novelraw Chapter 145 : The Best Sword in Shaanxi (5)
Chapter 145 : The Best Sword in Shaanxi (5)
Ten flame bullets that floated in the air burned the unorthodox faction members.
"Aaaargh!"
The enemies who fell in an instant as I cut down the remnants with the Demon-Slaying Sword I had drawn afterward.
Baek Hasin was also cutting down the unorthodox faction members with the Black Moon Sword, and Gu Ja-beom was also hunting the enemy's branch-leader-level masters, changing the tide of the battle.
"R-retreat for now!"
As we broke through the enemy's flank with our elite forces in a surprise attack, the commander's flustered voice burst out.
I aimed at the guy and shot a Flame Lightning First Blade Spear, piercing his chest, and then hid in the crowd again.
‘For now, we maintain our formation and conserve our strength.’
Although I could float in the sky with psychokinesis and massacre the troops, if I drew aggro from the beginning, I would just become a target.
It was better to deal with the unorthodox faction members while maintaining a formation with the instructors like now.
I pierced the unorthodox faction members' bodies with a spear of flame lightning and cut them down with the Demon-Slaying Sword, moving forward.
In the overwhelming scene, the enemies' faces turned pale.
"F-fire attack! It's the Great Mage!"
"Great Mage!!"
Just then, with someone's shout, the crowd of unorthodox faction members parted like the sea, with me at the center.
‘I’ve become quite the celebrity.’
After being active recently, my recognition seemed to be soaring through the sky.
The problem was that it wasn't in a good way.
Last time it was the Blood Cult, this time it was the Heretic Alliance, and I was starting to wonder what kind of guys would get entangled next.
Of course, my curiosity didn't last that long.
Because a familiar face had come while I was cutting down the unorthodox faction things.
“The world is a small place. I came to see who was rampaging, but to think it would be you. I didn’t expect to meet you so soon.”
Seo Chae-gang, a muscular man with a large axe. He stood there with a twisted smile.
Next to him, Lee Do-yul was nodding his head with a dao in his hand.
‘This is a crisis.’
To think that two Transformation masters, who were comparable to strategic weapons, would come. I was starting to wonder what on earth the Shaolin, Huashan, and Zhongnan were doing.
Still, the situation was much better than when we had robbed the Blood Danjeon and fled.
“The situation is different from back then for this side too.”
Baek Hasin and Gu Ja-beom stand next to me. Behind them, the instructors were in formation with their swords drawn.
“Just the two of you?”
“No way.”
I asked just in case, but behind the guys, their subordinate unit members appeared one after another.
‘This has become tricky.’
If this continued, a full-scale battle was inevitable. Since the other side also seemed to have picked quite a few elites, if we fought like this, the casualties would be quite large.
I hadn't even seen Zhuge Ryu-hun, and I had no intention of chipping away at our forces already.
That's why I made a proposal.
“Our forces are similar, so let’s not act uncool and have a duel between the leaders. Let’s end our business at our level.”
“What?”
To have the troops withdraw and have the leaders fight. It was a strange thing to do in the middle of a battle, not before a war.
However, to minimize the damage, this was the only way. I bluffed.
“You guys will have to sort out the hierarchy within the Heretic Alliance after the war, whether you win or lose, right? In the sense of preserving each other’s forces, I think it’s a good thing.”
“You speak as if you know everything.”
Seo Chae-gang's eyebrow rose slightly.
The Heretic Alliance was literally an alliance of unorthodox factions. Naturally, there was a power struggle within it.
If they thought about the internal conflicts that would happen in the future, not just the immediate fight, they had no choice but to be cautious.
Even more so since the unorthodox faction group was a dog-eat-dog world where they would be immediately eaten if their power weakened.
I launched a provocation at the conflicted guy.
“Even if we fight to the death, it will be a fight between us anyway, so what’s the worry? Your skills?”
“Ha.”
Seo Chae-gang showed a dumbfounded reaction and then glared at this side.
“Alright. Then two from this side, and two from you guys.”
He was making a crazy proposal. A trick aimed at the fact that this side only had one Transformation master.
“The level of the leader of the Dark Shadow Hall, Seo Chae-gang, has fallen a lot. To think you’d go 1-on-1 against a student who’s just a kid.”
