Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 258
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Inside, they couldn't see the situation outside at all. So there were surely some who took Jangdu's words as hopeful.
But in truth, if someone had seen outside, they would have said it wasn't that easygoing a situation.
“Damn bastards, get lost!”
[Jangdu uses Human Cannonball.]
[During the charge, deals additional damage to all colliding targets. If a target is pushed into an obstacle, inflicts additional damage once more.]
Kwaaaang—!
“Block him! Drag Jangdu out!”
“Just wound him!”
“Huff… huff…”
In fact, Jangdu had already thought once, on his way here, that things might not go smoothly.
The sharp stone shard embedded in his back served as evidence for that thought.
‘Damn it, of all things….’
The explosion at Vigo had wounded Jangdu. Even at full strength, he wasn’t sure if he could break through the whirlpool barrier. Doing it with an injured body was next to impossible.
“Take this!”
And among Jejak’s underlings blocking his path, there were occasionally those with unusual abilities.
They were the ones Yukyung had summoned.
He didn’t like them from the start, with their faces smeared with blood-drawn demons, but their abilities were decent enough.
Chwaaak—!
Their nails were as long as if untended for decades, making their attacks tricky.
‘Dangerous if they touch.’
A sinister aura emanated from the nails, as if coated in poison.
Pueoeok—!
Moreover, these guys didn’t go down in one hit.
Enduring even one of Jangdu’s attacks was impressive. Even if their bodies were reduced to unrecognizable chunks of meat, it still meant they got one extra chance.
“Damn iiiit!”
Jangdu groaned in frustration.
At his own powerlessness.
In truth, he’d been using these guys as an excuse all along.
‘Can’t break it.’
He’d swung with full force, intending to shatter the door in one go, but an even greater rebound came back at him. The aftermath left him unable to properly use his right arm now.
‘Whirlpool barrier!’
He realized it right after the clash.
‘It’s all whirlpool barriers.’
He instantly grasped that the suspicious meeting place was blanketed in whirlpool barriers, but that didn’t improve anything.
If he could shake off Jejak’s underlings here and get one more chance…
‘Kuh….’
He had no confidence.
He couldn’t break the whirlpool barrier.
‘Lady Shin Yo!’
* * *
Jejak patted his surprised chest.
“Jangdu, who’s devoted to you, has arrived. Yukyung failed. That guy… makes a racket even on the way.”
Shin Yo pulled out the dagger that had pierced her hand.
Chaengreong…
“Haa… haa…”
“Harsh.”
“Now that Jangdu’s here, your foolish antics are over. Hurry…”
“…Are they?”
Shin Yo furrowed her brow at Jejak’s response.
Even with Jangdu arriving here, he remained utterly composed.
“Shin Yo, you know it too.”
“…….”
“Your attacks were fierce, but he can’t break the whirlpool barrier. Even two Jangdus would struggle. The whirlpool barrier is impregnable. No matter how strong Jangdu is, he can’t save you.”
“Kuh….”
“Why don’t you know what even a fool like me does? Ah, you’re pretending not to know. Hoping I’d act like an idiot scared of Jangdu? Heh heh…”
Jejak’s madness deepened.
It wasn’t because he met Yukyung that he’d changed like this.
He’d always been this way.
He’d just hidden it carefully so no one would notice.
“You’re underestimating me too much.”
Shin Yo bit her lip.
Those traces on the door were probably from a single blow Jangdu had unleashed at great cost. Jangdu was the type to pour everything into each punch. He must have intended to smash the door outright.
‘It didn’t break….’
But the whirlpool barrier hadn’t broken.
Which meant it wouldn’t break in the future either. Pressing his ear briefly to the door amid the outside clamor yielded only the cold judgment that no further reinforcements would come for a while.
‘No more external salvation now.’
In that case, there was only one way.
“No can do. With Jangdu here, my guts shrink to pea size and I feel uneasy. Can’t proceed mercifully now. It’s all your fault, Shin Yo.”
Jejak growled.
“Refuse to sign this scroll from now on, and I’ll cut your throat immediately.”
“…….”
“Crazy bastard…”
No one rebelled easily.
