***
Swiftly!
“Kiiiiik!”
The speed of the fellow and mine were almost the same.
Therefore, perhaps thinking it could not catch up to me, the fellow stopped following for a moment and looked back.
It seemed it was trying to return to Bae Jong-gwan.
“Damn it!”
My neck felt stiff from the sudden stress.
For a beast, its judgment was damn fast!
Eventually, I had no choice but to turn back.
If I fled completely, Bae Jong-gwan would die.
Bae Jong-gwan was currently swinging his whole body, bouncing and trampling the swarm of Wild Dog Ghosts.
Looking only at his current appearance, it was like watching a giant bear beating down a pack of wolves.
The teeth and claws of the Wild Dog Ghosts could not pierce Bae Jong-gwan’s sturdy body, and their physical strength could not match Bae Jong-gwan’s power.
But there was no telling how long that could last.
Bae Jong-gwan would eventually be unable to kill the Wild Dog Ghosts and would grow tired over time.
So, I could not let even the Spider Ghost go to Bae Jong-gwan.
I vaulted toward the Spider Ghost and shouted.
“Over here, you spider bastard!”
Then the fellow pounced on me as if it had been waiting.
It seemed it had truly aimed for this.
Shu-hak!
“Ugh?!”
The fellow’s sharp claws lunged toward my chest.
There was absolutely no room to dodge.
Puk!
The claws pierced my chest.
No, at least it looked that way.
But what the fellow pierced was my afterimage.
Having instinctively parried the fellow’s claws at the last moment, I broke into a cold sweat and immediately increased my speed to flee again.
It was thanks to the Heavenly Wind Footwork of the Bi-jong Sect.
The internalized Heavenly Wind Footwork, performed unconsciously, saved my life.
Of course, I could not say it was completely saved yet.
“Kiiiiik!”
With a face distorted as if completely enraged, the Spider Ghost began to chase me again.
Even in the middle of the urgency, I sent a message of gratitude to Bi Sa-yeong in my heart.
‘Sa-yeong! I lived because of you! If you bring the squad leader back before I die, I’ll call you Big Brother!’
Screaming internally, I started the pursuit again.
It was a strange chase, circling around Bae Jong-gwan, who was trading blows with the Wild Dog Ghosts.
“Kiiiiii!”
Some time passed.
Bae Jong-gwan continued playing the monster among the Wild Dog Ghosts, and I also continued to circle around them.
The Spider Ghost, which had almost caught me several times but only grazed my collar in the end, now had an expression as if it had gone mad with rage.
“Kkiaaaaaaaak!”
At this point, I felt I could interpret the meaning of the shriek the fellow let out while chasing me.
‘If I catch you, I’ll kill you.’ Well, it was probably something like that.
So, looking only at the situation so far, it was not too bad.
Although I could not kill the Spider Ghost or the Wild Dog Ghosts, at least the status quo was being maintained.
But my internal state was not fine at all.
The pressure that I had to make a change soon weighed heavily on me.
First of all, Bae Jong-gwan’s movements, which I kept watching, were gradually slowing down.
It meant he was growing tired.
And honestly, the same was true for me.
I thought I was confident in performing footwork for a long time, but moving with all my might while risking my life consumed my physical strength differently.
At this rate, even if Bi Sa-yeong met the squad leader as soon as he arrived at the 13th Unit and brought him here, I did not think I could hold out until that time.
I needed a different move.
‘What should I do? What can I do? What do I have that is superior to that fellow?’
I compared the fellow and myself coldly.
Then, only the fellow’s overwhelming abilities came to mind.
Physical abilities exceeding a peak-level master.
Sturdy skin that even Sword Astral Qi could not easily pierce.
Of course, a sword would pierce the eyes or mouth, but there was no way a fellow who surpassed a peak-level master would let that hit.
No, honestly, there would not even be time to swing a sword.
Because I would die immediately if I were caught up.
If I had to find a superior point, it would be that I could use my head and that the fellow had not yet completely adapted to the illusion-sword.
But I did not have the confidence to use the illusion-sword more than twice more.
Because it seemed the fellow would adapt if I used it just once more.
I spat out a curse in my heart.
‘Damn it! I’d rather meet an Owl Ghost at night than meet a Spider Ghost during the day!’
Then a thought suddenly popped into my head.
‘Wait, Owl Ghost at night, Spider Ghost during the day?’
And I immediately recalled the terrain around here.
Around here, there was definitely....
Perhaps there was some way.
It was a gamble, but....
Yes, still, it was something that I could at least try.
Even in the middle of the urgency, I gave a smirk and stole a glance at the Spider Ghost following behind me with a beast-like face.
‘Now, to do that, first.’
I turned my direction a bit.
Tadak!
