Chapter 602: Chaos Purification (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 602: Chaos Purification (6)
The startled creature recoiled like a spooked cat—an odd comparison, given its massive, heavy frame.
Thump—!
As it tumbled backward, a tremor rippled through the training ground. Jin found himself pushed back by the mere aftershock of the impact.
It’s definitely sensitive to Spirit Energy.
Yona, Amela, Gliek—nearly every manifestation of Chaos he had encountered either deeply feared Solderet’s power or harbored a profound grudge against him.
The First Chaos, born from Heluram, was no different. It lay on the ground, its eyes wide enough to pop from their sockets as it gasped for breath. Though invisible to the naked eye, it felt as if the creature were drenched in a cold, torrential sweat.
“Oh, looks like Brother Jin landed a solid blow right from the start this time!”
“Brother! Great job! Keep pressing! Grind it into a pulp!”
The Pluto Tribe members watching the match, who had gone as far as setting up refreshments and drinks in the spectator seats, shouted with clenched fists. As before, Ban maintained a distance of exactly five paces from Jin.
“Urgh…”
However, closing the distance again was no easy task.
Unlike before, when it had been distracted by Ban’s presence, the Chaos entity had regained its composure and was now radiating a pure, overwhelming Fighting Spirit toward Jin.
Jin’s legs refused to budge, as if pinned by a pressure rivaling Tess’s power. He wasn’t paralyzed by fear or a loss of will; his body was simply frozen by the sheer physical force of the creature’s Fighting Spirit.
“How dare you.”
At Ban’s low murmur, the Chaos immediately withdrew its pressure. Instead, it began to plead its case in the characteristically gloomy, eerie voice of a high-ranking Chaos entity.
[Whine… Whimper…]
The voice of such an entity was inherently invasive, burrowing deep into the human psyche. The reason beings like the Demon God Stones or Gliek could shatter a person’s will with a single shriek wasn’t just because they were strong.
The First Chaos that had emerged from Jin was the same. For a fleeting moment, even Jin felt a pang of pity at its whimpering.
Crazy. Pity? What am I thinking?
Jin was particularly susceptible to the creature’s voice. Chaos wasn't the only thing that composed its being; it also possessed Jin’s own energy. By taking that power, it had naturally come to resemble a part of Jin’s inner self.
In a sense, an internal link existed between them, allowing them to feel each other’s emotions more vividly. This was why Jin had to steel his heart every time he moved to strike. He had to remind himself that this thing was not to be pitied—it was an ominous existence that had to be eradicated.
[Yelp! Whine! Kiiing!]
“What do you want me to do about it?” Ban asked coldly.
[Ki-eee!]
“Be quiet. Hold your tongue and face Brother Jin’s blade.”
The Chaos entity, however, found the situation utterly absurd. This human was trying to kill it, yet Ban stood firmly behind him as his protector. The injustice of it all was enough to make its stomach turn. To make matters worse, its appeals were met only with cold, overbearing commands.
In truth, the Chaos was willing to let things slide as long as Jin didn't try to harm it. Originally, it was meant to devour Jin and become ‘one’ with him, but since they had been separated, it thought they might as well live their own lives. It didn't even perceive itself as having stolen Jin’s power; it felt as though the power had always belonged to it.
The Chaos began to increase the distance again, with Jin in pursuit. As it fled, the entity wondered why Jin still possessed Spirit Energy. Meanwhile, Jin was busy contemplating how to crush the slippery, irritating wretch.
Spirit Energy is definitely a threat to it, but my body can’t keep up enough to execute my Spirit Sword techniques properly.
Jin ground his teeth. Spirit Energy alone wasn't enough to properly reinforce his physical body. He had released his Spirit Energy Armor—though he couldn't use the Rune of Mul-ta due to a lack of mana—but unleashing Bradamante was out of the question.
Do I have to learn how to reinforce my body with Spirit Energy? There’s no telling how long that would take. If I focus too much on that, I might mess up my flow when I eventually recover my Aura.
He never imagined a day would come when he would so desperately miss the Aura that used to fill his every vessel. The thought of filling his empty dantian and energy pathways with Spirit Energy instead felt fundamentally wrong.
“Mmm.”
“At first, it looked like Brother Jin landed a hit, but now the momentum is… well. Can you even call this a fight?”
“I feel so bad for Brother Jin. He used to be so strong…”
“Hey, don't say such unlucky things! You make it sound like he’ll never be strong again.”
As time passed, however, Jin and Ban began to understand the battle on a completely different level from the spectators.
It’s just as the Fighting God said. Closing the distance is still a struggle, but I’m starting to feel the powers she mentioned.
Like light filtered through a thick fog, the energy the Chaos had taken from him was faintly glowing from various parts of its body. Only Jin could see it, and it felt as though if he could just grab it, the power would rush back to him like a tidal wave.
