What the Hell is This Unfairness?
One of the two assassins targeting the new palace lord Baek Sion's life, Jang Pil, thought.
This is seriously fucked up.
'Fuck, she's supposed to be just first-rate!'
According to the intel from his organization, Baek Sion's level was clearly first-rate. With his sworn brother Ja Woong, a peak expert in fist arts, they should've been able to subdue her with their left hands alone. Talented or whatever, she was just a naive young virgin barely out of her teens.
"If you're not coming, then I'll come to you?"
"Wait. Let's talk this out."
But the situation unfolding now was totally bizarre.
Fine, say she broke through to peak realm in the past week. Maybe she'd been preparing to cross that wall even before.
"You were just calling me a bitch, a slut, a whore, and now what's this?"
"Looks like we made a big mistake..."
"Don't do that—I've been dying to try out this sword aura. Mind sparring with me a bit?"
That thing she called sword aura was way too massive. Comparing it to the energy cloaking his own dagger was an insult. No matter how you sliced it, the aura extended about 10 chi (30cm) from the blade tip—practically a greatsword, wasn't it?
"We'll apologize for our rash words and actions earlier. We'll surrender, so please follow the proper legal procedures of the Ice Palace."
"I can forgive your mistakes."
"Haha, this palace lord is truly merciful..."
"But my sword doesn't forgive. No questions asked!"
"Fuck my mom."
We're fucked.
Getting slashed by that sword wouldn't end with a mere "ow, that hurts." Hit in the arm? Goodbye arm. Unlucky gut slice? Your upper and lower body would split apart like a street performer's magic trick.
"No choice. Ja Woong! Rush her together on my signal!"
"Got it!"
At this point, only one path left. Charging the palace lord alongside his peak-expert buddy Ja Woong... was obviously not it.
Even if the two of them ganged up on her, that sword would cleave them both in half, turning two into four.
So the real play: While his buddy Ja Woong got diced by the palace lord, bolt like a dog.
"Ja Woong, I'm counting on you!"
"You too!"
"Oh please, keep bullshitting."
It hurt to abandon his 43-year-old friend, but no choice. He had to report back to the organization about her prowess properly.
Not because he desperately didn't want to die and was selling out his friend. No way.
"Here I go!"
"Hraaaah!!"
With a mighty kiai, he hurled his dagger at the palace lord infused with sword aura, then charged alongside Ja Woong. He'd thrown it pretty fast, but she casually tilted her head to dodge.
And now, her gaze shifted to Ja Woong for a split second! Pouring inner energy into his legs, he bolted in the opposite direction like a rabid dog!!
"Ja Woong! I'll never forget your sacrifice!"
Thanks to his friend's noble sacrifice, a split-second opening appeared. He sprinted at full speed to seize it!
"I'll never forget the enemy who killed my sworn brother! Next time we meet, I'll kill you for sure!!"
"Whoa, for real?"
Spouting his boiling declaration of vengeance at her for a moment. Then, inexplicably, her reply echoed in his ears.
Turning in confusion, he saw a nation-toppling beauty with flowing white hair.
"Wh-what are you..."
"If you're ditching your friend to run, at least do it right. Don't leave your junk behind like a sloppy bastard."
Gritting his teeth at her words, he cranked his speed—but no matter how hard he pumped his legs, he wasn't gaining ground. Felt like his legs had shortened or something. Glancing down, sure enough, the pairs that should be attached below his thighs were gone!
"Gaaah, gaaaaah!!"
"They say infusing cold qi damages the nerves, letting you sever limbs painlessly. Neat, huh?"
Trembling and clutching his missing legs, the palace lord muttered something incomprehensible. Ja Woong, whom he'd figured could buy at least 10 seconds, had long been sliced into eight pieces behind him.
"Okay, quiz time. Between these two, which is the right leg and which is the left?"
"Ugh, uuu... Please spare me..."
He tried crawling away desperately, but she pinned his back with her foot like it was nothing. Squatting before him, dangling the severed legs in his face... even in this hell, she was blindingly beautiful.
Though her actions were pure demonic.
"No answer? Penalty: off with the arms too."
"Gaaaaah!!!"
"Whew, feels refreshing."
