Chapter 144
Chapter 144
Chapter 144: The Undefeated Sargas (3)
Translation: godtl
A dazzling platinum light.
Yet, despite that radiant glow, the transport path was eerily silent.
And for good reason.
The instigator of the chaos that had shaken the transport path...
"......"
Sargas, now in his Manifestation form, had come to a complete standstill.
Holding his silence, he—
Huuung.
—stared at the Platinum Spear, which emitted a clear, resonant hum.
Sargas was old enough to be called an ancient dragon.
A dragonkin who had even lived through the Dragon God War, a conflict between the Dragon Emperors and the Constellations long ago.
Naturally, he had seen countless weapons of all kinds.
Yet, even to Sargas's eyes—
'What... is that?'
The Platinum Spear floating before Si-mun was unfamiliar.
But it wasn't just the unfamiliarity of the weapon that had frozen him in place.
Sargas's gaze drifted downward.
Sssss—
Like a house burned to its very foundation.
His fist, charred black, was still emitting wisps of white smoke.
'And yet, it only grazed me...'
Sargas replayed the earlier moment in his mind.
A sudden surge of energy, a presence bursting forth.
Without a moment's hesitation, he had thrown a punch toward it, intending to obliterate everything in its path.
In that brief instant—
A warning from his Future Sight had made him twist his fist aside at the last moment.
So, in the end, it had only been the slightest graze.
A mere spark had brushed against him.
And yet, his fist—comparable in strength to Drake, an upper-level Dragonkin—had been reduced to tatters.
Sargas's brow furrowed.
'Now that I think about it, even calling it a graze feels off.'
The trajectory of his attack had been altered.
He had twisted it so perfectly that it shouldn't have even made contact.
'It felt like the lightning chased after me.'
Like a snake hunting its prey.
It was as if a single bolt of lightning had pursued him with deliberate intent.
'To think a single bolt could do this...'
His fist had been reduced to shreds by just one.
And worse—
Crackle!
Even with his regeneration drastically enhanced by Manifestation,
the Lightning Qi that had scorched his fist still crackled relentlessly, stubbornly interfering with his healing.
'A single touch is all it would take.'
Which meant he had no room to analyze what abilities that Platinum Spear possessed.
Gulp.
His massive Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed.
'How long has it been since my life was last threatened like this?'
A battle where a single mistake meant death.
Amidst that overwhelming tension and pressure—
'Stay calm. I still have the Future Sight bestowed upon me by Lord Apophis.'
Sargas's eyes settled into calm focus.
'From what I can tell, it seems like a variation of Astrapē... I just need to be even more cautious with evasion.'
No matter how formidable an attack might be,
if it doesn't land, it's meaningless.
This principle, which had earned him the epithet "Undefeated," had never once betrayed him.
And so—
"Come at me, Kim Si-mun!"
This time, too, that principle would hold true.
That was what Sargas believed.
At least, until—
"Very well."
—before the Platinum Spear unleashed a bolt of lightning the same color as itself.
CRACK!
In an instant, a platinum lightning bolt shot forth.
Huuung.
In response, Sargas's left eye glowed with a deep grayish-brown light.
But—
"This—!"
In that same instant, Sargas's face twisted in horror.
He immediately threw his body backward, but it was too late.
"GAAAAAH—!!!"
A scream as massive as his physical form echoed throughout the entire transport path.
And for good reason.
Sizzle—
The platinum lightning bolt struck true.
Sargas's right arm was instantly reduced to ashes and vanished.
But that wasn't all.
Zzzzt—
The Lightning Qi that had utterly annihilated his right arm.
The lingering Lightning Qi traveled down his shoulder, spreading across the entire right side of his upper body.
It was agony enough to scorch even the soul, but—
"T-this is impossible!"
What truly drove Sargas mad was something else entirely.
'I definitely! I definitely dodged it!'
His Future Sight, glowing with a viscous light.
The trajectory it had initially shown him was unmistakably aimed at his heart.
That's why he had made the decision to twist his entire body out of the way, and yet—
'How can the path remain unchanged?!'
That horrifying platinum lightning, like a rabid hunting dog with its hackles raised,
had veered its course with terrifying precision, homing in on his heart.
Had he not sacrificed his right arm,
he wouldn't even have the luxury of standing here in shock right now.
And so—
"This can't be happening! This shouldn't be possible!!"
Sargas couldn't contain his disbelief.
"Altering the future?! Are you claiming to be some kind of god?!"
His furious roar erupted uncontrollably.
To which—
"I didn't alter the future."
Gripping the Platinum Spear,
Si-mun, who had been silently observing Sargas, finally replied.
"It was already set in stone from the beginning."
"......What?"
As if to say, What kind of nonsense is this?
Sargas stared at him with utter incredulity.
But that was all.
"If you don't believe me, see for yourself with those eyes of yours."
