Chapter 529

Chapter 529
Chapter 529. The Monster That Eats Despair (14)

—

Just as exhaustion was causing my eyelids to grow heavy, **Do-kwang-su** slipped over to my side. Strangely, his approach did not produce even the slightest whisper of noise.

“Time to move.”

“Is it already **In-si**?”

“It is.”

“How can you be sure?”

“The weariness in my own eyes tells me so.”

I suppose when someone refines the art of thievery to its absolute peak, their senses operate in such a manner. Breaking the heavy silence between us, **Do-kwang-su** inquired.

“Are you well-versed in any methods of concealment?”

“While I lack proper training in that field, I can manage a decent imitation.”

The moment I activated the **Turtle-Breathing Step**, **Do-kwang-su**’s eyes went wide with astonishment.

“How… how are you performing that? You are standing right before me, yet I cannot detect even a trace of your presence……!”

“We can discuss martial arts at a later time; for now, let us investigate.”

“Understood.”

Slipping past the notice of others, we crept along the outer edge of the Central Hall. Navigating past a series of stone pillars to reach the perimeter, we spotted the initial sentries stationed by the **Murim-dan**, all of them nodding off to sleep.

“Stick close to my heels.”

**Do-kwang-su**’s aura faded into near-nothingness. Though the cultivation of his internal martial arts wasn’t exceptionally advanced, his innate aptitude for larceny ensured his stealth techniques had reached a masterly level. Tread softly, I trailed behind him into the territory claimed by the **Murim-dan**. True to his observations, the guards on the outer perimeter were in a miserable state. Some bore unhealed flesh wounds, while others displayed clear indications of severe internal trauma.

*‘They surely selected these guards with great care. Yet they are reduced to this?’*

As I observed them, unable to suppress the skepticism rising within me, **Do-kwang-su** nudged me forward.

“Keep moving.”

Passing the outermost guards and advancing deeper into the encampment, rows of pavilions and shelters came into view. Positioned right beside the quarters meant for the commanders and personal bodyguards was the structure designated for provisioning.

“……?”

An unsettling sensation washed over me before we even reached the structure. A complete absence of presence emanated from the shelters where people undeniably should have been residing.

*Tap, tap—*

**Do-kwang-su** gestured toward the provision shelter. Adjusting my stride, I followed his lead and stepped inside—

“How can this be possible……”

The interior was completely bare. **Do-kwang-su** wandered aimlessly through the vacant space, entirely forgetting that his original purpose was to pilfer supplies. Without wasting a moment, I exited the shelter and dashed toward the neighboring quarters.

*Flutter—*

I pulled back the flap of the shelter where the ordinary **Murim-dan** warriors were supposed to rest. It was completely deserted. I checked the command quarters where the leaders resided. Not a single soul was present. Wearing a utterly stupefied expression, **Do-kwang-su** rushed back to my side.

“How… how could something like this happen?”

A profound sense of familiarity washed over me as I stared at the hollow shell left behind by the **Murim-dan**. It was that sickening sensation of being thoroughly deceived once again, making the blood rush to the back of my neck.

“There is only one explanation—they pulled up stakes and deserted everyone.”

It was a betrayal I had experienced numerous times throughout my previous existence, yet it was an outrage I could never grow accustomed to facing.

“Those absolute bastards.”

Though I usually attempt to restrain my foul language, I found myself entirely incapable of holding back my fury.

“**Ji—Great Hero Jin**! Please master your rage for just a moment and……”

My killing intent flared up with absolute fury, forcing my inner energy to circulate violently. The opening stance of the **Overlord’s Divine Fist**, a technique I had never formally trained in, manifested naturally. It was as though this specific martial art was uniquely designed to channel the depths of my wrath.

*Peo-peong—*

A tyrannical surge of energy erupted upward, blasting the massive structure clean off the ground and throwing it toward the cavern ceiling. The immense canopy soared high into the air before reversing direction and crashing violently back down.

*Kwajik—*

“*Uwaaaa-ak*!”

The shelter, having slammed against the highest point of the cavern, disintegrated into pieces, raining fractured debris across the ground.

“Wha—what is happening?!”

The drowsy perimeter guards and the warriors resting just beyond the border forced their heavy eyes open, turning their attention toward the commotion.

“W-We have an infiltrator!”

Prompted by a loud shout, the sentries on duty rushed toward our position. Enclosing me at intervals of a single *jang*, the guards simultaneously unsheathed their blades.

*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

“We explicitly warned your group never to cross this line!”

“Who did?”

“What?”

“I am asking which person gave that order.”

These sentries were holding onto a profound sense of duty, completely oblivious to the fact that they had been utterly abandoned. Why was I the one whose temper flared so intensely at the pathetic sight of them?

“I am asking you which miserable bastard gave that command!”

“Watch your mouth! Even if you hold the rank of Hall Master within the Murim Alliance, by right of seniority, the venerable elders……”

“Where exactly are those miserable elders now?”

“What?”

The only reason these warriors had aligned themselves with the **Murim-dan**, turning their backs on their fellow martial artists and enduring endless scorn, was because they believed the organization would protect them. They were exactly like the countless souls from my previous life who blindly followed the decrees of the Murim Alliance, clinging desperately to a sliver of false hope.

“Go bring those bastards here. I will gladly accept whatever discipline they wish to hand down.”

“……?”

