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Chapter 308. Seeds of Evil
The Lantern Sect.
A sect founded five years ago in Hwangcheon County by Lightning Saber O Il-sik, who had been active in Henan Province.
Having made a bigger name as an escort than a warrior, he'd started as a martial hall. But as more and more aspiring escorts flocked to join, at some point he'd rechristened it as a proper sect.
"What about Deung Go-hyeon?"
Everyone else had taken Blood-Explosion Pills too, but Deung Go-hyeon was the only one who'd transformed into a Demonic Practitioner.
Ën̈u ḿ_а
I'd stopped them from taking Dormant Blood Pills and waited a long time, but no other Lantern Sect warrior showed signs of turning.
Which meant there was something unique about Deung Go-hyeon specifically.
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"Deung Go-hyeon was a disciple O Il-sik had with him from the very beginning."
"From the beginning?"
"Yes. Apparently he took in a child orphaned during an escort run. That's why O Il-sik was especially fond of him."
"Is it true that O Il-sik was a disciple of that Qingcheng Lay-Affiliated Sect?"
Enũ ḿ а̌
Poison Fang Sword nodded.
"He was definitely a disciple of the Wind Fragrance Sect. He didn't make much of a name using a sword, but once he picked up a saber, he earned the alias Lightning Saber."
Then had he started using a saber after acquiring the Demonic Art?
At first I'd suspected something had changed because of me.
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But listening to the details, that wasn't the case either.
O Il-sik had already been active as the Lightning Saber before my regression.
Ê n ǔ mа́
This was where things got complicated.
In none of the Murim Alliance reports I'd read was there any mention of someone in the Orthodox Path camp having trained in a Demonic Art.
'Had they not known? Or had it been covered up?'
If I was lucky, this was just some bastard who'd stumbled upon a Demonic Art and had the misfortune of running into me. But if I was unlucky......
'The mere thought is terrifying.'
It meant that while the Orthodox Path was getting thrashed by the Demonic Cult in the Great Righteous-Demonic War, there were Demonic Practitioners hiding within their own ranks.
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Then again, what confused me further was that Deung Go-hyeon himself hadn't seemed to realize he'd trained in a Demonic Art.
What the hell was going on?
"We've arrived."
At Poison Fang Sword's words, I looked up to see a handsome signboard.
"Lantern Sect."
Had they heard the news about Deung Go-hyeon?
Ѐ ñ um̊а
The main gate was flung wide open, and armed warriors stood in formation.
When I tried to walk in, Poison Fang Sword grabbed me.
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"A-are you going in alone?"
Why had this guy been speaking so formally since earlier?
I swatted his hand away and said,
"Would you rather I lead the Poison Fang Sect members in?"
Ѐn üṁ а́
"......!"
What? What was wrong with him?
I'd only answered an unremarkable question, yet this menacing-looking man wore an expression of what could only be described as deep emotion.
"I-I'll go with you."
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"Suit yourself."
Walking between the Lantern Sect members lined up on either side, I entered to find a middle-aged man seated in a chair on a raised platform, regarding Poison Fang Sword with emotionless eyes.
Éńum̈ а.іd̂
"Hyeon-i...... what happened?"
"Heh heh. What do you think happened?"
Poison Fang Sword answered in what sounded like a villain's drawl.
The middle-aged man—presumably O Il-sik—furrowed his brow.
"Is Hyeon-i dead?"
His expression said he hadn't expected this at all.
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Only then did O Il-sik turn to look at me.
"......Hyeon-i's death wasn't Poison Fang Sword's doing."
For a man who'd just heard his cherished disciple was dead, O Il-sik's face showed little beyond mild irritation.
"Who are you?"
The moment I saw O Il-sik's expression, I was certain.
"Jin So-un."
W̃ е́b ńо̂ v̈ еľ Ёn um̊ а
Certain that he knew about the Demonic Art.
***
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"Jin So-un...... You mean the Black Flame Dragon, Jin So-un?"
O Il-sik continued his questions, brow still furrowed.
"I heard you were the Murim Academy's top scorer. Why are you here with Black Path thugs? Are you really colluding with them?"
I offered a clasped hands greeting first.
W e b n о̂vе́ l Е̃ńu m а
"I have something I'd like to ask the Sect Leader."
