Chapter 245
Chapter 245
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 245
Chapter Title: Battle God (2)
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“Monster?”
The Battle God’s eyes flashed.
The words I had thrown at the Battle God.
- I’d rather die than become a monster.
- I want to preserve my dignity as a human.
He furrowed his brow, clearly displeased by them.
“To dare say that before me…….”
Rumble……!
The ground shook.
The air trembled.
It wasn’t an ordinary quake.
It was on a completely different level from the tremors caused by Earth’s high rankers.
“Are you insulting my apostles?”
The hostility emanating from the man himself pierced through my entire body.
“Hnngh!”
My breath caught in my throat.
‘What do I do about this.’
I couldn’t see any way out.
Like a rabbit before a beast.
Just the Battle God’s presence alone bound my body, leaving me unable to move a muscle.
Ah.
So this is what a Constellation is?
Also known as a Star Seat.
An existence far greater than Earth—no, the entire solar system—just by its mere presence?
[The Essence of Water mocks.]
[The puny little thing says it’s cute enough to die from.]
[The Essence of Metal draws power.]
[It grants you ‘Unyielding Mind’.]
At that moment.
Some sturdy energy began to swirl around my heart.
It felt as if tens of millions of rock mountain ranges were layering around me.
[A resolute mind alleviates the difference in ‘rank’.]
“Cough hack.”
Only after the status window appeared could I finally breathe.
“Ha, haha!”
Realizing anew how precious oxygen was, I greedily inhaled and exhaled.
“Hm?”
At the sight, the Battle God’s eyebrow arched.
“Is that the Old God the ancient magic spoke of?”
[The Essence of Fire’s eyes flash.]
[It scolds the young one for lacking manners.]
“……Whatever it is, this should be interesting.”
Even under the essences’ intimidation, the Battle God’s expression didn’t change.
Instead, he shook the gourd to drain the last drops of liquor.
“Khahaha, good!”
Then he raised both fists.
“Rejecting my offer means you don’t acknowledge me. There’s only one solution then. Let’s have at it!”
[The Essence of Fire waves its hand.]
[The ‘Battle God’ (SSS Grade) intervention is severed.]
[Weapon use restriction is lifted.]
Fwoosh!
A spear materialized automatically in my hand.
As expected.
It was the weapon I’d used the most, so my instincts must have summoned it.
“The universe truly is mysterious.”
The Battle God sneered amusedly.
“You dig through its corners, and out come bizarre existences like you. Khahaha! To dare sever my intervention?”
[The Essence of Water snorts.]
[Bullshit.]
[Looking at that bastard’s behavior, it thinks helping this worm isn’t a bad idea.]
It seemed ordinary Constellations didn’t know what my essences truly were.
Then was ‘Ancient Magic’ (SSS Grade) the only special one?
In any case.
Kwaaaaa!
I had to endure the experience of my entire body melting under the Battle God’s swinging fist.
An immeasurable storm of compressed energy swallowed me whole.
But.
[The Essence of Wood’s gentle energy envelops you.]
[It grants you ‘Infinite Vitality’.]
[Your recovery amplifies.]
I didn’t melt.
The Essence of Wood kept holding together my atoms, which were trying to decompose.
Healing on a level far beyond Dana’s.
At the same time.
‘Dangerous.’
I sensed it instinctively.
My body’s balance was disrupting.
Cracks were forming in my qi, and my insides churned.
It seemed like the backlash from using the essences’ power.
[The Essence of Fire tells you to get a grip.]
[The Essence of Water says to look at that.]
[It says he’s already like that after showing just a moment, truly befitting a failure.]
‘Ah, yeah yeah.’
Right, thanks.
Hearing that cleared my head a bit.
There was no time.
If I kept harboring their energies any longer, my very existence might vanish.
“Haaap!”
Focusing all my nerves into my grip, I kicked off the air and launched myself.
In the end, I had no idea where he was.
I just aimed my spear at the direction of that immense presence and thrust.
[The Essence of Fire says to prepare.]
[As you felt last time, it warns of enormous backlash.]
‘Okay.’
Anything.
Help me.
I’d die to this Battle God first before any backlash.
Even if it strained my body, I’d experienced it before.
Back when Aranbalon was about to unleash its breath, I’d borrowed that power to turn the tide.
And the reward had been sweet.
‘Roughly equivalent to a Constellation and a dragon?’
My sense was.
A dragon at peak condition would be on par with a Constellation.
Though it might be because I was still too weak to judge the finer details.
Aranbalon, the Giant Dragon, or the Battle God before me.
They all felt similarly overwhelming.
[The Essence of Fire nods.]
[The Essence of Fire draws power.]
Thud!
It was then.
As if falling into an abyss, a chilling sensation hit.
Fwoooosh!
The whole world began to染 red.
My muscles and nerves trembled uncontrollably.
Just as my vision tinged with blood.
Crackle!
The world went black.
* * *
The Battle God.
One of the Constellations that occupied a portion of the universe.
An existence more sincere about battle than anyone else.
He found this situation intriguing.
Before him.
A human charging with a red spear thrust forward.
‘Ridiculous.’
It was a first.
Everyone had only sought his acknowledgment, never charging at him like this.
Of course, he didn’t seem like an ordinary human.
He was capable of handling the apostles the Battle God had acknowledged.
And powerful presences protected him.
Well.
That wasn’t reason enough for him to avoid the fight.
