Silver Dragon Chronicles, Episode 6
Je-hwa, who had always been too lazy to bother with something like “worrying” while fighting and had never once even conjured the word in his mind.
But this time, he had to seriously try worrying.
From the moment he had started throwing punches, there had never been an opponent he couldn't easily take down.
He had fought everyone from street thugs to the ferocious beasts people feared, and even the so-called martial artists he had met recently—those who ran around wielding weapons, whom people feared even more than beasts.
They had all gone down smoothly with a single punch, but the martial artists before his eyes now not only remained standing after he threw his punches with all his might, but his own hands hurt more.
Feeling for the first time that fighting was hard, Je-hwa agonized over and over. Why were the three people before him different from everything he had fought so far?
And after worrying for a brief moment, Je-hwa realized what was different.
‘I can feel a powerful energy from that black glow… I see. Martial artists fight with that energy, and the stronger that energy is, the stronger they are! Right, now that I think about it, the guys I met a while ago were similar to them. Then, could something like that exist inside me too?’
Just as Je-hwa began to worry again, wondering if such energy truly existed within him as well.
Thump!
‘Hm?’
Je-hwa felt his heart lurch powerfully for a moment and made a bewildered expression, and it became the catalyst for awakening yet another power within him.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Huh?”
As his heart began to race, Je-hwa's expression was dyed with bewilderment.
“Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah…….”
Moreover, his breathing grew rapid and his vision grew dizzyingly distorted.
“Kuh?”
Just as he grabbed his head and staggered from the sudden onrush of dizziness, he felt his body become strangely light.
“Huh?”
Along with that, his rough breathing returned to normal, the dizziness disappeared, and his heartbeat returned to its original rhythm.
“Eh?”
After the strange phenomenon had passed, he felt a new power stirring in his body—or more precisely, in his heart.
“Oh?”
Je-hwa widened his eyes and examined his body.
He began to feel a power he had never had before, but it was not physical strength.
A foreign energy—simply put, a force that felt similar to what his enemies before him had, but if there was a difference, his was cold yet warm, while theirs was sinister and rough.
Je-hwa stroked his left chest and felt that energy. Cold yet warm, and familiar, as if it had been his all along.
“Haa…….”
An inexplicable sigh of relief escaped him, as if he had found something he had lost.
Je-hwa closed his eyes for a moment to savor the lingering sensation, then gently opened them.
“Alright, let's start again.”
Je-hwa said with a grin.
“I'm in a very good mood right now……. So I'll let you off with just a light beating.”
At those words, the Heukwol-dan members trembled.
Seeing them tremble at his words, Je-hwa narrowed his eyes and then launched his body.
While everyone was making bewildered expressions at Je-hwa's sudden disappearance, Heukwol, having sensed something strange, flinched and shouted while looking upward.
“Above!”
With those words, the Heukwol-dan members all turned their gazes upward.
But it was already too late! Je-hwa burst right into the midst of the Heukwol-dan and kicked one of them away.
Smack!
“Kuaaak!”
Could that really be called a light beating? It looked like he wasn't holding back at all.
Having joyfully burst into the center of the Heukwol-dan, Je-hwa began to pulverize them with his fists.
“Stop!”
The captain of the First Unit raised his internal energy and swung his sword at Je-hwa, and seeing this, Je-hwa's eyes sparkled.
‘So that's how you use it?’
In Je-hwa's eyes, the movement of his opponent’s qi was visible.
Watching his opponent manipulate qi, Je-hwa imbued the energy near his heart with his will and, just like his opponent, drew his qi up to his hand.
The acupoints that needed to be cleared to circulate internal energy were all already open, even though he had never cleared them before. It would be a shocking matter if martial artists found out, but what could he do? They were already open.
The energy from his heart gathered into his fist along the acupoints, and his fist collided with the black astral qi.
Clang!
“Kuh!”
The captain of the First Unit of Heukwol-dan looked at Je-hwa's fist, now filled with power incomparable to before, with an expression of shock.
The moment it clashed with Je-hwa's fist, his sword bounced away regardless of his will.
By the time he felt the impact tearing his palm and nearly ripping his arm from its socket, he realized he had been left defenseless.
“Uryah!”
Crack!
“Keo-eok!”
Feeling an enormous impact in his chest before he could even defend, he was sent flying far away, rolled across the ground, and promptly lost consciousness.
He had quickly used protective astral qi right before impact, but because it was used in haste, its defensive power was lacking. Moreover, Je-hwa, who had now begun to use qi as well, had grown too strong for them to handle.
Everyone's faces hardened as they turned toward Je-hwa.
“Wow! This is amazing!”
As power seemed to boil over from his entire body, Je-hwa widened his eyes and looked down at his fist.
He smiled, tried somersaulting here and there, and moved his body vigorously.
“Oooh…….”
