He is a legendary prison guard

Episode 16
I Will Become Strong No Matter What.

Thud.

Bayan’s movement suddenly stopped as if someone had pulled him. His face looked extremely shocked, as if he had seen a ghost.

“Rinshu… No, Nameless?!”

Bayan flinched and spoke the code name instead of his real name. His gaze was directed at a woman wearing a cat mask.

She was dressed in high heels and a miniskirt, completely unsuitable for the gate.

The hunters appeared bewildered by this unexpected turn of events.

In a crisis, the battle had paused, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief, but the future was unpredictable.

However, the experienced leader of the Black Tiger Guild quickly gave rational orders.

“Healers, treat the injured quickly, and the rest, take down the Hellhounds first.”

He calculated that they could take care of the annoying Hellhounds while they had the chance.

“Don’t move; it’s dangerous.”

The woman in the cat mask, called Nameless, warned in a low voice, waving her left hand.

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground split open, and a massive explosion erupted, sending a pillar of fire soaring high.

“Screeeech!”

The Hellhound caught in the flames was reduced to ashes without a trace, its final screams echoing.

“Ugh!”

One hunter nearby gasped in horror, nearly becoming the next victim.

The other hunters were too shocked to even make a sound, their mouths agape.

To burn a Hellhound, which had extreme fire resistance, without leaving a trace? It was laughable.

Shi-hyun couldn’t hide his astonishment either.

He was not only shocked by the power of the magic but also by another fact.

‘…wasn’t she just casting a spell?’

She had been saying something other than an incantation yet the magic had activated.

“Uh, how did you get here?”

Bayan asked, incredulous.

“What are you so surprised about? I tracked you down after discovering the body of Lee Kang-jin that you killed.”

“That can’t be… I chopped up the body and buried it, taking all the belongings with me.”

“Oh? You thought that would fool my eyes? I feel completely insulted. But you know, there’s also magic that reads the memories of corpses, right?”

Nameless seemed to smile coldly from behind her mask.

“What… Really? Even if that’s true, the gate was closed until just now, so it doesn’t make sense.”

“It was closed. But what? Does that mean I can’t come in?”

Nameless casually shattered their common knowledge about gates.

“It seems you’re under the illusion that you know a lot. That’s a foolish thought. You have no qualifications at all.”

As she spoke, she lightly waved her right hand, and countless ice arrows began to form in the air.

“Ugh…!”

“Oh my god…!”

The hunters widened their eyes in shock.

What was that?

It resembled the 1st-class magic arrow.

At first glance, it looked like a mage with a stacking skill was using Ice Arrow in layers.

But the number was on a different level.

…60 layers?
No, 70 layers?

There were so many ice arrows that it was hard to count quickly.

“I warned you, didn’t I? Don’t come to someone else’s country and act like a fool, you crazy bastard.”

As Nameless snapped her fingers, the ice arrows poured down on Bayan like a terrifying storm.

“Stop! W-wait! Nameless!”

Bayan shouted desperately, but the rain of ice did not cease.

He tried to dodge with all his might, but it was futile against the barrage of ice.

“Ugh!”

Bayan was thrown back, crashing hard against the wall.

His arms and legs were pierced by countless sharp ice shards, leaving him bloodied and trapped.

“Ugh. If my father finds out about this…”

“Hmph, I’m only sparing you because I saw your father’s face.”

The hunters watched the scene with mixed emotions as the once-feared individual was swiftly subdued.

It was evident that the woman in the cat mask had surpassed any level of resistance.

If the tables turned, they would be waiting for death without a chance to escape.

Shi-hyun swallowed hard, keeping an eye on the situation.

He thought he might have to use Hellfire as a last resort if she tried to eliminate them.

Suddenly, a notification window appeared.

It was such an unexpected situation that confusion filled Shi-hyun’s expression.

[The opponent’s magic has allowed Poahim to identify her identity.]

What is this?

So, Poahim is figuring out the opponent’s identity and notifying me through the system?

[She is the Silent Archmage Hailis.]

Silent?

The moment he saw that word, a thought flashed through Shi-hyun’s mind.

…Does that mean she can use magic without casting a spell? So that’s why earlier…

Shi-hyun recalled Nameless using magic without any incantation.

