ã€ŠDual System: Ascension of A Nameless Nobodyã€‹


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    [An Unknown Valley, The Tower]

    On a lone precipice, he stood, overlooking a seraphic horizon that was enveloped in unseen walls. Behind him, an azure scarf fluttered in the passing winds pulled by the high altitude, being neighbored by passing clouds.

    "System, bring up my status."

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 540. EXP: 125800/450000.]

    [Health: 25000/???????. Spirit: 15450/??????.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 12.]

    "...Alright," he said to himself, stretching his fingers and cracking his knuckles, "...Let''s do this."

    His eyes were set on the colossal, tinum-scaled dragon upying the ground far below¨Cyet, despite it inhabiting the ground floor that was hundreds of meters below, it still stood tall and imposing.

    I''ve been putting this off long enough now. It''s about time I take care of this, he thought.

    As he stretched his body, another prompt appeared, sensing his intent to fight.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: 5060/9999]

    Without any further hesitation, he leapt from the summit of the seraphic mountain, drawing his daggers from their sheaths that radiated with a dormant power.

    Through the usage of his ability, he was granted superb physicality, allowing him tond from the mighty fall without flinching, plummeting down as hended on both of his boots.

    The moment hended, the behemoth of a dragon, armored in shining, opulent scales that reflected the heavenly, orange rays of sunlight, took notice of him.

    A roar unleashed as it parted its mighty maw, sending a tremor through the stone flooring, cracking it and producing an overwhelming aura, but he stood tall.

    "Alright, big guy¡­let''s do this."

    From his form, nothing more than an ant whenpared to the tinum beast, he unleashed an aura of his own¨Ca magnificent energy that shook thend at his feet, producing a vibrant, potent hum that propelled outwards.

    Such overwhelming magical energy was second nature to him, but the question was: what sort of journey cultivated one to require such power?

    ¨CThis is my journey as the sole user of the two systems--the "Angel System" and the "-- System". However¡­this isn''t the start of my journey. So¨Clet''s save this for another time.

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 2 Level One

    "Hey! Get your own loot!"

    He wasn''t yelling at a person, but the monitor in front of him.

    With a headphone on, and the microphone by his lips, he was practically sunk into another world, jamming away at his keyboard, swerving his mouse, all while controlling his avatar.

    [Hah, no way, dude. Finders Keepers!]

    As the glowing, legendary item he sought for was plucked from right in front of him, he nearly yelled out in rage, but instead closed the game, angrily tossing his headphones off.

    He let out a drawn-out, disheveled breath as he sat at his chair, leaning his elbows on the gray desk.

    "Loser."

    Yup, this is me. A good-for-nothing dropout who has nothing better to do than tosh out at a video game. Simply put--

    I''m a loser, he thought.

    "Ah¡­" He sighed out as he leaned back in his chair, nearly tipping it back.

    As he settled back down, he brought his attention to his phone, tapping the t touchscreen as it woke up with its bright screen greeting him.

    He adjusted his sses as the brightness pierced his lenses, causing him to squint.

    [1 New Message from "Mom".]

    He read the notification, seeing the contents of the text.

    [How did the interview go? Did you get the job?]

    For a moment, he left the text open, hovering his thumb over the digital keypad before shutting his phone back off andying against the desk.

    Life is so dull. I just wish¡­something interesting would happen, he thought to himself.

    His gaze was pointed towards the window, peering at the pale, blue sky as the sounds of children ying outside and passing cars could be heard.

    It was only the sounds of the city that mitigated his loneliness, just slightly, which is why he kept that window open.

    THUD.

    The entire apartment shook as the desk heid against vibrated aggressively, causing him to jump up with wide eyes.

    "What the¡­?"

    A bomb? He thought.

    Causing him to wince from the sheer radiance, a sh of light poured in through his window as the vibrations continued, bing more aggressive as his keyboard rattled atop his desk.

    What''s going on?! An earthquake? He thought.

    As he stood to his feet, he nearly fell as the entirety of the apartment throttled, causing him to stumble his way to the door before exiting in a hurry.

    The first thing he saw upon leaving his apartment, and looking over the railing from the second floor were other people¡ªsimply looking upwards with eyes filled in awe and utterplexion.

    What''re they looking at¡­? He questioned.

    As he brought his gaze up as well, he saw it.

    Even through the clear lenses of his sses, it''s monumental appearance wasn''t dulled.

    When he saw it, he froze.

    The clouds were parted forcefully from a pair of colossal, white hands that opened the light of Heaven itself, shining down on the world. From that tear in the skies, protruding from the seraphic realm beyond, a face emerged¨Cif it could be called as such.

    It possessed no features, yet at the same time its gaze could be felt; utterly petrifying.

    "God."

    Though it didn''t introduce itself, peeking out from the contorted horizon as the clouds of the world spiraled around the heavenly gateway, he knew immediately what it was.

    Everyone in the world did, and without fail, everybody in the world saw it.

    "Children. My disappointing children."

    Its voice echoed throughout the world below the clouds in further vibrations. It was deep and bellowing, all-powerful and daunting.

    There weren''t any thoughts going through his head; he was simply petrified by the presence of "God".

    "You''ve led this world, and yourselves, into depths of depravity unsalvageable.

    "War. Genocide. Unspeakable avarice. The inability to unite. All such factors of the sins you could not ovee."

    "This test was a failure. You have failed as a species."

    "As such, this world will now be destroyed, and this time, remain in oblivion. Armageddon hase. There are none others to me but yourselves. I''ve watched over this world since its inception, and all chances have been squandered."

    All he could do was stand there with a lump in his throat as he listened to the augury of what was toe. To him, he feltpletely targeted by these words--"a drain on society,"--he knew he wasn''t exempt from the words fo God.

    "However, in my boundless benevolence, I will give you one more chance at life. One more chance to prove the worth of humanity."

    "...''Armageddon Game''..."

    "Armageddon Game"? He repeated in his thoughts.

    "What''s that?" He heard a female from across the street ask out.

    "Tell us what the hell is going on?!" A delinquent nearby shouted out.

    Though "God" was too far above to hear their words, continuing on with his mystical words spoken from a mouthless expression.

    "From this moment onwards, you will all partake in a game: "Armageddon Game". You will be forced to fight, if you wish to survive not just in this falling world, but to reach the "Tower". I am sure most of you are familiar with how games function."

    A game? Hold on¡­like a video game?! He thought.

    "In six months from today, the "Tower" will open itself, only to those that reach "level 20", and the rest of you¡­will be doomed to perish in this world."

    "Good luck, humanity."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Without much exnation, leaving more questions than answers, the colossal, mysterious "God" retreated back into the heavens, leaving the skies to a dull gray as the earthquakes finally came to an end.

    "What the hell was that about¡­? The world is ending¡­?" He muttered to himself.

    [Angel System Activation.]

    [Processing User Information¡­Creating Status.]

    It was an emotionless, stoic voice of a feminine A.I., spoken directly into his mind, and not his ears.

    He was left stunned at the sudden interface that filled his vision, nearly falling back as he waved his hands in front of him, though it did nothing to deter the golden, futuristic numbers and disys that he saw.

    "Huh¨C?!"

    By the surprised yells and utterances he heard from the surrounding area from the people in the parking lots and in the streets, it seemed everybody else was experiencing the same thing.

    "Get the hell out of my eyes¨C!"

    A blonde-haired punk shouted out, covering his own eyes and thrashing around, to no seeming avail.

    [Greetings, Jeong-Hui. Wee to "Armageddon Game".]

    Before he could process a single thing, having fallen onto his rear as he sat on the apartment balcony, he saw an endless array of lights begin falling from the sky.

    The street lights were going haywire, and the power lines swayed in the strong winds that began to pick up.

    "What''s that¡­?" He muttered.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    ["The Defects of Heaven" currently descending. Estimated Number: 1.000.000+.]

    "One million?! What the hell are "Defects of Heaven"?!" He asked out, gripping his own, curly, red locks.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    ["The Defects of Heaven" do not fall under one description. In essence, they are the failed creations of "God". Most of which were created with the purpose of killing. In that regard, they are the bane of humankind. Good luck, yer Jeong-Hui.]

    "Good luck?! What''s that supposed to mean?! Hey¨C!" He yelled out, but there was no response as one of the plummeting lights crashed down nearby.

    Concrete, dirt, and dust was thrown around after the impact of the plummeting entity, though most of the people who were still left utterly perplexed approached the crash site, gathering around.

    "A meteor¡­?"

    "Fuck, the world really is ending¡­!" A man panicked, holding his head.

    "Wait, I see movement¡­" A brte woman noted.

    As he peered over the railings, he witnessed all of the dozens of people that surrounded the crash site, which was obscured by dust, stoppedpletely.

    Slice.

    Suddenly, their torsos parted from their lower bodies, sliding off as a storm of blood painted the street.

    What the fuck¡­?! He thought.

    He quickly covered his mouth, preventing himself from spilling bile from his lips as he tucked himself against the wall in fear and disgust.

    Guts spilled onto the street, causing half of the onlookers to run while screaming, and the other half remaining frozen in fear.

    "No way¡­" A middle-aged man said through chattering teeth.

    Finally, the entity responsible for the abundant death revealed itself from the crater in the street as the dust parted.

    It stood twice as tall as the surrounding civilians, d in what didn''t look like skin, but a sleek, white armor and golden stripes along the entuated muscture of its body.

    Slice. Slice.

    Without any hesitation, it used its arms that resembled weaponized, de-limbs to cut apart the nearest, frozen people, sttering their parted corpses onto the desecrated street.

    This isn''t real. This isn''t real. This isn''t real! He repeated in his mind.

    There was nothing he could do, or rather, he was far too frozen in fear himself to do anything.

    "System¡­! System, help me!" One man attempted to utilize the system, but was unable to do anything before having his entire body split in half by the gigantic, sword-limb of the heaven-fell entity.

    "System¡­? What the hell do I do?" He muttered to himself with a quivering, bottom lip.

    [Status Updated.]

    [ss Decided: Beginner Assassin.]

    [Gathering "Life Data"...Determining "Starting Level"]

    "Starting level?...It''s not set to zero?" He asked out in surprise.

    After a moment of witnessing a blinding amount of gold numbers run across his vision as the interface sped through information, he received an answer from the system.

    He removed his sses, but it didn''t change anything as he ced them back on.

    [yers'' beginning level is determined by a multitude of factors: life experience, karma, position in society, and beliefs.]

    "...So what level am I?" He asked worriedly.

    ["Life Data" gathered. Processing¡­]

    [Level 1: EXP: 0/25.]

    "Huh?! Level 1?!...I mean, I expected that, but still¨C!" Heined, though the system didn''t seem to pay any mind to his words.

 Chapter 3 Ineffective Actions

    "Huh?! Level 1?!...I mean, I expected that, but still¨C!" Heined, though the system didn''t seem to pay any mind to his words.

    [To Manifest ss Abilities, Call out: "Equip."]

    "Beginner Assassin"? Huh? What?" He asked in confusion as numbers and interface sliders went across his vision.

    Before he could process any information, he looked down from the balcony to see only one person remaining from the bloodbath of the snow-white, murderous entity.

    "Hey¡­" He attempted to yell out, but his voice came out quietly.

    He didn''t want to yell.

    Though he didn''t want to watch the silver-haired, sses-wearing man die¨Ceven more, he didn''t want the creature down there to find him.

    As the tall,nky creature with ded-limbs reared one of its weaponized arms back, the unmoving, silver-haired man spoke:

    "Equip."

    Just then, a brief sh emitted, recing the man''s business attire with a pearly-white coat and ck, leather armor beneath as in his hand, a gargantuan greatsword was in his grip.

    "Huh¡­? What''s that¨C?" He muttered in awe, watching from afar.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    ["Equip": the primary function given to all yers of "Armageddon Game". It grants the user the authority of the [Angels], though only a portion of their true power it augments the following stats: [Strength],[ Intellect], [Constitution], and [Dexterity].]

    [In addition, yers using [Equip] are granted ess to their [Spirit Arm] [Skills] and [Spells]. All of these benefits scale with the yer''s level.]

    "It''s aplete all-around buff¡­?!" He let out, "Still¡­is that enough? Is he going to be alright?"

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Dae-Seong. Level: 10. ss: Luminate Swordsman.]

    "...Level 10?! Is that even fair¡­?" He watched in surprise.

    The ded-armed being approached the silver-haired, stoic-faced man who seemed unphased at its presence, rearing his sword back as he took a stance.

    Huh? He already seems proficient with his sword¡­? He thought.

    Just as the snow-skinned colossus whipped its arm back for a strike after lunging towards the man, the silver-haired human reared his wing-designed greatsword back before disappearing from his sight.

    "He''s fast¡­!"

    It took him a moment after moving his gaze around to realize the one named Dae-Seong had reappeared behind the creature, following up with a sh that sent a gust of wind propelling through the street.

    "And strong¨C! This is actually happening?!" He continued to utter in perplexion.

    After a single sh from the silver-haired businessman''s de, the creature was cut in half by just the wind pressure of the sword alone, spewing out a heaping amount of crimson blood onto the pavement.

    He wanted to go over and say something to the man, but he was still left frozen by all of the events.

    How is that guy so calm? He''s not trembling, or even breaking a sweat. Is he even human¡­? He questioned.

    Watching the man as he seemed to speak to his own system, a light lifted from the bisected corpse of the Defect, coalescing at the silver-haired man''s position.

    "What''s that?" He asked.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [After defeating an enemy, yers can absorb the essence of their fallen foe to transfer into [Skill Points] [EXP] and [Materials]. On rare asions, [Items] can drop.]

    "So this really is like a MMORPG, huh? But¡­this is real life," he mumbled.

    It all felt like a surreal dream to him, but the stench of overwhelming death from the parking lot massacre couldn''t be fabricated.

    He brought his gaze back up again towards the sky filled with solemn clouds, watching as more Defects descended from the heavens.

    Sirens went off within the city, car rms sounded off, yells from between the streets of the suburbs filled the city. From what he could see of the city, it was filling with smoke as Defects continued to crash down.

    This is bad. Really bad, he thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he brought his gaze back down, the silver-haired man was already gone.

    "...I wanted to talk to him," he mumbled.

    But before suchmentation could settle in, a thunderous crash shook the entirety of the apartmentplex vigorously, causing him to curl up into a ball out of primal fear.

    What the hell? What the hell? What the hell¨C?! It never stops! The game just started¨Cwhat the hell is this?! He thought.

    "Why is this happening¡­?!"

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [Answer: Currently, the phase of the [Armageddon Game] is in the event deemed the [Grand Culling]. It is expected that [50]% of the human poption will be extinguished in this event.]

    "Fifty percent?" He muttered in disbelief.

    For a moment, he had forgotten about the thunderous impact thatnded directly by theplex, but was reminded as a peculiar, buzzing noise met his ears.

    [Notification: Hostile entity nearby. Identification: Defect, ss D, level 1: "ttener".]

    "ttener¡­?"

    Most of the words spoken to him by the monotone, feminine voice of the system were gibberish to his panicking self as his blood ran cold with his heart thumping wildly.

    Without any further warning, he witnessed the entity leap up,nding on the balcony as it stared him down with its eyeless, smooth, white face.

    It seemed to be shorter than the previous entity he saw, still standing head-and-shoulders above him, but its arms ended inrge, blunt appendages that resembled the back of a hammer.

    "Stay back¡­!"

    Of course, the white, heaven-fallen monster didn''t heed his words as it began to step towards him with steps that sent small tremors through the concrete flooring of the balcony.

    In his mind, the words of the System hardly registered as panic and adrenaline set in at the highest degree; to him, it all felt like a nightmare he wished to wake from.

    In an attempt to halt its pursuit, he picked up whatever he could find near him¨Cthrowing potted nts and stray pebbles, though nothing seemed to phase the white-and-gold entity.

    "Shit¡­!"

    Tears of sheer fear left his eyes as he crawled backward, looking up in fright as the ttener raised one of its blunt limbs.

    I''m really going to die like this¨C? He thought.

    ¨CAt thest moment, he stepped back, tripping on a jutted-out piece of concrete and falling back out of harm''s way just as the bludgeoning fist of the ttener came down, cracking the concrete as the entirety of theplex trembled.

    I should be dead. I should be dead¡ª! My head would be red paste if that had hit me! He thought.

    Picking himself up with the sparse time he bought himself, he scurried down the stairs, finding himself in the parking lot.

    His attempt to flee was halted as the Defect simply leapt from the balcony, cutting him off as itnded in front of him.

    You''re kidding, he thought to himself in disbelief.

    The buzzing sound continued to fall from the mouth of the Defect, which was held in a constant smile as it looked down at him.

    Though his first instinct was to freeze or run, he found both to be simply a quick, surefire way to death.

    ¡­Fuck it! If I''m going to die¡­If I''m going to die, I''ll go out like a man! He told himself with tears building up around his eyes.

    Supporting his resolve was a tire iron that wasid on the parking lot concrete, picking it up as he held it in front of him with his trembling grip.

    In front of his eyes, strands of his curly, red hair obscured his vision slightly as he bolstered himself with what little confidence existed in his skinny, muscleless body.

    "Raaaagh¨C!"

    He roared out, though his battle cry sounded more like an actual cry as he swung the stick of iron wildly and weakly at the Defect''s body.

    In spite of his thrashing, uncoordinated effort, the tall, all-white entity didn''t so much as budge or umte any sort of damage.

    "Huh¡­?" He muttered out, dropping the tire iron as he tried to slowly back away.

    [Notice: Conventional attacks are ineffective against [Defects]. Any creations of [Humankind] will be insufficient in harming [Defects]. If you wish tobat [Defects], refer to using [Equip], yer Jeong-Hui.]

 Chapter 4 The Grand Culling

    [Notice: Conventional attacks are ineffective against [Defects]. Any creations of [Humankind] will be insufficient in harming [Defects]. If you wish tobat [Defects], refer to using [Equip], yer Jeong-Hui.]

    "Ineffective¡­? Equip?" He muttered.

    Guns, bombs¨Cnone of that will hurt these? Wait, the system is right¨Cthat guy earlier used "Equip" and blew that Defect away, he thought.

    "Alright¡­" He spoke quietly.

    Drawing in a breath through his lips, he inhaled and exhaled slowly as the bludgeoning Defect approached him with the buzzing growing louder.

    It''s do-or-die, and I really don''t feel like biting it before I getid. Hell, I haven''t even kissed a girl yet! He thought.

    Just as it came close enough tounch an attack of its own once again, he brought his emerald gaze up.

    "Equip!" He shouted out.

    With that singrmand, a sh of light enveloped his body, superseding the old t-shirt he wore and his gray sweatpants, instead imposing an iridescent, all-white uniform with a snowy coat over his body.

    Fingerless, white gloves ced themselves over his hands with the outfit finishing its materialization as blue stripes ran along the divine fabric.

    This is weird. I feel¡­strong. Really strong, he thought.

    A blue hood was attached to his coat, and a lengthy, azure scarf flowed behind him, wrapped around his shoulders and neck loosely.

    It wasn''t just his physiology that felt augmented by [Equip], but something about his mind felt shifted as well. Everything seemed to process just slightly faster, though his emotions were still running rampant, the shot of adrenaline from his first experience suppressed his desire to break down.

    Right now¡­I have to win. If I don''t win right here, I''ll die, he thought.

    Looking at his hands, he clenched them tightly before noticing an iing attack from the Defect.

    This time, he saw its movements clearly¨Cthe pathway of its fist seemed almost obvious to him now.

    With a side-step, he moved himself out of the way of the fist with a surprised look on his face.

    I''m fast, too, he thought.

    After evading the t-surfaced attack from the Defect, he finally recognized the existence of the sheath at his back, gripping the handle of the de as he drew it. He ended up behind the pale-skinned entity, backstepping a bit to create some space.

    "Urr, System," he called on the system, "do I have any skills or magic? Something like that?"

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    Damn, does it always have to process? I don''t have time for this, he thought.

    He adjusted his sses as the wind pressure from the Defect''s fist shifted their position slightly ajar.

    [Answer: currently avable [Skills] as a [Level 1] [Beginner Assassin]: [Passive Skill] inherent to [Beginner Assassin]: [Super Reflexes] and [Special Skill]: [Light sh]. For magic, [Spells]: [me Lance] [Recon] [Conceal] are avable.]

    "Alright, I''ve got something to work with then¡­" He muttered in response.

    Still, a white uniform and a sword? Am I really an assassin?! He questioned.

    Before he could activate any such abilities, the Defect swung around in a wild whirlwind, spinning its hammer fists rapidly, though he barely managed to evade their brutal reach.

    I guess this is the "Super Reflexes" it mentioned, he thought.

    "System, how do I use my skills?!" He asked out while in the process of evading ms of the Defect''s hammerfist.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [Answer: For a [Special Skill], simply call out its name. For a [Spell], it is required to preface the name of the desired spell with ["Cast"]. Usage of both [Special Skills] and [Spells] will cost in your [Spirit] reserves.]

    [...]

    [Notice: [Spirit] is the divine essence within yers, allowing them to manifest [Special Abilities] and [Spells]. It replenishes naturally over time, and increases with [Level]. Use it wisely.]

    It seemed the system quickly recognized the fact he didn''t understand the term "Spirit" quite yet, answering before he could ask.

    "So it''s like "mana" then¡­thanks," he said as he jumped back to avoid another m.

    Waving his blue-handled longsword around, it came surprisingly natural to him despite it never being something he attempted previously.

    Come to think of it¡ªshould I have a longsword? Don''t assassins in RPGs usually use daggers or short swords? Did I get assigned the wrong equipment?! He thought.

    Even still, directly blocking against the bludgeoning fist of the Defect caused him to be flung back beforending on his feet with a slight wince.

    "It''s still stronger, huh¡­? Guess it''s time to try out these abilities of mine then," he muttered, raising his hand and pointing it towards the approaching enemy.

    "Cast: me Lance!"

    [Spirit: -100. Remaining Spirit: 1400/1500.]

    Manifesting with embers gathering in front of his extended palms, a spear formed of orange, wild mes responded to his call.

    Holy shit¡­! This is magic! Actual magic! I did it?! I did this¡ª?! He thought.

    Somehow seeing the mes manifest in ordance to his words, it began to sink in just what fantastical holds the world was gripped in.

    The heat pelted against his skin, but it didn''t burn him despite the flutters of the inferno grazing his hand and arm.

    Radiance filled the clear lenses of his sses as he stood there for a moment inplete awe of the magic he conjured, holding it as if unknowing of its true nature.

    "...Ah! Go!"

    As the Defect drew close, he released the me-born spear as it flung forward with enough force to knock him back onto his rear as he witnessed its ming trajectory.

    Squelch.

    The Defect froze with its hammer-shaped fist in the air; its torso had been pierced by the orange, wild spear as the buzzing became inconsistent, ring out briefly.

    "---"

    An unintelligible array of buzzing sounds that met his ears in a painful screech resounding from the pale-skinned freak of nature before the spear engulfed the Defect''s bodypletely in mes.

    He sat there on his rear as he watched with hopeful, yet anxious eyes as the mes ate away at the heaven-fallen destroyer.

    Within a few moments, the Defect finally conceded to the mes, falling down as a charred corpse.

    "...I did it. I beat it," he said in almost disbelief, looking at his hands before squeezing them shut.

    A system prompt filled his vision before he could properly celebrate.

    ["ttener" defeated. Gained EXP: +15. Current EXP: 15/25.]

    "Almost a full level up from one mob? Not bad," he mumbled.

    After returning to his feet, he looked at the burnt corpse of the monstrous entity for a moment as another prompt appeared, apanied by the system''s monotone voice.

    He watched a light lift from the corpse of the ttener as it brought itself to him, flowing into his body.

    "Woah," he looked at his body.

    This is what that guy earlier did, isn''t it? He thought.

    [ttener Essence] x1 obtained. Collect [5] in total to unlock [Special Skill]: [Force Stomp]. 1/5.]

    "Got it," he nodded, "I think I''m starting to get the hang of this."

    Though it was only a temporary smile that came across his lips as his eyesid back on the bloodbath that had urred on the very same street.

    Seeing those torn bodies, strewn across the once quiet, peaceful street, made him quickly cover his mouth again.

    I''m going to be sick, he thought.

    With the amount of Defects that fell from the sky, and the screams that filled now just the city, but the world¨Che retreated back into his apartment with his brief, singr victory in mind.

    He didn''t waste any time slumping down against the door after closing it.

    "This is all real, isn''t it?"

    The words left his lipsced with tears as he could still feel the surreal disgust of it all swirling in his gut.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [Answer: This is indeed reality.]

    "Yeah, sometimes not every question needs to be answered¡­" He replied quietly.

    It was painfully engraved into his memory now; the streets painted in crimson.

    After bringing himself up, he went to hisputer, beginning to search through the web¡ªchecking each social media page, and boards.

    The main board he checked was Twotter, and the flood of posts didn''t seem to end.

    [Holy shit! This is crazy!]

    [Those freaky things really shredded through tanks¡­Is the military going to be enough?]

    [Checkmate, atheists¡­unfortunately.]

    [Somebody tell me this is all just the drugs still in my system?]

    [LOL¡­This shit is awesome! Anarchy! I''m going to do whatever I want.]

    [I''m scared. I''m afraid. They''re outside my house right now. My husband is still at work¡­]

    The reactions online were as expected, but worse was seeing the live feed of various ces around the globe.

    It was total devastation.

    The streets were caked in blood, and most people didn''t seem to adjust to the system¡ªleaving them helpless against the Defects.

    "Shit¡­I almost forgot¡­" He snatched his phone, vigorously typing, "Please, please¡­be okay, Mom!"

    Beep. Beep. Beep.

    His call couldn''t be connected.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The silence on the other line sent him into a saddened rage as he mmed his phone down, putting his face down against his desk.

    "Dammit¡­!"

    Though there was no confirmation, he knew what was the most likely oue considering his brief experience so far.

    It was a system made to cull those unprepared, and those unadjusted to aspects of games.

    And as such, he knew the likely fate of his singr parent.

    "Shit¡­shit¡­" he muttered weekly through tears, resting against his desk.

    And that was the first day of "Armageddon Game", the dreadful announcement from our so-called benevolent creator who plunged the world into this cruel game.

    The world governments were quickly toppled, and over fifty-percent of mankind was wiped out on that first day.

    That night, I couldn''t sleep¡­I only did once I eventually passed out¨Cexhausted from staying so tense throughout the whole night. Though¡­I''m surprised I could even sleep¨Cit was utter chaos.

    I could see it on news broadcasts, forums, social media¨Ceverything was toppled over. Government facilities seemed to be targeted most by the Defects of Heaven.

    What the hell is all of this¡­? I''ve been thinking about it.

    ¨C

    [The Next Morning]

    Waking up, he had slept with his back against the wall of his room, clutching his broadsword close to his chest as he was looking straight at the door. He had shoddily barricaded it with a chair, but he realized with another look at it after the initial panic that it certainly wouldn''t have stopped one of those things.

    "Crap¡­It wasn''t just a nightmare?" He mumbled wearily.

    He was hesitant to even make sound within his own home as he slowly brought himself to his feet, moving with legs that hardly wanted to obey, quietly moving towards the window.

    "--"

    He pushed one of the blinds down to take a peek outside, immediately feeling his stomach drop at the bloodbath that had painted the streets.

    Seeing that horrific scenery, he wanted to throw up out of disgust, but even more so¨Che wanted to cry.

    ¡­Is anybody still out there? Am I alone?...I can''t¡­He thought.

    As these thoughtstched onto him as he peered past the window, he could see a tall, pale-white Defect marching through the streets, caked in crimson with its saw-like arms swaying at its sides.

    "--"

    It suddenly shifted around, looking in his direction as he immediately stepped away from the window, falling back onto the kitchen floor.

    "...This is too much¡­"

    He tucked his knees close to his chest, unable to handle the abhorrent new reality that sat past his front door.

    For hours, he simply sat there, sitting on the kitchen floor in a mixture of grief and horror as the sounds of Defects stomping around outside continued to fill his ears, and periodically¨Cthe screams of those unfortunate to cross their paths.

    It had already embedded itself into his mind; the horror of the Defects and the ughter left in their wake¨Csuch fresh memories dug into brain,tching onto his will as at the forefront of his mind, he wanted to simply stow away in his home, waiting for whatever would take him, to take him.

    But, that resolve, orck thereof, was tested.

    "Aghhh! Help me¡­!"

    ¨CIt came from outside; the scream of what sounded to be a child, likely close.

    After having sat on the floor for hours until this point, with the veil of noon rising, he slowly picked himself up, peering out of his window to check if his ears were deceiving him or not.

    His eyes widened once confirming it: a kid, likely no older than their preteens, was dressed in the all-white uniform of the System, but was crawling away from that same Defect he noticed earlier.

    A kid¡­? What''re they doing out here¡­? Are they stupid?! He thought.

    "Help me¡­! Please!" The young boy screamed again.

    The orange-haired boy was clearly injured as his left arm was limp and drenched in blood, frailly holding onto a bow that he could no longer fire with just his singrly functional arm.

    All he did was look on anxiously, not knowing what to do with the conflicting parts of his mind, witnessing the Defect march closer and closer to the stumbling child throughout the bloodbathed street.

    "Run, you idiot¡­!" He said through his clenched teeth.

    I''m not a hero or anything. I can''t just swoop in and save the day. This¡­this is reality¨Cit''s cruel, but if I go out there¡­there''s a good chance we''ll both end up dead, he thought.

    Still, even as he tried to apply logic to the situation, he found himself clutching the windowsill so tightly that it began to hurt his hands.

    It was almost frustrating to watch; the kid clearly had little idea of what the System was or how to utilize its benefits¨Csimply swinging his wooden bow around as a deterrent to the entity that marched forward with the sole purpose of ughter.

    "Come on, kid¡­Just get out of there!" He yelled out against the window.

    Somebody else wille, right? There''s others around here, aren''t there?...Someone will save this kid, he tried to reason.

    While staying close to the window, watching as his teeth were clenched, his palms sweaty, and his emerald eyes wide in suspense¨Cthey met eyes.

    By some stray chance, perhaps through the window the boy had heard, but the ginger-haired kid had looked up towards that second-story window of the dingy apartmentplex, locking gazes but for a moment with him.

    For him, this was the worst oue.

    When you look at me like that¡­He thought.

    Thoserge, hazel eyes screamed out without a word having to be said, speaking directly to him in that passing second: "Save me."

    ¨C

    The saw-armed Defect stumbled towards the kid in its uneven step, dragging its weaponized limbs across the blood-stained asphalt before rearing its arm back.

    "No¡­" The boy choked out as fear clenched his words.

    Falling onto the street, the inexperienced boy could only look up in horror at the inevitable downfall of the pale-skinned, jagged arm crashing down towards his head.

    "--"

    But, it didn''t.

    Standing between the helpless boy and the Defect was the vermilion-haired adolescent, holding his broadsword up as he struggled to hold the strike back.

    When you look at me like that¡­I don''t have a choice, do I?! He thought.

    "Get out of here, kid¡­!" He said through his clenched teeth.

    It took everything he had to keep the heavy limb of the Defect back, feeling the double-handed grip on his sword struggle as sweat caked his palms and his fingers quivered in fear.

    ncing back, he could still see the fear-stricken boy sitting on the ground, silent with his mouth hung agape.

    "--I said get out of here, brat!" He yelled out.

    This time, he seemed to get through to the kid, who nodded and scrambled to his feet, running in the opposite direction.

    He held a relieved expression as the kid left to safety, "...That''s good."

    ¨CJust then, the Defect swung its other limb, striking his torso with its jagged edge as a fresh rain of crimson reached his view, stumbling back.

    It burns, he thought.

    [Health: -300 | 400/700]

    It was his first time seeing the prompt of health loss, but it was a daunting sight¨Chis very life given a numerical value.

    As he looked down, he could see the gash that was stretched across his torso, breathing heavily as it felt surreal to see his body in such a state¨Cbut he hardly had the time for such feelings.

    "Ghh-!"

    He raised his broadsword just in time, thanks to his [Super Reflexes], blocking the iing strike from the Defect.

    ¡­Am I going to die, all thanks to some stupid kid? No¡­It was my choice toe out here. Against my better judgment, I did it. Why?...Is it because I believed I could do this? Was I wrong? He thought.

    Having such a heavy weight pressed down on from atop, he could feel the asphalt tremble and crack beneath his boots before he ced his other hand against the dull side of his de, putting his full strength into repelling the Defect''s limb.

    No¨C! I wasn''t wrong!...What''s the point of it, anyway?! Why should I survive if I have to give up on myself?--I''m not going to sit around and let myself rot away like before! He resolved.

    As he finally repelled the Defect''s limb, he spun his de around, stepping forward as he took the initiative this time:

    "Cast: Light de!"

