#27 The Ten Evils: Butcher (5)
The van that had passed through the barricade came to a stop in the middle of the highway. I summoned a thick mist to blanket the surroundings, cloaking everything in white haze.
While I drew their attention, Kim Jaeho and Han Seohyun slipped into the shadows. The area was all forest, perfect for hiding.
I began walking forward slowly.
Abandoned cars littered the highway, along with the corpses of those inside them. I scanned roughly with mana for any survivors, but nothing registered.
They were all dead.
Except for the small school bus left behind by Park Sang-pyeon.
"You've finally arrived."
I replied to Park Sang-pyeon's words.
"You called, so I came."
With hostages involved, I had no choice. The moment I finished speaking, a sword came flying at me.
I drew the dagger from my thigh and blocked his blade.
"Nngh!"
Incredible power. My body was shoved back in an instant. If I hadn't reinforced my muscles with mana right then, I would've been sliced open.
The sword halted right at the tip of my nose. Then it rippled. Mana surged from his blade like it was alive, lunging toward my face.
Sensing the danger, I twisted my wrist to deflect his sword and leaped back, creating distance.
Ray recognized the mana and warned me.
"Be careful. That mana is extremely dangerous! Even the slightest touch, and it won't stop until it burns your entire body to ash."
'Even just a graze?'
"Yes! It's a vicious energy. How the hell does a bastard like that wield something like that?"
That jogged a memory of a buried incident from my past life.
But I had no time to dwell. Demonic energy came rushing at me.
I dodged swiftly, pulling back.
"You sure know how to slither away."
Charging right after a greeting? Manners out the window. Expecting etiquette from a villain like him was laughable anyway.
Catching my breath, I examined the sword-gleaming crimson blade in his grip. It definitely wasn't your average artifact.
The Butcher and the sword seemed fused as one. Ominous mana bound them tightly together.
I couldn't pry that sword away until I fully subdued him. Without it, I'd have to keep clashing with that annoying demonic energy.
'No way to counter it?'
I was keeping distance for now, but that alone wouldn't take him down.
"Just overwhelm it with even more dominant mana to scatter its structure entirely."
'Just dump mana on it to snuff it out?'
"Exactly. Like dousing a raging fire with sand!"
Damn, the more we clash, the more I lose.
"Your welcome was a bit rough."
"Neither of us came here to chat. And I've waited long enough."
"Sorry about that."
Even stomping the gas the whole way, it took three hours.
"Exactly. You should've accepted my invitation. Then you wouldn't have had to wait."
Park Sang-pyeon gritted his teeth at my words. Looked like I'd bruised his ego.
"Isn't this kind of invitation way better than that ridiculous letter?"
I glanced around. The landscape was a disaster zone. A blood-soaked convenience store by the gas station, roads shattered, burning, everywhere.
"Tacky."
"Tacky?"
"Yeah, tacky."
Nothing else fit.
The spot on my invitation was an empty lot—zero chance of needless casualties.
Right then, his demonic energy shot toward the school bus. I summoned an ice spear and deflected it.
"What the hell?"
"The fish is hooked. No need for bait anymore."
"That crazy bastard."
Agreed.
"You know what your problem is? You worry about pointless shit like that. The invitation too—you're trembling at the thought of civilian casualties? If you're a villain, act like one."
I couldn't help a hollow laugh. Act like a villain.
"Not all villains are the same."
I sized him up from head to toe.
"Trash like you makes me sick."
The honest truth.
"Stomping on the weak, acting like you're hot shit. That's why you want to crush me—because you think I'm weaker than you."
I smiled. My mask hid it, but I laced my voice with mocking cheer as I whispered to him.
"You really think I'm weaker than you?"
His smug expression vanished. I subtly checked the potion vials at my waist. Five full of mana stone powder.
Ray's counter to that ominous demonic energy: Disperse it with overwhelming mana before it could ignite my body.
With these, I could afford a war of attrition.
Dealing with the Butcher was my job.
"Jaeho, Seohyun—when you get the chance, move the kids somewhere safe."
