Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 178

The bandit’s eyes widened.

‘An arrow?’

He wasn’t sure if it was an arrow or something else. The important thing was that his forearm had been blown off, and whatever it was had pierced straight through to his thigh.

“Kuaaak!”

The bandit screamed in agony and collapsed.

Pa Sa-reuk’s eyes shook.

“What!”

At that moment, a dozen flashes of light erupted.

Thwack thwack thwack!

The streaks of light shot out, piercing the foreheads of the bandits around the hostages with deadly accuracy.

Pa Sa-reuk’s eyes flashed as he turned his head.

‘Over there!’

It was a mountain about 150 yards away in a straight line. The arrows fired from there had accurately targeted his men.

“What kind of trickery is this… !”

Flash!

Another streak of light flashed. This one was aimed directly at Pa Sa-reuk. It was a much faster and sharper strike than before.

Pa Sa-reuk instinctively raised his palm to deflect it.

Bang!

The arrow, struck by the released energy, grazed Pa Sa-reuk’s cheek.

Sizzle.

Blood flowed from Pa Sa-reuk’s cheek. The direction had been deflected, but the power was still there.

‘Strong!’

A heavy shock remained on the hand that had deflected the arrow.

To be able to imbue an arrow with this much internal energy was unimaginable. Their skill was in no way inferior to his own.

Pa Sa-reuk shouted.

“Kill all the hostages!”

Moyong Gun shouted.

“Charge!”

Kuurrrruuung!

The two hundred cavalrymen at the front began their charge.

The remaining two hundred cavalrymen lined up behind them did not move. Instead, the Tangma soldiers riding them rushed forward with swift footwork.

It was an attack that combined the flexible combat of infantry with the leading cavalry. It was the tactics of a combat unit composed of outstanding martial artists capable of rapid combat based on their superior martial arts.

“Waaaah!”

Behind the dead bandits, more bandits approached and swung their swords at the hostages.

Thwack thwack thwack!

Before the swords could reach the hostages, the bandits fell, spurting blood.

It was truly a divine rapid-fire volley. How they could see the situation so clearly from that distance, and even if they could, how they could execute such perfect archery was simply astonishing.

‘Damn it!’

He never imagined that their hidden card would be such a high-level archer.

‘Was this not a feint, but rather they were confident because of that archer?!’

It was the first time he had failed to read his opponent’s hand correctly.

Pa Sa-reuk shouted.

“Leave the hostages! Fall back!”

Heeheeheeing!

At that moment, a warhorse let out a roar like a dragon’s cry.

The one who rushed forward faster than any cavalry or infantry was Moyong Gun. Moyong Gun had charged directly at Pa Sa-reuk.

Pa Sa-reuk’s blue eyes blazed with fire. There was a clear sense of bewilderment in his gaze.

Moyong Gun spoke coldly.

“I said I would kill you, no matter what.”

Tangma [a special military unit].

These were the words of the commander of the army that eradicates demons. The chilling voice sent shivers down Pa Sa-reuk’s spine.

“Don’t think you’ll die easily.”

Flash!

The sword energy surging in like a wave was so fierce it seemed like it would cleave Pa Sa-reuk in two in an instant.

A red glow surrounded Pa Sa-reuk’s fist.

Clang!

Surprise flickered across Moyong Gun’s face.

“Did you underestimate me too much just because I’m a bandit leader?”

Pa Sa-reuk, with a strong stance, thrust out an arm like a log.

The dark red energy that was slowly rising from his entire body looked extremely ominous.

The energy was ominous, but the power contained in his fist was immense. It was enough to push back not only Moyong Gun but also the warhorse he was riding.

“Consider yourself lucky, you brat.”

Swoosh!

Pa Sa-reuk leaped away.

His footwork was incredibly swift, not befitting his massive size. He crossed the outer perimeter of the upper level in an instant, as if he were flying.

Pa Sa-reuk shouted.

“What are you doing! Break down the north wall! We’re going through the mountain path!”

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

Pa Sa-reuk felt his surroundings darken. A shadow had followed him from behind.

“I clearly said it.”

Moyong Gun, who had jumped off his warhorse and instantly caught up to Pa Sa-reuk, raised his greatsword high.