It was a place where a Wild Dog Ghost, just thrown away by Bae Jong-gwan, was rolling on the ground.
When I suddenly charged toward it, the Wild Dog Ghost instinctively swung its arm at me.
Bu-ung!
Lowering my body to the ground, I parried it and succeeded in slipping past the fellow’s flank like air.
Long live the Heavenly Wind Footwork.
Meanwhile, stealing a glance back, the Spider Ghost that had followed right behind me was on the verge of colliding with the Wild Dog Ghost.
Good!
I clenched my fist, but it was a useless gesture.
Puhwak!
The Spider Ghost tore through the Wild Dog Ghost’s torso in an instant as if piercing it and immediately chased after me.
Startled, I immediately increased my speed again.
“Uaaaaak!”
Shu-hak!
I felt the fellow’s arm graze the hair on the back of my head.
Goosebumps rose.
Oh no!
I thought I could widen the distance, but one Wild Dog Ghost was not enough, right?
Gritting my teeth, I looked for the next target.
Let’s try it again!
The place I jumped into this time was where three Wild Dog Ghosts were huddled together.
As I jumped toward their front, three arms were stirring the space aiming for me.
“Kruaaaaang!”
My mind, focused to the extreme, became as sharp as a blade.
As if time had slowed down, the trajectories of the arms entered my sight clearly.
Let’s do this!
Leaning my body to the side, I parried the arm striking down diagonally from my left.
Bu-ung!
Next were the claws swinging horizontally.
Shu-ung!
Ducking my body deeply to avoid them, I immediately vaulted my body upward like a dolphin.
Pa-bak!
Then, the claws of the third Wild Dog Ghost were grazing past my toes.
Sha-a-ak!
‘I did it!’
I let out a cheer in my heart.
I had passed through while parrying the attacks of three Wild Dog Ghosts by a hair’s breadth.
This was something I had not even attempted in my previous life when I was at the highest level of the first-class realm.
At least in terms of footwork, it was certain that I had developed more than in my previous life.
And as I expected, the Spider Ghost could not easily pass through as many as three Wild Dog Ghosts.
Puhwak!
“Kieeeeeek!”
“Ke-eeeeeeek!”
Peo-ok!
It easily split two of them with its claws, but its speed was slowed down because it collided with the last one.
It was an opportunity.
Using the slight opening, I cut my hand with my sword again and sprayed blood on the fellow’s face.
Chwa-ak!
“Kruaaaaang!”
The fellow, whose entire face was smeared with my blood, was now following me like a beast that had completely lost its reason.
Giving a smirk, I vaulted my body.
Good! Follow me!
I continued running into the depths of the forest.
The infuriated fellow followed me continuously, no longer even thinking of returning to Bae Jong-gwan.
“Kiiiiik!”
The fellow’s shriek felt close enough to touch the back of my head.
Just a little, just a little more!
After a while, a rocky mountain entered my sight.
It was the place I had targeted.
With the fellow on my tail, I climbed halfway up the rocky mountain as if flying. Then, I vaulted into the cave located on the mountainside without hesitation.
“Entering!”
Shouting loudly, I continued into the cave.
I already knew, but it was a quite deep cave.
“Kiiiiik!”
The shriek of the fellow who followed me in was echoing all over the cave.
Since the sound was echoing everywhere and masking my own sounds, I was only grateful.
As I continued further inside, not a single ray of light remained in the cave.
It was total darkness.
I took a deep breath and again cut my palm, spraying the flowing blood recklessly toward the cave walls.
Meanwhile, I continued going inside.
Owl Ghosts are active at night, but Spider Ghosts are active during the day.
So, naturally, the Spider Ghost’s primary sense was also vision, not hearing.
But in a place where light had vanished like here, only its sense of smell would remain.
Just like now.
Kwang! Kwa-a-a-ang!
The sound of the Spider Ghost smashing the cave walls was being heard. It seemed it had charged toward the cave wall where I had sprayed blood.
A smirk escaped me.
I had succeeded in confusing the fellow’s senses.
Now the fellow could not see me.
Well, of course, the problem was that I could not see the fellow either.
Now, stopping my movement, I closed my eyes and stood on the spot.
Then, I tried my best to calm my mind.
In my previous life, I had once practiced my senses by walking around with my eyes closed like Squad Leader Seol Poong.
Because I wanted to become like the squad leader, who perceived his surroundings as brightly as the palm of his hand whether it was day or night.
Of course, I had failed in my previous life.
Although my senses became much sharper, I simply could not become like the squad leader.
And in this life, I had not even started that training yet.
Because there was too much else to train.
Standing on the spot, I slowly held out my bleeding palm forward.
Then, I tried to feel the fellow’s movements.
Having to risk my life on something I had never once succeeded in was undoubtedly a reckless act.
If I did not succeed this time either, I would likely die.
