The Spirit Sword's Absorption

The spirit sword is both the symbol and the alter ego of an Awakener. It is not an object at all, but a living being. Even if destroyed, it regenerates after a set period of time. It may be taken away temporarily, yet it always returns to its master within a few days. In that sense, the spirit sword of a dead person is nothing more than worthless trash. Once its owner dies, the blade loses all value. It cannot be used by anyone else, and it vanishes after forty-nine hours anyway, so there is no reason to pay it any attention. That is why people in the West call them Soul Caliburs.

Yet this spirit sword had just been sucked into a card. It was astonishing.

[Dusk Blade] Equipment Card ★★

Looted dagger.

"This actually works?"

I was not the only one shocked.

"What the hell is that thing?" Choi Yoo-ra asked.

"Did it absorb the spirit sword? This card?"

"Looks like it."

"That’s impossible." Her eyes were filled with disbelief. "How is that even possible?"

"How would I know? I only just awakened."

"So… can you use it?"

"Give me a second."

At her question, I examined the card that had changed from [Loot] to [Dusk Blade].

Shhh!

The card glowed and transformed into the shape of a dagger.

"……!"

We both flinched in surprise.

"You can use a dead person’s spirit sword?"

"We’ll have to wait forty-nine hours to be sure. It might disappear on its own."

"True." Choi Yoo-ra nodded. "Forget that for now. Grab everything first."

"Hurry up. We’re really out of time."

"Got it."

I moved as fast as I could, looting every spirit sword scattered across the ground. In total, eleven spirit swords were sucked into cards and stored inside the Infinite Deck.

‘So that’s what they meant by “Mad Collector.”’

There was no time to dwell on it.

Shhhhhhh—BOOM!

A shell whistled through the air and slammed into the children’s playground in the distance. We had clearly spent too much time here.

"Run!" Choi Yoo-ra shouted.

"Shit!"

We sprinted with everything we had. Explosions erupted closer and closer.

‘We’re screwed.’

Just as she said, we had only just awakened only to get blown to pieces. The safe zone was right in front of us, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the terrain had turned into rugged mountains because of the spatial shift, slowing us down.

Shhh!

A card slipped out of the Infinite Deck hanging at my waist on its own.

[Search] Magic Card ★

Scans the surrounding area.

Without thinking, I grabbed it.

Shhh!

Information about the terrain flooded into my mind.

‘That way!’

I knew exactly what to do.

"This way!"

I changed direction.

"Where are you going, you crazy bastard?!"

"Shut up and follow me!"

"If I die because of you, I swear—"

If you die, what? Regress like me?

I ignored her threats and kept running until I spotted several dirt bikes and one four-wheeled ATV ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠parked nearby. They had to belong to the dead Recas.

"Everyone, get on!"

I jumped onto a dirt bike and shouted. Doo-hyun took another bike while the husband helped his wife onto the ATV.

"What are you doing? Get on already!"

The engine roared to life. I yelled at Choi Yoo-ra.

"Hey! What are you waiting for?!"

She stood frozen in front of the bike, hesitating like a sack of potatoes.

"Don’t tell me you can’t ride a motorcycle."

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"Wow. That’s actually impressive. How does a hunter not know how to ride a bike?"

"Shut the hell up!"

News-worthy, really. A named 4-star hunter who couldn’t ride a motorcycle. For hunters, riding a bike was basic. Gates and spatial shifts made them essential.

"Get on!"

"……"

"Get on, now!"

"Fine, I get it."

She climbed on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠behind me, clearly reluctant.

"Let’s go!"

VROOOOM!

The bike shot forward the moment I twisted the throttle. Choi Yoo-ra’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

‘Ugh.’

I felt something soft against my back but decided to ignore it.

We tore through the danger zone, shells exploding all around us.

* * *

Thanks to the Recas’ “gifts,” we escaped the shifted zone safely.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. Please contact us later."

"We’re really grateful. You worked hard. We’ll repay you soon."

The couple bowed repeatedly before heading to the hospital.

"Good work."

"You too, hyung."

Doo-hyun looked half out of it. I understood. Even with combat experience, fighting Recas and then escaping an artillery barrage on a bike was something else.

"Thanks. I owe you my life."

"Don’t mention it."

Choi Yoo-ra’s words made me shrug.

"Oh, and it’s not too late—get a motorcycle license."

