Hatred and Conflict

Reflecting on it, the specters that appeared in the “Land of Hatred” were formidable and challenging adversaries. Even the top-tier users of Istantel Low had a hard time dealing with them. Although it was a mistake, there was even a casualty.

Back then, my role was that of a Keeper. In name only, though, as I mostly stayed in the rear, watching my comrades fight. I wasn’t skilled enough to face the specters head-on or even provide adequate support.

But now, things are different. Compared to back then, my abilities have improved dramatically. With the knowledge I possess, I even managed to take down Mammon, one of the 14 demon lords.

With newfound confidence, I launched myself into the air, drawing my sword with my left hand. Though I held the Sun and Moon Sword in my right, I intended to wield both blades this time.

A guttural roar erupted as a dark head appeared below. The specter, with a face-like visage, turned its gaze upon me. As I locked eyes with its dozens of crimson stares, its long, dangling arm twitched.

In that instant, I instinctively raised the Sun and Moon Sword.

Whoosh!

As expected, the specter’s massive arm came crashing down, slicing through the air. But I was ready, having anticipated the attack. The arm split against the radiant blade, unable to withstand the power of the Sun and Moon Sword and my expert swordsmanship.

Though I easily deflected the first attack, I remained vigilant. As I descended, the specter’s remaining arm twisted, preparing for another strike. Just as it was about to unleash its fury, I activated my teleportation skill, targeting the specter’s rear.

In a flash, my perspective shifted. Where I had been moments ago, the specter’s arms flailed like a chaotic web.

For a brief moment, both arms were immobilized. As I continued to fall, I raised both swords high, channeling all my strength, magic, and the force of my descent to cleave the specter’s head. The blades sliced cleanly through its skull.

The initial sensation was like cutting through hardened flesh. Yet, there was no resistance. Instead, dark matter erupted from the specter’s body like a fountain.

Like a log flume ride nearing its end, the swords continued to carve through the specter until my feet hit the ground with a jolt. My feet sank into the earth from the force, but I quickly pulled them free, stepping back. I didn’t forget to unleash a burst of magic as a parting gift.

Boom!

After confirming the explosion and the specter’s distorted surface, I somersaulted backward, landing safely.

The sequence of defense, teleportation, and a final strike with a magical explosion was executed flawlessly. It was a powerful attack capable of taking down most foes, whether human or monster. But this was a mass of hatred, composed of countless specters.

One of the reasons these specters were so troublesome was their relentless regeneration. They were driven by blind hatred until every specter within was destroyed.

I wasn’t sure how much more I needed to attack, but the start was promising. I decided to take my time, methodically wearing it down. As I steadied my grip on my swords, I felt a renewed determination.

The specter had already begun to mend its split body. Or rather, it was in the process of doing so. Specters spilled from the wound, undulating like waves. Though it seemed to reconnect the severed parts, it wasn’t seamless. It appeared to be struggling.

Could it be…?

I glanced at the swords in my hands. The sword that could strike beings from other dimensions, the Sun and Moon Sword that vanquished demons, and the expert swordsmanship that could cut through anything. Perhaps this combination was affecting the specter’s regeneration.

Various thoughts crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed them. Whether my theory was correct or not didn’t matter now. The important thing was that I could handle the specter more easily.

Soon, the specter managed to turn its body, albeit unsteadily. Its crude, patchwork appearance was evident, as if hastily stitched together.

Yet, its hatred remained. The specter turned fully towards me, its crimson eyes burning with intensified malice. It clasped its hands together, raising them slowly, mimicking my earlier attack.

I calmly lowered my stance, bending my knees, and charged inward.

As the specter extended its arms, I sensed a swift movement beside me. I glanced towards the source of the presence. Within a second, a woman soared into the air with incredible speed, too fast for the specter to react. It was Nam Da-eun.

