Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 282 - Entangled (1)
Chapter 282 – Entangled (1)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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[Remember this. The amount of time the doorway can be maintained depends on the amount of spell power, but this is a disposable treasured artifact, so it will not last very long.]
Those had been the words of Yeo Su-rin, the occult practitioner of Sea Immortal Pavilion.
Mok Gyeong-un’s spell power had already reached a level that could not even be compared to the past, but as befit a disposable treasured artifact, there was still a limit to how long he could keep the door open.
-Woooooo!
At the powerful demonic nature, Mok Gyeong-un frowned slightly as he looked at Calamity Bane Sword.
So it truly was no lie when they called it the worst of the demon swords.
‘Quite the rebellious one.’
As he tried to suppress with demonic aura the demonic nature that sought to erode him, the sword released an even stronger demonic nature instead, as though inviting a direct clash of strength.
Seeing that, it became understandable anew how Ju Un-hyang, who possessed Innate True Qi, had ended up being eroded by it.
So Mok Gyeong-un drew up even more demonic aura.
Only by completely subduing the sword heart of the demon sword would he be able to break it and make it submit to him, as he had done with Evil-Answering Sword.
-Goooooo!
With a black haze rising from him, Mok Gyeong-un gestured with his free hand.
“Come this way quickly.”
At his words, Dam Baek-ha of the Old Blood Cult nodded, and the Sacred Fire Leader moved as well.
Then So Ye-rin, who had been driven back by Mok Gyeong-un’s recoil force, raised her power and shouted,
“I do not know how you survived, nor how you learned such a bizarre sorcery, but I cannot allow you to free the prisoners from the underground forbidden prison!”
-Paat!
The moment those words ended, she launched herself at Mok Gyeong-un.
‘How troublesome.’
Because he had to maintain the doorway with spell power, Mok Gyeong-un could not move freely, meaning he had no choice but to face the rushing So Ye-rin’s sword head-on.
-Chaechaechaechaeng!
In an instant their swords met about four times.
So Ye-rin, who had aimed at Mok Gyeong-un not with elaborate forms but with concise sword methods, saw a strange light appear in her eyes.
It had not been her imagination after all.
‘How has his internal energy increased to this extent?’
Mok Gyeong-un’s internal energy did not lag greatly behind her own.
More than that, he had possessed talent with the sword from the beginning, so now that his power had increased he blocked her sword with far greater ease.
That made him vastly harder to deal with than before.
‘I cannot suppress him with simple sword forms alone. Then I will have no choice but to use a killing technique.’
With that thought, So Ye-rin tightened her grip properly and unfolded a true sword form.
Her sword traced a fierce course with all the violent momentum of a tiger leaping.
‘First Form, Tiger Fang Stance Sword!’
-Chaechaechaechaechaeng!
Faced with her sword form, Mok Gyeong-un likewise moved to respond with a more intricate sword method.
He had already invented two new forms of the Demonic Sword Skill, and he also wanted to test them.
But the moment he was about to unfold the second form of the Demonic Sword Skill,
-Wooooooo!
the demonic nature of Calamity Bane Sword, which he had been suppressing with demonic aura, exploded upward.
It felt like immense resentment or fury itself.
‘!?’
Feeling the sword heart of Calamity Bane like this, Mok Gyeong-un could not hide his surprise.
For some reason, the very moment So Ye-rin began properly unfolding her sword forms, the sword’s demonic nature became impossible to control.
He did not know the reason, but the demonic nature surged so violently that if he forced it down any further, he felt the sword itself might be damaged.
So Mok Gyeong-un thought,
‘Fine. Have it your way.’
and decided, just this once, to follow the demonic nature of Calamity Bane Sword.
The moment he relaxed his grip on the sword by half,
-Hwirik!
the sword tip moved on its own and began drawing out a path.
At the instant that sword path formed, something flashed through Mok Gyeong-un’s mind.
It seemed to be an illusion shown to him by Calamity Bane Sword through its sword heart.
In the illusion, Calamity Bane Sword was held in someone’s hand and was clashing with a young man.
Yet the sword forms that young man unfolded were strikingly similar to those So Ye-rin was using now.
‘Had it fought with him before?’
That seemed to be the case.
In the illusion, the man fighting Calamity Bane Sword displayed truly astonishing swordsmanship and overwhelmingly drove back the one fighting alongside him, whether that person had been the host or the owner of Calamity Bane.
And there, Calamity Bane displayed an extraordinary demonic nature.
It was unmistakably anger.
‘Well now.’
The corner of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched.
No matter how much demonic nature it possessed, he had thought it was merely a sword, yet this was the first time he had felt a sword heart spewing rage at something with which it had once crossed blades.
-Wooooong!
At that moment, the sword path created by Calamity Bane produced ripples like waves.