"Sect Leader...... You glare at me as if you want to kill me, yet you mind your manners?"
"Please forgive the look in my eyes. My emotions are beyond my control at the moment."
As expected—not a flicker of composure lost.
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"Fine. What question could possibly be important enough for this critical moment?"
I stared straight into his eyes.
E n̄ů m̀ а̊
"Did you truly send Deung Go-hyeon to the Poison Fang Sect, confident he would win?"
The killing intent subtly radiating from O Il-sik told me his skill surpassed Poison Fang Sword's.
Someone of O Il-sik's caliber would have had the discernment to gauge Deung Go-hyeon and Poison Fang Sword's respective levels.
Yet he'd dispatched Deung Go-hyeon to the Poison Fang Sect with only a small number of men—that didn't sit well with me.
"I didn't send him. That child went on his own."
His first adopted, son-like disciple wanted to walk into certain death, and he'd just let him?
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Was this how he was going to weasel out?
"Even knowing Deung Go-hyeon would die?"
"Is Hyeon-i...... dead?"
"Yes."
"Did you kill him, by any chance?"
O Il-sik's gaze turned fierce for the first time.
W еb n оv̈ ẽl_ E n̂ ü m ǎ
"Choose your answer carefully. Indirectly, but I have ties to Qingcheng Sect."
Hard to believe.
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A lay disciple of a lay disciple of Qingcheng Sect—that was practically a stranger.
But what he was banking on was the fact that, however tenuous, he did have a connection to Qingcheng.
Whether he had ties to Qingcheng or not, I was already certain.
"I wonder. I think it's the Sect Leader who should choose his answer carefully."
Ẃ е̃b́n_õ v.е l̈ Е n̂ū ṁ ӓ
Finally, a crack in his composure.
"Because I saw something unusual in Deung Go-hyeon."
O Il-sik had known.
Known that Deung Go-hyeon, having trained in a Demonic Art, couldn't possibly lose to Poison Fang Sword.
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That was why he hadn't stopped him from walking into danger.
What he hadn't predicted was—
Е nū m а .іd̃.
"Something unusual?"
Me.
"One more question. Did you, by chance, teach the martial art you gave Deung Go-hyeon to anyone else?"
For a brief moment, O Il-sik's eyelid twitched.
"What...... are you talking about?"
"The fact that you let Deung Go-hyeon charge into the Poison Fang Sect despite his lacking skill means you must have had faith in something."
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I kept my eyes locked on O Il-sik and said in a low voice.
"Was it a Demonic Art?"
"......"
No change in O Il-sik's expression.
A heavy silence stretched on and on.
Then.
Е̌ ň ům̃ а̂ . і̀ d̀
"......Ha ha!"
For the first time, O Il-sik showed a smile.
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A dry laugh—one that didn't reach his eyes.
"I'd heard the boy Jin So-un earned the alias Black Flame Dragon because his cunning rivaled the worst of the Black Path, and it seems that was tru—"
"Shut up!"
Suddenly, Poison Fang Sword exploded.
Еñ u̇ m̌ а̃ . і̌ d̈
"The Black Flame Dragon isn't that kind of person!"
Why are you butting in all of a sudden......?
When I shoved him back with an incredulous look, Poison Fang Sword huffed and shuffled behind me.
O Il-sik spoke again.
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"So...... you plan to bury Deung Go-hyeon's death by framing us with a Forbidden Art charge?"
He spoke as though he could see through every move.
Е̊ n u̇ḿ_ӑ
"Academy top scorer wasn't won by luck alone. Truly sharp, I must say."
His praise was far from pleasant.
"But...... do you really think something like that will work?"
"Evidence has already been found on Deung Go-hyeon, so you can stop worrying about my safety. Let's talk about you, Sect Leader. How did you come to train in a Demonic Art?"
"How absurd. The pillars of the Orthodox Path murim, and the best they can do is hide their own sins behind false accusations."
"So you have no intention of talking."
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I held my hand out toward Poison Fang Sword behind me.
"Huh?"
No, why was this guy so clueless?
"Give me the leftover Blood-Explosion Pills."
"Oh, right. You should've just said so."
Why was this bastard's tongue so long?
Ёn ü mа
I showed the Blood-Explosion Pill I'd received to O Il-sik and demanded.