In the brief moment when the specter’s arms trembled, Nam Da-eun silently flew ten meters into the air, twisting her trajectory to strike like a beam of light. Her sword, “Seol-ah,” slashed down on the specter’s right shoulder, eliciting a scream as its body lurched.

I seized the opportunity, slicing through its unsteady legs as I passed.

Thud! Crash!

The first sound was the specter collapsing. The second was…

A cloud of dust rose as its head hit the ground. It seemed to have struck the earth in its fall, though it was a futile effort.

I watched the now sluggish specter. It no longer intimidated me.

Finishing it off was as easy as pie.

Even as it lay crumbled, the specter flailed its arms wildly. But Nam Da-eun and I took turns attacking, darting in and out.

I focused on severing its limbs to prevent further movement. While the specter struggled with regeneration, Nam Da-eun relentlessly targeted its upper body, particularly its neck, sending chills down my spine.

Eventually, the specter’s attacks slowed, and it slumped, its limbs gone. It continued to emit weak cries, something dripping from its mouth.

Finally, as its barely attached head was severed, a faint wail escaped the specter’s lips.

And then, all movement ceased.

“We make quite the team, don’t we?” Nam Da-eun said, wiping her forehead with a bright smile.

“Not just a good team, but a perfect match,” I replied.

“Same difference. We work well together, and our synergy is great…”

“By the way, there were three of them, right? I wonder how the others are doing.”

“Seems like they’re doing fine…”

I quickly changed the subject, feeling a bit embarrassed by her words. I turned my attention to our clan members still engaged in battle.

And then I understood why Nam Da-eun had trailed off.

“What on earth…?”

Thud!

Another specter crumbled to the ground.

The issue wasn’t the specters, but the strange way our clan members were fighting. We had split into groups to handle one each, but now eight of them were fighting two at once. They must have just finished off one.

“Nam Da-eun.”

“I’m on it.”

I wondered what we were doing, but for now, Nam Da-eun and I rushed to assist.

The battlefield was shrouded in a dark veil, likely the work of Heo Jun-young’s “Apocalypse,” a unique ability of his secret class, “Silent Executor.” It seemed he was using it to suppress the specter’s regeneration, a wise choice.

With only one specter left, victory was already leaning towards our clan. When Nam Da-eun and I struck from behind, we quickly dispatched the remaining foe.

With a thud, the fallen enemy lay still, and I turned my gaze to the clan members.

”…Phew.”

“Tsk…”

The atmosphere among us felt strangely tense. Though most were trying to suppress their emotions, one person was openly glaring at the other side. I glanced at Yujeong’s reddened eyes and clicked my tongue.

‘Something’s off here.’

Just as I was about to calm the situation, Yujeong let out a derisive snort.

“Unbelievable.”

With a face flushed with anger, Yujeong ran a hand through her hair and threw her dagger forcefully into the ground. It landed with a solid thud, embedding itself deeply.

“Ugh, this is so frustrating… I can’t take it anymore.”

”…What did you say?”

The one who responded was Hanbyeol. She, too, seemed unusually upset, her usual calm demeanor nowhere to be seen. Her eyes were as cold as they had been during her first trial, fixed on Yujeong.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, and what of it?”

Yujeong let out a disbelieving laugh at Hanbyeol’s provocative reply. Then, she kicked the dagger buried in the ground.

The dagger rolled and stopped at Hanbyeol’s feet. She glanced down briefly, then let out a similarly incredulous laugh. It was a cold laugh.

“Ha. What are you doing?”

“Ha? Ha? This is driving me crazy… Are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

“And if I am?”

“Ah… Let’s just drop it. I don’t want to fight with you here, especially with the clan leader watching. Just make sure to manage your aggro better next time. We almost got wiped out because of you earlier, okay?”

“Now, wait a minute…”

“Enough. Just give me back my dagger. I’m too annoyed to keep talking.”

Hanbyeol looked deeply aggrieved. Her face flushed red as Yujeong cut her off, but she glanced at me, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

When she opened her eyes again, they were still cold, but her voice was restrained.

