Chapter 246
Chapter 246
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 246
>Chapter Title: Reverse Heaven Strike
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>Ta-at!
[The Forgotten King activates the trait, Keen Senses.]
Had Keen Senses picked up on something in Do-hyun's eyes?
The king kicked off the ground at an even faster speed than before he had stopped, charging forward like a shot arrow.
The sword tip rushed in like a beam of light.
It was merely a single thrust aimed at one point.
[The Forgotten King activates the trait, Combat Instinct.]
[Uses Absolute Strike.]
The king's thrust, enhanced by superior combat instinct, held not a hint of wavering.
A strike so precise it sent chills down the spine.
The ominous aura flowing along the blade surged menacingly, and the white lion leaped upon that aura, extending its savage claws.
'He’s got all sorts of tricks. Who’d have thought he’d saved something like that.'
Do-hyun was certain. He couldn’t parry that thrust.
But.
“Jihad.”
-Yeah, Master! Ttadak! Now’s the time!
……Ttadak!
Do-hyun had never intended to fight the king fair and square.
Even in unfavorable conditions, he used everything at his disposal to seize an advantageous position—that was Do-hyun’s way of battle.
And the first step was Jihad’s undead legion.
[Guardian ‘Jihad Black’ uses Legion Frenzy.]
Legion Frenzy.
A hero-grade skill that temporarily drove a necromancer’s undead legion into a frenzy.
It was a new ability Jihad had acquired this time.
Grraaah— Grra—
Ttadak, ttadak!
The undead, already cloaked in darkness, had their eyes turn red, radiating a far more ferocious aura.
They had become madmen who had clawed their way back from death itself.
It wasn’t just their momentum.
[Legion Frenzy temporarily boosts the 1st Legion’s physical abilities.]
[The 1st Legion’s senses sharpen, and their temperament turns savage.]
The empowered undead charged with unbridled madness.
But the king’s face remained utterly calm, showing no sign of distress.
As if the number of attackers meant nothing, he simply held his thrusting stance.
Kwaduduk— Kwuduk!
The densely packed sword ki pierced the necks of the undead that reached him, and the lion’s claws that followed tore them to shreds.
[Lawless Undead has died.]
[Troll Undead has died.]
[Troll Undead has died.]
Three fell in an instant.
But fear held no sway over the undead consumed by frenzy.
Instead, their red-glowing eyes flashed from the darkness as they clung to him relentlessly.
And from behind them.
Ttadak, ttak……!
Pain, who had become a ttadak, pushed forward despite his displeasure.
This Pain looked different from before.
Amid the darkness coiling around his body, crimson eyes gleamed faintly. Unlike the other undead, they weren’t lost to madness.
It was a deeper, heavier presence.
The moment those eyes from his lawless days, when he had fought Do-hyun, flashed.
[Legion Leader ‘Pain’ is affected by Legion Frenzy.]
[Once, you may use a skill one rank higher than your level.]
A black grimoire effect appeared above Pain, and black energy erupted outward like a blast.
Upon touching the ground, it burst like a water balloon, swiftly staining the floor.
[Higher skill, Swamp of Pain activates.]
[While in the swamp, the legion grows stronger proportional to the number of subordinate soldiers that die, and enemies’ movement speed is reduced.]
It was a swamp.
A vile swamp formed from the grudges and agony of fallen soldiers.
The black swamp writhed like it was made of pollutants, and the undead sprawled upon it rose with groans of “Grraaah.”
Squeak, squeak—
Grraaah—
Like zombies, they staggered to their feet at an angle, then turned their heads in unison.
Spotting the king with his ankle trapped in the swamp, they swarmed to surround him without hesitation.
‘Whoa, even I get chills watching this.’
A new skill from Pain that he hadn’t seen during their own fight.
Its power was undeniable.
-Good! That’s it! Yeah, stick to him even more!
-Liza-liza!
Grraaaah—
The undead clinging to the king like leeches, breaking through his sword strikes, were undoubtedly stronger than before.
‘Their physical abilities were already boosted by Legion Frenzy, and now double buffs on top.’
This surpassed most necromancers.
Even a skilled one might struggle now.
It was almost touching that the pathetic goblin had come this far, but Pain’s complexion grew paler by the second.
[The effect of Benevolent Light increases Jihad Black’s mana regeneration rate.]
[Jihad Black’s mana is below 20%.]
[Mana is depleting rapidly. Be cautious.]
-Ugh. Master. My energy’s draining too fast. We need to move soon!
His chronic mana shortage had flared up again.
Not surprising.
Legion Frenzy was infamous for its massive mana consumption from the start.
Even average necromancers struggled to maintain it long, using it only in critical moments.
‘For someone already mana-starved, it must feel like a hippo guzzling water.’
Always short by 2%, but Do-hyun smiled.
‘This is enough.’
He’d cover that 2% himself.
[Activates Cross of the Execution Deity.]
[Designates the Forgotten King as the target.]
[Both feet have been confirmed touching the ground for 2 seconds or more.]
[Condition met.]
Aaaaaah—
As the skill activated, radiant light burst forth, accompanied by a holy harmony.
A golden cross rose above it.
A massive cross, fit to adorn a cathedral spire, bore no ornate decorations yet exuded supreme holiness.
-Wow……
-Liza!
A sacred sight that purified the heart just by looking.
The awe-inspiring cross descended from above, illuminating the darkness as if purging evil.
The moment the blackened temple took on a golden hue, like a sunset glow.
