Chapter 404

Chapter 404: Holy War (4)

A lone youth had infiltrated the central base of the opposition. Il-mok aimed his Ascension Sword directly at the Western Army Commander.

“Are you the person leading the Western Army?”

It was only after Il-mok broke the silence that the surrounding officers, who had been frozen in absolute stillness, finally unsheathed their blades one after another.

The leader extended an arm to hold them back and answered.

“I am.”

“I will make one final inquiry. As of this moment, do you still refuse to form an alliance with our side to eliminate Duke Tae?”

The offer presented by the youth felt incredibly alluring to the seasoned veteran.

Yet, the aging commander swiftly severed that alluring thought like a sharp edge.

“How could a soldier tasked with protecting the frontier align himself with external factions?”

“Two centuries ago, our domains were integrated within the Central Plains as well.”

“Hah. How can you claim that after bringing the northern nomads into this conflict? Furthermore, as an officer of the empire, I possess absolutely no desire to conspire with insurgents. More importantly, your faction does not intend to halt your advance merely by overthrowing Duke Tae, do you?”

It was an open acknowledgment that cooperation was impossible, given that their ultimate target was the sovereign himself.

“A flawed ruler brings nothing but suffering to the populace. Did you assume your rank to safeguard the common folk? Or merely to serve as a shield for the sovereign and the royal lineage?”

“It is precisely due to the royal lineage that peace is preserved across the Central Plains. Deprived of a singular ruler, we would plunge back into the era of warring factions, inflicting endless suffering upon the multitude.”

“Tsk.”

The sharp sound from Il-mok served as the opening signal for the clash.

“Charge!!”

In that exact moment, the officers flanking the leader lunged toward Il-mok simultaneously.

Il-mok observed the pair of halberds and the oncoming spear rushing toward his position from his front and flanks, his expression remaining completely calm as he adjusted his stance.

His movements were seamless, resembling a perfectly timed performance.

He rotated his form gracefully, slipping right past the pair of halberds.

Crunch.

The chest of the officer who had thrust his spear forward was instantly pierced through by the Ascension Sword.

He had neutralized a seasoned officer—who was far superior to a common infantryman—with absolute simplicity.

Il-mok knit his brows slightly.

• Hahaha! Fantastic, eliminate every single one of them!

• Precise! We have absolutely no use for these men! Slay them all!

Because he had utilized the Annihilation Soul Jade Palm and entered the fray without restoring his energy flow or focusing his mind, the negative repercussions had been multiplying violently within him for some time.

Among these voices, the one showing the greatest ecstasy was the residual consciousness of the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art.

• Greater numbers! Slay further! Drain their life force entirely to satisfy your desire!!

This reaction was triggered by the vital energy streaming directly into his form through the Ascension Sword, which remained embedded in the officer’s chest.

‘If I endure a few more engagements of this scale, my internal heat will accumulate rapidly.’

Seeming to interpret the thoughts passing through Il-mok’s mind, the spirit of the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art broke into a loud laugh.

• Kuhahaha! That is magnificent development!

Il-mok silently scoffed at the foolish ranting.

He possessed no desire to let that entity claim his mind, regardless of how much his martial level increased.

Furthermore.

‘At this exact moment, I lack the luxury to indulge this entity.’

He had absolutely no intention of executing the dangerous process of absorbing vital energy via the volatile nature of the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art.

Exactly like the current situation.

Slash!

Perceiving the stolen life force from the fallen officer immediately transform into solid energy, Il-mok pivoted his form with the agility of a performer, striking the officer who had pursued him from the rear, splitting him completely in two along with his polearm.

Paying no heed to the absurd demands of the inner voices, Il-mok advanced utilizing his specialized steps and delivered another strike.

Fortunately, the efforts he spent mastering the Annihilation Soul Jade Palm preserved his condition; his internal trauma was not overly catastrophic.

Consequently, the intrusive murmurs remained at a volume he could successfully dismiss.

It was likely due to the fact that he was executing an absolute slaughter, precisely matching the chaotic desires of the inner voices.

Slash.

Immediately after the head of another officer was detached by the arc of Il-mok’s blade.

