Book 21 Chapter 17

The golden dawn shines.

— A Battle to the Death

A pebble flew from Yeonbi's hand like an arrow, striking Baekgyo's empty right eye with precision.

Kiiiiiiiek!

Enraged, Baekgyo let out a terrifying roar and whipped its head around. Red blood flowed from the sightless socket, and its remaining red pupil blazed with animosity as it glared straight at Yeonbi.

'Oh crap!'

Yeonbi broke out in a cold sweat internally. Her hand had moved on its own, but to provoke Baekgyo in this situation was a monumental mistake. Glancing back, she saw Rin frozen like a stone pillar behind her.

Just then, Baekgyo suddenly leaped into the air. It was a powerful leap, so much so that the word "flying" wouldn't be out of place.

"M-move!"

Yeonbi, clutching Rin, quickly threw herself to the side. Baekgyo's jaws, which had soared through the air, slammed down where Rin had been. The ground cracked, and a nearby tree tilted precariously, sending dust flying. Had they not dodged immediately, their bodies would have been crushed before being swallowed.

"Rin, are you okay?"

For a moment, as Yeonbi looked back at Rin, Baekgyo slammed its feet on the ground again.

"Ugh!"

Yeonbi flinched in surprise and wrapped her arms around Rin. She hadn't expected such agile, consecutive attacks from something of that size hidden in the undergrowth, which was why she had momentarily looked away.

"Aaaaaargh!!"

A desperate scream suddenly rang out. Without a moment to think, Yeonbi flung herself backward. She shoved Rin into a gap between rocks in the undergrowth she'd spotted for a moment and then ran forward again.

Yeonbi positioned herself at the border between the undergrowth and the clearing. While the dense forest of trees offered some advantage in blocking Baekgyo's attacks, she knew she had no choice but to confront it head-on to protect Rin.

"Ugh…"

Yeonbi struggled to suppress her nausea as she looked at Baekgyo. It wasn't just that the number of fallen White Eagles had increased to two. She had discovered the sentry's head and right arm protruding from Baekgyo's crunching jaws.

It was only when she saw the flute lying on the ground that Yeonbi understood why Baekgyo hadn't attacked them directly. It seemed the sentry had been taken by Baekgyo while playing the flute. While he was distracting them, Baekgyo had been devouring a person. Even Abi White Eagle, who had put him in danger, had likely lost his life in the process.

Baekgyo, now one-eyed, completely swallowed the sentry, glaring at Yeonbi with its single eye as if mocking her. A quick calculation flashed through Yeonbi's mind.

'Contact must have been made. Just a little longer, if I can just hold on, Rin will be safe. And since that thing just ate an adult, it should be a little slower.'

However, before Yeonbi could even draw her twin blades, the second attack came.

Vwoom!

With a heavy gust of wind, Baekgyo's tail, as thick as an adult's waist, whipped towards Yeonbi like a lash. Yeonbi, instinctively preparing to dodge, froze. If she retreated, Rin would be in danger.

Yeonbi quickly crossed her hands and brought them to her dantian. She intended to take the full force of Baekgyo's tail, which was coming up from below, with her entire body.

"Kyaak!"

Yeonbi's body shot into the air like a kite whose string had been cut.

"Yeonbi!"

Rin's scream erupted from behind her.

A smile, or something akin to it, flickered on Baekgyo's lips. Baekgyo was already halfway to becoming a demon. Its ultimate finishing move, honed by defeating countless formidable foes, was its proud tail sweep, capable of snapping even ancient trees in a single blow. If it could speak, it would have uttered a fitting technique name with each use of this move, or so it seemed to regret as it licked its lips with its red tongue.

But this prey was surprisingly tenacious.

Yeonbi, who had been soaring upwards as if to be impaled on a tree branch, suddenly flipped her body in mid-air and kicked off a tree, falling back to the ground.

Kwagaagag!

She landed in an awkward posture, and dust flew violently. One of Yeonbi's knees had buckled.

"Ugh!"

Yeonbi spat out a mouthful of blood.

'Even though I threw myself into it, I still couldn't completely deflect it.'

It felt as though her insides were about to spill out. Without the power of the Doll's Threefold Silk, her intestines would have been in utter disarray. Fortunately, thanks to training her hands with the Flowing Splitting Water technique, her arms were unharmed by the blow.

'I have to hold on until the end!'

There was nowhere left to retreat. Nor could she simply defend.

