Chapter 246
Chapter 246
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 246
>Chapter Title: The Primordial Bone Awakens
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【It's three! Three, I said—three!】
"Ah."
Bitan cried out in frustration at Kang Seol's words, and he let out a single syllable as if realizing something.
"You're right, it's three."
A skill gained through that brief clash.
Kang Seol had acquired countless titles and abilities over time. Among them were some truly valuable ones—like skill acquisition and increased insight probability.
Thanks to them, his summons had grown stronger with each passing day, awakening new abilities and building their power.
One might think this was a satisfying situation, but at some point, Kang Seol had realized something was off.
'Why aren't I getting stronger?'
Kang Seol hadn't made any real progress since meeting Togi. Frannan and Ur had helped, but only with summoner-related aspects—they paid no mind to his own growth.
But Kang Seol knew.
After over seventeen years in the Eternal World, he could at least diagnose his own condition.
No one knew himself better than Kang Seol did now.
'This is dangerous.'
His stats soared day by day, yet he had no way to utilize them. The only thing he had was the rudimentary martial arts from Togi.
Even that wasn't particularly advanced.
Against an overwhelmingly superior foe like this, the flaw stood out even more.
In the Eternal World that Kang Seol knew, your chosen class didn't dictate your entire future.
Even a swordsman could learn magic depending on their stats, and a priest could charge into the front lines swinging a weapon.
That meant Kang Seol's Shadow Summoner class could evolve in any number of ways too.
Kang Seol could grow stronger.
So why hadn't he?
Facing Eoduksini, Kang Seol realized the reason. Or rather, he'd glimpsed it once before in his battle with Daeha.
Battles with worthy foes propel you forward.
That truth unfolded before him once more.
Ssssss...
Darkness encroached on the space.
They were already deep in Eoduksini's domain, and his eyes were closed. He couldn't see it, but he could sense it.
Shadow Hand's newly evolved form: Sensory Domain.
He'd known the Night Raven class morphed abilities, but he hadn't expected a complete transformation into something else.
Kang Seol mastered the Sensory Domain's use in an instant.
'It's like having an extra phantom arm.'
A sensation of a virtual arm extending from his back, sweeping through empty air. Information flowed back from it.
Pheet-!
Reacting to sound was too slow.
Kang Seol knew this well after eating several such attacks already.
Kaaaaang-!
He blocked the first blade.
'Got it!'
The Sensory Domain detected Eoduksini's blade.
"There you are!"
Bitan whirled around, smashing aside Eoduksini's follow-up strike.
[Eoduksini uses Blind Spot.]
[Dark Slash activates from the enemy's weakest point.]
"Hup...!"
Chwaaaak-!
Eoduksini's blade gouged a chunk from his waist.
- Did you think you could dodge it?
"You're a dirty... bastard."
Ghosts had types of power, just as their sorcery had patterns.
Eoduksini's power focused on sharpness. Like a silent, ruthlessly cunning swordsman among humans.
Chwarak...
His guts nearly spilled out, but he clamped down on the wound and held it together until the flesh knit closed.
Kang Seol sensed Eoduksini had grown stronger than before. And that hunch turned to certainty.
"Your power recovery is speeding up...."
- I'll regain my full strength and instill fear in all of you.
"You can't even leave this place?"
- Nonsense.
Kang Seol taunted to buy time for his body to heal.
He judged they couldn't win like this.
'Beating Eoduksini will take longer than letting him recover his strength....'
After a moment's thought, he spoke to Karuna.
'Karuna, I'll take control from here.'
- But... Understood.
Leaving it solely to Karuna wouldn't end this.
Karuna was a fully realized master swordsman. What he could learn from this fight was limited.
'I, on the other hand...'
Kang Seol was a blank slate as a swordsman—pure white paper. He'd absorb anything he learned.
Since the Night Raven's combat power was the fusion of Karuna and Kang Seol, this judgment wasn't a gamble—it was his only remaining option.
Karuna was Transcendent-grade. So was Karen. Even Great Sorcerer Jamad was Transcendent.
