Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Return of the Dawn, Against the Sword God Battle (6)
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12.
Now…… let's really end this.
In that instant.
I stared straight at my target.
Not at him, but at the ground behind his back.
I pulled it right in front of my eyes.
The snowy landscape before me shifted chaotically in an instant.
Right now.
I had finally seized the Sword God's back—his void—for the first time.
「“───────What?!”」
This technique.
I had sworn to myself.
That my battle with you would end with this technique.
Chiaaaaaang………!
In that instant, I crossed my twin swords.
Then, with my palm, I swept up the divine blade fused with crimson lotus brilliance as hard as I could.
“Pierce through────────!”
Insane.
A monster's reflexes were the only way to describe them.
Faster than my own blueprint by several times, Choi Sin-yul spun around.
「“─────Resound!”」
He twisted the divine sword's trajectory in midair, swinging it toward me.
White light danced from the blade.
Preparing to unleash that overwhelmingly lethal sword pressure.
“Divinity───────!”
In that instant.
The moment I pulled my sword to my waist.
「“─────<Valkalix>────────!”」
The moment I drew in a deep breath.
The moment I thrust out my left foot and stabbed with the divine sword extreme.
────────Chiararararararararararararararararararang!
Sword energy liberated with transcendental heat.
The crimson lotus storm engulfing the blade raged, piercing straight through Choi Sin-yul's chest and detonating.
The battle's conclusion hung on this single instant.
<Valkalix>'s blade halted above my shoulder.
But half a beat later.
An explosion from the divine sword ripped through my eardrums with about ten percent of its power.
……Jjeeeeeeeng……!
[Warning: Critical damage to power unit]
[Warning: Critical damage to chest armor]
……
……
……
[Warning: Critical damage to lower armor]
Just ten percent of the explosion.
My armor shredded like torn cloth, and destructive sword pressure burrowed into my flesh.
Goooaaaaah……………!
The shockwave that defied providence.
Centered on me and Choi Sin-yul, it raged outward, scattering even the Dawn sword energy that had pierced his chest.
………Puhaaaaaak!
And in the next instant.
I spewed blood from my entire body, while Choi Sin-yul did so from his pierced chest. Then, silence.
Thump.
Thud…….
In the end, I dropped to one knee. I slammed my fist into the snow to keep from collapsing.
Thump, thump, thump.
My limits…… had been crossed long ago.
Even with the 《Western Azure Mirror》 still active, I couldn't move a single finger or toe now.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
Kuuung…….
Meanwhile, Choi Sin-yul.
Let go of the divine sword <Valkalix> and slowly fell backward.
Then.
The sound signaling the battle's end echoed across this sword's snowy plain.
Tteeeng…………………………….
It was the divine sword, <Valkalix>.
The massive greatsword tumbled across the ground, vomiting a heavy metallic groan…… or so I thought in that moment.
Kikikikikikikikig────!
The winter swords embedded in the sword realm.
Those 221 blades erupted upward with a chilling metallic screech, charging toward me all at once.
“Wh…… what……?”
Choi Sin-yul hadn't moved a muscle?
Despair blackened my vision as deathly chills raced up my spine.
I didn't even have the capacity to react.
In a single instant, sword tips filled my sight and rushed right up to me. I probably would have died then.
「“Stop.”」
If I hadn't heard those words.
If I hadn't heard the clack of someone gripping <Valkalix>'s hilt.
─────────Kikikig!
In that instant.
As if blocked by an invisible wall.
The winter blades halted abruptly in midair, then began dropping into the snow one by one.
What the hell was happening?
I gazed blankly at the scene, then realized the absurd truth behind it.
“Choi Sin-yul…… you right now…… what……?”
As I barely opened my mouth.
Choi Sin-yul coughed up blood and replied in a sneering tone.
「“Impressive…… Do I have time to be flustered by you……?”」
“……?!”
