Episode 85. To Kill the President of the Association (4)
A ray of light shot through the sky above the battlefield.
The silent light drew a straight line and quietly made a small hole in the top floor’s glass window. The Mirage fragment that penetrated the reinforced glass moved very smoothly and quickly, like a winged insect.
It was too small for even a superhuman to notice at one glance. But it was powerful enough to puncture someone’s vital body part, tear up their insides, and kill them. In a world where time seemed to have stopped, the Mirage glided in the air.
The fragment of light entered the nearest hound’s ear and pulverized the inside of his head before escaping. And even before he started to bleed, the weapon destroyed Kim Min-jae’s minions one by one.
They stood still, looking out the window, unaware that their brains and hearts were being torn to pieces.
Originally, Mirage could only move a short distance at its owner’s command. But once it met Jeong Si-woo’s accurate calculations and Outstanding Insight, it transformed into a perfect weapon of destruction.
After dealing with all the surrounding walls, the Mirage faithfully moved to fulfill its final purpose.
Kim Min-jae was looking at the battlefield outside the window with a disapproving look on his face.
Straight towards his forehead.
Crumple.
“What’s this?”
Kim Min-jae muttered, rolling his tongue. Something approached him, and he unconsciously grabbed it. It was a kind of instinct. An animal-like instinct that never went away, no matter how much he tried to hide it. He looked at his hand. In it was a colorful needle of light, struggling to get away.
Thump. Thud.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, the minions guarding Kim Min-jae fell to the floor. They had been fine just seconds ago, but they were falling like puppets that had their strings cut. Kim Min-jae looked incredulously at his underlings collapsing helplessly.
“What is going on?”
Thick blood poured out of their eyes, ears, and mouths. Kim Min-jae frowned at the pungent smell of blood. He couldn’t understand what was happening.
He knew that the object in his hand was a Mirage, one of Jeong Si-woo’s weapons. But why did all of his hounds collapse like that as soon as it appeared?
“…What if?”
No, the Association’s Analysis team didn’t estimate Jeong Si-woo’s power to be that advanced yet. They said that no matter how strong he had become, Jeong Si-woo would only be as powerful as three to five hounds.
But what was this? The best hounds died without even a struggle. Did the Analysis team make a mistake, or did Jeong Si-woo have a hidden ability unknown to the public?
Numerous thoughts crossed his mind.
Crash!
The reinforced-glass window shattered. Kim Min-jae, who was looking at his minions, hurriedly turned his head.
“I guess your Analysis team didn’t expect this, huh?”
Looking at Kim Min-jae, a man shook shards of glass off of his hunting suit. A young face with disproportionately profound eyes and a unique pattern on his wrist. It was Jeong Si-woo.
“Of course not. How could those idiots know the power I was concealing?”
“…….”
“They probably said I was as strong as three or five hounds at best. Because that’s what I pretended to be.”
“……!”
‘Is he reading my mind?’ thought Kim Min-jae. His hand trembled unconsciously. Jeong Si-woo was a strange guy since the first time they met.
“I thought this moment would come a little later… But now that we’re here, I’m going to take care of everything.”
Jeong Si-woo muttered as he took off his hood. Clusters of colorful light gathered around him. The needle in Kim Min-jae’s hand escaped through a gap in his hand.
“Who the hell are you?”
Kim Min-jae murmured under his breath, looking at Jeong Si-woo lowering his posture to prepare for combat. Kim Min-jae had been curious for a long time. Jeong Si-woo was very calm for his age. He never failed, and he piled up all kinds of achievements.
Everywhere he went, there were life-changing miracles. And at barely 20 years old, he gave off a ruthless aura, like someone who had been fighting on battlefields for decades.
What, was he some Returnee of urban legends that children talked about? Kim Min-jae loosened the watch on his wrist as he narrowed his eyes.
“I guess you don’t want to tell me. Yes, you never did. Although you seem reckless, you don’t take action unless you’re sure of it. And in combat, you’re more careful than anyone else.”
Thump.
Kim Min-jae’s suit jacket fell to the floor. The jacket slowly turned red as it absorbed the blood of the Association’s hounds.
And, at the same time, Jeong Si-woo felt the atmosphere inside change. His body became heavy, as if he was standing in water, and it became hard to breathe.
“I always need to know things that I want to know about. I hate I need everything to proceed nicely. And my smooth plans have failed since you showed up. Now, I’m tired of tolerating it.”
Kim Min-jae walked slowly toward Jeong Si-woo, unbuttoning his cuffs. He was simply nearing him, but Jeong Si-woo felt like a huge tsunami was rushing in.
A formidable force. That was his first impression of Kim Min-jae’s power.
“I would like there to be Si-woo.”
“…….”
“Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand you. You must feel like a hero. You probably think that I’m a fool for disregarding people for money. And think that you are a hero for prioritizing destroying Rifts above all.”
“…You know well.”
Thump. Thump.
