Chapter 339

Chapter 339
Chapter 339. Despair (3)

—

A heavy weight settled in my chest.

My thoughts grew tangled and chaotic.

The murderous aura creeping up from below didn’t pose an immediate, fatal danger to me right this second. Nevertheless, the grim future it portended and the reality it implied filled me with absolute hopelessness.

‘I was praying that the Jeok-eum-ma-rang-dan would mark the conclusion of this…’

Whether the rest of the group sensed it remained unclear, but the subtle traces of unholy malice laced through the malice indicated that the massive Heaven and Earth Net wasn’t the work of the Wolf Squad by themselves. To begin with, executing a Heaven and Earth Net of such immense proportions was far beyond the individual capabilities of the Wolf Squad. Such an undertaking demanded the coordination of no fewer than three full squads, or potentially a formidable, palace-tier military force.

‘The most frustrating realization is that this grid is probably just the bare minimum.’

Could that really be the extent of it? The martial artists assembled here were highly talented academy students. They possessed the strength to shatter a loose or superficial cordon whenever they pleased, even if they had to endure brief casualties in the process. Their adversaries would undoubtedly anticipate this reaction. Consequently, the trap they had constructed was bound to be far more intricate than a standard containment ring.

Their conduct was what truly unsettled me. They chose to set up the Heaven and Earth Net despite already maintaining a decisively dominant advantage. Their objective was not simply to trap us and inflict casualties. Their true aim shone through with terrifying transparency.

Absolute Eradication.

Total Carnage.

The mystery of why they hadn’t bothered to mask their tracks while ambushing the academy students during the journey was finally solved. It wasn’t because they were indifferent to the public discovering who they were. Rather, they simply didn’t mind their cover being blown inside the confines of this Muk-rim. In the end, the only entities destined to walk out of the Muk-rim alive were the fiends themselves.

‘What could possibly drive them to such extremes? This has escalated far beyond a simple clandestine raid.’

Every sign pointed to them mobilizing their absolute maximum power, behaving as though they were launching an unrestricted, total war. All at once, the desperate words of the sole survivor echoed in my memory.

[If only Jin-so-un vanishes… if only Jin-so-un vanishes…!!!!]

The sheer conviction in that man’s gaze, firmly believing that all their troubles would dissolve if my life were extinguished. With matters deteriorating to this degree, I couldn’t help but question if the fault truly rested on my shoulders.

‘Could it be due to that unsettling freak Gwak-gung keeping his eyes on me?’

Yet, the magnitude of this offensive was far too grand to simply target an individual like me. I wasn’t even anywhere in line to contest the leadership of the Murim Alliance. Staging a massive maneuver of this caliber merely to eliminate an unproven novice like myself—could anyone with a sound mind even conceive of such a thing…

‘Wait.’

Then again, those unholy monsters were never rational to begin with. Viewing it through that lens, perhaps the blame truly did lie with me…

“Dae-sa-hyeong!”

I was suddenly pulled back to reality as Eun-ho gripped my shoulders and gave me a firm shake.

“Wake up!!!”

“……”

“I told you to wake up!”

Eun-ho went so far as to pull back his arm.

“Get a hold of yourself, Jin-so-un…!”

“Hold it right there.”

Was this rascal seriously preparing to strike the face of his own senior brother, who held an esteemed position equivalent to the heavens? I corrected his insolence by firmly flicking his forehead.

“What is all this commotion about?”

“Good grief… who imbues a forehead flick with inner qi?”

“There was no inner qi involved. Regardless, what’s the issue?”

“…Then why does it sting this badly? Setting that aside, the mood out there is getting strange.”

“What happened this time?”

“It looks like some of our numbers are planning to run away.”

“Run away?”

“A few individuals are arguing that we must smash through the blockade before our window closes.”

“……”

The malevolent aura that had been slithering around began pouring toward the heart of our camp, rising from my feet up to my ankles. Our highly perceptive academy students, acutely attuned to such hostile bloodlust, had deduced that they were ensnared within a Heaven and Earth Net. Even so, it caught me off guard that their resolve would shatter so rapidly.

When a person is drained by physical wounds and subjected to a relentless onslaught of pure malice, their psychological state is bound to fray. On top of that, with the subtle dark energy blended into the aura, maintaining a rational mind was an almost impossible task for them.

