After the crew members left first, Kim Muhyuk was the last to leave the hideout.
<I’m heading out. Nothing will happen, so don’t worry too much.>
He went down to the café on the first floor and wrote a short message on a Post-it for his parents.
He had already given them a rough explanation of the plan the night before, but they would definitely be worried.
Just as Kim Muhyuk was about to stick his note onto the café refrigerator, he noticed a message his parents had written first.
<We’ll make something delicious. Let’s call the crew over and all eat dinner together at home tonight.>
He could feel the two of them hoping that today would be just another ordinary day where they shared dinner together.
All the while trying to hide their worry about the son who always returned badly injured whenever he went out to fight.
“...This time I should avoid getting hurt as much as possible.”
After quietly making that vow, Kim Muhyuk peeled the note off the refrigerator, tucked it inside his clothes like a lucky charm, and left the café.
WHISH!
Kim Muhyuk leapt into the air and dashed across the rooftops, using his lightness technique.
The scenery around him changed in an instant.
Normally, if a martial artist ran freely across the city in broad daylight using lightness technique, it would cause problems.
But right now, it was an emergency.
[Due to a large-scale clash between martial sects today, major damage is expected. Citizens are advised to refrain from going outside as much as possible. I repeat—due to clashes between martial sects today...]
Thanks to the disaster broadcast, the streets were empty.
Kim Muhyuk put on the Blue Wolf mask Kim Bokja had made for him, lightly grasped the sword hilt, and pulled it just a little.
SHING.
From the scabbard, the radiant crimson blade of Phantom Dream revealed itself.
Kim Muhyuk tapped the blade lightly with his finger.
“Hey, Phantom Dream.”
At that moment, a faint red aura flowed from the blade and gathered in the air, forming the translucent shape of a boy.
A red-eyed boy with horns protruding from both temples.
It was the soul of Phantom Dream he had encountered in the mental world.
However, one thing had changed since then.
Now it was no larger than the size of a palm.
The creature grinned wickedly, showing sharp fangs.
Heh heh heh... So we’re finally going to eat something delicious, right?
Drool practically dripping from his mouth, Phantom Dream flew in circles around Kim Muhyuk in excitement.
Let’s go already! Hurry, hurry!
This change had appeared after Lee Taehyun—the Black Heaven Society executive—was defeated.
Phantom Dream had absorbed the energy of spellcasters and spellcraft tools.
WHUMMM—!
That wasn’t the only change. The aura Phantom Dream emitted had grown much stronger. The moment it left the scabbard, a blood-red mist could spill out instantly and cover the entire area.
‘The killing edge of the blade has grown sharper too.’
Over the past few days, Kim Muhyuk had conducted various experiments with Phantom Dream and studied ways to utilize it. The results had been satisfactory.
Phantom Dream had originally grown stronger by absorbing human blood.
But it could also absorb the energy of anomalies and spellcraft.
And though it was only a hypothesis, the more it cut down beings that carried unfamiliar and powerful energy, the more Phantom Dream’s spiritual body seemed to grow.
So what are we eating today? Humans? Anomalies? Spellcraft?
Of course, Phantom Dream was still an immature and dangerous sacred weapon.
Just like the boy’s form suggested.
How that form would change—and how powerful it would ultimately become—depended entirely on how Kim Muhyuk handled it.
‘So far so good...’
But after Phantom Dream gained the ability to manifest its spiritual body, its constant hyperactive behavior whenever it left the scabbard absolutely needed correction.
SMACK!
Kim Muhyuk flicked its forehead.
Phantom Dream grabbed its head with both hands.
Aagh!
Ordinary humans couldn’t even see a spiritual body, let alone touch it.
But Kim Muhyuk was a different case.
“I told you to behave.”
Phantom Dream shrank back and grumbled with a confused expression.
That’s weird. My real body is the sword, so why does it hurt...?
“Want to find out with a few more hits?”
Ah—no! That’s fine! I’m good! Hehehe!
