Kill or be killed. (5)

The sensation the sword being held by resilient rubber. The dull touch of bones after penetrating ones neck, the heat radiating from the blood as if it could burn you, and the sound of air escaping as the throat is cut – all these experiences reached deep into his memory.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Chung Myung thought.

With a swift motion, his sword sliced halfway through cultist’s throat.

‘Not yet!’

Crack.

He swung his sword even faster and drew an illusionary circle in the air.

‘No!’

There was no feeling on his fingertips. The perfectly swung sword severed the cultist’s neck and the raised arm completely.

He didn’t feel anything, yet paradoxically, there was a tremendous sense of satisfaction in his hand – a feeling he hadn’t experienced until now.

Chung Myung instinctively strengthened the grip on his the sword.

Seemingly enjoying the sensation that lingered at his fingertips he also felt disdain for the very fact that this feeling persisted.

His lips were tightly sealed, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes surged. The sound of his footstep on the ground was louder than usual, and his inner energy erupted from the depths of his dantian like a waterfall.

Chung Myung had meticulously purified and refined this energy, making it the purest force in the world. While it still paled in comparison to the immense energy that had filled him in his days as Maehwa Geomjon, the quality of this energy was incomparable.

Wooooom.

The energy surged through the sword, spinning fiercely. The blade collided with the demonic energy surrounding the cultist’s arm at a lightning speed.

Crack!

There was no resistance.

Chung Myung’s energy crushed the demonic aura. Cultist’s arm was cleaved, spattering hot blood in all directions.

However, Chung Myung didn’t allow him a moment of shock. He immediately swung the sword once again, severing his head with a single blow.

Chung Myung’s face was covered in hot blood that sprayed from the severed neck. His head felt dizzy from the pungent smell of blood. But amidst all that chaos his eyes were as cold as ice.

The turning point was precisely at that moment.

“Kill them!”

“Sweep them all away! Those damn fanatics!”

The elite warriors of Black Ghost, who had frozen in fear, rallied their spirits and charged after Chung Myung.

They were an unorthodox sect, a sect known for their unwavering loyalty to the strong. Whether you were from the Orthodox or Unorthodox faction didn’t matter when facing the hordes of Magyo.

What was important to them right now was that the absolute master who could turn this hellish situation had appeared before them.

In such circumstances, calculations and reasonings went out the window. They instinctively grasped the tide. They saw a hope victory in Chung Myung’s strong back.

“Charge!”

“Oooooo!”

The elite warriors of the Black Ghost shouted and formed a single wave, surging forward to engulf the cultists.

“These cursed wretches…!”

The cultists were aghast at the sight.

How dare these dirty heretics openly barge their teeth and attack the Demonic Cult? Their strong religious fervor could never tolerate such behavior.

Resisting the faith is akin to resisting that great One.

Those who resist are put to death, and even their souls are burned to crisp.

Isn’t that the primary doctrine here?

“Kill those filthy non-believers!”

The cultists howled like beasts, brandishing their arms toward the Black Ghost warriors.

Crack!

Weapons broke and shattered, limbs were torn apart, and the gruesome scene was still relentless, but it was different from before. The Black Ghosts, who had once been overwhelmed by fear, were now tenaciously clinging to the fight, even when they were being pushed back.

“Target the neck! The neck!”

“Smash their heads! Heads!”

The elite soldiers relentlessly aimed for the cultists’ heads. Even those cultists who had been fanatically charging at Black Ghost’s warriors were now instinctively defending against head-hunting strikes and evading them.

Just that was enough to change the atmosphere. What was once a desperate situation was slowly shifting.

“These dog-like cultists! This is our land!”

The Black Ghost fiercely attacked, unleashing their fury upon the cultists.

Kkkkahahahat!

Demonic cultist spewed murderous intent from their eyes and attacked the person in front of them. A flying sword pierced their upper arm, but the cultist without even blinking, aimed for the face of Black Ghost’s warrior with the long nails embedded with demonic energy.

In that moment, when the warrior unknowingly closed his eyes…

Swish!

Along with the sound that split the air like the wind, a white sword flew through the cultist’s neck, severing it instantly.

With a horrendous smile still on his face from the unknown pleasure, demonic cultist’s head spun a few times in the air before landing on the ground.

“Uh…”

Black Ghost’s warrior barely saved from death, looked ahead with a bewildered expression. Past the fallen body of the dark sorcerer.

Chung Myung, who twirled his sword and retrieved it, spoke like he was chewing the words,

“Don’t let your guard down, you idiot.”

“…Yes? Uh… Yes!”

With that statement, Chung Myung turned around and advanced forward again. Black Ghost’s warrior, his eyes wide open in shok, followed vigorously behind.

“Hmm…”

Jang Ilso chuckled as if he found it interesting. His eyes showed a strange mix of pleasure and discomfort, with a hint of vigilance, making his gaze somewhat eerie.

‘It’s certainly interesting.’

No matter how much unorthodox factions worship the strong, it doesn’t mean they blindly submit to someone strong.

Particularly, Black Ghost’s elites had an unwavering loyalty to their Head. Even if a stronger presence existed, they wouldn’t easily change their allegiance. However, Black Ghost’s elite warriors here were undeniably following Hwasan Geomhyeop.

