Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Withered Old Witch
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What was happening below couldn’t be seen clearly, but the Withered Old Witch was unable to steady her body.
Annoying hands and spells still lingered around. There was no time to give her. Even if she couldn’t control her body right now, a high-tier like her would recover in moments if given the chance.
More than that, the reason was not wanting the Sword Dragon or the unknown man to claim the Withered Old Witch’s head. So Bi-yeon boldly thrust herself forward.
‘It’s over.’
The troublesome hands and spells could no longer cling to Bi-yeon and scattered away. Having closed in right up to the Withered Old Witch, Bi-yeon extended a hand wrapped in pitch-black aura.
—Whoosh! The hands that had scattered powerlessly all at once enveloped Bi-yeon. At the same time, the space where the Withered Old Witch and Bi-yeon existed rippled, and a powerful binding spell engulfed Bi-yeon.
The old witch accepted death but had no intention of dying quietly. The witch’s killing intent had already targeted the Young Cult Leader. She wanted to kill the Sword Dragon and that unknown bastard too, but taking them both down was impossible.
She could die together with the Young Cult Leader, though. She could kill that inhuman disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
If she died with the Young Cult Leader, even that arrogant gaze of Mount Vision would be somewhat surprised. The Withered Old Witch’s pupils turned pitch black. Her rampaging soul force bloated grotesquely, making her withered body convulse.
‘Mutual destruction?’
Her death throes were fierce. Bi-yeon grimaced beneath her mask. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art resisted the binding spell. But subduing and dominating it was impossible for Bi-yeon right now.
She had been too hasty and careless. Bi-yeon bit her lip hard and focused on her protective aura. Thud, thud, thud! The rampaging soul force even drew in the surrounding mana. The Withered Old Witch’s body swelled more and more.
—Swoosh!
“Gahk!”
The moment the explosion was about to begin, blood sprayed from the Withered Old Witch’s mouth. Her vision jolted and quickly tilted sideways.
A flying dagger from below had half-severed her neck.
It was Yuri. He had thrown his Black Fang infused with aura, slicing the Withered Old Witch’s neck. Thanks to the spells focusing on Bi-yeon, he pierced her defenses, but it was regrettable that he couldn’t cleanly decapitate her, even as a 6th-tier mage in decay.
—KABOOM! The Withered Old Witch’s flesh shattered into pieces, triggering a massive explosion. If he hadn’t killed her first with the dagger and let her explode as she wished, it would have swallowed the ground below too, but killing her preemptively kept the blast from reaching Yuri’s position.
Even so, the explosion was violent enough to shake the underground. Bi-yeon, right in front of it, couldn’t fully escape. Rumble! Her protective aura shook violently in the face of the explosion, and blood gushed from Bi-yeon’s mouth.
Even without proper mutual destruction, this was its power. Bi-yeon struggled to escape the explosion, but the Withered Old Witch’s malice, harbored until death, still clung to her without fading.
Crackle!
Even if it was dying out, it wouldn’t split easily, yet the violet lightning cleanly cleaved the explosion apart.
It was Yuri.
‘Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Young Cult Leader.’
There was no reason to save her, but the Young Cult Leader hadn’t come alone.
Someone was near the collapsed, gaping ceiling above.
Overwhelming demonic energy and presence blatantly revealed. Until now, it hadn’t been felt, but from the moment the battle with the Withered Old Witch was ending, that one stopped hiding.
Whoever it was, they were clearly the Young Cult Leader’s ally. Judging by that presence, they seemed stronger than the Withered Old Witch. Perhaps one of the Cult’s Seven Evils.
Fighting one of the Seven Evils here would be madness. Better to save the Young Cult Leader and rack up a debt instead.
Yuri, who cleaved through the explosion, forcibly grabbed Bi-yeon’s limply shaking body. Then he swung his leg wide, completely repelling the swarming malice-filled mana around them.
—Boom! With a loud noise, the explosion extinguished.
“Ugh...”
Her whole body throbbed, and her organs buzzed painfully. The price of haste and carelessness. She could have endured without dying, but without help, the injuries would have been far worse.
Bi-yeon opened her tightly shut eyes and looked up.
Crack.
“...!”
Bi-yeon’s eyes widened in circles. Perhaps from the recent shock, the mask on her face had shattered. Bi-yeon hurriedly raised a hand to grab it, but her aching body wouldn’t move right away.
The completely shattered mask slid off her face.
Yuri, supporting and holding Bi-yeon, lowered his gaze.
