The Traitor's Confession and the Fatal Shot
"How long are you going to keep dodging!"
"Clashing head-on with someone stronger than me would just be stupid!"
The fight had been going for just thirty seconds.
In that brief span, we'd exchanged over a hundred blows.
I dodged a sharp thrust aimed at my gut, then swung my sword to parry a strike chopping down at my neck.
Actively employing the subtleties of the Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian let me counter his attacks with maximum efficiency—and damn, even blows from a supreme expert were manageable like this.
Honestly, I'd looped a few times in prep, and if it didn't work, I was ready to scrap it for a whole new strategy…
"But seriously… you're slower than I thought?"
"Shut your mouth!"
This guy wasn't that much stronger than me, all things considered.
I'd braced to die about ten times, but here I was holding out on just a single regression. Proof positive.
Sure, I'd filled my dantian to bursting on that Millennium Ice Crystal bus, but even that didn't fully explain why I was hanging in there.
No way was it some bullshit like "turns out I'm on par with a supreme expert."
Probably a problem on his end, not mine.
"You must've just broken through to supreme realm recently, huh?"
"…Dealing with the likes of you, that hardly matters."
"If that's the case, why're you so sluggish?"
"Don't underestimate me!"
I kept up the fight, tossing in some light taunts. But no room for complacency.
I watched the tip of his sword like a hawk while swinging mine, stepping aside early for anything I couldn't block.
Normally a feat beyond my level—but the Thousand Li Eyes skill I'd lucked into recently made it possible.
Despite the name, it boosted pretty much every visual ability.
Most useful? Dynamic vision, hands down.
"Haaah!!"
"Think yelling makes your sword faster? Why're you hollering like that?"
"Shut it!"
The arc of his swings, the path of his thrusts—all sloooow motion.
My enhanced sight narrowed the gap even further in what was already a winnable matchup. His sword aura was a bit of a hassle given the realm difference, but I deflected and dodged without too much trouble.
"…This could drag on forever."
"Then surrender. I'll hook you up with a nice sunny prison cell if you do it now."
"Haha… that mouth of yours never quits."
The moment I evaded his sword and created distance, he suddenly halted his assault and spoke up.
He must've realized a prolonged fight without backup would only disadvantage him.
"Honestly, I don't get it. First time meeting you in my life, and you're hell-bent on killing me. Why?"
"Because you lack the qualifications to become palace lord."
"I'm first in the election results. What're you talking about?"
"I've already investigated. You're no blood kin of the previous lord!"
His voice boomed across the mountainside. He'd figured out I wasn't the late palace lord's daughter.
The secret of the current lord's birth—big enough to shake the entire North Sea.
And honestly? Kinda disappointing.
"So what?"
"…What?"
"Whether I'm her daughter or son, I won fair and square in the election. What's the problem?"
I'd been dying to know who these assassins were, and it turns out they're just disgruntled anti-lord agitators. Fuck, what a waste of my brooding time.
Me not being the lord's blood? If it got out, it'd be a headache, but no real issue.
My talent's the best among candidates, and I've got sky-high support from the North Sea folk. Plus, no proof I'm not her blood kin. And above all…
I'll snag the rewards and bail from the dungeon anyway. Cleanup's not my problem.
Once I wrap this up, I'll naturally head back to the modern world.
What North Sea does after—deposing the lord or total collapse—isn't my circus.
"And who the hell are you to judge my qualifications?"
"No one is more qualified than I to speak on the palace lord's worthiness."
"Oh yeah? Let's hear it."
"I am Byok Jeong-ho, third captain of the White Shadow Guard, the previous lord's personal unit."
Byok Jeong-ho's pitch was simple.
I'd rolled under the old lord long enough to know: aside from that heartbreaking failure in the Central Plains conquest, she was an excellent ruler.
But you're saying she's not even her daughter? Some lowborn bitch thinks she can play palace lord? The grand elders and enforcers look the other way, but I can't stomach it, so die, you wench—blah blah blah.
"What about Baek Ye-hwa?"
"Locked in the basement of our White Shadow Guard headquarters. Useless except for bloodline—perfect broodmare for the next lord."
"Who's the baby daddy?"
"Who else? Me, heir to the lord's will."
"You crazy-ass forty-something psycho."
I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but nope—total social misfit nutjob, as expected.
Makes sense. The guy who triggered an avalanche and massacred civilians just to get me last loop wasn't exactly brimming with noble ideals or philosophy.
For a mysterious badass build-up, he was pretty underwhelming.
"Victory is at hand. Soon, we'll rebuild a true North Sea Ice Palace!"
"Ah… yeah. Sure."
"To that end, the current lord—you—must be removed."
With that, Byok Jeong-ho regripped his sword, aiming it at me.
"Meant to save this for the next phase, but looks like it'll end here. No hard feelings."
The sword energy cloaking his blade swelled massively, glowing brighter.
Anyone could see he was charging his ultimate.
Steel-eyed and resolute, he bellowed at me.
"Take this! My signature technique, Flying Shadow Three Strikes!"
His eyes screamed he was about to lunge any second.
Closing in to block? Worst move. I'd just hand him the range advantage and eat massive damage.
Waiting it out or turning tail? Instant decapitation.
Ugh, grown-ass man yelling his technique name is way more cringey than I thought.
Note to self: no calling out my moves next time.
"What if my allies show up? That's why you're so cocky?"
"Hahaha! As if you haven't noticed we're alone!"
Leisurely channeling his qi into the sword, he wasn't even considering reinforcements.
His senses probably weren't picking up anyone, so he figured he had time.
But… some folks slip even a supreme expert's detection.
She's due any second now… I scanned around, thinking that.
And there—familiar pink hair behind him.
Pfbt—
The familiar whoosh of parting air. Same rupture sound as the arrow that pierced my ear during the inauguration speech.
"Gaaahhh!!!"
"Agent!"
"Damn, you came a long way."
The shot came from our pint-sized cutie agent, under 150cm tall. Her longbow turned it into a perfect ambush.
"Guhk…! You coward!!"
Arrow lodged in his gut, Byok Jeong-ho dropped his sword, clutching his belly as he crumpled.
Had to sting—his senses hadn't clocked her at all.
Sorry, but Association agents come with special skills.
"Whoa, is this the big bad mastermind of the Seven Black Curtains?"
"Curtain of Pitch Black."
"Name's straight outta middle school edgelord phase."
"I agree, but what can ya do? It's the system-assigned name…"
Agent Nam Juyeong's unique skill: Curtain of Pitch Black.
In darkness, undetectable by any sense or magic—a stealth masterpiece.
Side effect? That soft, squishy kid look.
Anyway, she used it to snipe him. Totally my setup—I'd timed the single regression perfectly for her arrival.
"No one was there…!"
"Looks can be deceiving with our super-competent agent."
"What's wrong with how I look?"
"You damn pests…"
Then a bullet to the eye. He twisted his face in outrage and collapsed.
Even a supreme expert can't tank a surprise arrow barrage.
She's stronger than most supreme-level anyway.
Just to be safe, I stabbed his corpse a few times for insurance, then leaned on the agent as my legs gave out.
"It's finally over!!"
"Hey hey hey! Get off!"
"Huh, why?"
"Don't touch me!!"
Something hair-like brushed below my chest, but whatever—not worth fussing over.
Dungeon cleared for real this time. Finally heading home!!