Chapter 406

Chapter 406: Expansion (1)

The capitulation that initiated at the Western Army Headquarters quickly rippled outward to encompass the left wing as well.

“Young Master Il-mok has taken the head of the hostile commander!!”

“Waaaaah!!”

The troops of the Nanju Army, exhilarated by the announcement of triumph, roared at the absolute limit of their lungs in a frantic state, ensuring that the news resonated everywhere regardless of anyone’s desires.

Upon learning of the demise of the Western Army Commander, the fighting spirit of the left wing troops—who were already enduring a simultaneous onslaught from both the frontline and their rear—plummeted completely.

Capitalizing on the ideal timing, the Provincial Commander channeled his inner energy into his vocal cords and boomed.

“All who cast aside their arms and capitulate shall receive clemency!!”

The officers serving under the Provincial Commander replicated his pronouncement across various locations.

“Lay down your arms!!!!”

“Anyone who continues to oppose us will face certain death!!”

Naturally, the officers commanding the left wing did not simply remain passive onlookers.

“Do not succumb to the delusions of those zealots!!”

“Our leader is still breathing!! Grab your gear and strike back!!”

However, their desperate cries did not endure for long.

Slash!

An elderly warrior behaving like a possessed beast in the thick of the hostile ranks was tracking down the vocal officers, and upon witnessing the terrifying aura of the formidable Dugoryong, the nearby infantry trembled with dread and cast away their gear in every direction.

The reality of their defeat was already undeniable, leaving them incapable of even contemplating further opposition.

The Western Army Headquarters and adjacent units were rapidly consumed by the unfolding capitulation.

The solitary sector that maintained its resistance was the right wing of the Western Army Headquarters.

“The conflict persists!”

“What are you waiting for!! Retrieve your gear!!”

“Our leader lives!! We must push back to the center and shield him!!”

Because the defensive lines of the right wing had not yet buckled, their group spirit remained relatively intact.

Even so, they lacked the capacity to repel the advancing forces as they had previously.

“Waaaaah!!”

“The Supreme Entity guides us!!”

The zealots, their senses entirely overwhelmed following the confirmation of triumph, fought onward without displaying an ounce of trepidation.

As the right wing forces wavered in confusion, uncertain of their next move, Il-mok along with a detachment of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult combatants, having stabilized the Western Army Headquarters to a certain extent, were currently carving a path toward that location.

“Your leader has fallen!! Cast aside your arms and capitulate!!”

Likely owing to the polearm resting on Il-mok’s back, which displayed the impaled head of the commander, even the right wing, which had held out until the very end, began to witness the gradual expansion of the capitulation wave.

…

Slash.

After severing the head of the final opposing hostile officer, a weary breath escaped him.

“Haa.”

Il-mok released a quiet murmur.

He lacked the ability to even estimate the number of lives he had claimed.

If anything, it felt as though his actions on this single day outnumbered the casualties of his entire existence.

His physical form felt incredibly burdened, weighted down by the ceaseless shouting required to demand capitulations.

While his own forces, ecstatic from the achievement, roared in celebration across the field, the submissive adversaries shuddered with terror visible in their eyes.

Il-mok advanced with an aura of composed authority.

“Summon the Provincial Commander, the patriarch of the Wular family, and the patriarch of the Dugoryong family. Furthermore, instruct them to arrange furnishings in the rear sector. An immense volume of logistics awaits us, requiring rapid coordination.”

Following Il-mok’s directives, the attendants and combatants in his retinue gestured respectfully and separated to fulfill their assignments.

Shortly thereafter, gathered around a circular table positioned in the center, Il-mok sat opposite the Provincial Commander, the White Cloud Scholar, and Dugoryong to initiate their consultation.

The Provincial Commander initiated the dialogue.

“The Nanju Army has suffered approximately three thousand five hundred fatalities. The severely afflicted are projected at roughly five thousand. These represent preliminary assessments, meaning the precise metrics remain unverified.”

Il-mok exhibited a somber expression.

Within that brief interval, a massive quantity of individuals had perished, despite the outcome being an undeniable triumph.

“What are the metrics for the opposition?”

“Approximately fifty thousand have surrendered. Among those individuals, nearly seven thousand possess critical trauma, meaning I cannot realistically assume their preservation.”

He had anticipated a grim reality upon learning of the three thousand five hundred friendly casualties, but the confirmation of thirty thousand opposing fatalities caused an immediate wave of exhaustion to overwhelm him.

Yet, the current circumstances left no room for despair.

