Life on the Line
“Ha. Haha… What are you talking about?”
Nam-gung Yun scratched his forehead with a troubled look, but his reaction was somehow subtle. His words denied it, yet his expression didn't seem to bother hiding the truth.
“You're a sly one.” I let out a hollow chuckle as I stared at him.
“Whether it's sharp ears or some other skill, you felt it too, right? That presence.”
The surroundings were quiet. But at my question, Nam-gung Yun slowly nodded.
“Haha… Still, the deal where you help me out is still valid, right? Getting me out of this dungeon.”
The naive act from moments ago vanished completely, replaced by a sly, faint smile.
The presence I felt. It was a tail.
How many?
Three presences detected. To confirm, we'd need Insight, but if they have someone with abilities like mine, there's a risk of detection.
I slowly turned my eyes at Black Eye's response.
Yukhap guys, huh… Coming here while killing every swamp monster for the XP was a mistake if it was one. The survivors would've been damaged anyway… Might've just handed them free experience.
“Well, I don't hate a clever bastard.”
I bit my lip slightly with regret as I eyed Nam-gung Yun.
“Thank you…”
“But I do hate liars.”
Shing— My sword pointed at his throat.
“Deal? Ha… Yeah, whether that's still on depends on your answers. First, your ties to the Mountain King.”
“Ahem… I'd love to, but I don't think they're gonna wait patiently for me to spill.”
“What?”
That was when it happened. Shockingly, Nam-gung Yun didn't flinch with my blade at his neck—he yanked a dagger from the sheath on his chest and hurled it at the bushes with all his might.
“…!!!”
The dagger flew in a clumsy spin unworthy of hitting anything, but its speed was astonishing.
Thud—!!
The whirling blade buried into a tree in the bushes with a dull thunk.
“Scatter!!”
Trees shook as black shadows burst out.
“If we survive this, I'll tell you everything.”
“Survive this, and I'll kill you myself.”
“Ha, haha…”
Nam-gung Yun gave an awkward, troubled smile at my reply.
“Kill him!!”
The black-masked leader up front gripped sharp daggers in both hands and shouted.
Not thrilled about playing into his hands, but…
This wasn't getting resolved with talk.
“Attacking out of nowhere without reason? You Yukhap guys really that reckless?”
As the masked man's cry rang out and two charged me, I asked in an annoyed tone.
Yukhap's brutality was infamous, but they weren't mindless killers.
Mutsa's way is all about strict cause and effect… Did they take in every thug while bulking up to face the Eight Great Clans?
Whatever the reason, these guys were coming at me.
Clang—!!!
A dagger thrust at my shoulder sliced the air with a sharp whoosh.
Heavy sound for a dagger.
Kagagagang—!!
I narrowed my eyes at the assassins' blades zigzagging in. Their skill was unpolished—low proficiency maybe—but the heavy, precise moves weren't standard sword skills.
A familiar trajectory from somewhere. But as the unpleasant sword cry rang out, I frowned.
Ah…
I remembered. No wonder the sword's ring grated so much.
Extreme Evil Technique.
The daggers blurred with afterimages, and the guys in front of me were suddenly behind in a blink.
Technique Art. First: Deception Strike.
“Haaap!!!”
“Kaaap!!”
As their blades flew at me, I recalled one irritating face.
Farther south than the Land of Savages, across the strait—a secretive clan rooted on a small island, the Yulmun Family.
They split from the Ailiya Tribe, the Northern Lightning Tribe that vanished. Traitors who killed their chieftain before fleeing north…
Maybe because of my northern ties. Recalling that bitter history left a gritty taste like sand in my mouth.
The traitors survived, chieftain dead, tribe gone entirely. Pathetic.
Past aside, the key was Yukhap assassins wielding Yulmun's Technique Art.
That island isn't even the start point… How the hell did Yukhap link up with Yulmun?
Info clan or not, discovering Yulmun on a strait island when the continent's barely mapped? Surprising.
Yukhap luck, or curse? Finding that place.
I clicked my tongue, deflected the incoming dagger, and drove Tesaro's blade forward.
Shaaak!!
Red blood fountained from one assassin's throat.
“Guhk…!!”
