Chapter 429: Sorting Waste (1)

“I’ll be off then,” Kai stepped out of the library in Arkan Academy and turned back with a smile.

The worried eyes of the two girls behind him made his steps feel heavier for no reason.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“If things look bad, just run for your life.”

They had said it many times before, but sometimes their concern was a bit excessive. Still, since he knew it wasn’t meant to belittle him, Kai felt heart warmed.

“Alright. I am pretty confident at running away.”

After all, he was a Cleric, the top target in most battles.

“So don’t worry too much.”

Kai glanced at the two girls waving their small hands, then turned away.

Then, his vision shifted. By now, the use of Shadow Shift felt completely natural.

The forest air seeped into Kai’s lungs, but it didn’t carry the usual scent of dewy leaves or the freshness of dawn.

“This place’s purification still has a long way to go.”

Where Kai reappeared was the base camp in the Dark Zone.

***

The gazes of those gathered at the base camp all turned in the same direction.

“Hey, that’s him, right?”

“

Yeah

. Unless some lunatic is copying him.”

“What’s he doing here all of a sudden? He can’t even get much XP hunting in this place.”

At the end of all those gazes, of course, stood Kai. By now, everyone knew the clothes he wore was a cleric robe. Yet, no one looked down on him for being a Cleric.

“Come to think of it... could there be trouble?”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Black Dragon is here today, and so is Limitless. Of course, neither of them would dare mess with Kai.”

“

Shh

,” one of them quickly covered his friend’s mouth.

Even if their fame wasn’t what it used to be, those guilds were still part of the world’s top eight guilds, and there were too many ears nearby to carelessly gossip about them.

“Are you crazy? This whole place is crawling with global guilds.”

“R-right. We should be careful.”

“It’s already too late for that.”

The two players turned their heads at the voice that came from behind them. There stood a sharp-featured woman with tousled blonde hair. It was Katherine, the master of the Limitless guild, chewing gum.

“

Eek...!

”

“N-no, there must be a misunderstanding.”

“I heard everything, so don’t even try. Hey, you heard it too, right?”

Limitless’s vice master, Reload, gave a small nod. “I heard them say we didn’t stand a chance.”

“I mean, the more I think about it, the more absurd it gets. Do you two even know who I am?”

“N-no.”

Katherine stomped the floor with one foot as if even that wasn’t enough to let out her anger. “Hey you punks, don’t you know the martial artist’s code? Winning or losing in the arena isn’t the point. Because of fair play, it doesn’t even sting. It’s not embarrassing.”

“R-right...”

After her rant, Katherine waved her hand like she didn’t want to see them anymore. “If you get it, then get lost.”

“

Uhh

...”

“This is our spot...”

“Not leaving?”

When Katherine glared at them, the normal players hurriedly grabbed their stuff and bolted.

“Brats, seriously.”

Only then did Katherine plop down in the spot they were seated at.

Reload, who had been watching her, shrugged. “You could’ve just asked them to move. Did you really need to go that far?”

“What are you saying? Did I tell them to trash talk me behind my back? They started it.”

Either way, Katherine ended up with the prime seat at the crowded café terrace and let out a puff of breath.

“Anyway, Reload, do you think that way too?”

“Think what?”

“That... well, I wouldn’t even dare to challenge Kai?”

“Well, on that topic...” Reload trailed off.

He believed that subordinates should offer honest advice rather than flattery. However, Katherine always threw a tantrum whenever he did that, and this time would be no different.

If it’s something I shouldn’t say, it’s better to just keep my mouth shut.

When Reload clamped his mouth shut like a Moai statue, Katherine made a face like she couldn’t believe him.

“

Hah,

would you look at this? Are you ignoring me?”

“No.”

“Then why aren’t you answering?”

“Why are you even asking me that? You know the answer better than I do.”

“

Ugh

... whatever. Don’t talk to me from now on. You’re annoying.”

Katherine turned her head, irritated, and looked toward Kai walking straight out of the base camp.

Jerk. I manage the arena, and he won’t even let me challenge the Champion match...

Losing the chance to obtain the special title Champion, which raised the level of every skill by one, still stung.

“Hope he trips on a rock and smashes his nose—

eeek!

”

The moment she muttered the curse, Kai turned his head and locked eyes with her, making Katherine shriek. She quickly grabbed a magazine on the table and used it to hide her face.

“Hey, hey. Is he walking this way?”

“Who?”

“Who do you think?! Kai!”

“No. He’s just going on his way.”

“Right? Just a coincidence,

yeah?

”

There was no way he picked up her mumbling from this distance, no matter how good his hearing was. Yet here she was, panicking like a fool.

Katherine didn’t miss the pathetic look that flashed from Reload’s gaze.

“

Oh?

What's this? What kind of look are you giving to your boss?”

“Don’t overreact. It’s the same look I always give.”

“You sure...?”

“Yes.”

He always looked at her with pity, anyway.

Having lightly persuaded Katherine, Reload took a sip of his espresso and muttered, “But about Kai... Doesn’t he seem different somehow?”

