◈ Episode 464. Familiar to me like breathing (2)

A familiar silhouette.

It must be Kichi, the former leader of the Shadow Mercenaries.

If you’re Kichi, you might know my full name.

Why, Kichi broke her promise and wandered the continent alone.

‘You might have heard my full name somewhere.’

It’s a resounding legend, after all, it was so loud.

But it’s one thing to hear it from someone else, but it’s quite another to hear it from myself, and there’s no excuse for it, especially when you consider that Grandfell’s temper is such that he never takes his words back!

‘That’s it, Hoyeol, you’re done. It’s easier if you give up…….’

But.

‘……Wait.’

Grandfell’s keen sense of aesthetics flinched.

I’m not so delicate.

Lee reminded me of something I’d forgotten.

‘Why is your hair so long?’

I asked, my hair hanging limply.

I’m not talking about Lee Hoyeol’s silver hair.

It was definitely Kichi who cut her hair into a bob that fell down to her cheeks.

It’s not even a hair extensions like Wensu said.

Kichi’s had long hair before he knew it.

That wasn’t the only question.

Chireung.

A cheery metallic hiss.

From the shadows.

There was no hesitation as Kichi reached for her dagger.

It was Kichi who returned Grandfell’s sister’s hair to me.

‘Kichi points a weapon at me? That can’t be right.’

At that point, I was certain.

That’s not Kichi.

It’s a ‘something’ that looks exactly like her.

Maybe it’s not so strange.

Kichi is the master of the Shadow Corridor.

She said she had a contract with the Shadow God.

Suddenly, I remember the words of the employee.

-“But now that the Shadow Corridor is open. There are ‘guests of honor’ inside the corridor, with the exception of Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo.”

Did the guests of honor refer to the contractors of the Shadow God? It was Grandfell’s keen eye that confirmed the conjecture: once you’ve seen something, you don’t easily forget it.

Even in bright sunlight.

Kichi was as shadowless as a ghost.

Then it was conclusive.

I opened my mouth to speak to Kichi’s shadow.

“You have mistaken the master you are supposed to serve.”

It wasn’t just Kichi’s shadow.

I found the Shadow Corridor.

To all the guests, to the shadows, I declared.

“Your master is no shadow god.”

Whatever unfair pact it was.

Shadows have masters, don’t they?

Of course, none of the shadows were moved by my words.

The employee rumbled on, preparing the next blow.

“I’m impressed that you can speak with authority under these circumstances. You live up to your reputation as a great speaker, but I’m sorry to say, Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo.”

She keeps repeating that long name, doesn’t it hurt your mouth?

I hid my disapproval.

I raised my eyebrows.

“As I told you, the Shadow Corridor has its own rules, and you have a bounty on your head-a whopping 1,000 karma, an unheard-of sum.”

A bounty.

At the words, I shifted my gaze.

I glance at the flashing system message.

[Current bounty: 1,000 karma]

Karma.

A unit of currency, I assume. The hired hand’s words are unusual. And judging by the number of dignitaries rushing toward me, I could tell it was a very large sum of currency.

At the same time, I was excited.

‘Will this buy me something great?’

Consider the appropriate level of the Shadow Corridor.

Two to three thousand.

A Shadow God, after all.

‘Maybe…….’

I wonder if I could buy a [Mythic] level item with Karma?

Why, even if it’s kimchi soup, you can still put your lips on the bowl.

But innocence, itself.

Liberated from worldly desires.

Not so our Grandfell, it seemed.

“Harming the innocent for the sake of the bounty.”

Anyway, the master, the weapon.

-Master. It’s time to shine the sword aura.

It seemed the same was true for Gwicheol.

“Thank you. I’ll be able to dispose of you with more sincerity.”

Anyway, good.

I didn’t think I’d make it out of the social hall alive without being taken seriously anyway. It was a corridor of several hallways leading to a single entrance to a social hall.

‘If I take my time here, more guests will come.’

So I set my first goal.

I don’t know what the social hall looks like.

