Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: It's Okay Because I'm a Genius Even If I'm on a Time Limit
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The Slayer Corps had different missions assigned based on their brigade numbers.
Brigades 1 through 5 handled capital defense.
Brigades 6 through 25 protected major cities and provinces, and so on.
This system originated as temporary designations for efficient mission allocation when the Slayer Corps was first established, but over time, it had solidified into another form of ranking.
It was common knowledge that only brigades 1 through 25 could truly be called proper Slayer Corps units, and reality bore that out.
The power gap between those within 25 and those beyond was that stark.
Thus, Son Joo-young of the 28th Brigade, tasked with guarding the chapel, and his squad members weren't particularly exceptional in strength.
However, excluding raw power,
their pride in the Slayer Corps' symbol—the black robes—and their understanding of their duties.
Their focus on the target and meticulous vigilance were top-notch, allowing them to consistently succeed in VIP protection missions.
So Son Joo-young figured this time would be no different.
They were always giving it their all, after all.
But then, in the suddenly silent corridor, where even the air seemed to retreat into perfect stillness,
thud, thud.
The moment he spotted the man striding in with majestic poise.
He realized all their past successes had just been a streak of luck. A fluke born from never facing a real adversary.
The man before him exuded such a threatening aura, and the intent in his footsteps was unmistakable.
Son Joo-young immediately reached for his radio to call for backup.
Static, static.
But the device, which had been working fine moments ago, suddenly went dead.
It wasn't some coincidental malfunction; it had to be that man's ability.
Biting his lip, Son Joo-young swiftly drew his sword.
"Form up."
His squad members, faces pale but resolute with their own determination, held their positions.
Then the man, radiating a savage air—
Sword Demon Han Su-hyeok—halted at no great distance.
Han Su-hyeok tapped the scabbard loosely hanging at his waist and spoke.
"Good form, but it won't change a thing."
And vanished.
By the time Son Joo-young spotted him again, one squad member was already vomiting blood and flying off into the distance.
He vanished once more, reappearing in an instant, and without fail, another squad member was sent tumbling, spraying blood.
They were neutralized without so much as a scream.
"What the—"
Son Joo-young was stunned.
No matter how far from the elite ranks they were, they were still the Slayer Corps.
He couldn't believe anyone could handle—maul—7th-rank Awakeners so effortlessly.
But his thoughts didn't go further.
Realizing he stood alone, the moment he raised his sword in haste.
A wind blew. A fierce gale pressing down on his entire body.
And slicing through it like an afterimage: an ornate scabbard.
Gasp.
Only then did Son Joo-young understand why his squad hadn't screamed.
The overwhelming sword gale had crushed their breath away.
Damn it.
He felt pain surging in his chest.
As his body floated up and his vision darkened, he was flung away powerlessly and lost consciousness.
* * *
Ever since entering this world, I'd managed to stay somewhat rational amid countless upheavals because...
Most changes were predictable, or at least resolvable within my means.
But now...
Creeeak.
The chapel door ripped off its hinges, a bloodied Slayer Corps member tumbling in.
And following behind: the demon.
With his long hair swept back haphazardly, arrogant eyes glinting through the strands—his entrance was...
A upheaval unlike any I'd experienced. A natural disaster in itself.
"...Sword Demon Han Su-hyeok."
Late 30s in the story.
The youngest near-crimson demon, a heavyweight with few peers his age.
I recognized him instantly.
The wolf-like aura helped, but more tellingly, the armament at his waist. The eight characters engraved on that scabbard.
King Goujian of Yue's Self-Acting Sword.
Known shortened as the Yuewang Guqian Sword, there was only one owner of that special-grade weapon.
But why had this guy shown up here?
I forced my frozen mind to turn, tense with apprehension.
This encounter should've happened at the earliest after Taegak Academy's graduation, when the Slayer Corps arc truly kicked off.
He was the wall Baek Sa-young, on her winning streak, would face—the adversary she had to overcome.
"The timing's too early...!"
No system messages so far meant no direct intervention from 4885. A wild variable.
A side effect of the twisted plot...
Was it Reina he was after?
Some unknown factor between the Vatican and Han Su-hyeok?
The questions buzzing in my head vanished the moment a gravelly voice shook the chamber.
"Stinks of sour milk in here."
Like some deadbeat dragging his feet out for a stroll.
Despite the 6-to-1 odds—5-to-1 excluding the fallen Reina—Han Su-hyeok oozed leisure.
We, on the other hand, tensed up.
The group clustered around the downed Reina. Joo Ah-rin glanced at her phone, realized it was dead, and shouted in a sharp voice.
"Who are you? Interfering with Taegak and the Vatican's event..."
"Shut it."
No way it'd work.
"Why bother with names when you're all about to croak."
Han Su-hyeok lazily reached for the Yuewang Guqian Sword.
He hefted the sheathed blade and slammed it down—thud—into the floor.
From ground to ceiling.
The once serene, holy chapel enveloped in hazy energy.
I recognized it instantly: his signature technique.
...Sword Realm.
A technique enveloping the entire space in sword energy, under his control.
Breaking out forcibly was near impossible, and no presence leaked out—we were trapped in a perfect prison.
With his hunt prep done, Han Su-hyeok emanated thick demonic energy and crooked a finger.
"You Taegak brats just gonna gawk? Rush a demon when you see one. Scared?"
