Chapter 5 - Act 2. Wailing Dragon Demon (2)

“Aaaaargh!”

Blood sprayed in a fountain as one of Goegeol’s arms flew into the air.

The crouching Demon revealed itself, unleashing a savage force so intense it seemed to slice their flesh. Only then did the Dokkaebi boys realize they had walked into a predator’s hunting ground.

This was no mere Child Ghost.

The Demon before them was far more powerful—

“Run!”

Gong Woljang was trembling uncontrollably beneath its killing intent, while Goegeol clutched his spurting arm and sobbed. Gong Ilchwi alone still had his wits about him. He grabbed Goegeol and tried to flee.

But he had barely taken a few steps when he struck something.

THUD!

A barrier like an invisible curtain had trapped them inside.

As if mocking them, the Demon that had lured them in slowly savored Goegeol’s severed arm, tearing into it.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Unable to fight or escape, they knew only terror. Belatedly, the adults’ words flashed through their minds.

[“The first immutable law of the Demon-Exorcizing Arts.”]

[“Never advance upon an enemy you do not know.”]

* * *

‘I’ve lost a lot of time, but those three don’t know exactly where the Demon is, either.’

Night was when Demonic Energy grew dense. Given the creature’s nature, it probably had not been out for long. Taking their ignorance of its location into account, they might at least have encountered it only recently. With luck, they might not have found it yet.

His preparations complete, Yise sorted through his thoughts as he ran at full speed. Even if he reached them, he would not be much help. He could probably only buy them a little time.

The bigger problem was that he, too, had no way of knowing exactly where the boys were.

He had, however, settled on a direction: the place where the rumors of a Demon crying like a baby had begun. Drawing an imaginary line from there to Gwisu Temple, he ran a diagonal search pattern through the surrounding area.

He had ample grounds for his reasoning. First, this was Dokkaebi territory. The presence of their energy alone kept most Demons instinctively away. That meant this Demon was capable of reason. If it had approached deliberately, it must have intended to hunt individual Dokkaebi traveling between the village and Gwisu Temple.

At the very least, it could conceal its Demonic Energy and hide from Mongryeon and the other powerful inhabitants of Gwisu Temple. It was a creature that wielded barriers of demonic power.

Yise pulled an object from inside his clothes: a miniature bird-topped pole hung with a bell and a talisman. Called the Barrier-Tracking Talisman, it was a supernatural treasure that tracked spaces concealed by barriers of demonic power.

And if this treasure reacted...

JINGLE.

The bell rang. Until now it had made no sound, even as he raced along using Dokkaebi Steps. Then, as though defying the laws of nature, the talisman fluttered against the wind.

Yise immediately changed direction. Thick Demonic Energy awaited him at the end of that path.

A barrier of demonic power—a kind of domain that prevented entry or exit without its owner’s permission.

First, Yise fired a signal flare into the sky. Then he tore open the barrier with the Barrier-Rending Sword and looked inside.

The wavering view immediately cleared, revealing what lay within: a Demon leisurely tearing into Goegeol’s body at the center of the enclosure. Its appearance was a bewildering mixture of a human face, a horse’s body, and dragon horns.

Just as he had expected, it was one of the two possible Demons.

Risk Level 6—mid-grade Demon.

Wailing Dragon Demon.

‘This is dangerous...’

Its extreme aggression made it notorious among Demon hunters. Though considered the weakest among its kind, it was still a Demon that had once reached a higher realm, only to fall in Rank after repeatedly being hunted down and escaping.

In terms of sheer fighting strength, he was absolutely no match for it. The tremendous Demonic Energy slicing at his body screamed that a single wrong step would turn him into its next meal.

‘Stay calm.’

Yise steadied himself, repeating the words inwardly. Six years ago, he had not attacked the Wadu-Scholar because he had any particular chance of winning. He had already given up on his life; he had simply acted with the resolve to make it count.

The Wailing Dragon Demon glanced at Yise, then returned its full attention to its meal, seemingly indifferent to the arrival of fresh prey. Apparently, it had judged him no threat.

‘It’s too late... for Goegeol.’

There was no way to save Goegeol when he was already disappearing into the Demon’s mouth. Better to save the other two Dokkaebi while it was distracted by its meal.

Gong Ilchwi lay collapsed, black blood pouring from his belly. Gong Woljang had wet himself and was in no condition to fight, his eyes rolled back until only the whites showed.

Moving slowly so as not to provoke the Demon, Yise approached Gong Ilchwi and placed a medicinal pill in his mouth. To a human it was practically an elixir, but even for a Dokkaebi, it was a precious remedy that could staunch bleeding and mend wounds.

“Get up. You have to escape on your own two feet.”

Perhaps the pill was taking effect; Gong Ilchwi’s eyes gradually regained their focus.

“Wh-why are you here...?”

“Can you walk? Just nod.”

“...”

Gong Ilchwi slowly nodded, his head trembling.

“Gong Ilchwi, see the tear in the barrier where I came in? Walk out through it as fast as you can. Gong Woljang. When I give the signal, take this and run the other way. Tear through the barrier and escape, then pick up your brother outside and carry him back to Gwisu Temple.”

