Chapter 70: The Path of the wretched is always paved with the good intentions (2)
Chapter 70: The path of the wretched is always paved with good intentions (2).
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The Black Crescent City.
The situation was extremely chaotic.
Blood was etched into the soil, and the winds carried the stench of decaying bodies.
The condition of the Forgotten Flame sect was pitiful.
Their building was surrounded by a massive number of people in black clothing.
"Attack, my soldiers! Kill! Slaughter! Leave not one of them alive!!"
"Ahhh—!!"
The members of the Forgotten Flame sect attacked fearlessly.
"Only the blood of the enemies shall flow!"
"Oryaaa!!!"
The members of the Black Moon Hall did not retreat, and both sides clashed fiercely.
Boom! Klang! Klang!
One of the disciples of the Forgotten Flame sect held a massive bow, raised his hand into the air, and a fiery arrow formed. He aimed and shot three arrows rapidly.
Swoosh!!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The arrows exploded among the members of the Black Moon Hall, but they shielded themselves with armor and avoided the blasts.
Those who were slow were quickly pulled away.
The flying rock shards were numerous and scattered everywhere.
Kevin was hit by one of the shards while fighting the flaming puppets.
"Kyaaaak!"
He groaned as he deflected the shards with his scythe; the puppet master did not leave that gap, and three flaming puppets moved towards him.
Boom!
The puppets exploded while surrounding Kevin.
He was injured, at least, that was how it should have been.
Kevin's body became ghostly and passed through the exploding flaming puppets, and with a swing of his scythe, he severed five more puppets.
"Damn!!"
Kevin was covered in blood and wounds, a mighty roar escaped his mouth.
"Mai! I will cut off that archer's head, protect me quickly!"
"Wait, wait! Ahh, that fool!"
Kevin didn't wait for a response from Mai; he attacked the tight encirclement and cut down the puppet soldiers protecting the archer.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The flaming purple arrows sped towards him, but he did not evade the attack; instead, he increased his speed.
Klang! Klang!
Just as the arrows were about to hit his body, Mai appeared and deflected the arrows with her daggers.
"Fool! Damn fool, kyaaa! This is exhausting!"
She complained with bloodshot eyes; these arrows were poisoned, and it was dangerous to let him get hit.
Being specialized in assassination, Mai was skilled at handling sneaky attacks.
Mai moved quickly, disappearing as she blended in with the smoke of the burning trees and surroundings.
Her eyes glinted coldly in the darkness as she awaited her opportunity.
Kevin's movement proved beneficial as he was about to reach the archer.
"Oryiaaaa—!!"
The ground cracked beneath him as he jumped into the air, his body became ghostly, completely resisting the air.
This allowed him to leap as high as possible.
He tied the scythe's chain to his arm and hurled it towards the archer with tremendous force!
[First Moon Ego, Second Star: Black Scythe]
[Bloodline Ability: Ghost of the Night!]
[Path of the Ghost Scythe!]
Swoosh!
The scythe became intangible, and instead of bouncing off the flaming puppet's armor, it passed through them.
The archer barely avoided the scythe's path as he struggled to escape.
"Not a chance!"
Kevin swung his arm forcefully, causing the chain to bend, and the scythe's blade moved immediately.
This movement shocked the archer.
Kevin's eyes shone as he canceled his bloodline ability.
When the momentum of the air returned to lessen its force, he felt his arm being pulled, but he did not get swept away by the momentum.
The body-breaking and building that all Class (D) disciples underwent made them stronger, and each time, they were made to surpass their limits.
Kevin was one of those who achieved tremendous results.
"DIE! DIE, you son of a whore!!"
Bam!
A massive blow shattered the area, striking the archer's head.
He could only unleash his ego while cursing in his mind in anger, and then, immediately, his head exploded.
"Hehehe, you fell into the trap!"
The puppet master laughed coldly as he hid away, about to command the puppets to surround Kevin, who was in the air...
Kwaack!
At that moment, he was stabbed from behind.
"Who!"
He tried to turn towards his betrayer but...
Kwaack! Kwaack! Kwaaaack!
The dagger moved in the attacker's hand with incredible speed, stabbing the puppet master ten times a second.
"You should have hidden better; you never know who will stab you, seriously."
He heard a mocking voice.
It was... a girl?
With that thought, his body stopped functioning as his eyes widened.
He was dead.
Mai's feet moved as she kicked the puppet master's body towards the battlefield.
The flaming puppets disappeared, leaving behind a sea of flames; the puppet master's body burned in that fire.
It was unknown if the stab was enough, so she took this precaution.
Perhaps he had an ego that would keep his body moving even if he died; who knows?
