Chapter 29

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 29

Chapter Title: Sword Empress Han Yuseol

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A quiet sigh escaped Han Yuseol's lips as she stepped out of the Association headquarters building.

"Is this really okay?"

Sword Empress.

There were countless words that followed her wherever she went.

Because she was so overwhelmingly strong, she couldn't trust her comrades and cleared gates alone.

No one had ever seen her with anyone else.

She was just a money-obsessed maniac fixated solely on slaying monsters.

But the truth couldn't have been further from that.

'It brings back memories I hate.'

The familiar streetscape had changed a little, but not by much.

Gazing at it, the Sword Empress clenched and unclenched her trembling hands, trying to hide them.

Four years ago now.

Back when gates first appeared in the world.

The entire globe had been plunged into utter chaos.

They didn't even know about phenomena like overflow back then.

Nor did they understand assaults like raid gates.

Not just hunters, but ordinary people too saw monsters as beings from another world entirely.

That was the mistake.

That naive judgment marked the beginning of the nightmare.

The first raid gate emergence, known as the 7.11 Incident.

Seoul had been turned into a wasteland because of it.

'Looking back now, they weren't even that strong.'

But creatures from within the gates, impervious to modern technology,

slaughtered humans mercilessly, leaving scars on this land that could never be erased.

In that chaos, her family had been killed.

Not a single one spared. All of them.

It wasn't a wealthy family, but it had been harmonious.

A family that knew how to cherish and love one another.

Four years had passed since that bond was severed in an instant, leaving her alone in the world.

Having lost her parents right before her eyes, she awakened from the shock.

She gathered comrades she truly meshed with and cleared gates across the nation.

She didn't know back then.

That it would be the start of a second nightmare.

- Han Yuseol, what are you doing?! Save Jinyeong first! I'm done for... Gahk?!

- Damn it, how did it come to this...!

- Yuseol, at least you survive! The gate might open! Please...! Kyaaak!

Throb-

Just recalling it made her head ache.

She still couldn't figure out how they'd ended up in that situation.

Or even what exactly was happening at the time.

She just swung her sword to survive.

She struggled desperately just to drag out her dying comrades' bodies.

When she came to, three comrades lay before her as cold corpses,

topped with the bodies of the monsters that had piled up on them.

After that, she walked her path alone.

Not because she preferred solitude.

Not because others got in her way.

Not to avoid sharing loot or cutting down on mouths to feed.

It was because she hated being left alone again.

She never wanted to experience failing to protect someone ever again.

A bit of money meant nothing to her.

Simply...

She couldn't bear to watch someone die by her side once more.

Simply...

She despised blaming her own powerlessness while clinging to a cold corpse and begging.

Simply...

Shwaaaah-

"...Even the rain is the same."

Her face drenched in what could have been tears or rain, just like that day.

She hated the sight of herself wandering aimlessly, searching for a place to die.

That was why she had chosen this path.

"Over there, you said."

Or perhaps...

The powerless woman who had wandered in search of a place to die might not have vanished yet.

And so, the Sword Empress quietly set off.

Into that hell where ten had entered, and only four had barely escaped.

"Ugh...!"

Flail, flail-

Lost in thought at home, I couldn't stand the frustration any longer and kicked my legs wildly.

Reporters prowling near the Layered Gate had just uploaded photos of the Sword Empress.

She was clearly captured entering alone.

By now, she'd probably reached the third layer or was deep in combat.

"No matter how I think about it, it's impossible!"

Unable to bear it, I shot up from my seat.

Of course, I might just be overreacting because I haven't seen firsthand how strong the Sword Empress is.

But still, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sending her in alone? That's not right!

How did things even progress to this point?

Didn't anyone try to stop her?

If not, then why?

She's the S-Rank Hunter ranked second in the world!

You can't just send a talent like that off to die alone! At least attach some people with her!

"Even if the Sword Empress prefers solo play...!"

Even if that's what she wanted.

They should've broken her stubbornness somehow!

What are they all thinking?!

They couldn't possibly not care if she lives or dies, right?

At the very least, they must've sent her off with a Dimensional Distortion Device?

Ughhh, my mind keeps drifting to the worst possibilities.

"This is really dangerous..."

In the end, I flopped back down onto the bed and mumbled weakly into my pillow.

I'd heard how strong the Sword Empress was.

A quick internet search brought up endless tales of her exploits.

But that's that, and this is this.

Ever since Yeohae's elites got wiped.

This gate was on a whole different level from anything before.

Even the mighty Sword Empress could be in grave danger.

"She's already inside, so no support team can follow..."

