Spider Demon
We were racing through the western forest as if flying across the treetops.
Bae Jonggwan shouted as he ran.
"Are we really okay going just by ourselves?!"
Bisa yeong shot back confidently.
"Why?! You scared?!"
"No, it's not that—but the jungle's been dangerous lately, hasn't it?!"
"Hah! With the three of us, our external arts and movement techniques are more than enough to handle a horde of ghouls! And if worst comes to worst, we can always run. Besides, the Spider Demon's in the eastern forest, isn't it?!"
I thought the same.
Ghouls didn't scare me anymore. Even Blood Ghouls weren't so frightening these days.
Besides, they only came out at night, so I didn't need to worry about them now.
And I already knew she had died in my previous life, torn apart by a ghoul horde.
So, as long as it wasn't a Spider Demon, I was confident we could at least escape, even if we couldn't win.
But finding a single lady's whereabouts in the depths of the jungle was no easy task.
Even after running for what felt like half a quarter-hour, we hadn't found anything unusual.
From my past life memories, all I recalled was that while the captains went east to hunt the Spider Demon, she had met her end in the west. Nothing more specific came to mind.
"Lady Son!"
"Lady Son Harang! Are you nearby?!"
We called out her name as we moved, startling flocks of birds into flight, but otherwise finding nothing.
Eventually, I stopped and told my friends:
"Let's split up. Don't go too far—just spread out evenly while keeping sight of each other."
There was no guarantee Lady Son was even here, yet my friends nodded without hesitation.
I was deeply grateful for that trust.
It was then—
A woman's scream tore through the forest.
From deeper within.
"KyAAAAAHHHH!"
Startled, we exchanged glances and leapt toward the sound. A woman screaming in this jungle—it had to be Lady Son.
"Let's go!"
My heart raced.
A scream meant she'd encountered something.
Likely a ghoul horde. But if by chance it was one of the Blood Sect's demonic masters…
Given that most of those possessed at least high first-rate skills, we would be hopelessly outmatched.
But when we reached the source, we could only let out sighs of both relief and despair.
Relief—because it wasn't demonic masters or a Spider Demon, but indeed a ghoul horde.
Despair—because…
"Uaaahhh! Vajra Meteor!"
Bae Jonggwan charged straight into the swarm of about twenty ghouls.
His body slammed forward like a massive boulder launched from a catapult.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
"Keheeeek!"
"Kkiaaahhh!"
The ghouls flew like pebbles, shrieking like beasts.
I followed up immediately, diving into the ones left standing.
"Haaaah!"
BAM BAM BAM BAM!
Those ghouls that Bae Jonggwan hadn't flattened went flying from my fists.
Like the wind, like a storm—this was the Gale Eighteen Strikes, the fist technique of the Seonu clan.
In the brief clearing I opened, Bisa yeong landed in front of the woman who looked like Lady Son.
But upon seeing her, he bit his lip, unable to reach out.
"Damn."
She was already dead.
Torn apart by ghouls—her arms, legs, even torso ripped to shreds.
Bisa yeong's muttering reached my ears.
"We were a step too late."
…A step?
Something struck me as odd.
True, judging by the scream earlier, we had indeed been late.
But still…
"Hap!"
BAM!
I kicked away another ghoul and then looked again at her body.
It was horrifyingly mutilated.
Up ahead, Bae Jonggwan swung a ghoul by the leg like a club, scattering others. That gave me a moment to examine more closely.
And… something didn't add up.
No matter how many ghouls there were, could they really devour her to that extent in such a short time?
My eyes swept over her body again—then froze on her neck.
Her neck and face were untouched, strangely intact. And on that neck—four puncture marks, like holes driven in.
…Four holes?
No…!
I shouted in panic.
"Jonggwan! Get back here! We need to run!"
Both Bae Jonggwan and Bisa yeong turned toward me, confused.
"We need to leave NOW! The Spider Demon is nearby!"
Those four marks on Lady Son's neck—I had seen them before, in my past life. The bite marks of a Spider Demon.
A Spider Demon.
Why was it here?!
But this wasn't the time to ask.
We had to flee before it returned.
I was about to bolt when I froze.
On the treetops, in the direction we had come from—it was already there.
A naked Miao woman with black skin stood grinning down at us.
And in her mouth, four long fangs glistened.
The words slipped out of me.
"Son of a…."
The Spider Demon.
The most powerful demon in existence, one even peak masters struggled to fight. And it was targeting us.
Bisa yeong, pale-faced, muttered:
"It's… it's smiling at us. A demon, actually smiling."
I swallowed hard.
How intelligent was this thing?
And then—it opened its mouth and laughed.
"KyAAAAAAAHHHH!"
That same eerie scream from before.
The very sound we'd chased.
Bisa yeong whispered, stunned:
"That scream… it made that? Just to lure us here?"
At this point, it was less a beast and more a monster.
I grit my teeth and spoke low.
"On three, we all run south. One, two, three—go!"
The instant I finished, Bisa yeong and I burst away.
Bae Jonggwan hurled the ghoul he was swinging aside and launched himself too.
In terms of footwork alone, we could rival peak masters.
