Chapter 37 : Famous (3)

In a mountain area bordering Busan, users, looking like nothing more than defeated soldiers, were trembling in fear, each hiding themselves.

They had raided a closed shop as usual, looting supplies necessary for survival, and were heading back to their mountain hideout.

It was a rough mountain path chosen to avoid soldiers armed with various firearms and modern weaponry.

Since they had practically surpassed human limits, there was nothing much to fear except soldiers or moderate users.

The wild animals existing in this mountain were not included in their list of concerns either.

So they had let their guard down.

Because this was a side path unknown even to soldiers, used only by wild animals.

“…What’s that?”

When a rustling sound came from between the trees and bushes, everyone stopped walking and turned their gazes toward the source of the

sound.

“Ah, is it a wild rabbit?”

“It was nothing. Let’s move again!”

Twitching rabbit ears popped out from between the bushes.

Even seeing those ears, nobody felt a sense of crisis.

Because they naturally thought it must be an ordinary wild rabbit that posed no threat.

Just as they were about to move, along with a gentle breeze, the movement of the leader guiding the group stopped.

Aram, who was guarding the rear of the party, quickly moved away and hid herself.

The breeze just now was definitely not natural.

Unfortunately, however, she was the only one in the group who noticed that fact.

It was only natural.

Because skilled users wouldn’t be assigned the simple task of gathering food supplies.

The attack just moments ago was so natural that even Aram, who had experienced countless real battles, barely noticed it.

People with stats below a certain threshold probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Unaware of anything, a woman who felt something strange about the leader stopping in front of them opened her mouth.

“Hyeseong oppa?”

No answer came back.

Instead, blood splattered, and the leader’s head fell to the ground.

The small mountain path became a scene of carnage, filled with blood and screams.

That was what had happened just moments ago.

Aram, an assassin class user specialized in stealth, confirmed the leader’s death and simultaneously activated her stealth skill, hiding herself

in a pile of fallen leaves.

From the surroundings, the cries of her companions, who had been walking together just moments before, could still be heard.

Everyone except the leader, whose head was cut off instantly, was still alive.

‘What’s the reason for keeping them alive?’

‘Simply to play with them?’

‘Or is there some purpose?’

‘Considering it a surprise attack from the moderate users’ side, the act of instantly cutting off the leader’s head just now was too cruel.’

‘I heard that as long as the radical users who rebelled against the country could potentially contribute to national power in the long run, the

authorities would try their best to capture them alive.’

‘However, that sword strike, the blow that instantly severed the neck of the leader, who was practically a tank with a body like thick muscle

armor, was clearly a killing blow filled with murderous intent.’

‘It means it wasn’t even a mistake.’

‘Then, what is the identity of the opponent attacking us?’

‘Shouldn’t I figure that out to negotiate, or try to escape with my companions?’

‘I need to pull myself together.’

‘If I want to save the others, I have to solve this.’

That killing blow was an attack from someone far exceeding her own level.

However, it was an attack impossible even to perceive at the level of the other party members.

Aram, who was at least capable of perceiving the attack, had to resolve the situation.

She closed her eyes and focused all her nerves on the flow of the air.

Her nervous system became extremely activated, adrenaline was secreted, and simultaneously, passive skills were activated.

A sense far surpassing human levels, or more accurately, the level of living beings, scanned the surrounding dozen or so meters and detected

a presence.

The location of that presence was—

Right behind her back.

“Hello?”

Hearing the woman’s voice from behind her, Aram immediately swung the kitchen knife hidden in her bosom towards the source of the voice.

Skills that doubled her agility activated naturally with her muscle movements, and the white blade, imbued with a dark aura, gained

sharpness.

Aram’s counterattack, occurring in less than a tenth of a second, was akin to a flash of light, so fast that an ordinary person wouldn’t even

realize how they died.

Confident of victory, she unknowingly formed a smile on her lips, but the opponent was a user with a far more overwhelming difference in

power than she had anticipated.

Before Aram could even finish swinging her arm, her wrist holding the kitchen knife flew far away.

“…You have basic sense.”

“Though that’s all.”

Being sprayed by the fountain of blood gushing from the severed surface, the opponent simply assessed the victim.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to do this, but I have my reasons, so I can’t help it.”

