Chapter 479
Chapter 479
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 479
Chapter Title: Seongcheon Yun Clan (5)
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Hun was the youngest among all the avatars and, at the same time, a pure human born without relying on any medium.
In truth, he had been created to serve as a versatile manager rather than a frontline fighter, so that was only natural.
...Somehow, he had ended up thrust into the thick of battle like this.
'And now, his future growth potential has reached a level that's impossible to ignore.'
It was all thanks to the ability he had acquired: 'Chakra of Communication.'
This power allowed him to draw on the mind-images of the other avatars, borrowing fragments of their abilities.
It was no different from having all his seniors—who had grown through countless trials—living on as one within his heart.
'Well, they really are one in the end.'
Of course, he couldn't perfectly copy all their abilities.
The unique skill Avatar having devolved into an ordinary cloning technique was part of that limitation.
But considering that his subjects were mostly max-level characters at the peak of their respective fields, even a partial copy was nothing to scoff at.
Not to mention that Wheel Path allowed him to manifest multiple powers simultaneously...
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Wheel Path Multiple entity powers manifesting simultaneously
Shiiik—! Shaak—!
Once more, sword energy raged from the front.
A storm of destruction swept toward them, threatening to engulf the entire confined corridor.
'So something like this...!'
As if to counter it, one Hun lunged forward.
He gripped a longsword forged from his own blood tightly in one hand.
The blade of the leader slashed repeatedly at invisible speeds, cleaving through the storm.
"What?!"
Glowing crimson trails beautifully embroidered the air.
It wasn't mere instinctive swinging.
It was the refined swordsmanship of a martial artist, infused with the concept of 'martial prowess' through chakra, backed by combat experience accumulated from numerous avatars.
With his physical abilities pushed to the extreme, its power was more than sufficient to stand against the storm.
"Pointless tricks!"
But his opponent was no pushover either.
Anton, who had maintained a relaxed demeanor, furrowed his brow and swung his hand viciously. In an instant, the sword energy doubled and savagely shredded the advancing Hun.
Pasuk—
In the end, all the Hun who vanished as smoke had managed was to create a tiny gap.
However, the important thing was that a crack had formed once.
More bodies slipped through the gap in the storm, gradually widening the hole.
"Ha! Cloning technique, huh. They keep popping up no matter how many I kill—like cockroaches. A fitting ability for a pathetic worm like you!"
Anton destroyed a few more clones creeping closer and snarled with madness-twisted eyes.
In truth, he still hadn't unleashed his full power.
He risked damaging himself if the dormitory collapsed.
'But now, nothing else matters. I'll finish you off for good!'
As the battle unfolded contrary to his expectations, the last thread of his reason snapped. He drew deeply on his chakra.
The chakra he unleashed combined the upper layer's 'Severance' and the middle layer's 'Thread.'
'Die!'
Several straight lines appeared across the entire corridor from his full-power swing.
Creeeak—
Unlike before, it was an ultra-fast strike that sliced through the air without a sound.
The defensive clones shattered and scattered before they could react.
Along with the crimson longswords in their hands.
Thud thud thud—
Fragments of the broken building rained down onto the corridor floor.
Hun, who had instinctively flattened himself to the ground, coughed out a hollow breath amid the dust and stone particles pelting his face. He had barely dodged the attack.
Now, only he remained in the corridor.
'To think the blood swords I crafted so carefully were sliced like tofu...'
He could clearly sense it.
If he hadn't felt the sudden dread and thrown himself down, that strike would have bisected him as well.
'This is no joke. A little slower, and I'd be dead. As expected of an upper-layer practitioner.'
Fortunately, this dormitory wasn't an ordinary structure, so it didn't collapse from a single blow.
Anton himself seemed to have held back somewhat.
Still, that attack had undoubtedly damaged the building's integrity.
If the fight intensified further, not only Ramyu but everyone moved to the lobby would be in danger.
'I can't let that happen. I'll end this as quickly as possible.'
Hun sprang up, his eyes gleaming sharply.
Seeing him, Anton raised one hand and sneered, twisting his lips.
"Just one of you left, huh. Should've done this from the start. Cockroaches like you..."
Anton trailed off mid-sneer.
His face hardened as he spun around, swinging his hand backward.
