Chapter 296
Chapter 296
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.63 – A Knight's Valor Knows No Recklessness (6)
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...The wind—no, a typhoon—blew.
It was infinitely compressed, yet its power rivaled a cyclone. As this typhoon exploded like a blast, engulfing the heavens and earth in all directions, even the word "disaster" felt woefully inadequate.
"Divine punishment"—that seemed the only fitting term. People crouched low, desperately resisting to keep from being swept away by the wind.
Whooooosh—!
Gulp...
If that typhoon's explosion hadn't detonated hundreds of meters away, Mordred's fortress would have been blown away long ago. The soldiers would have been hurled into the sky against their will, only to plummet back to earth and bid farewell to the living.
Or rather, before that, their bodies would have been shredded by the supersonic razor winds spewing from the typhoon's blast.
Proof that such speculation was spot on...
Thud...!
Crackle...
Over 20,000 wraiths had been swept up and annihilated alongside it. It should have been a gratifying sight, yet it sent chills down everyone's spines.
And at the epicenter of that typhoon explosion.
Crack! Crunch!
In the eye of the storm—calm as could be—grotesque sounds rang out one after another.
Sounds like bones breaking, or twisting. Agonizing noises that hurt just to hear.
Gulp...
The battlefield had fallen eerily silent under the typhoon's explosion—human and monster alike. Amid it all, those grotesque sounds echoed vividly in everyone's ears.
"—Damn it for real. If I ever use Bone Compression and Reverse Spirit Art at the same time again, I ain't human. Seriously. One more time and my body'll probably explode for good."
Through the settling dust and wind, a massive figure with gleaming blue eyes emerged, muttering something incomprehensible.
Crackle!
"...Ah."
A gasp of admiration rippled through the soldiers.
They couldn't help it upon glimpsing the man's silhouette from afar.
"Perfect..."
The knight known as the "Fighting Dog" for his obsessive dedication to body training uttered the word unwittingly.
It wasn't the right moment for such words, but the awe and astonishment were impossible to contain.
'How... how does a body like that even exist...?'
His build and height were slighter than his own.
But calling it "slight" after seeing that would be a grave mistake.
Compression.
Yes, that body was astonishingly compressed—like a diamond, devoid of any useless muscle.
At a glance, it evoked steel, thanks to its flawless toughness and the traces of countless efforts and grueling training that had forged it.
'How much effort—no, what kind of insane feats does it take to forge a body like that?!'
Even he, whose giant frame was hailed as innate, lacked the confidence to sculpt something like that.
It was beyond talent or effort—achieved through inhuman training, tempering the body like molten metal, and battles that danced on the edge of death.
And so, the Fighting Dog, Felix Mordred, nodded vigorously.
He'd wondered how anyone could unleash such an absurd typhoon explosion...
'That guy's capable of it. No—he has to be, or what's the point?!'
For the first time in his life, Felix felt inferiority, admiration, and defeat toward another.
The moment he beheld a being far superior, one he could never surpass right now.
Yet it wasn't base jealousy or humiliating defeat.
On the contrary.
"Feels good. I can still get stronger!"
Because he'd glimpsed such heights of training.
It was a satisfying sense of defeat. Felix's fighting spirit ignited.
"...What the hell's that lunatic saying in a situation like this?"
He clicked his tongue at the booming voice carrying from afar.
Typical weirdo.
There had been one reason Lee Han never released Bone Compression or Reverse Spirit Art until now.
None other than.
—Unleashing this anywhere could cause a disaster, right?
Casualties might occur.
Was it because he was deploying the two techniques for the first time simultaneously?
An unexpected side effect arose. Four days after becoming Santa Ri Han, he realized the repulsive force trying to revert to his original form was far fiercer than imagined.
Such intense repulsion meant the shock upon release would be equally violent. Release it carelessly, and...
—This has enough power to casually demolish a building.
A living bio-bomb.
His body harbored that side effect.
Yet the problem was that, despite the bomb-like repulsion building up, there was no suitable place or time to release it—and thus, it kept accumulating.
Ironically, most knights would lose control or have their bodies collapse under such buildup, but Lee Han's body was far too "robust."
