Episode 550: The Return of the Demon Sect Leader
Once everyone had left, Neung Un-pa found himself alone again on his bed.
The pendant around his neck continued to whisper softly to him, its voice like a gentle breeze.
His once turbulent heart was slowly finding peace.
Then, without warning—
A strange, viscous black liquid began to ooze from the star-shaped pendant.
Startled by the sudden occurrence, Neung Un-pa furrowed his brow and watched the scene unfold with a calm intensity.
The liquid was so dense it seemed more like a malleable solid than a fluid.
As it dripped to the floor, it stained the ground with a dark, inky hue.
Moments later—
From the blackened floor, something began to rise, like a shadow wrapped in dark bandages.
A figure emerged, its face covered in grotesque protrusions.
It was hard to say if it was even human.
No human could look so monstrous.
The tendrils on its face writhed like caterpillars.
This was Count Adler.
Neung Un-pa’s expression flickered with surprise.
Yet, he remained unnaturally calm.
Despite the incomprehensible phenomenon before him, his reaction was remarkably composed.
Adler surveyed the room before locking eyes with Neung Un-pa.
“Neung Un-pa, leader of the righteous alliance.”
“Was it you who brought me here?”
Adler smiled, a grotesque twist of his already hideous features.
“Indeed. And I am also the one who will guide you to greater heights.”
“Are you a demon?”
“Yes.”
Adler nodded and began to walk slowly, the black liquid on the floor following him like a shadow.
Neung Un-pa watched him intently.
“And how do you feel now?”
Adler asked, turning back with a curious look.
Neung Un-pa chuckled softly, glancing down at his hands.
He instinctively understood.
It was time to choose a different path, to wield a different sword.
A path that was destined for him.
“How do I feel? It’s… strange.”
“I see. I’ve elevated several humans before.”
“Elevated…?”
“Made them into beings beyond human. Do such beings exist in your world?”
“If you mean immortals.”
Neung Un-pa nodded.
Adler nodded in understanding.
“Yes, but it’s a bit different. It’s about becoming a different kind of being.”
“A stronger being?”
Neung Un-pa’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Adler smiled faintly, reading the burning desire in Neung Un-pa’s eyes.
All those he had elevated shared the same longing.
A thirst for greater power!
To become something beyond human!
Adler’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Of course. You will be my masterpiece. Stronger than any I’ve elevated before.”
Neung Un-pa had the potential.
Among all the humans Adler had encountered, Neung Un-pa was among the strongest.
And his complex inner world was ripe for awakening the demon within.
Adler approached Neung Un-pa.
The tendrils on his face writhed and extended, attaching themselves to Neung Un-pa’s forehead.
Neung Un-pa did not resist the grotesque tendrils.
Instead, he looked Adler straight in the eye.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh… I need to assess your potential. Only then can the elevation proceed without a hitch. To become a being beyond mere humans.”
After a moment, the tendrils retracted back into Adler’s face.
He stepped back, beginning to dissolve into the black liquid.
“Then… let us proceed without delay…”
With those words, Adler vanished completely into the dark liquid.
The liquid slithered up Neung Un-pa’s legs, climbing higher.
It reached his neck, then began to seep into his nose and ears.
Neung Un-pa did not resist.
Instead, he wondered why he had ever hesitated to seize this chance for greater power.
Once the liquid had fully entered him, his eyes turned completely black.
A faint smile twisted his lips.
“Prepare yourself. For my destiny.”
**
The Daewoon Mountain Basin was breathtaking.
Unfamiliar grasses and flowers swayed in the gentle breeze, and the scattered trees dotted the landscape like a painting.
In this picturesque setting, a hundred thousand troops had gathered.
Yet the atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant.
Perhaps it was the beauty of the natural surroundings?
Men and women of all ages mingled, chatting and laughing as if on a grand outing.
To the north, a makeshift platform had been erected, where Neung Un-pa would soon deliver a speech.
Gu Yoon approached Neung Un-pa, handing him the speech before stepping back.
He watched with a hint of unease as Neung Un-pa ascended the platform steps.
“Have you secured the anti-demon talisman?”
Ak Cheon-gwe approached, asking quietly.
“I don’t think it will be necessary.”
“Are you sure?”
Ak Cheon-gwe frowned.
“I trust our leader.”
“But your eyes betray doubt.”
“I…”
“Seems like your conversation yesterday didn’t go well.”
Gu Yoon started to speak but then fell silent.
“No, it went very well.”
Gu Yoon replied irritably.
Ak Cheon-gwe studied him, as if trying to see through to the truth.
Finally, Gu Yoon sighed deeply.
“I don’t know. I just… saw a glimmer of possibility. It seems we’ve left our leader too isolated. I’m not sure yet… but things will improve.”
With that, Gu Yoon looked up at Neung Un-pa’s back once more.
‘Isn’t that right, leader? It’s not too late, is it? You’re giving me another chance, aren’t you?’
His heart was heavy.
What was it that the leader truly wanted to say to him yesterday?
