Reincarnator’s Stream

Chapter 204

Cheon Ryang felt his heart drop when he faced Baek Leedan, the deputy Lord of the Divine Dragon Group. He would have preferred to be dealing with Un Cheon-guk instead, as Baek Leedan was a madman.

Known throughout the Murim World as a lunatic obsessed with fighting, Baek Leedan had caused several major incidents but had managed to escape serious consequences thanks to the backing of the Divine Dragon Group.

*Knock, knock.*

He met Cheon Ryang in the Lord’s hall of the Divine Dragon Group, standing in for Un Cheon-guk. Baek Leedan, who dared to sit in Un Cheon-guk’s seat, tapped his long, slender fingers on his head.

“Now I remember.”

After about ten minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

“It was that orphan.”

Orphan.

That was Baek Leedan’s memory of Cheon Ryang.

Cheon Ryang was, indeed, an orphan. He had no parents and had learned martial arts and become a player thanks to the Divine Dragon Group’s helping hand. But no matter how true that was, being called an orphan instead of by his name was not something he could accept willingly.

No.

The fact that it was true made Cheon Ryang despise being labeled that way even more.

“…How have you been?”

But Cheon Ryang couldn’t say anything. How could he dare to question this person?

In this Divine Dragon Group, aside from Un Cheon-guk, he was the absolute ruler.

“No need to ask what you don’t really care about. I have no intention of making small talk with vermin like you.”

“In that case… I’ll ask something I genuinely want to know.”

Taking a look around the seemingly empty Lord’s hall, Cheon Ryang asked.

“Where is the Lord?”

At that question, Baek Leedan’s eyebrows twitched.

He knew who Cheon Ryang meant by ‘the Lord.’

To dare call the Divine Dragon Group’s Lord ‘the Lord’, it was unthinkable.

“The Lord has urgent matters.”

“It must be quite urgent. It’s been a long-awaited matter, I believe.”

“Whatever it is, it’s none of your business.”

Baek Leedan waved his hand dismissively, cutting off the conversation.

“I don’t want to talk for long, so I’ll get straight to what I’ve heard.”

Just as Baek Leedan was about to ask Cheon Ryang the purpose of his visit, “I came alone.”

Cheon Ryang interrupted with his answer.

“…Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must know what that means.”

“I do.”

“Tell Un Hyang this.”

Un Cheon-guk had spoken.

“Either return to the Divine Dragon Group, or lose your closest friend. Choose one.”

“If you come alone again next time, then…”

For the first time, the enigmatic Lord of the Divine Dragon Group had clearly revealed his intentions. It was not just a simple threat. Cheon Ryang was sure it was not an empty threat.

“You have no fear.”

“You are wrong.”

Cheon Ryang shook his head at Baek Leedan’s words.

“I am officially recognized by Un Hyang as a coward. No one wouldn’t be afraid of dying.”

Trembling, his legs visibly shaking from tension and fear, Cheon Ryang continued.

“But if staying alive means betraying a friend, then I’d rather not live.”

“Impressive.”

Baek Leedan’s lip curled upwards. His gaze towards Cheon Ryang, which had been disdainful until moments ago, shifted.

If mental strength were a statistic like other attributes, Cheon Ryang’s would not lose to any high-rankers.

But the applause for his strong will did not last long.

“Regrettably, your choice will not save your friend.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Un Hyang is on her way here.”

At that instant, Cheon Ryang’s body, which had been trembling like an aspen, froze cold.

“Un… Un Hyang?”

“Yes, I informed her of your choice.”

Realizing the full meaning of those words, Cheon Ryang’s eyes widened to an unprecedented size.

*Thunk*, something snapped in Cheon Ryang’s mind.

“Baek Leedan!”

*Crash!*

Cheon Ryang’s body shot towards Baek Leedan, forcefully pushing off the ground.

Although he had not become a ranker, he was a player who had learned martial arts from the Divine Dragon Group and had climbed up to the seventh floor.

Cheon Ryang, honing his claws, flew through the air to tear at Baek Leedan’s throat, but soon found himself crashing to the ground.

*Thunk!*

“…!”

Baek Leedan’s hand gripped Cheon Ryang’s head and slammed it into the ground.

The strong impact to his head made Cheon Ryang almost lose consciousness, but soon he was overwhelmed by anger again.

“This is… a promise…”

“Yeah. It’s different from the promise. But why should I keep it?”

“You bastard…”

*Crack.*

Cheon Ryang struggled with all his might, but he knew.

There was no way he could escape Baek Leedan’s grasp with his strength alone.

But he couldn’t just stay still.

Un Hyang had found out. She knew what kind of deal he had made with Un Cheon-guk.

Therefore, she would know that he was going to die here.

‘She will come, that one.’

She had done it before.

Because his life had been held hostage, she endured that hellish training. Cheon Ryang felt guilty for dragging Un Hyang into that hell.

For a moment, he considered that maybe things were different now.

But no. Far from it.

Because of the present, she would come even more determinedly.

The relationship they shared had grown deeper and stronger with time, becoming much more precious.

“Damn it…”

He thought it was finally his turn to protect her.

* * *

The next day.

Night fell upon the Divine Dragon Group’s fortress. Torches lit up around the fortress, and the warriors of the Divine Dragon Group took their posts for the night watch.

“The atmosphere is strange.”

“Indeed. It feels like a war could break out any moment.”

“Do you feel the same?”

“The higher-ups have been extremely tense these past few days.”

