Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Showcase （4）

Im Chan-yeong couldn’t regain his composure.

Instead of reacting immediately to the flashing red eyes all around him, the thought that he was in danger dominated his mind. He needed help from his colleagues. He thought that not just Kang San, but all of his colleagues above needed to come down and protect him.

He opened his mouth.

Just as he was about to raise his voice, a rough hand grabbed and pulled him.

Thud

“Get a hold of yourself!”

Something flew by and stuck into the wall.

When he looked up with a surprised face, a corroded spear, presumably thrown by an undead, was embedded in the wall.

Kang San’s face came into view.

Despite frowning with rising irritation, there was no fear in his eyes at the sudden situation.

“From now on, you trust only me and use your magic. Once you start casting, no one will be able to touch you.”

“B-But!”

He couldn’t hear the answer.

The undead rushed in.

Kang San left Im Chan-yeong behind and stepped forward to confront them.

Guardian’s Will has been activated.
The number of enemies you are facing is 58, so your defense and health regeneration are increased by 116% each.

As he always thought, Guardian’s Will was a contradiction in itself, granting both despair and hope at the same time.

A 116% increase was a tremendous buff, but conversely, it also meant that 58 monsters were swarming in this confined space.

Screech!

Crack

The undead pushed their heads forward.

Even after he pushed back and knocked down a few, they kept coming from the right, left, and front, making his vision spin. Some of them were wielding corroded steel weapons. Kang San blocked the dangerous attacks with his shield, but he didn’t miss the momentary gaps that appeared between the undead.

“Blood Demon Sword Technique, First Style: Blade Kill.”

Flash

Thud

He decapitated one.

There was no enhancement effect from the Blood Demon Sword Technique.

It seemed that since the Blood Demon Sword Technique targeted living beings, it didn’t apply to the undead.

‘This is troublesome.’

He lost one weapon.

But that was all.

He didn’t panic.

In the space intertwined with killing intent, Kang San stepped forward without hesitation.

Screech!

Crack, Crack, Crack!

An undead bit his forearm from the right.

As Kang San dodged and cut off the undead’s head, other undead lunged at him, trying to bite his legs. He quickly stepped on the head of an undead. Squish, the undead’s head exploded, and Kang San, ignoring the thick sensation clinging to his foot, took on the attacks of the undead pouring in from the front.

The more he risked himself.

The safer the rear became.

That was Kang San’s judgment.

The confined space meant that if Kang San blocked one side, the other side could be secured.

He turned his back to Im Chan-yeong.

Kang San faced the undead with his whole body, ensuring that not a single one could pass behind him. The rank of the undead here was around D-rank. It was impossible to block all the numerous attacks alone in this narrow space, and Kang San’s arms and legs were bitten. However, he didn’t let out a single groan. If his forearm was bitten, he would thrust his sword into the undead’s face, and if his leg was bitten, he would crush the undead’s head underfoot. The defense and health regeneration boosted by Guardian’s Will quickly healed the damage, and Kang San wasn’t the type to groan from this level of pain.

A huge tidal wave.

It was blocked by the breakwater called Kang San.

Kang San didn’t look back.

He didn’t rush Im Chan-yeong either.

If he was the type to recover with a bit of pressure, he would have already finished casting and joined the fight.

What he needed to show Im Chan-yeong now wasn’t a harsh whip, but faith in what kind of existence he was.

‘Azmoon.’

The God’s intention was blatant.

But never.

“Trial’s Shield.”

Crack!

Kang San had no intention of collapsing like this.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Immediately after the test started.

The test situation was broadcast outside.

From the B-rank test onwards, the decision to broadcast in real-time was made with the consent of the testers.

The result was unanimous consent.

Im Chan-yeong and the others had no reason to refuse the broadcast that would increase their value, and Kang San also didn’t go against the trend. In fact, the broadcast wouldn’t happen if even one person objected. If it were the Kang San of the past, he would have refused because his values regarding trials weren’t established, but it was different now that he was intentionally trying to be in the spotlight.

He accepted.

He actively took steps to reveal himself.

Thanks to this, the people gathered at the scene could watch the test video.

The drones attached to the testers relayed the scene vividly, and everyone looked quite serious from the moment the battle began.

“…Not bad.”

“Is it true that he was D-rank until recently?”

Managers.

Or scouts.

They recognized Kang San’s details at once.

To be honest, the reason they wanted to recruit Kang San was largely due to Yoo Jeong-yeong’s statement, rather than his individual value. But Kang San actually showed decent skills. Not only did he tank stably, but the way he cooperated with people he met for the first time and led the situation was admirable. This changed things. In a situation where there was already a lot of talk about Kang San, his outstanding skills became a justification for increasing his value.

Meanwhile.

A situation occurred.

The ground collapsed.

Those who knew Kang San well, like Jeong Hye-mi, knew that he always prepared for variables.

So, while they were impressed, they also nodded as if to say, “As expected.”

But others were different.

“Wow.”

“He protected the mage in that short moment?”

From then on, their eyes changed.

Immediately after the fall.

Kang San blocked the undead alone.

Even if he was a D-rank, the sight of him entangled with 58 undead and holding his own made them gulp. It was an interesting sight. The people who had flocked to Kang San’s actions suddenly fell silent as if someone had poured cold water on them. The sound of scratching as they recorded something, people quietly moving to a corner and whispering into their phones, their eyes glued to the screen, filled with longing.

People say.

