Chapter 25
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 25.
The battle grew increasingly intense.
Seol-ho’s means of attack consisted of using his massive body and various ice magic.
The former was blocked by Yoo Baek-jun, while the latter was countered by Jin Seo-yeon.
“Huff!”
Kwaaang!
A massive foot aimed for Yoo Baek-jun’s head came crashing down.
He stepped back using footwork, narrowly evading.
Seol-ho’s front paw shattered the ground.
At the same time, the beast unleashed magic.
Ice Spears materialized from all directions, targeting Yoo Baek-jun.
Whoosh!
Jin Seo-yeon immediately raised a wall of flames, melting the ice spears.
Yoo Baek-jun twisted his waist and closed in on Seol-ho, moving toward the beast’s right flank.
Screech, kung!
He immediately struck its side.
Seol-ho staggered momentarily.
Yoo Baek-jun leapt into the air and unleashed a flurry of Gale Kicks.
A rapid succession of blows hammered its face.
—Grrr…
Seol-ho let out a pained groan.
An overwhelming surge of magical power erupted from the beast.
Yoo Baek-jun quickly read the pattern and kicked off the ground, retreating backward.
Whoooosh!
A bone-chilling cold radiated from Seol-ho, so intense that it instantly numbed the body.
The beast kicked off the ground and clung to the ceiling before descending toward Jin Seo-yeon.
Kwaaang!
Jin Seo-yeon erected a barrier, but it crumbled instantly.
As she attempted to cast another spell, Yoo Baek-jun grabbed her.
“What are you doing?”
“Hey, prepare a big spell.”
“A big spell? That’ll require an incantation…”
Until now, Jin Seo-yeon had been using relatively short-incantation spells.
With Seol-ho watching and attempting to disrupt her, she couldn’t prepare anything longer.
“I’ll handle that somehow, just get ready.”
“…Fine.”
Jin Seo-yeon nodded.
She retreated behind a wall and began chanting.
Seol-ho noticed.
The beast prepared to charge, but before it could—
Thud!
Yoo Baek-jun dropped something onto the ground.
Seol-ho’s corpse. Dead, yet preserved as though still alive.
—Kuh…
Seol-ho’s gaze changed the moment it saw its own body.
—Kuaaaak!
A furious roar erupted from Seol-ho as he saw his own corpse.
The beast shook its head repeatedly, as if refusing to believe its own demise, before…..
—Kheuung!
Charging straight at Yoo Baek-jun.
More accurately, toward its own corpse.
Yoo Baek-jun hastily retrieved the corpse.
Seol-ho, now even more enraged, lunged forward to reclaim it.
‘Showing it its own corpse triggers its enraged pattern. If I block this charge…’
A dark crimson aura enveloped Seol-ho’s entire body.
The beast closed the distance in an instant, attempting to tear Yoo Baek-jun apart with its claws.
The magical power coating its talons shot forward like razor-sharp blades.
“Hup!”
Yoo Baek-jun swallowed his breath and countered.
Kiiing!
The magical barrier clashed with the blades Seol-ho unleashed.
The shield wavered as if on the verge of shattering.
“Huff!”
But he held firm.
Yoo Baek-jun redirected the blades straight back at Seol-ho before using Swift Steps to retreat.
Kwaaang!
The spot where he had stood was obliterated by Seol-ho’s claws.
—Kuaak!
At the same time, the redirected blades struck Seol-ho’s face.
A long, straight wound formed, oozing not blood but a dark liquid.
—Uu, uuuu…
Seol-ho clutched its face, swaying unsteadily.
Yoo Baek-jun swiftly pulled another scroll from his pocket, watching the beast’s movements.
—Kuaaaak!
Seol-ho’s eyes bulged wide.
A dark red energy overflowed from its body.
—Avenge me… souls… ah…!
Seol-ho howled at the sky.
Unlike before, this roar carried a different energy.
The cavern trembled in response, and something began emerging from the walls.
“This is…?”
Jin Seo-yeon glanced around.
They were Spirits.
The souls of those who had died on Seoraksan Mountain, now corrupted into evil spirits like Seol-ho.
This was why Seol-ho was such a troublesome foe.
