Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 61

A dead boy’s head was grasped by Mok Gyeong-un as he performed the Ritual of Binding.

Not long after, he absorbed all the remaining death qi from the boy.

‘Nice.’

Mok Gyeong-un smiled.

He had absorbed the death qi of a whopping 16 people.

Even without sealing his meridians to gather it in his dantian, his entire body’s blood vessels were brimming with qi.

He seemed to be quite lucky.

11 of them had died fighting each other from the start, and the remaining five were considerably fatigued.

As a result, he could kill them without exerting much effort.

“How convenient.”

– Those fools have made a foolish move.

Cheong-ryeong agreed with Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

Thanks to them sealing everyone’s meridians with the Geummunsoe, it became advantageous for Mok Gyeong-un.

If they were in a situation where they could use their internal energy, it would have been difficult to kill the boys in this manner.

But thanks to that, he was easily securing death qi.

‘Well, if they’re going to die competing with each other anyway, it’s better for them to become the death qi of that guy.’

After all, she was a vengeful spirit.

As such, she didn’t particularly feel pity.

Besides, in a place where people were killing each other to pass through the barrier, it was meaningless to dwell on such matters.

– By the way, I suppose that must be the flag.

“Indeed.”

Mok Gyeong-un set down the severed head and approached the flag.

Although he had no intention of claiming the flag yet, his gaze was inevitably drawn to it as it was the objective of this barrier.

– What will you do with the flag? If you’re not going to take it now, break it and throw it away.

“I should.”

– Or it might be more convenient to carry one around in advance for later.

“That’s not a bad idea either.”

As he said that, Mok Gyeong-un reached to grab the flagpole but then stared intently at something.

Even though his internal energy was sealed, his five senses were far more developed than ordinary people.

– What is it?

“There’s something written right below the flag, near the base of the pole.”

– What does it say?

“Hmm. ‘Three Forms Sword Technique, Breakthrough the Haze with Sword Light’…”

As Cheong-ryeong heard the mnemonic Mok Gyeong-un was reading, she immediately realized what it was.

– That… is a mnemonic for sword technique stances.

“Sword technique? Hearing it, it does seem that way.”

Mok Gyeong-un agreed as it was a mnemonic describing sword stances.

“But why would such a thing be written here?”

– Read the rest.

“‘Unattached Thread Connects, Sword and Man as One, Spirit Moves Unhindered’…”

As he continued reading, Mok Gyeong-un said:

“That’s it.”

– What? That’s it?

Cheong-ryeong questioned, and Mok Gyeong-un asked as if puzzled:

“Is there a problem?”

– The stances seem to be cut off midway.

“Cut off midway?”

– Yes. If these are the only stances, then the Gokji, Sinju, Gonryun, and Wijung acupoints would have gaps.

“So it’s an incomplete set of stances?”

– It doesn’t seem like that’s the case. Rather than an advanced sword technique, seeing how it focuses on the fundamentals and the stances don’t overlap…

“Seeing how?”

– It seems like it was created for a sword formation.

“A sword formation, like arranging swords in a formation?”

– Yes. But with only these stances, the weaknesses are glaringly obvious, so even if you make a sword formation, it would be shoddily put together.

“Shoddily put together? Ha. What an interesting expression.”

– I didn’t say it to be interesting. In any case, there must be a reason for deliberately writing an incomplete sword technique here.

Mok Gyeong-un nodded in agreement with Cheong-ryeong’s opinion.

Just as the steel marbles had numbers engraved on them, this was likely a hidden task of the barrier.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been intently staring at the mnemonic, said:

“There may be more to these flags than meets the eye.”

– Didn’t they say there were forty?

“That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about types.”

– Types?

“Yes. Could there possibly be other flags with the remaining stances written on them?”

– Oho. That’s quite a plausible idea.

This time, Cheong-ryeong agreed with Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

It was quite likely.

– If, as you say, the stances hidden on the flags are of two types, then those who discover this will inevitably try to find other flags rather than just defending their own.

“I think the same.”

Two types of flags.

It didn’t end with just finding one flag.

In the end, having eight people stay at the flag location until dawn was just the visible task, and the hidden task seemed to be completing the divided sword stances.

