Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 24: The Demon-Infused Sword (4)

The bandit leader inwardly rejoiced.

He didn’t know where these people had come from, but judging by their wealth and naive demeanor, they were undoubtedly the children of a wealthy family. Kidnapping noble offspring for ransom had always been a lucrative business.

Seeing them approach so easily, it was clear that, like any noble heir, they were ignorant of the ways of the world.

Just as he raised his axe to intimidate them, the man suddenly stopped and stared at him, speaking calmly.

“It’s best if you hand over the information you’ve received. Think carefully—this is the only warning you’ll get.”

Had the man somehow sensed his intentions? Or was this just the arrogance of a pampered noble?

The boy arrogantly raised his chin and muttered, but there was no trace of fear in his words.

Angered, the leader decided to teach this brat a lesson by beating him senseless.

“You little punk… Get off that horse!”

Suppressing his anger, the leader spoke. It was easier to negotiate when they weren’t riled up.

However, Karon had no intention of following his orders.

“And if I refuse?”

When Karon answered with an insolent tone, the leader’s thin patience snapped.

“You damn brat!”

He swung his axe forcefully at the horse’s head. If the rider wouldn’t get off, he would simply kill the horse.

The horse was valuable, but losing one wasn’t a big deal—they could always use it for food if necessary.

Whoosh—

Clang!

But the axe never reached the horse. Karon’s sword flew in and deflected the blow.

The leader’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Karon’s sword. The blade was pitch-black, radiating an ominous aura.

‘What? When did he…?’

Slash!

Before he could react, Karon’s sword shot toward the leader’s neck. He quickly raised his axe to block it.

Clang!

The force of the impact sent the leader flying back several meters. His iron axe was now chipped, and his hand had been torn open by the sheer power of the blow. The force rattled his brain, leaving him momentarily stunned.

But it wasn’t over.

‘Damn it!’

As he lowered the axe, he saw Karon’s sword flying toward his heart. He twisted his body to avoid the fatal strike.

Thud!

“Argh!”

But the sword moved too fast. The black blade pierced through his shoulder. It sliced in as if cutting through air, the edge so sharp that it effortlessly pierced his flesh.

The leader staggered backward, falling hard on his backside. The force of the blow had thrown him off balance.

More than the pain in his shoulder, it was the humiliation of being wounded by a mere boy that infuriated him.

“Kill that bastard!”

His cry snapped the bandits back to attention.

Karon’s sword had only moved three times, but it had all happened in an instant. Their leader, taken down so easily, left them momentarily frozen in shock.

“You crazy bastard!”

“Kill him!”

As the bandits charged from all sides, Karon dismounted from his horse, not wanting it to be harmed. He then stretched his hand toward the leader.

At that moment—

Swish!

“Urgh!”

The leader groaned again.

The sword embedded in his shoulder suddenly flew out on its own, as if it had a life of its own, landing perfectly in Karon’s grasp.

“Huh!”

Despite clutching his bleeding shoulder, the leader couldn’t hide his astonishment at what he had just witnessed.

Was there an invisible string attached to the sword?

But that was just the beginning.

Karon wielded the sword as if it were a whip, effortlessly controlling its movements.

A crimson haze filled the air, disorienting the bandits, and with each swing, the sword cut down his foes. Blocking it was futile—the black blade sliced through everything in its path.

There was no mistaking it—Karon was a monster.

What sent chills down their spines even more than his power was his expression.

He wielded the sword with a lethargic expression, his empty eyes staring into the distance. When the crimson aura enveloped him, he looked like a demon.

“He’s a demon!”

“Spare me!”

When more than half of the bandits had fallen, the survivors threw down their weapons and fled in terror.

The leader despaired. His world, built through years of effort, was collapsing in an instant.

“He’s a demon! Run!”

With the remaining bandits having fled, only corpses were left scattered across the roadside.

At the end of it all, the leader knelt in despair.

Karon didn’t bother chasing after the fleeing bandits.

“This is… impossible…”

The leader’s words were cut short. Karon had silently approached, placing the black sword against his throat.

The crimson haze disappeared as Karon absorbed it back into his body.

“Now, are you ready to talk?”

The leader swallowed hard, lowering his head. He no longer had the strength to bluff.

If he wanted to survive, he needed to leave quickly and seek treatment. The bleeding was too severe.

“About a year ago, they were searching for someone in Bela.”

“Searching?”

Karon’s brow furrowed.

“Yes. We were selling slaves to a trader at the time. They asked us if we had seen her. They were looking for a girl with a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, black hair, and silver eyes.”

Karon suddenly recalled the girl he had met in the capital’s slave market.

She, with jewel-like eyes amidst her disheveled hair…

“And what did they say?”

“What else? Girls like that aren’t exactly rare. All the Chakran tribes to the east of the capital have black hair and silver eyes. The search party might’ve headed that way.”

This was new information for Karon.

No matter how much he had traveled with the mercenary group, he was still too young, and the places he had visited only covered a small fraction of the continent.

“You should ask the Megamon gang or the Hinjo gang that operate in the city. They’d know more.”

“Megamon gang? Hinjo gang?”

