Mist c 54 to 58

 Chapter 54

In a dark forest.

A woman with an enchanting appearance, wearing a bamboo hat, was hanging from the top of a tree, gazing in a certain direction.

A very faint light could be seen in the distance.

About a hundred jang away, that place was the campsite of Heaven and Earth Society.

‘shit. What am I doing?’

Grumbling inwardly, her identity was Ha Chae-rin, a candidate for the sect leader of Flying Killing.

No, it was Guard Go Chan, who had possessed Ha Chae-rin’s body.

He had been tracking Mok Gyeong-un ever since he was practically kidnapped after being immobilized by Bright Blade King.

Normally, when tracking, one would get closer than this, but due to the monstrous master Bright Blade King, he maintained this distance out of fear of getting too close and being discovered.

‘At least I can follow since I roughly know the location.’

The problem lay elsewhere.

As a familiar, he was connected, so he could instinctively sense where Mok Gyeong-un was.

However, there was no way to get close.

In fact, if it weren’t for being a familiar, it would have been the perfect opportunity to distance himself from Mok Gyeong-un, but the farther he got, the more strangely anxious he became, making it impossible to escape.

No, it was impossible from the beginning.

Because if Mok Gyeong-un died, he too would be annihilated.

‘Phew. How did it come to this?’

Even he found his predicament ridiculous.

He had retired due to lack of talent and aimed to live quietly, but not only did he die absurdly, but now he was trapped in this wench’s body, serving as a slave.

‘I’m so unlucky.’

It would be difficult to have such a wretched fate.

Anyway, to remain in this world even a little longer, he had no choice but to serve Mok Gyeong-un well.

‘I need to find a way to infiltrate somehow.’

For now, he was doing this while keeping an eye on Bright Blade King, but he couldn’t just keep following at a distance.

He needed a way to naturally infiltrate Heaven and Earth Society.

‘Right. Instead of continuing like this, I should find that method first.’

He was a former assassin, after all.

He was experienced in infiltrating places.

And if he delved into Ha Chae-rin’s memories, there was an infiltration method he had never tried before.

‘Seduction?… My ass.’

He shuddered as he unnecessarily recalled a memory.

No matter what, he wanted to maintain his last shred of self-respect.

***

-Thud thud!

Half a month passed like that.

The method of travel was repetitive.

Every other day, they would pass through somewhere, and each time, the masked individuals would bring boys aged 15 to 18.

Repeating this, the number of people had already swelled to over a hundred.

Curious as to why they were doing this, he asked diviner Jo Ui-gong a couple of times, but the answer he received was that it wasn’t something for him to be concerned about.

“Why would that be?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, a voice rang out from the wooden puppet on his shoulder.

-I don’t know.

“Didn’t you say you were in Heaven and Earth Society?”

-It’s been a hundred years since I left. How would I know how the organization operates now?

She also found it difficult to understand why.

There was one speculation, but the method was quite strange.

She wondered if there was a need to bring in manpower in this way.

“I keep feeling like the way you speak sometimes makes it sound like Heaven and Earth Society belonged to you.”

-…

“You’re not denying it?”

-Nonsense.

Cheong-ryeong strangely disliked talking about the past.

Was it because even recalling memories made her angry?

Or was there something she wanted to hide?

Mok Gyeong-un found this strange, but it was only for a fleeting moment, and he soon erased that question from his mind.

What mattered was from now on.

“We’ll be arriving soon.”

-Why are you getting nervous?

“I don’t know.”

-It’s good to be nervous. Even if you learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage from me, at your level, you’re barely at the threshold of first-rate at best.

The beginning of first-rate.

That was Mok Gyeong-un’s current martial arts level.

Just half a month ago, he was barely at the threshold of going from third-rate to second-rate.

However, by absorbing and internalizing a significant amount of death energy gained from the fight at Yeon Mok Sword Manor, he formed a danjeon equivalent to half a gap.

In terms of internal energy alone, he had reached first-rate.

If others knew about this, it would be a shocking event.

In fact, although she was talking about it casually, Cheong-ryeong was also quite surprised.

‘It can’t be attributed to luck alone.’

Even though he had encountered the Postures of Thought Destruction, known as the supreme secret manual, and various situations that were almost predestined, it was hard to deny that he was remarkable.

Reaching the beginning of first-rate in less than a month after starting to learn martial arts was truly astonishing.

Perhaps because he started late, martial fortune followed him.

‘But he still has a long way to go.’

Even if he had grown at an amazingly fast pace, the situation remained unfavorable.

Considering that even when she was alive, there were quite a few masters above first-rate in Heaven and Earth Society, there might be even more now.

With Mok Gyeong-un’s current skill level, forget about avenging his grandfather, it was impossible to even carry on the moon’s karma.

‘He needs to become stronger faster.’

To do that, there was a need to push him even harder.

From first-rate onward was the realm of enlightenment.

If he couldn’t gain enlightenment, it could take a year or even a decade to advance further, and if he was unlucky, he could remain stagnant for life.

***

At a glance, there were countless mountain peaks, and a river like a single vein of blood flowed between them.

The place below the setting sun was quite spectacular.

With the river as a base, the mountain peaks formed natural fortifications, creating a large city.

This was the base of Heaven and Earth Society, which currently held a third of the power in the martial world of the Central Plains.

The inner city located in the center of the city.

-Creak!

As the city gate opened, a large-statured man riding a horse like a victorious general entered, and the warriors lined up in two rows from the inner city cheered.

“Woooooah!!!!”

The man at the forefront was Son Yun, one of the Five Kings of Heaven and Earth Society, known as Bright Blade King.

Behind him followed a procession of about three hundred people.

The men in black attire were the warriors of Heaven and Earth Society, and about a hundred were the boys they had brought this time.

Startled by the cheers, the boys trembled and took one step forward at a time.

The procession passed through the main road of the inner city and led to a wide square.

‘Hoh.’

A glint of interest flashed in the eyes of Bright Blade King Son Yun, who arrived first at the forefront.

It was because an unexpected person was waiting.

-Tap!

Son Yun lightly descended from his horse.

And he performed a fist-palm salute to someone waiting.

“Bright Blade King Son Yun pays his respects to Vice Leader Mong.”

In response to that greeting, a man who appeared to be in his early forties with snake-like eyes, white hair, and no beard, reciprocated with a fist-palm salute and said,

“You must have had a tough journey, Bright Blade King.”

The man responding was none other than Mong Seo-cheon, the second-in-command of Heaven and Earth Society.

It was quite rare for the vice leader to come out and greet him personally, even if Son Yun was one of the Five Kings.

Son Yun laughed heartily and replied,

“Hahahahaha! What hardship could there be? I just went out to get some fresh air after a long time.”

“It was a mission that could have been dangerous, as you had to cross the territory of the Righteous Alliance, yet only Bright Blade King would say he went out for fresh air.”

“Anyone who sees this might think I’ve returned victorious from a war. Let’s end the formalities here. Where is the leader?”

He had to report since he was given a special mission.

At that question, Vice Leader Mong let out a soft sigh and opened his mouth.

“Bright Blade King. That’s precisely why I came out personally to urgently convey the leader’s order.”

“Urgently convey an order? What do you mean?”

Bright Blade King Son Yun asked, puzzled.

