Chapter 376 |
Buwoo... Buwoo...
The faint sound of a horn flute drifted through the air.
“Well now. There’s the signal again. I’d best be on my way.”
A man gave a deep bow, then turned and shot off like an arrow. About twenty other vagrants followed, running after him.
Watching them shrink into dots in an instant, Simon Grimes tilted his head slightly.
“Hmm.”
“What is it, Simon?”
“Ah. Something just doesn’t feel right.”
“Hm? What doesn’t feel right?”
“I definitely heard the signal... You don’t think they were lying, do you?”
“I heard the signal too. I don’t think they were lying. But...”
Simon trailed off again. The red in his eyes flashed for a moment.
Worried he might lose control of his senses again, Yurina quickly went to his side and gently stroked his back.
“Try not to worry too much. For now, let’s just focus on our own escape. Besides...
Yurina lifted her head slightly and glanced to the right. A few of the vagrants who hadn’t followed the man earlier pointedly avoided her gaze.
“You don’t think they actually ran away, do you? There should still be more of them scattered around.”
“They might have. All the important figures have already left this spot. And they’re the type of people who don’t have a shred of loyalty.”
“Simon...
“Don’t worry, I expected this to some extent. So I have nothing more to say.”
Hearing Simon admit it was his own fault, Yurina let out a soft sigh. She leaned in and spoke quietly.
“Should I go check it out, then?”
“Hm? You, Yurina?”
At Simon’s question, Yurina nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Yes. That important vagrant who was the last to remain—Kang-san, was it? I’ll go bring him back. He’s one of the leaders, so he should know something.”
“Hmm. I don’t think much will change even if you bring him here... And I feel like we’ll find out what’s going on naturally if we just wait.”
Simon turned his head again. He slowly crossed his arms and continued, giving a slight nod.
“It doesn’t really matter either way... but it’s probably better to know in advance than to wait. Yurina? We’ll keep moving, so just get a feel for the situation and come back.”
At Simon’s words, Yurina smiled gently and turned to leave.
—
Fifteen minutes later.
“Well, well. I was wondering why you sent the signal... Turns out you had a good reason.”
A man’s boastful voice echoed through the area. At the same time, a group of what looked to be about twenty people slowly began to reveal themselves. Led by a man carrying a massive greatsword, every single one of them exuded an unnerving aura.
The moment the Queen of Swords saw them, her face turned ashen.
“To think I’d meet our Da-eun again... What an unexpected prize. Hahahaha!”
As boisterous laughter followed, the Queen of Swords bit her lip hard.
This is what had happened.
To deal with the new wave of enemies, the Queen of Swords had chosen to fight from a blind spot. There was nowhere to run, and she had judged that their numbers were small enough to handle.
When the battle began, her prediction seemed to be correct at first. She displayed her overwhelming power, felling most of the enemies, and with the support of Ahn Hyeon and the others, she easily seized victory.
But there was one thing the Queen of Swords had failed to anticipate: one of the enemies had a horn flute.
The horn flute was one of the communication methods used by the vagrants. By establishing a signal system based on the number of blows, it served as a tool to request help or issue commands in emergencies.
The man stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the Queen of Swords, her party, and the surrounding area.
“Hmm. Are we the first to arrive? Well, that’s a relief. Glad we could finally get out.”
“He really blew it at the perfect time, sir. Does this mean the alliance is completely broken now?”
“Pretty much. The commander-in-chief already took off earlier, using the excuse of dealing with someone. He’s probably already left the battlefield by now. We need to get out on our own, too.”
“Sir? Ah... You mean when that pretty boy was throwing a fit at us? It looked like Hyeon-nim was really going to hunt him down.”
“That guy’s been strange ever since Baek Seo-yeon was captured.”
The man replied in short bursts while looking around, his eyes finally stopping on a certain spot. There, a vagrant lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes wide open. A horn flute was clenched tightly between his lips, from which blood was trickling.
“Just how many of them died... You really did a number on them, didn’t you? Our Da-eun.”
The man spoke in a dumbfounded tone, then nudged the vagrant he had just been talking to.
“Hey. You. Pick up that horn flute and send the ‘situation clear’ signal right now.”
“Sir? You want me to send the ‘situation clear’ signal?”
When the vagrant questioned the order, the man nodded with an annoyed look.
“Yeah. Other guys might be on their way.”
“But our opponent is the Queen of Swords... And shouldn’t we let the others know?”
“Why is that your problem? Tell them to get out on their own. Besides, things could get annoying if those Western Continent bastards get involved.”
“Still...
The vagrant hesitated for a moment, but when the man’s face contorted in anger, he meekly picked up the horn flute.
Buwoo... Buwoo... Buwoo...
Three blasts from the horn flute echoed through the air. It was the signal that the situation was over. The various presences that had been slowly converging on their location paused for a moment, then began to turn back.
