Chapter 312: The Hunted Demons, the Hunting Demon
Chapter 312: The Hunted Demons, the Hunting Demon
Victoria’s Glory: Sword-Light
(Description: A silver-white energy constantly flows along the body of Victoria’s Glory. This is a fraction of the Authority of Diana, the guardian deity of the ancient kingdom of Victoria, and is known by the epithet Sword-Light. When this ability is activated, the light flowing on the blade materializes, allowing it to exert both physical and magical force. Its basic power is exceptionally sharp, but its number and potency can be amplified indefinitely depending on the wielder's abilities. (If an Authority is registered in the User's information, the power of that Authority can be imbued into it.) It can be used a total of 3 times per day, and the count resets at the start of a new day.)
At first, I considered a hit-and-run strategy using the terrain. But I soon realized how futile that would be. My Users lacked the experience, speed, and abilities to conduct guerrilla warfare effectively.
I briefly thought about carrying out the guerrilla activities by myself, but I quickly shook my head. Even with the Shadow Queen, our forces would plummet the moment I left. Rather than leaving a source of worry behind, I felt much more at ease keeping them close.
So, the method I chose was an ambush. Of course, it wasn't a head-on assault. Since we were going to fight anyway, launching a preemptive strike was a hundred times better than passively waiting for the Vagabonds to arrive. I led the Users to a location with terrain suitable for a confrontation. Then, I split off alone, lightly harassed the pursuing Vagabonds, and led them straight to where my Users were waiting.
And now, the plan was just moments away from fruition.
*
The Vagabonds chasing Kim Soohyun were a seasoned bunch. Although they had lost comrades anticlimactically to the sudden storm of blades of light during the initial ambush, it had been an unexpected attack. They wouldn't be caught off guard a second time. They had made their own preparations while pursuing Kim Soohyun, and the moment the sword glowing with a soft light was aimed at them, they reacted.
A torrent of countless flashes of light, tendrils of darkness, arrows, and spells rained down. Simultaneously, translucent barriers layered themselves one after another in front of the Vagabonds. They had no doubt that the multi-layered shields would block the incoming attacks, or at the very least, mitigate most of the damage. They drew upon their magic, anticipating the delightful slaughter that would follow.
However, that confidence shattered into astonishment the instant the blades of light reached the first barrier.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
Crack! Craaack!
The blades, glowing with a soft light, tore through the barriers with the clear ring of materialized swords. As the Vagabonds who had cast the spells staggered from the merciless clash of magic, the Users' attacks squeezed through the gaps in the shredded shields.
Shhhk! Sh-shhhk! Thud! Thud-thud!
Boom! Ba-boom! Crash! Cra-crash!
“Kuaaaargh!”
“Kyaaaaaaack!”
It was like a raging wave, swallowing the Vagabonds in the front line whole. Still retaining some of its power after tearing through the barriers, the Sword-Light cut down the Vagabonds, scattering an eerie light. Dark shadows descended upon them, while arrows and spells rained down relentlessly, creating a cacophony of explosions and screams. Some of the subsequent attacks even slid through the chaos, kicking up clouds of rough dust.
“Dammit! Everyone, move!”
The night was already dark, and now a thick cloud of dust rose. But for those who had reached a certain level of mastery, this kind of visual obstruction was no problem.
With a sharp cry, a woman in black tights shot out from the hazy dust like an arrow. Her hair was a base of jet black, but a faint red hue seemed to scatter crimson dots into the air with every sway. As if influenced by it, her eyes were also a vivid crimson. That wasn't all. The daggers in her hands were blazing with red magic, as if she had poured all her power into them.
“Hmph!”
The woman in black tights, Baek Seoyeon, let out a sultry battle cry as she crossed her daggers in an X-shape. Incredibly, the magic that had merely been enveloping the daggers suddenly stretched out, whipping about like flexible lashes. When she flicked her wrists, the arcs of the sword energy deepened, wrapping horizontally around the countless masses of magic pressing in.
Kwa-kwang! Kwa-kwa-kwang!
“Kuh!”
