Chapter 318
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 318.
―Thanatos. You…
The Thunder God coldly declared.
―You will be executed.
The moment he spoke those words,
Time came to a standstill.
The fierce battles raging all around, even the fight between Eldaim and the Evil Dragon—
Everything froze simultaneously.
Crack!
Countless fissures erupted around Thanatos. From within those cracks, chains of light emerged.
―Ugh, uuuugh!
They bound Thanatos’ entire body.
Divine power, the antithesis of death energy. The moment it touched him, all his strength drained away.
Had he been at full power—no, had he not been fighting the Evil Dragon—he might have resisted.
But not now.
―Gaaaaah!
Still unstable, not yet at full strength, and already wounded.
Even so, Thanatos mustered every ounce of his remaining power to resist. An immense surge of death energy erupted from him.
―Never, never…!
―Futile struggle.
The Thunder God spoke with disdain, locking eyes with Yoo Baek-jun.
He raised his hand. In response, Yoo Baek-jun’s Thunder Spear, ‘Gungnir’, radiated a brilliant light.
“Ugh!”
The light flowing from the spear enveloped Yoo Baek-jun, stimulating the Power of the Thunder God within him.
An overwhelming power surged through him.
‘This is…’
Yoo Baek-jun gripped the spear tightly.
Lightning gathered around the weapon in his grasp, transforming into a colossal bolt.
Bzzzt!
Golden currents of the Power of the Thunder God surged through his entire body.
‘Are you telling me to finish him?’
The Thunder God’s gaze seemed to say just that.
–-I’ve given you the power—now end this with your own hands.
There was no reason to refuse.
‘One strike.’
Amidst the frozen time, Yoo Baek-jun was the only one who could move.
He stepped forward, drawing his lightning-charged arm far back.
And then—he hurled it.
Kwaaaaargh!
―Ghk…!
A single strike.
The massive bolt of lightning pierced through Thanatos’ chest—straight through his heart.
Simultaneously, the lightning surged outward, mercilessly incinerating his entire body.
―GAAAAAAH!
It was a finishing blow, as if sealing the fate of Thanatos, who was already on the brink of death.
The death energy pouring from him weakened, and the Thunder God’s divine power tightened its restraints.
But it didn’t stop there.
Crack! Krrrrk!
―AAAAAAH!
With a horrific sound, the chains crushed Thanatos’ entire body.
His limbs were torn apart, and Thanatos was imprisoned within a massive sphere of light.
―How far you’ve fallen, Thanatos. Weren’t you the one who swore vengeance upon us?
―Keugh, ugh! Yes, vengeance…!
Black liquid oozed from the hollows where Thanatos’ eyes once were.
Like tears.
―I will have my revenge! On all of you who sealed me away, who trapped me in that abyss! As the God of Evil!
―Is that so?
The Thunder God scoffed.
―A delusion beyond your reach.
Kwa-dok!
Thanatos was sealed within the colossal sphere of light, ascending into the sky.
Toward the rift where the gods watched.
―Look at you. Not a trace remains of the mighty God of Death you once were. Nor of the God of Evil God who once fought us…
Fully imprisoned, Thanatos roared and glared at the Thunder God.
―Pathetic beyond words. All dialogue ends here, Thanatos.
―Dialogue ends, you say?
Thanatos, still seething with rage, suddenly froze.
―Indeed. Everything was permitted by ‘Him’. We were granted permission to deal with you—who sought to break free from your seal and invade this realm.
The Thunder God stretched out his hand.
The sphere containing Thanatos shrank, drawn into his grasp.
―Thanatos, you will be imprisoned in a cell with no escape, and there…
The sphere passed through the rift.
The Thunder God caught it.
―You will die.
The gods beside him received the sphere and turned away.
Their figures vanished.
―There is no longer a need to guard the battlefield of proof. Though I wonder what my followers will think…
The Thunder God looked down at Yoo Baek-jun.
