Appearance of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 69
“How did I get fooled?”
If someone could hide being an assassin and slip into Maryong Hall, their archery skill would have to be exceptional.
But even so, there should have been no way to conceal being an assassin, should there? Especially not—
‘The Master of Maryong Hall.’
There was no deceiving those ghostly eyes of his.
‘Surely not.’
“There are several ways to become a Gyojoo. Most of them go through the Recommendation System, though.”
She’d worried that the Master of Maryong Hall might be involved, but Byeok’s words suggested that wasn’t the case.
“Still, I didn’t expect to be exposed this quickly. I haven’t even done anything yet.”
Byeok scratched his head with the flat of his sword blade.
“Since it’s come to this….”
He drew something from his robe.
Between his fingers as they emerged from his clothes were throwing blades no larger than his thumb.
“I’ll have to die alongside that one.”
The true nature he’d concealed during his fight with Yeon-woo.
He was revealing it now, right in front of Gu-yeong.
“…!”
At Byeok’s sudden shift in atmosphere, Yeon-woo instinctively gripped her axe and took a stance.
But Gu-yeong’s hand blocked her path forward.
“Stand back. This is not your fight.”
“….”
Yeon-woo’s eyes fixed on Gu-yeong’s back.
“That person—he’s strong.”
“I’m aware. And.”
Gu-yeong glanced briefly at Yeon-woo.
His mouth curved into a gentle smile.
“So am I.”
Whish—Crack-crack-crack—!
“Eyes forward!”
Seizing that moment, Byeok rushed forward with his attack.
He hurled the throwing blades while launching himself at Gu-yeong.
“Take cover in a safe place!”
Gu-yeong called out as he stepped to meet the incoming blades.
Ting-ting-ting—!
Yeon-woo quickly ducked behind a nearby pillar, peering out just enough to watch the two figures clash.
Byeok was positioned near the door, leaving her no way to escape through the Kitchen.
Whoosh….
Gu-yeong’s hand moved the spear shaft in a measured arc.
Or rather, it appeared to Yeon-woo’s eyes as a slow movement. And yet—
Clang-clang-clang-clang—!
“…!”
In the narrow space, the spear shaft whirled around, deflecting every single throwing blade.
And in that same instant—
Whish—!
The spear point lunged at Byeok with blinding speed.
“…!”
Clang—!
Byeok’s sword intercepted the spear point.
Whoosh—
The spear shaft immediately shifted to target his approaching body.
Clang—! Crash—Clang—! Clang!
The sound of spear shaft striking sword differed entirely from blade against blade.
Yeon-woo had fallen completely still, her gaze fixed on their exchange.
Whenever Byeok tried to close the distance, Gu-yeong would reposition or use elasticity to defend; when the gap widened, he’d counterattack with the spear point.
The fight favored Gu-yeong—Byeok’s shorter weapon was at a disadvantage.
Especially in this cramped indoor space, there was no way for him to circle around and narrow the distance.
Clang—!
“Tsk!”
Once again blocked by the spear shaft, Byeok’s brow furrowed in frustration.
‘Cunning bastard. Stalling for time!’
Of all the Gyojoo that could have come, it had to be the Spear Technique one.
If it had been the Sword Technique Gyojoo instead, things would have gone differently.
The longer time dragged on, the worse it became for him.
If another Gyojoo arrived on top of this, his identity, his poison, everything would be exposed—a complete disaster.
‘If I’d known, I should have killed that whelp quickly…!’
The mistake was indulging him because he’d found it amusing.
‘Since it’s come to this….’
A sharp whisper cut through the air.
Byeok drew throwing blades from his sleeve once more.
Gu-yeong saw it too, and was bracing for the incoming blades when—
Crack—crackle—
“?!”
Byeok’s right hand suddenly twisted into an unnatural shape, veins bulging grotesquely.
Behind the Black Mask, Gu-yeong’s eyes flashed with shock.
‘What is this?’
His Inner Force…?
“Danger!!”
A sharp cry tore from the child’s throat.
In the same instant—
Shriiiek—!
A throwing blade charged with violent Inner Force hurtled toward Gu-yeong.
Each one wrapped in Force Aura.
Or rather—Force Aura?
‘That’s not quite….’
A whoosh of air.
Gu-yeong’s spear came alive with Force Aura.
Gu-yeong intercepted the incoming blades.
Bang—!
“…!”
The instant the spear met the blade, a violent shock tore through Gu-yeong’s entire body.
For mere throwing blades, the weight felt as though he were receiving a massive sword—utterly crushing.
Bang—! Crash—! Bang!
As he batted them aside in rapid succession, Gu-yeong’s feet scraped backward, leaving deep marks in the ground, driven back three paces.
‘What in—’
There was something strange about it, something he couldn’t quite name. Not quite Force Aura as he understood it.
