Chapter 211: Summons
Ak Bulhui swiftly raised his sword and swung it at the beam of light flying toward him.
His reaction speed surpassed that of a human, yet his movements were as natural as flowing water.
With an air of inevitability, he bisected the beam with his sword.
Stopping such an attack with a mere sword was remarkable, but it wasn’t a perfect defense.
Even though he cut through the beam, the residual impact didn't simply vanish, creating a kind of shockwave.
Boom!
The resulting shockwave was powerful enough to devastate the surroundings.
“Gaaaah!”
Several swordsmen were thrown to the ground, losing their swords in the process.
The swordsmen below the first-rate level became incapacitated from just being hit by the shockwave.
Ak Bulhui looked at the trembling tip of his sword.
“So, this is the power of the Komodo.”
Ak Bulhui’s gaze fixed itself on the black lizard.
It resembled a dragon but was far from being an actual dragon.
If it had been a true dragon, it wouldn’t have been able to block the previous attack.
“That thing isn’t a dragon. It’s merely a lizard imitating one.”
As Ak Bulhui pointed his sword at the beast, his disciples chimed in agreement with his words.
“Master Ak has struck down the dragon’s breath!”
“Everyone, stay focused! That’s no Dragon Pearl!”
Though it wasn’t a dragon, its strength was no lie.
Among the forces assembled here, only a handful could face the Komodo head-on.
Ak Bulhui stepped forward before the beast could launch another attack.
And at that moment.
Swish!
The lizard turned its body and disappeared into the forest.
“It’s retreating.”
The initial ferocity was gone, and it had now hidden itself.
“…Master Ak, I believe this might be a decoy tactic.”
One of his strategists spoke such words from his side.
A decoy.
Hearing this, Ak Bulhui snorted.
“A decoy, huh? This will be amusing.”
No matter how powerful the beast was, its core was still that of an animal.
An animal trying to lure humans into a trap?
It was laughable.
The traps it had devised with its mere animal brain would be obvious at best.
“What shall we do?”
“There’s a saying about the ‘Seven Captures and Seven Releases.’”
The strategist silently listened to Ak Bulhui’s words.
“Do you know how Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo? To catch such a beast, you must leave no glimmer of hope. Let it exhaust all its tactics, and then subdue it with overwhelming power. Eventually, it will have no choice but to tuck its tail between its legs.”
Judging by its behavior, it was indeed trying to lure them into a trap.
It didn’t seem like a beast that would flee in fear after its attack was blocked.
Even knowing the opponent’s plan, they would go along with it.
It seemed foolish, but the strategist couldn’t oppose Ak Bulhui’s reasoning.
As he said, the forces here were far beyond what the beast could handle.
The fact that only a select few could fight the beast head-on also meant that there were individuals here on par with it.
“Still, with a forest this dense, finding it won’t be easy.”
Ak Bulhui’s gaze shifted toward the Red Dragon.
Her flames could easily burn the dense forest to the ground in an instant.
“Oh my, so you’re asking me to breathe fire?”
The Red Dragon spoke in a sly tone.
“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”
Ak Bulhui’s eyebrow twitched.
“What?”
“Did I stutter? The curse you placed on me prevents me from using fire.”
The Red Dragon, who had been brimming with resentment moments ago, now wore a strangely relieved expression.
Ak Bulhui had anticipated that she wouldn’t obey him easily.
But even if she acted reluctant, in the end, she would have no choice but to follow his orders.
Such was the curse.
Yet, issuing such orders recklessly wasn’t something he could afford.
Ak Bulhui had decided to reserve her for later.
Her role was to face the Komodo directly.
“Tsk, not that it changes anything.”
Despite his words, Ak Bulhui smirked slightly.
He, too, was a martial artist who revered combat.
He wanted to experience the traps this beast had prepared firsthand.
“All troops, draw your swords!”
If they couldn’t burn the forest, they would simply cut it down.
“Argh! Gaaaah!”
The traps the beast had prepared exceeded Ak Bulhui’s expectations.
As they marched forward, vines suddenly coiled around their ankles, or steel-like spiderwebs bound their legs.
While not many traps were lethal, there were occasional pits lined with sharp, poison-coated wooden stakes.
Fortunately, the Tang Family’s beasts protected them.
Specialized in handling aerial obstacles, these beasts were able to pull them out of the pits before they fell too deep.
But that wasn’t the real issue.
The massive forest, with its obscured visibility, ate away at their sense of direction, while countless insects continued to swarm them.
Even when they cut down the plants with their swords, the vegetation regenerated at an unnatural speed.
Ak Bulhui could have cut down the entire forest if he wanted, but his focus was elsewhere.
