Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Necromancer of the Sword Clan
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‘To think there were already Getia worshipper organizations active at this time...’
Shin Yu-hyun frowned.
Memories of those worshipper scum from his previous life flooded back, making his body tremble with rage.
Trash who sold out fellow humans to the Getia.
Thanks to the tip-offs from those worshippers, countless people had been captured by the Getia.
And then the agonizing tortures began.
The waves of negative energy born from tormenting victims were a sweet pleasure and soul-nourishing delicacy for the Getia.
Humanity suffered under their torture and exploitation.
Women, children, the elderly—none were spared.
And it didn't end there.
The Getia worshippers, steeped in madness, tortured survivors too.
To ferret out where their comrades were hiding.
That was why Shin Yu-hyun could never forgive the worshippers.
“You bastard!”
Choi Seung-cheol belatedly spat a curse and charged at Shin Yu-hyun.
Shin Yu-hyun grabbed Lee Jae-kang by the hair and swung him like a club.
“Gaaah!”
Lee Jae-kang screamed as pain tore through his scalp. Choi Seung-cheol saw the incoming legs and hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
Bam! Bam!
Lee Jae-kang's legs slammed into the arms Choi Seung-cheol raised to protect his head.
“Ngh!”
His arms throbbed, but the guard had saved his skull.
But relief was short-lived.
Thud!
“Guh!”
Choi Seung-cheol doubled over, guts churning in agony. Shin Yu-hyun's fist had buried itself in his solar plexus.
“Wh-when did he...?”
Clutching his stomach as he sank to the ground, Choi Seung-cheol looked up.
And there he was.
Shin Yu-hyun standing before him, face twisted like a vengeful demon.
“Don't think you'll die that easily.”
Shin Yu-hyun gazed down at him with icy eyes.
Scum like these worshippers had led so many to gruesome deaths at the Getia's hands.
Even his comrades.
Before dying to Barbatos in his past life, Shin Yu-hyun had allies like Maria and others.
Together, they'd fled the Getia across the globe.
But worshippers betrayed them everywhere, and one by one, his comrades fell.
Maria was the last. He'd collapsed, drained, in his final fight with Barbatos.
‘I never crossed paths with these guys in my past life.’
Shin Yu-hyun eyed the worshippers before him. In his previous timeline, they'd perished on a colorless dungeon raid.
He'd never even met them, let alone suffered at their hands.
But.
“I'll repay you first—before you can do the same.”
His voice was cold steel.
These scum would surely commit the same atrocities as the others.
Or maybe they already had. They knew of the Getia far too early.
“What? Repay us before we strike? What bullshit is—hngh!”
Choi Seung-cheol's puzzled retort cut off as he clamped his mouth shut.
Shin Yu-hyun's foot rocketed upward toward his jaw.
Bam!
Choi Seung-cheol flew airborne without a scream, soaring five meters up.
Crash!
Shin Yu-hyun kicked off the ground right after, surging into the air.
With Body Strengthening Technique active, a 3-star superhuman could leap that high from a standstill.
Midair, he spun and drove his heel into Choi Seung-cheol's back.
Thud!
Boom!
Choi Seung-cheol cratered into the asphalt amid a thunderous roar.
He lay motionless in the depression.
“Even worshippers at 3-star are just this much?”
Landing lightly, Shin Yu-hyun regarded them coldly.
Worshippers were stronger than average superhumans of their rank.
They received minor blessings from the Getia, after all.
And Choi Seung-cheol and Lee Jae-kang were battle-hardened veterans among 3-stars.
But they were no match for Shin Yu-hyun.
He was mid-3-star like them.
Plus, he had chakra mastery and combat experience they could never match.
They never stood a chance.
‘Either way, I need intel on the Getia and their worshipper network.’
About five years from now.
That's when he'd expected them to emerge.
Who knew they'd be active already?
He'd extract every scrap of information, by any means.
‘I'll make them talk.’
His glare pierced Choi Seung-cheol and Lee Jae-kang.
Then it shifted to the last one: Lee Ji-su.
‘Just the woman left.’
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lee Ji-su and Nam Yeon-ah were demolishing the surroundings in their clash.
When the men lunged at Shin Yu-hyun, she'd gone for Nam Yeon-ah.
And they were still going at it.
‘Ji-su's the stronger fighter, as expected.’
Shin Yu-hyun observed.
Lee Ji-su, who'd claimed mid-3-star, fought at upper-3-star level.
She'd been hiding her true strength.
But Nam Yeon-ah was the real surprise.
