Chapter 49: Asura
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: Asura
After a persistent investigation, the World Returnee Association discovered that Girasung’s main base of operations in Korea was located near the Port of Incheon.
Thus, they prepared a two-pronged assault, simultaneously tracking Ha Seo-ho via the implanted nanorobots and raiding the port.
However, Girasung had already learned through Kwak Sa-yeon that Ha Seo-ho had been in contact with the Association, and they were prepared.
As a result, the situation escalated into an all-out war.
“Heavenly Demon, two of them behind the container at your four o’clock.”
“I know.”
The moment Baek Seol-hyang’s words fell, the Heavenly Demon’s silhouette blurred, and in that same instant, camellia petals scattered from behind the container.
Her swordsmanship was utterly overwhelming.
Though her opponents were also returnees, not a single one could face Cheon Hong-ryeon head-on.
But that wasn’t all.
What made Cheon Hong-ryeon so terrifying was that while she could shatter the earth and split the heavens like any other returnee, she could do so with such precision that all of that power was focused solely on her enemies, leaving the surroundings completely unharmed.
Having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, she could cripple three or four returnees with nothing more than a tree branch in her hand. Her skill was truly akin to that of a god of martial arts.
In modern society, where countless assets existed, she was a being who could produce results with property damage that converged on zero.
She was a specialist in one-on-one combat, The Strongest Under Heaven, who could not be defeated by any other returnee in a duel.
That was the Heavenly Demon, Cheon Hong-ryeon.
That was why, during the brief period when she had been persuaded to work as a member of the World Returnee Association, she had earned a moniker: the returnee who hunts returnees.
Although her time with the Association had been short, she had become a symbol of terror for all returnees who opposed it.
The only problem is that temper of hers.
And the other thing is that she’s in love with Ha-chan.
No matter how many times she looked at her, Baek Seol-hyang just couldn’t understand the woman.
To think she’d developed feelings for Ha-chan, a man she’d only ever met in a game, and was now so aggressively forward with him.
Of course, Ha-chan is worth falling for.
Still, compared to her own reasons, wasn’t it hopelessly inadequate?
She had not only returned but had also reunited with him in a game—a fateful meeting.
And yet, Ha-chan only ever spent time with Ahyu.
I want to tell him, too. But I want it to be a fateful moment, on the day he can clearly remember me.
On the surface, Baek Seol-hyang handled her work flawlessly.
But deep down, there was a part of her like a young girl in a fairy tale, thirsting for a fateful encounter.
Unaware that this very part of her was holding her back, she had hidden the fact that she was ‘IKnowit,’ eagerly awaiting a romantic and destined meeting with Ha-chan.
But now, that woman was ruining her special destiny, and so, Baek Seol-hyang was sulking.
The thought soured her mood slightly, but she was in the middle of enemy territory and pushed it aside.
She immediately extended a white-gloved hand behind her.
Thwump!
A dragon’s head, dozens of times her size, was caught in her grasp.
The dragon’s eyes widened in shock, having been caught despite charging at full force. At that moment, her blue eyes flashed.
CRASH!
The dragon’s head shattered the cement floor and was driven into the ground below.
As thick dust rose, the dragon mage who controlled it tried to hastily retreat, but in the next moment, Baek Seol-hyang was standing right in front of him.
Though she appeared to hold a high-ranking position that relied on intellect, her movements were incredibly fast.
Crack!
As her leg whipped out, the dragon mage’s ribs were crushed, and he went tumbling across the floor.
“Chorong, tie that man up securely.”
As she called out to someone, sprouts erupted from the man’s body, binding and subduing him.
After confirming this, Baek Seol-hyang dusted off her gloves and looked around.
The sounds of battle between returnees echoed from all directions.
In the distance, she could see Geumgangho, Gye Du-sik, between the containers.
Dressed in a black martial arts uniform embroidered with a golden tiger, he looked her way.
He appeared to be in his early forties, but inside, he was an old man who had lived for two whole centuries.
“I’m counting on you.”
