The Desert Nomads (2)
This is the board for people who like Kang Hyunseo, the D-class supporter who received the title of Everlight and showed incredible performance in the Abyss Defense Battle. The so-called "One-Punch Girl" board was a hot community with a massive number of active users. It was strange enough that a mere D-class hunter had a dedicated board, and the fact that it had so many active users was bizarre to the point of incomprehension. However, considering the incidents she had caused and how quickly she had captivated people in such a short time, perhaps it wasn't so strange after all.
Please, just turn on the broadcast one more time T_T I won't ask for much. I won't tease you for being a blockhead anymore. Just turn it on once...
- Day 32 of praying for Yeong-gwang's return...
- One-Punch Girl, return!
- Look at this guy twisting his words in the middle lol
└ Malicious lololol
└ Ah, One-Punch Girl won't know that lol
└ Era-chan definitely won't know lol
- Can't we put in a petition to the Presidential Office for this?
- Everlight T_T
- You said you were the light, you said you'd shine forever
(Image)
15th attempt at a prayer-for-return Yeong-gwang fanart. Imagining her fighting Picture.
- Wow...
- The taste of a beautiful girl wielding a sword;;
- Can't believe this is reality
└ Uh, it's not reality~
└ She's a D-class supporter to begin with, guys
└ But she uses a sword better than Seoul's Cheon Myeong-seok, right?
└ Is Myeong-seok your friend?
└ Yeah~ Cheon Myeong-seok's swordplay looks so awkward~
- Human slaughter machine lol
- Picture's chipped Chinese cleaver is seriously scary, damn. Psycho bitch.
└ Didn't she split someone's skull with that cleaver in the Void too?
└ Seems quiet lately?
└ Yeah, haven't seen her for about a month.
└ She's branded as a Class 1 criminal, so she's probably laying low.
└ Well, even so, she's just a villain lol
I see people using One-Punch Girl, Era-chan, Eva, Yeong-gwang, and Hyunseo so much, can we just unify the name, damn it. There's even One-Punch, One-Punch-chan, and recently One-Light, Yeong-Light, Ever-Light, Baby, Sausage, Reroll-Girl... I didn't even know who it was at first, you crazy people.
- It's confusing, I get it lol
└ That just means she's popular, right?
- I like Yeong-won-i.
- One-Punch is a bit... lol
- Reroll-Girl! Reroll-Girl! Reroll-Girl!
- Baby-chan T_T Legal baby...
└ This guy...
└ But she's tasty...
- If you look at the broadcast images, Baby or Eva suits her.
└ Blockhead lol
└ Rumor has it she's actually pretty smart.
└ Is that you, Hyunseo? Please turn on the broadcast...
└ Don't forget us...
└ (Broadcast capture photo)
└ This one really does look stupid lol
└ When was that from?
└ Yeong-won-i's first broadcast, 1 hour 15 minutes 43 seconds – the scene where she's staring at dust while Eunseo is explaining the donation.
└ Are you a madman for knowing that lol
As the longing of those demanding Everlight's return grew deeper and the size of the fandom steadily increased, Hyunseo was listening to the sound of a horn in the Tower.
*
"The Horn of Gold?"
"My god, why?"
"Were the comrades alive?"
An intense hope that her own kin might be alive. The joy that lost family and friends had returned. However, it only took a few minutes for those intense emotions to pour out coldly, causing everyone's hearts to sink.
"Tsk."
Above the distant sand dunes, someone with a human-like shape reached out a hand.
"Save... me..."
Humans who had become half-finished teddy bears were crossing the dunes. Humans with teddy bear heads. Humans whose limbs resembled those of a teddy bear. At that horrific struggling, everyone was simply stunned, watching the spectacle.
Was the landscape of hell cast upon the world like this? Some of the remaining nomads vomited what they had eaten.
"Ugh."
Others shed tears of blood with burning eyes.
"Oh God..."
"Lead us not into temptation..."
Amidst those cries, a familiar voice was heard.
"Long time no see!"
I focused my eyes at the sound of Picture's voice. Her snow-white eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
"Oh my, look at you not even answering now. So rude."
"Everyone, get ready. If the teddy bears are in that state, they won't be as strong as you think."
"Yes!"
Eunseo drew her dagger, and Ildo raised his shield.
"We'll form teams of three. Make sure to face only one. Don't be greedy, three against one. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Got it."
