Seongcheon Yoon Clan (3)
The massive force exerting immense influence over the entire world known as Sabacheon, the Seongcheon Yoon Clan.
As they have adopted the motto of maintaining world peace as their family’s identity, the pride of those belonging to the Yoon Clan is something that goes without saying.
But, like any place where people live, those with noble ideals are not purely clean.
To achieve world peace, it was essential to have an intimidating military force that no one could underestimate, and maintaining such power over generations was no easy feat.
“Eh? Captain, what brings you here at this hour?”
“What do you mean ‘what brings me here’? I came to check if you guys are doing your job. If I catch you dozing off like last time, I’ll get it too.”
“Ah, no… I apologize for that last time.”
Most of the family members had fallen into a deep sleep during the late hours.
A subtle distortion began to occur in the Yoon Clan that was different from usual.
A minor anomaly that was too trivial to criticize.
But it was merely a prelude to a significant event about to unfold.
“Then I’ll go check other places, so keep your head on straight.”
“Yes! Don’t worry!”
“You always give a good response.”
The captain of the Outer Castle Guard strutted away.
Once he reached a place where no one could be seen, he cast a gloomy gaze toward the inner castle.
“……”
Gathering talented children from across the entire continent regardless of their lineage to nurture them into the main pillars of the clan, the Seongcheon Yoon Clan.
That was surely a commendable act.
…Unless the situation was that those children had nowhere land to go.
Paying impoverished parents for custody rights was not a significant issue.
But if it escalated to where they were trading with slave hunters for children, or threatening and abducting parents, completely shattering intact families…
No matter how strong a force they had, they could never escape criticism.
Of course, it was not the Yoon Clan themselves who directly engaged in such crimes, concerned about their reputation.
They merely paid those who brought in the children a price suitable for their abilities.
Even after being fully aware of the circumstances, they chose to overlook everything.
Rather, they subtly encouraged it from behind.
“Damn bastards…”
The captain sneered while looking at the inner castle.
Unlike the Outer Castle teeming with orphanages, amenities, and guest lodgings, the Inner Castle was a space accessible only to those recognized by the Yoon Clan.
A place that was virtually the ultimate goal for children who diligently worked day and night to earn the surname ‘Yoon’ by force.
And for the captain, it was a realm he would never reach.
He rolled up his sleeves.
There was a scar shaped like lightning starting from his shoulder.
A symbol of despair that marked the evidence of his efforts to ascend, an indication of his potential that was cut off due to excessive training.
To rise within the Yoon Clan, one had to prove their worth by any means.
The moment they demonstrate outstanding talent in a specific area, the treatment changes, which the children were not oblivious to.
And in an atmosphere cultivated like this, some would naturally fail to surpass their limits and fall behind.
‘So, this is what I get for enduring all that torturous training.’
Captains of the Outer Castle Guard.
This was as far as he could go.
If someone came from below to challenge him, he would soon be pushed out.
Those who reached deeper at a young age, like Lucette in her twenties or Yoon So-hwa on the brink of her teens, didn’t understand.
Since they were recognized as special management subjects from the moment they entered the Yoon Clan, they hardly had to mingle with children struggling at the bottom.
‘If I hadn’t been dragged here…’
In that context, the news about the ‘secret of the Yoon Clan’ and ‘true family’ brought by a visitor was nothing less than a devil’s whisper that shook his heart.
“No, I don’t have time for this right now.”
Shaking his head vigorously, the captain took a deep breath and moved forward again.
The doubts in his heart consumed him, and he was unaware that those ugly fruits were beginning to flourish within him.
And right now, in this Yoon Clan, there were not just one or two others displaying similar symptoms.
That was the…
Kwaaaaang—!
Kurrrrung—!
The rumbling blasts resounded as dawn approached, heralding a surprise attack.
*
A sudden ambush.
“Ha! Foolish bastards… how dare they do this at the Yoon Clan’s headquarters?”
“Move quickly! We need to seal the outer gates! The one who panics will face twenty sets of special training later!”
But the Yoon Clan responded faster than anyone could have imagined.
Immediately after the explosive sounds echoed from all over the Outer Castle, alarms rang out from all directions as practitioners sprang into action.
Regardless of the situation, this was their stronghold.
It had been ages since the main family was last directly attacked, but since they had trained meticulously beforehand, though startled, no one was wandering aimlessly.
“Kuhuhuh—! Finally, the time has come!”
“The Yoon Clan… this is a great start. They will make excellent offerings.”