    [Spirit: -75 | 1425/1500]

    With a de engulfed in burning light, he spun around with his inherent nimbleness as an assassin, carving the seraphic steel through the Defect''s side.

    "--!"

    A metallic howl left from the faceless entity as a chunk of its side was torn away, but even with the massive blow left in it, it still retaliated¨Cto his surprise.

    That wasn''t enough?! He thought.

    With that massive bone-forged sawunching towards him, something kicked in¨Can instinct that felt unnatural, yet at the same time, came as so as with a spring-like movement, he pressed forward:

    [Blink Step]

    It wasn''t something he was familiar with; some sort of mystical skill that must''ve been attached to the assassin-ss, but it allowed him to move instantaneously from one spot to another closeby, appearing behind the Defect.

    With this sudden usage of the unfamiliar skill, the Defect''s attack missed, allowing him to go for the finishing blow this time as he jumped up with his sword held tightly.

    I''ll take it back starting today! He resolved.

    Just as the Defect turned to face him, he sunk his de through its head for the killing blow.

    "...Huff¡­"

    As itsrge body went limp, he stood atop its fallen corpse, withdrawing his de as he stood there, catching his breath.

    ["Saw Walker" Defeated. EXP +30]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached ''Level 2'' | EXP 20/50]

    [Skill Points: +2]

    Reaching the next level, he finally felt as if there was a chance. Additionally, there was a new grasp felt on the situation.

    I did it. I reached the next level. But more than that, today¡­I did something good, he thought.

 Chapter 5 End Titan

    [Two Months Later]

    "Ah¡­"

    He woke up already shielding his eyes from the orange rays of the sun that dipped through his window.

    With a groggy essence to his movements, he sat up, shutting his curtains with a yawn before nearly falling from his own bed in an effort to get up.

    The moment his eyes fully opened and he stood from his bed, his vision was obscured by seraphic, gold lights that acted as a user interface in his field-of-view.

    It was simultaneously before his eyes, yet existed in such a way that he could still perceive what was in front of him.

    [Good Morning, Master. Would you like to see what today''s [Daily Quest] is?]

    "Hit me with it¡­" He yawned his response out, holding his hand in front of his mouth.

    [Affirmative.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [Daily Quest: Defeat One "End Titan" | 0 / 1 | Reward: 250 EXP, 10 Angel Gold]

    Learning of his daily task, he let out a quiet groan as he scratched his head, ruffling his curly, vermilion locks.

    "An "End Titan", huh? That''s a pain," he sighed out, "Hey, System, bring up my "Status", pronto."

    As soon as he gave themand while bringing himself to the bathroom, looking into the mirror, the gilded interface filling his vision rapidly manifested a board of text.

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 8. EXP: 800/1000.]

    [Age: 17. upation: Unemployed. ss: Intermediate Assassin.]

    [Health: 1250/1250. Spirit: 1000/2000.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 0.]

    In all honesty, I haven''t been able to make as much progress as I''d like. The Defects outnumber humanity by a thousandfold, at least...and in my neighborhood, it seems even worse. This isn''t some fair RPG either--this is real life...it seems like one, good hit from a Defect, and you''re done. For now, I''ll focus on my dailies.

    Seeing thest stat, he squinted a bit before waving his hand, causing the status interface to free his vision as he looked in the mirror.

    As I thought, I used a lot of spirit yesterday taking out those End Walkers around theplex. I expected it to recover a bit more than halfway overnight, but I guess not¡­He thought.

    "Oh well, it can''t be helped," he sighed out.

    After taking a shower and serving himself a cup of coffee, and partaking in a slightly stale pastry, he stopped in front of the door of his apartment.

    He ced his sses back on after experiencing the morning through a hazy gaze.

    On the back of his right hand, an illustrious cross tattoo was etched onto his skin, glowing with a sapphire light as he tapped his finger against it.

    "Equip."

    As he gave themand, his baggy t-shirt and boxers were overridden by a white-uniform, dressed in a lengthy, silver coat and a sheath strapped around his chest with a sword at his back.

    It was a process that became monotonous for him; even the concept of magically equipping his gear had lost its mystique after repeating the same sort of day for enough time.

    "Just one "End Titan", right? I can handle that¨Cprobably," he told himself.

    As soon as he left his apartment, he was greeted by the distant, but all-epassing sight of the structure that sat in the center of the city.

    A colossal, ivory tower that reached beyond the clouds.

    "The Tower", in a few months, that''s where all of those who reached level twenty will go¡­while the rest are left on this doomed world, he thought.

    The town itself was left as a shell of its former self; houses were ransacked, boarded up, and the streets were dirtied with blood, marked with burns, and torn from battle.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [System Notification.]

    As he stood there on the second story of his apartmentplex, overlooking the parking lot, the system intercepted his vision with a blinking interface.

    "What?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

    [End Titan''s presence verified.]

    He looked surprised, but happy at this information, holding his hand close to his ear.

    "Oh? Tell me where it is."

    [300 Meters, West.]

    [250 Meters, West.]

    A bit confused, he stood still for a moment as the system kept updating the location of the End Titan.

    [200 Meters, West.]

    [100 Meters, West¡ª]

    Just then, arge impact mmed against the street, shaking the foundation of the sector as he brought his gaze westward.

    Walking down the street, barely contained by its width, a colossal entity of all-white skin, walking atop silver hooves, approached.

    [End Titan: Target Confirmed. Good luck, yer Jeong-Hui.]

    "Yeah¡­thanks," he replied wryly, beginning to unsheathe his de.

    Just as he began to draw his sword from its white-and-silver scabbard, the End Titan turned its eyeless head towards him, parting its lipless maw to reveal gargantuan teeth and a gathering of energy in its throat.

    What? He thought.

    He didn''t have any time to draw his sword, instead standing atop the railings of the apartment and holding his cross-etched hand in front of him.

    By this point, now that the enormous foe had seen him, the assassin skills he wielded were hardly useful as it''s focus locked onto him like a hawk.

    This left him only with one choice, with only a split-second decision to be crafted:

    "Cast: Radiant Shield!"

    [Spirit: -150. Remaining Spirit: 850/2000.]

    Confirming the spell, he manifested a translucent, golden shield in-between himself and the gargantuan, eyeless entity.

    It was just in time as the beam of white light shot from the End Titan''s mouth, crashing against his shield with a booming shock wave.

    His sses rattled against his face in the presence of the booming force.

    The colossal, monstrous creature of seraphic origin mmed its gori-like, burly hands down against the ground, caving in the concrete below as it bolstered its mouth-beam. The sheer force behind the beam kept him pinned--if he attempted to move, it would surely catch him.

    "Ghh¡­!" He grunted, cing his hand on his arm as reinforcement.

    I totally underestimated End Titans! They''re level 10 RFBs¨C"Roaming Field Bosses"! It''s strong¡­! He thought.

    [Activate unique ability:--?]

    "No¡­!"

    Before the system could even finish its prompt, he declined it sharply, opting to hold his ground as his shield began to crack.

    In the wind, the blue hood of his white coat fluttered alongside his scarf.

    Ah, crap, am I going to die? He thought.

 Chapter 6 A New Resolve

    Ah, crap, am I going to die? He thought.

    Watching his shield begin to be peeled away by the radiant, nearly blinding light that emitted from the mouth of the angelic titan, his ears began to ring.

    What should I do? I waspletely taken by surprise here¨C! It doesn''t look like anybody else is around¨Ccrap, I thought living in a mostly abandoned zone would be a smart move¨C"more EXP for me!"--my ass! He thought.

    [Radiant Shield: 50% Strength, and depleting. Activate unique ability?]

    "No!...I''ve got this!"

    He rejected the system''s prompt again.

    [Radiant Shield: 40% Strength. 35% Strength. 30% Strength. Activate unique ability?]

    "I said no! Lay¡­off already!" He yelled out, strained.

    ¨CSuddenly, it stopped, just as his shield shattered into thousands of particles of golden light.

    In the wind, the blue hood of his white coat fluttered alongside his scarf.

    Before his eyes, a dozen cuts appeared across the snow-white hide of the End Titan, cutting the multi-story tall creature into pieces as an explosive release of blood rained down on the street.

    "What¡­?" He questioned in shock.

    Then he saw it, or rather¨Cthem.

    A woman with icy, powerful eyes of a gentle, but strong blue with flowing, ck hair that fluttered behind her like a grand cape.

    In her hand, she wielded a thin de, barely as wide as a leaf, yet it left such deep, lethal wounds on the enormous beast.

    "Who¡­?"

    [Request Affirmed.]

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Ma-Ri Hyeon. Level: 20.]

    Level 20¡­? He thought.

    "Somebody is already level 20?!" He let out in surprise.

    Guess I shouldn''t be surprised¡­That one guy from the beginning of all of this started at ten. Am I reallygging that behind¡­? No, these must be anomalies, he thought.

    His yell seemed to get the attention of the cold-eyed woman, who was dressed in an all-white uniform simr to his, but ornate with ck, flowerific ents.

    The icy gaze she possessed brought him to a still, forcing him to swallow his fear as he leapt down from the apartment balcony, approaching the woman as he did his best to hold himself high.

    "That was pretty impressive," he said with a wry chuckle, rubbing his head and nudging his sses up.

    Ma-Ri remained silent, only looking at him as she slid her thin de into the scabbard at her hip.

    Being brought closer, he got a better look at her.

    She''s¡­surprisingly small, he thought.

    He was a full head taller than her, and by the looks of her blemish-free, pale, but cute face, she seemed to be around his age, if not younger.

    After a few moments of awkward silence, he extended his hand towards her, "Jeong-Hui. Thanks for saving me. I really underestimated how tough End Titans could be."

    Though he tried to apany his words with augh, he didn''t so much as budge the stoic expression on the woman''s face.

    "Be more careful."

    ¨CThose were the only words spoken from the quiet, pink lips of the woman, leaving almost in a whisper as she left in the blink of an eye.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t unusual to see superhuman prowess like that, and not even beyond the normal¨Che could perform simr feats himself, however¨Cthe speed disyed by the woman far surpassed his perception.

    "Ah¨C"

    He reached out, but reacted far toote, standing in the abandoned parking lot that was now dyed in the blood of the fallen End Titan.

    Looking down, he noticed that she didn''t im anything from the mutted giant.

    I could im it for myself. Is that what she wanted? He thought.

    Kneeling down, he prepared to im it, reaching out with his cross-tattooed hand before stopping.

    ¡­Is that her way of trying to take pity on me? I''m probably just a lowly level 8 to her. Is that how it is? He thought, Yeah...that''s how it is, alright. Nobody but yourself to me, man.

    Clenching his fist shut, he retreated his hand before returning to his feet as a wind brushed against his snow-white coat.

    Though that momentary frustration subsided as he realized his anger was misguided.

    I can''t me her. I almost died just now. Well, if she left this behind for me to take¡­It''d be rude if I didn''t ept it, right? Right? He thought.

    [im "End Titan"? The "End Titan" carcass can be used to forge [Angel Tusk] broadsword. "End Titan Soul'' can be used to unlock special skill: [Titan Pulse] when enough are collected. im?]

    "iming" an enemy was only a feature that existed when an unaffiliated yer abandoned a Defect corpse purposefully, however, there was one ring problem with it:

    "Yea¡ª," he responded to the system, but was interrupted.

    It disappeared right before his eyes: the ability to im the spoils of battle.

    It was a result of the actual yer who defeated the beast leaving a certain distance, taking away his ability to im it.

    A sigh left his lips before he just couldn''t help butugh to himself for a moment.

    "What a joke¡­"

    It''s better this way¡­If I can''t do it myself, what chance do I stand? Maybe this is a sign, he thought.

    He looked up towards the gray sky that was upied by a lively sky filled only with clouds that had the lights of heaven seeping through, giving way for more of the angelic horrors to descend on the torn world.

    I guess it''s time to stop cking. If I''m going to stop being a loser, I''ve got to stop doing just the bare minimum. If my luck wasn''t what it was today, I would''ve been toast if that girl didn''t show up. I''ll start now¡ªfrom zero, I''ll ascend, he resolved.

    As he was left with the solution to his daily quest gone from in his reach, he ventured into the shattered suburbs in search of another End Titan, or at least something sufficient.

    In ce of some houses, giant, ivory structures stood, usually clear of any "Defects of Heaven".

    "Angel Shops"...I''m kind of strapped for Angel coins right now, so I think I''ll pass, he begrudgingly decided.

    Even walking down the streets, he had to keep his guard up, tucking himself against walls as he let the monstrous entities that descended from up above pass by, usually carrying fallen yers in their grip.

    Earth has turned into "Hell". Still, it''s not all bad. I can get all the food and other items I need from Angel shops, or just ransack abandoned shops. And luckily, "Defects" can''t break into yer homes.

    I figured out something important early on: you probably only need to do your daily quest each day to reach level 20 in time, he thought.

    Keeping his in, silver sword drawn, he continued quietly walking the streets, finding an all-ck, sleek structure that was imnted into a spot in which a house used to stand.

    A "Obsidian Dungeon". As an avid yer of MMORPGs, he limated quickly to the concepts introduced in "Armageddon Game", and the existence of dungeons both frightened and excited him.

    It was neighbored by abandoned houses of the suburban street, standing like some sort of alien monolith.

    They replenish with loot every day, and¡­well, most people are too scared to go in. I don''t me them¨Cbut, I might have to take a peak myself. The thing is, you don''t have to fight inside of a dungeon if you''re careful enough.

    And most of all, you can even find an "EXP Potion"--it''s about as valuable as you can get nowadays, he thought.

 Chapter 7 Into The Depths Of The Obsidian Dungeon

    After peeking through the dark entrance, he stepped in hesitantly as the soles of his boots echoed against the metallic flooring.

    [Notice: [Obsidian Dungeon] is currently upied with other yers.]

    "Crap¡­"

    Given that information from the system, he began to turn away from the dark, enigmatic dungeon.

    I''d only say other yers can be just as problematic, if not more of an issue than Defects. I''ve only heard rumors about it, but apparently you can seize the EXP of another yer if you kill them. That''s more than you''d get for an RFP¡­but, if I do that, I''ll be too far gone, he sighed out.

    "--"

    He came to a stop once again as a scream howled from the depths of the dungeon: the bloodcurdling scream of a woman.

    "...Don''t do it, Jeong-Hui¡­" He mumbled to himself.

    As he stood there at the threshold of the dungeon, the scream echoed off of the walls and in his mind as he clenched his fists tightly.

    "Dammit¨C!"

    He marched into the dungeon as sweat traveled down his cheek.

    I don''t really want to do this, he thought, it''d be a lot easier for me to just turn the other way, but...What''s the point? I''ve lived as nobody this whole time. If I run away, I''m just saving the skin of somebody worthless. Somebody I''ll regret being when I''m trying to sleep at night. I''m not a hero, but I have a conscience. At the end of the day, what''s the point in surviving if I''m not living a life I can be proud of? What''s the worth in that? I''ve got the strength to do something now.

    It wasn''t a decision made out of some desire to simply be a "good person", however.

    In truth, he knew how reckless this decision was, but supplemented such thoughts with the idea of him being rewarded. Inplete actuality, after being saved and resolving to improve, he wanted to face a dungeon anyway. To the no-name young man who''d manage to survive this far off of sheer cowardice and fortune, he wanted to test his own mettle.

    Even still with his motivation driving him forward, he remained on-guard upon entering the depths of the Obsidian Dungeon.

    Entering the dungeon with this resolve, he pulled his blue hoodie over his head, which was augmented by futuristic, divine aspects as he pulled his azure scarf close to his mouth.

    Just before reaching the end of the leading corridor of the dungeon, he was stopped by a system prompt.

    [WARNING: [Obsidian Dungeon] is ranked as a [Level 10] zone. Continuing further will be dangerous.]

    He drew in a breath through his lips as sweat ran down his cheek, "I know, dammit¡­"

    I''ve passed by this dungeon a few times, but it''s always been out of my reach because of the level requirement. A two level difference in a RPG usually isn''t a big deal at all, but in this¡­well, it''s life-or-death, he thought.

    Before fully entering the bowels of the dungeon, he stopped for a moment.

    "Cast: Malice Sense."

    From his invocation, azure threads of light encircled him before settling onto him in a blue glow before dimming down.

    If I''m going to do this, I might as well do this right. These dungeons are always tricky¡­I can''t let myself be caught off-guard, he thought.

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 800/2000.]

    With that singr buff spell, he stepped past the shadowden threshold of the dungeon, entering its depths as he kept his focus raised.

    He kept his sword drawn as his boots stepped across the sable, metallic flooring as he soon found himself in a vast, open space after descending some stairs.

    It was dark enough that shadows clung to the edges of every inch of the dungeon, but he knew better than to attempt to create light inside of enemy territory.

    In a whisper, he uttered out, "Cast: Recon."

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 750/2000.]

    A pulse of translucent energy propelled through the space as he stayed atop the staircase, looking down at the barely lit environment.

    [Recon results: 0 hostiles found.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Zero? Lucky¡­" He let out a sigh.

    With that information, he didn''t hesitate to fully descend the stairs, walking across a bridge of ck steel in the underground dungeon.

    I guess whoever was screaming probably took out most of the enemies in here already, he thought.

    The dungeonyout was simr to previous, lower level ones he had ventured through previously; they were sleek and dark, usually interconnecting different chambers through a series of bridges.

    As he crossed the vast chamber he currently was in, he continued looking around, sometimes checking behind him as the ck, angelic statues that upied the engraved walls towered over him.

    Each step he took echoed throughout the gargantuan space that stretched far beneath the seemingly small, surface entrance it disyed.

    There''s always this weird feeling within these dungeons. You''d think something that was the creation of "God" would be pure and white, but it''s¡­dark. It''s unsettling here. The air is still, and just cold enough to make the hairs on my body stand, he thought.

    There was always a persistent feeling as he walked, as if the shadowy, angelic statues were constantly watching him as he traversed the heaven-fallen dungeon. The eerie atmosphere caused him to constantly adjust his sses every few seconds, fidgeting slightly as he kept his breathing steady.

    Why am I doing this? I don''t care how hot this girl is¨Cit''s not worth it! I have to choose my battles, he thought.

    Beginning to turn to go back the way he came, he stopped:

    Catching his eye as he was turning around, he found a silver chest tucked between two, wide pirs, walking over as he looked side-to-side to make sure it wasn''t a setup for an ambush.

    The sight ofvish, defenseless loot was enough to steer his mind away from the creepiness of the dungeon as he knelt in front of the cold, silver chest.

    "Let''s see what you''ve got for me," he muttered with a small smile.

    A level ten chest¨Cthis could be huge for me! He thought.

    A small glitter of avarice settled in his emerald eyes as he lifted the metallic lid of the chest upwards, though the contents made him pause.

    "Huh?"

    Empty.

    The sight of the barren innards of the chest made him sigh out as he let the lid drop down.

    Clunk.

    It made him freeze out ofplete shock at what he had just done: dropping the heavy, metallic lid of the empty chest caused a loud, jarring echo to fill the silent, expansive dungeon.

    "¡­That''s probably not good, is it?" He asked himself wryly.

    Just as he began to turn around, he felt a jarring, waking sensation flood through his body like a current of electricity.

    The warning sensation prompted him to jump back just as a swift attack came down at the very spot he just stood.

    Guess it was the right call to cast "Malice Sense"¡­I''d be dead meat right now, he thought.

    Drawing his sword, he got a look at the enemy that ambushed him.

    In contrast to most Defects he encountered which disyed pale-white skin, this one was dressed in all-ck armor that seemed mended to its flesh.

    I''ve never seen this kind before, he thought.

    In the grooves of its sleek, ck armor, an emerald light softly illuminated.

    The system presented the information to him via the interface as he squinted his eyes at the ck-armored Defect.

    [Enemy ss: "Fallen Vanguard" | Enemy Level: 11.]

 Chapter 8 To The Brink

    [Enemy ss: "Fallen Vanguard" | Enemy Level: 11.]

    "Eleven¡­?" He mumbled, keeping his guard raised as he held his longsword in front of himself.

    As it turned to face him, releasing an exhale of steam from behind its dark helm, it revealed the unorthodox, tri-ded greatsword it wielded that was engraved with verdant lights.

    This looks tough, I think it''s an RFB, by the looks of it. Even if there is a level gap, I can manage¡ªprobably, hopefully, he thought.

    The de it wielded caught his eye, as its abnormal structure made him hold himself cautiously, knowing full well just what type of lethality it packed.

    While he was busy thinking of whatever strategy he could to take down the higher-level foe, his reflexes kicked into high gear as the Fallen Vanguard appeared directly in front of him, already midway through a swing of his de.

    ¡­It''s fast! He thought.

    The wind generated by the speed of the enemy made his scarf flutter greatly as his hood nearly fell from his head.

    It was only because of [Malice Sense] once again that his body moved ordingly to evade the strike of the tri-de, jumping back as sweat dropped from his chin.

    Trying to go on the offense, he used a single step to close the distance between himself and the Fallen Vanguard, utilizing the assassin ss skill: [Blink Step], allowing him to instantaneously move a short distance with a step.

    "Hraagh¨C!"

    He yelled out before swiping his de against the abdomen of the ck-armored mob, unleashing an echoing nk throughout the chamber.

    [No Effect.]

    Huh? He thought.

    ncing back after rushing past the ck-d knight, having shed towards the towering figure with all of his might¨Che saw it for himself: there was not a single nick etched onto its armor.

    Witnessing his attack result in zero effect made his stomach sink, nearly causing him to have his head parted from his shoulders as the Fallen Vanguard was swift to counterattack.

    "Cast: ¨C!"

    Before he could cast anything, he was interrupted as he realized there was no time for spells, being forced to duck down as his eyes widened, feeling the wind pressure of the ck knight''s weapon being swung over his back.

    I almost died. I almost died¨C! I need to get out of here! He thought.

    Instead of being struck by the de, therge fist of his foe sunk into his gut suddenly, sending him flying back.

    [Health Points: -250. Remaining Health Points: 1000/1250.]

    He could hardly process what the system told him as he gasped for air, though his lungs struggled to reciprocate his request as it felt as if he was breathing fire into his stomach.

    Before the knight could stomp down on him, he crawls up to his feet in a panic.

    Breaking off in a sprint after barely dodging the enemy''s attack, he nced back, only bringing his gaze forward to realize the way he came from was now blocked off by a barrier of gray energy.

    "...What?" He muttered out in terror.

    Aftering to a full-stop and realizing the situation, he swallowed his anxiety and turned to face the Fallen Vanguard.

    As he raised his arms to guard against the knight that pursued him without fail, his attempt to block its spinning kick was only half sessful. The strength of the higher level enemy sent him back even though he guarded, feeling as though a train had just mmed against his forearms.

    [Health Points: -250. Remaining Health Points: 750/1250.]

    I''ve got no choice but to fight it now, don''t I? Crap¡­This girl better be hot¨C! I better get a kiss, no¨CI want at least to touch her tits after I save her! He thought.

    For some reason, that thought supplied him with some much needed motivation. As the blood rushed through his body warmly with such thoughts, a system notification appeared.

    [Notification: [Hidden Skill]: [Adrenaline] has been activated.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Adrenaline¡­?" He muttered.

    He realized it then as the ck-d knight was walking towards him: it felt as if his blood was surging through his veins with unmatched vigor.

    Hold on¡­is this because¨C?! He thought.

    Feeling the tightness in his pants, he realized why this had happened: he popped a boner. In the middle of a life-or-death bout, he managed to pop a boner¨Cnot just that, it was the most blood-pumping erection he had ever felt.

    "Huh¨C?!"

    Why the hell am I getting hard now?! Am I a sexual deviant or something¨C?! He thought.

    Either way, he realized the activation of [Adrenaline] was likely a miracle as it supplies his body with further amplified strength.

    [Notification: Do to your status as a [Virgin], you''re prone to reactions such as this from simple thoughts.]

    "Thanks, but I didn''t ask¨C!" He replied with a blush.

    Amidst his interaction with the system, he jumped back as the Fallen Vanguard attempted to m its massive de down on top of his head.

    Woah, hold on a minute¨Che seems¡­slower? He thought.

    It was surprising, after only being able to dodge by thebination of a miracle and sheer luck previously, he was able to evade the ck, higher-leveled enemy with moderate effort.

    [Answer: [Adrenaline] amplified all stats and passive abilities. [Super Reflexes] has temporarily be [Hyper Reflexes] for the time being.]

    He confirmed this to be true as the next flurry of attacks from the dark-armored knight were evaded with ease as his enhanced reflexes almost made the swings seem toe towards him in slow motion.

    "Cast: Light de!"

    [Spirit -75. Remaining Spirit: 675/2000.]

    This time, he countered, allowing his de to be swallowed in amplifying light that slid across the length of his de.

    As he swung his light-engulfed de against the midsection of the towering, ck-d enemy, an array of radiant sparks flew out as he felt the impact actually connect with an effective strike.

    Hell yeah! I damaged it! He thought.

    But, he realized then as he turned back to see the armored foe still standing that "damaging" it was the prerequisite for facing it in the first ce.

    Suddenly, a hum resounded from within the sleek, all-ck armor of the Fallen Vanguard as the emerald glow that illuminated from the grooves of its armor bolstered.

    "...Oh crap," he muttered.

    He realized it as the Fallen Vanguard reared its massive sword back, engulfing its de in a verdant energy that sent a tremor through the chamber.

    With a [Blink Step] he managed to evade the distant sword strike that sent a hail of emerald energy cutting a path in his direction. By the way it carved through the metallic, ck flooring with a sizzling howl, he knew that if it had hit him directly, he''d be a goner.

    It didn''t let up, aggressivelyunching a fury of attacks with its emerald-lit greatsword with surprising dexterity. Each swing itunched was only a hair away from making contact with him, causing his heart to thump wildly in his chest.

    [Activate [Unique Ability]?]

    This time as the prompt that he rejected before reappeared after he was forced to leap back, realizing how dire the situation was against the overleveled foe, he pondered the decision.

    It''s risky. If this was a normal RPG, I think my unique ability would actually be pretty strong. However, this is real life¨Cthe risk is so high it''s almostughable, but¡­it might be my only choice, he thought.

    The prompt stayed in the forefront of his vision, blinking as lines of text scrolled by in his personal interface.

    "...Let''s do it," he said, nodding his head as he wiped the sweat from his chin.

 Chapter 9 Level Burst: Sage Period Activated

    "...Let''s do it," he said, nodding his head as he wiped the sweat from his chin.

    [Answer recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    [--[Unique Ability]: [Sage Period] Activated.]

    The moment the ability activated, his emerald eyes took a glow as his irises inhabited digital-like constructs encircling his gaze.

    "Combine: me Lance. Force Stomp. Divine Presence."

    As he gave themand while remaining still even while the Fallen Vanguard rapidly approached him, the system responded as magical constructs manifested before him and melded together.

    [Combination Recognized. Combining: [me Lance] [Force Stomp] [Divine Presence]...]

    [Combination Complete. New Spell Forged: [Cataclysmic Tremor]. Ready to be used.]

    Just as he was given the go-ahead by the system, he stomped his foot down in front of him, yelling out, "Cast: Cataclysmic Tremor!"

    [Spirit: -350. Remaining Spirit: 325/2000.]

    With the newly woven spell conjured, his stomp unleashed a roaring shockwave that not only stunned the Fallen Vanguard, but rose his feet from the ground. Apanying the shock wave, an onught of white, heavenly mes engulfed the ck knight, propelling against him with the brutal force of the tremor.

    "Sage Period", it''s my unique ability that allows me tobine spells and create new, incredibly powerful ones that hit way above my own level. However, while I''m in "Sage Period" I receive double damage.

    After unleashing the spell, his eyes returned to their normal, emerald state as he breathed heavily, sweating from each of his pores as he witnessed the me-engulfed foe be sent flying back against the farthest wall.

    Not only that, but I can''t stay in "Sage Period" for very long. It''s incredibly exhausting¨Cboth physically and mentally, he thought.

    He was now low on spirit, and exhausted physically at that, so it was disheartening when he saw that the Fallen Vanguard wasn''t vanquished from the powerful spell he unleashed.

    "...Just my luck," he mumbled under his heavy breaths.

    Though it was clear the tall, inhuman knight was heavily injured as its armor was caved in, cut, and spilling out ck blood from the protrusions in its armor-like skin.

    I can''t use any more spells. Reaching zero spirit is absolutely not something I can do. I need at least some in reserve for any other enemies that might be in this dungeon, and when I go home. Not only that¡­but once you reach zero spirit, your body goespletely limp for an hour until you recover a decent portion, he thought.

    Though there was another possibility that came to his mind as he pulled his hood over his head a bit more with a sigh.

    The fact of the matter was, the enemy he was facing was not only three levels higher than himself, but a "Roaming Field Boss", which meant it was a difficult enemy even for those who were the proper level to face it.

    ¡­If I defeat that, I should level up. If I level up, all of my spirit will be restored¡­so it might be the right call to use my spirit now, he thought.

    Sparse, white mes still clung to the armor of the Fallen Vanguard, but it walked forward with a clear limp and struggle to its step, dragging its triple-ded sword against the steel in an ear-piercing whistle.

    Seeing it in that state, he felt a bit more confident in his approach as he readied his sword, breathing in and out slowly as he tried to steady his rapidly-beating heart.

    Let''s end this, he thought with a tired breath.

    As he reversed his grip on his sword, he dashed towards the half-dead foe of his, meeting him halfway before¡ª[Blink Step].

    "I am an assassin, after all."

    He muttered as he reappeared behind the towering knight with his ss-inherent skill, following up with another.

    [Ripper]

    A brutal, but effective skill built only as a finisher. The skill guided his arm as he used his inherent nimbleness as an assassin-ss to traverse the Fallen Vanguard''s body with his de.

    His dexterous movements made his scarf twirl in a dance while his hood obscured his face, though his emerald irises glowed subtly from behind his sses.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After the series of swift, unseen strikes wereunched, a dozen eviscerations showed themselves on the ck knight''s body before it slumped down, it''s head rolling off of its shoulders.

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 25/2000.]

    "I did it¡­" he caught his breath in surprise, swiping his sword before sheathing.

    What came next was the prompt he was waiting for. He fell to his rear to rest for a moment and catch his breath as he imed victory over the enemy.

    ["Fallen Vanguard" defeated. EXP + 2500. [Angel Coin] x50 Acquired. Material [Stygian Ore] x1 Acquired.]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 9].]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 10]. Current EXP: 50/1750.]

    [Resources [Health] and [Spirit] have been fully restored. Remaining Health Points: 2000/2000. Remaining Spirit: 2500/2500.]

    "Huh?!" He let out in surprise.

    It seemed almost like a dream to him, or a glitch in the system, but he leveled up twice in a row.

    "Wait, what?! 2500 EXP? I knew I''d get a lot, but how?!" He asked in surprise.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Answer: Due to defeating a much more powerful foe, the EXP acquired was multiplied.]

    He sat there for a moment in disbelief, but was utterly ted as he clenched his fists together before letting out a celebratory yell.

    "Hell yeah¡ª!"

    It was a surprisinglyrge boost in stats he found once reaching level ten.

    [Attack: 1250. Constitution: 850. Dexterity: 1500.]

    [Skill Points Avable: 4.]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: [Conceal] [Flinch].]

    Seeing that he now had skill points to work with, he used his finger to interact with the interface exclusive to his vision, swiping windows around until the the disy of the "skill tree" appeared.

    It was like an endless stretch of gilded branches, reaching out in every direction, manifesting itself in a pseudo-reality that only he could see as it took a three-dimensional form in front of his eyes.

    There were different branches he could focus on working towards:

    [Shadow Pursuit] which focused on the assassin-ss abilities that specialized in remaining unseen. [Blink Step] was learned from this branch.

    [Kill Pursuit] which focused on the assassin-ss abilities that more-so focused on killing techniques. [Ripper] was learned from this branch.

    [Bnce] which was a branch that each ss had that had general skills that each yer could ess, so they should choose.

    He chose to continue pushing points into [Blink Step] and [Ripper] as it was his go-to finisher, and overall form of movement in battle.

    One more point into "Blink Step" and I''ll unlock the next skill on this path¡­well, I''ll have my choice out of three new ones to choose right away. "Vanish" sounds useful, he thought.

    However, what caught his eye in the bombardment of new updates from his level up was a blinking, red light in the corner of the interface he saw.

    [New [Sub-ss] avable.]

    "Sub-ss?" He quietly asked.

 Chapter 10 Selfless Action

    "Sub-ss?" He quietly asked.

    Though he found that he didn''t have the opportunity to look into it any further as another scream echoed out from the depths of the dungeon. This time, it was apanied by what sounded like a battle-cry from a different, feminine voice, and a series of clinks and ngs from des shing.

