Episode 481: The Return of the Demon Instructor
With a thunderous crash, Ailid plummeted like a meteor, smashing through the wall and tumbling to the ground.
“Ugh!”
He groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
“Damn it… this is rotten…!”
Ailid gritted his teeth, staggering to his feet as his eyes turned a furious red.
“Yaaah!”
As he let out a battle cry, the eyes of those around him also turned crimson, and they charged at Sabikang without hesitation.
“Attack!”
“Charge!”
The sheer number of people rushing at once was overwhelming, even for the Twelve Zodiac Warriors.
Sabikang’s expression turned icy.
“Enough of these petty tricks.”
In an instant, a powerful wave of energy erupted from Sabikang, radiating in all directions.
Boom!
“Aaah!”
“Ugh!”
The crowd screamed as they were flung back, landing haphazardly all around. Even the Zodiac Warriors had to brace themselves to withstand the force.
Ailid’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘What… is this?’
He couldn’t comprehend it. How could a mere human possess such strength? These creatures were less than insects… or perhaps this one wasn’t human at all. No ordinary human could be this powerful.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I told you before. I was once a grand duke who had you under my heel.”
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
“Then shut up and fight.”
Sabikang beckoned with a finger, a gesture that filled Ailid with humiliation, making him tremble with rage.
‘He can’t be human. There’s no way…!’
Yet, deep down, Ailid knew the truth. The opponent before him was indeed human, which made it all the more incomprehensible. How could he be so strong?
No, this was no time for such thoughts. Overthinking would only put him at a disadvantage in battle. To be pondering so much while facing a mere human…
Ailid shook off his thoughts and charged forward, kicking off the ground.
“How can a mere human…!”
He flew like a flash, thrusting his sword straight ahead.
Whoosh!
The blade was enveloped in a powerful aura, a manifestation of his magic—a true aura sword.
‘Die!’
It was a swift and deadly strike. Sabikang didn’t move.
‘Foolish…!’
Ailid smirked confidently. The man clearly didn’t understand the aura sword. Otherwise, why would he stand there, unmoving, without even attempting to dodge? Or was he so overwhelmed by the intense energy that he was frozen like a statue?
But then…
Clack!
“What…!”
It was Ailid who found himself frozen. His eyes widened as he stared at his own sword.
The blade, imbued with aura, was trembling. And it was firmly held between Sabikang’s fingers.
‘Barehanded…?’
His shock was short-lived. As he tried to pull back, the sword wouldn’t budge.
‘This is insane…!’
Once again, he questioned whether the opponent was truly human.
“Grrr…!”
Crack… Crack…!
Ailid’s muscles bulged, veins popping as his strength surged by more than forty percent. Yet, he couldn’t move an inch, his sword still caught.
He trembled all over, powerless to do anything.
Meanwhile, Sabikang spoke in a calm, unwavering voice.
“Do you know what’s truly laughable? You demons have such clear limits.”
“How dare you…!”
Snap!
Ailid’s eyes widened as his words were cut off. Sabikang had snapped the blade with his bare hands.
And in that instant,
Slash!
A flash of light sliced through the air, severing Ailid’s left arm.
“Argh, aaaaah!”
Ailid screamed, stumbling back.
“You wretched…!”
Sweating profusely, he looked up, only to hear Sabikang’s voice chillingly close behind him.
“But humans… have limitless potential.”
Boom!
“Aaaah!”
Ailid was sent flying with a scream, landing in the middle of the street.
Sabikang raised his left hand, white steam still rising from his palm.
“See? Even you can be beaten by a human.”
“Grrr…!”
Ailid staggered to his feet, his legs shaking uncontrollably. His face had turned ghostly pale.
Regret washed over him. He had thought stealing the elixir from mere humans would be as easy as pie. But to encounter a monster like this…!
If he had known, he wouldn’t have come with just five demons.
It sounded insane, but perhaps this human really was a grand duke of the demon realm.
‘What am I thinking?’
Regardless, Ailid was utterly terrified of Sabikang. Anger and hatred had vanished, replaced by sheer fear.
Just looking at Sabikang made his knees weak. There was no opening, no way to attack without putting himself in danger.
‘What do I do now…?’
