I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 129

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 129.  

Yoo Baek-jun was sitting alone in his hideout.  

“I think I made a good impression, right?”  

Han Chang-woo is quite a righteous person.  

You could say he’s like a typical main protagonist. He can’t stand injustice, which is why he reacts very sensitively to situations where people are harmed.  

The fact that he was once in a position of weakness himself is probably one of the biggest reasons.  

‘He was abandoned at a Gate.’  

And yet, he doesn’t resent the hunters who abandoned him—what a pushover, you could say.  

Anyway,  

That’s why there’s room to provoke him.  

‘Director Baek Jang-hyeon… no, the next Association Chairman will start interfering in earnest once the successor of the Sword Saint family is decided.’  

The key figures in Baek Jang-hyeon’s faction are Chae Jeong-jun and Han Chang-woo. If I can plant a favorable impression in their minds, it’ll be a big help.  

That’s why I acted the way I did.  

It seems to have worked, too.  

—Meeew…  

A dozing sound came from Seol-yeong, curled up in his arms.

Listening to it, Yoo Baek-jun made a call.

Directly to Ryu Il-woo.  

—Hmm. Long time no see, Yoo Baek-jun.  

“Mr. Ryu Il-woo, what are you up to these days?”  

—I just cleared a Gate a while ago. Right now, I’m taking a short break and helping with recovery.  

“Doing good work, I see.”  

—Hmm… I don’t think you called to praise me. What’s the matter?  

True to his blunt personality, Ryu Il-woo wanted to skip the small talk and get straight to the point.  

That was exactly what Yoo Baek-jun wanted, too.  

“There’s something I need you to do.”  

—Something to do? What is it?  

“Dealing with demons.”  

—Demons…  

Ryu Il-woo’s voice hardened. 

The battle he had fought not long ago came to mind.  

—Weren’t they all killed?  

“There are remnants still alive. Well, that’s beside the point—there are some… very amusing people playing around with demon corpses.”  

—That’s unforgivable.  

Ryu Il-woo readily accepted the proposal.  

Yoo Baek-jun explained the detailed plan to him and then contacted the Peng family as well.  

Peng Dae-yeop also agreed without hesitation.  

—No reason to refuse!  

His cheerful attitude was quite likable.  

There were a total of five branches. Three were now handled: by the Association, Crimson Crusade, and the Peng family.  

As for the remaining one…  

“It has to be Jin Seo-yeon.”  

 Yoo Baek-jun picked up the phone.  

—What?  

“Hey, let’s work together on something.”  

Silence lingered on the other end of the line.  

—What?  

After a long silence, that was the response he got.  

A reaction that seemed utterly baffled.  

* * *  

Before starting this operation, there’s one thing that absolutely must be taken care of—something that cannot be overlooked.  

That is, not arousing Vincent’s suspicion. Vincent must not suspect him.  

“…So that’s why you’re going through all this trouble?”  

“Yeah, hurry up and draw the magic circle.”  

“You’re really…”  

Yoo Baek-jun and Jin Seo-yeon were alone in the forest.  

—Meow?  

“Aww, Seol-yeong is adorable no matter how many times I see it.”  

—Mrrow?  

To be precise, there was one more creature present with them.  

Jin Seo-yeon’s angry expression melted away the moment she saw Seol-yeong.  

“Honestly, I don’t know if it’s okay to leave it with such a careless owner. What if it picks up bad habits?”  

“Are you its mom or something?”  

“If I could be, I would.”  

“You’re really…”  

Lately, he’d been saying that a lot.  

Yoo Baek-jun let out a deep sigh and looked at the magic circle on the ground. It was a portal connecting to Seoul.  

“You’re sure it’s properly connected, right?”  

“Yes, it’ll lead to that hotel you mentioned… the party venue, was it?”  

Jin Seo-yeon tilted her head.  

“But why exactly is this necessary?”  

“Because we’ll need to go back and forth.”  

“Go back and forth?”  

Vincent’s suspicion must not be aroused.  

Fortunately, thanks to obtaining their schedule, he knew where the next meeting would be held.  

