Chapter 2 - The Mission That Changed Everything (Part 2)
Man Sunjo pointed at three elite warriors and ordered them to protect me, while instructing the others to attack the forest bandits. The ordinary people who were with us continued their work, excavating the celestial body. In reality, no one intended to harm them, as they were useful not only to us but also to the forest bandits.
Kang Jun was encountering such a situation for the first time, and he was deeply shocked by how quickly events unfolded. In just a matter of seconds, a bloodbath was decided. Just a few words showed Kang Jun how ruthless this world was. Resources and power determined everything.
Kang Jun had never killed anyone before. He thought his first kill would be during a mission assigned by the academy a year from now, to qualify for his second year of training.
Although he wasn't overly anxious, he didn't know how it would feel to take another's life, and that uncertainty unsettled him.
Kang Jun had been training in his clan since he was six years old to be strong enough to protect himself in this harsh world. Now the time had come—to test his skills in real combat rather than sparring.
Even though Kang Jun was lost in thought for only about ten seconds, several people had already died on the battlefield. His hands trembled slightly—whether from adrenaline or nervousness was unclear—but mentally, he was prepared.
The three elite warriors had already positioned themselves around Kang Jun, awaiting his command. More than a hundred bandits surrounded the small group of warriors and launched their ruthless assault.
Knowing how to work in a team, Kang Jun shouted, "Forward!" He and the warriors rushed to take their positions in the formation.
I stood behind two warriors protecting me, waiting for them to tire so I could replace and cover them. This battle was more about endurance than a quick victory.
For about fifteen minutes, I remained behind them, occasionally saving the warriors in front from critical attacks. In that time, a little over half of the forest bandits had been killed.
Man Sunjo was also handling himself well—he didn't have a single scratch, while the bandit leader's arm was burned and deeply cut, thanks to the fiery Qi techniques practiced by the clan's warriors.
Though this fire was just an ordinary orange color, it inflicted unimaginable pain. Its special property caused the Qi flames to seep into an opponent's pores upon contact, lingering before spreading further depending on the severity of the injury. Those who did not practice fire techniques or lacked resistance to fire suffered the most.
I only regretted that I hadn't reached a higher level yet and couldn't use my Qi externally—only circulate it within my body. I had long wanted to test the power of my black flames, which I had been practicing since childhood. I imagined the results would be astonishing.
"Sigh..." Kang Jun exhaled and began circulating lightning Qi through his body.
His strength surged as he deflected an incoming sword strike and, with a swift counterattack, decapitated his opponent.
The bandit had no chance against Kang Jun on equal footing. The lightning Qi not only enhanced his power but also his agility, and his brain processed battlefield changes much faster. A regular practitioner at the same level would hardly be able to defeat Kang Jun.
The tremors in his hands from earlier disappeared, and a wave of satisfaction swept through his body.
"All these years of training have finally paid off," Kang Jun thought.
Lightning flickered in his eyes as he cut down bandit after bandit, his strikes as precise as a blacksmith hammering metal into shape.
The second bandit also died instantly, his heart pierced.
However, Kang Jun soon realized that if he killed each opponent with a single counterattack, he wouldn't gain much combat experience. So, he started toying with the bandits—inflicting minor wounds while observing their movements, techniques, and the force they put into their strikes.
He continued this "game," eliminating ten enemies in the process.
The bandits who were watching from the sides began to feel fear—seeing a young boy, who could have been their son, slaughtering them with a smile on his face was terrifying.
Even the elite warriors observing the battle were surprised. Kang Jun had yet to lose his breath, and his technique was flawless—especially for his first large-scale battle.
Though they hadn't realized it consciously, they began to change their perception of Kang Jun. The rumors in the clan about his supposed weakness were starting to dissipate in their minds.
Then, suddenly, in the middle of the tense battle, the old blacksmith—who, along with his workers, was still mining ore—shouted:
"Hey! I think I found a new element! It was in the ore—I've never seen anything like this before! It looks like red powder, and it feels dry to the touch!"
