Chapter 490: Don't Be Lonely

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Show them, Uncle."

Geom Mugeuk would have stopped Hwi if he'd been agitated, but he was as calm as usual. This wasn't an impulsive or emotional fight.

It was a stern warning from a loyal man who had lived his entire life as a bodyguard to an assassin. It was also an inevitable clash created by two opposing destinies.

"Show them that the only place for assassins is hell, Uncle."

The moment Geom Mugeuk's words ended, Hwi shot forward without hesitation.

He was rushing toward the enemy.

It was a new side of him. He had always been seen only from the back as he blocked his opponent's attacks.

The Death King also didn't evade, countering with a swing of his dagger. His eyes grew even more transparent, and within that transparency, an unknown emotion was contained.

It was impossible to know what kind of emotion it was, but at least one thing could be felt for certain.

He was acknowledging his opponent.

KAANG!

The clear metallic sound of a sword and a dagger clashing announced the start of the fight.

Both men were martial artists who didn't reveal themselves to the world. They were people who moved in secret to achieve their goals. This was a battle between two such men.

Hwi's swordsmanship was a peerless martial art passed down through the heads of the Heavenly Demon's bodyguards.

The Demonic Soul Defensive Sword Art.

The Demonic Soul Defensive Sword Art was based on swift sword techniques. Due to the nature of a bodyguard, one's reactions had to be fast. This was because the first move a bodyguard received was always a surprise attack.

On the other hand, the martial art the Death King had mastered was the unique martial art of the Death Emperor, who had been the king of assassins three hundred years ago.

The Certain Hit Assassin's Dagger Art (暗杀匕击术).

He had mastered a martial art known as a legend in the world of assassins.

Hwi fiercely pushed the Death King back.

Geom Mugeuk realized for the first time that Hwi, who had always shown only a calm demeanor, had such a rough side. Today's Hwi was like a reckless fighter who knew no retreat.

Sparks erupted as the sword and dagger clashed in mid-air.

The Certain Hit Assassin's Dagger Art was also a martial art based on speed. Because of this, the clash between the two men was so fast it was invisible to the eye. It was an exchange where a moment of carelessness would lead to death.

CHWAAAK.

The line of Hwi's sword drew a semicircle, attempting to slice the Death King in half.

KAANG!

After blocking the attack, the Death King thrust his dagger out repeatedly. The three strikes he unleashed in an instant aimed precisely for his opponent's vital points.

Hwi blocked the attack with his sword, then shot up into the air and stabbed down at the Death King repeatedly from above.

The Death King slid back as if gliding, evading the attack. He too employed a remarkable footwork befitting the martial art he practiced.

The Death King persistently aimed for Hwi's life.

Hwi tried to sever the Death King's torso.

The sword and dagger, filled with their masters' killing intent, met and produced the sound of instruments playing a fast tune.

CHAENG! CHAENG CHAENG! CHAECHAECHAECHAECHAENG!

Sparks flew with each impact. Their exchange was so fast that sparks flew in all directions, as if firecrackers were exploding. It was a grand feast of rapidly unfolding defensive swordplay and assassination arts.

Brushing past the opponent, leaping over him, advancing and retreating, clashing and separating. Their bodies moved as swiftly as their sword and dagger. Blood splattered as the blades grazed each other's skin.

Hwi was displaying a martial art so brilliant and magnificent that it made one wonder how he could have possibly lived a quiet life with such skills.

The Death King was being pushed back by Hwi's fierce momentum.

The martial arts of Hwi, who had never attacked first in his life, seemed to be saying this.

[We simply chose not to kill.]

A look of bewilderment crossed the Death King's face. He must have known his opponent was strong, but he likely hadn't expected him to be this strong.

Watching this, Myeongjin was reminded anew that his own survival against the Death King earlier was entirely thanks to Hwi.

It was because Hwi was such a strong person.

The Death King, having sensed that, had not acted rashly.

However, the Death King was no ordinary man either. He was, after all, blocking all of Hwi's incredible attacks. Their skills were truly neck and neck.

While Geom Mugeuk wished for and was confident in Hwi's victory, he was inwardly tense.

