Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Final Battle, Gyo-nam-dong Old Town Stronghold (2)
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2.
“……Arishel’rap.”
One month.
I’ve crossed that wall of a month to come find you.
Wuuung… wuuung….
My fingers trembled around the flickering blade.
“──Dodgeee itttt!”
Yoon Geon-woo screamed in desperation.
Cha Seung-hyeon slammed straight into the bastard’s foreleg. I caught the sight of him rocketing away at an absurd speed before crashing into the wall.
Arishel’rap charged straight toward him.
In that instant, Kim Gye-sang’s final smile flashed before my eyes as he brushed past.
Don’t fuck with me.
《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》.
I surged forward in a single instant, closing the distance to the bastard in one breath.
In that one instant.
Merging my twin swords into one, I swept the blade up with my left hand.
《Sacred Dawn Sword》.
The sword howled fiercely.
From the countless cracks in the blade poured the crimson light of dawn.
Soon, those crimson strands wrapped around the blade, forging it into a scarlet lotus edge.
「PARakas?」
Arishel’rap noticed my approach.
It seemed to whip around toward me at ferocious speed, but it was one beat too late.
“Here I come.”
A momentary halt, harnessing inertial force.
Twisting at the waist for rotational power.
All that force channeled straight into the sword tip, thrusting toward Arishel’rap’s flank.
Chaaaaaaaang──!
A clear metallic ring.
The explosively amplified dawn power, following the sword tip’s trajectory, whipped up into a wedge-shaped sword aura.
「──KAAAAAAAAAAA!」
A strike of transcendent might.
Even its massive bulk couldn’t withstand the pressure, sending it tumbling far into the rubble.
The scales at the impact site shattered, and deep gashes sank into its flesh and bone.
I drew in a breath.
Five whole bars…… it connected!
For a single blow to land as a fatal critical on that Arishel’rap!
I swung the sword wide to cancel 《Sacred Dawn Sword》. Then I checked the system message.
[Unique skill, 《Second Liberation: Sacred Dawn Sword》 cast complete]
- Succession progress 44%: [Scarlet Lotus Arrow] remaining uses (2)
……Three times max, huh.
Figured as much. Only in the beacon keeper’s graveyard could it be used indefinitely.
“Ugh…… sir……?”
Cha Seung-hyeon, embedded in the wall, rasped in a near-death voice.
“You idiot…… pushing yourself like this.”
His side impaled by rebar.
I swiftly sliced through the rebar, hoisted him under my arm, and bolted out of the collapse zone.
“That fucker…… I…… I gotta be the one to…….”
“Enough.”
This wasn’t a proper hunting ground.
With the unstable footing, I couldn’t plant my feet solidly, and I could end up critically wounded by debris like Cha Seung-hyeon.
“Lead Hunter!”
As I emerged onto the flame-engulfed street, Hong Byeong-gyu and Yoon Geon-woo came running.
Their armor battered and crumpled from back-to-back fights.
“Take Seung-hyeon and pull back. Hurry.”
I handed him over.
Hong Byeong-gyu, face hidden behind his visor, replied.
“But─”
“─I’ve got this. Link up with the other hunters and block the heteromorphs’ approach.”
I gave the hesitating pair a resolute nod.
“This time, I’ll win for sure.”
Hong Byeong-gyu and Yoon Geon-woo exchanged glances, took Cha Seung-hyeon, and withdrew from the battlefield.
Krrrooooarrrrr…….
By then, Arishel’rap was charging on all fours from the collapsed hospital building.
Chilling.
Its blue glare swept coldly down my spine.
My heart raced with tension.
I steadied my nerves with deep breaths, lowered my sword tip, and assumed position.
See all things.
Take defensive stance.
Imagine and envision the enemy’s weakness.
“Come on.”
I glimpsed it in an instant.
Power concentrating in its gray-scaled hind leg.
Concentrated power signaled a charge.
I imagined in an instant.
Foreleg sweep? Biting attack?
