“I refuse to admit it!”
Jin Suhyun shouted.
No, it was more like a roar.
I refuse…!
I refuseee…!
I refuseeeeee…!
I refuseeeeeee…!
Her scream collided with everything around, echoing everywhere.
Then—
BANG!
A fierce explosion thundered in all directions. Intense vibrations swept through the area, and the air itself trembled with electric energy.
That terrifying spirit instantly brought the fierce battle to a standstill. Not only the fighters but even the swarms of insects froze in place. Eyes and mandibles all turned toward one spot.
There stood Jin Suhyun. Both hands pressed to the ground, knees bent, head bowed low until it nearly touched the earth.
A dark crimson stain slowly spread where her forehead met the ground.
“Admit it…”
In that moment, Jin Suhyun slowly rose to her feet.
“I can’t… do it… you little bastards…”
Her voice was half-broken, thick with raw fury and fierce determination.
Her entire body was drenched in blood. Torn clothes hung in tatters, barely functioning as garments anymore, stained with deep red liquid in patches. Blood dripped steadily from a cracked forehead, painting her face in fresh gore.
Yet her eyes blazed with a fierce, unyielding light.
“Fine… I admit it. You’re damn strong, hyung.”
She wavered briefly, her body trembling like a slender reed in the wind. But she quickly regained her balance and bent her knees slightly, like a predator ready to sink its teeth into its prey’s neck.
“But…”
She gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white.
“No. I’m not.”
Jin Suhyun shook her head. Her throat quivered as if holding back tears, and a rough growl escaped through her clenched teeth. After a moment, she took a deep breath and lifted her chin defiantly.
“I am, I am a true hunter! You damn sons of bitches!”
The volcano of rage she’d been holding back erupted with a deafening blast. The final roar of a wounded beast echoed through the corridors, the rooms, the entire underground space. At the same time, an immense surge of energy exploded outward, whipping around in a violent storm.
Return of the Last Light.
The final candle flared to life, and with it, the true ‘Mage Hunter’ remembered by Kim Suhyun during the first cycle of the Warring States era was reborn right here, right now.
Watching quietly, Go Yeonju suddenly turned, alarmed. From experience, she knew that when someone ‘goes berserk’ mid-battle, it never ends well.
But—
“…!”
The next moment, she instinctively stopped in her tracks. Jin Suhyun, who looked ready to pounce like a wild animal, raised her sword high, stabbing it toward the ceiling.
“The sword that sings of victory.”
The blade radiated a brilliant light. Her voice, cold and merciless, trembled out like the howl of a wolf on a snowy plain.
“The sword that shadows the flight of magic.”
Shhhrrrk!
Her other hand moved with a whisper. Something incredible happened—the sword split into two. In her left hand now gleamed another blade, shining with radiant light. One thing was clear: Jin Suhyun now wielded a sword in each hand.
Without warning or prelude, she charged forward. Spinning both swords like windmills, she dashed like a gale. That wind soon became a raging storm, striking the insect swarm with brutal force.
Swish! The first gust sliced like a razor’s edge. In the blink of an eye, a head was severed cleanly. The following winds shredded half a dozen more in an instant.
By the third gust, dozens of sword energies radiated from Jin Suhyun in all directions, dazzlingly cutting through the swarm. The sight of dozens of insects bursting and splitting apart in a spray of fluids was nothing short of spectacular.
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
Without pause, she pressed forward relentlessly. The insect swarm split helplessly to the sides. Jin Suhyun seemed to forget to breathe—or perhaps she knew that the moment she stopped would be the moment she died—flashing east and west without rest. Her gleaming swords swept enemies aside with ease, like Kim Suhyun himself during the early second cycle, wielding the ‘Glory of Victoria’ and cutting through the battlefield without hesitation.
Watching this, the ‘Shadow Queen’s’ eyes flickered. Coldly analyzing the situation, she concluded that objectively, the insects still held the advantage. Jin Suhyun’s power was explosive but temporary. The seasoned Go Yeonju was fully aware of this.
