Absolute Regression

Chapter 549: That Friend Would Have Done The Same

‘Where are you right now?’

When Bih Sa-in returned empty-handed from investigating the outskirts, not only were Geom Mugeuk and Evil Smiling Demon gone, but the Battle King and the woman in the palanquin had also vanished. Judging by the fact that the palanquin was still there, he figured they must be fighting within some dark sorcery.

Even though a considerable amount of time had passed, the fact that they still hadn’t come out meant the battle was far from easy.

Moreover, Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade, who had fallen into the formation, had yet to emerge. Jin Haryeong and the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress were also nowhere to be seen.

‘We must unravel the secret of that palanquin.’

The ones connected to that palanquin and who fought him had exhibited an unending surge of internal energy. Surely, a secret related to internal energy was hidden within.

Still, he couldn’t recklessly destroy the palanquin. The aura it gave off was extraordinary, and it was possible that the disappearance of Geom Mugeuk and Evil Smiling Demon was because of it.

“What do you think about expanding the search area a little?”

Bih Sa-in shook his head. He didn’t believe such immense internal energy could have been transmitted from afar.

‘They’re definitely somewhere around here.’

At that moment, Bih Sa-in’s gaze turned toward a specific location.

A spot they hadn’t searched.

A spot they couldn’t search.

It was the place where martial artists had only revealed their pupils within the darkness.

It was the only area nearby that had not been searched.

As Bih Sa-in quietly stared at them, something unusual passed through his eyes.

“Aren’t those guys suspicious?”

They were in a standoff with the Faceless Swordsmen, their eyes the only thing visible. Strange pupils outlined in white.

“I heard that when you train in the Dark Heaven Night God Art, you gain eyes like that.”

At Il-rang’s words, Bih Sa-in nodded. He knew that as well.

“It’s not because of their eyes that I brought it up.”

Il-rang looked at Bih Sa-in with a face that asked, then what is it?

“Don’t you think they’re huddled too closely together?”

Indeed, it was so. Even the Faceless Swordsmen, who seemed scattered here and there, were naturally spread out to defend against potential attacks.

In contrast, they were tightly clustered together within the darkness. Everyone had been so distracted by those strange eyes that they had missed that detail, but Bih Sa-in had pointed it out.

“That’s true. If a concealed weapon were to be thrown, the damage would be significant.”

More than that, something just felt off. They were strangely triggering Bih Sa-in’s instincts.

“Let’s take a look behind them.”

Bih Sa-in moved stealthily, keeping just enough distance not to be noticed as he approached from behind.

Both Bih Sa-in and the Thirteen Wolves were shocked.

It was different from what they had seen from the front. No matter how far back they went, they kept finding more of them. The gleaming pupils seen from the front were only a portion of the total.

The distance had been considerable, and since these individuals hadn’t revealed even a trace of their energy, no one from the front had realized that there were so many of them.

Just like deep-sea creatures that lure prey with bioluminescent protrusions, their true forms lay elsewhere.

“Could they be hidden forces, meant to strike us in a critical moment?”

Il-rang whispered the question, but Bih Sa-in shook his head.

“If that were the case, they would’ve hidden themselves far better.”

They were too easily visible to be considered an ambush, and too tightly packed together to be an offensive formation.

“Usually, when a group of this scale is mobilized, there are outer perimeter sentries, but there isn’t a single one.”

They were gathered in one place, quite literally a massive clump.

While silently watching them, Chil-rang whispered.

“The way their pupils flicker... it’s strange.”

Chil-rang had sharp eyes and was well-versed in the Unorthodox techniques and bizarre martial arts.

“There’s a pattern to how they blink.”

At his words, everyone focused on the flickering of the eyes.

Indeed, once they looked, it was clearly abnormal.

They closed and opened their eyes.

Once closed, they didn’t open for a long time. Once opened, they didn’t blink again. It was truly bizarre, and yet followed a distinct pattern.

Just then, the moon that had been hidden behind the clouds revealed itself.

After the Dark King entered through the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, moonlight finally illuminated the exterior.

