Chapter 12 – Glimmer of Hope in the Darkness (1)

Chapter 12 – Glimmer of Hope in the Darkness (1)

After So-mu became the leader, the sword training that had been done every morning was no longer carried out. This was because Dalian took its place. No matter how good your swordsmanship was, if you do not have combat experience, your life will be shortened on the battlefield.

At first, two people formed a group and conducted sparring training. As long as they hold the true sword, intense sparring was bound to hurt each other's bodies.

Then, at some point, about a hundred long swords began to be prepared at the training site every morning. No one knew that Manager Wi Jin-cheol was secretly providing support. It would have been strange if the Sixteenth Patriarch, who was undergoing additional training that he had not been asked to do, did not look pretty in his eyes.

Since the introduction of long swords for training, the special training of the Sixteenth Patriarch has changed drastically. Every day at dawn, they were divided into two groups and engaged in a dog fight like a real battle. Although So-mu's group always won.

Since the opposing group was always beaten, everyone wanted to be on the same side as So-mu. However, in ordered to maintain balance, Il-gwang and Cheong-hae were unfairly forced to always stand on opposite sides.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“Whoa!”

Cheong-hae and Il-gwang breathing hard. The two stared at their surroundings with their backs to each other. About twenty new soldiers were surrounding him.

When the situation reached this point, So-mu would always step back and instruct the new recruits to finish the job. Today again, So-mu gave ordered from between them.

“What are you doing? Let’s finish quickly and rest.”

That was the signal. About twenty new soldiers rush towards Cheong-hae and Il-gwang from all directions. There was no mercy in their swords. This was because they were beaten like this yesterday.

The blunt swords clashed together and a series of loud explosions were heard.

Kang-! Kakakang-!

Il-gwang and Cheong-hae were unable to come to their senses as dozens of swords rained down on them at the same time. Their frantic movements looked like possessed shamans.

Il-gwang, who managed to defeat the two recruits, shouted to the back.

“Don’t fall!”

If the rear was taken away with only two people left, there was no answer.

The new soldiers who had arrived at the front of Cheong-hae were falling one by one. I was holding on well so far, but the problem started now.

A sharp sword that sneaks in among the new soldiers. This attack, aimed at his shoulder, was coming from an unavoidable direction. I could tell who the other person was without even checking.

‘There was no way this time!’

Gritting his teeth, Cheong-hae twisted his body with all his might and swung his sword with all his might. And I was able to barely succeed in striking So-mu's sword.

Kaan-!

Cheong-hae’s face was filled with joy. Because this was the first time I blocked his attack. But even for a moment. The new soldiers continued to attack indiscriminately towards Cheong-hae, who lost her balance.

Phew! puck-! Wow!

“Ugh! Stop!”

As Cheong-hae fell and rolled around, he had no talent to withstand the remaining sunlight. It started when So-mu's sword struck Il-gwang's waist. Even towards the staggering Il-gwang, the new soldiers' merciless attacked were unstoppable.

Wow! puck-! puck!

Il-gwang, who was crouching down and being beaten, screamed.

“Aaaah! Stop it, you bastards!”

As the new soldiers retreated, Il-gwang and Cheong-hae, exhausted, lay down on the floor. Although their whole bodies were throbbing, they had smiled of satisfaction on their faces. Yesterday we lost with twenty people left, but today only thirteen remain.

Their ultimate goal was to defeat So-mu. However, until now, no one has hit his body with a sword even once. The team members had to stick out their tongues every day as the team leader gradually became a monster.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

A subtle smile appeared on So-mu’s face. This was because it was remarkable to see Cheong-hae endure his unity for the first time. Even if it was just a coincidence, he blocked the Sword Saint's attack, so I couldn't help but praise him.

All of the hundred new recruits sat down or lay down and looked at the night sky. Looking at the twinkling stars in the early morning sky, I felt like my mind and body were at peace.

While everyone was taking a break, Cheong-hae broke the silence and spoke.

“The night sky is particularly beautiful today.”

Il-gwang, who was lying next to him, waved his hand and asked.

“From my experience, something bad always happens on days like this.”

Did you say that words become seeds? As soon as Il-gwang finished speaking, a loud noise began to sound from somewhere.

Puuuuuu-!

It was the sound of a horn. The new recruits were surprised and tensed by the sudden commotion.

“It’s a horn sound, right?”

“What, suddenly?”

“It’s still early morning, isn’t it? What the hell is going on?”

It's early morning when everyone was sleeping. A horn suddenly blowing at this hour. Before they could understand the situation, the horn wailed again.

Puuuuuu-!

The roar continued to come faster and stronger. It was clear that something evil had occurred.

So-mu put down his training sword and spoke softly.

“It looks like the enemy has invaded. Everyone raise your true swords.”

The new soldiers were very embarrassed when they heard that the enemy had invaded. Uncertainty of not knowing what the situation was. And since I had no practical experience, it was a natural reaction.

So-mu felt the new soldiers' pulses speeding up. He was scared. Only one person remained normal. It was an experienced Il-gwang. In Baiyang County, he beat several Hui army to death with his bare hands and escaped.

Il-gwang's face wrinkled and he urged the recruits.

“Don’t be scared and pick up your weapon quickly!”

The new recruits, who came to their senses, threw away their training swords and picked up their own swords one by one. When everyone finished preparing, So-mu led them and started running.

The sixteenth group formed a line at regular intervals and headed toward the place where the sword infantry barracks were located. This was because commotion was felt there.