Sensing that something was deeply amiss, the warriors slowly lowered their weapons, shifting their gaze behind me. Amidst the ruined debris of the shelters, there was no movement whatsoever. Despite the tremendous noise that had just echoed through the cavern, not a single individual emerged from the other quarters, and not one person could be seen among those who had previously set up camp nearby.

Gradually, the truth began to dawn on the gathered crowd.

“What in the world is the meaning of this……”

As the martial artists slowly walked toward the ruined camp with slumped shoulders, I spotted the Moyong Clan Vice Hall Master among them. I had assumed they might have brought him along due to his formidable martial prowess, but it appeared his crippled leg had caused him to be left behind as dead weight.

The survival of the strongest. Discarding the weak for maximum efficiency. Streamlining resources for future prospects. Valuing only practical capability. Dividing human existence into those who matter and those who do not. An elitist mindset that determined the life of a single prominent figure within the **Murim-dan** held far more worth than the lives of ten ordinary martial artists.

This was the very rot that had caused the Murim Alliance to decay from within. It was the exact dilemma that had plagued **Je-gal-so-myeong**. It was the problem that **Hyeok-mu-gang** ultimately failed to rectify. It was the fundamental flaw that dragged the entire **Baek-do** to utter devastation in my previous life.

And yet, I cannot simply dismiss this as mere hypocrisy unique to the **Baek-do**. This is the core of human survival instinct. This is the raw truth of the Jianghu. In times of tranquility, that raw truth is merely hidden behind a refined facade. The moment conditions deteriorate even slightly, the concepts of ‘Chivalry’ and ‘Morality’ they so loudly preach become nothing more than useless baubles to be discarded in favor of the ‘Self-Interest’ that governs them. How many individuals truly cast aside their own survival for the sake of a mere ethical ornament?

It was hardly a novel revelation. The abandonment of the Vice Hall Master who served the **Murim-dan** was entirely consistent with the brutal nature of the Jianghu. There was no reason to waste any sympathy on him either.

“H-How did this happen?”

The explanation was painfully straightforward.

“They cast us aside because we no longer serve a purpose.”

“C-Cast us aside? The **Murim-dan** did that?”

Given the remaining food reserves, distributing them equally among the entire **Baek-do** would have meant everyone starving within a short period. On the flip side, if a select group of elites claimed everything for themselves, they could sustain their survival for a significantly longer duration.

It was a calculated choice between absolute annihilation for everyone, or a path where the masses perish so a chosen few might endure.

“B-But are they not the **Murim-dan**? The very group that carried forward the legacy of the Murim Alliance to guide the **Baek-do**……?”

It appeared **Do-kwang-su** still harbored some idealized fantasy regarding the righteousness of the **Baek-do**.

“Indeed. Precisely because they carry forward the legacy of the Murim Alliance, they settle on this exact course of action.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The Murim Alliance from my past, the grandmasters of the great sects, and that loathsome **Yong-so-ah**—every single one of them consistently made this precise choice. They treated it as the most natural conclusion in the world. They invariably aligned themselves with the surviving elite, justifying their betrayals by claiming no other option existed.

If that is the case, must the perishing masses—no, the systematically betrayed masses—quietly accept and validate this slaughter as an unavoidable necessity for the greater good? If the continuation of the **Baek-do** relies entirely on such methods, how does it differ in any meaningful way from the vile nature of the Demonic Path?

What truly kindles my fury is the absolute certainty that the fleeing members of the **Murim-dan** will never experience a single shred of remorse for the people they left behind. They are exactly like **Yong-so-ah**, who traveled all the way from the remote North Sea just to end my life in my previous existence. They will look back on their actions as an absolute necessity, something that was bound to happen eventually, a mere casualty of circumstance. In their own minds, they will believe it is far better for a select group to survive and carry word of this disaster to the outside world than for everyone to remain here and rot. The current reality was simply their way of maximizing their own odds of survival. It was the ‘heavy burden’ they loved to prate about.

In the final moments of my past life, I chose to grasp the hand of **Gwak-gung** rather than yield to **Yong-so-ah**. Though I held a hatred so intense for both of them that I wished to tear them apart with my bare hands, I absolutely refused to end my existence as a ‘necessary sacrifice’ engineered by **Yong-so-ah**.

“*Huu*……”

I drew in a massive, deep breath and slowly let it out. This moment was no different from the conclusion of my previous life. Even now, I have absolutely no intention of letting my story end as a ‘justified sacrifice’ of their choosing. Even if I had previously considered surrendering to despair, now, regardless of the obstacles—even if my limbs are torn from my body—the absolute necessity of crawling out of this abyss fills my entire consciousness.

*Gnaw.*

My mind was entirely consumed by the single, burning desire to somehow escape this place and utterly tear apart every last one of those cowards. I will slaughter the Demonic Cult, and I will butcher the **Baek-do**. That singular conviction occupied my entire being.

“**Ji—Great Hero Jin**?”

“Let us move from this spot, because if I remain here a moment longer, I will lose all control over my rage.”

“Are we returning to our camp?”

“We are not.”

“Then where are we heading……?”

There is critical information I must uncover first. What could have possibly triggered those cowards—who were content to simply bide their time until the Murim Alliance arrived—to suddenly make a move? Granted, monopolizing the supplies and traveling light with a small elite force would bolster their odds of survival. Yet, it was still a riskier venture than awaiting the arrival of the external vanguard as originally intended. I had to determine why the individuals who completely ignored my warnings, when I argued until my throat was raw that we needed to move, had suddenly adopted this strategy.

I strode past the bewildered members of the **Baek-do** who stood frozen, staring blankly at the vacant pavilions.