He had even sent a messenger pigeon to inform them of the general situation, so he didn’t know what this was about.

Vice Leader Mong said to him in a whispering voice,

“The leader has ordered to send everyone you brought, without exception, to the Corpse Blood Valley immediately.”

“That’s quick. Well, that’s why I brought them anyway…”

“Not just them.”

“What?”

“The leader said to also send the child from Yeon Mok Sword Manor who allegedly learned that thing and the child you brought as a hostage to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

‘!?’

At those words, Bright Blade King Son Yun frowned and said,

“… What does that mean? Did he really give that order?”

“Yes.”

At the firm answer, Son Yun was momentarily at a loss for words.

Although he couldn’t retrieve the secret manual itself, for the first time in a hundred years, someone had appeared who read that cursed manual and learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage, whose lineage had been severed.

Yet he was told to send him to the Corpse Blood Valley without even verifying it?

“That can’t be. I will go and see the leader right away.”

“You can’t meet the leader now.”

“What are you saying? This is an order directly given by the leader. In that case, he should at least extract the oral secrets from the boy’s mind before sending him, this is…”

“Bright Blade King. He said it was an order given with the leader’s authority.”

“… Ha!”

Bright Blade King Son Yun was genuinely at a loss.

However, the leader’s orders were absolute.

***

-Thud!

Someone roughly opened the door of the luggage carriage and entered.

It was none other than diviner Jo Ui-gong.

Mok Gyeong-un said,

“We’ve arrived…”

“Things have gotten complicated.”

“What?”

At Jo Ui-gong’s sudden words, Mok Gyeong-un asked back, puzzled.

“What do you mean things have gotten complicated?”

In response to that question, Jo Ui-gong replied in a somewhat absurd tone,

“The leader has ordered to send you to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

“Corpse Blood Valley?”

“Hah… For such a ridiculous situation to unfold.”

“… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“There’s no time. First, take this.”

What Jo Ui-gong took out from his bosom and handed over was a ring with tiny letters engraved on it.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sparkled upon seeing the letters engraved on the ring.

They were incantations used for specific talismans.

“You can perform sorcery with hand seals for a few things engraved here even without talismans.”

“How do I…”

“Listen carefully. The probability of surviving intact in the Corpse Blood Valley is less than one in ten.”

“What does that mean?”

“Survive somehow. I will report to the branch leader and get you out of there no matter what, so endure at all costs.”

“By endure, you mean…”

It was at that moment.

“This is as far as you go.”

-Rumble rumble!

Before Mok Gyeong-un’s words could finish, warriors wearing red belts and red headbands barged into the luggage carriage.

***

“You!”

Mok Yu-cheon, who had regained consciousness, glared at Mok Gyeong-un.

He had been unconscious for half a month, with his fainting acupoint struck except for two meals a day and one chance to relieve himself.

Naturally, he couldn’t help but be angry at Mok Gyeong-un, who had done such a thing.

“What have you done to me…”

-Thwack!

“Ugh!”

However, he couldn’t say anything due to a warrior striking him from behind with a staff.

Although the fainting acupoint, mute acupoint, and paralysis acupoint were released, he couldn’t even resist because a needle called the Forbidden Gate Lock was inserted into his six major acupoints, sealing his internal energy.

“Hey. Shut up and walk.”

“…”

Mok Yu-cheon, who had been twitching his lips in displeasure, soon closed his mouth and obeyed the order.

For now, he had no choice but to follow their commands.

‘shit.’

He didn’t know what kind of humiliation this was as soon as he woke up.

Is this how Heaven and Earth Society treats hostages?

He was walking in a single line on a dark and narrow sloping path, following the person in front, and it felt like being captured as a prisoner and going to perform forced labor.

‘What are they trying to do?’

Unlike the confused Mok Yu-cheon, Mok Gyeong-un was exceptionally calm.

It was also because he already knew something had gone wrong due to diviner Jo Ui-gong’s warning.

‘What is the Corpse Blood Valley?’

For now, that was the only question he had.

What were they doing that they even inserted the Forbidden Gate Lock and sent them there?

Even Cheong-ryeong didn’t know what the Corpse Blood Valley was.

With that question in mind, they walked for about three hours without rest, and soon a wide and shallow valley with torches lit on all sides came into view.

‘Were there this many?’

Countless boys were waiting there, lined up in rows.

With the addition of the hundred or so people, including Mok Gyeong-un and Mok Yu-cheon, there seemed to be roughly eight hundred at a glance.

As they arrived like that, a resounding voice rang out.

“Welcome to the Corpse Blood Valley.”

Everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.

There was a large incense burner and a huge rock.

On top of that rock stood a man wearing a gray demon mask, with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant.

As everyone looked, the demon mask opened his mouth.

“From now on, there is something you must do.”

With those words, he took something out from his bosom.

It was none other than an iron ball that seemed to be the size of a finger joint.

‘What is it?’

‘What are they trying to do?’

As everyone wondered what it was, the demon mask said,

“The designated time is two hours. In the valley water, there are iron balls that look similar to this. Find them and come to this large incense burner. Those who fail to find them will die.”

‘!!!!!!’

Chapter 55

Heaven and Earth Society.

Two people were walking side by side on a path surrounded by a wall leading to the main building.

They were Bright Blade King Son Yun, one of the eight executives of Heaven and Earth Society and one of the Five Kings, and diviner Jo Ui-gong.

While walking, Jo Ui-gong spoke as if frustrated.

“I should have told the vice leader that I accepted him as my disciple.”

At his words, Bright Blade King Son Yun clicked his tongue and replied,

“It’s no use even if you tell him.”

“Why is that?”

“Have you ever seen the leader withdraw an order once given?”

“…”

At those words, diviner Jo Ui-gong couldn’t open his mouth.

As Son Yun said, the leader never took back an order once given, and sometimes even punished severely if it couldn’t be carried out.

Considering that, persuasion was unlikely to work.

“Tsk… I thought I had finally found a useful fellow.”

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“Is he even useful?”

He was the first to read that cursed secret manual.

How many people had died trying to read it?

Moreover, he learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage that had been severed a hundred years ago, yet they sent such a fellow to the Corpse Blood Valley without even seeing his face.

This was an incomprehensible decision, no matter how much the leader did it.

The Corpse Blood Valley is a place where nearly 8 or 9 out of 10 people die, even though each faction sends somewhat useful fellows.

It wasn’t called by a name meaning corpses and blood for nothing.

“I’ll have to ask the valley master to report it for now. I can’t just let that precious fellow die like this.”

At those words, Son Yun looked at Jo Ui-gong with interested eyes.

He wouldn’t say this unless he really liked him.

He too found the fellow to be a waste.

If they persuaded him properly and made him an ally or extracted the sword techniques from his mind and revived the Moon Lineage, it would be good, so why not do that?

Why send him to the Corpse Blood Valley, which could be considered the worst selection process…

‘Could it be?’

Bright Blade King Son Yun’s eyes narrowed.

Could the reason for sending him to the Corpse Blood Valley be that?

‘Are they trying to test him?’

***

Corpse Blood Valley.

“The designated time is two hours. In the valley water, there are iron balls that look similar to this. Find them and come to this large incense burner. Those who fail to find them will die.”

-Murmur murmur!

