Chapter 237: Battlefront (7)
After notifying the camp in advance, I ventured deep into the forest filled with monsters.
The number of monsters I had hunted and killed over the past year could fill this forest entirely. However, today, hunting was not my objective.
“…Found it.”
After a while of walking and dispatching any monsters in my way, I finally discovered what I was searching for.
It was a small tear in the air, as if I had ripped apart the void.
This makes six in total.
If someone were to see it, they might call it a Gate of Demons, but the colors were distinctly different.
It was an extremely deep, murky black.
The hue was unlike any Gate of Demons I had seen before, with an atmosphere much more oppressive. Moreover, this rift did not emit any monsters; it simply floated in mid-air, doing nothing.
Gazing at the rift, I slowly reached my hand towards it.
As my fingers approached calmly, they penetrated the rift with surprising ease.
It felt as if the rift was waiting to welcome my hand.
As it enveloped my hand, I recalled the first time I had seen this type of rift.
It was when I had just arrived at the frontlines, and Gu Huibi had brought me here, claiming she had something to show me.
This tear did not expel any monsters, nor did it expand in size.
It merely hovered in the air, yet I could tell.
This is not just a tear; it’s a fragment.
[Grrr…!]
As I inserted my hand into the rift, it reacted as though it had been anticipating this moment.
Although I couldn’t see it, I sensed a feeling as if it was happily wagging its tail.
Calm down, I will feed you soon.
No sooner had I finished my thought than—
Grkkk-!
The rift began to unravel.
It was pulling me in as my hand was absorbed.
I could feel the energy coursing down my arm, into my Dantian, and even deeper within me.
Crunch, crunch.
The creature was devouring the energy that had entered me.
You really have quite the appetite, huh? You just feasted pretty well yesterday.
As the thing consumed the energy, I sensed another piece of the puzzle slotting into place within my middle Dantian.
“…Phew.”
Yet, it was merely a tiny fragment; I couldn’t even use it as my own Qi.
Though I had tried various tests, the results had remained the same.
Still, the reason I continued to rummage through the frontlines searching for these rifts was—
Because the beast wants this.
The creature continuously provided me with information on the location of these rifts and desired for me to find and consume them.
Though I don’t know what this is for.
I didn’t understand why these types of rifts were appearing on the frontlines, nor could I decipher their meaning.
Did such things exist in my past life?
I turned this over in my mind, but nothing came to me.
Having never heard of a black rift before, I suspected this was a change brought on by my regression.
I thought it might be a dangerous situation, and while I’d prefer to avoid it, I found myself with no choice.
[Co… ntract…]
I know.
That had been the promise I made with that bastard.
“I’m feeding you this because I’m aware of it, so stop rushing me.”
[Grngh…]
“And also, let the old man go already. Time’s running out, you know.”
[Grngh…?]
“You dumb beast. Always acting clueless when it comes to this topic.”
I wanted to say more, but sensing a lecture coming, the creature withdrew and hid itself.
It was clear it wouldn’t be making any appearances for a while.
“…Sigh.”
I had gone hungry just to feed this creature, so it really annoyed me.
“I swear if you come out later…”
Being prepared for no response, I trudged back to my tent.
Upon returning, I would have to meet Moyong Hi-ah, and then visit Gu Huibi and Namgung Bi-ah.
After all, my shift would be coming up soon too, necessitating a trip to the central area with Namgung Bi-ah.
Just as I was about to leap back to my tent…
—Aahhh… Aghh!
“Hmm?”
A scream echoed from somewhere nearby.
Pow!
At the junction from the plains to the forest, someone was sprawled out, being mercilessly beaten.
“How dare you scream?”
The assailant chuckled, and from the appearance of his dark yellow martial attire and his massive size, it was evident that he was a martial artist from the Hwangbo Clan.
“Gah… Ugh.”
The person being beaten also seemed to be from the Hwangbo Clan, but unlike the aggressors surrounding him, he appeared frail and thin.
The man who was beating him spoke with a smirk.
“You scream without even having permission from your master. Do you honestly think anyone will come to your aid?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s my failure for not teaching you correctly.”
Thwack!
“Aghh!”
The young man writhed in pain, unable to suppress another scream.
“Even when I, the mighty Hwangbo, commanded you not to scream, you still disobey!”
“…Hrgh…”
“Oh, do you think that just because we share the Hwangbo name, you and I are equals?”
“N-No, never… How could I dare…”
“If that’s the case, then why do you refuse to listen to me…?”
Haha!
While the man chuckled with mocking laughter, another figure was watching from the side with an unfavorable expression.
…I must put a stop to this.
The observer of the unfortunate scene was none other than Hwangbo Cheolwi, while the one conducting the violence was his older brother, Hwangbo Cheok.
Unlike Hwangbo Cheolwi, who had only recently started to be recognized as a young prodigy, Hwangbo Cheok was a martial artist who was already somewhat well-known in the Central Plains.
As Hwangbo Cheok tapped the fallen man with the tip of his foot, he turned his gaze toward Hwangbo Cheolwi.
“Little brother.”
“…Yes, big brother.”
“I’ve had my fun. Would you like a turn?”
Hwangbo Cheolwi glanced at the battered figure before responding.
The young man on the ground was from a collateral branch of the Hwangbo Clan, possessing the smallest share of Hwangbo blood, which explained his frailty.
Hwangbo Seon.
The young man’s name was Hwangbo Seon.
“…I’m… fine.”
“Hmm?”
“It’d be troublesome if others were to witness this. I will deal with this scum myself—”
“Little brother.”
Hwangbo Cheok’s bulk hand gripped Hwangbo Cheolwi’s shoulder.
“Big brother…?”
Hwangbo Cheolwi’s shoulders trembled as he met his brother’s gaze.
