Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Busy in Idleness (3)
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Macau's underground bar.
One of Sword Saint Jin Wei's swords, the demon blade Muramasa, was drawn from its sheath.
Shing—
It was a light sound.
As if he'd merely swung the blade through empty air.
But the result was anything but light.
Splurt—
The necks of the men in front of Jin Wei hit the ground, sending fountains of blood spraying into the air.
The bar was littered with Slayer corpses.
From the basement storeroom, Jin Wei's comrade Bao emerged, hands bloodied, carrying a bottle of whiskey and some glasses as he grumbled.
"Aren't those Pentagram bastards getting a bit too cocky? We didn't set up the network after the second Bloody Day just for requests like this."
"Must've been that urgent. And we were nearby anyway."
Jin Wei replied to Bao's grumbling as he sheathed Muramasa.
Vmmm—
The demon blade, having absorbed the death energy from the slain Slayers, hummed faintly.
It was a perilous sword that gnawed at its wielder's mind, but for Jin Wei—who could wield any blade—it posed no issue at all.
Jin Wei accepted a glass, and Bao poured the whiskey.
"Fair enough. Their activity has been quieter than usual lately, which isn't like them. Who knows what they've been up to."
Bao had no inkling that Pentagram was focused on hunting for the Master Ring.
As Jin Wei fell silent, lost in thought, Bao tilted his head.
"Jin Wei?"
"Ah... sorry. Just mulling over what that guy said."
"That guy? Oh, the one you met in Korea... Kim Gunja, right?"
"Yeah."
Jin Wei recalled Kim Gunja's words.
—By any chance, did you find any human remains or traces like that in the gate where you obtained Blood Moon?
It was the question Kim Gunja had asked in surprise upon learning that Jin Wei had acquired Blood Moon from a fire mound gate.
There was good reason for it.
Ma Ilcheon had met his end near that fire mound after his duel with the Heavenly Demon.
To overcome the extreme yang energy that had invaded his body, he'd sought out the Sun Gold Carp, but in the end, Ma Ilcheon hadn't survived.
Yet Blood Moon was obtained from a gate with a similar environment to the site of his death?
Kim Gunja couldn't dismiss it as mere coincidence.
Hearing the full story, Jin Wei felt an odd disconnect.
'He's got a point.'
He couldn't see every memory within a sword himself, but after hearing the details from Kim Gunja, doubts arose about the connection between artifacts and gates.
There were far too many irregular gates to simply call them spaces inhabited solely by monsters.
But defining that twisted time and space in a single phrase was elusive.
'Space, huh...'
Naturally, one person came to mind.
World Rank 9.
The Archmage Royan.
As the world's only known space manipulator, he might hold some clue to this mystery.
One of the severed heads began to tremble, its eyes rolling back white as it emitted a grotesque voice.
—Jin Wei. Why interfere with us? You've never cared about this sort of thing.
Jin Wei glanced indifferently at the head and replied.
"Benedict, I presume."
Only one person in the Slayer organization could convey their will through followers like this.
Archbishop Benedict.
He was the most overt and widespread of the Slayer archbishops.
—Answer me. Depending on your response, you too shall be deemed a heretic...
Slash—
Benedict's words didn't finish.
Jin Wei's draw had turned the mediating head into minced meat.
Bao burst out laughing at the sight.
Puha!
As Jin Wei tilted his glass, his gaze deepened.
'Sloppier than I expected.' Kim Gunja thought as he proceeded slowly. The stench grew worse the deeper he went. The passage wasn't long, but he paused at the fork splitting left and right. 'Hmm...' Circulating the Heaven-Shattering Divine Art and focusing his senses, he detected faint signs of life and groans from the right. Not just one or two, but quite a few. 'Right side first.' Kim Gunja chose the right over the left, where he sensed nothing. He turned that way. At the end of the sharp 90-degree bend, he peeked around the wall. And confirmed it. Beneath a reddish glow. People, too intoxicated by the demon flower to stand properly, huddled together.
"Heeeeh..."
"Huuuuh..."
It was a scene straight out of a movie—an opium den come to life. People sprawled across the filthy floor everywhere. Though dim, their ages and attire varied widely. 'Seems like they've been gathered from all over...' Nothing was certain. He could only infer from the circumstances. No one looked unharmed, so Kim Gunja stepped inside without hesitation. The long passage was divided into several rooms without doors. The demon-flower addicts lay scattered everywhere, blurring the lines between rooms and halls. He waved a hand in front of the nearest woman's eyes.
"Hiiiik...!"
No response. She just drooled, staring blankly into space with unfocused eyes. 'This is bad...' Her purple-tinged skin suggested advanced demon flower poisoning. Then. Thud. Thud. Footsteps echoed from behind. 'Two of them...?' Kim Gunja slipped deeper inside to hide. To first gauge who they were and the situation. After a brief wait, two men entered, chatting.
"Last day here too."
"Probably. The priest said it's wrapping up today. Honestly, the smell's been hell."
"Since it's the finale, let's pick some good ones."
They began appraising the demon-flower victims. Like selecting merchandise. They hoisted them over their shoulders with eerie ease. No ordinary strength. 'Awakeners.' Mentioning a priest made Slayers the prime suspects. The two, with their burdens, retraced their steps. 'Take them out here...?' He hesitated briefly, then decided to observe more. If they were heading to a ritual site, they'd make perfect guides. Kim Gunja glanced at the intoxicated victims, then shadowed the men stealthily. At the earlier fork, they veered left. Unlike the victim chamber, a thick iron door blocked the end. One knocked lightly; a square grate slid open for identification. Clank. Creak— The door began to open with a groan. Peering through the gap, Kim Gunja sprang into action. Whoosh— "Wha—?!"
