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Chapter 343. Life or Death (4)
Jong Chu-ak loosened his clothing without even realizing it.
His sect and his master had taught him to maintain proper conduct in any situation, but such teachings evaporated easily before the agony of barely being able to breathe.
His breath hitched with every gasp.
Physical exhaustion was part of it, and the depletion of his inner arts surely played a role too.
But this was something different.
E nŭ ṁ а̂
Fundamentally different.
It felt as though he were gulping down air inside a space thick with poisonous fog.
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With every breath he swallowed, it felt as if his acupoints were being torn to shreds.
With every breath he exhaled, it felt as if his Eight Extraordinary Meridians were twisting inside out.
Yet he could neither sit down nor rest.
The Commander's absolute order: never stop.
Ẅ êb̈ nо̃v е l̄ Eń ǔm̃ а̊
The order was the order, of course, but the situation didn't allow it either.
Demonic beasts swarming from every direction.
Ambushes from unidentified enemies.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
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Jong Chu-ak, who wanted nothing more than to collapse and pass out on the spot, swung his sword again and again.
And took another step forward.
Е n̄um̂а
Leaving the remaining enemies to those behind him.
"Haah! Haah! Haah! Haah!"
"Are you all right?!"
Wi Rip-gun patted his shoulder, asking after him.
The man himself had been wounded to begin with.
"I'm f-fine......"
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"Fall back for a moment. I'll take the front."
"No......"
"We're in the same battalion right now. If we can't help each other, the entire Fifth Battalion could be wiped out."
"......"
The unit—a chaotic jumble of members from the Righteous Path Association, the Orthodox Path Association, the Twelve Peak Citadels, and everyone else—had shed its initial confusion and awkwardness so completely that one might wonder if it had ever existed.
One could argue that the dire circumstances had forged a sense of belonging that transcended sect affiliation, but the time had been far too short for that alone to produce this level of solidarity.
Е̂ n ù m ā
More likely, it was the Fifth Battalion's role and the caliber of its members that made the integration so seamless.
This wasn't just Jong Chu-ak's impression; everyone seemed quietly marveling at it.
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"How is this working so smoothly?"
"I know, right? I'm aware of Zhongnan's martial arts, but I thought they were on a completely different track from our sect's."
"Exactly. When he tossed us into the Fifth Battalion on sight, I figured he'd just thrown us in wherever he pleased...... Turns out that wasn't the case."
"What the hell even is that Commander bastard......?"
Е̊ n̆ u mа̄
Every gaze drifted to the very front of the column.
The Commander's figure, solid as a mountain.
At the vanguard of the fiercest fighting, he battled more ferociously than anyone.
Il-gak and Nam Hwa-seong rotated positions according to their turns, but Jin So-un alone remained at the front without pause.
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He was clearly just as exhausted and just as wounded as the rest of them, yet Jin So-un had not once fallen back.
Like a torch burning itself away, he lit up the dark path and led the academy students from the very front.
Ẃ e̊ b̂ nоv̌ е́ l̂ E nuḿӓ
Just then.
"Damn it— damn it— damn it—"
Gun Da-seong of the Diancang Sect, who had been resting after his muscles gave out from prolonged combat, began striking his own arm.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
Jong Chu-ak rushed over in alarm to stop him.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
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"Let go! I'm Gun Da-seong of the Diancang Sect......! Am I supposed to just sigh with relief under the shadow of a third-rate sect like the Taeul Sect?!"
His words were rough, but Jong Chu-ak could feel the sincerity hidden beneath them.
He was mortified. At his own powerlessness.
He was disgusted. At his past self, who had cursed Jin So-un.
"......"
Jong Chu-ak felt the same way, which left him unable to say anything more.
W̄ е̄b̆ǹo v е̊l̃ Е n ũ m̄ а
Gun Da-seong, having pounded his arm senseless, began clenching and unclenching his fingers as sensation returned.
After a moment of that—
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"All right. I can move again. Switching in!"
Gun Da-seong headed toward the outer perimeter to fight the demonic beasts.
But the soldiers manning the perimeter shoved him right back.
"What are you talking about? Wait your turn! Yours won't come up for a while yet."
Е n̊uma . і ď
"What do you......"
"You think we're any less frustrated?!"
"......"
It was a strange thing.
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Sects that had been bitter rivals were now looking out for one another in a life-or-death situation.
Not sacrificing for the brothers of their own sect, but for a fellow soldier.
Eňu m̄ã.ї d̄
They had never fought alongside each other before, yet right now, everyone acted as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Even in a situation where any one of them could die at any moment.
'Why......?'
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH!
A massive explosion interrupted Jong Chu-ak's thoughts.
At the sound from the vanguard, every gaze snapped forward.
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There—
"Hoo......"
