NOVEL NEXT Chapter 181
Chapter 181
“Is that Hyris?”
I-gwi looked at Hyris with suspicion in his eyes.
No, it wasn’t just him; everyone here was staring at her like that.
Everyone knew how disastrous the relationship between Hyris and the Sword Master had ended.
It ended in an absolutely terrible state, nothing could have been worse.
Yet, Hyris was willing to help the Sword Master?
Those who didn’t know the backstory could only view her words with doubt.
“Are you really Hyris? No way.”
I-gwi spoke again.
“If you doubt me, why not test it? That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
Hyris smiled and strode forward.
She walked boldly towards I-gwi, completely unarmed and utterly defenseless.
It was bewildering how exposed she was.
However, it was I-gwi who found himself in a complicated situation due to her ridiculous behavior.
Should he take advantage of this defenseless opponent and strike her down in one blow, or should he just stand there? Or perhaps consider some other action? It was hard to decide.
“Uh, who are you?”
Hyris asked as she approached.
“I’m I-gwi!”
“And who is that?”
Hyris flashed a teasing smile that really struck a nerve.
In the end, I-gwi exploded.
He took immense pride in the reputation he had built up.
It was almost like proof of his life, built purely on his skill.
Being straightforwardly mocked about it was unbearable.
“You damn bitch! I’ll smash that ugly face of yours!”
There was no need to go all out against such a gap-toothed opponent.
I-gwi clenched a fist the size of Hyris’s head and charged at her.
He was already close enough that just a single leap would be sufficient.
Whoosh!
As his fist sliced through the air, it came crashing down towards Hyris.
Even under such a threatening attack, she didn’t wipe the smile off her face.
‘She’s smiling? This crazy woman!’
I-gwi glared at her as if she were a mad person.
Yet, the moment she reached out her hand, all of I-gwi’s thoughts vanished like smoke.
An overwhelming wave of magical power surged over him, making him feel like he couldn’t breathe.
He was feeling a massive amount of magic power — something he had never sensed even after all the fights he’d been through.
‘What the?!’
I-gwi’s eyes widened.
His finely-tuned instincts, honed from years of fighting, screamed that he was in a critical situation.
Crap.
…He fell for it.
She had intentionally waited for him to strike first in her defenseless state.
But with this situation, he had no way to act.
He couldn’t stop the attack, nor could he dodge it.
All he could do was clash.
However, at that moment, it was clear he was about to face a colossal disaster.
“Ouch!”
Il-gwi, who belatedly grasped the situation, shouted in surprise.
But it was too late for him to act.
As I-gwi clenched his teeth, sensing his fate closing in, he felt a sudden force approach from his side.
And he instinctively realized it was a different kind of power from the magical storm rushing at him.
It wasn’t a hostile power.
With a split-second judgment, I-gwi entrusted himself to that force.
That decision split his fate.
His body was narrowly pushed aside by that force.
And at that moment, Hyris’s attack cut through thin air.
“How annoying.”
Hyris’s face puckered in displeasure.
Her gaze shifted towards the Leader.
She had realized that the Leader had used the Air Strike Palm to save I-gwi.
“Are you okay, brother?”
Il-gwi quickly rushed in to protect I-gwi.
The sight of him standing in front of the giant was somewhat awkward.
However, those who knew Il-gwi’s true identity wouldn’t dare think that way.
“Igwi… the so-called Class 9 is using rather petty tactics!”
I-gwi gritted his teeth.
Hyris widened her eyes in surprise.
“Petty? What do you mean? You attacked first, and I only countered!”
“Heh, I was just trying to provoke the hot-headed I-gwi into acting first, but it seems that plan’s gone to waste. What now?”
Mangjong laughed as he interjected.
“You are… Mangjong. That’s a World Tree Golem, isn’t it?”
Hyris glanced at the World Tree Golem standing protectively next to Mangjong.
“Heh, indeed. Quality goods tend to be recognized by connoisseurs.”
Mangjong nodded as if he were pleased.
“It is indeed a good piece, but… what to do? It’s likely to be destroyed today.”
