Chapter 11. Rescue (2)

Tadat, tat!

The surroundings were as bright as day.

The clearing was engulfed in flames.

And in the distance, Hyuk Dae-woong’s back came into view. In the shadow of the flames, his back, holding a spear, looked steadfast.

…Did he start the fire with a torch?

But why? The reason was not hard to find. The village chief was collapsed near his feet.

His lower body was covered in blood.

One of his legs was gouged so deeply that the bone was exposed. He was panting and gasping for breath, in critical condition.

Grrrrrr!

Just then, something on the other side of the wall of fire let out a low growl. Lee Byeok’s gaze shifted.

A pair of chilling blue eyes flashed.

For a moment, my body flinched.

A tiger. There was a tiger there.

“Kraaaaaaah!!”

Hyuk Dae-woong roared back in response.

Hooong, hooong, hooong, he rotated the spear shaft as if to cut through the flames. Koong! Then he struck the ground.

The tiger, standing beyond the flames, also seemed wary of Hyuk Dae-woong’s mountain-like presence and didn't rush in recklessly.

However, it was a touch-and-go situation.

If he showed an opening, he would be torn apart.

“…Hyuk Dae-woong.”

Lee Byeok quietly approached.

Flinch. Hyuk Dae-woong reacted.

“Thank goodness, Byeok. You brought him back safely. I’m sorry. That beast suddenly charged and harmed the chief….”

“……”

“Let me ask you a favor. I know it will be tough, but take the chief and Seok-du and get out of here. Quickly.”

His gaze still fixed on the tiger beyond the flames, Hyuk Dae-woong spoke in a calm voice.

I understood the meaning behind his words.

He was going to stay behind and buy time.

“No, in that case, I’ll stay.”

“Lee Byeok. Don’t be a damn fool.”

“……”

“Go, hurry. Your flimsy sword won’t even buy you time against that thing. And….”

Hyuk Dae-woong took a breath.

He seemed to be choosing his words for a moment.

“Even if we’re the same age, I’m your senior brother.”

The weight in his words.

There was nothing more I could say back.

Lee Byeok immediately went to the village chief. The wound on his leg was as grave as it could be.

But in a way, it was a stroke of immense luck that his life wasn't cut short despite being grazed by the tiger's claws.

Shiver!

The chief’s body trembled finely.

His complexion was pale. Even though he was unconscious, his face was contorted as if he wasn't free from pain.

Lee Byeok quickly laid Jang Seok-du down on one side. Then he untied the rope tied around his waist.

After cutting off a necessary length from the end of the rope, he tied it above the chief’s wound to stop the bleeding.

He had to support them.

But I couldn't support two people, both larger than myself, at the same time.

Slap!

Lee Byeok slapped Jang Seok-du’s cheek.

“Uh, uh…?”

“Get a hold of yourself. Jang Seok-du.”

Having regained consciousness, Jang Seok-du looked around with a dazed expression. The moment he saw the tiger beyond the flames.

“Hiiiek! Uwaaak! It, it followed us! We’re going to die! It, it ate all my wild boars! We have to run away quickly!”

Slap! Slap!

Lee Byeok slapped Jang Seok-du’s cheek again. Then, with both hands, he firmly gripped Jang Seok-du’s face.

“Look, your father is in critical condition.”

“Uh… Huh? F-Father…?”

Finally, Jang Seok-du’s gaze fell upon the fallen village chief. Tears began to well up in his eyes.

“I will support your father and go. So you must walk on your own two feet. Understood?”

Gulp. Hyuk Dae-woong swallowed his saliva.

He was literally standing face to face with a tiger. It was impossible not to be afraid. The sensation of life and death standing back-to-back.

However, it was also a familiar sensation. One he had forgotten for quite a long time since becoming a disciple of the Falling Sword Sect…….

Of course, he had no intention of dying.

He faced his opponent, overcoming his fear.

Just as his own Qi Center was destroyed, the beast wasn't in perfect condition either.

Scars were settled here and there on its hide. Looking between its open jaws, he could see that a couple of its fangs were also missing.

In the first place, unless it was a weakened tiger, it wouldn’t bother targeting humans, leaving behind the numerous prey in the mountains.

Hoong, hoong, hoong!

Hyuk Dae-woong spun his spear shaft again.

He couldn’t lose in terms of momentum. Whether it was a bluff or not, it would be great if the beast would back off on its own.

But it probably wouldn't.

A bloodthirsty beast would never just let go of the prey right in front of its eyes.

Grrrrrr!

