Chapter 96
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Four Guardian Deities (6)
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In front of Lab 1.
Hyeonmu and Hermit were locked in a fierce battle.
The lab was already in tatters, its original form lost, and the trees were splintered like matchsticks.
They had been crushed under Hyeonmu's massive body.
Each time it swung its serpent-like tail, the terrain shifted. Each time it set foot on the ground, the very world trembled.
And yet, Hermit was single-handedly overwhelming such a creature.
This is nothing special.
Hyeonmu, having gone berserk in its incomplete state, was, frankly, unimpressive.
Just an empty shell with an intimidating presence.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Of course, that was by Hermit's standards.
The matchup is definitely in my favor.
The radio interference that jammed all nearby signals upon its appearance was not a drawback but an advantage for Hermit, who couldn't reveal himself to the world.
Hyeonmu's unique defense was rendered meaningless by Hermit's trait, the 'Sword of Mist'.
Hyeonmu's tail lunged toward Hermit like a striking snake.
Weight is power.
Naturally, the force it carried was immense. But its speed was pathetic.
To Hermit's eyes, it was moving in slow motion.
Hermit effortlessly dodged the attack and swung his sword.
*Squelch!*
The sword blurred like mist, then sliced through Hyeonmu's tough hide as if it were a radish.
The Sword of Mist.
A trait with the ridiculously overpowered effect of completely ignoring an opponent's defense, just as its name suggested.
Having lost two of its greatest strengths, all that remained was its tenacious life force.
But now, even that life force was flickering like a candle in the wind.
It seemed to be struggling just to stand, its four legs trembling violently.
Hermit's relentless attacks had finally pushed it to its limit.
Well then, time to finish this
Just as Hermit looked at the beast and prepared to deliver the final blow.
*Whoooosh!*
Dozens of polearms rained down from the sky.
...This is?
Weapons of all shapes and sizes, glowing with blue mana, surged downward with the intent to tear Hyeonmu to shreds.
*Clang! Ching! Thud!*
Some weapons bounced off its carapace, while others glanced away.
But there were also those that pierced through the gaps in the shell Hermit had carved, embedding themselves in its flesh.
Watching the scene, Hermit muttered.
This is... the Bihon Guildmaster's Manifestation?
Firing weapons generated by mana was the Bihon Guildmaster's signature skill.
Kuaaaargh!
Hyeonmu's scream echoed loudly.
Had it been in perfect condition, it would have scoffed at such an attack.
But the current Hyeonmu lacked the strength to endure it.
*Thud*
Under the continuous rain of blades, Hyeonmu fell to its knees and began to collapse.
*Craaaash!*
Its hard carapace slammed into the ground, shaking the very earth.
Hyeonmu moved no more.
It was an anticlimactic end.
As Hermit stared at the fallen Hyeonmu, someone approached from behind.
I never thought the mysterious superhuman fighting Hyeonmu would be you.
Meiden Keuritineseu.
Good to see you. Weve met before, havent we?
She was seething with cold fury.
...Yes. It has been a while.
Hermit gave a bitter smile.
Of all the people, he had to run into the one he wanted to see the least.
Its been since your brothers funeral. About ten years, I suppose?
Hermit removed the mask he was wearing and smiled faintly.
Yes.
Seeing his revealed face, Meiden gave a ferocious grin.
Its been exactly eleven years, you son of a bitch.
* * *
Immediately after Suzaku vanished.
The Beast Master, who had suddenly appeared, launched a furious assault on me without a single question.
...No, scratch that. He's ranting.
This world is wrong!
The Beast Master shouted, swinging his fist.
Everyone just fawns over superhumans! No one pays any attention to the researchers and artisans working behind the scenes for the good of the world!
On his back were the wings of Suzaku.
His legs were those of Baekho.
His eyes were the eyes of Cheongryong.
And the skin of his entire body was stained as black as Hyeonmu's carapace.
I tried to understand! It's only natural for the audience to cheer for the actors, not caring what the staff does backstage!
Having become such a deformed creature, the Beast Master drooled and laughed maniacally.
But the superhumans shouldn't have been like that! They, of all people, should have respected us!
Tears of blood streamed from his two eyes, which were slitted like a reptile's.
At the very least! They shouldn't have packaged the researchers' efforts as their own achievements and stolen the credit!
The explosive leg strength from Baekho's legs granted him immense speed.
The light flowing from Cheongryong's eyes gave him insight bordering on precognition.
The flames flickering from Suzaku's wings provided versatile combat power, both offensive and defensive.
