Chapter: 842
Grrrrrr—!!!
The fallen man on the floor lets out a monstrous scream.
Clutching his shattered jaw, the sight of him crawling on the floor is truly pitiful.
Blood and saliva dripped from his mangled jaw, and his bloodshot eyes revealed just how much pain he was in.
And then…
“What the hell is this bastard saying?”
BAM-!
Cough…!
I viciously stomped down on his head and hissed, “Seriously, get it together!”
“Grr….”
“You should at least throw out some words instead of just howling nonsense. Don’t you think?”
I could feel him trembling.
Is he trying his best to get up?
It wasn’t even funny.
CRUNCH-!
“Gaaaaa—!!!”
Upon kicking his calf, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. It seemed like he’d added some protection just before my foot hit him.
If he hadn’t, his leg would’ve probably been ripped off. He’s got some sense, at least.
‘What a shame.’
I didn’t plan to stop at just breaking it. Now that it’s come to this, should I just tear it apart? The thought crossed my mind, but I held back.
“Grr… Huh….”
The guy continued to drool. I looked down at him and said, “Stop.”
—!!
Those on the verge of rushing in at my words froze. Before I knew it, we were surrounded by members of the Blue Dragon Corps.
Seeing their expressions, it seemed they were ready to charge in at any moment…
“Don’t move an inch. Can’t you see I’m having a conversation here?”
“Grr….”
I grabbed the nameless guy by his neck.
His battered appearance was beyond gruesome.
“If you move, I’ll kill you. This guy too. Anyone who tries to move.”
I infused my voice with a murderous intent.
Even I thought I might have overdone it a bit.
First, the bodies of those hesitating completely stiffened, as if they had been hit hard.
Meanwhile, those with some guts exchanged glances as if looking for an opening.
“If this sounds like a joke, give it a try. Let’s see what happens.”
Seeing their expressions, I could tell they were becoming more tense.
The murderous energy I was emitting didn’t stop, and the pressure subtly increased.
At that moment…
“Um, Lord….”
Someone spoke to me.
It was Song Ho-jeong, currently serving as the vice-captain alongside Dang So-yeol.
He approached with a deeply troubled expression, so I raised my hand to stop him.
“Stay back. I need to talk to this guy now.”
“However….”
“I’ll listen to your story later, so shut your mouth and stand back. I said later! Is that too hard to follow?”
“…Ah… No… I’ll wait.”
Song Ho-jeong backed away, his timid expression a bit annoying.
Naturally, I felt pressure building in my hands.
“Hey you bastard.”
“Ugh…!”
“Continue with what you were saying earlier. What was it?”
At my voice, the guy in my grip quivered.
“What did you say? Speak up!”
I kept asking, but no words came.
It was to be expected. With a jaw as swollen as that, he couldn’t possibly speak properly.
I knew that too, but it didn’t matter.
“People ignore dogs, so now my words are a joke too, huh? Hey, don’t you think the Vice-captain’s words sound stupid?”
“Grr… Ah… ugh…”
“What the hell are you saying? Speak properly!”
BANG-!
I slammed his head into the ground.
With a cracking sound, blood splattered slightly.
“Eek!!”
“L-Lord…!”
The guys watching flinched at the horrifying sound. I wiped the blood that had splattered on my face and spoke to them.
“Don’t panic; he’s not dead. Do you really think I’d kill someone from the same martial arts alliance?”
I tried to sound friendly, but for some reason, the atmosphere only grew tense.
Ah, this is a bit disappointing.
“I just wanted to chat a little, but your eyes are adorable. Don’t like it? Then go ahead and do what you feel like.”
With that, I raised my body.
The guy I was holding seemed to have lost consciousness just now. Blood was gushing out, but… I doubt he’d die.
‘About a half-meal’s worth, I suppose.’
Not long, but just enough time to hold out.
That should be enough. Besides, he still fought hard enough.
Moreover…
‘That’ll be perfect.’
If it was half a meal, it was just the right time to clean up the surroundings.
Thud. I took a step forward. At that moment, the Blue Dragon members went on high alert.
They took a perfect sword-drawing stance as if preparing to draw their blades at any moment.
In other words, that meant they were treating me as an enemy.
“Hmm. We’re surely on the same side. Is this really how we should behave?”
