Chapter 489: When Someone Who Knows How to Protect Makes Up Their Mind

TL: FoodieMonster007

Myeongjin swung his dagger, lost in a trance. Sparks flew as it clashed with the Death King's blade in a battle between the number one and number two of the Hell Mansion. It was a fight where a single mistake would lead to death. The clashing daggers were so fast they were nearly invisible.

He had engaged in a light duel with the Death King before, but this was his first life-or-death battle.

WHOOSH!

The daggers stabbed at each other rapidly. His footwork was as swift as the attacks, a dazzling display. He used lightness techniques with extreme concentration, moving his upper body to evade the incoming dagger. The blades produced clear ringing sounds as they met, along with the grating screech of steel on steel.

He's strong!

Even before his mind or instincts could process it, Myeongjin's hands knew. The Death King's heavy attacks still held something in reserve. He, on the other hand, was pouring everything he had into the fight. Despite the gap in their skills, he could fight on equal footing because of his sheer momentum.

Myeongjin was resolved to fight to the death. His willingness to die precariously bridged the gap in their abilities. In an instant, over a hundred exchanges passed.

CLANG!

With a loud clash, the two retreated. They stood on the roof of a building across from the tavern. Myeongjin's breathing was ragged, but the Death King remained calm. This perfectly illustrated the difference in their skills.

Still, it's fine.

Having resolved to die, Myeongjin felt no fear. Whenever he went on an assassination, he always imagined the moment of his own death from a failed mission. A certain scene would naturally come to mind. He'd picture martial artists rummaging through his corpse, trying to determine the assassin's origins.

No one buries an assassin, so they would just dump his body in a field. Then, wolves would come sniffing around and tear the corpse apart. Myeongjin had always considered that to be an assassin's final fate.

But to die fighting the Death King?

This is a pretty decent way to die.

Just then, the Death King glanced at the tavern across the street. Through the window, he could catch glimpses of the fight unfolding inside.

"The Young Cult Leader won't make it out of there alive," Myeongjin stated calmly.

"The Young Cult Leader will make it out alive."

Myeongjin, who always spoke respectfully, had dropped the honorifics, but the Death King paid it no mind.

"In that case, it means all the devices you set up were useless."

Myeongjin knew that was why the Death King had drawn him outside.

"I appreciate you trusting me, but."

Even knowing that, he had come outside for three reasons. First.

"It won't work. Not against the Young Cult Leader."

He had faith in Geom Mugeuk. It was a conclusion he'd reached by combining the Geom Mugeuk from the reports with the Geom Mugeuk he'd met in person. He had only known him for a few days, but Geom Mugeuk had influenced him more than anyone he had ever met. It was enough to make him think he needed to rewrite the report on him himself. Of course, he knew that would never happen now.

Another reason was that if he had stayed in the tavern, the Death King would have stayed as well. That would have made the fight inside that much more difficult. He'd rather stall the Death King himself and hope that Geom Mugeuk could handle the others and emerge. It was a choice he couldn't have made without trusting Geom Mugeuk.

And the final reason was his desire to kill the Death King with his own hands. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he yearned to settle this complicated debt with his own hands.

It was at that very moment.

SHIING!

Myeongjin dodged a hidden weapon that flew from behind him. It wasn't thrown to kill, but to draw his attention.

A man now stood on the roof of an adjacent building. It was Hyeolra, the one who had mocked Myeongjin earlier and had his tongue cut out by the Death King. With his expression and gaze, Hyeolra pleaded with the Death King. He wanted to be the one to deal with Myeongjin. A deep hatred radiated from his eyes, blaming Myeongjin for his severed tongue.

The Death King glanced between Myeongjin and Hyeolra, then gave a nod of permission.

Given his personality, Hyeolra would have normally provoked Myeongjin with all sorts of taunts, but now he couldn't utter a single word. He swung his sword and charged at Myeongjin.

Myeongjin didn't retreat, swinging his own dagger to meet the attack.

Assassins are those who kill their targets through preparation and planning. They are meant to strike when an opponent's guard is at its lowest, stabbing them effortlessly before disappearing. Therefore, there are certain things they must not do. An assassin must not use footwork. An assassin must not use martial arts.

Having to use such things meant the preparations for the assassination were inadequate. Using footwork and martial arts was only for when an assassination had already failed. Therefore, this open confrontation was less of a fight between assassins and more of a duel between martial artists. It was a battle of fundamentals, a contest of their martial arts, hidden weapon techniques, and movement arts.

SWOOSH!

The incoming sword grazed Myeongjin's face. Even as he felt the cold chill from the blade on his cheek, Myeongjin pressed his attack, thrusting his dagger forward.

