Chapter 246
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 246.
Crumbling.
The wall shattered into fragments and collapsed.
Through the rising dust, the figure of Tugwi, embedded in the wall, was faintly visible.
"Waaah!"
"What the hell is this?!"
"Tugwi got taken down in one hit?!"
The arena, which had been silent moments ago, was now filled with the heated cheers of the spectators.
Who could have expected this?
That Tugwi would be smashed into a wall without even being able to counterattack.
—Tugwi is strong.
—That traveler from another world is pretty strong too, but still, compared to Tugwi…
That was the general opinion in the arena, which made the current situation all the more shocking.
And in the midst of that frenzy—
"Keuk, hehehe…"
A laugh echoed.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew away the dust obscuring Tugwi in an instant.
Tugwi’s new form came into view.
"This is fun. So much fun."
Tugwi clapped his hands together.
Magic swirled around both hands as an aura formed, quickly taking shape—into the form of thick gauntlets.
"Yeah, this is more like it!"
Whoosh!
His figure vanished.
By the time anyone blinked, Tugwi had already reached Yoo Baek-jun’s front.
Just as Yoo Baek-jun had done to him earlier.
"As expected."
Tugwi, floating mid-air, twisted his body and raised his leg high.
Blue magical power gathered at the tip of his foot.
"My eyes weren’t wrong!"
Tugwi swung his leg down with full force, and Yoo Baek-jun raised both hands to block.
BOOM!
A deafening impact struck his arms, and his feet were driven into the ground.
Tugwi used the recoil to land gracefully.
"Huuup!"
Tugwi twisted his body sharply and then—
CRASH!
—punched the air with tremendous force.
The void trembled, and a series of shockwaves erupted, crashing into Yoo Baek-jun.
"…!"
Unable to withstand the impact, Yoo Baek-jun was sent flying. Tugwi pursued, slamming his foot down onto Yoo Baek-jun’s body.
Thud!
Yoo Baek-jun’s body bounced off the ground and was launched back into the air.
"Time to return the favor!"
Tugwi’s leg stopped mid-air.
Magical power concentrated densely at his foot, trembling from the overflowing power.
Then, his leg was unleashed.
BOOOOM!
With a thunderous impact, Yoo Baek-jun was struck hard. His body, unable to endure the force, flew backward and crashed into the wall—
just as the Tugwi had moments ago.
"Take this too!"
Tugwi immediately channeled magic.
Blue spheres began forming around him, crafted from pure magic.
Mystical, glowing orbs filled the surroundings.
And moments later—
KABOOOOM!
They all rushed toward Yoo Baek-jun at once, triggering a massive explosion.
The blast was so intense it nearly blinded everyone.
A smirk played on Tugwi’s lips.
‘If he’s as weak as he seems, he’ll die from this. But…’
If not—
RUMBLE!
A deafening roar, like thunder, echoed from somewhere.
The dust obscuring vision cleared, revealing Yoo Baek-jun’s figure.
"Keh, hehehe…"
He had countered, absorbing the magic spheres that had assaulted him.
Yoo Baek-jun absorbed the magic, which soon transformed into crackling lightning.
Electricity coiled around his entire body.
RUMBLE… CRACK!
The sound of thunder roared.
Yoo Baek-jun clenched lightning in his fist and hurled it with all his might.
The bolt, moving at blinding speed, struck Tugwi square in the chest.
"Keuhk!"
CRACKLE!
The lightning that pierced his heart scattered, setting his entire body ablaze.
Yet, Tugwi was still smiling.
"Kuh… Hahahaha!"
"You’re completely insane, aren’t you?"
Yoo Baek-jun muttered in disbelief.
Despite being electrocuted and writhing in agony, Tugwi was laughing.
But he was genuinely enjoying this.
"Yeah, hehe… This is it. This is what I wanted… Against you, I can go all out!"
Tugwi channeled more magic.
The blue hue of his magical power darkened, shifting into an ominous black.
