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Chapter 135 - Towards A Higher World (3)
How does Songhwa know?!
As far as everyone else was concerned, they were only looking for traces of the missing Ma Taryong.
There was no guarantee that he was alive, and in the first place, Mount Hua was famous for killing people from the Demonic Sect.
If Seol-Hwi hadn’t seen for himself that Ma Taryong was not dead, he would still be thinking the same thing.
Didn’t I just make up my mind a little while ago?
The idea of rescuing Ma Taryong, and recruiting him as one of his subordinates, was an idea which only came to Seol-Hwi recently.
So on what basis could Songhwa be making such an inference?
“The fact that you lead us to this location is proof that you’ve either found the missing person, or a clue to his whereabouts. Moreover, you questioned me about the future of the mission. In a normal conversation, it wouldn’t be that strange, but I felt like there was some intention behind it. Therefore, I came to that conclusion.”
This kid really is a genius!
Seol-Hwi was amazed.
It was a method of inferring the situation by asking questions, or making assumptions from a seemingly normal conversation. Not just anyone could do what Songhwa did.
“Captain.”
Songhwa looked at Seol-Hwi with a serious expression.
“The Seven Messengers are the Earth Demon’s Core Warriors. I heard that they have extraordinary loyalty. In order to have one of them under your command, you need that same loyalty.”
“Of course.”
Seol-Hwi nodded.
“This also means that it is impossible to recruit Ma Taryong if the right conditions aren’t met.”
“And how do you think I should recruit him?”
“There are many reasons why subordinates follow a leader, but in my opinion… The best among them is to be someone who satisfies or realizes the ideals that he or she pursues.”
A person with whom the future could be built, and is worthy of giving his life for.
That was what Songhwa meant.
“If that’s the case, it’s not impossible. To recruit Ma Taryong, don’t I simply have to be strong in martial arts?”
“Actually, the standards of that man would have nothing to do with martial arts…”
“And why is that?”
“If you think about it, is the Earth Demon someone strong?”
Ah…!
Seol-Hwi’s eyes widened.
That’s right! The Earth Demon wasn’t strong!
To be precise, he was more like an ordinary person who could exert superhuman powers only once.
“In my case, I followed the Captain to avoid death. But that’s not all.”
Songhwa continued talking.
“I can live longer. It means I can see more, and achieve more. I can see an endless future ahead of me. The Captain is someone who inspired that.”
“…”
If you want someone to follow you, make them feel that they have a future with you.
Seol-Hwi was awed by Songhwa’s words.
How can a child say such a sensible thing?
“Thank you for the advice. It’s very helpful.”
Seol-Hwi took what was said to heart.
Then, he turned his gaze towards the forest.
“Did you say that the ritual takes time?”
“Yes. Are you going somewhere…?”
Seol-Hwi nodded at Songhwa’s question. After taking a short break, it was time to get moving again.
“I need to get rid of the obstacles blocking our path. There are a few people that need to be dealt with ahead of time.”
Latent Image Projection, and Transfiguration - two skills that he would use to enter the enemy’s base and deceive them.
The first technique changes Seol-Hwi’s face, and the second temporarily shortens or lengthens his body.
However, using them comes with weaknesses.
If Seol-Hwi was hit while using these techniques, he’d receive significant internal damage. And even if Seol-Hwi’s disguise fooled others, higher level martial artists could still discover him.
Therefore, these two skills were only useful if one understands the situation they would get into.
Seol-Hwi was infiltrating the hideout.
There was no one around at the moment, and it was evening. When it began to get darker, his field of vision narrowed.
While Seol-Hwi climbed on the roofs, or snuck around on the ground, he was careful so that the sound of his footsteps wouldn’t be heard.
Eventually, he was able to reach the place he was aiming for.
It was here.
Wasn’t it because of those two old men that the escape in his previous life was thwarted?
I need to get rid of them first.
Seol-Hwi hid outside the door, and was convinced one of the old men was inside the room.
Perhaps because of this,
<Do you want to save?>
Seol-Hwi refused when the system asked.
If he was worried about dying at the hands of these old men, he wouldn’t have come here in the first place.
Crrk!
As Seol-Hwi opened the door, he could see a small table, and expensive things scattered around, including numerous gold and silver ingots. It seems that Mount Hua’s people stored their money here.
“What do you need?”
A skinny old man was seated at the table, and he was in the midst of examining the gold and silver.
If he asked without even looking up, he must have thought that Seol-Hwi was just another member of Mount Hua.
Is there a defense circle here as well?
Seol-Hwi looked around in thought.
In his previous life, the situation was so urgent that he didn’t have time to check his surroundings.
Besides, after he called on the AI, that guy destroyed the building with his power.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. What do you…”
The old man looked up, and Seol-Hwi saw that he was shocked.
Combat method <Turn-Based>
Seol-Hwi immediately changed his fighting style, and at the same time, his enemy’s stats appeared.
Gu Yang [Mount Hua Elder]
Entrance of Godly State
Health: 11 million/ 11 million
Internal energy: 8.80 million/ 8.80 million
Combat power: 19 to 28 million
He had a higher combat power than Gu Yeom.
