Chapter 579: The Conspiracy Begins (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 579: The Conspiracy Begins (12)
After the rifts, which had spread like a plague, brought a great transformation to the world.
This land was reborn into a place where diverse beings breathed and lived.
Among them were the beings of myth and legend.
Fictions that many knew of, but which did not truly exist.
The most prominent example of this was the Four Divine Beasts.
The Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise.
Divine beasts that guarded the four cardinal directions.
There were still those in the world who, however faintly, believed they continued to protect this land.
And that belief transformed their existence from fiction into reality.
Though their power was insufficient, their existence was only vaguely established.
For that reason, they had to remain slumbering deep within the world, where no one could reach.
For hundreds of years.
Perhaps thousands.
Until the vessels that would contain their immense power were more perfectly complete.
Thus, for the Azure Dragon to inhabit Kim Do-jin’s magic was a miracle-like coincidence, born from the exquisite overlap of vast mana and curiosity.
『I see. So this is what the world of modern humans is like.』
The boredom from its long slumber.
Just as its curiosity toward the human world began to stir.
The form of the Azure Dragon, crafted from the immense mana supplied by the S-rank mana stone, had resonated with it.
As it leisurely gazed down upon the human world it had so longed to see, something peculiar caught its eye.
A small typhoon, spinning furiously as it approached.
The Azure Dragon felt a sense of déjà vu from it.
It was clearly a human.
Yet, it felt an aura similar to its own emanating from him.
To be more precise, the typhoon he had unleashed felt like a crude imitation, a cheap copy of its own power.
『Interesting.』
There was no anger toward the human who had clumsily copied it.
It knew.
Admiration and imitation of the strong.
That was one of the driving forces that had allowed weak humans to persevere and survive through countless crises.
『Though it is quite commendable that you have imitated me.』
The Azure Dragon’s piercing eyes turned to the human standing behind it.
The one who had summoned it here—a being it could call master, if only for a fleeting moment.
For his sake, it had to block the attack of this rather commendable man who had imitated it.
Because the malice and killing intent enveloping the man’s entire body were directed at him.
The Azure Dragon opened its mouth slightly and exhaled.
Fwoooosh!
A breath, saturated with the lightning-attribute mana from within its body, shot toward the relentlessly advancing Jincheon.
Crackle-crackle-zzzzzt!
Seeing the breath flash with an eerie, deep blue current, he hastily threw himself aside.
But it was too late.
Though he did his best to get away, one arm that failed to move in time was devoured by the breath.
“Kuaaaargh!”
A scream of agony echoed throughout the mountain.
The pain of his arm being torn off was bearable.
The problem was what came after.
The minute electrical currents clinging to the breath, which had burned his arm away without a trace, burrowed into the roughly severed stump, inflicting excruciating pain.
“Hah, hah…!”
Jincheon gasped for air, clutching the shoulder that wasn't bleeding a single drop, having been cauterized by electricity.
The horrific pain, the likes of which he had never experienced, felt as if it would shatter even his steadfast mind.
Barely enduring it, his gaze turned to Kim Do-jin and the magic he had cast.
‘What in the world is that magic…?’
A mere spell was radiating an incredible sense of pressure.
It was to the point where he wondered if this was what it would feel like if the Azure Dragon from myths and legends actually existed.
The longer he stared, the more he doubted if it was truly magic at all.
How could the eyes of a form made of magic be staring so precisely at him?
“Grrr…”
Jincheon staggered to his feet.
Unless his opponent told him directly, he would never find the right answer.
All he could do was assume it was a hidden card his opponent had up his sleeve.
‘Nothing changes.’
Whether he knew its true identity or not.
He had no other choice but to kill Kim Do-jin with all his might.
He took a new stance.
“Four Divine Beast Martial Arts.”
With his hands straightened and held lightly before his chest, he lowered his center of gravity as much as possible.
“White Tiger Stance.”
The second of the martial arts modeled after the Four Divine Beasts.
The Divine Authority of the White Tiger, guardian of the west, is Iron.
A style that involved cutting and stabbing with knife-hands, and enduring the opponent’s attacks with a hardened body.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his secret art.
Four Divine Beast Martial Arts, White Tiger Stance, Secret Art.
“White Tiger Sword Dance…!”
From the Sword Aura coating the edge of his hand, hundreds, thousands of sharp energies poured out.
Seeing this, the Azure Dragon’s thick eyebrows twitched.
『How arrogant.』
For a mere human to attempt to imitate not one, but all four of the Divine Beasts.
And to dare point a blade at its true self with the power of a mere imitation.
The Azure Dragon’s mouth opened once more.
It was about to unleash its breath again to erase its opponent without a trace.
“Excuse me?”
Kim Do-jin, who had been quietly observing the situation from behind the Azure Dragon, spoke up.
