Chapter 15
Death split across his field of vision.
If he just stood there dumbly, he would die.
Baek Shin-hoo hurriedly rolled across the ground.
It was the desperate flailing of a weakling trying to survive.
At that pathetic sight, the chat returned to its usual mood.
ㄴFive Azure Demon King: There it is! The Ground Roll! The symbol of a weakling!
ㄴTaebaek Sword Lord: It's over.
ㅡ KWA-BOOOOM!!!
The blast was loud enough to tear his eardrums.
A massive crater had been carved into the spot where Baek Shin-hoo had been standing, as if a meteor had struck.
But just before the explosion went off...
Baek Shin-hoo kicked off the ground and leaped with every ounce of strength he had left.
Perhaps his fighting spirit still remained, because as he leaped, he twisted at the waist and sent a dagger flying.
ㅡ Swoooosh!
Strictly speaking, it was a feint meant to cover his escape.
Of course it wouldn't work.
GOAT-chan shifted the greatsword slightly and blocked the incoming dagger.
ㅡ Clang!
Then GOAT-chan threw the greatsword like an axe.
'Fuck... How can it have that much strength...?'
The enormous greatsword spun as it cleaved through the air.
Its trajectory ended at the spot where Baek Shin-hoo would land.
In midair, he couldn't twist his body or dodge.
He was sure to be cut in half—or rather, blown to pieces by that brutish greatsword.
Baek Shin-hoo glared at GOAT-chan, consumed by rage.
'I'm gonna die either way... Fuck, I might as well take their head off first.'
With venom rising to his head, Baek Shin-hoo had nothing left but spite.
He pulled out all four daggers remaining in his clothes.
Then he hurled them with all his strength.
ㅡ Swoooosh!
Four flashes of light flew like the wind.
The greatsword was gone, so surely GOAT-chan couldn't stop these.
He had no other way to fight back now.
"That's right! Fuck, let's die together!!"
ㅡ Whirrrrr
It was futile.
The red cord lying on the ground raised its head like a snake and snatched the daggers, catching them as if tying a knot.
Even his final attack had been stopped so easily.
'Fuck... This is cheating....'
Baek Shin-hoo fell to the ground and was caught in the explosion.
ㅡ KWA-BOOOOM!!!!
The tremor reached all the way to where they stood, as if a bomb had gone off.
Smoky dust filled the air, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.
Even the onlookers could only stare, not daring to make a sound.
Only after a long while did the dust settle, revealing Baek Shin-hoo.
"Haaah... Hah..."
He was already battered and bruised, clutching one arm.
It was mangled, as if it had been torn apart.
Was it a miracle that he could still stand on both legs?
The other hunters watching from behind were left speechless at the sight.
"Fuck... Is it even possible for an S-rank to get beaten that badly?"
"Baek Shin-hoo's an asshole, but isn't he the strongest in a one-on-one fight?"
"Isn't that practically a final boss?"
Just as the hunters' murmuring began to die down...
A message from Blood River Patriarch, who'd been watching, appeared in the chat.
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: Little one. That's enough. Stop now.
ㄴFive Azure Demon King: ??
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: What on earth... Why would Zhenren tell the child to wield the demonic sword, while you tell them to stop?
ㄴTaebaek Sword Lord: Have you and Taehyun Zhenren switched bodies or something?
ㄴFive Azure Demon King: For real, thought the old geezer swapped bodies with you lol
ㄴTaehyun Zhenren: Quiet, all of you. Let's hear what the Patriarch has to say first.
What was he talking about?
He wanted me to stop?
"Are you telling me to hold back?"
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: Yes.
Hold back?!
He'd tried to kill me, and I was supposed to hold back?!
If I hadn't been strong enough, I would've been killed without a chance to fight back!
When people live together, shouldn't they at least avoid crossing the line, even if they can't help one another?
And now he was telling me to stop?
"No! He tried to kill me first!"
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: Is that so? Then kill him.
"Ugh..."
He'd changed his tune so suddenly that it took the wind out of me.
No, it just made me mad!
No... But actually killing someone was...
Wait, wasn't Blood River Patriarch a demonic cultivator?
Why was he suddenly switching back and forth like that and messing with my feelings?!
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: What do you think of the sword I gave you? Do you like it?
"Yes..."
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: A heart demon has now been planted in you, too.
