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nChapter 68

nEpisode 68 To Protect (3)

nJames Hambledon, why did the name sound familiar? Yoon-seok, who had been agonizing over it while he kept guard, soon realized why.

n‘Ragna Hambledon, James Hambledon.’

nIt was the same last name as Ragna, who he’d met on the fourth floor and advised him about his past with Lee Chang-hoon. And now he was back to five-hundred years ago…

n‘Is this the ancestor she was talking about…?’

nIt was reasonable to some extent to have a question like this. However, James didn’t look like a challenger.

n‘Maybe it’s because it’s the time before he’s taken to the Tower….’

nOf course, it was just one inference. This might be a case where their last name might be the same, and even if they were from the same bloodline, his brothers or direct family member could be Ragna’s ancestors. Well, that wasn’t important.

nStill curious, he thought of learning more about James when dawn broke. Yoon-seok closed his eyes and meditated.

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n“…”

nFortunately, there were no more visitors for the night.

nYoon-seok quietly opened his eyes. It was still dark around, but the sky was slowly getting brighter. Yoon-seok opened the carriage door and quietly shook Kanna to wake her up.

n‘Just a minute…’ murmuring like it was a habit, she jolted, and suddenly her upper body sprang up. Her eyes were bloodshot. Leaving Wellington and Elle in the wagon, Yoon-seok woke James up to continue the conversation that they didn’t finish properly yesterday.

n“…Y-you’re being chased by heathens?”

nDid he think they were a group of travelers? James freaked out when he learned of Kanna’s situation.

n“Heathens within the Triad means that include the Trejans as well…?”

nHis eyes pleaded for her to say no, but Kanna nodded coldly.

n“Yes, that’s right.”

nKanna then explained that Wellington, a third-degree Holy Warrior, was injured, and the only actual guard left was Yoon-seok. And finally, she said this.

n“I won’t catch you if you leave.”

nWas it just an illusion that her eyes said she just wanted him to go his own way? Probably not, seeing how James answered with a loud sigh.

n“No, I, James Hambledon, am not a man who will only think of his safety and run away. I’ll come with you.”

n“Hmm…okay. This is God’s will, too.

nNow James’s joining had become a foregone conclusion. So it was time to solve the next problem.

n“Uh, um…”

nKanna even woke Elle, who was fast asleep, then instilled sacred power into the unconscious Wellington, and soon he was awake.

n“Ugh!”

nWellington, who was about to get out of his seat, collapsed again as he grabbed his wound.

n“Stay still. There’s still some poison in you. It’ll take a few more days.”

nSuddenly, Yoon-seok recalled the active effect of the Judgment Sword, Light of Purification. Kick out all kinds of negative energy? Given that the entire poison was purified during his battle against Hydra, perhaps it could cure Wellington immediately. No, Yoon-seok was almost certain.

nBut he didn’t have to say it out loud.

n“…”

nHe also regained consciousness in a day. Furthermore, with additional divine power, he could move around himself. Besides, it would only take him a few days to heal. Light of Purification couldn’t be reused for another seventy-two hours, so it would be a wise choice to save it just in case.

n“Then let’s go.”

nKanna, Elle, and James got on the wagon. Wellington sat in the vacant seat of the wagoner who died during the last challenger attack. James said he knew how to ride a horse and would do it, but Wellington insisted that he could do this much. Perhaps it was because he didn’t trust James, a stranger.

nYoon-seok settled in a spot on the roof of the wagon.

n“…Thank you very much.”

nIt came from Wellington as he maneuvered the horses. His eyes were directed to the front of the carriage, but it wasn’t difficult to recognize that the thank-you was directed at him.

n“I won’t ask you who you are. Even if you want to use me as a human shield, I’ll accept it with a smile. Will you promise to only protect Pontiff Kanna Blitz?”

n“…Yes, I will.”

nWellington, who heard Yun-seok’s answer, then turned his focus only on driving the horse without saying a word. Yoon-seok, who sat on the roof, also spread his senses and closed his eyes, hearing James and Elle talking excitedly in the carriage.

n“A ship that doesn’t sink when thousands get on board? Is there such a thing in Revon?”

n“Yes. As soon as you say you’re going all the way to Revon, you’ll see this little lady in person soon.”

nJames knew a lot of things and was a good talker. Elle listened readily to stories of the outside world he told her. This wasn’t a good time to laugh and talk, but Kanna had left their conversation untouched.

n“Uncle! Then do you know about the Top 10?”

n“I’m not an uncle, but…! Anyway, did you ask about the Top 10? Well, that’s a good question. Do you know what it is? Well, I have even met one of the Top Ten, the Sea King?”

n“Who’s the Sea King?”

n“He is the ruler of the shadow archipelago and Revon’s main enemy.”

nJames began by explaining the Top 10, starting with an anecdote about seeing the Sea King from afar. The Top 10 was a popular term referring to the best fighters of each continent, so Yoon-seok perked up and listened with interest.

