Chapter The Demonic Cult Instructor Returns Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Hearing the commotion at the City Lord’s Hall, the Annihilation Squad warriors stationed within the city came rushing in droves.

Sa Bigang calmly surveyed the warriors who had surrounded him in an instant.

Perhaps because of the prowess he had shown earlier, the enemies revealed their killing intent but didn’t rashly charge forward.

Sa Bigang smiled coldly.

“The trash has all gathered.”

“Old man! What’s your identity? Are you from the Alliance?”

One of the squad leaders shouted while pointing his sword.

Sa Bigang picked his ear and replied.

“Good grief, I don’t know why everyone keeps barking about the Alliance. I’m just me.”

“Crazy bastard. Get him!”

As the squad leader’s command fell, countless warriors began charging forward with their weapons raised.

In that moment, Sa Bigang spoke with a cold expression.

“The sin of not showing proper respect to the dead, the sin of desecrating the deceased—I shall judge your sins with hellfire!”

In an instant.

Hwaaaaaak!

The ground within a radius of ten or so jang around Sa Bigang turned red, didn’t it?

While the warriors who had been charging like a swarm of bees hesitated.

Hwareureureuk!

Hot flames surged violently upward from the ground.

Fire Field.

It was magic that turned a certain area into a land of flames.

The warriors caught in the flames in an instant began screaming in agony and writhing.

With the situation having turned out this way, the survivors couldn’t rashly charge at Sa Bigang and just stood there awkwardly.

Sa Bigang transmitted his voice.

[Mun-tak, watch carefully. This thing called ‘Black Hive’ is used like this. Well, it’s possible because it’s someone like me. Keke.]

The next moment, hundreds of protrusions flew up into the air from his belt.

Chwaaa 

The protrusions that looked like a swarm of bees instantly swept through the enemy formation and began attacking the warriors.

The warriors who had their entire bodies pierced by the sharp stingers fell helplessly one by one.

“Huk! Kwaak!”

“Uwaak!”

As countless warriors lost their lives in an instant in a situation they couldn’t even comprehend, the surviving warriors lost their morale.

“Mon-, monster.”

“It’s a ghost’s trickery!”

One by one, people began dropping their weapons and running away, until finally only corpses remained in the inner courtyard of the City Lord’s Hall.

Chwarararara.

The black swarm that had finished its role returned to the belt and embedded itself like protrusions again.

Seeing this, Cheok Gi-ryang narrowed his eyes.

“Just what kind of trickery did you use?”

“You’re a friend lacking in faith. There’s no trickery.”

“Hmph, bullshit!”

Cheok Gi-ryang didn’t believe it at all.

And why wouldn’t he? Out of nowhere, a barrier of fire was created, and suddenly flames shot up from perfectly normal ground, hadn’t they?

Taaat!

Cheok Gi-ryang, judging that there was nothing to gain from exchanging more words, kicked off the ground and shot forward.

Suuuuaaang!

As sword energy formed on his blade, its length extended about threefold.

In an instant.

Jjeong!

His sword clashed with Veritas, and once again a tremendous ringing burst forth.

Chwa-chwa-chwa-chwa-chwaak!

Both men simultaneously distanced themselves, separating by about ten jang.

Sa Bigang felt the tingling sensation transmitted to his fingertips and nodded his head faintly.

“Indeed, considerable martial arts. Too valuable to kill like this.”

“Still spouting bullshit.”

“Kekeke. I’m curious how the future would have changed if you hadn’t been buried in that cave-in. Well, you probably would have become the Demon King’s lackey or died soon anyway.”

“I’m tired of listening to your nonsense. Let’s finish this.”

Cheok Gi-ryang thought Sa Bigang was truly insane.

A human who had learned tremendous demonic arts and gained a strong body, but whose mind had gone mad from qi deviation.

He thought of him as exactly that sort.

Because every word he uttered was a preposterous story.

Taaat!

Cheok Gi-ryang kicked off the ground once more and charged like an arrow.

In an instant, Sa Bigang stepped back with a leap and threw Veritas from his hand.

Sshiiiaaang!

‘What!’

Cheok Gi-ryang’s pupils shook.

In battles between masters who had reached the pinnacle, they generally don’t use the method of throwing weapons.

In the realm of masters, there was a big difference between holding a weapon and not holding one.

