Clink!

“To the endless prosperity of our clan!”

“To prosperity!”

As Namgung Chae-gong raised his glass high and shouted a toast, the others followed suit, lifting their glasses. The atmosphere quickly became boisterous.

The venerable elders of the Namgung clan criticized the head of the family for his lack of decorum, but what could be done? His nature was as free as clouds drifting with the wind, and he was already too engrossed in his drink to care.

A grand banquet. Even if someone tried to maintain decorum from above, the mood was too light and carefree, especially with the head of the family leading the revelry, making it impossible to contain the excitement. A warrior even suggested showing off a sword dance, considering it a must-see at such an event.

Namgung Chae-gong slung an arm around Namgung Pae’s shoulders.

“Pae, it’s a good day, have a drink with us!”

“Master, I’m in charge of security. Someone has to keep a sharp eye out… Ack!”

“How dare you try to avoid a drink from a master!”

With the skill of an expert, he hooked Namgung Pae’s chin with his golden ladle and poured the drink down his throat. It was a natural move. While the birthday celebrant was causing a ruckus, one side of the wall remained relatively quiet.

Enbus fiddled with his glass and asked Namgung Myeong.

“…Doesn’t our master lack a sense of propriety?”

“It’s embarrassing…”

Namgung Myeong, whether ashamed of his father’s behavior or unable to bear looking at him, simply hung his head low.

“Better to be harmonious than heartless.”

It was actually something to envy.

If Duke Redburn had been such an amiable person, many things would have changed. Enbus tilted his glass and gulped down plain water. It tasted bitter.

“Master Cheonghwi.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Do you have a dream?”

“Of course. That is… to become a master. Strong enough to defeat a heavenly demon.”

If he became that strong, there would be nothing to fear in the world. He would surpass Bennett at the academy to become the top student, and he would be on par with or even surpass the professors.

He could even kiss Luna, fulfill his deepest desires, and achieve everything he wanted, couldn’t he?

Namgung Myeong looked at Enbus with bright, curious eyes and asked.

“What do you want to do once you become a master?”

“I need to see my mother, return to my family to reclaim my position, and… meet my brother again.”

“Ah, so Master Cheonghwi also has a brother! But… do you really need to become a master to do those things?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Perhaps not.

“Ah, I’ll follow you.”

“Thank you. Have a drink yourself.”

“Hehe.”

Clink.

The two little ones exchanged plain water, imitating adults. Enbus, who was fiddling with a piece of tofu on his plate, suddenly felt a gust of wind.

Whooosh. Rumble.

“……?”

A vibration that resonated faintly through the air as a medium.

A slight tremor that tickled the hairs on his skin. Enbus turned towards the direction of the Nangong family’s main gate. The surroundings were noisy, and the banquet was still underway.

Enbus pushed all the commotion to a corner of his mind and focused.

“……? Master Cheonghwi?”

Thud. Thump.

The sound of collision. And then, the faint smell of blood that flowed and tickled his nose. Enbus slowly rose from his seat, tensing his muscles.

Nangong Myeong, sensing the unusual atmosphere, also put down his cup and stood up, looking intently at the main gate. Only then did Nangong Myeong feel it.

Insightful Gaze.

A murky intent to kill, staring at him from afar.

—

Wooo──.

Late at night. Outside the walls of the Nangong family’s estate, where the banquet was in full swing, complete darkness had descended. The bright moon was up, but its light was not enough to illuminate every shadow.

Ssssssh.

An old tree branch bent down and then sprang up, trembling. Something, some nocturnal creature, had stepped on it and passed by. Ssssssh. The sound of leaves brushing against each other testified to the creature’s presence.

Tap. Tap.

It leaped onto a stall set up by the roadside. However, its movements were oddly peculiar. There was an unsettling discomfort, as if it were human, yet not quite human.

The creature caught human voices in its ears. It was two warriors guarding the Nangong family’s main gate. They were chatting with each other.

