Chapter 245
Chapter 245
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 245
>Chapter Title: The Earth King's Desperate Return
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Every day, the entrance to the Sodeung Mine, a short distance away, was packed with people.
They came here day in and day out, waiting for news of their families, collapsing from despair time and again but dragging themselves back up regardless.
Someone in a hazmat suit came running from the direction of the mine.
“Th-the Earth King! The Earth King is coming up! The chassis is badly damaged, but….”
“No way… Out of the way!”
Rumble—!
The crowd shoved past the controlling guards and surged forward.
“W-wait….”
“Honey! Hooooney!”
“Daddy! Daaaaddy!”
“Bro! You’re back, right, bro?!”
The sight of dozens, hundreds of people charging ahead was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking.
When the bad news reached them, they would all be engulfed in immense despair.
“St-stop them!”
The person at the front of the charge shouted.
“Wait! There….”
“The giant soldier….”
“It’s….”
The people slowed to a halt as they ran.
It wasn’t the giant soldier they had hoped for.
They had expected it to steadily climb the cliff, unloading a bunch of rescued miners.
But what was this pitiful heap of scrap metal sprawled on the ground?
A machine with its head buried, twitching, limbs completely gone.
It was just a hunk of steel, yet something could be felt from its battered form.
Desperation. That it had staked everything.
“Opening it!”
Hiss…
Personnel in hazmat suits opened the pod strapped to the giant soldier’s back.
Psssh…
“Cough… Cough….”
“Hah… Hah….”
People began to emerge from it, one by one.
They were the ones everyone had lost.
“Hooooney!”
“My God….”
“No… This can’t be….”
Hope isn’t blind.
People only believe as much as they want to.
They temper it with doubt, enough to avoid getting hurt.
They had hoped the miners would return, but also thought they might not.
Yet, they had returned.
Like a miracle.
“Wooooah!”
“They’re back! Everyone’s back!”
“Thank you… Thank you….”
“Lady Seolhong really….”
It was as if a festival was about to break out, like a volcano on the verge of eruption—everyone ready to unleash their pent-up emotions.
Until they saw someone.
“Ov-over here… It’s Lord Chiwoo!”
“Oh my God….”
Chiwoo’s condition was indescribable.
His chest was deeply caved in, and he was taking shallow breaths.
“All the ribs… seem broken.”
“Heh… Hehehe….”
“L-Lord Chiwoo?”
“This kinda thing heals in a day with some spit… You idiots. I’m a Lang tribe….”
“Doctor! Get a doctor here now!”
As they untangled the steel cables from Chiwoo’s flesh, the Earth King twitched.
“Fuel….”
“…Pardon?”
“Refuel me… I have to go back down….”
“In this state….”
The Record Keeper’s voice transmitted.
“Seolhong of the Dead Flame! From this moment, I shall evaluate your feats.”
“…Shut up.”
“…What?”
“It’s… not over yet… the ordeal.”
Her wail echoed through the Earth King’s resonator.
“Kang Seol is still down there! My dragon stone is down there!”
“…….”
“The Adumsini has revived… The Adumsini has awakened underground.”
“…….”
“Let me… let me go. Please….”
The Record Keepers fell silent.
They had finally realized a problem far more pressing than Seolhong’s dragon contention.
One of the Record Keepers headed down to Tomaku’s mining village to report to the Dragon Emperor.
Thud…
Thud…
At that moment, someone approached the Earth King.
“Well… the Earth King is completely wrecked.”
“This voice….”
It was Bangjae, one of the Dragon Heroes.
The Dragon Hero who had refused the ordeal of rescuing Sodeung’s buried miners.
“How about you, Seolhong?”
“Brother Bangjae….”
“Are you in the same state as this Earth King? If so, you can’t go down.”
“Ugh… Are you mocking me?”
Everyone here knew there were no more giant soldiers left. Bangjae’s words stabbed at her heart.
But his expression was serious.
“Did it sound that way?”
A guard in a hazmat suit came running again.
“G-giant soldiers are coming up to Tomaku!”
Seongchi, the owner of the Sodeung Mine, shouted.
“What? Is that true?”
Seongchi hurriedly looked at Bangjae’s face.
Bangjae shrugged.
“They were urgently requisitioned from the nearby munitions factories. They’re not mass-produced, so they’ll be hard to handle. And definitely not made for mining.”
Psssh…
Seolhong pulled out the Earth King’s info card and climbed out of the cockpit.
Limping, she looked at Bangjae.
“Transporting the giant soldiers to Tomaku was my ordeal. With this, my ordeal is complete. What about yours, Seolhong?”
Seolhong smiled brightly.
“It’s not over yet. Not at all.”
“Then I’ll lend you one giant soldier. We’ll head down as soon as it’s ready.”
“Yes!”
“Go. Save the imperial citizens.”
Leaving Seolhong, who was smiling through tears, Bangjae approached Chiwoo, who was on a stretcher.
“Chiwoo, why didn’t you listen to me?”
“Puhuhu… Puhahaha….”
“…You look extremely satisfied.”
Chiwoo, with all his ribs shattered and his face pale from blood loss, replied.
“Ah… That was fun.”
“What?”
- Be happy, Chiwoo. Live your life….
“This feeling… it’s the best….”
“You idiot….”
* * *
Adumsini.
Three hundred years ago, the evil dragon Hwagmu had a weapon that gave him confidence he could conquer the Eastern world.
