Episode 596: Return to the Demonic Sect
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions echoed relentlessly around the Demonic Palace.
Thick smoke billowed into the air, mingling with the acrid stench of burning flesh.
The metallic tang of blood was unmistakable.
Is this what hell would look like?
Despite all obstacles, grotesque monsters with terrifying appearances continued to swarm toward the Demonic Palace.
Some of the warriors had never seen such creatures before.
Those who were new to this sight stood frozen, their faces pale with shock.
“Stay sharp, everyone! This is the real deal! We need to show them they’ve come to the wrong place!”
“Yes, sir!”
The warriors responded in unison.
Yet, faced with the bloodthirsty demons and monsters, their courage often wavered.
Fortunately, the Demonic Palace was built with towering walls, higher than most fortresses.
This gave them precious time.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Monsters with skin as tough as reptiles pounded on the palace gates with massive iron rods.
If it weren’t for the intricate mechanisms crafted by Master Jo Shin-ryang, the gates would have long been breached.
“Pour the oil!”
“Light it up!”
“Charge!”
The commanders shouted until their voices were hoarse from atop the walls.
But no matter how much oil they poured or rocks they hurled, the enemy numbers were overwhelming.
Even more daunting was the fact that the demon knights held back, not yet launching a full assault.
The creatures scaling the walls with ladders or grappling hooks were mindless beasts.
They knew no fear.
They trampled over their fallen comrades without hesitation, even using the bodies to build mounds to climb the walls.
“Archers!”
At the command of the Defense Leader, Cheon Se-myung, archers clad in dark armor approached the walls and aimed their bows.
“Ready! Fire!”
The sky darkened as arrows rained down, and the monsters, like a tide, paused to gaze up at the descending storm.
Moments later.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A deafening explosion sent debris flying in all directions.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Monsters screamed and fell, but the archers did not relent.
They nocked another round of arrows and took aim at the surviving creatures.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The monsters writhed and collapsed, but their numbers seemed endless.
Outside the Demonic Palace, the ground teemed with monsters, as if the world had been overrun, leaving the palace as the last bastion of humanity.
Amidst the chaos, a lone figure dashed through the horde.
His movements were so swift that the monsters couldn’t catch him.
Though their blades grazed him, drawing blood, he focused all his energy on his agility.
Without it, he would be trapped in enemy lines.
Weaving through the monsters like the wind, he leaped from shoulder to head, making his way to the wall.
With a swift leap, he soared into the air and landed gracefully.
It was none other than Jo Mun-tak.
His mastery of light-footed techniques was impressive, but without the Gale Wind technique, he couldn’t have moved so quickly.
“What’s the situation?”
Cheon Se-myung approached, his expression darkening at Jo Mun-tak’s report.
“No survivors. The nearby villages are in flames, bodies strewn everywhere. I saw demons violating women.”
“Damn it!”
Cheon Se-myung clenched his fists in anger.
Jo Mun-tak caught his breath and continued.
“The enemy numbers are overwhelming. I barely made it back. We should consider retreating to the inner palace.”
“That’s out of the question. We’ve stayed out of the battlefield under the guise of the ‘Defense Corps’ for too long. It’s time to repay that debt. We will stand and fight.”
“If that’s your decision, I won’t argue. But please, don’t overextend yourself. I’ll report to the inner palace.”
“Understood.”
Jo Mun-tak nodded and dashed away.
As he sped off, Cheon Se-myung rallied his subordinates.
“Our duty is to defend this wall! This is both our frontline and our last line of defense! No one enters the palace without our permission!”
“Charge!”
The Defense Corps roared in unison, boosting their morale.
Meanwhile, the archers ran out of arrows.
“Prepare the explosive rounds!”
“Prepare the explosives!”
Cheon Se-myung’s orders were echoed by his subordinates as they moved swiftly.
As the archers retreated, warriors in red uniforms stepped forward, hurling explosive rounds.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The pinecone-shaped explosives arced over the wall.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted, toppling the monsters trying to scale the walls and break the gates.
The battle dragged on.
The warriors’ stamina began to wane.
“These damn things! They just keep coming!”
“Damn it! They’re like ants! What are they?”
The warriors’ attacks slowed, and the monsters seized the opportunity.
But the monsters had been relentless from the start.
As dusk fell, the monsters finally breached the walls.
“Stop them at all costs!”
“Take them down!”
