Episode 42: Return to the Dark Sect
Thud, thud, thud!
A horse galloped at full speed, carrying two riders.
Suddenly, it veered off the main road and plunged into the forest.
The horse charged through dense foliage, fallen trees, and deep puddles without hesitation.
Two people rode atop the horse: Neung So-so and Dan Ri-jeong.
Sitting behind So-so, Ri-jeong couldn’t help but be impressed.
“So-so really knows how to ride a horse!”
It was as if the horse and So-so were one.
“Hyah!”
At So-so’s shout, the horse sped up even more, racing through the forest.
“Even a Mongolian couldn’t ride better than this.”
But there was no time to admire her skills.
Just a short while ago, they had been running errands for Sabi-gang in the marketplace.
After buying what they needed, they were about to head back to their inn when they heard a distant signal flare.
It was so faint that Ri-jeong thought he might have imagined it.
But So-so, walking beside him, confirmed she heard it too.
They quickly climbed a tall building to get a better view.
In the distance, they saw red smoke dispersing in the forest.
“It’s a signal flare! No doubt about it!”
The distance was too great for their fellow students at the inn to notice.
So Ri-jeong launched a signal flare of his own and, with So-so, dashed into the forest.
They planned to use So-so’s flare to signal their location once their instructor or classmates arrived.
As they rode, So-so suddenly furrowed her brow.
“The air feels different!”
It was hard to explain, but it felt like the scent of blood lingered.
Something had definitely happened nearby.
“I’ll stop here!”
“Got it!”
So-so brought the horse to a sudden halt in front of a tree.
The horse reared up, neighing loudly.
In an instant, Ri-jeong leaped off and grabbed a branch.
He quickly steadied himself, drawing his bow and aiming toward where the flare had gone off.
“Where are you?”
He scanned the forest intently.
“There!”
Someone was crashing through the underbrush, running toward them.
“Is that… Yeom Ja-ryang?”
The person, covered in blood and panting heavily, was none other than Yeom Ja-ryang.
He looked utterly exhausted, as if being chased.
Ri-jeong quickly adjusted his aim, checking for pursuers.
“One, two… three. Three of them.”
He could see three pursuers, but the rustling bushes suggested there were more.
“So-so, get ready!”
“Understood!”
So-so nodded, gently stroking the horse’s mane.
She seemed calm, but was ready to spring into action at any moment.
Ri-jeong took a deep breath, pulling the bowstring taut.
He focused on the closest pursuer.
“I need to concentrate. Draw on all my inner strength and release the arrow like a sword strike!”
Though he’d only been practicing for a short time, he’d trained harder than anyone.
He’d even received tips from Sabi-gang.
There was no need to worry about mistakes.
Even if he missed, causing the enemy to hesitate would be a partial victory.
All he needed was to buy Yeom Ja-ryang enough time to escape.
“But who are these guys?”
No, he had to focus solely on the target.
“Even a near miss is fine. Just make them hesitate. No pressure!”
Ri-jeong held his breath.
In a flash!
Thwack!
The arrow flew, trailing a long tail.
At the same time…
“Hyah!”
So-so kicked the horse into a swift gallop.
**
“Huff, huff! Damn it! At this rate…!”
Yeom Ja-ryang was gasping for breath.
He glanced back to see his pursuers closing in.
He could make out three of them, but who knew how many more were behind?
“Damn, where’s the backup?”
He’d used too much energy taking down four pursuers earlier.
He couldn’t afford to waste any more on running.
He had a little inner strength left, but it was for emergencies.
He’d hoped for help from the instructor or students by now.
“Maybe the distance was too great!”
If so, no one had seen the signal flare.
A disaster.
Without support, he’d be captured.
After killing four of them, they wouldn’t let him live.
Just then, he tripped over a tree root and fell hard.
“Huff, huff. Damn it!”
He pounded the ground with his fist, struggling to stand.
His legs trembled.
“Heh heh heh! Kid, just give up already.”
The pursuers, now just a few yards away, taunted him, tapping their swords against their necks.
They knew he was exhausted.
Yeom Ja-ryang silently drew his sword.
Clang!
“Oh? You want to fight? Think you can take us in that state?”
“Bring it.”
He spoke sparingly, trying to control his breathing.
“Heh heh. You look like you can barely stand.”
”…”
“Why not come quietly? Struggling will only tire you out. Follow us, and we’ll let you live.”
The pursuers were cautious, not underestimating him despite his youth.
“After all, this kid took down four of us.”
But the situation was different now.
Yeom Ja-ryang was exhausted, and they knew it.
“Fine, if you insist on resisting, we’ll just kill you here!”
One pursuer lunged with a shout.
At that moment…
Thwack!
Thunk!
“Ugh!”
A sharp sound pierced the air, and the pursuer was struck in the neck, flying backward.
Yeom Ja-ryang’s eyes widened as he looked at his fallen foe.
“Ugh, ugh!”
The man clutched his bleeding neck, blood gushing out.
The other pursuers, startled, looked around frantically.
“Who, who is it?”
“Who’s there?”
Nothing is more terrifying than an unseen enemy.
Meanwhile, Yeom Ja-ryang clenched his fist, looking toward where the arrow had come from.
