—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“I am hungryyy!”
It was a ghoul with legs like wooden chopsticks, but its explosive power was tremendous. It charged madly, then suddenly jumped and lunged at me.
I watched its movements precisely, then thrust my sword straight, slicing through the ghoul’s skinny torso.
“Keuk!”
The ghoul was bisected in one blow. The sensation of the blade cutting through bone was distinct.
The ghoul’s fighting power itself wasn’t much.
But these bastards weren’t just a few; they were practically an army. All those monsters were going crazy, charging like infested Terrans, making them very tricky to deal with.
“Die!”
“Th-This is insane!”
“You goddamn ghouls!”
At first, the wandering swordsmen also vigorously slaughtered the ghouls. They were weaklings, flying far away with just a punch or a kick.
But their numbers were so overwhelming that we began to get pushed back little by little.
“Jaemison! There are too many of them!”
“Kek kek, don’t you dare let go.”
Whiik!
Jaemison thrust his Isangjego strongly, piercing a ghoul’s skull, then swung it left and right to keep the others at bay.
Excellent spatial control.
I also stabbed my sword repeatedly, fending off the ghouls.
And then…
Kwak!
I stomped on a ghoul approaching my legs, crushing it.
Stay calm.
Even though there are many ghouls, we’re in a proper formation. If we maintain this formation, we can hold them off.
“Give me meatttttt!”
Just then, a ghoul flew at me from the left. I hastily extended my arm to defend myself.
Kwaaak!
The ghoul bit my Monster Hide Vambraces. But this bastard was so hungry it gnawed at my armor, covering it in drool.
This filthy bastard!
“You fucking little shit!”
I gripped my sword tightly and used the pommel to stamp a “Good Job” mark on its skull.
Kwaang!
“Keheuk!”
“Raise your guards!”
The fierce battle continued.
I stayed close to Jaemison, holding our position while killing ghouls. As we did so, I could see their numbers gradually dwindling.
“Uwaaagh!”
“Aagh!”
Still, some swordsmen fell. Those who stumbled with horrifying screams began to appear. Even though ghouls were weak, the vicious teeth in their mouths were real. If bare skin were bitten, a serious injury would be unavoidable.
“I’m hungryyyy!”
“Eat this!”
Kwak!
I thrust my sword into the mouth of the charging ghoul, the blade piercing out the back of its head. I threw the limp ghoul away and, like playing soccer, kicked another one away with a kick.
Just then…
Pararak!
Something like yellow paper flew in from behind.
Hwaruru!
Suddenly, the paper burst into flames, causing a small explosion and burning the ghouls!
“Gaaaagh!”
“Meattt!”
“I’m hungryyyy!”
The ghouls screamed as they burned!
“What is that?!”
What is it?
Magic?
Magic in a martial arts world? This isn’t murim!
“Don’t be surprised… those are probably talismans written by Taoists.”
“Talismans?!”
“Kek kek, the Mosan sect is nearby, so they must have been ordered for the labyrinth’s conquest.”
What is the Mosan sect?!
I’ve never heard of it!
Anyway, the warriors of the Hacheondae, positioned behind us, maintained their center firmly, eliminating ghouls with their weapons and assisting the battle by throwing talismans.
They were a truly well-trained unit.
As time passed, the ghoul army was finally annihilated.
“The ghouls have been annihilated! Tend to the wounded!”
“Yes!”
As soon as the weary administrator’s order was given, I looked around.
“Kuuuugh!”
“Ugh…!”
Several swordsmen were bleeding profusely from their arms and legs. They were in that state from just a single bite.
If I hadn’t had my armor and hadn’t been mindful of my lower body, I might have ended up like them.
“Bandages first! We need to wrap them with bandages! Hey! You! Do you have bandages?!”
I shouted at a swordsman who had collapsed, bleeding profusely.
“Uh, no…!”
“Damn it! Then take off your shirt!”
“What?!”
Buuk!
I immediately ripped the swordsman’s shirt, made bandages, and tightly wrapped them around the wounds. My first aid training from the army turned out to be useful. Whatever it was, if you didn’t stop the bleeding quickly, it was over.
“My, my shirt?! This goddamn son of a bitch! Who rips someone’s clothes like that?!”
“What? This bastard is complaining after being saved?!”
Kwaang!
“Uhk!”
I punched the ungrateful bastard in the nose, making him bleed and writhe in pain.
“Get hit some more, you motherfucker!”
“Aagh! Stop! Stop!”
“Say thank you!”
“Thank you! Th-Thank you for stopping the bleeding!”
