We’d been walking along a dark road for quite a while.

Walking all night. Running. Walking again. Then more running.

Since no one complained, I had no excuse to open my mouth. With bursts of light footwork mixed in, we had made good time heading south.

Im Sobaek, who had been scouting the terrain up front, spoke.

“Great Master Seven, explain the One-Sword Formation.”

“Yes, sir.”

What kind of formation was this supposed to be?

Without much preamble, Great Master Seven began speaking.

“Heo San will serve as the Alliance Leader’s adjutant. He will observe and report all of the Alliance Leader’s movements and surrounding conditions.”

A man named Heo San responded.

“Understood.”

“From now on, Elder Gwan will monitor the Master of Haomun, and Elder Cheon will monitor Young Master Mong.”

Both elders replied.

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

Great Master Seven continued.

“Our target is the Namak Green Forest Alliance’s main base. Maintain our current formation until we arrive. The Alliance Leader determines our pace, stride, direction, and advance or retreat.”

Im Sobaek answered succinctly.

“Understood.”

“The rest of you will hold formation as is. Do not pursue enemies more than thirty paces away. In special circumstances, act first and report after. Once resolved, rejoin the formation.”

At that, the whole unit responded in unison.

“Understood.”

Great Master Seven cleared his throat and emphasized once more.

“To sum up: the sword point is the Alliance Leader. The sword’s body—the central line—will support him. The sword’s hilt is composed of the elders, the Master of Haomun, and Young Master Mong, observing the overall field and responding as needed. Understood?”

“Understood!”

I met the lecher’s eyes for a second.

Since neither of us had replied, Great Master Seven asked again.

“Master of Haomun, Young Master Mong. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

Great Master Seven nodded.

“Good. From now on, whether ten or a thousand enemies stand in our way, the Martial Alliance proceeds the same. We stab, slash, and pierce straight through to the Namak Green Forest Alliance’s stronghold.”

It was a unique formation.

Unlike the formations used by sects focused on positioning and rhythm, this one had a completely different purpose and operational style.

It was clearly a breakthrough-style sword formation, refined through actual combat.

Looking up, the black clouds were scattering, and at last, moonlight was pouring down over the world.

Meanwhile, the Alliance Leader adjusted his pace—speeding up and slowing down as if syncing with the formation—then began using light footwork intermittently.

Participating in a sword formation was a first for me.

Until now, I’d never belonged to any formation.

Everyone else, aside from the lecher and me, looked well-practiced.

We marched until just before ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) dawn. When Im Sobaek finally ordered a rest, the members of the Alliance lit a central campfire in an open clearing, while the younger ones swept the ground.

It was an absurdly barren campsite.

A short while later, we all lay down in a circle around the scattered fires.

Im Sobaek gave brief instructions.

“Two hours. Rest if you’re going to rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

I scratched my head once, closed my eyes in peace, and fell asleep immediately.

***

“We’re moving out.”

When I opened my eyes, it was already nearing dawn. Members of the Alliance were extinguishing fires here and there, stretching. While I was still yawning, Im Sobaek came over.

“Master, you sleep well. Sleeping that deeply is a talent, too.”

“True enough.”

I nodded drowsily, then kicked the lecher, who was knocked out cold beside me.

“Get up. The bandits are here.”

“Wha—!”

The lecher jolted up with a strange cry.

Everyone preparing to depart stopped and stared at him.

“...!”

His head turned left and right.

“Where? Where are they? The bandits?”

I answered,

“You dreaming?”

“…”

Im Sobaek chuckled.

“Let’s go.”

As he moved to the front, the Alliance members followed him like a drawn sword—snapping into formation instantly.

Watching this at dawn, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by Im Sobaek and the Martial Alliance.

While I was still stretching and yawning, Im Sobaek addressed the group.

“We’re approaching Namak now. The Green Forest might have poisoned civilian homes, inns, even wells. Skip breakfast.”

“Yes, sir.”

“When we reach the mountain base, we break through on signal. We’ll eat breakfast at Namak Alliance’s stronghold.”

Great Master Seven interjected.