Bi-yeon and Yuri’s eyes met. A face scarred by severe burns. Bi-yeon ground her teeth and glared at Yuri.
“...”
A face made by reverse cosmetic technique didn’t change expressions well. Even without it, Yuri wouldn’t have shown any reaction upon seeing Bi-yeon’s bare face. Who in the world would mock or frown at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Young Cult Leader’s face? Yuri no longer looked at Bi-yeon’s face and raised his gaze, pulling out the mask he had tucked away and handing it to her.
It was the heretic cultist’s mask from earlier. Bi-yeon flinched in surprise, looking back and forth between the mask and Yuri’s face.
“Th... thank you.”
Bi-yeon stammered as she put on the mask.
“Don’t you have more to be grateful for than just this?”
As he set her down on the ground, Bi-yeon’s shoulders twitched at his words.
If he hadn’t thrown the dagger to sever the Withered Old Witch’s neck, a far larger explosion would have occurred. And the man had personally saved Bi-yeon from the explosion and malice.
“...I received your help. Thank you.”
Bi-yeon, stepping down from Yuri’s arms, steadied her staggering body and spoke. As the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult, she didn’t bow her head.
The Sword Dragon and Ha-ryeong stood beside Yuri. The Sword Dragon openly glared at Bi-yeon but didn’t act rashly.
Because even he could sense the presence of the man above.
“We did not come to antagonize the Orsia Family.”
A voice came from above. Sword Shadow descended silently and cupped his fists in greeting, flashing a grin at the Sword Dragon.
“Today’s encounter was entirely coincidental.”
The Sword Dragon glared at Sword Shadow without responding. They were indeed from the Demonic Cult, but he had no grounds to press them right now. This land was merely borrowed under the name of Pantheon; it wasn’t ruled by the Orsia Family.
It was true the Demonic Cult was hostile to many. But unlike heretic cultists worshiping evil gods, they weren’t treated as must-kill on sight. Even the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, their fiercest enemies, treated them cautiously out of fear of their power—and the Cartel wasn’t even part of it.
Even the Sword Dragon, enraged by the heretics, knew where to draw the line. The Demonic Cult’s Heavenly Demon was a rival acknowledged by the Sword Emperor himself. The Sword Dragon kept his guard up as he eyed Sword Shadow and Bi-yeon.
“Why are you here?”
“As you saw, to kill the Withered Old Witch, a fugitive from Ludelra Magic Tower.”
“That’s all? You weren’t here to sow chaos in the region and threaten the Orsia Family?”
“If that were the goal, I alone would have sufficed.”
The Sword Dragon’s eyebrow twitched at the laughing response.
“Please don’t be so hostile. We came solely to kill the Withered Old Witch—nothing more.”
“...I want your name.”
The Sword Dragon fixed his gaze on Bi-yeon and said.
“I am Estor Orsia. What is your name?”
“Bi-yeon.”
Bi-yeon answered without hiding. She glanced at Yuri, standing slightly behind the Sword Dragon.
“What’s your name?”
The Sword Dragon also turned to look at Yuri. He was just as curious about Yuri’s identity.
“Now we can hear your name, right?”
Sword Shadow made an unexpected expression at the Sword Dragon’s mutter.
‘I assumed he was the Sword Dragon’s comrade since his skills were extraordinary, but they don’t know each other?’
That made him even more interested.
The Sword Dragon’s skill was astonishing. To reach Radiant Sword at that age and tier—who would have thought? None of the public’s praise for the Sword Dragon was exaggerated. He’d have to fight to know for sure, but if the current Young Cult Leader fought the Sword Dragon, neither would have a clear upper hand.
On the other hand, he was a bit disappointed in the Young Cult Leader. Her skill was outstanding beyond belief for her age. Her understanding and use of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art were excellent. But falling for such an obvious mutual destruction ploy showed psychological immaturity. The key would be cutting out her haste and carelessness and gaining varied experience.
That man—
Was excellent. Nothing to nitpick. He hadn’t even gone all out in this fight. His leg and fist techniques harmonized perfectly, and his lightning aura martial art, blending them, was flawless.
In Sword Shadow’s judgment, excluding himself, the strongest here was that man.
“I’m curious about our benefactor’s name.”
Sword Shadow spoke up.
“The world calls us heartless demons without blood or tears, but not everyone in the Cult is like that. We’re human too, with our own blood and tears.”
Sword Shadow smiled warmly and cupped his fists toward Yuri as well.