Perhaps unwilling to explain further,
Si-mun merely shrugged and raised the Platinum Spear again.
In response—
"Fine! You arrogant human!!"
Even with his life on the line,
Sargas charged forward, eyes blazing.
"Let me see for myself! What kind of 'set future' you've decided for me!!"
To the point where one side of his face was completely obscured—
Vrrrrrriiiing!!
A murky brown light surged from his Future Sight, emitting a piercing screech.
And then—
Crackle-crackle!
Another platinum lightning bolt shot forth.
His Future Sight, activated to its absolute limit, showed him the trajectory of the incoming strike.
Just like before—his heart, on the left side of his chest.
Sargas twisted his body accordingly, but—
'How can this be?!'
He couldn't help but gasp in horror.
'Is the future truly predetermined?!'
The afterimage remained fixed on his heart.
No matter how he moved, the vision from his Future Sight didn't change.
'No, that can't be!'
Sargas contorted his massive 8-meter frame with unbelievable speed, but—
'Not here either?! Then here! No—what about here?!'
No matter where he fled,
the afterimage in his Future Sight remained lodged in the left side of his chest—his heart.
And in his normal vision, beyond the Future Sight—
Zzzt-zzzt!
Like a living creature,
the platinum lightning bent and twisted midair, adjusting to his evasive movements.
"No! No!!"
Sargas roared in denial.
Had he pushed himself beyond his limits?
Drip... drip...
Crimson blood streamed from his left eye, which had been emitting that murky brown light.
But Sargas refused to stop struggling.
Thud.
"Ghk—!"
His back finally hit a collapsed wall.
No more space to dodge. No more strength left to evade.
Staring blankly at the afterimage still embedded in his heart—
'Is this... truly how Sargas meets his end?'
—he could only watch, dumbstruck, as the platinum harbinger of death flew toward him without the slightest deviation.
And then, into Sargas' ears—
"I told you,"
came a clear, cold voice.
"The future was already decided."
With those final words—
Crackle-crackle-CRACK!
Sargas' undefeated streak came to an end.
The platinum flash that had illuminated the dim Transport Path faded away.
And as it vanished—
[You have completed the mission of the Five Constellations.]
[You have acquired 10,000 Achievement Points.]
The mission clear message floated before his eyes.
Si-mun dismissed it with a flick of his gaze.
Tzzzt—
His eyes fell upon Sargas' corpse—charred pitch black, its upper torso completely obliterated.
Thanks to its massive size,
the remains resembled an unearthed ancient fossil.
As if placating the lingering spirit,
Crackle.
Platinum lightning qi flickered like fireflies, dancing erratically in the air.
Then—
Ssshhhk.
The weight in his hand gradually lightened.
Shifting his gaze,
he saw it—the weapon born from the fusion of Mythic-grade equipment,
the Promised Sure-Hit Lightning Spear, disintegrating into platinum particles due to Rebound.
Si-mun glanced down at his own chest and asked:
"Philosopher's Stone. You don't, uh... have some kind of refund policy for this, do you?"
"......Oppa. Do you really have to say something like that in this deeply moving moment?"
So utterly dumbfounded,
the stone's voice was completely drained of energy.
Si-mun scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"No, I just... thought I'd ask. The cost wasn't exactly small, you know."
A whopping 5,000 Achievement Points.
If he got even 20% back, that'd be 1,000 points.
Or if it was just 10%, like before, 500 points wouldn't be bad either, right?
"Well, that's true, but... Oppa. Couldn't we, just for a moment, let go of worldly desires and... celebrate the great achievement you've just accomplished?"
"Huh... This counts as a great achievement?"
"Of course it does!!"
The Philosopher's Stone shrieked.
"Do you even realize what you just pulled off?!"
The stone sounded not just dumbfounded, but outright shocked.
"Ars Magna! It was freaking Ars Magna!"
It kept shouting in an excited voice.
"In a way, you've glimpsed the pinnacle of what alchemy can achieve!"
At the stone's words, Si-mun silently nodded.
'Yeah... it really was an incredible power.'
Something indescribable.
That fleeting sensation brushing through his mind, etched into his very soul—it felt like shedding his innate self,
being reborn as something entirely new.
In fact—
[You have awakened your own Ars Magna.]
[The effects of the title 'Pioneer of Alchemy' have grown.]
[Transmutation Power has increased by 20.]
[The Philosopher's Stone's grade has risen.]
At the edge of Si-mun's vision, the abilities tied to alchemy had grown across the board due to Ars Magna.
'The title is one thing, but it boosted my Transmutation Power by a whole 20.'
A main stat increase of 20.
Even converted simply into levels, that was equivalent to 20 whole levels.
It was comparable to when he had absorbed the Dragon Emperor's Dragon Power from the corrupted World Tree.
Moreover—
'The Philosopher's Stone's grade went up too.'
Among all his alchemy-related abilities, the Philosopher's Stone's grade had been the slowest to grow.