Rebel first, and you’d be the first among the dragon flames here to suffer.
“Now… who first? You!”
“Hii… hiii… Why me!”
“Refusing?”
The woman singled out was the one who had ignored Seolhong by Tayul’s side before.
Coincidentally meeting again in such a place tormented both Seolhong and the woman.
The woman glanced at the severed neck of someone who had left earlier, then spoke.
“I… I…”
Sseuuk…
At that moment, someone stepped forward.
It was Chiu.
“Chiu. What are you doing?”
“As you see.”
He had his own calculations.
‘Hold out until Kang Seol arrives.’
Jangdu had already arrived, and if Kang Seol came too, something might happen. He’d heard the explosion earlier, but if Jangdu escaped, there was no way Kang Seol hadn’t.
He had no expectations from the other dragon stones.
Chiu believed Jangdu and Kang Seol together were as strong as all the other dragon stones combined.
But.
Even if Kang Seol came, could he change the situation?
Could he break the whirlpool barrier?
‘I believe… no, I have to believe.’
“Subdue him.”
Huwook…
Huwook…
Two warriors with ragged breaths stepped forward.
Leech Giant Hong and Lightning Tang Song.
They were opponents Chiu could handle if he had his full power, but unfortunately, he was currently poisoned by mountain powder.
He could use less than ten percent of his energy.
‘Two moves at best?’
Analyzing his power coldly, defeat was certain. But if the goal was to buy time, he might hold out a bit longer.
“Kill him?”
“No, just subdue. Ideally without scars. They’ll be mine soon anyway.”
“Understood.”
Paat—!
Hong’s chains flew out.
Hwiririk—!
‘Dodged….’
He could see it, but couldn’t fully dodge.
Paak—!
“Kuhuk….”
Chains wrapped around his arm.
He tried resisting, but with raw strength alone, it was hopeless.
Huuuung…
Tang Song’s palm targeted Chiu’s jaw. If that hit, blackout guaranteed.
‘No choice.’
He had to use his trump card.
Hwik—!
“Huff….”
Chiu suddenly leaped up, gathered both feet, and shot them forward.
[Chiu uses Wind Drill.]
[Deals an attack with 70% increased penetration.]
[Inflicts additional damage on penetration.]
“Where!”
Chwaruk…
Hong’s chains yanked Chiu, twisting his trajectory. The attack aimed at Tang Song’s heart grazed his forearm instead.
Paaak…
“Kaaaak!”
Tang Song, tasting bitter pain, lost reason and clenched his fist to smash Chiu’s abdomen.
Hong screamed to stop him.
“Don’t kill him!”
Chiu had saved his next attack’s energy for a follow-up, but with the first ambush failed, he had to use it for defense.
‘Taking it raw means death!’
Better to block with energy than let a hole punch through his gut.
Ppeoeok…
“Ugh…”
His body, which had come down, now floated up against his will.
“Gek… kehuk…”
Relying on technique alone, the opponents weren’t pushovers.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re here. Hey, Chiu, you beast bastard.”
“Haa… haa…”
Kkujik…
Jejak stomped on Chiu’s head with his foot.
“Stop it!”
Jejak turned at the voice that just rang out.
Then he grinned.
“Seolhong, hiding here too?”
“Please stop. Please… don’t do this.”
“Can’t oblige. You and this beast plotting to make me die laughing, huh?”
“Brother Jejak…”
“Still calling me brother. How commendable. Haha…”
Seolhong felt like her roots were rotting. She realized the water that had nourished her until now was sewage.
“Why… are you doing this?”
“…….”
“What… what on earth made Brother Jejak like this?”
Whether offended by Seolhong’s words, Jejak dropped his smile.
“Don’t get cocky.”
“…….”
“Don’t ramble like you know everything. Everyone has their own way.”
Jejak shouted.
“Even scum like me has a way to survive!”
His bloodshot eyes weren’t the Jejak she knew. The kind, considerate brother.
No, she’d misunderstood him from the start.
Her anguish only grew.
“Jangdu!”
Then, Shin Yo urgently shouted.
