Absolute Regression

Chapter 713: Would There Be a Chance of Victory Now?

The Evil Smiling Demon, who had been sitting in front of Geom Mugeuk, stood up.

As the Evil Smiling Demon walked forward, the Faceless Swordsmen, who had been encircling them in a ring, closed the gap and sealed the entrance. It looked as if they intended to guard the Young Cult Leader’s body, but their true purpose was to prevent Geom Mugeuk from being exposed to the outside.

At first, even the Faceless Swordsmen had been shocked.

When they turned back, they had seen the Evil Smiling Demon stabbing a dagger into Geom Mugeuk’s heart.

But now they understood.

That Geom Mugeuk, sitting with his head deeply lowered, was still alive. That they had to protect him until the Young Cult Leader regained consciousness.

The Evil Smiling Demon’s gaze met Cha Iran’s, who was standing among the assassins.

If she hadn’t brought Geom Mugeuk all the way here, they might have missed the crucial moment.

Cha Iran could feel it. The eyes of the Evil Smiling Demon gazing at her were gentle. Because she understood what the gratitude in those eyes meant, Cha Iran finally felt relieved.

‘The Young Cult Leader is alive.’

Yes, if he truly intended to kill him, he wouldn’t have asked her to bring him to the Evil Smiling Demon in the first place.

Cha Iran’s eyes turned toward the Faceless Swordsmen. They stood so closely together that Geom Mugeuk could not be seen.

‘The commission is safely completed.’

For the first time, she had succeeded in a commission to save a person.

Moreover, thanks to the Faceless Swordsmen, even First Beauty and the other assassins were all unharmed.

Then, from far away down the alley, the sound of fighting echoed. That battle had not yet ended.

The Evil Smiling Demon spoke politely to Cha Iran. It was the courtesy owed to the one who had saved Geom Mugeuk.

“Please leave this place to us now.”

It was an instruction for her to go and rescue her subordinates.

Cha Iran did not hesitate. In her injured state, if she remained here, she would only become a burden to the Evil Smiling Demon.

That Hwa Do-myeong clearly had faith in something. Even with the Evil Smiling Demon before him, he had not thought of escaping.

She gave the Evil Smiling Demon a respectful fist-and-palm salute and bid farewell.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

After giving her farewell, she was the first to move.

“Let’s go.”

The assassin women bowed in salute to the Faceless Swordsmen. Thanks to their efforts, none of the assassins who had come here had died.

After entrusting Sixth Beauty safely to her comrades, the Seventeenth Beauty, who had joined the fight late, offered a respectful bow to the crescent-masked Faceless Swordsman. She owed him her life twice.

‘Since I have to repay this debt, don’t die.’

Whether he understood the meaning behind her eyes, she could not know.

Thus, Cha Iran led her subordinates and leapt toward the alley.

Even in the moment of departure, she was seeing a new side of Hwa Do-myeong.

As she left, he did not even glance at her.

He had once treated her like a friend, then tried to kill her.

And now, he didn’t even spare her a glance.

Was it because he was overwhelmed by the shock and fury of failure? His usual leisurely, sly demeanor was nowhere to be found. The composure he had shown earlier had been just that—composure in a moment when it was easy to have it. Yes, adversity always revealed what kind of person one truly was.

‘Will the urgent desire hidden behind your fan overcome the loyalty concealed behind that smiling mask?’

It was with such thoughts that she was able to leave without worry.

At that very moment, Hwa Do-myeong was seething with rage. He truly could not contain the fury boiling up inside him. The fact that the Young Cult Leader was dead consumed his thoughts, leaving Cha Iran beneath his notice.

“When you return, what do you think your Cult Leader will say? Ah, as expected, you lived up to your reputation! Would he say that?”

The Evil Smiling Demon, however, considered this a fortunate turn. If they misunderstood and thought Geom Mugeuk dead, then they would pay less attention to his actual survival.

Though he wished to rush in at once and slaughter them all, the Evil Smiling Demon held back. Time was on their side. The enemy clearly had faith in something, which was why they had not fled.

“It is already over.”

Just then, a calm but dissenting voice rang out.

“That is a lie.”

It came from one of the three men wearing bamboo hats, the one who had not yet spoken. His voice was very young.

All eyes turned toward him.

“The Young Cult Leader is still alive.”

Even from far away from Geom Mugeuk, he had sensed that faint trace of life. And yet, with the Faceless Swordsmen surrounding him, it should have been even harder to read such energy.

Hwa Do-myeong’s eyes widened in shock.

“Is that true?”

The man answered with certainty.

“It is certain. Right now, I feel no anger or grief at all from the Evil Smiling Demon. The Young Cult Leader is alive.”

He had not only sensed the distant life force but had also read the emotions of his opponent. Clearly, this was no ordinary man.

“How could he survive being stabbed in the heart?”

To Hwa Do-myeong’s question came a startling reply.

“I feel no trace of the Flying Blood Serpent in the Young Cult Leader’s body.”

