Chapter 351
< The Demon King of Kang Hwan-gye (3) >
Sasasak—
In a forest filled with pitch-black darkness.
A group of figures lined up in the middle of the place were moving quietly yet quickly..
“stop.”
Then, at one point, the person at the forefront of them raised one hand while saying something softly..
The personnel at the rear, who had been moving in unison, stopped their actions all at once without a single error..
“······.”
In a forest in the middle of the night where peace and gloom coexist.
The wind passed through the gaps between the densely grown trees, causing the bushes and leaves to rustle..
In the midst of silence, in the noise that flows quietly,—.
“···ready for battle.”
That voice put an end to the tranquility of the forest..
Chae Chaeng—Chaang!
As soon as he finished speaking, they all drew their weapons, and the tension of the eve of the storm began to spread throughout the space..
No one questioned the sudden instructions..
The commander who gave the order had already proven his abilities a long time ago, and for them, top-down was a part of their daily routine that bordered on brainwashing..
Sure enough.
“Huh? Oh my, have they already caught this??”
As soon as the entire group finished preparing for battle, a carefree voice that did not match the surrounding atmosphere full of sharp energy came from behind..
“It doesn't work out as expected, does it? Moving secretly is not for me! Kahahahaha!”
A stranger slowly appears in the darkness, between dense trees..
Even though everyone in the room was on guard, the big barbarian warrior burst out into a lively laugh..
In a relaxed manner, as if it doesn't matter how they react, as if they were just out for a walk..
“···Express. Lift all bans in Cheongangsi..”
But those who encountered him could never look at him funny..
No, far from looking down on him, I couldn't even take my eyes off him..
Crunch – crunchy—
A large man approaches calmly, stomping on the floor without any tension or anxiety..
My instincts kept screaming at the ferocious force that was blooming all over my body... as if if I looked away even for a moment, it would lunge at me and bite my neck..
“However, the number is a bit smaller than I thought.?”
While the suffocating tension was rising, a giant man was approaching, prowling like a wild beast about to be hunted— Harley tilted his head to one side and frowned..
His odd eyes, with their strange glow, slowly scanned the surroundings..
The approximate number of the group is fifty..
All of them are experts at least at the peak level, and if you include the jiangshi that some of them climb out of the coffins they carry on their backs, the power itself can be said to be formidable.···.
It was quite different from the number he had expected in advance..
And most importantly.
“···The kid I was looking for is nowhere to be seen. Wow, when did you steal it somewhere else??”
Among them, the person he was looking for, Zhuge Hyemi, was nowhere to be seen..
It wasn't even in one of the coffins that contained that poem..
It was still quite subtle when he sensed it from afar, but there was no way it could fool his senses from this distance, right??
‘When I synthesized various information and tracked it down to this point, there was no sign that they were divided into several groups..’
Then he soon realized that he had been thinking too optimistically about things..
The reason he was able to track them down was because there were a lot of them, so he had no choice but to use the traces that were left..
So, what if a very small number of experts in secret practices took her with them and escaped to another place?···.
“Keck! This is getting annoying. It would have been easier if I had just finished it this time..”
Harley, with a disgusted expression on his face, rubbed the back of his head..
No matter how great the power of the Demonic Cult was, it was an inefficient venture to distribute power in such a chaotic world where no one knew when, where, or what kind of crisis would come..
In addition, wasn't it true that the Zhuge Dynasty they attacked specialized in defending bases using the formation method and did not even have a humble expert??
There was no way he knew that Harley was in pursuit, so I thought there would be no need to split up again when the distance had already increased considerably..
“Well, it can't be helped that it's already like this..”
Harley, who was still talking to herself in a rigid atmosphere, licked her lips and shook her head..
Although I missed my goal, I still couldn't see it as a wasted step..
Because there were so many people who could be clues before my eyes right now..
“Still. I'm human too, so I can't help but feel a little offended.?”
Contrary to the light tone, an overwhelming force exploded that made my body feel numb..
It didn't matter whether they obeyed or stayed true until the end..
If you cut it cleanly and search through that head, you'll find something..
“So, please understand even if it’s a little harsh? Kahahahaha!”
Plop-plop-plop.!
