Chapter 21. Anomaly (1)

Let me touch briefly on the complicated world situation.

I originally had the most to say about America, but now America and Korea have become eternal brother nations.

So this time, the story is about our closest neighbor, Japan.

Several years ago, one A-rank Hunter who had been raiding Gates alongside the Patriot died in a hit-and-run drunk driving accident.

Unless you're a Transcendent, you're just human outside Gates, so even an A-rank Hunter had no way to survive a car slamming into them at 200 km/h while blackout drunk.

The A-rank Hunter Lee Jung-shin was a true patriot who donated every bit of Mystery he obtained to the nation.

His death pressed the Patriot's berserk button.

The Patriot declared:

"All drunk drivers—death penalty!"

The Patriot summoned [Constellation, Yi Sun-sin] and his aircraft carriers to Gwanghwamun Square.

Twelve carriers soared into the sky, then dispatched unmanned drones across the entire Republic of Korea.

They patrolled every citizen.

Humans are far more idiotic than you might think.

It hadn't been long since the Patriot launched the drones when drunk drivers started popping up everywhere.

The drones were in [Stealth] mode, invisible to the eye, and this wasn't the first or second time the Patriot had gone on a rampage like this.

However, as time passed, the publicly executed drunk drivers burned vividly into people's memories.

During that half-year, the cult religion Gaecheonji grew the Red Sea.

Soon, the Red Sea overflowed, and the ringleaders fled to Japan.

Then they triggered another Gate there.

The fact that the culprit was Gaecheonji's leader, Gye Man-hwi, was kept secret.

However, the Japanese government gave our government a separate heads-up.

"You deal with this!!!"

Korea was already on bad terms with Japan after the Patriot's bombing incident, putting us in a truly awkward position.

Around this time, current President Lee Seok-hyun entered politics on the Patriot's recommendation.

"Serves 'em right! Why the hell should I help those Jap bastard invaders? Go beg your Yankee leeches for help!"

The Patriot spat all this at an official press conference.

The Patriot is a true-blue patriot steeped in anti-Japanese, anti-Chinese, anti-American ideology.

He's the guy who makes "Republic of Korea supremacy" feel real.

"Anyway, cults are the problem, right?"

The Patriot interpreted the Japan issue in his own way: "Cults are the problem in the Republic of Korea!"

After that, he began purging cults across the nation.

The Patriot values the people's right to know so much that he drags every villain he captures to the execution platform somehow.

He even burned massive amounts of Mystery to create a [Lie Detector] to avoid wrongful executions.

Over 50,000 people died in the Patriot's cult purge.

It got so extreme that the Japanese government decided not to let the madman who publicly executed 50,000 step on their soil.

In truth, Japan couldn't control the Gate break.

The real intent was to keep that psycho off their land.

The executions were that terrifying.

Our public's opinion?

This was the Patriot's peak.

Twelve years ago, after the first Gate incident, the world collapsed rapidly.

In that chaos, cults ran rampant.

They committed atrocities, leaving victims with scars that could never heal.

How many victims accumulated over 12 years?

He seized all cult assets and emptied his own pockets to build a massive rehab hospital powered by Mystery.

The hospital was named [Mental Hospital] after the late Hunter Lee Jung-shin.

The Patriot performs true good but can't draw the line.

Why tell me all this?

Director Kang Mu-jin gave me this info before I headed out.

In one line: "The truth behind Japan's Mount Fuji lava Gate."

Just stories without explanation.

But I think I get the reason.

Probably...

My goal is the scabbard for the Agasword.

To get it, I have to go to Japan and execute Gaecheonji's leader, Gye Man-hwi.

In that process, I might end up handling the Mount Fuji lava Gate myself—which benefits Japan.

Me solving Japan's catastrophe?

That means Japan's national power rises soon.

Since the three Japanese Transcendents bound to Mount Fuji will be freed.

That gives the Patriot ammunition.

The Patriot will brand me a traitor.

Anyone who benefits Japan is a traitor.

That's the Patriot's logic, but...

Who gives a shit?

I don't care about that crap.

All that matters is the Agasword's scabbard.

How can I hold back for the scabbard.

In [Raise a Sword], a scabbard never dropped even once.

It's basically a brand-new item.

I need to get strong enough that even if he calls me a traitor, he can't touch me.

I gripped my sword.

And headed for the massive anomaly rated the most ferocious in Korea: <Ghost Cry>.

Gwacheon City.

A ferocious world swallowed by the anomaly phenomenon.

And...

Gangnam—more precisely, the culprit tanking Seocho-gu land prices right above Gwacheon.

This is an unsolvable problem.

Gwacheon—no, <Ghost Cry> has no Gates.

Gyeonggi-do, Gwacheon City.

Staring at the city reduced to rubble by the Patriot's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bombing stirred strange feelings.

Like the world had ended?

Shwaaaaa—.

Purple mist scattered eerie energy, spawning anomalies everywhere.

Kiiiiiiii—!!!

A chilling scream echoed.

Something human-like appeared and vanished in the fog.

That scream and the doll-like shadows drifting in the mist are the origin of <Ghost Cry>.

Ghost Cry Castle.

It means the wailing of ghosts, a traditional anomaly from Korean folklore.

This Ghost Cry is similar to a phenomenon.

Some call it ghosts.

It's just an anomaly anyway.

But I just call it an anomaly.

The government named all non-standard things from Gates "anomalies," and as a former civil servant, that's what stuck with me.

