Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Shadow Reversal
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A corpse discovered at the forest entrance.
The horrific traces with its head pierced clean through sent me a clear warning.
'Spear throw. And it couldn't have gone through so neatly without insane strength and speed.'
Even with [Speed Up] massively boosting my dynamic vision and physical speed, what if I couldn't dodge or got ambushed?
'I need that before I run into those bastards.'
I was planning to go rescue her anyway, but now time was of the essence.
Grab that first, or encounter them first.
That tiny difference could mean life or death.
"Big Brother? Where are you going all of a sudden... Mmph."
"Shh. Just follow me quietly. I need to grab something."
We deliberately skirted the edge of the forest instead of cutting through, heading toward the cliff base where massive boulders intertwined.
A crevice in the rocks cleverly concealed by underbrush.
A spot no one could find unless they'd rubbed up against every object in the game like I had.
I pulled the [Gravekeeper's Keyring] from my pocket.
I selected the most worn and rusted key among them and inserted it into a hole hidden deep in the crevice.
Kkiiigiik-
With a dull scraping sound, the rock split open, revealing a narrow staircase leading underground.
A damp chill rushed up.
"Whoa... A secret passage here?"
"Shh. Quiet."
Descending the stairs led to a cramped underground stone chamber.
In the center sat a lone weathered chest.
"Treasure chest!"
Park Yumin lit up and started to rush forward.
"Stop!"
The moment she froze in surprise, I darted over, grabbed her shoulder, and yanked her back.
"That was close. Almost got us killed."
"Huh? Isn't it just a treasure chest?"
"Opening it normally just spits out trash."
This chest was a trap of sorts.
Open it straight, and you get a basic physical attack skill card like [Heavy Strike].
But that's not what I wanted.
Bam! Bam!
Instead of opening it, I kicked the side of the chest hard with my foot.
Rather than the lid rattling, the surrounding air grew frigid, and black smoke billowed up from the floor.
'Kicked it countless times in the game because it kept giving me garbage cards, and lucked out once.'
Sometimes you find the trick; other times, sheer luck hits.
That's a hidden piece for you.
[The Hidden Guardian responds to the provocation.]
Sssuuu-
The smoke rising like heat haze over the chest coalesced in an instant, forming the shape of a grotesque evil spirit.
A spectral monster with near-immunity to physical attacks: [Phantom Stalker].
Defeating it transforms the card in the chest—and this underground chamber—into its true hidden piece.
"Kyaaaak!"
It let out an ear-piercing shriek and charged at the nearest target: Park Yumin.
"Eek!"
Park Yumin yelped and collapsed in fright.
Tsking my tongue, I drew the [Wraithblade] and stepped in front to block it.
This sword had spirit-strike options, after all.
Swish-!
The blade sliced through the spirit's waist.
But the feedback felt like cutting cotton candy—far too light.
Its body split in two, then seamlessly rejoined, recovering health.
'As expected, physical attacks are trash efficiency.'
I could kill it. But it'd take forever.
Utterly inefficient.
That's why I prepared.
Why else would I waste a precious card on that blockhead?
"Yumin! Don't just stand there—burn it! With magic!"
"H-Huh? Okay! Come forth, flames!"
Flustered, Park Yumin thrust out her hand on instinct.
A crimson-black fireball flew and slammed into the spirit's torso.
Whoosh!
"Kieeeek-!"
The effect was tremendous.
The thing that barely scratched from my sword slash writhed in agony as its entire body ignited from one spell.
Magic damage that pierced straight through a spirit—even a fairly advanced one.
"Big Brother! It works! It burns so well!"
"Y-Yeah."
Damn it!
I gave a wry smile and beheaded the staggering spirit for the finishing blow.
My swordplay, inferior even to that hack mage.
Poof!
Once it vanished cleanly, I finally opened the chest.
Inside, instead of the usual blue glow, lay a single skill card with a deep black cover.
[Shadow Reversal (Rare)]
- Use just before being hit by a projectile to nullify the attack and swiftly teleport behind the enemy. (Cooldown: 1 min)
This was exactly what I'd come for.
The survival tool for melee dealers, the ultimate counter.
'Perfect. Now I can block any spear throw—or whatever—once for sure.'
I registered the card immediately.
A cool shadow seemed to settle deep in my heart.
'This is it!'
I closed my eyes briefly right there, then slowly opened them.
Finally, all preparations were complete.
"Let's go. Time to do some real hunting."
Deep in the Misty Forest, a wide clearing.
"Tch. The creatures here are too pathetic. How long will it take to fill our karma purifying trash like this?"
A thick voice echoed through the woods.
A massive figure a head taller than a human. Sturdy skin with a reddish sheen, geometric patterns etched on his face and forearms.
They called themselves the "Guardians of the Holy Site, Hailon."
Rakun, the leader of the group, stabbed his massive steel spear into the ground with a complaint.
"Enough griping. We've left the holy site—we prove ourselves in this dimensional dungeon. Every outsider here is a potential invader."
A female Hailon beside him nodded.
"Exactly. Purifying them and accumulating karma to return triumphant to the homeland is our duty and our pride."
At their feet knelt a ragged-hooded girl, shackled at the neck and wrists.
Her emaciated body peeked through torn clothes, covered in bruises; pointed ears drooped limply from her hair.
