The Hunter Who Does Not Age Is So Strong - Chapter 40

Sword Phantom

“…”

Warg was following Kim Bongpal with a bewildered expression. He had changed into his wolf form and was running with Maya on his back. He tied her on with a strong made of mana, so he didn’t have to worry about going fast…but he couldn’t help the pang of fear every time she jostled.

“Uhmm….”

This was Maya. It was a fact that he didn’t want to believe, but at the same time, it was a fact that he had no choice but to admit it. It was because wolves had a superior sense of smell even to dogs, and Warg’s sense of smell, which was several times better than an ordinary wolf, was telling him that.

“Ugh!”

Warg cried out a little at the absurdity of the situation.

Anyway, it was a bit of a funny sight. A young man riding Phantom Horse, and the wolf chasing him with a small supernatural being tied to it. Off they rode to the city of Purple Clouds.

 * * *

“Oh, my.”

The first place Kim Bongpal visited was the Frail Night Sect to drop off the sleeping Maya with Young-no. He tried to wake her up several times after arriving in the city, but to no avail.

“Did your party increase by one person?”

Young-no asked, looking at Warg standing next to Kim Bongpal. Of course, she didn’t ask because she didn’t know who Warg was, and she even knew about the clash between them the day before. She just expressed a little surprise that Warg was next to Kim Bongpal, a day after he said he would find the Shadowless Squad.

“Uhm, well. Whatever. Just take a look at her.”

At Kim Bongpal’s prompting, Young-no’s eyes turned to Maya. And the Lesser Dragon immediately noticed Maya’s current state.

“This…? Aah.”

Then she nodded and took the sleeping Maya from Warg. Kim Bongpal flinched.

“Is it serious?”

He asked.

He didn’t know how she did it, but Maya showed the power she had lost. It was natural for a considerable rebound to hit her. However.

“Yes?”

Rather, Young-no asked back with an expression that said she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“What?”

Young-no smiled a little before continuing.

“Haha. Well, it’s indeed serious, right? If Maya is such a sleepyhead, the journey ahead will be tough.”

“…?”

Sleepy—what? This time, Kim Bongpal wore a similarly dumbfounded expression to Warg’s earlier.

“There is nothing wrong with her body, and her supernatural force is also normal.”

“Uhm.”

“She’s even talking in her sleep, and she is just sleeping. Isn’t that why you brought her here in the first place?”

The conversation went out of focus.

“…”

After a brief silence, Kim Bongpal succeeded in understanding the current situation. In other words, there was no particular reason why Maya wouldn’t wake up other than she was in a deep sleep.

…Originally, Kim Bongpal’s prediction would have been correct. As he first thought, a great burden was placed on Maya’s body after returning to her former state. But somehow, her physical condition was completely normal. Because of that, Young-no was unaware that Maya had used her former powers.

Of course, there was another thing to be pointed out, a peculiarity that Young-no could only vaguely notice because she knew what kind of supernatural being Maya and her mother were. However, she dismissed it as something she’d seen wrong.

‘Thinking of the current Maya…it’s impossible.’

So Young-no didn’t bother to mention it to Kim Bongpal. Anyway, she continued to explain.

“Ah. You didn’t know? Among supernatural beings, some use their powers too much and make up for them by sleeping. Think like how animals hibernate.”

Kim Bongpal slowly nodded.

‘Damn it. So she was just sleeping?’

To be honest, he was worried. Kim Bongpal hadn’t known her for long, but she was nonetheless the one with whom he built the deepest ties in the Shire. Besides, that was combined with the feeling of being indebted to her following the battle with the Monstrous Immortal.

But she was just asleep? Kim Bongpal struggled to resist a rising impulse. According to his heart, he wanted to hit her as he did to Warg earlier, but Maya wasn’t someone that could withstand that.

In the end, Kim Bongpal turned to the pushover Warg instead.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“Your father is a mixed-race of Lycanthrope and Wolf Demon or something, right? So you are the same, aren’t you?”

“Yes! That’s right. My mother is a Wolf Demon, so my Wolf Demon blood is thicker than my father….”

He didn’t know why Kim Bongpal was asking this in the current situation, but Warg answered with sincerity. As he saw from their last meeting, that was the safest option.

Kim Bongpal interrupted Warg and asked again.

“…Then did you know? That she was just sleeping?”

Warg felt uneasy about this question. Of course, he couldn’t help but answer.

“R-right.”

As Warg expected.

Tack-!

“Ugh!”

Warg was hit again. However, this time, it was a finger flick, not a punch. Thankfully he didn’t bite his tongue. However, it was just as painful.

“Tsk. Anyway, take her with you. I’m going somewhere.”

“Yes.”

Kim Bongpal, glancing at Maya for a moment, turned around and said so.

‘Fuck. I thought she had lost consciousness because she used her power.’

Anyway, it was a relief. It might be upsetting she was only sleepy, but that meant she was in good shape.

