Chapter 177
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Ambush
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Jo Yeon-ju was digging into the Execution Cult's background.
The reason was none other than for Yanagiya Riki.
She hadn't asked her to do it specifically, but Jo Yeon-ju had taken note of the fact that Yanagiya Riki had interfered with the Execution Cult's attempt to take Lee Yun-seong.
She'd learned about it just a short while ago, while drinking with her.
Personally viewing Lee Yun-seong as a romantic rival, she'd simply asked how she'd come to know the man.
But the words "Execution Cult" had slipped from Yanagiya Riki's lips, revealing that she was tangled up with them.
'...Though she herself didn't seem too bothered by it.'
In truth, the chances of the Execution Cult retaliating against Yanagiya Riki over that incident were slim to none, but one never knew.
'By the time something happens, it'll be too late.'
For her friend with such a lax sense of safety, Jo Yeon-ju felt compelled to gather information ahead of time.
'And it actually paid off.'
The Execution Cult was known to have seven executives.
But that was a ruse. The truth was six executives, with the leader hiding among those seven.
She didn't know who the leader was, but she'd confirmed that much.
'Who could it be? Who would go to such lengths to hide themselves?'
This much intel was plenty anyway. When dealing with a dangerous group like the Execution Cult, it was best to investigate slowly from the shadows.
Stirring things up and drawing attention could put even a ranker like her in peril...
'...Behind me!'
Jo Yeon-ju sensed someone approaching from behind and instantly formed hand seals.
Clink clink clank—!
"Damn it...!"
A man's voice rang out as chains summoned from thin air instantly wrapped around the assailant, and Jo Yeon-ju leaped back to create distance.
Coming face-to-face with her attacker, Jo Yeon-ju's eyes widened in shock.
It was a familiar face.
"...Ghost Spear?"
Bound in chains was none other than Baek Si-hoon.
A ranker, just like her.
"Shit, your reflexes are sharp. You fucking bitch...!"
"...Why are you—?"
Baek Si-hoon ignored Jo Yeon-ju's question, spitting curses instead.
"Fuck, this is why they say don't try assassinations unless you're an assassin class."
His attitude made Jo Yeon-ju's eyebrow twitch, but she shifted her mindset.
'I need to end this quickly.'
Details could wait. Ghost Spear had attacked her, so she had to kill him.
He was a top-tier player like her—and a spearman who excelled in PvP.
She wouldn't have much time before those chains gave out.
Jo Yeon-ju swept her hand, and characters materialized in the air, shooting toward Baek Si-hoon.
The characters closed in...
"Damn you!"
Baek Si-hoon's body dissolved into black mist, slipping free of the chains.
'...Mistification.'
Baek Si-hoon's signature ability.
One of the skills that had elevated him to ranker status.
It let him turn his body into mist instantly, passing through objects.
He was unparalleled in evasion, even if his offense was solid.
Jo Yeon-ju's characters naturally missed him.
'Doesn't matter anyway.'
It would've been nice if that killed him, but she hadn't thrown it at Ghost Spear with lethal intent.
"Illusory Dragon Formation."
She'd anticipated he'd dodge with that ability.
Her goal was to activate the formation.
Characters flooded into the ground around the misty Baek Si-hoon in an instant.
'Got it.'
As long as she kept channeling mana, the formation would succeed.
From what she knew, Mistification protected the user from harm but prevented them from attacking.
He couldn't block the formation in that state.
'I've won...'
Stab—
The moment Jo Yeon-ju was certain of victory, something pierced her leg.
"Hngh...!"
'A dagger?'
Jo Yeon-ju's leg buckled from the hit, her strength draining away.
Her mana scattered too.
"No...!"
The forming array crumbled, letting Baek Si-hoon escape unharmed.
Reforming from mist, he wiped cold sweat from his brow in relief.
"Fuck, good thing I had insurance. That was close."
"Hngh... Insurance...?"
As Jo Yeon-ju voiced her confusion, another figure emerged from behind her.
"Ghost Spear, you nearly fucked up big time."
"Shit..."
Despite the masked man's words, Baek Si-hoon just grimaced and cursed.
And understandably so—he was furious.
'Me? Almost taken down by that bitch? By me, Ghost Spear?'
Thank goodness for the insurance, or he'd have been done for pathetically.
He could've burst the chains with mana, but habit made him use Mistification unconsciously. Rookie mistake.
Mistification got easier to counter the more your opponent knew about it.
Even so, he'd been the ambusher and nearly got reversed. Humiliating.
'...Damn it, I got careless.'
A woman. A formation mage who didn't shine in PvP.
A fellow ranker, but he'd underestimated her for those reasons and nearly paid dearly.
"Anyway, is this the Jo Yeon-ju you mentioned? First time fighting a ranker. First time teaming with one too."
The masked man finished speaking and hurled another dagger.
It flew straight at Jo Yeon-ju, but just before impact, she pulled a talisman from her bosom.
Shhh—
Cling!
"A barrier, huh. You use some weird abilities."
"Enough. My turn now."
Baek Si-hoon gripped his spear and kicked off toward Jo Yeon-ju.
Knowing she'd die if she stayed put, she endured the pain in her leg and moved.
"What the—"
He blinked in confusion as she suddenly shed her outer garment and tossed it to the ground.
But seeing the characters on it, Baek Si-hoon realized his mistake.
