Absolute Regression

Chapter 658: Not Wasting Words on the Despicable

“The successor of the Martial Alliance trusts the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult the most?”

Gwak Ju burst out laughing.

Then, just as suddenly, his expression seemed to return to normal—

—but this time, Hwa Song, who had been standing elsewhere, suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter spread like a contagion. Next, the members of the Demon-Slaying Brigade who had already fallen victim to the Soul Reaping Art began laughing in succession.

The opponent was moving freely from body to body.

Then, once again, he entered Gwak Ju’s body, which was now standing beside Jin Hagun, and grinned as he asked,

“Do you really believe it?”

Did he really believe in Geom Mugeuk?

Of course, Jin Hagun believed in Geom Mugeuk. If it was Geom Mugeuk, he would easily avoid a fate like dying at his grandfather’s hands.

He was the kind of person who would save a friend cornered in a crisis and then make all sorts of fuss about it—despite disliking making a fuss.

“He’s my friend, so I have to trust him.”

At Jin Hagun’s unwavering reply, Gwak Ju openly sneered.

“The Orthodox Martial Alliance will collapse even if left alone.”

Then he shouted sharply, as if scolding him.

“Doesn’t the Leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade feel ashamed in front of his subordinates?”

But in truth, none of the Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors felt ashamed of Jin Hagun.

They knew better than anyone what kind of man Jin Hagun was, and they had watched more closely than anyone how he had met Geom Mugeuk and built their relationship until now.

Perhaps sensing the loyalty reflected in their expressions, Gwak Ju’s gaze turned cold.

“You’re going to die here today.”

He was plotting a death as cruel as possible.

“After you watch your subordinates kill each other, I’ll kill you last.”

Would cutting down the Gwak Ju in front of him actually kill the real enemy?

Jin Hagun didn’t think so. If it were possible, the opponent wouldn’t be standing so carelessly exposed in front of him like this.

He stared silently into Gwak Ju’s eyes.

There were so many things he wanted to say to the master of the Soul Reaping Art hiding beyond them.

A coward too craven to even show his face!

He wanted to provoke and mock him.

But he doubted that would make the man reveal himself. If he were the sort to show himself, he would have done so from the start.

A clumsy provocation would only place his subordinates’ lives in greater danger.

Yes—what was needed now was not to fall for the opponent’s taunts, but to endure until Geom Mugeuk came to help. In the past, simply harboring such a thought would have wounded his pride, but not anymore. Saving his subordinates was more important than pride.

Jin Hagun stepped back, pointing his sword. His subordinates moved up on either side of him.

To be honest, he had no idea how to deal with this opponent. How could this Soul Reaping Art possibly be broken?

At that moment, his grandfather’s words came to mind.

—Why do you think we haven’t crumbled before their cruel and relentless desires?

Jin Hagun spoke proudly to his subordinates.

“Our path is the right one!”

Yes—even though they were always one step, two steps behind this evil no matter how they hurried, this belief never wavered.

“We are the Demon-Slaying Brigade. We fear no enemy!”

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

At Jin Hagun’s words, his subordinates all pointed their swords in unison—toward the comrades they had fought alongside just moments ago.

Swiish!

The battle resumed the moment the warrior beside Jin Hagun swung his sword at him.

Clang!

Jin Hagun easily blocked the incoming blade from the side. He showed neither surprise nor panic. This was the mindset he had decided upon:

“From now on, we begin live combat training with our comrades!”

It meant treating the comrades under the Soul Reaping Art as if they were training dummies. They would fight as in training, while those under the art would fight as if it were real.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Fighting broke out among the Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors. For now, those not yet under the Soul Reaping Art still outnumbered the afflicted, giving them some leeway.

But even so, Jin Hagun poured his full strength into the fight. No one knew when someone might suddenly turn and cause a tragic outcome.

‘No matter how much the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art has been activated to make him stronger, he must still have a limit.’

The enemy was surely expending tremendous internal energy in this fight.

But the Soul Reaping Art, now empowered by the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art, was beyond imagination. The opponent used it without tiring, over and over.

