Chapter 8: Breaking the Limit: The Executioner’s Final Trial

– The Executioner of the Corpse Hill

1.

Story mode.

A monotonous event where the predetermined story is mechanically repeated.

There was a time when Hae Eung Eung used to think that way.

[Do you yearn for revenge? Or is it merely pity? Or perhaps…]

[Are you the one who has come to end this cursed gorge, Executioner?]

She was investigating whether the Half-Yokai Gorge game was safe from possession or dimensional shifts.

It was a line of dialogue not seen in prior research.

The weary tutorial boss, whose gaze had once been filled with contempt and exhaustion, now had eyes that burned fiercely with an unprecedented intensity and desire.

Standing before those eyes, Hae Eung Eung for the first time accepted this game as not just a virtual reality ‘game,’ but as a virtual ‘reality.’

【Interactive Choice】

[What you desire… is it]

1. An old dream, named revenge.

2. The cruel bloodline’s curse, freeing humanity from yokai.

3. (Silently points the weapon.)

The words carried deep emotions.

Though she liked the profound phrasing, her heart commanded only one choice.

[ (Silently points the weapon.)]

[Is that so? Indeed, words are unnecessary between us.]

It was her first playthrough.

First time.

First tutorial.

For someone who was experiencing everything for the first time, a brand-new tutorial route not listed in any guides—the true duel route—appeared.

2.

The Half-Yokai Gorge boss typically has three phases.

As each phase progresses, the boss uses new patterns, and once all phases are passed, the boss fight ends.

• What will the first pattern be?
•  Minion summoning pattern.
•  Tree-pulling pattern.
•  That’s for noobs.
•  When the difficulty rises, the patterns come faster.
•  It’ll probably just be the stomping pattern.
•  Even top-tier physical streamers always start with the stomping pattern.

The chatroom’s opinions narrowed down to three options.

However, on the battlefield they were watching, the massive executioner knelt on one knee, placing both hands on the ground—preparing for the next pattern after the stomping one.

The executioner took the preparatory stance for the charge pattern.

• What the hell? Starting with the charge pattern?
•  Then what comes in phase three?
•  I don’t know; no one’s ever seen that.

A never-before-seen strategy.

Facing the first phase, Hae Eung Eung braced herself.

Puhwaak.

She roughly threw the ash pouch dropped from the yokai she had defeated. A cloud of dust rose. The amount of ash from the two hundred yokai was not small.

Boom, boom, boom.

The executioner, with his massive frame, bulldozed through the terrain, charging straight ahead. However, due to the ash cloud blocking his view, he couldn’t catch Hae Eung Eung.

Just as one can’t see inside from outside, it was impossible to see out from within.

Hae Eung Eung smartly overcame the visibility hindrance she had created.

The sound of the giant executioner rushing forward. Each step shook the ground with vibrations.

Sensing his position through the sound and vibrations, she slashed at the executioner’s leg at the perfect timing as he passed by.

‘His skin is tough, like someone who has mastered external martial arts.’

Though she inflicted a wound, it wasn’t deep. Indeed, this notorious tutorial boss from the internet. No wonder ordinary players would swing their swords a few times, only to get counterattacked and scream in defeat.

‘But that’s all there is to it.’

The executioner wasn’t clever. He didn’t know how to use all his senses. While the first wound wasn’t deep or fatal, with each successive charge, the wound deepened.

Slashing.

And slashing again.

Accumulating effective hits.

Each strike slowly widened the same area.

After more than ten slashes, the bleeding had worsened to a point where it couldn’t be ignored.

Realizing that continuing like this would yield no gains, the executioner stopped.

Then, story mode activated.

[Story mode]

The executioner tensed his leg muscles, causing them to contract. Using his muscle power, he stopped the bleeding at the wound. He raised his executioner’s axe.

[You fearlessly face an enemy enlarged by yokai’s blood.]

[You precisely maintain distance, repeatedly slashing at the weak points with skilled swordsmanship.]

