The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

The appearance of the blue wolf brought silence to the chaotic battlefield. The wolf’s howl reverberated from deep within the lungs.

Harang turned his head towards the enemies and growled.

Just as the enemies seemed to flinch, Harang immediately rushed at them.

Although I hadn’t seen the movements of other wolves before, I could easily tell that Harang’s movements were completely different from other wolves.

He was fast and strong. Before the masters who had mastered martial arts to the peak could even react, Harang bit them, kicked them, and clawed at them.

His huge front paws tore the enemies’ backs, and those caught in his mouth were crushed by sharp fangs and died.

That wasn’t the end. Harang clearly distinguished between enemies and allies. He leaped into the enemy lines and tore through the enemies.

The enemies, overwhelmed by his size several times their own, flinched and retreated. Some attacked the wolf with swords, but they could only leave scratches without tearing the tough skin.

“R-Run away! It’s a monster!!”

Those who had lost their will to fight at the unprecedented sight hurriedly tried to leave the battlefield.

Harang chased after them and attacked. The Demon Cult warriors and Yoo Doha also chased after them.

Eun Do approached my side and said while rubbing his cheek with a tired face:

“What on earth happened?”

“I don’t know…”

I wanted to ask too. I knew Harang was a wolf, but he was still a cub, and because he maintained a human form, I often forgot he was a divine beast.

Although I vaguely felt that he would grow up and become independent from me someday, I hadn’t thought he could transform into a wolf so quickly.

Overwhelming power, huge size, lightning-like speed.

Harang, who showed overwhelming destructive power against dozens of supreme masters, was not the cute Harang I knew.

I don’t know how far they chased, but the screams and wolf howls heard from afar suggested that an intense fight was still in full swing.

“Ugh!”

I turned my head at the sound from behind. The opponent who had been evading leisurely and just buying time until now was slowly pushed back by Hyuk Dojin’s overwhelming martial prowess now that he had some leeway.

He was panting heavily, probably due to severe inner power consumption from continuously using strong qi and ascending martial arts.

“Damn it!”

Finally, after throwing his subordinates as bait, he set off smoke and quickly left his position.

Hyuk Dojin tried to chase after him, but loyal subordinates grabbed his legs. In the end, the opponent easily escaped.

After more than an hour passed, the surroundings were somewhat cleared up, and Yoo Doha and the warriors who had gone far away were returning.

Hyuk Dojin also quickly returned after dealing with the opponents blocking him and knelt beside me.

“Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine.”

When I smiled slightly, Hyuk Dojin furrowed his brows. Then he reached out and wiped my mouth. His thumb was stained with a long streak of dark red blood.

Hyuk Dojin stared intently at his thumb, then took out internal injury medicine from his bag and held it out.

“Take this for now. It will help recover your inner energy.”

I received the medicine he handed over, pushed it into my mouth, then looked around.

The ground mixed with the blood of dozens of people was soaked in blood. The corpses scattered here and there evoked grotesqueness.

Although there was damage, I could only say it was heaven’s fortune that we could be alive.

“Are you alright, Young Madam?”

Yoo Doha, who approached closely, asked worriedly while examining my condition.

I nodded and examined Yoo Doha. He wasn’t in perfect condition either. There were dozens of cuts drawn on his body, and his clean face was also marked with wounds that could leave scars.

His whole body was soaked in blood. His appearance of panting as if tired felt only unfamiliar.

Yoo Doha was a considerable master. He had never shown such a tired appearance before. It meant that the attackers were monsters to that extent.

While I was examining Yoo Doha, a rustling sound rang out from behind. Thinking it might be remaining enemies, the warriors drew their swords and blocked the front.

However, what appeared was not enemies but Harang with his blue fur still standing straight.

Blood-stained mouth and shining eyes.

It was an intimidating presence that even a tiger called the king of the mountains would bow its head to before Harang. The warriors flinched at Harang’s appearance.

He was a reliable ally when attacking enemies, but now with no enemies, the warriors were still tense and didn’t lower their swords, perhaps because of the thought that he could bare his teeth at them.

Harang stared at me blankly with golden eyes and slowly approached.

“It’s okay.”

After stopping the warriors trying to block Harang, I watched quietly.

Harang approached me straight and eventually looked down at me quietly from above.

I quietly met his golden eyes. Our gazes crossed, and soon Harang’s head came down.

Harang twitched his muzzle at close range, opened his eyes wide, and then opened his mouth.

“Y-Young Madam!”

The surprised voices of the warriors were heard. But contrary to their concerns, it was Harang’s nose that rubbed my cheek, not the mouth that seemed like it would bite and swallow me.

He even made whimpering sounds as if joyful while rubbing his nose on my cheek, and eventually even licked with his tongue.

My face became wet with saliva every time his long tongue, fitting for his huge mouth, licked across my cheek.

“Augh…!”

When I slightly turned my head to avoid his tongue, his huge tail swaying gently came into view.

I smiled faintly at the comical scene of a tired warrior behind being hit by Harang’s huge tail and rolling, and reached out to hold Harang’s face.

