Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: CDT (5)
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"L... La... Lady... L... Lady..."
Ah-young crawled toward her like she was dragging herself across the ground.
It had been years since they'd last seen each other.
To Ah-young, she was something special.
Yoon Soo-ah was everything in Ah-young's life.
She was like the parents who'd saved her and given her a new start.
Soo-ah spoke.
"Don't push yourself. Just stay put."
"...La... Lady?"
Yoon Soo-ah spread her arms wide.
She gathered every strand of mana flowing through her body.
And then the blue mana spread outward.
Float-.
In that instant, Yoon Ah-young's body was wrapped in a protective barrier.
Ah-young ran her hands over the barrier.
'...This is. A Supreme Barrier.'
A Supreme Barrier.
It was an unbreakable shield unless the caster died or canceled it.
And then barriers cast by Yoon Soo-ah appeared all over the training grounds and school.
Cadets trapped inside round domes floated gently into the sky.
Even at a glance, there were at least ten thousand of them.
'...Ten thousand Supreme Barriers...? What the hell is sis...'
Ah-young couldn't hide her shock.
Not only creating them, but maintaining them all too.
With this, every cadet and hunter here was safe.
"Huu..."
Even Yoon Soo-ah let out a short sigh, perhaps feeling the strain.
Kirius raised his claws.
He hurled them straight at the barrier holding Yoon Ah-young.
Clang-!
The claws bounced right off and clattered to the floor.
"...Impressive. Even I don't have mana reserves that vast."
"Shut your mouth. You're a dead man walking, yet you won't stop yapping."
"Heh. Scary stuff. But think you can take me down while juggling ten thousand barriers?"
Taunting an S-Rank like she could beat him?
You could only say that if confidence was overflowing.
No—even with that, it was downright idiotic.
There was no existence stronger than an S-Rank in this world.
"First things first: who are you, where'd you come from, and what's your goal?"
"What am I, some wanted fugitive? You gonna make me confess? What, let me walk if I spill?"
"I can make it painless."
"Ooooh! That's a cool line. Gotta steal that one for later."
Caw-caw-
Crows began gathering one by one.
They kept flocking around Kirius.
"...Not in a talking mood, I see."
"Puhahaha! Hunters really are idiots."
Kirius's crows started merging together one by one, soon forming a crow the size of a building.
It was on par with the flame dragon Yoon Soo-ah had summoned.
The flame dragon let out a roar.
"Kraaaaaargh!!!!!"
"Caaaaaark-!"
The two summons glared at each other and cried out.
Their roars alone cracked the building.
"Show me what you've got."
"..."
Soo-ah clasped her hands together.
A red aura began swirling around her...
A powerful surge of mana flowed through the air.
Emotions tangled in a messy knot.
Mysterious killers had appeared out of nowhere.
One thing was clear: they weren't monsters.
'Can I take it down with regular skills? Or...'
Every monster had its counters.
Zombies, for instance, only dropped to light-attribute skills.
I gripped my sword slowly and circled it.
Flames blazing from the blade lit up the surroundings.
But visibility was limited.
'Gotta play it defensive.'
As I moved, the crow just swiveled its head to track me.
"In my opinion... resistance is the single dumbest thing in the world."
"...Resistance? Sounds like you're assuming I'm weaker than you."
"...It's a fact. Because I'm stronger."
"Hmph... empty taunt."
In that instant, it vanished from sight.
I twisted around, scanning everywhere.
'Where are you...!'
But it was gone—no trace anywhere.
Then I felt a presence from above.
"Up there!!"
I swung my sword upward, unleashing Fire.
Roar-!
The black ceiling ignited in seconds.
Its feathers burned as it plummeted to the ground.
I sidestepped it easily.
Thud!
The crow hit the floor and went up in flames.
"..."
No way it was that fragile.
I kept my guard up.
Soon, another crow emerged.
This time from the left wall.
It slithered out, wriggling.
"Actions speak louder than words, eh? I like that."
Slash-!
