# Chapter 136: An Unfair Fight
"Aaaah!"
Just like in his previous fight with Cheonma, Seo-woon let out a scream as his body burned with pain and attacked. The pain started in his eyes and spread inward as if his soul were on fire. The pain was unbearable.
"Brother!"
Ki-chan frowned, summoned lightning with both hands, and lunged at Jeon Cheon-daeseong.
That wasn't all. The rest of the team, sensing something was wrong, took up attack stances to confront Jeon Cheon-daeseong.
As Ki-chan lunged at him, Jeon Dae-sung, who had one eye closed, looked at Seo-woon with a displeased expression, completely unfazed.
Just as Ki-chan was about to strike, Seo-woon stopped him with his hand covering one eye.
"It's okay."
Jeon Dae-sung, who had been watching from behind Seo-woon, opened his mouth.
"My eyes are etched into the soul. You can't just take away those all-seeing eyes without paying the price. Let me introduce myself again. I am Jeon Daeseong's eyes. I am the soul separated by Hwaganggeumjeong. I am Shinyo, Jeon Daeseong's alter ego, separated from him along with his deceit."
As the pain began to subside, Seo-woon turned to Jecheon Daeseong and asked, "Does each piece have a different name?"
"Yes. We are the pieces of Jecheon Daeseong that were separated from him when they were one body. The divine metal that separated with his bones contains only Jecheon Daeseong's arrogance, while the divine flesh that separated with his flesh contains only his anger. Jecheon Daeseong's deceit, arrogance, and rage. When the three of us are together, his soul and body will be complete, and we will become the complete Jeon Daeseong."
He wanted to ask if there were other personalities besides deceit, arrogance, and rage, but he thought it was pointless to expect more from Jeon Daeseong, so he decided against it.
Just as Seo-woon, completely relieved from the pain, was about to open his left eye, Jeon Daeseong whispered his final words before slowly disappearing.
"Next time you summon me, you'd better meet another incarnation of me."
Watching him disappear on a gust of wind, Seo-woon opened his eyes.
When his blood-red eyes opened, Seo-woon saw a completely different world than he had seen before and began to look around. He could see the energy that made up the passing wind, its beginning and end, all the energy that made up the trees and grass, and the flowing veins of energy. He could even see the energy of nature that made up everything, and he felt as if he were watching a giant wheel turning the world.
"Hyung... Are you okay?"
Looking at Raile, who had approached him with concern, he could clearly see the circle that started from his heart. Seeing him as a mage who used mana was completely different from a warrior, and he found it intriguing. Unlike Jin-ryung, he could see the energy flowing in different ways in Liling-wei, and Namsa-gwang's lower dantian appeared abnormally enlarged. Seeing the energy flowing differently through each warrior's energy channels, it made him as happy as a child taken to a toy store. And the moment his gaze shifted to Dump, Seo-woon understood perfectly the difference between a knight and a warrior.
Unlike warriors, who sense their energy first and move to develop it with their bodies, knights move their bodies first, and their energy follows. The essence of their energy was slightly different, too. Rather than human energy, it was pure nature energy, more like mana. Skills are created through thousands and tens of thousands of training sessions, and as those skills are worked on, the energy moves naturally and the skills are perfected.
"I see."
It hadn't been long since he'd obtained Hwaganggeumjeong, and the world seen through Jechondaeseong's eyes was so intriguing.
"Ugh!"
Lost in thought, Seo-woon touched his eyes and staggered.
"Seo-woon!" Li-ling-wi quickly approached and supported him.
"It's okay."
He pushed Li-ling-wi's hand away, closed his left eye for a moment, and when he opened it, his blood-red iris returned to its original brown color.
"Can you control it?"
Seo-woon nodded at Ki-chan's surprised question.
"Yes. Rather than saying I got an eye, I acquired a new ability. It would be best to gradually increase the casting time."
Seo-woon felt everyone's curious eyes on him, but he continued walking lightly, speaking. "Let's do what we have to do first."
His team members followed.
"Where are we going first?"
Activating the map in response to Jin-ryong's important question, Seo-woon thought for a moment and then tapped the screen. After confirming the six locations Seo-woon had tapped, Jin-ryong nodded and smiled.
"Since we've warned the surrounding area, the warriors here will probably head for the major cities and villages. We'll move to a relatively isolated area."
Jin-ryong sensed the thoughtfulness in Seowoon's command and followed him with a warm gaze. When he first learned that his master had taught him the Jin Hyeol Saengma Technique, he couldn't understand why his master would do something so dangerous. But looking back now, he wondered if his master had seen Seo-woon's character. Seeing Seo-woon's ping marked on the map, Jin-ryong had set up detailed pings for nearby farming villages and hwajeonmin (nomadic) villages that he knew of and spoke.
"We'd best follow my ping. I know this place like the back of my hand."
"Yes! Everyone, be on guard. We could be attacked at any moment."
***
The young mage clenched his teeth and gritted them as he bled.
– Crack!
"Bastard!"
