Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: The Hero Emerges
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Creak—
The joints of his prosthetic arm rotated unnaturally, and the avatars revealed themselves.
The 'Yodo Muramasa (SS)' that he had taken from Kawashima opened his inventory and let out an eerie wail.
"Yeah, Alphard. Just a little longer."
He walked calmly toward Alphard, gripping the hilt of the sword.
The bloodthirsty demon blade coiled around Ju Gonghyeok's hand as if delighted.
A flash gleamed at his elbow, and a white trail of fire clung to the sword tip.
[『Thunder God Zeus (SS++)』 Secondary Ability 'Arges (Flash)' activated.]
[Ignition Booster (A+) activated.]
[Hundred Linked Explosions (百連爆) Arms Boost.]
A hundred explosions hammered the blade.
With a deafening roar, the blade accelerated, its tip slicing through the air with lethal sharpness.
Kieeeeng!
[Air Chewing Thread (空嚼絲) deployed.]
[Air Chewing Thread Second Form – Guardian of the Spade.]
The space-slicing threads gathered to meet the sword.
Dozens snapped, but the remaining hundred blocked the blade.
At point-blank range, Alphard and Ju Gonghyeok's clone faced off.
"When are you going to kill me?"
Alphard responded emotionlessly to Ju Gonghyeok's intrigued question.
"We are one spear."
"A spear?"
"The karma you left behind, forged by those who resent you—one spear."
"Ah... I see?"
Ju Gonghyeok smirked.
"Sent by the scraps of the defeated?"
The blue avatar, the three-headed eight-armed Asura King, glared furiously.
[『Asura King (SS)』 Tertiary Ability 'Eight-Hand Mutual Combat (八手互搏)' activated.]
[Ignition Booster additional activation! Eight Hundred Linked Explosions (八百連爆)!]
Eight hundred flames shot into the sky.
The propelled blade fell toward Alphard.
Ju Gonghyeok caught sight of Alphard's lips.
Words from the super-accelerated world, unreadable to ordinary people, reached him.
'With the power of a mere clone, you cannot kill me.'
A bluish glow swirled in Alphard's eyes.
[Special Factor 「Thunderlight Pursuer」 manifested!]
- Summoning trait Lightning Jester (SS), skill Lightning Teleport (SS) from the factor.
Crackle!
Alphard's body turned into lightning and vanished.
He lost track of the enemy.
Ju Gonghyeok's instincts rang the alarm.
[Avatar swap: Asura King (SS) -> GM(?).]
[Prediction Path (U.S) activated.]
- Last gaze processed, pupil reflex analyzed.
- Upper left emergence predicted, 47%.
- Insufficient target information for prediction.
The moment the calculation finished, he slashed toward the left diagonal.
But he only cut through dust.
At the edge of his vision, Alphard appeared far away.
"One spear, you said. What the hell are you doing?"
Ju Gonghyeok felt irritated.
Win or lose, Alphard was avoiding combat.
Alphard took a deep breath before replying.
"Now is the time for the hero to appear."
"The hero—that's you?"
Alphard answered with the same blank expression.
"This is the beginning of the hero's emergence."
"A parrot? Same shit over and over..."
Ju Gonghyeok's words halted abruptly.
He turned from Alphard to the spot where Christina had died.
"Ha Yeonsi?"
For some reason, calling her name, Ju Gonghyeok's clone vanished like smoke.
Alphard's gaze shifted there too.
To where Ha Yeonsi and Ju Gonghyeok stood.
"Now you are the enemy of history, Ju Gonghyeok."
A shadow rose beside Alphard.
It was the assassin Edwin ('E'), who had been defeated by Ju Gonghyeok alongside Montezuma ('M') during the Halloween-Illibatus battle.
"Alpha."
"Comrade Edwin, is there a problem?"
Edwin reported to the emotionless Alpha.
"'Z' ordered us not to engage. We haven't prepared perfectly to kill Ju Gonghyeok yet."
"That's true."
Warm holy light spread across the 39th floor.
It was light emanating from Ha Yeonsi.
"But things don't always go according to plan. Who could've predicted Saint Ha Yeonsi would change like that?"
"......"
"This is our chance."
Boom!
Alpha stomped the ground hard.
"Comrades of the Divine Spear, gather."
Shadows gathered besides Alpha and Edwin.
Five future people, including Alpha, stood together.
This was the first time so many future people had assembled.
Alpha looked at them.
"Originally twenty-six of us, now only six remain."
They nodded silently.
Ten comrades hadn't even reached this place, vanishing into some distant dimension.
Thirteen barely returned to the past, but most forgot who they were and why they came.
The one thing they barely remembered: the instinct to kill 'someone.'
'B' died first, and they recalled that name was 'Ju Gonghyeok.'
Only after 'D' and 'C' died could they properly unite.
"Many comrades died pointlessly without realizing their own abilities."
Alpha and those gathered: E, G, K, T.
Every future person was designed to exploit Ju Gonghyeok's weaknesses.
B, Bergoglio, the first prototype fighter, equipped with a photon magic cannon and artificial sun generator to seal Ju Gonghyeok's vampires and powers.
C, Sesk, a fighter mass-producer, supported allies and linked to neutralize Ju Gonghyeok's clones.
D, Damo, mid-range fighter, carried the organ 'Einstein's Darkness' to temporarily block angelic powers.
R carried Liang Xian's genes.
She was to eliminate Liang Xian, Ju Gonghyeok's future comrade, inherit her avatar, and check him; her tertiary organ 'Mingwang Slash' was a counter to the beastkin avatars 'Gio' and 'Zeus.'
M, Montezuma, infiltrated Illibatus's mental network to find the hidden 'Animus' and collapse it.