“Who said you could climb up here?”
“Charge!”
The warriors shouted battle cries, swinging their weapons at the monsters on the walls.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Metal clashed, sparks flying everywhere.
Screams and blood filled the air.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
As more warriors fell, the number of monsters on the walls increased.
Cheon Se-myung fought tirelessly, weaving through the enemy, his sword a blur.
He was in a state of complete focus.
At times, he dodged attacks by sheer luck.
‘Today, I might die here.’
Cheon Se-myung’s eyes deepened with resolve.
As he instinctively swung his sword, memories of his past flashed before him.
In hindsight, his life had been simple.
At least until he met Sa Bi-gang.
Looking back, he realized how narrow-minded he had been, playing the leader in his small world.
But everything changed when Sa Bi-gang, who should have remained quiet, sparked a small rebellion.
Who would have thought he’d be fighting monsters on this wall?
And who would have thought he’d come to trust and follow Sa Bi-gang?
He had no regrets.
Only a sense of regret for not realizing sooner.
If only he had understood earlier what he knew now.
He felt both sorry and grateful to Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang had not only guided the students but many others, including himself.
Sa Bi-gang was a figure of great influence.
‘Master Sa! Thank you! For helping me realize what truly matters! I will lay my bones here today!’
With renewed determination, Cheon Se-myung charged at the enemy with a battle cry.
“Yaaah!”
His sword emitted a powerful aura.
SWOOSH!
The sword’s energy swept across the wall, sending monsters tumbling with screams.
Taking a brief moment, he surveyed the surroundings.
The situation was dire.
Too many of the Defense Corps had fallen.
Cheon Se-myung bit his lip and shouted.
“Listen up! I’ll hold this position! Retreat to the inner palace! You can still save your lives!”
A subordinate approached him.
“Disappointing, sir…”
The voice was languid.
Cheon Se-myung frowned and turned.
“What?”
“Don’t try to be the hero alone.”
A tall, gaunt man with a slightly dazed expression murmured slowly.
Cheon Se-myung, frowning, looked at him again.
“You are…?”
The man grinned.
“Do you remember me now?”
“Yes, you’re No Chi-eun from Instructor Sang Pil-ji’s class, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Were you part of the Defense Corps?”
“Yes. I was a bit hurt when you didn’t recognize me earlier.”
“Ah, I see.”
Cheon Se-myung felt a sudden warmth of familiarity.
But this was no time for idle chatter.
As he split a monster’s head in two, he spoke.
“Now, get to safety!”
“I can’t do that. I’ve been living on borrowed time since Master Sa saved me. It’s time I repay that debt to the world.”
Reflecting on his past actions, it was a statement that seemed completely out of character for him.
Well, who would have thought he’d ever find himself sacrificing for the greater good?
No Chi-eun flashed a bright smile and then, with a voice that seemed too powerful for him, shouted, “I, too, am a member of the Defense Corps! I’ll lay my bones here!”
“We’ll stand with you to the end, Commander!”
“This is where we make our stand!”
“Yeah!”
Once more, the morale of the Defense Corps soared.
No one fled to the inner palace.
Every one of them fought the monsters to the bitter end.
Cheon Sae-myung felt his heart swell with pride.
Yes, this is the true terror of humanity.
‘Lady Sa! If I survive this, I swear I’ll find you and thank you. You’re nothing short of a savior to me…’
But before he could finish his thought, a chilling sensation pierced through him.
A shiver ran down his spine.
‘What is this…?’
Cheon Sae-myung turned stiffly.
There stood a stranger.
It was none other than Duke Trajan, the supreme commander of the demon forces.
With a cold, indifferent gaze, Trajan looked at Cheon Sae-myung.
That gaze alone felt like it could bore holes through him.
“Wh-who are you…?”
“Are you the leader?”
“The lea… what?”
Cheon Sae-myung stammered, but Trajan seemed unfazed, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a detached calm.
He spoke with a hint of disdain, “Seems like it.”
In the next instant.
Snap!
Cheon Sae-myung’s vision flashed, and suddenly, the world tilted.
He never even realized how it happened, but he lost his head.
His head hit the ground, blinked once, and then the light faded from his eyes.
Splat!
Blood gushed from his headless body like a fountain.
Trajan cracked his neck and turned away.
“I forgot to teach them the meaning of fear, as His Majesty commanded.”
He muttered indifferently and walked on.