Chapter 48

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 48

Chapter Title: How to Take Down a Fixer

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With the spell activating, the cult leader's body crumbled like a sandcastle.

A single wave swept through, smashing it into an unrecognizable mess before reconstructing it.

The spell of False God Descent from the Heart Soul Altar.

This was the twisted result of Jang Cheong, who had lived his entire life as a continental sorcerer, failing to transition into a spirit medium after crossing into the shamans' lands. It was a bizarre and repulsive ritual to summon a fake spirit and reforge himself.

Forcing a spirit-like entity into one's own body to hijack the role of a vessel when no true spirit would come—this was the kind of unethical act only rogue sorcerers who crossed every line would attempt.

"How do you like it? My new form."

The renewed Black Phantom Jang Cheong had lost all traces of his former beauty, transforming into a grotesque abomination.

His feminine eyes had spread apart at the brow and bulged out like a fish's, while gills sprouted on his neck, flapping open and closed.

Scales erupted across his arms and body, making it impossible to see him as human any longer.

Even in the eyes of a Fixer, where the Baby Mode Pack made most entities appear cute, this form didn't look appealing.

I hadn't expected him to resort to False God Descent so soon, but there was no other way to take down a Fixer.

Jang Cheong forced a smile as he showcased his new body to the Fixer, then set up a clone in that form while stealthily burrowing into the ground with his main body.

It was a sleight of hand, a fishing ploy to buy time. While the Fixer was distracted by the fake, he planned to find a way to guide him.

"You won't get away."

Of course, the Fixer wasn't one to miss the main body slipping away, and Jang Cheong's trick was dismantled in an instant.

The clone made of bedrock burst apart, and the Fixer's hand shot out from behind it.

'If he grabs me, I'm dead...!'

Jang Cheong slipped away like a loach, diving into the floor and swimming through it.

He spawned clones to try escaping the Fixer's detection, struggling desperately, but the Fixer had the ability to pinpoint the true body.

And why not? The Fixer's eyes could see Jang Cheong's name, so even with decoys, locating the real one wasn't difficult.

'Monster of a guy. But there has to be a way to kill him. This is a world where even gods get sealed, exploited, and killed. If he's not beyond gods, he has a weakness.'

That was Jang Cheong's thinking.

There was no such thing as infinity or immutability. Everything had an end.

With that belief, Jang Cheong was convinced the Fixer had a weakness or chink in his armor.

'No one's invincible. No infinity. So even his life force has limits. I need to find the trick fooling my eyes.'

Jang Cheong swam through the floor, dodging the Fixer's attacks one after another, feeling the terror of death each time a merciless fist slammed into the ground.

"Slippery bastard."

The Fixer's speed ramped up even further. The fact that he could go faster sent chills down Jang Cheong's spine.

How much would a direct hit from that fist hurt? Allowing even one strike would drag him back into the cycle of agony, dancing to the Fixer's tune.

To hunt the Fixer now, the key wasn't attack or defense—it was perfect evasion. Fail that, and it was death.

As Jang Cheong evaded, he recalled the Fixer's traits. He'd narrowed them down to four key peculiarities.

First.

The Fixer took no wounds and felt no pain.

This might be the most crucial trait. Even a human numb to pain should bleed from injuries, but not a drop from him—that was abnormal.

Second.

The Fixer's physical abilities were excessively superior.

Movements far beyond human limits were suspicious in themselves. He might not even be human. Jang Cheong had never seen such prowess.

Third.

The Fixer acquired information at an excessive speed.

He'd acted like he already knew about the Blood Heaven Descent spell. Same for the others.

He moved like someone briefed on how to guide Jang Cheong, leading Jang Cheong to deduce the existence of the Fixer's 'Heavenly Insight'.

And fourth.

Mental fortitude to spam Heavenly Insight and shrug off illusions.

Using Heavenly Insight required immense mental power, yet the Fixer did so while casually dispelling Jang Cheong's illusions. That spoke volumes about his mental strength.

'Insane physical prowess and vitality, plus mental power to wield Heavenly Insight. Definitely not human—more like a created being or anomaly.'

Looking at the Fixer alone, no strategy method was apparent.

He seemed like the personification of an anomaly, beyond mere superhuman.

Maybe even stranger than an anomaly.

Could you call something like that human?

'Change perspective. He was never human to begin with. Not a strategy target, but the anomaly itself. So maybe the true core or nucleus driving that freakish power exists separately. Destroy that.'

From the Fixer's abnormal stats and immortality, Jang Cheong inferred his core or origin existed in another form.

Finally, a path to victory seemed in sight.

After barely dodging an attack, Jang Cheong escaped the shrine.

His new target: the White-Faced Bride at the center of Wuyuan Heart Palace, liberating the lingering spirits.

Suspicious. To deal with the immortal Fixer, Jang Cheong thought she had to go first.

'Feels like a spirit—disaster-class aura at least. But what if she's not the anomaly, but real human? If he's the anomaly in human skin, and she's human in anomaly skin, it fits.'

The unnaturally strong Fixer and the woman praying beside him. No matter how he sliced it, she seemed more human.

Jang Cheong came to think the Fixer might be the anomaly, and the White-Faced Bride human.

He'd reached it. Thus, his final deduction about the Fixer.

'Sharing life force with that woman. Or transferring damage to his protected target. Kill her, and the answer appears...'

Spotting the link between the White-Faced Bride and the Fixer, Jang Cheong neared one of two ways to kill him.

Simple. Neutralize the White-Faced Groom trait to sever her life force sharing.

Knock out the White-Faced Bride or delude her to drop affinity with the Fixer, neutralizing White-Faced Groom.

Or steal the Token of Pure Love from the Fixer. That would cut the life force link.

