Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Horizon of Promise, Now I Go to You. (3)
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7.
“Why are you spacing out like an idiot who doesn’t even match the vibe?!”
The moment Jeong Ha-kyeong lifted her helmet visor, she shot a glance at Seo Hwa-yoon and grumbled.
[Gouangol Helmet].
This transcendent helmet offered a clear field of view even without raising the visor. She was simply showing her face to the confused allies.
“Something felt off, so I rushed here with 《Super Acceleration》…… and damn if I wasn’t right.”
You were worried about me?
Seo Hwa-yoon exaggeratedly wiped at the corners of her eyes, as if tears were welling up.
“Our little Ha-kyeong…… you pushed yourself to come save your big sis, huh.”
“No, fuck, didn’t I tell you not to call me by that shitty name?”
“Aw, playing shy.”
“Fuck off.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong shook her head in exasperation and turned her gaze forward again. Then she asked in a low voice.
“It’s you, right?”
That white hair, wild mane, and robes.
To the god who didn’t flutter even in the snowy gale.
“The bastard who killed Kim Baek-jun…… it’s you, right?”
8.
“What……?”
A chill raced down Shin Tae-yeop’s spine. Suddenly, Do Ye-jin let out a scream and collapsed into the snow.
No reaction.
Not a single reaction.
Even shaking her shoulders and slapping her cheeks…… she was just like a corpse.
“Hey, snap out of it. Do Ye-jin, hey! What the hell’s wrong with you all of a sudden?!”
It didn’t take long to realize the one he should be asking wasn’t Do Ye-jin.
「Shall I give you some advice instead of an answer?」
Shin Tae-yeop’s gaze was met with Saito Nan’s dry chuckle, as if it were pathetic.
「Get away from that mutt. If you don’t want to die.」
A sharp killing intent hit him in that instant.
What……? He instinctively leaped back, or his jaw would’ve been sent flying.
By Do Ye-jin’s swung fist.
Had his instincts shifted into combat readiness?
Before cold sweat could bead on his forehead, Shin Tae-yeop’s center of gravity had sunk low.
“Are you insane?!”
“Shishishi……?!”
“You’re still messing around because of what I said earlier…….”
He asked in bewilderment.
But he already knew the situation was dire.
“…….”
Do Ye-jin shattered the chains binding her wrists with unnatural, puppet-like movements and rose to her feet.
Unconscious……?
Her hazy eyes had no focus.
No way…….
A cold sweat of foreboding dripped down.
It was a sight he’d seen often in the other world. On the undead who’d died and come back to life……
No, no.
Her pulse is beating strong.
Which means……
“You, you fucking bastard!”
He shouted at Saito Nan, who responded with a delighted smile.
「Oh……? You’ve got the leisure to glare at me?」
The next moment.
Do Ye-jin leaped forward without warning, closing in on Shin Tae-yeop.
Whoosh.
An instant evasion.
He tumbled backward, dodging the hand blade aimed at his nape, but……
Spurt……!
……her nails grazed him, drawing a line of blood on his throat.
“Mommy, this psycho……!”
Thud. The mid-tier hat of the <Association> hunter rolled across the snow.
His breathing shook.
Hot sweat trailed down his cheek.
This…… is bad……
He’d never neglected his physical training, but the gap in close-quarters ability between a sorcerer and a warrior was immense.
「If you just keep dodging, you’ll die soon.」
And above all.
The enemy before him…… was a monster infused with the power of subordinates.
「Why hesitate? This mutt is your enemy now.」
And crucially.
I can’t use fire magic on that idiot…… unlike with Amber, I can’t control my power.
As he let out a miserable chuckle.
Do Ye-jin vanished from his sight again, reappearing right in front of him. She swung her fist with full force.
“Blood Dragon Staff───────!”
A chill ran down his spine in that moment.
Whirrr…… a harsh whoosh of air tearing through the wind rang out……
Between Shin Tae-yeop and Do Ye-jin.
……in that split-second of death, a massive boomerang slammed down.
You’re finally here……!
The instant Do Ye-jin pulled back.
Squad members landed one by one on either side of Shin Tae-yeop.
“Hwang Ga-in…….”
Lee Ha-ram.
Ryu Hyeon-ji.
“Wh-why is Ye-jin……?”
“Why you ask? Do Ye-jin’s always been an evil villain. She’s finally showing her true colors.”
Park Ji-won.
And passing-by Heo Cheon-gyeom A.
Heo Cheon-gyeom glared at Do Ye-jin, then suddenly grabbed Shin Tae-yeop by the collar and grinned.
