Translator: HH

What she said was reasonable.

I was still an E Class hunter. The continent wouldn’t have fallen if the Devil King was able to be defeated by an E Class hunter.

I was at a huge disadvantage.

But death didn’t mean loss to me.

“I plan on winning.”

Death was a step to winning for me.

“I have a secret weapon too. Trust me.”

“······.”

The Witch sighed.

“Ok. Since all hunters have a secret. I hope your sword will be as sharp enough to pierce that boss monster.”

That’s what I was planning on.

-You’re playing a fun game. Goddess.

It was then.

-You’re last resistance is pitiful. Light. What can light do for those who don’t know if they have a future. Even you’re pitiful now.

The Devil King’s voice split the battlefield.

-Then show me light as well.

There was a large sound.

The Witch and I didn’t let our guards down. We were watching the Devil King’s movements, so we knew the identity of the sound.

It was a sword.

Slowly.

The Devil King slowly pulled out his sword on the horizon. Time seemed to slow down. The sword of the Devil King seemed to be on a different time than us. So it seemed like he was trying to cut time.

But the Devil King cut time. He cut the sky. The trajectory of the sword was red.

It precisely aimed for the walls, and pierced it.

A storm rised.

The Witch and I subconsciously closed our eyes. While we closed our eyes, dust covered us, and we could hear screams. It was the screams of the soldiers. I heard something break.

And a moment later.

“Gasp, cough…!”

When the dust settled, we looked towards where the screams were coming from. It was painful because the dust entered our eyes, but the shock was greater than the pain.

The Witch swallowed.

“…Is he really weaker?”

The walls of the empire were broken.

The Devil King whimpered.

-Poor things.

Red rain poured from the dusty sky.

Laughter echoed from where the Devil King was.

-Is this really still your empire?

3.

It wasn’t just the broken city walls.

The red trajectory of the sword crushed streets and buildings. Even the palace was in its path.

Boom!

[One warrior has died.]

A voice rang from nearby.

[They are not the Devil King’s servant.]

A voice that announced death.

“······.”

The Witch and I looked at each other.

“…It was where the reception room was.”

The Witch spoke first.

“Heretic Questioner, Sword Saint, and Venomous Snake aren’t in the reception room, since they’re bringing the soldiers here. Crusader’s looking for the Emperor on your orders. Then, the person that’s left it…”

Count.

“…Dying first.”

The Count wasn’t the betrayer.

“Rude.”

The Witch quietly murmured.

That was it.

She didn’t say anything else and just shook her head.

I wondered if it was her way of saying farewell.

“Black Dragon Master. If the Count really passed away then with the outside world…”

“Right now.”

The Witch spoke in a low voice.

“RIght now, let’s focus on what’s in front of us.”

The 2nd strongest hunter in the tower was glaring at the prey in the horizon.

“Even the Devil King won’t be able to continue attacking like that. Kim Gong-ja. Help protect the broken city walls with me.”

The red spots on the map changed.

The monster army was approaching us like a wave before. But now, the red spots were pointy.

Were they trying to exhaust us?

“Yes, maam.”

The points were heading towards the city walls.

It was the crack where the red trajectory had split.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

The Witch grabbed my hand.

She nodded her head.

“Teleportation.”

We moved towards the broken city walls.

-Krrrrk!

-Kiek, ke! Kekeke!

-Gwoooo!

The monsters were right in front of us. Arrow flew. They were from the soldiers above the city walls. It wasn’t enough to stop the red wave. Goblin, ork, skeletons, and other monsters ran at us.

There was only about 2 minutes before the first wave arrived.

-Zombie.

I heard Bae Hu-ryeong’s voice.

-Even a minute is ok. No, 30 seconds. 

Tens, hundreds, of monsters were flying through the clouds.

And tens times that number was rumbling the ground towards us.

-Endure it yourself.

There weren’t any allies stopping me.

-To win this battle, you must become hope to these people.

So I was standing at the very front alone.

-Endure it by yourself. Even 30 seconds is ok. It’s important that you show you can stop those monsters by yourself. You don’t call a human who lived for 30 years a hero. The 30 seconds that everyone needs. The human that provides those 30 seconds is the hero. 

I dropped my backpack on the ground.

-Be a hero.

Bae Hu-ryeong pulled out a glass bottle.

It was what the future Lord of Alchemy Castle made.

It was the glass bottle with the elixir.

-I’ll help you.

One gulp. Two gulps. Three gulps.

I gulped down the elixir.

-I promised I would teach you sword techniques before the 20th floor, right? It’s a bit early, but here’s some lessons.

Thump.

My heart beat faster.

-Take a step back.

My heart beat faster.

-Look ahead.

I did.

-There’s two goblins in front. They can’t see that well because of the dust. Quickly swing your sword before them. 

My heart beat even faster.

Each second felt slower.

-The Holy Sword shines, but it can take away sight as well. Take your opponents eyes with your sword, and get time from your opponent. 

And so a second for me was faster than my heart.

-They’re here. 

My sword would be a second faster than me.

-Let’s go. Partner. 

