Chapter 384
It was then-
Someone landed with a loud, echoing thud as soon as Choi Kyung-sik finished speaking. My eyes opened wide as I immediately recognized the person who had jumped from the high-dome ceiling.
'Kim Olim!'
However, her [dummy] wasn't in a good condition either. One of her arms-the one without the shield-wasn't visible from the elbow down; her face was partially shattered as well.
I remained calm because I knew that any damage the [Dummies] had suffered didn't result in pain for the User, but I was inevitably worried at the clear, visible signs of her struggles.
"Are you alright?' Choi Kyung-sik asked, as if he had read my feelings.
She grinned despite her distorted, crumpled face, "Are you worried about me? Or the dummy?"
"Of course I'm worried about the dummy." Choi Kyung-sik immediately shook his head.
Kim Olim stopped laughing, re-adopted her stern expression, and approached me, "Ham-Lee-kyung... What on earth were you trying to do? Didn't you just vomit blood?"
'How did she...?'
My eyes opened wide, surprised that she knew I had vomited blood when I summoned Woo Ragi.
Kim Olim clicked her tongue when she saw my wondering expression, "You still smell of blood..."
Worries laden in her demeanor, she suddenly lifted the shield carried by her intact arm.
Clank-!
I heard the sharp ring of metal colliding. A projectile was shot at Kim Olim. I thought the culprit was Lim Jisoo, but...
"Wow... Is that really Red Lotus's Kim Olim...?" said a strange, young voice. The surface of Kim Olim's shield [Rho-Aias] had a few fissures. The Paladin flourished her shield to shake off the dark energy from the projectile.
Far in the distance stood a slim man with completely white hair and covered face; only his eyes could be seen.
He held a scythe with a red chain in one hand; Looking at the swinging red chain and Kim Olim's unusual demeanor, it seemed like that man had attacked her.
"...Who are you?" Kim Olim didn't immediately rush in. Instead, she cautiously asked the man a question without taking her eyes off of him. Looking at her expression, it didn't seem like she was asking that question because she truly didn't know the identity of that man.
But instead of answering her question, the man looked at Kim Olim's [Dummy] from head to toe. Though I wasn't the recipient of that look, his gaze still felt incredibly gross.
Soon, the man gave Kim Olim an exaggerated bow, "I'm called Yeo Juno."
"......"
Sarcasm was laced strongly through his giggled and languid words. Any discernible expression drained slowly from Kim Olim's face.
The man, who identified himself as Yeo Juno, raised his voice happily, ignoring her fierce glare, "I was noonim's 1 fan during [Red Lotus]'s glory days."
"......"
"Who thought we'd meet again like this... Haah, you really see everything when you've lived for so long like I have."
"......"
"It's truly, truly a great honor," He closed his eyes into crescent shaped eye-smiles. Then, without waiting for Olim's reaction, he shook the red chain he was holding and wrapped it around his arm.
The sound of chain colliding against itself rang out into this almost tranquil space. Kim Olim raised her [Rho-Aias] without a word.
"...Kim Olim."
Unexpectedly, before she could face Yeo Juno, we heard Woo Ragi's voice from behind us.
When Choi Kyung-sik turned around with me in his arms, I could now see Woo Ragi's gaze fixed-as if nailed-on Yeo Juno. Kim Olim also looked back at the Swordsman belatedly.
As soon as Olim looked at me, Woo Ragi declared, gnashing his teeth, "Leave him to me. That bastard's mine."
Confused, I looked alternatingly between them. Kim Olim briefly furrowed her brows but quickly composed herself. She then obediently lowered her shield, "Understood."
Afterwards, she ran behind us instantly-towards Bang Eunji's location.
Yeo Juno gazed blankly at Woo Ragi's sudden appearance and then said a bit sadly, "Ahh, I wanted to compete with Kim Olim-nim at least once."
"Hey, you competition pervert."
"I'm sorry, but... I don't remember the names of those who I've already killed once."