Yise seized Gong Woljang by the jaw and stared straight into his eyes. His grip was fierce enough to crush bone, gradually dragging the boy’s vacant gaze back to reality. Gong Woljang slowly nodded.

“Wait, then what about you...?”

“If you take too long to escape, I’ll die too. Don’t look back. Run as fast as you can. Understand?”

As though sensing something amiss, the Wailing Dragon Demon stopped its crunching bites of Goegeol.

“Now!”

Yise immediately hauled Gong Ilchwi to his feet and all but hurled him toward the opening he had torn in the barrier. Gong Woljang, too, instinctively pushed off the ground.

The Wailing Dragon Demon, which had ignored them until now, launched itself off the ground in apparent fury. It headed for Gong Woljang, the one who looked relatively unharmed. It moved so fast the eye could scarcely follow—a charge like a bolt of lightning.

THUD!

But a shield cut into its path and struck its horns. Yise had thrust his shield into the Wailing Dragon Demon’s line of attack and struck it at an angle.

His prediction had proved correct: it would allow prey to wander in, but never let them leave, and it would attack the healthier one first. Although Yise alone was flung back by the collision, he had at least stopped it from swinging its dragonlike horns at Gong Woljang.

‘I could barely even see it.’

Tense, Yise raised his shield close to his body. Dodging or counterattacking by sight was out of the question against this opponent.

Still, his hand axe and shield were treasure artifacts Mongryeon had taken special care to make for him. She had said they were made from a precious material favored by Cultivators, and the shield was indeed remarkably sturdy. His best option was to follow its movements as closely as he could with Dokkaebi Senses, absorb as much of the impact as possible, and hold out with the help of his equipment.

He peeked over the top of his shield to check on the Wailing Dragon Demon. Just in case, he had scattered some of the Tiger-Slaying Poison he had brought when they collided, but it seemed to have had no effect.

‘They said it could kill even a tiger instantly...’

He had chosen the poison specifically in case the enemy was the other mid-grade Demon. As expected, it did not work on the Wailing Dragon Demon.

Just then, the Wailing Dragon Demon vanished in a flash and reappeared right before him. Its body heaved at close range, and this time a hoof charged with Demonic Energy kicked his shield. Yise clung to the shield’s grip with every ounce of strength he possessed.

He flew a considerable distance and must have struck the barrier: his vision flashed, and his body shook from the impact. Blood trickled from his ears, down his cheeks, and gathered at the tip of his chin. The pressure felt like an enormous bull grinding his body beneath its hooves.

‘I have to stay alert.’

He had deliberately positioned himself so that the attack would knock him toward the tear in the barrier. Lowering himself again, he backed out through it in a near crawl. His body trembled from the impact, and blood with a metallic tang spilled from his mouth, suggesting internal injuries.

‘At least I’ve made it outside the barrier.’

Demonic Energy glowed menacingly in the two horns on the Wailing Dragon Demon’s head. It let out a beastly cry, as though eager to ram this irritating insect, shatter his bones, and chew his entrails.

The next instant, the Wailing Dragon Demon vanished in another flash. Yise braced for impact once more, but nothing touched his shield.

His Dokkaebi Senses sent a tingling warning through the back of his head. Feeling the danger, he immediately rolled sideways.

THUD!

With a heavy crash, the Wailing Dragon Demon appeared behind him and slammed down on the spot he had occupied a moment before.

A huge crater opened, and dust billowed up like towering clouds. Then the Wailing Dragon Demon’s tail curved around and lashed Yise as he sprang up like a frog.

“Ghah!”

Somewhere in his body, a bone cracked, and he spewed a fountain of blood. He seemed to be nearing his limit. His blood soaked the ground, and his vision shimmered like a heat haze. He could probably withstand only one or two more attacks.

‘It’s about time—’

Just as he thought any further delay would be dangerous, an adult Dokkaebi sprang out of nowhere and struck the Wailing Dragon Demon’s head with a spiked iron club.

CLANG!

A sharp crash rang out like metal striking metal, and Yise’s body lifted into the air.

“Damn it. Sorry I’m late.”

Gwaecheon, who was on guard duty at Gwisu Temple, and two other Dokkaebi had seen the flare and arrived almost simultaneously. Slung over Gwaecheon’s back, Yise gave his report in a murmur.

“Goegeol had already been eaten. I sent the other two back to Gwisu Temple.”

“...”

Gwaecheon marveled at his tenacity. Even as he visibly struggled to remain conscious, he was reporting the other Dokkaebi’s safety. What on earth was this boy made of...?

“Do we have any chance of winning?”

But that was not what mattered to Yise now. The two Dokkaebi had taken the Wailing Dragon Demon by surprise, yet they appeared not to have inflicted a single wound. Comparing the strength of the Dokkaebi he knew with that of this mid-grade Demon, the balance was hopelessly tipped against them.

“Hold on tight.”

Gwaecheon seemed well aware of that fact. His sole focus appeared to be rescuing Yise from the Wailing Dragon Demon. He immediately kicked off the ground, and the sounds of fierce combat behind them gradually faded.

Before long, however, the Demonic Energy behind them surged closer with ferocious speed. The Wailing Dragon Demon was closing the distance like an arrow, the two Dokkaebi’s heads held in its mouth.