Chapter 84: The Origin (3)
“O God of Light! Bestow upon me your blessing! O God of War! Grant me your armor! O God of Struggle! Grant me your protection!”
As the fight began, Saint looked up to the heavens and exclaimed.
Something ‘fell’ from the ceiling above.contemporary romance
-Master.
Black Heaven warned me, as if to urge caution.
Soon, light pierced through the labyrinth’s ceiling and poured down.
It formed a golden halo above Saint’s head. A dazzlingly bright armor was ‘woven’ from light.
The blessing of the God of Light and the armor of the God of War.
And, when entering a struggle, the protection of the God of Struggle that enhances physical abilities in response to the user’s will!
‘What a hassle.’
I stepped forward and assumed my stance. Winter’s Sword, stored in White Rouge, had been there for quite some time.
I checked the charge rate with my Talent, Reading.
[158%]
‘Not bad.’
I wrapped myself in the Energy of Defying Heaven. However, I didn’t imbue it into the sword. Most artifacts would be dealt fatal damage by the Energy of Defying Heaven.
Sleung.
With a sound of friction, the Winter’s Sword was drawn, spreading a cold, blue brilliance as if to freeze the world.
I stepped forward.
The technique was extremely fast (極快).
I executed the Black Flash Sword technique. The sword, faster than anyone else, became a blue flash of light.
Chajeok. Chajeojeojeok!
Black Flash Sword Technique (黑閃劍法)
Black Lightning Flash (黑光閃電)
Those who couldn’t react were split by the blue flash. Protective shields sprung from their school uniforms, and various protective gears and magic spells cast on the walls, floors, and ceilings of the labyrinth began to protect the students.
There were ten.
‘Not bad.’
I had wiped out a third of them in one strike. Fear began to appear on most of the remaining students’ faces.
“Ha ha…”
Saint laughed in a ridiculous voice. Yet, he pointed a shining greatsword of light at me with a stern expression.
“Really absurd, Lee Seo-ha.”
Saint made the suggestion then addressed the other students.
“If you all rush at Lee Seo-ha, can’t you stop him?”
“Se, seriously?”
“I will buy time alone.”
Saint declared with a resolute look.
“I’ll somehow stop Kim Ara. Haram, call the students who are within the top 10 nearby. The rest of you, attack Lee Seo-ha.”
Hearing Saint’s words, the children’s expressions shifted.
The protection from the God of Struggle that Saint possessed slightly influenced the other students.
“Kim Ara. Even if it’s you, you won’t be able to easily defeat me if I’m determined to hold out.”
Saint was correct. In the case of others, the outcome might have been different, but he was a Holy Knight blessed by five gods of the Holy War.
Additionally, given his specialty in defense, it would indeed take Kim Ara some time to overcome him.
I took a count.
Nineteen.
‘Including the one who called for backup.’
Even time was against us.
I realized I needed to handle this carefully.
I returned the Winter’s Sword to its sheath, White Rouge.
Then, I took hold of Black Heaven.
“Sigh.”
I finely tuned the senses of the Sword Demon.
Click.
A switch flipped in my mind, and the world’s hues blurred like a watercolor painting on canvas. I surged ahead.
The count was nineteen. I intended to end this swiftly and without prolonging the fight!
“Cra, crazy! He’s headed straight for us?”
Swords hurtled my way. I parried them with the heightened senses of the Sword Demon. From the other direction, arrows and spells were unleashed. I evaded them without invoking the Energy of Defying Heaven, utilizing Black Shadow Step.
Swordsmen and warriors came at me. I sprang into the air, employing Black Shadow Step’s technique.
“He’s ascended!”
“Take aim quickly! It’s harder to dodge mid-air…….”
Arrows soared towards me.
I crafted stepping points out of thin air.
Then I made my move.
It wasn’t a leap to evade but to attack.
My target was the central cluster of students.
‘Black Heaven.’
I unleashed the innate skill, Soulbreaker.
Woong!
A domineering aura spread out, and an intangible energy restrained the movements of the students.
Pak.
I thrust Black Heaven into the ground, pouring all my Energy of Defying Heaven into it with all my might.
Black God Martial Arts (黑神武)
Secret Technique (奧義) - Abyss (無底坑).
From the tip of Black Heaven…
The Energy of Defying Heaven began to swirl. The small vortex quickly grew in size.
“Av, avoid it!”
“This doesn’t look good!”
Kagagagagagak!
The black aura created a storm that swallowed everything and negated mana.
In the Divine Sight, I saw mana screaming.
“Cra, crazy! Magic isn’t manifesting!”
“Warriors! Focus! I don’t know what it is, but it’s absorbing mana!”
“Everyone, focus! Mages, retreat!”
