Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Episode 76: Fogus (3)

The ship’s speed gradually slowed, and the waves also became calmer.

It meant they had crossed the vast sea and arrived somewhere.

Of course, Karon had sensed this some time ago.

The faint smell of soil and grass seeped into the ship, and the distant chirping of birds could be heard.

Judging by the heavier air, it seemed the surroundings were shrouded in fog.

Such a place posed the risk of running aground on reefs unless one was skilled in navigation.

“This place would be suitable as a base. I wonder if Hinshan will be able to follow.”

He wasn’t overly concerned, only slightly bothered by the thought of dealing with the Fogus gang and returning.

If Hinshan’s group couldn’t make it, Karon would have to steer the ship out himself. However, no matter how keen his senses, they’d be of little use on the open sea.

“Well, I could always spare a few of them to help out.”

It would be troublesome, but it couldn’t be helped. He just hoped Hinshan’s group arrived safely.

Lost in various thoughts, Karon suddenly raised his head.

As if on cue, the door at the top of the stairs opened, and pirates strode down.

It seemed they had arrived.

When the pirates unlocked the iron cell, a young woman imprisoned with Karon clung close to him.

Whish- Whoosh-

Upon leaving the underground and reaching the deck, the strong sea breeze was the first to greet them.

Though the fog still hung thick, Karon quickly assessed the surroundings.

As he expected, jagged reefs rose here and there like traps, and he could see a small beach and coastal cliffs.

There was no suitable place for people to land.

And beneath the cliffs lay a cave.

Though it was night and difficult to gauge its exact size, it was clear that the location was concealed.

From its low and broad form, it seemed to be naturally formed.

Karon and the captives were transferred to a small boat and headed directly for the cave.

Inside, lit torches were scattered here and there, revealing pirates standing guard nearby.

With hidden pirates included, a considerable number were stationed to protect the area.

After docking on a gentle rock slope, the pirates led Karon and the captives into the cave.

Since there was nowhere left to escape, they untied their feet but kept their hands bound, likely to prevent any sudden resistance.

The paths branched off multiple times like a maze, yet Karon memorized every route.

He counted the guards and assessed their weapons as he passed.

The path gradually widened, and the noise grew louder.

The mingling scents of food and sweat filled the cave, and as the light brightened, it appeared they were nearing the heart of the hideout.

A quick glance revealed many pirates enjoying food and drink in abundance.

In one glance, he saw that captured women were being used as playthings.

No one would have anticipated such a massive pirate den in the middle of the sea.

Karon was led further into the cave.

Once more, he was confined in an iron cell. In this area, numerous people were locked in makeshift cages scattered about.

A variety of individuals had been captured, suggesting that the pirates indiscriminately kidnapped whoever they encountered.

Karon was confined in the most visible location, with a sharp stone fragment now in his hand.

The loud noise continued until late at night, quieting down only as dawn approached, leaving a silence.

“Haaa…”

In the middle of the cells, a pirate standing guard sat on a chair, nodding off.

Judging by the periodic change of guards, there was still some level of security.

When silence enveloped the area, Karon slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.

It was time to move.

He rose silently, like a ghost.

A young woman, too frightened to sleep, watched Karon, startled by his sudden movement after he’d seemed lifeless until now.

Then—

Snap!

With a heavy sound, the rope binding his wrists snapped.

It was thickly braided, impossible to break with ordinary human strength.

Yet Karon broke it as if snapping a strand of grass.

“Oh!”

The young woman gasped, covering her mouth.

“Huh…? What was that?”

The guard in the center looked toward Karon’s cell, alerted by the noise.

“You—you broke the rope?”

The pirate was about to whistle when a dark object flew towards him.

Thunk!

A sharp stone fragment embedded itself in the pirate’s forehead.

After confirming that the pirate had fallen, Karon approached the cell door and gripped the iron bars.

He began to pull with all his strength.

Gradually, the lock stretched apart.

Creak!

With a metallic snap, the cell door swung open.

The hostages watched Karon in stunned silence.

But as their survival instinct kicked in, they began to rise, only for Karon to raise his palm to stop them.

“It’s dangerous if you leave. You’re safer here. At dawn, people will come to rescue you. Remember, it’s dangerous out there.”

That was all he said.

If anyone disregarded his warning and left, resulting in their death, it couldn’t be helped.

Karon preferred handling things quietly, so it would be better if they stayed put.

But he couldn’t force them to remain.

With the door open and no guard watching, wanting to flee was natural.

After leaving the cell, Karon took a dagger from the fallen pirate.

A longsword would have been ideal, but this would suffice.

And weapons were plentiful beyond this point.

Sticking to shadows where the torchlight didn’t reach, he moved through the corridor.

