Chapter 338
In the past, when we faced the Demonic God Pill, there was an ironclad rule we had to follow.
'If the opponent has eaten one, face them moderately and run away; if they have eaten two, run away without looking back; and if they have eaten three, run away with all your might.'
In the end, the conclusion is to run away.
Because the opponent who has eaten the Demonic God Pill gains tremendous power for a short time in exchange for abandoning their body, there is no need to fight them at that time.
And in that, there was also the meaning of avoiding a fight with an opponent who had eaten the Demonic God Pill as much as possible.
But Go Mun-tak, who had eaten his third Demonic God Pill, rushed towards me at an unbelievable speed, as if he would never let us escape.
I, barely getting into a stance, drew my sword at the moment his sword came rushing in and swung it at him.
A shock that made my hand, elbow, and shoulder tingle was transmitted.
I, taking a few steps back, barely managed to relieve the shock.
"Hehehe! Why don't you try chattering like you did a little while ago?!"
Go Mun-tak seemed to have almost lost his reason.
He, as if he had made up his mind to kill me before the drug's effect wore off, began to attack me persistently.
The sound of metal clashing echoed. I don't know if it was because I heard such a loud sound up close, but my ears even felt ticklish.
It was a good thing that the sword I was swinging was the famous sword, the Red Dragon Sword; if it had been an ordinary sword, it might have already been all chipped.
"Get out of the way!"
When I thought I might drop my sword because the sensation in my hand was gradually disappearing, a loud voice was heard from behind, and I, reflexively ducking my head, moved back.
Maeng Gwang-gae's Dog Beating Staff flew, making a tremendous sound of cutting through the air, from the place where my head had been.
Although I don't know much about the martial arts of the Beggars' Sect, it seems he had gathered his energy and prepared a big blow while I was buying time by facing Go Mun-tak.
Something like an explosion erupted from Go Mun-tak's head.
Although I don't know what Maeng Gwang-gae's martial art is, it seemed to have landed properly.
But that thought was also brief.
Go Mun-tak had managed to block Maeng Gwang-gae's Dog Beating Staff.
And he didn't block it with a sword, but by raising his arm.
It seemed he had wrapped only his arm with a protective qi with his tremendous internal energy.
"Is that all you've got? It doesn't even tickle."
Although Maeng Gwang-gae frowned for a moment, he, without being shaken, began to strike Go Mun-tak's body here and there with his Dog Beating Staff.
Although a dull thud, not a fleshy sound, was heard every time he was hit, his forms were so graceful that Go Mun-tak couldn't block his Dog Beating Staff and had no choice but to continue to allow the blows.
"Ugh-ah-ah-ah!"
In that situation, Go Mun-tak, as if he were annoyed, began to swing his arms and sword randomly.
The speed of each swing of the sword, which was filled with so much internal energy, felt faster than an arrow being shot.
That's why it was much more threatening now than when he was trying to perform some kind of form.
Because old man Maeng Gwang-gae had stopped his one-sided attack and was just barely dodging.
Everything Go Mun-tak's sword touched is being split in half.
Not only trees and rocks, but even when the sword occasionally scraped the ground, it would create a deep scar on the ground.
I, who had secured some time while Maeng Gwang-gae was fighting him, felt the sensation in my hand completely return and then gripped the Red Dragon Sword again.
If I were to run away, I feel like I would definitely be caught.
No matter how indelicate his movement technique is, if you think about him emitting such a tremendous amount of internal energy, he can't be slow.
'Come to think of it, it's an internal energy exchanged for a life.'
Then I have to fight.
In fact, thinking like this, I felt my heart calm down greatly.
Until now, I had felt impatient because of the thought that I had to shake off the bastard as soon as possible and run away.
But the moment I gave up on running away, I realized again that I had only a few options left.
The energy that started from my dantian began to circulate around my body once, and then, meeting the energy of the Six Yang Divine Art that I had raised again, began to stack up on my sword.
In the meantime, Maeng Gwang-gae and Go Mun-tak are fighting, breaking the surrounding trees and rocks loudly.
Although Maeng Gwang-gae looks very tired, I said to him inwardly, 'Just hold on a little longer. You can do that much, right?'
Of course, he couldn't hear my story, but he is fighting hard as if he had heard my story.
So I, trusting him, took enough time and gathered my energy.
Although it was actually not long, after a time that felt like an eternity, my sword finally gathered as much energy as I had aimed for.
Originally, Taiji harmonizes the energies of yin and yang.
But now, I have raised that yin and yang to a higher dimension.
As if the true qi of the Six Yang Divine Art were the yang energy. I am performing the mysteries of the Six Yang Divine Art and the Taiji Divine Art at the same time, using the general energy as if it were the yin energy.
If that happens, a very offensive sword art that complements even the only weakness of the Taiji Sword Art, its destructive power, with the Six Yang Divine Art is born.
"How long are you going to be like that!"
How much energy had I gathered? The very moment a shout, which I couldn't tell if it was a roar or a plea, came out of Maeng Gwang-gae's mouth.
"Duck!"
I shouted that and then swung my sword with the momentum to cut both Maeng Gwang-gae and Go Mun-tak at the same time.
Fortunately, Maeng Gwang-gae, who understood my words, lay flat on the ground.
Go Mun-tak, unable to dodge in time, blocked my sword, which was filled with my whole body's internal energy, with his sword.