"Would you mind taking one of these?"
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"......Everything you do is laughable."
O Il-sik rose from his seat with a sneer.
"You all heard him. He intends to frame our Lantern Sect and annihilate us."
At that—
Е̂ǹ ǔmа
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
Every Lantern Sect member on both sides drew their swords in unison.
Poison Fang Sword stamped his feet anxiously behind me.
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"B-Black Flame Dragon, sir. What do we do now?"
What do you mean, what do we do? Handle it step by step.
Е̄ ṅú m̄а̀ . i̇.d̆
SHING.
When I drew Red Radiance, Poison Fang Sword's face went deathly pale.
***
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
Sparks flew as sabers clashed against the sword.
Their hands must have been aching, yet the sect members showed no sign of it.
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"Die!"
I kicked out at the one charging in with killing intent blazing.
THWACK!
Two Lantern Sect members rushed to catch the one flying like a cannonball, but the force was too great—all three slammed into the wall together.
Touching camaraderie, that.
Since I still didn't know who else had trained in a Demonic Art, I kept the blade turned.
Е ň u mа̊
That didn't put me at a disadvantage, though.
Sometimes the flat of the sword hurts more than the edge.
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CRACK—! CRACK—!
Lantern Sect members crumpled, clutching welts that looked like they'd been lashed by a sharp whip.
"Everyone, rally!"
They assembled a sword formation and came at me.
W е̂_b̌ň õ v̊е̇l Еn̆ǔm̆ā
The shape mimicked Qingcheng's, but something was different.
Qingcheng's formations were characterized by freedom, flowing like wind—but this one had a more deliberate purpose.
Not the balanced offense-defense of a typical formation, but one that prioritized attack even at the cost of sacrifice.
'A formation built from the ground up to accept sacrifice......'
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I'd wondered if such a formation could actually function, but—
"GYAH! The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
Wе̄ b̊ ǹ о̇ v̆ ӗl̂ _Еnúm̄ а.
Watching a Lantern Sect member hurl himself bodily to shield another, it did seem to function.
'At least they're better than Black Path rabble thrown together.'
By the time I'd neutralized close to twenty Lantern Sect members, something began to feel off.
'Why don't they feel any fear?'
Thinking it might be because I hadn't drawn blood, I deliberately sharpened my attacks.
SLASH—!
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SLASH—!
Not critical wounds, but attacks that should have been enough to make them feel their lives were at stake.
The marble floors of the Lantern Sect were quickly stained red.
And yet.
"The...... the Lantern Sect is eternal!"
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
Wеḃn̊ ó_vе̇l Еň u ṁ а̃
Those being cut down, and those watching their comrades fall while raising their sabers—not a single one showed any intention of retreating.
And why did they keep screaming that wretched battle cry?
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'Bizarre.'
People commonly assumed that training in martial arts made you fearless, but the truth was the exact opposite.
Once you knew where your own strength stood, the murim only seemed harsher and more terrifying.
But these Lantern Sect members had none of that.
Wѐ b n.о ve l̆ Ѐ n u m а̄
Sensing the wrongness, I turned to O Il-sik. He opened his mouth, expression still void of emotion.
"I see you're not using killing moves. Afraid of the consequences?"
This Demonic Practitioner bastard.
I kicked off the ground and charged straight at O Il-sik.
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"What the hell are you talking about!"
But.
Е_n̄ u̇m a. і̊ d
WHOOSH.
O Il-sik's figure had already reappeared among his sect members.
"I may not have made my name through martial prowess, but I'm confident in my footwork."
This bastard.
I immediately stamped out Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps.
WHOOSH!
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Five afterimages trailed behind as I gave chase.
While the sect members swung their sabers at the afterimages, I closed to point-blank range and swung Red Radiance—
"Hup!"
He grabbed a sect member by the hair and shoved them in front of Red Radiance as a shield.
THWACK!
The sect member who took the flat of the sword to the head rolled their eyes back and went limp.
Ẃ ѐbń ŏ v̂ е́.l̄ Еn̂ û m а
"The...... Lantern Sect...... eternal......"
Meanwhile, O Il-sik poked his head out from the opposite side.
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"Dear me...... another precious disciple down. At this rate, the Lantern Sect will be wiped out."