Ur was Immortal-grade despite her seals.
'Then... where do I stand?'
Fighting spirit ignited in Kang Seol's eyes.
Sss...
Eoduksini grew slightly larger.
- You're feeling fear. Does it relate to the change in your aura?
Kang Seol's level lagged behind Karuna's, and he knew it. So feeling more fear than before was natural.
'I have to shake off the idea that I can't beat him. No fear.'
Pheet-!
An incoming blade.
"Hup!"
Kaaaaaaaang-!
Immense force rode the first strike.
Pik-!
Chaeeng...
"Grgh...."
He failed to fully deflect it.
His thigh muscle tore momentarily, staggering him, but he regained his footing.
- I am the darkness itself. Don't try to evade the inevitable.
Blood-soaked, Kang Seol replied.
"...Thanks for the advice. I learn by taking hits."
[Night Raven: Sensory Domain proficiency rises.]
That attack had added another phantom arm.
'Can't see it? No need to look. Can't dodge it? No need to dodge.'
His blood boiled.
He abandoned sight and hearing, sharpening his other senses.
Information from the unseen and unheard brought intense pleasure on its own.
'I need to remember when Frannan subdued Ur. He overpowered someone far stronger. How?'
Unexpectedness.
Frannan hadn't blocked Ur because he was stronger. He'd attacked in a way she never anticipated.
- Interesting.
Drdrdrdr...
Eoduksini changed his attack pattern.
'This is... space distortion?'
The spatial warp that had engulfed the entire mine was now turned on Kang Seol.
[Eoduksini uses Twist.]
[The surrounding terrain shifts.]
Uujijik-!
A stone pillar erupted from the ground, aiming for his chest.
Pat-!
Kang Seol dodged effortlessly.
Pheet-!
A blade flew from the altered terrain.
Luckily, it happened within his Sensory Domain, so he could react.
Kaaang-!
- A pity.
Pheet-!
"Arrrgh!"
His left ankle was half-severed.
The impact sent Kang Seol tumbling across the ground.
No follow-up came.
"Haa... haa..."
- What you've grasped, I mastered long ago.
"Then why can't you kill me?"
- ....
"I've figured a few things out. Your blades—you can only use up to three at once, right? It never made sense. The vision-blocking domain, the impossible speed. Or maybe using your full power delays your recovery? Which is it?"
- Even knowing that now changes nothing.
"No, it is changing! Definitely!"
Uujijik...
[Night Raven: Sensory Domain proficiency rises.]
Now his Sensory Domain arms totaled three.
- You don't know when to quit.
"Make me."
- ...Fine.
Drdrdrdrdr-!
[Eoduksini uses Twist.]
[The surrounding terrain shifts.]
Kwaaaang-!
Kang Seol startled at the massive noise echoing around him.
'Falling rocks?'
A ploy to sow chaos with spatial distortion.
Whoong...
[Eoduksini uses Fear Induction.]
[The opponent's fear greatly amplifies.]
[Mind Manipulation Resistance activates.]
[Resisting Eoduksini's Fear Induction.]
Kwaaang-!
Kwaaaaang!
Rocks kept plummeting.
His amplified senses detected them without sight.
'Focus only on threats inside the Sensory Domain.'
With his own senses plus three more, he just needed to watch for terrain shifts threatening his body.
Eyes closed, Kang Seol concentrated.
[Eoduksini's Persistence: Ominousness activates.]
[Dark Slash count increases with the opponent's fear.]
Pheet-!
Kaaaang-!
Pheet-!
Pheet-!
Two blades came at once.
Kang Seol twisted mid-leap, spinning fiercely.
Kagang!
Kaaaaang!
Pheet-!
Peopeet!
'Damn it...'
More senses didn't mean he could handle every blade easily.
Countless wounds accumulated on his body.
Chiii...
Primordial Blood healed them once more.
Peopeet-!
"Grk..."
New wounds layered over the fresh ones. Kang Seol adapted his approach.
He'd only parry lethal threats, letting blades aimed at non-vitals hit.
"Haa... haa..."
