Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 203
>Chapter Title: Battle with the Cloud Ghost
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Yahum's black glove activated its ability.
[The probability of enlightenment does not decrease even if the opponent's level is lower than yours.]
[During combat, the probability of enlightenment occurring increases dramatically.]
[Proficiency accumulation for new abilities derived from enlightenment begins at 'Skilled'.]
A slew of derivative abilities related to enlightenment activated.
Whether this ability was good or bad wasn't particularly important in this situation.
Kang Seol was on the verge of battling Yahum, the master of the Ghost Gate.
Paaaaang!
"Ugh!"
"Kyaaak!"
Han Yeo-myung and Philia were flung far away as Yahum swiped his hand through the air.
"Step aside, you flies...."
Thud-!
Thud-!
Thud-!
Thud-!
Twelve ghosts carried four massive pillars and planted them around Kang Seol and Yahum in all four directions.
Ziiiiing...
Bang!
Bang!
"Hyung!"
"Snowman!"
Kang Seol tilted his head, pondering the barrier that appeared in the empty air.
'Is it some kind of ring?'
The process of setting up those pillars seemed to block external interference.
'That's even better for me.'
Han Yeo-myung and Philia wouldn't be much help in the fight against Yahum.
It might be a bit harsh to say it, but they would just get in the way.
The only allies who could truly help him now were Karen and Karuna.
Whirlic-!
Whick-!
Karen and Karuna were summoned simultaneously.
Ruuuumble...
Yahum wrinkled his nose at the aura emanating from the three of them.
"Arrogant human brat... Three of you? Then I suppose I should match your numbers. Manda!"
"Yes!"
"Huhon!"
"Yessir!"
"Come forth!"
Sssslither...
Two of the twelve ghosts crossed over the pillar barrier to join him.
Kang Seol frowned and said,
"Don't you have any rules here? Totally arbitrary."
"Heh heh heh... Sounds like you're lacking confidence?"
"Not quite, but are the rest just going to stand there gawking?"
"Fair enough... I suppose you'd feel that way. Very well! From now on, no other ghosts will interfere. I, Yahum, swear it!"
What a dirty trick.
Yahum was a goblin far from fair play.
Still, Kang Seol considered it fortunate to extract this much concession from Yahum, who held an absolute advantage.
He focused on his next move.
'Yahum is the Cloud Ghost. Need to be careful.'
Ilwolseongun (日月星雲).
A rare sorcery mainly used by powerful ghosts from the East.
Among them, Yahum wielded the power of clouds.
Whoooosh-!
"Enough chatter. All of you, begone."
Yahum spun his club, gathering energy. White smoke-like clouds gathered around the club...
Kwaaaang-!
And as he slammed it into the ground, they scattered in all directions.
In an instant, a white mist completely obscured vision.
[Yahum uses Cloud Sorcery: Goblin Path.]
[Everyone loses their way in the fog.]
Saaaaah...
"......"
"Heh heh... Finally, some quiet."
Karen and Karuna vanished into the mist before Kang Seol's eyes.
The two ghosts that had intruded earlier met the same fate.
'This is clearly a disadvantage for me.'
Yahum must have known that and scattered them. The two ghosts were strong, but not quite on par with Kang Seol's summons.
"You dare try to run off with my possession? As if."
"I'm not running. I came to turn myself in."
Yahum felt a mix of unease and irritation at Kang Seol's consistent composure.
"Insolent human... You don't beg for mercy from start to finish. I'll smash that mouth of yours first!"
Whoooong...
Whoooong...
While Yahum spun his club and glared at Kang Seol, Kang Seol prepared his own countermeasure.
'Ur, can you dismantle this?'
- This... is different from sorcery. It'll take time.
'Can't summon you?'
- If you want to summon a big useless lump, sure. But I can't guarantee it'll help. Plus, if I can't stop that sorcery, even I'll get caught in it.
'...Then handle the dismantling.'
- Got it.
Kang Seol envisioned how the battle would unfold in his mind.
'It's a battle of time. Karen and Karuna should be fine in the Goblin Path... but on my end...'
He would have to face Yahum, now cloaked in clouds, with just Night Raven.
If someone asked if that scared him, Kang Seol would answer:
Not at all.
"Jamad."
- Ready here.
Flash-!
In Night Raven form, Kang Seol was a monster with nothing to fear.
[Ruffian's Movement activates.]
[Evasion rate increases by 10%, hit rate by 5%.]
Yahum sneered at the charging Kang Seol.
