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Chapter 08 …
The Ether Blade is the symbol and alter ego of an Awakened individual.
In the first place, it is not a mere object—it can be regarded as a living being.
Even if it is destroyed, it regenerates after a certain period of time. It can also be temporarily taken away, but after a few days it always returns to its rightful owner. That is the nature of an Ether Blade.
In that sense, the Ether Blade of a dead person is nothing more than useless trash.
Once the owner dies, the Ether Blade completes its purpose, and it cannot be reused. There is no reason to care about it, since it disappears after 49 hours anyway.
There was a reason why Western countries called the Ether Blade a “Soul Calibur.”
So the fact that such an Ether Blade had been absorbed into a card was extremely shocking.
[Dusky Blade]
Equipment Card
★★
A looted dagger.
“…This works?”
I wasn’t the only one shocked.
“What the hell is this?”
Choi Yura asked me.
“Did it absorb an Ether Blade? This card?”
“Seems like it.”
“That’s insane.”
Choi Yura stared at it in disbelief, as if she couldn’t trust what she was seeing.
“How is that even possible?”
“How would I know? I just awakened.”
“Then… can you use it?”
“Hold on.”
At Choi Yura’s question, I examined the card that had changed from [Loot] into [Dusky Blade].
Swoooosh!
The card glowed, then transformed into the shape of a dagger.
“……!”
We were both shocked.
“You’re saying you can use the Ether Blade of the dead? You?”
“That’s something we’ll only know after 49 hours. It might disappear.”
“True.”
Choi Yura nodded.
“Try picking everything up for now.”
“Move fast. We really don’t have time.”
“Got it.”
I moved as quickly as possible and looted the Ether Blades scattered around the wreckers.
In total, eleven Ether Blades were absorbed into cards and drawn into the [Infinite Deck].
‘So this is what they meant by Collector of Madness.’
But there was no time to think deeply about it.
Swoooosh—BOOM!
A sound slicing through the air came from afar, and a shell landed near a children’s playground.
It seemed we had wasted too much time.
“Run!”
Choi Yura shouted.
“Shit!”
We ran with everything we had.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The impact points of the artillery were getting closer and closer.
‘We’re screwed.’
As she said, we had awakened—only to be on the verge of being blown to pieces.
We were close to the safe zone, but due to the spatial shift, the terrain had turned into rough mountainous ground, slowing us down.
Swoooosh!
“……!”
From the [Infinite Deck] hanging at my waist, a card slipped out on its own.
[Search]
Magic Card
★
Scans the surrounding area.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the card.
Swoooosh!
A change occurred in my vision, and information about the surrounding terrain was directly implanted into my mind.
‘This way!’
I knew what to do.
“Over here!”
I changed direction and ran.
“Where are you going, you crazy bastard!”
“Shut up and follow me!”
“If I die, I swear I’ll kill you!”
What are you going to do if you die?
Come back like me as a regressor?
Ignoring Choi Yura’s threats, I kept running.
Then we saw it.
Several mountain motorcycles and a so-called “Sabari” four-wheel ATV parked nearby.
They clearly belonged to the wreckers we had killed.
“Everyone, get on!”
I shouted while getting on a mountain motorcycle.
Doo-hyun also got on one like me, and the uncle placed his injured wife on the ATV.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get on!”
Vroom!
I started the engine and shouted at Choi Yura.
“Hey! What are you doing! Get on and let’s go!”
“……”
“Hey!”
Despite my repeated shouting, Choi Yura just stood in front of the motorcycle like a statue.
“Don’t tell me… you can’t ride a motorcycle?”
“Sh-shut up!”
Choi Yura screamed.
“Wow, this is incredible. How can you not ride a motorcycle?”
“Shut up! I said shut up!”
Wow. This is headline-worthy.
A hunter—more specifically, a 4-star hunter like Choi Yura—can’t ride a motorcycle?
For normal people it might be understandable, but for hunters, motorcycle riding is basic survival skill.
That’s why wreckers always used motorcycles.
“Get on!”
“……”
“Get on! Hurry!”
“O-okay…”
Choi Yura finally got on behind me hesitantly.
“Let’s go!”
VROOOOM!
The motorcycle shot forward violently the moment I twisted the throttle.
“Ugh!”
From behind me, Choi Yura wrapped her arms tightly around my waist.
I ignored the strange sensation from my back.
Vroom, vroom, VROOOOOM!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
We raced through the bombardment zone on the motorcycle.
Thanks to the wreckers’ abandoned vehicles, we managed to escape the dimensional zone safely.
“Thank you, really thank you. Please contact us later.”
“We’re truly grateful. Thank you so much. We’ll repay you someday.”
The couple kept thanking us before heading to the hospital.
“Good work.”
“You too, hyung.”