Whenever he tried to take a different action, the Komodo would suddenly reappear.
It launched long-range bombardments and disappeared again whenever he tried to pursue it, repeating this pattern over and over.
“Well, since this is its territory, I suppose it should at least be this much.”
Even though he said this, he was deeply irritated, to say the least.
When he tried to chase it, it darted away, running atop leaves and vines as if gliding through the air.
It continuously used its lion’s roar and long-range beam attacks to keep up the pressure.
Swoooosh!
Ak Bulhui swung his sword as he led the charge.
Living plants withered helplessly under the power of his sword strikes.
“Everyone, stay focused! That beast’s strength is not infinite. Look behind us—our path already stretches farther than what lies ahead. Yes, we are close to conquering this forest.”
The soldiers, who had been dazed from the endless bombardment, regained their resolve from their leader’s encouragement.
It was a positive sign that no one had yet suffered a fatal injury.
“Well, should I just force myself to breathe fire? I might end up completely drained and lying flat afterward, though.”
The Red Dragon mocked Ak Bulhui from his side.
Even she had never expected the Komodo to prepare traps on this level.
If this continued, the advantage could shift toward the Komodo.
Ak Bulhui, aware of her intent, smirked faintly.
“Sorry, but things won’t go the way you want. We’ll soon face that black lizard, so be ready to fight.”
“Hmph, you really think that’ll happen? Feels like we’ll need at least seven more days to get there.”
Without a word, Ak Bulhui turned to look behind him.
The Red Dragon, watching his behavior for a moment, widened her eyes in surprise.
Rumble.
A deafening noise erupted.
At the same time, a powerful energy surged, making their bodies tingle.
“Namgoong Yeon timed it perfectly.”
A massive, dragon-like creature made entirely of rock emerged.
It seemed as if a rocky mountain itself had begun to move, with countless stone snakes crawling behind it.
Growl…
It was Yongsaengguja, the Guardian Beast.
“Now it’s only a matter of time.”
I didn’t achieve as much as I had hoped.
The middle-aged swordsman’s strength was far greater than I had anticipated.
If I recall correctly, Tang So-yeong called him Ak Bulhui.
Blocking the Gecko Death Beam with just a sword was already extraordinary, and he effortlessly broke through the traps I had painstakingly prepared.
Of course, the lesser soldiers were exhausted just from those traps, so it wasn’t a complete loss.
The problem was that they broke through much faster than I had expected.
Moreover, the beast that freely manipulated aerial obstacles wasn’t ordinary either.
Whether it could capture me was uncertain, but the fact that it could easily lift five humans at once was enough to show its strength.
Some swordsmen beside Ak Bulhui seemed to have reached not just the peak but possibly the transcendent realm of martial arts.
On top of that, I confirmed that the Guardian Beast, Yongsaengguja, had joined the fray.
If gathering information on them could be considered an achievement, then I suppose it wasn’t a complete failure.
“…You’ve kept me waiting for a long time, Komodo.”
I had reached a dead end.
They had successfully broken through all the traps and cornered me here.
Countless swordsmen drew their swords as they glared at me, and the beasts also fixated on me.
“Red Dragon, it’s time for you to fulfill your duty.”
Ak Bulhui spoke in a cold voice.
Knowing that I shared a connection with the Red Dragon, he had sent her forward first.
He understood that if she was my opponent, I wouldn’t be able to fight properly.
The Red Dragon began walking slowly toward me.
“…You should’ve finished me off back then.”
Gritting her teeth, she charged at me.
Good.
If she had turned around and attacked Ak Bulhui, her curse would have triggered and exploded before I could even stop her.
Now, I could rest assured.
Because I had prepared a special gift just for her.
Crack!
A massive block of ice fell upon the charging Red Dragon.
“Long time no see, Red Lizard.”
It was White Wolf, Baekrang.
“Grrr!”
“Roar!”
On Baekrang’s shoulders were Tus and Pus, clinging to him.
On his back, Nephila and Tang So-yeong were riding.
“Oh my, it really has a curse?”
Crack!
“…White pup, you seem a bit stronger than before?”
Boom!
Cold and flame collided, creating an immense cloud of steam.
“Well, it would be strange if you didn’t have any subordinates.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the swordsmen at the front charged toward me.
Slash!
But such attacks couldn’t pierce my scales.
Boom!
“You deflected the Plum Blossom Sword Technique powered by ten layers of internal energy… Are you truly indestructible?”
A swordsman exclaimed in a shocked voice.
Ten layers of internal energy, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
I roughly understood their level of power.
“Awooo!”
Crunch!
