Chapter 592: Secret Box

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Hey, what do you think?"

The man with both hands bandaged sat in the stands, his gaze directed down at the empty duel stage.

The person who cautiously entered was Yeom Baekyin.

"I am Principal Yeom Baekyin of the Yellow Dragon Academy."

He introduced himself to the man first. Of course, the other man likely knew everything about him. He was, after all, sitting in the place Yeom Baekyin cherished and loved most.

Still, the reason he offered a greeting was to show respect to this terrifying man.

Earlier, the sight of him had been so frightening that Yeom Baekyin had fled, his memory going blank for a moment. The killing intent that poured from this man stimulated a primal fear.

"I've joined hands with the person in the basement, so you could say I'm on your side as well."

Normally, he should have run away. Even if he didn't flee, he should have hidden in his office until all the fighting was over.

However, the last words the Fist Demon spoke in his office had compelled him to come out here.

Didn't I send out everyone who doesn't belong in hell? The reason you're still here is because you belong in hell.

Yeom Baekyin took those words as a threat that he would be killed. He knew that with the Demonic Cult involved, begging would solve nothing. They would just take everything from him and kill him anyway.

He decided that trusting the man in the basement gave him a better chance of survival. And if this terrifying man was on the same side, he might even get rid of those bastards from the Demonic Cult.

I will never give up.

The fact that the Demonic Cult bastards ignored him and that this man looked at him with such a pathetic gaze was all because he was weak. It was because they didn't see the Principal of a martial arts academy as a true martial artist.

If I can just get the secret manual!

He would work himself to death to become stronger. Then, in that moment, he would meet that condescending gaze and say this.

[Lower your eyes.]

It was this desire that allowed him to stand with such confidence.

"The reason I've come is to deliver important information. The opponents are from the Demonic Cult."

The man showed no reaction, even at the mention of the Demonic Cult. Seeing that he wasn't surprised at all, Yeom Baekyin realized he already knew.

These bastards didn't even tell me.

Feeling uncomfortable under the silent man's stare, Yeom Baekyin averted his gaze.

Men who appeared to be the man's subordinates stood all around. There were dozens of them. Instead of traditional weapons, they wore gauntlets on both hands.

They're all fist technique users.

If there was ever a time to use the saying that subordinates resemble their leader, this was it. Every single one of the martial artists gave off a cold, icy presence, completely devoid of mercy. Yeom Baekyin could feel it. They weren't ordinary subordinates but killing machines raised without emotion.

Just who are you, to not even fear the Demonic Cult?

His true identity was unknown to Yeom Baekyin, the Fist Demon, the Flower Sword Supreme, and everyone else. Only Geom Mugeuk knew it.

The Twelve Zodiac Kings, the Fist King, Jang Hu.

He was the Fist King, the twelfth and final king of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.

A saying became popular when they ruled the murim.

The Twelve Zodiac Kings begin with the sword and end with the fist.

Being the twelfth and last king didn't mean his skills were last. The order was determined without regard to skill, with the exception of the first king, the Sword King.

In his life before regression, countless people died by his hands even after he rose to the position of the Fist King. The martial artists of that era lived in a time where no one could stop those fists, which held an innate killing intent.

Just then, Jang Hu's gaze shifted to one spot. For the first time, an emotion flickered across his indifferent face.

When Yeom Baekyin turned to look, he saw a young man walking in. The man's hands were wrapped tightly in red bandages, looking as if they had been dipped in blood. It was a stark contrast to Jang Hu's white bandages.

"I have returned."

The man performed a polite clasped hands greeting to show his respect, and Jang Hu nodded in return.

The newly arrived young man's presence was also extraordinary. He then introduced the two people who had come with him.

"These are the people who have come to support us in this matter."

Both of them looked young, but one man's clothing was peculiar.

He wore a red martial arts uniform with a ghost design drawn in white lines. The moment he saw the uniform, Yeom Baekyin knew who the man was.

The Ghost Blade!

He was an absolute master of the unorthodox sects, called the Ghost Blade because he wielded his dao like a ghost.

The Ghost Blade was that young? Which era's Ghost Blade is he?

Yeom Baekyin couldn't tell if he had undergone Rejuvenation or if some other young master was just imitating his clothes.

The other man had long, slanted eyes and unusually long hands and feet. He didn't carry his sword at his waist or on his back, but held it close to his chest.

Both men had appearances that were hard to forget after a single glance.

In Yeom Baekyin's eyes, Jang Hu seemed like the type of person who wouldn't greet anyone, yet he accepted the two men's greetings.

