Chapter 178: I Am The Owner.
Chapter 177 – I Am The Owner.
‘I will escape from this hell somehow!’
Now was the only opportunity.
While everyone was distracted by the mummies!
He could escape if it was now.
And when they met again next time…
‘Namgung Cheon, I will kill you first!’
No, should he rip Yu Hyeon to death before that?
In any case!
Leap!
It was the moment Cheol Un kicked the floor.
Whoosh, thump!
“Uh…?”
Cheol Un hesitated and backed away. His face turned pale blue.
“The king…!”
The mummy king had stood directly blocking Cheol Un’s path, of all people.
‘No, why in front of me of all people, out of so many bastards…!’
That was for an obvious reason.
Because while everyone else was frozen due to the sudden earthquake, Cheol Un was the only one who moved.
“Tch!”
It was the moment Cheol Un kicked the floor and tried to bounce back.
Rattle!
Grab!
The mummy grabbed the iron chain connected to his neck.
“Guh!”
“Grrr…”
“N-nooo!”
Slash!
Clank!
In the blink of an eye, the mummy pulled the iron chain, and Cheol Un’s neck flew off.
At that ruthless attack, even the unorthodox martial artists turned pale.
“Motherfucker…!”
Rumble…!
Even in the midst of that, the floor vibrated and the ceiling began to collapse little by little.
Paeng Su-hyeok shouted angrily.
“Damn it! What did that cormorant bastard do to make the royal tomb collapse like this?”
“It seems the entire royal tomb is collapsing. We must get out of here quickly.”
At Yu Hyeon’s words, Paeng Su-hyeok shouted again.
“How do we leave when that king or whatever bullshit is blocking the way…!”
Whoosh, crash!
Instantly, the people in the hall widened their eyes.
A large boulder falling from the ceiling had crushed the king just like that.
The first to move was Namgung Cheon.
“Now is the time! Run!”
As soon as his order fell, the Azure Eagle Squad, including Son U-gon, kicked the floor and rushed out.
“What are you doing? Run!”
Namgung Cheon grabbed the neck of the dazed Baek Mu-geuk and threw him straight toward the exit.
“Hurry up and run!”
“A-alright! I’m going, you bastard!”
As Namgung Cheon was about to kick him, Paeng Su-hyeok ran out first by a hair’s breadth.
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon swung the Emerald Silk Sword at the rushing mummy.
“Damn it, you annoying things!”
Clang! Clang! Clack!
It was truly dazzling swordplay.
He swept through the frantically rushing mummies like the wind while unfolding sword strikes.
The swords swung by the mummies merely grazed the Emerald Silk Sword before slamming into the floor or slicing the empty air.
Even if they happened to clash with the Emerald Silk Sword, his clever footwork allowed him to exert minimal force while delivering a strong recoil.
It was indeed a perfect martial art specialized for real combat.
“Get lost!”
Swish!
Crack!
Finally, the Emerald Silk Sword falling through the empty air split the mummy’s body vertically.
Even the tirelessly rushing mummy fell without being able to attack further once its body was split into left and right.
Just then, Heuk Seon-ja, who barely defeated a mummy nearby, quickly turned around and shouted.
“Let’s run too!”
As he was about to throw his body toward the exit, did Namgung Cheon not block his way and thrust his foot forward?
“Where do you think you are cutting in line!”
Coincidentally, the place Namgung Cheon’s foot aimed for was between the legs this time as well!
‘Oh, damn it! Not there! Again…!’
By the time Heuk Seon-ja’s gaze confirmed the tip of Namgung Cheon’s foot, it was already too late!
Thud!
“Gugh…! D-damn it… did it burst…?”
As Heuk Seon-ja collapsed on the spot foaming at the mouth, Namgung Cheon turned around without regret and began running straight toward the exit.
Rumble…! Thud!
Coincidentally, another mummy was crushed by a falling rock. Jade Flute Young Master, who had been dealing with it, quickly ran over to support Heuk Seon-ja.
“Are you alright?”
