Seol-Hwi returned to the Sect, and immediately rested in bed. As usual, he was asked ‘Do you want to save?’, but he chose not to.
Because he knew - this regression will be the last. Even if he did somehow go back in time again, returning to an earlier point than right now would be better.
I don’t want to do that ‘special training’ again.
The hellish training to increase health and internal energy - just the thought of having to redo all of it, made Seol-Hwi break out into a cold sweat.
The next morning…
The schedule for the month appeared in front of Seol-Hwi.
<Please set the schedule for the 7th month of the 98th year (35/36)> ▷ Perform mission with subordinates (receive Earth Demon's mission) ▷ Set schedule for subordinates ▶ Receive mission
35/36, numbers that indicated there were two months left.
The deadline for the Main Story was now two months away, and there were only two chances left for Seol-Hwi to set a schedule.
“Well…”
Seol-Hwi pondered for a moment, and then decided. There was still time to complete things he hasn’t done yet.
<You have selected ‘Receive mission’.> ▶ Earth Demon ▷ Heukgu
However, when he chose this option, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Hold on, what if the mission doesn’t end in a month?
Didn’t Jeokpa’s mission actually take up more than a third of his time? Considering the rewards, it’s better to choose the Earth Demon’s mission.
With that in mind, Seol-Hwi chose to receive a mission from the Fourth Disciple.
<Will you move with your subordinates?> ▶ Move together ▷ Go alone
Of course Seol-Hwi chose to go together.
After choosing, his eyes were blinded by a white light.
[Earth Demon] "You're here?"
Seol-Hwi saw the Earth Demon in front of him.
However, this time, the Earth Demon was only there to explain the mission to Seol-Hwi. It didn’t feel like when they would talk with each other at other times.
[Earth Demon] “I am going to gather together the people under me, to hold a small fighting contest. This is an opportunity to motivate and unite us.”
A martial arts competition?
Seol-Hwi listened carefully to the Earth Demon’s words.
[Earth Demon] “It will be a place where we can get to know the abilities of others, and improve our relationships in the process. And if there are those who haven’t been evaluated for their skills yet, they might have a boost in morale if they join this fighting competition… do you plan to participate in it?”
Seol-Hwi thought for a moment. What was the Earth Demon’s intention in doing this?
<Select a choice from below.> ▶ Participate with subordinates ▷ Watch with subordinates
Yet, there was also no reason for Seol-Hwi to refuse.
<You have selected ‘Participate with subordinates’.> [Earth Demon] "Good. I will let you know when things are finalized."
Finalized…?
Seol-Hwi was confused, but he wasn’t able to ponder the matter before his surroundings suddenly changed again.
“Wow!”
“Ohhh!”
Seol-Hwi looked around and saw a vast arena, one he had never been to before. It was crowded with people, and had a lively atmosphere.
This is…?
It was a place several times larger than a training hall. In the center was a huge rectangular stage, visible to everyone.
And judging from the buzzing sounds around him, there must be hundreds of people here.
This reminds me of the Great Hall.
A long time ago, when Seol-Hwi first entered the Sect, he remembered seeing the main hall. Although this arena was smaller, it still seemed to be able to accommodate around a thousand people.
“Hmm…”
Seol-Hwi was seated opposite to the entrance of the arena. He noticed his subordinates sitting too, dressed in blue uniforms.
To the side of where he sat, around 60 people were seated in rows. Fifteen of them would each sit behind one leader. Those were the other command units of the Hidden Truth Corps.
And those guys…
Seol-Hwi’s gaze turned to his other side.
Brown uniforms and twice as many people as he had.
They were the Private Guards unit. And there was Bigun, their captain, sitting in front of them. 1
Then they must be…
In the opposite direction… as soon as Seol-Hwi saw them, he knew where they belonged to. Tan uniforms - the main force of the Hidden Truth Corps.
The Four Imperial Troops?
There were around 200 members in total. The number of people they held was greater than any other unit.
The strange thing was the one sitting in the front. It was a man who was a commander of the Four Imperial Troops, based on his position. He had his face covered by a mask.
