𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕𝟖
Kyieek!
Kyaak!
Guooooh─!
As soon as Xue Laifu raised his hand, a considerable number of yokai started to show up from the other side of the forest.
Ten, twenty. And before you know it, fifty.
The generals gasped in surprise as they saw the ridiculous number of troops.
“H-How come there are so many yokai in our Hawon Clan territory. . . . . . .”
“Heh heh, you’re too busy doubting and accusing each other to notice. The preparation was done a long time ago.”
They had thought that there might be hidden troops, but they were in a state of shock when it actually happened.
Judging from their aura, their levels ranged from 40 to 60.
Most of them were insignificant yokai, but some of them were certainly capable of holding us back.
“Humph! Don’t talk nonsense! If things turn out this way, our Fifth Faction and Second Faction will also prepare for battle and send troops!”
Of course, since it had become a battle for the fate of the clan, they had no reason to spare any effort.
However, Xue Laifu’s response was insignificant.
“How many generals do you think have agreed with me?”
“What?”
“Almost half of the Hawon Clan has already joined me. By now, your hideouts must be on fire.”
“T-This is outrageous!”
It’s not a bluff or a lie. You can tell that much from Xue Laifu’s persistently calm expression.
He had already finished all the preparation before we arrived, and now he was just showing it off. He was truly meticulous and vicious.
Ha Sa-dam, whose face was stiff, quietly approached me and spoke.
“This is. . . . . . a difficult fight. Is there anything we can do?”
“I have a few ideas, but none of them are certain.”
In fact, if we think about it extremely, we can just run away, putting our safety first.
Of course, Xue Laifu would focus on us, but even so, we would be able to escape somehow.
「𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨. . . . . . .」
It means we’re automatically abandoning the people of the Hawon Clan.
Also, in that case, even the other generals might change their minds and come after us.
In this subtle situation, Han Seo-ah and Arietta suggested a breakthrough.
“Junior, remember what we talked about last time?”
“. . .Last time?”
“Before we arrived at Jinyeon Mountain, the exorcist group that chased us, mistaking us for the target.”
There was definitely such a story.
They had chased them for a long time, mistaking Arietta for the yokai they were originally after, and eventually they were able to clear up the misunderstanding with difficulty.
Han Seo-ah, who looked surprised, opened her mouth this time.
“That yokai was Xue Laifu, Oppa. The name and characteristics all match. So I’ve already sent a signal.”
In Han Seo-ah’s hand, a yellow talisman, which had been cut in half at some point, was held.
Han Seo-ah said this about it.
“They asked us to do them a favor before they left. If we ever find out where Xue Laifu is, they asked us to use this talisman.”
There are three ways to use the talisman, and breaking it means.
“It’s a signal that we’ve found Xue Laifu in person, so they’ll be here soon. Riding on a flying divine beast.”
Normally, it would be impossible to send support immediately after sending a signal, but it seemed that they had a divine beast that could make it possible.
While admiring the fact that the relationship we had in the past had become a wedge for the counterattack, I quickly sorted out the situation and continued to calculate.
「𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙓𝙪𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙞𝙛𝙪, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡.」
I could feel it instinctively. Perhaps from now on, it will be a muddy battle where our goals are intertwined.
However, on the other hand, it felt like an opportunity.
「𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙝, 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙄’𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. . . . . . .」
We’ll take care of Xue Laifu here for sure.
He is a being who will definitely become an obstacle to us in some way in the future.
If we can kill him now, it will be the greatest achievement.
Having made up my mind, I quietly signaled my party members.
The will to fight to the death.
Everyone who confirmed it scattered like lightning and began to perform their own spells.
“Celestial magic, Eight Trigrams and Celestial Heavens Art . First hexagram. Torrential Downpour!”
“Azure Serpent Binding! Linked Wave Slicing Disks!”
Cheong Juhwa and Shin Pyo-eul, who completed the spell first, started the battle, and the rest of the party members also entered the battle, each targeting their own targets.
As we had agreed in advance, Arietta and Echinacea Lianqi faced Xue Laifu, who was like the enemy commander.
Since they wouldn’t be able to easily subdue him even if they went head-to-head, the strategy was to let the two people with outstanding stamina buy time while subduing the rest of the strong ones.
“You guys are going to fight that Xue Laifu? You’re being presumptuous!”
Heo Pyung-su, one of the generals of the First Faction, aimed for me, who was at the forefront.
His level was 63. He was a powerful man, and the 1-meter-long staff in his hand was also a high-ranking magic tool with unusual power.
However, to be honest, I wasn’t afraid of him at all.
“I understand that you don’t understand your situation.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Stop talking nonsense and just take my attack!”
Immobility spell.
Along with the mantra uttered by Heo Pyung-su, the beam of light that extended from the staff wrapped around my body and soon began to tighten as if it was going to crush every bone in my body.
But again, it was weak.
It was less powerful than Gonha’s natural barrier, and compared to the power of Consort Hwi, who could render all attacks useless, Heo Pyung-su’s tricks were neither mysterious nor special.
Of course, he must also be in the position of a strong man in this world, but my eyes had become too high to accept it as it was.
“Shadow Blast.”
Swish!
Crackle!
As I poured spiritual power into the shadow and inflated its size, the desperate spell that Heo Pyung-su had cast was completely shattered and fell apart.
