83. Reunion

To be honest, he wanted to quit when he got beaten in the face. Hyenas might hunt lions, but they hunt old and sick lions who had escaped from the herd. Who would’ve imagined that there would be two elusive lions that stood by the target? However…

‘I’m too broken down.’

Ko Byeong-gap had a broken tooth, but there was a catch in front of him! What happened to his prey? They were worth a billion and a half!

‘Things that don’t even deserve a prize… How dare you interfere with my one-on-one battle?’

Whoever said that anger was the best driving force, they were right. If you put it in your head, your rational judgment would be blurred, but your drive would rise to its peak.

‘Ancient Shop. The spirit of Trovatin. 700,000 crystals. Shut up and just give it up.’

Ko Byeong-gap bought the spirit of Trovatin out of impulse. This was the most distinguished piece that made the North Korea expedition possible. He would gain power comparable to an S-class if he took his soul. Though terrible aftereffects accompanied it, he tried to assimilate with the soul without hesitation.

The assimilation is starting. 1%, 2%, 3%…

“Ugh…!”

Memories that didn’t belong to him flooded into his head. Last time, it was the memory of the army that swept the vast grasslands. It was different this time.

– All troops, open fire!

Tens of thousands of arrows were fired in unison at the command. The arrows poured down on the enemy and covered the sky. Archers emptied all the arrow barrels and split from side to side to create a path.

– Charge! Charge!

– We must die on this battlefield! Let’s show those Holy Warriors the power of Sarahon!

– For Landreal!

Soldiers armed with spears and blunt weapons ran out screaming. They were very determined, and it was clear that they were ready to even die. However, when the cloudy sky parted and something huge appeared, even that spirit and courage were overlaid with fear.

– It’s Al-Sharon!

– A… A Holy… A Holy Warrior has appeared!

– R-Run! Save yourselves!

Al-Sharon was more than 50 meters tall. His spear was bigger and thicker than any pillar in Ashvilam. When the spear stirred the Earth once, a natural disaster occurred. The soldiers who came before the ruthless violence were nothing more than ants.

Trovatin watched from a distance as his men were swept away. His nails cut into his clenched fists and caused his blood to drip. He swore to defeat this man that day, so he picked up a cone-shaped spear and flew up.

Al-Sharon turned when he noticed him and stabbed his giant spear. From Trovatin’s point of view, it seemed like a falling meteorite.

– Al-Sharon!

The battle ended with Trovatin’s cry.

Error! The spirit and body are not suitable for receiving the soul. The assimilation rate will decrease.

Your body strength has not reached the threshold. The assimilation rate will decrease.

Assimilation complete with the Soul of Trovatin. Assimilation rate: 73.95%

“Gasp, gasp, gasp… Ugh! Ugh!”

Since the soul and assimilation were complete, he had to fight again for control of himself. Ko Byeong-gap desperately seized his consciousness. He had to repeat his anger to not be defeated by the ancient spirit that coveted his body.

After a few minutes of his invisible struggle, he managed to regain his composure. His body was covered with sweat.

‘This is dangerous. I almost got eaten.’

It was only then that he felt how ridiculous everything had been just for a few pennies…

‘No, not a few bucks. That’s 4.5 billion won in total.’

After all, he gambled his body for money. He wouldn’t change his mind even if his enemies were children. What was more, with 700,000 crystals, how many more houses could he have built for the Goblins?

“These are crystals that my children collected with their blood and sweat. I should never use it for nothing… Just you wait. If I get that bounty, I’ll let you eat beef until your stomach explodes!”

Ko Byeong-gap began to chase the runaway bandits with determination in his heart.

***

“Alpha, run.”

Omega lowered Alpha and whispered. Although her face was hidden behind her mask, Alpha frowned.

“What are you talking about? How am I supposed to run away alone? I’d rather be together…”

“You saw how he defeated Beta. It isn’t something that can be resisted. Go to the point and bring the Master.”

“That’s what I’m saying. What are you going to do, the weakest of us?”

“I’ll buy you more time.”

Omega rolled up his left sleeve. It revealed seven bracelets clasped around his arms like handcuffs. The finish and material alone showed that those were expensive artifacts.

Omega grabbed the first one without hesitation and gave strength to rip it off. Alpha immediately stopped him.

“Are you crazy? It’s not something to use now!”

“If all three of us get caught here, he’ll steal it anyway. I’ll stop him, so take Beta and run away.”

“That man has no intention of killing us. Let’s pretend to surrender for now. The Master somehow—”

“Where are you pea-sized things going?”

“Gasp!”

Ko Byeong-gap approached and threw out his sword in the blink of an eye. Alpha and Omega barely reacted and dodged.

When the sword hit the floor, it created a huge crater. The surrounding trees couldn’t beat the shock wave and were pulled out to their roots.

‘He’s so quick.’

He didn’t intend to kill them, so he didn’t do his best, but they didn’t know how to escape. After all, he wasn’t an ordinary person. He raised the sword he had struck and wielded it. Dozens of swords smashed all obstacles and stretched out toward the attackers.

