Chapter 297
Chapter 297
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 297
Chapter Title: The Fourth Night (16)
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The two foxes, Yoo Jin-seo and Aurum, who had joined Park Chan-woo through the Fox Den, stared at each other.
Aurum frowned and tilted her head.
"Why are you staring?"
"Then why are you?"
"Because you looked first."
"Me?"
The two foxes didn't get along.
They had been slightly at odds even back in the Fox Den.
"...I have no intention of wasting spirit energy on pointless arguments with you."
"Same here."
Originally, they hadn't existed in the same space.
Yoo Jin-seo had led people as a saintess, while Aurum, as the 'final boss' of the Fox Den, had brought despair upon them.
But everything changed after Park Chan-woo appeared.
The Fox Den regained its peace.
After their world perished and they lost their creator, falling into the Creative Abyss.
The bleak future that had only held destruction had flipped 180 degrees.
As a result, the two nine-tailed foxes, Yoo Jin-seo and Aurum, decided to serve Park Chan-woo as their new master.
That was why they had entered this 'Fourth Night' as well.
Though they normally couldn't enter, the moment a rift opened in the 'Fourth Night,' they slipped in.
The rift allowed Adora to contact Park Chan-woo, and just like that, they were 'hired' to participate in the hidden game.
"Our job is to protect our master and follow his orders."
"I know that without you telling me."
"......"
Aurum clicked her tongue softly and shook her head.
After clashing with Park Chan-woo, she had initially seen him as a 'Ten-Tailed Fox,' but soon realized he was something far greater.
He had surpassed the wall and grown even stronger.
He had grasped the clue to becoming a Ten-Tailed Fox.
And the same went for Yoo Jin-seo.
The two were now locked in a contest over who would become the Ten-Tailed Fox first.
For there could be no two skies in the world of foxes.
Only one of them would become the Fox King.
It was inevitable that they didn't get along.
"Oh, could you be Saintess Yoo Jin-seo?"
It was then.
A man dressed as a cleric approached and asked cautiously.
At the same time, Yoo Jin-seo, who had been wearing a venomous expression, instantly softened into a gentle smile.
"Yes, that's me. I'm Yoo Jin-seo."
"Ah, aaah! What an honor...!"
The man clasped his hands together and cheered.
That was the start.
"Saintess Yoo Jin-seo!"
"I-I've heard of her!"
A commotion erupted among the people around them.
Word had gradually spread in the Fox Den that Yoo Jin-seo was a saintess.
Thanks to Adora creating a new 'Fox Den Creative Abyss' afterward, Yoo Jin-seo had been able to continue her activities as a saintess.
Of course, Aurum was different.
Aurum had no interest in such activities.
Unlike Yoo Jin-seo, she was poor at leading people or communicating with foxes.
It was a fatal flaw, but in exchange, she...
could command countless spirits.
Even spirits with egos of their own that evolved independently.
Originally, they hadn't possessed this level of ego, but it emerged after meeting Park Chan-woo and surpassing the wall.
Foxes could be considered a type of spirit, in a way.
Spirits with physical bodies, that is.
Just as dryads and salamanders were called 'substantial spirits.'
'For now, I'll watch.'
Aurum thought.
The reason their master had called them here was solely to ensure Lee Hyuk-soo defeated 'Han Shin'.
To Aurum, Han Shin—who wielded evil spirits—was a revolting existence.
Spirits and evil spirits were eternal enemies.
So if, by any chance, Lee Hyuk-soo failed to take down Han Shin...
'Then I'll handle it myself.'
The thrust blade was blocked.
Though bisected in one stroke, Lee Hyuk-soo calmly pressed on with his next attack.
Slash!
Lee Hyuk-soo, hiding beneath the shadow of the thrust, shot out like lightning and swung his greatsword upward from below Han Shin.
Clang!
Han Shin barely blocked it, his body spinning once in the air.
Landing in place, Han Shin burst into loud laughter.
"What an amusing trick!"
This was his first time clashing properly with Lee Hyuk-soo.
They had known of each other's existence, but never reached a desperate battle.
However...
Originally, Lee Hyuk-soo's position should have been Han Shin's.
The savior of humanity.
The seat of the strongest.
'My evil spirits have been captured. Lee Hyuk-soo has grown incomparably stronger. But still.'
It was a one-against-many situation.
And the opponents weren't pushovers either.
Lee Hyuk-soo's shadow manipulation was unpredictable, and his swordsmanship was exceptionally superb.
Nevertheless...
He wasn't the only one who had grown stronger.
Having devoured all the half-demons and the Fairy Queen, his awakened abilities went beyond just the 'evil spirits.'
In fact, the evil spirits were merely a tiny fraction of what he had realized.
"I'll teach you what true despair is, Lee Hyuk-soo."
Han Shin awakened the true power of his Death Spirit Eye.