“You will die here.”

“You brat!”

Flash! Clang!

The two were thrown back in different directions.

The bandits who collided with Pa Sa-reuk’s body collapsed in a heap. Moyong Gun, who had been buried in the building wall, quickly pulled himself out and charged forward.

In that instant, he saw the hostages. Their faces, naked and trembling, were extremely pale.

‘I will protect them.’

Clang! Clang!

Moyong Gun removed his shoulder guards and arm guards, and threw his robe towards the women. The robe, filled with true energy, fluttered and fell in front of the women.

‘Muk Bi will protect them.’

He had told her not to fire any arrows until he gave the signal. In other words, Muk Bi had disobeyed her superior’s orders.

However, Moyong Gun had no intention of blaming her.

It was a truly precarious situation. A chaotic battle had broken out without a plan, but thanks to that, the hostages were alive, so they should be the ones expressing gratitude.

Now, all that remained was the fight.

Bang!

Moyong Gun, stomping down hard, unleashed a powerful energy.

Pa Sa-reuk’s eyes flashed.

Thud!

A bandit fell, spitting blood from the powerful energy. Pa Sa-reuk had thrown his subordinate to use as a shield.

It was an outrageous act, but Moyong Gun was not surprised. He was a madman who had ripped the head off an innocent woman while she was still alive. Nothing he did would be surprising.

Thwack thwack thwack!

Pa Sa-reuk gritted his teeth.

Moyong Gun’s movements, closing the distance with godlike footwork, were not practical but extremely exquisite. It was a divine movement that perfectly blocked any chance of retreating to the rear or sides.

Now, they had no choice but to clash. And if possible, it was best to end it quickly.

Kugugugung.

Dark red energy surged from Pa Sa-reuk’s body once again. He had drawn upon the Sumi Reverse Buddha Technique [a secret martial art], a secret art of the Western Mountain Small Thunder Temple.

And in response.

Moyong Gun also unleashed the majestic sword energy of the strongest swordsmanship, the Qiankun Hundred and Eight Sword Dissection [a powerful sword technique].

The two men’s swords and fists collided head-on.

Clang clang clang!

As the fierce battle between the leaders began, the entire Tangma army broke through the outer perimeter.

Thud! Thud!

The bandits fell one by one, spitting blood.

It was a chaotic situation. If they had been united, it might have been different, but in this situation, the Tangma army, with their high individual martial prowess, had the advantage.

However, the Hoirangdan [a bandit group] were not to be underestimated.

Thud!

“Cough!”

A soldier fell, spitting blood. His chest had been pierced by a skillfully thrown short spear.

It was the first casualty of the Tangma army. Casualties were inevitable during missions, but this was too early.

A bandit shouted.

“Stick together! These guys are a ragtag bunch!”

“Waaaah!”

The bandits were simple. They were battle-hardened warriors who had survived countless life-and-death situations, but their essence was still that of bandits.

And that made them even more terrifying.

At the words that their opponents were a ragtag bunch, the Hoirangdan’s momentum completely changed. Their simplicity became an advantage in this situation, no less than the peak of martial arts.

Clang!

It was an astonishing sight.

The large bandits who had broken through the outer wall of the upper level charged, pushing back the cavalry with body slams.

Their strength, combined with their innate divine power and the martial arts they had learned from beyond the borders, was truly unmatched. It was often said that the power of cavalry was ten times that of infantry, but in front of them, such numerical calculations were meaningless.

“Kill! Kill them!”

“Kuaaak!”

The Hoirangdan, who had initially been pushed back, were now gradually starting to match the Tangma army.

No, they were slowly overwhelming them.

Thud! Thud! Crack!

About a dozen Tangma cavalrymen fell on the spot.

Swoosh! Thud! Thud!

They cut off the heads of the fallen cavalrymen and thrust spears into the bodies of the soldiers who had been riding them.

They wanted to move, but they couldn’t move properly. All the Tangma soldiers were quite famous in the martial world, but they had never experienced a group battle like this.

Without training and experience, they could not utilize even half of their outstanding individual martial skills.

That was what a group battle, a war, was like.

Clang!

He had blocked the greatsword with the edge of his blade, but Pa Sa-reuk’s fist was unharmed.

