---

“`html

In the vicinity of the entrance to Dark Heaven Village, there were about ten elite experts standing guard as if specially selected. This were a desolate and perilous area, but the number of people stationed here suggested that the Great Thunder Valley was indeed nearby. They wore black robes to conceal their identities, but they were likely members of the Golden Eagle Guard, although I couldn’t think of any elite force that could secure a place as important as the Great Thunder Valley.

The first to move were Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong. They took positions to approach stealthily, then struck like lightning almost simultaneously.

Swish!

Without a thought for capturing hostages, they briskly sent six heads flying into the air. The moment Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong made their move, I, together with the Extreme Tiger, took action as well. Soon, the remaining personnel became a sea of blood, and among the group, the expert who seemed the strongest was staggering while hoisting his sword.

“Grrk…”

He was the last line of defense. Perhaps having taken a strike from Lee Kwang’s Thunder God Fist, he was coughing up blood. Lee Kwang spoke flatly.

“Don’t do anything foolish. I’ve spared you because your skills are too good to waste.”

Lee Kwang had already placed all of his movements within his range. No matter how fast he tried to move, it would be impossible to alert an emergency messenger without Lee Kwang noticing. The expert forced a bitter smile at Lee Kwang’s words.

“Heh. You plan to torture me for information, huh?”

“That could be the case, but we don’t need to do that today.”

Lee Kwang swung his spear once and continued.

“You’re likely a Thousand Household Officer. That’s your level.”

“……”

“With your skills, if you entered the Martial Arts World, you would be treated as a distinguished guest among the Great Sects. How could someone with your prowess end up dying anonymously in a place like this? Have you never thought that this situation was strange?”

It wasn’t like Lee Kwang at all. His lament carried deep emotion, which was unusual considering his typical tendency to either kill or torture without a second thought. His unexpected kindness stemmed from the fact that the expert’s skills surpassed that of an ordinary gatekeeper, evoking a pang of sympathy.

Perhaps sensing this, the Thousand Household Officer fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Senior Lee Kwang, do you really not know? We are the Golden Eagle Guard, loyal servants of the Emperor. Our lives are dedicated solely to loyalty, and our duty is the safety of the Imperial Family and the prosperity of the nation. Haven’t you served as a senior for many years now?”

“I know. But the road doesn’t have to be just that.”

“That’s not convincing. Senior Lee Kwang.”

The Thousand Household Officer chuckled weakly, then brought his sword up to his heart. With sorrowful eyes, he said, “Though we are enemies, many within the Golden Eagle Guard respect you. There are many who became part of the Guard out of admiration for you. I am one of them and do indeed admire the Azure Dragon’s divine position.”

“……”

“Long live Your Majesty the Emperor.”

With that, the Thousand Household Officer plunged his sword into his heart, taking his own life. In essence, Lee Kwang had allowed him to do so, having granted him the honor of dying with dignity instead of enduring torture. Lee Kwang momentarily gazed at the Thousand Household Officer’s corpse.

“……”

Lee Kwang’s expression was frozen, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

With a rumble, I activated a hidden mechanism in the rocks, opening the door to the device as instructed by Mangnyang. The mouth of the dark cave emerged, revealing the entrance to the notorious Great Thunder Valley. Before entering, Lee Kwang gave instructions.

“The positions of the Life Gate and Death Gate continuously shift based on a half-angle boundary. It’s impossible to memorize where they are to get through. Thus, we must reach the secret path as quickly as possible.”

Secret path! It was a route that could be used in special circumstances to extract prisoners. According to Mangnyang, if we took this path, we could bypass the Great Thunder Valley’s formation technique and reach the targeted prison cell directly. We were already well-versed in the route to the secret path thanks to the provided map.

The Extreme Tiger voiced his concern.

“What if we don’t reach the secret path and someone falls into the formation?”

“In that case, we abandon them. No one has ever crossed the Great Thunder Valley’s formation in history.”

