Chapter 164
Chapter 164
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Even 13 Regressions is Bullshit
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Lucky you showed up. I figured some other demon would come."
Lilianne's face lit up as she made a fuss.
"I only found out because Zoroaster came looking for me! He said since Cluesti died and I won, he'll follow me from now on..."
"Close the dimensional gate in five minutes."
"Huh?"
Lilianne blinked in surprise.
"Uh, doing it that fast with my power alone might be a bit much..."
"Then close it in two minutes."
"...What'd you stuff in your ears? Did you actually hear me?"
Ju Gonghyeok pulled out the orb containing Cluesti's essence.
The item that promised Lilianne a spot among the Ten Lords and Four Heavenly Kings.
He gave it a slight squeeze, and cracks spiderwebbed across the orb.
"Close it."
"Yes! Right away! I'll do it, so please...!"
Lilianne instantly started begging as another Celestial Knight, Zoroaster, appeared.
"I'll help. Sorry I'm late—I was tracking you down, Lady Lilianne—but together, we can make the timing work."
"Thanks, junior! When I make it big, I won't forget to pay you back!"
Lilianne clung to Zoroaster, sobbing uncontrollably.
Termination in two minutes.
With the time limit set, Ju Gonghyeok assessed the situation.
'They've got numbers on their side. I'm solo.'
A scenario he'd overcome countless times before.
But not this time.
Cluesti's curse. Interference from the future folk.
His body was in the worst shape possible, and activating three divine powers at once had already drained his mana to the brink.
This wasn't the script he'd predicted or planned for.
'Still, I know all the hunters' abilities and variables...'
Five future folk, no less.
Who knew what other powers they might pull out? Too risky.
Dragging this out was a bad idea.
'Take out Christina first, at least.'
She'd already awakened to "Poison that Destroys the World."
Shiva's ultimate ability, capable of annihilating all phenomena, erasing them entirely—near-perfect for both offense and defense.
But it was still incomplete.
Per the GM's measurement, its usable output was only 47%.
'Falling mana, low skill proficiency. I can erase her easily right now.'
[Avatar swap: "Asura King (SS)" → "Progenitor Seed (SS----)".]
Swapping the Asura King for the vampire progenitor.
Progenitor Seed's greatest strength: sowing maximum chaos in group fights.
[Avatar "Progenitor Seed (SS----)" primary and tertiary abilities activated!]
["Blackout", "Dracula's Night" activated.]
["Blackout" blocks hunters' vision and senses.]
["Dracula's Night" from the bizarre dimension recreates itself here.]
- Human negative emotions amplify.
- New monsters are born from those emotions.
A chilling darkness blanketed the entire 39th floor.
A chaos attack devastatingly effective in group battles.
But piercing an SS-grade mental trait like Immortal Iron King's defenses would be tough with this alone.
"Nathaniel, use Love."
- ...Stop fighting people already.
"You've gotten awfully chatty."
As their terse exchange ended, wings sprouted from Ju Gonghyeok's back.
[Sephirot Stage 4: Netzach reactivated!]
[Netzach's archangel, Haniel's power "Love (愛)" manifests!]
[The archangel Haniel's power dismantles enemies' mental defenses!]
The angel's power infiltrated the hunters' mental barriers.
Darkness and terror seeped into their now-wide-open minds.
"Ah, I can't see shit!"
"Damn it! If that guy attacks now, we're dead!"
"Uwaaak! Slashed! He's attacking! I'm gonna die!"
"Don't move around like an idiot! We'll end up hitting each other—"
"Dieee!"
"We're all gonna die!"
What they stepped on were the corpses of comrades Ju Gonghyeok had smashed.
What filled their noses was the fresh metallic tang of blood and the stench of guts.
With vision blocked, those sensations sharpened unbearably.
Fear and terror boiled over, exploding into irrational frenzy.
'If Ha Yeonsi or the others intervene now, it'd be over.'
He revealed one more card he could play.
The rest were aces saved for much later.
"Can't waste them here."
Dozens of wings unfurled behind him as he spoke.
Black and white wings, gifts from angels and demons.
Wings that belonged to neither side, marking his own path.
[Angel Wings, Demon Wings accelerate simultaneously!]
[Sephirot Stage 4 acceleration applied!]
["Thunder God Zeus (SS++)" secondary ability "Arges (Flash)" activated.]
["Great Sage Equal to Heaven (SSS)" secondary ability "Kinto'un Mastery" activated!]
["Kinto'un" generated across body! Acceleration massively boosted!]
He activated every acceleration at his disposal.
His body pierced the Draculian darkness like a streak of needle rain.
Target: Christina C Mahadeva, blocking Astrafe.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The gigantified Ju Gonghyeok plummeted like a meteor.
The Christina from an hour ago would've shattered.
But in that split second, his palm touching her began disintegrating instead.
The ability that erased everything: "Poison that Destroys the World."
Even Ju Gonghyeok would melt facing it head-on.
'Normally, my elbow would've been gone by now.'
Her output was way down.
He'd exploit that.
'Nathaniel, summon all holy beasts.'
[Holly beasts: White Tiger, Adenbraum Executioner, and 307 others summoned.]
[Sephirot Stage 1: Sandalphon's power "Gigantification" manifests.]