Hearing her words, Geumgangho nodded once before disappearing.
She had entrusted him with going to Ha-chan’s side.
Even with Catherine there, she didn’t know what other returnees might be on that side.
Sending Geumgangho would ensure the matter was resolved without any issues.
I specifically asked him to intervene only when he senses real danger.
Ha-chan himself had asked her to trust him.
That was why, even as she sent Geumgangho, Baek Seol-hyang had made that specific request.
I hate that I can’t help but do this, even when he asked me to trust him.
Reality was always a mess; you never knew what might happen.
If he were to suffer the same fate as last time, Baek Seol-hyang knew she couldn’t bear it. She had to create at least one insurance policy like this.
Frankly, if she had her way, she would have gone there herself immediately.
But she had decided to trust him, so she settled for this and forced herself to walk toward the warehouse.
The tightly shut steel door of the warehouse came into view.
It was a massive door, so tall she had to tilt her head back to see the top, likely for vehicles to pass through. Baek Seol-hyang raised a hand.
Then, she grabbed the steel door and pulled. The door crumpled and was torn from its frame.
“A bit extreme.”
“No. Lady Baek Seol-hyang is being wise. It’s the fastest way.”
At that moment, Cheon Hong-ryeon and the silver fox, Eunhyeon, walked up beside her.
Eunhyeon had silver fox ears and seven translucent tails fanned out behind her back.
“Is it seven today?”
“The matter is what it is.”
Listening to their familiar exchange, Baek Seol-hyang stepped inside.
From within, she could hear what sounded like a television.
The empty warehouse, which should have been filled with materials, contained only a single sofa and a TV.
A man was leaning back on the sofa, laughing as he watched the screen. Seeing his back, Baek Seol-hyang’s face hardened.
“Asura.”
“You folks still got that habit of callin’ people by their titles?”
At Baek Seol-hyang’s call, the man quieted his laughter and replied as if greeting an old friend.
He then rested his chin on his hand and let out a huge, bored yawn.
“Looks like y’all are still stuck back in those days.”
“A traitor has no right to speak so freely,” Cheon Hong-ryeon snapped at him, but he just wore an indifferent expression.
“Well, what was I supposed to do? Looked like I was gonna lose the only family I had left. A big brother’s gotta do somethin’, ain’t he?”
Perhaps because everyone present understood something of his meaning, a brief silence fell over them.
But Baek Seol-hyang paid the silence no mind, taking a step forward and glaring at him.
“That doesn’t justify your actions. Besides, did joining Girasung even solve your problem?”
“Haha, you’re right about that. Nothin’s been solved yet. But this side’s a lot better when it comes to not holdin’ back.”
His reaction suggested he held no personal grudge against the World Returnee Association.
“But ain’t that just how it is? They say a hero can save the world but not the ones close to him, while a villain can’t save the world but can protect his own. I reckon I was just born to be the villain.”
With those words, he flicked the TV off and rose from the sofa.
Standing over 190 centimeters, nearly two meters tall, he looked down at the three of them and smiled.
His arms and legs were covered in scars, and his unusual hair was a mix of white and black, reminiscent of a tiger’s stripes.
“So I became the villain. Sorry 'bout that.”
The man who reigned as the head of ‘Beom,’ the last major crime syndicate in Korea.
One of the S-rank returnees.
Asura (阿修羅).
Song Hyeok-seo.
He was there.
This was one of the reasons Baek Seol-hyang had only monitored the Girasung branch in Korea without making a move.
Song Hyeok-seo was clearly displaying the aura of a battle demon, one that was in no way inferior to Cheon Hong-ryeon or Baek Seol-hyang herself.
The sheer composure he showed, facing two S-rank returnees and one A-rank.
He was strong.
A formidable opponent who, if a fight were to break out, would ensure that at least one of them would have to fight to the death.
“Do we really need to see this to the end?”
“If you don’t, then hand over that girl, Ha Si-ho.”
Hearing this, Baek Seol-hyang slowly swept her hair back.