“I followed your order... but don’t blame me if you get killed by the Queen of Swords.”
“Hah. Don’t worry. You really think we can’t handle one tired bitch?”
The Queen of Swords had been tensing up, watching the vagrants act as if she wasn’t even there. But the word “bitch” grated on her nerves, and in an instant, her aura shifted. Sensing it, the man grinned.
“Alright, alright. Let’s hurry up and finish this before that pretty boy notices.”
“Heh. Wouldn’t it be better to just leave now? They don’t look like they’re in great shape either...”
“But we can’t just let a traitor go when she’s right in front of us. And all the time we spent looking for her...
“Who’s the traitor?”
It was then.
The Queen of Swords’ sharp cry shot toward the man.
His subtle provocations had finally worked. He immediately turned his head to look at her.
“Long time no see, my dear Da-eun. You remember me, right?”
“Shut up! Don’t you... Don’t you dare call me that!”
The man chuckled at the Queen of Swords’s trembling, furious shout.
The man’s identity was none other than the traitor, Lee Kang-san. The User who had taken the Queen of Swords, once called the greatest prodigy at the Academy, and turned her into a vagrant along with himself.
“My, my, our Da-eun. You’ve gotten so prickly. Aren’t you a little too full of yourself for a traitor? Did people praise you a lot while you were playing ‘Queen of Swords’?”
“You’re the traitor...!”
“Haha. I raised you, clothed you, fed you, got you a Secret Class, and even comforted you with my body every single day...”
“Shut your mouth! I’ll kill you!”
Just as Lee Kang-san was about to continue his slimy remarks, the Queen of Swords let out a scream. But he paid her no mind, retorting with the same oily demeanor.
“Who’s killing whom? Acting like you’re the victim. You disgusting bitch.”
“Because of you... If it wasn’t for you...!”
“Why don’t you just admit it? You started enjoying it later on, didn’t you?”
“......!”
“And then you stabbed me in the back. You pretended to give in and obey, but you were just waiting for a chance to run away? You traitor!”
Vuooom!
Unable to bear it any longer, the Queen of Swords’s sword, ‘Seol-ah,’ began to hum with a clear, resonant sound.
“You... This is perfect... I will kill you, no matter what...
A chilling killing intent erupted from the Queen of Swords’s calm eyes. As if reflecting her current state of mind, an aura so intense it felt like it could devour its surroundings with sound alone began to swirl around her.
Judging that his provocations had been effective enough, Lee Kang-san’s expression turned serious as he brought his greatsword forward. He was undoubtedly a formidable fighter, but he was still a mere shadow of the Queen of Swords. His only advantages were the fact that he had once taught her, that she was currently exhausted, and his numerical superiority.
Just before the battle began, Lee Kang-san gave a slight nod without even looking.
“You four on the right, take care of the chicks in the back. The rest of you, engage the Queen of Swords. We’re capturing her, not killing her, so go in prepared for at least half of you to die. I’ll forgive minor injuries.”
“Hah. You think you can capture me?”
The Queen of Swords scoffed. But the vagrants faithfully followed Lee Kang-san’s command, and the four on the far right slipped away like ghosts.
“I’ll kill you!”
At the same time, facing the mortal enemy she had longed to kill, the Queen of Swords lost her reason and charged toward the sixteen men like a flash of light.
And just as sixteen streams of sword aura erupted from ‘Seol-ah.’
“Well then, shall we take care of this side?”
The vagrants who had split off walked toward the remaining party members. Three were men, and one was a woman.
“Pfft. Look at them tremble. They really are just chicks.”
“They haven’t even started chanting their spells yet. I could probably take them all by myself. That pretty redhead is mine. She’s just my type.”
“Then the priestess bitch in the back is mine. She’s really cute and pretty. Or is it innocent? Whatever. Hehe.”
“You crazy bastards. We’re finishing this and getting out of here. Just focus on killing them.”
The female vagrant chided them, but the three men just laughed and joked around, their faces full of confidence, as if they truly believed their opponents were nothing but chicks.
It wasn’t a provocation; you could see in their eyes that they genuinely didn’t consider them a threat.
The numbers were 4 against 6.
The Users had the numerical advantage. But no one, including Ahn Hyeon, dared to make a move. In fact, they had been completely silent ever since the vagrants appeared—not because they didn’t see the point in responding, but because their entire bodies were frozen with tension.
Ahn Hyeon’s senses, at least, were telling him that the vagrants before him were on a different level from any enemy he had faced before.
“I can’t run.”
Ahn Hyeon gripped his spear tightly and took his stance.
Clang! Screech!
Following his lead, Lee Yu-jeong and the two Users the Queen of Swords had brought with her shakily raised their weapons. They knew it was hopeless, but their actions showed their refusal to go down without a fight.
