Chapter 193
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: The Meaning of Life 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After Barshutain shifted to an aggressive stance, Yeo Socheon found herself on the defensive.
-Ching!
-Clang!
"Ahaha! What's wrong? Weren't you the one begging me to fight for real? Why not taunt me with that same cocky attitude from before!"
-Kagagak!!
"Kuh!"
She barely deflected the sword and had no choice but to admit it.
Her assessment of the enemy's strength had been off.
No matter how much they called him the king of vampires, she'd thought she could win if she fought properly.
'...Was I overconfident?'
It seemed her confidence had built up unconsciously while dealing with the undead trying to cross the dimensional barrier.
This was a battle for the fate of the world—she should have been more cautious in gauging their power...
-Crunch
She had to admit it.
Taking down the vampire before her alone was impossible.
If she staked her life on it, she might aim for mutual destruction, but the opponent's regeneration made even that unfeasible.
Unless she struck both body and soul simultaneously to hinder regeneration, killing this one wouldn't be easy.
But...
-Whirl
-Thud!
'Not enough hands...!'
She spun to dodge the incoming magic, then barely parried the follow-up sword strike using the momentum.
Even if she jammed lightning into it and burned it away, the wounds regenerated instantly—her only hope was an all-out strike to pulverize the body before it could heal. But this guy wasn't stupid enough to take such an attack head-on.
In the end, she needed either a blow too devastating to regenerate from or something to disrupt the healing—and for that, at least one more martial artist of comparable skill.
That's why she'd brought the Sword Empress along, preparing for insufficient firepower...
'Why is this woman taking so damn long...!'
The unforeseen situation where the Green Forest had been overtaken by the Blood Cult made it hard for the Sword Empress to join the fray.
Of course, she didn't think the Empress would lose to some Green Forest Chief Elder.
No matter how tricky the foe was with peak realm cultivation plus vampire traits, the Sword Empress's experience wasn't so shallow that she'd falter against that.
She'd win for sure, even if it took time.
If she were nearby, Yeo Socheon could check her progress, but fighting this one had taken her far from the others, making it hard to observe.
The battle's intensity didn't allow distractions toward distant foes.
-Rustle
"Kuh!"
"You mocked me earlier for being distracted—now you're the one glancing away?"
Even as they spoke, minor scratches accumulated on her body.
This was the biggest difference in the fight.
Even a blind graze left wounds that piled up on her, while the enemy recovered instantly even from being impaled.
If pure martial skill was all that mattered, she could confidently say she was superior—yet the vampire held the advantage precisely because of this.
By going aggressive to rack up wounds on her, nullifying counterattacks with regeneration, and dodging truly lethal blows.
Cowardly, sure—but an effective strategy exploiting his strengths and the opponent's weaknesses.
'At this rate, I'll lose.'
Her injuries mounting, the enemy's barely scratched.
If things continued, her defeat was inevitable.
Retreating might save her life, but she'd just let the vampire lord return to the unfinished battlefield and wreak havoc—which was all too predictable.
'No way out... is there?'
She needed a variable to turn the tide.
Rapidly compiling all her options into potential plans, she suddenly recalled something half-forgotten.
'...Ah!'
The strange potion in the pouch at her waist.
Suspicious from that white witch, but she'd confirmed it was an exceptionally potent healing elixir.
Instantly mending external wounds.
Drinking it now would heal her fully, letting her seize the advantage again...
'...Would it?'
These scratches were many, but even unscathed, she hadn't held the edge.
Early on, she'd pressured Barshutain because the vampire had deliberately dragged it out—the aggression afterward led straight to this.
Healing now wouldn't change much.
And realizing that sparked another idea.
Not guaranteed, but potentially fight-ending.
'Worth a shot.'
Decision made, execution was swift.
Pulling the potion bottle—fine glasswork—from her pouch, Barshutain's expression changed.
From the same world, he knew its effects.
"...Think I'll let you?!"
Wings unfurled, he charged, swinging his crimson magic sword to deny even a sip.
A strike clearly meant to prevent it.
But Yeo Socheon had no intention of drinking it.
-Slash!
"What?!"
As Barshutain lunged, she deflected the sword aside and swung the bottle in her other hand at the vampire's head.
-Crash!
The bottle shattered, drenching his head in contents.
This was the gamble.
And the result...
-Sizzle!!!
"Gaaaaah!!!!!!"
'It worked...!'
His skin burned like fire; he screamed in agony.
Yeo Socheon swung without hesitation, but amid the pain, the vampire leaped back.
-Shooo...
"Kuh... Erdel... Erdel!! That bitch!!!! What relation do you have to her?! To Erdel Bright, that damned woman!!!"
His rage surpassed anything shown before.
That much hatred for Erdel Bright?
"Kuh...!"
His face twisted hideously, shedding the mask of composure and arrogance.
Proof he no longer had leisure.
-Crackle
"Curious? Ask her yourself—after you beat me."
"Damn... You suck at taunting. That's not how you do it."
"Fine. Then live in ignorance. You seem the type who can't stand not knowing."
"Kuh...!"
Despite calling her taunts amateurish, he fell for them splendidly.
Meaning his composure was gone.
