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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 142
Gong Chomun was startled. He had intentionally found a secluded spot.
He had looked back several times on his short journey, fearing that someone might be following him.
The woods were dense and dark, and the path to get here was rocky and uneven.
It didn't make sense that his feet would have accidentally led him here.
And yet, a person had suddenly appeared, and he couldn't help but be surprised. Surely, he hadn't come here by accident.
Moreover, the intruder was Jincheon, with whom he had openly feuded.
But his surprise was short-lived. He didn't even have time to say anything. Jincheon's attack had come before he could even assess the situation.
Gong Chomun instinctively drew his sword. And he barely managed to block the first strike Jincheon had delivered.
Since he wasn't prepared for a fight, he managed to block the first strike but his stance immediately crumbled.
"Ugh!"
He rolled on the ground to avoid Jincheon's next attack.
If others saw him rolling on the ground to avoid the sword of a soldier he despised, his reputation would be ruined, but he didn't have time to think about that right now.
Gong Chomun got up in a hurry. If he didn't get up immediately, he would die. But even the wit that had been sparked by the fear of death couldn't be a weapon against Jincheon.
For the sword was a weapon to Gong Chomun, but to Jincheon, it was a part of his soul.
To say that someone who used a sword could compete on the same level as someone who was one with the sword itself was simply not possible.
Gong Chomun was certain. If he was touched even once, he would die. It was an attack composed of pure killing intent without mercy or hesitation.
There were no gaps, up, down, left, or right. There was no escape. Only the single-minded determination to kill the opponent.
It was an attack that revealed that determination with chilling clarity.
He couldn't believe that someone so young could deliver such a fierce strike.
‘I thought Prince Ikwon was keeping a monster.’
The warriors who had seen Jincheon in action had all unanimously called him a monster.
While there were positive comments saying that there would be nothing to fear if they were on the battlefield with Jincheon as an ally, there were also negative ones.
They said that he had a murderous aura that was unbefitting of his young age and short experience.
But the murderous aura that the warriors saw in Jincheon was always directed at the monsters.
So, the fact that they thought his aura was too intense was actually just a bubble in the waves.
Gong Chomun tried to get up and prepare to counterattack. But the following sword strikes came pouring down. The silver gleam of the blade flashed dangerously before his eyes.
Gong Chomun failed to get up and tried to dodge.
Without time to look around, his body tilted along the slope of the ground.
He tumbled down the rough slope.
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped his lips as his leg broke from the fall. Jincheon's shadow approached.
“...What a ridiculous thing to say. That’s a demon.”
Gong Chomun felt as if his exposed skin was tingling from the murderous aura that enveloped Jincheon.
It was chilling.
He had rarely experienced such overwhelming pressure. In the past, he had felt this kind of pressure in a battle at the border of Serpington.
And he had felt a similar level of pressure from General So in his prime when he faced an army of a hundred thousand enemies on the battlefield.
So, did that mean Jincheon was on a similar level?
That brat?
"Aren't you going to run?" Jincheon said. He seemed bored with the situation.
Gong Chomun was dumbfounded. Jincheon realized that he was prey.
From the beginning, Gong Chomun had been nothing more than that to Jincheon. It was his own blunder to only realize it now.
He began to limp away, dragging his broken leg. Cold sweat poured down his face. Even if he ran for his life, he would probably be caught and turned into a mere piece of meat before he could take a few steps…
Gong Chomun glanced back. Jincheon was walking leisurely, as if out for a stroll.
Yet, there was absolutely no trace of Jincheon's presence. Gong Chomun felt a fear akin to being chased by a ghost.
Soon, Gong Chomun realized that Jincheon wasn't trying to kill him immediately.
But if not to kill him, then what was his intention?
The answer came only after suffering several wounds. Jincheon would chase after Gong Chomun as soon as he reached a certain distance, showering him with sword strikes.
Rather than killing Gong Chomun, it seemed he was trying to drive him away from the camp.
‘To destroy the evidence...?’
Perhaps he didn't want to bother disposing of the body after killing him, so he was trying to kill him far away from the camp where no one would find him.
As soon as he realized that, his strength drained from him.
The loud thud of his fall came a moment later. With his broken leg, he couldn't move any further.
He was going to die now.
Thump, thump-
Jincheon's footsteps, which had been inaudible until now, were getting closer. He was undoubtedly making a deliberate noise to instill fear.
