Set in the Joseon Era, The Seventh Voyage is an award-winning novel revolving around the tale of two pirates, Yeo Wol and Jeongjo. Yeo Wol meets Jeongjo during one of their nightly raids, not knowing that with him lies a treacherous world of deceit...
"Stay alive." Jeongjo's barely audible order could only be heard by those within his vicinity.
Heart pounding, Gap Soo turned to Jeongjo. "Please be careful, Captain." He implored as he unsheathed his cutlass.
Jeongjo threw caution to the wind and attacked the assassin nearest to him, sparking off the fight for good.
It truly wasn't easy. From his initial take on the situation, Jeongjo concluded that they were indeed outnumbered. It was one pirate to two assassins and unfortunately, both camps were even in terms of skill levels.
CLANG!
Jeongjo advanced on another assassin stealthily, wasting no time in slitting his neck before he was fighting the next. In another fluid slice of his dagger, Jeongjo had eliminated another from the opposing camp.
BAM!
A heavy blow slammed right into his sword.
Seconds later, a straw hat fell onto his feet, bouncing against the sandy ground before rolling off into the waters. It was him.
Eyes dark with no semblance of humanity held within its depths, the firm furrowing of the assassin's eyebrows only added to his unforgiving demeanor. Even the man's mustache seemed to be set in a frown as he fixed the Captain with a steely gaze.
Йой! Нажаль, це зображення не відповідає нашим правилам. Щоб продовжити публікацію, будь ласка, видаліть його або завантажте інше.
When it came to swordplay, there was no debate on mercy. If one didn't dare to kill, they would be killed.
The clear, whistling sounds of silvery blades whooshed through the air, blinding the eyes with its glints of silver.
CLANG!
They met over and over again, each forceful strike unwavering and solid amidst the bloodbath happening around the two leaders.
Jeongjo's attacks were nowhere near sloppy, for they were timed with full precision. Likewise, the assassin's counterattacks were offensive and well-calculated.
Between two highly skilled fighters, it was a kill or be killed. Neither of them could let their guards down or risk becoming dead meat.
Jeongjo's steps never faltered as he matched the assassin's attacks with his own. Except, with each swing and each block, it was proving to be difficult for Jeongjo to keep up with a mere dagger.
A dagger against twin blades. In the hands of a rookie, that would be an instant elimination.
Yet, Jeongjo was determined.
Just how many more of them were there?
Aim for the clavicle.
Another lunge.
Another counter.
The heavy clangs grew weaker as Jeongjo stumbled back towards the trees, using his sheer strength to keep the blades from slicing his neck.
A purposeful side strike was unleashed by his assailant, knocking Jeongjo into the trees. The taste of iron filled Jeongjo's mouth as he briskly moved away from another combative attack before their weapons were crashing hard against each other once again.
"Captain!" Gap Soo shouted, joining the fight with his trusty cutlass.
It was now two against one, but the assassin seemed unfazed as he merely gripped his twin blades with renewed vigour.
Slash!
A piece of cloth was ripped from the protective layer covering the assassin's shoulders and the gruesomely raised skin showing a symbol of sorts stunned Gap Soo for a good minute.
It was a familiar symbol, but it was a distraction.
Because that minute was everything.
During that one minute, all hell broke loose between the three fighters.
Hasty steps blurred as Jeongjo stumbled back onto the sand, letting out a groan of frustration when the assassin served him with a piercing side strike.
Rolling over some seashells, Jeongjo barely managed to dodge another attack as he vaguely noticed that he had lost his second mate in the fight again.
Once again, he was mirroring the assassin's offensive strikes, trying to find the weak spot that would end it all for them.
BANG!
A groan of pain escaped Jeongjo's lips as he felt his legs give way. That one strike to his head was deathly dizzying to the young Captain as he tried to force himself to stand.
The world shifted in and out of focus around him as his ears rang with a foreign high-frequency noise that was jarring to his senses.
No.
He couldn't die like this.
Weakly, Jeongjo raised his dagger just as another glint of silver slashed down upon his darkening vision.
CLING!
That was the last thing Jeongjo remembered before his world went dark.
