Chapter 445: Hatred, and Conflict.
Chapter 445: Hatred, and Conflict.
Come to think of it, I remembered the Dead that appeared in the ‘Land of Hatred’ being incredibly strong and tricky. Even the top-tier users of Istantel Low had struggled against them, hadn't they? Although it was supposedly a mistake, it had still resulted in one death.
Back then, my role had been that of a Keeper. Of course, that was just a title. In reality, I stayed in the rear, watching my comrades fight. At the time, I lacked the skill to even provide support, let alone face one of the Dead head-on.
But I was different now. Compared to then, my Player Status was on a completely different level—a difference like heaven and earth. With this power, hadn't I even taken down Mamon, one of the Fourteen Demon Lords?
Filled with that confidence, I kicked off the ground with force. As I rose into the air, I drew Formless Sword with my left hand. I already held the Sun and Moon Divine Sword in my right, but this time, I intended to use both blades together.
Kkeueoeoeoeoeong!
The moment I saw the dark mass of heads below, the Dead let out a sudden shriek and its face—or what looked like a face—snapped up to stare at me. As my eyes met dozens of crimson gazes, the creature’s arms, which were long enough to touch the ground, twitched once.
In that very instant, I instinctively raised the Sun and Moon Divine Sword.
Whoosh!
Just as I expected. The moment I brought the sword up to defend, a massive chunk of arm sliced through the air toward me.
It was a sudden attack. But I had anticipated it and was already defending, so the creature’s arm was split apart by the blade shimmering with sunlight, like the sea meeting Moses. It seemed to have intended to strike my body, but it was no match for the power of the Sun and Moon Divine Sword and the authority of a Sword Specialist.
I had easily blocked the first attack, but I didn't let my guard down. As my body began to descend, the Dead’s remaining arm twisted, bending once more. Just as it was about to burst forward again, I activated Flash Step, targeting the space behind it.
Fshat!
A moment later, my vision changed completely. I, who had been floating in the air, was now directly behind the Dead. Where I had just been, the creature’s arm—a chaotic tangle of dozens of limbs—whipped through the air like a chain.
I had tied up both its arms, if only for a moment. My body was still falling. I held Formless Sword and the Sun and Moon Divine Sword vertically, raising them high toward the sky. Then, using my strength, magic, and the added force of my descent, I swung my arms with all my might, bringing them down on the creature’s head. The two swords cleanly split its crown and plunged deep.
Rrrrrriiiippp!
The initial sensation was like carving through a tough, hardened mass of flesh. But there was no resistance. Instead, black substances erupted like a fountain from the creature’s body as it was split left and right.
Like a flume ride nearing its final drop, the two swords carved powerfully down the Dead’s body until my feet hit the ground with a thud, bringing me to a halt. I had put so much force into it that my feet were buried deep in the dirt, but I quickly pulled them out and retreated. Of course, I wouldn't leave without a parting gift, so I made sure to trigger a magic explosion.
KABOOM!
After confirming the explosion and seeing the surface of the Dead ripple grotesquely, I performed several somersaults and landed a safe distance away.
First, defend. Then, use Positional Exchange to take the rear. Follow up by cleaving it from the crown down, and finish with a magic explosion.
My favorite combo had landed perfectly. It was an attack powerful enough to send any normal user or monster to the afterlife, but my opponent was a mass of hatred, a fusion of dozens, even hundreds, of the Dead.
One of the reasons I’d thought it would be tricky was its endless regeneration. This monster was a creature that would burn with blind hatred and charge forward until every single one of the Dead mixed within its body was annihilated.
I didn't know exactly how many more attacks it would take, but it was a good start. I decided not to rush and to slowly chip away at it, calmly readjusting my grip on my swords. But the moment I looked at the Dead again, I felt my eyes widen.
Kkeueoeoeoeong….
Why… is it doing that?
As expected, the Dead had already brought its split body back together. No, to be precise, it was in the process of regenerating. Looking closely, I could see the forms of the Dead flowing out from the severed surfaces, undulating like waves. It seemed to have connected the separated parts somehow, but the fusion wasn't perfect. In short, it looked completely drained.
Could it be…?
I glanced down at the swords in my hands. Formless Sword, which could strike beings from all dimensions. The Sun and Moon Divine Sword, which repelled evil. And the authority of a Sword Specialist, which could cut through anything. Could this trifecta have somehow affected the Dead’s regeneration?
A flurry of thoughts crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed them. Whether my guess was right or wrong didn't matter now. All that mattered was the good news that I could deal with the Dead more easily.
A moment later, the Dead managed to reassemble its body and turned unsteadily. Its regeneration was clearly incomplete; the seam where it had joined itself together looked like a clumsy stitch job.
