Urban Vagabond: Reload

The moment the seal on the spell barrier opened, an immense energy unfurled like a whirlwind around the iron stake driven into the ground.

Flap-flap-flap-flap-flap!

The Great Anomaly’s energy spread in every direction, and another space overlaid itself atop the fog-wreathed scenery.

The shape of an enormous tree, as if it would pierce straight through the sky, appeared half-transparently and shimmered before everyone’s eyes.

“Wow.......”

“Incredible.......”

“Huhuhuhuhu......!”

The energy emitted by the enormous tree was auspicious, and sunlight scattered across its leaves, shining brilliantly.

A divine tree—an awe-inspiring, majestic existence.

One by one, people began wearing dazed expressions, as if entranced by the explosive flood of energy and the overwhelming sight of the Giant Tree Ghost.

“—Focus.”

Sunwoo Jeha’s voice, loaded with internal energy, rang clearly in everyone’s ears. At the same time, Dr. Man’s spellcraft-laden voice joined it.

“Do not be bewitched by the anomaly’s energy!”

When the Strongest in Korea and a Grand Spellcaster sounded the alarm, the martial artists and spellcasters who had almost been entranced by the Great Anomaly snapped back to their senses and shook their heads hard.

[Even with countermeasures...... it’s this strong.]

Kim Muhyuk muttered from Sunwoo Jeha’s side, the closest position exposed to the Giant Tree Ghost’s energy.

Blood was flowing beneath his wolf mask because he had bitten his lip to resist the energy.

“You. Don’t get cocky. Go back.”

[......I can still endure it.]

“You’ll regret it.”

Sunwoo Jeha snorted and gripped the stake driven into the ground firmly.

The iron stake, soaked in the heart fragment’s blood, was trembling as if enraged.

“The time limit is ten hours.”

Blue veins stood out on the back of Sunwoo Jeha’s hand as she spoke calmly.

Everyone participating in the Giant Tree Ghost hunt focused on her words.

“Within that time, we finish the Giant Tree Ghost hunt.”

Woooooong!

The stake gripped in her hand was trembling madly. Sunwoo Jeha tightened her grip and murmured in a low voice.

“However, in the one-in-ten-thousand chance that we fail.”

Sunwoo Jeha turned her head and looked at the vice sect leader, who was commanding the martial artists from the rear.

“......The position of Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader will be transferred to the vice sect leader, Moon Seokju.”

“Sect leader!”

Moon Seokju shouted in shock, but as if she would not listen to any objection, Sunwoo Jeha pulled the stake driven into the ground out in one motion.

CRRRRUNCH!

At that moment, the half-transparently shimmering shape of the Giant Tree Ghost shook violently, and a ghostly scream rang out.

Kyaaaaaaak!

The divine tree that had looked sacred twisted hideously, and its half-transparent form overlaid itself on reality and became clear.

A moment later, everyone tensed their bodies at the completely changed scenery around them.

“......We’ve entered the barrier.”

“Kh! This rotten stench.......”

The first thing the people who entered the spell barrier sensed was the reek of rot vibrating at the tips of their noses.

The place where they had been standing had transformed into something like a densely overgrown jungle. Perhaps because sunlight did not reach it well, the surroundings were dark, and damp moisture could be felt.

And beyond that.

At a dizzying height, so high they had to crane their necks to see the end, the Great Anomaly Giant Tree Ghost looked down at all of them.

“Compared to what I imagined.......”

“......It’s an unreal size.”

Rather than a tree, it had the shape of hundreds of thousands of snakes tangled together. Countless stems intertwined with one another and writhed grotesquely.

At that moment, the Transcendent Extremity Gate martial artists looking up at the Giant Tree Ghost burst with killing intent.

“That bastard......!”

“I’ll kill it!”

It was because the branches above the Giant Tree Ghost writhed and imitated the shape of a human face.

[That face is.......]

It was a face Kim Muhyuk had also seen while investigating the Transcendent Extremity Gate. When he looked to the side, Sunwoo Jeha was gazing silently upward.

“......Master.”

The face of Moon Seungil, the previous Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader.