Already boasting steel-like strength, his flesh had consumed the [Heart of the Ghost King] and received the [Fairy's Blessing]—a vessel transcending comprehension.
Even aura users marveled at his physique—need more be said?
Thus, he succeeded in suppressing the normally uncontrollable repulsion.
For over a dozen days, no less.
—No, this isn't good...
Of course, suppressing it for days wasn't by his will.
It was an absurd accident born from enemies relentlessly denying him any respite.
From the Wales Unification War to the sudden wraith outbreaks, then rushing to Mordred's annex—worse, this frantic activity and combat only swelled the accumulating repulsion further.
Originally enough to topple a building, now its power was incalculable. He had to steel his mind to keep the techniques from unraveling forcibly.
Only because his body had reached the Indestructible realm could he endure that ordeal. And now, with the repulsion released...
"...Ask me to do it again, and I won't."
Rumble...!
He could only stick out his tongue at the result he'd wrought.
'No seconds. For real.'
Powerful, yes—but time-consuming, and the buildup required wasn't trivial.
Moreover.
'Two, no, three more tries and my body'd collapse.'
Durability wasn't infinite.
A wry smile was inevitable.
Even barbarians would balk at the madness he'd pulled.
...Well, still.
"Good results, so it's fine?"
Lee Han surveyed the pristine surroundings, his wry smile replaced by satisfaction.
Monsters and evil spirits alike—wiped clean. A refreshing expanse.
What a sight.
Like stripping rust from iron plating—utterly cathartic.
"...Sharp senses, huh."
As if considerate of Lee Han, whose clothes and armor lay in tatters, a gift arrived.
Kain's spectral steed from the border guard delivered supplies. Donning the proffered garments and plate, Lee Han shed his ragged tramp look.
Clank, click.
Confirming not just clothes but water, rations, an axe, and a sword, he leisurely tore into the combat rations.
Slowly, ever so slowly.
Monsters still littered the distant field, yet even at the battlefield's heart, he remained utterly at ease.
Strapping on sword and axe, filling his belly with dried fruit, meat, and bread before washing it down—even then, no monster charged.
Flinch...!
...No, more precisely, they couldn't even think to charge.
Whenever he moved or reached for something, they flinched and backpedaled frantically.
Hardly a monster's reaction to a human—but even humans here would react the same.
And why not.
His naturally exuded "aura" overwhelmed even beings called evil spawn.
"As expected... that much won't kill me."
"......"
"Replenishing fluids and protein is more productive than chatting with the likes of you."
He chewed his food deliberately, mouth working steadily, then downed water and potions to restore stamina. Lightly stretching...
Joints still stiff, and after nearly a dozen days back to normal, it felt awkward.
"...Feels light."
His body felt lighter and more powerful than ever.
Not mere placebo—the involuntary weight training from enduring repulsion might have boosted his physical stats beyond baseline.
Maybe 2-3 times over? Not precise, but regardless.
The key point was.
"Not running?"
Whoosh!
Eradicating that stray evil spirit.
In an instant, Lee Han's will focused, razor winds rising.
Not quite sonic speed like before, but the heavy, hammer-like momentum still pressed the foe intensely.
The great evil spirit, surprisingly compliant, smirked at Lee Han's question.
Creak!
Know your place—.
With contemptuous arrogance, ripples spread through the space behind the great evil spirit as something began to manifest.
Creeeak!!
It was a colossal bull.
Flesh entirely gone, bones alone remaining—yet its size rivaled a 30-story building.
The great evil spirit adored beautiful humans but despised the ugly, deeming them lower than livestock.
Thus.
The great evil spirit intended to make this irreverent human, who'd spurned his mercy, pay dearly...
Splat!
...Before he could finish, the great evil spirit's head snapped aside.
And not gracefully.
"Weren't you gonna teach me my place?"
"What's wrong?"
Thwack!
Wham!
"Go on, show me?"
Lee Han asked with a grin.
Teaching him his place, was it? Then why—
"Why're you rolling on the ground?"
Like a bug doused in pesticide.
Crunch!
The great evil spirit's face caved in—the very ugliness it so despised.
Boom!
...A hideous sight.