"You dare!"
Skaak!
One clone emerging from his shadow was bisected instantly.
But it wasn't the only one that had sneaked up during the confusion.
Three more burst from the shadows of the ceiling, walls, and floor, charging at him.
"Hun-style Ninjutsu Secret Technique." "Not a chance!"
Anton crossed his arms and clenched his open hands into fists.
As if pulling on something caught on his fingers.
In that instant, the invisible threads spread around him contracted all at once, grinding the clones within range like a blender.
"Kihit! Not bad. But this is the end."
The clones caught in the attack dissolved into smoke.
But what followed was different from before.
Instead of scattering immediately, the crimson smoke swirled around Anton, and suddenly a thick bloody scent erupted.
"...!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Blood Art—Blood Burst Directed point explosion to minimize building damage
A low murmur from Hun reached Anton's twitching ears.
The moment the words ended...
Kwaaang—!
Kurung—!
The blood mist enveloping Anton detonated in a chain reaction.
It was a pinpoint explosion directed inward to avoid damaging the building as much as possible.
Drdrdr—
Thanks to that effort, the vibrations felt far weaker than the explosion's scale suggested.
Hun let out a quiet sigh and rubbed his temples.
'Ugh, anemia... Can't overuse this.'
His clones were just clones, lacking actual blood.
Which meant all the blood used so far had come from him...
'Well, it's a vampire-oriented ability to begin with. Without enhanced regeneration alongside physical reinforcement, I couldn't even attempt it.'
The same went for 'Death.'
He could probably use it if he focused, but the side effects of a human like him borrowing Immortal King Hans's power were concerning.
'In the end, sticking to abilities with minimal side effects is best...'
But as always...
Things never went exactly as planned.
"Grraaah— You filthy cockroach—!"
A rage-filled voice echoed from the explosion's epicenter.
His figure emerged through the slowly dissipating smoke.
Gone was his arrogant poise; Anton was a mess, bleeding from wounds all over.
He had apparently wrapped himself in chakra threads just before the blast to absorb the impact, but his staggering gait showed it hadn't been perfect.
"I won't let you get away! I'll tear you to shreds!"
Roaring, he thrust out one arm, and invisible threads extended.
But the tips pointed not toward Hun, but the opposite direction...
"Kekeke! I didn't want to resort to this, but no choice! This is on you!"
It was the room where Ramyu lay.
A holy barrier had been set, but given his destructive power, it wouldn't mean much.
Whether he intended to take her hostage or kill her outright, Hun had to respond immediately.
"Hoo."
But Hun simply took a light breath and closed his eyes right there.
There was no need to react to that.
The stratagem he had been weaving since the fight began was just reaching completion.
"...What? Where'd he go?"
At that moment, Anton blinked in confusion, eyes widening.
His hand flailed at empty air as if grasping for something, but now, nothing would be caught.
"Hun-style Ninjutsu Secret Technique." The low voice echoed again.
Anton's gaze snapped forward.
His wide eyes tracked Hun's every move, ready to react to any trick...
This time, that reaction was exactly what Hun wanted.
Hun snapped his eyes open.
He stared straight into Anton's eyes and continued.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Dominion Art—Demon Eye Inherited from the Demon King; penetrates mental defenses
Kiiing—
"Kuhk?!"
A pair of reverse eyes: obsidian-black sclera with ruby-red pupils glowing.
Thick veins bulged around them, blood tears beginning to trickle down.
"Wha... t... is... this..."
Anton's body jerked like a broken toy before freezing solid.
Even as it happened, his gaze remained locked on the bleeding reverse eyes, unable to tear away.
The eerie mana encased his body and even froze the chakra within.
"N-no."
Anton barely spat out the words with his stiffening tongue.
He was already heavily damaged from the prolonged fight.
And now, facing the Demon King's Demon Eye head-on, exploiting his psychological vulnerability.
'He might overcome it with mental fortitude.'
But there was no need to pit his own mental strength—bolstered by Great Spirit and various abilities—against Anton's.
By the skill's nature, surpassing a certain threshold would allow escape.
Even accounting for that, Anton lacked the means.
'In other words, checkmate.'
Of course, this Demon Eye was burdensome for Hun too.
It degraded in the borrowing process, with clear limits, long casting time, and the need for direct eye contact—many restrictions.
