Chapter 448 - The World's Greatest is Dead

Anotherdaypassed.thadbeenthreedayssincewesetout,andthetriptowardiaoninghadgonewithoutanyrealtrouble.

“Weshouldresthereforaday.”

Wemadecamp.Wehadbeenpushingwithoutabreakfordays,sothehorseneededrest.

Andtheotherscoulduseamorecomfortablebreaktoo.

Afterfactoringthatin,pickedthespotandsetupcamp.Sinceeveryoneherewasamartialartist,wegotitdonequickly.

“Avalley.”

YuYullookedatthelakeandvalleynearbyashespoke.

“Ayeonalley.”

answeredhim.

“Ayeon?t’sgotaname?”

“hat’swhatpeoplecallit.”

twasn’taplacecametooften.twasprettyfarfromiaoning,andallreallyknewwasthename.

Apparentlytherewassomefairytaleattachedtoitorwhatever,buthadnevercaredenoughtolookintoit.

Forsomethingwithalegendattachedtoit...

herewassolittlespiritualpresenceherethatitwassafetoassumeitwasjustarumor.

fthere’salegendatall...

hatusuallymeanttherewasatleastsomechancesomethinghadoncebeenhere.

hisvalleyjustlooksempty.

didn’tfeelanythinginparticular.

“Sowe’rerestinghere?”

“Yes.Weleavefirstthinginthemorning.”

“Whataboutthenightwatch?”

“Youtakefirstwatch.’llstandthemiddleone.”

gavewayontheorderwithoutmuchthought.neededlesssleepthesedaysanyway.

“’mgoingtotakeaquicklook[]around.”

“Wantmetocomewithyou?”

“o.Pleasejuststayput.”

“Ahaha.You’regettingshyagain.”

gnoringYuYul’snonsense,movedoff.Withalightjump,roseabovetheforest.Mybodyfeltlight.

et’ssee.

climbedtothetopofatalltreeandlookedaround.

otmanyevilghosts...andtheredon’tseemtobemanyotherghostseither.

Maybebecausetheterrainwasrelativelysafe,didn’tsensemuchthatwouldbeannoyingtodealwith.Atthisrate,weshouldbefinecontinuingon.

Aslongaswedidn’tgethitbyanothertorrentialdownpourontheway,hadnothingelsetoaskfor.

heskylooksfinetoo,soitshouldbeallright.

treallyneededtostaythatway.hadnointerestinuselesstroublecroppingupontheroad.

Atthisrate,wemightarriveearlierthanexpected.

Assoonaswegetthere,first...

hadtodealwiththeringonthesoulside.

Andafterthat—

needtofindmyolderbrother.

wouldprobablyhavetogodraginthatdrunkenlunaticwhereverhewasmakingasceneinthecountytown.WasFatheriniaoningtoo?eprobablywas.

...alreadyhatethis.

herewereveryfewthingsmoreexhaustingthanhavingtodealwiththetwomenoftheBangFamilyatthesametime.

...sk.

venso,aftereverythingthathadhappened,hadtofacethematleastonce.

“oo.”

letoutabreath.nthequiet,steadyingmybreathing,thechurninsidemegraduallysettled.

Chirr,chirr.Chirr.

hesoundofinsectsandtherustlingofgrassinthewindfilledtheair.isteningtothem,myfacestiffenedforamoment.

ldman.

calledtosomeoneinmyhead.

heoldbastardwhohadgonesilentformonthsnow.

ldman.

calledagain,buttherewasstillnoanswer.

Asexpected.

Wheredidhego?

herewasnowayhehadsimplyvanished.Andwithhispersonality,therewasnochancehehadpassedonlikethis.

Whathappened?

hadn’tseenhimsincewhathappenedinthedream-vision,andthatmadeitallthemoresuffocating.Washehidingsomewhere,preparingsomethingagain?fso,wasitreallythesortofthingthatwouldtakethislong?

...sk.

fhewasplanningsomething,thatmademeuneasy.Woulditkillhimtojusttellme?

here’ssomuchwanttoask.Can’thejustcomeoutalready?

Whenhewasaround,hewasapainintheass.owthathewasgone,thatwasaproblemtoo.talmostfeltlike’dlostmywaywithoutnoticing.

Wasrelyingonhimmorethanthought?

hadn’tbelievedwas.

Butmaybe,withoutrealizingit,hadbeenleaningonYooCheongilallalong.

hatthoughtcrossedmymind.

