Chapter 100

The Returner did it all, Chapter 100

“Gah…!”

The pain of being pierced through the eyes. Despite the agony, An Gilhyun let out a scream and swiftly swung his crescent moon saber again.

Kwaang!!

The explosion of sparks caused I Sehoon to take a slight step back, and the right eye that had been pierced by the spear blade trembled.

The blade had penetrated, yet it remained intact, seemingly unaffected by the attack. However, the reality was slightly different.

Hwarlek

A faint flame felt inside the inner pocket of his shirt. A protective charm that absorbed damage had just been consumed by the recent attack.

‘How did this guy…!’

He had seen with his own eyes that I Sehoon, who was supposed to be dead, was attacked by the Red Shadow Corps without even a chance to fight back. How could he be standing here so unscathed?

I Sehoon didn’t wait for An Gilhyun to figure it out; he wasn’t that stupid.

Kagagang!

The blades that silently approached from behind were instantly deflected by the crescent moon saber, and An Gilhyun’s eyes widened as he recognized the attacker.

‘Red Shadow Corps? ’

His entire body had become shadowy and his physical abilities had increased, but the faint sounds and movements were unmistakably the same as the Red Shadow Corps he had seen earlier.

This unexpected appearance of the enemy brought a new possibility to An Gilhyun’s mind.

‘Could I have been the target from the beginning? ’

There was no other explanation for why this kid, who was supposed to be dead, would be attacking him alongside the Red Shadow Corps.

Limited information and the sudden situation made An Gilhyun’s mind race, imagining absurd scenarios.

“You’re thinking too much!”

I Sehoon, wielding the hammer of So Gwang, swung it with all his might.

“Guh…?!”

An Gilhyun, surprised by the precise attack that exploited his weakness, quickly reacted.

Even with the initiative, the overwhelming physical disparity was evident. An Gilhyun quickly closed the gap, and the crescent moon saber swung as if to shatter the hammer.

‘I can’t be overconfident with the first attack…!’

No matter what, I will kill this guy and deal with the Red Shadow Corps.

An Gilhyun’s eyes, along with the hammer, were about to split I Sehoon.

Hwarlek!

The crimson flames that erupted from So Gwang’s hammer precisely struck the blade of the crescent moon saber.

Kwaang!

The crescent moon saber was deflected to the side, and the hammer was forcefully pushed back. An Gilhyun’s eyes widened at the unexpected scene.

“What…?”

Did he fail to control his strength due to the shock?

Before he could find an answer, the Red Shadow Corps’ attacks rained down from all sides.

“You’re too amateur!”

Kagagang! Kwaang! Tureung!

An Gilhyun, who initially had his rhythm disrupted, gradually regained his composure as he deflected the attacks from the four undead assassins and I Sehoon.

If he could hold on a bit longer, he could use a proper technique to finish them off in one strike. However, even in this advantageous situation, An Gilhyun felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

‘What… What’s wrong? ’

Why are these guys, who should have been dead long ago, stubbornly clinging to me? And why do they draw attention before attacking?

Their actions seemed to be ‘luring’ his counterattack, and An Gilhyun’s eyes darted around, trying to understand the situation.

Kwaang!

He noticed the blade of the crescent moon saber being twisted by the crimson hammer.

“What a lunatic…!”

The target from the beginning was not him but the crescent moon saber.

Just as An Gilhyun realized this, he tried to create some distance by detonating the residual flames he had spread around.

‘Got you. ’

So Gwang’s hammer struck the shaft of the crescent moon spear, creating a strange ‘wave’.

Kwaang!!!

The terrifying explosion that erupted around An Gilhyun.

I Sehoon, who had observed An Gilhyun’s battle beforehand, mimicked the magic wave ‘Su Bak’ as he had done with Yan Chengha when they first met, detonating the residual flames.

