Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Fifth Elder! Why did you fail? Explain yourself!"

A terrifying voice infused with killing intent echoed through a vast cavern. The owner of the voice stood at the foot of a high altar, with hundreds of torches lining the stairs leading up to it, illuminating the darkness. A bamboo hat hid his face, but beneath the brim, countless scars crisscrossed his skin like a spider's web.

At the foot of the altar, the Night Emperor, who had fled from the Namgung Estate, stood with his head bowed like a sinner awaiting judgment.

"…There was interference," he replied.

"Interference? What do you mean, interference? Explain in detail."

"While I was fighting the Blue Sky Sword King, the bell sounds faded away and the Myriad Demons Nightmare Formation was broken. In the end, I was ambushed by a mysterious man who I suspect also killed the Bloody Spirit."

Despite answering the bamboo hat man's questions obediently, the Night Emperor's eyes held a dangerous glint, like a hunting dog about to chew off its leash and attack its master. Regardless, he kept his head down to prevent the bamboo hat man from noticing his rebelliousness.

"A mysterious man? Do you have any idea who he could be?"

"He must be quite skilled to be able to force you to flee, but since you can't identify him, I suppose he's not one of the Ten Supremes?"

"…Who said I fled!?" the Night Emperor snarled, revealing his white teeth. A creeping darkness began to consume the space, causing one of the nearby torches to flicker and die.

"Watch your words. I didn't flee. It was a strategic retreat," he added civilly, but his eyes burned ominously with overflowing demonic qi.

Nevertheless, the bamboo hat man only frowned in displeasure. "Fifth Elder, how do you have the gall to act so smug? Your failure has greatly disrupted our Cult's grand plan right from the outset. As punishment, you are to remain in the underground prison until further notice."

The bamboo hat man sentenced the Night Emperor harshly, not at all intimidated by his aura. He was the First Apostle of the Blood Cult, a supreme leader with the authority to command even the Blood Cult's elders. The Night Emperor's objection meant nothing to him.

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At his command, the blood cultists who had been lurking in the darkness revealed themselves. Each of them was at least a peak master, but the Night Emperor didn't even glance at them.

Licking his lips, he barked rudely, "Hey, First Apostle. Let me ask you something. Didn't you previously tell me that the Heaven Defying Divine Art we have is incomplete?"

"…Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?"

"You said that the incomplete Heaven Defying Divine Art was the reason why all the candidates for cult leader either died or went insane, right?"

"Are you testing my patience?"

"The guy who ambushed me…was a transcendent master with crimson hair and eyes."

"!!" The First Apostle's eyes widened in shock.

Crimson hair and eyes were a unique trait of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, and the Heaven Defying Divine Art was traditionally the exclusive martial art of the Blood Demon. For the Night Emperor to be ambushed by someone with those characteristics was outrageous.

The First Apostle's black ceremonial robes billowed wildly. "Are you sure?"

The Night Emperor grinned, revealing his white teeth. "I'm quite sure that was the Heaven Defying Divine Art. And not the incomplete one either, but the real deal."

The First Apostle furrowed his brows. The Night Emperor was a monster born with an extraordinary talent, and even among the current elders, none but the Head Elder could rival him. If he was certain that what he encountered was the Heaven Defying Divine Art, then it must be true.

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BOOM!

He stomped his foot, and the whole altar shook. With an emotional voice, as if he was grabbing the Night Emperor by the collar, he bellowed, "Tell me everything you saw! Now!"

The Night Emperor's response, however, was like a douse of icy water. "If you want to know more, bring me the Heaven Defying Divine Art."

"…What?"

"I must learn it myself. I realized it while fighting him."

During the battle with Baek Suryong, the Night Emperor had felt his demonic art being suppressed like never before. This was the real reason why he concluded that his opponent's martial art could only be the true Heaven Defying Divine Art. If it had been any other martial art, he wouldn't have been so stifled that he couldn't even crush someone weaker than himself.

Angered, the First Apostle warned, "Fifth Elder…"

"Aren't I also a candidate for Blood Demon? I can't wait any longer!"

Currently, the Blood Cult Apostles were presiding over a trial to select the next Blood Demon, and the Night Emperor was the most promising among them, having been handpicked by the First Apostle. However, as a result of the First Apostle's decision, he had not yet been allowed to learn the Heaven Defying Divine Art.

"You promised that you would let me learn the Heaven Defying Divine Art once it was perfected."

"……"

"Until now, I had no complaints, because I'm strong even without it."

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Through countless experiments, the Blood Cult hoped to perfect the Heaven Defying Divine Art, and the First Apostle had promised the Night Emperor that he would let him learn it then.

All this time, the Night Emperor hadn't cared one way or the other. He had never encountered any difficulties while mastering martial arts, and with only the Black Night Demonic Art manual left by his master, he had reached a level where he could even kill the Blue Sky Sword King.

However, after seeing the true Heaven Defying Divine Art, he changed his mind.

"Even if it's imperfect, bring it to me. I'll perfect it myself."

