Chapter: 144
“Isn’t the Blood Cult led by the Undead Lich a good idea?”
“No way.”
“What if the Death Knights rise up and shout things like ‘Blood Demon, Celestial, Celestial!’…”
“No way.”
Rejected.
===============================================================
Thud.
“Ugh…”
As the last screams of someone faded away with the sound of metal pouring down like rain, a thick scent of blood spread across the Nameless Forest. Among the survivors, sighs began to emerge one by one, and the sharp murderous intent subsided.
The battle was over.
The blood-soaked nobleman wiped his blade on one of the corpses and issued orders.
“Everyone, clean up. Cut off the limbs of the Blood Cult bastards and pack them up, and gather any items on the side in one place.”
“What should we do with the headless corpses?”
“Leave them for the wild beasts to feast on. They aren’t worth burial or even lamentation. Let them roam as vengeful spirits.”
“Yes!”
The warriors clad in blue moved busily. They cut off the limbs of the red-clad figures and rummaged through their belongings, collecting various items.
A talisman written in chicken blood, a stone carving of a twisted Buddha, a rosary made of forty-four beads, and…
“…What the…?”
A lavish box adorned with golden threads and various jewels.
Something’s fishy. The Blood Cult members seemed to be transporting something precious, and when attacked, they prioritized protecting it over their own lives.
Given the chaotic melee and the intent to annihilate, it was difficult to confirm, but it was highly likely that the item the Blood Cult was protecting was this box.
The low-ranking warrior opened the box to check its contents, revealing a book exuding a sinister aura.
A cursed book, too ominous to unearth. The low-ranking warrior read the four characters inscribed on the cover: Magical Descent Technique (魔降神術).
The Blood Cult was known for wielding bizarre and cruel sorceries. If they were keeping this book so carefully, it certainly contained forbidden secrets.
It was said that some writings could mesmerize a person just by looking at them, so the low-ranking warrior hastily closed the lid. Though he had ambition as a martial artist, he had no intention of pursuing it by resorting to evil means.
What value is there in power gained through killing?
He loaded the box onto a cart.
And the warriors clad in blue began their retreat. They had defeated the villains of the Blood Cult who plunged the world into chaos, so now it was time to return and announce their achievements far and wide.
The one leading the group would receive a great reward, while the warriors would get a small amount of gold as well as some snacks to drink with. At this moment of victory against the remnants of the Blood Cult, I too, was there.
However, there are always those who chase after power over morality. In the eyes of those wolves that would abandon everything for their goals, this Magical Descent Technique was as valuable as ten thousand pieces of gold.
In the shadows quietly gazing down at the box…
Click.
Eventually, someone opened the box and quietly took the book away.
It was three years ago.
===============================================================
Chirp, chirp.
The sound of birds chirping awakened Envers from his slumber. As he slowly opened his eyes, pleasant sunlight filtered through the thick leaves. It was a forest.
“…Where is this?”
Is this the Martial Arts World?
“………”
To be honest, he couldn’t guarantee it. He had no skill in deducing the differences in the world based on the surrounding ecology, and there wasn’t a single shadow of a person in this forest.
To confirm if this was truly the land where the beggar master and the Celestial Demon wandered, he needed to meet someone. Anyone would do, a passerby or a commoner.
Rustle.
Envers brushed off the leaves covering him and stood up.
He intended to survey the area to see what was around. Hopefully, there was a village nearby.
Jolt.
With a nimble movement, Envers climbed to the top of a tree. After doing a full 360-degree turn, he could confirm that there was a large city in the distance.
Buildings constructed in architectural styles he saw for the first time.
His heart raced. According to the beggar, the food called Pork in Aromatic Sauce was supposed to be extraordinarily delicious. He didn’t have a single coin to his name, but he could quickly earn money with his skills.
Though he may still be a boy, he was the kind of talent that the Academy would value. The beggar also mentioned that he had considerable skills.
He had reached a level where he could freely infuse his energy into his body and weaponry, making him a first-rate martial artist. Such levels were rare even in the Martial Arts World.
He’d even been said to be able to match the highest-level masters if he used the technique called Exploding Burst (爆灑結) which was turned upside down.
“I remember that the upper guards were referred to as ‘The Standard Bearers’… First, I must become a Standard Bearer to earn some money. Then, I can search for the Open Faction and return the Ta-gu-bong techniques, and maybe ask if I could learn other martial arts as well.”
Although it was said that there was no way to pass martial arts down to outsiders…
If he was returning the techniques of the Open Faction and had merit to show, he could ask for a few martial arts in return, right?
Envers made a vow to himself. He would learn and master as much as he could in this world and aim for even higher levels.
[Pursuit of Power: Ascend to the Peak Master (Reception, Fullness, Harmony Achieved)]
The city was quite a distance away. If he were to dash there, it would likely take at least two days. Since travel time was long anyway, it would be better to conserve his strength and walk leisurely.
Thanks to Luna’s food bag, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding food. Besides, in a forest, there were plenty of places to find water.
Even if he couldn’t find any, squeezing the grass nearby would quench his thirst.
Thanks to Selvier’s tools, he wouldn’t have to perform acrobatics just to make a fire. As long as he gathered enough firewood, a simple campfire would be easy to set up.
He felt reassured. It was all thanks to his friends.
The boy walked out of the forest path without a care in the world.
===============================================================
Walk, light a fire, eat, sleep.
The past day passed just like that. Crossing the forest alone was quite a lonely affair, but training martial arts during such times made it a bit better.