"Not bad movement, but..."
[Uses Sky Kick, Ground Kick.]
[One of the two abilities activates.]
Even amid Kang Seol's unpredictable movements, Yahum showed no intimidation.
Paaaaak!
Yahum raised his arm to block the Sky Kick.
Kang Seol had glimpsed this with Foresight Eye, so he wasn't surprised and followed up.
Whoooong-!
Whooong-!
Yahum was surprisingly agile for his size. Kang Seol's fists all missed.
A probing battle where neither could land a clean hit.
Suddenly, Yahum launched a high-risk attack.
"Explode!"
Yahum's club in his right hand swung fiercely horizontally.
Boooooooom!
'Big motion!'
Swoosh-!
'Chance!'
Jamad issued a warning as Kang Seol nearly hugged the ground.
"Inside!"
Without hesitation, Kang Seol dove inward as Jamad advised.
Kwaaaaaak-!
Yahum's left palm smashed the spot where Kang Seol had been.
Jamad's advice and Kang Seol's quick judgment proved effective.
"First... one hit!"
Kang Seol pulled his arm back fully and uppercut Yahum's jaw.
Kwaaaaaaaaak!
'It landed... No!'
[Yahum uses Cloud Sorcery: Mirage.]
[It's an illusion.]
Kang Seol panicked at the enemy's next move confirmed by Foresight Eye, but he responded swiftly.
Paaaaaaaang-!
Kang Seol flew from Yahum's incoming palm strike from the side.
"Hng..."
Kwachik!
Kwajik...
Kang Seol bounced across the ground a few times before regaining his stance.
"Haa..."
Blood trickled from his mouth.
Composing himself amid the shocking turn, Yahum taunted him.
"Heh heh heh heh! You believe only what you see—that's why I hate humans! Have you seen the souls of the countless items here?"
Wipe...
Kang Seol wiped the blood.
'If not for Foresight Eye just now...'
He might have died.
Yahum, thrilled by his clear superiority, rambled on.
"Very few items in the Ghost Gate have passed through my hands. Yet souls of items keep gathering here. All because of your greed."
"Someone said greed is a good thing."
"That's only when you can control it. Got it, you inferior thing?"
Kang Seol replied with a blank expression.
"I'm... getting pissed."
He signaled Ur.
'Can you dismantle this too?'
- It'll take a bit. Damn... Same root, but twisted so viciously. I have to decode the sorcery itself, then dismantle both at once...
It would take more time.
Kang Seol gritted his teeth and refocused on the fight.
'Stay focused!'
Flash-!
Crunch...
Craaaackle...
Crackle...
[Switching to Thunderbolt Stance.]
[Flames cling to all attacks.]
[Explosion occurs at impact point.]
[Lightning spreads at impact point.]
[Duration: Clinging flames applied.]
[Duration: Hot and warm applied.]
[Duration: Tingling applied.]
Kang Seol burned as he charged. Yahum watched nonchalantly.
[Yahum uses Cloud Sorcery: Cumulus.]
[The clouds thicken further.]
Pabak-!
Kang Seol kicked off Yahum's knee and leaped, spinning to plant his right foot into Yahum's jaw.
Paaaaak-!
He felt it the moment it connected.
'Real! But...'
Again.
Foresight Eye showed another future.
[Yahum uses Cloud Sorcery: Mirage.]
[It's an illusion.]
"High and mighty..."
Yahum's voice came first.
Booooooong...
Yahum's club pierced through the clouds.
This was within Kang Seol's prediction.
Tap-!
Deflecting the club's momentum, Kang Seol used it to thrust a punch.
Kwajiiik-!
'Damn... It's definitely real...'
Why did it only show horrific futures?
[Yahum uses Cloud Sorcery: Mirage.]
[It's an illusion.]
"So lofty..."
Kang Seol took another palm strike from Yahum.
Paaaaaaaang-!
"Kuhuk..."
Blood surged from Kang Seol's mouth.
He rolled from the impact.
"Heh heh heh heh! Welcome to Goblin Yahum's domain!"
"Haa... haa..."
Though struck twice unexpectedly, Kang Seol regenerated rapidly using primordial blood and didn't collapse.
'That sorcery... Mirage is the biggest problem...'
He'd left countermeasures to Ur, but Kang Seol wouldn't sit idle. He never had, and never would.
'Is he not corporeal?'
Jamad answered his question.
- No, he is corporeal.
During battle, Kang Seol shared the same doubts with Jamad, whose body he occupied.