At the words of the man wearing the demon mask, the boys stirred.

It was the middle of the night now.

Although warriors wearing red belts were holding torches here and there, there was no way the inside of the valley water would be properly visible.

In this dark place filled with countless pebbles, finding that small iron ball?

It was literally like finding a needle in a sand beach.

At that moment, a boy who appeared to be around 17 years old, standing in the front row, raised his hand and spoke.

“Isn’t it too harsh to kill someone for failing to find a mere iron ball? Everyone here has been recruited from each faction, so even if that’s the case…”

“Do you not want to do it?”

The demon mask interrupted and asked.

The boy hesitated with a tense expression and soon said,

“The selection process doesn’t seem to be about finding or not finding the iron ball…”

-Smack! Thud!

“Ugh!”

At that moment, before he could even finish speaking, the boy’s dying scream was heard as he collapsed on the ground.

‘!!!!!!’

Those next to him couldn’t hide their bewilderment upon seeing this.

That’s because the iron ball was deeply embedded in the boy’s brow, and it seemed he had died instantly because of it.

As they were taken aback, the demon mask spoke in a loud voice.

“Those who question the orders or give up will also die.”

The murmuring sound instantly turned into silence.

Everyone realized the reality now that someone had lost their life.

‘These crazy bastards.’

Mok Yu-cheon cursed inwardly.

It was absurd to suddenly order such a thing, but die if you can’t find the iron ball?

He had come as a hostage for the sake of his family.

Yet he didn’t know what kind of nonsense this was for someone like him.

‘If only they hadn’t blocked my qi channels…’

If he could focus his inner vision, he might have found it more easily.

But with his internal energy sealed, this was literally an act of bringing hardship upon oneself.

While he was thinking that, the demon mask spoke.

“By the way, there aren’t as many iron balls in the valley as there are people here. So you better hurry.”

‘!?’

There aren’t as many iron balls as the number of people here?

Everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Doesn’t that mean some of them will definitely die?

“The moment the incense stick burns out is the two-hour mark. Light it.”

At the demon mask’s order, one of the warriors in red belts waiting next to the large incense burner lit an incense stick.

-Sizzle!

Then the boys who had been murmuring and not knowing what to do rushed toward the valley all at once.

With eight hundred people running at once, the ground shook for a moment.

Everyone seemed to have their qi channels blocked, as no one used lightness skills.

At least it could be considered a fair situation.

“shit!”

Seeing this, Mok Yu-cheon glared at Mok Gyeong-un but soon ran like the other boys.

-Splash! Splash!

There was no other way in the current situation.

He had to find the iron ball first.

Otherwise, he would die.

Mok Yu-cheon, who had entered the valley following the other boys, looked down.

‘shit…’

How was he supposed to find this?

It was dark.

No, he could barely see the ripples of the water, and he couldn’t see what was inside the water.

Finding it with the naked eye was impossible.

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

“Ugh! Where the hell is it?”

“Aaaah!”

Frustrated voices of the boys could be heard here and there.

They too couldn’t see inside the water, so it seemed they were digging through the pebbles in the valley water with their hands to find it.

Naturally, as a result,

“Argh!”

“M-my hand…”

Their hands were bound to get injured.

Some even broke their fingernails while recklessly flipping over rocks.

If they protected their hands with internal energy, such things would be rare, but it was natural to get hurt with bare hands.

-Swish!

Mok Yu-cheon’s fingers also hurt from being scratched by sharp rocks and pebbles.

But there was no other way.

There was no way to find the iron ball other than using his hands.

What if he couldn’t find it within an hour?

-Thump thump!

As he became anxious, his heart raced.

He had never experienced this kind of tension in his life.

Then, Mok Yu-cheon turned his head slightly and made an absurd expression.

‘What is that guy doing?’

Everyone was busy jumping into the valley water to search.

But that bastard Mok Gyeong-un was just watching with his arms crossed.

He was acting as if it was someone else’s business.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Instead of coming into the valley and checking what’s inside, what the …. is he doing over there?

Has he gone mad wanting to die?

Mok Yu-cheon, who found it ridiculous, soon turned his gaze away.

Whether they were half-brothers or not, if he couldn’t find his share of the iron ball now, he would die.

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

While everyone was frantically digging through the valley water like this, the incense stick had already burned down nearly halfway.

The two hours were almost up.

Now only half the time remained.

It was at that moment.

“Put it out.”

With a shout, the warriors in red belts holding torches between the valley water threw the torches into the water, extinguishing them.

It was already dark, but with the torches on the water gone, it became difficult to even see the people around.

“shit!”

“How are we supposed to find it?”

Complaints erupted from here and there.

But even as they screamed like that, they didn’t take their hands out of the water.

Because if they didn’t find it, they would lose their lives.

“Valley Master. This time, more than half might be weeded out.”

A middle-aged warrior next to the demon mask whispered.

That’s because no one had found it even as the two hours were almost up.

Until now, there would be one or two people who found the iron ball within two hours in each group, but this time, there was no one.

“Seems like there aren’t many tough ones.”

The one called Valley Master, the demon mask, nodded in agreement.

It might be the least number of people selected in history.

By now, one or two people should have found the iron ball and brought it, making the rest more anxious and focus on their senses like crazy.

This was a gateway to stimulate the five senses and survival instincts.

Those who were eliminated here were worthless beings with no value to survive.

‘The Esoteric Realm Gate[1], Vermilion Slaughter Valley[2], and Demon Fire Hall[3] said they sent talented individuals, but they seem to be nothing more than trash compared to what I expected.’

While he was thinking that, it happened.

“I found it!”

Finally, the first person to find the iron ball among this group appeared.

It was an 18-year-old boy, and although the hand holding the iron ball was covered in blood and a mess, he was smiling brightly, showing how happy he was.

Seeing the boy like this, those around him couldn’t hide their envy.

But soon, as if realizing there was no time, they dug through the pebbles in the water even more.

-Splash! Splash!

“Huff huff…”

Somewhat tired, the boy who found the iron ball walked towards the shore, exhaling rough breaths.

‘I did it. I did it.’

To have such luck.

Not only did he survive, but he was the first to find it.

With this, he could make a good impression.

It was at that moment when he was feeling good.

-Splash splash!

The sound of someone running from behind was heard.

Looking back, a burly-looking boy was running towards him.

“Hand it over!”

He targeted him so blatantly.

It seemed he was trying to snatch it before he got out of the water.

There was bound to be one or two of these bastards.

‘shit!’

The boy was tired but ran like crazy.

Even after getting out of the water, the burly-looking boy showed no intention of giving up and shouted as he ran.

“You bastard! If I catch you, I’ll beat you to a pulp!”

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

The guy was not only big but also too fast.

He didn’t expect him to close the distance this much.

If he was really caught, the iron ball he had worked so hard to find would be snatched away by that guy.

The boy turned his head slightly and tried to run with all his remaining strength.

However,

‘!?’

What?

When did this guy get in front of him?

Was there someone who didn’t enter the valley?

The startled boy tried to change direction, but at that moment,

-Pak!

the boy who was in front of him rushed towards him at a tremendous speed.

He was so fast that he was caught before he could even change direction.

‘This damn bastard!’

Their internal energy should be sealed too, so how can he be this fast?

