Chapter 89: Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Beast Instead of Human

Han Sanha quietly looked ahead.

He couldn't see anything.

This was a tunnel with not even a torch lit.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Only the sound of crumbling dirt echoed.

The Bunseo ( a type of mole) Demonic Cult members were digging at the very front, and the Beast Meridian Demonic Cult members filling the tunnel were carrying the dirt away.

This tunnel would lead to a suitable location beneath the annex where the Rogues' Guild Leader was lying.

After that, they would break through in an instant, rush in, and kill the Rogues' Guild Leader.

‘Then, with the support of the Demonic Cult, I will ascend to the position of Rogues' Guild Leader.’

What Han Sanha was looking at now was not a dark tunnel filled with the stench of beasts.

It was the grand road that would take him to the seat of the Rogues' Guild Leader.

He gripped the curved blade in his bosom.

He would become the head of these fools, who, despite having the world's information in their hands, only used it to protect the guild members.

Earning immense wealth, manipulating the faction from behind.

Yes, if necessary, even running an organization of assassins.

He would become one of the masters of the world.

“Heeheeheehee. Han Sanha, I wonder what your face looks like right now.”

A shrill voice cut through Han Sanha's thoughts.

Han Sanha turned his body precisely toward the ‘beast’.

Even if he couldn't see anything, he could tell its location just by the foul stench.

Han Sanha answered quietly.

To the beast that lent him the power to execute this grand plan and would now make this final assault a success.

“I, too, am curious about my own face, but…. It is probably a face joyous to have torn the shackles of a human and found the desires of a beast.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the beast. The heeheehee laughter erupted again.

“Indeed, a man worthy of submitting to the Beast Meridian.”

“Just because one is old, does that mean they have no desire? They just lack the time and power. Isn't that right, Han Sanha?”

The last words of the former Guild Leader and the trust of the new Guild Leader.

Things he was supposed to protect as long as he lived as a human.

“That is correct. Before desire, all else is trivial.”

Han Sanha chose desire.

‘The beast is right. Just because one is old, does that mean they have no desire? It's just that it cannot be achieved.’

But if the Demonic Cult was with him.

He had not yet touched the demonic arts, but if he took the seat of the Rogues' Guild Leader and even learned demonic arts.

He would be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.

His eyes flickered in the dark tunnel.

Not the gentle eyes of a bookstore owner, nor the sharp eyes of a Rogues' Guild branch leader.

They were eyes filled with the desire to kill the Rogues' Guild Leader and take his place.

They had come to the spot beneath the annex Jin Yeomyeong spoke of.

A laugh escaped him once again.

Although he faced a crisis after failing the first assault, he had tricked the Ink Sword Hero and seized another chance.

That fool had naively told him the Rogues' Guild Leader's location.

Even in the urgent situation, he had kindly and meticulously explained which annex it was and where.

“Now, listen, everyone.”

Han Sanha gave orders as if he were a member of the Demonic Cult.

The beast watched Han Sanha but did not stop him.

“You’ve all seen the sketch of his face. Kill the bandit-looking Rogues' Guild Leader first. Once he is dead, you will all fight to the death to buy time so that Lord Cheonsalsirang can leave. Understood?”

“Now, break through at once! Bunseo, you go up first!”

For the seat of the Rogues' Guild Leader!

As if Han Sanha's heart had been conveyed.

Five Bunseo Demonic Cult members created a large hole and powerfully leaped upward.

“Yes! Just like that, follow right behind them-”

Thud, Thuuud, Thump, Plop, Splat.

The Bunseo Demonic Cult members fell back down just as quickly as they had gone up.

All with their heads split open.

“What?” Thıs text ıs hosted at NoveI[F]ire.net

Pop, pop, I struck down the mole heads coming up with Mukheun.

The feeling in my hands was quite something.

Even before I regressed, my friends and I enjoyed catching moles.

- Get it! Get it! Another one’s popping up! Jeheon, what are you doing!

- Zhuge Sheng, you do remember that the plan you devised was an infiltration mission, right? Jin Yeomyeong, we can’t get distracted by catching these things!

- This is too much fun…….

In the Beast Meridian Demonic Beast Illustrated Guide, they were a rare species ranked as Grade A, and the thrill of striking the popping heads at the right moment was exhilarating.

Even I, who had little interest in games, was quite engrossed.

‘That’s why I knew as soon as I saw the tunnel at Madam Jeong's residence.’

It was the same kind of tunnel I had charged into countless times during the Demonic Cult's outbreak.

I could recognize its traces and demonic energy.

Furthermore, I could also estimate the speed at which they dug.

No matter how fast a Bunseo was, it couldn't match the speed of someone moving above ground with lightness techniques.

Thanks to that, I was fully prepared.

“Now, everyone! This is it!”

Starting with the Divine Fist Beggar's exhilarating punch, one annex was demolished in an instant.

Now, we could face the Demonic Cult members without any obstacles.

Just in case they tried to flee after being discovered, I threw out the bait.

“The Rogues' Guild Leader, Yeom Gasang, is here! If you came for my head, come out now!”

He had not yet recovered his energy, but he shouted with all his might.

Did you not come for the Rogues' Guild Leader? He is here. Come out.

Jang Gangcheon came up beside me at some point and asked.

“Will they come out? Won't they run?”

They had lost too much by failing the operation.

A failure of this magnitude would warrant execution, even for an elder-level figure.

Their only chance of survival was to at least cut down the Rogues' Guild Leader here.

So, they couldn't possibly retreat.