Lee Kwang spoke firmly, glancing around at the three of us. “Remember this: whether it’s me or So-cheong, do not turn back or concern yourselves for a laggard! We do not have the ability or time to rescue anyone.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

Once we entered the Great Thunder Valley, a dark tunnel stretched ahead before bright lights began appearing. Then, a massive cavern, seemingly carved out from the mountain itself, came into view, with tunnels dug out here and there like ant nests. It appeared easy given the presence of various bridges and platforms leading toward the tunnels.

However, Mangnyang warned that each step from this point onward was a series of choices. Just triggering a single device would alter the entire structure, and unless you were a genius of the highest order, it was impossible to decipher the movements between the Life Gate and Death Gate and find an escape route. Thus, we all remained tense as we began the search for the [single secret path].

After a short while, Jin So-cheong spoke up.

“I think it’s here.”

Jin So-cheong pointed to a tiny cave concealed beneath a wooden beam, almost invisible in the dark. It was a spot hidden by two rocks, and unless one was aware of its presence, they would never find the secret path. Since this matched Mangnyang’s instructions precisely, Lee Kwang issued another warning.

“Listen well. Do not fall behind or stray to the side even a little; it can mean death.”

Leading the way, Lee Kwang moved the rescue team in unison. Everyone concentrated on the pace and breathing of the person in front, keeping at least an arm’s length apart. Lee Kwang continued to navigate according to the map.

And once we were sure we had entered the secret path, Lee Kwang instructed everyone to focus completely on the person ahead.

About a brief period passed.

It felt like we had made quite some distance, and it seemed we had descended into the lower levels. The darkness deepened and a chilling air became palpable. The Extreme Tiger, walking ahead, grumbled.

“Honestly, a brothel would be better. What sort of yin energy is this oppressive?”

“Shut it, Extreme Tiger. Focus.”

“Oh, right… my bad.”

Despite his complaints, the four of us shared the same eerie feeling. Since we had taken the secret path, the formation wasn’t affecting us, ensuring safety. However, the deeper we went, the more terrifying the yin and evil energy that emanated surrounded us. No matter how scary this prison was, there was no reason for such a presence to exist!

As we moved further, we soon sensed moisture at our feet, and patches of moss clung to the cave walls. The air changed completely. Light grew brighter, and soon an area with many torches came into view.

We had arrived.

This seemed to be where the prisoners were held. To the sides were iron bars fashioned from solid metal, revealing their formidable presence. Although the prisoners inside were not visible, there was no doubt that this was the corridor to the prison cells. Lee Kwang whispered.

“Alright. Split up in pairs to search for General Hwang Yeon.”

“Yes.”

All four of us held a painted portrait of General Hwang Yeon. Though he must have deteriorated due to being imprisoned, a human’s general features don’t change drastically, so there was no doubt we would eventually find him.

As we began to traverse the prison cells searching for General Hwang Yeon, something felt off.

‘What’s going on…?’

With each step, the eerie aura intensified, and there were even individuals cowering in the corners of the prison.

“We’ve come to rescue you! Look this way!”

“……”

“I said look!”

Despite my attempts to call out to them, none of them responded.

“Damnit.”

Swearing under my breath, I gathered internal energy into my sword. Then, like lightning, I struck down on the iron bars. None of the Golden Eagle Guards stationed at the entrance had the keys to the prison cell; it was unavoidable. The keys could only be possessed by those who occasionally entered the Great Thunder Valley.

After cutting through the bars and forcing myself into the cell, I pulled out a crouching prisoner.

“……!!”

I wasn’t the only one shocked; the Extreme Tiger beside me was equally aghast. The face of the prisoner, who had been huddled in the corner, had transformed into that of a grotesque mutated being. While the ears retained a human-like form, the eyes, nose, and mouth had morphed into a flat, fish-like face—tentacles writhing as if alive.

The Extreme Tiger fell back in fright.

“W-What the hell?!”

