novelraw Chapter 113 : Turning Point Through Clash (3)
Chapter 113 : Turning Point Through Clash (3)
Chapter 113: Turning Point Through Clash (3)
Jang Unhyeok’s eyes turned blood-red.
The moment he saw the Black Blood Unit martial artists closing in, something exploded from deep within his chest. The image of his son’s final moments flashed through his mind.
Cold hands, a face twisted in pain.
“My son… this is revenge!”
With that cry, crimson flames erupted from his entire body.
The Fire Spirit Warrior, Wind Sword Wolf, and Iron-Flame Captain—his three spirits—simultaneously burst into reality.
As flames wrapped around his twin blades, the swords heated up like metal just pulled from a furnace.
Woooung!
Wind circled the blade, letting out a sharp wail. The weight of iron sank into his arms, causing his muscles to swell.
A martial artist from the Black Blood Unit approached, his dagger gleaming. His eyes, clad in black martial robes, glinted with killing intent.
Jang Unhyeok didn’t dodge. His thirst for revenge devoured everything else.
As the dagger flew toward his neck, he swung his sword. It was as if he were saying, “Go ahead and cut my throat, I’ll stab you with my blade all the same.”
Shwek!
The blade grazed his neck as it passed.
His skin split open, and a red line was drawn. Hot blood streamed down the nape of his neck. But his sword struck first, piercing the enemy’s chest.
“Kraaaagh!”
A dull crack echoed as ribs broke.
Blood trickled down the blade, soaking his wrist. The opponent screamed and staggered back.
Jang Unhyeok roughly yanked out the bloodstained sword.
The sound of flesh tearing rang out sharply.
The second and third enemies rushed in from both sides. One raised a saber high, while the other aimed low with a spear.
Jang Unhyeok sent out the Fire Spirit Warrior.
Crimson flames formed a humanoid figure and charged toward the enemy on the left. A flaming fist thrust toward the opponent’s face.
But the enemy was formidable as well. A fourth stage of Spiritual Sensitivity practitioner who commanded two Spirit Union spirits. Black mist and blue lightning appeared at once, pressing down on the Fire Spirit Warrior.
The flames were smothered by the mist. The lightning split the fire apart, scattering the Fire Spirit Warrior’s form.
Jang Unhyeok began to lose ground against the enemy on the right as well.
The opponent’s spear aimed for his shoulder, its tip slicing the air with a sharp whistle.
The spear tip grazed his shoulder. Flesh tore, and blood spurted out. The red liquid ran down his arm and soaked the hilt of his sword.
“Heh heh heh! That’s not enough to stop me!”
Jang Unhyeok summoned both Wind Sword Wolf and the Iron-Flame Captain. Blue wind wrapped around his body, and the energy of iron soaked into his muscles. The two forces combined and pushed the enemy back.
Wind coiled around the enemy, throwing him off balance. The blade, weighted with iron, slashed across his side.
But then, a fourth enemy appeared.
This one was different. A Soul-Summoner of Resonance who commanded three Spirit Union spirits. The aura emanating from his entire body was overwhelming.
Black mist, crimson flames, and blue lightning simultaneously surrounded Jang Unhyeok. The combined aura of the three spirits created immense pressure. The air became so heavy… it was hard to breathe.
Jang Unhyeok’s three spirits were overwhelmed in an instant.
The Fire Spirit Warrior was swallowed by the black mist and faded. The flames shrank and lost their form. Wind Sword Wolf was incinerated by the crimson flames. The blue wind was engulfed by the enemy’s fire and turned to smoke. Even the Iron-Flame Captain was scattered by the blue lightning. The iron energy shattered into pieces and vanished.
“Aaaargh!”
Jang Unhyeok screamed and reabsorbed all three spirits into his body.
He tried to squeeze out the last of his strength. His whole body began to burn.
His muscles bulged, veins protruded. Wind circled him, whipping his hair. The weight of iron granted by the Iron-Flame Captain seeped into his bones.
But the enemy’s three spirits moved faster.
Black mist completely clouded his vision. He couldn’t see; he couldn’t breathe.
Crimson flames burned his back. His clothes caught fire, the smell of burning flesh stabbing his nose. The skin on his back sizzled as it burned.
The final blow—blue lightning pierced his chest.