The skin of Hyeonmu covering his body offered mighty defensive capabilities.
So I became a superhuman.
This monstrous being, a downgraded amalgamation of the Sabangsin's strengths, was now trying to kill me with all its might, radiating ferocious killing intent.
I reached S-rank! With the results of my own research!
Originally, the Beast Master's power was so weak it was comparable to a D-rank superhuman. He had no talent.
The reason he was able to reach the upper echelons of S-rank superhumans was thanks to his unique power to control monsters as if they were his own limbs.
The power to control up to 100 monsters, ten of which would be enough to face an S-rank superhuman.
With that power, the Beast Master rose to the position of a high-ranking S-rank superhuman.
But the world's perception didn't change. The Witch of Flames. The Knight of Ice. The Thunder Emperor. The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. This goddamn world, where the flashy and cool superhumans held all the power, stayed exactly the same!
The Beast Master shouted.
Even after reaching the rank of an S-rank superhuman, I was still just a researcher. Everyone still looked down on me.
The operators who backed up the superhumans.
The artisans who crafted their weapons.
The scientists and researchers who studied monsters and created devices to detect crises so that they could perform their roles in a better environment.
Their treatment could never be called good.
The Beast Master wanted their treatment to change.
He wanted others to recognize the research he took so much pride in.
Fifteen years ago, a hero died in an incident. The world wept!
The Beast Master howled.
Over a hundred scientists died in that incident. Operators. My family. My mentor. And all it got was a single line in an article! But the mourning for the hero went on for a whole year!
His attacks were fast and powerful, but not threatening.
His physical specs were enhanced by the Sabangsin factors in his body, but his skill in using that body was abysmal.
That's the only reason a mere D-rank like me was still holding on.
I threw my body aside, barely dodging a fist that grazed my skin.
So I decided to change it. This rotten world!
The reason the Beast Master became obsessed with researching the Sabangsin.
A beautiful world that can function safely even without superhumans!
He had a dream.
A society where everyone can live a peaceful life thanks to the results of my research!
A dream bordering on delusion.
But a dream that would be beautiful if it came true.
The day to achieve that dream was so close! It was right within my grasp!
His appearance grew even more grotesque. Little of his human form remained, as he became a bizarre chimera, a mix of the Sabangsin.
Damn it! Daaaaamn it all!
Such a creature, surrendering itself to bloodlust, throws a punch.
The red trajectory indicated by the Path of the Wind is unusually thick.
It must mean the attack holds immense power.
*Whooosh!*
But no matter how powerful an attack is, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit.
The Beast Master is a researcher and a ruler, not a warrior.
A complete novice who, in his 72 years, had likely never even properly made a fist, let alone wielded a sword.
It might be different if he moved unpredictably like a monster.
But dodging the attacks of someone moving as amateurishly as any normal human wasn't that difficult.
I! I aaaaam!
Anyway, his bullshit has been getting on my nerves.
Ugh.
I can't take it anymore.
So, what's your point?
I said, panting for breath.
Whatever your dream is, whatever society is like, what's that got to do with me?
...What?
The Beast Master's movements froze. His expression stiffened, and his eyes gleamed.
His killing intent intensified.
A beautiful world that can maintain peace without superhumans. Fine. Thats great.
What're you gonna do, stare at me like that?
Even a three-year-old has dreams like that. If you wanted respect, you should have produced results.
I was just starting to get out of breath, so this is perfect. I'll gladly take any time to rest he gives me.
If the result of that dream is the Sabangsin rampaging, who's going to recognize you? The hard work of researchers? You'd be lucky if the negative public perception doesn't get worse.
Y-You...!
It's fine to do something for the sake of the world.
But what if the result of that act is the deaths of tens of millions?
What if it's the worst possible disaster, a massive monster outbreak?
You're just trash. For a peaceful world? Bullshit.
I scoffed.
You just hated being looked down on by others.
Your pathetic pride.
You don't want to admit your own selfish intentions, so you make excuses about it being for the world, right?
This guy is garbage. A cancer. An unprecedented evil that's so rotten it needs to be cut out.
Y-You bastard! What do you know to be spouting such nonsense!
I don't know. How would I know how you feel?
My breathing was gradually steadying. And it was about time.
If I understood the mind of a sociopath like you, wouldn't that make me a sociopath too?
Time for the 'insurance' I asked Meiden for to arrive.
Y-You! You little piece of trash, you're not even dry behind the ears!
The Beast Master roared, spewing a line straight out of a third-rate villain's playbook.
At that moment, countless monsters appeared from all around.
Keuh. Kehehehe.