However, if this was not a ‘berserk’ but an ‘awakening,’ and considering the insect reinforcements had just stopped arriving, there might still be a way.
Not only Go Yeonju but everyone felt it.
“No matter how dire the situation, if you don’t give up until the end, the chance will come.”
“The one and only chance to turn the tide…”
The battle, which had pushed beyond the brink of disaster, suddenly paused. The fighting spirit, rekindled by the last flicker of flame, began to slowly shift the momentum.
This was as far as Jin Suhyun could take it. Whether the tide would fully turn or slip away again depended on no one but themselves.
And so—
“Rise, Abyss Crowd.”
Each person summoned their remaining strength and began to pour it out.
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty… Under Go Yeonju’s command, dozens of shadows stretched out and rose one by one.
“The queen…”
A brilliant light blossomed around Nam Daeun’s entire body. The energy was so intense that each strand of her hair seemed to drip with icy cold.
“Now, the ground is ours…”
Im Hanna drew her bow toward the sky. The glowing arrow vanished into the ceiling, then reappeared as a massive circle, forming a magical formation.
“────! ────! Come! Pierre!”
Vivian scraped together her remaining mana. Though she had already pushed to her limit, she still had one last resource: the ‘Order of Ordo,’ a final measure that could summon once more.
It wasn’t over yet.
Battlefield analysis… complete.
Prioritize protection of user Jin Suhyun; secondary priority is all-around support fire.
Vrrrrrr!
The source slowly floated into the air. A subtle glow shimmered in the void, and a strange resonance spread. Before long, familiar shapes began to materialize around them. Three-dimensional magic circles spun, gradually taking form—not just one, but dozens.
Summoning ancient magical city… complete.
Attempting connection with Magia.
The source’s voice flowed softly through the space.
Thus, the final battle, one that would decide their fates, resumed.
The only difference from before: most of them were now smiling as they prepared to fight.
Confident of victory.
Meanwhile, at the same time—
Deep within the Abyssal Chasm.
Two women sat side by side on a table, both missing their lower garments, sharing an awkward silence. To be precise, Kim Hanbyul stared blankly with her mouth slightly open, while Lee Yujeong blushed faintly and gave a teasing smile.
After a long moment, Kim Hanbyul cautiously spoke.
“Could I… maybe sleep in a different room just for today?”
Lee Yujeong nodded quietly.
“Because… you’re going to do that thing with oppa?”
Another silent nod.
“So… you said that once you finish this expedition, you’ll reach B-rank, and then oppa said he’d ‘take you,’ right?”
“N-no. Actually, I was the one who brought it up first. I said I wanted to be the one taken.”
Kim Hanbyul’s expression twisted strangely. A flicker of suspicion crossed her face. But whether she noticed or not, Lee Yujeong avoided her gaze and nervously twisted a strand of hair.
“Honestly, the rank doesn’t mean much… I just wanted to qualify, I guess? Ah, forget it. I’m at a loss for words all of a sudden.”
“……”
“Well, I feel bad for our comrades who are struggling, but you know these chances don’t come often. And it’s kind of awkward to wait around with no promise.”
“Hmm.”
“More than anything, I hate seeing you suffer from nightmares. I know it’s just an illusion, but it really feels like my body’s been dirtied. So maybe that’s why I want to be held by oppa. Hehe.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Anyway, Hanbyul, you understand me, right? You’ll say yes, won’t you?”
“J-just a moment.”
With that, Lee Yujeong suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pouch. It was a spoil from a recent raid, a rare and dangerous powder that Go Yeonju had warned against. Kim Suhyun had been keeping it safe, but Lee Yujeong had sneakily taken it while everyone was asleep. Seeing Kim Hanbyul’s puzzled look, she smiled slyly.
“This is Afro… something? Anyway, I’m going to try giving it to oppa first, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll use this. Good plan, right?”
“────.”
