Chapter 608: Chaos Purification (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 608: Chaos Purification (12)
[Get lost!]
Chaos screamed.
The overwhelming pressure it once exerted was gone. It had shrunk to the size of a wolf, and even maintaining that form seemed a struggle. With every passing second, it grew smaller.
As Jin processed its words, more spikes flew toward him. The brief pause had given him an opening to deflect them again, but he knew he couldn't face them indefinitely in his exhausted state.
‘Come to think of it, Chaos has always had chances to kill me during our past battles.’
There were too many anomalies to dismiss it all as mere luck.
Still, Jin hadn't been able to be certain that Chaos was “refraining” from killing him. Although the truth had been made clear just now when the spikes stopped at the most decisive moment, there had been more than a few instances where he was pushed to the brink of death.
‘I should get out of here for now.’
There was no telling when Chaos might change its mind.
Using the last of his Spirit Energy, Jin tore open a rift back to Laprarosa. Before stepping through, he glanced back to see Chaos letting out an unstable, wavering roar.
*
“Oh, you came out quite fast this time!”
“Brother Jin, did you finally defeat that thing?!”
“I wouldn’t say I’ve won yet,” Jin replied. “But I weakened it with a Spirit Sword Supreme Technique and managed to reclaim my power.”
“Now that you mention it, I can feel traces of that formidable energy from you again, Brother Jin… Congratulations!”
“And since you say the creature is weakened, the next battle will be the end! We should prepare a banquet soon.”
While his brothers shouted in excitement, Jin felt a lingering sense of unease.
‘The victory I yearned for is right before my eyes, yet I don’t feel good at all.’
As Ban approached, Jin explained what had happened inside.
“…Seeing the spikes stop at the very end, I got the impression that it couldn’t kill me. I’d suspected as much before, but… Fighting God Ban, did you know?”
“Rather than saying it cannot kill you, it would be more accurate to say it will not,” Ban corrected.
The members of the Pluto Tribe exchanged confused looks at her words.
“It’s choosing not to kill him?”
“Yes.”
“Please, tell us more.”
“When Brother Jin first visited that creature’s domain, its inner thoughts were conveyed to me as well.”
Ban’s gaze fell upon Jin’s Heart of Light. Even now, whenever the two of them were within one li of the Gate of Chaos, the Fighting God Union would inevitably activate.
The Fighting God Union was a form of resonance, and the medium that triggered it was Chaos itself.
The Fighting God blood within Jin had mixed with Chaos, causing a transformation that created a link between them. As a result, Jin and Chaos could read each other's thoughts within a certain range.
This resonance wasn't limited to just Jin and Chaos. Because of the unique nature of Chaos, Ban had also developed a connection with it, much like Jin had.
“The resonance between Chaos and me only manifests when you create a rift to leave its domain, Brother. Just as you can only read its thoughts while you are in there.”
Consequently, Ban had been reading the creature's emotions every time Jin’s battles ended. The information she gathered was simple:
First, once Chaos took the form of a ‘Gate,’ it could never leave that domain on its own.
Second, it had begun to wait for Jin’s visits.
As Ban explained, Jin felt he understood why she had urged him so fiercely to continue the duels.
She had been certain that Chaos would not kill him.
The reason was simple.
“Because it is lonely,” Ban said. “It entered its own domain out of necessity, but it feels an extreme sense of solitude there. Furthermore, Brother Jin, you are the only one who can visit that place. If it kills you, it will be alone forever.”
—Tch, you’re good at running away…! Next time, I’ll definitely send you to the afterlife!
—You took quite a while this time.
—Well, did you bring a toy for me? I was getting bored.
Suddenly, Jin recalled several things Chaos had said. Most of it had been jeers and mockery, but occasionally, Chaos had made remarks that subtly hinted at its loneliness.
‘So that’s what it meant.’
Jin finally realized why he felt so uneasy after this fight.
He felt pity for Chaos.
It was a strange, jarring emotion. Until just a moment ago, the only thing Jin felt for Chaos was a hatred he reserved for a sworn enemy.
But thinking about how it had stopped its spikes at the last second, despite taking such a heavy blow and knowing it couldn't win the next time… and the fact that it had been waiting in that dark, empty space for the only person who came to kill it…
He couldn't help but feel a pang of compassion.
“And I suspect you knew to some extent that it wouldn't kill you, Brother Jin,” Ban added. “You just couldn't think deeply about it because of your rage.”
It was exactly as she said.
“…It wasn't just because of rage,” Jin admitted. “That thing is Chaos. Moreover, it’s the one that stole all my energy. Therefore, regardless of its psychological state, it was a target I had to subjugate.”
It wasn't an opponent he could afford to face with a wavering heart, clouded by pity or any other emotion. It was so strong that he couldn't have won even if he’d fought with a mind as sharp as a master-crafted blade.
Ban nodded slowly.
