Chapter 716: Eternal Spire (94)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 716: Eternal Spire (94)
Park So-young fled toward the eastern district, ruthlessly cutting down the guards who dared to block her path.
The Holy Cross Knights' pursuit team and Yoon Jae-ho’s party followed hot on her heels.
"Yoon Jae-ho! Orders from the Guild Master! We have instructions to lead Park So-young out of the city and execute her!"
As the Holy Cross Knight shouted, Yoon Jae-ho hurriedly moved to block them.
"No! She’s being mind-controlled! You can't kill her!" Yoon Jae-ho cried out desperately.
Park So-young glanced back. Seeing Yoon Jae-ho, a smirk played on her lips.
To think he’d dare face Master with such a weak heart… how pathetic.
However, she wasn't exactly in a position to be relaxed. The pursuers kept coming, and Yoon Jae-ho, Kim Min-su, and Randolph were clearly holding back to avoid killing her.
If they weren't going easy on me, I would have been cornered already.
But her brief respite didn't last.
A powerful presence loomed ahead as the executives of the Holy Cross Knights blocked her path.
"Park So-young, this is the end."
A middle-aged man spoke coldly, drawing his sword. It was Benjamin of the Blade, one of the guild's executives.
Other executives appeared beside him.
"We do not forgive traitors."
"It’s the Guild Master’s order. Die."
Even surrounded, Park So-young calmly raised her sword.
Master… please, come quickly.
She prayed fervently in her heart.
Benjamin swung his sword.
"Take this!"
—Boom!
Park So-young barely managed to parry, but the impact sent her reeling back.
As expected… the executives are strong.
The other executives attacked simultaneously.
—Boom! Bang! Crash!
"Urgh…!"
Park So-young swallowed a groan as she struggled to deflect the onslaught. She was reaching her limit. Sword wounds and bruises multiplied across her body, and blood began to trickle down her arms.
From behind, Yoon Jae-ho’s anguished voice rang out.
"Wait! Stop! You mustn't hurt Park So-young!"
But the Holy Cross Knights' executives were resolute.
"Step back, Yoon Jae-ho. This is an official guild order."
"No!"
Yoon Jae-ho tried to rush forward, but the Holy Cross soldiers immediately surrounded him and his companions, blocking their path.
Park So-young was being driven into a corner. Her vision blurred, and blood flowed incessantly from the gashes on her skin.
At this rate… I’m in trouble.
In that split second, she pulled out her last remaining smoke bomb and slammed it against the ground.
—Pshhh!
"Smoke! Secure your vision!"
White smoke instantly blanketed the alleyway. Taking advantage of the chaos, Park So-young leaped onto the wall of a nearby building and scaled it rapidly.
"There she is! Don't let her get away!"
One of the executives shouted sharply, and the pursuit team scrambled up the building after her. However, another executive was already waiting at the top with a drawn blade, as if they had anticipated her move.
The executive leveled their sword without a moment's hesitation. A cold gaze, and a thrust aimed straight for her heart.
Master…
In that moment of crisis, a massive shadow plummeted from the sky like a bolt of lightning.
—CRASH!
With a thunderous roar, the head of the executive blocking her path exploded into nothingness. Amidst the spray of blood and debris, Park So-young felt herself being pulled into someone’s arms.
Startled, she looked up to see a man with a sly, smirking expression.
"The great one has arrived!"
"M-Master…!"
Tears of relief welled in Park So-young’s eyes.
"Good job."
Jin Seo-yun smiled warmly and stroked her hair.
Just then, the Holy Cross executives arrived in the alley beside the building, gasping for breath.
"Geum Taeyang?! You were a traitor too?!"
Benjamin leveled his sword, his eyes burning with rage.
Jin Seo-yun chuckled and retorted.
"Traitor? That’s rich. I was never on your side to begin with."
"What?!"
"Wait, why is that guy wearing Night Bloom clothes?"
Sensing something was wrong, Yoon Jae-ho shouted urgently.
"Wait a minute… something’s off! That’s not Geum Taeyang—!"
Jin Seo-yun smiled playfully and raised his Crushing Staff.
"Heh, and don't you dare act tough in front of me, you bastard."
The Crushing Staff swung.
—BOOM!
