Just before he reached the stairs!
One shadow with its back to the moonlight stretched long into the lower cabin.
'Are they coming down?'
Dong Bong-su immediately retreated back to the partitioned room inside the stern.
It was easy to hide his body in the darkness, and with the partition there, there was no worry of being caught. If the enemy came this way, he could just escape through the oar port again.
The danger level was.
Of course 'zero.'
Dong Bong-su slightly stuck out his eyes to observe the enemy's movements. If all three came down to the lower cabin, it would be clearly difficult for him to handle them simultaneously.
'Change the plan.'
However,
Only one enemy came down to the lower cabin.
'The enemies scattered?'
Probably the other two went toward the mooring and were shining their fire strikers here and there. If not that, they were panicking on the upper deck.
Either way didn't matter.
Dong Bong-su had confirmed when being carried in earlier that the guard squad leader and squad members wore different outfits. Squad members wore green, squad leaders wore blue.
That person was.
'Green clothes.'
A squad member.
The guy was distracted by the bone fragments he had embedded in the lower cabin floor. No need to hesitate.
Dong Bong-su took out a dagger from his Inventory. He moved stealthily in the darkness of the partitioned room.
At one moment.
Slice—
A finely tearing sound of cutting through air echoed faintly in the lower cabin.
Thud.
The dagger embedded precisely in the side of the squad member's head.
The squad member died a violent death without leaving even a single last word as a dying scream.
Dong Bong-su quietly but quickly approached the falling squad member and put him into his Inventory. This was to prevent in advance the sound that would occur when the floor and corpse collided.
'Two.'
Two dead, two remained.
Dong Bong-su went toward the cabin stairs and threw the squad member he had just killed onto the deck.
Bang.
As the corpse fell on the deck, small vibrations and noise occurred.
"Sq-Squad Leader! Over there!"
Following that, the voice of the last remaining Heavenly Wind Group Third Squad member reached Dong Bong-su's ears.
The other two were indeed near the bow where the ship stairs had been.
Pat.
Dong Bong-su immediately moved.
He went out through the oar port again. And this time, instead of going toward the ship stairs, he went straight from the oar port, inserted his hands into the small gaps between the planks of the ship's bottom planking, and climbed up onto the deck.
Since the oar port's location was at the stern, there was a distance difference of ten meters from the cabin and over twenty meters from the bow.
Dong Bong-su perfectly climbed onto the stern of the deck with the shadow of the tall cabin as his background. Since there was a long bench commonly found on pleasure boats at the stern, it was easy for him to hide.
He was hidden in the darkness and the enemies were still wandering on deck holding fire strikers. Go San-gong and the squad member had moved from the bow to near the cabin in the middle of the ship and were examining the corpse Dong Bong-su had just killed.
A situation where they couldn't even dream that someone was watching them from the stern.
Dong Bong-su took out daggers again. This time two blades.
Without a moment's hesitation, he threw them straight at the backs of the enemies' heads. His Throw Passive had already reached level 8, so his action bonus reached a full 40%.
Whoosh—!
Though he had never learned throwing knife techniques, the daggers he threw truly flew swiftly.
Thud.
Clank!
Two different sounds rang simultaneously.
While the squad member was defenseless and died instantly with the dagger embedded in the back of his head, the guard squad leader Go San-gong sensed the sound of cutting through air and blocked it with the sword-drawing technique he had honed for ten years at the Namgung Family. It was truly a hair's breadth difference and a victory of instinct.
"There!"
Go San-gong shouting while looking toward the stern where Dong Bong-su was hiding. However, he couldn't rashly approach Dong Bong-su's direction. No, he rather retreated backward. Because he thought the enemy wasn't just Dong Bong-su alone.
Probably anyone would do that. Who would think someone alone had moved mysteriously using the oar port?
Dong Bong-su secretly observed Go San-gong while continuing to accelerate his brain.
'Three.'
Three of four dead, so now one enemy remained.
The problem was that person was the guard squad leader. Dong Bong-su had honestly thought he could kill Go San-gong when throwing the flying daggers just before. But Go San-gong blocked it too easily as if mocking that.
'Could he win?'
It was a meaningless question. Already committed. He had to win no matter what.
Dong Bong-su took out the Novice's Sword.
He carefully approached Go San-gong.
'That person has a higher level than me. I can't win normally. To win unconditionally, there must definitely be a method or strategy to win.'
Then what method and strategy were needed?
Ultimately, one thing it came down to.
'Utilize the skills I have to the maximum.'
He, Dong Bong-su, had skills. He had to subdue the enemy by operating his skills and all techniques he could mobilize appropriately at the right time in the right way.
Dong Bong-su began checking all the skills he had while walking.
First, the Active Skills he currently had were.
[Three Talents Sword Technique 1st and 2nd Forms], [Lightness Arts], [Circulating Energy]
These three.
The rest—Spirit Eyes and Slash, Thrust, Throw, Block, etc.—were Passives that were always applied.
Besides these, there was the Inventory Divine Art. This was actually the best survival skill and attack skill among all the skills Dong Bong-su possessed.
Adding to that, the Novice's Sword, Clothes, Shoes, and Hood were 'supreme items' that didn't exist here. In this New Murim Online—that is, the Martial World—no one had items. Only he possessed such divine objects.