I lopped its head off before it fully respawned.
Black blood sprayed as the head rolled free.
Then one burst from the right wall.
"My other king. I'm just here to pin you down... Drop the fight now, and I won't attack."
Crackle-!
This time, Lightning Slash split its skull.
The electrified head stretched out with a sizzle.
...But it respawned again.
"Pitiful attacks. Hunter mana has limits. Accept the mask—feel infinite power."
"...Shut it. You never stop blabbing."
Three kills so far.
Physical hits. Magic blasts.
All landed clean.
So every attack worked on it.
Another crow slithered from the left wall, stomping toward me.
"...You really want a fight?"
"...Bring it. I'll carve up as many as you got."
I had stamina in the bag.
No one could match me there.
The crow's lips twitched.
"That so? Let's test it."
Three more crows popped from the walls, ignoring the talker.
Clones.
...Clones beat clones.
Form Change: Split
Slimes emerge from the sword, shifting into the user's form for combat readiness.
Slimes poured from my sword, morphing into perfect copies of me, battle-ready.
Four versus four now.
They dropped in one hit—no real defense.
Time to test theirs.
"Kuwaaak!"
The crow clones charged in eerie lunges.
My clones sliced off arms and pierced hearts with ease.
"...Kuee...ek!"
Defense was trash.
Level 3 monster fodder at best.
Good—this was winnable.
The three crow clones fell to my duplicates in a flash.
The issue? Breaking out of this barrier.
"...Kill you, and the barrier shatters?"
"Hmm... begging an enemy for intel. Brazen. Fine. No. Even if you beat me, it stays up. I'm not the caster."
"...Who is?"
"My master, Lord Kirius. I'm merely his tiny claw. A nobody..."
Kirius?
First I'd heard the name.
But calling itself his "claw" felt off.
The crow grinned slyly.
"Now, warm-up over?"
"...What?"
Dozens more crows erupted from the walls.
'Damn... how many are there?'
They surrounded me and my clones.
"Show some real skill. That was just six. Two ninety-four left."
"...What?"
"Stamina's your strong suit, right? Toys aplenty. Have fun."
Two ninety-four...?
...A hopeless number.
Unpleasant air. Senses. Mana.
Just sensing it made her shiver.
Blue smoke hung thick in the sky.
Training was over.
But for some reason, the cadets hadn't warped out.
"...Smith. You feel that?"
"Yeah. Miss. Makes me wanna puke just breathing."
Hong Ga-yeon flipped on her comms to contact the school.
Nothing but static.
Ga-yeon sensed trouble and quickened her pace.
"Smith. Round up the class kids ASAP. Not one left behind."
"Got it, Miss."
Smith—usually sleepy and sluggish—was faster than anyone this time.
Training ground outskirts.
Unknown flames licked the sky there.
Not friendly missiles. No sudden monster swarm.
Cold sweat beaded on Ga-yeon's forehead.
She planned to form a defensive line per protocol—to shield her comrades.
Sudden monster contact.
Or hostile entity.
Barriers needed at least ten mages minimum.
Click. Click.
Metal clanks rang out.
Ga-yeon drew her sword and stared.
"Kihee... heehee... heehehe?"
Trump soldier.
Heart Jack.
It wandered with sword in hand.
Luckily, no victims yet.
No blood. No signs of battle.
'Monster...?'
Too humanoid for a monster.
Too off for human.
"Kihee. Kiheehee. Ki."
Heart Jack closed in on Hong Ga-yeon.
She unsheathed her blade.
Crimson sword.
She charged straight at it.
"Kihee?"
Clang-!
Ga-yeon's sword was blocked effortlessly.
With one hand, no less.
'...My sword... one-handed?'
One clash said it all.
Level 5... no, 6 monster.
Run or die.
No civilians to save. No allies to fight beside.
Preserve life to save more later.
Pew-!
Hong Ga-yeon yanked a red flare and fired it skyward.
No Approach signal.
"Kiheehee...?"
Jack giggled at the flare.
Clang-!
