Chapter 114
Translator: uly
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Divine Archer's Trap
I know.
I know that there's nothing more for an outsider like me to do in the Tower.
The one and only chance the Tower granted me has already been firmly allocated, so now, all that's left to me is the right to merely observe as a bystander.
Thud. Rumble.
But even so, the moment I could no longer intervene, to show such blatant intimidation like this...
[Tch.]
From the various assault incidents that had been happening to Isoha lately, and now, one of the Tower's most famous climbers—known as the Divine Archer—had openly declared in front of everyone that he would kill her.
[Tower bastard, did it leak info about the singularity?]
Otherwise, it's strangely overt in trying to exclude Isoha.
Rumble.
Thanks to my contract with the Tower, I can't intervene in Isoha's affairs at all, but that doesn't mean I can't resolve the current situation.
[Definitely, the coordinates are this way.]
If I can't get involved in the climbers' business, then I can just go straight to the constellations giving them orders.
And I have traces of the constellations who visited me before, along with coordinates left behind on their way back to their abodes.
[First, let's handle the Divine Archer's matter.]
The Divine Archer's contractor—well, she's famous enough that all the other climbers know her.
Her modifier is [Goddess of the Moon and Chastity].
True name: Artemis.
One of the group from Olympus that came to see me before.
[Then, time to move... Hm?]
What the hell is this?
Just as I was opening space to head to the Olympian faction, a pink letter suddenly appeared.
And the aura emanating from the letter belonged to Aphrodite, the constellation from the place I was about to go to.
[The timing is impeccable.]
This isn't even something they prepared on purpose.
Maybe I should check the contents before heading over.
[Hm... This is?]
Some people went to bed for tomorrow.
Some shared drinks with friends.
Some reflected on the day's events during dinner time.
"Huff. Heave."
Isoha was experiencing a chilling time, being chased in real-time by the Divine Archer under threat of death.
Tap. Tap.
'To the right!'
All this began a little while ago, rewinding time to before the sun had fully set, at the exchange.
She had been thrown into momentary crisis by Kang Ho-soo's sudden outburst, but with quick wit, she emphasized her superior power compared to Earthlings and escaped the danger.
But the real crisis came right after.
For some reason, the Divine Archer's constellation must have issued a command, as he suddenly showed hostility and attacked.
"Divine Archer. You know fighting is prohibited inside the exchange."
If the Sword Saint hadn't intervened back then, escaping like this would have been impossible.
Of course, the Sword Saint moved not for Isoha specifically, but to enforce the rule against fights inside the exchange.
And to deflect the Divine Archer's arrows barehanded without a single scratch—truly power befitting his reputation.
"So you're saying it's fine outside the exchange?"
"Well, yeah, you could say that."
But the problem was, as explained earlier, the Sword Saint hadn't acted for Isoha as an individual.
His words implied: I'm not getting involved, so don't fight inside the exchange. Outside, I won't stop you like this. Thanks to that, the Divine Archer waited only for Isoha to step outside, while she couldn't leave to avoid needless attacks.
But one can't stay in the exchange forever.
The exchange closes at a certain time, so when midnight came and it shut down, she was forced out—and just like that, the Divine Archer's attacks poured down.
Whizz.
Isoha flinched as an arrow grazed her thigh, quickly twisting her body away.
"Ahahaha!"
"Come on~ Drink up! Drink!"
"One more plate of meat here!"
"Loser buys!"
Amid dodging arrows, she heard climbers' chatter.
Having made a good haul today, expensive dishes and drinks filled their tables.
A stark contrast to someone risking her life in a chase right now.
Thud.
"Huh? Did something just fly by?"
"Oh, a climber just dashed past."
"Man, that speed is art!"
"Wasn't it a woman?"
"Woman or man, who cares! Down the hatch~!!"
The Divine Archer's arrows ignore obstacles.
What does that mean?
'Already controlling arrows this well?'
Even weaving through crowds like now, the arrows targeted only Isoha.
If there was something in the trajectory's path?
Whish.
Somehow, the arrow would curve on its own, bypassing obstacles to aim at the target.
A movement so guided it seemed impossible.
Not expecting such control already, Isoha was genuinely impressed and sharpened her senses even keener, focusing on evasion.
Fizz.
'At least mana arrows have a short duration.'
Mana arrows, formed by condensing mana, didn't cost money like regular arrows if supported by mana; they boasted higher power, and being mana-based, could curve remotely like just now.
However, shaping them with mana was highly difficult, and they dissipated after a time... but in this situation, that flaw let her avoid fatal wounds so far.
'But if it's not my imagination, it feels like he's been herding me somewhere since earlier.'
Like a hunter driving prey to a spot.
Tap.
"Haa... Haa..."
After nearly an hour of non-stop movement, nerves on edge, the fatigue hitting when she stopped gnawed at her mind more than expected.
"Dead end..."
And ahead was a complete dead end with no escape.
Clack.
To make matters worse, the only retreat—the path she'd come from—was now blocked by the Divine Archer's arrival.
Isoha raised both hands in surrender, face saying she was totally trapped, and spoke.
"You lured me all the way here, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"You're surprisingly honest? Already thinking of me as a mouse in a trap?"
"? What's that mean?"
"Oh, right, that idiom hasn't spread here yet."
Back before regression, he'd have gotten it, but now, with Earth climbers just arriving, such phrases hadn't spread among climbers. The Divine Archer stared at Isoha with an oddly uncomfortable look.
Creak.
Then, wordlessly, he drew his bowstring.
A mana-formed arrow now nocked on the previously empty string, aiming at its prey.
"Imbue the moonlight."
His fingers released.
Pierce.
"Gurgle!"
With the sound of the arrow piercing its target, a death rattle echoed through the alley.
"Huh?"
But the one crying out wasn't Isoha—it was a black-clad figure who had been hiding there unnoticed.
A sturdy man, judging by build, fully clad in black including a mask.
Moreover, he evaded the Divine Archer's arrow—though slowed—and hid his presence even from Isoha's senses?
'No way?'
Her sharp mind raced.
No escape in a dead end.
A hidden black-clad assassin.
The Divine Archer firing only one shot at a time, oddly enough.
Even if she'd dodged them all herself, the wounds were mere grazes, despite potential lethality.
And now, a group presumed to be the dead assassin's comrades emerging due to the Divine Archer's arrow.
"You used me as bait to draw them out?"
That was the conclusion.
"Yeah."
"Why the hell...?"
"Because the constellation ordered it?"
Wait, ending with a question like that?
And a constellation's order?
Back at the exchange, he'd tried attacking while yelling about insulting Olympus—was that all an act too?
"I almost died!"
"But you didn't?"
Well, true!
"Plus, you adjusted the arrows not to kill, and fired one at a time on purpose."
...That's true too!
She couldn't deny it since it was all spot on.
Still, a heads-up would have been nice.
She'd desperately fought for her life here.
But complaints would just get, 'So? You're alive now, right? Isn't that enough?' from the Divine Archer...
"Damn! It's a trap!"
"I wondered why it wasn't working out."
"What now?"
"Actually, perfect. We'll hunt both the 'target' and the 'Divine Archer' here."
For now, better focus on these guys.
"Hunt?"
What...
"You lot? Me?"
No need for her to step up; they seemed eager to handle it themselves.