He planned to go there in advance, set up the portal, and then attend the meeting .  

‘During the breaks between meetings, I’ll use the portal to come back here and destroy the lab.’  

Then, he’d return to the meeting and act as if nothing happened while talking to Vincent.  

That way, instead of suspecting Yoo Baek-jun, Vincent would think some other problem had occurred.  

‘I hope everything goes according to plan.’  

Yoo Baek-jun thought as he looked at the lab beyond the forest.  

He turned his gaze to Jin Seo-yeon.  

“You have work to do, too.”  

“…Me too?”  

Yoo Baek-jun nodded.  

“Alright, listen carefully. If you go this way, there’s a lab…”  

“…….”  

Jin Seo-yeon stared at Yoo Baek-jun as he unfolded a map and explained his plan, looking utterly baffled.  

“What kind of guy are you, seriously?”  

—Bad human…  

Seol-yeong meowed in agreement.  

* * *  

Yoo Baek-jun immediately took action.  

There was no need to delay, and delaying wouldn’t do any good. He had to move quickly.  

First, he attended the event.  

“Vincent! I’ve been waiting for you.”  

“Ah, Mr. Yoo Baek-jun.”  

He deliberately made sure Vincent noticed him and engaged in a long conversation with him.  

He did his best not to arouse suspicion, making it seem as though he was deeply devoted to Vincent’s cause.  

‘He seems to think I’m completely under his spell.’  

Under normal circumstances, it might be suspicious, but Vincent wouldn’t doubt it.  

That’s because one of the abilities he received from Thanatos was related to brainwashing.  

Not to mention, he had even set up devices to aid in brainwashing during every gathering.  

‘He’ll have no choice but to assume I’ve been brainwashed.’  

That’s the opportunity.  

During the event, Yoo Baek-jun slipped away when the time was right. He entered a tent in a secluded corner of the venue where no one would come.  

“Young Master.”  

“Lee Jun-woo. No one’s been here, right?”  

“Not even an ant dared to peek.”  

The tent was guarded by Lee Jun-woo.  

“I told them it’s a changing room for performers. No one should come looking. Just in case, I’ll keep watch.”  

“Good.”  

Yoo Baek-jun stood in front of the magic circle.  

“Han Seong-ah is on standby. It’s a small team… Will that be alright?”  

“Alright?”  

Yoo Baek-jun smirked at Lee Jun-woo.  

“Are you saying that to me?”  

“Unnecessary worry, it seems.”  

Lee Jun-woo smiled back. Yoo Baek-jun stepped onto the magic circle and activated the portal.  

Whoosh! The scenery shifted.  

When he opened his eyes, Yoo Baek-jun found himself in the forest he had visited the day before.  

“Young Master.”  

“Hmm, how many are here?”  

Han Seong-ah greeted him.  

“I’ve arranged the bare minimum. You said not to involve the Sword Saint family’s people…”  

Behind her, several figures appeared.  

Peng Do-hyeok, Serberia, and some of the Crimson Crusade’s Holy knights.  

“This is a nostalgic lineup.”  

“Long time no see, Mr. Yoo Baek-jun!”  

“Mr. Peng Do-hyeok, keep it down, will you? Quietly. Didn’t you hear this is a secret operation?”  

“Ah, my mouth again.”  

It was the same team from the days of raiding Barwe. Yoo Baek-jun chuckled.  

“It’s good to see you all again. I hope your skills haven’t gotten rusty?”  

“Haha, how could they?”  

“I was told to help you properly, even if it meant breaking my bones. Not that I plan to go that far… but I’ll do my best.”  

That’s more than enough.  

Yoo Baek-jun led them to the edge of the forest, close to the lab.  

The lab was heavily guarded. Given how crucial the facility was, the Cult of Resurrection had prepared thoroughly.  

“We’ve surrounded the perimeter. I’ve instructed them to eliminate anyone trying to escape.”  

“Good.”  

Yoo Baek-jun used the disguises he had prepared in advance. His and Han Seong-ah’s appearances changed.  

