Chapter 86

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Moths (2)

I opened the door and entered. The intruder had turned stiff like a stone still holding the sword. I concentrated Mana on my hand as I looked at that sight.

“Did it work?”

If the answer didn’t come back immediately, I was about to rush in and hold him down. However, the intruder’s lips moved and said the sentence I wanted, “It worked, the whispers.”

The man’s pupils shook and gradually stabilized, which was evidence of successful brainwashing. It was not the intruder but the sword that answered through the body, as it was instructed to transfer its words instead of his own.

“That’s a relief.”

The devil’s sword’s brainwashing skill [Whisper of the Sword] had a success rate ranked A, which was statistically around 50%. As soon as the intruder grabbed the handle of the devil’s sword, it planned to use the skill, and each countermeasure was arranged depending on whether it worked or not. Fortunately, the brainwashing worked, so things were likely to be easy from now on.

“Please order him to follow my instructions and answer my questions from now on.”

First, the intruder simply released Polymorph when instructed to identify himself. When I saw him in his original face, I recognized who he was. His lips moved.

“My name is Dideric van Dyke.”

I clicked my tongue, “They invited a big man, didn’t they?”

The identity of the intruder was a Dutch SS-Rank hunter who was also famous in my previous life. Because of his peculiar skill tree, he gained his notoriety by dealing with work in the shadows such as intelligence and assassination rather than exploring the dungeons.

‘When I first heard the name, he was mostly commissioned by governments, but I guess it was still before he got to that level.’

He is the No. 1 Hunter in the industry, who had no rival in that field of work in his previous life. The reason why he disappeared suddenly in his last life was…

‘He broke in to kidnap Angelica at the request of the Chinese government, and he was caught by the barriers that Hibiki laid out.’

Angelica, unperturbed, struck the captured Dideric’s neck, but that was buried as a secret that only 5 of the Guild Masters knew.

‘However, the collapse of the country called China took place less than a year after the incident.’

It would be no coincidence if I thought that the frequency of predictions about the Chinese dungeons had decreased since the kidnapping attempt.

‘Anyway, now I know his identity.’

He was going to be a lot bigger in the future, but at this point, Dideric was not a hunter who could be moved with little money.

“What about the client?”

He answered, “Grand Croix Guild.”

“Hah,” It was so lame that I was about to laugh.

‘I was leaving them alone only because they were pushed out of the top.’

The fact that he was actively digging up his grave to lie down and even carving his coffin left me no choice but to live up to his expectations.

“What about the content of the request?”

Dideric easily answered, “First, hack data from the dedicated server that only the Guild Master Seo Jin-Wook can access. Second, uncover the secrets of rapid growth, such as the items he uses. Third…”

My eyebrows wiggled when I heard the last request.

“… When secured and if conditions allow after observation, assassinate the Guild Master Seo Jin-Wook.”

There he crossed the line again. I sighed shallow and scratched my head.

“He must have been very nervous as well, Kim Kyung-Rok.”

Next, I asked how this request was related to the Grand Croix Guild. Of course, they wouldn’t have told Dideric such information. Still, I asked because I assumed that Dideric, who was able to be commissioned, had secretly identified the client. Sure enough, he named several more executives besides the Guild Master Kim Kyung-Rok.

“Then…” My next words were not for Dideric but for the devil’s sword, “I’m going to have to ask you to do a job for me.”

I didn’t even come into contact with the sword, but I had the sense from the sigh it was leaking telepathically and somehow flowing into my mind.

*

A few hours later, Kim Kyung-Rok asked, “What time is it now?”

“It’s almost 6 a.m.,” came back the reply.

It was still early to go to work, but Kim Kyung-Rok and three high-ranking hunters gathered together in the Grand Croix meeting room.

Kim Kyung-Rok grumbled, “I mean, why is that bastard taking so long without at least updating us that the job was successful or not?”

“Exactly. He said he was going to start infiltrating around 2 a.m. and was going to take about a couple of hours at most.”

“That’s why are we sitting here up all night!”

Kim Kyung-Rok, who had spent a lot of money hiring Dideric, could not sleep and, therefore, was waiting for the results in the conference room, staying up all night with three other guild members who were in on the plan.

