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Chapter 136

Pollution is the most fundamental characteristic of the Demon Energy.

The debate over what exactly the Demon Energy is continued to stir academic circles even a decade later.

However, one thing is certain: pollution is undoubtedly the most solid trait of the Demon Energy, and the five factions under the Heavenly Demon aim to elevate its application to the realm of martial arts, as martial artists predict.

“If I think of it in terms of drawing the Dang family into this, it all falls into place.”

Among all the martial sects, the Dang family is, without a doubt, the most knowledgeable about poison. They were the first to elevate poison, which was merely an assassination tool, to the level of martial arts.

Rumors circulated that the Poison King was so envious of the Dang family that he threw himself into the Demon Cult; hence, the Dang family held a uniquely distinguished position in poison arts.

Furthermore, the fact that the Demon Cultist before me possessed some essence of the Dang family’s techniques slightly increased the credibility of that rumor.

The manner in which the Demon Energy wrapped around the body was similar to that of Dang Sa-ryeon, whom I had met previously.

Unlike poison, which could not be visually discerned, the Demon Energy was recognizable to the naked eye; thus, the footage captured by Shar would be enough to incite the wrath of the Dang family.

The complete destruction stemming from the division of the Dang family would happen several years down the line.

However, the fact that the Poison King was already infusing Dang’s techniques into his Demon Energy indicated that the Dang family members must have abandoned their clan long ago to cooperate with the Demon Cult, signifying the irreversibility of the situation.

Of course, I couldn’t outright tell Yeon-woo that his family would be annihilated; all I could do was hope that he would understand the situation by watching the footage.

Fortunately, the level of this Demon Cultist was merely that of an ordinary martial artist. If an Aura Expert is considered the peak master in martial arts, then he’s just a first or second-rate.

His actual abilities were only at the level of a D-rank Hunter, but leveraging the traits of Demon Energy allowed him to potentially overwhelm even superior opponents. Though whether he possessed the sort of reason that could be deemed worthy of a martial artist is questionable.

The black combat technique, thick with Demon Energy, narrowly brushed past Yeon-woo’s cheek. A burning pain coursed over his skin.

Yet, the pain didn’t linger. A shadow extending from under Yeon-woo’s chin licked his cheek, dulling the violet ache.

Thanks to Tae-oh, Yeon-woo had no worries about being tainted while fighting the Demon Cultist.

Considering that the mere worry of potential pollution makes other Aura Expert-level martial artists reluctant to engage with Demon Cultists, it was truly an overwhelming advantage.

“The power is fierce, but that’s about it.”

Even that would be a feat of the Demon Energy; in reality, one could argue that he realized no personal capability.

Excluding skill and techniques, fighting purely with raw strength, whether at the initial or middle realm of Aura Expert, would make it tough for anyone to defeat Yeon-woo.

‘Well, let’s wrap this up.’

[Should I turn off the camera?]

“Yeah, thanks.”

[Hehe, there’s not much I can do against people like that anyway….]

Just being there watching was more than enough. Yeon-woo smiled at that thought. After all, it was definitely time to end the pitiful life of the Demon Cultist.

The area was drenched in violet. The Demon Energy was drawn out by Yeon-woo’s basic techniques, and the Demon Cultist repeatedly offered his neck in surrender.

Thanks to that, blood splattered everywhere, resulting in the area being heavily soaked with Demon Energy.

“Sorry for causing more trouble, Tae-oh.”

[No problem!!]

Was he excited to finally be able to help in a fight after a long time? Tae-oh scampered across the ground, clearing the pollution as if skimming the surface of the earth.

Meanwhile, the Demon Cultist sluggishly charged toward them, his body covered in wounds and bleeding, looking completely exhausted.

He appeared to lack even the strength to smile, yet a grin crept across his lips.

“Hehe… he….”

Hadn’t he been continuously gnawing on his own flesh? Even a slight amount of blood loss could quickly drain a person’s stamina. Yet, despite that, he continued to devour his own flesh, so this was but a natural consequence.

However, when desperate, even a rat would bite a cat. Yeon-woo did not let his guard down.

They say the Heavenly Demon has reached the realm of defiance against fate, so even this Demon Cultist, albeit receiving a fragment of that power, might have a sliver of chance.

And at a time like this, Yeon-woo could recite the choices of those bewitched by the Demon King with his eyes closed.

The wind picked up.

His hair fluttered. In that instant, Yeon-woo turned and dashed away from the Demon Cultist standing right in front of him. Propping his back toward an enemy—it was an action anyone would find incomprehensible.

Yet, the expression on the Demon Cultist’s face twisted with emotion for the first time.

The direction Yeon-woo was heading was where Shar stood. However, the Demon Cultist was not aiming for Shar. He targeted the Hunter, Ja-won, that Shar was with.

“Those who live as they please wouldn’t give up their first prey.”

‘If I get to enjoy a little bit before dying, isn’t it a good deal?’ That would be his thought, right? Absolutely typical of the Demon Cultists. Thought I’d never run into one and now here we are.

The Demon Cultist’s figure wavered.

Defiance against fate, a motion that contradicts the natural order.

The process vanished, leaving only the result as a new technique employing the Demon Energy unfolded.

Even employing the Dragon Eye, grasping the process was impossible. Whatever one’s vision or reflexes, all that was left was instinct; Yeon-woo had to predict where it would go, and he succeeded.

The dispersed figure reconstructed behind Ja-won. Closer to sorcery than martial arts at this point.

But he read it.

