HSA 15

Jin Geum-ryeon began to chase after Ak Mujin, not wanting to miss him.

“Ryeon-ah! Where are you going!”

A woman stood in the pavilion and shouted.

“I’ll be right back!”

Jin Geum-ryeon left those words behind and quickly moved, his eyes fixed only on the small figure of Ak Mujin.

‘Damn it. Is he trying to kill me now? Why is he chasing me!’

Ak Mujin’s heart grew anxious. He could lose his life today. He couldn’t understand why Jin Geum-ryeon was wandering around Seomseo at this point. Something was seriously wrong. The original story wasn’t like this.

He had always checked the dates properly and reviewed them to thoroughly adhere to the original, so there was no way he could have missed something. Of course, having died while writing a new work, he couldn’t say he knew everything about the second work.

Cold sweat ran down Ak Mujin’s back.

‘To the mountains!’

He said to Seo-mok in a telepathic whisper as she approached. He planned to hide in the most complicated place possible to shake him off. They plunged into the bushes, moving while suppressing their presence as much as possible. Seeing this, Jin Geum-ryeon also chased after them into the mountains.

‘Vice-Leader, what’s going on?’

Seo-mok asked Ak Mujin through telepathy as well. But Ak Mujin hesitated, unable to answer.

‘He looks like a mere youngster at first glance, why don’t you just kill him?’

Seo-mok asked, unaware of the situation, as she walked.

If that guy was an extra, I’d want to as well! But how can I kill the protagonist who’s become a munchkin, let alone an extra!

Ak Mujin was going crazy because the situation was so twisted. It seemed that the best way was to shake off Jin Geum-ryeon and send him back.

“Why are you running away, Daehyeop, when I just want to talk?”

Ak Mujin felt goosebumps on his back. Jin Geum-ryeon’s voice was heard right behind them.

Shaking him off was out of the question. Just staying alive was a miracle now.

Ak Mujin hesitated and finally turned to look at Jin Geum-ryeon.

“Talk?”

Ak Mujin looked at Jin Geum-ryeon with a nonchalant expression. Jin Geum-ryeon also looked at Ak Mujin.

Jin Geum-ryeon’s eyes stared intently at Ak Mujin’s face, as if trying to dig out the person inside.

And soon, his shapely lips drew a gentle curve.

“Indeed, you are the person I know.”

Jin Geum-ryeon’s voice sounded quite friendly. Thanks to that, Ak Mujin felt a little relieved.

But with Jin Geum-ryeon’s next words, he felt like he had become the protagonist of a horror movie.

“The enemy of my parents!”

Jin Geum-ryeon drew his sword from its scabbard and, at the same time, emitted Sword Aura. Ak Mujin was startled and quickly drew his sword, countering it with Sword Aura.

Ak Mujin thought that their skills might be evenly matched, and it looked that way to Seo-mok, whose level was lower than theirs. But once they actually exchanged blows, he could easily tell that Jin Geum-ryeon had already surpassed him.

‘I have to somehow defeat Jin Geum-ryeon and run away to survive.’

Ak Mujin sweated as he blocked Jin Geum-ryeon’s relentless attacks.

Clang, clang, clang—!

Swords clashed several times. Ak Mujin felt his sword trembling so much that his hand hurt.

His sword was made of black iron by the best blacksmith in the Demonic Cult, but there was no way it could beat the protagonist’s power. It was fortunate that the protagonist hadn’t received ‘Moo-wol Sword’ from Mae-yeong yet.

Still, he came down the mountain a year early, couldn’t he be a little less strong?!

The more Ak Mujin crossed swords with Jin Geum-ryeon, the more he realized that Jin Geum-ryeon’s skills were far superior and that his swordsmanship was extraordinary. His movements were as natural as flowing water, and the fluttering of his clothes when he reached out his arm to wield his sword was beautiful.

Moreover, even though Seo-mok was interfering and hindering him, he deflected her attacks appropriately and threatened Ak Mujin.

‘Indeed, I really did create the protagonist well.’

As he thought that, he couldn’t help but lose focus in the fight. At that moment, Jin Geum-ryeon’s blade, taking advantage of the gap, slightly grazed Ak Mujin’s chin.

“Vice-Leader!”

Seo-mok, who was somehow aiming for Jin Geum-ryeon’s weakness, shouted.

At those words, Jin Geum-ryeon’s eyes flashed.

“Indeed, you were the Vice-Leader of the Demonic Cult.”

Ak Mujin felt a chill in his heart at Jin Geum-ryeon’s voice, as if he had just realized it, and cold sweat poured down like rain. Or maybe it wasn’t cold sweat.

He and Jin Geum-ryeon had already exchanged over 70 moves. But Jin Geum-ryeon showed no signs of fatigue.