Toreureuk. The beast’s eyes moved. It was as if he could see its thoughts clearly through its red eyes.

The beast’s gaze was directed towards the direction where his junior brother and the others, who had just left, had disappeared.

Taang!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

He couldn't let that happen.

Hyuk Dae-woong immediately kicked off the ground.

As he extended his right foot, he twisted his body, bringing the right half of his body forward.

He gripped the end of the spear shaft with his right hand and thrust as deeply as possible.

Hwoooong, peok!

The tip of the spear, carrying the weight of his body and its rotational force, broke through the wall of flames and dug in.

Overlord's Spear of the Revolving Wheel.

Extreme Thrust.

A thrust that concentrated all his strength into one point.

The beast's body, pierced by the spear tip, was pushed back significantly. No, but the sensation in his hand was shallow.

Grrrrrr!

The moment it was stabbed, the beast had leaped backward.

The spear tip had only left a small scratch on its hide. But it seemed to be enough to provoke its anger.

Keoheoheong!

With a loud roar, the beast finally kicked off the ground. It broke through the flames and charged at Hyuk Dae-woong.

Hyuk Dae-woong immediately rolled sideways with all his might. As he rolled once, he swung the spear shaft.

Seogeok!

A shallow sensation grazed his fingertips again.

After landing, he quickly faced the beast. Embers had stuck to his collar, but he had no time to worry about them.

Keoheoheoheong!

As if enraged to its core, the beast charged again without a second thought. Hyuk Dae-woong rolled on the ground once more.

He must not clash with it head-on, no matter what. He had to roll, dodge, and deflect.

The moment its claws grazed any part of his body, be it an arm or a leg, he would be rendered unable to fight.

In other words, death.

Tat!

Just then, the beast’s body changed direction in mid-air as if it had bounced.

In a moment of crisis, Hyuk Dae-woong hastily thrust his spear shaft.

Gadeudeuk!

The beast’s teeth bit down on the spear blade.

The rotation of the spear came to a halt. But if that was the case, he would simply rotate his body instead of the spear.

Leaping up again simultaneously with his landing, Hyuk Dae-woong grabbed the spear shaft and rolled once in the air as if vaulting over it.

Taang!

The spear blade rotated inside the tiger’s mouth.

The moment the tiger’s mouth opened, Hyuk Dae-woong hurriedly withdrew the spear. His palm was torn, and the spear shaft was stained red.

But compared to almost losing his weapon entirely, he had gotten off very cheaply.

Grrrrrr!

The beast, lowering its posture, growled from its throat again. Hoo-uk. Hyuk Dae-woong took a breath.

It was possible. Even if it was a tiger, it was a weakened one. Its movements were slow enough to be dodged as long as he wasn't scared.

He had to hold on, no matter what.

If he did, both the beast and he would reach the limits of their stamina. There was no choice but to see who would collapse first.

A battle of stamina with a tiger.

How absurd. He smirked.

Keoheoheoheong!

“Kraaaaaaah!!!”

The beast roared at Hyuk Dae-woong.

Hyuk Dae-woong shouted back with all his might. He desperately asserted that he was not prey.

“……”

Another momentary standoff that felt like an eternity passed. Hyuk Dae-woong steeled himself with desperate resolve.

Hwik!

But at that moment, the beast turned around.

Hyuk Dae-woong flinched, but it didn't even pretend to notice. The beast headed into the bushes with a sauntering gait. Soon, it disappeared.

…It’s retreating so obediently?

No, that couldn't be. Hyuk Dae-woong didn't let his guard down. He remained rooted to the spot, maintaining his focus.

But even after a long while, the tiger did not return. Even its presence seemed to have faded into the distance.

Gradually, the tension began to leave his body. He felt pain from various parts of his body.

The fire that had burned the grass in the clearing slowly began to die down.

Seueuk!

Hyuk Dae-woong slowly withdrew his spear. Whatever the case, he couldn't lose the fire in the dark of the night mountain.

Hyuk Dae-woong found some moderately rotten wood nearby. After breaking it into small pieces, he tied them together to make a torch.

The beast still didn't appear.

…Can I consider myself alive for now?

Hyuk Dae-woong let out a sigh of relief.

No, but it wasn't time to relax yet. Were Byeok and Seok-du okay?

Even if it wasn't the tiger, this darkness was filled with dangers. What's more, if they had to take care of the critically injured village chief…….

“……!”

A chill suddenly ran down his spine.

What if… what if the beast chose the easier prey over the troublesome one.

“…Damn it.”

Tat! Rustle.