“Yaaahhoo! Finally, the festival of madness begins!”
However, there was one problem.
The outlaws they were up against were not to be underestimated either.
“This ominous chakra…!”
“Mage practitioners! Everyone, brace your mind and body!”
“If you feel like you can’t endure, withdraw! You’re only a hindrance! Don’t be cocky, evacuate the civilians first!”
Cults that had fallen into depravity by exploring different negative concepts—mage practitioners.
Their menace lay not only in their bizarre abilities and twisted mindsets.
“…Give up. If you surrender, it’ll be easy. I’ll show you how soothing resignation can be.”
“Let’s dance together, friends! Our lives are short, after all! Shake until your bones break and your muscles tear apart!”
“Ahhhh— it’s filled with chaos. What a beautiful night!”
The negative chakra emanating from them spread in all directions, seeking opportunities to contaminate the approaching practitioners.
The cleaner one was, the easier it was for the ma (demon) to spread.
And once tainted, it wasn’t easy to revert.
Just as it’s easy to stain white clothes, but the traces remain even after washing.
For those who prioritized mental training, the negative energy radiating from the mage practitioners was a severe threat in itself.
A mental barrier could not block every intrusion forever.
Thus, it was common sense that to effectively neutralize a mage practitioner, practitioners of a higher level should step in…
“Ugh, how come there are this many mage practitioners of this level…?”
“This isn’t the only place! The entire Outer Castle is in chaos!”
“Did folks from the entire continent gather here?”
The ominous presence exuding from them was evident all around.
It was hard to believe that such a number moved all at once, but it was even more shocking that no one knew they were coming until they crashed into the Outer Castle.
That meant there had been a massive hole in what the Yoon Clan had considered their impregnable intelligence network all along.
“Hang in there! As long as we hold out, support will arrive from the inner castle!”
Eventually, what they had to do was practically predetermined.
They were briefly thrown into chaos by the unexpected ambush, but the Yoon Clan was one of the largest forces on the continent.
What was left of their deep-layer practitioners was close to ten, while they had dozens of upper-layer practitioners.
Though not all stayed in the main house, the remaining forces here were surely enough to obliterate these attackers.
Kwaaaang!
The explosions of battle echoed throughout the Outer Castle.
The invaders, rampaging as if waiting for this moment, were met by practitioners striving to protect the civilians as much as possible.
And that blast could not spare the guest lodging situated at one side of the Outer Castle either.
*
Hoon reacted the moment he heard the first explosion.
He cast a holy barrier around Ramu and stepped out the window to identify the source.
The noise had erupted so close that it couldn’t be ignored.
‘What’s that?’
A hole appeared in the air beside the guest lodging, like glass shattering and breaking open.
Kurrrrung—
The loud noise emanated from that very place.
It wasn’t just a bomb blast; it sounded like space itself was collapsing.
‘It’s not just here. This is a widespread ambush.’
It was incomprehensible.
Hadn’t he confirmed several times about the presence of a powerful barrier encircling this place while visiting the Yoon Clan and practicing his chakra?
‘Is there an anomaly in the barrier?’
There was only one reason that could explain the current situation.
‘An infiltrator stealthily did something.’
It might relate to the ominous feeling he sensed before entering the guest lodging.
But there was no time to dwell on the past.
Shuff shuff—
From the hole in the air, a mysterious figure began to emerge.
“Hiiick! W-what is that?!”
Mac Morris, who had stepped outside the guest lodging, could barely voice his shock.
The Yoon Clan’s practitioners who rushed to defend followed suit, reacting similarly.
Their feelings were easily understandable.
A mummy wrapped in thick black bandages slowly approached, taking its time.
With bandages so thick it was impossible to discern whether it was male or female.
Its arms crossed at the chest were tightly secured at the shoulders, and large wooden stakes were driven into where its eyes and ears should have been.
‘But that’s not all. There are small needles all over its body, too?’
Its appearance was horrifically painful and dreadful to look at.
It was so miserable, it was surprising that it was still alive.
[You are… ]
At that moment, a rumbling voice emanated from the black mummy.
[Have you ever faced true fear…?]
As those words ended, a thick, sludgy wave washed over everywhere.
“Guh! Ugh! W-whaaat…!”
Mac, exposed to the aura, took a step back, his face turning pale.
Though he was just a lower-tier practitioner, with his unique skill added, he exhibited combat abilities comparable to upper-tier practitioners.
Yet, just from having his aura exposed, he lost all fighting spirit.
