132
132 ― The Severed Head
Hunters poured out from the plane that had arrived at the airport. Normally, it would have been filled with wealthy tourists on family vacations, but today's atmosphere was different.
Different nationalities, races, and attire. Each one exuded an extraordinary aura. They were Hunters from all over the world. Especially the S-rank Hunters who could be called the core military power of each nation.
"Contact from the homeland. They say the agreement is dragging on."
"You mean the agreement not to monopolize Lin Shenlin's power?"
"Since there are eyes watching, no one is openly refusing. But they say many are avoiding reaching a conclusion by making various excuses."
As the possibility that the recovery of the Black Land was related to Lin Shenlin was suggested, one proposal came to the forefront. A proposal to use that power not as a monopoly but as common property of humanity.
It was a natural proposal, but that natural thing was not being passed easily.
The majority of weak cities were gathering public opinion by uniting their wills, but some were not.
Cities with strong Hunters were confident they could steal Lin Shenlin away. And Hong Kong, which could be called the home ground of this incident.
Being powerful, they also had strong international influence and were brushing aside the opinions of the weak cities. Fortunately, the latter also had the advantage of numbers and were driving the conference, but Hong Kong and other strong nations were buying time by making various excuses.
Buying time while observing the situation was their strategy. If their own nation's Hunters succeeded in securing Lin Shenlin, they would remain silent as is, and if they failed, they would brazenly turn around and jump on the weak nations' proposal.
It could be called cowardly and cunning, but that was their survival strategy. International affairs ultimately run on extreme self-interest after all.
"We must secure him first somehow."
"Fortunately, Lin Shenlin is still not caught and on the run."
Thus, countless S-ranks were gathering one after another in Hong Kong. A scale incomparable to the time of Ireland.
"They say a spirit never seen before is following Lin Shenlin around."
"That spirit seems to be the one driving away the Black Land. Ideally, we should secure Lin Shenlin himself, but if worst comes to worst, at least the spirit."
"A spirit... I wonder if it's a spirit of light?"
Lin Shenlin, or the spirit of light attached to him.
All the world's forces were gathering to secure that unprecedented treasure that had appeared on Earth.
***
'It's a corpse.'
Jin-woo discovered a corpse. A large man wearing a military uniform, his short-cropped blonde hair soaked with blood.
The corpse itself wasn't surprising. It's expected in this kind of site. A perilous place far from the city and full of monsters. Even until now, there had been plenty of injured people, and this wasn't the first death either.
However, the corpse discovered this time was special. It had died not to a monster but to a person. And in a completely different location from Lin Shenlin's escape route.
'They've started fighting.'
This didn't happen when they were just investigating. There might be psychological warfare, but no reason to draw swords.
But a treasure had appeared. The only precious thing that existed nowhere else in the world. If obtained, one could unfold a new world, and further become the hegemon of a new era—that kind of treasure.
Fighting was inevitable. This place was already far from being a place where they amicably shared investigation and research. It was an arena where they competed for hegemony among the great powers.
'I should be careful too.'
He had no intention of being easily taken down, but on a chaotic battlefield, who knows what could happen. Perhaps a missile might fall right overhead at any moment.
He had blocked Jeraxon's Breath, but that was because he was a divine spirit with a soul. He didn't know if he could block a soulless missile in the same way. He had never been hit by one in the first place, so there was no estimate at all.
'The traces aren't light.'
The corpse bore traces of quite fierce combat. Not just the corpse but the surroundings as well. Looking at the gouged and scratched marks on the ground, at least upper-tier A-rank. Perhaps even S-rank.
Such traces were seen several times. Corpses were just as common. Even without deliberately searching, the sounds of clashing swords and exploding magic could be heard here and there.
An ominous atmosphere. Jin-woo continued tracking without deliberately approaching those fighting. However, selecting only Lin Shenlin's traces from among the fierce marks was not an easy task.
No, they were deliberately erased. Either Lin Shenlin's hidden ability or the God of Light was hiding them. Given how much he'd searched without finding anything, the latter was more likely.
'Hiding, eh.'
What was the God of Light trying to do using Lin Shenlin as bait? Make Earth's Hunters fight each other to weaken their forces? It didn't seem like they'd use such a petty method though...
Ttuk—
'Is it raining?'
Just then, a water droplet fell. The rain that started with one or two drops soon began pouring as a downpour.
In such rain, most traces would be washed away by water. Footprints would be smudged, broken blades of grass would be pressed down, and scents would all be washed away.
There were still many ways to track, even so, but it would certainly become more difficult than now.
Just as he was thinking that, a change occurred in the corpse touched by rain.
'It's melting?'
The unrecovered corpses melted into the rainwater and seeped into the ground. The corpse water that seeped in gathered underground and sparked flames.
'Black flames!'
How could this happen with a body whose soul had left? Could it be that the soul that escaped was recaptured using the body as a medium?
Whatever it was, he couldn't just leave it alone. Jin-woo raised his sword to stab the black flames created underground, then stopped.
