Weeks had passed, and on the surface, the city's daily life appeared calm.The people still haggled in the markets, and the clang of iron rang from the forges.But every passerby whispered of a single rumor.
"Did you hear? In the next city over…""They say someone finally defeated the Lich.""But she's not just any human, you know.""Some say she's a witch. Others call her a goddess.""I even heard she's a dragon in human form!"
Lee Do-hyeon sipped his tea quietly, eavesdropping on the conversations drifting from the market.At first, he thought it was just idle talk. But the more he listened, the more it piqued his suspicion.
A warrior who had slain a lich in a single blow.One who wielded both sword and magic.A young woman, emotionless yet cloaked in mystery.
He set down his teacup and muttered to himself.
"This… this has to be the Sword Demon Queen."
As certainty took root, a faint smirk crossed his lips.'Defeating a Lich? That's unexpected. She must be adapting fast—even here.'
But the people around him were already spinning tales filled with wild exaggerations.
"I heard she's a high elf. There was this strange aura about her.""No way. It's gotta be a polymorphed dragon. She's too strong to be human!""Maybe she's a goddess. They say she radiated divine power.""Or a witch… I heard her blade was wrapped in crimson aura."
Do-hyeon chuckled to himself, half amused.
"So this is how legends begin."
The fact that no one believed she was human… that alone spoke volumes.She was just as overwhelming in this world as she'd been in the Murim.
Finishing his tea, he placed a few coins on the table and stood up.
"…Guess I should go check it out myself."
But just as he turned to leave the city, a familiar voice called out.
"Knew you'd go."
He turned.As expected, there stood Arknan, the bard.
"How long have you been here?" Do-hyeon asked.
Arknan snapped his fingers with a playful grin."Since the moment you started listening? Maybe even before."
"…Hmph."
"Oh come on, don't glare at me like that. I want to come with you, that's all."
Slipping his lute over his shoulder, the bard beamed.
"Whether she's the Sword Demon Queen, a dragon, or a goddess—I want to find out too."
Do-hyeon let out a resigned sigh.
"…Suit yourself."
And with that, the two set out to find her once more.
***
Chapter : The Sword Demon Queen, Days Before
The Sword Demon Queen had left Lee Do-hyeon behind and quietly set out on her own.Before her stretched a foreign world—a strange land, unfamiliar air.
Perhaps it was her survival instincts from the Murim.She scanned her surroundings swiftly, checking her condition.
Physically, she was fine. But—
"…Ah."
Her gaze drifted downward.
Her clothes were in tatters, little more than rags.
In the Murim, being blood-soaked or half-naked in battle was hardly uncommon.She never cared for appearances.
But even she had her pride.
With a sigh, she decided she needed new clothes.
In the Murim, she would've simply stolen or forced what she needed.But this was Elysium—a different world entirely.
"…What a bother."
She walked through quiet streets, slipping into the shadows of sleeping homes.She examined what garments she could find—Feminine, masculine, and a few that seemed practical for movement.
Once dressed, she surveyed the silent city.
It was… dead quiet.
Not a flicker of vitality.
'Was this place also ravaged by war?'
She thought to herself, looking for a place to sleep out of the dew.
Then, she saw something strange.
At the edge of the street—A black carriage adorned with skulls appeared.
It moved slowly, surrounded by hooded figures.From somewhere in the city, they were dragging women toward the carriage.Some trembled. Some resisted.
But their mouths were sealed.And others… were limp as dolls.
The Sword Demon Queen simply watched.
It was… familiar.Like an old human trafficking ring or a cult ritual back in the Murim.
Her hand twitched toward her sword.
But—
"…Not my business."
She looked away.
This was not the Murim.And she had no reason to get involved.
She was no longer the Sword Demon Queen who once shook the martial world.Here, she was a stranger. Nothing more.
So she let the night pass.
But—
"…What is this?"
A strange sensation crept over her.
She was hungry.
She didn't understand.Back in the Murim, her inner energy allowed her to suppress her metabolism.She could go days without food.
But here in Elysium, her body responded differently.
The mana-rich atmosphere was accelerating her bodily functions.
"…Now even hunger catches up to me."
She walked the streets again.
No money.
Of course not.She'd fallen through dimensions—no way she'd have currency.
'…Should I steal it?'
The thought came naturally.Her hand reached out—
"Are you… new here?"
A woman's voice stopped her.
The stranger had short red hair and a gentle smile.
"You looked a little lost," she said kindly.
The Sword Demon Queen stared at her.
This was annoying.
"Go. I'm not your problem."
But the woman didn't move.
"You look hungry."
"…"
How did she know?
She tried to hide her expression, but the woman was already smiling.
"Come have a meal at my place."
She almost refused.
But—
Her stomach growled again.
It had been so long since she'd truly felt hunger.
So with a sigh, she followed.
The Sword Demon Queen stayed at Dayna's home for a few days.
Dayna called her "Reina."
"You never told me your name, so I'll just call you that for now."
The Sword Demon Queen didn't care.
It was just a place to rest.
But one morning, Dayna disappeared.
She asked the neighbors.
"Dayna?""She was taken by that black carriage last night."
"…The carriage?"
Her eyes grew cold.
The same one she ignored that night.
"…Tch."
She pressed her hand to her forehead.
She should've stopped them back then.
Now it was too late.
But she would not turn away again.
It was time to hunt the carriage.
**
Chapter : Find Dayna
The Sword Demon Queen gazed up at the night sky.
The city where she had stayed for several days… and all that had happened within it.
She didn't dwell on it deeply.To her, it was a simple mistake.If she had intervened just once—If she had cared, just a little—Then Dayna would never have been taken.
"Hah…"
A short sigh escaped her lips.
If she truly didn't care, then all she needed to do was find Dayna.But somehow… that thought didn't sit well with her.
She had once been the Sovereign of the Murim.A tyrant who walked a path soaked in blood,A woman who shook the martial world with her own power.
But here?
She realized something unsettling—That her inaction had led to consequences far greater than she expected.
"…Should I just smash the carriage?"
She folded her arms, muttering under her breath.
If she reached out her hand, a carriage adorned with skulls would be reduced to ashes in an instant.
But that wasn't the issue.
Inside that carriage were women who had been taken.
Brute force alone wouldn't solve this.
Stealth was needed.
She came to a decision.
A frontal assault would be too dangerous.But if she could infiltrate the enemy's heart from within?
She would let herself be taken.
Hide among the women destined to be abducted.
A ridiculous idea, under normal circumstances.
Someone like her would never have to stoop to such a tactic.But—
"This is not the Murim."
This world was different.
The flow of qi was foreign, and there were places where martial arts simply didn't work.
So she would have to play by this world's rules.
Quietly, she pulled her hood low and began walking through the city,searching for the next site of abduction.
Night fell.
The Sword Demon Queen melted into the darkness.
In the distance, the carriage approached slowly.
That same black carriage, etched with bone-white skulls.Surrounded by hooded figures in black.
Just as before, they dragged women out from alleys and doorways,forcing them into the carriage.
The Sword Demon Queen held her breath.
To blend in among the victims.
With her years of experience in the Murim,a disguise like this was hardly difficult.
"…Get in."
A low voice barked the command.One by one, the women were loaded into the carriage.
And she moved silently with them—slipping in without a trace.
This was the path to the enemy's stronghold.
She closed her eyes.
And slowly—the carriage began to move.