But to throw the weapon you’re holding?

Though it was an unexpected attack, it was certainly threatening.

Since it was Veritas, imbued with sword energy, Cheok Gi-ryang quickly deployed his protective energy while raising his sword.

But then.

Pakang!

The translucent shield shattered helplessly, and now even his protective energy was lightly broken.

‘This ridiculous…!’

Though it happened in an instant, for Cheok Gi-ryang it felt as long and vivid as an eternity.

Veritas clashed directly with Cheok Gi-ryang’s sword.

But it was Cheok Gi-ryang’s sword that was deflected.

Veritas, demonstrating heavy breakthrough power, embedded itself directly into Cheok Gi-ryang’s heart.

Soon after, Cheok Gi-ryang’s body floated up and flew to the building wall, where he was embedded along with Veritas.

“Kweok! Koolleok!”

Cheok Gi-ryang, embedded in the building wall, couldn’t understand the current situation at all.

Had he ever been so miserably defeated while traversing the martial world until this day?

“What, this dog-like… kweheuk!”

Cheok Gi-ryang, who had been trying to speak, suddenly coughed up blood.

His face contorted wickedly like a demon.

The feeling he was experiencing now was closer to rage than despair.

“How dare… the likes of you… how dare… to me…!”

A yaksha-like expression appeared on the face of Cheok Gi-ryang, who had always worn only kind smiles.

He grasped the handle of Veritas embedded in his heart with both hands.

Trembling, he finally pulled Veritas out of his heart.

Pak

Blood didn’t gush out like a fountain.

Because Veritas had already absorbed a considerable amount of the blood that had flowed from his heart.

Perhaps because of that, Veritas had changed into a dark red blade.

Tak-tak-tak.

Cheok Gi-ryang quickly pressed his blood points to stop the bleeding.

Meanwhile, a trace of surprise crossed Sa Bigang’s expression as he watched.

“Hoho. To have that level of mental strength even in that state. Indeed, I’ll give you praise.”

“Shut up!”

“But what to do about this? The best prey for Veritas is murderers like you. That guy grows by devouring the desires of such fellows.”

“I told you to stop spouting bullshit!”

Pat!

In an instant, Cheok Gi-ryang kicked off the ground and flew up.

Indeed, perhaps because he held Veritas, despite his injured body, his movement was faster than before.

In an instant.

Shwieeeeeek!

An arrow flew toward Cheok Gi-ryang at high speed.

It was shot by Dan Li-jeong, who had been hiding somewhere.

“Don’t interfere!”

Cheok Gi-ryang, who had let out a roar, swung Veritas to deflect the incoming arrow.

Kkaang!

The deflected arrow grazed past Sa Bigang’s cheek by a hair’s breadth.

It was an action that occurred before the Ring of Darkness’s shield could even activate.

Cheok Gi-ryang’s reaction had become that fast.

Cheok Gi-ryang also realized that his martial arts level had risen a notch.

“Kukukuk. This is quite a thing I like. It looks like your thing is about to become mine.”

He glared at Sa Bigang with a cold smile.

Sa Bigang shrugged his shoulders.

“It seems I need to show you what happens when you carelessly touch other people’s things. Let’s make this lesson about that.”

“Heuheuheuk. I’ll make sure you can’t flap that babbling mouth anymore!”

Tat!

Cheok Gi-ryang, gripping Veritas, appeared in front of Sa Bigang’s nose in an instant.

At that moment, everything looked slow to Cheok Gi-ryang’s eyes.

He was confident of his victory.

Shukaaaaak!

Veritas precisely cut through Sa Bigang’s neck.

Cheok Gi-ryang, who had landed on the ground, bent his waist and burst into maniacal laughter.

“Kahahahahaha! I cut him! You lost!”

Cheok Gi-ryang thrust Veritas forward and pointed at Sa Bigang, who had fallen to the ground.

But…

Nothing there?

Hadn’t he clearly cut his neck?

But at the place where Sa Bigang’s corpse should have been lying, nothing was visible.

‘Could it be… an afterimage?’

His brow furrowed deeply.

“It seems you still don’t understand the situation.”

Sa Bigang’s voice was suddenly heard, wasn’t it?

Looking up, Sa Bigang stood tall on the castle wall some distance away.

‘When did that bastard get all the way there?’

Cheok Gi-ryang gripped Veritas tightly.

