Chapter 166 Loss And Loss

It was hovering over the street, looking down at him as its sets of giant, curved mandibles moved with black gunk falling from their form.

He froze for a moment, clutching his daggers as he prepared to take a step forwards it before–

A massive flash of light burst into the air, originating from a radiant sphere that was thrown upwards, yet it seemed to rise up from the centipede's body itself.

The light suppressed the surrounding darkness, giving sight of the desecrated street as he looked around.

"Yeong-Un!"

He rushed over to his friend's side, who was just standing up, rubbing his head as a piece of rubble seemed to leave a small cut on his forehead.

"Damn…It's just one thing after another, ain't it…?" Yeong-Un said.

It wasn't just him, either. Sol was up, looking towards the colossal centipede as he clutched his spear closely.

"...Is that what's responsible for destroying the building?" Sol asked.

"Seems like it," he answered.

With the light, more members of the group found each other, with Xiaodan arriving, swiping dust off of himself with Eunji showing up as well.

To his surprise, Moon and Chang-Ho were nearby as well, gathering themselves from the sudden collapse just minutes ago.

"Moon! Chang-Ho!" He called them over.

He hadn't seen them the entire night, so seeing that they were alive and well was a relief, but–such reprieve was only temporary.

Sol asked a question that lingered like an augury of something harrowing the moment it left his lips, "...Wait, none of you cast that light spell? Then…who was it?"

The question made everybody present pause with them looking up towards the shining sphere of light that hovered around the centipede, which hardly seemed to even recognize their existence as they were magnitudes smaller than itself.

"There you are."

In front of his eyes as he looked towards Chang-Ho and Moon, he watched as a figure appeared behind the two men before a slash of a blade swept through with a crimson energy lingering in the dark air.

"--"

It was surreal to his eyes; the golden-haired, glasses-wearing Chang-Ho was bisected in one fell swing by the ominous figure behind them.

He stumbled forward, being the first to act at that moment, "Moon–!!!"

Before he could reach the scruffy-bearded man and before the man himself could react–STAB.

Through his chest, the crimson blade pierced through, releasing its ravenous energy that seemed to eat up the very essence of the one it pierced.

What's going on? How is this happening again? He questioned.

He froze, watching as the body of both Chang-Ho and Moon dropped onto the ground in front of him, now seeing who was responsible.

Standing there in a gray uniform, standing well over two meters tall with flowing, snow-white hair with radiant eyes that looked on like beacons of the night.

[The Assimilation System]

"At least something was gained in this failure of a night. What a travesty it is; the weakness of my comrades. I gave them all of the openings they needed to attack this group…yet they failed miserably. Even my brother…what uselessness…"

Those cruel words left the lips of the one responsible for mercilessly murdering the two.

Just then, everything clicked.

All of the doubts he had, all of the anger he built up; in the night of endless loss, torment, and grief–this was the climax of it all, a revelation so stomach-churningly disgusting to him that he screamed out with everything he had.

"Baek-Hyeon—!!!"

He wasn't the only one who yelled out that name in anger, as another figure charged towards the traitor alongside him.

With one arm, covered in dust and dirtied, dried blood, Korain rushed to Baek-Hyeon, swinging his claymore with devastating strength.

"Please," Baek-Hyeon said with a confident smile before effortlessly blocking the incoming sword strike.

At the same time, he arrived at the traitor's position, attempting to stab right into his throat with his dagger.

It was stopped just a mere inch away from meeting the pale man's throat by just two fingers that had caught the blade.

"I'm not surprised you've made it this far, Jeong-Hui. I could tell you had a knack for survival–like a cockroach amidst nuclear winter," Baek-Hyeon said with a smile.

Even while holding Korain's swing back with his sword and clutching his dagger with two fingers, Baek-Hyeon seemed less than strained.

"--Shut up, murderer!" He yelled out.

Korain added, straining as he planted his boots down, pressing more strength into his claymore, "It's your fault! You're the one responsible for this! All of their deaths! The Boss…! Baek-Hyeon!"

It was only mere seconds before the entire, surreal murder had taken place, with the two being without hesitance in their assault on the traitor amidst Gangcheori.

For some unknown reason, Baek-Hyeon's eye flinched as a hum of light approached–

His dagger was released as the angelic-powered traitor leapt back, causing Korain to stumble forward before stopping himself.

It was Ma-Ri, who had nearly pierced her rapier right through Baek-Hyeon's chest, had he not moved.

Ma-Ri clicked her tongue out of frustration from her failed sneak attack, now regrouped with the two, with the rest of the surviving members falling in as well.

"Coward–!" Korain screamed out, looking up.

Baek-Hyeon had leapt up, standing on the head of the hellish centipede that loomed over the desecrated street.

"Y-you…you were with them?!" Sol yelled out.

Even the red bandana-wearing coward let out his anger and disbelief without suppression as tears fell from his eyes as the scornful loss of the night.