‘It’s an unbelievable level of control.’

What puzzled Jang Ilso even more was the presence of Mangeum Daebu, the Head of the Black Ghost Fortress. Even if his arm was severed, Mangeum Daebu was Mangeum Daebu. Would a disciple of a sect blindly follow the words of the head of another sect when their own leader was clearly present?

‘It’s inconceivable.’

Jang Ilso smiled and laughed.

It seemed that Hwasan Geomhyeop had made a grave mistake by choosing to nest in a righteous faction. If he had aligned himself with an evil faction, he could have become a formidable force. In that case, he would have posed a much greater threat to Jang Ilso than he did now.

“But this… it’s rather embarrassing for my reputation.”

Jang Ilso mumbled as he casually shifted his steps. One of demonic cultists, upon spotting him, charged with murderous fury in their eyes.

In an instant, Jang Ilso’s crimson lips formed a smirk.

Swish!

A demonic hand soared through the air, tearing through the atmosphere. Jang Ilso raised his hand nonchalantly, deflecting the demonic hand that was reaching for his face with ease.

Thud!

“Kahak!”

Jang Ilso’s hand swiftly, one after another, deflected the other demonic hands aimed at him, attacking in a fit. Then, his hand, which seemed as delicate as a refined lady’s, plunged like a lightning bolt into demonic cultist’s throat.

Thud!

The cultists mouth opened wide. However, that alone couldn’t break his spirit. He thrashed wildly, trying to strike back.

“Hmm…”

Jang Ilso brushed that hand away as if playing with a child’s prank, his eyes glinting with a mysterious intensity.

“Attacking the throat isn’t quite enough… If tearing out the trachea leaves you unscathed, then… Hmm.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Jang Ilso’s hand, deeply embedded in cultist’s throat, pushed forward, disrupting the flesh.

“Guh… Guhaaaah…”

Demonic cultist, seemingly impervious to pain, couldn’t endure this excruciating agony and let out a tortured moan. In truth, he might have screamed in desperation, but with his airway partially obstructed, he couldn’t unleash his screams freely.

“This should do.”

Thunk!

Jang Ilso’s hand, touching the cultist’s cervical vertebrae, mercilessly crushed it, causing it to snap and twist. Demonic cultist convulsed as if struck by a spasm, then stuck out his tongue, his head hanging lifelessly.

“Hmm.”

Jang Ilso gazed at demonic cultist as if he was examining a piece of trash and wiped the blood from his hand after tossing the lifeless body aside.

“Head, or perhaps cervical vertebrae. Tricky. Moreover…”

An uncomfortable expression briefly crossed Jang Ilso’s pale face.

Ideally, when he brought his fingers down, the head should have been severed. However, reality proved different. He had to make an extra effort to break the neck bone, and it left him feeling that his powers weren’t flowing as smoothly as they should.

‘Is my inner strength not functioning properly?’

He now fully understood the significance of what Mangeum Daebu had mentioned. If even a lowly scoundrel like this resisted his inner strength, it was clear that the so-called Bishop wouldn’t be easily swayed.

“This is rather…”

Jang Ilso’s gaze darted towards Chung Myung’s back, who was clearly running wild. He was beheading a demonic cultist in one fell swoop. Seeing this, Jang Ilso smirked slightly.

“…Unfair, isn’t it?”

It seemed like bringing them along was a wise choice after all.

“Tsk.”

He couldn’t help but click his tongue disapprovingly. Leading from the front is fine, but isn’t he just exhausting himself like that?

It seemed like the Hwasan Geomhyeop had forgotten who their true opponent should be.

Or perhaps… perhaps that’s just how this person is.

‘Of course, it’s more likely the latter.’

It’s faster to wait for a waterfall to rise into the sky, than to think that he is stupid.

‘While I respect personal preferences, at this moment, you’re under my command, so it’s challenging when you just run amok.’

Jang Ilso smirked and glanced behind him.

“I’m sure everyone heard, right?”

Instead of an answer, there was the faint sound of breathing. They were known as Red Dogs, but they were far from being ignorant, wild beasts. In fact, they were disciplined in their approach, attacking Jang Ilso’s foes with precision, targeting their throats to silence them.

“What you should be aiming for is either the spine or the head. Once you break those, they won’t be much different from an ordinary human.”

Jang Ilso’s gaze was grim as he gazed in Chung Myung’s direction.

“While watching could be entertaining, it wouldn’t be proper etiquette to have guests do all the fighting. Moreover, I consider myself to be quite a gentleman. So…”

Jang Ilso nodded in the direction ahead.

“Go and do your part.”

Red Dogs, who had been guarding Jang Ilso’s back, rushed forward, turning into a crimson streak of light.

Jang Ilso, swaying in his red and white robes, calmly looked at his Red Dogs running ahead.

“I’m curious,”

His eyes gleamed with an unrelenting light.

“These guy’s are at this level so what about that Bishop? What kind of monster is he?”

His gaze extended beyond the battlefield towards the partially crumbled Hangzhou. From deep within that city, an overwhelmingly eerie aura seemed to flow.

“Chilling,”

he muttered.

Clank.

The rings clashed together roughly.

Jang Ilso, slowly running his fingertips across his lips, eventually, with a determined glint in his eyes, took a step forward.