I Alone Can Do This. (2)

Surrounded by five enemy warriors, Il Kwang threw punch after punch with ferocious speed.

Explosions of force constantly shook the air around him.

Crash-! Bang-! Crash-crash-!!

They moved as one, interlocking gears—an assault without gaps.

Il Kwang held his ground, not yielding an inch.

The bout showed no sign of ending soon, but victory didn’t matter—this wasn’t about winning the fight.

‘Now!’

Il Kwang’s fists accelerated, unleashing indiscriminate bursts of fierce qi.

Kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah-BOOM-!!

His sudden ferocity made the enemies falter for an instant.

Seizing the momentary gap, Il Kwang launched himself off the ground and thrust through the air to put distance between them—but his escape was halted the instant it began.

Two masked blue warriors who had been watching now moved.

Recruited by the Jeon Sa-ryong, they moved with a Southern style that set them apart.

They rose like feathers, cutting across Il Kwang’s path and spewing sword qi.

‘I knew you’d do this, you bastards!’

A knowing smile tugged at Il Kwang’s face.

When a bright light flashed from his fists, a massive explosion of qi erupted into the air.

Kwaaang-!!!

The blast flung Il Kwang to the opposite side.

He had induced this himself—using their attack as rebound to gain distance.

Pushed back a dozen paces, he flipped in midair and dashed the other way.

Whee-!!

At the blast of horns, the masked warriors pursued.

Only the five enemy warriors and the two blue warriors kept formation and trailed him.

‘Good, come on and follow. The hellish yaksha awaits you.’

If he were encircled again, he wasn’t confident he could escape on his own.

Nevertheless, Il Kwang headed straight for a dead end.

He risked it to lure them into a decisive trap.

As expected, they knew the terrain and gave chase with all their might.

‘From now on, I’ll trust only the Yin Monster, great warrior.’

He had no idea where Yu Seol was.

He’d only been told that if he lured them to the right spot, she would appear on her own.

If she failed to arrive, his life would be at risk.

Still, he pressed on.

After another half-kang of running, the place he aimed for finally came into view.

A dead-end ringed by sheer gorge; his lightness skill naturally stopped there.

A taunting voice sounded from behind, as if waiting.

“You idiot. You’ve come to the place where you’ll die on your own.”

It was one of the five enemy warriors.

The two blue warriors remained silent; the pupils visible in their masks were pinprick black dots, almost invisible.

Glaring, Il Kwang let out a thunderous shout.

“You scum will be the ones who die today!!”

His voice carried qi; he shouted to announce his location to the Yin Monster.

But no matter where he looked, only silence answered—no sign of the Yin Monster.

He could only assume she was hiding.

“I’ll give you one chance. If you surrender meekly, I might spare your underlings.”

Those before him had once been ordinary martial artists; now they were thoroughly brainwashed.

And they intended to do the same to him.

Il Kwang snorted—he had someone he could trust.

“I’ll give you one chance. Kneel and bow before me, and I’ll consider whether to spare you.”

There was no intention to compromise.

“A pity. The Water War King said he wants you captured alive, but if it’s inconvenient, he doesn’t mind if you’re killed.”

The Water War King—another title for the Jeon Sa-ryong—had said he wanted Il Kwang captured alive, but he wouldn’t mind if Il Kwang were killed.

Seven against one. To make matters worse, the escape route was blocked.

Still, Il Kwang didn’t flinch.

True to his former role as a government troop commander, his tongue was sharp.

“Captured and brainwashed, and still you have a long tongue! The Jeon Sa-ryong you worship will be dead soon too.”

He’d insulted their idol; murderous intent flared in the masked warriors’ eyes.

One of them ground his teeth and said, “How arrogant. He’s not someone a trivial person like you can contend with.”

Their momentum shifted; it seemed they had decided to kill him.

The five closed in while the two blue warriors moved to block his retreat.

No matter his strength, this was a force he couldn’t handle alone; survival would be difficult.

He looked left and right and shouted desperately.

“Yin Monster, great hero, right now!!”

Only his shout echoed through the rain; no answer came.

The masked warriors looked around in confusion.

“…?”

Il Kwang extended his left hand as if to buy a moment.

They weren’t the type to wait.

“Crazy bastard.”

Anxiety replaced his earlier composure.

It made no sense.

Could she be hiding and playing a prank? He couldn’t find a reason she wouldn’t show.

He cried out again.

“Yin, Yin Monster great warrior! This is not a time to be joking!”

Had his urgency been conveyed? As if on cue, a mischievous voice answered.