It was literally a situation of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Enemies in front and back.

As the situation became urgent, the boy made an unexpected choice.

‘You think I’ll let scum like you snatch this?’

The boy put the iron ball he was holding into his mouth right there and gulped it down.

The burly boy who saw this from behind shouted in frustration.

“You son of a bitch!”

This way, it couldn’t be snatched away.

The boy grinned.

However,

“You’re really troublesome.”

-Pak!

“Huh?”

The boy’s head was grabbed by two hands.

Then,

-Crack!

at that moment, his neck was twisted.

The boy, with his neck broken, died on the spot without even being able to scream.

‘!?’

The burly-looking boy who had chased him up to five steps behind couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

He too had intended to snatch the iron ball, but he hadn’t planned to kill the boy in front of him.

Yet such a thing had happened right before his eyes.

But what was even more shocking was,

-Squelch!

‘!!!!!!!!’

not only did he kill the boy, but he also ripped out the boy’s throat with his bare hands.

And then, forcibly shoving his hand below the neck,

-Urk! Splat!

he took out the iron ball the dead boy had swallowed.

The blood-soaked hand and iron ball.

-Drip drip!

Blood stained the ground.

‘T-this crazy…’

The moment he saw this, the burly-looking boy was at a loss for words.

What kind of guy is this?

While he was taken aback, the beautiful boy, no, Mok Gyeong-un, turned his head, shook his blood-soaked hand once on the ground, and opened his mouth.

“Why? Do you want it?”

-Shudder!

At that question, the burly-looking boy shook his head like crazy.

He had made eye contact with the guy, and it felt like his heart would burst, and his legs went weak, as if he would collapse at any moment.

Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Chapter 56

There is a saying that if you lose your momentum, it’s over.

The burly-looking boy had his momentum completely crushed by Mok Gyeong-un’s cruel hands and couldn’t even think of attacking.

No, it would be more accurate to say he felt fear and terror.

To this boy, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,

“If you don’t hurry, you won’t be able to find this.”

Mok Gyeong-un shook the blood-soaked iron ball.

Seeing this, the burly-looking boy seemed to have a moment of realization and tried to turn his body and run towards the valley.

However, his legs soon gave out, and he fell.

After falling a few times like that, the boy barely managed to muster strength and enter the valley.

-Splash splash!

But he wasn’t the only boy turning his body like this.

About three boys were returning to the valley with startled faces, and they too had aimed for the first iron ball like the burly boy.

However, they also became terrified of Mok Gyeong-un.

‘… He’s completely crazy.’

‘No matter what, this is too much.’

‘He killed without hesitation to snatch it just to survive.’

Moreover, the way he killed was enough to make one click their tongue.

A fear was etched that if they attacked recklessly, they too might end up like that.

“Ah…”

There was someone who let out an exclamation while watching this scene.

He was the man in the demon mask called Valley Master by the warriors in red belts.

A warrior next to the demon mask said to him,

“… Looks like we’ve got a real piece here.”

“Indeed.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it progress like this before. The real weeding out should have started with that one iron ball.”

This wasn’t simply about who found the iron ball first.

Making the number of iron balls less than the number of people and extinguishing the torches were all calculated actions.

The first iron ball was the signal flare for the weeding out process.

A fight would break out to claim that one, and through this, everyone would realize.

It didn’t end with just finding the iron ball.

The real key was how to protect it and bring it to the incense burner.

But the beginning had changed.

“By the way, not only is his hand technique remarkable, but his strength is no joke. To rip out a throat so easily even with the qi channels sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock.”

Most of the warriors were amazed by Mok Gyeong-un’s cruel hand techniques and strength.

However, the demon mask was intrigued from a different perspective.

‘To obtain the iron ball without getting a single drop of water on his clothes.’

It was the first time since taking charge of the Corpse Blood Valley.

It was a case of acquiring the iron ball without even entering the water.

Since an example was made by killing one person and a time limit was set by lighting the incense stick, no matter how cunning one was, they would typically jump into the valley water first.

But even though everyone else ran, that fellow stayed in his spot alone.

‘It means he aimed for it from the beginning… Interesting.’

Has there ever been such a cunning fellow while conducting this gateway?

It was something that couldn’t be done without considerable boldness.

Thinking this way, even his cruel hand technique seemed to be intentionally calculated.

Meanwhile, Mok Gyeong-un approached the front of the incense burner.

“Is this enough?”

Mok Gyeong-un showed the blood-stained iron ball to the demon mask sitting on the rock.

The demon mask nodded and shouted.

Then he opened his mouth.

“You… What is your name?”

‘!!!’

At that question, the eyes of the surrounding warriors sparkled with interest.

That’s because it was quite rare for the demon mask, the Valley Master, to show interest to the extent of asking for a name in the mere first gateway of the Corpse Blood Valley.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un replied,

“Mok Gyeong-un.”

At those words, the eyes visible through the gaps in the mask narrowed.

‘Mok Gyeong-un?’

Since the number of people reached eight hundred, he wasn’t accurately aware of each individual.

But he remembered the name Mok Gyeong-un.

It was because he had received an order to have him join late.

‘… Is he one of the two from the Mok family who were brought as hostages?’

This was another surprise.

He naturally thought he would be from a place with a notorious reputation among the Esoteric Realm Gate, Vermilion Slaughter Valley, Demon Fire Hall, or the recruited groups.

But to hear he was from Yeon Mok Sword Manor, known as a righteous and famous martial family.

The demon mask recalled what had happened just half an hour ago.

[What? You’re saying to have the boys from Yeon Mok Sword Manor who were brought as hostages also join the Corpse Blood Valley?]

[It’s the leader’s order.]

[I will naturally obey if it’s an order, but are you sure? It’s not a place those weak boys from a righteous faction can endure.]

[That’s not something you need to be concerned about, so follow the order.]

He thought it was fine if they intended to torment them a bit and then kill them.

But seeing this, his thoughts changed.

As expected, the leader couldn’t have sent them without a reason.

‘So this was it. But unexpected.’

If he hadn’t known the fact that he was from Yeon Mok Sword Manor, he never would have thought he was from the righteous faction.

Everything from the aura he exuded to everything else was rather closer to this side.

‘I’ll know if I watch him.’

If he’s a fellow closer to this side, he will survive somehow in the Corpse Blood Valley, known as hell.

The demon mask, who had been staring intently at Mok Gyeong-un, took something out from his bosom.

Then,

“Take it.”

he flicked it towards Mok Gyeong-un with his finger.

-Swish!

What he flicked with his finger flew accurately towards Mok Gyeong-un’s chest.

Mok Gyeong-un caught it with one hand.

‘This is?’

It was a thin, round silver plaque with the character “One” engraved on it.

“It’s a plaque proving you passed this gateway with the highest score. Keep it along with the iron ball you brought.”

‘Gateway? Highest score?’

Mok Gyeong-un inwardly wondered as he looked at the silver plaque.

From the use of the term “highest score,” he could infer one fact.

‘Is it a competition?’

[Listen carefully. The probability of surviving intact in the Corpse Blood Valley is less than one in ten.]

Based on what diviner Jo Ui-gong had said, it seemed to be a structure of surviving through competition.

Two had already died.

No, if his prediction was correct, a bloody competition would soon begin.