“Ugh…! G-go first…”
Heuk Seon-ja, whose face had gone pale from being hit in his vitals, pushed Jade Flute Young Master away.
However, Jade Flute Young Master supported Heuk Seon-ja and looked around.
‘I cannot just leave. We need someone to take responsibility…’
While he kept his inner thoughts to himself, the Red Crone, who had been lying fallen over there, finally regained consciousness and raised her body.
Rumble!
By a hair’s breadth, a boulder fell right before her eyes and shattered.
“What happened…?”
“Red Crone! We must get out of here quickly! There is no time! The royal tomb is collapsing!”
“But why is Priest Heuk Seon in that state?”
“He was done in by that cadet.”
When Jade Flute Young Master replied with a bitter smile, the Red Crone clicked her tongue with a look of pity.
“My goodness, getting done in again.”
It was then.
“Grrr.”
Did the growl of a beast not echo from somewhere as the mummy king wriggled beneath the collapsed boulders?
They had already confirmed his martial prowess earlier.
Jade Flute Young Master and the Red Crone instantly exchanged glances and began running desperately.
Swish!
Stepping hard on the collapsed boulders, the two performed lightfoot work along the stairs and ran.
“Aaaaahrg!”
Boom!
Finally breaking through the boulders and rising, the mummy king roared wildly. Perhaps due to that, the speed of the royal tomb’s collapse was getting faster and faster.
Rumble! Thud!
“Run! Run faster! That guy is chasing us!”
“I am running!”
The mummies were closely chasing Jade Flute Young Master and the Red Crone! Naturally, the king was included among them.
“Damn it! At this rate, we will be caught! Go first!”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I must collapse it!”
“Then the royal tomb will collapse even faster. We could be buried together.”
“Is it not a do-or-die situation anyway!”
Swish!
Stopping her run, the Red Crone turned around while spreading her fingers wide.
“Grrr!”
The mummy king and the mummies who appeared to be his subordinates were leaping up the stairs almost on all fours.
“Hmph! You guys rot in the place where you originally belonged!”
Slash!
The Red Crone unleashed Finger Shattering of a Chaotic World, the final stance of the Ten Fingers Blood Art.
Instantly, dozens of strands of red spiderweb unfolded in the air.
The next moment,
Rattle!
Rumble…!
As a roar erupted as if tearing their eardrums, the staircase passage began to collapse at a rapid pace.
“Do you think I would die like this!”
The Red Crone turned her body just like that and ran while deflecting the falling stones.
* * *
Rumble…!
“Aaargh! The stairs are splitting!”
“What are you doing? Run fast!”
“We’re all going to die!”
The Azure Eagle Squad and the cadets ran with all their might.
Boulders larger than an average person fell continuously from the ceiling, and cracks split the stairs as if an earthquake had occurred.
Namgung Cheon, who was running at the very back, gently pushed the back of the lagging Paeng Su-hyeok.
“Hurry!”
“Guh!”
With his back pushed, Paeng Su-hyeok leaped into the air and began to lead the way as if flying.
‘W-what? Just a gentle push on the back makes me…?’
Although he really hated to admit it, was Namgung Cheon not a monster the more he looked at him?
Namgung Cheon pushed Baek Mu-geuk and Yu Hyeon in turn like that, closely following right behind the Azure Eagle Squad.
“Run! Run! If even a single scratch gets on my things, you’re all dead!”
“Hieee!”
Terrified by the sort of killing intent felt from behind them, the Azure Eagle Squad members exerted their lightfoot work.
Rumble…!
The moment a thunderous sound rang out as if to burst their eardrums, a light finally began to appear in the distance.
“It’s the exit!”
“Let’s go!”
“We survived!”
The Azure Eagle Squad members and the cadets began to run, squeezing out every last ounce of their strength.
Rumble!
They focused solely on their lightfoot work while taking the falling stones overhead with their entire bodies.
Finally, Son U-gon, who had led the way, burst out of the cavern, and the Azure Eagle Squad and the cadets followed him out one after another.