"Huh? A heart demon?"
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: Don't worry. It's a problem every cultivator must face. It has merely come to you a little sooner than it does to others.
"But still..."
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: You now possess a powerful magical artifact. It wouldn't be out of place to call it a treasure. No, if things go well, it may even be called a spirit treasure.
"..."
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: What will you do? I gave you the sword, but in the end, you're the one who wields it.
What was he suddenly talking about?
He was speaking in riddles. How was I supposed to understand?
Couldn't he explain it in a way I could actually understand?
Just then, Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master, who'd been AFK, suddenly appeared.
ㄴHeavenly Secrets Pavilion Master: I found it! I thought it was strange that the Patriarch had used it since the Qi Refining stage. The Reverse Blood Sword's original name is the Sword of Reflection! It's a magical artifact that adjusts to the wielder's cultivation level! Interestingly, depending on the difference in spiritual energy, it can also seal the spiritual energy of an injured opponent.
ㄴTaehyun Zhenren: Spiritual energy? Then what happens to martial artists?
ㄴHeavenly Secrets Pavilion Master: No matter how strong they are, they don't have spiritual roots, do they? Their inner energy would be sealed.
"The Sword of Reflection? Does that mean it makes you reflect on yourself?"
ㄴHeavenly Secrets Pavilion Master: That's right. It was originally a righteous-path magical artifact, but at some point it seems to have fallen into demonic hands.
Did that mean it had originally belonged to a good person?
But why had the chat gone wild?
ㄴFive Azure Demon King: Damn it. That stupid bastard.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: Why would you tell the child the answer when they're trying to seek the Dao for themselves?!
ㄴTaebaek Sword Lord: You idiot Pavilion Master! Even that demonic cultivator was worried about the child's heart demon and was teaching them in such a roundabout way!
ㄴHeavenly Secrets Pavilion Master: Huh? Why is everyone suddenly getting mad at me? More importantly, isn't the sword in that child's hands?
ㄴTaebaek Sword Lord: And what of it?
ㄴHeavenly Secrets Pavilion Master: What if the child goes berserk in this cultivation city? Who would stop them?
For a moment, the noisy chat fell silent.
For a long while, no messages appeared.
Then Jade-Cold Ice Empress's message came through.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: Patriarch, what were you thinking when you gave the child such an object?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: What was I thinking? I just gave it to them.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: Was this what you meant when you said they'd win even against a hundred martial artists?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: Well, yes.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: What if that man isn't a martial artist?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: If the child cuts him down here, they'll truly fall into madness, won't they?
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: What were you planning to do if the child became a madman?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: What else? Given enough time, they'll come to their senses eventually.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: And what if countless ordinary people die in the meantime, and the child's nature is twisted?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: That's that child's fate.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: And what of this cultivation city?
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: That's this cultivation city's fate.
ㄴJade-Cold Ice Empress: I'd thought well of you for the way you treated the child. How horrifying.
ㄴBlood River Patriarch: We've always been black and white. Yin and yang can't be mixed, can they?
Watching the others argue had taken the wind right out of me.
"Stop fighting, everyone. I'm not going to kill him."
Listening to them had drained all my energy.
It wasn't like I'd won with my own strength, anyway.
What was I supposed to do?
Even my masters were worried.
I gathered my thoughts and looked toward where Baek Shin-hoo was.
Baek Shin-hoo glared at me, his legs trembling as if he could collapse at any moment.
Still, how should I put it?
He seemed to be looking at me a little more kindly now.
His arrogant expression from when we'd first met was gone.
'That should've knocked some sense into him.'
I withdrew the energy of the Reverse Blood Sword and gathered up my magical artifacts.
I could hear the people around me murmuring.
Fear, joy, admiration, and confusion were all mixed together.
It was a hard atmosphere to put into words.
With no good way to deal with the situation, I simply climbed onto the Reverse Blood Sword and fled.
1.
Hunter Gallery, that day.
The gallery was ablaze.
[13110 Meme] A clip of that fucker Shin-hoo getting his face planted lol
[13109 Analysis] What the hell is that red string GOAT-chan used?
[13108 General] Holy shit, look at GOAT-chan's build. This is insane, for real.
[13107 Video] (4K/60p) That Mad Dog dumbass gets utterly wrecked in ten seconds
[13106 Info] Apparently Baek Shin-hoo's in the VIP ward right now, bawling with an IV in his arm lol
[13105 General] No, what the hell is that bullshit skill where the greatsword floats around and automatically blocks?