”…I’m sorry, unni.”

“Forget it. Just pick up the dagger. And why are you suddenly calling me ‘unni’? It’s creepy.”

Hanbyeol bit her lip hard. Just as she reached for the dagger with trembling hands, someone quietly intervened, stopping her. They picked up the dagger Yujeong had kicked and tossed it high into the air, letting it arc gracefully before landing near Yujeong’s feet. It was Woo Jungmin.

“Yujeong, don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh?”

Yujeong glanced down and spoke softly.

“What’s so harsh about it?”

“Let’s be clear. It wasn’t us who failed to manage the aggro; it was your side that unnecessarily approached us. Quite blatantly, I might add.”

“Unnecessary? I don’t think so. Am I wrong? Isn’t that right?”

“Even if there were minor mistakes on both sides, we still managed to handle it together. We’re allies…”

“Sure, whatever. But it still stands that your side didn’t manage it well.”

”…I’d appreciate it if you’d stop being so sarcastic. I’m starting to get angry.”

Yujeong shrugged and smirked, while Woo Jungmin responded with a sharp tone.

I didn’t know the full story, but from the way they were talking, I could guess. Just as I thought they were having quite the argument, Shin Jaeryong awkwardly stepped between them.

“Come on, everyone. Why are we doing this? The battle’s over, and the clan leader is watching. Let’s stop and regroup.”

Yet no one seemed willing to move.

I fell into silent contemplation. This sudden conflict, while unexpected, was understandable. It was likely due to the field effect of the area we were in.

Moreover, after over a month of journeying and continuous battles, everyone was unknowingly exhausted and stressed. I had wondered how they managed to hold it together until now, but entering the ‘Land of Hatred’ had turned us into ticking time bombs. A minor mistake in the recent battle had set it off.

Everyone seemed to be trying to hold back, but one person couldn’t, and that set off the others.

“Sigh.”

I let out a short sigh, and the clan members turned their attention to me.

I clicked my tongue a few more times before speaking quietly.

“I can guess what happened. It seems like it’s mostly my fault. I’m sorry, everyone.”

“Oh, no, clan leader.”

Shin Jaeryong looked flustered, but I shook my head to stop him from saying more.

At that moment, Ansol signaled silently to Yujeong, who blinked several times before hurriedly bowing.

I spoke immediately.

“Enough.”

Yujeong’s hand, which had been reaching for the dagger, froze.

“It’s my fault for not preparing thoroughly in a hurry.”

I used the art of telekinesis. The dagger lifted from the ground, spun, and landed in my hand.

Yujeong slowly straightened up and looked at me cautiously.

I continued speaking.

“It’s my fault for bringing you along.”

“O-oppa, that’s not…”

Yujeong looked up with a worried expression, but as soon as our eyes met, she quickly lowered her gaze. The other clan members also avoided my eyes, though I wasn’t sure what expression I was wearing.

I tried to remain as calm as possible, looking down at the dagger in my hand.

The Skurep. A demonic dagger once wielded by the demon Belphegor, capable of driving its wielder insane if misused. I stared at it for a moment, then gripped the blade, which glowed with a sinister red light, with both hands.

“It was my mistake to give this to you in the first place.”

As I spoke, I twisted the dagger with all my strength.

Crack, crack!

With the sound of metal being forcibly twisted, the Skurep snapped in half. I twisted it a few more times, feeling it break into pieces like a twisted pretzel.

After a moment, I casually tossed the now-scrap metal Skurep aside.

Thud!

“Uh…”

Yujeong, who had been watching, let out a faint groan.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Ah, my apologies. I visited Joara today and ended up chatting with someone a bit longer than expected, so I’m a bit late. Haha. I had planned to upload user information today, but it’s gotten quite late. I hope you’ll allow me a sweet rest and understand. Haha.

Have a great day, everyone. :)