CHAPTER 533: EPILOGUE EARTH DEMON (30)

“My lord.”

The guards who had been escorting me stepped up beside me one by one.

And it wasn’t just them: core warriors active in the open and secret warriors moving in the shadows as well.

They had gathered for the first time without my orders.

“Just give the order.”

Their expressions were different.

They had already sensed it.

That this was a threat that put not only their lives but mine on the line.

The number of troops surrounding us on all sides.

The murderous intent of Supreme Demon Warriors watching from the rooftops.

Unknown beings observing from the darkness.

All of it told me that tonight, someone was certain to die.

“It’s fine. You all fall back.”

“…No. We’ll buy time first…”

“Don’t worry.”

I looked at their worried faces and spoke.

“You can trust me. What you fear will not happen.”

But they did not move.

Instead they stepped forward and drew their swords.

“My lord. It is our duty to lay down our lives to hold this position.”

“That is why I am ordering you.”

I put force into my voice.

“Fall back for now. When I give the signal, then come.”

When they still hesitated, I had no choice but to shout.

“Do I have to say it twice?!”

My voice echoed through the alley and the warriors flinched.

Their faces, torn between hesitation and loyalty, stood out in the moonlight.

When I kept my serious expression, the senior among them finally stepped forward and saluted.

“…We obey the command.”

Whoosh,

The escort, the core warriors, and the secret warriors all retreated.

Their footsteps faded into the dark, but they remained waiting breathlessly.

They had stepped back but not left—ready to charge whenever needed.

“As befits the city’s talk of a disciple, your composure is considerable.”

Hyang-gae’s mouth twisted into a smirk.

“Normally they’d claw to save their lives, but to stand and fight instead of running…”

His voice contained a strange admiration.

But at the same time his vigilance deepened.

“It could also be despair.”

Shi Ah-young’s seductive laugh floated through the night air.

“Don’t overestimate them. Hohoho.”

Contrary to her words, the dagger in her hand trembled slightly.

Heavenly Killing Star. Even the rumor of it would inspire fear.

‘It’s said to be a power that can kill even a Supreme Demon Warrior in one strike.’

They giggled, but I actually had no interest in them.

I didn’t want to comment on their foolishness for walking into a deathtrap and the obvious outcome.

Instead, my attention was elsewhere.

‘Have I ended up dragging you in as well?’

My gaze turned to the two masked figures.

Strange Being Troops.

Normally they would join a power struggle much later.

They were known when our sect sought help because of uncontrollable jiangshi.

‘But I didn’t expect to encounter them so soon…’

The meeting came sooner than expected.

What that meant was clear.

My actions had caused a bigger ripple than I thought.

And that meant the End Demon felt threatened.

Blame.

Surrounded by troops on all sides, they moved first.

Hyang-gae rose into the air and lightly alighted on the ground.

Plop.

Shi Ah-young followed and landed beside him.

Unlike Hyang-gae’s light footsteps, the air around her shimmered heavily.

‘They have something up their sleeve.’

They wouldn’t try to fight me directly.

They knew that if I unleashed the Heavenly Killing Star they’d die from its absolute power.

Yet they came close, so they must have a plan.

“Show it to us.”

Hyang-gae’s voice dropped low.

“That Heavenly Killing Star power of yours.”

Sssss,

The sound of swords being drawn cut the night’s silence.

Killing intent clung to Hyang-gae’s blade and suffocated the air.

Greenish demonic energy coiled around the blade and crept up.

Shi Ah-young planted her hands and pulled out her dagger.

The moonlight flashed coldly off the edge.

But it wasn’t them who advanced.

Whoosh,

As if given a signal, the masked figures in the group revealed themselves at once.

‘Shadowless Twelve Guards…’

Hyang-gae’s direct subordinates.

They were all warriors at the end of Peak Demon, capable by coordinated attack of subduing a Supreme Demon warrior.

‘There’s still something off…’

Yet something felt odd.

Unusually, Shi Ah-young hadn’t brought the Black Cat.

Hyang-gae also showed no sign of using his martial art.

“Handle them!”

Just as questions spread, Hyang-gae’s command fell.