The Azure Dragon, about to fire its breath, turned its gaze to him.
『What is it?』
A vein popped on Kim Do-jin’s temple, hidden by his hair.
‘Why are all these bastards so damn rude?’
The Ego Sword, Zeus, and now the Azure Dragon.
Honestly, why were they all so stiff-necked when they had only manifested in this world thanks to his power?
But he didn't let such thoughts show.
“Uh… if he gets hit by that breath you’re about to shoot, he’ll die, you know?”
『And?』
What do you mean, ‘and,’ you bastard?
“…Please spare him.”
The Azure Dragon’s sharply raised eyebrows lowered slightly.
『Why? This one should be your enemy.』
“He’s an enemy, so I can’t just kill him. I need to extract information from him.”
No matter how formidable Hexagram was, a figure on the level of an Apostle of Envy couldn't possibly be an ordinary member who knew nothing.
‘He must be an executive, or even higher.’
If he could just make that mouth talk, he could obtain information about Hexagram, which had been shrouded in mystery until now.
Clang! Thud!
Even as the sharp blades hammered against its body, the Azure Dragon, its gaze fixed on Kim Do-jin, gave a slight nod.
『I will try to control my power as much as possible.』
An ambiguous answer.
But for the Azure Dragon, this was the best it could do.
It was difficult to gauge just how much power it should use for the human before it to survive.
After all, does a human know exactly how hard to step on an ant to only injure it, not kill it?
To the Azure Dragon, humans were like that.
Of course, this didn't mean it saw humans as mere ants, but the difference in power was at least that stark.
Moreover, this was the first time the Azure Dragon had directly used its power.
Controlling its magnitude was that much more difficult.
It did its best to reduce the size of its breath.
It was still massive.
Large enough to completely submerge a human from head to toe.
This was the limit to how much it could shrink the size.
The only option left was to reduce the power contained within the breath itself as much as possible.
Zzzzzzzzt-!
The breath, its power controlled to the utmost, poured from the Azure Dragon’s maw.
Kwwaaaaa!
The hundreds of blades flying in succession met the breath and vanished into nothingness.
Jincheon’s body, which had been dancing as he ceaselessly swung his arms, froze solid.
“Ha.”
I have to dodge.
His mind knew it, but his feet wouldn't move.
The overwhelming sense of despair flooding him had frozen even his steps.
A base jealousy toward his opponent began to boil.
It felt as if his entire life was being negated by someone who hadn't even lived half as long.
At the same time, he felt a sense of self-loathing.
Even as he despised himself for being consumed by such base jealousy, he shifted the blame to his opponent.
‘It’s because of him.’
Kim Do-jin, who lived with everything he didn't have, and never had.
If only that bastard didn't exist, he would never have felt such jealousy.
Every time he blamed others instead of himself, he gained power.
He moved faster than ever before, and with greater strength, he seized his opponent’s heart.
And he stole it.
A portion of his opponent’s stats.
“Sanctuary of Envy.”
A new line was drawn within Kim Do-jin’s domain.
A line as red as blood.
The Divine Authority he had obtained upon being chosen as the Apostle of Invidia, the Goddess of Envy, awakened.
Rip!
His entire body turned red, his muscles bulging.
Another power surged from within him.
A power different from mana, born from base jealousy.
“Fwooo…!”
With a body that had doubled in size, he took a new stance against the breath that tore through the air.
The final secret art, one that could only be attempted when embracing the power of envy.
Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise.
As the auras of the Four Divine Beasts enveloped his body, a brilliant, five-colored light mingled to create a radiant golden light, forming the shape of another dragon, different from the Azure Dragon.
East, West, South, North.
The leader of the Four Divine Beasts and a sacred beast, symbolizing the center that belongs to no direction.
The Yellow Dragon.
The sacred, golden dragon’s aura and scales were overlaid upon his body.
Four Divine Beast Martial Arts, Yellow Dragon Stance, Secret Art.
Yellow Dragon Fighting Armor.
As Jincheon stood, clad in gold from head to toe, the Azure Dragon’s breath poured down upon him.
“Hup…!”
Kwaaaaaaa—!
He drove his shoulder forward.
A tug-of-war began with the Azure Dragon’s breath, which tried to pierce through the golden aura no matter what.
“Grruuuuugh…!”
It was devastating.
To think that even after playing his best card, he was only on equal footing with a single spell.
‘That’s why I can’t lose.’
If he was defeated here, it would be no different from having his entire life negated.
“I… will survive to the end.”
He hadn't forgotten.
The vow he made as he escaped from that dark, damp place beyond the iron bars, where not a single ray of light could penetrate.
“You will die…!”
He spread his arms, embracing the surging breath, and pushed forward.
“And I will live—aaaaargh!”
Was it a vow?
Or a desperate struggle?
