Chapter 25
Chapter 25
He posed a problem. The guy still hadn't noticed him yet. Yoo Han-seop hid in the dense thicket, eyeing Lee Hyuk-soo—who was approaching—with narrowed gaze. 'As expected. He really is an Avatar.' Coming here proved that Lee Hyuk-soo was an Avatar who knew the location of the elixir. It must have been possible only because the one who killed the Dragon God General was also an Avatar. How could an ordinary human possibly slay the Dragon God General? It was certain. Lee Hyuk-soo was an Avatar. Just... maybe not a typical one. He hated to admit it, but the guy was superior to him. 'Maybe the Creator contracted to him revealed the Dragon God General's weakness.' Each Creator raised their Avatars differently. The Creator must have provided a lot of help. By revealing weaknesses, granting high-grade equipment, or even boosting the Avatar's stats and protecting them with blessings. In that case. 'The ambush will work.' No matter how strong Lee Hyuk-soo was, he was still human. And as a human, he couldn't escape death from an unforeseen blade. Yoo Han-seop couldn't accept that someone superior to him existed. The guy had simply received overwhelming favor from his Creator. He'd been lucky. Talent or effort couldn't surpass him. It was the same when he killed the Dragon God General. Just charging in mindlessly and swinging once—wasn't that all? Could that be called his own skill? Even conceding a hundred, a thousand steps, it was only possible because the Creator intervened heavily. 'To stand at the pinnacle of humanity, I have to eliminate him here.' He intended to grow the 'Dawn Fellowship' into a cult. To become a living god, ruling not just Korea but the entire world. In that process, this guy was an obstacle. He couldn't become a true 'god' with a more powerful being around. 'Three, two...' Lee Hyuk-soo drew right up close. Yoo Han-seop waited for the perfect moment and burst from the bushes. He thrust his sword at Lee Hyuk-soo instantly. In a split-second moment he absolutely wouldn't perceive. Clang! ...
But it was blocked. That was the beginning. Lee Hyuk-soo stood his 'Greatsword of the Lion King' sideways and slashed through the air. In an instant, offense and defense switched. Sensing danger, Yoo Han-seop barely saved his life by arching his upper body back. 'What the— that reaction speed...!' He hadn't seen and blocked it. It was instinct. All the Avatars he'd hunted so far had died or taken fatal wounds on the first ambush. No chance for counterattack? He never gave them one. They were too busy panicking from the sudden assault. But Lee Hyuk-soo didn't panic at all; he transitioned seamlessly from attack to defense like flowing water. Thud! Planting his foot on the ground, he shifted his center of gravity forward and slashed diagonally with the greatsword again. In his awkward stance, Yoo Han-seop thrust his sword forward. Claaang!'What insane strength...!' He nearly lost his arm. The guy wielded that greatsword like a toy. In the end, he was flung back, rolling across the ground. The ambush had failed completely. Yoo Han-seop scrambled up and assumed a stance. At the same time, his eyes met Lee Hyuk-soo's. ...
Chills ran down his spine. Eyes without a hint of wavering. Unconsciously, Yoo Han-seop opened his mouth.
"I must have mistaken you for—" He was about to say he'd mistaken him for someone else, that he was sorry. Shiiiing! Lee Hyuk-soo charged. It was a charge that could only be described as a killing rush. Like a raging bull, aiming for Yoo Han-seop's throat. 'This strong...? This strong?!' His expectations were off. Lee Hyuk-soo's strength far exceeded Yoo Han-seop's imagination. Their caliber was different. It wasn't just high attack power; his senses were transcendent too. The way he thrust out his sword to block right before the ambush was awe-inspiring. Less human, more like a beast. No—like the king of beasts. Every time he blocked the greatsword, his body shuddered. Bones cracked, muscles tore. Strength, agility, swordsmanship—nothing could match him. 'Monster of a guy!' Lee Hyuk-soo was the monster. He hadn't killed the Dragon God General with Creator help; he possessed the skill to do it himself. A wall. For the first time, Yoo Han-seop faced a wall he couldn't overcome.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
The durability of 'Silver Knight's Sword (Lv7, Epic)' has decreased.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
The durability of 'Silver Knight's Sword (Lv7, Epic)' has decreased.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
The durability of 'Silver Knight's Sword (Lv7, Epic)' has decreased. Not just that. The highest-grade sword among Yoo Han-seop's possessions screamed every time it clashed with Lee Hyuk-soo's greatsword. Chips flew off visibly with each graze. Meanwhile, Lee Hyuk-soo's greatsword was unscathed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
The durability of 'Silver Knight's Sword (Lv7, Epic)' is nearly depleted. He couldn't comprehend it. 'Is that greatsword higher grade than my Silver Knight's Sword?' No grade surpassing Epic had been discovered yet. Moreover, all of Lee Hyuk-soo's gear matched the 'greatsword' in color and design, like a set. Crack!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
'Silver Knight's Sword (Lv7, Epic)' has been destroyed. For a moment, his thoughts froze. The half-broken 'Silver Knight's Sword' crumbled into powder and scattered everywhere. A swordless swordsman's fate was obvious. Before long, Lee Hyuk-soo's greatsword was right beside Yoo Han-seop's throat.
"What... what the hell are you? How can you be this strong?"