Except for S's betrayal and H's disappearance, most died at Ju Gonghyeok's hands before awakening their abilities.
Alphard knew.
"This is our chance."
Everyone here wanted revenge for their comrades who died helplessly.
"If we help Ha Yeonsi now, we can save Christina, who was supposed to die. With our hands, we change history."
Kurosh ('K'), the close-combat specialist, unfolded his conservative arms.
"I'll do as Alpha says! Ju Gonghyeok is more injured from Cluesti than we thought. Worth the gamble."
Guillaume ('G') and Thierry ('T') agreed.
"I get Z's intent as the command authority, but no need to retreat now."
"Let's just kill him while we're at it."
The five future people united in purpose.
Alpha turned toward Ju Gonghyeok.
"Ju Gonghyeok, the time of the hero's emergence."
* * *
"Don't do it, Yeonsi."
His battered body, with a sword impaled through his knee to form a grotesque prosthetic leg.
Ju Gonghyeok lit a cigarette, standing unsteadily.
"If you do that, I'll have no choice but to kill you too."
"Kill me."
She spread her single white wing, glowing brightly.
"I don't care if I die."
"......"
"I came here so you won't regret it later, oppa."
Those who fear no death, who hold nothing dear, are immune to Ju Gonghyeok's threats.
To be precise, what Ha Yeonsi cherished was Ju Gonghyeok's future and happiness.
A gruesome corpse, chest pierced by a stake, head smashed.
Ha Yeonsi approached Christina's remains.
"Teacher..."
Remembering the Christina who had taken in her and Ju Gonghyeok, tears welled up unbidden.
"Teacher's dead. Even your Bari Princess resurrection can't save her."
Bari Princess's tertiary ability, 「Field of the Other Shore Flowers」, was one of the top resurrection powers among avatars.
Fully blooming all four flowers, including Flesh Mending Flower, could revive even the dead.
But there were limits.
Usable once every three days, and the deceased's 'brain' must be intact.
With Christina's durability, maybe up to 15 minutes was possible.
But Ju Gonghyeok had severely damaged her brain.
Even if it soured his mood, he killed her thoroughly.
"Smashed her head completely and obliterated her soul. Whatever you do is pointless."
Ignoring Ju Gonghyeok, she cupped Christina's face with her hands.
Ha Yeonsi's single wing emitted holy light.
[Incarnation of the Angel (SSS) borrows angelic power.]
- Astral of the Heavenly Host takes interest.
- Time Reversal skill 'Astral's Calendar' generated.
- Archangel of Healing, Gabriel, takes interest.
- Soul Regeneration skill 'Gabriel's Immaculate Conception' generated.
- Angel system intervenes, regenerating Babel-deleted information.
Two angels took positions beside her.
Localized time reversal occurred: the skull reassembled, brain reformed, cells and neurons reversed their tearing and reconnected.
Christina's soul, scattered by 'Stake of Malignant Destruction (SSS-)', gathered again. Fragments united, missing parts regenerated.
Ha Yeonsi's 'Bari Princess' avatar gently wiped her tears.
[『Bari Princess (SS)』 Tertiary Ability – 'Field of the Other Shore Flowers' manifested.]
[Flesh Mending Flower, Blood Mending Flower, Bone Mending Flower, Soul Mending Flower generated.]
[Physical reconstruction and residual soul amplification initiated.]
[Avatar 'Angel ?????? (?)' assists all processes per Ha Yeonsi's will.]
[Trait Incarnation of the Angel (Unique SSS) manifested.
- Holy power increased, resurrection process assisted.
- Angel system intervenes. Regenerates deleted system information.]
"My God."
"Ha Yeonsi, that human. When did she...?"
"My Lord! I apologize for once being deluded! No, I believed! Yes! Proclaim your authority to all!"
Ben-Hur and Guard Sand stopped fighting in shock, while Marcus knelt and prayed on the spot.
As time passed, Christina's form grew clearer.
She slept peacefully in Ha Yeonsi's arms.
Fully revived.
"Hmm."
Ju Gonghyeok opened his mouth.
He shoved the smoking cigar in and chewed.
The bitter scent of burning ash filled his mouth.
"I'm a monster, but you've become one too, Yeonsi."
"I won't say sorry."
Ha Yeonsi set her teacher down from her arms and stood.
"Kill me if you want."
"You're not scared, huh."
"I am... but still..."
Yeonsi smiled brightly, though wistfully.
"I told you. I'll make sure you never regret it, oppa."
"......"
"No matter what, I'm on your side. I want you to live without regrets, happily."
It was sincere.
No need for Marcus's avatar or predictions.
Ha Yeonsi's smile made Ju Gonghyeok understand everything.
"Yeonsi, you're lovely."
"Yes?"
"I'll say it again. You're cooler, bolder, more beautiful, and lovelier than any Ha Yeonsi."
"Wait, oppa. Why are you suddenly setting this mood?"
Yeonsi reacted with goosebumps, but the blush on her cheeks showed she didn't hate it.
Gonghyeok poured out his heart with all his might.
"I hate to admit it, but I think I really love you right now."
"Ah, haha..."
"Without any pretense or debts of the heart, you're truly lovely now. If possible, I'd marry you, sleep with you, whisper sweet nothings, and see our child."
"Aha! Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!"
Ha Yeonsi laughed awkwardly, at a loss.
Nathaniel peeked out, looking anxious.
- Um, human. Don't tell me...
Click—
"And you and I—one of us dies today."
The SS-grade demon blade Muramasa's tip aimed at his beloved's throat.
Better than Yeoui-bong or Chain Demon Hammer Hontaro.
He didn't want to gruesomely mar Yeonsi's final form with a staff or hammer.