The Beast Master's ability wasn't combat, but control.
The very ability that had elevated him to the rank of an S-rank superhuman now bared its fangs at me.
Yes. I'm not wrong. The world is wrong. That's right. That's all there is to it.
Crazy bastard.
Were the Sabangsin factors implanted in his body going haywire? His body began to deform even more grotesquely.
*Crrrack, crunch!*
With the sound of twisting bones, his body began to grow larger.
The intimidating presence he exuded grew even more intense.
Grrrr...
Simultaneously, the monsters that had finished surrounding me began to growl.
The Beast Master had grown stronger.
And other monsters had joined the fray.
It was, quite literally, a desperate crisis.
In this world, the strong are the truth! You are weak! I am strong! I am the one who is right! Kuhahahaha!
The Beast Master, too, seemed certain of his victory.
Bullshit.
I laughed.
Like I said before.
It's about time.
Time for the 'insurance' I arranged to arrive.
*Fwoooooosh!*
From the distance, I heard the sound of something tearing through the air.
What... is that sound?
Like a missile, it flew straight toward us, spewing fierce flames.
What sound? The sound of the bomb that's going to kill you.
The 'insurance' I had prepared in case I couldn't handle Suzaku. That's what was flying toward us.
...What?
I shrugged.
I asked for it to be fired this way earlier. It's Meiden's masterpiece, so it should be pretty powerful.
The Beast Master's face hardened. I think it hardened? It's hard to tell since his face has turned into Cheongryong's.
W-What nonsense are you spouting! If that's Meiden's bomb, you won't get out of this unscathed either!
I know.
I looked up at the object growing larger and larger.
But if my one death can take care of a villain like you, isn't that a good trade?
I looked at the Beast Master and smiled.
To die for peace. That's the role of a superhuman.
Y-You bastard!
Run if you can. The blast radius will devastate everything within a kilometer, so you'll have to get farther than that.
I even casually crossed my arms.
Kuh! You all! Protect me!
The Beast Master pulled back the monsters surrounding me and gathered them around himself.
He then covered his body with Suzaku's wings and had the gathered monsters shield him.
Wow.
I was genuinely impressed.
Keuh. With this, I'll be safe even if a nuke goes off!
I guess so.
So there was a way like that.
A dog's death! Your death will be meaningless! Uwahahaha!
*Ruuuuuumble!*
The sound of the object flying from the distance grew louder.
It'll crash into the ground in five seconds.
5.
4.
Thanks.
I smiled at the Beast Master.
3.
2.
For falling for it.
It was a truly wicked smile.
1.
...What?
0.
*Thwuuuuuump!*
The next moment, with the sound of something embedding itself in the ground.
*Fwoooosh!*
A shockwave spread out from the point of impact.
The incredible wind whipped every hair on my body to the side.
It's not... exploding?
But that was all.
The mysterious object didn't explode or anything of the sort.
Of course not.
It had simply fallen next to me and embedded itself in the ground.
The impact of the landing kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
Why would it explode? It's not a bomb.
I raised my arm from the center of that dust cloud.
I felt the cold touch of metal.
[User, Kang Seoyul. Biometric code confirmed.]
*Ch-ch-ch-ch-chak!*
Simultaneously, a mechanical sound echoed from the mysterious object.
The sound of a seal being released.
A superhuman who throws away his life for peace. It's cool, but.
Soon, the sound stopped, as if all the seals had been undone.
Through the dust, the faint outline of a small sword was visible.
I don't have the slightest intention of doing that.
I gripped the sword in my hand.
[Emergency Transport Drone MK-3.]
[Target, 'Kang Seoyul'. Delivery of weapon, 'Cheonbyeon', complete.]
The one-of-a-kind, ever-changing weapon born for the Master of the Weapon, 'Cheonbyeon'.
It rang with a clear sound in my hand.
As if resonating with it, the [Acme of the Weapon] hanging from my neck glowed an even brighter red.
It shone with a brilliant light, as if trying to teach me how to use Cheonbyeon.
The corners of my mouth curved into a smile.
I swung the sword.
*Swish*
My 'Cheonbyeon', swung without any particular feeling, cut through the dust.
*Shwiiiiing!*
Cough!
And precisely sliced through the body of the Beast Master, who was over twenty meters away.
This... is?
Cheonbyeon.
A formless weapon said to transform into a thousand different shapes according to the user's will and control.
It had transformed into a twenty-meter-long sword.
Damn. A little too short.
From the center of the dust cloud, which was now split in two, I twisted my lips into a smirk.