The cunning Great Anomaly knew its enemies would return one day, and it had found the method that would enrage them the most.

However, instead of growing angry, Sunwoo Jeha smiled and drew her saber and sword.

SHIIING.

“Long time no see.”

The corners of her mouth rose softly, as if she were glad to see him.

But Kim Muhyuk was sensing a madness from her that he had never seen before.

[......!]

Just being near her made Kim Muhyuk’s body tremble. It was an instinctive bodily response, before the emotion of fear.

[Sect leader. That’s the bastard’s provocation. Rather than charging in hastily.......]

Although he knew it was useless, Kim Muhyuk tried to stop Sunwoo Jeha.

Click—.

Along with the sound of something separating, the Black Restraint Band fastened around Sunwoo Jeha’s wrist fell to the ground.

THOOM.......

To Kim Muhyuk, that sound rang as loudly as thunder.

The moment a beast that had endured hunger for a long time was released from its leash.

Sunwoo Jeha, the Strongest in Korea, smiled brightly as she revealed her madness to her heart’s content.

“I’ll come kill you right away.”

THUUUUUNG—!

The moment the ground beneath Sunwoo Jeha’s feet burst apart, she was already racing like a streak of light toward the Great Anomaly wearing her master’s face.

FWOOOOSH!

Kim Muhyuk’s hair whipped violently in the aftershock of the qi wave that erupted belatedly.

“Ha......!”

Kim Muhyuk let out a hollow laugh and widened his eyes.

He shuddered at the power shown by the Strongest in Korea now that she had been freed from restraint and could pour out her full strength.

Kim Muhyuk had been staring at her as if bewitched when the voice from behind snapped him back to his senses.

“Sunwoo Jeha! You, to the very end.......”

It was Vice Sect Leader Moon Seokju, whose eyes were bloodshot red.

He glared at Sunwoo Jeha’s back, then issued an order to the disciples.

“Transcendent Extremity Gate martial artists, begin the Great Anomaly hunt!”

At that shout, the Transcendent Extremity Gate’s elite martial artists came back to their senses and scattered in groups in every direction, as if to divide the enemy’s attention.

“......We should begin as well.”

Dr. Man also deployed a spell formation with the spellcasters of Mystic Hall.

Viiiiiiing!

A massive spell formation spread beneath the spellcasters’ feet.

The strange and wondrous characters of Pilcheon Style formed the central axis of the spell formation, and as the spellcasters’ energy was added, they drew an enormous Supreme Pole.

At its center, Dr. Man spoke in a majestic voice.

“Wicked Great Anomaly. Your cunning voice shall not reach us, and your filthy energy shall not invade our bodies!”

The energy of the spell that suppressed the Giant Tree Ghost’s energy and protected their minds and bodies spread through the barrier in golden waves.

Kyaaaaaaak!

The Giant Tree Ghost unleashed a ghostly scream as if roaring fiercely.

It was a roar loud enough to rupture eardrums and still have power left over, but it had little effect on the martial artists and spellcasters protected by the spell formation.

Bokja. Be careful.

Dr. Man’s eyes met Kim Bokja’s, where she stood with the crew members, and when he nodded, Kim Bokja waved a hand to show she understood.

[Now then, should we get ready too?]

The Blue Wolves members wearing wolf masks nodded as they each warmed up.

And so, the Great Anomaly hunt began in earnest.

*****

Every time the Giant Tree Ghost’s hundreds upon hundreds of branches swung like whips, the ground screamed.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Dust burst up as the earth exploded.

Each strike carried enough power that even a pinnacle expert would have trouble emerging unharmed if hit directly.

However, most of the Giant Tree Ghost’s attacks only struck empty air or bare ground.

“No need to be nervous! This pattern is far simpler than what you experienced in training!”

Following Vice Sect Leader Moon Seokju’s instructions, the Transcendent Extremity Gate martial artists moved exactly as they had trained.

They read the overlapping movement paths of the branches and dug into the openings between them. Some even induced the thick branches to collide and entangle with one another, hindering their movement.

“Now! Open holes!”

