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Chapter : 6
The Divine One Became a Demon
Sequence Arrangement (2)
The explanation of the rules was not yet finished.
“Oh, right! For reference, the last-place group will be eliminated on the spot… so fight like your lives depend on it!”
Gyo Maeng-yong shouted.
If only the winner received special rewards, then naturally the strongest group would be formed—but all the weaker groups would likely band together and gang up on the strongest team first.
In other words, an unfair situation could arise where the strongest group was crushed first.
That was why Gyo Maeng-yong and the lower instructors had added the rule of eliminating the last-place group.
If the remaining groups tried to cooperate to take down the strongest team, would anyone still be eager to lead the charge if they themselves risked immediate elimination for coming in last?
It was like trying to hang a bell on a cat.
Everyone would hesitate, reluctant to be the first to move against the strongest group.
‘More likely, they’ll try to eliminate the weakest group first.’
Human psychology tends to focus less on winning and more on simply avoiding last place. The children would likely prioritize not becoming the worst.
Thus, eliminating the last-place group created that effect.
Swish!
After hearing the instructor’s explanation, Il-ho raised his hand again.
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“You said this is mounted combat… does that mean we can use any means necessary to bring down the opponent’s horse?”
Il-ho asked with a somewhat cruel smile.
In other words, he was asking whether weapons or excessive violence were allowed.
“Anything is fine. As long as it’s not a blade, you may use anything found in this jungle.”
That meant sticks or stones from the jungle were allowed.
Just as Il-ho looked satisfied with the answer—
“However! Killing is strictly prohibited. Anyone who commits murder will be immediately expelled.”
“…Hmm.”
Il-ho clicked his tongue in disappointment, as if regretting that he couldn’t kill his opponent.
His gaze then shifted to Sam-sip-ho (Thirty-ho).
‘If possible, I wanted to kill that insolent bastard.’
Il-ho had originally intended to use So-baek (Sam-sip-ho) as a convenient tool, but after surviving the swamp once, the boy had begun acting cocky and even defiant toward him.
At first, he was just useful—but now he had become an eyesore.
“Now, form teams of three freely. Begin!”
As soon as Gyo Maeng-yong finished speaking, Il-ho immediately moved.
“I-ho! Find someone big and strong! Just one is enough!”
Il-ho ordered I-ho.
In mounted combat, the most important thing wasn’t the person on top, but the strength of those supporting the horse underneath.
‘I need I-ho on top, and a strong body to support from below.’
I-ho was average in strength and intelligence, but he had absolute loyalty and was quick-witted, so Il-ho decided to keep him as a key subordinate.
“U-understood.”
I-ho immediately scanned the trainees and selected two candidates.
Among them, apart from Il-ho, the strongest and largest were Sa-ho and O-ho.
Without hesitation, I-ho chose O-ho.
Sa-ho was slow and overly gentle, not suited for combat sports like mounted fighting.
“O-ho! Come here!”
O-ho happily ran over after being chosen.
Thus, Il-ho and O-ho became the base, with I-ho on top forming a single mounted team.
“I-ho, do your best. Confident, right?”
Il-ho asked.
“Of course. I already grabbed a big stone and a wooden stick when I heard the rules.”
I-ho had been prepared.
He handed them to Il-ho and O-ho with a grin.
Armed within the allowed rules, who could possibly stand against them?
“No way…”
“They teamed up all the strongest ones…”
“That team is definitely the strongest…”
The other children lost their morale before the match even began.
Still, since participation was mandatory, they reluctantly formed groups.
“Anyone want to team with me?”
So-baek, the Sam-sip-ho, stepped forward with rare enthusiasm—but things were not going well.
Ever since being sold into the Man-dok Sect and constantly bullied by Il-ho, he had shown weakness many times.
“No one accepted him.”
While Il-ho had already formed his team and was wandering around looking for weapons, So-baek grew anxious.
“I can work hard! I’m light, so I can be the head of the horse and do well!”
But his pleas echoed into emptiness.
In the end, he had to watch all eight teams form without him.
The children numbered 27 in total.
Originally 30, but three had died during the first training.
They could still form teams.
‘But being the last one left means…’
It meant being the weakest or the most ostracized.
Eventually, So-baek looked to his sides.
As expected.
The strongest Il-ho’s group was one side, and the remaining misfits—including himself—stood awkwardly together.
One of them, Sa-ho, blinked blankly.
“Heh, hehe…”
Sa-ho smiled kindly when he met So-baek’s eyes.
Sa-ho was physically strong but extremely naive and gentle, making him the easiest target among the children.
In fact, even kids half his size had stolen his food before.
“Sa-ho. Come here.”
“Y-yes. Th-thank you.”
Sa-ho quickly ran over.
The last remaining was Sam-ho.
“Me… teaming up with these guys?”
Unlike Sa-ho and So-baek, Sam-ho was different.
He was strong and intelligent and originally part of Il-ho’s faction—but had been injured in the swamp survival test.
His leg had been badly hurt, and despite treatment, he was left limping.
As soon as the first training ended, Il-ho coldly discarded him.
“You’re useless. Get lost.”
Sam-ho had been deeply shocked.
‘This is unfair!’
He could not accept being grouped with the same failures as Sa-ho and So-baek.
“Ugh…”
He clenched his teeth in humiliation.
At that moment—
“Don’t want to do it?”
So-baek spoke calmly.
“What? What did you say?”
“If you don’t want to, leave. We don’t need unmotivated people.”
“You little—!”
Sam-ho flared up, but hesitated.
“Look at Il-ho smiling over there. Even now, are you going to give up just because your leg hurts or your teammates are weak?”
Sam-ho turned his head.
Il-ho was grinning confidently.
“…Damn it. Because of him, I injured my leg…”
The truth was Sam-ho had injured himself while helping Il-ho in the swamp.
He had expected gratitude—but instead was discarded.
“You were useful enough. That should be enough payback, right?”
So-baek asked, observing him calmly.
Sam-ho’s leg was still swollen and painful.
“Let me take a look.”
“What?”
As So-baek reached for his ankle, Sam-ho panicked.
He had no idea So-baek was not an ordinary child—but a divine physician at the peak of medical arts.
“Don’t worry. I learned a bit of acupuncture from masters before.”
“Using grass like that…?”
But time was short.
So-baek ignored him, pulled out sharp pine-like needles, infused them with faint internal energy using breathing technique, and inserted them precisely into the damaged meridian points.
“Ugh—Aghhh!”
Sam-ho screamed in pain.
But soon—
“…Huh? Huh?!”
The pain that had tormented him vanished instantly.
“It won’t last long, but it should hold until the match ends.”
So-baek said calmly.
‘What a pity.’
If he had proper needles, he could have fully healed it.
But with only crude leaves, perfection was impossible.
Sam-ho, on the other hand, was stunned.
His pain was gone.
He could jump, move, even fight.
He looked at So-baek in shock.
“…You… what are you?”
So-baek asked calmly:
“So? Ready to hit Il-ho back now?”