Prevention is always better than cure.
Mai disappeared into the shadows, preparing to ambush another enemy.
The weakness of the puppet master's path was that anyone walking that path was doomed to not strengthen their body.
The more mental strength one had, the more puppets could be moved, and better.
It was crucial not to use essence energy to enhance physical strength, as this would lead to a conflict between mental and physical energy.
At best, the puppet master could become stronger without relying on magical energy.
But frankly, who has the resources and time to do both together?
The number of those who could do that was very few.
In battles, there was a powerful guard protecting the puppet master.
But in this battle, the Forgotten Flame sect was ambushed and lost the initiative.
The best the puppet master could do was hide well, but his deep focus on Kevin made him forget Mai's stealthy attack.
Kevin made himself dazzling in the attack to become the bait, and Mai exploited that point, allowing her to kill the puppet master.
Kevin's body fell as he reclaimed his scythe.
"Don't take such risks, you damn fool!"
Mai, wandering around like a ghost, shouted angrily.
Kevin surveyed his surroundings carefully as he landed.
Bam!
When his foot touched the ground, he jumped again and fell onto one of the wounded, killing them instantly.
"If we don't take risks, we will die!"
"... You're right."
Kevin and Mai's eyes glinted coldly.
When they came here, Loki had informed them of this sect.
Those bastards...
Once, Kevin and Mai had a teacher who taught them how to fight and how to live.
That was when the two met in Cairo four years ago, and one day, he went to this island.
Later, when they came here as students, they searched for their teacher, but... they learned he had died.
The two did not know how, but Loki told them the story of their teacher and who assassinated him.
He even brought evidence.
He died while defending a humble village against the Forgotten Flame sect, who were expanding their influence.
Not only that, but his body was even sold to the Flying Serpent Tribe.
That was the biggest reason for Kevin and Mai's coming with Loki.
"Even if I die here..."
Teacher.
I will avenge you.
By any means, at any cost!
Kevin bit his lip and attacked; Mai didn't lag behind and was behind him like a shadow, her green eyes devoid of warmth.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
"Sayhyoung! They're not that bad, actually!"
Chun Jin Yu said while laughing, his sword in his arm seemed fearless as he slaughtered the enemies.
There was no planning or thought, just his body colliding with the enemy and cutting off their heads.
"I won't allow you—"
One of the elders attacked Jin Yu, his flaming body smashing the environment, but his strike was parried with a wave.
"You're weak, old man!"
Boom!!
With a wave of his sword, the sword's chi appeared and instantly severed the elder of the sect.
The remaining chi energy crashed towards one of the archers and cut him in half.
"Eliminate all traitors! Hahaha!"
Jin Yu's sword danced against the enemies; his sword was overwhelming, powerful, relentless!
"Don't retreat! Oh sect members, Sayhyoung! Sagu! Sajil! Attack with me!"
The members of the Forgotten Flame sect did not retreat, advancing towards him fearlessly.
Both sides fought with strength.
No, this was, in fact, merely a one-sided slaughter.
"Surely, those rascals lack experience, but they are brave."
The deputy leader of the Black Moon Hall, Chun Woo Hyuk, replied while observing the battlefield.
The battle was indeed bloody.
"You're really comfortable, huh?"
While standing and surveying his surroundings, Chun Woo Hyuk heard someone's voice behind him.
"Sinu Chan, how have you been these days?"
Woo Hyuk smiled at the man floating calmly before him.
"I'm doing great; our battle two years ago had no winner. What do you think about finishing what we started?"
"Same as my thoughts."
[Third Moon Ego, Second Star: Black Moon Sword!]
[Third Moon Ego, First Star: Blue Flame Cloak!]
Boom!
The two clashed against each other without delay.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The winds around them split with every strike, the sounds echoed like war drums.
Woo Hyuk's sword was dark and glimmered with an ominous light; whatever the sword touched was easily severed, the sword's aura eroded everything.
Sinu Chan was covered in a shining blue cloak, his flames burned the environment and air, his overwhelming aura kept everyone away.
The battlefield became empty, and no one qualified to stay between the two.
Only Chun Woo Hyuk and Sinu Chan fought in this vast space.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
The punches of blue flame chi collided with the chi of the black sword.
Surrounding trees were cut down, rocks shattered, and the environment burned; no one could intervene in this battle.
Klang! Klang! Klang!
The two collided in the air, and no one could do anything but see their shadows overshadowing the battlefield.
"Attack with all your might! Oh sect members!!"
"Oraachaa!!"
The elders shouted and attacked with overwhelming force, but the members of the Black Moon Hall did not retreat.
