NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 392
Chapter 393
“Well, at least we managed to hold on for now. But it can’t last forever, right?”
“Of course I know that. But one should rest properly when it’s time to rest, don’t you think?”
The warm glow of the campsite illuminated the night sky.
Some were exhausted and had collapsed into sleep, while others engaged in trivial chatter to stave off their fatigue. Given the long march, this was understandable.
However, beneath that behavior lay a profound fear. The fear that the Demon Cult lurked nearby.
To escape the dread of when and where demons might appear, they engaged in various actions.
Of course, this didn’t apply to Yeon-woo. If it were mere demons under the Heavenly Demon’s command, he didn’t think he would lose.
Though one shouldn’t underestimate them, having dealt with two Demon Kings, Yeon-woo didn’t consider himself weak compared to them.
Surrounding the campsite was a wall of pure mana. Yeon-woo had constructed a base, and around it, the poison of the Dang family father and daughter prevented other toxicities from intruding.
By integrating the pure mana returned from the clash of poisons, Yeon-woo had created a structure that could be used semi-permanently as long as there was enough poison.
This way, even if demons attacked while they slept, they would be easily alerted.
As he looked on, Jegal Yeon was placing detoxification potions at each tent. It seemed there had been a method after all. He hadn’t expected them to bring so many expensive potions, though.
Noticing Yeon-woo’s gaze, Jegal Yeon chuckled sheepishly. It was an apologetic smile.
Yeon-woo didn’t mind much. After all, this entire expedition had been planned with his presence in consideration.
Before the regression, the Demon Cult hadn’t even made their move at this time, and the Martial Arts Alliance hadn’t formed such a proper expedition team either.
In other words, every situation arose because Yeon-woo had altered the past.
In that case, Yeon-woo felt some willingness to take on a certain level of responsibility. Excluding martial artists, the strength of the human alliance would drastically weaken.
Right now, a multitude of martial artists were off to assist in the war on the Alkeon continent, so it was essential to show their sincerity.
Earth, Alkeon, and martial arts should maintain a mutually complementary relationship. Just as it had been until now, and would continue to be.
‘Although it seems like I have to take on quite a lot in the process…’
Well, that much was nothing. If it meant saving the world and protecting the world where Shar, Nea, and Tae-oh could live, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
If he could save the world with just a little more effort on his part, he could find satisfaction in that.
With that thought in mind, Yeon-woo returned to his tent. While others had settled into tents with a relatively unified design, Yeon-woo was different.
He had many outdoor supplies resting in Relin’s Warehouse, so any one of those would suffice.
“What an outrageous luxury.”
“Dad, are you done talking!?”
“I hope you hurry up and grill some meat…!!”
He felt a certain regret over the absence of Nea and Dawn. However, for now, he decided to enjoy the time he had with the two kids.
“I’m not the one to grill meat, Tae-oh.” That thought was a secret he kept to himself.
*
“Kihh, what an eyesore, huh?”
A warm light rose. It was a glow so warm it felt like even the observer would be influenced by it.
Coincidentally, such a light was what demons hated the most.
A light not belonging to the Heavenly Demon, a color not belonging to the Heavenly Demon. An emotion that warmed the heart rather than one of hatred or rage.
From behind the old man, demons revealed themselves. Demons whose bodies were stained green and swollen erupted with fury toward the campsite.
“You all seem quite an eyesore, huh?”
The Poison King, giggling, issued commands to the demons. He wasn’t foolish enough to charge in recklessly.
Above all else, the wall of mana surrounding that campsite. It would be impossible to even consider fighting if they didn’t break through that.
“Kihk, I’m quite tempted by this power from another world. I wonder how it could fall into my hands, hmm?”
Something within there, an existence from another world, was incredibly tempting. They had mentioned it was someone who had contracted with a dragon.
Though he hadn’t paid much attention earlier, now that they were facing it head-on, it piqued his interest greatly.
*
“Ugh, I feel something off…?”
It was as if an unknown old man was coveting him, even though he didn’t know his face.
Whether he realized it or not, the two children had wormed their way into Yeon-woo’s sleeping bag and were dozing off.
Feeling far from inclined to sleep, Yeon-woo cautiously extracted himself from the sleeping bag and created a clone in place.
It was an immensely luxurious way to utilize his abilities, but the efficiency of the sealing mana was so great that he had enough left even after doing this.
The clone faithfully executed Yeon-woo’s unclear orders as he slept alongside the kids.
To clear his mind, he stepped outside the tent, where numerous martial artists stood watch by a small campfire.
To clarify, Yeon-woo wasn’t shirking his duty as a watchman. When he offered to take watch, they had discouraged him. Kindness must be shown and acknowledged.
“Oh, you’re not asleep yet?”
“…Why are you here?”
Standing at the front of Yeon-woo’s tent was Dang Sa-ryeon. She nodded her head in response to Yeon-woo’s query.
