I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 58

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 58.

The next day.

Emma and the guild members headed into the forest.

Having spent nearly a year in Wakkanai, they had become thoroughly familiar with the geography of the area.

“Sigh, I’m so sick of all this snow already.”

“Emma! Isn’t it about time we moved somewhere else? A year is already a pretty long time to stay in one place.”

“Hmm.”

There was no palpable tension among the guild members heading toward the gate.

As long as they faithfully followed Emma and Rude’s instructions, there was no way they could fail. That was the confidence they had.

“We should move soon. Where should we go next? I’d like somewhere warmer.”

“Hawaii! I love Hawaii.”

“Hehe, I’ll think about it.”

Emma had only one condition for relocating their base:

How much treasure was nearby? In that regard, Wakkanai had been a good choice.

‘The next place… should be Thailand.’

There were many treasures detected in that area.

‘Hehe, what kind of treasure will be in the dungeon we’re raiding tomorrow? It’s A+ rank, so it must be something good.’

Treasures and artifacts were piling up steadily.

Once they accumulated enough, they would become a powerful force when the time came for her to take revenge on that family.

“We’re almost within the gate’s radius.”

“Everyone, stay alert. We scouted the area yesterday, but we don’t know what might have changed since then.”

The guild members advanced cautiously.

The gate they were raiding this time was B-rank. Moreover, it was just a simple hunting quest, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

They planned to clear it quickly and return.

“Ah, I can see the gate no—”

“…Huh?”

Bernard, the guild member at the front, spotted the gate and shouted loudly.

Then—something flashed.

That was all Emma could perceive.

In the blink of an eye, something streaked through the air.

Thud!

“Huh… wha—?”

A spear had pierced Bernard’s chest.

A uniquely shaped spear had impaled him straight through the heart.

Blood gushed violently from his mouth.

“Enemies! Enemies!”

“What the hell? Monsters?!”

“Bernard! Over here!”

The surroundings erupted into chaos in an instant.

Emma was equally stunned.

‘Enemies? Monsters?’

But why would monsters be here? This was clearly an Entry-type gate, not an Emission-type.

And at that moment—

Swish!

“Gyaaaah!”

“M-my arm! My arm!”

Blades of energy slashed in from all directions.

The attacks came from so many angles that evasion was impossible. The guild members couldn’t react in time and were cut down mercilessly.

“Tch!”

Emma stepped forward.

She pulled out a square-shaped shield from her coat and slammed it into the ground with all her strength.

“Protect us!”

Vwoooom!

As the shield struck the earth, a wave of magical energy spread outward, forming a barrier.

The blades of energy crashed against it.

“Everyone, gather up! Maya, reinforce the barrier! Alix, quickly scan for any presences nearby!”

“Uh, p-presence… presence…!”

Alix activated his unique ability.

But something was off. He could sense that something was nearby, yet he couldn’t pinpoint anything.

It was like trying to grasp fog.

“What’s wrong?!”

“I… can’t sense anything!”

“Emma! The magic— Ugh! I can’t use my magic! Something in this area is…!”

Maya, who had been preparing to reinforce the barrier, staggered, clutching her mouth as if dizzy.

Emma’s face paled in an instant.

“Monsters? No, this is…!”

“A formation.”

A voice echoed from the empty air.

It was a light voice—so light it almost sounded mocking. Yet, there was a captivating allure to it.

Emma looked toward the source.

“A barrier to prevent escape and disorient your sense of direction. Oh, and your magic too.”

“Korean? Who are you?”

A man was sitting leisurely atop a wide rock in the distance.

He had a flamboyant appearance.

“Yoo Baek-jun.”

“Yoo Baek— Guhk!”

Blades of energy rained down from all sides.

Then, swordsmen revealed themselves. They had the guild members completely surrounded, tightening the encirclement with practiced precision.

‘Fast. Efficient.’

Their sword techniques were ruthlessly lethal.

The barrier looked like it would shatter any second.

‘Korean. Swordsmen. The surname Yoo.’

Emma’s mind raced.

“The Sword Saint’s family…!”

“Oh? You know about our family?”

“What hunter wouldn’t know of your family?!”

At the same time, Emma pulled out a crossbow from her coat.

She fired the moment the barrier broke.

BANG!

An invisible arrow shot toward Yoo Baek-jun.

As if expecting it, he deflected it effortlessly.

The transparent arrow melted away into nothingness.

“Tch!”

Emma immediately activated another item.

She channeled magic into the bracelet on her wrist, causing it to glow before crumbling into dust.

The dust scattered in all directions.

Boom!

As it absorbed her magical power, the dust transformed—into monstrous beasts.

Creatures resembling those from the Halpeon roared as they charged in every direction.

‘Beast Master.’

Yoo Baek-jun gestured to his swordsmen to intercept the monsters.

The two forces clashed violently.

Emma didn’t stop.

She kept activating item after item—equipped ones, stored ones, all kinds of special artifacts with unique effects.

“Wow, just how many artifacts have you hoarded?”

Yoo Baek-jun couldn’t help but sound impressed.

This was Emma’s fighting style.

She wielded the effects of countless items, even resorting to artifacts when necessary.

Whoosh!

Among them were items that spewed poison in all directions.

A thick toxic mist blocked the enemies’ advance.

“Hold formation! No matter how strong the Sword Saint’s family is, if we fight calmly, they’re not unbeatable!”

“Uh, uh…!”

“Move as Emma says!”

Emma used the momentary chaos to steady her panicked guild members and reorganize their formation.

“Rude, take care of the guild members here.”

“What are you planning?”