"Leave it to us and go."
On my way out after giving instructions to my disciples, my eyes met Zaphir's. Zaphir squeezed his eyes shut, then, as if doing it reluctantly, brought his hand to his mouth and blew into it.
What was that? As I stared blankly, Zaphir wrinkled his nose, drew his curved sword, and dashed out.
"It means he's giving you the blessing of the wind. It's our tribe's way of praying."
I nodded at Hakim's explanation.
"Ho..."
Hakim's eyes turned toward the half-finished teddy bears pouring down along the sand dunes.
"I ask of you. Grant rest to the dead."
"Don't worry."
I lifted my Sword of Light and smiled.
"That's the thing I do best."
I lowered my gaze and steadied my breathing. The Sword of Light glowed faintly. I climbed the sand dune, cutting down the swarm of teddy bears rushing toward me. Some of them, those with human heads, wailed.
"Save me..."
"I don't want to die..."
The wailing of the dead is a terrible thing. Those seeking a paradise they could never return to collapsed onto the cold sand.
"You're ruthless, aren't you? It's not like you don't know what it is to be human."
Picture's Chinese cleaver flew in, and bright sparks flew in an instant. Because her momentum was sharper than before, I gritted my teeth and stepped back.
"I guess you're more comfortable at night?"
"Hmph, the sun is a bit annoying."
She, not wearing her sunglasses, blinked her shining eyes.
"These eyes are pretty decent, you know. They're useless during the day, but useful at night."
She threw her brown leather jacket onto the sand.
"Piercing the stars. I'll show you what that means."
Picture giggled.
"You could never do it to the end, could you?"
"Talking big for someone who fell because they were blinded."
"Stars don't fall. They just pull and burn."
Picture's breath stopped, and her Chinese cleaver flew in at a speed rivaling light. The cleaver, which had flown in an instant, aimed for my side.
Thud—
"Ugh,"
An attack with the tip, not the blade. Since the tip of the Chinese cleaver was flat, I managed to endure it somehow, but the impact was enough to turn my vision white. My side throbbed where I had been hit.
"..."
After dodging Picture's successive Chinese cleaver strikes with minimal movement, I swallowed my saliva and steadied my ragged breathing. The first step to everything is breathing. Only stable breathing can balance the mind and body...!
Before the thought could continue, I hurriedly raised my sword to block Picture's cleaver.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang—
Six strikes were exchanged in an instant, and I collapsed onto the sand as if falling.
"Hmm. I guess stabbing with a Chinese cleaver is impossible after all."
She pulled a small precious sword from her sub-space. Seeing the sharp, silver blade, my body stiffened for a moment.
"Hehe, you're still afraid of me, aren't you?"
A sneer hung on Picture's lips as she saw through my state. "You know you can't win in speed, right?"
Because she possessed my master's Star-Piercing Sword. She was always one beat faster than me. The legendary precious sword said to be able to pierce the stars, the Star-Piercing Sword. And the swordsmanship that could handle that sword to the limit, the Star-Piercing Swordsmanship. She had always used that combination to put a hole in my stomach.
"Talking big for someone who ran away."
I steadied my mind and lifted the Sword of Light.
"I don't have time for a lecture from a bitch who ran away crying."
A vein popped on Picture's forehead.
"...Do you really want to die? There's a limit to the insults I can let slide."
"...What could you possibly let slide? You're still just licking the heels of that person."
I smiled faintly at Picture's stunned expression.
"You, you, you. Are you really going to die? I don't hold back just because you're my junior disciple! I'm really going to kill you!"
Picture couldn't control her emotions and stomped her feet.
"Try killing me."
As always, if death comes, that's the end of it.
"But today will be a little different. Sorry, but I have someone waiting."
The moment Picture appeared in front of me, my knee rose as if waiting and struck her abdomen.
Thud—
At the sharp sound of the impact, Picture clutched her stomach in confusion and stepped back.
"?"
"You still think speed is everything."
She was still stuck as a 20-year-old amateur. That arrogant thinking that just doing one thing perfectly was enough. I flicked my finger and provoked her.
"Not piercing the stars, but swallowed by them."
"Don't make me laugh..."
"You dull-witted fool."
The last thing my master said to her. At that line from the distant past, her eyes shone menacingly.
"Nooooo!"
