LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 31
There were quite a few members of the Asura sect nestled on Mount Woora.
But avoiding them was just not my style.
And besides, wouldn’t it be tough on Sowol if I just left?
No matter how much I’ve taught her, the fact remains she is still my disciple.
As a Master, how could I not put in this much effort for my apprentice?
“Die!!”
“No, thank you.”
I sliced the approaching Asura sect member’s neck and moved forward. Countless bodies had already fallen to my sword, but the number remaining on Mount Woora dwarfed that.
“Well, well. Looks like a lot of them showed up.”
I raised my sword.
At the same time, the moonlight began sweeping across the heretics around me.
I lost count of how many times I’d used the Moonlight Slash already.
I was starting to tire, though…
“Impressive skills.”
Is that it for the weaklings?
The ones who had been watching me stepped back, and a man dressed in white began to walk forward.
He stood on the hill, looking down at me, slowly raising a dagger.
That dagger!
I’d seen it somewhere before.
“The Archbishop of the Asura sect, Rowin.”
“Oh? You know me?”
Of course I do.
He was a character from the religious war event.
I flicked the blood from my sword and aimed it at him.
“Since you’re going to be a nuisance later anyway, wouldn’t it be nice to end it here?”
“Hah! You look like you’re running out of steam. We still have the numbers…”
That’s when I noticed why he was rambling. I pulled out a potion from my pocket and chugged it down.
As soon as I swallowed, my depleting magic power began to replenish.
“Y-you… What is that?”
“It’s an elixir.”
The ultimate recovery item that restores all mana and stamina at once, a treasure I wouldn’t use until the end of the game.
Better to use it when needed than to save it for a rainy day.
Kugh!!
The sword energy created by the moonlight swept away the Asura sect members surrounding Rowin.
I would’ve liked to take Rowin down in one go, but it seemed like he was no ordinary foe, as he managed to block the moonlight sword energy.
What a disappointment.
I was hoping he’d go down right there.
“…Still a nuisance to the end.”
“Who’s saying that?”
Now, the only remaining Asura sect member was that guy. Guess I could deal with him slowly.
“If you want to run, go ahead.”
I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth.
Just as I expected, Rowin, feeling pressed, immediately turned and bolted.
But I wasn’t about to let him get away.
Thus began a chase that would culminate at the peak of Mount Woora.
“You damn bastard!!”
Bloodied, Rowin gritted his teeth in frustration.
What was he so upset about?
I cast a healing spell to mend my remaining wounds and aimed my sword at him.
“Think you can run away now?”
Behind Rowin was nothing but a sheer drop.
There was a fast-flowing river down there, but at this height, even he wouldn’t survive.
Of course, I wasn’t going to let him escape.
Kugh!!
“Spider Web.”
His dagger flashed with light, firing a powerful beam straight for my head.
Dodging it, I swung my sword, ensnaring him with threads of magic, and quickly approached him.
“This is nothing…!!”
Rowin, trapped in the spider web, attempted to dispel the magic and fire the beam again.
But that was something I anticipated.
Of the two beams, I took the weaker one with my body and dodged the attack to my abdomen.
And then, one strike.
Scrape!!
“Ugh…!!”
A deep wound remained on his abdomen.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
I swung my sword at the despairing Rowin, and with one stroke, his head separated from his body.
“Haah…”
Even if he was the Archbishop of the Asura sect, he couldn’t survive a decapitation.
Watching his corpse plummet from the cliff, I sighed.
Is it finally over?
Then I guess there’s no need for me to linger here.
You’d think I’d use healing to treat my shoulder wound, but I glanced around.
That bastard sure ran far.
Going back down from Mount Woora was a pain.
I looked down at the cliff. If I fell from here, I’d die, wouldn’t I? Hmm…
“I guess I have no choice.”
I’d have to utilize the rare item I’d steadily collected.
I activated the only artifact obtainable through a bug in this game.
“Luminous Wing!”
At my shout, ethereal wings glowing with light unfurled from my back.
This was the emblem of a seasoned Ragnarok player.
The luminous wings.
They allow any race to fly through the sky at the cost of mana. Spreading my wings, I lifted off into the air.
The moment I ascended into the sky, the mana consumption was no joke, but I still had plenty left, so it was fine.
“First, let’s head north.”
