Chapter 194 : Chapter 194
Chapter 194 - Combo (4)
The place they arrived at was a secluded vacant lot.
Yoo Seong-jin had to organize his thoughts quickly.
Reaching a conclusion was not very difficult.
'The kid's identity is a magician.'
No other hypothesis came to mind.
He had met numerous magicians while performing quests in the Abyss.
Although he had never heard of a magician existing on Earth, if this kid was a magician, this whole situation would be explained quite plausibly.
If so, then this mysterious man was also likely to be a magician.
"Phew."
Yoo Seong-jin calmed his breathing.
The two who had dragged him here were high-level magicians.
If this hypothesis was correct, there was a way to overcome this crisis.
Magicians had mysterious and destructive offensive power, but on the other hand, their physical strength was often poor.
'A surprise attack.'
He thought that if he could launch a sudden surprise attack and succeed in a major strike, he could end it in a single blow.
As someone on the verge of the Sword Expert level, this would not be an impossible mission.
In the end, he had to aim for a moment when the opponent was off guard.
The problem was securing the distance to launch the attack.
"Yoo Seong-jin."
The man called his name.
He thought that perhaps the chances of winning against this man were higher than against the kid.
During the journey here, all the man had done was drive, and the one who had actually launched attacks with magic was the kid.
'He's completely off guard, even though he knows who I am.'
At this distance, he could easily pierce the man's throat if he quickly took out a sword from his inventory and stabbed him.
If he killed this man in a single blow, the kid's mental state might crumble from the shock.
Although her magic level was excellent, she was still just a child.
"You know my name."
While responding to the opponent's call for now, Yoo Seong-jin calmed his breathing once more.
Then he counted numbers in his mind.
Three.
Two.
One.
There was no time to hesitate.
WHISH!!
The sword summoned from his inventory was caught in his hand, and a swift and accurate strike was launched.
Every movement was natural and perfect.
With a surprise attack of this level, no one would be able to dodge it.
He could already see the blood pouring from the man's pierced neck in his head.
But the reality Yoo Seong-jin faced was something that did not feel like reality at all.
THUD!
He could not breathe for a moment due to the intense pain in his abdomen.
He could not fully perceive what the man had done.
The physical force was unbelievable for a magician.
For a moment, he wondered if physical magic existed, but it was nonsense.
"Urgh!"
After gagging like that, he could finally breathe.
"Give up. There is no way you can resist now."
Looking at the man's gaze, these words did not sound like an empty boast.
Since the man had perfectly parried his surprise attack, it meant that no move would work.
Yoo Seong-jin put his hand in his pocket.
This was the only method he could use.
Informing his location with his phone.
But.
POP!
A sudden explosion occurred inside his pocket, and Yoo Seong-jin had to hastily pull out his hand.
"I should have detonated it earlier, but I forgot."
This time, the kid spoke mischievously.
The hypothesis that she was a magician was true.
In the end, it was all meaningless.
***
There were two ways to make Yoo Seong-jin speak.
One was torture.
It was my specialty and a most certain method that had almost never failed.
"Aaaaaaaargh!"
As I toyed with his dantian, Yoo Seong-jin’s screams did not cease.
The only problem with this method was that it took quite a long time.
Especially for someone as stubborn as Yoo Seong-jin, more time and effort were required.
"If you were thinking of screaming to let the outside world know of your situation, you should put that thought away. It is being perfectly controlled so that no sound can leak out."
"Aaaaaaaargh!"
"Judging by your reaction, that wasn't it either."
He was resisting much more tenaciously than expected.
Of course, the conclusion of this battle was already decided; it was only a matter of time.
The torture I inflicted did not cause physical damage and could be done forever.
It was just as I was about to pour another vortex of mana into his dantian.
"How about leaving it to me now?"
Rosie suddenly requested her turn.
"I said I would give you a chance, Rosie. Whether I make Yoo Seong-jin speak or not."
"No, it's just that now is the perfect timing to cast my magic. Right before his mental state is completely shattered."
"Hmm."
The second way to make Yoo Seong-jin speak.
It was Rosie's memory magic.
The problem was that Rosie herself was not certain of success.
The reason was that she did not have enough experience since she was still a hatchling.
It was also quite understandable that reading another person's memory was a very high-level magic.
Seeing this, the dragon race truly was cheat-like.
"Try it."
I decided to yield the turn.
I also wanted to see Rosie's magic succeed.
***
Rosie's work was taking longer than expected.
The memories stored in a human life must be vast.
What she was doing now was finding a fragment of a piece in that vast ocean.
Rosie had said from the beginning that the success rate of the magic would be less than a quarter.
So, it was likely that we would have to go with my method.
Of course, it was unfortunate for Yoo Seong-jin.
It would have been better for him to cleanly expose the fragments of his memory to Rosie, as there would at least be no pain.
"It's over."
A short while later, Rosie took her hand off Yoo Seong-jin’s head.