“Interesting.”

It was inciting a fight in one way or another.

Those who didn’t notice this would simply end it like that, but any slightly meticulous fellows would make a move to aim for the other flags.

The conclusion was that Mok Gyeong-un also had to find one flag of the other type.

And naturally, seven teammates had to be with that flag.

– It’s gotten a bit tricky.

“But now that we know how it works, we’ll have to select accordingly.”

As he said that, Mok Gyeong-un snapped the flagpole with the mnemonic written on it using one hand.

– Crack!

As Cheong-ryeong had said earlier, it was to dispose of the flag.

But at the moment he broke it,

– Flinch!

Mok Gyeong-un frowned while looking at the flag.

“Hah…”

– What’s wrong?

“There was spell power imbued in the flagpole.”

– Spell power?

Spell power.

It literally refers to the power of spells or techniques.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had become more sensitive to various types of qi after absorbing death qi with reverse cycling and learning spells, felt it.

However, Cheong-ryeong, who was inside a wooden puppet and unable to sense spell power, asked:

– Could it be a trap?

“It doesn’t seem like that.”

If it were a trap, the spell power would have remained intact.

But the fact that the spell power disappeared the moment the flagpole was broken meant that,

– Piiiiiii!

Just then, a sound like a horn echoed throughout the entire mountain.

Judging from the regularity of the sound, it seemed like a signal.

– Kkukukukuk!

Hearing this, Mok Gyeong-un lightly crushed the broken flagpole with one hand and muttered:

“There must be something else besides this.”

***

Not far away.

At a place where a flag was planted on a mountain ridge, another battle for the flag was about to unfold.

A group of eight who had discovered it first was trying to defend the flag, while a group that arrived later was attempting to seize it from them.

The group of eight defending the flag here was none other than those led by a boy named Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley.

– Thwack!

“Ugh!”

A boy who was hit by Yeom Ga’s swift kick was sent flying backward.

‘shit. He’s too strong.’

The boy who was knocked back thought in dismay as he recovered.

Since internal energy was banned, he thought they could somewhat evenly match those from Vermilion Slaughter Valley.

However, their fundamentals were on a different level.

It seemed they had diligently trained in external techniques as well, as the power of the kick was no ordinary matter.

‘No wonder they’re from Vermilion Slaughter Valley.’

He started to think they might have picked the wrong opponent.

The other guys seemed somewhat manageable, but,

– Thud! Thud!

“Ack!”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much difference.

Anyone could see they were being pushed back.

They were no match from the beginning.

Even Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley seemed to realize the difference in skill level as he gestured and taunted:

“Hey. If you’re going to charge in, at least show some persistence.”

‘shit!’

They were angry but couldn’t do anything about it.

– Crack!

“Kuk!”

“No!”

One of the boys had his neck broken by a boy from Yeom Ga’s group and was defeated.

Not much time had passed since they charged in, but two had already lost their lives.

If they suffered any more losses, their group would be annihilated.

The leader of the boys, judging that it was hopeless, shouted:

“Retreat!”

At the leader’s cry, the other boys who had been desperately trying to seize the flag seemed to agree as they fled without looking back.

Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley smiled bitterly and muttered:

“Who says you can leave.”

Charging in was up to them, but did he seem like someone who would let them go easily?

He had to kill them all and make an example out of them so that other guys wouldn’t thoughtlessly aim for their flag.

“Capture them all…”

– Thwack!

“Ack!”

‘!?’

Just then, Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley shut his mouth.

What was that just now?

A boy who was attempting to flee the fastest towards the opposite bushes suddenly disappeared with a scream as a dark shadow swept by.

A momentary silence fell.

From the boys who were trying to pursue with rising killing intent to the boys who were trying to escape, they all looked at where the shadow had passed with startled eyes.

– Crunch! Crunch!

The bushes rustled and sounds of something being chewed could be heard.

That sound was horrifyingly ominous.

“Wh-what?”

“What was that just now?”

The boys unknowingly took steps back at the unpleasant noise.

Then, a sound came from the rustling bushes.

– Oink oink!

What was that?