The Death Spirit Eye sees souls, seizes them...
And drags them into the abyss.
Han Shin summoned all the souls he had devoured.
'Lord of Naraka.'
Rooooaaar!
With a chilling, nerve-wracking roar...
A massive specter rose from his back.
It was a domain declaration.
By summoning the Lord of Naraka, he turned the surrounding area into his own domain.
Lee Hyuk-soo had willingly stepped into a grave.
'I can see it.'
The shadows were visible.
Every trajectory of Lee Hyuk-soo's movements was laid bare at a glance.
Han Shin swung his sword in advance at where Lee Hyuk-soo would move.
Stab!
"......!"
Lee Hyuk-soo, his side slashed, initiated another shadow shift.
But it was the same.
Han Shin's sword arrived first.
Slash!
This time, the side of his neck was cut.
He narrowly avoided a fatal wound.
Holy power immediately poured in, healing the injury.
But it proved that shadow-related abilities were useless.
"Looks like you're stuck."
Han Shin sneered.
Lee Hyuk-soo abandoned further movement.
......It seemed he had to abandon the idea of ending it quickly.
What Lee Hyuk-soo needed now wasn't shadow tricks.
'Smash him head-on.'
The courage to shatter Han Shin from the front.
He had felt walls—not true walls—from Han Shin many times, but retreating here meant he would never win.
"Given up?"
"......"
He hadn't given up.
On the contrary, a fiercer fighting spirit ignited.
Wasn't this the perfect chance to test how much stronger his sword had become?
Huuu.
Lee Hyuk-soo exhaled deeply and regripped his greatsword.
Han Shin before him wore a smile.
It was an expression of leisure and confidence.
The tentacles of the 'Lord of Naraka' around Han Shin writhed, expanding the domain.
Before he knew it, the ground beneath his feet was filled with dark red mist.
His sense of direction was gradually fading.
Han Shin's figure reflected in multiple places.
Swish!
Infusing power instantly, he swung the greatsword, and sharp sword energy cleaved the tentacles.
However, the severed tentacles regenerated in an instant, trying to ensnare him again.
"You're short on time. How about giving up now?"
Boom!
An impact exploded, shaking the surrounding air.
As Han Shin swung his sword, magic power surged from all directions.
One among them was real.
Slash!
Lee Hyuk-soo twisted his body reflexively to dodge, but Han Shin's sword energy grazed his shoulder.
His clothes tore, carving a deep wound into his skin.
It was impossible to easily discern real from fake.
The position of the real one kept shifting.
No.
'My senses are disrupted.'
All his senses had gone haywire.
Winning against Han Shin within this domain was nearly impossible.
Clang! Clang!
Stab!
Block, slashed, stabbed.
The wounds multiplied rapidly.
Healing couldn't keep up.
'...Then.'
Lee Hyuk-soo closed his eyes.
He stopped moving entirely.
To any observer, it looked as if he had given up.
Snap!
A tentacle whipped his back.
Lee Hyuk-soo's body staggered.
Flesh burst, blood spraying, but he forcibly regained his stance.
Not yet, not yet.
He had to get used to it.
To this pain, to these fading senses.
......Han Shin was undoubtedly strong.
His abilities seemed limitless.
He grew stronger every encounter, now seemingly untouchable.
But...
-You were born with the fate of a ruler.
Chi-u had said that while climbing Hallasan.
Lee Hyuk-soo. His true talent lay in 'domination.'
Through spars with Hanmir, he gained deeper enlightenment.
He learned what he lacked.
-Why do you swing the sword?
-To protect.
-Whom?
-......
His mother.
He had lived solely for that from the beginning.
But Chi-u shook his head.
-Swing the sword for yourself. Then you'll advance to the next stage. What you desire will naturally be achieved.
Believe in yourself.
Make it a sword not aimed at others, but one that questions yourself.
That was probably...
'Divine Sword Unity.'
Uniting sword and self as one.
Lee Hyuk-soo decided to become the sword.
He maximally amplified only that sensation he had felt from Chi-u and Hanmir.
Here, Lee Hyuk-soo took it one step further.
Dominate the sword.
He poured all his mana solely into the sword.
Excluding his own existence entirely, becoming nothing but the sword.
'I can see it.'
Only then did he see.
Only after becoming the sword, seeing with the sword's eyes.
Han Shin was finally visible.
The gap between him and the enemy stood out clearly.
Han Shin was strong, certainly.
But seeing that 'difference' meant he could catch up.
Even surpass it.
Screeeeech!
Han Shin's shadows lunging from all sides.
Lee Hyuk-soo, as the sword, cleaved Han Shin.
Slash!
In an instant.
"......You... how?"
Han Shin's body split in two.
Precisely bisected from shoulder blade to waist.
Thud!
The two halves of Han Shin's body hit the ground.