Volume 1 - CH 2

The sound of my name, Seo Gangrim, flowing out from the woman's mouth felt incredibly unfamiliar to me. Why was she looking for me? I didn’t think I’ve met her before.

Using my 'Destiny Analysis' I looked at her Destiny Window.

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[Name] Baekyoung

[Rank] Divine First Class

[?] This Destiny is protected.

[?] This Destiny is protected.

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Divine First Class…

I had never seen a rank like that before. Even my sect leader, Shin Sooah, was only Divine Third Class. And even then, her abilities were not something to scoff at, and definitely not something an average person would possess.

This stranger also had numerous abilities, but one thing stood vividly in my eyes.

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[Ability] Regression

[Rank] Divine First Class

[Description] The user can return to the past and retain their memories. 

This cannot be used in case of death.

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I couldn’t even begin to guess why a ‘Regressor’ of such rank was looking for me.

“Did she really kill the boss demon?”

“Seo Gangrim? She’s looking for that Seo Gangrim?”

People started whispering to each other upon hearing my name.

“Where did Seo Gangrim go?”

They weren’t able to find me because I’m in the corner getting a demon’s tattered clothing. Sensing something was wrong, I then moved to approach the woman but thorny vines suddenly grew from the floor and encircled me, as if protecting me.

“Don’t come out, stay there,” using telepathy, Shin Sooah’s voice reached my ears. To be able to pinpoint my location from such a distant place was truly remarkable.

Nobody seemed to notice the vines that suddenly appeared in front of me due to the fact that the place was already almost filled with such vines from earlier. I tried to struggle out of the enclosure of the vines, but they were so hard that getting out seemed unlikely.

For such a powerful person to be looking for me, something was off. This situation was giving me a very uneasy feeling.

“What do you want from him?” while perched on her own vine, Shin Sooah called out to Baek Young.

Baek Young moved forward, making a squelching sound as she stepped on a puddle of blood.

“To kill him.”

Kill me? Why? I didn’t understand. A Divine First Class woman I’d never seen before suddenly appeared and wanted to kill me. With such power, I had no doubts that she could kill me with just a finger if she wanted to.

Hearing Baek Young’s reply, Shin Sooah leapt down in front of Baek Young and pointed her sword at the woman.

“No one is allowed to kill my sect members.”

Baek Young’s expression turned blank at her words, there were no signs of anger nor mockery. Her face was simply blank as she looked at the people around her.

“It appears that Seo Gangrim is indeed among you.”

Baek Young raised her azure sword and then delivered a swift strike, causing an immense gust of wind to erupt.

-Aaah!

A rain of blood fell on the ground. Heads of people in front of Baek Young were separated from their owners and sent flying off. Among them were the heads of the leaders of various sects. Baek Young watched the spectacle with a blank, expressionless face.

“If I kill all of you, Seo Gangrim should die too.”

With just a single strike of Baek Young's sword dozens of people were killed. The people who realized the situation belatedly started screaming in terror.

“Ahh! A murderer!”

“Everybody, run!”

Everyone lost their reason and ran towards the exit, where they met a wall of air.

"Quick, what are you waiting for? Get out!"

"A barrier... it's blocking us...!"

Just like he said, a bluish translucent barrier was blocking the exit.

All of a sudden, a sound of metal hitting metal reverberated throughout the cave.

-Chaeng!

***read at https://novelworldtranslations.blogspot.com/***

Shin Sooah and Baek Young were exchanging blows. The sound of their swords clashing echoed, as if they were about to shatter. Rage and hatred filled Shin Sooah’s face. Her eyes were filled with the intent to kill as she looked at Baek Young.

“If you hand over Seo Gangrim, I’ll spare the rest,” Baek Young said.

Despite exerting all her strenght, Shin Sooah was still struggling to push her opponent away, and her hands started trembling uncontrollably.

She must have been aware of it as well--that Baek Young and her were on a completely different level.

“Shin Sooah, run!” I screamed at her, but she didn’t look back.

It seemed like no one, including Shin Sooah, could hear my voice. A quick check revealed that Kang Dohyeon’s barrier was attached to the vines encircling me. Damn it, no wonder no one could hear me. Frantically, I tried to cut through the vines with my sword, but they felt more like blocks of iron than wood.

-Kwanggg!

At this moment, it seemed as if Baek Yeong's sword momentarily gave way, but in an instant, she struck back, their swords colliding once again.

Shing Sooah was unable to withstand the opponent’s sudden attack, and was sent flying away, tumbling through the air as if being tossed aside. She hit a wall and slid to the ground. She tried to get up, but only coughed up blood instead.

Just as Baek Young was about to deliver the final blow to Shin Sooah, something came crashing down from above her. They were Yu Harang and Kang Dohyeon. The two charged at Baek Young with swords in their hands.

“No!” I screamed.

As my shout subsided, the swords held by Yu Harang and Kang Dohyeon fell to the ground. Along with the arms grasping the swords.

Before they could scream, Baek Young swiftly swung her sword, slashing Yu Harang's chest and Gang Dohyun's neck. Crimson blood splattered in all directions.

Yu Harang collapsed with a confused look on her face. Her collapse seemed incredibly surreal, almost unreal. We were just talking a few moments ago.

Meanwhile, Kang Dohyeon's neck had a gaping gash in it. As he coughed up blood and gasped for breath, Baek Young finished him off. Her sword pierced through his heart, and his movements quickly ceased.

Screams poured out from my mouth, but I know nobody would be able to hear me. I frantically swung my sword down on the vines, and I then grabbed them with my bare hands. The thorns pierced into my flesh, but I felt no pain.

As I let out a scream, I noticed that others around me were also crying out in terror.