The ground shattered under the monstrous force, and several Holy Cross members were sent flying, crashing into the walls.
The executives' faces froze in horror.
"Impossible!"
"Now then, shall we start the real fun?"
—CRASH!
The ground cracked as a shockwave rippled outward.
"Guh…!"
Jin Seo-yun snapped his fingers, and Yekaterina emerged from the shadows like a ghost.
"Tia, take So-young to a safe place."
"Yes, Seo-yun."
Tia quickly supported Park So-young and disappeared beyond the alley.
Benjamin gnashed his teeth and roared.
"Ignore the penalty! Kill him!"
The Holy Cross executives and participants charged all at once. But Jin Seo-yun didn't even flinch as he swung his Crushing Staff.
—BAM! CRASH! THUD!
Accompanied by the sound of brutal destruction, the executives were struck down one by one.
"Aaaargh!"
"Ugh…!"
It was overwhelming power; no one could keep up with his movements.
Then, Yoon Jae-ho screamed.
"Geum Taeyang… no, Jin Seo-yun!"
Yoon Jae-ho raised his staff high.
Jin Seo-yun turned his head leisurely and smiled.
"Long time no see."
"You… I knew it! You were the one behind all of this!"
"Of course. Who else but me could set up such an entertaining stage?"
At Jin Seo-yun’s nonchalant reply, Yoon Jae-ho’s face contorted with fury.
"Because of you… even So-young…!"
"So-young? She was delicious. I’m making her happy with my cock every single night. By the way, if you want Isia’s sex tape, let me know. I’ll give it to you for just four gold coins."
"…You son of a bitch…!"
Shaking with rage, Yoon Jae-ho drew a magic circle. Intense magical power exploded and surged toward Jin Seo-yun.
However—
Jin Seo-yun didn't even bother to dodge or block.
—Thud! Bam!
The spells struck his body in succession, but they couldn't leave a single scratch.
"Hmm, that tickles. Can't you do any better than that?"
As Jin Seo-yun smirked, Yoon Jae-ho’s expression stiffened.
"This can't be… I thought I had become strong enough…"
"Heh, it’s just that I’m getting stronger much faster than a pipsqueak like you."
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the sky.
"Jin Seo-yun! Give me back my daughter!"
Randolph appeared in mid-air, aiming his bow at Jin Seo-yun’s head.
—Whish!
A high-speed arrow streaked toward Jin Seo-yun.
Simultaneously, Kim Min-su charged from the side with his shield raised.
"Furious Charge!"
—BOOM!
Yet, Jin Seo-yun remained perfectly composed.
"The reason I bothered to show up with Geum Taeyang’s face is—"
Jin Seo-yun spoke abruptly, raising his Crushing Staff toward the sky.
Hearing those words, Yoon Jae-ho felt an instinctive sense of dread. A feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen.
"Both of you, get back!"
Yoon Jae-ho shouted desperately.
—Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, a sound like a giant heart beating echoed through the air. Dark clouds began to gather rapidly in the sky.
—Rumble… Rumble…
The thunder grew louder and louder.
In that instant, a massive bolt of lightning fell from the heavens.
—KABOOM!
A tremendous explosion sent shockwaves tearing through the surroundings. Dust and smoke completely obscured their vision. Yoon Jae-ho, Kim Min-su, and Randolph were blown back by the force of the blast.
"Ugh…!"
"What the hell is…!"
The dust slowly began to settle.
—Crackle… Zap…
Jin Seo-yun walked slowly out of the haze.
"The Golden Warrior, Geum Taeyang—Descent!"
Jin Seo-yun was now clad in golden lightning. His hair stood on end, and sparks of electricity flickered in his eyes. Powerful currents surged through his Crushing Staff.
Jin Seo-yun gave the staff a light swing.
—BOOM!
The golden lightning vibrated, spreading out and obliterating the surrounding buildings.
"Gah…!"
Yoon Jae-ho desperately deployed a shield, but the lightning surged right through it, causing his entire body to convulse. He fell to his knees, gasping for air, his very fingertips charred by the shock.
"Oho~ now this is what I’m talking about!"
Jin Seo-yun seemed to be enjoying the situation, laughing as he advanced. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing in front of Kim Min-su.
"Huh…?!"
—CRACK!