As he left the tent, Gu Yoon had a gut feeling.
For some reason, the leader hadn’t told him the whole truth.
Of course, it was true that the leader had dismissed Cheon-mu.
But… he felt there was more to what the leader wanted to say last night.
Gu Yoon glanced at Lee Ja-jun, standing to the side.
Did he know something?
Gu Yoon decided he needed to talk to him and was about to move when—
“Don’t act rashly.”
Ak Cheon-gwe spoke, his eyes fixed on Neung Un-pa.
Gu Yoon turned back, and Ak Cheon-gwe spoke with a stern expression.
“I don’t think you’ll have much time left.”
“What do you mean?”
“Doesn’t it feel like something’s going to happen today?”
Gu Yoon frowned, following Ak Cheon-gwe’s gaze.
Only then did he realize what Ak Cheon-gwe was looking at.
It wasn’t Neung Un-pa.
His gaze was fixed on the distant sky.
There, a mass of dark clouds was rolling in.
Or were they clouds?
They looked like a swarm of crows.
In any case, it was an unnatural sight.
Like ink spreading across a blank canvas.
Ak Cheon-gwe’s voice reached his ears.
“Remember. No matter what happens, keep your wits about you.”
“What on earth…?”
“Just in case, I sent a message to the Demon Palace by the fastest means yesterday. Let’s hope it arrives in time.”
“Do you think something will happen today?”
At that moment—
“Everyone, please focus!”
A loud, clear voice cut through the crowd.
The speaker was none other than Lee Ja-jun.
He had stepped forward, addressing the hundred thousand gathered in the basin.
His voice, imbued with power, reached every ear.
Lee Ja-jun glanced at Ak Cheon-gwe and Gu Yoon before continuing.
“The leader will now speak. Please listen carefully.”
Ak Cheon-gwe and Gu Yoon turned their attention to the platform.
Not just them, but all hundred thousand fell silent, eyes on Neung Un-pa.
Neung Un-pa smiled faintly and began to speak.
“We have gathered here to become stronger. No one here would deny that. And there are many ways to grow stronger. But you must have felt it—no matter how hard humans try, we are no match for the demons.”
Neung Un-pa’s voice was calm, yet it carried power, reaching every ear.
Gu Yoon’s expression twisted.
“That’s not…”
“Doesn’t seem like the speech you wrote.”
Gu Yoon watched Neung Un-pa with growing unease.
‘What are you saying, leader?’
Neung Un-pa raised his hands.
“But I will make you stronger here. We will gain power. A power unlike any before! A power no one can ignore! We will awaken the full potential of humanity and surpass our limits! Here, we will be reborn as new beings!”
A thunderous crack split the sky.
At that moment, a massive flock of crows descended from the distant sky, filling the air above the Daewoon Mountain basin.
The warriors looked up, bewildered.
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
Clang! Boom!
As the crows flew chaotically, colliding with one another, thunder rumbled and lightning struck.
The sudden turn of events left the warriors in a state of shock.
“What… what’s happening?”
“Why are there so many crows all of a sudden? Are they even crows?”
“Look! It’s a three-legged crow! It has three eyes!”
“There’s one with four eyes! No, wait, some have countless eyes!”
“What on earth is going on?”
As the warriors murmured in confusion, Neungwoonpa raised his hands high and shouted.
“Today marks the beginning of our new destiny! Our existence will be reborn!”
Boom!
The thunder roared louder, and the crows flew even more frantically.
The sky, now swarming with crows like a dark cloud, cast the basin into an impenetrable darkness.
Just moments ago, the sunlit meadow was now a distant memory, replaced by an ominous atmosphere.
Crash!
“Look out! They’re falling!”
“The crows are falling!”
The crows, torn apart from their collisions, began to plummet to the ground, turning into a black liquid that poured down like a torrential rain.
“Commander!”
In a flash, Biryung cried out, rushing over to slip a talisman from her chest into Guyun’s hands.
“Biryung… what is happening?”
“Commander! This place is dangerous. We must leave at once—”
At that moment,
“Do not flee from your fate! Embrace it! Those who stand firm will grow stronger and be reborn!”
As Neungwoonpa’s voice rang out again,
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A colossal hand descended from the sky.
But this time, it wasn’t a divine beast crushing people indiscriminately.
Instead, the giant hand formed a barrier around the basin.
Soon, black smoke erupted vertically from the pendant around the leader’s neck.
Whoosh!
Neungwoonpa’s eyes began to turn pitch black.
“Ahhh!”
“What is this? No, no!”
Those drenched in the black liquid from above began to twist and contort, screaming in agony.
Guyun stared at Neungwoonpa, dazed.
“Leader… what have you done? What is this…?”
Smack!
Suddenly, his vision flashed as his cheek was slapped.
When he came to, Akcheongoe was shouting with a fierce expression.
“Get a grip! You need to get out of here with your guards!”
Even as he spoke, the black rain continued to drench the tens of thousands of warriors below.