Chapter 32

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 32

Chapter Title: 3rd Layer Clear

-----------------------------------------------------------------

It was a wondrous feeling.

Turning away from Hayang and drawing her sword, those were Han Yuseol's impressions etched into her mind.

She had thought it impossible to escape the nightmare of that day.

That she would have to live out the rest of her life burdened by this sin.

She had spent countless years dwelling on it.

Of course, that conviction hadn't drastically changed even now.

Her trauma from all those years hadn't vanished clean away with just a single word.

She didn't suddenly believe she could go back to living like before.

Just a small step forward.

The thought that maybe, just maybe, it was possible.

A faint hope blooming in her chest, but undeniable.

It set her in motion once more.

And that first step had to begin with protecting this tiny girl.

'Power is overflowing.'

Gripping and releasing her left hand, the one not holding the sword, over and over.

She felt overwhelmed by the mysterious power bubbling up from her dantian.

With this power, it felt like she could protect anything.

As long as this girl was by her side, it seemed like she could accomplish anything.

That single thought tightened her grip on her sword.

She locked eyes with the ice dragon, which had swooped down from the sky to glide low over the ground.

- Grrr...?!

The ice dragon let out a low growl and took a step back.

It had instinctively sensed that the aura emanating from the enemy before it had changed.

In contrast, the Sword Empress advanced without the slightest hesitation.

Crunch, crunch. Leaving fresh footprints in the pristine snowfield, she pressed forward.

Just like the path she would carve out from today onward.

Woooong-!

Cold mana gathered at the tip of her sword, gleaming like a jewel.

She assumed her drawing stance and kicked off the ground.

Kwaaaaa-!

A storm of light and ice clashed head-on.

Finally, the aftermath swallowed the entire snowfield.

Even watching it unfold right before my eyes, it was hard to believe.

The Sword Empress.

One of the two S-rank hunters considered a cut above the rest, even among the elite.

True to her name, Han Yuseol's prowess was truly extraordinary.

She maintained the exact 500-meter radius I'd requested while practically toying with that massive ice dragon.

Whoooosh...!

"A storm's coming! Dodge to the right!"

Even with my briefing, it was astonishing.

She executed it without the slightest hitch.

Dodging attacks by margins so narrow her clothes barely brushed against them.

Slash-!

- Graaaaaah-!

She severed one of the ice dragon's wings and dove back into its embrace.

Given its enormous size, it seemed to struggle when she closed in for melee like this.

"Watch the tail! Dodge upward! It's going to flap its wings, so dive even deeper into its chest!"

Sure enough, as I called it, the ice dragon whipped its massive tail like a flail.

The Sword Empress leaped into the sky, evading it.

Wait, won't she be wide open in the air like that?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, she kicked off the empty air as if stepping on solid ground.

What?!

- Krrr?!

Catching it off guard by pursuing into the sky.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The ice dragon, which had been trying to take flight, froze in place.

Without hesitation, Han Yuseol swung her sword in a wide arc.

A flash slicing through the snowfield.

Too fast to follow with the naked eye.

Slaaaash-!

A vivid gash running from the ice dragon's nape down its shoulder.

The liquid that looked like blood hardened into ice crystals upon contact with the air.

- Grraaaaaahhh-!

The ice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dragon unleashed a roar that tore at the eardrums.

Its massive body thrashed, uprooting the sparse trees across the mountain range and sending them flying.

Snowdrifts exploded outward, whipping up a white storm.

"Yuseol! Fall back outside 10 meters!"

"...!"

Before I even finished speaking, she retreated.

In that instant, massive ice crystals erupted from the ground.

They looked like shields protecting the ice dragon's body.

Or like enormous icicles sprouting from the floor instead of the ceiling.

Clang-!

Han Yuseol swung her sword experimentally.

Yet, bolstered by my buffs and her unlocked unique skill, even her blade couldn't shatter it after several strikes.

What is this? Why pull this defense now?

It's tough, sure, but not unbreakable.

Tzzzzz...!

As puzzlement set in, the air currents shifted.

Everything around us seemed to be drawn toward the ice dragon.

At the same time, it lurked behind its massive ice shield, glaring at us.

No way?!

"Yuseol! It's buying time! We have to take it down now, somehow!"

"Yes!"

Remembering that massive ice breath from before.

Worried it might be preparing something even bigger, I immediately instructed Han Yuseol.

Kang! Kaang-!

But the ice shield guarding the dragon was incredibly sturdy.

Even the mighty Sword Empress's relentless swings only left it teetering on the brink, dragging out the time.

- ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Krrrrr....

A low growl emanated from the ice dragon as it inhaled deeply.

