### Chapter 184: The Watchmen
The old district of District 10 gave off an atmosphere reminiscent of late 19th-century Europe.
Though I didn’t know exactly what the 19th century in Europe was like – my head is empty, after all – it just felt like that era. Around the time of the Industrial Revolution, right?
“Hmm.”
On the left side of the town, a massive river flowed, with a cluster of abandoned factories lined up just beyond it.
Roads radiated out from the towering clock tower at the center of the square, and the rows of residential homes and shops along the streets exuded a markedly modern vibe.
The layout reminded me of Markeuteuriseu, though the level of civilization here seemed centuries ahead.
“What is that? Could it be… an automobile?”
Scattered along the roadside were broken, discarded carriages without horses.
Inside them were complex mechanical devices, along with gemstones inscribed with runes. It looked like some kind of transportation device that moves using magic as its power source, similar to an automobile.
“There’s all sorts of stuff here.”
I couldn’t help but whistle in astonishment.
Perhaps because this part of town abutted the factory region, most of the residential areas here consisted of apartment buildings designed for multiple inhabitants.
“Are these the homes of the rich?”
Compared to the run-down and collapsing apartment complexes that had been left neglected, the luxurious private residences seemed relatively intact, unaffected by the passage of time.
Even in this ruined small town, the gap between the rich and poor was evident. Truly, this was heartbreaking.
“This…?”
While navigating the old district, avoiding broken pavement and crumbling buildings, I stopped in front of a large structure.
I stopped for a reason other than the building’s mere size. It was because I had heard some noise coming from within.
“…A piano.”
The faint sound that reached my ears was undoubtedly the melody of a piano accompanied by a song.
I swallowed hard and slowly entered the building. After clearing away the debris to make my way through the passageway, I entered a space that was suddenly illuminated, contrasting sharply with the darkness I’d been navigating.
“A theater? Or maybe a cinema?”
One of the two, I assumed.
The ceiling had completely collapsed, and moonlight streamed through the opening.
On the expansive stage, damaged stage equipment was scattered about haphazardly. In front, seating arranged in a sloping, amphitheater-style formation extended downward.
Ding, ttrrrill.
At the very top of the audience section where I stood, I spotted a man playing the piano on the stage.
“…!”
Under a wide-brimmed leather hat and black goggles, the man wore a crow-like mask, a tattered black coat wrapped around him. He was entirely pitch black, from head to toe.
The man clumsily played the piano, producing a cheerful yet disconnected melody that sounded like a nursery rhyme.
The atmosphere, however, was eerie.
The lyrics accompanying the piano music were coming from a device placed atop the piano.
A white stone gleamed inside a square box. The voice emanating from it was distorted and crackling, reminiscent of a phonograph or perhaps an automaton singing box.
“Yesterday, the insect at the house behind became a flying creature.”
The haunting melody carried on, with the piano’s disjointed accompaniment repeating the same passage over and over.
The crackling voice continued to echo.
“Yesterday, our mother became an insect and ate our brother.”
“Today, I ate Catherine’s father.”
“Catherine, run away! Run far, far away so you don’t smell delicious.”
“Who will it be tomorrow? Who will sit at our dining table?”
“Who will it be tomorrow? Who will become our friend?”
And then, suddenly, the song and the piano music stopped.
The man slowly rose from his seat, like a broken machine, and the bright red eyes beneath the black-painted mask of his stared me down.
“Tomorrow, it will be you.”
In that instant, a chill ran down my spine, and I quickly scanned his information.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Human Hunter Dyrus]
[Health: 2350/2350 Magic: 2400/2400]
[Strength: 387 Agility: 548 Intelligence: 210]
[Details: A warrior who, after endlessly killing monsters, decided to wipe out all humans. He was killed by a hero who defied the will of the lesser deities.]
The piano-playing man was none other than the runaway warrior and human hunter, Dyrus.
I immediately drew my twin swords and deflected something that suddenly appeared before my eyes.
“I wasn’t planning on letting you go, after all.”
Kaaaaang!
Sparks flew as the metallic sound rang out. I stared at the object that had been embedded in the ground, blocked by Vestark.
It was a crescent-shaped single blade, severely bent, resembling a boomerang.
“All you creatures… are larvae. Love bites the flesh of your loved ones and turns into a monster.”
Srrrrung. Muttering, Dyrus pulled another identical curved blade from inside his coat.
Holding one in each hand, Dyrus pointed their sharp edges toward me. His posture was peculiar, almost like a dance.
“Kill the larvae… so they don’t grow any uglier.”
Then, Dyrus’s figure vanished in the blink of an eye.
But not fast enough to escape my detection.
‘Above!’
Kaaaaang! Again, sparks flew as metal clashed, illuminating the dim surroundings. One of Dyrus’s curved blades gleamed as it came down like lightning.
I widened my eyes at the moment of realization.
‘Just one sword?’
A chill ran down my neck.
My body reacted almost automatically, swinging the Espada.
“Huff!”
Kiing! A curved sword flew past like a boomerang beside Espada.
The blade aimed at my neck grazed my shoulder after skimming past Espada’s edge, slightly altering its trajectory.
Suuwah. A sharp cutting sound accompanied by burning pain followed.
“Grk…!”
Though not fatal, it was an unexpected blow.
Caught by surprise, I hadn’t prepared properly. First, I needed to create some distance.
But Dyrus was already closing in for the next attack.
‘He’s fast!’
Ka ka kaaaang! Having drawn another curved blade, Dyrus relentlessly pressured me, and seeing an opening, I leapt into the air.
Jjeoung! Accelerated by my jump, I swung my arms in an X shape, causing his form to waver momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, I surged forward into his range.
