NOVEL NEXT Chapter 170
Chapter 170: The Unexpected Visitor
“Is that you?”
A man of enormous size, resembling a bear, asked.
It was William, known as the fourth sword of Ilria and the Storm Blade.
“Yep.”
The girl beside him nodded.
She was To-ya, the Sage of Blood Flow.
Still small and thin, she looked younger than her age.
“Are you sure no one is here?”
“I saw outside.”
With To-ya’s words, it was certain.
She possessed the ability to see anyone’s face from the other world, no matter how far apart they were.
So, S-Class William, with memories from that world, drew an intricate picture of that face for her to track using To-ya’s ability.
For years, they had been continuing their journey to eliminate the so-called bad guys that William sought out.
This time, the target was an executive of the Black Cross, famous for the alias “Lightning.”
And this was his hideout.
William raised his gaze to the hideout of Lightning.
Not a single sign of life was around.
It was a house deep in the mountains, completely removed from places where people lived.
It certainly seemed like a suitable spot for a hideout.
The house wasn’t large; it was a two-story building.
Its walls were all a dull gray.
There were no cars in the parking space next to the door.
“Let’s go in.”
“Okay.”
They entered the house.
◈ ◈ ◈
“This seems good.”
William said.
“Yeah, I think so.”
To-ya nodded and pulled out some chalk from her pocket.
Then she bent down and began scrawling something on the floor.
It was a magic circle.
An illusion magic circle, to be precise.
While inside, it was impossible for anyone outside to notice anything unusual.
It deceived all five senses, including sight and hearing.
William crossed his arms and sat back leisurely.
This was a place where they could launch a surprise attack just after entering through the door.
The opponent was formidable.
So, they needed to inflict significant damage with the first strike.
And this was indeed a very suitable point to make such a surprise attack.
“All done.”
After a little while, To-ya announced.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, indicating that this task consumed a lot of mental energy.
“Well done.”
William smiled, patting her head.
To-ya didn’t seem to mind the gesture and accepted it without resistance.
She sat beside William, trying to catch her breath from the effort.
At that moment.
A sound of tires approached along the mountain road leading to the house.
“They’re coming.”
To-ya murmured.
The car noises grew closer.
As it neared the house, the engine turned off.
The sound of a car door opening followed.
But there was not just one person.
In an instant, William and To-ya exchanged glances, wide-eyed.
“What should we do?”
To-ya asked.
“Let’s watch for now.”
William replied.
If it was just some random guys, it would be one thing, but if another S-Class appeared like Lightning, even William would face danger.
So they decided to assess the situation first.
Anyway, with the quality of To-ya’s illusion magic, they wouldn’t be discovered.
The sound of an iron gate creaked outside.
Then came footsteps approaching the front door.
Creak.
A door without a special locking mechanism opened.
William and To-ya turned their gazes toward the door.
Two men entered.
One had short trimmed hair and piercing eyes.
He was none other than Lightning, an executive of the Black Cross.
And the other.
A man in a neat suit with slicked-back hair, looking to be around forty.
The moment William laid eyes on him, surprise filled his gaze.
“That person is….”
“Do you know him?” To-ya asked with curious eyes.
Due to the spell’s influence, their voices didn’t leak out, so they exchanged words freely.
“He’s the President of Russia.”
It was Petrov, the current President of Russia.
He had gained fame and popularity during his time in the parliament with his electrifying speeches and energetic activities.
Using that reputation, he was early on considered the successor to the former president and eventually set the record as the youngest president at the age of 35 with overwhelming support from the ruling party.
Now, he led the nation with charisma, declaring a strong Russia.
During his presidency, the economy, which had been stagnant, showed signs of improvement, soaring his popularity in Russia.
Everyone believed that re-election was already assured.
“The president?”
To-ya stared at Petrov in awe, unfamiliar with who the Russian president was since Russia was neighboring Mongolia, and she had no interest in current affairs.
“Why is he here…?”
William cocked his head, puzzled.
While the Black Cross was indeed an assassination group, it seemed unlikely that a nation’s president would personally commission an assassination.
It just didn’t make sense.
The risks were too high.
