Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: Clashing with Na Ryeo-un
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To take on Na Ryeo-un, the core of Gon Sal-ok, our first priority is smashing that chariot. The easy and quick way would be to burn away all the friction. But if we did that, we wouldn't be able to handle the fallout.
Even if this isn't Earth and it might not matter, destroying the chariot wouldn't end things. We'd still have to keep fighting, and the vanished friction would apply equally to everyone.
"In the end..."
There's no choice but to beat the hell out of that damn chariot until it shatters.
"Raaagh!"
Jang Tae-seok plummeted from the sky like a meteor, planting himself in front of the chariot. He thrust out both hands gripping his tonfa, firing his jet engines as he charged straight at Na Ryeo-un's ride.
"Brute force is such a hassle."
Na Ryeo-un didn't seem interested in dodging the head-on collision. No matter how much of a musclebound freak Jang Tae-seok was, he wasn't an idiot when it came to combat sense.
"Hurry up, you bastards!"
The chariot and Jang Tae-seok slammed into each other, sending out a shockwave that cratered the ground. Jang Tae-seok's body was shoved straight back.
The massive muscle clumps clinging to every inch of his frame writhed relentlessly, desperately holding back the chariot's charge.
It's a damn good thing we bulked those muscles up for a reason. We'd picked one of the chariot's wheels and hammered it like maniacs.
Lightning poured down, flames exploded, and boulders hurled by telekinesis crashed home.
"What the hell's that guy doing?"
Jeong O-hun glanced at Kim Chae-hyun and muttered. She wasn't attacking—just spinning her balisong idly in her hand.
"It's fine. That's just her style."
I'd wondered what she was up to at first, but now I had a vague idea. She was stacking slashes.
The moment one of those stacked slashes landed true, every bit of buildup unleashed on the same spot all at once.
Like facing a tree that falls after ten chops, but swinging your axe nine times in the air first. The tenth swing brings all nine previous ones crashing down with it, toppling the tree.
And the stacking even accounts for the math.
"In boxing terms..."
It's like throwing five jab feints into empty air before landing an uppercut. Those five phantom jabs all convert into the uppercut, hammering the opponent.
"Close enough. But how'd you figure it out? No clue. Anyway, we can wait a bit longer, right?"
Kim Chae-hyun's balisong already held tens of thousands of stacked slashes. That's probably why she always fiddled with it out of habit—to build them up even in downtime.
"Stalling's my specialty. Take your time prepping, Team Leader Mugunghwa."
No need to rush her. Things were a little dicey, but we weren't getting pushed back, and there was no timer.
"Next part's the problem."
I took a deep breath and glared at the charging chariot. If even a single opening appeared...
I kicked off the ground and caught up to the madly racing chariot. Reaching out, I clamped onto the cart section with both hands.
Using the momentum, I swung myself aboard Na Ryeo-un's chariot. I smacked the thing hard enough to make noise with my palms and shouted.
"Doesn't matter where—just get me somewhere with a sea view, old man!"
"Fucking lunatic."
Instead of answering, he swung his sword at me right away. Atop the hurtling chariot, Na Ryeo-un and I traded dozens of blows without pause.
The horses pulling the chariot were smart enough to think for themselves. They bucked wildly to shake me off.
"Not bad with a blade for a king."
I spun my spear, shortening it to dagger length, then closed in tight on Na Ryeo-un.
"When all who serve and trust you vanish, you learn to rely on your own power."
"Our Corpse King here's pretty sharp. Yeah, when you're in a spot like this, nothing to trust but yourself."
His curved sword clashed with my dagger, screeching sharply. Blue lightning coiled around his blade like thick storm clouds.
Space atop the chariot was cramped. Dodge, and one of us was going flying off.
Plus, Na Ryeo-un was holding back to avoid damaging his ride while fighting me—he clearly didn't want to see it wrecked.
In a setup like this, I was confident I could keep this bastard tied up solo.
Once Na Ryeo-un and I started dueling, he had no spare attention to properly steer.
Without proper control, the horses bolted wildly, creating natural openings for the other hunters to hit the chariot.
He reached out and grabbed my collar, hurling me off the chariot.
In that instant, I seized the reins.
I halted midair thanks to my grip. The horses panicked at the sudden yank, slowing down.
"Kim Chae-hyun, now! Show us what you got!"
I yelled as the horses flailed, reins taut.
It was time for all those slashes Kim Chae-hyun had patiently stacked to shine.
"Hoo."
Kim Chae-hyun's form blurred, turning into a wisp of mist that drifted toward the slowed chariot.
The oozing fog crept slowly. The already-spooked horses recovered before it even arrived. If they bolted again, the chariot would rocket away unreachable in seconds.
But...
"Pointless."
