Ch.12Misalignment (3)

Hakan, the Ruler of the Landfill, the Drug Dealer.

Najin doesn’t know much about this person. After all, the Drug Dealer is someone whose gender, age, background, appearance—nothing at all is known.

“Do you know who I am?”

In other words, all Najin knows about the Drug Dealer is that they’re an alchemist. And that they’re a powerful figure comparable to Ivan.

‘Limited information, but…’

Those few details were enough. They were more than sufficient to connect the woman before him with the Drug Dealer.

“Drug Dealer.”

The pressure weighing on his shoulders and his sharply heightened senses were telling Najin the answer.

“Drug Dealer Hakan.”

Najin called out while steadying his stance.

At this, the woman smirked. With her lips curled upward, she narrowed her eyes. Glaring at Najin through half-open eyes, she spoke.

“Good instincts. Quick-witted too. But I don’t particularly like the conclusion you’ve reached.”

She didn’t deny Najin’s assumption.

Drug Dealer Hakan stretched out her finger, pointing at the blade Najin was aiming at her.

“Aren’t you going to run? You seem certain, but if I really am Drug Dealer Hakan, shouldn’t you be running away?”

A powerful figure on par with Ivan and Horsey.

She was questioning whether it wouldn’t be right to flee when faced with an opponent too powerful to handle.

“Ivan’s rule is to take down any other organization’s boss who enters our territory first and ask questions later.”

“But Ivan himself is absent, isn’t he?”

So she knew he was away.

Was Hakan the backing that Horsey had been counting on? Considering how Horsey’s executive had exploded to death earlier, it didn’t seem like they were in a cooperative relationship.

…Well, regardless.

Najin gripped tightly the sword Ivan had entrusted to him.

“Rules are rules.”

“Unnecessarily diligent little brat.”

Hakan shrugged and snapped her fingers.

Zzzzzz, the noise rang out again. Those standing behind Hakan, their heads drooping as if drugged, responded to the sound.

They looked at Hakan, their master.

Then they followed her outstretched finger.

The finger was pointing at Najin. Soon, they began charging at him. Dozens of addicts under the influence of drugs. Looking at them with blood flowing from their eyes and ears, Najin exhaled deeply.

The reason Najin hadn’t left this place.

It wasn’t simply because of the rule Ivan had established. He had sensed it. The fact that the farther he got from Drug Dealer Hakan, the more dangerous it would become.

2.

There are many of them.

Najin’s eyes moved rapidly.

The number of addicts surrounding Drug Dealer Hakan and pushing against him exceeded twenty at a rough estimate. That was just what he could see right now…

‘I think there are more behind them.’

This is just the first wave.

More presences could be felt behind Hakan. And that’s not all. Considering the screams echoing throughout the city and the explosion sounds heard earlier, their numbers might exceed a hundred.

Ivan and Offen were away.

Support from organization members couldn’t be expected.

Moreover, information about the opponent was lacking.

It was the worst situation possible. A life-threatening crisis, and all he had in his hand was a single sword.

‘But it’s not an ordinary sword.’

The sword Ivan had thrown to him.

It was a masterpiece that was in a different league from the swords Najin usually used, and it signified that Najin had proven his worth to Ivan.

Najin’s rapidly moving eyes stopped. They were fixed on Hakan standing beyond the addicts.

The addicts moved according to Hakan’s instructions, and she was the one responsible for this situation. Ivan always said that the first to take down on the battlefield should be the commander and the person in charge. Najin’s sunset-colored eyes gleamed for a moment.

Bang!

Najin kicked off the ground and charged.

A moment of acceleration. Instantly closing the distance, Najin swung his sword at the neck of an addict blocking his path. Swish. Blood splattered along the smooth trajectory of the blade.

Shudder.

The moment the neck was cut, the addict’s body convulsed violently. The body began to swell. Without hesitation, Najin kicked away the headless corpse.

Kwaaang!

Several addicts were caught in the explosion. Even with arms torn off and legs blown away, they charged at Najin as if they felt no pain. Seeing this, Najin frowned slightly.

‘It’s like watching undead from some fairy tale…’

Are they alive or dead?

The stench of rotting corpses and decaying humans. Some of them were definitely corpses. But he couldn’t tell if all of them were. The situation was too dire to ponder such uncertainties.

Instead of thinking, Najin assessed the situation and acted.

‘The explosion range is about three steps.’

The timing of the explosion?

Within 2 seconds after convulsions.

The conditions for explosion?

When the neck was cut and they were definitely killed, they exploded. But there’s no guarantee they won’t explode while alive. So a minimum distance of three steps must be maintained.

Assessing the situation. Organizing information.

All that remained was to move.

Najin dragged his sword low. Dealing with multiple opponents was the first thing he had learned from Ivan.

“No matter how talented and perceptive you are.”

