Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 258
Chapter Title: Godslayer Taebaek
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The silence was short.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a fierce wave of mana surged outward in all directions.
He hastily raised his sword to cleave through the wave of mana and lifted his head.
Shwaaaa!
Intense golden light blazed as armor enveloped the woman's entire body.
In the blink of an eye, she was fully clad in full-body plate armor and gripped her sword.
Chaeeng!
An attack that left no room for debate.
She appeared as if slicing through space itself and swung her sword, but it wasn't Park Chan-woo who blocked it.
"Successor, are you alright?"
It was Chiwoo, who had followed behind him.
Having sensed the warp's distortion mid-teleport, Chiwoo had chased after the path Park Chan-woo took.
The woman leaped back greatly after her attack was blocked once, putting distance between them.
Even in that single clash, she recognized that Chiwoo's skills were no joke.
"How did you scum get into this space?"
She growled in a heavy voice from afar.
This was a place thoroughly hidden even within the Mountain of the Cultivators.
No one besides her had ever entered here before.
Let alone...
'Shameless bastard...!'
She was trying to act composed, but he had clearly seen her naked body.
And he had brazenly ogled her while blasting that intense light.
A pervert who deserved to die a thousand deaths.
As she glared at him with murderous intent, Park Chan-woo raised the 'Radiant Sage's Stone' in his hand.
At the same time, the stone's light began to shine on her once more.
'Looks like my guess was right.'
Those ears, and the gem embedded in her forehead.
The light from the Sage's Stone matched perfectly.
There was only one possibility that fit all these clues.
"The last survivor of the Pandarian tribe?"
"...And what if I am?"
Not a denial, but an affirmation.
Yet her attitude was nonchalant, as if it were no big deal.
It had to be that way.
No one in the upper reaches of the mountain didn't know she was the last survivor of the Pandarian tribe.
Park Chan-woo spoke calmly.
"Can't you tell? It's the Sage's Stone, made from the Gem of Wisdom held by the Pandarian King."
He continued shaking the Radiant Sage's Stone.
The Pandarian King he had met in the Temple of Death.
This 'Radiant Sage's Stone' was made possible by the Gem of Wisdom he possessed.
The Pandarians were born with and died with a 'Gem of Wisdom' on their foreheads.
They could identify each other through those gems, it was said.
And likewise, she was one of the Pandarians.
He was certain she would recognize the gem.
"..."
But contrary to his expectations, the woman didn't lower her guard.
There was no other reaction.
'Strange.'
The gem on the woman's forehead was faded gray, but it was unmistakably a Gem of Wisdom.
Park Chan-woo recalled the Pandarian King's final words.
-If possible... could you grant me one request?
-Speak.
-In the 'Mountain of the Cultivators' where the Arhats gather, there will be the last survivor of the Pandarians. Please relay just one message to them.
As the king had said, she was clearly the last survivor.
And if she was the last survivor, she should naturally recognize the Gem of Wisdom that her king possessed.
No matter that it had been processed into a Sage's Stone, its essence wouldn't change.
That attitude and reaction.
Putting it all together led to one conclusion.
"Don't tell me you've lost your memories?"
Perhaps she had amnesia.
If so, delivering any message would be pointless.
"I am Hanmir. Not a Pandarian."
...His suspicions were confirmed.
Moreover, she was outright denying she was a Pandarian.
This was a bigger problem than mere amnesia.
His promise to the Pandarian King was simply to relay one message.
Even if the recipient couldn't understand, fulfilling the promise by passing it on would suffice.
'Something feels off.'
But it didn't sit right with him.
What meaning would there be in delivering words to someone who couldn't comprehend them?
The message the Pandarian King wanted relayed to Hanmir was simple.
Just that one phrase: "You were right."
But to someone who didn't even remember what was right, or what the king had been wrong about, conveying the truth would just leave a hollow feeling.
"Taebaek's eyes are searching for us. We must escape this place quickly."
Chronos spoke urgently.
It was only a matter of time before Taebaek found them after they took the side path.
No matter how hidden the spot was, it was still within the Mountain of the Cultivators.
A place under Taebaek's grasp.
'It's a warp path connected to the outside.'
A detour via warp.
One that connected to external warps as well.
Meaning they could head to the Land of Valhalla.
The best course was to move before Taebaek found them and struck.
'...Bad timing.'
Of all times, to run into the last Pandarian survivor right now.
Rumble!
It was then.
The heavens and earth shook with an ear-splitting roar.
"...We're busted. Hurry!"
Chronos urged urgently.
Soon, the surroundings darkened completely.
Instinctively, Park Chan-woo looked up at the sky.
'...!'
An enormous palm that blanketed the entire sky was descending toward them.
With the momentum to crush and obliterate everything.