The expressions of the students changed. Saint, clearly surprised, parried Kim Ara with a sword of light and came towards me.
Saint and the students combined their strength. Mana moved rapidly, and soon the corrupting storm engulfed everything.
“Kkeung.”
I struggled to get up.
I realized Abyss was not an efficient technique. It was a final showdown move. A martial art to drag a stronger opponent to death.
It seemed to be made for facing many, but in reality, it was a martial art for facing one.
Nonetheless, I relied on the skill I gained when my Conceptual Stat Energy of Defying Heaven hit 30 and used it.
‘The efficiency is too poor.’
I understood why the Heavenly Demon created Black Energy.
Looking around, I saw the students protected by all sorts of mechanical devices and magic.
‘It’s hard to end this without the kids getting hurt.’
My head was spinning.
It seemed Abyss should be used after raising Conceptual Stat Energy of Defying Heaven a bit more.
-…Impressive.
‘Really?’
-Yes! Seo-ha, you might not be aware, but even the previous Heavenly Demon needed to be at the highest level to properly use Abyss.
Eternal Heaven exclaimed excitedly.
There was a tremendous difference between the Abyss used by the previous Heavenly Demon at his highest level and mine.
If not heaven and earth, then at least between the peak of a mountain and the sky.
Their excitement must have stemmed from the control required.
I walked toward Kim Ara, her eyes wide.
“…You’re incredibly strong.”
“I did do something.”
I replied weakly and sat down on the ground.
Then I looked at Kim Ara, her violet eyes meeting mine.
‘I feel like I haven’t taken good care of her.’
If I were to make excuses, I had been busy. Focusing on developing Seo Ga-yeon and interacting with the children had been the most important.
Thinking about it now, I had received quite a lot of help as well.
The best way forward would be to take her to the dungeon.
- And be careful. Your bounty has increased, and many villain groups are after you, like the Mine-led Nazi Empire or the Black Shirt Squad… The Wings of Dark Flame and Eyes of Illusion are also watching you.
The warning from the sorceress came to mind.
My bounty had increased, and groups of villains like Mines were watching me.
It seemed that The Brigade of Eternal Heaven had backed off,
But the groups mentioned by the sorceress were not to be taken lightly.
‘…Maybe I should just take Seo Ga-yeon with me.’
I felt suddenly tempted.
But perhaps it was intuition; I had a feeling that it might actually drive us apart.
‘I should use it.’
I looked up, thinking of the points I had been saving.
It seemed like I should buy that talent.
In an abandoned factory in Eulsan, a masked figure sat on a chair.
“Cough.”
On the opposite side, a middle-aged man in his late forties coughed up blood. Dark, clotted, crimson blood. It was the result of a curse cast by the being before him.
“Why, why are you doing this to me?”
“Hmm, there’s no particular reason.”
The masked figure spoke softly.
“Just that we want something you have. Well, something like that.”
Although his expression was hidden by the mask, the middle-aged man sensed the masked figure was smiling slyly.
“The mask… could it be The Brigade of Eternal Heaven?”
“Oh, am I famous here? It’s an honor that my name has spread to the Silver Country.”
The masked man nodded and smiled contentedly.
Silver Country—
An ancient country that once existed in China.
However, as dimensions overlapped and broke in China, the country faced the disaster head-on.
It was once the most ravaged by monsters and Mines; the Seven Evils nearly destroyed the country from one location.
Above all, the entity known as ‘Apostle’ appeared and tore China into five pieces.
The five divided parts of China took the names of ancient Chinese countries independently, and among them, the middle-aged man was a key figure from the Silver Country.
Located next to Korea, it was the most chaotic city.
Such was the current state of China.
“Pl, please spare me. If you do, I’ll give you the hidden safe…”
“Oh, the one in Anhui Province?”
Startled—
The middle-aged man’s expression turned to panic at the masked figure’s words.
“Pfft. You think we started this without knowing that?”
The masked figure stood up.
Thud, thud.
Then, he pointed a gun at the middle-aged man’s head.
“Then adios~.”
The masked figure—the leader of The Brigade of Eternal Heaven—said playfully and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The middle-aged man’s body slumped. The leader, removing his mask, said,
“Gangcheon. What happened to the vice-leader?”
“We’ve located him. But he’s in the same place as The Overlord.”
“…”
The leader’s expression grew increasingly blank.
Gangcheon sensed the boiling killing intent behind that expression.
“Leader. I usually don’t like saying this, but The Overlord is dangerous. He’s a monster capable of destroying a country single-handedly.”
“Gangcheon. Our principle is always the same. We never abandon comrades. And if a comrade has been wronged, we repay it a hundredfold.”
Rules were created to live like a human being, born from trash.
The leader smiled coldly, preparing to confront The Overlord.
done.co