The door-opener barely dodged a dagger from the shadows. The other two, carrying victims, jolted in surprise.
"Gah!"
"What the—!"
"Intrud—!"
Their warning died unspoken. Kim Gunja had appeared between them via Shadow Walker. Stab. Stab. Blood Moon sprayed crimson in the dark. Throats pierced, the three wheezed like deflating balloons. Blood Moon danced once more. Slice— The hand reaching to close the door flew high. No hesitation in killing. He knew the madness of Slayers better than anyone.
"Oh? An uninvited guest?"
A voice from within remained unshaken by the deaths. A man in a dark red robe knelt reverently at the center of a vast chamber etched with strange runes, clutching a serpentine dagger. Blood pooled around him. Two men beside him roared and charged Kim Gunja.
"What the hell!"
"You think you can barge in here?!"
Kim Gunja reacted swiftly. Giving Slayers time was folly. Vmmm— Blood Moon resonated as he channeled the Heaven-Shattering Divine Art. Sensing danger, perhaps. Mana surged wildly in the two men, veins bulging. They poured mana into sword and spear to block Blood Moon—but futile. Slash— Blood Moon trailed red haze, bisecting the charging pair cleanly. Weapons and all. Yet the robed man kept smiling. As Kim Gunja sensed ill omens and prepared to hurl a dagger— Stab—! Kim Gunja blinked in disbelief. The robed figure had plunged the dagger into his own heart without pause. Interrupted in his ritual, the priest had offered himself as sacrifice. Solely for completion.
"What the...?"
Did it not hurt? His face beamed with ecstasy. Simultaneously, eerie energy seeped from the serpentine dagger. Blood trickled from his mouth, but his smile was pure bliss.
"Now, I become part of the god..." Slash— Kim Gunja closed in and severed his head. No time to let him finish; the dagger's aura was ominous. But as the body mummified, Kim Gunja's expression hardened. The dagger in its heart floated up. Grrrrrind— Space warped around it. Heaven-Shattering Sword, Fourth Form: Void Heaven Blood Moon, laden with mountain-crushing might, struck the floating dagger. Claaaang— '...!' Blocked by intangible force. And then, Riiip— A massive reptilian eye, rent wide, materialized above the gate. Crackle— The grotesque pupil, sparking black, fixed on Kim Gunja and grinned wickedly.
Groooan—!
A chilling vibration heralded the ominous gate's birth in midair.
Stained black.
And from it,
Flutter—
Black butterflies emerged, wings beating languidly and beautifully.
As if blessing the world.
But Kim Gunja knew better.
The black butterfly heralded a gate break.
And as expected.
The monsters beyond sensed this world.
Poised to burst forth.
"...This is a problem."
Recalling the demon-flower victims who couldn't move and the joyful crowds at the amusement park, Kim Gunja sighed softly.
Only one way to minimize casualties.
He positioned himself before the iron door and called Yeji.
In front of the amusement park's celebration stage. The emcee's booming voice and festive fanfare rang out.
"Team leader!"
"Hm?"
Hong Sua turned at Im Taehyun's call.
"What're you thinking so hard about? Didn't we come to meet Ha Jin-sang?"
The stage performance was nearing its end.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Got lost in thought."
"About what you and Kim Gunja talked about earlier?" —Probably half a year. A major stage will be set. Hong Sua flinched, spot on.
"Huh? Yeah, something like that..."
"What on earth did he say to make you look so serious?"
"...Just some stuff."
She couldn't say it was about Hero Guild's downfall, so she brushed it off. As A-rank Hunter Ha Jin-sang descended the stage, Hong Sua spoke.
"Let's go. Before the others snag him."
"Okay."
Im Taehyun sounded a tad miffed at her vagueness but followed.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Their gazes locked on one spot. Amid the floral petals swirling over the stage. A black butterfly fluttered impossibly, elegantly. Their faces hardened as they scanned around, spotting the black gate at a building corner. The Slayer ritual had triggered more than one gate break. Hong Sua and Im Taehyun shouted toward the audience without missing a beat. To save even one more life, however possible.
She must've been waiting. Yeji picked up immediately. —Uncle? Why're you calling...?
"Gate break. Just in case, alert the park staff and help evacuate everyone." —What?! Hold on! What about you...!
"I'll handle it. People first. You got this?"
At his request, Yeji inhaled sharply and replied confidently. —Of course! Kim Gunja smiled faintly, voice relaxed.
"See you soon. Think about dinner too."
Like popping to the convenience store. His nonchalance drew a bright response from Yeji. —Okay! Kim Gunja hung up, ran a hand through his hair, and faced forward. The repulsive gate pulsed, spewing forbidden entities. Clatter. Clatter. Skeleton soldiers in black armor, and knights twice their bulk. Elite undead even in A-rank gates. Yet why? No tension at all. 'Weird.' Alone before the door, memories flashed like a montage: Ma Ilcheon, Jin Wei, puppet maneuvers, Stain's shadow troops, endless training. Knowingly or not, Kim Gunja's accumulated experience was untouchable. That must be why. 'Undead, perfect. No audience...' Even this felt like training. Thud— He kicked up a Slayer's dropped spear shaft into his left hand. Tip gone, shortened by Blood Moon—but a temporary weapon anyway. Treat it like a staff. Clatter! Facing the charging skeleton soldier, Kim Gunja smirked faintly. Crackle—
Gripping the shaft sparking golden.