“Dispatch an immediate courier to Nanju with directives to assemble every available medical practitioner and herbalist from Gansu. Instruct them to acquire all accessible therapeutic plants and dressings required for trauma recovery. Lastly, secure every available unit of alcohol from the local establishments.”

After delivering these mandates to the Provincial Commander, Il-mok shifted his attention toward Dugoryong and the White Cloud Scholar.

Dugoryong maintained a disinterested demeanor, whereas the White Cloud Scholar observed him with a look of irritation.

“Patriarch Dugoryong, Patriarch White Cloud Scholar. What are the specific loss accounts from your forces?”

“Counting the combatants of the Divine Cult along with the nomadic fighters, we have seven fatalities. Sixteen individuals are gravely afflicted.”

Dugoryong provided his metrics first, after which the White Cloud Scholar offered his account.

“Among the ranks of the Divine Cult combatants, fifty-two have perished. Seventy-one are gravely afflicted.”

“Tsk. Managing a thousand exceptional Divine Cult fighters and yielding such metrics is quite telling.”

Dugoryong uttered a mocking sound, prompting the White Cloud Scholar to counter with visible tension forming on his brow.

“Kra ha ha ha ha. Truly characteristic of a practitioner of concealed projectiles, always equipped with justifications.”

“Hmph. Truly characteristic of an imbecile, completely devoid of dignity. You targeted the rear of the opposition from a safe distance with projectiles, yet you managed to lose seven lives? It is glaringly obvious you neglected your subordinates and merely advanced recklessly.”

“What did you say!?”

Under ordinary circumstances, he might dismiss the comment, but on this occasion, Dugoryong experienced a twinge of accountability, causing him to stare aggressively.

Precisely as the White Cloud Scholar asserted, the majority of the losses within the three thousand horsemen occurred due to a lapse in vigilance.

They were struck by un-aimed projectiles unleashed chaotically by the retreating left wing infantry.

The two patriarchs, whose lineages had conflicted since historical eras, confronted each other, and their dispute showed no indications of a resolution.

“The present circumstances are unsuited for such bickering.”

Once Il-mok stepped in to separate them, the pair ceased their verbal exchange but maintained their aggressive stances.

Shortly after, recognizing that physical intimidation and staring matches yielded nothing, the White Cloud Scholar redirected his focus toward Il-mok and spoke.

“Furthermore, those elderly figures from the institution were entrenched at the hostile center. Our casualties escalated precisely due to their uncontrolled interference.”

Dugoryong scoffed, though Il-mok preempted him.

“What became of those individuals?”

“We eliminated the majority, but the instant their leader fell, they fled. I intended to pursue them, but managing the capitulating forces took precedence, preventing us from tracking them completely.”

“An admirable choice, patriarch.”

Following the review of the specialized accounts and casualty metrics, Il-mok delivered further instructions.

“To begin, we will escort the submissive captives back toward Nanju. At that location, we shall categorize the afflicted for medical attention and identify those prepared for the subsequent engagement before advancing to the next zone of conflict.”

Upon receiving Il-mok’s mandates, the leaders departed to oversee their respective duties.

“Hmph.”

“Tsk.”

Following a final exchange of aggressive looks, scoffs, and mutual disdain, the White Cloud Scholar and Dugoryong withdrew, leaving Il-mok to release another weary breath.

“Haa.”

Subsequently, Il-mok turned around and delivered instructions to the attendants positioned behind him.

They too endured profound fatigue from the relentless engagement, yet they responded with reassuring expressions.

“Cast away your apprehensions. We shall ensure no individual interrupts your concentration.”

“My gratitude.”

Il-mok promptly assumed a meditative posture to commence internal energy regulation and respiration synchronization.

This action served not solely to mend his physical strain, but to process the residual vital energy collected within his energy pathways.

In the concluding phases of the engagement, few authentic masters remained, causing a portion of the vital energy gathered by the Ascending Heaven Sword to remain unintegrated within his pathways.

As Il-mok channeled that vital energy in alignment with the methodologies of the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art, directing it toward his focal energy center, a mocking sound manifested within his thoughts.

• Heh heh heh heh heh.

  In response to the internal amusement of the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art, Il-mok harbored an internal disdain.

  ‘Absurd entity.’

  It appeared to anticipate that its sway would intensify as the focal energy center expanded.

  ‘Every increment of spiritual power I assemble will augment this focal center, allowing me to transition to the status of Extreme Demon without delay.’

A duration of several days passed.

Nanju had altered into a hub of activity of an entirely different nature.

