Chapter 379
Chapter 379
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 379
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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The source of the deafening roar was one of them swinging a flail that had no business being in an inn.
Sruk...
But sadly, his effort came to naught as Yurim effortlessly sidestepped the attack.
‘My first real battle... I guess?’
She could already sense the vast gap in power from their opponent's momentum.
We held the overwhelming advantage.
In that case...
It was fine to play a bit boldly.
Sring-!
Shiiik-!
Weapons drawn in a flash.
I quickly grabbed Yurim's shoulder and pulled her into the room.
“Eek-!”
Yurim could have reacted just fine, but she pretended to be flustered for show.
Kwang-!
I slammed the door shut.
“Eee! You bastard!”
Immediately, the flail came crashing down on the door.
Kwajik...
Naturally, the wooden door shattered pathetically under the blow.
But even in that brief moment the door was closed, countless things could happen.
Zzaaack-!
As our palms clapped together, shadows billowed up.
Whooo...
“Uh... uh...”
No, more precisely, it was a cluster of Shadow Hands.
[Using Black Flower.]
[Shadow Hands unleash a barrage. Damage per hit equals that of a single Shadow Hand, with an additional 20% damage per consecutive strike on the same target.]
Dudududududu-!
They scrambled to dodge.
A futile effort.
Whirlic-!
Paaaak-!
“Eek!”
“Kuaaaak-!”
Puuuuk!
“Aaaak-!”
Shadows could bend as much as needed.
The Black Flower pursued and battered them down.
Their bones shattered, or their arms twisted grotesquely as they blocked—the thugs collapsed.
Pity was a luxury.
“Seol-ah, that's enough.”
“Yeah.”
Yurim held me back.
No need to waste effort on foes so hopelessly outmatched.
The Veil's internal assessment already confirmed our strength rivaled their executives.
The issue was the unpredictability of real combat.
“You... fucking bastards...”
The room's owner, wrists bound by Yurim's shadows. We needed his intel.
“Watch your mouth. We didn't start this—they did.”
“......Came for Lian?”
“Yeah, you know.”
“Of course. We watched that guy for a while—how many times his spoon went back and forth at meals, how many times he took a shit a day.”
“You tailed him.”
“That was the job.”
“The job...”
They were part of a middling intel outfit. Their lackluster combat skills didn't mean their info-gathering was equally poor.
“First, can you do something about these guys? They're groaning too much.”
“Oh.”
I've been spacing out a lot lately.
‘Headaches taking a toll?’
Yurim stepped in to clean up instead. Cleaning up just meant stuffing them into an empty room and alerting the innkeeper.
With the door gone, I opened an empty room's door and interrogated the captured thug.
“We only learned Lian was Veil later. By the time we knew, it was too late to back out.”
“Too late how?”
“We'd already passed the info to the client.”
“Hmm...”
“Believe me, it's true! If we'd known it involved the Veil beforehand, we never would've taken the job!”
The Veil had a notorious rep among outsiders as ruthless monsters.
Someone must've tried to poke at our existence, but Bitan dismissed it outright.
- It's easier for them to come to us anyway! Let 'em!
Fair point—I was feeling it now.
He trembled just from seeing my lips move, guessing what I'd say...
A strange thrill rose in me.
Time for the big question.
“Who was the client?”
“......Sisters in masks.”
“Sisters... sisters...”
Masks.
Sisters.
“Same masks?”
“......Yeah.”
His shocked face confirmed it.
The Faces were targeting Lian, one of the Veil's field agents.
‘Not missing—kidnapped. Or... killed.’
Yurim's face darkened as she listened, but she tried hiding it, which only made her look more pitiful.
Before coming here, she'd mentioned playing with Lian as kids. That's why the news hit her hard.
But watching her hurt me too.
Yurim was my little bird.
Everything she did tugged at my heartstrings. No idea why.
“We got half upfront. We delivered solid info, so we'll get the rest now.”
“......Heh.”
I couldn't help but chuckle.
He knew.
“You know they're Faces... and that masks mean death. Hell, keeping our heads if we don't get paid is lucky. Can't run either—they'd hunt us down for cleanup.”
Smarter than he looked.
“So you deliberately exposed yourself to us.”
“The Veil lives up to the hype in strength, but their movements have plenty of holes. I knew escaping the Faces needed Veil muscle.”
“You figured we'd let you live after you handed us Veil secrets on a platter? Bad call.”
“Nah, I read people well. The second I saw your face, I knew. We'll make it.”
“......Why?”