A massive roar erupted, sweeping through the area. Baek Seoyeon flinched with a short groan. Even though the attack had been filtered once, a tremendous shockwave still coursed through her entire body. She gritted her teeth and held on, then raised an eyebrow with a puzzled expression. The moment she saw the shadows scattering in the air like fireworks, a flash of realization crossed her eyes.
“I see… Now I get it. The Shadow Queen… Huh?”
Baek Seoyeon muttered in a growling voice, as if she had been holding back a lot, then lifted her head as her sentence trailed off with a questioning tone.
Swoosh!
The sharp sound of wind slicing through the air. The chilling killing intent embedded in that sound instantly cooled the rage that had been burning in Baek Seoyeon’s head just a moment ago.
She thought she had him. She thought all that was left was to inflict maximum fear and hunt him down painfully. But reality wasn't unfolding as she'd planned. Instead, Kim Soohyun’s relentless, stormy assault, which gave her no room to breathe, sent shivers down her spine.
Watching the silver trajectory cutting through the air like a meteor, Baek Seoyeon tightened her grip on her daggers and lowered her stance. Once again, she summoned a great surge of red magic.
Clang!
The clear ring of a sword echoed through the forest. The moment the red and silver-white magic clashed, a brilliant light flashed as if exploding.
The preliminary skirmish ended in the Users' favor.
And the ripple of magic, mixing like paint and spreading out in a circle, was the signal that the main battle had finally begun.
*
About forty Vagabonds remained. Forty-one, to be exact. Ko Yeonju had initially estimated around forty. When I first saw them, I had counted fifty. Her prediction was off, but there was a reason for the discrepancy. Ten of the fifty were mages and priests, and they were being carried on the backs of the other melee-type Vagabonds.
I thought it was a little funny when I first saw it, but it didn't matter. Thanks to the first ambush and the initial clash, we had started the fight by inflicting nine casualties right from the get-go. That alone was a tremendous achievement.
All that was left now was to stir things up for real.
Clang!
Victoria’s Glory and the dagger, both imbued with our respective magic, collided. The moment the heavy impact came, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It wasn't because the dagger had blocked my Authority. The woman before me was decked out in red from head to toe. Even her dagger was emanating red magic. I hadn't gotten a good look during the chaos of the first ambush, but seeing her up close like this stirred a sense of familiarity.
Crack, cra-crack…! Shatter!
Just then, the clear sound of shattering glass rang out. I glanced over and saw the dagger, held above her trembling black-tights-clad leg, with a vertical crack running down its length. I thought it was holding up pretty well, but in the end, it couldn't withstand my Authority and fractured.
“N-No way. Black Wolf…?”
The moment I heard her shocked voice, I felt my eyes focus. Not missing the opening, I swung my sword in a short arc and thrust.
“Kuh!”
Clang!
The woman instantly leaned back and retreated. Dropping the dagger was an excellent decision. Thanks to that, the tip of my sword, which had been aimed at her head, grazed her shoulder by a hair's breadth. Of course, in exchange, one of her daggers completely shattered into fragments.
The woman then backflipped, quickly putting distance between us. I didn't bother to chase her. I had something to confirm, and the spot she retreated to was now filled with the Vagabonds who had reformed their ranks during our brief exchange.
A thin line of blood spurted from the woman's left arm. She had avoided being pierced, but it seemed the magic enveloping my blade had sliced her. She stood up with the help of the other Vagabonds, her expression twisting into a scowl as she spat out a curse.
I immediately activated the Third Eye. For now, I just needed to confirm the essential information.
〈 Player Status 〉
1. Name: Baek Seoyeon (Year 5 User)
2. Class: Scorching Heat Slayer (Secret, Master)
〈 Stats 〉
1. [Strength 90(+2)] [Durability 85] [Agility 96(+1)] [Stamina 89] [Magic Power 94] [Luck 67]
“Son of a bitch!”
It's Baek Seoyeon.