The Crushing Staff slammed into Kim Min-su’s shield. The shield shattered into pieces, and Kim Min-su was sent crashing into a wall with a scream.
Next was Randolph.
"Damn it…!"
Randolph fired a rapid succession of arrows. However, the electrical field surrounding Jin Seo-yun’s body deflected every single one of them.
"Special service for the father-in-law!"
—Zzzzt!
Jin Seo-yun slammed the Crushing Staff into the ground and brought his hands together. Golden lightning gathered explosively at his fingertips. That massive sphere of energy streaked toward Randolph in an instant.
"……!"
—KABOOM!
The energy mass tore right through Randolph’s body. Before he could even scream, the powerful current twisted his frame, and he collapsed to the ground, leaving nothing but scorched earth behind.
A heavy silence fell. Stepping over his fallen foes, Jin Seo-yun, still wreathed in electricity with his staff slung over his shoulder, walked slowly toward Yoon Jae-ho.
"Now, you’re the last one."
Yoon Jae-ho sat paralyzed on the ground, glaring at Jin Seo-yun with eyes full of spite. Fear, anger, despair—a whirlwind of emotions swirled in his gaze.
Jin Seo-yun approached him casually and asked, "Any last words?"
Yoon Jae-ho gritted his teeth.
"Even in death… I will curse you. I will definitely—"
But that was as far as he got. Jin Seo-yun snorted and cut him off.
"I’ve heard that curse so many times it’s getting boring."
Jin Seo-yun grabbed Yoon Jae-ho by the hair and hoisted him up.
"Agh…!"
At that moment, Tia appeared to deliver her report.
"Lauren says she has secured Austin."
*
A short while later, the members of Night Bloom were wrapping things up and taking control of the city. Despite their small numbers, no one dared to challenge them, given how overwhelmingly powerful each individual was.
In front of the crowd gathered in the plaza, two men were hung upon crosses.
One was the famous Master of the Holy Cross Knights, Austin.
And beside him hung Yoon Jae-ho.
Both were covered in wounds. Though conscious, they seemed to lack even the strength to resist.
Numerous participants had gathered in the plaza—members of the Holy Cross Knights, other guilds, and unaffiliated individuals alike.
Everyone watched in bated silence.
Jin Seo-yun stepped onto the podium.
"Now then, let the trial begin."
Jin Seo-yun’s voice echoed throughout the plaza.
"For the crime of slandering Night Bloom and spreading false rumors, and—!"
Jin Seo-yun snapped his fingers, and a massive semi-transparent window appeared in the air.
Various documents and photographs began to manifest within it.
[Holy Cross Knights Internal Document - Top Secret]
[Participant Forced Conscription Plan]
[Neutral Guild Subversion Operation Plan]
As the materials were revealed one by one, the plaza began to stir.
"W-what is that…?"
"The Holy Cross Knights did those things?"
The murmuring grew louder.
Jin Seo-yun continued.
"There’s more."
The next set of data appeared.
[Evidence of Exploitation and Forced Labor of Low-Level Participants]
[Assassination List of Other Participants]
"These are all documents written by the Holy Cross Knights themselves. They were retrieved at the risk of her life by a brave insider named Park So-young."
The atmosphere in the plaza grew increasingly hostile.
The faces of the participants belonging to the Holy Cross Knights turned pale.
"Guild Master… is this true?"
"Were we… used for such filthy work?"
Austin hung his head, unable to say a word.
Jin Seo-yun smirked.
"Austin, nothing to say? You usually have such a big mouth."
"……"
Austin gritted his teeth.
Jin Seo-yun revealed the final set of data.
[Plan to Spread False Information Regarding Night Bloom]
"And this is evidence that the Holy Cross Knights intentionally spread false rumors about Night Bloom."
The documents contained words like 'human trafficking,' 'human experimentation,' and 'forced prostitution.'
"Human trafficking? Human experimentation? Forced prostitution? All lies. The Holy Cross Knights pinned their own atrocities on us to hide their tracks."
The mood in the plaza flipped completely.
"You bastards!"
"Execute them now!"
"Death penalty!"
Jin Seo-yun turned back to the crowd.
"Now then, how should we handle these two?"
"Kill them!"
"Execution!"
"Death!"
The cries of the people filled the plaza.