Chapter 190

In the end, as the coordinates split into two locations, the group divided their members.

“You…”

Wi Ho-yeon moved with Yoon Yeon, the master of the Myth Clan, and upon arriving at the coordinates, she spotted a familiar face.

“Hahaha! Long time no see, Wi Ho-yeon!”

The name that comes to mind when thinking of spear masters in the Eastern Alliance, the man who once pestered her.

Gwi Chang, Baek Si-hoon, was cheering upon spotting her.

“You came to me on your own! Haha!”

“You… why are you here?”

“Why? What do you mean?”

“…Gwi Chang, did you kidnap Lee Yun-seong?”

At Wi Ho-yeon’s address of Lee Yun-seong, Baek Si-hoon’s face twisted.

“…Hah, Lee Yun-seong?”

“Gwi Chang…! Where is Lee Yun-seong? What have you done to him?!”

Wi Ho-yeon was unusually losing her composure.

She knew it well, and so did Baek Si-hoon, who had seen her up close before.

And the fact that Wi Ho-yeon cherished Lee Yun-seong was also evident.

“Hah…”

“Gwi Chang!”

At Wi Ho-yeon’s near-scream, Baek Si-hoon couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Keuk, haha… What happened? Well, what do you think I did to that bastard, huh?”

“You…!”

“He must be really precious to you, huh? I’ve never seen you react like this before.”

As Wi Ho-yeon was about to retort, Yoon Yeon, who had been listening, spoke up.

“…What did you do to Lee Yun-seong?”

At Yoon Yeon’s question, Baek Si-hoon’s gaze naturally turned to her.

“…And who are you?”

Tension crept onto Baek Si-hoon’s face.

Wi Ho-yeon was strong, but this woman was on a similar level to him.

No, though he hated to admit it, she might even be stronger.

To Baek Si-hoon’s question, the masked man beside him answered.

“…She’s the master of the Myth Clan.”

“The master of the Myth Clan? Then…”

“She’s a ranker like you.”

“…..”

Baek Si-hoon fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a sly grin.

“I see. So you’re the famous master of the Myth Clan? Well, what brings the famous master of the Myth Clan here…”

“Hey, shut up and answer the question.”

At her interruption, Baek Si-hoon’s anger surged to the top of his head.

If this woman weren’t a ranker like him, he would have definitely thrown his spear.

“Hah, damn it… this bitch and that bitch…”

As Baek Si-hoon didn’t answer, Yoon Yeon was about to step forward.

“…Master of the Myth Clan, wait a moment.”

“…Ms. Wi Ho-yeon?”

Wi Ho-yeon stopped Yoon Yeon and spoke.

“Master of the Myth Clan, I’m sorry. Could I take care of Gwi Chang? Would you please handle the masked man over there?”

“…Are you saying you’ll take on Gwi Chang?”

“…Yes.”

Yoon Yeon cautiously responded to Wi Ho-yeon’s answer.

“…Ms. Wi Ho-yeon, I don’t mean to underestimate you, but Gwi Chang is…”

“…Yes, I know he’s a tough opponent.”

Wi Ho-yeon knew it all too well, even without Yoon Yeon saying it.

Baek Si-hoon’s martial prowess was above hers, and she couldn’t ignore that.

Back in the Eastern Alliance, she had sparred with Baek Si-hoon a few times, and she had felt firsthand how overwhelmingly strong he was.

It wasn’t that Wi Ho-yeon lacked talent. In terms of talent, they were almost on the same level.

But the difference was in their years of activity on the continent.

With the same level of talent, it was only natural that Baek Si-hoon, who had started his activities earlier, was stronger than her.

Knowing this, Yoon Yeon was concerned about Wi Ho-yeon’s decision.

And at the same time, Yoon Yeon couldn’t understand Wi Ho-yeon’s judgment.

Considering Gwi Chang’s martial power, it was only natural for her, a fellow ranker, to handle him.

“…Ms. Wi Ho-yeon, then why?”

“I feel… I feel like I should be the one to face him.”

“…What?”

Instead of answering, Wi Ho-yeon slowly drew her intangible sword.

For some reason, she had a strong intuition that she had to face Baek Si-hoon herself.

‘I know it’s tough. But still…’

This was a wall she had to overcome eventually. She knew that man was targeting her.

‘If… if something happens to Lee Yun-seong… if this incident happened because of me…’

It might be an excessive thought, but if Baek Si-hoon had targeted Lee Yun-seong because of her…

She had to be the one to take him down.

Baek Si-hoon’s eyes gleamed as he saw Wi Ho-yeon’s sword.

“That’s no ordinary sword.”

“……”

“Hah, you’re really going to face me? Wi Ho-yeon, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

At Wi Ho-yeon’s answer, Baek Si-hoon burst into laughter.

“Keuk… hahaha! Well, I know you’re talented. After all, your nickname is Sword Monarch, but…”

“…..”

“It won’t work against me. It’s not about talent, and you know that, right?”

“…Gwi Chang, stop talking and draw your spear.”

Wi Ho-yeon’s gaze was resolute.

“Haha, is it bravado? Or… do you want to lose to me?”

Baek Si-hoon licked his lips and gripped his spear.

Click.

“Do you want to be my woman, huh?”

“…I have no intention of becoming yours. Wake up, Gwi Chang.”

“…Really? Then I’ll have to force you. You’ve spoken boldly, so come at me. Remembering our past spars, you’re going to get hurt badly. I’ll show you what the difference in level really is.”

