Chapter: 446
—
Break the Devil.
This is the power that made Wi Seol-ah the hope of the Central Plains, and ultimately, the reason she succeeded in killing the Heavenly Demon.
The moment when the first battle with the Mine broke out.
Also, at a time when I wasn’t a Mine yet.
Among those who were helpless, contaminated by the Mine’s magic, there was a time when Wi Seol-ah’s sword shone particularly brightly.
She wasn’t consumed by the magic; on the contrary, I could see the magic being pushed away by her sword and then vanishing.
How is that possible?
Could it be that the Moonlight Dance she learned has such an effect?
People in the Central Plains questioned these facts, but the Sword Venerable himself stated that no such phenomenon appeared in his own energy.
This means it’s a characteristic unique to Wi Seol-ah.
How can that be?
They had no time to ponder that.
The important thing was that the power she possessed could annihilate magic.
A martial artist with the ability to counter the deadly energy of magic had emerged.
It didn’t matter if that person was a young woman or someone of advanced age.
For this reason, it didn’t take long for Wi Seol-ah to be hailed as the hope of the Central Plains.
Moreover, since Wi Seol-ah was already gaining recognition for her unbelievable talent, many began to place high expectations on her.
Isn’t that just plain funny?
You find a glimmer of hope and immediately label her a hero.
To pass over the burden of saving the world, along with all those expectations, no less.
“Those damn fools.”
To me, it’s just laughable.
It’s not that I didn’t understand.
Anyone who has experienced it knows how vicious the magic can be.
If there’s someone who can withstand that kind of energy, it’s only natural to have high hopes.
Even though I know that, I simply don’t feel moved.
Because I understand all too well what happens to someone burdened with those damn expectations.
Not only do they disappear into oblivion, but eventually, everything falls apart.
That is the nature of excessive expectations and burdens.
And you know what’s even uglier?
People do it even while knowing it will harm the one being supported.
Knowing full well that the one shouldering the burden will eventually break and collapse.
They continue to pretend not to know, just to survive.
Such is the nature of humanity.
I despise them.
Moreover, I resent her for stepping forward to protect those very people, as if it were obvious.
This time is no different.
Even though everyone knows it will consume her life, the poor woman will step forward with a sword in hand.
I hated that with a fiery passion.
In the midst of silence.
Tap. Tap.
I heard a grating sound.
I lifted my head to see where the noise was coming from.
It was the sound of the Mage tapping the armrest with his fingers.
A habit that emerges when deep in thought.
Meanwhile, the air grew increasingly heavier.
The pressure emanating from the Mage weighed heavily on the surroundings.
Even in this situation, the Mines endured without uttering a single murmur.
Because anyone can tell that that damn kid’s vibe was off.
To other Mines, they might seem deeply troubled by the unexpected attack.
But I know.
“It must be full of thoughts.”
I could bet that head of his was packed with stories about the small sword.
Whooosh…
Muk-kwon broke the heavy atmosphere with his words.
“…My lord, please give the order.”
As soon as Muk-kwon spoke, all the surrounding Mines knelt down simultaneously.
This time, it was the same for the Demon Sword Master as well.
There’s no denial; the emergence of hostile forces and the gathering of strength literally signifies:
“Preparing for war.”
I don’t know the extent of the war, but it’s certain the Alliance is gearing up for battle.
Especially when they know a Heavenly Deity is nearby.
If reports say they have a swordsman strong against magic,
“…It doesn’t mean it’s a light fight.”
At least it’s fortunate that the power known as Pama (破魔) cannot purify demonic energy like my Gu Flame Wheel Technique.
“Should I consider that a blessing?”
Is it something to be thankful for that it can’t purify?
Just thinking about it makes me want to laugh.
In this situation…
“What decision will you make?”
I knelt down with the other Mines and observed his reaction.
The best course of action would be to report to the Heavenly Demon first.
Along with the Heavenly Deity’s movements, if we report that the blind faction is gathering,
There’s a high probability that we will either receive additional support or that the Heavenly Demon himself will show up to deal with it.
I don’t know how strong the current Sword is, but…
At the very least, it likely wouldn’t suffice to confront the Heavenly Demon.
Even if all three Lords collaborated, they wouldn’t defeat the Heavenly Demon.
I’m not entirely convinced their true intent is war, but this would be the quickest route.
However…
“You probably won’t do that, will you?”
A guy like the Mage isn’t the type to make that choice.
I know that all too well.
Squeak.
The Mage slowly rose before the kneeling Mines.
Then, he stepped down from the throne and spoke to Muk-kwon.