“Are they declaring this openly?”

“No, it’s just hushed whispers between them…”

“Which ones?”

“Excuse me?”

“I am asking for names. The fools harboring such a ridiculous idea.”

“It’s the martial artists from the Gong-dong and Mu-dang Sects, Dae-sa-hyeong.”

“I see.”

I prepared to walk toward the gathering area of the Gong-dong faction, but stopped and faced Eun-ho once more.

“Is something wrong?”

“How is Dong-ryong holding up?”

The bearer of the Heavenly Killing Star is naturally susceptible to overwhelming malice. To be sure, Dong-ryong’s mastery over the Tae-eul True Scripture had progressed immensely, meaning he wouldn’t easily succumb to the murderous instincts. Yet, watching the premier figures of both the Orthodox and White Factions lose their composure so miserably made it impossible for me to claim I lacked anxiety.

“He is doing alright. He has attained a proficiency that allows him to control and balance it by himself quite effectively.”

“Even so, hand this over to him just to be safe.”

I passed the Demon-Slaying Command Beads to Eun-ho’s hands.

“Just how many hidden items do you keep tucked away inside your clothes?”

“Instruct everyone to get some food and pack up so we can break camp instantly.”

“Do you intend to mobilize us?”

“Sitting around passively will solve nothing.”

It appeared a portion of our group was holding out hope for the academy instructors or external reinforcements stationed outside the Muk-rim to launch a rescue mission, but that was nothing more than a pipe dream. Long before any help could penetrate this place, the entire conflict would be decided.

As I made my way toward the quarters of the Orthodox Society, I took a swift glance at the condition of the students. Every single person looked wild-eyed and heavily strained by anxiety. It is common knowledge that even normal citizens can perish from sheer terror when confronted with the raw bloodlust of an apex predator like a tiger. Martial artists, possessing a heightened sensitivity to spiritual currents, would feel this pressure with multiplied intensity. Moreover, given that they were merely academy students lacking actual combat experience, none of them had any concept of how to relax under such duress.

Right as I approached the location, an uproar erupted.

‘Did I miss the window?’

I quickened my pace, arriving to find the camp in utter disarray.

“You cowards! Slipping away on your own?!”

“If you intended to flee, the least you could do was give us fair warning!”

The fury wasn’t contained to the Orthodox Society’s sector. Outraged screams were similarly breaking out from the living quarters of the White Faction.

“You miserable traitors! How dare you steal the guide for yourselves!”

“What are we supposed to do with the wounded?!”

I walked up to one of the White Faction members who was loudly airing his grievances.

“Explain what is happening.”

“……”

He had been hurling profanities, but upon recognizing me, he averted his gaze out of sheer shame.

“Tell me what happened!”

“…A small group has abandoned us.”

Members belonging to the Ak Family, the Je-gal Family, along with several lay disciples. Roughly twenty people in total.

“Ha… you call that a small group?”

While I stood frozen in disbelief, the young man from the White Faction offered further clarification.

“It wasn’t the entirety of the Ak and Je-gal Families that fled. They abandoned a portion of their people.”

“A portion?”

Following his pointing finger with my eyes, I noticed the wounded fighters sitting around with blank, hollow expressions.

“Ha…”

They had clearly discarded them simply due to their physical limitations. What absolute scum. Yet, ironically, it was a decision so coldly logical that finding the energy to rage against it felt hollow. Over at the Orthodox Society, the state of affairs mirrored this tragedy. A selection of practitioners from the Mu-dang and Gong-dong Sects, along with the lay followers who attached themselves to them, had vanished. They had deliberately selected only the most capable combatants with superior academic standings and profound inner qi reserves. At a moment when every ounce of martial strength was desperately required, a significant portion of our vanguard had vanished.

“Perhaps they are forming a relief party to return for us… this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”

An individual from the Orthodox Society was indulging in desperate delusions, utterly unable to process the harsh reality of their abandonment.

“For a group that constantly bragged about the Orthodox Society representing the true Murim Alliance, this display is utterly disgraceful.”

Cheol-sun-jik, who had materialized nearby unnoticed, shook his head in disgust. I directed a question toward him.

“Did every member of the 12 Peaks Stars actually stay put?”

“Do you honestly group the 12 Peaks Stars with that rabble?”

