Chapter 184
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 184.
The effect of the Thunder Dragon ended, and the Thunder spear, having completed its task, returned to Yoo Baek-jun’s hand.
"Grrrrrrk!"
At the same time, Vincent dropped to one knee.
Under normal circumstances, he would have risen unharmed thanks to his immortality authority, but now even that was gone.
He had sacrificed all his abilities for the Summoning ritual.
"Ugh... Keuk!"
Yoo Kang-ho vomited blood.
Already injured from his battle with Vincent, he had now sustained a near-fatal wound.
The sound of someone slowly approaching reached his ears as he lay sprawled on the ground.
"My, my. That looks like a serious injury. Are you alright?"
"You... bastard...!"
The words were clearly mocking.
Yoo Kang-ho bared his teeth.
He wanted to get up right then and tear the bastard apart.
But he couldn’t.
"Keuk, ugh... Eeeek!"
"That impressive body of yours must have reached its limit. Why are you still trying to force yourself up?"
"Shut... up! I’ll... kill you... no matter what...!"
"Seems like a lot of people want to kill me these days."
Yoo Baek-jun stood before Yoo Kang-ho.
In stark contrast to the battered Yoo Kang-ho, he looked immaculate.
"You’ve worked hard, Brother."
Yoo Baek-jun stomped on Yoo Kang-ho’s back as he tried to rise, slamming him back into the ground.
Then, raising his sword,
"Now, rest in peace."
He swung down.
Yoo Kang-ho’s eyes widened to their limit.
Memories of the past flashed through his mind.
The image of himself falling into ruin after losing to Yoo Baek-jun, and the image of his brother, who had taken him in and taught him demonic techniques.
‘Took me in?’
Only then did Yoo Kang-ho feel a pang of doubt.
Perhaps because the vengeful rage that had filled his mind had faded, he began to recall what had been done to him.
The memories of consuming all sorts of elixirs, akin to poison, to learn demonic techniques, and the fact that the demonic techniques he learned robbed him of his humanity.
It was Yoo Tae-rang who had made him do it.
"I was... used...!"
But now, such resentment was meaningless.
Blood gushed out violently. Yoo Kang-ho glared at Yoo Baek-jun with wide eyes.
His lips twitched as he muttered incomprehensible words, but even that soon stopped.
"......"
He had completely lost his life.
Yoo Baek-jun used the Frozen Soul Palm to completely freeze Yoo Kang-ho’s corpse.
It wasn’t to desecrate the dead—only to prevent Vincent from turning him into an undead.
‘I feel strange.’
For some inexplicable reason, an indescribable sorrow welled up from deep within his chest.
It wasn’t his emotion.
Perhaps the body itself was grieving the death of kin.
Clap, clap.
The sound of applause came from somewhere.
Yoo Baek-jun raised his head and scanned his surroundings.
The undead summoned by Vincent had all been swept away by the Thunder Dragon, and the cultists who had supported him had been sacrificed for the summoning ritual.
"Impressive."
Among them stood Vincent.
His stomach was pierced, and his entire body was scorched from lightning, but he showed no sign of pain.
"Should I say you’re heartless? You didn’t even blink while killing your own brother."
"Says the madman who tried to sacrifice an entire city’s population as offerings."
"Madman."
Vincent chuckled softly.
"When a person has something they desperately desire but no way to achieve it, they go mad. In that sense, yes, I suppose I am mad."
"Planning to confess your sins? Sorry, but I don’t have the time to listen."
Yoo Baek-jun walked toward Vincent.
Their gazes crossed in the air.
"I thought there was a traitor within the cult. I suspected Vivianne. But I was wrong. It was you. The one who attacked the cult from the shadows, unknown to anyone..."
Vincent realized the full picture.
He had suspected a traitor within. But that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t betrayal—this person had come to destroy the cult from the very beginning.
But one thing puzzled him.
"How did you know?"
How had Yoo Baek-jun learned of the cult’s goals, approached them, and interfered?
It was only natural to wonder.
"Why bother about that now?"
"Aren’t you curious? The plan I’ve spent so long preparing lies in ruins because of you. Originally, if things had gone as planned..."
Vincent glanced around and smiled bitterly.
"I wouldn’t have carried out the plan in such a shoddy manner. The people of Busan would have been offered as painless sacrifices to the god of death, and this place would have become His territory."
That was indeed the case.
When playing the game, if Vincent’s plan was left unchecked, Busan would suddenly transform into a hellscape teeming with the undead—overnight, without warning.
"But you stopped it."
That future was now gone.
Because Yoo Baek-jun had known and acted in advance.
"You said you wanted to see your mother. That must have been sincere, right? Or was it a lie?"
"It was sincere."
To be honest,
Since she was Yoo Baek-jun’s mother and not his, he felt nothing.
But to keep the conversation from ending too abruptly, he voiced the thoughts that came to mind.
"But I wouldn’t go as far as sacrificing people to see her. Besides... people die eventually, so we’ll meet again someday."
"......"
In the world of Heroes Road, the underworld exists. Perhaps they could meet there.
Not that he cared.
"I see."
Vincent closed his eyes and fell silent.
He seemed to be reflecting on Yoo Baek-jun’s words.
"But I can’t do that."
Vincent opened his eyes again.