Whenever he had the chance, Kim Muhyuk firmly imprinted the hierarchy between them into Phantom Dream.
Right now, it was merely a cursed sword that pursued its own desires.
But one day, he intended to reshape it into a sacred weapon worthy of an orthodox martial artist like himself.
“So who are the enemies we’re supposed to cut down?”
Evil people who deserve to die! Wicked anomalies!
“And when we’re around a lot of people, what do you do with your aura?”
I don’t spread it everywhere! I concentrate it only on the enemy touching the blade!
“And when should you create the mist?”
When ambushing enemies! When the master wants to hide! And when a chaotic battle breaks out...?
Kim Muhyuk nodded with satisfaction and tapped Phantom Dream’s blade.
“Good. As a reward, I’ll let you drink plenty of evil men’s blood today.”
Hahaha! You promised!
It was practically like training a dog with rewards, but Phantom Dream happily circled around Kim Muhyuk—until he was warned again.
...So where are we going?
At Phantom Dream’s timid question, Kim Muhyuk smirked and slid the blade back into the scabbard with a click.
“For now, I’m going to block the biggest variable first.”
In this operation, Kim Muhyuk planned to personally control the most critical variable that could arise.
A short while later, he arrived at his destination and landed lightly on the ground.
The front entrance of the Cheonghwa Group building.
Taking the elevator further down into the basement, he found martial artists already gathered there staring at him.
‘Not a single one of them looks easy.’
About twenty martial artists stood there, each emitting refined and powerful energy.
Then from the center of them, a man wearing a black suit and gloves—unlike his usual appearance—stepped forward.
“Got a new mask? It suits the name Blue Wolves much better.”
The man speaking warmly was Director Do Juwon of Cheonghwa Group.
In other words—
Oho of the Blood Tiger Gang.
And the martial artists around him were the elite Blood Tigers of the Blood Tiger Gang.
Kim Muhyuk glanced around at them and shrugged.
“Am I late or something? Why’s everyone staring at me like that?”
“Actually, your timing’s perfect. Though honestly, we could’ve handled things without you.”
Kim Muhyuk snorted at Oho’s answer.
“And how exactly am I supposed to trust that? If you teamed up with the Black Night Gang and stabbed us in the back, we’d be in quite a bit of trouble.”
Black Night Gang.
One of the Five Great Unorthodox Sects.
With the Martial Alliance and the Eight Great Sects all mobilized, it was the only faction left without anyone keeping them in check.
It was also a long-time ally of the Black Heaven Society.
So Kim Muhyuk had entrusted the task of keeping the Black Night Gang in check to the Blood Tiger Gang.
Of course, that didn’t mean he trusted them.
Oho smacked his lips lightly.
“Well, that’d be an interesting scenario too... but right now the Black Heaven Society looks much tastier.”
For the Blood Tiger Gang to take that position, the Black Heaven Society had to collapse completely.
So Oho accepted the proposal.
Unlike the other Blood Tigers, he didn’t seem bothered that Kim Muhyuk had come along to monitor them.
If anything, he seemed pleased.
“I’ve got no reason to refuse help. In case of emergency, you’ll be a powerful asset.”
“In case of emergency?”
It was a troubling phrase, but Oho waved it off casually and looked at the Blood Tigers.
“Let’s move.”
Kim Muhyuk headed toward the Black Night Gang together with the elite of the Blood Tiger Gang.
Like a wolf walking shoulder to shoulder with other predators.
*****
[We have another breaking update. Forces from the Martial Alliance and the Eight Great Sects have now entered the Black Heaven Society’s main base.]
The building shown on the screen was heavily damaged.
The ground had collapsed in places, walls had crumbled, and the traces of battle were everywhere.
[Explosions from the destruction of mechanism formations and spell formations are making the scene resemble a battlefield. Due to constant clashes of energy waves, even drones cannot properly observe the interior. The Martial Alliance has stated it will capture the Black Heaven Society’s society leader and executives as quickly as possible to conclude the operation and minimize additional damage—]
KWAANG—!
