Chapter 436
Chapter 436
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 437
Chapter Title: The True Judgment
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"……Kim Sunwoo?"
My body stiffened for a moment at the voice coming from behind me.
A reunion after so long.
I'd thought this day would come eventually, and now it had.
I slowly turned around, and familiar faces came into view.
Their expressions varied.
One looked ready to burst into tears any second, another glared at me with a hint of anger somewhere in their eyes.
Yet another offered a faint smile, as if welcoming me back.
"Sunwoo!"
That's when Yoon Hayoung kicked off the ground and rushed over, pulling me into a hug. She quickly started sobbing.
"Why'd you take so long to show up…… Do you know how worried we've been?"
"Anyone would think we hadn't seen each other in years."
I gave a small smile and patted her shoulder.
A feeling I hadn't experienced in ages……
Her tears tugged at my heart, filling it with a warm sensation at the same time.
I lifted my head and exchanged nods with the others.
They all smiled at me, as if saying they'd been waiting.
That's when my eyes met Choi Seoyoon's, who had been standing a bit further back.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her face strained as she barely held back her emotions.
Soon, she flashed me a bright smile.
"……Sunbae. I missed you."
I responded with a small smile of my own instead of words.
I'd sensed it while listening to her speech at graduation, but she felt more mentally mature now.
With a colossal enemy like Cruas right in front of us, she was probably pushing aside the joy of reunion to stay focused, not swept up in emotions.
Though younger than Yoon Hayoung, she acted more like the older sister.
"Alright, alright. We'll share the reunion joy later. Let's deal with that giant dragon first."
Shin Youngjun said, slinging his spear over his shoulder.
Everyone nodded and turned their gazes back to Cruas.
Whoosh…… whoosh.
Cruas quietly looked down at us, flapping its massive wings.
I met its gaze steadily.
Just our eyes locking brought an indescribable, intense pressure.
And I could sense it.
This Cruas was far stronger than in the original story or my previous life.
According to Kasis, it had received new power from the world itself to judge me, so calling it an "awakened Cruas" would be fitting.
[To think Chaos itself would reveal its form. I never imagined things would flow this way……]
Cruas muttered to itself before continuing.
[You've spared me the trouble of seeking you out……]
Black mana began to rise from Cruas's body.
The heavens and earth shook, and small cracks formed in the air from the aftermath.
Wooooong!
Soon, black mana gathered in its mouth, swirling like a vortex.
The dragon's breath.
The inherent destructive magic of the dragon race, a 'Breath,' was about to be unleashed.
[The time of judgment has come……]
Kuuuwaaaang!
Cruas opened its maw, unleashing a torrent of immense mana energy straight at me.
No human could withstand that raw power head-on; a direct clash would be suicidal.
I drew up my mana and extended my palm.
It was a dire situation, but I had a skill to turn crises into opportunities.
[Activating effect: 'Instant Acceleration.']
Time around me slowed to a crawl, and a magic circle began to form above my palm.
"……Huuuup!"
Timing it perfectly, I activated Kim Jincheol's counter magic, 'Reflection Disk.'
Paaang!
The Reflection Disk magic circle in front of my palm reversed the Breath's trajectory completely.
The Breath shot straight back at Cruas, who reacted with clear surprise at the unexpected turn.
Kuuuwaaaang!
A deafening roar echoed, followed by a shockwave that swept across all of Seoul.
I immediately deployed a barrier to block the shockwave.
Swoooosh.
Once the shockwave passed, I slowly raised my head.
A hole had been blasted through Cruas's body, but it was already regenerating while standing.
Soon enough, it returned to its original form, as if nothing had happened.
"……So that's the immortal fate."
[……Impressive. Magic that reverses mana direction.]
Cruas gazed down at me, reacting with genuine curiosity.
At that moment, countless spells fired up from somewhere on the ground.
Kuuuwaang!
It was a combined assault from the remaining wizards on the surface. Cruas glanced down at them and spewed flames.
Kuuuwaaaang!
—Kaaaak!
The wizards couldn't cope with the attack.
Cruas's overwhelming strength played a part, but they'd been fighting three disaster-class beasts already, leaving them with no mana reserves.
As Cruas began inflicting massive casualties, a surge of powerful mana came from somewhere.
I turned to look, and a massive orb of flame, like a sun, hurtled toward Cruas.
[……Hm?]
The enormous fireball struck Cruas dead-on, erupting in a colossal explosion.
Kuuuwaaaang!
[……Kuhk!]
Cruas's body lurched violently.
Then, a lithe man leaped high into the sky.
A familiar face. In his hand gripped a massive greatsword.
—Whoosh!
Swoooosh!
The sword, infused with deep mana, sliced clean through Cruas's back scales.
The sheer force drew a scream from Cruas.
Kieeeek!
Some wizards who witnessed it muttered in shock.
—……Was that the Fire Witch and Sword Ghost just now?
—Looks like it.
I was just as stunned.
I'd expected Yoo Ahyeon's joining since I'd heard hints, but I hadn't anticipated the Sword Ghost—who was supposed to guard Han Seyeon—showing up too.
