Chapter 29 – Evergreen

Kesia began to run. Se-min leaped, following after Kesia. His aura wrapped around his legs. Stomping explosively, he chased after Kesia’s massive build.

The city scenery passed by. He ran along walls and fences.

Se-min clenched his teeth. Kesia’s speed was immense. The bastard destroyed everything it collided with as it ran after the tail of the yellow car.

Soon, it was the control line.

Se-min unleashed his aura even further. Although blood welled up in his mouth, he did not care.

The city lay open, defenseless.

And what leaped into that place was Kesia, a giant magic beast that only those of Platinum rank or higher could face.

The vicinity of the control line was already empty. Sirens wailed from all directions. It was the evacuation warning of the Raider Bureau.

However, Kesia did not stop.

Now, Kesia’s target was not Yoon Mu-jin’s car. The bastard sprinted, destroying the city it was seeing for the first time. Collapsing buildings signaled Kesia’s rampage. Screams echoed from far away.

In such a short time, people could not flee very far.

Kesia discovered prey in this place it was seeing for the first time.

Weak against the strong, and strong against the weak.

That was the nature of magic beasts.

Kesia discovered small and weak prey. There were enough of them to feast upon.

The tiny things gathered together, screaming and tangling with each other. They ran, showing their backs to Kesia. Some even fled while hiding their bodies inside pieces of iron. Kesia struck them. The iron pieces were smashed in an instant. Blood burst out underneath.

Kesia laughed.

It was a place much more wonderful than its home.

Not far away, it felt its companion heading towards this place as well. Kesia cried out toward the sky.

They would feast together.

***

Se-min saw Kesia soon reaching the people.

It was pandemonium. Even if someone fell, they were trampled over without anyone helping them up. What targeted their backs was not just any ordinary enemy, but a giant magic beast.

The road was already congested. They collided with one another, causing accidents, and the distinction between lanes became meaningless.

Kesia advanced, trampling cars one by one. People got out of their cars and began to run. Kesia let out a long cry toward the sky.

Se-min leaped and thrust his claymore toward Kesia’s eye.

However, Kesia reacted quickly, instead striking Se-min away with its head.

Se-min bounced back and fell among the people.

“Kuh!”

Screams enveloped him. His surroundings were dizzying. The terror-stricken eyes of the people surrounded him. Se-min pushed through the crowd and stood up. The people swept past behind his back.

“Everyone, run away.”

Se-min ran toward Kesia again.

Kesia was biting and swallowing a man. The body was severed in half, and blood and entrails pattered onto the ground.

Se-min’s heart pounded.

His Tai Chi Wisdom churned.

Se-min’s claymore shone white.

“You bastard.”

Se-min swung his sword. His sword qi flew and struck Kesia’s outer skin.

Kesia glared at him and distorted its eyes. It was a face as if it found him annoying. Se-min smirked and stepped forward.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Se-min ran toward Kesia. A front paw swung, targeting Se-min. Lowering his posture further, he entered beneath Kesia as if brushing the ground.

Kesia thrashed, attempting to trample him with its four feet. After rolling on the ground to avoid the attack, Se-min clung to a hind leg and grabbed the bastard’s tail. Then, he tried to climb onto its back.

Kesia let out a bizarre shriek and whipped its tail.

He crashed into a building.

Se-min spat blood and plunged to the ground.

It was a guy smarter and stronger than expected. Se-min stood up, shaking his claymore. Kesia approached him.

Se-min took a step forward and spun around, swinging his sword. His sword qi spread out in a semi-circle.

Soon, the sword qi expanded twofold. It expanded fourfold, then eightfold again, sweeping over Kesia. It turned into a massive vortex that grew in size on its own.

Kesia screamed in pain.

Se-min leaped again. His aura burned white. Imbuing it with his will, he leaped toward Kesia once more.

Unleashing power beyond his limits, his aura was flowing backward. Se-min clenched his teeth and endured it. Then, he tried to put everything into the subsequent thrust.

However, Se-min did not achieve his goal.

“Krawwwwwwr!”

Another Kesia appeared and rammed into him.

Se-min was sent flying again. Flying in a straight line, he dented the roof of a car, then shattered the windows and side mirrors, rolling across the asphalt.

Blood surged from his mouth. He spat out the blood. His insides were a mess.

As he fumbled around his side, his hand caught a car tire. He stood up, holding onto the hood of the car. Grinning at the bewildered driver, he walked back toward Kesia.

A trail of blood followed along his footprints.

Suddenly, in the middle of the congested road, a familiar yellow Lamborghini came into view. Se-min trudged over and pressed his forehead against the car window. Blood stained it.

