Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 277
Chapter Title: Baron's Arrival
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It was a sight as if the world itself had split in two.
A jet-black sword wreathed in pure white aura cleaved straight into Mardetain's chest.
Creeeeak—!
Droplets of blood sprayed into the air.
It was no small amount of bleeding.
If he had been an ordinary person, that single strike would have been enough to kill him.
But Mardetain was no ordinary man.
He was a being who had reached the realm of Super Transcendence, and he had even absorbed demonic energy to gain a special "ability."
‘Blood Clan.’
The "ability" that Woojin had seen from him several times revealed itself once more.
Shhhrrrrk—!
The gushing stream of blood halted in midair, then began flowing back toward Mardetain.
"Krgh!"
Only then did he belatedly groan and stagger backward.
"Tch."
Freya clicked her tongue at the sight.
It had been an unexpected sword strike from out of nowhere.
Mardetain hadn't imagined that an attack from the aged Freya could pack such power.
Thanks to that, she had seized the opening.
It was a slash she had unleashed even at the cost of some strain...
"Regrettable."
She had aimed to cleave him in half, but Mardetain had suffered only minor injuries and remained unscathed.
"You dare, you wench!"
"Is it because you're a Demon King's lackey? Your mouth is filthy. Shut that stinking trap right now. I'm this close to ripping it off."
Freya's tongue was sharper than her blade.
Woojin couldn't help but chuckle despite himself.
But he couldn't just stand by and watch. He noticed the faint trembling in Freya's fingertips.
She wasn't showing it, but her body had clearly reached its limit.
If Mardetain charged again, she might not be able to block him this time.
‘I’ll strike first.’
He couldn't repeat the same mistake.
"Inferno."
Flames bearing ultra-high temperatures began to blaze.
"Inferno" merged with Woojin's gray aura, taking on a form capable of incinerating the entire world.
Mardetain's gaze turned toward him as he noticed it.
‘Too late.’
But Woojin's movements were faster.
He even invoked "Swiftness" for the first time in a while.
His figure crossed the space at a speed like a beam of light.
Slaaash—!
The aura fused with "Inferno" scorched the air as it tore into Mardetain's chest once more.
"Kraaaagh!"
A scream erupted.
This time, even "Blood Clan" couldn't staunch his bleeding.
The wound had been cauterized by the ultra-high-temperature flames.
No blood flowed, but the damage was even more severe.
Unlike Freya's sword, which had merely sliced through flesh and bone, the chaotic energy began devouring Mardetain's body whole.
He vomited up a mouthful of blood and swiftly retreated.
How many times had he fallen back now?
He hadn't even exchanged proper blows, just kept getting pushed back.
"Y-You bastard...!"
"Tougher than I thought."
Surprisingly, Mardetain was still standing on his own two feet.
Woojin hadn't expected the strike to kill him.
But he had thought it would inflict injuries severe enough to end the fight.
Yet Mardetain endured.
He had taken grievous wounds, but they weren't fatal.
And that wasn't all.
Slowly, agonizingly, he was even regenerating.
It would take a full day to recover completely from the damage Woojin had inflicted, but that alone was astonishing.
‘Related to divine power?’
Alongside the demonic energy, Woojin could sense a twisted divine power emanating from him.
It had been so faint that he hadn't paid it much mind, but it seemed he needed to keep it in account.
"That messenger was right when he said your existence would interfere with our plans."
Woojin could easily guess what conversation had taken place.
"I didn't believe him at the time... But I'm glad to realize it now."
"Glad?"
Woojin tilted his head at Mardetain's words.
"If we eliminate you here, our plans will proceed without a hitch."
A scoff escaped Woojin's lips at that.
"You seem to be under some delusion. The one dying here won't be me—it'll be you."
In truth, the one being pushed back was Mardetain, not Woojin.
Despite the severe damage to his body, he remained confident.
"Yes, at this rate, I'd be at a disadvantage."
The two injuries had left Mardetain unable to fight properly.
If they kept going like this, he clearly couldn't even handle Woojin alone.
"And with that old hag there too, I can see why you're so sure of victory."
Mardetain pointed to Freya, who stood gripping her sword and assessing the situation.
In reality, she couldn't push herself any further, but he apparently hadn't noticed.
‘His senses dulled from the injuries?’
Or perhaps he was too flustered to realize.
Either way, Mardetain's misjudgment was a boon for Woojin.
A transcendent like Freya served as a powerful deterrent just by existing.
‘The problem is that even knowing that, he doesn't think he'll lose.’
It seemed he had some other card up his sleeve that Woojin didn't know about.
"Quit yapping and just come at me. Hurry up and end this so I can go rest."
Woojin deliberately provoked him.
To make him charge in rage without thinking.