His luminous form was fading, as if on the verge of disappearing.
―Human, though our interests aligned, we are greatly indebted to you.
Time, once frozen, began to move again. Soon, even the halted Evil Dragon would resume its rampage.
―I would stay and aid you if I could, but it is not possible. My time here is short.
Though they wield omnipotent power, they are gods of Halpeon.
This place lies beyond their domain.
Their very presence here was already a violation of the rules.
―Even with permission, I can offer no further assistance.
Interference itself exceeds their authority, and any further meddling would only invite greater calamity.
With Thanatos dealt with, the Thunder God would need a long rest.
―Still…
He flicked his finger.
The still-glowing “Gungnir” began to transform.
―This much, at least, I can do.
Yoo Baek-jun stared at the spear.
Its shape shifted, and the dormant power within awakened.
Its rank was rising.
[Thunder Spear Gungnir (S+)]
A spear bestowed upon an otherworldly hero by the Thunder God for achieving great deeds.
Imbued with the Thunder God’s power, the wielder can freely wield lightning.
Having earned the Thunder God’s acknowledgment, the spear’s full power has been unlocked.
―Options: Lightning-storm, Thunderstrike, Power of the Thunder God, Return, Awakening
―Skills: Divine Punishment, Manifestation
*Awakening: Enhances all effects of Gungnir’s options.
*Manifestation: Having earned the Thunder God’s acknowledgment, the wielder can harness the divine power dwelling within the spear.
‘This is why I love killing two birds with one stone.’
The method of dealing with Thanatos varies slightly depending on the route.
Among them, the Evil Dragon route was the easiest.
‘Now, all that’s left…’
Yoo Baek-jun raised his head.
Yamata-no-Orochi, running amok as it devoured the surrounding enemies.
And the airship charging straight toward it.
* * *
Nagito and the Mikazuki Guild were aboard the airship led by the White wolf guild.
They raced across the Dragon’s Land, heading straight for their destination.
Where Yamata-no-Orochi lay.
“What’s the situation?!”
“They fought each other and were heavily injured. Right now, it’s trying to recover by devouring everything in sight.”
“We can’t let that continue.”
“I know.”
Yoon Song-ha replied while chewing gum.
With Thanatos and the Evil Dragon appearing, Yamata-no-Orochi seemed less threatening by comparison—but it was still a monster.
“If we don’t act now, we’ll never get another chance. You said you knew a way.”
“Yes. I brought this.”
Nagito produced a massive stake.
“What’s that?”
“An artifact obtained from the clan that once sealed that monster. With this, we can kill it.”
Yamata-no-Orochi was currently severely wounded.
‘This is our only chance.’
The airship, operating at maximum output, arrived at the destination in an instant.
The center of the Dragon’s Land.
There, Yamata-no-Orochi was wreaking havoc, howling in fury.
“Ugh, AAAAAH!”
Crash!
Yamata-no-Orochi mercilessly devoured everything around it.
Members of the Black Shadow, monsters—anything in its path.
The only saving grace was that the hunters had already retreated on orders, avoiding casualties.
―Grrr… GAAAAAH!
Yamata-no-Orochi spewed venom, filling the air with a thick, toxic mist.
Those trying to flee were instantly poisoned, freezing in place.
The eight heads coldly swallowed the paralyzed prey.
“It’s recovering. We don’t have time.”
“Can we get closer?”
“The barrier should hold against the poison, at least for a while. But…”
Yoon Song-ha glanced at Nagito.
“You have to stab ‘that’ into it, right? That’s dangerous.”
“…….”
Yamata-no-Orochi was a monster with eight heads and tails.
Each head moved independently, attacking with venomous strikes.
Getting close wouldn’t be easy.
“There’s a way. Get the ship as close as possible. I’ll drive this stake into it myself.”
“Alright. Tough guy.”
Yoon Song-ha whistled.
“That’s…”
“Eek!”
At that moment, a faint shadow materialized right behind her.
