Gu Domyeong's Insane Laugh
The earth trembled violently as Jin Chen's double-headed axe struck the ground, but the blow landed on something far more resilient than mere rock.
*How... How can this be possible? I can't... I can't stand this!*
Bbakbbaki ground his teeth, muscles bulging as he forced himself upright despite the crushing pain.
**True Dragon Fortress Vice-Leader!**
The axe flashed with deadly precision. Bbakbbaki launched himself forward like a human cannonball, body rocketing through the air.
*Whoosh!*
Amid the settling thunder, thick tentacles lashed out toward the massive figure of Geunyuk-i.
**"Kaaaaaaaah! I'll drag you down myself!"**
The air itself screamed as Bbakbbaki's remaining True Energy exploded outward in a silent shockwave.
*Boom!*
From Bbakbbaki's body, a jet-black aura burst forth like raging flames.
His internal energy was completely depleted. All that remained was innate True Energy—the last spark of his life.
Using it to fuel his final strike, Bbakbbaki closed the distance in a blink and slammed into the back of the towering figure.
**"Die!"**
With a roar born of pure desperation, he thrust his fist forward.
*BOOM!*
The crushing fist, heavy with unmatched power, was about to shatter the head of the giant when...
*CRACK!*
Tentacles erupted from the ground and impaled Bbakbbaki from every direction.
**"Gaaaaaah!"**
He cried out in agony, yet refused to stop his charge. One step. Two steps. Three.
Flesh tore from his body. Bones snapped. He kept coming—driven by a single, burning will to deliver that final blow.
And somehow, against all odds, his fist finally connected.
*Thud!*
The fist that had been drained of all energy was now just a hollow shell.
Watching it, the giant figure flashed a horrifying smile.
**-Kukukuku, your aura is truly impressive. It's... satisfying.**
**"Gaaaaah! You'll die. You'll die! I swear it!"**
**-No. No one will be able to kill me now. I'll absorb the power of all three Transcendent masters... and this one's too!**
The giant's gaze turned back to Geunyuk-i.
**-The sheer killing intent and madness in your body. Kukuku, I like it. All I need is your flesh. That aura... is mine.**
**"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"**
A scream of pure slaughter erupted from Geunyuk-i's throat as the red aura gushing from his body began to be sucked into the tentacles piercing his skin.
**-Kukukukuk, kuhahahahaha! Who dares defy me?! Now, I, Gu Domyeong, am the master of this world!**
Dark madness and killing intent poured into the giant's voice. His black eyes glowed with sinister crimson.
The bandits and Bbakbbaki lowered their heads in unison, searching for one familiar face.
*Lord... the Lord...*
A single set of footsteps echoed through the valley.
*Thud. Thud.*
The sound grew louder and louder, eventually swallowing the entire space.
Baek-i and Samsaek-i, Nox and the Captain, all stopped fighting and backed away from one another.
Every eye in the fortress turned toward the same direction.
The shattered main gate.
The bandits watching from there suddenly broke down sobbing.
**"Lord! Lord!!"**
Jin Chen halted mid-step as he walked into the ruined gate, responding to their cries.
He asked in a completely emotionless voice.
**"Jang Old Man? Kingko? The one-eyed man?"**
**"C-crying... crying..."**
No one answered.
Just tears and bowed heads.
At that moment, Gu Domyeong let out a chilling laugh.
**-Kukukuku, that's right! That's how it has to be! You couldn't have died so easily.**
**"Sybel, take the kids and get out of here. Everyone's in terrible shape."**
Jin Chen was still talking without even noticing Gu Domyeong's words.
Before he could finish, Sybel appeared right beside the injured subordinates.
**"...Understood."**
Sybel appeared not with words, but with a ruined, bloodied body.
Nox and the Captain clenched their teeth.
**-How did you bastards survive?**
**"The Lord of the Gold Dragon! You were still alive?!"**
Sybel slowly turned his head and looked at the two giants.
**"You won't die so easily under my hand."**
**-No. You'll die in our hands.**
**"Lord of the Gold Dragon, today we will take your heart."**
Both giants were certain.
The so-called Lord couldn't possibly be a normal human.
They had no idea how he survived the explosion, but they would kill him today!
The moment killing intent exploded from Nox and the Captain, Jin Chen's voice rang out from behind.
**"You're the ones who're going to die."**
Nox and the Captain shuddered at the sudden voice.
They felt nothing!
But the two giants, teeth gritted, spun around and swung their weapons.
*Whoooosh!*
The weapons sliced through the air.
*BOOM!*
Death Side and the sword were caught firmly in Jin Chen's grip.
**-Kuk! Darkway...**
**"Spirit of Darkness!"**
When the weapons wouldn't move, Nox and the Captain tried to summon black magic and spirits.
The moment they did, the weapons shattered with a horrible crack and exploded.
*KA-BOOOOOM!*
Shards of the shattered weapons rocketed toward Nox and the Captain at terrifying speed.
**-Dark Barrier!**
**"Death Shield!"**
The defensive magics they unleashed were completely useless against Jin Chen's fury.
*CRACK!*
In an instant, the defensive barriers were smashed apart, and the weapon shards slammed into the bodies of the two giants.
**"Gaaaaah!"**
**-Kyyyyaaaaak!"**
Nox and the Captain screamed in horrific agony.
Unlike the Captain, whose body collapsed to the ground in a gush of blood, Nox's skeletal body shattered like glass and crumbled into sand.
