Chapter 143: Geumwa Clan (10)
Chapter 143: Geumwa Clan (10)
“So you’re the one they call the Knight!”
Baek Yong-gi shouted as he drew his massive sword, watching the knight in silver full body armor charge through his subordinates behind a raised shield.
He had heard plenty about the Knight.
The warrior from another world who had come to Earth’s aid.
He was the one who had single-handedly cleared portals teeming with A-Rank monsters at record speed, including a dungeon occupied by an entire orc tribe.
Furthermore, hearing that the Knight had slaughtered demons in Aokigahara, Japan, and destroyed a massive Black Spire on his own, Baek Yong-gi couldn't help but acknowledge him as a powerhouse.
A competitive fire ignited within him.
As a warrior, his desire to face and defeat the strong remained unchanged. He felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of clashing blades with the Knight.
Gripping a colossal greatsword that an ordinary person would have needed two hands to even lift, he charged toward the Knight.
Clang!
Han Shin’s sword and Baek Yong-gi’s greatsword collided violently, sending sparks flying.
‘Ugh...’
Baek Yong-gi swallowed a groan.
The Knight’s strength was far greater than he had anticipated.
The Knight, encased in silver full body armor, wasn't particularly large in stature. While Awakeners could exert far more strength than ordinary humans, physical build still played a role. Generally, larger, more muscular Awakeners produced more power.
Because of this, Baek Yong-gi was known for his exceptional strength even among his peers. Most Awakeners struggled just to parry his blows, yet Han Shin showed no sign of strain.
On the contrary, it was Baek Yong-gi who felt a sharp ache in his wrists.
‘I can’t let this fight drag on!’
Baek Yong-gi drew upon the dark mana latent within his body and unleashed it.
Black demonic energy surged visibly, and black sword energy flickered around his greatsword like a dark flame.
The metallic screech of their blades echoed repeatedly.
With every exchange of blows, sparks flew, and the shockwaves seemed to ripple through the surrounding air.
Seeing Baek Yong-gi struggle against the Knight, the Awakeners of the Goryeo Clan prepared to do something they never would have done in the past: attack someone while their leader was dueling them.
Though Baek Yong-gi was simple-minded and power-hungry, he had always insisted on one-on-one combat to prove his own strength. Under normal circumstances, they would have stood back and watched the duel, but they no longer had any intention of doing so.
They prepared to snipe Han Shin with dark magic and arrows.
“When are we supposed to hit him?”
However, the Knight and Baek Yong-gi were clashing so fiercely and moving so unpredictably that it was difficult to find an opening to target Han Shin.
The Goryeo Clan Awakeners were experiencing something akin to what ordinary people felt when watching an Awakener battle.
The ground around Han Shin and Baek Yong-gi was gouged, and nearby structures were pulverized by the aftermath of their struggle.
One demonic human, who had been trying to line up a shot with his bow, cursed and lowered his weapon when he realized he couldn't get a lock on the target.
“Dammit!”
Han Shin, of course, recognized Baek Yong-gi’s face.
The leaders of large clans were celebrities, well-known even to the general public. Han Shin had known what Baek Yong-gi looked like since he was young.
Though he had become a demonic human—his eyes stained with black demonic energy and his physique slightly warped—he was still easily recognizable.
However, Han Shin didn't particularly care.
To him, the man was nothing more than an enemy to be cut down.
While focusing on the fight with Baek Yong-gi, Han Shin remained fully aware of his surroundings.
Baek Yong-gi, however, did not have that luxury.
He was becoming increasingly desperate just to block and counter Han Shin’s attacks.
Only three months ago, Han Shin had been an ordinary person. Now, he held the upper hand against Baek Yong-gi—one of Korea’s strongest Awakeners, who had grown even more powerful after turning into a demonic human.
Unaware of this fact, Baek Yong-gi felt the overwhelming pressure of the Knight’s strength and found himself being pushed back.
The stinging in his wrists had turned into a clear, sharp pain.
Every time Han Shin drew upon the Power of the Dragon and swung his sword in his Juggernaut state, physical damage accumulated within Baek Yong-gi’s body.
‘How is this...!’
Baek Yong-gi was used to being the one breaking his opponents' wrists; he never imagined he would be on the receiving end of such an experience.
He couldn't even retreat. He knew that the moment he showed any sign of backing off, the Knight would exploit that gap to launch a devastating offensive.