[Everything exceeds expectations.]

Boom!

The axe was slammed forcefully into the ground.

[Prove that your skills are genuine.]

[Face me head-on.]

The rust that clung to the axe flaked off. With the gleam of the axe blade—

[Player mode]

Phase 2 had begun.

•  What’s going on???
•  ?
•  ?
•  It hasn’t even been 5 minutes, and it’s already Phase 2??
•  Did she push it with sheer damage??
•  First time seeing the axe blade get sharpened.
•  How is she beating this without any bloodline, and in real mode, no less?

The chat was flooded with countless hooks of disbelief.

But Hae Eung Eung, oblivious to the chaos, focused all her senses on the executioner.

The pattern had changed. Instead of blindly charging, his massive axe was now targeting her, and her alone, from start to finish.

The axe, with the power to split buildings, came crashing down from above, splitting the ground with a loud crack.

‘Any normal player would be killed in a single hit.’

The axe didn’t just stop at striking the ground; it slid across, changing trajectory to aim at her waist with a vicious double strike.

Screeech—

– Wow!

Even if one could read the attack path, it was almost impossible to dodge the onslaught. If she made even a single mistake or if her body failed to respond, she would be split in half.

Hae Eung Eung, who looked like she could be sliced any second, dangerously weaved between the attack trajectories. And when she couldn’t avoid the sudden acceleration, she parried with her sword.

Bang!

If she didn’t interrupt or deflect the attack at the right moment, the clash between the axe and the sword would almost certainly destroy her sword.

A battle that shouldn’t even be possible, considering their size and the weight of their weapons.

Vrrrrrr

“!!”

However, if she struck at the perfect moment, just before the concentrated force erupted, she could nullify its power entirely.

‘I don’t have to take on that ridiculous strength at 100%.’

Hae Eung Eung’s sword, a step ahead, intercepted the executioner’s axe. In that brief moment of opportunity, her sword once again slashed the executioner.

•  That was insane.
•  Mom, I wanna grow up to be a silent swordmaster.
•  She’s not just a regular physical streamer; she’s a master-level player!
•  Doesn’t normal damage not affect bosses like that?
•  Critical hits work.
•  So she’s been landing critical hits non-stop?? How is that even possible?
•  Dude, the boss is the one getting staggered, not the player.
•  Can that even happen?
•  Wow, what am I even watching?
•  We’re witnessing the birth of a legend.
•  But does it even make sense to keep slashing with a sword?
•  Lol, didn’t the boss flex his muscles to stop the bleeding after Phase 1?

The boss fight looked like a dangerous battle between David and Goliath.

A hopeless confrontation.

A fight seemingly destined for forced defeat.

The fight, which should have ended after a certain amount of time, caused shock as Hae Eung Eung’s effective attacks increased.

<Nationalistic Swordsman Lee Haechan has donated 10,000 won!>

She’s not just slashing randomly. Every attack is systematically destroying the muscles surrounding the wound.

•  Wow, this is the real deal.
•  Haechan-hyung was watching too?
•  I sent him a video clip to bring him over.
•  Good job, nationalistic gang!
•  Both the silent swordsman who cuts like that and Lee Haechan, who noticed, are amazing.

With an average of 2,000 viewers during the week, even popular streamers were abandoning their usual content to watch this high-level battle.

Pfffwooooosh!

Finally, the accumulated sword strikes tore through the muscles that had been holding the wound shut. The bleeding that had stopped in the leg now resumed with even greater intensity.

[Story mode]

The executioner struck the ground hard, creating a shockwave to widen the distance. He glared at Hae Eung Eung and spoke.

[You have proven your courage before a half-demon and the skill you have honed.]

A heartfelt compliment from the executioner, something no player of the Half-Demon’s Trial had ever received.

The boss, usually disdainful of everyone and only grudgingly acknowledging their tactics, had now recognized Hae Eung Eung’s ability.

[There is no salvation for those tainted by the blood of demons.]

