I Pull Out Excalibur

13 – Discord (4)

Alchemist Hakan, real name Hakanthe Canaryell.

She is an alchemist. Not just any alchemist, but an alchemist belonging to the Blood Sect, not the Healing Sect alchemist stirring pots in a room in front of a cauldron.

The Blood Sect.

A sect that deals with alchemy using blood.

Some say this about them: those whose danger flows through them more than blades on their bodies. Hakan, who had heard that story someday, laughed out loud and replied.

Well, that’s an accurate assessment.

Crack.

Hakan scattered my blood.

The blood, once scattered, vaporized upon touching the ground. The concoction Hakan had created served as a sort of doping agent. A doping substance that pushed physical abilities, including strength and reaction speed, to their limits while inducing an excited state.

Administered in advance to the bodies of the addicts, the drugs and doping elements reacted. In the fog filled with doping elements, the eyes of the addicts reddened the moment they breathed.

aaargh!

They screamed and rushed towards Najin, much faster than before.

“I tried to save it…”

Breathing in the mist, Hakan relaxed her body.

The doping substance had no side effects on her, but for others, excluding her, it was nothing short of a double-edged sword. The moment they absorbed it, it brought dramatic enhancement and euphoria, but…

Hakan squinted her eyes, observing the addicts.

A noisy, sticky sound echoed from their bodies. The sound of their bodies starting to break down. That was the side effect of this doping agent. Strengthening accompanied by the deterioration of the body. In a few minutes, they wouldn’t be able to move.

In simple terms, it was meant for a short, decisive battle.

Originally saved for Ivan, it had to be used here now that the boy had revealed his potential. You never knew what variables that boy might introduce. And, ultimately, that judgment was correct.

Bang.

Najin, who had rushed in, swung her sword. The gleaming blade cut through the bodies of three at once. Despite the enhanced physical abilities due to doping, the addicts couldn’t react to Najin’s sword.

As fast as they were due to the drug’s power, Najin was also accelerating with the help of mana.

Still, Najin’s accelerated movements seemed awkward as she weaved through the addicts, wielding her sword. But she slaughtered the addicts at a terrifying speed, moving forward in a zigzag pattern between walls.

Thud.

With each swing of the sword, severed arms and heads fell to the ground. Despite the enhanced physical abilities, the addicts couldn’t react to Najin’s sword.

As they rushed towards her with the power of the drug, Najin, too, was accelerating with the help of mana.

Najin occasionally moved her sword as if she were dancing, but at a terrifying speed, she slaughtered the addicts and advanced. Her movements, zigzagging between walls, seemed as if she were performing a bizarre dance.

Thud.

With each swing of the sword, severed arms and heads fell to the ground. As the ones without heads seemed about to explode, Najin threw them aside and kicked them away. All her movements were surprisingly fast.

When Najin slammed the ground, there was no longer the sound of a dull thud. With a bang, breaking the ground, Najin sprinted.

Graaah!

In response, the addicts threw themselves at Najin without hesitation. Observing the crowd of addicts rushing towards him, Najin leaped backward for the first time.

But it wasn’t a leap to retreat.

Najin’s backward leap, upon landing, dug her foot deep into the ground with a thud. Extending the sword behind her, she slowly exhaled.

“Hoo…”

Najin’s backward movement created a space for a closing attack. The moment the addicts, unaware of this, took a step towards Najin.

Kwaaang!

Najin slammed the ground.

A momentary acceleration, difficult even to follow with the eyes. The white gleam of the sword cut through the alley like a meteor tail. Then, upon reaching the intended target, Najin swung the sword, twisting her waist.

Horizontal slashing is not to be done on narrow alleyways.

However, Nagine’s blade did not bounce off the wall when it hit, but smoothly sank into it. Without any obstruction, the blade emerged from the wall, cutting through it. The cutting power of the sword made Nagine no longer bound by the terrain.

Shwaaah!

The long swung sword cut through all the addicts blocking Nagine’s path. Before their bodies, which were cut and crumbling, even had a chance to tremble, Nagine stomped on the ground and dashed once again.

Quaaang!

A booming sound came from behind.

With the aftermath of the explosion as propulsion, Nagine headed towards Hakkan. The goal was to target Hakkan, the commanding officer. It was the best choice for Nagine.

It was the best choice, but there was one thing Nagine had overlooked.

Nagine did not know about alchemists.

Nagine did not know what the Sen-Xue Clan was.

Nagine did not know how Hakkan fought.

A conclusion drawn from the minimum amount of information.

It may have been the best choice, but it was not right. The moment Nagine tried to swing her sword towards Hakkan, she saw it. Hakkan was smiling at her. It was not a smile that a cornered person would make.

It was the opposite. It was the smile of a hunter who had cornered their prey.

…Sen-Xue Clan.

Those who practiced alchemy using blood as a medium.