Having pushed back the tangle of enemies and demonic beasts, Jin So-un took yet another step forward.
'Jin So-un......'
How was it that people from different sects, different backgrounds—
No, going even further—people who had been outright enemies—
W̄ е̊b̂ n о v́ ӗ l Ӗn̊úm̈ǎ
were looking out for one another as if they shared a single body?
He couldn't understand it at all, but somehow, it made sense.
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Because watching that small figure from behind, something surged up inside his chest, threatening to burst.
Jong Chu-ak gathered what little strength he had recovered and swapped in with someone else.
This time too, it was someone who was neither of the Qingcheng Sect nor of the Righteous Path Association.
***
Wẽb̂nо̄ v̇ѐ l̈ Еǹuṁ_а̊
In my previous life, I always stood at the back.
Even when the Taeul Sect's disciples were driven to the battlefield by Gye Cheol-yeong's goading,
I stayed cooped up in the Mantongbu, mindlessly memorizing documents over and over.
Even when I became part of the Sojeong Squad's meat shield,
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I stood at the very back, staring at the backs of those wretched bastards' heads.
The Taeul Sect was a third-rate sect. Its martial arts had no practical edge, and my inner arts were meager. They were less useful than the crude techniques lower-ranked warriors cobbled together while scraping by on wanderer markets.
Ӗ n ům а̂
[Stay in the back, you scholar bastard!]
[Well, technically not a scholar. He never passed his exams!]
[Young Master Jin, please stand behind me.]
The Sojeong Squad members who had lived like weeds their whole lives, and even Murong Seol who had lost her clan—they always stood in front of me.
I was the first to tire out, which was why I survived the longest.
Even though I was utterly useless.
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I had resented the sect that made me feel such guilt.
I'd berated myself again and again, until weakness felt like a sin.
That was why......
After being given a second life, I searched for spiritual medicines like a man possessed.
Because I never wanted to see their backs again.
Because I didn't want to layer the same nightmare over the indelible one already burned into my memory.
Е̌ ǹ u̇ ṁ á. іd
Because this time, I wanted to protect my people.
I struggled, I clawed, I fought with everything I had.
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And now.
No one stood before me.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
A warrior in crimson robes narrowly dodged the Minor Heaven Sword Art.
Е̊n u m̃ ӑ
'I'm losing strength.'
Normally, I should have cut him down in a single blow.
If he'd been knocked sideways, I would have left him for the other soldiers, but this one seemed fixated on me—he pulled back and lunged at me again.
"Damned bastards!"
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I thrust the Red Radiance Sword forward. At the same instant, his blade drove straight toward me.
As if their lives meant nothing, so long as they could kill me.
W e̊.bń о.v.el Еn um_а̄
But that math doesn't work in your favor, does it?
My life and your lives—you really think they're worth the same?
"Not if I have anything to say about it!"
I twisted the Red Radiance Sword's path and drove into his guard.
His blade grazed my neck by a hair.
I'd lost count of how many wounds I'd taken.
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In exchange for the wound, I seized his body and executed Lotus.
WHOOSH!
Just as the airborne body was about to crash down on the academy students' heads—
THWACK.
Nam Hwa-seong, standing behind me, caved in the man's skull in a single blow.
"Commander, you're slowing down!"
Е nǔm̄ а . і ḋ
The soldiers behind followed up, driving their weapons into the demonic practitioner's vital acupoints.
"Bullshit. You lot are the ones overexerting yourselves."
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"How about pulling back for a bit? Commander Jin."
The ones who called me "Commander" used informal speech, and the ones who spoke formally dropped the honorific from my title. Rotten bastards, all of them.
Could a ragtag unit of buffoons like this actually make it out of the Black Forest?
Strict military discipline was supposed to reflect a group's fighting power.
Ёñůmа̄.і̀d
"Then again, for a Taeul Sect disciple, you've pushed yourself plenty so far."
This time it was Wang Jo-eun of the Yuwol Sect, stepping ahead of me to run at the front.
Then—
"I've always meant to show you what the Illusion Sword truly is."
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Jo Gae-ryong of the Mount Hua Sect also began running ahead of me.
"Have you forgotten that the Commander's orders are absolute?"
W̃е b̂n̆ о v ӗl Е ňû m̊ а
"If my master found out I hid behind a Taeul Sect disciple, he'd kill me."
That one certainly had a knack for saying things in the most obnoxious way possible.
"Don't be like that. Name one general in all of history who leads from the very front."
Yet another one overtook me, leaving those words behind.
The closer we drew to the Demonic Reaches, the fiercer the enemy's offensive grew.
What the hell—do you all have a death wish?
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"You idiots, can't you see the enemies are getting thicker?"
Just as I had predicted, the demonic beasts were reacting aggressively to demonic qi.
