Skillbook My Way
Episode 53
I swung my spear, scattering the cloud of dust blocking my vision.
‘One down, at least.’
I could see Yusonghwa collapsed on the ground, bleeding from her stomach. Yusonghwa’s clones had disappeared as well.
After confirming Yusonghwa was in a coma, I looked at O Seyeon.
“O Seyeon. Let’s cross to the other side. Jeong Cheonyeol… Let’s take out their ranged dealer first.”
“Got it.”
We leaped over the overturned train.
“Huk!”
I saw Jeong Cheonyeol’s face go pale as he saw us.
“M-Mana Barrier!”
Just as Jeong Cheonyeol tried to wrap himself in a skill, I immediately pulled out my wand.
“Total Dispel.”
The mana barrier surrounding Jeong Cheonyeol wavered and began to crumble.
“Don’t kill him. We need the culprit who derailed the train.”
O Seyeon nodded and rushed toward the bewildered Jeong Cheonyeol.
“Kuaaack!”
Boom. Boom. Pow-pow.
Jeong Cheonyeol fired magic bullets wildly, but O Seyeon, daggers in hand, evaded them all and closed the distance. Then she slashed his arms and legs in rapid succession.
“Hueok……”
With his HP depleted, Jeong Cheonyeol fell into a coma and passed out.
‘What’s left is…’
I summoned my book.
“O Seyeon, keep watch around us for a moment. If you can find Im Jiyeon, even better. But don’t attack. That woman has a counter.”
“You’ve been ordering me around since earlier, but I’m not your subordinate, you know?”
O Seyeon said with a scowl. Irritatingly so.
“It’s not an order, it’s a request. I need a little time.”
“……”
O Seyeon showed clear displeasure but approached the train car we had been in, daggers at the ready.
“Fine.”
In the meantime, I took out my quill pen and began writing down Words.
“Let me copy your skill.”
Just as I was repeatedly creating and erasing a skill, a sonic boom rang out with a “POW!”
I looked up to see flames erupting atop the train, and below, O Seyeon was hurriedly escaping from the train.
Behind O Seyeon, who was running toward me, I saw Im Jiyeon holding her staff.
As expected, she was alive. No, wait.
“Hey! You shouldn’t come this way!”
Im Jiyeon's staff was glowing red.
“I bought you time and even found Im Jiyeon! Now handle it yourself!”
“How cowardly.”
I clicked my tongue and pulled out my wand. The moment flames shot from Im Jiyeon's staff, I used a skill.
‘Mana Barrier!’
A dome-shaped mana barrier formed around Im Jiyeon. The flames from her staff struck the barrier and exploded.
“Wh-what is!?”
I could see Im Jiyeon open her eyes wide.
I approached the barrier.
“H-how are you using Jeong Cheonyeol’s skill!”
“I copied it, so what.”
I answered in a calm voice.
And it wasn’t a lie; I really had copied it. After putting in Words like “wrap,” “block,” and so on, and trying about three times, [Mana Barrier] came out with the exact same name.
“And this too.”
I pointed my wand at the mana dome.
“Purgatory.”
Flames began to rise inside the dome. I could see beads of sweat trickling down Im Jiyeon’s face.
‘As expected.’
With this combination, even a bound item with a counter ability would be meaningless.
“Don’t resent me too much. You reap what you sow.”
I said with a bitter smile.
“If you had truly come here to beg for your life, it wouldn’t have ended like this. Right?”
Im Jiyeon gritted her teeth and repeatedly fired flames at me.
‘Huh?’
I saw cracks form on the dome.
‘Shoot. Did I make the skill too hastily?’
Since it was a hastily made skill, its durability seemed weaker than Jeong Cheonyeol’s [Mana Barrier].
As if seeing a way to survive, Im Jiyeon madly fired flames indiscriminately.
“Then I’ll just do this.”
I pointed my wand at the dome.
“Mana Barrier, Mana Barrier, Mana Barrier, Mana Barrier……”
I kept overlaying domes on top of the dome. The walls of the dome gradually grew thicker.