Yet it was still the Demon King's inherited eye.
The reason he chose it anyway...
'Now, show me what you've got.'
The goal he had aimed for since deciding to subdue Anton.
To investigate the suspicious aspects of this incident.
'The secrets hidden within you.'
Through Anton's bloodshot eyes, ensnared by the Demon Eye, the power of Mind Communion pierced into his brain.
***
Kwarung—!
A single bolt of lightning from the sky struck the ground.
The essence of destruction purified everything it touched at imperceptible speeds.
"Eek! That's dangerous!"
But it failed to incinerate the target, merely scorching the innocent earth before vanishing.
Lusette, floating in the air and breathing raggedly after repeated attempts, scowled once more.
"Human Butcher, you. Do you even intend to fight properly?"
"Eh? But... no choice, right? Our affinities just don't match. I prefer opponents I can really slug it out with, y'know."
The scruffy man scratched his beard and smacked his lips at her suppressed fury.
His dialect, vacant expression, bleary eyes, and unkempt bandit beard made him seem unreliable at first glance, but Lusette never let her guard down.
Appearances aside, this 'Human Butcher' was a middle-layer magus practitioner on par with her.
"So, can we switch opponents? Or maybe go hunt the others? I'll just back off then!"
"Think I'd believe that?"
"Ugh... I've been waitin' all day for today...! Barely killed any, and now it's all for nothin'."
He grumbled and swung his massive rectangular butcher knife through the air.
The cleaver, like something from a slaughterhouse, was twice as large and thick as usual.
Lusette took a deep breath, checked her safe distance, and focused with a grim face.
She couldn't afford a single lapse against this man.
Otherwise, his blades—imbued with the middle-layer 'Slaughter' chakra and deep-layer 'Murder' chakra—would turn her to mincemeat in the blink of an eye.
'How did so many magus practitioners infiltrate the Yun Clan...?'
How many foes had she already dispatched?
Yet despite her and the full efforts of the defenders excluding those guarding the inner keep, the chaos showed no sign of abating.
Of course, she already knew the answer.
No matter how they shattered space to invade, there were limits.
They had waited nearby and only crossed at points where the barriers were neutralized somehow.
'Just before the incident, multiple insiders responded. And the one who dismantled the intelligence network and coordinated was high-ranking.'
Internal traitor.
One among the core managerial figures, no less.
For her, with her strong loyalty to the clan, it was gravely serious.
"Wha? What's this! Already over?!"
Then, the Human Butcher, who had been slyly gauging her, widened his eyes and tilted his head.
"No fair! Can't be like this! I just wet my whistle a bit!"
As if receiving some message, he began complaining.
Then his gaze met Lusette's head-on as she stared from midair.
"...Sigh, all because of that fox. Why'd I get stuck with a poison like her."
He sighed and scratched his head vigorously.
Apparently, a retreat order had come.
With no intention of letting him go, she glared daggers and summoned lightning again...
"...!"
Pazik!
In an instant, her airborne body sparked and was yanked sideways by some force.
It was an emergency evasion using magnetism with the metal structures placed around the Yun Clan grounds.
However...
Pushut—
Lusette frowned at the blood seeping from the gash on her arm.
She had reacted immediately without even grazing him, yet this wound.
She shuddered to imagine if her response had been slower.
"Aigoo, darn it~ Thought this time it'd work."
The man, now at a distance as if he'd swung from behind her unnoticed, smacked his lips regretfully.
Kugugu—
Behind him, the shattered space gaped wide, rumbling ominously.
"Well, plenty of chances ahead! Gotta settle for this today."
Shrugging, the Human Butcher slipped into the rift.
Flashing a meaningful smile, he waved at Lusette.
"See ya next time, thunder fox. Next round, I'll carve you pretty—look forward to it."
"You...!"
Her furious lightning struck the rift dead-on, but the destructive energy didn't reach the one already gone.
"...Hoo."
Biting her lip, she steadied her breath and forced her gaze elsewhere.
Focusing on past events was less productive than eliminating one more remaining enemy.
Her lightning-wreathed body vanished from the spot.
Pazizik!
Thus, the massive magus practitioner assault on the Seongcheon Yun Clan in the dead of night drew to a close.