Chapter 308: What Does It Mean to Turn the Tables?
Chapter 308: What Does It Mean to Turn the Tables?
The Vagabonds screamed and began to flee. It seemed they’d been in the middle of forming a concentrated fire formation, as the five who remained scattered in different directions. I watched them for a moment before letting out a long sigh and surveying my surroundings.
The area where the battle had taken place was now littered with the bodies of well over ten people. The ground, which had been relatively clean just moments ago, was now stained with the Vagabonds’ blood, no different from any other battlefield. Looking at the scene, I had to struggle to suppress my surging killing intent. If I had my way, I would have chased them down and slaughtered every last one, but with our goal so close, I didn't have the luxury of hunting them down one by one.
“Soohyun. Good work.”
Ko Yeonju’s languid voice echoed from nearby. Only then was I able to shake myself from the intoxicating haze of slaughter.
How ridiculous of me. I was the one who’d said we should leave as soon as the battle was over, yet here I was, hesitating.
I immediately turned my head to check on the clan members. Ko Yeonju and the others were peeking out from their cover. My eyes met with the Shadow Queen’s. Her contribution to breaking through this outer district had been immense. Just a moment ago, if she hadn't covered me with her shadow, I might have been caught in that concentrated fire formation.
“That was timely support. Just as expected of the Shadow Queen.”
“It was nothing. You’re making me blush. Hoho.”
Ko Yeonju replied, her eyes on the chaotically scattered corpses.
I looked forward again. We had stuck to the left as much as possible while breaking through the Residents' residential area. To finally escape this god-forsaken outer district, I moved diagonally to the left, just as we had been doing. I could hear the footsteps of the clan members following behind me.
We ran like that for about five minutes. The cluttered view, obscured by broken buildings, suddenly opened up, clearing my vision. The metallic scent of blood faded, replaced by the acrid smell of smoke. And straight ahead, beneath a massive wall, a wide-open space that looked to be about fifteen feet high came into view. We had finally escaped the outer district.
As expected, the city gate was empty. I could see the two mutilated corpses of guards, and the sound of desperate screams began to echo from the distance again, but the east gate was definitely clear.
If we could just get through the gate, our chances of survival would increase exponentially. Even if we were pursued, we wouldn't be in a confined city, making it much easier to shake them off. In any case, the most important thing now was to get outside. We could figure out which way to go after escaping the city.
With my thoughts organized, I finally set foot on the street. It was then.
Swish!
A sharp sound tore through the air. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw something long cutting through the surging flames and rising smoke, lunging through the darkness. It was already nearly upon me.
I spun around reflexively. At the same time, I pushed my senses, which I had deliberately dulled to calm my bloodlust, back to their absolute limit.
The cold wind grazing my neck felt surprisingly sharp. Thinking it was a strange attack, I tilted my head, and my hearing, pushed to its extreme, picked up a woman’s soft voice.
“Sightline Alignment (Fine Shot)… Demon Bullet, Flush!”
At that moment, a massive explosion and a wave of searing heat washed over me from behind.
『Magic attack detected. Glory of Heaven and Glory of the Sun are interacting to respond.』
『Magic attack detected. Latent Ability, Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: EX), is responding.』
『Glory of Heaven and Glory of the Sun have defended perfectly! Judged as a complete defense!』
I felt countless fragments pelt the protective barrier, but that was all. I hadn't taken any damage. In any case, I had pinpointed her location and distance from that last attack. I looked up at a three-story building that was still standing. After confirming the faint silhouette aiming at me, I immediately launched myself forward.
Using Bowstring Shadow Step and the ability of my Orthros Long Boots, the building rushed toward me in an instant, and I was soon looking down at the rooftop. I heard the archer let out a small groan, but her response was still excellent. Her surprise was brief; the moment she saw me leap up, she drew her bowstring.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
She had only drawn the bow once, but I heard the sound of six arrows. The dark arrows, fired into the air, soon twisted and danced, instantly surrounding me from six directions. It was like watching living arrows.
The jet-black arrows then began to pour in from all sides simultaneously.
I calmly gripped the hilt of the Formless Sword. The moment the arrows entered my range, I swung the sword in a large, circular motion. Perhaps because it was filled with magic, a blue trajectory lingered in the air, drawing a semicircle. The instant the arrows and the semicircle collided, a heavy impact shot up my wrist.
Skakakakakak!
The arrows—no, the demon bullets—were cleanly sliced apart and deflected in a fan shape. I charged through the falling fragments, and the face of the Vagabond who had shot at me grew larger and larger. I couldn't see her clearly since the lower half of her face was covered by a black hood, but from her long, straight hair and slender frame, she was clearly a woman. Her eyes, looking at me, were wide with shock.
