“Hoo.”
The first group to arrive consisted entirely of boys wielding great sabers. Soon after, groups armed with various weapons began to arrive one after another.
‘So it was him.’ Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes as he observed the scattered groups around him. At a glance, his refined appearance could easily be mistaken for that of a delicate girl. Yet his physique was as sturdy as twisted steel, and his expression was utterly calm, devoid of any trace of worry. It was the same boy who had visited Bu Eunseol’s cave to propose forming a group.
‘He thinks I wouldn’t recognize him.’ As an undertaker, Bu Eunseol’s profession required him to scrutinize bodies more than faces. Even if someone wore a mask or loose clothing, Bu Eunseol could recall their physique as if seeing through their garments. And among the groups, this pretty boy’s physique perfectly matched that of the masked figure he remembered.
“Will staring at rice make it cook itself?” A boy with a long saber slung over his shoulder spoke irritably. “Instead of sizing each other up, let’s kill those two first.”
“Agreed.” One of the group nodded in assent.
“That’s Bu Eunseol,” a boy carrying an iron sword suddenly shouted, pointing at him. “He’s mastered the Beast Way of Nangyang Pavilion. He’s quite strong.” Then, a girl holding a white horse whip pointed at Seo Jinha and smirked.
“Oh, it looks like those two have already formed a group.” A crescent-eyed boy standing empty-handed pointed at Seo Jinha.
“That’s Seo Jinha. Not someone to underestimate. His swordsmanship is exceptional, and he’s already investigated the backgrounds of the other trainees.” The groups knew Seo Jinha’s details thoroughly as well. “Since those two have teamed up, this will be a tough hunt.” At that moment, a boy with unnaturally developed forearms rubbed his fists together.
“Instead of talking, why don’t we attack them all at once?” At those words, Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha instinctively moved back-to-back, lowering their stances. No matter how strong they were, facing twenty skilled opponents at once was daunting.
“…”
“…!” Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha locked eyes.
As their gazes met, they nodded slightly, as if their minds were in sync.
“It’s Spirit Drunken Powder!” Seo Jinha suddenly roared, scattering fine powder from a leather pouch in all directions as he charged forward.
“The Spirit Drunken Powder of Hell Blood Fortress?” The startled groups hurriedly covered their mouths.
The Spirit Drunken Powder of Hell Blood Fortress was a rare poison that could render one intoxicated with a single dose.
Ta-ta-tak.
In that moment, Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha slipped out of the forest. But a girl staring at the scattered powder on the ground shouted, “This isn’t Spirit Drunken Powder—it’s the antidote for the poisoned needle!” Her cry left the others dumbfounded.
“Damn it! Where did they get that leather pouch? We’ve been tricked!”
“Chase them!” The groups quickly pursued the two.
Meanwhile, as if by prior agreement, Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha were running toward the same destination. It was the direction of the stone mountain where the trainees had used as their base. If they could enter a narrow cave, they could fend off attacks from multiple enemies at once.
‘But…’
Seo Jinha bit his lip. Most caves had wide interiors with large entrances, making them unsuitable for holding off numerous foes.
‘We need to find a suitable cave right away.’ The one thing Seo Jinha hadn’t paid attention to was the trainees’ hideouts. Observing such places too closely could mark one as a target from the start.
“I know one,” Bu Eunseol said, sensing Seo Jinha’s thoughts. “The cave I stayed in has a narrow entrance and a long passage inside. It’ll do.” Bu Eunseol’s cave was a natural fortress, difficult for multiple enemies to breach.
“Your qinggong is pathetic!” A boy, chasing them with a gust of wind, closed in on Seo Jinha’s back.
“Trying to show off your movement technique?” At that moment, Seo Jinha spun around, unleashing a flash of light.
Flash!
A brilliant gleam accompanied a spray of blood from the boy’s throat.
‘The Hwa Wu Lightning Sword.’ Like Bu Eunseol, Seo Jinha had adapted the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword into a practical combat technique.
Pirit!
A streak of light shot toward Seo Jinha’s back.
‘A projectile from that distance?’ Seo Jinha was shocked, but it was too late to dodge the attack from behind.
Tang!
A loud metallic clang rang out just before the projectile could pierce his back. Moving like lightning, Bu Eunseol had deflected it with his black sword.
“Don’t let your guard down just because you killed an enemy.”
“Mm.” Speechless, Seo Jinha nodded and resumed running.
Whiiiiing.
As Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha reached the vicinity of the stone mountain, a sudden wind blew from the distant sky, casting a dark shadow over the area.
‘No way!’ A sickening premonition gripped Bu Eunseol. Sure enough—
Hiiii!
An eerie sound began to echo from all directions. The area around the stone mountain had become a restricted zone.
“Damn it! They made it a restricted zone as soon as we fled here!” Seo Jinha stopped running, his face filled with dismay.
Sssss.
From the ground in front of the stone mountain, a haze-like shimmer rose, and several shadows began to form one by one. They were the killing spirits, clad in gray assassin garb.
“Damn it!” Seo Jinha, halting his steps, shouted in frustration.
The stone mountain was right in front of them, yet they couldn’t enter!
“If we’re going to fight anyway, it’s not a bad situation,” Bu Eunseol said, his eyes gleaming. “The killing spirits can’t move beyond their designated area. That means where they’re standing is the boundary.” Seo Jinha’s eyes widened.
The killing spirits’ position marked the restricted zone. In other words, standing with their backs to that boundary was akin to standing in a cave with no rear access.
“But we can’t take them down one by one… Doesn’t that mean we’re screwed anyway?” To Seo Jinha’s words, Bu Eunseol replied calmly, “We’ll know when we try.”