After a while, as the distance got closer, new recruits could also hear the sound of weapons clashing. My heart pounded as I heard screamed coming from everywhere. The moment I turned the corner of the first barracks, the sight of the place caught my eye.

It was a sight to behold.

The number of enemies seemed to be no more than two hundred. However, thousands of new soldiers gave up the will to fight and rushed to run away. So-mu was so dumbfounded that he couldn't help but let out a laugh.

‘There were traces of martial arts skills, but they were nothing special. How formidable this place must have seemed to be able to carry out a surprise attack with just this number of people. If I had reacted calmly, I could have prevented it right away… … .’

One of the generals of the Hui army was blinded by military expertise and led a separate unit under his command to attack.

I was thinking of crossing the castle wall and infiltrating the barracks at night. It was astounding how funny they looked at this place.

In the middle of the melee, Manager Wi Jin-cheol was running around alone and crying.

“Everyone raise your weapons! Do what you are trained to do!”

However, none of Wi Jin-cheol's shouted reached the ears of the new soldiers. Scenes of nearby colleagues running away and being hacked to pieces by Huigun's detachment unfolded everywhere. When fear took over reason, he lost the will to fight.

A small number of regular army soldiers tried to fight here and there, but they had no chance. This was because most of them were people who only did odd jobs by helping new recruits prepare for training. Before we knew it, Baek Mu-ryeon, the head of the advance guard, had joined, but was blocked by the general leading the detachment and was having a hard time. It was a situation where Wi Jin-cheol was the only one running here and there, taking out each person one by one.

There was no answer like this. He felt devastated by the hopeless situation.

It was then.

Wei Jin-cheol's dying eyes suddenly sparkled and became alive. This was because the hundreds of new soldiers joining the melee here came into his sight. It was his favorite sword infantry unit, the Sixteenth.

The sword of Su Mu, who was running at the head of the Sixteen Patriarchs, flashed diagonally. The Hwi soldier who was facing him had his armor torn in two without even thinking about stopping him.

Sigh-!

It was a clean and perfect blow. Did you gain courage from that appearance? The strength went into the hands of the members holding the swords.

“You are strong enough! Believe in yourself!”

Although the fear was not all gone, the new soldiers of the Sixteenth Army gathered courage and dispersed, approaching the Hui Dynasty's detachment.

“Let’s give it a try, you bastards!”

“Wow!”

So-mu quietly took a step back and watched the team members. This was because it was a very good situation for them to gain experience. There was no need for him to step forward.

Il-gwang's ability to run at the forefront and run wild was absolutely outstanding. Despite his enormous size, his quick movements made him look like a fierce tiger. No one was able to withstand more than three hits from Il-gwang's attack.

And there was another person who stood out. Cheong-hae's swordsmanship was excellent as he took down Hwi's soldiers one by one with spectacular movements.

However, his sword had no killing intent. The soldiers who fell to Cheong-hae's sword were not mortally wounded, let alone killed, so they were soon on their feet again. He had never experienced hurting anyone, let alone killing them.

At that time, So-mu's new form moved like a thunderbolt and approached Cheong-hae's back in the blink of an eye. No one dared to see his superhuman movements.

“How can you become the greatest general of the world if you can’t even kill an ant? Being a gatekeeper would be perfect.”

Cheong-hae's ears perked up at So-mu's sarcastic sound. At that moment, Cheong-hae's sword began to contain deadly energy. After seeing Cheong-hae's prayers change, So-mu turned his head and looked for his next target.

A dozen sheets away to the right. I saw Jo Won, whose name was Cheoldu. He was holding onto one enemy soldier and only making threats with his gestures. I was so nervous that I forgot to eat my first meal.

“Come in, you bastard! Come in!”

Although Hui's soldier had a bewildered expression on his face, he continued to look for loopholes. If things continued like this, it was clear that Cheoldu would be defeated without even being able to show his skills. So-mu, who was watching, stepped on the steps. Then his new form stretched out like a ghost and quickly approached behind Cheoldu.

So-mu’s soft voice echoed in Cheoldu’s ears.

“Heavenly Martial Sword Technique, Herbivore Evolution, Rampant Attack.”

It was then. An iron-headed longsword that reacts reflexively. The blade of the sword, raised to shoulder height, rotated once. The soldiers of the Hui Dynasty, startled by the sudden development of herbalism, quickly took a defensive stance.

Kyaang-!

Surprise flashed across the soldier's face as he barely managed to block the attack and took a step back. At that time, So-mu's voice was heard again in Cheoldu's ears.

“This form is one piece and a half dozen .”

It was a movement that had been repeated countless times through training. The moment he heard form's name, Cheoldu's body reacted reflexively. The tip of Cheoldu's sword, which was pulled behind his shoulder, shot out like lightning toward the front. The soldier who had not yet taken his stance did not have the strength to block it.

Phew!

The iron-headed sword pierced the soldier's uvula exactly. And by the time his face was filled with joy. So-mu's gaze was directed elsewhere.

We see Jo Won, whose name was Songhwa. Jo Won, who was the same age as Cheong-hae, was polite and followed him exceptionally well. Now, a soldier from the State of Hui was secretly approaching behind him. And Songhwa didn't notice it at all and was only looking ahead.

So-mu, who was watching this, opened his palm, and a small stone rolling on the floor flew out and was caught. A stone was shot out of So-mu’s hand. It was filled with a blue-tinged force, and hit the soldier who was trying to surprise Songhwa precisely on the head.

Phew!

The soldier whose head was pierced slowly fell to the ground without any understanding. And before he even fell to the floor, So-mu had already moved to another place.