---

Chapter 8: The Eruption of Chaos

“Whoa—!!!”

The ground was shaking wildly as if it had gone mad from the vibrations.

I steadied myself while gazing into the void above.

Like an eye awakening in the void, dimensions were being ripped apart in countless ways.

Many Demonic Gates were forming high in the sky.

“What the hell?”

I couldn’t help but curse at the sight before me.

It’s not just the sheer number of Demonic Gates, but they were all glowing ominously red.

This meant that all those gates were Red Demon Gates, and that Red Demon Beasts would leap out from them.

Each beast was a monstrous nightmare that could only be hunted at their peak maturity.

Just their appearance could turn the surroundings into ruins.

Of course, at this point, they wouldn’t be too much of a threat to me anymore.

‘If it’s just a couple, I can easily take them down.’

Objectively, I could handle around five to six of them solo without breaking a sweat.

But.

‘That many is just too excessive.’

Counting them roughly, there were over thirty.

Thirty Red Demon Beasts?

‘That’s more than enough to wipe out Hanam without breaking a sweat.’

I’d never seen numbers like this even in my previous life.

This was an unexpected situation.

While it was natural that the more foes there were, the harder it became to deal with them…

This wasn’t just about a simple increase.

Especially in the current situation.

All I could do was flee or find a way to hunt, yet I couldn’t leave.

‘There’s too much at stake.’

I looked around.

The remaining personnel numbered just over fifty.

As expected, their faces were filled with horror.

“Did… Did you see how many Red Demon Gates there are?”

“Dammit, what do we do now?!”

“How can we stop that…?”

Their words echoed into my ears, filled with a look of sheer devastation.

How could we possibly stop this?

Even amidst the terror-filled expressions, my thoughts resonated.

‘Tch.’

Instead of fleeing, they were already thinking of ways to stop it.

They knew. They instinctively understood what would happen if they retreated—that those beasts would make this place their playground.

Thus, those who had run felt the weight of what traps awaited them.

Even in despair, they couldn’t bring themselves to run.

‘…Sigh.’

How absurd.

‘So this is what being on the Righteous Faction amounts to?’

These foolish humans pushed their luck too far.

Yeah, it’s no wonder they all ended up dead too soon.

Do you know why the last war was such a mess?

Because as soon as things went south, it was these idiots who dropped dead first.

‘Foolish beyond reason.’

Even when they knew they had no odds of survival, they still chose to face the inevitable.

And, in the cruel truth that miracles did not exist, they closed their eyes and were buried in pools of their own blood.

That was the reality.

“Damn it.”

My lips felt dry.

If I mess this up, it’ll end up like last time.

The problem is.

‘It’s my fault this happened.’

This time, it wasn’t merely the Heavenly Demon or the Blood Calamity at fault.

It was because of a situation I had created.

‘Damn it all.’

I crushed the biting feelings deep within me.

Before blaming myself, I needed to assess the situation. Prioritizing understanding over self-reproach was key right now.

‘Find a method.’

And I would somehow find one.

My mind raced faster than I could think.

[AAAHHHH—!]

The beast was still emitting its earth-shattering roar.

With its body cracked and broken, it seemed like it was thrashing about in a desperate struggle.

I took my gaze off the creature and turned my attention to the Demonic Gates.

Yet.

‘…What’s that?’

My eyes squinted.

As I observed the Demonic Gate, I could see something eerie.

‘There are lines inside it.’

Within the yawning Demonic Gate, there were mysterious lines connecting in intricate ways.

What could they be?

As questions arose, a realization struck me.

‘They’re similar to the symbols that appeared in the sky.’

The crimson markings that had appeared in the void before the beast showed up.

The lines within the Demonic Gate closely resembled that very design.

Focusing on them, I recalled.

‘Although the Demonic Gates appeared, the Demon Beasts haven’t emerged yet.’

Is there a reason for that?

If there is a reason, then…

‘Could it be those lines?’

Could it be that once those lines were complete, the Demon Beasts would emerge? That thought crossed my mind.

Of course, it wasn’t a certainty—I lacked information.

But.

‘Now isn’t the time to be picky about it.’

Even if it’s just a guess, I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Boom-!!

I stomped on the ground, wrapping my body in Blue Flames.

“Listen closely!”

Before I unleashed my attack, I intended to add one last phrase.