The mage was enraged by the appearance of the man who had easily destroyed the blood golem he had created and was now attacking his team.
"Crow! We must flee!" The knight, who had spread a golden aura shield over both of his shields, shouted as he struggled to withstand the man's attacks. "You can't just leave! I swore I'd never do it again… But what's the harm?"
A red jewel was clutched tightly in the hand of Crow, a dark magician sought after by nearly every empire. Known as a master of dark magic and ranked 13th, Crow lifted the corners of his lips, and a wave of intense mana, unprecedented in intensity, gushed towards the sky. Seeing the jewel turn to dust and dissipate, his eyes flashed with a murderous glare.
– Kagug!
"Again! Everyone gather! Get away from that clone!" A knight who was already trying to save half of his dead team members gritted his teeth and let go of the team member he was trying to save.
"Baliya, door!"
Crow winked at his gathered team members and cast a spell, and he and his four companions vanished, leaving only Cheonma behind.
Cheonma quickly slaughtered the remaining golems.
"I missed it."
Even as he spoke, the energy around Cheonma swirled like a tornado. The energy gathered in his chest surged forth the moment he saw something flashing down from the sky. The spirit he had gathered surged out, instantly transforming into a meteor that pierced the sky. The moment Won-yeong-shin passed through the hole, the meteor shattered into pieces like grains of sand, cracking in all directions.
Cheonma's expression was grim as he watched the meteor flash across the sky before vanishing. He wasn't particularly affected by this kind of magic himself, but he had seen the results of such magic several times before.
"..."
After watching Won-yeongshin turn back for a moment, Cheonma's figure vanished with the wind.
***
"Not yet… Still warm."
Hearing Ki-chan's words, as if confirming the corpses scattered everywhere, Seo-woon clenched his fists tightly. Hearing the thought of his world, his acquaintances, and his family ending up like this, he couldn't keep his composure. His left eye turned red.
As he stared at the corpses with his Hwaganggeumjeong, he began to see many things he hadn't noticed before. The movements of the swords that had killed them. The types of magic and energy used to kill them. And even the appearances of those who killed them. From blurry shapes to distinct forms, from black silhouettes to colorful figures, their appearances became clear. And it was clear where they were going.
At that moment, Seo-woon focused the half-charged sword energy into his golden eyes. Along with the burning pain, his eyes emitted a red light.
"Kuh!"
Focusing his vision through the pain, he saw them moving in the distance. He couldn't hear them, but he could clearly see their faces, laughing and shouting with joy.
– Crack!
Seo-woon gritted his teeth and was about to draw his sword when his vision suddenly shifted forward, and a village of hwajeonmin (nomadic) villagers appeared before him. Seeing that the village was mostly made up of elderly people and children, Seo-woon's face paled.
"Ugh!"
When he drew his sword, the red light in his eyes disappeared. Li-ling-wi and Juriell simultaneously ran to support Seo-woon, but he pushed their hands away and shouted.
"No time! We have to go now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Seo-woon stumbled and started running, while the expressions of the team members following behind him turned serious.
"Did you see something?"
Seeing Li-ling and Ki-chan following to his right and left, Seo-woon opened his mouth.
"There's a hwajeonmin (nomadic) village on the path the killers were traveling on."
Jin-ryong looked at the map and the direction Seo-woon was going, then tilted his head.
"What? It can't be..."
Despite Jin-ryong's words, Seo-woon explained what he had seen. Hearing his words, Li-ling-wi nodded.
"Hwajeonmin (nomads)... Most of the adult males have been either killed or conscripted, leaving the village defenseless, so they're hiding in the mountains to protect it. To protect the women and children left in the village..."
Jin-ryong's expression hardened as he saw his words being cut short. The fact that the village was mostly made up of elderly people and children brought only one thing to mind. "Slave traders..."
"Probably."
Ki-chan, who had been listening to Jin-ryong and Li-ling-wi's conversation, quickly asked. "Who are they?"
"When recruitment orders are issued for a certain region... they're the men who kidnap and sell the village's women. Recently, there was a large-scale recruitment campaign in the northern region to build ships and strengthen the border defenses... I heard that Chimaedan had jumped at the opportunity."
The world was vast, and there was a lot of filth. From their conversation, it became clear that the old man's son had been conscripted and taken away, and the children's mothers had been kidnapped and sold, forcing them to hide in the mountains to escape, only to be targeted by the villains.
For a brief moment, Seo-woon's headache and eye pain vanished as anger surged within him. His chest was filled with rage, and he couldn't think straight. All he could think about was tearing those bastards to pieces.
Jin-ryong winced and quickly opened his mouth as a murderous aura began to emanate from Seo-woon's body.
"Priest! Keep your mind focused!"
"Ah!" Seo-woon snapped out of his trance, feeling something paralyzing his mind break away. The other team members covered their ears and winced at Jinryong's roar, but Seo-woon simply turned to him and nodded.
"The evil spirit could return at any moment. You're in an unstable state right now. Be careful."
"Yes, Master."