And then. Creek. Suddenly, the conference room door opened. Kim Kyung-Rok thought that perhaps the secretary had come to work early for some reason.

‘She’s only diligent on days like this when I didn’t order her to do so.’

He shouted in an irritated tone, “Hey! We’re in a meeting right now, so don’t come in until I call you!”

There was no response. As the door completely opened, the four hunters’ eyes in the conference room all turned toward it.

“What is it?”

There was nobody outside the open door. Creek. Naturally, the door closed again. Only then did the seated four hunters stand up in unison. But it’s already too late.

Phuk!

The blade popped out through the neck of a giant hunter sitting closest to the meeting room door.

“Gak!”

In that state, the air shook, and a man revealed himself. He took out a scroll with his unarmed hand and tore it. At the same time, powerful energy spread through the conference room.

“It’s a barrier!”

Now, no one could go out or come in for some time. Everything happened in a flash. Kim Kyung-Rok’s eyes grew bigger when he noticed the identity of the opponent, “You!”

He had never met him face to face because he made a deal through an agent, but there was no way he couldn’t recognize his face. The opponent was Dideric van Dyke, who he had entrusted with the task. Kim Kyung-Rok was shocked.

‘That crazy bastard!’

He took out the weapon he always carried with him and aimed at his opponent.

‘Why, all of a sudden? Was he persuaded to do otherwise?’ Heat rose in his head, and his thought process sped up. Meanwhile, Dideric pulled out the sword with a blank expression.

Phuk!

The neck was pierced, but A-Rank Hunter did not die immediately.

“Ghhhh!”

The red foam flowed down along his neckline with a bubbling sound. Dideric swung his arm as he looked at it.

Swish!

The severed head shot up into the sky and fell on the conference room floor, and rolled. Their eyes widened again.

Phuk!

Diderick thrust a knife into the chest of Hunter’s body, which was laid on the floor. Then…Gulp, gulp. Shoo!

“Well, well, what the hell is that?”

The blade that dug into the body began to gobble up the remaining blood from the body. It attacked the large one first because he was closest, but the being that manipulated Dideric van Dyke thought with a mental smile, ‘First of all, if it has a large capacity, there will be a lot to eat.’

In the blink of an eye, the body turned into a mummy with only the skin left. After absorbing the human species’ blood, the devil’s sword moved Dideric to take care of the remains for the first time in such a long time.

Boosh!

The sword energy burning on the blade completely burned a dead body, like a wooden shell, into ash. It was because of Seo Jin-Wook’s request not to leave any more traces than necessary.

‘Anyway, he’s such a bother!’

While he was grumbling inside, “Strike him!”

The remaining three hunters rushed in at once. When it saw them, it mentally sighed.

‘Those morons.’

Perhaps because they were in the tutorial’s early days, there was something awkward to the Awakened of this world.

The devil’s sword, who controlled the Dideric with the [Whisper of the Sword], thought to himself, ‘It took three seconds for them to react to a colleague being struck.’

If Seo Jin-Wook himself had come, he would have slaughtered all of them even before they could respond.

Shing! A great amount of sword pressure swept in front, along the path where Dideric sliced with large arcs.

“K-argh!” After blocking the two far away, its eyes met with a man close by. Dideric’s left hand quickly picked up the giant ax that the giant held.

“Die!” Dideric stopped the long sword from flying with the ax and struck Hunter’s thigh with a sword.

Hunter screamed and knelt, “Aaargh!”

It was a scene that made him snicker as he watched it, ‘They can’t even bear this much pain, and they’re unable to fight in an instant? Anyway, humans.’

They were comparable to some belligerent species that crawled with their arms left when their legs are torn apart, and even when their arms were torn off, they bit with their teeth.

‘But the only advantage is that their blood doesn’t taste bad.’

Outside the dungeon, there were so many things all over the place to eat like this. The devil’s sword clicked his tongue, lamenting its situation. Seo Jin-Wook usually only fed it the blood of the beasts. Therefore, today was the day to relieve its frustration after a long time. But then, the devil’s sword cut the kneeling one’s throat and saw the hunters rushing in from behind. It was a quick move, but the devil’s sword was looking into their gap.