“Someone’s here to help me!”
Then…
Thwack!
Another arrow flew.
“Damn it!”
The pursuers scattered, diving for cover.
Thud!
An arrow grazed one pursuer’s shoulder, embedding in a tree.
Had it been a moment later, it would have pierced his forehead.
“Damn! Who is it?”
“Don’t move recklessly! Someone’s helping him!”
The pursuers lay flat in the underbrush, not daring to move.
Yeom Ja-ryang slowly backed away, distancing himself from them.
Then,
Thud, thud, thud.
The sound of hooves thundered behind him.
As he turned,
“Ja-ryang, grab on!”
So-so rode up, one hand on the reins, the other reaching out.
Yeom Ja-ryang quickly grasped her hand.
Smack!
Whoosh!
He soared into the air, landing swiftly on the horse’s back.
Neigh!
The horse neighed at the sudden weight but didn’t falter.
“You’re okay, Fenglang! Run!”
At So-so’s command, the horse turned and galloped back the way they came.
“Fenglang…? Is that the horse’s name? So-so really knows how to handle a horse.”
Yeom Ja-ryang thought as he glanced back at the fallen pursuers.
One tried to rise, but another arrow swiftly landed nearby.
The pursuers could only watch as Yeom Ja-ryang escaped.
**
“I… I killed someone.”
Drawing his fourth arrow, Dan Ri-jeong felt his fingers tremble.
He quickly shifted his aim to the approaching So-so.
Yeom Ja-ryang was riding behind her.
“We did it! We saved Ja-ryang!”
Now, they had to prevent the pursuers from following.
As he adjusted his aim, he noticed two more pursuers had joined the group.
The newcomers, heeding the warnings of their comrades, quickly ducked into the underbrush.
Thwack!
Whoosh!
The fourth arrow flew.
It might not hit, but it would keep them from pursuing Yeom Ja-ryang.
The new pursuers showed no sign of emerging from the underbrush.
Dan Ri-jeong took a deep breath, slowly drawing the bowstring.
“Stay calm.”
The first arrow had pierced a pursuer’s neck.
He hadn’t expected to actually kill someone, but it had happened.
Was it luck?
At least his arrows were a threat to them.
“Ri-jeong! We’re here!”
So-so called from below the tree.
Yum Jaryang, perched behind her, summoned the last of his strength to climb up the tree.
“Was it you who shot that?”
“Yeah.”
Dan Lijeong replied, still holding the bowstring taut.
His gaze was sharper than ever.
‘Did he always have eyes like that?’
Yum Jaryang found himself reevaluating Dan Lijeong. Despite being in the same class, there was so much he didn’t know about him.
Just then—
Thwack!
Whoosh!
Another arrow sliced through the air, disappearing into the distance.
Yum Jaryang quickly turned his head and spotted someone peeking out from the distant bushes, only to duck back down. It was hard to spot them unless you were really looking.
His jaw dropped.
“You… did you really shoot from here to there? And the first arrow too?”
“Yeah.”
Dan Lijeong answered curtly again, his expression completely different from his usual self.
‘To hit a target from such a distance… Was he always this skilled with a bow?’
At some point, Dan Lijeong lowered his bow and turned around.
“Let’s go. They won’t be moving for a while. This distance should be enough for us to get back to the dorm. We can talk more there.”
“Uh, okay.”
Dan Lijeong leapt down from the tree.
**
‘The demon king put a lot of effort into setting up this barrier, but it was all for nothing.’
Sabi Kang’s lips curled into a sly smile.
The item he sought here was worth the trouble. But he would make sure the demon king paid for the inconvenience.
As he walked through the tunnel, the ceiling gradually rose higher.
Eventually, a massive door blocked his path.
The door stood about ten meters tall, with a carving of a monstrous creature, its mouth agape, revealing sharp fangs.
It was a depiction of ‘Kamantar,’ a wild beast from the demon realm.
Sabi Kang leapt up to the carving of Kamantar’s face and shoved a jade stone into its mouth.
Thunk!
In the next moment—
Flash!
Kamantar’s eyes glowed, and the enormous door began to open with a heavy rumble.
Rumble!
‘Finally…!’
Sabi Kang stepped inside the door.
In the center of the vast chamber stood a stone pedestal, waist-high, with an old metal box resting on top.
The box was large enough to be cumbersome to lift with both hands.
A faint red aura emanated from it, too intense to be fully contained.
‘That’s it.’
Sabi Kang’s lips curled upward, unable to hide his excitement.
Taking a deep breath, he approached the metal box.
As expected, it was secured with a magical lock.
But for Sabi Kang, undoing such a lock was easier than pie.
‘Of course, for anyone from the central lands, reaching this place would be impossible.’
Naturally, without the ability to use an Unlock spell, opening the box would be out of the question.
A magical box couldn’t be forced open by sheer strength.
Gulp.
Finally, when Sabi Kang lifted the lid of the box—
Whoosh.
The red aura spilled out, bathing Sabi Kang’s face in its glow.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of a heartbeat!
It wasn’t coming from Sabi Kang’s chest.
It was the powerful thumping from within the metal box.
“Heh heh heh. I’ve finally found it. The Dragon Heart!”