“A deep-layer mage practitioner.”
Muttering quietly, Hoon cast his narrowed eyes at the opponent.
It was evident at a glance.
This was a monster greater than General Bu-ryeong he had defeated not long ago.
[What is fear…? Where does it originate? A terrifying monster? Physical pain? Despair that gnaws away at the mind?]
The opponent had already plunged into its own world.
Well, for someone of such caliber, it must have realized that no one here could lay a finger on it even if they all rushed in.
Such composure from someone not even Lucette could contend with wasn’t arrogance; it was inevitable.
[To know that, I needed a great deal of time… However, I found my own answer at the end of it.]
The black mummy’s body twitched.
It was as if human hands and feet, along with a face, began to bulge up from underneath the untearable vinyl, trying to break free.
[‘The Unknown’ is the fear I have found.]
Right after that.
Its body expanded.
Larger than the opulent guest lodging itself.
So massive it could crush the entire city beneath it.
So vast it could potentially cover the entire world.
…Or perhaps, maybe it wasn’t.
Maybe it was just an illusion.
Hands resembling hundreds burst forth from its body.
Or were they thousands of tentacles? Perhaps tens of thousands of sharp spikes.
Eyes, mouths, or perhaps even belly buttons and tongues burgeoned all over that flesh.
‘I can’t perceive it.’
It wasn’t an illusion.
The laws that composed its very existence twisted in various directions.
He sensed instinctively.
If he couldn’t properly recognize the opponent, then any attacks from his side would never reach it.
[Drown in fear.]
An announcement descended from the sky.
Everyone who had already been in the guest lodging became incapable of battle.
They could only gaze blankly at the sky, their minds left to wander.
As if to firmly dispatch them, the entity extended its tentacles, crushing space.
“Hoon-ryu Ninjutsu Ultimate Technique, Body Clone Technique.”
However, its touch merely tore through empty air.
[………..]
The being turned its gaze slowly to Hoon.
Toxic masks clung to its body, protecting it while retreating behind an array of defenseless individuals.
It cocked its head as if bewildered.
[…How did you do that?]
That contained two meanings.
How was he still sane, and how he had avoided an attack he shouldn’t have been able to perceive.
Of course, Hoon had no intention of kindly answering its inquiry.
“Pshh, what are you, some kind of Cthulhu?”
Sighing with irritation, he frowned.
He still couldn’t properly recognize the opponent.
However, the chakra it wielded, radiating from fear, could not significantly impact him either.
[You… ]
As if it sensed that, the fake Cthulhu halted in disbelief.
[You lack fear.]
It wasn’t as simple as that.
The fear Hoon grappled with had the capacity to cause even a psychotic with a complete loss of emotions to experience a meltdown.
Under normal circumstances, anyone from anger management issues to a psychopath would wet themselves and foam at the mouth upon encountering him.
[How can that be…?]
“Who knows.”
Hoon shrugged casually.
His demeanor was too light for the gravity of the situation.
‘By the way, this is a bit troublesome.’
From the start, it was clear that this opponent was no one he could fight and win against right now.
Fear that had reached deep levels, and the concept of ‘the Unknown’ that derived from it.
It seemed the only trump card he could utilize was the ultimate technique ‘Thought Overload’…
‘Is it really okay? That thing seems perfectly suited for that kind of stuff.’
He couldn’t help but hesitate over whether he would just be feeding it experience points.
But there was no time to worry now.
[Perhaps you might become the key to my enlightenment… I was right to follow his words. Thanks to that, I’ve acquired a splendid specimen… ]
Considering the opponent’s tentacles were writhing before him, there was simply no time for hesitation.
‘Whatever, if it really comes to it, I’ll just summon my friends!’
Having had found a way to manage the chaos, he seized the opportunity to act.
Hoon shouted loudly while still unable to properly perceive the figure before him.
“Hoon-ryu Ninjutsu Final Technique! Thought Overload!”
While attacks from this side would not reach the opponent…
But strictly speaking, Thought Overload was just a kind of telepathy, not an attack.
Moreover, the brief conversation they had just had was also part of the ‘communication’.
[Hmm…?]
Following that causal link, “Mental Resonance” effortlessly formed a connection.
[What kind of trickery is this…? What in the world…?]
Thoughts began to surge backward.
But the response was far from usual.
[O… Oohhhh…!]
It was as if the fake Cthulhu had sensed a truth it had been longing for, elatedly exulting.
Eagerly, it began devouring the flood of thoughts pouring in.
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