A muscular bulk that instantly swells with maniacal laughter and the bizarre sound of bones twisting..
The phenomenon was something that no one could say was human..
“···It's a monster! Introducing Cheongangsi! The blood-killing demon demons are carrying out the Cheonryo Geumsaejin.···!”
The commander, who was well-versed in fighting monsters, gave an order in a hurry but paused for a moment..
Trained to maintain composure in everything, his pupils began to shake and his gaze gradually moved upward..
The already tall 8 cheok (尺) tall body grew steadily, and eventually reached a height of well over 20 cheok (6 m), following the face of the opponent..
“Haha! Well then, let’s take a look at your skills.?”
A giant who had not only grown in size, but had completely lost his human form, looked down and smiled cruelly..
Unlike a while ago, it looks like a predator with the elements of monsters from the Kangwhan world appearing everywhere..
***
“How did things end up like this?···.”
Ya Yul-Hwan, the military Cheon Gi-Ma Seon, the general manager of the external operations of the Cheon Demon Church..
No, now that the sky has changed, he who should be called a former soldier was facing the biggest crisis of his recent life..
“Hehehe, this is so ridiculous. Who would have thought that the sect's leader... the Heavenly Demon, who was supposed to reach the Mythological Realm in the near future, would become so famous?.”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips as he sat in a cave where a few lanterns had barely managed to banish some of the darkness..
The calculation must have been perfect.
The composition and strength of those participating in the Murim Alliance meeting were already fully understood, and in order to ensure the work was done, all effort was invested to the extent that it seemed excessive.···.
“Gwangma, you mean Gwangma...? I took precautions in advance to limit the possibility of becoming a variable, but I never would have guessed that those two guys would join hands and invade the Shaolin Temple..”
That Gwangma... no, the existence of the monster now called Shingwangma was the decisive factor in the failure at Shaolin Temple..
If that guy hadn't intervened, he would have been able to cleanly wipe out everyone in that place, including Shinseung and Geomseong..
The resulting bodies would have been reborn as lectures for the church, and the religious leader would not have taken any action while retreating from the army..
‘A person who calls himself the king of demons. The Lord of Death, who commands the armies of Black Gangsi, covers the sky with darkness just by appearing, uses high-level techniques that have never been heard of, and freely uses martial arts.···.’
In addition, the existence of the Demon King, who appeared immediately afterward, was nothing short of a fatal natural disaster that shook the foundation of the plan..
In fact, the level of failure at Shaolin Temple was not that big of a problem..
Although the plan had to be modified a bit as expectations were wrong, wasn't the main goal anyway to secure the dragon child??
“But now that the cult leader has been harmed, the operation is meaningless. Hehehe... I can't believe that a funeral will be held as soon as the first shovel is dug. Who knew it was my tomb?.”
There was no doubt about Cheonma’s death..
When the Demon King began to take control of the Heavenly Demon Church, the first thing he presented as evidence was his body..
Among the high-ranking officials at the headquarters, there was not a single one who was stupid enough to not determine its authenticity..
‘This time it's back as bad news..’
The tragic end of a leader who boasted absolute authority based on overwhelming force..
The resulting fear had a great influence on the executives under his command in deciding to change jobs..
Thanks to this, the full-scale purge of the Demon King, who quickly began to take control of the church, began sooner than expected..
It was around that time that Tongcheonju, who had been pretending to cooperate and secretly conveying information to the military, lost contact..
‘What a shame. I wish there was a little more information. To prevent backtracking, all lines are disconnected, making it difficult to contact the other side..’
He lightly clicked his tongue and frowned..
Then he turned his gaze to the corner and quietly looked at the people in the specially designed formation..
‘Aira the Dragon···.’
They were the target that was the beginning and end of this operation, and the number of additional people secured this time was a total of seven..
It is truly an achievement that can be said to be the result of many years of espionage activities..
Originally, they would have sent the retrieving family to the headquarters, the largest dragon vein they possess, and prepared for the ceremony, but since the place was already occupied, they had no choice but to change the plan..
Isn't it impossible to bring these top-class sacrifices that we worked so hard to secure and offer them to the devil??
“But... it's strange. Those two are different from other dragon children..”
