A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 408

408. Resolution

The desert of Pasa was ravaged by sandstorms. A colossal dragon belching fire, a demonic eagle summoning lightning, and the three demonic beasts fiercely loyal to the Water Demon God clashed in a brutal confrontation.

—Kuaaaa!

The great demon dragon charged, threatening to crush the three demonic beasts, but they darted around with surprising agility, evading the dragon’s attacks.

—Kkiaaaang.

The demonic eagle periodically swooped down, its sharp claws extended. However, it was forced to veer away quickly to avoid the fireballs spewed by the demonic beasts. Having been scorched by their flames before, the demonic eagle couldn’t afford to ignore them.

Kwa-reung.

The most dangerous threat was the lightning that occasionally struck from the sky. Yet, the three demonic beasts, relying on their instincts, narrowly dodged each bolt. Evading attacks from both above and below, their movements were a perilous dance where a single misstep could mean death.

Thud, thud.

Son Bin walked towards the chaotic scene. Undeterred, he approached the hellish battlefield where the demon dragon, the demonic eagle, and the three demonic beasts were locked in combat.

Swish.

The first to notice Son Bin was the demonic beast with fur as black as night.

—Krrr.

The demon dragon also turned its fiery gaze upon Son Bin. The demonic eagle, circling in the sky, likely observed him as well. Even amidst the intense battle, they remained aware of Son Bin’s presence.

Whoosh.

The three demonic beasts, led by the Water Demon God, surged towards Son Bin.

‘Gasp.’

Chief Huang, who was watching, gasped in surprise. The ferocious demonic beasts, capable of crushing a person instantly, were hurtling towards Son Bin.

Thud.

However, the demonic beasts weren’t attacking Son Bin. They leaped over him, twisting their bodies mid-air before landing gracefully.

Grrr.

The demonic beast with pitch-black fur lowered its head, emitting a low growl. Hostility burned in its large eyes, but it was directed at the demon dragon and the demonic eagle, not Son Bin. The same was true for the demonic beast with snow-white fur and the one with fur as red as fire. Acting as guards, the three demonic beasts positioned themselves behind Son Bin, radiating animosity towards the demon dragon and the demonic eagle.

—Krrr.

Flames flickered in the demon dragon’s eyes and mouth. Its gaze towards Son Bin and the three demonic beasts was menacing.

Flap, flap.

The demonic eagle slowly descended from the sky, revealing its full form for the first time. It had been concealed within the sandstorm.

The demonic eagle’s appearance was even more imposing than the demon dragon. Its wings, spread wide enough to blot out the sky, were covered in dark red feathers, with small lightning bolts crackling between them. It was a divine beast worthy of the name ‘Thunder Eagle,’ but its eyes, burning like hellfire, betrayed its demonic nature as the fifth demon god.

Shwing.

Son Bin slowly drew the White Dew [his sword]. The subtle warmth that flowed into his hand seemed to soothe his cold, troubled heart.

Wooong.

The White Dew hummed.

Swish.

After a moment to compose himself, Son Bin held the White Dew with both hands and faced the demon dragon head-on. At the tip of the blade, a starlight-like, 영롱 [clear and bright] energy shimmered.

—Kwaaa. Thump, thump, thump.

As if on cue, the demon dragon charged. The demonic eagle, which had been flapping its wings, twisted its body and soared, disappearing into the sandstorm.

Tat.

The three demonic beasts also sprang into action, charging towards the demon dragon. The demon dragon, about to unleash fire at Son Bin, lowered its head and accelerated its charge as the demonic beasts approached.

The sharp claws of the three demonic beasts could wound the demon dragon’s hide, but they couldn’t inflict fatal damage.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The giant demon dragon hurtled towards Son Bin. Chief Huang’s face turned ashen. It wasn’t just Chief Huang; even the Imperial Guardian Knight Rahman, Sa Su-yeon holding the Sword Beauty [her sword], and Dang Wol-ah wore stiff expressions.

“Brother…”

Seo-rin muttered, clutching his fire staff, Hongjinmanri [Crimson Dust Ten Thousand Miles], tightly. How could he not be worried? The scene unfolding before them was a pathetic human standing before a massive natural disaster. An overwhelming and hopeless situation where being crushed seemed inevitable.