The Cross of the Execution Deity halted about 10cm from the ground,
[Cross of the Execution Deity binds the Forgotten King’s limbs.]
The Forgotten King’s body lifted, drawn to the cross like iron to a magnet.
For a rare moment, bewilderment flickered in his gestures, but by the time he regained his senses, his arms and legs were bound to three points of the cross.
‘The Cross of the Execution Deity that judges sinners.’
A bind skill of the holy knight, said to inherit part of the Execution Deity’s authority used to restrain sinners.
Unsurprising for such a lore-heavy skill, its performance was extraordinary.
‘The ultimate bind skill that activates just by pinning the feet for a mere 2 seconds.’
Once the simple activation condition was met, it sealed any target’s limbs for 10 seconds—a cheat-like effect.
No wonder it was always a top contender for the holy knight’s best skill.
But this time was an exception.
“Took some effort to trigger it.”
A skill that should have been straightforward.
The king never stopped moving, making it hard to find an opening.
It had clear counters, which could be a drawback against humanoid bosses or PvP, but that didn’t matter.
Once activated, no one escaped.
Kraaaah!
[The Forgotten King resists fiercely.]
[The rank difference with the Forgotten King is extreme.]
[Cross of the Execution Deity’s duration reduces to 5 seconds.]
Even a king who had reached the supreme realm was no exception.
He could shorten the duration, but not break free.
And 5 seconds was plenty.
[Activates Guardian Deity’s Blessing on the Forgotten King.]
[The rank difference with the Forgotten King is extreme.]
[Supreme Realm trait partially ignores Guardian Deity’s Blessing effect.]
[Duelt effect ignored. Defense, magic resistance, and health boost ignored.]
[Skill cooldown reduced by 20%, immune to knockback.]
‘I canceled right away when the duelt effect got nullified the first time…… but right now, nothing’s sturdier than this.’
Do-hyun exhaled deeply, his eyes sharpening like a honed blade.
He assumed a stance and regulated his breathing.
Then, one step.
[Reverse Heaven Stage]
[First Form: Begin activates.]
His forward step carried the weight of a mountain.
Grraaah—
As if by prior agreement, the undead wrapped fuse-threads around the bound king’s body.
Darkness clung to the threads winding from his left arm, across his chest, abdomen, and legs.
Step.
[Uses Fierce Strike Slash.]
[Fierce Strike energy infuses the sword.]
The second step drew power from below his navel, his dantian.
That was when the undead finished wrapping the fuse-threads.
Kkaduk, kkakak—!
Grraaah—
The king thrashed violently to break free.
Undead clung to his arms and legs like hangers-on.
[Uses the second ability of Tears of the God.]
[No mana consumption for a set duration.]
[Uses Mark of the Holy King.]
[May use Thunder Dragon Descent.]
Meanwhile, Do-hyun took another step.
[Applies Darkness Cloak to Thunder Dragon Descent.]
[Accessing black dragon power through irregular path.]
[Darkness trait adds effect: simultaneously gains thunder dragon and black dragon energy.]
A thunder dragon wreathed in black lightning struck down, scorching the area black.
Feeling his vastly improved physical abilities, he took another step, and something writhed in his dantian.
Step.
Something flowed through his body.
Energy extended from his dantian, circulated through his entire form, and returned.
This cycle repeated internally several times,
Responding to Do-hyun’s will, the white lion and blizzard whipped around.
-M-Master, hurry!
-Ugh…… I can’t hold any longer, my lord!
That instant.
[Cross of the Execution Deity’s duration ends.]
[Forgotten King is freed from binding.]
Uzigeun—! Kwuduk!
The king snapped the chains and swung his right arm down.
Undead clung like leeches, but it wasn’t enough to stop the freed king.
One sword swing unleashed a blizzard, and the white lion bared its fangs.
[Uses Fuse—Explode.]
----
The fuses wrapped around the king detonated simultaneously in a silent explosion.
The massive blast kicked up thick dust.
Amid the fog obscuring vision, uzigeun sounds rang out repeatedly.
[Must…… kill……]
He had even used fuses to buy time for such a scenario.
Yet the king had broken free of all restraints.
Kraaaah!
He let out a deafening roar, unleashing a shockwave that sent Pain and the undead legion flying.
Even distant Jihad struggled to open his eyes against the fierce wind.
[Guardian Deity’s Blessing grants knockback immunity.]
Step.
But Do-hyun pressed forward steadfastly.
Irritated, perhaps, the king’s eyes flashed as he lowered his stance.
Like a wolf spotting prey.
His thigh muscles swelled and contracted powerfully, cratering the ground.
Then, like pulling a trigger, he kicked off—launching like a cannonball.
Pang!
No, more like a cannon shot.
---!
Enraged, his sword ki boiled at an entirely different level.
The king closed in instantly, thrusting his sword. The aura was so sharp and fierce it seemed to slice space itself.
Yet Do-hyun, facing it head-on, remained utterly serene.
His lowered gaze quietly regarded the blade aimed at his throat.
Step.
The final step landed.
Paat—!
The pent-up foreign sensation below his navel erupted like a bursting dam.
The overwhelming energy surged uncontrollably toward one point.
The sword.
It concentrated from hilt to tip, and Do-hyun simply swung it down.
[Uses Sword Aura—Severing Strike.]
[Reverse Heaven Stage]
[Second Form: Break executes.]
A downward slash.
The simple motion unfolded in astonishing stillness and silence.
But right after.
[……!]
The Forgotten King’s eyes widened in shock.
Everything before him was shattering.