Ch.10837. To the Stronghold of Yeongdo (1)

I was a bit taken aback by Soso’s words.

The two of us weren’t dating yet. That’s why Soso came up with various reasons to kiss me.

Like a puppy receiving treats after training, Soso always wanted kisses as rewards for the many things she did for me.

‘But more than just kissing…’

Some awkward thoughts flashed through my mind, but I pushed them aside to focus on the urgent situation at hand.

“H-how could she move like that…”

Jeong Yuha froze in place after witnessing Soso’s movement. Even I had trouble following Soso’s movements just now with my eyes.

If an awakened person’s mana field hadn’t reacted, having one’s neck sliced off would have been inevitable, just like that devil contractor Kim Yuna.

“That Kim Yuna is no ordinary woman from the underworld! She’s also an awakened one with enough skill to protect herself, having survived in the underworld for so long. To think she could be taken out so easily…”

Even Pyo Seonghun seemed impressed by Soso’s movements. I shouted:

“This is no time to stand around in awe!”

Everyone snapped back to reality at my words. We had eliminated the devil contractor, but the devil she had summoned still remained.

And the monsters and Dead Arms hunters affected by the devil’s malice were still emitting fierce demonic energy.

Soso moved quickly. Her black sword glowed with aura as she attacked the devil.

SLASH-SLASH-SLASH—

The grotesquely shaped devil, resembling a turtle with six legs, blocked Soso’s sword with a shield created from demonic energy.

“As tough as it looks.”

But Soso wasn’t flustered.

Myeolcheonshingum, the unique swordsmanship of the Cheonma Divine Sect. That distinctive sword technique maximized the efficiency of Soso’s awakened Cheonma Divine Art. She unleashed it relentlessly with her gear, the black sword.

“We need to help the Branch Director!”

At my words, two people sprang into action. Pyo Seonghun and Jeong Yuha. Though not comparable to Soso, they were both exceptional hunters.

They helped Soso push back the devil. But, as expected, a devil was still a devil.

GROOOOAR—

Though unable to fully draw upon the netherworld’s energy with its contractor dead, it compensated with rage, going berserk against the three-pronged attack.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—

The mere release of its demonic energy sent surrounding containers flying like cardboard boxes. Of course, these weren’t cardboard but metal masses weighing as much as a truck.

“Everyone be careful!”

Getting crushed by those containers would mean serious injury even for awakened ones. The guild members, except for the elite four, quickly retreated from the devil.

“Other guild members, don’t approach the devil! You can’t handle it!”

It might sound dismissive, but it was the truth. The surrounding demonic energy was rising in real-time. I could already see some hunters’ faces turning ashen.

‘Indeed, the curse emitted by a devil is on a completely different level from monsters.’

Not only that. A devil with a title is equivalent to a high-rank monster. Without sufficient information about that devil, it would be extremely difficult to counter effectively.

“Damn it. How can its shield be so tough…”

The three continuously attacked the devil with their auras, but its shield was unexpectedly sturdy. Not only did it resemble a turtle, but it also created that shell-like solid shield all over its body with demonic energy. Even auras with strong cutting power couldn’t find a gap.

‘Soso’s Cheonsal could probably create an opening…’

In the Ashen Forest, Soso had developed a killing technique of Myeolcheonshingum when hunting the demonized priest.

Cheonsal (Heaven Killer).

A sword technique that maximizes aura’s cutting power, as if it could annihilate even the heavens. But Soso wasn’t using Cheonsal, only looking for gaps in the devil’s defense.

‘Soso is following my instructions well.’

Since Cheonsal produces cutting power on a different level from ordinary aura, it consumes an extreme amount of mana.

Soso awakened to Cheonma Divine Art quite late, so despite her current skill, her available mana was less than the executives of the Cheonma Divine Sect.

‘She compensated for that with her sword sense and efficiency in Cheonma Divine Art.’

So she couldn’t use Cheonsal yet. Using Cheonsal should be reserved for when we could definitively finish the devil.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—

The three swordsmen’s strikes rained down on the devil in succession. All three trained in the Cheonma Divine Sect’s teachings, their coordinated attacks targeting the same spot were extremely precise and flowed like water, but…

Their opponent was a devil. And it was more like a tank-type boss with incredibly tough defenses.