There was something young in his eyes as he looked at them so quietly..
The Heavenly Demon God Church was a leading force not only in martial arts but also in martial arts, and the military leader Ya Yul-hwan was a person so well-versed in this field that he personally performed the cult leader's burnt offering ceremony..
There's no way he wouldn't recognize me like that, right??
Unlike other dragon children, the faint traces of heterogeneous power remaining in the bodies of the two men and women who are full of life..
‘It was clearly the blood of the daughter of the Zhuge family and the royal family..’
His eyes flashed sharply, as if he was looking through something that was not revealed..
No matter how you look at it, it was an alien energy, not of this world..
Haven't we already seen it flowing out of the cult leader's body several times right after the ceremony was over?.
‘Of course, the nature itself is quite different. We'll need to look carefully in the future..’
He slowly looked around, taking in the harsh environment of the cave, then looked at the people in the camp again..
Anyway, since the religious leader passed away, the rituals that had been held until now had no meaning..
In that case, it would be better if you use all seven of them for yourself.···.
“···First, I need to prepare an altar. Even if it's not as big as the main mountain, it would be better to have a dragon vein that is as large as possible. A place worth using nearby···.”
The light shining in the darkness flickered, and his shadow reflected there wriggled strangely..
As if it were something other than a human being..
***
Animal head, furry torso, long sharp nails.
A beast-type monster similar to a werewolf, Jiangshi, rushed forward..
[Wow—!]
The body, which had already lost its life and knew no pain, rushed forward at a speed that exceeded its limits, opened its strong jaws, and bit down hard on something that was in its mouth with its sharp teeth..
Sigh! Crackling!
However, instead of the sound of flesh being torn, only the noise of something hard grinding was heard from inside the mouth..
“Haha! This works well! I never thought it would be this bad! After all, you have to try everything yourself.?”
Shhh — Kwaang!
[Kkekekek!]
Harley swung the monster Jiangshi hanging around his forearm like a whip and hit it on the ground, bursting into laughter..
Instead of the dark red dragon scales he usually wears, both of his forearms were covered with pitch-black carapace resembling a turtle shell..
‘When it comes to simple defense, this one is much more superior. It has no flexibility or elasticity, so it is not suitable to wear around the whole body, but it is enough to wear around a few areas and use as a weapon and shield..’
This was the shell of Hyeonmu that I had only heard about..
The Son of Hyeonmu, one of the internal orders that I recently acquired through Hans, a member of the Church of the Heavenly Demon..
Actually, it's been a while since I got it, but I didn't really use it in the fight with the scribe because I wasn't used to it yet..
Isn't it impossible to recklessly bring out a weapon that hasn't been properly tested against an opponent of that level??
In that sense, this situation was the optimal opportunity for a practical test to utilize this new weapon..
“Play again...! Ugh, this monster!”
“You can't even get hurt unless it's a strong attack, and even that heals so quickly.?”
“Avoid that black shell! This side suffers greater damage due to the rebound force.!”
6Violence coming from an overwhelming physique well over a meter tall..
It didn't care whether it was a jiangshi or a human being..
“Wow!”
“Wow!”
The demonic cultists who could not withstand him began to fall one by one, and the number of those opposing Harley decreased drastically..
Moreover, what he wanted to use this time was not just physical mutation..
“···The number of effective hits is decreasing..”
“Growing? More here?”
Not only was he becoming more and more proficient in his physical strength, which was his main force and reason for existence, but also in his newly acquired skills..
‘I didn't know that Harley would benefit from the Heavenly Demonic Art before Hugo. As expected, the famous Shin Gongjeolhak is different..’
Not long ago, while studying the corpse of the Heavenly Demon, the essential knowledge of the Heavenly Demon's magic was of great help in the operation of the Gwangje Trial..
Perhaps this is possible because both sides have something in common: they both use rough and strong energy..
Once it was refined again through practical experience, it was soon able to bear the long-awaited fruit..
《The entity achieved enlightenment through repeated training. Acquire the skill “Gwangje Judgment(改)”.》
A combination of overwhelming physical ability that can only be called transcendental and the technology to use it most efficiently..
It didn't take long for the person who stood until the last moment to collapse in front of that synergy..
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