‘Still, I received a lot of help, so I feel uncomfortable about it.’

Kim Bongpal rationalized his worries like that again.

 * * *

Warg guided Kim Bongpal to his house. As they entered, the fishy scent of blood filled the air. Ignoring the werewolf’s attempts at guidance, Kim Bongpal followed the smell of blood. Soon he found the few remaining Shadowless Squad members, still unconscious, and Tearing Wind Sword.

“Ah, Sword Phantom.”

Tearing Wind Sword approached Kim Bongpal with a smile. His eyes flicked to Warg behind him.

“B-Brother Warg…you’re here, too?”

“Brother?”

“Yes. He told me how old he is….”

“What are you talking about? You’re fifty years old.”

“Yes? What are you…?!”

At Kim Bongpal’s words, Tearing Wind Sword’s eyes widened. However, Tearing Wind Sword was someone who knew him best among those present here.

“…Ah! You’re right! I am fifty years old! Hmm, and Warg is forty-nine years old.”

Kim Bongpal couldn’t help but smile at that reaction. As expected, he picked a good martial arts teacher. He was sorry for Warg, but especially for this reason, Tearing Wind Sword was superior to Kim Bongpal’s standards.

Warg groaned, and Tearing Wind Sword looked on with a bitter smile. There was nothing either of them could do.

“Where did Maya go?”

“Huh. She’s sleeping. Oh right. Tearing Mind, shall I show you something strange?”

“Yes?”

Tearing Wind Sword replied faintly to Kim Bongpal’s sudden question.

Swoosh-

“…?!”

Tearing Wind Sword felt his jaw drop, and Warg looked much the same.

“What do you think? Isn’t it cool?”

Tearing Wind Sword couldn’t say anything to that question. The result of Kim Bongpal’s slash was shocking, and it bypassed space to reach far away, so there was only one conclusion he could reach.

This person who used mana in his sword instead of Sword Force until a couple weeks ago had reached Transcendence.

“W-what the hell happened to you in the meantime? Did you somehow attain enlightenment?”

Tearing Wind Sword asked.

No. No matter how talented he was, it would be too amazing. How could he cross the wall that quickly? Such questions consumed his mind, but Tearing Wind Sword had no choice but to set them aside to ask Kim Bongpal.

He had become a Master who couldn’t be compared with him. This was to find a clue to elevate his status, which had stagnated for several years.

“Enlightenment?”

“Yes. It’s the deep stuff you need to get over the wall.”

“I don’t know. It may or may not be so, but I think it’s still a little lacking…well, anyway.”

However, Tearing Wind Sword couldn’t help but spit out curses inside at what followed.

“It’s just because I fought against a strong guy, right?”

 * * *

The strong guy that Kim Bongpal fought against was the Monstrous Immortal, and the injured people he’d been caring for so far were actually the Shadowless Squad of the Celestial Demon Cult. While Tearing Wind Sword was startled by the shocking news-

“Uh…ugh.”

One of the Shadowless Squad members returned to his senses, and it was the Captain.

“Thank you for saving our lives. May I know your name?”

The Captain of Shadowless Squad asked Kim Bongpal, his eyes filled with respect. He lost consciousness in the middle of it, but the Captain of the Shadowless Squad watched the fierce battle between Kim Bongpal and the Monstrous Immortal. This was the man who suddenly appeared and ran into the Monstrous Immortal.

And…the man who survived against the Monstrous Immortal and saved them. In other words, this was someone who had crossed a wall that deserved respect.

“Me? I’m Kim Bongpal.”

“Huh…i-it’s a great name that suits you, Savior.”

“Damn it. Enough with the flattery. Who are you?”

The Captain of Shadowless Squad paused for a moment at the sudden question. It was an old habit. When they went on a mission, they should not reveal their identities no matter what.

But this time was a little different. The Divine Lady who gave their orders said there was no need to hide their identity or purpose in this mission.

“My name is Xi Wu-han, the Captain of the Shadowless Squad under the Celestial Demon Cult.”

“Oh. So you are the Captain? Good. Are you saying you’re the boss of these guys here?”

Boss? It was a difficult word to understand, but Xi Wu-han looked around and answered.

“Yes. That’s right.”

As for the language he spoke, their Savior wasn’t from Moorim. Xi Wu-han couldn’t believe he showed such great martial arts, but he was truly a great man. With that thought in mind, Xi Wu-han gazed on with admiration.

Kim Bongpal smiled.

“Great. Right. There is no need to ask a lot of people.”

“Yes?”

“Here is the first question.”

“…?”

Xi Wu-han realized that something was wrong with the flow of the conversation. Did the Savior have a purpose in saving them? If so, debt was a debt.

Xi Wu-han was thinking of answering as best as he could.

“First, why are you here?”

It was a question he could answer without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’m here to find the Sword Phantom who killed Blood Master Shi Wu-yuan.”

Xi Wu-han replied so.