The Ferocious Returner
Lucifer, soaring into the air, came face-to-face with it.
A massive crater.
What the...?
It was on the scale of an entire Jeju Island village obliterated in one go. The result of that shockwave from moments ago.
A pit like a meteor strike.
Monster corpses packed the bottom. The center was essentially a lake of blood.
And atop the mountain of monster bodies sat a single human.
A human. Definitely human.
The man bared his upper body, rippling with muscle and scars.
His tattered shorts were soaked in blood, and through his shaggy hair gleamed eyes like a predator's.
Crunch, cruuunch.
He was tearing into something.
A black monster's arm, by the looks of it. Not just any monster—this one had a hard exoskeleton infused with strange demonic energy.
Probably one of those hyper-elite specimens the Bulmyeol guild members had mentioned.
No doubt about it.
That human was the one who'd unleashed the shockwave just now.
Lucifer's brow furrowed.
Human for sure, but his aura doesn't make sense.
It rippled with the depth of centuries, like he'd lived hundreds of years without breaking a sweat. Yet it burned like flames ready to devour everything around him.
No aura a human with a mere century of life could possess.
Hold on.
Lucifer's gaze shifted to the item slung over the man's shoulder.
A thick belt, worn not like proper equipment.
Lucifer's eyes narrowed. Item info appeared.
A cooldown reduction item.
The very thing his master Joo Kanghyeok needed.
Looks like the reward from Dungeon 7.
No sign of Dungeon 7 anywhere around. The man had clearly cleared it and taken the loot.
The moment Lucifer moved to activate vision sharing—
!
The man's predator eyes locked onto him as he gnawed the monster flesh.
He tilted his head slightly and muttered.
"An apostle?"
In the next instant, the man's bare foot slammed down toward Lucifer in midair. No wind-up. The 300-meter gap closed in a blink.
"Guh?!"
Even Lucifer's eyes couldn't track it.
Kwaaaang—!
Lucifer plummeted like a meteor, cratering the ground. Blood from the pooled monster gore sprayed up.
Lucifer's brow furrowed deeper.
His blocking right arm throbbed. He'd parried, but the raw power was absurd.
"What the hell, a mere human pulling this off...?"
The strength was no joke. No, that didn't even cover it.
Kwaang—!
The man closed in instantly, fist flying. The impact staggered even Lucifer.
Swinging wildly, the man roared in fury.
"My homeland, returned to after centuries!"
Kwaang-! Kwaang-!
"I won't let humanity perish to the likes of apostles!"
Lucifer's face twisted under the relentless barrage. No room to speak amid the onslaught.
Some misunderstanding.
But no chance to correct it.
Knock him out first...
As Lucifer geared for a counter—
Kwaaaang-!
A white flash streaked in from nowhere, smashing the man's chest. Gabriel's dropkick.
Kwagwagwa—!
The man flew back, tumbling brutally before slamming into the crater wall. Dust billowed.
"Behold my entrance."
Gabriel landed lightly beside Lucifer, who grumbled irritably.
"...Don't interfere. I can handle it alone."
"Aw, don't act all tough. You looked weak."
"This damn pigeon..."
"Leave close combat to me. 2v1 beatdown guarantees victory. No need to take risks."
Lucifer paused mid-retort.
She wasn't wrong.
The man's power was unnatural. Beyond human limits.
And with their master nearby...
No point in needless risks. Overwhelm safely.
Plop, plip...
The man rose from his embedment, dirt crumbling off.
"Two apostles. Not a bad warmup."
He muttered casually, unscathed.
Gabriel's attack had hit dead-on, yet no bruises, no scratches.
"Just so you know, we're on humanity's side."
Gabriel said seriously.
He was human, capable of reason—not a mindless apocalypse apostle bent on destruction. Dialogue was worth trying.
"Ho. Proof?"
The man's expression didn't shift.
"Our master will be here soon."
"No. Wrong."
The man shook his head. Madness flickered in his half-hidden eyes.
"True dialogue is exchanged with fists. Prove your will through strength. Only the victor discerns truth— all else is worthless."
Lucifer grimaced.
What the hell? Psycho?
Gabriel nodded resolutely.
"If that's what you want."
"Good answer!"
Red light flared over the man's eyes. His form vanished.
Kwaaaang—!
Gabriel caught the fist with both hands. Air currents exploded outward.
The impact exceeded expectations; Gabriel's face hardened.
Kwaang-! Kwang! Kwang!
The battle erupted.
Each clash sent shockwaves rippling out.
Lucifer pulled back, gathering black magic.
Absurd situation, but no choice—the man attacked like he meant to kill.
From range, Lucifer fired a black magic beam.
The man slapped it aside with his hand.
Kwaaaang!
The deflected beam pierced the ground.
Even in the exchange, the man held firm.
Deflecting all of Lucifer's black magic while landing solid hits on Gabriel.
This make any sense?
Even apocalypse apostles weren't this tough.
The man was a monster.
Lucifer's face crumpled.
What the hell is this guy?
Incomprehensible. Had the System thrown balance out the window? A human this strong?
Damn restrictions.
The man seemed unbound by them. Lucifer, however, was still leashed.
No—excuses. Focus on the enemy.
How to...
Needed a stronger attack. Something he couldn't just swat away.
But black magic output had limits. Even max power got brushed off.
Not out of options.
Quantity issue? Boost quality.
Theory existed.
Failure meant bodily damage. One hit, and black magic would explode inside.
If doing it, now—while Gabriel holds attention.
Hummm—.
Lucifer began hyper-compressing internal black magic. Dodging attacks, compressing relentlessly.
