Chapter 81
I had forgotten for a moment.
Forgotten what the general temperament of divine artifacts—so-called shinmul—was like.
How arrogant and self-righteous they tended to be.
‘It’s true, lately I’ve only been running into the mild ones.’
In my previous life, it wasn’t so.
Most of them ignored and despised everything that wasn’t themselves, convinced that they alone stood at the center of the world, behaving as they pleased.
That was why I’d personally “educated” them and established the hierarchy.
Conversations?
That was something only humans could manage.
Among shinmul, strength alone was justice.
And apparently, this wasn’t just the rule of the living world.
‘If it’s weaker than me, it should stay quiet.’
Yet here was Honryeongchu, a shinmul from the underworld, openly provoking me first.
It was the first time in nearly a hundred years that a shinmul had dared provoke me like this—ever since I faced the Heavenly Demon Sword.
Rather than anger, laughter escaped me.
“Since you want it that badly…”
Fine. I’d grant its wish.
I stepped back once, willingly.
Not because I was giving up—of course not.
I was simply changing the method by which I intended to resolve things.
‘No need to clash with Surama itself just yet.’
Once the current situation was settled, I could sort out the hierarchy with Honryeongchu—and get what I wanted—at the same time.
Just then, Surama halted its slaughter.
“If I kill them all, the ones outside will charge in like madmen. Guess I’ll stop here.”
Surama smacked its lips as it muttered.
Outside, the Surama Unit was blocking the tavern entrance, preventing anyone from entering.
They had taken no small amount of damage themselves.
‘About ten down from a force of forty-something.’
Though Surama had said to kill them all, that was mostly bluff.
The numbers were simply too imbalanced, and the enemy had their own hidden monsters—practically a Conqueror-level fighter waiting.
‘If the experts inside the tavern and the ones waiting outside had joined forces from the start…’
The Surama Unit would’ve had to prepare for total annihilation.
Surama had been clever enough to prevent that from happening and create this favorable situation.
Not only that—Surama had deliberately spared not just the talisman user, but a few other key individuals. Such meticulousness earned a slight nod from me.
‘Maybe it’s actually good that I don’t have to step forward first.’
As I thought this, Honryeongchu stepped ahead, no longer hiding its presence.
Its aura poured out—judging by martial standards, it was at least a supreme peak expert.
Surama looked at it with interest.
“I thoroughly scanned things before I started. Didn’t know something like you was hiding.”
The tone was calm, but I saw it—
Surama sending a silent signal to the Surama Unit outside.
Sure enough, not long after Surama and Honryeongchu clashed, the Surama Unit joined in.
Two opponents quickly became four, and eventually eight joined the assault.
Though Honryeongchu held a clear advantage in one‑on‑one combat, once eight fighters joined Surama in coordinated attacks, Honryeongchu began to falter, pushed back again and again.
In such a situation, one would normally call for help.
But Honryeongchu stubbornly fought alone.
I let out a small sigh.
“Shinmul are all the same.”
Stubborn, pig‑headed, never thinking about their own survival.
Was I like that during my Heavenly Sword days?
Maybe I had been.
But one thing was certain—
I wasn’t like that anymore.
“You all realize this is your last chance, right? Are you really going to just stand there and watch?”
If Honryeongchu fell, I was obviously next.
I intended to use every tool available.
Murmuring spread.
My casual comment stirred those who had survived Surama’s massacre—but without a central leader, they only wavered, unable to act.
I wasn’t frustrated.
I’d expected this.
Naturally, I had a solution prepared.
“The rest doesn’t matter, but I guarantee this—being captured by the Heavenly Demon Cult is worse than dying right here.”
I aimed the words at the talisman user who had been pinned to the floor by Surama’s blood‑art.
When I released the blood‑art shortly after, the talisman user acted exactly as I intended.
“Are you idiots planning to sit still and wait to die? I’d rather fight and die than let them slaughter me without lifting a finger!”
He had been good at provoking before, but now—with raw sincerity—the effect was dramatic.
“He’s right! We’re not dying like dogs!”
“Fight! This is our last chance!”
Those who had been trembling like livestock awaiting slaughter finally began to move.
They were fewer than before, but each one was strong.
“Block them!”
When they joined the fight, the Surama Unit that had been assisting Surama against Honryeongchu had no choice but to pull back to intercept.
First two withdrew, and soon all eight had to retreat.
They were formidable, but they couldn’t fight the martial artists of the tavern and maintain pressure on Honryeongchu simultaneously.
Especially with the talisman user unleashing massive fireballs that looked capable of burning down the entire tavern.
Fwoooosh!
The entrance area became an inferno instantly.
The talisman user had done it purposely—to block additional enemies from entering.
“Retreat!”