And the cavern began to collapse in earnest, as if it had been waiting!
Boom!
Spewing out a massive amount of grey dust, the artificial cavern made of stairs finally collapsed completely.
“Pant, pant, pant…!”
“Urgh, pant. Blegh!”
Baek Mu-geuk, Yu Hyeon, and Paeng Su-hyeok sprawled out spread-eagle, breathing heavily.
Indeed, had they ever run so breathlessly in their lives?
They had run so much that they felt like dry heaving.
Paeng Su-hyeok composed his breathing and raised his body.
“Whew, I really thought I was going to die. Pant, pant…!”
“Indeed. By the way, it seems those unorthodox martial artists couldn’t make it out in time. Sigh.”
At Yu Hyeon’s words, Baek Mu-geuk, who was sitting blankly nearby, muttered listlessly.
“Namgung Cheon is not here either.”
“Pardon?”
“Namgung Cheon is inside there.”
“…!”
Only then did the Azure Eagle Squad and the cadets flinch and look at the collapsed ground.
“My Lord! My Looord!”
“How can this be! My Looord!”
Son U-gon, Cha Mu-jin, and the Azure Eagle Squad members shouted all at once as they looked at the collapsed ground.
Son U-gon commanded his subordinates.
“Dig! Dig again! We must get My Lord out!”
“By your command!”
The Azure Eagle Squad members rushed forward all at once and began digging the ground with their bare hands.
Although they dug roughly with hands imbued with internal energy, the ground itself was composed of hard rock, so it was not easily dug up.
Yet they could not just recklessly unleash palm forces either.
For if there was a space below that protected his body, they must not collapse that as well.
The cadets looked at each other and watched the Azure Eagle Squad with stiff expressions.
“That fellow… really couldn’t escape? That monster-like guy?”
Paeng Su-hyeok watched the Azure Eagle Squad with an expression of disbelief.
There was no one to answer.
It was not a question that expected an answer anyway.
“Captain… it’s no use. If it collapsed to this extent… there is no hope.”
“What are you talking about? It is too early to give up! My Lord wouldn’t so easily…!”
“Captain! Pull yourself together! Lingering here is actually more dangerous! Have you forgotten what is on our backs? It’s the spiritual pills of Demonic Pill Valley! We don’t know who else might target us. We must move quickly!”
“But…”
“Captain! We must carry out My Lord’s will. When on earth can we move all these huge boulders? It is impossible.”
“Damn it!”
Thud!
Son U-gon struck the floor roughly with his fist.
“It cannot be helped. Then…”
It was then.
A voice was heard faintly from somewhere.
“…show… did…”
“Huh? That voice just now…?”
“Pardon? What voice…”
“Shh!”
As Son U-gon gestured for quiet, sure enough, a faint voice was heard from somewhere.
“You bastards… put on quite a show…”
“Ah! This voice is…?”
“Ah! There! Over there!”
Coincidentally, did a hand not pop up between the cracked ground at the spot Park Chang-su pointed?
“Gasp!”
While the startled Son U-gon fell onto his buttocks, did a palm not slap the ground, followed by a shadow bursting upward while breaking the ground?
Crash!
Thud!
Rattle…!
The one who landed on the ground was none other than Namgung Cheon!
He glared at the Azure Eagle Squad members with burning eyes, breathing heavily.
“You bastards, from what I’ve heard, it seems you were secretly hoping for this?”
“N-never! How could that be!”
“Then why the hell were you digging in the wrong spot?”
“T-that’s because the situation was so urgent that we couldn’t tell where you were buried…”
“And what? Mu-jin, come here. No hope? Let’s give up whether I die or not because we have to carry out my will?”
“M-My Lord! It is a misunderstanding… I really just wanted to uphold My Lord’s will…”
“Aren’t you coming here? Since when is running away with my goods as you please my will? Hey! Won’t you freeze right there?”
“Aaargh! My Lord!”
Cha Mu-jin fled at a speed faster than when he ran through the cavern.