「“Weren't you trying to finish me off……?”」
It was bewildering.
My mind went blank.
This bastard…… had just saved my life?
Why?
That last attack could have taken us both down.
“You…… don't tell me……? You want me to absolve you with Berkensia……?”
It wasn't an impossible guess.
Paul Lead was one example. The former absolute god's apostle who chose to die on Berkensia's blade to sever his outer universe connection.
「“Ha…… ahaha…… ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha……!”」
But Choi Sin-yul was different.
At my words, he just let out a flat, sneering laugh mixed with bloody phlegm.
「“You little shit…… right now…… are you trying to insult me……?”」
“Then explain why! I don't get it otherwise!”
“What reason……?”
“What else! Why did you just save me? If you hadn't stopped those swords, we could've at least gone down together!”
No, maybe not.
Fragments of the 《Western Azure Mirror》 would have flown in to block it. But that would've left fewer than fifty fragments remaining. Thinking about it, same difference.
Choi Sin-yul remained silent.
Only when I pressed for an answer did he finally give one I couldn't even imagine.
「“I simply accept defeat. No grand meaning behind it.”」
What?
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
What did this bastard just say? Admitting my victory……?
「“I'm not ungrateful to Ikilas…… but.”
“……?”
「“From the start, I had no interest in the outer universe, absolute gods…… or the new world…… none of that crap……”」
What?
More incomprehensible words.
Was an absolute god's apostle allowed to be like this?
「“I just…… just once…… even if only once in my lifetime…… desperately dreamed of crossing blades with someone I truly acknowledged……”」
It was bewildering.
What the hell was Choi Sin-yul?
I'd assumed he was human scum obsessed with his wish, like the [Nameless Demigod]……?
「“I simply didn't want to taint this fight I'd finally reached…… with some卑鄙 method…… that's all……”」
No way.
This. This was.
「“Clinging to victory without conviction…… that makes you neither god nor human…… just a beast.”」
Choi Sin-yul's conviction.
The last shred of humanity left in his soul……?
「“No regrets. That this duel with you is my final fight…… and my first defeat……”」
First defeat……?
So he'd never lost even once before?
What kind of monster was this…….
It was right then, as Choi Sin-yul exhaled a phlegmy, turbid sigh.
The divine sword, <Valkalix>.
That ultimate divine sword wailed on its own……
Zuzuzuzuzuzu──────
……and began emitting a chilling white light from its blade.
「“Enough chit-chat…… My body's control is slipping away bit by bit……”」
“…………!”
「“Why hesitate……? End this duel…… with my complete defeat……”」
In that instant.
I alternated glances between the relieved smile on Choi Sin-yul's ever-expressionless lips……
Wuuuuuu─────
……and the winter blades rearing up like snakes from all directions.
──────Kikikikikikig!
Complete defeat……
I barely hauled myself up, clinging to the Divine Dawn Sword.
No reason to hesitate. No time for it.
“Fine, I'll deliver the finishing blow…….”
And.
And. And.
After a brief hesitation, I plunged the sword tip down with all my might into Choi Sin-yul's left eye, limp in the snow.
…………………Puhaaaaaak!
The blade sank deep.
Into Choi Sin-yul's left eye. The sensation of the lens tearing…… the brain piercing…… the skull shattering transmitted up the hilt one after another……
???
That instant.
Ikilas's absolute divinity.
The moment that eerie spiral in his pupil was destroyed.
Sarararuk…………………….
The divine sword <Valkalix>.
Ikilas's winter demon swords.
This absolute transcendent sword realm with them…… began scattering into white snowflakes and vanishing.
“Haa…… haa…… haa…… keheok…… keheup…….”
At that moment.
I watched to the end as the sword god, pierced by the divine blade.
Was swept into dawn's waves and burned to ashes.
Is it…… over……?
That was the limit of my strength.
Thud…… I collapsed into the snow like I'd been thrown by someone.