The ghouls were no threat—they couldn't keep up with us at all.
But then—
SWOOSH!
As we bolted south, the Spider Demon leapt too.
Keeping pace with us.
Its speed—equal to ours.
Horrified, I pushed my footwork to the limit.
Yet it easily matched, running alongside us with that chilling grin.
Its smile was enough to freeze the blood in my veins.
Finally, we were forced to stop.
Bisa yeong, ashen-faced, asked me:
"This… this is impossible. It's too fast. What do we do? Do we split up?"
Three of us splitting up, huh…
Coldly analyzing it, the demon's speed seemed about equal to mine—though not quite as fast as Bisa yeong.
So, if we split up, perhaps two of us could survive.
But at least one would inevitably be sacrificed.
And that person would most likely be…
Bae Jonggwan suddenly spoke.
"Run, my friends. I'll hold it off."
Behind him, ghouls were charging at us like mad, while he smiled simply, as if telling us not to worry.
"Kyarrghhh!"
"Kyaaaaahhh!"
And ahead of us—the Spider Demon grinned with that chilling smile.
On the frontlines, the choice in moments like this was always clear: one person sacrificed themselves so the others could live. That was the unspoken rule.
That was why Bisa yeong couldn't even meet Bae Jonggwan's eyes, only clenching his fists and trembling.
To let even one live, we had to abandon Bae Jonggwan first.
And as always, my friend smiled innocently and told us:
"Take care of my share. You must survive."
He had done the same in my past life.
Too weak to even buy time, he stayed behind with that same smile, saying those same words as he sent me away.
Something surged painfully within me.
Blood spilled from my bitten lips.
Stay calm, Seonu Jin. You must stay calm.
I assessed the situation as coolly as I could.
Behind us, the ghouls were nearly upon us. Ahead, the Spider Demon still watched us, toying with us instead of attacking immediately.
There was no happy ending where all three of us escaped alive.
With all the captains away in the east, no rescue was coming.
So someone had to stay behind to buy time, so that at least one or two others could survive.
Yes—there was no other way.
I made my decision and said to Bae Jonggwan:
"Jonggwan, hold off the ghouls."
He smiled warmly and nodded.
"Alright. Leave it to me and hurry. You must move quickly."
But then I turned to Bisa yeong.
"Go, Sa yeong. I'll take the Spider Demon."
At that, Bisa yeong snapped his head up to stare at me, stunned.
Even Bae Jonggwan cried out in shock.
"…What? What did you say?"
I tried to analyze the Spider Demon as calmly as possible.
Why hadn't it attacked us immediately?
I guessed it was because it didn't want to let any of us escape.
If not three, then at least two.
So, if one stayed behind while two ran, it would chase those two.
And if the two split up, it would catch one, then return for Bae Jonggwan.
But I had no time to explain all that.
I drew my sword slightly and clenched the blade in my hand.
Agonizing pain shot through me as blood flowed.
I flung the blood at the Spider Demon and shouted.
Whoosh!
"Go, Sa yeong! Bring the captain—before I die!"
"Kiiiiiihhh!"
The Spider Demon's face twisted horribly at the scent of my blood. No matter how clever it was, once it smelled blood, it could no longer restrain its murderous hunger.
My friends cried out in horror.
"Jin!"
"What are you doing?!"
But now that it had tasted my scent, I couldn't escape.
I would be its first target.
Realizing what I'd done, Bae Jonggwan charged headlong into the horde of ghouls.
"Uaaaahhh!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
"Kieeehhh!"
"Graaaaargh!"
And he shouted to Bisa yeong:
"Sa yeong, go! Bring the captain and save Jin!"
Bisa yeong groaned, gritting his teeth.
"Uuugh!"
His bloodshot eyes spilled tears as he kicked off the ground.
"Don't you dare die, you bastards! If you do, I'll follow you to the grave!"
I grinned and threw myself at the Spider Demon.
You fool—did you think I'd let you sacrifice yourself for me?
"Kyaaaahhh!"
The Spider Demon rushed me at a speed equal to a peak master's.
"Haaaahhh!"
I unleashed all my strength in a sword form.
The first form of the Seonu Thirteen Swords—Divine Soaring Wings.
For an instant, a hazy blade-shadow spread like enormous wings across the air.
But the wings were shredded instantly by the Spider Demon's claw swipe.
"Kiiiiiihhh!"
SWOOSH!
It was frustrating how easily my sword form was destroyed—but I hadn't meant to fight it directly anyway.
The instant it shattered my phantom sword, I leapt above its head—fleeing.
It roared in fury and pursued me.
"Kiiiiiihhh!"
This was my plan all along.
No matter how strong its body, understanding phantom swordsmanship required true martial comprehension.
Pouring all my strength into fleeing, with the Spider Demon hot on my heels, I shouted inwardly in triumph:
I didn't stay behind to die! I had a plan all along!
…
Well, truthfully, that was a lie.
I had simply followed my heart.
Why?
Because after returning, I had sworn never to lose my friends again.
If I abandoned one now, I'd have failed in my second life just as I had in my first.
And I refused to live that kind of life ever again.