Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 337 – Mastermind (4)

It was a gamble for Mok Gyeong-un as well.

Strictly speaking, concentrating power into a single point was akin to becoming a sword oneself, so Mok Gyeong-un was half in doubt whether it would be possible to manifest this using the Demonic Swords.

However, with his understanding of energy heightened after surpassing the wall’s wall, Mok Gyeong-un thought it would be theoretically possible.

But there were two problems here.

This technique had two glaring weaknesses.

‘Convergence of energy.’

Concentrating all the energy and power from one’s entire body into a single point and focusing it on a sword at a distance was by no means easy.

When unleashing it with the body, it could be executed at any time, even if there was a burden on the whole body, but it took quite some time to send energy to the Demonic Swords.

And secondly…

‘It’s too conspicuous.’

This was the biggest problem.

If enough energy was concentrated to focus power into one point with the Demonic Swords, the probability of the opponent noticing it would be extremely high.

This was especially true for masters of higher realms.

Unable to recklessly test this out, Mok Gyeong-un had no choice but to lure the opponent’s senses to focus solely on him.

That’s why Mok Gyeong-un created that opportunity.

Through continuous extreme high-speed movement, he made Moo-jin desperate and exert his full strength.

With the explosion of the vast natural earth energy shattering the ground and the whirlwind of energy generated by the stances and techniques unleashed by the two superhuman beings, the surroundings were shaken, allowing it to be faintly concealed to a certain degree.

But Mok Gyeong-un didn’t stop there.

He created a situation that the opponent could predict, directly concentrating power into one point and drawing all attention to himself.

That’s what being bait meant.

Confident of victory, Moo-jin ultimately let his guard down, and this was the result.

“Urgh…”

Moo-jin’s face twisted in pain.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un inwardly clicked his tongue.

Although he had intuitively felt that the power would be weaker than when he unleashed it himself, since he had concentrated energy into a single sword to gather his strength, he hadn’t expected it to fail to completely penetrate Moo-jin’s body.

‘Or is he that sturdy?’

In any case, the gamble had succeeded, but it was undoubtedly a technique that was difficult to utilize in many ways.

Anyway, with the sword piercing his heart, the match was decided.

No…

“I should finish it.”

The match would only end when the opponent’s breath was definitively cut off.

Unless a whim arose, Mok Gyeong-un, who never left any loose ends, removed his hand from the Evil Commandment Sword caught in Moo-jin’s grasp and formed a sword of demonic energy with his sword fingers.

-Whoosh!

As Mok Gyeong-un was about to behead him, Moo-jin gritted his teeth and abruptly kicked Mok Gyeong-un’s chest.

-Thud!

As a result, Mok Gyeong-un was sent flying backward and fell, while Moo-jin also plummeted at a fast speed, pushed back by the force of his kick.

-Thump!

Landing on the ground, Mok Gyeong-un barely regained his posture and clicked his tongue.

The heart was pierced not by an ordinary sword but by his own energy-infused Plundering-killing Sword. He hadn’t expected Moo-jin to have this much strength left.

However, even that seemed difficult now.

The staggering Moo-jin couldn’t even properly stand up.

“Ugh…”

No matter how much of a monster he was, transcending the realm of humans, having his heart penetrated must be unimaginably agonizing.

No, it was rather astonishing that he was still breathing.

Of course, Mok Gyeong-un himself had survived even after his heart area was stabbed, but Moo-jin was penetrated not by a simple sword strike but by a Ghost Sword imbued with demonic energy, so how was he still enduring like this?

Well, it didn’t matter.

Even with a tenacious life, he would have no choice but to die if his head was severed.

-Swish! -Clack!

The Evil Commandment Sword was drawn into Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.

Grasping the Evil Commandment Sword, Mok Gyeong-un swiftly leaped forward.

-Whoosh!

With his figure blurring and scattering, Mok Gyeong-un reached Moo-jin’s front in an instant and attempted to behead him with the Evil Commandment Sword.

However…

-Slam!

Mok Gyeong-un, who was swinging the Evil Commandment Sword imbued with black sword energy, abruptly stopped midway.

As a result, a large, claw-shaped sword mark about ten jang long appeared outward in the direction he had been swinging the sword.

-Boom boom boom!

It was evidence that he had swung the sword with all his might to behead Moo-jin, who possessed a body as indestructible as vajra.

-Gulp!

Moo-jin subconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

Perhaps due to his innate boldness, he didn’t close his eyes, but the moment he perceived death, he couldn’t help but feel tense involuntarily.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.

“What did you just say?”

“…”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Moo-jin stared at him intently.

Could it be that he had stopped the sword because of those words?

As Moo-jin wondered, Mok Gyeong-un asked again.

“What did you say?”

-Swish!

The sharp blade touched the skin of Moo-jin’s neck.

The ominous black sword energy on the blade seemed ready to behead him at any moment.

Although Moo-jin didn’t fear it, he spoke, feeling curious.

“Haa… haa… I asked what your relationship is with the Three-Eyed.”

At his answer, a glint flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

As expected, it seemed he had correctly read Moo-jin’s lip movements.