[Sephirot Stage 3: Michael's power "Legion" manifests.]
["Gigantification" enlarges summoned holy beasts 3x, boosting all stats...]
["Legion" raises summoned holy beasts' levels by 50, granting legion-exclusive "Divine Legion Synergy (S)" skill...]
An immense mass of summons poured from Ju Gonghyeok's palm.
307 boss monsters.
Gigantified, they rivaled hundreds of buildings in size.
They vanished utterly within Shiva's destruction space.
But groans escaped Christina from across the void.
No matter how many she erased, the flood kept coming.
The "Poison that Destroys the World" she'd unleashed was gradually being pushed back.
'Exactly 47% limit.'
She couldn't "delete" this volume with her current power.
The monsters' muscles and organs scattered like sand.
Her destruction space began to crack.
Now, she'd die again.
Less than 30 minutes after reviving.
Fwoosh!
Ju Gonghyeok's arm blazed white.
He knew flames like these.
The sun archangel Michael's flames.
"Stop it, Oppa."
A light pierced the pitch-black veil.
Ha Yeonsi, wielding an angel's power.
"Yeonsi, I told you."
He looked down at the tiny girl.
"If you wanna stop me, kill me."
"Please... Oppa."
Tears streamed down her face.
"You've killed too many already. This path has no turning back."
"..."
"You'll regret it, Oppa."
"Yeonsi."
Ju Gonghyeok smiled.
"Teacher Christina—kill her now?"
He'd nearly breached the destruction space with monsters and vampires.
An SSS-grade avatar's ultimate ability, no less.
She'd be exhausted now, unable to resist.
He'd crush her with this hand.
"This is my story."
Ha Yeonsi would die next.
Soma Sangai too.
Liang Xian too.
The future folk too.
Dragon God, Demon King—all slain.
To reach the ending he'd chosen.
That was the way of this world's protagonist, Ju Gonghyeok.
His fingertips closed in to crush Christina.
And...
Pzzt!
His fingertips crumbled to "Poison that Destroys the World."
He hadn't fully breached her destruction space.
Someone's interference.
No—someone's slacking.
- You're wrong.
Nathaniel's voice cracked with tears.
- I know you're alone in this world. I know how hard you've walked this path.
Nathaniel was the only one who knew Ju Gonghyeok had regressed.
But she didn't know everything.
She was only now realizing his resolve to kill every hunter.
It broke her heart.
- But this path is wrong. I get why you chose it, but it's too simplistic—that's why it's wrong.
"Simplistic?"
- As simplistic as it gets, you damn master of mine.
Nathaniel's pitying gaze met Ju Gonghyeok's.
- Kill everyone to solve every problem? That's your answer?
"..."
- Are you a kid? Even a seven-year-old could answer that! It's the worst of the worst! Not even an answer!
Nathaniel cradled Ju Gonghyeok's stern face.
- ...You once called yourself this world's protagonist.
"Yeah."
- A protagonist doesn't choose that answer.
The little angel fought with all she had.
For Ju Gonghyeok. For everyone else.
- A true protagonist wouldn't abandon the people they love. No matter how strong the enemy, they'd challenge again and again. Sure, it'd hurt. Sure, it'd ache. Sure, you'd wanna quit.
"..."
- But no matter what, a protagonist would fight alongside me for an ending where everyone can be happy!
She screamed through gritted teeth.
- You can do it. With me and you—with Ha Yeonsi, Soma, Christina, and everyone—we can!
"Maybe."
She was thwarting him.
It was her who'd interfered right before killing Christina.
But it lifted his spirits.
To be expected like this.
The little angel pleading with him was endearing.
But...
"It might be the worst answer, but it's mine."
Ju Gonghyeok was Ju Gonghyeok.
Only by walking the path he deemed right, compromising with nothing, could he be Ju Gonghyeok.
"Ah..."
- Damn master...
The two angels and Ha Yeonsi present felt it.
All negotiations over.
Only destruction remained.
"Wow, seriously can't see a thing!"
A flippant voice rang in his ear then.
Pang!
A kick flew toward his jaw.
Ju Gonghyeok blocked with his enlarged prosthetic.
"Ruining my good mood. Annoying."
Crunch!
He crushed the human in his palm.
A future folk, obviously.
No mercy—he pulverized.
Divine Ape Art: God Palm Buddha's Palm Smash.
A thunderous boom, and a massive handprint cratered the floor.
Dust winds and shockwaves swept the 39th floor, plunging the hunters deeper into panic.
'One down. Now finish Christina...'
"Whoa, knew the technique, but damn, that hurts!"
A foreign sensation prickled his prosthetic.
Even a floor-shaking overhead smash hadn't killed him.
A head peeked out between his fingers.
Dragon horns sprouted as the guy grinned defiantly.
"I'm Kurosh ('K'). I dabble in beastkin techniques too."
His pupils slit vertically.
[Mosaic Organ activated.]
[Dragon God's horn, skin, muscles activate.]
[Guardian God's tail, claws, heart activate.]
[Illusory God's eyes, joints, semicircular canals activate.]
[Ape God's...]
Scales erupted on his skin; a furry tail swished.
A cloned human implanted with the Twelve Beast Gods' organs.
'Dangerous.'
Ju Gonghyeok's instincts screamed.