Disciple Of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 406

“Damn it.”

Cheong In-woo spat out a short curse.

“So?”

At his glare, the Hwasan disciple reporting lowered his head deeply.

“That is…”

“Don’t mumble, speak clearly.”

“Most of the necessities are unusable.”

SS-class gate.

Although they had another purpose, conquering the gate was also one of their objectives.

A good opportunity to solidify Hwasan’s position, which was shaken by the Hwasan corpse disposal incident.

However, everything was going wrong from the start.

Martial artists dying upon entry.

Moreover.

“It seems to be due to the gate’s mana.”

Food and necessities, essential for long gate raids, were spoiled or damaged due to the gate’s mana.

Masters who have reached a certain level do not need to eat or sleep properly.

But there are limits.

Also, only a few among them, including Cheong In-woo, were at that level.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Now, Cheong In-woo even seemed to have a detached smile.

“Is there… any other problem?”

The reporting disciple’s expression was not good, as if there was more bad news.

“Don’t hide it and cause an accident, tell me right now.”

At Cheong In-woo’s threat, the disciple finally opened his mouth.

“The doctors say that the treatment is not going well.”

The treatment of the injured was slow.

The mana filling the gate was pushing back the internal energy needed for recovery.

If that was all, it might be fortunate.

“It seems there’s also a problem with the formations and barriers.”

Cheong In-woo said, looking around.

Since they had decided to use this place as a temporary base, it was the order of things for the barrier and formation experts to take safety measures.

It had been a long time since they had moved, but the fact that the formations and barriers were still not activated meant that there was also a problem with them.

“Ha.”

A short sigh.

“Anyway, the other assault teams will arrive soon. Endure until then.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Before that, tell them to make sure the formations and barriers are set up.”

“Understood, Commander.”

“If.”

Cheong In-woo’s eyes narrowed.

“If the formations and barriers are not activated on time, tell them they’ll all die by my hand.”

“Understood.”

The Hwasan disciple quickly ran off to deliver Cheong In-woo’s words.

“Is this what an SS-class gate is like?”

After the world’s invasion, gates were no longer a threat to the world.

Whether they were martial artists, knights, mages, or players, they steadily conquered the gates.

Most gates were cleared by the martial arts guilds.

Even S-class gates were easily conquered the moment a large sect moved in.

But the new gate was different.

‘It could be dangerous.’

The assault team was collapsing upon entry.

In addition, there were major problems arising.

That alone was enough to cause a headache.

“……!”

Cheong In-woo’s eyes widened.

The moment he widened his eyes and drew his sword was almost simultaneous.

Clang!

The arrow was deflected.

“Enemy attack-!”

Cheong In-woo’s roar spread widely.

Swish!

The sky was already filled with a rain of black arrows.

“This is a mess.”

* * *

Chiiik.

The large piece of meat in Lee Ro-woon’s hand was quickly cooking.

It was the technique of Samadhi Fire, using internal energy to create fire.

Even a master who had reached a certain level could not use this high-level technique if their internal energy control was not great.

“It’s well-cooked.”

Lee Ro-woon used it to cook the meat.

Crunch.

Lee Ro-woon bit into a chunk of the well-cooked meat.

It was so well-cooked that the flesh tore softly, leaving Lee Ro-woon’s teeth marks intact.

Still.

“It tastes good.”

The taste itself was not bad.

Lee Ro-woon could use his subspace, but he did not take out the food left there.

He didn’t need to eat anyway, and he was a body that couldn’t sleep.

For him, nothing was needed on the battlefield.

Still, it was clear that eating was better.

Crunch.

Lee Ro-woon secured food by hunting directly.

Of course, it wasn’t Dark Elf meat.

It was the meat of other monsters that existed deep within the gate.

And the meat of something similar to a reindeer that the Dark Elves rode.

Crunch.

Originally, consuming the meat of monsters or creatures within the gate was almost taboo.

They could contract diseases that only existed in the gate, or be exposed to deadly toxins mixed in the monster’s meat.

However, it was not something that Lee Ro-woon, who was immune to all poisons, needed to worry about, and in some ways, there was nothing that Lee Ro-woon, who had even devoured chaos, could not eat.

“It’s getting tiresome.”

This place could be hell for someone.

No, this place would be hell for most humans.

The pressure of mana pouring down like a hammer blow, and constantly.

Swish!

The Dark Elves attacking.

Also, the mana filling the gate would destroy everything to weed out the intruders.

Wham!

It was enough to be called hell for everyone.

A rain of arrows pouring down.

But not for Lee Ro-woon.

The blood cells that had been released exploded, killing the hidden Dark Elves.

Lee Ro-woon quietly got up and began to walk, as if he was trying to digest his meal.

* * *

“Ha…. This damn it.”

Cheong In-woo spat out a curse, covered in blood.

“Personnel….”

Cheong In-woo, who was about to ask for a personnel report, closed his mouth.

“There’s nothing to report.”

It was a scene that didn’t require a report.

Scattered corpses.

The corpses were riddled with arrows.