Hwa Do-myeong’s astonished eyes widened further.

“Not because he died and it vanished?”

“The Young Cult Leader is most certainly alive.”

Hwa Do-myeong’s expression brightened. If he were alive, then it meant the energy could be reclaimed.

The man turned his gaze toward the Evil Smiling Demon. Staring into the eyes behind the mask, he declared:

“The Evil Smiling Demon must have stabbed the dagger in to kill the Flying Blood Serpent that had taken root in his heart.”

Though it was difficult to believe, Hwa Do-myeong accepted his words.

For this man was none other than the disciple of the one who had created the Flying Blood Serpent. In fact, he himself had assisted his master in its making.

And since this scheme involved the use of the Flying Blood Serpent, he had come along to provide aid.

Even more shocking words flowed from his mouth.

“Right now, the Young Cult Leader must be dissolving the energy of the Flying Blood Serpent.”

Hwa Do-myeong’s expression hardened instantly.

“Wasn’t it said that the Flying Blood Serpent’s energy is so immense that no human could dissolve it?”

“That is true.”

He answered, but unlike before, his tone lacked certainty.

Still, one thing was clear.

“If the Young Cult Leader awakens, we stand no chance. We must finish this before he wakes.”

Just as he was about to order the killing of both the Evil Smiling Demon and the Faceless Swordsmen—

The Evil Smiling Demon laughed coldly and asked,

“Do you think you have a chance of victory now?”

Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, he gave the order to his subordinates first.

“Kill them all!”

At his command, ten Faceless Swordsmen leapt into action.

From the other side, the dozen or so surviving martial artists also charged forward.

The Evil Smiling Demon stood watching the battle unfold. The morale of the Faceless Swordsmen soared to the heavens.

Even though assassins had fought beside them, they had already faced over twenty enemies without losing a single one of their own, while killing ten in return.

The fighting of the Faceless Swordsmen was truly the fighting of villains.

They focused only on winning. They rolled across the ground to unleash gusts of dirt and wind, and if the tide turned against them, they would fling soil into their enemies’ eyes.

They showed no hesitation in stabbing opponents in the back, nor any revulsion if a comrade stabbed to death the very opponent they had been facing. They had no pride or vanity in insisting they had to personally take their enemy’s life.

And yet, they did not fear death.

At one point, two of the bamboo-hatted martial artists tried to join the fray.

But with a single sentence, the Evil Smiling Demon stopped them. Not with “If you move, I will also move,” but rather—

“If you move, that man dies.”

It was a warning that he would kill Hwa Do-myeong.

The threat worked perfectly. They could not move.

Once the Faceless Swordsmen had finished cutting down all of their enemies, they sprang back with swift leaps.

Chachachachachachak!

They once again surrounded Geom Mugeuk. Even in the midst of battle, Geom Mugeuk remained seated with his eyes closed.

Protecting him, the Faceless Swordsmen formed another ring around him. Their masks grew ever more stained with fresh blood.

As soon as the martial artists before him were wiped out, the Evil Smiling Demon strode straight toward Hwa Do-myeong.

The white mask advancing without the slightest hesitation filled Hwa Do-myeong with dread, and he quickly spread open his fan.

Swaaaah.

From behind the fan, his command was issued.

“Hurry. Didn’t you say the Young Cult Leader lives?”

Two bamboo-hatted martial artists stepped forward in unison. Around their bodies, dark energy began to surge.

The reason Hwa Do-myeong felt no fear of the Evil Smiling Demon was because of these two martial artists. They were masters who had learned the Dark Demonic Art of the Dark Palace.

The Dark Demonic Art.

A martial art taught only to the warriors of the Dark Palace, famed for its truly overwhelming power.

But such overwhelming power inevitably came with restrictions and side effects, which meant it could not be used recklessly. It was a martial art reserved only for the most crucial of moments. To give in to the temptation of its strength was to invite nothing but ruin.

Sseueuk.

Like tattoos being carved into their flesh, long black lines appeared beneath the bamboo hats, stretching across the cheeks of the two.

The Dark Demonic Art that exponentially heightened their speed.

Dark Ghost Step.

And that was not all. This time, a circle was etched.

The Dark Demonic Art that hardened skin and muscle like steel and further strengthened the power of protective energy.

Dark Iron Body.

A long vertical line overlapped with the newly drawn circle, forming a shape that looked like the wind brushing across a full moon.

With two Dark Demonic Arts layered together, they became faster and stronger than ever before.

Shhhhwip!

The two charged forward with terrifying speed. Compared to when they had fought Cha Iran earlier, their pace was on a completely different level.

In particular, the woman, who had always been swift, now moved like a flash of lightning itself.

In the blink of an eye, the two bamboo-hatted martial artists were attacking the Evil Smiling Demon from both sides. Like partners who had long mastered the art of joint strikes, their coordination was flawless.

Swaaaash! Shhhhwip!

