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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Chapter 37
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Pawol flared up and shouted.
"How dare you betray the Leader's grace! Don't you dare insult him!"
The Twelve Months were those who had entrusted their very lives to Hyeolma.
They lived and died solely for Hyeolma; their existence was, in essence, validated by him.
Perhaps that was why the Twelve Months could not tolerate any insult to Hyeolma.
"Do you not know that your very life is sustained by his mercy?!"
"Mercy, you say."
Seolhwa let out a soft snort of laughter.
"Do you even know what the word 'mercy' means?"
"Grrr...! It means he pities you!"
"I asked you to explain, and you just parrot it back. As expected, a trained dog is the best."
"You—you wretch!"
Pawol's killing intent intensified.
The composure he had displayed moments ago vanished, replaced by pure fury.
Seolhwa tilted her head.
"But why did he send *you*?"
"What do you mean?!"
"You're not strong enough to challenge me to a death match. He wouldn't have sent you to die."
*Or did he send you to die?*
Pawol had disliked her ever since they were in Hwaoru. He would spew killing intent every time they met, so it was impossible not to notice.
*Hyeolma knew that too.*
Hyeolma didn't stop the infighting among his subordinates. No, he even encouraged it.
He believed that if they fought and killed each other, the strong would naturally emerge, and those who remained would be granted power and authority, becoming examples for all.
*Fight and survive! Then you shall conquer the world!*
Thus, in the darkness hidden behind Hwaoru's splendor, bloody murders were an everyday occurrence.
Pawol was one of those who openly displayed hatred towards her in such an atmosphere.
His jealousy and hatred stemmed from Hyeolma's favoritism.
*It must have felt unfair to him, to be treated differently despite both being picked up from the streets.*
Unlike her, whom Hyeolma personally guided in training and shared internal energy with, Pawol had grown on his own, under Hyeolma's indifference.
He had striven alone to become an Owner of a Moon Token and was even taught a Blood Art, but that was all. Hyeolma still paid him no mind.
*So that's why he sent Pawol.*
Because Pawol would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to initiate a death match.
Death was Hyeolma's greatest pleasure.
For he was one who fed on death and blood.
*He's being used, a pawn in Hyeolma's games.*
Seolhwa let out a short sigh and looked at Pawol.
Although she disliked being a plaything in Hyeolma's games, seeing Pawol's hateful gaze, it seemed this fight was unavoidable.
"Even so, shouldn't you pick your opponents carefully? If you value your life, that is."
"Don't pretend to be so relaxed!"
Pawol's dagger hummed, emitting a faint, dark red glow.
"Do you think I don't know you discarded all the internal energy the Leader bestowed upon you? You're a dead woman now!"
"How do you know that?"
A chilling smile spread across Pawol's lips once more.
"I also know that you're being controlled by his compulsion! No matter how much you struggle, you can't escape his grasp."
Seolhwa's expression hardened chillingly.
*As expected, he knows about the compulsion.*
"It was quite amusing, wasn't it? Watching you thrash around like an untamed foal, unable to control your own body!"
Pawol's face, cackling with laughter, was already intoxicated with victory.
Seolhwa gripped her sword, her face stern.
Now that she had confirmed the Twelve Months knew about the compulsion, there was no need to drag this out.
"How long are you going to keep your mouth busy? Stop talking and attack, Pawol."
Her gaze, fixed on the killing intent-spewing Pawol, held no emotion.
"You..."
That indifferent gaze infuriated Pawol.
"That arrogance ends now!"
*Whoosh—!*
Pawol's dagger surged towards Seolhwa.
The martial art Hyeolma had imparted to the Twelve Months was dagger combat.
It was a Blood Art called Soul-Shattering Daggers (破魂斷劍), said to shatter the soul and ultimately sever it.
Soul-Shattering Daggers were formidable, characterized by their swiftness and unpredictably shifting sword paths.
*Clang! Clang!*
However, since Seolhwa had already faced the daggers of several Twelve Months in her previous life, Pawol's attacks posed no threat.
Moreover, the current Pawol was the weakest among the many Pawols she had encountered.
She didn't even need to draw upon her internal energy.
