The World’s Greatest is Dead

—

Shiiik-!

Even on a rainy day, flashes of light kept slicing through the air.

The blue light spread like branches, sweeping all around, and the harsh flickers split even the rain.

“Hup!”

A young man took a deep breath and gripped his sword tighter. As he fixed his stance, two flashes of light emanated.

Sshik-! Sshik-!

Two warriors standing in front were slashed and fell.

The sword was incredibly fast. Normally, such speed would have been surprising, but the young man was already on the move, stepping forward.

“D-Damn it-!”

A cursing warrior was decapitated.

“Curse it all-! Fight back!”

Another warrior, trying to respond, soon drew his last breath as well.

There weren’t many of them. At most, there might have been ten, but for two people to face so many was a bit much.

No, to be precise.

‘… He’s facing them alone.’

Chun Uijin swallowed his words as he watched Do Hyung roam the battlefield.

Chun Uijin had also dealt with a few, but this was on a whole different level.

‘So, this is the Small Moon Division…’

The Small Moon Division, known as the elite unit of the Blue Moon Sect.

Do Hyung, the youngest among them, had incredibly sharp skills that lived up to that reputation.

“S-Save me-!”

“This isn’t-!”

Enemies trembled and tried to flee before Do Hyung’s strength.

In those moments, Do Hyung didn’t let them escape, and Chun Uijin continuously wielded his sword.

* * *

After exterminating every last one of them.

“… Hoo.”

Chun Uijin exhaled deeply, as if exhausted. He was indeed tired.

How many had survived that tight spot?

As he moved another corpse, Chun Uijin spoke.

They were now moving the dead in the village, gathering them in the center one by one.

They couldn’t just leave them scattered.

“Senior Brother, what on earth has happened here?”

Chun Uijin kept speaking as he continued tidying up.

A sudden battle right upon arrival.

It wasn’t even the mission they were supposed to undertake.

Their mission was surely just to deliver something safely, but they got entangled in this strange matter. He never imagined this before leaving.

Moreover,

“They’re too skilled to be mere bandits.”

To call it just a simple ambush wasn’t accurate; these were clearly warriors with inner qi.

Although not of the highest level, they were still warriors.

And a group of warriors at that. Could this be considered a simple matter?

Chun Uijin didn’t think so at all.

Do Hyung also had a similar thought, his face frowning.

Despite the fierce battle, Do Hyung’s breath didn’t falter.

Chun Uijin couldn’t help but admire him at the moment.

“Where is Bang Sung-Yun?”

Do Hyung’s question widened his eyes.

Right. In the heat of battle, he had forgotten.

‘Right… where did Young master Bang go?’

Bang Sung-Yun, who had first discovered this situation, where did he go?

How did he even notice and arrive here first?

Just as Chun Uijin was raising that question.

“There he is.”

Do Hyung spotted something and directed his gaze.

Following Do Hyung’s line of sight, Chun Uijin saw Bang Sung-Yun walking from a distance.

“Young master Bang.”

Chun Uijin greeted Bang Sung-Yun. His eyes soon caught something on Bang Sung-Yun’s back.

He was carrying something. On closer inspection, it was a child.

The problem was that the child had already passed away.

“A child I couldn’t save. I’m bringing him to bury alongside his parents.”

Bang Sung-Yun said, his face hardened.

Do Hyung and Chun Uijin flinched at his words.

As they were about to check other places for any survivors,

“… You don’t have to go.”

Bang Sung-Yun said to the two.

“There will be no survivors now.”

His tone was dry and resolute, filled with certainty that made it unquestionable.

That certainty was so heavy and thick that Do Hyung and Chun Uijin found themselves unable to speak.

* * *

They headed toward the carriage.

Although I had spoken, Do Hyung and Chun Uijin insisted on searching a bit more.

Stopping them was unusual, so I didn’t bother to hold them back.

“… Hoo.”

I sighed deeply.

In the end, I couldn’t save them. This left a considerable heaviness in my gut.

Was it guilt over not saving the child? No, it wasn’t.

It was the fact that I listened to the ghost again and recklessly threw myself into the situation, just like in my past life. That’s what was troubling me.

‘I promised not to do that.’

Trying to live differently from the past life must mean changing this habit, but I couldn’t, like a fool.

As I raised my hand to wipe my slightly damp forehead.

*Vrmm-!*

My hands were trembling.

“…”

I frowned as I looked at them. Why was this happening? After a moment of thought, I realized.

‘Ah.’

Right. I had just killed someone for the first time.

That was why my body was uncontrollably reacting.

I had completely forgotten.

‘In this life, I haven’t killed anyone yet.’

I had forgotten that fact.

“…”

I clenched my fist. The tremor would subside soon enough.

I shook my head and began to walk.

I barely reached my destination.

Ahead, I saw the carriage we had been riding.

I managed to control my expression as I approached it.

Then.

‘… What?’

I had to stop momentarily as I approached the carriage.

‘Why are there so many spirit remnants?’

Spirits had gathered around the carriage. They weren’t there before.

If they had been, I wouldn’t have forgotten them.

“Ah, young hero, you’re back.”

As I cautiously approached the carriage, Chu Dong greeted me. I tried to return the courtesy.

“…!”

I stopped mid-bow to notice something.

It was Chu Dong’s fingers.

‘… What is that?’

His fingers were covered in spirit remnants, clinging persistently.

What was that? How did that happen?

How could one finger be so heavily marked by spirit remnants?

Moreover, ‘It’s not just one spirit remnant.’

It wasn’t the kind of mark a single spirit could make.

There were at least three, maybe four.

A significant number of spirit remnants were present.

Since the Sword Emperor also didn’t have such marks, it must have happened while he was away in the village.

Which meant.

‘… That old man killed someone.’

