Chapter 32: Collapse of the Hideout

“There’s no way there’s a 170cm sword hilt in this world!”

I shouted, staring at the blade that had pierced through the ceiling.

Even as I yelled, I was careful not to move.

Every time I shifted even a little, cracks spread across the ceiling.

Through those cracks, I could hear chaos erupting above.

Of course. This blue blade must’ve gone right past the first floor and reached the second as well.

Yu Jae-yi grinned, raising her index and middle finger in a ‘V.’

What’s with the V, what are you so proud of?

Some of us are terrified that you’re about to bring the whole hideout crashing down.

“Don’t tell me… You refined mana with your technique…! Just what are you…?”

“Yu Jae-yi. She’s the best blacksmith I know.”

With complete confidence, I declared that to Woo Yeon-hoo, who kept glancing between her and Arca in disbelief.

She really was the best blacksmith I knew.

Not that I actually knew any others.

“You talk a good game. For someone who doesn’t know the first thing about smithing.”

She shook her head, bringing the cuffs on her wrist over to Arca.

As soon as the mana cuffs touched the blue blade, they were sliced right off and dropped to the floor.

Having cut both the left and right cuffs, she waved her hands toward Woo Yeon-hoo.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t refine any mana.”

“Huh? Then how are you maintaining the shape of the blade?”

“I’m not maintaining it. It only looks that way because I’m stupidly pouring out mana nonstop.”

After hearing her say that, I noticed mana dissipating from the tip of the mana blade.

“Is that even possible?”

“The materials this person brought were just that ridiculous.”

“What kind of materials…?”

What materials, you ask?

A branch of the former World Tree, sap from the previous World Tree, and a Watcher’s Eyeball.

Just like Jae-yi said, they were truly over-the-top materials.

If I put them up for auction, the price would probably shoot up to the stratosphere.

Even the Watcher’s Eyeball, which seemed a bit lower in grade, was a valuable A-rank material used everywhere in modern society.

Even the smartphone panel I keep tapping on has some inside.

“Oh, and you won’t be able to keep that up for long.”

“Huh?”

“You’re burning about 50,000 mana per minute. If an A-rank Hunter kept pouring mana in, they could maintain it for maybe three to five minutes, tops.”

An A-rank Hunter’s mana capacity ranges from 100,000 to a million.

By her calculation, even an A-rank Hunter could only sustain this for two to ten minutes.

Isn’t that an insane mana burn rate?

Well, that must be why she said she’s ‘pouring out mana stupidly.’

“You made me use something so reckless?”

“How much mana do you have?”

“150,000.”

It was originally 100,000.

Holding Arca, which contained World Tree sap, gave me an extra 50,000.

At a burn rate of 50,000 per minute, I’d last about three minutes.

Assuming I didn’t count my mana recovery rate.

She nodded and looked at me.

“That should be plenty. Could you do me a favor?”

“Sure, I’ll do it.”

“I haven’t even asked yet?”

In a situation where we needed to escape, she deliberately poured mana in and made a gigantic blade—making sure the Crowds would notice.

Why?

Because she wanted me to do something with Arca, which was spewing that massive blade.

If so, then what she wants is obvious.

“Like this, right?”

I stabbed the ceiling repeatedly with Arca, holding it at a slant.

Viciously, as if taking revenge on the upstairs neighbors for stomping around at night.

I heard the screams and shrieks of the white masks above, hidden from view.

The more I heard those sounds, the more I enjoyed myself, and moved around, stabbing Arca into new spots.

Yu Jae-yi burst out in laughter at the sight.

It seemed this was exactly what she’d wanted.

When it felt like the place might collapse if I kept at it, I moved to the hallway—and that’s when a mass of white masks rushed down the stairs.

I lowered Arca, which had been stabbing the ceiling, and aimed it at the intruders.

“Eek! What is that?”

“A sword? Was that a sword?”

