267 — Sword Ghost (2)

A silence as quiet as a mouse’s death hung in the air.
The overwhelming aura of a dominant strongman controlling the crowd.
The scent of death slowly creeping from deep within.

In that situation where no one could move.
With a crackling sound, a woman ran out.

“Aaaah!!!”
“……”

Sword Ghost, So Hang-woo.
The old man glanced at the running woman.

She was an unknown hunter.
Probably estimated to be a lower-ranked A-class.
Judging by the electricity flowing through both hands,
He guessed it was some kind of mediocre ability.

The old man was puzzled.
He had emitted ‘intimidation,’ so how did she move?

Soon, he realized from the knife mark on the back of the woman’s hand
That she had self-inflicted the wound to escape through the pain.

The old man nodded just once.
Though she was still a worthless bug…

“Not bad.”
“Die!!!”

The woman’s eyes were bloodshot.
To the old man, those eyes were extremely familiar.
Eyes burning with hatred, resentment, and desire for revenge.

The old man thought.
Among those he had just killed, this woman must have had family or a lover.
Probably, the power fueled by burning such feelings.
A common emotional outburst.

When he reached that conclusion.
…the feeling turned cold.

‘Pathetic…’

Normally, she wasn’t even worth dealing with,
But he had to praise her for breaking free from intimidation.

The old man grabbed his sword without looking.
Just before his electric-charged arms touched her,
He lightly drew his sword.
A long sword marked with ‘1’ that hadn’t yet left its sheath.

The old man pushed her nose with his index finger.
With a ‘ching!’ sound, a blade less than 5cm long slid out.
With that, he easily took the woman’s life.

Shuuk!

Before anyone noticed, the old man had moved behind the woman.
With a ‘click’ sound, he sheathed his sword.

Only a few with sharp eyes noticed the momentary severing of the carotid artery.

Blood flowed from her neck.
The woman bent her knees and ended her life meaninglessly.

“……”

About 15 meters away from the old man, in the middle of the battlefield.

Divine Light Garam stopped swinging his mace at the enemy and looked at the old man.

And the unknown masked villain in front of him was the same.

Not only them.
The same allies, reliable comrades,
And seniors from the <Sisterhood> who had already entered society and spread holiness.
Experienced and promising hunters who upheld that name.

Even the <villains, mine> who were, at least on the surface, on the old man’s side… Couldn’t breathe and stared at the Sword Ghost.

A great battle that would surely be recorded in Korean history.
The center and heart deciding the outcome.

Divine Light Garam thought.
Probably, history would record it like this.

‘Just one person…’

Only one person’s appearance brought silence to the battlefield…

Drrrrk.

A drop of sweat trickled down Divine Light Garam’s delicate jawline.
He was certain.

‘The tide has completely turned.’

An overwhelming presence that could not be resisted.
Divine Light Garam read the future in advance.
He imagined the unfolding bloodshed and his own futile collapse.

She closed her eyes.
Silently apologized to Yoo Se-ha inside.

‘…I’m sorry, junior.’

After this is over, if we both survive…
Even years later…
I wanted to remain a good senior and junior by your side…
But it seems I am destined to be martyred here.

Soon, as expected, the Sword Ghost moved.
Slowly adjusting his sword grip.
He drew another sword, envisioning a massacre.

But…
The Sword Ghost’s action was completely different.

“……”

The Sword Ghost walked out nonchalantly.
Ignoring the hunters around him, he just walked out.

He stopped in front of Moon Ha-yeon, who was treating wounds and supporting Kim Min-soo.

The Sword Ghost spoke.

“Need more time?”

Moon Ha-yeon replied.

“Enough.”
“Alright, let’s move.”

At those words, not only the hunters but also the villains were taken aback.
They expected a fight, but he just wanted to leave?
What was going on?

The most shocked was
Go Ju-geum, the clan master of <Niflheim>.
The old woman stepped forward and pointed her staff.

“Hey, Sword Ghost! Where do you think you’re going! With that skill, immediately take down these damn bastards—”

Shuuk!

Thud, rolling.
The sound of cutting.
Go Ju-geum’s head was cleanly severed and rolled on the floor.

He had just cut down an ally…
And clearly the master of a criminal clan.

The clan members of <Niflheim> looked at the Sword Ghost with shock and anger…

“……”

At the Sword Ghost’s expressionless gaze,
No one dared to speak and bowed their heads.

They realized that even the slightest resistance meant death.
They understood that common sense did not apply to this mad old man.

In the world where power decides everything,
In the end, the strong are the law.

Watching this, Moon Ha-yeon grumbled.

“…We should leave those who just stall alone, damn old man.”

Moon Ha-yeon’s grumble.
The Sword Ghost answered indifferently.

“Didn’t you think of cleaning them all up this time anyway?”
“…Still, you should do it moderately.”
“It’s fine. There are quite a few left. The most threatening ones are dead or subdued… I’ll buy you some time to finish your job.”
“Anyway, damn old man… such a bad temper.”

Just as they were grumbling,
Moon Ha-yeon muttered softly.

“…They’re ambushing again?”
“Already cut them down.”

The Sword Ghost answered as usual.
He folded the oversized sword marked ‘4’ in half and put it back in its sheath.

Thud.
Something fell from the sky.

At first, it looked like rain.
But it was all blood.

Drip, drip!

Five hunters who had tried various ways to attack the Sword Ghost.
Their bodies were covered with dozens of cracks, shattered into tiny pieces like dust.

“……”

The Sword Ghost turned his eyes.
He looked at Na Tun-tun, swallowing dry saliva in fear.
He watched Neung Ha-ack, who had returned to human form and was panting.