There was blood everywhere in this alleyway. The blood shed by dozens of addicts. The blood they splashed everywhere by exploding. The places where Nagine stepped were also filled with blood, and the sword she held was stained red with Sen-Xue blood.

The addicts had ingested the mist and potions made from Hakkan’s blood, so his blood was mixed in with the blood they shed.

Therefore, everything was…

Sen-Xue Clan alchemist Hakkan Te Kanarier had the best catalyst.

Thud.

Hakkan snapped his fingers.

In that moment, the alleyway was dyed crimson. The alchemy Hakkan used, utilizing the blood that covered everywhere, was the most simple yet effective.

Explosion.

Quaaang!

The alleyway shook with a loud noise. The explosion, surpassing the destruction caused by the addicts, swallowed the alleyway whole. The walls crumbled, and the boulders fell to the ground with a thud and a rumble.

Rising dust and hot air.

Hakkan waved his hand to secure his line of sight.

As the dust settled, what revealed itself was the chaotic scene of the alleyway and the sight of a boy thrown outside the alleyway by the shockwave.

“Heo.”

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Hakan burst into a hollow laugh.

Despite being swept by such an explosion, the boy still stood firmly on two feet.

With the sword supporting him, Najin stood tall.

In that brief moment, as if pulling his arm to protect his face, one arm was stretched out, but his face remained unharmed. The eyes, tinged with the glow of sunset, still glared at Hakan.

Chilling eyes.

And they were eyes Hakan had seen before.

Because the knight of Atanga who had pinned him to this city 17 years ago had the exact same eyes. Hakan’s mouth curled up in response to the coldness flowing through his spine.

“Where.”

Hakan gestured.

“Let’s see how much longer you can endure.”

Until you can’t move anymore.

Because he would gouge out those two eyes.

Despite consuming a significant number of addicts, Hakan still had a formidable force. It was a plan he had prepared for a staggering 17 years.

Now, not only behind her, but also from various parts of the city, addicts began to gather towards Najin.

And Najin.

She just tightened her grip on the sword. The aura emanating from Najin’s sword remained undisturbed.

2.

Hakan, who had been smiling at the thought of finishing off the boy and gouging out those unpleasant eyes, suddenly couldn’t smile anymore. Her face began to stiffen.

“What the hell?”

Hakan muttered in disbelief.

He had clearly cornered her.

He used the hidden numbers, depleted her stamina, and intentionally broke one arm in the explosion. Even at a glance, the boy’s body was not normal. He was beaten up enough to collapse at any moment.

But why was he getting faster?

Hakan looked ahead.

Najin was now facing not only the front but also addicts swarming from all directions. Deteriorating situation. A tougher battle due to injuries. However, Najin was moving even faster than before.

The boy, who sometimes awkwardly swung his sword with the accelerated body, was nowhere to be found.

In that brief moment, as if becoming more accustomed to manipulating mana, Najin was actually increasing her speed. She was cutting through the addicts coming from all directions with even faster movements.

‘Ivan, that bastard, what on earth was he hiding?’

This is strange. Too strange.

Is there anyone of that age who can move like this, let alone draw out the sword? Even to Hakan, who was not well versed in the history of swordsmen, this seemed strange.

The battered body of Mansin Chang.

A radiant blade that seemed to shine even more brilliantly in proportion to that body.

The light emanating from the boy’s sword was becoming more intense as time passed, striving to take on the complete form of the blade beyond its scabbard. Hakkan chuckled as he observed this sight.

“Unbelievable.”

That guy is still growing.

The movements, now faster, more concise, and increasingly efficient. The boy carved a path through the followers, and just as Hakkan was about to use blood as an alchemical catalyst, the boy threw himself out of range.

Swish!

Instantly, the boy swung the blade, shaking off the blood that had splattered onto him. Hakkan could only remain silent in the face of the boy’s movements, reacting to alchemy with just one look was not only astonishing but also frightening.

Rapid growth. Excessively so.

Quick adaptation. Almost eerie.

At this rate, he will catch up.

Although he currently held the upper hand, Hakkan was certain that if delayed, the boy would catch up and surpass him. Reluctantly, Hakkan acknowledged this fact.

Shaaark!

The boy’s swung blade cleared a path.

Crimson eyes, glowing eerily in the dimly lit underground city, where shadows lay thick. Although Hakkan had clearly gained the advantage, he began to feel increasingly uneasy.

The situation is starting to tilt.

If this continues…

Crack.

It happened at that moment. In response to a faint noise, Hakkan narrowed his eyes. The sound came from the boy’s swinging blade. Hakkan saw it clearly.

“Aha.”

In that moment, Hakkan burst into laughter.

Because he saw it. The faint crack on the blade swung by the boy. Hakkan had keenly observed how the crack expanded with each swing. It was a forcefully wielded blade.

A blade that had taken the full impact of an explosion.