Envers had learned various martial arts from the beggar. Sword technique, spear technique, staff technique, and unarmed techniques. However, he couldn’t determine which one to focus on. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
Not being able to decide on a path meant he had to practice broadly. He alternated between training methods, and with his efforts spread thin, his proficiency with the weapons increased slowly.
This time, while practicing sword techniques using a tree branch as a sword…
As he walked, swinging the branch when a leaf fell blown by the wind… if he could cut it in one swing, it would count as a successful training exercise.
So far, his success rate was about 10%. Most of the time he missed, but now and then, he managed to cut one. Instead of slicing through a leaf, it was more like tearing it apart…
Suddenly, Envers heard a commotion from afar.
Clatter, clatter, the sound of wagon wheels rattling and the hooves of horses. Was there a merchant passing by? Envers held onto a tree and climbed to the top to take a look.
A wagon galloping madly, spouting dirt like a mad beast, came into view. Behind it, black-clad individuals were in hot pursuit.
The driver lashed his whip as if he didn’t care if the horses died when this was over. From what he could see, it didn’t seem to be a peaceful situation.
Chased and chasing.
He had no way of knowing the exact circumstances, but based on the state of the wagon, it looked quite affluent.
He would need to watch the situation unfold, but if he ended up aiding one side, he could possibly gain a favor in return. If that happened, settling in the Central Plains would be significantly easier.
However, there was a concern: their strength remained a mystery.
Considering the speed at which the pursuers were running, they likely weren’t that strong. If they were of monster caliber, they would have stopped the wagon already, and if they were of a sufficient level, the outcome would have concluded by now.
“…A scroll.”
He had a useful item given by Selvier.
● A scroll that spews black smoke.
With this, he could at least protect himself even in a dire situation. Then let’s dive into danger willingly.
Envers held onto the tree and slid down before taking off in a sprint.
He was employing the Exploding Burst technique.
By triggering an explosion from the tips of his toes, he’d gain propulsion to run fast. The explosions were just weak enough for his body to handle.
Boom!
A branch swiftly whizzed past Envers as he ducked and weaved.
Though the control wasn’t finely executed, it could be considered a semblance of light movement.
Envers left deep tracks in the ground as he closed in on the wagon. As he got closer, voices from within became audible.
“…Run! Go faster!”
“How far do you think you can flee? You won’t leave this forest alive!”
“Y-You bastards! Don’t you fear the consequences? Targeting the Namgoong Family, you’ll regret it deeply!”
“Ha ha ha! The Namgoong Family? You think the Demon Cult would fear that name?!”
“………!!”
Envers perked up at the mention of the Namgoong Family. Those being chased were likely from the Namgoong Family, and the pursuers were from the Demon Cult. The Demon Cult, the ones who had served the Celestial Demon and were guilty of horrendous acts in the Central Plains.
…Did the Demon Cult call themselves the Demon Cult? Originally, there should have been an actual name, and Demon Cult was merely a derogatory term.
Regardless, there was no time to ponder. Envers pushed aside his doubts.
Thump!
Envers shot off the ground and landed on the roof of the moving wagon. The people inside the wagon became alert.
“One of them climbed on the roof!”
“Knock him off! If they damage the wheels, it’s over!”
“…Wait! I’m here to help you!”
“You think we’ll be fooled by some nonsense?!”
Whoosh!
A sharply sharpened spearhead shot up, tearing through the leather covering the wagon. Envers skillfully maintained his balance on the swiftly moving wagon while dodging the spear thrusts.
Gasp!
Then he smashed through the wagon’s roof to get inside. It seemed that it was difficult to trust one another while being chased like this. He decided to persuade them directly by looking them in the eye.
As Envers landed, he saw four figures inside the wagon. All were clad in blue, but the materials and patterns of their clothing varied.
Two appeared to be guards, one was a guard captain, and the last one was… a small boy. Judging by his appearance, he looked to be about ten years old.
“…A Sae-mok?!”
“They’re using even Sae-mok as pawns now?!”
“Again, I say, I’m here to help you! Those chasing the wagon are indeed from the Demon Cult, right?!”
“Don’t try to fool us with those sly tongues! I’ll have you thrown off the wagon right now…!”
Just as the guards, almost in a panic, drew their swords, the calm boy raised his hand and stopped them. He faced Envers with a bright voice and asked.
“So-hyeop, are you really here to help us?”
“…That’s right!”
“If you lend us your aid, we will reward you greatly. I swear by the Namgoong name!”
“Wise decision. I will tear this scroll now, so keep watching!”
“What?”
What’s a scroll?
As he was momentarily dumbfounded by the sudden reference to the scroll, Envers pulled out the black smoke scroll from his bag and aimed it at the back of the wagon, where the black-clad pursuers were closing in.
They were armed, and there were twelve of them. Facing that many was quite a burden. If it was going to be now or never, this was indeed the right timing.
Envers tore the scroll.
Rrrrip!
Boom──!!
In an instant, thick black smoke billowed up, obscuring visibility entirely. The black-clad pursuers, unexpectedly confronted with this bizarre spectacle, seemed to scatter in all directions.
If they came after them again, this time, he’d prepare for a forest fire by unleashing an explosion scroll. As Envers gazed through the black smoke, he couldn’t hear any sounds of movement.
“…Looks like we managed to scare them off.”
As Envers let out a sigh of relief and turned around, the four members of the Namgoong family stood there, mouths agape in awe. The boy shouted with astonishment.
“Are you a great master?!”
“A master…?”
“I heard from the Namgoong Family that a feast to celebrate our lord’s birthday is taking place, and they invited a very famous master. Could it be that you are…?”
“That’s not the case,”
Envers was mistaken for a wizard.
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