'Even if they're incomplete, there must be some useful techniques. Come to think of it, my master gave me a prescription for times like these…'

"Your accomplishments are, of course, unfinished! But my disciple, you've inexplicably gained considerable internal energy over the past year, no matter where you picked it up."

That's how it started. But shouldn't a master think, 'Ah, this child must have diligently practiced bone-shattering, spirit-dispersing training,' when their disciple's accomplishments increase?

"Do you want me to truly break your bones and scatter your spirit? Even after picking up all sorts of things, you're still stuck at the 'Night's Boundary,' how can this master not lament your incompetence?"

He would say things like that, only to flash his eyes chillingly.

"In any case, I, your master, will bestow upon you a most important prescription at this juncture, out of my boundless grace."

Ah, yes. The master's prescription, given with a glint in his eyes.

"Never provoke anyone even slightly stronger than you."

Chwarararak!

Spreading both arms, eight twin blades appeared in Yeonbi's hands.

"If you get cocky with your clumsy strength, you'll bite off more than you can chew. But such people are the first to lose their heads. If, by chance, you absolutely have to fight, then run away quickly!"

'Damn it, I can't run away anymore!'

As expected, there was no prescription.

Given the situation, she had no choice but to fight with all her might, intending to settle this with a life-or-death showdown.

Flying Thunder Blades (飛雷刀), Fifth Secret (奧義).

Chapter of Superb Technique (超絶技巧).

Eight Thunder Dance (八雷亂舞).

Eight streaks of lightning shot from Yeonbi's sleeves, dazzlingly shaking the surroundings as they flew towards Baekgyo. However, Baekgyo stood its ground as if mocking the dozens of changes.

Pachachang!

Yeonbi's flamboyant technique was easily neutralized by Baekgyo's ridiculously powerful and thick scales, rendering it a waste of energy. The purpose of the variations was to disrupt the opponent's vision to prevent them from dodging or blocking. In front of an opponent willing to take the hits, it was merely a pointless expenditure of energy.

Baekgyo flicked its tongue towards Yeonbi, as if deliberately taunting her.

'Good! Then with the technique I recently mastered…'

Even if it was incomplete, it felt like there was a good chance.

Flying Thunder Blades (飛雷刀), Fifth Secret (奧義).

Chapter of Thunderous Wind and Clouds (뢰명풍운의 장).

Flowing Thunder Curve (雷光流河曲).

Yeonbi's ten fingers moved with supernatural speed, like a possessed musician playing a string instrument. Ten bolts of lightning shot from her fingertips, flying towards Baekgyo like living creatures. The lightning struck Baekgyo's body and bounced off again. But that was expected.

Yeonbi's fingers pressed down on the Thunder Spirit Grid again. With minute movements, the deflected lightning changed trajectory and shot out once more.

'Even a tree that's struck ten times won't fall!'

But Baekgyo wouldn't fall, even after being struck ten times. The ten bolts of lightning, repeatedly hitting and bouncing off, gradually weakened.

'Then!'

No matter how hard the scales of a creature, it has weak points. For example, the eyes, and the mouth.

The targets of the twin blades were changed to the eyes and mouth. However, Baekgyo had now anticipated and prepared. Five blades aimed at the eyes bounced off Baekgyo's eyelids and head in all directions. The situation was worse for the remaining five aimed at the mouth. Three bounced off, and two were absurdly caught by its clenched teeth.

How many fierce beasts had become side dishes on the dining table thanks to these techniques? To face an opponent against whom such techniques were completely ineffective was an unprecedented humiliation.

"Listen carefully. Don't regret it by trying to be clever."

The situation had reached this point, and Yeonbi couldn't help but recall her master's advice.

"Techniques without sufficient power are merely mere tricks. I predict that if you don't cultivate your strength beforehand, you will one day be severely punished for relying solely on your tricks."

Indeed.

To have it come true so precisely, after such a definitive prediction, was most unpleasant.

'Thank goodness I practiced my strength diligently because I felt so uneasy…'

What was most frightening was that the master's prediction was the result of a moment's meticulous calculation of real-world variables. If she remained as she was, she couldn't escape that future, and how could a fool simply dismiss it lightly?

Even seeing Baekgyo clearly gaining the upper hand, despite the chaotic barrage of twin blades, Yeonbi knew. If she stopped attacking for even a moment, it would pounce immediately. It was clear that this would become an increasingly unfavorable power struggle.