“Haak, haak.”

Cheok Gi-ryang’s breathing gradually became labored.

At the same time, his pupils also became bloodshot.

Sa Bigang smiled coldly.

“You just made the same mistake twice.”

“What?”

“Precisely taking my things without knowing your place. Both what you’re wearing at your waist and what you’re holding in your hand.”

Meanwhile, blood vessels began protruding from Cheok Gi-ryang’s forehead.

Not only that, but all the tendons in his entire body stood out as if they might burst at any moment.

Cheok Gi-ryang, his face flushed bright red, roared at the top of his lungs.

“You rat bastard! Stop squeaking and come down!”

“Keke. That guy you’re holding always craves blood. But what to do? When there’s no blood around to absorb, it’s a fellow that tries to bite even its own master’s throat.”

“What?”

The next moment.

Uwuuuwoong!

Veritas trembled its blade as if responding.

“Kwut! Th-this is what…!”

Cheok Gi-ryang instantly grasped Veritas’s handle with both hands.

It was as if the sword was controlling his body.

“Keuiik!”

Cheok Gi-ryang gritted his teeth and put all his strength into it, but it was too much for him to control Veritas with his severely injured body.

Trembling, Cheok Gi-ryang reached the point where he was aiming Veritas at his own throat.

And finally.

“Nooooo!”

With a scream-like cry, Veritas pierced straight through Cheok Gi-ryang’s throat.

“Kweheuk! Kweueok…!”

Thud

Cheok Gi-ryang knelt down.

Like that, he died with his eyes wide open.

Even during this, Veritas continued to gulp down the blood flowing from Cheok Gi-ryang’s throat.

***

Hong Myo Seo Rae-hyang looked up at the moon outside the window from her office.

She had heard the news that Red Cloud City had been captured.

Ryu Yeo-jung, who was both the Mantongak Master and military strategist, was indeed frighteningly shaking the Jeongdo Alliance.

At this rate, it was questionable whether the demonic path would soon unify the world.

On the other hand, her position within the Blood Death Alliance had diminished.

Not being able to avoid responsibility for the Ho Tu Jang incident.

Moreover, the identity and whereabouts of Ga Deuk-sam, the culprit behind Ho Tu Jang, were still shrouded in mystery.

“Haah.”

Seo Rae-hyang let out a long sigh.

She returned to her desk and stared intently at the portrait.

A man with quite neat features.

‘Who… exactly are you?’

Unless she found and eliminated this man, or captured him alive, her position within the Blood Death Alliance would diminish further.

What was fortunate was that Ryu Yeo-jung was treating the young man with the alias ‘Ga Deuk-sam’ as important.

So if she could just deal with this person, it would become a stepping stone to leap forward once again.

Knock knock.

At the sound of knocking, a man entered.

It was Yo Sin, the Phantom Kill Squad Leader.

He had originally been under White Rabbit, who was the Death Phantom Hall Master, but after White Rabbit’s death, the Phantom Kill Squad had been separated as an independent organization.

The reason he had come to Hong Myo’s office today was because the two of them were scheduled to move to Red Cloud City together.

Military strategist Ryu Yeo-jung had decided to station Seo Rae-hyang and the Phantom Kill Squad at Red Cloud City instead of continuing to deploy the Annihilation Squad, which was achieving continuous results, in operations.

Although recognized as an independent organization, in terms of hierarchy Yo Sin was below Seo Rae-hyang, so he politely showed his respects.

“Phantom Kill Squad Leader Yo Sin greets Hong Myo-nim.”

As he performed the greeting, Seo Rae-hyang smiled lightly.

“Welcome. Since we’re both in a pushed-aside position, let’s leave the formalities at that.”

Yo Sin made a bitter smile, then glanced at the portrait on the desk and slightly frowned.

Seo Rae-hyang, who noticed his reaction, casually asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. He just looks familiar somehow…”

“Come to think of it, this would be the first time the Phantom Kill Squad Leader is seeing it. Do you happen to know who it is? If we could figure out who he is, both you and I could have a different fate…”

“I think I know.”

The sudden answer.

Seo Rae-hyang started and asked.

“What did you say?”

Instead of answering, Yo Sin frowned and picked up the portrait, staring at it intensely.

After a moment, he slowly nodded his head.

“There’s no mistake. This person is precisely…”