Book 12: Chapter 11: Great Chaos

Part 11 Great Chaos

Luoyang Sword Family.

Institution Headquarters, Director's Office.

Even in Luoyang.

The one who felt the anomaly before anyone else was eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

“As expected…”

A chilling energy ran down his spine, and nausea surged from a feeling of rejection as if swallowing spoiled food.

Yet, that energy, which was somehow even familiar, was the power that eroded, corroded, and distorted the universe and reality.

It was demonic qi.

“…Is the first rampage of the Demonic Cult beginning like this?”

Originally, in history an event that would have occurred much later.

After Yeon So-hyeon became a matrilocal son-in-law and left the Luoyang Sword Family and only after the Sword Family fell into a period of chaos, did the Demonic Cult run rampant in Luoyang in earnest.

The first rampage of that Demonic Cult had already begun.

“Is this my fate?”

Since he returned to the past his mother's grand sorcery broke the Heavenly Killing Star rose and because of him, countless blood that should have flowed only during the Sword Family's period of chaos was already flowing, the Demonic Cult ultimately ran rampant.

“…….”

Although it was not yet clear there was, clearly, a correlation.

“…In the end, is fate unavoidable?”

His gaze turned toward the sky.

It was invisible to ordinary people, but to Yeon So-hyeon's eyes, it was so clear.

He saw a star shining vividly in red light.

It was the Heavenly Killing Star.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Jang Sam, a soldier belonging to the security annex of the Luoyang Central Government Office, felt as if he were trapped in a terrible nightmare.

Cold sweat poured from his entire body, and a chill surged, making his whole body tremble.

“…Wake up!”

Although a voice seemed to be heard from afar, Jang Sam could not easily regain consciousness.

‘I-I was definitely… just a moment ago…’

The soldiers stationed in the Valley of Sin, including himself, had gathered and regrouped upstream to escape the bombardment.

‘Poison was sprayed in the midstream, so… we were in the middle of waiting?’

In the midst of that…

‘What was that?’

He remembered an unknown sound echoing throughout the valley, along with a violent vibration that swept over him as if an earthquake had occurred.

‘Was it a groan?’

It was like the sound his colleague made as he was stabbed to death during an ambush while patrolling the underworld.

‘Was it a crying sound?’

It was like the sound of a woman wailing after being robbed and losing her husband and children all at once.

‘Was it a laughing sound?’

A mad shaman cutting the neck of a fluttering chicken, covered in its blood, and hopping on straw cutters—that distorted face, along with the tearing screams of children, spilling intestines to fill a pot while laughing— slap.

“I told you to wake up, you bastard!”

His eyes flashed, and a burning pain rushed from his face.

Jang Sam snapped out of it.

“Gasp?!”

As soon as he opened his eyes, what he saw was a blood-red sky.

‘The sky is blood-red?’

It was clearly a dark night just a moment ago.

Blood-red clouds were twisting together like snakes in a snake pit, filling the entire sky in his view.

“……!”

At that terrible sense of incompatibility, his entire body froze.

“If you don't want to die, grab your spear!”

The voice was a command.

And he was a soldier.

Jang Sam reflexively reached out and grabbed his short spear.

At that moment.

“Dieee!”

Something rushed at him, and Jang Sam reflexively thrust the short spear in his hand.

Thrust-!

Through the shaft, he clearly felt the spearhead tearing the opponent's flesh and gouging their intestines.

“Ack-!”

Was it thanks to the spearhead he had diligently maintained while taking scoldings from senior soldiers?

Or was the opponent's charge simply too reckless?

The opponent, deeply pierced by the spear in his hand, locked eyes with Jang Sam.

While the opponent's wide-open eyeballs trembled with burst capillaries the tattoos covering the opponent's face were definitely in Jang Sam's memory.

‘Luoyang Mountain and Sea Gang?!’

The Luoyang Mountain and Sea Gang was one of Luoyang's representative underworld organizations.

Why was a member of that organization in front of his eyes right now?

Even while harboring such doubts, Jang Sam's body, which had faithfully undergone training after training, naturally twisted the spear.

“Gurgle-.”

Drip.

A dark red stream of blood flowing from the opponent's mouth fell onto Jang Sam's face but Jang Sam did not close his eyes until the very end, when the opponent's eyes rolled back and their breath stopped.

The opponent went limp.

No vibration was felt in the spear shaft he was holding with both hands.

‘I-I killed him.’

At that moment, the voice that had woken Jang Sam struck his ears once more.

“Not yet!”

It was purely thanks to that voice that Jang Sam was able to reflexively avoid the teeth of the corpse impaled on his spear.

“Crush the head!”

“I said crush the head!”

Jang Sam put strength into both hands holding the spear shaft and twisted his entire body with all his might while lying down.

“Uaaah-!”

“Grruuuh-!”

Although its skeleton creaked, the corpse hanging on the spear shaft resisted, wildly flailing its limbs.

For a corpse, its strength was incredibly powerful.

It felt like a human-sized fish hanging and flopping around.

However the positions of the opponent and Jang Sam had already swapped.

Jang Sam, climbing onto the belly of the struggling corpse, pulled out his short spear and pierced its head in one go.

“……!”

Because he had moved rapidly right after regaining consciousness, his breathing was rough and his head was dizzy.

“It is not over yet!”

Jang Sam leaned on the shaft of the spear embedded in the corpse's head and hurriedly stood up.

The place where he had been lying was inside a house that had partially collapsed, with its ceiling wide open.

And all around him were the backs of those blocking dozens, hundreds of surging corpses.

