Chapter 35 - 34: Deceiver’s Gambit
"You really think it ends here?" Do Giseon’s voice carried a strange quality, like an echo that came from somewhere deeper than his throat. Blood continued to flow from his wounds, pooling on the black marble beneath him, yet his eyes held a gleam that spoke of secrets still unspoken.
Jinmu kept his sword steady, the blade pointed directly at the fallen First Blade’s heart. Something felt wrong about this moment, though he couldn’t quite identify what was triggering his unease. Do Giseon had been defeated decisively, his techniques overwhelmed by Grandmaster-level power that transcended normal martial understanding. Yet the man’s demeanor suggested victory rather than defeat.
He’s too calm. Too controlled. Someone who’s been beaten this badly should be desperate, angry, or at least showing some sign of genuine distress. Instead, he looks... satisfied?
"It ends with you in chains," Jinmu replied carefully, his enhanced senses scanning the chamber for any signs of hidden threats. "Your conspiracy is exposed, your allies are captured or dead, and Pavilion Master Hyeon Ryu will be restored to his rightful position. Your revolution dies with your defeat."
Do Giseon’s laughter filled the Supreme Chamber, a sound that seemed to bounce off the stone walls with unnatural resonance. "My defeat? Oh, my naive young friend, you understand so little about what you’re truly facing. Did you really believe that someone who spent years planning the overthrow of the Five Great Mountain Sects would be so easily undone?"
The wounded man struggled to his feet with obvious effort, his movements labored but determined. Jinmu prepared to strike again if necessary, but something in Do Giseon’s posture made him pause. There was no tension of someone preparing for combat, no gathering of ki for a desperate final technique. Instead, there was the calm confidence of someone who still held cards that hadn’t been played.
"You have impressive power," Do Giseon continued, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "That technique integration, the breakthrough to Grandmaster level in the middle of combat... truly remarkable. But power without understanding is just destruction waiting for direction."
"Understanding?" Jinmu asked, though he kept his guard up and his attention focused on potential escape routes. "What could you possibly understand that I don’t?"
"The nature of sacrifice," Do Giseon said softly, his eyes focusing on something beyond Jinmu’s shoulder. "The willingness to give up everything, including one’s own life, for the sake of a greater vision. You fight to preserve what exists, but preservation requires no sacrifice. Creation, however... creation demands everything."
Before Jinmu could respond to this cryptic statement, Do Giseon raised his hand with deliberate ceremony—DEATH MIRAGE SUBSTITUTION.
The forbidden technique activated with terrifying precision.
The effect was immediate and horrifying. Do Giseon’s body began to shimmer like heat distortion over summer pavement, his solid form becoming translucent and insubstantial. The blood that had been flowing from his wounds evaporated into red mist, and his wounded flesh took on the appearance of smoke given temporary shape.