The moment I saw her status and heard her voice, I was certain. The Vagabond I had just clashed with was none other than Baek Seoyeon. Her appearance here was honestly unexpected. I felt a mix of disbelief and the feeling that I'd hit the jackpot. I wasn't as happy as when I saw Belphegor, but for some reason, I felt a flutter of excitement.
And so, with a glad heart, I aimed Victoria’s Glory at her. No matter what, I would kill Baek Seoyeon here. No, that's not right. Just killing her isn't enough. Killing her would be a last resort if things got difficult. If I get the chance, I'll cripple her.
Strength +2, Agility +1. Her gear is good, too… This is huge.
Having made up my mind, I smiled faintly. As if reading my expression, a spark ignited in Baek Seoyeon's eyes. Her face contorted in anger, and she began to mutter rapidly.
“Front, back, converge! Cut, Shadow Queen, rear! 15! 16! 10!”
At Baek Seoyeon's shout, the Vagabonds' response was swift. I quickly analyzed the situation. They left fifteen in the center and instantly split into three groups. Sixteen of them split wide to the left and right, bypassing me completely. They were probably aiming for the Users behind me.
The ten Vagabonds who retreated were mostly mages, priests, and a few archers. The fifteen in the center consisted of only melee types and archers.
I tightened my grip on the hilt and charged straight toward the center. In response, some of the fifteen central Vagabonds ran directly at me, while others began to scatter in all directions.
There's a relatively high number of archers.
I began to move with that in mind. At the very front of the Vagabonds charging me was Baek Seoyeon, clutching her one remaining dagger.
The moment we entered each other's range, our blades crossed once more. Baek Seoyeon's assault was comparatively tame, a stark contrast to before. She was focused on defense, ready to pull back at any moment. Unwilling to lose another dagger so pointlessly, she tried to deflect my sword by angling her blade just as they were about to clash.
That used to be my specialty.
I scoffed inwardly and used Four Ounces Deflect a Thousand Pounds to lightly sweep her blade in the opposite direction.
Thwack!
“Ah…?”
Baek Seoyeon's eyes widened. By turning her own force back against her, I had sent her right arm flying back, completely exposing the right side of her chest. It was a perfect opportunity.
To be honest, Baek Seoyeon was by no means an easy opponent. She, too, was a formidable User who had left her mark on the history of the Hall Plain. The reason she was being pushed back so easily was that I was on a whole other level, and she lacked information about me. She hadn't adapted to a fighting style that defied common sense, one she had never faced before.
Of course, Baek Seoyeon seemed to have realized the gap between us after our first clash and had taken out some insurance. The presence of the fourteen other Vagabonds now aiming for me was proof of that. The moment her arm was thrown back, I felt the sharp presence of countless arrows targeting my entire body.
In that split second, a dozen thoughts raced through my mind. But I quickly made a decision. It was a choice between the other fourteen Vagabonds and the value of Baek Seoyeon alone. The answer was clear. Both were important. Having decided, I watched Baek Seoyeon quickly retreat and paused for a moment. Then, mustering all my magic, I stomped on the ground with all my might.
CRASH! CRUNCH, CRACK!
I felt the ground not just dent but split apart under my foot. Like an uppercut, a shockwave erupted from the earth and slammed into the incoming attacks. The projectiles affected were momentarily knocked off course before correcting to target me again. But that fraction of a second was all I needed. From the moment my foot hit the ground, I had activated the Sword-Light ability.
As magic surged into Victoria’s Glory, I swung the sword in a wide arc.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
Once again, ten blades of light flashed through the surroundings, and streaks of blood painted my vision along with simultaneous screams. Most of the killing intent vanished as a result, but some still remained.
Baek Seoyeon had already brought her arm back to her side. I immediately used the Positional Exchange ability.
Shuk, sh-shuk! Thud, th-thud!
The sound of something embedding itself in the ground. I looked up to see three or four Vagabonds sprawled on the earth and another me slowly fading away in the distance. Right in front of me was Baek Seoyeon, her back exposed as she stared ahead.
“What…?”
Sensing something was wrong, Baek Seoyeon turned her head slightly.
The moment our eyes met, I brought my sword down.