"…No. You're not ready to learn the Heaven Defying Divine Art yet."

"I'll decide…that myself… Bring it to me!"

The Night Emperor's words grew choppy, a sign that he was agitated. Sensing something amiss, the First Apostle signaled to his subordinates, who immediately released their killing intent.

Looking around, the Night Emperor chuckled. "Admit it. Aren't you preventing me from learning the Heaven Defying Divine Art because you're scared that I'll become a monster you can't control?"

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"Fifth Elder…"

"But what can…you do? I'm already a monster!"

ROAAAAR!

Killing intent flickered in the First Apostle's eyes, and a terrifying aura no inferior to the Night Emperor's erupted from his body. "Watch your words. You're getting ahead of yourself."

The Night Emperor's eyes widened slightly. "…You're indeed a ghost who survived the war. I heard that you're the one…who broke the Sword Saint's blade?"

"This is your last warning. Go to the prison and reflect on your actions. I'll summon you again soon, so until then, stay there and cool your head."

"Kahahaha!" The Night Emperor laughed so hard that his shoulders shook. Tilting his head, he growled, "You know, my stress has been building up for a long time. I played Elder just because my master told me to, and I let myself be pushed around by some apostles I'd never even heard of before I came here. Also, there's something I've been wondering about for a while…"

Like ink bleeding into water, darkness spread through the cavern. The Night Emperor's sclera turned black, and darkness-enhanced qi enveloped his body like a cloak of black flames.

"Do I really need to learn the Heaven Defying Divine Art? Can't the strongest person just become the Blood Demon?" he scoffed.

"Stop. This is your last warning."

Ignoring the First Apostle, the Night Emperor extended his hand and turned the cultists closing in on him into small chunks of flesh. Then, wading through a pool of blood, he strode toward the First Apostle.

"Bring me the Heaven Defying Divine Art before I kill you all," he threatened.

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"What made you so hasty?"

"Kukuku…" The Night Emperor's eyes gleamed like black obsidian. As much as he hated to admit it, the encounter with Baek Suryong had clearly unsettled him.

"Blood Demon, my ass!" he spat, shattering the floor as he leaped forward and lunged straight at the First Apostle.

Rather than dodging, the First Apostle drew his sword. His eyes, hidden beneath his bamboo hat, gleamed ominously as he stared at the Night Emperor.

"From this moment onward, the Fifth Elder, Night Emperor, is a traitor of our Cult," he declared.

"KAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Night Emperor's body exploded with a destructive darkness, snuffing out all the torches illuminating the altar.

"No, from this moment onward, I am the Blood Demon!" he laughed.

That day, the Blood Cult shed much blood due to the Night Emperor's rebellion.

After leaving the Namgung Clan, the Azure Dragon instructors rode at a leisurely pace, having adjusted their schedule to accommodate Namgung Su, who was still recovering from his injuries, and Namgung Mi, who wasn't used to horseback riding.

Most days, they stopped at inns for food and lodging, but occasionally, like today, they had no choice but to camp out in the mountains. As usual, they shared a meal around a campfire, and then started their martial arts training.

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"Haaap!"

"Chaaat!"

Ak Yeonho and Kwak Duyong, the first to finish eating, stood up and started sparring. It was a lighthearted match, but both of them were as focused as if they were in a real fight.

Driven by the urgency to grow stronger after their life-and-death battle with the Blood Cult, the new instructors now seized every opportunity to train and spar. They even sought guidance from Baek Suryong, demonstrating their initiative to improve.

"You want me to give you advice on your martial arts? Sure."

Unfortunately, when Baek Suryong readily agreed to help them refine their techniques, in their naivety, they failed to foresee that he would torture them mercilessly throughout the journey…

"Hey, Ak Yeonho, are you drunk? What the hell was up with that clumsy footwork?"

"I tripped…"

"Tripped, you say? If you make excuses like that in a real fight, do you think your opponent will just say 'oh my, is that so, how unfortunate' and wait for you to regain your balance?"

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"…I'm sorry."

"As for you, Kwak Duyong, do you not know how to stab? Or are bladesmen not allowed to stab? Did they make a new rule without telling me?"

"Well, it's, uh, a habit…"

"A habit? Right, it's a very good habit for getting yourself killed. When you meet the King of Hell, make sure to tell him 'Your majesty, I died because I had the bad habit of forgetting how to stab.' Okay?"

"I'll try to fix it…"

Today, Baek Suryong was also happily criticizing his peers. Every word that came out of his mouth was so scathing that they wanted to punch him, but even though his tone was harsh, his advice was priceless.

After Ak Yeonho and Kwak Duyong finished sparring, Baek Suryong beckoned to the remaining two. "Next. Jaegal Soyeong and Myeong Il'oh. Get up and fight."

""……""

The two stepped forward with grim expressions. As expected, Baek Suryong relentlessly nitpicked their techniques, stances, and habits as they dueled.

Mentally and physically exhausted, all four new instructors eventually collapsed to the ground, muttering to themselves.

