Chapter 187: A Moment with Barbara
Cha Seung-hyun’s eyes were wide open, his mouth agape in a silent scream. Seeing his expression, a strange thrill coursed through me. In the first round, Cha Seung-hyun was a user so high above me that I couldn’t even dream of facing him. Although he wasn’t quite the martial god he once was, the idea of defeating such a formidable opponent one-on-one was exhilarating.
He was strong, no doubt about it. We had a fierce battle, but that was all. He hadn’t reached his full potential yet, and he was no match for me now. His stats, except for stamina, were lacking. Compared to my high-quality weapons and armor, his gear was pitiful. His special and latent abilities were nothing to speak of. Even if he had matched me in all these areas, I had hidden abilities and secret weapons influenced by the Tanay perks. If I had decided to use my full power from the start, the fight would have been over much quicker.
“Aaaaaah!”
A desperate cry erupted, as if it had been bottled up and suddenly burst forth. Without turning, I knew it was Yoo Hyun-ah’s scream. But I didn’t stop my sword. With all my strength, I swung at Cha Seung-hyun’s neck as he staggered from his severed arm. And then—
“Ugh!”
With a final scream, the chilling sensation of slicing through flesh traveled up my sword. At the same time, Cha Seung-hyun’s head soared into the air, cleanly severed, before tracing a graceful arc and falling to the ground.
Thud, thud, thud, thud. Thump.
His headless body collapsed onto the inn floor, lifeless. By some twist of fate, Cha Seung-hyun’s head rolled to a stop near Yoo Hyun-ah. From the severed neck, warm blood spurted intermittently like a small fountain.
Yoo Hyun-ah’s expression was something to behold. Propped up on her hands, she wore a look that defied description—perhaps disbelief was the closest word. She kept muttering, “Ah… ah…” as if a mere touch would make her scream.
I decided to spare Yoo Hyun-ah. To her, Cha Seung-hyun and Ban Da-hee were precious siblings, but to other users, they were just part of a clan. If I harmed her, things would get complicated. She hadn’t drawn her sword against me, so ending it here was the right move. Watching her on the verge of fainting, I pondered her future.
What would become of her now? As I mentioned before, Yoo Hyun-ah rose to become the
But now, with Cha Seung-hyun and Ban Da-hee gone, her future was uncertain. Would she crumble under their loss, or rise again? It didn’t matter to me. I preferred the former, but I had plans to thwart the latter. I intended to intercept or eliminate most of the users she would meet and recruit. My resolve remained unchanged.
“Sigh.”
I let out a light sigh and turned away. There was nothing more for me here, and I had no desire to deal with the dazed Yoo Hyun-ah. Looking at my clan members, I saw unexpected reactions.
Go Yeon-joo was clapping silently, Vivian wore a calm expression, Jung Ha-yeon watched me with steady eyes, and Shin Sang-yong looked at Yoo Hyun-ah with pity but nodded slightly when our eyes met.
Their reactions eased my tense mind a little. Ahn Hyun was trembling slightly but his eyes were bright, a sign he hadn’t shied away from the situation. Lee Yoo-jung held the cursed sword Skurep in her right hand, watching me with a complex expression. Her fingers fidgeted, likely influenced by the sword and the bloodshed. I realized I needed to address the issue with Yoo-jung and the sword, something I’d neglected. Her reaction was both pleasing and troubling.
For now, leaving this place was the priority. I couldn’t stay in Mule any longer. It would be better to face any inquiries after moving to another city. Watching Ahn Sol swallow nervously, I slowly closed the distance with my clan members.
“Good work.”
“Are you hurt?”
Go Yeon-joo and Jung Ha-yeon greeted me in turn. I nodded slightly.
“There was an unfortunate incident, but our plans remain unchanged. Let’s leave Mule immediately.”
“Um… brother?”
“Yes? What is it?”
Ahn Sol bit her nails, hesitating. I glanced at the still-stunned Yoo Hyun-ah and shook my head. There was a risk of escalation and a lack of justification. Killing her now would undermine the reasons for killing Cha Seung-hyun and Ban Da-hee. While there might be grounds to do so, I wanted to avoid unnecessary complications.
“Let’s go.”