The Demonic Cult members burst out, collapsing another area besides the hole made by the Bunseo.

Simultaneously, the clan warriors and Beggar's Gang members rushed forward.

“You White Path bastards!”

“Exterminate the Demonic Cult!”

Jang Gangcheon also leaped in.

The Dog-Beating Staffs of the Beggar's Gang clashed with the weapons of the Demonic Cult members all around.

But I still held my position.

“Han Sanha. Are you in there? The Guild Leader is awake, and everyone knows you are the traitor. It’s useless to run, so show your face!”

From the tunnel that had been quiet for a while, Han Sanha came up.

Even after coming up, he looked around for a long time.

The annex was demolished.

Nothing could shield the traitor.

“Jin Yeomyeong, did you trick me?”

He finally grasped the situation.

After asking the question, he raised his hand again to stop my words.

“So, you told me a different annex and had troops waiting , which means you already suspected me when you told me about the annex.”

When the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader told me my brother-in-law's location, after hearing the details of the place, I told Han Sanha something different.

To come here, to this place.

“You, who only seemed naive? Me, who has weathered all storms in the Rogues’ Guild?”

Han Sanha seemed dumbfounded and then asked another question.

“Since when did I suspect you? That’s not it.”

“You never earned my trust in the first place.”

Han Sanha let out a dumbfounded sound.

“Of course, mentioning the former Guild Leader's last wish was excellent. I heard the former Guild Leader had a good eye for people.”

Han Sanha, whom he had chosen, should have been a trustworthy person.

“But I’ve seen enough betrayal and defection to be sick of it.”

I had seen far too many instances of a predecessor's last wish, one's own beliefs, and the trust of those around being shattered to pieces.

Adding to that the fact that I knew this old man would become the next Rogues' Guild Leader.

I couldn't let go of my suspicion.

“It was subtly strange. First, the way you spoke of the selection tournament as if it were some great secret.”

The selection tournament was the talk of Kaifeng.

Everyone knew about it, to the point of placing bets.

Meaning, I would have known even if he hadn't told me.

“Why would you exaggerate something so trivial? You must have wanted to gain something through it. For instance, our trust.”

“Hmm. Was I overdoing it from the start.”

“It didn't end there.”

I continued speaking.

“The tunnel leading to Madam Jeong's residence. No matter how deserted the alley, could they have really dug a tunnel and gone in and out without anyone knowing?”

“Right. The Demonic Cult’s resourcefulness is great, so it could be possible. But if you think about it more simply, it seems more likely that someone was controlling that alley.”

It's possible that for that one moment when my brother-in-law was attacked, there were no Rogues' Guild members in the alley.

But after that, shouldn't guild members have been coming and going?

They dug a tunnel and openly used it as a hideout and passage, yet they remained unnoticed?

“It was the same when I came out of the tunnel and met you. The Demonic Cult members hadn't even killed anyone, yet the alley was quiet with no one passing through. Isn't it more correct to think this was due to control?”

I couldn't just pass by without suspecting a cover-up.

“And the way you kept appearing before me at the right time without any real information.”

“No real information? Didn’t I say the Demonic Cult went west?”

“The Beggar's Gang had no such word.”

It might be unknown if they were hiding, but for only the Beggar's Gang to be unaware of them moving openly.

That also didn't make sense.

“It seems you tried to gloss it over amidst the urgent flow of the situation. You should have just said you came to check. Considering all that nonsense, I couldn't possibly trust you.”

Han Sanha turned his head and looked for my brother-in-law in the distance.

The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader's residence had a vast rear garden as well. There were several annexes and the flowers were well-tended.

My brother-in-law and Jayeong were standing safely near the door leading from the main building to the rear garden.

His gaze and my brother-in-law's met.

After a long moment, the words he spoke contained neither regret nor guilt.

He was only lamenting the frustration of his own desire.

“Were you trying to become the Rogues' Guild Leader? Throw away such an absurd dream. The face and name of the traitor Han Sanha will now spread.”

In his life before regression, it was a dream that came true.

The Demonic Cult had probably seized control of the Rogues' Guild through that man.

And they would have used it as another one of their information networks.

Elders Pao, Du, and Yang would have all fallen to the Demonic Cult's evil clutches.

Jayeong and I had grieved, making ominous assumptions when we lost contact back then, but we never knew this was the truth.

“From now on, there will be no place in the world where you can rest your body in peace.”

I didn't know why the Demonic Cult had acted so early this time.

But it was for the best.

I would crush their conspiracy right here.

“Huhu, ha, hahat, hahaha! Jin Yeomyeong, you foolish bastard!”

His laughter turned into a roar.

“If you knew that much, you should have run! You’re just a pretender! Did you think this old man came here without any measures!”

Desire poured from his eyes.

“The power to set everything right even if things get a little twisted! It is because of that power that I came here!”

Wooooong-, Mukheun cried out.

It began to prepare for battle.

“That must be it. There must be someone.”

“Hah? And you still waited?”

“I have to clean up. The Demonic Cult must always be exterminated.”

“So that was it. How confident.”

“It doesn't matter who comes out. Why aren't they coming? Are they looking for a chance to ambush? As long as I stand here, that’s impossible, so tell them to just come out.”

Han Sanha shut his mouth.

He quietly gazed at the hole leading underground.

Laughter that shook the underground.

A shrill laugh that gasped for air.

A beast revealed itself.

Seeing him, I thought.

‘We'll have to fight this one together.’

A bigger fish than I expected has shown up.

Why is the sworn brother of the Water Demon here?