106. Back in Place

– After you drug him, call me as hard as you can.

– Okay, you have to come as soon as possible.

– I’ll be there in a second. I will.

Ko Byeong-gap received the location of Landriol’s bedroom in Valtadren through Doran. He infiltrated Valtadren late in the evening. He couldn’t help feeling anxious, even though he tried to hide his presence as much as he could.

No one particularly thought he was questionable, whether it was luck or not. He often passed by a Goblin in the streets and was overwhelmed by the urge to talk to them, but he endured.

He hid in the shadows for hours. Suddenly, there was a loud roar, and one wall of the palace was torn down. Suddenly, Doran’s voice woke up Valtadren’s night.

-Lord! Lord!

‘It’s time.’

He no longer needed to hide his presence. He unleashed his powers and hurled himself toward the thick cloud of dust. The naked Landriol opened his eyes wide.

“You?!”

“…”

There was no reason to answer back. Ko Byeong-gap just approached quickly and stabbed his sword. He aimed at his head, intending to end him in one blow. Landriol hurriedly defended with his left arm. He barely prevented the sword from meeting his face.

“How dare these… little things…!”

“Hah!”

“Gah!”

Ko Byeong-gap pushed like a bulldozer. Landiol backed up to the wall. The tip of the sword that had pierced his lower arm was close to touching his nose.

“Oh, no…!”

Landriol focused his aura on his right hand. There was a huge amount of concentration, even though it was very short. Ko Byeong-gap felt an instinctive horror creeping up his body.

However, at the very next moment, as Landriol staggered, the hardened aura on his arm dissipated like smoke.

‘He’s out of it!’

He wasn’t normal right now. His left eye closed immediately, and his opened right eye also trembled. He seemed to have difficulty handling his limbs properly, let alone use his aura. His eyes weren’t focused.

In fact, it didn’t make sense for him to endure as much as he did. If he had been any other person, he would’ve fallen asleep as soon as he took the drug.

‘We have to hurry up and finish him. Before his henchmen arrive!’

He put his aura in his sword. Afterward, he swung it horizontally. Landriol’s left arm fell helplessly, splattering red blood. He made continuous attacks. This time, he surely aimed for his neck.

“You…! I’m Landriol!”

“Gah!”

Landriol radiated his aura in all directions. The momentum was almost like a volcano. Ko Byeong-gap couldn’t control his body as if he had been swept away by the current. When he came to his senses, Landriol was flying in the sky.

He hastened to get his focus right. At that moment, a flash of light flashed from the sky, and Landriol fell. His two legs hit Ko Byeong-gap like a car.

“Kahak!”

Boom!

He then plummeted to the ground. An area of a dozen meters in radius from the entrenched point was hollowed out.

Landriol thought he had left a hole in Ko Byeong-gap’s stomach. If Ko Byeong-gap hadn’t strengthened his body at the moment of impact, his abdomen would’ve really burst.

Ko Byeong-gap picked himself up, enduring the terrible pain. Landriol, on the other hand, was standing across the street. He was holding his balance.

Landriol opened the ancient shop. He was going to buy dumplings. Of course, Ko Byeong-gap couldn’t let him do that.

He rushed like lightning. The sword stretched out with a fierce force. Slashes and stabs poured endlessly. His sword was fierce and tenacious like a hungry viper.

Landriol, drunk on drugs and had his left arm amputated, couldn’t exert his strength properly.

“You coward!”

“Coward? I never thought that words like that would come out of your conscience!”

More of his blood soaked the air.

“Agh!”

“Shut up and die!”

His sword flashed and crossed Landriol’s upper body. His skin was ripped open, revealing its reddish inner skin.

Ko Byeong-gap immediately held the sword in reverse and stabbed Landriol’s heart. Dark red blood dripped from his mouth.

“Get off… Get off… How dare you…!”

He stretched out his right arm to grab Ko Byeong-gap, but he avoided his touch and threw a roundhouse kick. Landriol flew like a ball hit by a racquet and crashed into a building.

It was around that time that the surroundings became chaotic.

“There! Near the king’s residence!”

“What the hell is going on?”

The crowd gathered when they heard the commotion. There were about 200 Goblins and dozens of Sarahon women.

They were first surprised to see the scene of the battle. After seeing Ko Byeong-gap in the midst of their confusion, their eyeballs had almost fallen out.

“Lo… Lord?!”

“When did you come back…? No, you were alive?”

“It’s a human? But why are they calling him Lord?”

“Who’s that person’s supposed to be?!”

The Goblins and Sarahons reactions were mixed. Suddenly, a violent cough came through the thick clouds of dust.

“Cough! Cough!”

Landriol limped under the rubble of a collapsed building. A red waterfall constantly poured from his mouth. With a weak head and shoulders, he couldn’t find the courage he had before.

“I… My Lord!”

“How cruel!”

The Sarahons rushed and escorted him. Some even took off their clothes and wrapped them around Landriol.

Only one Sarahon froze and looked at Ko Byeong-gap. It was Marilyn.

“Uh… How… How are you alive?”

Ko Byeong-gap stared at her with icy eyes and spoke as he withdrew his gaze.

“Just in case, it seems you weren’t the one who saved me.”

“…”

“You’re unhappy that I’m alive, aren’t you?”

“Well, that’s…”

Marilyn’s mouth was silenced. She had a lot to say, but she couldn’t seem to speak.

Ko Byeong-gap concentrated his strength on his sword. He intended to destroy all enemies in front of him by swiping his sword. Suddenly, Marylin pulled out her sword and blocked the way.

