Ep497 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Joo-Woon, who had barely recovered from his injuries, and Tak Il-Woo, who had narrowly escaped the shackles of his sins. The disciples of the Hwasan Sect that gathered behind them all shared the same thought before the battle between the two began. The Heavenly Demon, an undeniable threat to the martial world of the Central Plains, the strongest and worst enemy. Thus, they had resolved to kill the Heavenly Demon right here, even if it meant suffering significant losses. Yes. That was their resolve until the battle began. Boom-! The sound of swords clashing echoed vividly from afar. Was that all? The aura of the Heavenly Demon covered hundreds of paces, and she reigned as a deity there. Only then did they understand. Why the followers of the Demonic Cult referred to a living being as a god and followed her. "She truly reaches a realm worthy of being called a god…!" Joo-Woon couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. He knew she was an enemy but couldn't resist. Wasn't the absolute being, whom all martial artists dream of one day becoming, standing right before him? However, they were not only enthusiastic about the Heavenly Demon. "Young Master Baek's martial prowess is truly impressive." "So it is." Within the profound aura of the Heavenly Demon that covered hundreds of paces, Baek Woo-Jin was engaged in a desperate struggle. He was truly an exemplar for martial artists. A resilient spirit that did not bow down and continued to fight against a formidable opponent. If the Heavenly Demon was a god, Baek Woo-Jin was the human reaching for the heights. An usurper and seeker who quietly trod the path of hardship to transcend the place, the dignity of a god. Therefore, more eyes were drawn to him. Despite being relentlessly cut down with every clash, he did not lose his will to fight. Yet they could no longer harbor their initial thoughts before the battle. "This is devastating." "The same goes for me." A battle between one who has attained the divine realm and one who daringly knocks on that door. In this fierce battle, it seemed the only thing they could do was meet their end. As one of the Nine Great Gates, they lamented being unable to keep up appearances. While they despaired, the battle progressed into a new phase. A god backed by hundreds of swords and a human relying on comrades to fight back. The battle was slowly reaching its end. * * * Clashing. Boom! Breaking. Clang! In front of the five who gathered in a circle, backs against each other, were hundreds of swords. Each one was a heart sword, drawn from the aura of the Heavenly Demon. These swords, infused with a portion of her power, bore down with moves representative of the Heavenly Demon’s divine arts. "They're not as formidable as they seem. Stay composed and block them." "Yes…!" Baek Woo-Jin was newly impressed watching the group adeptly fend off numerous swords. 'When did they grow so much?' He prided himself on knowing their skills best, yet it seemed he was mistaken. In fact, he had underestimated them. They were continuing their path into transcendental levels, advancing before even reaching thirty. Though still a long way from superlative mastery, they seemed sufficient to rely on. Thanks to their assistance, the burdens had significantly reduced. However, the situation wasn't entirely optimistic. As time passed, he could see the women's stamina dwindling in their fight against the Heavenly Demon’s swords. Whoosh! "Ouch…!" Initially, they warded off the sword strikes easily, but now they began to receive minor injuries. Their stamina had not completely drained, resulting in mere scratches, but the inevitable would occur if this dragged on longer. 'This battle needs to end before then.' And to end this battle, he ultimately had to cut down the Heavenly Demon. Baek Woo-Jin calmly assessed himself. What truly mattered was this. Did he possess a sword capable of striking down the Heavenly Demon? 'Yes.' There was one. Fortunately, he had something worth attempting. A strategy found in the hideout of Baek Yoo-Seong, as guided by the Blood Demon Maiden. With it, even the Heavenly Demon could be cut down. Yet, what worried him was his lack of mastery over it. 'Can I do it?' If it were any ordinary martial art, he wouldn’t dwell so long. However, what Baek Yoo-Seong left behind was too alien, too unfamiliar to call ordinary martial arts. Even Baek Woo-Jin, who had mastered countless sword arts, found its principles difficult to grasp. 'A success rate of one percent.' Attempting a hundred times might yield a single success. Even then, the power, when successful, was vastly different from what Baek Yoo-Seong described. Fortunately, even with power far beneath the strategy’s potential, as long as it succeeded, cutting her down wouldn’t be an issue. ‘Is this truly the right path?’ Betting the lives of both himself and the women on a mere one percent chance of success. His deliberation didn’t last long. Continuing like this would lead to total annihilation without even a glimmer of hope. In that case, it was right to place their hopes, even if faint, on that one percent chance. Having organized his thoughts, he addressed the women. "I need a bit of time." In response, the Blood Demon Maiden asked, "How much time do you need?" "About a quarter of an hour." "Alright, I'll handle it." The woman, who had worked in sync with the others, began to reveal the true extent of her power. A blood-red moon rising. And upon the peak beneath it, a wolf and a fox howling. Awoooo-! With sharp howls, the wolves surged forth and began to destroy the swords before them. Knowing that gaps in her aura were being filled, albeit clumsily, by his allies, Baek Woo-Jin immediately began his preparation. Closing his eyes, he recalled the strategy entrusted to him by Baek Yoo-Seong. 