    Crap, I almost forgot¡­! I have to find the people who are in here! He thought.

    Bringing himself to his feet, he felt a new vigor as he ventured deeper into the dungeon as his level was raised to a considerable new height.

    He was faster; that much he could tangible feel as he sprinted through the sleek, ck corridors of the dungeon. Each stride he took allowed him to feel the wind brush against him as his peripherals were almost a blur.

    It was clear that he was getting closer to the yers he was seeking to help, being led by a trail of fallen Defects that wereid out in the halls.

    They must be pretty capable if they''ve wiped this many enemies out. It sounds like there are two yers down here, at least, he thought.

    Blocking his path after turning down the corridor he knew was close to the source of the yells, a dark-skinned Defect stood in the hall, possessing four arms that each wielded a de.

    It was definitely smaller than the Fallen Vanguard, and by admission, weaker.

    That was important; it was a confidence booster for the yer that had just ovee an arduous RFB.

    [Enemy ss: Fallen Soldier ¨C [Level 10].]

    I can do this. This is a good chance to try out my new skill, he thought.

    Opening the encounter with a [Blink Step] that was now amplified by the two additional points he put into it, its distance was increased, allowing him to nearly close the gap entirely between him and the enemy.

    "Blink Step" is the foundation of the assassin-ss, in my experience. It''s the only spirit-free active skill I''ve seen, and it doesn''t need to be said out loud to be cast, he thought.

    As he was instantaneously brought before the four-armed,nky foe, it reared back all four of its arms in an uncanny, mechanical way as if churning gears like an ancient machine.

    "Flinch¨C!"

    [Spirit: -20. Remaining Spirit: 2480/2500.]

    Snapping his fingers, he activated a skill with a "half-cast"--as in, he only had to invoke the name of the spell, rather than begin with "Cast".

    The snap of his fingers conjured a powerful, resounding shock wave that wasn''t intended to inflict damage on his opponent, but rather caused the four-armed foe to recoil back and cancel their attack halfway through.

    [Flinch] left the Fallen Soldier momentarily stunned, giving him the opportunity to draw his sword and run the tip of finger over its t surface swiftly.

    "Cast: Dark Edge!"

    Trailing his fingertip, he left a coating of swaying darkness to cover the steel of his longsword before spinning around and delivering arge, powerful sh diagonally across the enemy''s chest like a crescent strike.

    It was a spirit-free spell, however, the price came in the toll on stamina it took.

    "Raaargh¨C!"

    A mechanical howl left the bowels of the humanoid Defect as it parted its square mouth, rearing back as the dark sh left a sizable amount of damage on its form.

    "And¡­!"

    Following up, he used another [Blink Step] to get behind the stunned enemy, position his hand close to its back.

    "Cast: me Lance!"

    [Spirit: -150. Remaining Spirit: 2330/2500.]

    Gathering at his palm, mes coalesced into the shape of a loose, formlessnce that instantly pierced into the back of the Fallen Soldier.

    Another inhuman, screeching howl left the lips of the ck-skinned Defect as it dropped its minimalist des while mes filled its body. Within moments, the mespletely swallowed the dark Defect, reducing it to dust as its essence flowed into him.

    ["Fallen Soldier" Defeated. EXP+50. Current EXP: 100/1750. [Angel Coins] x3 Acquired.]

    "Phew¡­" He let out as he allowed the mes to dissipate.

    Again, he found himself rxing too quickly as he remembered his entire reason for being there, sprinting down the corridor as he reached another,rge chamber of the Obsidian Dungeon.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a domal room, filled with cube-like structures of ck steel and distorted, angelic statues that protruded from the ceiling with mighty weapons in hand.

    Hovering in the middle of the room with a slight hum, defying gravity, were diamond-shaped structures of the same ck steel that made up most of the dungeon, filling the room with an eerie, divine ambience.

    Is this the final room of the dungeon? He thought.

    "AAAA¨C!"

    A girly scream suddenly filled his ears, nearly making his sses fall from his face as he jumped, looking around to try and find its source as it was definitely within the same chamber.

    "Cast: Recon!"

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2280/2500.]

    Using the translucent, scouting wave, he sensed the location of the enemies, along with two yers surrounded by those very enemies.

    Crap¡­! He thought.

    It was after sprinting through the maze-like structure of the chamber with utmost speed that he found himself at the location.

    Cling. ng.

    "Hyaah¨C!"

    ¨CA tall, short-haired woman could be seen swinging arge ymore against a group of Defects, repelling them but not ultimately doing much in the way of damaging them. She wore light, ivory armor over a snow-white, sleeveless uniform that showed off her rather defined, toned arms as she swung her de around desperately to keep the Defects away.

    He was perplexed why she would back herself into a corner like that, but he saw why: sitting against the ground, panting, was an exhausted, injured young woman with long, silver hair.

    She''s protecting her, he thought.

    Without wasting any more time, he flipped his grip of his sword, bringing it into a reverse hold.

    "Cast: Conceal," he said.

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2230/2500.]

    The assassin-ss spell activated, turning him mostly invisible as even his steps became silent, though it would onlyst as long as he didn''t attack an enemy.

    Using his concealed presence, he snuck up on one of the Defects before plunging his de into its neck¨Cremoving the sword caused blood to spurt from the ck-skinned Defect''s neck like a fountain.

    "Huh¨C?" The short-haired woman looked in that direction, confused.

    Afterunching that attack, [Conceal] wore off, revealing himself to the muscr woman''s gaze as he kept his blue hood over his head, focusing on the other Defects.

    ["Fallen Walker" Defeated. EXP+25. Current EXP: 120/1750.]

    "Who are¡­?" The woman began to ask, but stopped as she realized he was there to help.

    Using [Blink Step] consecutively, he managed to draw the attention of the half-dozen Defects his way, keeping himself on his toes as he constantly avoided their reach.

    There''s a lot of them¡­he thought.

    Looking at the ymore-wielding woman with short, ck-hair, he noticed she wasn''t exactly sitting pretty either; cuts were etched onto her body as blood leaked, though not fatally, it was enough to worsen the situation.

    After briefly adjusting his sses whilst the ravenous,nky Defects lunged towards him with thin, stygian spears held in hand, he breathed out.

    "Get your friend and get out of here¨C!" He yelled out while the Defects were drawn on him.

    "Huh?"

    "I can handle this!" He shouted out.

    Crap, what am I doing¡­? He questioned himself.

    When it came down to it, he didn''t even make the choice in his head. A decision has to be made in that moment and he allowed his lips to make that choice for him. It was what naturally came out.

 Chapter 11 Harrowing Realization

    He watched as the toned woman hesitated before begrudgingly helping her shorter, silver-hairedpanion up and moving out of the chamber with her.

    Good, he thought.

    For some reason, he smiled despite the bad situation he had found himself in.

    "I did something good"--that was the feeling that caught itself in his mind, though he had little time left to his thoughts as the Defects rapidly closed in.

    It''s not as if he strove to be a "hero", but he simply felt he could be proud of making something out of the wasted life he had lived all of these years.

    "Even an idiot like me can do something good if he tries," ¡ªthat was the resolve he experienced now.

    Against the obsidian flooring, their feet stomped as they howled out towards him with distorted voices, stretching and twisting their own bodies in abnormal ways as they approached.

    Around him, there were three closing in, wielding their thin spears with clear malice in their grip.

    ¡­Alright, I can do this. I''m at the right level¨CI can do this, he told himself.

    Just as the Defects got close enough to rear their weapons back, he snapped his fingers, "Flinch!"

    [Spirit: -20. Remaining Spirit: 2210/2500.]

    The concussive snap momentarily froze the thin, shadowy Defects as he didn''t waste any time with his offensive turn.

    Without any use of skills, he charged forward and spun around, slicing the head off the middle Defect clean off as a fountain of inhuman blood poured upwards.

    [EXP+25. Current EXP: 145/1750.]

    One down, he thought.

    Not wasting his momentum, he pivoted around, using an overhead strike to send his sword through the skull of the leftmost Defect before turning towards thest, who had just snapped out of [Flinch].

    [EXP+25. Current EXP: 170/1750.]

    "Hyup¡­!"

    He leaned back, avoiding the swift, lethal strike of the Defect''s spear as he watched it narrowly sail past his face.

    Quickly ncing to the side, he realized a couple more were approaching him, prompting him to end the current one quickly as he kicked its knee, causing it to fall before he took its head off in one, clean slice.

    [EXP+25. Current EXP: 195/1750.]

    A puddle of Defect blood began to form, running along the ridges of the obsidian flooring as he flipped his sword, ncing to his left and right as two more Defects of the same ss approached simultaneously.

    Attempting to backstep one of their strikes, the left Defect''s spear grazed his skin, cutting it as he winced.

    [Health: -300. Remaining Health Points: 1700/2000.]

    It was a surprising amount of damage, but he remembered he was fighting enemies that were even with him in level.

    A single mistake is huge here. I can''t let that happen, he thought.

    "Cast: Dark Edge!"

    As he flipped back, he ran his fingertip along the surface of his de, engulfing it in darkness again before he dashed towards the two Defects.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With a spinning sh, he bisected both of the Defects cleanly, but not before receiving ast blow from one of the cut-in-half Defects. Its spear grazed his side, chunking away at his health points further.

    [Health: -350. Remaining Health Points: 1350/2000.]

    He was nearly at half of his total health from just two, ncing strikes. Though he cleared out the Defects, he held his side, huffing as sweat clung to his skin.

    [EXP+50. Current EXP: 245/1750.]

    That''s the downside to being an assassin-ss. Ites with incredible movement abilities and dexterity, but I''m about as tough as paper, he thought.

    "...I did it, though," he sighed out with a small smile as he held his side, feeling the warmth of his blood running against his hand.

    As he looked towards the entrance of the chamber, knowing that the two girls had likely escaped already, he felt his task had beenpleted.

    THUD.

    Like a meteornding behind him, something fell onto the spot behind him with such weight that the entirety of the dungeon creaked, supplementing a small shock wave that made his eyes widen.

    That''s right¡­He thought in terror.

    As he began to turn around, he was faced with a system notification that blinked vibrantly with a warning.

    ¡­I never found the boss of this dungeon, he realized.

    [WARNING. Enemy Identified: "Fallen Champion" | Level 13 | Obsidian Dungeon BOSS.]

    It towered over him, over four times his height with thick, all-ck armor that exuded steam like a train. A magnificent, fur-lined, ck cape flowed behind its back as it stood there, wielding two, colossal greatswords that carried royal designs etched into their dark steel.

    Level 13¡­? He thought.

    With the appearance of the dungeon boss, the chamber finally lit up as the cknterns attached to the many pirs within the room lit with emerald mes.

    All of his confidence was tested when met face-to-face with the gargantuan boss, who looked down at him with an all-ck helmet that carried reverse-horn designs that protruded from either side of its head.

    [System Tip: Your current best strategy would be to [Run].]

    "...Yeah, I think I agree," he muttered as sweat dripped down his cheek, mixing with the blood that ran from his cut.

    Though is that really an option? He thought.

    Looking back, he could faintly see the barrier of gray energy blocking off the exit from the chamber, frowning a bit at that realization.

    As I thought¡­I''m stuck here until this guy is gone, he thought.

    For some reason though, he felt he wouldn''t run even if the chance showed itself. It wasn''t bravery, or any such aspect, but something else.

    He remembered it: the man he witnessed at the start of this entire ordeal, who achieved the level he reached only moments ago, but months earlier. He also remembered the woman who had just saved him that very day.

    They would be able to handle this without a problem, wouldn''t they? Who says I can''t? My conviction to live is just as powerful as theirs, so why is it they had a head start? Why was I left in the dust?

    In spite of that, I''m still here. I haven''t fallen yet. I''m level ten now. I''ll reach them, and I''ll survive, he thought, clenching his fists.

    But, resolve alone wasn''t enough to win a fight. He was quickly reminded as such as he witnessed in slow-motion that felt like his life being shed before his eyes as the Fallen Champion swung one of its massive des towards him.

 Chapter 12 Sage Period

    It was muchrger than his own body, dwarfing it, in fact. The size of it, the thickness of its steel, being swung so swiftly, made him freeze for just a moment.

    There wasn''t even enough time to use a [Blink Step] as his sense of direction was spiraled in that fraction of a second, only lifting his de as his one and only defense against the iing, colossal strike.

    SWOOOSH.

    "Grrgh¨C!"

    He expected it to be powerful. He expected it to be the most powerful force he had ever felt.

    Yet, it still took him by surprise.

    Guarding against the strike with a trembling arm, the wind pressure that arrived along with the giant swing pelted against his body like a raging tempest. His feet were lifted from the ground in the wake of the boss'' strength, being sent flying backward helplessly.

    [WARNING. Weapon [Blue-Strapped Longsword] Durability is reaching a critical low. Please repair it immediately.]

    [Health: -150. Remaining Health Points: 1200/2000.]

    I lost health¡­even when blocking the attack¡­?! He thought.

    Flying back through the stale air of the sealed-off dungeon room, his arms trembled from the force of the guard blow, momentarily making him ask himself if they had been blown away, but fortunately, they were still there.

    Uponnding on the ground, he flipped tond on his feet with a safending.

    As he attempted to stand, he fell to one knee as pain resonated through his body like a purgatory bell.

    "Nngh¡­!" He winced, grabbing his head.

    Just from one attack¡­? What the hell is this thing? He thought.

    Blood dripped from his nose as he felt his entire body quiver from the aftershock of the blocked strike.

    "Item: Greater Health Potion!" He yelled out to the system.

    Just as the small vial filled with pink liquid manifested into his hand by his call, he leaped back as the Fallen Champion shattered the distance between them with a single, sh step.

    He flicked the cork off and guzzled the liquid fully.

    [Health Points Fully Restored. 2000/2000.]

    I have to think of something. I can''t use "Sage Period"--if just blocking one attack managed to damage me heavily, then a direct hit with double damage? I''d be paste, he thought.

    For now, he opted to evade the Fallen Champion with a series of [Blink Steps], however, the downside of the ability flourished in this continuous usage of it as he came to a sudden stop.

    Huh? He thought.

    He was forced to duck-and-roll forward, evading the downward swing of one of the dungeon boss'' giant des, narrowly escaping its sharpness.

    That''s right¨C"Blink Step" can''t be used in session more than five times in a row. There''s a three second cooldown after that, he thought.

    "Flinch!"

    [Spirit: -20. Remaining Spirit: 2210/2500.]

    As he snapped his fingers to attempt to stun the boss as itnded in front of him after a mighty leap, the concussive sh had no effect on the brute d in dark armor.

    "Crap¨C!" He called out, having to roll out of the way of another m.

    The shock wave of the ded m he evaded pushed him further, knocking him as he rolled across the sleek, metallic flooring.

    "Cast: me Lance!"

    [Spirit: -150. Remaining Spirit: 2060/2500.]

    As the swiftly generatednce of mes was propelled from his raised hand while he sat on one knee, it crashed against the colossal chest of the dungeon boss in an explosion of orange, aggressive mes.

    He looked on with desperation in his eyes as he gathered his lost breath, sitting there on one knee as he prayed for the spell to have done something.

    But, it had no effect on the seemingly impervious armor of the overleveled boss.

    [WARNING. You''re facing an enemy beyond your capabilities. Make an effort to run.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Shut up¡­!" He yelled out, "You think I don''t know that?! I''m trying my best, dammit! I''m trying¡­!"

    As he rejected the system''s warning, he looked down as the mixture of sweat and blood dripped from his chin.

    For some reason, I''ve always had this drive to help others.

    I don''t consider myself a good person, or anything. After all, how could somebody who dropped out of high school even be that pretentious?

    Still, I''ve always wanted to help others. It''s hard to say why exactly¡­but, I think it was because of my Mother. She was a pretty prestigious doctor, and she genuinely enjoyed doing what she did.

    Even with how sessful she was, she wasn''t hard on me.

    I didn''t drop out because school was difficult. I had the top grades of my region, actually. But¡­I just couldn''t do it anymore. I was alone. I drove myself in that corner¨CI ignored everybody, I left my friends behind, all because of my studies. Eventually, I was alone. And eventually, I just stopped going.

    It made me feel horrible.

    I wanted her to push me away, and to force me to grow up.

    But, she would just tell me, "Take your time, Jeong-Hui. Do your best."

    "Do my best"...it''s a curse she left me with. Even if I don''t want to, I''ll do my best. If doing my best means saving these people that I never even met¨Cthen I have to do it. What''s the point of fighting for my own life if it''s not a life I can respect? What''s the point of fighting in this crumbling world if I let my own humanity fade away, too?

    There''s no rhyme or reason to any of it; just do it! Toss logic to the side, be stupid, be arrogant, be selfish, and do what you want--that''s exactly what I''ll do! That''s what humanity is all about, and not even Armaggedon can stifle that me.

    --

    He knew it himself: he wasn''t operating with a tactical mind, or one of much thought, for that matter. What he followed is what he believed was wanted from him, and what he believed he wanted.

    If his Mother was truly gone, along with most of humanity itself, he knew what she would want from him: to use what little strength he had to help others. Even if he wasn''t much of a hero himself, it was simply the torch left to him.

    [Activate [Unique Ability]?]

    As the system allowed the prompt to appear in his personal interface, he continued to sit there in thought as the massive stomps of the Fallen Champion grew closer.

    Trying my best means putting my life on the line. It means doing everything I can, even if I have to die, doesn''t it? If I don''t try my best, I''ll die. If I try my best, I might die. It''s an obvious choice, isn''t it? He thought.

    Though before he could make such a choice to activate his unique ability, he witnessed the boss performing a peculiar, new action.

    Holding both of its enormous des upwards, a bountiful, erratic coalescence of verdant energy gathered.

    [WARNING.]

    There was nothing he could do in that moment; on one knee, the boss already began to perform a swing of both des, sending forth an onught of roaring, verdant energy that carved through the path towards him.

    "Cast: Luminate Shield!"

    Huh? He thought.

    It wasn''t him that yelled out that spell-activation chant, but a feminine voice. To him, it might as well have been a real, benevolent angel that yelled it out.

    Manifesting before him, solidified light blossomed like a flower in spring, spreading its pedals out as it shielded against the howling, visceral verdant that attempted to take him out.

    I''m alive? He questioned.

    Looking to his side, he saw her.

    Flowing, silver hair, as serene and beautiful as a sea of seraphic clouds. She wore white-and-gold robes, with knee-high,ced boots of the same color and an ivory skirt.

    An angel, he thought in his momentary haze.

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Kamou Yoo. Level: 11. ss: [Serene Weaver].]

    But he soon recognized her as the girl that was being protected by the other woman. That much was clear by the stain of blood on her left arm, though she held both of her hands forward to bolster the shield.

    "Can you stand?" She asked, looking at him with a gentle, warm smile despite the situation.

 Chapter 13 Black Ripper

    "Can you stand?" She asked, looking at him with a gentle, warm smile despite the situation.

    He didn''t answer right away, instead proving to her he could indeed stand though his knees wobbled beneath his exhausted body, "Yeah."

    "Good," another voice said,ing from his right side, "This isn''t going to be easy."

    It was the muscr, greatsword wielding woman from earlier with short, ck hair that covered one of her eyes, while the other, magenta-tinged eye held an air of confidence within its gaze.

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Myung-Hee Yun. Level: 11. ss: [Warrior].]

    "...You both are still here?" He asked, puzzled but delighted.

    The silver-haired, youthful girl almost seemed offended by his surprise but looked forward as she answered bashfully, "...Of course we wouldn''t leave you behind. You helped us. We''re just returning the favor, that''s all."

    "Just returning the favor?" He repeated in surprise.

    The heavy, toned arm of the ck-haired woman wrapped around his neck as the tall, strong womanughed, "She says that, but she was begging for us toe back to help you!"

    A blush came over the pale, smooth cheeks of the silver-haired girl holding the barrier as those words came from herpanion.

    "That''s enough! I''m about to let the barrier down, so get ready!" The silver-haired girl called out.

    As she gave the warning, he took in a deep breath, collecting himself as he slowly removed his sses, allowing his emerald eyes to take a certain luminescence.

    Activate "Sage Period"! He thought.

    [Request Confirmed. Unique Ability: [Sage Period] Activated.]

    "Combine: Blink Step. Conceal."

    [Combination Complete: New Spell Forged [Shadow Step] Ready To Be Used.]

    "Huh? What''s up with that?" The dark-haired woman raised an eyebrow curiously at what he was doing.

    As she looked at him, her interface disyed his level, bringing a surprised widening of her eyes.

    He''s only level 10?...It seems like he must''ve just hit that level too¨Cso why did hee down here? The dark-haired woman thought to herself.

    Without wasting a singr moment as the barrier vanished, crumbling into particles of light, he vanished with a step, utilizing [Shadow Step] to break the distance between himself and the Fallen Champion.

    Due to the nature of [Blink Step] being the basis for thebined spell, it didn''t require a chant nor did it cost any spirit, utilizing the aspect of [Conceal] to mask his presence whilst vanishing and reappearing.

    As such¨C

    "[Ripper]"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1760/2500.]

    The colossus d in ck armor was unavable to recognize his presence, reappearing directly behind him before he unleashed a fury of swift shes that swirled and reached around the surface of the boss'' size.

    As he dragged his de along its armor, he felt the ineffectiveness of his strikes, witnessing the hollow, shadowy gaze hidden behind the boss'' helmet move towards him.

    Not even "Ripper" did anything to it?! He thought.

    "--!"

    Just before it could attempt to attack him, the Fallen Champion''s attention was ripped towards a battle-cry roaring out.

    It came from the dark-haired, muscr woman who yelled out. Hended back on his feet, flipping away from the Fallen Champion though its attention was no longer locked on him.

    [War-Cry.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    He recognized the spell via the system''s interface, informing him of its nature as he watched it, though he promptly covered his ears as the war-cry was powerful enough to vibrate the ground.

    [It''s a skill inherent to the [Warrior] ss. Unleashing a battle-cry, it draws the attention of all enemies towards the caster. It also bolsters the user''s [Constitution] temporarily.]

    Did she just save me? He questioned.

    "Cast: Hasten! Cast: Amplify Strength!"

    The spells came from the silver-haired girl, who pointed her wooden, orb-ended staff up, bestowing the two buff spells to the ck-haired woman, who was momentarily surrounded by blue and red lights before the buffs activated.

    "Jeong-Hui!"

    He was taken by surprise as Kamou, the silver-haired, youthful girl, called out his name, looking directly at him.

    She knows my name?...oh, she probably did a yer check with the system, too, he thought.

    "I''m going to give you assistance as well, so attack with Myung-Hee!" Kamou called out, spinning her staff as spiritual essence gathered around her, fluttering her skirt with the seraphic winds generated.

    He was distracted for a moment by her pure beauty, but picked himself up, beginning to run back into battle as Myung-Hee, the muscr, greatsword-wielding woman, rushed in towards the boss as well.

    "Got it!" He nodded, shouting out.

    With her buffs, Myung-Hee reached the Fallen Champion far before he did, jumping up with her amplified strength as she managed to sh evenly with the boss, meeting his colossal sword with her own.

    It wasn''t often he interacted with yers, or saw others fight, for that matter. So it was surprising to him to see how a warrior-ss fought, watching as Myung-Hee used her inherent strength as a warrior to evenlybat the boss. As each of their des met, a shock wave propelled, picking up strong gusts of wind as Myung-Hee roared out with each and every swing.

    She''s amazing¨Cno, they both are, he thought.

    Myung-Hee didn''t seem capable of pushing through the giant boss'' surprisingly dexterous and agile wielding of his des, forcing them into a stalemate, though it seemed her stamina was depleting while the Fallen Champion remained at tip-top shape.

    "Cast: Hasten! Cast: Sharpen!"

    Kamou pointed her staff towards him as he dashed towards the boss whilst Myung-Hee held it at bay.

    He was amplified by her magic, feeling his body be lighter than ever, and his sword possessing a vibrant, powerful sensation to it.

    This is "buff" magic? It feels amazing, he thought.

    Before engaging with the Fallen Champion, having its back turned to him freely while Myung-Hee held its aggro, he flipped his de around.

    "Combine: Dark Edge! Ripper!"

    [Combination Complete: New Spell Forged [ck Ripper] Ready To Be Used.]

    With all of the setupplete, he didn''t waste any further time unleashing himself onto the distracted dungeon boss now.

    ["ck Ripper"]

    ["Shadow Step"]

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1460/2500.]

    In unison, he used bothbined spells,unching a swift, nearly instantaneous assault that manifested an array of dark shes across the giant form of the ck-armored champion.

    Kamou watched in astonishment at the capabilities of the young man who was a level lower than herself.

    "Amazing¡­" She muttered.

    That type of magic¡­it''s something I''ve only seen from level fifteen and above, she thought.

    The flurry of shes etched themselves past the armor of the Fallen Champion, this time causing the once-seeming impervious foe to falter, halting its attacks as it stumbled back briefly.

 Chapter 14 Moment Of Judgment

    "Nice job! You''re pretty strong, kid!" Myung-Hee called out, rearing herrge, silver greatsword back as an opening was created.

    "Go for it!" He yelled out as his attack finished, using a [Shadow Step] to move out of the way out of whatever the woman was nning.

    After having pulled her massive ymore back, it began to be shrouded in vibrant mes that spread their light through the chamber.

    "Cast: Burning Blood Edge!"

    It looked far more potent than anything he possessed in terms of static power, watching as she began to spin around to build momentum while also building the mes up as well into a mighty whirlwind of roaring, orange inferno.

    While she was building the attack, the Fallen Champion began to regain its bnce, beginning to rear its des back to attack her.

    "--No, you don''t!" He yelled out.

    Just as he decided to attack, another incantation left Kamou''s lips, "Cast: Amplify Strength!"

    The amplification spell targeted him before he followed up with his own assault against the boss, "ck Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1160/2500.]

    Intercepting the giant foe d in ck armor before it could attack, he struck against it like a sh, spreading a barrage of shadow-bolstered shes against its tough exterior.

    "Grrghh¨C!"

    The Fallen Champion let out a low, mechanical groan as the series of attacks left it stunned again, giving a true opening for the built-up, ming attack from Myung-Hee.

    "Here I go¨C!" Myung-Hee yelled out with a fearsome smile.

    Finally stomping her foot down with a powerful thud, she carried her de forth in a heavy, powerful swing, sending the majestic mes directly against the Fallen Champion''s body in a ze.

    The impact resulted in an explosion of mes that knocked him back, forcing him to flip around as he witnessed the resulting damage inflicted on the dungeon boss.

    So, that''s what other sses are capable of, huh¡­? He thought in astonishment.

    His curly, red locks fluttered in the heated winds that propelled off of the source of the impact before a cloud of smoke sat around the spot.

    They all watched together with hopeful, desperate gazes at the gathering of dense, abundant smoke that thest attack finished it off.

    "Did that finish it?" Myung-Hee asked, wiping the sweat from her chin.

    "Please don''t raise event gs like that so casually!" He shouted out.

    As Myung-Hee gave him a raised eyebrow at his odd yell, suddenly Kamou had a shocked expression on her face.

    "Myung-Hee, watch out¨C!"

    Through the billow of embers, the greatsword wielded by the colossal of ck-steel armor swung through, aiming towards the ymore-wielding woman who stood with her back turned towards it.

    ¡­Shit! He thought.

    Gathering all of the strength in his legs, he pushed forward in a swift, determined dash.

    [Blink Step]

    [Blink Step]

    [Blink Step]

    [Blink Step]

    [Blink Step]

    Five times in session, he used [Blink Step] to cover the distance in an instant, throwing himself between Myung-Hee and the de as he used his already-damaged sword as a shield.

    The continuous movements were used so swiftly that neither of the other two yers perceived him even moving.

    "Sage Period" off¨C! He thought.

    At the very least, he turned off his unique ability to prevent himself from taking double damage, just in time as the massive, heavy sword of the colossus swung against his puny de.

    "Huh!?" Myung-Hee finally reacted.

    The moment the strength behind the Fallen Champion''s de met against his flimsy defense, he felt all of the air escape his lungs before he was sent flying back.

    [Health: -500. Remaining Health Points: 1500/2000.]

    [WARNING. Weapon broken. Please equip a new weapon as soon as possible.]

    It shattered into a thousand pieces; his trusty sword. Like ss giving in to the strength of the mighty, it was reduced to nothing as he was flung back by the overwhelming strength of his foe.

    Though, there was a silver lining.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Kamou shouted out worriedly, running to his side after he had barely stuck thending.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Myung-Hee looked back at him, still stunned at what had just urred between a few, stray seconds.

    "It''s almost defeated¡­!" He shouted out, catching his breath.

    As he let out those words, he brought their gazes to the state of the Fallen Champion, who looked to be standing on itsst legs as its once seemingly impervious, immacte armor was full of cracks and holes.

    Steam exuded from its form as the mes that crashed against it previously still left their impact.

    "Are you alright?..." Kamou asked, standing close to him.

    Even as exhausted as he was, he still found himself with a light blush as the girl who he considered leagues upon leagues out of his league was close to him, looking to see some of her silver, silken locks brushing his shoulder.

    "I-I''m fine¨C!" He let out, attempting to stand as his knees wobbled.

    Woah¡­I''m totally not fine, he thought.

    "Cast: Recovery."

    Kamou didn''t waste a moment using the spell on him, letting a vibrant, seraphic light dance around him before he found his stamina returning to his body.

    [Health Points Fully Restored. 2000/2000.]

    "...Thanks," he nodded before returning to his feet.

    Myung-Hee called out from up ahead, "I hate to interrupt you both, but the big guy ising¨Cand he seems angry!"

    Just then, the warrior-ss woman was forced to sh her ymore against one of the Fallen Champion''s swung greatswords, but was sent stumbling back as without the buffs from Kamou, it exceeded her strength greatly.

    "Gyah¨C!" Myung-Hee winced.

    Taking charge, he forced himself to his feet, beginning to move to help the ymore-wielding yer out. As he ran forward, he looked back at Kamou, "Give me support¨CI''m counting on you!"

    Kamou was caught off-guard by the shine of his emerald eyes that were entuated greatly without his sses, only nodding her head a momentter, "Right!"

    Wait, but he doesn''t have a weapon¡­what is he nning to do?! She thought.

    As he ran, he activated [Sage Period] once again, drawing in a sharp breath through his lips.

    "Combine: me Lance. Dark Edge. Ripper. Reinforce."

    [Combination Complete. New Spell Forged: [Judgment de] Ready To Be Used.]

    As the system processed andpleted his request, he drew the attention of the dungeon boss, using [Blink Step] to avoid the swings of its greatsword narrowly.

    "Cast: Judgment de!"

    [Spirit: -500. Remaining Spirit: 650/2500.]

    In his hand, he formed a temporary weapon made of reshaped, dark mes that took the form of an unstable, hissing sword in his grip.

    "Cast: Amplify! Cast: Haste!"

    Kamou gave him support, bolstering both his agility and his strength as he managed to ovee the aggressive, broad swings from the Fallen Champion easier as each swing cast lofty air pressure through the dark, metallic chamber.

    One direct hit, and I''ll die. But¨Cthe same can be said for him! He thought.

    Kamou and Myung-Hee watched as he managed to dodge the edge of the boss'' de by a hair, sliding along its colossal surface before dashing forth with the temporary, spell-forged weapon in his grip.

    Sorry, Dungeon Boss, but I''ve got girls watching me¨Cso I can''t hold anything back! He thought.

    Gathering momentum as he ran downwards across the gargantuan weapon of the boss, he finally unleashed the singr, momentous sh of the [Judgment de] that expelled a grand exertion of unstable, dark mes against the Fallen Champion.

    The mixture of the visceral, sharp edge of the sh and the all-epassing mes were the final straw that brought the boss down as it fell, mming down into the ground with a metallic roar that sounded beneath its weight.

    That surprisingly¡­went well, he thought, catching his breath.

    As soon as hended back down on the ground, cing his sses back on, he was met with a system prompt that both of the girls seemed to get as well.

    [DUNGEON BOSS "Fallen Champion" DEFEATED. EXP+1600. [Angel Coin] x100 Acquired. [Stygian Ore] x 3Acquired.]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 11].]

    [Current EXP: 95/2000.]

    "I leveled up again? Nice¡­" He mumbled.

    [Resources [Health] and [Spirit] have been fully restored. Remaining Health Points: 2200/2200 Remaining Spirit: 2600/2600.]

    [Remaining Skill Points: 2.]

    [Sub-ss Avable. Check?]

 Chapter 15 Triumphant Reprieve

    [Sub-ss Avable. Check?]

    It was that same prompt from before, but he still was careful in his approach with it as it was a pivotal decision to be made. Before he could even open the prompt, he was bombarded by the two girls, who nearly suffocated him with their presence.

