Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Battlefield

”You...”

Yeom ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Baek opened his mouth as if reciting a poem.

He barely managed to squeeze out a voice that would not come.

Even then, it was a sound that could barely form words.

Yet, that alone was enough. Everyone present wore the same expression as they looked in one direction.

”That, that is... the cult leader’s...?”

”This makes no sense...!”

”The cult leader is dead...? And to such a young brat as that?”

Shouts of disbelief erupted from all around, their faces twisted in shock.

After all, an unimaginable event had just occurred before their very eyes.

Especially here, in the deepest heart of their own stronghold.

For them, it was a calamity beyond comprehension.

And it was not only them who were shocked. The warriors of the Heavenly Martial Hall were no exception.

They, too, stared at Jeong-un with expressions that showed they simply could not believe what they were seeing.

”What on earth...?”

”I can hardly trust my eyes.”

Such was the reaction, even among the martial artists of the same affiliation.

In fact, it was precisely because they were warriors of the Heavenly Martial Hall that they reacted this way.

Every one of them was a prodigy renowned throughout the martial world.

Even a single one-stripe or two-stripe martial artist here possessed more power than the heads of most mid-to-small sects in the martial world.

Hundreds of such individuals had gathered, and yet the battle had become bogged down.

This was because the Blood Cult was not merely an organization with a few High Priests as experts.

From the start, they were a group numbering in the thousands, each with their own structure and refined hierarchy.

Even if they weren’t quite at the level of a High Priest, numerous experts with formidable martial skills were stationed all across the battlefield.

It was no wonder the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Hall struggled.

It was not for nothing that the corps leaders had planned to launch a surprise attack and behead the enemy leader.

And yet, a two-stripe martial artist killed the head of such an organization single-handedly?

That was hardly believable.

This was true even as they looked at the severed head with their own eyes.

Even the corps leaders stood dazed, arms hanging limply, staring at the head that rolled across the ground.

Yeom Baek shifted his gaze from the head to Jeong-un.

’What in the world...?’

After the corps leaders, himself included, broke through the east gate, they rushed straight into the heart of the stronghold—yet, the enemy was nowhere to be found here.

They had wandered all over the base searching for him, naturally getting into consecutive battles along the way.

The enemy’s network of branches spanned all across the martial world, large enough to hide so many cultists right under their noses for so long.

Time passed, but they still couldn’t catch even a glimpse of the Blood Lord, let alone cut him down.

Eventually, when the Heavenly Martial Hall warriors also entered the main headquarters, a chaotic battle erupted—an unprecedented number of martial artists tangled in fierce combat.

Such a large-scale battle was almost unheard of in the martial world.

In fact, the larger the scale, the more important it was to end it swiftly.

In truth, the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Hall sought only to earn modest merit and return home.

One could hardly blame them for this. After all, it was only a five-year post.

Those who gave their utmost were the exception.

The problem was, the enemy was throwing their lives away in the fight.

They even drew all manner of deadly weapons, including fire bombs.

Naturally, urgency set in.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more casualties they suffered.

The other three corps leaders also looked increasingly anxious.

And now, the enemy leader—whom they’d been desperately searching for—appeared, his head severed and held in Yu Jeong-un’s hand.

”Th-that really is the cult leader’s head...!”

”This is insane!”

Soon, the skeptical gazes among the Blood Cult cultists turned to certainty.

There was no way they wouldn’t recognize the face of their own leader.

Jeong-un’s martial prowess, having crashed down from the sky while unleashing a tremendous circular burst of energy, lent even more credibility to the scene.

His calm face surveyed those around with a gaze that could only be described as that of a reaper.

”It’s true! The cult leader is dead!”

”We—we’re finished!”

”The heavens have fallen...!”

Words of shock quickly spread like an epidemic. Cultists dropped their weapons and sank where they stood.

To say their will to fight had collapsed was an understatement.

The look in their eyes betrayed not even the will to live.

Only moments ago, their faces brimming with killing intent, where had that ferocity gone?

It was understandable.

These people were cultists of a chilling, sinister religious sect.

For them, the Blood Lord was not merely the object of faith.

Losing him meant losing the very purpose and driving force of their lives.

They had thrown themselves at the Heavenly Martial Hall warriors, certain that their leader would soon appear.

They believed, like an article of faith, that a savior would rescue them. That faith had been utterly shattered.

At that moment, in the thick silence, Yeom Baek suddenly strode forward and swung his sword.

He was heading for a cultist who was kneeling, bowing deeply in a final tribute to the fallen Blood Lord’s head.

Puhak!

The man’s head shattered and flew, blood spraying in a fountain.

The confusion within the room dissipated.

”Kill them all!”

Yeom Baek’s voice, full of true ki, shook the air.

Among the Heavenly Martial Hall warriors, a thunderous cheer erupted.

A tremendous momentum spread through them like wildfire.

They, too, had never experienced a battle of such scale.

It had nothing to do with superior martial ability or being a disciple of a great sect.

As the situation began to drag on, their confusion was only natural.

Battle was about momentum.

News of the enemy leader’s defeat sparked overwhelming vitality within them, the exact opposite of their now-helpless foes.