To wear a mask in this kind of place…
“Captain! Captain! Do you see that?”
Imugi tapped him on the shoulder, and Seol-Hwi looked at where he pointed.
“Ah.”
Black uniforms - people who looked like high ranking figures.
“The Seven Messengers from the rumors, who serve directly under the Earth Demon!”
“Hmm…”
“Shouldn’t there be seven of them then? Why is one person missing?”
Yong Jin questioned, and Imugi shook his head.
“Maybe that one is still dispatched on a mission. But I am sure no one else wears black clothes like that.”
“…From what I can see, they do indeed seem like the Seven Messengers.”
Seol-Hwi confirmed Imugi’s words.
It’s Ma Taryong who’s missing.
In the previous timeline, Seol-Hwi set out to find a man who disappeared two months previously.
Two months - that was when Ma Taryong was taken prisoner while he was out on a mission. So naturally, he couldn’t be here right now.
“Then those people must be the Fourth Army Squad?”
Seo Ryeong asked, and Seol-Hwi turned to where she indicated.
There were four of them behind the Earth Demon.
Secret Warriors, who can be called the closest confidants to the Earth Demon. Their allegiance was only to the Fourth Disciple.
“I heard that there are some who are Supreme Demon level among them…”
“No way! Everyone is Supreme Demon level, not just a few.”
Yong Jin shook his head at Yorim’s words.
“Normally that would be true, but there are also rumors that they hide their strength. What if it was leaked that the Earth Demon possesses Supreme Demon level subordinates?”
“Then there will be a dispute between the Heavenly Demon’s disciples, and they’ll all use their hidden cards…”
“Where did you get that information?”
Seo Ryeong interrupted the conversation.
“Uh, actually…”
While Yorim struggled to answer, Jeok Song exclaimed,
“Imugi! Isn’t that your former master?”
“What?”
All eyes turned to one place.
A group of old men were seated to the right of the Earth Demon. Among them was Elder Baekhon.
“Uhhh…”
And another face Seol-Hwi knew, Elder Nok Jeong-gwan, with three more old men next to him. 2
“Oh yeah! Isn’t Elder Baekhon 31st in the ranking?”
“Right. I knew about him liking the Captain, but I didn’t think he would really support the Fourth Disciple…”
Both Yong Jin and Jeok Song responded in surprise. However, Imugi was silent.
“That old man. He won’t be of help.”
“What? You’re talking about your former master?”
“Yes. He has a bad temper, so he won’t help much.”
Everyone shook their heads at Imugi’s words. It was ridiculous to speak about him like this, even if he was a former master.
“But still, if we have five Elders on our side, it isn’t all too bad.”
Seo Ryeong frowned.
“Not bad? Don’t you know there are more than 30 siding with another one?”
Jeok Song tilted his head.
“No, the Third Disciple also has five Elders. In addition, there are three Elders who said they support the Fourth Disciple. The Earth Demon managed to get two more.”
Seol-Hwi was still looking around the arena, as he listened to his subordinates’ discussion.
Why are we here…?
He was curious about the upcoming competition.
“What do you know about the fights?”
“There will be only one fight at a time.”
“Can subordinates only fight other subordinates?”
“Ahah! Then we will all win! Didn’t we run 100 kilometers every day?”
While Seol-Hwi’s men were still talking with one another, an old man walked up onto the stage.
“Everyone! Welcome!”
He had a clear voice, one that was amplified with the usage of internal energy. Everyone in the audience became silent at the old man’s introduction.
“Those who are here are loyal to the Earth Demon. But since they are so faithful to their work, there are many among us who haven’t been seen by others, despite being under the same command of the Fourth Disciple. Today, this will be a place where we get to know one another and build a strong friendship.”
The crowd nodded at those words.
They should all be affiliated with each other as the Earth Demon’s subordinates, but the reality was that they couldn’t even identify each other’s faces.
With the dispute between the Heavenly Demon’s disciples heating up, they now needed to work together. Everyone had to familiarize themselves with the people they’d be working with.