The Shadowless Twelve Guards struck as one.

Papapak!

With Hyang-gae’s shout, the Shadowless Twelve Guards charged in unison.

Their weapons varied.

About four carried swords and blades.

Others used rare weapons—sword poles, spears, broad blades, Moon Axe, Moon-Shadow Sickle, and the like.

Shh! Shh!

Their killing intent converged to a single point.

Directly upon me.

‘What can all those flashy weapons do… huh?’

Just as I was about to cut them all down at once, I hesitated.

Something wrapped around my ankle.

A wriggling, alien sensation.

Stones, dirt, and shards of broken tiles coiled up my leg like a living snake.

‘Right. Shi Ah-young used psychokinesis like Il-su.’

No—stronger than Il-su.

The ability to manipulate objects; in certain situations it can even surpass the Supreme Demon strength.

“Got you!”

Shi Ah-young’s face lit up with triumph.

A smirk of victory curled her lips as she moved her fingers more precisely.

Gugugugung,

Pebbles and fragments on the ground began moving on their own, binding my limbs.

Up to my knees. My waist. My arms.

Invisible chains tightened around my body.

Meanwhile the Shadowless Twelve Guards had already reached me.

They had already positioned themselves at the desired distance and were unleashing their arts.

“Haaap!”

Qi exploded from twelve directions.

Sword wind bursting out from the swords.

Blade qi pouring from blades.

Spear qi detonating from spear tips.

Different martial qi converged in a dazzling bloom toward one point.

The air tore and screamed.

But their expectation stopped right there.

Swoooosh,

First.

The gaze of the Shadowless Twelve Guards member who seemed to be the leader flickered.

Slaaak. Slaaak.

Second, third.

The sounds of necks being cut rang out in succession.

Their movements strangely froze.

Shaaak. Shaaak.

From the fourth to the sixth.

Six necks already flew through the air, severed.

Blood spurted like fountains.

The headless bodies dragged one or two steps by inertia, then collapsed lifeless.

Thud, thud, thud.

The heads that fell to the ground rolled and stopped.

Eyes wide open.

The remaining six briefly realized what had happened.

Or tried to.

Swoooosh,

But it was already too late.

A dozen or more slashes.

But those here hadn’t even seen the movements.

Only Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young, blinking and watching, seemed to catch a trace of my afterimage.

“Why?”

I flicked the blood from my blade and looked at them.

“Are you baffled because things aren’t going the way you expected?”

Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young’s faces contorted.

They looked like they realized their plan had failed.

I took a step toward them.

Then.

A wriggle.

I stopped at a strange sensation.

“Huh. Look at these guys?”

Shadowless Twelve Guards.

The dead were suddenly getting up.

Necks dripping blood.

Eyes without focus.

Faces devoid of vitality.

Jiangshi… or are they some kind of soulless revenant?

“Ah. So that’s it.”

Now I could read their strategy.

Turn warriors at the end of Peak Demon into jiangshi and use them as expendables.

Use the old man who appears to be Songhwa’s master to manifest this.

Thus, before they personally attacked, they planned to somehow force my Heavenly Killing Star power to manifest.

‘They think if I use the Heavenly Killing Star power, I’ll die too.’

But they didn’t know.

That I could fake Heavenly Killing Star’s power.

“Fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Kwahjjjjjik!

I stamped my foot into the ground.

At that moment, power spread through my body.

The force that had risen skyward on my power immediately reversed into a tremendous backflow.

The qi gathered above my head poured down like a waterfall, spreading through me.

Kuwawawang.

Small explosions occurred where I stood, and then they burst in succession.

“It’s the Heavenly Killing Star!”

“That’s it!”

Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young’s voices trembled.

It was perfect for their misconception.

The demonic qi flowing through my body, with added lightning, convinced them it was a sign of Heavenly Killing Star.

At this point I felt obliged to meet their expectations.

Kwang!

I slammed the ground and drew more internal qi.

Another explosion followed.

Kuaaaang!

This time the force spread enough to shake the surrounding qi.

Forcibly drawing on the Hundred Point’s union made their faces visibly pale even without seeing it.

