Chapter 305: Turning the Tables
Chapter 305: Turning the Tables
Crack!
With a sound like the air itself bursting, Kim Soohyun’s form shot forward. With just a single push off the ground, he closed nearly a third of the distance to the mages on the opposite side. It was a truly terrifying leap, a horrifying burst of speed.
The Vagabonds seemed to sense the momentum of the man who had so easily dispatched their comrade and was now charging toward them. But they didn't just stand by and watch.
These were ‘real Vagabonds.’ They were people who constantly wandered from place to place without the sanctuary of a city, their lives always under threat. This wasn't their first time facing an opponent who surpassed their own abilities; they were skilled fighters who had crossed the line between life and death on several occasions.
“Concentrated fire! Prepare for concentrated fire!”
As the mage in the very center raised his staff high and shouted, the other mages, who had been in the middle of preparing their own spells, turned their heads in unison. Spotting Kim Soohyun rushing toward them like a speeding arrow, they all aimed their staves.
Jewels embedded in the tips of their staves began to glow with multicolored light. Including the mages who were just beginning to prepare their spells, no less than twenty incantations were now aimed at Kim Soohyun.
Even as they watched Kim Soohyun close the distance with every passing second, the Vagabond mages didn't fire immediately. Though the clamor of the plaza could have been distracting, they remained calm, waiting for someone’s command.
In their center, the mage who had first called for the concentrated fire was quietly chanting a spell. As if he had mastered Rapid Incantation, a green orb materialized at the tip of his staff in an instant and began to grow, becoming rounder. When the orb reached the size of a soccer ball, the mage shouted the activation word in a booming voice.
“───. ───. ───. Ensnare!”
The green orb shot from his staff, flying in a straight line toward Kim Soohyun. It soon spread out like a wave, rushing to envelop him. At the same time, as if they had been waiting for that very spell, the other mages fired as one.
“Water Spear!”
“Ice Cannon!”
“Chain Lightning!”
“Thunder Bolt!”
Countless lights flashed. Spells leaking fearsome magical power surged toward Kim Soohyun, each competing with the next. The chain of spells, fired like a downpour of rain, formed a perfect web of fire reminiscent of a bombing run.
The Ensnare spell, leading the barrage, was just about to reach Kim Soohyun.
From the red belt tying his sea-blue martial arts uniform, a shimmering heat haze began to rise as if ignited. The haze gradually took on a blue hue and began to solidify, forming a bluish barrier just as the green net was about to fall upon him.
Sizzle! Sizzzle!
The eyes of the mage who had cast Ensnare widened. The spell that had washed over his target like a wave was blocked with absurd ease by the barrier created from the synergy of ‘Glory of Heaven’ and ‘Glory of the Sun.’ The Ensnare spread out like paint in water before shrinking rapidly with the sound of sizzling meat. Finally, it scattered a spray of green light and vanished completely.
Kim Soohyun was revealed, no longer holding one sword, but one in each hand. He had switched the Sun and Moon Divine Sword to his left hand. In his right, he held a sword that was only a hilt, its blade invisible. Kim Soohyun briefly halted his stormy charge and took a stance. Then, without hesitation, he swung his swords at the torrent of magic rushing toward him.
The first was the Water Spear, shaped like a sharp lance.
Slice! Sploosh!
The invisible sword cleanly cut the Water Spear in two. Its magic forcibly severed, the spell lost its target and dissipated into a spray of fine water droplets.
But countless more spells were flying in right behind it.
The concentrated fire filled the air from every direction, a murderous barrage that seemed intent on shattering Kim Soohyun’s very existence. And when you added the mages preparing a second volley just in case, the destructive power was enough to blow away a part of the very ground itself.
Slice, Boom! Slice, Crash!
The volley of spells finally reached him. The disbelief that had flickered in the mages’ eyes when he cut the Water Spear intensified the moment the barrage began.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
How could one even describe it?
An invisible sword in his right hand. The Sun and Moon Divine Sword in his left. Kim Soohyun swung the two swords like a windmill, precisely striking down each and every spell that came crashing in. Like a skilled gardener swiftly trimming the branches of a tree, he showed not a hint of hesitation. It made no difference whether the spells came with a delay or all at once; none were an exception.
Countless flashes of sword light erupted around him. Each swing left a chilling trajectory, the gleam of the blades moving too fast for the eye to follow, creating the illusion of an elaborate sword barrier.
One would think at least one spell would get through, but Kim Soohyun allowed not a single one to approach him. The web of light he cast was that fine, that dense. Every time his sword swept out, a spell was mercilessly cut down, losing its target and spiraling through the air like a paper airplane with a torn wing before fading powerlessly into nothing.
After the concentrated fire ended, Kim Soohyun emerged from the thick smoke of the explosions. The bluish barrier still shimmered like a calm sea, and his clothes were without a single speck of soot. Only the ground where he stood, scoured and scarred by the shockwaves, remained as evidence of the attack. Kim Soohyun himself was completely unscathed.