“Yes, you’re right. That’s why I didn't stop you from fighting it until you were strong enough to win. I also thought it would be of immense help to your training, and it certainly was.”
One of the greatest motivators for human growth is hatred.
For the past year and three months, Jin had devoted himself to training and fighting with a deeper fury than ever before. The result was the Spirit Sword Supreme Technique Form 1: First Night.
Furthermore, as of today, he had reclaimed all his old power, and the Aura and Mana he had accumulated in the meantime remained intact. In terms of pure power, Jin had already reached the 10-star rank in both Aura and Mana. His Spirit Energy was also approaching the late 9-star rank with the completion of his Supreme Technique.
Woooooom…!
Suddenly, the Hearts of Light in both Jin and Ban began to pulse with an even more intense radiance. As always, the phenomenon occurred regardless of their will.
“Urgh…!”
A massive surge of power rushed into Jin’s Heart of Light. If he hadn't reclaimed his original energy just moments ago, he would have fainted within seconds, unable to endure the influx.
Now, he could withstand it. Though he was exhausted, the newly refilled vessels of his body absorbed Ban’s power instantaneously, like trees welcoming rain after a long drought.
The problem was Ban.
The energy leaving her was incomparably greater than before, and she momentarily stumbled.
“Fighting God!”
“The Fighting God is…!”
The Pluto Tribe members rushed toward Ban in alarm. She raised a hand to show she was fine, but her face was clearly etched with fatigue.
“Don't make a fuss, brothers. Let us move outside the training ground.”
The Fighting God Union deactivated the moment they moved one li away from the area.
“Come to think of it, now that Brother Jin has regained all his strength, can't we just destroy the Gate?” Nata asked.
“Doing so would end the Fighting God Union phenomenon… but since that wasn't Brother Jin’s goal in the first place, he doesn't even need to be the one to subjugate Chaos anymore,” Boras replied.
“Brother Jin.”
“Yes, Fighting God Ban.”
“What will you do?”
“Are you asking if I will kill Chaos?”
“I am.”
The eyes of the Pluto Tribe focused on Jin. Ban remained expressionless, while the rest of the tribe seemed split down the middle. Some wanted to eliminate the First Chaos immediately, while others, looking pitifully toward the Gate, seemed to think it should be spared.
“Ahem. Brother Jin,” Boras began. “This is your choice to make, but I wonder if we should let it live.”
“Brother Boras! What are you talking about?” Nata shot back. “That thing is the First Chaos. Now that Brother Jin has his strength back, we must remove it quickly. We don't know what hidden powers it might still have. Leaving it be could cause problems later.”
“True, it is a bit tragic, but you know better than anyone how dangerous the First Chaos is, Brother.”
“I can't even agree that it's pitiful! If the Fighting God hadn't pulled it out of Brother Jin, it would have killed him!”
“I know, I know. But listen, Chaos is highly valuable as a research subject. The enemies Brother Jin faces out there also use the power of Chaos, and we need this Chaos to research the Fighting God Union.”
“Brothers.”
When Jin spoke, the Pluto Tribe fell silent.
“First of all, my issues aren't entirely resolved yet. I’ve regained my strength, but…”
Jin rolled up his sleeve.
“Here, the black spots still remain. They’ve faded since its power weakened, though.”
“Then they will likely vanish completely if we destroy it,” Nata insisted. “Just say the word. We can't enter the domain of Chaos ourselves, but destroying the Gate is child's play for us.”
“For whatever reason, it gave me several chances,” Jin said, his voice quiet but firm.
The eyes of the Pluto Tribe widened.
“Whether it was because it was lonely or because playing with me like a toy was its only joy—regardless, it could have killed me but spared me multiple times. So, I intend to give it one chance as well.”
“No, Brother Jin! Since when did you become so merciful?”
“It’s not just for that reason,” Jin continued. “As Brother Boras said, it has research value. Even setting aside the Fighting God Union, I might discover elements from it that could help me when I face Chaos in the future.”
The brothers who had been vehemently opposing the idea just moments ago nodded as soon as Jin reached his conclusion.
“Of course, if it shows even the slightest hint of uncooperativeness, I will eliminate it immediately.”
“If that is your choice, Brother Jin, we have no choice but to follow.”
“Well, it’s not like your argument lacks merit.”
“Just in case, I will focus on recovery for two days and enter the Gate again in peak condition. The matter will be settled then, one way or another. Please wait just a little longer.”
For the next two days, Jin enjoyed a proper rest for the first time in a long while.
Ban also gave the other brothers, who had been immersed in hellish training, a chance to rest. During that time, she was often seen visiting the empty training ground alone.
She would sit quietly in front of the Gate leading to Chaos’s domain, as if trying to listen to its story.
“Can you hear the inner thoughts of Chaos, Fighting God?” Jin asked, finding her there once.
Ban shook her head.
“No. I can't hear it without the rift you create.”
Her expression was one of profound bitterness. She, too, seemed to expect that Jin would eventually have to kill Chaos.