I'd be lying if that didn't irk me a bit.
‘Does he think I'm a joke?’
Sssk...
He grinned.
“You seem reasonable.”
“......Thinking we can talk this out nicely?”
This is what he said.
“I'll tell you the handoff spot for the rest.”
“Obviously.”
“But I need confirmation first. Can you take those bitches out? You look like fresh Veil blood.”
Fair point.
Suspicion made sense.
Compared to the Faces' infamy, we were nobodies.
“We have a way. Can't say how. We'll handle our end. That all?”
“Obviously not enough for you to shake those damn masks off us. Honestly, we're rooting for you. So... here's more intel.”
“More intel?”
“When we learned about Lian and the Veil, we dug deep. No holds barred.”
“On what?”
“The Faces.”
Intel on the Faces.
That piqued my interest.
‘That's what gave him confidence?’
He held up three fingers.
“Three pieces. Kill the Faces and cut us loose.”
“We decide after hearing it.”
“Fair. But you won't say no. All three help you.”
He whispered in my ear.
Each word sent chills down my spine more than tickled.
All so dangerously on point.
“......Sure about this?”
“No intel's ever certain. Just highly credible.”
If he'd claimed certainty, I'd doubt him more.
“It's all just reference material.”
“How'd you get it?”
“One side alone leads nowhere. Just pieced the big picture. Got lucky.”
Three leads from him.
I told him.
“You're free.”
“See? Reasonable.”
* * *
A few nights later, a secret meet was set deep in a shadowy forest.
The informants slated for beheading by startled Faces weren't there.
Yurim and I were.
“Ugh... cold. Huddle close, Seol-ah.”
“Yeah.”
We leaned against each other atop a tree.
A fight would break out here soon.
Best stay loose.
‘First foes are Faces, huh.’
Startled Faces weren't one person.
Sisters.
Weaker individually than other Faces, but united, they packed a punch.
Sruruk...
A quiet approach, like creeping dusk.
‘......Here.’
I nodded to Yurim.
She took a deep breath and nodded back.
Suk...
‘......Huh?’
Whik...
The figure turned and retreated.
Yurim signaled first, so I caught it.
Changes everything.
Chase or wait?
Reasons for both.
Simply, not chasing now risked losing Lian and the Faces' trail. Sure, it could drag us to a trap elsewhere.
Waiting here was safe.
‘Backup's coming.’
One field agent was en route for this. Seemed Yurim knew them—apparently learned swordplay from them in her Veil childhood.
Yurim's fundamentals were rock-solid.
Probably their influence.
“What now? We left word they're coming here...”
My instincts screamed.
Miss this, no second chance.
“Leave a mark.”
“A mark? Just us chasing?”
“No time. Scared it'll be tough?”
I respected Yurim.
She was the main fighter—if she noped out, rethink.
“Let's! If it's your call, Seol-ah! I'm in!”
Real issue: Yurim treated my word like gospel.
It'd saved her life countless times.
Shishik-!
Marked the tree, then pursued. They'd noticed us—no sloppy escape.
We ramped up the chase.
Pat-!
Paaaat-!
Yurim could outpace me easily, but ran alongside out of consideration.
Pabababat-!
We halted together.
“Veil kids are no fun. You are Veil, right? How'd you show up?”
From the dark emerged two masked women, eyes wide in surprise.
Tok tok...
The lower-voiced one tapped her scabbard.
“Brought the payout, but looks like you hijacked it.”
“No helping it... give it to them instead?”
Payout meant beheading—a warning, or declaration of war.
‘......Familiar? Not strangers?’
Their voices.
Gestures.
Tiny habits.
All felt known.
“Names...”
“......What?”
“What's your names?”
“What's that mean, sis?”
“Dunno, playing house? Curious about our names?”
The older answered.
“Fine, whatever. Names we ditched anyway. I'm Belldrey. The big sis.”
“Bellian. Lil sis. Heh... why tell 'em?”
“Now can we kill 'em?”
Belldrey, Bellian.
‘Yeah... rings a bell.’
......Seol-ah.
“Seol-ah!”
“Ah... yeah.”
“......Gotta fight?”
Yurim's hand shook as she spoke.
She had a bad habit of tensing up pre-fight. Total opposite of me.
Despite her talent, that's why Agras caught her.
But that's past Yurim.
Swik...
I placed my hand on hers.
“Don't shake.”
“......”
“I'm here.”
Magic words.
The spell giving her wings.
Suuuu...
She calmed like a lie.
