Chapter 69

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In his past life, Lee Hyun-wook was a 'slow starter.' It took him quite a while to discover his method of ability growth and to develop into a hero, and thus, there were many events he had not experienced firsthand.

"But that doesn't mean I don't know about those events."

To make up for his late start, Lee Hyun-wook put in tremendous effort.

Naturally, he did not neglect his ability growth or combat training, and he also diligently acquired information and knowledge.

"And I also collected all sorts of information while working in the Guardian Intelligence Department."

Thanks to this, he was very well-informed about the events that occurred before he became active.

He even made contact with an insider from the villain forces and extracted their information.

This was the reason he knew the villains' movements in such detail.

However, this current situation was something he had never heard from anyone.

Lee Hyun-wook looked at the Holy Maiden, Emilia Mueller.

Currently 27 years old, a striking beauty, but now she looked disheveled.

The woman, known as one of the world's top priests, appeared to be frail.

Her dry hair, dark circles under her eyes, flushed cheeks, and chapped lips—

But now, only her eyes were very clear.

"…She's trying to see through me."

She seemed to be gauging Lee Hyun-wook's reaction by mentioning the word 'villain.'

Frankly, he was somewhat taken aback inside, but on the outside, he wore a puzzled expression.

Of course, it would be foolish to admit he knew here.

"Hmm, a villain… like the bad guys in comics?"

At Lee Hyun-wook's feigned question, Emilia fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Really… you don't know? Really?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of villain you mean."

"Then, have you heard of the 'Guardians'?"

"…."

"Oh, if you really are the hero who stopped the Fourth Wave, you shouldn't be unaware of this, right?"

She knew about the relationship between villains and Guardians.

And even the mechanism of how 'quests' are triggered…

According to Lee Hyun-wook, this woman was neither a villain nor a Guardian.

So, it meant she had obtained information through other means.

"Yes, that's right. A hidden quest to become a Guardian appeared before me, but I refused it."

After killing Yang Jusub at the Seoul Station unlucky event, a hidden quest to become a Guardian appeared, but he declined it. At the time, a warning message followed, stating that if he refused, the opportunity might never come again. That's why, after the end of the Wave and the prevention of demon summoning, there was no further news.

"Why? Isn't it common knowledge that a quest is a great opportunity? Why did you refuse it?"

"I see the system as the root cause of the world's destruction. I don't want to play along with it."

"Oh… a 'system critic,' that's quite unexpected."

When Lee Hyun-wook convincingly lied, Emilia nodded.

"Then, is the Chairman a Guardian?"

Though he knew the answer, he asked anyway.

"No, I was just… close to someone who was a Guardian. Yes, I thought you were a Guardian and had something to ask you… but, well, it was a waste of words. Damn, forget what I just said."

Indeed, this woman had 'special information.' But now, he couldn't ask what it was.

"Hmm, anyway, the most important thing right now is the surveillance of the White Tree Guard, as I mentioned earlier."

"…The traitor within, you mean the 'villains' you mentioned earlier, right?"

She hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Yes, that's right."

"Who are the villains?"

Lee Hyun-wook asked, pretending he didn't know.

"That… I don't know much about them. They are a secret organization that exploits the system to conquer the world, and I only know that the person I trusted the most… was killed by them."

It was slightly off. They weren't exploiting the system; the system provided them with opportunities.

'If the Holy Maiden trusted someone the most…'

Indeed, it was the former leader of the White Tree Guard, Nicholas Steele.

'He was one of the original members of the Guardians.'

And he was also the first 'Chairman,' but he suddenly disappeared during a dungeon raid.

They searched the dungeon for months but never found his body.

It was a futile end, no matter how you looked at it.

A few years later, after Gordon Price's true identity was revealed, it became clear that this was part of his scheme.

'In other words, Nicholas noticed Gordon's true identity and gave some hint to the Holy Maiden.'

So, the villains tried to eliminate Emilia, who knew something, at all costs…

But with Gordon Price controlling the Guardians, there was nothing she could do… her best option was to hide and protect herself.

'This woman thought I became a Guardian candidate right after stopping the Fourth Wave and wanted to use me to gather information on Gordon Price? She tried to do something.'

Thinking about it, it was a considerable gamble, a desperate move in a cornered position.

"Then, was the Chairman's unusual behavior due to this reason?"

"Well, I'm not exactly the type who fits the nickname 'Holy Maiden'…"

She evaded the question with a nod. Indeed, her wild behavior was a disguise.

"I try not to do anything that would make me leave the Saint Dome. If I'm in my right mind, people will leave me alone, right? They'll call me all sorts of things."

Inside the Saint Dome, no one could harm the Holy Maiden. This was because all those with access to the Saint Dome had to receive a 'sacred oath' spell, preventing them from harming her.

In other words, no matter how much a villain wanted to, they could only assassinate her by luring her outside.

"…But I couldn't ignore this incident."

Lee Hyun-wook nodded.

'What a pity.'

Despite all this, the world would remember her as just a crazy woman…

"Anyway, for someone who has never seen such a massive event…"

Lee Hyun-wook spoke as if burdened, and she chuckled, nodding.