Using the momentum of my descent, I swung the Formless Sword down hard.
Slice!
Well, look at this.
The Formless Sword had sharply cut through the spot where the woman had been aiming at me just moments before. But she didn't go down so easily. Most of the blade had cut through empty air. Still, I had definitely felt the tip of the sword connect with something. Puzzled, I looked forward and saw the Vagabond stumbling back, a vertical tear running down the center of her top. Her skin, now slightly exposed, showed a faint trace of blood as a thin stream trickled out.
The archer had saved her own life by a hair's breadth. Her quick retreat the moment she saw me deflecting her arrows had been effective. Her Player Status and quick decision-making skills were quite impressive. It was just a shame she was a Vagabond.
I immediately got into position and rushed toward the archer. The battle was as good as over. The Vagabond was a skilled archer, but that was only when she had distance. Now that I had closed the gap this much, it was safe to say she had no chance of winning.
The archer quickly backpedaled, trying to escape the rooftop altogether. She was desperately trying to create distance. But with my Agility at 98 points, plus the Orthros Long Boots, it was a futile effort for even a skilled archer to widen the gap between us.
The distance that had been opening up closed in just two seconds, bringing her within the Formless Sword’s range. I could see despair clouding the archer's eyes above her black hood. I stomped my left foot hard on the ground and, at the same time, thrust the Formless Sword forward with lightning speed.
Stab!
“Ack…!”
The invisible sword accurately pierced through the tear in her top and lodged itself in the archer's chest. I felt it sink into soft flesh. When I judged it had gone deep enough, I unleashed my magic with all my might.
Boom! Bang!
A massive explosion erupted from within her body, as if a bomb had been planted and detonated inside her. The archer's durability stat couldn't withstand the pressure of the blast, and her limbs were torn to shreds, scattering into the air. As the remnants of her body flew in all directions, a spray of hot blood from the explosion drenched me from head to toe.
“Ptoo.”
I’m practically taking a bloodbath today.
The relief of eliminating a skilled opponent was brief. I spat out the blood that had entered my mouth and looked behind me. The gate was still empty. No, it wasn't. Ko Yeonju was waving at me nonchalantly. The clan members hadn't left; they were waiting for me.
I turned back toward them and took a great leap toward the city gate.
This was it. The long-awaited escape.
*
“What the hell happened here?!”
Baek Seoyeon shrieked loud enough to shake the surroundings. At her murderous shout, those beside her flinched. Dong-su, who was always chattering like a sparrow; Hae-yeon, who was always grumbling demurely; and Gain, the girl with a dazed, simple-minded charm—all of them kept their lips sealed tight. They knew. Baek Seoyeon was endlessly generous to the subordinates she cherished, but once she snapped, her inherently cruel nature would be revealed without mercy.
And right now, Baek Seoyeon was on the verge of going completely insane. When she first heard that contact had been lost, she’d thought, no way, it can’t be. But when she arrived at the plaza and the Warp Gate, that fear became reality. To make matters worse, the moment she heard about the situation in the district her subordinates were in charge of, she finally exploded.
To vent the rage boiling up inside her, she had been brutally killing any Users she saw, but it wasn't enough to quell her anger.
For a ‘true Vagabond,’ Baek Seoyeon had an abnormally strong black-and-white view of the world. It was so extreme that Hyun had been reluctant to entrust her with command, her skills notwithstanding.
Baek Seoyeon stared down at the dagger dripping with blood and muttered in a low voice.
“Say it again… How many casualties are we talking about…?”
“……”
Baek Seoyeon’s question was directed at Park Dong-su. Overwhelmed by her murderous aura, he could only glance around nervously and swallow hard. But as soon as her sharp gaze fell on him, he hurriedly spoke.
“The sixty-five people at the plaza and the seventy-seven at the Warp Gate. A total of one hundred forty-two were completely wiped out.”
“Fu…ck…”
“And the casualties in the Residents' main residential area… so far, we’ve confirmed a total of one hundred twenty-nine… and… they’re still searching…”
“Ha… So two hundred seventy-one are dead? And that’s just what’s been confirmed so far?”
Baek Seoyeon asked again with a look of utter disbelief. Dong-su nodded with a grim face. At that, she let out another tremendous scream.
“FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”
Clang!
Baek Seoyeon threw down her favorite dagger and grabbed her head with both hands.
The total number of Vagabonds who had invaded Mule was 2,800. Of course, this was fewer than the number of Users in Mule, but these were not just any riffraff. With the exception of the leadership and a few of their units, they were an elite force. These were the ones who had successfully escaped the Vagabond extermination plan, crossed the continent, and traversed the unexplored regions. They were the core of the best of the best.
