Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 57

Out of curiosity, Mok Gyeong-un slightly extended his arm towards the void in the direction where the death energy was flowing and chanted the oral secrets in his mind.

It was the Art of Binding technique.

[Can you feel it? That’s the subtle principle of the Art of Binding technique. You can pull and attach anything. That’s no exception even for energy.]

Cheong-ryeong had definitely said that.

Although the distance was far, the death energy was filling everywhere as so many boys were dying.

With this much, it might be quite possible.

‘Boundless and unceasing, the two energies combine to form the heart above. The original form is innate, the supreme form is acquired. The demonic barrier opens the supreme bloodgate.’

Even though his qi channels were sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock, the Art of Binding technique wasn’t a concept deployed with internal energy.

This was a special power that came solely from the oral secrets themselves.

The hand extended towards the empty void.

The corners of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth twitched as he concentrated.

-Whoosh!

The confirmation that started with a light heart, thinking it would be fine if it didn’t work.

Fortunately, it fit.

The death energy rippling all around began to be sucked into Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.

It was a tremendous amount of death energy.

‘It’s adhering.’

Originally, he thought only the nearby death energy would be sucked in.

But a coincidental event occurred.

As the death energy around Mok Gyeong-un was sucked in, the unique flow created by it caused the energy spreading in all directions to ride that flow.

Perhaps he could obtain even more death energy than at Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

Mok Gyeong-un inwardly spoke as he looked at the boys still engaging in a bloody struggle.

‘Kill and die more.’

The more they killed each other, the more he benefited.

There was one gaze looking at Mok Gyeong-un with a puzzled expression.

It was the demon mask.

‘… What is he doing?’

Most of the attention was on the valley where the struggle was taking place.

But the demon mask had unconsciously glanced at the front of the incense burner and discovered Mok Gyeong-un extending his arm slightly towards the valley.

‘Hmm.’

He didn’t know what the …. he was doing.

So he heightened his qi sense and looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

But he couldn’t feel anything.

‘Is it an overreaction?’

Well, with his qi channels sealed by the Forbidden Gate Lock, there was no way he could do anything.

It was a situation where even qi circulation was impossible.

However, he couldn’t help but be quite bothered by his actions.

While he was thinking that, the warrior next to him spoke.

“The incense stick is almost burned out.”

Time was almost up.

In the meantime, the number of boys who had entered slightly exceeded 400.

The boys who died fighting among themselves alone were close to 200, and the remaining 200 were engaged in a bloody battle.

-Sizzle!

The incense stick was precariously burning down to the bottom line.

The demon mask raised his hand.

Then, the warriors in red belts who had been waiting around the edges of the valley simultaneously drew the weapons at their waists.

-Shing! Shing!

At this sight, the boys fighting over the iron balls became even more desperate.

If they didn’t hurry, they would die.

It awakened the hidden tenacity and strong desire to live within the boys.

“Die, die!”

-Smash! Smash!

“Get out of the way!”

-Crunch!

“Argh! Y-you bit me, you bastard?”

Smashing heads with rocks, and if that doesn’t work, even biting and clinging on.

It was downright gruesome.

Even those who were watching and had managed to sit in front of the incense burner after fighting couldn’t just look at it as someone else’s business.

This was just the beginning.

But among them, one boy stood out.

“Aaaaah!”

-Crack!

“Ugh!”

As if he had awakened, he was indiscriminately killing the surrounding boys, having been inconspicuous until now. It was none other than Mok Yu-cheon.

Mok Yu-cheon, who couldn’t accept killing others without any grudge, had aimed only to find the iron ball and stand in front of the incense burner.

However, the situation had pushed even Mok Yu-cheon to the edge of a cliff.

“Haa… haa…”

The moment he found the iron ball, the boys trying to kill him to snatch it, and the incense stick that had almost burned out.

This situation eventually made even Mok Yu-cheon the same as them.

‘shit! shit!’

He didn’t know how many he had killed, but in the end, Mok Yu-cheon was able to reach the front of the incense burner after fending off all the boys targeting his iron ball.

Arriving at the incense burner, he raised the blood-stained iron ball.

“Pass!”

The moment he heard that shout, all the tension dissipated, and he plopped down on the ground.

The first thought that came to Mok Yu-cheon as he sat down was this:

‘I’m alive… I survived.’

A sense of relief that made him shiver.

He had managed to survive a hellish moment.

The fear that he might die brought about a tenacious fierceness to live.

However, soon, a sense of self-loathing came over him as he looked at his blood-stained palms.

‘… What… have I done?’

Certainly, it was for his own survival, but what is this?

It felt like he had become a beast for a moment, not a human.

While he was thinking that, the demon mask’s shout was heard.

“The incense stick has burned out completely. Kill them.”

“Chong!!!”

As soon as that order was given, screams continuously erupted from the valley water not long after.

The boys whose danjeon were sealed couldn’t even resist.

***

The warriors counted the number of boys sitting in rows in front of the incense burner.

And that number was determined.

The total number of surviving boys was 468.

It could be said that nearly 40% had died.

‘60%… not bad.’

However, the demon mask had no significant interest in those who died.

Rather, if about 60% survived in the first gateway, it wasn’t bad for the initial weeding out process.