Uncle!

If the enemy hadn't been the Death King, he wouldn't have been this nervous.

Should he leave it to Hwi until the end since it was his fight?

Absolutely not. If Hwi was in the slightest danger, he would intervene immediately. Even if he earned Hwi's resentment later, he would jump in without a shred of hesitation.

Hwi and the Death King. From the start, Hwi's life and the Death King's life were not objects of comparison. He wouldn't trade Hwi for a thousand Death Kings, no, not even for all the assassins in the Central Plains.

Suddenly, his father's words came to mind.

If you're going to put Hwi at the forefront, you take responsibility.

In this moment, he was truly putting Hwi at the forefront.

I will take responsibility, Father.

It was at that very moment.

SHWIIK!

Someone launched a surprise attack from behind Geom Mugeuk.

CHAENG!

Geom Mugeuk spun around and blocked the sneak attack with his sword, then made a shushing gesture at his opponent.

"Just a moment! This is an important moment."

He turned his head back toward where Hwi and the Death King were fighting. It was indeed a tense moment in their battle.

Something burst from the Death King's hand.

PAPAPAK!

Steel needles shot out from a small, finger-sized cylinder hidden in his left hand.

CHAENG CHAENG CHAENG!

Hwi deflected the incoming hidden weapons with his sword and soared upwards. He had anticipated that this surprise attack would be linked to the next, so he launched an attack first as he flew up. He had substituted offense for defense.

PAPAPAPAK!

Despite the unexpected counterattack, the Death King didn't panic and dodged the attack.

Hwi had been prepared for the Death King's surprise attacks.

He had been fighting while thinking it was rather strange for an assassin to engage in such a direct confrontation.

Only after Hwi safely overcame the surprise attack did Geom Mugeuk look at the assassin behind him.

Geom Mugeuk's sword was already embedded in his heart. There was no way the assassin would have just stood still because Geom Mugeuk had shushed him. Just as he was about to attack again, Geom Mugeuk had stabbed him in the heart and killed him without looking back.

Geom Mugeuk turned his head and looked down the street. Here and there, people were peeking out, watching the fight. A good number of them were likely assassins just waiting for an opportunity.

Geom Mugeuk said to Myeongjin.

"Well then, let's go too!"

He meant that they should take care of all the assassins. Since there was no telling how they might interfere in the two men's fight, it was advantageous to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

Of course, even in the midst of this, Geom Mugeuk's attention was on Hwi's fight. Though he seemed to be looking only in this direction, he was paying attention to both sides, displaying a divine skill that only a true master who had reached a genuine realm could perform.

"Let's do it," Myeongjin replied.

It didn't feel real to him. The fact that he was on the same side as the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, facing the Death King. It was a life he couldn't have imagined just a few days ago.

Right, I must carry out the task I've accepted.

The two men strode down the street.

There was someone pretending to be a spectator who was undoubtedly an assassin. However, that was a foolish choice that greatly underestimated Myeongjin's memory.

SHWIK SHWIK SHWIK SHWIK!

The assassin dodged Myeongjin's daggers that flew at him in succession, but…

PUUK!

…he couldn't avoid Geom Mugeuk's sword that rushed in right after.

"Pick them all out!"

Myeongjin nodded. It was a nod that signaled his break from the Hell Mansion, and furthermore, from all assassin organizations.

At that moment, something poured down from a two-story building.

CHWARRRRRRK.

What rained down onto the street were star-shaped hidden weapons. Where they landed on the ground, sharp blades protruded.

They weren't hidden weapons meant to kill an opponent by hitting them, but hidden weapons intended to be spread on the ground to slow movement. Stepping on those sharp points would result in immediate poisoning.

However, these were not that kind of hidden weapon.

"Be careful where you step!" Geom Mugeuk warned.

Myeongjin shouted.

"Be careful now!"

The moment Myeongjin's shout ended, the hidden weapons lying on the ground launched as if exploding.

PAKPAKPAKPAKPAKPAKPAKPAK!

The blades that shot out from the explosion flew in all directions.

