Chapter 376: When Winter Goes, Spring Comes.
Chapter 376: When Winter Goes, Spring Comes.
Bwooo… Bwooo…
The faint sound of a horn flute drifted through the air.
“Well now. There’s the signal again. I’d best be on my way.”
A man gave a deep bow, then turned and shot off like an arrow. About twenty other Vagabonds followed, running after him.
Watching them shrink into dots in an instant, Simon Grimes tilted his head slightly.
“Hmm.”
“What is it, Simon?”
“Ah. Something just doesn’t feel right.”
“Hm? What doesn’t feel right?”
Simon didn’t answer Yurina’s question right away. Instead, he simply swept his blood-red eyes over their surroundings.
“I definitely heard the signal… You don’t think they were lying, do you?”
“I heard the signal too. I don’t think they were lying. But…”
Simon trailed off again. The red in his eyes flashed for a moment.
Worried he might lose control of his senses again, Yurina quickly went to his side and gently stroked his back.
“Try not to worry too much. For now, let’s just focus on our own escape. Besides…”
Yurina lifted her head slightly and glanced to the right. A few of the Vagabonds who hadn’t followed the man earlier pointedly avoided her gaze.
“You don’t think they actually ran away, do you? There should still be more of them scattered around.”
“They might have. All the important figures have already left this spot. And they’re the type of people who don’t have a shred of loyalty.”
“Simon…”
“Don’t worry. I expected this to some extent. So I have nothing more to say.”
Hearing Simon admit it was his own fault, Yurina let out a soft sigh. She leaned in and spoke quietly.
“Should I go check it out, then?”
“Hm? You, Yurina?”
At Simon’s question, Yurina nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Yes. That important wanderer who was the last to remain… Kangsan, was it? I’ll go bring him back. He’s one of the leaders, so he should know something.”
“Hmm. I don’t think much will change even if you bring him here… And I feel like we’ll find out what’s going on naturally if we just wait.”
Simon turned his head again. He slowly crossed his arms and continued, giving a slight nod.
“It doesn’t really matter either way… but it’s probably better to know in advance than to wait. Yurina? We’ll keep moving, so just get a feel for the situation and come back.”
At Simon’s words, Yurina smiled gently and turned to leave.
*
Fifteen minutes later.
“Well, well. I was wondering why you sent the signal… Turns out you had a good reason.”
A man’s boastful voice echoed through the area. At the same time, a group of what looked to be about twenty people slowly began to reveal themselves. Led by a man carrying a massive greatsword, every single one of them exuded an unnerving aura.
The moment the Sword Empress saw them, her face turned ashen.
“To think I’d meet our Daeun again… What an unexpected prize. Hahahaha!”
As boisterous laughter followed, the Sword Empress bit her lip hard.
This is what had happened.
To deal with the new wave of enemies, the Sword Empress had chosen to fight from a blind spot. There was nowhere to run, and she had judged that their numbers were small enough to handle.
When the battle began, her prediction seemed to be correct at first. She displayed her overwhelming power, felling most of the enemies, and with the support of Ahn Hyun and the others, she easily seized victory.
But there was one thing the Sword Empress had failed to anticipate: one of the enemies had a horn flute.
The horn flute was one of the communication methods used by the Vagabonds. By establishing a signal system based on the number of blows, it served as a tool to request help or issue commands in emergencies.
The man stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the Sword Empress, her party, and the surrounding area.
“Hmm. Are we the first to arrive? Well, that’s a relief. Glad we could finally get out.”
“He really blew it at the perfect time, sir. Does this mean the alliance is completely broken now?”
“Pretty much. The commander-in-chief already took off earlier, using the excuse of dealing with someone. He’s probably already left the battlefield by now. We need to get out on our own, too.”
“Sir? Ah… You mean when that pretty boy was throwing a fit at us? It looked like Hyun-nim was really going to hunt him down.”
“That guy’s been strange ever since Baek Seoyeon was captured.”
The man replied in short bursts while looking around, his eyes finally stopping on a certain spot. There, a Vagabond lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes wide open. A horn flute was clenched tightly between his lips, from which blood was trickling.
“Just how many of them died… You really did a number on them, didn’t you? Our Daeun.”
The man spoke in a dumbfounded tone, then nudged the Vagabond he had just been talking to.
“Hey. You. Pick up that horn flute and send the ‘situation clear’ signal right now.”
“Sir? You want me to send the ‘situation clear’ signal?”
When the Vagabond questioned the order, the man nodded with an annoyed look.
“Yeah. Other guys might be on their way.”