'The impact on collision. Even his evasive maneuvers avoiding vitals...'
'Right, no need to evade if it's invincible.'
'If that sorcery made him invincible, Yahum wouldn't be idling here... Has he changed since battle start?'
Jamad and Kang Seol simultaneously sensed something and exchanged thoughts.
'Magic power!'
'Magic power. It's decreased.'
Kang Seol recalled Yahum's expressions during the fight.
His face briefly twisted in pain. Then, he realized.
'This... isn't illusion or anything. He is corporeal.'
'Yes.'
'He is definitely corporeal, and that Mirage... probably rewinds his body to pre-damage state—a kind of reversal ability!'
At that moment, a message appeared for Kang Seol, who had unlocked Mirage's secret.
[Enlightenment! Awakening new ability.]
[Awakening Nightmare.]
[Nightmare is affected by Surprise Appearance: Creature's ability.]
'This is...'
Kang Seol grinned after quickly checking the new ability.
"Why are you smiling?"
Yahum disliked Kang Seol smirking even after taking hits.
"For starters, since you're pissing me off, I'll beat you down..."
Flash-!
Kang Seol charged at Yahum again.
"Impatient too! Everything about you annoys me!"
Booooooong...
Dodging the club like before, Kang Seol followed with his next attack.
Kwajik-!
Yahum's face twisted briefly.
Then, identically, Yahum's hand emerged from the clouds.
Flinch...
Kang Seol braced his stance.
Paaaaang-!
Of course, Yahum's attack wasn't something one could fully block.
Spurt...
Blood sprayed as Kang Seol flew.
'Why... why did it fail?'
He had definitely used Nightmare, but it didn't activate properly.
Stagger...
Rising again, dizzy for a moment, Kang Seol organized his insights.
'I get it... So that's it.'
Blood pouring from his mouth, Kang Seol said,
"Hey, Yahum."
"Tough life. Fun to beat, heh heh heh!"
"Yahum!"
"What?"
"This time, I'll smash you."
Yahum looked baffled, then enraged.
"Even playing is getting boring! Let's end it!"
Kang Seol drew out all his power for the final clash.
Cracklecrackle-!
[Uses Lightning Origin Sorcery: Hedgehog.]
[Fierce energy fills the area.]
[Duration: Tingling damage increases by 500%.]
Lightning origin power extracted from Ramu.
Kang Seol wrapped himself in it and hardened his expression.
Cracklecrackle-!
Yahum tilted his head at Kang Seol.
"Familiar scent... Hmm... This smell... Ramu?"
Flash-!
A lightning bolt shot out.
As it fired, he recalled why Nightmare had failed.
'It clashed with Foresight Eye during activation.'
Foresight Eye predicted enemy moves, almost showing the future, making users overly reliant.
'Foresight Eye showed the next moment... and I felt fear first.'
Nightmare twisted approaching futures—how could one fear the future while using it?
With a mindset of possible death, the ability couldn't work properly.
'I won't die.'
Paaat-!
"Die!"
Whooooooong-!
Yahum's club approached.
Kang Seol stared straight at the fearsome form and saw beyond it.
Puuuuh!
The club collided with Kang Seol's head for the first time.
Even for the long-lived Yahum, it was a satisfying strike.
"Hahaha!"
But then.
A voice that should belong to a corpse echoed around.
"You believe only what you see—that's why I like you."
[Uses Nightmare.]
[Recent damage transferred to creature.]
Flutter...
Caaaaaaw!
A flock of crows appeared where Kang Seol stood and scattered.
An ability akin to Yahum's Mirage. Yahum felt a chill down his neck for a moment, but it was fine.
He was always ready to counter with Mirage.
However, Kang Seol's promise to shatter Yahum this time was no lie.
"It's over."
- Dismantling complete.
[Sealed Ur's Magic Path activates.]
[Magic Devourer activates.]
[Digesting Cloud Sorcery: Goblin Path.]
[Digesting Cloud Sorcery: Mirage.]
Whoooosh!
The thick smoke vanished in an instant.
Swoooosh-!
Swoosh!
"Kuh, kuheeeok..."
Two swords pierced Yahum's back.
Karen and Karuna's swords. The ghosts they'd fought lay with throats slit, tongues lolling.
Yahum's head jerked up in agony, and he glimpsed the approaching future.
A horrific, nightmare one.
Kang Seol's fist smashed into Yahum's face.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang-!
Cracklecraaaaackle!
Lightning striking the massive ghost felt like divine punishment.