Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 12

Nine Dragons War Diary (12)

It was late at night, but the area in front of Iron Lion Fortress was brighter than other places, illuminated by roaring fires.

However, the shadows cast by these fires only intensified the darkness in the unlit areas.

A group moved stealthily through this darkness.

They were members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

Of the three hundred members, two hundred and fifty had embarked on the mission to attack Iron Lion Fortress. Fifty had split off, leaving two hundred to assault the fortress directly.

With practiced coordination, each squad leader executed their assigned role flawlessly.

*Swoosh!*

Several flying daggers sliced through the air simultaneously, aimed at the warriors guarding the gates and ramparts of Iron Lion Fortress. The daggers found their marks, piercing chests with deadly accuracy.

*Paaaat!*

At the same moment, a dozen warriors surged forward, bracing themselves against the wall. They bent their knees slightly, clasped their hands together, and rested them on their knees, forming a human ladder.

Other members sprinted towards them, using their clasped hands as footholds to leap upwards. As they jumped, the base members forcefully propelled them higher.

The attackers soared into the air, reaching the ramparts in a single bound. They swiftly eliminated the guards who had already fallen victim to the flying daggers.

They immediately jumped down and opened the small door within the main gate, allowing the remaining members to pour into the fortress.

“Be as careful as possible, and handle this quietly.”

“Yes!”

The Fierce Tiger Death Squad members who had infiltrated Iron Lion Fortress acknowledged their orders and moved with silent precision.

Having thoroughly familiarized themselves with the layout of Iron Lion Fortress, they advanced rapidly towards their designated targets.

Hwa-Rin led his squad, moving with equal speed and stealth.

*Swoosh!*

Sensing the presence of patrols, Hwa-Rin drew a flying dagger from his waist and hurled it.

The daggers flew with incredible speed, curving around the corner of a building and striking the patrolling guards squarely in the chest.

This was a technique that utilized internal energy, a flying dagger skill akin to telekinetically controlling a sword.

After neutralizing the guards, Hwa-Rin used hand signals to issue swift orders to his squad.

The squad members approached the building in front of them, carefully opened the door, and slipped inside.

Hwa-Rin remained outside, vigilant and ready to respond to any potential threat, while his squad completed their task.

“Kuaaaak!”

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence within the building, followed by a chaotic commotion.

Hwa-Rin’s eyes narrowed. He was about to enter when a cacophony of screams and frantic noises erupted from all directions within Iron Lion Fortress.

“I knew it was going too smoothly.”

Hwa-Rin was far from pleased with the sudden turn of events, but understanding that unforeseen circumstances were inevitable during missions, he calmly prepared for battle.

*Kwazijijik!*

A squad member crashed through the wall, flying through the air before landing heavily on the ground, rolling to a stop. He lay motionless, likely killed on impact.

Hwa-Rin instantly entered through the gaping hole in the wall and saw a naked man standing amidst the debris, a sword protruding from his chest.

He was likely the one in charge of this building.

The moment Hwa-Rin’s figure blurred, he was upon the man. As the man registered surprise, Hwa-Rin seized the hilt of the sword embedded in his chest.

*Pajijijijik!*

An immense surge of lightning energy coursed through the man’s entire body, causing a cloud of hazy smoke to rise from his skin before he was incinerated, his flesh turning black.

It was the Lightning Dragon River, a devastating technique from the Lightning Current style.

“Squad Leader!”

A squad member who had located Hwa-Rin called out to him.

“We’ll soon be entering a free-for-all. Squad members, prepare for battle.”

“Yes!”

Hwa-Rin exited the building through the shattered wall.

The sounds echoing from all directions confirmed that the full-scale battle with Iron Lion Fortress had officially commenced.

“There he is! The enemy is there!”

The warriors of Iron Lion Fortress who spotted Hwa-Rin charged towards him en masse. Their momentum was fierce, but it did little to intimidate Hwa-Rin.

*Sreureureung!*

Hwa-Rin drew his sword. His movements were deliberate, neither rushed nor hesitant.

As Hwa-Rin moved his sword with each step, it appeared as if he were practicing alone in the tranquil dawn, but the effects of his swordsmanship were far from mere training exercises.

Each time the blade sliced through the air, crimson blossoms of blood bloomed.

He should have grown accustomed to the acrid scent of blood by now, but he couldn’t suppress the feeling of disgust that washed over him each time he smelled it.

