Chapter 132: Eve of Cataclysm
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: Eve of Cataclysm
"Unni, are you sure you and my brother aren't dating?"
Li Lingwei, walking closely beside Ga-hee on their way home from school, shook her head with a faint smile.
"It’s not that we’re nothing. We’re important colleagues, I suppose? Besides, I’m technically engaged to your brother’s close friend."
"Hmm. I see. Then are you a Cloyd Player too, Unni?"
Li Lingwei was momentarily stunned by the bluntness of the question. As far as she knew, Gi-chan hadn't told his younger sister about Cloyd yet.
"I know everything," Ga-hee continued. "For a while, I thought Oppa was making a living doing something shady on the internet, but this makes much more sense. How else would a high schooler buy an apartment and spend money so freely? I visited that online shopping mall Oppa said he runs, but no matter how I looked at it, business didn't seem to be booming. The member forums were a ghost town."
Faced with Ga-hee’s sharp observation, Li Lingwei finally spoke.
"Ga-hee, I don't think that's a question I can answer. It would be better to ask your brother directly."
Ga-hee gave a wide, knowing smile. "That's already enough of an answer."
Looking at the girl’s bright expression, Li Lingwei’s lips curled upward. The girl was bold and perceptive, and she truly cared for the brother who had raised her all on his own.
As Li Lingwei watched Ga-hee, her gaze suddenly shifted. The moment they entered the apartment complex, her hands became a blur of motion. With her arms behind her back, her fingertips moved with lethal precision, hidden from Ga-hee’s view.
Thwip.
Every time a fine needle—nearly invisible to the naked eye—flew from her fingertips, one of the men secretly tailing them collapsed.
By the time the two had taken the elevator up to their home, the men were discovered nearby, their limbs twitching violently as they foamed at the mouth, causing a brief commotion in the area. Ga-hee only noticed the disturbance in the complex after the ambulances arrived.
"Did something happen?"
As Ga-hee looked down at the flashing lights of the multiple ambulances, Li Lingwei replied nonchalantly.
"Who knows? Maybe someone just fainted. More importantly, let's eat."
* * *
"I suppose I looked like an easy target."
At Juriel's words, the eight men surrounding her flashed predatory smiles.
"We take the woman and the parents of the guy living in that house, then we pull out," the leader barked.
The moment he finished speaking, five men raised massive shields and charged at Juriel. They didn't have precise intel, but they knew she was a member of Jin Seo-un’s squad. The reason they charged so confidently was that they couldn't sense even a hint of a Martial Artist's aura from her.
They calculated that if she was a pure Mage or Alchemist, they could overwhelm her with numbers even if her rank was high. It was a reasonable assumption—Mages were notoriously weak in close-quarters combat. If Knights or Martial Artists with high magic resistance rushed them at once, they could bridge the gap in skill through sheer aggression.
Grrrrrrrind!
Of course, that only worked if they could actually tank her spells.
The moment Juriel swung the staff she pulled from her subspace, a violent tornado erupted, encircling her. The cyclone, rising in the middle of the residential area, swallowed the five shield-bearers instantly. The sound was like a massive industrial grinder.
Blade Tornado.
As the winds, filled with razor-sharp physical force, began to turn a gruesome red, the man who had given the order fell into a panic. He had made one fatal miscalculation. While Mages were vulnerable up close, no other class was as proficient at slaughtering multiple enemies simultaneously.
There was no way five low-tier knights and martial artist hacks could stand against Juriel, an orthodox Mage trained in the arts of war and mass destruction.
Whoosh!
A Flame Bird erupted from the heart of the Blade Tornado, spreading its wings wide and raining fire. Seeing this, the remaining three men turned tail and tried to flee.
Thud-thud-thud!
However, before they could take more than a few steps, thick tree roots burst through the concrete and seized their ankles. The wood rapidly climbed and constricted their bodies, and a sickening sound echoed through the street.
Crack! Crunch!
"Guh... argh!"
The Flame Bird descended upon the trapped pair.
Fwoosh!
The two men, ignited instantly along with the wood, died where they stood without even the breath to scream.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As soon as they expired, the tornado vanished, and the mangled remains of the five men who had been caught in the gale fell to the ground. Leaving behind five shredded corpses and three charred husks, Juriel calmly entered the villa she had been guarding.
After checking on Seo-un’s parents, whom she had put into a deep slumber with Sleep Magic, she went inside. Soon, the sound of sirens and a frantic commotion filled the neighborhood. It was only natural, given that a tornado and a phoenix of flame had just manifested in a quiet residential zone.