Now, they looked like strangers—a man and a woman.  

“How do I look?”  

“…Like someone I don’t know.”  

“Perfect. Instructor Han Seong-ah looks fine, too.”  

“Thank you… I guess?”  

Ignoring Han Seong-ah’s puzzled expression, Yoo Baek-jun gestured to the others.  

Those waiting for his command began attacking the guards stationed around the lab.  

“What the— Aaaaah!”  

“Enemies! Enemies!”  

The guards were caught off guard by the sudden assault. Yoo Baek-jun and Han Seong-ah seized the opportunity to close the distance.  

“You know what to do, right?”  

“Yes! I won’t use swordsmanship!”  

Han Seong-ah used dark magic to take down the guards, while Yoo Baek-jun clenched his fists.  

What he’s most publicly known for is his use of the Thunder spear.  

Using his fists shouldn’t raise suspicions.  

“You bas— Gah!”  

He struck the back of a guard’s neck as the man reached for his weapon.  

Yoo Baek-jun caught the collapsing body and drove his knee into the guard’s chin.  

Crunch! 

He threw the limp guard into the others, disrupting their formation, and charged forward.  

“Kyaaak!”  

Using Heavenly thunder, Yoo Baek-jun’s movements became too fast for the eye to follow.  

He immediately stomped down with a ThunderStomp kick.  

Crackle!  

The ground caved in where his foot landed.  

Lightning spread outward, electrocuting the enemies, and Han Seong-ah finished them off in one strike.  

“Young Master, these guys…”  

“Kill them all.”  

“Understood.”  

Some might call it cruel.  

But the guards stationed here belong to shady underworld organizations, so it doesn’t matter.  

Following Yoo Baek-jun’s order, Han Seong-ah eliminated the guards, and the others did the same.  

—The entrance is secured. Proceeding with communications blackout.  

—The perimeter is fully surrounded!  

Reports came in one after another through the comms.  

Yoo Baek-jun stood before the lab’s door. He raised his leg, gathered strength, and—  

“Time for the hosts to meet their guest!”  

—with one kick, he shattered the lab’s door.  

* * *  

Inside the lab, research was in full swing.  

Since it also served as a branch, everyone inside was a devout follower of Thanatos.  

“…….”  

In the director’s office of the lab, there was a man. An elderly man with a robust physique for his age.  

As the door opened, a female employee approached the director, who had been lost in thought while staring at a screen.  

“Director.”  

“Hmm……”  

The woman was carrying a stack of documents. The director didn’t even glance at her as he asked,  

“How is Test Subject A?”  

“Demonification was successful. Subject A is currently adapting to the transformed body.”  

“What about Test Subjects B and C?”  

“B is still undergoing demonification, and C failed and was disposed of.”  

The director stood up.  

“We’re making progress.”  

“Yes, capturing the demon remnants was a huge help. Before, the research data was too unstable, so the results were poor.”  

“Right, those foolish demons.”  

A sneer formed on the director’s lips.  

“Who knew they’d fall for it so easily?”  

“They came without suspicion when we said we wanted to help them. Made our job much easier.”  

The director walked out with the woman.  

The underground was filled with complex facilities and devices. Equipment for researching demonification and mass-producing metamorphosis serum.  

“How’s the mass-production preparation?”  

“About 60% complete. If we just have a little more time…”  

“Good, very good. Vincent… no, Lord Thanatos will be pleased.”  

The director headed deeper into the lab.  

Unlike the other areas, this one was designed like a prison—a place meant to cage beasts. In the very back were the demons.  

—Damn… humans… bastards…….  

—My blood… my blood…….  

Their bodies were subjects of research.  

Their blood was being drained to use as material for the metamorphosis serum—a pitiful sight.  

These were the wretched remains of the demons who had once led the invasion of Seoul from the demon realm.  

And in the very back…  

“How are you feeling today, demon?”  

…was Carousel.  

Bound head to toe, she spat out blood.  

—Like shit.  

“That’s fortunate.”  

The director sneered at her.