Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Seoul, Demons, and the Saintess - Part 5
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An unexpected attack is always effective.
A perfectly timed strike, a tactic the enemy doesn't know, a new type of weapon—
When an offensive is launched using an unfamiliar method, the enemy is bound to lose their ability to respond.
‘That’s why facing another Player—PVP—is such a tricky domain.’
Once a monster is defeated, a ‘raid’ strategy is established, making subsequent encounters easier. But Players could prepare creative combinations of skills and items, meaning unexpected situations were bound to arise frequently.
‘And that’s precisely why the Shadow Baron’s outlandish portal skill always works.’
By the same token, when the ‘Aerial Drop Devices’ rose from Lee Hyun-wook’s hands and ascended into the sky, the dozens of assailants rushing toward the Saintess couldn't help but flinch.
“…What is that?”
It was an item none of them had ever seen before.
And from within them…
*Shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh—!*
…no one expected ten steel balls to burst out and fly toward them.
“—Huh?”
“Dammit, dodge!”
It was a horrifying scene, as if a dozen shotguns had simultaneously fired 12-gauge shells.
“Ugh!”
“Gak!”
Nearly half of the assailants were bloodied by the attack.
‘But steel balls alone can’t take down Players of this level.’
It was too much to expect the same destructive power as a bullet propelled by a gunpowder explosion.
Of course, unlike conventional ammunition, these steel balls, made of magical metal, could certainly neutralize the most basic defensive shield applied to monsters and Players: the ‘Barrier.’
But that was all. In truth, their ‘lethality’ wasn't very high.
No one knew that better than Lee Hyun-wook himself.
‘What matters most in the first attack is to break their focus.’
As expected, many of them ducked and covered their heads, wary of the steel balls.
The real attack was about to begin.
Hyun-wook turned his left palm up and his right palm down.
The steel balls in the air changed direction, half moving down and half moving up.
In other words, he positioned them below the assailants' feet and above their heads, and then…
“Shatter!”
*Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—!*
The 4.5cm-diameter steel balls exploded in unison.
It was as if dozens of landmines on the ground and dozens of grenades in the air had detonated simultaneously. The assailants were showered in shrapnel.
“Aaargh! My, my eyes—!”
“Ugh, my leg, my leg…”
Only Okita Kaito sensed the attack, leaping backward and swinging his sword.
*Swoosh—!*
A blade of wind erupted, deflecting all the shrapnel flying toward him.
But none of the other assailants could demonstrate such a sharp response.
While they were disoriented, Pale Note shot out from Hyun-wook’s hip.
*Shwiiing—!*
The magic arrow weaved through the chaos, piercing the necks of the assailants one by one.
*Thunk— Thunk— Thunk— Thunk—*
Unlike the steel balls, Pale Note was an item with definite killing power. Some of them had blocked the shrapnel with magic shields, but those were useless against Pale Note, which ignored ‘magic resistance.’
In just three linked attacks, half of them had already fallen.
“Hey, we’re just getting started. Why are half of you taking a nap already?”
Hyun-wook said, closing his eyes.
He sensed the two Aerial Drop Devices. Inside each were 30 weapons, for a total of 60.
- Synchronized with ‘Aerial Drop Device (Prototype)—Small Subspace Generator.’
*Available operations are as follows:*
1) Store Item
2) Deploy Item
Because Hyun-wook was in a state of ‘Mana Connection,’ he could use the ‘subspace’ without direct contact.
- Small Subspace Device 1 (Items in storage: 60)
* Moglay (Heroic)
* Spear of Achilles (Heroic)
* KG19 (Advanced)
[…and 57 other items]
- Small Subspace Device 2 (Items in storage: 60)
* KK11 (Normal)
* Ordinary Longsword (Normal)
* Sturdy Spear (Normal)
[…and 57 other items]
Without needing to check the details, he pulled everything out at once.
*Vwoooom—*
Subspace portals opened on the bottom of the Aerial Drop Devices, and all sorts of weapons began to rain down.
*Swoosh— Swoosh— Swoosh— Swoosh—*
Just before hitting the ground, they changed direction and lined up in mid-air.
Like Formula cars on a starting line, they vibrated, ready to shoot forward at any moment.
Hyun-wook retrieved just one of them, the Spear of Achilles, and ‘engraved’ it into his left hand.
Then, the moment he extended both hands forward as if giving a starting signal,
*Shik—shik—shik—shik—shik—!*
a total of 59 weapons shot out horizontally.
At their center was the greatsword, ‘Moglay.’
*Thwack—thwack—thwack—thwack—!*
The massive chunk of iron bisected six men with a single straight-line movement.
The other 58 weapons also found their targets, striking them with their pointed ends.
*Thunk—thunk—thunk—thunk—thunk—thunk—!*
Like infantrymen caught in machine-gun fire, dozens of them collapsed in a heap.