“Yeah, they’re the ones who’ll do anything for money, including selling slaves.”

Karon engraved the names of the two gangs in his mind. He continued questioning.

“Is there a lot of slave trading in Bela?”

“Hah… You don’t even know that, and you’re heading there? Bela has the largest auction houses and slave traders in the Rob Empire. Over half the slaves in the capital’s Colosseum come from Bela. People like us, who kidnap and sell others, are everywhere!”

The leader’s voice grew louder as if he was pleading his case. Did it work? Karon, who had been indifferently watching, clicked his tongue briefly and withdrew his sword.

Only then did the leader let out a shallow sigh of relief.

“So, you’re letting me live?”

Shong, who had been approaching with the horses, asked while still mounted. He knew Karon to be someone without mercy.

Karon sheathed his black sword and remounted his horse. A hint of satisfaction crossed his face.

He seemed more pleased with the sword than expected after using it in battle.

He felt like he had taken a step closer to the level of those black-cloaked warriors.

Karon began to ride slowly.

Meanwhile, Shong, having dismounted, rummaged through the leader’s belongings and pulled out a bloodstained gold coin.

“I’ll be taking this back. You don’t seem to need it anymore.”

“Argh… cough!”

The bandit leader grimaced as he tried to move, only to cough up a handful of dark red blood. Shong jumped back in surprise, exclaiming.

“Damn! That scared me. Ugh. He’s done for anyway. Of course, that wicked guy wouldn’t have left him alive.”

Shong shook his head and began collecting valuables from the bodies of the dead bandits scattered around.

Before Karon disappeared from view, Shong quickly jumped back onto his horse and called out to the bandit leader.

“Watch out for those big shots in the future. Anything big always has a reason. Then again, not that it matters since you’re about to die.”

With a slight tilt of his head, Shong confidently rode past the bandit leader and chased after Karon.

The bandit leader, after several more bouts of coughing up blood, collapsed limp on the ground.

As Shong caught up with Karon, he extended his palm.

“Huh?”

Seeing Shong’s puzzled expression, Karon, still facing forward, gave a curt reply.

“The gold.”

Shong’s eyes widened in shock as he exaggeratedly protested.

“Are you seriously going to take back the gold coin you just gave to the bandit leader, even after he gave you valuable information? That’s a seriously shameless move—taking back what you’ve given. That’s downright—”

Shong abruptly stopped talking.

Karon’s right hand had moved toward his sword’s hilt, leaving Shong with no choice but to hand over the bloodstained coin he had reluctantly cleaned.

***

At the southeastern tip of the Rob Empire lay the port city of Bela.

Bela was enjoying a golden era.

The capital needed more slaves. Demand was high, but the supply was low.

Naturally, the value of slaves skyrocketed, drawing in illegal brokers and criminals from all over.

The city was filled with vast amounts of unclaimed wealth from the sale of slaves.

Inevitably, swindlers, merchants, and all manner of people flocked to the city, setting up pleasure districts throughout.

Organized criminals thrived, earning fortunes from the slave markets, gambling dens, arenas, and protection rackets. Territory wars erupted daily, with dozens dying in the crossfire.

While officials and security forces remained in the city, they were so bloated with bribes that it was hard for them to function. They barely batted an eye at murders, and it would take a massacre for them to even stir.

Bela had essentially become a lawless zone.

Among the most powerful were two gangs.

One was led by ‘Double Blades Hinjo,’ and the other by ‘Iron Hammer Megamon.’

Though they had official names, in the city, they were simply known as the Hinjo gang and the Megamon gang.

The two gangs had divided Bela between east and west, their influence growing so large that they frequently clashed in the central district.

As expected, yet another bloody territorial battle was unfolding today.

***

Atop a tall hill on the southern edge of the city.

The entire city and the walls surrounding it came into view.

The city walls had been built to repel invaders from across the sea, but no foreign forces had ever launched an attack.

Two horses stood side by side at the top of the hill.

“Ah! The weather’s great, and the view’s amazing!”

Shong stretched lazily.

“Do you think he’ll be here?”

Yawning, Shong muttered again. There was still no response. He blocked Karon’s path, emphasizing once more.

“Like I said earlier! If you’re going to speak casually, then stick to the rules: no killing people, no throwing your sword, no tossing gold coins. Especially the gold coins—people everywhere have eyes. If they find out you have gold, you’ll become a target. And the most important thing…”

Suddenly, Shong’s face turned expressionless, and his eyes grew hollow. His voice became dry and monotone as he spoke.

“Black cloak. Blue hair. Red orb. Speak.”

Imitating Karon, Shong tried to mimic his demeanor. But Karon only stared at him blankly, showing no signs of amusement or irritation.

Awkwardly, Shong cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“Absolutely—under no circumstances—should you do that. If you do, it’s like putting up a sign saying we’re looking for them. We need to be discreet, gather information, and approach cautiously. You’re listening to me, right?”

Shong leaned in, annoyed at Karon’s silence, and asked.

“Yeah, I got it. Now let’s move.”

Karon brushed him aside and started descending the hill.

The two continued down the hill for a while.

However, something felt off right from the city’s entrance.

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