To the two men who politely performed a clasped hands greeting, he returned the gesture from his seat. Seeing this, Yeom Baekyin felt an even greater sense of humiliation. While he had been talking, the man had only given him a look of contempt.

After finishing their greetings, the three men walked past Yeom Baekyin toward the section of the stands where Jang Hu was sitting. They didn't give Yeom Baekyin a single glance as they passed.

Yeom Baekyin realized that one thing the terrifying demon had said was accurate. Cold and heartless. The people gathered here were a good fit for hell.

And before he knew it, he had become one of them.

It was at that moment.

Everyone's gaze began to turn toward one spot.

People were walking toward them with an overwhelming presence.

The one leading the group was the Fist Demon, flanked by the Flower Sword Supreme and Lee Ahn. With these three approaching, how could all eyes not be drawn to them?

Despite there being dozens of people on this side, they strode forward with confidence.

An immense killing intent poured out from Jang Hu's subordinates. It was the first time she had faced such a powerful killing intent in a real fight.

Yeom Baekyin, who was standing closest, met the Fist Demon's gaze. Yeom Baekyin was afraid, but he didn't want to lose in terms of presence. He met the Fist Demon's gaze without looking away.

"Didn't you say it? That I belong in this hell too. Did you think I'd run away in fear just because you're from the Demonic Cult?"

The Fist Demon said nothing to him and looked at Jang Hu instead. Yeom Baekyin flared up at being ignored again, but he didn't dare confront that terrifying face.

Finally, for the first time since Yeom Baekyin had arrived, Jang Hu opened his mouth. This was the man who hadn't even spoken to those who came to support him.

"Fist Demon, I've been wanting to meet you."

The Fist Demon simply nodded once, not asking who the man was. He wasn't even curious.

Instead, it was Yeom Baekyin who reacted to those words. He was utterly shocked.

What? The Fist Demon? He's the Fist Demon? That man was a Demon Supreme?

He had thought he was just a master from the Demonic Cult. He never dreamed that one of the Eight Demon Supremes of the Demonic Cult would come here. And he had just raised his voice to such a person?

Moreover, there wasn't just one Demon Supreme.

"And the Flower Sword Supreme, too. The Young Cult Leader is truly the Young Cult Leader."

Yeom Baekyin had no time to be surprised by the mention of the Flower Sword Supreme. His mind went blank at the words 'Young Cult Leader'.

Young Cult Leader? What Young Cult Leader? Don't tell me… the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?

While Yeom Baekyin was fainting from shock, the gazes of the Fist Demon and Jang Hu locked in mid-air. Yeom Baekyin could tell he was a true Demon Supreme. The moment Jang Hu's terrifying killing intent met the Fist Demon's, it no longer felt so frightening. The killing intent and demonic qi were taut.

This time, the Fist Demon was the first to open his mouth.

"The martial arts academy is closed today."

The Fist Demon slowly looked over all of them and said coldly. They were the kind of words Yeom Baekyin wished he could say, even in his dreams.

"So, from now on, everyone will exit through the door we open."

"We're here. Everyone, wake up!"

Geom Mugeuk's eyes shot open in surprise at the sound of someone waking him. The moment he opened his eyes, an utterly unexpected situation unfolded before him. It was the first time he had opened his eyes since being absorbed by the Secret Box.

RATTLE, RATTLE.

He was inside a moving carriage.

A foul smell suddenly hit him. A dozen or so men were packed tightly together in the windowless cargo area of the carriage. Seeing that they were all wearing swords, they weren't being dragged off somewhere.

Did some kind of formations activate inside the Secret Box?

Dangerous formations that threatened him?

However, when he was being sucked into the Secret Box, he had felt very comfortable and pleasant. It didn't seem like the Secret Box was trying to kill him.

Geom Mugeuk first checked the condition of his body.

First, he checked if his arms and legs were properly attached. Arms, normal. Legs, normal. His eyes could see well, and his ears could hear well.

His physical condition was good. The problem was his inner arts.

He only had as much inner arts as someone who had trained for a few years. It was an amount of inner arts that was insufficient to use the techniques of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art or the Soaring Sky Sword Art.

What a relief. A relief.

Where else could he find even a few years' worth? Even a handful of inner arts could help him avoid death in a critical situation. That was his skill, after all.

Next, he checked his sword. It wasn't the Black Demon Sword, but an ordinary iron sword. Of course, it would probably change back into the Black Demon Sword once he got out of here. However, one thing remained the same. The Secret Box was still tucked inside his clothes.

Secret Box, what kind of test is your father trying to give me?