‘Why don’t you try avoiding this?’

“Agh!”

Alpha reached out both hands to create a Karma Barrier. The protective barrier, consisting of dozens of layers of Karma, was stronger than most A-class tankers. It failed to withstand three swords sent out by Ko Byeong-gap and collapsed.

“Cough!”

Alpha collapsed and vomited blood. Omega quickly blocked in front of her and received the attack, and then a sword storm tore his body mercilessly. The cloak he wore was torn, revealing his body covered in blood.

“Ah… Ah…”

Alpha stammered, holding Omega without knowing what to do. She tried to carry and pull him out, but she couldn’t do it with her body as limp as a mop. Suddenly, a light flashed from a distance, and a sword flew in. It aimed at Ko Byeong-gap’s head without any error.

‘What is this?’

Ko Byeong-gap spewed out his aura without moving. Unable to overcome the strength of the sword released at him, he bounced off helplessly. At that moment, the origin of the attack grabbed their sword and swung it again. The great sword was packed with tremendous Karma.

‘That’s the guy from before. It could be dangerous if it hit me raw.’

His aura ran through the sword and turned it into a giant weapon. Moments later, the two collide. As power and force collided, a shock wave spread around the contact point.

“Agh!”

Beta had to sweat just by facing the sword. His jaw tightened as if his teeth were breaking, and then suddenly, Ko Byeong-gap’s hand approached.

‘I can’t avoid it!’

At that moment, Beta was grabbed by his collar.

Bang!

“Gasp!”

Ko Byeong-gap beat his opponent without hesitation. It was such a strong blow that he left a crater on the ground again.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Beta sagged like a dead squid. Ko Byeong-gap grabbed him by the collar and threw him where the other assailants gathered.

To borrow Ko Byeong-gap’s expression, Alpha, Beta, and Omega stretched out side by side. However, there was no time to celebrate the victory or to be proud of his overwhelming power. His expression was rather serious.

‘I have to hand them over to the Hunters before the assimilation unravels.’

If the soul and assimilation were released, the pain would come. That would make it impossible to lift a finger, let alone hand the mover.

‘There’s still room.’

There was plenty of time. Ko Byeong-gap approached the gangsters who were friendly with each other, and one of them had worn out his clothes from the attack he received. Their mask was also torn in half.

‘I have to look out for their strongest when I hand them over.’

Ko Byeong-gap strode toward them, and then Alpha, who was still conscious, staggered and blocked him. He tried to lift his sword, but he didn’t need to use a sword with her state. It was enough to get a few punches.

“Let us go!”

The sharp voice of a girl. Ko Byeong-gap replied without emotion.

“Why would I?”

“In the future… Something unimaginable is going to happen. If you hold us here, you can’t stop it… Maybe you can survive because you’re strong, but most people you know will die!”

“What kind of dream are you talking about? Is that all you’ve got? Your creativity is good, but its authenticity is terrible.”

“You… You’ll regret it if it stays like this. I can assure you!”

“Well, 4.5 billion won worth of regret seems pretty generous.”

“That piece of paper is not the problem!”

“What a piece of paper?”

Ko Byeong-gap’s complexion turned red. Alpha shuddered at the unusual air current that rose from him.

“Because of such a piece of paper, people can come to life. I don’t know what kind of crazy idea you got to destroy the power plants, but what I’m doing now is worth more than what you’re doing.”

“You… know nothing!”

“If you’re only here to drag on, your attempt is good, but I have to get that bounty and buy the kids beef. I’m done fooling around.”

“Argh!”

Ko Byeong-gap reached out and grabbed Alpha’s head. He released a short and intense wave of aura. Alpha soon lost her strength and collapsed.

“Let’s hurry.”

After getting his sword, Ko Byeong-gap collected the fallen attackers. They were small, so he thought he could carry them on his shoulders. Of course, there was work to be done before that. After a short breath, he peeled off the masks that covered their faces. First was the girl.

‘What’s this?’

The mask didn’t come off easily like a leech or something that stuck to their skin.

‘Is this an artifact? There are many things to spend money on.’

However, when he applied force while tearing it off, the mask came off. Soon, the monster’s face was fully revealed. She was an exotic-looking girl with pure white skin and blonde hair.

‘W-What…?’

When he saw the mysterious girl’s face, Ko Byeong-gap felt like he was losing his mind because he knew this girl’s face.

‘Then what about the others?’

He also took off the mask of the other two fugitives, like a man possessed by something. As expected, he knew their faces. If he remembered correctly, their names were Jane, Do Eun-ho, Kang Han-cheol, respectively.

Around last summer, he met them when he went to work as a porter in an A-rank crack. It was just a one-day job, but their impressions were so intense that it was still vivid in his mind. Why? Why were they the ones that showed up?

‘I can’t believe it’s them.’

He thought their combination was strange at that time, but he felt like his head went blank when they reunited like this.

‘What are these guys doing?’

Such a theoretical question arose. However, he shook his head and shook off his thoughts.

Although he knew their faces, they weren’t acquaintances. Their relationship only happened once. So there was no reason for him to hesitate in handing those guys over.