A polearm reinforced with concentrated energy rushed directly toward Il-mok’s flank.

Boom!!!

Il-mok, who rapidly manifested his own protective energy barrier to intercept the polearm, gave a quiet click of dissatisfaction.

‘The chatter is going to intensify for the foreseeable future.’

It appeared he would be unable to dispatch any other targets until he neutralized the Western Army Commander who wielded that specific weapon.

A dull ache throbbed in his arm from the massive impact delivered through the Ascension Sword.

“Hup!!”

Uttering a sharp breath to gather his strength, the Western Army Commander drove his weapon forward once more, though Il-mok narrowly slipped away using agile maneuvers.

As he deflected the third consecutive strike from the leader, Il-mok analyzed the situation.

‘This individual truly commands a position among the five elite leaders of the empire.’

Just as he had surmised during their brief exchange of words, the Western Army Commander operated at the apex tier of martial mastery.

Clang!

While trading more than a dozen rapid blows within a brief window against the Western Army Commander, Il-mok methodically evaluated the techniques of his adversary.

‘Martial polearm techniques, precisely as anticipated—highly efficient. The raw momentum exceeds that of the Alliance Leader. If anything, it bears a resemblance to the Dugogu Sword.’

• That elderly fool dismissed your proposition! Terminate his life this instant!

• We hold no utility for an old man!! Move swiftly and end him!!

• What reason do you have to fear an inferior opponent?

Was it due to the reality that his killing streak had been disrupted by the intervention of the Western Army Commander? The chaotic frenzy of the internal voices escalated slightly.

Even so, the assertions made by the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art held truth.

Following several exchanges, the leader’s weapon maneuvers were aggressive, yet they did not surpass the capabilities of Il-mok.

If matched against anyone, his skills were comparable to or slightly underneath the Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong, whom he had previously dispatched.

It could appear unusual that a servant of a palace official could eclipse a legendary general, but this highlighted the distinction between a pure duelist and a strategist of war.

For individuals dedicated solely to combat, absolute martial supremacy was the singular objective, whereas for military leaders, combat proficiency was merely one required attribute among many. They were burdened with strategic planning, maneuvers, troop instruction, supply chains, and numerous other responsibilities.

Regardless, multiple factors explained why Il-mok was experiencing difficulty against the Western Army Commander, who positioned himself merely one or two steps beneath his own standing.

The disparity was not insurmountable; given the marginal difference in skill, it would require a prolonged sequence of exchanges to completely master him.

• You weakling! Give yourself over to your fury! That is the method to dissolve your anxiety!

The internal disruptions had been persistently and loudly breaking his focus throughout the engagement.

In addition to that issue.

‘The surrounding troops are merely biding their time for a lapse in my defense.’

From the moment his duel with the Western Army Commander commenced, the surrounding battalions had established a tight ring, presenting the greatest hazard.

The exchange between the two figures was proceeding at such an intense pace that these standard troops could not easily insert themselves.

However, it remained certain they would strike the instant Il-mok committed to a massive movement or hesitated long enough to expose a vulnerability.

Confronted by predators circling his exterior and chaotic voices within his consciousness, Il-mok felt a wave of disorientation wash over him.

‘Now the noise is assaulting me from every single angle.’

Releasing a breath heavy with deep exasperation, the nature of Il-mok’s presence underwent a transformation.

Whoosh!

Il-mok, who had been cautiously testing the defenses of the Western Army Commander, executed an aggressive advance.

As the leader brought his weapon around to strike the invading Il-mok, Il-mok intercepted the blow directly with his Ascension Sword.

The instant the polearm and the blade collided, Il-mok’s edge vibred and glided along the shaft of the polearm like a serpent.

Aiming directly for the digits wrapped around the weapon, this precise action forced the Western Army Commander to desperately retreat and pull back his armament.

Woosh!

Il-mok gave chase utilizing his movement techniques, transitioning into an absolute offensive strategy compared to his prior caution.

He needed to eliminate the Western Army Commander with the utmost speed to bring a conclusion to this horrific conflict.

In days past, Il-mok had sworn an oath.

In this chaotic era, he would show no reluctance to take lives to fulfill his ultimate objective.

