It happened in an instant. Just as Victoria’s Glory was about to strike its target, a figure made of mist suddenly appeared, blocking the path between me and Baek Seoyeon. I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“Mist transformation?”
If my memory served me right, this was a unique ability that temporarily turned the user’s body into mist. Though it had a short duration, it was quite a useful skill. It allowed for rapid movement, ignored physical attacks, and had high resistance to magic. It was a troublesome ability to counter with conventional means, except for specific counter-magic.
The mist began to glow faintly before flowing like water, wrapping around my sword.
“Come to think of it, this one’s going to be quite famous too.”
I vaguely recalled hearing about a vagrant who used mist transformation. Offering a silent condolence, I accelerated my descending sword.
Slice, slice!
“Aaah!”
The sensation traveling up my palm was varied. I felt the soft resistance of flesh, the emptiness of air, and then flesh again. Looking down, I saw the mist, once white, now split in two and gradually turning crimson. Baek Seoyeon’s body leaned slightly to the left, her right arm missing from the shoulder down.
Thud! Thump!
As the mist dissipated, a neatly severed corpse emerged on the ground, alongside a smooth arm still clutching a dagger. Both lay on the ground, bleeding in unison.
The faces of the vagrants were frozen in shock, without exception. It was a moment of utter desperation. Just as their leader, Baek Seoyeon, was about to be taken down, one of them acted quickly, using the unique ability of mist transformation to block the attack. But their relief was short-lived.
The vagrant who used mist transformation had indeed utilized their ability, not just to block but to disrupt the sword’s path. However, the gleaming sword sliced through the mist effortlessly, severing Baek Seoyeon’s right arm.
It was a miscalculation. The vagrant assumed Kim Suhyeon was using high-level cutting magic and responded with their unique ability. Had they known about the powers of the ‘Sword Specialist,’ a top-tier secret class, they would never have dared to intervene.
In essence, the vagrant who was just killed had sacrificed their life in vain.
Yet, the vagrants were still in the dark about many things. It wasn’t just about user information. They didn’t know that Kim Suhyeon had deliberately cut off Baek Seoyeon’s arm.
Regardless, Baek Seoyeon’s response was swift. She ignored the fact that her arm was severed, that she had lost all her weapons, and that the mist transformation was broken. Her mind was solely focused on creating distance from Kim Suhyeon.
Though her balance was slightly off after losing her right arm, she could still move. Baek Seoyeon firmly believed that the mist had saved her life and quickly prepared to retreat.
Bang!
But Kim Suhyeon wasn’t about to let that happen. Sensing her intent to retreat, he lifted his right foot and struck her abdomen. Her body momentarily lifted off the ground before crashing down and rolling across the dirt.
One might think the fight was over, but Kim Suhyeon didn’t stop. As if this wasn’t enough, he swiftly closed the distance and mounted her. Despite being surrounded by vagrants, he remained unfazed. His left arm drew back and then struck Baek Seoyeon’s face with force.
Thud!
“Aaah!”
For the first time, Baek Seoyeon, who had never screamed in any situation, let out a feminine cry. Kim Suhyeon’s strength was at 96 points, a level far beyond mere punching. If Baek Seoyeon’s durability hadn’t been decent, her head might have burst or her face caved in with a single blow.
As her scream echoed, the vagrants finally snapped out of their frozen state. Though only 5 or 6 seconds had passed, the situation had drastically changed.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Stop! Please, stop! Aaaah!”
Another high-pitched scream rang out. The vagrants quickly regained their senses and rushed toward Kim Suhyeon. But he remained unperturbed. With a calm glance around, he placed his bloodied left hand on the ground and leaped high into the air.
Swish, swish, swish!
Kim Suhyeon’s body spun gracefully in the air, and simultaneously, seven yellow beams targeted him from all directions.
The archers’ aim was precise, predicting the exact spot where Kim Suhyeon would land.
