Chapter 214: Yoost (2)

"

Phew.

" Kim Ki-Rok sighed and retrieved his weapon after taking the monster's last breath.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. "I'm wondering if I should say, 'long time no see.'"

Kim Ki-Rok smiled and turned around to address the person he had been waiting for. "Oh my, it's been a long time since I last saw you."

"Yes," Black Wizard Yoost answered, his eyes full of murderous intent.

"We made eye contact on the first day, right? You must have confirmed my identity then," Kim Ki-Rok guessed.

"I did..."

"But you only came to find me on the twentieth day."

"Yes. You are too dangerous," Yoost replied as he released Demon Realm mana.

Kim Ki-Rok was dangerous, and sensing that he was still hiding something, Yoost had chosen not to approach until now.

"That's why I watched you. I thought you would reveal your hidden power if your life was threatened," Yoost said.

"But you failed," Kim Ki-Rok remarked.

Yoost nodded, preparing his magic. "Yes, I did."

The Black Wizards had relied on their Undead and monsters to gauge the Hunters' hidden strength, but failed. After the Hunters reached Eutense territory, the Black Wizards no longer underestimated them. They prepared not only ordinary Undead like Dullahans and Death Knights, but also powerful monsters that could fight even without Demon Realm mana, such as Trolls.

Even so, they faltered. The number of Dullahans and Death Knights fell from hundreds to mere dozens, and the monsters suffered the same fate. The Black Wizards summoned Skeletons and turned the fallen monsters into Ghouls, but their strength was a shadow of what it had been twenty days earlier.

Would it have made a difference if the High-Circle Black Wizards had joined the fight?

Yoost shook his head. They would have failed too. Worse, they might have been defeated by the fifty-three Hunters.

"I have a question for you."

"And you think I'll answer it?" Kim Ki-Rok responded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"At my signal, the Black Wizards who've only been watching will join the fight."

"Hm. So, if Mr. Yoost does not attack, the other Black Wizards won't move either?"

Yoost nodded. "Yes."

"Well... Wait a moment." Kim Ki-Rok then communicated through his radio, "The Black Wizards will move, but not yet. I'll contact you right before they do. In the meantime, subjugate the Undead and monsters."

In response, the fifty-two Hunters who had retreated earlier moved back in to attack the monsters and Undead.

Kim Ki-Rok turned back, smiled brightly, and spoke to Yoost. "Thank you for waiting. Now, please ask your question."

Yoost inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm his nerves. It was very difficult to create a Dullahan or a Death Knight, but not impossible. He could bear the loss in exchange for time and information.

"Do you have something up your sleeve?"

"Yes, I do," Kim Ki-Rok replied. "Of course, I cannot explain this power I have."

"I figured as much. Then, I won't ask what powers you are hiding. Here is my question," Yoost said.

"Right."

As soon as Kim Ki-Rok answered, he vanished in a burst of light. He appeared behind Yoost a split second later and swung his sword. A massive explosion followed, blowing Kim Ki-Rok away. He twisted in midair and managed to regain his footing.

Landing on the ground, he smiled brightly. "Oh, what a shame."

"

Ha, haha...

"

As the dust cleared, Yoost reappeared, lowered his semi-transparent, dome-shaped shield, and asked, "What was that?"

"It's a fight, that's what it is."

"So you had no intention of answering questions, but you did anyway. Why?"

Kim Ki-Rok smirked. "Oh? Is that a question?"

"You really do fight like a bastard."

"Thank you for the high praise."

Yoost laughed in disbelief and tapped the ground with his staff. Demon Realm mana spread in all directions. New Death Knights crawled up from underground to stand before Yoost, while the Death Knights awaiting orders at the rear ran forward to join him.

***

The sky rumbled as pure white Aura and black Aura collided, causing a giant explosion. Kim Ki-Rok managed to blow the Death Knight backward with his strike.

"No time to catch my breath..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

Letting out a deep sigh, he tossed his sword aside and leaped backward. A black arrow fell from the sky, piercing the spot where he had just been standing. There wasn't an explosion, however, and the black arrow simply melted away.

Kim Ki-Rok glanced at Yoost, who had chosen vanishing arrows over explosive ones to conserve mana, then drew the dagger at his belt. Powered by a scroll bearing a holy edict that turned mana into sacred power, the blade sliced toward the Death Knight pursuing him. The Death Knight broke off the chase and hurled itself aside to dodge.

I should ignore the Death Knight and focus on Yoost.

Kim Ki-Rok twisted in midair to steady himself and, upon landing, drew a sword and shield from his subspace pocket. His true aim was to take out the Black Wizards controlling the Death Knight.

Blocking the Death Knight's attack with his shield, Kim Ki-Rok called out, "Is there anyone who can helppp? I need some helpppppp!"

