Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 55

Heaven and Earth Society.

Two people were walking side by side on a path surrounded by a wall leading to the main building.

They were Bright Blade King Son Yun, one of the eight executives of Heaven and Earth Society and one of the Five Kings, and diviner Jo Ui-gong.

While walking, Jo Ui-gong spoke as if frustrated.

“I should have told the vice leader that I accepted him as my disciple.”

At his words, Bright Blade King Son Yun clicked his tongue and replied,

“It’s no use even if you tell him.”

“Why is that?”

“Have you ever seen the leader withdraw an order once given?”

“…”

At those words, diviner Jo Ui-gong couldn’t open his mouth.

As Son Yun said, the leader never took back an order once given, and sometimes even punished severely if it couldn’t be carried out.

Considering that, persuasion was unlikely to work.

“Tsk… I thought I had finally found a useful fellow.”

“Is he even useful?”

He was the first to read that cursed secret manual.

How many people had died trying to read it?

Moreover, he learned the sword techniques of the Moon Lineage that had been severed a hundred years ago, yet they sent such a fellow to the Corpse Blood Valley without even seeing his face.

This was an incomprehensible decision, no matter how much the leader did it.

The Corpse Blood Valley is a place where nearly 8 or 9 out of 10 people die, even though each faction sends somewhat useful fellows.

It wasn’t called by a name meaning corpses and blood for nothing.

“I’ll have to ask the valley master to report it for now. I can’t just let that precious fellow die like this.”

At those words, Son Yun looked at Jo Ui-gong with interested eyes.

He wouldn’t say this unless he really liked him.

He too found the fellow to be a waste.

If they persuaded him properly and made him an ally or extracted the sword techniques from his mind and revived the Moon Lineage, it would be good, so why not do that?

Why send him to the Corpse Blood Valley, which could be considered the worst selection process…

‘Could it be?’

Bright Blade King Son Yun’s eyes narrowed.

Could the reason for sending him to the Corpse Blood Valley be that?

‘Are they trying to test him?’

***

Corpse Blood Valley.

“The designated time is two hours. In the valley water, there are iron balls that look similar to this. Find them and come to this large incense burner. Those who fail to find them will die.”

-Murmur murmur!

At the words of the man wearing the demon mask, the boys stirred.

It was the middle of the night now.

Although warriors wearing red belts were holding torches here and there, there was no way the inside of the valley water would be properly visible.

In this dark place filled with countless pebbles, finding that small iron ball?

It was literally like finding a needle in a sand beach.

At that moment, a boy who appeared to be around 17 years old, standing in the front row, raised his hand and spoke.

“Isn’t it too harsh to kill someone for failing to find a mere iron ball? Everyone here has been recruited from each faction, so even if that’s the case…”

“Do you not want to do it?”

The demon mask interrupted and asked.

The boy hesitated with a tense expression and soon said,

“The selection process doesn’t seem to be about finding or not finding the iron ball…”

-Smack! Thud!

“Ugh!”

At that moment, before he could even finish speaking, the boy’s dying scream was heard as he collapsed on the ground.

‘!!!!!!’

Those next to him couldn’t hide their bewilderment upon seeing this.

That’s because the iron ball was deeply embedded in the boy’s brow, and it seemed he had died instantly because of it.

As they were taken aback, the demon mask spoke in a loud voice.

“Those who question the orders or give up will also die.”

The murmuring sound instantly turned into silence.

Everyone realized the reality now that someone had lost their life.

‘These crazy bastards.’

Mok Yu-cheon cursed inwardly.

It was absurd to suddenly order such a thing, but die if you can’t find the iron ball?

He had come as a hostage for the sake of his family.

Yet he didn’t know what kind of nonsense this was for someone like him.

‘If only they hadn’t blocked my qi channels…’

If he could focus his inner vision, he might have found it more easily.

But with his internal energy sealed, this was literally an act of bringing hardship upon oneself.

While he was thinking that, the demon mask spoke.

“By the way, there aren’t as many iron balls in the valley as there are people here. So you better hurry.”

‘!?’

There aren’t as many iron balls as the number of people here?

Everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Doesn’t that mean some of them will definitely die?

“The moment the incense stick burns out is the two-hour mark. Light it.”

At the demon mask’s order, one of the warriors in red belts waiting next to the large incense burner lit an incense stick.

-Sizzle!

Then the boys who had been murmuring and not knowing what to do rushed toward the valley all at once.

With eight hundred people running at once, the ground shook for a moment.

Everyone seemed to have their qi channels blocked, as no one used lightness skills.

At least it could be considered a fair situation.

“shit!”

Seeing this, Mok Yu-cheon glared at Mok Gyeong-un but soon ran like the other boys.

-Splash! Splash!

There was no other way in the current situation.

He had to find the iron ball first.

Otherwise, he would die.

Mok Yu-cheon, who had entered the valley following the other boys, looked down.

‘shit…’

How was he supposed to find this?

It was dark.

No, he could barely see the ripples of the water, and he couldn’t see what was inside the water.

Finding it with the naked eye was impossible.

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

“Ugh! Where the hell is it?”

“Aaaah!”

Frustrated voices of the boys could be heard here and there.

They too couldn’t see inside the water, so it seemed they were digging through the pebbles in the valley water with their hands to find it.

Naturally, as a result,

“Argh!”

“M-my hand…”

Their hands were bound to get injured.

Some even broke their fingernails while recklessly flipping over rocks.

If they protected their hands with internal energy, such things would be rare, but it was natural to get hurt with bare hands.

-Swish!

