Chapter 277: Awakening (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Awakening (4)
Beneath the writhing expanse of white lay a void—an abyss devoid of a single drop of light. Without light, there was no color. Without a visible floor, there was no ceiling.
I plummeted, overcome by a deep, numbing exhaustion. The closer I drew to the unseen bottom, the more the evil impulses within me bubbled to the surface.
Ah.
It was intoxicating. Normally, a 'Blessing' was like welcome rain to me as I floundered in a swamp of pain.
I relaxed every muscle in my body. My limbs, already limp, became as motionless as a corpse's. From the deepest recess of my heart, I heard a voice whisper—a desire to be swallowed whole by this darkness for all eternity, for days, years, a lifetime. It was pure malice.
Black smoke slithered into my skin.
'Cut down everything.'
'Slay everything.'
'Kill everything.'
The malice steadily erased my human memories—how I had come here, who I had just been speaking with, what my name was. My once vibrant, colorful memories were stained with pitch-black ink.
Fragments of my past scattered, and bit by bit, malice claimed their place. Like an unborn fetus, the surrounding darkness began to reconstruct me.
It was then that someone firmly grabbed my wrist as I sank into the depths.
I blearily opened my eyes. I hadn't wanted to be disturbed at this moment. Anger surged within me.
⟪Kang Geomma.⟫
My narrowed eyes snapped wide open. I was startled out of my mind, but the gasp remained trapped in my throat.
Watching me, the man before me—no, I, Kang Geomma—smiled faintly.
⟪I thought we'd meet eventually, but I didn't expect it to be like this.⟫
Kang Geomma spoke to me. A halo of light ebbed and flowed across his body, glowing like bioluminescence in the abyss. Though his frame matched mine perfectly, the wavelength of his light was immense. From a distance, he would have looked like a lighthouse casting a faint glow over a nighttime sea. He was a brilliant radiance, completely detached from the abyss.
⟪If you took over my body, at least stand up instead of lying around like that. You look lazy.⟫
Kang Geomma yanked my wrist upward. My body, which had been comfortably lying down, was pulled upright. At the same time, it felt as if a heavy boulder pressing down on my solar plexus had been removed. The invisible rock sank below, releasing a stream of bubbling air.
We stood face-to-face, and only then could I clearly see his features. His hair and irises weren't black, but as white as a blank sheet of paper.
⟪Still, you made it all the way here.⟫
He spoke as if proud. I could only stare back blankly, unable to respond since no sound came from my throat.
⟪Which means... the time really is at hand.⟫
He stroked his chin, lost in thought. A moment later, he locked eyes with me.
Silence settled over us. Surrounded by the abyss, I couldn't tell whether I was dead or alive.
⟪Since it's come to this, let's unlock the rest of my power.⟫
After a brief moment, he nodded decisively and brought his thumb to my forehead.
Bzzzzzzt—!
Right before his thumb touched my skin, vibrant blue electricity sparked between us. As he pressed against my forehead, a flash of blue light burst from the point of contact.
CRACKLE-BOOM!
A bolt of lightning struck deep within my mind. It was not a physical strike, but a thunderbolt of enlightenment.
I squeezed my eyes shut. A flood of information rushed through my mind and surged throughout my entire body. Like a blocked waterway bursting open, mana surged through every vein and capillary.
After a moment, he smirked and slowly withdrew his thumb. I opened my eyes.
⟪Give it a try.⟫
I nodded, brought the thumb and middle finger of my right hand together, and snapped them crisply.
Snap!
A cluster of thunderbolts crashed into the abyss. A heartbeat later, a deafening roar echoed through the void.
BOOM! KABOOM! CRASH-BOOM!
Flash after flash illuminated the darkness. The lightning scarred the void as if delivering divine retribution, beams of light carving a stark divide between light and shadow.
Between the branching strokes of lightning, the grotesque shapes of deep-sea abyssal monsters flickered in and out of sight.
The abyss, the malice, the false entities shrieked in agony.
Kaaagh!
The relentless barrage of lightning shredded even their agonizing screams.
King of the Demon Realm Gehenna. 1st Corps Commander of the Demon King's Army. Thunder Emperor Lycan.
The lightning magic only he possessed. Its true catalyst was a blinding flash, far beyond mere magic power.
⟪Not bad for a first try.⟫
Kang Geomma, who had been observing the spectacle, turned his gaze back to me.
⟪Along with the Demon Eye Defying Heaven, this power is yours now. I couldn't surpass the speed of light, but you will.⟫
Amidst the violent lightning storm rending the dark, his eyes remained perfectly calm.
⟪Show those arrogant fools masquerading as gods why my dear friend, Balor Joaquin, chose you.⟫
With those final words, my vision snuffed out like a candle flame.
Yet even as darkness returned, the thunder mixed with screams continued to echo softly in my ears.
It was a comforting sound—perfect for falling into a deep slumber. Like a lullaby.
* * *
[Absorbing and unlocking the abilities of 【Lycan】.]
[Additionally, all stats for the 'Blessing of the Sword God' have increased significantly.]
[Body Rank has increased significantly.]
[Mental Rank has increased significantly.]
[Humanity Rank has increased significantly.]
[Synchronization Rate has increased significantly.]
Bzzzz—
[Synchronization Rate is nearing 100%.]
* * *
In the corridor, Kuarne's eyebrows twitched as he sat in meditation. He slowly opened his eyes, a streak of madness glinting in his silver irises.
"The time has finally come."