Finally, calculated how to exploit the opening.
──GRRAAAAAAAH!
Arishel’rap leaped toward me, charging at a speed my eyes couldn’t track.
《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》.
I evaded ten meters back, just as its maw shredded the space I’d occupied.
Now.
The split-second flaw as its offense faltered.
In that moment, I footworked ten meters forward—back to my original spot.
《Sacred Dawn Sword》.
No [Scarlet Lotus Arrow] this time.
One flash.
Instead, I gripped the hilt with both hands, slashing up under its jaw with the scarlet blade.
“Slash!”
──KEEEEEEEEEEK!
A scream that tore at my eardrums.
And the signal that the attack had landed true.
Its intact greatsword form was tough.
But the blade pierced its exoskeleton, slicing clean up to its snout.
“Again!”
I twisted sideways for a horizontal cut, shattering its yellowed teeth and gums in sequence.
Oops.
Its blood was corrosive.
Just before the blood spray, I used 《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》 to widen the gap.
It pursued immediately.
I dodged with precarious footwork, and its massive body plowed straight into the storefront ahead, demolishing it completely.
KRAAAAAAAH!
No time to catch my breath.
From the dust of the collapse, it writhed its whole body, then gaped its maw wide.
From it surged a tidal wave of…… azure blood.
“You bastard……!”
I footworked frantically, my vision blurring in the frenzy.
When I finally escaped the blood’s path, half the road and the buildings were drenched.
The next instant.
Sssizzle── a gruesome corrosive hiss rose, asphalt and concrete melting like sludge, and soon the bisected building began to crumble.
Steel plates, concrete slabs, plate glass, and more.
Debris poured down, blacking out my vision.
Danger.
I footworked as best I could.
Stepped, stepped again, and again.
But limits were clear. The corrosive fluids blazing everywhere.
[Exclusive skill, 《Shadow Ambush》 activated!]
I submerged into the shadows.
When I resurfaced, thankfully, the debris had already slammed into the ground.
Then two crises hit at once.
One.
A metal hunk hurtling straight at me, already upon me.
Two.
Arishel’rap, chest puffed, neck craned skyward.
PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA──
Cold sweat poured down.
Checking me while preparing a killing blow…… this bastard…… it’s orchestrating the fight.
──Bang!
A heavy metallic clash rang out.
The metal hunk vanished from before my eyes as if by magic, flying off to embed in a ruined building.
Then I saw the massive hammer.
Im Yong-gon. And right on its heels.
Piiiiiiiiiiii──
A piercing sonic blast erupted.
My hearing numbed in an instant, the chilling roar wiped clean from my ears.
Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Behind her, Do Su-jin charging with curved sword drawn.
Ha……!
A sigh of relief escaped.
The full subjugation team had joined the hunt. As they all charged Arishel’rap together, I quickly said.
“We follow the planned strategy.”
My ears still ringing, I had to shout.
“Im Yong-gon and Do Su-jin, you two combo.”
One of the subjugation team’s selection criteria was ‘strength.’ Only then could we land effective hits on Arishel’rap.
That’s why I picked Im Yong-gon and Do Su-jin.
Do Su-jin could sever a giant’s tendon in one flash, and did Im Yong-gon even need explaining?
“Ha-kyeong, just focus on the sonic rounds.”
But Jeong Ha-kyeong was the exception.
- Ha-kyeong, stay unarmed. Just keep gripping that revolver loaded with sonic rounds.
- Why me alone?
- It’s the most crucial role. Block the roars. Use 《Super Acceleration》 if needed.
She’d protested then.
But when I said, “You’re the only one I trust for this,”
She turned away, muttering, “If that’s how it is…… fine.”
“You okay?”
I glanced at Do Su-jin last.
Her face was drenched in cold sweat for some reason. From the heat?
She shook her head.
“I’m fine…… we don’t have time for chit-chat.”
“She’s right. Let’s go.”
Im Yong-gon clapped my shoulder.