It was a fist technique that boasted the purity of steel. The strength of the fist itself was astonishing, but the destructive power created by the ominous energy surrounding it was also great.

‘This won’t do.’

Chiririring! Thud!

Pa Sa-reuk staggered back three steps.

Although the power was not fully applied, he had only retreated three steps despite being struck in the abdomen with a kick. Whether he had mastered the peak of external martial arts or not, his defense was incredible.

‘This can’t continue like this.’

Clang!

The greatsword that was swung down cut through Pa Sa-reuk’s forearm.

It was a cut, but it was only flesh. He had twisted his arm at the same time the blade touched, avoiding a complete severing.

It was a practical fighting technique that had been trained to the point of instinct, not just the head. It was hard to believe that it was the skill of a mere bandit leader.

‘The advantage of the surprise attack has been fully gained. Now is the time to retreat.’

Even while fighting an opponent he couldn’t ignore, he accurately grasped the situation on the battlefield.

It was just a little late. If he had seen it in time, he could have minimized the damage to the Tangma army.

It was impossible to make divine judgments on his first mission, but even this much was enough to show that Moyong Gun’s talent was unparalleled.

Moyong Gun shouted.

“Squad Leader Jin! Pull the troops back!”

Jin Pae, who had been busy slaughtering bandits, shone his eyes.

He didn’t want to retreat. He wanted to wipe out all these crazy bastards.

However, it was the commander’s order. He couldn’t disobey it.

The fact that he had given the order only to him, not to all the squad leaders, was probably because he believed that he would definitely obey.

“All Tangma troops, retreat!”

Chiririring!

The soldiers, who had been fiercely pushing back the bandits, looked at Jin Pae with fiery eyes.

“But Squad Leader!”

“It’s the commander’s order! Retreat now!”

Gyu Byeok gritted his teeth.

“All of Squad Two, retreat!”

The soldiers hesitated.

Again, it was too late. Moyong Gun’s judgment was a little late, but if it had been certain, the soldiers would not have reacted immediately to their superior’s orders.

The reason was simple.

They were fired up. They knew that their superior’s orders were absolute, and they weren’t ignoring them, but the pride unique to martial artists delayed their reaction by a beat.

And the result was quite terrible.

Thwack thwack thwack!

The bandits’ arrows, which had been waiting for the perfect opportunity, rained down on the Tangma army’s Squad Two cavalrymen.

Thwack thwack thwack! Heeheeheeing!

They had blocked more than half of the arrows, but they couldn’t block the rest. About thirty cavalrymen fell on the spot.

“No!”

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Only then did their retreat speed increase.

However, the Hoirangdan were tenacious. They knew from experience that an unintended retreat would greatly diminish the enemy’s morale.

Clang clang clang!

Pa Sa-reuk grabbed Moyong Gun’s greatsword.

His palm was cut and bleeding, but thanks to the powerful force of the Sumi Reverse Buddha Technique, it wasn’t cut to the bone.

“How is it, you brat?”

Pa Sa-reuk grinned.

“Who was going to kill who?”

“…It seems things aren’t going as planned.”

“Hahaha! Did you just realize that?”

Whoosh!

A powerful force pushed Moyong Gun even further. In terms of strength, Pa Sa-reuk was clearly superior.

“It’s been fun for a while. Farewell, you brat commander.”

That’s when it happened.

Crack!

“Cough!”

Pa Sa-reuk staggered, clutching his nose.

“This, this bastard, what did you just do…?!”

“I’m just going all out.”

Moyong Gun wiped his forehead. He had broken Pa Sa-reuk’s nose with a headbutt.

“Now that I don’t have to worry about my subordinates, I’ll be different from what I’ve been until now.”

“What the hell are you saying, you bastard!”

That’s when it happened.

Kuurrrruuung!

The trees on the southern mountain all exploded. A group of people could be seen rushing in, indiscriminately knocking down rocks and trees.

Pa Sa-reuk’s eyes widened.

Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“Today, you will be captured here.”

Kuhheoheong!!

With an angry roar, a white storm broke through the southern wall of the outer perimeter and charged in.

It was the Myeolsa Army [a powerful military force].