It was an attack that exploited the fact that people who see such hidden weapons would typically be careful not to step on them, never expecting them to launch like this.

With a warning, there was no way Geom Mugeuk couldn't dodge it.

"Don't tell me you made these too?"

"I'm sorry, but yes, I did."

"If we survive this…"

"You have to use this technique for me later too!"

At that, Geom Mugeuk leaped up and said, "We will definitely survive!"

He flew to the second floor, the very place from which the hidden weapons had just been scattered.

PAJIJIK.

Geom Mugeuk shattered the window and flew straight into the room.

SHWIIIIK!

The dagger of an assassin waiting by the window grazed past Geom Mugeuk's face. It must have been an incredibly regrettable moment for the assassin, but in that split second of breaking through the window, Geom Mugeuk had already sensed his presence.

The moment he killed him, hidden weapons shot out from under the bed, aiming for Geom Mugeuk's ankles. This too was a sneak attack that would not be easy to dodge, but…

PUK! PUK!

…Geom Mugeuk was already standing on the bed, plunging his sword into it.

That wasn't the only attack designed for this room. A closet burst open, and an assassin's attack followed.

SHWIKSHWIKSHWIKSHWIKSHWIKSHWIK!

In his hand was a very small crossbow. It was a crossbow that could fire repeatedly, and its power was truly immense.

PWAK! PWAK! PWAK! PWAK!

The wall where Geom Mugeuk had been standing was riddled with holes.

However, at the same time, the assassin fell backward. A dagger was already embedded in his forehead. It was the dagger Myeongjin had given him as a gift.

When he looked out the window again, two assassins were attacking Myeongjin. It was an ambush that took advantage of the moment Geom Mugeuk had flown up to the second floor.

They were not ordinary assassins. They were special-grade assassins hidden among the first-grade assassins.

They were the Black Shadow Assassin Duo, who had been disguised as the owner and clerk of the cloth shop.

They attacked Myeongjin in a pincer move, thrusting their swords from the left and right. Whether they were the owner or the clerk, their disguises were meaningless since their opponent was Myeongjin. They had to eliminate Myeongjin as quickly as possible for their disguises to be effective.

A bloody battle against two special-grade assassins.

Although Myeongjin's arm was injured, he was showing that he hadn't won his position as the second-in-command of the Hell Mansion by a coin toss.

The figures of Hwi and the Death King fighting on the roof were no longer visible. The sounds of their battle could be heard from beyond the building.

Geom Mugeuk's figure cut through the air. He was not heading toward where Hwi was fighting, nor where Myeongjin was fighting. He had spotted someone aiming at Myeongjin from the window of another building.

He was Karma, a special-grade assassin from Deathsky.

As Geom Mugeuk rushed toward him, the hidden weapons that had been aimed at Myeongjin were fired at Geom Mugeuk instead.

CHARARARARANG!

The hidden weapons, which flew with a sharp whistling sound, were a unique hidden weapon used by the assassin organization Deathsky.

The Paralysis Smoke Ring.

An absolute hidden weapon with the highest kill rate.

The thrown hidden weapon possessed a terrifying power that could tear the flesh and bones of a martial artist with a mere graze. However, the true nature of this hidden weapon did not lie there.

SEOGEOK!

The moment Geom Mugeuk sliced the incoming hidden weapon with his sword…

PEONG!

…paralysis powder burst out from the severed weapon. It wasn't a poison, but a drug that momentarily rendered one's muscles useless.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been flying, fell downward.

Instead, Karma leaped out from the window. This brief moment when his opponent was paralyzed was precisely the moment he had been aiming for.

SHWAAEK!

Just as Karma, with his falling momentum, was about to bisect the head of the stiffened Geom Mugeuk…

SHWIIIK! SEOGEOK!

…Geom Mugeuk's Black Demon Sword was drawn in an instant and sliced his neck.

Karma died with his eyes wide open, an expression of incomprehension on his face.

It had never failed before, not even once.

However, the paralysis powder had no effect on Geom Mugeuk. Karma had never experienced such a case, which was why he, a special-grade assassin, was defeated in a single move.