“…This is…”

I realized this individual was in the process of forcibly transforming from a human into an otherworldly being. If this continues, eventually he would display the same appearance as the sorcerer I had faced during that dreadful tragedy. Memories of the past resurfaced, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. But for now, I positioned him against the wall.

The prisoner seemed vacant, letting out occasional sounds but remaining eerily still, like a plant devoid of any rational thought. All those huddled in the corners were probably in similar states, so I told the Extreme Tiger.

“Brother, let’s cut through all the bars. It’s better to get them out first and think later.”

“Ugh… I don’t have your level of internal power. Do you think cutting through iron bars is easy?”

“If you can do it, just do it.”

“Tch.”

With a clang! Together with the Extreme Tiger, I managed to pull out six prisoners and set them down in the tunnel. The Extreme Tiger struggled, needing to strike several times to cut through the iron. After all, it was unreasonable to slice through something as solid as iron in one blow.

All six prisoners who sat quietly like plants bore the traits of an otherworldly race. However, the extent of their mutations varied; some had just the upper half changed, while others had their entire neck and arms transformed.

The Extreme Tiger looked at them, seemingly ready to retch.

“I can’t take this. I’d rather encounter corpses or piles of skulls.”

“There are more cells deeper inside. Let’s venture in.”

“Alright.”

We moved further down the dark corridor. As we did, I noticed some humans shuffling away, as if they heard our footsteps. They looked undeniably like humans.

“Aaaah!!”

“Please save me!!”

Strangely, instead of asking for help, they seemed terrified, pleading for their lives. The Extreme Tiger stepped forward and shouted.

“Calm down!! We’ve come to rescue you.”

“I-Is it true?”

“Yes. So please tell us who you are.”

There were three human prisoners here, one woman and two men. They hurriedly cried out.

“I am Senior Official Jo Chung-myeong!”

“I am the Blood Lightning Swordsman, Bu Jong-hwan.”

Jo Chung-myeong was an influential figure, presumably a high-ranking official of the third rank. The fellow named Bu Jong-hwan seemed to be a member of the heretical sect.

‘Hmm.’

I moved closer to the cell where the woman was. She was a beautiful woman in her twenties, with a sharp nose and distinct features. However, her condition was deplorable; her body reeked of bodily fluids, and her eyes were darkened with despair. Her clothes were torn, bearing evidence of abuse. Even when exposed, she showed no reaction despite our intention to rescue her.

‘She has been violated.’

As I stared at her, the Blood Lightning Swordsman, Bu Jong-hwan spoke up.

“She is the Virtuous Flower Goddess of the Ami Sect.”

“Why is a martial heroine in such a state?”

“The Virtuous Flower Goddess joined us most recently. It was eight days ago… She endured many days of torment from the Golden Eagle Guard. After the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard had his fill, he took them away.”

“……”

She seemed to be in a mentally broken state. The Extreme Tiger turned furious upon seeing the Virtuous Flower Goddess’s condition. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Damn that emperor’s loyalty! Is treating a woman this way something a human should do?”

Clang!

The Extreme Tiger immediately sliced through the bars of the Virtuous Flower Goddess’s cell and freed her. Yet, she remained unresponsive as he carried her in his arms, appearing completely catatonic. The Extreme Tiger looked down at her with pity before saying.

“Hey, we will absolutely take the Virtuous Flower Goddess with us.”

“Don’t tell me, tell the Master.”

“Tsk.”

The Extreme Tiger licked his lips, and I turned to Jo Chung-myeong and Bu Jong-hwan.

“What in the world did you do to end up trapped here? To be locked up in the Great Thunder Valley…”

Jo Chung-myeong exclaimed vigorously.

“No!! I never heard the message to come to the Great Thunder Valley!”

“What?”

“The Golden Eagle Guard suddenly searched my home, taking my family into custody. Then, citing some suspicious charges, they whisked me away somewhere for questioning. And when I opened my eyes, here I was.”

Turning to Bu Jong-hwan, I asked if he had a similar story.