“Uraa!”
Recoiling from the clash of sword against sword, I spun in mid-air and delivered a clean roundhouse kick to his jaw.
Pooohh! A loud thud echoed as his skull reverberated.
“Grk…!”
Gripping his mask, Dyrus groaned, swaying slightly.
For barely a moment. Even as he staggered, he rummaged through his coat and threw something at me while smoothly retreating to create distance.
Seeing the objects fly toward me, my mind froze for an instant as I tilted my head in confusion.
‘Is this…?’
Stones. The stones were engraved with rune-like symbols.
Is he playing some kind of game? As I blinked in disbelief, swallowing in bewilderment,
“Detonate.”
Dyrus murmured under his mask.
The stones began emitting a bright light.
Realizing the situation too late, I soared upward with my dark wings.
“What the hell!”
Kwaang!
The stones exploded in a chain reaction, unleashing a tremendous shockwave. Even soaring in the air, I couldn’t avoid getting caught in the blast.
“Kraaah!”
My wing flapping couldn’t counteract the storm. I crashed into the theater wall so violently that I broke through the old wall and was thrown out into the streets.
Kuung! My skull echoed and my consciousness flickered for a moment. Barely regaining focus, I drank Ether.
‘No room for complacency!’
From the beginning, I overloaded myself with all elements – fire, earth, wind, and water.
Still not satisfied, I activated the art of Qi, enveloping my body in ethereal azure energy, making it feel like I might take flight at any moment.
And just as I finished setting it all up, swaiichh! Numerous curved blades flew out from beyond the broken theater wall.
“Where?!”
Ka ka kaaaang!
Even though the curved swords moved in snake-like, complex paths, my enhanced reflexes allowed me to predict their trajectory with almost precognitive accuracy.
“Enough of your games, birdbrain!”
Jjeoulrlek! I activated Seven Sword Pierce and Fatal Thorns. Sending out blades of magic and thorny projectiles on the predicted paths, sparks erupted across the area.
Phu du duk. Over twenty curved blades fell harmlessly around me.
“….”
Without a word, Dyrus stepped out of the theater and once again drew two curved swords from inside his coat, pointing them at me.
Shit. How many does he have? This is worse than Geom Rim.
Before I could contemplate that, he closed in on me again.
“Ugh!”
Kaaaang! This time, he attacked with both curved swords simultaneously.
It was my chance. Both his hands were engaged. I infused Destruction Blade with mana, intending to lift it in a dark sword technique just as—
He dropped the left curved sword and, rummaging inside his coat, shoved something into my face.
“A—.”
A double-barreled revolver.
In that moment, my mind blanked.
“Shit, Eureka!!”
Tatatang! At point-blank range, both barrels of the revolver discharged.
Turning my head at the last possible moment, I narrowly avoided having my entire face turned into a sieve but ended up with both cheeks gruesomely torn open, drenching my face in blood.
I was shocked by the fact that I had been injured at all.
‘Breaking through the Ether effect of Earth to deal damage…?’
This gun must’ve been subjected to some special magical treatment. But I had no time to investigate further.
Kiiing! Sharp blades shot out from the revolver’s handle and charged directly toward my neck.
Realizing my disadvantage against such unexpected skills, despite my opponent being far weaker by stats, left me gritting my teeth.
“It’s not over yet!”
I used “Lianhua,” teleporting behind Dyrus in an instant and swinging my sword directly toward his cervical spine.
However, he was already facing me, his back turned even before I could swing my sword.
“Heh…!”
Unprepared for the direct eye contact, my heart froze as if it had turned to ice, and I found the strength in my sword-wielding hand dissipating without notice.
“Uuuuuaaahh!”
Sawgh!
Despite all this, the Vestark I swung managed to cleave Dyrus’s torso.
At the same precise moment, his sword gun plunged deep into my elbow.
“Kkruuuck!”
Ujjijijik! The grinding sound grated against my nerves.
The twisted blades writhed between the joints of my elbow, delivering the horrifying sensation of bones and tendons being utterly shredded.
“Get out of here, you bastard!”
Enduring the mind-numbing pain, I frantically resumed channeling mana into the Destruction Blade.
Finally, the massive blade trembled violently as it slid out of its sheath and initiated an ambush slash straight toward Dyrus’s crown.
“Ugh…”
Caught off guard by the maneuver, Dyrus hastily tried to block it with a curved sword.
Kiiing! The thin blade was promptly shattered upon colliding directly with the Destruction Blade. I could hear the sound of his mask-covered breath sharply gasping.
Poohh!
The unfaltering Destruction Blade struck its mark, hitting Dyrus’s chest.
“Keuuhh…!”
Because of its blunt and clumsy form, its penetrating force weakened by Dyrus’ defense and turned into a powerful strike instead of a clean slice.
Hurling him backward by the impact, he tumbled across the pavement for a while before coming to a stop.
“Khooouh.”
But despite all that, he rose from the ground like a zombie.
Koolk. The sound of his coughing echoed. Blood dripped from beneath his beak-like mask like rivulets, clearly indicating severe internal injuries.
“Huu… huuu…”
Srrrriung. Unfazed, he still drew a new curved sword from inside his coat.
There was no faltering in his momentum. On the contrary, the madness and obsession in the red eyes glowing beneath his goggles seemed even more intense.
“Monster. Truly, you’re a monster already. You need to be killed. Killed. Killed.”
Dyrus mumbled, advancing slowly toward me.
“Who’s calling who a monster? Damn monster bastard.”
I can’t stand this swearing—I’m done seeing tomorrow’s sun rise.
I gripped the Vestark and Espada tightly, my face contorted in ferocity.
