No One Can Leave

Jegal Yong unconsciously pinched his cheek at the sight of the cavern before him.

The pain confirmed this wasn’t a dream but reality.

“We really did move through space.”

The Jegal family did have formations that could create similar effects, but they merely caused hallucinations or made people lose their sense of direction to wander in a confined space.

However, this was on a completely different level from such formations.

“Military Commander Jegal!”

“Yes! Coming now!”

Jegal Yong, who had been touching the walls and ground, snapped to attention at Elder Muwon’s voice and walked toward the only passage in the cavern.

In front of the massive, well-carved passage without a single obstacle, many people had gathered, including the Blood Shadow Death God and Elder Muwon who had entered the hidden chamber first.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s a trap. When we entered the passage, weapons started flying from all directions.”

“Can’t we just break through?”

Jegal Yong tilted his head.

The martial artists gathered here numbered in the hundreds, and all were at least first-rate in skill.

A simple trap where weapons flew out should be easy enough to break through.

However, when he heard the Blood Shadow Death God’s next words, Jegal Yong realized things weren’t as simple as he thought.

“This one couldn’t even break through.”

“…Pardon?”

A trap that even the Blood Shadow Death God, one of the top ten masters in the current martial world, couldn’t break through?

Why would such a trap appear right from the start?

Bewildered, Jegal Yong slowly opened his mouth as he noticed countless gazes directed at him.

“If it’s a trap where weapons shoot out, why don’t we just destroy them?”

“Seeing it once would be better than explaining a hundred times.”

The Blood Shadow Death God leaped into the passage, and weapons began pouring out from all directions.

While dodging attacks with mysterious footwork, the Blood Shadow Death God swung his hand wrapped in bloody energy to deflect an axe flying from the front.

Clang!

Jegal Yong’s eyes went wide.

The Crimson Blood Divine Art mastered by the Blood Shadow Death God was considered second to none among the most destructive martial arts in the world.

Yet the weapon that shot out from the wall didn’t break even after colliding with his energy strike.

“Eternal Iron?!”

No matter how many times he checked, it was Eternal Iron.

To think they would make trap weapons using Eternal Iron, the strongest metal in the world!

That wasn’t all.

Besides Eternal Iron, there were countless weapons made from materials that should only be used for divine weapons, like Blood Stone, Black Iron, and Dark Iron.

When the Blood Shadow Death God had covered about two-thirds of the passage, he returned to the entrance as if he could no longer endure.

“As you can see, destroying the weapons is impossible. The walls won’t break either – they must be made of some special material.”

“Please give me time to think.”

Logically, they wouldn’t have made a hidden chamber just to kill all intruders.

Jegal Yong slowly scanned his surroundings.

A hidden chamber vast enough for hundreds to enter simultaneously.

There must be a reason they made it so large.

“…Blood Shadow Death God and Elder Muwon. Could you two enter together?”

“Why should I move with this bald monk?”

“It’s to find a way to pass through the passage. Please.”

“Tch.”

After clicking his tongue briefly, the Blood Shadow Death God leaped into the passage with Elder Muwon following behind.

Like before, weapons shot out from all directions, but there was one crucial difference.

The attacks that had been concentrated on one person were now split between two, significantly reducing their intensity.

Realizing this, the Blood Shadow Death God and Elder Muwon returned to the entrance before Jegal Yong could say anything.

“I think I understand. The attacks seem to be divided based on the number of people in the passage.”

Five people, ten people, twenty people.

As they increased the numbers to verify, it became even more certain.

This passage was structured so that the difficulty decreased the more people there were.

Jegal Yong instantly calculated the passage size and weapon attack spaces to create an optimal formation.

“If we move like this, even first-rate martial artists should be able to pass through. Now all that’s left is deciding the order…”

The difficulty in this passage decreased with more people.

This meant the level of danger varied depending on one’s position.

The vanguard would be somewhat dangerous at first, but as more people kept entering from behind, they could pass through without much difficulty after enduring for a while.

The middle ranks would be safest with people both in front and behind.

The problem was the rear guard.

As people gradually exited the passage, the difficulty would increase, yet they couldn’t speed up due to those ahead.

The gazes of the Blood Shadow Death God and Elder Muwon crossed in mid-air, and their lips moved ever so slightly.

“This one and the Crimson Blood Corps will take the vanguard.”

“Then this humble monk and the Murim Alliance shall take the middle. The rear should be left to the remaining wandering warriors… If it’s not too presumptuous, could we ask Hero Han and the White Light Heavenly Lady to command the wandering warriors?”

To think they would use such an obvious ploy.

Desperately gritting his teeth to hold back laughter, Yuseong finally regained his composure and calmly replied.

“Understood. We two will take command of the wandering warriors.”

The wandering warriors violently protested upon hearing they would take the most dangerous rear position, but they had no choice.

Yuseong smirked while watching the grumbling wandering warriors.

He couldn’t help but laugh seeing them with deathly expressions, not knowing that the chances of survival were actually similar regardless of position.

“This one will lead! Crimson Blood Corps, follow!”

“Yes sir!”

The Blood Shadow Death God, his entire body wrapped in surging bloody energy, and the Crimson Blood Corps entered the passage first, followed by Elder Muwon and the Murim Alliance, and finally Yuseong and the wandering warriors.

“Everyone maintain the spacing!”