He had to admit it. Sabikang was stronger. He couldn’t win. He had to…
‘Run!’
To flee from a mere human! The other demons would laugh, but if they saw this man, they wouldn’t dare.
‘Wait… did Baritan know about him? If this was Baritan’s plan…’
He had to return, no matter what.
He glanced around. People were scattering in panic, beyond the reach of his magic.
His eyes gleamed.
‘That’s it!’
Ailid raised his trembling hand and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, everyone around him transformed to look exactly like him, complete with a severed left arm and torn clothes.
Then, they scattered in all directions.
And in the next moment,
Poof!
Ailid vanished, blending into the crowd of duplicates.
Sabikang rose into the air, watching the fleeing Ailids with a murmur.
“Pointless…”
He opened his right hand, and Vertas floated up.
“Follow the scent of the blood you drank. You can do that, can’t you?”
The sword vibrated with excitement.
Sabikang’s eyes widened.
“Go!”
Whoosh!
Vertas shot forward like a flash of light.
It was a form of sword control, allowing the sword’s will to guide its path. Without reaching the pinnacle of sword mastery, Sabikang couldn’t have attempted it.
Vertas weaved through the fleeing Ailids, swiftly closing in on the real one.
And finally, as Ailid turned into an alley, the sword pierced his back.
Thud!
No blood spurted out. Vertas was too busy savoring the magic-infused blood, trembling with excitement.
Ailid twisted and fell, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“This… this is…!”
It was unmistakably the Demon King’s sword, Vertas.
Nothing made sense since he arrived here.
As he lay dying, a realization struck him.
‘Could it be…!’
The overwhelming aura from Sabikang. The Demon King’s sword, Vertas. The empty box.
Footsteps approached.
Sabikang drew near, and Ailid, clinging to life, asked with all his strength.
“Did you… take the Dragon Heart…?”
Sabikang paused, then cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Did you like my gift?”
“So it was you! You… insane… fool…”
Ailid’s words trailed off as he took his last breath.
**
Maesulan couldn’t close her gaping mouth.
She looked around the room in a daze.
“My goodness, is this all…?”
The walls were lined with shelves, each filled with herbs. Some were well-known, others she had never heard of.
The aroma of the herbs was potent, filling the air.
‘This is real.’
Just the scent cleared her mind. It was nothing like the herbs from that shabby apothecary.
‘Where did he find all these?’
She couldn’t help but be amazed.
Sabikang, too, seemed genuinely impressed.
“Incredible.”
“It’s too soon to be amazed. This way, please.”
The old woman finished speaking and walked over to one wall, retrieving seven small boxes.
All of them were empty.
But when she pulled out the last box, the entire wall smoothly rotated open, revealing a hidden room.
Inside, there was a chest that reached up to their waists. Sabigang and Maeseollan instinctively felt that whatever was inside must be incredibly precious.
The scent wafting from the room was unlike anything they had encountered before.
The old woman approached the chest slowly and opened it.
Maeseollan’s eyes widened in astonishment at what she saw inside.
“My goodness…!”
She had only ever heard of the “Eternal Snow Ginseng” in stories.
Never had she seen it with her own eyes.
Yet, even without prior experience, she knew instantly that the ginseng before her was the legendary Eternal Snow Ginseng.
It sat there with an air of elegance, almost as if it were a person sitting cross-legged.
The mere fragrance it emitted was enough to soothe the mind and body.
“Eternal Snow Ginseng,” Sabigang remarked.
The old woman nodded and opened another box to reveal more.
“There are five roots in total.”
“Incredible…!”
Once again, Maeseollan was left speechless.
One root alone would be astonishing, but five?
The old woman continued, “There are thirteen roots of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”
“And?”
“And one bottle of Gongcheongseokyu.”
The final box she opened contained a small jade bottle, no bigger than a thumb.
Maeseollan’s eyes widened even further, a shiver running through her body.
It felt as if someone might appear at any moment, knock everyone out, and steal these treasures away.
They say the more precious the possession, the more vulnerable the heart becomes.
In that sense, wasn’t this old woman truly remarkable?
To offer such rare items without hesitation, with such calmness.
Or perhaps, was there another motive hidden beneath her serene demeanor?