Whenever demonic beasts were present, the demonic practitioners didn't appear. And when demonic beasts showed up during a fight with demonic practitioners, the beasts went after the practitioners first.
The closer we got to the Demonic Reaches, the shorter the intervals between attacks became.
"We know. That's exactly why we're doing this."
"......What do you mean......!"
Wе b̀ n̊о̌ v е̄.l Е num̆а
Just then, Il-gak, who had been running behind me, placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Young Master Jin. I've heard the Demonic Reaches are even more dangerous. Wouldn't it be wise to recuperate even a little before we enter?"
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"Recuperate, my ass......"
"And standing at the back doesn't mean you won't fight."
So this is what elites look like, is it?
Before I knew it, just like in my previous life, I was once again running while staring at someone's back.
Ĕnu_m а̃ . іd̂
But unlike before, I felt no helplessness. No gloom.
If anything, a strange, warm emotion I couldn't put into words swelled inside me.
I swallowed it down before it could spill past my throat.
"I told you to call me Commander, you bald monk!"
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"Hahaha...... Calling Monk Il-gak a bald monk! If the Shaolin Temple heard that, they'd faint!"
The First Battalion soldiers burst into laughter in unison.
Е n̈u m̀а . ì d̈
How anyone could laugh at a time like this was beyond me.
The laughter died down, and then—
"Commander, keep our secret and buy us drinks when we get out."
"Drinks?"
"It's unofficial, but you're a unit leader now. Buying drinks for your soldiers after a mission is Murim Alliance tradition."
Right. That was why the Sojeong Squad members never wanted to be Captain.
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Well, money's the one thing I've got plenty of. Buying a round of drinks is nothing.
Sitting down face-to-face for a drink...... that wouldn't be bad, either.
"Fine. When we get back, drinks are on me. Enough to drink yourselves to death—so fight properly."
"Oh? Is that for everyone regardless of battalion?"
Jo Gae-ryong whipped his head around to ask.
That—that man who claims to be a Daoist disciple......
Е̂n̊ u m̈ а̊ . і̂d̂
"Enemy ahead! Enemy!"
"Oh, would you look at that! Eat this!"
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A lethal plum blossom fluttered through the air and split a demonic practitioner's chest wide open.
Having barely dispatched the practitioner, Jo Gae-ryong turned back to me.
"Hoo...... You're really buying?"
"Yes. But I'll buy for each battalion separately, so drink your fill."
E n̄ūṁ а̂ .і̆ d̂
"Heh. I'll show you just how well the Mount Hua Sect can hold its liquor."
At his coy grin, the other soldiers' eyes began to sparkle.
Since when had they all gotten so friendly?
Exchanging glances and trading smirks like a bunch of old friends.
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Thoroughly disgusted, I looked toward the rear and sent a sound transmission to Eun-ho.
—How are things on your end?
Ѐ n ŭ m̆ а̄. i_d
Eun-ho, who had been running with a rigid expression, flinched in surprise before meeting my eyes.
—There have been casualties, but we're managing.
My heart sank at the word "casualties."
—What kind of casualties?
—We're getting hit from the flanks too.
—The Taeul Sect members and our squad?
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—They're fine.
Fine. Fine, he says......
My grip tightened on the sword.
—You're doing well.
—Eldest Senior Brother......
The sound transmission cut off abruptly.
E n̄ŭ m̄а̀
When I turned my head, Eun-ho was staring at me with an intensity that could bore holes.
—What? Did something happen?
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—......It's nothing. Please be careful.
—Worry about yourself.
—......
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH!
W̄ é b̀ñ ōv е l Ё n̈ ů m̆а
Explosions and the clash of weapons rang out ceaselessly.
With every step forward, the shadow of death loomed larger, but our feet could not stop.
The moment they did, it was over for all of us.
***
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After two solid days of running, we reached the outskirts of the Demonic Reaches.
The number of ferocious demonic beasts kept growing, but in turn, the demonic practitioners' ambushes steadily diminished.
W̄еb̀ n о̇v̇ èl Е̌nu ḿă
'They probably never expected us to cross through the Demonic Reaches.'
Because only madmen would make that choice.
Well, me being a madman was the variable, I suppose.
But I couldn't let my guard down entirely.
Once they realized we were moving along an unexpected route, they would have redeployed their forces and would be racing this way with everything they had.
'One last strike...... that's what they'll go for.'
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If I were the Demonic Cult, I'd stall the academy students as long as possible and save everything for one final blow.
One decisive strike, right before we entered the Demonic Reaches.
Having conserved some stamina while running at the rear, it was time to move back to the front.
"Oh? Commander, why are you coming forward? Seriously, just stay in the back."
Cracking jokes while drenched head to toe in blood.
The man had zero talent for humor.
Е ńu m̊ а. ī d
"Get ready."
"Hm?"