“……The inside is quite lively. How much longer until we switch?”

“Quite a while. The full moon hasn’t even moved past that pavilion yet.”

“Damn, when we switch, I’m going to drink first……”

Click.

It climbed onto the roof.

“…Look there. Wait. Over there.”

Bathed in the moon’s backlight, shadows painted pitch black, and eyes white without pupils. A body so emaciated it was strange, discernible only by its outline. Hair disheveled.

“…Is that a person?”

“Be it human or ghost, it doesn’t seem like a good omen. Ring the bell! I’ll buy us time—”

Thud.

The beast ran on all fours.

Its hands and feet crisscrossing wildly, it ran in a bizarre manner unlike any animal in this world. It was a leap that seemed half centipede, half dog. Thud. Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

And in an instant, it was before the warrior.

Crack.

It snapped the neck.

Witnessing the comrade warrior taken down in a flash, the remaining warrior was seized with terror. The speed was too fast to even react. Likely, he would meet the same fate.

“This, this monst—”

That thing.

Before he could finish his words, the beast used the comrade’s broken neck as a weapon. The warrior saw the crown of his comrade’s head flying towards his own face.

That was the last thing he saw.

Thump, thump.

Two corpses lay with their heads smashed. But it wouldn’t stop at two.

Leap.

The beast vaulted over the wall.

—

Chaos spreads like fire, becoming uncontrollable in just a short time. But the beast was a bit faster than fire.

At the edge of the banquet, on the wall where Namgung Myeong was located. The disheveled beast ran on all fours to cut short the life of a young boy.

The beast’s body was revealed by the light of the banquet hall.

Skin of bloodless gray and muscles shriveled tight, a stomach caved in as if devoid of innards. Those with discernment realized that this monster bore the name Jiangshi.

The warriors of the Namgung family drew their swords.

“Block it!”

“Stop it!”

Jiangshi is also called the nightmare of the elite.

It is because its ash-white skin possesses a hardness and strength beyond imagination. Unless one has reached a level where they can slice through steel, it was impossible to inflict meaningful damage on a Jiangshi.

Thus, the warriors now facing the Jiangshi knew, they could not defeat it.

But their conditions for victory were different.

The warriors of Nangong Clan only needed to hold on. Even if an arm or leg broke, if they could just buy a brief moment of time.

“You’re ruining my birthday banquet, you damned scoundrel!”

It was because Nangong Clan’s greatest swordsman, Nangong Chaegong, would handle it!

Hssssk. Steam burst forth from Nangong Chaegong’s body. With a sophisticated internal energy technique, he had sobered up completely. He drew the sword from his waist and sprinted. In ten seconds, he would reach the clan leader.

The warriors of Nangong Clan laughed. As if they couldn’t hold out for a mere ten seconds against a sword!

They thrust their swords. By infusing their inner strength and pressing down as if pushing, they believed they could restrain the Jiangshi, no matter how strong it was.

“You shall not pass any furth—… Huh?!”

In a single move, they realized their overconfidence.

The Jiangshi, as if knowing every sword move of Nangong Clan, slipped through the gaps that couldn’t be filled with swords. And as it passed by the warrior, it slashed with its sharply pointed nails.

Slash.

The neck was severed, and blood gushed out. The warrior clutched at his throat, his lips quivering. This was no ordinary foe. It was a problem beyond strength.

It knew Nangong’s sword techniques. It knew how to counter them…!

But how could he convey this with a throat gushing blood? It was too late.

Slash, swoosh.

The Jiangshi, moving erratically like a shaman possessed by spirits, dodged the incoming sword strikes and killed two more.

Some guests screamed, some stepped back or tried to draw their swords, but the Jiangshi had already reached close to Nangong Myeong. Nangong Chaegong shouted.

“Stop──!!”

As if words could reach a monster made of corpses.

Only martial arts could reach those without a human heart, so Nangong Chaegong’s desperate cry was in vain.

