Chapter 192
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Execution Holy Society (7)
Baek Si-hoon was reaching out toward Wi Ho-yeon.
Puuk—
"What...?"
Baek Si-hoon instinctively touched the stinging sensation at the nape of his neck.
What he felt was a needle as thin as a pin.
...A needle?
He couldn't comprehend why a needle had flown at him.
"Damn... you... bitch..."
Thud.
Strength drained from his body, forcing him to his knees.
Paralysis poison...!
As he tremblingly turned his head, he saw a woman.
"You... who..."
She was a woman Baek Si-hoon didn't recognize.
"No need to know. More importantly, impressive."
"What...?"
Her words weren't directed at him. She was looking at Wi Ho-yeon.
"Fuck... why the hell..."
With his body limp and his tongue refusing to obey.
He wondered who this woman was and why she'd thrown the poisoned needle at him.
"You've played your part. Close your eyes now. I won't kill you."
He couldn't grasp what she meant by "played your part," but regardless, his eyes grew heavy.
In the end, Baek Si-hoon lost consciousness just like that.
- Master, handled it well.
"How's Wi Ho-yeon doing?"
Right now, capturing this Baek Si-hoon guy was secondary to Wi Ho-yeon's safety.
I never thought she'd take on Gui-chang herself...
He'd been watching the group through the eyes embedded in his shadow spirits.
Just in case they ran into danger, he needed to monitor the situation.
He'd left coordinates to lure the group to the Execution Holy Society and this Gui-chang bastard, and it was fine up to the point where Yoon Yeon and Wi Ho-yeon headed toward Gui-chang.
The problem came after.
His goal was to stick Yoon Yeon onto Gui-chang.
But for some reason, Wi Ho-yeon had declared she'd handle Gui-chang, which was an issue.
There was a clear gap in their power levels, so he couldn't relax.
Even in the worst case, he wouldn't kill her, but just in case.
He knew Gui-chang coveted Wi Ho-yeon, so he was confident she wouldn't die, but contingencies existed.
But contrary to his worries, watching the fight unfold left him wide-eyed.
Insane... genius...
No need for explanation. Gui-chang's reaction said it all.
Wi Ho-yeon had lost to Gui-chang in the end, but it wasn't because she was inferior. Quite the opposite.
If the wound she'd inflicted on Gui-chang at the last moment had been just a bit deeper, Gui-chang's life would've been in danger.
"Master, I'll retrieve those two. What about Yoon Yeon?"
"Yoon Yeon will handle herself. And leave both Wi Ho-yeon and Baek Si-hoon as is. Oh, recover the poison needle you threw."
He wasn't worried about Yoon Yeon at all. He could bet she'd already snapped that masked bastard's neck by now.
- Leave Wi Ho-yeon like that?
"Yeah. As long as it's not life-threatening. Yoon Yeon's side will clean up and come back. If Wi Ho-yeon vanishes too, it'll raise suspicions."
Wi Ho-yeon's group would take care of her. With Baek Si-hoon out cold, his clanmates just needed to pick him up.
- ...Understood.
"Now, Seo Yu-ju's side is the problem..."
He had no idea how the Execution Holy Society's leader would act.
"Luska, stand by near Seo Yu-ju just in case. I'll join soon."
- Got it.
Now it was time for him to move as well.
Seo Yu-ju and the rest of the group encountered the outlaws under the Execution Holy Society's thumb.
But they weren't even executives—just lowly outlaws. No way they could match up.
They couldn't even mount a proper resistance.
"Aaagh!"
"I-I don't know! I swear! Please..."
The outlaws who lunged at Seo Yu-ju were torn apart by her spear swings.
Few kept all their limbs intact. Most died with an arm or leg missing.
The outlaws trembled in terror at Seo Yu-ju's brutality.
"M-monster..."
Kwajik—
The head of the man who called her a monster was impaled and shattered by her spear.
"C-crazy...!"
Seo Yu-ju questioned the outlaws, some missing limbs.
"Where."
"W-we don't know!"
As Seo Yu-ju raised her spear again, the outlaws cried out desperately.
"We really don't know! We didn't hear anything! We weren't given any orders from the start!"
Buwoong—
"Gurk..."
Despite their pleas of ignorance, Seo Yu-ju didn't stop her spear.
"Don't know? Die."
"Aaaagh!"
Watching Seo Yu-ju slaughter the outlaws, the Eternity clan members swallowed hard.
Even though they were outlaws, her methods were excessively cruel.
It was proof of how mentally cornered she was.
As Seo Yu-ju tried to spear a corpse again.
Grab.
Someone stopped her by gripping her shoulder.
"Seo Yu-ju, that's enough. No more..."
"....."
