Chapter 333
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 333.
Yoo Baek-jun immediately took a defensive stance. As the Heteromorphic Hands gathered around him, he deployed a sword barrier.
And then, centered around the Lord of Rifts, a massive black shockwave erupted.
Booooooom-!
A deafening roar, as if a colossal bomb had dropped, resounded, followed by a powerful shockwave that slammed into Yoo Baek-jun.
The multi-layered sword barrier wobbled precariously, as if it would shatter at any moment.
Crack! Crunch!
“Ugh!”
But it couldn’t hold.
In an instant, the multiple layers of the sword barrier were destroyed, and the shockwave crashed into Yoo Baek-jun beyond it.
An overwhelming impact struck him.
Crash!
Yoo Baek-jun, sent flying by the force, stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself.
It felt like countless fists were pounding his body. Enduring the pain, he fixed his gaze on where the Lord of Rifts was.
—…….
Where the thunder dragon had struck.
A massive crater now marked the spot where the Lord of Rifts had stood moments ago.
Inside it, the Lord of Rifts lay collapsed.
—Cough!
The Lord of Rifts, who had been lying motionless, vomited blood from his mouth.
No—could that even be called blood?
It was too black to be blood, closer to a gas than a liquid.
—Th-this pain… Ugh!
The Lord of Rifts visibly writhed in agony, seemingly bewildered by his own suffering.
Just like when he had been struck down by Yoo Baek-jun’s Heavenly Destruction, an inexplicable force lifted the fallen Lord of Rifts back to his feet.
‘This feels like déjà vu.’
But there was a difference.
Unlike before, when he had failed to deal any damage to the Lord of Rifts, now a massive wound remained on the Lord of Rifts’s body.
Sssssss…!
—Ghk, ugh!
And from that wound, an endless stream of black energy seeped out.
The body of the Martial God was slowly crumbling as the seal broke, and ominous darkness flowed from the cracks.
But the black energy leaking out now was distinctly different from that.
—My origin, why…!
The black energy spilling from the Lord of Rifts scattered and vanished.
And it seemed he was experiencing unbearable pain from it.
—He was an unbeatable existence. Because the very concept of ’death’ did not apply to him. Though we could deal significant damage, in the end, we couldn’t kill him.
The Martial God had said so.
Since the concept of death didn’t exist for him, no method could ever defeat him.
But now was different.
‘The Lord of Rifts was sealed within the body of the Martial God, a human. And…’
Due to the effects of that seal, the concept of death now applied to him.
Any wound inflicted on the Martial God’s body would also affect the sealed Lord of Rifts.
What if that body were destroyed?
“Then that bastard will die too!”
—Guh, ugh!
Yoo Baek-jun charged forward.
Seeing this, the Lord of Rifts gritted his teeth with a crunch and struck the air.
—You cannot kill me. Never!
Zzzt!
As if responding to his words, a rift tore open behind him.
A gigantic hand emerged from within, forcibly widening the narrow rift.
And then, from the pitch-black darkness, something revealed itself.
—Gr, uuuuuh…….
Strictly speaking, it resembled a living creature.
It walked on two legs, and though there were minor differences in its outward form, it was similar to a human.
But could that thing even be called a ‘living being’? Could it be said to be alive?
Thud, thud.
—Ooooooooh…….
The creatures emerging from the rift began walking toward Yoo Baek-jun.
Their entire bodies were pitch-black, and even that form couldn’t hold, melting away like liquid.
It looked like sticky tar.
—It hurts, pain…….
—Ah, aaaaah…….
“……!”
The creatures spoke.
Hearing their pain-filled voices, Yoo Baek-jun realized what they were.
—After devouring a dimension, many byproducts remain. It’d be a waste to simply discard them.
“Don’t tell me.”
—Indeed. They are the ones who lived in the dimensions I consumed.
They were the inhabitants of the destroyed dimensions.
Thud, thud.
They walked toward Yoo Baek-jun. Watching this, the Lord of Rifts grinned viciously.
—Attack. Buy… time.
The creatures began their assault.
In the same ways they had fought in life. Some used martial arts, others magic, and some wielded firearms.
Yoo Baek-jun let out a low sigh.
‘They’re alive. But…’
Could this really be called alive?
They were better off dead.
Whoosh!
“…….”
A creature closed in and unleashed a flurry of punches.
Before its fists could land, Yoo Baek-jun’s sword severed its head.