‘The clumsiest sword movement ever.’ The blade of the sword moved without even leaving any afterimage. The sound of tearing in the air rang twice. Chaaak! Hunter’s body was cut into dozens of pieces. The conference room was full of blood, but that was also only for a while.

Swoosh!

When the blade of the sword touched the floor, it sucked up all of the blood that had been spraying while it ebbed.

‘It’s a meal after a long time; I shouldn’t leave anything behind.’

Kim Kyung-Rok, who alone survived, and had a pale face, muttered, “You punk!” His head was a mess.

‘He’s an SS-Rank hunter, but he said his specialty was stealth and assassination.’

As long as he deliberately revealed himself, he thought he had a good chance of winning. That one S-Rank Hunter and three A-Rank Hunters…. would be able to deal with at least one SS-Rank Hunter. Besides, the information obtained suggested that Dideric’s skill tree was vulnerable to a face-to-face battle, so once he fails to ambush, he would run away without hesitation. But then, ‘ What the hell was that sword movement?’ Kim Kyung-Rok’s eyes couldn’t even catch up with him properly.

Boosh! The two bodies, which had their blood drained in an instant, were also completely burned down. Dry glances shifted toward the stiffened-up Kim Kyung-Rok. The devil’s sword’s low whisper echoed through the vocal cords of the SS-Ranked Hunter with a chilling voice.

“Will you try to resist?”

“This….!” Kim Kyung-Rok activated his unique skill.

[Super Regeneration!]

The devil’s sword that could not see Mana except for the one applied on its physical self, the sword, but it noticed that he did something, and as a result, the atmosphere changed.

“I don’t know what that is.” The blade of the devil’s sword, aimed by Diderick, was directed at the opponent, “Since I can’t eat your blood anyway.”

After an incomprehensible remark, “It’s been a while since I’ve done this; make me have some fun. I had a lot that I kept suppressed.”

“Crazy bastard, die!” Kim Kyung-Rok charged with his sword. He concentrated Mana on one point with all his might and pushed it in, along the trajectory towards the neck of Dideric. Suddenly, a harsh light in Kim Kyung-Rok’s eyes shone.

‘It’s working!’

When having swung the sword for a long time, you develop a sense. If you swing the sword along the sword path in your head, you will know where the irreversible point is. The moment the sword reaches that point, the victory or defeat is already decided.

Kim Kyung-Rok realized that his sword had just passed that point. That even if the sky and the ground turn upside down, or the universe collapsed, the sword would cut the opponent’s breath. Right before that moment was about to be successful…Clang! A sharp sound of friction was heard, and the low, heavy echo of metal. Kim Kyung-Rok felt his bones ringing. A shiver was felt down his spine. He saw Dideric’s snake-like eyes that had just approached, right in front of him.

“How!”

The sword, held tight enough to turn his hands pale, shook. His gaze was fixed on the point where the blades crossed each other. Kim Kyung-Rok’s sword, which was on an unstoppable track, was blocked by Dideric.

‘What was that?!’

At the point at which the devil’s sword began to move, and the point at which it reached, only those two points existed, but there was no line connecting the points. At least in Kim Kyung-Rok’s eyes, it was invisible.

‘It was a mistake!’

Only now did he realize that there were also swords that moved outside the world that he perceived—a groan leaked between his clenched teeth.

“K-hpppp!”

The blade of the devil’s sword rained down, drawing curved lines. Dideric’s sword path was fierce and sharp. Storm-like energy stretched along the ends of his swing. The burning sword energy changed its character respective to the change of waves. While the exchange of attack with the sword took place a few times, Kim Kyung-Rok noticed another thing.

‘How much sword mastery is he using?!’

He had the eyes to distinguish swordsmanship mastery. Characteristics that were hidden in the movement beyond the color and shape difference of sword energy. Every time Dideric’s sword swung, it exploded with subtle changes.

And in the end, puhk!

The moment when the devil’s sword cut Kim Kyung-Rok’s shoulder and dug into it, he managed to pull himself back by the force of desperation. Then one of Dideric’s eyebrows went up.