As he clutched his neck and staggered, I kicked his chest hard.
Shiiik—!!
At the same time, I flung Amur's shortsword at another's brow.
Thud!!!
The shortsword sank into his skull with a thud. His head snapped back from the impact, body crumpling.
“Wh-what the…?! ”
The leader up front yelled in shock as two underlings dropped instantly.
“Yukhap's infamous for PK, but I've killed plenty too. Sword, magic, virtual or dream.”
“Bullshit…!!”
The last leader bellowed at us. But the prey's resistance wrecked his plans.
What skill? Two down without fighting back.
“…!!”
Then a chill ran down his spine. A Yukhap elite—18th of the 18 Ministers, just below the Six Elites. Five flawless years in Dimension World 1 earned this first big mission.
His gut screamed: failure on his debut.
Shaaak—!!
As dread pierced from scalp to heart, he realized it was sticky blood trickling down his groin along the blade.
“Guhk…”
His legs buckled; he collapsed pathetically.
“Wh-what…”
Confusion filled his eyes—what happened?
In his final moments, he grasped: the strike that slit him and his men wasn't a skill.
Player “swordsmanship” meant skill attacks. This was true swordsmanship.
“C-captain…!!”
Two hidden Yukhap assassins burst from the bushes at the sight.
Two more. My senses are slipping. Fine, I'll take them…
Black Eye eyed them, flames flickering.
No. Hold.
Hm?
No need to tip Yukhap. Your existence is for variables later.
Black Eye's flames flickered regretfully. Ignoring the slumped Nam-gung Yun, I charged the pair.
Shaaak—!!
I stomped the ground hard with my right foot, kicking dirt at them from the toes.
“Kuhk?!”
Shaken by their leader's fall, they panicked at mere dust—slowing and retreating.
Taang—!!
A sharp clash rang crisply through the dust.
“You bastard!!”
The assassin blocked my strike while retreating, then shoved forward.
Srrrring…!
Kang…!
Blades sparked, grinding up toward me.
“Uwaaaah!!”
As his sword neared my throat, kang—!! Tesaro's edge shattered his blade clean.
“Kuhuk…”
Inevitable. No shop sword withstands a Heroic-grade like Tesaro's.
No barrier now—I powered through, severing his neck.
I yanked the shortsword from his corpse, reverse-gripped it, and slammed it into the last one's thigh as he froze.
Shaaak—!!
Blood gushed as I pulled it free.
“Aaaak!!”
Ignoring his scream, I stabbed from thigh to ribs like an awl, twisting in and out repeatedly.
“Sp-spare… Guhuk.”
The last one toppled. Their bodies crumbled to ash.
“Hmm.”
Just basic potions and herbs left behind.
“Assassins keep inventories light, huh.”
I nodded at the drops for Nam-gung Yun.
“…Pardon?”
“Pick 'em up.”
“Ah, yes! Right away!!”
He sprang up like his wound never happened.
Lucky. They knew Extreme Evil Technique, but low levels meant just the first strike.
Even Yukhap assassins rarely face real fights sans skills.
But normal attacks piercing skills won't last forever.
Gotta hurry.
I watched Nam-gung Yun gather the loot, thinking.
…This make sense? Took out five assassins, no skills?
He muttered in disbelief, eyes on the scene.
Who the hell is this guy?
Overwhelming dominance, no hesitation with the blade. No amateur—like a demon-field veteran.
Damn…
Nam-gung Yun sensed something wrong.
“Ha, haha. Got 'em.”
He smiled awkwardly, holding the items.
Puuk—!
“Uwaaaak!!”
The sharp shortsword in his shoulder made him scream in shock, pain forgotten.
“Wh-what the hell?!”
Puuk—!
Tesaro's blade pierced his other shoulder.
“Uaaak!!”
“Quit whining. Dimension World auto-heals with time—limbs off won't kill instantly.”
“What?”
“Not severed, just stabbed. Look at those guys—I'm being nice.”
“That doesn't…”
He swallowed dryly, eyes on the corpses.
“Wanna deal? Fine. But new terms.”
Kim Do-hyun leaned in with a faint smile.
“Stake your life on it.”