"Right, Sogran?"
Sogran.
An ill-fated race reduced to slavery after defeat by the Hailon.
Rakun roughly yanked her hair.
"Agh..."
"If your filthy goddess had given accurate coordinates, we wouldn't be suffering like this. Daring to crash into our holy site and splash mud around?"
The girl trembled without even the will to resist.
"S-Sorry... Master..."
"Hmph. At least your detection sense is useful. Well? Any rats hiding nearby?"
At Rakun's question, the girl's eyes wavered.
Her keen senses had already picked up two presences slicing through the forest, approaching.
'Please... don't come here...'
But she couldn't refuse.
The control collar around her neck constricted her nerves.
Tears streaming, she slowly nodded.
"Th-They're... coming."
The moment we pushed through the brush into the clearing, Park Yumin gasped.
"Eek! Wh-What are those... people? No, monsters?"
Thirty meters ahead.
Skin with a reddish glow, enormous builds.
Geometric tattoos covering faces and forearms, leather armor adorned with metal fittings.
I narrowed my eyes.
'Never seen these before.'
Even in the game, there were over five races I'd confirmed.
More beyond that was no big deal in terms of threats.
'What matters isn't the race—it's how strong they are.'
The hulking one who seemed their leader spotted us and slowly turned.
Our eyes met, and I knew instantly.
They were hunters. And we'd been marked as prey.
"Ho. Natives walking right into our laps."
He spoke.
A deep, gravelly voice, but the system translation made his meaning crystal clear.
"For beasts raised breathing this polluted air, you're surprisingly clean-cut. Here to offer your karma willingly?"
"You can talk? And you look like beasts."
I sneered, and his brow twitched.
"Daring to flap your jaws before great Hailon warriors?"
Hailon.
That must be their race.
Arrogance calling themselves great warriors, treating other races as polluted beasts—classic chosen-people complex.
I had their measure.
"Consider it an honor. To be purified by the Guardians of the Holy Site."
He yanked the massive steel spear from the ground.
The very weapon that made the corpse at the entrance.
Wooong-!
His arm muscles swelled unnaturally.
Not just throwing it.
A blatant intent to crush bones and flesh using his full-body spring.
"B-Big Brother! Danger—Kyaaak!"
Park Yumin screamed as she flew into the bushes beyond.
I'd shoved her.
Too soft(?) for a meat shield.
Even with my [Speed Up], dodging a spear flying from that range—with that power—was near impossible.
But I had no intention of dodging.
Instead, I flipped him the bird.
"What're you waiting for? Throw it already, big guy."
"Dieee!"
Kwaaaang-!
An explosive boom as air burst.
Speed beyond visual tracking.
Power to obliterate my upper body, hurtling at my heart.
But in that split second.
A cold smile crept across my lips.
'Perfect timing.'
[Shadow Reversal]
Projectile nullified. Teleporting behind enemy.
-Paat!
The spear pierced my chest.
But no blood sprayed.
And in that instant! My body dissolved into black smoke and was sucked away at ferocious speed.
Toward his back.
"...What?"
The Hailon leader's eyes widened, frozen mid-throw.
The spear that cut empty air shattered a massive tree behind.
And 0.1 seconds later.
"Reflexes, punk."
"Kuh?!"
He tried to turn desperately, but too late.
I burst from the shadow and plunged the Wraithblade straight at his heart.
Stab-
'Tch, damn. Tough as hell.'
Felt like stabbing a turtle shell.
"Hraaaah!"
No hesitation.
Opportunities don't come twice.
I slammed a knee kick into the Wraithblade's hilt.
Crack! Kwajik!
"Kaaaak!"
Bones crunching, the blade—only partially embedded—dug deep into his vitals.
With a gruesome rupture, the giant bowed backward like a shrimp.
"B-Boss?!"
"Rakun!"
"...!"
That was when it happened.
Dazzling light erupted from the female Hailon's body.
Clear magic skill activation.
I twisted forcibly, using the impaled leader as a shield.
'Think I've been through this once or twice?'
Practiced improvisation.
But the magic wasn't aimed at me.
The golden light poured into the Hailon leader's body, staunching his bleeding and healing his skin simultaneously.
'Damn it! A heal skill!?'
Grip!
The leader's hand—who'd seemed unconscious—seized my left wrist, the one shoving the sword into his heart.
"Kuh..."
Immense pain surged.
Unique-grade power-up strength matching mine—maybe even surpassing.
And the other Hailon was drawing her weapon in panic.
"Yumin! Light 'em up! Anyone!"
"Y-Yes!!"
I glimpsed Park Yumin flailing spells from the opposite side.
Most missed, scorching nearby trees, but enough to scatter their attention.
"You filthy rats!"
As they panicked toward Yumin, I endured the agony threatening to pulverize my left arm and poured all my strength into my right.
"Just die, you bastard!!"
Creak- Crunch-
"Kuhk, kehuk..."
I wrenched the still-embedded blade.
Bleeding resumed, and he vomited blood.
"Rakuuun! You scum!!"
The other one's club swung down at my head.
I couldn't stay put anymore.
Thanks to my speed, I barely pulled free.
"Haa, haa..."
Seconds of standoff.
What now? Run?
That was when it happened.
Whoosh-
Black flames began incinerating the Hailon leader as he spewed blood.