One by one, more warriors fell under the Soul Reaping Art.

Jin Hagun knew—this kind of master could have killed them by other means if he wished.

But the man was toying with him, wanting to see the pain on his face as his subordinates stabbed each other to death.

“Hold out! Hold out to the end!”

Someone would come to help them—without fail!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The warriors under the Soul Reaping Art charged as if to kill, while Jin Hagun’s side could not kill them in return. Despite their numerical advantage, the battle was grueling.

And the number of afflicted continued to rise.

“Watch out!”

He leapt over a fallen subordinate to block another who was attacking him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew, and in the midst of it, the warrior who had been downed earlier rose to his feet.

He had saved that man—yet now, the subordinate thrust his blade at Jin Hagun’s back.

Chaaang!

Jin Hagun turned and deflected the sword. He did not grow angry—he only felt sorry for the man.

‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.’

He had faced many crises in his life, but never had he felt such regret toward his subordinates.

Nor had he ever hungered for strength so desperately.

‘If I survive today, I will grow strong enough that something like this will never happen again.’

Jin Hagun threw himself toward a subordinate who was being slammed into a wall.

The reckless movement made blood spray from his arm, but he had no time to check the wound.

He shoved back the subordinate attacking the fallen one and scanned the battlefield again.

Both the attacker and the one under attack were his men.

That was why he had to keep his mind clear.

He could never allow his subordinates to die here—especially not by the blades of their own comrades.

‘Not a single one will die!’

Jin Hagun swung his sword like a madman.

The warriors not yet under the Soul Reaping Art had never seen him fight like this before. Knowing better than anyone why he was so desperate, they too fought with everything they had—until, before long, they became enemies themselves.

It was not enough.

Jin Hagun and the remaining Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors were pushed back against the wall with the rear door.

The enemy eased the fight for a moment—

Clap, clap, clap!

—this time, Hwa Song stepped forward, clapping his hands.

The one who should have been breaking this space was now a puppet of the enemy.

“Impressive! Even fighting like this, you haven’t killed a single subordinate.”

Jin Hagun didn’t answer right away.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

Only the sound of his ragged breathing filled the space.

The Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors beside him looked him over.

His arms, legs, and back were soaked with blood streaming from countless wounds.

“Are you alright?”

Jin Hagun nodded at the subordinate’s question.

At that very moment—

Swiish!

—The same subordinate who had just asked if he was alright thrust a sword at him.

Dodging the incoming blade, Jin Hagun seized the man’s wrist tightly and spoke again.

Though the subordinate’s eyes were already devoid of reason, Jin Hagun locked his gaze on them and said,

“I’m fine.”

Then, with a swift motion, he hurled the man toward the group already under the Soul Reaping Art.

The subordinate landed on the ground and did not attack again.

“The hypocrisy of you Orthodox types is always laughable.”

Despite Hwa Song’s mockery, Jin Hagun looked at him and replied calmly.

“I’m the real target, aren’t I? You’ve had your fun—now let my subordinates go.”

Hwa Song snorted.

“Still keeping up the act, are you?”

He slowly walked toward Jin Hagun.

Stopping right in front of him, he spoke coldly.

“Drop the pretense!”

Jin Hagun never let his emotions explode.

But the enemy wanted nothing more than to provoke him, to see his true nature.

Hwa Song glanced at the door behind Jin Hagun.

“That door will never open unless I open it myself.”

He smirked faintly.

“How about it? Should I open it just for you? If you stop pretending and say you’ll escape alone, I’ll let you go.”

The subordinates beside him nodded.

If it were possible, they wanted him to escape first, even if it meant doing so alone.

Of course, they knew Jin Hagun would never leave them behind to save himself—just as they wouldn’t abandon him.

“Why are you all so afraid to be honest?”

Hwa Song knocked on the door behind Jin Hagun.

“Please open up, I want to live! Forget negotiations—living comes first! I promise to do lots of good deeds afterward. Come on, the first five to volunteer get to live!”

Just as his taunting continued—

Craack!

