Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 291

The Three Kings’ Disciple

Volume 12, Chapter 17

292

There were no more messengers from Jeomchang.

With the messengers other than Mak Ho dead, it was safe to say that the negotiations had completely broken down.

Step. Step.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

The people of the streets had long since hidden in their homes or fled, and the windows and doors were tightly shut, leaving no one visible on the streets.

Step, step.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

The ten days that had been mentioned to Jeomchang had passed.

The Blood Cult had already crossed Batangas and arrived near Manila.

Step, step, step.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

At the very front was Lee Ro-woon, wearing a demon mask.

Flash! Flash!

Flashes burst from somewhere.

Lee Ro-woon paid no mind.

The news had already spread far and wide, and reporters were taking pictures with large cameras through the locked doors.

-There was a request.

It was what Ha Se-min had told him.

-They asked if they could publish an article.

Interest in the Blood Cult was already growing.

Moreover, the number of cult members was increasing exponentially day by day.

Those who had initially been cautious due to the danger were now revealing themselves because of the negotiation incident with Jeomchang.

Flash! Flash!

Behind Lee Ro-woon stood Ha Se-min and others.

They were also wearing demon masks.

-It wouldn’t be bad. Since it’s going to be known anyway, it would be better to let them know properly. Especially since the media here is free from the control of the council.

Philippines, which was also enemy territory.

The Philippine media was walking a tightrope, maintaining its neutrality well.

-I allow it.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Lee Ro-woon and Ha Se-min, among others.

Those who could be called the executives of the Blood Cult were walking in a line.

Step, step.

Even amidst the flashes, their footsteps could be heard clearly.

Behind them.

Thump!

A red procession followed.

Those wearing red martial uniforms and bearing the Blood Cult’s mark.

Due to the increasing number of cult members, they couldn’t get uniforms right away, but they voluntarily unified their attire by drawing the Blood Cult’s symbol on the red clothes they had.

Sense of belonging.

That was what those who belonged desired most.

Step.

The number was in the dozens, hundreds.

Step.

Beyond hundreds, into the thousands.

Thump!

It was reaching tens of thousands.

Lee Ro-woon had clearly stated during the negotiations with the Jeomchang messenger.

-Only volunteers, including myself, will cross the barrier.

He had no intention of forcing blood on those who had become cult members.

That was clearly heard by everyone and conveyed to everyone.

In reality, no one had forced anyone, and they hadn’t created an atmosphere where not volunteering would be seen as betrayal.

Rather, Lee Shin-woo had stepped forward and clearly stated.

-Volunteers will follow on the day. Until then, please refrain from discussing this matter.

It was a request to refrain from talking about participating in the war with each other.

To prevent anyone from participating unwillingly in a strange atmosphere.

Thump!

And on the day, they had walked out.

Swoosh.

The line that had started to form behind them had become like this.

Rather, those who had spent ten days thinking and contemplating.

Lee Ro-woon’s voice was imprinted in their minds like a brand.

-I will pay the blood price.

Blood price.

-Blood for blood.

Also.

-There is no value in what is not obtained through bloodshed.

Such phrases lingered in their minds, making them think continuously.

The situation in the Philippines was severe, to say the least.

The frequent appearance of gates and the insufficient number of martial artists to stop them.

In the end, many players became sacrifices, and the martial artists were no less so.

Only….

-Jeomchang and the Central.

They were the only ones who hadn’t shed blood properly.

Most of those present had experienced shedding their own blood or the blood of their loved ones.

Each time, they had cried out in resentment.

-Why-!

Why did they have to suffer such sacrifices?

Why weren’t they born in Jeomchang?

Why. Why. Why.

Such resentments turned into anger, but they were blocked by the harsh reality and couldn’t burst out.

-The blood price must be paid.

But with Lee Ro-woon’s one word, the wall that had blocked them collapsed.

Thump!

If nothing is done, nothing will change.

If they were to change with the blood shed by others, they would eventually have to go through the same thing.

It was a fact proven in the history of Eun [a fictional kingdom] and the history of Earth.

Then.

Thump!

They would shed their own blood.

The number of Blood Cult members who had gathered in this way exceeded fifty thousand.

Considering the number of ordinary people who wanted to volunteer but couldn’t and were just following and helping them, the number exceeded one hundred thousand.

Among them, only about ten thousand were martial artists.

Forty thousand were players.

Stiffly.

Lee Ro-woon stopped.

Before his eyes was the barrier, now even more solid, looking like a wall.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

The flashes that had been bursting out were slowly coming to a halt.

This was the first hurdle.

“There are multiple layers of heavenly-grade formations and barriers.”

Ha Se-min said, placing his hand on the barrier.

“It seems they have strengthened the barrier further during the given ten days.”

Of course, there were holes.

They also expected the movement of supplies and reinforcements, so there would be an entrance open on the other side.

Even now, if they turned back at full speed, they could find a gap in the barrier and enter.

Swoosh.

But they shouldn’t.

So far, Lee Ro-woon had walked from Luzon to here.

The reason he hadn’t used a faster means of transportation was to show.

-The Blood Cult.

The path the Blood Cult was taking, the path it had to take.

And.

Swoosh.

That power.

“Step back.”

At Lee Ro-woon’s words, Ha Se-min and the others slowly nodded and stepped back.

Now, there was no need for any more worries.