[By the way, can the Jeon Sa-ryong do something like this?]

It was clearly the Yin Monster’s voice.

Il Kwang sighed in relief, but the masked warriors tensed; they couldn’t pinpoint the sound’s source.

It was a technique impossible to imitate without vast internal energy.

As everyone looked around, something began to appear through the rain behind them.

Swish-sh-sh-!!!

Spinning fiercely, a spear flew through the air.

“…?”

At first everyone took it for a mere flying-spear technique.

That was until the Dragon Flower Spear changed direction in midair.

Swooosh-!

It struck with lightning speed; its uncanny movement felt almost supernatural.

“…Uh, Spear Control Technique?”

As Il Kwang mumbled, the spear streaked like lightning and began to pierce the enemy.

Thud-!! Skra-bra-bra-!!!

Dozens of impacts rang out.

And after another breath—

Thud-!

—five enemy warriors collapsed heavily to the ground.

Each had ranged from peak to superlative level; they were rendered senseless at once.

“My, my God….”

While Il Kwang gaped, the spear that had hung in the air changed course and flew on.

Swooosh-!

Where the Dragon Flower Spear arrived through the rain, the Yin Monster stood with one hand behind her back.

Snap-!

Yu Seol snatched the Dragon Flower Spear with one hand, tipped the spearhead diagonally, and lifted her chin.

Rain vanished around her, unable to penetrate the space she occupied—she was unquestionably on another level.

“The Jeon Sa-ryong can’t do something like this, right?”

“…”

What reply was needed? Il Kwang nodded slowly, dazed.

Only the two blue-masked warriors remained; sensing danger, they held a stiff, wary posture toward Yu Seol.

In contrast, Yu Seol exuded calm confidence.

“Sir.”

Il Kwang snapped awake.

“S-speak, please, Yin Monster—great warrior.”

Yu Seol extended her index and middle fingers straight forward. She waved them left and right like crab pincers and asked, “Can you both concede to me?”

She’d been itching for action. One opponent wouldn’t satisfy her.

Il Kwang had no reason to refuse.

“I’ll block the retreat, so take your time and enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, the convoy carrying the sheltered residents waited near the forward base.

Im Pyeong-il, scouting, spoke to Yu Jinsan with sweaty hands. “It looks like the lure worked, elder.”

The blue and enemy warriors they’d been watching had moved to where Il Kwang vanished.

Many enemies remained at the forward base, but none posed a real threat.

“Looking closely, your leader is no ordinary man. His spirit is truly remarkable.”

Im Pyeong-il, unlike Yu Jinsan, seemed far from reassured.

“I’m still worried. Seven chased after them, and only two are handling it…”

“What’s the problem? You’ve seen the Yin Monster’s martial arts.”

Im Pyeong-il recalled the Yin Monster beating three enemy warriors like dogs, and a small smile tugged at his mouth.

“True, elder, you’re right. I was worrying for nothing.”

“The problem is on our side; that’s what we need to worry about. Anyway, we should start moving.”

“Yes, elder. We’re ready as well.”

Yu Jinsan glanced over the forward base, gripped the Dragon Slaying Spear tightly, and said, “I’ll draw their attention as much as possible; during that time, break through swiftly.”

The resistance force for the escort numbered about fifty handpicked elites.

Forty first-rate fighters carried the stretchers, and ten warriors above peak level served as escorts.

If he could divert their attention, the breakthrough shouldn’t be difficult.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”

“Those punks won’t be a problem no matter how many there are.”

“Thank you, elder. We’ll see you at headquarters, then.”

Yu Jinsan nodded once and then turned his back.

Then he clenched his spear and charged toward the enemy lines.

Tat-tat-tat-!

If Il Kwang’s role was to lure them, Yu Jinsan’s was to pin down the remaining forces.

As he sprinted through the rain, his body seemed to glow golden.

It was the glow that comes from vigorously unleashing the Muscle Changing Technique taught by Jeong Hye.

The masked warriors saw him and raised the alarm.

Enemies swarmed like a hive of hornets.

‘From now on, I’ll show the true nature of the Yu Family Wind Slaying Spear.’

The Dragon Slaying Spear swept through the attackers with wide, lethal arcs, ideal for group combat.

Whirr-! Whoooosh-! Pook-!!

No one could stop him.

Each sweep sent two or three enemies crashing.

For those masked warriors who’d lost themselves, death was mercy.

He showed them none.

“Now! Go quickly!”

While wildly wielding his spear, Yu Jinsan kept glancing toward the convoy.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the convoy appeared on a hill road about a hundred feet away.