“What did you say?”
I provoked the flustered Seo Chae-gang.
“You should know from fighting this side, right? Baek Hasin and I are just at the level of having just escaped the peak level. Are you saying you can’t go 2-on-1 against such kids?”
I deliberately downplayed our skills. So that the opponent would be even a little careless.
In fact, when we had briefly clashed the moment we came out after stealing the Blood Danjeon, we were only at that level.
Soon, a scornful laugh burst out from Seo Chae-gang's side.
“So you’re from the Zhuge family, and this is your trick? Alright! Instead, you two will fight me. I’ll personally break your waists in two!”
He then moved his steps to the outskirts of the plain. Meanwhile, Gu Ja-beom had the instructors and the enemies confront each other and then disappeared with Lee Do-yul.
‘Well, the first button is fastened.’
The reason my proposal had worked was because the average level of our instructors, as well as their numbers, were slightly superior.
After starting the negotiations and subtly making them believe that our forces were on par, if I showed them that our instructors were stronger in terms of force, they would naturally underestimate the remaining forces.
Especially us, who were young and students.
A typical confirmation bias.
“How arrogant.”
Baek Hasin and I stood in front of Seo Chae-gang and drew our swords.
Even for a Transformation master, it would be difficult to guarantee an easy victory against two super-masters, so it was suspicious to see him so confident.
‘I shouldn’t use psychokinesis.’
The way he had been glancing at me with an axe in his hand from a while ago, it seemed he was planning to split me by aiming for the defenseless gap when I flew into the sky.
Because psychokinesis was magic, its response was much slower than footwork or lightness techniques.
“There’s no reason to be scared of the likes of you.”
Seo Chae-gang sneered and drew his axe. Seeing him holding a large axe in his right hand and a small axe in his left, it seemed it was a grip that was conscious of the fact that there were two of us.
- I’ll attack first. When I signal, close your eyes.
I sent a telepathic message to Baek Hasin and simultaneously flew a spear of flame lightning. Seo Chae-gang, who was charging, splitting it with a small axe. At the same time, I exploded the magic I had gathered in my palm.
- Now!
Beon-jjeok!
As a flash exploded, Seo Chae-gang closed his two eyes. Even if he had strengthened them with internal energy, it would be difficult to see for a while.
“You think a trick like that will work!”
Even with his eyes closed, Seo Chae-gang accurately rushed towards this side.
As he said, it was impossible to deceive the super-senses of a Transformation master with just an auxiliary magic.
But it was enough to just annoy the opponent.
Kaaaaaaang!
The Black Moon Sword struck down the axe with a dense demonic qi. The tip of the axe that flinched above Seo Chae-gang's head for a moment.
“You…!”
Just as Seo Chae-gang was gritting his teeth, as if it was heavier than he thought.
A white flash flashed.
The Flame Lightning First Blade Spear had flown towards the chest that was slightly open from blocking Baek Hasin's blow.
Kiing!
Although he tried to block the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear with a small axe that he had belatedly thrust out, I had already dug into Seo Chae-gang's close range.
Soon, the Demon-Slaying Sword drew a purple trajectory and flew, aiming for Seo Chae-gang's solar plexus.
Chwaak-!
Blood splattered, and with the tremendous energy that burst out in an instant, Baek Hasin was thrown back.
At the moment of crisis, Seo Chae-gang had pushed Baek Hasin with all his might and twisted his body to avoid the vitals. Thanks to that, the Demon-Slaying Sword ended up just piercing his side.
‘Still, it’s not shallow.’
Just as I was about to raise the blade and cut through his torso.
A gruesome sensation spread throughout my body.
I quickly stepped back and thrust out the blood-stained Demon-Slaying Sword. A small axe that collided with a tremendous shockwave right in front of my nose in a hurry.
I was pushed back endlessly by the heavy blow imbued with powerful qi. If I hadn't prepared for a counterattack, my head would have been split in two.
It was certainly a strength worthy of a Transformation master.
“You bastards!! You tricked me!!!”
Seo Chae-gang's face contorted, and he let out a roar.
Since his level was different from the time of the Blood Danjeon, he must have thought he had been deceived.
It was understandable to misunderstand.