“Hey, you fucker. You just gave me some shitty special treatment, didn’t you?”
“H-ha ha! What’re you talking about?”
Heo Cheon-gyeom’s eyes flashed.
Then, at terrifying speed, he drew the combined sword-shield strapped to his back and thrust it forward.
Dooooooong………………!
A dull impact echoed, whipping up the snowstorm.
“Whoa…….”
When had she even gotten there?
Do Ye-jin’s fist was buried deep in the shield.
“Feels like there’s some emotion behind it?”
The combined sword-shield separated.
Heo Cheon-gyeom drew the longsword from the top of the shield and swung. Do Ye-jin tilted her head back slightly to dodge.
In that instant, Heo Cheon-gyeom twisted his wrist.
The sword’s trajectory flipped in midair, slicing shallow across Do Ye-jin’s shoulder as she evaded.
「Oh ho…… not bad.」
The one appraising the attack…… was surprisingly Saito Nan.
No sooner had his voice rung out.
Than Do Ye-jin’s movements halted like a puppet in a play.
「Decent basics with the blade. Perfect for experimenting on this wench.」
“Experiment……?”
The one who bristled at those words was Ryu Hyeon-ji.
“Wh-what did you do to Ye-jin……?”
「Who knows? What could I have done?」
“G-give her back……! Give our Ye-jin back……!”
「Don’t worry. Even if you don’t want it, it’ll happen soon enough.」
The boy sneered, then turned to Hwang Ga-in, who’d been silently watching.
「That human sorcerer’s dangerous, so Mother handles her. I’ll take the rest.」
Mother……?
Confusion hit in an instant. What did that mean? Wasn’t the god that Hwang Ga-in birthed that snail over there?
“Oh my, what a surprise. Sai’s asking his mom for help.”
「What’s so surprising? You’re the only human I trust.」
Those words must have touched her deeply. Hwang Ga-in shook her head, on the verge of tears.
“No, Sai. Just leave it all to Mom. I’ll kill these mongrels and bring ’em to you.”
「Quiet and follow. I’ve got experiments to run. These small fries are perfect for it.」
Hwang Ga-in smiled faintly and snapped open her folding fan.
“Still, I’m a bit worried.”
That instant.
Overwhelming demonic energy poured from the fan’s folds……
“Mom’s gonna go a little wild.”
……the moment Hwang Ga-in swung the fan seductively, the demonic energy transformed into power.
Shriiiiiir───────!
A whoosh of wind being shredded.
In that moment, frost daggers formed from the fan’s wind blasted toward the boy and girl.
“D-danger!”
“Dodge!”
Shin Tae-yeop shoved Lee Ha-ram aside and rolled with her.
────Pababababababa!
The frozen ground tore apart under the frost daggers, scattering countless shards.
“You okay?”
Lee Ha-ram swallowed and nodded at Shin Tae-yeop’s question.
No, what the hell……?
When he sprang up immediately after.
The situation had shifted to a new phase. The squad had split into two teams while dodging attacks.
No way…… she planned this?
In front of Hwang Ga-in: Shin Tae-yeop, Park Ji-won, and Lee Ha-ram. In front of Saito Nan and Do Ye-jin: Ryu Hyeon-ji and Heo Cheon-gyeom.
「Hmph, this could be fun too. Fine then. Kill each other now.」
Saito Nan grinned.
The frost orb he held in both hands spat out a flash.
That instant.
Do Ye-jin charged ferociously at Heo Cheon-gyeom and Ryu Hyeon-ji.
As expected…… it’s brainwashing.
Is that orb the catalyst for the spell? Then first───
“Where’re you looking right now?”
───if he hadn’t instinctively raised 《Flame Flow Wall》, he’d be dead.
“Hmm, a barrier?”
The moment Hwang Ga-in’s voice reached him.
Blade-like winds filled his vision.
“Definitely different from the trash we’ve faced so far. So you’re the real power in Seodaemun-gu?”
From beyond the massive flame wall spread before him, a sly laugh echoed.
“Should be fun to play with.”
9.
“Hey, is that really you?”
A biting cold wind howled.
Endless sleet scattered from the gloomy gray sky.
“The bastard who killed Kim Baek-jun.”
At the First Pillar Gate of the Holy Mountain.
Jeong Ha-kyeong stood there. The eerie chill of the two demon blades pulsing madly in her grip.
Short sword, <Shallaguin>.
Dagger, [Karize Ryu].
Weapons received from Shallyuan.
Excluding the divine swords exclusive to absolute gods, both were top-tier magic swords enhanced with divine power.
“Kim Baek-jun.”
Choi Sin-yul said.