It wasn't until I heard Yeo Juno's words that I remembered that he was one of the assassin's who contributed to Red Lotus's extermination.
The assassin who killed Woo Ragi.
The murderer responsible for Ragi's death.
With [Opera]'s support, numerous assassins were able to rush towards Woo Ragi while recovering their stamina and healing their wounds indefinitely. Among them, I recalled a man that used a red chain; I felt an unparalleled sense of disgust. Indeed-Woo Ragi definitely had a reason to intervene in this situation.
'He didn't kill Ragi one-on-one-Ragi died in a many-vs-one situation...'
I was on Woo Ragi's side and glowered at the man. However, before I could explode in anger, Choi Kyung-sik opened his mouth first, "It seems that all the traitors from the [Tower of Command] are gathering here."
'Huh?'
When I blinked, Choi Kyung-sik shook his head and continued, "I believe Lim Jisoo summoned them here."
Crash-!!
However, before I could fully assess those words, I heard a loud noise. I could see Woo Ragi wielding his [Echoblade] striking down at Yeo Juno. Looking at the fierce smile on his face, I learned that the Swordsman was the type to smile or laugh when he's extremely angry.
However, Yeo Juno was no ordinary opponent. He met Woo Ragi's attacks-strong enough to split the earth-face on, holding his ground.
Choi Kyung-sik stepped back, as if to protect me; soon, Yeo Juno and Woo Ragi began to clash at imperceptible speeds.
"[Sword Dancer]." Woo Ragi invoked powerful skills from the very beginning, probably hoping for a quick victory. Yeo Juno's eyes flashed momentarily as the [Echoblades] slashed at him one by one, flaying pieces of skin off his collar.
Yeo Juno swung his arms wide, holding onto the red chain, in order to use his skill, "[Machiavelli-Flashing Light]!" 2
The chain stretched outwards and snared everything within its range. Woo Ragi appeared to be caught, but the chain only slashed through his shadow; the Swordsman had used a spell of his own to move beyond the attack range.
"[Illusion Sword]." When Woo Ragi's skill activated again, the [Echoblades], that had been neatly gathered, instantly spread about, blocking every direction Yeo Juno could move.
Some of those blades were phantom apparitions, some of them were real [Echoblades], but...
Slice-!
The pain one suffered at each cut was real.
Yeo Juno glanced at the long sword that grazed his forearm and then swept back his disheveled, fluttering hair. "You're really making this annoying."
"If you have anything to show, then do it quickly. We don't have much time for chit-chat." Woo Ragi said; his [Echoblades] stood like a wall, trapping Yeo Juno inside. Yeo Juno's relaxed attitude, even when he was clearly cornered, bothered me.
'They said that this place was a trap, right?'
Then, is everyone just buying time?
However, it didn't seem like Yeo Juno was waiting for something. With an incomprehensible expression on his face, he extended his chain and gradually pushed out against the blades.
Of course, Woo Ragi wasn't single-mindedly drunk with revenge-he was wary enough to observe his surroundings as well. Plus, he was fully vigilant against Yeo Juno. So, when the man placed his arms to his body-to do something-Woo Ragi ordered his [Echoblades] to the front to block the man.
Thud-!
However, what Yeo Juno threw down at Woo Ragi's feet was neither a weapon, nor a defense item. It was a broken piece from an old ornament.
Though full of scratches, that piece looked familiar. I then realized that the ornament hanging from the handle of the Swordsman's sword and what Yeo Juno threw fit together-like two halves coming together.
"Why do you have that?" Woo Ragi said. His voice raised goosebumps on the back of my neck.
Yeo Juno received that bloodlust without losing his sharp smile, "Aren't you curious about how your family is doing now?"
Become a member!
TL: I know Kim Olim is a strong woman who needs no protecting, but dear god did I want to protect her from Juno's leery eyes.
And ... I swear this novel is trying to make me love Ragi more and more.