
A sign of the boundary of consciousness.
“Has it been too long since the light left this place?”
He couldn’t stay here any longer.
“I need to find Murang.”
Sabikang kicked off, sprinting toward the village outskirts.
Though covered in blood, he felt invigorated.
How long had he run?
The bell’s sound faded away.
Thanks to Murang’s marked path, he didn’t lose his way and entered the mountains.
Deep in the forest, he heard it.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons clashing beyond the bushes.
Sabikang rushed over to find Murang battling men in black uniforms.
Though Murang was a master in the dream world, the enemies were formidable, making it a tough fight.
Thud!
Murang’s kick sent one flying, but a black-faced man gritted his teeth and shouted.
“Forget capturing him! Kill the old man!”
“Understood!”
The black-clad men raised their weapons, charging with dark energy.
Murang spun like a top, striking in all directions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Aaagh!”
“Ugh!”
The black-clad men fell like leaves in a storm.
But he couldn’t fend off the black-faced man.
Amidst the chaos, the black-faced man lunged, sword aimed at Murang’s heart.
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out as the masked man staggered backward.
“Gwanju…!”
“Sorry I’m late.”
Sabi Kang replied, launching himself off the ground and hurtling toward the masked man like an arrow.
Swish!
“Not a chance!”
The masked man shouted, swinging his sword down with force.
Crash!
In that instant, the masked man couldn’t believe his eyes.
The blade he had swung with such confidence shattered into two pieces.
As disbelief spread across his face,
Thud!
Bertas pierced through his heart, emerging from his back.
“Gah…!”
“Master!”
“Argh! Die!”
The men in black charged at Sabi Kang all at once.
Slash!
In a whirlwind motion, Sabi Kang swung Bertas horizontally, cutting through them like a storm.
Screams filled the air as the attackers fell one by one.
The surviving men in black trembled, retreating in fear.
“What is that monster?”
“Where did someone like him come from…?”
Sabi Kang surveyed them coldly, muttering,
“Come on. We don’t have time.”
“Ugh! Kill him!”
In a flash, the men in black, filled with malice, rushed at Sabi Kang again.
At the same moment, Sabi Kang extended his hand and shouted,
“Explosion!”
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted, and the men in black, charging like moths to a flame, were blown apart, scattering in all directions.
Moorang stared at Sabi Kang in a daze.
“You’ve… really awakened.”
“Not quite. Still a long way to go before I’m back to normal.”
Sabi Kang replied curtly, moving forward.
“Which way?”
“There’s a manor over there.”
Moorang pointed beyond the forest, where an unfamiliar, strange energy seemed to emanate.