Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Contact Request, Nowon-gu Hunters (5)
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8.
"Song Chan-un has put up a barrier."
A barrier?
Was that what they meant earlier when they said they were Nowon-gu hunters but couldn't enter Nowon-gu anymore...?
"You have to catch that lunatic in Gangbuk-gu and kill him to break the barrier."
"Hold on a second."
It was a minor detail, but.
Something had felt off from the start.
"Why do you call Song Chan-un and Im Ga-hee by their real names... but refer to the shamaness or sword god by their nicknames?"
"That's... uh... not exactly... a nickname."
He glanced around nervously once more before Choi Su-cheol spoke.
"It's a title bestowed directly by the gods through the Star Messenger...."
"What kind of...?"
It was strange. There wasn't a single hunter like that in Seodaemun-gu.
No, but...
Thinking back to that battle that overwhelmed Arishel...
"The leadership of the [Divine Corps] consists of five people... and four of them share the same attribute for their unique skills."
"Im Ga-hee... Song Chan-un... and they're all Ikilras lineage?"
"How do you know that name...?"
Choi Su-cheol wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead and opened his mouth.
"Fine. Since you know, this'll be quicker... They're all incredibly strong... but the top leader is still the shamaness Hwang Ga-in, and the sword god Choi Sin-yul."
He spoke their real names as if it terrified him, panting heavily.
"Be careful. The Lead Hunter title belongs to the shamaness... but the sword god is far stronger... In terms of level alone, even higher than you..."
"Stronger than the Lead Hunters... How is that possible?"
Even I was several times stronger than the other Seodaemun-gu hunters. Choi Su-cheol shook his head.
"I don't know the details. But I've seen them yield all the soulstone and subordinate subjugation rewards."
Yield the rewards?
I could understand yielding soulstones. But subordinate subjugation rewards?
"It's not that complicated. They yielded the killing blows."
"Ah...."
"And strangely... the sword god's level is much higher."
In that instant, the hairs on my forearms stood on end.
Getting stronger without soulstones?
No... wait. Comparing it to my 《Holy Flame Succession》, it wasn't hard to understand.
No way. Did that mean...?
Then, a chilling piece of advice surfaced in my mind.
- The apostles of the five absolute gods have probably already descended.
Did that mean I had to face something like Im Yong-gon... as an enemy? Possibly one who had monopolized subordinate equipment.
"But this is also an opportunity. We can take out the shamaness, sword god, and pope one by one...."
"But to enter Gangbuk-gu, we'd need a siege, right?"
"We'll help you. We'll get you inside Gangbuk-gu. Kill the pope, and Gangbuk-gu is done. The control will collapse."
Got it.
But it didn't quite add up. That's why I was suspicious.
"You seem convinced that Choi Sin-yul is stronger than me. Why bet on a losing fight?"
Choi Su-cheol met my eyes for a moment, then sighed and lowered his head.
"Those guys... if we stay under them... we'll just get eaten someday."
Why was that?
Suddenly, Im Ga-hee, who had turned into a puppet under Song Chan-un's influence... and the hunters transformed into monsters came to mind.
"We just want to survive, to reach paradise... As payment for our cooperation, please accept us into Seodaemun-gu."
"Is that... all?"
"Yes. That's all. What we've always wanted... was paradise."
For the price of rebellion that risked their lives, it was surprisingly modest.
That's why I believed them.
Maybe because I saw the desperate sincerity in their expressions and voices.
"That won't be a problem."
"...Really?!"
"Yes. As the inaugural president of the Seodaemun-gu <Association>, I guarantee your rights."
When I offered a handshake, Choi Su-cheol nodded solemnly and stepped toward me.
"Then, our alliance────"
Those words didn't continue.
Because in that moment, all hell broke loose at once.
Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu──!
Behind Choi Su-cheol's back.
The air tore open in a long rift... and a wolf's maw burst forth.
Ferocious... and enormous...
That maw swallowed Choi Su-cheol whole.
───Puhaaaaaaaa!
His body, left with only the lower half, sprayed blood everywhere as it toppled over.
This... no way...?
Hot blood splattered onto my cheek in that instant.
Whiiiiiir............
From somewhere... a chillingly viscous flute melody echoed.
At the same time.
The heavens and earth began to be shrouded in dark blue mist, undulating like it was alive.
"Su, Su, Su-cheol Uncleeeeeeee!"
The next moment.
Terror took physical form and crashed over us.
"Go, Go, Gong Min-young? How is Gong Min-young here?"
"Wolf, it's a wolf!"
"There are hunters too!"
Desperate shouts erupted from all directions.
Song Chan-un's reach... extended here too...?
The moment that realization hit.
I turned toward my group, glancing at Choi Su-cheol's party.
Was there... a traitor?
No sooner had I thought that.
From the mist, a grotesquely twisted hunter leaped out and decapitated one of Choi Su-cheol's group.
The first to die was an adult woman.
Then a beastly growl rumbled, and a monster hunter that sprang from nowhere shattered a young man's thigh.
"...Ku, kuaaaaa! Da, damn it, you bastard! Ha-ram! You, you at least run!"
"...Oppa, oppa!"
Shouts, groans, and curses tangled chaotically.
I bit my lip and turned back to my group.
The situation was dire on our side too.
Lee Seong-mi, swinging her Lotus Blossom Sword nonstop to protect the group with 《Lotus Cloud》.
「KYAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
「HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHA!」
Staggering from a sudden assault by two hunters, she tangled feet with Ryu Hyun-ji and fell to the ground.