The creeping fog was just visual flair. The moment she turned misty, Kim Chae-hyun had latched onto the chariot and slammed a strike into one of its wheels. An easy trick on foes who relied on their eyes.
A ghostly blow, silent and traceless.
A creaking groan rose from one wheel, and the chariot tilted sharply.
Na Ryeo-un immediately leaped from the failing ride to the ground. My eyes locked on his feet.
"This feels bad."
I couldn't pinpoint it exactly. But something was definitely there on both his legs. If I couldn't comprehend it, that meant it was something complex and powerful.
The moment his feet touched earth, the ground quivered faintly.
"All lands I've conquered revere and worship me."
I swung my spear, but he reached out and gripped it tight. Not a drop of blood from his hand.
My body floated up, hurled far away. The spear stabbed into the dirt, carving a deep gash that slowed my flight bit by bit.
Friction with the ground heated the spear red-hot. I shook it off to cool roughly, then grimaced at Na Ryeo-un sprinting in the distance.
"Damn it all, some kind of blessing?"
I got the effect. As long as both feet touched ground, he took no damage. To hurt him now, we'd have to lift him airborne and pound away.
I quickly briefed the team, and Jeong O-hun piped up over the in-ear.
— Chan-seok, I might be able to manage that.
I froze for a second. His swung slash grazed my arm, but whatever.
Jeong O-hun's power manipulated air. His trick for separating from close foes was to 'float' their feet just off the ground, sliding them away.
No rule saying it only worked on himself.
"How long can you hold it?"
— Thirty seconds. And I can't move while keeping him afloat.
Then we'd need hunters to guard Jeong O-hun, plus others to attack Na Ryeo-un with me. Meanwhile, someone had to keep smashing those four pillars he kept summoning.
"Seong Si-hoon and Han Sang-ah, stick with me."
Teamwork mattered against Na Ryeo-un, so Han Sang-ah first... and Seong Si-hoon with his telekinesis was perfect for pinning foes.
"Kim Chae-hyun and Se-eun unnie, protect Jeong O-hun."
Those two could definitely keep trouble off him.
With roles set for all six, the remaining four naturally handled smashing Na Ryeo-un's summoned pillars.
— What about the swamp? If he aims it at me, I'm screwed.
I knew. If a swamp pooled underfoot, immobile Jeong O-hun was done for.
"I'll block it somehow. You focus on lifting that bastard."
Jeong O-hun was the key to breaking this, our most vital role. If he had to worry about anything else, we lost.
Na Ryeo-un's blade tip veered toward Jeong O-hun. I whipped my spear and smashed it aside, shaking its deadly focus.
"Got some spare attention? Looking elsewhere with a man right in front of you."
Na Ryeo-un, eyeing his low humming sword, spoke up.
"You lot are truly pitiful. Haven't you gleaned wisdom from what you've faced on this land before me?"
Wisdom? What wisdom?
"Flailing in false hope of a future in a nation doomed to ruin."
Na Ryeo-un swung, lightning and flames raging to melt the earth like lava.
A bitter taste hit me. I could guess what he was getting at.
"We're the righteous ones, huh?"
"Not so different. You're betting everything on a possibility that never existed."
Seong Si-hoon flung countless boulders at Na Ryeo-un. He raised his sword against the rocky barrage.
White-hot flames vaporized every incoming stone.
"I'm wide awake here, and you dare use fire?"
That really pissed off Choi Yeo-reum, who'd been diligently smashing pillars. She thrust one hand toward Na Ryeo-un.
The white flames pouring from his sword dimmed gradually.
No question, when it came to fire, Choi Yeo-reum was our ace.
She might not like hearing it, but she was a true one-trick pony with flames. That's how she'd climbed to rank three.
"I'll pin him. Help."
Seong Si-hoon said curtly. I knew exactly what to do. Bracing for wounds, I charged Na Ryeo-un.
Sticky black liquid oozed from under his armor, morphing into thousands of venomous snakes lunging at me.
I threw myself into the writhing mass, coating my body in Paradox Flame and swinging my spear.
Like swimming, I cut through the boiling serpents. They savagely bit into me.
"Hey."
I burned away the venom pumping into me and surfaced abruptly. Na Ryeo-un was right there.
Our eyes met, time crawling slow as if frozen.
I had to stall. No real hits would land while his feet touched ground. I'd show him my tenacity, tougher by thousands than the snakes clinging to me.
"I've told you repeatedly, but you're utterly lacking in decorum. No one in Gon Sal-ok dares lift their head before me like that."
"I played king in Seonhyeon too. We're both kings, so let it slide."
No counting who moved first—we tensed and collided.
The shockwave of our weapons clashing boomed out. The snakes still injecting venom into me burst everywhere.