As far as I knew, the Dimensional Distortion Device was for escaping gates.

Not for entering a already-closed one.

In other words, with the Sword Empress entering alone and the gate sealing shut.

Even sending in reinforcements was impossible.

From here on, it was either the Sword Empress dies, or the monsters do.

A simple either-or with no other options.

"Maybe I should've asked to go with her..."

A useless thought now.

Obviously, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that wouldn't have been allowed.

From her perspective: "What, this kid wants to tag along with me?" She'd click her tongue.

Everyone else would think the same.

Besides, I don't delude myself into thinking I'd be much help.

I just regretted it. The fact that she went into such a dangerous place alone.

"Ugh, whatever... I should at least check on the eaves."

No point agonizing alone when I can't do anything.

I decided to step out briefly and see if the eaves had collapsed.

It was pouring outside.

Our old house was especially vulnerable on days like this.

It leaked occasionally, and the eaves had even collapsed once before.

Thankfully, Grandma had asked the neighbors next door to fix it back then.

But it was just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a patch job, so on stormy days, the eaves rattled ominously now and then.

Shwaaa-!

"Whoa, it's really coming down..."

I cracked the door open to test, and sure enough, rain poured relentlessly.

No wonder the drumming on the roof was so loud from inside.

Still, thankfully, the eaves showed no signs of collapse.

It wobbled a bit but held firm.

Good job, our eaves!

Once the auction money comes in, I'll replace you with a shiny new one!

Ah, but "replace" sounds like discarding you.

Yeah, I'll give you a healthy new body!

Mmm, that sounds better.

"...The moon's so bright tonight."

Despite the sky thick with storm clouds.

As if mustering all its strength, the moon shone with an unusually brilliant glow.

It usually looked like faded gold.

Tonight, it seemed almost silver.

Silver... reminded me of the Sword Empress I'd seen online earlier.

A person who seemed utterly unshakable.

Someone from a world apart from a powerless kid like me who couldn't do anything right.

Yet strangely, that brief glimpse of her eyes.

Her profile as she stepped into the gate.

It somehow felt so similar to mine.

Why was that?

I couldn't quite say.

Probably just my overactive imagination.

This wasn't even inside a gate.

Not that I'm an idiot or anything...

What could my lacking brain figure out?

"I wonder how it's going in there? Isn't there any way to know...?"

Like grasping at straws, I pulled out my phone.

And immediately opened the Hunter Gallery.

As expected, the community was buzzing about the Sword Empress.

Clicking a few posts revealed that the hunter world had something called the "golden time."

Not official, but statistically, hunters who didn't return within a certain timeframe rarely ever did.

And that golden time? Just three hours.

She'd entered three hours ago already.

Come to think of it, even reaching the second layer took us less than an hour.

Including clear time, it'd been a bit over two hours total.

If the Sword Empress started from the same spot as us,

she'd have reached the third layer long ago, and over two hours would have passed inside.

Even with ten people supporting each other, desperately holding on, one hour felt eternal. If she'd fought alone for two...

"No, bad thoughts! Don't go there, Yang Hayang!"

I shook my head fiercely to banish the ominous images.

But my body was honest.

I gnawed on nails I never bit before.

And kept staring at the moon that reminded me of her face.

"Isn't there some way? Even if it's just me, a way to go help her..."

As anxiety peaked, my legs paced restlessly under the eaves.

Of course, I doubt someone like me would make a big difference.

But two is better than one.

It wasn't a huge ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wish—just a way for me to get there...

"Please...!"

"...Huh?"

My mind blanked at the sudden message floating before my eyes.

Wait, this...

It's like the one from fighting Kullubark.

Could it be?

"Ah!"

Opening my status window with faint hope, I saw a new skill with a cooldown for the first time.

Army Translocation.

Effect: Subspace translocation.

Could this teleport inside a gate?

"Limited to one person..."

The issue was, for some reason—maybe due to proficiency—

despite the name, it only allowed one person.

And that one was obviously me.

"Army Translocation."

Testing it out by saying the name,

A message popped up immediately in response.

I see.

This skill only works to someone's side.

So, not free movement even to gates.

Only usable if someone's already inside, or someone’s outside at the gate.

One of those two.

That was my best guess with my limited brainpower.

Then, maybe...?

"Han Yuseol."

"Ah...!"

As expected, the message appeared just like I'd hoped.

Out of curiosity, I tried random names, but no dice.

Seems I need to know both face and name.

Still, this was enough.

Foolish by any measure, but I nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, translocate me."

Whoosh-!

The message appeared, and my vision flipped upside down.