"Hey! What's going on?!" some warriors briefly turned to look but continued their fight.
The dust in the old blacksmith's hands suddenly rose into the air, dispersing in an instant. Strange things began to happen.
Young warriors—both bandits and those from Kang Jun's clan—began losing consciousness.
Kang Jun, being more resilient, managed to witness it, but soon enough, the entire younger generation collapsed simultaneously.
And he was no exception.
Within five seconds, he felt his body weaken and fall. The dark eyes that had gleamed with excitement during battle slowly closed, and in an instant, Kang Jun plunged into darkness.
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Noise and chaos filled the air. Hundreds of people were shouting different things, but the darkness surrounding them was illuminated only by torches, their weak glow barely piercing the gloom.
As they reached the main street, where towering pillars of fire burned brightly, the faces of the townspeople became visible. Wide black stone walls reflected the orange flames. This place exuded pain, oppression, and hopelessness.
People with dirty faces and thin bodies gazed at a stage, awaiting the arrival of a high-ranking official to explain the situation.
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Meanwhile, deep within the city, Kang Jun opened his eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his ribs. Someone must have kicked him. He didn't want to wake up, his body heavy with exhaustion, as if he had been unconscious for days.
"Hey, bastard! Get up, I said!" a rough voice shouted.
Kang Jun opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar man. He wore gleaming armor—something Kang Jun had only seen on imperial soldiers. Martial artists rarely used armor, as it restricted movement and provided no real protection; a sword infused with Qi could cut through it effortlessly.
"How did I end up in the Empire? I was just in the forest, fighting bandits... What happened after that?" Kang Jun wondered.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember.
He knew that, despite his exhaustion, his Qi should still be there, allowing him to overpower this soldier with ease. But when he focused on his Dantian—the source of his Qi—he felt... nothing.
"This can't be happening!" Kang Jun mentally screamed.
Panic set in as he checked his body for injuries near his Dantian. Everything seemed fine, yet his Qi was gone.
The soldier watching him grew irritated and delivered a harsh slap to Kang Jun's face.
"Hey, you! I won't say it again—get up and head to the central square, or today will be your last!" The soldier brandished his sword menacingly.
The sharp pain snapped Kang Jun out of his panic, and the residual energy from the slap acted like a shock to his system. Finally, he pulled himself together and obeyed.
As Kang Jun walked toward the distant voices, he took a moment to observe his surroundings—and what he saw left him stunned.
Massive stone buildings, their dark hues ranging from gray to deep brown, created an oppressive atmosphere. The black streets and towering walls surrounding the city gave the place an eerie, foreboding presence.
"I've never heard of a place like this... Not even my father ever mentioned such a city, and he's traveled far and wide," Kang Jun thought.
His only option was to follow the voices and reach the main street.
About twenty minutes later, he arrived at the plaza, where the bright flames caused his eyes to ache—his vision still accustomed to the darkness.
Behind him, the soldier who had escorted him called out to a fellow warrior:
"Hey, Stein, when did you finish your assignment?" the knight asked the warrior standing beside him.
"Quite some time ago. I came across a fairly simple district with wide streets, and my guys and I quickly covered everything," Stein replied.
"Then why did it take you so long, Lars?" asked another warrior standing near Stein.
"I was busy collecting rats along the way," Lars responded, nodding in my direction.
"How many people do you think will die during the 'Lunar Eclipse'?" Lars then asked Stein.
"At least fifty thousand. I've heard from commanders who are in contact that the 'Whisperers' claim the 'Underground Beasts' are very active this year. But I believe it will be a magnificent slaughter—or rather, a meat grinder. And I hope that in a month, many promising recruits will emerge to bolster our ranks!" Stein answered.
The knights standing together burst into hearty laughter as they looked at the hundreds of thousands of people who continued to swarm toward the city center.