Massacre Empress – Part 3
Ha.
For a moment, I let the emotions wash over me.
It hadn’t been long since Massacre Empress had completely overwhelmed me.
Back then, I had barely managed to buy time with close-quarters combat, only to end up on the brink of death from a single Heaven and Earth Annihilation.
Aegis, Iron Fist, Jo Cheol’s Combat Suit, and all my stacked defensive traits…
If even one of those had been missing, I would have died.
In fact, Jo Cheol’s Combat Suit had been completely destroyed, beyond repair.
But now?
In this second duel, this rematch?
I won.
Even though my mind was burning from constantly switching traits, even though sweat poured down my back—I still won.
I had overcome a one-level gap and emerged victorious.
Hahaha!
If no one had been watching, I would have laughed like a lunatic.
“Teacher! Congratulations!”
Baek Sorin bounced up and down.
“I knew you’d win! Massacre Empress wasn’t even a challenge for you! She was just Extra #1!”
“Calling her Extra #1 is a bit much. The superhumans she killed would probably be rolling in their graves.”
“Oh, right. That woman even beat a Swordmaster before, didn’t she?”
“She did.”
That’s why she had earned the title Empress.
The combination of Demonic Blade Masamune, Master of the Sword, and Heaven and Earth Annihilation was terrifying.
Of course, an even more broken combination was Blank Body + Trait Swap.
“Huuu…”
“Haaah…”
Janet and Kali didn’t even have the strength to say anything.
They slumped to the ground, completely drained.
It was understandable.
A mere Level 4 and Level 3 had managed to endure the [Massacre] trait and remain standing.
Just look at the others.
Even Seo Woojin, a Level 6, looked completely dazed, staring blankly at me and Baek Sorin.
That reaction was normal.
I glanced around.
“What about the others?”
“Huh?”
Baek Sorin blinked in confusion.
“Now that you mention it… there’s no one else here?”
“No. They were here.”
I activated Empathic Vision and immediately saw it.
Beyond the walls—a hidden passage.
Originally, this space had been designed so that reinforcements could flood in at any moment.
At the start of the fight, that passage had been packed with enemies.
They had been waiting for Massacre Empress’s signal to attack.
But now?
They had all escaped through the secret passage while I was busy fighting her.
A smirk crept onto my lips.
Massacre Empress hadn’t planned for things to turn out this way.
She had expected to kill me first, then capture my allies and do whatever she wanted with them.
Too bad for her.
She lost the one-on-one duel.
And now, her ugly, severed head was rolling on the ground.
Never let your guard down.
Massacre Empress had been furious enough to place a massive bounty on my head.
That anger, combined with the memory of effortlessly defeating me just a few months ago, had led her straight to her own death.
I understood why.
No one could transform this much in just a few months.
It was almost impossible.
“Congratulations!”
“You actually defeated a supreme warrior!”
“This is an incredible feat! Absolutely incredible!”
“I heard Cheok Jun-gyeong became a Swordmaster at Level 6—maybe Black Tiger Swordmaster will go down in history too?”
“Even if the Lion-Hearted King came back to life, he wouldn’t be able to match Black Tiger Swordmaster!”
One after another, they cheered.
Their faces were glowing with excitement.
I was the one who had won, but they were celebrating as if they had won themselves.
All except for one person.
Seo Woojin.
His words congratulated me, but his face was dark.
His clouded eyes darted toward Baek Sorin, Janet, and Kali.
Was he bothered by the fact that he had collapsed to his knees in front of Massacre Empress?
But that was inevitable.
If not for Heavenly Killing Star, Innate Qi, or the Blood of the Goddess, even those three would have succumbed to the Massacre trait.
“Let’s move.”
I waved my hand and entered deeper inside.
Aegis clanked against my arm, its presence unmistakable.
Strangely, it felt closer than before.
Not just a shield—it felt like it had become a part of my body.
Acquired the trait: [Shieldsmanship].
It was the result of blocking every strike of Massacre Empress’s Tidal Swordsmanship with Shield Block.
Two left.
So far, I had acquired four shield-related traits:
[Shieldsmanship], [Shield Block], [Shield Bash], and [Shield Wall].
If I obtained just two more, I would unlock [Shield Expert].
I stuffed Massacre Empress’s head into a golf bag.
If I turned it in to the police, I’d collect a massive bounty.
“Did she evacuate her subordinates?”
“No. They were waiting in ambush.”
“But I don’t see anyone.”
“They ran away after their leader died.”
“Oh…”
They had fled.
Fast.
They had already reached the outermost areas of the secret passage, just barely escaping the range of my Empathic Vision.
I was pursuing them, but whether I could catch them was another matter.
“They won’t escape.”
Seo Woojin, having regained his composure, spoke up.
“Our people are stationed outside. Both the CEO and Vice CEO are here. Without Massacre Empress, it’ll be nearly impossible for them to break through.”
I agreed.
Through Empathic Vision, I could see that the remaining enemies were nothing but stragglers.
Not a single one was Level 6.