[13104 General] Is GOAT-chan really an NPC?
[13103 General] As of today, anyone who talks shit about GOAT-chan is a Blitz shill
[13102 Meme] Is that greatsword's size for real? Looks like it's three times GOAT-chan's size ㄷㄷㄷ
[13101 General] Honestly, anyone who feels satisfied seeing Baek Shin-hoo hit rock bottom, upvote lol
[13100 General] Found proof GOAT-chan's a secret hunter working for the government!
[13099 General] Fuck, I didn't get any bait! Give me back my bait, you crazy Blitz bastards!
The board was slowing down, probably because the server was about to crash.
Every time I refreshed, dozens of new posts came pouring in.
The common topic, of course, was Baek Shin-hoo's downfall.
[Title: Baek Shin-hoo Gets Wrecked.mp4]
Author: Eyewitness
Content:
(Full Baek Shin-hoo fight.mp4)
I've never seen an S-rank get destroyed so brutally. It's insane.
Baek Shin-hoo took a potion and was taken to the hospital.
That B-rank bastard who ambushed GOAT-chan from behind last time should consider himself lucky.
If he'd so much as touched a hair on GOAT-chan's head, his skull would've been cracked right then and there.
GOAT-chan's eyes were bloodshot while beating him up. I was watching and my pants got damp.
Comments
ㄴAnonymous: I'd lose in three seconds, no question.
ㄴAnonymous: One second for me.
ㄴSS Above S: Never make GOAT-chan angry.
ㄴTower Climber: Fuck, I didn't get any bait! This is bullshit!
ㄴSoup Fan: Me neither.
ㄴWant to Quit: Me too, fuck.
ㄴAnonymous: Fucking Blitz bastards.
The gallery was covered in posts about that day's fight.
Videos uploaded by hunters who'd been there.
They were filmed from different perspectives and at different angles.
People picked apart every video, watched and enjoyed them, then voted them up as top posts.
Meanwhile, the comment section of one particular post was especially heated.
ㄴAnonymous: I heard Baek Shin-hoo was hospitalized?
ㄴAnonymous: Apparently his arm almost got cut off.
ㄴAnonymous: He took a potion and was rushed straight to the hospital.
ㄴGold Farmer: Someone I know works at that hospital. They say Baek Shin-hoo lost his powers.
ㄴAnonymous: What the hell are you talking about?
ㄴGold Farmer: Rumor's going around that his abilities disappeared.
ㄴ(Head Mod) Tower Defense: You shit-stirring bastard! Are you trying to get someone killed? What if people believe you and go after him, and something happens?
ㄴGold Farmer: No, I just heard it. I can't say for sure, but that's the rumor.
ㄴAnonymous: If that's true, isn't Baek Shin-hoo as good as dead now?
ㄴAnonymous: For real, he's got a whole truckload of people he's beaten up.
ㄴAnonymous: And there must be more than a few guilds holding a grudge against him.
There were posts doubting GOAT-chan's existence, too, but most people seemed to resent Baek Shin-hoo.
All the evil deeds Baek Shin-hoo had piled up over the years came bubbling to the surface, turning the gallery into a chaotic mess of facts and made-up stories.
Still, the general mood toward the NPC was positive.
You could say affection outweighed fear of its overwhelming strength.
It had even spared the guy who'd picked a fight with it?
It had shared bait with everyone all this time?
It never attacked first unless someone provoked it?
It looked like a harmless little animal, not something dangerous?
A combination of factors sent GOAT-chan's reputation soaring.
However, the gallery had once again established an unspoken rule.
[Notice: Guide for Newbies (Important)]
Author: (Head Mod) Veteran Hunter
Content:
(NPC photo.jpg)
If you see an NPC who looks like this, do not approach it under any circumstances.
Read the bait notice below and follow the rules.
Ignore posts made by individuals outside of the notices.
Comments:
ㄴAnonymous: Is this SCP?
ㄴAnonymous: You didn't know we're trapped in the Backrooms?
ㄴSoup Fan: From a hunter's perspective, it's definitely an SCP.
ㄴAnonymous: Seeing it fight, it's really not human at all.
ㄴAnonymous: At that level, is there anyone in the world who could take it down?