—A hand burst through the door.

That hand seized Hwa Song’s throat.

It happened so fast that Hwa Song didn’t have time to dodge.

As his strangled cry escaped—

Bwooosh!

—Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors saw it.

Something pure white shot out from Hwa Song’s body.

Something they had never seen before—until now.

It streaked through the air like an arrow and dove into Gwak Ju’s body.

The moment it did, the hand that had burst through the door released Hwa Song’s throat.

Bewildered, Hwa Song stumbled back.

And at the same time—

Creeeak.

The door that was supposedly impossible to open without permission swung wide.

Beyond it lay only pitch-black darkness.

From that darkness, the hand extended outward.

There was a design drawn upon it—black chains running from the back of the hand all the way up the arm.

From within the shadows, the owner of that hand stepped forward.

The one who entered was a young woman.

It was none other than the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, Cheong Seon.

Jin Hagun was genuinely shocked by her arrival.

He had seen her before at the three-way summit, but he had never expected her to appear here.

A shiver of exhilaration ran through him.

It was the joy of confirming that his faith had not been misplaced.

Who else but Geom Mugeuk could have sent her?

Yes—this was exactly the kind of person Geom Mugeuk was.

If he weren’t, how could the successor of the Demonic Cult and he have ever become friends?

Her presence now was completely different from the last time he’d seen her. He almost didn’t recognize her.

Her cold gaze was incomparably calm and profound, her aura utterly transformed from when she had first become a Demon Supreme.

Strange markings adorned her face and arms.

The most striking was the one on her forehead—

—a closed eye.

The closed eye was drawn in violet, giving the impression of a third eye.

A crimson spiral pattern was etched on the left side of her face, and from the back of her right hand extended the black chain pattern he had just seen.

On the back of her left hand was the image of a blue flame.

At a glance, it was clear these markings were no ordinary drawings—they were Soul Paintings.

A Soul Painting was a special design that strengthened the martial arts of those who had mastered the Soul Reaping Art.

With such markings, the wielder could unleash an even more powerful Soul Reaping Art.

It served much the same role as the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art now being used by their opponent to amplify his own technique.

The fact that the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme had come forth bearing Soul Paintings meant two things—she acknowledged her opponent’s strength, and she intended to fight in earnest.

Jin Hagun bowed respectfully.

She might be young, but she bore the title of Demon Supreme.

“I greet the Demon Supreme.”

The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme returned the courtesy with a formal fist salute.

“I was delayed because I had the honor of meeting a distinguished person.”

A distinguished person? Who could she mean?

Could it be Geom Mugeuk?

If she had met Geom Mugeuk, she would have come together with him… so who was it?

Gwak Ju addressed her.

“I’ve heard about the Demonic Cult’s new Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. You’re much younger than I expected. You crazy wench, you almost scared the life out of me earlier.”

Even knowing who she was, he showed no fear.

If anything, his eyes were alight with curiosity at her arrival.

“The previous Soul Reaper Demon Supreme dabbled in the Dark Demonic Art.”

He clearly had a deep interest in her title.

“There’s a rumor the Young Cult Leader killed him. Is that true?”

The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme said nothing.

“A woman of few words, I see?”

Her reply came in an indifferent tone.

“I don’t waste words on the despicable.”

It was a jab at his cowardice—at hiding in another’s body instead of showing his own face.

Jin Hagun felt a weight lift from his chest.

He had resisted the urge to say that very thing so many times.

Gwak Ju’s gaze turned cold.

“Well then, let’s see just what our young Demon Supreme can do.”

The moment he finished speaking, the wailing of ghosts began to echo all around.

Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee.

The sound burrowed into the hearts of all who heard it.

The Demon-Slaying Brigade warriors raised their internal energy to resist it, but like an attack of sound-based martial arts, the eerie cries wormed their way into their ears.

The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme slowly brought a finger to her lips.

“Shh.”

In that instant, the ghostly wailing ringing from every direction ceased completely.

The silence that followed was so complete it felt as though a real ghost might appear at any moment.