“Of course I know. You like oppa too, don’t you? I’m not some clueless idiot. If you do me this favor, I’ll give you whatever’s left after I use this. How about it?”
“────.”
Yoo Jeong shook the pouch with a confident smile. But then, something felt off. Suddenly, Kim Hanbyeol snapped her mouth shut and just stared intently. Actually, she was muttering something under her breath, but it was too quiet to make out—like she was casting a spell or something…
“Ah.”
By the time Jeong realized what was happening, it was already too late.
With a sharp snap, Kim Hanbyeol snatched the pouch away and spun around, dashing into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her, and almost immediately—
“Lock up.”
Click! The sound of the lock echoed.
It all happened in an instant.
“…….”
Yoo Jeong stood there dumbfounded, one hand raised, before it took her about three seconds to process the situation.
“Yaaaah!”
“Ugh.”
Kim Suhyun bolted upright at the ear-splitting scream.
Bang bang bang bang!
“Open the door!”
Bang bang bang bang!
“Open it right now!”
The frantic pounding, the kicks, the desperate screams—it was chaos. Still half-asleep, Suhyun’s eyes flicked toward the shaking door, then locked onto the woman rushing toward him.
“O-oppa.”
“Kim Hanbyeol!”
“Please, just tell me now. Yes or no?”
“Cut the crap! Open the door, you bastard!”
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!
Suhyun winced at the noise but couldn’t help staring in confusion. Meanwhile, Hanbyeol grabbed his shoulder, shaking him urgently.
“Hurry up. You promised you’d answer.”
“Ah, no, Hanbyeol—”
“Just say you like it or you don’t. Is that so hard?”
“It’s not that…”
Crash!
The door finally gave way. Hanbyeol bit her lip and darted beside Suhyun. Yoo Jeong stormed in, glaring fiercely. The tension was thick. Suhyun sighed deeply and slowly stood, clenching his right fist.
Moments later, the ruckus faded as if it had never happened. The two women knelt before Suhyun, rubbing their heads where wisps of steam seemed to rise.
But since neither was wearing anything below the waist, the scene was… awkward. Hanbyeol tried to cover herself with her clothes but struggled to hide her chest, while Jeong pulled the blanket over her lower half.
Anyway, the explanation was roughly over. Suhyun, arms crossed and lost in thought, finally exhaled and lifted his head.
“Alright. You fought over the order.”
“…….”
“Then let me ask just one thing. I don’t really care what you two talk about, but why are you ignoring my wishes?”
“What wishes? Oppa, you promised to do this with me.”
The audacity was staggering. Suhyun’s mouth dropped open. He’d heard about a promise but had no memory of making one.
“I just wanted to at least hear your answer.”
Hanbyeol spoke quietly, emphasizing ‘at least.’ Suhyun sighed. No matter how much he thought about it, he had no excuse. Putting himself in their shoes, he knew he was clearly in the wrong.
‘…What should I do?’
Time passed.
After gathering his thoughts, Suhyun habitually wet his lips, nodded a couple of times, and then spoke with a look that said, ‘I get it, little sisters. Oppa understands.’
“Hmm. First, I really appreciate that you two think of me that way. I mean it. But girls, you’re still young. In this world…”
“That’s not true! Hanbyeol and I have been active here for four years, and we don’t care about any other guys—not even a little. We’re oppa’s girls.”
“Ha ha. I see. But you know…”
“We know. Istantel, Low Road, Yeonju unnie, Hanna unnie, Hayun unnie, Da-eun unnie. Five of them, right?”
Cough! Suhyun coughed loudly, staring at them in disbelief before biting his lip in resignation.
“…You knew, huh. Yeah. But even if it’s the whole Plain…”
“Hey, no. It’s six. Why leave out Gehenna? She got pregnant and even had a kid.”
“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, Gehenna was there too.”
“……”
Suhyun fell silent.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
The wizard hunter has fully awakened.
Now, let’s dive into the bonus stage.