‘Your mana stat may be higher, but I have more MP.’
Recharging mana with Hesto’s Bracelet, I overlaid about twenty more domes on top.
The mana barrier’s thickness became nearly 30 centimeters. It had grown so thick that the dome’s transparency dropped, making Im Jiyeon’s figure appear blurry.
[You have successfully manifested an impenetrable wall!]
[You acquire a new Word:
“Oh.”
It had been a while since I heard a Word acquisition notification. Checking the book,
‘This is a really useful Word. I’ll have to upgrade [Mana Barrier] by adding this Word.’
Just as I was rejoicing,
“Th-this is cheating! Aaaack!”
Im Jiyeon’s screams echoed from within. The Purgatory skill seemed to have begun burning her in earnest.
A moment later, after confirming Im Jiyeon’s shadow had collapsed to the floor, I deactivated the [Mana Barrier] and [Purgatory] skills.
Im Jiyeon lay on the ground, covered in burns as if she’d been found at a fire scene.
Having put all three Tyrant Guild members into a coma, I took out my phone.
“Ah, Guild Leader. There’s something I’d like to urgently request.”
After finishing the call, I took the grumbling O Seyeon—who was complaining about why she had to do this—and rescued and treated the people caught up in the derailment accident.
“Stop whining and help. All of this is necessary work.”
Not long after we began the rescue operation, ambulances and police cars swarmed in.
Seeing that reporters had also come in droves, I figured the Guild Leader had handled things properly.
I first explained the situation to the police.
We were attacked by hunters from the Tyrant Guild. They were likely the ones who derailed the train. After neutralizing them, we were rescuing people.
The reporters requested an interview, and I repeated the same words. I also made sure to mention that O Seyeon and I were from Atlas.
“But I haven’t joined yet.”
“This is all a strategy to corner the Tyrant Guild, so just stay quiet.”
I whispered to O Seyeon, who was muttering complaints behind me.
Just as I finished the interview and was busy helping treat the injured—
Honk-honk!
I turned around at the sound of a horn and broke into a happy smile. I saw a familiar car.
“Vice Guild Leader!”
The Vice Guild Leader got out of the car and ran toward us.
“I came after receiving word from the Guild Leader. You’ve worked hard.”
I smiled bitterly at the Vice Guild Leader’s words. It had indeed been hard.
“Please take my car to Seoul. I’ll escort you.”
“Thank you.”
Those were truly welcome words.
The police couldn’t detain O Seyeon and me.
Partly because hunters couldn’t be touched carelessly, but also because of the suspects we’d secured who had fallen into comas, along with my testimony and the fact that we’d been helping with the rescue.
Around evening, O Seyeon and I arrived at the Atlas Guild, located near Seoul City Hall.
“You’ve truly worked hard.”
The Guild Leader personally came out to greet us.
“I and Jinhan will take care of all the aftermath for this incident. I’m relieved you returned safely.”
“Thank you. Ah, this is evidence that we caught the monster that attacked the village.”
While using the [Transport] skill, I took out Sariosa’s Demon Sword from my inventory.
“I’m fine since I’m using a skill, but this is a bound item that curses you just by touching it. The hunter who had this was the one who attacked the village. Unfortunately, we couldn’t save that hunter.”
I saw O Seyeon flinch.
“Hmm, very well. When the government comes to verify later, we’ll show them the sword. Mr. Hwajin, please move that sword to my office later.”
I nodded.
“Then shall we get to the main topic?”
The Guild Leader said this and seated us on a sofa in the hall.
I sat on the sofa with O Seyeon, while the Guild Leader and Vice Guild Leader sat on the opposite sofa.
“I had heard that there was a hunter who had grown incredibly powerful in a short time. However, I only had the information that it was a female hunter who used a long sword. Today, that mystery is solved.”
The Guild Leader smiled. O Seyeon looked at the Guild Leader awkwardly.
