The Calm Before the Storm
"It's fine. I'm the... strongest, after all."
Han Yuseon flashed an awkward smile.
She met my thoroughly chilled gaze and quickly turned her head away.
At a glance, it was obvious she was making excuses to smooth things over.
Couldn't she do something about the cold sweat trickling down the back of her neck?
Ha…
I let out a sigh in my head.
Judging by her reaction, she definitely knew something.
I glared at her sharply. Time to interrogate.
"D-don't glare at me like that, Puppeteer. Your gaze is so intense, one burn and I'll fall in love…"
Han Yuseon flinched and blurted it out.
She was probably trying to lighten the mood with a joke…
She usually had this super icy vibe, but when she messed up, she pulled this.
"Hey. Cut the bullshit."
I was dead serious. Very serious.
Han Yuseon creakily lowered her head to look at me.
I could see her pupils shaking. Tension. Bewilderment.
"Y-yes, got it…"
"First things first. What's this 'Tower Owner'?"
"W-well…"
Han Yuseon floundered, at a loss.
Her eyes darted everywhere, unable to settle.
Of course, that didn't ease my gravity at all. If anything, it ramped it up.
Ha.
A small sigh for times like this.
That was enough.
How many spoiled brats had I dealt with? Even by those standards, Han Yuseon had 'decent instincts'.
This sigh said a lot.
I'm pissed. Spill it. Now.
Our bond wasn't that deep.
But given the puppeteer-puppet dynamic, it was something like a lord-vassal thing.
Han Yuseon had no choice but to face me.
A sharp thinker like her would get it—if she didn't talk now, she'd be the one hurting.
Han Yuseon shrugged her shoulders. My signal had landed.
"Don't tell anyone."
She hemmed and hawed before speaking.
I nodded.
"…Yeah."
What? Was she actually trusting me? Telling me not to blab to anyone?
"This Tower gets harder the higher you go. And the Tower Owner is…"
"The boss on the top floor or something?"
"You could see it that way. But it also acts as the administrator…"
The strongest boss and admin.
That was it for now.
You're fucked, bitch. Get ready for punishment.
Time to launch Project Spoiled Brat.
This Tower had way too many variables.
Unlike your typical hunters with their sense of duty bullshit, I had none. I needed to tweak my traits fast and bail.
I didn't even know how strong Han Yuseon really was.
And she was creating variables?
"You… let's talk. First off, where'd you get that info?"
"I can't tell you that. Precisely, you'll learn naturally as you climb the Tower."
"'Can't tell me right now', you mean?"
"Eek…"
An icily cold voice slipped out unintentionally.
Not all of it was her fault. I owned some too.
Whatever. I've got a week with nothing to do anyway.
No need to get heated. Take it step by step.
"Fine for now. You've got your reasons, I bet."
"Yes."
My info was too thin.
Han Yuseon held the advantage. Hilariously, the puppet over the puppeteer.
My weapons? Emotional debt. And being the Puppeteer.
Sorry, but I have to suspect you.
Elysia, will you exit the Tower?
Warning: Unregistered national hunter. Clear will be publicly announced as unregistered hunter!
What the…
To register as a hunter, I'd have to go outside.
Ask Han Yuseon? She was more like a summon than a hunter.
Forced unregistered hunter… it was.
But… public clear?
Huh?
I tilted my head.
Eh, probably nothing.
I hit exit.
Whoosh…
The surroundings turned to dust, the space shifting.
My tiny one-room apartment.
Right away, the bedding on the floor caught my eye.
No mattress for a proper dive, but it was home for sure.
Tension melted, and I flopped down spread-eagled.
"Fuuuuh…"
One thing was clear.
I wanted to rest now.
Blissfully unaware the community was exploding.
(Roughly pasted image)
This legit? Bug?
…
"Do you know the sword?"
The woman asked with a faint smile.
Amid the scattering cherry blossoms, she looked like a painting.
Her disciple beside her shook her head.
"I've trained for years, yet this one cannot grasp the sword."
"It's not that hard. The sword's essence is cutting… don't overthink it."
"Is that so."
The disciple nodded.
The fluttering petals stopped.
Just one. Hovering still, as if time had frozen.
And then.
Split—whoosh!
The petal cleaved. Two, four, eight…
No need to count. She's gonna erase it.
The disciple watched the petal vanish before her eyes.
The woman gazed calmly at her disciple.
A flicker of anger danced in her pink eyes. Serene, but palpable.
"So cut them down. Those who mock the sword…"
The disciple sighed.
"The community again…?"
"Aaah yeah! Those damn mage bastards and spear noobs' heads…!"
"Enough. How many times have I told you not to check the community."
"Humans must cling to the new as well."
Ahem—she cleared her throat, a guilty tick.
World's Greatest Sword, Yoo Sorang.
The top-recognized swordswoman alive.
Surprisingly human. After decades devoted to the blade.
"Oh yeah, Muyeon."
Yoo Sorang glanced at her disciple.
"Yes…"
"That Demon King got knocked off the top. Unregistered hunter's #1 now."
"…"
Muyeon furrowed her brow.
Demon King. One of Europe's top hunters.
Obsessed with rankings, masterful in martial arts, but way too fixated on raw power…
This era's Heavenly Demon or whatever.
Some guy like that.
'Knocked from #1?'
Muyeon gave her master an incredulous look.
"Does that even make sense? You heard some weird rumor again…"
"No, it's real…!"
The disciple started to retort in her master's dramatic tone but sighed instead.
Yoo Sorang thrust her phone out, looking wronged.
Muyeon peeked.
Her master scowled.
"This… how… at least three times stronger…"
"Yeah, Muyeon."
Yoo Sorang grinned.
"If we turn that one into a swordsman, the sword's prestige rises."
"…It's already high enough. Thanks to your community antics."
"And I know this 'JjajangLoverLover'—top info broker. If they say Korea, it's real."
"You believe that? Spreading nonsense like this? Name's trashy too. Obvious thug…"
Muyeon tried to dissuade her, but.
Yoo Sorang's eyes sparkled already.
"Raise the sword's prestige!"
"Unregistered hunter… doesn't seem like a good personality."
"Eh, we can guide 'em."
"By beating them with sword scabbards again…"
Muyeon recalled how she'd ended up under this woman and shuddered.
Back when she was a promising hunter prospect.
This Yoo Sorang shows up outta nowhere, beats her senseless, drags her to some empty training ground in the mountains…
She loved it now, masochist that she was, but at first? Thought she'd die.
"If they're in Korea… what'll you do?"
"Send an assassin. That 'Black Cloud' cartel is huge, handles the best intel."
"…Assassin?"
"Yeah, dispatch a hitman."
Yoo Sorang grinned wickedly.
"If they can't handle that, how can they be a swordsman?"