    "Are you okay?!" Kamou asked.

    She was far too close¨Cmuch, much too close for the virgin-recluse to handle as his cheeks became red, averting his gaze.

    "I-I''m fine, I just leveled up¨Cso I''m in top condition!"

    "Hmm¡­really? You look a bit red. Are you running a fever?" Kamou inspected him closer as her dazzling, blue eyes looked straight through him.

    "I''m perfectly okay!" He assured her, creating some space.

    Myung-Hee slumped her arm around his shoulder with a boisterous smile and augh. Now standing directly by her, he realized she was slightly taller than himself, and he wasn''t exactly on the shorter side of men, either.

    "You were great out there! You''re a lower level than us, aren''t you? We both just hit twelve just now, but you fought just as well!" Myung-Heeplemented, though her normal speaking voice sounded as if she was shouting directly into his ear.

    Too loud, too loud, he thought.

    After things quieted down a bit, he scratched his cheek, looking at the both of them as they walked towards the exit of the dungeon together.

    "So, are you two in a party or something? Or¡­in a guild?" He asked.

    His intentions were to try and recruit them, but he didn''t exactly know how to start such dialogue. After all, he was a lower level than them.

    Myung-Hee stopped, holding her chin as she rested her ymore against her shoulder, "A guild? Nah, it''s just the two of us. What about you? You''re pretty damn skilled for your level."

    "I''ve never seen spells like those before¡­you''re an assassin-ss, right?" Kamou asked.

    The question was a bit hard to answer as he brushed it off, "Ah, it''s just something I picked up from years of ying MMOs, you know, so yeah, that¡­anyway, so¡­"

    They both stared at him as he trailed his question, causing him to constantly avert his gaze as they reached the entrance of the dungeon, finding that the sun had already begun to set.

    "...Would you two be interested in¡­partying up with me, maybe, perhaps?" He asked sheepishly.

    As soon as the question fully left his lips, his cheeks were as red as tomatoes, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he looked at the ground.

    "Join your party?" Myung-Hee repeated.

    Crap¡­I knew it wouldn''t happen. It was worth a shot, wasn''t it? He thought.

    Feeling his dreams be crushed immediately he began to let his shoulders slump before¨C

    "That doesn''t sound half-bad! Whaddya'' think, Kamou?" Myung-Hee asked.

    He immediately brought his gaze back up in surprise, looking directly at the silver-haired, meek girl who was the deciding factor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kamou fiddled with her spell-casting staff between her hands before looking straight at him with her pearly blues, "...If you''re fine with it, could we join your party?"

    Is this real life? He thought.

    "Fine with it?! I would be overjoyed¨CI mean¡­sure, sounds good," he controlled himself with a cough.

    Extending his hand, he shook Kamou''s hand, then Myung-Hee''s, whose grip was unsurprisingly tight.

    As they walked the streets of desecrated Seoul, getting to know one another better and sharing their experiences so far in the world-ending game, he moved in front of them for a question.

    "Where are you guys staying? I live in an apartmentplex a couple blocks from here¨Cit''s totally abandoned except for my room, so you can pick wherever and stay," he told them.

    Kamou and Myung-Hee looked at eachother with almost ted, excited expressions before returning smiles to him.

    "That sounds perfect!" Myung-Hee gave him a thumbs-up.

    "Frankly¡­we''ve been hopping from house to house," Kamoua admitted, fiddling with her silver locks.

    He couldn''t help but smile, leading the way towards the apartments with a triumphant feeling in his heart.

    "We should head out to an Angel Shop tomorrow. I got a lot of coins from the boss, ya'' know?" Myung-Hee said.

    "Good idea. I have some things I want to buy, too," Kamou nodded with a smile, "Well, actually¡­I was thinking of taking a few days off after this."

    "Sure, that sounds good, actually," Kamou nodded.

    "Yeah, I agree," Myung-Hee stretched her arms behind her back, "A boss fight like that should be followed by some rest.

    As he looked up towards the sky he added in, "...Ah, that''s right. I need to get a new weapon now."

    System, what''re my coins looking like? He thought.

    [System Check¡­]

    [Current [Angel Coins]: 400.]

    "Four hundred¡­?" He let out quietly in surprise.

    That''s more than I''ve ever had, he thought.

    Heading back to the apartments with two girls following him home, he was beginning to feel like things were finally looking up.

    Today, I did my best, he thought.

 Chapter 16 Newfound Companions

    "Ah¡­I didn''t mean you both had to stay at my apartment, you know? There are other rooms," he said.

    While it wasn''t something he inherently opposed, he was embarrassed by having two girls snooping around his apartment that nobody besides himself, his mother, and a few old friends had been inside.

    "I already told ya'', it''s best that we stick together," Myung-Hee pped him on the back.

    After unequipping their battle-outfits, he finally got to see the everyday clothes that both of the women wore.

    Myung-Hee didn''t exactly surprise him; she wore a ck tank top with loose, matching sweatpants and piercings on her ears and lips.

    Meanwhile, on theplete opposite side of the spectrum, Kamou wore a light, all-white sundress that entuated her soft, pale skin. Apanying her light,fortable sundress were matching, white-and-ck leggings.

    Being so close to Kamou now, he realized just how short of stature she was, standing aplete head less than himself.

    I totally don''t mind it, but my mind won''t be able to rx at all with two babes here! He thought.

    "If you don''t want us to stay here, it''s fine¡­" Kamou smiled.

    "No, no, no¨Cit''s fine!" He assured.

    Opening the hallway closet, he retrieves a couple of futons, cing them on the floor. They were never used before, and in his opinion, quitefortable.

    My Mom left these here because she assumed I''d have a lot of friends over¡­thanks for the belief in me, Mom, he sighed out, usually it''d be heresy not to offer your bed to guests, but¡­let''s just say my bed has a bit of my DNA on it¨CI can''t rightfully let anybody sleep there!

    "It''s a bit cluttered, don''t ya'' think?" Myung-Hee asked while he set up the futons.

    Sorry, I didn''t exactly n to bring two girls home¨C! He thought.

    "Yeah, sorry¡­" He chuckled.

    To his surprise, he watched as Kamou began to pick up the trash around the apartment, with Myung-Hee soon following in her footsteps.

    "That''s alright, you don''t have to¨C"

    Kamou shook her head, giving him a smile as she ced a few noodle cups into a trash bag, "This is the least we can do if we''re staying here."

    She''s an angel, he thought.

    Before long, the apartment he had left cramped and dirty with trash was now spotless and clean. He had almost forgotten what it was supposed to normally look like as he sat down on the hardwood floor in surprise.

    "Wow¡­you both get things done pretty quick, huh?" He asked.

    Kamou chuckled bashfully, seating herself across from him at the small, lounge table as she hugged her knees close to her chest.

    "That''s right!" Myung-Hee proimed with augh, ripping open a bag of corn snacks.

    Dude, you just cleaned the house and are already snacking¡­He thought, but smiled nheless, naturally.

    Though the sight of seeing the tall woman pop open a bag of chips reminded him that he himself was hungry as he brought himself up, "I''m assuming you both would like some dinner?"

    Myung-Hee didn''t hesitate to answer with a mouth full of corn snacks, "Count me in!"

    Please swallow before talking, he thought.

    As he headed into the narrow kitchen space of his apartment, he was surprised that Kamou followed him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Urr¡­?" He looked at her as he was searching for something to cook.

    "I''ll help out¡­if that''s okay?" Kamou asked with a warm smile.

    "Sure," he nodded with a smile.

    "What''re we making?" Kamou asked, looking over his shoulder.

    As he ced the fresh ingredients into the bowl, adding some water to it, he answered, "Just some kimchi stew. I''m working on the stock right now."

    After retrieving all of the tools from the cupboard and giving them a quick wash and rinse, he retrieves the ingredients from the fridge.

    "Can you grab the kimchi brine, please?" He asked, setting the pot to boil.

    "Right," Kamou nodded.

    Getting the kimchi, he began to rapidly cut green onions while the pot rose in heat, shuffling them and getting them ready before wiping the sweat from his forehead.

    "You''re pretty good at this," Kamoumented, watching him, "I''m totally left in the dust here."

    Heughed, "I used to want to be a chef, I was in a cooking club and everything, well before¡­"

    "Before?"

    "Nothing," he smiled, opening the pot to realize it was time to continue, "I''m a bit rusty, is all. I haven''t really tried cooking for a while, especially for others¡­"

    As he spoke, he added the kimchi and onions to the pot, following up with spices and sauce before allowing it to cook further as he ced the lid back on top.

    "That''s amazing, though," Kamou stood near him, "I didn''t take you for somebody that enjoyed cooking."

    "Not with all of those instant noodle cups around, huh?" He chuckled, ruffling his curly, vermilion locks.

    Kamou blushed a bit, "I didn''t mean that¡­"

    "No, it''s alright. I get it," he smiled, looking at the silver-haired girl, who was roughly a head shorter than himself, "What about you? Is there anything you wanted to do¡­before, you know?"

    While they waited for the pot of stew to boil, they stood by the kitchen counter, which had been spotlessly cleaned and organized by Kamou prior.

    Kamou held her hands behind her back, swaying a bit side-to-side, "Hmmm¡­it''s a bit embarrassing."

    "More embarrassing than an instant noodle-enthusiast trying to be a chef?" He asked with augh.

    Kamouughed as well, but shook her head, "Fine¡­" She breathed out, "I wanted to be a model¡­"

    "A model?" He looked at her in surprise.

    She covered her face with her hands out of embarrassment, "I know¡­it''s stupid, isn''t it? I don''t have what it takes."

    "You''re totally wrong," he told her, putting his hand to his chin.

    "Huh?" She looked at him.

    He smiled, giving her an O-K sign, "You''d do great, trust me."

 Chapter 17 Party: Joined

    Kamou looked at him for a moment in surprise with cheekspletely red. As they stared at each other for a second in silence, they were interrupted by a call from the main room.

    "Is it almost done? I''m starving here!" Myung-Hee called out.

    Of course, he sighed out.

    "Give it a bit!" He shouted back.

    After that, he and Kamou both shared a quietugh before tending to the pot again. This time, as the lid was removed, the contents had cultivated a stomach-alluring fragrance that quickly filled the apartment with the wonderful smell of spices.

    "Seems like it''sing along well," he said with a smile, "I''m surprised."

    "You should have more faith in yourself," Kamou told him.

    "...Yeah, baby steps on that one," he mumbled.

    Adding the finishing touches, the stew was finallyplete as he prepared each bowl, bringing them out with the help of Kamou before settling at the low table in the center of the main room.

    "I''m surprised, this looks pretty killer!" Myung-Hee said with a gluttonous look in her eyes.

    "Really? Thanks," he bashfully epted theplement.

    This time, Kamou sat to his left, and Myung-Hee to his right. Steam rose from their bowls as the fresh stew allowed its enticing aroma to fill the apartment, urging them each to dig in.

    "Fantastic!" Myung-Hee let out.

    "Ah, really¨C?" He looked at the woman with pierces.

    Myung-Hee nodded her head, shoveling another spoonful into her mouth, "You bet! This stuff is the best! You should make more dishes like this!"

    "Really?" He scratched his cheek bashfully, adjusting his sses.

    Kamou looked at him as well, nodding her head, "It really is good. I couldn''t do much to help¡­you were in your own world when you made this, Jeong-Hui."

    "How about every day, then?" He offered with a smile, holding a bashful tint to his cheeks.

    "Yes, please!" Myung-Hee epted.

    It was a fulfilling feeling, one he had forgotten for a while now; creating a meal that others enjoy, appreciate, and look forward to.

    I guess that''s the end of instant noodles, he smiled.

    [Status: [Hunger] fulfilled.]

    Yeah, thanks, System. I totally needed to know that, he thought.

    Finishing a much needed, hot meal, Kamou insisted on taking care of the dishes, which led him to bringing himself into bed early as he sat against the wall while resting on his bed. Myung-Hee turned on the T.V, though cable had been long gone, so all that was avable to watch were whatever DVDs he had avable.

    Finally, let''s check out this "sub-ss"...He thought.

    [Sub-ss Avable.]

    Come to think of it, I got this prompt at level 10, but I didn''t notice either of them having a sub-ss. I wonder why? He thought.

    The personal interface filled his vision with the gilded text of the system as he was greeted with a new, unfamiliar prompt.

    [Sub-ss being determined¡­]

    [Processing¡­]

    Determined? I don''t get to choose? He questioned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Sub-ss Decided.]

    ["Martial Artist'']

    "Wha¡­?" He mumbled in confusion.

    "Martial artist"? That''s a ss? That totally sounds useless, if I''m being honest here, he thought.

    "What''s up?" Myung-Hee looked at him, lounging on a futon as a random action movie yed on the T.V.

    He fiddled with the new skill tree branch that opened up with the addition of a sub-ss, "...Question: did you ever get a sub-ss?"

    Myung-Hee raised an eyebrow, "Not yet, but Kamou did."

    "Really? It''s not a set unlock for reaching level ten? Weird," hemented.

    After taking a closer look at the skill tree, he decided to put his remaining two points into the first skill presented: [Breaker Fist]

    "Are you telling me you got a sub-ss?" Myung-Hee sat up, looking at him as she folded her toned arms across her chest.

    "Yeah¡­"Martial Artist", seems kinda redundant in this environment, right? I mean¡­I don''t really feel like fist-fighting End Titans," he chuckled.

    Myung-Hee looked a bit bothered that the other two got a sub-ss before her but let out a sigh, ruffling her short, ck hair, "Well, you can give it a shot when we go to the shop."

    "Yeah," he nodded.

    A minuteter, Kamou walked back into the room, wiping her hands with a small towel after finishing the dishes with a small sigh before smiling.

    "All done?" He asked.

    "Mhm," She gave him a confirming nod, "Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

    "Huh?" He looked at her.

    Kamou smiled, swiping her finger to summon her interface for herself, "I''ll invite you to our party, formally."

    Just as she told him that, a prompt appeared for him:

    [Party Invitation from: yer [Kamou]. ept?]

    "ept," he told the system.

    Bing.

    [Party Joined.]

    Now he could see both of their statuses when his interface was up, in the top left corner of his vision.

    [Kamou Yoo. Level 12. Health Points: 2700/2700]

    [Myung-Hee Yun. Level 12. Health Points: 3000/3000]

    They''ve got much more HP than me. Guess that''s part of being an assassin, I guess, he thought.

    By that point, the sun was already down, prompting each to get ready for bed.

    It was less awkward than expected, which he attributed to the fact that the two girls were just honestly easy to talk to. Settling into bed, it felt nice to just have a bit ofpany in the same room¨Cno lecherous feelings involved.

 Chapter 18 The Day Is Set

    [One Week Later]

    "Ahh¡­"

    He yawned out, opening his eyes slowly to be greeted by the brightness of the morning sun seeping through his window.

    Waking up to find two girls sleeping at his ce was still something he wasn''t used to after a week, seeing them up and already living the morning. Myung-Hee was doing push-ups, already d in sweat and focused enough that she didn''t seem to notice him waking up.

    Kamou, unseen, was easy to decipher what she was up to by the unmistakable fragrance of breakfast emanating from the kitchen.

    "Breakfast¡­?" He yawned out, covering his mouth.

    As he yawned, Myung-Hee halted her morning routine, standing up as she wiped the sweat from her body, clearly using one of his bathroom towels.

    Ah, that''s totally not what''s for, he thought.

    "You''re ate sleeper, you know that?" Myung-Hee smiled cheekily.

    "...Excuse me for sleeping in during the apocalypse," he muttered.

    "What was that?"

    "Nothing," he said, "is she cooking?"

    They both looked towards the kitchen, which was only separated by a singr wall from the main space of theplex.

    "Yeah," Myung-Hee answered, "She always handles the cooking between us."

    "Is that because you can''t cook?" He asked with a nervous chuckle, scratching his cheek.

    The ck-haired woman raised an eyebrow at him, folding her arms across her voluptuous chest, "I can cook, for your information. Eggs, rice, and noodles¨Cthat''s all you need, isn''t it?"

    "Variety is the spice of life, my friend," hs sighed out, getting up from bed atst.

    As he stretched, he felt his body yell at him as it waspletely stiff and sore, causing him to wince a bit as he rubbed his neck.

    [Daily Quest: Defeat Three "End Crawler" | 0 / 3| Reward: 500 EXP, 20 Angel Gold]

    We''ve just been doing dailies the past week. Today is the day we head out, though, he thought, checking his status.

    [Remaining Health Points: 2200/2200 Remaining Spirit: 2600/2600.]

    [EXP: 800/2000.]

    [Remaining Skill Points: 0]

    "Damn¡­I guess this is the aftermath of a boss right, isn''t it?" He muttered, still feeling slightly sore after a week.

    "Was that your first fight like that?" Myung-Hee asked, sitting down with one knee raised.

    He nodded, picking his sses up from his bedside table and cing them on, "It''s a pretty clear, unspoken rule for solo yers in MMORPGs not to take on raid bosses, you know?"

    "Sorry, kid, you lost me there," The woman waved her hand a bit,pletely unfamiliar with the lingo used.

    "Ah, right, sorry¡­" He chuckled embarrassedly.

    Coming in at the right moment, Kamou presented herself with a proud smile as she served their breakfast.

    "Oh!" He let out in a delighted surprise, "Egg toast? It looks like it came out well!"

    Hispliment spurred a small blush from the silver-haired, meek girl as she twirled her hair with her finger, averting her gaze slightly as she smiled, "Really?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah! A light sprinkle of brown sugar, too? I can''t wait!" He held his hands together, preparing to dig in.

    Normally, an apocalypse would mean there would be aplete shortage of fresh ingredients like this, but for some reason, it seemed our genocidal God has somepassion¨CI like to think of it as God giving us our st supper". We can use our "Angel Coins" at Angel Shops to get food, if we want. Normally, you should be buying equipment and other necessities, but¡­I can''t me anyone for buyingfort food at a time like this, he thought.

    It was a rtivelyrge serving that Kamou had prepared for each of them, herself being the first one to dig in as she seemed to thoroughly enjoy her own creation.

    The space between both, finely toasted pieces of bread waspletely filled with fluffy, golden eggs that had happily shoveled into his mouth.

    After taking a few bites, he noticed that Kamou was constantly eyeing him, watching him with the blue jewels she had for eyes as if waiting for something.

    "This sandwich¡­" He said.

    "Y-yeah?" Kamou looked at him, gulping.

    He smiled, "It''s wonderful!"

    "Really?!"

    "I agree," Myung-Hee added in, "It''s been a long time since I''ve had a warm meal¨Cwe''ve just had to use cans and prepackaged crap on-the-go from the Angel Shops."

    Is that what you meant by "cooking"? My inner chef wants to call you a donkey, you know, he thought.

    Though as he sat there, eating beside others, he felt a certain happiness that was soon apanied by mncholy.

    ¡­This will all be gone soon. After these six months are over, this world won''t exist. The memories made, the rich history of this world, and the little interactions like this¡­they won''t exist. Even if I make it to level twenty, is what''s really waiting up above better than the simple life down here? He thought.

    "What''re you thinking about?" Kamou looked at him, wiping the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

    Being brought out of his thoughts, he looked at her nkly before smiling, shaking his head, "Just wondering what I should get from the shop today. Actually, I was looking into something with the system¡­"

    "Oh?" Myung-Hee looked at him before taking arge bite out of her egg sandwich.

    He nodded again, bringing up his personal interface, "I got a few of these "Stygian Ore" materials, apparently I can forge a weapon out of them at a smithing station."

    "Those are usually connected to Angel Shops, right?" Kamou asked.

    "Yeah, I think so¡­I honestly haven''t really given much thought to forging until now, but whatever these ores can make is probably better than what I could buy," he answered, scratching his head.

    Kamou nibbled on therge, filled sandwich a bit, nodding as her silver, luscious locks cascaded down her slender shoulders, "You''re probably right. Speaking of which¨Care we heading out after this?"

    "I''m always ready!" Myung-Hee answered with jarring enthusiasm.

    He nodded, but added his own question, "If we''re going out, we should take care of our daily quests at the same time¡­on that note, what are both of your dailies today? I''ve got to hunt three End Crawlers¡­I think those are usually in the subway areas."

    After asking this, both of the women checked, manifesting their interfaces as well that were unseen to him.

    "Looks like I''ve got to take out an "End Behemoth", damn, that''s an annoying one," Myung-Hee scratched her head, looking at Kamou, "What about you?"

    Kamou was still looking at the prompt before answering, "I''ve got End Crawlers as well, five of them."

    "Five?" He asked, a bit surprised.

    "Mhm, looks like we''ve got the same quest," Kamou smiled.

    Myung-Hee huffed, "Dammit, why did I get the different quest? Mine is pretty damn annoying, too!"

    Both he and Kamouughed at the short-haired woman''s obvious disheveledness. After cleaning their dishes away, it was time to set out.

 Chapter 19 New Weapons

    "Equip."

    ? In near unison before leaving through the front door of the apartment building, they all manifested their [Equip], though they didn''t n to get into any fights, at least before he obtained a new weapon, it was better safe than sorry.

    As they stepped outside, he was immediately greeted by the surprising brightness of the sun, raising his arm to shield his eyes from its ring radiance.

    "It''s a nice day out," Kamou smiled, following him out.

    "As good a day as we''re gonna get," Myung-Hee said, looking towards the sky as well.

    He sighed out quietly, as the beauty of the sunny day did its best to ease the horrid state of the desecrated sector of Jung district.

    Nature had begun to reim the suburban streets, with verdant growth seeping through the cracks in the streets and overtaking houses.

    It didn''t take long to arrive at an Angel Shop, an ivory, tall-standing building with a few floors that, like an Obsidian Dungeon, reced some houses in the neighborhood, opening itself to them with an unseen door that didn''t present itself on hinges.

    "Alright, then¡­what do they have today?" He mumbled, stepping into the Angel Shop alongside the two others.

    It was an all-white, minimalistic interior, managed by a humanoid shopkeeper that resembled an A.I in her behavior, simply smiling and greeting them the same exact words she greeted each yer with.

    Compared to the world that was ravaged by Armageddon, the Angel Shops were a glimpse of perfection.

    "Wee, yers."

    The shop itself was stock full of things long since gone in the apocalyptic world; fresh, perishable food and ingredients were in clean, spotless freezers on the first floor.

    "Jeong-Hui, we''re going to head up," Kamou told him as she and Myung-Hee stood on the snow-white steps.

    "Alright, I''ll meet you up there," he smiled.

    He stayed on the first floor as afterst night, he had a newfound inspiration to take up cooking once again, looking through the plentiful ingredients on disy in the seraphic shop.

    "First off, how many Angel Coins do I even have?" He mumbled to himself, summoning the interface to tell him.

    [Current [Angel Coins]: 400.]

    "Right¡­I''ve got a lot to work with," he smiled, sending the interface away as he grabbed one of the quartz-shaded baskets, beginning to pile ingredients in.

    As ingredients were generally cheap, he didn''t give much thought to what he put in the basket, mainly choosing general ingredients like chicken, noodles, rice, fish, beef, and a lot of vegetables, spices, and peppers for stock.

    "Alright, that should be good enough," he said to himself with a proud smile, excited to test out the ingredients.

    Setting the basket on the quartz counter in front of the humanoid shopkeeper, all of his items were automatically priced without having to be checked.

    It wasn''t the shopkeeper who manually asked for his money, but a system prompt.

    [Pay: [30] Angel Coins?]

    "Yup," he answered quickly as the prompt was epted.

    As soon as it was paid for, the shopkeeper bowed her head slightly with her unchanging smile before all of the purchased product was ced into a stic bag for him, handed off by the shopkeeper.

    "Thank you for shopping, yer."

    With his bag of fresh ingredients in hand, naturally kept cool by the unique nature of its divine material, he went up to the stairs to meet back up with the two in his party.

    Meeting up with the two, he found them looking at the various equipment on sale on the next floor, which also had the exact same shopkeeper.

    "What''re you looking at?" He asked.

    Kamou was a bit surprised to see him, ncing down at the bag he held, "Just browsing. Looks like you found something."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "A lot of things," Myung-Hee added.

    He chuckled a bit, lifting the bag of ingredients as he rubbed the back of his own head, "Yeah, I thought it''d be good to stock up on ingredients since it''s going to be the three of us now."

    Browsing through the equipment for himself, he wound up crossing through the second floor into another room¨Cthe "Forge", which was upied by what looked simr to a Defect, but not hostile.

    "Urr¡­"

    He''d never brought himself to the Forge before, not knowing how to approach the smithing, tall, angelic being that stood over the anvil with a hammer in its hand, standing in front of a quartz furnace.

    As it lifted its featureless head to look at him, a prompt appeared.

    [Craft?]

    "Yes."

    [Selection: Stygian Broadsword | Stygian Hammer | Stygian ymore | Staygian Rapier | Stygian Daggers.]

    Giving it a bit of thought, he almost chose the broadsword, but realized the daggers would be more fitting for his ss.

    That''s right¡­I''m pretty sure the broadsword I was using wasn''t exactly "optimal", he thought.

    [Craft: [Stygian Daggers] | Resources Needed: Stygian Ore x10.]

    "Ten¡­?"

    He was disheartened by that prompt, only having four of the required ore himself as he slumped his shoulders.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Turning around at the question, he was surprised to find Kamou and Myung-Hee standing just behind him, looking curiously.

    "Ah¡­Nothing, I just don''t have the right amount of ore," he sighed out quietly, defeated.

    ncing between one another, the two women then looked back at him with smiles that made him perplexed.

    "System, transfer three "Stygian Ore" to Jeong-Hui," Kamou called out with a smile.

    "Same here; I already have a good weapon, so I don''t need my ore¨Cgive it to Jeong-Hui, System!" the muscr womanmanded her interface with a smile.

    He waspletely taken aback by this gesture, trying to stop them frantically, "No, no, you don''t need to¨C"

    Kamou stopped him, "Please ept it."

    "Huh?"

    "...You helped us, don''t you remember? No, you''ve been helping us. So, please, ept this," Kamou looked at him with her big, azure eyes.

    Looking at Myung-Hee as well, he could tell he didn''t have much of a choice in the matter, wearing a smile of his own in return as he nodded his head, causing his curly, vermilion locks to bounce somewhat.

    "Thank you," he nodded in gratitude.

    [Received: [Stygian Ore] x3 from yer [Kamou]. Received: [Stygian Ore] x3 from yer [Myung-Hee].]

    As he now had the proper amount of resources, he returned his attention to the inhuman, silent cksmith, epting the prompt to forge the daggers he had his sights set on.

    It was a mystical forgery; thenkly, tall creature used its multiple arms to heat the ore up, hammering away at it in an efficient manner before the request was done within a minute.

    "This it¡­?" His emerald eyes almost sparkled behind his sses at the finished result.

 Chapter 20 Into The Abandoned City

    "This it¡­?" His emerald eyes almost sparkled behind his sses at the finished result.

    Retrieving the dual daggers, his sheath naturally reced itself with two, much smaller ones that sat at both of his hips.

    "Those look pretty strong," Myung-Heemented, looking over his shoulder.

    "You can give those a try at the subway," Kamou smiled.

    He nodded, sliding the daggers into their new sheathes before adjusting his azure scarf a bit, picking his bag of groceries back up, "That''s right, I forgot we were going into the city today!"

    Kamou stocked up on Mana Restoration potions, while Myung-Hee paid for some upgraded, metallic armor that covered up most of her sleeveless, white uniform.

    "I wonder¡­should I upgrade?" He mumbled.

    Looking at what they had in stock, something caught his eye, and another thing¨Cbefore long, he found himself spending two-hundred angel coins.

    "Equip!"

    As he invoked the system call again, he swapped out his current, standard all-white uniform with one that was instead primarily ck, with silver stripes along its length. He kept his azure scarf around his neck, looking down as he adjusted his long, ck sleeves, tapping his new, clean boots of a ck shade against the flooring.

    "How''s it look?" He asked.

    "You actually look like an assassin now, I''d say," Myung-Hee replied.

    "It looks nice!" Kamouplimented.

    He blushed a bit,ughing, "Alright¡­Let''s head back to drop off these groceries, then let''s head into the city!"

    It was only a few blocks down to return to the apartmentplex, only storing the ingredients into the fridge before leaving once again, this time aiming for the center of the sector.

    As they left the quiet neighborhood, they began to traverse the streets which were cracked, filled with holes, and stained with blood and various other things. The towering buildings weren''t much different from the state of the streets, which were filled with abandoned cars, some toppled and destroyed.

    "We''ve got to be careful¡­" Kamou said, keeping her staff held in her hands tightly.

    He nodded, "Right, the cities are a lot more dense with Defects, aren''t they?"

    "Not just more popted, but they''re also stronger here. There are probably other yers around here, too," Myung-Hee added.

    As the prospect of other yers was set in his mind, he felt a bit unnerved at that idea. He had only seen it sparsely from the rtively quiet suburbs, and heard it more often, but yer-on-yer violence wasn''t an umon concept in the Armageddon Game.

    "It''s really been torn apart, hasn''t it?" Hemented on the state of the city.

    The buildings of European architecture and Korean style were left dirtied; windows shattered, blood staining the walls, and moss clinging to the metal, brick, and stone materials of the various, sky-reaching buildings of the abandoned city.

    Even the sidewalks they traversed wereden in nature''s overtaking; foliage seeping through the various cracks and seams of the concrete.

    "In just two months, too¡­" Kamou muttered sadly.

    Myung-Hee, who marched at the very front, held her boisterous smile, "Listen, I''m sure we can find something like this once we reach the Tower!"

    "The "Tower", huh?" He let out, "We don''t have any clue what is in it."

    "It''s better than being left in a dying world, isn''t it?" Myung-Hee asked him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah, but that''s not exactly a fair question, is it?" He sighed out.

    "...I hope whatever is waiting for us¡­if we make it¡­is nice," Kamou added.

    At least her words were something they could all agree on.

    As they continued walking on the sidewalk, as the streets were littered with abandoned vehicles, moving towards the subway entrance that was guided by their vague memory, noises suddenly filled their ears.

    Footsteps¨Ca lot of them.

    "...Defects?" Kamou asked in a whisper as they stopped.

    "Well, we''ve reached the center of the city, so it''s expected¡­" He replied.

    Myung-Hee put her hand on the handle of her ymore that was strapped to her back, but was stopped by him as he put his hand on her shoulder.

    "What is it?" She asked, ncing back at him.

    He pointed to the alleyway that inhabited the space between the chain of abandoned restaurants and shops they were passing by, "Let''s just take the quiet path."

    Myung-Hee looked at him for a moment, then at Kamou, before nodding as they moved together into the shadow-filled alleyway that was untouched by the sunlight.

    It smelled of rancid trash in the alleyways, not having been moved since the inception of the Armageddon, but it was better than facing whatever number of Defects roamed the streets.

    "What makes the Defects so much stronger in the city, anyway?" He asked, adjusting his sses.

    Kamou answered, "From what I''ve heard¡­Defects also grow when hunting yers, simr to how we grow when hunting them. During the first wave, the Defects wiped out most of the yers in the cities, so¡­"

    "I see," he nodded, "that''s pretty bad, isn''t it?"

    Myung-Heeughed out, "Hah, they''re not any different. It just means more experience points for us."

    "Yeah, I don''t know how well that logic holds up," he scratched his head.

    Pushing through the alleys, it was surprisingly cramped with trash andden with shadows, finding it an obstacle to push through.

    "I guess nobody has been around to pick anything up since the start, but still¡­" He mumbled.

    "Just keep walking," Myung-Hee told him.

    As they traversed forth, an ear-piercing, inhuman screech caused all of them to freeze and look up, finding the banshee-like cry toe from anky, bug-like Defect positioned between the two building sides making up the alleyway.

    [Enemy ss: End Shrieker | Level 12]

    "A level twelve basic mob? The city really is more stacked," he muttered, drawing both of his daggers.

    "Can you reach it, Jeong-Hui? I''m shit out of luck in this cramped alley!" Myung-Hee called out.

    It was true; in the narrow width of the secretive path through the city, her ymore was unable to be swung properly, besides that, the shrieker seemed intent on maintaining its higher ground between the walls.

    "No problem!" He assured them, not wasting any time.

 Chapter 21 Cornered And Afraid

    "No problem!" He assured them, not wasting any time.

    With a [Blink Step] he appeared on the leftmost wall, utilizing his agility as an assassin to run along its side in a defiance of gravity, swiftly approaching the bug-eyed, gray-skinned Defect.

    Before he could reach it, its cheeks swelled before spewing an acidic, ck liquid towards him.

    "...Oh crap!" He let out.

    At that distance, in the midst of a wall-run, there was nothing he could do to avoid it, watching the malicious substanceunch towards him.

