NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: A Desperate Escape
The Descent Into The Emperor's Tomb
The tomb's entrance was hidden beneath a waterfall, and carved into the cliffs of the Eastern Region. Thick fog covers the land, hiding the torches of the Imperial patrols.
Using our Shadow Cloaks, we slipped past the sentries. Silent and unseen.
But the real test lay ahead. The Tomb of the First Emperor was designed to kill any who dared trespass.
> TOMB DEFENSES DETECTED:
✔ Bladed Pendulums – One wrong step meant instant death.
✔ Spirit Guardians – Spectral warriors bound to protect the tomb.
✔ Cursed Relics – Touching the wrong artifact could unleash deathtraps.
We moved carefully, using stealth, and agility to avoid detection. I tossed a smoke bomb, disrupting the Spirit Guardians' vision before slipping through the rotating stone doors.
> SYSTEM PROMPT: CHOOSE PATH
✔ Direct Route (Faster but riskier, facing elite enemies head-on?)
✔ Stealth Path (Longer but avoids major battles, focusing on deception?)
I chose Direct Route.
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The Silent Blades – Kai-Hoon's Elite Assassins
The deeper we went, the stronger the resistance.
Standing in our path were five figures clad in obsidian-black armor, their faces covered by demon masks.
> BOSS ENCOUNTER: THE SILENT BLADES
Elite warriors with unique combat styles. Adapt or die.
Their leader, Commander Seo-Yeon, stepped forward, twin blades gleaming under the flickering torchlight.
"The prince-turned-assassin. You should have stayed in the shadows where you belong." Seo-Yeon said.
Suddenly, She lunged at me, too fast for the eye to follow.
I barely deflected her strike, but she was already moving, her second blade slicing toward my throat.
> SYSTEM PROMPT: COUNTER OR EVADE?
I countered her swift attacks, locking her blades with my Phantom Dagger. But the other assassins attacked simultaneously. It was a well coordinated, and merciless assault.
For every attack I blocked, three more came. They fought as one, their movements seamless, and precise.
"Fall back! We're being overwhelmed!" Jin-Ho shouted loudly.
No. We wouldn't retreat. Not here. Not now.
I activated Shadow Requiem, chaining my strikes into a deadly counteroffensive attack.
> SPECIAL MOVE UNLOCKED: DEATHLOTUS EXECUTION
Unleash a devastating flurry of blades, striking all enemies within range.
Blades clashed against each other. Blood stained the ancient stone. One by one, the Silent Blades fell—until only Seo-Yeon remained.
She knelt, gripping her wounded side, defiant even in defeat.
> Seo-Yeon: "Kill me. But know this—you are too late."
Too late?
The realization struck like a blade to the gut. Kai-Hoon was already here.
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The Emperor's Relic – And the Rising Shadow
We stormed deeper into the tomb, racing against time. Torches flickered brightly, and the air grew heavy with ancient magic.
At the center of the chamber, upon a raised obsidian pedestal, lay the Emperor's Relic—a blade forged from celestial iron, pulsating with an eerie blue glow.
But standing before it was Kai-Hoon himself.
> Kai-Hoon: "Ah, Bae Kae. I was wondering when you would arrive."
His grip tightened around the relic's hilt, its power crackling through his veins.
I drew my blade. This was it. The final war had begun.
> NEXT MISSION: THE DUEL WITH KAI-HOON – POWER VS SHADOW
How will you fight?
✓Face Kai-Hoon in a direct duel, matching his raw power?
✓Use deception and assassination tactics, striking when he least expects?
✓Unleash the full power of the rebellion, turning the battle into an all-out war?
>The Escape from the Emperor's Tomb
A Duel I Couldn't Win
Kai-Hoon stood before the Emperor's Relic, his fingers wrapped around its hilt. The moment he pulled it free, a pulse of ancient energy surged through the tomb. The walls trembled, dust falling from the ceiling as if the very empire itself recognized its new master.
I tightened my grip on my blade, my muscles coiled, ready to strike. But deep down, I knew the truth.
I wasn't ready.
Not yet.
> SYSTEM PROMPT: CHOOSE ACTION
✓Attack head-on? (High risk, low chance of survival.)
✓Use deception? (Create an opening to escape.)