Bae Hu-ryeong stood next to me.

-It’s time to be a hero. 

I swung my sword. Blood flowed everywhere.

-Kiiiiiii!

The goblin screamed. In my second, the scream didn’t stop.

-One down. 

Blood scattered in the air. It was the same color as the rain. I gripped my sword even tighter. And swung it.

-Keeeeeeeeeea!

Two.

Before the 1st goblin tied, I cut the second goblin. It was an instant. Blood flowed from my right and left. The monsters shouted without even being able to see my sword.

I killed one, and another.

-Aeeeeee!

-Aaaeeeeeeeee!

-Kiiiiiiiii!

Before a monster could finish screaming, another monster screamed.

The screams around me didn’t end.

The orchestra of my sword.

I directed them with my conducting stick.

-1 second has passed. 

Bae Hu-ryeong spoke.

-Don’t cut off your sword when you swing. Gong-ja. Don’t divide each attack, and connect them. 

I swung my sword.

-Cut from the top to bottom. Think. It’s no different from music. When a tone pitches down, it can be pulled back up. 

Screams rang out.

-Connect! If your sword is low, bring it back up again. That’s how your sword can continue to connect. 

Another second passed.

-A sword is a fight of time! If it’s swung once, it’s over. But a more skilled person can control 5 seconds. 

Enemies let out blood.

And I let out my breath.

-Don’t lose time!

Before the blood poured. And my breath faded.

-Don’t waste anything! Just because you cut your opponent, it’s not over. You have to know where to cut next! Don’t throw away a second. Live it.

A blade swung between my breathing and the blood of my enemy.

-A sword user lives by their sword.

I swung my sword.

-Do you think it’s easy to live a second? Do you really want to leave?

I swung my sword.

-People aren’t alive when they spend time. Gong-ja. You are a sword user. So you need to live by your sword. 

I swung my sword again.

-Burn it up!

A goblin scratched me and blood spilled from my arm. Ah. I felt dizzy. Even in the pain, I swung my sword, and looked forward.

-Kiiiiiie!

-Krrr,kr…

-Kwoooooo!

Countless monsters.

Monsters were pouring from the dust cloud. Countless enemies, and countless evil. They were all trying to kill me.

-10 seconds now.

This was 10 seconds. It had only been 10 seconds.

-Burn more, Gong-ja. Don’t spill your life, and burn it up.

I tightened my grasp on the sword.

-It’s time to show who you are. 

I shouted loudly.

In the cracks of the city walls, my shout rumbled. The soldiers on top flinched. The monsters coming from far away paused.

-Yeah. Fuck, this is it.

Bae Hu-ryeong giggled.

-Now you’re not that much of a zombie now, huh!

I ran forward.

-Gwo…?

I attacked the foot of the goblin who stopped first. Before he could react, he was dead.

The goblin’s head flew up with its mouth open.

I swung my sword.

-Krrrr, rrr

And next was an orc standing blanky next to it. Before it could raise its club, I bought my sword down on it. Blood poured out like a fountain.

I swung my sword.

‘Just a bit more.’

Skeletons.

‘Just a bit more.’

And more goblins.

‘More.’

Countless orcs.

‘More! Just a little bit more!’

At the immeasurable amount of monsters.

‘Look!’

I swung my sword.

‘Look at me!’

I was alive.

I was alive when I swung my sword.

-KOoooooo!

An ogre appeared from the red dust cloud.

Once. Twice. Everytime the monster moved, the wind moved around it.

In the ogre’s dust cloud, a goblin entered. Then, it died with the sounds of its bones crunching.

Yes. That was right. They didn’t have any camaraderie. Nor any pity and love for each other.

So they were beasts.

Disgusting beasts.

-ROooooooo!

The beast fiercely cried out.

It bared its teeth to me.

‘Come.’

And here, there was a hunter.

There was a hunter chasing after a beast.

‘I’ll show you.’

Boom!

The ogre toop a step forward.

The city walls started to crumble.

Boom!

The disgusting beast took another step forward. Everytime it took a step forward, the ground shook. The city walls crashed down. The ogre shook the ground, heading this way.

-Root your feet in the ground.

However.

-And look forward.

What I had to do didn’t change.

-Cut your enemy with the sword. 

I ran at the monster.

Boom!

The giant beast stepped forward. I aimed for that moment. When it lifted its club to hit me, I twisted my sword in front of it.

White light.

The light of the Holy Sword entered the eyes of the ogre.

-Gwooooooo!

The ogre’s body was already stumbling.

It was hard for the ogre to change his direction.

‘Why.’

When I was attacking the ogre, I was thinking of something.

‘Why did you give an EX Class skill to a bastard like that.’

Of Yoo Soo-ha.

Of the tower that gave him that…rare skill.

‘It didn’t have to be a saint. Just someone that was a bit more normal. If it was given to someone like that, it would’ve been fine. But why. To that psychopath.’

The ogre’s club flashed by my nose.

It missed, because it was blinded by the light.

Thankfully, there was a blind spot.

‘Oh…so that was it?’