The North Sea Martial Warrior - Chapter 07

========== 7. TRAP IN THE MIRROR ==========

Kwa-ang…!

The explosion shook the ground beneath their feet.

Ice Fang Valley.

The place where the Northern Sea wind howls most ferociously.

The sheer cliffs on both sides interlocked like the fangs of a giant beast, and the wind passing between them screamed. There, Ice Explosion Mines detonated in a chain reaction.

“It’s a trap.”

Taikan spat out lowly and threw his body aside.

The shockwave of the explosion pushed the five of them in all directions.

“Chief-nim!”

Garkan swung his iron chain, batting away rock fragments as he blocked the front of Airak.

However, Airak did not budge, staring up at the cliff. He had sensed the killing intent hidden in the darkness.

“It’s too late to dodge. The trap has already been sprung.”

Kureureureung!

An avalanche poured down, blocking their retreat. And immediately after, the second disaster began.

Kkigigik. Kkigigigik.

Giant ice pillars rose from the ground.

Dozens, hundreds of them… transparent ice with surfaces polished like mirrors.

Ice Mirror.

Everything around them turned into mirrors.

Their own reflections appeared thousands of times. They couldn’t distinguish where the path was or where the walls were.

“Welcome, Martial Warrior. To your graves.”

A voice rang out from the void. The Binghyeoldan Leader, Han-a.

Taikan placed his hand on his bowstring.

“It’s the Ice Mirror. A secret technique even the Ice Palace forbids. If this is deployed, this land will be a land of death for the next ten years. There is only one way: destroy all the Ice Mirrors.”

“Hyung-nim, you actually know something? Anything else we should know?”

Harku asked.

“It refracts light to disrupt vision. It even distorts the flow of the wind. Everything is twisted.”

“Then Hyung-nim’s bow is blocked too.”

“Half right, half wrong.”

Taikan closed his eyes.

There was no sign of panic on his face. Rather, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

“Even if I can’t read the wind, I can read the vibrations.”

He kicked off his shoes, going barefoot.

The moment his soles touched the icy floor, his expression changed.

“Three. Three jang to the left. Two bastards are hiding behind the mirrors and flanking, and one is hanging from the ceiling.”

“Hyung-nim, are you a ghost?”

“No. Actually, blind people shoot bows well. If they train properly. I just did that training for about three years.”

“…Crazy.”

“Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Harku grinned.

His eyes rolled back. The whites became bloodshot, and his pupils contracted.

“I just need to know the location. The rest is my job.”

Seueuk.

An assassin popped out from inside a mirror.

A perfect surprise attack targeting the gap where light refracts behind Harku’s back. A smile spread across the assassin’s lips. Success. But Harku had already turned around.

“You’re late, you rat.”

The assassin’s eyes widened.

How? It was an angle that couldn’t be seen with the eyes?

“I can hear your heartbeat.”

Chaeng!

The twin blades slashed the assassin’s throat.

Before the head even hit the ground, Harku was already rushing toward the second assassin.

Blood splattered on the mirror. Red stains spread across the mirror maze.

“Good. Now I can see where you bastards are hiding.”

Harku flared his nostrils.

The smell of blood. It completely awakened his senses.

“It’s no use running. I can see all your bloody footprints.”

“Mo, monster!”

“Monster? I’m just a hungry dog. And you’re the food.”

“Second, ceiling. Third, five jang to the right.”

As soon as Taikan spoke, Harku leaped up.

He rode the mirror pillars, kicked off the wall, and ascended vertically. The assassin hanging from the ceiling was terrified.

“How did you know…”

“Shut up.”

The twin blades pierced the assassin’s chest.

He stepped on the ceiling, kicked off, and leaped again. He twisted his body in mid-air and flew toward the assassin on the right.

“Sa, save me…!”

The sound of a neck snapping.

Two corpses fell to the floor.

“Caught three. Hyung-nim, what about the rest?”

“Nineteen left. Twelve are hiding underground, and seven are moving behind the mirrors.”

Taikan loaded three ice arrows.

“I’ll handle the ones moving.”

He raised his bow with his eyes closed.

The vibration felt through the soles of his feet, a realm where he grasped the enemy’s location solely through resonance.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Three arrows pierced through the gaps between the mirrors and flew.

The arrows did not hit the mirrors. They flew exactly into the empty spaces and embedded themselves in the throats of the hidden assassins.

“Keueok!”

“The arrow curved! How can he shoot with his eyes closed…”

“If you can’t read the wind, you read the vibrations; if you can’t read the vibrations, you listen to the breathing.”

Taikan said calmly.

“This much darkness is nothing.”

“The underground is Hunchback Hyung-nim’s share.”

“Understood.”

Arko pressed his palms to the floor.

Even without shadows, he had other methods.

“Shadow stepping isn’t the only way to assassinate.”

His gaze sank coldly.

“Poison smoke.”

Black smoke rose from his hands. At that moment, the smoke seeped underground through the cracks in the floor.

“Keueok! What is this smell!”

“It’s poison! Hold your breath!”

The assassins screamed and burst out.

But it was already too late. If they inhaled even a mouthful of the poison smoke, their muscles would stiffen.

“They’re out.”

Puck! Puck! Puck!

Three people were hit in the neck with needles and collapsed.

The remaining nine tried to retreat.

“It hurts more if you run.”

Arko snapped his fingers.

Ttak.

The fleeing assassin convulsed and collapsed.

“If your heart beats fast, the poison spreads. Stay still. If you move, you die.”

“Hi, hiik!”

The remaining assassins stopped.

