Returned With Horns

As morning came, the hunters started to wake up one by one.

Oh Sungwon also got up slowly, tidying up the tent and bedding he had slept in.

To be honest, Oh Sungwon was unlike what you'd expect from a chaebol family's young master. Far from being bold, he wasn't arrogant either, and seemed to have quite a kind nature.

The hunters tended to care for Oh Sungwon like a younger brother. At first, I thought their relationship was just stiff, but as we continued our journey, I often noticed them looking after each other, especially when Oh Sungwon was struggling.

Whenever I saw such scenes, I really wanted to make sure they all survived. It was because they were "human-like humans" that I hadn't seen in a long time.

The people of the Granterasia continent threw stones at me when I returned after subjugating the Demon King, the Emperor turned his back on me, and the Magic Tower tried to use me.

Elucia was confined to the church under the pretext of releasing my restraints, and Zelia, who was my lover, announced our breakup and disappeared. Abrahen was poisoned by nobles while talking about my achievements.

Having lost all those I cared for, I went half-mad.

First, I smashed the Magic Tower. Their magic couldn't even scratch my body. What did the Magic Tower Master say when he died? That a monster like me should leave the Granterasia continent? Honestly, I agreed.

Second, I destroyed the Imperial Family. I, who had enthroned the lord of Abrahen as the Emperor, left the Imperial Palace after glancing at the Emperor who was looking at me with fearful eyes.

Lastly, I smashed the Church. Dozens of parishes were destroyed, and I forced the Pope, who came to stop me, to open a forced isekai transfer.

By this time, my shattered sanity had somewhat returned. That's how I came back to Earth.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?"

"Thoughts about how I ended up like this."

If I were to write down the journey of me, Elucia, Abrahen, and Zelia in words, it would fill an entire book.

But I didn't want to recall that journey. I just wanted to keep it in my heart. Thinking that, I quickened my pace.

I punch and smash the Hermit Lurkers that pop out. The frequency of monsters appearing was gradually increasing. Fortunately, the Corrupt Fairies weren't appearing in swarms.

"Could the core be nearby?"

"Well, who knows."

It's common sense that there are many monsters near the core, but there's nothing more futile than looking for common sense in such a gate mutation. So I just shook my head. There was nothing more stupid than judging this situation with my limited knowledge.

I let out a small sigh. As I took care of the emerging monsters one by one, the plain was gradually coming to an end. Looking at the forest ahead, I realized that this was just the beginning.

* * *

Huff, huff, huff, the rough breathing sounds were grating to the ears. But since it was himself making those sounds, he couldn't even get annoyed at it.

Oh Sungwon looked at the hunters in front of him with an exhausted expression. They were all walking through the forest path as if they were used to it.

And at the very front, a beautiful woman was lighting the way.

A woman with straight black hair and shining red eyes. A woman so beautiful that even Oh Sungwon, who had seen his fair share of beauties in person, found it hard to take his eyes off her.

While the presence of the two horns on her forehead contributed to this gaze, her beautiful appearance also played a part.

Although she seemed terrifyingly strong and terrifyingly indifferent, she was protecting them. She punched and beat down Hermit Lurkers that even ten people together would have difficulty subduing, and cut off the wings of Corrupt Fairies with a single sword strike. That's why she seemed reliable.

Even Oh Sungwon, who already had a woman he had promised to marry, felt like he might be enchanted, so how must the hunters in front of him feel?

Seeing the hunters glancing at Seohyun from time to time, Sungwon let out a small sigh.

After it became a time attack situation, they had become a bit closer. Although they were surprised by her beauty and her strength, unlike at first when they pretended not to see each other, the hunters now even occasionally exchanged jokes.

Of course, it was rare for Seohyun to initiate conversation herself.

"Stop. Ahead... it seems there's a swarm."

"...What do you plan to do?"

"It's simple. Before they notice us."

Sring, the sword is drawn.

The sword that had been dangling at her waist without even a scabbard soon turns white. Mana materialization. It was a skill that even fairly skilled hunters couldn't do.

While Sungwon was blankly opening his mouth at that sight, Seohyun's sword moved. No, did it really move? After a gust of wind, before Sungwon could notice, the sword was already back at Seohyun's waist.

However, the result was terrifying.

