Chapter 370
Chapter 370
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 370
Chapter Title: Rehearsal (3)
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The shockwaves erupting from various points across the battlefield twisted the flow of the air.
Kuuuung—!
Kwaaang!
The aftermath generated in the process wasn't limited to the immediate surroundings; it shook the entirety of Beijing with terrifying force.
It was a fierce battle that perfectly matched the phrase "the final showdown staking the fate of the world."
Sasasak—
However, in a building at the heart of Beijing, a shadowy figure slipped in stealthily, showing no reaction whatsoever amid the commotion.
They simply suppressed their presence as much as possible and focused silently on the task at hand.
'I deliberately created some openings, but this is even smoother than expected. Looks like all that activity has honed their stealth skills to a remarkable level.'
The intruder, a transcendent martial artist using the alias Ha Seung-hoon—Hugo—halted briefly and scanned the energy flows within the building.
His senses sharpened to a razor's edge as his internal energy spread through his ears and entire body.
'...Good. Time to go.'
As expected, no variables arose.
Of course not. After all the effort he'd invested here, there was no way the plan would fail now.
He gathered his energy once more and infiltrated the building depths with footsteps ghostlike in their silence.
By applying 「Heavenly Mechanism Body」 to blend with the surrounding qi, and with the synergy of 「Nameless Art」—which could encompass all kinds of martial arts—bolstered further by 「Return of a Thousand Streams」 and 「Versatility」, he could execute stealth techniques rivaling those of master thieves.
'No separate skills generated for that stuff, though. Feels like all newly acquired martial arts are getting absorbed into 「Nameless Art」. When the hell is this thing going to get a proper name?'
The technique he was currently employing was the supreme art of a great thief once called Shadowless Divine Step: Shadowless Divine Technique.
This movement art had been discovered while rummaging through the Heavenly Demon Divine Church's library, and even Hubert's 「Analysis」 had rated it an impressive A- rank.
Naturally, mastering it wasn't easy, but thanks to skill assistance and a barrage of growth buffs, Hugo had acquired it before long.
Plus, the near-combat training against Demonic Cultists while lingering around Beijing had helped.
'Well, it's not bad as is. With my ability to ignore internal energy attributes and limitations, I can use any martial art at peak efficiency.'
Unlike the A- ranked Shadowless Divine Technique, its paired internal art was merely C-grade.
Considering that one generally couldn't switch internal arts freely once mastered, it was a case of sacrificing future potential in that area to maximize the movement technique's performance.
He wouldn't have given it a second glance without his unique traits.
Thanks to that, however, Hugo smoothly bypassed the building's guards and reached his target location.
Under normal circumstances, even the finest stealth would have failed, but right now, a war deciding this world's future raged at the outskirts.
All experts capable of detecting him had already rushed to the battlefield, and the strongest Demonic Cultist guarding this place was merely at the transcendent level—like Hugo himself.
Moreover, he had precise intel on their patrol routes and defenses.
It would have been stranger if problems had arisen.
'Here it is.'
He arrived at an underground chamber.
The walls were covered in blood-drawn formations and incantations, augmented by grotesque ritual tools and flickering candlelight, creating an intensely eerie atmosphere.
"It's about time. Let's begin."
"Indeed."
He'd timed it perfectly; the seven or so busy Demonic Cult sorcerers were just starting the ritual.
On one side, the dragon children prepared as sacrifices lay bound to prevent resistance.
"Patian Curse Command, eternal remembrance, we pray for great descent..."
"Heaven and earth reverse, form without substance..."
The sorcerers took their positions and began chanting.
No need to delay any longer.
'As quickly as possible.'
Hugo, who had hidden in the shadows gripping his sword and suppressing his presence, suddenly sprang forth.
And with a single flash of light.
"Spirit command un..."
Sak—
The head of a nearby chanting sorcerer tumbled off.
It happened so abruptly no one reacted.
The sorcerers only began a proper response after subsequent flashes claimed a second, then a third head.
"An intruder? How did you get here...!"
"Impossible! This place is protected by formations even the Profound Realm can't breach easily! You slipped through such absolute barriers silently?!"
"Kuh! What are the guards doing?!"
They hastily raised their ritual tools, eyes wide with panic.
How could they anticipate that a supposed ally had secretly opened the path for the enemy?
