Chapter: 356
A black space created behind the Shinryongwan.
In a space that appears like a black curtain spreading across the sky.
Thud thud.
A black-haired figure wearing a half-mask, the Dark King, appeared.
One shoulder was empty. The Dark King’s remaining hand held a severed arm.
Blood was not flowing. The bleeding had already stopped due to the wager.
“…”
The Dark King emerged with an indifferent expression and glanced around.
Among the countless trees, a woman was waiting, leaning against a trunk.
She was a beautiful woman with long black hair, exuding an otherworldly elegance that hinted she might be over two hundred years old.
The Dark King spoke first upon seeing her.
“I made you wait. I’m sorry.”
“… No worries…”
The woman who had been quietly waiting was So-i, the Volcanic Swordsman.
Her eyes widened when she saw the Dark King emerging from that space moments later.
It was because one of his arms was cut off.
“Are you okay?”
At the Swordsman’s concern, the Dark King subtly raised the corners of his lips.
“You’re still so affectionate, even worrying about me.”
The Sword Master frowned at the Dark King’s words.
When the Swordsman had first met the Dark King, the assault had just begun.
At the same time, an unknown black curtain fell over the area.
The Swordsman wanted to rush over to where the Guando students were, but at that moment, someone blocked her path, rendering her immobile.
An unknown being with white hair and white eyes. The man who obstructed the Swordsman spoke with a knowing gaze.
– It’s been a while.
– …!
The man’s true identity was the Dark King.
– How could you…!
Just as the Swordsman was about to express her surprise, a shocking moment unfolded.
The Dark King’s fingertips were already brushing against the Swordsman’s throat.
Little was known about the Dark King’s skills in martial arts.
But the Swordsman had some understanding.
The Dark King did not wield a short sword like other assassins.
He had reached a realm of singularity, akin to what could be termed his teacher or family, hence he saw no need for such weapons.
Of course, one could achieve greater efficiency with arms, but the Dark King seemed to have no interest in such conventionality.
If those fingertips intended it, his own neck would be severed without hesitation.
Anxiety fluttered as the situation shifted rapidly, and the safety of the students weighed heavily on her mind.
That fleeting moment created the conditions of the present.
No, wait.
If it was the Dark King, perhaps he calculated even that fleeting moment into his plans.
In such a situation, the Swordsman had only one response.
– … Please, let me go.
There might be a way out.
But even the time to seek it was running out.
So, surrender was the only option she considered.
– If you have come to kill me, I’ll close my eyes peacefully… But for now…
– Geomhu, I have no intention of killing you.
– Then…!
– That is why moving would be severely unwise for you.
The Swordsman was baffled by the Dark King’s demeanor.
“If you desire my life, I wouldn’t resist.”
Instead, she begged the Dark King to spare the children, but he resolutely denied her request.
The Dark King had no intent to bring death. Then, what would happen…?
Swish.
The Swordsman’s judgment was swift.
She could have rationally analyzed further, but it was clear there was no time for that now.
Just as she was ready to escalate the stakes and draw her sword, the Dark King interjected.
– You’re making this quite troublesome.
He shifted the hand that touched Geomhu’s neck.
Thud.
Though it was a frantic reflex in response to the sensation of his neck being grazed, her protective technique was easily neutralized by him.
That was the end of the encounter. The Swordsman lost consciousness in that instant.
By the time she regained her senses, much of the critical events had already unfolded.
Many had closed their eyes.
This meant the Shinryonggwan had descended into chaos, mere moments after.
“How could this happen?”
“What are you referring to?”
“… Children have died. Dozens of them.”
At the Swordsman’s words, the Dark King did not alter his expression.
To put it differently, he seemed perplexed.
“So?”
The Swordsman’s face twisted at the Dark King’s response.
“Do you think I am to blame?”
“If only you had not stopped me…!”
Thud.
Just as the Swordsman exclaimed, the Dark King’s form vanished.
The next moment he reappeared behind Geomhu.
“You seem to be making a significant error in judgment. Do you truly believe you could have salvaged this situation if I hadn’t intervened?”
“… Even if I couldn’t save everyone, I could have saved more children.”
The Dark King lightly nodded in acknowledgment.
“That’s a reasonable point, however…”
He gently pressed his fingertips against the Swordsman’s back.
“Do you believe there’s any reason I should take such action?”
“… Elder.”
His voice was as cold as ice.
“While I understand your sense of justice and camaraderie, isn’t it rather selfish to expect that of me?”
“This is a different matter…”
“It’s no different. The matters of life and death are all fundamentally the same.”
The Dark King’s tone was unwavering.
“I can see you’re frustrated and feel wronged, but I hope you grasp one simple fact: you should actually be thanking me.”
“… What do you mean?”
The Dark King let out a quiet sigh at the Swordsman’s reaction.
“It rather feels like I’m trying to boast, so I’d rather not elaborate.”
“Elder.”
“Let’s change the topic.”
The Dark King cut off the conversation, signaling he didn’t want to continue.
But Geomhu had no intention of letting it slide.
“My story hasn’t ended yet…”
“You appear to be mistaken in some regard.”
The moment the Swordsman attempted to speak, an overwhelming wave of deadly intent emanated from the Dark King’s form.
The fierce pressure forced Geomhu to falter.
“That child from earlier… And you as well.”
The pupils of the Dark King’s eyes, once dark, gradually began to turn white, perhaps influenced by the mask.