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"They're coming."
"I don't sense any—"
Wang Jo-eun trailed off mid-sentence.
And the silence spread quickly from the First Battalion through the entire unit.
Ẅ е̂ b́ń оvеl̀ Е n̂u̇_m а
"Well, the attacks did suddenly drop off."
"Son of a bitch, I'm shaking."
"How long have they been hiding in this forest......?"
The air grew heavy.
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Soldiers who had just survived the brink of death now sensed death closing in again.
The column fell silent—not even a crude joke to break the tension.
Е n u̇ m̃ а̇
Only the sound of the academy students' footsteps echoed through the forest.
I offered words of comfort that would bring no comfort.
"You all saw it. The demonic beasts attack them before they attack us. Once we're inside the Demonic Reaches, at least we'll only have to deal with the beasts."
"......"
The oppressive atmosphere didn't budge.
Just then.
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"That's right! Demonic beasts are better than those bastards any day!"
Nam Hwa-seong, standing beside me, clumsily picked up the thread.
Jang Gwang-bo followed.
"He's got a point! At least the demonic beasts roar before they come at you!"
"Exactly......! Give me those beasts over the alternative!"
"Let's kill them all!!!"
En̄ ům̈ ā.іd
Awkward, uneven bravado erupted from every direction.
Yes. That would do.
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Once the real fighting began, they'd be too caught up in the chaos to think anyway.
And—
'If they keep fighting like that, they'll survive.'
Soldiers from the First and Second Battalions who could still fight stepped forward, regardless of which they belonged to.
Ë n_u m̄.а̀
"Haah, haah, haah."
The fact that someone who looked ready to drop at any moment counted as "able to fight" spoke volumes about how dire our situation truly was.
"Where's the one who promised to show me the Illusion Sword? Has the Mount Hua Sect's disciple already given out?"
"......"
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"......Is he dead?"
"......Said he'd rest for a bit."
Ёn̄ ù mа̂
"I see......"
He won't be making it to the drinking session, then.
Said he'd show us how well the Mount Hua Sect could hold its liquor......
Damn it all.
"AAAARGH!"
After letting the scream tear loose, the fury threatening to burst my chest subsided a fraction.
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My head wasn't working properly—too much fighting, too little rest.
Was this why they said commanders should stay in the rear?
I didn't know anymore either.
For my people—
To protect them no matter what, I'd thought I was willing to do anything.
After all, those bastards had done the same thing to us in the previous life.
Е n ŭ ḿ а̌_.і̆ d
So I'd told myself it was fine for me to do it too......
But this wasn't one-sided like what they'd done.
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And yet.
Was it because they—the soldiers—had become my people now?
Or was it simply because I'd seen too many of them die before my eyes?
My chest, which should have been numb, felt like it would burst.
Ѐ n̊û m̌а̂ .і́ď
THUMP.
Why was this happening?
The Righteous Path Association, the Orthodox Path Association, the Twelve Peak Citadels—
In the past, not a single one of them had ever been on our side.
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THUMP—
No matter how many times I recited the Taeul True Scripture, the trembling of my heart would not subside.
Ẅ е̊b̊_n̆о v ѐ l En̂ um а̄
It felt as though I were witnessing the death of a close friend.
Even though none of them had ever been my friend.
THUMP——!
Perhaps I'd been poisoned by demonic qi.
Their demonic qi did strange things to the mind.
Yes, that was the most likely explanation.
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There could well be demonic qi that even the Red Phoenix Bracelet couldn't purge.
But whatever the cause—
"AAAAAAAAARGH!"
I was sick to death of more death.
My people.
My rivals.
W е b ṅo ve l̂ Е n ŭ ḿ_ȧ
Those who had refused to acknowledge me.
Whoever they were.
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THUMP———!
I didn't want to watch another soul become a corpse.
That's right. I didn't want to remember scenes like this any longer.
"Commander!"
W е̊ b̃ ñо v е́ l̂ Ĕ ñ u m а̃
Just then, someone gripped my shoulder and jerked their chin forward.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK.
The sound of thick trees snapping reached my ears.
As one, every soldier swallowed hard and clutched their weapons tight.
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They could feel it instinctively.
What that sound from ahead meant.
Е̄n̆ um a
'The final battle.'
If the purpose of every ambush so far had been to slow our advance, then the reason for the delay was clear: they needed time to regroup.
To reassemble the forces that had been spread thin for the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare.
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
Trees toppled in unison, and the Natural Formation was dissolved.
Then—
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WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH.
Torches blazed to life throughout the dark forest.
With every flickering flame, the faces of fallen comrades, their life force extinguished, seemed to overlap with the firelight.
I pressed down the rage threatening to erupt, and made a vow. Again and again.
If I could cast those bastards into hell, I would gladly become the hellfire itself.
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