“Don’t touch the flames!”
The remaining Surama Unit outside panicked, unable to charge in to support their comrades.
One fighter who’d tried earlier was instantly reduced to ashes.
This wasn’t ordinary fire—it was conjured through sorcery.
They felt the difference down to their bones.
Clash!
For Honryeongchu, who had been pushed back endlessly, this was the first chance to return to a proper one‑on‑one duel.
It straightened its posture.
But its condition was far from good.
“Huff… huff…”
Its breathing was rough; its body battered.
A black rod embedded in its abdomen looked extremely lethal.
Surama, on the other hand, was nearly untouched—having conserved strength by letting its subordinates take most of the fight.
Seeing that things still favored him, Surama made an offer.
“You’ve fought well enough. I acknowledge you. If you want, I’ll take you to headquarters instead of that rampaging talisman brat. So give up.”
It was the same line he’d used on the talisman user.
Naturally, Honryeongchu didn’t buy a word of it.
Instead, for the first time since the fight began, it revealed its true weapon.
Tinkle.
It was the same form I had seen back at Yeomwangchae—
Honryeongchu’s true appearance as a weapon.
Except this time, unlike when Taeryeok used it, the bell actually rang.
A clear, refreshing sound that seemed to cool one’s bones.
But to someone else, that sound acted very differently.
A heavy thud—
Then a crack.
Surama’s body sank into the ground as if an invisible hand were dragging it downward.
“W‑What is this?!”
Surama thrashed, trying to pull free.
Screeeech!
Even with full strength, it struggled—pulling one foot free only to be dragged back down.
A battle of endurance.
Pant! Pant!
The final result: Surama was buried halfway into the ground—torso and all.
Its rasping breaths showed how desperate it had been seconds earlier.
Without delay, Surama burst upward from the earth and frantically looked around for its vanished opponent.
But it was pointless.
The humanoid form of Honryeongchu had disappeared.
All that remained was the artifact—Honryeongchu’s weapon form—lying on the ground with a soft clatter.
I stepped forward and picked it up.
Surama didn’t try to stop me.
Rather…
‘So if the injury is severe enough, it can’t maintain a human form?’
I had to ask.
I thought it had expended all its strength, but once I picked it up, I immediately realized that wasn’t true.
Enormous power still dwelled within Honryeongchu—enough to fight nonstop for days.
Honryeongchu wasn’t obligated to answer, so I didn’t expect a response.
But unexpectedly, it answered calmly.
‘As you saw. If the wound is fatal, we die just like humans—only the body remains. And it takes about a month to regain human form.’
The detailed answer led me to ask another question.
‘Why tell me that?’
Honryeongchu responded as if waiting for the question.
‘If I know I must entrust my back to you, doesn’t that explain it?’
I looked at Honryeongchu anew.
I thought it was completely rigid—but it had surprising flexibility.
‘Truly the one and only shinmul of the underworld, hm?’
‘Don’t mock me.’
‘Not mocking. I’m serious.’
You just don’t appreciate human sincerity.
I shook Honryeongchu, wanting to hear that refreshing bell again.
But no sound came.
‘You’re not refusing to ring because you’re sulking… right?’
No reply this time.
Not sulking—but seemingly of the mind that having answered one big question, its obligations were fulfilled.
“Sharp‑edged personality, really.”
A reply came instantly.
‘I’m not a blade. I’m a hammer.’
“Yeah, yeah—hammer‑like. Satisfied?”
Whatever. I wasn’t going to swing it right away anyway.
I had no reason to care about the exact category.
I was about to end the conversation when Honryeongchu spoke again.
‘I cannot lend you my sound, but I permit you to swing me.’
At first I thought it meant I could use it now, but after thinking it over—it was essentially saying:
Use me.
Use its power.
Why bother when I had perfectly good weapons of my own?
Still, without hesitation, I tossed Honryeongchu into the maw of the Scaled Pouch.
Then I looked at Surama—its breathing somewhat steadier now.
“Looks like you’ve recovered enough. How much longer do you need?”
Of course, I wasn’t actually waiting for it to recover.
Fools sometimes dug their own graves by giving enemies chances—but I despised such idiots.
Without waiting for Surama’s answer, I lifted my head.
Probably the talisman user’s fault—the ceiling had a huge hole.
Through it, I could see the stars and moon clearly.
That meant…
“A full day has passed.”
We’d passed midnight.
The fate of the little sword—originally guaranteed to die—had completely changed.
Even the possibility that it might die if I fell was now erased.
Meaning: I no longer had any reason to delay.
I had given Honryeongchu the chance to act first only because of that former uncertainty.
Given all that—
“Let’s do this properly.”
There was no longer any need to hold back.
From this moment on, I intended to unleash everything as I pleased.