Regaining his composure, Seo-woon recalled what he had seen with his thousand-mile eyes.
"I don't think there are a few enemies."
"What do you mean?"
Seo-woon, looking uneasy, answered Ryul's question as he pulled her airboard closer to Seo-woon.
"They had tattoos on their necks and wrists. They were symbols of a crossed sword under the sun."
"If they're a guild..." Juriell couldn't finish, and Limmin picked up where he left off.
"Ten thousand people participated in this game. Their guild must have quite a few members."
Jin-ryong gritted his teeth at Limmin's words. "If there are warriors in this world involved in this massacre..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his wrinkled face, at odds with his upright character, made his meaning clear.
***
As soon as they entered the forest, Ki-chan and Raile cast their spells. Ki-chan's Chain Lightning and Raile's Lower Cannon were fired. The water balls pierced the ground and, combined with the lightning, spread out, breaking the barrier in front of the enemies.
As they slowly advanced, they sensed the enemies preparing for battle as magic suddenly shot out at them. Normally, they would have reduced the enemy numbers with a surprise attack, but the Seo-woon team had no choice but to stall them for as long as possible.
"Three mages! Five unmanned knights!"
The mage informed them about the enemies approaching from behind, while the team quickly took their positions and prepared for battle.
At the shout of the masked figure who appeared to be the team leader, a unique character with a blue jewel embedded in his forehead extended his staff to the knights guarding him.
– Hwaaah!
Light erupted from his staff, enveloping the knights, who roared with rising power and confidence.
"Kraaaah!"
The roaring knights drank purple potions from an interdimensional void. Then, the figure who had empowered the knights kissed the ring in his hand, and two golems made of black mud rose from the ground.
The team consisting of four knights, a warrior, four mages, and an alchemist waited for the approaching enemies, as if confident in their abilities.
– Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The mage frowned as he used the same spell to counter the massive boulder hurled at him, turning the ground upside down.
"Someone with high magic penetration stats!" As soon as he finished his words, lightning struck the sky, shattering the enemies' layered barriers. At the same time, the knights' confidence in their ability to stop the attacking warriors was instantly shattered.
"This is a warrior who uses ki!"
– Kakakakang!
Jin-ryong and Li-ling-wi's ki was unstable, but the skilled knights were able to defend themselves. However, the same could not be said for Nam-sa-gwang and Seowoon. Nam-sa-gwang swung his sword with both hands, and Seo-woon drew ki that looked like a monster's claws, instantly tearing the two knights apart. In particular, the knight caught in Seo-woon's hand couldn't defend himself properly and collapsed, his intestines spilling out.
"Call for reinforcements!"
The masked man, observing the situation from behind, shouted and lunged at Seowoon.
– Kakakang!
The masked man was clearly a warrior, but he blocked Seo-woon with his aura sword. The masked man's mask was distorted, his face appeared crushed, and he looked at his suddenly appeared enemies and shouted, "We don't need to do this to each other in this game!"
"You bastard!"
Angered by his words, Jin-ryong shouted and stabbed him with his sword.
– Kakakakang!
His anxious aura and the enemy's sword aura collided, sparks flying in all directions. "Is this what a warrior from the same world is supposed to do? You're the one who stole the Sahaek Sword!" The Sahaek Sword was a sword technique of Senkenmon, one of the pillars of the Martial Arts Alliance and renowned for its skill.
"I only acquired it as an item. It has nothing to do with Senkenmon!"
As he shouted, the man rushed forward to gag Jin-ryong, and Seo-woon's soft voice was heard from behind him.
"Why are you wearing a mask when you're such a coward?"
– Whoosh!
At the same time, the man's left arm flew up in the air.
"Ugh!"
– Crack-crack-chang!
The man swung his sword in all directions, then stepped back and pulled out a scroll, glaring at Seo-woon. Just as he was about to tear the scroll with his teeth, his head was cut off. Seo-woon saw the severed head spin and hit another man's neck. Shock spread in his eyes as the light of life faded.
"Poison!"
Li-ling-wi's assassins approached through the gaps between the impaled knights and spread freely. Their poisonous attacks tormented the mages mercilessly, and even Raile and Juriell didn't hesitate to burn and crush their enemies. There was no hesitation on their faces; they unleashed spells to inflict the greatest pain possible.
– Kraaaah!
As soon as the scream of pain ended, Raile picked up the crystal the enemy alchemist had dropped. Raile's expression was tense as he stared at the sparkling crystal.
"This is a Synchro Jewel."
Seo-woon looked surprised, so Juriell explained.
"It was actually a single crystal, but when split, they resonate with each other. Those who possess these crystals will probably come here."
Raile held the crystal silently and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he spoke with a dark expression.
"Eight… teams. Eight teams know this place and are closing in. Judging by the resonance, it will take less than half a day."
"Let's evacuate the people of the hwajeonmin (nomadic) village first."
Seowoon nodded at Jin-ryong's words. "We don't have time for this. How far can the elderly and children go in half a day?"
Jin-ryong gritted his teeth at Seo-woon's words.