Well, he had a rough idea of the reason. The leadership’s tent was relatively close to this position.
Due to being in enemy territory, at least one leader had to remain awake to coordinate the personnel in case of emergencies.
The first to take the watch was Jegal Yeon, then Jin Baek-cheon, and next was Dang Sa-ryeon. Yeon-woo had mistakenly thought it was Dang Jin-ho he was reading up to.
“Seems like the younger ones should take the mid-watch, as my father mentioned.”
With a chuckle, Dang Sa-ryeon smiled. Is that so… It looks like the most tiring mid-watch ended up being assigned to her… what a slog…
“Well, then you should go in and sleep. It’s almost time to switch, isn’t it? I’ll take your place.”
“No, I probably won’t wake up.”
Dang Sa-ryeon’s words sent a chill down Yeon-woo’s spine. Would it go that far? As an adult? Terrifying, Dang Jin-ho…
“Are you sure you can manage without sleep? We don’t know when the Poison King might come.”
“Well, at this point, losing a little sleep won’t hurt.”
He knew that well. The Dang Sa-ryeon before regression had once chased down betrayers to the Dang family for three days and nights without eating, drinking, or sleeping.
Of course, the current Dang Sa-ryeon wasn’t at that level, but a few hours of lost sleep wouldn’t cause any real issues.
“I feel like we’ll soon be able to cross the wall, but phew, it’s not easy.”
“Speaking of which, you’ve had your fair share of those moments too.”
“It isn’t easy. I’ve been stuck for years. How did you manage to surpass it so quickly?”
“Fighting head-on with the Demon King, I suppose…”
“I see…”
The best way to elevate one’s realm was to battle the strong with one’s life on the line.
In that case, it was only natural for Yeon-woo, who had spent most of his life fighting strong opponents, to see his realm rising rapidly day by day.
“Should I fight the Poison King once?”
“Sounds like it might not be a bad idea.”
If their combat styles were similar, it would be icing on the cake. There was a possibility of embodying even the opponent’s insights as one’s own.
“If it’s you, I think you can do it. But it might be tough.”
“What a lackluster show of support.”
Dang Sa-ryeon chuckled softly at Yeon-woo’s words as both their gazes suddenly snapped back.
So it’s come to this, Yeon-woo thought.
A crack appeared in the barrier. Being connected to the barrier right now, Yeon-woo was able to sense it clearly.
The martial artists around them seemed to notice something was off too, as a murmur began to ripple through the ranks.
Ding ding ding!! A frantic bell rang out, echoing throughout the campsite. Something sprang up from the back tent and dashed out.
Though he had just gotten up, Jin Baek-cheon was standing there, brandishing a spear.
“Enemy attack!! Arm yourselves!!”
His voice boomed over the campsite. The bespectacled martial artists swiftly equipped themselves and rushed out.
Yeon-woo also headed for the tent to retrieve his clone. It was better to wake up the kids and have them fall asleep inside Yeon-woo rather than leave them.
“Then I’ll head in to prepare. Good luck.”
“Hmph, I’ll break that arrogant nose of yours.”
Dang Sa-ryeon grinned with a combative smile as she dashed toward the crack in the barrier, and Yeon-woo stepped back into the tent.
*
“Ugh, aaaaah!!”
The martial artist’s purple arm melted away. In just one exchange. It had merely brushed against the old man’s toxin.
As the arm corroded, the martial artist screamed and hurriedly fell back. Meanwhile, the remaining martial artists moved to surround the old man.
It was vital to hold off both the demons the old man brought and the old man himself.
Gulp, they swallowed in unison. It was unavoidable to feel tense before a strong adversary. Especially one associated with the Demon Cult.
“Cough, insignificant beings blocking my path, hmm.”
The old man nodded as if affirming his own words, flicking his purple sleeves. The toxicity released asserted dominion over the space.
The martial artists realized that even approaching would lead them to death, merely from touching the toxin.
Yet, no one retreated. They had come in search of their homeland, risking their honor as martial artists. Among them, there was no one unprepared for death.
“Your spirit is admirable. I’ll commend you. But you must understand that such spirit from the powerless holds no meaning.”
With a sinister grin, a torrent of toxin erupted from the old man’s body. Those caught within the cloud melted away in an instant, transforming into purple sludge.
“Now, let’s showcase the power of the Heavenly Demon to these foolish martial artists.”
At the old man’s command, the demons nodded and began to scatter.
Once chaos and poison spread throughout the campsite, their victory would be all but assured.
“Just as I expected.”
A dark green poison dragon surged from the ground, engulfing nearly ten demons.
Though they hastily launched their toxins, the demons quickly dissolved, becoming food for the poison dragon.
“Oh, you’ve arrived already?”
The old man, the Poison King, smiled as he looked down at Dang Sa-ryeon.
Dang Sa-ryeon had no reason to smile. Despite rushing over as fast as she could, people had already died.
(To be continued in the next chapter)