Every time Kim Min-jae took a step, Jeong Si-woo’s heart beat rapidly like it would burst. He couldn’t tell what was causing it. Some kind of force was crushing him.
“I don’t want you to understand me. Because I don’t understand other people either.”
“…….”
The distance between Kim Min-jae and Jung Si-woo closed in. They could touch each other if they reached out. Jeong Si-woo’s eyes narrowed sharply as if he felt he was in range. However, Kim Min-jae looked relaxed and didn’t show any signs of impatience.
And then, Kim Min-jae, very casually, raised his hand.
“……!”
“Do you think I’m the villain?”
Jeong Si-woo’s hand moved quickly. Five clusters of light merged together and turned into a sword, and the tip of the Mirage that appeared in his hand swung toward Kim Min-jae’s hand.
It was a swift blow that most hunters couldn’t even react to. The Mirage moved in a perfect trajectory.
Thud.
However, Kim Min-jae’s hand effortlessly blocked the attack. The brilliantly shining sword stood still in Kim Min-jae’s hand as if it belonged to him from the start.
“Well… you’re not completely wrong.”
Thwack.
Kim Min-jae’s leg swung from a blind spot and kicked Jeong Si-woo in his shin.
Jeong Si-woo let out a groan and managed to regain his balance before he could collapse. And Kim Min-jae approached Jeong Si-woo very slowly as he struggled.
“In fact, I know it myself.”
* * *
“What the hell is going on?”
Frowning, the Flame Queen caught a hunter walking by and asked. She couldn’t understand the chaotic situation. Now that she already made one mistake, she didn’t want to act rashly and ruin everything.
“The Association tried to kill us! I don’t know why, but they tried to unleash the hounds and wipe us out!”
The hunter explained in a very agitated voice, and the Flame Queen could immediately understand the situation from his short remark.
She didn’t know what his intention was either, but the Association President Kim Min-jae was definitely a person capable of this. He founded the Association and had been active since the 1st generation. No one knew how blackhearted he was.
“So… I should help the hunters deal with the hounds.”
They were too numerous to be considered backup. At a glance, she could see at least a few dozen hounds. They were enough to wipe out the Field hunters and kill the Rookie Jeong Si-woo.
Finally convinced of the situation, the Flame Queen started to take action.
Crackle!
Burning flames leaped up around the Flame Queen. Once she made a decision, there was nothing to hesitate about. The surge of flames accurately targeted and burned the hounds wearing Association uniforms. As she joined forces, the situation started to progress a lot more in the hunters’ favor.
“Arghhh!”
Magic vanished, wrapped in flames, and the Tanks holding shields burned to ashes. In a battle between countless people, the fire was a very powerful weapon.
Thud! Thud!
“Don’t you dare touch my kids, you bastards!”
Every time Han Yeon-soo’s giant waved its hand, hounds flew up in the air. No matter how talented, they were mere ants to a giant that could tower over Seoul’s 63-story building.
Tentacles rose from the ground, and in the sky, the dragon brewed fire, and Wyverns swooped in and snatched up the hounds. From the moment Han Yeon-soo’s full-scale army appeared, it was no overstatement to say that it was no longer a battle but a one-sided massacre.
“Stop!”
Every time the hounds used magic, Yoo Ji-yeon blocked them and returned them to their casters.
“Oh, you’re badly injured.”
And if they couldn’t instantly kill the hunters or a member of Jeong Si-woo’s division and only managed to wound them severely, Zhang Wei immediately healed them.
“Where are you going, bad guys?”
They couldn’t even run away. The little Esper boy teleported here and there and brought back the hounds.
It was practically an invincible composition. The hounds felt like they were in a nightmare. Up until now, they had trained without any difficulty with the Association’s help. They had never experienced such chaos. A few even cried and begged for their lives.
“Stop sniveling, pest.”
But unfortunately, there were no soft-hearted people there. The hounds who had received orders to kill innocent hunters died helplessly.
“Good. I always felt something was off about him, and we can use this opportunity to remove him from his position.”
The Flame Queen murmured quietly. Since things reached this point, even the President of the Association would have to pay for his actions. And if he tried to get out of it somehow, she could use her influence…….
Watching the battle near the end, the Flame Queen let out a small sigh.
And then.
Rattle, rattle.
“……?”
In the middle of the battlefield, an area covered in rocks began to shake.
“Hm? Is someone there?”
The Flame Queen rushed over and cleared away the pile of rocks, wondering if anyone was trapped underneath.
“Hello? Is there…….”
And then.
“Ugh… Why do I have to hear that annoying old lady’s voice as soon as I get out?”
Bang!
A sharp shot rang out.
“Huh?”
The Flame Queen muttered perplexedly and then collapsed onto the pile of rocks. Sticky blood flowed from her forehead. A bullet had penetrated her head, tearing up her brain.
Even the healing effect Zhang Wei had spread out was of no use. No matter how powerful she was and how she could dominate the battlefield, the Flame Queen was a wizard. Unless she was prepared, she was helpless against surprise attacks.
Thud.
