Chapter 286
Chapter 286
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 286
Chapter Title: Chaotic Clash
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‘Chaotic, it’s chaotic.’
Seo Woo-jin grimaced as he blocked the relentless barrage of attacks.
His hands and feet were in a frenzy.
Block Yudain’s sword, and Diarok’s magic would follow right after.
Each one packed power that couldn’t be taken lightly, forcing Seo Woo-jin to defend with everything he had.
It left him no room to gather his thoughts.
‘Still, it’s manageable.’
He wore the Luden Guard in the Chaos World, with even Hwirateon’s aid.
If he couldn’t handle them in this state, it would’ve been better to just run.
And it wasn’t even a 2-on-1 fight.
Sure, their attacks focused on him, but strictly speaking, it was closer to 1-on-1-on-1.
While striking at Seo Woo-jin, Yudain and Diarok didn’t hesitate to exploit each other’s openings with sneak attacks.
That made it a bit easier for Seo Woo-jin to deal with them.
Roarrrrr-!
A massive wave of flames surged forward.
Diarok’s spell, meant to sweep away both Seo Woo-jin and Yudain at once.
‘Tch!’
A glance at Yudain showed no intent to block the magic.
He seemed to be biding his time for an opportunity instead.
Planning to strike the moment Seo Woo-jin blocked the flames.
It was so blatant it drew a hollow chuckle.
But he couldn’t afford not to defend.
Diarok’s magic was far too powerful—even the Luden Guard couldn’t emerge unscathed.
And Yudain wouldn’t miss that moment.
‘Can’t expose my back for that brief opening.’
Better to defend and show a gap on purpose.
“Twelve Celestial Swords.”
Twelve glowing points pierced the flame wave.
An exploding storm of light devoured it in an instant.
Screeeeech-!
The scene of shattering the spell in one go was awe-inspiring.
But there was no time for self-admiration.
He sensed Yudain’s sword closing in on his neck from behind.
“Not so fast!”
Seo Woo-jin, prepared in advance, stomped without panic.
Boom-!
The earth trembled.
The Chaos World responded to his will, readjusting the space.
The ground Yudain stood on swapped positions in a flash.
Sky became down, earth became up.
Yudain’s movement twisted as a result.
Craaaack-!
The sword aimed at his neck sliced empty air instead.
A long scar formed where the transcendent blade passed.
‘He split the space itself.’
As expected, Yudain was far more threatening than Diarok.
A split-second delay, and that sword would’ve cleaved his body, not space.
Seo Woo-jin let out a sigh of relief and ignited gray aura on Karanial.
No matter how well Yudain adapted, combat within the Chaos World overwhelmingly favored Seo Woo-jin.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Having blocked both attacks, Seo Woo-jin spoke in a chilling tone.
A rare offensive chance—he had no intention of wasting it.
“Haste, Berserk, Heavenly Strike.”
He activated three skills at once.
Kiiiiing-!
Overload began.
Even his transcendent body strained to use three skills simultaneously.
But Seo Woo-jin didn’t show it, thrusting Karanial forward.
Target: Yudain.
Normally, he’d go for Diarok.
Common sense dictated taking out the weaker foe first to ease the fight.
But Diarok couldn’t be killed.
So, Yudain first, then deal with the other.
Rooooar-!
The slash, infused with three skills, crossed the air with terrifying might.
“Hup!”
Yudain’s sharp intake of breath echoed.
“Slicing Moon.”
He unleashed his own sword art in tandem.
Aura like a solid line spread in a crescent shape toward Karanial.
It looked anything but ordinary.
It had to be.
A lifetime devoted to the sword, reaching transcendence, unleashing it in earnest.
But Seo Woo-jin didn’t care.
‘I trained just as hard as you.’
The time he’d held a sword was incomparably short.
Still, he didn’t think his training lacked quality.
The Sword Ghost Ban Slaine had personally forged him.
Seo Woo-jin was sincere about the sword too.
Surpassing level 100 into transcendence brought profound sword insight.
Plus skill assistance—no reason he’d fall short of Yudain’s blade.
The result of that confidence showed immediately.
Craaaash-!
Aura shattered.
It was the black one.
The gray-burning aura pulverized the black aura and sword, descending on Yudain’s head.
Vrrrrm-!
Chaos energy, compressed to its limit, warped space.
Without Karanial, it couldn’t even be contained—its scale was that immense.
The aura bore straight down on Yudain’s crown.
Swordless from the clash, he seemed defenseless.
But...