“Before you can properly handle mana, you’ll end up getting stabbed and dying all the same. So what should you do?”

Things he had used many times.

Tactics ingrained in his body as an executioner.

“First, block approach.”

The sword, dragged low and swung, swept through the ankles of the addicts. Slash, some had their ankles completely severed, while others had their ankles deeply cut, making it impossible to stand. Four addicts fell, blocking the path.

“Second, guide them to a narrow space.”

A narrow alley with the back wide open.

The enemies were coming only from the front, and the four who had fallen delayed the rear line from coming over.

“Once you’ve done that, what’s left?”

“You already know, don’t you? You’ve already learned it.”

Do what you do best.

Make the best move based on the situation.

As the rear line tried to climb over the fallen addicts, Najin’s sword swept across the nape of the addicts they were trampling. Immediately after swinging the sword, Najin leaped backward.

Kwaaang!

The legs or ankles of those caught in the explosion at close range were blown off. The bodies of those who fell piled up, blocking the path again. The deafening sound, the splashing blood, and the flesh of what used to be humans.

It wasn’t a sight worth seeing.

Even for Najin, who had seen countless deaths since childhood, it was a nauseating scene. Najin wiped the blood splattered on his face with the back of his hand and kicked off the ground.

In the narrow alley, Najin’s sword flashed. By cutting or kicking away those who came within the three-step range, Najin tried to close the distance with Hakan.

But the distance wasn’t narrowing easily.

‘They keep coming.’

The numbers kept increasing.

No matter how many he pushed back, they pressed forward with sheer numbers. Najin, who had been stepping forward continuously, began to step backward at some point.

One step, two steps, three steps…

At this rate, he would be pushed out of the alley.

A wide space. A space where he could be surrounded. If he gets pushed out there, it’s over. Najin gritted his teeth. If it were Ivan, it wouldn’t be like this. If it were Ivan, he would be faster and more certain…

So.

Tap.

Like this.

Slash.

In an instant, Najin dove in quickly and swung his sword like Ivan would. His body moved along the optimal path he had only visualized in his mind, and the blade flashed. Najin’s eyes widened.

‘This again.’

A strange sensation pushing his body.

It wasn’t something Najin could control. It was something that emerged unconsciously and reflexively.

‘But…’

That movement was necessary to overcome the situation.

Najin glared at Hakan standing beyond the crowd of addicts.

“…”

She was just silently looking up at the sky. In other words, she wasn’t even recognizing him as a proper opponent.

Not giving her all.

Eyes that looked beyond him to ‘what’s next’.

This fact made Najin a bit angry. He was irritated by the sight of a powerful figure who didn’t even acknowledge him.

‘Let’s see how long you can remain composed.’

Najin moved, conscious of the sensation he had felt earlier. He stepped forward, visualizing the optimal path in his mind. And when the flow pushed his back…

Clunk.

Something inside him felt like it got caught.

“…!”

The flow pushing his back disappeared.

His accelerating body returned to its normal speed. At that moment, a discrepancy occurred between the movement he had visualized and the actual movement of his body.

What Najin had visualized was ‘diving in, swinging the sword, and stepping back one step’. But with the acceleration gone, Najin’s body froze the moment he swung the sword.

Shudder.

A corpse trembling and spewing blood. The precursor to an explosion. Najin hurriedly threw his body backward, but he was a step too late.

Kwaaang!

Pushed by the explosion, Najin rolled on the ground.

He had barely escaped the range, but being on the edge, he was caught in the shockwave. Rising from the ground, Najin gasped for breath. His entire body ached.

‘What went wrong?’

The sensation of something getting caught.

It wasn’t a physical hindrance. It was closer to a psychological element. The moment he recognized it, voices echoed in Najin’s ears.

Don’t cross the line.

Live as you’re given.

Don’t reach for what you can’t touch.

These were words Ivan always said.

Also, words Najin had repeatedly reminded himself of when he resigned and gave up on something. They had become shackles gripping Najin’s ankles.

…Shackles Najin had put on his own ankles.

Mana and sword energy were things he shouldn’t handle.

Things he shouldn’t reach for even if he saw a way to handle them. Najin had always thought so. Because they existed outside the line Ivan had drawn.

Despite having the ability to cross the line.

Najin, fearing Ivan, didn’t cross the line.

Unconsciously, he had been restricting his own actions.

Things he could grasp if he just took one step forward, if he just reached out. But things he couldn’t reach without crossing the line. That’s what Najin needed now.

What the boy needed was the courage to cross the line.

But the shackles don’t break easily.

The shackles worn for many years had already become a part of Najin. Najin felt the scar on his shoulder aching. Stepping back, Najin exhaled.

“…”

Retreating, Najin suddenly looked at the sword in his hand.

The sword Ivan had left behind.

“…Ha.”

Najin laughed inadvertently.

What had he been hesitating about?