There was one maid led by the Eldest Young Master of the Sword Family, one swordsman said to be one of the Four Heroes of Hwangho, and government soldiers like himself.

“What are you just looking at?!”

“Help us at once!”

Soldier Jang Sam did not need to think twice.

“Uaaah-!”

Soldier Jang Sam shouted a sound that was indistinguishable from a battle cry or a scream as he thrust his spear toward the enemies beyond the wall they had formed.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, and then four times.

How many times did he thrust his spear?

The severed heads of corpses rolled everywhere.

The corpses that had risen again after dying no longer moved.

However, the fight did not end.

“The next wave is coming!”

Everywhere in the valley, allies driven into a corner were in the middle of battle.

The enemies who were downstream had somehow tangled together with allies.

Even when killed, they rose again and no matter how many were killed, they kept coming without end.

“Uaaaaah!”

Without even knowing what the situation was, Jang Sam thrust his spear.

“Die! Die!”

How many did he kill?

How long did he fight?

Countless corpses of enemies piled up.

The corpses that rose again and attacked fell back down after losing their heads.

“Gasp-. Gasp-.”

His breath rose to the top of his throat.

One of his arms was in tatters and he had no strength left to lift his spear.

“Gasp-. Gasp-.”

Jang Sam's gaze swept around as he lost strength.

The maid of the Eldest Young Master, who had killed enemies as if dancing with incredibly nimble movements, was also dead.

The one said to be one of the Four Heroes of Hwangho was also dead.

The government soldiers were also dead.

Everyone was dead.

“Gasp-. Gasp-.”

However the enemies were still constantly surging in like the rising tide.

Just as the rising tide of the sea could not be stopped with human hands alone the enemies constantly rushed in.

Watching them bite his body and pull out his intestines, Jang Sam let out a death throe scream.

“Aaaaargh-!”

* * *

“Ugh…”

Jang Sam, a soldier belonging to the security annex of the Luoyang Central Government Office, felt as if he were trapped in a terrible nightmare.

Cold sweat poured from his entire body, and a chill surged, making his whole body tremble.

“…Wake up!”

Although a voice seemed to be heard, Jang Sam could not easily regain consciousness.

‘I-I was definitely… just a moment ago…’

The soldiers stationed in the Valley of Sin, including himself, had gathered and regrouped upstream to escape the bombardment.

‘Poison was sprayed in the midstream, so… we were in the middle of waiting?’

In the midst of that…

‘No, that's not it.’

Suddenly, a strong sense of déjà vu washed over him.

‘Or was it?’

Allies and enemies fought tangled together throughout the entire valley and he had definitely fought until the very end, and then…

“What are you doing zoning out in the middle of a fight?!”

Slap.

At the burning sensation on his face felt at that moment, he snapped out of it.

“Uaaah-!”

Standing up from his spot, he grabbed his spear and pierced the head of the rushing enemy.

He thrust and thrust again.

“Uaaah!”

It felt as if he had fought for a whole day.

Or was it two days?

It might have even been three days.

“Aaargh-!”

The sky he saw while being bitten all over his body and having his intestines pulled out alive was dreadfully red.

How many times had he died?

How many more times did he have to die?

“Wake up and get up!”

Jang Sam shook his head.

“Ugh…!”

He did not want to stand up anymore.

However his hand sought and gripped the spear like a habit, and his body moved just as he had been trained.

“Uaaah-!”

Now he could not tell if what he shouted was a battle cry or a scream.

He fought and fought again.

He just wanted to see his mother again, who would be anxiously waiting for him at home.

‘Mother…’

He wailed as his entire body was torn apart.

“Rise.”

Again, that voice was heard, but jang Sam was now exhausted.

He could no longer rise and fight.

“Wake up.”

However, that voice was different from the voices that had woken him up until now.

“For everything is nothing but delusion and illusions.”

It was clearer and more distinct than any battle cry heard around him than the shrieks of the enemies than the screams, and than the wails.

“Ah…”

And cracks were forming in the damnably red sky.

The red sky that remained there tediously even after dying and waking up, and dying and waking up again, was breaking apart.

Through those cracks, pitch-black energies crept out and swallowed the red sky.

The ominous red sky collapsed and was dyed black.

Before he knew it, Jang Sam looked at the sky and muttered.

“…Dark Heaven.”

The false sky collapsed and the Dark Heaven arrived.

* * *

“Ah…”

Jang Sam opened his eyes.

There was no need to lift his body.

He was already standing, and his hand was gripping his short spear.

His arm had not flown off, his intestines had not been torn, and the only wounds on his body were scratches sustained while escaping the bombardment.

“Huh…?”

“What is this…?”

Around him, his fellow soldiers who had been waiting with him checked their own bodies, as if they had only now regained their senses.

“Are you alright?”

“What about you?!”

They were also checking on each other's safety.

“C-Check the roll call!”

“Check the roll call!”

The night sky was black and the wind blowing in the valley fluttered their sleeves.

He had they had, returned to the upstream of the valley.

Or perhaps they had never gone anywhere from the very beginning.

Just like the words spoken by the voice that was heard at the end.

Was it all simply nothing but a single delusion and illusion?

However if they had remained in that nightmare as they were, everyone…

Jang Sam suddenly raised his head.

“……!”

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky again but the night sky was filled only with clouds.

There was nothing.

Yet jang Sam felt it.

Someone had definitely been there.

Someone wearing a white mask, who was so vividly visible even in the pitch-black night sky.

As if to prove it the voice that had been heard in that nightmare echoed in his ears, in everyone's ears.

“You all worked hard.”

The voice added briefly,

“Now, leave the rest to me.”