Hyeolra twisted his body to evade the dagger. The sword that had just passed Myeongjin's face changed direction, aiming to slice it. But Myeongjin had already ducked low and was stabbing toward Hyeolra's stomach.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Hyeolra's sword changed direction again, blocking the attack. As befitting assassins who represented the Hell Mansion, their fight was magnificent. Their movements were like the wind, and their attacks were as ferocious as a wild beast's. A continuous series of short, sharp metallic clashes rang out.

However, the sword gradually began to lose ground to the dagger. Unfortunately for Hyeolra, this was a martial artist's duel, not an assassin's contest, and his fundamentals were weaker. He had been more successful as an assassin lately, so he'd been confident he could defeat Myeongjin.

Damn it! I will never lose to you!

As Hyeolra was pushed back further, his movements grew frantic and disordered.

THUNK!

Blood spurted from Hyeolra's shoulder. He had considered himself the true number two. But the gap in skill between them was far greater than his severed tongue.

Hyeolra tried to unleash his ultimate move, but Myeongjin didn't miss the momentary opening created when one uses a major technique.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

Myeongjin's dagger stabbed repeatedly into Hyeolra's chest.

"Gaaack."

Hyeolra coughed up a mouthful of blood. His gaze fell upon the Death King, filled with resentment, asking why he hadn't helped.

However, the Death King couldn't have helped him even if he'd wanted to. Ever since his fight with Myeongjin began, he had sensed Hwi's presence. The moment he revealed an opening, Hwi would seize it and deliver a fatal blow.

The Demonic Cult Leader's bodyguard. He had wanted to kill Myeongjin earlier, but Hwi was the reason he hadn't. If he made a rash move to kill, he would die himself. His opponent was skilled enough to turn that instinctive sense of danger into a reality.

Just then.

KR-KR-KR-KRACK!

Holes riddled the wall of the tavern across the way. He knew the Ghostly Bullet had gone off. The thick stench of blood wafted from the holes, a clear sign that the fierce battle inside was still raging.

Myeongjin caught his breath, standing over Hyeolra's corpse. He knew why the Death King hadn't interfered in their fight. He could feel that Hwi was protecting him. Because of that, he couldn't help but think of Geom Mugeuk.

You really are…!

He didn't just say they'd be friends, and he didn't just say he'd save him.

The Death King stared silently at the tavern before speaking abruptly. "Your target for revenge shouldn't be me, but the person who commissioned the hit."

"That's right," Myeongjin admitted readily.

"Then why?"

Myeongjin knew what words were left unsaid. Why did you betray me? He knew the Death King was genuinely asking that question. For that reason, he didn't feel angry. That was just the kind of person the Death King was.

Why would he betray me instead of being grateful, after I saved his life and raised him as an assassin? He was the kind of person who would ask such a thing. He couldn't understand the complex and wide-ranging spectrum of human emotions.

"Then why did you kill your own father?"

Killing intent flared in the Death King's transparent eyes. However, Myeongjin didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, it was good. In a battle between experts, an opponent's anger was always an advantage.

"Hearing that doesn't feel good, does it? Just as you don't think you betrayed your father, I feel the same way."

The Death King stared at him wordlessly. Myeongjin wondered if the reason he had once been so captivated by the Death King was because of that transparent gaze. It felt more pure than evil. Without realizing it, that was how he had perceived him. Sometimes, the impression given by one's appearance can override everything else.

The Death King began to walk slowly toward him. He could read the absolute resolve to kill him in the Death King's eyes.

Myeongjin flicked Hyeolra's blood from his dagger and walked forward to meet him. He could have tried to stall for more time by drawing out the conversation, but he didn't. This revenge was his, not Geom Mugeuk's.

I'll fight with everything I have.

The two clashed again.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Expected and unexpected trajectories mingled in a flurry of attacks. His arm ached as if it would tear off, overwhelmed by the other's inner qi, but Myeongjin gritted his teeth and fought on. A barrage of attacks followed, forcing him to block with both skill and instinct.

Just as the number one had his fearsomeness, so did the number two. But this clear gap in skill was not something that could be overcome by will alone.

SLASH!

Blood sprayed from Myeongjin's arm.

SWOOSH!

Just as the follow-up attack was about to pierce Myeongjin's heart.

CLANG!

A single sword batted the Death King's dagger aside. The one who had struck the dagger was Hwi, appearing as he dropped his concealment.

The moment the Death King tried to stab Myeongjin was a perfect opportunity to attack him directly. However, doing so would have guaranteed Myeongjin's death, so Hwi had chosen to protect him instead.

Myeongjin quickly pressed the acupoints on his wound to stop the bleeding. "I didn't want to be in your debt. Thank you."

However, Hwi gave no reply. He was only protecting Myeongjin because of the Young Cult Leader's command. He had no personal feelings for the assassin.

Myeongjin tried to rise and fight again. Just then, a voice came from behind him.

