Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Jealous Apostle's Supremacy
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Having received permission, Kim Sion moved immediately.
As if determined not to give his opponent even a moment's opening, he spun his body like a whirlwind and charged straight at Barnetsa.
Kaang!
Sparks flew.
Kwaang!
In the end, amid a burst of smoke, Kim Sion was sent tumbling across the ground.
“Urk!”
It was an exchange so fast that even Sendro could barely follow.
It had all happened in the realm of utmost speed.
“…How dare you.”
Barnetsa was snarling, her face unable to hide her fury.
She had schemed for so long to seize the World Tree in her grasp.
“How dare you!”
Who could have foreseen her plans unraveling like this?
And above all.
Tremble.
What Barnetsa couldn’t accept was that she, an Archdemon, was gripped by fear.
Barnetsa had never clashed with Mikael, the great adversary passed down in demon lore.
At one point, she had thought:
‘Hmph. Against a mere human?’
She had only felt contempt for the demons who feared Mikael after their defeats.
Elves were a race that inherently viewed themselves as superior.
Humans—pitiful lives that flickered by in an instant.
Creatures who hadn’t even received the World Tree’s blessing, who followed no god—they were nothing more than discarded sub-races.
“How dare—”
The terror she felt toward Go Yohan, who was just such a human, was utterly humiliating.
Kaang!
Sparks flew once more.
“Demons really need to work on their vocabulary.”
Kim Sion crossed his twin daggers and swung them, binding Barnetsa.
“All you ever say is ‘how dare you! How dare you!’?”
Ignoring the blood trickling from his mouth, madness gleamed in his grinning face.
“You too…”
Ggrrrk!
Barnetsa’s eyes widened.
“should go to school or something.”
Kwaaang!
She repelled Kim Sion again, but it felt different from before.
In fact.
“……!”
Unlike when he had tumbled across the ground earlier, Kim Sion staggered but blocked the strike and remained standing.
It was unbelievable.
Even if they weren’t ordinary humans.
Even if they were the vessels chosen by the true Archdemons that terrified other Archdemons, it made no sense.
The blossoming of talent, accelerated growth, the granting of Authorities—it should all be their exclusive domain.
‘How in the world.’
How had this human not only stolen the vessels of all the Archdemons but fully nurtured them?
Kaang!
Sparks flew again.
And this time.
Slice.
Very slightly, Kim Sion’s dagger dug into Barnetsa’s throat.
“What’re you daydreaming about? Middle school, for real? I’ll talk to the Captain and get you a recommendation. There’s this girl in the class next to ours named Choron…”
Kwaaaa!
Substantial demonic energy began erupting from Barnetsa’s entire body.
“Sion, don’t drag this out too long. They haven’t fully manifested yet, but…”
Go Yohan’s voice came then.
“If they take their true form, we’ll have no choice but to intervene.”
“Got it, Captain!”
As if those words were the signal, Kim Sion’s ferocious assault began.
At first slower than Barnetsa, Kim Sion had now caught up to her speed.
And.
Slice!
He was beginning to surpass it.
“How…?”
To Barnetsa, it was all unknown, all terror.
She couldn’t comprehend it.
“How is this possible?”
She knew the power of Envy.
Stealing the power of the envied target, along with accelerated growth up to that point.
But to surpass her in such a short time?
“You don’t mean…”
Ggrrrk!
Kim Sion, grinning beyond the dagger, spoke.
“You didn’t think I ‘envy’ you, did you?”
“……!”
“There’s only one thing I envy.”
Ggrrk!
Barnetsa’s dagger was cracking.
“Just the Captain.”
Kaang!
In that instant, no one could even guess what had happened.
When eyes blinked open, Kim Sion—with horns slightly sprouted on his forehead—had passed by Barnetsa.
Shling.
He was sheathing his dagger.
And.
Pshwaaaak!
Barnetsa’s headless body swayed and collapsed.
“As long as my envy is fixed on the Captain, I’ll never lose to underlings like you!”
With those words, the sprouted horns vanished, and his pitch-black eyes returned to normal.
Kim Sion, the sole apostle among them who could partially control his own unleashing at will.
“…….”
The elves, Sendro included, couldn’t comprehend or accept what had just happened.
All the more because they had clashed swords themselves.
“Sion.”
Go Yohan, who had approached Kim Sion before they knew it, ruffled his hair and said.
“Wipe the blood off before you talk.”
“…Ow!”
*
*
*
The battle was over.
Go Yohan had wanted to root them out completely through the remaining Black Gate.
Pssht!
But the Black Gate severed its connection and vanished the instant it sensed the Archdemon’s death.
[Apostle Kim Sion’s Faith stat has increased.]
[Apostle Kim Sion’s Swiftness evolves into Acceleration.]
Kim Sion’s growth was palpable as the reward for hunting an Archdemon.