A pinnacle expert’s lightness technique could cross dozens of yards in one breath, and blade aura could cut even steel.

No matter how tough the Giant Tree Ghost’s branches were, opening holes in them was fully possible.

And those holes were the perfect size to insert something.

“Throw!”

The Transcendent Extremity Gate martial artists split into teams of three, lured the branches, opened holes, and shoved the anti-anomaly bombs they had prepared inside.

“Detonate them—!”

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

The bombs exploded one after another inside the branches, and shattered pieces of wood rained down. Spellcraft-laden flames did not go out easily inside them and continued burning, interfering with regeneration.

When more than a dozen branches were severed in an instant, the enraged Giant Tree Ghost shook its body violently.

Ruuuumble!

An intense earthquake erupted, strong enough to shake the whole ground. Then the Giant Tree Ghost’s roots burst up through the earth.

“Root attack! Scatter!”

However, as if they had anticipated this as well, the martial artists evaded the Giant Tree Ghost’s attack with orderly movements.

The Transcendent Extremity Gate faced the Great Anomaly exactly according to the strategy they had prepared so thoroughly.

The martial artists’ morale was overflowing, and the fury condensed over ten years drew out a level of focus beyond their usual.

Above all, they had absolute faith.

“Sect leader! We’ll draw its attention, so please smash the Giant Tree Ghost’s heart!”

“You damn tree ghost! Let’s burn it to ashes and comfort the souls of our fallen senior brothers!”

Whenever the martial artists had even a moment of room to spare, their gazes inevitably turned toward the same place.

Toward Sunwoo Jeha, who was racing up the tree trunk while breaking and cutting down everything that blocked her.

CRRRRUNCH!

Everywhere her feet touched, the Giant Tree Ghost’s outer hide burst apart, and every time she swung her saber and sword, deep gouges were carved into its body.

Kyaaaaaaaaak!

Even when she took the Great Anomaly’s ghostly scream head-on, only her hair whipped violently.

A single martial artist, her entire body wrapped in ink-colored protective aura, knocking aside every attack that flew at her as she charged to dig out the Great Anomaly’s heart.

Her martial might, awe-inspiring enough to feel wondrous, clearly seemed to have reached the peerless realm.

“......So that person is the Strongest in Korea.”

Kim Muhyuk stared hard at Sunwoo Jeha and clenched his fist tightly.

If he followed his heart, he wanted to chase after her and fight the Great Anomaly at her side.

But Kim Muhyuk’s intuition was warning him that he must not.

I need to confirm the variable first.

After confirming the martial might of the Strongest in Korea freed from the restraint of the Black Restraint Band, Kim Muhyuk became even more certain.

The Sunwoo Jeha of now could reach the Giant Tree Ghost’s heart perfectly well on her own.

How, exactly, could one cut off the Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader’s arm in this situation?

When he thought from the opposite side’s perspective, one possibility flashed through his mind.

......No way.

Sunwoo Jeha, charging straight ahead to cut the Giant Tree Ghost’s heart.

The Transcendent Extremity Gate martial artists, tying down as many branches as possible to aid their sect leader.

Vice Sect Leader Moon Seokju’s bloodshot eyes as he shouted at the top of his lungs to encourage them.

And above them, the Giant Tree Ghost looking down at the humans while wearing the previous sect leader’s face.

If.......

The moment something clicked into place like a puzzle in Kim Muhyuk’s head—

[So when do we move?]

The crew members’ voices came through the communication equipment installed in his mask.

[I’m starting to get restless.......]

[Shin Kangheon the Firewolf wants to fight already!]

[Uh, it looks like they’re doing fine without us, so do we really have to step in?]

By Kim Muhyuk’s order, Blue Wolves had not made any particular movement yet and were still waiting.

They looked like a wolf pack prowling around prey, waiting for the right moment to sink their teeth in at any time.

[For now, keep waiting. After we observe the situation a little more.......]

Then, suddenly, he looked up at the sky.

Kim Muhyuk saw something falling from above and changed his words.

[Everyone warmed up enough, right?]

The first variable the Transcendent Extremity Gate had not expected had occurred.