"What's with all these preparations? I almost died, you know!"

Geom Mugeuk was walking out of the tavern.

The Death King couldn't hide his surprise. He hadn't expected him to clear out the tavern and emerge so quickly. Moreover, Geom Mugeuk was perfectly fine, without so much as a scratch on him.

In truth, Myeongjin was just as surprised. He did his best to hide it as he asked, "How were the preparations? I made most of them myself."

"If I'd known you were the one who made them, I wouldn't have asked Uncle Hwi to save you."

Myeongjin could tell he wasn't being rebuked. It was a compliment, praising the excellence of the hidden weapons he had created. How many people in this murim could joke so casually in a situation like this? After escaping that death trap of a tavern, it would have been natural to show a hint of pride, even in jest. Instead, he was praising his opponent. He was showing what true self-confidence looked like.

I've lost.

He felt a sense of respect for Geom Mugeuk. Respect for such a young man? Yet he felt no shame. After all, he was the benefactor who had saved his life.

"Are you badly hurt?"

At Geom Mugeuk's question, Myeongjin knew it was time to hand the fight over to them. He didn't insist on fighting to the end. It was a great shame, but he knew it was impossible to kill the Death King with his own abilities. Any pointless stubbornness would only be a burden to Hwi and Geom Mugeuk. The Death King was far stronger than he had anticipated.

Myeongjin leaped down from the roof. "It's tough to fight with a body that's only used to swinging a hammer. I'm going to rest for a bit, so you can deal with him."

At that, Geom Mugeuk leaped up, landing in the spot Myeongjin had just vacated.

"Thank you, Uncle."

It was an expression of gratitude to Hwi for successfully carrying out his request to protect Myeongjin. With Geom Mugeuk standing behind him, Hwi's expression shifted. Now that Geom Mugeuk was the one he had to protect, he became a completely different person. After all, bodyguards were people who changed completely depending on who stood at their back.

Looking at Hwi's back, Geom Mugeuk could feel it. Hwi wanted this fight with the Death King. This fight was an inevitable clash, born from two opposing destinies.

If Uncle Hwi is going to fight?

Geom Mugeuk called down to Myeongjin, who stood below the roof. There was something he could do to help him, something he was just as good at as swordsmanship.

"Do you know why your leader joined forces with them?"

"I don't. Do you?"

"They probably made him an offer. To make him the king of all the world's assassins. To make him the ruler of the night."

Myeongjin thought that might just be the case. The man was truly mad for the art of assassination. That might have been the only offer that could have swayed him.

"It sounds plausible, I'm sure, but in the end, doesn't it just mean they plan to use him as a hired blade?"

Seeing a twitch in that transparent gaze, Geom Mugeuk began to provoke the Death King in earnest.

"What kind of ruler takes orders from someone else? A ruler of the night who bows his head to the ruler of the day? That's pathetic. A ruler? Don't make me laugh! He's nothing but a tool."

Geom Mugeuk continued to spit out provocative words, intending to rattle the Death King's mind before the fight began.

"He only knows how to imitate the lives of others, but as for what kind of life he should live for himself…"

It was at that very moment.

KAAANG!

Two streaks of sword light flashed and vanished in an instant. One streak had aimed to cut Geom Mugeuk in two, while the other had intercepted it.

Of course, he wouldn't be Geom Mugeuk if he let that shut him up. Hwi had blocked the Death King's attack. It wasn't an attack meant to kill Geom Mugeuk, but a warning that screamed, 'Shut your mouth!'

Geom Mugeuk continued to provoke the Death King with a relaxed expression, as if certain Hwi would block any attack. This time, he used Myeongjin to do it.

"Do you know why that man is trying to break his principles?"

This was something Myeongjin himself was curious about.

"Why is that?"

"It's because he's jealous. He, the number one, commits murder without any principles, while you, the number two, live by a code…"

KRAKOOM!

The Soul Slaying Thunder erupted from the Death King's sleeve. It was far more powerful than the ones used by the assassins in the tavern.

However, an even more astonishing sight unfolded. Hwi's sword spun like a pinwheel, deflecting every single one of the incoming hidden weapons.

Myeongjin was stunned at the sight. Deflecting the hidden weapons of the Soul Slaying Thunder from that distance was something he couldn't have even imagined.

The Demonic Cult Leader's bodyguard… he's much stronger than I thought.

Hwi and the Death King stared at each other. No other reason was needed for this fight. They were, to each other, the most detestable of beings. A battle between polar opposites, representing the very murim itself.

Hwi, who was always so taciturn, finally spoke his mind.

"Assassins look down on bodyguards. They think all we know how to do is stand there and protect. So today, I intend to show him."

That bodyguards and assassins are two sides of the same coin.

"Just how well someone who knows how to protect can kill when they set their mind to it."