Chapter 211

Chapter 211. Ego Sword (2)

I tightly shut my eyes. What I felt was a burning sensation creeping up my palm. However, this wasn't the actual heat from a burning flame. It was the intense pain caused by the high-level magical artifact, the Sunset Sword, drawing the mana from my body down to the marrow, which was being expressed as a sensation of heat through the safety mechanism embedded in my nerves.

'I knew this would happen.'

But ironically, this was a good sign. It meant that the Alphaurin Ego Sword was carrying out the command without any issues. In other words, it meant that the casting of the stored magic hadn't been canceled.

I feel bad for the pyromancer, but the truth is, I was able to survive by the fact that Earthlings didn't know how to use this. Most Ego Swords have the ability to slowly absorb and accumulate their owner's mana over time, and considering its original owner was Jung Haseong, the amount of basic mana accumulated up until now must be enormous. What the Ego Sword held was a new form of magic from Alphauri, close to modern times, so it didn't take long for the results to show up.

Startled!

By the time a flash of white swirled around the red blade, Brooklyn finally seemed to notice something was wrong. He

Startled!

By the time a flash of white swirled around the red blade, Brooklyn finally seemed to notice something was wrong. He tensed his leg muscles, but even someone with a talent renowned on Earth was, in the grand scheme of things, still a primitive when it came to the magic arts.

– Flash! 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The magic triggered by the Ego Sword was a realm of mystery to them. No matter how powerful the Beast was, there was no way she could avoid it. Soon after, a brilliant light burst from the sword. Even a beast at the top of the food chain would be reduced to ash by the blinding flash. This was the kind of convenient weapon the Alphauri had created—one so powerful that even those unskilled in magic could end a life with a single word.

…!

Whoosh!

The black beast, which had plunged the world into terror, was instantly obliterated by the destructive magic of the planet, meeting its end in a single moment.

The smell of burning. The stench of blood. Such unpleasant traces were completely erased, leaving behind nothing but a dignified destruction.

Unable to bear the weight of the sword, my arms trembled in a pathetic state, but this was the result of a siege magic approach. Well, the technique is impressive, to say the least. This is truly a victory of Alphauri magic.

– Fsss.

The sword's potential far exceeded any human speculation. If it were in its prime, I would have leisurely enjoyed watching the process of the Beast's body crumbling.

'Such a weak body.'

The F-rank trash indeed has enhanced reflexes. By the time I opened my eyelids, the enemy that had been in front of me had already vanished. The Beast had lost its body after being hit by the homing missile of the Sunset Sword's selective magic. However, it seems that the magic was adjusted to a smaller size than usual, likely due to the caster's limited mana, causing some parts of the body to be outside the magic's range.

'Is it the left?'

Upon closer inspection, there was a severed limb, presumably from the enemy, lying on the dungeon floor. It had only been exposed to indirect light, yet the gloves protecting the skin had completely burned away, leaving behind a pitiful, scorched form.

Only the hand was left, and it died just like that. Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I've personally ended an Earthling's life. Honestly, I have to admit that it was all thanks to the Sunset Sword and the magic of Jung Haseong contained within it, so I don't really feel any personal satisfaction from it.

'Hmm.'

Anyway, is it resolved? Once freed from the fear of losing the hero of the future and facing death myself, a sudden sense of relief washed over me.

Brooklyn Morgan was a fairly famous S-rank Hunter, so the chaos to come wouldn't be a small one... But wait, is this really my fault? I didn't want to kill! But what could I have done? No matter how I think about it, activating the Sunset Sword was the only way out of that situation. At this point, even in her home country, the United States, they'd probably acknowledge it as self-defense. So, I guess people will just have to fill the gap left by Brooklyn.

'I don't know.'

It was then. A glimmer of something caught my gaze, which I had carelessly let wander. A complexly cut gemstone and a silver casting. It was a ring.

'Oh, an accessory worn by an S-rank hunter!'

I felt a brief sense of curiosity about the item positioned on someone’s left ring finger. However, that curiosity turned into disappointment within just a few seconds.