“But our opponent is the Sword Empress… And shouldn’t we let the others know?”
“Why is that your problem? Tell them to get out on their own. Besides, things could get annoying if those Western Continent bastards get involved.”
“Still…”
The Vagabond hesitated for a moment, but when the man’s face contorted in anger, he meekly picked up the horn flute.
Bwooo… Bwooo… Bwooo…
Three blasts from the horn flute echoed through the air. It was the signal that the situation was over. The various presences that had been slowly converging on their location paused for a moment, then began to turn back.
“I followed your order… but don’t blame me if you get killed by the Sword Empress.”
“Heh. Don’t worry. You really think we can’t handle one tired bitch?”
The Sword Empress had been tensing up, watching the Vagabonds act as if she wasn’t even there. But the word ‘bitch’ grated on her nerves, and in an instant, her aura shifted. Sensing it, the man grinned.
“Alright, alright. Let’s hurry up and finish this before that pretty boy notices.”
“Heh. Wouldn’t it be better to just leave now? They don’t look like they’re in great shape either…”
“But we can’t just let a traitor go when she’s right in front of us. And all the time we spent looking for her…”
“Who’s the traitor?!”
It was then.
The Sword Empress’s sharp cry shot toward the man.
His subtle provocations had finally worked. He immediately turned his head to look at her.
“Long time no see, my dear Daeun. You remember me, right?”
“Shut up! Don’t you… Don’t you dare call me that!”
The man chuckled at the Sword Empress’s trembling, furious shout.
The man’s identity was none other than the ‘traitor,’ Lee Kangsan. The User who had taken the Sword Empress, once called the greatest prodigy at the Academy, and turned her into a Vagabond along with himself.
“My, my, our Daeun. You’ve gotten so prickly. Aren’t you a little too full of yourself for a traitor? Did people praise you a lot while you were playing ‘Sword Empress’?”
“You’re the traitor…!”
“Haha. I raised you, clothed you, fed you, got you a Secret Class, and even comforted you with my body every single day…”
“Shut your mouth! I’ll kill you!”
Just as Lee Kangsan was about to continue his slimy remarks, the Sword Empress let out a scream. But he paid her no mind, retorting with the same oily demeanor.
“Who’s killing whom? Acting like you’re the victim. You disgusting bitch.”
“Because of you… If it wasn’t for you…!”
“Why don’t you just admit it? You started enjoying it later on, didn’t you?”
“……!”
“And then you stabbed me in the back. You pretended to give in and obey, but you were just waiting for a chance to run away? You traitor!”
Vwooom!
Unable to bear it any longer, the Sword Empress’s sword, ‘Seol-ah,’ began to hum with a clear, resonant sound.
“You… This is perfect… I will kill you, no matter what…”
A chilling killing intent erupted from the Sword Empress’s calm eyes. As if reflecting her current state of mind, an aura so intense it felt like it could devour its surroundings with sound alone began to swirl around her.
Judging that his provocations had been effective enough, Lee Kangsan’s expression turned serious as he brought his greatsword forward. He was undoubtedly a formidable fighter, but he was still a notch below the Sword Empress. His only advantages were the fact that he had once taught her, that she was currently exhausted, and his numerical superiority.
Just before the battle began, Lee Kangsan gave a slight nod without even looking.
“You four on the right, take care of the chicks in the back. The rest of you, engage the Sword Empress. We’re capturing her, not killing her, so go in prepared for at least half of you to die. I’ll forgive minor injuries.”
“Hah. You think you can capture me?”
The Sword Empress scoffed. But the Vagabonds faithfully followed Lee Kangsan’s command, and the four on the far right slipped away like ghosts.
“I’ll kill you!”
At the same time, facing the mortal enemy she had longed to kill, the Sword Empress lost her reason and charged toward the sixteen men like a flash of light.
And just as ten streams of sword aura erupted from ‘Seol-ah.’
“Well then, shall we take care of this side?”
The Vagabonds who had split off walked toward the remaining party members. Three were men, and one was a woman.
“Pfft. Look at them tremble. They really are just chicks.”
“They haven’t even started chanting their spells yet. I could probably take them all by myself. That pretty redhead is mine. She’s just my type.”
“Then the priestess bitch in the back is mine. She’s really cute and pretty. Or is it innocent? Whatever. Hehe.”
“You crazy bastards. We’re finishing this and getting out of here. Just focus on killing them.”
The female Vagabond chided them, but the three men just laughed and joked around, their faces full of confidence, as if they truly believed their opponents were nothing but chicks.
