Chapter 379

M E M O R I Z E

Whoosh! Crack!

"Ugh!"

The Queen of Swords groaned, barely managing to parry the whip that snaked toward her. This was it, she thought. This was truly her limit.

"Wow. Impressive. To still be fighting with those wounds. Are you a Secret Class, by any chance?"

The woman with the whip looked on with interest, but the Queen of Swords no longer had the strength to reply. Her stamina had been severely depleted after the fight with the vagrants. On top of that, a surprise attack had pierced her abdomen, and she had been slammed to the ground two or three times. She had forced herself back up through sheer willpower, but her body was already in critical condition.

It was nothing short of a miracle that she had held out on her own for this long; that was how dire her state was.

Clinging desperately to her fading consciousness, the Queen of Swords glanced to the side. If she could get the same support as before, perhaps she could see a way out. But all she saw was a fallen man, surrounded by three others walling in grief.

As she watched her last hope vanish, despair clouded her eyes. It was then.

"You shouldn't look away during a fight."

Stab!

"Aargh!"

It happened in a single, careless moment. Seizing the opening as the Queen of Swords fell into despair, the woman struck with perfect accuracy. The Queen of Swords instinctively twisted her body, but she couldn't avoid the whip lashing across her right shoulder. She let out a sharp scream, dropping her sword, 'Secl-ah', as her body gave way.

Whoosh! Thuip!

After retrieving her whip, the woman, Yurina, dusted off her hands and surveyed her surroundings. She saw five corpses, but the group of vagrants that had fled numbered at least four times that. It was unlikely they had run away simply because they were outnumbered by the Users before her. It seemed they had been chased off by someone else, forcing a hasty retreat.

"Didn't Simon just say to scout the area?"

Deciding she should be thorough, Yurina walked toward the remaining three. All of them were weeping, their faces etched with sorrow as they clung to one same. She tilted her head for a moment, then stopped a short distance away. Placing her left hand on her knee, she leaned forward slightly and spoke.

"Hey, there. I have a question... Did a slightly chubby man happen to come this way?"

The "slightly chubby man" was Yurina's impression of Lee Kyung-san. Naturally, she received no answer. Not only could they not understand her, but Ahn Hyeon, finally coming to his senses, had turned to glare at her, his face filled with rage.

Yurina sighed. The moment Ahn Hyeon reached for his spear to stand, she lashed out with her whip without hesitation.

Thuip.

The whip easily pierced his defenseless chest. A fountain of blood erupted as a high-pitched scream echoed through the area. As she calmly retrieved the whip, the barbs on its cord tore away flesh and blood. Still clutching his spear, Ahn Hyeon's body collapsed.

"Ah, Ahn Hyeon? You fucking bitch...!"

Without missing a beat, Yurina swung her whip once more.

Thuip.

Lee Yu-jeong, who had been scrambling to her feet, froze mid-motion. A look of disbelief flashed across her face. Slowly, she lowered her head to look at her side. There was an old wound there, and something had just torn through it.

With a trembling face, Lee Yu-jeong opened her mouth.

"Ahn, Sol... Run..."

Thud!

Watching Lee Yu-jeong collapse, Ahn Sol's breath caught in her throat. A moment later, her mind went completely blank, as if she had lost her sanity. All the strength drained from her body, and her legs felt like they would give out. Her eyes, which had always sparkled, slowly lost their light and turned a dull, ashen gray.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

Within her empty inner world, only the frantic beating of her heart resounded.

But Yurina, paying it no mind, approached and asked again in her gentle voice.

"You haven't seen that man? Are you sure he came here?"

"Ah..."

"Did you take care of the vagrants' bodies? Do you remember where they went?"

"Ahn..."

Yurina let out a soft sigh at the meaningless response. Deciding it was time to head back, she gave her right hand a slight flick. The whip drew an S in the air before cracking against the ground, its tip then leaping up and lunging forward like a snake.

It was then. At that very moment, a cracked marble suddenly shot into the whip's path.

Vwoom! Shatter!

Hm?

Yurina's eyebrow twitched. Though she had clearly aimed for the neck, the whip had failed to reach Ahn Sol.

The marble was a 'Modified Shield of Protection'. The barrier had been broken during the fight with the vagrants, taking a toll on it, but the marble itself hadn't been destroyed. The moment it sensed its owner, Ahn Sol, was in danger, it had thrown itself forward, despite its incomplete state.

Fizzle... Fizzle...

As if that barrier had been its last ounce of strength, the marble, now just a tiny fragment of its former self, fell to the ground and rolled away. The shattered pieces scattered sadly in the air.

"No..." Ahn Sol whispered, watching the fragments disperse on the wind.

"What was that?"

Yurina tilted her head once more. But upon seeing the shattered marble, she readjusted her grip on the whip. The cord lengthened into a long curve, its end touching the ground. She then applied a little more force to the hand holding the whip.