Peter Clark and the other Highguards couldn't hide their astonishment at the sight.
“N-No way…”
“How on earth can he control so many weapons so freely…”
He was clearly defending the ‘gap’ alone, yet his firepower was equivalent to that of dozens of men combined.
And while wreaking havoc on dozens of enemies, he hadn't moved a single step.
‘Can he really… hold them off by himself…?’
Peter felt his palms sweat as he watched Hyun-wook’s back.
‘Yes, please… prove that I underestimated you…’
While he was thinking, Hyun-wook’s fierce assault came to an end.
Nothing was left moving within his barrage; a sea of blood had formed.
Now, only two men, Lee Hyun-wook and Okita Kaito, were staring each other down.
‘…This is where it really begins.’
Peter thought.
Even if Hyun-wook had wiped out dozens in an instant, it was all for naught if he couldn't stop Okita Kaito.
No, in the first place, the others were just decoys to buy time until he could get to the Saintess.
*Clang—!*
A single clash rang out. Lee Hyun-wook had taken the initiative.
He had moved Pale Note to strike Okita Kaito from behind, but the man parried it with ease.
‘As I thought, he’s not someone who’d fall for such a shallow trick…’
Hyun-wook deliberately didn't move the greatsword Moglay.
A master of Okita Kaito’s caliber would never be hit by such a clumsy attack. For that reason, he had no intention of showcasing his specialty—manipulating multiple metals to attack him.
‘If I get distracted by that… my head could be gone in an instant.’
When facing a top-tier swordsman like him, wielding multiple metals was more of a liability.
He had to focus every ounce of his attention on defense, move by move, just to protect his neck.
That’s why Hyun-wook focused the sensory amplification from ‘Hugin’ solely on Okita Kaito.
“Hey! We don’t have time to mess around! Didn’t you hear me say we have five minutes left?”
From behind them, the Shadow Baron shouted.
It seemed he was starting to struggle holding back the government reinforcements on his own.
The traitor standing next to him, Carlos Belfort, also had a grim expression.
But Okita Kaito still looked completely at ease.
“Don’t worry. I’ve finished analyzing him. It’ll be over in a single swing.”
He was openly declaring he would kill him in one strike.
‘That’s how much he trusts his Subspace Sword-Drawing Technique.’
It was a deceptive, overpowered technique that had claimed the heads of countless powerful individuals, including the former Sword Saint, Guk Pyo-seong.
It was a mechanism impossible to counter without understanding how it worked…
‘But I know exactly how it works. The moment it fails, he’ll panic.’
Hyun-wook was already holding Unsaamsu in his right hand, but he drew one more sword.
Seeing this, Okita Kaito suddenly frowned.
“Hah, a two-sword style… Don’t make me laugh. Do you even know what that means?”
He seemed quite displeased that Hyun-wook had drawn two swords against him.
“More blades don’t make you better—!”
With those words, he kicked off the ground.
*Thump—*
He closed several meters in an instant.
Hyun-wook raised both swords and took a step back.
At that very moment—the man’s blade flew toward the right side of Hyun-wook’s neck.
Hyun-wook raised the sword in his right hand, Unsaamsu, into a blocking stance.
But there was no clash of weapons.
*Woong—*
His opponent's sword vanished into subspace for an instant, passed through Unsaamsu, and reappeared.
Just as the man’s blade was about to touch Hyun-wook’s neck—
*Cla-ang—!*
—an unexpected clang rang out.
“—What?”
What blocked Okita Kaito’s dagger after it passed through Unsaamsu was Hyun-wook’s second sword, the KG19.
“You, how did you…”
“What? First time seeing a two-sword style?”
Ordinarily, when one swings a weapon at another, they assume it’s been blocked and prepare their next move.
That was human nature.
That’s why every swordsman fell helplessly to Okita Kaito’s strike, which ‘passed through’ their block to cut them down. But Hyun-wook, as if he knew, moved both his swords to defend the same spot. So, while one blade passed through, it was caught by the other.
‘It’s impossible to use subspace twice in such a fleeting moment.’
Okita Kaito took a step back and readjusted his stance.
“You… Who are you?”
He tried his best to maintain a calm expression, but he couldn't stop the muscles in his face from twitching.
It meant he was furious, which in other words… meant he was flustered.
Hyun-wook gave a relaxed, wry smile.
“Well, well. I thought you were a Sword Saint, not some kind of scammer.”
At his taunt, the man’s eyebrow twitched.
“What did you say? A, a scammer…”
“Pulling cheap tricks like this… you call yourself a Sword Saint? Have you no shame?”
“…I’ll tear you to pieces right now!”
His eyes blazing, he rushed forward and swung his sword at Hyun-wook’s head.