No... I won't let that happen.
The moment the enemies let out mad cackles and grabbed their heavy clubs.
《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》.
With the flash of dawn.
I instantly shifted my form behind them.
Chaaaaaang!
As soon as 《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》's space-time control ended, I slashed upward through the enemy in front of me.
Then the second.
I pierced the bastard's chest with 《Holy Dawn Sword》.
The final third enemy.
I deflected his counterattack and cleaved his skull in two from above.
"Haa... haa... hu...."
In the midst of that blood-soaked frenzy of madness, at some point.
[Warning: Anridal's hounds pursue the traces of the Time Manipulator!]
What...?
Time Manipulator? What the hell?
Then someone grabbed my shoulder.
"T-T-Tongue... President!"
I jolted in surprise and thrust my sword... but barely halted the strike.
"What is it, Hyun-ji? Sorry, no time for chit-chat!"
"N-No, not that! We found the flutist! B-Black. The one playing the flute right now!"
Flutist... flutist?
Song Chan-un, was he here?
I sliced the calf of a charging monster hunter with the Dawn Sword and immediately shouted.
"Get on my back! Can you guide me?"
I had no idea.
In this thick blood mist, my hearing and smell were disrupted.
"Y-Yes!"
Ryu Hyun-ji hesitated for a split second but soon climbed onto my back. Being a girl just 140 cm tall, she didn't hinder my movements much.
「Smell, smell, smells!」
Black & White, enlarged for combat.
「Heeheeheeheehee. The smell of the little queen who walks time! Hihihihihihi!」
They stood atop a hunter's corpse but soon flew toward their master.
"Just guide me!"
Black & White pointed toward the student center.
「There, there, rooftop.」
「He's there. Watching us. Heeheehee.」
I sprinted at full speed, glaring that way──
Damn it... can't see.
I couldn't use footwork like this. If only I had 《Abyssal Step》...!
──Suddenly, something burst from the mist.
I gripped my sword in reverse.
Twirled my body and thrust back.
The attacker dangled from my blade, convulsing before going limp.
This... a hunting hound?
Covered in dark blue fur, with dozens of eyes embedded... I swung my sword, hurling it to the ground.
Catching my breath, a hunter suddenly blocked my path.
Just before he lunged.
Black bit his throat and shook ferociously side to side.
「GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
As the monster hunter screamed and grabbed Black's neck with brute force.
"B-B-Black!"
"Hold on tight!"
I plunged a holy blade into his chest.
"Th-Thank you! Black, come here!"
I was running again.
I kicked down the student center's front door, shattering it, and entered.
[Warning: Anridal's hounds pursue you!]
No sooner had the warning appeared.
......Kiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaa......
Countless women's screams swelled, tearing at my eardrums, and dimensions ripped open throughout the student center.
......Grrrgrrrrrrr......
Endless hunting hounds crawling out.
Not going down easy, huh?
I dashed to the spiral staircase and drew in a despairing breath.
What the hell...?
Why was this student center so vast and tall? Ryu Hyun-ji gasped.
"Th-There's... so many stairs... They remodeled the whole university in the 2030s, huh...."
Not helpful info.
The point was, stairs would take too long. So... I had to find 'that'.
Where?
Where is it?
I spun the Dawn Sword around while running... Ah, found it!
「This is, this is empty space. Empty space.」
Black said, as if baffled.
This was the elevator entrance.
Lucky—the elevator was stopped on the first floor.
"Not empty! Hold on tight, Uncle, Hyun-ji!"
I shattered the elevator doors with 《Holy Dawn Sword》.
"Black, White! Guard this door for a sec!"
Then I pried open the hatch, climbed up, grabbed one pulley cable...
"Got it! Come back!"
And immediately severed the other.
──Kyigigigigigigigig!
Sparks flew from friction as the elevator plummeted down.
We shot upward like bullets along the pulley cable, intense acceleration pulling us.
"W-We, we'll crash!"
"We won't."
The next moment.
Just as my body was about to smash into the ceiling.
The instant I thrust 《Holy Dawn Sword》 upward.
An explosion of light cleared the path.
Echoes of the ceiling collapsing.
Debris and fragments poured into view... but soon disintegrated into ash in the superheated dawn glow.
And the next moment, my vision cleared at last.
First, the pitch-black starry sky.
Then, someone standing by the rooftop railing.
The flute melody cut off abruptly.
That someone turned to me and clapped their hands together vertically.
A horrific stench assaulted me in an instant.
Instinct. I turned back... No... this?
A sudden dimensional rift.
A massive hunting hound burst out, jaws gaping wide.
"White! Grab Hyun-ji!"
Without waiting for a reply.
I hurled Ryu Hyun-ji far away, then converted 《Holy Dawn Sword》 to dawnlight power.
And.
Transformed my body into a beam of light.
Burrowing behind the enemy in an instant, I pressed the blade to their nape.
"Whoa... that's freaking insane?"
I meant to kill instantly.
But two issues halted me.
"That was so freaking cool just now! Epic, epic! I saw that speed! Nah, actually couldn't see it!"
First.
The enemy wasn't Song Chan-un.
"Just whoosh, and ping, gone... something like that?"
The flutist was.
A disheveled black bob-cut woman with an oddly pure beauty.
And second.
The moment I pressed the blade to their nape.
The air tore, and the monster wolf that slaughtered Choi Su-cheol agilely opened its maw.
「Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......」
We'd entered a standoff, guns pointed at each other.
"Don't move. Twitch a finger, and you're dead."