Unlike Yan Chengha, who had controlled his strength, An Gilhyun used full power in a real battle. Even a hero of considerable strength would have been reduced to a near-death state.

‘This guy is thoroughly prepared. ’

The movement of the mana in the smoke did not end easily, indicating that the situation was far from over.

“Gahaaa!!!”

Whoosh!

The dust flew as the crescent moon saber was swung explosively, and An Gilhyun, whose body was charred and in disarray, glared with bloodshot eyes.

All his complacency and thoughts had vanished. I Sehoon, without hesitation, threw the white light dagger he had prepared and hung at his waist.

“Huh…!”

The white light dagger was deflected and shattered without even grazing him. However, the undead assassins, seizing the opportunity, attacked I Sehoon as he had intended.

“You can’t come here!!!”

Kagagang!!

An Gilhyun, whose breathing was already disrupted, was pushed back as he deflected the attacks from the undead assassins.

His eyes and face looked like he had lost his sanity, but his mind was calmly assessing the situation.

‘The protective charms are all gone, but I still have a good chance. ’

The Red Shadow Corps were specialized in ambushes and could not overwhelm him in a direct confrontation. The residual flames could be prevented by changing the pattern of the ‘Su Bak’.

Just as An Gilhyun, who had assessed the situation, was about to take a deep breath and launch another attack.

Creak─

His foot, stepping back, touched a transparent wire.

Kwaang!!!

“This… This despicable bastard!!!”

The explosion that erupted from inside the forest and An Gilhyun’s scream. I Sehoon, confirming that the trap he had set up in advance had been activated, let out a sigh of relief.

“At least I’ve bought some time….”

If the undead assassins could be driven towards the remaining traps and continue to cling to him, he could buy time to regroup.

I Sehoon, who had caught his breath, looked at Yan Chengha, who was standing behind, to ensure they had a clear advantage.

“Hey! I’m going to throw you the spear, so let’s… What?”

I Sehoon’s eyes widened when he saw that Yan Chengha had not moved a single step since he appeared.

His face, staring at the ground without energy, and his dispirited appearance made I Sehoon ask in disbelief.

“You… Are you giving up now?”

“…”

“Wow. Really. Good grief.”

I Sehoon, exclaiming in amazement as if he had seen something rare, noticed that Yan Chengha’s expression momentarily distorted but that his will, once completely shattered, was difficult to rebuild.

I Sehoun, who had expected to yell and grab him by the collar, wore a displeased expression at the lack of response.

‘Not a mad dog, but a completely wet and dirty dog…’

Although it was a conversation that didn’t need to be heard, it seemed to have made Yan Chengha think.

I Sehoon, confirming that Yan Chengha was not in a state to fight, approached and stepped on the blade of Si Yi’s spear with his foot.

“What…?”

Just as Yan Chengha, puzzled by this incomprehensible action, tried to look up.

Smack!

The tip of the spear shaft stabbed his chest forcefully.

“Guh… What are you doing…!”

Yan Chengha, pushed back helplessly, quickly regained his composure, and I Sehoon picked up the blade of Si Yi’s spear.

“You. You just died.”

“…What?”

“So this is mine.”

I Sehoon, waving the blade of Si Yi’s spear, lightly threw it.

Kwaang─!

So Gwang’s hammer struck the blade of Si Yi’s spear.

The sparks that erupted and the red fragments mixed in between. Yan Chengha’s eyes widened as he realized that the blade of Si Yi’s spear had been completely shattered.

‘Why…’

Why would he break Si Yi’s spear in this situation?

Yan Chengha, puzzled and angry by this incomprehensible action, and feeling ashamed of his powerless self, watched as I Sehoon dropped a red fragment in front of him.

The blade of Si Yi’s spear, with the two wing-like parts cut off and straightened, was now a new spear blade. Yan Chengha’s eyes widened in surprise as he recognized it.

“It’s passable….”

Although it should have been gradually refined, it was now broken and rough, but there was no choice but to use it as it was.