Mok Yu-cheon’s fingers also hurt from being scratched by sharp rocks and pebbles.

But there was no other way.

There was no way to find the iron ball other than using his hands.

What if he couldn’t find it within an hour?

-Thump thump!

As he became anxious, his heart raced.

He had never experienced this kind of tension in his life.

Then, Mok Yu-cheon turned his head slightly and made an absurd expression.

‘What is that guy doing?’

Everyone was busy jumping into the valley water to search.

But that bastard Mok Gyeong-un was just watching with his arms crossed.

He was acting as if it was someone else’s business.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Instead of coming into the valley and checking what’s inside, what the …. is he doing over there?

Has he gone mad wanting to die?

Mok Yu-cheon, who found it ridiculous, soon turned his gaze away.

Whether they were half-brothers or not, if he couldn’t find his share of the iron ball now, he would die.

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

While everyone was frantically digging through the valley water like this, the incense stick had already burned down nearly halfway.

The two hours were almost up.

Now only half the time remained.

It was at that moment.

“Put it out.”

With a shout, the warriors in red belts holding torches between the valley water threw the torches into the water, extinguishing them.

It was already dark, but with the torches on the water gone, it became difficult to even see the people around.

“shit!”

“How are we supposed to find it?”

Complaints erupted from here and there.

But even as they screamed like that, they didn’t take their hands out of the water.

Because if they didn’t find it, they would lose their lives.

“Valley Master. This time, more than half might be weeded out.”

A middle-aged warrior next to the demon mask whispered.

That’s because no one had found it even as the two hours were almost up.

Until now, there would be one or two people who found the iron ball within two hours in each group, but this time, there was no one.

“Seems like there aren’t many tough ones.”

The one called Valley Master, the demon mask, nodded in agreement.

It might be the least number of people selected in history.

By now, one or two people should have found the iron ball and brought it, making the rest more anxious and focus on their senses like crazy.

This was a gateway to stimulate the five senses and survival instincts.

Those who were eliminated here were worthless beings with no value to survive.

‘The Esoteric Realm Gate[1], Vermilion Slaughter Valley[2], and Demon Fire Hall[3] said they sent talented individuals, but they seem to be nothing more than trash compared to what I expected.’

While he was thinking that, it happened.

“I found it!”

Finally, the first person to find the iron ball among this group appeared.

It was an 18-year-old boy, and although the hand holding the iron ball was covered in blood and a mess, he was smiling brightly, showing how happy he was.

Seeing the boy like this, those around him couldn’t hide their envy.

But soon, as if realizing there was no time, they dug through the pebbles in the water even more.

-Splash! Splash!

“Huff huff…”

Somewhat tired, the boy who found the iron ball walked towards the shore, exhaling rough breaths.

‘I did it. I did it.’

To have such luck.

Not only did he survive, but he was the first to find it.

With this, he could make a good impression.

It was at that moment when he was feeling good.

-Splash splash!

The sound of someone running from behind was heard.

Looking back, a burly-looking boy was running towards him.

“Hand it over!”

He targeted him so blatantly.

It seemed he was trying to snatch it before he got out of the water.

There was bound to be one or two of these bastards.

‘shit!’

The boy was tired but ran like crazy.

Even after getting out of the water, the burly-looking boy showed no intention of giving up and shouted as he ran.

“You bastard! If I catch you, I’ll beat you to a pulp!”

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!

The guy was not only big but also too fast.

He didn’t expect him to close the distance this much.

If he was really caught, the iron ball he had worked so hard to find would be snatched away by that guy.

The boy turned his head slightly and tried to run with all his remaining strength.

However,

‘!?’

What?

When did this guy get in front of him?

Was there someone who didn’t enter the valley?

The startled boy tried to change direction, but at that moment,

-Pak!

the boy who was in front of him rushed towards him at a tremendous speed.

He was so fast that he was caught before he could even change direction.

‘This damn bastard!’

Their internal energy should be sealed too, so how can he be this fast?

It was literally a situation of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Enemies in front and back.

As the situation became urgent, the boy made an unexpected choice.

‘You think I’ll let scum like you snatch this?’

The boy put the iron ball he was holding into his mouth right there and gulped it down.

The burly boy who saw this from behind shouted in frustration.

“You son of a bitch!”

This way, it couldn’t be snatched away.

The boy grinned.

However,

“You’re really troublesome.”

-Pak!

“Huh?”

The boy’s head was grabbed by two hands.

Then,

-Crack!

at that moment, his neck was twisted.

The boy, with his neck broken, died on the spot without even being able to scream.

‘!?’

The burly-looking boy who had chased him up to five steps behind couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

He too had intended to snatch the iron ball, but he hadn’t planned to kill the boy in front of him.

Yet such a thing had happened right before his eyes.

But what was even more shocking was,

-Squelch!

‘!!!!!!!!’

not only did he kill the boy, but he also ripped out the boy’s throat with his bare hands.

And then, forcibly shoving his hand below the neck,

-Urk! Splat!

he took out the iron ball the dead boy had swallowed.

The blood-soaked hand and iron ball.

-Drip drip!

Blood stained the ground.

‘T-this crazy…’

The moment he saw this, the burly-looking boy was at a loss for words.

What kind of guy is this?

While he was taken aback, the beautiful boy, no, Mok Gyeong-un, turned his head, shook his blood-soaked hand once on the ground, and opened his mouth.

“Why? Do you want it?”

-Shudder!

At that question, the burly-looking boy shook his head like crazy.

He had made eye contact with the guy, and it felt like his heart would burst, and his legs went weak, as if he would collapse at any moment.