In a back alley of the North Sea Ice Palace, the blood-soaked crime scene of two masked corpses.
A sight that might turn stomachs, but for some reason, it left me feeling light and unburdened.
Well, makes sense. These assholes had sexually harassed me and mocked me repeatedly.
This was clear self-defense. Obviously.
"All done?"
"Ah, Senior!"
I was wiping the blood off my sword with a cloth when Hyeji senior showed up.
Truth be told, I'd planned to dump the big fist-fighter on her, but somehow I ended up handling both.
"Well... I didn't think you'd lose, but easier than expected?"
"I was in a life-or-death battle until just now."
"Say that without a single drop of sweat on your forehead, and maybe I'll believe you."
"Hehe..."
Honestly, it was a total breeze.
With the inner energy from the Millennium Ice Crystal, I whipped up sword aura and sliced 'em—done.
"That Millennium Ice Crystal must be something else."
"Plus my unique constitution."
Teacher I-hwa's earworm lately: I'm a once-in-a-thousand-years martial arts genius.
Doesn't hit hard for me, who's been grinding growth via infinite loops, but the bit about my body intrigued me. Optimized for accumulating inner energy or mana, letting me properly absorb the crystal's massive power.
"Anyway... time to renew your rank when we get back?"
"Huh?"
"You're way past C-rank now, Sion."
"Oh... yeah, you're right."
Thinking about it, yeah.
Peak experts match B-rank hunters in strength.
Sure, these guys were on the weaker side, but steamrolling a 2v1 that easily meant my rank was changing.
"Congrats. Fastest rank-up in Association history."
"Whoa."
Jeong Sion, 22 years old. B-rank hunter achieved!
Becoming a B-rank hunter didn't change my routine.
Palace lord duties, hunting down mystery men, pushing the raid forward. Two days until the ascension festival ends—hold out that long, and we win easy.
Best to find and neutralize the mystery men first, but...
"You should've kept one alive for interrogation. What if you slice them both?!"
"I didn't know those weaklings would die from that..."
"People die when their limbs get severed or bodies chopped up, you know?"
Me lopping off the tail we'd finally caught meant another lead gone.
Come to think of it, I got carried away and forgot to leave one alive...
"But I found a weird letter in their pockets."
"What? Hand it over!"
Secret Memo
Plan execution: Day before festival ends.
Forces: Three peak experts, one transcendent.
Plus plenty of regular grunts.
But who am I? The Association's ironclad ace employee.
I'd rifled their pockets and snagged the hideout info ahead. Handed the prepped paper to Hyeji senior.
"The handwriting kinda looks like yours, Sion..."
"Haha, just your imagination."
...Actually, not from the mystery organization—just my info list.
Realized I killed them without questioning? Looped back to the fight, extracted info, then massacred them again.
Why bother? That dagger-wielding masked fucker's gaze on my chest was pure trash.
"Execution on the day before festival ends, forces: three peak experts and one transcendent?"
"Heard there are quite a few normals too."
"Bigger scale than expected."
Per my intel, attackers totaled about 30. Around 10 trained in martial arts, three peak experts and one transcendent gunning for me.
Well, two peak experts down by me, so one left.
"Hmm... transcendent's a bit tricky."
"But with Cheonam Guild fighting alongside, should be fine, right?"
"Yeah, probably."
Transcendents vary wildly by proficiency. Fresh off the realm? Upper B-rank hunter handles it. Fully mature? A-rank level.
We've got A-rank Teacher I-hwa and multiple B-ranks anyway, so no issue.
"Long raid's finally wrapping up."
"Tell me about it."
End in sight. Clear the dungeon by day after tomorrow at latest, head home.
This epic saga over a month long draws to a close.
"Well... can't let our guard down till the end."
"Psh, what could go wrong?"
Hyeji senior's nagging didn't sway me.
A transcendent couldn't beat us head-on—what's to worry?
"Not like we're gonna die or anything?"
With that, I stretched out on the bed and dozed off.
Next morning.
Someone blew explosives, triggering the highland's eternal snow to avalanche down. Eyeballing it, over 20m high.
North Sea Ice Palace? Totaled.
"Fuck this shit."
These damn dungeons never let you take it easy even once. Really.