Kwaaang!
Electricity surged through his entire body, locking up his muscles. His heart beat irregularly.
Jang Unhyeok’s body tore like paper.
“My son….”
With his final murmur, he dropped to his knees. His sword fell limply from his hand and rolled on the ground. The sound of metal clinking against stone echoed in futility.
Yeon Sohye tried to remain calm.
Succumbing to emotion meant death. Cold calculation was the only path to survival.
Among the twelve from the Black Blood Unit, she identified the weakest first—those with only one or two Spirit Union spirits.
She silently sent out So Ryeonghwa.
Tssshhh!
Silver mist rose from her toes and slithered outward. It climbed up the first enemy’s ankles.
He sensed something was off and lifted his foot. But it was too late. The mist had already reached his waist, obscuring his vision. In that moment, Yeon Sohye used Gale Spirit Guest’s movement arts to circle behind him.
Not a sound came from her steps. Like the wind, she crouched low and approached from behind.
Shwik! Puk!
The dagger struck like lightning, plunging into the neck.
The enemy didn’t even have time to scream. The blade slipped between the vertebrae, severing a vital artery.
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
The red liquid splashed hotly on her face, but her expression didn’t change.
She immediately moved on to the next target—another weak one.
She struck just as the opponent swung his sword. When his blade was halfway through its arc, her dagger pierced his heart.
The blade slipped precisely between his ribs, penetrating the heart.
His eyes widened in shock.
“Ugh…”
With a soft groan, the second target dropped to his knees. Blood foam spilled from his mouth.
She dispatched the third in the same manner. With Baek Seonnyeo’s moonlight sword qi as a distraction, she struck a vital point from behind. However… this time, she couldn’t complete the slash.
While she had taken down two in succession, the remaining martial artists became fully aware of her presence.
“She’s here!”
“It’s the Captain of the Shadow Moon Unit!”
“Surround her!”
They all charged at her at once. Footsteps rang from every direction.
Yeon Sohye summoned Baek Seonnyeo.
Cold moonlight-like sword qi burst forth, driving the enemies back. The silver blade sliced through the air in a crescent arc.
One of the frontmost foes staggered with a wound to the chest. But it wasn’t fatal.
In that brief moment, she moved again to find another weak target. Using So Ryeonghwa’s mist as cover, she closed in silently.
But the fourth enemy was different.
This martial artist, who commanded two Spirit Union spirits, had anticipated her approach. It was a trap.
A black axe and a crimson spear emerged simultaneously from both sides. A pincer attack.
Yeon Sohye twisted her body to evade. But the enemy’s main body struck faster with a sword.
The blade grazed her shoulder.
Her clothing tore, leaving a red line. A stinging pain spread across her shoulder.
Yeon Sohye tried to counterattack. She threw a dagger aiming for her opponent’s neck. But he turned his head to the side and avoided it. The dagger sliced through the air, missing entirely.
At that moment, a stronger enemy appeared.
A Soul-Summoner of Resonance commanding three Spirit Union spirits. An overwhelming aura radiated from him. Black mist, blue wind, and crimson flames attacked her all at once. It was a simultaneous strike from three directions.
Yeon Sohye’s three spirits were instantly overwhelmed.
So Ryeonghwa’s silver mist began to be consumed by the black mist. The silver darkened and lost its shape. Gale Spirit Guest’s wind was burned by the crimson flames. The blue wind was engulfed by fire and turned to smoke. Baek Seonnyeo’s moonlight was hidden by darkness. The silver sword qi was swallowed by the black mist and disappeared.
“This….”
Yeon Sohye tried to retreat, but it was already too late. The encirclement was complete.
Attacks poured in from three directions simultaneously. Swords, spears, and sabers reached toward her.
She barely deflected one with her dagger.
Kkaang!
The clash of metal rang sharply. But she couldn’t stop the other two.
The spear pierced her side.
A dull crack echoed as ribs broke. The spear cut into flesh and pierced the internal organs. The blade slashed across her shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound that reached the bone.
“Ugh!”
Yeon Sohye groaned as she dropped to her knees.
Blood streamed from her mouth. Blood from her side wound continued to soak her clothes.
Jin Geonmu leaned against a rock to stay upright.