After urging my companions once more, I left the inn. The clan members followed quietly, and the younger ones stumbled out, a bit flustered. Ahn Hyun, quickening his pace, walked beside me and spoke.
“Hyung, is it really okay to have done this in the city?”
“It’ll be fine. Even as a representative clan, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. The situation was justifiable in many ways. We won’t be wanted.”
The answer came from Jung Ha-yeon, not me. Despite her reassurance, Ahn Hyun’s expression remained uneasy. Sensing his discomfort, Go Yeon-joo spoke up.
“Hey, rookie.”
“Y-yes?”
“Who do you think I am?”
“Uh, well…”
Ahn Hyun fell silent, caught off guard by her sudden question. She chuckled softly and patted his head, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. Watching his face harden, I quickly enhanced my hearing.
“I smile at you all because you’re Su-hyun’s comrades, and he cherishes you as his younger siblings.”
”…”
“And now, we’re clan members. But before that, I’m the Shadow Queen. I don’t expect you to understand now, but you’ll learn with experience. So don’t worry and keep your wits about you, kid.”
“Ah, understood.”
With that, Go Yeon-joo moved to my side, and Ahn Hyun’s tense expression relaxed. He sighed in relief, his face showing clear signs of reassurance. It seemed he was more concerned about the potential consequences of killing Cha Seung-hyun and Ban Da-hee, like being wanted or becoming outcasts.
I recalled the first time I met the younger ones during the initiation. They had been terrified when I shot an arrow at Woo Jung-min’s group. Compared to that, they had grown a lot. Although with Lee Yoo-jung, it wasn’t necessarily in a good direction.
“Su-hyun, did you really hate them that much?”
“Hmm?”
A soft whisper came from beside me. Turning, I found Go Yeon-joo watching me with a curious smile. She glanced back briefly before continuing in a quiet voice.
“You seem so relieved.”
Relieved, huh? From her perspective, both the younger ones and I were just first-year users. I thought I had masked my emotions well, but it seemed she had seen through me.
On a side note, back in the modern world, there were things in novels and comics I couldn’t understand. The hero’s antics, for one. I never liked it. They could easily defeat their enemies or navigate situations, yet they chose to endanger themselves. I often clicked my tongue at such stories, questioning the protagonist’s actions.
That doesn’t mean I want a reckless, thoughtless approach. Even if someone was an enemy in the first round, if there’s a chance to recruit them, I’ll consider it. Woo Jung-min’s group and Go Yeon-joo are prime examples. Still, it’s wise to do what you can when the situation allows.
Why did I start the second round after finishing the first? To become a hero? To gain fame and power? No. I didn’t come back for such trivial games. I returned because there were things I couldn’t achieve in the first round. This time, I intend to see them through.
Because of that, I was prepared to be more ruthless than anyone else to achieve my goal. Yes, Go Yeon-joo was right. Just as she said, I felt a sense of relief. And as Cha Seung-hyun pointed out, I didn’t feel even a shred of guilt for abandoning my moral compass as a human being. All I felt was the satisfaction of having easily dealt with a formidable opponent who might have been troublesome in the future.
In response to Go Yeon-joo’s question, I gave a faint smile and shrugged. Without offering any further explanation, I quickly made my way toward the warp gate. Although I had only been in Mule for about three months, it felt like I had been there for half a year due to all the events I had experienced. Perhaps that’s why the thought of leaving Mule filled me with a sense of excitement.
They had left. The once bustling inn was now enveloped in a heavy silence. The contrast between the quiet atmosphere and the gruesome scene inside the inn was stark. Two pools of blood had formed, each with a lifeless body lying in it.
“Haah…”
Yoo Hyun-ah lifted her head and let out an unintelligible sound. Her cheeks bore the marks of dried tears, and her lips were parched. With bloodshot eyes, she slowly turned her head. She saw one body lying cold and still, and another with its head and body separated, lying awkwardly on the floor.
“Ha… Haah… Haaaah…”
Each time Yoo Hyun-ah opened her mouth, a hoarse sound escaped her throat. Unable to continue facing the scene, or perhaps unwilling to accept it as reality, she lowered her head once more.
… … … … …
How much time had passed? Suddenly, a strange sound began to emerge from her as she stared at the floor.
“Heh, hehe. Hehehe. Hehahaha. Heh, heh.”