Seven wolves hidden in the bushes charged at the enemies all at once.
This much should be manageable for the wolves.
Ak Bulhui had only sent some unimportant martial artists to gauge my strength.
“Gah! Where did these creatures suddenly come from?”
The charging swordsmen were helplessly overwhelmed, but Ak Bulhui’s expression didn’t change.
“Fulfill your respective duties.”
All of the forces began moving simultaneously.
A massive Ceratosaurus extended its claws as if grasping at the air.
It was the one that had neutralized my traps.
To face such a beast...
Another beast of equal strength should suffice.
Boom!
A headbutt that shook the heavens.
“Hahaha! Dae-hyeop, I nearly died waiting for this!”
It was Jisalseong, the Iron-Headed Dragon.
“Now I understand why that monk Hye-myeong was so opposed to forming the Martial Alliance.”
Ak Bulhui’s expression hardened slightly.
“Plum Blossom Swordmasters, strike down that beast immediately.”
I thought it might finally be time for Ak Bulhui to act directly, but instead, he continued sending his subordinates.
It was strange behavior, but one thing became clear.
He was extremely reluctant to use his own strength.
Around a dozen masters wielding swords engraved with plum blossoms stepped forward.
Some of them had clearly reached a realm beyond mere mastery, perhaps the transcendent level.
Although I didn’t know Ak Bulhui’s exact intentions, it was obvious he was trying to take me down with minimal losses.
He threw his subordinates at me while conserving his own power.
He delegated the task of fighting the strongest opponent—me—to others.
That was not the behavior of a true leader.
The Plum Blossom Swordmasters approached swiftly with dazzling movements.
Their skills were leagues above those of the swordsmen who had charged earlier.
Some had even reached the pinnacle and transcendent realms.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was at a disadvantage.
Boom!
The expressions of the approaching Plum Blossom Swordmasters suddenly changed.
“Ilbu... Dacheo-o-o-o!”
They had noticed the eleven beasts charging toward them from behind me.
“T-Those are Igaksu?”
“…First, we’ll deal with them, then assist the sect leader!”
The one who seemed to be the leader of the Plum Blossom Swordmasters shouted.
But they would soon realize it wouldn’t be so easy.
At the forefront of the beasts was a special one.
It had a different skin color and a larger physique compared to the Igaksu.
“Ilbu….”
Its most distinctive feature was its horn.
Its horn wasn’t on its nose.
That horn symbolized a heart that purified all evil.
It was a sacred spear that annihilated anything it had pierced.
“Ilcheooooo-o-o!”
The Unicorn leading the Igaksu confronted the Plum Blossom Swordmasters’ blades with its massive horn.
Boom!
“…Igaksu and a Unicorn. Even entities that are polar opposites exist here.”
Ak Bulhui’s expression twisted slightly.
“Well done, Komodo. You got me with this one.”
Even so, he muttered as if he still had a trump card up his sleeve.
Crumble.
The giant stone snake, which had been silently observing the situation, opened its eyes.
It was Gongbok, the master of the Dragon Gate and a member of Yongsaengguja.
Gongbok was about to take action.
Seeing the situation unfold like this, I could confirm it now.
Ak Bulhui was actively avoiding a direct confrontation with me.
Something felt off.
From the way he kept fiddling with his sword hilt while looking at me, it didn’t seem like he lacked the desire to fight.
Yet he kept delaying the moment.
To stop his plans, the best option would be to force him into a situation he was avoiding.
“There’s no force left to confront Gongbok, is there?”
Yes.
He was right about that.
I had no troops left to face Gongbok and his subordinates.
Crumble!
The enormous stone snake slowly approached me.
Crash!
A white beam struck the snake’s body with immense force.
Boom!
It was a technique similar yet distinct from what I had used.
Perhaps this could be called the original version.
It was my second mentor and someone I could call my partner.
“How dare you try to harm my mate.”
It was the Snake Queen.
Even though she was strong, she couldn’t face Gongbok alone.
But she could buy time while I dealt with Ak Bulhui.
After all, she wasn’t alone.
Boom!
A storm erupted in the sky.
“Who knew sending my daughter off would be this difficult!”
A massive bird with blue feathers summoned the storm.
It was the Bird King, Argentarvis.
Over the past month, I had done everything I could.
I trained, set traps, and prepared my forces.
I sought out every beast I had a connection with and asked for their help.
All to defeat Gongbok and Ak Bulhui and protect my followers and my territory.
I had endured by grinding my bones and tearing my flesh.
“Well then, I’ve truly been caught off guard this time.”
“Grrrrrr.”
Now, I’ll make it clear who they dared to challenge.