‘Originally, it was a being that guided souls to the spirit realm, but now it’s using them like this…’
If these Spirits descended upon Seoul, they would turn every powerful monster or dead hunter into malevolent Spirits.
That would lead to catastrophe.
‘But right now…’
Seol-ho’s power wasn’t at its peak.
Which meant there was still a way.
Yoo Baek-jun felt the evil spirits locking onto him.
Their numbers were anything but ordinary, over a hundred.
All of them fixated on him.
“Yoo Baek-jun! Are you okay with this?!”
“I’m fine, just keep preparing your spell!”
Yoo Baek-jun calmly gauged the timing.
The evil spirits swarmed.
Seol-ho followed behind them.
They’re eyes locked on him.
Once they were close enough…
“Come forth!”
Yoo Baek-jun tore the scroll.
Paaaat!
The scroll, infused with magical power, unleashed a powerful divine force— A Turn Undead spell designed to repel evil beings.
—Kyaaak?!
And not just any Turn Undead, this was a wide range version.
The evil spirits writhed in agony. Seol-ho was no exception.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“Once more!”
Yoo Baek-jun tore another scroll.
This time, a massive sphere of light materialized in the air before scattering beams in all directions.
—Kyyaaaa!
—Kheuung!
The evil spirits touched by the light crumbled into dust. Seol-ho, too, writhed in unbearable pain.
This was Flash Globe, a divine magic spell even higher-tier than Turn Undead.
Of course, it was disgustingly expensive.
‘Wealth is the best!’
With enough money, nothing was impossible.
Moreover, this was a scroll kept by the Sword Saint’s family specifically for dealing with certain monsters.
‘Even this will stop working once Seol-ho develops resistance, but…’
For now, it was effective.
Yoo Baek-jun lowered his stance and charged straight at Seol-ho.
Now, while the beast was in pain, was the opportunity.
—Hu, human…!
Seol-ho, struggling desperately, swayed unsteadily.
Yoo Baek-jun stood before it, and Seol-ho’s eyes belatedly registered his presence.
With a prolonged roar, Seol-ho thrust its gaping maw forward, as if warning him not to interfere.
Its fangs descended upon him before he could evade.
Swoooosh…
—Kuh?!
But it was an afterimage.
The figure of Yoo Baek-jun, seemingly bitten apart, dissipated like a mirage.
And from within that mirage, the real Yoo Baek-jun emerged.
“Haaah!”
A sharp exhale escaped Yoo Baek-jun’s lips. He twisted his waist, channeling all his strength into a single step.
Flames wreathed his clenched fist.
Whoooosh!
Seol-ho, deceived by the Ghost Phantom Step, had no time to react.
The fist slammed into its face.
Boooom!
And shortly after, the dragon's head that appeared from those fingertips swallowed Seol-ho whole.
Flames spread from his head, engulfing his entire body.
Seol-ho writhed in agony.
"Yoo Baek-jun! Fall back!"
Then, the voice he had been waiting for reached him.
Yoo Baek-jun used Swift Step to retreat. Moments later, right above Seol-ho's head
—Guh?!
An enormous amount of magical power poured down.
Like gravity, the magic crushed Seol-ho's entire body, slamming him into the ground.
He tried to rise but couldn't.
—Grrr……
Even from the spot where he collapsed, magic surged, and a massive magic circle formed beneath him.
Countless fissures split the earth, and from within them, light flashed.
KWA-GWANG!
Pillars erupted.
Numerous pillars of light shot up from the fissures, striking Seol-ho's body from below.
It felt like an endless barrage of lasers.
And it didn’t stop there—from above, massive pillars came crashing down.
—GAAAAAAH!
These were pillars imbued with elemental magic.
Crushed and impaled, Seol-ho let out a scream filled with pain.
Yoo Baek-jun exhaled in relief.
'Good thing I brought her along.'
Without a mage, this would’ve been a troublesome fight.
Conversely, had Jin Seo-yeon not been here, dealing with Seol-ho would’ve been difficult.
'Though, if I hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t have come in the first place.'
Seol-ho, now battered and broken, was in no state to continue fighting.
But this was only temporary—given time, he would quickly recover.
This place was filled with souls, and he could heal by consuming them.