“You felt that too?” Katherine responded while slowly lowering the magazine and peeking out with one eye.

Something definitely changed.

She could feel it even from this distance.

What is it? What’s changed...?

She couldn’t quite put it into words, but there was one thing she felt sure of.

I absolutely must not go up against him.

Back when she faced him in the arena, she hadn’t feared him even when she lost to him.

Sure, I might have lost one-on-one, but I’m not the type to make myself small just because of that.

In fact, if she happened to cross paths with Kai and ended up in a fight, she had the guts to swing a punch at his nose even if she was bound to lose.

“But I can’t feel that now...”

Katherine was the type who turned cold and logical when faced with a crisis. Maybe that was why she calmly watched Kai. She had hesitated to deal with him in the past too, but back then, there had been a reason.

I had too much to protect.

First, her guild Limitless. Because of that, she had thought it was best not to make an enemy of a lone wolf like Kai. Meaning, her avoidance of Kai always had a reason. But now, that wasn’t the case. There was no reason, just an instinct warning her. Telling her not to get involved with him. To stay as far away as possible. He used to be the kind of danger one could admire from a distance and walk away with a sore neck. Now he was the kind that took one’s head off just for looking. Fortunately, Katherine knew she had sharp instincts, and she knew how to trust them.

“Hey. Pack up.”

Reload simply blinked at the sudden command. “What do you mean, pack? The team’s already got everything set up.”

“I mean pack up and pull out.”

“What? Isn’t today the guild’s joint hunting event? You even paid a fortune for that dungeon map in the Dark Zone.”

“

Ugh

, you talk too much. We can do it some other day. Just pack already.”

“But everyone’s already gathered. They’re not exactly free either. Getting hundreds of people to clear their schedules isn’t easy...”

“Let’s just go have a team dinner or something.”

“Weren’t you the one complaining this morning that you were getting antsy stuck in the arena, saying you were dying to bash some monsters?”

“I’ll loosen up with some pilates and yoga later.”

Reload looked at Katherine who was strangely in a hurry, then reluctantly nodded. “Well... if that's what you want.”

As he spoke, his gaze once again turned toward Kai who was now just a small dot disappearing into the forest shadows of the Dark Zone.

***

Step by step, Kai walked alone through the dark forest of the Dark Zone. Last time Yoo Ha-Rin had been with him but now he was alone.

This is where I fought Goliath.

Not only that, he had also fought Sting here too. Perhaps because of those memories resurfacing, Kai’s heartbeat started to quicken. He walked for a bit, lost in those thoughts.

“

Hmm.

”

Arriving at the Church of Muldine’s temple, Kai hid himself in a nearby bush. Around the temple, the church’s followers were busily moving about.

“As expected.”

This location had already been discovered by him and Yoo Ha-Rin. Knowing the nature of the Church of Muldine, they would never leave such a trail exposed.

Even so, they’ve sent people back here to maintain it.

Actions betrayed intentions. From that, Kai could read the thoughts of the church’s brains.

There must be a special reason they can’t abandon this site.’

As Kai parted the bushes and stepped out, a heavy silence settled like twilight. The clerics and dark knights who had been busy around the temple all froze on the spot. Only their shallow breathing could be heard throughout the forest, and Kai’s gaze drifted from left to right. At the same time, the attack began. A sword so free it required no stance, no buildup, no signal. Formless Sword.

The dark knight at the very front reached for his neck, unable to react at all.

“

Huh

...

?

Why is there blood...?

Huh?

It’s hot? Why...?”

Thud!

With the blade so fast it didn’t even inform its target of death, the dark knight hadn’t even realized he had been struck right up to the moment of death.

As their comrade collapsed, all eyes turned to Kai.

“

Hm

.”

Kai still had his hands behind his back so their thoughts were obvious.

“A-ambush...!”

“It’s an attack! Kai has come with his army!”

“

Heh.

”

Their reaction was exactly what he had expected. Their swift but disordered movements made it clear they were already panicking.

I have no army. A brief moment of chaos is more than enough.

He didn’t need much time. Just a little. Just a moment. Kai said nothing as he watched them and slowly took a step forward.

An inquisitor who seemed to hold a high rank raised his iron mace and shouted, “Dark knights, stop him at all costs! Prioritize evacuating the documents and the Great High Priest!”

In that moment a hot breath swept past his side.

Hot wind...? This is a forest... and in the Dark Zone...

Sensing danger, the inquisitor swung his mace without even turning to look, and it was the right move. If this were a multiple-choice question, he picked the correct answer.

“However... life isn’t a multiple-choice test,” Kai muttered as he casually caught the mace bigger than his own head with one hand.

His grip alone split the mace down the middle, shattering it into countless pieces.

“Even the right answer means nothing if you don’t have the strength to back it up.”

Kai locked eyes with the terrified eyes behind the inquisitor’s helmet.

“Isn’t that the path the Church of Muldine chose? Using overwhelming strength to trample the weak?”

The Holy Sword formed in the air, radiating bright light, and pierced the inquisitor’s neck.

“So now... I’m going to try that path too.”

It took just two seconds for the level 455 inquisitor to fall.