If you want to live, kill that thing. I hesitated for a moment.

What would be more effective than that? Oh.

I had something useful to say.

“This is the time! We need to kill that thing now to save the others!”

“…!”

“We don’t have another chance!”

As I spoke, the air shifted dramatically.

Whether gripped by fear or enveloped in despair, their gazes turned uniform.

If I didn’t act, someone would die.

Why I cared, I couldn’t tell.

Yet, for these foolish ones, this was far more important than their own lives.

And now, all gathered here were that sort of bunch.

Except for me.

“So.”

“We absolutely must kill that beast!”

With that, I launched myself forward.

[AAAARGHHH—!!]

The beast continued to wail. In an instant, I was upon it.

Flame Burst–!! The Blue Flames wrapping my body surged into my hand.

Gu Yeomtaeyarang.

Compressed flames exploded at the tip of my fist, packed with all my power.

Just as the strike was about to land.

[KYAAAHHH-!!]

The beast, previously howling, instinctively dodged my attack.

Whooosh–!!

Flames erupted, creating a massive blaze behind it.

Retrieving my hand, I immediately twisted my body.

Crunch-!

My nails dug into the ground.

That little bastard was incredibly fast.

I could see my Martial Robe had gotten slightly torn.

Though I didn’t confirm it, any injuries would likely be on my upper body.

Still, I paid no mind to such trivial wounds.

I shifted my gaze upwards.

‘Those lines.’

I confirmed the linking lines of the Demonic Gate.

‘Hmm.’

They were still connected. It appeared that my actions hadn’t interrupted their sequence.

That was unfortunate, but at least it was a blessing that—

‘It slowed down.’

I could feel the connectivity distinctly lagging.

My interference seemed to have had some effect after all.

If that’s the case…

‘The Demonic Gate and the creature’s mind or power are linked. And simply using it isn’t enough to cast it smoothly.’

Swish-!

I narrowly dodged another swipe of its claws while continuing to gather insights.

‘Is this its power?’

I swung my leg.

Bang-!!

[KIICK-!]

My foot struck the barrier, shattering it.

Without the flames to bolster the attack, the damage was shallow.

But that didn’t matter.

I sensed a gathered presence behind me.

“Yahyoo!!”

With a bright voice, Bong-Soon leaped into the fray.

Crash-!

[KUWAIK-!!]

A blunt attack invaded through the shattered barrier.

Directly hitting the beast’s upper body, a shower of fragments burst forth.

Glimpsing the flying shards, I frowned.

‘That’s too unnatural for skin…’

I was starting to piece things together amidst the chaos.

My head was beginning to throb.

“HYAAA!”

Bong-Soon seemed determined, launching another series of strikes with sheer vigor.

The barrier had barely reformed afterward, but she didn’t halt her attacks.

Did she believe it would work? No.

Her faith was not about her own strikes.

Swish—!!!

Following up was a brilliantly golden beam that crashed down, tearing the barrier apart once more.

A small opening appeared. She wouldn’t miss it.

“HIYAH!”

Crash-!!

[KIYAA–!!]

The Demon Beast writhed in agony as it was hit time after time.

As it tried to retaliate, I quickly yanked Bong-Soon back.

With one swing of its claws, the air was sliced.

“SWOOSH!”

“Let’s combine our efforts!”

Several others joined, plunging into the fight against the Demon Beast.

Each donned different clothing, and their betting tokens marked different Martial Artists.

Though their realms hovered between pinnacle and peak maturity.

While they could hold some superiority in age, they weren’t yet on the battlefield level.

They must have known this too.

‘Why are they coming forward?’

I couldn’t fathom it.

Shouldn’t they realize they’d easily meet their doom?

‘Is it their sense of justice or something?’

In this decayed Central Plains, who would pursue such folly?

It was hilariously absurd.

Crash-! KABOOM-!!

“Guh!”

“Watch out…!!”

The obliterated barrier was pounded from within, creating a shockwave.

[KIYAAHH!]

In a successive blow, it shrieked, but the sound was less fierce than before.

The beast was now swinging its arms quickly, filled with killing intent.

This was dangerous.

If left unchecked, they’d all perish.

But jumping in was a losing gamble. There was no safe way to save anyone.

Damage would inevitably come my way in such an instance.