Ahn Sol opened her mouth again.

"No...!"

Just then. As Ahn Sol's heartbeat, which had been climbing endlessly, was about to reach its absolute peak...

Everything stopped, as if in a lie.

The pounding heart ceased. The trembling that wracked her body subsided. Like a hollow doll, she lost control of her body, unable to feel a thing.

Goodbye.

Whoosh!

As Ahn Sol's head slumped lifelessly, the whip shot out in a straight line, smoothly piercing through her abdomen without resistance.

The sensation of being pierced turned into pain. A scream was about to erupt as agony spread through her entire body, but just then, time began to flow in slow motion.

In that fleeting moment, Ahn Sol's eyes took in the entire scene around her.

She saw the Queen of Swords, lying on the ground in the distance as if dead.

She saw Ahn Hyeon and Lee Yu-jeong, resting in round pools of their own blood.

And she saw Shin Sang-yong, already cold and still, a faint smile on his lips.

Everyone was down. There was no one left to help her.

The entire scene unfolded in slow motion.

And then, it was over. Time snapped back to normal, and the force of the blow sent Ahn Sol's head flying back.

And the heartbeat that had stopped...

Thump!

The vibration that had ceased...

Thump!

"Noooooo!"

The moment Ahn Sol's lips finally parted, it all burst forth at once.

『The conditions for Awakening have been met. In response to your earnest prayer, the succession of the Awakened Secret Class 'Priestess of Brilliance' will now commence.』

Vwooooooom!

Simultaneously, Ahn Sol's entire body was bathed in pure white light.

"Soohyun. Wait a moment."

Go Yeon-ju's voice stopped me as I was sprinting across the field. I turned my head without breaking stride and saw her scanning our surroundings with sharp eyes.

"Don't you think it's strange? The Users, the enemies... their numbers have suddenly dropped. In fact, I can barely see any at all."

"Hmm."

At her words, I used Magic Detection to sense the presences around us.

She was right. When I was rescuing Jung Ha-yeon, then Shin Jae-yong, and then Kim Han-byeol and the Haemil clan members, I had fought and evaded a large number of enemies. But since meeting up with Go Yeon-ju, the enemy appearances had abruptly dwindled.

I paused in thought for a moment before answering.

"Considering the enemy's objective, this might be a blind spot."

"A blind spot?"

"The vanguard pushes ahead to clear a path, and the leadership follows behind them."

"In that case..."

Go Yeon-ju, a quick thinker, understood my meaning at once. But her face immediately paled, a sign of her hesitation.

"You can turn back if you're afraid."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Go Yeon-ju shot me a glare. Having insisted on helping me no matter what, she clearly had no intention of leaving me to go on alone. And since I could consider help from someone of the 'Shadow Queen's' caliber, I had already agreed.

In any case, it was a welcome development for me. After rescuing the remaining members, if something I would regret for the rest of my life. Spurred on by the few enemy leaders I had originally targeted. Of course, I planned to entrust the transportation of my allies to Go Yeon-ju.

The ones left were Ahn Hyeon, Ahn Sol, Lee Yu-jeong, and Shin Sang-yong. They were together. At my current top speed, I estimated I would arrive soon.

They were the ones who had been with me the longest, and above all, losing Ahn Sol was something I would regret for the rest of my life. Spurred on by the thought of rescuing them quickly, I pushed myself faster. It was at that moment.

『Updating User Shin Sang-yong's information.』

A message suddenly appeared, and I checked his status.

Huh?

But the information wouldn't load. The 'Blessing of the Battlefield' was meant to relay the location of allies in crisis. The information for the others was still there, but Shin Sang-yong's had vanished.

Just as an unsettling thought flashed through my mind...

Kwooooooooh!

In the distance, a massive pillar of light shot up, as if to pierce the heavens. It soon formed a round oval in the sky, and from the opening, a colossal yet beautiful woman emerged. Her form, made of pure white light with her eyes tightly shut, gave the distinct impression of an angel.

Gwoooooh...

I stopped in my tracks without realizing it. An angel, suddenly projected into the sky. I had a clear memory of seeing this sight once before, in the first playthrough.

Yes. This was...

『Awakened Secret Class, Priestess of Brilliance, has appeared!』

『Activation of Miracle confirmed!』

"It's Miracle!"

At that moment, the angel's closed eyes slowly began to open.

Fwooooh!

The instant the angel's eyes were fully open, a brilliant light burst forth from its entire body.

The intense light washed over the area, and I instinctively shut my eyes.

How much time had passed?

When I slowly opened my eyes, I could see the descending light seeping into me, and new messages were floating in the air.

『All health is restored.』

『All magic is restored.』

『All status ailments are cured!』

In an instant, my body was fully recovered. I had been unknowingly exhausted from rampaging across the battlefield, but now I was back to my original state in a single breath.