At that moment, Chil-rang spotted something.

“Look there.”

Something was cutting through the air. A flow of energy, like a mirage, rose from the darkness where the eyes were and extended toward the palanquin. It was a stream of qi that could only be seen clearly under the moonlight, and only with keen observation.

“It’s them!”

The secret wasn’t far away.

They were transmitting internal energy to the palanquin. Those with closed eyes were accumulating energy, while those with open eyes were transmitting it through some sinister great technique of their own.

Now it was clear why they hadn’t left the darkness.

Knowing the secret, Bih Sa-in grew urgent. Geom Mugeuk and Evil Smiling Demon must be in the midst of their most grueling battle. Facing endlessly replenished internal energy with nothing but their own depleted reserves.

“Wipe them all out!”

At Bih Sa-in’s command, the Thirteen Wolves simultaneously drew their swords and prepared to strike.

“We’ll strike with sword qi all at once.”

After approaching as close as possible, Bih Sa-in hurled himself toward them.

Shiiing!

Bih Sa-in’s sword released a wave of sword qi.

Following behind him, the Thirteen Wolves also unleashed their sword qi in unison.

Because they were so tightly packed, the plan was to sweep through them all with one coordinated strike.

Whooouuush!

A cloud of black smoke exploded upward around them.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!

The flying sword qi was blocked by the jet-black smoke. Just as the Protective Energy shielded the Battle King's body, this smoke was shielding them.

As if to say they would return what they received—

This time, sword qi flew out from within the smoke.

Shwik-shwik-shwik-shwik-shwik!

Papapapapak!

The Thirteen Wolves scattered to the sides to evade.

“Close combat!”

Bih Sa-in led the charge toward them. He instinctively knew that an exchange of sword qi from a distance would devolve into a contest of internal energy, which would put them at a disadvantage.

The black-clad martial artists at the front simultaneously swung their swords. They hadn’t simply been standing around aimlessly. They had already formed a defensive formation, ready to respond to an attack.

Chaang!

The internal energy in their swords was tremendous. Caught off guard by the unexpected force, Bih Sa-in nearly lost his sword.

“Everyone, be careful!”

While deflecting incoming swords, Bih Sa-in realized something. Just like in his previous battle with the four black-clad figures, the internal energy infused into these swords didn’t belong to a single individual.

Chwaaaak.

As they split to the sides, the black-clad martial artists behind them unleashed sword qi.

Bih Sa-in leapt to evade the incoming sword qi. The black-clad figures nearby also launched their own barrage of sword qi.

Despite the danger, Bih Sa-in charged straight at them.

Shiiiik!

Exploiting a gap in their formation, Bih Sa-in thrust his sword into the chest of the black-clad figure at the front.

Fwoop!

The eyes of the one whose heart had been pierced turned a blinding white for a moment, and the body turned pitch-black as it collapsed. It was no ordinary human.

Whiririririk!

The moment it fell, the black-clad group began to spin in unison. The fallen body was swept away somewhere, and as they rotated, they unleashed sword qi in every direction.

Bih Sa-in dodged the sword qi, leaping back.

At the beginning, when he had given the attack command, he had thought they could sweep through them all in one go.

But that had not been the case. These enemies were not easy opponents. Above all, the internal energy imbued in their attacks was immense.

‘Fine then. If you're going to use internal energy, use it all on us!’

But the flow of internal energy toward the palanquin from the darkness continued unabated.

Papapapak!

As he dodged the sword qi, Bih Sa-in looked toward the Thirteen Wolves. They too were unable to break through easily.

“Fall back!”

At Bih Sa-in’s command, the Thirteen Wolves momentarily retreated.

As Bih Sa-in drew up his internal energy, he unleashed the Tyrant’s Heaven-Shaking Sword Art, the exclusive technique of the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.

First Sword, White Heaven Form.

A white radiance of fierce energy surged toward them.

It pierced through the smoke that shielded them and swept over them with the White Heaven Form.

But just as the energy engulfed them, the single mass split in an instant.

Puhbuhbuhbuhbuk!

