Chapter 25 The Battle of Jomchang (3)

Chapter 25: The Battle of Jomchang (3)

The next day, morning.

“This can’t go on!”

I gathered the officers and barked out my orders.

The moment we arrived at Jomchang Mountain, we had already become a community bound by fate.

Now, whether we lived or died, defending Jomchang Mountain was our only way to survive.

To do that, our current defensive strategy wouldn’t suffice.

A more efficient and secure strategy must be established to hold this place.

Flutter.

A large poster, made by taping sheets of paper together, was covered in haphazard drawings and writing.

It was the PowerPoint I’d worked on all night the previous day.

Intrigued by the new method, one officer, his eye covered by a patch, asked.

“What is that?”

“It’s supplementary material to explain strategy and tactics.”

“The map and explanations make it easy to follow.”

“Thank you.”

“But listen.”

The questioning officer spoke again.

His single eye brimmed with distrust, reminiscent of Gungye in his twilight years striking down demons.

“Who exactly are you to try commanding us?”

Indeed.

This was the barbaric world of the martial arts.

To gain command, one needed either sufficient strength or status.

There was no way these warriors would heed the words of a mere outer sect leader like me.

Especially when the warriors before me belonged to the Eight Factions of the main sect, treated as Heavenly Dragons within the Nine Dragons Fortress.

But I am no longer the Jin Mujeon of the past.

I am the rising star of the Nine Dragon Fortress, known as the Fighting Dragon.

“Heh, if you’re curious about my identity, it’s only fair I tell you.”

“We don’t have time. Just tell us your name.”

Damn, what a hopeless noble.

“I am Jin Mujeon, the Seventeenth Outer Division Leader. Though it embarrasses me, the martial world’s comrades call me the Fighting Dragon.”

“The Fighting Dragon? Never heard of it. How dare a nameless Outer Division Leader discuss command authority?”

As one man sneered, the surrounding officers poured out their complaints.

“What? I thought he was some big shot since he broke through the encirclement.”

“Ugh, we should’ve slept instead of wasting time on this.”

Judging by their lack of knowledge about my resounding fame, word hadn’t reached this place yet.

‘This isn’t right…’

But salvation arrived in this stifling situation.

“Everyone, please hear him out. He is one of the few talents I truly recognize.”

It was none other than Wei Zhifeng.

His single statement caused the officers’ opinions to swing 180 degrees.

“Whoa, a talent recognized by the legendary Black Dragon Sword… How could such a person be in the outer court?”

“If the Black Dragon Sword speaks so highly, there must be a reason.”

“Right, right. Let’s hear it then.”

The officers’ behavior left a deep scratch in my heart, but what could I do? I just needed to finish the presentation quickly.

Resolving to focus my efforts on viral marketing going forward, I began my presentation.

“This is the current defensive line of the Jianchang Mountain detachment. As you can see, the only path up to the detachment is a single staircase, which we defend in shifts. At first glance, it seems efficient, but if we continue like this, there’s a high chance we won’t hold out until the vanguard arrives.“

The officers fell silent at this scathing criticism.

They knew it too, roughly.

That the current method would only delay the inevitable collapse.

Proof of this was the defensive line, now thirty paces further back than at the start.

”So, this is the strategy we’ve devised.”

Flutter.

I flipped to the next page and said.

“It’s called the Spartan strategy.”

Inspired by 300.

***

Waaah!

They surged up the staircase, filling every step.

And as always, arrows flew from behind the enemy lines.

“Everyone, brace for arrows!”

As the officer in charge of defense shouted, the entire defense unit raised their large wooden shields toward the sky.

For reference, this officer was the one-eyed guy who had picked a fight with me yesterday, and he was stationed in the most dangerous spot.

Of course, I didn’t assign him there.

It was just that the dark, twisted voice somewhere in my heart had placed him there.

Thud-thud. Thud-thud.

These shields were made from nearly every door torn from the barracks the previous day.

Since only sturdy doors were selected, the enemy’s arrows never pierced through the shields.