The highest was Level 5, while most were Level 3s and 4s.
The Jaelboan CEO and Vice CEO were both Level 6—they would capture them easily.
Episode 1: The Seoul Terror Attack—completely over.
In game terms, this was the true ending.
No more sudden quests. No more area events.
Not even side quests involving the Terror Alliance would pop up anymore.
I had ended the Seoul Terror Attack this easily.
Gleam. Gleam.
Baek Sorin picked up Masamune, turning it over in her hands.
A chilling light flickered along its blade.
“Teacher, this seems like a really good sword. You’re going to use it, right?”
“No. I don’t need it. What, do you want it?”
“Ehehe…”
“You take it. Give the Holy Sword to Janet.”
“Wow! Really?”
“Yeah. Black Tiger Sword is enough for me.”
Demonic Blade Masamune was a great sword.
It had solid attack power, guaranteed hits, and even randomly inflicted curses.
But I didn’t like it.
It was a katana.
I preferred straight swords over curved blades.
Besides, Black Tiger Sword wasn’t bad at all.
It had the strongest attack power and was indestructible.
“Ehehehehe.”
Baek Sorin hugged Masamune, giggling weirdly.
Her cheek was nicked, blood dripping down, but she didn’t seem to care.
Heavenly Killing Star and a cursed blade…
That combination was a bit terrifying.
“This way.”
I didn’t rush.
Instead of chasing after the terrorists through their escape route, I led the group deeper into the Forbidden Zone.
We reached a magically sealed door.
“I’ll open it.”
“No need. Leave it to me.”
I equipped the [Destruction] trait and fired my [Destruction] shotgun.
BOOM!
There were no self-destruct traps or dispel magic—just a plain old sealed door.
I blew it apart with ease and stepped inside.
“Haaa…”
“Hah!”
Everyone gasped.
And for good reason.
A mountain of gold smirked back at us.
Literally.
A pile of gold bars stacked like a hill.
To one side, enchanted gemstones gleamed within display cases.
On the other side, magical artifacts lined the walls.
Swords, guns, staffs, holy relics, armor, rings, necklaces…
Among them, a few notable items caught my eye.
Unholy Leather Armor.
Relic of Malevolence.
‘Wait, these are supposed to be in the Terror Alliance’s headquarters dungeon.’
Looks like Massacre Empress had stolen them while escaping.
Not that I cared.
My attention was drawn to something else entirely.
A black ebony musket.
Golden patterns faintly shimmered on its surface.
Gemstones embedded in its body radiated mana.
A familiar design.
I twitched an eye before reaching out and grabbing the gun.
‘So this is where it was.’
The final piece of the Dasan Gun set.
A rifle.
Its affinity was [Death].
The most lethal and battlefield-appropriate attribute.
With this, I had completed all five Dasan Guns.
Since I already had the [Gunplay] trait, this opened the path to its higher-tier trait—or more precisely, its ultimate form.
Wow.
And right next to it—
A ring, constantly flickering with light.
I picked it up without hesitation.
The trait embedded in the ring was [Blink].
A teleportation-based ability classified as a superpower mobility skill.
Even rarer than spatial teleportation.
I never expected to find it here.
Massacre Empress…
She gave me a hard time, but I suppose I should forgive her.
She had been so generous.
It would be rude not to accept.
After a brief moment of silent gratitude, I cheerfully announced—
“Take one artifact each! Consider it a souvenir!”
“Wooooah!”
“A-Are you serious?”
“Of course!”
If I wanted, I could keep everything for myself.
But that would be short-sighted.
Now that I had people following me, sharing was necessary.
Besides, there wasn’t a single magical artifact here that I needed.
I was still going to take all the gold and enchanted gemstones.
And the piles of diamonds mixed in.
I’d probably need to launder them as a redevelopment fund, but in the end, they’d still be mine.
‘Should I extend to Daerim-dong too?’
That wasn’t a bad idea.
Since Massacre Empress had been found in Daerim-dong, I had the perfect justification to take over.
Yeongdeungpo District treated Daerim-dong like an abandoned child—a little bit of greased palms, and it would be mine.
While the superhumans joyfully looted the magical artifacts, all eyes were on two items:
Unholy Leather Armor and Relic of Malevolence.
Since they were in high demand, I had to assign them myself.
I declared that Seo Woojin would get the armor and Choi Sunsoo would take the relic.
Seo Woojin accepted the armor with a bewildered expression.
“Teacher… I didn’t even do anything…”
“What do you mean? You helped a lot this time.”
“But…”
“It’s fine. You’ll have plenty of chances to repay me in the future.”
Seo Woojin swallowed hard.
The Unholy Leather Armor was SSR-ranked.
Comparable to my Star Spawn Combat Suit.
One tier above Jo Cheol’s Combat Suit.
Even Seo Woojin, despite being a rich kid, would have a hard time acquiring something like this.
“Teacher…”
Holding the armor, Seo Woojin suddenly dropped to his knees.
…Wait, what?
I blinked in confusion as he looked up at me.
