Chapter 33 - Red Sword (3)

I ran.

‘Did you think you couldn’t control the Tower without Yoo Soo-ha? Did it have to be him?’

The ogre widened its eyes seeing me in the air.

The monster tried to use its club.

But it was too late.

‘Don’t make me laugh!’

I would show them.

‘I’ll clear the 20th floor stage instead of Flame Emperor.’

And not just the 20th floor stage.

‘The 30th too.’

Even the 40th.

‘And the 50th.’

The 60th, 70th, 80th, and the 90th.

Even the 99th floor.

‘Until the 100th!’

Until I was at the top.

‘I’ll show you!’

[Your existence is becoming clearer.]

I swung my sword.

[Hunter Kim Gong-ja’s level is growing.]

The blade precisely cut the ogre’s neck.

Blood splattered everywhere.

The leather was pretty firm, but not sharper than my sword. The monster’s lifeline was thick, but not as much as my Aura.

The ogre whipped his arm even in the last moment. Did he feel wronged? I didn’t need to feel surprised. I attacked again.

[Your skill slots are being increased.]

[Now your hunter rank is D Class.]

The ogre’s neck split apart.

A moment after that, the monster’s body fell down.

[May luck be with you.]

Red dust flew up.

-Krrrrrr…

-Kiii, gi! Giiiiii.

I could see monsters. The monsters that had been running head first into the broken city walls has begun to hesitate. They were scared after seeing the large monster fall.

Silence.

Other than the sound of rain pouring down, it was silent. The soldiers on the city wall looked at me, and the monsters of the Devil King squirmed. It was dead silent. I was standing all alone by myself.

-Congratulations.

Bae Hu-ryeong grinned.

-It’s been 30 seconds.

Then, someone passed by me.

I could tell who it was just by looking at their back. The strongest hunter in the tower pulled out his sword.

Tens of goblins lost their necks, and tens of orcs lost their backs. And tens of streaks of blood poured down as one.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

It was only a moment, but I saw it. The blood streaming from the sky was darker than the rain.

“······.”

Sword Saint slowly looked back at me, turning his back towards the pools of blood he created. He opened his mouth.

“——.”

I didn’t understand what he said.

My time was still slow.

“Mm.”

Did he realize that my condition wasn’t normal?

He smiled, and spoke with Aura this time.

“–it was amazing.”

The old man lifted his sword.

It rained.

The rain was red, so after the water poured down, the sword was red as well.

“My name is Marcus Calenberry. Youngster.”

I realized that he was trying to be polite.

“······.”

I closed my mouth.

This was the second time a Rank 1 hunter told me his name.

The first time was when I was on the 1st floor.

The Flame Emperor tilted my head back and whispered.

-My name is Yoo Soo-ha.

-Farewell.

I died that day.

I heard a name for the second time today. They were different names and different people.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was different as well.

And I was able to do something that I wasn’t able to do the first time.

“My name is Kim Gong-ja. Sir.”

Today.

I spoke my name.

4.

The rain poured.

The fire burned everything in its way, and the rain had to fall from the sky.

“Mm.”

The rain poured.

There was an old man standing in the middle of it.

He nodded his head at me.

“Let’s fight together, Youngster.”

The Rank 1 hunter.

Sword Saint.

Grand Master of Knights of the Aegim Empire.

Alliance.

“-Ahahaha!”

The rain poured.

“Mm! Sorry I’m late!”

With the sound of puddles being splashing, laughter approached us.

“I could’ve come faster. I guess it’s not easy to lead a legion!’

The speaker had one arm. It was a road where everything was damaged. The one-armed man stood firm.

“Thank you. Hunter Kim Gong-ja.”

The Heretic Questioner fixed his cap with the hand he had.

The rain poured.

Far away from behind the Heretic Questioner, something crowded over to us.

“We’ll take over the time that you got for us.”

Thousands of soldiers.

The soldiers of the empire were jumping over holes past the puddles. No, there were even those who weren’t soldiers. They were citizens who didn’t have any armor.