They were currently trading blows in a precarious balance, and it was painfully obvious what would happen if that balance shattered.
Han Shin noticed that Baek Yong-gi’s initial momentum had faded.
Sensing the slightest shift, Han Shin decided it was time to press his advantage and changed his tempo.
He had grown composed enough to control the flow of the battle.
Clang!
Starting by violently parrying Baek Yong-gi’s downward strike upward, Han Shin began swinging his sword with even greater speed.
“Urgh!”
For the first time, Baek Yong-gi grimaced and let out a groan.
Reacting to this, Jacquin, who was hanging around Baek Yong-gi’s neck, unleashed the dark magic he had been preparing: Hell Blast.
Vrrrrt!
With the sharp sound of dark mana condensing, a dark magic circle manifested on Baek Yong-gi’s chest.
From the grotesque magic circle, a pillar of murky, dark-red light erupted toward Han Shin.
Because Han Shin had been in the middle of an aggressive offensive, he hadn't expected a Hell Blast to be cast from such close range.
BOOM!!
A massive explosion erupted, and black flames enveloped Han Shin.
Thick black smoke obscured both Baek Yong-gi and Han Shin, leaving the Goryeo Clan Awakeners unable to see the result.
“Is the bastard dead?”
“He took that at point-blank range. Of course he is.”
The surrounding demonic humans were jubilant, having witnessed the Knight take Jacquin’s spell directly.
Even from a distance, the shockwave of the powerful magic had been palpable. Since he had been hit from such a short distance, they were certain he was either dead or severely wounded.
As the thick black smoke thinned, the figures of Baek Yong-gi and Han Shin were revealed.
The Goryeo Clan members—the demonic humans—stood with their mouths agape, unable to utter a word.
The Knight’s silver armor was scorched, indicating he hadn't escaped entirely unscathed.
However, Baek Yong-gi’s head was rolling on the ground.
His headless body remained standing, but his right arm, which had been gripping the greatsword, had been severed.
The moment Jacquin attacked with Hell Blast, Han Shin had made a choice.
Accepting that he would be hit by the magic, he burned the Power of the Dragon within him and manifested it outward with force.
It was a highly inefficient move, but in that moment, it was more effective than anything else, creating a temporary protective barrier around his body.
This was a technique Han Shin had researched while training and sparring with Laysia and Grace in Siberia. He had developed it specifically for situations where he needed an emergency defense.
After deploying the barrier, Han Shin swung his sword at Baek Yong-gi even as the Hell Blast struck him.
First, he severed Baek Yong-gi’s right arm.
Baek Yong-gi’s fatal mistake was letting his guard down the moment Jacquin fired the Hell Blast.
He never imagined Han Shin would counterattack while being hit by the spell. His arm was lopped off, and his head followed immediately after. He was dead before he could even process what had happened.
Jacquin, still hanging from Baek Yong-gi’s neck, was utterly flabbergasted.
Hell Blast was a mid-tier dark magic spell. He was confident that no one could survive it at such close range, and he had considered it a perfect surprise attack.
But Han Shin’s quick thinking had thwarted him, and Baek Yong-gi was dead. It was a result Jacquin had never anticipated.
‘I have to kill him!’
Knowing what would happen if he stayed still, Jacquin hurriedly gathered the dark mana remaining in Baek Yong-gi’s corpse to cast another spell.
He intended to blast Han Shin again and then seek help from the surrounding demonic humans.
But Han Shin’s hand suddenly clamped down on the gold-colored necklace.
Having already dealt with Raulo, Han Shin knew that the previous attack hadn't been Baek Yong-gi’s doing, but the work of the necklace. He reached out and snatched the necklace from the stump of the severed neck.
As Han Shin gripped the necklace with a hand wreathed in a silver aura—the manifestation of the Power of the Dragon imbued with Tiamat’s holy power—Jacquin found himself unable to cast any magic.
[...!]
He nearly screamed from the agonizing sensation of his soul being scorched, just as Raulo had, but he barely managed to suppress it.
However, a future of screaming in agony, just like Raulo, was all that remained for him.
When the demonic humans saw Han Shin standing over Baek Yong-gi’s corpse holding Jacquin, they were paralyzed with indecision. They had completely lost their leader.
Their morale plummeted instantly upon seeing their strongest warrior defeated so decisively.
Before the demonic humans could take their next action, Han Shin moved again, striking out to destroy the barrier core made of raw flesh.