Chapter 48. The Specter (1)
"…It seems I was too careless. Our uninvited guests haven't left yet."
The Ghost Shadow Thief let out a deep sigh.
At the same time, footsteps echoed from outside the cave.
They were light—too light. The unmistakable gait of assassins.
Then, several small metal orbs, riddled with tiny holes, rolled into the cave, slipping through the foliage covering the entrance.
Clink. Clank.
The dull sound of metal striking stone filled the air. From the countless holes in the orbs, a faint purple smoke began to seep out.
As the smoke steadily filled the cramped cave, I calmly shifted behind Tang Sowol.
"Hm. Poison."
"Indeed. Poison."
"What do you want to do, young miss?"
"These assassins are likely the same ones who have been chasing Ghost Shadow Thief—probably from Sal Valley. I've been curious about their poisons. This is a good chance to see for myself."
With a composed expression, Tang Sowol crushed one of the rolling orbs underfoot.
The brittle shell shattered easily, releasing its full contents.
The previously faint poison smoke surged outward in an instant—
—only to unnaturally swirl toward Tang Sowol, as if being sucked in by her presence.
Seeing this bizarre sight, the Ghost Shadow Thief let out a dry chuckle.
"Well, I wasn't worried about someone from the Tang Clan getting poisoned, but this… This is beyond my expectations."
"I'm a bit of an anomaly, even among my clan. That said… this is quite a vicious poison."
Her brows furrowed in mild irritation.
I asked, "What kind of poison is it?"
"Normally, poisons that spread as smoke are convenient but lack potency. It's difficult to concentrate their effects, and there are too many restrictions when blending them."
As she explained, Tang Sowol pulled out two antidote beads from her sleeve.
The smaller the bead, the higher the quality—these were nearly top-grade.
Something difficult to obtain even for the Tang Clan, which valued antidotes just as much as poisons.
"So instead of lethal toxicity, they designed it purely to inflict suffering. It's plant-based, but since you haven't built full resistance to Scholar's Weed yet, Brother Cheon, this could be dangerous for you. Keep this in your mouth at all times. You too, Ghost Shadow Thief."
"I understand."
"Heh. It's been a while since I've seen antidote beads. Much appreciated."
I tucked the bead under my tongue, careful not to swallow it.
Then, I drew my sword once more, keeping it ready but not raised—prepared to strike at any moment.
Seeing this, the Ghost Shadow Thief panicked and tried to stop us.
"Wait! Are you actually thinking of fighting them? I appreciate your sense of justice, but I won't allow young warriors like you to get dragged into an old man's mess and die because of it."
His expression was resolute as he pushed the martial manual and the wooden box toward us.
"This is Glacial True Qi from the Northern Sea Ice Palace. Take it and go. As for the elixir—under no circumstances should you consume it. Head to the Martial Alliance and relay everything I've told you. They're after me. I'll buy you time."
I accepted the manual and box, securing them in my robe.
But I shook my head.
"We'd like to, but as you know, Sal Valley and the Tang Clan are practically sworn enemies. Even if we run, do you really think they'll just let us go?"
The rivalry between the Tang Clan and Sal Valley was infamous.
It had all started when Sal Valley framed the Tang Clan for one of their assassinations.
But after fighting for so long, their hatred had become self-sustaining—at this point, they tried to kill each other on sight.
Of course, in terms of sheer power, Sal Valley was no match for the Tang Clan.
If their headquarters were ever exposed, they'd have been wiped out long ago.
But Sal Valley had always remained hidden, which was why this feud still continued.
Since this was common knowledge, the Ghost Shadow Thief knew it as well.
He opened his mouth as if to argue—then, seeing the futility, he simply pressed his lips together.
Still, it wasn't as if we had no plan.
With all the poison absorbed, Tang Sowol narrowed her eyes at the faint presences lurking beyond the foliage.
"Ghost Shadow Thief, even in your weakened and injured state, you are still a true top-tier master. Naturally, they would have sent assassins of equal caliber to hunt you down. Tell me—was the Reaper King among them?"
"No. But there were five Specters, along with several first-rate assassins."
In Sal Valley, assassins were ranked by three tiers.
- Third-tier assassins could eliminate third-rate martial artists.
- First-tier assassins could take down first-rate warriors.
- Specters were skilled enough to assassinate peak masters.
And above them all, the Reaper King was said to silence even Flowering Stage grandmasters without a sound.
In other words… five peak-level warriors and multiple first-rate assassins.
At a glance, it seemed we were outmatched.
The Ghost Shadow Thief was injured and couldn't fight for long.
And among us, only the Blood Venom Unit leader was at pinnacle level.
However—
"That's enough for my poison to be effective. We can handle this."
Tang Sowol smiled.
Her words were not a boast.
They were a fact.
Moreover, I had taken a Strength-Nurturing Pill, allowing me to reach the threshold of Peak level.
With the Ghost Shadow Thief looking astonished behind us, Tang Sowol suddenly thrust her palm forward toward the entrance.
Paang!
A shockwave sent a cloud of poison surging outward.
And then—
"Khaagh!"
"Urgh!"
Two assassins collapsed, groaning in agony.
They must have been waiting just outside the entrance, prepared to ambush us—
Only to be struck first.
Seizing the moment, the Blood Venom Unit leader dashed out with light movement techniques.
"I'll clear a path ahead."
That was all he said before disappearing into the chaos.
Hearing the sudden clamor of battle, Tang Sowol and I quickly followed.
Outside, we found the Blood Venom Unit leader relentlessly scattering poison at the masked assassins.
