Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 171

Chapter 171: S-rank Outbreak （15）

Kang San’s performance.

The government was in a frenzy.

Preparing for the worst-case scenario and to avoid responsibility, they dispatched the Guardians, a mobile force, to Pohang. It was practically an attempt to steal credit. Thanks to the support troops who flocked to rescue Kang San clearing the way, they were able to arrive at the scene around the same time as him.

Contrary to the intentions of their superiors.

The Guardian members, led by Lee Han-seong, were sincere.

They truly wanted to save Kang San, and Lee Han-seong was enveloped in a blindingly bright aura.

“Glory.”

Hwaak━

Everyone.

Their health was restored.

Lee Han-seong’s signature skill, unlike typical Glory, was linked to a passive skill called Goodwill , showing tremendous healing power. No special explanation was needed. Faced with the common enemy, the Dark Lord, Kang San hurriedly shouted.

“One hour. For the next hour, the Dark Lord will remain immortal. And if the Dark Lord kills more than ten thousand lives during that time, a greater disaster we can’t even fathom will strike.”

“Understood.”

That was enough.

Lee Han-seong kicked off the ground and charged at the Dark Lord.

“I’ll take the lead.”

Paat━

Kwaang!

The clash was fierce from the start.

The moment Lee Han-seong’s massive sword struck the Dark Lord, the Guardian member at the rear,

So Yi-hyun, the S-rank Ice Mage, unleashed her magic power.

“Ice Storm.”

Wheeeeeing━

Kwakwakwakwakwak!

A ferocious storm raged.

Sharp ice particles bombarded the Dark Lord, his body rapidly freezing, hindering his movements. That wasn’t all. The other Guardian members launched attacks in unison with Lee Han-seong’s movements, and Misaki Akemi, who had just arrived, fiercely swung her blazing whip.

Kwaang!

Kwaang, Kwaang, Kwaang!

It was a one-sided attack.

Tremendous firepower was concentrated, and it seemed like even an S-rank wouldn’t be able to withstand such a barrage.

However.

The opponent was immortal.

Ignoring defense, it broke through the space enveloped in magic power.

『Try and stop me, humans!』

Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Dark magic power surged.

Lee Han-seong quickly blocked, but he was helplessly pushed back by the exploding impact.

It broke through.

No matter how strong Lee Han-seong was, it was a destructive force he couldn’t handle, and the Dark Lord wasn’t aiming for the S-rank Hunters who had him pinned down, but for the ordinary Hunters. It blatantly revealed its intention. It aimed to create ten thousand casualties and turn itself into a destructive monster, even if it meant losing its sanity.

At that moment.

“Trial’s Shield.”

Kwaang━!

“Ugh.”

Kang San blocked the attack.

There was no need to risk everything now.

He shared the burden with the sufficiently powerful individuals, and Kang San quickly judged and blocked the Dark Lord from leaving a certain area.

『Die━!』

Hwarrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Kwaang!

The surging dark magic power exploded.

It was an attack that even pushed back Lee Han-seong, but Kang San momentarily used Undying Will to reduce the damage he received by 90%. Of course, there was a monstrous penalty of his health dropping below 10% when the skill ended, but the Guardians had an A-rank Priest who could instantly restore his health. And Kang San’s own health regeneration was also high, so if he retreated for a moment, he had plenty of time to recover.

Kwaang!

Kwang, Kwang, Kwang!

It was an incredible sight.

Even though the Dark Lord abandoned defense and focused solely on attacking, Kang San alone was blocking everything.

“…Is Kang San this strong?”

It was someone’s voice.

It was shocking.

They thought Kang San was clearly at the A-rank level, but the power he was displaying now was judged to be on par with or even greater than Lee Han-seong. Kang San’s presence swelled. People finally realized that Kang San’s ability to hold on until now wasn’t due to mere luck, but entirely his own skill. No matter how much they wanted to steal the spotlight, the protagonist of this S-rank Outbreak was undoubtedly Kang San.