Mok Gyeong-un had read Moo-jin’s muttering with an incomprehensible expression while looking at the sword piercing his heart using the art of lip-reading.

“Haa… haa… Could it be… cough… that you stopped because of those words?”

“The Three-Eyed you mentioned… Do you mean a being with a third eye on the forehead?”

At this question, Moo-jin furrowed his brows.

How does this person know about the Three-Eyed his father mentioned?

Then was his guess correct?

“It seems… cough cough… you really are related to the Three-Eyed. Otherwise, this wound wouldn’t be… ugh…”

-Sizzle!

Before he could finish speaking, steam began to flow from Moo-jin’s body, and his blackened body gradually turned red.

Along with that, Moo-jin continuously vomited blood.

“Blargh!”

The golden bracelet’s ratchet on Moo-jin’s right wrist turned.

-Click click click!

The number on the ratchet rapidly increased and returned to ten.

Then, the steam from Moo-jin’s body stopped, and his face turned pale.

‘Did he forcibly seal his energy?’

Mok Gyeong-un made that guess while looking at the bracelet on Moo-jin’s right arm.

As Moo-jin’s momentum weakened, the bracelet seemed to suppress his energy as if it had been waiting.

Having somewhat returned to a more human-like appearance, Moo-jin raised his head with great difficulty, his face even more agonized.

His rough breathing made it seem like he would stop breathing at any moment.

‘Hmm.’

For a fleeting moment, Mok Gyeong-un fell into contemplation.

Should he keep Moo-jin alive to learn something he knew about the Three-Eyed or not?

However, Moo-jin was an extremely annoying opponent.

Mok Gyeong-un himself had also considerably depleted his energy while fighting with all his might, so if he gave Moo-jin even the slightest chance to recover here, who knew what would happen?

-Kill him, Joongsheng. This guy is too dangerous. Even if it’s not this monster-like fellow, there will be other opportunities to obtain information.

Cheong-ryeong urged him to kill Moo-jin.

Within the wooden figurine in Mok Gyeong-un’s bosom, she had closely observed the fight more than anyone else.

That’s why she believed Moo-jin should never be given a chance to recover.

However…

“…Let’s hear him out first.”

-What? You again… Ha!

Cheong-ryeong clicked her tongue at Mok Gyeong-un’s stubbornness.

She couldn’t understand why he displayed such dangerous whims at times like this.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un lightly waved his hand.

-Swish!

Then…

-Pop!

The Plundering-killing Sword that had been stabbed into Moo-jin’s back, piercing his heart, was pulled out.

“Ugh!”

A scream burst from Moo-jin’s mouth at the pain.

From Moo-jin’s perspective, it was the most extreme pain he had ever experienced in his life, so he couldn’t help but suffer.

His clan possessed innate physiques, so they were stronger against pain compared to others, and their sturdy bodies rarely sustained injuries.

This applied not only externally but also internally.

Moreover, even if they were wounded, their extraordinary recovery ability quickly healed the injured areas.

However, strangely, the vicious and dark energy that had entered along with the sword piercing his heart and the peculiar evil nature (妖性) of the sword interfered with his rapid recovery.

‘I can’t breathe…’

The penetration of the heart ultimately hindered the smooth circulation of blood, and Moo-jin could only approach death.

It was at that very moment.

-Whoosh!

The vicious energy that had been obstructing his recovery finally left his heart.

Although the peculiar evil nature remained, the energy that had most hindered his recovery was gone, and the penetrated area slowly began to regenerate.

And as the blood circulated…

“Haah!”

Moo-jin exhaled roughly as if his blocked breathing had burst open.

Mok Gyeong-un said to him,

“…Seeing you breathe again after I only adjusted the demonic energy makes me contemplate my choice.”

“Haa… haa… Demonic energy?”

“Yes. You can feel that energy that left your heart, right?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, a glint flashed in Moo-jin’s eyes.

“…Why?”

“It must be out of necessity, right?”

“Necessity? …Could it be because of that Three-Eyed? No, what is your relationship with the Three-Eyed?”

Moo-jin, whose mind had suddenly cleared, asked Mok Gyeong-un.

In response, Mok Gyeong-un moved the demonic energy within Moo-jin’s body.

As the vicious energy actively moved again, Moo-jin frowned.

“I haven’t fully removed the demonic energy yet. Since it’s near the heart, I can reinsert it.”

“You mean you hold the upper hand?”

Mok Gyeong-un replied with a smirk,

“If you understand, I hope you’ll obediently answer my questions.”

“…”

Moo-jin stared intently at Mok Gyeong-un.

Although the evil nature that had remained in the sword piercing his heart was still hindering his recovery, if given a little more time, it seemed he could escape the critical condition.

For now, it was better to play along, even if only for a short while.

“Ask away.”

“How do you know about the Three-Eyed?”

“…You could say my clan has a bit of a bad history with him.”

“A bit of a bad history?”

“Both my great-grandfather and father fought against that Three-Eyed with an eye on his forehead, whether by coincidence or not.”

‘They fought against the Three-Eyed?’