“ch.”

clickedmytongueandshookmyhead.Maybeitwasbecausewasheadingbacktothemainhouseforthefirsttimeinsolong.oomanyuselessthoughtswerecreepingin.

droppeddownfromthetree.

Someonewaswaitingformebelow.

FreakDemon.

“MySky.”

“...Youstartledme.”

hadn’tsensedhimatall.Sometimeswonderedwhetherthismanwasactuallyaghost.

“Youscaredme.”

“Myapologies.didn’tmeantostartleyou.”

FreakDemonsmiledawkwardly.ookingathim,asked,

“Whatisit?”

“Well...”

fFreakDemonhadcomelookingformeinsteadofstayingbackatcamp,therehadtobeareason.nanswertomyquestion,hesaidcarefully,

“sensedpeoplenottoofarfromhere.”

“People?”

narrowedmyeyes.

herewassomethingnearby?hadn’tfeltit.

“Whatkindofpeople?”

herecouldbepeopleouthere.venifthenearestcountytownwasstillawaysoff,thereweresettlementsinthearea.

Still,thefactthatFreakDemonhadcometotellmehimselfmeant—

t’ssomethingelse.

ewasn’ttalkingaboutordinarypassersby.

“Fromwhatcouldtell...”

Asexpected.

“believethey’reunorthodoxfactiontrash.”

“...heunorthodoxfaction?”

heydidn’tsoundordinary.

hesuddenappearanceofunorthodoxfactionbastards.

AfterhearingFreakDemonout,tiltedmyhead.

heunorthodoxfaction?ere?

hisisn’tevenaparticularlydangerousarea.

couldn’tseewhyunorthodoxfactionbastardswouldshowuphere.

Morethanthat—

WhyisFreakDemonsosurethey’reunorthodox?

ehadsensedthemfromadistance.

wantedtoknowwhythatalonewasenoughforhimtosayitwithcertainty.

“We’reclosenow.”

hatwashowFreakDemonandendedupmovingtogether.Wewerestartingtodrawneariaoning—stillalongwayoff,butcloseenoughthatthepresenceofunorthodoxfactionbastardsonthislandfeltwrong.

Keepingourpresencessuppressed,wecreptcloser.

Soonfeltthemtoo.

henumber...

Alittleoverten,maybe.

Whatisthis?

Whatweretheydoingouthere?

Butunlikemyearlieruncertainty—

Ah.

thoughtunderstoodwhyFreakDemonhadpeggedthemasunorthodox.

heirenergy’sdifferent.

heauratheygaveoffwasdifferentfromthestart.Sharp.Rough.Crude.

Andontopofthat—

Blood.

hesmellofbloodclungtothem.

heyseemedtobemovingwithacarriageintow.

heproblemwas—

...his.

frownedwhensawthecarriage.

couldfeelspiritualenergyfromit.

Malicechurnedinsidelikeaflood.

Whatisthat?

Whatthehellwasinthere?

focusedmygaze.

“Brother,arewereallyokaytakingitlikethis?”

neofthemspoke,andhisvoicereachedmyears.

“What,then?owelsewerewesupposedtotakeit?”

“mean,sure,therearen’tmanypeoplearound,butstill.Movingitthisopenlyfeelsalittlemuch.”

“t’dbestupidtotrytohidesomethingthisbig,andwe’renotinanypositiontosparethetimeforiteither.”

“guessthat’strue.Still.”

neofthemsmackedhislips.

“t’dbeniceifwegotevenalittlebreak.Wefinallygotourhandsonsomethingvaluable,andwecan’tevenstopinacountytown.”

“fyoustoppedinacountytown,you’djustgochasingacourtesan’sskirts.Whodoyouthinkyou’refooling?”

“hat’sthefunpart.”

“amgettinghungrymyself,soit’snottheworstidea.Butholditin.heboss’sbusinesscomesfirst.”

“o,but...you’resayingwecarrythisallthewaytoiaoning?”

“Quitwhining.fyou’vegotenergyforthat,useittohaul.”

heconversationwasstrange.

Somethingvaluable,huh...

hattheyhadcomeallthewaytothisdesertedareawasonething,but—

otimetomoveitinsecret?

Somethingaboutthiswasoff.

speciallywiththespiritualenergyrollingoutofthatcarriage,scrapingattheinsideofmyskull.