Three or four black-clad figures were swept away by the energy, but as if nothing had happened, they reformed once more.

From within the darkness, all the pupils turned to Bih Sa-in at once.

They stared together, then blinked in perfect unison.

That sight was truly grotesque.

Their movements were unlike any sword formation or joint technique.

Bih Sa-in could feel it—these beings were connected like a single organism.

This time, they struck first.

Like the limbs of an octopus, over ten streams extended from the massive body and lunged forward, slashing their swords in unison.

Chaeng-chaeng-chaeng-chaeng-chaeng!

Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Eleventh Wolf, already wounded in the shoulder, found himself cornered.

The Thirteen Wolves nearby rushed to help him, but the black-clad figures clung to them with relentless ferocity.

“Be careful!”

Just as the Twelfth Wolf, the closest to him, prepared to throw himself into the fray, risking injury—

Shukshukshukshukshukshukshukshukshukshuk!

Blade winds poured down on the black-clad figures like rain.

The ones pressing down on Eleventh Wolf all collapsed at once, their bodies flipping over.

When Bih Sa-in turned, he saw the Faceless Swordsmen.

Having seen the Unorthodox Alliance warriors fighting the eye-clad figures in the dark, the Faceless Swordsmen had stepped in to help.

Bih Sa-in shouted to them.

“They’re sending internal energy to your leader!”

That was all they needed to know. It meant that because of these enemies, the Young Cult Leader and Evil Smiling Demon were in danger.

The Faceless Swordsmen exchanged glances, then silently drew their daggers. While their main technique was blade energy, they used daggers in close combat.

The Faceless Swordsmen surged forward like white waves crashing across the dark dead sea.

Once the Faceless Swordsmen joined the fight, the battlefield truly became a chaotic hell.

They were people who knew no fear.

They fought wildly, brandishing their daggers, and would suddenly unleash blade wind into their opponent’s face with the other hand.

It was like watching a bizarre lifeform hunt down another, even more bizarre and massive creature.

One of the Faceless Swordsmen, having ventured too far in, became separated from his comrades.

Black-clad figures surrounded him from all sides and launched a coordinated assault.

With only a small dagger and blade wind, it was an attack he couldn’t withstand. He struggled, desperately cutting down his foes—

Thwok!

—but was ultimately stabbed in the waist and collapsed.

A black-clad figure raised a sword to strike his face.

Fwook!

Blood splattered across the mask of the Faceless Swordsman.

A sword had burst from the chest of the black-clad figure who had tried to kill him.

As the black-clad figure fell, Bih Sa-in stood behind him. He had broken through from the opposite side to save him.

‘Never thought the day would come when I rescue a Faceless Swordsman!’

That was Bih Sa-in’s honest thought.

At that moment, more Faceless Swordsmen broke through from another direction.

Bih Sa-in disappeared the way he came, and the Faceless Swordsmen silently watched his retreating figure.

The longer the fight dragged on, the more the previously unified black-clad figures began to fracture. No matter how well-trained they were in the Dark Heaven Night God Art, their opponents were Bih Sa-in, the Thirteen Wolves, and the death-defying Faceless Swordsmen.

Bih Sa-in saw it—the internal energy that had been cutting through the air had stopped.

“The internal energy’s been severed! Press harder!”

The black-clad figures desperately tried to send more internal energy.

The group trying to transmit internal energy was being shielded by another, and Bih Sa-in and the Thirteen Wolves were doing everything they could to stop them.

‘That internal energy is going to Geom Mugeuk’s battle!’

Swaaaaeaaaak!

Like a raging bull, Bih Sa-in charged and broke through them. Though sword qi flew toward him, he blocked it with Protective Energy.

Rolling across the ground and then springing back up, Bih Sa-in dashed toward another group. When one of the transmitters was killed, the energy that had been flying toward the palanquin dissipated before it could reach it.

“Block them there!”

It was a desperate battle between those trying to send energy and those trying to stop it.

Eventually, it seemed the black-clad figures realized things couldn’t go on like this and made a final decision.