“Why do you think your head is still attached, despite my aggravation?”
His expression remained unchanged, but the overwhelming aura radiating from him made it difficult for the Swordsman to even breathe.
She neither regarded herself as arrogant nor particularly proud.
However, even so, she believed her skill level wasn’t low.
Her pride stemmed from the accolade of being the Sword Master, acknowledged as skillful in her own right.
Never had she anticipated such a stark disparity between her and the Dark King.
‘True, it helped me that it was a surprise attack earlier…’
If it was night and the Dark King wished her dead, they say even the three deities could fall.
Although Geomhu had never truly believed in that folklore…
Witnessing the current manifestation of the Dark King made her think that perhaps it wasn’t just mere legend.
“It’s because you’re connected to my friend. That small reason means your lives are being preserved.”
Friend.
Geomhu already had a clear understanding of who that was referring to.
A figure who had served as both teacher and parent to her.
The current head of Mount Hua. That most likely refers to Plum Blossom.
That was also the very instance when Geomhu first encountered the Dark King.
When she was but a child.
Less than ten individuals had ventured to Mount Hua.
At the time, Plum Blossom had yet to claim the title of Clan Leader.
Back then, he was called the Volcanic Sword instead.
The guests who visited under the banner of the Volcanic Sword were those who would later be described as various legendary figures.
Among them was even someone who would ascend to the status of a deity in present times.
“Ugh…”
As Geomhu finally released a groan, the suffocating wave of murderous intent dissipated in an instant.
“Plum Blossom. As the child in his embrace, I can understand her temperament.”
The Dark King stepped past the Swordsman while making his way forward.
“I am not like him, so don’t impose your values on me. There will be no second chance.”
The Dark King was not a conventional figure in politics.
It would be a stretch to label him as righteous; though not called a savior, he was deemed the King of Assassins.
The Dark King was fully aware of this.
He never considered himself a righteous figure either.
He operated without reservation because it was necessary.
The sanctity of life was not a conversation to be had with an assassin.
“If you need to lay blame for their deaths at my feet, feel free to do so. I’ll let it slide.”
The Dark King walked alongside the Swordsman and lifted the severed arm he had been holding.
He brought it closer to the stump where it had been severed.
Witnessing this unfold left Geomhu in shock.
“…!”
A strange mucus began to ooze from where the arm connected with the shoulder, rapidly sealing them together.
To her further astonishment, once affixed, the arm even started to move.
At that moment, the Dark King stretched the reconstructed arm high into the sky.
The Swordsman pondered its significance.
Crack.
As the Dark King clenched his newly restored fist, cracks began to appear in the black curtain overhead.
This implied that all help from the outside had been shut off.
The power that had assisted in the attack, while concealing the light, was indeed the Dark King’s strength.
Geomhu gazed at him in bewilderment, as if asking how this was possible.
Noticing her gaze, the Dark King responded.
“What kind of stare is that?”
“That arm… how…”
Even a deity at the pinnacle of healing arts could not merely reattach a severed limb as it appeared to be done.
This bordered on the unimaginable, transcending medical science.
The Dark King tilted his head slightly as he eyed her.
“Surely, you know that humans aren’t the only beings in this world?”
“… Then, what are you…?”
“Who knows? I still think of myself as human, to some degree.”
Geomhu swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of the Dark King’s actions.
This was a warning of sorts.
She grasped that.
“I know you’re seeking something.”
“…!”
The Swordsman flinched at the Dark King’s assertion.
“I’d like to advise you against it if possible, but I know you wouldn’t listen, and I can’t rightfully kill you, so I shall endure.”
“Are you aware of something more, Elder?”
The Swordsman was eager for answers.
She sought the whereabouts of her friend and the events that transpired at Shinryongdae in the past.
Did the Dark King possess knowledge regarding these matters?
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she posed the question.
Yet the Dark King merely averted his gaze.
“Even if I knew what you sought, there’s no way I would divulge that information.”
“… Elder…”
“If you’re in danger, that crazy bastard will surely stir up trouble.”
The Dark King spoke of someone with a furrowed brow.
Three faces flashed through his mind.
One was a giant he believed still laughed raucously deep within a mountain valley in Shanxi.
Another was someone already deceased.
The last was a promising newcomer deeply intertwined with the two mentioned above.
“A newcomer… perhaps not just any recent arrival.”
The young man, with hair black as night and eyes that held a peculiar sharpness about them, was not to be underestimated.
It felt like he had surpassed the age of juvenile dismissal a long while back.
He was dubbed the youngest at the peak of martial arts.
The Dark King hadn’t placed much stock in that rumor, but seeing for himself, he couldn’t help but find it almost laughable.
‘Such talent is indeed extraordinary.’
A talent like that of Huagyeong.
That rustling aura of a master swordsman in a world where it was expected not to exceed a thousand skilled fighters across the vast swath of the central plains.
This was a level attained only in the twilight years of life.
Thus, a youth not yet done with adolescence achieving such feats was already a matter that would echo in history.
Even the notorious Dark King, known for his emotional steadfastness, found it surprising.
What further implications needed exploring?
Yet beyond that, the Dark King sensed other complexities to ponder.
‘This isn’t a mere blunder.’
He felt a distinct awareness.
From the offspring of the Nine Houses, he detected a familiar essence intertwining with his own.
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