“We’realmostthere.WejustneedtomakeittoAbandonedMountain.Bosswillbewaitingthere.”

“...fwefinishthis,wereallydogettorest,right?”

“Probably.Bosssaidso.”

ap.ap.

drummedmyfingersagainstmywrist.Mythoughtsstillhadn’tfinishedarrangingthemselves.

hen—

“fthisofferinggoeswell,hesaidhe’drewardusgenerously.Soifwejustgrabafewmoregirls—”

hemomenttheman’swordsreachedme,mybodysank.

-MySky?

FreakDemonspokeinconfusion,butbythenhadalreadylandedontheground.

“uh?”

“Whoisthat?”

“Whogoesthere!”

Shrring!

heydrewtheirswordsandpointedthematme.

“Atravelerwanderingaroundthislateatnight?henyou’reunlucky.”

heonewhohadbeenspeakingaddedwithgleamingeyes,

“fyou’djustkeptwalkingquietly—”

“etmeaskonething.”

cuthimoff.

“What’sinsidethat?”

“What’sinside?”

heman’sexpressionhardened.

“Whyshouldtellyou?Whothehellareyou?”

“...”

Somethingrosefromthesolesofmyfeetandslammedintothecrownofmyhead.

hefeelingofmybloodgoingcoldwasneverpleasant,nomatterhowmanytimesfeltit.

“Whoam.m.”

Whatwassupposedtocallmyselfhere?

thoughtaboutitforamoment.

herewasn’treallyanythingwantedtosay.

Sosimplywrappedmyhandaroundtheswordatmywaist.

“oidea.Doesn’tseemlike’vegotanameworthgivingyou.”

“Youlittle—?Don’ttellme...you’refromtheAlliance?”

“alfright.”

“...!”

Atmycalmconfirmation,theireyeswentwide.

“Damnit.owdidheknow?”

“Battlepositions!”

heirswordscameoutallatonce.

Watchingthem,tookonestepforward.

“Killhim—!”

Slash.

heheadoftheonewhohadbeenspeakingdropped.

“hk—?!”

henstartedcuttingthroughtheothers,oneafteranother.

heDivineSwordcutthroughhumanfleshwithalltheresistanceoftofu.

Bloodsoakedtheearthinaninstant.

“Y-youbastard!”

“e’samonster...!”

heirrealmsdidn’tseemthathigh.

hestrongestamongthemwasmaybeafirst-ratemartialartist.

Afirst-ratemartialartist.

tfeltstrangetohearmyselfdismissthatasunimpressive.

Slash—

Anotherone.

hentwomore.

cutthemdownslowly.

woofthemturnedandran.

“R-run!”

Maybetheyhadjudgedtherewasnochanceofwinning.

itherway,theychosetoflee—

Crack!

“ghk!”

—anddiedwiththeirneckstwistedinthehandsofFreakDemon,whohadappearedbehindthemstilldressedasawoman.

Beforecouldcounttoten,alltenmeninfrontofmeweredead.

“...”

Drip.Drip.

WatchingthebloodfallfromtheDivineSword,walkedtowardthecarriage.

“MySky.”

FreakDemoncalledtome.

hen,ashespoke,hecarefullydroppedtooneknee.

“...amashamed.”

Ashamedofwhat?

didn’task.

Withoutsayinganything,walkedtothecarriageandpulleditopen.

hunk.

hemomentthedooropened,apalewhitehandfelllimplyoutfrominside.

“...”

hecarriagewaspackedwithcorpses.

irls.

heylookedbarelyintheirmid-teens.

ventheoldestcouldn’thavebeenovertwenty.

Andthecarriagewasfulloftheirbodies.

Abovethem—

vilghosts.

hegirls’soulshadbeenleftbehindexactlyastheywere,clottedtogetherafterturningintoevilghostsintheirmalice.

Sothatwasthespiritualenergyhadbeensensing.

-Ah...ahh.

Becausethepeoplewhohadkilledthemweredeadnow,afewoftheevilghostsfinallypassedon.

didn’tlookatthem.

ivescutoffbeforetheycouldevenclosetheireyes.

ookingatthem,spoke.

“...FreakDemon.”

“Yes,MySky.”

“Willyougrantmeonerequest?”

tlookedlike,onthewaytoiaoning—

“awaityourcommand.Whateveritmaybe.”

—neededtotakecareofonethingfirst.