"Anyone who lags behind won't eat for the whole next week!"
The ground shook under Jin Yu's powerful steps; his devilish laughter filled the battlefield.
[Second Moon Ego, Third Star: Shadow Quaking the Mountains!]
Jin Yu's black cloak became darker, his chin and even his nose covered by a black shadow scarf.
His hair fluttered with a sinister black aura as his muscles tightened with immense strength.
"Hahaha!"
He gripped his sword with a fervent desire to kill, his terrifying devilish laugh never leaving his face behind the scarf.
A murderous intent flowed from his red eyes as he bravely flew towards the enemies!
Klang! Klang! Boom! Boom! Boom!
"What! That bastard is incredibly strong!"
"Leave me! Ahh! I will curse your ten ancestors! I won't let you go even if I become a ghost!"
The enemies retreated in fear of his overwhelming momentum!
Some were slaughtered like cattle while cursing one last time in their lives.
Swoosh!
His movements were incredibly swift; one of the sect's elders suddenly felt terror, and without understanding anything, his head was cut off immediately!
Jin Yu's eyes turned to the ground as some warriors approached him.
He lifted his foot off the ground and...
Bam!
His kick made the ground crack and shatter like an earthquake!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Even the flying rock shards were extremely fast and caused the warriors to scatter.
"This isn't good! Resist, warriors!"
Sinu Roy, the son of the sect leader, gritted his teeth in anger as he attacked Jin Yu.
"You bastard! You will die by my hand!"
[Second Moon Ego, Fifth, Fourth, Third Star: Green Flame Cloak, Forgotten Memory Sword, Overwhelming Flame Flow!]
[Flame King's Path: Second Star!]
[Hell Knight's Armor!]
Kooowak!!!
A green-colored armor made of flame covered Sinu Roy's body; the cutting red sword in his hand divided the ground with every swing.
"Hehehe... Hahaha!!"
[Second Moon Ego, Fifth, Fourth Star: Black Moon Sword, Memory of the Fall, Shadows of the Dead!]
[Black Moon King's Path: Second Star!]
[Black Moon Field!]
The place turned pitch black, human-shaped black shadows appeared in the area, those shadows carried swords.
A dark field enveloped the environment around Jin Yu and Sinu Roy.
"Young Lord!"
One of the elders was about to advance, but his path was cut off.
"That brat!"
The elder was furious, but he had no room to complain further as the numerous daggers prevented him from advancing.
Kwaack! Kwaack! Kwaack!
"Sayhyoung! Get the head of that scoundrel quickly!"
Chun Young attacked the elder with immense killing intent, preventing him from moving.
No one will pass through me!
Chun Young's eyes glinted coldly as he gripped the daggers in his arm and threw them toward the elder.
"Humph!"
The elder sneered coldly and covered himself with his armor.
The daggers collided with him and bounced off while some were dodged.
"Fool!"
Clack!
Chun Young laughed, clapped his hands, and disappeared from his position.
Bam!
Chun Young appeared behind the elder instead of the dagger and kicked his back, shattering the armor under the weight of his immense power instantly.
"Kyuuk!"
The elder's body flew away as he spat blood, but he did not lose consciousness.
[Second Moon Ego, Fourth Star: Flame of the Warrior's Healing!]
His body burned while flying through the air; he gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
His body and internal injuries healed; he was actually healing his injuries while flying in the air!
Due to his vast experience, the elder could split his thoughts and heal himself, then moved his arms, releasing flame chi from his arms to parry Chun Young.
"Die, you heap of old crap!"
Chun Young did not give him the chance; he threw several daggers into the air and created a confusing path.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
The flame chi that rushed towards him did not stop Chun Young; he disappeared and appeared beside the elder who was healing his injuries.
Crack!
Chun Young stabbed the elder's body who was healing himself with indescribable speed, and in the end, cut off his head!
"Elder! No!!!"
One of the disciples screamed while crying, his shock was deep.
"I will kill you!"
His killing intent surged towards Chun Young, but he remained unfazed.
The disciple's anger made him irrational, and he used a forbidden technique on them.
Second Moon Ego, Blood of the Dead!
The blood of the dead floated in the air, gathering around his body.
His body was covered with a red cloak fluttering in the air, his claws were bloodied, his eyes were bloody, and his hair turned dark red.
He extended his arms, and double swords made of blood formed suddenly.
A twisted laugh polluted his lips.
"Finally... I rid myself of this little bug's naivety; blood, blood, blood! Hahaha!"
He placed his hand on his face as he laughed madly.
The corpses became dry like mummies.
Woosh!
"... Huh?"
He suddenly moved his sword-wielding arm.