"I'm sorry. Honestly, it's a gamble. I feel like if I don't take this chance now, I'll never get another one."

When there was no clear strategy, a glimmer of hope appeared.

First, he was definitely not a villain, and he was a fresh face, untainted and operating 'Hugin.'

She had placed her 'bet' on Lee Hyun-wook.

"So, can you do me a favor? Ha… I wouldn't have thought I'd be asking this of someone I just met…"

For the first time, she wore a bitter expression, a sense of helplessness evident.

She was one of the 31 known S-rank players in the world.

But she couldn't fight on her own and always needed protection.

'She must not have many people she can trust.'

After all, the person she trusted the most was betrayed and killed, and she had faced assassination attempts multiple times since then.

Knowing there was a traitor within, building a power base would have been a luxury…

Lee Hyun-wook met her eyes and then smiled, nodding.

"Sure. Fortunately, it seems you made the right bet."

Emilia's eyes widened.

"You can trust me. But…"

"Um, yes?"

"…Not just today, but you'll have to trust me from now on. I'll need the help of the great Holy Maiden in the future, won't I? Today, I'll make sure to owe you a favor and collect it later."

Lee Hyun-wook spoke with such confidence, as if he had already succeeded.

Because…

'I already know who the traitor is.'

Even if she hadn't asked, he had planned to eliminate them.

Emilia stared at him for a moment and then slowly nodded.

"Sure, anytime. In fact, a business relationship is more comfortable—hic—"

Another hiccup, and Emilia covered her mouth.

"Ah, I thought I was saying something impressive for once… hic! Ugh… Anyway, when we go out, everyone will be incredibly curious about what we talked about, right?"

She picked up the whiskey bottle again.

"The crazy, lecherous Holy Maiden got obsessed with the hero who stopped the Wave and tried to seduce him but failed. How about that? People will be shocked and won't pry further, right?"

She then unbuttoned a few buttons on her blouse.

Lee Hyun-wook wore a flustered expression for the first time.

"Isn't that… a believable excuse?"

"Why would I do crazy things? Have you heard of the psychological term 'eccentricity score'?"

"Considering how you usually disguise yourself…"

"Curious? If you really trust me, I might tell you in detail."

She said this, staggered over, and stood Lee Hyun-wook up.

"We'll stick together naturally."

Then she clung to Lee Hyun-wook's right arm.

'She seems to be partly genuine in her wild behavior…'

As they finished their conversation and stepped out of the VIP room,

Woo Sung-moon and Peter, who were waiting in the corridor, frowned simultaneously.

"…Ah—Peter! I guess my charm has faded a bit lately—!"

She spoke in a slurred, irritated voice.

"Huh? What do you mean…"

"Before casting a wide-area spell, I tried to get some positive energy from the hero, but, eh, never mind!"

Peter Clark, the leader of the White Tree Guard, blushed.

"Ha… Emilia, please—remember, you're the face of the Saint Dome."

He sighed deeply, approached her, and placed a large hand on her head.

Golden powder fell from his palm.

Huuu—

It was a high-level healing spell that could even detoxify alcohol.

"Ah! I told you not to cast the purification spell on me…"

Emilia's shoulders slumped as she suddenly sobered up, looking dispirited.

Lee Hyun-wook watched her, admiring her acting skills once again.

"Now, it's time to prepare for the Holy Field. You need to focus."

"Ha… I know…"

Emilia muttered, looking at Lee Hyun-wook.

The Holy Maiden's Seoul purification operation and the operation to root out villains within the White Tree Guard began.

***

At a construction site of an office building on the outskirts of Seoul, secret footsteps were converging.

They were anti-espionage agents from the National Intelligence Service's Player Team 3,

specializing in anti-player espionage.

And a little further away, in an alley, a black van was parked.

— …Hey, Team Leader Won! You'll be dead if you go in alone!

"Ha…"

— Please, just wait until the Black Tiger suppression team arrives!

"Damn, Director! I already told you we'd lose him! How many times now?"

Team Leader Won Jin-soo of Player Team 3 was angry.

His team was tracking the 'Red Player' Okita Kaito, known as the assassin of the Sword Saint.

A few days ago, he had entered the country through Busan Port.

After that, a series of major incidents occurred, and his presence was somewhat forgotten,

but their tracking operation had never stopped.

However, he was elusive,

and every time they thought they had him, he would disappear without a trace.

'Fucking hell, how does he do it…'

The crime scene investigation revealed that the 'Shadow Link' skill, involving the 'Shadow Baron,' was involved.

'This is no ordinary matter! If we don't catch him soon, a major incident will happen!'

The combination of the 'Shadow Baron' and the 'Sword Saint Assassin'—they were perfect assassins.

'Someone will definitely die. And it will be a major figure…'

No matter what, they had to stop them.

As the person responsible for this case, Won Jin-soo couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Everyone, listen up. We have no choice. We have to catch him."

He ignored the director's order, raised his shield, and headed towards the office building.

He entered the building stealthily.

"Good—now I'll launch the drone."