“Is it because of the Heavenly Demon?”

The news of the Heavenly Demon rampaging again had spread rapidly.

He didn’t aim his sword at the Murim Alliance or the Blue Zone, which had attacked him.

As if nothing had happened, he arbitrarily destroyed sects without any particular cause.

Because of this, people said that the Heavenly Demon was indeed a devil.

Moreover, some people questioned.

Why did they provoke the devil who was quiet, causing such havoc?

“Who knows? The Heavenly Demon’s wrath might turn this way.”

“Oh, come on. There’s no way he would attack the Divine Dragon Group, right?”

“Would the Heavenly Demon, who beheaded the Murim Alliance Leader, really spare the Divine Dragon Group?”

It was a valid point.

The Heavenly Demon was powerful enough to take on the world alone. No matter how strong the Divine Dragon Group was, there was no way to fend off his invasion.

“… The Divine Dragon Group won’t be defeated that easily.”

The warriors of the Divine Dragon Group were proud.

No matter how formidable the Heavenly Demon was, they believed the great fortress that had sheltered them for so long would not crumble easily.

“We have our Lord here. And our Vice Lord too. No matter how great the Heavenly Demon is, he would need to be prepared.”

“Well, you say that because you don’t know the Heavenly Demon…”

Startled.

The soldiers, who had been discussing the Heavenly Demon, were suddenly alarmed.

In the pitch-black darkness, they sensed a presence slowly approaching. It walked confidently towards the main gate of the Divine Dragon Group without hiding its presence.

Could it be an enemy?

The aura felt closer to hostility than friendliness. The warriors in charge of guarding the gate sharpened their resolve.

A moment later.

“… A woman?”

Seeing clearly under the torchlight, one of the warriors muttered in a deflated voice.

It was a woman. That meant, at least, it wasn’t the Heavenly Demon.

With that realization, their tension slightly eased.

As the strained sword tips began to lower, the warrior who had been conversing with them shouted softly.

“Get a grip!”

The voice was small but firm.

He seemed to know the identity of the woman.

“…It’s the young lady.”

“The young lady?”

“Lady Un Hyang, the Lord’s daughter. I heard she left the castle like she was fleeing a few years ago…”

The warrior looked at her, his face full of tension.

“Why have you returned here?”

“I can hear everything.”

“…!”

Un Hyang’s voice, having approached them closely without notice, caused the warriors to scatter in all directions. When did she approach? She couldn’t be seen.

Moving as if she had melded with the darkness, she moved without a sound.

“Why did I return? Isn’t it obvious?”

*Schk.*

The sound of a sword being drawn was hidden under Un Hyang’s voice. Her tone was more chilling than the blade.

“…You called for me, after all.”

*Squeeeak!*

In an instant, it felt as if the world had been split in half.

The warriors’ gazes turned to the castle gate they were guarding, filled with disbelief.

*Craack.*

*Rumble.*

The gate, split in half, began to tilt.

They could never have imagined that the signboard of the Divine Dragon Group, which they would risk their lives to protect, would fall apart so quickly.

“Ev-evacuate!”

The collapsed gate crumbled. Although they deftly dodged the falling rocks, the shock lingered.

To cut through the gate with a single slash. It was a sight hard to believe even with their own eyes.

The warrior of the Divine Dragon Group looked at Un Hyang, who had created this scene.

Returning to her home, she looked upon the Divine Dragon Group as if it were her sworn enemy.

Cutting the gate instead of their throats meant that the house itself was her enemy.

Behind the fallen gate, elite members of the Divine Dragon Group awaited.

“Young lady, you have arrived?”

Pung Garyang, head of the Shinma Squad, one of the three divisions of the Divine Dragon Group, greeted Un Hyang with a bow.

The Shinma Squad, composed of over a hundred members. Many warriors affiliated with the Divine Dragon Group directed their gazes at Un Hyang.

It was as if they had known she would arrive at this very moment.

“Where is my friend?”

“The Vice-Lord instructed us to escort you once you arrived.”

“…Where is my friend?”

With her question, a chilling killing intent pierced through the Divine Dragon Group.

Facing that intent head-on, Pung Garyang seemed to ponder for a moment before responding.

“Please follow me.”

With that answer, promising to let her meet her friend first, Un Hyang nodded for the first time.

*Thud.*

Un Hyang followed Pung Garyang’s lead.

For the first time in years, she stepped into the Divine Dragon Group, a place she wished never to return to.

It was horrifying.

More horrifying than returning to the Divine Dragon Group was the fear that Cheon Ryang could be dead.

‘He must be alive.’

“That idiot, always thinking about Lee Suhyuk, Lee Suhyuk, while working as a money-hungry fake manager. Was it really that good?”

She recalled the harsh words Cheon Ryang had said.

They had hurt. His words probably hurt him more than they had hurt her.

‘Apologize.’

“Stupid fangirl…”

It still stung when she thought about it.

‘I’m sorry for saying that back then. I didn’t mean it.’

Squeezing her lips, bruised from biting and chewing them along the way.

‘Only then can I tell you I don’t hate you.’

Cheon Ryang.

Her first friend.

He had driven her away with his harsh words.

Perhaps he thought that by doing so, he could protect herself by earning her hatred.

That was probably what he thought. That if they fought and parted like that, she would be a little less sad if he died.

No.

Absolutely not.

No matter what you said or did, I would never give up on you.

Un Hyang returned to the Divine Dragon Group, resolute in her mission.