Such foul work could be entrusted to aides, which allowed for deniability.
“Hmm….”
To-ya’s eyes widened cutely as she studied them.
Petrov and Lightning sat across from each other on the sofa in the living room.
William and To-ya leaned in, eager to hear their conversation.
“The movements from America are unusual.”
Lightning spoke first.
“Hmph, just leave it alone. We can move at our own pace.”
Petrov scoffed coldly.
“Understood. What about China…?”
“Leave them be for now.”
Though they exchanged only a few words, surprise was written all over William’s face.
Petrov spoke as if he were Lightning’s superior.
And Lightning seemed to care little about that.
That was strange.
Executives of the Black Cross wouldn’t stoop so low, even if their counterpart was the president of Russia.
“I will do just that.”
Lightning replied politely.
Petrov sat crookedly, taking out a cigarette.
Immediately, Lightning came forward, pulling out a lighter and respectfully lit it for him.
That scene showcased the demeanor of a subordinate before a higher-up.
“Huff.”
Petrov exhaled thick cigarette smoke.
Then he spoke again.
“Have we found him yet?”
“Yes, we did find him…”
Lightning trailed off.
“Found?”
Petrov’s icy gaze fixed on Lightning.
“…He is currently detained in the Ganghwa Island Special Detention Center.”
“In Korea. But why? Can’t you and Cheonbyeon bring him out without issue?”
Lightning answered with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, but that place is the one Cheonbyeon reported before….”
“Oh, is that the one?”
Petrov took a puff, remembering as he exhaled.
“Is the Sword Master there?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
In that instant, William’s expression hardened.
He had never worn such a grim look against any strong villains before.
“…Uncle?”
Feeling something was off, To-ya’s eyes widened as she looked at William.
William spoke in a heavy voice.
“Stay focused, To-ya.”
“Why are you saying that all of a sudden, Uncle?”
“That person is….”
William continued, his gaze fixed on Petrov.
“He is the Emperor.”
Only one person among all Awakened Beings could be called Your Majesty.
The sole empire that existed in the other world and its only ruler.
The Emperor of horror that reigned over all, staining continents with blood.
Lightning wouldn’t casually address anyone as Your Majesty.
So, it was highly probable that this man was the Blood Emperor, known as the Blood Sovereign.
Then everything began to make sense.
Why Lightning displayed such a courteous attitude and how Petrov had become the president of a great nation at only 35 years of age.
If he had the abilities of the Emperor, achieving such a position would be simple.
“So, the Black Cross is the Emperor’s secret organization…”
William mumbled thoughtfully.
There had been rumors about an organization owned by the Emperor carrying out dirty behind-the-scenes work for war.
After all, warfare isn’t just about face-to-face battles, and such organizations might be indispensable.
Yet no one could ever have imagined that the most notorious assassination group on the continent was the Emperor’s secret organization.
If it became known that the Black Cross was the Emperor’s underlings, there would surely be considerable backlash within the empire.
Especially someone like the Sword Master would not stay silent.
“Uncle, an Emperor….”
To-ya, being an A-Class Awakened Being with no memory of the other world, looked perplexed.
However, being a sharp child, it was likely she would understand quickly if she were explained.
“Listen quietly and draw the Teleportation Magic Circle, To-ya.”
After requesting her to draw the circle for escape, William began his explanation.
Meanwhile, the conversation between the Emperor and Lightning continued.
“The Sword Master certainly would elicit a reaction from you.”
The Emperor smiled, seemingly amused.
He flicked the ashes from his cigarette to the ground and continued speaking.
“Then let’s postpone the matter. No matter how much we need a Predator, we can’t afford to lose our precious subordinates.”
Clearly, there was a need for a Predator.
Unlike other Awakened Beings, they possessed unique abilities.
The external Predator, Cheonbyeon, was one, as was the ability Predator that the Emperor currently sought.
The ability Predator, Choi Gang-hyuk.
He was notorious in Korea as the Awakened Chain Murderer.
A being who gruesomely murdered only Awakened Beings.
The Hunter Association had mobilized entirely to capture him after he killed an astonishing 14 Awakened Beings.
Because Awakened Beings were the targets of these murders, it created a state of emergency.
