Chapter 32: The Scarlet Sword (2)

Chapter 32: The Scarlet Sword (2)

I saw a stream of blood spurt across my vision.

Kieeehhhhh!

A goblin screamed for a long time. Its scream didn’t die out in my time.

—One down, the Guardian counted.

A fan of blood arced through the air, exactly the same color as the rain.

The drops of blood were still flying and the rain hadn’t hit the ground. And yet, the entire world was scarlet.

I adjusted my grip on my sword.

—Take care of the left one next.

I swung.

Before the first goblin died, I sliced into the second goblin. It happened in a flash. The goblins didn’t even see me coming. Blood gushed out and screams rose from my left and right. By the time one monster died, another one was dying. This repeated.

Another monster started screaming before the last one’s scream died out. The screaming around me never stopped. I wielded my sword like a conductor’s baton; the main instrument in this sonata of screams was also my sword.

—One second’s passed. Don’t stop. Keep your swings separate. Connect the attacks as you slay your enemies, the Guardian said.

I wielded my sword.

—Cut from top to bottom. It’s not over just because your sword is positioned low now. This is just like music. Think about it: a low note is just a stepping stone to go higher again.

Screams pierced the air.

—Connect them! If your sword is at the bottom now, swing it up. Build a sequence. That’s how you connect your attacks.

Another second passed.

—Time is of the essence when it comes to the sword! A beginner can only control one second at least. One swing and that’s it. They are blinded by this one second, so they don’t know how to connect their attacks. Someone who’s a little more proficient controls five seconds.

My enemies let out their blood; I let out my breath.

—Don’t waste the time you have! Don’t waste it! It’s not over because you killed one enemy. Nothing is over. Look for where you should swing next! People let time pass by, but a swordsman should not! Don’t throw away your one second. Live your one second to the fullest.

My sword flew between me and my enemies; they bled out as I finished exhaling.

—A swordsman is a man whose life is the sword.

I swung my sword.

—Do you think it’s easy to live one second to the fullest? Do you really think you’re living that second?

I did it again.

—A man isn’t alive when he just lets the time pass by. The only time he’s genuinely alive is when he devotes his time to something. Gong-Ja, you’re a swordsman, so your life should be the sword.

My sword was swung once again.

—Make those seconds in your life shine brighter!

A goblin clawed my arm until I bled. It made me feel lightheaded and my heart quivered. Despite the horrible pain, I swung my sword and kept looking forward.

Endless monsters were emerging from the cloud of red dust, which meant that the amount of enmity was equally immeasurable. All of them were monsters who were out to eat my flesh and drink my blood. They charged me, stained blood-red by the rain.

—Now you’ve reached ten seconds.

This was ten seconds. Only ten seconds.

Wait... Is that it? Yoo Soo-Ha is the only one who could conquer the Tower? Do people have to be like him to stand at the top?

The ogre’s eyes widened when it realized that I was in the air. The beast tried to use its club on me again, but it was too late.

Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll clear the twentieth stage instead of the Fire Emperor. Not just the twentieth stage—I’m going to do the same with the thirtieth, fortieth, fiftieth, sixtieth, seventieth, eightieth, ninetieth, ninety-ninth, and the hundredth floor!

I was going to show them. All the way to the top.

[Your presence has become stronger.]

[Hunter Kim Gong-Ja’s level has increased.]

My sword cut neatly through the ogre’s neck, splashing blood across the ground. The ogre’s hide was tough, but my sword was sharper. Although the ogre had vibrant vitality, it was dull compared to my aura.

The ogre refused to die. Even in its last moments, it swung its arms. There was no need to panic. I just attacked it one more time.

[Your Skill Slots have increased.]

[Your Hunter Class is D.]

The ogre’s head fell to the ground.

Its body joined it a little later.

[May luck be with you.]

The dust cloud gradually settled.

I saw the monsters marching for the ruins of the gates. The seemingly endless wave of monsters slowed, cowed by the fall of the huge ogre.

No sound could be heard other than the rain. The empire’s soldiers watched me from the walls, while the Demon King’s monsters were gripped by fear.

I stood alone. More eyes were drawn to me with each passing moment, and more of the Demon King’s creatures began to back away.

—Congratulations, you dominated thirty seconds. The Guardian grinned.

Someone stepped past me. I could tell who it was just from their back. They were wearing a black suit and had white hair—it was the Sword Star.

The Sword Star sprinted past, splashing his way through puddles. The strongest Hunter drew his sword and swept it in front of him.

One attack cost dozens of goblins their heads and just as many orcs their lower bodies, adding more red to the battlefield. One second, two seconds, three seconds... It was over quickly, but the fresh blood was darker than the rain, making the Sword Star’s impact impossible to ignore.

He slowly turned away from his bloody painting and looked at me. His lips moved, but time was still moving too slow for me to really understand him.

The Sword Star noticed that I was behaving oddly and smiled faintly. He added a little aura to his voice.

“...That was splendid.”

The Sword Star held up his sword in the rain. Its color was red, so his sword remained scarlet even after the rain washed it clean.

“My name is Marcus Carlenbery, young man.”

I had no words. I realized that the Sword Star was paying his respects to me in his own way.

It was my second time listening to the Rank 1 Hunter introducing himself. My first time was when I had still been wandering on the first floor. In a remote alley, the Fire Emperor had clutched my head as he whispered to me, “My name is Yoo Soo-Ha. Goodbye.”

I had been killed on that day.

Today, I heard my second introduction. They were different names and belonged to different people. Suddenly I felt that I was different as well. It made me realize that I now had the opportunity to do something that I never got to do the first time.

“My name is Kim Gong-Ja, sir.”

Today, I got to introduce myself.