Meanwhile, the four vagrants turned their heads to watch the fierce battle unfolding nearby.
“Looks like our side is getting pushed back a bit.”
“Wow. A high-ranking executive and sixteen mid-ranking executives are getting pushed back? By a single person?”
“Not by much... just a little? It’s the Queen of Swords, after all. A Secret Class, anyway, let’s finish up here quickly and see what happens. We need to join them if things look bad.”
“Ugh. Just handle your own business. Or should I just take care of them all myself?”
Finally, the remaining four also reached their weapons. A spear, an axe, and another sword. The fact that there were no ranged classes among them was perhaps the only silver lining.
Ahn Hyeon swallowed hard. He glanced sideways at the spot where the Queen of Swords was fighting.
The best-case scenario would be to hold out until she could come and help, but that was impossible. From what he could tell, every single one of the vagrants who had rushed here felt stronger than him. And now, the spear-wielding vagrant was slowly starting to walk forward.
When he looked back, he saw the man pointing his spear at the party and waving it back and forth playfully, as if it were all a game.
But Ahn Hyeon did not let his guard down.
“My only choice is to aim for a counter.”
Ahn Hyeon decided to charge in the moment the vagrant attacked, and he grit his teeth. Even if he was severely injured, he was determined to take at least one of them down.
“When you counter an opponent’s first strike, watch their feet.”
Following Kim Soohyun’s teaching, Ahn Hyeon watched the footsteps of the man in the lead.
Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot...
The moment the steps stopped, Ahn Hyeon heard the sound of the air being torn apart. He put all his strength into tilting his head back while simultaneously thrusting his own spear forward. At the same time, a faint, round light formed around his body.
Swish!
Their spears crossed, missing each other by a hair’s breadth. The thrusts were almost simultaneous.
But the vagrant’s spear was faster, and it was aimed at Ahn Hyeon’s head...
Creek!
It grazed past him.
The faint light enveloping his body shattered, but his head was safe. Ahn Hyeon’s potential ability, a protective aura, had slightly altered the spear’s trajectory. Following through, Ahn Hyeon’s spear continued unabated toward the vagrant’s chest.
In that fleeting moment, a cold chill ran down the vagrant’s spine. He had thought he was just a chick, but this unexpected blow made sweat bead on his forehead.
It was then.
THWACK!
Just as the tip of his spear was about to touch the man’s chest, Ahn Hyeon’s vision flashed, and his body was sent flying to the left. The spear that had just grazed him had been swung around to smash him in the head.
His decision not to use clumsy techniques against a seasoned expert had been a good one. But even if Ahn Hyeon had a Rare Class, his was still a 0-year User whose stats weren’t even fully developed.
And his opponent was a vagrant. A veteran vagrant, skilled enough to be considered a mid-ranking executive. Though he had felt a moment of danger, he had immediately responded with composure. From the moment their spears had met, the vagrant’s victory had been sealed.
“Ack...
Ahn Hyeon’s mouth fell open from the impact. The blow to his head must have been severe; he lost his balance and collapsed. His head was spinning, and a faint ringing noise filled his ears. Even so, Ahn Hyeon gripped his spear tightly and pointed it in one direction.
“Spear Art... Shot...!”
Chang, chachachang!
The vagrant, who had been about to let out a sigh of relief as Ahn Hyeon fell, quickly sucked in a breath.
Thud, thud-thud!
“Keuk!”
Four spears had suddenly shot out, striking him directly in the chest. And that wasn’t all.
“Hah!”
Before he could even retrieve his spear, Lee Yu-jeong, who had been behind Ahn Hyeon, charged in.
The man tried to twist his body away, but Lee Yu-jeong deftly mirrored his movement, swinging the daggers in both her hands. She stuck to him tenaciously, as if determined to finish off at least one of them.
“Wh-what?”
Just as her daggers were about to cross in an X and slash down his chest.
“Fucking idiot.”
Shunk! Thump!
With a cold voice, the female vagrant who had come from the side viciously stabbed and kicked Lee Yu-jeong in the side. As blood spurted out like a fountain, she let out a single scream and rolled across the ground.
“Haah.”
Only then did the spear-wielding man let out the breath he had been holding. On his chest, his dented armor was marked with several long, deep gashes.
“You owe me one.”
“Ha, hahaha. Ha, fuck.”
“Wow. Did you almost get taken out by a bunch of chicks?”
“Man, Jeonghan’s really lost his touch. Weren’t you just bragging about how you’d take care of them all yourself, and now you almost die to a chick?”
The mocking voices of the other vagrants came from both sides, as if they had been watching the whole thing.
The vagrant called Jeonghan turned his head with a flushed face but quickly shut his mouth. In the hands of his mockers were the severed heads of the Users who had accompanied the Queen of Swords and Ahn Sol. His face turned red, then pale.