That was the most logical explanation.

And more than that.

‘He killed them around here.’

The spirits on the ground and on his fingers confirmed it.

That made it even creepier.

‘He killed that many without leaving a single trace.’

It was only visible to me because of the spirit remnants; otherwise, it would have been unthinkable.

It meant the cleanup was immaculate and perfect.

‘It’s true then.’

This old man really was the Sword Emperor.

It was a fleeting certainty. Even if he wasn’t, he wasn’t an ordinary old man either.

I was relieved.

‘I’m glad I was bowing.’

If I had been looking at the old man, my expression would have given me away.

I straightened up, changing my expression.

“I apologize for stopping the carriage suddenly. Something came up.”

“Oh, no need. Important people like yourselves have every right… Ah, but.”

Chu Dong’s eyes fixed on me.

“Is anything the matter?”

“… No, just a bit tired.”

I smiled faintly as I approached the carriage.

I could feel Chu Dong’s gaze, but I ignored it and went inside.

Click.

As soon as the door closed, I closed my eyes for a moment.

It wasn’t a lie. I was truly exhausted.

To the point of wanting to die, even if just for a moment.

* * *

After some time, Chun Uijin and Do Hyung arrived at the carriage. Sensing their arrival, I opened my eyes.

The expressions of the two who appeared weren’t good.

It was only natural, given the sudden battle and the not-so-good reason behind it.

“We don’t have a carrier pigeon to report directly. We need to stop by a town to contact the Murim Alliance.”

Said Chun Uijin.

It was the obvious course of action. The village was so remote that we needed to move a bit to report our situation.

“Should we stop by a nearby town?”

“If possible. It does involve the Evil Faction after all.”

As I spoke, Chun Uijin and Do Hyung looked at me.

“… What?”

Why were they looking at me?

What did they expect me to do?

As I gave them a puzzled look, Do Hyung asked me.

“Bang Sung-Yun. What do you think?”

“Huh?”

I answered Do Hyung’s question in disbelief.

“… Didn’t you just decide?”

Going to a town to report. As the leader, Do Hyung said so, so we should comply.

I meant as much when I spoke, and Do Hyung’s eyes widened slightly.

“Oh.”

Why were they so surprised…?

It seemed like they had just realized they were in charge.

“Senior…?”

“Go.”

It was an order given much too late.

“Then, should we head to the nearby town first?”

Chu Dong spoke after hearing my words.

“Yes, please head to where the Murim Alliance branch is located.”

“Alright, understood. We’ll depart immediately.”

After hearing Chun Uijin’s response, Chu Dong began to make preparations to move.

“By the way, what on earth happened?”

Chun Uijin took the chance to speak.

“It doesn’t seem like a simple bandit attack, so I wonder who did this and for what reason.”

Do Hyung nodded.

Who and why.

This was what they were curious about.

Listening to them, I asked,

“You two.”

I raised a question to the two of them.

“Do you by any chance know about Broken Heaven Palace?”

Clank-!

The carriage jolted into motion with a thud.

However, it was shaking more roughly than usual.

“Broken Heaven Palace… are you referring to that?”

Chun Uijin looked at Do Hyung. His expression seemed to ask if he knew anything about it.

“I don’t know.”

Do Hyung shook his head as if hearing the name for the first time.

“Really?”

I nodded. It seemed they really didn’t know, but I hadn’t expected them to.

If they knew, good; if they didn’t, fine. That was about the extent of it.

‘They don’t seem like completely clueless individuals though…’

My instincts told me that.

As Do Hyung mentioned, it was definitely related to the Evil Faction, but it was peculiar to consider it just a simple rampage.

Also, ‘What could it be?’

Without turning my head, I glanced at the Sword Emperor sideways.

That reaction just now.

His slight fidget when the Broken Heaven Palace was mentioned was curious.

‘Does he know?’

Could the Sword Emperor be aware of something?

That would mean Broken Heaven Palace was famous or dangerous enough for the Sword Emperor to know about.

‘… Not good.’

What business would such a group have in decimating this rural village?

It bothered me greatly.

‘Even if it’s far, there’s a town nearby and Sichuan is not far off.’

It was a locale too ambiguous to cause trouble.

If they knew this, yet still did it, then…

‘They were confident they wouldn’t be caught.’

Or,

‘They had the power to not care if they were caught.’

It had to be one of these two.

‘The fact that they were taken down by Chun Uijin and Do Hyung means they weren’t that strong.’

Even though Do Hyung was from the Small Moon Division and quite strong.

So what reason could have driven them to mess with such a small village despite these complications?

“…”

Thinking of that, it became a bit clearer.

I had already been told directly.

‘Pa… Pacheon… Palace…’

‘Po… Poison Sovereign’s… Vault…’

“…”

These were what the man who begged to be killed had spit out.

The answer to who they were there. And why they committed such atrocities.

‘… How troublesome.’

It was plainly unusual. It felt like I had heard words I shouldn’t have. Broken Heaven Palace aside…

Poison Sovereign’s Vault.

It bothered me that he mentioned that.

Especially since I was heading towards the Tang family.

‘I hope nothing bad happens and I can avoid getting involved.’

I desperately wished to just finish my business and leave quietly.

While hoping earnestly for that.

“…”

A vague sense of unease continued to linger.

Partly because of the silent old man beside me.

‘Hoo.’

I sighed inwardly and covered my eyes with my hand.

Regardless, I needed a break for now.

Thinking that, I closed my eyes.

But even as I did, my hands continued to tremble.

And through it all, the carriage pressed on through the rain, never ceasing.

* * *

As time passed and the seasons began to change,

“We have arrived.”

We finally reached Sichuan, where the Tang family resided.

TL’s Corner:
Broken Heaven Palace(Pacheon Palace), who’s familiar with that group?