A smile graced her face.
“What to do? Miss Ha Si-ho has become quite an important person to our side as well.”
“Then there’s only one answer.”
The only conclusion was battle.
The moment he finished speaking, Song Hyeok-seo’s form vanished.
In the brief instant Baek Seol-hyang blinked, the greatsword in his hand was already before her nose.
Clang!
But the greatsword was blocked by Cheon Hong-ryeon, who was right beside Baek Seol-hyang.
Camellia petals scattered around her sword.
In contrast, shadows dripped from Song Hyeok-seo’s greatsword.
“Do you not see which way the scales are tipped before you speak of answers?”
Cheon Hong-ryeon shot him an arrogant look as if he were pathetic, and Song Hyeok-seo let out a short laugh.
“You never know 'til you try.”
The moment his words fell, Cheon Hong-ryeon and Song Hyeok-seo began to clash again.
With every ringing cry of their swords, a blast of wind swept through, making Baek Seol-hyang’s and Eunhyeon’s hair fly.
“What will you do?”
“The Heavenly Demon already said it. The outcome is already decided.”
CRASH!
At that moment, the sound of someone hitting a wall echoed through the space.
The person tumbling across the warehouse floor was, as expected, Song Hyeok-seo.
When it came to one-on-one combat, the Heavenly Demon Cheon Hong-ryeon was an unparalleled force, even among S-rank returnees.
No matter how skilled Song Hyeok-seo was, he couldn’t take on Cheon Hong-ryeon alone.
“You should have set a trap, don’t you think?”
“Cough, that’s a good idea.”
At Baek Seol-hyang’s words, Song Hyeok-seo chuckled.
“So I got somethin’ ready.”
As soon as he spoke, the floor, the warehouse walls, and even the ceiling all turned pitch-black and began to crumble away.
As if they were trapped in darkness, all the light that had existed inside was instantly sucked away.
The moment she saw this, Eunhyeon grabbed Baek Seol-hyang and shot up into the air.
The floor had vanished, and a pitch-black space was trying to swallow them whole.
Seeing this, Baek Seol-hyang’s brow furrowed.
This is…
Baek Seol-hyang realized that her own mana was being continuously drained into the encroaching shadows.
As proof, Eunhyeon’s tails and ears, which normally emitted a faint glow, were gradually losing their color.
Shadow Proclamation.
The ability Song Hyeok-seo had used in the war between returnees to neutralize countless opponents.
Baek Seol-hyang’s expression twisted. She never thought the day would come when they would be on the receiving end of this.
BOOM!
Even in this situation, the sound of an explosion echoed through the darkness.
Somehow, Cheon Hong-ryeon was running across the formless shadows.
Song Hyeok-seo, who had shrouded his entire body in shadow to maximize his defense, tried to counter her, but Cheon Hong-ryeon’s sword scattered camellias as it relentlessly struck him.
Even in this situation, she attacked her opponent single-mindedly without a hint of panic. That was just like the Heavenly Demon.
It was no wonder she reigned as a figure of terror among the returnees.
“Lady Baek Seol-hyang.”
“...Yes, it can’t be helped.”
Realizing that Eunhyeon’s natural energy was also fading, Baek Seol-hyang peeked out from her arms.
Her opponent was an S-rank returnee.
Worse, a former comrade.
She had resolved not to use the Crown after that day, but she couldn’t guarantee victory against an S-rank returnee without it.
And I’m worried about Ha-chan.
Just as Baek Seol-hyang, feeling that her resolve was once again being rendered meaningless, was about to manifest the silver crown above her head…
Crack!
Suddenly, the sound of something splitting echoed out.
When Baek Seol-hyang belatedly raised her head, she saw that the shadow-covered ceiling was cracking, allowing moonlight to seep in.
Before she could even question it, someone burst through the crack like an arrow.
“What?”
He may have been fighting Cheon Hong-ryeon, but Song Hyeok-seo was still an S-rank returnee.
Who in the world could break through the Shadow Proclamation he had cast to trap them?