And yet, hadn't it leveled up just from this single awakening of Ars Magna?
"So, about that..."
Having confirmed everything, Si-mun bit back a sly grin and asked again:
"You leveled up this time too, right? Seriously no refunds?"
"......"
A brief silence.
Then—
"OPPAAAAAA!!"
As the stone's frustration exploded outward, Si-mun laughed heartily.
"Haha! Just kidding."
"Please don't joke like that... I swear I'm getting dizzy..."
"Got it."
After thoroughly teasing the Philosopher's Stone, Si-mun quickly soothed it.
His smile lingering,
he looked down at his faintly trembling right hand.
The Promised Sure-Hit Lightning Spear.
The aftermath of wielding such immense power still hadn't faded.
'Equivalent Exchange may be costly, but that power was absolutely worth the price.'
5,000 Achievement Points.
While it was certainly a steep price to pay for a single use,
the fusion of Astrapē and Gungnir had yielded an overwhelmingly formidable power.
'It wasn't just a combination of their strengths—the overall performance felt enhanced too.'
Of course, compared to genuine Mythic-grade equipment, it would still have many shortcomings.
Yet Si-mun didn't feel the slightest regret.
Because—
'It felt like... I'd truly created a weapon of my own.'
Not something belonging to another Constellation,
but a weapon born purely from the existence known as Kim Si-mun.
As if reading his thoughts,
-You're absolutely right, Oppa.
The Philosopher's Stone affirmed.
-Ars Magna differs fundamentally depending on the alchemist who achieves it.
"Really?"
-Yup. Think about it. Even among Rankers, would the insights gained by our Young Master and that bastard Jong-ri Chu be the same?
Si-mun let out a soft chuckle at that.
"Putting it that way really drives it home."
-Right? Of course, if you delve deeper, the nature of the enlightenment differs by field... but roughly speaking, the gist is similar.
Therefore,
-So that weapon you forged with Ars Magna is undeniably yours. I bet even the Constellations would agree.
Si-mun's belief—that it was truly his own weapon—wasn't mistaken.
Sure enough,
[Constellation Black Goat, Heavenly Demon, and Baal nod in agreement.]
[Constellation Zeus smiles with satisfaction.]
[Constellation Odin gazes at you with eyes gleaming brighter than before.]
The reactions of the Constellations, all expressing approval, appeared simultaneously.
Seeing this, Si-mun nodded.
"That's a relief."
-What's with that bland reaction? Be more amazed! As an alchemist, you've accomplished something truly monumental!
"I already am."
Having wielded that power firsthand,
he, who had gained this enlightenment, felt it more keenly than anyone else.
Then—
"Ah, right."
With a small sigh, Si-mun quickly turned around.
The reason was simple.
'Perhaps due to the aftermath of attaining Ars Magna... all my links with the golems have been severed.'
The bodies he had transmuted had likely crumbled as well.
Meaning Dayna was now the only one protecting the escaped Dark Elves.
'I need to deal with the cause blocking the souls' cycle and hurry back.'
Even though Sargas had been dealt with,
the primary objective of this Special Arena was, after all, 'the rescue of the Dark Elves.'
Tap.
After reinforcing his entire body with Human Transmutation, just as he was about to kick off the ground—
Rumble—
A powerful tremor shook the earth.
Simultaneously,
Whoooosh—!!
A colossal surge of ashen energy burst through the ground, shooting straight into the sky.
Si-mun's eyes widened.
'That's... the souls?'
The torrent of souls he had seen while wearing Kynée.
Even without the helmet now, they were clearly visible to the naked eye.
'Why can I suddenly see them?'
His gaze, filled with doubt, followed the rising souls.
Then—
'Wait. Now that I think about it...'
He noticed something different from before.
Namely,
-Ah... Finally!
-Freedom! Liberation!!
-Thank you! Thank you! Thank you...!
No longer screaming in agony,
they were all crying out in gratitude and joy.
Immediately after,
[You have completed the mission of the Death Constellations.]
A message announcing the mission's completion appeared.
[You have acquired Death Energy as a reward.]
[Due to the influence of the Philosopher's Stone, Death Energy has been assimilated into Transmutation Power.]
[You have liberated all the souls trapped in the Black Smeltery.]
[You have acquired the Gift of Death as a reward.]
A flood of rewards followed in quick succession.
But Si-mun couldn't focus on them.
For one simple reason.
GRRRRRRR—!!
A quake so massive it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the Transport Path—
No, the entire Black Smeltery was collapsing.
And with it,
BOOOOM—!
A hand even larger than Sargas' crashed down right in front of Si-mun.
And atop the head of the colossal statue—presumably a golem—to which that hand belonged,
"Huh? It's Dad!"
"S-Si-yeon?!"
A child who shouldn't be here beamed with a radiant smile.
"Hehe! Dad!!"
Waving her hand excitedly in greeting.