From the left came the saber, from the right the sword.

It was a perfect attack, leaving no room to escape.

A smile spread across Hwa Do-myeong’s lips as he watched.

‘How will you block this flawless joint technique?’

And how? The Evil Smiling Demon blocked it while standing in place.

Kaaang! Kaaaang!

He deflected the saber that came from the left, then parried the sword from the right.

A flicker of joy crossed the faces of the two martial artists. Once ensnared by this combination strike, there was no escape after the first move. To survive, he should have broken free at the cost of injury.

The saber and sword continued their relentless, coordinated strikes, pouring onto the Evil Smiling Demon with blinding speed. Surely, no one could withstand this pace and power.

Cheng! Cheng! Cheng! Cheng! Cheng!

Dozens of lines of sword light and saber light intertwined, with additional streaks created by the Evil Smiling Demon’s dagger deflecting the blows.

In an instant, the surroundings were engulfed in flashes of sword and saber light.

At the start of the assault, none of them had expected the Evil Smiling Demon to endure so well.

The woman could hardly believe it. To fend off a combined assault of Dark Ghost Step—used not by one, but by two people?

At this moment, the Evil Smiling Demon was facing two ghosts. No—‘they' were the ones facing a ghost.

‘Not like this!’

Their decision came quickly. The Dark Demonic Art was not a technique suited for prolonged battle.

Sseuuuuh.

Another black line appeared across the woman’s face. Her Dark Demonic Art had been further reinforced. She stacked another Dark Ghost Step, prepared to suffer internal injury in exchange for greater speed.

The man’s face, too, began to change. But instead of Dark Ghost Step, he reinforced his Dark Iron Body—two full stages higher.

Three circles overlapped across his face. He knew that overstraining himself like this would leave him with severe internal injuries once the Dark Demonic Art dissipated, but it was a gamble he had to take.

The woman understood what he intended.

At the very moment when the saber, sword, and dagger were weaving a breathtaking pattern—

One man threw down his brush upon the canvas.

The bamboo-hatted man hurled his saber at the Evil Smiling Demon and hurled his body forward at the same time. It was an unexpected ambush, a move meant to unsettle his opponent by discarding his weapon—a strike no one could anticipate.

He would be cut down, yes, but if he could just grab hold of the Evil Smiling Demon in that instant—

Then it would be over. The woman would cleave through the Evil Smiling Demon’s neck with a single strike.

He had confidence. With the third stage of Dark Iron Body, he was certain he would not die. In this moment, he was invincible.

The dagger swept toward the charging man.

Flash.

A single line drawn by the dagger.

Without his saber, of course he could not block it.

Kaaaang!

A metallic clang rang out from his body.

The man instantly felt it—he had succeeded.

‘It worked!’

If he had not died from this strike—

‘Then you will!’

The man locked his arms tightly around the Evil Smiling Demon’s body.

In his eyes, he saw the woman flying in, blade poised to slash the Evil Smiling Demon’s neck.

Both the man and the woman were smiling.

In that fleeting instant—

The Evil Smiling Demon’s arm shot forward.

The man recoiled in horror. He was holding him in an unbreakable grip—how had he managed to free his arm?

The next moment, an ear-splitting roar erupted.

Kwaaaaaang!

The man standing behind them witnessed it.

The Evil Smiling Demon’s palm unleashed an energy blast.

The Demonic Frantic Palm exploded directly into the woman’s face.

Puhhhh!

At such close range, the woman’s head was obliterated without a trace.

Her body, headless, spouted blood as it collapsed backward.

The man could not comprehend it.

‘Why… why can’t I put strength into my arms?’

Even now, in this very moment, his arms were powerless.

Only then did the bamboo-hatted man realize something hot was flowing across his chest.

Drip…

His steel-like skin had been split open.

From that gash, blood poured forth in torrents.

‘Cut? I was… cut?’

The fact that the third stage of Dark Iron Body had been severed with a single stroke struck him like lightning.

But could such an ordinary-looking strike have been ordinary at all?

It had been the Smiling Fragrance Dagger Art unleashed with the Millennium Cold Iron Dagger by the Evil Smiling Demon.

The First Smile Fragrance Strike.

Then came the pain.

This was not just a wound—it was a wound inflicted as the Dark Demonic Art shattered. The agony could not be compared to being cut by an ordinary sword. It was unbearable, excruciating torment that surged through him.

“Aaaaarghhh!”

A desperate scream burst from the bamboo-hatted man’s mouth. His pain was so immense that he wished only for death to come quickly.

At that moment, someone covered his mouth. The Evil Smiling Demon was suddenly standing behind him.

“Shhh!”

Clamping his hand firmly over the man’s mouth, the Evil Smiling Demon drew his dagger across his throat without hesitation.

Saaaak.

It was not to spare him from suffering.

Standing behind the man as blood sprayed from his neck, the Evil Smiling Demon spoke quietly.

“Young Cult Leader might wake up.”