Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Han Cheon-seong vs. Apostle Azazel - The Truth Revealed
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***
—Things had gone wrong.
Azazel, hidden within the pure white light, had been thinking just that only a few minutes ago.
He had found the human he was targeting, but the presence of Anastasia, a pillar of the Empire, at the human's side had shattered all the plans he had laid over the past few days.
He dared not approach, nor could he find another way.
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't devise a way to kill the human who would become a pillar while Anastasia was at his side.
As a mere clone, he stood no chance against Anastasia, a pillar herself. It wasn't wise to try any other tricks either.
Any pathetic attempt at deception would cause the incomplete power of ‘Invisibility’ currently cloaking his entire body to vanish, revealing his identity.
As he agonized over this.
An opportunity soon presented itself.
The two humans suddenly took off.
Immediately after, Sekhmet sacrificed herself to bind Anastasia in place.
Furthermore, he could rest easy knowing that the power of the other human pillar's Trait had been completely erased.
‘She has fulfilled her role.’
Moving with Sekhmet had been the best possible arrangement.
As if that weren't enough, when the human pillar left Sekhmet's domain of his own accord, Azazel’s heart filled with unparalleled joy.
…
“Haa…”
As a pained groan echoed through the light, the tense human came into his view.
Moreover, seeing the spear in the man's hand, a faint smile escaped his lips.
‘To think the human who would one day become a pillar was granted such a deficient Trait.’
In one sense, the fact was surprising; in another, it confirmed that this human's fate would end here.
[Common-grade Spearmanship]
It was a power from the primordial apostle, who existed even before the nine apostles.
It could be called a ‘cursed Trait,’ one that the primordial apostle had sealed away along with a human, erasing even the foundation for its growth so that the human's power would never be passed down to future generations.
Therefore, there wasn't even the slightest variable.
There was nothing to be wary of from this human.
It was somewhat surprising that the invisible spear he had manifested moments ago, intended to pierce the heart, had only managed to penetrate the shoulder, but there would be no more anomalies.
'That was likely a miracle, a reaction from the blue spiral current enveloping the human's body.'
He raised his hand again, projecting a spear from within his Invisibility.
—!
The human power stolen in the beginning had been passed down to him and a few other apostles, and the essence of that strange spear was contained within him.
A higher-dimensional principle that humans could never possess—.
The way the human wielded it now, grasping the spear blade with one hand and emitting a spiral aura, was not the proper way to use its power.
…!
The projected spear, imbued with the energy of Invisibility, subtly shimmered in the air as it gathered sharp power.
He adjusted it with greater precision, envisioning a sharp edge that would pierce through even the spiral current in a single blow.
As all traces of his power faded, the spear, granted Invisibility and thus impossible to see, could never be dodged.
'Not unless one has surpassed the limits of their species, like a pillar…'
————!!
Then, with a light flick of his wrist, the invisible spear shot forward.
Its speed was far beyond what the human in his sight could react to.
*Thwip!*
As expected, the sound of flesh being pierced echoed clearly.
“Kugh…!”
A suppressed groan once again reverberated through the space of light.
...However, he was not the least bit satisfied with this.
‘What?’
The human had neither seen nor felt the invisible spear I had thrown.
And yet... he had dodged it with an incomprehensible movement.
He hadn't dodged it perfectly—it grazed his side, carving a huge gash—but that was even more incomprehensible.
That human should not have been able to react.
Because the moment the spear surged forward, the human wasn't even looking this way. He couldn't have even sensed the shape of the invisible spear.
And yet... he had dodged it.
“……”
Narrowing his eyes, he projected another spear.
—!
The formless energy shimmered faintly as it gathered sharp power.
This time, he reduced the spear's size, minimizing its presence to an extreme. The spear was now thinner than a human finger.
‘Perhaps he could dodge it because the spear was too large.’
If the spear was large, no matter how much he erased its presence and granted it Invisibility, the air would stir as it surged forward, allowing its path to be faintly sensed.
He belatedly realized that because his body was a clone, the speed of the spear he threw was significantly slower.
So this time, he would erase even that variable.
“Cough!”
As the human coughed up a mouthful of blood, the crimson liquid painted a strange color in the world of pure white light. In his vision was the human, blood pouring from his side, his pierced left shoulder hanging limp.
He was extremely unstable, and his stance holding the spear was utterly inadequate.
“Haa... haa...”
As the human's pained gasps echoed softly, a primal pleasure tickled his heart, but he pushed even that joy aside.
Then his gaze fell upon the human's eyes.
Just as he noticed the uniquely human black eyes wavering with anxiety.
*Swoooosh!*
His eyes were drawn to the torrent of blue light that suddenly erupted from the man's entire body.
A massive spiral current, raging like a tempest.
The human at its center simply held his ground, however unstably.
‘Common-grade Spearmanship shouldn't contain such a principle.’
Judging by his power, he was a weak human who hadn't even reached Trait Level 6. Then what was this blue spiral storm in his sight?
Frowning in confusion, he pushed the projected spear forward.
————!!
Compared to before, the spear's speed was even faster.
Its size was significantly smaller, and it held enough destructive power to easily pierce that spiral storm and impale his heart…….
*Claaang—!*
But at the thunderous sound that rang out next, his eyes flew open.
“...Found you.”
And there was no time to be surprised.
The human's eerie, blue-tinged gaze was fixed on him, as if it had completely pinpointed his location.
——————!!
As the human kicked off the ground and surged toward him, his thoughts froze and he threw himself back.
If my Invisibility had been pierced, I first needed to re-establish it before anything else.