"Ya' piece of shit–!!! It's yer' fault! They would still be alive-!!!" Yeong-Un screamed from the top of his lungs.

With the outlet of his anger found, Yeong-Un clutched his blades tightly, straining himself with his yells as tears escaped his eyes as well.

"This isn't right…none of this is right…" Eunji fell onto her knees, "...Everything is wrong! Why would you do something like this…? I-I thought…we were comrades!...family…"

While some had their outward grievances, some simply held a silent, determined anger–as did he as he clutched his daggers tightly.

"He needs to die," was the thought in his mind–an unreserved conviction.

Baek-Hyeon looked down from his abhorrent, far-stretching steed, "...I would've liked to assimilate more than just the one, but…plans have changed. I prioritize caution over all. Even if my odds of being able to defeat all of you are in my favor, I'd rather not risk it until I've cultivated my strength further."

"So you're going to run like a coward?!" Korain yelled.

"Don't ya' fuckin' dare turn away now–! I'm just gettin' started! I'll tear ya' apart!" Yeong-Un screamed out as well.

It wasn't just him that began to move towards the immense centipede, aiming his sights on the traitor, but Korain, Yeong-Un, and Ma-Ri all moved as well, but they each stopped once witnessing the next move from the unfathomable evil:

"I'll part you all with a gift."

Baek-Hyeon simply looked down at the seven members, only responding to their justified anger by pressing both of his palms together: "Come, Gumiho."

Manifesting from a massive seal on the car-filled street, the harrowing sight of a colossal, nine-tailed beast conjured as it howled out.

"No way…That's!" Sol said.

"Moon's summon…" Korain quietly realized, looking up, "He assimilated Moon's summoner class!"

This move only served to further anger the remaining members of Gangcheori, but Korain, who had lost much that night, could hardly suppress his anger.

"Do you not have a single shred of humanity left in that black heart of yours?! Killing him wasn't enough–?!" Korain yelled out.

Baek-Hyeon didn't respond, only snapping his fingers as it seemed to command his centipede-steed to turn the other way, beginning to slither away through the streets.

"Get back here!" Korain screamed.

"Don't ya dare back out now!" Yeong-Un yelled as well, running alongside the one-armed warrior.

Before they could try to approach the retreating traitor, a massive howl of blue flames poured out across the street, blocking their path.

The giant, white-furred fox stood in the street, growling and displaying its teeth with its mystical tails swaying as it obscured the path towards the man who summoned it.

"Ghh–! Gumiho, don't listen to that traitorous bastard!" Korain yelled out, looking up at the nine-tailed fox.

As it stood there, it was Sol that noticed something peculiar about the nine-tailed fox: it was larger, with more aggressive traits–its snarling teeth, the red strokes of fur between the pale white, and the golden, three-layered halo above its head.

"Gumiho is different now…Is it because Baek-Hyeon summoned it?" Sol asked.

He stood beside him, looking up at the violent fox, "...I'd guess Moon's summons scaled with him, and this…"

"It scaled with Baek-Hyeon, who is level fifty…" Ma-Ri finished.

Before he could even prepare to raise his daggers towards the massive, mystical fox, a scream filled his ears.

"That sounds like…!" Sol said.

He looked around, noticing an absent figure that shared that same voice from the scream–

"Eunji is gone!" Xiaodan said.

His suspicions were proven harrowingly correct as he clenched his teeth, looking forward towards the massive centipede that was slithering away.

Sage System, enhance sight! He commanded.

There, he saw it: on top of the centipede, in Baek-Hyeon's grasp, Eunji was held–somehow, it had slipped right past them that he had done so.

"He's got here…!" He said.

"What?!" Korain said in disbelief.

Looking back at Ma-Ri, who was a moment away from rushing towards the centipede herself, he gulped, thinking to himself.

Can I do it? I acquired that new skill earlier by surviving death…and another after defeating Dae-Mon with Yeong-Un. I probably can't win, but…I might be able to get Eunji back! He thought.

"Ma-Ri!" He called out.

"--?" Ma-Ri looked at him.

He looked her straight in the eyes, "Leave Eunji to me–!"

The group had already begun battling the amplified Gumiho–engaging in a terrifying battle with the fox as Korain and Yeong-Un were flung back by a shock wave inducing stomp.

Ma-Ri clearly had little time to make a choice, but she could see the fox itself was a devastating opponent.

The question came through her mind: "Can I trust him to handle this?", "What if he dies because I let him take this on?"

But, she stopped herself, seizing those thoughts and putting her trust in him.

Jeong-Hui isn't stupid. He might be a bit reckless at times, but he's only reckless when he has something up his sleeve. And…If I've realized anything in my time with him, he always has something up his sleeve. He's agile, quick-minded, and above all, possesses the ability to see openings that slip past the rest of us–I don't have to think twice! Ma-Ri thought.

"I'm trusting this to you, Jeong-Hui!" The new leader of Gangcheori nodded as she drew her rapier, rushing towards the mystical fox.