‘As expected of a devil. Not easy.’

CRASH—

However, I easily dodged the flying container fragments while quickly yet calmly thinking of a way to deal with it.

There were plenty of options.

***

I had anticipated that a devil might appear.

And I had quickly neutralized the devil’s contractor through Soso, who would have efficiently used the devil.

‘Stay calm. I have far more cards to play.’

The three swordsmen were forming a coordinated attack sequence.

I could add firepower with a flame spell here, but since the three were in close proximity to the devil and might get caught in the explosion, I was waiting for an opening instead of attacking rashly.

‘And the devil’s genealogy.’

Facing a devil might be terrifying for hunters, but my case is a bit different.

Adersk of the Slavian Kingdom. The Far Eastern Diocese there. I received a precious gift from the Archbishop of the Far Eastern Diocese.

The Devil’s Genealogy.

The White Cross Society, with its long history from the otherworld continent of Ailetan before dimensional fusion, had continuously researched devils in the netherworld and their hierarchies.

Of course, this genealogy is like an answer book to very difficult questions for those seeking to contract with devils.

What type of devil it is, what rank it holds, what contract characteristics it has—it’s a kind of information book and grimoire that provides detailed information about devils.

‘The Archbishop provided me with information from that genealogy.’

Unfortunately, he couldn’t provide the original to me, not being a priest of the Cross Society. But after I promised confidentiality, he gave me a copy.

I quickly opened that copy stored in my earpiece’s closed memory.

Having already memorized the entire table of contents of the Devil’s Genealogy during my free time in Busan, I easily found a devil similar to the one before me.

‘Waterbound Aikeln. Rank: Devil Baron.’

Upon confirming this information, I felt relieved. Not because it was an easy devil.

‘If we hadn’t quickly taken out the contractor, all the hunters from the allied guilds might have died here.’

It’s pouring rain right now. And this place is a container yard right next to the sea at the port.

This meant it was an optimal location for that devil, which freely manipulates water-attribute demonic energy.

‘And the worst conditions for me.’

It’s a being with strong resistance to fire attributes. So even though my blue flame is powerful, its effectiveness would be halved against that devil.

However, we also have advantages. Right now, the devil Aikeln has lost its contractor.

So it can’t fully bring out the netherworld’s power here. And it’s using all its strength to maintain its shield against the three who are desperately striking at its weak points.

‘Still, a Devil Baron means it’s at least equivalent to a boss in an AA-rank dungeon, even without a contractor.’

Just looking at the demonic energy permeating everywhere, time was clearly on its side. We needed to hurry. I checked its weakness through the genealogy.

‘Heavy gauntlets and demonic shields as if made of precious magical metal. But even such a devil has vulnerable parts…’

I found the section in the genealogy that recorded its weakness. Even without using Cheonsal, Soso’s sword is extremely sharp.

And those three who have already worked together on several missions should be able to send the devil back to the netherworld in one go through that weakness.

‘So one big shot.’

Even if the firepower of flame magic is reduced, my spell’s fangs aren’t just about firepower. I gripped the Wind Cutter tightly in reverse.

‘Because I have the Wind Cutter’s wind spells.’

I shouted to the three through my earpiece:

“Everyone, get away from the devil! I’m going to flip that giant turtle over!”

Simultaneously, a fierce storm began to sweep through Busan Port.

***

The incident at Busan Port was finally resolved.

It was my first time facing a high-ranking devil with a title up close, but Jeong Yuha had excellent allies.

‘Does this make me a demon slayer too?’

She had contributed to taking down the hideous giant turtle-shaped devil.

The actual killing blow that sent the devil back to the netherworld was delivered by Branch Director Yeon Soso, but she and Pyo Seonghun had weakened the devil’s shield with their coordinated attacks. So she wasn’t just along for the ride.

‘But the greatest credit definitely goes to the Deputy Branch Director.’

Although Pyo Seonghun and Jeong Yuha were outer disciples of the Cheonma Divine Sect,

They had long associations with the sect’s dojo and had been taught Myeolcheonshingum from the main family in recognition of their sword skills.