n“…”

nIn another dimension, a world from five hundred years in the past. Furthermore, it differed from the reference point of the Tower’s force. Nevertheless…no, that’s why Yoon-seok was even more curious. How strong were these people? Could he win in a battle with his current powers?

nSadly, the question couldn’t be resolved. James relayed information about the Top 10 in as much detail as possible, but it was discredited because it was the public’s view based on groundless rumors. Of course, apart from that, his stories were very interesting.

n“Then who’s the strongest in the Top 10?”

nElle asked James a question. Yoon-seok, who had been listening from above, perked an ear. James replied without much thought.

n“It is meaningless to rank their forces. No one knows exactly how strong they are. But…”

nJames was a natural storyteller. Whenever the content itself was flat, he spoke in a subtle tone and blurred out the end of his sentences, making the listener feel more nervous.

n“The answer to who is the strongest is really simple. If you ask the Top 10, they will all choose the same person.”

n“Who’s that?”

n“No one knows his name. It’s just that everyone is so afraid of him they call him Disaster.”

n“Disaster? Why do they call him that?”

n“It’s because of a peculiar curse he bears.”

nEven James, who was talking about the curse, was about to continue his speech with a joyful air…

nRattle!

nThe carriages slowed down and stopped.

n“Gerssey…”

n“Yes, I know.”

nYoon-seok jumped off the roof and stood in front of the carriage. Then, after a while, the movements of over a hundred creatures could be felt over the forest. It was the group of heathens and mythical creatures that had retreated on day three.

nIf those with a difficulty level of Probation were left out, their numbers had reduced.

n“I didn’t expect them to show up so soon…”

nWellington clenched his teeth and muttered. They wanted to spread their distance quickly, but they showed up again in just one day. If only he’d confirmed that Yoon-seok was the only one left, they wouldn’t have had to come back so soon.

n“It’s too late to turn the wagon around. No, I’m sure they’ll catch up soon enough even if we tried to escape.”

nWellington got off the wagoner’s seat in his injured body. Then he lifted the sword with his weak arm and told Yoon-seok.

n“Do you remember what I said earlier? I’ll buy you some time, so take the others and run away.”

nAt least he knew what he had to do and dared to do it. However, Yoon-seok rejected his proposal.

n“You don’t have to.”

n“Hey, don’t be so stubborn. Come on…!”

nWellington, who tried to persuade Yoon-seok, closed his mouth. He realized it was too late.

n“The wicked dogs of the Triads! Give up our savior!”

nWith the heathens’ cry, the creatures rushed toward the wagon. There were around a hundred in number, but most creatures had unique physical builds, and they projected an overwhelming presence.

nYet, Yoon-seok eyed them calmly. No, rather, there was a mixture of happiness in his eyes. That was what he felt.

n‘If I wipe them out this time, it’ll be much easier in the future.’

nYoon-seok took out his swords and stood in front of Wellington. Despite the overwhelming inferiority of numbers, Yoon-seok was relaxed. On the other hand, James, who was watching his back in the carriage, was different.

n“H-hey! Lord Wellington, don’t you think we should run? What are you doing not driving the carriage?”

nJames screamed and scolded Wellington, who was pacing silently. He’d seen him sliced through the challengers who raided the wagon, but Wellington also didn’t know Yoon-seok’s exact powers. Of course, he knew that he was stronger than himself. Since he thought about fighting, maybe it meant that he was much stronger than he’d expected. But…

nIt was hard for him to think that he would deal with so many of these creatures alone. Still, Wellington didn’t run away. He didn’t exactly know why.

n“If you run away, where would you run to?”

nThe Holy Warrior could hardly even move, much less with the Pontiff, a child, and a merchant. How many days would this combination last if they succeed in running away by turning the wagon around?

nIn the end, they had no choice but to believe. He hoped the man who bore his blades had the strength to save them.

n“…”

nWellington drew the sign of the cross and prayed, more desperately than any prayer he’d ever recited in his life. It was also at that moment that Yoon-seok’s sword cut through the air.

nWhooooooosh!

nThere was a tingling sound in his eardrums as something he could only call a miracle appeared.

nSlash, slash!

nSwelpppp! Swelp! Flop! Clang!

nA neatly divided horizontal line formed in the bodies of the creatures that touched the red energy embodied on the crescent moon-shaped sword. All except for one. The sword passed over it due to its small physique, but even that didn’t change its faith before the attack continued.

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nBoooooom!

nEvery time the sword was swung, seven or eight people running toward them were sliced in half. Could this even be called a battle?

n“…”

nWellington froze like a person witnessing a natural disaster. It may be a little ironic, but…for a moment, he was reminded of the god he believed in the sight before him. Something that transcended humanity, something omniscient and absolute.

nYoon-seok didn’t look like a human at all. But he wasn’t the only one who had the same sentiments.

n“People in the Top 10…are they as strong as him?”

nA childlike question. As if Kanna and Wellington were curious about the answer, both of their ears perked instinctively. However…

n“…”

nJames, normally a skilled talker, couldn’t provide an answer to the question.

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