“…Muk-kwon.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Lead me to their location.”
At those words, the Mines instantly sprang to their feet.
The Great Hall was filled with the fighting spirit radiating from the Mines.
This is because they all understood the meaning behind the Mage’s words.
Observing this, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“That idiotic fool.”
As expected, he’s still like that.
His actions were entirely in line with my expectations.
His choice was always the same.
In the end, he would choose her.
It was the same in my previous life as well.
It’s still the same now.
And it will likely be the same in the future.
“You’re always acting like such an idiot.”
Who knows who acknowledges this nonsense, yet even he can’t give a definite answer about why he does it—what a dummy.
That was me.
If I’m in that situation right now, what choice would I make?
I ponder as I watch the Mage’s back walking out of the Great Hall.
I already know what choice I’d have made.
“Maybe.”
I’d probably make the same choice as that guy.
Knowing that, I can’t even comfortably curse him out.
That guy is a fool.
And I’m still a fool too.
I just wish.
In this situation, I hope that nothing will explode that’s harder to handle.
—
*
—
The location Muk-kwon mentioned was a village sitting just outside of Sacheon, specifically on the border of Sacheon.
It was a remote place, tucked deep into the mountains, making it difficult to reach.
Of all the places, why is the strength of the Meng gathering there? Did they intentionally choose that location?
“It’s strange.”
Even as we pick up the pace, I still question it.
Even though it lies outside of Sacheon, did they think the Mines wouldn’t notice?
Even if the blind faction consists of fools, they aren’t mindless.
Clearly, there must be some sort of plan.
“You know it so well, yet you’re still charging ahead.”
This thought crossed my mind as I observed my peers sprinting ahead.
Doesn’t he realize this?
“It’s impossible for him to be unaware.”
He undoubtedly knows full well.
Even while being completely aware of the obvious, he rushes headlong into enemy territory.
That too…
“With this much force…”
I glanced back.
The number of Mines following is quite large.
Even rough estimates suggest it exceeds a hundred.
That means he’s leading even the Mines that were guarding the perimeter.
When I draw this much power…
“Either he’s planning to pulverize the opponent or…”
Conversely, he’s intending to annihilate us—usually, it’s one of those two.
After a while, the Mage spoke up.
“Muk-kwon.”
“Yes.”
When Muk-kwon, who was right behind, focused his attention, the Mage continued as if he had been waiting.
“I’ll head out first. Bring the others along.”
“…Understood.”
Normally, it would be the unit commander, the Demon Sword Master, leading the charge.
But since the Demon Sword Master was likely to wander off into dangerous territory, in situations like this, Muk-kwon would clear the way.
Yet, at that moment, I couldn’t help but frown at the Mage’s words.
“You’re going first?”
No doubt he must be quite impatient, leaving all his forces behind to dash ahead.
What does that even mean?
Does he know what awaits on the other side that leads him to choose such a reckless approach?
Either way, it didn’t sit well with me.
Whoosh.
Whether he knew what I was feeling or not, the Mage swiftly enveloped himself in black flames.
Kaboom-!
In an instant, with a tremendous explosion, he leapt forward.
His speed was so overwhelming that the Mage vanished before my eyes in mere seconds.
“What a madman.”
He’s using an immense amount of energy to boost his speed.
In my current condition, if I attempted to use that method, I would probably lose all my bets in less than half an hour.
“Back then, I could run like that all day without breaking a sweat.”
Despite cursing that strategy as foolish, witnessing it made me realize the need to ramp up my efforts.
Immediately after the Mage vanished, Muk-kwon, hiding his surprise, addressed the Mines.
“The destination is near. Prepare for battle.”
At Muk-kwon’s warning, the Mines heightened their readiness.
I swallowed hard watching that unfold.
It’s highly likely that both the Mage and Muk-kwon were still wary of me.
Still, I had to contemplate what it meant for them to drag me into this war.
When the magic energy escaping from the bodies of the Mines began to resonate in the air…
Rumbleee—!
“Ugh!”
The ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.
The sudden shock unsettled those charging forward.
Just as I began to pause and wonder what that was…
“That’s….”
Everyone turned their gaze at Muk-kwon’s words.
Hah…
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the unfolding situation.
“You rush ahead and then cause this as soon as you get there?”
A colossal wave was forming in the distance, appearing to rise halfway up the mountainside.
A gigantic black wave of overwhelming proportions that looked poised to wipe the entire mountain away.
A wave of flames soaring to almost touch the clouds.
There was no need to ponder what it was.
That was all black flame.
The flames were so plentiful and immense that they resembled a massive tidal wave emerging.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.