NOVEL NEXT Chapter 122
“Is this the place?”
Tracking the scent of the beast-like creatures, I arrived at a rugged mountain.
High rocky peaks jutted out everywhere, surrounded by green foliage. It’s a literal paradise that could belong to immortals.
The Central Plains are so vast that such breathtaking scenery seems to appear out of nowhere.
“The view is really nice. If we laid down a mat and had a bite to eat, it would be perfect.”
“It certainly looks that way. If we climb higher, the atmosphere might get even better.”
“If we go higher, aren’t we likely to run into old men playing Go?”
“Is that a North Star and South Star legend? You seem to know all those western legends and now Central Plains legends too?”
“What’s this North Star and South Star legend?”
It’s a tale about a boy who was fated to die young sacrificing offerings to the Northern and Southern Star Lords to extend his lifespan.
“The two old men playing Go on the mountaintop couldn’t refuse the wine and meat offered by the boy, so they ate to their hearts’ content and extended his lifespan.”
“You’re quite knowledgeable about myths and legends. I guess there’s never a dull moment with Geunhyeop around.”
“That’s just the kind of man I am.”
Anyway.
The scent of the beast-like creatures was faintly detectable. It certainly seemed like they had settled somewhere around here.
“For now, let’s put off the picnic and search for those beast-like creatures. They’ll show up eventually.”
“Understood.”
“Ugh. I just hope we don’t have to climb that peak.”
“Hayang, you know it’s pointless to give up.”
“Ugh!”
If you really can’t climb, I could carry you.
We continued to chase the beast-like creatures. But as we moved, I noticed other strange scents that didn’t quite fit this rugged mountain.
“Could it be the scent of a trophy?”
Isn’t that the smell of the trophy?
If my judgment is correct, this could be a jackpot. If we follow this scent, we might find the headquarters of the beast-like creatures. They must have stored the trophies in their lair, causing the smell to leak out.
“Geunhyeop. Did you really sniff the trophy’s scent?”
“I feel like it.”
“My goodness. How on earth has your sense of smell improved so much?”
“Right? Could it be that my martial arts are enhancing this too?”
Perhaps this is something that gets stronger as my martial arts increase. If this continues, I might end up with a sense of smell even better than a dog.
“…I don’t like this new ‘sniffing’ ability.”
“Ah! Why!”
How great would it be to bury my nose in your chest and backside!
“Shut up! Just hurry and find them!”
“Kuh.”
Even though Hayang scolded me, I have Serin with me. But why is she turning red and avoiding my gaze? Being the head of the household is tough.
Well, that’s how it feels.
“There it is.”
After a diligent search, we successfully pinpointed a certain peak. I have a feeling that the beast-like creatures might be up there somewhere.
The smell is fairly strong here.
“Ugh, this is hard… What is that? But isn’t there a smell of blood from the beast-like creatures too?”
“The smell of blood? Ah, if an injured one returned, the scent could be lingering. Seems like we’re on the right track.”
“Is that so? But why can’t we see them?”
We managed to identify their location by tracking the scent, but the beast-like creatures flying around are nowhere to be seen.
Did they return to raid somewhere else?
Who knows.
“Let’s climb up.”
“Yes.”
We immediately ascended the peak.
It was high enough for flying demons to settle, but we are martial artists. This incline is nothing serious.
“Yah yah!”
Hayang too, bouncing around with a rock in hand, is climbing up. Seriously, it hardly requires climbing. Just bouncing gets her up this steep mountain.
How long did we climb?
Finally, we found a flat area.
“Grab my hand!”
“Ha! You’re only pretending to help at the end?”
“Be grateful I’m even doing this.”
“Whatever.”
I pulled Hayang up by her hand.
But then.
“The nest of the beast-like creatures… Hmmm, this is puzzling.”
“Ah.”
The atmosphere is unsettling.
A flat spot atop a high peak with a cave in front. It definitely looks like a place where beast-like creatures dwell.
Yet, there isn’t a single ‘living’ beast-like creature in sight.
Several beast-like creatures are lying dead in horrendous states.
“What…?!”
There are dismembered bodies everywhere.
“What kind of martial arts did they suffer from? Why are the bodies in pieces? And these black marks—wait? They were burned?”
So very peculiar.
The severed edges are charred black.
Why in the world are the beast-like creatures dead like this? This is high up on a peak, and the beast-like creatures can fly. They wouldn’t just die in such a strange manner right in front of their home.
“Wi Hayoung. This is not the work of martial artists using martial arts. It seems like it was done by a demon. Do you know what it is?”
“This is…”
Hayang looked up seriously after observing the bodies.
“It seems a fox appeared.”
“A fox?”
“Lightning Demon Fox.”
“Lightning Demon Fox!”