This attack was a considerable shock even for the bastard to feel, as his body staggered greatly, and I did not miss that opening.
I, while immediately injecting the internal energy that was still flowing abundantly in my body into my sword, thrust towards the bastard with the speed of an arrow being embedded.
It was the form of the Heaven and Earth One Sword that I had made with Un Gwang.
Go Mun-tak could not block my attack this time.
I accurately hit the shoulder of the bastard who was holding the sword with my sword.
But the sound that was heard was an ominous sound like metal clashing.
It seemed he had spread the ignorant protective qi he had spread on his hand on his shoulder as well.
"Keuk!"
But the good thing is that this time, the bastard's reaction is unusual.
Although the bastard did not suffer an external injury, he sat down on his shoulder and let out a pained voice.
It means that my attack was definitely effective.
I looked back at Maeng Gwang-gae for a moment.
He also met my eyes.
We nodded our heads at the same time and then started running again.
This time, it was towards the very place where we had first met that bastard.
Since the drug's effect had completely worn off while coming here, it was because of the judgment that the drug's effect would be completely gone by the time we returned there.
"Ugh-ah-ah-ak! You dog-like bastards! Are you running away again!"
Go Mun-tak, holding one shoulder, chased us, screaming at the top of his lungs.
His speed is unbelievably fast, and he is cutting everything that blocks his path with his sword.
The words 'a chill runs down my spine' were meant for this moment.
Maeng Gwang-gae and I, without even having to say let's do it first, turned and headed to the bamboo forest we had seen earlier.
It was a dense bamboo forest that was difficult for even one person to pass through.
Maeng Gwang-gae and I, alternating left and right in that dense bamboo forest, gracefully passed through it.
But Go Mun-tak could not.
No matter how much internal energy he could use at once, his movement technique skill had not improved.
To get through a place like this where it's hard for even one person to pass, the footwork skill itself is more important than speed, and it's natural that he can't match my or Maeng Gwang-gae's level.
"Th-these bastards!"
In the end, Go Mun-tak drew his sword and rushed straight, cutting all the bamboos in front of him.
The good thing is that among the bamboos, there were one or two that were so thick and tough that they seemed hard to cut at once.
Thanks to that, the bastard's sword got caught or blocked by the bamboos once in a while, making him waste time, and we were able to put a little more distance between us and Go Mun-tak.
'Even if we've put some distance now, if a straight section comes out, we'll be caught in no time.'
But, it's not a level to be relieved yet.
Although we are somehow matching the speed with technique now, Go Mun-tak greatly surpasses me and Maeng Gwang-gae in terms of simple speed.
Go Mun-tak, who was chasing us, sometimes got angry at us, and sometimes, as if he couldn't overcome his own anger, he got angry and still chased us steadily.
After barely shaking him off and avoiding him for a long time, we were able to return to the place where we first met him, and.
"You bastards... finally... I've caught you."
And Go Mun-tak was finally able to achieve what he had wanted.
But, unfortunately, he looked as if the drug's effect had worn off a lot.
"Go Mun-tak. Give up now. I can see your energy is continuously dropping even now."
"Sh-shut up..."
Go Mun-tak spat out his words with difficulty.
His eyes were so bloodshot that they looked as if they were stained black.
It is a common phenomenon seen in those who have taken the Demonic God Pill, whose rampage has ended and whose life is now short.
Although we didn't have a proper fight, we had almost won against a martial artist who had taken three Demonic God Pills.
If someone had seen our fight today, they might have said it was too cowardly.
But, I want to ask the person who says that in return.
Isn't it my loss if I die after foolishly rushing in? And even if I don't die, isn't it too big a loss if I get seriously injured?
My life is too precious to be exchanged for the life of a bastard like Go Mun-tak who relies on a drug like that.
In the future, it has to be a big shot like the Demonic Cult Leader for me to have a very, very, very slight thought of exchanging it.
Thud—
Eventually, Go Mun-tak staggered and then, kneeling on one knee, half-knelt on the ground.
As the drug's effect wore off, he must have been unable to control his body.
"You... cowardly... cough."
The word 'cowardly' came out of his mouth.
I, chuckling, answered, "Cowardly? Is that a word that should come out of the mouth of a bastard who has eaten three Demonic God Pill? Is it?"
"Keu-reuk..."
He couldn't answer properly.
Because he was vomiting black vomit, like the black tears flowing from his eyes.
Go Mun-tak, who had been retching for a while, then cheol-peok— collapsed, burying his head in the vomit he had spewed out.
"......"
"......"
And for a long time, Maeng Gwang-gae and I were silent.
Although we won, it's too unsettling.
The Demonic God Pill is originally like this. A garbage-like pill that makes both the one who took it and the one who fights them feel the worst.
"Elder. For now, I will check if he is alive."
"No. I'll do it."
He, holding the Dog Beating Staff, approached Go Mun-tak's corpse.
Since it is a corpse that has not been dead for long, it doesn't feel real that he is really dead.
Is it because he thinks he might be pretending to be dead?
Maeng Gwang-gae, who had approached right next to the corpse, then...
He smashed the bastard's head with his Dog Beating Staff.
"Agh..."
And he let out a deep sigh.
It was probably because it felt very different from the fights he had had all his life.
But, there was nothing I could say to comfort him, who was feeling dejected.
There is no choice but to accept it.
I know all too well from my past life that a fight with the Demonic Cult is ultimately like this.
(End of Chapter)