-Splash splash!

Mok Gyeong-un’s prediction was spot on.

Someone else had found an iron ball.

Since some had seen the first boy who found it foolishly cheering and causing trouble, they didn’t do such a thing this time.

The moment they found it, they ran out of the valley water.

It was certainly the right choice, but,

“Looks like that guy found it!”

“Catch him!”

he stood out too much.

Running out of the valley water alone naturally drew attention.

More than a dozen people rushed at the same time to catch the guy.

“shit!”

It was a chaotic scene of running away.

But then, someone jumped out of the water, grabbed the guy’s neck, and twisted it like Mok Gyeong-un had done.

-Crack! Splash!

With that, the second death occurred.

After snatching the iron ball from the dead guy, he gestured at the charging boys and warned,

“Come at me if you want to die.”

The 18-year-old boy who had taken off his top had a sturdy body, with bizarre patterns drawn all over his upper body.

The boys who recognized this couldn’t charge at him in anger.

“shit!”

“It’s the Vermilion Slaughter Valley.”

Vermilion Slaughter Valley.

It was one of the three most notorious groups under Heaven and Earth Society.

Despite having only about thirty disciples, each and every one of them was a formidable master, and everyone found them creepy and feared them for their unique martial arts and secret techniques.

“What a bunch of cowards.”

The boy, who ran a hand through his hair, spoke in a disappointed tone and strode towards the incense burner.

As the boy brushed past Mok Gyeong-un, he whispered,

“Don’t think you’ll stay ahead in the next gateway.”

It was a clear declaration.

In response, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders.

He had no desire to waste energy on unnecessary things.

‘If he annoys me…’

He licked his upper lip as if his interest was piqued.

This place seemed quite nice.

Because he didn’t have to be mindful of killing like at Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley, who didn’t see Mok Gyeong-un’s face, went to the front of the incense burner and showed the iron ball to the demon mask.

“Pass!”

In the meantime, chaos erupted here and there near the valley water.

Those who found iron balls appeared one after another, and as they ran towards the incense burner, the boys who were desperate from not finding them rushed in, and fights broke out.

And those fights went beyond simply subduing each other, creating a situation of killing and being killed.

“It has begun.”

At the warrior’s words, the demon mask nodded and looked in that direction.

At the point where two had already died, the boys no longer hesitated to harm and kill each other.

The area near the valley water was a complete pandemonium.

-Pu-pu-pu-pu-puk!

“Kuk!”

Amidst that, there were a few who stood out.

A beautiful girl with short hair and a pale face found a sharp-shaped rock somewhere and was advancing forward, mercilessly stabbing those who charged at her.

Despite not being able to use internal energy, her movements were so fast that the charging boys were helplessly defeated.

“I know who that wench is.”

“It’s the Demon Fire Hall.”

“You recognized her.”

How could he not recognize her?

That swift and efficient dagger technique that only targeted vital points.

It was the Linked Killing of the Demon Fire Hall.

Although they are now called the Three Great Assassin Groups, the Demon Fire Hall was once called the Four Great Assassin Groups.

However, they quit the assassin business and came under Heaven and Earth Society.

“Impressive.”

She only grasped a sharp rock, but if her internal energy seal was released, it was enough to have expectations.

While that was happening, the demon mask pointed at someone with his hand.

“That boy seems to be from the Esoteric Realm Gate.”

“Oh my!”

An exclamation slipped from the warrior’s mouth.

A boy with a muscular and sturdy physique was charging forward like a bull, and the boys he collided with couldn’t withstand it and were sent flying.

-Pu-pu-pu-pu-puk!

The Esoteric Realm Gate was renowned for their external technique called Iron Thread Technique, and indeed, perhaps because they trained their external energy instead of internal energy, his physical strength was tremendous.

“Hoo hoo.”

The boy from the Esoteric Realm Gate, who had pushed away all the numerous charging boys and arrived.

“Pass!”

And following him, the girl from the Demon Fire Hall also arrived.

“Pass!”

Like this, in addition to them, boys arrived one by one in front of the incense burner, engaging in a bloody fight to claim the iron balls.

Among them, there was a boy who had been waiting for this moment.

This boy had actually obtained an iron ball before anyone else, but he had been waiting for it to become a chaotic battle, fearing that he would become a target if he came out when no one had found it yet.

The boy ran to the front of the incense burner with great difficulty, held up the iron ball, and shouted,

“I found it.”

The boy smiled, the corners of his mouth twitching.

In fact, before the iron ball search began, the boy had secretly taken the one embedded in the forehead of the boy who had been killed by the demon mask for raising a question.

‘Stupid fools. There was such an easy way.’

It seemed foolish that no one was aware of this.

While he was thinking that, the demon mask shouted,

“Fail!”

“What?”

“It’s exactly as I said.”

What does this mean?

Why did he not pass?

He couldn’t understand.

“Wh-why? I clearly found the iron ball, so why…”

-Swish!

At that moment, something sharp brushed past his neck.

Soon, the boy’s head fell to the ground.

“I’m sure I told you not to question the orders.”

-Clang!

The warrior in the red belt who had decapitated him muttered and sheathed his sword into the scabbard at his waist.

-Thud!

As the boy fell with his neck severed, the iron ball dropped from his hand and rolled on the ground.

The rolling iron ball stopped in front of Mok Gyeong-un, who had passed first and was sitting close to the incense burner.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un looked at the iron ball he was holding and chuckled.

[Sixty-three]

The iron ball Mok Gyeong-un had was engraved with the small letters “sixty-three.”

However, the decapitated boy’s iron ball had nothing engraved on it.

He had used his wits but unluckily lost his head.

On the other hand,

‘Should I say I was lucky?’

In fact, Mok Gyeong-un had also tried to extract the iron ball from the forehead of the boy who had died for raising a question before the start.

But someone had already taken it in that short time, so he had changed his method.

Thanks to that, he could be considered fortunate.

However, this feeling didn’t last long.

Rather, Mok Gyeong-un licked his lips, regretting the feast unfolding before his eyes.

-Waft waft!

As people died one after another due to the bloody fight over the iron balls, the energy of death overflowed all around.

If only his qi channels weren’t sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock, he would have performed the reverse qi circulation right away.

‘Hmm.’

But did he really need to gather this energy through qi circulation?

Out of curiosity, Mok Gyeong-un slightly extended his arm towards the void in the direction where the death energy was flowing and chanted the oral secrets in his mind.

‘Boundless and unceasing… The two energies combine to form the heart…’

It was the Art of Binding technique.

Chapter 57

Out of curiosity, Mok Gyeong-un slightly extended his arm towards the void in the direction where the death energy was flowing and chanted the oral secrets in his mind.

It was the Art of Binding technique.

[Can you feel it? That’s the subtle principle of the Art of Binding technique. You can pull and attach anything. That’s no exception even for energy.]

Cheong-ryeong had definitely said that.

Although the distance was far, the death energy was filling everywhere as so many boys were dying.

With this much, it might be quite possible.

‘Boundless and unceasing, the two energies combine to form the heart above. The original form is innate, the supreme form is acquired. The demonic barrier opens the supreme bloodgate.’

Even though his qi channels were sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock, the Art of Binding technique wasn’t a concept deployed with internal energy.

This was a special power that came solely from the oral secrets themselves.