'The important thing is perception.' An extraordinary perception, unlike any other. A unique sensation only Baek Woo-Jin had experienced in this world. Only by vividly recalling that sensation could he attempt the technique Baek Yoo-Seong had left behind. Seeing Baek Woo-Jin concentrating among the women surrounding him, the Heavenly Demon's eyebrow twitched. ‘It seems he's preparing something.’ He must be preparing a trump card capable of overturning the disadvantage. What exactly could it be? What was certain was that he was preparing something entirely different from what had come before. The energy slowly starting to emerge from his body was overwhelmingly foreign. "..." She hesitated momentarily. There was a clear difference in power. No matter how formidable the trump card, she was confident she could break through it. And yet, her instincts sounded alarms incessantly. Telling her to stop him immediately, that if she didn't, she would die. It was perplexing. "Death…" When was the last time her instincts so clearly whispered of death? It only meant Baek Woo-Jin was preparing something outrageous. ‘There's no choice.’ Her life didn’t matter. But she couldn't die now. Not until she completed all her preparations and killed Baek Woo-Jin—she must not die. If she failed in even one task, she would have to go back. ‘I cannot go back to that time.’ She never wanted to revisit her most despairing and resentful moments. So, she made a firm resolve. Having traveled together with Baek Woo-Jin for over a decade, she understood better than anyone. How to stop him. ‘Companions.’ The only beings capable of making him look back as he walked ever forward. The women surrounding Baek Woo-Jin. They were the heart of Baek Woo-Jin. As she confirmed the increasingly uncanny energy emanating from Baek Woo-Jin's body, she sprang into action. "Damn…!" The Blood Demon Maiden hurriedly moved to block the Heavenly Demon. "Impressive." She managed to match her speed, but the real problem lay ahead. In the Heavenly Demon’s world, she had expended nearly all her inner strength by casting her aura. In such a state, she lacked the strength to block the oncoming strike from the sword. Thud! The sword, wielded with determination by the Heavenly Demon, pierced through the Blood Demon Maiden's abdomen. "Urgh…!" A groan escaped her lips as blood streamed from her mouth. Seeing this, the women shouted in panic. "Older sister!" "Senior!" But the Heavenly Demon's attack did not end there. Leaving the sword embedded in the Blood Demon Maiden's abdomen, she gripped a new heart sword and charged forward. Her next target was Shin Yehwa. "Ah…!" Surprised, she swung her halberd reflexively. Too late. Whoosh! A swift cut from the Heavenly Demon's sword etched a long gash across Shin Yehwa's chest and stomach. Thud! Spilling blood, she collapsed to the ground and lay still. "Miss Shin!" In anger over witnessing her friend’s downfall, Yu Hwayeon charged like an enraged ox. Although her charge was spirited, she couldn't manage to display her full technique even once. Her swordsmanship, focused on transformation, was the Phantom Sword (환검). Such a sword could not be wielded with a body stiffened by excessive anger. "Ugh…!" Entrusting her body to fury, she swung her sword wildly, but she was not unlike Shin Yehwa. The Heavenly Demon, with quick steps, closed in on Yu Hwayeon and thrust her sword. Thud! "Ack…!" Yoo Hwayeon crumpled to the ground, agony radiating from her abdomen. But she couldn't afford to stay down. There was only a sliver of time left until Baek Woo-Jin opened his eyes. She needed to rise, even if just to swing her sword once more. "Strength... I need strength..." But her body wouldn’t obey. The sword lodged in her abdomen seemed to obstruct the flow of her inner energy. While she struggled to right herself. "……!" Like the others, Song Hee-Yeon, also pierced by a sword, gritted her teeth and sank to the ground. The only ones remaining were Baek Woo-Jin and Seol Soo-Yeon. Facing Seol Soo-Yeon, the Heavenly Demon, smiling, greeted her with a smile. "You’re quite remarkable yourself, sacrificing everything for one man." "Aren’t you doing the same?" "Perhaps." The Heavenly Demon nodded her head in agreement. Seol Soo-Yeon, looking puzzled, asked her, "Why are you going this far? You know the separation between you and the warrior wasn’t entirely either of your faults. Then why...!" The Heavenly Demon answered her question, "That’s precisely why." "What do you mean…?" She continued explaining to the bewildered Seol Soo-Yeon, "To correct the mistakes between him and me." "What...!" "It's something you need not understand," she cut off coldly, "There's no place for you here anyway." Just as she was about to thrust her sword once more, a voice interrupted. "That’s enough." Baek Woo-Jin’s voice stopped her in her tracks. --- Author’s Note (Epilogue) I'll see you all in the next chapter. Thank you for reading as always. Have a peaceful night. (_ _)