“It’s the order of the Supreme General. Everyone.”

The Heretic Questioner smiled.

Thousands of soldiers and ten thousands of citizens shouted.

“Defeat the bastards who bared their teeth at the empire.’

The Rank 4 hunter.

Ten Thousand Temple Master, Heretic Questioner.

The Supreme General of the empire.

“Whoooooooo!”

The rain poured.

The monsters who had been coming like hail, stopped. They hesitated. The tables were turned. Water started to flow backwards from where the city walls were broken.

“The god is with us!”

The rain poured.

“Hurrah for the Aegim Empire!”

The rain poured.

‘Ah.’

I couldn’t know when I had started to flow with the water. It was probably because of my Aura. I was running as a small drop in the water.

Refugees from other countries raised their spears from my left. Farmers from the empire raised their rakes to my right. When I looked backed, hunters like me were running.

A hunter I saw raised their sword.

They were continuing to say something, but,

“—-.”

“——!”

I didn’t understand them.

Was it because of the rain? Or the people shouting? Oh, was it the screams of the monsters? Because time slowed down? Was it because I became a small drop of water flowing with them?

Or, was it because I was swinging my sword.

“—–!”

Forward.

“——.”

Even more forward.

Until water covered everywhere the fire was.

Just a bit more forward.

“-hey.”

Something touched my shoulder. It pierced through the ten thousands of voices and said something to me. It was one-eyed.

“Good job. I should’ve come earlier. I was late because I was bringing out guild members. But don’t worry. We’ll show you why we’re called Chen-mu mun from now on…”

Pause.

“······.”

It stopped speaking. Why? It stopped, and looked into my eyes with its one eye instead.

“You’re not listening. Are you immersed? Nice. I like it.”

It laughed.

“Hey, my name is Liao Fan. You can’t hear, but it doesn’t matter. …you saved my life in the reception room later. I can’t forget about a debt as the Master of Chen-mu mun, right? Just run with your eyes forward. I’ll take the left. This is a huge benefit.”

It raised its sword.

“No one who stood on my right ever died.”

The rain poured.

“Go. Holy Technique.”

I swung my sword.

“I’ll protect you.”

The water became even more violent.

It flowed violently.

“Sorry I’m late! I was busy looking for the Emperor. I found him, but he had already committed sucide. It’ll be hard to use his authority. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. We don’t need to gather anymore people. Ms.Crusader, you should fight too.”

“Of course. Hm? Why is Kim Gong-ja hunter…”

“Don’t bother him.”

The rain poured.

“That guy. Is having the time of his life.”

The rain poured.

-Pitiful things.

-Even if time is given, did you think it was for you?

-Even the power of the goddess protecting you is gone. There is no god in the empire anymore. What did you expect? Will you prove yourselves? Fine.

Laughter came with the rain.

-Look.

A red light.

However, there were things blocking me.

And there were a lot.

“Hey, Witch! Get rid of them quickly!”

“I know. I won’t let them go twice.”

“Geezer! You and I should cut them when the Witch scatters them!”

“I can do it by myself.”

“They’re starting to come, everyone!”

The rain poured.

“-scatter.”

6 rays of light shined. It was the light of mirrors. The red light slid against the mirror. The first, second, and third mirror broke. But the 4th mirror continued to reflect the red light.

“Sword Saint! Venomous Snake!”

Something shouted.

“Hup.”

There was the sound of intaking breath.

“Yaaaaaa!”

And the sound of it being exhaled.

The sky split.

Even the red light split. It was light the ocean was being split into half.

Five different voices chattered on.

“Look! Look! I’ve still got a while before I die!”

“You’re continuing to blabber on.”

“This is the time!”

And a voice whispered amongst them.

“I’ll transport you next to the Devil King. Everyone get around me!”

“Quickly! If the Devil King summons monsters again we’ll be back at the starting point!”

Five voices overlapped.