At that moment, a brilliant golden fist strike exploded.
It was the aftershock of Golden Ape Meteor Fist, the unique martial art of the Martial Alliance Leader Yeo Pilgeuk.
“Has that old man Yeo Pilgeuk finally gone senile? He stayed quiet for decades—why now...?”
A middle-aged woman with streaks of gray in her hair let out a hollow laugh as she watched the screen.
Then she turned and asked,
“What’s the situation with the Black Heaven Society?”
“The main gate has already been breached. They’re currently fighting inside a poison-filled formation. However, the enemy prepared high-grade poison resistance pills, so it doesn’t seem like the poison will hold them for long. And...”
The subordinate hesitated.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
“And?”
“The Black Heaven Society’s society leader sent a message. They said they’ll give us anything we want—just come and support them immediately.”
“......”
“Boss. What should we do?”
The Black Night Gang boss closed her eyes briefly.
No matter how powerful the Martial Alliance and the Eight Great Sects were, the Black Heaven Society’s main base was filled with countless mechanism formations, spell formations, and defensive facilities.
It wouldn’t fall easily.
If three of the Eight Great Sects launched a full assault, they could break through and suppress the base.
If four attacked, they could completely destroy the Black Heaven Society.
‘But five are attacking.’
That meant an overwhelming force meant to end everything in one blow.
But once the Black Heaven Society was exterminated...
Would the Martial Alliance Leader stop the war?
The Black Night Gang boss concluded the answer was no.
She opened her eyes.
“...Perhaps it’s a good chance to make them owe us properly.”
As she rose from her seat, the martial artists kneeling nearby all stood up at once.
“We support the Black Heaven Society and strike the Martial Alliance from behind!”
“Yes, Boss!”
The Black Night Gang boss was a small woman.
But in that moment, her presence completely dominated the hundred elite martial artists of the Black Night Gang.
However—
When she personally led the reinforcements out of the main base, dozens of people were blocking the front gate.
“...Ha. Whoever planned this was thorough.”
Every single one of them emitted formidable energy.
Noticing tiger tattoos on some of their wrists, the Black Night Gang boss frowned.
“Blood Tiger Gang?”
They weren’t the miscellaneous recruits the Blood Tiger Gang had recently absorbed.
They were the true Blood Tigers—the small elite force that had shaken the unorthodox martial world.
And standing at their front was a familiar face.
“Black Night Gang boss. It’s been a while.”
Oho stepped forward and gave a polite fist-palm salute.
Oho of the Blood Tiger Gang.
The man who effectively ran the Blood Tiger Gang in place of its mysterious boss.
Although three Blood Tigers ranked above him in hierarchy, in terms of influence within the sect, Oho was essentially the second-in-command.
“What are you doing here?”
“We came to greet you. To celebrate the Blood Tiger Gang becoming a new member of the Five Great Unorthodox Sects.”
“...What?”
The Black Night Gang boss paused briefly—then burst into laughter.
“Hahahahahaha!”
She had realized why the Blood Tiger Gang was blocking them while the Black Heaven Society was under attack.
“How amusing! So you’re planning to seize the Black Heaven Society’s place? No... moving this fast means it’s more than that...”
After surviving decades at the top of the unorthodox world, her instincts were razor sharp.
Her eyes flashed.
“You’ve joined hands with the Martial Alliance, haven’t you? Isn’t that right?”
The moment a thin smile formed on her lips—
FWOOOOSH!
Her robe began flapping wildly.
At the same time, even the whites of her eyes turned black, and her graying hair turned completely white.
The thick killing intent of a supreme master from the unorthodox faction made the Blood Tigers tense.
“You insolent brat with no respect for your peers. I’ll tear off your limbs first... and then interrogate you properly.”
Faced with the unexpectedly violent reaction, Oho made a troubled expression.
He glanced sideways at Kim Muhyuk and muttered,
“...Hmm. Looks like an emergency.”
Kim Muhyuk looked at Oho and thought:
‘You son of a bitch.’
