Shriek! The Assassin's Demise
Shreek—! The first to arrive was the assassin.
The clear difference in power he'd felt during the previous ambush. But things were different now.
Thud—! Hanbit, focused on the enemy's movements, dove straight in at the perfect timing.
Reacting to him, the assassin swiftly shifted his stance and thrust his sword.
Clang—! A sharp ring echoed as the two blades clashed.
Outmatched in strength, Hanbit was flung backward.
"Get out of the way!"
Whoosh—! Bares lunged in, exploiting that split-second opening. His body, which had been wobbling just moments ago, now moved with startling agility.
Clang—! Hanbit parried the strike mid-air, twisting his trajectory to slow down. He came to a halt, putting some distance between them.
"I can feel a slight difference, but nothing impressive. Is that flame really the power of the Spirit King?"
The assassin felt a twinge of disappointment and doubt.
The trace of the Spirit King, said to become a vital force for the Holy Nation. But all he sensed was an oppressive heat.
"Must be because it's not Norton's bloodline. You must've killed Libentia and stolen it from her."
Bares had already jumped to conclusions.
Using the Spirit King's power without being of the Norton line. A power far weaker than the intel suggested. It all fit the scenario of killing Libentia and taking her ring.
"Your swords don't look too good."
Reading their thoughts, Hanbit asked the two men. His gaze was fixed on their blades.
"Our swords?"
"What the...?"
At the out-of-left-field question, Bares and the assassin simultaneously inspected their weapons.
But the blades, which had seemed fine, were now blackened and damaged in spots.
"...!"
Realizing their mistake, the two men's eyes widened.
In that instant, Hanbit kicked off the ground.
Thud—! Salion's flames, growing steadily stronger, burned clearer than ever.
He closed in on Bares in a flash and swung his sword wide.
Slash—!
"Gaaah!"
The incoming strike cleanly severed his left arm.
And another attack followed.
Fwoosh—! Flames of karmic fire blazed along the sword's path.
The Spirit King's power, briefly amplified with more heat, spread along the wound in an instant.
"Aaaah!"
Bares collapsed, writhing and screaming.
His defensive magic artifact had definitely activated. But the flames burned through even that, engulfing his body.
-Eww;
-That’s gotta hurt like hell.
-He deserves it.
-Just roll around and die already.
"The type that needs time, huh."
Gauging the situation, the assassin straightened his posture.
At the same time, a white glow emanated from his sword. The difference from the previous ambush was its vivid clarity.
"...Tch."
The sword, damaged by Salion's flames, couldn't properly channel the assassin's power. Clicking his tongue, he gripped the hilt tightly.
"I'll kill you before those flames reach me. You're out of tricks now..."
"Graaaah!"
Just then, Bares's voice, twisted in agony, took on a strange tone.
The assassin turned and his eyes went wide.
Squelch— Bares's body, burning with his arm severed, began to swell.
On the ground lay a shattered glass vial filled with dark red granules.
"That’s..."
A type of body enhancer circulating on the black market. An illegal drug made from monster corpses, so side effects could be anything.
"Grrraaah!"
Staggering to his feet, Bares no longer looked human. His entire body was swollen, muscles bulging, eyes bloodshot red. Over two meters tall, he truly resembled a monster.
His severed left arm still burned, creating a grotesque sight.
-Huh?
-Wtf is that.
Scary af;
-Looks straight out of a horror flick;
-Master, help us one more time pls.
-Leon oppa, save us!
"Grk."
Bares growled from his throat, fixing his gaze on the nearest target: the assassin.
And as his staggering body tilted—
Boom—!
With a massive roar, he launched forward.
"...!"
The assassin reacted late, hastily assuming a defensive stance with his sword.
But the enemy's power far exceeded expectations.
Crack—!
"Urk!"
Bares's fist shattered the sword and plunged into the assassin's chest.
Taking the full brunt, the assassin flew back amid the crunch of his body breaking.
Krboom—!
His body smashed through several walls on the edge of the clearing.
Unable to even counterattack properly, the assassin met a pathetic end.
-No way...
-We gotta fight that?
-Can we just befriend it?
-Sorrysorrysorry.
"Graaaah!"
Ignoring such a death, Bares bellowed at the sky. The very picture of a monster.
"Still better than the intact pig version."
Seeing the freakish form, the flabby-bellied Bares almost seemed less repulsive in retrospect. Not that he wanted to see it again.
Fwoosh—!
While the assassin and Bares fought, Salion's flames, building power, reached maximum output.
Even with boosted stats, his stamina and mental strength were draining fast. The rising body heat was dangerous.
Whoosh— Along with that, sylph winds gathered, intertwining with the flames.
Attribute Manifestation and Wind Swordsmanship. A combination that amplified each other's abilities.
"Grk!"
Bares, roaring loudly, turned his head toward Hanbit. No reason or intellect in those crimson eyes.