As soon as Baek Si-hoon finished speaking, Wi Ho-yeon charged.

As Wi Ho-yeon and Baek Si-hoon clashed with sword and spear, Yoon Yeon and the masked man also entered the fight, as expected.

“Keuk…!”

But the difference in level was quite clear, and the man was sweating profusely.

“Damn it!”

A direct confrontation between a martial artist and an assassin naturally favors the martial artist.

Assassins can only show their full strength in ambushes, so in a direct confrontation like this, they couldn’t exert their full power.

Especially when the opponent was a ranker like this woman.

Boom!

“This is insane…!”





Yoon Yeon’s punches turned surrounding objects into dust, making the man’s legs go weak.

“If I get hit by that even once, I’m done for.”

All he could do was dodge. Trying to block those fists with a short dagger was practically suicide.

“Why am I stuck with this woman…!”

The Sword Monarch was no pushover, but considering their levels, it should’ve been him facing the Sword Monarch, not her.

He had no idea why he was stuck fighting this monster of a woman, and the situation felt cursed.

“Hey, wait, hold on!”

“Are you just going to keep running?”

The man barely dodged Yoon Yeon’s punch, but as if she had anticipated it, her spinning kick landed hard.

“Ugh…!”

*Thud*

“Ugh… Bleh!”

He managed to minimize the damage by moving his body, but even that was barely enough.

‘This monster of a woman…!’

The impact felt like getting hit by a truck, shaking him to his core.

‘No, I need to run.’

If he kept fighting, he’d just get crushed by that monster’s fists.

The man pulled out a black sphere from his pocket and threw it on the ground.

*Bang!*

“What’s this…?”

It was none other than a smoke bomb, specially designed for escape.

Yoon Yeon recognized it as a smoke bomb and realized the man was trying to flee.

However, while she could have chased him, there was one concern that made her hesitate.

As if sensing Yoon Yeon’s hesitation, Wi Ho-yeon shouted while facing Baek Si-hoon.

“Clan Master of Myth Clan, don’t worry about me.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes, please trust me.”

“…..”

Yoon Yeon took a step back at Wi Ho-yeon’s response.

As she turned around briefly to glance at Wi Ho-yeon, Yoon Yeon felt a strange sensation.

‘…I need to come back as soon as possible.’

******

Right after Yoon Yeon left, Baek Si-hoon burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! What were you thinking?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Tch, what were you thinking letting her go? Do you really think you can beat me?”

Wi Ho-yeon adjusted her stance and replied.

“…You’ll only know if you try, Gwi Chang.”

“Huh, really? Then should I let you try my lower half too?”

Wi Ho-yeon frowned at Baek Si-hoon’s crude joke.

“…You haven’t changed at all. You’re still the worst.”

“Haha, so if I, the worst, defile you, will you become the worst too?”

“That won’t happen.”

Wi Ho-yeon spoke boldly, but she was extremely tense.

She knew it too. If she lost this fight, she’d end up in a terrible situation.

After all, that man had never hidden his dirty desires toward her.

She wasn’t without fear. If she lost, she’d lose everything.

But even so, she wanted to defeat him.

She wanted to kneel before that person, apologize, and be acknowledged. She wanted to say she had personally dealt with the one who harmed them.

‘…I need to beg for forgiveness.’

It was unthinkable to let the one who harmed the person she served go unpunished.

*Zing—*

Wi Ho-yeon’s intangible sword resonated with her heart as if responding.

Seeing this, Baek Si-hoon genuinely admired her.

“Impressive. Have you stepped into the realm of the mind? Ha…!”

Among rankers, only about half had awakened their mind’s potential.

Awakening the mind was an extremely difficult feat.

“My eye for women never fails. You’re even more tempting now.”

However, despite his admiration, Baek Si-hoon wasn’t scared.

After all, he had already stepped into that realm long ago.

He didn’t think for a second he’d lose to a woman who had just entered it.

Wi Ho-yeon closed the distance in an instant and swung her sword.

The intangible sword’s nature made it hard for ordinary people to even perceive its attack range before meeting their end.

But Baek Si-hoon was no ordinary person. He was one of the continent’s top predators.

“Your stance is good, your breathing is fine. But you’re too straightforward.”

*Clang!*

Baek Si-hoon blocked with his spear and spun, using the spear’s shaft to attack Wi Ho-yeon.

“Ugh…!”

*Clang!*

As Wi Ho-yeon blocked the spear shaft with her sword, Baek Si-hoon lifted his left foot.

*Thud—!*

*Screech!*

“….!”

She reacted instantly, taking the hit on her shoulder, but her body was pushed back.

‘He’s definitely… strong.’

He didn’t hold his ranker position for nothing. His spear movements were unpredictable and sharp.

Moreover, Gwi Chang wasn’t just a spearman. He knew how to use his body effectively in battle.

“How is it? Getting the hang of it now? You can’t beat me. If you wanted to win, or even draw, you should’ve come a year later.”

Wi Ho-yeon recalled something about Baek Si-hoon.

Though he had lost his title to Seo Yoo-ju, there was another title that symbolized Baek Si-hoon.

‘…The youngest ranker.’

Back when he wasn’t an outlaw, people always brought this up when talking about him.

Among players, no one could surpass Baek Si-hoon in pure talent.

“Even now, if you surrender and become mine, I’ll treat you well.”

“…..”

Wi Ho-yeon ignored his words and readied her stance again.

She knew he was strong. But she had no intention of being discouraged by the wall in front of her.

People grow by overcoming walls. All she had to do was climb over it.