Someone was holding his neck, blood spilling from it.
Then, with wide-open eyes, his head fell to the ground.
He was dead.
But the one who died...
Was a member of the Forgotten Flame sect.
"Weak, bug, you're not even useful against them, so be a sacrifice for my power, hehehe!"
The headless corpse bled, and the blood gathered around the blood cloak.
"Sinu Qing! You!"
The other disciples were furious and shocked.
What... what is this?
They had no time to understand; the Black Moon Hall members took advantage of their slow reaction and pushed them back forcefully.
"You... will die by my hand!"
Sinu Qing attacked Chun Young.
"Must be the blood that made you fools, you weaklings!"
Chun Young jumped while laughing, fighting Sinu Qing, who was covered in the blood cloak.
The daggers flying in the air around him clashed with the flow of blood surrounding Sinu Qing like armor.
Bam! Klang!
The two were laughing, attacking each other, abandoning defense for the sake of killing!
Chaos was everywhere.
Within the black field, the environment was pitch black, and Sinu Roy could not see anything.
He spread his aura around, making the environment hot; anything passing through the heat vibrations would be detected.
Klang! Klang! Klang!
He relied on his senses and cut down the shadows attacking him.
"Tsk!"
He grumbled as he burned the shadow army surrounding him.
He knew this was a waste of effort, but he could do nothing.
"It's your end, you bastards."
Chun Jin Yu appeared before him, his red eyes shining with indescribable coldness.
"Red Moon or whatever, I will exterminate you all!"
Sinu Roy's eyes widened, but Jin Yu did not let him stay shocked.
Klang! Klang! Klang!
The sound of clashing metal destroyed the ground, but the black field did not suffer anything.
With control over the shadow army, Jin Yu had the initiative.
The Shadow of the Dead Ego was the type that consumed energy.
When used, for every person who died in the battle range, one shadow would be summoned.
The strength of the shadow would not exceed a third-star ego warrior of the first moon, and the controller had to focus on moving the shadows too.
Nevertheless, Jin Yu used them in his composite move; why?
The main reason was that his opponent was none other than Sinu Roy.
"His Forgotten Memory Sword affects the mind, erasing 10% of critical thoughts; this is usually dangerous…"
But with the use of the Memory of the Fall Ego, a higher rank, the danger was nullified.
Jin Yu merged the effect of the shadow army and compensated it with the Memory of the Fall, arming his army with the sword chi that came from the Black Moon Sword.
Thus came his unique version of the Black Moon field, aligning with his fighting style.
All these factors were in place to eliminate Sinu Roy, who relied on his composite move.
"This battle's outcome has already been determined, you blood bastards!"
Jin Yu attacked with unmatched ferocity.
"Uckk!"
With him trapped between the shadow army and Jin Yu's assault, not to mention the suppression of the black field on other paths, Sinu Roy was seriously injured.
This is bad…
Outside the field, the situation was worse!
Not only that!
Betrayal!
"Elder Woo Shuai! Why! Why are you betraying us!"
"Hahaha, betray you? You filthy bastards, you are the ones who betrayed the sect by dealing with those blood scum!"
Sinu Woo Shuai stabbed one of the elders who had approached from behind with his flame dagger.
Kwaack! Kwaack! Kwaack!
He did not hesitate, stabbing his neck, then his kidneys, and then kissing him rapidly.
"Oh disciples of the sect, we have traitors! Elder Woo Shuai has betrayed us!"
The other elders felt panic and hurriedly spread the news quickly to increase the chaos.
They had been exposed, so they must spread the confusion to have a chance to escape.
But as if their voices didn't reach the disciples, their fighting style did not change and was devoid of caution.
What?
The second-highest elder, Sinu Shui, was extremely shocked!
Why was the message blocked!
"Hmm? Are you my opponent this time?"
Klang!
A black shadow appeared from nowhere and attacked Elder Shui; Sinu Shui gritted his teeth in anger, but he parried the attack with his arm.
His arm covered in black metal burned in purple flames.
The opponent was a woman with black hair and blue eyes, the slit in her iris was white.
The dual red swords between her arms were bound with a metal chain.
Chun Yu Rina's red swords clashed with Sinu Shui's flaming purple arms with great force.
The red and purple flames clashed fiercely around the battlefield.
Klang! Klang! Klang!
"Support the elder quickly!"
One of the senior disciples tried to support Sinu Shui and attacked with arrows towards Yu Rina.
Kwaack! Kwaack!
One of the shadows in the air gracefully deflected the arrows and redirected their path.
"Sagu! I have disrupted the essence energy in the arena! No one will be able to telepathically communicate; the archers are also ready for any ego the enemy uses to send messages!"