With Chiu subdued, she expected the dragon flames to die or be captured in order, so she resolved to use her final resort.
“Lady Shin Yo! Just wait a bit…”
Jangdu responded from outside to her call.
“How long do I wait! I’ll open the Little Heaven!”
“No, you can’t! Heading there unprepared…”
“Wish me luck. Then…”
Shin Yo flung back her fluttering sleeve.
Revealing her arm covered in geometric tattoos.
“Bending to a heartless will isn’t me, Shin Yo.”
“…What?”
“I’ll open the gate.”
Ziiiiing…
The tattoos on her forearm glowed.
Deudeudeudeuk…
The room surrounded by whirlpool barriers shook entirely.
It felt like piercing through the ceiling and ascending.
“W-what is…”
[Shin Yo uses Gate Opening: Little Heaven World.]
[Moved to Little Heaven World.]
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
What was this bizarre sensation?
Bodies floated naturally into the air, only to be crushed by immense gravity moments later.
It happened to everyone.
“What have you done!”
“We’ve crossed to another world now. Full of illusions you might like, Jejak.”
Kugugugugugu…
The Little Heaven Shin Yo had unleashed was literally another world. Like how Pandea’s people distinguished the spirit realm from the ghost realm, a clearly existing world.
The realm of immortals.
The world of dragons and幻 beasts.
Her master resided there.
‘If Master notices….’
The inhabitants here could chew up whirlpool barriers like snacks; they were that ferocious.
Getting caught visiting meant doom. Yet Shin Yo had come to Little Heaven.
For one single possibility.
‘Master, please!’
The chance her master would sense her crisis and help.
“…….”
But soon, the noises died down.
They felt adrift somewhere, but no reactions came.
Unable to know the outside, all they could do was blink.
‘Wrong….’
Seeing nothing happen, Jejak hesitated briefly, then laughed.
“Huh… hahaha! You scared me, Shin Yo! Too much joking around.”
“Damn…”
With Shin Yo’s gambit blocked, the remaining dragon flames despaired.
Now it would go Jejak’s way.
“Make those three kneel before me.”
“Let go! Let me go!”
“Seolhong!”
Kung—!
The three slammed headfirst into the floor, gripped by brutish hands.
Chiu, Shin Yo, and Seolhong.
“I wanted your soon-to-be-mine bodies unscratched if possible, but alas, too bad.”
“Brother Jejak…”
Jejak grabbed Seolhong’s chin, forcing her head up.
Her eyes, from bumping her forehead, glistened.
But she didn’t cry.
“Seolhong.”
She clamped her mouth shut.
“Feeling wronged? Isn’t it time you realized? The weak…”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then…”
She looked sad.
“All those words you said to me, those letters… Brother wasn’t in any of them…”
Jejak grinned maliciously.
“Who’d pity a wretch born lowly like you? Know your place, Seolhong.”
“You have no power.”
Eudeuk…
Chiu tried lifting his neck.
“Shut that mouth…”
“Say what you want.”
“Where there’s will, power gathers. Seolhong…”
“Boring sermon. Impressive for something face-down on the floor.”
Chwarak.
“Your shares of the scrolls. Hurry…”
As Jejak unrolled their scrolls.
Kuuuung…
Space vibrated.
‘Jangdu? No, Master!’
Shin Yo’s face brightened.
A ray of light piercing the despair-stained situation.
She’d opened Little Heaven out of necessity but kept half-rooted in the real world to return anytime.
Thus, both sides were now unstably traversable.
The vibration could be Jangdu, but if so, he’d have shouted first to announce himself.
And if her master…
‘…Not Master either?’
Master would have sought her immediately upon discovering this place.
No word meant…
‘Danger! A幻 beast!’
幻 beast.
Ancient monsters from the heavenly realm.
Some rivaled dragons.
“Jejak.”
“Shin Yo, your doing? Really…”
“No. Not me.”
“…….”
“Warning you. This room is floating in Little Heaven now.”
“So?”
“Unwelcome visitors aren’t greeted kindly here either.”
Jejak mulled her words.
Shin Yo continued.
“Seems the one outside is a local resident.”