Desperate to halt the intruder even in such circumstances, their tear-jerking efforts to activate spells went unrewarded.
A transcendent martial artist appearing point-blank in a confined space.
No dedicated defenses prepared beyond the ongoing ritual.
Under these conditions, even skilled sorcerers couldn't achieve anything meaningful.
Martial arts dominated this world for good reason.
"Gah! You bastard...! You'll never escape alive..."
Tuk—
Thus, the sudden battle in the underground ritual chamber ended anticlimactically as the last sorcerer, sword in his heart, spat a curse with his blood before his head fell.
"Hoo."
Hugo flicked the blood from his blade into the air, sheathed it, and exhaled the breath he'd held.
The already grim space grew even more murderous with scattered blood and the addition of seven fresh corpses.
"...Young Master Ha?"
"My lord?"
Two familiar voices pierced the silence, shattering the heavy air.
Hugo turned toward them with a chuckle.
Faces he hadn't seen in person for a while greeted his eyes.
He'd monitored their safety in real-time via Hans, but meeting them face-to-face stirred an inevitable warmth.
"How are you here..."
Zhuge Hye-mi, eyes wide in shock from her despairing resignation at the ritual's start, couldn't continue.
He replied with a confident smile.
"Didn't I promise?"
His refreshing grin clashed with the horrific surroundings, etching the scene deeply into her mind—as if the space around him belonged to another world.
"No matter what, I'd come rescue you."
"Ha... Ahaha..."
She let out a hollow laugh, still speechless.
She'd apparently dismissed it as empty words.
He approached her, eyes misty with surging emotion and throat trembling, and unbound her restraints. Then he addressed Prince Joo Kang-in beside her.
"Long time no see, Your Highness. Didn't expect to meet like this again."
"...Indeed. Indebted to you once more. Honestly, this is the first time meeting someone has felt this joyful. Even seeing my mother wasn't this much."
"Er, that's... quite an honor."
After light banter, he freed the others. There were seven dragon children in total.
Thanks to careful management, none were seriously ill.
Their inherently frail bodies were unavoidable.
"Thank you so much, great hero. Um... has the subjugation force arrived? Have they repelled all the Demonic Cultists? Is it finally over?"
One dragon child—a youthful scholar type—asked timidly, face brimming with hope of returning home.
"Unfortunately, it's not over yet. I slipped in while the Martial Alliance clashed with the Demonic Cult's main force."
"Oh, that means..."
"Yes, the outside is still crawling with Demonic Cultists."
Shadows fell over their faces once more.
They'd escaped becoming ritual sacrifices for now, but it was too early to celebrate.
If the subjugation force lost to the Demonic Cult, they'd be right back to being offerings.
Swipe—
As a somber mood settled, just as Hugo opened his mouth.
Zhuge Hye-mi, now beside him, gently grasped his right hand with both of hers.
Her expression had returned to normal, emotions settled.
"Excuse me for a moment."
She pressed his hand to her forehead and murmured softly.
Blood from his hand trickled down her face, but she ignored it, focusing intently.
Moments later.
"Hm?"
A refreshing sensation swept through his body, widening Hugo's eyes.
"...There was a curse, so I dispelled it. Probably from those Demonic Cult sorcerers earlier."
She slowly removed his hand from her forehead and spoke.
He'd known about the curse.
Planned to remove it later via Hans.
A high sorcerer's dying curse carried immense coercive force—a death-activated spirit word, fueled by life and grudge as sacrifice.
Hugo, not yet at the Fire Realm, couldn't fully resist, yet she'd dispelled it effortlessly.
'I knew she'd grown quickly here, but not to this extent.'
He'd heard she'd delved deep into theory for ages, but even accounting for that, her progress was beyond common sense.
Hugo glanced at Prince Joo Kang-in and the other dragon children standing blankly nearby.
Nothing special stood out about them...
Was it her talent as a dragon child, or just her personal genius?
'Maybe both.'
He shook his head, refocusing.
A brief respite, but their business here wasn't done.
As he moved to act, he finally noticed she still held his hand.
"Miss Zhuge?"
"Ah."
Her reflexive response suggested she'd been lost in thought.
Yet her hands firmly gripped his right one.
"......?"
"......"
After a quiet moment.
She snapped her head up, lips parting slowly.