Geom Mugeuk thought this situation was some kind of test given to him by the Secret Box.

If this was a test from the Secret Box?

There must be a way to pass it, and there must also be a reward. Yes, let's think positively.

"……"

Geom Mugeuk slightly drew his sword and looked at his reflection.

It's my face.

At least he hadn't entered someone else's body.

Seeing this, the man sitting in front of him asked Geom Mugeuk a question.

"What did you say your name was?"

He was the owner of the voice that had woken him up a moment ago.

He wondered what to answer, then decided that in this place, his body was one that would vanish like smoke.

"It's Geom Yeon."

"Is this your first time?"

He didn't know what 'first time' referred to, but.

"It is my first time."

"I knew it. I told them not to send any rookies."

Hearing the word 'send', he could roughly grasp the situation.

"I wasn't told that."

"If you don't stay sharp, you'll die. Rookies like you are the first to go."

"I'll stay sharp."

He never dreamed the Secret Box would absorb him, and to make matters worse, he was in a situation like this?

Suddenly, he thought of the Sword King, who would be outside.

If he saw me get sucked in here, he wouldn't just stand by, would he?

What worried him was the possibility of the Sword King destroying the Secret Box to save him, but that was unlikely.

Not only was he not that reckless, but having seen him get absorbed, the Sword King would be convinced that this lump of metal was the real objective.

He was probably trying to figure out a way to get inside.

However, he had a feeling the Sword King wouldn't be able to enter. He suspected that one needed to either possess the Secret Box he had, or have the energy absorbed by the Secret Box in their body to get in.

After all, he had clearly been invited by the Secret Box.

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop.

The flap was pulled back, and dazzling sunlight streamed in.

"Alright, everyone out!"

Geom Mugeuk got out of the carriage. It was a vast field at the foot of a mountain, where dozens of tents were set up and hundreds of martial artists were coming and going.

People were shouting, people were carrying the injured, and people were running somewhere. From the scene, he knew at once.

It's a battlefield!

The people who had been in the carriage with him were all volunteers for the war.

"Alright, you guys are this way."

The martial artist who took charge of them divided the newcomers from the carriage among several tents.

"Here's a new recruit."

Geom Mugeuk also entered one of the tents.

There were three or four martial artists inside. Some were sleeping, one was eating something, and another was sitting on a cot, maintaining his weapon. They all had tired, weary faces.

One of the men frowned upon seeing Geom Mugeuk.

"Damn it! They sent another rookie."

He still didn't know why he was in this situation, but as always, Geom Mugeuk did his best in the circumstances he faced.

"I'm Geom Yeon. Fortunately, I'm very lucky. I'm sure I'll be of help."

At that, the man who had frowned at the rookie got up from his cot and handed Geom Mugeuk a leather pouch from the corner.

"I'm your superior, Division Leader Jang Hu of the White Tiger Seventeenth Squad. Cut the crap and just listen to me from now on! Got it?"

"……"

"Your spot is over there."

And so, he was assigned a shabby, worn-out cot roughly carved from wood.

Geom Mugeuk considered asking Jang Hu about the situation, but decided to check outside first and stepped out of the tent.

By the way, where is this place?

He had traveled all over the Central Plains, to all sorts of places, but this place was unfamiliar. If it was a world created by the Secret Box, it could all be a virtual world anyway.

However, for that to be the case, too many people were speaking and moving like real people.

Secret Box, what do you think of this situation? Is this a test to survive this war?

No, it couldn't be such a simple test. With his martial arts, could he not survive even without inner arts? It was at that moment.

"It's the Chairman of the Murim Alliance!"

"The Chairman has arrived!"

Geom Mugeuk was startled by the shouts from his surroundings. Martial artists began to rush over in a crowd.

Chairman Jin came here?

Geom Mugeuk ran toward where the martial artists were flocking.

A middle-aged man wearing a long robe embroidered with a dragon and a tiger was walking over.

A truly overwhelming presence!

The moment he saw him, Geom Mugeuk was shocked. He was not the Chairman of the Murim Alliance he knew, Jin Paecheon.

The surrounding martial artists all cheered and shouted toward him in unison.

"The Divine Sword Martial Emperor! The Divine Sword Martial Emperor!"

Geom Mugeuk was shocked at the name 'the Divine Sword Martial Emperor'. The Divine Sword Martial Emperor was someone he knew. No, to be precise, someone he had heard of.

He was one of the most famous Chairmen in the history of the Murim Alliance.

Geom Mugeuk could tell. The place where he had woken up was not his own era.

This was the murim of three hundred years ago.