Perhaps it was because the acrid smell of his mother’s blood as she died was indelibly imprinted in his memory.

Hwa-Rin waited in the building for his squad members to emerge, having swiftly cut down the warriors of Iron Lion Fortress who had spotted him and rushed to attack.

However, the squad members were taking longer than expected to complete their task inside the building.

Knowing that the situation would deteriorate with each passing moment, Hwa-Rin had no choice but to take action.

“The choice and the responsibility are yours.”

—Squad members, after completing your task, join Squad Ten and secure the retreat route. I will go capture Hae-Ri-Son, the lord of Iron Lion Fortress.

Hwa-Rin could no longer afford to delay and moved immediately.

Once the free-for-all began, the squad leaders of each squad were tasked with confronting the key figures of Iron Lion Fortress, including the lord, elders, and heads of each division.

The mission of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad was not simply to inflict damage but to achieve total annihilation, so the mission would only be considered complete once the lord, elders, and heads of each division had been eliminated.

Hwa-Rin scaled the walls of the buildings and ventured deeper into the fortress.

He could see the members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad engaged in fierce combat below as he traversed from building to building, but he couldn’t afford to divert his attention.

Hwa-Rin reached the innermost part of the fortress by crossing over the rooftops.

As Hwa-Rin landed on the ground, Namgung Soo-Yeon arrived just in time, followed by all the remaining squad leaders.

Simultaneously, Hae-Ri-Son, the lord of Iron Lion Fortress, and the elders emerged, fully armed.

Hwa-Rin tilted his head slightly as he surveyed them.

‘According to the intelligence reports, there should be one lord, six elders, and five heads of divisions.’

However, only ten individuals had come out armed.

‘Their energy is unusual…’

The energy emanating from the three individuals standing next to the lord felt more oppressive and powerful than the others.

“Who are you?” Hae-Ri-Son, the lord, demanded.

“Why bother knowing when we’ve come here to kill each other?”

Hwa-Rin’s informal tone clearly angered the lord, who retorted that the young one had no manners. Hearing this, the squad leader of Squad Two chuckled and said,

“Looking for etiquette from someone who’s come to kill you… But why are there only you? Where are the heads of the divisions?”

Hae-Ri-Son narrowed his eyes slightly at the words of the Squad Two leader and scrutinized them carefully.

“Not everyone here is ordinary,” a man standing next to Hae-Ri-Son observed.

“Among these young ones, those who have attained this level of martial arts are few and far between in the *Murim* [martial arts world].”

As the man spoke, Hwa-Rin sent a telepathic message to Namgung Soo-Yeon, suspecting that something was amiss.

—Do you know anything about the energy that the Demonic Cultists possess?

—They possess demonic energy. It accumulates naturally in their bodies as they learn demonic arts, and it’s overbearing and vicious.

—Then those three must be Demonic Cultists. The one I killed in the building was a head of a division.

—What do you mean, a head of a division was in the building?

Namgung Soo-Yeon responded telepathically to Hwa-Rin.

—The heads of the divisions are with the warriors of Iron Lion Fortress. The members who attacked the warriors of Iron Lion Fortress are likely to suffer significant losses.

—Then what do we do?

—It’s already too late. Do your best in the current situation. Let’s just focus on returning alive. The dead will be replaced anyway.

Namgung Soo-Yeon felt a pang of hurt at Hwa-Rin’s cold words, but as he said, the members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad had always been expendable, their ranks filled and their missions carried out in that manner.

“There was talk that Iron Lion Fortress had become a pawn of the Demonic Cult, and it seems to be true,” Hwa-Rin said, provoking Hae-Ri-Son, the lord.

“What!”

It wasn’t Hae-Ri-Son but the elders who reacted to Hwa-Rin’s taunt.

“Isn’t that so? The ones next to the lord don’t seem to be people from Iron Lion Fortress. The heads of the divisions are conspicuously absent. What if they’re planning to assassinate the lord?”

The faces of the Demonic Cultists betrayed a flicker of unease.

—We’ll proceed as planned. Once the fight starts, scatter, deal with them one by one, and then regroup here.

As Hwa-Rin sent a telepathic message to everyone, the squad leaders swallowed hard, steeling themselves for the coming battle.

As Hwa-Rin drew his sword, the other squad leaders shifted their positions.

“Those bastards!”