The hand extended towards the empty void.

The corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched as he concentrated.

-Whoosh!

The confirmation that started with a light heart, thinking it would be fine if it didn’t work.

Fortunately, it fit.

The death energy rippling all around began to be sucked into Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.

It was a tremendous amount of death energy.

‘It’s adhering.’

Originally, he thought only the nearby death energy would be sucked in.

But a coincidental event occurred.

As the death energy around Mok Gyeong-un was sucked in, the unique flow created by it caused the energy spreading in all directions to ride that flow.

Perhaps he could obtain even more death energy than at Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

Mok Gyeong-un inwardly spoke as he looked at the boys still engaging in a bloody struggle.

‘Kill and die more.’

The more they killed each other, the more he benefited.

There was one gaze looking at Mok Gyeong-un with a puzzled expression.

It was the demon mask.

‘… What is he doing?’

Most of the attention was on the valley where the struggle was taking place.

But the demon mask had unconsciously glanced at the front of the incense burner and discovered Mok Gyeong-un extending his arm slightly towards the valley.

‘Hmm.’

He didn’t know what the …. he was doing.

So he heightened his qi sense and looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

But he couldn’t feel anything.

‘Is it an overreaction?’

Well, with his qi channels sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock, there was no way he could do anything.

It was a situation where even qi circulation was impossible.

However, he couldn’t help but be quite bothered by his actions.

While he was thinking that, the warrior next to him spoke.

“The incense stick is almost burned out.”

Time was almost up.

In the meantime, the number of boys who had entered slightly exceeded 400.

The boys who died fighting among themselves alone were close to 200, and the remaining 200 were engaged in a bloody battle.

-Sizzle!

The incense stick was precariously burning down to the bottom line.

The demon mask raised his hand.

Then, the warriors in red belts who had been waiting around the edges of the valley simultaneously drew the weapons at their waists.

-Shing! Shing!

At this sight, the boys fighting over the iron balls became even more desperate.

If they didn’t hurry, they would die.

It awakened the hidden tenacity and strong desire to live within the boys.

“Die, die!”

-Smash! Smash!

“Get out of the way!”

-Crunch!

“Argh! Y-you bit me, you bastard?”

Smashing heads with rocks, and if that doesn’t work, even biting and clinging on.

It was downright gruesome.

Even those who were watching and had managed to sit in front of the incense burner after fighting couldn’t just look at it as someone else’s business.

This was just the beginning.

But among them, one boy stood out.

“Aaaaah!”

-Crack!

“Ugh!”

As if he had awakened, he was indiscriminately killing the surrounding boys, having been inconspicuous until now. It was none other than Mok Yu-cheon.

Mok Yu-cheon, who couldn’t accept killing others without any grudge, had aimed only to find the iron ball and stand in front of the incense burner.

However, the situation had pushed even Mok Yu-cheon to the edge of a cliff.

“Haa… haa…”

The moment he found the iron ball, the boys trying to kill him to snatch it, and the incense stick that had almost burned out.

This situation eventually made even Mok Yu-cheon the same as them.

‘shit! shit!’

He didn’t know how many he had killed, but in the end, Mok Yu-cheon was able to reach the front of the incense burner after fending off all the boys targeting his iron ball.

Arriving at the incense burner, he raised the blood-stained iron ball.

“Pass!”

The moment he heard that shout, all the tension dissipated, and he plopped down on the ground.

The first thought that came to Mok Yu-cheon as he sat down was this:

‘I’m alive… I survived.’

A sense of relief that made him shiver.

He had managed to survive a hellish moment.

The fear that he might die brought about a tenacious fierceness to live.

However, soon, a sense of self-loathing came over him as he looked at his blood-stained palms.

‘… What… have I done?’

Certainly, it was for his own survival, but what is this?

It felt like he had become a beast for a moment, not a human.

While he was thinking that, the demon mask’s shout was heard.

“The incense stick has burned out completely. Kill them.”

“Chong!!!”

As soon as that order was given, screams continuously erupted from the valley water not long after.

The boys whose danjeon were sealed couldn’t even resist.

***

The warriors counted the number of boys sitting in rows in front of the incense burner.

And that number was determined.

The total number of surviving boys was 468.

It could be said that nearly 40% had died.

‘60%… not bad.’

However, the demon mask had no significant interest in those who died.

Rather, if about 60% survived in the first gateway, it wasn’t bad for the initial weeding out process.

After the counting was finished, the demon mask spoke to the boys in front of the incense burner.

“I sincerely congratulate those who have passed the first gateway.”

“…”

The boys just listened quietly.

Although it was only for two hours, they were exhausted from doing all sorts of things to survive.

Looking at them, the demon mask continued.

“Since you obtained the iron balls, you must have realized. The numbers engraved on the iron balls are different for each one. Remember them well. That will be your designation here.”

“…”

“Then we will immediately begin the second gateway.”

-Murmur murmur!

At the demon mask’s words, the boys who had been catching their breath stirred.

They thought they could rest a bit now.

But they were going to proceed with the second gateway right after the first one ended?

Especially for those who passed late when the incense stick was almost burned out, it was naturally agonizing.

‘shit.’

Mok Yu-cheon was the same.

Putting aside the self-loathing, he hadn’t even recovered his stamina yet, so how long could he endure if he had to do this nonsense again?

Regardless of their reactions, the demon mask pointed to the mountain beyond the valley with his hand and said,

“The second gateway is to endure on that mountain from now until dawn.”

‘Until dawn?’

It was late at night now.

It was around sunset when they had set out for this place.

After walking for about three hours without rest and then going through the first gateway for two hours.

Considering this, they had roughly three hours left until dawn.

‘Is it just enduring this time?’

If that was the case, it could be said to be more manageable than finding iron balls.

Even if there were crazy ones obsessed with competition, if they just found a suitable place and hid, they could conserve their stamina and rest.

Since the Forbidden Gate Lock was still inserted, they wouldn’t be able to utilize their qi sense, so it was quite possible.

Most of them seemed to have similar thoughts, showing relieved expressions.

However, it couldn’t be this simple.

The demon mask spoke.

“I will state the conditions that come with it.”

‘Conditions?’

What does that mean again?

“There are forty flags stuck on the mountain. The number of people who can be at a flag is eight. Exactly eight people must be at that location until dawn.”

-Murmur murmur!

At those words, everyone stirred again.

As expected.

It couldn’t go easily.

“It can’t be more or less than eight. If such a case occurs, you die.”

“…”

Silence hung in the air.

Upon hearing the conditions, everyone was thinking about the gist of this gateway.

This was the same for Mok Yu-cheon.

‘There are roughly five hundred people here. But if there are forty flags, it means only three hundred and twenty can survive.’

It was announcing another bloody competition.

However, there was a difference.

If they found a flag, the eight people had to work together for about three hours to defend it.

‘Group cooperation!’

Everyone grasped the gist of this gateway.

Of course, there would be many variables, but depending on how they cooperated, they could have conditions to endure efficiently.

-Swish!

With this, everyone’s gazes naturally turned towards each other, not the demon mask.

There was no need to find a flag and form a team there.

If they gathered the strongest and most useful teammates here and now, they might be able to easily overcome this gateway.

‘Then…’

Their gazes turned to those at the very front of the incense burner.