His body felt so light, as if it might fly away.
“Hehehe.”
Je-hwa repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist, then looked straight at the Heukwol-dan and broke into a bright smile.
“Everyone, lie down.”
With that, Je-hwa charged at the Heukwol-dan again, and in an instant, the remaining Heukwol-dan members were swept away by his fists. The only one left standing was Heukwol himself.
“Kuh!”
“Oho? As expected, you're pretty good.”
Je-hwa, who had widened his eyes at Heukwol parrying his fist with a sword, put on a mischievous smile and swung his fists even more wildly.
Whether he was revealing hidden skill or not, Je-hwa's fists grew fiercer and more ruthless.
But that wasn't it—Je-hwa was steadily improving. The more he fought Heukwol, the more accustomed he became to using his power, and his body grew much nimbler.
“Uryah!”
Boom!
“Kuh!”
The moment he blocked Je-hwa's fist swinging at tremendous speed, Heukwol felt his insides flip.
‘A m-monster…….’
The thought arose unbidden.
Je-hwa smirked, and taking the opening as Heukwol staggered, he flipped his body, pushed off the ground with his left hand, used the recoil to launch himself upward, and kicked Heukwol's chin with his right foot.
Smack!
“Kuaaak!”
Heukwol's body soon floated into the air before crashing straight to the ground.
Thud!
The impact to his chin had caused him to lose consciousness on the spot.
“Phew…….”
Looking at the fallen Heukwol, Je-hwa caught his breath and then said with a grin.
“I won.”
He had started the fight because he was furious that his cherished tree had been cut down, but the ending was incredibly refreshing.
“Wuhahahahaha!”
Overcome with good spirits, Je-hwa had been laughing with his hands on his hips when he suddenly looked at the culprit who had cut down his tree.
“Ah……. You were still here.”
Seeing Sawollin trembling as she looked at him, Je-hwa narrowed his eyes.
“Hmm……. How should I deal with you…….”
His mood had improved, but she was still detestable.
“Bury her?”
At Je-hwa's words spoken while tilting his head, Sawollin flinched violently.
“Yeah, let's beat her up and then bury her.”
Now that's a bit harsh…….
At Je-hwa's words, Sawollin's face turned deathly pale.
‘A-am I really going to die here?’
Sawollin began to back away unconsciously as she saw Je-hwa's innocent smile.
‘I-I have to run!’
She shouted inwardly and tried to flee, but Je-hwa, noticing her intent, spoke with a smile.
“If you run, you won't die a pretty death.”
“……!”
At Je-hwa's words, Sawollin's face froze stiff.
She couldn't feel anything in his eyes. Not a hint of killing intent or murderous will, not even any compunction about killing.
His face showed nothing but a playful expression, like a child mischievously crushing a passing ant with his finger.
Seeing that expression, Sawollin felt chills run down her entire body.
Hadn't they said that innocent children are cruel? The boy before her was exactly that type.
To think he could kill someone with such an innocent face. Did he truly feel guilt, or did he know nothing at all?
But one thing was certain.
That she might really die.
His muttering about killing her might sound like a joke, but those eyes were absolutely not joking.
“W-wait!”
Sawollin shouted urgently.
Before she knew it, Je-hwa had raised his fist to swing at her.
Je-hwa tilted his head at Sawollin's shout.
“What? Are you trying to leave some last words before you die?”
Sawollin gulped dryly at Je-hwa's words. One wrong move here and she would really die.
“What? If you've got something to say, say it fast.”
Je-hwa frowned at Sawollin's silent stillness, and she urgently opened her mouth.
“I-I'll do anything, so please spare me.”
“…….”
Je-hwa fell silent at Sawollin's words, and Sawollin regretted it with a tearful expression.
‘I shouldn't have said such a stupid thing…….’
But it was already spilled water. Sawollin thought that today would be the last day of her beautiful life.
‘Sob sob sob, to die at such a tender age.’
Just as Sawollin was falling into despair…….
“Really?”
“Eh?”
Je-hwa asked her with sparkling eyes, and while Sawollin was bewildered by his appearance, he asked again.
“You'll really do anything?”
“Y-yes…….”
Without realizing it, Sawollin nodded at Je-hwa's question.
“Then, then……. Buy me something delicious! You've got money, right?”
“M-money, I have it, but…….”
“Wow! Let's go!”
“Eeh?”
The moment Sawollin finished speaking, Je-hwa snatched her wrist and immediately ran toward the village inn.
Unable to do anything about Je-hwa's sudden action, Sawollin was simply dragged along…….
“K-kuh! Y-young lady…….”
Just then, Heukwol, who had barely regained consciousness, called out to Sawollin while steadying his trembling body, but she had already been dragged away by Je-hwa long ago.
“Y-young lady……. Sh-she's been kidnapped!”
Heukwol shouted with a contorted face.