As if on cue from O Il-sik's muttered words, the Lantern Sect members began pulling pills from their robes.
"No way......"
Without hesitation, they swallowed their Blood-Explosion Pills.
Ẃ е b̄nо.vѐ l̆ Е́ ň uṁӑ
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Martial arts uniforms swelling on all sides, white steam pouring out—and then they charged like their lives depended on it.
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
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Screaming that wretched battle cry.
***
Ě n̊umа̊
The picture here was starkly different from what I'd seen at the Poison Fang Sect.
There, they'd clearly been aware of the hundred-move limit and paced themselves accordingly.
But.
"GYAAAHK!"
"Die!"
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
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These Lantern Sect bastards were charging like lunatics with zero regard for their own safety.
THWACK! THWACK, THWACK!
Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist unfurled—three went down spitting blood in a single move.
But the ones who'd taken Blood-Explosion Pills just wiped the corners of their mouths and stood right back up.
This time I put more force in, snapping arms and legs.
CRACK—! CRACK—!
En̄ü m̀a
"The...... Lantern Sect!!!"
"The Lantern Sect is eternal!"
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Instead of screaming, they howled that wretched battle cry and tried to stand again.
Fuck, seriously......
The gap in martial prowess was obvious, but their tenacity raised goosebumps.
They were desperate.
Е̊ n̂u m̂а̇
As if they were burning their own bodies to protect something more precious than their lives—
'Protect?'
My eyes met O Il-sik's as he stood unperturbed among his disciples.
He smiled.
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"What? Starting to feel afraid?"
He stroked one of his disciples' heads and asked me.
W̊еb̈ ǹ ov̀е̊l Е̄ n u̇m̌ a
"Could you really kill these Orthodox Path warriors with such noble spirit?"
He spoke the words and vanished among the sect members.
The instant I extended Sensory Perception to find him—
"AAARGH!"
A Lantern Sect member charged at me as though prepared for Mutual Destruction.
I dodged his saber and was about to throw a punch when—
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SQUELCH!
A saber burst through the sect member's stomach from behind.
I twisted my body just in time—no wound, but my clothing was slashed open.
What came next was even more shocking.
"KGHK! The...... the Lantern Sect is etern......al!"
The sect member whose gut had been run through snapped his eyes open and swung the saber in his hand.
En ú m̊ а̃
'......This bastard!'
I deflected the skull-splitting downward slash by the barest margin and rolled across the ground.
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A dry voice drifted down from above.
"The Murim Academy's top scorer, resorting to a Lazy Donkey Roll...... The world truly is ending."
I looked up.
O Il-sik had withdrawn his saber from his disciple's belly and was shaking his head.
Е̊ṅ u̇m̌ а́
He didn't spare the fallen disciple so much as a glance.
The sect member who'd met death at his own leader's hand stared up at O Il-sik with desperate devotion even in his final moment, obedient to the very end.
"How about it? Why not go home quietly and live your ordinary life?"
"Ha......"
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Unbelievable.
That footwork darting between his own disciples.
Е́ n̂ ù m а.і̊d̂
The total indifference to sacrificing comrades' lives for his purposes.
I didn't even need to see black eyes to be certain.
The proof that he was a Demonic Practitioner.
Showing me a Demonic Practitioner's face and telling me to go home?
Sorry, but I had no such intention.
I crushed the Blood-Explosion Pill in my hand.
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The compressed pill crumbled to powder and scattered across the floor.
"Good. Wise choice."
Apparently my discarding the pill carried a different meaning for him—he beamed.
I smiled back at him.
"Idiot. Dreaming, are we?"
"......Hm?"
Ẃ е̌ b̃ ň ō v̄е ľ Ѐn u m̌a
"I just threw it away because I don't need it anymore."
"......"
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Now there was an expression worth seeing.
All that smugness had been sickening.
"Your identity as a Demonic Practitioner is confirmed, so evidence is no longer necessary."
"What do you—"
Еnu m ǎ
I lunged straight at him.
Ten people threw themselves in my path, but so what?
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
With a sound like air tearing apart, all ten went flying like cannonballs.
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Whatever he'd done to them, these sect members valued O Il-sik's life above their own.
Unfortunate, but I couldn't afford to worry about their wellbeing right now.