The combined forces of the Nanju Army and the capitulated adversaries meant the critically afflicted surpassed ten thousand individuals; factoring in those with minor trauma rendered the total staggering.

Predictably, every medical practitioner and herbalist within Nanju, alongside the staff from medicinal dispensaries, engaged in the effort, yet the available labor was insufficient—even doubling the workforce would not alleviate the strain.

At the very least, a degree of relief arrived as medical specialists were assembled from across the entirety of Gansu.

Fresh practitioners and medical sisters representing the Mireuk Bright Church reached Nanju on a daily basis to provide assistance.

Furthermore, the specialized medical knowledge of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult proved invaluable.

“Provide additional alcohol! Accelerate the purification process to cleanse the trauma!!”

“Secure more dressings and cutting instruments!! Along with the therapeutic compounds!!”

The materials utilized by the practitioners of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were far from typical.

Traditional therapeutic practices within the Central Plains or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult primarily addressed internal imbalances utilizing flora and needle therapies.

However, under the guidance of Il-mok, the Divine Cult had implemented frameworks for decontamination and pain mitigation, which naturally enhanced their physical intervention methods.

Owing to the recurring trauma resulting from the practice of unorthodox arts or engagements, advancement in this sector had been rapid.

And during this precise period, those refined methodologies were proving effective.

Surrounded by expressions of intense suffering and moisture trickling down his form, a fighter reflected on his state.

“Guhhhhhh.”

The combatant pondered.

‘Is this the moment my existence reaches its conclusion?’

He experienced remorse regarding his previous choices.

‘What possessed me to enter this conflict?’

He had not originally belonged to the standing forces, serving merely as a auxiliary force who offered his services to support the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Even while marching toward the engagement, trepidation had overtaken him, yet he bypassed it by vocalizing sacred verses alongside his peers.

The actual engagement mirrored that sentiment, as he found himself captivated by the otherworldly aura of Young Master Il-mok.

Yet following the conclusion of the struggle, nothing save for intense suffering persisted.

The agony enduring across multiple days eroded his mental fortitude, causing his vibrant conviction to weaken.

Just as a sense of opposition toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—the entity that had brought him to this field of strife—began to form within his thoughts, a figure intervened.

“Pardon the delay. The volume of afflicted individuals is immense, making this unavoidable.”

A mature individual resembling a medical practitioner drew near and unceremoniously placed a crushed plant composition into his mouth.

“Mmphp!?”

Startled by the abrupt treatment for a brief moment, he reacted.

“Heh?”

Overcome by the properties of the compound, he descended into a state of semi-conscious delusion.

Images manifested resembling a mixture of fantasy and actuality, causing the boundaries of his surroundings to lose definition.

Nevertheless, he had not entirely surrendered awareness. Still, when contrasted against his state prior to receiving the compound, the situation felt manageable.

Within his undulating awareness, he cast a look to the side to observe the practitioner performing a procedure upon his traumatized flesh.

“Groan… eeeh?”

“Steady now. Refrain from shifting.”

Uttering these words, the practitioner pressed upon the combatant’s energy pathway to induce immobility.

Following multiple intervals of drifting within the chemical haze, the sensation of the practitioner’s interventions periodically brought him back to awareness.

Ultimately, as an intense sensation caused the combatant’s vision to widen, the practitioner remarked on his condition.

“A relief. Your trauma is not overly critical—consider yourself fortunate.”

What bizarre assessment was this? That massive trauma was considered trivial?

“Indeed, in previous eras, no prospects existed. However, utilizing the insights shared by Young Master Il-mok, such an issue is minor today. Therefore, upon your revival, express your appreciation to him.”

The combatant desired to alter his posture in confusion, yet remaining immobilized, he lacked the capacity to stir.

He could merely replicate the identity of Young Master Il-mok within his thoughts.

‘Express appreciation to the Young Master?’

Inevitably, the extraordinary deeds performed by Il-mok upon the field of conflict returned to his recollection.

The very occurrences he had resented while consumed by agonizing distress returned to him.

Yet at present, it became evident that the Young Master possessed not solely the capacity for destruction, but the capability for preservation as well.

‘Aaaah. In truth, the Young Master represents the emissary dispatched by the Supreme Entity.’

As that realization materialized, with the distress lessening increment by increment, he returned to a state of delusion.

The immobilized individual observed the upper expanse with a blank expression.

Traversing the upper expanse were vapor formations, and amidst them, Young Master Il-mok moved about, radiating illumination.

“Aaah. The entirety of existence is Young Master Il-mok.”

Comparable declarations resonated perpetually among the recovering individuals.