I whispered to the two hiding in the brush. Replies came instantly.
The walkie-talkies worked flawlessly. I'd worried about the distance, but even their breaths came through crystal clear.
Keeping an eye on Park Sang-pyeon's movements, I continued.
"No matter what, never clash head-on with the Butcher. Take his mana straight, and you'll end up a pile of ash."
Before I could respond to Han Seohyun, a massive sword hurtled toward me.
"Watch out!"
I arched backward.
"Urgh."
The sword wreathed in crimson-black flames grazed over my head. The demonic energy clung to my body, but following Ray's advice, I surged mana to disperse it.
"How did you put out that fire?"
Park Sang-pyeon's eyes bulged red.
The air where his mana had passed shimmered like it had been scorched. A greedy flame that burned without fuel—it would consume anything it touched until nothing remained.
"You thought a little parlor trick like that made you invincible?"
"Acting tough, huh? That tiny flame just cost you 10% of your mana."
As Ray said, it wasn't ordinary fire. 10% for a spark like that.
Close combat was a death sentence. He hadn't climbed the Tower on mediocre skill.
I summoned mana, forming two ice spears in the air. They shot straight at Park Sang-pyeon.
Boom! Thud!
He could've taken the hit, but he dodged with ease. The spears gouged the asphalt where they missed. But in that moment, tiny ice shards followed.
He batted away the incoming ice orbs with his sword.
"This'll drag on forever!"
I hurled various water-based attacks after that, but no effect. Water wasn't known for raw destructive power anyway.
But my water magic had soaked the ground thoroughly.
"Planning to use lightning?"
'If I have to.'
Too many eyes on this fight. I'd worn this mask and flooded the auction with water. People assumed I was a water-affinity Awakener.
Ice could pass—some water users could morph it into snow or ice.
But lightning was different.
A whole other talent.
'Compound talents aren't common.'
There were known compound users, but you could count them on one hand worldwide.
Flash lightning here?
'Not just Korea—the whole world would zero in on me.'
Sure, I'd reveal my talents eventually. Compound abilities were rare enough to draw massive attention.
But not now.
I was already drowning in unwanted spotlight.
Beltsmets had only been around four months, and this mess had followed.
'So I'll save it unless I must.'
"Sounds like you're laying groundwork."
True. I avoid lightning when possible. But I'd prepped the wet ground just in case.
If Jaeho or Seohyun were in danger, lightning it was.
I drew mana from the bracelet.
"Tch."
Output at 35%. A bit much—my head throbbed even at just 5% over max.
Ten man-sized ice spears. Dodge these if you can.
I launched them at Park Sang-pyeon. But that wasn't all. As they flew, I stirred the earth.
He froze in place.
"Fuckin' hell, what's this shit now?"
Cursing at the ground gripping his legs, ten ice spears closed in.
He swatted them away on the spot. Crimson-black mana exploded visibly—whoosh, whoosh.
Now.
My mana was drained from the probing attacks. I quickly dumped mana powder from a potion vial into the bracelet.
Good—four vials left.
"Raaagh!"
He cleared all the spears, his gaze snapping back to me.
"Pulling cheap tricks like that."
For all his talk, scratches marred his body. His full attention locked on me now. He twisted his sword into the ground, detonating mana, and charged.
"Perfect."
My mana was topped off.
I met his rush, mana surging.
I fired ice spears; he deflected. Too close? I repelled him with mana bursts and retreated. Rinse and repeat.
A grinding war of attrition.
Meanwhile, Kim Jaeho and Han Seohyun reached the bus and extracted the kids. The children screamed at the sudden intruder but soon realized he was rescue and clung quietly.
Weaker Han Seohyun sent skeletons instead.
"Kyaaak!"
I glanced at the scream from the bus and barely stifled a laugh. The kid in the skeleton's arms looked ghostly pale.
Rescue was rescue, regardless.
"Cute shit you're pulling!"
The Butcher noticed too, but couldn't look away.
"Big one's coming."
Park Sang-pyeon grimaced at the ten ice spears hovering over my head.
"Again? Fuckin' hell."