Along with that, So Ye-rin, who had unfolded Tiger Fang Stance Sword, suddenly found the force she had packed into her own sword form reflected back at her,
-Paaaaang!
and was driven back yet again.
-Chwareureureu!
Sliding back, she steadied her posture and stared sharply at Mok Gyeong-un’s sword.
“A technique of the Qi-Transferring True Scripture… so that sword really is Calamity Bane.”
“So you recognize the sword.”
“Recognize it? Of course I do. Among all the swords forged by the great smith Ou Yezi, that one is the most wicked and dangerous of them all. You would do well to drop it at once.”
At that warning, Mok Gyeong-un merely shrugged.
“Who knows. Once a sword has entered my hand, what reason would I have to let it go?”
“The demonic nature in that sword intent cannot be compared with the other swords Ou Yezi forged. You may end up losing yourself.”
“Then I suppose I will find out for myself.”
“You really are completely self-willed.”
Though she spoke like that, inwardly So Ye-rin was puzzled.
As far as she remembered, except for one single person, anyone who took up that sword had without fail been driven mad by its demonic nature.
Yet Mok Gyeong-un still seemed perfectly fine.
Was that black, violent energy protecting him from being eroded by its demonic nature?
Whatever the truth, if he had not yet been eroded, then she would have to force that sword from his hand.
So Ye-rin drew up even more of her Innate True Qi and prepared to show her true skill.
Then,
“You told them to come out, and yet how long do you intend to stand there like that?”
Dam Baek-ha of the Old Blood Cult, who had come up behind Mok Gyeong-un, asked in an irritated tone.
Without turning his head, Mok Gyeong-un answered,
“They will be coming out very soon. More importantly, I would appreciate it if you took care of that friend lying there as well.”
“You mean this brat?”
The friend lying sprawled there was none other than Ju Un-hyang.
When Dam Baek-ha moved toward the collapsed Ju Un-hyang, So Ye-rin cried out sharply,
“Do not touch him!”
At that shout, Dam Baek-ha’s lips curled in a grin.
Placing her sharp fingernails against Ju Un-hyang’s neck, she said,
“It seems this little whelp means something to you. In that case, you would do well to step aside at once.”
“You!”
Perhaps enraged by the threat, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin suddenly flicked something with a hand that moved like lightning toward Dam Baek-ha, who stood behind Mok Gyeong-un.
-Taang!
Mok Gyeong-un hastily blocked it with Calamity Bane Sword.
-Chaaang!
What she had fired was cut in half and fell to the floor.
-Tung! Tung!
‘This is?’
It was a steel ball.
But the problem was that it was not just one.
-Taang! Taang! Taang!
While Mok Gyeong-un was cutting through them, three steel balls flew at once.
Possessing exceptional eyesight, Mok Gyeong-un twisted the course of his sword and hurriedly cut through one of the incoming steel balls, then struck another aside with his left fist.
-Paaang!
But he failed to block the last one because it took an unexpected path.
-Syuk!
‘Hm?’
It struck the floor, ricocheted, and then flew in a bizarre trajectory toward Dam Baek-ha’s brow.
But Dam Baek-ha was no ordinary master either.
With one swift movement of her blood-red hand, she caught the flying steel ball.
-Pak!
Catching the steel ball, Dam Baek-ha narrowed her eyes and muttered,
“Divine Power of the Finger Snap?”
Divine Power of the Finger Snap.
It was a technique of flicking objects with one’s fingers while infusing them with internal energy.
Once internal energy was infused into an object, it became no different from a concealed weapon, and with something as hard as a steel ball, it gained enough power to pierce a person in a single blow.
Yet in the martial world there were very few who used the Divine Power of the Finger Snap with steel balls like this.
Instinctively, Dam Baek-ha thought of someone.
Then,
“Blood Jade Hand!”
At that moment, So Ye-rin, who had sent the Divine Power of the Finger Snap at her, cried out in surprise.
Since the woman, who looked to be of fairly high rank in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, recognized her Blood Jade Hand, a strange light entered Dam Baek-ha’s eyes.
“For a young girl, you have a good eye, to recognize the Blood Jade Hand.”
“Are you one of the Six Blood Saints of the Blood Cult?”
At So Ye-rin’s question, Dam Baek-ha bared her teeth and said,
“Yes. I am that very Blood Saint of the Blood Cult who was imprisoned in the Avici Prison by your people all those long years!”
-Seuseuseu!
As fury surged in her, Dam Baek-ha drew up still more internal energy.
As she did, her hands reddened even more like blood, a smooth sheen running over them.
“Move aside. I will deal with that Embroidered Uniform Guard woman myself.”
-Paat!
Dam Baek-ha launched herself forward and shouted for Mok Gyeong-un to step aside.