Thump-
And finally, Jincheon stopped. Jincheon's two feet, standing tall above the ground, were level with Gong Chomun's eyes lying on the ground.
Gulping, Gong Chomun swallowed dry saliva. His mind went blank.
There was a brief silence. Jincheon sighed. Then he said, "What's the problem?"
What's the problem?
A series of recent events flashed through Gong Chomun's mind.
His rejection of Jincheon.
Was this what he was doing to ask why?
"I refused the position General So offered me. You know that," Jincheon mumbled. His pronunciation was so unclear that it was doubtful whether he was talking to himself. This was Jincheon's natural way of speaking.
He only paid attention to his pronunciation when he had to speak in front of Prince Ikwon or other generals.
"I don't want to be in the spotlight."
But Gong Chomun understood those unclear words as clearly as a fluent speaker's oration.
"I'm not particularly interested in earning merit."
Rustle-
Jincheon lowered himself. Crouching on the ground, he grabbed Gong Chomun by the collar.
Gong Chomun's eyes shifted wildly.
He remembered how easily Jincheon's seemingly frail arms swung his sword, compared to the other generals.
As he recalled in succession how fluid his movements were, Gong Chomun began to worry that Jincheon would suddenly smash his head into the ground.
"But you have to be seen to avoid being discarded."
Thump-
Jincheon let go of Gong Chomun's collar and stood up. Gong Chomun felt dizzy.
Even though he said he didn't want power, he ultimately needed a position. The two weren't that different in meaning.
"I will follow whatever His Highness commands."
Thump-
Jincheon's foot touched Gong Chomun's head. It was just a touch.
But Gong Chomun, already terrified, flinched as if he had been touched by a sword.
"Why are you shunning me?"
"I, I..."
"I don't need an answer."
Thump-
Jincheon's foot touched Gong Chomun again. This time, it was strong enough to be described as a kick.
"Do you want to die here?"
His voice was still mumbled, but Gong Chomun understood him perfectly.
Gong Chomun hastily lifted his head and shook it.
"S-save me."
Jincheon, who had already turned his gaze away, glanced at him.
"Why should I?"
"I-I won't do it again. I'll persuade the other generals to help you advance. I, I can do it. Only I can."
"I don't care."
"T-think about it. You'll need me. So..."
Jincheon frowned.
"Shut up. I'm thinking."
In reality, Jincheon was lost in thought, gazing off into the distance.
Why was Gong Chomun hostile towards him?
"Maybe he's a spy," Jincheon muttered indifferently. Gong Chomun's face turned pale.
"T-that's ridiculous!"
"I don't care."
The idea that Gong Chomun might be a spy was just one possibility.
And Jincheon had no intention of properly investigating whether he was a spy or not. Why bother with an investigation?
"Just kill him."
Did he mean kill him right now, or kill him if he turned out to be a spy? Gong Chomun grabbed Jincheon's pants.
"No! I'm not a spy. Believe me. I'm telling the truth. I'm telling the truth."
Jincheon thought of Yegyeong, who often chuckled while having trivial conversations with Gong Chomun.
If he killed Gong Chomun and said he had killed him, or if it was revealed that he had killed Gong Chomun...
Yegyeong would probably be uncomfortable. He didn't know if he would be sad, but in any case, he wouldn't react positively.
That wasn't to say he was going to simply ignore the problem. If Gong Chomun was a spy, the other commanders and soldiers would suffer.
Wouldn't it be a spy's mission to hinder Yegyeong's path?
Basically, Jincheon disliked killing. He didn't like it when someone died.
Whether it was related to him or not, whether the person who was going to die was close to him or not.
It wasn't based on any grand principles or morality. Nevertheless, Jincheon hated death.
"I'll spare you."
Gong Chomun's face immediately brightened.
"You have to keep quiet."
"Of course."
Jincheon nodded and sheathed the sword he was holding.
"But you're not going to get off scot-free."
Then, he lifted his foot over Gong Chomun's right hand. Gong Chomun's face turned pale at the sight, but Jincheon didn't care.
Crack-
"Aaargh!"
Jincheon crushed Gong Chomun's right hand with his foot. It would be difficult for him to hold a sword again.
Afterwards, Jincheon helped Gong Chomun back to the camp and reported what had happened.
"I found General Gong who had tripped and fallen and helped him back."
The camp commanders greatly praised Jincheon and took Gong Chomun from him.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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