No, not my original state. A vitality I hadn't felt even once since obtaining EternalFire was coursing through me. It felt like I had been a very long time since my body had been in such a peak condition.

"Oh my?"

Go Yeon-ju let out a sharp gasp. She moved her arms with a slightly bewildered expression, seemingly thinking the same thing I was.

The unique ability of the Priestess of Brilliance. Miracle.

The fact that this had been activated meant...

"Soohyun!"

At that moment, I started running again without a second's delay.

The surrounding landscape blurred past me.

Ahn Sol changing her class to 'Priestess of Brilliance' was certainly something to celebrate. It would allow me to advance my plans at least two, no, three times faster.

But why was this baseless anxiety gripping my heart?

I found the answer soon enough. My heightened senses finally detected the presence of my friends. And by the time the distance had closed enough for me to see them with my own eyes, a deep groan escaped my lips.

The first thing I saw was the Queen of Swords, collapsed on the ground. But she wasn't the problem. Nearby, Ahn Hyeon, Lee Yu-jeong, and Shin Sang-yong were all lying in pools of their own blood.

For a moment, my mind went blank. At the same time, I saw a woman who appeared to be the culprit staggering to her feet. In her hand was a barbed whip.

Hah. To think she looked so frail. She was hiding some sorry power.

In front of the muttering woman, Ahn Sol sat with her eyes squeezed shut, white wings shimmering on her back.

The woman raised her whip into the air. There was still some distance between us.

Without hesitation, I raised 'Victoria's Glory' and hurled it at her with all my might.

Swish!

Hm?

In that instant, our eyes met.

I immediately activated Third Stage Flight.

Thud! Pat! Boom!

After a Leap, Phase Shift, and Flash Step, I opened my eyes to see my sword, which had arrived a moment later, bearing down on the woman.

Clang!

Kyaaak!

"O-oppa?"

The moment I heard the sound of my sword being deflected and a high-pitched scream, a faint voice called out to me.

I slowly turned my head and saw Ahn Sol, her eyes open, looking at me. I gave her a slight nod.

"Why... Why were you so late...? Everyone... Everyone is..."

Did she not know what she had done? Ahn Sol's voice choked drifted to my ears.

Before anything else, I used my Third Eye to check our surroundings, my hand tightly gripping the bottle of elixir in my pouch.

『User Nam Da-eun (Normal).』

『User Ahn Hyeon (Normal).』

『User Lee Yu-jeong (Normal).』

The three of them, confirmed by my Third Eye, were alive. I let out a sigh of relief. Though their bodies were fallen, they had undoubtedly been affected by Miracle as well. Amidst the urgency, I breathed easier and turned my gaze to the last one.

『User Shin Sang-yong (Deceased).』

……

But Shin Sang-yong was dead.

In that moment, as if possessed, I walked over and knelt before him. There was a large hole in his body, likely the work of the woman with the whip. It must have been incredibly painful, yet his face showed no agony but a peaceful, serene smile. Just as he had always been.

I stared silently at Shin Sang-yong.

‘……’

I felt nothing. I had expected one or two to die anyway. It would have been a shame if it were Go Yeon-ju or Ahn Sol, but we already had an 'Alchemist' as a 'Chimera Alchemist'.

I felt nothing. Just a sense of calm. It wasn't the first or second time I had lost someone; it was a familiar situation.

Even after confirming Shin Sang-yong's death, I felt nothing.

Truly, nothing at all.

……

No.

I couldn't feel anything at all.

Several messages floated in the air before Ahn Sol's eyes, but right now, she could only see one thing: Kim Soohyun.

"Oppa..."

Ahn Sol stared at Kim Soohyun's back. She was at a loss for words. Though there were no visible wounds, his back was a wreck. From the tattered 'Blue Dragon Knight's Cloak' to the bloodstains caked on the inside, his appearance was a raw testament to what he had been through. A sudden feeling of shame washed over Ahn Sol. Just as she cautiously reached out a hand toward him...

"Ha..."

With a low sigh, Kim Soohyun stood up. In that instant, it felt as if all the air in the vicinity had become heavy and still.

Her breath caught in her throat, and Ahn Sol's hand fell to her side. Perhaps her body was reacting first to what was about to happen. Against her will, she began to tremble like a leaf in a storm.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

The moment Kim Soohyun lifted his head, a clear flame flickered to life in his eyes. Simultaneously, a terrifying aura, like a flood bursting its banks, erupted from him, threatening to swallow the area. The aura instantly dominated the area. Within its flow, no one dared to move. It was suffused with unmistakable, palpable killing intent.

Thud. Thud.

With a calm expression, Kim Soohyun walked over and picked up 'Victoria's Glory' from the ground. Yurina swallowed the lump in her throat. Although his action presented a clear opening, she didn't—couldn't—lift a single finger. Because she knew, instinctively...

The moment she took even a single step, she would die.