Chapter 1030

The absurd had invaded common sense long ago.

Laws had been broken, truths overturned, and the word death had become cheap.

At least, that was the world one young man had been born and raised in.

Monsters. Hunters.

Monsters and humans killing one another inside the boundaries between dimensions known as Gates.

Mana and magical power.

Miraculous forces that shattered truths Earth had held since ancient times, along with laws discovered by the handful of geniuses who had shaped human history.

And a war that still hadn’t ended.

The young man was part of that world.

A world where Magic tore open the earth, rained down fire and lightning, and defied gravity.

Where Hunters shone with dazzling auras as they faced monsters of grotesque appearance and unimaginable strength—creatures found only in ancient myths, or beyond anything anyone had ever imagined.

Humans were adaptable creatures.

By the time the little child born on the day humanity won its great victory was approaching thirty, the absurdity that had overturned the world in the Great Cataclysm had become the new common sense.

Until another absurdity changed everything.

On a steep hill in the middle of summer, beside the recycling area outside a goshiwon¹, lay a massive hunk of scrap metal.

No—a VR capsule. An entrance to another world.

That was how a young man with nothing to his name stepped into a new world.

So much awaited him beyond the invisible veil.

Dangers and opportunities unlike any he’d known, and rewards.

He formed bonds with good people, fought countless enemies, and grew because of it.

That was why he wished so desperately for one thing:

That nothing out of the ordinary would happen here.

Perhaps that wish was why he kept downplaying and ignoring the one suspicion that grew stronger with time.

Until this very moment, when he faced the truth he hadn’t wanted to believe.

“Death Knights…?”

The words slipped vacantly from his parted lips.

The young man—Jin Taekyung—lifted his head and stared.

Caught by the word he himself had spoken.

Overwhelmed by the unbelievable sight before him.

Sssaaaaa.

Beneath the dark clouds hanging over the snow-covered mountains, a murky haze spread.

At its center, seven ghost horses soundlessly charged forward, stepping on empty air. On their backs sat seven men dressed not in armor that covered them from head to toe, but in black clothes as dark as pitch.

No. What he sensed was the unmistakably familiar presence of death.

Its essence never changed, whatever form it took.

The deep, cloying aura of death and its stench reached every one of Jin Taekyung’s senses—even his soul.

No mistake.

Jin Taekyung trembled without realizing it.

He’d been right. It was them.

Death Knights.

Knights who had given up their souls and forsaken their rest.

The absurdity of another world was invading common sense once again.

Yet amid the two vast armies advancing toward each other, Jin Taekyung was the only one who recognized it.

“Retreat! Fall back, now—!”

Whoosh!

As he shouted to his allies, Jin Taekyung felt every hair on his body stand on end. He spun around.

He’d made that movement a thousand times—no, more than ten thousand.

Urgent, yet perfectly practiced, it followed the turn of his waist and arms. Dark-blue Force rose like a tidal wave.

KWAANG!

A deafening boom shook the air. Beyond the gray-white sword blade trembling against his spearpoint, a fiend gone mad with blood grinned at Jin Taekyung.

“Why not surrender while you still can?”

“I’ll return those words to you.”

The reply hadn’t come from Jin Taekyung.

Jeok Cheongang had become a streak of light, closing on the Blood-Sword Demon Lord’s flank. His palm struck ahead of his quiet voice.

Whooosh.

Flames erupted in a dazzling burst of heat.

Faced with the terrible heat of the Flame Divine Palm, which burned the air and melted ten-thousand-year snow, the Blood-Sword Demon Lord twisted aside without hesitation.

BOOM!

Compressed air exploded. No—it vaporized on the spot.

The Blood-Sword Demon Lord narrowly avoided the palm strike and sprang backward. By any measure, it was a successful dodge, but the heat had still scorched his collar and the skin beneath it black.

“Whoops. Well, look at that.”

Burning pain was said to be worse than any other.

Yet even with his skin charred and parts of it melted, a smile remained on the Blood-Sword Demon Lord’s lips.

“Just as they said, you’re a fiery one, Senior.”

“You bastard…!”

“Don’t be so angry. I may speak this way, but it stings me too.”

The Blood-Sword Demon Lord wasn’t trying to provoke him. He meant it.

They had clashed only once, but he knew one thing for certain.

He could never defeat the Fire King, Jeok Cheongang, alone.

And even if Jeok Cheongang—a master half a step above him—weren’t there, capturing Jin Taekyung alive rather than killing him would be extremely difficult.

Of course, that was only how things stood for now.

“I should ask your understanding in advance for what’s about to happen, Senior. Yours too, my friend. I’m not entirely fond of doing things this way myself…”

The Blood-Sword Demon Lord had furrowed his brow as if he were troubled, but soon he burst into hearty laughter and continued.

“But what can I do? This, too, is part of proving that person’s greatness.”

At that moment—

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The vast army of Dark Heaven had already charged to within roughly three hundred thirty yards. More precisely, the seven pairs of riders at the head of the countless fanatics rose into the air, stepping on empty space.

No—they ran.

Screee!

Everyone advancing to meet them saw it clearly.

Tens of thousands of eyes widened. Tightly closed lips parted of their own accord.

Shock. Fear.

Only those two emotions showed in their eyes and on their faces.

