Unexpectedly, someone appeared and saved Yong just as the young man was contemplating that it would be better to end his life at the hands of the swordsmen rather than to live with his demonic appearance. He didn't know who this person was, but they took him south from the impoverished city.
Near the mountains, they were lucky no one was chasing them, but it might only be for a short time. When they arrived, Yong instinctively attacked the person who had saved him because he thought this person was dangerous.
"Get away! Who are you, really?!" Yong shrieked, dragging his feet backward.
The figure in the completely covered black robe was silent, then gave a small smile as if he were toying with Yong.
"I asked, who are you?!" For the second time, he asked in a loud voice.
But there was no answer from the mysterious figure.
"Oh, you don't want to answer, it seems. I guess I have to—"
BAM!
Before he could finish speaking, the figure had struck Yong right in the solar plexus. Yong was not used to reacting faster than his movements, so he was hit squarely.
"Wh-what kind of agile movement was that?" Yong mumbled in a hoarse, stuttering voice while enduring the pain.
Even though Yong was wearing several layers of thick clothing, it still felt as painful as being stabbed with a knife.
The smile did not leave the figure's face, and he attacked again at the same spot, but Yong never fell. Although it hurt, he could still stand strong as if he had not received any impact from the enemy's attack at all.
The robed figure fell silent for a moment, and the smile faded. Not long after, he smiled again, this time wider and seeming happier.
"Is he mocking me?" Yong thought confidently.
Instinctively, Yong attacked not with his trusted weapon, which was still stored in his thick clothes. Instead, he attacked using his fists, just like the other man.
"HIYAH!"
The punch was aimed and landed directly on the man's face. The man accepted it willingly. Another identical attack came from Yong, he repeatedly delivered punches with all his might without feeling the slightest bit of fatigue!
SLASH!
Until finally, long claws tore through the skin. His predatory instincts worked in accordance with his seemingly brutal movements. All the while, he continued to punch, but the man did not fight back, not because he couldn't, but because he had no intention to.
A moment after thousands of punches were not parried, Yong began to realize something.
"What is this?"
All of his thick clothing, which should have been intact, was now gone, leaving only the black garment that Yong was currently wearing. The young man stood still with his right fist poised, ready to hit the person who had fallen to the ground. His eyes widened in shock, realizing that he was different from usual.
"Why am I not holding my sword?" This was the question that came out of his mouth when he realized the anomaly.
Yong was aware that his twin swords were still sheathed when he fought his enemy. But what happened to him was that he fought without a weapon.
"Since when did my punch become this powerful..." Yong muttered, not understanding. He began to stare at the palms of his hands that had been used.
"That's because you're no longer human!" the mysterious figure revealed in a loud, heavy voice. He then got up without a single injury.
But as he stood up, a drop of blood flowed from the small, sudden cuts that had appeared. The mysterious figure smiled broadly again as if he was happy that someone could hurt him.
"What do you mean by that?" Yong asked, confused. For a moment, an unpleasant aura radiated from the entire body of this person, causing Yong to take a step back.
"Just watch!"
The same punch, but with a different power. Yong was sent flying far away until he hit a mountain cliff nearby. The figure had immense power. Yong even thought to himself that using a sword would not be enough to withstand such a powerful punch.
"And it was just a seemingly ordinary punch. Who is that person, and who am I, really?" Yong mumbled softly while rubbing his face.
The figure finally showed his true face in front of Yong. The smile on his face did not fade. The tall man looked excited. It was clear from his different eyes.
His right arm, which was much larger than his body, was shown clearly. Not only the size, but the color of this man's skin was not a typical human skin color. While humans have black, white, yellow, and other skin colors, his was dark green and scaly. His claws were also long and thick.
Yong was very shocked to see this strange man, who was so different from the characteristics of a human. At that moment, he realized that he himself was also the same.
"From now on, you are no longer human," the man said, pointing at Yong.
"You have lost your swordsmanship skills, but you have gained other powers from that curse of yours," he added, explaining.
For a swordsman, the loss of swordsmanship skills is the worst thing that could ever happen because it is the same as saying Yong is already dead. But it can also be interpreted as him holding a sword without its sharp blade. Dull.
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU THINK I'LL BELIEVE THAT?!"
Yong shouted loudly, denying the man's words. He could not accept the sudden statement, which was why he was so angry. From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, the transformation became more pronounced.
"YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU, HUH?! OR ARE YOU JUST INSANE?! I WILL NOT LOSE MY SKILL!"
Sharp curved horns. Fingernails as dark as an eclipse, and the angry face looked aged, and the vibrations of his pupils changed color to a very red, as red as a drop of blood. The figure of Yong, who was a twin swordsman, had now drastically transformed into a demon.
Yong's emotions were out of control, and this made the strange man feel that it would become more dangerous. He immediately took Yong by force and locked him behind the mountain. He even did not hesitate to chain Yong's body.
"Let go!"
"Ah, I didn't expect the person who was cursed to be so young," complained a grown man, shaking his head while looking at Yong with concern.
"Let... me... go!"
Yong's rampage became more intense due to the demonic essence in his body.
Throughout history, people who were cursed just like Yong also experienced the same thing, but it was not as severe as Yong, who could not control himself at all.
"Maybe it's because he's too young, so his emotions are still unstable?"
Echoing footsteps from several people had arrived. About 3 of them had just arrived after hearing the news that their leader had found a cursed person. Among them was a red-haired woman and two men of similar height.
"I heard a loud noise from outside. I didn't expect it to be this kid's voice," the woman said.
"He lost control when I told him that he had lost his swordsmanship skills. He was very shocked," the leader explained.
"That's your fault. You know we are former swordsmen, just like him. Even though we are from different places, at least think about how he feels when he finds out that his swordsmanship skills have disappeared!" the woman exclaimed, feeling that the leader's actions were too hasty.
The leader of the group was silent for a moment. He then gave a bitter laugh as if this were not a big deal.
While laughing softly, he turned his face away and said, "Alright, it's my fault."