But just as quickly, the broken bones began to reform at incredible speed, reassembling into his original form.
Watching this, Jin Chen kicked the fallen Captain aside.
*BOOM!*
**"Gaaaaah!"**
The Captain's body flew backward and crashed into Sybel's feet.
**"Take the dark elf with you."**
**"Is that okay?"**
**"There's something you have to do, right?"**
**"Thanks."**
Jin Chen grabbed Nox's head, which had already regenerated up to his torso.
**-Kuuuuh...**
And he hurled the groaning figure away.
*WHOOSH!*
The tentacles that had grabbed Geunyuk-i and Bbakbbaki were sliced apart in an instant.
Bbakbbaki and Geunyuk-i fell to the ground.
Jin Chen pulled both of them into a tight embrace.
**"Are you okay?"**
Was it because they had absorbed Gu Domyeong's power?
A trace of their original light had returned to the once bloodshot eyes of Geunyuk-i.
**"L-Lord... Grandpa... one-eyed Brother... Kingko Brother... Hiiiiii..."**
**"L-Lord, I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough... I wasn't strong enough..."**
When Bbakbbaki started sobbing too, Jin Chen gently stroked their backs.
**"You did well. From now on, I'll handle everything."**
**"Hic... hic... hic..."**
**"Just rest."**
Jin Chen slowly turned his body.
At the end of his gaze, Gu Domyeong was slowly rising from the ground he had been pinned to.
As he tore off the robe that covered his body without a single wound...
**"No matter what you do, you can't kill me. I have obtained immortal flesh!"**
The true form of Gu Domyeong was revealed.
Two horns grew on either side of his head. His mouth was split wide open like a wyvern's, full of sharp fangs. His ears were pointed like an elf's, and his eyes were nothing but black voids. His arms stretched down to his knees.
Nothing of his old appearance remained.
Sybel's expression turned ice-cold as he looked down at the Captain.
**"Maggot Belphegor who absorbs and regenerates. You stole the flesh of a top-tier maggot."**
**-Gaaaaaaah, you stupid dragons! You thought our only preparation was that thing?!**
**"...Yeah, don't speak. You'll feel the most horrific pain in the world soon."**
**"No! You two are dying here today! The human from another world has perfectly adapted to the flesh of a top-tier maggot and can use that power to its fullest! Just like in the Demon Realm!"**
When a maggot crosses into the middle realm, it can only use one-third of its original power. The environment is different, and crossing dimensions requires enormous amounts of demonic energy.
Even with those restrictions, the power of a top-tier maggot that crossed over was strong enough to rival an Ancient Dragon.
If they could use their full strength...
The Lord of the Gold Dragon himself would not stand a chance.
Sybel, however, felt no worry at all.
He continued staring down at the Captain with an icy expression.
**"Not being able to kill you just because you adapted perfectly isn't true."**
Jin Chen's voice echoed across the entire valley as if confirming Sybel's words.
**"Immortal flesh, huh... Interesting. I was worried about how easily you'd die."**
**-I'll rip your mouth apart and absorb all your power! And I'll turn you into a Jiangshi so you can live as my slave for the rest of your life!**
*Whoosh!*
The tentacles that looked alive shot forward at terrifying speed.
They arrived right in front of Jin Chen in an instant.
But then Jin Chen's figure vanished like smoke, and he appeared right beside Gu Domyeong.
**"Too many words. You only have one thing to say."**
*Ziiiing!*
*Flash!*
Jin Chen swung the axe lightly.
A powerful azure light burst from the blade.
Gu Domyeong sneered. The massive demonic energy surged forward to block the azure strike.
*KA-BOOOOOM!*
A tremendous explosion erupted, and Gu Domyeong was blasted backward.
**-Now it's your turn to feel the humiliation and disgrace I felt!**
He unleashed his claws, loaded with concentrated demonic energy, at Jin Chen.
The move was the **White Bone Blood Art**—a technique of a top-tier maggot.
Jin Chen responded with a straight punch.
*BOOM!*
Gu Domyeong was sent flying backward.
**-Kuuuh! You dare—**
The raging black demonic energy inside him contained Bbakbbaki's True Energy and Geunyuk-i's One Hundred and Eight Flowing Blood Art.
Watching it, Jin Chen said coldly.
**"The dregs of humanity."**
**-I'll watch and see if you can still talk like that after experiencing my power!**
**"Go ahead and watch. See how that pretty body of yours gets torn apart."**
*Slither.*
Jin Chen appeared right in front of Gu Domyeong again.
**-I'll tear you to pieces, chew you up, and swallow you whole!**
Gu Domyeong roared, and the tentacles shot toward Jin Chen.
*Chrrrrrrip!*
The tentacles reached right in front of him in an instant.
No, almost.
Before Jin Chen could bring the axe down over his head...
*Slither.*
It looked like an extremely slow swing to everyone.
Slow enough that even a Third Class martial artist could dodge it.
Gu Domyeong let out a smug smile.
He had taken a huge injury from the explosion but was trying to hide it.
He needed time to evacuate the bandits.
**-Kukuku, it's over. You bastards!**
*Psst!*
The tentacles that had been shot at Jin Chen turned to dust and scattered.
And the axe that had been moving slowly had suddenly appeared right in front of him.
*Thud!*
The axe lightly tapped his chest.
What kind of trick...?
Gu Domyeong couldn't finish the thought.
*Psst!*
The flat side of the axe had turned to dust and scattered.
**CHAPTER_END**