113. An elf with a lot of baggage is easy to handle
113. An elf with a lot of baggage is easy to handle
Yang Hae-yeon couldn't shake the Dark Elf's ferocious eyes from her mind.
That mysterious aura she had...
'Hmph... Heupseong-daebeop?!?!?!'
What the hell was Heupseong-daebeop?
It was a martial art so damn famous you couldn't pretend not to know it.
A technique that sucks in a person's Innate True Energy to power yourself up.
The catch? It drags in death energy too, slowly driving you batshit insane.
To start with, why was a legend-only martial art showing up there...?
And was it really Heupseong-daebeop?
Amid the chaos, Ryu-o approached the corpse with its limbs smashed to pulp.
"Hoo, junior, what're you doing?"
"Checking."
With that curt reply, Ryu-o yanked the corpse's clothes right down.
-Swaaak!
Flustered by the out-of-nowhere move, Yang Hae-yeon jolted over in panic.
"???? Junior! What the hell are you..."
"......... You see... this?"
"What do you... Huh? This is..."
Right by the baggy top, there it was—the Hardin Family crest.
Hardin Count House.
The family with a massive pad smack in the mid-western Labyrinth City, where land prices are sky-high.
Word is they're doing pretty damn hot.
So why the fuck was a count family's emblem here?
A tattoo, even? Nobles inking up?
These Hardin guys...? They just look like common thugs?
Anyway, a connected party's gotten hit by these creeps?
The case blew up in size real quick.
Nobles involved, plus someone packing Heupseong-daebeop.
Mess with an incident this tangled... and boom, your head's on a pike for playing know-it-all.
Yang Hae-yeon slapped a hand on Ryu-o's shoulder, aiming for an anonymous tip-off.
"Junior, I've got a plan, so follow my..."
"I'll track 'em!"
"????!?!??"
Why the junior? He know something?
Flustered Yang Hae-yeon versus Ryu-o gearing up for the rooftops.
Seeing her fuming, Ryu-o yelled.
"Quick! Sunbae-nim! Hurry!"
"We, we can't get tangled in..."
Kid's still green on how the world works.
But...
"Didn't you say? Even if it flops, what we gotta protect is our bond!"
"Uh... uh-huh..."
She got steamrolled by the mess she summoned herself.
Shoulda dialed back that ego...
Wait, and playing detective is your bond?
-Hwoong!
"Wa-wait! Why so damn fast! Augh!!"
Yang Hae-yeon watched Ryu-o bolt and wrung out her battered guts.
Even so, sending a rookie guy adventurer solo? Nah.
Yang Hae-yeon slammed back the top-tier potion she'd been hemming over...
"Together!!"
She bolted after the Dark Elf shrinking to a dot far off, with Ryu-o.
Shoulda paced the booze.
Just a light buzz, but damn, this tiring?
But hey, I'm the aggrieved one here.
Drunk-stumbling home, odds of stumbling on the Dark Elf's kill site—and spotting the allied family crest when the corpse shriveled up?
-Hwoong!
"Un-fucking-believable... Hoo..."
"Huff! Huff! Me too... un-fucking-believable, junior... nim...!"
I eyed Yang Hae-yeon glued to my side and apologized.
"Sorry. Looks like an incident I know."
"You know it? That Dark Elf?"
"Nope... the victims."
"?????"
Seems my buddy spotted Hardin Family tattoo goons snatching kids. And lo and behold, tattoo right there...
Wanted to spill, but the Dark Elf ducked between buildings mid-rooftop sprint, so I gnashed my teeth.
-Kaduk!
"She caught on."
-Hwooong!
"Fa-fast... Argh!!"
Yang Hae-yeon looked winded but kept up like a champ.
We touched down between southern back-alley buildings.
-Thud! Hwoong...
Moment we scanned around...
-Swaaak!
"Junior!!!!"
Me and Yang Hae-yeon whipped out swords, batting away the flying daggers.
-Ccleeeang!!
"Ugh..."
"... Never seen a Heupseong-daebeop learner this weak. Where you at! Show your ugly mug!"
Wondered if she'd pop out, but the Dark Elf went full reveal.
In the dark alleys, pink eyes glowed soft.
-Tuduk tuduk
"You saw it all, I take it."
Yang Hae-yeon mashed her temple and growled.
"Ha... fine. Where'd a demon fuck like you learn Heupseong-daebeop."
"Heupseong... daebeop?"
I cocked my head at the confused Dark Elf and said.
"What's your deal with the guys you just iced?"
Wasn't banking on an answer, but she chin-stroked like pondering deep.
"Deal... deal... what dea..."
""???""
"............ No need for you to know."
Short silence later, her dagger rocketed at us.
I zeroed my focus, swatting the dagger; blink later, she was on Yang Hae-yeon.
-Ccleeeang!
-Sheek!!
"Down another..."
Insane kick energy from the Dark Elf launched Yang Hae-yeon flying.
-Kwaaaang!!
"Sunbae!!!"
No time for rearview.
Grabbed my stinging wrist from dagger shock, twisted hard.