It’s better than dealing with the shadows that keep coming.

Just as I was thinking this, a voice resonated.

-Master. At this moment, what is my name?

What was to come has come.

The dizzying name that came to mind, [Sword of Illusion: Illusion Breaker]. The first path along the Sword of Pride was taken to cut up Raymon Sean’s prototype.

‘Yes, I’ll need it.’

Since there are no demons, [Natural Enemy] hasn’t been triggered.

This meant that I, who had just passed level 1,000, would have to do whatever it took to survive a moderate level 2000-3000 Hidden Piece.

It was finally time for me to forge a second path with the Sword of Pride.

In other words.

I spat out with my damn naming sense.

“Swallow it.”

You’ve got to add a starter word now, Grandfell?

“Shadow Slayer.”

Seriously, I can’t get used to hearing it. It was just a feast of overly fancy names. Fortunately, among the misery, there was no time to suffer in shame.

Swoosh.

Fast.

And sharp.

The surprise attack is only aimed at my vital spot.

Indeed, the contractors of the Shadow God?

In other words, each and every one of them is a leader of the Shadow Mercenaries.

I guess you could say it’s Kichi level.

I can only be grateful.

[Sword that Devours Shadows: Shadow Slayer]

[Rank : Legendary]

[Limit : Unknown]

[Effect : When fighting ‘shadows’, your destructive power is greatly increased].

[Description : An ego sword with a noble ego].

Bang.

A massive boost to my destructive power, allowing me to slice through a charging shadow with a single blow. But it’s not enough.

It’s impossible to properly deal with an opponent who lunges for your breath.

-I’ll devour them all.

Sword Aura.

Silversword aura transforms into a fiery form.

It seems that the declaration that he would devour it was not a bluff.

The moment I hit back at the incoming attack.

Gooooo.

“!”

It didn’t just block the weapon wielded by the guest of honor, it evaporated it.

To be more specific, it skipped the burning process.

It was more like it was reduced to ash.

‘But that’s not normal either.’

A demon, or even a normal monster, would have paused at the sight of their allies being crushed. But shadows, emotionless shadows, honored guests, they moved mechanically.

‘Damn.’

Strike after strike.

Grazes.

My forearms and sides throbbed all over.

‘As expected, a low-class demon hunter?’

Without [Natural Enemy] activated, it’s no wonder that even if I wield the Ego Sword, utilize the unique stat of [Tenacity], or use all sorts of advanced techniques, I won’t be able to bring out its full potential.

‘In that case, I have no choice but to take it seriously.’

What was the point of accepting this dangerous invitation in the first place?

The debt of Grandfell’s sister, and breaking the unfair contract as the new employee of the Shadow Mercenaries, were, of course, important, but controlling the rampage of the [Heavenly Infant Solitude] was equally important.

However.

‘No, where else would I experience something like this?’

Let’s be a little greedy, Hoyeol.

As Kichi’s shadow, it was impossible to tell who was stronger or what was different compared to the real Kichi, but fighting for one’s life against a powerhouse of Kichi’s stature is not something that can be done easily.

Furthermore.

‘I don’t know, but if it’s Grandfell’s talent.’

Maybe I could take inspiration from this duel and develop it into something extraordinary? So I didn’t cower in the face of damage. My usual stance, back stiff, I opened my mouth.

“You’re slow.”

To translate, Grandfell-style.

“Almost to the point of yawning.”

It meant I was going to try a little harder……!

ssaeaeg.

Of course, there were no shadows jumping up and down or lunging in excitement.

Just at a steady pace.

Just a steady stream of attacks from the corners of my vision.

‘I’m getting used to it. I see it.’

I focused on dodging, following the attacks with my eyes.

All the while, my posture remains upright.

If only.

Gwicheol.

No, I wonder if the Shadow Slayer had something to say about that.

-Yes……!

What else?

-I see. The larger the counterattack, the larger the gap and the wider the blind spot. Master, you’ve controlled your movements to such an extreme degree that you’ve actually formed a barrier!