“I can help.”
“M-Min Yi-jae, you…”
It was Min Yi-jae.
Yoon Song-ha gave him a wary look before gesturing behind her.
“Do it. Full speed ahead!”
The airship accelerated, charging toward Yamata-no-Orochi at breakneck speed.
“We’ll draw its attention. Old man!”
“Got it!”
Yoon Song-ha stomped on the deck.
Using magic, she took to the skies. One of Yamata-no-Orochi’s heads locked onto her.
―Kee-hee-hee!
A deadly miasma engulfed her.
Yoon Song-ha instantly detonated her magic, unleashing a blazing inferno.
Whoosh!
The flames incinerated the surrounding poison.
―GAAAAH!
Enraged, multiple heads turned toward her.
But before they could strike—
BOOM!
―SCREEEECH!
The airship rammed forward.
Magic cannons fired, suppressing the heads while Yoon Song-ha weaved through the sky, drawing their attention.
“Min Yi-jae!”
“Going.”
Min Yi-jae activated his unique ability, vanishing from sight.
Nagito did the same.
The two waited until the airship was as close as possible before leaping onto the battlefield.
Whoosh!
Poison surged toward them.
Yoon Song-ha pushed her magic to the limit, unleashing flames to burn away the venom.
BOOM!
The airship fired relentlessly before crashing its hull into the monster’s body—all to divert its focus.
Sure enough, Yamata-no-Orochi’s eight tails lashed out, attempting to ensnare the ship.
‘Now.’
The invisibility faded.
Min Yi-jae hurled Nagito with all his strength. Nagito brandished the stake as he closed in on Yamata-no-Orochi.
“Yamata-no-Orochi!”
Nagito channeled his magic into the stake.
Then, calmly, he took aim.
―Grrr…!
“Tch!”
Too late, Yamata-no-Orochi noticed him and spewed poison.
A lethal, suffocating miasma.
Heads and tails that had been focused elsewhere now turned toward him.
‘This poison… My body…!’
In that brief moment, Nagito realized he’d been poisoned.
His movements slowed.
Yamata-no-Orochi didn’t miss the opportunity, lunging to capture him.
Heads and tails closed in.
KWA-BOOM!
At that moment, lightning struck.
From the darkened sky, a thunderbolt crashed down, blasting Yamata-no-Orochi’s heads.
―SCREEEEE!
The heads recoiled in agony.
The tails did the same.
Coughing blood, Nagito clung to Yamata-no-Orochi’s torso.
‘This is it…’
He raised the stake.
“It’s over!”
The stake pierced through the torso.
Imbued with magic, it drove deep, skewering the heart hidden within.
Fssss!
Like ice melting in water, the stake began to dissolve.
The power within spread through Yamata-no-Orochi’s entire body.
―G… GAAAAAAH!
Then, something incredible happened.
Starting from the impaled heart—
Yamata-no-Orochi’s body slowly, then rapidly, turned to stone.
The monster shrieked in agony.
―KAAAAH!
“Not so fast!”
In its death throes, Yamata-no-Orochi tried to attack Nagito—
But Yoon Song-ha was faster.
She snatched Nagito and retreated to the airship.
―Gaaaah… Agh…
The petrified Yamata-no-Orochi crumbled.
First the torso.
Then, finally, the screaming heads.
“…….”
Nagito watched with indescribable emotions.
And then—
“Good.”
The dragon’s soul flowed straight into ‘Dragon Slayer’s Destiny’.
Yamata-no-Orochi was, after all, a kind of dragon—making its soul absorbable.
[Dragon Slayer’s Destiny has absorbed sufficient power. A new ability, Ancient Souls, has been unlocked.]
Ancient Souls: Summons the spirits of those who hunted dragons in the distant past.
Thus, the final function of ‘Dragon Slayer’s Destiny’ was unleashed.
“Now, let’s end this.”
Yoo Baek-jun tightened his grip on the spear.