“I’ll take out their leader and return.”

Emma glared at Yoo Baek-jun.

The heir of the Sword Saint’s family.

If she could kill or capture him, they could escape this crisis.

‘I was saving this artifact, but I have no choice now.’

She tightly gripped the necklace around her throat.

It was an eerie-looking thing—almost like a face with closed eyes.

An artifact she had obtained from a dungeon exploration long ago.

She channeled magic into it.

The necklace emitted a sinister glow—then let out a horrific scream.

—Aaaaaaah!

The ground split open, and countless souls clawed their way out from the gaps.

The spirits swirled madly in the air before latching onto the surrounding swordsmen.

—Kyaaaaah!

“Guhhh…!”

“My body…!”

The artifact inflicted powerful debuffs on nearby enemies, paralyzing them.

Yoo Baek-jun watched, impressed.

“Oh? Even an artifact?”

The swordsmen around him were immobilized.

Moreover, the white spirits obscured their vision.

This was the opening Emma had been waiting for.

“Now I vanish….!”

She spread her cloak wide.

An effect activated, and her figure disappeared completely—perfect stealth.

She kicked off the ground.

‘Only one shot.’

This was her chance to kill Yoo Baek-jun.

And Yoo Baek-jun understood that thought better than anyone.

‘No matter how many times we repeat this cycle, she never changes.’

Emma’s behavioral pattern when cornered was painfully predictable.

‘Kill or capture at all costs.’

As Yoo Baek-jun stood up, he mused to himself.

Emma hurled a dagger at him with all her strength.

Swish!

The spinning dagger split midair into multiple blades.

Shrrrk!

The daggers descended like saw blades, aiming to shred him apart.

At the same time, Emma kicked off the ground and lunged.

“……!”

The distance between them closed in an instant.

Yoo Baek-jun was busy deflecting the daggers.

This was her chance.

She drew another dagger and swung it back in a wide arc.

Swoosh!

A blade of energy coalesced around the dagger.

Then, the crimson energy extended abruptly in reach.

Her figure vanished—only to reappear behind Yoo Baek-jun, leaping upward.

‘One strike…!’

Yoo Baek-jun was still facing forward.

Emma swung her dagger in a wide slash.

The red energy extended once more—

Shwaaak!

She cut through Yoo Baek-jun.

A clean hit.

“Guh?!”

Or so she thought.

Before the bisected figure of Yoo Baek-jun blurred…his form melted away like an illusion.

Emma frantically looked up.

There he was, watching her from a distance.

“This… Guhk!”

Shwaaa!

Realizing her failure, Emma tried to retreat.

But in that instant—her right arm was deeply slashed.

Strength drained from her limb as blood poured out.

“What the…..?!”

As Emma tried to comprehend what had happened, her vision filled with a jet-black sword.

A demonic blade drenched in her blood.

The daggers she had thrown earlier had been blocked by another swordsman’s defensive technique.

“How dare you attack the young master?!”

Han Seong-ah kicked Emma with disgust in her eyes.

The impact sent Emma flying back.

“Going for the enemy leader. Not a bad plan, but…”

Yoo Baek-jun glanced behind him.

Where Emma’s comrades were.

His swordsmen were cutting through the poison fog, slaughtering the guild members mercilessly.

The barrier had broken.

The demoralized guild members were being killed without resistance.

“You should’ve worried about your comrades first.”

These weren’t the swordsmen affected by the artifact earlier.

They were reinforcements who had been waiting in the forest, outside its range.

‘What’s going on? These movements… It’s like they knew exactly how I’d act…’

Emma shook her head.

That couldn’t be.

It was impossible, and yet…..

“How long do you think you can last alone?”

The situation was dire.

Emma bit her lip.

***

Yoo Baek-jun observed the scene calmly from his seat.

The Treasure Hunter guild members were overwhelmed, and eventually, they threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Even Emma, who had resisted until the end, was forced to her knees before long.

“Young master, they’ve all been subdued.”

“Hmm.”

Yoo Baek-jun finally stood up.

He looked over the captured Treasure Hunter members and began selecting them one by one.

“Keep five alive. Kill the rest.”

“Understood.”

Shwaaak!

A chilling sound of blades cutting flesh echoed, followed by screams and sprays of blood.

Emma trembled violently.

Fear? No—more than that.

‘He knows the guild’s internal structure perfectly?’

She was horrified at how precisely he had identified the most crucial, high-ranking members among them.

Has there been a leak? A traitor?

But since when?

“Hah… pant…!”

Emma’s breathing was ragged.

The terror of death—and something even stronger: the absolute refusal to die here.

‘No. I can’t die like this. Not until I’ve taken revenge on that family—no matter what!’

Someone might call it pathetic, but she had to survive. No matter what.

“I… have something to say.”

That desperation forced the words out of her.

Yoo Baek-jun tilted his chin slightly.

“Alright, speak. I’ll hear it as your last words.”

“…My unique ability is special. I can detect treasures hidden all over the world. Many have coveted this power.”

“And?”

His head tilted further.

“If you want it… I’ll give it to you.”

“You’re asking me to spare you?”

A treasure-sensing ability was indeed rare. Many would desire it.

But not Yoo Baek-jun.

“…….”

He leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ear.

“I already know everything.”

“…What?”

The words made no sense.

Emma wanted to ask what he meant, but Yoo Baek-jun had no intention of explaining.

“Besides, someone I care about really hates you.”

He turned away coldly.

“I have no use for your talent. Extract all the information you can from her, including about Seol-ho, Then dispose of them.”

“Understood.”

It was a death sentence.