"T-that’s…"

"You’re a hunter and you can’t ride a bike? A 4-star at that? How have you even survived until now?"

"……Shut up."

She glared at me fiercely.

‘What’s with that look? Scary.’

It seemed like more than just being teased, so I dropped the subject. I did have some tact, after all.

"Where are you headed now?"

Choi Yoo-ra spoke first, as if she had just remembered something.

"I’ll probably find a motel nearby and rest. I don’t exactly have a home anymore."

I looked toward the apartment complex that had once been our family’s home. It was now a wasteland from the bombing. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We would probably be living in tents at a refugee camp until temporary housing was ready.

"Yeah… that makes sense. If you need help, say so. I don’t like owing people."

"Thanks for saying that. Actually, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Keep what happened with me a secret."

"What exactly?"

"Everything."

The world was obsessed with new Awakeners. Once someone awakened, the government and media would swarm them with questions.

"Are you planning to stay unregistered?"

Unregistered Awakeners were those who hid their status. Some wanted to avoid the responsibilities that came with it; others simply hated the hassle. I knew plenty of criminals who hid their powers on purpose. Those types were usually either extremely strong or completely worthless.

"If I wanted that, I would’ve made everyone keep quiet from the start."

"Hmm."

"I just don’t want things to get annoying. So don’t go talking about it."

"And if I do?"

Her tone was provocative, but there was a hint of playfulness. I wasn’t joking about this.

"Then I’ll have no choice. I’ll have to reveal your real identity."

"……?"

"Godfather would probably love to know who Choi Yoo-ra really is. Or should I say Lee Da-hee?"

Grab!

She seized me by the collar.

"Who the hell are you?" she growled. "What’s your deal? How do you know that?"

"Let go."

"Answer me."

"I told you to let go."

I smirked.

"If I wanted to expose you, I would’ve already reported you to the Incheon Alliance. Think about it."

"That’s…"

"You’ve got a nasty temper, so you should learn to control it around the right people. We were comrades until just now. We saved each other’s lives."

I felt her grip loosen.

"Tell me. How did you know?"

"I’ll contact you soon. Just wait."

"Do it now."

"Can’t. My family’s here."

I nodded toward a certain direction. My father, mother, and younger sister were wandering around in a daze.

"Take a picture."

"Of course. We’ll be seeing each other a lot from now on."

I typed my number into her smartphone.

Callsign: Godfather. Incheon Alliance. And Lee Da-hee. Magic words that could control the 4-star hunter Choi Yoo-ra. There were other ways to move her, but these were the simplest.

"What are you going to do now? Head into the gate?"

The bombing had thinned out the monsters, so hunters would soon be deployed to clear the dungeon.

"No. I’m going to rest."

Her face was stiff.

"I didn’t come here to clear a dungeon in the first place."

She had come to kill Recas from the start. Saving us had just been a side task.

‘Yeah, that tracks.’

I nodded inwardly, understanding her motives.

"Contact me. Definitely."

"I will. I already gave you my number."

"I mean do it soon. I hate waiting."

With that, she walked over to the illegally parked Lamborghini and drove off.

VROOOOM!!!

The V12 engine roared like it was shouting. My ears were going to burst. The car disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Can’t ride a bike but drives like that? Unbelievable.

I shook my head and turned toward my family.

* * *

The moment I reunited with them, my father subjected me to an intense interrogation.

"So you’re saying you had some kind of prophetic dream?"

"Yes. Something like that."

"Hah."

Father looked unsure whether to believe me or not.

"Then why didn’t you say anything? You should’ve at least talked it over."

"Would you have believed me if I had?"

"I would’ve called it a stupid dream."

He admitted it honestly.

"See? That’s why I didn’t say anything."

"Unbelievable."

Father looked exasperated but didn’t press further.

"Fine. If you say so, I’ll accept it for now. We’ll talk about the details later."

"Are you leaving?"

"Of course. This is my job."

Since the hunters couldn’t clean up the surviving monsters after the bombing, the military and police usually handled the aftermath. As the regional defense commander, Father was naturally being deployed for the monster extermination operation.

"Ugh, this thing’s heavy too."

He grumbled as he picked up a light machine gun.

"Take care of your mother and Eun-ha."

"Yes. Be safe."

"Right."

Even if it was just a cleanup operation, it was extremely dangerous for a non-Awakener like Father to face monsters. But he never hesitated or showed fear when heading into action.

And I respected him for that.