Ga-yeon shoved with everything she had.
'Now's the time.'
Hesitate, and she'd die.
Training and sims screamed it.
Unwinnable foe.
"Kihee?"
"...!"
Another trump soldier appeared ahead.
Heart King.
This one unleashed magic.
Roar-!
A monster casting Fireball.
"Fireball...?!"
Hong Ga-yeon dodged by a hair, but retreat was cut off.
'...No good. This is bad.'
She kept tension high and fired another flare.
'Smith...! Stay away.'
Second red flare.
Any double flare meant emphasis.
She prayed he'd get the hint and steer clear.
"...Haa... haa..."
Ga-yeon rose, hands on knees.
Death was certain.
Sit and die?
Or go down swinging?
Only one choice.
"...Haa..."
Hong Ga-yeon gripped her sword and faced the two trump warriors.
"Kiheehehehehe!"
"Kiheehee!"
King and Jack laughed like it was a party.
She summoned her last dregs of strength and charged.
"Uaa...!!"
Death held no fear.
Just regret.
"Kiheehehehe...k!"
Bang!
A bullet hole punched through the King's face.
Gunshot echoed late.
Another shot.
Bang!
Jack's heart and skull shattered.
The shooter nailed vitals without a miss.
"...Thiiis... bastaaard..."
Ga-yeon whipped toward the gunshot.
Cowboy hat.
Cigar clenched in teeth.
Bushy mustache and chin beard.
Dual revolvers.
"Miss. The hell you doin' out here?"
S-Rank Gary Oldman.
He stood atop a lamppost, puffing his cigar in silence.
"...Gary Oldman?"
"Eh? You know me. Kyaa~ Popularity follows me everywhere."
Gary hopped down and strolled over.
The trump soldiers—untouched by her strikes—crumpled and melted.
Gary Oldman's anti-behemoth mana rounds.
Insane mana output. Faster-than-light fire rate.
No monster survived his bullets.
"Ah~. But Soo-ah, what's the holdup?"
He griped around his cigar.
"Ah, um... over there...!"
"Yeah?"
Hong Ga-yeon blurted urgently.
"Its buddies. Headed down that street..."
"Ah~ No sweat. Five secs tops? 5...4...3...2...1. Boom!"
Pop!
A transparent green dome enveloped Hong Ga-yeon.
A barrier.
"Don't let looks fool ya—this is the world's top mage's work. Can't crack it without her say-so. Not even me. Hand it off to the S-Ranks. You spectate safe."
Barriers bloomed across the city in that moment.
Over a thousand, easy guess.
Mana beyond imagination.
'This... is S-Rank...?'
A whole other league.
Earth's apex predators, no doubt.
Gary Oldman chain-smoked irritably.
"Ah, but seriously. Which psycho pulled this crap? Ten lives wouldn't cut it. Haa... losin' my mind. Booze makes me take dumb jobs like this... quit drinkin' just to hunt these pricks? Ha. Whatever."
"...Gary Oldman, sir...!!"
Hong Ga-yeon's eyes widened at something.
"Huh? Right! You get it? Life sans booze is straight trash. Thoughts get dull. So..."
"Oldman... sir... your arm..."
"...Huh? Arm's fine."
Oldman flicked cigar ash with his right hand.
"Eh?"
His right arm was gone.
Blood erupted from the stump like a waterfall.
Hong Ga-yeon clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Ah... f*ck. What the hell?"
No presence.
No mana trace.
Not even pain from the severed limb.
Magic? Unique trait?
Nothing fit.
Like it came from another dimension...
Oldman clutched the stump and spun around.
A man perched on a wrecked car.
His limbs stretched unnaturally long.
Pierrot makeup on his face.
He bowed politely to Oldman.
"...Pleased to meet you. I'm Joker. And..."
He looked up with a grin.
Mouth ripped ear to ear.
"...the man who's gonna kill you. Nice to meet ya, Oldman."
"..."
Oldman gripped his pistol with his left hand.
(To be continued)