Shk— Hanbit gripped the hilt with both hands and assumed his stance.
And the moment he felt the winds fully gather—
Thud—!
Kaboom—!
Both kicked off simultaneously.
Whoosh—! Bares swung a massive fist like the one that killed the assassin.
The attack grazed Hanbit's hair as he ducked low.
"Time to end this."
Flowing into the motion, Hanbit slashed upward.
The strike, infused with both spirits' powers, amplified each other and diagonally cleaved Bares's body.
Fwoosh—! Flames cauterized the wound before blood could spray.
Mixed with wind, it engulfed Bares like a gale.
"Grrraa...!"
Thud—!
Writhing in pain, the monster collapsed.
Its red eyes stared blankly at the sky, twitching body finally stilling after a moment.
-Whoa.
-Insane. lol
-Spirit synergy OP;
-This is one-combo?
-Spirit King for a reason.
-Knew you'd pull through. T_T
[Swordmaster donated 100,000 won.]
[Gonna pass out.]
"Hoo."
Releasing the skill, Hanbit slumped to the ground.
He'd drawn out enough firepower, but any longer and it would've failed. To use it properly, he'd need higher levels and stats.
"Oppa!"
"Black Dragon!"
Moments later, Liora and the others arrived at the clearing.
As Asla and Leon, having dealt with the other enemies, appeared, an alarm rang in his ears.
Ding—
[You have completed Main Quest #15.]
[Maximum rewards granted for achieving hidden objectives.]
[Received 500,000 gold.]
[25 Stat points granted.]
[200,000 EXP gained.]
[Level increased by 4.]
[4 Stat points granted.]
[Progress increased.]
[Main Quest #16: Epilogue]
You've safely protected Liora from the enemies.
Share a moment with your companions and plan the next journey.
Objective: See the story to its ending.
Reward: Episode completion
*Current progress: 99%
***
"It doesn't feel real."
In the Norton mansion's upper floor parlor, Liora muttered, chin in hand.
"It all happened so fast, it's natural to feel that way."
Cown, standing guard beside her, shared the fresh emotions.
Two days ago, the trial day had shaken Edlen to its core.
The fact that former mayor William had been framed and driven to execution.
Bares's rampage and death as the mastermind.
The Holy Nation assassin's infiltration and death, arrests.
Accomplice Brooke's confession and capture.
Nothing about it wasn't chaotic.
"How's the city atmosphere? The slums okay?"
Liora's concerns were twofold. One was the shift in city mood from the changes. The other was the precious family left in the slums now that she'd returned here.
Knowing her heart, Cown nodded.
"The city's atmosphere is fine. If anything, most citizens, who'd suffered under unfairly imposed taxes until recently, see it as a good thing. We've stationed troops and vetted adventurers in the slums for security."
"...I see."
Liora breathed a sigh of relief.
Honestly, she was more worried about Plona and the slum families than the citizens. She just hoped that place would be safe from crime.
"You okay now, Oppa?"
Liora turned to Hanbit.
After the big fight, his body and mind had been heavily depleted. Seeing Bares's monstrous state, she couldn't help worrying about Hanbit, who'd faced him.
"I'm fine. No injuries. More importantly, they found a path from Bares's mansion to the temple?"
"Yeah. Searching around the spot Camon marked revealed a passage hidden behind layers of security. And plenty of Holy Nation-related items too."
Cown nodded at the question.
After Bares's death, the Royal Knights led the initial mansion search. It had been found in a spot as hard to pinpoint as his personality.
"Any leads on where he got the info about the Spirit King's trace?"
"Just a fragment of a short record from ages ago. Like the body enhancer he used, probably bought on the black market, but nothing special in the content."
Bares was a heavy black market user in many ways.
The body enhancer, turning people monster-like, was under separate investigation per Leon's orders. Hanbit planned to assist through the episode too.
"By the way, did Asla head to another city?"
Cown asked casually, continuing the talk.
Asla had protected Liora until yesterday, then left without a word, leaving some regret.
"Nah, there's a spirit realm under the cliff outskirts of the forest. Lots to investigate, so he'll be there a while."
"That's a relief then. I wanted to thank him properly."
"Me too. But he won't come back here, right?"
Liora had already gauged Asla's personality in their short time together. He wouldn't drop by out of boredom, but he'd rush over first if trouble arose. Responsibility like that was his strong suit.
"If you wanna thank him, head to the northwest cliff edge. Wait there and he'll come out."
"...Doubt he'll be thrilled."
"Can't help that."
He'd probably look super annoyed, but he wouldn't refuse to meet. Repeat it a few times and conversations would lengthen.
"Everyone's here."
Then Henry appeared at the entrance.
Unlike before, his face brimmed with vitality.
Stepping in, he looked at them all and said,
"A message from Leon has arrived. I'll relay the decision from the capital."