The aura gauntlets covering his hands expanded, beginning to encase his entire body in armor.
‘What was that called again?’
The shape of the armor was grotesque.
Its appearance resembled a demonic entity.
The Black magic transformed into sinister flames, engulfing his body.
The gauntlets on his hands and the shape of his feet were twisted, like those of a demon.
‘I guess this is why people call him Tugwi, The Battle Demon.’
Yoo Baek-jun let out a quiet scoff.
"You’re the first one to use Aura Install in the arena."
"Ah, right. That’s what it’s called."
Aura Install.
‘I didn’t like the name, so I changed it to Divine Possession.’
But the skill’s power was undeniable.
‘A technique that wraps the entire body in aura, manifesting it as armor.’
In this state, Tugwi’s physical abilities were enhanced, and his skills grew stronger.
Not only that—the armor itself was incredibly durable, providing exceptional defense.
"Hey, isn’t this cheating?"
One guy was fighting bare-handed while the other was fully armored.
Yoo Baek-jun let out a hollow laugh.
‘And the name is ridiculously childish too.’
He kept that thought to himself.
Instead, he activated Heavenly aura.
A blue dragon coiled around his body.
"Yeah, you’re not disappointing me at all!"
From within the grotesque demonic helmet, Tugwi grinned.
With a wild laugh, Tugwi charged.
He kicked off the ground, his aura-clad foot slamming into the earth.
BOOM!
The ground shattered, and black flames erupted from the impact point.
The flames morphed into the shape of a demon before suddenly leaping toward Yoo Baek-jun and exploding.
"Ugh!"
"Hahahaha!"
Yoo Baek-jun blocked the incoming flames, but Tugwi didn’t let up.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
Tugwi leaped, swinging his leg with full force.
KABOOM!
Black flames gathered at the tip.
Just as his foot was about to strike, Yoo Baek-jun moved.
He released a Cold aura from his entire body and kicked the ground with all his strength.
SHWAAAK!
"Pointless!"
Ice shards erupted from the ground, momentarily obscuring vision.
Yoo Baek-jun slowed Tugwi’s charge and countered with Frozen Shattering Kick..
Flames and ice collided.
RUMBLE!
A shockwave erupted from the impact, crushing the surrounding terrain.
Neither of them was pushed back.
Tugwi suddenly twisted and kicked Yoo Baek-jun in the chest, spinning him around.
"Guh!"
Tugwi, rotating mid-air, aimed a follow-up kick at Yoo Baek-jun’s chin.
A foot came down in an instant.
Yoo Baek-jun raised his hand to guard his chin—just as the black flame-clad foot struck.
"…!"
At the last moment, Yoo Baek-jun used Frozen Soul Palm to freeze Tugwi’s foot.
Well, not completely freeze it—but it was enough to slow it down.
"…!"
Yoo Baek-jun knocked the foot aside, and the misplaced kick exploded against the ground.
He immediately regained his stance and rushed forward, striking Tugwi square in the face.
"Keuhk!"
‘Time to get serious.’
Yoo Baek-jun stretched both arms back.
Twin Dragons’ Clash.
The energies of Iron-Cutting fist and Heavenly Destruction gathered in his hands.
He drove both energies directly into Tugwi’s abdomen.
"Ghk—Aaaagh!"
Blade-like energy scattered, and the Heavenly Destruction force engulfed Tugwi.
Even Tugwi, who had barely flinched at pain until now, grimaced.
His massive body was sent flying.
Crash!
‘He’s still standing? This guy’s insane.’
This was a finishing move that would have taken down most enemies in one hit.
But not Tugwi.
That didn’t mean he was unharmed.
The aura armor covering his abdomen had shattered.
"Ugh!"
Tugwi spat blood. His internal organs must have been damaged.
Yet, he was still grinning wildly.
"Heh, hehe… Hahaha!"
Laughing like a madman, Tugwi unleashed a barrage of attacks at Yoo Baek-jun.
Despite his injuries, his speed was even faster than before.