“You should have done that from the beginning! Making people feel bad! Take another hit!”
“Aagh! Agh! Aagh! I’m sorry! I’m sorryyyy!”
“Just die, you motherfucker!”
“Kwaagh!”
In that manner, I bestowed merciful grace upon the wounded like a Nightingale. It was such noble service that even Mother Teresa would give me a thumbs-up.
“Once first aid is complete, the wounded are to retreat outside the labyrinth! The rest, commence reorganization!”
“Commence!”
As soon as the order was given, the wounded who could walk on their own, mainly those with one arm injured, supported the wanderers with leg injuries and began to retreat. The guy I beat up also joined the retreating line, sobbing with a bloody nose.
His face was so bruised, he looked like an Avatar Na’vi. With his clothes ripped and half-naked, the portrayal was perfect. If James Cameron had seen this, he would’ve rolled his eyes, foaming at the mouth, shouting Toruk Makto, and immediately started filming Avatar 2.
Anyway, it seems like about half of the troops have withdrawn.
“E-Excuse me! What if monsters appear during the retreat…!”
“There are no monsters! We’ve killed them all! Retreat quickly!”
“Oh, right!”
Indeed. Since we’d killed all the monsters, nothing would appear on the way back. Watching them, I rested with Jaemison.
“Phew. I’m exhausted. Aren’t you?”
“Keuk keuk, what a battle. I can’t even laugh well. Kek.”
“You’re the best, never losing your laughter even in this difficult situation.”
“Num, what…”
A light nutritional supplement.
I drank water and poured misutgaru into my mouth.
I’m so tired.
“Once the reorganization is complete, we’ll move again! The target is the heart of this labyrinth! Now that we’ve eliminated the ghoul horde, there shouldn’t be any other enemies!”
Even if there’s nothing on the way…
What’s in the heart?
I was about to ask that when the order to move was given. Our group of swordsmen took the lead and moved.
“I’m hungryyyy!”
“Meatmeatmeattt!”
A stray ghoul or two appeared from time to time, but this small number wasn’t a match for us.
“You goddamn bastards!”
“Just ghouls!”
With just a light kick from the enraged swordsmen, their bones broke, leaving them crippled. Various weapons were thrust into the heads of the fallen ghouls.
In that manner, we proceeded towards the heart of the labyrinth.
I started to get a strange feeling. A coolness, a freshness? Perhaps it was a sign that we were getting closer to the heart.
I was a little tense and cautious when the Jade Flower Sword spoke.
“Stop. We should be reaching the heart soon.”
Finally, we’ve arrived.
“Scouts, find the path.”
“Yes!”
At her command, the Hacheondae warriors moved quickly. Those who appeared to be scouts scattered in various directions.
And a little while later…
“We’ve found the path! It leads downwards!”
“Hmm, an underground structure. Understood. Let’s move.”
“Yes!”
As we moved a bit as instructed, a downward path resembling stairs appeared. By this point, even Jaemison was nervous enough to start talking nonsense.
“Ah… if swordsmen like us die, we’ll probably fall into a hell like this.”
“What nonsense.”
If you live virtuously like me, you’ll go to heaven.
Just now, I behaved both like Nightingale and Mother Teresa, and even received a thumbs-up from Director James Cameron. If I can’t go to heaven, then it’s heaven that’s wrong.
Anyway…As we went down, we came to a corner. I stepped forward and carefully looked around the corner… and saw a wide-open space.
And in the center of that space, a person was standing.
Wait.
A person?
“What? Hey, Jaemison. There’s a person over there.”
“What nonsense are you…”
“A person?”
The weary administrator pulled my shoulder and looked beyond the corner himself. Then he shouted in surprise.
“Wh-What! Milady! Over there! There’s a person over there!”
“What!”
The moment the quickly approaching Jade Flower Sword looked beyond the corner…
“A person…! No! A sorcerer!”
“A sorcerer?!”
A sorcerer?!
“Eliminate it quickly!”
“Yes!”
The Jade Flower Sword and the Hacheondae warriors immediately dashed forward. Following that, the weary administrator gave the swordsmen the orders to charge.
So we all charged towards the open space together.
But wait a minute.
A sorcerer in the heart of the labyrinth? It’s strange, and something feels off. The Jade Flower Sword and her Hacheondae warriors presumably have a lot of experience conquering labyrinths like this.
But in Namgung Serin’s voice when she discovered the sorcerer, I could sense bewilderment or disappointment. Does that mean this is an unexpected accident?
“Haaaap!”