‘But there's no other way, is there?’
Thinking that, I smiled.
Kwang! Kwa-kwang!
The sound of the fellow smashing the cave walls was getting closer and closer. I swallowed hard.
Sunwoo Jin.
You must be still. Don’t be impatient.
If you are impatient, you will surely fail.
Breathing very slowly, I tried to feel the fellow.
The fellow’s position, the fellow’s actions, and the fellow’s appearance.
But what was drawn in my mind was still only darkness.
Darkness where it was pitch black and nothing could be felt.
Furthermore, whether it had stopped charging toward places with the scent of blood, the fellow was no longer smashing walls as it drew closer to me.
Thus, I could no longer know the fellow’s position even with my ears.
Where is it? Where could it be?
Was the fellow now certain of my position?
Various thoughts drifted confusedly through my head.
I exhaled slowly.
I tried to wash away all my impatience and distracting thoughts through my breathing.
And I only thought about assimilating with the things around me, just as Squad Leader Seol Poong had told me in my previous life.
Silently, very comfortably.
Like air, and like a rock.
It was at that moment.
I felt something approaching toward my palm.
The fellow was trying to stab its claws toward my outstretched palm.
Flinch.
Immediately pulling my palm back, I thrust the sword I was holding in my right hand forward with all my might.
Puk!
The sensation of piercing deeply into something.
In the next moment, a horrific scream erupted.
“Kkiaaaaaaaak!”
It was the shriek of the Spider Ghost.
I succeeded!
Overwhelming ecstasy filled my mind.
The one and only place where I could drive a sword into the fellow’s body.
I had succeeded in driving the sword into the fellow’s eye.
I did it, I did it!
Since it was a fellow with the physical abilities and reflexes of a peak-level master, driving a sword into its eye with my skill was actually absolutely impossible.
At least in a bright place.
I had accomplished that by dragging the fellow into the darkness where it could not see me.
I felt like I was going to go crazy with joy.
But suppressing the cheer that was about to burst out, I let go of the sword and immediately pulled my body back. The fellow was going into a frenzy.
“Kkiaaaaaaaak!”
Then, carefully avoiding the frenzied fellow, I ran back out of the cave.
Far from chasing after me, I could clearly feel the fellow rolling painfully on the cave floor.
The cave that had felt so distant when entering, I was able to return to the entrance in just a moment.
The sunlight coming into the entrance from outside the cave could not have been more emotional.
Coming out of the cave, I immediately ran to Bae Jong-gwan.
The fellow, who was panting as if his strength had almost run out, gave a bright smile as soon as he saw me.
It was a smile that looked as bright and pure as the sunlight.
I shouted to him with all my might.
“Jong-gwan! It’s time to go back!”
Then, I delivered a powerful body slam toward the Wild Dog Ghosts lunging at him.
“Ha-ap! It’s the Iron God Meteor!”
Peo-beo-beok!
I felt like tears were going to come out at the fact that I had not left him behind this time, and at the fact that we were finally able to return together.
It was truly... a relief.
Bae Jong-gwan and I ran, leaving the Wild Dog Ghosts behind, and returned to the 13th Unit.
There was no way things like Wild Dog Ghosts could catch up to us when we were sincerely fleeing.
And on the way to the main unit, we met Bi Sa-yeong running desperately with Squad Leader Seol Poong.
The fellow, who was running with tears flowing down his messily distorted face, looked dazed for a moment upon seeing us safe, but soon frowned deeply and spat out a curse.
“You bastards! You guys really! Really...!”
Then, with his head bowed deeply, he said while sobbing.
“...Thank you. Thank you, you bastards.”
Bae Jong-gwan and I smiled warmly and embraced him.
Having survived several times in my previous life through the sacrifices of my friends, I felt I could fully understand his heart.
After Bi Sa-yeong gathered his heart a bit, we went back to the Wild Dog Ghosts.
And this time, we could watch Squad Leader Seol Poong’s slaughter with a comfortable mind.
The sight of the Wild Dog Ghosts’ heads exploding whenever the squad leader swung his hands and feet was quite pitiable.
The Spider Ghost I had left in the cave seemed to still be rolling on the cave floor.
The squad leader went in alone, finished the fellow off, and when he came back out, the only thing he brought was my sword that had been stuck in the fellow’s eye.
I decided to keep it a secret that I had fought the Spider Ghost.
I did not think people would believe that I, who was still merely a second-class, had fought a Spider Ghost, and above all, I did not want to stand out excessively while my skills were lacking.
Ultimately, I neither built up merit nor gained fame from this incident.
But even so, I could be sufficiently satisfied.
Because I was able to practice external arts as usual with my friends Bae Jong-gwan and Bi Sa-yeong the next day.
This ordinary daily life could not have been more precious.