The disturbance was quelled in less than thirty minutes by men in black suits. The Korean and Swedish agents guarding the vicinity were efficient. From disposing of the bodies to scrubbing the scene so that Juriel wouldn't face any legal trouble, they handled everything with professional speed.
Thanks to the quick response of the agents—whom she had become quite friendly with while guarding Seo-un’s parents—she avoided any complications.
The two women, having secured Ga-hee and Seo-un’s parents, returned to their hotel only after watching the breaking news of Russia’s official statement.
"He'll be back soon, right?"
"Probably. His business should be finished by now."
Waiting for Seo-un’s imminent contact, the women began to chat, using the men they had just killed as casual conversation fodder.
* * *
"Thank you for your help. It made things much easier."
As Seo-un spoke after disembarking from the plane, Karina shook her head.
"I didn't do much besides getting those two to Russia. Are you heading back immediately?"
"Yes. There are people waiting, and I still have a lot of training left to do."
From Karina’s perspective, Seo-un was likely one of the top-tier Players on Earth, competing for the number one spot. Yet, the fact that he maintained such a rigorous daily training schedule felt foreign to her.
Well, I suppose that's how he reached that level in so few rounds, she thought, nodding with a smile.
"We will collect the bounty and deposit it into your account in a lump sum."
"Yes. Oh! And please take care of these as well."
As Seo-un toyed with his Subspace Ring, Karina quickly pulled out her staff and waved it.
"You can take them out safely. No one can see through this barrier."
Gi-chan looked at the transparent veil surrounding the three of them with fascination.
"Illusion Magic is rare; I've never experienced it personally. So you're an illusionist."
Gi-chan’s eyes sparkled. He had previously thought of her as just an average Mage or Martial Artist, but this was high-level magic.
"I was lucky enough to find this path," she replied.
In front of her, Seo-un produced the items the three brothers had possessed: Arseny’s armor, shield, and sword, along with the high-grade accessories of the other two.
"Every single one is a high-grade artifact. And you've brought almost all of Arseny’s gear. As promised, we will purchase them at a premium above market rate. The payment will be deposited within the day."
She swept the items into her own subspace. As soon as the gear was stored, the transparent barrier shattered.
Clink.
Two agents brought over the bikes the two men had arrived on.
"Then, see you next time."
After watching the two disappear on their bikes, Karina pulled out her phone. Now, the real work began. Sweden was the first to issue a counter-statement to Russia’s announcement.
"Russia is currently distorting the events that occurred on their soil. The Voronin brothers, whom Russia claims were innocent citizens, are known killers with a history of assassinating key figures in multiple countries. Currently, Russia is issuing statements as if Sweden were behind this incident without any evidence. We have no intention of tolerating this behavior and will respond strongly..."
Along with the statement, Sweden presented evidence of the Ability Users the Voronin brothers had assassinated, including CCTV footage. They expressed strong dissatisfaction with Russia naming Sweden as the mastermind, suggesting that their deaths were likely not terrorism, but long-overdue revenge for the lives they had taken.
At first, Russia fumed, threatening countermeasures, but the tide turned when China took Sweden’s side, confirming the deceased Voronin brothers were indeed international assassins.
"The Voronin brothers were undoubtedly killers. Not only Sweden, but major talents from China were also murdered by those three. As China shares a border with Russia, we will not overlook their tyranny... Russia must provide a clear explanation."
In addition, every country with a grudge against the three brothers, including India, released statements identifying them as assassins. Russia, suddenly isolated in the international community, went silent.
However, the incident only grew. Eventually, Sweden pressured Russia to release the field footage taken at the square. They began to voice opinions that the incident had been manufactured, citing the fact that the phones of all tourists and citizens had been confiscated and factory reset, and that witness testimonies contradicted Russia’s official narrative.
With China joining in and numerous European nations following suit, Russia was forced into a corner. No matter how much of a superpower they were, they knew the cost of total isolation. Furthermore, Russia had internal secrets they couldn't risk exposing.
Jin Seo-un’s warning had finally reached the leadership, and they began to fear the consequences of their rhetoric. Seo-un had designated the President and members of parliament as targets before leaving the country. No matter how great a person's power, they only had one life. The more a person had, the more they had to lose. When a practical threat to their own life appeared, they had no choice but to shrink back.
"So, are you saying that if that bastard targets me, you can't definitely protect me?!"
At the Russian President’s roar, the head of security lowered his head.
"...It seems impossible here, sir. According to the investigation, he possesses a powerful item called the Cloak of Stealth. His skills are among the best on Earth. As I mentioned, if you disappear from the public eye and move in total secrecy..."