Having learned that sword directly from a Cheonma Divine Sect executive who came from Muguk, both were confident in their swordsmanship, if not their overall abilities as hunters.

Yet even with the swords of these two, they couldn’t penetrate the devil’s armor. It was like facing a massive armored vehicle. With ridiculously strong armor and additional shields created from demonic energy,

The devil was withstanding the three’s sword attacks like an impenetrable iron wall.

‘If time had passed like that, who knows what would have happened due to mental contamination.’

The allied guilds’ enemies weren’t just that devil. There were also monsters created by the summoned devil’s influence and demonized Dead Arms hunters.

Throughout the container area, enemies numbering in the hundreds were still battling with their group.

In that critical situation, Lee Minsu’s spell was activated.

‘To flip over a devil with such an explosion.’

She knew Lee Minsu’s flame spells were impressive. But this spell wasn’t just a simple flame spell.

“Using a wind spell to gather high-pressure oxygen around the devil, then causing a powerful explosion at once… using that explosion to flip the devil over. Deputy Branch Director’s tactics are unique… no, amazing. Don’t you think? Like something straight out of a textbook, but in such urgent combat…”

And Jeong Yuha inadvertently shared these thoughts with Yeon Soso sitting next to her.

‘What am I saying! I spoke too casually!’

Though Jeong Yuha was a Korean citizen without particular status distinctions, as a member of the Cheonma Divine Sect, she treated Yeon Soso, the sect’s young leader, with great respect.

But as fellow female swordswomen, and having worked with Yeon Soso on missions for the past three months, she sometimes unconsciously spoke to her without formality, like just now.

‘Knowing who Yeon Soso is! Speaking so informally… Jeong Yuha, you stupid girl…’

Fortunately, Yeon Soso’s reaction wasn’t negative.

“Ahem. D-do you think so too? I was also impressed by Minsu’s, I mean, the Deputy Branch Director’s tactics. Without his spell, the allied hunters would have…”

And Yeon Soso also continued praising Lee Minsu. But soon, perhaps thinking her praise was excessive, she cleared her throat and closed her mouth.

Silence fell between the two again. The allied hunters were now traveling by vehicle to a place called Yongho-dong, not far from Gwangalli.

Eliminating the devil wasn’t the purpose of this campaign. And while many Dead Arms hunters had gathered at Busan Port,

The core hunters of Dead Arms hadn’t shown themselves. Those guys were definitely fortified at their base in Yeongdo, beyond Busan Port.

‘That must be it. Otherwise, there would have been no need to blow up the bridges to Yeongdo.’

Yeongdo, the large island right in front of Busan Port. The bridges connecting it to mainland Busan had all been blown up in an instant.

The explosion occurred right after they sent the devil back to the netherworld. Those guys probably didn’t expect them to handle the devil so well, but they clearly had a backup plan.

So the group planned to cross directly to Yeongdo by boat, which was waiting at the dock near Yongho-dong.

‘There’s no other way for multiple hunters to enter the island.’

Of course, that plan was also prepared in advance by Lee Minsu. Even the executives of Red Breakers, including Pyo Seonghun, knew nothing about it.

‘If that information had leaked, even the boat might have been blown up. As expected of the Deputy Branch Director’s planning.’

The Deputy Branch Director was truly remarkable. He had prepared the next move as if foreseeing this situation.

And that Deputy Branch Director, Lee Minsu, was now sitting in the passenger seat of the same car.

Pyo Seonghun was driving, while Yeon Soso and Jeong Yuha sat in the back seats, heading toward their destination.

Jeong Yuha unconsciously glanced at Yeon Soso beside her. As expected, her profile was as beautiful as a celebrity’s, with exquisitely fine features.

‘Look at those long eyelashes. No man could resist falling for such a young sect leader.’

Though Jeong Yuha was definitely heterosexual, Yeon Soso’s appearance was enough to make even another woman’s heart flutter.

Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Jeong Yuha finally asked Yeon Soso:

“Um… Young Sect Leader, are you really dating Deputy Branch Director Lee Minsu?”

Yeon Soso turned her head and stared at her intently.