“W-What the heck!”
“Didn’t you hear? They must have told you that Baekryeo also died by our hands.”
“Damn. . . . . . who cares about that guy!”
I had expected it from his reaction, but it seemed that not all of the five great yokai were famous in the present era.
Baekryeo and Taotie must have existed much longer than Xue Laifu, considering their age, which was quite ironic.
“Secret Curse of Fear. Cursed Incense. Phantom Wave of Thought. . .”
Whoosh!
Pa-sswoosh!
“Ugh! H-How can it be this powerful!”
As my curse, which I didn’t put much effort into, broke through Heo Pyung-su’s defensive spells, Heo Pyung-su desperately shouted as he ran away with his tail between his legs.
“Jegal-yun! Help me! That kid’s skill is not ordinary!”
“. . .I saw it too. Heo Pyung-su. But I refuse.”
“What!”
Heo Pyung-su turned his head, trembling with betrayal, but Jegal-yun didn’t say that to look down on him.
He had his movements blocked by Cheong Juhwa, who had been having an invisible tug-of-war with Jegal-yun at some point.
“. . .If you take your feet off first, you’ll definitely lose. Don’t think I’ll help you in this fight.”
“Ugh! T-This!”
That’s right, all the generals had warned that Jegal-yun’s tricks were difficult to deal with.
That’s why Cheong Juhwa decided to just keep an eye on him as soon as the battle started.
“Bitterness of the blue mountain, vain curse of the world of death. . . .”
As she quickly recited the mantra to cast an advanced spell, Heo Pyung-su, who must have thought he couldn’t block it, started to run away with a pale face.
“Cleansing Death Fragrance.”
Wheeze!
Pa-sssswoosh!
The moment the curse was completed and aimed precisely at the back of Heo Pyung-su, a golden figure blocked his way at the speed of light.
Bang!
It was Gyeonggang, the ruler of the sky who lives on the top of a mountain above the clouds.
“Tsk. Even though it’s a contract, I have to protect these insignificant beings.”
“O, oh. Thank you, Gyeonggang.”
Heo Pyung-su, who had narrowly escaped death, regained his composure and got into position again, but Gyeonggang’s expression wasn’t so good.
Because he had hurriedly blocked my Cleansing Death Fragrance, which had a karma value attached to it, a large wound had appeared on one of his wings.
“It’s a curse with unusual power. I won’t be able to use my right wing for a while.”
Thud!
Thud!
Until then, Gyeonggang had been in a half-human form, but soon a creepy sound rang out and he transformed into his true, original form.
What would it look like if you enlarged an eagle or a hawk and mixed it with the evil star of the abyss?
There was definitely something fundamentally terrifying about the form of Gyeonggang, who had returned to his original form.
“It’s been ten years since I’ve shown this form. Be prepared!”
Kwarrung!
Kwaaang─!
Gyeonggang charged at me at a speed like lightning, and Geusdae, who jumped out of the shadow, blocked it.
However, he couldn’t handle the momentum properly, and Geusdae’s feet lifted off the ground and flew into the air.
『Coo-eee─!』
I Shadowless Kicked out of the way to avoid getting caught, but Gyeonggang, who had caught it, charged again with the same power, as if he didn’t get tired.
However, this time, I was able to respond to it properly as well.
“Sahwanjae.”
『Kyieek!』
Sahwanjae, who stretched out his arms from the shadows, emitted his aura, and I also performed the spell I had been preparing in accordance with it.
Swish!
Whoosh!
The technique of transferring a spell through the shadow extended by the Evolution spell, Transfer,
It was one of the new weapons I had developed, implementing it in a slightly different form.
Kwaaang!
“Keuheueueok!”
Soon after, Heo Pyung-su, who had been hit by Gyeonggang’s charge, flew into the bushes, coughing up blood, and Gyeonggang hardened his face as if he couldn’t understand what had happened to me for a moment.
“T-This strange technique. . . . . . .”
“Your speed is too much for me to handle, but that method won’t work anymore.”
In fact, it’s difficult for me to do this to a yokai like Gyeonggang.
However, since his speed was unexpectedly powerful, it was necessary to block it.
Gyeonggang, who had already tasted it once, wouldn’t be able to attack in the same way as before.
“. . .Nonsense, then I’ll just change my target.”
Wheeze!
Kwaaang─!
Gyeonggang soared into the sky as if he was trying to get away from me, who he was incompatible with, and Xue Laifu, who had been fighting the party members from afar, stomped on the ground, disrupting everyone’s concentration.
A combined attack that was possible because intelligent and wise high-ranking yokai had joined forces.
While I was bewildered by it, I prepared to cast a spell at any time to protect those whose posture had collapsed and become targets.
“It’s useless!”
Gyeonggang aimed at Shin Pyo-eul, who was the farthest away from me, without any hesitation.
However, at that moment, there was another beam of light that struck Gyeonggang.
Kwaaang!
“Kyaak!”
A giant Roc with golden hair and wings.
And from its back, a group of Taoist priests with disheveled hair jumped into the air.
“You bastard, Xue Laifu! It’s time to pay for what you’ve done!”
It was the moment when Xue Laifu’s pursuers, who Han Seo-ah had summoned through the talisman, appeared with perfect timing.
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