“Charge!”

With the arrows blocked, the enemy’s assault began.

“Brace for impact! Everyone, put your fighting spirit into it!”

As the one-eyed man shouted, the defenders roared and reorganized their formation.

“Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The first row of defenders raised their large shields toward the front.

The second row raised their shields toward the sky, preparing for any possible arrow attack.

They left slight gaps between the shields, creating space to wield their weapons at any moment.

And then the clash erupted.

Clang. Clang.

The enemies swung their weapons mercilessly, but they were untrained in martial arts.

No matter how hard they swung, they couldn’t shatter the shields.

And the defense unit’s officers didn’t miss the opening.

“Stab!”

Thud. Thud.

“Guh.”

“Gah!”

Spears, swords, and blades thrust through the gaps in the shields, beginning to tear into the enemies’ bodies.

Thanks to this, the road, the battlefield, was instantly filled with blood and screams.

“Keep pressing!”

“Augh!”

Thus began the close combat.

The enemies continued to swing their weapons, and the defenders raised their shields to block.

You might wonder what difference it made from the previous day, but surprisingly, it made a huge difference.

‘You can conserve stamina and internal energy.’

All martial artists fundamentally enhance their physical abilities using internal energy.

It was precisely this point I focused on when proposing the shields.

By using shields to block enemy attacks, the defenders could conserve their internal energy and efficiently deal with the foes.

The same applied to attacks.

Simply checking the enemy through the shields, without actively advancing, allowed them to conserve a great deal of stamina.

True, it took longer to eliminate the enemies, but there was a way around that too.

“Now!”

At my shout, the five masters who had been waiting began to run.

Maintaining their running speed, they leaped over the shields held by the defenders in this line and landed right in the middle of the enemy formation.

Swoosh!

And the slaughter began.

The enemy, thrown into chaos by the sudden intrusion of our reserved elite fighters, began dying in droves.

As the situation turned unfavorable, arrows began flying from the enemy’s rear.

It seemed they intended to sacrifice our allies, just like yesterday, to reduce the number of defenders.

But we weren’t fools to fall for a strategy we’d already seen once.

He had already instructed the elite fighters leading the assault to withdraw immediately after their first attack.

Thanks to this, the arrows narrowly missed the assault team, sacrificing only innocent allies instead.

“Brother Wiji!”

“Got it!”

If it followed yesterday’s pattern, it wouldn’t end here.

It was time for the warriors of Namcheongung to step forward.

Sure enough.

“Kill them all!”

Martial artists in peculiar attire, wielding all manner of weapons, charged forward, hurling and swinging their weapons at the defenders.

Their power was enough to shatter makeshift wooden shields in an instant.

But seeing them, I couldn’t help but sneer.

The shield-bearing defenders were also martial artists of Guryongseong.

If I unleashed my true power, blocking attacks like that was no problem.

I’d saved my stamina and inner strength for this very moment.

In an instant, the defenders discarded their shields and parried the attacks from the Namcheon Palace scum.

Clang. Clang.

Just as the clashes of weapons and the sounds of blows echoed…

Thud. Thud.

Wei Jifeng and I burst into the midst of the enemies.

“Hello.”

One enemy, recognizing my face, flinched and swung his weapon wildly.

“How reckless.”

My hand touched his chest first.

Thwack!

“Guh.”

The man, struck instantly, retreated, spitting blood.

It was the Taekwondo punch I’d learned in my past life.

Who’d have thought the Taekwondo I learned in the army would come in handy now, especially since they promised a reward leave certificate? Learning really is beneficial.

And then there was Wi Jipung, who’d come with me.

Swoosh!

Wi Jipung’s sword swung at a dizzying speed, slicing through the enemies.

Watching him unleash those razor-sharp sword strikes, I thought.

If I’m coffee, he’s the top.

In an instant, the enemies at the front were reduced to bloody pulp and fell.

“Kill those bastards!”

Was it Jin Woo-ryang?

The voice of the guy I saw yesterday reached my ears.

Then, weapons rained down from all directions.