Any way to sever the connection between them, and the Fixer's near-infinite life force would drop back to 220.

Then dodge all his instant-kill punches and land eleven 20-damage hits.

That would kill the Fixer. Of course, impossible for Jang Cheong. How many could even attempt it?

The strategy itself was straightforward, but executing it nearly impossible. Severing the Fixer-White-Faced Bride bond was out of reach.

Jang Cheong was no different. He'd vaguely grasped how to kill the Fixer, but lacked the power to act.

Ultimately, approaching the White-Faced Bride, he realized one fatal mistake.

'Can't kill this woman either...'

Wrong order. Don't take her out first—sever the link with the Fixer, then kill him.

He'd pierced that she held the secret to the Fixer's infinite life force, but not how to handle her.

He'd blindly assumed eliminating her would win. That was Jang Cheong's blunder.

"So this is what you do outside the barrier... Ambush a woman praying for lost souls? Pathetic, cult leader."

"This is cheating! Can't kill...! Don't defy the world's laws! Why do only you get such hacks? This is wrong!"

Jang Cheong, who believed no invincibility or infinity existed...

His unshakeable truth shattered, he ranted madly like a lunatic, spilling grievances before the Fixer seized him again.

The Fixer dragged the deranged Jang Cheong back to the shrine room.

"Why... why back there? Just kill me and be done!"

"Who said I'd kill you easily?"

Only now did Jang Cheong realize the true way to escape the Fixer's grasp.

When he escaped the Blood Heaven Descent shrine, he should have killed himself then.

The moment the Fixer let him slip away briefly, he should have ended it to break free of the torment.

Jang Cheong had missed his one chance.

No escape now.

"Still a ways to go to minus 120."

Jang Cheong had become an anomaly.

Anomalies dissipate naturally at minus 120 affinity. Meaning he could still be beaten until then.

The Black Yao Society's leader couldn't die easily, clinging to hope of victory against the Fixer.

Had he despaired sooner, letting affinity hit minus 120, would it have been a better end?

"Let's start over. Won't miss this time."

The Fixer's violence pummeled Jang Cheong's body.

Death-like agony returned.

Before long, the shattered Blood Heaven Descent spell.

Blood-soaked Jang Cheong slumped at the shrine's center, muttering in Chinese.

His words scattered in the wind, vanishing pointlessly. I couldn't catch his last words.

"Done with your final words?"

Jang Cheong didn't answer.

His mind seemed broken.

The cult leader met his end as an anomaly, not even leaving a corpse.

Only a puddle remained where he'd been.

"It's over."

I can't even count the hardship these bastards put me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through over days.

But finally, Black Yao Society annihilated. Survivors will be handled by others.

With the leader dead, it'll crumble fast.

"Darling... Is it done...?"

"Yeah, Sowol. You worked hard too. I'll give you a shoulder rub back at the office."

"I'll... rub yours too... But darling... Can I sleep a bit...?"

"Of course. I'll wake you when we get home."

"Thank you, darling..."

Sowol showed a weary smile before returning to the ring.

She'd purified all the lingering spirits in Wuyuan Heart Palace alone and shared my damage, so she must be exhausted.

She earned rest. Even undead tire from excessive damage, entering a groggy state.

Still, Jang Cheong's final actions lingered, leaving a nagging unease.

'Jang Cheong targeted Sowol specifically. He figured our bond and aimed to take her out first... What if he'd had more time?'

If Jang Cheong were stronger? Or had a way to sever my link with Sowol?

If five-plus powerhouses like him teamed up with every trick to take me down... I might've been the one cornered.

'My life force is 220. Cut the Sowol link, and I'm stuck at 220. High enough, but focused strategy could kill me.'

Most foes die before depleting my HP.

No one beats me 1v1. But as a raid boss?

Moon Seon-woo's warning resurfaced.

Disaster-class anomalies might draw hunters.

If they gathered to seriously guide me, as she said... things change.

Hypothetical: Moon Seon-woo, Jang Cheong, Kang San-jung, and five more elites using every spell to gang up.

That'd be trouble.

Even WoD Gallery's lurker handles calamity-class without Baby Mode Pack, human body.

Game design says no anomaly unguideable. Doesn't mean I'm immune.

Recall Andromalius raid: Even top Fixers need priests against demons. Counters exist.

Thrills, tension, heart-pounding battles.

I don't seek that.

Absolute power, overwhelming force.

Invincibility through it.

Bond with Sowol distances me from death, but not perfect immortality.

'Worst, calamity-class anomalies in sequence. Mental power 210 could deplete first, not just life force.'

Draining 210 insane mental power needs three-plus calamity-class. Near impossible.

Near impossible, not absolute. Not truly impossible.

Suppose I hadn't crushed Black Yao so fast, and Twin Ghost Kings scenario went worst-case under Black Phantom.

Jang Cheong awakens calamity-class Twin Ghost Kings as minions, ascends to Ghost Emperor or whatever, becoming calamity-class himself...

Then I'd face three calamities. 210 mental could zero out.

Min-maxed as I am, multi-foe fights expose vulnerabilities.

'Need more allies.'

Versatility to solo is key, but building allies without making enemies matters too.

WoD has party system. Borrow allies for bad matchups.

Relying solely on Sowol feels risky.

"So, what do you say? Join my side?"

I stepped past Jang Cheong's puddle into the shrine.

And stroked the pulsing Silent Sea Ghost King heart embedded in the wall.

What if I turned a calamity-class anomaly into an ally?

The 'wants to smell you' bit is weird, but folklore tracing shows Silent Sea Ghost King less evil, more worshipped spirit. Worth talking to.

Yeah, not cheating on Sowol.

Just hedging, since I might get guided someday. Building allies preemptively.