Its eyes grew fiercer.

Like a predator confirming its prey's position right before the kill.

This won't do.

If something bigger than before comes, dodging won't mean a thing.

Some way to empower the Sword Empress further...!

"Ah!"

That realization drew an exclamation from me.

Right, skills!

I got one just earlier!

"As I thought!"

So it's a skill in this category.

It feels a bit off, like I'm treating Han Yuseol like a pet or something.

But now's not the time to quibble over that.

"Liberate Restraints!"

Shouting the skill name brought up a flurry of messages before my eyes.

But I ignored them, focusing solely on Han Yuseol.

"...!"

She must have seen similar messages.

Her eyes widened as she glanced my way briefly.

I responded with a bright smile and a nod.

No further explanation was needed.

No, we both knew we didn't even have time to share one.

"Yuseol! Come on!"

Five seconds into the future flashed before me again.

An ice dragon breath so overwhelming it dwarfed the previous one, blanketing the entire mountain range.

Conveying that as succinctly as possible,

Han Yuseol placed her hand on her sword and channeled every ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ounce of mana she could muster.

The air and mana, previously drawn toward the ice dragon,

now seemed to reverse, flowing toward her instead.

Kwaaaaaaaa-!

Just as the ice dragon's maw opened wide and a colossal ice beam threatened to engulf the mountains,

"One Sword."

As if all storms had ceased, silence descended.

In that stillness, only Han Yuseol's soft incantation rang out.

Swoooooosh-!

A massive crescent moon arose, as if to devour the ice dragon's body.

It cleaved everything—the breath and all else—in half.

"We... won."

In that moment, a wave of relief and exhaustion washed over me.

I lost consciousness right then and there.

After the Sword Empress entered the Layered Gate,

the guild masters gathered in one place, awaiting news.

Well, except for one—Jang Sehun.

He'd made the obvious excuse of needing to console his guild members after their recent failed raid.

Even anyone could see through that flimsy pretext as he slipped away.

"...That guy has the gall to skip out even on a day like this."

"Let him be. That's just who he is."

"How can you stay so calm?"

"It's not calm—it's that worrying won't change a damn thing."

Even as he responded flatly to Ryu Seaha's words,

Choi Geonwoo kept checking his watch, inwardly anxious.

It had already been over five hours since the Sword Empress entered.

The typical golden window was about three hours.

If they didn't return by then, it was usually safe to assume failure.

If it had been anyone else, they would've given up long ago,

already discussing how to form the next raid team.

It was only because it was the Sword Empress that they clung to even a sliver of hope.

Choi Geonwoo sincerely prayed that this light of hope wouldn't fade.

"Choi Geonwoo, what odds do you put on the Sword Empress making it back?"

"Hmm, if it's just scouting intel and pulling out, at least over 50%."

"What kind of answer is that? That was the goal from the start."

Choi Geonwoo narrowed his eyes at Yoon Eunjae's question.

Indeed.

Her solo entry was primarily for reconnaissance.

Even Yeohae Guild's elite raid team had suffered a crushing defeat.

No one believed the Sword Empress could solo-clear the 3rd layer, no matter how legendary she was.

'But will she stop there?'

Yet Choi Geonwoo had a feeling she wouldn't.

He suspected she'd gone in aiming to clear the 3rd layer, even at the cost of her life.

'Then the odds are 5%... no, under 1%.'

As for why they'd let her go anyway,

even he couldn't say.

Looking back, it wasn't a rational call.

They'd sent her with a Dimensional Distortion Device as insurance,

but there was no guarantee she'd use it.

"Hoo."

Choi Geonwoo sank deep into his chair with a heavy sigh.

Clunk-!

The conference room door—which had been broken by the Sword Empress but restored thanks to Jang Sehun—burst open with a loud bang.

"S-sorry to interrupt!"

A familiar face from association HQ entered, and tension filled the room.

Failure, after all?

His hurried entrance, the clear dismay on his face.

Everything screamed the obvious outcome.

So they all sighed inwardly but focused on his words.

"The Sword Empress has cleared the 3rd layer and returned! B-but... she was spotted exiting the gate with some little girl...!"

"What?! She cleared it?"

"The 3rd layer... solo?"

"More importantly, a little girl?"

"Just some kid who was nearby, right?"

The response was beyond imagination.

There was some extraneous detail in the middle,

but most guild masters didn't find it all that strange.

"...What?"

Only one—Choi Geonwoo—widened his eyes, zeroing in on the man's final words.

A little girl.

That phrase instantly brought a face to mind.

'No way.'

He didn't quite believe it, but it felt right somehow.

Choi Geonwoo's eyes narrowed sharply.