“Because we’re in our growth period. If you’re so upset, you should have finished it back then.”
“You bastard!!!”
Moreover, it seemed the thrust was not entirely ineffective, as there seemed to be quite a bit of bleeding in the lung that had been pierced by the Demon-Slaying Sword.
‘Since I pierced it with powerful qi, the inside must be a mess by now.’
As I thought, the more I fled from the guy who was aiming for me and driving me, and the more I deflected his axe, I could feel its power gradually weakening.
“How dare you!”
As the tide of the battle was about to turn against him, Seo Chae-gang thrust his axe even more roughly.
Swordsmanship, magic, and coordination with Baek Hasin. If any of them went wrong for even a moment, I would die.
Although my bones were aching and my hands were trembling from the shock alone, it wasn't to the point where I couldn't endure it at all.
Because at every moment of crisis, Baek Hasin was helping me from the side with his god-like swordsmanship.
‘If we go on like this, we can win.’
Just as I was thinking that, a suddenly accelerated axe covered Baek Hasin.
Kaang!
Baek Hasin, who was thrown back by the attack that rushed in as if in a frenzy.
The moment that scene unfolded, I flew the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear that I had been preparing behind my back without delay. A small axe that flew in a cross with it.
Kaang!
Two grooves were dug into the ground, and I was pushed back. I gritted my teeth at the tremendous density of the sword qi.
‘Did he still have strength left?’
The moment I barely blocked the axe's brute force and urgently raised my head, there was nothing in that spot.
“Damn bastard.”
Seo Chae-gang had run away. To chase him now, his priority was low, and the risk was high.
And it wasn't an opponent I could catch up to just by chasing.
He must have known that fact and fled.
As befitting an unorthodox faction member, he was a guy who took care of his own life amazingly well.
‘Then what about Gu Ja-beom?’
I quickly turned my head and looked at the battlefield, and there, Gu Ja-beom was standing alone.
With the head of Lee Do-yul, the Swift Blade Chaotic Demon, cut off.
I shouted at the unorthodox faction members on Seo Chae-gang's side, who were starting to flee stealthily.
“The duel of the leaders is the victory of the orthodox faction!”
“Waaaaah!”
With that, the instructors charged, and the unorthodox faction members, who had lost their momentum, were scattered and hunted down.
This kind of thing was all about momentum, and since their leader and strongest master had just bolted, there was no way they could be controlled.
I provided support fire with magic and annihilated the enemies. And then I approached Gu Ja-beom.
“Are you alright?”
Gu Ja-beom nodded his head. Although he was trying to act calm, judging by the large wounds on his abdomen and shoulder, and the sword wounds all over his body, he was no longer in a state to fight.
Because Lee Do-yul was also not an easy opponent.
“It seems we have to stop the mission here.”
I calmly discussed the current situation.
If he, the leader and strongest master of the current group, was so injured, it would be difficult to continue the mission.
As if Gu Ja-beom also knew that, he just took out a wound medicine and applied it, nodding his head.
Since he had a hole in his stomach, it must be difficult to even speak.
Having no choice, I was about to call the instructors as a representative, but just then.
“Aaaargh!”
“Run away!”
A tremendous commotion arose in the middle of the battlefield. The scene of a crowd of a thousand people fleeing in all directions as if pouring out was not ordinary.
“All units, assemble!”
I called the instructors, imbuing my voice with internal energy. Because now was a time when defense was important, not annihilating the enemies.
Fortunately, perhaps because I was with Gu Ja-beom, the instructors, including Baek Hasin, surrounded us and formed a sword formation.
‘What on earth happened?’
I caught my breath in the middle of it and looked at the culprit of the current situation.
In the middle of the plain where the war was taking place.
A purple trajectory that bloomed under the sunlight and a crimson powerful qi that pierced the surroundings as if eroding them were flashing at each other.
In the midst of the sword cries that rang throughout the heavens and the earth, I swallowed dryly and looked at the battlefield.
Beyond the scene where the ground was exploding and the area was being swept away, the Heretic Alliance's leader, Jin Tae-gyeom, and the best sword in Shaanxi, Cheong Ah-hyun, were engaged in a life-and-death struggle.
(End of Chapter)