Chapter 302: The Dawn of Invasion
A peaceful morning.
The residents of Cheonghaeseong began their day as usual.
Merchants displayed their goods, dreaming of selling out, and herbalists, gathered in groups, headed to the mountains to gather rare herbs.
“Damn it. This mountain terrain seems to get rougher every day.”
A middle-aged man with a bushy beard cursed under his breath.
His mouth was dry from the long trek.
“Be quiet. At least this tough terrain keeps the Demonic Cult from crossing over easily. Be thankful for that.”
“True. With such treacherous paths, they wouldn’t dare come this way.”
The rugged and narrow terrain of the mountain was a natural fortress.
Thus, Kunlun used this place as a stronghold to efficiently counter any advances from the Heavenly Demon Cult.
But then…
“Ugh!?”
An old man in front let out a choking sound.
“W-what’s going on?”
“What’s happening?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to him.
“Ginseng! I found ginseng!”
A wild ginseng root, at least a few hundred years old.
“Oooooooh!”
“I had a good feeling about today!”
Smiles broke out on everyone’s faces.
Selling such a ginseng would allow them to live in luxury for the rest of their lives.
But before they could revel in their joy…
Crack!
A blackened hand burst through the abdomen of the man who had been shouting.
Blood dripped from the arm.
“Guh… oh…?”
A ghastly figure covered in blood.
A blood zombie.
“It’s the Demonic Cult!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Run!”
The herbalists tried to flee in panic.
But even taking a few steps was too much for them.
Thud! Thud!
In an instant, the forest was painted red.
And shortly after, a group of shadows emerged among the still-warm corpses.
Leading the group was the ‘Commander of the Heart Demon Division,’ wearing a long black robe that trailed on the ground.
Around him were elite warriors and zombies specially selected for the mission.
“What about the others?”
“There are no others. These herb gatherers were the only ones.”
“Good.”
The Heart Demon Commander nodded with satisfaction.
“Have you assessed the enemy’s strength in the village?”
“The head of Unmu-gwan is at the peak level, but aside from him, there are no significant threats.”
“Give me three Yin-Yang Zombies, and I’ll sweep away all those Kunlun Sect remnants.”
“Let’s kill them all before sunset. Hehehe.”
Everyone spoke confidently.
Having been cooped up for so long, they were itching to swing their swords and cut down people.
A thick killing intent emanated from them, thrilled at the prospect of rampaging.
“I’ll give you until the hour of the pig. Finish everything by then. We will spend the night here.” [1]
“Understood!”
Upon receiving the Heart Demon Commander’s order, a huge dark cloud began to spread over the mountain.
＊＊＊
By the time Jong Muyang received the report about the Demonic Cult’s attack, the situation had already spiraled out of control.
“Three hundred blood zombies… over twenty Yin-Yang Zombies.”
“And there are even new types of zombies we’ve never seen before. They seem to have developed them while lying low.”
“The biggest issue is that the fourth-ranked leader of the Demonic Cult, the Heart Demon Commander, is personally involved. This is not just a provocation; they’ve come fully prepared.”
“Head… we need to make a decision.”
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Although they had sent messages to Kunlun and the Martial Alliance, it didn’t seem likely they could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
However, fleeing would mark them as cowards and traitors for life.
For a martial artist, honor and pride are more important than life itself.
In that case…
The only option left was to take down as many enemies as possible, even if it meant dying.
“I’ve made my decision.”
Srrng!
Jong Muyang drew his sword.
“Let’s kill all those filthy Demonic Cult bastards. Who will stand with me?”
“Oooooh!”
“We will fight with you, Head!”
“I will take at least five of them with me!”
Just as the morale was about to peak.
Boom!
The gate of Unmu-gwan shattered.
A deep voice cut through the smoky air.
“No need to go far. This place will be your grave.”
“W-when did they!?”
“Have all those outside already been defeated?”
Even at the fastest, they expected to hold out for a full hour.
But the breach was too quick.
Too fast.
“I am Sadoak of the Commander Division. I thought you might want to know who will be taking your lives.”
A massive man holding saw-like swords in both hands spoke up.
Next to him stood about thirty blood zombies.
Seeing them drenched in blood from head to toe, it was clear they had slaughtered many on their way here.
“Damn! You’re igniting another war between the righteous and demonic factions right after our seclusion ends. Is peace truly impossible with you brutal bastards?”
“You talk too much. In a world where the strong eat the weak, brutality and cowardice… are just excuses from the weak. Kill them all.”
Sadoak nodded slightly.
“Kiieeek!”
“Kraaah!”
Zombies drooling black liquid surged forward.
A brutal battle to the death, with no need for words, began.
Boom!
Clang!
The warriors of Unmu-gwan, with their sword energy unleashed, clashed head-on with the zombies.
“Argh!”
“Aaaagh!”
Blood and flesh splattered, screams piercing the sky.
The swords barely scratched the zombies’ skin, but the zombies tore the warriors apart in an instant.