She spoke, acting as if she was about to throw up.

“Why… Why did you come back? If you were alive, just forget about this place. Why did you come back?”

“What’s wrong with me coming to my place?”

“No!”

She shouted out loud.

“You… You’re a human being! A human! A human can’t be the Lord! The king of Sarahons should be a Sarahon!”

“That’s true. I don’t intend to have the Sarahons.”

“What…?”

“I was the Goblin Lord from the beginning.”

Ko Byeong-gap slashed his sword and rushed. Marilyn also hurriedly radiated her sword. The swords conflicted with each other and created a huge shock wave.

Ko Byeong-gap dug a crack in the world. His sword caught Marilyn.

She suffered a deep cut on her side, but she barely managed to prevent it. Marilyn, who confronted Ko Byeong-gap’s attack, shouted.

“What are you just staring at? The king has suffered a disgrace! Hit this man!”

It was a word to the Goblins, but they didn’t budge from their seats. There was a deep confusion on their faces.

“Ha, but… Lord is our Lord too.”

“There are two lords. Who should I follow?”

“Uh… Uh…”

No wonder they were confused. Haven’t they acted on the very simple principle of loyalty to the Lord? But there were two Lords, so they didn’t know who to follow.

“What are you hesitating about? Are you Sarahon or human?”

“Who…? We…”

“Get out of the way!”

It was then, Landriol, escorted by the Sarahon women, rose to his feet. Although his heart was pierced, his arm was cut off, and his whole body was covered with scars, his dignity remained strong.

Landriol looked all around with burning eyes. The mere sight of his eyes scared the Goblins.

“You scum!” He gritted his teeth as he shouted, releasing the king’s spirit.

“I command you as the one and only king of this land! Tear that human to death!”

The Goblin’s eyes changed when he gave his orders. With red, bloodshot eyes, they flashed their sharp fangs. They growled, looking at Ko Byeong-gap.

He shouted without losing.

“Take back your life! I’m the king of the Goblins!”

As he spoke, the growling eyes of the Goblins returned to their original state. Landriol shuddered and shouted again.

“You idiots! I’m going to rip you to death!”

“Cover your ears! You don’t have to listen to him!”

“Those who disobey my orders will have their limbs removed! Go ahead and kill that guy!”

“Don’t do anything!”

Landriol and Ko Byeong-gap’s spirits then collided. The Goblins were stuck in between whom they would die for. They couldn’t do this or that, but they trembled.

“You scumbags! Move! Move! Move! Kill that human right now! Why don’t you listen to me?! I’m your king!”

Landriol’s face turned red. Distracted by anger, he didn’t even think about taking a breath. Blood shot like a fountain from his open wounds.

“My Lord. Please fix and heal your wound–”

“Get out of my way!”

“Ah!”

Marilyn, who was trying to calm him down, was struck by the arm that he swung and fell to the ground.

Landriol sighed.

“I can’t believe I thought of going to war against Madmut with all this rubbish. I was foolish. I was stupid!”

Landriol breathed heavily and continued.

“Everyone, kill yourself! I want you to strangle yourselves to death!”

Suddenly, the Goblins began strangling themselves as if they had waited. Their faces looked rather comfortable. Unable to overcome the confusion, they tried to find rest through death. Ko Byeong-gap was terrified, but to no avail.

“Stop it now! Stop it!”

“Lord… Lo… Lord… I’m sorry. But it’s too… It’s so… scary. I’d rather die…”

“Don’t do it! You… You piece of **!”

Ko Byeong-gap immediately fixed his sword. He had to kill Landriol as quickly as a second, but he just laughed in a voice filled with madness.

“Hahahaha! Good! You’re doing good! Get rid of everything!”

And that was the moment…

A black hand popped out and penetrated Landriol’s abdomen. Someone stabbed him from the back. It was Dorma’s dark hand. He cried and muttered.

“… What kind of king orders his people to kill themselves! You’re not our king!”

“Agh, you bastard!”

“Keek!”

Landriol shook himself violently and gave off his aura. However, Dorma, who had gotten hit by the storm right under his nose, flew with his whole body mopped. He staggered and grabbed his abdomen, and then, a vicious sword struck him.

“Landriol!”

“Hah!”

“Ahhhh!”

Ko Byeong-gap swung his sword in a trance. The whirlwind cut through Landriol’s body. It was a short moment that wasn’t worth a second. Hundreds of cuts slashed Landriol’s body.

“Ugh… Ugh!”

Landriol was wretched, neither alive nor dead. Not a single part of his body healed. Ko Byeong-gap climbed on him and aimed his sword. He spoke with tears of blood.

“You should remain a ghost of the past!”

Ko Byeong-gap stabbed his sword, but the blade didn’t reach Landriol because Marilyn ran in a rush and slammed Ko Byeong-gap’s chest with her body.

“Gah!”

They groaned and rolled on the floor. That wasn’t just it.

Ko Byeong-gap tried to raise himself from the ground. Marilyn stepped firmly on his arm and chest. She held the sword upside down against Ko Byeong-gap’s neck.

Marilyn murmured in raptures.

“Only you… I just wished you didn’t come back!”

“…”

“I have to protect the king. I have to protect the king!”

Marilyn plunged her sword. Ko Byeong-gap sensed the end.

When the blade grazed the tip of Ko Byeong-gap’s nose, her body split in half. He saw a girl covered in blood behind Marilyn, who had since then collapsed.

It was Doran.

“No one… No one can hurt the Lord!”