Thinking that it worked out well, Mok Gyeong-un moved out of her way.
While she dealt with the troublesome Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin, he ought to be able to bring out the Sacred Fire Leader.
-Paat! Chwachwachwacha!
Passing through the smoke doorway, Dam Baek-ha unleashed a claw technique at Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin.
‘Blood Jade Hand, Sixth Form, Blood Jade Ginger Shatter!’
Her two blood-red hands drove forward with a domineering claw form that looked ready to tear So Ye-rin’s body apart in an instant.
It was right then.
The way So Ye-rin held her sword changed, and the momentum around her shifted as well.
It was different in character from the sword forms she had shown until now. For an instant scarlet sword energy arose from her blade, and she unleashed a terrifying killing move that seemed specialized purely for killing.
-Chaechaechaechaeng!
The form of Blood Jade Hand and the scarlet sword form collided, creating a tremendous noise as they tore through the air.
The momentum was so overwhelming it seemed the two were ready to fight to the death.
Yet that was not what happened.
Halfway through their clash, as though they had planned it together, both women suddenly drew back their force and retreated at the same time.
-Papak!
Once they had widened the distance between them, both spoke at once.
“As expected, you really are one of the Six Blood Saints.”
“Ah! So it truly is you, Jin-ga?”
The eyes of the two women who had spoken thus to each other reddened at the same time.
It felt as though they had long been searching for one another.
Watching this, Mok Gyeong-un found it odd, but in any case he had to get the Sacred Fire Leader out, so he beckoned to her as she stood unable to do anything amid the fierce battle.
“Come.”
“Will it be all right?”
“Yes.”
At that, the Sacred Fire Leader dragged her aged body and walked with difficulty toward the doorway.
Mok Gyeong-un likewise slung Ju Un-hyang, who lay before the smoke door, over his shoulder.
-Seuseuseu!
The smoke was already beginning to scatter.
They truly had no time left.
It was then.
“Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So!”
From afar, someone shouted.
Running down one of the passages of the underground forbidden prison like a man being chased, using desperate lightness skill, came none other than Im Gyu-wol, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander and head of the Office of Penal Service.
The moment Im Gyu-wol saw Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin beyond the smoke doorway, his face brightened.
‘H-heaven has helped me.’
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin truly must share a deep fate with him.
He did not know what that smoke doorway was, but from the mere fact that she could be seen beyond it, it was certain that it connected to the outside.
So Im Gyu-wol used lightness skill and raced toward them, shouting,
-Paat!
“Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So, help me!”
Yet behind him, expressionless men whose entire bodies gleamed copper likewise employed lightness skill and pursued him.
-Teong! Teong! Teong!
Each time they landed, they made the sound of metal.
They did not seem to be ordinary humans.
Seeing them, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin frowned and said,
“Bronze men?”
No matter how one looked at them, they were undoubtedly bronze men.
They were beings born through secret arts, taking human form but possessing no consciousness or will, moving only according to fixed commands.
Looking at the bronze men and at Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Im Gyu-wol dragging them behind him, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
“He is bringing useless things with him.”
-Sseuk!
Crossing through the smoke doorway, Mok Gyeong-un then made a pulling gesture with his hand.
At once, the body of the Sacred Fire Leader, who had been hobbling along with her aged frame, floated up and flew toward Mok Gyeong-un.
“Ah!”
Once even the Sacred Fire Leader had crossed through the doorway,
-Sseuk!
Mok Gyeong-un stopped pouring spell power into the treasured artifact hooked over his index and middle fingers.
Naturally, he thought the doorway of smoke would immediately close now that the flow of spell power had been cut off, but
-Seuseuseuseu!
contrary to that expectation, the smoke doorway only slowly dispersed and did not vanish.
It remained in an unstable half-open state.
-Teong! Teong! Teong!
In the meantime, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Im Gyu-wol and the bronze men of the Avici Prison chasing him had already come within arm’s reach of the doorway.
At this rate, they too would cross through the door.
Mok Gyeong-un gripped his sword to prevent them from crossing over.
Then,
“I will do it.”
‘!?’
With those words, someone stamped strongly toward the smoke entrance.
-Kung!
That someone was none other than Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin.
Seeing this, Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Im Gyu-wol, who had been rushing toward the smoke doorway, jumped in fright and shouted,
“Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So! Wh-what are you do…”
Before he could finish, So Ye-rin drew her sword back powerfully, then thrust it toward the doorway.
‘True Chuk-A-Hoe Sword!’
-Chwachwachwachwachwacha!
At that instant, sword energy spiraled from the tip of her sword, then surged at the doorway with the force of a storm.
The storm-like sword form sealed the doorway, and Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Im Gyu-wol, along with the bronze men of the Avici Prison who had been running toward it, were all swept up in it and flung backward.