The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 162

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – 162

The Returnee (5)

Yuseongwoo had no intention of killing Shin Changsoo himself.

Although he was someone he would have to kill someday, he planned to leave that task to the four others.

But unexpectedly, Shin Changsoo bypassed the four and flew directly towards him.

It seemed he knew exactly who he needed to eliminate to escape the situation.

‘After getting beaten like that, doesn’t he still realize it won’t work?’

However, even if his assessment was correct, his choice was disastrous.

The result would inevitably be the worst.

He met the eyes of Shin Changsoo, who was hurtling towards him like a streak of light.

Those eyes, filled with murderous intent and dark magic, were repulsive to look at.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine how many hearts Shin Changsoo had devoured.

Yuseongwoo drew Ilsaeng. The red blade, which he had kept sheathed until now, revealed itself, gleaming sharply.

“Don’t regret this.”

A red aura, dwarfing Shin Changsoo’s crimson aura, erupted from Yuseongwoo.

A flash of sword light.

The momentary burst of red light enveloped everything.

Only after blinding everyone present did the red light subside.

Sunlight poured down from the sky.

A long line had been carved into the dark sky, splitting the storm clouds.

The cause was undoubtedly Yuseongwoo’s strike.

And Shin Changsoo’s body, which had been swooping down like a hawk, was now a tattered mess, rolling across the ground.

Yuseongwoo, after sheathing Ilsaeng, approached Shin Changsoo, who was struggling to breathe.

Sword wounds covered his entire body.

It was a truly foolish act.

It was the end for someone who had failed to grasp the difference in power, even after such a beating.

“Hey.”

Yuseongwoo kicked him over, revealing Shin Changsoo’s face.

He was crying.

Tears streamed down his face as he whispered.

“Mom, Dad… Hic… I, I just wanted to see my family…”

Seventeen.

That was the age Shin Changsoo was taken to another world.

According to the stories Yuseongwoo had heard, Shin Changsoo was a quiet and ordinary high school student.

A high school student who enjoyed listening to music or reading in the corner of the classroom, or chatting about trivial things with his friends.

To suddenly be thrust into another world at that age, it was a miracle he survived and returned.

There must have been countless hardships in that process….

Shin Changsoo’s voice sounded pathetic. The treatment he received on Earth after suffering so much was to be branded a monster.

It was unfair, so unfair.

He wouldn’t even be able to die in peace.

‘If he hadn’t killed people as soon as he came back, he could have lived a normal life.’

It must have been the influence of the dark magic.

The power accumulated through impure methods corrupts the mind.

He couldn’t endure the unstable mental state, and he snapped.

‘I don’t really understand why he wanted to become king, though….’

The motivations of a twisted mind are hard to fathom.

Yuseongwoo clicked his tongue and, covering his hand with aura, slit Shin Changsoo’s throat.

The precise strike severed his neck, ending his life.

Dark magic poured out of Shin Changsoo’s body, soaring into the air and dissipating.

Yuseongwoo waved his hand to erase even the remnants of the dark magic and clicked his tongue.

Then, he looked at the four and said.

“Let’s go. Is there a good bar nearby?”

“I know one.”

Choi Ayeon, who had regained her senses, quickly raised her hand.

The best way to get rid of this foul feeling is to eat something.

Just when it seemed the returnee commotion was coming to an end, Yuseongwoo frowned and looked back.

Shin Changsoo was standing there.

The corpse of the Shin Changsoo he had just killed was lying on the ground, so it wasn’t a resurrection or anything like that.

‘A second one?’

A second Shin Changsoo.

Sensing the strangeness, Yuseongwoo immediately drew Ilsaeng, and the suddenly appearing Shin Changsoo muttered as he looked at his own corpse.

“W-What is this? What is this?! What is this!”

Then, an explosion.

The dark magic that erupted from his entire body once again covered the sky, blocking the sunlight.

Yuseongwoo immediately swung Ilsaeng, severing Shin Changsoo’s neck before he could react.

The second Shin Changsoo’s corpse rolled on the ground.

“Damn it, what is this now?”

Even if one could be considered a genuine returnee, two was impossible.

Yuseongwoo looked around to assess the situation.

Nothing seemed out of place.

He didn’t let his guard down and shouted.

“Be vigilant! And tell the mages to strengthen the barrier! Bring Jeanne too!”

He needed someone who could thoroughly analyze this situation.

Jeanne was the most outstanding mage in the country right now, so he called her in.

Just as Yuseongwoo was beheading the third and fourth Shin Changsoo, Jeanne rushed in, panting.

“You called?!”

“Yes, I did. But who did you bring with you?”

Yuseongwoo glanced at the person floating on a broom behind Jeanne and continued.

“No, that’s not important right now. Anyway, we have a situation where crazy returnees are returning continuously. Is there any magical explanation for this phenomenon?”

“Returnees are returning continuously? What are you talking about?”

“Look.”

