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chapter 64
Whoosh—!
The assassin arrived first.
The clear difference in power Hanbit had felt during their previous encounter.
But now, things were different.
Tap—!
Focusing on the enemy’s movement, Hanbit charged straight in at the perfect timing.
Reacting instantly, the assassin shifted his stance and slashed.
Clang—!
A sharp sound rang as the two blades collided.
Overpowered, Hanbit was knocked backward.
“Move!”
Whoosh—!
Vares lunged in during that brief opening.
His movements, which had been sluggish moments ago, were now incredibly agile.
Clang—!
Hanbit caught the blade midair, twisting his body to bleed off the momentum.
Creating distance, he came to a stop.
“I can feel a difference, but it’s nothing special. Is that flame really the Spirit King’s power?”
The assassin felt both disappointment and doubt.
The Spirit King’s trace was said to be a crucial power for the Holy Nation.
But all he felt was oppressive heat.
“It’s because you’re not of Northton blood. You must have killed Riventia and stolen it.”
Vares had already reached his conclusion.
Using the Spirit King’s power without Northton blood.
Power far weaker than expected from the information he had.
It all fit the scenario where Riventia was killed and the ring stolen.
“Your swords don’t look too good.”
Hanbit asked calmly, having read their thoughts.
His gaze was fixed on their weapons.
“Swords?”
“What are you—”
At the sudden question, both men checked their blades.
The edges, once pristine, were now blackened and damaged in places.
“…!”
Their eyes widened as they realized the truth.
At that moment, Hanbit kicked off.
Tap—!
The strengthening flames of Salion were now clearly perceptible.
Closing in on Vares in an instant, Hanbit swung his sword in a wide arc.
Slash—!
“Aaaagh!”
The blow cleanly severed Vares’s left arm.
Another attack followed immediately.
Whoosh—!
Hellfire ignited along the path of the blade.
The Spirit King’s power, now burning even hotter, spread instantly along the wound.
“Aaaaargh!”
Vares collapsed to the ground, writhing and screaming.
His defensive magic tools had activated—
But the flames burned through them and engulfed his body.
-Oof;
-That’s gotta hurt.
-He deserves it.
-Roll around and die.
“Someone who needs time, huh.”
The assassin adjusted his stance, having grasped the situation.
At the same time, white light burst from his sword.
Unlike before, the glow was far more vivid.
“…Tch.”
The blade damaged by Salion’s flames couldn’t properly manifest his power.
Clicking his tongue, he tightened his grip.
“I’ll kill you before the flames touch me. Your tricks end here—”
“Aaaaargh!”
Suddenly, Vares’s voice changed grotesquely.
The assassin’s eyes widened as he turned.
Gloop—
Vares’s burning, severed body was swelling.
On the ground lay a shattered glass vial filled with dark red granules.
“That is……”
A type of physical enhancement drug sold on the black market.
Since it was an illegal substance made from monster corpses, any kind of side effect was possible.
“Grrraah!”
Staggering upright, Vares no longer looked human.
Bloodshot eyes, grotesquely swollen flesh and muscles.
His body, now over two meters tall, looked like a monster.
The severed left arm was still burning, making the sight even more horrific.
-What?
-What the hell is that, I’m scared;
-That looks disgusting as hell;
-Master, please help one more time.
-Leon, save us!
“Grrk.”
Vares let out a guttural sound and locked his gaze on the nearest target—the assassin.
As his staggering body tilted—
Boom—!
With a deafening crash, his body shot forward.
“…!”
The assassin reacted too late, hastily raising his sword to defend.
But the power was far beyond expectation.
Crunch—!
“Ugh!”
Vares’s fist shattered the sword and drove into the assassin’s chest.
Taking the blow head-on, the assassin was sent flying, his body crushed by the impact.
Crash—!
He smashed through several outer walls of the lot.
Unable to even counterattack properly, the assassin met a futile death.
-No way……
-You want us to fight that?
-Can we just be friends?
-I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.
“Still, he looked better as a normal pig.”
Seeing the grotesque form, even the obese Vares from before seemed less repulsive by comparison.
Though he had no desire to see him again either way.
Whoosh—!
While the assassin and Vares clashed—
Salion’s flames, which Hanbit had been building up, reached maximum output.
Despite raising his stats, his vitality and mental strength were draining rapidly.
The heat flooding his body had reached a dangerous level.
Huff—
At the same time, Sylph’s wind gathered around him and intertwined with the flames.
Attribute Manifestation and Wind Swordsmanship.
A combination capable of amplifying each other.
“Grrraah!”
Vares turned his head toward Hanbit, roaring.
His blood-red eyes held no trace of reason or intellect.
Srrk—
Gripping the hilt with both hands, Hanbit took his stance.
And the moment he felt the wind reach its peak—
Tap—!
Boom—!
Both kicked off the ground at the same time.
Whoosh—!
Vares swung a massive fist, the same attack that had killed the assassin.
It grazed Hanbit’s hair as he lowered his posture drastically, missing by inches.