“To be frank, I fully expected the 12 Peaks Stars to lead the retreat.”

“……”

Cheol-sun-jik possessed an uncanny instinct for self-preservation in these dilemmas. He typically behaved like a rodent fleeing a foundering vessel at the earliest sign of trouble. Truthfully, seeing him linger here passively felt surreal. This was a man who habitually vanished into thin air the second danger reared its head whenever I required his presence…

“…You possess a strategy, correct, Representative Jin?”

“Don’t you have a scheme of your own worked out?”

“I formulated one. However, I threw it away.”

“Threw it away? For what reason?”

The motivation behind abandoning his idea intrigued me far more than the details of the strategy itself. Staring at Cheol-sun-jik, I found him returning my look with an oddly intense, blazing glare. It felt somewhat uncomfortable…

“Word has it that adhering to Representative Jin guarantees our survival.”

What?

“Therefore, you absolutely must possess a solution. Without fail.”

“……”

“Seeing as I am putting my faith in Representative Jin.”

…Who exactly is placing faith in whom? What has gotten into him? Has the corruptive dark qi already scrambled his brain?

Mirroring Cheol-sun-jik’s instability, the mental condition of the rest of the academy students deteriorated progressively. Once the news of the clandestine desertion spread through the camp, the bedlam grew tenfold. The worst affected were the lay followers who had served under Mu-dang, Gong-dong, the Je-gal Family, and the Ak Family, only to be excluded from the escape party.

“Those miserable bastards!!! Exploiting us until the end, only to flee by themselves…?!”

“They strutted around like they owned the earth, yet they tucked tail and ran alone! Those goddamn cowards!!!”

The very individuals who had previously sycophantically catered to their whims were now shuddering under a profound weight of treachery. A primal fury erupted because the elites who had commanded them as an inherent privilege had abandoned ship the instant accountability was required.

Compounding this rage—unbeknownst to the students—the unholy aura was twisting their minds. An amplified, unnatural fury and a heightened bloodlust eventually redirected themselves toward the helpless, wounded casualties left in the dirt.

*Crash!*

“You piece of trash! Why are you still sitting here instead of fleeing! Tell me!”

The heavily injured fighters, barely able to sit up, couldn’t form coherent answers.

“You ought to have fled alongside them!”

“Agh… I—I couldn’t…”

“Go ahead and try to discard us and save your own skin too!!!”

Before long, more onlookers began participating in the assault.

*Bam, bam, bam!*

“Death is too good for you scum! Think of all the food and drink we provided for you!”

“You continuously looked down upon our lineages, and this is how you repay us?!”

“Good, if fate dictates our demise here, I might as well execute you myself!”

A handful of wounded students struggled to their feet to defend themselves, but the bulk of them simply absorbed the blows defenselessly.

“This cannot be happening… this cannot be happening…”

Victims were being pummeled into a stupor, their minds entirely broken.

*Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!*

The assault rippled outwards rapidly, drawing in previously neutral students who wished to unleash their bottled-up rage. I dusted off my palms and rose to my feet.

“Time to move.”

“…Where exactly are we headed? Don’t tell me… you expect us to intervene in that?”

Cheol-sun-jik interjected, his brow furrowing tightly.

“…That is their internal matter. They ought to resolve it among themselves. To be honest, I understand their urge to strike back…”

“A moment ago, you expressed interest in my strategy, didn’t you?”

“……”

“This is the strategy. Move in and halt them immediately.”

I dashed ahead without waiting for his response. Giving a defeated sigh from behind, Cheol-sun-jik broke into a run. The moment Cheol-sun-jik mobilized, the rest of the 12 Peaks Stars trailed closely in his wake.

Right then.

“HALT!!!”

Il-gak plummeted directly into the thick of the brutal melee.

“Cease this madness immediately!!! How can you behave in such an ignoble manner?!”

What sort of ridiculous lecture was that monk attempting to deliver?

“The current situation is… wait, watch out!”

Mercifully, Il-gak’s attempts at preaching were cut short as a mob swarmed him, shoving him backward and silencing his rambling. Good grief, what an incompetent monk. Did he genuinely believe a chaotic riot could be resolved through mere diplomacy?

I called out to Cheol-sun-jik.