Ha Yu-ri met Seo Yu-ju's eyes and gulped.
That gaze...
It sounded absurd, but Ha Yu-ri felt overwhelmed by Seo Yu-ju's eyes in that moment.
Even as fellow rankers, they weren't all equal.
Ha Yu-ri had assumed she outclassed Seo Yu-ju, but seeing her aura and gaze forced her to reconsider.
Is this... even possible?
Their levels were similar, but she had far more experience.
Yet Seo Yu-ju's gaze wasn't that of an inexperienced player.
It brimmed with killing intent—not directed at her, but thick enough for Ha Yu-ri to feel it viscerally.
As Ha Yu-ri gulped unconsciously, Seo Yu-ju mercifully withdrew her spear from the corpse.
"Moving... again. Full speed..."
Mid-sentence, Seo Yu-ju sensed presences heading their way.
Kwaang!
The spot where she'd stood cratered, dust billowing up.
"Yu-ju unnie!"
"Noona!"
As the dust cleared, a massive brute appeared.
Fortunately, unlike the Eternity members' fears, Seo Yu-ju had already dodged.
She stared at the brute, eyes wide.
"...You."
Seeing her reaction, the brute exclaimed.
"Dodging that? Your reflexes are no joke."
It was his sure-kill strike, meant to end her in one blow.
Seo Yu-ju ignored him, flashing a feral grin at his face.
"Han Tae-geol."
The brute flinched at his name from her lips.
"...How do you know my name?"
He had no memory of meeting her. Yet she knew him.
"Where'd Yun-seong take him? And where's Oh Seo-hyeon?"
Ignoring his question, veins bulged on the brute's forehead.
"Cheeky bitch..."
Seeing he wouldn't answer, Seo Yu-ju turned to the group.
"Go on ahead. I'll handle this brute."
"...You sure?"
"Just go. I'll finish quick and catch up."
Ha Yu-ri hesitated, then nodded.
Uncertain of the foe's level, leaving her alone worried her, but oddly, Ha Yu-ri didn't doubt Seo Yu-ju would win.
Her eyes showed no hint of defeat.
As the group departed under Ha Yu-ri's lead, the brute facing Seo Yu-ju spoke.
"Arrogant. You think you can take me alone? Chick forgetting her place..."
"Where's your other buddy?"
"...What?"
"The one always with you. He's around here somewhere."
The brute stared at her like she'd seen a ghost.
And rightly so—his partner was indeed ambushing nearby, as she said.
"You... who the hell are you?"
"Tell the burn-scarred face to come out. I'll kill you both the same way this round."
Seo Yu-ju gritted her teeth. In the first round, the Execution Holy Society constantly interfered, clashing with her repeatedly.
Not content with killing Lee Yun-seong back then, they were after him again in this second round.
I have to kill them all.
He redirected the chimera attached to Wi Ho-yeon's side toward Seo Yu-ju.
Naturally, he could see through its eyes, and he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Fuck, she doesn't look right.
He'd intended it, but her eyes seemed utterly unhinged.
The moment she turned and stared at Ha Yu-ri gave him chills.
If even he felt that from afar, Ha Yu-ri, locking eyes directly, must've been terrified.
But what's this? Why bring Ha Yu-ri?
Ha Yu-ri had mentioned going on a few dungeon runs together, but he hadn't expected her on a rescue op.
As long as he controlled the flow, it was safe, but he wanted to chew her out for the decision.
Kwaang!
What...
A brute suddenly appeared, kicking up dust that obscured the view.
Still, he wasn't too worried. Seo Yu-ju wouldn't fall to that.
Sure enough, she dodged effortlessly.
Instead, she grinned chillingly at the brute's face—enough to send shivers down his spine just watching.
"Han Tae-geol."
She knew the brute's name. Meaning...
They met in the first round.
She even knew about his hidden partner, invisible to him.
The brute's face mixed confusion, panic, and fear.
Seo Yu-ju kicked off, thrusting her spear with murderous momentum.
Kwaang—!
"Grk...!"
He guarded, blocking the spear, but didn't look normal.
Insane... too fast.
It'd been ages since he'd seen Seo Yu-ju fight.
He'd witnessed her battling the White Devourer during the Oblivion Swamp expedition, but not her rescue of him.
Her feats then were beyond common sense, earning her ranker status.
Damn...
He'd set the stage to grow her, but it felt pointless.
She relentlessly pressured the brute, who seemed no threat to her at all.
Fuck, why's she so strong?
Finding opponents on her level would be tough now.
Our Yu-ju noona's on another level.
The brute was still unscathed, barely blocking or dodging while drenched in sweat. Her victory was only a matter of time.
This fucker, why's she so damn strong...
If she was this much now, he couldn't fathom a Transcendent's level.