“Let’s end this.”
Flowing into a continuous motion, Hanbit raised his blade and cut.
The attack, infused with the power of two spirits, amplified itself and cleaved diagonally through Vares’s body.
Whoosh—!
Flames burned the wound instantly, not even allowing blood to scatter.
Mixed with wind, the fire engulfed Vares’s entire body like a raging storm.
“Graaah……!”
Thud—!
Reeling in agony, Vares collapsed to the ground.
His red eyes stared blankly into the air, twitching.
After a short while, his body finally went still.
-Wow.
-That’s insane. LOL
-Spirit synergy went crazy;
-One-shot like that?
-As expected of the Spirit King.
-I knew it. ㅠㅠㅠ
[User MagicSwordsman donated 100,000 won.]
[I’m blown away.]
“Hoo.”
Hanbit deactivated the skill and slumped to the ground.
The firepower was sufficient, but if the fight had dragged on even a little longer, he would’ve failed.
To use it properly, he’d need higher levels and stats.
“Oppa!”
“Black Dragon!”
A short while later—
Ria and the others arrived at the open lot.
Asla and Leon appeared as well, having dealt with the remaining enemies.
At that moment, an alert rang.
Ding—
[You have completed Main Quest #15.]
[Maximum rewards have been granted for completing the hidden objective.]
[You have received 500,000 gold.]
[25 stat points have been awarded.]
[Experience has increased by 200,000.]
[You have leveled up by 4.]
[4 stat points have been awarded.]
[Progress has increased.]
[Main Quest #16: Epilogue]
You have safely protected Ria from the enemies.
Share your reflections with your companions and plan the next journey.
Objective: Reach the ending of the story.
Reward: Episode complete
*Current progress: 99 percent
***
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
Upper floor of the Northton mansion.
Sitting in the reception room, Ria muttered while resting her chin on her hand.
“It all happened so quickly. That’s understandable.”
Cowen, standing faithfully by her side, also looked reflective.
Two days ago, the trial had shaken Edlen to its core.
The truth that former Mayor William had been framed and executed.
The rampage and death of Vares, the mastermind.
The infiltration and death or capture of Holy Nation assassins.
Brook’s confession and arrest.
None of it was anything less than chaotic.
“How’s the city’s atmosphere? Is the slum district alright?”
Ria’s concerns were twofold.
One was how the city was changing after all that upheaval.
The other was the precious family she had left behind in the slums by returning here.
Understanding her feelings, Cowen nodded and answered.
“The city’s atmosphere is fine. In fact, most citizens see this as a good thing, having suffered under unreasonable taxes until recently. As for the slums, troops and vetted adventurers have been deployed to maintain order.”
“…I see.”
Ria let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she worried more about Plona and her family in the slums than about the citizens at large.
At the very least, she hoped the area would become safer from crime.
“Are you alright now, Oppa?”
Ria turned her gaze to Hanbit.
After such a major battle, his physical and mental exhaustion had been severe.
Considering Vares’s grotesque state, her concern was only natural.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t injured. More importantly, they found a passage from Vares’s mansion to the temple, right?”
“Yes. Searching around the area Kamon marked revealed a passage hidden behind layers of security. They also found quite a few items connected to the Holy Nation.”
Cowen nodded in response.
After Vares’s death, an initial investigation of the mansion had been conducted, led by the Royal Guard.
True to his nature, the passage had been hidden in an extremely difficult-to-find location.
“Did they figure out where he learned about the Spirit King’s trace?”
“They found a fragment of a short record written in the distant past. It seems he purchased it on the black market, like the enhancement drug he used, but the contents themselves weren’t particularly detailed.”
Vares made heavy use of the black market.
Especially the enhancement drug—which had turned him into something close to a monster—was now under separate investigation by Leon’s order.
Hanbit would also assist further as the episode progressed.
“Did Asla head to another city?”
Cowen asked casually as the conversation continued.
Asla had protected Ria until yesterday, then left the mansion.
He hadn’t even left a message, which was a little disappointing.
“No. There’s a spirit space beneath a cliff on the outskirts of the forest. He’ll be staying there for quite a while—there’s a lot to investigate.”
“Then that’s a relief. I wanted to properly thank him.”
“I want to thank him too. But he’s not coming back here anymore, right?”
Ria had already figured out Asla’s personality during their short time together.
He’d never visit just because he was bored—but if something happened, he’d be the first to show up.
Responsibility was one of his strongest traits.
“If you want to see him, go to the cliff at the northwestern edge. If you wait there, he’ll come out.”
“…That doesn’t sound like he’ll be happy to see us.”
“That can’t be helped.”
He’d probably come out with an annoyed look—but he wouldn’t refuse to meet.
After a few such visits, they’d likely start talking more.
“Everyone’s here, I see.”
At that moment, Henry appeared at the entrance.
Unlike before, his face was full of vitality.
Stepping inside, he looked at everyone and spoke.
“A message from Leon has arrived. I’ll convey the decisions made in the capital.”
