abcnovels
Chapter 134: Hunt? (6)
Chapter 134: Hunt? (6)
Chapter 134: Hunt? (6)
“Your name is Kim Seo-hyun.”
The Thousand Sorcerer.
These were the first words spoken by the person who took her in, becoming both her teacher and parent.
Now, a faint memory surfaced.
It was a fragment left by those who had taught her early on.
It was her shame.
Her despair.
And also her milestone.
“This talent is beyond our expectations. This child will reach heights we cannot even imagine.”
“Of course. Who do you think created her? She embodies the soul of our martial world. She is essentially the collective essence of us, passed down for a thousand years.”When the martial world was betrayed and faced external threats,
Those within the martial world thought of its end.
Martial Alliance, Heretic Sect, Devil Sect, Mystic Clans.
Those who never thought to unite did so in the face of the most primal desire to survive.
They joined forces and continued the fight. Blood formed rivers, and corpses piled into mountains.
Yet, they only managed to delay the end.
Kim Seo-hyun was created to pass down their knowledge to future generations completely.
The martial world would erase its traces from this world. The martial arts they created will scatter across the world as remnants.
This meant the end of the martial world.
Those who stood at the pinnacle of the martial world did not wish for this.
Thus, Kim Seo-hyun was created.
The culmination of a thousand years of the martial world.
Her very existence was proof of the martial world’s imprint in this dimension and the reason for its being.
Kim Seo-hyun inherited immense talent.
But it was too much.
Too much of a good thing was bad. Her talent was so excessive it endangered her life.
The Mystic Clan and the Jegal Family used magic to seal her power.
Until she could handle it in the future.
Despite sealing her near-limitless internal power, akin to having a dragon’s heart implanted within her, she possessed remarkable talent. She could mimic any martial art she saw just once, and her violently powerful talent was forged from mixing the blood of those who dominated the martial world.
She could use almost any martial art as her own, with a few exceptions.
Except for Lee Seo-ha.
“Really fascinating.”
She observed his body.
It was an inscrutable body. Normally, one trained their body through martial arts, but this was more akin to refining the body. Others might not know, but Kim Seo-hyun did. She had observed Lee Seo-ha’s body more closely than anyone else.
At first, it was out of curiosity.
Her curiosity stemmed from wanting to learn how to refine that body.
“I really didn’t think much of it.”
Perhaps it was significant that she met a peer she couldn’t understand.
Things might have been slightly different if she had met Ershil or Kim Ara first.
“I’m not usually like this.”
She didn’t like to fight.
Fighting Mines was unavoidable. They aimed to create hell on this earth.
Their goal was to create a lawless hell, so Kim Seo-hyun fights without hesitation against Mines.
But she disliked fighting.
She hated arguing with someone, the act of fighting to claim something.
But the more she stayed with Lee Seo-ha, the more Kim Seo-hyun felt she was changing.
“You hate it, right? I don’t want to do what you hate.”
“This shouldn’t be happening.”
Kim Seo-hyun was a being of goodwill.
She was created that way from the beginning. For her, struggle was no different from creating a haven for herself.
In this world, without power, everything was taken away.
“But.”
Bad thoughts keep rifling through her mind. He seemed better than her. Maybe he’d turn if she pushed a little? What if it hurts others? Then, just resolve it with power.
These were her thoughts.
But on the other hand, she was starting to think that it’s not so bad.
At first, she blamed herself.
But now, she’s increasingly comfortable with her feelings, which was confusing.
“Really dangerous.”
Maybe trouble would ensue soon.
Kim Seo-hyun and I were strolling through the streets.
This place was, well… it felt like it was 50 years behind compared to Seoul.
Street markets were sparse, and places like inns were worn and old. Red-light districts operated openly during the day, with people gathering to make meals or going about farming.
‘Hardly any concrete buildings exist.’
It might be considered normal. China, while proclaiming one China, consisted of 60 countries all eager for independence or to engulf each other.
“What’s this? Two guys traveling together?”