He endured.

He endured, and endured again.

With the Dark Lord’s advance blocked, monstrous attacks exploded from all directions.

Kwakwakwakwang!

Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrr.

They gave it no respite.

When the Dark Lord unleashed its magic power, Kang San blocked it, and simultaneously, Lee Han-seong and Saito Shusuke charged from both sides, launching powerful attacks. So Yi-hyun, Misaki Akemi, and others constantly bombarded the Dark Lord to prevent him from moving, and the people arriving one after another quickly reduced the number of undead.

Its power weakened.

Even in its immortal state, the Dark Lord couldn’t exert its full power without sufficient magic supply.

『Mere humans, you have cornered me in the end.』

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

30 minutes.

After repeated clashes, the Dark Lord realized it couldn’t kill even a thousand, let alone ten thousand.

Kwaang!

Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It repelled its opponents.

The Dark Lord, once again gathering its dark magic power, spewed red light from its eyes.

『I acknowledge it. You humans have proven yourselves worthy of survival. However, that does not mean your victory.』

It stretched out both arms.

The flickering magic power seemed to evaporate as it was absorbed into the sky.

『Ten thousand lives will surely die. Destroy.』

Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Magic power exploded.

It poured all its power into unleashing an unknown energy into the sky.

It was a final blow.

It wasn’t aimed at Kang San, Lee Han-seong, or anyone gathered there, but at an invisible space beyond them. Its purpose was clear. It intended to strike a space perceived to be teeming with life, aiming to kill them all. The moment it did, the Dark Lord would become an unstoppable monster.

It was a surprise attack.

At that moment.

Flash.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

A figure, launching himself, blocked the Dark Lord’s attack with his body.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Shhhhhhhhik━!

Kooong!

He crashed to the ground.

It was Lee Han-seong.

Kang San was also about to launch himself, but as if to stop him in that split second, Lee Han-seong pressed on Kang San’s shoulder and kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky. Lee Han-seong collided with the intense darkness. Thanks to him, the Dark Lord’s intention was thwarted, but Lee Han-seong, who had fallen to the ground, coughed up blood, his body charred black.

“Cough.”

“Mr. Lee Han-seong!”

Everyone shouted.

The battle wasn’t over yet.

With the Dark Lord still remaining, people blocked the Dark Lord’s attacks until the very end, unable to attend to Lee Han-seong.

Finally.

『…Foolish humans. You too, will eventually be like me.』

Pasasasasasak━

One hour had passed.

The monster, which had maintained its presence until the very end, accepted its demise as its time ran out.

It was over.

Kang San immediately rushed to Lee Han-seong.

“Why did you do that? Why did you act so recklessly!”

“Cough. I, I had no choice. If I didn’t stop it, Korea wouldn’t survive.”

Lee Han-seong’s face was pale.

Kang San hurriedly used Healing Aura, and the Priests also gathered, pouring their efforts into Lee Han-seong’s recovery.

This situation.

It was unfamiliar.

After gaining power, Kang San had always experienced situations like Lee Han-seong’s.

He always accepted sacrifices, and the people around him, seeing such a Kang San, would react with worry, calling him foolish.

Kang San felt the same.

Lee Han-seong seemed foolish.

Stupid and excessively self-sacrificing.

And grateful.

It was true that it would have been dangerous if it weren’t for Lee Han-seong, and he could see how Korea had survived, centered around the Guardians. It was as the rumors said. There was a saying that before Kang San, there was ‘Lee Han-seong,’ and Lee Han-seong was a hero of Korea. He had completed the final piece of the puzzle to stop the Dark Lord.

‘I did it because of the Trials, but this person…’

He gave up trying to understand.

As he hurriedly poured potions and tried to treat Lee Han-seong, a familiar message entered Kang San’s ears.

『Special conditions for Memory Playback have been met.』

『Playing back the memories of target ‘Lee Han-seong’.』

His vision distorted.