Though the flying weapons carried enough force to make even first-rate martial artists stagger, they weren’t too threatening thanks to the attacks being dispersed in all directions.

People advanced slowly while deflecting the incoming weapons.

‘It should start soon.’

After checking the vanguard’s position, Yuseong slightly lowered his stance and heightened his tension.

And when the Blood Shadow Death God reached the two-thirds point of the passage, an anomaly occurred.

‘What’s that?’

Yukho, one of the Crimson Blood Corps, tilted his head at something protruding from the distant ceiling.

A strange object with things clustered thickly on a long pole.

As he saw green light gathering at the pole’s tip, Yukho narrowed his eyes to observe it more closely.

Thud!

A next-generation support weapon made in a different dimension’s Korea.

The plasma round fired from the K-13 shattered Yukho’s head to pieces.

But that was just the beginning.

Ratatatata!

“Wh-what’s happening!”

“Just where are these attacks coming from… Kuhk!”

“Protective techniques! Everyone raise your protective techniques!”

No matter how skilled, there was no way to handle the countless plasma rounds pouring down in the confined space of the passage.

Dozens of people instantly lost their lives and collapsed to the ground, and an equal number became incapacitated after losing body parts in the plasma round explosions.

“Go!”

The reaction speed of an absolute master transcended imagination.

The moment the K-13 began firing in earnest, the Blood Shadow Death God finished analyzing the situation and shot bloody energy toward the unidentified object emitting light.

BANG!

Hit by the Crimson Blood Divine Art’s energy, the K-13 glowed bright red before instantly exploding.

The Blood Shadow Death God had made the best response he could.

But the tide had already turned.

The number of people dead or dying from the recent barrage was over a hundred at minimum.

Naturally, the onslaught of weapons flying at the survivors intensified that much more, and as casualties increased, the onslaught intensified again.

It was truly a vicious cycle.

“Uwaaaaah!”

Fear is contagious.

Amidst the blood and flesh flying everywhere and increasingly fierce onslaught, someone unable to overcome their fear screamed and rushed forward recklessly, several others followed suit, and the formation Jegal Yong had painstakingly devised instantly collapsed.

What followed was predictable.

Slash!

Thud!

Crunch!

The death toll rising at a terrifying rate.

Even now, if they had regained their senses and responded calmly, they could have minimized casualties, but people consumed by fear could think of nothing but running forward.

“Aaaagh! My leg! My leeeeg!”

“S-save me! Please take me… Kuk!”

“Wh-what in the world is…”

Jegal Yong, who had barely made it to the other side, was shocked twice – once at the horrific scene of death and destruction, and again upon grasping the detailed casualty situation.

“Murim Alliance casualties: 61 dead, 12 severely wounded. Evil Emperor Alliance casualties: 66 dead, 14 severely wounded. Wandering warrior casualties: 65 dead, 21 severely wounded. Total survivors: 603…”

They had lost about 30% of their forces in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Moreover, considering that the dead included many at least first-rate in skill and not a few at the peak, they had truly suffered enormous losses.

‘This is maddening. Even for the greatest hidden chamber of all time, isn’t this too much? If it’s this bad at the entrance, just how much more dangerous are the traps inside?’

After pondering deeply, Jegal Yong looked back and forth between the dazed Elder Muwon and the stiff Blood Shadow Death God before speaking in a voice that seemed to have aged ten years.

“How about we turn back now?”

“…Amitabha.”

“We’ve barely cleared the entrance and you already want to retreat? Are you in your right mind?”

“That’s precisely why we should withdraw. We’ve already lost 30% of our forces just at the entrance. Do you think you can handle the traps that lie ahead?”

“…”

“…This humble monk thinks following Military Commander Jegal Yong’s suggestion would be wise.”

Though the Blood Shadow Death God’s face turned red and blue with anger, he couldn’t say anything.

He knew rationally that Jegal Yong’s argument was correct.

“I would like to continue forward.”

At Yuseong’s sudden interjection, Jegal Yong shook his head and said.

“I’m sorry, but going forward is difficult in the current situation. We need to exit first and replenish our forces before returning.”

“Then you all can leave. I’ll explore the hidden chamber alone if I must.”

Jegal Yong was about to say that’s exactly what he should do, but sensing the suddenly changed atmosphere, he closed his mouth.

From the Blood Shadow Death God and Crimson Blood Corps to Elder Muwon and the Murim Alliance, even the wandering warriors – everyone was eyeing each other with strange looks.

If everyone had agreed to leave, they could have left without regret.

However, if even one person remained behind, that changed everything.

Because that one person would have even a one-in-a-thousand, one-in-ten-thousand chance of obtaining the Heaven-Communicating Divine Demon’s legacy.

‘This hidden chamber has insane traps right from the entrance. Normally there’d be no need to worry, but…’

The problem was that their opponent was a master who had killed the Plum Blossom Sword Lord and annihilated Mount Hua Sect’s pursuit squad, and beside him was the White Light Heavenly Lady whose martial arts level couldn’t even be guessed.

Two absolute masters might have a high chance of breaking through the hidden chamber’s traps and finding the legacy.

How could martial artists possibly leave such a possibility alone?

They would either try to stop it by any means or follow along to prevent the treasure from being monopolized.

The moment he realized this, Jegal Yong’s face turned ashen.

‘…Unless everyone agrees, no one can leave the hidden chamber.’