Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Falling Sun
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-Rumble rumble rumble...!!
Hundreds of malevolent spirits were madly charging toward a single boy, shaking heaven and earth with their vibrations, all to kill him.
The boy, Baek Hyun, who had suddenly become the target of an enormous horde of monsters, glared venomously at the staff ceaselessly summoning more malevolent spirits around him and gritted his teeth.
The monstrous beings classified as 'malevolent spirits' were fundamentally hostile to all living creatures.
This included not just humans, but animals, spiritual beasts, and even other malevolent spirits—none were exceptions.
That was why most malevolent spirits lived their entire lives alone, without forming packs. It was extremely rare for two or more to inhabit the same area.
The moment they encountered one another, they would fight to the brink of death.
Yet here they were, all cooperating to kill Baek Hyun. This was due to the 'enemy'... or in technical terms, the 'aggro' priority.
Malevolent spirits would attack other malevolent spirits as well.
But whether out of some minimal recognition among thugs or whatever, if there was any non-malevolent lifeform nearby, the aggro would shift to it first.
And now, with every other lifeform in the area vaporized by the Three-Legged Crow, the only non-malevolent being left around them was Baek Hyun himself.
The result...
-Kieeeek!!!
-Krrrng!! Grrr!!!
-Kraaaaaah-!!
...was that he was experiencing the extremely rare sight of hundreds of malevolent spirits charging solely to kill him.
It was undoubtedly a dire situation where he should turn tail and run without looking back.
_______!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The situation ahead was just as horrific.
A blinding radiance that could sear the eyes and a scorching heat that felt like it would incinerate his entire body were exploding from the front.
The Three-Legged Crow.
The worst cataclysm, more dangerous than all the pursuing monstrous beings combined, was staring straight at him while flapping its majestic wings.
This was proof that it had fully recognized his existence, unlike before when he had casually stomped it and dismissed it.
The bug he thought he had burned to death had returned, bringing countless pests in tow.
It seemed to be thinking that if it didn't burn him thoroughly this time, the same thing might happen again.
'What a filthy desperate situation.'
But that was precisely why it was worth breaking through.
Baek Hyun moved his legs with all his might, calmly and swiftly assessing the situation and calculating his odds.
His master no longer seemed capable of fighting, but fortunately, his life was out of danger.
Yeon had also been safely evacuated to a spot untouched by the battle, thanks to Haru.
That left only him.
The worst, yet the best.
"Fine... let's have a proper go at it!!"
The situation was utter despair, beyond words.
But that fact only stirred something fierce and dormant within Baek Hyun.
Difficult challenges always ignited a gamer's competitive spirit.
And Baek Hyun possessed an unrivaled, peerless drive to win.
That was why he was called Rank 1.
Why he was called the 'Supreme Under Heaven'.
-Bang!!
Now, Baek Hyun even smiled as he charged toward the Three-Legged Crow.
In a world where giant whales were after him, the only way for a tiny shrimp to survive.
Was to pit the whales against each other.
________!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The moment Baek Hyun's figure came into clear view even to the human eye.
The Three-Legged Crow finally unleashed a deafening roar that threatened to burst eardrums, explosively spewing flames forward.
An overwhelming ultra-wide-range attack of firepower incomparable to the casual flames from its wingbeats.
It was the first time in this battle the Three-Legged Crow had gone all-out—a sure-kill strike that allowed no evasion.
-Kwoooooh...!!!!!
Caught in that terrifying blast, not only Baek Hyun but the massive horde of pursuing malevolent spirits were all engulfed in the enormous storm of flames.
"H-Hyun-ah-!!!"
In the face of that unreasonable blow, even Mookheon could only despair, certain of his disciple's death.
The very moment the Three-Legged Crow, convinced of its hunt's success, moved to clean up the remaining bugs...
-Fsssh...
...an immense cloud of ash scattered through the air in its vision.
The corpses of major malevolent spirits that had perished without even a scream.
The instant Baek Hyun confirmed the attack incoming, he released the summoning on the malevolent spirits he had been suppressing to the max.
Using the suddenly scattered horde of sturdy spirits as shields, he bought a split-second of leeway and slipped out of the attack's range.
"That seemed pretty serious this time... and you still couldn't kill me?"
Baek Hyun brushed off the flames clinging to his body and smiled.
Even minimizing damage by using the spirits' corpses as shields, surviving the Three-Legged Crow's full-power attack unscathed was impossible.
Thanks to his Solar Body reducing the damage as much as possible, but his tempered-to-the-limit body was nearing its breaking point.
One more repeat of that stunt, and no trick would save him.
But thanks to it...
-Kr...rulk...
-Kieeeek...!!
...he had succeeded in pitting the whales against each other.
The Three-Legged Crow wasn't a malevolent spirit to begin with, so it would draw some aggro anyway—but after a wide-area attack, it was inevitable.
The surviving malevolent spirits switched targets and began charging at the Three-Legged Crow.
Of course, it would massacre them in seconds.
