Chapter: 543
As the sun set and night descended.
Countless individuals moved swiftly through the underbrush.
“Run quickly!”
“Get in formation! We can’t be disorganized!”
Though they each had different appearances, the expressions on their faces were all the same.
Tension.
Their faces were filled with it.
Thud-!
The speed gradually increased.
From the sight of them cutting through the forest path, it was clear that they were all martial artists.
Their uniforms fluttered as if swept by the wind. The insignia emblazoned on them was clear even in the night.
That insignia represented only one thing.
The Murim Alliance.
The identities of those rushing through the night were warriors belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Amidst this atmosphere of heightened tension stood a man at the front.
Seodong, the deputy leader of the Biryongdae from the Guangdong branch of the Murim Alliance, rolled his eyes.
‘Damn it.’
One hand was gripping the hilt of his sword.
By channeling energy into his danjeon, he was using all kinds of bets as power.
The energy radiated out, enveloping the surrounding forest.
The bets were solid with strength.
To display such a level of energy as a martial artist, one had to transcend their limits.
This hinted that Seodong’s ability had surpassed its peak.
What this meant was simple.
It meant that even such strong individuals were this nervous.
‘Of all times, when the numbers are few…!’
The current total was seven.
All those he brought were first-class martial artists, far beyond second-class, yet it was still a problem.
With their current numbers, it was woefully insufficient.
‘A red-grade monster…’
To catch a red monster, that is.
One peak martial artist and six first-class ones.
Until just a few years ago, this was sufficient power for hunting monsters.
Even Seodong alone, at peak level, could slaughter a blue monster.
But the emergence of monsters was now a matter of grave danger.
‘Damn it.’
It wasn’t like that anymore.
Just three years ago.
Starting from Sacheon, new levels of magical gates began to open.
No, it wasn’t accurate to say they were new.
The ranks that had previously existed were simply reemerging.
One.
To put it succinctly, the changes that the world faced were anything but insignificant.
“Warm up your bodies in advance! Don’t let your guard down!”
At the shout, the warriors behind him flinched and began to gather their spirits.
The heat began to spread as their energy mixed with the air.
A rank that hadn’t appeared in centuries.
Red magic gate.
Doors of a grade unfamiliar to this generation began to appear a few years ago.
Monsters infinitely stronger than blue monsters.
They possessed a barrier that could negate energies, and had the power to crush even peak martial artists.
It was so savage that it left chaos in its wake every time it appeared.
It was a calamity in the making.
The only silver lining was that, in proportion to the difference in ranks.
The frequency of their emergence was remarkably low.
Of course, a red-grade monster’s appearance was still a disaster by all means.
Seodong raised his head.
“… crunch…!”
As he gazed into the void, his teeth ground together involuntarily.
He saw light.
A very red light.
That signified only one thing.
‘Just before it appears.’
It meant that a monster was about to leap out of the red magic gate.
The ideal time to hunt it was right when it emerged from the demonic gate.
At that moment when it struggled to adapt to a new environment during those few brief seconds.
That determined the course of the battle.
Especially with this number of warriors, a frontal assault would be as foolish as death, so timing their hunt was essential.
‘It’s late.’
At this point, it was already too late.
Not only was the report of the demonic gate’s emergence delayed, but the time taken to prepare was excessively long.
If they continued like this, the monster would burst forth from the magic gate.
If that happens.
‘There are many houses around.’
A mistake could result in a gruesome massacre.
They absolutely had to prevent this situation.
‘Why is that?’
As his speed increased, Seodong pondered.
‘It feels like the frequency is growing.’
For some reason, he sensed that reports of red magic gates had been increasing lately.
Even in the year it was first discovered, there were at most twenty a year.
Now, it was spring, at the start of the new year, and already they had surpassed twenty reports.
It was growing more and more.
The sensation was strong enough that not just he, but most of the sword members likely felt it as well—a feeling that sent a chill down his spine.
And that moment.
Boom-!
“…!”
Seodong’s eyes widened at the deafening sound coming from the other side.
He bit his lip.
That sound was unmistakable.
‘The monster has appeared.’
The thunderous roar signaling the emergence of a red-grade monster.
It meant a red monster was beneath the place where the light was visible.
In that instant.
Seodong, realizing this, drew his sword.
Swish-!
As soon as Seodong unsheathed his sword, the warriors behind him drew their swords without hesitation.
Surely, they all sensed it.
If they made a mistake now, they could die from this.
‘… Why did it have to happen at this moment when the heads are all absent…!’
If only there had been even one high-ranking official present, it wouldn’t have resulted in this.
But currently, all those capable were out.
The death of the old guard leader Domun Kang.
That incident required investigation. Since it involved Simao, it was a serious matter.
Who could have imagined it would lead to this?
The pair of seasoned peak martial artists they required were absent, forcing them to face this mess with only their inadequate numbers.
‘This is bound to end poorly.’
If he was going to retire, he should have done it earlier.
Was it a sin that he hadn’t?
Seodong forced himself to calm his despair.
If things were left as they were, chaos would undoubtedly ensue, and he couldn’t just stand by.
“We’re almost there…”
The clarity in Seodong’s voice, which had been resolute until just now, felt strangely unsettled.
“I’ll take the lead. You support from behind.”
“Deputy Leader…!”
Upon Seodong’s words, one warrior voiced concern.
But no one offered any more words.
Everyone understood there was no other way.
Tick-!
Finally, the group arrived at the source of light.
Seodong tightened his grip on his sword, brimming with tension.