"Good job, Young Young! I will hug you later as a reward!"
Yu Rina laughed upon hearing the news and attacked Sinu Shui; her body lit up with bloody red light, the power of her attacks increased rapidly!
This damn girl is incredibly persistent!
Sinu Shui felt insulted and angry.
Just a woman was suppressing him?
Humph, as if!
His body burned with purple flames as well.
The environment around him melted, and the plants and grass in the area dissolved due to the flames and toxins.
With every breath he took, the air around him trembled.
Bam! Baak! Klang!
The speed of the two became invisible, their collision caused the toxins and flames to scatter.
The shield protecting the sect was broken due to the fight of the sect leader and Chun Jin Bo, who had come earlier.
The two were already far from the place in the air.
But looking at the sky, one could see the flashes of tremendous strikes, and a sound resembling thunder came.
Even despite the great distance in the sky, the battle was terrifying.
The walls of their sect building had long since been shattered, leaving only scattered ruins.
Swoosh!
Bam—!!
The body of one person flew at supersonic speed and fell into the sect, resulting in a massive pit.
Yu Rina flew in the air, laughing loudly.
"Old man, you won't get near my little Young Young!"
She flew towards the fallen enemy, shattering the walls in her path.
Her words made no sense, but she spat nonsense anyway.
"Sagu! Stop talking nonsense, seriously, damn it!"
Chun Young, holding Sinu Qing's head, coughed a little at Yu Rina's statement as if feeling embarrassed.
But his actions did not slow down; he threw his daggers at the senior disciple Sinu Yang quickly.
"Humph!"
Sinu Yang struck the ground that shattered beneath him and jumped into the air, indifferent to the daggers.
He moved his hand in the air and three formidable arrows appeared!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The arrows flew at supersonic speed toward Chun Young and nearly hit him.
Barely.
But not enough.
Chun Young clapped his arms as he suddenly vanished from his spot!
What appeared in his place was one of the daggers.
"Here's my gift, you bastard!"
Chun Young threw his dagger with such high speed!
The dagger disappeared, appearing before Sinu Yang.
That was the only explanation; he couldn't comprehend the speed.
Clack!
Sinu Yang heard the sound of clapping when someone appeared before him.
"Haaap!"
Chun Young spun in the air and kicked Sinu Yang's chest with tremendous force!
Boom!
Sinu Yang's body struck the ground, leaving a pit in the area.
It didn't end simply like that.
[Third Moon Ego, First Star: Shadows of the Hundred Daggers, Black Moon Dagger!]
[Black Moon King's Path: Second Star!]
[Black Moon Daggers Field!]
Shadow arms appeared around the ground beneath Chun Young, who was flying in the air.
The shadow arms bound Chun Young's body to the area beneath him, which spanned 50 meters!
Chun Young spread his arms in the air, the world turned dark.
"What... is this?"
"Run! Run quickly! It's the famous move of the Moon Slayer!!"
Everyone who saw the shadow arms expanding tried to escape, but it was already too late.
"Hooriyaaa!!!"
A booming scream erupted from Chun Young's mouth.
And as if he were throwing a mountain, his arms moved down with tremendous force!
The daggers formed in this shadow field flew down with overwhelming power!
Bam!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
"Not yet, I haven't seen the red moon yet!!"
"Help!!!"
"Ahhhh—!!"
"No! I don't want to die yet!!"
Desperate screams rang out around, some attacked, some fled, and some cursed.
But those voices were immediately cut off, along with the sounds of explosions and daggers cutting through the winds and then bodies.
Kwaack! Kwaack! Kwaack!
Everything was cut, everything in the field eroded by the essence energy of the path of darkness.
The shadows of the daggers fed on the magical energy in the environment and the bodies of creatures, increasing the erosion, and everything perished.
They all died, whether they struggled or fled, it no longer mattered.
Chun Young's eyes glinted with immense coldness.
"Sayhyoung... I did it."
I... eliminated the bastard who harmed Sagu years ago.
You did not fight in vain... just wait for me.
"I will exterminate them from the face of the earth, forever!"
Swoosh!!
When everything exploded, the shadow field disappeared, and the winds receded in the air.
Chun Young fell towards the ground while holding several daggers between his fingers.
"Sajil! Heal the wounded! Anyone who feels tired should let others fight instead and regain their energy; do not lag behind!"
His voice was booming as he ran through the battlefield without hindrance.
"Kill!! Kill all those blood bastards—!!"
Revenge, my brothers!!
Fight, my brothers!!
Victory, oh my brothers!!!
A voice roaring like thunder erupted from Chun Young's mouth, his eyes filled with deep hatred.