    "Cast: Luminate Shield!"

    It was the second time he''d seen that seraphic, beautiful shield of light appear in front of him, apanied by the serene, yet serious yell of the silver-haired girl.

    Against the acid, the shield managed to stop it fully, though its integrity was greatly damaged by the corrosive substance.

    Nice save! He thought.

    It was enough to give him time to utilize another [Blink Step], adjusting his footing and cing himself above the high-sitting, bug-formed Defect, holding both of his newly-crafted, ck-handled daggers in his hands.

    With a spinning strike, he tore against the insectoid enemy, slicing its wings off and knocking its bnce off enough to cause it to plummet downwards.

    "Nice assist!" Myung-Hee yelled out with a smile, already preparing for a swing of her trusty ymore as the shrieker fell directly down above her.

    He used another [Blink Step] to move out of the way of her swing as he fell too, reappearing behind both of the women as Myung-Hee''s de was d in mes at the call of her invocation, "Cast: me de!"

    The fiery swing enveloped the dewinged Defect, bisecting it fully and cleanly.

    "Nice!" Kamou let out in celebration, hopping up a single time.

    "Phew¡­that''s my first time dealing with a flying-type," he sighed out.

    "It won''t be thest, so keep it up!" Myung-Hee gave him a thumbs-up.

    As they were in a party, each defeat of an enemy was shared between them, prompting an experience notification to appear in his interface:

    ["End Shrieker" Defeated. EXP+100. Current EXP: 900/2000.]

    Before they could fully seep in their triumph, the sounds of various, all-epassing footsteps appeared from beyond the reach of the alleyway,ing from all directions.

    "What the hell is that¡­?" Myung-Hee muttered, looking and turning around in each direction.

    "Don''t tell me¡­" He began to say.

    "What is it?" Kamou asked worriedly, bringing both of their attention to him.

    He gulped, adjusting his sses as they had been fogged up slightly, "The shrieker probably screams out like that as a signal to nearby Defects. It wasn''t meant to be a difficult enemy¨Cit was an rm system."

    "You''re saying those sounds¡­are all Defectsin'' for us?" Myung-Hee asked.

    "I''d say we''d better start running before we find out!" He responded.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before another word, they all took off in a sprint, pushing down the narrow alley as the rapid footsteps continued to seeminglye from every direction; at the entrance of the alley, various corners, and even within the building neighboring their position.

    "Kamou!" He yelled out, running alongside both of hispanions.

    "R-right!" She held her staff up, "Cast: Haste-All!"

    The shouted magecraft epassed the three of them in the amplification spell, enchanting their speed to a heightened level as they sprinted hard enough to bring themselves out of the alley, finding themselves stationed at a peculiar cross-section.

    Cars were stacked high, smashed together and intertwined into a mountain of melded metals as they were blocked off. It almost seemed intentional, but there was no rhyme or reason to it; overgrowth had grasped the bundled colossus of meshed steel, standing as a skyscraper of its own.

    "Where the hell do we go now?! Myung-Hee yelled out, impatient as the yells and footsteps of the approaching Defects grew loud.

    "Through!" He said, finding an opening in therge graveyard of vehicles.

    As they managed to squeeze through, they had to crawl on their hands and knees to fit into the unorthodox path, crawling through opened crevices in the impaled, shredded, and crushed vehicles.

    "Agh¡­!" Kamou quickly covered her mouth.

    "What is it?" He nced up at her, as she was at the forefront.

    It was a limp, rotten body of somebody who was unfortunate enough to be inside one of the cars; her hand had identally set itself on the blood-soaked body.

    "You''ve got to keep moving, Kamou¡­!" He urged her, trying to reassure the girl.

    She slowly nodded with trembling eyes, "...R-right¡­I know¡­I know."

    As the three of them crawled through the graveyard in the middle amidst the city, they could hear the weight of the trailing Defectsnd atop the ceiling of the mountain of metal.

    They each fellpletely still, not having to exchange a single whisper to do so as even their breaths were concealed out of fear and anxiety.

    This is bad. They''re going to have uspletely surrounded! He thought.

    ncing back, he saw that even the fearless, short-haired woman behind was feeling stressed in this situation, prompting him to crawl forward as Kamou finally pushed forward as well.

    It was an ufortable pathway, but it could hardly be registered through the adrenaline flowing through his body, listening to the stomps and howls of the Defects up above the tunnel of melded cars while they pushed through.

    They did their best to move silently, and without sound, but it was a straining process as each and every movement against the metallic, unstable walls made it an arduous task.

    "Ahh¨C!"

    Kamou yelled out as one of the sharp, spear-like limbs of a pale-skinned Defect pierced through the tunnel of meshed vehicles, promptly causing him to act without hesitation as he covered her mouth from behind her.

    "Shh!" He put his finger to his lips.

    Sweat was visibly trailing from both of them as Kamou gave him a quiet nod, allowing him to move his hand away as the silver-haired young woman slowly began to move again just as the Defect withdrew its limb.

    They can''t sense exactly where we are. That''s our one benefit, at least. Still¡­this situation is really bad, he thought.

 Chapter 22 Grand Escape

    Truthfully, he didn''t even know if there was an "out" of this unorthodox tunnel, but the only thing they could do was move forward.

    His ears were filled; the constant thumping of the metallic ceiling up above being marched over by dozens of ravenous footsteps, apanied by ear-piercing howls of the Defects¨Cit was an anxiety-thriving environment that almost put him into a haze as he forced himself to crawl forward, following the girl in front of him''s lead.

    More and more limbs began to pierce through the ceiling of the metallic, overgrowthden tunnel, allowing sunlight to peek through and the muffled howls to grow louder.

    "Faster, Jeong-Hui!" Myung-Hee barked.

    "I''m going as fast as I can, dammit! You think I''m holding out right now, of all times?!" He snapped back, speed-crawling to the best of his ability.

    It became more and more frequent; the Defects stabbing into the ceiling, only missing by mere inches now as it became daunting.

    Eventually, they reached a spot in the graveyard of cars that allowed them to stand straight and run, moving forward as the rampant stomps of Defects up above rattled the metal.

    "Howrge is this thing?!" He asked out.

    "I don''t know, but I''m thankful it exists right now!" Myung-Hee replied.

    "Over there!" Kamou pointed out.

    Up ahead, it seemed the interior of meshed vehicles reached an end, connected directly to a sewer opening.

    "Urr¡­"

    Reaching the entrance, they all stood around the circr entrance to the underground, vile passageway with hesitance.

    "Screw it! No time to waste!" Myung-Hee said, hopping down the sewer.

    "Wait¨C!"

    Before he could say anything, the ck-haired woman was already too far down, prompting him and Kamou to look at each other for a moment, knowing what they had to do.

    "Ladies first," he said with a wry smile.

    "..." She looked at him silently with a begrudged expression.

    After another second, as the pace of the pursuing Defects grew more intense, he finally bit the bullet and grabbed Kamou, much to her surprise, bringing her into the sewers with him.

    "J-Jeong-Hui¡­?!"

    "Sorry, I didn''t have much time to think¨C!" He told her.

    Together, they fell down the height of the sewer, though with the physical amplification of [Equip], the height didn''t put much strain on their body as they plummeted down to the bowels of the rancid sewer system of the city.

    Kamou held onto him as they fell, soon reaching the bottom with a ssh of the putrid waters below.

    "We made it," he let out a small sigh.

    "We did."

    As they stood there for a moment, Myung-Hee was looking at them with folded arms and a raised eyebrow, "I don''t mean to interrupt anything, but¡­"

    Realizing they were still holding onto each other, the two quickly separated with tomato-red cheeks, looking in opposite directions as he flusteredly ruffled his vermilion-shaded hair, and the girl twirled her silver strands.

    "Anyway¡­where the hell do we go now?" Myung-Hee asked.

    They were at what looked like a cross-section of the sewers, with four,rge tunnels to choose from, and no real way of discerning their path.

    "Good question," he muttered, looking at each pathway, though they all seemed exactly the same without much difference.

    He brushed his all-ck, sleek uniform, but he knew there was no avoiding getting dirty in the environment of waste.

    Luckily, "Equip" uniforms wash themselves clean after being unequipped. Still¡­I''m going to have to walk around in this filth for a good bit, aren''t I? He thought.

    "Kamou, you can figure out our path, right?" Myung-Hee asked.

    Kamou nodded, "Mhm. Leave it to me."

    "Wait, what?" He asked, confused.<novelnext></novelnext>

    His question wasn''t exactly answered, but Myung-Hee gave him a light p on the back as if telling him "Just watch", which he did.

    Kamou twirled her staff between her fingers, lowering it as she dipped the opulent jewel into the sewage waters below that her pale, high boots stood in.

    "Cast: Divination."

    The spell that illuminated from the tip of the staff took the form of a wavy, expanding manifestation of curled light, flowing through the rancid waters gently and soothingly.

    What''s this? He thought.

    It always surprised him; the skills inherit to Kamou''s ss¨C"Serene Weaver"--she didn''t possess many offensive abilities, but the defense spells and utility she had ess to made her absolutely invaluable in the team.

    Part of the wavy essence of light lifted, pointing towards the leftmost path.

    Kamou had her eyes closed during the duration of the spell, opening them after the sublime radiance dissipated, "To the left, we will find our path."

    "Sweet!" Myung-Hee celebrated, taking the lead.

    He was left agasp at the spell, surprised at something so divine, "That was amazing."

    "It''s nothing¡­" Kamou smiled a bit with a small blush, "I''m really not all that useful inbat, so this is all I can do."

    "That''s not true! You''re totally awesome inbat, too!" He assured her.

    "Really?..." Kamou averted her gaze a bit, twirling her silver, pristine hair around her lithe finger.

    "Really!"

    Before they could continue, Myung-Hee called out from up ahead, "Hurry up, would ya''? I really don''t feel like stewing down here!"

    "Right¡­" They both said in unison, following the muscr, tall woman down the leftmost tunnel.

    Luckily, from the sounds of it, the Defects didn''t manage to track them down into the sewers as they walked throughout the quiet, smelly passageways beneath the surface of the abandoned city.

    "I''m surprised more people didn''t think toe down here, you know?" He asked as they traversed the tunnel.

    "Do you mean when this all started?" Kamou asked, walking beside him with her staff held.

    He nodded, "I mean, most Defects can''t even fit through the entrances. I doubt they''d try to break through¨Cthey sort of just act based on what they see and hear at any given moment."

    "Isn''t it obvious? Nobody came down here ''cuz it smells like ass!" Myung-Hee answered from up ahead, keeping her ymoreid on her shoulder.

    "...I think people would rather smell bad than die," he answered with a wry chuckle.

    Eventually, they reached an exit, simr to the one they came in from with adder leading upwards.

    Myung-Hee went first, followed by Kamou, then himself as he felt morefortable being the one to deal with any potential surprisesing from the back. Without thinking about it, he looked up while climbing thedder behind Kamou, finding his eyes meeting with something that almost made him fall from the steel, rusted holds.

    As white as snow¨C! He thought.

    Of course, what he saw were her panties; not just that, it was a clear look at her surprisingly plump, smooth thighs that apanied her lithe body.

    He rapidly shook his head, retaking his concentration as he felt his blood run hot, continuing to climb as if he never saw anything.

    Don''t you dare get hard¨C! If they see that, I''m done for! I''ll kill myself if that''s how I end up! He thought, bargaining with his virgin body.

    After a surprisingly arduous climb up thedder, he met up with the two at the top, finding themselves inside of an abandoned warehouse, stocked full of dusted boxes as he huffed, bringing himself to his feet from the sewage entrance.

    "Why''re you breathing so heavily?" Myung-Hee asked.

    "You''re sweating, too," Kamou added.

    He exhaled, "...It was hot down there, that''s all."

    Looking around, he coughed, waving his hand as the interior of the vast, abandoned building was dusty, "Anyway, where are we?"

 Chapter 23 End Crawler

    Looking around, he coughed, waving his hand as the interior of the vast, abandoned building was dusty, "Anyway, where are we?"

    "Looks like some sort of factory," Kamou answered, walking around, curiously looking.

    "Yeah, but for what?" Myung-Hee poked around some of the boxes.

    They stood by the built, short-haired woman in a sleeveless uniform as she took the top lid off of one of the crates, revealing what was stored inside: paper.

    "Ah¡­"

    "That''s not very useful in this day and age, is it?" He sighed out in disappointment.

    "Nope," Myung-Hee agreed.

    Moving on, the factory was surprisingly huge, though the periodic creaks of the old, unintended shelves provided a slight sense of unease in him as he looked around still.

    Reaching the entrance to the factory, Myung-Hee parted therge, metallic doors on her own, opening them up to reveal a part of the city he wasn''t familiar with. It seemed they had been brought to an industrial section of the city, that wasn''t tantly open to the public¨Cat least, before the fall of the world.

    Abandoned transport trucks were left in the private parking lot behind the factory, though there were still visible, decrepit corpses strewn about the secluded lot.

    "Any clue where this puts us in the city?" He asked.

    He wasn''t exactly well-versed in theyout of the city itself as he was a homebody¨Ca nice way of putting it, at least. It''s not as if he didn''t go into the bustling parts of town at all before Armageddon began, but it was few and far between instances he found the need to.

    "Urr¡­not really, no," Myung-Hee scratched her head.

    Surrounding them, the tall buildings of Jung loomed over while the swirling clouds kept to the sky, leaving them traversing the vast, empty parking lot carefully.

    "I don''t hear the Defects anymore," he said, "Think they gave up?"

    "Please don''t jinx it¡­" Kamou said with a wry breath.

    "Ha-ha! In any case, I think I know where we are," Myung-Hee finally said, getting a look at the area once they reached the exit of the private lot.

    "Really?" He looked at her.

    Myung-Hee nodded, pointing her thumb towards the west, "We''re just a few blocks down from the subway entrance now¨CI think."

    "You think¡­?" He looked at the woman with an exasperated expression.

    "Just kidding! I know¨Cprobably," she replied with a bright smile.

    "Stop ying with me!" He sighed out, though the two women justughed.

    Journeying down the block, it was more of the same; destion to the once bustling, popted city. Verdancy had clung to the once modern, high-standing buildings that sought the clouds; even some sparse wildlife could be seen briefly, though they hardly wanted the attention of the humans.

    "It''s weird seeing it like this, isn''t it?" He asked quietly, looking around as he walked the streets beside the two.

    "I''d say it''s more¡­sad, rather than weird," Kamou answered with a bit of mncholycing her words.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s true¡­" He agreed, nodding softly.

    It wasn''t long until they reached the entrance to the subway that led beneath the surface of the street; the steps were cluttered with overgrowth and blood, making it difficult not to slip on the way down.

    "You think any Behemoths will be down here?" Myung-Hee sighed out, scratching her head.

    "I wouldn''t bet on it," heughed a bit, "I''ve never fought one myself, but they''re a bit too big for a subway station, right?"

    "A girl can hope," Myung-Hee ruffled her own brte locks.

    Kamou looked at her with a reassuring smile, walking between the two, "Don''t worry, we''ll help you find one after this."

    "Are they tough?" He asked.

    They reached the end of the stairs that descended into the subway station, finding themselves in the abandoned subterranean area. As always, it wasn''t out of reach of the world desecrated by Armageddon; blood stained the billboards propping advertisements, the electronic disys were dysfunctional, glitching and shattered.

    It reeked off decrepit, spoiled corpses, but that was the norm for this depraved world.

    "Chungmuro Station, huh? Definitely not the same station I remember as a kid," hemented, kicking one of the fallen lights.

    "I don''t think much is anymore," Kamou said wryly.

    "I''m just surprised we haven''t run into many others," Myung-Hee said, "There are bound to be some people¡­right?"

    He continued to wander around with the other two, investigating the state of the station, kicking trash around as he replied, "Probably trying to avoid the city. We found out how dangerous it can be¨Calmost."

    It wasn''t until reaching the subway tracks did it be apparent where the Defects were inhabiting. The walls had been torn and filled with an unknown, living substance; from the small distance they stood at on the ledge of the tracks, they could see the End Crawls that inhabited the burrowed holes of the station.

    [Enemy Identified: "End Crawler" | Level 12]

    As expected: the name "Crawler" was fitting to their skin-itching, disgusting forms¨Cthey were quiterge still, like bipedal creatures forcefully contorted to scale thend on all-fours. Each of their joints seemed to protrude against their white flesh that had been stained with blood and slickened with grime.

    "Those are our targets, huh?" He said quietly, drawing his daggers.

    "We just need three," Kamou said, almost as if assuring herself as she lifted her staff.

    "Let''s get this done then find me a Behemoth!" Myung-Hee dered with a fearsome smile, raising her ymore.

    The moment the trio jumped onto the abandoned tracks of the subway, the two visible Crawlers noticed their presence, howling out before beginning to rapidly crawl towards them.

    "Here ites!" Myung-Hee called out, preparing for the encounter.

    Taking the initiative with his inherent swiftness, he dashed towards the first of the Crawlers before using a [Blink Step] to fake it out, instead going for the farthest of the two.

    "I''m leaving that one to you!" He called out to Myung-Hee.

    "Don''t gotta tell me!" She replied, already preparing a heavy swing towards the juked Defect.

 Chapter 24 The Unexpected

    Kamou was already prepared to utilize her support skills, spinning her staff before deepening her step, "Cast: Retaliatory Barrier!"

    A personal barrier manifested around each of the two on the offense, covering their uniforms in a subtle, translucent armor of hexagonal light.

    As he met his designated target in battle, he danced around it for a few attacks, utilizing sessive [Blink Steps] as he got a feel for how it attacks; it swung at him with its muscr, unnaturally lengthy arms, bearing curved ws that seemed to be formed from forcefully lengthened bones.

    By the air pressure released by each wild swing, and the result of which as their hands carved through the tough material of the tracks, he knew a single hit could be dangerous to take.

    "Cast: Dark Edge!"

    Engulfing his twin daggers in a coating of malicious darkness, he spun around into a swift attack from the Crawler''s blind spot,cerating its back with a variety of rapid shes.

    "RAAAGH¨C!" The Defect howled in pain, going for a retaliatory strike.

    ¨CThe counterattacking from the creature was fast enough and done in such an animalistic, unpredictable way as it contorted its elbow to do so made him unable to evade it in time.

    Raising his arms to brace for the attack, it came with surprisingly little impact, and no pain. Even more surprising, there was no prompt appearing for him detailing a loss of health points.

    "[Retaliatory Barrier]" he realized then what the spell was that Kamou amplified him with.

    Not only did itpletely shield him from the attack, but the damage was instead bounced back to the Crawler, causing an unseen impact to blow it back a few meters.

    Nice save! He thought.

    Though the barrier itself seemed to only be meant to guard against one attack as it shattered into many particles the moment after¨Cit was enough.

    It was definitely apparent that something one level higher, despite being a non-RFB, was still a challenge. After narrowly avoiding another hit, he returned the attempted attack with a swift sh to its forearm, slicing it as blood sprayed from the Defect''s wound.

    "Alright¡­Guess it''s time to try "that" then," he muttered to himself.

    ncing back to see that Myung-Hee was just about done handling the Crawler left to her with Kamou aiding her, he took in a breath, switching his grip on one of his daggers so that he could clench his fist properly.

    "Cast: Breaker Fist!"

    [Spirit -200. Remaining Spirit: 2400/2600.]

    ¨CIt was as if the [Strength] stat in his fist had multiplied, focusing only on his fist as it felt like a coating of unseen mes heated his knuckles up to a burning, yet painless degree.

    With a thrust of his fist, using a [Blink Step] to position himself just in front of the Crawler, he mmed his radiant fist directly against the surface of its face with a resounding THUD. The impact caused the force to ripple through the lengthy body of therge Defect before its pale face was shattered and ripped apart by the potent sh of his knuckles against its form.

    [Cooldown Remaining: 3 Minutes.]

    "A cooldown¡­?" He mumbled, looking at his fist.

    I guess it is a pretty powerful ability, he thought.

    ["End Crawler" Defeated | EXP+ 100. Current EXP: 1000/2000.]

    [Daily Quest: Defeat Three "End Crawler" | 1 / 3]

    At the same time, Myung-Hee carved through the Defect she battled against, bisecting it straight down the middle, from its head to its rear with a forceful sh that released a small current of air.

    ["End Crawler" Defeated | EXP+ 100. Current EXP: 1100/2000.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Daily Quest: Defeat Three "End Crawler" | 2 / 3]

    For a moment, he was confused by the second prompt of the End Crawler, but quickly realized.

    Oh, right. As a party, we share the spoils of battle. Pretty convenient, he thought.

    "That''s two down," Myung-Hee said, wiping a bit of Crawler blood that sshed onto her cheek.

    "Three more to go," Kamou finished for her.

    Though what crawled out of the Crawler nest was certainly not a normal one, by any means; it dwarfed the previous two they had just slew.

    [Enemy Identified: "End Crawler" | Level 14]

    "Level fourteen¡­?" He muttered in surprise.

    Myung-Hee kept her ymore raised as her brte, neat locks swayed, "How the hell did it get like that?"

    "It must''ve hunted a lot of people¡­" Kamou answered, rejoining beside the two.

    Unlike the other Crawlers, the enormous, higher-leveled one that crawled from its nest disyed multiple sets of arms that went from either being frighteningly thin or bulging with muscrity.

    Trailing from behind it, a tail made of intertwined, melted-together arms swayed side-to-side.

    Down the middle of its face, a crack gave sight to dozens of eyeballs inhabiting the innards of its face as if wearing a mask.

    "Alright, then¡­I think this one is going to require a bit of teamwork," he said, holding his daggers up.

    "Ya'' don''t say?" Myung-Hee responded.

    "Be careful!" Kamou warned them, spinning her staff, "Cast: Haste! Caste: Strength!"

    Both of the buff spells enveloped the two at the vanguard who prepared to meet the giant Crawler head-on.

    The moment they seemed ready forbat, the colossal Defect began to rapidly crawl towards them, utilizing its many arms like a centipede. It was a harrowing orchestra of stomps, shifting towards them as its body wiggled in a disgusting fashion while its plethora of eyes bounced with each step it took.

    "AAA¨C!"

    Unleashing [War Cry], Myung-Hee''s yell filled the tracks as the Defect''splete attention drove to her, carving its way towards her as its aggressive movements dug up the ground in its path.

    "I''m gonna need a bit of help, Kamou!" Myung-Hee said with an anxious smile as she prepared herself for the unbridled wrath of the overleveled Crawler.

    "Right¡­!" Kamou once again held her mystical staff high, "Cast: Divine Bubble!"

    Surrounding the warrior-ss woman in a translucent sphere of protective light, the defensive-spell gave Myung-Hee the confidence she needed to properly meet the creature head-on.

    He didn''t need to be told a single word to be told what the n was¨Cit was simr to what they had done against the dungeon boss previously, but it was also his experience as an MMORPG yer that made him familiar with party tactics.

    While Myung-Hee was strong offensively, the warrior ss shined in its tanking abilities¨Ctouting a high constitution stat and the ability to draw the focus of enemies. As an assassin, Jeong-Hui filled the empty space: offensively, he was unmatched.

 Chapter 25 Abhorrent Skirmish

    Myung-Hee used her ymore as a shield between her and the charging Crawler, meeting it head-to-head as it collided with the surface of her sword, contesting its strength.

    "Ghh¡­!" Myung-Hee clenched her teeth.

    Using the window of opportunity opened for him, he charged against the side of the colossal Crawler, spinning his daggers in his hands.

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit -300. Remaining Spirit: 2100/2600]

    A barrage of quick, sessive shes etched themselves into the hide of the white-armored, inhuman foe.

    Each strike felt more potent and precise,ing swiftly and more numerous than his previous usages with his old broadsword. It became clear to him that the daggers were what he was meant to use this entire time.

    It''s working¨C! This is the true potential of "Ripper"! He thought.

    The end result of the onught of shes left a number of the Crawler''s arms parted from its body, embedded dozens ofcerations on its hide as the augmentation spell from Kamou provided an amplified sharpness to his strikes.

    "---"

    A distorted howl left the unseen mouth of the creature as its stability wavered, giving Myung-Hee the opportunity to repel it with her ymore, preparing for an attack of her own this time.

    "Iron Overhead!"

    As she brought her de overhead, its density was amplified and the gravitational force of it was augmented further, creating an immensely powerful downward swing towards the creature.

    A lofty wind pressure generated itself in the path of the swing, unleashing a howl of air as the de crashed down atop the Crawler.

    ¨COr so was believed.

    In an unorthodox movement of therge Defect, it spun itself around, evading the downward strike as it rapidly crawled to the side before smacking the woman with its limb-formed tail, knocking her back.

    "Gyah¡­!" Myung-Hee winced.

    "Myung-Hee!" Kamou called out.

    The barrier shattered as if formed of brittle ss, bypassing itpletely and inflicting damage on the toned woman as she crashed against the wall with a loud thud.

    He was left perplexed by what just happened, freezing for a moment.

    It broke through the shield and damaged her at the same time? That sort of attack power isn''t far off from the dungeon boss from before¨C! What gives?! He thought.

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Answer: Enemy "End Crawler" has developed a unique trait due to its growth. "True Infliction" : the ability to bypass and nullify augmentations when attacking.]

    Without hesitating, Kamou rushed over to the side of herpanion who was slumped against the wall that had been caved in by the result of her crashing into it, breathing heavily as a bit of blood trailed from the corner of her mouth.

    "Myung-Hee¡­!"

    "Damn, that bastard caught me," Myung-Hee coughed up.

    "Cast: Recover!"

    Kamou held the staff in her grip close to the woman as the orb gave off an emerald light, healing Myung-Hee''s wounds and restoring her health points.

    Meanwhile, he did his best to hold off the overgrown Crawler, using [Blink Step] around it though it became difficult to simply dance outside of its reach as the unorthodox foe twisted itself in unpredictable ways to attempt to reach him.

    Flipping over its head, his ankle was grabbed, much to hisplete, blood-cooling surprise as he quickly cut the wrist of the arm that grabbed him before dashing away while the Crawler charged towards him.

    Crap, crap, crap! This thing is adapting to my Blink Step! He thought.

    Feeling its heavy, rapid steps encroach on him as he sprinted, he desperately ran towards a wall before using a [Blink Step] topletely juke it, causing the Crawler to crash into the wall.

    The resulting impact caused the entirety of the underground station to tremble as if an earthquake had taken ce, causing sediment to rain down.

    "Jeong-Hui, don''t let that bastard hit you!" Myung-Hee warned him, rejoining the battle.

    "I know! It has some sort of ability that negates buffs when it attacks somebody!" He yelled in response, "Sorry, Kamou. It looks like this enemy was made specifically to counter you," he chuckled wryly.

    Kamou took in a breath, "...I''ll assist you both in a different way then. Cast: Fang Bolt!"

    From the tip of her staff, the silver-haired girl manifested a curving bolt of lightning that struck the Crawler in the side, throwing it off bnce momentarily.

    "Oh¡­?" He let out in surprise.

    So she can fight offensively, too? I guess that makes sense¨Cit''d be totally unfair if she was a solo yer and unable to attack! He thought.

    "Alright! Let''s finish this thing!" He called out.

    "Hell yeah!" Myung-Hee agreed, spinning herself with her weapon in hand to gain momentum.

    [Sage Period Active.]

    While the Crawler was momentarily stunned by the strike of lightning that seemed topromise its muscles for a few seconds, he used a small, loose piece of debris as a foothold before leaping towards the creature.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "ck Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1800/2600]

    "Cutting Edge!"

    Myung-Hee attacked with him in unison,ing from the creature''s left while he attacked from its right.

    The onught of dark-engulfed shes hastened by the usage of proper weapons of his ss cut even the surrounding stone, digging into the hide of the Crawler as it howled.

    In a single, powerful swing, the warrior-ss yer spun around into a swing that projected an astral, colossal de, slicing deep into the side of the many-armed Crawler in an ear-filling squelch.

    While it was left on the brink of death, bleeding profusely and letting out distorted howls, Kamou flipped her orb-inhabited staff, conjuring the final blow: "Cast: Providence Burn!"

    From a mystical seal manifested in front of the caster, a coalesced formation of divine light propelled towards the form of the creature, finishing it off while it was left disintegrated into ash.

    ["End Crawler" Defeated | EXP+ 500. Current EXP: 1600/2000.]

    [Daily Quest: Defeat Three "End Crawler" | 3 / 3 | Quest Completed. EXP + 500 | Angel Coin x 20 Acquired.]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 12].]

    [Current EXP: 100/3500.]

    [Resources [Health] and [Spirit] have been fully restored. Remaining Health Points: 2250/2250. Remaining Spirit: 2700/2700.]

    [Remaining Skill Points: 2.]

    They all fell silent for a moment, gathering their breath after the brief, but intense encounter as the foe was left to nothing.

    "Hey, I leveled up," he said with a surprised look at the prompts that appeared in his personal interface.

    "Oh, you did! Congrats!" Kamou said, standing close to him.

    "Neither of you did? Guess it makes sense¨Cthe experience curve just shot up pretty damn high¡­" He said wryly.

    After that unexpected encounter, handling the remaining two Crawlers needed toplete the daily quest for Kamou came easily.

    "Phew¡­" Kamou wiped the sweat from her chin.

    "What a workout," he said, stretching his arms as they ventured out of the subway station, "I''m ready to knock out at home," he finished his tired words with a yawn.

    Myung-Hee gave him a reminder with a yful elbow to his arm, "Hey! Forgettin'' something?"

    He froze for a moment, being stripped from his wishful intent to rx as he slumped his shoulders, dragging his feet along.

    "Right¡­We''ve got to find a Behemoth, don''t we?" He sighed out.

    "Damn right! I''ve taken one out before¨Cthey''re a handful!" Myung-Heeughed.

    "I bet."

    "Really¡­" Kamou added, "they''re quite¡­repulsive."

    "I bet," he repeated unenthusiastically.

    [One Hour Later]

    [Enemy "End Behemoth" Defeated | EXP+200 | Current Experience 300/3500]

    "And that''s how we get it done!"

    Myung-Hee celebrated, holding her ymore up in a victorious pose, though the surrounding concrete was painted in rancid, verdant blood.

    He had a disgusted look with his nose scrunched, wryly wiping his daggers of the disgusting substance, "...How am I going to wash this smell off?"

    "Our Equip resets each time we release it and summon it," Kamou assured him, though she seemed gued by the aftermath of the Behemoth as well.

    "No¡­it''s on our skin, too, Kamou¡­" He breathed out.

    The corpse of the Behemoth was bloated and mp, leaking out its rancid, interior fluids onto the street in the aftermath of the battle.

    "I see why you were annoyed to get one of these things as your daily," he said, tucking his daggers into their sheaths as he looked at Myung-Hee, "enemies that use poison are pretty toxic¨Cyeah, I just made that joke."

    Myung-Heeughed, though it felt more like a pityugh at his failed attempt at humor, "A little challenge is good to keep you ready for anything!"

    "...Define a "little" challenge. I think I''ve had a lot of challenge today," he sighed.

    Finding their business in the city done, they began to make their way home, though they were cautious on treading out the same way they came.

    "Yeah, on second thought¡­we should probably take the long way around," he suggested,ing to a stop around one of the corners.

 Chapter 26 Rush

    "Do you think those hordes of Defects are still around?" Kamou looked up at him with her question.

    "Well, I don''t imagine some shining hero came and wiped them all out¡­so, I''d go with yeah," he nodded a bit, adjusting his sses, "it''s not really worth the risk anyway."

    "Agreed. You''re pretty sharp, Jeong-Hui. Though it wouldn''t make sense if you weren''t," Myung-Hee pped him on the back with a smile.

    He looked back at her with a disheveled look after being pped on the back with her stinging brawn, adjusting his sses again, "What do you mean by that?"

    "You''ve got sses! So, it''d be weird if you weren''t smart!" The short-haired womanughed.

    "Oh¡­er, that''s not how it works, but I guess¡­" He replied quietly.

    "I''m fine with going around," Kamou smiled, "It might sound weird, but¡­I kind of want to see more of the city, or¡­how it''s turned out."

    He looked at her for a moment, seeing the mncholic glint in her azure eyes before wearing a smile of his own, "Yeah."

    Moving on, it was distinctly more quiet through the za, cutting through one of therge-scale, now abandoned malls.

    While they were walking, he used the skill points he rued from his level up, finding a new [Passive Ability] that stuck out to him in the newly opened paths of his sub-ss: "[Natural Martial Arts]". He put both points into it, deciding that a passive was likely worth it either way.

    "It''s surprisingly not as ransacked as I imagined it''d be," hemented while strolling through the za.

    It had obviously been run through, but most of the merchandise was still left within the stores. A few bodies upied therge establishment here and there, but it seemed mostly untouched.