It was an ordinary cubic ring. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a magical item, but a piece of Earth jewelry with not a single trace of mana in it.

'Tsk.'

In the end, there was no gain. I had tried to pick up a corpse using [Mimic City], but instead nearly became a corpse myself. And now, here I was, speaking in Alphauri again, a language I hated so much.

I can’t help but laugh. In a way, I could say I was careless. If the suspicion that the Beast was a murderer collecting corpses were true, then I should have anticipated that the opponent would also try to seize an opportunity in this special gate.

'That was a short-sighted thought.'

Yeah. When I think about it slowly, it’s mostly my fault. Of course, the biggest mistake was made by Brooklyn Morgan, who’s already dead, but still, what kind of lunatic would go so far to save someone? What was I thinking, causing this i

'That was a short-sighted thought.'

Yeah. When I think about it slowly, it’s mostly my fault. Of course, the biggest mistake was made by Brooklyn Morgan, who’s already dead, but still, what kind of lunatic would go so far to save someone? What was I thinking, causing this international mess?

'That left hand and the powerless ring will disappear according to the upcoming dungeon reset cycle, so there’s really no need to risk retrieving them.'

A troubled childhood. A lack of human relationships. Or maybe, just genetic issues.

Villains who commit murder usually have their own reasons tied to the crime... Personally, I didn’t want to bother considering the past of someone who tried to kill me and Haseong. Even if I did, it would be impossible anyway.

The Beast didn’t even get to utter a common dying word and was reduced to dust. I will probably never understand the Beast’s circumstances, no matter how long I live. The madman’s rise and fall, much like an archmage’s past, will remain a mystery, lost in a labyrinth of the unknown. That’s simply how it was meant to be.

'Haa.'

...Well, it seems like I’m reaching my limit.

Snap.

...Well, it seems like I'm reaching my limit.

Snap.

The moment my knees buckled, I quickly used the Sunset Sword to strike the ground, trying to prevent my body from falling headfirst. But with my body's balance off, even the corpse of Kim Giryeo couldn't properly lean against the support and ended up collapsing to the floor, kneeling on one knee. As expected, it was a close call, but still... this is a bit too precarious.

'Keugh.'

In fact, I haven't been able to breathe at all since Brooklyn collapsed. I've fallen into a serious mana burn state, with all the mana circulating through my body completely drained... I didn't even get hit by mana burn, so why am I suddenly in this state!

[New Master! Are you okay? New Master! New Master!]

I rolled my bloodshot eyes toward the direction of the sound. There, the Ego Sword lay, expressing its intent through faint vibrations.

For now. Thanks to the magic Jung Haseong had accumulated, I was able to activate the sword's basic function safely... But just like swinging an oversized greatsword would wreck your shoulder, I ended up with breathing difficulties from trying to wield an Ego Sword with my frail body.

The power of the light unleashed by the Ego Sword follows Haseong's magic. But pulling the trigger—that had to be done with my own magic.

A sorcerer's lungs, being closely linked to the flow of air, are surprisingly prone to localized mana depletion. When mana is completely exhausted, the organs cease to function properly like this.

'Uhm.'

Still, it's not like my entire body has burned out from head to toe. As long as vital functions are intact, a wizard can pull themselves out of this state on their own. The problem, however, is the natural recovery of lungs that have hit zero mana...

'How many minutes can Earthlings survive without breathing?'

The possibility that my body's suffocation might happen faster than its recovery. This is exactly why I didn't want to recklessly use a Legendary weapon.

'Ugh, seriously, I should probably get my fortune read someday. Damn it. I don't know if it's my body or my soul that's the problem, but ever since I was reincarnated, every time I step outside...'

Grumbling.

I deliberately shifted my thoughts to forget about the impending suffocation. Before I knew it, my mind was filled with various concerns. Come to think of it, Brooklyn was already taken care of—was there really a need to wait for Kang Changho? If anything, getting caught here would only trigger a second incident. Wouldn't it be better to leave quickly and pretend nothing happened?