After the counting was finished, the demon mask spoke to the boys in front of the incense burner.

“I sincerely congratulate those who have passed the first gateway.”

“…”

The boys just listened quietly.

Although it was only for two hours, they were exhausted from doing all sorts of things to survive.

Looking at them, the demon mask continued.

“Since you obtained the iron balls, you must have realized. The numbers engraved on the iron balls are different for each one. Remember them well. That will be your designation here.”

“…”

“Then we will immediately begin the second gateway.”

-Murmur murmur!

At the demon mask’s words, the boys who had been catching their breath stirred.

They thought they could rest a bit now.

But they were going to proceed with the second gateway right after the first one ended?

Especially for those who passed late when the incense stick was almost burned out, it was naturally agonizing.

‘shit.’

Mok Yu-cheon was the same.

Putting aside the self-loathing, he hadn’t even recovered his stamina yet, so how long could he endure if he had to do this nonsense again?

Regardless of their reactions, the demon mask pointed to the mountain beyond the valley with his hand and said,

“The second gateway is to endure on that mountain from now until dawn.”

‘Until dawn?’

It was late at night now.

It was around sunset when they had set out for this place.

After walking for about three hours without rest and then going through the first gateway for two hours.

Considering this, they had roughly three hours left until dawn.

‘Is it just enduring this time?’

If that was the case, it could be said to be more manageable than finding iron balls.

Even if there were crazy ones obsessed with competition, if they just found a suitable place and hid, they could conserve their stamina and rest.

Since the Forbidden Gate Lock was still inserted, they wouldn’t be able to utilize their qi sense, so it was quite possible.

Most of them seemed to have similar thoughts, showing relieved expressions.

However, it couldn’t be this simple.

The demon mask spoke.

“I will state the conditions that come with it.”

‘Conditions?’

What does that mean again?

“There are forty flags stuck on the mountain. The number of people who can be at a flag is eight. Exactly eight people must be at that location until dawn.”

-Murmur murmur!

At those words, everyone stirred again.

As expected.

It couldn’t go easily.

“It can’t be more or less than eight. If such a case occurs, you die.”

“…”

Silence hung in the air.

Upon hearing the conditions, everyone was thinking about the gist of this gateway.

This was the same for Mok Yu-cheon.

‘There are roughly five hundred people here. But if there are forty flags, it means only three hundred and twenty can survive.’

It was announcing another bloody competition.

However, there was a difference.

If they found a flag, the eight people had to work together for about three hours to defend it.

‘Group cooperation!’

Everyone grasped the gist of this gateway.

Of course, there would be many variables, but depending on how they cooperated, they could have conditions to endure efficiently.

-Swish!

With this, everyone’s gazes naturally turned towards each other, not the demon mask.

There was no need to find a flag and form a team there.

If they gathered the strongest and most useful teammates here and now, they might be able to easily overcome this gateway.

‘Then…’

Their gazes turned to those at the very front of the incense burner.

They were the first to pass the first gateway and had overflowing stamina.

Joining their group or recruiting them was the only way to gain the most advantageous position.

‘Hmm.’

It wasn’t just those who passed late who were contemplating this.

Those who passed first were also making their own calculations.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley, who passed second, also looked around and pondered.

‘I quickly passed the first gateway and succeeded in managing my stamina, but the second gateway is immediately following. According to the conditions, it will be a situation where I can’t let my guard down for even a moment.’

In that case, he might not be able to rest all night.

With the small number of flags and maintaining the headcount, there were bound to be many annoying situations.

‘It’s a situation where I have to stay up all night.’

But if the third gateway immediately followed this, the key was still conserving stamina.

In a situation where they couldn’t perform qi circulation, that was huge.

If their internal energy wasn’t sealed, they could take turns circulating qi and recover their stamina, but now it was an extreme situation.

‘… I may have to avoid situations where I have to fight unnecessarily.’

That was the only way to fully preserve his stamina.

Indeed, from that perspective, it was better to team up with the most useful guys.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley looked to his left and right.

Mok Gyeong-un and the muscular boy from the Esoteric Realm Gate.

‘Hmm.’

Along with himself, they were the first to pass the first gateway.

Rather than looking for someone far away, it was more efficient for those with the most overflowing stamina to stick together and easily pass this gateway.

‘I was going to finish first in the second gateway, but…’

For this time, it seemed better to join hands.

The boy from the Vermilion Slaughter Valley furtively glanced at Mok Gyeong-un to his left.

He was trying to extend his hand first and establish a cooperative relationship.

However,

‘!?’

He saw Mok Gyeong-un’s lips twitching.

Those eyes that seemed to find it interesting, as if he was enjoying this situation.

It was enough to make him feel unpleasant.

‘… It won’t work.’

He had absolutely no desire to reach out to this bastard.

Strangely, his instincts were telling him.

That he was the one who needed to be eliminated first among those here.

While he was thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un whispered first.

“Do you want to team up with me?”

What?

Did this guy also judge that it would be advantageous to side with him?

But after seeing that face just now, his desire to team up had disappeared.

“… No.”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged his shoulders and licked his lips.

‘What a pity.’

He wanted to kill him first.