-Whish!
"What the hell is this now?!"
-Clang!
A dozen flying swords from his blind spot bounced off his irritated swing.
In the Central Plains, only one could wield that many at once.
"Sword Empress?!"
[Sorry. Their resistance was fiercer than expected. They seemed off-guard, so I struck—were you mid-conversation?]
[No! Perfect timing!]
The tide turned instantly, victory in sight.
Enemy rattled, Sword Empress joining them.
"...Hah. This might get dangerous."
"Are you the one who corrupted So-yeon?"
"I don't remember names from this backwater world, you idiot."
Barshutain bit his lip, eyeing her resemblance to his favorite recent toy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...What the hell is this situation?"
I'd blacked out after handing my body to the Saintess, so to me, the scene had abruptly changed.
Vampire corpses littered around, Dang Ayoung safe—contract fulfilled, it seemed...
"...Yuseong?"
'And who the hell is this crazy bitch.'
-Tremble
A woman propping herself against the wall with her sword, trembling.
Obviously a vampire by looks.
Badly wounded—mid-fight with the Saintess, probably.
'Crazy, at least finish her off before leaving.'
Cursing the Saintess who'd bailed mid-battle, I rapidly spun my thoughts.
"Yuseong... You're Yuseong, right? Not that weird woman from before? Right? Right?"
She looked hurt too—bluff a bit, maybe resolve without fighting?
She didn't know the Saintess only empowered during possession.
'...But does she know me?'
Her face seemed familiar, but no memory matched.
Regardless, I stepped forward cautiously to talk.
"Let's call it here? Your comrades are mostly dead—no need for more bloodsh..."
Then.
-Thud
"Huh?"
Strength drained from my body.
That step exhausted my last reserves—legs buckled, collapsing. Trying to move was like a dead battery: nothing.
'No one warned about this side effect!'
Immense muscle pain hit, pinning me to the floor.
Sprawled amid rising heat.
"A-Are you okay? Back to normal? Side effect maybe...?"
"Urgh..."
"Don't touch Yuseong!!!!!!!"
-Flinch!
Dang Ayoung, approaching carefully, startled at the vampire woman's shout, looked at me.
"W-Who's she? Know her? Ex-girlfriend?"
"...No clue."
Familiar vibe, but truly unknown.
Ex? I'd been out of the mountains three years—no time for that.
-Thump!
"Yuseong...?"
I'd snapped curtly, but she looked deeply hurt.
"...Seriously not an ex? She looks betrayed."
"I said I don't know her!!"
As she stared blankly in shock, Dang Ayoung carefully supported me.
"Um... Whoever she is, if she knows you, let's pause fighting and talk later..."
-Stab!
"Huh?"
"First, clear the obstacle."
Snapping to, she'd closed in and stabbed Dang Ayoung's gut.
-Thud!
-Gurgle... Gurgle...
"Kuh... Hah..."
"You're next after Master? Or her servant? No—your martial arts scream Tang Clan, so not a servant... Whatever."
"Just cleaning up the past right now."
Her voice chilled instantly.
A bone-deep cold like the abyss made my spine crawl.
Forcing my limp body, I turned toward them—Dang Ayoung's freshly healed wound reopening.
"N-No..."
"Touching Yuseong with that filthy body makes me nauseous. Can't have that."
-Thud!
-Roar!
"Ugh..."
"Too disgusted to kill you myself—burn in there. As thanks for tending Yuseong, I'll spare your eyes."
She flung Dang Ayoung into nearby burning buildings.
Ones about to collapse.
Her fate obvious.
"No... No..."
"I know you don't want to show our pure, fragile Yuseong this... but he needs to see to stay in line. Sorry—knee pillow later, endure."
"Please... Save..."
We had a contract.
I'd sold my future to save her—ending so pointlessly?
What was the contract for?
My mortgaged future for what—just 20-30 more minutes?
"Someone... Help..."
[Don't be too sad.]
"...! Dang A...!"
[Even if we part like this, I was happy thanks to you—don't feel too guilty.]
-Smile
Why smile?
You're dying.
Why smile before death?
[Worried about this woman a bit, but Sword Empress and Thunder Sword Mistress are here. Remember kidnapping tips? Obey and wait for rescue. Unlike me, they'll definitely save you.]
"Ah... Ah..."
[Makeup's off today—wish my last look was prettier.]
Please.
Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease
Anyone.
Anything for it.
Future, soul, body—all yours.
"Someone... Help..."
-Crash!
No second miracle.
The teetering building engulfed in flames collapsed wretchedly, Dang Ayoung buried in burning debris—slow like a montage before my eyes.
[I loved you.]
"....! .....!!!"
I reached my unresponsive arm toward her.
Impossible distance physically, but in spirit at least.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please...
Then, a familiar voice whispered in my ear.
"Tch. Came looking for my runaway disciple, and you've caused a huge mess in the meantime."
...Huh?
"Told you to learn a few spells. Especially fire-suppression talismans—I distinctly taught you those."
"M-Master...?"
"Don't misunderstand. Not sparing her because she's cute—need someone to explain everything that's happened."
Right after Master's voice,
Flames engulfing the village began dying down.
As if controlled by someone.