I nodded, and Im Yong-gon and Do Su-jin charged side by side.
Arishel’rap’s attacks were ferocious and merciless.
It lunged in an instant with forelegs, whipped its tail to dominate space, rampaged wildly to shake the world.
Its black-flame-wreathed hammer deflected the assault, followed by the azure-sheathed blade cleaving exposed flaws.
I closed my eyes.
Recalled the lessons from [Master of the Broken Dawn], then slowly opened them.
Observe. Imagine. Act.
Boiling humanity accelerates thought, action.
Acceleration creates slits in the flow of time. Slits to drive the sword tip home.
First step.
I widened distance as attacks raged.
The moment a flaw appeared, I shifted to its hind leg, flank, or right before its eyes.
One flash.
With the scarlet lotus blade, I rent flesh, muscle, straight to the bone.
──KIAAAAAAAAAAA!
Back off, then again. Again. Again.
Dawn slashes flashed madly from all directions around Arishel’rap, blood whipping wildly.
Not yet, not yet.
Humanity surges again.
I felt cold flames blaze fiercely from my heart.
The dawn sword’s glow intensified further.
──Chaaaaang!
And again, repeat step and flash to the limit.
Slash, slash, slash.
When I paused, Im Yong-gon deflected Arishel’rap’s counter, and Do Su-jin landed criticals.
How many slashes in?
A warning popped up.
[Unique skill, 《First Liberation: Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》 remaining time: (1) sec]
[Unique skill, 《Second Liberation: Sacred Dawn Sword》 remaining uses: (1)]
Use wisely now.
Both liberations down to one use each. Then.
Dizziness.
My mind blanked white, body numb. Side effect of overusing humanity……
……Hold on.
Just a moment to steady my stance. In that instant of pulling back.
Arishel’rap escaped the storm of slashes.
It leaped back, puffed its chest mightily, craned its neck high.
Roar prep.
Piiiiiiiiiiii──
Jeong Ha-kyeong’s sonic round rang out immediately.
Not late.
Perfect timing. But why.
“……?!”
Do Su-jin, mid-charge, dropped her curved sword, gasping and collapsing to her knees.
Arishel’rap’s maw engulfed her.
Shit…… damn it.
That instant.
I triggered 《Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》.
Twin swords merged in my right hand, I stepped forward and grabbed Do Su-jin by the nape.
Then another step.
Dragged her twenty meters from Arishel’rap.
[Unique skill, 《First Liberation: Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》 time expired.]
[Spacetime Control] lost power.
Twin swords fused into broken greatsword. Damn…… no more footwork.
I wiped sweat from my brow and looked down at Do Su-jin.
“You okay?”
“Why…… why this…….”
“Su-jin?”
Her condition was off.
Intense pain in her left hand?
She clutched her left wrist agonizingly with her right.
Wrist gave out from cleaving Arishel’rap’s exoskeleton?
“Kim Baek-jun!”
Im Yong-gon’s urgent shout flew in.
“It’s airborne! Above!”
I looked up, heart sinking.
Arishel’rap.
Mid-leap into the sky.
High Drop.
Arishel’rap’s…… killing move.
“That bastard again?”
Jeong Ha-kyeong approached. I shouted desperately.
“《Super Acceleration》, use 《Super Acceleration》.”
“……?”
“Take Su-jin and get away from my position. Hurry!”
Even if we wanted to dodge, we couldn’t.
Footwork would’ve changed that.
But now, someone had to take that high drop.
“What? Why? What about you, old man?”
“It’s targeting me. Did last time, will this time.”
“So what’re you gonna do! Hide in the shadows?”
I shook my head.
Instead, I raised the trembling Dawn Sword.
“No. I’ll end it here.”
[Master of the Broken Dawn] said it: Turn any crisis into opportunity.
“Trust me. I’ll win for sure.”
[Raging Despair, Arishel’rap]
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[Raging Despair, Arishel’rap]
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[Raging Despair, Arishel’rap]
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[Raging Despair, Arishel’rap]
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