”Annihilate these unorthodox scum!”

”Slay every last unorthodox villain!”

Ki waves erupted everywhere as blood sprayed in all directions. The warriors showed no mercy as they cut down the now-defenseless cultists.

There was no reason for mercy.

These were unorthodox villains who harmed innocents and vampires who craved human flesh and blood.

Rehabilitation was out of the question. Extermination was the only answer.

And at that moment.

Jeong-un’s gaze fell on a group clustered to the side, quietly observing the situation.

Clad in black, these were the ones who had roamed the battlefield, cutting down Heavenly Martial Hall warriors.

The Blood Cult members, being helped as they appeared, were just as bewildered.

But in such bedlam, no one had the spare capacity to ponder their true identity. Swords were swung wherever one turned.

But Jeong-un was certain as he saw them. These must be the cultists of the Demonic Cult.

Ta-ak!

At the same moment he stomped the ground, his body’s form shot forward like an arrow.

’I must capture one and interrogate him.’

Much could be learned from these men. Information about the Demonic Cult was scarce.

Though he had crossed paths with their cult leader many times, Jeong-un knew nothing about the group’s true size or the location of its stronghold.

Whoosh!

He dashed in an instant, slicing through the air with lightness skill.

The immense internal power storm he kicked up made even those in his path sway violently.

When he arrived before the group—

”...?”

He noticed something odd in their expressions.

Overwhelming martial power was bearing down upon them, Jeong-un upon them in the blink of an eye—yet their faces were strangely impassive.

He thought little of their lack of fear; after all, fanaticism over their leader’s life was a well-known pitfall of such cults.

But in their eyes flickered something beyond those emotions.

It was not a human look, but something bizarre—eyes entirely devoid of attachment to life, as if emotion itself was absent.

Those empty faces filled his vision.

Crack!

A chilling, simultaneous fracturing sound rang out. Their jaws twisted grotesquely all at once.

By the time Jeong-un grabbed the nearest man by the collar, it was already too late.

Black blood was streaming from the man’s mouth, nose, and ears.

His pupils were already losing focus, staring into the void.

It was a horrifying sight.

”...”

Jeong-un swept the area with his eyes.

Dozens of figures had collapsed in exactly the same way.

They had all committed suicide at once.

”Lunatics...”

Yeom Baek, who had come up beside him, muttered.

He, too, seemed at a loss for words in the face of such a sight.

No wonder.

These were people who, just moments ago, had demonstrated such martial prowess that they could even disrupt the battlefield.

Yet, rather than fight, they all died together by some unfathomable method.

Loyalty alone could not explain this.

And Jeong-un had seen such expressions before.

At the Divine Physician’s tomb.

When the cult leader of the Ming Cult stuffed his subordinate’s head into the wooden box that kept the Immortal Spirit Pill.

That subordinate’s face was the same as these men’s faces just now.

He had died with an eerily dry, resigned expression, as if accepting a predetermined fate.

”Does anything come to mind?”

Yeom Baek asked, and Jeong-un nodded.

”They’re Demonic Cult members.”

”The Demonic Cult?”

Yeom Baek started, asking again.

The battlefield had already turned into hell itself, and now it turned out Demonic Cultists had infiltrated in the midst of it.

It was only natural that he’d be surprised, stumbling as he tried to grasp the overall situation.

Jeong-un continued his explanation.

”While I was dealing with the Blood Lord, the cult leader of the Demonic Cult suddenly appeared and intervened. He told me his subordinates were mixed into the battlefield. I tried to capture and interrogate them, but...”

He trailed off.

The reason was, he felt as though he’d been completely manipulated.

After Jeong-un let go of him, the awaiting subordinates all committed suicide on cue.

In the end, everything had unfolded according to the cult leader’s wishes.

”So...”

Just then, Yeom Baek’s voice sounded beside him. Jeong-un turned his head at the perplexed tone, meeting Yeom Baek’s curious gaze.

Yeom Baek asked,

”You mean you single-handedly fought both those demonic bastards, and in the end even cut off the Blood Lord’s head?”

”Yes, they did not cooperate in any way. It seems being similar types of fiends from the unorthodox faction doesn’t mean they have common cause.”

”...”

Yeom Baek stared blankly at Jeong-un, then slowly spoke again.

”... Let’s save the details for later. We still have work to do. We must annihilate every last one of the fleeing enemies.”

”Work to do...”

Jeong-un echoed Yeom Baek’s words thoughtfully.

Then he ran his eyes once more over the battlefield, where ki waves continued to burst.

Finally, he nodded.

”That’s right. This mission isn’t over yet.”

With that, he gathered his energy.

At once, internal power surged smoothly down his central channel and filled the black sword in his grip to the very tip.

Energy pulsed from his wrist with a whoosh, and at the same time, brilliant golden streams enveloped the blade.

”...!”

As Yeom Baek’s eyes grew wide—

Jeong-un kicked off the ground and shot toward the center of the battlefield.

”... Insane.”

Yeom Baek could not even think of moving his feet, muttering to himself as he watched Jeong-un’s receding back.

-------------= Clacky’s Corner -------------=

Jeong-un’s got a monstrous talent...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】