The Jade Flower Sword and the Hacheondae warriors sprinted at the front, shouting. And that sorcerer glanced at us, raised a skull staff, and began to mutter something.
At the same time…
Hwaaaak!
A crimson demonic gate appeared behind the sorcerer!
“A d-demonic gate!”
“It’s a demonic gateeee!”
“A demonic gate has opened!”
The swordsmen shouted.
“Quickly! Eliminate that sorcerer!”
“Yes!”
Just as the Jade Flower Sword and the Hacheondae were about to reach the sorcerer…
Kuguung!
Kuguguung!
Suddenly, an earthquake occurred.
No.
It wasn’t an earthquake.
Something surged up from the ground!
“Graaaaagh!”
What emerged was a gigantic ghoul!
One bigger than any car!
“A Great Ghoul!”
Someone shouted. I wanted to shout along, but I didn’t have time. That’s because not just one Great Ghoul appeared!
Kuguung!
“Kaaaagh!”
“Kraaagh!”
Great Ghouls sprang up everywhere. They had all been hiding underground. Because of that, Jade Flower Sword and the Hacheondae warriors, who had been charging, had to pull back, unable to reach the sorcerer.
“Damn it! Take care of the Great Ghouls!”
“Yes!”
“Fight!”
“Kill the Great Ghouls!”
“Hap!”
The moment the Jade Flower Sword swung her sword at a Great Ghoul, a large gash appeared on the massive creature’s body, and it quickly began to fall apart.
“Huh!”
Incredible swordsmanship!
Destructive power that sent shivers down my spine!
Of course, the Jade Flower Sword wasn’t the only impressive one. The Hacheondae warriors also formed groups to attack the Great Ghouls. Their attacks were precise and powerful.
But…
“Haaaaaaaagh!”
“Aagh!”
The swordsmen who saw the monsters bigger than cars were different. They didn’t have that kind of courage. As soon as the Great Ghouls appeared around them, they panicked and ran around, only to be caught in the Great Ghouls’ hands.
“Help meeee!”
“Meattt!”
The giant ghoul grabbed a swordsman with both hands and tore his head off!
“U-uwaaagh!”
I screamed at the sight!
“Get a grip…! Kim Geun-hyeop! Do you want to die?!”
“Jaemison!”
“If we don’t kill the Great Ghouls, we’ll die…!”
He was right!
“Damn it! Everyone, get a grip! We have to kill them! Jaemison! Let’s join the leader over there!”
In times like these, you have to stick with someone strong and reliable!
“Kek…! You finally came to your senses. Alright.”
I immediately ran towards the weary administrator with Jaemison.
“Leader! The wanderers alone can’t handle them! We need to fight around you to take down the Great Ghouls!”
“Oh, right! Well said! All swordsmen, gather around me! Ah, but first!”
“Kraaagh!”
A Great Ghoul reached out towards us.
The weary administrator wasn’t intimidated; he bravely swung his sword…
Chwahak!
And sliced through the Great Ghoul’s palm!
“Kiyaaagh!”
“You guys! Go to the sides and stab its big belly!”
“Yes!”
We immediately followed the order. Jaemison and I ran to the sides. And towards the side of the Great Ghoul that appeared before my eyes…
“Haaaap!”
I unleashed a move from the Samjae Swordsmanship!
Chwahaak!
The Great Ghoul’s belly was torn open, and blood gushed out. The Great Ghoul floundered, unable to resist.
“Th-This bastard! It’s just big, but slow! We can kill it if we stay calm!”
It was just a weakling!
If everyone remembered this and fought, we could win. However, most of the swordsmen were in a state of panic, and the Jade Flower Sword and the Hacheondae warriors, who were supposed to control them, also seemed to be too busy dealing with the Great Ghouls springing up everywhere.
It was at that moment…
Hwaaak!
Something caught my eye.
It was the demonic gate the sorcerer had opened, now burning.
“What’s that?”
The moment I muttered that, something emerged from the demonic gate.
Sruuk.
It was a muscular giant with a horse’s head. It looked like a literal demon from hell, walking out, snorting, with a large sword in hand.
“Hayagriva!!!!”
The weary administrator shouted like a thunderbolt.
Hayagriva?
“J-Jaemison. What’s that?”
“Keuk keuk… we’re fucked. We’re all dead.”
Why are you laughing!!!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Samjae Sword Technique is usually explained as a simple martial art that only involves horizontal cuts, vertical cuts, and stabs. It is the most famous third-rate martial artist in Korean martial arts , and can actually be said to be synonymous with third-rate martial arts.