Better to let them go rather than tarnish my body.

“Damn it.”

My body was already moving, defying my mind’s commands.

Maximizing my firepower, I pushed my speed to the extreme.

Foom-!

Flames burst forth, propelling me into the fray.

Quickly, I reached out towards the Martial Artists.

There were too many of them to grab directly. Instead, I utilized Air Manipulation to pull them in.

“Whoah!”

Clash-! Just in time, the Martial Artists escaped as my fingertips barely brushed the ground.

The moment I did, the Demon’s gaze darted towards us.

Attacks followed immediately.

‘Shit.’

Having just exerted excessive speed, I felt the backlash.

I was late dodging; the shoulder was about to be snagged by its jaws.

Whizz-!

Twang-!!

[KIYIK!?]

“Hmm?”

Something flew in and struck the beast’s claws, catching its attack.

Peering closer, I realized it was an arrow.

An arrow in this scenario?

For a split second, I was shocked by the sudden object.

“…Duck!”

My instincts kicked in, and I instinctively lowered my head.

The blade skimmed right where my head had been.

CRACKLING SOUND—!!!!

[KIYAAAA–!!]

A radiant light burst forth.

The master of Thunder Qi, Nangong Bi-ah, had begun to face off against the Demon.

No, it wasn’t just her.

“I’ll take the right side!”

“…Okay.”

With her sharp voice, a golden flash of Thunder Qi mingled in.

At the same time, Wi Seol-ah’s sword danced among them.

Swish! Whoosh-!

A different hue of sword intent flowed through the air gracefully.

Even as they seemed poised for a clash, they narrowly avoided crossing paths.

They ensured their strikes didn’t interfere with each other while unwavering in power.

Swish-!

Wi Seol-ah’s sword cut through the barrier.

Since she could wield the Heart Sword, she shattered the barrier effectively.

As an opening arose, the Thunder Qi surged through it.

CRACKLING—!!!

[KIYAAIYAAA!!]

A storm of Thunder Qi struck the creature’s swinging arm.

Thump-!!

Bong-Soon defended with her staff as knives flew in to fill the gaps.

With her Heart Sword leading the charge, an onslaught of attacks surged forth.

[KYAAAHHH—!!!]

Swish-! Swish-! Boom-!

The synchronization of the four was nearly perfect, yielding no openings for other Martial Artists to interfere.

“…Wow.”

I was equally stunned. My mouth opened slightly in awe.

How on earth were they this coordinated…?

It seemed outright unbelievable.

The three had known each other for a long time, but what about Bong-Soon?

“HYAHAAHAH–!!!”

What kind of thrill was she experiencing, grinning widely as she swung her staff?

Despite her lighthearted demeanor, she unleashed heavy strikes.

Even without touching her essence, she sent the creature’s attacks ricocheting.

The huge demon beast was reeling as it continuously absorbed blow after blow.

[KYAA…KYAAAH…!]

It was becoming pitiable to watch. I glanced up towards the Demonic Gates once more.

At that moment.

‘…Yikes.’

The lines were still connected.

Even if they were slowed down, it didn’t seem there was much time left.

I needed to finish this.

Even though the demon was on the back foot, if I couldn’t stop that Demonic Gate, it would all be for naught.

Gritting my teeth—!!

I concentrated my heart.

I spun the barrier quickly, gathering energy throughout my body.

This was to create a Sacred Spear.

A significantly larger and more powerful strike than usual.

To achieve that, I had to compress a considerable amount of my energy.

‘Tell Wi Seol-ah to break the barrier. Then…’

Destroying the barrier wouldn’t be wasteful.

I’d have her create the opening and deliver a complete hit with the Sacred Spear.

While contemplating this—

[KEEEE…!!]

Vroom-!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, I felt a stirring within my heart.

The demon—its anguished sensation resonated with me.

This is… no way.

“Dodge-!”

“…!!!”

At my urgent shout, they all immediately leaped away from the demon, flying towards me.

In that moment.

[KYAAAHHH—!!!]

The beast opened its maw wide, unleashing a bone-chilling scream.

That wasn’t all.

Whoooooosh–!!

From its gaping mouth, light began to gather.

KWA-BOOM—!!!!

An overwhelming surge of energy burst forth.

Seeing that, I leaped away.

Light overwhelmed me, engulfing my being.

 

---