'Characters on the clothes?'
"...You targeted a formation mage's weakness well enough, but overcome it, and it's no issue."
The known weakness of formation mages: they sucked outside their home turf.
High-level formations required extensive prep.
But Jo Yeon-ju had overcome much of it by miniaturizing formations onto her clothes.
"Damn it...!"
Characters crawled from the garment like insects, spreading across the ground.
Instinct screamed danger on that inscribed earth.
Baek Si-hoon and the masked man hurriedly backed away from Jo Yeon-ju, but it didn't take long to sense something wrong.
"This is..."
"Yeah, we've been had."
A cubic barrier enveloped Jo Yeon-ju.
Characters spilling from her clothes formed various shapes.
Armor manifested, transforming into ancient soldiers.
No one inside, but they looked like bluish spirits clad in armor.
"You fucking bitch...!"
Baek Si-hoon thrust his spear at Jo Yeon-ju, but it bounced off the barrier.
Clang!
"Shit!"
She was safe inside the formation, controlling those things to fight.
Whoosh—
"Hup!"
Boom!
The sword-swinging ones were seriously threatening—not mere summons.
"Ghost Spear, these aren't simple summons. They have self-repair."
Baek Si-hoon infused his spear with mana and shattered one in a flash, but as the man said, it repaired almost immediately.
"Any ideas?"
"Hoo..."
'Fuck, do I have to use this?'
He wouldn't have needed to if the ambush worked, which pissed him off.
But her power exceeded expectations.
'Rankers are rankers, huh?'
Still, he had no intention of losing.
Even with her weakness patched, formation mages had PvP limits.
He just hated having to reveal all his cards.
'Haven't infused intent in ages.'
Ghost Spear assumed position, red energy rippling from his body and spear.
******
"Hoo... Fucking bitch."
Baek Si-hoon spat curses, his face weary.
"Guh... Hngh..."
Jo Yeon-ju lay sprawled on the ground, a massive wound in her abdomen.
Ptoo!
Blood-mixed spittle from Baek Si-hoon splattered on her face.
"Hah... Useless bitch. Made me work for it."
"Ugh... Ghost Spear... Why..."
Baek Si-hoon savored the thrill.
The haughty woman writhing beneath him.
But a voice interrupted his high.
"Ghost Spear, I've confirmed Jo Yeon-ju's taken care of, as agreed. I'm heading out."
"Get lost."
"Heh, temper as nasty as they say."
His eyebrow twitched at the man's words, but he stayed silent.
Not just because the man had saved his skin earlier—the man was one of the Execution Cult's executives.
He could win in a fight; he was among the continent's elite.
But he didn't want beef with the Execution Cult. And the man had come at his request.
Grudging the debt, he swallowed his irritation.
"Anyway, why not head back? I'll handle this bitch myself."
Baek Si-hoon had questions for Jo Yeon-ju, but not with an executive present.
Luckily, the man didn't argue.
"Job's done, so I'm off as you said. We'll probably cross paths on the next op. See you then."
The man vanished after speaking.
"....."
Baek Si-hoon looked down at the woman groaning beneath him.
Crunch—
"Krrk!"
Jo Yeon-ju's face twisted in agony as he stomped her head.
He sneered down at her, chuckling.
"Haha, nice look? Right?"
"......."
She didn't respond to Baek Si-hoon, just clamped her mouth shut in blank expression.
"Huh? What's with the face? Ignoring me completely?"
"......"
"Ha, you slut..."
Grip—
"Agh!"
Baek Si-hoon yanked her up by the hair.
"Hey, I got questions. Answer them."
"...Questions?"
"Yeah. Answer properly."
"....."
"You were digging into the Execution Cult, right? Find anything?"
"...So that's why you're targeting me? Because I was investigating them?"
Slap!
"Guh...!"
"Just answer. What'd you find?"
"...What do you want to know?"
"Everything you uncovered. Spill all the intel on the Execution Cult."
"...And if I do?"
"You don't seriously think I'll let you live, do you? Spill, and you won't get it rough. Keep silent, and I'll hand you to the outlaws. Know what that means?"
"......."
In other words, refuse, and he'd pass her to the lawless types.
Given their tendencies, Jo Yeon-ju would endure every humiliation.
She stared blankly at Baek Si-hoon for a long moment before slowly speaking.
"What I found... It's just the truth about their executives."
"Truth about the executives?"
"...The leader's hiding among the seven known executives."
"What?"
Baek Si-hoon felt like his head had been smashed with a hammer.
'...The leader's disguised as one of the executives?'
"...Not seven executives—six, plus the leader as the seventh. That's all I got."
"Ha... Is that so?"
Baek Si-hoon recalled the two executives he'd met.
A man and a woman.
'Jeon Myeong-cheon and Yang So-wol, was it?'
Maybe not, but his gut whispered otherwise.
The guy who'd silently listened to the woman and him.
"...Fine."
She didn't seem to be lying, and he had no reason to linger.
Except one.
Baek Si-hoon twisted his lips into a grotesque grin.
"Good answer. I won't pass you to the others. But I'm still here, right?"
Hearing that, Jo Yeon-ju closed her eyes, sensing her fate.
"...Filthy bastard."
"Heh, can't kill you yet—too much fun left. Don't look so scared. You'll end up liking it."