Chapter 99
“Whoa!”
As the men entered the arena, someone spoke in a surprised voice.
“Wait, aren’t those disciples from Wudang, Shaolin, and the Beggars’ Union?”
“They are. I heard the one from Shaolin is called one of the Six Dragons and Four Phoenixes.”
“The Six Dragons of Shaolin… Oh! The Martial Dragon!”
“But is this really alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just a bit concerned about provoking the Nine Sects One Alliance.”
“Don’t worry about that. No one knows they’re here.”
Because those who saw were no longer of this world.
At the Phantom Divine Monarch’s words, the middle-aged man who had looked worried was now smiling.
“Now that you put it that way, I feel at ease. Shall I enjoy myself without a care, then?”
“By all means. Hah hah!”
The Phantom Divine Monarch greatly enjoyed the events in the underground arena.
Beyond mere business, he was the kind of man who felt pleasure in toying with human lives.
From building underground arenas across the Jungwon at great expense, all of it was, in fact, an investment for none other than himself.
An investment to continue this game for a long, long time.
It was truly laughable.
To be so sincere about such an atrocious act.
He was nothing less than a man rotten to the core.
Meanwhile, the men who had just entered the arena felt their mouths go dry.
And how could they not? How could anyone remain unfazed at the sight of that giant, blood-soaked bear?
“Damn it. This is insane.”
“Stay sharp.”
Doil moved quickly, picking up the swords scattered on the ground and handing one to each of them.
They weren’t their favored weapons and didn’t feel familiar in their hands, but it was a small mercy to have them at all.
Doil handed a sword to the man who had been captured last, advising him to stay as far back as possible and protect himself.
The man gave a small nod.
“That’s right. They say you can survive even in a tiger’s den if you just keep your wits about you.”
“The problem is, this is a bear’s den. Besides, we can’t even use our Internal Qi right now. What makes you think we can survive? Ugh. Damn it.”
Just as Myeonghyeon tried to muster some fighting spirit, Jongpal shot it down again.
The moment Myeonghyeon was about to glare at him, Jongpal’s eyes met the bear’s.
*ROOOOAR!*
“Ah, why! Why are you looking at me!”
*Thump, thump, thump, thump.*
With every step the giant bear took, it felt as if the ground was shaking.
It was unbelievable.
For such a massive and heavy creature, it was also incredibly fast.
In an instant, the bear was right in front of them. It suddenly swerved, targeting Myeonghyeon instead of Jongpal, and swung its forepaw.
“Huk!”
Myeonghyeon threw himself to the side with all his might.
*CRASH!*
The spot where he had just been standing was now deeply gouged.
*Gulp.*
Myeonghyeon swallowed without realizing it.
*If that hits, I’m dead!*
If only he could use his Internal Qi, the story would be very different.
But in this situation, the most he could do was desperately dodge its attacks.
And there was no telling how long he could keep that up.
Just then, the bear rolled its eyes and looked at Jongpal again.
“Ah, why me again!”
Sensing danger, Jongpal scrambled and ran to the opposite side.
*ROOOOAR!*
Seeing Jongpal flee, the bear became wildly excited and gave chase.
Before long, Jongpal found himself standing before the iron gate they had entered through.
“Help me! Is anyone there!”
“Heh heh. We’re not opening this gate, so give it up.”
“That’s right. Just stop struggling and die. Why make it so difficult?”
*Heh heh.*
From beyond the iron gate, the mocking voices of the Joy Palace members could be heard.
“Right. So you’re there, you bastards.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Just as the Joy Palace members were about to ask in confusion,
*Thump, thump, thump, thump.*
The bear charged madly toward Jongpal.
And just as it was upon him, Jongpal threw himself with all his might, diving under the bear’s legs.
Its body was so large that Jongpal’s slipped right through.
And then,
*CRRRRAAAAAASSSSH!*
The iron gate was shattered by the impact of the bear’s massive body.
“Aaargh!”
The Joy Palace members who had been mocking Jongpal moments before were crushed to death under the gate.
“Hoo. Hoo. Heh heh. You sons of bitches. Serves you right.”
Jongpal staggered back to where Myeonghyeon and Doil were.
The bear seemed to be stunned from the impact with the gate and couldn’t get up for a moment.
“You’re insane.”
“They were pissing me off, those bastards.”
Doil and Myeonghyeon let out hollow laughs, dumbfounded by Jongpal’s words.
“But I’m out of ideas now.”
In the distance, the giant bear was slowly trying to get up.
A sigh escaped him at the sight.
He had managed to buy some time, but the situation was still utterly hopeless.
Just then,
“This is lamentable.”
Myeonghyeon spoke.
His eyes had already welled up with tears.
“What, you have a wife and kids hidden somewhere?”
At Jongpal’s joke, even in this situation, Myeonghyeon shook his head.
“No, it’s because there’s nothing we can do.”
Myeonghyeon let out a deep sigh.
“If we die like this, what will happen to the powerless people who are left?”
Among those still locked in the prison awaiting their turn were young children, the elderly, and even a heavily pregnant woman.
Myeonghyeon’s words were a lament for their inability to save them.
Large tears soon began to fall from his eyes.
Faced with Myeonghyeon’s sincerity, Doil and Jongpal were momentarily at a loss for words.
Only in a situation like this could they see it.
Myeonghyeon was a true Daoist of Wudang, a man of genuine righteousness.