Time-consuming by nature.
Would the System allow it? Unknown. Had to try.
Black aura shimmered around him like haze. Even as Gabriel took hits.
"Quit spectating, even if you're pissed...!"
Gabriel's urgent voice.
"Shut it. There's a reason."
Lucifer thrust his right hand forward.
No more compression possible. Body's limit.
But enough.
"Now...!"
Hyper-compressed black magic burst from one point.
One-Point Breakthrough.
The terrifying force warped space as it surged.
"?!"
The man reached desperately—but couldn't block.
Kwaaaaang—!
Slammed dead-on. He cratered into the wall.
Kwoong!
A mid-sized crater formed on impact. Spiderweb cracks radiated.
Amid rising dust, the man's head lolled.
"Overdid it?"
No control possible. But effective. Lucifer's lip curled faintly.
Another restriction bypass.
Compression.
Full-blast spam was 1. Compressed pinpoint: 6+.
Prep time traded for power boost.
At one restriction level up, lethal even to Seven Deadly Sins.
"Report to Master now..."
"Not yet."
Gabriel pointed ahead. The man trembled, head bowed.
"Heh, good. Yes, that's it."
Grateful, even.
"Tanked that and fine...?"
Impossible.
Lucifer had seen the hole punch through on impact.
Yet no wound now. Lucifer's eyes wavered.
"...Regen? Immortality?"
"I've gauged your resolve. If you're that serious, I'll get serious too."
Red aura boiled around the man.
Still more to give.
Implying he hadn't been before.
"Gabriel, prepare."
Lucifer's tone turned grave. No joke. The man's aura surged beyond compare.
"Hoo."
Gabriel steadied her breath, holy power shimmering.
Tension thickened the air.
The man's curled lip, foot lifting—
"St-stop!"
"We're not enemies!"
"We don't wanna fight you!"
Bulmyeol guild members shouted from the crater rim.
And at their center.
A man in black robe and half-mask: Mumyeong.
Mumyeong. No, Joo Kanghyeok was deeply rattled.
...
【Myth】 True Blue Apostle Summon
Summons the True Blue Apostle.
He'd summoned. Definitely. But the apostle hadn't come here.
Not unexpected. He had a hunch.
I don't control summon location.
Lucifer had dropped in some random hills.
In hindsight, Lucifer picked a suitable spot.
Gabriel too.
She'd descended into the death wave herself, as a watching constellation.
True Blue Apostle summoned somewhere, sure.
Just not nearby.
Chose its own drop point. Only explanation.
What happened, happened.
...
Handle this himself.
Dialogue possible?
Joo Kanghyeok eyed the crater: muscled shirtless man, two apostles.
The beast incarnate. A returner. From ten-plus dimensions. By looks alone.
But unknown.
Judging no talk from appearance...
⊳ 【Master, this guy's not reasonable.】
⊳ 【Master, no talking this out.】
Desperation bled through the apostles' thoughts.
Sigh.
No dialogue.
If enemy, use Instant Death now. But human.
Returner home at last.
- Dialogue tough, but explain situation? High chance he'll side with humanity. Returners miss home.
Sa Choiheon had left that final message. No more contact since—busy, probably.
"Let's ta—"
"No talk."
The man refused flatly. Eyes fixed on Mumyeong.
"Master, danger."
"Careful."
Gabriel and Lucifer flanked Mumyeong. Protect master, unbeatable.
"Ho."
Curiosity lit the man's eyes.
"Apostles serving a human. Not empty words then. Fine. But my answer stands."
He turned to Mumyeong.
"Show me with strength, not words. Drifting dimensions taught me: words weigh nothing."
He bellowed madly.
"But strength holds everything. A lifetime's values etched in. Unchanged even in a single sword swing."
Judging all by power displayed.
Skill honed across countless dimensions.
"So, show me."
Chest out, confident.
Utterly baffling for Joo Kanghyeok.
...
Not begging to die. Of course, the man didn't know.
Kill or do nothing. Only choices.
As Joo Kanghyeok pondered—
Rumble rumble...
Earth quivered faintly. Air trembled. Faint demonic energy settled. Source: sky.
Shadow darkened over the man.
"Hm?"
Looking up: colossal queen bee.
Red demonic armor-clad monster.
Jeju's apex ruler.
"Qu-Queen...!"
"W-wait. One's already too much."
Bulmyeol members stirred.
But expected.
Her loyal minions slaughtered horribly by the man. Countless underlings lost.
Furious queen descending personally.
Highest level in Korea, apex monster's rage poured at the man.
Yet he stayed calm.
Queen's arrival? Irrelevant.
"Ignore it. Trivial. More importantly, your power..."
As he turned to Mumyeong—
Spluuurt—!
The queen exploded on the spot. Shattered exoskeleton, green fluids erupting.
Drenched in chunks, the man froze.
"...?"
He'd seen it clearly. The queen's death. Seeing meant understanding.
Understood, yet couldn't.
He alternated between queen remnants and Mumyeong.
Tilting head oddly, he approached the corpse.
Poke.
Tasted soil, licked fluid. Frowned.
Whip.
Turned to Mumyeong, mouth working, scratched cheek.
Resolved, nodded...
Kwaaaang—!
Wind-like speed kicked off, vanished. Dust plumed.
"..."
Silence fell. Unforeseen.
"Wh-what happened?"
"Where'd he go?"
"...?"
Lucifer spoke amid confusion.
Scan complete: no trace.
"...Looks like he ran."
Returner gauged Mumyeong's power. Chose flight.
On the ground: sole remnant, the discarded cooldown belt. Lonely.