“For now, through today’s events, our Atlas Guild and the Tyrant Guild have become completely hostile. While you were coming up to Seoul, I was issuing an official statement. I denounced this incident as an inhumane and cruel act of terror. I strongly criticized the fact that civilians were caught up in it.”
The Guild Leader looked at me.
“Mr. Hwajin’s choice was the correct one. If you had not stayed behind to help with the rescue, we too would have been subject to criticism. That civilians were sacrificed due to a fight between hunters.”
I nodded.
The Vice Guild Leader opened his mouth.
“With this, the Tyrant Guild will have a hard time shifting the blame onto us. At best, they’ll pin it all on those three. The anti-Tyrant coalition will continue to criticize this incident. The government won’t be able to side with the Tyrant Guild any longer.”
“Jinhan is correct. However, setting aside such political aspects……”
The Guild Leader’s eyes grew serious.
“I have no intention of forgiving the Tyrant Guild for attacking our guild members. They will definitely be held responsible for this.”
‘I’ve never seen such a ruthless Guild Leader before.’
But I was incredibly grateful.
“Ms. Seyeon.”
“Ah, yes. Please speak.”
O Seyeon replied politely. Maybe she couldn’t act rudely toward an elder, I supposed.
“I heard from Mr. Hwajin earlier about why the Tyrant Guild is targeting you two.”
O Seyeon looked at me.
“When did you talk?”
I took out my phone and waved it in front of O Seyeon’s eyes.
“On the way up to Seoul. By text.”
“I don’t know much about the being called Listener, nor is it certain why the Tyrant Guild is targeting the Listener, but……”
O Seyeon showed signs of tension. As if she was afraid of being pointed out for hiding the reason she was being targeted.
“If Ms. Seyeon wishes to join Atlas, I welcome you.”
The Guild Leader smiled with a uniquely bright smile that didn’t match his age.
“No matter how strong a hunter is, it’s difficult for an individual to stand against a guild.”
O Seyeon said nothing. However, she didn’t seem to disagree with the Guild Leader’s words.
“If you ever feel like joining, please speak to the receptionist anytime.”
“…Understood. I’ll think about it.”
I poked O Seyeon in the side.
“Just join already. What is there to think about?”
“Shut up.”
“Oof.”
O Seyeon punched me in the side with her fist.
“Do you two perhaps know each other from before?”
The Vice Guild Leader asked with a puzzled gaze.
“Absolutely not.”
I denied it strongly, and O Seyeon shook her head as well.
I followed O Seyeon as she left the guild.
“Why aren’t you joining right away? There’s nothing bad in it for you?”
I asked, thinking I couldn’t let such a valuable combatant slip away.
“Shut up. I told you, finding my sword comes first. I ended up stopping by your guild first, but.”
“…Ah, now that you mention it, you did say that.”
I kept following O Seyeon.
“What. Why are you following me?”
“I’m coming too.”
“What?”
“I’ll help you find your sword. You don’t have your old strength right now.”
“……I’m not paying you.”
“Do as you please. Ah. Right. Hold on.”
Breaking out in a cold sweat at a sudden realization, I took out my phone. Leaving O Seyeon, who was watching me in confusion, behind, I stepped into an alley.
“Hello? Yeah, Jinhee. Yeah, I finished the job and arrived in Seoul. Yeah. Ah, um, I’m really sorry about this…. Yeah. The job just…. Sorry. Please tell Seono as well. Yeah. I’m really, really sorry.”
After hanging up in a gloomy mood, I turned around and nearly jumped in surprise. O Seyeon was there.
“Who was that?”
“My sister. I was supposed to be on vacation right now. We were going to go on a trip together, but because of what happened.”
“You don’t have to help me find the sword.”
“No, I’m coming.”
For some reason, I felt like she’d just disappear somewhere after finding her sword.
And there was still something I hadn’t heard.
‘The real reason the Tyrant Guild is targeting the Listener. I need to find that out.’
O Seyeon caught a taxi, and I got in the car with her.