Chapter 8

Head's flew everywhere. My blade did not care for what lives it took. Splashes of blood and the sound of heads and bodies hitting the floor where all I could hear. A slash across the stomach as a man fell with his intestines spilling out.

A woman died as she had her head and her heart gouged out, leaving a gaping hole.

[The constellations of the good alignment nod silently at your decision.]

[The constellation "Demon-like Judge of Fire" is asking if it is really worth it?]

"There's no such thing as worth it or not. If I can preserve innocents by having them fear me or detest me. Then that is fine, so long as the outcome is the intended outcome. My wellbeing comes secondary."

[The constellation "Demon-like Judge of Fire" is saddened by your choice but respects it.]

*Cough*

All of a sudden my body seized as blood heaved from my throat. "Curse my weak constitution." My blade spun around as I stabbed behind me straight into a man's neck as he fell deeper into the blade. A flick of the wrist as the blade was freed and the head fell to the earth.

I wiped my blood on his clothes before continuing. One by one, until the pests were exterminated.

~~~~

Interlude- Jung Heewon

My breath felt still as my soul felt like it had been released from shackles. I had killed the man I promised to kill. Yet I had to keep going, I had to get rid of those evil and to protect those who were close to me.

Justice must be served.

Yet... I was not the one doing the most killing. Far in the background heads were flying and bodies were falling. Hearts were being crushed and gouged out while guts were being spilled. All from someone who Dokja had recognised as Okita.

He wasn't killing for justice. No even if everyone else believed that, he clearly didn't. His eyes were sharp and that of a killer who piled up bodies without batting an eye. No remorse and no blinking from the bodies that he left in his wake.

Dozens of people swarmed him. What looked like an impossible situation was overturned instantly as his head tilted to dodge a fatal blow before every head within his range was cut before they could even realise the katana had been swung.

It was a shower of blood and it had a beauty in it as well. Even though it was wrong, there was a beauty in it like a bloody sakura bloom.

~~~~

My chest heaved from the aftereffects of the Weak Constitution skill. Though...

[Kyokuchi] [B] => [Kyokuchi] [A]

[A bonus Anti-Divinity trait has been applied]

A little side effect as the synchronisation with the skill is coming along nicely. I stood up as I slowly walked over to Kim Dokja and the rest of the party. The boy waved at me while I waved back.

[5400 Coins Total]

The woman who was killing the others pointed her sword at me. I put my hands up "I'm just regrouping with Dokja." Dokja nodded as tension settled down. Norimune was dismissed into motes of light as the woman collapsed. It was most definitely the first time that she had slaughtered that many.

"Don't think about it. In the battlefield there is no right or wrong. Only death. The moment the world became like this, you had already started to walk with death. It's up to you for how long you walk with death until death decides you can no longer walk."

She nodded as she sucked it all in before taking a deep breath.

[The constellation "Demon-like Judge of Fire" is thanking you for helping her incarnation.]

[You have earned the favour of the constellation "Demon-like Judge of Fire"]

[The constellation "Prisoner of the Golden Headband" smiles as he delivers a skill to offset the debt.]

[The debt has been partially paid off. 7/10]

[Mana Burst (Frost)] [E]

[A mana burst skill with an element suitable for you has been created. Skill increases rank with proficiency and mana rank.]

"How did the Great Sage get his hands on this? I thought these skills could only be gained by the system's skill transference due to me and my alter being the same?"

"How did the Great Sage get his hands on a skill that was completely unrelated to me yet belonging to the set of worlds?"

[The constellation "Prisoner of the Golden Headband laughs thinking about the amount he paid for "Collective Unconsciousness of Man" to allow an unrelated skill to be added.]

So Alaya was here as well. So the Great Sage managed to get Alaya to provide a mana burst skill.

I guess more reason to invest in my mana parameters now.

[Mana] [E] => [Mana] [D+]

[3000 Coins Total]

Infusing magical energy into Norimune I could see the wisps of icy dust and a chilly blue glow on the blade. Blue, just my color.

I headed away with the rest of the group until the mother of that child called out for me "Excuse me! Thank you for saving my child."

"Thank you handsome Oppa!"

... Seeing those smiles of people who had struggled to live another day was enough for me. It was enough that me, who could only kill, had protected.

I was never great at protecting, only killing.

I would also need to increase my endurance.

[Endurance] [E] => [Endurance] [D]

[1000 Coins Total]

The others had seemingly welcomed me. It was a soft feeling, comradeship. Although I would definitely at some point need to summon the rest of my comrades.

"Chungmuro Station. That's were Jonghyuk is apparently."

Dokja turned his head to look at me "Okita-san could you please repeat what you said?"

"Jonghyuk is there?"

Dokja's body language went from casual to rigid. He was cautious about this. "Don't worry I know him. I'm regrouping up with him anyways. We parted ways before cause I told him i needed to find your group first."

I gave him a smile "Take Okita's Smile of Insurance!"

"You guys can take it easy while I'll take care of the rats ahead."

I soon cleared up the rats ahead with casual strikes and testing out the mana burst of course. It felt great as my strikes were accelerated and hit harder while leaving residual frost effects in the area.

During the break I have no idea what Dokja did but the party was set with new gear. Now we could proceed faster.

[A new sub-scenario has arrived.]

"EH!?"

Sub Scenario – Welcome Prison]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: D~F

Clear Conditions: Escape from Welcome Prison within the time limit.

Time Limit: 1 hour

Compensation: 300 coins

Failure: ???