The white masks coming down the stairs were flustered and froze in place.

Even with their masks, I could tell they were glancing between my face and Arca.

Among them, a white mask with a symbol drawn on it stepped forward.

It was the Leader Mask I’d run into once before at Jae-yi’s forge.

“So that’s why you quietly followed along—you had a trump card, Yu Jae-yi.”

“I told you. I can’t trust you people.”

“Hmph, insolent wench.”

[Sae-sak feels a loathsome gaze.]

[Sae-sak warns the caretaker of danger!]

A loathsome gaze?

Those words prickled at my nerves.

The only other time Sae-sak conveyed that feeling was with Kim Jung-chul.

And Kim Jung-chul was a Demonkin’s minion.

Which meant… the Leader Mask might be a Demonkin’s minion too.

“Woo Yeon-hoo. I never expected the young master of Il-dae Group to show up here.”

“…….”

Woo Yeon-hoo said nothing, standing by my side and striking the floor with the tip of his spear.

I could sense from his posture and glare at the white masks that he intended to fight with me.

That made me feel good.

The Leader Mask had already lost interest in him and was now staring only at me.

He must have realized that I’d tricked him that day by pretending to be Seo Ji-hyuk.

“Baek Do-un…!”

The Leader Mask growled my name viciously, like a beast.

He must hate the fact that the one who deceived him is right in front of him.

How could I piss him off even more?

“So, you’re not as dumb as I thought? I expected you to still believe I was Seo Ji-hyuk.”

“Pffft.”

“You, damn brats…!”

At my mockery, the Leader Mask’s fists trembled, but he didn’t completely lose his cool.

He really did act like an executive, restraining his emotions.

How irritating. Should I get on his nerves a bit more?

“What does a Demonkin’s minion want by kidnapping Yu Jae-yi?”

“Huh? Demonkin?”

“Minion?”

Yu Jae-yi and Woo Yeon-hoo both stared at me, clearly wanting to ask what I was talking about.

Not just those two—the other white masks looked the same.

Their faces said, ‘What on earth is he talking about?’

Watching them mutter among themselves, I realized the Leader Mask had hidden his identity even from his subordinates.

Is Crowd an organization made by Demonkin’s minions?

Or did a Demonkin’s minion just sneak in?

The Leader Mask raised his arm and gave the order.

“…Capture Yu Jae-yi and Baek Do-un alive. Kill Woo Yeon-hoo if you must.”

Just like last time, weapons sprang from his arm.

If I dodged, Yu Jae-yi, who was behind me, would be hit for sure—so I just took it.

Anyway, with the bark armor, those little weapons did nothing.

Even if there was some trick to piercing it, it would just heal right up.

Clang! Clatter…

The weapon bounced off my mana shield and clattered to the ground, and the white masks charged toward us.

They’d just entered Arca’s zone, where the gigantic blade of blue mana awaited.

“Idiots.”

I swung Arca to the right, then to the left.

Because the corridor was narrow, the white masks couldn’t dodge and were slammed.

No, ‘slammed’ isn’t quite accurate.

They were squashed between the walls like ham in a sandwich.

“Why am I the only one you want dead? That’s not fair.”

“Because we need Yu Jae-yi. And I know that bastard’s true identity.”

“True identity… You mean Demonkin’s minion? What even is a Demonkin?”

Even Woo Yeon-hoo, an A-rank Hunter, didn’t know—how would I?

I’d only heard the term ‘Demonkin’ in fantasy games and novels.

I never thought they’d really exist.

They were just that unknown.

Even the little I knew was only because Sae-sak told me.

“A human who sold their soul to a Demonkin and became their servant. That’s all I know.”

“Sold their soul? How classic.”

“I see. We’ll have to investigate further once we get out.”

We kept chatting as we knocked down the white masks.

I swung Arca left and right, crushing them, and the ones who managed to avoid it got their vitals skewered by Woo Yeon-hoo’s spear in a flash.