“Are you gay? But both of you look pretty…”
And it was amusing to see thugs walking around openly in broad daylight. That this wasn’t a one or two-time occurrence was also amusing.
“Is the biggest sect around here called the Black Death Sect?”
“Why? Gonna take them down?”
“If it’s too bothersome, yeah.”
Especially annoying was how some glanced at Kim Seo-hyun, who had an androgynous appearance, in a displeasing way.
I thought showing her true form without disguising it as a man might not be worse.
“This place does look somewhat old.”
“Right. It’s like a city from decades ago.”
“People don’t seem to carry cell phones around much. Have you thought about showing your true form here?”
“…My true form?”
“Yeah. Don’t you sometimes want to dress up?”
“I do think about it sometimes.”
Kim Seo-hyun looked at me with a peculiar expression.
Honestly, I still didn’t understand why she disguised herself as a man. There were a few suspicions.
‘Mostly speculation.’
But that’s not important right now.
Even though she was disguised as a man, Kim Seo-hyun was the one to save this world. Her power was absolutely necessary.
‘Such stress isn’t good.’
She needed a way to relieve stress.
For Kim Seo-hyun, immersing herself in clubs and nightlife was her chosen method of relaxation, yet even she wasn’t completely immune to stress. This tension even seeped into her gaming experiences.
‘The best thing is to dress up.’
How should I phrase it?
Perhaps basking in the attention of others wasn’t such a bad way to decompress. It might become routine over time, but initially, there’s nothing quite as satisfying.
‘Attention is a poisoned chalice, though.’
But if it offered a temporary respite from stress, perhaps it’s worth it.
“Do you want to see my true self?”
Kim Seo-hyun asked, her expression intrigued.
It’s possible she adopted that playful demeanor from Ershil.
“I do want to see.”
I genuinely did.
The real Kim Seo-hyun, whom I had never encountered in the game. I had come across illustrations of women posing as Kim Seo-hyun, but they always seemed off, reminiscent of the uncanny valley.
As I looked intently at Kim Seo-hyun, she blushed.
“What, what? Were you that curious? Well, just wait a bit.”
Kim Seo-hyun led me to a nearby clothing store.
“Welcome.”
A female employee greeted us warmly.
Kim Seo-hyun turned to me.
“Suggest something for me to wear…”
Her voice trailed off, revealing her unfamiliarity with women’s clothing.
I scanned the clothes, selecting ones that I believed would complement Kim Seo-hyun.
“You, you seem too familiar with this, don’t you?”
“…No. I’ve just considered what clothes might usually suit you.”
Admitting this made me feel like a pervert.
However, her reaction wasn’t negative. Kim Seo-hyun’s blush deepened slightly. Perhaps she finds the idea perverted but is willing to overlook it.
Kim Seo-hyun took the clothes and disappeared into the dressing room.
The sound of her changing was unmistakably clear to my ears. I didn’t want to listen, but the heightened senses of a Sword Demon captured everything around me, including the detail that Kim Seo-hyun was now switching from pants to a skirt.
‘It’s partly because of the Black Flame Divine Body.’
In essence, my strength was the root cause.
Feeling overly intrusive, I momentarily dulled my senses.
“…I’m done.”
A voice, tinged with shyness, emanated from the dressing room.
“How is it?”
“…Isn’t this too revealing?”
“I don’t think so.”
Admittedly, there was a considerable amount of personal bias involved.
Kim Seo-hyun stepped out of the dressing room, her appearance striking.
Adorned with a black choker, her outfit consisted of a belly-revealing short-sleeved shirt and a high-waisted miniskirt.
“How, how does it look?”
“…It suits you incredibly well.”
If only her hair were a bit longer, it would have been perfect.
There were a few regrets, though. The fabric was too cheap, causing the colors to appear dull. I resolved to dress her up properly once we returned to Korea.
“Shall we go together, princess?”
“…Yeah.”
Fortunately, Kim Seo-hyun seemed pleased, humorously engaging with my jest.
