Episode 447: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
Swoosh!
Slash!
“Aaaargh!”
Baluk let out a blood-curdling scream as he twisted in agony, his arm severed.
Nung Unpa spun gracefully, delivering a powerful kick.
Boom!
Baluk staggered back, flailing helplessly.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The elite warriors of Nung Unpa’s personal unit, the Seung Ryong Squad, swarmed in like a hive of bees, unleashing a barrage of sword energy.
Splat!
Baluk finally collapsed, blood gushing from his wounds.
Nung Unpa surveyed the battlefield, shouting commands.
“Don’t panic! Stand your ground! Believe in yourselves!”
But for the warriors facing Baluk for the first time, it was easier said than done.
“Gah, what kind of monster is this…! Aaargh!”
“No! We can’t possibly win… Aaaah!”
Many fell, pierced by the spikes launched from Baluk’s mace, while others were ensnared by Baold’s tentacles.
‘Damn it! At this rate…!’
Nung Unpa glanced back.
The sacrificial wall remained unyielding, save for the small section he’d damaged with his energy blast earlier.
Above, the black-clad archers stood ready, bows drawn taut, prepared to fire at any moment.
Caught between a rock and a hard place!
They were now fighting with the enemy they intended to invade at their backs.
There was no choice.
To deal with the sudden onslaught of demons, they had to fight with their backs to the unmoving Demon Sect followers.
Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept through, and a demon soldier charging from a distance let out a scream and fell.
Wook Cheongpung, who had dispatched the soldier with a single blow, rushed to Nung Unpa’s side, shouting urgently.
“Leader! We must retreat! We can’t hold out for even half an hour like this!”
“But if we retreat now, the rescue team will be completely isolated.”
“We have no choice! If we try to save them now, we’ll all be wiped out! We should retreat first and then regroup the rescue team!”
‘If only we had the time for that…’
Nung Unpa furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
He knew that retreating now would mean losing the war.
At best, they might save their own lives.
Wook Cheongpung surely understood this too.
The idea of regrouping the rescue team later was just a comforting pretense.
Even if they escaped now, there wouldn’t be many survivors.
“Leader!”
Wook Cheongpung shouted again, and Nung Unpa lifted his head, making a decision.
“Let’s retreat.”
“You’ve made the right choice! Everyone, fall back! Retreat! Get out of here as quickly as possible!”
Wook Cheongpung’s voice, amplified by his inner energy, rang out, and the warriors began to withdraw from the battlefield.
Now, instead of slaughtering the enemy, they focused all their efforts on survival.
Nung Unpa also looked around, shouting,
“I’ll clear a path! Follow me!”
With that, he launched himself forward with incredible speed, using his light-footed technique.
“Raaaargh!”
“Graaaah!”
The demon soldiers and Baluk charged, screaming.
“Hmph! Not a chance!”
Nung Unpa’s sword slashed through the air, his energy exploding and tearing through the demons.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His swordsmanship was fiercer and more powerful than ever.
He proved beyond doubt that he was the leader of the greatest organization in the martial world.
Even Wook Cheongpung, running alongside him, was in awe.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the leader’s skills up close. Truly impressive. I should never have underestimated him based on his usual gentle demeanor!’
It seemed the leader’s martial prowess had grown significantly.
Thanks to this, the warriors following him managed to climb the hill with relative ease.
But as they reached the final obstacle, the golems, something unexpected happened.
Rumble!
The massive creatures, which had been as immovable as mountains, suddenly began to move, charging with terrifying speed.
“Haaah!”
Nung Unpa let out a battle cry, meeting the charge head-on.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
The golem’s fist collided with Nung Unpa’s sword, the impact tearing his robe to shreds.
Rip! Rip! Rip!
“Cough!”
“Leader!”
The bodyguards rushed forward, shouting.
Meanwhile, the Seung Ryong Squad flew in like the wind, slashing at the golems.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But the golems were as indestructible as ever.
Their bodies shimmered with a silver light, and they spun rapidly, swinging their arms.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Ack!”
“Ugh!”
The Seung Ryong Squad was thrown back, rolling across the ground.
Nung Unpa gritted his teeth.
“Damn it! How do we deal with these things…?”
Just then, he felt a sudden heat at his back and turned instinctively.
Whoosh!
A hot wind blew fiercely from behind.
He saw flames rising violently in the distance.
“What is that…?”
Then, as if an earthquake had struck, the ground split open, and lava erupted.
“That’s…!”
“It must be the work of the Sa Bigang!”
One of the Seung Ryong Squad exclaimed with relief.
In contrast, Wook Cheongpung’s expression remained cold.
“Looks like they’re using demonic sorcery again.”
“What does it matter if it’s demonic sorcery? If it helps us deal with those Demon Sect bastards, all the better.”
The leader of the Seung Ryong Squad replied with a nonchalant expression, causing Wook Cheongpung’s eyebrows to twitch.