But that was all. No matter how accurate the prediction, it was useless if they couldn’t hit him. The magic-infused arrows pierced through where Kim Suhyeon had been, flying off into the distance. As his form vanished into thin air, another scream erupted from somewhere.
Using a teleportation skill mid-air, Kim Suhyeon landed with his foot on someone’s chest. Beneath him lay a priest, pinned to the ground. The priest had rushed out to heal Baek Seoyeon, but Kim Suhyeon had intercepted them.
Among the 50 vagrants who had pursued the users, only 10 were mages or priests. Nearly half of them had been lost in the initial ambush and attack. In reality, only one priest remained, and even they were now caught by Kim Suhyeon.
Kim Suhyeon pressed his foot down firmly.
Crunch!
“Aaah!”
The vagrants looked at Kim Suhyeon as if they had seen a ghost. He was scanning the area, seemingly searching for his next target.
Then it happened.
“Everyone… fall back…!”
A voice, strained and barely audible, trembled through the air. To everyone’s surprise, it was Baek Seoyeon who had risen. Despite missing an arm and her face covered in blood, she stood again. She staggered, trying to regain her balance, but eventually fell to her left knee.
At that moment, a fierce wave of magic surged behind Kim Suhyeon.
“Fire!”
As Baek Seoyeon’s voice, almost a wail, echoed, countless spells and arrows shot into the sky.
They soared over Kim Suhyeon, racing toward a different target—the direction where the other users were.
“So that’s their plan.”
Watching the spells and arrows fly overhead, I understood Baek Seoyeon’s strategy. I had wondered why ten of them had retreated, and now it was clear they were buying time to prepare a concentrated attack. They likely intended to deal with the users behind me first, then focus their tactics on me.
A high-pitched whine filled the air, but I stopped myself from rushing toward them. From the users’ direction, a chilling sound from Tyrfing and a formidable surge of magic emanated. Shadows were converging rapidly. Though I was a bit worried, I decided to trust Go Yeonju and the users.
That left me with two choices. I glanced at Baek Seoyeon and then at the vagrants who had launched the concentrated attack. It was impressive that Baek Seoyeon had managed to stand again. Despite losing an arm and taking a blow to the head, she had stubbornly risen.
I admired her tenacity, but that was all. She had already lost her combat capability. Without her favored weapon and an arm, she couldn’t perform as she once did.
With that in mind, my decision was clear. Rather than dealing with Baek Seoyeon and the surrounding vagrants, breaking through the concentrated attack formation was the priority.
I charged toward them.
My first targets were the mages. My magic resistance was monstrous, but the firepower of skilled mages was not to be underestimated. I needed to eliminate them quickly to cut off their support.
As I rushed in, the vagrants began to focus on me. The mages stepped back, chanting spells, while the archers took aim.
I also sensed the presence of melee fighters closing in from behind, hoping to catch me off guard. They had formed a perfect encirclement, a concentrated attack formation of their own.
Swish, swish, swish!
I deflected the incoming arrows with precise timing. The ones in front were all archers or mages. This meant that once I closed the distance, they were as good as done. Planning to finish them off quickly, I infused Victoria’s Glory with magic and swung it wide in front of me.
Boom!
Previously, the fan-shaped wave that had been demonstrated in the square swept over the vagrants. A few on the edges or those who had fallen back managed to retreat hastily, but those in the center weren’t so lucky. Instead, they leapt nimbly upward, trying to escape the wave’s reach. At that moment, I swung my sword upward. The wave changed direction, surging skyward in an instant.
Boom! Boom!
“Aaaargh!”
“Ughhh!”
Even as they tried to resist with magic, sparks flew briefly, but soon enough, every one of them who had jumped was left with some part of their body severed. Only after brushing them aside could I advance into the heart of the concentrated fire formation.
I swung my sword at the nearest vagrant. Caught off guard by my speed, the light flickered across his bewildered face, and a bright red line appeared down the center of it.