Kudangtang!
Urur—
"...Hurry! We can't let the sacrifices escape!"
"...How dare they! Do they know where this is?!"
Raucous noise from outside the chamber grew audible—masses of people flooding in.
Delayed by the entry-blocking formations backfiring, but the guards knew the paths well.
A tense standoff where Demonic Cultists could burst in any second.
"B-bless...! I'll bestow a blessing!"
Sensing the gravity, Zhuge Hye-mi shouted and yanked his hand strongly.
Before he could react, she lightly kissed the back of it.
'A blessing?'
It took mere seconds.
But the result was more dramatic than anticipated.
Paaah—
"Huh?"
A radiance never seen in this world emanated from her.
Entering through their touching lips into his hand.
'...This is?'
A familiar yet alien energy.
But he knew its nature.
'Divine power?'
A mystery absent from this world originally.
The divine power of the Dragon God, this dimension's main deity.
Manifesting in the present through her body.
'...Ah, I see.'
Hugo quickly grasped the situation, face turning serious.
Dragon children were variables seeded by the Dragon God to repair this broken dimension.
Special beings chosen directly by a world's main god and sent to the earth.
'In other words, Zhuge Hye-mi is an apostle chosen by the god... or rather, a shrine maiden.'
She was fated to be a mere sacrifice.
But by awakening and wielding the power within her, she'd broken free of destiny.
'Well, who knew.'
Truly unexpected.
Had the Dragon God foreseen this?
'Eh, probably doesn't change much. A shrine maiden won't restore the Dragon Heart.'
Impressive as self-awakening divine power was, limits existed.
If that sufficed, the Golden Crow Island dragons wouldn't have suffered so.
'...Tch, might raise her sacrificial value, though.'
Her elevated existence could perhaps substitute for all other dragon children alone.
Just that level of change.
Nothing major altered.
Or so he thought.
Saaah—
Premature judgment.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has met the conditions, awakening its potential. Special skill 「Heavenly Mechanism Body」 merges with 「Super Recovery」, 「Herculean Strength」, 「Hyperesthesia」 to evolve into 「Divine Spirit Body」. The divine power infiltrating Hugo's body began intervening in his flesh.
A transformation beyond mere divine blessing.
'What is this?'
He turned to Zhuge Hye-mi in alarm, but she remained rigid, lips pressed to his hand, eyes unfocused and hazy.
Only then did he realize the cause of this anomaly.
Not her blessing.
'...Dragon God.'
Manifesting through her body, using the indwelling divine power as medium.
An intervention from a higher realm.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has met the conditions and attained enlightenment. Special skill 「Nameless Art」 evolves into 「Heavenly Dragon Divine Art」. It didn't stop at bodily interference.
The unknown power surging to his crown wove together all the martial knowledge he'd acquired into one.
In a novel way he'd never conceived.
Enlightenment of a new martial art forcibly imprinted in his mind.
'Ugh, it's been ages since 「Mind Hub」 and 「Soul Firewall」 took this much load...'
Dangerous for an ordinary person, but trivial for him with countermeasures in place.
Hugo calmly introspected, observing his real-time changes.
To surpass a martial art's wall, certain conditions were essential.
First: spirit.
Already qualified long ago.
Multiple transcendences achieved, and his main body was even budding divinity.
Second: body.
No issue.
Point-reinforced sturdy frame, now enhanced by 「Divine Spirit Body」 from evolution.
A legendary physique allowing free manipulation of natural qi, transcending internal energy and bodily limits.
And finally: understanding and enlightenment of the art.
Just fulfilled.
Ttuduk— Ttududuk—
Bone-twisting sounds echoed through his body.
The bone transformation and marrow shedding occurring when surpassing a martial wall.
A serendipitous event for martial artists, but the process was brief for him.
His body, maintained at peak via points and skills, sped it up.
Changes complete in an instant, Hugo opened his eyes and gazed at his body.
'This.'
Unprecedented power surged from his hands, his entire form.
Not yet reaching transcendence... or Profound Realm.
But this strength, augmented by traits and new insights, far exceeded fresh Fire Realm.
'Heh, ridiculous.'
To break through like this, of all ways.
Hugo glanced at the chamber ceiling.
As if meeting eyes with someone above.
Seemed the Dragon God had bet on certain victory too.