"The result?"
"Failure. I couldn't get the information we wanted."
Since she had a more serious expression than usual for Rosie, I had expected it.
"But I ended up reading some unexpected memories. Quite old ones, too."
"Old memories?"
"Yes. Should I say I just happened to get them?"
Yoo Seong-jin was looking at us with an expression as if our conversation was nonsense.
Rosie began to continue the story.
Fragments of stories cut here and there in Yoo Seong-jin’s past.
The beginning was a deal with the Demon King.
"You seem to have gained quite a bit of power as the first price. It seems there are some special privileges too."
The core of the deal was to bring zombies to Earth.
In exchange, Yoo Seong-jin was said to have gained a significant amount of mana and enlightenment.
Furthermore, the warriors of the Gwangun Sword Family gained the privilege to move freely between Hardeon and Earth without any particular restrictions.
"But the real thing is separate."
If he spread zombies on Earth to a level that would satisfy the Demon King, he would give Yoo Seong-jin another power.
"You must be trying to take revenge on Kang Jae-gu, the Family Head of the Gwangun Sword Family."
At Rosie's words, Yoo Seong-jin’s eyes began to fluctuate.
"W-who on earth are you bastards!"
A reaction that admitted Rosie's words were true.
Well, since perfect details that he had never told anyone were coming out of Rosie's mouth, it would be meaningless to deny it in this situation.
"Just shut up and keep listening to my story."
Rosie's story that followed went to Yoo Seong-jin’s past.
The death of his father, who was a loyal servant of the Gwangun Sword Family.
And Yoo Seong-jin, who learned the truth behind it.
The current Family Head of the Gwangun Sword Family, Kang Jae-gu, was behind that death.
"That was when you vowed revenge. Right?"
Rosie stared at Yoo Seong-jin, who was trembling with his fists clenched.
"Shut that mouth of yours!"
Yoo Seong-jin’s sword flew towards Rosie.
Of course, it was just a meaningless struggle.
Yoo Seong-jin’s expression also seemed to know that.
It was just an expression of anger.
SWISH!
Yoo Seong-jin’s sword was blocked by the wind Rosie shot out and could no longer draw a sword path.
He just threw the sword he was holding and screamed at his own helplessness.
"But Rosie."
"Yes. Why?"
"Isn't this not a failure?"
"Is it?"
Although there were parts I had partially expected, we were able to confirm what Yoo Seong-jin was plotting and with what motive he had started.
This much was significant enough.
Although the connection between the current Family Head and Yoo Seong-jin, and when and in what way they would cause a zombie outbreak on Earth, still remained unknown.
Yoo Seong-jin suddenly began to laugh like a madman.
Perhaps he had truly gone mad.
"Who the hell are you two! Why did you suddenly appear in front of me!"
SLAP!
I immediately slapped Yoo Seong-jin once.
"You made a deal with the Demon King for revenge?"
"Ptui!"
"You chose a very pathetic method."
My final goal in this life was also revenge.
I did not fail to understand his desperate feelings, but this method had crossed the line by a long shot.
Because it was an act that sacrificed at least millions, or perhaps even more lives, for his personal grudge.
"But Rosie. No matter how much I think about it, there's something that doesn't make sense."
"What is it?"
"Let's say this guy, Yoo Seong-jin, did it for revenge. But what about Kang Jae-gu? What motive does a man who is the head of a prestigious sword family have for doing such a thing?"
Kang Jae-gu already had too much.
His current position was one of the Three Sword Gods whom people looked up to.
Furthermore, the Gwangun Sword Family was enjoying an unprecedented heyday.
If he maintained the current system, he and his descendants could enjoy wealth and glory for generations.
Despite that, it was too lacking in probability that he secretly joined hands with Yoo Seong-jin to subvert the world.
"I think the reason this guy, Yoo Seong-jin, knows is not the proper reason."
Rosie also nodded at my words.
"Cut the nonsense!"
Yoo Seong-jin struggled with a stiff expression.
"Then I'll have to start a conversation with you again. When and in what way does your Gwangun Sword Family plan to start this situation?"
"Ptui!"
"You won't be able to leave here alive anyway. Since you must have carried a zombie seed in your body while making a deal with the Demon King."
"…."
Since there was no answer, it seemed true.
Rosie's guess was accurate.
"I'll take revenge for you instead. Since Kang Jae-gu is scheduled to die by my hand anyway."
Yoo Seong-jin wore a venomous smile.
"You, against the Sword God Kang Jae-gu?"
"The title of Sword God. It's not even funny."
"It is impossible!"
"I don't intend to prove that to you. Since you're destined to die by my hand today anyway, and you won't see the scene of revenge with your own eyes. But since you're going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to believe that I'll take revenge for you?"
At my words, Yoo Seong-jin’s eyes shook violently.
"Tell me everything you know and let's just die cleanly."
I drew the Holy Sword Bastian.