Chapter 183
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 183.
The battle between Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Kang-ho grew even more intense.
“You’re going to die here. I’ll kill you!”
“How many times are you going to say that?”
Yoo Kang-ho spread both arms wide.
Dark energy swirled around each of his fingers. The energy transformed into black spheres and floated in the air.
Then, they shot toward Yoo Baek-jun.
The spheres split apart as they flew, their numbers already too many to count.
—Whoosh!
Yoo Baek-jun firmly planted his feet and used the Counter Return technique.
His hands drew circles in the air as they intercepted the incoming spheres.
“Hah!”
He absorbed the demonic energy contained within them, making it his own, and unleashed the Frozen Soul Palm.
A blast of freezing energy struck Yoo Kang-ho.
“Keugh!”
Yoo Kang-ho’s body instantly froze.
His face twisted in pain, and Yoo Baek-jun, who had attacked him, was no different.
‘Annoying.’
The tips of his hands, which had absorbed the demonic energy through Counter Return, were visibly blackened.
Demonic energy, unlike martial energy, is inherently incompatible with the human body.
It’s better not to even think about absorbing it.
‘But I can’t waste my strength here needlessly. Maybe it’s time to… move.’
Yoo Baek-jun watched for an opportunity.
The two continued their fierce exchange, and Kang Dae-sung, who was watching, was stunned.
‘Is that the power of demonic techniques? No, more than that… how is Yoo Baek-jun able to stand against it?’
Just how strong is he?
Their battle raged on until Yoo Kang-ho, his patience exhausted, broke the stalemate.
Yoo Kang-ho charged recklessly, his movements full of openings.
Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes flashed.
“Die!”
“I’m sick of hearing that!”
Yoo Baek-jun suddenly unleashed a ground kick. His foot struck the floor, sending a cloud of dust into the air and obscuring his opponent’s vision.
“Tch!”
Through the haze, Yoo Kang-ho saw Yoo Baek-jun gripping a spear.
Instinctively, Yoo Kang-ho raised his guard, preparing to defend.
Yoo Baek-jun raised the spear.
But—
—Kwaaaaah!
“Sorry, but I don’t have time for this!”
“……!”
Instead of aiming at Yoo Kang-ho, he struck the ceiling.
The spear pierced upward, carving a path through the roof. Without even glancing at Yoo Kang-ho, Yoo Baek-jun leaped through the opening he had created.
“Running away?!”
Yoo Baek-jun didn’t answer.
Yoo Kang-ho gnashed his teeth as he watched him go, then immediately gave chase.
Kang Dae-sung, however, panicked.
“Young master! Don’t!”
“He’s already gone.”
“Tch!”
Kang Dae-sung bit his lip.
There was clearly some kind of trap. Otherwise, Yoo Baek-jun wouldn’t have made such an erratic move.
A swordsman cautiously approached him.
“Kang Dae-sung, sir… our comrades are exhausted. We won’t be able to keep up.”
“…….”
Kang Dae-sung looked at his own hand.
It trembled violently, as if he had just undergone extreme physical strain.
He was spent.
‘This building… something’s not right.’
After a brief moment of hesitation, he turned away.
“We’re retreating. Staying here won’t do us any good.”
“Understood!”
* * *
Yoo Kang-ho chased after Yoo Baek-jun.
He smashed through ceilings, creating new paths as he ascended higher and higher.
“Hahaha! Tired already? You’re slowing down!”
“Shut up! Graaah!”
Yoo Baek-jun taunted him while continuously unleashing Frozen Soul Palm.
An enraged Yoo Kang-ho pursued.
The thick dust clouding his vision was infuriating.
“Coward! Are you running?!”
“…….”
Then, at some point—
Yoo Baek-jun’s voice stopped.
“What?! Where’d you go?!”
Yoo Kang-ho halted and looked around, but Yoo Baek-jun was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, what greeted him was a tightly sealed door.
In his blind pursuit, he had unknowingly reached the rooftop of the building.
“The rooftop! Trying to escape outside?!”
Yoo Kang-ho kicked down the door blocking his way.
His mind, steeped in demonic energy, was far beyond rational thought.
Beyond the door stood—
“What the hell is this guy?”
“…….”
Vincent.
He stood at the center of a massive magic circle, performing a summoning ritual.
Cultists surrounded him, standing guard.
“Weird-looking bastards.”
These weren’t ordinary cultists.
They had all undergone Metamorphosis, transcending humanity to become demonic beings.
But it meant nothing to Yoo Kang-ho.
“Who—who the hell are you?! This isn’t a place for just anyone to— Gah!”
“Shut up!”
Yoo Kang-ho tore apart a cultist who tried to stop him.
The sight of blood only deepened the crimson in his eyes.
Vincent, meanwhile, grew colder.
“Here to interfere?”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Their reactions clashed.
Vincent saw an intruder disrupting his ritual, while Yoo Kang-ho glared at the unexpected figure before him.
“You?”
“…….”
“Yeah, you! You’re hiding Yoo Baek-jun, aren’t you?! Hand him over now!”
“Yoo Baek-jun?”
Vincent sensed something was off and tried to speak, but it was too late.
“No, no! Fine… if I kill you, he’ll show himself! Hahahaha!”
“Ugh— Graaaah!”
Yoo Kang-ho, now resembling a demon, charged.
The cultists moved to block him and the result was brutal.
Yoo Kang-ho tore through them, greedily drinking their blood.
“Power…!”
Worse, he absorbed the surrounding magical energy, leaving the cultists powerless.