His movements were swift and sure, as if he’d traversed the cave countless times before.

Step- Step-

A pirate patrolling the cave with a torch noticed Karon only when he appeared right before him.

But by then, a dagger had already pierced his throat.

“Guh!”

Without facing any resistance, Karon concealed the dead pirate in the darkness and continued to move.

Karon’s destination was the central, open chamber of the cave.

There, countless pirates lay sprawled out in various positions, deeply asleep, and finding their leader would require searching each one of them.

The issue was that the area was open on all sides, leaving no place to hide.

Torches surrounded the chamber, leaving no dark shadows for cover.

Nevertheless, Karon moved without hesitation.

Swish-

He glided through the pirates, slipping past them with ease.

Surprisingly, they remained deeply asleep, oblivious to his presence.

His movements were so uncanny that he seemed like a ghost.

After thoroughly searching the chamber, he still hadn’t found anyone resembling the leader.

At that moment, as he neared the central bonfire, where the most pirates were gathered, a pirate happened to wake up and meet his gaze.

The pirate’s mouth opened, eyes widening in shock, but at the same moment, Karon’s hand covered his mouth, and a dagger plunged into his heart.

Thunk!

Splurt!

Blood splattered across Karon’s face.

Fortunately, there was no commotion, but the problem was the woman lying behind the pirate, who woke up and saw everything.

Karon hesitated, dagger poised.

She was an innocent woman. Besides, it was clear their leader wasn’t here.

With the island being so large and the cave maze-like, searching for the leader would take time.

Karon opted for a different approach.

Screech!

The woman screamed.

“What the—what’s going on!”

“An intruder? Where?”

“Who’s the lunatic?”

Pirates jolted awake, grabbing their weapons as they rose in alarm.

The once silent chamber now buzzed with a murderous energy as pirates surrounded the bonfire where Karon stood.

“Who the hell are you, kid? How’d you get in here?”

“Is this a jailbreak? He’s just a kid!”

The pirates muttered, disbelief clear in their expressions.

“Where is your leader?”

Karon’s tone was indifferent, leaving the pirates bewildered.

He looked young, barely an adult, with a slight build, and seemed devoid of any intimidating presence.

Yet here he was, demanding to know the location of their leader.

“I’ll spare whoever tells me where the leader is.”

The absurdity of his demand left them in disbelief.

“You want to find our leader? Go to hell and ask him, you lunatic!”

The pirate closest to Karon, unwilling to listen any longer, swung a heavy mace at him.

Whoosh-

The massive weapon aimed straight for Karon’s head, but he sidestepped, leaving an afterimage as he moved.

The mace hit the ground, and before the pirate knew what happened, a dagger was lodged in his throat.

Gurgle!

The pirate clutched his neck, collapsing, unaware of how he’d been struck.

“Hah!”

“What the…?”

The other pirates gaped at Karon and their fallen comrade, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.

It wasn’t their comrade’s death that unsettled them.

It was that none of them had seen how he died.

Meanwhile, Karon calmly picked up the fallen pirate’s mace.

The act was so fluid that the other pirates could only stare in a daze.

There was no apparent malice, but their bodies felt heavy, their breathing labored, as if they were sinking into quicksand.

“I’ll spare whoever tells me where the leader is,” Karon repeated, his tone devoid of emotion.

At that moment, the pirates realized—

“Kill him!”

“Kill him now!”

Gripped by a fear unlike anything they’d felt before, they knew they had to kill this demon.

But it was a futile hope.

Pirates swarmed from all directions like bees.

Simultaneously, Karon’s mace swung out, moving faster with each strike as a red haze surrounded it, leaving a ghostly afterimage.

Shhhh-

As time passed, the red hue deepened, and a crimson glow radiated from Karon’s eyes.

The red aura around the mace transformed into a brutal storm that tore through everything around him.

In the wake of the storm, only unrecognizable bodies lay scattered.

“Spare me!”

“Mercy!”

“He’s a demon! Everyone, run!”

The pirates, finally realizing the severity of the situation, attempted to flee, but as soon as they turned their backs, the mace flew towards them, crushing their skulls.

When the storm in the chamber settled, no pirate remained alive.

Only Karon stood there, drenched in blood, like a devil himself.

Clang!

As the dark red energy faded and his eyes returned to black, Karon dropped the mace with a dissatisfied expression.

“Damn, I got too absorbed.”

Perhaps he’d failed to control his power after days of not releasing the demon’s energy.

“E-excuse me…”

As Karon pondered his miscalculation, a voice called out to him.

He turned to see the woman who had been with the pirate earlier, equally covered in blood.

When he looked at her, she flinched but spoke carefully.

“I… I know where the leader is.”

“Lead the way.”

Karon responded indifferently and picked up a sword lying on the ground.

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