The central plaza had fallen silent. The desperate screams for survival, the madness reflecting a burning desire for revenge—all of it had vanished.
As the screams and insanity that had filled the plaza subsided, shock and disbelief took their place. Both Users and Vagabonds instinctively backed away, their eyes fixed on a single man.
For Users, especially for ordinary swordsmen, blocking magic with a sword was an act that defied common sense. Even if one wore thick armor and imbued their sword with a great deal of magic, it was difficult to withstand the explosion that occurred when magic clashed with magic. Furthermore, since mages were generally a class with the highest magic power stat, confronting a spell head-on without any anti-magic abilities was considered taboo for swordsmen.
But now, a User had appeared who shattered that taboo. And not just against one spell, but dozens, all of which he had struck down and destroyed. He had made what was considered impossible a reality.
A brief second passed after Kim Soohyun had blocked all the attacks. His eyes, looking up, flashed once, and his body shot high into the air. He must have combined Bowstring Shadow Step with the ability of his Orthros Boots, because his leap and speed were incomparable to before.
In the blink of an eye, Kim Soohyun’s form was already in the air above the gathered Vagabond mages. They stared blankly, craning their necks to look up at the sky. Kim Soohyun’s body was tracing a gentle arc as he began his descent.
Finally snapping out of their daze, the Vagabonds let out the breaths they had been holding.
“Fire, fire!”
Shushushushuk!
Arrows flew from the archers.
“───. ───. ───. Gust of Wind!”
“───. ───. ───. Fire Lance!”
The mages who had been preparing the second volley unleashed their spells.
Once again, arrows and magic soared into the air. It was an unavoidable attack, timed for the very moment Kim Soohyun reached the apex of his jump and was about to come down. But there was no trace of panic on his face. In fact, seeing the slight smile on his lips, he might have expected it from the start.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kaboom! Kabooom!
The arrows and spells pierced Kim Soohyun without fail. Seeing the holes riddling his entire body, a look of elation appeared on the Vagabonds’ faces. But that elation crumbled the moment they saw the arrows continue to fly through the air even after hitting him, and the spells collide with each other and explode. Then, the tattered afterimage of Kim Soohyun that remained in the air slowly melted away. It was Positional Exchange.
“B-Behind you!”
Someone shouted. The Vagabonds, who had been staring blankly at the sky, scrambled to turn around. The Vagabond mage who had been directing the concentrated fire also spun around at the shout. But Kim Soohyun had already secured a position behind his target long before.
The last thing the hastily turning Vagabond mage saw was the sight of Kim Soohyun bringing down his invisible sword in a great arc, and the blue trajectory that embroidered the air.
*
Thwack!
The Formless Sword split him vertically from the crown of his head, cleaving him perfectly in half down to his mouth. It was the one who had used Ensnare on me. His skills were decent, but he gave off the strong impression of being the commander, so I made him my first target.
Thud!
His head split in two, the mage’s body collapsed. Blood streamed from his neck, slowly staining the plaza floor.
With that, I had successfully landed in the middle of the Vagabonds. I quickly scanned my surroundings. I saw a few melee types, but the vast majority were ranged, and 80% of them were mages.
No matter how battle-hardened these Vagabonds were, they must not have expected me to break through so easily, because they were all frozen in place. This was my chance. Without delay, I returned the Sun and Moon Divine Sword to its sheath and gripped the Formless Sword tightly. The Sun and Moon Divine Sword’s performance wasn't bad, but to wipe out as many of them as possible, the Formless Sword, which could handle 100% of my magic power, was better.
Woooong!
As I slowly roused my magic, the Formless Sword let out a clear hum. Though the blade itself was invisible, anyone who wasn’t blind would recognize the danger. Seeing a few of them flinch, I further increased the speed of the magic circulating through my body.
When the magic flowed through my right arm and into the sword, an unusual vibration began to emanate from it. Perhaps because it was channeling my full magic power stat of 96 points, the vibration was strong enough to make the very air tremble.
When I felt it was enough, I glanced at the Formless Sword. I could see a bluish energy rippling over the blade like a wave. From all around, I heard the sounds of hurried chanting and the drawing of bowstrings. I immediately leaped to the side, toward the largest cluster of mages, and swung the Formless Sword with all my might.
Boom!
As I struck the empty air, the space, which had held nothing, buckled violently. The moment I felt a heavy repulsive force in my right hand, the magic that had been coating the entire blade became a single wave and crashed down upon the mages.
Kwakwakwaka!
“Sh-shit!”
“Dodge, don’t block!”
The wave, tearing the air to shreds, widened into a fan shape as it closed the distance to them. The mages caught in its path, feeling the force of the wave rushing at them, screamed as they scrambled to the left and right. But the only ones who managed to escape were the lucky few at the far edges of the arc.
“Gaaah!”
“Kyaaaak!”
The massive wave crashed into the area where the mages had been gathered. Since I was running right behind the wave, I had a clear view of them being struck.