A truly skilled tanker is worth more than a thousand gold.

With the indescribable potential that Kang San showed, they no longer bothered to hide their desires.

If it had ended there.

Kang San’s showcase would have ended successfully.

But at that moment.

Team Leader Jeong Hye-mi’s eyes wavered.

“…This situation is turning strange.”

On the screen.

A foreign entity appeared.

That was a sign that something was going a little wrong.

No, very wrong.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Clank, clank.

The sound of metal clashing could be heard.

Slow footsteps.

The being slowly moving, except for the parts covered in black armor, had skin so pale that it could be described as white. Soon, the being stopped walking. Above the ground where he was looking, the testers, led by Nam Tae-ju, were engaged in a fierce battle.

That being.

The vampire, bared its sharp fangs.

My children. Surrender yourselves to the frenzy.

Fizzle

A red aura rose.

As the aura emanating from the vampire spread around, the Hellhounds it touched began to go berserk.

Screech!

Woof, woof, woof, woof!

The Hellhounds rushed in.

Even when cut by human swords, they didn’t stop their chattering teeth, and even with their lower bodies blown off, they dragged their upper bodies, showing a madness to bite the humans. That wasn’t all. Undead began to rise from the ground one by one. It was impossible to know how many undead had been there all along, as they filled the field of vision.

“…Oh dear.”

Nam Tae-ju’s face turned pale.

Something was strange.

Even for a B-rank test, he had never heard of a vampire possessing such power.

This test.

The objective wasn’t to deal with a single vampire boss monster, but to eliminate the vampire group residing in the Vampire Castle. However, a single vampire created an absurd spectacle.

The vampire raised a finger.

A white, slender finger pointed past Nam Tae-ju, towards a certain space.

Even if you destroy yourselves, fulfill your purpose.

Woof, woof!

Woof, woof, woof, woof!

The Hellhounds ran out.

The undead rushed in, and Nam Tae-ju and the testers shouted and blocked the enemies.

“Formation!”

“Don’t retreat… What the?”

Suddenly.

Nam Tae-ju’s eyes widened.

He thought it was a crisis.

He judged that it would be difficult to block the wave of monsters rushing in without a tanker.

However, a sight different from his expectations unfolded.

The Hellhound pack and the undead.

Some attacked Nam Tae-ju and the testers, while the rest passed them and headed somewhere else.

He turned his head.

Only then could he see it.

Whoosh

Whoosh, whoosh!

The space that had sunk into the ground.

Seeing the monsters jumping into it, Nam Tae-ju realized that the situation was going very wrong.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Near the site.

The examiners were there.

The team, led by an A-rank team leader, received a communication from outside.

Code Red activated. Testers are in danger. Respond immediately.

“Understood.”

Swipe

He grabbed the walkie-talkie.

It was a variable.

This place was specially managed for the test, but they received a report that the vampires they had previously identified had disappeared and a vampire not in their information had appeared. As an examiner, it was an irritating situation. If such a variable occurred, all the examiners would take responsibility for failing to properly manage and supervise.

Moreover, if there were any casualties, he didn’t even want to think about what would happen next.

“Let’s move quickly.”

“…Team Leader. I think you should see that.”

He stopped walking abruptly.

When he looked up, he saw a group of something.

Clank

Clank, clank, clank

All of them.

They had a similar appearance to the vampire that attacked the testers.

They were wearing armor, and the only difference was that they were revealing white bones instead of white skin.

“…Death Knights?”

“How did those guys get here?”

There was no time to think.

Thud

Tatatatatat!

The Death Knights rushed in.

They were B-rank monsters.

However, in terms of individual strength, they were considered to be at the top even among B-ranks.

And there weren’t just one or two of these monsters.

“Attack!”

The examiner shouted.

A battle broke out in an instant.

They clashed with each other, and explosions occurred.

The Death Knights were strong.

Even when cut, they quickly regenerated their wounds and burned their mana as if they were determined to kill the humans.

Boom!

Crackle

The examiner was pushed back.

He spoke into the walkie-talkie.

“It seems like we won’t be able to arrive at the scene quickly. So…”

Whoosh

Boom!

He blocked the attack.

The examiner’s eyes widened, and he activated the skill that had led him to A-rank.

“We request additional support.”

Boom!

Rumble

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Above and below ground.

Information was cut off.

Kang San, unable to confirm the situation, suddenly discovered something raining down from the sky.

Whoosh

Whoosh, whoosh!

They were monsters.

Hellhounds and undead.

They kept falling endlessly.

“…W-What is this?”

A terrified voice came from behind.

It was a funny situation.

Years ago.

Kang San, a 13-year-old boy, seemed more impressive than anyone else.

He knew that the boy was a human trash, but he was truly envious of the talent that was recognized by people at such a young age. He felt inferior. Some people didn’t become a late-awakened F-rank swordsman until they were over 20, and they didn’t even have a single decent skill and were treated as cannon fodder.

Those two people.

Now their positions were reversed.

Im Chan-yeong’s trembling voice was nothing more than that of a young boy afraid of death.

Kang San was different.

Even before experiencing the trials, and even more so after experiencing them.

He had crossed the line of death countless times.

Kang San looked back.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“You said you were Korea’s best talent, right?”

He turned his head back.

He didn’t take his eyes off the monsters.

“Do something. I won’t let you get a single scratch until I die.”

His eyes changed.

A world dyed red.

In the red aura pouring down like a shower, Kang San’s expression cooled down.