"Where is Seo Gang-rim?! Bring that bastard here now!"

“Please, spare me… Please!”

People were screaming and fleeing in terror, trying to avoid the swing of Baekyeong's sword. Baek Young showed no hesitation or mercy as she ruthlessly killed the people in her path. In the midst of her rampage, a group blocked her path, facing her with grim determination.

“Are you Seo Gangrim?” Baek Young asked the group.

“No,” someone from the group answered.

He was Jang Taeheon, and he seemed the leader of group.

With a fierce expression, he glared at Baekyeong and spoke,

“We are the Flying Tiger Sect!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jang Taeheon swiftly closed the distance and attacked. 

He was lightning fast and Baek Young was unable to react immediately. He swiftly approached Baekyeong and threw a punch at her. A clenched fist landed a solid blow on the woman's chin.

It was a fatal blow, and must have broken a bone. But Baek Young remained unscathed and blood was dripping from Jang Taeheon's fist instead.

“.……!”

Still with an expressionless face, Baekyeong grabbed Jang Taeheon’s wrist firmly.

“For getting in my way.”

In an instant, Jang Taeheon’s body was split in half.

Strangely enough, it almost seemed like I could hear a voice calling out, urging me to join the party once everything was over.

The rest of the group screamed and rushed towards Baek Young, but they too met a swift end.

Baek Young continued her massacre. With each swing of her sword, a powerful gust of wind radiated outward, tearing through the surroundings. Some of the sharp gusts of wind sliced through the thorny vines that encircled, allowing me to finally get out. But it was too late. They’re all dead. Yu Harang, Kang Dohyeon, Jang Taeheon, and countless others.

A voice echoed in my ears, like a curse I heard when I was young, saying that everyone associated with me would become miserable.

“I found him! I found Seo Gangrim!” someone shouted right in front of me as I staggered out.

As I turned around, I noticed a member from another sect glaring at me with a blood-soaked face. In an instant, hundreds of eyes turned towards me. The members of the other sects immediately rushed towards me like madmen, grabbing hold of me tightly.

“This selfish bastard, hiding to save his own skin!"

“If only you died earlier…”

They dragged me as if they were going to tear me apart. From their eyes alone, it seemed as if they were going to stab me to death right away. I was dragged away and thrown to the floor covered in blood and guts.

"Kill this bastard and let us go!"

When I looked up, I saw Baekyoung approaching me. The individuals encircling me bore looks filled with hatred and resentment directed at me. All eyes were fixed on me, filled with demands for my death, urging me to meet my demise.

Despite the piercing gazes, I did not feel despair or betrayal. There was no way anyone here would defend me. After all, the people who would stand by me were dead. Now, I didn’t have anyone. The only  people alive were those that want me dead.

“.…stop,” someone said, the speaker was behind Baek Young. “Do not lay a hand on my sect members.”

Shin Sooah was walking with a limp. Her right arm was broken and bent in an odd way, while her left hand was holding the sword, albeit barely.

I didn’t understand. Why stop Baek Young at all? She’s obviously an opponent you couldn’t beat. This situation could be resolved easily by me dying.

Baek Young was also puzzled, and asked,

“I don’t get it. If Seo Gangrim just died, everyone will live.”

Just like she said, it’s just a matter of me, a nobody with a Destiny as insignificant as a bug, dying. Nevertheless, Shin Sooah raised the sword with her left arm and aimed it at Baek Young.

“The role of the Sect Leader is to protect the members of her sect,” Shin Sooah said firmly.

As soon as she finished speaking, Baek Young's sword flashed. Shin Sooah attempted to block the sword, but her left arm fell short. Before any exchange could take place, the sharp sword swiftly pierced Shin Sooah's chest.

“Ugh!”

Shin Sooah dropped her sword. However, there was still a strong determination lingering in her eyes. She grabbed onto Baekyeong's arm and sword tightly, then shouted,

“Everyone, retreat! The barrier has been broken!”

At the same time, thorny vines rose from the floor. Baekyoung tried to avoid the vines, but her arm was firmly held by Shin Sooah. In an instant, the rapidly growing thorny vines wrapped around both Baek Young and Shin Sooah.

“The barrier is broken!”

“Everyone, run away!”

Upon realizing that the barrier had been broken, people began to scramble and flee in all directions.

Baek Young tried to pull her arm away, but Shin Sooah wouldn't let go. She remained steadfast, holding onto Baek Young's arm with her entire body, as if determined never to let go. But upon closer look, she was already dead. She held onto Baek Young, even in death.

“.……”

Baekyeong glanced briefly at Shin Sooah, then averted her gaze. Her eyes flashed a bright blue color.

[The ability ‘Ice Domain’ is activated!]

In an instant, countless pieces of ice materialized in the sky. The ice were then sent to pierce the heads of those who ran toward the exit.

“Ugh!”

“Please, please, let me live!”

I collapsed among the corpses, watching the scene unfold. It was hateful, but I hated myself even more than Baek Young. I detested my powerless existence, an existence akin to that of a lowly insect.

If I continued like this, I too would meet my demise. If I simply died here without putting up a fight, despite the efforts of my sect members to save me at the cost of their lives, then I truly was nothing more than a pathetic human being, lower than a worm.

I might be weak, but I also had one last weapon. A weapon that I had never been fortunate enough to use, not even once. 

The fresh corpses that I had desperately searched for was now strewn all around me.

[The ability 'Destiny Theft' is activated!]

[Using this ability will accumulate karma.]

[The current number of deceased individuals within range is 421.]

[Whose Destiny would you like to steal?]

I gritted my teeth and said,

[All 421 of them.]