“Give it your best shot if you can.”
Hyris and Mangjong’s eyes clashed in mid-air.
“Hyris, it’s surprising to see you help the Sword Master.”
Hurein, who had silently observed the unfolding situation, finally spoke up.
Hyris turned her gaze towards Hurein.
“And you are?”
“I’m Hurein.”
“Oh, I see. Somehow I thought it would be you. Long time no see.”
“Certainly.”
Hurein wore a somewhat sentimental expression.
Three out of four major dukes of the Empire had gathered in one place.
The tangled threads of fate extended even to this world.
“But is there really anything surprising about it? It’s utterly common for lovers to break up and then get back together.”
Hyris said as if it were no big deal.
“Getting back together…”
Hurein narrowed his eyes.
He continued speaking.
“One thing is certain: you are now my enemy.”
“Obviously.”
Hyris’s smile returned, her gaze sharpening at the Leader.
“And you?”
“I’m the Leader of Black Cross.”
“They said Black Cross is the Emperor’s hound; I see that’s true.”
“….”
The Leader didn’t respond to that statement as if he hadn’t heard it.
Only Seomjeon, who stood next to the Leader, slightly frowned.
“….”
“….”
Meanwhile, Seohun and Harin behind them were gaping with wide eyes, barely able to breathe.
The Sword Master, the Silent Great Sorceress, the Twin Demons, Mangjong the Great Sage, the Four Elemental Great Elementalist, and the Leader of Black Cross.
The surroundings were packed with titans among titans.
They weren’t just S-Class; they were literally monsters among monsters.
Just being in the same place as them made a feeling of pressure weigh heavily on their bodies.
Nevertheless, the most fortunate aspect was that two of them were on the same side.
“Y-Yeah… we can do this! If we have the Sword Master and the Silent Great Sorceress on our side!”
Harin, who was extremely tense, gripped her sword tightly and said, trying to bolster herself.
Seohun seemed to draw strength from Hyris’s appearance, as his eyes sparkled with renewed vigor compared to before.
And their thoughts were likely not misguided.
If Lee Si-hyun held the might of the Sword Master they envisioned.
But right now, the power Lee Si-hyun possessed was grossly insufficient compared to that.
“….”
The decisive battle didn’t break out immediately.
Only a taut tension pervaded the air.
Hyris appeared to still be defenseless, but they all knew better now.
They knew she was Hyris.
So, it was natural that they wouldn’t be the first to attack.
Hyris turned her back to them and strode towards Lee Si-hyun.
“Delly.”
Hyris called out to Si-hyun.
“Yeah.”
“I really need to step it up today. So I hope to get a very steep price for this.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Good.”
Hyris flashed a delightfully cheerful smile as she pulled out a dagger that looked to be about two palms long.
It seemed too short for stabbing purposes.
But considering it was pulled out by Hyris, it undoubtedly had some kind of special power.
This was the first time Si-hyun had seen her take out such a weapon.
Well, except when she severed the Demon King’s arm with Acureruts; he hadn’t seen her wielding a weapon before that.
Si-hyun sensed that although she smiled, Hyris was viewing the situation very seriously.
Hyris rolled up her left sleeve to the elbow.
Her pale skin was exposed to the air.
“Go ahead and feast. Today is going to be filling.”
Muttering such, Hyris plunged the dagger directly into her left forearm.
In an instant, red blood spurted out into the air.
Yet shockingly, that blood soon seemed to be sucked into the dagger.
The dagger absorbed every drop of blood flowing from her forearm.
Si-hyun flinched, taken aback by the sight.
However, Hyris didn’t see his expression.
If she had, she would have found it strange.
The Devil’s Sword Irhadi.
A treasure that feeds on the owner’s blood and dramatically amplifies magical power.
The mere act of her drawing it indicated how she evaluated her situation.
Her magic power had already reached an unfathomable level.
And yet, pulling out Irhadi signified that she faced a scenario where even such massive magic power might be insufficient to unleash high-level magic.
“Hmph, then let’s do this!”