*Clang—!*
This time, the two blades met with an honest clash.
‘He did that on purpose.’
Hyun-wook knew instinctively.
‘Right, the next strike will come from his other hand.’
But he didn't turn his eyes that way.
‘If he knows I’ve noticed, he’ll try something else—’
In truth, he didn't need to look. Thanks to Hugin’s expanded senses, he could feel it.
He could feel the man’s right hand clench empty air, drawing a katana from subspace, and he could feel it falling like a thunderbolt toward the left side of his neck—he could feel every detail.
But Hyun-wook had no intention of dodging the attack.
If this continued as a sword-on-sword duel, it wouldn't favor him.
In other words, he had to make a decisive move.
‘Take the hit, then strike back.’
He let go of the KG19 in his left hand, focused all his Hardening into that arm, and cupped the back of his own head with his palm. It was a ‘blocking’ stance from martial arts, using one arm to cover the entire head.
It would be insane to use a technique for blocking punches to block a weapon, but…
‘It’s a different story if your body is as hard as steel!’
*Ka-kang—!*
The man’s blade slammed into Hyun-wook’s forearm, making a sound like tearing metal.
“Keuk—”
The damage was stronger than he expected. The Hardening crumbled as the blade tore through Hyun-wook’s muscles.
Fortunately, it stopped there.
Because the Hardening was so thick, the disaster of his arm being completely severed was avoided.
‘Now it’s my turn!’
Immediately after, the KG19, which had been in freefall toward the ground, shot toward the man’s lower body.
This time, it was Hyun-wook’s own deceptive trick, the ‘Hidden Sword.’
But the man reacted with incredible speed, pulling his leg back and narrowly dodging it.
‘No, there’s still one more!’
*Shwiiing—*
The Spear of Achilles, which he had engraved on his right wrist a moment ago.
It shot out, aiming for the man’s abdomen.
As expected, he managed to spot the attack and hastily twisted his body.
But after a series of ‘unexpected moves,’ his concentration and posture were already compromised—
*Schlick—!*
The Spear of Achilles succeeded in grazing the man’s side.
“Ugh!”
He stumbled, trying to retreat.
But something dropped behind him, blocking his escape route.
*Thud—!*
It was an Aerial Drop Device.
“Dammit!”
Another unexpected move. A flicker of panic crossed the man’s eyes.
He tried to step to his left to get away.
Just then, Unsaamsu flew at his head.
*Clang—!*
Of course, he easily parried it, but…
“Huh?”
It wasn’t Hyun-wook who had swung it.
He had only feigned a swing using his metal control.
‘How could I have missed that—!’
The man was flustered again. Normally, it was something he would have noticed.
After that feint, Hyun-wook closed the distance, shoving both his arms under the man’s armpits. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around his upper body.
It was the so-called ‘underhook’ position.
This completely neutralized the man’s arms. Especially with a single-edged blade like a katana, his attacks were even more restricted.
“Keuk, what is this!”
With both arms pinned, the man struggled futilely.
All he could do was jab Hyun-wook’s back with the pommel of his sword.
“…When did I ever say I’d fight you with swords?”
Hyun-wook lifted the man’s body and slammed him onto the ground.
*Cra-ack—!*
From the immense impact, the man lost his grip on his sword.
From here, it was no longer a duel between swordsmen but had entered the realm of martial arts.
Hyun-wook mounted him, moved fluidly, and instantly locked him in an Armbar.
“Uuuugh—!”
An arm-breaking technique. Okita Kaito seemed to have no martial arts knowledge to defend against it.
*Crack—!*
Ultimately, his arm bent the wrong way, the bone jutting out from his skin.
“Aaaaaargh—!”
Hyun-wook mounted his chest again and began to rain down punches.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
The man’s body was shrouded in ‘Blade Aura,’ but it couldn't withstand the blows from fists reinforced with Hardening.
“Gah—ack—keok—”
With every one of Hyun-wook’s punches that landed on his face, blood burst from it.
“N-No way…”
Carlos, watching the scene, stood with his mouth agape, shaking his head.
“N-No, I’ve waited four years for this moment…”
Far from the Saintess dying… the Sword Saint was the one being killed.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
In that historic moment when a giant like the Sword Saint could be beaten to death by fists—
*Swoosh— swoosh— swoosh— swoosh—!*
Shadows crept in from somewhere, and black spikes shot out, forcing Hyun-wook to back away.
The next moment, the shadow enveloped Okita Kaito and dragged him away.
“Ha— Dammit, Sword Saint… What the hell is this mess…”
It was the Shadow Baron. He had rescued Okita Kaito.
“Fuck— This whole thing has gone to shit, hasn’t it?”
“N-No… I can still break through…”
The man shook his head as if he couldn't accept it, glaring at Hyun-wook with his swollen eyes.