[Faith. Knowing how futile it is, I still find myself wanting to believe in you.]

[How sad and empty that is.]

[If this faint hope will one day turn into meaningless despair, let us end it here.]

[However, should you withstand this next blow, then…]

In the executioner’s eyes gleamed deep sorrow and frustration, but beyond that, a fierce determination flashed.

[I will believe that the end of my long despair has finally arrived.]

With a thud, sandbags dropped from the executioner’s limbs. The weight was

lifted.

•  What is he doing???
•  I don’t know; he seems to have entered a super state.

The executioner charged with a speed that seemed impossible for his enormous frame, yet even Hae Eung Eung, who had become accustomed to his attack patterns, could only think of one thing.

‘This time, I have to be more careful.’

She gripped her sword tightly, focusing.

Vroooom!

With an incredible thrust, the executioner lunged forward, swinging his axe in a deadly arc.

Hae Eung Eung reacted by lowering her stance.

The axe was heavy enough to create a shockwave, and even if she managed to dodge, the sound would likely reverberate in her ears. But—

•  She’s about to break through the final phase!
•  No way! Is she really going to do it?

She did everything she could, staying grounded in the attack patterns.

The next attack came.

BOOM!

•  She’s actually dodging and moving without getting hit.
•  Is she made of something other than flesh?
•  Is this even possible in a video game?
•  I didn’t think it’d feel this alive…
•  Every cut is leading to a counter, with both of them so close to defeat!
•  I can’t breathe!

And then…

THUD!

The executioner’s axe sank into the ground, stuck.

Hae Eung Eung seized the moment. While the executioner struggled to free his axe, she thrust her sword deep into the unguarded wound.

BANG!

The blade pierced through, drawing forth the thick blood of the half-yokai.

The executioner let out a roar, stumbling back as he staggered, but before he could regain his balance—

SLASH!

She drove her sword deeper, continuing her assault.

• Huh???
•  She just keeps going.
• Is this even possible?

The executioner’s face twisted with rage.

[Why do you push forward when I ask you to stand down?]

[You really wish for salvation from me?]

[You really wish to lift the curse of your blood?]

As if that curse were to be borne by someone else, that very moment, the axe swung back, the glint in his eyes mixed with fury and madness.

‘That means…!’

• No, this can’t be!

‘I must finish this.’

The executioner dashed forward, but not at her. Instead, he charged toward the cliffside, where the cursed gorge awaited.

Hae Eung Eung barely caught up.

• What is she going to do?!

‘Does she want to die?’

‘She must be trying to find the true way to defeat him!’

But it was all beyond comprehension.

[You seek to end this curse?]

• What the hell is happening??
• Hae Eung Eung’s movements are insane.

But the moment she moved, the chat burst into flames. A move no one had ever attempted before. Was it even possible to perform such an impossible maneuver?

A move that shouldn’t even exist.

THUD!

She desperately leapt, diving straight for the edge. In that brief instant, her body froze.

‘Oh no…’

‘This is…!’

The executioner had noticed her.

[It’s futile!]

As he swung his axe with all his might, she was propelled backward.

Thud!

A second shockwave erupted.

– She flew like a baseball!

– No way!!

– Just what is going on???

– How is she even alive?

A figure soaring through the air, leaping from the cursed gorge, finally managing to land back onto the solid ground.

[You would choose despair?]

The massive executioner raised his axe one last time, then…

THUD!

[Then let it end!]

With the final blow, he crashed down, leaving a final impression in the minds of all players watching.

Hae Eung Eung stood back, her heart pounding.

The overwhelming silence of the battlefield. The echoes of the clash vanished.

[Is it over?]

In that moment, the realization hit the viewers.

‘What will happen?’

She had moved beyond their comprehension.

Beyond the reach of their beliefs.

What awaited in the world beyond the Half-Yokai Gorge?

Was it salvation? Or merely a deeper level of despair?

[Then let it end!]

And thus, the story was born.