    "Most people were wiped out the first day, so¡­it''s not that surprising," Kamou said meekly.

    "That''s true," he said, looking around, "It looks like some people tried to use it as a base, though."

    There were obvious signs of campsites within the mall: tattered, abandoned tents and leftover, discarded cups of noodles and other canned foods were tossed about.

    "Doesn''t look like it worked out too well," Myung-Hee muttered uncaringly, kicking one of the cans as it echoed through the vast, empty establishment.

    "Myung-Hee!" Kamou hissed quietly.

    The muscr woman nodded, "My bad¡­"

    Looking around a bit, it seemed the important items, such as non perishable food items, bedding, and clothes. Surprisingly, there were marks of battle left in the za¨Ccertain walls were caved in as if on the receiving end of a powerful impact, chunks were carved from the ground, and burn marks were left on certain surfaces.

    "Looks like spells were used," he said, knelt down and investigating one of the burned spots of the ground, "...at least, that''s my best guess."

    [Question Recognized.]

    [Processing¡­]

    He didn''t recall asking a question, but the strong, inquisitive intent he held in his mind must''ve prompted the system as the monotone, feminine voice resounded in his head with prompt appearing.

    [Answer: yer spells have been cast in this area recently.]

    "Looks like there were people here recently," he told the other two, standing back up as he looked around.

    There was an entirely separate floor, housing more of the hole-in-the-wall stores that tended to sell electronics, makeup, and other such products.

    "Recently, or still here?" Myung-Hee asked.

    "That''s the question, I suppose," he rubbed his head, "Unfortunately, the system doesn''t really give you the information you really need, does it?"

    "Other people¡­" Kamou said quietly, holding her hands together worriedly.

    It was a scary thought, as he could guess what the average person still trying to survive in the falling world likely has resorted to, but he tried to reassure the silver-haired, bright-uniformed girl with a pat on the shoulder.

    "Don''t worry about it," he said, "I mean, I was a random yer, right? Maybe if we run into anybody, they''ll be nice."

    "Yeah, I wouldn''t bet on that. You''re sort of an anomaly, kid," Myung-Hee sighed out.

    "Why''s that?"

    After asking that question, he looked at the two women, who instead of giving him an answer, only stared at him for a moment before looking between one another andughing a bit.

    "...Yeah, that totally doesn''t make me self-conscious or anything," he mumbled with his hands on the sides of his ck-and-silver coat.

    Kamouughed a bit harder, covering her mouth, but quickly shaking her head to dissuade any notions of insult, "No, that''s not what we mean¡­"

    "Then what do you mean?" He crossed his arms over his chest with a raise of one of his red eyebrows.

    "Well¡­you''re unnaturally kind, Jeong-Hui," Kamou smiled, "that''s a good thing¨Cwell, I think it is, anyway."

    Being told something like that with such a warm smile apanying those words, it was too bright for him not to avert his gaze as he blushed just a tad, scratching his cheek bashfully, "Is that so?..."

    "It''s a good thing, at times. I just think you can''t be nice like that to everybody ya'' meet, ya'' know?" Myung-Hee told him, "A lot of people will take advantage of ya''."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So¡­just be nice to you both, then?" He asked jokingly.

    "Pretty much," Myung-Hee pped him on the shoulder.

    Being hit on the shoulder, he squinted a bit before sighing out, "Back to the point¡­if we do run into anybody, let''s try not to start a fight, at least."

    Though he said it to both of them, Myung-Hee received the brunt of his words as she raised an eyebrow with her toned arms folded over her firm chest.

    "Do ya'' think I''m just going to clobber any random person I meet?" She asked.

    "--"

    "Don''t look at me like that!" Myung-Hee huffed, yfully knocking her knuckles against the top of his head of curly, red hair.

    "You''re not helping your case¨C!" He yelled back at her, holding his head.

    They came to a quick, silent stop as a loud, clear noise echoed through the mall, bouncing wall from wall as the jarring sound captured their attention.

    It sounded like something had crashed against the floor, but it was in a different section of the building as they couldn''t see anything that would merit such a booming sound.

    "What was¡­¨C"

    Before he could question what the sound was, another came, but this time¨Cit was clear what it was.

    "AAA¨C!"

    A loud, feminine scream echoed throughout the mall, causing them all nearly to jump. It didn''t sound aimed at them, or malicious, but instead a scream made out of fear and distress.

    "A scream¡­?" He muttered in confusion.

    "The hell is that about?" Myung-Hee asked, looking around to see where it came from.

    "It sounds like she''s in trouble¡­" Kamou said with a quiet worry, clutching her staff in her hands.

    They stood there for a moment, debating on what to do without exchanging a word before¨Canother scream came.

    That second scream was all the motivation he needed to finally take a step forward, this time having a clear feeling of the direction it came from.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Kamou called out, reaching towards him as he already broke off in a sprint.

    He looked back, "We can''t waste any time if they''re in trouble!"

    "Hold it! Don''t be so hasty!"

    Myung-Hee grabbed his hood, causing him to stop as he looked back at the tall woman with anxious eyes.

    "What''re you stopping me for?"

    "This could be a trap, ya'' know?" Myung-Hee told him, "I don''t know about you, but we''ve experienced it a lot in this new world."

    "--"

    Kamou was quiet while the short-haired woman spoke to him seriously, holding onto his azure hood still.

    "People are ruthless out here, nowadays. If it means a lick of experience, they won''t hesitate to stick a de in ya''. That''s the kind of messed up ce this world has turned into," Myung-Hee told him.

    "And you want me to ignore the screams?" He asked, looking at the woman.

    Myung-Hee stared at him silently and intently for a moment, "I want ya'' to think this over before charging into what could obviously be a trap."

    He snatched away from the grip she held on his hood, seeing that the silver-haired, youthful woman was watching silently with a conflicted look in her eyes the entire time.

    "Sorry, but I''ll take that chance," he looked at Myung-Hee and Kamou, "I''d rather help and regret it, than not help and regret it. I took that chance with the both of you, so I''d be a hypocrite not to do the same again."

    In truth, he didn''t want to do it. He knew it was the wrong move to make, if survival was his priority, that is. But, in the bowels of Armageddon, he wanted to spite what deemed him the "lowest of the low"--one who started out with nothing, recognized as nothing, and predicted to be nothing.

    ...I believe there is a logical benefit to this, as well. If I do find somebody who is alone and in need of help, then that''s another person we can add to our ranks--another hand on deck is infinitely better than one less. It''s a gamble, he thought.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­" Kamou said quietly.

    He smiled a bit, "But, I''m not going to ask you to follow along in my stupid ways, so¨Cwait here for me!"

    Breaking off before they could get another word in, he took off in a swift pursuit towards the source of the screams.

    "Hey, kid!" Myung-Hee called out, trying to stop him.

    It was toote; he was already set on the path he took, firmly following what he believed to be right.

 Chapter 27 Dark Encounter

    "Hey, kid!" Myung-Hee called out, trying to stop him.

    It was toote; he was already set on the path he took, firmly following what he believed to be right.

    Doing my best doesn''t apply to one good deed. If I do it once, I can''t deny it the second time. I have to do my best, indifferently! He thought.

    Using sessive [Blink Steps] paired with his already swift movements as an [Assassin] ss, he scaled the second floor of the mall, finding himself traveling through the vast za.

    After crossing through a few sections of therge, abandoned building, he stopped once he came to the area in which he guessed the scream came from.

    ¡­I don''t see anybody, he thought.

    "Cast: Recon!"

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2650]

    A wave of translucent energy expanded throughout the nearby area, scouting the area for signs of both Defects and other people.

    [Recon results: (4) yer(s) Found.]

    "Four¡­?" He muttered to himself.

    He gained a vague sense of where these four found yers were after using [Recon], seeing that three of them were in the parking garage beyond the pale, silver door at the end of the za section.

    Just as he took a single step to descend the stairs¨Che felt the presence of the fourth.

    Behind¡­?! He thought.

    Aided by his enhanced reflexes, he ducked down, barely avoiding an attack that flew over his head.

    Without even seeing his attacker, he countered naturally with a flip into a kick, knocking back the unknown assant as he jumped back to create some distance.

    Looks like "Natural Martial Arts" was pretty worth it, he thought.

    Looking up, he saw the one that had attacked him: a man dressed in an all-ck uniform, with simr, dark robes obscuring his appearance.

    On his hands, the man worerge, prominent gauntlets, wrapped in chains and designed to resemble draconic ws.

    A person? He thought.

    "Who are you?!" He called out.

    He didn''t receive any type of response from the silent person, trying to see their face but it was obscured by their hood, which disyed a digital, sharp-toothed smiley face.

    Of course, he didn''t need an answer from them: he instead relied on the system to scan them directly for him.

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Error.]

    [Information not found.]

    "Not found¡­?" He repeated in a surprised whisper.

    He had little time to process the information, orck thereof, as the darkly-dressed, enigmatic yer rushed towards him, rearing back one of his chain-wrapped, heavy gauntlets.

    A swirl of abyssal energy coiled around the raised gauntlet, reinforcing it in a ck coating of mystical amplification before being mmed down towards him.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    He managed to flip back just in time as the gauntlet was mmed into the spot where he just stood, being thrust into the marble stairs as they cracked and caved in instantly, unleashing a resounding BOOM from the impact.

    Debris from theically strong m of the enigmatic man''s fist pelted him as small pebbles of loose quartz smacked against him as hended at the bottom of the staircase, raising one arm to guard against the vtile winds generated by the attack.<novelnext></novelnext>

    What kind of strength is this?...Even Myung-Hee would be left in the dust! He thought.

    Before he could draw his daggers from their sheaths, the hooded, gauntlet-wielding man was already in front of him with ludicrous, breakneck speed as his ck cloak fluttered behind his step.

    So fast¡­! He thought.

    It felt as if he was only hanging on by a wire, managing to evade a thrust of those lethal gauntlets thanks to [Adrenaline] activating, moving his head as he felt the wind pressure unleashed from each hit brush against his skin, pushing through his vermilion, curly locks.

    With a [Blink Step] timed just as the tall, muscr yer dressed in ck reared one of his giant gloves back, with the chains ringing and dangling, he appeared behind the faceless yer.

    "...It''s time you tell me who you are!" He said through his gritted teeth, bringing his left fist close to his side, "Cast: Breaker Fist!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2450/2700]

    [Cooldown Remaining: 3 Minutes.]

    Propelling his fist that was amplified greatly by searing, potent energy, he mmed it against the man''s back directly, knocking him forward through the air with a violent impact.

    "Crap, did I kill him¡­?!" He mumbled to himself.

    Looking at his left fist in surprise, the use of [Breaker Fist] caused it to emit steam from the sheer energy gathered at his knuckles, looking forward again to see the smoke left in the trail of the impact.

    The farthest wall had been caved in as the faceless yer was thrown against it by the amplified hit.

    To his surprise, however, the faceless,rge man stumbled forward, cracking his neck side-to-side as if he wasn''t just hit with a shock wave-inducing hit to the back.

    Debris fell from the shoulders of the yer''s ck pauldrons that sat one each of his burly shoulders as the man let out a quiet groan.

    "Err¡­" He didn''t know what to say.

    Is this guy even human? He thought.

    Finally, he drew his twin daggers from their holds, raising them in a guard as he squared off against the much bigger, enigmatic yer who held mysterious, malicious intent towards him.

    He was frankly terrified; in terms of damage output, [Breaker Fist] stood at the apex of his skills, yet the man hardly seemed phased by it.

    An overwhelming release of bloodlust oozed from the man who walked with his shoulders hung limp.

    "What do you want?!" He yelled out.

    His words didn''t stop the man who lumbered towards him silently, dragging his chain-wrapped gauntlets at his sides as his stained, brown boots stomped against the dirtied floor of the abandoned za.

    Suddenly, the shrouding effect of the man''s hood began to fizzle out, glitching as the digitally-produced smiley face began to contort and blink, losing its crimson glow.

    "Tsk," the man clicked his tongue, "You''re lucky, brat."

    The man''s voice was bellowing and hoarse, sounding as if he indulged in cigarettes quite frequently.

    "Lucky?"

    "...Yeah," the mysterious man nodded, pulling his head over his face before it could be shown, "I''ll be seeing ya''."

    Without any exnation, the burly, darkly-dressed yer punched his way through the side of the mall, busting it open as if a bomb had triggered at the side of the building.

    "Wait¨C!" He yelled out.

    Before he could get another word from the man, the gauntlet-wearing, malicious yer escaped through the side, disappearing without a trace.

    "...Huh?" He questioned what just happened.

    What was that about? He attacked me¡­then just left? It looked like he didn''t want his face to be seen. But why? I didn''t recognize him¨CI''ve never seen somebody with a build like his before, either, He thought.

 Chapter 28 In Unison

    He was taken from his thoughts as he remembered that there were three other yer signatures, right beyond the door to the parking garage of the mall.

    Though knowing what he had just encountered, he hesitated for a moment in front of the door, hovering his hand just before the handle.

    ¡­If it''s another yer like that, I don''t know what will happen. But, at least one is somebody being attacked, right?...If it''s two, maybe, just maybe we can turn the tides. I hope¡­He thought.

    After a minute of preparing himself, he was hastened by another scream echoing out, this timeing extremely close, just beyond the door.

    "Stay away¨C! Just leave us alone¨C!"

    "Us"? He thought.

    It was enough to give him the full go-ahead as he swung the door open, instantly charging in with a [Blink Step], seeming toe in just at the right moment as a simr yer d in all-ck with a feathered, crow-like cape was midway through swinging a sword downwards.

    Another [Blink Step] was required to ce himself between the longsword that was being pulled downward, countering it just in time before it came down against the girl it was aimed towards.

    "...What''re you¡­?" The girl let out in surprise.

    Utilizing both of his daggers, he managed to barely repel the sword, exerting himself against the other yer''s superior strength to do so.

    It was only a moment of their strength shing, but he felt it well: the frightening power behind the swing.

    If I didn''te in here byplete surprise, there''d be no way in hell I''d be able to deflect against an attack like that¨Cis this guy stronger than thest¡­? He thought.

    ncing back, he realized what the situation was.

    The young woman, who looked between the age of Kamou and Myung-Hee, with wavy, dark-brown locks and pale, gray eyes was protecting somebody herself as well. On the ground behind her was a man who looked about his age, with unkempt, ginger locks, holding his bleeding shoulder as he was left wincing in pain.

    It was clear they were both yers by the white uniforms they wore, though the ginger man''s had been dyed in crimson from his own cut shoulders.

    "Are you okay?" He asked.

    There were only a sparse few moments bought as he knocked the ck-dressed assant back momentarily in his deflection.

    The brown-haired girl was still in shock with eyes full of tears, fervently shaking her head as she came to, "I''m fine, but Brother isn''t¨C! H-he got hurt trying to protect me¡­I couldn''t do anything!"

    "...T-that''s not true, Ara¡­" The young, gray-eyed man on the floor assured her, managing to stand himself up.

    "Brother¡­! You can''t¨C!" Ara tried to get her older brother to stay down, but he stood, standing beside him.

    He looked at the orange-haired man, who was a tad taller than him, by just a hair, with an equip uniform that was made up of a short, half-top coat, white shirt with snow-white, leather armor and tight, strapped pants of the same shade.

    "You alright, man?" He asked.

    The man nodded with a wry smile, sweating from the painful gash on his shoulder, holding his broadsword with one hang that hung by his side, "I''ve been better. The name''s Hyun. My little sister there is Ara."

    Though he referred to her as his "little" sister, they seemed simr in age, definitely norger of an age gap than one year.

    "Jeong-Hui," he introduced back, standing beside the injured man as they faced against the mysterious attacker, "What''s this guy all about, anyway?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No clue," Hyun replied, "...We were camping out here, then two of these guys just showed up and attacked us out of the blue. Actually, the other one left because they sensed you, I think."

    "Yeah, I bumped into him on the way here," He told him with a small smile, "He left."

    "Damn, you managed to make that brute retreat? You''re the real deal, Jeong-Hui," Hyunughed wryly before coughing.

    "Brother!" Ara assisted her sibling, rubbing his back as he held his bleeding shoulder.

    "...I''d like to say that I am, but he left out of sheer luck, I think," he told the two, "This guy seems even stronger¨Cso we have our work cut out for us."

    "That we do," Hyun agreed.

    ncing at the two siblings of rtive age to himself, the system finally showed their statuses to him.

    [yer(s) Recognized¡­]

    [Hyun Choo. Level 10. ss: Spellde.]

    [Ara Choo. Level 10. ss: ck Mage.]

    "That fool¡­"

    The words left the unseen lips of the man who wielded the rose-designed de as his all-ck, crow-like cape swayed. He seemed to notice the fact that his gauntlet-wearingpanion had already fled the establishment.

    "He is reckless. Allowing himself to be exploited by one much weaker than himself," the faceless, slender man said, reversing his grip on his longsword, "Such hubris is what we must avoid. Indifferently, we must kill."

    "What''re you on about?" He asked.

    "I''m telling you, this guy is aplete nut¡­" Hyun told him.

    There was something unmistakably eerie about the man; the uniform he wore, while simr to [Equip] at some level, it was distinctly different. The tattered robes that hung around his coat, and the six-pointed star design etched onto various points with multiple studded, silver pieces¨Cit didn''t seem like a normal uniform, at all.

    Beyond that, an unnatural aura oozed off of the man that could not be registered by the system¨Csomething dark.

    "He''s got weird skills," Hyun whispered to him while they faced the faceless man, "All I could get from him is that he has a different system from us¡­"

    "Weird skills? Wait¡­a different system? Is that why¡­?"

    Hyun nodded, "Nothing like I''ve seen before. That''s why we can''t get any information about him from our system¨Cit seems like it''spletely different. I couldn''ty a finger on him, let alone even read what he was doing," he caught his breath, "Ara, you''ve got our backs, right?"

    His worried, brown-haired sister looked at him for a moment with her teary eyes before nodding.

    "Alright¡­Jeong-Hui, right? Let''s drive this bastard back!" Hyun said, standing on his own as he let go of his shoulder, wielding his broadsword as tightly as he could.

    "Yeah!"

    Together, they took off in a sprint towards the darkly-dressed, star symbol-bearing man who hid his appearance.

 Chapter 29 Insurmountable Wall

    "Cast: Haste!"

    Hyun used the spell on himself, casting it by running his finger over the surface of his silver-and-verdant de, amplifying his speed enough to match the assassin ss yer''s running speed.

    Ara''s white-and-ck, peplum dress fluttered along with the matching mantle sitting on her upper torso as she raised her hand, invoking magecraft.

    "Cast: Pincer Lightning!"

    It came just in time as the two young men approached the greatsword-wielding, faceless yer at the same time, interrupting him before he could attack as silver lightning boltsing from three separate directions struck at once.

    Still, with monstrous reflexes, the hooded man manifested a ck, formless shield at one hand, flipping his rose-designed, skeleton-handled greatsword in his right hand to catch one of the bolts, dispersing it with the rotation of his de.

    "He guarded it¡­?!" Ara let out in surprise.

    "That''s good enough!" He let out.

    Using a [Blink Step] he brought himself at the faceless attacker''s side while Hyun used a pivot to take the man''s left, rearing his longsword back as he conjured magecraft using his silver as a catalyst.

    "Cast: Dragonhead sh!"

    Manifesting across his sword, fire emerged in the shape of a raging dragon''s head, prompting Hyun to rear it back before gathering the seemingly sentient mass of mes, guiding it to attack the man.

    Before the man could attempt to evade it, he took the opportunity to keep the man in ce, shing at him with both of his daggers.

    As his greatsword swung downwards against both of his daggers, he braced himself, feeling the ground beneath his boots crack and cave in beneath the sheer strength possessed by the malicious yer.

    It feels like a mountain is crushing my arms¡­! But, I did my job! He thought.

    Using an unexpected [Blink Step], the sudden disappearance of pushback caused the darkly-uniformed man to stumble slightly, looking back just as the dragon head opened its maw, engulfing him in the mes as its form shifted into a spiraling torrent of orange, howling mes.

    "Hot, hot, hot¡­!" He leapt back, watching from a safe distance as he reunited by Hyun''s side, "That''s some kickass magic, man."

    "You think so? I just learned it recently," Hyun smiled, holding his bleeding shoulder again as sweat traveled down his skin, "Honestly¡­I really don''t like the idea of killing another person, but¡­I let out everything I had¡­"

    He looked at the orange-haired man of simr age for a moment, seeing the anguish present on his expression before patting his back.

    "You were just protecting your sister," he told him, "Don''t beat yourself up over something like this. Nobody would think less of you."

    "You think? Man, I just met you, but you''re already being so nice¡­ha-ha, how does somebody like you still exist in this world?" Hyunughed, but in turn ended up coughing as he fell to his knees.

    "Hyun!"

    "Brother!"

    Ara and him were knelt by Hyun''s side, as his cut-open shoulder profusely bled, dripping onto the floor as the man was exuding sweat at a rapid pace.

    "What''s up with this cut¡­? It''s not stopping!" He said, trying to cover it and apply pressure, but nothing seemed to work.

    Hyun answered between heavy breaths, "...I think¡­it''s that sword of his¡­it''s making the wound force my blood out¡­!"

    Just then, the torrent of mes finally dispersed, revealing a cloud of smoke that left the three silent in anticipation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though they couldn''t see him, it was clear that the man dressed in ck stood there as his enigmatic, dense aura could be felt like a chilling cold that surpassed even the dissipating mes.

    "Cancel: Magic," the man stated the incantation, but it seemed he already used it, "I''ll admit that the magecraft used just now was splendid, spellde. However, it can''t reach me."

    "Cancel: Magic"?! What kind of unfair bullshit is that?! He thought.

    Holding that rose-etched greatsword, the hooded man marched towards them as his all-ck uniform swayed in the old, left winds of the mes, possessing a silent malice in his walk.

    "I will send all three of you to meet the angels," the man issued his malediction, "--and in turn, I will evolve."

    ¡­Crap¡­what do I do? He thought.

    Looking at the other two, Hyun seemed to be unable to continue fighting as hisplexion grew deathly pale with sweat continuing to leave his pores just as heavy breaths left his lips, seeping blood profusely.

    On the other hand, Ara seemed sopletely distraught by his condition that she didn''t even register the danger of the no-faced man.

    Guess it''s up to me then¡­He thought.

    Standing up, he drew in a breath between his lips, feeling his blood run hot through his veins as he stood between the two siblings and the malicious yer.

    "I wouldn''t ask a stranger to risk his neck for me¡­" Hyun said weakly, "Get out of here, man¡­"

    "I''m already here, aren''t I?" He replied wryly with a half smile, "I don''t think our friend here would let me leave, even if I nned on it."

    Hyunughed a bit before coughing, "You''re probably right."

    Faced with standing against such a terrifying opponent, he weighed his options, attempting to keep his head clear of doubt in the face of somebody clearly superior to himself.

    "Sage Period" is probably a no-go. Seeing what that sword of his did to Hyun, a single sh of that with Sage Period active could be the end of me. I have to dance around him and look for an opening¨Cwherever that is, he thought.

    Just as the hooded, darkly-dressed man in studded ck approached close enough, he took off with a [Blink Step], feigning a sh of his dagger towards the bridge of the faceless man''s nose, but he remained unflinching.

    Is he made of stone or something-? He questioned.

    Following through with his nned feint, he used another [Blink Step] to warp to the man''s left, but it was another fake out as he warped against, directly behind the man into a spinning sh.

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 2150/2700]

    The onught of shesunched at a rapid rate were immediately stopped as one of his wrists were grabbed, halting thebo attack before it could fully begin.

    "--Huh?" He let out in surprise.

    His wrist was held firmly in the ck, leather gloves of the mysterious yer-killer.

    He managed to react to "Ripper" and grab my wrist¨C? Isn''t he a swordsman or something? What kind of Agility stat is that?! He thought.

    "Assassins always are the most annoying," the manmented in a stoic, almost bored tone.

 Chapter 30 Luminate

    "Assassins always are the most annoying," the manmented in a stoic, almost bored tone.

    Flipping his skeleton-handled, rose-decorated de upwards, the man seemed to take pleasure in the moments before an execution, making sure to look directly at the red-haired young man, despite his eyes being veiled behind the shadows of his hood.

    [Cooldown: 6 seconds Remaining¡­]

    "Jeong-Hui!" Hyun yelled at, attempting to stand but fell back to his knees as blood continued to fall onto the ground.

    "Is that right?" He said as sweat trailed down his cheek, fogging his sses somewhat as he looked at the digitally-obscured face of the hooded man with his emerald eyes, "--I''m not just an assassin, though."

    [Cooldown: 1 Second Remaining¡­]

    [Cooldownplete.]

    "Cast: Breaker Fist!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 1950/2700]

    "What¨C?" The enigmatic yer muttered in confusion.

    Just as he felt the heat of bountiful strength gather at his knuckles, he sent his free, right hand, forming a fist while still holding onto his dagger as he mmed it directly against the man''s gut with everything he had.

    The impact from the ultimate, close-quarters attack sted the man away, sending his grip away as he was blown back against the concrete wall.

    "Holy crap! You had something like that up your sleeve?!" Hyun called out, coughing as he spoke.

    "Don''t push yourself, Brother¡­" Ara kept her brother from standing.

    He looked back, giving a thumbs-up as he huffed, catching his breath, "...Sorry, it was on cooldown."

    Crap, "Breaker Fist" is a lot more taxing than I thought. Using it feels like every muscle in my body is condensed, then released all at once at the point of my knuckles. Is that what''s happening? He thought.

    It felt like his entire body was on fire after using the skill from his [Martial Artist] sub-ss, huffing as he looked forward as the cloud of dust that gathered from the impact of the punch.

    "Did you get him¡­?" Hyun asked, dragging his feet to stand at his side.

    "Don''t jinx it, man¡­" He sighed out.

    Of course, he already had a bad feeling about it, and was only further confirmed as his stomach sank, watching the shadow of the man within the dust cloud .

    "...Even that wasn''t enough¡­?" Hyun asked dreadfully.

    "No way¡­" Aramented.

    He wasn''t much surprised by it, but he still felt the needles of dread nt themselves in his pores as the hooded man stood tall, wiping the dust from the ck feathers that sat on the shoulders of his all-ck uniform.

    "Impressive," the manplimented, "As respect for your strength, I will not let you diepletely ignorant¨Cyou''re not just mere prey, but a respectable opponent. It would be distasteful to let you die without knowing who killed you."

    Well, if that''s what it takes to get some information from him, I''m all ears¡­He thought.

    "Yeah? So talk away," he said, coaxing the man to talk.

    Tapping the side of his ck hood, the man disabled the digital shadows that obscured his appearance, revealing only his eyes.

    Even with just his eyes, they could gather some details; he was older than them; likely in his early to mid thirties, with burgundy hair, clear from his eyebrows, one of which was scarred, with deep, silver eyes that held little remorse in them.

    All-in-all, he was surprisingly human.

    "I am Jun-seo. Level Twenty-Five," the man introduced himself.

    "Level twenty-five¡­?" He muttered in shock.

    "Makes sense, but still¡­Holy shit¡­" Hyun mumbled.

    Jun-seo looked only at him, staring directly into his eyes, as if making him take notice of the peculiar formation of his irises; they took the shape of five-pointed stars¨Can almost alien-like nature to his eyes.

    "I am sure you have noticed that your system is unable to verify my existence," Jun-seo said, "and I''m sure you''ve been told why, by your new friend there."

    He gulped before responding, "It''s because you have a different system than us, isn''t it?"

    "Correct," Jun-seo nodded, "You, and most of this world, who remain, possess the "Apocalypse System", as it''s called. From it, you draw the power of the Angels themselves, while mixing it with the potential of humanity."

    "...And what makes yours so different?" He asked.

    Jun-seo remained silent for a moment, simply staring at him as he kept his rose-decorated de held at his side.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I possess the "GOETIA System"; what I draw from is the authority of Demons. "The Abode of The Damned", in contrast to "Heaven" in which your poweres," Jun-seo informed him, "As such, I gain bountiful experience when ying those of the "Apocalypse System"--and Defects alike. It''s the best of both worlds; a luxury unmatched."

    Demons¡­? He thought.

    "Like I said¨Ca total nut¡­" Hyun muttered.

    He looked at the middle-aged man, yelling out, "I don''t get it¨Chow did you end up with something like this?! And what makes you think you''ll be let into the Tower if you''re using the authority of Hell?!"

    Jun-seo stared at him, only responding after beginning to slowly step towards him, "I believe I''ve said enough. Let me send you to the angels that you draw from."

    "...Crap, here hees," he said, raising his daggers.

    I didn''t buy nearly enough time¨Cmy body is still throbbing¡­whatever, I''ll have to make due! He thought.

    He was getting ready to sh des with the man, but instead watched as Jun-seo came to a stop, opting not to raise his sword as he kept it at his side, instead raising his left hand, pointing his glove-covered palm towards the three.

    "Magic¡­?" He mumbled.

    Before he could properly react, nor the other two, an incantation left the lips of the dead-eyed, ruthless man:

    "Cast: Infernal Sin."

    Spawning from the man''s position, pushing from his extended palm, a mass of verdant, raging mes spiraled into existence, causing the entirety of the room to rumble before the massive heaping of green inferno shaped like a jagged arrowunched towards the three.

    Through the concrete floor, it disintegrated as if consuming thend in its path, distorting the surrounding air as the heat waves set even the pale, gray pirs ame.

    Is this¡­death? He thought.

    "Cast: Luminate Shield¨C!"

    ¨CIt was a familiar incantation, apanied by a familiar, blessed voice that met his ears like the kindness of a guardian angel in that trying time.

    An angel?! He thought.

    "Kamou!" He let out in surprise, looking towards the left at the entrance to the abandoned, green-lit garage to see the silver-haired girl, who was focusing on something else.

    That "something else" was forming and maintaining the holy shield of durable light that conjured in front of him and the other two just before the mass of infernal mes could engulf them.

    "Hot, hot, hot!" Hyun repeated, feeling the heat even behind the shield.

    "Grit your teeth and bear with it, man! At least we''re alive!" He called out, holding his arms out to protect himself from the reach of the infernal heat.

    To his dismay, he noticed, alongside Hyun and Ara, the barrier of light instantly began to form with a web of cracks against the heat of the verdant mes.

    "...That''s not good, is it?" Hyun asked.

    He didn''t answer, only looking towards Kamou, who held a shocked look as well, seeming not to expect her shield to fail.

    Shit¡­! He thought.

    "We''re moving!" He yelled out.

    "--Huh?" Hyun let out.

    Before either of the siblings could contest him, he grabbed both of their arms, pulling them along with him as he ran with all of his might, feeling the strength of the green inferno rumble through the vast, abandoned parking garage.

    He ran towards Kamou, making it away from the pathway of the mes with the other two just as the mes managed to consume the shield, resulting in an explosion of green mes that sent a shock wave outward, causing them to fall over.

    "Ghh¡­" He winced a bit, picking himself up.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Kamou knelt down in front of him, helping him up.

    He epted her help instinctually, but quickly denied it to the young woman''s surprise, instead turning her attention to the orange-haired man who was bleeding out beside him.

    "Take care of him," he forced out of his lips, feeling how exhausted his body was.

    The shock wave he just experienced felt as if it took the exhaustion inhabiting his muscles and amplified it, feeling the force ring through the marrow of his bones.

    "What''re you¡­?" Kamou asked, watching as he forced himself to his feet.

    "This guy is trouble," he told her through heavy breaths.

 Chapter 31 Use It All

    The hooded man didn''t seem bothered by the fact they escaped his attack, only turning to face them at his own pace as if it was only dying the inevitable.

    "If ites to it, take them and¨C"

    "Comes to what, huh?!"

    He was interrupted by a p to the back of the head, though the abrasive hand definitely didn''t belong to the meek, silver-haired girl.

    Holding the back of his head, he looked back to see the familiar sight of the sleeveless-uniform wearing, ck-haired woman who greeted him with that ever-fearsome smile.

    "Myung-Hee¡­"

    "You were just nning on doing something pretty reckless, weren''t you?" She asked, "No, you''ve been doing reckless crap this whole time."

    "I''m not being reckless without a reason," he told her as they both looked at the darkly-dressed yer who was watching them curiously as well, "That guy is a monster. He''s level twenty-five."

    "Twenty-five¡­?" Kamou let out in surprise, overhearing the conversation.

    The silver-haired woman was tending to the wound on Hyun''s shoulder, who didn''t seem to even have the energy to talk anymore past gathering his heavy breaths.

    "Please, can you help him¡­?" Ara asked her.

    Though Kamou was perplexed and worried herself, she gave the sister of the man a smile and a nod, "I''ll do my best. He''ll be fine."

    With those three being left to that, it seemed it was up to Myung-Hee and himself to handle the problem of Jun-seo.