Boom-! The sword aura surged around his blade.
He spread his energy wide to assess the situation.
‘Where could it be?’
The location where the light had been visible was right here.
Then surely the monster would appear as well.
Moreover, red monsters were generally massive, so spotting one shouldn’t be too difficult…
‘What’s going on?’
Seodong couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
‘Why is it so quiet?’
An unsettling silence loomed.
For a red-grade monster, it should have been screaming and wreaking havoc all around.
Yet the area surrounding them was eerily tranquil.
The troubling part was that their senses weren’t catching anything either.
“…”
Seodong raised his hand and gestured for silence.
It was an indication to move forward.
He stepped ahead, erasing his presence, and the others followed behind him.
They moved like this for a few minutes.
Then.
Drip-!
“…?”
A low sound echoed from afar.
Creak… Crack… Crunch…!
It was as if something was being broken and crushed.
Just hearing it made goosebumps erupt across his skin.
Upon hearing the noise, Seodong felt every hair on his body stand on end.
Crack… groan…
The sound grew louder with each step.
It was probably just up ahead.
Thud-!
It was clear.
This sound came from beyond the darkness nearby.
As a result, his breaths grew rapid with tension.
His heart raced, and sweat dripped down.
Was it a red monster? Was the beast up to something?
With such thoughts, Seodong finally moved forward, trembling.
“…Huh…!?”
At the sight before him, he swallowed hard without realizing it.
Something was visible beyond the heavy darkness.
Thud thud-.
What he first noticed were blue eyes glowing.
Following that was a massive form.
Something with a large, fluid physique was feeding on a red-skinned monster.
Crrunch!
Along with the sound of bones snapping, he watched the monster’s head get crushed.
Gush! Blood pooled and soaked the ground.
Seodong’s eyes widened like lanterns.
The creature was beyond recognition, utterly mangled; he couldn’t tell what it was, but the form of the consumed monster resembled a tiger.
‘…That’s for sure.’
It was a creature incomparably stronger than the lower-level blue monsters, requiring a fully matured peak-level warrior to confront.
And it was being devoured alive right before his eyes.
From the lack of damage in the vicinity, it suggested that it hadn’t even put up a fight.
‘What in the world is that…?’
An unknown being consuming that red monster.
It appeared to be a monster, but its grade was unclear.
At first glance, it seemed to radiate blue, but on a closer inspection, it leaned more towards black.
‘…Does that mean it’s a blue monster?’
That couldn’t be right. There was no way a blue monster could do something like that.
So what in the world was it?
Growl…
‘Oh no…!’
As if it had finished its meal, the monster’s blue eyes turned towards Seodong.
Immediately, Seodong attempted to channel power into his sword.
Thud-!
“Ugh…!”
The moment their gazes met, his body froze in place.
This was serious.
If this continued…!
“Excuse me.”
“!!”
Seodong, who was rigid, flinched at the voice suddenly ringing in his ear.
Simultaneously, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder.
As if they were close companions, someone draped an arm over Seodong’s shoulders.
“I have something to ask you.”
The voice was high and sweet, yet slightly subdued.
It was a voice he had never heard before.
Seodong forced his stiff neck to turn and face the other person.
The first thing he noticed were…
‘Eyes…?’
The blue glow resembled that of the unidentified monster in front of him.
Those eyes shone vividly even in the darkness.
It was hard to decipher the face, but listening to the voice, the person didn’t seem that old.
Yet amidst all of this, Seodong felt one undeniable certainty.
‘I can’t win.’
It was the intuition of a loser.
He recognized it the moment he saw those eyes.
That this forest’s eerie quietude wasn’t due to the monster, but because of the presence emanating from this figure.
He looked at Seodong, who trembled uncontrollably, and said,
“I’m looking for someone. So, I was wondering if you knew anything.”
A tone laced with laughter.
Seodong’s body shook involuntarily at the depth of presence wrapped within.
He croaked out words, forcing them through a clogged throat.
“…Y-you… are… who…?”
“Hmm. That’s the second time I’ve heard that question today.”
Sweat poured down.
It felt as if his mind was about to shatter at any moment.
“Just someone whose hobby is traveling. Isn’t that sufficient? It should be enough.”
“…”
This clearly indicated he didn’t wish to disclose his identity.
Even so, Seodong couldn’t muster a rebuttal.
He understood all too well what would transpire if he refused here.
“If you don’t, it will get rather bothersome.”
He could faintly perceive that much.
Growl…
The enormous creature growled lowly in front.
It seemed to be waiting for orders.
Did that imply this person was taming the monster?
‘That’s impossible.’
It was unthinkable for a human to tame a monster.
One.
“… Hoo… Hoo…”
Even if he had doubts and couldn’t comprehend it,
This was not a situation where he could ask questions.
“Who… are you looking for?”
The figure smiled at Seodong’s response.
While it was difficult to see clearly in the dark, he could guess the person was smiling, as the blue light of their eyes curled upwards.
With that, the figure posed a question to Seodong.
“Sword Demon… No, what was his name? I think it had two characters….”
After speaking, he paused for a moment to think.
“I don’t know the name.”
Then, as if recalling something, he continued.
“He’s a man, probably around my age… who wields a sword.”
Ah.
“His eyes are unusually yellow, you know?”
“…!”
Upon hearing this, Seodong’s body froze.
The figure, noticing his reaction, smiled and asked,
“Do you know him?”
“…”
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate,
Seodong knew exactly whom he was referring to.
That was information regarding someone who had recently become infamous for all the wrong reasons.
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