The black flames were pointing toward a certain location as if being sucked in. Since there weren't just one or two corpses, there were just as many flames. All of them were being sucked toward one point at once.
The dark clouds parted, and the moon revealed itself. A single ray of moonlight descended and cast a thin beam of light on the rain-covered ground.
'Nothing has changed from the 3rd floor.'
Jin-woo clicked his tongue quietly and headed toward where the black flames were gathering.
***
Muryeon was chasing Lin Shenlin faster than anyone. They also had a strong influence over the Hong Kong Hunters who participated afterward. Muryeon's Zhang Lüye was a man skilled in slaying enemies.
As a result, Zhang Lüye and Muryeon's Hunters found Lin Shenlin before anyone else. They caught hold of nonexistent traces and created methods that didn't exist to surround him from the front.
"Lin Shenlin. Obediently accept our protection. We'll treat you well."
Lin Shenlin was performing Breathing Exercises. Still, in this situation, he would have his ears open. After waiting a bit of time, Zhang Lüye spoke again.
"I don't know if you realize this, but Hunters from all over the world are chasing after you. If you want to live somewhat like a human, it would be good to follow along obediently. If you get dragged to places like New York or Moscow, you might never see sunlight again, right?"
Actually, being captured by Muryeon would result in a similar fate. Rather, with Muryeon, there was even the matter of Qi Deviation and personal grudges added on, so the treatment would be worse. Considering how many Hunters from Muryeon or lower guilds Lin Shenlin had smashed up.
Seeing the silent Lin Shenlin, Zhang Lüye snorted as if he knew it would be like this. Next, words weren't necessary. They would only converse with swords.
Just then, Lin Shenlin's eyes opened. His pupils couldn't be seen, and even the whites were shining golden, not looking human. As Zhang Lüye and the Hunters were slightly startled, his mouth opened for the first time.
[ You've asked a lot... But there's no one I actually want. ]
It wasn't Lin Shenlin's voice. Not even a man's voice, let alone sounding human. An unidentifiable woman's voice was flowing from Lin Shenlin's mouth.
"......Who are you?"
[ I'm not someone worth giving a name to. Please understand. ]
Zhang Lüye's eyes twitched unpleasantly. It sounded like words lowering oneself, but it wasn't. When she said ‘not someone worth giving a name to’ she was referring to Zhang Lüye. It meant she had no name to tell the likes of him.
"You've brought along a strange spirit never seen before, and now you've even had your consciousness devoured! Is the real Lin Shenlin already dead from Qi Deviation?"
Zhang Lüye, who had instantly closed in, swung his sword. A blue blade rose up like a snake and aimed for Lin Shenlin's neck.
He didn't think he could kill him with just this. It was a slight feint and a signal announcing the start of battle. Even so, it was sharp enough, and if he was careless even a little, his head would fall. An S-rank Hunter's light strike had enough power for that.
Lin Shenlin caught that sword with his bare hands. More precisely, the God of Light who had taken over Lin Shenlin's body did.
"Huh?"
Bewilderment that was hard to imagine from his usual self appeared on Zhang Lüye's face. He had expected it to be blocked, but not like this. He had at least thought Lin Shenlin would draw his sword.
The next moment, a sword was drawn as he expected and passed across Zhang Lüye's neck.
A strange silence spread within the noisily falling rain. Zhang Lüye's head fell with a chalpak sound. For the death of an S-rank who had commanded one guild, it was excessively futile.
"Master Zhang!"
"U, uaaaaaaaaah!"
Only panic remained for the remaining Muryeon Hunters. Some lost their reason, blinded by revenge, charged in and died. Some got scared, fled, and died with their backs pierced. The quick judgment was praiseworthy, but even so, they couldn't avoid Lin Shenlin's sword.
Only a massacre remained. After dropping Zhang Lüye's head, all the remaining Muryeon Hunters were cut down as well.
The corpses that died that way were absorbed into the ground along with the rainwater and bloomed into black flames. Those flames traveled through the earth and were absorbed by Lin Shenlin.
[ Ahhh...... ]
An enraptured voice was heard. Though no one remained to hear it, Lin Shenlin was performing a ritual alone in the rain.
The brilliance of his eyes grew stronger, and the black flames held in his chest grew endlessly. Each time the flames of Zhang Lüye and other strong Hunters entered, Lin Shenlin's flames increased in size.
The flames that should originally have been small and nestled inside the body had grown large enough to cover the body. And as if that wasn't enough, they continued growing and extended outside.
It meant that the soul dwelling within was of a much higher level than Lin Shenlin's physical body.
Tak—
A small sound. An even smaller sound than a water droplet falling. Immediately after that sound rang out, Lin Shenlin's neck was severed.
The sword of Jin-woo, who had appeared at some point, had dropped his head. However, even with the head fallen, the brilliance of the eyes didn't diminish.
[ You've come. It's been a while. ]
The fallen head spoke as if welcoming him. The size of the black flames that had grown even larger than Lin Shenlin's body was still the same. Even now, they were gradually growing. It looked like an egg made of flames.