Ultimately, Ryu Geon-woo, the head of the Hunter Association and an S-Class Awakened Being, was able to track him down and capture him.
However, the motives behind his gruesome acts remained a mystery.
That mystery was revealed in an unrelated foreign land.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lightning bowed.
“Bring anyone we can into this.”
The Emperor said.
The situation was different here compared to being in the powerful empire.
There were formidable rival nations like America and China.
Thus, competition to grow their forces was fierce.
But such circumstances only made the Emperor’s blood boil.
He was more excited to trample strong foes than weak ones.
“Yes, I will do my utmost.”
Lightning answered.
“By the way.”
The Emperor dropped the cigarette he was smoking to the ground and crushed it underfoot.
“We need to deal with that rat soon.”
“Excuse me?”
Lightning looked utterly confused.
Yet in the illusion magic circle, heavy tension hung in the air.
“…Just a little more.”
To-ya was sweating profusely, hardly able to wipe her brow as she kept drawing the Teleportation Magic Circle with chalk.
She rushed as fast as she could, yet it still wasn’t complete.
“Stay calm, To-ya.”
William encouraged her in a steady voice.
He gripped his greatsword tightly, prepared for an unexpected attack from the Emperor.
However, even though he held the upper hand against the Human Butcher, how long could he withstand against the Emperor?
Thirty seconds?
He couldn’t be confident about that.
If the Emperor put in his full power, he might not even last ten seconds.
The Emperor’s strength vastly transcended that of any human.
Slowly, the Emperor drew out his sword.
It was Reiter, a legendary blade passed down through the royal family.
The named blade shared a name with the continent, renowned as the most ancient and famous among the five great swords of the continent.
William bit his lip, gathering his momentum.
He prepared to react instantly to whatever situation may arise.
“…Huff, huff, I’m done!”
To-ya gasped, activating the magic circle.
But at that moment, the Emperor moved as well.
His sword swept horizontally where the illusion magic circle lay.
It created a line so swift and fantastic, bursting with immense destructive force.
The magic circle shattered.
KZZZ!
With a deafening metallic sound that pierced through the air, the broken greatsword flew upwards.
And crimson blood gushed like a fountain, scattering in all directions.
“Your Majesty, what is happening…?”
Lightning was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
“A quick rat, aren’t you?”
The Emperor scoffed as he sheathed Reiter back.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Uncle!”
To-ya gripped William’s hand tightly.
Her face was a mask of distress.
“Haha… don’t make that face….”
William attempted a smile.
But blood bubbled up from his mouth.
He had sustained a deep slash around his waist, exposing his insides.
It was fortunate that his body wasn’t in pieces.
The wound was that grave.
It wouldn’t be unusual for him to drop dead at any moment.
“Uncle! Uncle!”
To-ya frantically called out, not knowing what to do.
She understood the severity of the injury well.
However, there was no way to heal him.
Though she was a sage, she was not a healer.
No, even if a healer were present, such a critical fatal injury could not be treated.
“…I thought I could last for ten seconds… but he’s stronger than expected… cough.”
“Don’t say that, Uncle!”
“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done… cough cough. Thanks to you… I was able to eliminate many bad guys….”
“Uncle….”
Tears streamed down To-ya’s cheeks.
Her small frame trembled with sorrow.
“…Return to Mongolia… live peacefully there again…. I’m sorry for disrupting your peace….”
After barely managing to say his apologies, William’s head fell limp.
“Uncle!”
“….”
There was no response.
To-ya clenched her lips tightly as if forcing back her sobs.
She balled her small hands into fists.
…Mongolia?
Even if it was her uncle’s last wish, she wouldn’t go there.
She knew who had killed her uncle.
How could she live peacefully after that?
Revenge.
Thoughts of revenge filled her little head.
To-ya recalled the strongest person she knew.
The Sword Master she had encountered on Daeijakdo.
They had said the Sword Master was at the Ganghwa Island Special Detention Center.
Being the intelligent child she was, she remembered it clearly.
She would go.
To the Sword Master.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Master Sword.”
Exactly one month after returning to Korea, Si-hyun met To-ya.
…On his way home.