Seo Woo-jin’s eyes widened.
Kabooooom-!
Incredibly, Yudain blocked it.
‘How?’
Dodging would’ve been understandable.
Even that wouldn’t fully convince, but blocking was far less plausible.
‘His sword definitely broke.’
Not a clean cut—shattered to pieces, unable to withstand chaos energy.
No sword remained to block Seo Woo-jin’s strike.
‘Yet he blocked it.’
Caught off guard, he retreated a step.
Then he saw it.
What had stopped Karanial’s blow.
“…What’s that?”
Black-burning aura.
But could it even be called mere aura?
“Hoo-”
Yudain exhaled deeply, sword-shaped auras floating around him.
Totaling thirty-six.
Each orbited him like a guardian.
‘What the hell?’
A first-time sight.
Aura manifesting in empty air was shocking enough—thirty-six of them?
And moving with intent? Beyond shock, horrifying.
“Impressive.”
Yudain spoke.
His expression showed genuine admiration for Seo Woo-jin’s skill.
“Truth be told, I didn’t think you could force this technique out of me.”
He’d assumed victory without it.
But Seo Woo-jin exceeded expectations.
Skills and items helped, sure—but wielding them was skill itself.
“…I’m more shocked.”
Through Divine Dragon Eye, those thirty-six auras reached realms beyond imagination.
‘Stronger than Baron?’
Correction.
Yudain was at least Baron-class.
No—far harder to face.
‘Easier when they charge relying only on their own power.’
He couldn’t move rashly.
Any gap, and that insane swarm of auras would swarm him.
Diarok felt the same.
He’d lost all will to fight upon seeing it.
‘Good for him, but…’
Blindly casting magic could doom them both.
Seo Woo-jin inwardly praised Diarok’s situational awareness and spoke.
“How is that possible?”
Even Ban Slaine couldn’t perform such a feat.
Meaning Yudain surpassed him in pure swordsmanship.
“You’ll manage it someday too. As a hero, it won’t take long.”
‘…What?’
Seo Woo-jin sensed something off in his words.
“Devote yourself to the sword, and enlightenment will come. Today’s experience will greatly aid leaping that wall.”
Certainty dawned with those words.
“No more fighting?”
The nuance suggested no will for a deathmatch.
“I’ve no desire to stake my life against you.”
Absurd answer.
“I’m a hero. You’re an Apostle. Aren’t we meant to kill each other?”
“Why must we?”
“Well…!”
The obvious retort stuck in his throat.
“You met me today. You tried to kill me anyway. Just because I’m an Apostle?”
Yes.
Apostle, Demon King’s follower.
To return to Earth after winning the Descent War, they had to be eliminated.
No prior clash didn’t mean courtesy spared them.
Yet Yudain thought differently.
“What will happen, will. We’ll settle ties then. No history between us yet.”
Incomprehensible.
His attitude and vibe clashed with every Apostle Seo Woo-jin had met—unadaptable.
“So don’t rush.”
He stepped back.
No intent to continue.
‘Just kill him?’
Yudain was strong.
Handling that mad number of auras? Impossible.
Even Celestial Wing wouldn’t change that.
His sword realm was that miraculous.
But did that mean Seo Woo-jin’s certain defeat? No.
‘Demon King Transformation…’
No matter how far Yudain’s sword reached.
He could win.
Demon King Transformation elevated his very existence tiers higher.
After brief deliberation, Seo Woo-jin sighed.
“Next time, I won’t let you go.”
He decided to release him.
Diarok still watched wide-eyed.
Using Demon King Transformation here would complicate cleanup.
‘And somehow, I don’t feel like killing him.’
Different from other Apostles?
Or affinity for a man who’d staked everything on the sword?
Not eager to kill him here.
‘Experience points are a shame, though.’
He’d just leveled killing Mardetain—could hold off.
If needed, off Jenonia in the Sky Tower.
“I look forward to our next meeting. Grown more by then.”
The auras spun.
Puncturing space outright.
The Chaos World’s protection shattered effortlessly.
‘Insanely powerful.’
As imagined, but beyond.
Yudain glanced back while exiting through the hole he’d made.
“Diarok, abandon obsession and stubbornness. Then…”
“Shut up.”
A suppressed voice erupted.
“Don’t want advice from the likes of you. Get lost.”
Yudain nodded at the sharp retort.
“You’ll handle it yourself, as always.”
With that, he vanished completely.
Now, only Seo Woo-jin and Diarok remained in the Chaos World.
“…So, shall we settle our business now?”