Geom Mugeuk turned around and threw a dagger.

SHWIK SHWIK SHWIK!

The three daggers flew toward one of the members of the Black Shadow Assassin Duo.

His opponent turned and deflected the daggers, but that was enough to break the stalemate of the fight.

PUUK!

Myeongjin didn't miss the opportunity and stabbed his opponent's arm and thigh in succession. With one of them injured, the tide of the tense battle turned.

"So, make me lots of gifts in the future! See how they come back to you when you need them?"

Joking, even in a situation like this?

Myeongjin wanted to retort, but he didn't have the luxury.

Leaving him to fight the remaining member of the Black Shadow Assassin Duo after finishing one off, Geom Mugeuk's figure landed on the roof of the opposite building.

Hwi and the Death King were fighting in the empty lot behind. Their sword and dagger were clashing so fast they were invisible.

Geom Mugeuk wasn't looking at their weapons, but at the look in their eyes.

He can win.

Hwi's skill was solid. It was like a great fortress wall that would not crumble in any wind. The Death King probably felt it even more keenly.

The Death King threw a volley of hidden weapons to create distance.

At that very moment, his dagger shone with a white light.

Dangerous!

Geom Mugeuk could tell he was about to use a major technique. Just as he was about to step in, he saw Hwi's face. His expression was calm, not tense at all.

A silver radiance burst forth from the tip of the Death King's dagger.

The next moment!

SWAAAAAAAAAANG!

Dozens of silver enhanced qi poured down toward Hwi.

The Flying Dagger Meteor Rain.

One of the secret techniques of the Certain Hit Assassin's Dagger Art.

Against the silver enhanced qi that poured down like rain, no, like light, Hwi's sword began to embroider the air.

CHACHACHACHACHACHACHAK!

Geom Mugeuk saw it. The sword lines being rapidly drawn in front of Hwi. Would it look like this if one watched a spider building its web at high speed?

Sword lines created in an instant.

The ultimate technique of the Demonic Soul Defensive Sword Art, imbued with the will to block any attack without fail.

The Protective Sword Wall.

Geom Mugeuk saw it for the first time. The sword wall created by Hwi.

KWANG! KWAANG! KWANGKWANGKWANG! KWANGKWANG!

The enhanced qi and the sword wall collided. The silver radiances shattered into pieces and scattered into halos of light. The Death King's attack had been blocked.

The Death King was genuinely surprised, as he never expected the Flying Dagger Meteor Rain to be blocked.

"The Demonic Cult Leader's bodyguard."

And he was genuinely impressed.

"You're more than the rumors say."

Hwi stood silently, his sword hanging loosely.

It was at that moment.

HWIKHWIKHWIKHWIKHWIKHWIKHWIKHWIK!

A dozen or so assassins dropped down on either side of the Death King. Just from their movements, it was clear they were not of ordinary skill.

The Death King, as if his only goal was to kill his opponent, rushed toward Hwi along with the assassins.

It had been such a close fight with just the Death King alone.

However, Hwi didn't get scared or try to flee. A bodyguard must be even calmer at times like these.

Hwi thought of the Cult Leader behind him. He thought of the Young Cult Leader behind him. Because in such situations, he was someone who could draw out two, three times his strength.

"Assassins to hell!"

He repeated the words Geom Mugeuk had said at the beginning of the fight. Coming from Hwi's mouth, the words carried a different weight.

Hwi gripped his sword firmly and charged forward. He didn't retreat. Because behind him were the Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader, and his pride as the head of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's bodyguards.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk's voice came from behind.

"Don't be lonely, Uncle! We're on your side here!"

The next moment.

SSSSSSSSSSSST.

The assassins rushing toward Hwi were horrified.

Something had spread out wide on either side of Hwi, who was charging to meet them.

The thing that made their eyes bulge was terrifyingly shaped demonic spirits.

Geom Mugeuk had unleashed the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, the Great Annihilation Stance.

All the demonic spirits, except for the one at Hwi's position, split and spread out like wings on either side of Hwi.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

The demonic spirits charged forward along with Hwi.