Lee Han-seong’s form warped, and a new world unfolded before his eyes.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Lee Han-seong was an orphan.

He didn’t know how his parents died, and he was left at an orphanage after wandering around in shabby clothes.

The orphanage was overflowing with people.

That was the world they lived in.

Even though loss had become commonplace, people didn’t accept it as normal.

“He doesn’t have parents.”

“Ugh, he’s dirty.”

“Don’t you have any money? Why do you wear the same clothes every day?”

School friends.

Those who had at least one parent distanced themselves from Lee Han-seong, who had none, and didn’t hesitate to hurl hurtful words at him. It was a familiar experience for Lee Han-seong. Even when he wandered the streets in tattered clothes, no one ever reached out to him first.

The reason Lee Han-seong ended up at the orphanage was a complaint asking someone to do something about that child, as if he were trash to be disposed of.

Then one day.

A school friend got into a traffic accident.

It was a friend who was walking right in front of Lee Han-seong, but while stepping back, he bumped into Lee Han-seong and got hit by a car.

But the truly interesting thing was what his friend said after barely regaining consciousness.

“Han-seong pulled me from behind. If it weren’t for him, I might have been hit by the car and died.”

Was there something wrong with his head?

He thought that Lee Han-seong, who was right behind him, had helped him when he tripped while stepping back.

The even funnier thing was.

“Our Han-seong. You’re so admirable.”

“Han-seong, thank you.”

“Han-seong, let’s be friends.”

The teachers too.

And the friends.

Their attitudes changed from that day on.

From an existence they wanted to avoid, they now looked at him with eyes of favor.

That day.

Lee Han-seong realized something.

If he was helpful to the world, the world would see him differently.

Lee Han-seong smiled brightly.

“Okay, let’s be friends. I’ll help you a lot from now on.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Whirl.

The world changed once again.

It was a familiar yet unfamiliar scene.

Not modern society, but a space reminiscent of Murim.

A masked man bowed and reported.

“According to the investigation, it has been confirmed that the Blood Demon who caused the Geumho Merchant Guild’s disaster is ‘Seo Mun-ho’.”

“Hmm.”

At the head of the table.

A man stroked his chin.

“It really was Seo Mun-ho. In the end, did evil create an evil person?”

“What should we do? Should we inform the Peng family and organize a Pursuit Squad?”

“No. There’s no need for that.”

It was intriguing.

The Seo Mun-ho the man remembered was an ignorant man who had never learned martial arts.

If he had returned as the Blood Demon, a bloodbath would surely engulf the once peaceful Murim.

“Peng Mujeong, if that guy finds out the truth, he’ll be furious and try to eliminate Seo Mun-ho immediately. That wouldn’t be fun. Even without that, the peace that has been dragging on is boring, and the influence of the Murim Alliance isn’t what it used to be. Even if the Murim Alliance guarantees safety, there are people who are starting to question whether the taxes we impose are justified. So, isn’t this actually a good thing? It’s a perfect stage to clearly demonstrate the reason for the Murim Alliance’s existence to the people.”

Life was ironic.

One act of neglect had given birth to a heinous villain.

“Just leave him be. Let a bloodbath engulf Murim. Once enough people die, they’ll desperately seek out the Murim Alliance.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll obey your command.”

The Murim Alliance Leader.

Moyeongcheon, with a strange smile, looked out the window.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Whoosh━

The memories were absorbed.

He opened his eyes wide.

『Memories of past lives enhance physical abilities.』

The message didn’t matter.

Kang San’s trembling eyes had witnessed a shocking truth.

Lee Han-seong smiled weakly.

The hero who had nobly sacrificed himself for the people showed a warm heart, even in this situation, not forgetting gratitude.

“…No, I just did what I had to do. Rather, it’s thanks to you, Kang San-nim, that we survived.”

His pale face.

His eyes and expression revealing his sincerity.

On that face that the world would praise as a hero.

‘Moyeongcheon.’

Kang San saw the face of another being overlap.