ML Chapter 24

They ran. Running was all they could do.

Even as his father and the Shuozhou Branch members he considered family were killed, all the fourteen-year-old boy could do was run.

“Brother. I’m cold.”

His little sister whimpered in his arms.

The boy, Socheon, blew warm breath onto his sister’s frozen hands.

“We’re almost there, just hang on a bit longer, okay?”

“When can we go home? Soyul wants to see Mom… She came yesterday too…”

“You’re lying. Did brother see her too?”

“Of course I did.”

In my dreams. Socheon swallowed the words that followed. His mother in last night’s dream was exactly as she’d been three days ago. After watching and stroking the exhausted sleeping Soyul for a long time, she’d said:

‘Survive. You must survive.’

That voice, that retreating figure leading others away, still flickered before his eyes.

‘What happened to Mother? Could she be… No, impossible.’

Just as he was forcing down the ominous feeling…

Rustle.

“Who’s there!”

The series of movements—pulling his sister close while drawing his dagger—came naturally.

Since that night when their home burned and he witnessed countless deaths, the once cheerful boy had gained the eyes of a beast.

“I’ll count to three. One, two—”

“It’s me.”

The dagger lowered as a face emerged from the darkness.

“Uncle Gong?”

“Shh. Keep your voice down.”

The man called Uncle Gong was a middle-aged man with a tired face. A long-time friend of Socheon’s father, the Shuozhou Branch Master, he was now guide and protector to the young siblings.

“I was worried when you didn’t return for over half an hour.”

“Had to be careful. We’ve got a tail.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Time is critical.”

Socheon rose without hesitation.

Uncle Gong took the confused Soyul on his back and led the way through the underbrush.

“Where are we going?”

“Hunzhou. No matter how brutal they are, they won’t dare chase us there.”

Would they really? Socheon had his doubts.

The Shuozhou Branch had already fallen. Buildings burned, everyone dead. Though he didn’t know their identity, their purpose was clear.

‘Annihilation.’

He let his breath carry away the word that surfaced. Socheon started walking again.

After walking for who knows how long, just as the snow that had been falling like sleet reached their calves…

“Quiet.”

Uncle Gong’s footsteps stopped. Socheon held his breath too.

Fierce wind. Bare branches clashing… That was all.

But Socheon sensed it.

“Is it them?”

Uncle Gong answered with a hardened face.

“At least ten. They’ll catch up soon.”

A bleak situation. But strangely, Socheon’s mind settled into calm.

“My fault. Should have hurried before the snow… Curse this heaven.”

“You did your best, Uncle.”

Socheon drew his dagger. Given to him by his father a year ago, it was the only trace his father left behind.

“Though my martial arts are weak, I’ve still trained. I’ll die fighting like a warrior.”

“…It’s too early to give up.”

That was all Uncle Gong could say. They drew upon their remaining strength and began moving.

But their stamina, pushed to the limit by days of non-stop flight, held them back. Steps grew slower, breathing labored.

“There they are!”

“Almost got them!”

Now even Socheon could hear them.

The pursuers’ voices and their torchlight drew ever closer.

That’s when Uncle Gong handed the soundly sleeping Soyul to Socheon.

“I’ll follow behind.”

“Uncle!”

“Don’t worry. This Gong Ya-cheong isn’t such a pushover.”

“But how can you—”

“Go!”

Socheon left Gong Ya-cheong behind and climbed the mountain again. His stamina was at its limit, but he didn’t stop.

When he reached the snow-covered hillside, the clash of weapons and someone’s scream rang out.

‘Uncle Gong.’

Socheon clenched his teeth.

He wanted to draw his dagger and rush down there right now.

But…

‘Endure. I must endure.’

He’d sworn it hundreds, thousands of times over the past five days.

That he would survive, protect his little sister in his arms, and take revenge on those murderers.

On the hillside, Socheon watched the flickering torches with eyes blazing with fire.

‘I will survive.’

And as he turned to climb the hill, Socheon’s body froze as if struck by lightning.

“Ah, aah…”

In the wide clearing atop the hill, ten men in navy martial uniforms were staring at him.

The single character “Jin” (陳) embroidered with tassels on their chests stood out clearly.

I sensed something was off just as we were about to start training.

Voices barely audible over the fierce wind. As I channeled my internal energy, their identity became clearer.

‘Human voices?’

At least ten people by my estimate. So close I wondered how we hadn’t noticed earlier.

‘That many people in this weather…? Alright, decided.’

“Pack up.”

“What?”

The members preparing for training with their weapons asked with bewildered faces.

“Pack up quickly. Someone go wake Hyeok Mujin—”

“Captain. There’s a kid over there.”

Shit. It’s real. A small kid carrying an even smaller child was staring blankly at us.

“Who’s that?”

“Don’t know. The cabin owner maybe?”

God, I hope so. But why do I doubt the people following them are one big happy family?

“He’s crying.”

As someone said, the kid was crying. Running while sobbing uncontrollably. The problem was the direction.

“Uh, he’s coming this way… Captain, where are you going?”

Suspicious eyes turned to me.

I’d already retreated quite a distance.