Just as he was about to retort,
Screeeeech!
Suddenly, a golden aura burst from the golems, and they retreated, returning to their positions.
Then,
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The golems clustered together, their bodies merging and glowing with an even deeper golden hue.
The massive golems formed a wall, blocking the path like a towering fortress.
Nung Unpa frowned, muttering to himself.
“What are they up to now?”
**
“This place is hell on earth.”
Ak Cheonggwe shook his head in disbelief as he walked across the hardened lava.
Behind him, the assassins of the Salmak followed, escorting the wounded who had been held captive in the Demon Sect’s stronghold.
Given the chaos Sa Bigang had unleashed, there was little need for an escort.
The area had been scorched for dozens of yards around—who would dare to stand in their way?
“Hah! The leader couldn’t have foreseen this. And that young upstart, the chief strategist, couldn’t have imagined you’d cause such a ruckus, could he? Heh heh.”
Ak Cheonggwe chuckled, amused, as he approached Sa Bigang.
But then he stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing.
Just moments ago, Sa Bigang had been standing alone at the edge of the hardened lava.
Now, another figure had appeared before him.
A man with a face painted entirely white.
‘When did he get there…? And who is he? A Demon Sect member?’
Judging by the white paint, it seemed likely.
Ak Cheonggwe smirked inwardly.
‘Hah! Bold, aren’t you? To show up in front of Sa Bigang after all this chaos.’
If it were him, he’d have hidden away, not showing even a hair.
But the white-faced man stood there, eyes fixed on Sa Bigang.
“Tsk, is he foolish or just brave…?”
Ak Cheonggwe muttered, clicking his tongue.
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the white-faced man.
“Is it you?”
“What?”
The white-faced man tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Are you the one who took out the Dark God Squad?”
“Ah, those rat-like fellows. Yes, I killed them.”
“Then it’s your turn to die.”
“Heh heh.”
The white-faced man suddenly burst into laughter.
Ak Cheonggwe, watching from behind, clicked his tongue in disbelief.
‘Is he insane? To appear so fearlessly in front of Sa Bigang after all this… he must be out of his mind.’
The white-faced man chuckled for a while before twisting his lips into a smirk.
“Don’t underestimate me. Just because you killed Gold Face doesn’t mean I’ll fall as easily. If Gold Face had more time, he wouldn’t have gone down so quickly…”
“Enough talk. Let’s finish this.”
“Hmm. You seem to be in a hurry.”
“Listening to the drivel of you trash isn’t my forte.”
The white-faced man’s expression twisted slightly, but he continued with a faint smile.
“You’re quite the interesting one. No wonder Lord Jonya is so intrigued by you.”
“If you’re done talking…”
Sa Bigang drew his sword, Berthas, with a smooth motion.
“Ah, wait. Before we start, let me ask. Are you planning to take them with you?”
The white-faced man gestured to the wounded being escorted from the Demon Sect’s stronghold.
Ak Cheonggwe scowled, answering,
“Did you think we’d be playing house here?”
“Heh heh. Then you’re in for quite the ordeal.”
With that, the white-faced man snapped his fingers.
Suddenly,
“Ugh!”
“Ahhh!”
The wounded began to writhe, their faces contorted in agony, letting out cries of pain.
“Hey! What’s happening?”
“What on earth is happening?”
The assassins, caught off guard, grabbed the injured by the shoulders and shook them.
In that fleeting moment,
“Aaargh!”
Smoke began to rise from the foreheads of the injured, accompanied by a sizzling sound.
Boom!
As they suddenly unleashed their energy on the surrounding assassins, several were thrown back with screams.
“Those lunatics…!”
Akeon Goe gritted his teeth, ready to bolt, when—
“Uuughh!”
The injured collapsed to their knees, writhing in agony.
Finally, a crimson mark began to etch itself clearly onto their foreheads.
It was as if a searing hot iron had branded them.
The pattern of the brand was unfamiliar.
Yet, Sabigang had a vague suspicion.
“A curse from the demon realm…! Could it be Baritan’s doing?”
In the next instant,
Thud! Thud-thud!
The injured suddenly charged at the assassins, launching a frenzied attack.
Akeon Goe shouted furiously.
“Damn it! These bastards have gone berserk! We can’t save them now, just kill them all!”
“Understood!”
The assassins quickly drew their swords and began their deadly dance.
Sabigang didn’t stop them.
The few who had succumbed to madness were not the main issue.
It might have been impossible to escape with them intact from the start.
Instead, the priority was to investigate this place thoroughly and prevent the demon king’s arrival.
Clang! Clang!
A fierce battle erupted between the assassins and the injured.
The injured were far stronger than expected.
Snap!
With another snap of his fingers, the injured began to transform, turning into monstrous forms.
“You fiend!”
Sabigang roared, ready to charge at the masked figure, when—
“By the way, is the Myolmyeolgwan safe? I heard the leader went for a visit.”
The masked figure murmured with a sly smile.