“If our benefactor hadn’t stepped in, our Young Cult Leader would have been in dire straits. If you tell us your name, the Cult will not forget this grace.”
It was a situation where he couldn’t dodge it, just like when the Sword Dragon first asked.
“Benefactor.”
As Yuri opened his mouth under their gazes, Sword Shadow spoke first.
“Not the fake face and name from reverse cosmetic technique, but your real face and real name, please.”
“...!”
“That way, the Cult can remember our benefactor and this grace.”
Sword Shadow still smiled as he spoke, but Yuri couldn’t smile back.
“Reverse cosmetic technique...?”
Bi-yeon and the Sword Dragon looked at Yuri with surprised expressions. Unlike Sword Shadow, they hadn’t noticed Yuri’s reverse cosmetic technique at all.
“How did you know?”
Yuri didn’t answer immediately and questioned Sword Shadow instead. At that, Sword Shadow chuckled and pointed to his eyes.
“Insight Eyes of the 7th tier can’t be fooled by that level of reverse cosmetic technique. It’s just twisting the original face, after all.”
In Sword Shadow’s eyes, he could see the distortions in the face’s bones, muscles, skin, and such. The Insight Eyes of a 7th-tier warrior could peer into the body’s depths the more focused, even discerning weaknesses.
‘I see.’
That man was a 7th-tier warrior, and Yuri’s current reverse cosmetic technique could fool up to 6th tier.
‘Good thing I knew in advance.’
Yuri thought that as he released the reverse cosmetic technique. Crack, crack... The twisted bones and muscles returned to normal.
“I’m Yuri.”
He couldn’t lie in this situation. He’d used the reverse cosmetic and alias only to approach the heretics anyway.
‘And they called me benefactor first.’
His impression of the Demonic Cult was at its worst after the Blood Fiend Ghost, but picking a fight with them now would be suicidal.
“Yuri?”
Bi-yeon muttered. It was the first time she’d heard the name. The Sword Dragon was the same. He furrowed his brows and searched his memory, but Yuri didn’t ring a bell.
“Thunder Cloud?”
Sword Shadow said the epithet after a moment’s thought. He looked at Yuri with a startled expression.
“The talent acknowledged by Moonlit Night Revel... Fist Wolf’s disciple...”
“Not his disciple.”
“Hah... amazing. I heard he was 4th tier.”
Sword Shadow muttered that and turned to Ha-ryeong. Ha-ryeong glanced at Yuri then removed her fox mask.
“I’m Ha-ryeong of the Killing Guard Sect.”
“Dark Lily?”
Unlike with Yuri, Sword Shadow immediately named Ha-ryeong’s epithet. He smiled warmly, staring at her face.
“I’ve heard a few things about the Dark Lily who guards Mad Thunder’s side.”
“They probably weren’t good stories.”
“Can’t be helped. Mad Thunder tormented our Cult’s weaklings too much. Oh, no need to be wary. The Cult doesn’t care about the insignificant ones who died from weakness.”
Sword Shadow chuckled and turned his gaze.
“Benefactor, your internal energy seems lacking compared to your skill. If you ever reach the Divine Realm, please visit the Cult. We have plenty of spirit elixirs to entertain you with.”
Even 7th-tier Insight Eyes couldn’t see the internal energy hidden by the Veil of Deception. Yuri nodded slightly.
“Thank you for the words.”
“I mean it sincerely. If you have nowhere to stay, feel free to visit the Cult anytime.”
He knew Thunder Cloud and Mad Thunder were close, but Sword Shadow didn’t mind. 5th tier at that age was a rare talent in the world. Honestly, he wanted to force him into the Cult.
But he couldn’t here. With the Orsia Family’s Sword Dragon present, and Thunder Cloud being the Young Cult Leader’s benefactor. So Sword Shadow slowly stepped back.
“The Withered Old Witch is dead, but the heretics in this region aren’t wiped out. Sword Dragon, what will you do?”
“Why ask that?”
“As you emphasized, this region is merely under ‘Pantheon’s’ name.”
Sword Shadow reached into his robes and pulled out a thinly folded paper.
“We’ve located the Withered Old Witch’s lair. We didn’t go ourselves, but searching it might yield something helpful to you and the Orsia Family.”
“...”
“Whatever our intent, we did cause a commotion right under the Orsia Family’s nose, so how about compromising here? Be satisfied with this info and don’t bother us further.”
The Sword Dragon’s eyebrow twitched at “don’t bother us”—it belittled the Orsia Family.