The voices of the Black Moon Hall members echoed like war drums in response.
"Ahhhhh—!!!!"
The sect members were suppressed and their morale collapsed; in the face of the numerical and morale disadvantage, their struggle was meaningless.
"Mai! Retreat quickly!"
Kevin gritted his teeth; this chaotic battlefield was extremely dangerous.
"Don't worry about me... run quickly, you bastard!"
"As if!"
The two were watching their surroundings carefully.
They had been surrounded by five people now.
"I was a fool..."
Kevin criticized himself as he stood in front of Mai; they had lost themselves in their anger, attacking the enemy without care.
This suicidal attack style was exploited by one of the disciples of the Forgotten Flame sect, and they were lured into a trap.
Driven by anger and a sense of victory, not to mention their lack of experience, Kevin recklessly attacked the enemies when Mai was surrounded.
"But still, I don't care!"
Kevin's eyes glinted coldly; even though he was bleeding profusely, he didn't care.
Ego of the Last Defense Ghost!
He gritted his teeth and activated his essence energy.
A strange ghostly figure appeared in the air, and controlling it, it didn't enter his body but flashed around Mai's body before disappearing.
"Kevin! You!"
Mai was shocked and tried to dissuade him when she realized what he was trying to do.
But he was already done.
Cough!
Kevin spat blood as he pushed himself.
But... it doesn't matter.
"Run quickly!"
Mai gritted her teeth; an idea popped into her mind.
"Okay!"
She gripped her daggers and fled like the wind.
"Catch her!"
The others chased after her, but they were not fast enough.
"Come on!"
Kevin did not retreat and engaged in a direct fight against the opposing members in front of him.
Klang!
"You're strong, but not strong enough!"
Sinu Yoon Won parried Kevin's overwhelming strike fiercely, his smile was twisted.
The ground cracked beneath the two, but at that moment!
Bam!
Yoon Won's eyes glinted coldly as he kicked Kevin in the chest!
"Kyaak!"
Kevin's body flew backward, but he flipped in the air as his scythe transformed into a ghostly form.
Woosh!
"Tsk!"
Yoon Won's eyes widened as he barely saw the transparent scythe heading towards him.
It was clear that it was a ghostly attack.
But he didn't underestimate it; intangible attacks were the most dangerous in these battles!
He didn't take risks and retreated instead of chasing after Kevin or attacking Mai after pushing him away.
Kevin's eyes glinted coldly.
He was severely injured and could not fight for long, but if he didn't do more than this, when would he become stronger?
They had been surrounded; he had to create chaos and confusion here to escape.
There were risks, but it was better than wasting time waiting for support, which was uncertain to come in the first place.
The move he was about to take was a gamble... and he might lose his life if he failed.
But that is life.
No results without risks!
[Bloodline Ability: Ghost of the Night!]
[First Moon Ego, Second Star, First Star: Black Scythe, Ghost Quake!]
[Path of the Black Ghost Scythe: First Star!]
[Shout of the Shattered Earth!]
Bam!
The scythe tied with metal chains struck the ground as it shattered and cracked.
Giant rocks floated as if gravity held them.
Kaaaak! Kaaaak! Kaaaak!!
Strange screams erupted from the flying rocks; the rocks split and merged, throwing the entire environment into chaos!
"Kyaaaak!"
"Run away!!"
The disciples retreated and tried to escape, but moving in this chaos was difficult.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The rocks began crashing into one another.
This only increased the danger!
"I don't want to die—"
One was trying to scream.
But.
Crack!
His body was crushed, without even the chance to defend himself.
The area became uneven, and huge dust spread throughout the place.
"Damn it! That was his goal from the beginning!"
Yoon Won was jumping through the scattered rocks in the air, trying to locate Kevin.
That bastard tricked us to escape!
One of them died, while the rest were severely injured.
Only Yoon Won was okay.
"Search for him quickly! We must eliminate them quickly before we escape!"
[First Moon Ego, Third Star: Blood Scarf!]
Yoon Won's hair turned red, blood flying around him as it transformed into a slightly transparent blood scarf, covering the upper part of his body.
His dark blood eyes searched around.
That bastard stole the Blood Thought Ego; this is extremely dangerous!
Yoon Won gritted his teeth as he punched the rocks hindering him while searching.
"Where are you!"
Bam! Bam!!
He was trapped in this maze of rocks, smashing everything in his way.
In a distant place, Mai was dragging Kevin's injured body through the trees.
"You fool... this isn't fair."
Kevin had put all his strength into that last strike, his body damaged due to the overload.
He had pushed his limits several times in the battle.