At the unexpected answer, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes turned peculiar.

He had wondered what kind of relationship they had, but if Moo-jin’s great-grandfather and father had fought against the Three-Eyed, weren’t they essentially his enemies?

At that moment, Moo-jin parted his lips and continued,

“What is your relationship with the Three-Eyed?”

“I thought I made it clear that only I would ask the questions.”

“You already hold the upper hand over my life, so can’t you at least answer this much…”

-Whoosh!

Before he could finish speaking, the vicious energy surged into Moo-jin’s heart, attempting to worsen the slowly recovering wound again.

-Slam!

“Ugh.”

As Moo-jin clutched his chest, Mok Gyeong-un spoke with a smile.

“Despite your surprisingly excellent recovery ability, I hope you weren’t under the mistaken impression that I would kindly allow the penetrated wound to heal.”

“Haa… haa… I had hoped for that, but it seems I shouldn’t wish for it.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

-Whoosh!

As the wound worsened again, Mok Gyeong-un withdrew the demonic energy from Moo-jin’s heart, causing his face to turn pale.

Then, he casually said,

“Well, my relationship with the Three-Eyed is similar to yours.”

“Phew… phew… Similar, you say? Then do you mean you’re also in a hostile relationship with the Three-Eyed?”

“You could say that.”

“But why do you possess a power similar to that Three-Eyed?”

“Similar, you say?”

Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head.

What did he mean by that?

As he wondered, Moo-jin spoke.

“Due to our clan’s innate bodies, our wounds heal quickly, leaving no scars. However, that deformed person called the Three-Eyed left an indelible scar on my father’s chest.”

“You mean the scar never fully healed?”

“Yes.”

At that answer, Mok Gyeong-un stroked his chin.

Just like the energy of death, which could be called death energy, the demonic energy born from it also possessed the property of destroying the opponent’s energy.

But did the Three-Eyed also possess a power similar to this or one that hindered recovery?

If this Three-Eyed was identical to the being he knew, it could be quite useful information.

However…

“So you suspected I was related to the Three-Eyed because of that?”

“…Do you think there would be many individuals with such bizarre powers?”

“Well, there’s some truth to those words. But just like you, that Three-Eyed is related to the death of the one who raised me, so while being mortal enemies is possible, being on the same side is unlikely.”

“Ah…”

At the mention of the death of the one who raised him, Moo-jin felt awkward for no reason.

Then wouldn’t that person be almost like a parent?

‘Are they really unrelated?’

If the one who raised him was killed, as Mok Gyeong-un said, they would be nothing less than mortal enemies.

However, it was quite a coincidence that they possessed such similar powers.

But upon reflection, there was no reason for Mok Gyeong-un to interrogate him so persistently about the Three-Eyed if he held the upper hand and was on the same side as that being, so Moo-jin’s doubts gradually dissipated.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un asked him,

“If there’s anything else you know about the Three-Eyed, please tell me.”

“There’s nothing.”

“…Nothing, you say?”

“Yes.”

“That’s all you have? Since you mentioned they fought against the Three-Eyed, don’t you at least know why that person fought against your clan or what purpose they clashed for?”

“I really don’t know. All I know is that the Three-Eyed infiltrated the place where our clan resides and was driven away by my father.”

At these words, one of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyebrows rose.

He had thought Moo-jin might possess some useful information, but it was disappointingly lacking.

If this was truly all, there was no point in further conversation.

“If that’s all, it’s unfortunate. If you had more useful information, I could have spared your life in exchange.”

“…That’s uncertain.”

To the hesitant Moo-jin, Mok Gyeong-un spoke with a chilling smile.

“That’s the correct answer. You are a significant hindrance to my work.”

-Flinch!

At the strong malice he felt for the first time, Moo-jin momentarily shuddered.

He had never encountered someone like this in his life.

With concern, Moo-jin stared at him and spoke.

“Even if the Three-Eyed may be your mortal enemy, as you said, why do you show such hostility towards the Tang Clan? Are you trying to eradicate the Tang Clan?”

“Depending on the situation, yes.”

-Grip!

At those words, Moo-jin clenched his fists tightly.

This person was too dangerous.

Not only was he powerful, but if he possessed such chilling malice, he might truly annihilate the Tang Clan.

Seeing Moo-jin clench his fists, Mok Gyeong-un also spoke with a sneer.

“I don’t understand why you’re trying so hard to protect the Tang Clan. What is your relationship with them?”

“…We’re distant relatives, so we’re not unrelated.”

“Distant relatives?”

“Yes, distant relatives.”

“So you’re trying to protect them because they’re essentially your bloodline?”

“Although distant, does one need more reason to protect family?”

At those words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

Then…

“Ah. Is that so? Then what do you think about a bloodline that killed someone who was essentially family, even if distant?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

In response to his reaction, Mok Gyeong-un spoke in a meaningful voice.

“The one who raised me belonged to one of the Tang Clan’s branch families, sharing that bloodline. However, the person known as the Tang Clan’s patriarch killed that individual with the Formless Poison.”

‘!!!!!!!’