"Taebaek...!"
Chiwoo shouted.
He recognized the identity of that hand.
It was Taebaek's 'One Step Divine Fist'.
A supreme fist technique that could strike down enemies a myriad miles away with a single step and punch.
Moreover, it was far larger than the one he remembered.
Meaning Taebaek's realm had risen far beyond his previous level.
Park Chan-woo opened a warp to the Land of Valhalla.
The instant he did.
Ding!
"What... is that hand..."
Even Hanmir muttered softly.
Her body trembled at the terrifying mana.
There was no escaping it.
No blocking it either.
How could one possibly block an attack that had reached the domain of the gods?
...There was a way.
They could ride the already open warp behind them and retreat.
They couldn't open a new one, but an already connected and open warp was fine.
In other words...
"...We have to go back."
Chiwoo bit his lip and said.
The reason Taebaek was using One Step Divine Fist to annihilate the area.
It was a command to return.
To go back to the mid-mountain warp and head to the Heavenly Realm.
Even as he said they had to retreat, Chiwoo couldn't help but despair.
'You've truly become a monster, Taebaek!'
Chiwoo, who had emerged from Avici Hell, had grown stronger.
But Taebaek had grown even stronger.
To an incomparable degree.
Taebaek already wielded god-like authority before.
...Chiwoo, specialized in assassination, had no means to block such a massive attack.
Even pouring out all his energy, he could at best protect himself.
For maybe ten seconds at most.
After that, the entire area would vanish.
Not a single blade of grass would remain.
"Hanmir! Get a grip!"
"..."
Park Chan-woo shouted, but Hanmir was frozen stiff, unable to move.
She had lost her wits to the attack beyond common sense.
Even if they retreated, leaving her here meant she would definitely die.
Rumble!
As the palm drew closer, the massive wind pressure warped the ground.
The earth cracked and rose, widening the distance to Hanmir further.
"It's too late already, Successor!"
Chiwoo, realizing what Park Chan-woo intended, urgently blocked his path.
The permeation of the area wasn't just wind pressure.
The flow of mana was reversing too.
Rushing in could mean getting sucked in with no return.
They had to abandon her.
But...
'...Since when have I run away?'
Since his return, hadn't he always challenged head-on?
He had grown numb to death, acting as if there was no tomorrow.
But after several enlightenments, he realized.
That he hadn't cherished himself all that time.
But was fleeing from here truly cherishing himself?
He might survive, but it would ultimately mean kneeling to Taebaek.
Returning to the mid-mountain and heading to the Heavenly Realm wouldn't end well.
Above all... he hadn't yet fulfilled his promise to the Pandarian King.
'Chronos. Can you do it?'
'...You sure? Only two chances left.'
'Doesn't matter.'
'Truly magnificent. I knew you wouldn't run.'
Chronos chuckled softly.
Two summoning chances remained.
He meant to use one now.
Shoooo!
From Park Chan-woo's shadow, the Reaper emerged.
Chronos had taken form.
Heehee!
Heeheehee!
The moment he was summoned, Chronos led five evil spirits.
Immediately, the five spirits laughed, joined hands, and danced in a circle.
A stark contrast to when they faced Arcana before.
'I've wandered the Abyss countless times, but this divine might is a first.'
Even Chronos was tense.
Taebaek's attack was on a different trajectory from Arcana's.
It was martial prowess transcending the realm of gods.
Over eons wandering the Abyss, he had faced countless monsters, some wielding god-like powers, but nothing with such immense divine presence.
It felt even above the Demon Gods.
'Perhaps on par with the Great Nine Lords...'
It was that astonishing.
No matter that Chronos was a shadow spirit from antiquity, a Reaper—he couldn't reach the Great Nine Lords.
However.
He could block a single attack.
'Just one chance to kill.'
Moreover, there was even a possibility of slaying Taebaek.
Simply blocking the attack wouldn't satisfy.
Taebaek was too dangerous an existence for that.
Left alone, he would surely track down Park Chan-woo again.
There was a way.
If he used his supreme authority.
Chronos cleared his thoughts.
He intended to go all out from the start.
The absolute curse of death.
Thanatos
(Absolute Curse of Death)
Heeheeheehee!
The black evil spirits formed a circle.
Soon, the spirits transformed into a black sun.
Blood-red gore poured down from the black sun.
Rumble!
The massive hand soon collided with the black sun.
Then...
Kuwaaaaa!
The hand was sucked into the black sun.
A power that absorbed all mana and life force, driving the foe to death.
Gradually, the black sun began to染 red with bloody light.
Once the blood fully filled the black sun, the mana-drained target would inevitably perish.
This was Chronos's most supreme and dire curse: Thanatos.
Finally, the sun turned fully red.
"Perish, unworthy being."