That was a natural result.
Yet, with his injured body, he activated his defensive ego to protect the exhausted Mai from random enemy attacks; the violent reaction made his body bleed.
He ignored himself while protecting her.
Not to mention his composite move, which even at its peak would be extremely heavy on him, physically and mentally.
He even restricted Mai's movements when she was about to risk herself.
The shield he placed on her prevented Mai from moving unless Kevin allowed it.
But naturally, Mai did not stay still; taking advantage of the chaos, she grabbed Kevin's body and fled like a ghost.
The two were severely injured, but Kevin was the most damaged.
His body bled profusely, his internal injuries were no joke.
Mai took out her revealing ego and observed his body for a while to understand the extent of the damage.
When she saw it, she could only become shocked.
His eyes were empty, holding his scythe with his broken arm; his fingers were cracked, the bones exposed from the severe fractures.
"I won't... allow..."
His bloody mouth murmured, his voice weak, so very weak.
"Mai... I won't... let you... die... here..."
He was not conscious.
In fact, he had lost consciousness.
These words were coming from his subconscious only.
And then, his voice no longer came out.
The sound of his breathing was the only evidence of his survival.
When Mai focused her eyes on his essence core, she placed her hand over her mouth.
Impossible...
She bit her lip until it bled.
His essence core... was damaged.
What are the negatives of that?
Decline in rank, decline in talent, and... the person's ego abilities would drop by half.
Not to mention everything, under certain circumstances, the possibility of death was present.
Kevin now... was in one of those circumstances.
If he was not treated with a healing ego within the next half hour, he would die.
Even with all that knowledge, Kevin risked his life to ensure Mai wasn't harmed.
Not to mention he took the Blood Thought Ego, which one member of the Black Moon Hall ordered him to take if found, or at least deliver information about it.
Kevin risked his life despite knowing all that.
This sacrifice was proof of his determination, proof of his will.
To become a little stronger.
A little more even.
"I know... this place isn't for play; we are prepared to die; that was our resolve since childhood, it's not something that can be surpassed by will alone..."
Mai observed her surroundings; there was no one nearby.
In this pitch-black night, it was difficult for the members of the Forgotten Flame sect to care about searching for mere children in the first moon.
Kevin's resolve to fight to the death was immense; dissuading him from that was a worse insult than killing him.
Mai knew that more than anyone.
But...
"Don't overexert yourself, you bastard!"
Not here, not this way!
"You won't die!"
"I won't allow it! Not while I'm alive!"
She sat him down on a nearby tree while healing herself, gritting her teeth as she summoned her ego.
This ego was round in shape, resembling a small ball; the outer part was transparent, inside floated a blue human shape, in deep slumber.
This was the Second Moon Ego, the Return of the Sickly Life.
This ego was extremely rare, in fact, even some who reached the Third Moon did not have this ego.
Its operation is simple, injury for injury, life for life.
The greater the level difference between the giver and receiver, the greater the value of the sacrifice.
Kevin and Mai were at the same level; usually, the value of the damage would be equal.
When the damage transfers to Mai, who was perfectly fine, she would be able to heal herself while simultaneously healing Kevin.
But the problem was that Mai's level was lower than the ego itself; it was impossible for her to use it, that was unless it wasn't for this ego's unique properties.
Half the effect for double the sacrifice.
Even just making this ego hers took her a full five years.
Using it, of course, was difficult for her.
If she wanted to heal Kevin quickly, as attempting to find others before his death was out of the question, Mai had to take double damage.
At best, she would drop to the first star with severe injuries, and at worst, the damage could cause a stroke and simply kill her.
Mai held the ego stones in her arm while the Return of the Sickly Life ego lay over Kevin's body seated on the tree.
Swoosh ~ Swoosh ~
Essence energy flowed through her body like a massive river as it settled into her essence core.
Inside the essence core, there was a ghostly image of the Return of the Sickly Life ego.
The ego absorbed the flood of energy raging at high speed.
In a few breaths, the essence core became empty.
Mai did not stop; she continued to absorb the ego stones.
The process of filling and emptying repeated, again and again.
Cough!
Mai spat blood from her mouth; her eyes were bleeding slightly, her mind ached, but she did not stop.
Attempting to activate an ego above her level was dangerous; mental pressure, physical damage, not to mention the burden on the essence core.
There were many cases where those who tried to use a higher-level ego died.
Mental breakdown and madness were not a weak possibility; even permanent physical disability was almost guaranteed.
Mai was now risking herself to activate this ego.
It was a test of willpower!
Mai gritted her teeth as she fought against it.
I will not... I will not!