“To get the horses. Time to move out.”

“In this weather? The horses won’t even move.”

“Oh? Then we’ll leave them.”

“What?”

“That’s how missions work. Rain or snow, we’ve got a job to do. Shut up and pack.”

“But still…”

“Pack up! Wake Hyeok Mujin!”

The looks of admiration from just thirty minutes ago had turned to stares reserved for lunatics.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Why? Because this feels fucking wrong, that’s why.

I can read the room now. The closer the kid gets, the stronger the smell of deep shit.

I could see exactly how this would play out.

Only one option left.

“Then I’ll go down ahead—”

At that moment, with battle cries, the uninvited guests appeared on the hilltop.

A group of twenty men.

‘Ah, fuck.’

Ding.

[Sudden Quest] has been generated!

[Shuozhou Branch Survivors]

You’ve encountered survivors from the Jin family’s Shuozhou Branch.

Save them from the Hengshan Sword Sect’s ruthless pursuers.

• Rank: Sudden Quest
• Restriction: Jin Tae-kyung
• Mission: Save survivors (Incomplete)
• Reward: Chain quest
• ???
• Failure: ???

We saw them. They saw us. A deathly silence fell over the frozen clearing.

‘I knew it. I fucking knew this would happen.’

Too late for regrets now. What can I do about my shitty luck?

I let out a deep sigh and shouted.

“Combat formation. Deploy!”

Clack clack clack. Despite the sudden situation, the members moved as taught. Just as our formation took shape, the bastards realized who we were and roared.

“Jin family brats!”

“They’re outnumbered. Wipe them out!”

Brats. Outnumbered.

These precisely picked facts tear at my chest.

Haven’t even finished training them, their martial arts are low-level and they have no combat experience, complete rookies…

‘Should I bolt alone if things go south?’

Using [Qi Sense] while feeling grim, waves of blue energy visible only to me swept over the enemies charging with savage cries.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

[LV.12], [Lv.11], [Lv.12]

“…Huh?”

Just then the scouts shouted with pale faces.

“What do we do?”

“They’re coming!”

“Captaaaain!”

Watching the enemies charging at 30 meters, 20 meters… I spoke.

“Don’t worry. They’re just experience poi— I mean, rabble. But!”

“But?”

“Block with everything you’ve got. Just block.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

What do I mean? Don’t steal my killing blows, that’s what.

“Defensive formation, deploy!”

Yeah. All that XP is mine.

“Captain!”

“No! Captaaaain!”

“The Captain’s gone suicide rushing!”

That’s not it, you idiots. I ignored the scouts’ screams and charged at the enemies.

Internal energy surged from my danjeon through my limbs.

“Crazy bastard.”

The enemy leader showed his yellow teeth in a grin.

I grinned back.

“Pretty boy.”

“What?”

Slash.

As I passed the guy clutching his throat and falling, the voice I’d been waiting for rang out.

Ding.

• Experience gained.
• Gained 50 Merit Points!

“W-what the hell!”

“This son of a bitch dares to—”

The enemies were quite the collection. Facial scars were the basic option, and their poor hygiene assaulted my nose.

But…

“Oh yeah, this is nice.”

Feels like I’m in a flower garden. Twenty flowers laden with sweet experience point nectar. With a happy face, I rushed into the flowers to suck out their honey.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

• Experience gained.
• Gained 50 Merit Points…
• Experience gained…
• Gained 50 Merit Points…

I tore through them relentlessly. Their front line crumbled in the blink of an eye, and the enemies unconsciously hesitated.

‘Well thank you.’

The Jin Family’s Footwork and Spear Arts are based on advancing.

I stepped with the footwork technique. Diving into their center while swinging my spear.

“Gaak!”

“Aaargh!”

A brutal spear technique combining the Sharp Spear’s heavy weight. Moreover, with the enemies retreating more and more…

It was time for the Jin Family’s Spear Arts to show its true worth.

‘First form.’

I began swinging my spear with the footwork technique. Each swing and thrust brought someone’s scream and blood.

“Kuk.”

“Kheeeuk.”

Second form, third form. Fourth form.

At some point I gave myself to the flow. Ripples became waves, and the waves swept away enemies. Every nerve in my body tingled.

More, more, more…

“You fucking bastaaaaard—!”

Thunk. Thunk.

Neck, chest, abdomen. Stabbing and slicing in sequence. The system notifications confirmed the kills.

After who knows how long, only one person remained standing.

“T-the Chief will definitely find you—”

I didn’t wait.

The wave is flow. And the final wave burst from my spear tip.

The Jin Family’s Spear Arts’s final form, Heaven Piercing Strike.

SWOOSH!

The last man, Sparrow Eyes, stared at his shattered sword before falling to his knees. His chest had exploded as if hit by a cannon.

Ding.

• You have slain [Lv.32 Black Mountain Blade]!
• [Survivors] quest completed!
• Chain quest generated!
• Massive experience gained!
• Massive Merit Points gained!
• Level up!
• Level up!
• Level…

Listening to the endless system notifications, I rubbed my belly.

“Urp.”

Oof, I’m stuffed.