WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 43: Monster Master (1)
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‘Damn it...’
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung was at a loss.
He had expected Mumu to be concealing his strength or to have some hidden trick, but this went far beyond anything he had imagined.
Who could possibly imagine someone lifting a raft and leaping clean over an entire river?
‘How could someone like that be completely unknown?’
They called him Master Yu, but it was absurd.
With physical strength like that, even if Byeok Ung fought him properly, it would be difficult to say who would win. Byeok Ung himself could lift a raft if he went all out with Force of ki at the tenth level.
But leaping over a river while carrying one was another matter entirely.
That meant Mumu's physical abilities already surpassed his own.
‘This is troublesome.’
At this rate, Mumu would carry the rest of the group and their horses across on the raft.
If that happened, Byeok Ung would completely lose his chance to deal with them.
‘I need another way.’
The embankment would soon collapse, and the river water gathered upstream would rush down like a tidal wave.
If that happened, he would not be able to stop them from returning to the Imperial Palace.
He had to deal with this unexpected variable before then.
‘But if he crosses the river like that, collapsing the embankment becomes pointless. What can I do? I can't force him into the water...!?’
Byeok Ung's eyes narrowed.
His gaze shifted to the remaining Censorate officials.
‘Force them into the water?’
Come to think of it, he did not need to target Master Yu at all.
Other than Mumu, no one else posed a problem. If he wanted to, throwing them into the river would be easy.
Byeok Ung looked at Yu Jin-sung.
That young official was leading them.
If he threw Yu Jin-sung into the river, he could naturally draw that monstrous fellow in as well.
The corner of Byeok Ung's mouth twitched upward.
While he considered it, the Censorate officials were making a great fuss over the fearsome middle-aged Master Yu, or rather, Mumu's unbelievable might.
"He's not human. He really isn't."
"He jumped over the whole river in one go! Incredible..."
"With Master Yu here, getting back to the Imperial Palace will be no problem."
They were thrilled.
Yu Jin-sung, Mumu's older brother, looked much brighter as well, inwardly marveling.
The more he learned about Mumu, the clearer it became that Mumu was nothing like an ordinary person.
How fortunate that someone like Mumu was his younger brother.
Besides...
‘This is heaven-sent luck.’
At this rate, they would cross the river in no time.
Once they passed through the cliff region and crossed this river, there would only be several mountains and open plains ahead. At least then, it would be easier to respond to an enemy attack.
- Boom!
Mumu leaped back across the river, set down the raft, and gestured to the Censorate officials.
Naturally, he was telling them to get on.
One of the Censorate officials spoke to Yu Jin-sung.
"Inspector Censor, you should board first. At this rate, I don't think we need to worry about the order."
"No. You should go first."
"But..."
"Despite our suspicions, it seems nothing will happen. Still, we can't be certain, so I will board the raft last."
The Censorate official gave a Fist-and-palm salute, thanking Yu Jin-sung.
Most superiors would have moved before officials beneath them, but Yu Jin-sung was different.
Though young, Yu Jin-sung had a strong sense of responsibility, which was why the younger Censorate officials liked and supported him.
"Hurry. We need to move before the rain grows heavier."
"Understood!"
A Censorate official stepped onto the raft first.
Yu Jin-sung gave Mumu a small nod.
Mumu lifted the raft holding four horses and the Censorate officials overhead.
Then he bent his knees.
- KABOOM!
The ground beneath him collapsed as Mumu, holding the raft above his head, flew over the river once more.
Yu Jin-sung looked over the remaining people and horses.
Only two more trips were needed.
Just as he thought that...
"You brought along a rather troublesome fellow."
‘!?’
Yu Jin-sung's eyes trembled at the voice directly behind him.
The speaker was none other than Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung.
For someone who had been standing some distance away to suddenly appear behind him...
‘Damn it!’
- Slash!
Yu Jin-sung threw himself forward in a hurry.
Something sharp swept past his back in that instant.
It was not a deep wound, but his back had been cut.
- Tap! Tap! Tap!