Expressionless, as always.
With the face that hadn’t changed once since the world’s end.
“A name I’d forgotten. If you mean the one whose heart I pierced with my own hand, then yes.”
“Yeah?”
In that instant, emotions froze cold in Jeong Ha-kyeong’s mind.
“I see.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong fiddled with the watch on her wrist. Kim Baek-jun’s keepsake she’d worn like a talisman since that day.
- I’ll definitely come back. It’s a promise.
I know.
I already knew.
But hearing him brag about it like that…… a cold fireball surged within her.
For a split second, she let her humanity run wild.
The demon blades sensed the humanity of their wielder. As if urging her to feed them, the blades flickered with ghostly indigo light.
<Shallaguin>.
[Karize Ryu].
In the Outer Universe tongue, they translated to [Shallyuan’s Fang] and [Shallyuan’s Claw].
[What the hell are you doing right now?]
Shallyuan spoke directly into her mind then.
[I warned you, you bastard!]
After syncing as god-human.
Direct communication no longer burst eardrums or anything.
[Don’t fight Choi Sin-yul yet, no matter what!]
Fuck off.
Why do you think I came to you that day? Why do you think I offered this body to you?
“It was all to carve that fucker’s face off────!”
Shouting those words.
Jeong Ha-kyeong kicked off the ground in a flash. Then she offered her humanity as sacrifice.
《Super Acceleration》.
Heart-bursting pain assaulted her…… as the world before her eyes dyed indigo.
The time of the abyss.
A sticky, irritating sensation of her entire body sinking into deep mire.
But her body.
But her senses and thoughts.
Amplified to the limit by power transcending this world’s laws.
Ten paces.
The distance to Choi Sin-yul.
But the moment Jeong Ha-kyeong stepped her left foot into the snow, the gap vanished.
“Hm……?”
A flawless ambush.
A momentum for certain kill.
Jeong Ha-kyeong thrust the short sword and dagger into his side……
「Kim Baek-jun, smiling as he said he’d be alone with you, Ha-kyeong.」
……then unleashed an instant draw infused with the divinity of decay.
Kaaaaang───!
A metallic clash of blades rang out.
─────Psssh!
The crystal blade evaporated into steam in an instant.
“The sword……?”
Choi Sin-yul’s brow arched, and he kicked off the ground to retreat.
Of course, she wouldn’t miss.
Still under 《Super Acceleration》. At that range, no one could escape────
The rebuke exploded in that instant.
“────Stop!”
Her charging body slammed to a halt.
The world regained its colors.
The moment her foot idly stepped on the ground.
Pababababababa─────!
Without warning.
Crystal swords flew in.
And stabbed into the ground in countless numbers.
“……?!”
Between Choi Sin-yul and Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Precisely…… along the path Jeong Ha-kyeong had intended with 《Super Acceleration》.
“That bastard’s main technique isn’t swordsmanship! It’s sword arts!”
Oso-so.
The hairs on her arms stood on end.
That fucker…… what?
He read my exact movement in that split second? Seo Hwa-yoon shouted.
“So don’t go charging in alone!”
“……!”
“Yes, Ha-kyeong.”
This time, it was Lee Seong-mi.
Somehow, the two women now flanked Jeong Ha-kyeong.
“You can’t beat that monster alone.”
“But──”
“──So let’s combine our strength, the three of us.”
To the bristling Jeong Ha-kyeong, Lee Seong-mi forced a smile.
“The founding members of the <Association> that Baek-jun created.”
Kim Baek-jun and the <Association>……
In that instant, Kim Baek-jun’s face and voice from that day flashed in her mind.
- That’s right. The founding of the <Association>.
Jeong Ha-kyeong let her sharpened nerves dull hazily.
“Good thing…… you haven’t forgotten that day…….”
She pulled a large-capacity Star Nebula Liquid syringe from her waist and jabbed the needle into her side.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. So, if the three of us rush in, you got some clever plan?”
Using Star Nebula Liquid.
Even in this hostile paradise, it could boost wound recovery to 120%.
“Hmm…… who knows?”
“Who knows?”
“If Seondeok were here, wouldn’t he say we’ll figure it out as we go?”
Yoo Seong-deok.
A name she suddenly missed.
The <Association>’s mood maker. Jeong Ha-kyeong murmured softly.
“Yeah, probably. That guy was enough of a moron to scrap with Hong Byeong-gyu.”
“Exactly. I agree.”
Lee Seong-mi chuckled.
It was then that a voice colder than ice came from across the way.
“Amusing. You sing songs of Kim Baek-jun…… oblivious to why that arrogant fool died?”