It wasn’t sharp claws or a tail that could crush steel, nor the immense sorcery surpassing the Sun and Moon Star Gods that he gained by discarding his spirit.
It was the ghost legion.
Ghosts are supernatural monsters born from the malice of lingering life in this world. Unlike humans, who vanish upon death, these ageless ghosts could only multiply.
Thus, the ghost soldier legions grew day by day.
These ghosts wielded various powers, among which some stood out as overwhelmingly powerful.
Namely, Duoksini and Adumsini.
These former ghost generals were the fearsome forces Hwagmu boasted of.
However, their power wasn’t truly immortal.
Duoksini and the others vanished at some point, and Adumsini was sealed by Hongcheon, the current Dragon Emperor, before Hwagmu.
Yet now, for some reason, a house-sized Adumsini stood before Kang Seol. Completely unsealed.
Whooooom—!
[The knight ‘Moonlight Knight Karuna’ assumes Night Raven form.]
[Absorbing ‘Moonlight Knight Karuna’s’ stats.]
[Job: Knight status.]
[Shadow Hand is transforming.]
[Can use Moonlight Ascension.]
[Can use Montral Swordsmanship.]
[Can use Mental Manipulation Resistance.]
[Continuous: Can use Black Waves.]
[Ultimate: Can use Night Sea.]
……
Normally, the Night Raven form’s blue glow alone could overwhelm foes.
But against that pitch-black darkness, it was like a tiny firefly.
‘Now I’m even up against Adumsini….’
Having a legendary ghost right before his eyes was fascinating, but worry took precedence.
Zzzzzz…
Especially this endless influx of ghost energy inflicted immense pain on him.
‘Even with Night Raven active, it’s this bad?’
Wearing armor doesn’t block water seeping through the gaps.
His skin felt like it was burning from the relentless ghost energy.
- …You’re alone now, little one.
Adumsini’s appearance was grotesque.
If a shadow suddenly stood up with eyes, nose, and mouth punched through it, it might look like that—small enough to be mistaken for someone’s shadow.
“One’s enough.”
Kang Seol read the info on Adumsini that Foresight Eye had analyzed.
[Adumsini]
Rank: Immortal
Estimated Level: 45~50
Ghosts are born in various ways.
Supernatural phenomena that accumulate power over long years but fail to become spirits due to a single mistake.
Residue left after life expires, suddenly birthing impure energy.
Finally, humans’ evil and misguided emotions spawning malevolent spirits.
Adumsini is a powerful malevolent spirit born from human fear. He is the vanguard of the evil dragon Hwagmu and has just revived.
Basic Abilities: [Continuous: Fear 2], [Continuous: Ominousness 1], [Ghost Pressure 3], [Induce Terror 2], [Darkness Slash 2], [Corrosion 4], [Blind Spot 1], [Twist 2],
Special Ability: [Invisible One 1]
[Mid-level Insight activates.]
[Aftereffects of long sealing are felt.]
[Adumsini’s power is slowly recovering.]
Foresight Eye and Insight activated together.
‘I knew it was high, but Immortal rank….’
Adumsini’s rank was Immortal.
The same as Ur, who was currently sealed.
- Lord Hwagmu awakened me.
“Yeah, I heard.”
- I will devour your fear.
Whooooom…
In the dark night, space went pitch black as if the sole candle had been snuffed out.
[Moonlight Ascension Stage 3, enters Full Moon.]
‘Can’t see a thing.’
Until now, entering Full Moon state naturally emitted radiance from Kang Seol’s body without intent. But now, it was utterly dark; he couldn’t see anything.
[Adumsini uses Darkness Slash.]
[If opponent fails to perceive, cutting power doubles.]
Slashes—!
Unable to see, he had to feel it.
‘It’s coming…!’
Kang Seol aimed Bitter Lament forward to counter.
But futilely, the darkness receded soon after.
- I already slashed.
“Gaaargh!”
Kang Seol’s left forearm was cleanly severed below the wrist.
[Bloodline Authority activates.]
[Body recovery speed greatly increases.]
Whirrr…
Bone, flesh, and muscle reformed Kang Seol’s left hand.
- What an amusing body. You’ll give me even more fear.
He had to overcome fear.
Those facing Adumsini usually said this. And then died.
Executing it literally inevitably bred fear from the start.
- I am the devourer of fear.
[Adumsini’s Continuous: Fear activates.]
[Grows in proportion to opponent’s fear during battle.]
Swooo…
Staring into pitch-black darkness naturally induced terror in people.
Sssslither…
Adumsini gradually grew larger.
Yet, for some reason, the growth halted midway.
- …Surely no one like you has faced me before?
Kang Seol had his eyes closed.
Just like the others who had long battled Adumsini.
Adumsini glanced down at its own body briefly before expanding its domain again.
Fsssh…
- You’re an abandoned loner here. Fear will find you. Humans fear solitude alone.
Snicker…
Ignoring Adumsini’s words, Kang Seol smiled with eyes closed.
“Not alone.”
Swooo…
Shadows rose.
Slash—!
Adumsini’s ambush flew again.
But this time, the result differed.
Smaaash—!
Bitter Lament’s blade struck from the side.
Kreeeek…
- …You blocked it?
Kang Seol wasn’t alone.
“Two now.”
[Epiphany! Awakening new ability.]
[Night Raven: Shadow Hand transforms.]
[Night Raven: Awakens sensory domain.]
[Night Raven: Sensory domain is born!]
……