Yuseongwoo pointed to the corpses on the ground with the tip of his sword.

All corpses with the same face.

Jeanne immediately understood.

The same returnee returning to the same place repeatedly.

Normally, it would be impossible.

Because there should only be one returnee.

“It seems to be a high-level power or magic that manipulates space-time, but do you have any idea?”

“W-Wait a minute, this is a phenomenon I’m seeing for the first time, so….”

“I think I can help with that.”

“You can help?”

The woman next to Jeanne, still floating in the air on a broom, spoke.

The witch from the Witch Council nodded slightly and said.

“A phenomenon where returnees who have gone to other dimensions are constantly being duplicated and returning… Let’s call it the returnee duplication phenomenon for now. One thing that seems certain is that two people don’t seem to be returning at the same time, right?”

“Yes. They are returning one by one.”

“Then it seems that someone has fixed the timeline of the world where the returnee originated. Quite deliberately.”

“Fixed the timeline?”

“Time flows. That is the natural order. But that world is likely being constantly ‘rewound.’ Specifically, the short moment when they return from that world to Earth is constantly repeating.”

“Complicated.”

“And the trigger for that rewind is probably the death of the returnee who crossed over to Earth.”

“When the guy who crossed over to Earth dies, a new guy appears.”

Yuseongwoo clicked his tongue.

Then, this incident wouldn’t be resolved by continuing to kill Shin Changsoo.

He said, beheading the newly returned Shin Changsoo without even looking at him.

“It would be a big burden on that side to keep rewinding an existence with this much power, right?”

“They’re probably using tricks. They’re likely borrowing power from somewhere other than their own. Like the power of that world itself.”

“I see. Then we need to think about the purpose and solution, not just the method. When this guy dies, another guy comes. To prevent that….”

“Two or more of the same existence cannot exist in one world. It’s a problem that will be solved if you don’t kill the next returnee.”

“But not killing him is a big risk. He’s a dangerous guy who could go berserk at any time.”

“I think I can help with that too.”

“In what way?”

“I also practice a little mental magic… How about turning his brain completely blank?”

“A witch is a witch.”

The nameless witch smiled slightly.

It wasn’t a bad method. If he was made completely idiotic, he wouldn’t even be able to control his body properly, but….

It could be a dangerous choice. It would be like handing a demon sword to a child who knows nothing.

A wrong choice would surely create pure evil.

“What about sealing him?”

“That’s a good choice too.”

“Then prepare the seal. I’ll knock him out the moment he appears. Proceed with the seal accordingly. You can use the mages as you please.”

“Did you hear that? Jeanne.”

“Are you passing it on to me?!”

“Passing it on? Sealing is not my specialty. It’s similar to sealing a black magician with dark magic, so the Anti-Demon Sealing Formation will be enough.”

A witch who claims sealing isn’t her specialty, but even explains in detail which sealing formation to use.

Jeanne grumbled, but gathered the mages and drew the magic circle according to her instructions.

“That child has changed a lot too. She used to be so blunt and boring, but now it’s fun to tease her.”

“Is that so.”

“Maybe it’s because of you? She’s become a lot softer.”

“She’s been a noisy kid to me from the start.”

Suddenly barging in and not kneeling [a sign of respect].

It’s been quite a while since I met Jeanne, one way or another.

“But, aren’t you curious about me? Judging by the fact that you don’t even ask my name.”

“I’ll listen if you tell me.”

“One of the twelve elders of the Witch Council, the Crimson Witch, Bathory. Have you forgotten me?”

“I don’t remember.”

I think she was there when I went to meet the Witch Council before.

It was quite a long time ago, so my memory is hazy.

“But the elder who came to Korea was Alchemy, not Crimson.”

The Witch of Alchemy, Kali.

She was an elder of the Witch Council who came to Korea with Jeanne.

She spends more than 15 hours a day sleeping and often imparts knowledge to the alchemists and researchers at Meteo Industries’ laboratory.

But, an unexpected third elder was here.

“What brings you to Korea?”

“Rather than something specific, I just wanted to see the faces of my old friends. Both Holy War [Yuseongwoo’s nickname] and Alchemy are my old friends.”

“Don’t play innocent. Your face is gleaming with desire.”

“I tried to make a polite remark, but it seems it didn’t work.”

The Crimson Witch, Bathory, looked at Yuseongwoo, gave a gentle smile, and continued.

“It’s a message from the Witch Council. They’ve identified the location of the new Ascender [a powerful being], so they want to cooperate.”

“Are you involved in that too?”

“Yes. The Ascender we need to catch this time is someone I’m also related to.”

Bathory’s eyes flickered with murderous intent as she said that.

Yuseongwoo clicked his tongue at her murderous intent and replied.

“Is that so. Then I’ll have to use you even more from now on.”

“You’re not saying you won’t do it?”

“They’re guys I have to kill anyway, so it’s more convenient to kill them when I know their location.”

Besides, there were still many things to solve.