Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: The Will to Kill (4)
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***
SKREEE!!
Facing the darkness that had swelled even larger than before, my mind was stained by a single emotion.
‘I have to kill it.’
An endless killing intent, a need to kill the Apostle.
I felt I could protect myself, for now. But I didn't have the luxury of fighting the Apostle while also protecting Glacia.
So, I have to kill it now.
As if my body was reacting to this venomous killing intent I'd never felt before, the mana throughout my body began to surge violently.
Kzzzzzzkt—!!
A fiercer spiral erupted from the spear shaft as it confronted the rushing darkness, forming an overwhelming current as they clashed.
Schhhk!
The moment they made contact, the spearhead pierced straight through the darkness, advancing true. The current of the spiral, stronger than ever before, was even erasing the darkness shrouding the Apostle's entire body.
I was about to finish off the Apostle's form, which was being crushed and split apart by my spearhead.
Thwack!
"Ghk…!”
Suddenly, with a pain that felt like my whole body was being torn apart, I found myself floating in mid-air.
Whoosh!
Withered trees where no light reached, dense thickets, and the gouged-out traces on the ground flashed past my vision.
I didn't even have time to register my spear slipping from my grasp and flying away.
Thud!
I tumbled wretchedly across the ground as excruciating pain assaulted every part of my body.
Smack!
"......!"
And as it all ended with me crashing into a dead tree, not a single word could escape my lips.
Amidst the horrific pain that was enough to bring my drifting consciousness back... I couldn't even breathe properly.
“……”
And yet, my gaze naturally turned to one place.
'The Apostle...'
The spiral that had been crushing the Apostle had been perfect.
With the darkness peeled away by the spiral's current, the Apostle's true form was now clearly visible.
It had the distinct appearance of a black lion. Its left leg, which had met my spear, was completely mangled beyond recognition, and with half its upper body blown away, the Apostle lay on the ground in an unstable posture.
But I knew.
'The Apostle... isn't dead.'
...Even though I knew I had to finish it off right now, my body wouldn't listen at all.
“Han Cheon-seong!”
At the scream-like cry, I blankly raised my head.
And saw Glacia coming into view.
"Hahk...!"
Only then could I finally exhale the breath I'd been holding. I gasped raggedly, trying to supply my body with oxygen, but my chest still felt like it would burst.
Despite it all, the sight of Glacia rushing toward me was crystal clear.
Her face was smeared with blood, and in my blurry vision, I couldn't tell where she was hurt.
“...”
In response, I struggled to move my hand through the pain.
As I looked at the blood-soaked Glacia from a little closer, I remembered what I had to do first.
'A potion...'
I had to give Glacia a potion.
“Han Cheon-seong... I'm taking you... to the instructor right now. Please... please don't... lose consciousness.”
Through Glacia's fading voice, I managed to take out a potion.
It was the highest-grade potion Anastasia had given me a few days ago.
“Gla...cia. Quick, drink... the potion. Your wounds are bad...”
Even with the searing pain that felt like my arm would snap, I blankly offered the potion to Glacia.
Sliiiide.
But I couldn't even muster the strength for that, and my hand started to fall. Just then, Glacia grabbed my hand, and I was barely able to pass her the potion.
“A potion……?”
As Glacia blankly took the potion, I tried to move my hand to get one for myself.
Thump.
But. As my hand, freed from Glacia's, fell limply, a silent lament filled my chest.
'It's no use….'
This was clearly my limit.
My right hand had used its last ounce of strength just to take out the potion; after that, my body completely stopped responding.
Just as a terrible emptiness filled my heart, my eyes shot wide open.
“What are you—.”
The words were cut off as my mouth was covered.
Gulp.
With my face held in her hands, I had no choice but to swallow the potion she poured into my mouth.
Even without meaning to, it entered my blank field of vision.
"……."
I could see Glacia's eyes were tightly scrunched in pain. And I didn't know why she was making that face.
...But just meeting her gaze, I couldn't do anything.
“……”
Held like that, I was forced to drink the potion she tilted toward me.
Along with a terrible taste, a new sensation spread heat throughout my body, cutting through the senses clouded by pain.
“Knghh!”
I groaned at the horrific pain rising from my chest... but even my blurred vision regained its light, allowing me to see Glacia clearly.
Thump.
The moment my senses returned, I immediately took out another bottle of potion.
Slump. Catching Glacia as she fell limply, I hurriedly opened the potion's stopper.
***
Seeing the sight before her, Glacia momentarily denied reality.
“……”
His cadet uniform was so damaged that his insides were clearly visible. Through the torn fabric, a massive scar was carved into his upper body. The sight of his chest, with a huge chunk of flesh torn away, was beyond horrific.
It was as if his torso had been torn apart by a giant claw.
Tremble, tremble.