I should follow the information provided by the church. With that, I soared into the night sky.
*
Sowol lay still on the bed.
She felt like Lee Hyun would come and comfort her if she just stayed there.
Knock knock.
So when she heard the sound of someone knocking, she flinched but didn’t get up.
Instead, it was Laila who looked at her with pity.
“Yes.”
“Is Sowol asleep?”
The door opened, and it wasn’t her expected Lee Hyun but her precious little sister.
Peeking over the door to glance at the bed, she forced a smile.
Just as she had expected.
“Sowol seems quite heartbroken.”
“Yes. Well, it’s not something I can help.”
Though Sowol looked grumpy on the outside, Laila knew how much she had been relying on Lee Hyun. It was no surprise she was sulking.
“Sowol, Master has left.”
“…..”
“Staying like this won’t change anything.”
“……”
“If you keep this up, Master won’t send a letter that he wanted me to pass to you.”
She stirred. Sowol, who hadn’t moved at all, subtly shook her shoulders.
But perhaps it was her strong pride?
She couldn’t bring herself to get up. Ultimately, it was Laila who received the letter.
As soon as the door closed, Sowol shot up from her position.
But she couldn’t muster the courage to ask for the letter.
Watching Sowol fumble, Laila smiled and quickly tore open the envelope.
“What are you doing?!”
“No, I thought you wouldn’t read it.”
“I will read it!”
Hurriedly snatching the envelope, Sowol pulled out the letter, rubbing her puffy eyes as she read.
[To my proud disciple Sowol,
I’ve wanted to say this in words, but now that I’m writing a letter, it feels a bit awkward.
I know that hearing the news of my departure has saddened you greatly.
I’m sorry.
But nevertheless, I have goals I need to achieve.
I’m leaving for that purpose, so I hope you don’t take it too hard.
This doesn’t mean we’ll never meet again.
You may not know this, but when I first met you, I felt as though I had found salvation.
Sowol, as the Asura sect stirs, the world is falling into chaos.
That chaos will soon envelop the entire world.
To prepare for that, I must accomplish much more.
I hope you understand why I made this choice.
Someday, once all this is over, we will surely meet again.
I pray that you grow even more in my absence, and look forward to that day when we reunite.
Always cherishing and loving you, Master Lee Hyun.]
“…I’m going to follow you.”
“Excuse me?!”
Reading the letter only intensified her determination to not let go.
Goals?
She could simply be there to help him achieve that goal, right?
Sitting around waiting until that time wasn’t her style. Sowol jumped up and quickly started packing her bag.
“But going like this…”
“Laila, please tell my father. If I say I’m going with Master, I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“Sigh… But how can you go alone? I can’t let you go by yourself.”
With a bright smile, Laila took hold of her sword.
“I’ll go with you.”
“…Is it just for that reason?”
“Then what other reason could there be?”
“…Look me in the eyes when you say that.”
Sowol stared at Laila, who kept looking away, shaking her head.
Now was not the time to dawdle.
She had to chase after Lee Hyun as quickly as possible.
“I’ve picked up some tracking skills.”
As she swiftly packed her bag, Sowol left with Laila, following Lee Hyun’s trail.
Finding his trace wasn’t too difficult.
Just follow the distinct and firm footprints of a strong person.
Laila and Sowol followed the footprints and soon found themselves at the entrance of Moonlight Mountain.
“What is this?”
Dead bodies littered the ground.
“…These are Asura sect members?”
They wore the same outfits as those who had attacked before.
As Sowol watched the ghastly sight of their corpses, she bit her lip.
“It’s Moonlight Sword. This is the mark of the Moonlight Sword.”
“…Wait? Then this means…”
“Master…!!”
It was Lee Hyun.
Lee Hyun had fought these men. He fought all alone against this many opponents.
Her heart raced.
A feeling of unease began to envelop her.
Biting her lip, Sowol hurriedly ascended the mountain.
As she climbed higher, more corpses appeared.
Amidst those corpses were the signs of Lee Hyun.
Following the traces of how hard he fought, Sowol finally collapsed to her knees.
The trail ended abruptly.
At the peak of Mount Woora.
Right in front of an unfathomably deep cliff.
“Ma… Master…”
No way. No way. No way.
That couldn’t be true.
But there were no more traces of him to be found.
As if he had fallen off the cliff and died right here.