The Hunters who heard Kim Ki-Rok's request jumped into action. As if they had been waiting, those fighting the Undead and monsters rushed toward Yoost.

After Yoost finished preparing an attack spell, he called out, "Death Knight."

Out of the fifteen he had already summoned, ten converged to block the Hunters.

"Dark Spe—Shield!"

Yoost gritted his teeth, canceling his attack spell and opting for a defensive one instead.

Shkkk! Boom!

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

At the same moment Kim Ki-Rok launched his surprise attack, Nakasone Soichi, a Japanese S-Class Hunter skilled in assassination, infiltration, and reconnaissance, gritted his teeth and used his skill again to vanish from sight.

***

"Argh! I want to use them..." Kim Ki-Rok said, frustrated.

He could have easily taken down both the Black Wizards and the Death Knights with Pastera weapons, but he couldn't use them here. Those weapons were specifically for the demons.

With no choice, he deflected the Death Knight's sword with his shield, quickly surveyed his surroundings, and thrust his sword. The blade, wrapped in sacred Aura, destroyed the Death Knight's Demon Realm mana.

Killing him would be the best-case scenario,

Kim Ki-Rok thought.

After defeating the Death Knight, he glanced at Yoost, who seemed to be searching for Nakasone with detection and defensive magic.

Is it possible to kill him?

If Yoost took a fatal wound, he would immediately give up and flee. Until now, Kim Ki-Rok had never managed to kill him in their clashes in the wilderness. With that in mind, he tossed aside his shield and drew another sword from his subspace pocket.

Parrying the Death Knight's blade, Kim Ki-Rok called out to the retreating Hunters, "There are two conditions for the fall of the Black Kingdom! The first is subjugating the demons, and the second is subjugating the High-Circle Black Wizards."

They all nodded, knowing that even if the demons were defeated, the Black Kingdom would remain. It was a new nation founded not by demons, but by the Black Wizards.

***

Meanwhile, Yoost used the Magic Voice Spell to relay his own orders. "If you see an opening, take their lives immediately, especially those who specialize in hiding their power—"

Suddenly, the link to his allies cut out, and he ground his teeth in frustration.

"Great Shield."

After deploying another defensive spell, he used detection magic to check on his allies. Only eight of the expected ten were detected.

"Damn it!"

He still hadn't confirmed what powers these Hunters were hiding. The number of Death Knights under his control had also dropped significantly, and the same was true for the Dullahans and monsters.

If things continued this way, the High-Circle Black Wizards supporting the Black Kingdom would be annihilated.

Would the demons forgive them?

Yoost thought.

Actually, they would be looking forward to it.

He felt uneasy because he had not confirmed the hidden strength of his enemies, but escaping was better than total annihilation. Yoost sent the order to retreat, but one of his fellow Black Wizards protested.

—We haven't confirmed their strengths yet.

I said retreat. We're leaving the fight to the demons

.

Yoost repeated his order and checked on his companions. One sighed and deployed a defensive spell to push back the enemy, while another sacrificed a Death Knight to create some distance.

"Blink!"

The High-Circle Black Wizards used Teleportation Magic simultaneously, and Yoost followed suit. The High-Circle Black Wizards escaped the battlefield by sacrificing the Undead and remaining monsters, then checked their positions. Yoost and the rest of the Black Wizards stared at the Hunters they had been fighting, who were now closing in. As he was scanning the battlefield for Kim Ki-Rok, he froze.

"Deploy defensive magic!" Yoost shouted to his companions, but it was too late.

An ominous sound cut through the air. Having just used his last Memorize Spell, Yoost slowly turned his head to see one of his comrades coughing up blood, with Kim Ki-Rok standing right beside him. In fact, several others did too.

His comrades who still had one defensive spell and one teleportation spell left managed to survive. Those who had already used their last teleport, however, were not so lucky.

"Three people... That's a bit disappointing," Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

Right as Yoost was about to retaliate with a spell, a Black Wizard with a gaping hole in their chest sputtered, "R-retreat!"

The Black Wizards, having just watched their comrades die, radiated murderous intent as they cast their last Memorize and teleportation spells. Seeing the magic circles form beneath their feet, Kim Ki-Rok stepped back.

"Retreat," Kim Ki-Rok commanded before looking at Yoost with a bright smile.

Following his orders, the Hunters stepped back from the magic circles. Acting on the memories of his previous Attempt, Kim Ki-Rok had already moved ahead with the stealth Hunters, waiting at the spot where the enemy would use long-distance teleportation.

"Then, I will see you in the capital," Kim Ki-Rok said calmly.

Yoost, cradling his comrade's corpse, flared his mana and replied in a low voice, "I'll be waiting."

With a flash, they were gone.