If that’s true, then she is an existence far beyond the level of an ordinary mage. A truly extraordinary and insane level of magic user.

‘And Hailis?’

He remembered seeing that name somewhere.

As he recalled, one thing came to mind.

‘Ah.’

He remembered from the description of the Aquarius.

– A masterpiece created by the legendary craftsman Joachim using amantium. One of the five famous swords of the Reiter continent. It excels in both strength and sharpness, and the sword itself is beautifully engraved with the Hellfire magic inscribed by the Archmage Hailis. Poahim keeps it as a memento of a friend who was executed by her.

It was the same name as the archmage who inscribed the Hellfire magic. There was no way a mage of this caliber could be a namesake; she must be the real deal.

Even amidst his shock, Shi-hyun felt a sense of wonder, as if a legendary being had appeared before him.

[Poahim harbors deep resentment towards her.]

It seems there is a complicated adult matter between them.

Poahim wants to give you a quest but gives up for your safety. She is one of the top ten strongest in the Reiter continent, and opposing her would be something you couldn’t handle right now.

Shi-hyun looked utterly dumbfounded.

What quest? What a ridiculous quest.

Top ten in the Reiter continent?

That means she is among the elite of the elite.

Who would want to kill someone at such a young age?

[Poahim strongly advises you to hide your identity. Never take out the staff or the Aquaratus in front of her.]

That seemed like a given.

It was clear from the system’s message that Poahim and Hailis didn’t have a good relationship.

Shi-hyun felt a chill down his spine as he recalled the moment he almost took out the Aquarius.

“….”

No one dared to speak first.

They just watched the actions of Hailis, the awakened Rinshu.

She suddenly said, “Two people have died, haven’t they?”

“Yes? Ah… Yes.”

The leader of the Black Tiger Guild replied, realizing that one person had died in the battle, but the rookie had been the first to die horrifically.

“One is injured… Do you want revenge?”

“….”

The hunters struggled to maintain their expressions.

Was she joking? What on earth was she talking about?

“It seems you know well by your reaction. Revenge requires strength. How about we settle it with some money instead?”

“…Understood.”

The leader of the Black Tiger Guild bit his lip and replied.

Following her words, they might at least be able to provide some help to the bereaved families by receiving some money.

“Is your guild named the Black Tiger Guild?”

He wondered how she knew, but then remembered her words about reading the corpse’s memories.

“Yes, it is.”

“You’ll receive money in some form within a week, so don’t worry. I’ll make sure it’s generous.”

“Yes.”

There was no choice but to respond that way.

After wrapping things up, Rinshu vanished in an instant, as if teleporting, along with Bayan.

Finally, the hunters let out a big sigh of relief and collapsed.

“Ha, ha… I want to curse…”

“I thought I was going to die… Seriously… She’s S-rank, right? That woman said we were in someone else’s country? Which country are those bastards from?”

“They speak Korean fluently, so it must be a translation magic item, right?”

“Don’t ask, you fools. We’re alive because we couldn’t see their faces.”

The leader of the Black Tiger Guild spat bitterly.

Two innocent citizens had died. Depending on the country, it could lead to diplomatic friction.

But since they hadn’t seen the opponent’s true face, that possibility was now gone.

That was a stroke of luck.

At least the remaining members had their lives spared.

“Are you okay, oppa?”

Eunhye asked, her face exhausted.

It was a day that warranted such a reaction.

“I’m fine. How about you?”

“I’m okay too.”

“Good.”

Shi-hyun sat down on the ground haphazardly.

Though he answered that he was fine, his body was sore from maintaining tension and exerting himself.

Now that the crisis had passed, he felt something sink in.

In a life-threatening situation, he realized he lacked the strength to handle it.

He felt weak.

He keenly felt that.

Being a guard didn’t require exceptional strength.

Even when tackling E-rank gates, he never thought his abilities were lacking.

But upon encountering beings that surpassed the limits of the B-rank world he lived in, he felt his limitations.

Today, he had barely survived thanks to someone else’s miracle, but that was just luck.

If something like this happened again, he would die next time.

He needed to become stronger.

Money is good, fame is good.

But ultimately, is there anything more important than life?

This world is different from ordinary society.

If you’re not strong, you could die here.

“…I will become strong no matter what.”

Shi-hyun muttered with determination.