He cried out in a trembling voice. Even with Creator help, one's innate 'disposition' didn't change. Personality, emotions, attitude toward the sword— the qualities inherent to the person. To Yoo Han-seop, Lee Hyuk-soo was a born swordmaster. As if born solely to swing a sword. And yet, he had treasures galore. Nothing in Lee Hyuk-soo's gear was inferior to Yoo Han-seop's. What kind of Creator would hand over such treasures from the start upon contracting?
"A-anyway, sorry for ambushing you. I misjudged you. We're both Avatars, right? Avatars help each other survive. No—let's form an alliance. If we ally, we'll be invincible—" "... Avatar?"
Lee Hyuk-soo's eyebrow twitched. Yoo Han-seop was convinced Lee Hyuk-soo was an Avatar.
"Yeah, Avatar! Think about it. We're destined to lead humanity anyway. Beings above humanity! No point in us fighting each other."
"So you fed people to the monsters?"
Lee Hyuk-soo spoke with eyes cold as the abyss. Gulp! Just seeing that gaze made Yoo Han-seop tremble like a leaf.
"W-we're the chosen ones. The ones who can save humanity. So it's a sacrifice of the few for the many. That's why we should ally and cooperate... Gah!"
Sudden pain made Yoo Han-seop scream. He clutched his right arm, burning like fire. Thud! His right arm was rolling on the ground. Seeing it, Yoo Han-seop spat shock once more.
"My... my arm! My arm!!"
Yoo Han-seop writhed in agony. Looking down at him rolling on the ground, Lee Hyuk-soo said, "I don't deal with 'Avatars'."
He wanted to sever the neck, but he couldn't bring himself to murder yet. He still resisted killing people. However, he couldn't just leave an Avatar be. It was because of the 'Prophet's' warning to him in the first night's Abyss. —Kill all Avatars. That's the way to help humanity—and yourself. —If you can't kill them, at least sever limbs. Useless Avatars will be handled by their Creators. He now understood why the Prophet said to kill every Avatar on sight. Yoo Han-seop had abandoned the 'Dawn Fellowship' members who trusted and followed him. Thrown them to the monsters for his own gain. He learned that by killing monsters and saving people. 'Avatars really are unnecessary.' Talking to Yoo Han-seop made his ears rot. Amusing, discussing alliance after a sneaky ambush. As the Prophet said, Avatars were unnecessary for humanity's survival. Above all... the Prophet was Lee Hyuk-soo's god. How could he defy a god's word? Lee Hyuk-soo intended to fulfill the divine command as much as possible.
"Ah, it hurts! It huuuurts!"
Leaving Yoo Han-seop bleeding profusely and suffering behind, Lee Hyuk-soo turned away. No shred of pity. 'The Prophet said it: Become the savior.' Of course, Lee Hyuk-soo had no intention of becoming a savior. But he had the courage to tackle the greatest trials. If he cleared this 'Water God Abyss' and claimed the 1,000-point reward, South Korea—and his bedridden mother—would be safe. He hurried on.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while later. A man appeared before Yoo Han-seop. "S-save... me..." Excessive blood loss had turned Yoo Han-seop's face deathly pale. A face that looked ready to die any second. The man looked down at Yoo Han-seop and said, "...
An interesting guy showed up." "Please... save me..." Crunch! The man stomped on Yoo Han-seop's throat. Bones twisted and snapped, and Yoo Han-seop died instantly. Soon, the dead Yoo Han-seop turned to powder and evaporated. The man turned to gaze in the direction Lee Hyuk-soo had gone. "I figured he'd be an Avatar, of course." But he wasn't. If he had been, he'd have killed Yoo Han-seop in one stroke. All Avatars in the current 'Water God Abyss' were at odds with each other. Ever since the war broke out. "Not an Avatar, yet with that level of power and gear..." The man stroked his chin and smiled. Joy at finding a kindred spirit. A pure powerhouse. Soon, an emotion he'd never felt in his life shook him. ...
To think someone else had amassed such power besides him. And that talent was dazzling. Properly honed, he could easily reach the ranks of the strongest. His gear was extraordinary too. 'Definitely the Lion King's set.' Items that couldn't—and shouldn't—appear now, matched as a set. And not an Avatar. It piqued his interest immensely. "First..." The man pondered briefly. Leaving Lee Hyuk-soo alone might lead him to challenge the 'Water God'. Avatars couldn't stop him. Unless he intervened. Of course, the 'Water God' was a monster too much even for Lee Hyuk-soo alone. A being on a level incomparable to the likes of the Dragon God General. Left unchecked, Lee Hyuk-soo might die. A rare kindred spirit. For the future, for his grand ambitions... "...
Shall we get friendly?" He had plenty of time anyway. Unlike other Avatars, the 'Poison Mist Swamp' he wanted was safe. No one without poison resistance could even approach the swamp, and the guardian protecting the treasure wasn't one to let anyone get close. 'Necromancer. Bringer of Death.' No one could steal it. The death-overseeing Necromancer would endlessly attack from within the poison mist. And the Necromancer aside, the swamp paths were a labyrinth. Paths shifted constantly, impossible to map. Even if someone reached it and defeated the Necromancer, the 'treasure chest' wouldn't open. Only he knew how. How could anyone steal something secured with triple, quadruple layers? The man laughed heartily and set off in the direction Lee Hyuk-soo had gone.