Cheon Seo-yoon and Lee Dae-ho exchanged glances, grinding their teeth.
"Hit him when he's off-guard."
"Agreed. Dragging it out puts us at a disadvantage."
No way, but their minds aligned, and they suddenly charged forward.
"No!"
Too abrupt for a warning.
They hadn't grasped who he was.
Or how much stronger he was than he appeared.
Lee Dae-ho condensed mana into his right fist and thrust at Han Su-hyeok.
One, two, three.
Three punches cleaved the air, launching enlarged fist-shaped shockwaves at him.
"You demon bastard, how dare you..."
Meanwhile, Cheon Seo-yoon leaped airborne, going all out.
Her trait [Unyielding One] activated, manifesting crude thunder-infused sword energy.
She slashed downward fiercely, unleashing a massive crescent blade strike toward Han Su-hyeok's head.
It meshed perfectly with Lee Dae-ho's shockwaves.
An attack seizing nearly every angle.
Its ferocity and polish rivaled any pro. As expected of [Epic of Salvation]'s leads.
Squeeze—
Hope flickered; my fists clenched.
"Tch, cocky kids with no substance..."
But the hope was premature, crumbling into futility.
Han Su-hyeok slowly lowered the Yuewang Guqian Sword.
Less an attack, more like solo practice.
The result was shattering.
No form, no momentum—just a fierce wind rose.
Yet Cheon Seo-yoon's devouring blade strike and Lee Dae-ho's shockwaves were swept away by that single swing.
Swish—
Han Su-hyeok vanished too.
Reappearing right in Lee Dae-ho's face.
He thrust the gripped Yuewang Guqian Sword straight.
"Wh-what."
Panicked, Lee Dae-ho hastily raised a mana shield around his body.
Futile.
The Yuewang Guqian Sword, sharp even sheathed, pierced effortlessly, slamming into Lee Dae-ho's solar plexus.
"Guhk."
The sturdy bulk flew back all too easily.
"One down."
"Die!"
Then Cheon Seo-yoon claimed his rear.
She swung faster than ever—a strike so certain it felt like it'd already cut.
Clang—
But instead of the hoped-for slice, a dull scrape rang out.
Han Su-hyeok casually extended his sword behind him, blocking with ease.
Blades clashed.
Cheon Seo-yoon poured in vast mana, refusing to yield.
"A sword ain't a club, idiot."
Han Su-hyeok clicked his tongue lightly, hand on his scabbard.
Crimson-black demonic energy rippled along it. Cheon Seo-yoon's sword sheared clean in two.
She staggered; Han Su-hyeok spun leisurely, smashing her exposed flank.
Boom!
Cheon Seo-yoon flew into a wall.
....
"...Protect the Saintess."
"Let's go together. I'll back you up."
Baek Sa-young and Joo Ah-rin followed suit.
Resolved, an unprecedented destructive aura cloaked Baek Sa-young's sword; Joo Ah-rin's frost backed it with unprecedented sharpness.
"You're not bad."
All they earned was Han Su-hyeok's backhanded praise.
"But boring swordplay. Yawn-inducingly dull."
"Girl, you think too much. How many chances did you miss hesitating."
After barely ten exchanges, they fell unceremoniously.
Lee Dae-ho and Cheon Seo-yoon, back on their feet, charged again—but it was futile struggling.
Han Su-hyeok wasn't using killing blows, or several would've died already.
"Damn..."
An utterly overwhelming power gap.
The chasm too vast for any counter.
Past foes were strong too, but exploitable.
Not Han Su-hyeok. A whole different league.
Even my full power—could it stop him?
"..."
Despair alone swirled in my mind.
No matter how I racked my brain, an iron wall loomed: Han Su-hyeok.
" Don't give up."
A firm young voice cut in then.
Turning, I saw Reina, now awake, approaching.
"Sorry about before. I mistook you for possessed by Satan."
Reina bowed lightly.
She seemed to have dropped her suspicions about Greed...
But what did it matter? We were doomed anyway.
Even Reina couldn't match Han Su-hyeok.
She might've drawn him here.
So sarcasm slipped out unbidden.
"That's a relief."
"Given up?"
"No. Giving up's for when there's a sliver of hope. This is just acceptance."
"The Lord never sends trials beyond our strength."
"You see that guy and still say that?"
With everything on the line, my voice gained unintended force.
"Hey, Saintess. You just woke up, so maybe you haven't grasped the situation."
"I can't fight properly from earlier damage. But I can lend my power."
"Even that..."
"Think again. Is there truly no way?"
Intentional or coincidence, I couldn't say.
Reina suddenly looked up at the central Madonna statue; I followed suit and...
"Ah..."
The sole way to navigate this crisis.
The last glimmer of hope worth trying.
"The realm..."
Impossible against Han Su-hyeok directly, but shift the target to his realm.
With Reina's buffs, even a tiny breach would spread demonic presence instantly. The nearby Slayer Corps or Professor Lee Taek-jin couldn't miss it.
"How long you gonna just watch."
Then, amid the fallen group, a chilling voice echoed.
I swallowed hard and stepped in front of Reina.
Protecting the Saintess first, come what may.
"Hey, quit the showboating and draw already. You know why I came all this way."
But Han Su-hyeok's gaze didn't turn to her.
Just fixed on me, as if it were obvious.