Arko approached slowly and stuck poison needles into their necks one by one.

Meanwhile,

“It’s super strength! Create distance!”

“Throw the chains!”

More chains flew, but Garkan didn’t budge. Rather, the tighter the chains became, the more a smile spread across his lips.

“Thanks. For letting me know your locations.”

“What? What are you talking about!”

Kung!

Garkan grabbed the chains and pulled.

Four assassins floated up into the air.

“Keuaak!”

Garkan swung the iron chain and smashed three mirror pillars. And then he attacked the assassins in succession.

The remaining two tried to run away.

Garkan threw the iron chain.

Cheolkeong!

The sound of neck bones snapping rang out.

“If you want to touch the Chief-nim, kill me first. If you can’t, get lost.”

“Leader-nim! They’re counterattacking!”

One assassin screamed.

“Three died on Taikan’s side!”

“Four were taken out by Harku!”

“Arko’s side too! Four of them!”

“Garkan crushed three!”

Han-a’s face turned pale.

Half of the twenty-three disappeared in an instant.

“Lies… even after trapping them…?”

“Leader-nim! What do we do!”

“Shut up! Strike Airak! If we kill that guy, it’s over!”

Han-a gritted his teeth.

Those four are strong. But Airak hasn’t even lifted a finger yet. If you kill the boss, the minions scatter. Isn’t that the basic of assassination?

“Send all the remaining ones to Airak!”

As the order fell, the twelve surviving assassins headed toward Airak all at once.

Chwachak! Chwachwachwachak!

The sound of ice cracking rang out… and ice walls, slick like mirrors, surged from all sides. The fence of ice walls trapping the four of them spread out like a prison.

“Chief-nim!”

Taikan shouted.

The four of them could not break through the layered ice walls at once. They couldn’t get to Airak’s side. However, they were not worried. There is no one in this world who can do anything to Airak. It was just regrettable that Airak had to move himself.

Airak said lowly.

“Don’t worry. What can a few bugs do?”

From inside the mirrors, from the floor, from the ceiling… twelve assassins rushed toward Airak.

Airak was walking.

In the midst of explosions, blood, and screams. As if nothing was happening.

Shuk!

The assassin’s blade touched Airak’s nape. No, they thought it touched.

Kkang!

A clear metallic sound.

The dagger bounced off. The assassin’s wrist bent and snapped backward.

“Euaak!”

A striking sound as if something had been hit… no, the curved blade had already moved.

“Continue. It’s quite cute for a performance.”

Airak said lowly.

The assassins attacked again.

Airak’s eyes scanned them. Those eyes, devoid of emotion.

“Do more.”

Airak took a step forward.

Jjeojeojeok!

Mirror pillars within a radius of ten jang cracked all at once.

“Before my patience runs out.”

The assassins couldn’t meet Airak’s gaze and stepped back. Terrified like sheep meeting a beast.

Cold sweat flowed down Han-a’s forehead as well.

The fear felt by his subordinates was transmitted to him as well.

‘This is a Martial Warrior… Damn it, I messed with the wrong one. I didn’t know enough about Martial Warriors. The legend… was passed down wrong. This monster… is a god of death that shouldn’t be faced.’

“Do you think you can escape?”

Airak’s mouth twisted.

“Did you think you could attack me and leave alive?”

Uuuung…!

The air hummed.

White frost rose around Airak’s body. The phantom of an ice wolf as big as a house opened its jaws behind his back.

“Kill him! If we don’t kill that guy, we die!”

Han-a screamed.

The remaining assassins rushed in like a final struggle.

And… that was when it started.

A flash that froze the ice walls even stronger, smoke flowing like a ghost.

Elite assassins… the Binghyeoldan devils who had been through all sorts of trials were swept away like fallen leaves in a strong wind.

Peopeopeok! Peopeopeopeopeok!

At least six to eight strikes per person… neck, chest, lungs, back… blood spurting from all sides… the moment the black shadow passed by, bodies burst open.

The legend of the Martial Warrior is true.

“You should have left some for interrogation. If they don’t talk, we can just crush them.”

“Not necessary.”

Airak shook his head.

“There’s nothing to ask. I already know who sent them.”

“The Ice Palace, right?”

Taikan asked.

“Yes.”

“Then this trap…?”

“The Ice Mirror is a secret technique of the Ice Palace. It couldn’t have leaked to the outside.”

Airak’s eyes shone coldly.

“There is a traitor inside.”

Four wolves gathered around Airak.

They were covered in blood, but their eyes were sharp. Even though they were trapped, they were not shaken at all. Honestly, this kind of attack… is child’s play compared to the attacks of Ice Demons and Ice Beasts.

“I messed with the wrong one….”

Han-a muttered.

“Leader-nim! What do we do!”

“Shut up! Let me think!”

The ten thousand gold coins were not the problem. It felt like he had opened the gates of hell with his own hands.

“We must run!”

“Run? Where to? The Ice Mirror… if those guys start investigating the Ice Mirror, it’s only a matter of time before they come for us.”

In the distance… Airak could be seen.

At that moment, Han-a felt a chill that froze him to the bone.

“Ah! That’s right. There’s nowhere to run. That guy… he already has us figured out. If it comes to this… would it be better to just fight? At least it’ll end quickly. Hehe! This is crazy.”

Han-a muttered.

He knew. From now on, it was Airak’s time. If he launched a counterattack… there would be no resisting or avoiding it. He had already identified all the Binghyeoldan warriors scattered around.

Is it time for a counterattack?

On the snowfield stained red with blood, the fangs of the five wolves were pointed at the hunter’s throat.