As I walked, I shook my hands, causing drops of blood to fall.
And of course, it wasn’t my blood; it was from the fallen guy.
Seeing this, they became even more cautious.
Is it really so absurd to say that they’re on the same side after making him look like that? I get that, but I had something to clarify.
“No, you spoke like a rabid dog, so I thought you wanted a beating. Remember the old saying, a mad dog is calmed by a beating.”
What was it again?
I think it was something about discarded rags or useless bugs. It felt similar.
Wasn’t it also said that even among the same vice-captains, ranks differ?
‘Not that it isn’t accurate, though.’
I can’t deny that part. It’s definitely true that there is a difference in level.
Seongryongdae was a unit formed less than a year ago, whereas Cheongryongdae has a long history.
And not to mention, Song Ho-jeong and that idiot were on different levels too.
Song Ho-jeong sat at the pinnacle, while that guy looked like he’d surpassed his limits long ago.
Considering those differences, I wouldn’t argue against the point that there’s a disparity.
‘However, saying it out loud is a different matter.’
What I mean is, that could either mean they’re about to start a proper fight… or that they simply don’t consider the other party human.
“Am I wrong?”
“…”
“…”
I asked, but again there was no answer. Truly a taciturn bunch.
Or perhaps, keeping silent when it’s unfavorable seems to be their usual tactic?
“I don’t understand.”
I genuinely found myself puzzled by the scene.
“Why do you keep making this difficult? I didn’t even ask for anything unreasonable.”
Swish! As I stepped closer, the sound of swords being drawn finally reached my ears. Various colors whirled in the nighttime.
“There’s no need to force a bond. Just keep quiet and do what we all need to do. Is that really so difficult?”
I had no clue what the problem was.
“…Vice-captain Seongryong. If you approach any closer…!”
Well, whether or not I understood didn’t really matter.
It’s been like this since ancient times, hasn’t it?
“What if I get closer? Wanna see my sword skills? Sounds fun.”
No matter what the reason, if I don’t like it, I’ll break it.
I’ve wanted to stir up chaos at any moment, but there’s one reason I haven’t.
‘Because I’m weak.’
I was weak, and if I recklessly stirred things up, I wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.
So what about now?
Regrettably, nothing has changed. This thought didn’t transform at all.
I remained weak in the heart of the Central Plains.
Even if there were more weaklings than strong ones, countless variables existed, and among those, I could only get weaker.
It can’t be helped.
I’ve got too many things to protect and a stack of tasks piled on me, forcing me to hunker down.
One thing, though.
‘No matter the situation, it’s still there.’
Even if I endure and hold it in, I wouldn’t let this one thing slip by unchallenged.
Thud!
The pressure finally burst forth.
“Hiiiii-!!”
“Grrrrr!!?”
The energy radiating from my body spread outwards. Immediately, the wind pressure whipped through the area.
The wind swirled around, wrapping everything like a curtain, forming a barrier as if claiming territory.
“This is absurd…”
“How on earth can he do this with just energy…!”
What kind of condition do you need to pull this off? Being all martial artists, they could grasp just how reckless and nonsensical my actions really were.
Like when someone witnesses something shocking, fear filled the eyes of those looking at the barrier.
All those who had just revealed their hostility felt chills run down their spines.
With a grin that refused to leave my face, I asked, “What’s up? Keep going like you were doing. You were gearing up to rush me, weren’t you?”
Crack. I loosened my neck and as I approached, this time they recoiled.
Backing away hesitantly, I sighed and asked, “Where are you going?”
A low voice from the front suddenly spoke up.
“…Vice-captain Seongryong. Please, calm down.”
“What?”
That was some ridiculous talk. Calm down?
“If I planned to calm down, I wouldn’t have done this in the first place.”
“I understand your anger, but it seems there’s been a misunderstanding… Let’s talk first…”
“Conversation? Forget it.”
With that, I stomped hard on the ground and lunged forward.
The world around me shifted dramatically. My hand was already in action from that point.
WHAM-!
“Cough!”
I seized the throat of the guy who had been speaking and lifted him up.
“Grrr…!”
He struggled and fought, but in the end, he was raised effortlessly.
“If you wanted to do something, you should’ve done it sooner! Now it’s too late.”