-Ccreeeek!
Dark Elf winced at the Bug Sword kicking in, but...
-Chiiik! Tadak!
"......... Pretty good."
Just nicked her skimpy outfit.
Dark Elf flicked her wrist, dagger now in the other hand too.
I pulled Malion in response, gripped tight.
She side-eyed Malion's blue sword aura flooding the alley.
-Woongwoongwoongwoong!!!
""......""
-Hwing!
Blitzed me fast, but nowhere near Master's untouchable level.
Swatted the reverse-grip right stab, body-twisted past the gut left.
-Clang! Hwik!
Dark Elf pitched forward off-balance.
Gap! Fisted for her jaw.
Instant. She eyed my face, eyes flaring faint light.
-Flaaash...
"????????"
No clue what, but fist to flustered elf.
-Wooduduk!!
"Kuuk!!!!"
-Chiiiik! Clang!
Charged the shoved-back, dagger-dropping elf.
Arm flopping, but eyes flashing nonstop at me.
-Flash! Flash!
"???"
What? Vision-steal beam? Nah, too dim.
Cranked Uncheon-yeohyeong max, Bug Sword barrage.
-Chwajajajak! Hung hung!
-Puhwaak!!
"... Kaduk..."
-Kudangtang!!
Elf chest ripped, blood-spraying midair roll on ground.
Dead? Got questions...
No holding back on this one.
Approaching to confirm...
-Kkumeul...
"?"
-Kkumeulong~ Beolteok!
Eyes quivering, elf popped right up.
No way... that recovery?
Time-rewind vibes.
Bad feeling hit; restanced.
Then elf blinked my way.
"You, what the hell are you?"
"Huh?"
"Spill. I'll spare ya. Why's it not working?"
Mid-debate on smashing nonsense-spouting elf...
-Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Puha... Tuduk tuduk...
"Ha...... Shoulda chugged more back then... Hoo. Hey, demon!!"
-Wooooong!!!
"........."
"Let's throw down for real!!"
We locked eyes, auras surging.
-Woong! Woong! Woong! Woong!
Massive energies clashing as we charged...
"Stop!!!"
Some familiar-yet-off voice boomed from nowhere.
Why the fuck does this psycho bitch always brawl right outside the damn shop?
Thought it'd wrap quick, but materials jostling from shocks—total bust.
Sa Ma-yeon heaved his heavy ass upstairs.
Door open, head peek...
'???????? Huh?'
Gritted-teeth not-missed Ryu-o plus Labyrinth City's famed raid member in view.
Those scrubs scrapping? No way.
No shade on colleague's skills, but foe's Ryu-o!
Arin and Heavenly Demon summon!
Duchy Honorary Knight!!
Prime time-bomb specimen!!!
'Hiiiik!!'
Sa Ma-yeon dove underground, cramming gear and materials into Subspace.
'Quick... quick!'
Gonna sweet-talk colleague, bail ASAP.
But how? Arin and Heavenly Demon inbound—run?
They're mid-fight too?
Pride-monster colleague ain't hearing that.
She'd off 'em and wipe witnesses, bet.
Relay how? Mouth?
Ryu-o knows me already.
Identity blows? Tracked for sure.
"Shii... fuck..."
Sa Ma-yeon's skull throbbed like cracking.
Fugitive life again.
Pondering hit collision noise; back to action.
-Kwaaang!
"Crazy!"
Gotta act. Offing any tangles shit further.
Shit, already tangled.
Sa Ma-yeon hooded up, climbed...
"Keheek! Kekek! Kehum... Ah!"
Throat crushed hard, then bellowed.
"Stop!!!"
-Drop!
"""???"""
What now?
First...
"Charles!! Deets later—for now!!!"
Sa Ma-yeon hurled handfuls of escape smoke bombs—five each.
"Over here!"
-Pengpeberbeong!
Mystery projectiles flying; the standoff trio backed off.
Charles closing on suddenly-clowning Sa Ma-yeon.
"The fuck is this shit?"
"What shit! Bail first! Move!"
"Saw faces. Gotta erase."
Crazy bitch—wear a mask then, not yapping family hunt everywhere, you fucking cunt!!
Instead, Sa Ma-yeon picked words careful.
"Charles... no... can't kill that guy..."
"????"
"That's Arin's disciple."
"? Then double reason to kill. Arin'll hunt us."
Charles mana-compressed for smoke-dive.
Pre-hunt hush. Sa Ma-yeon freaked.
You fucking lunatic, kill him—Duchy investigates? Raids every Magic Tower, witnesses? Labyrinth City stripped naked? You game?
Sa Ma-yeon, zero compress-confidence...
"Charles... seeing that guy, really nada?"
-Halt!
'Oing?'
Dumbass, I looped it slick—nailed reaction.
Sa Ma-yeon heartbreak-faced Charles.
Grabbed her shoulder as eyes widened...
-Thub...
"Told ya... deets slow. Underground flee now. Hurry."
"........................"
Sa Ma-yeon's ace out.
Bullshit first, dodge.
Nailed naive Charles perfect.
-... Nod