Doo-hyun looked half-dead.
I understood.
Even experienced hunters would be shaken after fighting wreckers and escaping artillery fire on a motorcycle.
“Thanks. You saved us.”
“No problem.”
Choi Yura shrugged.
“Oh, and you should get a motorcycle license while you still can.”
“T-that…”
“What kind of hunter can’t ride a motorcycle? And a 4-star one at that? How did you even survive until now?”
“……Shut up.”
Choi Yura glared at me fiercely.
She seemed genuinely angry, so I decided not to mention motorcycles anymore.
I did have some sense.
“Where to now?”
Choi Yura asked.
“Well… we should probably rest somewhere like a motel. I’ve got no home anymore.”
I looked toward the apartment complex with a bitter smile.
The place that used to be our home had been reduced to ruins by bombardment.
For the next few months, until temporary housing was provided, we’d probably be living in refugee tents.
“I see. If you need help, tell me. I don’t like owing debts.”
“That’s appreciated. Oh, right—there’s something I want to ask.”
“What?”
“I want you to keep what you saw about me a secret.”
“What part?”
“All of it.”
The world was highly interested in newly awakened individuals.
Whenever someone awakened, the government and media would swarm them, asking questions and making life complicated.
“Are you planning to stay an unregistered awakened?”
An unregistered awakened refers to someone who hides their status and lives without registering.
Some do it to avoid responsibilities and obligations imposed on awakened individuals, others because they don’t want the hassle.
There were also criminals like wreckers who deliberately hid themselves.
And these types were usually extremes—either extremely strong or completely insignificant.
“If I wanted that, I wouldn’t have let anyone speak.”
“Hm.”
“I just don’t want the trouble, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about it.”
“What if I do?”
Choi Yura said provocatively.
It sounded like a joke, but I wasn’t joking about this.
“Then I have no choice but to expose your identity too.”
“……?”
“If the Godfather finds out who Choi Yura is, I’m sure he’ll be very pleased. Or should I call you Lee Dahee?”
Crack!
Choi Yura grabbed my collar.
“You… what are you?”
She growled.
“What are you? How do you know that?”
“Let go.”
“Answer me.”
“I said let go.”
I gave a cold smile.
“If I wanted to expose you, I would’ve reported you to the Incheon Alliance long ago. Think.”
“That…”
“I know you’re short-tempered, but you should pick your targets. We were just comrades who saved each other’s lives.”
The strength in her grip slowly loosened.
“Tell me. How do you know?”
“I’ll contact you soon. Wait.”
“Now.”
“That’s difficult. My family’s here.”
I nodded toward a direction.
There stood my father, mother, and younger sister, wandering around in a half-dazed state.
“Take it.”
“I should, of course. We’ll be seeing each other often anyway.”
I entered my number into Choi Yura’s phone.
Call sign: Godfather.
Incheon Alliance.
And Lee Dahee.
These were magic commands capable of controlling 4-star hunter Choi Yura.
There were many other ways to influence her too.
“Where are you going next? Are you entering the gate?”
After reducing the monster population through bombardment, hunters would now enter to clear the dungeon.
I remembered that it was not a particularly difficult dungeon.
“No. I’m resting.”
Choi Yura answered stiffly.
“I didn’t come here to clear the dungeon in the first place.”
So she had come to kill the wreckers from the start.
Saving us had been incidental.
‘Yeah… I figured.’
Understanding her circumstances, I nodded inwardly.
“Contact me. Don’t forget.”
“I will. You gave me your number.”
“Then do it quickly. I hate waiting.”
With that, Choi Yura left the scene in a illegally parked Lamborghini.
VROOOOOM!!!
The V12 engine roared like a scream.
Ugh, my ears.
In an instant, she disappeared from sight.
A hunter who can’t ride a motorcycle but drives like that.
I shook my head and turned toward my family.
As soon as I reunited with my family, my father interrogated me.
“So you’re saying you had a prophetic dream?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“Hah.”
My father looked confused about whether to believe it or not.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You should’ve discussed it.”
“If I had told you, would you have believed me?”
“You’d have called it nonsense.”
My father admitted it honestly.
“See?”
“Hmm.”
He sighed but didn’t press further.
“Fine, I’ll believe you for now. We’ll talk later.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I have to. It’s my job.”
Since hunters couldn’t handle the remaining monsters after bombardment, the military and police took over cleanup.
My father was a regional defense commander, so it was only natural he’d join the operation.
“Hmph, this thing’s heavy now.”
He picked up his machine gun and grumbled.
“Take care of your mother and Eunha.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
Even though it was just cleanup, it was still extremely dangerous for a non-awakened person to face monsters.
But my father never hesitated or showed fear when carrying out his duties.
And I… respected him for that.