The universe teemed with countless diverse existences, so distinguishing them all might take eons just to memorize.
‘Old Gods?’
How impressive could they be!
Competitive spirit.
The thirst for victory that had forged him into the Battle God surged wildly.
“Come at me!”
Kwaaaaa!
The Battle God set down his gourd and swung his fist, cleaving the world.
No exaggeration.
Rumble rumble……!
The sky truly cracked, and the ground split in two.
Precisely, the planet halved.
This place was a world he had personally created, after all.
He could make it, so he could destroy it too.
“If you can’t defeat me, prepare for eternal oblivion!”
Boom rumble!
As the Battle God lifted his foot to stomp the world once more.
Flicker!
“Hm?”
The Battle God halted, spotting a small ember burning in the split world.
Fwoooosh!
Tiny as it was, the energy it contained was anything but.
What.
What the hell……?
A type of energy he’d never felt since becoming a Constellation began filling the space.
Flicker, flicker!
So fierce was that energy that his emanating hostility was suppressed.
No, evaporated.
“How……?”
The Battle God felt heat.
[The Essence of Water giggles.]
[It asks if he’s chickening out after showing just a bit when he wanted to fight.]
Old Gods.
The existences ancient magic had warned him to beware of.
“Impressive strength.”
The Battle God grinned.
Flicker!
Scorching pain flared across his body, but he moved again.
He swung his fist and stomped, pulverizing the world.
Rumble rumble!
Space tore, sky and earth swapped places repeatedly.
But Joo Dong-hoon’s momentum, streaking like a bolt, carried an energy that mocked mere Constellations.
Fwoooosh!
The flames clinging to the Battle God began dissolving his flesh bit by bit.
“Kuhahaha—ack!”
He tried to laugh.
But couldn’t.
The firepower was that excruciatingly intense.
Squelch!
Joo Dong-hoon’s spear pierced the man’s abs.
A divine slayer weapon brimming with sharp intent cleanly penetrated even Constellation-grade flesh.
Flicker!
The burning human.
‘Ah.’
The Battle God realized.
That the human was enduring agony to fight him.
“Krgh…….”
Even he, a battle-mad Constellation, found this pain tormenting.
The human must be suffering the same.
“Khkh, so that’s how it is?”
Splurt!
Blood spurted from the gash.
Flames wormed into the wound, burning him from inside.
A Star Seat who had lived ages, melting under the touch of godlike infernal flames.
“You’re worthy to fight me, Battle God.”
The Battle God acknowledged the human.
Not as an apostle, but as a rival.
He didn’t regret deciding to clash with him either.
Facing a strong foe.
And clashing with them—that was his reason for being.
Flicker, flicker!
Even as his body burned, the Battle God slowly gazed at the human.
His training robes fluttered amid the flames.
“So.”
Grip.
The Battle God clenched his fists to dust.
“I’ll fight you in earnest too!”
Flash!
The Battle God’s body and the human’s collided in the same space.
* * *
Flicker!
The burning Joo Dong-hoon.
“Hraaaaaah!”
A roar like a beast’s bellow erupted from his mouth.
Myriad Techniques.
Secret Technique.
Poison Flash.
The green energy condensed in his heart surged to the spear tip and exploded.
The charging Battle God raised his fist to swat it, but the poison and the essence within turned his body to charred coal.
[The Essence of Fire is surprised.]
[It’s been feeling it since last time, but says your willpower is no joke.]
[The Essence of Wood acknowledges.]
[It says you have the highest potential among preliminary contractors so far.]
Though it was a battle fought unconsciously.
An ordinary person would have melted away already.
Or spat out the supporting power and given up.
But.
The Joo Dong-hoon before them was different.
He wielded their superior powers decently and endured them.
Myriad Techniques.
Secret Technique.
Martial Advance.
Unconscious Elegant Strike.
Clang rumble!
The spear had already fluidly transformed into gauntlets.
The Battle God, unconscious, was getting battered to shreds.
And finally.
Mobilizing every ounce of strength from suckling days, he unleashed a barrage of punches.
Pow pow pow pow pow pow!
Crack, crunch!
Bones shattered, flesh sprayed.
Spine protruded, ribs flew.
Boom!
Reduced to rags, the Battle God could only stare at Joo Dong-hoon in a daze.
[The Essence of Wood grows anxious.]
[It says holding on longer risks losing your sense of self.]
[It says even vitality has limits.]
But the Essence of Fire didn’t withdraw its power.
Not yet.
One final blow remained.
[The Essence of Fire infuses even more energy.]
The Battle God had already lost consciousness.
Meaning he was defenseless—the perfect moment for a fatal strike.
Thrust!
Joo Dong-hoon lowered his stance, pulled back his right arm, and shot forward.
In a stable, beautiful form he’d never shown while conscious.
Then.
Whoosh!
Toward that gap.
Myriad Techniques.
Secret Technique.
Poison Flash.
A green flash packed with terrifying energy straight-pierced the Battle God’s abdomen.
“Gah—!”
The blazing Battle God let out a death rattle.
Followed by the explosion.
White light poured from the hole in the Battle God’s gut.
[The Essence of Water says.]
[It’s over.]
[Though whether this human brat survives is another question.]
Is this what the demise of a Constellation is like?
Rumble rumble rumble!
With the erupting light, the world began to whirl.
Dazzling flashes burst repeatedly, massive explosions scattering everywhere.
Battle God (SSS Grade).
The moment an existence beyond human reach met its end at human hands.