They gathered into one place.

And.

“Kim Gong-ja!”

Someone extended their hand.

Rain was dripping down their face.

“Hold on!”

“······.”

“Hurry, there’s no time!”

At that moment.

The time that seemed like forever was released.

I could see the people around me.

I could hear the sounds around me.

That wasn’t all. Memories of where I was and how I got here flooded inside my head.

It was the middle of the battlefield.

The soldiers and citizens were pushing away the monsters. Hunters endlessly poured from the broken city walls.

“Kim Gong-ja hunter!”

We were at the very front.

From here to the Devil King, it was empty. The monsters would come soon, but not now.

“Hurry!”

It was a bit ironic.

The Heretic Questioner was on Venomous Snake’s back. Venomous Snake was holding Sword Saint’s arm. Sword Saint had his hand on Crusader;s shoulder. Crusader was holding the Witch’s hand.

‘…it would be awesome if I took a picture of this and put it online.’

While I was thinking those thoughts, the Witch shouted.

“Hurry! If you don’t grab on we’re leaving you here!”

The Witch was extending her hand towards me.

‘Ahh.’

And I realized.

This scene would be gone soon.

Even the argument Sword Saint and I had.

How the Sword Saint pulled back his sword.

And how he bowed his head towards me, apologizing.

How Heretic Questioner had killed those innocent hunters.

Them fighting each other.

‘It’ll all disappear.’

Everything.

Like the rain that was pouring.

‘Those people won’t remember.’

However.

-What are you doing. Partner.

That was okay.

-You have to go get the monsters, kid.

It wouldn’t disappear just because it wasn’t remembered.

I had a sword.

This place had someone who died on the 1st floor. There was a ghost who died on the 99th floor. No one knew about their deaths. But us two were still here.

“…okay.”

If we returned, nothing would be solved.

Sword Saint would doubt me, and the hunters would suspect each other when it became time to choose rewards.

“Let’s go.”

But I was a bit stronger. I wouldn’t let innocent people die. I wouldn’t watch by while the Count died and our connection with the outside was cut off. Now I even somewhat knew who the betrayer was.

I was sure.

I would do better.

“Good!”

The Witch tightly held my hand.

“Teleport!”

The next moment, we jumped down from mid air. The five of us landed at the same time. In front of us, the Devil King was standing with his sword.

-Amusing.

The Devil King was a sword.

He was like a shadow in the form of a human.

-Warriors of the goddess, I see.

He had a face but no expression. He had arms, but no hands. He had legs, but no feet, and it seemed like he would fall over any moment.

No. He was actually falling. The Devil King’s body continued to flow down.

The owner of nightmares.

The moving shadow.

-Warriors. Did you know there’s a betrayer among you? You know, but you’re still trying to trust with each other.

Was there any reason to listen more?

As far as I could see, there was none.

I ran with my one sword.

“Kim Gong-ja?!”

I heard a surprised voice behind me.

“No! Wait! You can’t go by yourself! Everyone has to work together to-”

Sorry.

I’ll see you in my next life.

Although you won’t remember today.

-Oho.

The Devil King smiled at me running alone at him.

-How foolish.

It was a strange smile. There weren’t any eyes or mouth on his face, so it seemed like he was flowing from his skin.

-Did you come to kill me, warrior.

He swung his sword.

It was something I never would’ve been able to block.

Before the sword arrived at my neck.

“No.”

I didn’t pretend to block the attack.

It was unnecessary.

Instead, I politely raised my middle finger.

“I came to be killed. You son of a bitch.”

I’ll see you in my next life too.

It was short, but I definitely saw the Devil King’s smile harden.

“—–!”

“—ja, —!?”

Soon, I didn’t hear anything.

My consciousness faded away.

All my senses were paused.

I only felt the rain on my face until the last moment.

Then.

[You have died.]

[The Devil King of Fall Rain’s skills are being randomly copied.]

Alright.

[Skill cards are being created.]

It was time for round 2.

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