A pain like blood flowing backward.

My meridians burned hot.

“Stop it!”

“Block it!”

Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young shouted.

Once ready to rush, they now retreated quickly, convinced that the Heavenly Killing Star had manifested.

Whoosh, whoosh!

They leapt backward to increase the distance.

Fear and vigilance were clear on their faces.

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“When will it be ready?!”

The two who returned to their original positions shouted at a masked boyish figure.

The boy answered calmly.

“It’s almost done. Prepare yourselves mentally.”

“Exactly!”

Hyang-gae exhaled a sigh of relief.

Shi Ah-young finally relaxed her stiff expression.

Their tensed shoulders loosened and smiles of triumph rose.

“Foolish brat.”

Hyang-gae’s voice dripped with mockery.

“You think the Heavenly Killing Star’s power alone is enough for everything?”

He spoke as if victory was a foregone conclusion.

Shi Ah-young chimed in.

“Indeed. Drunk on your own power, unaware of what we can do.”

“Our lord will be delighted—we’ve caught a big one.”

Heh heh.

Derisive laughter rippled through the night.

At that moment—

Kuaaaang!

A tremendous explosion erupted in the distance.

The center where the Heavenly Killing Star’s power was erupting.

The troops Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young had brought were being sucked into it like moths to a flame.

They couldn’t even scream.

“Truly chilling.”

Hyang-gae muttered.

“Is that Heavenly Killing Star? It turns so many troops to ash in an instant.”

“If it weren’t for the Strange Being Troops here, we’d never have withdrawn. Right, Black Cat…?!”

Shi Ah-young, who had been stroking the Black Cat that had reappeared in her arms, widened her eyes.

Its black fur vanished like dust without any cry.

A massive beam of light fired from far away had pierced the Black Cat and blown a hole through part of her body.

Ssssss,

Blood began to flow.

From her shoulder. From her side.

“W-what is this…”

By the time Hyang-gae realized it, it was already over.

When he slowly turned his head, he could see the figure standing mere steps away from him.

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“That—it’s something I used once before.”

I said calmly.

“…”

“Your plan was to have only our side slip away by body disappearance. So I kindly came this far.”

Hyang-gae’s face went pale.

“…”

He seemed so flustered he couldn’t continue.

I stepped closer and tapped his shoulder.

Tap, tap.

“Don’t worry. There’s still plenty of time. I told you—I’m experienced.”

“A-ack…!”

Hyang-gae’s eyes rolled in shock.

He desperately swung his sword at me with all his strength—but—

I was several times faster.

Thud!

I grabbed his hair and slammed his head into the ground; the floor dented and dust rose.

Then I tightened my grip.

Crack.

“…”

A short silence.

Holding the collar of the now-dead man, I took a few steps back and spoke.

I flashed a grin at the masked figures who were confused.

“Then next time, don’t show yourselves like this.”

Pop.

With that, the two vanished from sight.

Teleportation.

They had likely teleported to the safe zone where Hyang-gae and Shi Ah-young were.

After thinking of them briefly, I looked around.

There were still over a hundred warriors.

Having lost their leaders, they watched me in confusion.

“Those who want to live may go.”

I said calmly.

“…”

Silence.

No one moved.

Their faces still mixed fear and confusion.

“However, if you go as you are, you will be punished.”

I stepped forward and continued.

“Explain why you failed to protect your commander, why you didn’t die in his stead, and why you failed to kill me.”

They all looked at me unable to answer.

“And if it’s known that I’m alive, nine times out of ten you’ll be killed—no one should survive after the Heavenly Killing Star’s power was unleashed.” 𝑅ãŊȫ₿ĘṦ

Logically, they had no choice.

Return and die.

Stay and face an uncertain future.

I looked at them and said.

“Just in case, I’ll give you more time. Watch with your own eyes whether I survive here, then decide.”

Then I grinned and added one last line.

“For the record, we…”

It was an opportunity to recruit them to our side.

A perfect performance up to this point was necessary.

“Whoever comes will be warmly welcomed and treated with great hospitality.”

Because today will be the day the First Disciple collapses of his own accord.