It’s too dangerous for the Fighting God to break that damn shield for me. Even if she doesn't hit it directly, just her striking the shield could damage my energy inside it. She must be staying back for that reason.
Jin was right.
However, as Ban maintained her five-pace distance, she was also experiencing a strange sensation.
Is a resonance occurring between Brother Jin and me…?
The Pluto Tribe’s Heart of Light and the power within it could be amplified by reacting to Ban’s own power. This was why the Hearts of Light of the Fighting Kings in the Great Temple had glowed so intensely when Jin first arrived in Laprarosa. The Pluto Tribe called this phenomenon ‘Fighting God Resonance.’
Since Jin now possessed a Heart of Light, he could resonate in the same way—but he shouldn't have been able to right now.
Brother Jin’s Heart of Light shouldn't have even the minimum amount of energy required for resonance… so why?
Suddenly, as if a realization struck her, Ban reached out and gripped Jin’s shoulder.
“Fighting God?”
“Brother Jin, do you not feel it?”
“Feel what…? Oh?”
Jin stopped in his tracks. Because Ban had strengthened the flow of the Fighting God Resonance, he could now feel the same sensation she did.
The Fighting God’s power… it feels like it’s about to connect to me!
It was a foreign sensation, but not the first time he had felt something like it.
Blue Bird Archipelago, Island 32.
—(My brother, Paitel, whom I wish to kill.)
—(How dare you… think of descending in my tomb.)
Something similar had happened when he first killed Joshua’s clone. He remembered how the residual consciousness of Gram, the God of Thunder, remaining within Sigmund had resonated with the sword and amplified his lightning energy.
A similar sensation was now enveloping him.
“It seems I can help you after all, Brother Jin.”
Vroooooom—!
Suddenly, it felt as if the sky had opened up, as if they were submerged in a tsunami. The entire training ground was flooded with brilliant blue lightning. It was the result of Ban releasing her power.
[Kek, Kyeng!?]
The Chaos entity mistakenly thought Ban had changed her mind and was going to kill it regardless of what happened to Jin. If that were the case, the creature would have been torn to shreds by her mere presence.
But Ban had unleashed her energy to send it to Jin. It was as if a god were bestowing authority upon a mortal. She had never lent her power to another in this manner, but she was certain that Jin would be able to accept it.
While the Chaos entity huddled in fear, unable to grasp the situation, Jin shuddered at the sensation of being reborn.
Crackle—!
Like a spreading flame, a light intensified in Jin’s chest. His Heart of Light began to pulse with blue lightning once more. The black blade of Bradamante, already soaked in Spirit Energy, was now wreathed in brilliant blue sparks.
His body, which had felt as heavy as a boulder, became as light as a feather. He felt as though he could slice through the creature’s shield with ease.
Now, I can finally fight properly.
How they had resonated, how this new method of ‘succession’ might be developed, or what problems could arise from it—those were questions for after the fight. After all, there was no longer any risk of Jin dying or being crippled while fighting the Chaos.
“I was a bit surprised to find out recently that I was on borrowed time. Why don't you get a taste of that feeling, Chaos? Now you’re the one on borrowed time.”
Swish—!
He closed the distance to the shield—which had felt infinitely far away—in just two leaps. Jin swung his sword with eyes full of exhilaration, while Ban maintained her five-pace distance behind him.
The Chaos entity was driven to the brink of madness.
[Ky-aaaaah!]
Jin was pushed back by the creature’s roar, but he didn't lose consciousness as he had before.
I can handle this. It’s not like last time, when I was taken down so pathetically.
Of course, the power the Chaos had shown so far was only a fraction of its potential. But now, to Jin, the Chaos was no longer an unbreakable wall; it was an opponent that could be conquered if he struck it enough times.
Bradamante carved out a chunk of the creature’s shield. Caught off guard by Jin’s sudden surge in strength, the entity failed to repair the barrier immediately. Jin was not the type to miss such an opening.
Stepping inside the shield, Jin dodged a desperate swipe of the creature’s forepaw and aimed for its instep. There, a clump of energy that originally belonged to him was coalescing.
Before the creature could truly begin to struggle, Jin threw himself toward its foot. He reached out with his energy as if grasping a fallen object.
The moment he touched it, it was like biting into incredibly sweet fruit after days of starving. The sweetness seemed to wake every vessel in his body instantly.
He felt his lost power flooding back into his dantian. The first portion of power Jin reclaimed from the creature was about ten percent of his total Aura.
The moment of joy was brief.
As soon as the power re-entered his body, his consciousness snapped like a cut thread, and he blacked out once more.
However, as he fell, Jin wore a deeply happy smile—the kind only seen on those who have finally reclaimed something precious.