A silenced magic drone flew, observing the inside of the building,

and in the unfinished structure, a man was sitting cross-legged.

Won Jin-soo confirmed this through the 'goggles' connected to the magic drone.

'…It's him!'

The man sitting cross-legged in the building—

It was Okita Kaito, the one they were after.

'Fucking hell, what are you doing in another country?'

He swallowed his anger and gave the 'entry' hand signal.

Thud— Thud—

Led by him, 24 player agents climbed the stairs.

However, it was obvious they wouldn't be able to subdue the notorious Sword Saint Assassin.

'But I can hold out until the Black Tiger suppression team arrives.'

Won Jin-soo, ranked 194th among Korean players, was a B-tier tank.

'No matter how fierce his attacks, I can hold out for a few minutes.'

They reached the 6th floor, in front of the door where he was.

Won Jin-soo kicked the metal door open.

Bang—!

The door fell, and Won Jin-soo charged in with his shield.

In the darkness ahead, the man was still sitting cross-legged.

Twelve of the 24 agents entered in unison, surrounding him.

"Don't move!"

Okita Kaito slowly opened his eyes.

"Okita Kaito! You're completely surrounded! Resist, and you'll be turned to dust!"

In addition to the 24 players, three sniper players were aiming at him.

"…."

He raised his hands above his head and stood up.

'…What?'

This was unexpected. A clear intention to surrender, a pure act of submission…

Won Jin-soo felt an inexplicable sense of unease and gripped his shield tightly.

"…He's surrendering. We'll bind him with a magic barrier."

But then, the man's right wrist slowly twisted, and he made a 'gripping' motion.

"Fucking hell, Kaito! Don't move! If you move any more—"

The deputy team leader's shout was cut off mid-sentence.

Okita Kaito's right hand was now on the floor,

and in his grip was a sword.

'Damn, when did he draw it?'

Won Jin-soo, who hadn't taken his eyes off the man, hadn't detected the movement.

In the next moment, three bodies, including the deputy team leader, collapsed.

Thud—

Two heads rolled into his field of vision.

One of them was the deputy team leader's head.

'…Subspace drawing technique!'

A technique to draw a sword from subspace and simultaneously cut the enemy—

this was the very dagger that had beheaded the Sword Saint.

"Snipers—what are you doing—!"

But there was no response.

Swish— Swish—

At that moment, the man's sword moved twice more, and a few more bodies fell.

Blood splattered onto Won Jin-soo's left cheek, but he kept his eyes on the front.

'Turn my head, and I die.'

The man's gaze met Won Jin-soo's.

He took a step forward and swung his sword.

An unexpectedly straightforward attack,

'I can block it!'

Won Jin-soo moved forward, activating the 'Will of the Vanguard' skill on his shield.

A shield reinforcement skill that could withstand a troll's blow—just as the two metals were about to clash,

'…It disappeared?'

The sword vanished from his grip.

But his hand continued to move as if still swinging the sword.

And as the trajectory passed over the shield,

from his grip—

Whir—

The sword reappeared.

It seemed to flicker, disappearing and reappearing in an instant.

'Ah, subspace…'

Won Jin-soo understood the true meaning of the subspace drawing technique.

But it was his last thought.

The blade, having passed over the shield, reached his neck.

Swish— Ah—!

That was the end.

With Won Jin-soo dead, the rest were easy prey.

In just a few seconds, all 24 heads were severed.

And immediately after—

Whoosh—

Something shot out from the man's shadow and took on a human form.

A man in a gray mask, holding blood-soaked daggers in both hands.

Indeed, he had taken out the snipers.

He looked around the scene and marveled.

"Wow, all beheaded? Do you have some kind of obsession?"

"…."

"Anyway, are you going to get the nickname 'Assassin of the Holy Maiden' after the Sword Saint Assassin? Haha—"

The man in the gray mask chuckled and asked,

Okita Kaito slowly turned his head to look at him.

His expression was cold, devoid of any emotion.

He put the sword in his right hand back into subspace and walked towards the stairs.

"…The title of Sword Saint is passed down only through duels, and it's mine now. I am… not the Assassin of the Sword Saint, but simply the Sword Saint." ***

As the final preparations for the Holy Field were underway, Lee Hyun-wook activated 'Hugin.'

Whir—

The round orb instantly transformed into a mechanical crow.

— 'Hugin' is activated, expanding 'all senses' up to 50 times.

* Mana consumption per second: 24-120

Hugin was operational, and everything in the area came into his senses.

'The 50-fold expansion of senses is truly an incredible ability.'

He returned his vision to his body and moved it slightly.

The beating of his heart, the flow of blood, the twitching of muscles, the inflation of his lungs—

Each of these subtle sensations was felt very clearly.

An unbelievable power boost, and thus, an overwhelming penalty,

an item that was practically impossible to use in combat,

'But I can.'

He slowly drew the Yunsaam from behind his back.

'Thinking about it, it's been quite a while since I properly wielded a sword.'

Since opening his eyes in the past, he had relied on metal control for a kind of firepower.

But Lee Hyun-wook, recognized by the man who would later be called the Sword Saint,