Meanwhile, The Overlord stepped forward, his expression one of bewilderment.
‘Aren’t you going to welcome Ara’s friend?’
‘He’s a wild one. He’ll come on his own.’
The Overlord had learned that they had temporarily stayed somewhere after their plane was attacked by flying monsters and terrorists.
But he wasn’t concerned. Kim Seo-hyun was under his watchful eye, and Lee Seo-ha was so untamed that he desired to take him as a disciple.
‘Plus, they defeated Kalia, the Parasite.’
The manner of their victory remained a mystery.
Yet, The Overlord sensed it on the battlefield. When Kalia’s malice began to erode the world, Kalia perished. Vanquished by a power even more malevolent.
It was bewildering.
That event had transferred some of his power to him, and the Emperor had provided even more protection. Celestial had abandoned him for reasons that were unclear.
‘The power that child possesses is too perilous. However, since he opposes Mines and extraterrestrials, I’ll offer my assistance if requested.’
Celestial might have recognized something alarming about the person wielding that power.
‘Still, with a Phoenix or something similar on the loose, let’s go welcome them.’
‘He’ll come on his own.’
‘I won’t call you papa from now on.’
‘…Eek. Fine, let’s go welcome them, Ara.’
Regardless, The Overlord grudgingly went to welcome Lee Seo-ha with Kim Ara. The words of his daughter and wife made sense. And maybe this would touch him somewhat—he seldom personally welcomed anyone.
Even the Emperor.
“Papa, let’s hurry.”
“Alright then.”
Thinking of it as a date with Kim Ara, The Overlord’s lips curled up. Soon after, he found Lee Seo-ha.
‘There he is.’
Lee Seo-ha was easy to find.
Not just because of his outstanding appearance, but he harbored a sinister power. A power that seemed to negate everything, even distorting his Qi.
‘So it’s actually easier to find him.’
If he expanded his Qi perception, a void in that perception appeared.
Find that spot, and one would find Lee Seo-ha.
And The Overlord saw.
A girl in men’s clothing, in her true form by his side.
“Ah. Ah. Seo. Ha.”
Kim Seo-hyun awkwardly spoke, pretending it was a coincidence.
She hugged Lee Seo-ha then tripped him, shaking his movement.
It was the technique of an expert. Lee Seo-ha was caught off guard, and Kim Seo-hyun took advantage of that moment.
If she had harbored murderous intent, Lee Seo-ha would have reacted immediately, but there was none. However, in that situation, Lee Seo-ha’s body reacted. If Kim Seo-hyun intended to hug him momentarily, the Black God Martial Arts’ body would not allow it.
Hugging could be considered an extremely dangerous attack method. Lee Seo-ha’s legs moved as if sliding.
As a result…
Lee Seo-ha fell backwards, with Kim Seo-hyun falling on top of his face. Kim Seo-hyun’s thighs were on either side of his face.
‘The young ones are quick these days.’
The Overlord wore a displeased expression.
Well, he didn’t view a man having multiple women negatively. A noble lineage was necessary for great heroes to arise. But if they acted like this now and in the future, they wouldn’t take interest in his beloved daughter.
Intervention seemed the right thing.
Seeing Kim Ara with a bewildered expression, The Overlord silently resolved.
“…Somehow. That’s why he hasn’t fallen for the temptation…”
Kim Ara murmured, gazing at Kim Seo-hyun with unfocused eyes. Her transcendent dynamic vision and power, connected from the Origin, stayed with her.
Then, she looked at Kim Seo-hyun with blazing eyes.
Thud.
A massive sound came from somewhere. The Overlord blinked.
[A massive storm of emotions boosts your potential. The bloodline of the giants fully awakens.]
Instantly, a vast presence pressed down on the surroundings.
And Kim Ara realized. This was a rival. Her escapism was a mistake. This was a female from the start. A female intent on reclaiming the man she had marked.
Kim Ara smiled coldly, looking at Kim Seo-hyun.
‘…’
And The Overlord unconsciously took a step back from Kim Ara.