What could anyone call such a sight?

Stepping on Empty Air? Traversing the Void?

No word that came to mind could quite explain it.

Several masters on the Murim Alliance’s side were skilled enough in body-lightness techniques to step on empty air. But running through the sky on horseback was something none of them had ever imagined.

One person, however, was different.

They’re coming.

Jin Taekyung tightened his grip on White Flame.

The sight had shocked him more than anyone else on the battlefield, but he also understood what he was seeing more clearly than anyone.

Familiar, yet strange.

Called Death Knights in the modern world, these beings—whatever they might be called in Murim—were closing in at blinding speed.

They’re strong. These aren’t ordinary ones.

Jin Taekyung could tell that more than their appearance had changed.

The closer they came, the stronger their stench and aura of death grew. Both far surpassed anything he knew from ordinary Death Knights.

Right. This is like…

Lei Fei.

Jin Taekyung suddenly remembered another hero whose soul, not so long ago, had been forcibly corrupted by an Arch Lich.

The Death Knight Lord.

Lei Fei had been an S-rank Hunter and a hero. In his corrupted state, he had been the strongest enemy they faced after the Arch Lich itself.

A chosen leader among Death Knights, who had not only retained all his strength from life but grown stronger still.

A Named Monster fully deserving of the title Lord.

Yet each of the seven men in black riding ghost horses at the head of the enemy army gave off an aura no weaker than Lei Fei’s had been.

No. Stronger.

It was already too late to turn back.

Fear was contagious.

His allies’ morale had soared as they watched him defeat the Three Elders of Tianshan in an instant. Now, faced with something they had never seen or heard of, it was fading like a bubble.

He drew our entire army out of the Great Snow Mountain. He used the Three Elders of Tianshan as bait.

Jin Taekyung understood at last.

The Three Elders of Tianshan had been used as bait from the very beginning, for this exact moment.

And the Blood-Sword Demon Lord’s plan had worked perfectly.

Even if their allies retreated now, the enemy would reach them all the faster.

Jin Taekyung had only two choices left.

Hold this position so his shaken allies could retreat before they ever crossed weapons with the enemy.

Or…

Risk everything and turn this around.

At his side stood the one person he trusted and could follow more than anyone.

“How many will you take?”

“All eight.”

Jin Taekyung gave a quiet laugh at Jeok Cheongang’s calm answer.

“That’ll be tough at your age.”

“Don’t worry. Ever since I got younger, I’ve had energy to spare.”

“I’m glad that Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng I brought you was worth it.”

“That little thing? Bring me Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng next time.”

“Have you no shame?”

“Want to open me up and check?”

The Fire Gate Clan’s master and disciple stood like iron towers at the heart of the battlefield, waiting for the enemy.

About a hundred sixty-five yards away, the Blood-Sword Demon Lord watched them, his face flushed with excitement. The vast army behind him surged past its commander and poured toward them.

“They’re swarming like a pack of dogs. Even the unorthodox faction would have to give them that.”

At Jeok Cheongang’s mutter, Sama Pyo let out a dry laugh.

“Yes. I think so too.”

“Come to think of it, there’s an unorthodox brat right here.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“Unorthodox, you say. Is that truly how you see yourself?”

“This hardly seems the time to answer that, but what can I do? I was born, and the whole world called me unorthodox. I suppose that’s my lot.”

About a hundred yards.

The enemy’s shouts shook the air from every direction, making their ears ring. Sama Pyo tightened his grip on the sword and saber that had once belonged to the Three Elders of Tianshan, one in each hand.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard. Are you an idiot?”

At the quiet voice in his ear, Sama Pyo’s body stiffened.

“What… did you say?”

“I asked if you’re an idiot. You.”

About sixty-five yards.

As the aura of tens of thousands of enemies made the air tremble, Jin Taekyung went on calmly.

“You live the way you were born, let other people decide what to call you, and go along with it? Is that your life?”

“That’s…”

“Just live however the hell you want. Protect what needs protecting. Do something good now and then. What does it matter whether you’re part of the orthodox faction, the unorthodox faction, or the dark-path figures?”

Sama Pyo’s face went rigid.

His words came so freely. That made them hurt all the more—and made Sama Pyo envy him.

Unlike Sama Pyo, Jin Taekyung had been born into the orthodox faction.

“What do you know about me to say something like that?”

“Of course I don’t know shit. How would I know what kind of life you’ve lived? You’ve never told me.”

“What?”

“But I know what kind of person you are.”

About thirty yards.

Clouds gathered overhead. Darkness fell.

Watching the shadows descend through the empty air, Jin Taekyung tossed out one short sentence.

“We’re here together now.”

“……!”

“I guess I’m pretty good at judging people. Right, Old Master?”

Jeok Cheongang didn’t answer, and Jin Taekyung didn’t wait for him to.

About a year earlier, the Pavilion Master of the Fire Dragon Pavilion had gladly welcomed the Young Sect Leader of the Black Dragon Demon Gate when he’d come calling out of the blue.

Now Jin Taekyung swung the spear in his hand.

Whooosh.

A dark-blue tidal wave rose, hot as hellfire and swift as a thunderbolt.

And as Jin Taekyung advanced without hesitation, Sama Pyo suddenly thought he looked dazzling.

KWA-BOOM!