“No, that’s not true.”

No-gun’s low voice cut through the tension. As if reading everyone’s thoughts, No-gun said,

“Look.”

His voice trembled slightly, but not from fear.

“Bin is, starting something.”

No-gun’s gaze was fixed on Son Bin, ignoring the demon dragon, the demonic eagle, and the demonic beasts. Only then did everyone else see it. From Son Bin’s back, facing the charging demon dragon, a blue halo was slowly expanding. The blue energy that once belonged to the other demon gods, which Empress Sarasvati called a ‘fragment of God,’ was revealing itself once more.

Faaassss.

The bright blue halos emanating from Son Bin’s body grew stronger, becoming clearly visible to everyone. But the demon dragon, charging towards Son Bin, saw something more. Not just the halos, but a massive blue energy explosively bursting from Son Bin’s core, swirling before its eyes.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The demon dragon no longer cared about the demonic beasts’ claws. A demon god who had lost reason and intellect, consumed by the darkness of the abyss, had become a mere beast, driven by instinct. It rushed blindly towards Son Bin and the immense, beautiful blue energy that seemed to engulf even the demon dragon itself.

—Kwaaaaa!

The demon dragon cried out. The eerie cry, like a roar from hell, sounded like a painful scream to Son Bin.

Swish.

Son Bin slowly raised the White Dew. Towards the tip of the White Dew, pointing to the sky, the giant demonic eagle was charging through the thick sandstorm.

—Kkiaaaaa!

The demonic eagle was also fixated on Son Bin, its red eyes burning. It ignored the three demonic beasts opening their fiery mouths towards it.

Crackle, crackle.

The demonic eagle’s wings, crackling with blue fire, signaled that lightning would soon strike Son Bin. However, Son Bin didn’t flinch, didn’t stop, didn’t even look at the demonic eagle. His eyes were locked on the charging demon dragon.

Bang, boom.

As the fireballs spewed by the three demonic beasts soared into the sky, Son Bin muttered quietly and slashed down with the White Dew.

“Illumination.”

Son Bin’s White Dew drew a ‘line’ from top to bottom. The charging demon dragon saw a ‘line’ being drawn in its vision. At first, it was just a single ‘line,’ but it soon became a ‘boundary’ dividing the world and space. Not only that.

Woooong.

Light began to leak out, spreading from the cracks, soon engulfing the demon dragon’s vision. A cold light, shining dazzlingly as if to consume everything. It was the blue moonlight of the night sky, a faint and nostalgic memory even in the demon dragon’s mind.

Swoosh.

The moonlight swallowed the giant demon dragon, and it collapsed forward.

Krrr.

The demon dragon had fallen, but its momentum remained. Its massive body stirred up a cloud of dust as it rushed towards Son Bin. But Son Bin wasn’t looking at that.

—Kkiaaaaang.

The demonic eagle’s cry echoed from above. Son Bin raised his head.

Kwa-gwa-gwak.

The demonic eagle was diving towards Son Bin. The flames spewed by the demonic beasts were already engulfing it, but the demonic eagle disregarded everything, focused solely on Son Bin. Son Bin readjusted his grip on the White Dew, lifting it towards the sky, and took a deep breath.

“Hoo.”

The demonic eagle’s wings, crackling with flames and lightning, filled the sky. Its red eyes and black beak, vivid enough to touch, radiated malice. But Son Bin wasn’t afraid. He knew what he had to do.

Kwa-reureureung.

As thunder rumbled, countless lightning bolts struck towards Son Bin. At that moment, Son Bin took a light step forward, opening his heart to the flow.

Hoooook.

“Gasp!”

Chief Huang, who couldn’t tear his eyes away, gasped. No-gun was also surprised.

‘Good heavens.’

No-gun could only mutter to himself. Son Bin was soaring into the sky. Not a powerful leap, not flying with wings, but floating like a petal caught in a spring breeze. Even the lightning bolts that could paralyze the Sword Beauty couldn’t harm him. And before he knew it, Son Bin was right in front of the demonic eagle.

Kwa-gwa-gwak.

The demonic eagle was falling towards Son Bin with tremendous force. However, Son Bin used that force to pass by the demonic eagle, soaring higher, like a petal caught in the wind.

