Man Sungjo pointed at three elite warriors and ordered them to protect Kang Jun, while commanding the rest to attack the forest bandits. The ordinary workers who had accompanied them continued their task, excavating the celestial body. In truth, no one intended to harm them—after all, they were useful not only to the clan, but to the forest bandits as well.
Kang Jun encountered such a situation for the first time and was deeply shaken by how quickly everything unfolded. In just a few seconds, the outcome was decided in a bloody slaughter. A handful of words were enough to show him how merciless this world truly was. Everything was decided by resources and power.
Kang Jun had never killed anyone before. He had always believed that his first kill would come during an academy-assigned mission a year later, when he advanced to the second stage of training.Though he was not overly anxious, he had never experienced taking a life, and that uncertainty weighed heavily on his mind.
He had trained within his clan since the age of six, striving to become strong enough to survive in this harsh world. Now, the time had come to test his skills in real combat—not in a sparring match.
Although Kang Jun had been lost in thought for no more than ten seconds, several people had already died on the battlefield. His hands trembled slightly—whether from adrenaline or anxiety, he could not tell—but mentally, he was ready.
The three elite warriors had already formed up around Kang Jun, awaiting his command. More than a hundred bandits surrounded their small group and launched a merciless assault.
Understanding teamwork, Kang Jun shouted, "Forward!"He and the warriors rushed to take their positions in formation.
Kang Jun remained behind the two warriors guarding him, waiting for them to tire so he could replace them and cover their backs. In this battle, endurance mattered far more than a swift victory.
For roughly fifteen minutes, he held position behind them, occasionally saving the frontline warriors from lethal strikes. By then, just over half of the forest bandits had been slain.
Man Sungjo was holding up remarkably well—not a single scratch marred his body—while the bandit leader's arm had been burned and deeply slashed by the clan's fire-based Qi techniques.
Though the flames burned with an ordinary orange hue, the pain they inflicted was unimaginable. Their unique property allowed fire Qi to seep into the opponent's pores upon contact, lingering there before spreading further depending on the severity of the wound. Those who suffered most were practitioners without fire techniques or resistance.
Kang Jun could only regret that he had yet to reach a higher realm—one that would allow him to release his Qi externally rather than merely circulate it within his body. He had long yearned to test the power of the black flames he had cultivated since childhood. He imagined the results would be overwhelming.
"Haa…"Kang Jun exhaled and began spreading Lightning Qi throughout his body.
His power surged as he deflected a sword strike and beheaded his opponent with a swift counterattack.
The bandit never stood a chance against Kang Jun in a direct confrontation. Lightning Qi enhanced not only his strength, but also his agility, while his mind processed changes on the battlefield at astonishing speed. An ordinary practitioner of the same level would stand little hope against him.
The trembling in his hands vanished, replaced by a wave of satisfaction coursing through his body.
All those years of training have finally paid off, Kang Jun thought.
Lightning flickered in his eyes as he cut down one bandit after another, his strikes as precise as a blacksmith shaping molten steel.
The second bandit fell just as swiftly—his heart pierced clean through.
However, Kang Jun soon realized that killing each enemy with a single counterattack offered little in terms of real combat experience. He began to "play" with his opponents instead, inflicting light wounds and observing their movements, techniques, and strength.
He continued this deadly game, killing ten enemies in the process.
The bandits watching from afar began to feel fear. Seeing a young boy—one who could have been their son—slaughtering their comrades with a smile was horrifying.
Even the elite warriors observing the battle were astonished. Kang Jun showed no signs of exhaustion, and his technique was flawless—especially for his first large-scale battle.
Though they did not consciously realize it, their perception of Kang Jun began to shift. The rumors within the clan about his supposed weakness slowly started to dissipate.
Suddenly, amid the chaos of battle, the old blacksmith—still mining the ore alongside his workers—shouted:
"Hey! I think I've found a new element! It was inside the ore—I've never seen anything like it before! It looks like red powder, and it's dry to the touch!"
"Hey! What's going on?!"Some warriors turned around for a moment, but quickly resumed fighting.
The powder in the old blacksmith's hands suddenly rose into the air and dispersed instantly.
Something strange began to happen.
Young warriors—both bandits and members of Kang Jun's clan—started losing consciousness.
Kang Jun, possessing greater resilience, managed to witness it… but soon, the entire younger generation collapsed almost simultaneously.
He was no exception.
Five seconds later, his body weakened and fell. The dark eyes that had gleamed with excitement during battle slowly closed, and in a single instant, Kang Jun was swallowed by darkness.
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Noise and chaos filled the air. Hundreds of people shouted incoherently, while the surrounding darkness was illuminated only by torches whose feeble glow barely pierced the gloom.
When they reached the main street—where towering pillars of fire burned brightly—the faces of the townspeople became visible. Wide black stone walls reflected the orange flames. The place radiated pain, oppression, and despair.
People with dirt-smeared faces and emaciated bodies stared ahead, awaiting the arrival of a high-ranking official who would explain the situation.
—
Meanwhile, deep within the city, Kang Jun opened his eyes, sharp pain stabbing through his ribs. Someone must have kicked him. He didn't want to wake up—his body felt unbearably heavy, as though he had been unconscious for days.
"Hey, bastard! Get up—I said get up!" a rough voice barked.
Kang Jun opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar man clad in gleaming armor—armor he had only ever seen worn by imperial soldiers. Martial artists rarely used armor; it restricted movement and offered little real protection. A Qi-infused blade could cleave through it with ease.
How did I end up in the Empire? Kang Jun thought.I was in the forest, fighting bandits… what happened after that?
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember.
Despite his exhaustion, he knew his Qi should still be present—enough to easily subdue this soldier. But when he focused on his dantian—the source of his Qi—he felt… nothing.
That's impossible! Kang Jun screamed inwardly.
Panic seized him as he inspected his body for injuries near the dantian. Everything appeared intact—yet his Qi was gone.
The observing soldier grew irritated and struck Kang Jun across the face with a crushing slap.
"Hey, you! Get moving. Head to the central square—or today will be your last day!"The soldier waved his sword threateningly.
The sharp pain snapped Kang Jun out of his panic, the residual force acting like a shock to his system. He finally regained control and complied.
As Kang Jun headed toward the distant voices, he paused briefly to observe his surroundings—and what he saw stunned him.
Massive stone buildings in dark hues, ranging from gray to deep brown, formed an oppressive atmosphere. Black streets and towering walls encircling the city gave the place a sinister, ominous appearance.
I've never heard of a place like this… Even my father never mentioned such a city—and he traveled extensively, Kang Jun thought.
With no other option, he followed the voices toward the main street.
After roughly twenty minutes, he arrived at the square, where blazing flames made his eyes sting—his vision still adjusting to the light.
Behind him, the soldier escorting him shouted to a companion:
"Hey, Stein—when did you finish your assignment?" the knight asked the warrior beside him.
"A while ago. We stumbled upon a fairly simple district with wide streets. The guys and I cleared it quickly," Stein replied.
"Then why did you take so long, Lars?" another warrior asked.
"I was busy collecting rats along the way," Lars said, nodding toward Kang Jun.
"How many do you think will die during the Lunar Eclipse?" Lars asked Stein.
"At least fifty thousand. I heard from commanders on the line that the Whisperers claim the Underground Beasts are especially active this year. But I believe it'll be a magnificent slaughter—or rather, a meat grinder. Hopefully, plenty of promising recruits will emerge to swell our ranks next month," Stein replied.
The knights burst into laughter as they watched hundreds of thousands of people continuing to flow toward the city's center.