Seeing Cheon-seong's condition, Glacia's lips trembled incessantly. As she spoke, her voice and gaze revealed just how shaken she was... she wasn't even aware of what she was saying or doing.
When she noticed the focus fading from Han Cheon-seong's eyes, despair began to set in.
Opening the stopper of the potion she'd barely received, Glacia forced it into Han Cheon-seong's mouth, praying more fervently than ever before.
Please…….
Please let this terrible wound heal, please don't let Han Cheon-seong die…….
...Perhaps her prayers were answered.
As the ghastly wound began to heal at a rapid pace, Glacia could only stare blankly at the scene.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
New flesh grew rapidly over the horrific wound, and life returned to Cheon-seong's fading eyes.
…
“Quick! Glacia, drink the potion!”
As Cheon-seong hurriedly opened a potion and handed it to her, Glacia took it, but her lips wouldn't part easily.
Even as she tilted the potion, she just kept her eyes on Cheon-seong.
His healed face. Seeing the life and clarity return to his eyes, her strength gave out.
And to confirm that the truly horrific wound had healed, she looked at his body revealed through the torn uniform.
...And after confirming several times in that instant that he had recovered, she felt a sense of relief.
It was a relief.
Amidst a wave of immense, almost painful relief, Glacia felt her heart settle.
...It was truly a relief.
Even as she downed the potion in one go, her mind remained hazy.
***
Only after confirming Glacia had drunk the potion did Cheon-seong check his own condition.
The excruciating pain had now subsided to a tolerable level, and there were no major restrictions on his movement.
'I have to end this quickly.'
At the same time, he assessed the situation.
Gurgle, gurgle—!
As darkness burst from the fallen beast's body on the ground, forming a bizarre shape, a chill ran down his spine.
'It definitely didn't have any recovery abilities.'
The Beast's Frenzy from the original story. Even the Apostle's abilities were too different from what I knew.
This wasn't an Apostle that just pushed forward with simple physical strength; it used strange powers to unleash darkness and even concealed its form and presence within that darkness.
And now, it was even manifesting a self-regeneration ability to repair itself.
Grrrr…….
The Apostle, which hadn't made a sound before, now let out a pained groan, sending a horrifying shiver through my entire body.
"...!"
As Glacia turned her head in surprise, I quickly spoke and threw myself forward.
"Get yourself together. It'd be best to stay as far away as possible."
"...Han Cheon-seong."
Hearing her call out blankly, I steeled myself and dashed to retrieve my spear.
A moment ago, by landing a fatal blow on each other, the Apostle's true form was finally revealed.
Then I had to end it here.
Instead of scattering the remnants of the spiral to sense the Apostle's presence and fight it, I had to finish it properly right now.
I couldn't let the Apostle, with its clear black lion form, be shrouded in darkness again.
Snatch!
The moment I snatched the spear from the ground, I prayed intensely in my mind.
The most powerful force I can unleash.
—Asura Spiral Spear.
The moment I recited the skill's name, the swirling spiral current instantly wrapped around the spear shaft, beginning to generate a completely different kind of spiral flow than before.
Kzzzzzzkt!!
An aura meant only for destruction.
Whereas before I had to scatter the spiral's remnants to sense the Apostle's presence, now I had to kill it with pure power.
Swoooooosh—!
The moment the spiral current surrounding the spear shaft spread to my body, I kicked off the ground without hesitation.
BOOM!
…
BOOM!
The instant he kicked off, Cheon-seong's form began to surge forward intensely, as if cutting through the darkness.
As he activated the skill, his eyes, now glowing gold, rushed toward the Apostle's body, which had just finished recovering.
Unfortunately, the Apostle had also succeeded in recovering.
The Apostle's body was completely regenerated.
Although it hadn't managed to cloak its entire body in darkness as before, it was enough for the Apostle to react to Cheon-seong's speed.
Shhwwwiiick!
With a sound like the space itself was being torn, it swung its foreleg, and a massive arc of darkness painted the air.
—!
Cheon-seong's form suddenly vanished, as if it had sunk into the ground.
Screee!!
And with a delayed sound like something dragging across the ground, Cheon-seong twisted his body, almost glued to the earth, and escaped the Apostle's attack.
"Grrrr!"
The moment its six red eyes belatedly caught sight of Cheon-seong, the Apostle didn't hesitate in the slightest.
—!
It viciously opened its maw, revealing dozens of grotesque teeth.
Just as it tried to swallow Cheon-seong whole, Cheon-seong, who had been bent low, shot up like a burst of light.
Shhhk!
Following the thrusting spear, a primary burst of spiral energy erupted and raged violently, causing the Apostle's form to stagger.
Just as its vicious teeth were about to swallow the approaching Cheon-seong.
"…!"
Cheon-seong's golden eyes gleamed eerily as he thrust his spear.
Shhlick!
The Apostle's savagely opened mouth was torn even wider, and the head of the lion-shaped Apostle...
was split apart in an instant.