Honestly, it would’ve been better if they’d just let Arca crush them.

At least then, they’d only be knocked out, not dead.

“Damn it…!”

The last white mask collapsed on the ground in despair.

What are you so upset about?

You couldn’t even get close, and now your whole team’s wiped out.

I glanced at Woo Yeon-hoo and asked,

“Doesn’t this feel off?”

He seemed to have the same thought, tilting his head repeatedly.

The white masks were just too weak.

No matter how I looked at it, they didn’t seem like A-rank terrorist organization members.

Are they not actually Crowd, but just pretending to be?

That’s how it felt.

Another strange thing—Leader Mask showed no intention of joining the fight.

He’d once said at Jae-yi’s forge that he couldn’t take us all on at once.

And yet, he didn’t fight with his subordinates this time.

Why?

“…Ah.”

There was only one possibility.

He’d abandoned his minions, having been exposed as a Demonkin’s servant.

“Baek Do-un, it’s because of you! That these guys die!”

Then Leader Mask started firing weapons at his unconscious subordinates.

As soon as the weapons stabbed the white masks in the neck, their bodies shook violently, then went limp.

I hadn’t realized it when I’d been hit before, but they must have been coated with poison.

Woo Yeon-hoo pointed his spear at Leader Mask.

“Nonsense! Don’t you dare blame Mr. Do-un for your crimes!”

Exactly.

He’s the one who killed them, so why blame me?

The Leader Mask spoke in a calm, composed voice.

“Give up. You can’t escape from here.”

“You’re the one who won’t escape. Do you think you can take on both me and Mr. Do-un at once?”

“That’s why ignorance is so dangerous…”

The Leader Mask sneered at Woo Yeon-hoo.

He turned away from him, fixing his eyes on me.

Then, with a boastful shout, he declared,

“Baek Do-un!”

“Yeah?”

“You should know better than anyone. How powerful a Demonkin’s minion is! The overwhelming strength to crush and tear apart their foes!”

“Oh, that? It wasn’t much.”

“What?”

Maybe he hadn’t expected that answer.

His whole body froze, as if doused with cold water.

I sneered and raised my right index finger.

“Seriously. I crushed one easily with just a single finger.”

As I raised my right hand, Woo Yeon-hoo let out a snort of laughter.

Come to think of it, he was the only one here who knew how weird my right hand was.

He’d seen me fight skeletons with just my finger at the Hongyurung Gate, and saw me pull out Udamhwa and Seoljichyo with ease.

But Yu Jae-yi and Leader Mask didn’t know that.

She just shook her head, thinking I was showing off, while he took it as an insult and got riled up.

“You damn bastard! Are you mocking me? Fine, I’ll rip you apart with my own hands!”

Feeling humiliated, Leader Mask’s body began to twist and contort.

I could hear bones snapping.

With all his minions dead, he could finally transform without restraint.

Last time, when Kim Jung-chul transformed, I’d stood by in shock—but now, I knew exactly what was happening.

This wasn’t some transforming robot cartoon; I had no intention of standing around and watching.

Thud…!

I was about to swing Arca, when I heard something fall behind me.

That sound alone was enough to tell me what was happening.

I’d been stabbing the ceiling with Arca, after all.

The building was starting to collapse.

“Mr. Do-un, we need to get out of here!”

For me and Woo Yeon-hoo, it didn’t matter if the building fell.

But Yu Jae-yi, the blacksmith, would die buried under the rubble.

“Leave it to me.”

Answering, I started using World Tree Swing to carve out an escape route.

Once, twice—as I gathered mana, it began to wrap around the blade like a massive sheath.

Because of that, even the mana at the tip of the blade stayed together and didn’t scatter.

The massive blade grew even bigger in that way.

Only after gathering mana ten times did the blade stop growing.

Once it was gigantic, I swung Arca.

“……!”

The night sky appeared before me.