A thick aura of death flowed from his eyes. At the same time, the magic circle beneath his feet glowed ominously.
Then, a voice echoed.
"Thank you for humoring my chatter. Thanks to you, I’ve bought plenty of time."
Vincent smiled darkly.
Crack, crack!
The rift floating in the air above him widened even further.
Through the gap, something could be seen.
—You disappoint me, mortal.
A voice rang out.
It sounded as though it echoed from the depths of the earth—a voice that stirred inexplicable dread just by hearing it.
—I gave you a chance, mortal... You wouldn’t want to waste it, would you?
"...I won't."
—Then complete the Summoning ritual. Let me into this world. Fulfill your role.
The voice commanded Vincent.
"As you wish, Lord Thanatos. Even if it means offering this body to you, I will see it done."
—Good...
Vincent raised his arms high.
—I’ll give you one last chance.
The entity beyond the rift spoke.
Then, the rift glowed darkly, and an immense surge of power flowed out.
The energy was absorbed by Vincent, who closed his eyes as he accepted it.
A dark aura shimmered around him like a heat haze.
"Fuuu...!"
Vincent slammed his sword into the ground.
A sinister energy spread from the blade, seeping into the rooftop.
Moments later...
Sssss...
The ground turned pitch black, and undead began crawling out from beneath.
These were no ordinary undead. Their entire bodies were stained black.
Their crimson eyes fixed on Yoo Baek-jun.
"Come forth! Reveal yourselves before me!"
But such undead could only hinder Yoo Baek-jun, not stop him.
Vincent knew that well.
So he played his trump card.
Rumble!
The ground trembled.
The pitch-black floor, now swamp-like and squelching, writhed as though something was about to erupt.
And then, something emerged.
—Grrrr...
It was a massive corpse.
A body the size of a house, enormous wings sprouting from its back, four elongated legs, and a carapace harder than steel—yet the flesh was rotten beyond recognition.
Its appearance was familiar to Yoo Baek-jun.
"Dragon."
It was the corpse of a dragon.
Once a mighty elder dragon that roamed the world of Halpeon freely, it had fallen into Thanatos’ grasp and died. Its remains had been preserved.
—Grr, grrr...
The dark energy thick in the air was sucked into the dragon’s corpse.
And then—
Boom!
The dead dragon’s corpse began to move.
With every motion, chunks of rotting flesh fell, emitting a vile stench.
Yet it rose as though alive.
—ROOOOOAR!
The dragon’s roar pierced the ears.
A sound that would strike fear into any living being.
Yoo Baek-jun grimaced.
‘Dead Dragon.’
A dragon turned undead, as the name suggested.
If the Bone Dragon was made from skeletal remains, this one was crafted from a fully intact corpse.
Naturally, the difference was stark.
—Kaaaaaaah!
It retained some intelligence—enough to wield magic.
The Dead Dragon roared as it gathered magic.
Dragon magic unfolded.
Kwaaaaang!
Multi-elemental spells erupted simultaneously, bearing down on Yoo Baek-jun.
Each was a high-tier spell.
Yoo Baek-jun frowned and stepped back. Seeing this, Vincent allowed a smile to creep onto his lips.
"A Dead Dragon that retained much of its power in life... No mere hunter can face it alone."
Vincent smirked confidently.
"You should be proud. It means I acknowledge your strength."
The Dead Dragon bowed its head to Vincent, who climbed atop it.
The reanimated Dead Dragon rose, its rotting eyes locking onto Yoo Baek-jun.
‘Disgustingly huge.’
This thing was easily an S or S+-rank monster.
Considering it was once EX-rank, it had weakened, but it was still a monster.
A creature capable of destroying a city single-handedly.
No wonder Vincent was so confident.
‘No chance of winning.’
Fighting such a monster alone was impossible. Worse, countless undead surrounded Yoo Baek-jun.
There was no escaping this situation.
Vincent was certain of it as he issued his command.
"Kill that man."
—Grooooooah!
The Dead Dragon gathered magic.
Bone walls rose to seal off all exits, ensuring no one could escape.
Then, it prepared the final blow.
Whoosh!
Its maw filled with magic.
A swirling green energy—the Dead Dragon’s Acid Breath, a corrosive blast capable of melting anything it touched.
‘No way to withstand this.’
Not even Yoo Baek-jun.
Vincent smiled in satisfaction.
—Kreeeeak!
—Gwaaaaah!
Until the undead began screaming.
The Acid Breath, instead of hitting Yoo Baek-jun, engulfed the undead.
Their bodies melted instantly under the highly acidic spray.
"What are you doing?! They’re allies! Don’t attack the undead—attack that man... Keuk!?"
—Grooooooah!
The Dead Dragon violently shook its head, as if rejecting the command.
Vincent, unable to hold on, was thrown to the ground.
"What the hell...?!"
Vincent glared at the Dead Dragon.
What he saw next stunned him.
"...!"
The Dead Dragon was chanting a large-scale spell.
And its target was—
"Keuk?!"
Not Yoo Baek-jun, but Vincent himself.
Before he could react, the Dead Dragon’s spells rained down on him.
"Gaaaaaah!"
Vincent screamed in agony.
"Hmm."
Yoo Baek-jun, watching, smirked.
"Thanks, you bastard."
For making such a useful subordinate.