The tearful apology of a young girl.

That was the last sound the victim heard.

As the opponent lightly flicked her finger, Aram felt a sensation as if something had brushed past her body.

Aram, a user with considerable skill as an assassin, knew very well what that feeling meant.

A blade had cut through her body.

Watching her field of vision gradually tilt dynamically, Aram could finally capture the appearance of the opponent standing behind her with

her own eyes.

Red eyes, white skin, and rabbit ears…

It was someone she knew very well.

Because she was a famous named user.

‘But, why is someone like that here—’

Her consciousness, holding onto a question like a final scream, vanished forever.

“…This makes the ninety-ninth.”

“…It seems all the radical users in Busan city have been dealt with.”

I sighed, looking at the various radical users who had lost consciousness.

Their appearances were truly a spectacle.

Simply losing consciousness and collapsing, or being tied up with ropes, was the mildest condition.

There were those trapped alive in ice after being directly hit by ice magic, those having seizures trapped in eternal nightmares due to curses,

those twitching while bleeding from all seven orifices due to pressure point strikes and poison, and so on… (TL Note: Bleeding from the seven

facial orifices often indicates severe internal injury or poisoning in martial arts fiction.)

The plaza where the captured radical users and the victims they held were gathered had become a complete mess.

The soldiers called to take away these troublesome humans were going through the procedures, cleaning the plaza and taking custody of the

criminals, but dealing with all the various filth, ice, and flames seemed like a distant task.

“…This isn’t why I came here, though.”

“I flew around searching the entire city, but there were no users at a similar level to us who matched the search criteria.”

“I found a few Beastkin users, but… most had been reduced to s*x slaves.”

Hyerim, who had been in a different team from me, said.

In the direction she pointed with a smile, Beastkin users and ordinary people, covered up and being loaded into ambulances or cared for by

military doctors in uniform, could be seen.

“Same here.”

“Rescuing civilians, victimized users… capturing a few radical users.”

“This isn’t the kind of unpaid volunteer work we came here for in the first place…”

“So, no results in the end.”

“We spent the whole day flying around casting <Fly> and search magic…”

“To think there’s no achievement…”

As Hyerim slumped onto a plaza bench looking exhausted, a lethargic mood spread through the group.

As everyone collapsed and lolled about on suitable chairs, Yejin’s head leaned towards me.

“…Want me to pet you?”

“Ah, no… If your hands are idle…”

When things don’t go well like this, it’s necessary to rest a little.

I gently stroked Yejin’s soft hair and cat ears.

The purring sound that cats make when they feel good.

Yejin, who started making that cute and rhythmic sound I once heard from a cat in front of a convenience store, didn’t seem to realize she was

making it herself.

Yejin, who had become essentially my subordinate due to the <Dragon’s Oath> skill, initially refused to let me pet her head.

Despite her resistance, since I petted her whenever my hands were idle, she has now reached the point where she even asks for it herself.

‘Indeed, Beastkin should be disciplined by petting.’

While enjoying the purring and the soft texture under my hand, the distinct, sharp sound of dress shoes approached from afar, causing me to

push Yejin away and stand up.

“Ah, Captain Kim.”

The middle-aged man who had led the agents that visited my house, Captain Kim, was approaching with an Elf user.

I quickly cast a perception-blocking spell on Yejin and Hyerim.

Because it would be troublesome if they found out I had these two with me.

“Thank you for your hard work throughout the day.”

“We’ve received the report that the target of this operation is not in Busan city.”

“I’m sorry there was no progress.”

“Ah, this is Hyewon.”

“She’s a friend who will help with this task.”

“…Is she trustworthy?”

“We’ve made a confidentiality agreement.”

“If she tries to leak any information related to this matter…”

I created a small explosion above my raised index finger.

It was a simple application of the intermediate magic <Great Explosion>, controlled with mana to cast it on a small scale.

Pushing aside Hyewon and the Elf, who were gaping beside me wondering how I did that, I spoke nonchalantly.

“Her heart will end up like this.”

As I blew away the smoke from the explosion, the Captain chuckled heartily and led us to the helicopter he had arrived in.

“Ahem, well then, please follow me this way first.”

“There are survivors who were attacked by the target.”