The wave I had unleashed cut through the bodies of the five people in the first row without resistance. It then sliced through the four in the second row. Only when it reached the third row did its cutting power seem to dull, sending the remaining two flying into the air. Of course, that was nothing for them to be happy about. The shockwave contained within the blast hadn't gone anywhere.
Crunch! Craaack!
The wave failed to cut the last two, but it destroyed them utterly instead. They slammed violently into the plaza’s central bulletin board, which collapsed with a splintering crack from the impact. Then, with a gush of blood, their limbs seemed to explode, scattering onto the ground.
With a single blow, I had turned eleven people into bloody pulp. But there was no time to revel in it. By now, the ones who had quickly regained their senses would have completed their spells. I needed to deal with those who had escaped the arc first, then finish off the rest. Just then.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
A furious roar struck my ears. I turned my head to see one of them screaming as he charged at me. His speed was swift and agile enough to surprise me slightly. His agility stat might even be over 90.
Ping! Ping!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows. Ice magic. The Sensing field I had spread out picked up several presences. First, I had to deal with the Vagabond right in front of me. The man wore knuckles fitted with sharp needles, and they were aimed straight for my face.
Fwoosh!
It was certainly fast and powerful, but the attack was plain to see. I tilted my head slightly and felt a strong gust of wind brush past my ear. A quick glance down showed his left hand was held in a reverse grip, likely preparing for a follow-up combo. A step ahead of him, I controlled my strength and struck his abdomen with my empty left hand.
“Keuk!”
He instantly bent over, his body lurching forward. I could have ended it by stabbing him with my sword, but this guy still had a use. I immediately grabbed the back of his neck and lifted him up, turning him toward the direction of the presences I had sensed earlier.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Two arrows to the head, two ice spikes to the abdomen. His endurance stat must have been quite high, because thankfully, neither the arrows nor the magic pierced through his body. I could feel him trembling violently in my hand. Soon after, his arms and legs went limp.
I threw the corpse of the man who had served his purpose to the ground. When I did, I could see the remaining Vagabonds grinding their teeth at me.
There were now just under thirty of them left. I was about to kick off the ground to finish them off quickly and head to the Warp Gate. At that moment, a massive roar from hundreds of people erupted behind me.
I glanced back and saw the Users, who had been so overwhelmingly beaten until now, picking up their weapons and rising resolutely.
Their eyes burned with a desire for revenge, as if to pay back everything they had suffered.
*
“Hah, hah. You really are an incredible User.”
“Wouldn’t it be better not to talk while running?”
“Bah. I may be old, but my body’s not dead yet.”
“I see. In any case, we’ll be at the Warp Gate soon. I’ll go on ahead to check the situation, so please follow me. Ko Yeonju, I’m counting on you.”
After confirming Ko Yeonju’s nod, I ran straight ahead.
In the end, we dealt with every last Vagabond in the plaza. Once I had thrown the core of their firepower—the group that had been massacring the Users—into chaos, the Users who had been merely watching until then all charged in at once. It was unexpected support, but thanks to them, I was able to clear the plaza even faster.
After the battle in the plaza ended, Users swarmed around me in layers. An endless stream of thanks poured out—that the tide of battle had turned since my appearance, that I had saved them, that I was their hope—but I had no time to respond to each one.
The Vagabonds in the plaza were merely the ones who had responded from within. The ones rushing from the east, west, and north gates would be the true elites. My plan was to escape Mule just before they stormed the Warp Gate or the plaza.
So, I quickly gathered only my clan members and left the plaza. I sensed a few presences following me, but honestly, I had no intention of paying them any mind.
Soon, the Warp Gate slowly came into view up ahead. I pushed myself to run even faster, focusing more magic into my eyes. I let out a long sigh.
Just as I thought, it’s been occupied.
The distance to the Warp Gate was now shrinking fast enough to see with the naked eye. The situation was similar to the plaza: dozens of Vagabonds around the Warp Gate, surrounded by hundreds of Users.
There were a few differences, however. The Vagabonds weren't attacking one-sidedly; they were focused on defense. And the hundreds of Users surrounding them were shouting as they rained down attacks, trying desperately to retake the Warp Gate.
In that they weren't being unilaterally slaughtered, it was better than the plaza. But the screams drawing closer from three directions told me that the other Vagabonds were also about to arrive. I thought for a moment as I ran, then came to an abrupt stop.
Good thing I saved this. I’ll use it once for now.
I once again roused a great amount of magic. I put strength into my feet and stomped hard on the ground. A ripple spread across the earth, and with it, dozens of auras spread out and began to take shape. They soon formed the shape of ‘swords’ glowing with a bluish light. Then, I immediately awakened the power of Eternal Flame, slumbering in my heart.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
The distinct, clear sound of fire that signaled Eternal Flame’s awakening. At that moment, a red energy mixed into the bluish swords, and soon, Eternal Flame began to bloom in a crimson blaze.
I can’t let the Warp Gate get damaged.
I started moving again, thrusting my right hand forward forcefully. At the same time, dozens of Blazing Swords shot toward the Warp Gate.