Yet, that did not imply he remained unaffected when standard individuals perished by the thousands or tens of thousands.

That precise motivation had driven Il-mok to confront the Western Army Commander for one final, brief discussion.

Had the leader chosen to align with their cause, there would have been no requirement to persist with this engagement.

‘With every passing second I lose, additional lives are extinguished.’

As Il-mok unleashed his unrestricted assault, the counters of the Western Army Commander turned increasingly desperate.

Unpredictable, visually overwhelming tactics, deceptive movements designed to capture his focus, and rapid thrusts narrowing the distance in a flash.

The instant Il-mok executed another sweep of his blade, the Western Army Commander—forced into a retreating defensive posture—swung his heavy weapon with an expression of absolute resolve.

Instead of attempting to avoid Il-mok’s blade, he directly targeted Il-mok’s throat.

His combat style placed immense value on raw impact, causing him to press forward with the strike, even if it resulted in mutual demise.

His tactical choice succeeded entirely.

Il-mok’s weapon, which had been tracking the leader’s lethal points, shifted its trajectory to intercept the incoming polearm.

Boom!!

The precise fraction of a second the halberd and the Ascension Sword locked together in a test of pure power.

“Strike now!!”

The soldiers who had been tensely observing their leader get forced backward, waiting for an opening, rushed toward Il-mok in a massive wave, swinging their armaments.

Just before the tips of their blades could make contact with Il-mok’s form.

Whoosh!

Il-mok masterfully employed a delicate redirection to slide the heavy weapon away, then capitalized on the momentum to execute a roll across the dirt.

The precisely diverted polearm was now tracking directly toward the torso of an allied officer who was executing a strike from the rear.

“Curse it!!”

The Western Army Commander screamed out in a desperate panic, his features contorting with horror.

Slash.

In that fleeting moment, his powerful weapon trajectory had already sliced through half of his own officer’s midsection.

Pivoting his gaze in absolute fury at having terminated a valued comrade by his own actions.

‘That individual will not emerge from this unscathed either!’

After all, a multitude of weapons had been directed toward his position.

Tumbling along the dirt in a defensive maneuver, it was entirely impossible to deflect or dodge every oncoming strike.

Precisely as he anticipated, the target had failed to entirely avoid a single weapon, collapsing halfway onto the earth.

The true situation emerged.

‘Could it be a protective energy barrier?’

To be entirely precise, evasion had not been necessary for him.

The array of armaments striking his position were completely halted by a smoky, semi-transparent shield enveloping his entire form.

Crunch.

Moments later, Il-mok—repositioned low on the earth—drove his Ascension Sword directly into the flank of the Western Army Commander.

This precise strike capitalized entirely on the brief moment of hesitation when the leader accidentally struck his own comrade.

“Tsk.”

Even though his deliberate risk had yielded the desired result, Il-mok compressed his lips in frustration.

‘My stored energy reserves are depleting in massive amounts.’

He had observed and studied the methodology of Huangbo-eok on numerous occasions, yet he rarely deployed it during actual life-or-death engagements.

The toll it extracted from his internal energy reserves was simply too extreme to sustain.

“You… wretched creature!!”

Was this reaction born from the agonizing sensation of his torso being pierced? Or absolute rage from striking down his own subordinate officer?

Even with his flank completely compromised by the blade, the Western Army Commander roared with fury and brought his weapon around once more.

In stark contrast to the armaments of the regular officers, the strike delivered by the Western Army Commander possessed an overwhelming force capable of completely shattering a protective energy barrier.

Il-mok decisively let go of the Ascension Sword, executing another roll to narrowly avoid the incoming trajectory of the strike.

“Cough….”

The immense strain of that desperate strike tore the leader’s torso laceration open even further, damaging internal sections of his abdomen.

He discharged a thick spray of blood and collapsed heavily onto his knees.

Peculiarly, despite the massive opening revealing his damaged internal form, not a single drop of blood escaped from his torso.

The phenomenon occurred because the Ascension Sword was aggressively absorbing the vital fluid of the Western Army Commander.

Il-mok rapidly regained his footing and extended his hand toward the Ascension Sword, which dislodged itself from the leader’s torso and soared directly back into his palm.