*Paaaat!*

Seeing this, the elders assumed they were fleeing and gave chase, while Hwa-Rin remained alone, facing Hae-Ri-Son, the lord, and the three Demonic Cultists.

“You’re not running away?”

“Why? Did you think we would?”

Hae-Ri-Son was taken aback by Hwa-Rin’s words.

“We simply moved to a location where we can fight without interfering with each other.”

The Demonic Cultists felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding emanating from Hwa-Rin’s calm demeanor.

“You seem to be from the Central Plains. Are you affiliated with the Murim Alliance?”

“I don’t know. But how long are you going to keep talking? If you don’t come at me, I’ll come at you first.”

One of the Demonic Cultists, enraged by Hwa-Rin’s insolence, stepped forward.

“You little…!”

In an instant, he unleashed a palm strike, which Hwa-Rin deflected with his sword.

Closing the distance in a flash, the Demonic Cultist aimed a palm strike at Hwa-Rin’s chest.

His hand was stained crimson, and the palm strike was infused with malevolent energy.

Hwa-Rin blocked the attack with his free hand.

*Pueoeong!*

With a resounding explosion, a powerful surge of energy created a repulsive force between Hwa-Rin and the Demonic Cultist. Hwa-Rin stumbled back two steps, while the Demonic Cultist was forced back five steps.

Hae-Ri-Son and the other Demonic Cultists exchanged surprised glances.

The attacker himself stared at Hwa-Rin with disbelief.

“Why? Did you think you were stronger than me? Just because you’re acting like a king in the backwaters, did you think you were a real king?”

His face flushed crimson at Hwa-Rin’s mockery, and he unleashed his full power, drawing upon the strength of demonic arts.

Not only his hands but also his face turned red, radiating an evil energy that caused those nearby to recoil.

“You seem like someone who shouldn’t exist in this world.”

The energy he emitted felt profoundly evil, and Hwa-Rin could now understand why it was referred to as demonic arts.

Hwa-Rin took a step towards the enraged man. It was just a single step, but it was enough to shock those who witnessed it.

It wasn’t the Displacement Art. He simply took one step, and Hwa-Rin’s sword was already embedded in the Demonic Cultist’s body.

*Hwareureureuk!*

Flames erupted from Hwa-Rin’s sword, engulfing the Demonic Cultist’s body in fire.

“You bastard!”

Another Demonic Cultist tried to intervene, but he was stopped by his companion.

“Brother Hyeong-San, please be patient for a moment.”

“Brother!”

—He’s not someone you can face alone.

The Demonic Cultist, regaining his composure at his brother’s words, glared at Hwa-Rin.

“I admit you’re strong, but you won’t be able to face both of us at the same time.”

“I can handle not only the two of you but even the lord, all three of you together, so if you don’t believe me, stop talking and come at me!”

The Demonic Cultist’s mind raced, grappling with Hwa-Rin’s confident words and unwavering demeanor.

‘I haven’t heard of such a person in the *Murim*.’

The Demonic Cultists assumed that Hwa-Rin was a member of the *Murim*.

‘Is there anyone in the orthodox sects who utilizes fire techniques by harnessing the energy of both Yin and Yang?’

He tried to recall the technique Hwa-Rin had displayed, but he couldn’t place it.

Hwa-Rin also wasn’t certain if he could prevail if he faced all three opponents simultaneously. However, he hoped to buy some time by projecting an image of strength.

If the squad leaders could defeat the elders of Iron Lion Fortress and return to this location, they could secure victory against Iron Lion Fortress.

Conversely, if the squad leaders were killed by the elders, he would likely meet his end here as well, but he was confident that at least some would survive and return.

“Could it be…”

Hae-Ri-Son, the lord, stared intently at Hwa-Rin, as if a memory had surfaced, and said,

“Are you the war demons of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad from the Central Plains!”

The Fierce Tiger Death Squad was more widely known among the forces outside the Central Plains. It was rumored that the sects they attacked were invariably annihilated, leading these forces to dub them ‘war demons,’ considering them to be the ghosts of war.

However, there was a crucial piece of information that they lacked: when a foreign force was annihilated, the Fierce Tiger Death Squad also sustained significant casualties.

Whenever there were losses, they were replenished, creating the illusion that all members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad were immortal ghosts of battle. In reality, Hwa-Rin was the only one who had survived countless battles.

“War demon…”