They were the first to pass the first gateway and had overflowing stamina.

Joining their group or recruiting them was the only way to gain the most advantageous position.

‘Hmm.’

It wasn’t just those who passed late who were contemplating this.

Those who passed first were also making their own calculations.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley, who passed second, also looked around and pondered.

‘I quickly passed the first gateway and succeeded in managing my stamina, but the second gateway is immediately following. According to the conditions, it will be a situation where I can’t let my guard down for even a moment.’

In that case, he might not be able to rest all night.

With the small number of flags and maintaining the headcount, there were bound to be many annoying situations.

‘It’s a situation where I have to stay up all night.’

But if the third gateway immediately followed this, the key was still conserving stamina.

In a situation where they couldn’t perform qi circulation, that was huge.

If their internal energy wasn’t sealed, they could take turns circulating qi and recover their stamina, but now it was an extreme situation.

‘… I may have to avoid situations where I have to fight unnecessarily.’

That was the only way to fully preserve his stamina.

Indeed, from that perspective, it was better to team up with the most useful guys.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley looked to his left and right.

Mok Gyeong-un and the muscular boy from the Esoteric Realm Gate.

‘Hmm.’

Along with himself, they were the first to pass the first gateway.

Rather than looking for someone far away, it was more efficient for those with the most overflowing stamina to stick together and easily pass this gateway.

‘I was going to finish first in the second gateway, but…’

For this time, it seemed better to join hands.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley furtively glanced at Mok Gyeong-un to his left.

He was trying to extend his hand first and establish a cooperative relationship.

However,

‘!?’

He saw Mok Gyeong-un’s lips twitching.

Those eyes that seemed to find it interesting, as if he was enjoying this situation.

It was enough to make him feel unpleasant.

‘… It won’t work.’

He had absolutely no desire to reach out to this bastard.

Strangely, his instincts were telling him.

That he was the one who needed to be eliminated first among those here.

While he was thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un whispered first.

“Do you want to team up with me?”

What?

Did this guy also judge that it would be advantageous to side with him?

But after seeing that face just now, his desire to team up had disappeared.

“… No.”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders and licked his lips.

‘What a pity.’

He wanted to kill him first.

Chapter 58

An odd, uncomfortable feeling that for some unknown reason, it seemed they shouldn’t team up together.

Because of that, the boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley, who had given up cooperating with Mok Gyeong-un, whispered to the boy from the Esoteric Realm Gate next to him.

“You’re from the Esoteric Realm Gate, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll get straight to the point. Let’s not waste energy and do this gateway together.”

“…”

At the Vermilion Slaughter Valley boy’s proposal, the Esoteric Realm Gate boy frowned as if considering it.

It certainly wasn’t a bad offer.

Gathering with more capable people was a way to pass the gateway more easily.

‘Hmm.’

The Esoteric Realm Gate boy had seen the Vermilion Slaughter Valley boy earlier, hiding in the water and then pouncing on another boy to snatch the iron ball.

It could be said to be a fairly excellent strategy.

From that perspective, he could be helpful in this gateway, which required building a more strategic cooperative relationship than the iron ball struggle.

However,

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‘… Do I really need to show even a bit of my skills to someone I might face in the next gateway?’

If they were together for three hours, he would end up revealing quite a lot.

The less his faction’s martial arts skills were revealed, the better.

He judged that it would be more advantageous to avoid cooperating with the Vermilion Slaughter Valley and Demon Fire Hall boys, who were likely to survive until the end along with him.

So the Esoteric Realm Gate boy said,

“I refuse.”

“… You’ll regret it.”

“We’ll see who regrets it.”

The Esoteric Realm Gate boy scoffed at his aggressive response.

Then, as a last attempt, he tentatively asked the short-haired girl from the Demon Fire Hall.

“Hey. Demon Fire Hall. What about you…”

“Get lost.”

“…”

Rejection before he could even ask.

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The Esoteric Realm Gate boy closed his mouth with an irritated expression.

Perhaps cooperating with them was impossible from the start.

***

“Huff… huff…”

The boys looked at the mountain beyond the valley with tense faces.

The moment the signal was given, a three-hour period more physically demanding than the earlier iron ball struggle would begin.

It was that moment when their eyes and ears were focused.

“Begin!”

As soon as the demon mask’s shout was heard, the boys rushed towards the valley water all at once.

Just like before, even in this gateway, it was advantageous to secure a higher position by hurrying.

-Splash splash!

The valley water was completely stained with blood due to the dead bodies.

The scent of blood flowing from this valley water heralded another ordeal.

A warrior watching them said to the demon mask,

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“They’ll soon realize that the previous gateway was relatively easier.”

“…”

No gateway was easy.

However, this gateway wasn’t just about finding teammates that suited one’s taste and defending the flag.

‘It would be good to find the flags quickly.’

If they were perceptive, they would soon understand the meaning of the flags.

***

The 468 boys who entered the mountain after the starting signal was given.

Once the warriors in red belts were out of sight, the boys took three types of actions.

The first was those who ran towards the mountain without stopping.

‘The flags… I need to find the flags!’

They were the type who believed they had to find the flags first.

Because the number of flags was limited, they considered that a priority over finding teammates.

Of course, this wasn’t a wrong choice either.

If they found teammates but couldn’t secure a flag, it would be meaningless.

Nearly half, about 200 of them, were of this type.

This included the muscular boy from the Esoteric Realm Gate and the girl from the Demon Fire Hall, who were regarded as strong candidates to survive until the end.

And the second type.

“Hey. Let’s team up.”

“… You mean together?”

“Yeah. There’s no point in securing a flag first like them. It’s better to form a team in advance and seize the flags.”

“Huh?”

“That way, it’s easier to defend the flag too.”

In this way, the boys who stopped each found teammates that suited their taste or could be helpful.

Since time was pressing, it was happening quickly.

Still, during this process of forming teams, there were no attacks on each other.

They also implicitly avoided fighting here, knowing that once the teams were formed and they entered deep into the mountain, the stamina depletion would be even more severe.

‘Yeah. This is how it should be.’

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The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley snickered inwardly.

With himself as the lead, he had succeeded in making those who entered from fifth to fifteenth place as his teammates.

No, it would be more accurate to say that they had voluntarily joined his group from the beginning.

Normally, if the top eleven joined together, there would be eight members, but some of them ran without stopping to find the flags first, so the team was formed like this.

‘This will do.’

It could be said to be the most dominant team.

Since they had passed the iron ball struggle in the upper ranks, they were composed of individuals who possessed both skill and strategy.

So if they could just secure a flag, all they had to do was focus on conserving their stamina as much as possible.

“Let’s go!”

With that, the boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley, who had formed his team the fastest, headed towards the mountain.

Other boys also quickly formed teams and moved.

Among them was Mok Yu-cheon, but,

‘… Not that guy.’

Mok Yu-cheon shook his head, looking at Mok Gyeong-un in the distance.

Even though they were half-brothers, they were still brothers, so he had considered joining forces with him.

However, he absolutely didn’t want to.

His affection had fallen as far as it could after being immobilized helplessly during the journey here.

‘Whether he lives or dies, it’s not my business… No.’

For now, his priority was his own survival.