At first listen, it sounded like a pig’s squeal.

However, the bizarre glint faintly visible between the bushes was enough to make one shudder.

The fleeing boys were taking steps back when the bushes shook.

And then, something revealed itself from there.

‘!?’

The expressions of the boys who saw it all stiffened identically.

– Thud!

What extended hook-shaped front legs was not human.

It resembled a wolf, but was also different.

It seemed to be about twice the size of an ordinary wolf, with red fur on its head and rat-like, completely black eyes.

‘Wh-what is this?’

‘A wolf? There are wolves like this?’

‘It’s… too big.’

– Oink oink!

The monstrous beast making pig noises opened its mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth filling its entire maw.

– Gulp!

A boy who swallowed dryly out of tension shouted:

“Run away!”

The moment that cry ended, the boys turned their bodies to the right.

Then,

– Pounce!

The red-headed wolf beast instantly caught up to the boy at the very rear and,

– Chomp!

“Aaaahhhh!”

It bit into his calf.

Then, with tremendous jaw strength, it thrashed the boy around.

– Thud! Thud!

“Ugh!”

It only thrashed him around a couple times, but the boy had already lost consciousness, either dead or passed out.

His calf, nearly severed by the sharp teeth, was tattered.

The wolf-like beast approached the boy’s head and swallowed it whole.

– Crunch! Crunch!

‘!!!!!’

At that sight, the boys defending the flag turned deathly pale.

Right before their eyes, a beast was chewing on a person’s head, so it would be stranger not to feel fear.

This was the same for Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley.

‘shit!’

What rotten luck to have such a bizarre creature appear when internal energy was sealed.

It didn’t seem to be an ordinary monstrous beast.

Even against regular wolves, it would be difficult to face them barehanded when unable to use internal energy.

Let alone a beast of that size.

It went beyond difficult.

They might have to risk their lives.

‘Should we flee?’

It no longer seemed like a situation where they could defend the flag.

But it was also absurd to give up on the flag they had finally obtained because of that damn beast.

Right then,

– Oink oink!

The beast that had crushed and swallowed the boy’s head now looked in their direction.

Then, as if it had chosen a target, it scraped its hind legs on the ground and tried to launch its body forward.

At this, Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley tried to shout:

“Run…”

– Pounce!

– Squeeeeaaal!

The moment the charging beast had only taken about five steps, it suddenly saw something and screamed, frantically stepping back.

Then, snorting and exhaling through its nose, it changed direction.

– Swish!

That direction was where the group of boys who had tried to seize their flag and ran away were.

A boy who was fleeing in a panic while screaming said:

“Wh-what? Why is it suddenly acting like that?”

At this, Yeom Ga from Vermilion Slaughter Valley irritably muttered:

“shit. How should I know.”

He also couldn’t understand why the beast suddenly behaved that way.

It looked like it was startled after seeing something.

So he turned his head to look in the direction the beast had been looking, and that was,

‘The flag?’

***

“Huff! Huff!”

“Uhhh.”

Three boys were running like crazy.

They weren’t headed in a specific direction but just dashing towards whatever they could see.

The terrified boys felt like their hearts would burst.

‘shit! shit! shit!’

While fleeing, another one of them was caught.

Since internal energy was sealed and they couldn’t use lightness skills, their running speed was only slightly faster than ordinary adult men.

But that monstrous beast was different.

It seemed to be even faster than a galloping horse.

‘At this rate, will we all die?’

As this was happening, the running boy’s eyes caught sight of a figure standing on the opposite side.

He was momentarily startled and about to change direction, but realizing it was a person, he inwardly felt relieved.

‘What? Who is that?’

And then, upon seeing him, he recognized him at a glance.

It was that guy who had passed through first with a brutal hand during the steel marble competition.

In a different situation, he would have ignored or avoided him, finding him unpleasant, but the boy shouted with a glimmer of hope:

“H-hey! Help us!”

Surely, that guy had also formed a group.

If they all helped, maybe they could somehow face this monstrous beast.

But what was with that guy’s clothes, and why was there so much blood on his hands?

– Flinch!

Moreover, looking at them running over, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile reaching his ears.