Seolhwa parried Pawol's dagger by striking its flat side, subtly deflecting its path.
In an instant, dozens of exchanges took place.
*Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!*
*What in the...!*
Pawol was bewildered.
He couldn't comprehend how she was parrying all his attacks without imbuing her sword with internal force.
She wasn't even meeting his sword head-on.
By subtly twisting and deflecting his swinging dagger, she kept scattering his force, making it difficult to change his attack rhythm.
"What are you hiding that you're wasting time? Take out the other one."
"…!"
Amidst the frenzied exchanges, her voice rang out, utterly relaxed.
Conversely, Pawol's expression crumpled further.
Pawol drew another dagger from his waist.
The Soul-Shattering Daggers (破魂斷劍) technique was originally a twin-dagger art.
Drawing only one indicated both his confidence and an attempt to conceal his true abilities.
However, Seolhwa had no intention of dragging this out.
"If death is what you wish for, I shall gladly grant it!"
His aura erupted instantly, and the twin daggers surged forward at a speed difficult for the eye to follow.
A dark red aura flickered around the blades of the daggers.
"Die!"
The true power of the Soul-Shattering Daggers (破魂斷劍) manifested when blood qi was amplified.
The sword art itself was essentially about wildly swinging twin daggers to disorient the opponent.
The problem was that each and every attack was imbued with blood qi, so if one was cut, the blood qi would seep into the wound.
Wounds permeated with blood qi would not stop bleeding easily and would not heal.
Soul-Shattering Daggers (破魂斷劍) was a tricky Blood Art that gradually eroded an opponent's vitality by accumulating those small wounds.
Gazing at the attacks raining down like a storm of blades, Seolhwa gripped her sword.
Her eyes grew chillingly calm.
"…!"
Dismay spread across Pawol's face as he saw her stance.
*She's going to penetrate this?*
*Right into the midst of these torrential sword strikes?*
*Is she insane?*
If she was the Soruju, she wouldn't be ignorant of the Soul-Shattering Daggers, would she?
*Thwack—!*
Sure enough, Seolhwa charged straight at him.
Despite being a small child, her momentum was like the charge of a bull.
Pawol, who had instinctively faltered, gritted his teeth.
*Fine then, I'll kill you!*
*Clang-clang-clang-clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!*
In an instant, fierce exchanges took place.
Since neither side was truly defending, it was an interlocking of offense and offense.
Small sparks flew with every clash of their blades.
Pale white sword strikes and dark red sword strikes incessantly clashed, leaving only afterimages of blades.
Pawol's speed was overwhelmingly superior.
However, Seolhwa seemed to have no intention of blocking all attacks; she ignored the minor wounds appearing on her body and continued to wield her sword.
*This devil...!*
Several deep wounds had clearly been inflicted, yet there wasn't even a slight tremor from her the moment she was wounded.
*Is that even possible?*
*Does one have to be like this to gain the Leader's attention?*
As sword strikes frenziedly exchanged, a reddish hue gradually began to mix with the pale white sword strikes.
"…!"
Seolhwa furrowed her brow at the changing color of her aura, turning red.
Pawol also witnessed the aura's color change. And at that moment.
*Whoosh—Thwack!*
"Gah!"
Seolhwa's sword, seizing the opening, pierced Pawol's left shoulder.
*Thud!*
Pawol clutched his shoulder, hastily retreating backward.
He quickly pressed an acupoint to staunch the bleeding, but his left hand, which held the dagger, lost all strength.
"This crazy...!"
Pawol glared fiercely at Seolhwa.
Gritting his teeth in pain, he stared at the devil-like figure standing before him.
The aura surrounding her had also, at some point, taken on a reddish tinge.
"Ha... hahaha...!"
Pawol burst into insane laughter. His laughter, even as blood profusely streamed from his injured arm, was close to madness.
"I thought you were pretending to be of the righteous path, just to sneak into the Namgung Sega!"
Pawol, who had been laughing while clutching his injured arm, suddenly raised his head.
His eyes flashed towards Seolhwa.
"Is a blood-red sky all you've gained...?"
Seolhwa's steps came to an abrupt halt.