In other words, they were the Vagabonds she had cherished so dearly, classified not just as combat-ready but as top-tier forces.
Out of those 2,800, Baek Seoyeon commanded a total of 800. She led 300 herself, while the remaining 500 were split into groups of 300 and 200 to attack from the left and right. The group of 200 was assigned to the Residents' main residential area. Since nearly 70% of the people there were Residents, she had judged that occupying it wouldn't be too difficult and assigned 100 fewer people.
Of course, no matter how skilled the Vagabonds were, some casualties were to be expected when raiding a city. But the raid had barely begun, and they had already lost 10% of their forces. Among them, nearly half of the dead were Baek Seoyeon’s subordinates. And the greatest losses had come from the outer district, where she had expected the fewest casualties. This was why Baek Seoyeon had lost her mind.
It was then that one of the members sent to support the outer district came running, out of breath.
“W-We have a huge problem!”
Everyone’s attention turned to the approaching Vagabond. Everyone except Baek Seoyeon closed their eyes and bit their lips, already anticipating what he was about to say.
“We found more bodies in the rear of the outer district!”
“…How many.”
“Seventeen! A-And among the dead are Jeong Gyu-gang and Lee Ji-hyeon!”
“Seventeen… W-What did you say?”
The moment the Vagabond finished his report, a murmur of commotion spread through the area. Jeong Gyu-gang was not only skilled but also one of the most senior Vagabonds, with a reputation to match. And Lee Ji-hyeon possessed the Secret Class ‘Der Freischutz,’ making her a precious asset. Most importantly, they were two of the people Baek Seoyeon trusted and relied on the most.
Baek Seoyeon’s expression didn't change. She stared at the Vagabond with a placid face, then strode forward and grabbed him by the collar. She began to stare at him intently without a word.
“I-It’s not a lie! I just came from confirming the bodies myself!”
“…You confirmed it properly? You didn’t see wrong?”
“Yes, yes! There was someone who barely managed to escape, and he testified! E-Especially Jeong Gyu-gang, he was almost completely overwhelmed by one guy…! And as for Lee Ji-hyeon, it’s not certain yet, but…”
“…Not certain?”
“W-Well, her body was completely torn apart and scattered everywhere… But based on her face and clothes…!”
Thud.
Baek Seoyeon dropped the Vagabond. Dong-su clutched his forehead. Not just Dong-su, but everyone around knew. From the moment she had grabbed her subordinate’s collar, the thread holding Baek Seoyeon’s sanity together had snapped.
Baek Seoyeon calmly turned, picked up the dagger she had dropped earlier, and spoke in a low voice.
“Lee Haein.”
“Yes!”
“Bring the one who escaped to me right now. No, have him wait by the bodies. And tell him this: if he wants to live, he’d better think about that bastard’s features and appearance in as much detail as possible.”
“Understood!”
Lee Haein dashed off. Next, Baek Seoyeon turned her gaze to Dong-su.
“Park Dong-su.”
“Y-Yes.”
“Prepare a pursuit team immediately. Gather at least fifty of the fastest runners.”
“B-Boss. We’re in the middle of a raid, and you want to start a pursuit… Ugh!”
For a moment, a red glow flared from Baek Seoyeon’s eyes. A chill ran down Park Dong-su’s spine, but he still stammered out what he had to say.
“In a situation like this, you need to be calm… Keuk!”
“They might still be here, and even if they’ve left, we can catch up quickly.”
“Dammit…! Still… you have to… report it! Boss!”
“……”
“Damn it, I know! I know how close you were to Ji-hyeon and Gyu-gang. I understand how you feel, so at least report it before you go. With the plaza and the Warp Gate in this state, Users are gathering at the South Gate faster than expected. The South Gate, okay? You know what that means, right, Boss? Even if you’re going, at least do what needs to be done first! You can take a shit if you want, but someone still has to clean it up!”
Baek Seoyeon stared intently at Park Dong-su. The red glow in her eyes slowly began to fade. As Dong-su’s Adam’s apple bobbed a couple of times, Baek Seoyeon slowly parted her lips.
“Just gather them first. Gather them, then report. Got it?”
“Shit. You’re planning to leave before the report even goes through… F-Fine. I’ll gather them now. I’m gathering them.”
Park Dong-su let out a long sigh and nodded. He then started running off in one direction in a hurry.
Baek Seoyeon watched his retreating back for a moment before darting forward like an arrow. An unconcealable, fierce desire for revenge burned in her eyes.
However, at that moment, Baek Seoyeon had no idea. She didn't know what would happen to her in the future because of this choice. Nor did she know what consequences it would bring upon the continent. Blinded by her thirst for revenge, she couldn't begin to fathom it.