[You have acquired Barnetsa’s Longbow.]
[You have acquired Romaine’s Longsword.]
Obtaining two legendary demon artifacts was a bonus.
[You have acquired a massive amount of Karma Points.]
The immense sin piling into his heart was inevitable.
Writhing tattoos and a pounding heart.
“…….”
Yggdrasil, who had approached unnoticed, grasped Go Yohan’s hand.
Her eyes seemed to ask.
‘Are you all right?’
No one knew what Go Yohan was going through.
Not even Go Yohan himself.
But Yggdrasil appeared to know something.
“I’m fine.”
She didn’t pry.
It wouldn’t change anything.
He didn’t even seek anyone’s understanding or concern.
Instead.
Thud.
Go Yohan pushed Yggdrasil away and said.
“I’ve kept my promise.”
The hunt for the Dark Elves who sought the elves’ downfall and the World Tree’s seizure.
That was the promise.
Now it was time to claim the price.
“Preparations are complete.”
Yggdrasil said.
There was no need for any further conversation.
“H-Hold on!”
Sendro sensed something ominous and tried to approach.
“That’s far enough.”
“Stop.”
Kim Sion’s blade was suddenly at Sendro’s throat.
Yoon Seunga’s shadow spikes had reached Sendro’s heart.
“Don’t interfere with the Captain.”
“Step back.”
At that moment, when he couldn’t move as if paralyzed.
Riiip!
Go Yohan tore Yggdrasil’s garment with his hand.
“……!”
What is this—
The words died unspoken.
“…….”
Shock colored the faces of Sendro and the elves.
Yggdrasil’s true form, hidden beneath her white robes, was revealed.
Her blackened flesh was rotting away, flecks of tainted meat sloughing off.
This was the truth she had kept even from her own servants.
“How much time is left?”
“As much as you see.”
The goddess said.
[Remaining time: 72 hours]
Meaning, once that time passed, Yggdrasil would fully corrupt and vanish.
Even after defeating the Dark Elves, the demonic energy corroding her wouldn’t disappear.
“Please.”
Yggdrasil closed her eyes and said.
“I leave it to you.”
Swish.
Go Yohan placed his hand on Yggdrasil’s head.
Roooar!
It felt like a fierce wind was howling.
Gloop!
At the same time, black demonic energy began flowing out of Yggdrasil as if being pulled.
“World Tree!”
Sendro cried out but didn’t approach.
Not because of Kim Sion or Yoon Seunga’s blades, but because of Yggdrasil’s own will.
[You atone for the World Tree’s sins.]
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted, baring Go Yohan’s back.
Ggrrrk!
As if an invisible blade were carving it, a radiant tree tattoo blossomed there.
[You have acquired the title, Destroyer of Elves.]
[You have acquired the racial perk, Blessing of the Black Sapling.]
A massive current burrowed into Go Yohan’s heart.
“…Kuh.”
Even Go Yohan couldn’t hold back a groan amid the excruciating pain.
When he had taken Cheol Jungbae’s burden, it was merely the sins a tribal leader should bear.
“……!”
Now, he was taking on the sins of a tribal deity.
Go Yohan’s one eye, Yggdrasil’s one eye, were dyeing completely black.
And in the next moment.
Fwaaa!
Yggdrasil’s body shattered into black grains and poured out.
“Hah… haa…”
Go Yohan dropped to one knee, breathing raggedly, as Yoon Seunga hurried over to support him.
“…Captain.”
But Go Yohan stared ahead at what had been the World Tree.
The once-vibrant ancient tree was turning black.
But this was different from the corruption the demons had desired.
[Destroyer of Elves perk: You have acquired World Tree’s Chosen Consort.]
And as before.
“…….”
Sendro and the elves knelt and paid their respects.
No explanation was needed.
“…We pay respects to the World Tree’s Chosen Consort.”
They would feel it too.
That was when.
“Captain, congrats on marrying the tree!”
Kim Sion’s cheeky voice.
Papatapat!
Black spikes erupted, lunging at Kim Sion as if to tear him apart.
“Aaaah! Sorry! Sis! Please!”
Kim Sion had to exert himself fully just to dodge.
[You have acquired a Fragment of the World.]
*
*
*
Go Yohan had returned.
But unlike when he’d gone there, he was alone.
“…The matter.”
Cheol Jungbae and Lee Jaekyung, who seemed to have grown quite close, approached and said.
“appears to be resolved.”
Like the elves, they could sense things without words.
“Yes. I had a few things to settle, so I came back alone.”
Go Yohan gave a wry smile.
His face looked utterly exhausted.
“…Are you all right?”
Cheol Jungbae asked worriedly.
“…I’m fine.”
Go Yohan smiled, but no one could take the words at face value.
“Captain, this won’t do.”
Lee Jaekyung spoke up as if resolved about something.