Emboldened by their arrival, the other wizards drew up their mana once more.
The all-out assault resumed.
I compressed and manifested a golden orb, while my companions behind me prepared their own spells.
"Haaap!"
Paaang!
A golden spell shot from my hand toward it once more.
The magic pierced straight through Cruas's torso.
Kieeeek!
Thanks to the Dragon Slayer trait, its reaction was more intense than to other spells.
A barrage of spells followed.
Special Forces' Kim Deokhyeon leaped high and stabbed his spear into Cruas's hide, while Lee Seojun vaulted into the sky and carved wounds into its belly with Sobackcheon.
And then.
Humanity's ultimate weapon, Kim Jincheol, leaped forward, appearing right in front of Cruas.
Sensing the grave danger, Cruas tried to deploy a barrier to block.
But Kim Jincheol was faster.
Dozens of magic circles manifested on Kim Jincheol's palms, exploding on contact with Cruas's body.
Kuuuwaaaang!
[……Kraaak!]
Cruas's body was blasted back through the air.
Kim Jincheol didn't stop there, manifesting a magic circle under his feet to step through the air and charge at Cruas.
The relentless assault from Kim Jincheol continued.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Cruas's screams grew more frantic with each hit.
[How can a mere human wield such power……]
Cruas summoned dozens of orbs and unleashed them at Kim Jincheol.
But Kim Jincheol calmly activated Reflection Disk, bouncing every attack back.
Kuuuwaaaang!
Kieeeek!
Cruas's scream rang out again, louder.
Watching this, my heart pounded fiercely.
I'd expected Kim Jincheol to perform well, but not to dominate like this.
Even Cruas, facing him, kept reacting with shock.
[Kuh……]
The attacks kept coming.
To turn the tide, Cruas drew up black mana across its entire body and unleashed it.
Paaang!
The backlash sent Kim Jincheol flying back like he'd been repelled.
The surrounding wizards suffered the same.
Pushed back by the mana wave, they crashed to the ground.
Cruas didn't miss the opening, manifesting ten massive black orbs.
The orbs plummeted toward the surface.
Kuuuwaaaang!
Ten enormous explosions rocked the ground.
Horrific screams erupted everywhere, and I barely blocked the attack with a barrier.
Just as I thought we'd endured, another ten massive orbs formed and bombarded the surface.
—Kaaaak!
Screams tore through the air from all directions.
Cruas's continuous attacks were reducing everything on the ground to dust.
……After the barrage finally ended.
"……Huff. Huff."
I'd barely survived, and I looked up at it in dismay.
Despite humanity's full assault, it looked relatively unscathed—hard to believe.
The wizards on the ground wore faces of despair at its overwhelming power.
The key figures behind me felt the same.
"……That thing's too strong."
Then Cruas's will echoed.
[……So this is Chaos.]
Cruas's sudden remark.
I looked up at it in confusion.
[……A power that twists fate. Truly dangerous…… To think such a force exists in this world.]
It might just be my imagination, but Cruas's momentum seemed slightly diminished.
It looked fine on the surface.
Why the sudden reaction?
[……No point dragging this out.]
Cruas flapped its wings powerfully again.
A fierce gust blew, toppling Seoul's buildings.
Then, intense mana radiated outward from Cruas's body.
Woooong!
"……Kuh!"
Those exposed to the energy twisted in agony.
It felt like the air had vanished—no one could breathe.
Amid the mana surge, Kim Jincheol reappeared with countless magic circles.
Cruas turned to him as if expecting it and unleashed a bizarre power.
At the same time, its body glowed with pure white light.
Unlike the black mana it'd used before.
And—
Crack.
Cracks began forming in the sky, centered on Cruas.
—……What?
Kim Jincheol reacted with alarm to the sudden fissures.
A natural mana disaster: spatial rifts.
Dragons could wield authority through those rifts.
[I acknowledge you. Though a mere human, you rival an apostle of mystery…… No, surpass it. Likely no being in the material realm can match you……]
Crack!
The rifts grew, spreading around Kim Jincheol.
—……No way.
Realizing the rifts' nature too late, Kim Jincheol panicked.
He drew up mana and manifested countless magic circles again.
[But your power is limited to the material realm…… Even with that mystical technique, you can't block concepts and authorities.]
Just as Cruas said.
The two spells that made Kim Jincheol the strongest.
Reflection Disk and Palm Storm Barrage applied only to 'tangible forces.'
Cruas realized this and opted for intangible 'authorities' and 'concepts.'
—……Using rifts to sever the space?
Kim Jincheol's face filled with frustration.
It looked like the same space visually, but the world had been fully separated—Kim Jincheol could no longer intervene.
...Kuk.
Kim Jincheol scrambled to find a way out of the rift.
Despair settled on everyone's faces below.
Exhausted from prolonged battle, there was no way to stop Cruas without him.
Cruas's gaze soon turned to me.
[……I've used much power with this authority, but it should suffice.]
Whoosh!
Cruas beat its massive wings, fixing its eyes on me and Lee Seojun.
[With the interloper gone, now comes the true time of judgment. O Chaos.]