The Ruler of Darkness

“Y-you lot…!”

Geumju’s voice wavered, but the murderous intent in it was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

“Tell me how to get out of this alley now! Otherwise…!”

“Alley?”

Se-ah inadvertently questioned back.

“Yes! This damned alley! There’s no end to it! We need to get out before he comes…”

Jung-ah spoke to the bewildered Se-ah.

“She’s not in her right mind. Her whole body has been invaded by master’s aura.”

“Invaded by an aura?”

Upon hearing the sisters’ conversation, Geumju erupted.

“What the hell are you two chattering about?!”

She staggered but continued to advance towards them.

As she neared, Se-ah took a closer look at her appearance, her expression distorting.

Geumju’s disheveled hair seemed as if it was torn from her scalp in places. One of her ears was ripped, bleeding. Her eyes were filled with burst blood vessels, severely bloodshot.

The skin that was exposed was all darkened, resembling that of a corpse, and above that, the veins bulged and writhed.

“I’ll kill you all!”

A fierce aura emanated from her in waves.

Feeling this, Se-ah realized they were confronting a martial artist.

It wasn’t a non-human feeling aura, like she had seen before.

And the woman’s state was clearly not normal.

But compared to ordinary people, wasn’t she still a superhuman, a martial artist?

“Step back, sis.”

Blocking Se-ah’s path was Jung-ah.

She took something out of her pocket and carefully put it on her hand.

“Jung-ah, is that…?”

Jung-ah showed her what she had put on her hand.

It was a fist guard reinforced with leather, metal wire, and small metal plates.

“I borrowed it from the monk we saved in the barrier before meeting you,” Jung-ah calmly explained.

“No, now is not the time for this! We need to get out of here…”

Her words were cut off.

Geumju, with an expression like a wicked ghost, lunged at them.

There was no time to react.

The moment Se-ah thought she lost sight of Geumju, she was already attacking Jung-ah from behind.

“……!”

What Se-ah saw next was Jung-ah grabbing Geumju’s arm that lunged over her shoulder.

“Ha!”

Before the sharp, short yell even had time to echo in the cave, Geumju’s body slammed into the ground.

It was a picturesque shoulder throw.

“Guh…!”

Blood splattered from Geumju’s mouth.

“Jung-ah, you used my internal energy…?”

Jung-ah let go of Geumju’s arm she was holding and stepped back.

“No.”

She looked down at Geumju, who was choking in shock, with cold eyes.

“I am merely borrowing the power of my own eyes temporarily.”

Then she spoke to Geumju.

“How long are you planning to lie there?”

“Y-you wretched wench…!”

Geumju gathered her inner energy and lunged at Jung-ah as if shot from a cannon.

However, her hands stopped in mid-air before they could touch Jung-ah.

Jung-ah’s elbow had accurately lodged itself into Geumju’s vital point.

“Ugh…!”

Geumju coughed up blood from the penetrating blow.

Even as the blood splashed on her, Jung-ah’s eyes didn’t flinch and continued to glare at Geumju.

A golden glint flashed in her pupils.

“Ha!”

Jung-ah’s opposite elbow shot up vertically, striking Geumju’s chin.

Bits of broken teeth flew from her mouth, and she was hurled back, crashing into the corner of the corridor.

Geumju, who had crashed into the corner, didn’t know how to get up.

But Jung-ah only sneered.

“I can see you’re still fine…”

Jung-ah assumed a stance with her hands clad in gauntlets.

“Don’t waste time. I still have a lot to repay you for.”

At these words, Geumju, who had been lying in ambush, sprung up, growling.

“You…”

A sound of grinding teeth flowed from her mouth.

“I’ll kill you!”

Geumju’s left hand shot towards Jung-ah like a living snake.

An unpredictable trajectory of martial arts unfolded.

However, Jung-ah ‘saw’ the unpredictable trajectory.

A spark flashed from her gauntlet, and Geumju’s attack was deflected.

Simultaneously, Jung-ah’s other gauntlet was lodged in Geumju’s abdomen.

“Argh!”

But Geumju, who had protected her abdomen with inner energy, rained a series of blows on Jung-ah.

Sparks flew in all directions, and sharp sonic booms resounded continuously.

“Ugh…!”

At the end of exchanging dozens of blows in an instant, it was Geumju who let out a moan of pain.

Extreme agony and confusion were apparent on her face.

‘How…?!’

‘For a mere maid…!’

She couldn’t believe it.

Just a few days ago, the woman in front of her had been nothing but an ordinary person.

But now…

“Aaaaaah!”

She screamed and launched another attack at Jung-ah.

However, it was in vain.

Neither her maximized attack nor her surprise attack from behind made any difference; her opponent effortlessly deflected them.

‘Those eyes…!’

Those eyes, emitting an ominous golden light, seemed to read everything she was doing.

She felt as if no attempt could escape those eyes.