    "...Twenty-five, you said? Just making sure I didn''t mishear you," Myung-Hee smiled nervously.

    "Sadly, you didn''t."

    "Part of me wishes you lied to me," Myung-Hee said, drawing her ymore out, "But, I don''t roll that way. It doesn''t matter if he''s level twenty-five, or two-hundred, if he''sing at us, we just have to stop him, right?"

    He held his daggers in his hands, breathing for a moment as he looked at the brte, muscr woman, "...You know, for once I kind of get that rock-headed thought process of yours."

    "Ha-ha! What''s that supposed to mean?" Myung-Heeughed.

    The man was now approaching them once again, carrying that malicious, bloodlust-infused aura that made his skin crawl as he readied himself.

    "It means I understand what we have to do," he told her, taking his sses off as he set them in his pocket, "We have to give it everything we have¨Ceven if it doesn''t mean anything."

    [--[Unique Ability]: [Sage Period] Activated.]

    I''m probably going to die. No¡­I can''t think that way. Even if it surpasses all reason, all hubris, and makes little sense at all¨CI have to believe that I can do this. I have to believe my best is enough, because if it isn''t¨Cwe''ll all die, he thought.

    "Let''s do the usual," he told her quietly, so as not to meet the man''s ears.

    "Sure thing," she nodded, beginning to walk forward as she gripped her thick, daunting ymore, "I guess monster strategies should be used on monsters, right?"

    "Exactly."

    Without wasting but another moment¨Che was gone.

    Pushing it further, beyond the limits he recognized previously, he used [Blink Step] consecutively, in ways meant to get around his opponent''s insurmountable guard.

    While he managed to take to the hooded man''s side, catching his nce in that moment between moments, his opponent was then forcibly upied by Myung-Hee.

    The warrior-ss woman charged in with a spinning swing of her heavy de, forcing the man to raise his rose-designed greatsword with a single hand, blocking her attempted sh downward against his head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Nice, Myung-Hee! He thought.

    "He is only human,"--that was the center of his n in this attack: if Myung-Hee shed against him, what would he be able to do to stop his attacks?

    [ck Ripper]

    The onught of shes first began by him allowing the steel of his daggers to be coated in dark, potent energy before he rushed directly behind Jun-seo, preparing to unleash the array of swift strikes against his unguarded back.

    "Get ''em, kid!" Myung-Hee grunted out.

    Against his raised sword, the short-haired woman found even her strength challenged as her veins pressed against her skin, her tanplexion reddening out of strain as she pressed down against his held sword with all of her might.

    No kidding, this guy really is a level beyond us¨C! Even so¡­I''m not losin'' in a contest of strength! Myung-Hee thought.

    "Cast: Battle-Driven Might!" Myung-Hee called out.

    The self-amplification spell granted her further physical strength, shrouding her in a faint, red aura that allowed her to push against the faceless man''sx guard against her.

    "Is this the best you can do?" Jun-seo suddenly spoke beyond his quiet veil.

    "Wha¨C"

    Before Myung-Hee could process anything, she was knocked away as the man pressed his tightlyced, military boot down, cracking the cement beneath as he simply pushed his arm to send the woman away.

    He turned around just in time, to meet against Jeong-Hui, who widened his eyes in surprise to the man''s unexpected turnover of hispanion.

    "Myung-Hee!" He yelled out.

    Crap¨C! Head on?! He thought.

    There was no other choice but tomit, holding those dark-trailing daggers in his hands as he was on the other end of the star-shaped gaze of Jun-seo.

    By that indifferent, inhuman look present in the man''s eyes, which were his only avable feature, he could feel his body shaking as the immutable sense of dread began to take over.

    ¨CI can''t¡­it''ll fail¨Cand I''ll die¡­He thought.

    But before such feelings could cement themselves in his heart, just before such dread clenched his gut¨Ca fiery explosion sted the hooded man in the back.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    He looked past the man, seeing at the other end of the garage, through sheer will, Hyun was holding a single, trembling hand up, having unleashed the spell. It seemed his shoulder wound had been tended to, but the exhaustion was getting to his body.

    It managed to make Jun-seo stumble forward as mes clung to him, prompting him to snap his fingers, "Cancel: Magic¡­!"

    Though he canceled out the mes, the damage had been done, and it was long enough to give him full reign on his attack.

    "Cast: Haste! Cast: Amplify Strength!"

    ¨CIt came from Kamou this time, granting him an amplification of his stats just before he came into contact with the hooded man.

    Each sh came in an instant as he dashed past the man, leaving a trail of dark-infused cuts across the higher-leveled yer''s form. It was a skill that utilized a maximization of the assassin-ss'' swiftness and precision, unleashing a dozen strikes within a second, each with lethal intent¨Cthat was "Ripper". Combined with "Dark Edge", thebined skill "ck Ripper" etched into the swift onught of "Ripper" the devastating, potent power of "Dark Edge"--creating a viscous skill that hit much over its level.

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1650/2700]

    I did it¡­! I finally reached him! He thought.

 Chapter 32 Frantic Escape

    "...This is¨C!"

    Jun-seo barely got the words out as he briefly stumbled back, holding his chest as he hunched over slightly, releasing audibly heavy breaths.

    "You''re no higher than level fifteen," Jun-seo stated, regaining his breath as he held himself, "I can tell that by the strength you''ve shown me thus far, so why¨Cwhat is this strength behind your attacks now? It surpasses logic."

    "...I don''t think telling you would be very beneficial for myself," he replied.

    The hooded man caught his breath for a moment before straightening himself, "I suppose you''re right. I know now at least you hold something fearsome in that arsenal of yours¨CI will not be taken by surprise again."

    There were cuts across the man''s all-ck uniform, but he didn''t seem seriously damaged at all.

    "If I had to guess though, I''d say you possess a "Unique Skill", don''t you?" Jun-seo said.

    "--"

    "I''ll take your silence as confirmation," the man said, "It makes sense. Compared to the others, you carry yourself as a much more experienced yer. Likely a result of being familiar with games simr to how this world now functions, I''d presume."

    As he intended to stay silent, though it seemed the man was reading him like a book, their conversation was suddenly cut short as the short-haired woman leapt back into battle, using her increased physicality to leap heaps and bounds over his own head.

    "--Quite yappin'' your lips!" Myung-Hee yelled out, descending on the man with a downward strike over her lengthy ymore.

    Jun-Seo simply looked up, "And then we have yers like this: with no elegance or tact about themselves."

    The man raised his own, skeleton-handled sword, halting the woman''s attack easily before flinging her away with a push of his arm.

    It seemed everybody was now ready for action, as Ara let out an incantation of her own, "Cast: Rock Prison!"

    The surrounding cement rose, curving itself as it created an imprisonment around the hooded man.

    It was then that he nced to the side to see Hyun was already back in the fight, with a healed shoulder, though his all-white uniform was stained in his own blood.

    "I hate to ask this after everything you''ve done, but¨C" Hyun yelled out, "Mind giving me a hand?!"

    "You don''t have to ask!" He replied.

    Together they ran towards the cement imprisonment that bound the man, rushing towards it as they each prepared their own attack.

    "Cast: Dark Edge!"

    He drew the shadowy, strengthening aura over his daggers, picking up his speed.

    "Cast: Dragon w!"

    Hyun manifested a fiery aura over his broadsword, extending a form of mes that split off into three, sharp edges.

    Even further assisting this push by them, Kamou amplified the both of them with a spell she had forgon before, "Cast: Greater Sharpen!"

    The spell bolstered the des he held in his hands with a vibrant heat, thriving with a potency that possessed a heightened ability to unleash devastating, weak point-aimed blows.

    Together, Hyun and himself struck the cement imprisonment with their full force, blowing it apart as the impact scattered the debris of the material forcefully.

    Being amplified by [Greater Sharpen], both of their attacks hit at a doubled rate; he felt his des connect against something, but immediately¨Chis hope was overturned.

    One of his wrists was grabbed, causing him to stop as he looked over, seeing Hyun''s sword-wielding wrist had been gripped as well; it was Jun-seo¨Cin that moment, he had managed to ensnare both of them in his grip.

    Did he purposefully take the attack just to be able to grab hold of us¨C?! He questioned.

    Attempting to pull away from the grip of the yer of much higher level was an exercise in futility, feeling as though his wrist was lodged in an iron vice.

    "Sage Period" off¨C! Hemanded the system through thought.

    If he was in the hands of his enemy, the least he could do was prevent himself from taking double damage, but it seemed he wouldn''t need to:

    "RAAAA¨C!"

    A scream that amplified itself to inhuman, room-shaking levels filled the surrounding area, prompting them all to cover their ears as he felt his body vibrate.

    It was from Myung-Hee, a warrior-ss skill he didn''t know about until his rather rude introduction to it: "[Paralyzing Shout]".

    "What the hell¡­? I can''t move!" Hyun yelled out through a strained voice.

    "--Same here!" He said.

    Though it seemed the same could also be said for the hooded yer-killer, whose grip on their wrists was released in the advent of the spell.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before he could process anything, both him and Hyun were plucked away, turning with the little strength he had in his body to see that it was Myung-Hee pulling them away.

    "What¨C?!" He questioned, confused.

    "We''re outta here!" Myung-Hee yelled out, "That guy is somethin'' else!"

    Kamou and Ara were already ready to leave as well, waiting for the other three to pass through the door of the parking garage before the brown-haired, pale-skinned young woman sealed the door.

    "Cast: Rock Prison!"

    Using the magical skill to manipte the surrounding material again, she brought the cement high, stretching it and melding it with the door to seal it before they all ran off together.

    "Is that going to hold him¡­?" He asked, stumbling as he began to be able to move again.

    "Yeah, if I''m able to move¨CI doubt he''s going to be held much longer!" Hyun let out.

    Myung-Hee looked back at the two young men, "Don''t worry! I intentionally made it so you two wouldn''t be as affected! It should hold him just enough¨C!"

    He could only look back as they ran through the abandoned za, praying not to see the magically-shut door not be broken open.

    After rushing out of the mall, journeying a safe distance down the streets as they all tucked into a shadowden alleyway to also escape any potential Defects, they stopped, catching their breath and resting for a minute.

    "...We made it," he breathed out.

    "Somehow," Hyun breathed heavily.

    Between breaths, Hyun must''ve realized he was on the other end of curious gazes from both Myung-Hee and Kamou as he nced at his sister beside him before extending his hand to the two women.

    "I''m Hyun," he introduced himself, "This is my younger sister, Ara. Thanks for helping us out back there."

    "Don''t mention it," Myung-Hee shook his hand firmly.

    Kamou shook his hand as well, "Of course. Don''t mention it."

    After their brief greeting, Ara also shook their hands, before the two siblings also properly did the same to him.

    "Really, we would''ve been goners without you¡­I can''t thank you enough," Hyun said.

    "It''s fine¨Cseriously," heughed bashfully, rubbing his own head, "I have a feeling we''d have run into that guy at some point, anyway."

    "He''s still out there¡­" Ara said with a bit of pessimism in her words.

    They all fell silent for a bit, having to swallow that difficult truth, but that was the reality they stood in.

    "What was up with that guy, anyway? Did you two have some beef with him or something?" Myung-Hee asked, folding her arms over her chest.

    Ara and Hyun looked between each other before the orange-haired brother shook his head, looking down a bit.

    "...We''d been staying at the mall the past week or so. It was safer than most ces¨Ca lot of rooms, so Defects had trouble finding us," Hyun exined, "It was this morning¨Cthat guy, "Jun-seo", I think, and a friend of his showed up. At first, I thought they were friendly, but they attacked without any reason¡­we tried to run, but eventually, they backed us into a corner¡­"

    "That must''ve been scary¡­" Kamou said quietly, patting Ara on the shoulder.

    Hyun leaned against the sooty wall in the alley, folding his white sleeve-covered arms across his chest as he looked down a bit.

    "I still don''t get it," Hyun said.

    "Get what?" He asked.

    Hyun looked at them, "Why did he have a different system than us? Doesn''t everybody have the same one? We were all given the same thing by that "God" a couple months back, weren''t we? None of it makes sense¡­"

    "None of this really made sense already," he sighed out.

    "You know, you''re not wrong¡­" Hyun sighed as well.

    After a minute of mainly silence in that alleyway, he looked at his twopanions, who seemed to share the same thought as him before he looked at the two siblings.

    "So¡­" He rubbed the back of his head, "You two are just by yourselves, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s right," Hyun answered with a nod.

    "We''ve managed to get by, though," Ara added.

    "How about joining up with us, then?" He asked, "We''re staying at an apartmentplex in the quiet part of town, too. It''s still mainly untouched, and there''s a lot of rooms to choose from."

 Chapter 33 Companionship

    "How about joining up with us, then?" He asked, "We''re staying at an apartmentplex in the quiet part of town, too. It''s still mainly untouched, and there''s a lot of rooms to choose from."

    Hyun and his sister looked at each other for a moment after this prospect wasid out for them. Though for some reason, Hyun looked a bit mncholic at this offer.

    "The more the merrier, right?" Kamou added in.

    "...I don''t know," Hyun said quietly, grabbing his sister''s hand and holding it, "...I appreciate what you''ve all done for us, but¡­it''s hard to trust people in this new world we''re living in."

    "Huh? Are ya'' saying we''re scumbags like that other¨C"

    Before Myung-Hee could get properly offended, she was held back by the silver-haired girl, who grabbed onto her arm, shaking her head softly to dissuade whatever she felt from those words.

    "I''m not saying anything like that," Hyun adjusted his words, looking at them, "But, it''s about risk. We''ve made it this far by ourselves¡­I feel like changing that now would¡­I don''t know."

    "If it''s about risk, then joining us would be your best bet," he told him.

    "Huh?"

    "What''s there to think about? Five is a lot stronger than two, isn''t it? It goes the same for us¨Cfive is a lot better than three. If we work together, we can make it through this¨CI don''t have any doubt about it," he assured Hyun.

    Being told this, Hyun looked at his younger sister, who looked up at him with eyes that seemed convinced by the words just spoken.

    "...Five is better than two, huh? When you put it that way¡­I guess I don''t have any other choice, do I?" Hyunughed.

    "Pretty much," he smiled.

    With that settled, they invited the two siblings to their party with a singlemand of the interface.

    [Kamou Yoo. Level 12. Health Points: 2700/2700]

    [Myung-Hee Yun. Level 12. Health Points: 3000/3000]

    [Hyun Choo. Level 10. Health Points: 2150/2150]

    [Ara Choo Level 10. Health Points: 2100/2100]

    With four names present on his interface, it was feeling like a real, promising party now as he smiled to himself.

    "...Alright, we should probably head back," he suggested.

    Ara nodded, "Being out here during the night is no good¡­"

    "I''ve only heard about it," Kamou said, "...there are different Defects thate out during the night, aren''t there?"

    As this question was asked, the group already began to walk through the abandoned, overgrowthden city to return to the quiet neighborhood while the sky turned to a warm orange with the sun beginning to sink beneath the horizon.

    Despite the abandoned nature of the once bustling city, the trees still stood tall, flourishing with their multi-colored leaves¨Csome green, others yellow, and some turned a deep, falling brown.

    Some of the city lights still came on with the prospect of night approaching, returning just a glimpse of Jung before its fall.

    "Yeah," Hyun answered Kamou''s question, walking closely beside his sister, "We''ve been caught out at night before¨Cin this city, actually."

    "How was that?" Myung-Hee asked, staying at the back of the group as some sort of watch, making sure nothing came from behind.

    "It was worse than you could imagine, honestly¡­" Hyunughed a bit, but it seemed whatever memories he had of it were terrifying as he sweated a bit, "There were hordes of them. Most of them had all-ck skin, some wore some sort of armor¨Cthey were constantly climbing the walls, hopping from building to building¡­I thought we were goners, for sure."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How''d you make it out of that?" He asked.

    "I used a few spells to bring a lot of cars around the city into one, big pile so that we could take shelter," Ara answered his question.

    It was a bit of a surprise to him as his eyes widened a bit, "That was you?!"

    "What?" Ara raised one of her hazel eyebrows at him.

    "That mountain of cars totally saved our butts earlier," heughed.

    "Really?" Hyunughed with him.

    Lost in a bit of augh and further conversation, it didn''t seem like it took long before they all arrived back at the apartmentplex in the quiet section of Jung.

    By the time they arrived, it seemed as if the sun was only minutes from properly descending.

    "This is it?" Hyun asked.

    "It''s not much, but it''s still untouched by the Armageddon, mostly¡­" He chuckled, rubbing his head.

    "No, it''s great!" Hyun assured him.

    "Yeah¡­it''s honestly been awhile since we stayed somewhere proper," Ara added.

    Even though the asphalt of the parking lot had be painted in now dried, old blood, it seemed that was just the natural shade of the world by this point.

    "Anyway, you can pick anyplex you want, really," he told them.

    "Yeah?" Hyun asked with a smile, looking at his sister who shared in his joy.

    Kamou tugged on his sleeve a bit, catching his attention before the two siblings could choose their new room.

    "What?" He whispered to her.

    "Do I have to tell you?" Kamou looked up at him.

    Yeah, you kinda do!...Well, I think I get it, he thought.

    Calling out to the two, he stopped them, "Well, for tonight, how about you crash with us?"

    "Is that alright, man? Isn''t one ce going to be packed with five people there?" Hyun asked, holding his sister''s hand.

    "I was nning to make a pretty big dinner, so¡­" He scratched his cheek.

    Just the mention of "dinner" as a concept was enough to make both of the siblings'' stomachs growl out, prompting both of them to blush out of sheer embarrassment.

    "...I''m taking that as a yes," heughed.

    "Please take care of us," Hyun nodded fervently to hide his embarrassment.

    Entering into his apartment, he could immediately tell how cramped it''d be with all five of them in there, but he wasn''t much bothered by it, letting Kamou and Myung-hee help them settle in while he set himself in the kitchen.

 Chapter 34 Reprieve Between Moments

    After a long day, they all disabled their [Equips], returning to their casual clothes. Hyun wore a beige,fortable sweatshirt with a white t-shirt beneath, and some loose, gray pants. On the other hand, his sister was wearing jeans and a baggy, white sweater with a cloud design on the back.

    "Alright, what should I prepare¡­?" He mumbled to himself, rubbing his hands together.

    There were a variety of options for him to choose: bibimbap, utilizing the variety of vegetables he picked up, bulgogi to create something savory and filling after a long, exhausting day, or perhaps stir-fried noodles to make something easy, yet filling as well.

    "Hmm¡­" He pondered.

    It was a difficult choice; in honesty, he wanted to make a lot of dishes.

    Then, with that thought, the choice was easy as a smile came over his lips, prompting him to snap his fingers as if making a life-changing discovery.

    Retrieving the necessary ingredients from the fridge and cabs, he began to prepare his decided dinner for the group, hearing them talk andugh in the main room while he smiled.

    Things are beginning to look up¡­He thought.

    Preparing the variety of colorful vegetables, he set the rice in the rice cooker while he also began to cut the sulent beef into small, thin slices before beginning to cook them as well, choosing to grill them.

    It wasn''t often he had the privilege of using beef to prepare meals, but if there was one advantage of the apocalyptic world, it was that ingredients weren''t too difficult toe by with the existence of Angel Shops.

    There might be a few bumps, here and there, butpared to just recently, where I was alone and weak¨C? This is it. "Ma-Ri", I haven''t forgotten your name. It might not be today, or even a week from now, but eventually¨CI''ll reach you, he thought.

    It wasn''t long before the kitchen became steamy with the assortment of ingredients being prepared¨Cthough he was focused, and excited to be returning to the kitchen to make proper, presentable meals that could be enjoyed.

    Ever since I was a kid, I''ve always had some sort of affinity with cooking. I think it came from watching my dad; he was a professional chef, though he didn''t pursue it as a career after I was born. Still, I watched him so many times in the kitchen at our house, he was always smiling with a glow to his eyes while he prepared breakfast, and dinner, he thought.

    "Phew¡­" He let out as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead with a rag.

    He found there was no point in wearing his sses as they quickly became blurred by steam every few seconds, prompting him to set them down as he waited for the beef to finish grilling.

    It was a thirty-minute process, though it was worth it by the end once he prepared each of the five bowls, satisfied with what he managed to create.

    "I''d say I did a pretty darn good job," he muttered to himself with a smile.

    As he walked out to the main room with a tray holding all of the bowls, he ced each of the piping hot, steaming bowls in front of each person before sitting down with his own serving.

    "It''s bibimbap with barbeque beef, and some stir-fried noodles," he said, "I couldn''t decide, so I went with a bit of a few different dishes."

    "It looks great!" Hyun said, almost salivating, "I didn''t know that you knew how to cook, dude!"

    "Well, I wouldn''t expect you to¨Cwe just met," he chuckled, rubbing his own head.

    "That''s right! He''s a full-fledged chef!" Myung-Hee added.

    "Not exactly¡­" Heughed a bit.

    Kamou looked down at the bowl, lifting her chopsticks as she took in the fragrance rising from the enticing steam of the dish, "...It smells amazing, too."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Really! The smell alone is driving my stomach nuts!" Myung-Heeughed.

    He waited until they all tried it before taking a bite for himself, scoping their reactions¨Cthough he was positive he did everything right, and was even confident he made a great dish, it all came down to the consumer perception, at the end of the day.

    "Tasty!" Hyun said, still chewing his food.

    "Brother¡­" Ara looked at him.

    "Right, right, sorry¡­" Hyun swallowed before continuing, patting his own chest to help the food go down easier, "Really though, this is great, man!"

    "...Thanks," he bashfully nodded.

    "No, really, I should be thanking you¡­" Hyun quieted down a bit, still smiling though there were clear tears at the corners of his pale-gray eyes, "...It''s been so long since we''ve had a meal like this."

    Ara seemed to hold the same feelings as she looked down a bit, nodding with a small smile as her brother spoke.

    "Staying in broken, rundown buildings¡­living off of canned foods¡­I won''t say it''s the worst of the worst, but when you think about how things were¨Cit really hurt," Hyun said, "so, being able to sit down like this¡­not worrying constantly about something or someone trying to hurt us¨Cit''s nice."

    The honestly spoken words from the ginger-haired, pale young man were of genuine gratitude as he smiled directly at him.

    "Well, you''re fine now," he assured the two, "both of you. Strength in numbers is no joke, you know? I''d say in this world, it''s something I should''ve learned much sooner, myself."

    "Yeah, I hear you, man," Hyun said.

    In good spirits, the group filled their yearning stomachs with the hot, fulfilling dinner in their bowls before the veil of nightpletely settled in.

    The two siblings insisted on handling the dishes, as they felt amodated enough¨Che couldn''t refuse their kind offer, knowing it''d likely make them feel better.

    We really lucked out. These two are kind. I was right¨Cthis world still has hope¨Cdon''t let go of that, he thought.

    There was barely enough room, and somehow barely enough futons, though he had to visit one of the abandoned, neighboring apartments to find a couple, but they all managed to fit into his now lively, filled apartment.

    "This brings me back," Kamou said with a smile, sitting on her light-green futon with her knees tucked close to her chest, "It''s like a slumber party."

    "It kinda is, isn''t it?" Myung-Heeughed.

    He scratched his head, "I can''t say the circumstances are exactly how I like them, but¡­yeah, it''s sort of nostalgic."

    Truthfully, I haven''t stayed with friends since I was in primary school. It''s been that long, he thought.

    "Oh! You have manhwa?" Hyun asked out of excitement, noticing the shelf stocked full ofics in the corner of the room.

    He was a bit embarrassed for it to be pointed out so tantly, but it seemed the girls were at least distracted by their own conversation, and the DVDs they were watching on the television.

 Chapter 35 Onwards To A New Day

    "...Yeah, do you read them, too?" He asked, sitting near the edge of his bed by the shelf.

    Hyun nodded, "Well¡­I haven''t been able to find any while we were staying at the za. I swear¨CI think some people actually ransacked it for manhwa, of all things! I was pretty pissed, you know?"

    They bothughed at the ridiculous nature of such a thing. Hyun reached up, grabbing one of theics from the shelf that caught his eye.

    "The Mysterious, Bizarre Journey of The Frog King."

    ¨CIt was definitely a title that was difficult to exin to others, so he was surprised when the orange-haired, simrly-aged man knew about it.

    "You read Frog King?!" Hyun asked.

    "Y-yeah¨Cwait, you do, too?!" He answered in surprise, following with his own question.

    "Of course! It''s totally the best! I mean¨Cthat scene where the Frog King shows all of those people who doubted him how awesome he is! Man, it gets me so pumped!" Hyun clenched his fists together, getting excited just talking about it.

    He wasn''t any better, getting just as passionate as he nodded vigorously, "That''s one of my favorites, too! Everyone doubts him just because he looks like a frog, so when he shows off his super-awesome power, everybody is just speechless¨Cit''s so satisfying!"

    "Right?!" Hyun replied.

    There was little sleep gained that night, as the two read through a bulk of his extensive collection of manhwa, though they spent more time discussing it rather than reading it¨Cthough calling it "discussions" could be slightly disingenuous as it could be more aptly described as "passionate ramblings".

    Most of these talks were kept to whispers while the girls slept, though every now and then, the two young men let their childhood slip through, getting a bit too passionate as they were promptly reminded to be quiet by a thrown pillow by the muscr, frightening Myung-Hee.

    They had simr tastes, though there were a few distinctions: the two both loved action stories that focused on underdogs, but the difference came in their secondary picks.

    He loved a good, slow adventure story, one that didn''t necessarily require action.

    Hyun, on the other hand, was more into romance than any other girl he had ever met¨Cand perhaps worryingly so, he loved brother-sister romance stories.

    "...No, sorry, dude, I don''t have "My Little Sister Can''t In A Million Years Be This Adorable", sorry," he told Hyun.

    Hyun slumped his shoulders, looking defeated, "Aww¡­Darn, I guess it really is that popr, huh? It was probably sold out."

    No, I just don''t order that crap! He thought.

    Despite a bit of differences in some areas, he was ted to finally find somebody simr enough to him, one to share more of his "less cool" features with.

    After a long enough night, the two passed out¨Cat some point, unremembered and unintentional.

    During the next few days, they decided toy low, letting some time pass by with the prospect of the enigmatic yer killers still on the loose, and likely holding a specific grudge.

    While resting in the time of reprieve, he looked through his skill tree, finding something peculiar pertaining to the [Martial Artist] section of the extensive, vast skill tree.

    [Martial Artist Proficiency: 2/9999]

    "Huh?"

    It didn''t make much sense to him: a skill with a cap of such a ludicrous number seemed redundant as nobody would pour that many skill points into it.

    But, he realized what it really was upon closer inspection: "Proficiency Growth."<novelnext></novelnext>

    I see¡­Some RPGs had skills like this. The more I use martial arts, the more my proficiency rises. It looks like there are a lot of skills locked behind it, as well. Hmm¡­Well, looks like I have my work cut out for me, he thought.

    To make up for the daily quests they skipped, on the morning of the fourth day since the encounter with the yer hunters, they ventured out to find a proper dungeon to take on.

    "Alrighty, I''m ready to gain some E-X-P!" Hyun stretched his arms out, proiming out to the world.

    They were all walking the street together, venturing the abandoned, unlively neighborhood that didn''t respond much to such words.

    "Have you two been in a dungeon before?" Kamou asked, looking at Ara and Hyun.

    Ara nodded, "Only once, but we had to leave midway through."

    "Yeah¡­It was pretty tough¨CI thought maybe we could try sneaking a few chests despite a level difference, but we got cornered pretty quickly," Hyunughed a bit, scratching his head as his shaggy, orange locks moved around.

    "Gotta be careful with that," Myung-Hee said, walking at the front of the group.

    They were all properly equipped, still holding an air of caution despite seeming casual in their walk, as they constantly looked around¨Clooking out for both Defects and yers. It was a rare sight to find yers in the neighborhood, and those that were seen were usually more cautious about others than he was.

    Theugh he gave was as if saying "Yeah, you should know that pretty well by now" but turned to look back at the two new members of the party.

    "As long as we stick together, it''ll be fine. I''ve scouted out this ce before, but I was too low level for it previously¡­and alone," he said, checking his sides to make sure his daggers were still there, "It''s level twelve, but at level ten, you''re both fine, especially with a group asrge as this! Kamou is pretty damn clutch with her support, I''ll say."

    "I can attest to that," Myung-Hee added.

    Kamou''s pale cheeks turned to a soft pink at thepliments, twirling a strand of her silken, silver hair around her lithe finger.

    Soon, they arrived at the dungeon that fell from Heaven, embedded in the middle of one of the neighborhood streets, cratering the surrounding ground as it towered high with its all-ck, steel form.

    "This one looks a lot bigger than the one from before," Kamoumented, looking up.

    "I think the previous one was supposed to be lighter¨Cso this is the real deal," he said, standing before the entrance, "I wonder how deep down it goes, though."

    "...It''s kind of scary, isn''t it?" Hyun chuckled wryly.

    "I think it''s exciting," Ara smiled brightly, seeming delighted at the prospect of the dungeon, "Right, Brother?"

    Hyun reced his clear worry with a smile, nodding, "Yeah¡­totally!"

    [Jeong-Hui. Level 12. Health Points: 2250/2500]

    [Kamou Yoo. Level 12. Health Points: 2700/2700]

    [Myung-Hee Yun. Level 12. Health Points: 3000/3000]

    [Hyun Choo. Level 10. Health Points: 2150/2150]

    [Ara Choo Level 10. Health Points: 2100/2100]

    He looked at the interface disying the party''s status, checking it before looking back at the others before choosing to enter the dungeon.

 Chapter 36 Sinister Hold

    "Just remember: we don''t have to clear it today¨Cthere''s no pressure to run all the way through. If things get bad, we''ll tuck our tails between our legs and get the hell out," he made sure they recognized that, "...Still, I know we can afford a bit of risk, right? There''s only about three months left until the end¨Cand we all have to reach twenty."

    They all seemed to share that same sentiment: the goal of reaching "level twenty"--the ticket into the mysterious tower that inhabits the center of the seeming world, bridging the falling world and Heaven itself.

    "...Level twenty seems so far away," Hyun said, "but, we''ve made it this far, right? I don''t see what''s so impossible about it now."

    "Exactly," Myung-Hee pped him on the back.

    "Yowch¨C!" Hyun leaned forward a bit, standing as if feeling the burn of the woman''s p engraved onto his back, despite the all-white, leather-armored uniform he wore.

    Yeah, get used to that, man, he thought with a wry chuckle.

    Making sure all of his gear was ready, and checking with his personal interface that his items¨Csuch as health potions, spirit pots, and other emergency objects were all stocked up, he looked back at the group as he stood at the threshold of the dungeon.

    "All set?" He asked.

    He received a resounding "Yes" in response from everybody, some in the forms of an audible confirmation, and some nods, and even a thumbs-up from Hyun.

    "Alright, then¨Clet''s do this!"

    [Obsidian Dungeon | Level 12 | AREA REACHED]

    The moment he stepped through that shadow-obscured entrance, the monotone system voice informed him of the area he deliberately entered.

    As soon as they all stepped inside of the first room beyond the entrance¨Cthey learned of the difference of this specific Obsidian Dungeon: the door sealed itself shut behind them.

    The moment those doors sealed themselves, the dark, lightless dungeon lit itself as the dormantnterns hung on the steel, ck walls manifested with deep, blue mes that provided an unorthodox light.

    "What¨C?" He let out in surprise, looking back in unison with the others as the steel-like, sable doors closed.

    Hyun immediately started banging on the door, attempting to open it, but no such luck came. That didn''t stop Myung-Hee from giving it a shot, either, as she drew her lengthy ymore, rearing it back before swinging it at the door they came in from¨Conly receiving an unseen force that knocked her back in retaliation.

    "Myung-Hee!" Kamou called out worriedly, helping herpanion back to her feet.

    "Damn, that smarts¡­What gives? Dungeons are supposed to stay open!" Myung-Hee rubbed her head as she stood back to her feet.

    "Was it a trap¡­?" Ara asked worriedly, holding her hands close to the chest of the azure mantle that sat over her white uniform.

    They each gave an attempt at bashing the door down, but it didn''t budge in the slightest. Such was the nature of the unknown metal of the dungeons that never budged even when magic was being cast.

    "...It''s not opening at all," he sighed out, catching his breath after attempting to punch, kick, and cut it down.

    In the entrance to the dungeon, which was merely a square room, lit only by thenterns carrying the exotic, azure mes, they sat for a minute, gathering themselves. There was only one way forward, by the looks of it: the dark, shadow-crept corridor beyond the first room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Has this ever happened before¡­?" Hyun asked, "I haven''t been in many¨Cbut I don''t think this is normal for a dungeon."