'Absolutely not! To be unfairly defeated by this snake-head!'

Yeonbi gritted her teeth.

Daily cooking, cross-dressing, desperately saving money, chopping firewood until drenched in sweat, doing laundry with that damn, crude club every day, running around rugged mountain peaks wearing bracelets and anklets to find food—why had she endured all those damned ordeals!

Wasn't it precisely because she was weak that she had strived to become stronger! And to face such a humiliating crisis here was absolutely unacceptable!

'I can't end my life having spent my life in such unfortunate times under that damned master!'

Yeonbi finally made a decision.

'Ah, I'll bet everything in one go!'

Tudududuk!

All four bracelets she wore fell off.

"Don't use your full power! These are restraints and protective gear. Don't forget. If you release them and use your full power, your growing body won't be able to withstand it."

She knew that. But, as it was, she would just melt away inside Baekgyo. There was no other choice. Retreating only meant a thousand-foot precipice enthusiastically welcoming her from behind.

Flying Thunder Blades (飛雷刀), Exclusive Heart Method (獨門心法).

Fifth Secret of Spirit Thread Heart Secret (靈絲心訣 奧義).

Activation (發動).

Dawn Heavenly Eye (黎明闡眼).

As the darkness receded with the approaching dawn, the obsidian shadow within Yeonbi's hawk-like eyes vanished in an instant. Her golden pupils shone brilliantly like the morning sun.

The scattered strands of consciousness converged into a single thread. Twisted into one thread like thread spun on a spindle, the end of her consciousness became sharp as a needle's tip. The concentrated spirit commanded her entire nervous system and muscles with absolute control. It was the moment when the potential, which ordinary humans would never use in their lifetime, began to awaken from the abyss of oblivion.

Chwarararak!

One Flying Thunder Blade in each hand, a total of two, appeared in Yeonbi's grasp.

The issue wasn't the number but the penetration power. She needed absolute, pure strength to pierce through those hard scales. Yeonbi eliminated all variations and began to gather the scattered forces like a stream into a single river.

Flying Thunder Blades (飛雷刀), Fifth Secret (奧義).

Chapter of Sword Thunder Death Kill (劍雷死殺).

Charge Horn (衝角).

With the Spirit Thread Heart Secret activated, there was only one chance. A second did not exist.

She brought all sorts of detestable things to mind. The axe that strained her shoulders, the equally crude laundry club, the meager coins of the tiresome necklaces, and various other dreadful existences. Behind them, the ultimate instigator, her master, wore a sinister smile. Yeonbi replaced Baekgyo with her master and poured all her deep-seated resentment into a single strike.

"Twin Flash One Strike Thunder (雙閃一擊雷)!"

The essence of all her strength condensed into the two twin blades. Her entire body's muscles were squeezed to their limit, centered around her left hand.

Swaaaeeeek!

Like lightning striking from the heavens, a bolt of thunder shot towards Baekgyo's forehead at terrifying speed.

"Krrk!"

Yeonbi gasped in pain, her muscles feeling as though they were tearing. The control of her spirit was exceeding her body's durability, but she had anticipated this recoil.

Baekgyo swung its tail violently towards the lightning, but this time, even it was not unharmed. The twin blades, flying at incredible speed, pierced through the white scales and embedded themselves in Baekgyo's body.

Srrrurrrr!

Baekgyo recoiled, letting out a pained hiss. Its mouth was wide open.

The opportunity she had been aiming for had arrived. Yeonbi's golden eyes flashed, and she shot a second bolt of lightning.

"Go!"

The strike, born from her last reserves of strength, became a bolt of thunder that was swallowed into Baekgyo's mouth.

Kiiiiiiiiiiak!!

Baekgyo convulsed, emitting a strange sound from the depths of its gaping maw. Yeonbi immediately threw herself backward to avoid the same fate as mother White Eagle.

A dull thudding sound echoed from in front of her. She felt a faint tremor in the ground through her knees as she landed.

'Did it fall…'

Her tension eased, and her eyelids began to droop. The taut thread of her nerves loosened, and the bones and muscles of her entire body creaked and groaned. Some seemed to have already ruptured. Yeonbi slumped to the ground.

It was fortunate that the short battle, which felt long, lasted less than half an hour; if it had been any longer, she would likely have lost the joints in her limbs.

"Y-Yeonbi! Are you okay?"

Rin, who had been hiding behind the rocks, rushed over from behind. Yeonbi's eyes snapped open, and she came to her senses. Her gaze had already returned to normal.