Yu Jin-sung rolled forward, then sprang back to his feet.
- Swish!
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung was already rushing toward him with a blade hand rippling with blue light.
‘Saber ki manifestation!’
It was undoubtedly saber ki manifestation.
As befitted a former member of the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice, he could easily unleash ki manifestation even barehanded.
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung closed the distance in an instant. His hand traced countless paths through the air as he unleashed an Ultimate Technique.
Yu Jin-sung responded.
‘Eight-Form Leg Technique, Star-Returning Kick!’
Keeping low, he spun and swept a kick across the ground.
The muddy water on the ground was sent flying at Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung by Yu Jin-sung's Force of ki.
- Papapapak!
"Petty tricks."
- Shing!
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung drew a cross through the air with his blade hand, splitting the incoming mud.
At that moment, Yu Jin-sung shot toward him like a raging torrent, unleashing kick after kick.
- Papapapapapapak!
"Ho."
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung lightly avoided the attacks, moving only his upper body.
Yu Jin-sung's expression darkened when none of his movements connected.
He had trained without rest after graduating from the academy, yet the gap between him and a former member of the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice was simply too vast.
"You are quite skilled for a young one. But..."
- Swish! Slash!
The moment Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung dodged Yu Jin-sung's final kick, he twisted left and swept his blade hand toward Yu Jin-sung's right ribs.
"Your side is open."
‘Damn!’
- Whirl!
Startled, Yu Jin-sung spun through the air to avoid the sharp saber ki manifestation and managed to land a kick on Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung's shoulder.
- Thud!
But...
"What a shame. It pains this old man to deal with such a promising young junior with such quick wits."
From the beginning, the difference in Force of ki between Yu Jin-sung and Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung had been too great.
Byeok Ung's Force of ki was so powerful that it would not be an exaggeration to say he ranked among the top thirty in the entire martial world.
Naturally, with such deep internal energy, his Defensive Ki was also formidable.
- Grab!
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung caught Yu Jin-sung by the ankle and tried to cut off his leg with saber ki manifestation.
At that instant, someone charged at Byeok Ung and swung a sword.
It was a Censorate official.
"Let go of the Inspector Censor, you old monster!"
"Hmph!"
Byeok Ung caught the sword blade between two fingers with absurd ease.
Then he applied a little force.
- Clang!
After breaking the sword, he threw a fragment at the Censorate official's chest.
- Thunk!
"Ugh!"
The official, pierced through the chest, staggered backward and fell.
Byeok Ung turned to cut Yu Jin-sung's leg again, but there was more than one official.
Another official attacked Byeok Ung's neck from behind.
In the end, Byeok Ung decided he had no choice.
‘No helping it.’
- Thud! Crack!
"Ugh!"
In a brief instant, he tilted his head left to avoid the sword, kicked Yu Jin-sung in the ribs, then turned and cut through the official's sword with saber ki manifestation.
- Clang!
"Gasp!"
"Why are you so shocked by something like this?"
- Grab!
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung seized the official by the collar and hurled them into the river.
Propelled by his deep Force of ki, the official flew about ten jang before falling into the water.
- Splash!
"Jip Yeong!"
Yu Jin-sung shouted in alarm.
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung gave a faint laugh.
"I will send you along as well, so don't be disappointed."
"What?"
- Thud!
As soon as Yu Jin-sung finished asking, Byeok Ung struck his chest with a palm.
"Urgh!"
Yu Jin-sung wanted to evade, but his broken ribs had slowed his movements. The palm strike sent him flying backward, and just as Byeok Ung promised, he fell into the river.
- Splash!
Yu Jin-sung sank beneath the water, thrashed wildly, and barely surfaced again.
"Urgh!"
His internal injury and other wounds made it impossible to move properly.
Even then, Yu Jin-sung searched for Jip Yeong, the Censorate official who had fallen in first.
Jip Yeong was flailing helplessly as the violent current swept them downstream.
Yet that was not the end.
"Argh!"
- Splash!