‘She said low-3-star, right?’
Superhuman battles weren't decided by rank alone.
Even at the same level, martial efficiency, experience, terrain, luck—all factored in.
But Nam Yeon-ah trailed by two sub-ranks.
She should have been outmatched.
Yet she held her own against Lee Ji-su.
‘Never imagined she'd have artifacts like that.’
Nam Yeon-ah wielded various artifacts, including prototypes.
Astra Beat System: combat support drones.
Remote-controlled via mana and brainwaves, they flew autonomously.
Even now, four orbited her, projecting mana barriers to block Lee Ji-su's strikes.
Keeping the fight even.
‘But she'll start losing soon.’
Nam Yeon-ah was holding for now, but it was only a matter of time.
Astra Beats had a flaw: massive mana drain.
Autonomous flight, auto-defense, occasional mana shots—it guzzled power.
Anyone could see it.
Head-sized drones handling offense and defense solo.
Obvious mana hog. Nam Yeon-ah's face showed fatigue.
But Shin Yu-hyun smirked faintly.
Her mana burn was bad, but Lee Ji-su was tiring too.
Victory was imminent.
For Nam Yeon-ah.
Their fight didn't last long.
Just ten minutes, and it was over.
As Shin Yu-hyun predicted: Nam Yeon-ah's win.
The Astra Beats' superior performance outpaced Lee Ji-su, despite the mana cost.
“Ngh! Kill me!”
Lee Ji-su said with resignation.
“Why should I?”
Shin Yu-hyun countered coldly.
She sneered at him.
“Guess you're still just a young master, no matter how strong. Can't commit to killing, huh?”
She'd kill without hesitation if roles reversed.
That's how she'd survived this long.
“Advice for you, young master: kill when you can. Or you'll be the one dying.”
Her half-lidded eyes were earnest.
If positions flipped, she'd have slain them both.
To her, Shin Yu-hyun replied icily.
“Seems you're mistaken.”
He seized her face in one hand, squeezing.
“Urk!”
Pain flared in her mouth as his grip crushed her cheek against her teeth.
Her jaws parted involuntarily.
“I didn't kill you because I'm not committed.”
Blood already stained his hand. He'd slain countless Getia worshippers before.
And other villains beyond human pale.
“Ars Paulina.”
“H-how do you...?”
Lee Ji-su's eyes flew wide in shock.
“I already know your methods.”
Activating Body Strengthening, he shoved fingers into her mouth.
Crack!
“Mmmph!”
She convulsed, tears streaming from unforeseen agony.
Blood trickled from her lips.
He'd yanked out a molar.
“Suicide poison for self-destruct? Not a bomb.”
Incredibly, the tooth held poison to wipe out everything in a five-meter radius.
Ars Paulina assassins exploded on mission failure, allies included.
That's why he'd knocked out Lee Jae-kang and Choi Seung-cheol, gagged them, and left them over five meters away, back turned.
“H-how...?”
Blood- and pain-smeared, she stared at him.
How did the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's third son know her organization's name?
Even the suicide toxin and bomb?
“I ask the questions now. You answer.”
He loomed coldly.
“First: why target Nam Yeon-ah?”
“You think I'll just tell you?”
Blood on her lips, she sneered anyway.
“Still haven't grasped your situation. I never forgive Getia worshippers.”
To him, they were humans who'd forfeited their humanity.
Selling out mankind for self-preservation, resorting to cruelty for intel on survivors.
He'd witnessed it all, from start to finish.
So none of them—Lee Ji-su, Lee Jae-kang, Choi Seung-cheol—would be spared.
Whoosh.
Black flames flickered over his hand.
He could control them freely, even to burn precise spots.
“Let me help.”
Nam Yeon-ah stepped forward. Shin Yu-hyun eyed her curiously.
“You, Yeon-ah?”
She knew what he planned.
Yet she offered aid?
“Yes. I have an artifact for that.”
Unalarmed, she grinned eagerly at Lee Ji-su.
A magic artificer who adored her creations.
She learned spells and raided dungeons solely to refine artifacts.
Her work: weapons and armor for superhumans, plus rings and earrings.
Her masterpiece? The prototype Astra Beat System.
But she craved more versatility.
Including interrogation tools she'd made for fun. She pulled a capsule from her pocket and tossed it down.
Shrrk!
It expanded into a horrific device before Lee Ji-su's eyes.
Spiked Interrogation Artifact.
Iron Maiden.
Nam Yeon-ah beamed refreshingly.
“I told you. You'd make a great test subject.”