In moments, he slaughtered them all and closed the distance to Vincent.
“Pathetic… madman.”
“Raaah!”
A barrier surrounding Vincent blocked him.
Undeterred, Yoo Kang-ho’s energy-wreathed hands gripped the barrier and began ripping it apart.
“Don’t get in my way!”
Vincent unleashed his magic.
Countless dark spells assailed Yoo Kang-ho, while undead rose from the ground.
They attacked him with every means possible, but he ignored them all.
“I was saving the rooftop sacrifices for later.”
“Huh? What— Gah!”
Realizing the urgency, Vincent slammed his staff into the ground.
The magic circle on the rooftop glowed, instantly absorbing the souls and life force of the cultists.
Since they were no longer human but demonic, the effect was even greater, granting Vincent immense power.
“You’ll be a sacrifice too.”
Vincent prepared another spell.
The battle grew even fiercer.
Yoo Baek-jun watched it all from the shadows.
* * *
Yoo Baek-jun checked the messages before him.
[Fight Poison with Poison.]
Apply the idiom ‘using poison to counteract poison‘ in real life.
How about guiding Yoo Kang-ho to confront Vincent?
—Reward: 500P
[Survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse.]
Survive the zombie apocalypse that has engulfed Busan and eliminate its source.
You already know who’s responsible.
The faster you act, the less damage the city will suffer.
—Reward: Varies based on completion time
[Hero of a Turbulent Era.]
In a time where everyone only cares for their own safety, you must be different.
Save as many people as possible.
—Reward: Varies based on number of people saved
There were a few more quests, but these three were the most important.
‘Fight Poison with Poison is already done.’
The other two will be resolved once Vincent is dealt with.
Yoo Baek-jun dismissed his shadow form and slowly emerged from the darkness.
“Wow, fighting hard, huh?”
Vincent seemed to have vaguely realized Yoo Baek-jun had orchestrated this.
Not that it mattered—Yoo Kang-ho had lost all reason and couldn’t be reasoned with.
Yoo Baek-jun watched the two fight, waiting for their energy to deplete.
‘Time isn’t on my side.’
He looked above Vincent’s head.
A crack had formed in the air, right above the center of the magic circle.
Like shattered glass.
If the summoning ritual succeeded, Thanatos would descend through that rift.
‘Not that I plan to let that happen.’
Yoo Baek-jun rose to his feet.
He assessed the state of Vincent’s barrier.
Yoo Kang-ho’s relentless attacks had severely damaged it.
The barrier was crumbling.
Each reckless strike left deep cracks in the protective shield.
“How long are you going to hide in there?!”
—Ooooom!
But Vincent wasn’t just sitting idle.
His spells had left Yoo Kang-ho covered in wounds, large and small.
“Keh… Hahaha!”
The barrier was on the verge of collapse.
Yoo Kang-ho reared both arms back, preparing to shatter it with one final blow.
“I don’t know where you came from…!”
Vincent focused his mind, readying a powerful spell. Simultaneously, spirits hands emerged from the air, grasping Yoo Kang-ho.
“If you get in my way, you’ll die here!”
The moment Yoo Kang-ho struck to destroy the barrier—
And Vincent unleashed his killing spell—
‘Now.’
Yoo Baek-jun moved.
The Thunder spear in one hand, his body wreathed in golden lightning, he stepped forward.
The surroundings were bathed in a golden glow.
—Kurururu!
Thunder roared.
Dark clouds split as lightning struck, filling the air with blinding flashes.
Yoo Kang-ho, his back turned, didn’t notice the change—but Vincent did.
His eyes widened as he spotted Yoo Baek-jun.
“This…!”
But it was too late to react.
Yoo Kang-ho’s strike slammed into the barrier, creating a massive fissure. At the same time, Vincent’s spell engulfed Yoo Kang-ho.
—Booooom!
“Guh—!”
Skeletal hands erupted from the ground, binding Yoo Kang-ho as spirits latched onto him.
The spirits detonated, ravaging his superhuman body.
The barrier protecting Vincent shattered, and Yoo Kang-ho was severely wounded.
‘An opportunity like this won’t come again.’
Yoo Baek-jun grinned and pulled his right arm back.
“Thunder Dragon…!”
The dragon in his grip roared, demanding release.
Yoo Baek-jun obliged.
He stomped the ground—caving it in—as lightning surged outward.
“…Strike!”
—Kyaaaaah!
The Thunder Dragon shot forth.
Scattering bolts of lightning, it incinerated everything in its path.
Its target was singular.
“Hurk!”
The dragon pierced Yoo Kang-ho’s back.
Right where his heart would be. Its maw widened, swallowing him whole before surging forward.
The dragon’s charge didn’t stop there.
“Tch!”
It tore through the fissure Yoo Kang-ho had created in the barrier—aiming for the one inside.
Vincent.
‘Magic…! No time!’
Vincent had just cast a high-tier spell on Yoo Kang-ho. Even as a master necromancer and dark mage, he lacked the time to chant another.
In desperation, he raised his sword.
—Craaack!
Blade clashed against spear.
Vincent’s arm trembled, unable to withstand the force. And naturally—
“Keugh!”
At his limit, he lost his grip.
The Thunder Dragon pierced straight through his abdomen.
An overwhelming impact.
The violent surge of lightning left Vincent’s mind blank.
“……!”
A soundless scream escaped his lips.
His eyes bulged as he stared into the distance.
At Yoo Baek-jun, standing far away.
“Is this what they call killing two birds with one stone?”
Yoo Baek-jun caught the returning spear and smirked.