Hyun-wook gave him a bright smile.
“I just beat you… but I didn’t win with a sword, so you can keep being the Sword Saint.”
“Instead, from now on… I’m the Sword Saint Beater.”
Hyun-wook said as he picked something up from the ground.
“And I’ll be keeping this as a souvenir.”
It was a tooth.
Okita Kaito, with a dazed expression, raised a trembling hand and felt inside his mouth.
Several of his teeth were missing.
“Ugh… I’ll, I’ll kill you…”
But the Shadow Baron rescuing the Sword Saint meant he had abandoned his post guarding the rear.
“—Move in now!”
Government agents began to swarm into Saint Park.
“Dammit, this is completely screwed up…”
The Shadow Baron supported Okita Kaito and vanished using some unknown escape technique.
“W-Wait—!”
Carlos cried out.
But the next moment, his head exploded.
The Villains had eliminated someone who was no longer useful.
***
- A Holy Field is being deployed in this area. (100%)
With that system message, a white light enveloped all of Seoul.
And in the northern sky, near Dobongsan Mountain, the crimson cloud that had been blooming melted away.
As expected, once the Holy Field was deployed, the demon summoning was thwarted.
“Cough! Cough! Ugh…”
Emilia Müller, as if she had exhausted all her strength, collapsed to the ground.
Peter rushed over to support her.
“P-Peter… Qu-Quick, some alcohol…”
The moment she regained consciousness, she was already looking for a drink, making Peter sigh.
“Emilia, get a hold of yourself. That was incredibly dangerous just now.”
“…What?”
“If it weren’t for that man, Lee Hyun-wook, we would have been finished.”
At his words, Emilia raised her head and looked around.
“Ah…”
A horrific sight unfolded before her eyes.
Everywhere… was a sea of blood.
Only then did the smell of iron hit her nose, making her feel dizzy.
“Ah, in the end, it really…”
Her gaze shifted and met Lee Hyun-wook’s.
“Ah…”
She could tell.
Lee Hyun-wook had perfectly fulfilled her request.
“…Oh, are you hurt?”
Blood was flowing from Lee Hyun-wook’s left hand.
Not just a little, but practically pouring out.
She hurried over and grabbed his left arm.
“Ah, it’s fine…”
“No. I know better. This is not a fine wound.”
*Woong—*
A heal, and from the Saintess herself. The wound began to close rapidly.
“You mustn’t, Emilia! If you use any more divine power in your state, it will be dangerous!”
Peter tried to stop her, but she shook her head.
“Peter, I’m fine. You said we would have all died if it weren't for him.”
“…”
Seeing a seriousness in Emilia he hadn't seen in a long time, Peter stepped back.
“That’s right. In fact, he has saved Seoul once again… and us along with it.”
Peter looked at Lee Hyun-wook.
“Thank you so much. To be honest… I’m ashamed to admit I suspected you.”
He then looked around with a bitter expression.
“Dammit… This all happened because of my failure. All of them…”
“Peter, I don’t know what happened yet, but for now, let’s move the fallen members to the Saint Dome.”
“Ah, you don’t mean…”
“If I borrow the power of the World Tree… I might be able to save a few of them.”
The troublemaker Emilia Müller was speaking with perfectly clear eyes.
“Is that… possible?”
“It will be difficult, but it should be possible.”
With the combination of the Saintess and the World Tree, it was possible to resurrect someone as long as the body wasn't too severely damaged.
However, that was only if it was the clear-headed Saintess, not the troublemaker Emilia Müller…
Peter met her gaze.
Her eyes were perfectly clear right now. So much so that it felt strangely unfamiliar.
“…Yes, I understand.”
Peter nodded, glanced once more at Lee Hyun-wook, and stepped away.
Once the two of them were alone, Emilia looked up at Hyun-wook.
“…My gamble paid off. Just like you said.”
“Yes, we were lucky in many ways.”
“I expected it, but for it to really be like this…”
A hint of fear flickered in her eyes. It was a relief that she had survived the assassination attempt, but her heart couldn't be calm knowing such a catastrophe had occurred while she was unconscious.
“Thank you… To be honest, I had half given up.”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and opened his mouth.
“Emilia, frankly, you owe me a huge debt.”
“Ah, of course… a very big debt. One I can never repay.”
“So I’m going to ask you for a few things from now on. You’ll do them, of course, right?”
She nodded repeatedly.
“Of course. Just say the word.”
Lee Hyun-wook glanced around before speaking in a low voice.
“Let’s… create a secret organization.”
“What? A secret organization, what do you mean…”
Emilia couldn't help but look puzzled.
Lee Hyun-wook leaned in close to her ear and spoke in a small, whispering voice.
“To make sure something like this never happens again, don't we need a team to eliminate the root cause?”