But that wasn’t all.

As if learning from yesterday’s failure, hidden weapons poured down from the rear, targeting us.

We could have blocked them, but having prepared to dodge, we hurriedly escaped the enemy’s attack range.

We were just buying time.

Looking back, the defense unit had already retreated far away.

And then.

Clunk! Thud!

Hundreds of boulders, each as big as a person’s torso, began rolling down.

“Wiji!”

“Got it!”

The moment we saw it, Wiji and I grabbed the thick rope we’d prepared and leaped off the cliff. It was a very sturdy one, nailed and tied beside the stairs beforehand.

A thunderous roar and a terrible sound came from above our heads.

“Run… run…!”

Crash. Thud.

“Aaargh!”

We saw enemies, dodging rocks, slip and fall into the thousand-foot abyss.

After a fleeting moment, we climbed back up the stairs to find a gruesome scene.

Most of the bodies, presumed to be enemies, were lying in pools of blood. Even those who had barely survived were severely injured and unable to move.

Jin Wuliang, whom I’d seen on the first day, was no exception.

“Guh… Ugh…”

He groaned, his body a bloody mess, the extent of his injuries impossible to discern.

Someone nearby drew a sword that had lost its master and thrust it into his neck.

I’d wanted to take him prisoner if possible, but with injuries that severe, even Seoul National University Hospital’s emergency room couldn’t have saved him.

Waaah!

Then, a shout came from the direction of the bunker.

Probably celebrating their victory.

“Primordial Heavenly Lord…”

Wee Jipung murmured the divine name softly, watching the gruesome scene.

Looking up at the sky, a blood-red sunset had already spread across it.

***

The next day, the enemy attacks began just as before.

Each time, we brought rocks and stones from the terrain and hurled them at the enemy.

With the bunker perched atop the mountain, usable materials were abundant.

Yet the reason the defenders hadn’t utilized these before was their rigid mindset.

If they had any military experience, it might have been different, but these were warriors who had spent their entire lives honing only martial arts.

They were the type who charged headlong, relying solely on their weapons and skills, so they never even considered it.

I merely showed them a few examples to establish an efficient defensive system.

After several days of continuous attacks, seeing us hold firm without flinching, their offensive began to wane.

To be precise, attacks still occurred, but Namcheongung had not dispatched any masters.

Thanks to this, the defenders could repel the enemies more easily, and the dwindling casualties brightened the mood in the garrison.

Yet, despite this favorable turn, I felt uneasy.

‘They won’t retreat like this.’

This battle for Jeonchang Mountain isn’t merely a land grab.

From Namcheongung’s perspective, they must seize this place quickly to focus their full strength against Guryongseong without worrying about their rear.

By now, Guryongseong’s vanguard should have reached a three-day distance.

If I were the ruler of Namcheongung, I would pour every ounce of strength into clearing this area first, no matter what.

No matter what tactics they employ.

‘We can’t hold them back.’

No matter how fiercely they resist with Spartan resolve, as long as the defenders are human, they will inevitably be breached if the enemy launches a determined, wave-like assault.

‘Then.’

As soon as he organized his thoughts, he immediately summoned the defense force’s officers.

An officer from the Red Dragon Corps, wearing an eye patch over one eye, asked.

Unlike before, his eyes were filled with deep trust.

“Heh heh, what brings our esteemed Jang Jabaang to summon us?”

His words drew laughter and agreement from the three officers.

“Heh heh heh, exactly! Could it be you’ve devised a plan to wipe out the enemies at the foot of the mountain in one fell swoop?”

“Well, if it’s Captain Jin’s suggestion, I’d trust it even if he turned shit into soybean paste. ”

“Indeed, indeed. In that spirit, I intend to introduce my daughter to Commander Jin as soon as I return. She’s a beauty, just like me.”

Incidentally, the officer offering to introduce his daughter boasted a face as hideous as North Palace Baek’s.

“There is a matter even more important than that.”

“We are all ready to listen. Speak.”

“ We must abandon this place.”