“Ah, damn it!”
Jeonghan spat out a rough curse and stepped over Ahn Hyeon and Lee Yu-jeong, who were lying side-by-side on the ground. He pressed his foot down firmly on their chest, and a gush of blood poured from their mouth. He raised his spear.
“These fucking bastards...
“Hey, Don’t kill her just yet.”
“What did you say?”
He shot back at the woman’s interruption, his face furious.
“She used some weird skill at the end. Some kind of shot? Her equipment looks pretty good, too... Who knows? We might get some information about her class.”
“You want to worry about that in a situation like this?”
“If not now, when? And look over there. It doesn’t look like we need to join them.”
“For fuck’s sake. Weren’t you the one who said we should join them quickly?”
“Life is precious, life is precious.”
At her words, the man fell silent and turned his head to the side.
The Queen of Swords was currently in a losing battle against one high-ranking and sixteen mid-ranking executives. At first, she seemed to have the upper hand, but the vagrants were employing direct confrontation and employing a thorough war of attrition. The proof was that not a single vagrant had fallen yet.
“Hey, Move your foot.”
At the command to move his foot, the vagrant glanced at his chest once, then lifted his left foot out of the way. He watched the woman bend down, then shifted his gaze to the right. Below him, Lee Yu-jeong was glaring with fierce eyes.
“What are you looking at, you fucking bitch? You think I’m a joke, too?”
“Keuk!”
Displeased by her glare, Jeonghan pressed his left foot down hard on Lee Yu-jeong’s chest. Her breasts were quite full, and he could feel their soft flesh texture through the sole of his boot. He twisted his foot back and forth, his voice a low growl.
“Look at those eyes. You look like you’re about to kill someone.”
“Hk! Hnngh!”
Next, he channeled magic into his spear and dragged it up from her stomach. Her clothes ripped in half with a tearing sound, leaving a long, shallow cut on her skin. The sharp tip of the spear stopped at her throat.
“You look so defiant... I don’t like your face either.”
“H-Hey! Stop! I called dilhs on her!”
A vagrant approaching from the side shouted, but Jeonghan was about to put force into the spear at her throat.
Whooosh!
A fierce gale slammed into the vagrant.
Whooosh!
The spell had barely managed to chant was unleashed from Shin Sang-yong’s fingertips. The gust of wind flew forward and struck the group of vagrants, and the one standing over Lee Yu-jeong collapsed.
But that was all. The influence of the magic bullet had slowed his casting more than usual, but it was far too late. Moreover, the spell’s power was greatly diminished, so it only managed to knock the man over.
In short, all it did was further enrage the vagrant.
The surprise was momentary. The fallen vagrant, his face beet red from the continued mockery, got up and charged at him, blood dripping from his chest.
Shin Sang-yong despaired. He had known from the beginning it would come to this, but seeing it happen right before his eyes made his world go dark.
In that moment, Shin Sang-yong looked at the trembling Ahn Sol and barely managed to shout.
“A-Ahn Sol! R-Run!”
“Run where?”
Thwack!
The instant he felt a dull impact on his face, Shin Sang-yong let out a grunt and rolled once or twice on the ground.
“If you’re a fucking idiot, then act like one and stay still. Or at least run away. You just stood there during the fight, so what the hell are you doing now?”
Before Shin Sang-yong could even right himself, Jeonghan’s kicks followed.
Thump, thump-thump!
As if to vent his anger, Jeonghan stomped on Shin Sang-yong mercilessly. He curled up as much as possible to protect himself, but the moment a kick landed on his injured thigh, he let out a tear-filled scream.
The kicking stopped for a moment. But the vagrant, still not satisfied, finally raised his spear and spoke in a cold voice.
“Have you seen the movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’? Do you know a guy named Upham?”
“Keuk, k keuk...
“I hate guys like you the most. Not one thing or the other, just a fucking idiot. Hey. You should just die. I’ll have to kill you, at least.”
“Nooo!”
CLANG!
At that moment, Ahn Hyeon rushed in, and a spark flew. He had quickly jumped in and thrown her arms around Shin Sang-yong. A pure white orb floated around her. It was the ‘Improved Shield of Protection.’
Jeonghan momentarily withdrew his spear.
“Hah. You guys are really something else. Fuck it, let’s do this.”
But he soon let out a disbelieving laugh and began to joyfully hammer at the protective shield.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Voom! Vuooom!
“Waaah! Waaah!”
As sparks flew everywhere, Ahn Sol cried out loudly. She couldn’t think of what to do, and just shed tears.
Shin Sang-yong was in a daze, but as the pain subsided slightly, he snapped to his senses and lifted his head.
Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang!
Through the protective shield, which looked like it would shatter at any moment, various scenes entered his vision.
“Hehe. Hyung. Can you help me out a bit?”