As Hyris drew Irhadi, I-gwi brought out his monstrous weapon.
Il-gwi also tightened his grip on his weapon.
Others were also preparing for the decisive battle in their own ways.
The tension was electric.
The moment someone made a move, an incredible bloodbath would surely follow.
From behind, something approached at an incredibly swift pace.
All eyes instinctively turned towards it.
It emitted a great white light from the darkness.
Bright white wings stood out prominently.
So everyone quickly recognized its identity.
“You are… Sinchang?!”
Seomjeon exclaimed, astonished.
An utterly unexpected figure had appeared.
“Sinchang? The Dog of Illyria is here for some reason.”
I-gwi frowned.
“Umm….”
Il-gwi’s smile vanished from his face.
Hurein too wore a somewhat stiff expression.
The Leader, obscured by a mask, was unreadable.
“Things are getting more and more interesting. Hehehe.”
Only Mangjong was laughing.
“I’m late.”
Sinchang Rachel fluttered down next to Si-hyun, spreading her wings.
“No, you arrived just in time.”
Si-hyun replied with a relieved expression.
“By the way… are you the Sword Master? I thought you were unusual, but….”
Rachel glanced at Acureruts held by Si-hyun.
“I’m sorry for not mentioning it beforehand. There were circumstances.”
“It’s fine.”
“What’s this? Were you secretly living with another woman without telling me?”
Hyris, surprised at seeing Rachel, sharply widened her eyes and spoke.
“That’s not….”
“A religious woman can be a hassle.”
“….”
“Never mind. Just focus on the fight.”
Hyris chuckled lightly before continuing.
“Ah, and although there’s no time to strategize, we still need to establish our opponents. I’ll take on Hurein over there. And Sinchang gets the Leader. How’s that sound?”
Rachel nodded.
Si-hyun wasn’t fully aware of what kind of reputation and capabilities Hurein and the Leader possessed.
But just by looking, he could see that Hyris and Rachel had assigned themselves to the two that seemed the strongest among the enemies.
“And the rest….”
The Twin Demons, Mangjong, Seomjeon.
“You three will take care of things yourselves.”
Hyris said, glancing once at Si-hyun, Seohun, and Harin.
“…That’s a tough mission.”
Si-hyun forced a smile.
Seohun and Harin, who had been dumbfounded at Sinchang’s sudden appearance, steadied themselves upon hearing Hyris’s words.
“Well then….”
Hyris trailed off.
Then she subtly moved her right hand.
Flash!
Boom!
Suddenly, lightning struck from the clear sky.
Straight towards I-gwi.
Just before getting hit by the lightning, I-gwi barely managed to lean back.
“What the hell…! What’s this? You said you’d face Hurein! You’re really petty to the very end! And are you… huh?”
As lightning struck, the ground began to shake violently as if an earthquake had hit.
Then, the land suddenly caved in, creating a massive hole.
It wasn’t merely a hole that appeared.
From there, a tremendous suction force erupted that seemed as if it would gulp down everything in sight.
The curious thing was that the area where Si-hyun and his companions stood remained calm without even a gentle breeze.
“A black hole?! What the!”
Il-gwi yelled, leaping backward in a panic.
Black Hole Magic.
The 9th Class Absolute Magic that indiscriminately sucks in everything around it.
She had casually executed something so powerful without any visible signs beforehand.
What was more astonishing was that she controlled it to affect only one direction.
They all had to face the reality that she was truly the greatest sorceress who had utterly surpassed human limits.
Of course, even Hyris couldn’t cast a 9th Class spell without preparation.
So she had been secretly casting it beforehand without anyone realizing.
“Le. El.”
Hurein called upon the names of the Elemental Kings.
In an instant, the Wind Elemental King Le and the Water Elemental King El swiftly surrounded the black hole with walls of wind and water.
The pulling force of the black hole began to weaken.
“Ah, as expected of Hurein.”
Hyris smiled cryptically.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
Hurein said, gazing at her.
Though they had only exchanged a few words, everyone here understood.
This battle was no joke.