Thump-!

It meant that Enver’s club had an effect. The Jiangshi staggered slightly, and in that moment, Enver blocked its path with his body and shouted.

“…Nangong Myeong, run away!”

“I will help you, Master Cheonghwi!”

“It’s after you, so no more words, just run, urgh…!!”

Ssssscratch!

The Jiangshi’s nail stabbing surged forward. Enver, guided by his insight, barely dodged, the skin tearing at the edge.

Then, the Jiangshi extended its leg at an incomprehensible angle.

A movement with an unknown intent. But Enver understood. This was no mistake. This was… a strategy of that monstrous demon, reading several moves ahead!

Whooosh──!!

“How could a ghoul possess the martial prowess of the Heavenly Demon…?!”

Ember wracked his brain to the point of agony, pondering what the next attack would be, thinking it over and over again.

“Luna…!”

When in doubt, they say to sit and watch.

And so, he sat right down on the spot. Was it confusion from the unexpected movement that caused the Jiangshi to freeze momentarily? Ember’s eyes gleamed.

Supporting himself with his arms, Ember drew his legs together and launched a kick.

Thwack!

The Jiangshi was pushed back. It seemed its own weight wasn’t very heavy. If he could manage it with a deflecting motion, he might buy some time. Ember filed that fact away in his mind.

Then, Nangong Chae Gong arrived.

“I’m here, young master. Focus on evasion!”

“Clan leader!”

Whoosh!

From Nangong Chae Gong’s sword erupted a bluish flame-like sword energy. It soared up and lashed out like a cross-shaped bolt of lightning.

But before the clan leader’s sword could fully swing, the Jiangshi, as if knowing what attack was coming, moved its body. And it dodged with ease.

“…This old thing!”

A technique superior even to strength.

The extreme artistry of the Heavenly Demon, effortlessly deflecting the explosive strike with the power of a child.

It couldn’t be said to have reached such a level. However, using the characteristic of being already dead, the Jiangshi was imitating the Heavenly Demon’s techniques quite closely. A normal Jiangshi would have been sliced up long ago.

Crack.

Dodging by twisting its neck.

Creak. Snap.

Avoiding by twisting its own ankle 360 degrees.

It countered with a method so eerie it sent shivers down one’s spine. It contorted its body to clear space, wielding it like a tool without hesitation.

Chilling.

Ember’s instincts screamed the highest warning. Think. If one could really do ‘anything’ to achieve their goal, what lengths would they go to?

One must not be constrained by common sense. See everything as a tool, and if something can happen, it will happen. Try to follow the thought process of the Heavenly Demon. Even if only approximately. Then──

The Jiangshi, while clashing with Nangong Chae Gong, cunningly changed its position. And energy began to gather near the Jiangshi’s elbow.

“…Explosive strike?!”

Ember realized.

From noble mtl dot come

The direction of the Jiangshi’s fingertips was towards Nangong Myeong. The creature was… planning to ‘launch’ an explosion from within its own arm!

Suddenly. In the distant past. The sound of muscle fibers tearing from the arm of the Jiangshi.

Endeavor suppressed the agony rising from the magic engine, squeezing out mana to its limits. What came to mind was the confrontation with Jay. If he could suppress the Jiangshi’s arm with an explosive seal before it launched!

In the seemingly slowed time, as Endeavor tried to apply the intricacies of the explosive seal.

“…Ugh!”

Dizziness struck, and the world spun before his eyes.

…Poison. There was poison in the Jiangshi’s claws. He thought he had narrowly avoided the tearing of his skin, but that alone had been fatal.

Boom──!!

An explosion erupted from the Jiangshi’s elbow, and the pale arm was violently shot through space.

Namgung Myeong barely managed to twist his body to avoid it, but he was too young to shake it off. The launched arm embedded itself in Namgung Myeong’s energy center.

“aaah…!!”

No.

With the boy’s scream, Endeavor’s vision also went dark.