“Alliance Leader, breakfast will be difficult.”

“Then we’ll call it brunch.”

“Yes, sir.”

Great Master Seven called out.

“Jongchan, hand out the jerky.”

“Yes, sir!”

A young man came over with paper-wrapped jerky and handed pieces to the lecher and me.

“Thanks.”

I chewed the jerky as I walked. Looking around, everyone else was chewing jerky pulled from their belts or sleeves.

As I chewed, words just spilled out.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“This is sweet… kind of tangy… bitter-sweet… savory-salty… a bit of that sweet-and-salty combo…”

“…”

The lecher beside me stared at his jerky and asked,

“Wanna trade?”

“It’s the same, just eat it.”

Then Elder Cheon came over, offering a piece of his jerky to the lecher with a friendly look.

“Young Master Mong, want to try this one? Give it a taste.”

“Ah, yes, Elder. Thank you.”

The lecher took a bite, and Elder Cheon teased him.

“It’s the same. Jerky’s jerky.”

“Ha!”

“Hahaha!”

Elders Gwan and Cheon suddenly burst into laughter. It wasn’t even that funny, but they laughed like it was the best joke in the world.

The lecher trudged along with a visibly defeated look on his face.

Great Master Seven commented.

“Elders, you scared off the bandit scouts nearby.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Forgot—this is a perfect spot for lookouts.”

Sure enough, the narrow mountain path was flanked by steep cliffs, making it ideal for an ambush.

But apparently, the Namak Green Forest Alliance had already spotted our approach, because a short distance ahead, a horn blew.

Bwooooooo…

Im Sobaek, clearly familiar with the terrain, spoke as he moved.

“Both sides can be used for ambushes. This basin can be sealed from front and rear. Prepare for combat.”

“Yes, sir.”

The morning sun was already high in the sky. It was hard to believe this was really a raid on the Namak Green Forest Alliance.

The peaceful mountain scenery only made it feel more surreal.

Soon, Im Sobaek stopped.

Ahead, across a wide mountain path, members of the Green Forest appeared.

In the blink of an eye, the Namak Alliance blocked what looked like the entrance.

From the cliffs on either side of the mountain path, dirty, primitive-looking Green Forest fighters showed themselves, holding spears.

A voice came from the Namak side, enhanced by internal energy.

“Alliance Leader Im, what brings you down here? Did you come to surrender to our Lord with that pitiful force?”

Im Sobaek replied.

“Is Lord Yayul present?”

“He’s sleeping, of course. If you have business, tell me.”

“Then pass him a message—it’s not too late to surrender now.”

The bandits laughed in unison.

“You dare tell us to surrender with only a hundred men?”

Im Sobaek, standing at the front, raised a single finger.

“…Break through.”

Before he even finished the word, Im Sobaek shot forward alone. The hundred Martial Alliance members charged after him at full speed.

DUDUDUDUDUDUDU!

The enemy's line began to falter chaotically. From both cliff sides, rocks, arrows, and hidden weapons rained down.

But they couldn’t match Im Sobaek’s speed.

They didn’t even reach the warriors sprinting behind him.

It was lightning-fast, overwhelming—pure shock and awe.

Then, Im Sobaek leapt into the air and drew his sword.

A sweeping sword energy crashed down like an axe, aimed at the hundred-strong bandit front.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

When the sword energy struck the ground after tearing through flesh, a deafening boom followed, and Green Forest bandits went flying in every direction. It was a ridiculous sight—even seeing it with my own eyes, it didn’t feel real.

Immediately afterward, the escort troops protecting the Alliance Leader charged in unison, and the Seven Sword Unit led by Great Master Seven followed, drawing their swords and rushing forward.

The Seven Sword Unit, cutting through the Green Forest ranks with precision, didn’t aim for fatal blows but instead pushed through in perfect formation, chasing after the Alliance Leader.

They advanced like a death squad formed of charge, rush, and relentless assault.

To be honest, I didn’t have anything to do in the rear.

This was the most comfortable support role I’d ever had in my life.