“Hey.”

Yoon Mu-jin rolled down the window. He could not bring himself to look at Se-min.

“Did you call for backup?”

“Yeah.”

“There are so many people.”

He gestured with his chin toward the surroundings.

Instead of answering, Yoon Mu-jin grabbed the steering wheel. The traffic jam was clearing up. The cars far ahead began to run. Horns blared from all directions.

“What did you write on your Raider exam essay?”

“What?”

“The essay, I mean. Something like you’d protect people, work at the cost of your life, you said something like that, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You must have been sincere back then.”

Se-min tapped his cheek with the back of his hand.

He walked back toward Kesia. Yoon Mu-jin called out from behind, but Se-min simply raised his middle finger. Yoon Mu-jin would not come.

Far away, the two Kesias looked at each other as if conversing before rushing toward the people again. Casualties occurred. Se-min’s steps quickened.

A boy in a school uniform was running while supporting his limping friend.

It was a desperate movement.

Kesia’s jaws were right before them.

Se-min’s body became a streak of light. He stepped right in front of Kesia’s nose and swung his sword. Kesia clashed with him without dodging.

Aura flared up, causing a small explosion. Se-min and Kesia retreated from each other.

The other Kesia was also sauntering closer.

Se-min helped up the two students who had fallen on the ground. They looked at Se-min with startled eyes. Se-min gestured.

“Go, quickly.”

“This guy is hurt, so…”

“Run as fast as you can.”

Se-min said, pointing his claymore at Kesia.

“I’ll block them until you run away, so don’t worry.”

It was a look of disbelief.

And for good reason. He was alone, already heavily injured, and there were two of the giant magic beasts before his eyes.

Se-min chuckled and kicked their buttocks.

“Hey, this big brother doesn’t lie, so go quickly.”

They moved their steps again. Although neither of them could move properly, they staggered away while looking back.

Se-min nodded as he looked up at the two growling Kesias baring their teeth.

People change.

Words, too, cannot be trusted.

He had once searched for the successful applicants’ essay answers after failing the Raider qualification exam. According to the posts uploaded to the Raider aspirant online community, everyone said the same thing. There were only more characters than his, but in the end, it was no different from what he had written.

It is the mission of a Raider to protect human life at the risk of their own. I want to become a Raider in order to save people.

Yoon Mu-jin, who was the first to run away over there, and that trivial bastard bearing the sign of the Limitless Association, must have been like that too.

Yet they passed, and Se-min failed.

Perhaps his was too short and simple to be believed.

“Come at me, you sons of bitches.”

Even so, he did not lie.

Nor did he change.

He was Lee Se-min.

***

The two Kesias turned toward him.

The bastards no longer looked down on Se-min. They recognized him as a full-fledged enemy. Consequently, their attacks also became fierce.

The two of them intended to kill him.

The killing intent of the magic beasts became a noose, binding Se-min’s body. His steps were difficult, and the claymore felt heavy.

Between the half-destroyed buildings, his figure was reflected in the four pairs of purple eyes of the ugly magic beasts raising their heads.

Inside Se-min’s body, the Tai Chi Wisdom went wild.

It generated the maximum possible output. The hem of his clothes fluttered. His claymore began to vibrate, unable to withstand the output.

Se-min tried to soothe his aura, but the already excited Tai Chi Wisdom did not listen to him.

Beyond the Gate, he had mingled with countless magic beasts. When he came to his senses, his own reflection on the surface of the water was that of a magic beast just like them.

Se-min grinned.

His qi and blood channels were already a mess.

However, he did not care.

Things like fear, hesitation, or worry were unnecessary props on a stage of slaughter. Since there was no use for them in the first place, it was better to erase them.

Only killing intent and hatred were Chekhov’s gun. Since a gun was placed inside him, it was time to start the scene by pulling the trigger.

His white-glowing aura grew dim.

It swayed with a desolate light.

In that instant, the two Kesias hesitated.

The eyes of magic beasts were different from those of humans. In their eyes, they might see the menacingly distorted face of Tai Chi Wisdom.

Se-min advanced first.

The hook attached to Kesia’s shoulder swung to intercept him. Se-min clashed with it directly.

He parried, and parried again.

Unable to withstand the impact, the ground subsided. The earth was dented in the shape of footprints.

Se-min leaped. One Kesia bit at him, but Se-min kicked off the air and changed direction again.

At the unexpected turn, the other one opened its mouth and let out a shriek. Se-min willingly landed inside the jaws and plunged his sword down.

Blood erupted.