“...Fine.”
But the Demonic Cult had the right. No matter Orsia’s prestige, facing the Cult alone was impossible. The Sword Dragon swallowed his boiling anger and nodded.
“Haha, thank you for understanding.”
The thinly folded paper left Sword Shadow’s hand. It floated lightly to the Sword Dragon’s grasp via void grasp.
“Then, we’ll take our leave.”
“I still haven’t heard your name.”
The Sword Dragon grabbed Sword Shadow with a stern face. At the question, Sword Shadow smiled and introduced himself.
“I discarded my name long ago. Now I’m called Sword Shadow.”
“Sword Shadow...!”
A demonic of the Cult’s Seven Evils. A figure always mentioned when the Sword Emperor spoke of sword masters. The Sword Dragon immediately stepped forward and drew his sword.
“I’d like to learn a move before you go.”
“Hmm.”
Sword Shadow’s smile deepened.
“I’m interested in the sword of the Sword Dragon, successor to the Sword Emperor and Orsia’s future. Young Cult Leader, may I?”
“Do as you like.”
It was an obvious outcome. No matter how top-tier the Sword Dragon was among the later generation, against Sword Shadow—who vied for the Sword Demon title in the Cult with the Raksha Witch—he wouldn’t last a single exchange.
Sword Shadow knew he’d win easily, but it was just intriguing. Even obvious results had sensations best felt in direct clash.
Sword Shadow drew his sword from its sheath at his waist. The straight blade without a guard looked like a stiletto.
“I’ll yield the first move. Come.”
Sword Shadow casually let his sword hang and said. The Sword Dragon nodded slightly and approached Sword Shadow cautiously.
As the distance narrowed bit by bit, the Sword Dragon suddenly kicked off the ground. The gap vanished in an instant, and his sword moved. The blade wrapped in golden sword aura cleaved space.
—Clang!
Yuri swallowed hard. It felt like witnessing the pinnacle of quick-draw sword. The upward slash bisected sword aura and blade alike, then bent with the arm, altering trajectory.
“...I lost.”
As everyone expected, the Sword Dragon couldn’t withstand a single exchange. He felt chilling cold from the blade halted at his throat. Sword Shadow’s sword aura was a ‘flash.’ It appeared at the slash and vanished now...
“Your Sword Emperor’s teachings are excellent.”
Sword Shadow smiled and sheathed his sword. He said no more and turned around with a grin.
“...”
Bi-yeon caressed the mask on her face, stared intently at Yuri, then turned to follow Sword Shadow. The two leaped from the spot and left the underground.
“Hah...”
The Sword Dragon let out a long sigh and looked at his hand. Sword aura and blade bisected in one strike, yet not even a drop of blood welled on his palm.
Staring blankly at his palm, the Sword Dragon clenched his fist. He pulled out the paper he’d tucked away and turned to Yuri and Ha-ryeong.
“Coming along?”
There was no reason to refuse.
*
“Who’s Thunder Cloud?”
After racking her brain for a while, Bi-yeon gave up trying to recall.
Thunder Cloud. No matter how she thought, she’d never heard the epithet.
But she knew Moonlit Night Revel and Fist Wolf. Moonlit Night Revel was like an archenemy to Demonic Cult warriors, and Fist Wolf was a man who’d made a name with reckless duels until a few years ago.
Two years ago, they’d had a public duel in Lutran, after which Fist Wolf vanished into seclusion somewhere.
“A man who’s been drifting in the shadows since last year.”
“Shadows?”
“Yes. He gained fame taking commissions through the Hao Clan or acting as fixer for black path sects.”
“Doesn’t seem like someone who’d settle for that.”
“That’s how it seemed to me too.”
Sword Shadow continued, recalling Yuri’s movements from earlier.
“I ignored him since his tracks seemed mediocre for talent endorsed by Moonlit Night Revel. Turns out he was just hiding his power. That madman saw true.”
“...”
“It might displease you, Young Cult Leader, but in my judgment, Thunder Cloud was the strongest there.”
“Was I that much weaker?”
“Well. Just as Thunder Cloud hid his full power, so did you.”
“I made too many mistakes. Nearly died to the Withered Old Witch.”
“You were certain of victory before killing her. If you’d stayed cautious to the end, there’d have been no such risk.”
“Noted.”
Bi-yeon replied curtly and caressed her mask.
‘Thunder Cloud... Yuri.’
That epithet and name lingered deeper in her memory than the Sword Dragon.