What, forms a barrier?

What kind of nonsense is that?

I wanted to deny it right away.

‘What, you’re being quiet?’

I must have overlooked it.

Grandfell’s natural talent.

Yes, the Shadow Slayer was right.

Grandfell, in the sum of his coming and going.

He had already created a new posture.

As I said, emotion had no place in the shadows.

They attacked coldly, looking for weaknesses.

They are not provoked, nor do they let their guard down.

And then.

“This is it.”

The shadows froze in place, unmoving.

Stiff as bamboo.

They just stared at me, towering over me.

Of course.

‘Oh, it’s bitter.’

It was my first time, so I couldn’t be perfect.

I was definitely pushing it, didn’t I? The appropriate level was two or three thousand. It took a few more strokes before my body adjusted to the new stance.

But how could this iron skin show pain?

“I think it would be a good idea to leave this welcome message.”

After all, it was the employee who was masked first.

The corners of the mouth rise under the black veil.

It’s amazing how you can hide your revealed insides so casually.

I swallowed my laughter in disbelief.

She continued.

“Let’s continue with the announcement about the social hall.”

kkigig.

It seems like she has completely returned to the attitude of an employee.

Bowing politely, she opens the door to the social hall.

In that case, we have no choice but to respond like nobles.

“Thank you.”

Countless tables.

Only the candles on them give off light.

It was not enough to illuminate the vast social hall.

The employee bowed and stepped aside.

“I’ll be your guide from here on out.”

At the same time, someone else bowed from the other side.

Similarly wrapped in a black veil.

The voice was not unlike that of the employee who had been with us a moment ago.

‘Twins or something.’

Anyway, I guess that’s not the point.

“Let me state to you the special rules of the Social Hall: here, in the Social Hall, the First Rule of the Corridor is temporarily suspended. Therefore, I ask that you, immediately, unsheathe any weapons you may be carrying.”

Lay down your weapons.

I was told to doubt every word.

But the system doesn’t lie.

[1. The free-for-all duel system is temporarily disabled].

I swallowed a sigh of relief.

‘At least we have some breathing room, huh?’

At the same time.

I remembered the familiar social hall system.

In the [Spacetime Social Hall], items were purchased with Spacetime Gold Coins.

‘Here, we can buy them with something called karma, right?”

[Current Karma: 1,000].

The same amount of Karma as the bounty.

I honestly don’t know what I did…….

I don’t even know what I did to deserve this much Karma.

‘Whatever, let’s buy something, shall we?’

Maybe there’s an item that will help me survive in the Shadow Corridor. At least, let’s take a look around.

I slid into my seat with a casualness that didn’t seem to come from someone who had just been in a fight.

chuck.

After me, the honored guests found their seats and sat down one by one. ……. Indeed, I could see why only the first rule had been deactivated.

Secret Battle.

It’s a social hall, so only dueling is prohibited to preserve the dignity of the occasion. It seems the bounty hunting continues here, by any means necessary.

‘They’re not letting their guard down.’

That’s not fair, Shadow God.

Indeed, he has the lowest level of liking towards me.

I’m in the palm of his hand.

“Excuse me.”

As I stuck out my tongue, the social hall’s employee stalked toward me.

jjoleuleug.

She put down the glass and filled it with the ceramic teapot.

“I don’t accept karma. Please enjoy.”

Is it like a celebratory drink?

Grandfell’s senses warned as he watched the glass fill.

Poisoning was a regular part of the secret battle.

One should be suspicious of favors without reason.

But in this crisis.

Not really, Grandfell, I could have gotten away with it without your warning.

Yes.

The Shadow Corridor, is a place for all manner of intrigue.

Because I won’t take it easy.

“Unfortunately.”

A hand casually drifts to his inside pocket.

A teacup that appears in the air.

I opened my mouth, skillfully placing a green tea bag in the special cup.

“Not nearly enough to please me.”

……You just wanted some green tea, and you’re a good talker, aren’t you?