“…P-please… let us… speak…”
“Sure, you probably have your own reasons.”
There must have been some issue that led to this situation.
That much is obvious. They might feel wronged or frustrated, but…
“But I’ll listen to that later. Right now, this is more important.”
In all honesty, I didn’t care at all.
My priority was releasing the pent-up emotions.
Grind! I clenched my fist. Energy began to flow into my hand.
It was merely a basic show of strength. It wouldn’t ignite flames, but it was more than enough.
I twisted my waist and tensed my shoulders. I was ready to unleash that punch.
If that happened… the guy I was holding would…
‘Die.’
He’d likely rupture all his organs and meet his end. Also, I’d have no reservations about doing the same to everyone around him.
I would ensure they all died.
Every last one of them on this spot, without exception.
As I contemplated this and prepared to swing my fist…
“…Hmm?”
Before my punching hand could reach his stomach, I suddenly froze in my tracks.
BOOM—!! The energy in my fist erupted and released shockwaves.
Simultaneously, I relaxed my grip.
“Cough…!”
The guy whose neck I had been holding fell to the floor, gasping for air. I found myself staring blankly at him and my hand.
‘What was that?’
What was I just about to do?
As I tried to comprehend this strange feeling, I widened my eyes.
‘Was I really going to kill them all?’
It was undoubtedly the case.
I had intended to take out the guy I was holding and everyone surrounding him.
If I hadn’t let go just before, this guy would’ve definitely bitten the bullet.
Afterward, I would’ve likely wiped out all those nearby.
That was the sentiment. The urge to ensure that they all met their end.
Feeling this made goosebumps appear on my skin.
“Oh, this is utterly insane.”
With one hand, I rubbed my face. It was hard to regain my composure.
That I had aimed to kill them all wasn’t the problem. It wasn’t beyond possibility. I was truly enraged.
However, the issue lay in the fact that the thoughts and feelings that had driven me to consider killing another person were not my own.
I could understand wanting to blow off steam, but if it had been up to me, I wouldn’t have gone that far.
If I ended up killing another member here, it would complicate my own situation significantly.
Knowing that, I had attempted to raise some chaos within limits I could manage.
‘Why did you want to kill…?’
What had just happened?
Even now, I furrowed my brows against the lingering emotional disturbance.
The killing intent I felt had been real.
I genuinely wanted to eliminate them all.
My only thought was to remove the disgusting presence before me, like squishing a bug out of sight.
‘What is this?’
This wasn’t my emotion.
It wasn’t even my life.
Something had erupted from deep within, taking full control of my thoughts for a moment.
‘What the hell.’
What in the world was this?
As the questions surfaced, for some reason, a scene from my last life suddenly flashed in my mind.
—Why are you still alive?
That moment back when I had encountered you in my previous life.
“Could this be…?”
Just as I thought I might understand something and inhaled deeply.
WHOOSH—!!
CRASH—!!
The surroundings jolted in shock.
It wasn’t just shaking; there were visible tears forming in the space.
SHHHHH—!!!
Amidst that gap, the tip of a sword shot toward me, radiating a blue light.
Instinctively, I twisted my body to create some distance.
The barrage of flashes struck precisely where I had stood moments ago, erupting with a thunderous explosion.
Dust clouded my vision.
“…What are you doing?”
A voice barely suppressing anger echoed through the dust.
The voice resonating in the haze was just like that.
SWISH—!
With a quick sound, the wind sliced through the air.
The dust was swept away entirely with a powerful sword strike.
Now my sight cleared completely. Only then did the obstruction fade, revealing the other person’s face in full view.
The one responsible for breaking through the barrier and the owner of that voice was, of course, Ilcheonggeom.
He looked around as if assessing the situation, then addressed me with a deeply furrowed brow.
“Truly, have you lost your mind?”
His expression conveyed disbelief at how someone could act like this in their own territory.
Seeing that, I realized once again that I needed to pull myself together.
“Oh…”
This wasn’t looking good. Especially once I recognized my own state.
Right now, I shouldn’t be picking a fight with Ilcheonggeom.
Because…
‘If we fought, I could genuinely kill him.’
In this state, I felt like Ilcheonggeom would genuinely end up killing me without hesitation.
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