It wasn't a provocation; you could see in their eyes that they genuinely didn't consider them a threat.
The numbers were 4 against 6.
The Users had the numerical advantage. But no one, including Ahn Hyun, dared to make a move. In fact, they had been completely silent ever since the Vagabonds appeared—not because they didn't see the point in responding, but because their entire bodies were frozen with tension.
Ahn Hyun’s senses, at least, were telling him that the Vagabonds before him were on a different level from any enemy he had faced before.
I can’t run.
Ahn Hyun gripped his spear tightly and took his stance.
Clang! Screech!
Following his lead, Lee Yoojung and the two Users the Sword Empress had brought with her shakily raised their weapons. They knew it was hopeless, but their actions showed their refusal to go down without a fight.
Meanwhile, the four Vagabonds turned their heads to watch the fierce battle unfolding nearby.
“Looks like our side is getting pushed back a bit.”
“Wow. Senior Executive-nim and sixteen mid-ranking executives are getting pushed back? By a single person?”
“Not by much… just a little? It’s the Sword Empress, after all. A Secret Class. Anyway, let’s finish up here quickly and see what happens. We need to join them if things look bad.”
“Ugh. Just handle your own business. Or should I just take care of all of them myself?”
Finally, the remaining four also readied their weapons. A spear, an axe, a sword, and another sword. The fact that there were no ranged classes among them was perhaps the only silver lining.
Ahn Hyun swallowed hard. He glanced sideways at the spot where the Sword Empress was fighting.
The best-case scenario would be to hold out until she could come and help, but that was impossible. From what he could tell, every single one of the Vagabonds who had rushed here felt stronger than him. And now, the spear-wielding Vagabond was slowly starting to walk forward.
When he looked back, he saw the man pointing his spear at the party and waving it back and forth playfully, as if it were all a game.
But Ahn Hyun did not let his guard down.
My only choice is to aim for a counter.
Ahn Hyun decided to charge in the moment the Vagabond attacked, and he gritted his teeth. Even if he was severely injured, he was determined to take at least one of them down.
‘When you counter an opponent’s first strike, watch their feet.’
Following Kim Soohyun’s teaching, Ahn Hyun watched the footsteps of the man in the lead.
Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot…!
The moment the steps stopped, Ahn Hyun heard the sound of the air being torn apart. He put all his strength into tilting his head back while simultaneously thrusting his own spear forward. At the same time, a faint, round light formed around his body.
Swish!
Their spears crossed, missing each other by a hair’s breadth. The thrusts were almost simultaneous.
But the Vagabond’s spear was faster, and it was aimed at Ahn Hyun’s head…
Crack!
It grazed past him.
The faint light enveloping his body shattered, but his head was safe. Ahn Hyun’s Latent Ability, Protective Aura, had slightly altered the spear’s trajectory. Following through, Ahn Hyun’s spear continued unabated toward the Vagabond’s chest.
In that fleeting moment, a cold chill ran down the Vagabond’s spine. He had thought he was just a chick, but this unexpected blow made sweat bead on his forehead.
It was then.
THWACK!
Just as the tip of his spear was about to touch the man’s chest, Ahn Hyun’s vision flashed, and his body was sent flying to the left. The spear that had just grazed him had been swung around to smash him in the head.
His decision not to use clumsy techniques against a seasoned expert had been a good one. But even if Ahn Hyun had a Rare Class, he was still a Year 0 User whose stats weren’t even fully developed.
And his opponent was a Vagabond. A veteran Vagabond, skilled enough to be considered a mid-ranking executive. Though he had felt a moment of danger, he had immediately responded with composure. From the moment their spears had met, the Vagabond’s victory had been sealed.
“Ack…”
Ahn Hyun’s mouth fell open from the impact. The blow to his head must have been severe; he lost his balance and collapsed. His head was spinning, and a faint ringing noise filled his ears. Even so, Ahn Hyun gripped his spear tightly and pointed it in one direction.
“Spear Art… Shot…!”
Chang, chachachang!
The Vagabond, who had been about to let out a sigh of relief as Ahn Hyun fell, quickly sucked in a breath.
Thud, thud-thud!
“Keuk!”
Four spears had suddenly shot out, striking him directly in the chest. And that wasn’t all.
“Hah!”
Before he could even retrieve his spear, Lee Yoojung, who had been behind Ahn Hyun, charged in.
The man tried to twist his body away, but Lee Yoojung deftly mirrored his movement, swinging the daggers in both her hands. She stuck to him tenaciously, as if determined to finish off at least one of them.