“I… I haven’t done anything wrong. About a month ago, I was just wandering around Luoyang when I saw something curious and got close to this area. Then the Golden Eagle Guard suddenly attacked, and I ended up trapped here.”

“……”

After a moment of thought, I asked, “How long have you been locked up?”

“Not sure, but it’s been just over ten days.”

“I came here around the same time as this one.”

In other words, it was not too long since they were imprisoned. I went back to where the mutated individuals were and brought one of them over to show Jo Chung-myeong and Bu Jong-hwan. Instead of being shocked, they only frowned, indicating that they were already aware of these mutations.

“What happened to these individuals?”

“I don’t know… But for sure, being down here too long means they will be taken somewhere else, and those who return from there scream in agony for a day. I think I’ve also seen them wandering in the corridors of the prison.”

“Hmm.”

Those whose bodies had mutated into otherworldly beings sounded like a grim fate for those who had been imprisoned for extended periods. After contemplating briefly, I told the Extreme Tiger.

“Brother, please wait a moment. I’ll go find the Master to report the situation.”

“Alright, go.”

I used my light body technique to find Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong. The tunnel wasn’t that long, so I quickly spotted them. Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong were kneeling before someone, and the atmosphere seemed tense.

“Cough…”

Jin So-cheong was shedding tears like never before, and Lee Kwang was not much different; he sat with a transformed being held tightly in his arms, his shoulders shaking silently. As I stood there, taken aback by the scene, Lee Kwang spoke.

“We’re returning. The mission has failed.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“General Hwang Yeon has passed away…”

“……!!”

When Lee Kwang stood, I scrutinized the transformed individual. Unlike the other mutated beings, this one had only his body altered, while his face bizarrely retained the appearance of a human elder.

I realized.

‘It’s General Hwang Yeon.’

I reflected on where everything had gone wrong. Then, recalling the ‘mutation period,’ one conclusion dawned on me.

‘… We came too late to rescue him.’

We should have arrived at least a month earlier.

Feeling flustered, I rushed to inform Lee Kwang about what I’d learned from the others. He listened silently before responding.

“Then let’s at least rescue that survivor and return.”

“Understood. As for the mutated individuals…”

“We’ll carry one on each arm. There might be a chance to revert them back to normal.”

Thus, we began the operation to rescue General Hwang, only to leave the Great Thunder Valley’s secret path with a heavy heart. Upon exiting, Mangnyang and the members of the Bancheon Alliance were waiting, having dealt with the corpses of the Golden Eagle Guards and preparing the horses.

Mangnyang glanced between the transformed individuals and Lee Kwang, speaking, “A failure, huh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“How could this be the fault of Sir Lee Kwang? It is a mistake due to the timing…”

“What should we do now?”

Lee Kwang seemed deeply shaken at the thought of General Hwang Yeon’s transformation, to the point where he asked for others’ opinions. The situation must have shaken him severely, making decisions seem extremely difficult. Taking a moment, Mangnyang calmed himself before speaking.

“First, let’s return to the base. If we can restore the mutated individuals to their original forms, we might have a chance.”

“……”

Yet everyone here silently knew the truth. It was nearly impossible.

At that moment, Miho’s spirit puppet secretly spoke to me.

[There was something off in that place earlier. I felt a terrifying magic.]

To prepare for any contingencies, I had kept Miho’s spirit puppet on hand as a communication device. Through it, Miho could learn about my condition from afar and exchange information. I sent my will through the spirit puppet.

[Miho, then why didn’t you mention it earlier?]

[You all are made of heavenly martial artists, so you lack resistance to sorcery. The power lurking deep within the Great Thunder Valley is quite formidable, and if you engage without precautions, even the strongest martial artist could meet their end. Strong sorcery is indeed terrifying.]

[……]

[All things considered, it was a flawed operation. Baek Woong, always be prepared to flee.]

As I listened to Miho’s words, I felt an instinctual fear. There was something fundamentally wrong with this life.

No, it felt as if the buttons had been misplaced.

“`

 

---