But its hatred remained. The Dead was now fully facing me. The crimson glow emanating from its entire body was fixed on me with an even more heated animosity than before. Then, it clasped its hands together and began to slowly, powerfully, raise them. It seemed to be mimicking my earlier attack.
I calmly lowered my stance and bent my knees. Without hesitation, I charged inward.
Just as the Dead fully extended its clasped arms upward, I sensed another swift movement matching my own. I glanced toward the source of the presence. A second later, I saw a woman soaring through the air with a speed the Dead couldn't possibly react to. It was Nam Daeun.
In the infinitesimally short moment that the Dead’s arms trembled…
Nam Daeun silently flew ten meters into the air, then instantly changed her trajectory, plummeting like a beam of light. As ‘Seol-ah’ viciously slashed through the Dead’s right shoulder, a scream erupted and its body tilted heavily.
I didn't miss the opening. As I rushed past, I powerfully cut at the legs of the staggering, off-balance creature.
Thud! CRASH!
The first sound was the Dead collapsing. The second sound was…
Fwump!
Rustle!
Judging by the dirt and dust raining down on my hair, it must have been the sound of its arms hitting the ground. Even as it fell, it had managed to slam the earth. A futile effort, in the end.
I stared at the now-sluggish Dead. It was no longer frightening.
Finishing it off from there was so easy it felt like child’s play.
Even in its collapsed state, the Dead swung its arms indiscriminately, but Nam Daeun and I took turns attacking it with hit-and-run tactics.
I focused on severing its arms and legs to block any further movement. While the Dead was disoriented and trying to regenerate, Nam Daeun leaped here and there, relentlessly attacking its upper body. In particular, her persistent focus on stabbing its neck sent an unwarranted chill down my spine.
Eventually, the Dead’s attacks grew slower and slower until, finally, all its limbs were gone, and it dropped its head limply. It had been letting out nothing but deflated-sounding screams, and something was now dripping from its mouth.
Kkeueoeong… Kkeueoeong….
The moment its barely attached neck was finally severed, a faint shriek escaped its mouth.
Then, all movement ceased completely.
“Don’t you think we make a pretty good team?”
Just as I confirmed the Dead’s demise with my Third Eye, I saw Nam Daeun wiping her forehead with a bright smile.
“Instead of a good team, wouldn’t you say we’re a good match?”
“Same difference. We work so well together, and we have great chemistry in bed, too…”
“Now that I think about it, there were three of them in total. I wonder if the other clan members are doing okay.”
“Heh. I think everyone’s doing just fine…?”
Her last comment was a little embarrassing, so I quickly changed the subject. I deliberately looked away from Nam Daeun and checked on the clan members who were still in battle.
And in that moment, I understood why Nam Daeun’s voice had trailed off.
What in the world… is that?
Thud!
Just as I had that thought, one of the Dead collapsed.
That wasn't the problem. The way the clan members were fighting was strange. I had clearly told them to split into teams and handle one each, but what I saw now was eight people fighting two of them at once. Which meant they had just now finished off the first one.
“Nam Daeun.”
“On my way to support.”
For a second, I wondered what they were doing, but I immediately started running with Nam Daeun.
A pitch-black veil was spread wide across the ground where the clan members were fighting. It seemed Heo Junyoung had used ‘Apocalypse,’ the unique ability of his Secret Class, ‘Executor of Silence.’ He had probably used his ‘Omnipotent Barrier’ authority to suppress the Dead’s regeneration, which was a decent choice.
With only one left, the tide had already turned in the clan members’ favor. When Nam Daeun and I simultaneously struck its rear, we were able to finish off the remaining one easily.
After confirming that the last Dead had collapsed with the same thud, I turned my gaze to the clan members.
“…Hmph.”
“Tsk…”
I immediately sensed that the atmosphere between them was strangely tense. Some were clenching their jaws and seething, trying to suppress their anger, but one person was openly glaring at the other side. Seeing Yoojung’s flushed, red eyes, I grimaced.
Something’s seriously wrong here.
Just as I was about to try and calm the situation, I heard Yoojung let out a sudden scoff.
“Unbelievable.”
With an infuriated expression, Yoojung roughly swept her hair back and violently threw the dagger she was holding. With a thwack, the dagger embedded itself deep in the ground.
“Ah, this is so annoying… I really can’t do this.”
“…What did you say?”
The one who responded was none other than Hanbyul. She, too, was furious about something, her usual composure completely gone. She was staring at Yoojung with the same cold eyes she’d had during the first Rite of Passage.
“Are you talking to me right now?”
“Yes. What about it?”
At Hanbyul’s defiant reply, Yoojung let out a disbelieving laugh. Then, she suddenly kicked the dagger stuck in the ground.
The dagger tumbled through the air and stopped at Hanbyul’s feet. Hanbyul glanced down at it, then let out a similarly incredulous, dry laugh. It was a cold laugh.