His injuries were too severe to move easily. But he had no choice but to fight… he braced himself against the rock. Naturally, enemies could only approach from one direction at a time.
The first enemy ran toward him with a sword.
Jin Geonmu’s spear moved like lightning. A simple thrust, yet the angle was perfect. The spear tip pierced the enemy’s wrist. A sharp crack of bone was heard. Tendons snapped, and his fingers went limp.
The sword fell to the ground with a metallic clatter.
The second movement followed. He swung the shaft of the spear to strike the opponent’s neck.
The neck bone broke, and the enemy collapsed to the side. His head was twisted at an unnatural angle.
The second enemy approached with a spear.
He moved more cautiously this time, having seen what happened to his comrade.
Jin Geonmu spun his spear in a wide arc. The tip traced a circle, pushing the enemy’s spear away. At the same time, the opposite end of the spear struck the chest. In a single motion, he both defended and attacked.
Blood dripped from the spear tip.
The enemy collapsed, frothing blood from his mouth.
The third and fourth enemies charged simultaneously.
Jin Geonmu’s spear moved like a living snake. It curved left and right, blocking the attacks of two opponents at once. While the shaft pushed away the left enemy’s sword, the tip deflected the right enemy’s saber.
The counterattack followed instantly.
The spear tip seemed to split and extend in two directions. In reality, it was the afterimage of his rapid motion. One aimed for the left enemy’s heart, the other for the right enemy’s neck.
Two enemies fell at the same time. Blood pooled on the ground.
But when another enemy appeared, the situation changed.
A Soul-Summoner of Resonance commanding three Spirit Union spirits. An overwhelming aura radiated from him.
Black shadows, crimson flames, and blue ice simultaneously pressed on Jin Geonmu.
Even his spear techniques struggled against such an opponent.
If he blocked with the spear, the other two targeted the openings. There was nowhere to escape.
The black shadow obscured his vision. He couldn’t see ahead.
Crimson flames burned his back. His clothes caught fire, the smell of burning flesh stinging his nose. Blue ice froze his legs. From knees to toes, he lost all sensation.
Jin Geonmu swung the spear desperately. But one spear could not block attacks from three directions at once.
The black shadow pierced his chest.
Cold energy seeped into his heart.
Crimson flames burned his back. Flesh sizzled, the heat reaching bone. Blue ice completely froze his legs. All sensation in his lower body was gone.
“Ugh…”
Jin Geonmu groaned, leaning on his spear.
He no longer had the strength to stand. Slowly, he sank while bracing against the rock.
All three were down.
Jang Unhyeok lay on the ground, coughing blood. His body was covered in wounds. Smoke rose from the burns on his back.
Yeon Sohye groaned, clutching her side. Blood continued to flow through her fingers. Her face was pale.
Jin Geonmu leaned against the rock, head down. His spear rolled on the ground. Sensation in his legs had completely disappeared.
Half of the Black Blood Unit had fallen, but six remained.
Three of them were Soul-Summoners of Resonance. Their aura, their confidence, dominated the battlefield.
“Heh heh… is this all? I was getting tense.”
One martial artist sneered. In his eyes, clad in black martial robes, flashed a glint of victory.
“Waste of time. We need to capture Gugwi, right?”
They slowly advanced toward where Gugwi was fighting. Their footsteps struck the ground rhythmically.
The three could not move.
They were conscious, but their bodies would not obey. Their inner energy was depleted, and their wounds were too severe.
Gugwi was still fighting fiercely against Ma Ungyeol. Dozens of spears constrained him. If the remaining Black Blood Unit joined in, Gugwi would also be in danger.
But they could do nothing.
Jang Unhyeok clawed at the ground with bloodied hands. His nails scraped the stone, drawing blood.
“Gugwi….”
His voice was hoarse. Strength kept draining from him.
Yeon Sohye gritted her teeth. She tried to rise, but her body wouldn’t follow. Blood from her side wound continued to flow.
Jin Geonmu reached toward his spear. But his fingertips trembled. Sensation had not returned to his legs.
The bitter taste of defeat filled their mouths. No matter how hard they tried, they could not overcome the difference in strength. As Gugwi had said, in terms of mastery, they were completely outmatched by the Soul-Summoners of the Black Blood Unit.