The Return of the Sickly Life ego flickered with a slight light.
Mai relied on her natural talent recovery of (C) rank and the ego stones to restore her energy.
The burden on her body was immense, but she didn't care!
Kevin will not die!
Cough! Cough!
She was spitting blood profusely, her body trembled violently, her mind became dim and incapable of thinking little by little.
Swoosh ~ Swoosh ~
Her energy roamed throughout her body to the essence core, then was absorbed by the Return of the Sickly Life ego.
Then suddenly, the light in the ego increased, and the environment turned bright blue!
She was on the verge of success!
Just a bit more... a little more!
Her hair was disheveled while her body glowed; the veins in her body were about to burst!
Her face was smeared with blood; her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were all bleeding profusely.
Her mind was no longer functioning well; she couldn't even try to monitor her surroundings, she couldn't care about anything.
Just one thought.
Succeed, succeed, damn it!
No matter the cost, Kevin will not die!
Time passed, and the brilliance of the ego increased.
Then.
"... No—no…"
The activation of the ego failed.
There was not enough magical energy.
Mai no longer had the strength to do anything.
Kevin would die, and she would die.
The violent reaction from the failure would kill her.
And with despair in her heart, Mai lost consciousness.
Swoosh!
"Hey, you rascals? What happened!"
"Damn! Little Kevin! Little Mai!"
She heard a voice.
Was that her subconscious?
Or will?
Her body fell onto the unconscious Kevin.
As if that were the last layer of protection Mai had, her unconscious body covered Kevin.
"Damn it! Damn it! I had been too pleased with myself!"
Chun Young's eyes widened as he blamed himself.
Would he allow the deaths of important people to his brothers again?
Would he be pitiful again?
No!
"You will not die! Do you hear me!"
A black shadow covered Mai and Kevin; the Return of the Sickly Life ego was immediately severed, and the violent reaction stopped as well.
Only someone of a higher rank than the ego could prevent the reaction from his failure, but the loss of the ego's owner's consciousness was a prerequisite.
Chun Young took out his healing ego while treating Mai and Kevin's bodies.
He clearly saw the Blood Thought Ego they had been searching for.
The ego was inside Kevin's vest.
"... this... this…"
Chun Young could only blame himself.
He had received news of Mai and Kevin being surrounded earlier, so he rushed over.
He tried searching, and while killing his enemies on the way, he saw Sinu Yoon Won running towards this place.
Chun Young killed him, then came after sensing the fluctuations of energy here.
"No one will die; if that happens, I will be the first!"
He gritted his teeth with deep anger.
Those bastards...
He used the Blood Communication Ego, ordering others to come protect Kevin and Mai.
With that thought, a black field covered this area.
Chun Young emerged from the field.
Cold.
Filled with hatred.
An overwhelming desire to kill.
Chun Young gripped his daggers so tightly that his arms were almost bleeding.
"No one!"
None of you will leave alive!!!
Bam!!!
The area before him exploded as he slaughtered the enemies.
"You bastards! Do you know! Kevin and Mai—no! My little siblings Kevin and Mai have been injured! They got injured while I did nothing!"
Chun Young's voice was booming; his daggers pierced the necks of the members of the Forgotten Flame sect mercilessly.
"These two fought! They were not afraid of the enemies and fought to the death! I swear! I swear I will kill myself today if I do not bring them news of our overwhelming victory!"
"They want revenge? Then I will take revenge on all of them! They want to win? I will defeat them all!!"
Chun Young was slaughtering the enemies madly.
Damn the calm; I will exterminate them all!
He was not alone.
All the members of the Black Moon Hall were brutally killing the enemies.
Chun Yu Rina was holding Sinu Shui's head; the fire around her made the air tremble.
"Sayhyoung... your disciples will not die, even over my dead body."
Her eyes were cold, not just hers.
Perhaps neither of them knew their worth to the Black Moon Hall members; perhaps they thought they hadn't done much.
But...
But!
"I will kill you all!!!"
Bam! Bam! Boom!
The enemies exploded and were easily slaughtered by Yu Rina.
Kevin and Mai...
They had succeeded in obtaining the Blood Thought Ego.
They had protected this ego with their lives; Loki was just a stranger to them, it made sense to run away, no one would point fingers at them.
But they didn't.
And because of that, the two almost died.
Originally, it was a mission for the Black Moon Hall, but they accepted it anyway.
Not only that, but they even fought bravely.
Battles reveal a person's true nature.
No one here could explain their emotions towards Kevin and Mai except with one word.
Gratitude.
And on the opposite side.
This gratitude turned into hatred towards the enemies.
Therefore.
The originally planned massacre became more brutal than before.