“Wh-what?”
Just as her daggers were about to cross in an X and slash down his chest.
“Fucking idiot.”
Shunk! Thump!
With a cold voice, the female Vagabond who had come from the side viciously stabbed and kicked Lee Yoojung in the side. As blood spurted out like a fountain, she let out a single scream and rolled across the ground.
“Haaah.”
Only then did the spear-wielding man let out the breath he had been holding. On his chest, his dented armor was marked with several long, deep gashes.
“You owe me one.”
“Ha, hahaha. Ha, fuck.”
“Wow. Did you almost get taken out by a bunch of chicks?”
“Man, Jeonghan’s really lost his touch. Weren’t you just bragging about how you’d take care of them all yourself, and now you almost die to a chick?”
The mocking voices of the other Vagabonds came from both sides, as if they had been watching the whole thing.
The Vagabond called Jeonghan turned his head with a flushed face but quickly shut his mouth. In the hands of his mockers were the severed heads of the Users who had accompanied the Sword Empress and Ahn Sol. His face turned red, then pale.
“Ah, damn it!”
Jeonghan spat out a rough curse and stepped over Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoojung, who were lying side-by-side on the ground. He pressed his foot down firmly on her abdomen, and a gush of blood poured from her mouth. He raised his spear.
“These fucking bastards…”
“Hey. Don’t kill her just yet.”
“What did you say?”
He shot back at the woman’s interruption, his face furious.
“She used some weird skill at the end. Some kind of shot? Her equipment looks pretty good, too… Who knows? We might get some information about her class.”
“You want to worry about that in a situation like this?”
“If not now, when? And look over there. It doesn’t look like we need to join them.”
“For fuck’s sake. Weren’t you the one who said we should join them quickly?”
“Life is precious, life is precious.”
At her words, the man fell silent and turned his head to the side.
The Sword Empress was currently in a losing battle against one Senior Executive and sixteen mid-ranking executives. At first, she seemed to have the upper hand, but the Vagabonds were avoiding direct confrontation and employing a thorough war of attrition.
As a result, the situation had now been considerably reversed. The proof was that not a single Vagabond had fallen yet.
“Hey. Move your foot.”
At the command to move his foot, the Vagabond glanced at his chest once, then lifted his left foot out of the way. He watched the woman bend down, then shifted his gaze to the right. Below him, Lee Yoojung was glaring up with fierce eyes.
“What are you looking at, you fucking bitch? You think I’m a joke, too?”
“Keuk!”
Displeased by her glare, Jeonghan pressed his left foot down hard on Lee Yoojung’s chest. Her breasts were quite full, and he could feel their soft texture through the sole of his boot. He twisted his foot back and forth, his voice a low growl.
“Look at those eyes. You look like you’re about to kill someone.”
“Hk! Hnngh!”
Next, he channeled magic into his spear and dragged it up from her stomach. Her clothes ripped in half with a tearing sound, leaving a long, shallow cut on her skin. The sharp tip of the spear stopped at her throat.
“You look so defiant… I don’t like your face either.”
“H-Hey! Stop! I called dibs on her!”
A Vagabond approaching from the side shouted, but Jeonghan was about to put force into the spear at her throat.
“Gust of Wind!”
Whooosh!
A fierce gale slammed into the Vagabond.
*
Whooosh!
The spell he had barely managed to chant was unleashed from Shin Sangyong’s fingertips. The gust of wind flew forward and struck the group of Vagabonds, and the one standing over Lee Yoojung collapsed.
But that was all. The influence of the magic bullet had slowed his casting more than usual, but it was far too late. Moreover, the spell’s power was greatly diminished, so it only managed to knock the man over.
In short, all it did was further enrage the Vagabond.
The surprise was momentary. The fallen Vagabond, his face beet red from the continued mockery, got up and charged at him, blood dripping from his chest.
Shin Sangyong despaired. He had known from the beginning it would come to this, but seeing it happen right before his eyes made his world go dark.
In that moment, Shin Sangyong looked at the trembling Ahn Sol and barely managed to shout.
“A-Ahn Sol! R-Run!”
“Run where?”
Thwack!
The instant he felt a dull impact on his face, Shin Sangyong let out a grunt and rolled once or twice on the ground.
“If you’re a fucking idiot, then act like one and stay still. Or at least run away. You just stood there during the fight, so what the hell are you doing now?”
Before Shin Sangyong could even right himself, Jeonghan’s kicks followed.
Thump, thump-thump!
