Chapter 18 (2/2)

“Fuck! This bastard…!”

Such reactions and profanities were like drugs to try to forget the fear of battle. However, it could only be helpful to an extent. When yelling, breathing was disturbed, and efficient movement was eventually broken down. I lashed out with a foot toward the foul-mouthed subordinate.

Smash!

“Ahhhhhh!”

The opponent’s mana barrier blocked my kick to his shin so that I couldn’t break his bones. However, it was enough just to inflict pain to stop. The momentary sway in his balance led to him paying a great price.

Piiissh!

The dagger quickly moved through his neck. He spat out blood as he staggered his knees, then he collapsed, vomiting blood bubbles. The only person left was Gye Yong-hwan.

“This…this…this!”

He tried to curse yet ended up swallowing his words instead. And then, as if he must have now noticed his blood turning cold with fear and tension, he didn’t rush towards me. He slowly took a stance and aimed for my weak spot. I could feel him accumulating mana in the sword. In our exchange of glances, his eyes shone with murderous intent.

Shook!

As if he couldn’t stand his impatience, he again swung his sword in an obvious path. However, the amount of mana condensed in it was serious. I judged that it would be impossible to counter it as it was, so I quickly pulled back.

[Acceleration!]

Shaaa!

With one backstep, I quickly escaped from the trajectory of the sword. I quickly looked inside myself.

-Active Mana: 720 (+80)/640

-Potential Mana: 71,600

Since I absorbed the Orc’s cores, the mana left remained above the limit, but I had no more room to absorb the cores or consume potions in the current situation.

Cling! Cling-Clang!

His longsword and my dagger crossed a few more times. His Mana level visible was about 2,000. In terms of the hunter class, it was lower D-class. I had a high probability of reaching E-class if measured in this state. In other words, if I continued with a simple Mana fight, I would be exhausted first. There was no reason to prolong this further.

“Hooah!”

As he yelled, he stabbed toward my chest. The blades collided and rubbed, followed by a tight tug of war. My short blade was at a disadvantage in terms of range, so he tried to corner me at a reasonable distance. As I read the path, I rushed and backed off with acceleration, looking for a gap. However, unlike his subordinates, he was better at evading my attacks. Their basic physical ability and Mana amount were of a different level. He was a hunter, one rank higher than them.

‘I have to break his balance!’

My moment had finally come.

Cling!

My dagger glided against his blade and touched Gye Yong-hwan’s wrist.

Slice!

“Haaap!”

Blood splattered from his wrist. However, Gye Yong-hwan didn’t care about the wounds. Perhaps in a determination to take my bones, he rushed in to slice me.

Wooshhhh!

As I pushed in too deeply, I couldn’t completely avoid his attack.

Rip!

There was a burning pain as a long red line was drawn on my thigh. With a clenched jaw, I barely made the distance with acceleration, but when I stepped back on the ground, I stumbled. My muscle was deeply cut. Gye Yong-hwan looked at me with a wicked smile as if he had captured the victory. He seemed to be convinced that I would no longer be able to move as freely as before.

The only wound I inflicted on Gye Yong-hwan was a light cut on the wrist. In return, my lower body was cut deep enough to make it difficult to move.

“What a rowdy bastard, now that his legs are cut that deeply, his end…”

However, he couldn’t finish talking.

Wheeing!

Light rose from the serpentine bracelet around my wrist. As the white light covered my body, only the cut cloth remained as the sliced flesh mended and the blood dissipated.

“What the fuck?!”

The man baffled, then clenched his jaw. As he did so, I ran to him again. Gye Yong-hwan struggled with fluctuating emotions as he swung his sword.

“Ugh! Huh!”

His movement began to slow down as if struggling in the water.

“What…what is this…!”

Just a little while ago, with just a slight cut on his wrist, it took effect. This was Lorto’s dagger; the paralysis poison was now showing its presence.

“Keup!”

He struggled to resist and swung his sword a few more times, but his movement was noticeably slower. From then on, I just wandered at a distance and waited for the poison to spread completely. Blue veins bulged on Gye Yong-hwan’s temple. He staggered, and his legs started to falter. I watched his sword and glared at him even when he was on his knees.

‘It’s over.’

I approached him with the dagger.

Thump!

He lost his strength, fell completely, and hit the floor. In that state, Gye Yong-hwan’s mouth bubbled, and his whole body convulsed as if he was shivering. He looked up at me, and our eyes met. Gye Yong-hwan also felt that everything was now over. His tongue must not have been completely paralyzed, as he forced his mouth to move clumsily.

“Th…thpare…thpare my life…”

My eyes were cold.

“···”

The sound kept leaking out of his mouth.

“Thepare my life…”

When I heard that, the documentary came to mind again. A mother remembered the last call with her daughter, who had been living in Gyeongwon-Si. She cried over the phone, asking for help, and her parents, who couldn’t do anything at that moment, cried with a heart-breaking sadness during their interview.

In the future, the investigation and arrests were carried out by one of the guild members’ statements. One of the guild members who couldn’t bear the guilt had already committed suicide before investigators even found him. However, only one, guild leader Gye Yong-Hwan, who fled abroad in advance, wasn’t caught. Even by the arrest orders of government councils worldwide and the hunter union, they couldn’t trace his whereabouts.

“Eugh, plea, pleathe… thav…”

My gaze fell over Gye Yong-Hwan’s struggling body. The fact that made my heart heavier was that the disaster in Gyeongwon was just a prelude to the events that followed. Numerous incidents continued after the Korean disaster, and forty years later, the SSS-class dungeon finally collapsed. Although it was impossible to weigh each victim’s tragedy, it was an incomparable event in terms of how many more people were involved. And there was even the betrayal of a maniac, which was like the death sentence for humanity.

All should be stopped, and I would be the one to stop it.

“Eeeu! If you…kill me…our…!”

I look down on him. Gye Yong-hwan’s eyes trembled, trying to say something desperately.

Swish!

Without hesitation, I swung the dagger and stuck it in his forehead.