I Sehoon, hanging So Gwang’s hammer at his waist, took out a red flame charm from his subspace pocket and attached it to the new spear blade.

Wooong

The crimson light filled the inside of the faded spear blade and gradually settled, turning into a vivid red.

“Huh.”

I Sehoon, holding the red flame charm and the crescent moon spear, caught his breath and looked at Yan Chengha, who was staring at him blankly.

“What are you doing? Don’t just stand there, move.”

“Move…?”

“I already said you’re dead.”

I Sehoon, turning around, spoke indifferently.

“Go down and beg the master of the sect for your life. He’ll probably show you mercy when he sees you like this.”

With that, I Sehoon ran in the direction An Gilhyun had disappeared, and Yan Chengha’s mind went blank as he watched his retreating figure.

‘I… I’m dead…?’

The words, which seemed like a play on words, pierced the spot on his chest and raised a question.

‘Why did I fight…?’

Because my master told me to become the master of the sect. But if that was all, there was no need to use such a method.

He could have hidden his strength, or allied with anyone who opposed Yi Wonryong. It was entirely possible.

Then why did he choose the inefficient and dangerous option of fighting head-on?

‘Because I wanted to prove it…’

He wanted to prove that the spear techniques and life he learned from his master were not wrong.

That’s why he aimed to become the master of the Yanhua Sect without compromising and overcoming all obstacles head-on.

That was what his master truly hoped for.

“…Damn!”

Because it was the path he had sworn to achieve.

Kwaang!

Yan Chengha, stomping the ground, ran into the forest and saw I Sehoon’s figure ahead.

Beyond that, he saw An Gilhyun, who had already dealt with three of the four undead assassins.

Seeing that An Gilhyun was about to start fighting, Yan Chengha shouted with all his might.

“Stop!”

Despite hearing the shout, I Sehoon’s body did not stop.

His indifferent attitude, treating Yan Chengha as if he were already dead, made Yan Chengha bite his lip.

What could he say to give this guy another chance? As he thought, a word slipped out of Yan Chengha’s mouth.

“A deal!!!”

I Sehoon’s body, which had been running, stopped, and he turned his head to look back. Seeing this, Yan Chengha shouted with determination.

“I’ll pay double, so hand it over to me!!!”

I Sehoon smirked at this desperate plea.

“Triple, you bastard.”

He lightly threw the two spears.

Thwack!

The two spears, thrown into the air, were caught by Yan Chengha, and he ran towards An Gilhyun, who had already dealt with the last undead assassin.

“How much do you think you can mock me!!”

An Gilhyun, who was a mess from all the traps and ambushes, looked at the approaching Yan Chengha and immediately stomped the ground.

What difference does it make if an old, worn-out spear is replaced by two insignificant spears?

An Gilhyun, determined to cut off Yan Chengha’s neck at the first opportunity, swung his crescent moon saber.

Kwaang─!

The blade of the crescent moon saber was deflected by Yan Chengha’s dual spears.

“…Huh?”

The black short spear held the blade of the crescent moon saber, extending its trajectory, while the red short spear exploded and shattered it in an instant.

An Gilhyun’s eyes widened at the ease with which his crescent moon saber was deflected, and Yan Chengha took advantage of the gap.

Kagagang!

The distance closed with the first move.

The power of Yan Chengha’s Yanlun Zanhua Spear, which had been reduced due to the narrowed range, was now being continuously exploited by Yan Chengha, who had drawn An Gilhyun into his own territory.

Tureung!

The crescent moon saber, swung downward, was deflected to both sides by the two short spears, and Yan Chengha’s foot stomped on the spear shaft.

Kwaang!

With the crescent moon saber fixed to the ground, two short spears aimed at his head and heart. An Gilhyun, in a panic, punched with mana to counter the terrifying combo.

Squeak!

“Guh…!?”

The gauntlet