As if to vent his anger, Jeonghan stomped on Shin Sangyong mercilessly. He curled up as much as possible to protect himself, but the moment a kick landed on his injured thigh, he let out a tear-filled scream.
The kicking stopped for a moment. But the Vagabond, still not satisfied, finally raised his spear and spoke in a cold voice.
“Have you seen the movie? Saving Private Ryan. Do you know a guy named Upham?”
“Keuk, k-keuk…”
“I hate guys like you the most. Not one thing or the other, just a fucking idiot. Hey. You should just die. I’ll have to kill you, at least.”
“Nooo!”
CLANG!
At that moment, Ahn Sol rushed in, and a spark flew. She had quickly jumped in and thrown her arms around Shin Sangyong. A pure white orb floated around her. It was the ‘Improved Guardian Shield.’
Jeonghan momentarily withdrew his spear.
“Hah. You guys are really something else. Fuck it, let’s do this.”
But he soon let out a disbelieving laugh and began to joyfully hammer at the protective shield.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Voom! Vwooom!
“Waaah! Waaaaah!”
As sparks flew everywhere, Ahn Sol cried out loudly. She couldn’t think of what to do, and just shed tears.
Shin Sangyong was in a daze, but as the pain subsided slightly, he snapped to his senses and lifted his head.
Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Through the protective shield, which looked like it would shatter at any moment, various scenes entered his vision.
‘Hehe. Hyung. Can you help me out a bit?’
Ahn Hyun, being stripped of his equipment piece by piece.
‘I’m not usually like this, but I’ll be generous just this once. Here, Sangyong-oppa. Say ah~.’
Lee Yoojung, glaring daggers at the Vagabond poking her here and there.
‘G-Gulp? Why are you giving the elixir to meee! Waaaaah!’
Ahn Sol, hugging him and wailing.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
He could feel the vibrations of the shield growing more intense. In this desperate situation, Shin Sangyong felt sorry.
He was just sorry. He despaired at his situation, unable to do anything, only being protected. He hated himself for only thinking about how to save his own skin.
Clang, CRACK! Clang-clang, CRA-CRACK!
“Orabeoni! Soohyun orabeoni!”
Ahn Sol’s cries grew louder. Her grip on Shin Sangyong tightened. The more it did, the more his mind fell into chaos.
What was he supposed to do here? What in the world could he do?
Or… was he supposed to just die like this?
It was then.
Suddenly, a complex mix of memories flashed through his mind.
‘Or at least run away.’
‘You’re an idiot, a fucking idiot. Just die.’
The moment he recalled those words, in the midst of his dark despair, Shin Sangyong felt something boil up inside him for the first time. He parted his bloody lips.
“─, ──. ─, ──. ─, ──.”
It was a spell, recited reflexively.
Although he had never once succeeded, and the situation was the worst it could be, it was the only option left for the current Shin Sangyong.
‘If mages are the flowers of the battlefield, then Secret and Rare Classes are the ones who can decide its outcome. They can even turn the tide of a losing war in an instant.’
“───. ───. ───.”
As Shin Sangyong continued to chant, various thoughts flowed through his mind simultaneously.
‘Do you know why you always fail?’
‘Summoning a magical beast is its own unique spell, but the most important thing is the contract, the contract.’
‘Magical beasts are powerful, but their pride is just as strong.’
‘But you’re scared of them in the first place, and you’re not even desperate. No! Before any of that, you have no will to form a contract, so why would they come? Huh?’
At that moment, his thoughts stopped, and the incantation ended.
“Come!”
Shin Sangyong’s eyes flew open as he raised his right hand.
“……”
But nothing changed. Before him was only the protective shield, on the verge of shattering like a cracked eggshell.
SHATTER! Fizzle…
No. It wasn’t on the verge of shattering anymore. It had shattered.
“This is the end. Goodbye, idiot.”
The man’s spear was raised high.
“Come! Come!”
“Come where?”
Just before it plunged down, the raised spear stopped dead in the air.
In that fleeting moment, a thousand emotions washed over Shin Sangyong.
Thinking this was truly the end, he squeezed out every last drop of his magic power.
And with a heart full of genuine desperation, in a voice louder than he had ever used before, he cried out at the top of his lungs.
“Come! Please, coooome! IMPRISON!”
Crackle! Cracrackle!
It was then. Though distorted, a magic circle suddenly appeared in the air.
And at the same time.
“O Steel Restrainer, ruler of the 49th Legion!”
Ch-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-ng!
From the distorted magic circle, dozens of dark, metallic chains that had finally answered the call shot out in all directions.