If the barriers or formations had been completed, there wouldn’t have been this much damage, but the enemies had attacked, taking advantage of the gap.

“Are you alright?”

A Hwasan disciple ran over.

He asked with a face distorted in pain, two arrows lodged in his shoulder.

“Take care of yourself. Are there any doctors… who survived?”

“No, sir.”

“Remove the arrows and stop the bleeding with your internal energy.”

“Understood.”

The first expedition team had about two hundred members.

Of course, not all of them were members of the Red Plum Blossom Squad that Cheong In-woo was proud of.

Troops were appropriately selected from various Hwasan squads.

The number of the Red Plum Blossom Squad was only twenty.

“How many are left?”

At Cheong In-woo’s voice, a disciple in a red plum blossom embroidered uniform appeared from behind and said.

“Seven remain.”

Thirteen had died.

No, that was a good defense.

Out of the two hundred expedition members.

The number of survivors Cheong In-woo saw now was less than fifty.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Cheong In-woo quietly lifted his foot and stomped down.

Crack.

The Dark Elf’s chest bone under his foot broke and made a sound.

The good thing was that the head above it had already been cut off by Cheong In-woo’s sword.

“The support team will take about a week to arrive.”

There were three assault teams participating in this operation.

Cheong In-woo was the first to lead the advance team.

“What about the formation and barrier experts?”

“Enough survived to protect them as much as possible.”

“Set up the formations.”

“Understood.”

Cheong In-woo swept back his blood-soaked hair.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh came out.

What was even more appalling was that the gate’s monsters were still waiting around.

The guys who had tested the waters with the attack just now were only hesitating for a moment.

‘They’ll attack again at night.’

It was clear that they would attack again at night, and if there was an opening, they would continue to attack.

“Chung-woo, Baek-sol.”

At the names Cheong In-woo called.

“Yes.”

Two shadows suddenly appeared.

Chung-woo was a loyal subject whom Cheong In-woo trusted and raised in the Red Plum Blossom Squad, and could be seen as Cheong In-woo’s right-hand man.

Next to him, Baek-sol was an assassin.

She was the darkness and shadow of Hwasan, an assassin among the Black Plums who protected the most important figures of Hwasan and followed their orders.

“We’re moving.”

Cheong In-woo said.

“Clearing this area and establishing a safe zone is the first thing to do.”

He wouldn’t take the other personnel.

Only.

“Chung-woo, Baek-sol, you and me. Only the three of us will go.”

Even though they had lost most of the expedition team in one attack.

“What is the number of enemies?”

“More than five times the number of the attack just now.”

They were going to hunt more than five times that number with just three people.

“There won’t be a problem.”

Chung-woo’s steadfast answer.

“…….”

Baek-sol didn’t seem to have any doubts or thoughts.

“When you’re done, return here and wait for the support team.”

“Where are you going, Commander?”

Chung-woo asked.

“I need to scout the area for a bit.”

“Understood.”

Cheong In-woo said that and began to walk with his sword over his shoulder.

* * *

Shudder.

In front of Lee Ro-woon, dozens of Dark Elves were kneeling and trembling.

They had even laid down all their weapons and bowed their heads.

Their faces looked desperate, as if they thought that was the only way to survive.

“Hmm.”

Lee Ro-woon made a humming sound as he looked at them.

Surrender.

Monsters often showed such cases.

They seemed to only emit anger and murderous intent, but they would kneel before a great fear or power that could overcome even that.

And they would willingly give up their lives.

But these were different.

There seemed to be another meaning.

“As expected.”

He seemed to have a rough idea.

Lee Ro-woon.

“Are you asking to be saved?”

He said to them in a quiet voice.

The one kneeling in the front quietly raised his head.

Certainly, even their appearance was different from the Dark Elves he had encountered so far.

The Dark Elves so far had been grotesque and distorted.

Unlike those who were like monsters, not the demi-humans he had heard about, these seemed to have a bit of a human form left.

Woong.

Lee Ro-woon’s eyes turned black.

-What are you?

At Lee Ro-woon’s voice directly entering their minds.

“……!”

The Dark Elves widened their eyes.

There were spells that could enable translation.

The principle was to interpret and translate the meaning, even if the languages were different.

However, there were weaknesses in such translation magic.

‘If the species are different, translation will not work.’

It was impossible for humans and dogs to communicate, even with the power of magic.

This was because their intellectual abilities, the structure of meaning transmission, and their ways of thinking were completely different.

In the past, someone who had tried to communicate with monsters using translation magic had gone mad as a result of trying even after failing countless times.

It was because the monster’s way of thinking and will had taken root in the mage.

Even though the Dark Elves were demi-humans, it was no different.

Translation magic would not work.

But what Lee Ro-woon did was.

-Are you not going to answer?

Something beyond translation magic.

‘Word of power.’

It was simply a kind of authority with absolute power through words with meaning.

“It seems you still haven’t come to your senses.”

Lee Ro-woon said with a tsking sound.

“I’ll come back, so wait.”

Lee Ro-woon passed by them like that.