Pururut. Whiik.
Meanwhile, the groups chasing Bu Eunseol arrived one after another.
“Making us work for nothing.” The first boy to arrive smirked cruelly, eyeing the killing spirits behind them. “No more places to run. Heh heh heh.”
A broad-shouldered boy spoke loudly, “No need to drag this out—let’s take them down together!”
Chaang, sreung.
Simultaneously, Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha drew their black and iron swords. With the killing spirits at their backs, they prepared to face their enemies head-on.
‘This is the final act.’ Feeling the end approaching, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed with bloodlust as he said, “Come at me.” A battle of two against eighteen. It was a brutal bloodbath, unbearable to witness, with every moment deciding life or death.
Whirrr.
As the Hell Blood Fortress’s poison arts and projectiles flew toward their faces, the Blood Flame Blade Art, capable of splitting mountains, rained down from behind. Dodging and blocking with all their might, the Hwa Wu Sword clashed, while the white horse whip and the Evil Spirit Spear struck through the gaps.
Tuk tuk tuk.
Fresh blood poured ceaselessly from the large and small wounds covering Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha’s bodies.
“Damn it.” Seo Jinha, holding his sword at mid-level, panted heavily.
Some of the group weren’t even attacking aggressively, as if leisurely toying with their prey.
“Am I going to die here?” Spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth with a ptoo, Seo Jinha bared his teeth. “No regrets. I’ve poured everything I have into this.”
‘No regrets?’ Bu Eunseol slowly looked down at his arms. He could almost see his grandfather Bu Zhanyang’s warm touch. But soon, those arms transformed into ones cruelly severed.
“I…” Clutching his black sword, Bu Eunseol’s eyes blazed like a volcano. “I can’t die in a place like this!”
Whir. Paat!
At that moment, a Blood Flame Saber and a white horse whip flew toward Bu Eunseol from both sides. The attacks were so perfectly timed and coordinated that even the reflexes of the Beast Way couldn’t evade them.
‘No!’ In that instant, a devouring light poured from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Flash!
A black lightning bolt flashed from his sword, and blood spurted from the throats of the two attackers on either side.
“Argh!” The screams of the two boys, meeting sudden death, were chillingly horrific.
The Unmatched Thunderbolt, a killing sword technique rivaling the Hwa Wu Sword, had been unleashed once more.
“That guy!”
“What kind of swordsmanship is that?!”
“Kill him first!” Amidst shocked and enraged shouts, three members of the group suddenly rushed at Bu Eunseol. “We’ll handle him!” They were the most skilled in coordinated attacks among the groups.
Chwak! Piing! Pururut!
The Hwa Wu Sword, Blood Flame Saber, and Evil Spirit Spear rained down with the force of a thunderous storm. A fan-like barrier sealed off Bu Eunseol’s front and sides. Their coordination was so flawless, it was as if they had trained together for decades.
“…!” Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened like a child seeing something new.
In truth, he had neither the strength nor the martial knowledge to counter such a coordinated assault.
Whiik.
As the three weapons transformed into the claws of death, reaching for Bu Eunseol’s throat—
Srrrk.
The black sword in his hand began to move on its own. Faced with death, the instincts of the Beast Way and a rising memory guided Bu Eunseol to another realm.
“Haven’t you already learned this old man’s swordsmanship?” Back then, Bu Eunseol had endured relentless strikes for half a month without rest, training in a single sword technique. It was the practical swordsmanship of Sa Woo, the secret leader of Nangyang Pavilion and a master who had reached the pinnacle of combat martial arts.
Janggrang, chaeng! Tang!
A clear sound rang out as Bu Eunseol’s black sword struck the tips of the three incoming weapons. Sa Woo’s practical swordsmanship was being recreated through Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“…” As Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship unfolded, the three attacking boys looked as if they had woken from a nightmare. It was a sword technique of transcendent skill, unstoppable even with all their strength and martial knowledge.
Swish, thud.
There were no screams. The three attackers collapsed to the ground like melting snowmen.
“Bu Eunseol!” Seo Jinha’s shout echoed.
A boy had stealthily approached Bu Eunseol and struck his chest.
“Ugh.” Bu Eunseol instinctively raised his black sword in a defensive stance.
Crash!
But the black sword shattered like glass under the blow, and—
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, Bu Eunseol was flung back like a cannonball.
Tuk tuk.
Collapsed on the ground, Bu Eunseol bled from his mouth but slowly rose. His strength was gone, and his soul felt as if it were melting. His vision blurred, yet he stood like a roly-poly toy.
“Bu Eunseol! Run, now!” Seo Jinha, watching him, shouted urgently. “The killing spirits are behind you!” Knocked back by the blow, Bu Eunseol had landed right below where the killing spirits stood.
Flash!
A sharp glint burst from the killing spirits’ eyes. No matter how gravely injured, anyone entering the restricted zone was no exception.
Step, step.
A killing spirit slowly approached, extending a razor-sharp hand toward Bu Eunseol.
Ziiing!
At that moment, a massive gong-like sound shook Hell Island. Simultaneously, a lion’s roar-like shout reverberated through the sky.
“Stoooooop!” The earth-shaking bellow halted the killing spirit’s hand mid-air.
Gush.
Blood flowed from Bu Eunseol’s neck. Even without direct contact, the sharp aura had sliced his skin. A deathly silence settled over the air.
Pururut.
A shadow descended from the stone mountain, moving with the grace of a bird taking flight.
“Enough!”
It was none other than the Chief Instructor, Hyeok Ryeon-eung.