But Mardetain didn't take the bait as Woojin hoped.
Instead, he grew even more cautious and took a step back.
"I'll admit you're strong. Even at my full strength, I doubt I could finish you easily. However..."
Mardetain trailed off and lifted his head.
"Like you, I'm not alone either."
"What?"
Woojin instinctively followed Mardetain's gaze.
And there it was.
A figure who hadn't been there moments ago hovered in the air, looking down.
"You're late, Baron."
Long black hair like the abyss itself whipped in the wind.
Clad only in short pants, exposing massive upper-body muscles, it was less human than beast.
The chilling demonic energy was so intense it made him wonder why he hadn't noticed until now.
"Late? Seems like perfect timing to me."
Baron's mouth split wide in a grin.
Sharp fangs unlike any human's gleamed.
Seeing them, Woojin thought Baron might not be human at all.
Boom—!
Baron's airborne form plummeted downward.
Ignoring the impact of the fall entirely, he crashed into the ground like a meteor, without any preparation.
The debris from the sub-palace erupted in a massive cloud of dust.
"An old holy knight of Aier and a hero... Quite the amusing pair."
Baron kept smiling as he eyed Woojin.
Flinch—!
‘What killing intent...’
Woojin realized it clearly.
This guy was an Apostle.
Not on Mardetain's level, but comparable to Xenonia or Ardethos.
‘No, maybe even stronger?’
He couldn't tell exactly.
What Woojin could be sure of was that this was a being whose power he couldn't handle right now.
‘Trouble...’
The tide had turned in an instant.
Mardetain alone wouldn't have been much worry.
But with a powerhouse like Baron added, the balance of power shifted dramatically.
‘Freya...’
She seemed to grasp the gravity, gathering her mana.
It surpassed Mardetain's demonic energy in volume.
But that was it.
Her aged body couldn't properly wield that immense mana.
‘Two or three full-power strikes at best?’
If she went all out, she clearly couldn't move much after that.
‘Then what about me?’
He compared himself to Baron.
Raw, unrefined demonic energy roiled around him.
No need to hide it—he was baring it all, so Woojin could judge clearly without even using "Divine Dragon Eye."
‘I’m at a disadvantage.’
Baron was truly strong.
Perhaps stronger than any Apostle Woojin had faced so far.
‘Excluding Kratosh, he might be the strongest.’
Even Xenonia and Ardethos seemed a bit inferior.
Just then, commotion stirred around them.
People bearing divine power were rushing toward the collapsed sub-palace.
‘Holy knights?’
It seemed Bishop Miteon had relayed the situation here in time.
‘About two hundred.’
At least two hundred mid-level knights or higher.
That was no force to ignore.
But still insufficient.
They couldn't even properly handle Mardetain.
‘Need at least a thousand priests.’
If that many gathered their divine power, they could hold off a wounded Mardetain for a while.
Divine power was the natural counter to demonic energy, after all.
If they supported Freya, it would be manageable.
‘But no time.’
Assembling that many would take considerable time.
They were still trickling in, but far from enough.
Mardetain and Baron weren't idiots—they wouldn't wait for holy knights and priests to assemble.
‘In the end, I have to make a choice...’
A sigh escaped him.
If he'd known Baron would pop up, he should have beheaded Mardetain as quickly as possible.
Trying to make the fight easier with psychological warfare had been a mistake.
If he'd just killed him in that time, he wouldn't be in this mess.
‘What can you do? My fault.’
Woojin clicked his tongue inwardly and rolled his shoulders.
Regrets could wait.
For now, he had to resolve this situation.
"Done deliberating?"
Mardetain asked toward Woojin.
The smug grin on his face was utterly repulsive.
"Freya."
Woojin ignored Mardetain and called to Freya.
"Speak."
She nodded, gripping her sword as if ready to fight at any moment.
"Give me five minutes. If I can't settle this by then, please save me."
"...What?"
"With the holy knights and priests, it's possible."
Freya seemed not to understand, but it didn't matter.
She'd figure it out once the fight began.
‘No Demon King Transformation.’
Too many eyes watching.
Using it here could spark irreversible chaos.
Especially in the Holy Kingdom of Aier.
If it came out that Woojin was a "black existence"...
‘The whole kingdom might come after me to execute me.’
It sounded like a joke, but it could really happen.
‘Not like I have no way to fight them. Save that as a last resort.’
Slim chance or not, Woojin still had ways to confront them.
"Luden Gardo."
Black light burst forth.
At the same time, black armor began enveloping his entire body.
"Whiratheon."
Wind blew.
The divine beast thought extinct perched on Woojin's shoulder.
Woojin smiled at Mardetain and Baron as he opened his mouth.
"Celestial Wing."
Fwooooosh—!