When I narrowed the distance and met his eyes, Harang’s golden pupils wavered. I watched that appearance quietly, then spoke slowly.

“Can you come back?”

As if understanding my words, Harang nodded his head, then curled his body slightly.

Like when he transformed, a huge golden light slowly gathered and enveloped Harang, and soon he returned to the Harang I knew.

When the golden light disappeared and Harang opened his eyes, he smiled brightly with a clean face.

“Kyaha!!”

I hugged Harang tightly as he jumped into my arms with a bright smile.

People around were dumbfounded at the unbelievable sight. I stroked Harang’s head in my arms and spoke quietly.

“You worked hard. And… thank you.”

Harang burrowed a little more into my arms and slowly closed his eyes.

* * *

Baek Geon, the master of the Holy Stream League, was tapping the table while waiting for someone.

He had clearly told them to come without delay, but his eyes were full of dissatisfaction at the other party who hadn’t even shown up yet.

The intervals between his table taps gradually shortened.

Soon, Baek Geon, who couldn’t wait any longer, slapped the table with his palm and jumped up from his seat.

“Elder, she has arrived.”

At that moment, a voice was heard from outside.

Baek Geon frowned. It wasn’t as if they were teasing him, but what was this case of coming just as he was about to leave?

But because he was the one in need, Baek Geon sat down and spoke slowly.

“Bring her in.”

As he sat down again, the door opened. The one who appeared outside the door was Shin Yubin, the granddaughter of Shin Hohyeol from the Cliff Rivers Shin clan. She bowed her head with a nonchalant face.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

She didn’t look sorry at all. Baek Geon felt this too, so he was about to say something but had to forcibly hold back. Right now, the Holy Stream League was in need.

Half a year ago, the attempt to assassinate the Young Madam had failed, and in the process, the Holy Stream League and the Southern Manchuria Do clan had no choice but to suffer under the pressure of the Young Cult Leader.

Moreover, Lee Seonghak, who was a great elder of the Holy Stream League, was caught while fleeing and barely escaped with his life.

The Southern Manchuria Do clan’s Protector Do Hyul had been pointed out as being involved in the incident’s details and had long been expelled from his position as Protector.

Therefore, the Southern Manchuria Do clan had no choice but to put down the power they had enjoyed for a long time and bow their heads.

As a result, the only place that hadn’t suffered damage was the Cliff Rivers Shin clan alone.

Both the exchange with Lee Seonghak and the connection to the current events were all handled by the Cliff Rivers Shin clan.

Especially, by the hands of this young woman, Shin Yubin, sitting in front of him.

“How did the contact with Lee Seonghak go?”

“He’s currently hiding in Zhejiang. Fortunately, his body has almost fully recovered, and he’s active in connection with the place I mentioned.”

Baek Geon let out a sigh of relief.

Lee Seonghak was an important figure. Although his personality was eccentric, the influence he could exert on the Demon Cult was still enormous. Losing him would be more damaging than losing a hundred masters.

Shin Yubin stared blankly at Baek Geon exhaling, then shifted her gaze. And she spoke slowly.

“A month ago, we urgently dispatched 30 selected masters from our sect to the Murim Alliance.”

“To the Murim Alliance?”

“Yes. I heard that the Murim Alliance said they would deal with the Young Madam this time. They said they would provide 70 masters from their side, so they would select 100 people to attack the Young Madam on her way back.”

At Shin Yubin’s words, Baek Geon made a blank expression then opened his eyes wide.

“If there was such an important matter, you should have told this old man…!!”

“It was important to minimize the number of mouths.”

“What…?!”

“What we’re doing now isn’t child’s play. If our tail is caught, it’s not something we can cut and run away from, but a serious matter that could tear out all the core axes of the Demon Cult. If all sorts of people know about such an important matter, information will leak out. That’s why I hid it.”

Shin Yubin’s words weren’t wrong. But from Baek Geon’s standpoint, it was absurd.

Anger boiled up at the fact that this piece of flesh in front of him was disparaging as ‘all sorts of people’ none other than himself, one of the central forces of the Demon Cult and the owner of the Holy Stream League.

He could tear off that slender neck in an instant if he reached out his hand right now.

Baek Geon glared at Shin Yubin with a trembling body.

On the other hand, Shin Yubin continued speaking with a face that showed no particular interest in his gaze.

“Since they said the Murim Alliance side would also dispatch considerable masters, if there’s no particular problem, the Young Madam will surely die.”

“…That’s uncertain. Are there only one or two monsters beside the Young Madam? Just the Young Cult Leader alone is a master who has reached the position of being pointed at by ten thousand people, and with the Vice Cult Leader, the Thousand Wolves Commander, and the monster-like Eun Do beside him, it will be difficult to attack.”

“Is that really so?”

Shin Yubin smiled languidly. Baek Geon frowned, disliking her smile.

Shin Yubin looked at his expression as if savoring it, then spoke quietly.

“If things go well, not only the Young Madam but also the Young Cult Leader who dislikes us will not be able to return here.”