I’m not really sure, but I shouted it out anyway.
“What is that?”
“It’s a fox demon that wields the power of lightning. You can tell by the charred marks. Most importantly… there’s yellow fur here. This is fox fur.”
“Does that mean the fox demon showed up and wiped out the beast-like creatures?”
“Yeah. That’s what I think.”
“Insane!”
A fox demon!
There’s even a saying that without a tiger in the mountains, the fox is the overlord; it’s a threatening demon. It inherently possesses great power and can transform into a human, making it very tricky.
And if it wields the power of lightning… it must be incredibly strong.
You can tell just by looking at how it annihilated the beast-like creatures.
“For reasons unknown, it seems there’s a conflict among the demons. It must be a territorial dispute, right? Judging by the bodies, it doesn’t seem like much time has passed.”
“Did they get killed right after getting home?”
“Yeah. We should stop searching around here and retreat. It’s safer to avoid the Lightning Demon Fox if it’s nearby.”
What would happen if I consumed its elixir?
For a moment, that thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it.
Fighting a strong demon without any information is dangerous.
“Yeah. I agree. Retreating is a wise decision. Lightning Demons serve the Gumiho, one of the top ten demons in the world. It would be better to stay out of it.”
The absolute worst demon is that Umamon fighting with General Sang Wuchun right up there.
Right below it are the top ten demons, and the Gumiho is one of them.
Unless you’re an extraordinary expert, you can’t take them on.
We need to make a run for it.
Just then.
“Hm? What are those?”
A sinister voice echoed from above.
“It’s a fox demon!”
Serin screamed out, and we immediately formed a protective stance around Hayang, drawing our swords.
“What do you want?!”
A shout driven by instinct.
As I shouted, I looked at the fox demon’s figure.
It had remarkably noticeable blond hair. It was almost yellowish. Perched on its head were yellow fox ears, making it a beauty with fox ears.
But examining its vertical pupils and yellow irises, I felt it was indeed far from human. Moreover, it had an extremely mischievous look… those sharp teeth looked downright wicked.
Its outfit was modest, but the yellow tail exposed its thighs. I looked up at the fox demon and shouted again.
“Why have you revealed yourself? If you value your life, disclose your purpose immediately!”
“Haha, you’re saying some amusing things. Value my life? That’s something you humans should be saying!”
——Ploof!
The fox lightly leapt and landed in front of the cave entrance.
“But one sorcerer and two swordsmen? Could it be you’ve been tracking the beast-like creatures?”
This little jerk.
How does it know?
“What’s your relation with the beast-like creatures?”
“A master-slave relationship, perhaps?”
“A slave?”
“I was receiving tribute from the beast-like creatures. But some martial artists showed up and disrupted the tribute raids. That’s you, right?”
No way.
Could it be that the beast-like creatures suddenly appeared and started raiding because of this fox?
Something doesn’t feel right.
I can see it, but the way it talks makes it seem like it alone controlled and commanded the beast-like creatures. And when things went awry, it just wiped them all out.
If that’s the case, it must be strong enough to overwhelm that band of beast-like creatures alone. Can we really fight such a monster?
——Hehe.
In an instant, the fox grinned ominously.
“Ah, are you wary? I get a thrill every time humans wear that expression. It makes my appetite for them rise. I’m practically drooling.”
A cynical voice.
It was mocking us.
“Just when I’m feeling hungry, this works out perfectly! I’ll feast on your organs!”
“You little!”
This crazy, man-eating fox is eyeing our organs!
“Guys!”
“It seems we won’t be able to avoid a fight! Geunhyeop!”
“Got it!”
No need for long conversations.
We have trained together many times and know how to fight in particular situations.
Even if this Lightning Demon Fox is strong, it doesn’t matter.
We’ll win if we rush it!
——Wham!
Serin was the first to strike the ground.
Her movement was designed to draw the fox into a siege.
“How laughable! You think three of you can defeat this fox demon?!”
In an instant, the fox spread its palm.
Long claws shot out.
They looked just like claws.
As it swung that hand through the air—
——Crack!
Yellow lightning burst forth from its claws, shooting five arcs of lightning!
Crazy!
——Crash!
Will Serin get hit? My body was already moving. I released the Ghost Spirit One Sword explosively, aiming to counter the lightning arcs with the tip of my blade.
“Ghost Spirit Current Slash!”
——Boom!
I unleashed my energy and dispersed the arcs of lightning composed of its powers.
“Geunhyeop…!”
No matter what, I can’t just let that hit!
I expended some energy, but it’s okay.
“What…? You turned back my lightning strike? You brat! What kind of power is that?!”
The fox seemed to lose control for a moment, stretching out its claws while charging at me.
Simultaneously, Hayang’s talisman blossomed in the air like a business card from a knight.