The Flame Queen collapsed, and a woman walked out from underneath, kicking away the pile of rocks.
“So annoying, so annoying… I want to take a shower right now.”
Said Seol Ah-rin as she trampled the Flame Queen’s dead body. She was covered in dust. At her intimidating arrival, the hunters nearby unconsciously froze in place.
“What are you looking at? Are you making fun of my looks?”
Bang-bang!
Bullets that exceeded the speed of sound penetrated the hunters’ foreheads. They fell to the ground, and silence descended upon the battlefield, where everyone had been sensing victory.
“Oh… I smell like a monster. Like a monster! Ahhhhh!”
Seol Ah-rin’s scream resonated sharply across the battlefield.
* * *
Damn it, Kim Min-jae was a maniac. And a very crazy one at that.
“Whew!”
His fist swung over my head. Because I lowered myself too much, my shin that got hit earlier throbbed. I could have avoided most attacks by predicting them, but the sudden kick I allowed was critical.
‘Looks like I won’t win a prolonged fight.’
If I got hit by his leg again during the fight, I might end up needing a prosthetic leg. No, I might die before that.
Kim Min-jae was just casually throwing punches and kicks, but his attacks were extremely threatening.
‘He’s that powerful, so why did he keep running away?’
I had only imagined his strength, but Kim Min-jae was much more powerful than I thought. He was strong enough to have been one of the Five Heroes if he worked as a proper hunter. He could have even gained distinction as a great hero.
One’s imagination always becomes exaggerated and inflated over time. I thought Kim Min-jae’s power would be the same. I had analyzed his ability based on subjective estimation, not objective information. So, I thought his strength that I anticipated would be greater and more powerful than it actually was.
But it wasn’t. His revealed power was more threatening than what I had imagined.
“You’re good at dodging. And the way you move… It’s like you learned martial arts from someone.”
Annoyingly, he was still characteristically relaxed after revealing his power.
It was difficult for me to even avoid one of his light punches. Damn it. I tried to ignore the pain and kept moving. Nothing good would come if this continued. He showed no weakness, and as time went by, he would become increasingly formidable.
“You said it would be worth a try!”
[I still think it is. Try to move more precisely. Compared to him, your movements are still messy. When dealing with a guy like that, you should make zero mistakes.]
That’s easier said than done. I grumbled as I avoided another attack.
And Kim Min-jae approached me with another deadly move.
It looked like he was going to throw a decisive blow since I was only evading his attacks.
Boooom!
At that moment, a loud boom sounded from outside.
It wasn’t just a loud noise. It was an ear-splitting sound. My head rang as if a grenade had gone off nearby.
“Mmm….”
It looked like Kim Min-jae was also affected. He was visibly frowning. But neither of us could afford to look outside.
Even though Kim Min-jae had the upper hand, I wasn’t just being helplessly attacked. I could overturn his advantage any time if there were an opportunity. I needed to focus instead of being distracted by that noise……!
[Behind you! Get down, now!]
His words woke me up. As soon as I snapped back, I quickly crouched as the Traveler instructed. I didn’t know what it was, but the Traveler wasn’t someone who played around in extreme situations, which meant that there was nothing to lose by following his word.
“What are you doing all of a sudden? …Ugh!”
But unlike me, Kim Min-jae didn’t have an invisible hovering friend. He looked puzzled; then, he hurriedly lifted his hand.
Crash!
Something flew in from outside, and unlike the Mirage I had sent, it smashed the entire reinforced window. It meant that its power was on a different level.
To the point that it dealt a great deal of damage to Kim Min-jae, even though he had been defending himself perfectly.
Whaaaam!
Kim Min-jae’s body was flung to the wall with a thundering sound. Clouds of dust exploded, and concrete fragments scattered around. I glanced at him for a moment; then, I looked outside the window.
“Come out─!”
There stood Seol Ah-rin, with all kinds of heavy firearms summoned around her. In the center was a large anti-materiel rifle (AMR). It was emitting smoke as if it had just shot a bullet.
“Ugh….”
I could hear Kim Min-jae groaning from inside the room. The crazy woman’s rampage didn’t just tear up the Monster Fields but also affected this place.
‘This is an opportunity.’
It was good news to me. The Mirages circling around returned to my hand and immediately swirled and turned into a long spear.
[‘Link’ has been activated.]
Right now, I needed to use everything I could.
『It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath.』
『So that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, they tried to remove the crucified bodies.』
Among the stories I could summon now, it was the one that could deal the strongest blow.
A brilliant golden light began to glimmer at the tip of the spear.
『So, to remove the bodies, they broke the legs of the first man that had been crucified and those of the other.』
『But when they came to Jesus, instead of breaking his legs to confirm his death, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear.』
The clouds in the sky lifted, and the sun came out.
『And immediately, blood and water flowed out.』
Bearing my power, the spear lunged ahead.
[Spear of Longinus.]
[A small part of a great myth that countless people passed among the generations begins to dwell in your soul.]
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