On either side, Elder Cheon and Elder Gwan deflected incoming projectiles with a few simple gestures—stones and blades were sent flying off course in midair.

Then, off to the front-right, a massive boulder—like a full moon touching down to earth—was precariously teetering. Behind it, about a dozen Green Forest fighters were desperately pushing it forward.

Just then, the lecher’s figure shimmered, leaping straight up the cliffside. From the top, he unleashed a blast of pure white energy. The Green Forest fighters froze in place without a sound. The lecher then slammed the boulder with a palm strike and dropped back down from the cliff. The ones clinging to the boulder froze along with it.

But what really stood out wasn’t the lecher—it was Elder Cheon.

Matching the lecher’s speed, he leapt up the cliff, covering his rear like a seasoned shadow, then returned with him in perfect sync.

Once the lecher and Elder Cheon rejoined the sword formation, our charge grew even faster.

Just like the Alliance Leader had said, these men were truly the Martial Alliance’s elite.

We broke through the mountain path with Im Sobaek at the front, even charging uphill where enemy positions were bottlenecked.

By now, there were more enemies chasing us from behind than trying to block us from the front.

Only then did I start to find things to do—occasionally firing off energy blasts or swinging my sword. But even this had few opportunities, since the elders were tearing through the field like wild young warriors.

Then I heard Im Sobaek’s calm voice from up front.

“Hold.”

Great Master Seven echoed it.

“Hold.”

We reached the top of a slope, revealing a broad area in the middle of the mountain, almost like a flat plain. Beyond it stood the stronghold, with wooden stockades stretching along the terrain.

There were a lot of bandits.

They looked like they came from another world. Their attire, their colors—everything was strange. Many wore clothes made from animal hides, giving the impression of a less civilized people.

It gave off the feeling that we wouldn’t be able to communicate at all…

The only outcome I could picture was slaughter.

It reminded me of the old tale of the Seven Captures and Releases. If we didn’t want to kill them all, maybe we’d have to spare at least seven and let them go.

Judging by Im Sobaek’s personality so far…

In a past life, someone must have gotten hurt or killed during the attack on Namak.

Which probably led him to unleash a massacre he deemed necessary.

I stepped off to the side, absentmindedly surveying the area.

We’d broken through to their main base far too easily.

Sure, Im Sobaek and the Martial Alliance were impressive—but was the Green Forest this incompetent?

Just then, I realized the number of enemies surrounding us was steadily increasing. I observed their faces as I moved with my hands clasped behind my back and came to a stop.

One of the bandits, an old man with hair as white as snow, was glaring at me.

“…”

I stared back at him and sighed.

“Alliance Leader Im.”

Im Sobaek, still engaged in the standoff up front, answered.

“What is it?”

“There are unorthodox sects mixed in with the bandits. It’s not just the Green Forest.”

“Unorthodox or Green Forest—it’s all the same. No need to worry.”

The Martial Alliance members and I widened our focus, scanning the expanding encirclement. Just then, the main gate of the stockade split open to either side, and two men stepped out—one tall and well-built, the other skinny and gaunt.

It looked like the Namak Alliance Leader had finally appeared, and soon, he and Im Sobaek began exchanging words.

Whatever argument they were having didn’t concern me.

I casually wrapped my right hand in Flame Incense energy.

Fwoosh— At the sound, the lecher turned to me.

“What are you doing?”

I met his gaze and, without answering, raised my left hand, wrapping it in Moonlight Cold Heart Energy.

The lecher rushed over, face full of urgency.

“Hey, don’t—don’t do it…”

“Too late.”

The lecher shouted to the Martial Alliance members.

“Get back! Move!”

In the blink of an eye, everyone near me scattered like ripples on a pond, forming a wide circle.

As I combined Moonlight and Flame, I found myself wondering—am I angry because I’m hungry, or hungry because I’m angry?

Either way, I was pissed.

…Guess I’ll just kill first and figure it out later.

I could die from this too, so I gritted my teeth and forced the red flame and white moonlight energies into a twisted, unnatural Taiji swirl.

Crackle—CRACKKK!