“However, simply looking at others and having meals with one another, that wouldn’t be enough, right? As everyone knows, this is a place to prove your worth to all. Those who are confident, come forward! Those who have worked hard, come forward! Those who prove their skills here will be rewarded by the Earth Demon!”
The audience was moved by the word ‘reward’. Some people were already rolling up their sleeves in preparation.
“For a worthwhile spar, choose the opponent according to their level. There is only one match, and you will have to show your abilities in that fight alone. It doesn’t matter if you push the opponent close to death. We will make sure no one dies here. Those who want to be evaluated, come forward!”
From then on…
<Members of the various command units are volunteering to fight.> <Defeated by the Four Imperial Troops> <Won against the Private Guards Unit > <Defeated by the Private Guards Unit >
…
…
The passage of time was quick. Seol-Hwi’s surroundings flew by him, as if there was nothing important to see.
And when time stopped,
<The results are in.> < 20 subordinates of the command units fought. > Wins: 4 Losses: 16
Then the reactions came in from those who had been watching.
[Earth Demon] "I am quite disappointed in them." [Seven Messengers] "Not even worth evaluating." [Elders] "We doubt the competence of their captains." [Private Guard Unit Captain] "My expectations have been lowered." [Four Imperial Troops Commander] "That was upsetting. I think the command units should just be gotten rid of."
This…!
Seol-Hwi was confused.
Not only did time suddenly pass by, the reactions to the command units were all negative.
But then he thought about it more deeply.
The other captains may not have been able to train their entire groups like I did.
Seol-Hwi only had five subordinates under him. Thanks to this, the skills of his members improved by leaps and bounds, but the skills of those people who Seol-Hwi weren’t in charge of were a mess.
“Now, the next battle will involve captains. Those who are confident, come forward.”
As if waiting for that call, one person got up and headed to the stage.
“Ohhh! The Four Imperial Troops 1st Commander!”
“As expected of Hongji!”
Voices could be heard from all around him, telling him right away who this was. Meanwhile, Seol-Hwi was shocked.
Huh?!
He hadn’t switched the combat method to Turn-Based yet, but he could see that guy’s abilities.
<Hongji [1st Commander of Four Imperial Troops] > Health: 4.5 million/ 4.5 million Internal energy: 4.2 million/ 4.2 million Combat power: 6.22 million
At this level, he had the right to be a leader. Seol-Hwi too was the same in the past.
“Good.”
It seems like Seol-Hwi wasn’t the only one who thought this. Even Bigun looked a little impressed.
[Seven Messengers] “Oh. There seems to be quite a few talented people among the captains." [Elders] “Hongji. We've heard about him. Isn't he considered to be one of the strongest in the Hidden Truth Corps?" [Fourth Army Squad] “…”
The response was positive, unlike before.
“The 1st Commander of the Four Imperial Troops, Hongji! Is there anyone who will compete against him?”
Seol-Hwi heard no sounds from the crowd around him. But…
Who do you want to send? ▶ Yorim [6.636 million combat power] + Hook Scythe Spear ▷ Jeok Song [6.337 million combat power] + Ancient Sword ▷ Yong Jin [5.21 million combat power] + Crescent Blade ▷ Seo Ryeong [4.91 million combat power] + Ghost Arrow ▷ Imugi [4.55 million combat power] + Willow Leaf Blade
Each member was listed, with the name of their weapon next to them. And also, their combat power, which couldn’t be confirmed at the time of the end of training.
It seems like Seol-Hwi had to now choose one subordinate to send out for the fight.
Combat power is the first thing I notice, but it isn’t everything…
Seol-Hwi recalled his own past experiences. Combat power was important, but it wasn’t the only thing.
Unless there was a huge difference, in the end, the person with greater health and internal energy wins.
For example, Yorim had the highest combat power, but there were times when it felt like Jeok Song had the upper hand in situations.
<Will you send out Jeok Song? >
“Yes.”
Perhaps this mission was given to Seol-Hwi to improve the capabilities of his subordinates.
“Leave it to me!”
As soon as Seol-Hwi made his choice, Jeok Song stood up. Another question appeared in front of him.
<Will you watch the fight? > ▶ See it ▷ Don't see it
And he chose to see.