And if what that American psycho said was true— If somewhere in this world, a dungeon had appeared that required human corpses— Then, along with the emergence of [Scenario Gates], this was truly a bad omen. Perhaps the Gisimche had already begun their ascent to the next stage.

'Then again, should I be glad that those things aren't a species that normally stares at their own dinner table? If they were, I wouldn't have been able to use the Sunset Sword so freely, just from the weight of their gaze...'

After thinking about all this, my lungs finally started to move.

'Oh!'

Sssp.

Fortunately, my mana recovered before someone could cross the River Styx. After about 1 minute and 56 seconds, I was reunited with Earth’s air. The atmospheric molecules I hadn’t encountered in a while felt surprisingly refreshing. And since I hadn’t wasted too much time, it was about time to clean up and leave.

'Let's see. The direction of the South Korean exit I entered should be...'

Clank.

Then, as I pulled out the ego sword I had been using as a support and stood up, I turned around to retrieve the unconscious Earthling. What I saw instead was a black-haired man lying face down on the ground—his eyes open, staring straight at me.

I pulled out the Ego Sword, which I had been using as a support, and stood up. Then, I turned around to collect the unconscious Earthling. What I saw was a black-haired man, lying face down, but now awake and staring at me.

"...."

"...."

Jung Haseong had regained consciousness.

....

Jung Haseong had regained consciousness.

'Ugh, that scared me.'

No, seriously. If you're awake, at least make some noise.

***

3 a.m. Lying in bed, Haseong opened his eyes to a familiar discomfort. There wasn't any major problem. As an S-rank hunter, he occasionally lost sleep due to lingering worries and anxieties. Finding the sensation strangely novel after so long, he decided to start his day early. Following someone's advice, he opted for a proper Korean meal instead of a quick convenience food for his first meal.

4 a.m. Jung Haseong suited up, preparing to head out. Once he woke up in the middle of the night, he could never fall back asleep—that was just how he was. Since he was already up, he figured he might as well get an early start on the dungeon pre-exploration the government had requested.

The vast otherworld known as [Mimic City] was massive in scale, but its threats were merely D to C-rank. For top-tier hunters, such enemies posed no real danger. So, with the lightheartedness of someone going out for a stroll, Haseong set off for his early-morning exploration. Of course, he fully expected to run into other hunters inside the dungeon, even at this hour. Korea might have been deep in the night, but given the round nature of the Earth, somewhere else, office workers were surely going about their busy daytime routines.

4:48 AM. Korea’s pyromancer stepped into the dungeon without much thought. But everything that followed was a series of completely unplanned events—as you’ve already seen.

“Huh?”

A beast, drawn to the scent of an S-rank, came charging in. A battle axe tore through the air. In an attempt to block it, he used a skill—but truthfully, Jung Haseong’s nature was kind and hesitant. For someone who had burned through tons of protein over the years, he was still someone who couldn’t bring himself to turn his flames against his own kind. His body was cut. His leg was shattered. It was his first real battle against another S-rank hunter, and the shock of it left him reeling.

Despite his skills, he was almost completely overpowered. In the end, Jung Haseong fell to the ground, defeated by the Beast.

“Keugh!”

But what a surprise. Normally, this incident would have ended with the death of a good person.

Tak, tak, tak.

The sharp sound of leather dress shoes striking the hallway echoed in succession. And through the blood dripping from his wounds, Jung Haseong caught sight of a man's figure. Even in the dark, strange world, bright hair revealed its presence in an instant.

“Hunter...Kim.”

It was Kim Giryeo. South Korea’s fourth S-rank hunter was here.

It’s 4 AM right now. 4 in the early morning. How is that person here...?...Why?

The thought didn’t last long. Maybe it was the relief of seeing an ally appear, or perhaps his brain simply couldn’t endure the blood loss any longer. Either way, he could no longer stay conscious.

As his lost consciousness returned, an unbelievable scene unfolded before Haseong’s eyes. A certain blonde Awakener, gripping a blood-red sword, was silently kneeling in the distance.

Author's Thoughts

Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)