His expression was different.
No—
It was familiar.
The same look he had when we first met.
The same expression he wore while writhing in pain from divine fever.
“Teacher… I want to officially become your disciple.”
“…What?”
“I always thought I was a genius. I was confident even in this mission. But…”
Seo Woojin’s gaze flicked toward Baek Sorin, Janet, and Kali.
The three of them were just as shocked.
Their wide eyes locked onto Seo Woojin.
“Today, I did nothing. I just sat there and watched you fight Massacre Empress. I didn’t even swing my sword once. I didn’t even release a single sword aura!”
I understood.
He had finally realized—
That he was a greenhouse flower, a pampered rich kid.
Level 6 versus Level 7.
A one-level gap was massive.
And the Massacre trait was terrifying.
But still—being forced to kneel, helpless, was the ultimate humiliation.
A true warrior, even when overwhelmed, would still struggle to their last breath.
They would still resist.
Even if their head was about to be severed.
Even I, back then—
Even without One-Man Army or Unrivaled, I had charged at Massacre Empress.
“What about your family’s teachers?”
“They are all great instructors. My parents taught me well too. But… but something is missing.”
Seo Woojin’s eyes burned with passion as he looked at me.
I knew what he meant.
The heart of a warrior.
Or rather—a warrior’s instincts.
The survival mindset of a wild beast clawing its way through adversity.
Something that was rarely found in the great martial schools.
I thought for a moment before nodding.
“All right. I accept you.”
Seo Woojin’s face lit up.
“R-Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Master! Please accept my bow!”
Seo Woojin knelt and bowed deeply.
Once, twice, three times… nine times.
It was a bit embarrassing, but I let him go through with it.
He had been raised in a prestigious martial school with centuries of history—this was probably what made it feel real for him.
The Jaelboan employees burst into applause.
“Congratulations, Chief!”
“The CEO and Vice CEO will be thrilled!”
Seo Woojin also looked more at ease.
Baek Sorin smacked him hard on the back.
“Welcome, junior disciple.”
“J-Junior disciple?”
“Of course. You’re the youngest.”
“Are you kidding me?! I met Master before you did! I should be the eldest!”
“We go by order of initiation, not who met him first. Isn’t that right, Junior Seo?”
By martial arts tradition, she wasn’t wrong.
But honestly, using ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ titles felt too old-fashioned.
I chuckled and stepped between them.
“Just treat each other as equals. Be friends. You’re the same age.”
“Ehh, Teacher! That’s not fair!”
“Woojin was already half my disciple before this. And come on, it’s the 21st century—who even cares about seniority titles anymore? Just think of each other as classmates.”
“Tsk!”
Baek Sorin puffed up her cheeks.
Next to her, Kali shook her head.
“Ugh, what an old lady.”
“What?”
“Oh, and she hears perfectly when it’s something about her.”
“You little—!”
Baek Sorin lunged at Kali, who laughed and dodged effortlessly.
No matter how crazy Baek Sorin’s [Rampaging Train] trait was, she couldn’t catch someone with Shadow Step.
Even with a two-level difference, Blood of the Goddess was ridiculously overpowered.
Kssh! Kssh!
Baek Sorin blinked across the battlefield, getting toyed with.
“Enough. Let’s get out of here.”
“What about the gold and jewels?”
“We’ll send people to retrieve them later. I’m using them for redevelopment.”
I only took magical artifacts and diamonds for now.
Everyone’s mood was high.
Each of them had gotten a priceless magical weapon, things that couldn’t be bought even with billions.
I felt the same way.
I had grabbed an armful of diamonds—I wouldn’t be running out anytime soon.
After sealing the treasure vault, we followed the secret passage out.
“Black Tiger Swordmaster! Woojin!”
“Father! Mother!”
The Terror Alliance never escaped the encirclement.
Not a single one.
Every last one of them had been captured and restrained.
And then, for the final touch, I pulled out Massacre Empress’s head.
A heavy silence fell over the area.
Disbelief filled their faces.
For a brief moment, the Terror Alliance had set Seoul ablaze.
And here was their leader.
A notorious international criminal.
A terrorist feared worldwide.
Her severed head, drenched in blood, oil, and mana fluids, was held high in my hand.
The silence stretched—
Until it exploded into cheers.
“Woooooah!”
“Massacre Empress is dead!”
“Long live Black Tiger Swordmaster!”
At the front of the crowd stood the Jaelboan CEO and Vice CEO.
The first time we met, they had clearly looked down on me.
Less than a year later, our positions had completely reversed.
Now, they looked at me with a mix of discomfort and awe.
They could feel it—
The powerful mana wave I was radiating.
I casually waved my hand in response.
Then, I turned to Janet and Kali.
Their mana circuits had fully stabilized.
Now that the Terror Alliance was finished, we finally had time to raise their levels.
Janet would reach Level 5.
Kali would reach Level 4.
Which meant—
It was time to begin Janet’s personal quest.
It was time to retrieve the Nephilim Sword.
–TL Notes–
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