Just by wearing these items, a level difference of about 1 or 2 would be easily narrowed.
Chak, chak, chak, chak.
In the few steps he walked, his outfit completely changed.
He put the black robes and mask he wore as the Nameless Vigilante into his Inventory and changed into the Novice set.
Immediately, stats increased due to wearing items.
Whirrrr—
He immediately used the Circulating Energy skill. Attack power and defense power were also enhanced. Preparation was complete.
Now he just had to fight and win.
A few seconds later.
Dong Bong-su finally left the cabin's shadow and fully revealed his appearance under the moonlight.
Indifferent eyes, gaunt frame, height a bit tall compared to his small body.
Anywhere you looked except his gaze, it was Sosam's appearance.
"You are!?"
Go San-gong was shocked seeing Dong Bong-su finally reveal himself.
The reason was simple. Though not familiar, he had seen Dong Bong-su a while ago. Though the clothes he wore had changed, he could recognize him sufficiently.
Because he had a physique that looked weak unlike a guest visiting the Namgung Family, and he had clearly witnessed him being carried into the Heavenly Guest Hall by Heavenly Wind Group Second Squad members earlier.
"Why are you?"
To Go San-gong's question, Dong Bong-su indifferently tossed out one word.
"For the Namgung Family."
"..."
To say that gruesomely killing Heavenly Wind Group squad members was for the Namgung Family.
To Go San-gong, what nonsense was this, but Dong Bong-su's words were true. Because the Namgung Family had to live for him to live, though the method was a bit extreme, for him it was the best 'advice' he was leaving on this ship.
"This crazy..."
The moment the last word 'bastard' was about to come out of Go San-gong's mouth.
Pat—!
Dong Bong-su's attack began.
From Go San-gong's position, he might think it cowardly, but to Dong Bong-su it was natural, and something he had already been thinking about since Go San-gong asked the question.
Fair play?
There are no such rules in fighting.
If such things existed, wouldn't that be even more ridiculous?
Fighting is done to win. Are methods and means important in winning? Especially talking about cowardice in life-or-death matters is even more ridiculous.
Most things encountered here were fine, but formalities. That one thing alone didn't suit Dong Bong-su's taste.
Fighting isn't a sport. No matter how much formality you observe, fighting is just fighting.
Tap, Tap, Tap.
[Lightness Arts Lv.5 Proficiency: 47.75%]
Martial art that lightens the body. By learning Lightness Arts, you can jump higher and run faster.
Current Applied Level: Lv.5 (Player can adjust this skill's level)
Jump Power Bonus: 50%
Movement Power Bonus: 50%
Energy Consumption per Second: 5 JP
Dong Bong-su's Lightness Arts had now reached level 5 with jump power and movement power bonuses each reaching 50%. His movements using Lightness Arts were completely different from just before.
Additionally, Dong Bong-su using level 2 Circulating Energy also had attack power and defense power bonuses reaching 60%. Not only his movements but the sword's power also couldn't be compared to when slaughtering the Heavenly Wind Group Third Squad members earlier.
Swooshhh-!
The Novice's Sword cut through the air and flew sharply toward Go San-gong's neck.
That form was the Three Talents Sword Technique 2nd Form Direct Strike at the Yellow Dragon, which had reached level 4 from steady practice.
[Three Talents Sword Technique 2nd Form Direct Strike at the Yellow Dragon Lv.4 Proficiency: 45.7%]
A sword technique extremely common in the Martial World. Even ordinary people without internal energy can learn it.
Direct Strike at the Yellow Dragon is an enhanced version of thrust.
All action bonuses of this skill are related to related skill proficiency and presence/absence of Sword Energy/Sword Aura activation.
Current Applied Level: Lv.4 (Player can adjust this skill's level)
Thrust Range Bonus: 4%
Thrust Attack Power Bonus: 4%
Thrust Casting Speed Bonus: -3%
Energy Consumption per Use: 60 JP
Kang!
Go San-gong was also formidable. Even at Dong Bong-su's sudden attack, he quickly raised his sword and deflected the Novice's Sword.
He immediately followed with a counterattack at Dong Bong-su.
Having honed his sword for ten years at the Namgung Family, his sword momentum was quite extraordinary and that sword name was also quite fierce.
The form Go San-gong used was precisely the Heavenly Wind Sword Technique 1st Form Heavenly Wind Flowing Cloud. The Heavenly Wind Sword Technique was the Heavenly Wind Group's exclusive sword technique, a heavy sword style that struck opponents violently like heavenly wind. Among them, Heavenly Wind Flowing Cloud was the fastest sword form specialized in horizontal strikes.
Whoosh—
Like wind gently roaming above clouds, Go San-gong's sword swept across Dong Bong-su's waist.
Dong Bong-su was still in a state where he couldn't properly control his body due to the rebound from Go San-gong's strike just before, so he wasn't in a condition to properly block Go San-gong's form.
In that situation, Dong Bong-su forcefully twisted his wrist to point the sword tip downward. With that, a blocking posture with the sword tip facing the ground vertically was completed. The Block Passive had an extremely low level compared to other skills because there were actually few occasions to block. Only level 2. Action bonus 5%.
Clank!
Go San-gong's sword perfectly horizontal with the ship's deck clashed with Dong Bong-su's sword blade at a ninety-degree angle.