But it didn’t matter, because Seol-Hwi was a different person from before.
“I came to pay off a debt, Gu Yang.”
Seol-Hwi’s voice was calm, barely concealing the anger hidden within him.
This man.
He was the man who had killed Seo Ryeong right in front of Seol-Hwi. The face she made in her last moments, the light as it slowly left her eyes, he recalled them all vividly.
“What? Debt?”
In the past, Seol-Hwi could do nothing except hide behind the AI.
But now, he was ready to take this old man’s life with his own hands.
“Right, a debt.”
“Who the hell are you… this person who doesn’t even exist in my memory?”
Gu Yang had gotten up from the table.
“Even if you don’t remember me, I’m paying back the debt I owed you last time. With interest even.”
The time for talking was over. It was time to fight.
The Godly State - when a person whose three strands of essence bloom like a flower, and they are able to move their energy freely through the meridians.
At this level, the amount of energy accumulated in the dantian can even help manipulate the body further.
The name is such because when one reaches this state, they have no rivals.
The Entrance to the Godly State is just below this level.
It was greater than the levels below it, but was still a stage that was insufficient to be considered Godly.
Gu Yang was someone at this level.
Despite his combat power being higher than Gu Yeom, who Seol-Hwi had faced in the past, Seol-Hwi didn’t hesitate.
Combat method <Free>
He returned his fighting style to Free.
“Hmph, I see. This disgusting smell… you’re one of the dogs from the Demonic Sect.”
Gu Yang touched a part of the wall. Immediately afterwards, the table, gold, silver, and treasures around them retreated into the floor.
Now the two were facing each other on flat ground.
Last time, Gu Yeom did the same thing too.
When Seol-Hwi carefully examined the room’s new appearance, Gu Yang laughed.
“That’s right, sometimes there are people like you. Rats who crawl out of their hole to bother us. But by then, it’s already too late. The rat becomes caught in a trap.”
He was speaking the truth.
No sound would reach the outside from here, and the defense circle would only be broken after the one who initiated it died.
“You seem to have a lot to tell this old man. How did you get here, and with what purpose? Let’s make this easy on both of us. If you answer now, I will make your death quick.”
Gu Yang seemed confident. Seol-Hwi heard his words, and then calmly replied.
“I think that this Demon Heart Phantom Illusion Array is quite useful.”
“…?!”
In an instant, the man’s eyes widened. Seeing how he looked, Seol-Hwi smiled.
The AI had said this in the past, and he simply copied it now.
“But what else should I say? I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
“…Indeed.”
Gu Yang lowered his head after his initial shock, and then he lifted it again to shout,
“You’re done for!”
He was approaching at a great speed, almost invisible to the naked eye.
But not Seol-Hwi’s.
Klaang!
He used his sword to block the old man’s attack.
Gu Yang’s eyes widened again, after seeing that he had failed to kill his opponent.
“Look at you? You must have had quite a lot of faith in yourself.”
Gu Yang never believed that he could lose.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Seol-Hwi wanted to provoke him more.
“What?!”
Gu Yang couldn’t understand it. When did he come across such a scoundrel?
“You sure like to talk about useless things, don’t you? You’re better at talking than you are fighting.”
“…!”
The old man’s face distorted.
“You fucking bastard!”
Gu Yang quickly pushed himself back from his deadlock with Seol-Hwi, and then took a couple more steps backwards.
The old man was unfolding a sword attack.
But what was this feeling?
It’s not the Plum Blossom Sword Technique…
Instead of the main technique of Mount Hua, it was a simple stab.
Seol-Hwi waited for it to come to him.
Huh?
Another stab came from his opponent in the other direction.
Seol-Hwi defended, and he felt the flow of energy from his opponent’s sword.
It was a trick?
Seol-Hwi responded by moving his body away, and then letting Gu Yang’s sword hit nothing.
Then, for a moment, he saw the old man turn around, and he could recognize the sword technique the old man was using.
Gu Yang swung his sword horizontally, and the sword curved like a bow and split the air in front of him.
Seol-Hwi had to jump up into the air to avoid it.
“Haah!”
Gu Yang used another technique, one Seol-Hwi was unfamiliar with. It accurately aimed at Seol-Hwi in the air, shooting out blades of energy from his sword that followed his target as Seol-Hwi tried to dodge.
But somehow, Seol-Hwi managed to avoid that too, and found himself on the ground again.
“You. You were using ice energy.”
The old man knew why his attack missed the enemy. It was the coldness which he felt from Seol-Hwi’s sword.
It had seeped into the ground, and therefore the behavior of his attack was not properly unfolded.
“Hmph. You aren’t that good. How did you come all the way here without fear?”
Gu Yang smiled, and Seol-Hwi laughed at the question.
“Seriously, haven’t you noticed yet?”
“…What do you mean?”
Seol-Hwi smirked.
“Usually, I’d only let my opponents attack three times, but I let you do it five times.”
“…This damn brat, what are you saying so confidently!”
The angry voice of the old man resounded through the room.
“Whether it’s misplaced confidence or not, why don’t you come find out?”
Seol-Hwi let the blood from his hand drip into his eyes.
“Soon, you will become the rat in a trap.”