“Is that the best you can do?”
“…Top-tier A-class, on par with me. Less than a thousand worldwide.”
“Pathetic bugs.”
“…Damn, that monstrous old man. You’re abnormally strong.”

The Sword Ghost walked confidently.
As if daring anyone to stop him.
Moon Ha-yeon and Kim Min-su followed behind.

No one could stop the three.
One minute after the natural disaster built from human flesh disappeared.

“…A-attack!”
“Get ready, everyone!!”

Only then did the remaining hunters and villains resume the war.

After walking some distance.
The Sword Ghost spoke to Kim Min-su, who was aching in pain.

“Min-su, are you confident you won’t be a burden?”
“…I can do it.”
“Good. Go. Achieve what you want even if it costs your life.”

After finishing his words,
The Sword Ghost turned his body so fast that Kim Min-su was startled.

“…S-So Hang-woo, aren’t you coming too?”

The Sword Ghost snorted.

“Do I have to change diapers for you two grown-ups? From now on, you handle yourselves.”
“Ah, understood…”

Then he spoke to Moon Ha-yeon.

“Do as you wish. That was the agreement, right?”
“……”

At the question, Moon Ha-yeon smiled faintly and nodded.

“Do as you want, damn old man.”
“Of course. Don’t die meaninglessly here.”
“Oh, how sweet… So…”

Moon Ha-yeon glanced behind.

“Who’s coming?”

The Sword Ghost answered.

“A familiar face. I intend to talk.”

Moon Ha-yeon nodded.
Running with Kim Min-soo, she said softly.

“Don’t die.”
“……”

The Sword Ghost smiled faintly at the reply.
Looking up at the night sky, he muttered.

“…Die? At least today, I don’t see a star that will take my neck.”

Right after finishing his words.
Above the night sky.
A huge ice chunk dozens of meters wide appeared.

The Sword Ghost stared at it silently.
It was undoubtedly a powerful cold skill, the pinnacle of both skill and sorcery.

Bang-!!!

The Sword Ghost didn’t blink.
He faced it head-on.

Crack.

The Sword Ghost was completely frozen, trapped in clear, transparent ice.
After a moment, the ice shook and he broke it instantly and walked out.

He didn’t even draw his sword.
He didn’t respond at all.

Just the strength of his body.
And a high spirit that could only be described as madness.

The one who launched the attack clicked her tongue.

“Still using such brute methods.”

The voice belonged to a white-haired woman who looked like a mid-teen.
A woman who freely controlled powerful cold that could freeze even the moisture in the air, dressed in white martial clothes.
Professor Cheon Mi-ra, in charge of [Understanding Yin and Yang].

The Sword Ghost replied.

“I accepted it as a greeting. I consider that polite enough.”
“Nasty one…”
“Long time no see, sister Cheon Mi-ra. Has it been 70 years? You’re still beautiful.”
“Yes, long time no see. You’ve become even scarier.”

After finishing their words,
both disappeared in an instant.

Thud-! The shockwave burst out.
A fierce clash of sword energy and cold.

Even strong fighters at a certain level couldn’t see the intense battle.

No, more precisely…

It was a fight where Cheon Mi-ra attacked relentlessly as if to kill,
and the Sword Ghost responded as if it was nothing.

The Sword Ghost lightly cut the derived skill [Blue Fish Ice Explosion] of [Ice Moon One Body Skill], which aimed at his neck, heart, lungs, and abdomen, and asked.

“Why are you here?”
“Isn’t it natural for a professor to be at the academy?”
“Then why be a professor? You’re not young enough to be trailing behind unripe rookies.”
“Yu Neung-hae bowed his head to me.”
“Yu Neung-hae? Is he some prodigy?”
“Do you judge the world only by such things? He’s just an ordinary kid. And the chairman of this academy. Did the attackers come here without knowing that?”
“Why should I know?”
“Nasty one… That kid told me that some great evil would come someday, and asked me to protect the hope of the future.”
“So you came to this shabby place?”
“Yes, to protect many hopes here. And to stop you in front of me. That is the path to inherit ‘that guy’s’ will.”

Click.

The word ‘that guy.’

The Sword Ghost reacted like lightning,
And drew his sword at Cheon Mi-ra.

For a moment, shadow-like afterimages wrapped around the sword.
He sliced through all the cold spreading steadily, cutting the entire domain.
Cheon Mi-ra narrowed her eyes as she saw the cold disappear in an instant.

“…You’ve become stronger. I’ve heard rumors that you’re A-class. Were you hiding your strength on purpose?”

“Quite the opposite. I’ve never hidden my strength since I was born. Just showing that much power kills everyone, so no one could report details. Doesn’t the association or clans give low evaluations to villains and mine?”

“Right… If they knew a criminal with S-class strength was roaming freely, and was too strong to be subdued, they’d only get criticized.”

“Exactly. Being cautious means you’re out. How can ignorant fools who don’t recognize the enemy’s strength rise higher? I’m not someone to be defined by the ratings set by petty association guys. Like that person…”

“That person…”

The Sword Ghost raised his hand.
The long sword marked ‘1’ in his hand shone brilliantly,
Roaring like a dragon ready to cut the moon in the night sky.

“Thirty years ago, my sword surpassed the sky and reached the stars.”

And now,
Beyond that world.
He was even eyeing celestial bodies.

“Sister Cheon Mi-ra, I dare say.”

Now,
I have succeeded in taking the first step into the world beyond the stars I so longed to reach.

“My parent, my teacher, and my only family…”

Ji Han-seong.

“It means I’ve arrived where he is.”
“……”