“How can these zombies be so…”
“Zombies resistant to sword energy.”
“These aren’t ordinary blood zombies. Be careful, everyone!”
Enhanced by the unique techniques of the Blood Cult and the Heart Demon Commander’s secret martial arts, the blood zombies were at least three times stronger than the usual ones.
Even those who had faced zombies in past battles between the righteous and demonic factions were taken aback.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the tide of battle turned.
The poisonous venom from the Heart Demon Commander was so deadly that even a small wound caused the warriors’ energy flow to twist, driving them into a state of madness.
Those with relatively strong internal energy held out a bit longer, but those slightly less skilled went mad and quickly turned into cold corpses.
“Ugh…”
“Aaaaah!”
“Kurgh! Kugh! Kugh!”
More than half of the warriors were already dead.
However, there was one man.
Jong Muyang mercilessly cut down the zombies with his sword, his sword energy blazing.
Five blood zombies were sliced into pieces, scattered around.
“Impressive. I heard there was one beyond the peak level. You must be Jong Muyang or something.”
“If you thought you could break the righteous sword against mere dead bodies, you were gravely mistaken.”
“Hmph. Interesting. I had no use for this thing, but it seems perfect for warming up. ‘Baekryeong,’ it’s your turn.”
Step…
A new zombie stepped forward.
Its eyes were sewn shut, and its entire body was as white as snow.
The blue veins squirming under its skin were enough to make anyone nauseous just by looking.
“Whew…”
Jong Muyang steadied his breathing.
This zombie must be the new type mentioned in the report.
‘No room for complacency.’
Since zombies lack energy, their depth couldn’t be gauged from the outside.
He had to assume it was stronger than expected and put everything into his first move.
Flames!
Refined energy surged along his veins, burning intensely.
[Jong Muyang activates the 5-star skill ‘Great Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique’!]
The ultimate technique symbolizing the Kunlun Sect.
A sword imbued with the power of five stars rose as if to slice the sky.
…Now!
Jong Muyang moved like lightning.
His trajectory traced a grand arc.
And the sword…
Slice.
It was the last technique he performed in this world.
“Ah…”
He didn’t even see how his opponent attacked.
He didn’t feel how he was defeated.
Only the natural outcome of death ended the fight.
A completely different league.
“Such a monstrous…”
Just before losing consciousness, Jong Muyang thought.
Compared to this impending massacre, the past war between the righteous and demonic factions was nothing.
＊＊＊
After his vacation outside the Tower, Jinhyuk headed straight for the middle floors.
‘So this is Luoyang.’
The place where the headquarters of the Martial Alliance was located.
Also where the current Emperor resided.
‘It looks even more impressive at night. It’s several times bigger and more magnificent than the imperial capital.’
By the time Jinhyuk arrived at his destination after exiting the gate, the sun had completely set.
Naturally, no one could enter or leave the city after dark.
[Currently, the large base ‘Luoyang’ is protected by one large barrier and 72 types of medium-grade defense formations.]
As expected of the capital, it had matching defenses.
‘It’s impossible to walk in through the front gate.’
The security was so tight that there was no other visible weak spot.
“Damn it. I need to deliver something inside tonight. If I miss the deadline, I’ll hear a lot of complaints.”
“Nothing we can do. Even nobles can’t enter at this hour.”
People around him grumbled similarly.
Everyone had missed the curfew by a narrow margin.
But after a brief moment of complaining, they all moved on to find lodging.
Now, Jinhyuk was the only one left on the empty road.
Or rather, there was one more person.
“You’re not giving up, are you?”
A scruffy-looking man approached him.
Young. Barely over twenty.
With his unkempt appearance, he looked like a thug or a vagrant.
“Sleeping rough isn’t really my thing. Plus, I don’t have the luxury of time. I need to get inside tonight if possible.”
“Then why didn’t you come earlier? You knew there was a curfew.”
Fair point.
If he had really wanted, he could have arrived a bit earlier.
But…
“That wouldn’t be any fun.”
“…What?”
“I heard this city’s walls are the most impregnable in the middle floors. I want to see if their reputation is deserved.”
New challenges are always exciting.
Especially when they are things he hadn’t tried before.
In the past, he had no time to concern himself with things like the Heavenly Demon or whatever.
“Haha! You’re something else, huh? I thought you were a bit odd, but you’re more extraordinary than I imagined.”
The man laughed heartily, clearly amused by Jinhyuk’s response.
But Jinhyuk was equally pleased and surprised by this encounter.
‘I didn’t expect to run into this guy here. Fate can be truly unpredictable.’
A smile tugged at the corner of Jinhyuk’s mouth.
***
Footnotes:
[1] Hour of the Pig: In traditional East Asian timekeeping, the “hour of the pig” (亥時, haesi in Korean) refers to the period from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The day is divided into twelve double-hours, each represented by an animal from the Chinese zodiac. The hour of the pig is the final double-hour of the day.