"Ugh… I pushed myself a bit, but I'm mostly okay. Are you okay, Rin?"

A searing pain, like being branded with a hot iron, ran through her limbs, but Yeonbi gritted her teeth and endured it.

"I'm fine."

Rin, neither crying nor laughing, was deathly pale. The view from the rock crevice where Rin had hidden was obstructed by trees. Because Yeonbi had kept her back turned, Rin couldn't tell exactly how she had defeated Baekgyo.

However, she could grasp the essential details just by observing the flickering outlines and movements. Yeonbi being sent flying by the tail, the White Eagle's death, and the sentry being devoured.

"I'm sorry. It's all because I didn't want to go back…"

Tears welled up in Rin's eyes. She felt as if the terrible tragedy was all her fault.

"Rin, you're truly kind. If it were me, I would have gotten angry and asked why you threw the stone back then. I'm the one who should apologize."

Yeonbi managed a bitter smile as she sat slumped.

"You did it to save the White Eagle."

"That's true… Ah, come to think of it, I wonder if the baby White Eagles are okay. Shall we go take a look? Baekgyo is defeated now, anyway."

Yeonbi grunted as she slowly pushed herself up. For a moment, she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

Yeonbi, watching the stars flicker before her eyes, brought the entire nest down with her. Rin's eyes welled up with tears again as she peered into the nest.

Only one remained waiting for them in the White Eagle's nest. The other three had all lost their warmth and were lifeless. Yeonbi sighed bitterly.

"They were so desperate…"

The one that was barely squirming was also so precarious that it could die at any moment. If left as it was, it would undoubtedly grow cold within a day.

"It'll be difficult, but I suppose we have to take it and raise it?"

Rin nodded hastily. Yeonbi carefully placed a handful of straw removed from the nest onto a handkerchief and gently wrapped the young bird with it.

"Then, please take good care of it. You'll definitely be able to raise it well, Rin."

"Wh-what, me?"

As Rin instinctively accepted the wrapped bird from Yeonbi, she looked surprised.

"Of course. It's dangerous for me to take care of it. I'll have to keep it warm and looked after constantly, and I have to be out working to earn money every day."

"B-but…"

"You're the only one I can trust with this. Don't you want to see this child grow up like its mother and father White Eagle and soar majestically through the sky?"

"……"

Rin looked back at the spot where the two White Eagles lay. Her chest tightened, and she recalled the image of the White Eagles soaring through the sky.

"I understand. But Yeonbi, can we… can we bury them?"

Yeonbi smiled. Her hands and feet were already trembling from the extreme exertion. She could barely stand, but thankfully, people were starting to arrive.

"Except for one, of course, we must."

"Huh?"

Yeonbi chuckled at Rin's puzzled expression.

"That one. It's not only monstrously large, but it's also the culprit behind this tragedy."

As she grumbled, casting a glance behind her, Baekgyo's pale scales seemed to twitch.

"Huh? No way!"

In an instant, Baekgyo's eyes flashed open, and it rose with incredible speed. It seemed it had been waiting for its last chance and had remained conscious.

Srrrrrr…!

Baekgyo flew up, emitting a strange sound as if its insides had been pierced.

"Gasp, move!"

Yeonbi frantically pushed Rin away. She saw Rin fall backward.

Kwaak!

Her back suddenly burned. Baekgyo's venomous fangs had scraped across her back. Along with a scorching, burning pain, her body began to paralyze rapidly.

'Poison…'

Yeonbi's mind was also rapidly becoming numb.

'My master said Baekgyo's poison is difficult to find an antidote for…'

"—Yeonbi, Yeonbi!"

A faint, sobbing voice echoed from somewhere.

"—Kyaaaak!!"

As she plunged into the vast abyss, Yeonbi heard the increasingly distant scream.

'Ah, that's Rin's scream. I have to get up…'

But her hands and feet were already numb. The sound of her heart was also fading.

"—You stupid brat! Stop your foolishness!!"

From the bottom of the abyss, her master's curses seemed to echo.

'Be quiet, master! Don't curse your dying disciple!'

She wanted to retort with something more plausible, but she couldn't utter a single word. Her mind was no longer functioning properly.

As her consciousness drifted, Yeonbi had one last thought.

'Ah, if I'm reborn, I'll definitely make sure to confirm the kill from now on.'

Complete darkness devoured Yeonbi's mind and body.