*Shuk!*
As soon as he created distance, he watched as a spear wreathed in a storm slammed violently into the spot where he had just been.
*Kaaaboom!!!*
As a blue spiral storm erupted from the light where the spear struck, I immediately projected a new spear.
‘I must kill him.’
This human had to be killed.
Amidst an incomprehensible feeling, the desire for this human's death only grew more intense.
***
“Haa…”
My entire body felt as if it would be consumed by the heat welling up within my heart.
My body, on the verge of death every second, was forcing itself to hold onto that heat.
And it was as if my body was ordering me.
If you don't want to die, then thrust your spear; gasp for air, and keep breathing—
Panting desperately, the light filling my vision blurred and swam across my retinas.
‘This is insane…’
My vision was hazy, and I couldn't even form a coherent thought.
—!
Yet I reacted again, swinging the spear unconsciously.
It was a reflexive thrust, triggered when an alien presence entered the spiral domain I had expanded around me.
*Clang!*
And even in that moment of parrying the spear, I had no time to hesitate.
Though the palm of my right hand, gripping the spear, was torn and searing with pain, I forced my eyes open and kicked off the ground.
*Swoooosh—!*
The storm-like spiral current, pushed to its limit, raged forward as if to light my path.
*Saaa—!*
As I moved along that path, I felt a horrific, burning pain from my left shoulder and right side. Perhaps that was why the pain in the hand gripping the spear didn't feel so bad.
*Kaaaboom!!*
As I slammed my spear into the spot where I guessed the apostle had been, my hair whipped wildly in the brilliant storm.
Within the raging blue spiral current, my heart was still consumed by impatience.
‘There's no more time.’
I had lost too much blood, and the symptoms of anemia were severe. I still couldn't even identify the apostle targeting me.
And I had no confidence I could block another attack if I just tried to receive it.
The massive blue spiral storm enveloping my body... would soon die down and disappear.
With my body screaming in extreme agony, I had already reached my limit.
—!
Once again, I sensed a trace cutting through the air and blankly swung my right hand.
I still couldn't see or feel it.
*Clang!*
And yet, the spiral current wrapped around the spear I swung exploded, and a strange light flashed in the air, eliminating a threat.
“Kugh…!”
*Stumble.*
I was pushed back a step, faltering.
The force of the parried blow was greater than before; it felt like the arm holding the spear would be torn off.
I tried to lunge forward again but... couldn't lift my feet.
‘This isn't working...’
If I couldn't strike the apostle directly, then no matter how vast a spiral I manifested or how great a storm I whipped up, it was all meaningless.
But... the apostle must also be struggling to kill me right now.
I had taken heavy damage from the first attack, but I had narrowly avoided the second, escaping a fatal blow.
After that, I had managed to parry all the countless invisible attacks that had flown at me.
So, it wasn't just me; we were both desperate.
...Even if that wasn't the truth, I had to believe it.
Forcing myself to hold onto my spirit, which felt like it could break at any moment, I twisted my lips into a grimace.
An image of Leonhardt unwittingly flashed through my mind.
“……”
The sight of him engulfed in black flames. The image of him screaming in horrific pain before losing consciousness flickered across my retinas in an instant.
*Grit.*
I bit down hard on my split lip, inflicting even greater pain upon myself. Though the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, I forced myself to hold on to my consciousness.
“Khuhuhu....”
A bizarre laugh escaped from my ruined body.
Amidst the lull in the assault, I found myself thinking blankly.
This... was a fate I alone had to bear.
I had to face this ominous future by myself; I couldn't rely on others to escape it.
‘If I only think about my own safety…’
Someone else, like Leonhardt just now, would be gravely injured again.
And that couldn't happen.
He was never supposed to end up in such a terrible state.
*Sshk!*
Aware that the hand gripping the spear was growing redder with gushing blood, I tightened my grasp.
Therefore.
I completely abandoned the soft-hearted idea of holding out and waiting for Anastasia.
Even if I tried to hold on, I wouldn't be able to.
I had to resolve to see this through to the end, right now.
—!
————!
—————————!!!
Within the spiral storm, the senses of countless invisible threats rang alarms one after another, like a death knell.
As I swung my spear instinctively, I knew without a doubt.
‘At this rate... I'll die.’
Even swinging the spear on instinct, I couldn't block all the invisible forces surging at me simultaneously.
“……”
As I swung my spear, the world seemed to stop.
My hand cutting through the air felt unbearably slow, and my instincts screamed warnings without pause.
*You'll die at this rate. You have to dodge. You have to parry. You have to at least deflect it…*
And I could sense it.
I could read the trajectories of the attacks aiming for my heart, head, and waist from three different directions, but I knew my current body couldn't react in time.
No matter how fast I swung my spear, it would be a struggle just to parry the first invisible attack and block the second.
‘In that case…’
In this seemingly frozen time, the invisible something drew closer, tightening its grip on my life.
As I clearly perceived it, my thoughts naturally converged on a single conclusion.
—Again.
I had to reach it again.
The power I couldn't properly manifest right now.
No, an absolute power I was now distinctly closer to than before.
Since I can't parry them, I have to deflect them all.
And to do that... I needed it.
—Spiral Spear.
The absolute power that had reached the level of a complete skill.
The mighty spiral current that had overwhelmed even Apostle Leteia. I had to manifest it even more powerfully than I did back then.
“……!”
My eyes shot open as I instantly changed the trajectory of my swing.
It wasn't about confronting the invisible something.
*Swoooooooosh—.*
Feeling the spiral current on the spearhead swell exponentially,
I willed it with all my being, as if unleashing everything I had.