—You… damn… humans……!
"Yeah, yeah. Try that in your next life."
Seol-ho, currently in Spirit form, had only temporarily materialized using magic.
Though heavily wounded, he wasn’t dead.
But this was enough.
—That’s enough.
—We’ll handle the rest.
Yoo Baek-jun turned around.
The Ice Spirits, who had been trembling in the corner, approached.
They encircled Seol-ho.
"What are they trying to do?"
"Purification Ritual."
"Purification?"
The Ice Spirits were tasked with guiding lost souls from Seoraksan Mountain to the spirit realm.
Purifying corrupted souls fell under their duties.
Normally, a soul as strong as Seol-ho's would be beyond their reach, but in his current state….
Ooooooh!
A radiant magic enveloped Seol-ho.
The Ice Spirits floated around him as if dancing, and the sinister energy gradually faded.
"Hmm……"
Jin Seo-yeon watched with keen interest.
Every time the Ice Spirits danced, ice dust scattered, creating an almost mystical scene.
Even Yoo Baek-jun, who had seen this many times, found himself mesmerized.
—Oooh……
The malice covering Seol-ho’s body dissipated, and the color of his eyes changed—
To a clear sky-blue.
Seol-ho looked around blankly.
—I… what in the world…
—Buddyyyy!
The Ice Spirits clung to him, sobbing. Seol-ho looked bewildered.
—Waaah! Let’s go to the spirit realm!
—What? The spirit realm? But I…
Still confused, Seol-ho’s gaze landed on Yoo Baek-jun.
—Human!
His eyes flickered red again, filled with hatred—but only briefly.
—No… no. What I should hate isn’t all humans… just them …
The nearby Ice Spirits did something, and Seol-ho regained his composure.
He calmly assessed the situation.
—Right… I’m dead. Killed by those humans…
"Yep. You went completely berserk, so we had to… calm you down aggressively."
—Should I thank you for that?
"If it makes you feel better."
Seol-ho nodded.
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at Jin Seo-yeon.
Her expression was brimming with curiosity.
She was probably wondering how someone like Seol-ho had died.
"How’d you end up dead? A spirit of your caliber shouldn’t have fallen so easily to humans."
—That’s…
Seol-ho let out a heavy sigh.
—My child was captured by them. I fought recklessly to get them back and suffered fatal injuries.
"So you fought at a disadvantage."
—Mmm. I managed to protect my child, but not myself. Speaking of which… my child…
Seol-ho’s head turned blankly.
Beyond a thick wall of ice—
—My child is sleeping there.
They were badly hurt, so I froze them, but they won’t last much longer.
"You’re telling me this?"
—Leaving them like this will only lead to death. It’s been… about a month? They should still be fine for now.
Seol-ho’s blue eyes gazed on Yoo Baek-jun.
—The ones who killed me wore black armor. They wielded power similar to yours. Few in number, but strong.
"Hmm, Hunters, then. So?"
—I have a request for you.
Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes gleamed.
—Find and eliminate those who killed me. It’s not just my personal grudge… they’re too dangerous.
"Why are they dangerous?"
—They’re the kind who wouldn’t care if the world ended, so long as it benefited them. I should’ve dealt with them myself, but…
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
He wasn’t wrong.
The people behind Seol-ho’s death would cause a major catastrophe.
In fact, it would trigger the first large-scale event.
"Fine. If I find them, I’ll handle it."
—Thank you. And one more thing… Take care of my remaining child.
"Me?"
Yoo Baek-jun feigned surprise.
"I’m the same as the humans who killed you. You’d trust me?"
—I can. If you’re a friend of these Ice Spirits, then yes.
Seol-ho’s gaze was filled with an odd sense of trust. Yoo Baek-jun hesitated.
"I don’t know if I can protect your child to the end. My power is still lacking."
—You’d protect my child to the end? Impressive.
A faint smile appeared on Seol-ho’s lips.
—If power is what you lack, perhaps I can offer some assistance…
"Assistance?"
—Yes. It wouldn’t be right to ask favors without giving something in return.
Yoo Baek-jun widened his eyes in mock surprise.
But inwardly, he was smiling.
'There it is.'
It was time for his reward.