Lee Ro-woon placed his hand on the barrier.

Thump!

The enormous power felt from the barrier entered Lee Ro-woon’s hand, making his heart beat.

Thump!

The barrier, which felt like it had been touched directly by the council, was indeed incredibly solid.

Even if the Nine Great Sects [powerful martial arts clans] stepped forward, they wouldn’t be able to break through it, and even if several of them joined forces and challenged it for days, they would only be able to create a small gap.

A barrier made with the assumption that it would even block calamity-level monsters.

Even for Lee Ro-woon.

Thump!

It was clear that it was a barrier that could not be easily broken.

Calming his racing heart, Lee Ro-woon pulled out the Blood Demon energy from his lower dantian [energy center in the body].

If it had been the old him, he might have been blocked here once.

But it was different now.

Whoong!

A dark handprint was being imprinted on a part of the barrier where Lee Ro-woon’s hand had touched.

Swish.

What was spreading out from there was like….

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Blood vessels.

Just as human blood moved through blood vessels, crimson streaks spread across the surface of the barrier.

“……!”

Because the barrier was so large that it covered the entire city of Manila, the scene that Lee Ro-woon was creating was visible to everyone.

It took less than ten minutes for the crimson streaks to cover half of the barrier.

And then, in the next moment.

Push.

Lee Ro-woon began to push his palm.

Thump!

Enormous internal energy and magical power seeped in.

But this was.

‘Less than what Sang-ho created.’

It was less than the power he had absorbed once before.

The power he had absorbed even before his metamorphosis.

Now, after his metamorphosis.

Crack!

It was too easy.

The barrier shattered, and a large door was created.

“We advance.”

Lee Ro-woon began to walk forward, taking the lead.

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

* * *

Lee Ro-woon, wearing a demon mask, was looking ahead.

Behind him were Ha Se-min and the others.

Behind them, all the Blood Cult members were standing, looking ahead.

What unfolded was a cityscape.

But the entire rooftops were densely filled with black dots.

Swoosh.

Martial artists were drawing their bows.

The number of them, bearing the mark of Jeomchang, seemed to exceed three thousand.

They were all occupying high ground, drawing three or four arrows on their bows as they looked at the Blood Cult members who had entered.

“…….”

Many people swallowed nervously, feeling the strange pressure.

Bows.

They were terrifying weapons.

The martial arts that the martial artists of Eun learned and trained in were mostly specialized in close combat, and things like bows, throwing stars, and guns used at a distance were treated as strange objects and considered heretical.

Items used only in the empires that existed in the past in Eun.

But Eun had to change.

A new world that had appeared when the door opened.

There, in the war with Ainhart, they had to take out and use things that had been taboo.

Among them, Jeomchang was a place that had played a particularly active role.

-Jeomchang was famous for bows in the past.

Jeomchang, who had trained and reached the pinnacle of archery.

They had put down their bows because of Eun’s trend, but they had continued to train without giving up archery, and their archery had finally shone.

-Jeomchang’s bows are fast and accurate, and.

Also.

-Distinct.

Swoosh.

They were drawing their bowstrings even further.

The arrows filled with internal energy seemed as if they would tear apart everyone’s bodies with a destructive power and speed that could not be compared to bullets.

The good thing was that some of the players had brought shields.

“…….”

The problem was that they were not yet sufficient to block their arrows.

-This is the last time.

More shadows and black dots appeared, and a voice echoed.

-If you turn back now, I will give you another chance for negotiations.

Mak Ho.

It was his voice, the one who had come as a messenger from Jeomchang.

Lee Ro-woon slowly turned his gaze and scanned his surroundings.

Thousands of archers were drawing their arrows and glaring at him.

But those arrows would only target others, not him.

-So the Blood Demon….

The moment that voice echoed.

Swoosh.

A pool of blood formed beneath Lee Ro-woon’s feet.

Whoosh!

Crimson pillars of blood soared up like a tornado.

-Ugh!

Along with Mak Ho’s shocked voice.

-Fire-!

It was the moment the order to fire was given.

A spectacle.

A scene like thousands of shooting stars falling at once.

A scene that seemed to recreate the beauty of nature in this place.

If that wasn’t called a spectacle, what would it be called?

The problem was that it was gradually getting closer, with large arrowheads that would tear apart their bodies.

It was the moment when the Blood Cult members, who had prepared, were about to awaken their protective energy and prepare to defend themselves using shields or terrain.

Thud.

The thousands of arrows that had rushed right in front of them stopped at once.

-Wh, what….

Shocked voices and murmuring.

They could see.

Whoo-oong!

The blood droplets that had spread from the crimson pillars were blocking the arrows.

-Th, that’s impossible!

It was impossible.

Thousands of arrows.

It could be said that they were filled with the internal energy of martial artists.

That! That!

-How can a human…!

One human had blocked them all.

It was a strange and mysterious use of internal energy, but even considering the amount of internal energy, it didn’t make sense.

He must have been quite strained from breaking the barrier, so how could such a feat be possible?

But they soon had to realize that they had no time to think such thoughts.

Swoosh.

The arrowheads that had fallen to pierce the heads of the Blood Cult members slowly changed direction.

“…….”

They were staring at the scene with blank faces.

When the glossy surface of the arrowheads reflected the light, making their eyes dizzy.

-Bl… Block!

The arrows they had fired began to return.

Thwack! Thwack!