Fsssh—.

I crossed the city boundary.

The bombing-ravaged interior lay starkly exposed.

No intact buildings anywhere—just purple mist and drifting doll shadows.

The Patriot really poured effort into this place, huh?

According to legend, Ghost Cry Castle is an ill omen.

It causes impurity, devours those bewitched by ghost screams, and more.

Even prophecies of national downfall make it that ominous.

"Nation falls? No way in hell!"

That struck the Patriot's heartstrings.

He used to bomb ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it weekly to drive out the ghosts and mist.

But now, no such measures.

As expected, the interior was dire.

Kiiiiiiiiii—!!!

Screams filled every direction.

Chilling wails that induce suicidal urges even A-rank Hunters struggle against.

And this is fallout from a Gate invading reality.

But no Gate here.

A Gate break without a source.

Something only a Transcendent can fix.

And these non-standard disasters are perfect nutrition for my 5th sword, Iris.

Iris has an extreme demonic affinity.

The closer to demons what she absorbs, the greater the power gained.

Not yet.

Gripping the Agasword, I headed deeper into the city.

Something to check.

Slither—.

An anomaly materialized to block my path.

Eyes torn wide without eyeballs.

Bloody tears from empty sockets.

A twisted zombie-like body with height rivaling Jesus.

Kiii—.

Ghostly wail that drives A-rank Hunters mad, hitting my ears up close.

But I'm fine.

Compared to Iris's devils, this looks tame.

I've fed her these, fattened her—no, fed her the whole world to grow to the end.

That's my 2nd sword, Iris Luzvela.

How many horrors did I see raising her?

Swish—.

I raised the Agasword, aiming at the ghost.

And slashed without hesitation.

Black and white spiraled—.

Reinhardt's Transcendent skill manifested via the Agasword.

A rift tore in empty air.

Good-evil balance broken, white aura stronger—but better for slaying anomalies like this.

Spluuurt—!!!

The Ghost Cry ghost sucked into the sword scar in the air.

As rumored, it died in a gruesome form.

Kiii—.

Even in death, spewing blood and screams everywhere.

Trauma-inducing, they say. Eh.

Compared to Iris's devils eating everything alive, it's nothing.

My focus was elsewhere.

Air's rippling oddly.

[Chaos] aura.

Still listed as 'affinity,' but it'll become 'aura' as it grows.

Grasping this chaos trait is my top priority as Sword Master.

Still not clear.

Instead, I sought something else.

"Iris, sense any Gates?"

Iris said with a voice full of guilt.

Her voice sounded much younger than in [Raise a Sword]—maybe my imagination, since I can't see the [Sword World].

Anyway.

I refocused on the core issue.

"No Gate, but weird shit happening... gotta be that, right?"

In [Raise a Sword], a 'Black Gate—Abyss' appears.

The Abyss signals its coming with precursors to the world.

Reason the Patriot can't clean this up: Black Gate.

<Ghost Cry>, harbinger of national doom.

A Gate the Patriot should've wiped out ages ago.

Yet no Gate appears—just the phenomenon.

Need to grasp changes between reality and Raise a Sword.

I'm the only one in this world who knows this.

If [Abyss—Black Gate] conditions match...

Thousands dead, anomaly persisting two years.

Black Gate soon.

A big one.

Aftermath unpredictable.

Gate appearing complicates things more.

America took a month?

Info from Jesus.

Theirs was environmental, weak precursor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thanks to luck.

No rain for two years.

Gate size medium-small.

For reference, America's SSS-rank Transcendent 'Dragon Master' handled their Black Gate.

Patriot will show sooner.

Thinking that, I scoured every inch of this Ghost Cry.

Killing ghosts along the way.

Tzzzap—!!!

Didn't know, but my 'Agasword' absorbs even ghost remnants on the blade.

* * *

Slaughtered countless ghosts.

Fed them to the Agasword.

Result: Chaos good-evil balance at 50:50.

Thus, I—

"Enlightened."

Swinging the sword familiarized me more with the [Agasword].

Unlike completed Ego Swords, we need time to bond.

Plus, Agasword lacks ego yet.

So it took longer.

Chaos is pure chaos.

Growing closer revealed its precise power.

Probably...

"Chaos can tear space's origin."

Invade unmanifested Gates, force open doors from Gates to reality.

Such feats possible.

I don't know.

But it feels doable.

Agasword is my final sword.

Surely has distinct traits like the others.

Probably space-time related.

Vrrr—.

Gripped and focused.

Blade color changed to [Holy Demon Sword], especially vivid today.

One side black, one pure white.

Black-white aura spiraled up.

I slashed empty air.

Tzzzeek—!!!

One Slash, Horizontal Cut.

But different feel.

Cut space.

Reinhardt's 'One Slash' evolving into my new technique.

My insights attuning his Transcendent skill to [Agasword].

Like instinct.

If Agasword truly rends space?

Might enter unmanifest [Black Gate] first.

Saved [2nd Sword Iris Luzvela] manifestation for this.

Gazing at the rift, Iris sighed.

Seems correct.

Jet-black vortex in the tear.

Kiiii—.

Chilling noise, ominous vibe.

Abyss form from my [Raise a Sword].

Here, called Black Gate.

Heading to the Gate, I intoned:

"Iris Luzvela."

The strongest sword that destroyed the world.

Iris Luzvela's name.

With dizzying omnipotence, my world drowned in crimson blood.