Еn ú m ǎ .їd́
If I let O Il-sik escape here, there would be far more victims.
With the locks off, there was no reason to hesitate.
SLASH—!
"GUHHK!"
A sect member whose wrist was severed screamed at the sight of his stump fountaining blood.
At least he'd finally stopped shouting that wretched battle cry.
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O Il-sik's panicked voice came from ahead.
"D-do you think you can take responsibility for this?!"
Yeah. Maybe it'd cause problems down the road. Maybe I'd make an enemy of Qingcheng Sect.
But so what?
Whatever the price, it was better than letting a Demonic Practitioner escape here.
"What are you going to do about it, idiot!"
W ѐ b̀n̂o v́е̇l Е ňum а
THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!
I sent three flying with a single punch and closed to point-blank range.
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O Il-sik finally wiped the smug smile off his face and moved to dodge with a hardened expression.
WHOOSH!
I immediately fired the Great Yang Palm at the spot where he'd reappear.
Three Lantern Sect members were caught in the Palm Force and went flying, and O Il-sik, who'd been mid-leap, tumbled across the ground.
Е̂.ń ùm a
"H-how!"
"That footwork you're using is the Hidden Demon Ghost-Form Step. On the fifth stride, it takes the sixth position."
"Hup!"
Before he could say another word, I fired the Flying Dragon Claw to coil around his neck.
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Then I swung Red Radiance and severed his right arm.
"Now. Whatever you do, don't reveal any Demonic Art! That way, after you're dead, I'll be the one in a difficult position. Understood?"
Ёṅ_um̈ä . ǐď
"......W-wait— GAGHK! GAGHK!"
His face flushed crimson as the wire tightened around his throat.
At the same time, blood rushed to one side and a fountain of red erupted from the stump of his severed shoulder.
"Dear me...... now you've only got one hand left. Will they call you 'One-Handed Mad Saber' from now on?"
"GAHHHK!"
Just as the breath was about to leave him for good, O Il-sik's eyes finally turned obsidian black.
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A storm of Qi Waves erupted from his body and he began to writhe.
I used Thousand-Jin Drop to weigh his body down.
He seemed to catch his breath for a moment, but his eyelids quivered again as the air was squeezed from his lungs.
Meanwhile, the Lantern Sect members were hurling themselves this way en masse.
WHOOOOSH.
I immediately deployed the Great Heaven Sword Art and severed wrists and forearms one by one.
W_ebǹ.ó vel̆ Ѐn̄ u mȧ
Blood sprayed from every direction and screams flooded the Lantern Sect.
Time to drive in the final stake.
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"Poison Fang Sword!"
"Y-yes!"
"Hold them off!"
"What?!"
Ẅ ёḃn о̂_vе̌ ľ Е̊_n̂ ü mа̀
Poison Fang Sword, who'd been fending off four Lantern Sect members on the far side, forced himself to rush over.
I sliced both of O Il-sik's Achilles tendons and drove my fist into his qi center.
BOOM!
Something burst inside O Il-sik's abdomen, and he vomited nearly a bucketful of blood.
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Then I loosened the Flying Dragon Claw slightly and spoke.
"You've lost your martial arts, but you can still live. Talk. Where did you get the Demonic Art?"
Е ń ùmа̊ . і d
As the wire loosened and air returned, O Il-sik gasped out ragged breaths.
CRACK!
I shattered his kneecap and asked again.
"O Il-sik! Where did you get the Demonic Art!"
His body shuddered.
"......De...... demon...... pros......"
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Demon pros? Was there a place called "Demon Pros"?
"What?"
His eyes reverted to their original state.
The veins in his eyes must have burst from the strangulation—the whites were entirely bloodred.
"Heavenly Demon...... returns! Ten thousand demons...... prostrate!"
CRUNCH.
Е̊ n̄ ûm̄a. i̊ d̄
With that cry, something cracked inside his mouth and smoke began rising.
I quickly shoved my hand inside to dig it out, but the searing heat forced me to yank it back.
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In that brief instant, a patch of skin had already been stripped away.
And then, O Il-sik's entire body burst into flame.
"Fuck......"
It was Demon Fire—something I'd seen to the point of nausea during the Great Righteous-Demonic War.
Ŵ е̇b̄ňo vê l Е̄_n u m а̃
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