“Cough…”

Allowing yet another blow to her face, she swiftly increased the distance between them.

Jung-ah was visibly out of breath but sneered at Geumju.

“Already giving up?”

Grinding her teeth roughly, Geumju was certain of her opponent’s weakness: lack of internal energy and, consequently, stamina.

If she kept pressing on like this, she was sure she could beat that accursed face to a pulp.

But if she did that, ‘he’ would…

“… One day, you will definitely kneel before me and beg for your life.”

Retreating was the correct answer for now.

“One day for sure…!”

She barely pulled up her depleted energy and stood her ground.

No, she had intended to stand her ground.

If it weren’t for the numerous white hands grasping her legs.

“Ughhhhh!”

The hands climbing up her body pulled her down to the ground.

“Let go of me!”

Geumju fiercely resisted.

The more she struggled, the more battered her body became.

Her body was soon covered in blood.

“Ughhhhh!”

She was still alive, so the hands only pinned her to the ground and couldn’t pull her any further.

But that was enough.

The sound of footsteps slowly approached her ears, and Yeon So-Hyeon appeared in monk attire.

Jung-ah greeted him.

“Your Grace has arrived.”

Yeon So-Hyeon smiled at her.

“Yes. After testing your power, how do you feel?”

They exchanged words calmly as if it was a normal conversation.

There was no formal expression nor unique magical aura; it was Yeon So-Hyeon as he always appeared.

Se-ah let out a small sigh of relief and greeted Yeon So-Hyeon.

“Your Highness.”

Yeon So-Hyeon nodded at her.

“You’ve also had a hard time. Your subordinates are waiting nearby, so rest assured.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Se-ah found it exceedingly strange to be having such a peaceful conversation.

The gap between the image of Yeon So-Hyeon as the Sovereign of Dark Heavens and now was huge.

Moreover, Geumju, who was firmly restrained on the ground, was shouting in the background, making the sense of dissonance even greater.

“Untie this immediately! I’ll kill you! I’ll chew up all you Yeon people!”

Yeon So-Hyeon ignored her, and asked Se-ah.

“Coming here with Jung-ah means you have something to say to me, right?”

Se-ah somehow ignored Geumju’s voice.

“Yes, Your Gr—Your Highness.”

She hadn’t made a particularly good impression before him, but she had also been through a lot in this world.

Yeon So-Hyeon chuckled at her tone.

“You don’t have to force yourself to use honorifics you’re not comfortable with.”

Then he turned around.

“But before we continue our conversation…”

Geumju was now begging.

“Please, please, spare my life just this once. I swear, I’ll never set foot in Luoyang again. From now on, I’ll only do good in the world.”

Unlike the dark-spirited being who seemed completely unresponsive, watching Yeon So-Hyeon engage in a normal conversation changed her mind.

“I’ve made a mistake. Please spare me.”

As Yeon So-Hyeon approached, she pleaded even more fervently.

“Really? You’ll only do good things from now on?”

“Yes, yes. Of course, absolutely. You’ll see for yourself. Ah, or you can even make me your slave. I’ll do whatever you command.”

Yeon So-Hyeon chuckled.

He leaned in close to her face and asked softly, “Do you really think I’ll spare you if you say that?”

At his words, her face twisted in despair.

“You bastard!”

Her attitude changed drastically.

“Don’t forget! I am the owner of the Sword House Bronze Token!”

Yeon So-Hyeon squatted in front of her, resting his chin on his hands and said, “So?”

“If I die, the Sword House will definitely investigate! When the owner of the Sword House Bronze Token dies, an investigation is mandatory!”

“That may be true.”

“You won’t be able to quash that investigation with your influence! Sword House’s investigators and trackers will chase after you!”

Yeon So-Hyeon responded only with a sly smile.

Feeling that her words were starting to get through, she pressed on.

“You’ve attracted too much attention in a short time! How long do you think you can last without being discovered if Sword House is added to the mix?!”

She mustered all her strength for her final argument.

“The whole of the Sword House will hunt you! Even your own brothers, who find you a nuisance, will come after you!”

The veins bulging to their limit began to burst one by one.

“You alone will have to face all of them!”

Yeon So-Hyeon calmly replied, “Then let them.”

“What?”

Yeon So-Hyeon smiled, revealing his crimson fangs below.

“Whether someone hunts me or not,”

Yeon So-Hyeon’s face slowly filled her vision.

“All rotten things will eventually be consumed by me.”

His face drew even closer.

“Just like you.”

Blood spurted out like a fountain, spattering onto the ground.

Her body twitched as if seized by a convulsion.

The sound of flesh being devoured continued.

Her dying screams echoed ceaselessly throughout the cave.

Jung-ah just stared at the spectacle expressionlessly.

Se-ah, although looking ashen, didn’t turn away.

And at some point, all sounds stopped as if they were a lie.

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