“Let’s not… give up!”
After scratching his head, Jongpal finally straightened his grip on his sword and shouted.
“Even though this is the worst possible situation and we can’t use our martial arts, from now on, let’s struggle with all our might!”
“Struggle?”
“Yes. Not to survive, but to struggle to increase the chances of the remaining people surviving, even if by a little. Of course, it would be even better if we could take down that damn bear.”
At Jongpal’s words, Doil and Myeonghyeon’s eyes widened. For Jongpal to say such a thing.
Of course, just because they resolved to do so didn’t mean they could achieve it.
But this was a matter of mindset.
To struggle for the sake of those who remained.
Those weren’t bad words.
That in itself might have its own meaning.
Of course, they might all be torn to shreds by that bear in an instant, but after making this resolve, the fear of death seemed to lessen just a little.
*Groooan.*
The bear soon recovered and got to its feet completely.
“Ugh, that thing is disgustingly huge.”
Even from a distance, its overwhelming size and intimidating presence were truly immense.
*ROOOOAR!*
The bear let out another great roar.
Then it spotted Jongpal, who had tricked it, and began to charge ferociously.
“What kind of grudge do you have against me from a past life? Why do you go crazy every time you see me, you bear bastard!”
Jongpal yelled at the charging bear.
Beside him, Doil and Myeonghyeon also raised their swords, their eyes firm with resolve.
This was the moment they truly had to risk their lives.
But then,
“What interesting people.”
With someone’s quiet murmur,
*Whooosh.*
A change occurred in the bodies of Doil, Myeonghyeon, and Jongpal.
Suddenly, they could use their Internal Qi.
They all wore shocked expressions at the sudden change.
“Wait, h-how.”
“It’s coming! Dodge!”
They didn’t know what had happened, but escaping the immediate crisis was the priority.
But the situation was different from before.
Without a second thought, the three used their respective Footwork Techniques to evade the charging bear’s attack and retreated a great distance.
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Jongpal looked around.
It went without saying, but there was no one in this underground arena who could have helped them.
So how could they suddenly use their Internal Qi?
“Ha, haha! Is this what they call a miracle?”
He had no choice but to think so.
No, he wanted to think so.
The look in the three men’s eyes was completely different from before.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but.”
“This changes the story completely!”
Soon, Jongpal, Myeonghyeon, and Doil’s eyes glinted coldly as they charged toward the bear.
How much time had passed?
*Groooan…….*
*Thud.*
The giant bear, now covered in the blood it had shed, finally collapsed to the ground.
Looking at the bear’s limp body, they knew.
The beast of beasts, which had claimed the lives of so many, had met its end.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!”
The three stood there, drenched in sweat, their breath catching in their throats.
Soon, Doil, who had delivered the final blow, along with Jongpal and Myeonghyeon, slumped to the ground.
They had barely managed to take down that bear.
It was then.
“Hoh.”
The Phantom Divine Monarch revealed himself before them.
His Footwork Technique was so ghostly that no one had noticed his approach.
“To think you would defeat this beast. Remarkable.”
After a moment of looking at the fallen bear, the Phantom Divine Monarch’s gaze turned to the survivors.
Every one of them was a mess.
It was understandable.
He didn’t know why they had suddenly been able to use their Internal Qi, but even so, this giant bear was by no means an easy opponent.
It had long reigned as the king of a great mountain somewhere far Outside the Borders.
He had spent no small amount of money and time to bring it here.
“Hmm.”
It was rare for things to deviate from the expected outcome like this.
But it didn’t matter.
It had provided a good show, and that was fine too.
That was enough.
*So, did we survive? What happens now?*
Just as that question arose in the three men’s minds, the Phantom Divine Monarch opened his mouth.
“Well, the fun is over. Clean them up. Let’s move on to the next event.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
It was an order given as if they were objects to be cleared away.
From the beginning, whether they died by the bear or killed the bear, their fate had been decided.
The next event was to release new beasts and feed them civilians once more.
It was the part everyone enjoyed the most.
In other words, this hellish time was just beginning.
At the command of the Palace Lord, the Phantom Divine Monarch, the Vice Palace Lord, the Blood-faced Ghost, appeared leading elite soldiers.
At the sight, Myeonghyeon’s face contorted as he screamed.
“You cruel and wicked fiends! Heaven will punish you.”
“Heaven? If Heaven were to punish me, wouldn’t it have done so already?”
A dark smile spread across the Phantom Divine Monarch’s face at Myeonghyeon’s words.
“But as you can see, I’m living quite well, am I not? Unlike worms like you. Heh heh.”
Meanwhile, the Blood-faced Ghost, who had drawn his sword, advanced toward them with the Palace Members.
“You dog-like bastards!”
Jongpal spat out a string of curses, and Myeonghyeon trembled all over with rage.
Doil, too, could not hide his despair and began to chant a sutra.
It was a moment of absolute desperation.
But just then,
“My, my. I thought you were just a moderately vile fiend. But you’re just irredeemable trash, aren’t you?”
“What? Who is it? Who dares to speak so recklessly!”
The Vice Palace Lord of the Joy Palace, the Blood-faced Ghost, shouted as he looked around.
“It’s me, you rotten bastards.”
It was the man who had been standing quietly in the back until now.
The last man who had been captured by the Joy Palace.
It was Yeo Un-hwi.