Hyuk Dae-woong immediately kicked off from the clearing. Holding the torch, he hastily jumped into the bushes.

The direction the beast had disappeared in was completely different from where his junior brother’s party had gone.

But there was no guarantee that it wasn't playing a shallow trick.

Of course, it was likely just a groundless fear, but he had to confirm the safety of the party ahead with his own eyes.

Tadadat.

Hyuk Dae-woong ran frantically.

Worried about Lee Byeok and the others, he failed to pay sufficient attention to his surroundings.

That was the cause of the disaster.

Rustle, taak!

By the time he heard the sound of something nimble kicking off the ground, it was already too late.

Keoheoheoheoheong!

A shadow swooped down from above his head.

A massive body fell like a thunderbolt, and Hyuk Dae-woong raised his head to confirm its identity.

Two glowing orbs of light.

It was the beast.

The beast had cunningly hidden itself in a tree, calmly waiting for Hyuk Dae-woong.

He was surrounded by trees.

It was already too late to dodge.

In a split second, Hyuk Dae-woong made a decision.

He threw away the torch and drew his spear. He gripped the spear shaft tightly with both hands. He braced for impact.

Taaaang!

A paw struck down on the spear shaft.

For a moment, Hyuk Dae-woong’s body staggered.

The impact was like his back was breaking. But… bbadeudeuk, veins popped on Hyuk Dae-woong’s forehead.

This was a body he had trained his entire life.

He could endure it, and he had to endure it.

He could endure… i—

Ppajijik!

“…Huh?”

At that moment, a crack appeared in the spear shaft.

In the past, before losing his Qi Center, Hyuk Dae-woong, with his innate brute strength, had been wielding a spear made of cast iron since he was ten.

But the spear he now held was something he had borrowed from the village chief, nothing more than a blade attached to a wooden shaft.

Taang, peok!

The spear shaft soon broke like a reed, and the beast’s paw struck Hyuk Dae-woong’s chest.

“Keo… heok.”

The impact felt as if his chest was being crushed.

Then, the beast’s claws dug into his flesh. Jjeok, the tiger’s jaws opened, and its blood-stained teeth came into view.

I’m going to die.

At that moment, several faces flashed before Hyuk Dae-woong’s eyes. Father, mother, the family members of the main house, the Sect Leader, the residents of Flower Pavilion Village, the children, and his new junior brother.

And.

—Hey, Griz.

This can't happen.

If I die, Senior Sister will scold me.

Hyuk Dae-woong’s body tilted.

“Ugh… hic… sob… sob…”

Jang Seok-du sobbed quietly.

Lee Byeok silently followed behind him.

He was carrying the faintly breathing village chief on his back. The chief’s wound was severe. He needed treatment as soon as possible.

But at the same time, an uncontrollable turmoil was rising in Lee Byeok’s heart.

He thought of Hyuk Dae-woong, whom he had left behind.

Why? Why would he go that far?

Even if he was his senior brother, it had only been about ten days since they had met. There was no reason for him to risk his life for me.

If he had decided to escape on his own, it would have been entirely possible.

But Hyuk Dae-woong willingly took on the role of a decoy.

—I’m your senior brother.

“……”

What are senior and junior brothers?

Lee Byeok thought. It was a question Lee Byeok had never had before.

But he could never find the answer on his own. Therefore, he had to ask Hyuk Dae-woong what it meant.

He had to go back.

Even if it meant throwing himself into the tiger’s jaws, Lee Byeok’s heart kept telling him to turn back. But.

The village chief was unconscious. And Jang Seok-du was limping. These two people needed help.

And safely taking them to the village was the role Hyuk Dae-woong had yielded to him.

Therefore, he had to do it properly.

As they headed towards the village, with the passage of time, Lee Byeok’s heart grew anxious. How long had he walked like that?

Suddenly, Lee Byeok spotted a light in the distance. No, it wasn't just one light.

A group of torches.

It was the able-bodied men of the village. The village chief had told them to go back, but it seemed they had gathered again and set out.

Woongseong woongseong.

Soon, it seemed they had spotted the torch in Jang Seok-du’s hand from their side and began to approach quickly.

“Go. Quickly.”

Lee Byeok immediately handed the sobbing Jang Seok-du over to the men. And without delay, he turned back.

“Heo-eong, heong! Heu, hahimah, heuheuk!”

Behind him, Jang Seok-du sobbed and said something, but there was no time to pay attention.

Tadadat!

Lee Byeok kicked off the ground.

He quickly retraced his steps.

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