They all gathered at a single focal point, and for a moment, an unpleasant silence fell. The white rings in their pupils all began to spin at once.

Whiiiiiing!

Black smoke began to swirl violently around them. A mournful wail like a ghost’s cry rang out, and an ominous aura spread in all directions.

“Danger! Everyone, fall back!”

Bih Sa-in had thought that as long as they didn’t send internal energy to the palanquin, it wouldn’t matter.

Whiiiii.

The vortex vanished—and what followed was a terrifying sight.

All the black-clad figures lay collapsed. Their eyes had turned white, and their bodies blackened.

From those corpses, an energy began to flow toward the palanquin.

It was no ordinary internal energy. It was a strange and powerful force paid for with death itself, and that energy was now encased in swirling black smoke.

“No!”

Bih Sa-in swung his sword at the energy. The blade passed through the energy, but that was all. Just as one cannot kill air, he could not stop that energy.

He released sword qi, but it was useless. On the contrary, the black smoke struck by the sword qi only stirred more wildly.

It moved slowly toward the palanquin, as if gliding along an invisible path. The sight was astonishing and utterly grotesque.

Bih Sa-in threw himself forward and stood in front of the palanquin. He could feel it—if this force reached the palanquin, Geom Mugeuk would die.

“I must block it with internal energy.”

Since that force was ultimately a form of internal energy, he believed only internal energy could stop it.

Il-rang rushed over and tried to stop him.

“No, you mustn’t! You can’t overcome such overwhelming force, and even if you did, that black energy would cause serious internal injuries! No, it could kill you!”

“If this power gets through, the Young Cult Leader will die.”

“Then let’s destroy the palanquin instead!”

Did Bih Sa-in not consider that thought himself?

“What if, by the slimmest chance, the Young Cult Leader and Evil Smiling Demon are in there?”

If that were the case, it would mean he would be killing his own friend with his own hands.

“Let the battle inside be handled by the Young Cult Leader. We must stop that force.”

Whiiiiiiiiing.

In the meantime, the energy had already drawn close.

“Then I’ll block it.”

Il-rang stepped forward, and behind him, the Thirteen Wolves lined up one after another.

But of course, he was not the one meant to stand at the front.

Bih Sa-in stepped in front of Il-rang.

“Young Leader!”

“Il-rang, if the Young Cult Leader and the Demon Supreme die, our lives won’t be spared either.”

It was the truth. If the ones who killed those two emerged and began to sweep through this place, they would not be able to stop it.

And even more decisive than that—

“That friend would have done the same.”

Il-rang knew better than anyone how Bih Sa-in felt about Geom Mugeuk. That’s why he couldn’t stop him.

Bih Sa-in raised his Protective Energy and turned to face the incoming force.

There was no time for further debate. The energy was already right in front of them.

Il-rang placed his palm on Bih Sa-in’s back. Behind Il-rang was I-rang, and behind I-rang, Sam-rang. In that way, the entire Thirteen Wolves each placed a palm on the back of the one in front. Their faces reflected the resolve to die together if need be—and to live together if they could.

Whiiiiiiiiiiiing!

It was as if a black meteor was hurtling toward them.

Bih Sa-in pushed his internal energy to its absolute limit and thrust his palm forward.

It was the first time he realized how willingly he would risk his life for Geom Mugeuk. A man who only danced around and teased him every time they met.

‘I’ll sever this energy with everything I have—so you must survive and return!’

Just as the incoming force was about to touch Bih Sa-in’s palm—

An astonishing sight unfolded before his eyes.

Saaaaaaah.

With an unidentifiable sound, the approaching energy seemed to slow down.

The black smoke enveloping the energy turned transparent and began to shimmer like ice.

At first, it looked like it had changed into white smoke—but that wasn’t it.

Saaaaaaaah!

A bone-chilling cold, as though it would freeze one’s lungs, began to emanate.

As if time had come to a halt, the swirling smoke surrounding the energy began to freeze in place.

Chiiiiiik, jjjeoong!

Everything that had been flying toward them froze in midair.