"So you're saying as long as I'm not hiding in a hole, I'm a sitting duck for that bastard?!"
The security chief kept his mouth shut. He knew that if he overconfidently claimed they could protect him and the President issued another aggressive statement, things would spiral out of control. The entire world was watching, and the thought of what Jin Seo-un might do if provoked made his hair stand on end. It was better to endure the President's insults now than to let him say something foolish.
"If it's like that for me, it must be the same for the members of parliament. That's why those cowards are whining at me to back down."
Seeing the people who usually wouldn't dare make a sound come to him and talk nonsense about "enduring for the sake of the country" made it clear what they were really worried about.
"For the sake of the country, my foot. Filthy bastards."
The corruption of the Russian parliament was world-famous. There was no way such people were actually worried about the nation.
"Sigh."
Exhaling a long sigh, the President eventually waved the white flag. It was a natural decision; he didn't want to die before spending the wealth he had painstakingly accumulated during his long reign.
Shortly thereafter, Russia released its final statement. It claimed that after further investigation, the Voronin brothers were found to be killers associated with the mafia and were criminals, not innocent citizens. With a brief statement saying the incident was likely a dispute between criminal organizations, Russia refrained from further mentioning the case.
While the incident was being settled, Seo-un was preoccupied with training.
Crash!
Looking at the shattered barrier, Gi-chan shouted, "Get back! Lingwei Noona!"
Despite the warning, Li Lingwei gritted her teeth and took a step toward Seo-un. Behind her, Juriel provided support by firing dozens of Ice Arrows.
Clang!
Above Seo-un’s hand, which had lightly blocked Li Lingwei’s aura-imbued whip, an aura shaped like a beast's claw emerged. While dealing with the whip with one hand and neutralizing Juriel and Gi-chan’s magic with the other, Seo-un’s form suddenly blurred and expanded.
Crackle!
Gi-chan quickly used Lightning Chain to burn away Seo-un’s afterimage. Having been beaten so many times, the countermeasure had become muscle memory.
"You can't get into close combat with that man! For Mages..."
Clang!
Before he could finish, Gi-chan grimaced and was sent flying as Seo-un stomped hard on the ground, closing the gap instantly. As soon as Gi-chan was taken down, Li Lingwei rushed toward Juriel, but Seo-un was faster.
Press.
Appearing behind Juriel and gently pressing on the back of her neck, Seo-un forced her to raise both hands in surrender.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Li Lingwei fought hard, swinging her whip until the end, but the weapon was something Seo-un could easily react to with his high agility. Since she hadn't deeply mastered the whip's unorthodox techniques, it was impossible for her to face him one-on-one.
As soon as Seo-un subdued all three, Gi-chan stood up, grumbling.
"That's why I said you shouldn't close the distance recklessly. You have to use a wide field of vision from three directions to block the Muryeong Phantom Step. If you let your guard down even a little, you'll never catch his real body."
Li Lingwei readily admitted her mistake. "I got too excited. Sorry."
"I'm not exactly looking for an apology," Gi-chan muttered.
Juriel, who was dusting off Li Lingwei’s clothes, spoke with a look of apology. "I feel bad because it feels like I'm the only one training comfortably."
Since she hadn't learned martial arts, Seo-un didn't attack her directly, only lightly touching her. They sparred under the rule that if Seo-un’s hand touched her for two seconds, she was neutralized. As a result, the other two were always a mess, while she remained unscathed.
"I told you to use the whip to maintain a wide field of vision, but if you narrow it yourself, it's meaningless," Seo-un coached. "If you're going to do that, you're better off using a sword you're familiar with."
Li Lingwei nodded. After a brief review, Seo-un checked the time, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his Immortal Demonic Energy.
Now it was time for his personal cultivation.
Immortal Demonic Energy was a tricky power. He knew Immortal Qi well enough since it was covered extensively in Museon’s Memoir, but there was nothing about Demonic Energy. In particular, a state where Immortal Qi and Demonic Energy balanced each other to exist as a single energy was something almost no one had ever experienced.
He had to realize the nature of the energy through his own body, step by step. Using the Immortal Demonic Energy, he slowly stimulated everything from his stable Qi channels to his acupoints, testing how each reacted. Since all his acupoints were already open, there was no great irritation, but it felt quite different from containing standard internal power.
After testing every acupoint in his body, he planned to slowly challenge the Baihui Acupoint.
Quite some time had passed since he began his daily routine of sparring every morning and training his Immortal Demonic Energy every afternoon.
It's already been two months since I've been matched for a game...