“Merely blocking them won’t cut it. Indeed… strike them squarely in the jaw to knock some sense back into them.”

“Are you out of your mind? Striking them under these conditions will trigger a massive brawl.”

The frantic brutality occurring before us was undoubtedly driven by the corrupting influence of the sinister energy. Because of that, shattering this collective hysteria was paramount. I answered him while channeling inner qi into my palms.

“Which is precisely why we must overwhelm them with a single, decisive strike.”

“…Are you ordering me to execute them?”

“Why are you being so dense?”

“It is because accomplishing that cleanly is an immense challenge, Representative Jin.”

“Name a single problem we face right now that can be resolved easily.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I launched a kick at a guy who was poised to trample an injured student. Caught completely off guard, the aggressor soared two *jang* through the air before tumbling across the dirt.

“Cease this! What do you expect to achieve by murdering them!”

The aggressive student I had struck wiped a smear of crimson from his lips, grinding his teeth in fury.

“Jin-so-un! Do you have a death wish as well!”

See that? The dark energy contamination had thoroughly broken his sanity. Imagining he could threaten the academy representative. I executed a swift two-and-a-half-turn spin and drove a spinning kick directly into his jaw.

*Crack.*

The strike, packed with immense centrifugal momentum, possessed ample force to completely incapacitate an individual who had abandoned all reason. It served as an excellent spectacle to capture the crowd’s focus. I bellowed out to the gathering.

“This is my final notice! Every one of you, stand down. Slaughtering your peers will not pave a path to survival.”

Following my lead, Cheol-sun-jik, Nam-hwa-seong, and the primary forces of the 12 Peaks Stars advanced in unison, causing the rioting students to gradually lower their weapons. In place of their anger, they began to howl like wild animals.

“Dammit!!! What alternative do we have! Our lives end here regardless…! Are we supposed to just smile merrily while expecting a savior?!”

The explosive fury that had reached a boiling point abruptly fizzled out, replaced instantly by a staggering wave of existential terror. The same individuals who had been filled with murderous intent moments prior were now weeping uncontrollably, completely crushed by the looming specter of their demise.

“Ugh… hik… enrolling in this academy was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Mother!!!!”

“Curse it all… I never should have put my faith in those useless instructors.”

The scene was pathetic. Even Cheol-sun-jik, who normally maintained an icy demeanor, looked deeply unnerved by the breakdown around him. It made sense; this was an era where the concept of unholy energy remained completely unknown to them. The reality of the Demonic Cult had not yet been exposed to the public. If I were to stand up and scream about the Demonic Cult right now, they would merely view me as a lunatic. Consequently, during crises like this, the responsibility fell on me to maintain absolute composure.

“Cease this whining! Do you think tears will alter our fate!”

“I never got the chance to honor my family properly… Father, forgive me…”

“Quiet down…”

“When I am reborn, I swear I will be a dutiful son…”

“I commanded you to shut up, you fool!”

*Smack!*

I couldn’t endure the pathetic display for another second. After delivering a sharp blow to one student’s skull, I scanned the crowd. The immediate area had fallen completely silent before long.

“Does anyone else feel the urge to weep?”

“……”

“……”

Mercifully, total silence answered me. I suppose the top-tier students still possessed some dignity.

“If any of you present are eager to perish, show of hands.”

Cheol-sun-jik’s features contorted into a bizarre grimace. It clearly conveyed a sentiment along the lines of, ‘What brand of insanity are you cooking up this time?’

“Are your ears broken? I repeated, raise your hand if you wish for death!”

“You lunatic… who on earth actually desires to die!”

“Given that you were all behaving like rotting corpses, I assumed you were eager for the grave.”

“……”

I had no inkling of what the operatives of the Demonic Cult were trying to accomplish inside the Muk-rim, nor their motivations for taking such extreme measures. Frankly, I didn’t care to find out.

“If survival is your goal, get on your feet. Quit wallowing in the mud and sobbing.”

“Jin-so-un… what is your next move?”

And I possessed absolutely zero desire to let those Demonic Cult bastards pull off their grand design seamlessly.

“Whatever it takes. Any method that guarantees we walk out of here alive.”

“……”

“Are you all ready to commit to that as well?”

The moment had arrived to employ my greatest talent—the art of completely ruining someone else’s perfect celebration.