He was using his poisons liberally, filling the entire valley floor with deadly miasma.
Though Sal Valley assassins had some poison resistance, their expertise paled in comparison to the Tang Clan.
Unable to push through the thick poison, they hesitated—
—while some of them began scaling the cliff walls, trying to flank us.
Predictably, the ones climbing were Specters.
Their presence was faint, but their movements were undeniably those of pinnacle-level warriors.
"I'll handle the Specter on the left."
"Then I'll assist the Blood Venom Unit leader with the first-rate assassins."
Tang Sowol nodded naturally before glancing at the Ghost Shadow Thief, still standing on one leg.
"Elder, what about you…?"
The Ghost Shadow Thief let out a faint chuckle before replying.
"In a situation like this, how could I possibly withdraw alone? I may avoid taking lives when I can… but for those who call themselves ghosts, forsaking their own humanity— I have no reason to spare them."
With a single nod, we split into three directions, each taking our position.
Just as I arrived, two Specters landed gracefully on the ground after scaling the cliff wall.
Their eyes, visible through the slits of their masks, were devoid of emotion. A lifeless, machine-like gaze—one that saw people not as humans, but as mere targets.
It was a gaze I was all too familiar with.
One of them, wielding a curved blade similar to a scythe—a Reaper's Crescent Blade—spoke first.
"No matter how skilled a Tang Clan warrior may be, I have no interest in killing a mere young successor who isn't even our target. Step aside, and I will spare your life."
I smirked.
"And you—if you offer your neck quietly, I'll make sure to cut it cleanly so it doesn't hurt."
"…Are you insane?"
"I'm not crazy enough to trust the words of an assassin."
He had probably hoped to shake me with words alone, judging from my young appearance.
But when he realized it wasn't working, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
No one in their right mind would believe the words of an assassin—especially one from Sal Valley.
These people slaughtered women, children, and even unarmed civilians without hesitation if they interfered with their missions.
The Specter with the Reaper's Crescent Blade exchanged glances with his companion—
Then charged straight at me.
The other assassin moved to flank me, aiming for the Ghost Shadow Thief instead.
I had been suppressing my presence deliberately—
But I hadn't expected them to play so perfectly into my plans.
A grin curled at my lips.
I lunged forward to meet the charging Specter, simultaneously unleashing my internal energy through Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art.
At the same time, I directed all of my refined killing intent at him.
"W-What—?!"
The sudden surge of overwhelming pressure caught him off guard.
He faltered mid-charge, his breath hitching.
And in that moment of hesitation—
I struck.
Since this fight would be short and decisive, I poured as much internal energy as my body could withstand into my sword.
Unlike reinforcing my body, there was no limit to how much energy I could channel into my blade.
Woooong—
A red aura began to coalesce around my sword.
The initially faint sword energy rapidly stabilized, its color deepening with intensity.
By the time it had turned into a deep, blood-like crimson, the Specter had barely regained his composure—
And hastily swung his Reaper's Crescent Blade to counter.
Kaang!
But his hurried strike was flawed.
His balance faltered. His body tilted to one side.
"H-How…?!"
His once-calm eyes widened in shock.
First, he had been shaken by my killing intent.
Then, he had been overwhelmed by my fully formed sword energy.
But I wasn't finished yet.
Before the other assassin could realize what was happening and intervene, I had to end this fight completely.
Though the sword energy of Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art was as powerful as forbidden techniques, rather than pressing the attack, I swiftly withdrew my blade—
And prepared my next strike.
I drove my sword straight into the opening exposed by his disrupted stance.
He barely managed to block, leveraging the curved nature of his Reaper's Crescent Blade to deflect my attack.
Realizing he was in danger, he muttered something under his breath—
Then spat.
"Tch!"
A thin needle shot toward my eyes.
I hadn't expected him to be hiding something like that in his mouth,
But I had already sensed the faint killing intent gathering at his lips.
I tilted my head just in time—
The needle grazed my ear instead of hitting its mark.
At the same time, I withdrew my sword and slashed again, aiming at the even wider opening he had just exposed.
Kaang!
Once again, he barely managed to block.
But that was all he could do—defend.
The fundamental reality hadn't changed.
The moment I had awakened my sword energy, I had become capable of clashing against weapons infused with sword aura.
And the difference in our skill levels was clear.
One clash.
Two clashes.
Three clashes.
At times, I overwhelmed him with the sheer explosive power of Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art.
Other times, I allowed myself to be wounded, just to pierce at his vitals in return.
And sometimes, I used adaptive techniques, taking advantage of the unorthodox shape of his weapon against him.
With every exchange, the Specter fell deeper into defensive footing.
His body accumulated small wounds.
But it wasn't as if he had just stood there and taken it.
He had fired hidden weapons from his sleeves.
He had scattered poisoned sand.
At one point, he had even launched a suicidal charge, trying to flip the battle in a desperate gambit.
But every trick failed.
Of course, it did.
The martial arts of assassins were designed for killing.
And to me, martial arts were nothing more than techniques to kill people.
We viewed combat through the same lens—
Which meant I could read his every move before he even made it.
Even his faint killing intent was enough of a warning for me.
One brief moment of carelessness.
One single mistake.
And I relentlessly pursued that weakness—
Like a wolf hunting its prey.
By the eighth exchange—
Schhk.
The Specter's head tumbled to the ground.
His lifeless body collapsed soon after.
Then, I turned to the other assassin who had been heading toward the Ghost Shadow Thief—
Only to see him suddenly change course, rushing toward me instead.
I grinned.
"Next."