Or was it a blind will, possessed by a curse, that had transcended the limits of a human?
Jincheon, his body wrapped in a sacred golden aura, began to push the breath back.
No.
“Uwaaaaaaaaargh!!”
Crack!
He shattered it.
No matter how much power had been held back, he had destroyed the Azure Dragon’s aura head-on with a mere human body!
『This bastard…!』
The Azure Dragon raged.
But its words did not reach Jincheon.
To him, who was not connected to it telepathically, all he heard was the roar of a beast.
Jincheon kicked off the ground, swiftly passing the enraged Azure Dragon.
There was no need to wrestle with the magic.
If he killed the caster, the magic bound to him would naturally disappear.
“Kim Do-jiiiiin!”
He roared as he charged straight for Kim Do-jin.
Kim Do-jin saw it.
The large and small cracks etched all over the golden aura enveloping Jincheon.
It was likely the result of recklessly facing the Azure Dragon’s breath head-on.
“Hmm.”
He thought for a moment.
‘Why did he do something so stupid?’
He was curious.
Even if he couldn't dodge it completely, there must have been a much better option than blocking it head-on.
‘Why go to such lengths?’
That thought was fleeting.
‘Well, works for me.’
For him, it wasn't a bad thing at all—in fact, it was a good thing.
It was a chance to easily reel in an opponent who would have been incredibly difficult to face directly.
Having finished his thought, he thrust his sword.
The tip of the smoothly penetrating sword pierced the golden aura.
Specifically, the starting point of the cracks that had spread due to the Azure Dragon’s breath.
Just as even a sturdy wall is finished once a hole is made, the same was true for the aura.
No matter how solid and thick it was, the moment it was scarred with a crack, its reputation was over.
Just like now.
Clink!
Crumble!
The energies, hardened into the form of a golden Aura of Strength and clinging to his body, fell away like dust.
Finally, Jincheon’s shabby form was revealed.
As if there was a side effect to using the power, he charged forward, his body bulging with prominent veins.
“Die… now…!”
The blow flew at him.
It was incredibly slow.
The moment the golden aura was stripped away, all that was left of him was a pathetic shell.
Kim Do-jin’s sword swung once more.
He couldn't take his life.
So, to rob him of his freedom of movement, he was about to sever the muscles and tendons in his arms and legs.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Suddenly, he lunged toward Kim Do-jin’s sword.
Kim Do-jin, startled by his attitude, which seemed to be begging to be stabbed to death, pulled his sword back.
That was it.
“Khuhuhu…! You fell for it.”
The final move that Jincheon, prepared for death, had aimed for.
He had already predicted it.
No, he had gambled.
That Kim Do-jin would try to capture him and extract information rather than kill him.
The result was as expected.
The final move he made to survive had worked perfectly, and a golden opportunity had come his way.
A chance to eliminate the source of the worst revulsion he had ever felt in his life.
He coated his outstretched fist with golden aura.
The very last dreg of power he had saved until the very end surged toward Kim Do-jin.
“This is the end…!”
His fist, confident of victory, touched Kim Do-jin’s body for the first time in this battle.
Thwack!
A clean thud.
But the power it contained was terrifying.
Enough to turn a person’s insides into a complete pulp.
Originally, this fist should have struck his chest and crushed his heart beyond recognition.
That was the original plan, but it went awry.
Thanks to Kim Do-jin’s incredible reflexes, which allowed him to twist his body at the last second.
It wasn't his chest that was hit, but the area near his right side.
It wasn't a complete loss.
The inside of his flank, much like his chest, housed vital organs.
Sure enough.
“Cough…!”
A mouthful of blood poured out with Kim Do-jin’s cough.
It wasn't a clear crimson, but a dark, blackish-red, a sure sign of severe internal damage.
‘If I miss this chance, it’s over.’
This was his only chance.
If he didn't finish his opponent off, he would be the one to die.
To secure his victory, he was about to raise his fist, still glowing with golden aura, to finally drive it into his opponent's chest when—
Slurp.
Schlorp!
An eerie chill ran down his spine.
Something unknown, wrapped in an aura darker, damper, and murkier than the underground prison he had been confined in—something he had never experienced before.
Sluuurp—
Crunch!
“Kuaaaaaargh—!”
With a grotesque sound of someone smacking their lips, it devoured the arm that had been buried in Kim Do-jin’s side.
Jincheon had now lost his last remaining arm in vain.
His gaze shifted to Kim Do-jin’s side, where he had felt the strange aura just moments before.
‘There’s… something there.’
He realized it too late.
Inside Kim Do-jin’s body, of all places.
‘There’s a… a monster.’
An indescribable horror was lurking there.
Licking the blood from the corner of his mouth, Kim Do-jin lifted his head and spoke in a dry, emotionless voice.
“I’m hungry.”
Give me food.