It was a sound that was hard to distinguish between crying and laughing. For a while, she continued to make these sounds like someone who had lost their mind, until finally, with a “thud,” she collapsed. White foam bubbled from her mouth.
Even then, her lips moved slightly, and a wheezing sound continued to escape. Her eyes were half-rolled back, and the pupils that could be seen seemed unfocused. White foam trickled from her mouth. Her expression was that of someone who wanted to forget everything, like a girl hoping that when she woke up, it would all have been just a dream.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Ah, I have a brief announcement for my readers today. Recently, I’ve been receiving a flood of messages. Normally, I would respond quickly, but as you know, I’m still in the midst of exams and extremely busy. With so many messages piling up, many of which require lengthy responses, I plan to reply to each one in turn starting next week after my exams are over. I ask for your kind understanding and hope you enjoy today’s installment. :)
PS. Tomorrow’s exam is likely to be a disaster. Hahaha. Sigh. ㅜ.ㅠ
PS2. Thank you to everyone who has given recommendations, comments, ratings, coupons, and messages. :D
『 Reader Comments 』
破天魔痕: You’ve broken Sensortive’s four-time streak of being first. Haha. Congratulations on being first. It seems like the same people are consistently getting first place these days. I’m curious to see who would win if some of the past champions and new rising stars competed. :)
GradeRown: That’s absolutely not possible. Of course, it could be done, but there’s a very useful item called the “Crystal of Truth.” :) Yoo Hyun-ah survived, not by luck, but thanks to Kim Soo-hyun’s mercy. Hehe. What will happen to her next? Don’t worry. Since I’ve already set her up as a pitiable character, well… ahem.
dddfaaaf: Yes, there are continents like that, and some that aren’t like that yet. For example, the Western Continent is quite severe. In the early explanations, it was mentioned that “the Northern Continent maintained strict military discipline due to the influence of the Golden Lion Clan.” The Golden Lion Clan is about to fall. It hasn’t fallen yet, but what will happen to the Northern Continent then? :)
Masterpiece: Initially, it was set up with an external/internal configuration. However, as I added different traits midway, it became a bit more complex. You can still view it within that framework, but as Robellian mentioned, it’s better to base it on the user themselves. If I stuck to the initial setup, the traits would be too one-dimensional. I wanted to send it in a more multi-directional way.
레필: I always have a lot to think about when I read your comments. They help me consider things from different perspectives. :) Thank you for your comments. I look forward to more insightful thoughts from you.
뉴마더: They came to ask for help. They joined the investigation team and were also looking to recruit during that time. They probably wanted to assess the ability to excavate three ruins in three months. :) As a representative clan, they read the exploration report.
open: If you’re referring to my initial setup, I planned to keep Yoo Hyun-ah alive and ensure the other two were killed. Don’t worry too much about sparing Yoo Hyun-ah. I won’t disappoint you. The reason for sparing her was to minimize the damage to the target you mentioned. I did consider wiping them all out, but I felt it was right to proceed with the initial setup. :)
엘프카이: Hahahahaha. Oh, that’s not allowed. Hahahahaha. Still, it was something I hadn’t thought of, and it made me burst out laughing! :D
위태위태: Thank you, 위태위태님. Especially the part where you said, “This time, the crazy woman set the table for us, but if they had met in a deserted place, he would have killed her without any pretext.” It gave me chills. There’s nothing more to add or take away. It’s the perfect answer to Soo-hyun’s actions.
즐거운날: Hehe. Of course. A proper enemy is necessary. And regarding that, there will be more to come, though not endlessly(?), so please wait a little longer! :D
juan: Haha. Many people were curious about that part in the beginning. I didn’t reveal it clearly in the flow of the novel. However, I consistently answered with one thing. “Soo-hyun is not a fool.” It’s not just because of a simple brother’s will; there’s a reason and setup for why he couldn’t save them. Since it’s related to the conclusion, if you find out now… it might reduce more than half of the enjoyment you’ll feel in the future. Even if it’s not about other parts, since it’s related to the conclusion, I plan to keep it strictly confidential. It’s not a setup conflict, so please don’t worry too much and watch the progress. :)
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force for continuous updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.
If you’re really curious about something, send me a message, and I’ll reply!
With that, I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, ratings, critiques, and questions are always welcome.