Herya, his loyal subordinate standing guard, nodded. Coincidentally, Leon stood beside her. His face was twisted in pain, as though his insides were writhing.
"Geomma... you... in the end..."
Leon bit down hard on his lower lip. He muttered through lips indented with bite marks, his tone laced with reproach.
"..."
Herya glanced at Leon with disdain, then abruptly turned around.
A sea of demons lay spread out before her. Swarms of them looked up toward the towering altar, stretching far beyond the horizon of the vast Demon Realm. It was the Demon King's Army.
The demons glowed with crimson eyes filled with malice and intent to kill. Like leashed beasts, they bared their fangs or drooled profusely. Intermittent growls of bloodlust reverberated through the air.
"The King and God of the Demon Realm have returned," Herya declared. "We march upon the Human Realm."
The declaration of war fell upon the crowd. A momentary silence descended. Then, a Majin raised his chin and howled into the sky.
Awooooo—!
Triggered by his cry, the entire army joined in, howling like wolves under a full moon. Their grand roar shook the skies, threatening to reach the Black Sun itself.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since then.
Hero Association Headquarters, the office of Vice Association President Spear Saint.
BANG!
The office door burst open. Director Seong strode inside. Having fully adjusted to his prosthetic arm and leg, his movements showed no sign of awkwardness. Yet he looked more strained than ever, gasping for air so violently he seemed on the verge of collapsing.
"Vice President!"
Director Seong shouted without taking a moment to catch his breath. Spear Saint was briefly taken aback. Director Seong, a man who prized hierarchy and protocol above all else, had never entered a room without knocking before.
"...What is the matter?"
The shock lasted only a second. Spear Saint's expression hardened into a grim mask.
Director Seong had maintained composure even during the news of 4th Corps Commander Permush's invasion. Though not a combatant, he was a man whose grit Spear Saint respected.
For Director Seong to act like this meant something catastrophic had happened. And it was no ordinary crisis.
"Haa, haa..." Director Seong suddenly began to sob. Consumed by sheer panic, he clutched his head with his prosthetic hand, ripping out clumps of hair between his fingers.
"T-The... Th-The Demon King's Army..." His front teeth chattered loudly, as if he might bite off his tongue at any moment. Yet somehow, he managed to stammer out the broken words.
"...T-The Demon King's Army has assembled!"
Spear Saint's composure cracked completely. The hair on his body stood on end, and his pupils contracted to tiny pinpricks. Even he, the very symbol of valor, felt his eyelids tremble violently.
"W-What on earth are you talking about?"
Director Seong answered while retching, saliva dripping wet and sticky down his chin.
"...An urgent dispatch arrived from Hawaii. Unusual activity was detected around the Gehenna Gate, so a dispatch team was sent into the Demon Realm... and they saw them. The Demon King's Army is gathering in force..."
Spear Saint took long strides toward Director Seong and grabbed the bewildered man's shoulders firmly.
"Get a hold of yourself!"
The thunderous shout snapped Director Seong out of it. Life returned to his hollow eyes.
He looked up. Spear Saint was staring down at him with stern, resolute eyes.
"This was something we anticipated, was it not?" Spear Saint said. "Though I am surprised the timing has been moved up so drastically... Ordinary citizens may panic, but we cannot afford to."
He lightly patted Director Seong's chest with a fist as hard as rock.
"You may not be a Hero, but your guts are second to no Warrior. So compose yourself. Finish your report before you end up biting your own tongue."
Spear Saint was afraid too. He was human. Even if he had been born with a bloodline superior to others, he was still a fragile creature subject to emotion, not immune to fear.
But courage and fear were two sides of the same coin. Paradoxically, courage was a flower that bloomed only in moments of despair. The deeper the despair, the brighter courage shone.
"Boss..."
"This is only the second time you've called me 'Boss' since joining the Association—the first being when you were dead drunk. You got chewed out by your superior back then, didn't you?"
Spear Saint burst into a hearty laugh. Director Seong stopped trembling. The dark, suffocating gloom that had filled the office vanished into thin air.
"I will resume the report."
"Good. That's more like my brother."
Director Seong straightened his posture. The movements of his prosthetic limbs were crisp and disciplined.
"It is indisputable that the Demon King's Army is marching toward the Human Realm. We estimate it will take them at least two weeks to arrive. Accounting for the time required to break through the gate, we have precisely fifteen days."
"Hmm. That's the situation, then. Fortunate for us, we've made our own preparations. So, what is their objective in declaring this war?"
"Their official objective has not been confirmed. However, by tracking their route, we have narrowed down their destination."
"Tell me."
Director Seong swallowed hard before speaking. A single face flashed across his mind, and like magic, a sense of calm washed over him.
Why didn't I think of That Person sooner?
He smiled bitterly to himself. Humanity was no longer weak. The era when people wet themselves at the mere mention of demons was long gone.
Spear Saint, Sword Emperor, Sage, All-Power, Archery Saint, and...
The heroes of the older generation, alongside the rising stars who would bear the responsibility of the new era, crossed his mind.
Humanity now stood on equal footing with the demons. Just as they had seven hundred years ago.
Strength returned to his shoulders. He wasn't old enough for male menopause yet, so why was he so emotional lately? He suddenly remembered his mother's old scolding—that if you laugh right after crying, you'll grow hair all over. At this rate, I'm going to turn into a gorilla.
Director Seong smiled.
"The destination of the Demon King's Army is Joaquin Academy."
He continued his report, laying heavy emphasis on his final words.
"Where the Heavenly Sword resides."