Receiving this sword must be permission.

‘Permission to cross the line.’

Najin lifted his foot. With the lifted foot, Najin stomped hard on the line he had unconsciously drawn. Breaking the shackles he had put on his feet, Najin took a step forward. At that moment, Najin’s body accelerated.

Keeng.

The flow pushed Najin’s body.

Nothing got caught with a ‘clunk’ anymore. His body moved smoothly and quickly. The movement he visualized in his mind and the movement of his body completely overlapped.

Slash.

The sword, drawn in with a clean trajectory, opened a path. The falling corpses trembled, trying to explode, but by the time they showed signs of trembling, Najin was already gone. But he didn’t step back either.

Najin leaped.

With a bang, Najin kicked off the wall of the narrow alley and jumped up. A movement impossible with human leg strength. A movement possible only with the help of mana.

Landing, he swung his sword, and the moment the addicts trembled, Najin kicked off the wall and leaped again. Without ever stepping back, Najin cut down the oncoming addicts and approached the Drug Dealer.

Crack.

Najin kicked off the wall and jumped high.

High in the air, Najin raised his sword to align with the sky. As if imitating Ivan’s sword ceremony.

The boy who crossed the line reaches out.

Where the boy reaches, there is light.

Something he unconsciously thought he shouldn’t grasp, something he saw but didn’t grasp.

Grip.

The moment he reached out and grasped it, Najin’s hand holding the sword tightened. The flow that had been pushing Najin’s body traveled through his fingers and settled in the sword.

Flash.

Najin’s sword flickered intensely.

What settled on the sword was a pure white light.

It hadn’t yet acquired its own color, nor did it completely surround the blade… but the white radiance dwelling in the sword was clearly a fragment of sword energy.

Najin consciously drew it out.

Not unconsciously, not by chance, not by instinctive movement, but by his will alone, he kindled the light.

In the dark alley where not even the light of the mineral lamps reached, the white sword energy dwelling in the boy’s sword shone brilliantly.

3.

Drug Dealer Hakan sneered.

The boy who had been charging at her was finally obscured by the crowd of addicts and was no longer visible. His movements were quite impressive, but they seemed insufficient to break through her army.

He would resist a little and then fall.

According to rumors, he was a youngster Ivan cherished. If she brought his corpse, Ivan would surely be pleased.

‘The plan is proceeding without a hitch.’

She had gathered corpses discarded in the landfill and turned them into living bombs. Over a long period, she had swallowed up Horsey’s territory and addicted Horsey, placing him under her control.

And finally, she had succeeded in luring Ivan and Offen out using Horsey as bait.

It was a plan prepared over a very long time. But Hakan didn’t think she could finish off Ivan with just that kind of trap. While Ivan didn’t know Hakan, Hakan knew Ivan.

‘Knight of Atanga, Ivan.’

Hakan knows how persistent and tenacious the knights of Atanga are. He would surely break through the trap and return here.

‘So I’ll complete the occupation before then.’

She would occupy the central area where Ivan’s residence is and force Ivan into a war of attrition. If that happens, the war is her victory. It meant she could bring all areas of the underground city Attman under her control.

Something prepared over many years.

If she could achieve that plan…

“…”

Hakan silently raised her head.

She looked at the ceiling of the underground city. Though she was expelled from the workshop at a young age and fell to the underground city… she was once called a genius and was mentioned as the next workshop master.

Like all who live in this city.

She too can’t forget her glorious days.

Drug Dealer Hakan wants to shine once more as an alchemist of the Alchemy Workshop. Occupying the entire city is just a process, not her final destination. She smiled, looking at a place further away.

It’s not far off.

The day when she would leave this city, full of discarded things and garbage, was not far off. As she was looking up at that high place…

Tap.

Najin kicked off the wall of the alley and jumped up. Hakan’s view, which had been looking at the passage leading to the upper town, was blocked by Najin. Before she could feel displeasure at this fact…

Flash.

Najin’s sword shone.

In a place full of discarded things, in a dark alley, in this city full of garbage, the sword held by the boy scattered pure white radiance.

Like a star in the sky.

The moment she faced the light, Hakan’s eyes widened. Something that shines. Things that could act as variables in her plan. She thought she had excluded all such things, yet one light still remained here.

“…I didn’t expect this.”

To think he had hidden something like that.

Thinking she had gotten one over on Ivan, Hakan let out a hollow laugh.

The boy until just now was a worthless piece of trash.

But now, the boy who kindled the light was clearly a variable.

Drug Dealer Hakan no longer looked at the sky, at the next step of her plan. Staring directly at the boy before her eyes, she cut her forearm with a dagger. The blood that fell to the ground along her forearm vaporized with a hiss.

In an instant, a strong scent filled the alley.

It meant that Hakan had brought out her hidden move, and that she acknowledged the boy before her as her opponent.