Yet, even headless, it staggered forward and kept attacking.
‘This can’t be called alive.’
Yoo Baek-jun stomped the ground with Dragon’s Descent, triggering an earthquake to halt the creatures’ advance.
‘And their numbers… are overwhelming.’
An endless flood of creatures poured from the rift. How many were trapped inside?
It was impossible to guess.
Worse, the Lord of Rifts was trying to open even more rifts.
‘I can’t do this alone. Then…’
His eyes met Yoo Moo-hak’s in the distance. The man nodded.
‘The barrier is nearing its limit. It won’t hold much longer anyway.’
And now.
The Lord of Rifts’s condition was deteriorating.
‘We have to push now.’
Yoo Baek-jun spun his body and unleashed a crescent-shaped sword aura.
The aura shot toward the Lord of Rifts but missed, slicing through empty air.
—Human from another world, surprised?
The Lord of Rifts took a stance.
He thought Yoo Baek-jun was so shocked he couldn’t even swing his sword properly.
—You’ll soon become just like them.
“Oh? Is that so?”
—……!
But Yoo Baek-jun hadn’t been aiming for the Lord of Rifts at all.
His target was the one trapped behind him.
Yoo Moo-hak.
Crash!
The sword aura Yoo Baek-jun fired sliced through the prison holding Yoo Moo-hak.
The Lord of Rifts flinched momentarily, but that was all. It wasn’t a big deal.
—Do you think anything will change just because that human joins you?
“No, but…”
“…There’s something I can do.”
Yoo Moo-hak shattered an artifact.
The artifact that had created this barrier. With its destruction, the barrier dissolved.
The enclosing curtain crumbled from the ceiling, turning to dust before vanishing completely.
—You’re lifting the barrier?
The Lord of Rifts was puzzled.
He couldn’t comprehend what Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Moo-hak were planning.
As the barrier opened, the creatures from the rift looked outside.
—Ooooh…….
Blinding light greeted them.
And then.
KABOOOOOM!
A powerful explosion engulfed them.
The airships and mages waiting beyond the barrier—
Numerous hunters had unleashed a concentrated barrage the moment the barrier fell.
—Ugh, aaaaah……!
—……!
Creatures caught in the blast writhed in agony before collapsing.
While the Lord of Rifts was momentarily distracted by the spectacle, Yoo Baek-jun moved.
‘Now’s the time to push forward.’
Yoo Baek-jun kicked off the ground and charged.
As he gestured, spears of lightning materialized in the air.
Enough to fill his vision—all of them shot toward the Lord of Rifts.
Zap! Crackle!
The Lord of Rifts’s sword aura sliced through the lightning spears.
Yoo Baek-jun dashed through the dispersing bolts, closing the distance in an instant.
Boom!
He stomped the ground and thrust the thunder spear with full force.
—Uuuugh!
The spear split mid-thrust, multiplying into dozens that rained down.
Simultaneously, the Heteromorphic Hands each unleashed their own spear techniques.
KABOOOM!
While the Lord of Rifts tried to counter Yoo Baek-jun’s assault, spears stormed his back.
Another Heteromorphic Hands spun fiercely, splitting the earth. A storm of sword energy erupted, swallowing the Lord of Rifts.
—Futile. This is all just desperation!
The Lord of Rifts roared and swung his arm. A rift opened before him, devouring the storm.
‘That hand—it’s irritating.’
As he blocked the relentless onslaught, the Lord of Rifts made a judgment.
He instantly recognized the spear technique Yoo Baek-jun used and replicated it to defend.
Swish!
A Heteromorphic Hand wielding a blood-red sword leaped and slammed into the ground.
The earth split, and pillars of blood erupted.
Another hand approached, unleashing a blindingly fast sword slash.
‘The enemy is clearly one. But…’
It felt like fighting multiple foes at once.
Because of those Heteromorphic Hands.
‘This must also be a technique. Then, this body should remember it.’
The Lord of Rifts swiftly recalled the memories embedded in the Martial God’s body.
He intended to read the memories within this body and replicate the same techniques.
But,
‘Nothing.’
The Lord of Rifts’s face twisted.
Blood swords, elongated like serpents, attacked him. As he blocked, Yoo Baek-jun slipped into his guard.
‘This technique isn’t in this body’s memories. Then, if I understand it…’
The Martial God’s body possessed immense talent. It could learn techniques just by seeing them.