Thud-thud-boom-! The forest shakes and trees fall. Along with that, the swarm of fairies came into Sungwon's view. Only then did the fairies seem to notice them, looking towards Sungwon with surprised expressions. But it was already too late.

"...The forest flew away."

"Isn't this much something even those called S-rank can do?"

"That may be true, but..."

Is it possible to blow away half the forest along with a swarm of Corrupt Fairies with such a light sword strike? Suddenly, as Sungwon was thinking this, he recalled a news article he had seen recently.

"...Korea's first EX-rank..."

"Was it you?"

"Huh? Ah, yes. That's right. I didn't know it would be on the news though."

Answering as if it wasn't a big deal, Seohyun started walking again, and the hunters blankly watched her back before nodding to each other and following her. Their appearance was like warriors following the goddess of victory.

* * *

Of course, we couldn't find the core in the forest either.

However, there were a few swarms of Corrupt Fairies.

Whenever we encountered these swarms, I was able to clear them while testing one form of Soul Dance at a time.

After entering the gate, it seemed like the power of Soul Dance was adjusted to be similar to when I was on the Granterasia continent. Could it be because mana was concentrated inside the gate?

It didn't seem like this when I killed the fire dragon and the giant before, could it be thanks to the gate mutation? I couldn't know.

After another day passed like that in the forest, the next day we had to explore a desert.

"Why are there so many different terrains inside a generation-type gate?"

"I wonder about that too."

Kang Chaehoon, who was talking beside me, let out a small sigh.

Our young master Oh Sungwon was already half-dead. Kang Chaehoon, who was carrying him on his back, gave him water and opened his mouth.

"Miss Seohyun. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. I'm resistant to heat and cold, so. Just take care of your young master properly."

"Ah. Resistant to heat and cold. I see there's such a thing too."

"My body doesn't even get cut by swords, so of course it wouldn't be affected by heat or cold."

As I rolled up my sleeves and patted my arms, Kang Chaehoon subtly averted his gaze and opened his mouth.

"Swords don't cut you?"

"Yeah. Most swords just bounce off."

"How on earth did you end up with such a body?"

"..."

At Kang Chaehoon's question, I quietly looked at him. Sensing my gloomy mood, Kang Chaehoon bowed his head as if feeling guilty.

"...Let's pretend I didn't ask that question."

"Alright."

Because you don't know. Yeah. That can happen. If you don't know, that can happen. But I couldn't help the anger rising from within. It would be nice if some monsters appeared at a time like this.

As soon as I thought that, I felt vibrations from the ground. It wasn't just one.

"This is..."

"If even we can feel it..."

"Just how many are there...? Sister Seohyun?"

I draw my sword. Mana is instantly sucked away, but I don't mind as I prepare the fourth form of Soul Dance. Pointing my sword towards the ground, I quickly pushed in mana.

"Fourth dance. Wild Feast."

I swing the sword.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

They accumulate to become tens, hundreds of sword strikes.

Unlike Dark Revolution, all these sword strikes exist as a single strike. The strike formed like this intertwines as if holding a feast.

Hundreds of grid patterns appear on the ground, and cracks form on the bodies of the Hermit Lurkers that popped out.

Watching the chunks of flesh falling like rain, Oh Sungwon quietly opened his mouth.

"Crazy."

Having demonstrated a sword strike that made even the nearly dead Oh Sungwon speak up, I put my sword back.

Wild Feast. It was the most destructive and wide-ranging swordsmanship in Soul Dance.

After unleashing Soul Dance once, I quietly closed and opened my eyes at the dissipated anger. Whew, letting out a deep sigh, I quietly looked towards the other side of the desert.

"It doesn't seem like the core is here."

"Have we checked near the dragon egg?"

"...Ah."

"Hm?"

"We didn't check. Oh no. I didn't think of that."

There are many monsters near the core. Opinions vary on what this means, but the majority opinion was that the core is usually located in the safest place in the gate. And near the dragon egg would be the safest place for the core if the dragon were to wake up.

Although I wasn't familiar with gates, not checking around there was honestly an incredibly stupid thing to do. Biting my lip, I immediately turned around.

"Let's go right now. If we go now, we might not be too late."

"Yes!"

With that shout, the hunters and I quickly left the desert at a pace close to running.