Fists rained down.
BAM!
But none of them landed.
Yoo Baek-jun calmly read the trajectories and deflected each punch with the back of his hand.
"Deflected!"
Tugwi’s grin widened as he launched a relentless flurry of strikes.
Then, in an instant, he clasped both hands together, condensing magic into a massive sphere.
CRACKLE!
"Keuhk!"
The giant magic orb, along with countless smaller ones, homed in on Yoo Baek-jun.
But the blue dragon of Heavenly aura surrounding him blocked the largest one.
The rest were obliterated by the lightning of the Thunder Monarch.
‘I really want that skill.’
A brief silence fell.
"…"
"…"
The two locked eyes.
Their gazes clashed.
Without a word, they both threw a punch simultaneously.
BOOM! CRASH!
Their fists collided.
Aura clashed against Heavenly Aura’s strong energy, shattered, and then—their bare fists met.
Flesh tore, bones cracked, but neither of them stopped.
"Ha, hahaha! KHAHAHA!"
Tugwi burst into laughter.
This situation was exhilarating to him—unbearably so.
"This is a first!"
It was an experience he had never had before.
An opponent who didn’t cower after taking his attacks.
An enemy who didn’t die in one hit.
And now—
"A fight this evenly matched!"
He was overjoyed.
This life-or-death battle.
Tugwi, lost in euphoria, exchanged blows with Yoo Baek-jun.
But then—
‘What’s this?’
Tugwi frowned.
His senses, heightened by the thrill of fighting a worthy opponent, detected an unfamiliar energy approaching.
Yoo Baek-jun felt it too.
‘It’s starting.’
The force of ‘Luck‘ enveloping the entire casino—right now— was gathering toward Tugwi.
‘What is this energy?’
Confused, Tugwi had no choice but to be bewildered.
And soon, something strange happened.
Whoosh! THUD!
"Keuk!"
"…!"
Yoo Baek-jun’s fist, aimed at an unavoidable angle, struck empty air.
Meanwhile, Tugwi’s punch, which should have missed, landed squarely on him.
‘Why?’
A coincidence?
No.
From then on, Yoo Baek-jun’s attacks inexplicably missed, while Tugwi’s strikes landed without fail.
CRACK!
Tugwi’s expression twisted.
Even he, the one landing the hits, felt deeply unsettled by this situation.
As for Yoo Baek-jun—
"Don’t you think something’s off?"
"Huh?"
Yoo Baek-jun spoke while throwing another punch.
With a glance, he signaled toward the spectator seats specifically, the VIP section.
Where Gold Rich sat.
With his usual greedy expression, looking oddly satisfied.
Tugwi’s mind raced.
"…Like someone wants me to win."
"That bastard did something? What?"
"I’ll explain later. One thing’s certain—if this keeps up, you’ll win. Not because of skill, but for some other reason."
Tugwi’s fist froze.
Yoo Baek-jun swung at his chin, but it barely grazed him.
Yet, Tugwi’s face contorted as if he had been struck hard.
"Is this the fight you wanted?"
"…"
No.
Tugwi wavered at Yoo Baek-jun’s words, which possessed King’s Dignity.
‘Did Gold Rich do something? Or is something else interfering with this fight?’
The arena was, after all, a gambling den.
There were people who would do anything to protect their bets.
‘Can I trust what he’s saying?’
Maybe this was a trick. The odds were high.
But—
"GRAAAH!"
Either way.
If this continued, his once-in-a-lifetime battle with a worthy opponent would end in farce.
He couldn’t let that happen.
"Gold Rich! Or whoever’s behind this!"
Tugwi roared.
The energy concentrated around him exploded outward, wreaking havoc across the arena.
"Tell me! What did you do?!"
With a furious shout, Tugwi leaped towards Gold Rich’s seat.
The smugly grinning Gold Rich finally showed a hint of panic.
‘Now.’
Yoo Baek-jun sent a signal.
To Seol-yeong, waiting below.