Fortunately, the guys nearby offered to team up with Mok Yu-cheon, so he was able to join them.

Although it was creepy since they weren’t from the righteous faction, he had no choice but to survive.

He had to grasp at straws.

‘I will survive.’

No matter what.

Persuading himself like that, Mok Yu-cheon also set off with his teammates.

Meanwhile,

-What are you trying to do, mortal?

Cheong-ryeong, who was in Mok Gyeong-un’s bosom, asked.

In response, Mok Gyeong-un quietly answered in a whisper,

“I thought I’d try to find teammates.”

-… Why are you doing such a useless thing? Just find a flag and they’ll naturally flock to you.

Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders.

Of course, what she said was also true.

It was still early, and in a situation where the location of the flags was unknown, if he just secured one first, they would naturally join him even without pre-forming a team like this.

-Are you trying to manage your stamina or something?

Forming a team in advance was to reduce risk by joining forces and conserve stamina.

It could be seen as preparing for the next gateway in advance.

However,

“That’s not it.”

-What?

If it’s not that, why is he trying to form a team now?

Cheong-ryeong couldn’t help but find it strange.

In the first place, she knew well that he wasn’t the type to cooperate with others on anything.

But here, Mok Gyeong-un encountered an unexpected problem.

“This is troublesome.”

-Heh.

Cheong-ryeong let out a scoff.

That’s because, unexpectedly, when Mok Gyeong-un approached the boys to form a team, they distanced themselves as if on guard.

Some had seen Mok Gyeong-un’s cruel hands when he passed first.

So they seemed to be reluctant to form a team with Mok Gyeong-un.

Although they whispered softly, he could hear their voices.

“It might be better to get rid of that guy now.”

“Did you see? How he ripped out the throat to take out the swallowed iron ball.”

“He’s completely crazy.”

That aspect made them avoid Mok Gyeong-un.

A considerable number found it burdensome to team up with Mok Gyeong-un, who had such a tendency, and thought it would be better to isolate him and eliminate him.

Because of this judgment, they were in a hurry to avoid him when he approached.

-Seems like you made quite an unpleasant impression, mortal.

“I guess so.”

-You just wasted time for nothing.

“Hmm.”

As Cheong-ryeong said, if it was like this, it might be difficult to find teammates.

He wanted to start a bit more comfortably, but should he change his approach?

While he was thinking that,

A boy with short hair timidly approached Mok Gyeong-un.

“… Do you need a teammate?”

“Yes. But…”

“We’re seven people. Want to join us?”

At the boy’s suggestion, those around him whispered.

Who the hell is trying to bring that guy in?

If they had even a little bit of sense, it would be better to exclude that guy in advance since it would be annoying to compete with him later.

That was,

-Swish!

because there was a girl waving her hand towards Mok Gyeong-un.

She had exceptional beauty, and around her, five boys were accompanying her like bodyguards.

It was a team formed with the sole girl at the center.

A boy whispered softly,

“Sohwa[1]. Are you sure? That guy is a bit…”

“Yeah. Even the other guys aren’t accepting him in the same team because they judged it’s better to exclude him in advance.”

Another boy agreed.

At this, the girl named Sohwa smiled and said,

“Trust me.”

“I trust you. But…”

“While other stupid guys think it’s the answer to exclude him in advance, that’s not it. Having that guy with us will be advantageous for us too.”

Sohwa had considered it but thought it would be beneficial to accept Mok Gyeong-un.

Apart from his cruel hands, he was a guy with enough strength to rip out a throat with one hand even with his danjeon sealed.

If they had this guy with them, other teams wouldn’t recklessly attack them.

And,

“We can just use him until dawn and then kill him. Do you think he can handle seven people alone, no matter how strong he is?”

She had even planned to eliminate him after using him.

Of course, if this happened, one person would be left out at the end.

But for this, one person was supposed to keep a distance and follow behind in advance.

If that bastard died, that empty spot would be filled.

‘Stupid guys. A useful pawn is meant to be used and discarded like this. Make him fight to his heart’s content on our behalf, conserving our stamina and killing two birds with one stone.’

She scorned both her teammates and the other guys.

The brain is meant to be used.

***

Like that, within an hour, most had formed teams and entered the mountain.

The team led by the sole girl named Sohwa was the same.

From now on, it was a matter of quickly finding a flag and securing it.

Otherwise, they would have to snatch a flag claimed by another team.

While moving like that, Sohwa subtly approached Mok Gyeong-un.

“You were quite impressive earlier.”

“Was I?”

“I’m Sohwa. What’s your name?”

“I’m Mok Gyeong-un.”

“Mok Gyeong-un?”

Sohwa tilted her head.

It was a name she had never heard before.

His cruel hands and seemingly considerable skill made her curious about his background, but she couldn’t tell from just his name.

‘Among the martial families, there’s only one place with the Mok surname on the righteous side.’

Yeon Mok Sword Manor, the famous martial family of Anhui Province.

But there was no way someone from that righteous Mok family would be here.

Then the only way was to ask directly.

“Where are you from?”

“Does that matter?”

‘Does he mean he has no intention of telling me? Well…’

Even if they had a cooperative relationship now, they would have to compete again later.

The answer was to hide oneself as much as possible.

‘This guy… is quite handsome though.’

To call Mok Gyeong-un’s appearance pretty would be an understatement; his beauty was exceptional enough to be described as having outstanding looks.

It was even more so up close.

Because of that, her interest was slightly piqued, contrary to her original plan.

‘Should I try seducing him?’

Men were simple and surprisingly vulnerable to a woman’s seduction.

If she just pretended to show a little interest, they would fall for it on their own.

In that sense, if she could make this guy hers, she might be able to use him a bit more without the need to eliminate him.

-Swish!

Sohwa slightly loosened the collar of her top to reveal her cleavage and stuck close to Mok Gyeong-un.

At this age, men’s sexual desire was at its peak.

So the effect was definite just by showing her ample cleavage and having their bodies touch.

Sohwa, who had pressed her body against him, whispered,

“You know. I like a guy like you.”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un glanced at her.

Then he smiled and said,

“I feel the same way.”

‘Heh. As expected.’

Handsome or not, it didn’t matter.

If she deliberately seduced them, any man would fall for it like this.

-Tap!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un placed his arm on her shoulder.

‘Ha. Look at this.’

Since she seduced him, he was openly showing confidence.

If it was like this, she might be able to seduce him faster than expected.

If she coaxed him well and used him as her shield until the end and survived, she could adequately…

“I’ve been choosing since earlier.”

“Huh?”

What is he talking about now?

-Grip!

Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist, which had been wrapping around her shoulder, grasped her neck.

Then,

-Crack!

in an instant, he twisted her neck.

It happened so abruptly that she couldn’t even scream or do anything, drawing her last breath and dying on the spot.

‘!!!!!’

Everyone was momentarily taken aback.

They had just been watching, thinking she would coax Mok Gyeong-un.

But who would have known such a situation would unfold?

A boy shouted,

“Y-you crazy bastard, what are you doing?”

At the boy’s shout, Mok Gyeong-un said, the corners of his mouth twitching,

“Should I say it’s a delightful mealtime?”

In front of his eyes, all of them were appetizing prey that would fill him with death energy.

The mountain was vast, so shouldn’t he start comfortably?