Like sinking into the sea.
Paat!
Srung!
Srung!
Startled Faces drew in frenzy.
“What the...”
“Sis, you feel it?”
Yurim's aura shifted.
‘Now I need to tense up. Real fight.’
Problem was me.
Her reaction felt normal, but I felt zero tension.
Standing on the battlefield felt natural.
Commanding it, devising win conditions.
Sheet music unfolded in my mind.
Instruments, sound solidity, chord buildup.
The field resonated.
Stride firmness, formation cohesion, heart rates.
“Younger sis is weaker.”
Nod...
Yurim nodded.
Then clash.
Zzaaaack-!
[Using Bell of Darkness.]
[Summoning a specter of shadows.]
[Specter excels at terrain destruction.]
[Specter's power scales with summoner's stats.]
Whoooo...
As the Shadow Specter, Bell of Darkness, appeared, the sisters' swords gleamed.
Suuuuung...
Vibrating blades.
“Yurim... you know?”
“Yeah, buy time.”
Our victory formula.
Yurim would execute it perfectly.
Paaaang-!
Yurim shot out like a whirlwind.
Pin them before they split.
“Where!”
Taaaaang-!
Taaang!
Two clashes.
Yurim gleaned dozens, hundreds more info than most.
That's where fights were won.
Kagagak!
Crossed with Belldrey...
Paaaaang-!
Kicked the charging Bellian.
“Kuh...”
‘Good!’
Blocking once meant blocking thousands.
That's Yurim.
‘Then me...’
Zzaaack-!
[Using Expanding Darkness.]
[Area rapidly darkens.]
......
Terrain-altering spell.
I was summoner, brawler, mage.
Expanding Darkness usually suited mid-scale fights by altering environs.
Wasted mana on small scraps like this—unless used one way.
Whoooooo...
Feed it.
The summoned Bell of Darkness slurped the dark. Countdown backward.
From 30.
‘30 seconds, Yurim. To perfect victory.’
Joining the fray directly could've eased her load.
But not guaranteed win.
“......What?”
“......I'll handle her first.”
As the Bell acted odd, the Startled sisters reacted hastily.
Yurim swung wide.
Kwaaaaaang-!
Slash wave.
“Kuhuk...”
“......What?”
A straight line gouged the ground.
Right at Yurim's feet.
“Can't cross. Ever.”
“......Thrilling.”
“We're going all out too.”
Whic-!
Whic-!
Sisters' swordplay turned eerie.
Moving as one.
Yurim sensed it, eyes open, focus sharp.
10.
Clash.
Kwaaaaaang-!
“Blocked it?”
“Try this!”
[Bellian uses Vibrating Sword.]
[Sword vibrates, hindering defense.]
[Belldrey uses Diffusing Sword.]
[Blade effects spread gradually.]
......
Different styles.
5.
Yurim saw their ploy.
Whoooo...
Powered up, bracing for impact.
“Gotcha!”
Taaaaang-!
Bellian and Belldrey's swords layered on Yurim's.
Paaaaaaaaaaang-!
Shockwave rattled nearby trees, rippling back from her blade.
Zizizik...
Scratches marred Yurim's face, her arm quivering.
1...
But she endured.
“Hah... hah...”
“Done. Can't even twitch a finger... sis?”
“Wait... where'd he go?”
“......What?”
Zzaaack-!
I supported Yurim from behind.
Played my prepared hand.
Fruit of three years' pondering.
I'd followed a strangely familiar path.
Knocking that door brought brutal headaches, but I persisted.
Instinct said answers lay there. A... treasure trove.
Whoooo...
[Bell of Darkness fully charged darkness.]
[Summoning Dark Dweller.]
[Dark Dweller's combat power proportional to darkness used and summoner's stats.]
Darkness swelled huge.
A giant emerged from within.
“......What is that.”
“Never seen...”
Yurim beamed.
She'd wanted this flow—confident in it.
Me saving her like some fairy-tale prince.
Fwoooong...
Dark Dweller's fist pulled back, then snapped forward.
Paaaaaaaang-!
Ujijik...
“Keheook...”
Startled sisters blocked, softening the blow, but crashed into trees, injured.
“Cough... such power... this is...”
Big sis obligingly fed me the line.
Yeah. I'd been reborn.
To shake off those hellish days.
“This isn't power.”
“......Not power?”
Tokki's words pulling me from hell.
“It's the Veil's conviction embracing the dark.”
I'm the Veil's crow.
Now wings sprouted—I could fly anywhere.