Another Censorate official fell into the river nearby.
Yu Jin-sung looked toward the shore in shock.
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung was attacking the Censorate officials one after another, injuring them and throwing them into the river.
Another soon flew through the air and fell into the water.
- Splash!
The official who fell in thrashed about, dipping under the water and surfacing again as they cried out.
"S-save me! I-I can't swim... glub!"
It was then.
- Whoooosh!
Someone streaked across the river, caught the clothes of the official being sucked into the violent current, and pulled them up.
"Gasp! M-Master Yu!"
It was Mumu.
He had reached the opposite bank and was setting down the raft when he noticed something had happened. Without a moment to think, he threw himself into action.
After pulling the most endangered Censorate official from the water, Mumu quickly turned toward his older brother, Yu Jin-sung, to pull him out as well.
But then...
- Splash!
Another official fell into the river.
No, it was not one.
It was two.
- Splash!
Mumu glared at the opposite bank.
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung stood there, sneering as he waved at Mumu.
Byeok Ung had cleverly scattered them through the rough river instead of throwing them all into one place.
That made it difficult for one person to save them.
He had even injured them so they could not escape on their own.
‘Go on, then. Save them if you can.’
- Rumble!
The ground shook, and a tremor ran through the area.
Byeok Ung's lips curved upward.
It seemed the embankment had finally collapsed.
- Rooooar!
Upstream, an enormous surge of water rushed toward them like a tidal wave.
It was large enough to flood and sweep away the land itself.
- Roooooooooar!
"N-no!"
When Mumu saw Princess Seo Hong Na-yeon and the others on the opposite bank, he could not hide his panic.
The rushing water was so fast that it was already close.
In this situation, saving everyone who had fallen into the river was impossible.
If they did not escape at once, they could all be swept away by that tidal wave and drown together.
"Cough! Don't worry about me, get out of here!"
Yu Jin-sung shouted at Mumu.
If Mumu tried to save him too, he might be swept away and killed alongside him.
In this situation, the only answer was for Mumu to escape and save his own life.
But then...
"M-Master Yu? Surely you aren't..."
- Whoooosh!
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Mumu suddenly lifted the first Censorate official he had rescued and hurled the official across the river.
Then he fiddled with his Ki-Restraining Bracelets.
At that moment, Mumu's skin darkened, and his bulging muscles began changing into compact, densely packed forms.
- Crack! Creak!
- Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mumu remained suspended in the air as he repeatedly kicked off the empty space.
Then he clenched his fist.
The muscles in Mumu's right forearm gradually contracted, becoming even denser.
In contrast, his biceps and triceps swelled further.
"W-what are you doing? Get out of there right... cough!"
Yu Jin-sung was dumbfounded.
Had the current swept him too far downstream for Mumu to hear his voice?
Yu Jin-sung had no idea what Mumu was trying to do.
Then...
- Roooooooooooooooooar!
‘D-damn it...’
It was already too late.
The enormous wave of river water had reached right in front of Yu Jin-sung, leaving him speechless.
No matter how strong a human became, there was nothing they could do before a natural disaster.
At that very moment, Mumu, his clenched fist drawn back, was about to thrust it forward.
‘That bastard is insane.’
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung sneered at the sight.
No matter how strong Mumu was, what could he possibly do against a natural disaster like this?
Even if a True Master came, no, even if a master on the level of the Four Immortal Masters appeared, they would have no choice but to flee from a situation like this...
- KABOOOOOM!
Something unbelievable happened.
An immense blast of wind swept in every direction, and the river water surging forward like a tidal wave suddenly reversed.
It split apart in a fan-shaped pattern.
But that was not all.
- Roooooar!
The force driving the water backward was far greater than the water rushing down when the embankment collapsed.
The divided river water soon peeled back enough to expose the riverbed itself.
‘!!!!!!!!!!!’
Dae Ja-gwang Byeok Ung's jaw dropped as if it might fall off.
For a moment, he doubted his own eyes at the impossible sight before him.
Footnotes:
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