But this time was different.
‘I can’t comprehend it.’
A technique even the Martial God couldn’t understand.
Yoo Baek-jun’s hand moved. His right hand swung behind his back as his left foot stomped the ground forcefully.
A familiar motion.
Whoosh!
—Th-the Sealing Formation…!
The Lord of Rifts, realizing Yoo Baek-jun’s intent, tried to move—but the Heteromorphic Hand was faster.
The Frozen Soul Palm slowed him down.
Spears raining from the sky and blades closing in from the front left him no room to evade.
And then, Yoo Baek-jun moved.
‘Did I use it like this?’
Heavenly aura erupted from his toes, carving into the earth.
The ground split from the impact.
Yoo Baek-jun took a deep breath, and immense power condensed in his right hand.
BOOM!
—……!
A palm strike.
The moment his palm struck the Lord of Rifts’s chest, explosive energy erupted.
Layered shockwaves ravaged the Lord of Rifts’s body inside and out.
—Guh, ack!
Unable to withstand the force, the Lord of Rifts’s body slammed into the ground.
It was the exact same fist technique the Lord of Rifts had used earlier.
But with one difference.
Crackle!
Yoo Baek-jun flicked his fingers.
The heavens roared, unleashing countless bolts of lightning toward the Lord of Rifts.
Seizing the moment the Lord of Rifts was distracted, Yoo Baek-jun closed the distance again.
‘The Martial God’s body in its prime, and even the memories he possessed…’
The battle raged on.
Each exchange was a deadly dance of skills aimed at taking the other’s life.
Yoo Baek-jun’s body bore numerous wounds, and the Lord of Rifts was no different.
But,
‘That’s why there’s an opening.’
Yoo Baek-jun undeniably held the upper hand.
He blocked the Lord of Rifts’s attacks as if predicting them and countered with strikes the Lord of Rifts couldn’t evade.
—Your movements, how…!
“I already know.”
—What?
Blood red mist spilled from Yoo Baek-jun, greedily absorbing the Lord of Rifts’s energy.
He gripped the sword at his waist.
“How you’ll move—!”
Slash!
A white sword wreathed in lightning cleaved through the Lord of Rifts’s chest.
Lightning scorched his body.
—Grrraaah!
The Lord of Rifts staggered back, his legs buckling until one knee hit the ground.
—How dare you!
“For all your talk of being the Lord of Rifts, you’re no different from any other boss monster when cornered.”
The Lord of Rifts roared in fury.
His behavior felt no different from any other powerful monster.
—This body should be far stronger than yours…!
“Maybe.”
The Lord of Rifts was sealed within the Martial God’s body and had taken control of it.
So, had the Lord of Rifts grown even stronger than before his sealing?
No.
‘The bodies are too different.’
Yoo Baek-jun had never seen the Lord of Rift’s true form.
But he knew the creature was a monster far beyond human comprehension.
‘Though the Martial God also possessed power surpassing humanity…’
His body was still human.
The sealed Lord of Rifts had effectively lost most of his power.
Moreover, he couldn’t fully control the Martial God’s body.
‘That’s why he relies on memories.’
The more the Lord of Rifts depended on the Martial God’s memories, the easier his actions were to predict.
Yoo Baek-jun stomped the ground with full force.
Whoosh!
His body greedily devoured the surrounding energy. A violent aura gathered and condensed around him, glowing gold.
Screech!
Yoo Baek-jun pulled his right arm back, twisting his body sharply.
The golden energy gathered in his right hand, taking the form of a dragon.
And then, the strike.
KWA-BOOOOOM!
Heavenly Destruction engulfed the Lord of Rifts.
But this was an enhanced version, far stronger than before.
The golden energy swirled like a vortex as the dragon consumed the Lord of Rifts’s body.
Following it, the Heteromorphic Hands each unleashed their own techniques.
—Guh…
Heavenly Destruction, Thunder Dragon, and Heaven-Destruction.
Countless techniques rained down on the Lord of Rifts.
—AAAAAAH!
Even the Martial God’s body couldn’t endure such an assault. Wounds carved into his flesh as the Lord of Rifts screamed in agony.
Crackle…!
The Lord of Rifts’s body began to crumble.
Black energy ceaselessly spilled from the cracks, scattering into nothingness.
Yoo Baek-jun took a breath.
‘Now, the final step.’