✓Retreat and regroup? (Live to fight another day.)
I chose retreat—but Kai-Hoon wouldn't just let me leave.
> Kai-Hoon: "You hesitate, Bae Kae. You are still that frightened prince running from his own fate."
He stepped forward, his presence alone is suffocating enough already. The Emperor's Relic crackled in his hands, an ominous blue aura surrounding his body.
I barely had time to react before he vanished—no, not vanished. Moved. Faster than I could see.
The next thing I knew, my blade was ripped from my grip, and a cold, heavy force crashed into my chest. I heard the sound of my ribs cracking.
I was sent flying, smashing into a stone pillar. My vision blurred.
> HEALTH -60%
BLEEDING EFFECT ACTIVATED
I struggled to my feet, gasping for air. Kai-Hoon barely looked like he was trying.
> Kai-Hoon: "This is the difference between us, Bae Kae." He raised the relic blade, preparing to end me in a single stroke.
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The Plan – A Calculated Escape
Dying here would mean the end of everything. I had to be smarter.
I scanned my surroundings. The tomb was falling apart from the surge of energies unleashed by the relic. Clear cracks spread along the ceiling, and stone pillars began to fall apart under the pressure.
> TOMB COLLAPSE IN 90 SECONDS
If I could stall Kai-Hoon long enough, I could use the chaos to escape.
I took a deep breath, then lowered my stance—not to fight, but to trick him.
> SYSTEM ACTION: BAIT & ESCAPE
✔ Feign an attack to force Kai-Hoon's counter
✔ Use a smoke bomb to break line of sight
✔ Trigger the tomb collapse to cover my retreat
I lunges at him, slashing my dagger wide. It was a reckless move—but that was the point.
Kai-Hoon sneered, deflecting effortlessly.
> Kai-Hoon: "Pathetic." But before he could strike back, I activated the smoke bomb hidden in my sleeve.
BOOM. Darkness swallowed the chamber.
> STATUS: STEALTH MODE ACTIVATED
I darted toward a collapsing tunnel, ignoring the burning pain in my ribs.
> Kai-Hoon: "Running again, Bae Kae?" His voice echoed through the tomb, but he couldn't see me. Not through the smoke. Not through the crumbling debris.
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The Chase – A Desperate Escape
The tomb was falling apart. I dashed through the winding corridors, dodging falling stone slabs, and leaping over bottomless pits.
> PARKOUR CHECK: SUCCESS
✔ Wall-run across a crumbling bridge
✔ Slide under falling debris
✔ Leap across a collapsing staircase
Behind me, Kai-Hoon's voice followed.
> Kai-Hoon: "You cannot run forever, Bae Kae. The empire belongs to me now." I gritted my teeth. Not yet, it doesn't.
But then—a new problem. A dead end.
A sheer cliff stretched before me, disappearing into darkness. Below, only a deep abyss.
> SYSTEM PROMPT: CHOOSE ESCAPE ROUTE
✓Jump, and trust the unknown? (High risk, but possible survival.)
✓Find an alternate path? (Slow, but safer.)
✓Set a trap for pursuers? (Buy time, but risk getting cornered.)
I had no time to think. So I jumped.
The wind roared in my ears as I plunged into the abyss.
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>Aftermath – Regrouping and the Rising Storm
> YOU ESCAPED THE EMPEROR'S TOMB
✔ Relic Lost – But Not Forgotten
✔ Kai-Hoon's Power Grows
✔ Rebellion in Jeopardy
I awoke sometime later in a hidden cavern beneath the tomb. My body screamed in pain, but at least, I was alive.
I saw Hae-Rin kneeling beside me, her hands glowing with alchemical energy.
> Hae-Rin: "You're lucky to be alive."
Jin-Ho just crossed his arms, watching us.
> Jin-Ho: "You abandoned the relic. Now Kai-Hoon is unstoppable."
I clenched my fists. No. He wasn't. We weren't finished. Not by a long shot.
> NEW OBJECTIVE: PREPARE FOR WAR
✔ Find a counter to the Emperor's Relic
✔ Upgrade the rebellion's forces
✔ Recruit powerful allies from the underworld
Kai-Hoon thought he had won. But this was just the beginning. But before then, I need more men! More allies! Hence the need to recruit more men to my side.