Did I…… beat him……?
[Hunt Success: Apostle of Absolute Star Ikilas, Seo-yul]
Choi Sin-yul…….
You were truly a sword god.
Not because an absolute god chose you…… but through your conviction and skill with the sword itself……
You were different from ordinary human scum.
You shared their ruthless disregard for life…… but you weren't a psychopath…… you just had no interest in the weak.
[Mythic Achievement Unlocked: Slayer of an Absolute God's Apostle (1 / 4)]
As my consciousness flickered.
Notification windows flashed noisily before my eyes.
[All stars of the outer universe send their praises to the hunter who felled an absolute god's apostle!]
- All physical ability stats receive (+30) correction.
- All physical ability stats receive (+25) correction.
- All physical ability stats receive (+15) correction.
- All physical ability stats receive (+10) correction.
- All physical ability stats receive (+5) correction.
- All physical ability stats receive (+3) correction.
Electrifying shivers wracked my body, and I clutched my heart, sobbing uncontrollably.
I won……
An absolute god's apostle.
The overwhelming strongest among those who had descended on this land.
[Legendary Achievement Unlocked: Slayer of the Lead Hunter]
- Lead Hunter title reclaimed.
- Only one Lead Hunter can exist per paradise.
- You are now the Lead Hunter of [Star Pleasure Garden Seodaemun-gu].
You all believed in me……
The holy flame you entrusted……
Was not in vain…… Are you watching…… now……?
Tersia, Liam.
Alkimeres, Pasilimyu, Lloyd, Valerin, and, and…… and──────
It was around then.
─────Chiararararararang!
《Western Azure Mirror》.
Its dawn semicircle grew faint, and the life fragments were sucked back into my body all at once.
[Psionic Assist AI, Kadyuel: Outputting life force recovery data.]
- 267 / 1,000.
- Permanent damage confirmed to user's sensory organs. Outputting data.
a. Vision: 91% -> 27.1%
b. Hearing: 88% -> 45%
c. Taste: 94% -> 11%
d. Touch: 99% -> 33%
e. Smell: 86% -> 26.7%
- Permanent damage confirmed to user's bodily organs.
- Permanent damage confirmed to user's musculoskeletal system.
- Reflecting this data in the <Peytezla> assist system.
267……
267 left……
Only 267 remaining…… of the holy flame passed down through the deaths of my predecessors.
[Warning…… Tesla…… critical damage…… current…… maintenance…… impossible…… phase────]
The grotesquely shattered armor.
The moment <Peytezla>, barely clinging to my body in fragments, vanished with a sizzling mechanical noise.
“────────Keheok!”
Unbearable pain.
Agony tearing through my entire body.
Blocked phlegm burst bitterly, and my body convulsed in stabbing torment.
Ah.
Consciousness…… consciousness……
A sense of exhaustion like being dragged into darkness by some hand……
Everyone……
Please…… take care of things from here……
Just before my consciousness cut out.
Faintly, distantly…… I began to see a group rushing from the far horizon.
“……Kim Baek-jun……!”
“……Baek-jun……!”
“……Association President……!”
“……Oppa……!”
Those voices.
Those longed-for voices.
Only after hearing them with these ears…… ah…… did I truly feel I'd come back alive.
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Humanity value (554) increased.]
- Humanity value: 99,446 -> 100,000.
That was why.
I slammed my fist into the snow, propping up my collapsing body.
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Succession progress improved (99.4% -> 100%)]
- Combat memory synchronization. (100%)
- Physical ability synchronization. (100%)
Pain…… amid…… scattering…… consciousness…… I desperately…… clung to it……
Not yet……
Still…… things I must do……
[Holy Flame Succession, Task of Succession Completed]
- Successor's soul entered in 《Holy Flame Succession》 <Standard> slot.
- 100. 101st Successor, ???
- Now, meet your predecessor successor and receive your baptismal name.