No—the Inner Force itself didn’t feel like Demonic Energy or anything he knew….
‘Wait.’
He’d blocked four throwing blades.
Then where was the fifth?
Shriiiek—!
“…!”
A sharp whistle cut swiftly past Gu-yeong’s ear.
By the time he spun around, the blade was already rushing toward Yeon-woo.
“Get down…!”
He was shouting a warning when—
Clang—!
“…!”
Something cut across Yeon-woo’s vision.
A blade with a faint dark sheen.
And the sharp scent of deep forest drifting past his nose.
“Master?”
“Speak properly?”
“…Sir?”
Yeon-woo’s eyes widened as he looked up at the man standing beyond the blade.
The one blocking him with an air of annoyance—Gwi-ya-gaek, the Master of Maryong Hall.
“All this chaos in a mere first test.”
A weary sigh escaped Gwi-ya-gaek’s lips.
“Nothing better to do, it seems. Are the Gyojoo duties so light?”
A sharp scrape of metal—
Gwi-ya-gaek lowered his sword.
At that small movement, Yeon-woo flinched and trembled.
‘What was that?’
For just a moment, something terrified him deeply.
As if he’d glimpsed something that didn’t belong in this world at all….
Gwi-ya-gaek glanced at Yeon-woo.
Then, with unhurried steps—thud, thud—he walked toward Byeok.
“W-wait. How did you even get in here…?”
Upon seeing the master of Maryong Hall, Byeok stood frozen, all will to fight already drained from him.
“That’s not your concern.”
Gwi-ya-gaek fixed his gaze on the man’s grotesquely twisted hand.
“Are you going to continue?”
Byeok’s eyes dropped.
He, who had acted so murderously even while Gu-yeong alone remained, now let the sword in his grip clatter to the ground at Gwi-ya-gaek’s question.
“If you move even an inch further, I will treat you as an enemy as well.”
Swoosh—
Gwi-ya-gaek extended his sword-wielding hand to block someone.
It was Gu-yeong.
……
Gu-yeong still radiated a fierce killing intent toward Byeok, who had abandoned his sword.
No—that killing intent was far denser than his attack just moments before.
It had been since the moment Byeok’s throwing blade had targeted Yeon-woo.
“I dislike repeating myself.”
Gwi-ya-gaek tilted his chin toward Yeon-woo.
“Take him to the Medical Office.”
……
Hisssss….
Gu-yeong’s killing intent rapidly subsided.
As Gu-yeong turned to leave.
“You should get treatment too.”
“I’m fine—”
In that instant, the sharp metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth.
Gu-yeong furrowed his brow and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb.
Blood came away on his fingertip.
At the same moment he realized it, a throbbing pain radiated through his chest.
The impact of blocking the throwing blade had caused him an internal injury.
……
To sustain an internal injury from something so trivial.
Gu-yeong spat out the blood pooled in his mouth and immediately approached Yeon-woo.
The eyes of the child looking up at him wavered.
“Does it hurt?”
Though he was the one suffering far more.
With his eye socket torn and one eye unable to open properly, who was he to worry about whom?
“I’m all right. Let me take you to the Medical Office.”
Gu-yeong lifted Yeon-woo gently into his arms.
It was as he passed the hall master and Byeok, heading toward the Kitchen’s exit, that—
“Gu-yeong?”
A voice called out to him as he left the Kitchen.
It was Sa-ryeon, the Gyojoo who had come with Gwi-ya-gaek.
“Sa-ryeon.”
She had just finished restraining Jang Hwajoo.
At her side lay a sniffling Jang Hwajoo and an unconscious Baek Yeol-han.
Feeling Gu-yeong and Yeon-woo’s gaze turn toward the sprawled Baek Yeol-han, Sa-ryeon spoke with embarrassed hesitation.
“It’s just—at first, he looked dangerous.”
Sa-ryeon let out an awkward laugh.
When she had entered the Kitchen earlier, she had involuntarily stopped short.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
“Wahhhhh— I’m going to kill you—”
A trainee swinging a sword at tremendous speed while crying, and a hall master barely managing to block it with kitchen tools.
According to what she’d been told before arriving here, two trainees were supposed to be in danger.
Who’s actually in danger here?
“What are you doing! Help, help me! Hurry up!! Grab me already!”
“He poisoned me, he poisoned meeeee—!!”
Crash-bang-bang-bang—!
“Aaaaah! Someone save me, save meeee!!”
“So I had no choice but to strike the back of his neck and knock him out.”
Sa-ryeon laughed, ah-ha-ha, as she spoke.
“Were you heading to the Medical Office?”
Gu-yeong nodded.
Sa-ryeon pointed to Baek Yeol-han as if to say how convenient.
“While you’re going, would you take this child along? From the way he was crying, it looks like he’s been poisoned.”
Yeon-woo glanced down at Baek Yeol-han.
“Yeah. He has been.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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