As a result, the blade had a small blemish, and that blemish had disrupted its balance. If the blade had been swung in the usual way, it might not have mattered, but…

Najin is now withdrawing the blade.

A blade of unstable and raw aura.

The fluctuating aura is devouring the blade. The lifespan of the blade is rapidly diminishing. The boy, who crossed a line and began to run, is growing rapidly, but the growth belongs solely to Najin himself.

Najin is growing.

The blade wielded by Najin cannot keep up with that growth.

Pakang!

In the end, Najin’s sword snapped.

The moment the sword broke, the white gleam that clung to the blade scattered. The shining boy lost his light along with the sword.

“Kill him.”

Hakan gestured.

The addicts rushed toward the boy who had lost his light. The boy’s sunset-colored eyes were obscured by the addicts’ bodies, no longer visible.

3.

The sword broke.

With a broken sword, victory is impossible.

Najin gritted his teeth and rolled his body. He began to run, avoiding the rushing addicts. But there was nowhere to escape. The opium addict Hakan had scattered the addicts all around Ivahn’s territory, and wherever Najin went, they were crawling out.

In the end, he had to fight.

But how?

He needed a weapon. A sturdy weapon that could withstand his sword, one that would never break. The most realistic option that came to mind was Hohgel’s forge.

“Even if the sword is completed, it would be good.”

Even if it wasn’t completed, he might be able to endure by wielding dozens of broken swords in resistance.

“But.”

That’s impossible.

The way to get there is too far, and he can’t break through all those addicts without a weapon. Even now, moving his body without feeling pain, Najin sensed that this wouldn’t last long.

His whole body began to ache slightly.

If he continued like this, he would lose, and losing meant death.

Now that he had just crossed the line and started running, he couldn’t die in a place like this. In his heated mind, Najin searched for a solution.

“Extract it, the sword.”

And.

“You can extract it. Draw the sword.”

There was a ringing voice.

It was the voice that had been tormenting Najin for the past thirteen days. Though Najin had always resigned himself, the desire that he couldn’t let go of until the end echoed in his ears.

…Yes, it does exist.

A sword that will never break.

A legendary sword that can withstand his sword.

“But…”

The garbage in the underground city, like oneself, was something one should never dare to touch. The moment one laid hands on it, death followed. It was an item that must never be grasped. Not to mention having any certainty that it could be pulled out.

One should not tread on the uncertain.

However, it seemed inevitable.

Najin suddenly realized he was running toward the square. The soldiers guarding the sword did not appear to have fled, and amidst the chaos of the torn cloth covering the sword, Excalibur revealed itself completely.

A platinum-shining holy sword.

A star-marked sword with thirteen stars.

The moment Najin faced Excalibur, his pupils were tinted with platinum. Starlight. The boy, who had longed to see that starlight, unintentionally laughed. It was not a scoff or mockery but a pure laughter.

The star he had admired so much.

In the dark underground city, the moment the boy faced the brilliantly shining star, his mind turned pure white. Worries, anxieties, thoughts of taboo, everything cleanly flew away. In the emptied space, pure desire filled the void.

“Since I’m going to die anyway.”

One way or another, he would die.

If not, he would be captured and die by the hands of the addicts.

If he was going to die anyway.

Waiting at the bottom, if he was going to die at the bottom.

“At least I should give it a try.”

Najin slammed the ground.

The boy who started running beyond the line no longer thought about the aftermath. Only looking at the present, Najin ran towards the holy sword.

There was no certainty that he could draw the sword, but…

‘I can draw it.’

No.

There was certainty.

He was certain he could draw the sword.

The intuition that had never betrayed Najin before was shouting. He could draw the sword. Believing in his intuition as always, Najin reached out his hand towards the sword embedded in the rock.

Hakan, who had chased Najin to the square, also witnessed the scene. Seeing the boy reaching out towards Excalibur, Hakan burst into laughter.

Is he cornered in the end?

Even if he’s talented, did he really think he could pull that sword? The Excalibur that hasn’t been drawn for centuries? In the face of the overly arrogant boy, Hakan sneered.

However.

The moment the boy’s hand gripped the holy sword.

Hakan could no longer laugh. The smile that had held mockery disappeared, and her eyes widened in amazement.

Gugu, gugugu…

The solemn sound of bells echoed.

Along with the echoing bell sound, a massive ripple spread from the center of the boy. Those affected by the ripple were pushed back, collapsing, and Hakkan, unable to maintain his balance on the shaking ground, sank to the floor.

Seated on the ground, Hakkan looked.

At the moment the boy’s hand grasped it, the holy sword began to shine. Above all, the legendary sword that began to resonate with a resounding sword cry.

Excalibur.

For centuries, it had not been pulled from the stone, considered only a legend, but now it was being brought into reality by the hands of a single boy.

Clang!

Excalibur began to be pulled from the rock.