After dispatching two more vagrants within range, I turned my attention to the mages.
They had scattered in all directions since my arrival, leaving me momentarily unsure of where to go first. Then, I felt the searing flow of magic from both sides. Glancing around, I saw two streams of fire heading my way. Just before they reached me, I flicked my sword lightly to the left and right, as if throwing quick jabs.
Bang! Bang!
The spells shattered with a loud noise, and I heard someone stifle a gasp. That was when the vagrants who had been chasing me from behind finally caught up.
I sent a wave toward each of the mages who had cast spells, then quickly turned around. At the forefront was a vagrant wielding a massive mace studded with sharp iron spikes.
As he reached me, he swung the blue-tinged mace down with all his might. I spun to the left, brushing the mace aside with my sword. The vagrant’s elbow bent the wrong way, and I watched as he smashed his own head.
Using the momentum, I pivoted on my left foot and kicked into the air.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
I felt something solid against my foot. Though I couldn’t see it, I swung my sword in the direction my senses indicated. I felt it slice through something soft.
After spinning halfway more, I finally managed to stop and catch my breath.
“Phew.”
Looking up, I saw that the concentrated fire formation had been completely dismantled.
I shifted my gaze forward. Baek Seoyeon lay on the ground as if dead, and in the distance, I noticed a sudden growth of thick bushes.
I tilted my head in curiosity but decided not to dwell on it. My latent ability, the blessing of the battlefield, assured me that my clan members were safe.
Out of the 41, including Baek Seoyeon, 26 had charged at me. Nearly thirty had attacked, but now only a single-digit number of vagrants remained. The tide had turned completely in our favor. Most importantly, Baek Seoyeon had lost consciousness. The remaining ones were just stragglers.
I quickly expanded my magical detection to locate the vagrants and dashed toward the nearest one.
Now, it was time to leave a few alive.
“Go Yeonju, are you alright?”
I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and spoke to Go Yeonju, who was perched on a rock. Her lips were stained with a faint trace of blood. She turned to look at me slowly. When I gestured with the cigarette, she shook her head.
“I’m managing. I knew about the concentrated fire formation, but it was terrifying. Are you okay, Suhyeon?”
I nodded. Then, sitting down beside her, I lit the cigarette.
Sizzle, sizzle.
“Phew. What’s the damage?”
“Three. The clan members are safe.”
“Three, huh. We did well.”
The battle with the pursuers was over. The vagrants had 39 casualties. Eleven were injured or unconscious. The users had only three casualties. It was a decisive victory for the users.
“Looking at the results, yes. Honestly, we almost got hit hard by the concentrated fire, but thanks to that man, we minimized the damage.”
Go Yeonju pointed to Jo Seungwoo, who was busy tidying up the battlefield. The lush bushes I had seen earlier must have been his defensive magic.
“But Suhyeon.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you spare the 11 vagrants?”
“Because they’re valuable. We’re short on information right now.”
“That’s true, but….”
Go Yeonju seemed to agree, though a hint of concern lingered on her face. I had a feeling I knew what she was worried about.
“So, what will you do with the unconscious vagrants, even if we discard the bodies?”
“I’ve ordered them to be gathered in one place. And we’ll strip them of their clothes.”
“What? Oh, you mean their equipment?”
“Well, that too….”
“…only?”
Of course, I intended to take all their equipment. Some were damaged in battle, but the rest were worth considering.
In any case, information and equipment were secondary. There was something more urgent to do to extract information.
I stubbed out the cigarette and stood up from the rock. Stretching slowly, I spoke.
“First, I plan to destroy their magic circuits.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Dear readers, I apologize. I won’t be able to write an afterword or respond to comments today. I drank too much and am completely out of it. My head feels like it’s splitting. ㅜ.ㅠ Fortunately, I wrote a bit in the morning, or I would have been in trouble. I’ll combine the comments with the next chapter. I ask for your understanding. @[email protected]