The reformed figure raised its arms high. Panic-stricken, Ja-won covered his head with his arms. It would be cruel to tell him to run.

He read that too.

Demon Cultists are often called the devils who turn their backs on the natural order, but they are still just human in the end. Like anyone else, they would die if their heart were pierced.

“Hey, kids? Can you close your eyes?”

Swoosh!!

The sword thrown with all his power cleaved through the wind. The blade extended like a streak of light, piercing the Demon Cultist’s solar plexus. Unable to withstand the force contained within, the Demon Cultist’s body flew with the sword for quite the distance before rolling along the ground.

“I knew it would be close, damn it.”

Violet vapor rose from the gaping hole in his chest.

I don’t know why, but such phenomena were often observed in dead Demon Cultists.

Few could survive a heart-piercing blow other than the deceiver Louis.

The children covered their eyes with their adorable little hands. It might not be good for their education to share space with such brutality, but there was no reason to show them something they didn’t have to see.

“Thank you, thank you…!”

Ja-won repeatedly bobbed his head towards Yeon-woo. I understood. After nearly dying from being chased by some ghostly figure, a suddenly swooping kid saved him.

After being thanked to exhaustion, Yeon-woo finally managed to speak after a while.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, thanks to you, I’m fine. I was treated for all my injuries by your daughter. But….”

Ja-won directed his gaze away. At the end of that line of sight was Tae-oh, playing in the dirt where the Demon Cultist’s body had been. He was purifying the tainted ground left behind.

“Just don’t worry about it too much. He’s fine, so he’s doing it.”

“I-I see….”

That was the last interaction before the conversation faded.

Awkward.

But what could be done? The internal familiarity that Yeon-woo felt toward Ja-won was from another time period, and Ja-won’s difficulty regarding Yeon-woo was naturally the same.

“Once the purification is done, let’s head back.”

“Understood. In that case, would you like a snack that I’ve brought along?”

Upon saying that, Ja-won awkwardly offered up a sandwich, and Yeon-woo couldn’t help but smile.

*

After that, things were dealt with quickly. Once the area was thoroughly cleansed, the four returned to Cheonju City. They had taken the Demon Cultist’s body with them, but by the time the Demon Energy had left, it had already withered into a mummy-like state.

“Hey, damn, I thought you were dead!! Are you alright!? No injuries!?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was Yeon-woo Hunter who saved me.”

The Hunters still loitering around the three families greeted Ja-won’s return with enthusiasm. Of course, it went without saying that their gazes had shifted to one filled with admiration for Yeon-woo.

“Really, really thank you, Yeon-woo Hunter! If it weren’t for you, we would have lost Ja-won…!!”

“Ah, yes… It’s fine. I merely did what had to be done.”

Yeon-woo found that atmosphere incredibly awkward. Tae-oh and Shar giggled while looking up at him. Now, they were just teasing him like a dad.

“He said he merely did what he had to!! Isn’t that so cool!?”

“My dream is to become a hunter like you when I grow up….”

“You’re older than him, idiot.”

Whether it was the aftermath of meeting a sibling they thought they’d never see again, the four Hunters began tossing around crazy remarks excitedly. Yeon-woo, caught awkwardly smiling amidst it all, slowly slipped away from the scene.

Such gazes were truly unfamiliar to him. It felt embarrassing. Pretending to be fifteen years old while hanging out with kids didn’t seem embarrassing, but receiving such kind attention for the first time was unbelievably awkward.

Perhaps sensing that atmosphere, the commotion among the Hunters gradually quieted down.

As Yeon-woo watched that scene for a moment, he rolled his eyes a few times and spoke.

“Ja-won Hunter.”

“Y-Yes, sir!?”

Was he excited that his name was called, or something? Ja-won replied with a squeak, temporarily going silent amid a sudden laughter contest.

“Ahem… A personal reward will probably be given to you by the Namgung family for this incident.”

“Me…? Why…?”

What now? Had it been an unconscious act? Yeon-woo chuckled softly as he replied.

“If it weren’t for you, something terrible could have happened. Luring the threat while knowing you could face death… Although it was something a Hunter should naturally do, people like that are not common in this day and age.”

“Ah, yes….”

Ja-won’s bashfulness made him chuckle.

What’s the deal with that? I’m almost ten years younger and yet he’s acting so nervous.

“If you’re lucky, there may be a chance to learn the Namgung sword technique. I apologize for the intrusion, but I feel that the sword suits you better as a person, so if possible, please introduce me to them.”

“Uh… What? Have I ever fought in front of you?”

“Because you’re contracted with the dragon. I know without seeing.”

As Yeon-woo said that with a smile, Ja-won quickly replied, “Ah, yes! Exactly!” In situations where one had no explanation, throwing out Shar’s name seemed like the best option.

Ja-won nodded in agreement, and Yeon-woo hurriedly took his leave, politely bidding farewell.

What will happen to those people moving forward? I have no idea.

“What’s going on?”

“He was seriously struggling before the regression.”

But as I spent more time with him, it started to feel like a flowery blade suited him better than a strong one. His wrist muscles were flexible, reminding me of a willow.

That was the simple reason. Even while knowing how everything would turn out in the future, it felt too burdensome not to say anything.

For someone of the martial artist caliber around twenty, especially from a martial arts background, it could be rude to meddle with sword matters.

Yeon-woo was well aware of that, yet he still wanted to speak up. Ja-won had treated him without prejudice even before the regression.

“Now that everything’s changed, I just wish you hadn’t experienced such things.”

That would be a statement also directed toward Yeon-woo himself in some way.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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