- How long can you keep regenerating? You haven't harmed me at all.
Eoduksini felt irritation at Kang Seol's tenacious resistance. Or rather, he didn't recognize the emotion.
"...Aren't we getting closer somehow?"
- ....
Kang Seol panted.
"Reaching you will only take an instant anyway. Bear with the boredom until then."
- You think you can reach me?
"Oh, definitely. More importantly, you..."
Eyes shut, Kang Seol bared his teeth in a grin.
"You're shrinking a bit?"
Eoduksini defined the emotion he felt. Not irritation.
Dread.
- ...I'll tear you to shreds so you can't regenerate.
"Try it. You know what happens if you fail to kill me...?"
Drdrdrdrdr...
Hwiriririk-!
Eoduksini's blade form changed.
Previously straight like a razor, now it resembled a spinning chakram wheel.
This blade returned after striking, attacking again.
- Be shredded and die.
[Eoduksini uses Dark Slash.]
[Cutting power doubles if the opponent fails to perceive it.]
Hwiriririk-!
'Slower than before.'
The blade's speed had dropped.
Meaning even multiples were deflectable.
Kaaang-!
Kaaaaang-!
Hwiririk-!
Kaaaaang!
Eoduksini panicked.
The form change hadn't slashed speed drastically—just a subtle difference.
Yet Kang Seol's responses were flawless.
Like a master swordsman in a perfectly choreographed blade dance, he twisted beautifully, smashing the dark blades aside.
Eoduksini sensed Kang Seol's change.
He was growing stronger, a new sense awakening.
And eventually, it would threaten him.
That realization made Eoduksini hasty.
Drdrdrdrdr-!
Kwaaaang-!
But an unexpected turn occurred mid-battle.
A falling rock clipped a dark blade in the gloom. Even Eoduksini hadn't foreseen it. The blade veered wildly toward Kang Seol's throat.
"Gr...."
Kaaaaang-!
He barely deflected it, but his stance crumbled.
Eoduksini saw his chance.
- Die!
He unleashed every blade at once toward Kang Seol.
Kaaang-!
Ppipipheet-!
"Kuh... keheok...."
This attack had cost Eoduksini considerable power.
Several blades embedded in Kang Seol's body.
Thud...
Kang Seol toppled backward.
Srrk...
Eoduksini's domain receded.
Before him lay Kang Seol, collapsed with deep gashes across his body.
- ....
Eoduksini closely examined the traces of the blade dance.
Kang Seol had drawn nearer to him, step by step.
He had truly tried to reach him.
But in the end, he fell short. That was the result of their prolonged fight.
- To push my domain this far...
Srrk...
- Die.
Pheet-!
Eoduksini's blade flew for Kang Seol's throat.
Kaaaaang-!
- ...What?!
Kang Seol, limp like a cut-string puppet, raised Bitan to block.
"If you can't finish it in one go... what did I say happens?"
Hwiririririk...
His flesh knit closed again.
Eoduksini watched Kang Seol's body transform.
[Repeated regeneration has replaced all blood in the body with Primordial Blood.]
[Primordial Blood boils.]
"My body... it's hot...."
[Primordial Blood evolves.]
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Veins bulged crimson across Kang Seol's face as he screamed in agony, eyes rolled back white.
Eoduksini seized the opening and flung a blade.
Pheet-!
Pak-!
- This is...
Kang Seol caught it barehanded.
The blade couldn't slice through his palm.
The reason was plain from his changed appearance.
[Persistence: Viscous Darkness (Compound) fuses with Primordial Blood.]
[Insight! Awakening a new ability.]
[Night Raven: Awakens Primordial Bone.]
[Night Raven: Primordial Bone is born!]
Chwarrrruk...
Armor like forged bone enveloped Kang Seol's body.
[Primordial Bone connects to Hope Devourer.]
[Primordial Bone replicates Hope Devourer's special effect.]
[Primordial Bone vastly enhances the replicated Hope Devourer special effect.]
"No more enduring."
Kang Seol twisted his lips.
"Now I'll smash you for real."