Jin Geum-ryeon’s sword strongly scraped past Ak Mujin’s feet. The dirt floor shattered, revealing the rocks that made up the ground. Then, as if he was annoyed, he strongly stabbed Seo-mok in the abdomen, taking advantage of an opening, and then pointed his sword at Ak Mujin again.

“Keuk…!”

Seo-mok staggered, clutching the affected area, and then collapsed.

“……!”

“I’m getting bored. It would be better for you to end this quickly.”

Jin Geum-ryeon sneered. Ak Mujin was not angry at all, nor was he provoked, and he focused on blocking Jin Geum-ryeon’s attacks. Otherwise, he would only hasten his death by admiring Jin Geum-ryeon’s swordsmanship and his figure.

With those words, Jin Geum-ryeon deflected Ak Mujin’s sword once and retreated about ten steps. Ak Mujin skillfully used his footwork to narrow the distance between them. He knew what was coming next. Jin Geum-ryeon was deliberately creating distance to use Sword Aura.

Jin Geum-ryeon was the first to move. He shot golden Sword Aura at Ak Mujin. Ak Mujin also quickly emitted Sword Aura and blocked it.

“Hmm.”

Jin Geum-ryeon seemed surprised, but he readjusted his sword.

And then, as if his sword fight with Ak Mujin so far had been a joke, he unleashed a fierce swordsmanship, driving Ak Mujin into a corner.

“……!”

Ak Mujin skillfully wielded his sword to block, but he was gradually being pushed back. Beyond the bushes behind him was a cliff.

“I will kill you and avenge my parents!”

Jin Geum-ryeon shouted, fiercely wielding his sword.

Ak Mujin countered Jin Geum-ryeon’s sword with all his might.

After much deliberation, he made a decision. Even if it meant hurting Jin Geum-ryeon, it seemed better to get out of this situation. If he continued to be pushed back like this, he would fall off the cliff, and there was no opening for him to go into the bushes.

Ak Mujin had no choice but to use his footwork to quickly dodge to the left, then shoot Sword Aura at Jin Geum-ryeon. And taking advantage of the gap when Jin Geum-ryeon tried to avoid it, he emitted Sword Aura once more.

“Jeokmu Sanha!”

Jin Geum-ryeon was startled for the first time and widened his eyes. He quickly dodged, but the Sword Aura grazed his left arm, and blood burst out.

Jin Geum-ryeon was superior in strength and internal energy, but it was not surprising that Ak Mujin, who was more experienced in actual combat, achieved such a surprising result.

“Keuk!”

At that moment, a man in black clothes descended lightly from above.

“……!”

“Take this!”

The man ran towards Ak Mujin and Jin Geum-ryeon’s backs with his sword.

It was none other than First Young Master Kang Mu-hwi.

Ak Mujin was bewildered by Kang Mu-hwi’s sudden appearance. Why had he appeared here? Did he want to achieve something and chase after him? Demonic Cult members had to go through procedures to leave the mountain. But Kang Mu-hwi was not even in a position to receive a mission, let alone leave Heavenly Mountain.

Even if that was the case, Kang Mu-hwi looked like he was about to attack Jin Geum-ryeon. Ak Mujin deliberately called out his name.

Jin Geum-ryeon is not allowed. Jin Geum-ryeon is not allowed.

“Senior Brother?!”

At the same time, Jin Geum-ryeon, who had readjusted his sword, accurately aimed for Ak Mujin’s upper body and shot golden Sword Aura. It accurately covered Ak Mujin’s upper body.

“Keuk…!”

Blood burst from Ak Mujin’s mouth. But even after being hit by the Sword Aura, he seemed to endure without falling to the ground, and then, leading that body, he moved in an instant and stood behind Jin Geum-ryeon.

“……!”

Jin Geum-ryeon widened his eyes at Ak Mujin’s unprecedentedly swift movement. Kang Mu-hwi was also taken aback. But he soon wore a bitter smile. Ak Mujin’s body was covered in blood.

It was not difficult to deal with Ak Mujin, who had already suffered a fatal wound from Jin Geum-ryeon’s Sword Aura. Jin Geum-ryeon could not understand what was happening when the man who had suddenly appeared pointed his sword at Ak Mujin.

“Huk, huk….”

Ak Mujin met Kang Mu-hwi’s sword with half-open eyes. But there was no strength in the colliding swords. Kang Mu-hwi seemed to swing his sword at him a few times, then, with a smile, aimed for Ak Mujin’s heart and pierced his chest.

“Farewell. You eyesore.”

Kang Mu-hwi said in a whisper. His face was filled with a crazed smile. As he roughly pulled out his sword, Ak Mujin fell straight off the cliff.

Ak Mujin fell into the river, overwhelmed by shock.

His eyes trembled relentlessly.