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"Haha, hahaha…"

"I'm a talentless, lazy good-for-nothing…"

"I thought the kids at the White Dragon Manor were devils, but I was wrong. Compared to their teacher, they're angels…"

"…Fuck."

Still, the instructors trusted that Baek Suryong was playing the villain for their benefit, purposely hurling sharp insults in order to provoke them and motivate them to train harder… Or so they wanted to believe.

This is just his way of encouraging us, right? He's not just having fun torturing us, right?

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"What are you looking at? You're the ones who asked for martial arts advice."

""……""

Well, besides the training, their journey back was mostly peaceful. They didn't encounter a single bandit or get into any fights, and would reach the Azure Dragon Academy in about three days.

Namgung Su, who hadn't fully recovered yet, meditated instead of taking part in training or sparring. As he seemed to have gained some insight into his martial arts, the others didn't disturb him, and only Namgung Mi leaned quietly against him, dozing off.

"……" Baek Suryong glanced at the Namgung siblings, then looked up at the sky. Even though everyone else was sleeping soundly, he couldn't fall asleep, his mind racing with countless thoughts.

The Blood Cult has begun to show themselves publicly.

The Blood Cult had probably intended to announce their revival with a grand attack on the Namgung Clan, but since that plan failed, he couldn't predict what crazy thing they would do next. They might temporarily retreat and lie low, or they might launch a frontal assault against the orthodox after uniting the unorthodox sects.

How much longer will these peaceful times last? No, it's better to assume that peace has already been shattered.

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Just then, Baek Suryong qi senses detected several people approaching rapidly.

Hmm?

Nearly ten people were rushing toward them. It wasn't a large group, but they were all strong. The three at the front, in particular, were masters even he couldn't ignore, and they made no effort to hide their powerful auras.

The one leading the charge is especially dangerous…

Narrowing his eyes, Baek Suryong shouted, "EVERYONE, WAKE UP!"

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"Why all of a sudden… Hyung-nim?"

Seeing Baek Suryong's serious expression, his sleepy colleagues instantly realized that something was wrong.

"Enemies?" Namgung Su asked curtly.

Baek Suryong shrugged. "They might just be passing martial artists… but their auras are incredibly intense. We should assume the worst. The Blood Cult might have tracked us down."

The instructors' faces hardened, feeling a pang of regret for their own thoughtlessness. Why had they assumed that the Blood Cult wouldn't target them after they left the Namgung Clan? They hadn't even bothered taking turns keeping watch at night.

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"Prepare to fight," Baek Suryong commanded.

The instructors drew their weapons and stared nervously in the direction of the approaching figures.

A faint red glow flickered in Baek Suryong's eyes as he activated a weakened version of the Blood Demon Eyes.

Barely five minutes passed in the tense atmosphere, but it felt like an eternity.

"Principal?" Baek Suryong suddenly muttered, recognizing the old man at the head of the approaching group. It was the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Noh Goonsang, the Principal of the Azure Dragon Academy.

"What?"

"Who?"

Similarly recognizing the instructors, Noh Goonsang shouted, "Everyone!"

A short distance behind Noh Goonsang, Baek Suryong noticed Headmaster Mae Geuklyom and Vice Principal Kwak Cheolwoo.

That explains it… those three are the strongest among the Azure Dragon instructors.

Slowing down, Noh Goonsang sighed in relief, "You're all safe. Thank goodness. Truly…"

"What brings you here, Principal?"

"We left the academy as soon as the Murim Alliance informed us that the Namgung Clan had been attacked. What exactly happened?"

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Just then, Mae Geuklyom and Kwak Cheolwoo arrived and made a beeline for their grandson and nephew respectively.

"Are you injured?" Mae Geuklyom asked.

Baek Suryong smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"…Good. That's all that matters."

Although he seemed to have a lot to say, Mae Geuklyom merely closed his eyes and sighed deeply. There would be plenty of time to talk on the way back.

Meanwhile, Namgung Su calmly said, "We sent word of our safety by carrier pigeon the next day, but it seems you didn't receive our message."

"Hoho, we probably left too hastily. Regardless, it's good that you're all safe."

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"Phew, what a relief…"

All the instructors laughed away their tension and anxiety.

Only the rookie instructors thought to themselves, If they knew exactly what transpired at the Namgung Estate, I wonder how shocked they'd be…

"By the way, we're not the only ones who came," Noh Goonsang suddenly chuckled.

"Huh? Who else is here?"

"They insisted on coming despite my objections. They'll be here soon."

"Who…"

A short while later, Baek Suryong heard familiar voices in the distance.

"MR. BAAAAAEK!"

His students, who should have been at the White Dragon Manor, arrived looking disheveled, as if they hadn't bathed in days.

"Haha, seriously…" Baek Suryong couldn't help but laugh helplessly.

Translator's Note: Volume 1 of Absolute Warrior is complete. You may be interested to read it if you enjoy James Bond + murim + Spy x Family. Fyi, those 10 chapters are as long as 25 regular webtoon chapters.