“You’ve been acting strangely as of late, showing concern for that collateral brat.”
“What are you talking about? Why would I care about a wretched bastard like him?”
“See, that’s what I mean. Why do you?”
It probably began last year.
The change started when Hwangbo Cheolwi returned from the tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes.
For some reason, he had stopped looking down on the collateral branch, ceased bullying others, and no longer flaunted the family’s glory.
Hwangbo Cheok wasn’t pleased with this behavior.
He couldn’t comprehend how his own brother had become such a weakling, despite being blessed with the pure blood of the main lineage.
“Little brother.”
“Yes, big brother…”
“We should take this opportunity to finish him once and for all.”
“Huh?”
“I really dislike how your attitude doesn’t befit the Hwangbo Clan anymore.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Go and break that bastard’s leg.”
“…!”
Hwangbo Cheolwi’s eyes widened in shock at the command.
He didn’t expect such a demand from Hwangbo Cheok.
“Big brother… this is the territory of the Murim Alliance.”
“I’m aware. Do you think I’m foolish, little brother?”
“Then why…”
“Ha.”
Hwangbo Cheok couldn’t help but chuckle at Hwangbo Cheolwi’s concern, deeming it unnecessary.
“Do you genuinely think the Alliance would care if you shattered the leg of some collateral scum? They are worthless.”
“But…!”
“You withheld your hand out of fear of the Lord seeing it. But right now, it doesn’t matter.”
“Big brother… what do you mean by that…?”
The Lord of the Hwangbo Clan was past his prime, and it seemed increasingly likely that Hwangbo Cheok would ascend to the position of Young Lord soon, allowing him to act without concern for trivial matters like this.
“He’s a worthless bastard, so you might as well relieve your stress on him while you can.”
“…”
Hwangbo Cheolwi struggled to suppress his emotions upon hearing his brother’s cruel words. Hwangbo Cheok’s eyes were filled with a manic intensity, which felt far from trivial.
…Just how did it come to this?
Hwangbo Cheolwi pondered, biting his lip.
This realization wasn’t sudden; he’d likely known deep down but had been unwilling to acknowledge it, much like his brother.
“…Big brother, even so this is—”
“What the… who are you?”
Hwangbo Cheolwi attempted to express his thoughts but was abruptly interrupted by an unknown voice.
Hwangbo Cheolwi flinched back in shock, as did all the martial artists of the Hwangbo Clan surrounding them.
None of them had sensed the presence until that interruption occurred.
Caught off guard, Hwangbo Cheok readied his combat qi and demanded, “W-who the hell are you…?”
However, the young man paid him no mind and instead approached the fallen Hwangbo Seon, examining the injuries on his body.
He appeared entirely indifferent to the martial artists surrounding him.
“He was beaten severely, and foolishly too. There’s no way to cover this up; it’s too obvious… ugh.”
“You bastard…! I asked who you are!”
Hwangbo Cheok seized the young man’s shoulder, trying to lift him.
“…!”
To his astonishment, the young man remained immobile.
He was glued to the ground as if weighed down.
…This guy…?
Despite being a descendant of the renowned Hwangbo Clan, possessing significant strength, the young man didn’t budge even a fraction under Hwangbo Cheok’s grip.
As Hwangbo Cheok concealed his surprise and readied to unleash his power, the young man turned his head towards him.
“Hey.”
“…Huh!”
As the young man turned, Hwangbo Cheolwi gasped inwardly.
He recognized that familiar, fierce face—there were surely not two of them in the world.
However, Hwangbo Cheok appeared oblivious to the young man’s identity, his expression twisting into a furious grimace.
“Ha, you must be completely insane. Looks like you don’t realize who I am.”
As Hwangbo Cheok deliberated what to do with this insolent brat, the young man spoke up, startling him.
“Five.”
“What?”
“You should let go of me by the time I count to five. I’m in no mood to be nice.”
At the young man’s words, Hwangbo Cheok couldn’t help but smirk.
“And what if I don’t let go? Huh?”
“One.”
“What do you plan to do to Hwangbo Cheok of the Hwangbo Clan?”
“Two.”
“I’m not sure what kind of tricks you’re pulling, but do you truly think you can even brush against my attire? Such a joke… unfortunately, you will die here today—”
“Three.”
Crack-!
“Ggah…!?”
With a sound akin to something shattering, Hwangbo Cheok’s arm, which gripped the young man’s shoulder, bent backward.
Even with his combat qi wrapped around him, the young man twisted his arm with ease, like molding clay.
“You…!”
Hwangbo Cheok let out a low growl of fury upon noticing his arm’s contortion.
Crack-!
Thud!
In an instant, he found himself kneeling, his massive figure staring up at the young man.
…What just happened?
Hwangbo Cheok couldn’t comprehend what had transpired.
It all occurred in the blink of an eye.
By the time he realized what had transpired, he was already on his knees.
As the young man met Hwangbo Cheok’s dazed gaze, he flatly commented,
“This is why I shouldn’t waste my time trying to converse with beast-like people. There’s such a thing as conversation, but they always resort to violence first, which is downright annoying.”
His calm, slightly heated voice radiated overwhelming pressure around them.
Meanwhile, Hwangbo Cheolwi, watching from behind, struggled to steady his racing heart.
T-True Dragon.
He remembered precisely who the young man was.
The True Dragon.
One of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, rumored to be a disciple of the Venerated One. He was also the same monster who had knocked Hwangbo Cheolwi out instantly and won the martial arts tournament.
Why is he here?
Yet, there was one question that intrigued him even more.
W-Why…?
It was the mystery of why his brother knelt down and the very presence of the True Dragon in this locale.
…He said five, but only counted to three?
That was what puzzled Hwangbo Cheolwi the most.
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