The sound of flesh tearing was distinct, even over the roar of the fire.
"Die, traitor!"
Cheon Sa-Rang's blade flashed silver in the firelight. It passed cleanly through Disciple Ryu's neck. Ryu, who had been grappling with Iron-Fist Han, stiffened. His head slid slowly off his shoulders, hitting the floor with a wet thud.
Blood sprayed over Han's face, mixing with the soot.
[System Notification]
[Target: Disciple Ryu - ELIMINATED by Third Party]
[Assist Reward: +0.2 Agility]
Jin-Woo, watching from behind the collapsed beam, frowned slightly. 'Only 0.2? Because I didn't deal the killing blow. The System rewards the killer, not the instigator. I need to get my hands dirty.'
"Enough!" Cheon Sa-Rang roared, kicking Ryu's headless corpse away. "We are wasting time killing each other! The fire is going to bring the roof down!"
Iron-Fist Han stood up, panting heavily. He was bleeding from a shoulder wound, and his eyes were wide with adrenaline. "Brother Cheon... the door. We have to break the door."
"Do it," Cheon Sa-Rang commanded, pointing his bloodied sword at the heavy oak entrance. "Use your Iron Fist Art. Smash it open."
There were only three people left standing in the center of the inferno: Cheon Sa-Rang, Iron-Fist Han, and a junior disciple named Cho, who was shaking so hard he could barely hold his sword.
Jin-Woo knew this was his moment. The smoke was thick, acting as a curtain. He coughed—a real, guttural sound that sprayed blood onto his chin—and dragged himself into the light.
"Help... me..."
The three martial artists spun around.
They saw Baek Jin-Woo crawling on the floor, his white furs blackened by ash, his face a mask of agony. He looked like a broken doll, barely clinging to life.
[Skill Activated: Veil of the Innocent]
[Effect: Enemy hostility reduced. Target assumes you are harmless.]
Cheon Sa-Rang's eyes narrowed. For a moment, the killing intent in his eyes flared, but then it faded. He didn't see an assassin. He saw a cripple who was about to burn to death. A nuisance.
"Tch. The trash is still alive," Cheon Sa-Rang spat.
"Leave him," Han grunted, stepping toward the door. "He'll slow us down."
"No," Cheon Sa-Rang said, a cruel smile twisting his lips. He walked over and grabbed Jin-Woo by the collar of his robes, hauling him up effortlessly. Jin-Woo dangled like a ragdoll, his feet barely touching the floor. "If there are archers outside waiting for us, we might need a shield."
Jin-Woo let his head lull back, feigning unconsciousness. 'Perfect. Hold me closer, you arrogant fool.'
"Break the door, Han!" Cheon shouted.
Iron-Fist Han channeled all his remaining Qi into his right fist. His skin turned a metallic grey color. With a roar, he punched the heavy oak bars blocking the door.
BOOM!
The wood splintered. The lock shattered. The doors swung open, and the cold, driving rain of the storm rushed in, clashing with the heat of the fire. Steam hissed violently.
"Go! Move!" Cheon Sa-Rang pushed Disciple Cho forward first, then followed, dragging Jin-Woo with him.
As they stepped out onto the muddy porch, the cool air hit Jin-Woo's face. The sudden temperature change made his body ache, but his mind was crystal clear.
They were out. The panic of the fire was gone. This was the most dangerous moment. If Cheon Sa-Rang decided he didn't need a "shield" anymore, he would cut Jin-Woo down right here.
Jin-Woo's hand, hidden inside his long sleeve, gripped the medical needles he had stolen from the dead healer.
'Observation.'
[Target: Cheon Sa-Rang]
[State: Alert / High Adrenaline]
[Weakness: Exposed Neck / Right Wrist (Sword Hand)]
As Cheon Sa-Rang stepped into the mud, he loosened his grip on Jin-Woo slightly to scan the treeline for enemies.
"I see no one," Cheon muttered. "It really was an inside job?"
"Brother Cheon," Jin-Woo whispered, his voice barely audible over the rain.
"Shut up, cripple," Cheon looked down.
Jin-Woo looked up. The "innocent" fear was gone from his eyes. In the darkness, his pupils looked like two abysses.
"Your guard... is down."
Thwip.
Jin-Woo didn't stab blindly. With the precision of a surgeon, he drove a long, thin needle directly into the Pericardium Meridian on Cheon Sa-Rang's right wrist.
"Guh!"
Cheon's hand spasmed instantly. His nerves fired uncontrollably, and his fingers opened. His sword dropped into the mud.
Before Cheon could process why his hand had stopped working, Jin-Woo moved. He didn't have the strength to overpower a martial artist, so he used gravity. He hooked his leg around Cheon's ankle and threw his entire body weight backward.
It was a clumsy takedown, but it worked because Cheon was off-balance. They both fell into the slick mud.
"You little rat!" Cheon roared, trying to punch with his left hand.
But Jin-Woo was already moving. The moment they hit the ground, Jin-Woo scrambled like a demonic spider, climbing onto Cheon's chest.
He had two more needles.
"Han! Cho! Help me!" Cheon screamed, realizing with horror that he couldn't summon his Qi. The needle in his wrist blocked the flow to his arm.
Iron-Fist Han and Disciple Cho turned around, shocked to see the "cripple" pinning their leader.
"Get off him!" Han yelled, rushing forward.
Jin-Woo ignored Han. He only had three seconds before Han reached him.
He looked down at Cheon Sa-Rang's terrified face.
"The inheritance," Jin-Woo whispered coldly. "It requires blood. Yours is high quality."
He jammed both needles into Cheon Sa-Rang's eyes.
"AAAAHHH!"
The scream was bloodcurdling. It wasn't just pain; the needles were coated in the numbing agent, but driven deep enough, they pierced the brain.
Cheon Sa-Rang convulsed violently, then went limp.
[Target: Cheon Sa-Rang (Leader - 6th Stage Muscle Refining) - ELIMINATED]
[Method: Vital Point Strike / Blinding]
[Bonus: Leader Kill]
[Reward: +5 Strength, +3 Agility, +5 Intelligence]
[Skill Unlocked: Anatomy of the Killer (Novice)]
BOOM.
A surge of power exploded inside Jin-Woo's body. This was the biggest reward yet. His muscles, previously atrophied and weak, swelled slightly. The constant pain in his chest vanished for a moment. He wasn't just a sickly boy anymore. He was something else.
He stood up from Cheon's corpse. He didn't struggle to stand this time. He stood smoothly.
Iron-Fist Han stopped in his tracks, ten feet away. The rain washed the blood off his face. He looked at the dead leader, then at Jin-Woo.
Jin-Woo picked up Cheon Sa-Rang's fallen sword. It was heavy, but with the +5 Strength boost, he could lift it.
"You..." Han stammered, his iron fists trembling. "You're not sick. You... you're a monster."
Jin-Woo smiled. Thunder crashed above, illuminating his pale face and blood-soaked robes.
"I am sick, Brother Han," Jin-Woo said, his voice stronger now, smooth like velvet. "But the cure... is you."
[Quest Progress: 6/10 Witnesses Eliminated]
[Remaining Targets: Iron-Fist Han, Disciple Cho]
Jin-Woo raised the sword. The rain ran down the blade.
"Shall we begin the second act?"
Han roared in fear and rage, charging forward like a bull. But to Jin-Woo's new eyes, upgraded with high Intelligence and Agility, Han's movements looked... slow.
The weakling was gone. The Corpse Scholar had ascended.