However, a chill ran down his back. Surely those kids would be with a woman they called ‘Master’? The moment he thought about it, he felt a huge presence behind his back.

‘This!’

He turned reflexively and sprayed his sword, and then something hit the sword and set off a fire. His eyes widened. An unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes.

It was a void. In the empty air, only arms and a sword stood. Soon, the space bent, and more parts were revealed. It was like… the door to Ashvilam, then a slim woman in a cape finally showed up.

He couldn’t see her face due to the hood she wore. Still, Ko Byeong-gap could tell who it was.

‘It’s her!’

She glanced at the children hanging behind Ko Byeong-gap and then swung her sword violently. He stepped back three or four steps and took a firm stance.

‘That aura, it’s dangerous.’

His sixth sense roared wildly. Damn, what was he going to do if he lost momentum? He gritted his teeth and spouted his aura. Suddenly, the woman opened her palm and said, “Stop it. There’s no reason to fight you.”

“How many times have you emptied someone else’s refrigerator, only to say there’s no reason?”

“…?”

“Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this?”

Kim Hana, the woman, approached the children without answering. She had a high-level potion in her hand.

“Why?!”

Ko Byeong-gap immediately rushed in and stretched his sword, but when the sword, which had been moving well, reached a certain moment, it suddenly changed its orbit regardless of his intentions.

Again, there was a hemispherical membrane surrounding where Kim Hana stood. There was a strange atmosphere in it, but it wasn’t like a shield. It was…

“It’s useless. I isolated the space. You can’t reach here—”

“Nonsense!”

“Hm?!”

Suddenly, a storm of aura raged in his sword. He swung his sword again, and the storm began to gnaw through the hemispherical membrane.

‘The space I created is going to be broken?’

Kim Hana looked shocked. She hurriedly fed the children the potions and moved them one by one to her own subspace. When the space was finally destroyed, the three children had already disappeared.

It was the same for Ko Byeong-gap. He couldn’t believe there was someone else who could do that besides himself. The woman quickly rose to her feet.

“Calm down!”

“If it were you…!”

4.5 billion won disappeared right in front of him. How could he calm down? Ko Byeong-gap could only wield his sword with a feeling of exhaustion.

The hood worn by Kim Hana was also removed due to his fierce swordsmanship. As expected, it was the face in his memory.

“Pfft!”

She jumped up to spread their distance. Ko Byeong-gap didn’t rush in because the assimilation in his body had begun to unravel. Just like him, she seemed to have a lot on her mind.

“I can’t believe it. I knew you were irregular, but you grew up so fast.”

“What? Irregular?”

“We call them people who can break the world’s boundaries and grow beyond their limits. I need people like that. I should’ve come to you sooner, but it’s my fault. One thing is for sure. I’m not your enemy.”

“What kind of nonsense… Hkkk!”

Ko Byeong-gap kneeled and sank. A hologram appeared before his eyes.

The assimilation rate is low, so you can’t hold Trovatin’s soul.

The assimilation will be revoked.

Trovatin’s soul has been destroyed.

It felt like the sky fell at a time like this, and it was a big deal. He couldn’t deal with Kim Hana without the help of the soul, and if the aftereffects caused him to suffer, he wouldn’t even be able to run away…

‘Wait, it’s bearable, right?’

It was different from before. Last time, he suffered so much pain that he lost consciousness, but his muscles were just sore and numb at that time. Of course, to battle was impossible in this condition. He could run away, though, so he took the opportunity to run away.

At that time, Kim Hana’s eyes turned to one side. She frowned heavily. Even Ko Byeong-gap could see what she felt. People, hunters, were coming there!

“Things always go the opposite of what you expect.”

“Don’t come near me!”

Despite Ko Byeong-gap’s threat, Kim Hana didn’t bat an eye. He tried to avoid it quickly. However, he was already caught by Kim Hana at that time.

“I won’t hurt you. Excuse me for a moment.”

She suddenly looked behind Ko Byeong-gap’s neck. His clothes were caught, and she examined his back carefully.

“You son of a bitch! What are you doing now…!”

“That’s a relief. Let me give you a piece of advice. Do not engage with people who have a six-pointed star engraved on their neck and back, have a six-pointed pendant, or are affiliated with Illumination. They are the enemies of mankind.”

“What and how?”

“We don’t have time.”

Kim Hana grabbed Ko Byeong-gap’s neck. She then spouted out Karma briefly. Suddenly, some information came into his head that he had never seen before. It was a coordinate.

“Come find me there. Let me explain the truth of the world. It’s no use bringing other people along, so I want you to come alone. Alright, goodbye.”

Kim Hana disappeared from sight in an instant. She didn’t use stealth-like skills. She literally disappeared.

“That way!”

“Hurry up!”

He heard the hunters in the background. It’s pretty close.

‘Damn it! I have to avoid them.’

Ko Byeong-gap moved to Ashvilam. It was no good to be seen by them unless he caught the fugitives. He was sure they would only suspect him. As he intended, the hunters found nothing on the mountain that day.