Clang-clang-clang—
The more excited she got, the simpler her attacks became. Predictions became easier. 'If I'm pushed in speed, I just need to predict her thoughts.'
Every time I clashed with the Star-Piercing Sword, a roar like a gunshot echoed. After dozens of exchanges, my ears were ringing.
"There's an opening on the right, Chae-yi. Haven't I always told you?"
As I swung the Sword of Light upward with force, the suit she was wearing was shredded to pieces. Seeing blood flowing from her abdomen, it seemed I had cut quite deep. So this is what it means to be EX, cutting through that level of armor like paper.
"Tsk, you're still as twisted as ever. Going around wearing such bizarre clothes."
"M-Master?"
"Huh, Chae-yi. Can you finally see me? The master you killed."
When I sneered genuinely, Picture's face turned pale.
"How, how are you there? You died! You're just that pathetic Kang Hyunwoo!"
She rushed over in a hurry and swung her sword.
Clang— Clang—
A raw swing, devoid of any swordsmanship. A struggle driven by emotion, a flailing against a past she couldn't forget. I pierced through that pathetic sword path and swung my sword squarely with the flat of the blade.
Thud—
Picture, eyes wide as she was hit by the flat of the blade, flew far away. The Star-Piercing Sword she had dropped from her hand stuck into the desert sand.
Thump—
Picture fell with a somewhat lifeless sound. Where she had fallen, only an old teddy bear remained.
"Ran away again..."
She's really fast when it comes to running away. I was about to chase the faint energy trailing off, but I turned back at the thought of my disciples. Silence suddenly fell upon the tent village where the fierce battle had been raging. The half-finished teddy bears were breathing their last all at once.
"Tsk."
As I frowned at the hellish scene, Hyeong-tae approached and opened his mouth.
"...Master. You're human, right?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
He pointed blankly at the sand dune that had been half-blown away in front of me.
"Does it make sense for a human to have this kind of power...?"
Hyeong-tae looked at the massively gouged sand desert. Seeing the kid's dumbfounded expression, I chuckled.
"You can do it too."
"What?"
"If you train like this month for 20 years."
At my words, Hyeong-tae's eyes sparkled.
"Really? Then can I become like you when I'm Ildo-ssi's age?"
Oh, I didn't know he'd like it.
"Well, who knows... Ah, the Star-Piercing Sword."
I approached the Star-Piercing Sword that Picture had left behind while running away.
"She left this behind."
The elegant sword, as long as a forearm, sparkled in the moonlight. I was momentarily surprised by its lightness as I pulled it from the sand.
"No, it's not light, it's well-balanced. But..."
She must have cherished the Star-Piercing Sword dearly. The blade was so polished I could see my face in it, and there wasn't a single nick on the edge. It was clear how much Picture had treasured it.
"The crazy bitch must have had nothing but regrets left."
When I opened the item window, I let out a hollow laugh.
◈ A sword that pierces the stars.
◈ Its value is realized the more you wield it.
◈ Its weight is immeasurable.
"Then... the final reward of the Tower of Beginnings... was this?"
I didn't know that. Then was the final reward of the Tower in Korea all left blank? No wonder everyone was so desperate.
As I was putting the Star-Piercing Sword into my sub-space,
"Master!"
"Hyunseo-nim! Look at this!"
Hyeong-tae and Eunseo lifted a teddy bear that was being buried in the sand. It was the teddy bear that had changed when Picture ran away.
"Hyunseo-nim, there's a teddy bear left here."
"Hand it over to the settlers, they'll bury it or something."
"No, this one seems different."
"Really? It's not moving, though?"
When I received the brand-new-looking teddy bear, tears flowed from its eyes.
"Hey, what is this, it's crying?"
"Oh, it really is!"
"I-is it alive?"
Out of curiosity, I pressed the teddy bear's hand hard, and tears gushed out.
"Hyunseo-nim!"
"Wow, I told you it wasn't human."
"No, I'm just curious. A living teddy bear, this is another pattern..."
I looked at the sobbing teddy bear, and at a sudden thought, I snapped my fingers.
"Wouldn't the Sage know the answer?"
"Hakim-nim?"
"Yeah. Hehe. If he says he doesn't know, I'll have to take away his 'Sage' label, what else can I do?"
I ran to Hakim with excited steps, thinking of teasing him.