“Ha. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ha? Ha? This is driving me crazy… Hey, are you asking because you really don’t know?”
“What if I am?”
“Ah… let’s just drop it. I don’t want to fight with Oppa here, but anyway, manage your aggro properly next time. We almost all died because of you people. Got it?”
“Right now, you’re…”
“That’s enough. Just give me back my dagger. I’m too annoyed to even talk anymore.”
Hanbyul looked incredibly wronged. When Yoojung cut her off, her face flushed red, but she glanced at me once before calmly closing her eyes. Her throat moved once or twice, as if she was trying her best to calm herself down.
When Hanbyul opened her eyes again, her gaze was still cold, but she spoke in a tone that was barely holding back.
“…I’m sorry, Unni.”
“Whatever, just pick up the dagger. And what’s with the sudden ‘Unni’? It’s giving me the creeps.”
Hanbyul bit her lip hard. Just as she was about to pick up the dagger at her feet with a faintly trembling hand…
Someone quietly stopped Hanbyul and picked up the dagger Yoojung had kicked. He glanced at Yoojung for a moment, then tossed it high into the air as if to say, ‘get it yourself.’ The dagger traced a smooth arc before passing Yoojung and landing near her feet with a thud. It was Woo Jungmin.
“User Lee Yoojung. I think you’re going a little too far.”
Yoojung glanced down before speaking in a low voice.
“How am I going too far?”
“Let’s get our facts straight. It wasn’t that we failed to manage our aggro. Didn’t your side approach us more than necessary? And quite blatantly, at that.”
“More than necessary? I don’t think so. Huh? I don’t think I said anything wrong, did I? Right?”
“Even if there were minor mistakes on both sides, didn’t we ultimately work together to take care of it? We’re comrades…”
“Yeah, who said otherwise? But in the end, it’s true that your side failed to manage it.”
“…I’d appreciate it if you’d stop being so sarcastic. I’m starting to get angry.”
When Yoojung shrugged and sneered, Woo Jungmin responded in a sharp voice.
I didn't know the full story, but judging by their attitudes, I could guess what had happened. Just as I was thinking how pathetic this all was, a nervous-looking Shin Jaeryong stepped between the two groups.
“Now, now. What’s all this? The battle is over, and the Clan Lord is watching. Everyone, please stop and let’s regroup.”
Despite his words, not a single person showed any sign of moving.
I fell silent, lost in thought. It might have seemed like a sudden conflict, but in a way, I understood. The biggest reason was probably the field effect of the area we were in.
On top of that, there was the journey that had lasted over a month and the continuous battles. Everyone had become exhausted and stressed without realizing it on the way here. I had wondered how they were holding it together so well, but entering the ‘Land of Hatred’ had turned them into ticking time bombs. A minor mistake in the last battle had been the spark.
It seemed they had all tried to endure it, but one person couldn't hold back and exploded. And that likely caused the others to erupt as well.
“Huu.”
As I let out a short sigh, I could feel the clan members’ gazes turn to me.
I grimaced again before speaking quietly.
“I have a rough idea of what happened. It seems the fault lies mostly with me. I apologize to all of you.”
“N-No, Clan Lord.”
Shin Jaeryong said, looking flustered, but I shook my head, signaling for him to say no more.
Just then, Ahn Sol mumbled something and gave Yoojung a silent signal. Yoojung blinked several times before hastily bowing her head.
I spoke immediately.
“Stop.”
Yoojung’s hand, which was about to pick up the dagger, froze mid-air.
“It’s my fault for not preparing thoroughly enough in our haste.”
I activated Telekinesis. The dagger pulled itself from the ground, spun in the air, and flew into my hand.
Yoojung slowly straightened up, looking at me cautiously.
I continued speaking.
“It’s my fault for bringing you here.”
“O-Oppa, that’s not it…”
Yoojung looked up with an anxious expression, but the moment our eyes met, she quickly looked down. The other clan members were also avoiding my gaze. I had no idea what kind of expression I was making right now.
Trying my best to remain calm, I looked down at the dagger in my hand.
Skurepf. The dagger used by the demon Belphegor. It was practically a cursed sword that could drive its wielder mad if used improperly. I stared at it for a moment, then gripped the faintly glowing red blade with both hands.
“And it’s my fault for giving this to you in the first place.”
As I said that, I twisted the dagger with all my might.
Kkadeuk, kwadeudeuk!
With the sound of metal being forcibly bent, Skurepf snapped in half. I crushed it a few more times in my hands until the twisted, pretzel-like texture was torn into several pieces.
A moment later, I casually dusted off my hands and threw aside the piece of scrap metal that was once Skurepf.
Tuk!
“Uh…”
Yoojung, who had been staring at the ground, let out a faint gasp.