-Whoosh, shoo, whoosh, shoo-shoo!
Diminished numbers? Just summon more.
He had centuries' worth stockpiled.
-Awoo-!!
-You bastards, you bastaaards!!!
A rain of countless malevolent spirits poured down right in front of the Three-Legged Crow.
Thanks to the intense flames enveloping its body, the spirits took damage the moment they spawned, immediately drawing aggro and attacking en masse.
No matter how much bugs could be wiped out with one swat of insecticide, what if there were hundreds?
What if dozens of them even got close enough to burrow into its clothes?
'Even bugs aren't easy to shake off in that quantity.'
Most malevolent spirits turned to ash from the Three-Legged Crow's immense heat.
But a few managed to pluck a clump of its hot feathers or sink their teeth into its flesh.
Minor wounds that posed no threat to the sun-like vitality of the Three-Legged Crow.
However, that sliver of distraction slowed its reactions.
-Keeek...!!!
In the end, the legion of surviving spirits reached the Three-Legged Crow.
Like moths swarming a blazing flame, an insane horde hurtling toward it.
But Baek Hyun knew.
Cheap tricks like this couldn't stop it.
There were many summoned malevolent spirits, but none of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts rank.
The array's disruption had weakened his abilities, but it hadn't eliminated the seal on monstrous beings entirely.
That was fortunate in a way, but it meant one whale was sorely outmatched.
Even with a few fully grown ferocious beasts mixed in, it would barely be a fight.
How could mere numbers of low-tier malevolent spirits stand against the incarnation of the sun?
__!!___!!!___!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As expected.
After a brief fluster at the unexpected swarm, the Three-Legged Crow soon ramped its firepower to maximum and began incinerating the clinging pests in one go.
Not allowing even the slightest approach, let alone attacks—an overwhelming extremity of 'yang' energy, as if the sun itself had manifested.
This chance was now only.
Impossible if not while all its focus was on the other spirits.
Smashing a club into that absurd cataclysm!
Baek Hyun immediately pulled his final card, one he had saved for the absolute last resort.
-Shoooo...
The red bow and white arrow cleaved through the sky.
Nine suns would fall, and all things would revive.
The divine weapon that had once shot down nine suns in ancient times was summoned anew to punish the insolent sun.
His inner power had surged exponentially since first wielding Red Bow White Arrow, so he no longer needed to expend his innate essence like before.
Yet it remained an overwhelmingly excessive weapon for him.
Time he could wield it properly: a mere 10 seconds.
He had to end everything within that.
-Tskaaaang-!!!
The pure white blade, awakened from slumber, began emanating a sinister red aura.
The authority of Red Bow White Arrow to 'judge' all things in existence.
The moment he activated it, Baek Hyun charged through the flames the Three-Legged Crow was spewing at full power.
Not merely dodging its attacks, but reaching the innermost core of the overwhelming blaze it spat in rage.
Normally, no trick would pierce it.
Even at rest, it melted flying swords from transcendence-realm masters in an instant.
Now, with its firepower incomparable to before, approaching it was near impossible.
But Red Bow White Arrow's authority wasn't limited to living beings.
Non-living natural phenomena.
In other words, even the 'flames' it spewed could fall under its judgment.
Thus...
-Chwaaak-!!!
...he pierced through.
Like a needle buried in a massive boulder—a fleeting gap.
Forcing his body through that narrow crevice.
And.
-Shoo!!
Combining the paulownia club meat-shield strategy.
Paulownia as shield, Red Bow White Arrow as spear.
Assaulting the impenetrable flame barrier.
Through a needle-thin flaw, pressing a blade to the arrogant sun's nape.
Of course, even blade-to-throat, he couldn't kill the Three-Legged Crow.
With Red Bow White Arrow's still pathetically low output, severing its lifeline was a pipe dream.
But that didn't matter.
The goal of this fight wasn't 'subjugation' anyway.
-Shoo, chwaak!! Shoo, chwaaak!! Chwaaaak!!!
Swinging Red Bow White Arrow to cleave the flames, stuffing summoned malevolent spirits into the gaps as shields.
The spirits summoned into the overwhelming firepower perished instantly.
Using their instant ashes as footholds for propulsion, swinging Red Bow White Arrow again.
Yet the crushing heat pierced through everything.
Flames ignited his skin.
His eyes.
His muscles, bones, meridians.
Forced through facial orifices and sweat pores, the blaze spread to his organs.
Hot.
Beyond any words.
Instinct devouring reason, thought impossible.
But inertia kept his body moving.
Swinging the two divine weapons in his hands.
The sole remnant after his 'resolve' to never stop burned away: faint embers of will.
That final swing, driven by those embers.
Not even knowing which hand delivered it.
-Thwok
The instant that ultimate swing finally reached the Three-Legged Crow.
≪N...o...!!! Y...o...u... w...o...r...m…!!!!!!≫
With the convict's scream, freed after eons...
...the sun of the present world became one again.