“Hmm?”

Shhhh!

Kim Kyung-Rok’s wound, which had been cut in half, was seen coming together again.

The devil’s sword understood the situation, “It’s a regenerative type of skill.”

And, as far as the devil’s sword knew, “That type of skill has a time limit,” he giggled and talked, “Well, I can cut and cut as much as I want for a few minutes without worrying about killing him.”

Drip. Cold sweat flowed down Kim Kyung-Rok’s back when he heard those words.

The devil’s sword muttered as he lifted Dideric’s arm.

“Please hang in there for a long time. For me.”

*

Exactly 5 minutes later, the devil’s sword watched Kim Kyung-Rok sitting on the floor, shaking. In that short time, Kim Kyung-Rok’s expression had completely changed. His face was covered with tears and mucus, trembling like a little child.

He said, crawling on the floor, “P-Ple…. Plea….”

Dideric said in a casual tone, “What? Is your skill already done?”

He thrust the sword into Kim Kyung-Rok’s elbow joint, but no generation took place this time. It was not clear whether he intentionally stopped his unique skill or whether the allotted time was over. The devil’s sword thought of letting Kim Kyung-Rok’s body answer, to be sure, but soon lost his interest and decided to quit.

“Well, shall we stop here?”

Kim Kyung-Rok nodded several times as he trembled. It was so intense, to the point that it was worrisome that his neck bone would break. The short few minutes of skill activation felt like years in Kim Kyung-Rok’s head. He could not even remember how many pieces his body had been cut and reattached due to the devil’s sword and how many times he had been stabbed, cut, and healed. He just wanted to get out of this hellish situation quickly.

Meanwhile, ‘Man, this isn’t fun at all, is it?’

It was not only Kim Kyung-Rok’s reaction that broke the devil’s sword’s enthusiasm. The Mana of the temporary host, Dideric, who was moving by the [Whisper of the Sword], also played a part. You could feel a series of processes that absorb Mana from the core of the person holding him and amplify it with a blade. However, after a long time of having the Mana of a human being other than Seo Jin-Wook on the blade, it felt a distinguishable change.

‘Damn it, that bastard just left my taste buds to shit.’

It wasn’t just that. The body of the Awakened overcame limitations and became stronger with Mana’s activation. Dideric was also an SS-Rank hunter, and despite the devil’s sword directing his movement, it felt completely different from when Seo Jin-Wook swung. All factors, such as nervous system reactions, explosive power depending on muscle strength, and skeleton flexibility, were not satisfactory. The devil’s sword clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘It’s not going to be fun even if I were to continue.’

Dideric was supposed to use it once and be thrown away anyway. It was because Dideric always had to hold the sword in his hand to maintain the [Whisper of the Sword], but there was no way that Seo Jin-Wook would allow it.

‘The playtime is over.’

Dideric’s body moved, and the blade came into contact with Kim Kyung-Rok’s body.

With the other arm, it led the sword that Kim Kyung-Rok held and aimed at the heart of Dideric. And he placed his own weight on the blade.

Puhk!

Riiiip!

Setting up the scene of mutual killing was simple, as long as the opponent completely lost his will. Just like that, the devil’s sword penetrated Kim Kyung-Rok’s neck, and Kim Kyung-Rok’s sword pierced Dideric’s heart, and the light of Mana completely disappeared from the two cores.

Swish!

Diderick’s shadow shook, and a figure popped out, “······Uhhhhhhh!”

It was a zombie. The zombie holding the ordinary sword in Dideric’s hand retrieved the devil’s sword and held it.

‘Damn it, I was prepared, but I’m offended! To let the half-decayed corpse grab on me!’

The devil’s sword’s telepathy resonated, but the zombie did not respond. Silently, following Nate’s directions from afar, it tore the scroll once again. As soon as that happened…

Paht!

Teleportation was triggered, and a flash covered the zombies and the devil’s sword, and they disappeared. All that was left in the Grand Croix’s conference room was Dideric and Kim Kyung-Rok’s bodies, who had killed and ripped each other.