Hoooook.

No one could clearly see what happened next. They only saw the White Dew flash for a moment. But the three demonic beasts saw it clearly: a giant blade of blue energy slicing through the charging demonic eagle. The demonic eagle, which had been spewing lightning, plunged straight into the ground.

Kwaaaang.

The impact and resulting sandstorm shook the earth.

Krrr.

“Ugh!”

Chief Huang was horrified, and Imperial Guardian Knight Rahman turned pale. Amidst the chaos, No-gun shouted,

“Bin!”

No-gun looked back at Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah, realizing how Son Bin had soared into the air. He had put his body on the flow of soaring into the sky, just as he had told No-gun before. This was no ordinary 경공 [light body skill]. There was no guarantee Son Bin would land safely.

Tak.

No-gun reached out his hands towards Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah. They immediately understood his intention.

Whoosh.

Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah leaped into the air. As their toes touched No-gun’s hands, he shouted and twisted his body.

“Heuaaaap!”

A sonic boom erupted as Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah shot into the sky like arrows. No-gun had thrown them with all his might, enduring the tremendous shock, thanks to Seo-rin’s quick support from behind.

Whee-ik.

Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah soared upwards. Sa Su-yeon’s clothes fluttered wildly, and Dang Wol-ah’s veil was long gone, but they didn’t care. Their eyes were fixed on Son Bin, slowly falling in the distance.

“Su-yeon unni [older sister/term of endearment]!”

Dang Wol-ah called out to Sa Su-yeon, her silver hair whipping in the wind. Piiing. Dang Wol-ah threw a steel projectile, which Sa Su-yeon kicked, sending it flying straight towards her.

Hoooook.

Sa Su-yeon flew like an arrow towards Son Bin. Pak. Son Bin, falling, flinched at the impact and opened his eyes wide.

“So-yeon Sojeo [young lady/term of respect]!”

Son Bin was holding the White Dew tightly, as if afraid to drop it. Dang Wol-ah, who followed, grabbed Son Bin from the other side.

“Woah, Wol-ah Sojeo too!”

Son Bin looked at Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah with surprise. Sa Su-yeon smiled at his helpless expression, forgetting the danger.

“The shockwave is coming.”

At Dang Wol-ah’s words, Sa Su-yeon looked down. The shockwave from the demonic eagle’s fall was rushing towards them.

But this was also an opportunity.

Hoooook.

As the huge shockwave struck, Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah used its momentum.

Parararak.

The three people’s clothes fluttered upwards, and their hair soared into the sky, slowing their descent. Like falling petals, they drifted down.

Hoooook.

A blue flame-like force enveloped them.

“This is!”

“It’s okay.”

Son Bin said quietly to Sa Su-yeon. The fallen demon dragon and demonic eagle were turning white, their energy dissipating. The blue energy he called ‘fragment of God’ was rushing towards Son Bin.

Hoooong.

The wind brushed past Son Bin, and he saw a great war. Swords and spears flashing, shields and armor breaking, the battle cries of fearless warriors filled the sky and earth. Bizarre, giant beasts trampled the warriors, and dragons spewing lightning filled the sky. But no one retreated. To some, it would be hell, but Son Bin knew it was the most intense and precious moment of the two demon gods, beings whose original forms were lost to time.

Woooong.

Feeling the blue energy rushing in from the demon dragon and the demon god, Son Bin closed his eyes.

“Hua.”

Jaina, looking up from below, exclaimed in admiration. The hair of Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah fluttering in the air, the river of blue flames rushing towards Son Bin, made it seem like the advent of a divine being with silver and black wings, and not just because Jaina was a young girl.

Pararararak.

Seo-rin smiled as he watched the three people slowly falling, and Chief Huang stared with his mouth agape. The Guardian Knight Rahman, the Sword Beauty who had recovered from paralysis, and the three demonic beasts of the Water Demon God were also looking up.

“It’s good to be young.”

No-gun muttered, spitting out an irrelevant sentiment, but he couldn’t hide the faint smile spreading across his face. Behind the three people falling leisurely like flower petals, the blue sky after the sandstorm had passed revealed its clear appearance.

(Author’s words)

Even without a flying stone, it is basic for a martial arts master to fall slowly.