    He shook his head, "As unfair as I like to say this game is, it''s at least fair with its dungeons¨Cusually. You always have the option to back out when things get hairy."

    "Yeah," Kamou nodded in agreement, "That''s how it''s always been for me, too¡­"

    "Then what gives?! Why''re we locked in this stupid ce?!" Myung-Hee asked, attempting to bash the door open again with a front kick, only to fall back, wincing.

    "Stop that¡­It''s clearly not going to open¡­" Kamou sat beside her.

    After looking around the room, the entirety of the group checked for anything¨Ca hidden button, false te, lever¨Cnothing was found.

    "...I''m guessing this sort of dungeon is a "no leaving until youplete it" sort of deal¡­" He sighed out, rubbing his own head before pulling his hood up.

    "Isn''t that unfair¡­?" Ara asked, holding her white-glove covered hand close to her chin.

    "It''spletely unfair. Imagine if we were lower leveled, or alone¨Cthat''s an instant death wish," he responded.

    "That''s what I was thinking," Ara added with a nod, fiddling with her brown locks as if helping with her stress.

    He stood by the corridor, looking down as it was obscured by abundant darkness¨Cnot helping with the nervous churn within his stomach.

    "If we''ve got to beat it to get out, then what''s the hold up then?!" Myung-Hee said, hopping to her feet.

    "...Hold on, we shouldn''t just rush in," Ara said, stepping closer, "It''d be dumb to run in blind."

    "Huh?" Myung-Hee raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m not going to do anything to risk my, or my brother''s lives¡­You got that?"

    It was a bit surprising to see, but it seemed Ara wasn''t as meek as he initially mistook her for. Rather, she just wasn''t as talkative due to being used to being around just her brother, but in reality, she was quite feisty herself.

    "Ara," Hyun ced his hand on his sister''s shoulder, prompting her to calm down, "We were already nning on going through this ce, right? All this means is that we have to bring one-hundred-and-ten-percent, then."

    "That''s pretty much it," he said in agreement, cing his hands on his sides as he looked at the group, "--All there is to it, is that we have to kick this ce''s ass."

    "You''re speaking mynguage," Myung-Hee smiled.

    ¨CTogether, the group of five descended into the unknown, nerve-racking dungeon with reignited spirits.

    However, that strong will would onlyst so long, as something unexpected and deeply sinister resided in its depths.

 Chapter 37 What Waits In These Depths

    [Deep within the bowels of the Obsidian Dungeon]

    "...Sin. Sin. Sinner¡­"

    Anky man stood tall, dressed in all-ck, neatly robes that resembled that of a priest, though inscribed on the surface of the ck, a crimson-painted cross was etched down his chest.

    Down his shoulders, snow-white hair reached down, long and obscuring his bony, paleplexion as he stared downwards with wide, maddened eyes.

    "Please¡­stop¡­! I''ll give you anything you want¨Cj-just please¡­! Let me go..!"

    On the ground, a man dressed in the all-white, unmistakable uniform of an [Equip] was soaked in blood of his own, attempting to crawl away across the sooty ground of the dungeon floor.

    "Sinner, why is it that you beg? Have you no understanding of the punishment you''vee to earn?" The maddened, thin man with snow-white hair said without any remorse.

    "Please¡­! I don''t know what you''re talking about!"

    The man drenched in blood shook his head, pleading with a stream of tears running down his cheeks. Both of his legs had been eviscerated, leaving him unable to walk as each time he crawled, he left a trail of fresh crimson.

    Thenky, pale man was not alone; others stood in silence, obscured in their robes as they watched the scene.

    Unalone, the brutality shown to the hazel-haired, terrified man was not left to just him; chained to the walls, the remains of others who must''ve met the same fate were on disy.

    "You''ve brought this world to ruin! Your hubris, your avarice, your idiocy¨C! God has cursed us all, and it''s because of you, you, you¨C!" The man suddenly broke hisposed madness, letting out as heshed out at the blood-soaked man.

    "I didn''t do anything¡­! I didn''t¨C!" The man swore, pleading as his back met a wall, sending him into a further panic.

    Closer, the maddened, thin man stepped towards him with his dark, ck boots stepping across the blood-slick, metal flooring.

    "God has not deemed you to live. With this world, you shall fall. You''re unworthy of his paradise," the man whispered to him as if speaking a prayer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    From beneath his long, dark robes, the pale man seeped in madness retrieved a long, jewel-embedded de that was as thin as a rapier, baring a silver-and-red handle.

    The man below was helpless while the crazed attacker loomed over him with the thin, needle-like weapon in his hand.

    "Let us offer this life to God, and let it be cherished in the pits of Hell," the man prayed.

    As he spoke such perplexing words, the silent onlookers, part of his cultist group, held their hands together in a quiet prayer as the needle-de was raised.

    "No, no, no¡­!"

    Squelch.

    In a geyser of crimson, blood spewed out as the crazed man with hollow, unblinking eyes repeatedly stabbed the de downwards without flinching.

    Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.

    Soon, the crying pleas of the man were reced only with the sound of the building pool of warm, fresh fluid of red beneath his limp body.

    "Another soul has been cleansed. Heaven is safe," the man looked up towards the dark ceiling, unlit by even the azurenterns within the chamber, as if seeing some seraphic sight above, reaching upwards, "It''s beauty, it''s istion, it''s exclusivity¡­it''s purity¨Ctoday, that perfection is maintained."

    The hooded, silent underlings of the white-haired,nky man retrieved the body plucked full of holes, strapping the limp wrists of the fallen man to the wall whilst the maddened leader cleansed his needle.

    Shrouded in ambiguity, the chamber was decorated in rough, torn carpets, stained and dirtied with puddles of blood, old and new, dried and running, creating a rancid stench of fermenting bodies and arterial fluid.

    As he wiped the length of his thin de down with a rag, he looked upwards with a glint in his eye.

    "More sinners are here," the man announced in a surprised, but almost delighted mutter as his lips curved into a grin, "let us prepare for them¨CI can smell it in the air; there are five who have walked into their judgment."

 Chapter 38 Lost In The Depths

    "Damn, it''s dark¡­does anybody have a "light" spell, or something?" Hyun asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked around at the others.

    "Nope," he promptly replied, "I''ve got sses on, man. If I can deal with it, you''ll be fine."

    "Yeah, yeah¡­" Hyun sighed out.

    Unlike the first room, the lengthy corridor was absent of the azure light, leaving them in total, silent darkness, filled only by the sounds of their steps echoing off of the dark steel.

    He stayed in the front, utilizing one of the lesser utilized passive abilities inherent to the assassin-ss: "Night Sight"--a self-exnatory name, allowing him vision that treats the darkness as nothing different than the light.

    Though, he kept this to himself so that he could use it as a means of stifling Hyun''sints.

    "Seriously, what''s up with this ce? It''s so dusty," Ara coughed up, waving her hand in front of her mouth to swipe away the dust that clung to the air particles.

    "I was about to ask the same thing," he said, wiping the interior of his sses down before putting them back on.

    Compared to how Obsidian Dungeon usually existed¨Ccleanly and almost perfect, as was their nature as heavenly domains, this one was left dirty, as if long since abandoned by that nature.

    "Be on your toes," he warned, walking at the front, "I have a feeling something can pop out at any mo¨C"

    Before he could fully finish his words, he stepped on the ground again, but this time hearing a click in response to the weight of his step.

    "Wha¨C?"

    From beneath him, the ground gave out, slipping away as he fell down a hole before any of the others could reach his hand¨Cthough Kamou definitely tried, reaching out to him desperately, but he was simply too far.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    "Jeong-Hui¨C!" His name was called out first and foremost by Kamou.

    As he looked up, reaching upwards, the false flooring reced itself before any of the others could follow him as he began to rapidly descend a grimy, lightless tunnel.

    What''s going on¨C?! He thought.

    It was narrow; he could tell that much by the way his body harshly bounced off each side that seemed just wide enough to fit him.

    The smell was distinctly different once sliding down the tunnel¨Ccatching a scent of something rancid, as if the walls were inhabited by something rotting.

    Soon after, his descent finally came to a stop as he fell into a dark room, managing to break his fall with a swift roll, though he still felt the impact in his knees as he sat there for a minute, catching his breath.

    "...Man, what the hell?" He muttered to himself.

    As soon as he lifted his head, he could tell something was wrong: even in the falling world, overrun with things thought impossible¨Cthis was wrong.

    The obsidian walls that were normally kept cleanly and spotless within the seraphic dungeons were instead painted in dried blood; some etchings were nothing more than unintelligible ramblings, and some were somewhat decipherable symbols.

    Perhaps worst of all, the stench of death filled the chamber he was in, prompting him to raise his azure scarf to cover his nose as he brought himself to his feet slowly.

    "What''s this¡­?" He mumbled to himself.

    He almost brought his hand to the wall to touch the inscriptions, but stopped himself just short as he realized how abhorrent it really was as he caught another whiff of the horrid stench filling the stale air.

    The chamber itself was small and cluttered, filled with discarded barrels of muddied water and dusty crates; it didn''t feel like something upied by Defects which required no such materials.

    Each moment spent looking around the isted chamber far below the others, the more worried and anxious he became, realizing where he stood was unnatural.

    I have to regroup with the others¨CI''m in danger. I can feel it. I¡­can''t stop shaking, he thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Raising his hands in front of his view, he could see them constantly trembling, not even halting as he clenched his fists shut.

    There was only one path onward: a dark stairway leading up to an unknown destination. However, the longer he stood in that dark, blood-written room, the more he felt the eerie atmosphere sink into his pores, prompting him to begrudgingly ascend the steps.

    Each step he took, he could feel the cold, stale air upying the dungeon brush against his skin as he kept his wariness high, making sure to keep his steps silent.

    He almost couldn''t believe himself that his daggers weren''t drawn already as he slid them from their sheaths, holding them tightly in his trembling hands as he turned through the spiral steps, nearly reaching the summit of the staircase.

    It''s quiet¡­He thought.

    Unnaturally so; there wasn''t a sound to be heard¨Cthat was, until the very next moment.

    It was a loud, metallic bang¨Crepeated a few times over, almost in a stomach-churning, heart-racing melody that made him freeze like a deer in headlights.

    "...What the?" He let out audibly in a mumble.

    It was as if his instincts went into overdrive, all firing off as the synapses in his brain red as if forcing him to react to the presence rapidly approaching.

    Moving primarily off of instinct and pure reflexes, he leaned back, narrowly avoiding a de that he didn''t see until after leaning back to evade its sharpness, watching as it slid directly past his eyes¨Cseeing the harrowing fate that might''ve awaited him should his reflexes have been dull that day.

    He didn''t see his attacker at first as the hallway atop the stairs was so densely filled with shadows, and they were dressed in matching, ck robes that allowed them to blend with such darkness.

    Flipping back, he naturally swerved into a kick that forced his attacker back as he created space, finally getting a good look at them as his eyes adjusted to the dense darkness.

    A Defect¡­? No¨Cthis is a yer¨Ca person¡­? He thought.

    On their face was a grin wide enough to stand out in the darkness, though after blinking a few more times, his sight finally stabilized in the shadowy setting.

    At the top of the staircase which he came from, he was in a dark corridor that seemed to house many routes within the dungeon, though all of which were blocked off by the unsettling one before him.

    "...Sinner. Sinner¡­"

    From the grinning lips of the enigmatic attacker, those words repeated themselves in an eerie, delusional fashion.

    "Why''re you attacking me?! We''re both in a pretty shitty ce, you know!"

    Though he tried talking to his cloaked attacker, his words didn''t seem to pierce his ears.

    "Sinner¡­"

    It was the same thing¨Cseeming to be the one word capable of traveling from the enigmatic man''s lips.

    Standing in ce, the cloaked man was swaying side-to-side unnaturally, as if intoxicated, holding a jagged, unrefined de in either of his hands, which seemed to be wrapped in abundant bandages.

    [yer Check¡­]

    [Error.]

    [Information not found.]

    The system''s information brought his eyes to a widened trance, or rather¨Ctheck thereof brought him to a momentary still.

    ¡­It''s the same as before. My system can''t read this guy at all¨Cbut he''s still recognized as a yer. Is he with those other guys¡­? He thought.

 Chapter 39 Superior Assassin

    "...Are you a user of the "GOETIA System", by chance?" He asked hesitantly, gulping down his anxiety as he stared at the cloaked man.

    "...Ah¡­" The man breathed out, seeming to ignore his question, beginning to step towards him at an unnatural rhythm.

    "Don''te any closer¨C!" He warned, holding his des up.

    Though, of course, his words held no bearing on the man''s actions as he continued to drag his feet across the metallic, sooty ground, smiling and holding both his de in his arm that hung limp at his side.

    Once a certain threshold was crossed¨Cthere was no longer room for words as he was forced tobat the enigmatic, de-wielding man, using a [Blink Step] to appear behind him. He nned to apprehend him by grabbing his arms¨Chowever, something else urred.

    From in front of him, the cloaked man disappeared from his sight.

    What¨C? He thought.

    ¨CBehind him, he could feel that spine-chilling presence emerge, prompting him to use another [Blink Step] to create some distance. He looked back amidst breaking the distance, seeing the hooded, smiling man grinning wider than before.

    "...Be not afraid¡­~"

    Then, in the space between a second passing to another, the grinning, unknown man appeared directly in front of him, traversing the few meters between the two before he could blink.

    It was unmistakable what was being used against him¨Cit was something he was personally familiar with:

    "[Blink Step]"

    Faced with the skill he had been relying on all of this time, he felt his heart thump wildly in his chest¨Cknowing his swiftness was something he didn''t hold over his opponent now.

    He''s an assassin-ss as well¡­? He thought.

    He was forced to raise his guard to block against the jagged, saw-like shortsword wielded by the bandage-wrapped, cloaked man, feeling it m harshly against his two daggers as sparks conjured from the sh of steel.

    The thin man, slightly taller than himself with a longer reach, clearly possessed more raw strength, as well, feeling himself being thrown back by the impact of the guarded sh.

    Being forced onto the defensive, he watched the man''s de as it was stabbed towards him, wildly shed, and swung around without any rhyme or reason, simply seeking to rend his flesh as he narrowly evaded it each time.

    "Cut it out¨C!" He tried to reason with the man once more.

    Even using his daggers like shields, deflecting the man''s singr, longer de, he could feel the difference in speed, but it wasn''t just that which caused him to be overwhelmed.

    This tenacity¨Cit''s suffocating. He''s like a wild animal, following the sole instinct to "kill"! He thought.

    Cackling with muffledughter between heavy breaths, the man moved erratically, staying low and aiming for his gut with his flurry of stabs and shes, though he managed to avoid most of the attacks, at least the lethal ones.

    Eventually, the frantic, unstoppable chain of attacks began to break through his guard as small shes swept across his body, cutting through his uniform andcerating his skin.

    [Health Points: -50.]

    [Health Points: -50.]

    [Health Points: -50.]

    [Health Points; -50.]

    [Health Points: -50. Remaining Health Points: 2000/2250]<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though they didn''t do much damage individually, the onught of attacks added up, taking away a chunk of his health before he repelled the man with a spinning kick to his chest.

    It was only a temporary measure, as the erratic, mumbling man didn''t seem to take any visible damage from the kick, only briefly stunned as he created room for himself.

    ¡­What''s up with this guy? He''spletely nuts¨Ceven more than Jun-seo¡­He thought.

    Looking down as he caught his breath, he ran his fingertips across one of thecerations on his abdomen, seeing the fresh paint of crimson on his pale skin.

    Before he could properly regain himself, he looked up to find the man sprinting towards him, leaning forward as he let his arms hang limp in an unorthodox style before using a few sessive [Blink Steps] to close the distance.

    Being on the receiving end of the instantaneous-movement skill, he felt his anxiety spike as he used his own to evade the man, attempting to step past him, only to be intercepted by another use of the swift skill.

    This time, met close with the man, he could see his face past his rugged, torn hood: it wasyered in scars, but one prominent one stood out¨Cin the center of his face, his flesh was missing in the shape of a cross, etched purposefully in an abhorrent manner.

    His eyes were inhuman, holding the shape of a star that was eerily familiar, allowing his tongue to hang out as he seemed ecstatic to be face-to-face with the vermilion-haired young man.

    He''s just like Jun-Seo¡­! Those eyes¨Cthis must be something inherent to users of the "GOETIA System"--, he thought.

    "Die! Die! Die!"

    It was impossible to escape the tenacious man''s wild attacks, unable to properly guard against the nextbo as it was executed with surprisingly elegance, having his arms, legs, and sides shed as his own blood dripped onto the ground.

    "Ghh¡­!" He winced.

    [Health Points: -500. Remaining Health Points: 1500/2250]

    The fiery sensation of new, bubbling pain throbbed on various points of his body, feeling his blood drip onto the floor as the grin from the mysterious attacker only widened.

    "Ripper¨C!"

    The skill invocation slurred from the cross-scarred assant''s twisted, grinning lips, rearing his jagged de overheard as he cornered Jeong-Hui in the back of the corridor, leaving him nowhere to run as his back was to the sable wall.

    Ripper¨C?! He thought.

    He knew well what kind of threat that skill was, but it never urred to him how to counter such a move.

    "Cast: Radiant Shield¨C!"

    [Spirit: -150. Remaining Spirit: 2550/2700]

    Out of sheer desperation and instinct to survive, he manifested the golden, glowing shield just as the brutal de wielded by the bloodthirsty man rained down in search of his flesh.

    As an assassin-ss, defensive spells weren''t his forte, but it was his only option in such circumstances, holding it with both of his hands while he felt the unnatural strength of thenky, bandage-covered assant repeatedly strike his seraphic, small barrier.

    "Cut, cut, cut¨C! Do not deny my salvation!" The crazed man slurred out while wildly swinging his de.

    The strikes quickly began to crack the shield, causing golden particles to fill the shadow-damp corridor.

    What can I do¨C?! In every way, he''s better. That wild tenacity of his makes him impossible to read, or to counter, and his strength and speed seem even better than mine¡­! So what can I do¡­!? He thought.

 Chapter 40 Into An Inescapable Corner

    What can I do¨C?! In every way, he''s better. That wild tenacity of his makes him impossible to read, or to counter, and his strength and speed seem even better than mine¡­! So what can I do¡­!? He thought.

    ¨CThe answer came as he realized the source of the issue he was lingering on: the man was perhaps a greater assassin-ss yer than himself, but he was not just an assassin.

    As the "Ripper" skill came to an end, leaving the barrier in shambles, he prepared himself for his next move, waiting for the man to break the barrier with an overhead strike beforemitting himself to this new route of attack.

    "Sin! Sin! Sin¨C!"

    As the hooded, scar-faced man with inhuman eyes mmed his de against the barrier, shattering it, he tucked his daggers into their sheaths, instead opting to go for a straight right directly against the man''s jaw.

    "Wha¨C?"

    Even the maddened man was taken aback by the peculiar action, being promptly quited as the knuckles of the one he backed into the corner mmed against his jaw, causing thenky man to stumble back.

    "What? What?! What¨C?! You still reject my salvation¨C?! Inconceivable!"

    The man was practically drooling as his words came out angered, shaking his head as if to disperse the effects of the blow before he sprinted towards the curly, red-haired young man again.

    I just have to let my instincts take over. Don''t think too hard about it, and don''t worry¨Cjust do it, he thought.

    Possessing this new state of focus, he kept his eyes on the man as he met him halfway without holding any weapons, sidestepping the wild strike aimed for his head and tucking himself under the man''s arm, using his own weight and force against him.

    "Hyaah¨C!"

    With a swift, well-executed movement, he tossed the man over his shoulder, mming him into the steel flooring below as the impact resounded, echoing off of the dark walls.

    "Pyah¡­!" The crazed man spit out as his breath escaped his lungs.

    It was something even his inexperienced self recognized¨Ca picture-perfect, ssic judo throw. Though it was executed with extreme force, as the impact against the ground made the surrounding walls vibrate, causing the man of sparse sanity to gasp out.

    "...Have enough yet?" He asked, catching his breath, "I''ve got ces to be, so just get out of my way...!"

    Before he could even properly extend a truce of sorts, the man who tantly ignored his words jumped back to his feet in an unnatural way,nding on his soles though his back was leaned far back, lifting his upper body slowly.

    ¡­Of course it wouldn''t be that easy, he thought.

    The maddened man straightened himself, waving his arms to bnce himself as he cackled, recing his smile once more across his lips.

    "You''re a stubborn one, aren''t you?"

    "--You can talk like a normal person?" He asked, actually surprised.

    "I prefer not to engage with dirty, rancid sinners like yourself," the cross-scarred man said, "But, you seem so adamant about talking."

    It was almost more unnerving to actually have the man speak to him properly now¨Che could clearly see there was a consciousness behind that utter madness.

    "Why''re you calling me a sinner?...I''ll have you know I''ve been pretty damn behaved," he asked.

    "You''re all sinners¨C! Those who still seek paradise are sinners! It was your sin that sunk this world, it was your sin that earned the scorn of God, don''t you see?!" The man began to frantically spew his words.

    "What¨C?! I don''t know what the hell you''re talking about, but wouldn''t that make you a sinner, too?!" He contested the crazed man.

    "Oh, yeah! Indeed! We all are! However, I work in earnest to send the ignorant heathens such as yourself to the depths of hell! I won''t allow you to sully the pure gates of Heaven! I won''t! I will not!"

    "You''re a nut job!"

    I have to get past this guy and find the others¨C! If there are others, then¡­! I don''t want to think about that! He thought.

    It didn''t take many words before they were thrown into another sh as he narrowly avoided the jagged edge of the blood-stained de, swerving past it before sinking his fist into the man''s gut.

    He was beginning to see it: the perfect unison of his assassin-ss stats and the martial arts usages. With the swiftness and precision he had naturally as an assassin, it made the execution of even basic techniques smooth.

    "Gah-!!"

    The hooded man spit out, but quickly lunged towards him again, this time using a skill that he wasn''t familiar with.

    "He-he-he¡­" The manughed, "Eyes open. Cast: Shadow Sink."

    As if the dark flooring had be liquid, the man sank into its depths while cackling.

    "Into the floor¡­? What kind of skill is that?!" He asked himself.

    He looked at the ground, stepping back as he became wary of the peculiar spell, watching the floor carefully. Below the soles of his boots, the floor vibrated with a daunting hum, forcing him to stay on his toes.

    What kind of spell is this¨C? I don''t think I''ve seen that in my skill tree¡­! He thought.

    As he kept circling around to try and pinpoint the man, his ankle was suddenly grabbed, squeezed tightly as theughter returned.

    From a rippling puddle of darkness in the ground, the cross-scarred man revealed himself with a smile, holding onto his ankle with his bony, bandaged hands.

    "...Got you¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He froze for a moment at the foreign situation, looking down at the man who was halfway sticking out of the rippling ground.

    It was only once he saw the crazed man''s other hand protrude from the shadowy ground did hee to his senses, but it was toote¨CSQUELCH.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    Straight into his calf, the saw-like de stabbed into his flesh, piercing it as he felt the man''s ruthless grip tug at his muscle.

    [Health Points: -400. Remaining Health Points: 1100/2250]

    Using a [Blink Step] to get away, he was unable to: the de being stuck in his leg prevented him from using it.

    "Ge-he-he-he¡­Repent, sinner¡­"

    The man taunted him, staying halfway sunk into the enigmatic shadows of the steel floor as he twisted the de in his calf.

    [Health Points: -10]

    Each twist reeled an audible release of agony from his lips.

    [Health Points: -10]

    It was felt in his leg, tearing at his flesh with utmost animosity.

    [Health Points: -10]

    With every turn, he was left helpless, stunned by the pain that flooded his leg.

    [Health Points: -10]

    The cacklingughter from the man with the cross-shaped scar on his face filled his mind as he attempted to regain control over his body.

    What''s this¡­?! He questioned.

    [Health Points: -10]

    Beginning to brute force the movements of his body, fighting against some unknown force infiltrating his muscles, he still felt the man twirling and twisting the de mercilessly into his right calf.

    [Health Points: -10. Remaining Health Points: 1040/2250]

    He finally managed to kick the man away, hitting his nose as he freed his leg from the knife¨Cthough as it pulled out, he let out a yell before [Blink Stepping] away. As soon as he used the instantaneous movement to create some distance, he fell to the ground as his leg gave out beneath him.

    "Shit¡­!" He muttered to himself, gritting his teeth.

    It was then he began to realize what was happening to his body as he watched the cloaked man crawl out from the abyssal dimension of the floor, bringing his tongue out as he disyed the slick substance on his jagged de.

    "Poison¡­?" He asked in a winced mutter.

    Thenky, bandage-wrapped manughed with his hoarse voice, "You''re an assassin-ss, too, aren''t you? Yet¡­you don''t seem very proficient in killing. Not. Like. Me."

    "--"

    He kept quiet, focusing on picking himself up as blood seeped from the gash on the back of his calf, feeling the warmth coalesce at his wound as his mind was racing so vigorously that he hardly registered pain.

    "I''ve killed so, so, so many," the scar-faced man spoke, bringing himself to his feet as he began to slowly walk towards the injured yer, "All in the name of keeping paradise pure. It''s a noble effort. I will be thanked for my efforts by God himself¨CI will be praised, and I will be granted utopia."

    "--"

    He continued to ignore the maddened, sanity-loose rambles of the man, listening to the repetitive sound of his own blood pouring from his various wounds, and the poison dripping from his attacker''s de.

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2.]

    [Health: -2¡­]

    ¨CAs he bled, his life continued to drop, pressing him with a bubbling, inescapable anxiety as he had a numerical value put on his very life. The interface continuously showed such information, and it didn''t seem to slow down.

    ¡­What do I do? It''s hard to even move¨Cis this really it for me? He thought.

 Chapter 41 The Subclass

    Activating [Sage Period] wasn''t even an option with the prospect of doubling the damage he was taking frequently. As his mind raced to find the answer to the situation, hastened by the closely growing footsteps of the lunatic who seemed to take pleasure in execution, he found himself backed into the mightiest corner.

    "...Yes¨Cthat''s the way. You''ve realized it, haven''t you? There is no resisting the end of humanity," the man continued to ramble, "It''s God''s very will. Though he approached us with a pathway out, we''re unworth his courtesy. That''s why we take it into our own hands to enact his true will¨Chis wrath."

    "--"

    [Remaining Health Points: 880/2250]

    He remained silent, watching as the crazed man approached with his ramblings filling his ears, echoing against the metallic walls.

    "--Item: Greater Health Potion!"

    He summoned the action of his system just as he used his functional leg to sweep the crazed man''s own, causing him to fall and give him enough time to manifest the rejuvenating potion into his hand.

    It was perhaps one of the most valuable types of items in the world¨Ca health potion. As they''re able to save one from certain death, they''re as sparse as theye. Even with all of the Angel coins he rued, and the enemies he''s defeated, he''s only ever possessed three health potions at most, and two greater.

    "You defiler¨C!" The crazed man howled out, scratching the metallic ground to crawl towards him.

    No time was wasted as he drank the entirety of the bottle''s contents, downing each drop. It acted fast: restoring his health and mending his wound with its mystical properties.

    [Health Points Fully Restored. 2250/2250]

    They were greatly expensive to use, and it was thest of which he had, but it was well worth it in exchange for his life as he brought himself back to his feet.

    Alright¡­no more chances. I''ve got to do this right. My assassin skills will hardly be useful against him since he is more advanced in that ss than I am¨Cso I''ll have to rely on my Martial Artist ss. I haven''t put much thought into it now, but let''s use this¨CI put a couple points into "Taekwondo" before¨CI wanted to try it out here, but when he took out my leg, that wasn''t much of an option. Now¡­however, he thought.

    The lunic assant pulled himself back to his feet, which were shoeless as he walked barefoot with blistered, scarred feet across the dark metal.

    "Defiler! Defiler¨C! Heretic¡ª!" The man was beyond angered now, slurring his words as saliva spewed from his lips.

    He kept quiet, taking to the stance that came natural to him as he hopped on his feet, getting himself warmed up to the new style ofbat.

    The moment the man dashed towards him, he was on guard.

    Now¨C! He thought.

    ¨CHe predicted it: the [Blink Step]ing from the scar-faced attacker who warped directly in front of him as he countered with a high kick with a sharp twist of his body,unching his boot against the side of the man''s head.

    "Gah!"

    As the man stumbled, slobbering and swaying from the force of the kick¨Che didn''t stop there. He spun himself around, gathering force for another kick aimed for the man''s side, utilizing his enhanced physical prowess to m thenky man into the side of the wall.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: 2/9999]

    It already seemed effective enough, so he was surprised to see that he was only just now at the second proficiency level out of a whopping nine-thousand nine-hundred and ny-nine.

    He had never practiced Taekwondo before, but the basics came naturally to him with the assistance of his system.

    "...Inconceivable! I am the envoy of God''s wrath!--You can''t stop his punishment! No, no, no!" The man lunged at him without any form or grace, wildly swinging his de as he stomped towards him with saliva trailing from his lips.

    This time, while the man was without any tactical, sound mind, he used a [Blink Step] of his own, both evading the swing of the man''s de and setting himself up for another kick. It was natural and seamless; the system guided his instincts naturally as if he had already practiced the swinging kick hundreds of times beforehand, as if the form was ingrained into his mind already.

    When it came down to it, martial arts was the perfectplimentary ss to an assassin; as being an assassin required close-ranged attacks, he was able to slip into his opponent''s position easily and unleash swift attacks without much of a risk. Beyond that, the flexibility and refined technique of martial arts provided an all-around benefit to the way he moved his body.

    Itnded against the man''s back, using a roundhouse kick to cause the man to nearly fall forward before he rebnced himself with an unexpected [Blink Step], appearing at his side.

    "Perish! Die! Fall! Sleep¨C!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He contested the wild swings of the man barely, sweating as he stopped the swings before they could reach him, smacking the man''s wrist before delivering another sharp kick to his abdomen. He was still unable to fully put all of his weight behind the kick, but it was powerful enough.

    Even after using the health restoration potion, he felt the fatigue still present in his body, forcing him to act quickly as he delivered a series of blows against the crazed man''s body.

    "No-! No¡­! No¨C!"

    The man drooled as he was hit, unable to formte any semnce of strategy as he was helpless against the sudden disy of martial arts.

    After healing my wounds like that, my body is pretty exhausted¨CI have to end this quickly! He thought.

    "Cast: Skewer¨C!"

    The salivating man invoked a new, unknown spell, resulting in mystical des being conjured out of thin air, surrounding him, all pointing towards him with malicious intent.

    Not good, he thought.

    The moment the des shot towards him, he ran forward, drawing his daggers and deflecting the few des he was able to before using a [Blink Step], evading the bulk of the projectiles and using a spinning kick to divert a few more.

    It was a path that took the crazed, fiendish one by surprise as he was left agasp as the red-haired young man stepped behind him swiftly, holding a resolved glint in his emerald eyes.

    Raising his leg high and swiftly, he flexed his body to gather the full strength of his system-enhanced body, bringing it down in a crescent kick, mming the bottom of his boot down against the top of thenky man''s head.

    He didn''t have any room for restraint, bringing his leg down with full force as a bit of air pressure released, mming the man into the ground with a resounding quake that shook the corridor.

    "--Ngh¨C!"

    Though he yelled out, the man was out cold afterwards, having been brutally mmed into the steel floor with eyes that were now pupiless as his consciousness was temporarily plucked away.

    "Phew¡­"

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: 5/9999. Current Rank: Beginner]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Leopard Strike | Swift Descent]

    It seemed utilizing his Taekwondo abilities and oveing his opponent raised his proficiency, confirming his theory that this sub-ss operated differently than normal.

    "...I did it," he mumbled, "...I won. I''m still alive n'' kicking¡­"

    Standing there for a moment, he huffed, looking down at his unconscious foe, unknowing of what to do with him.

    The thought did ur to use one of the daggers at his hips and stick it in the man''s neck, but he couldn''t bring himself to do something so ruthless. Pondering that idea for a moment, he remembered the man''s taunts from earlier: "You don''t seem very proficient in killing."

    "Yeah, well¡­Maybe that''s a normal thing," he mumbled.

    Finding some rope, he tied the man up, leaving him in the corridor as he finally went on his way, though exhausted from the battle.

    It wasn''t some sort of soft spot for the man''s life that kept him from killing him. It was just a small fear deep within him, that if he killed--he wouldn''t stop.

    I''m not a hero, not even close, but...I''d like to keep my options open, and not kill if at all possible...He thought.

    If there are more freaks like him in this ce, that''s all the more reason to find the others¨Cas soon as possible, he thought.

    The thought still clung to his mind, even as he moved¨Chis inefficiency with killing.

 Chapter 42 Two Siblings

    "Crap¡­Well, this is a problem, isn''t it?"

    Hyun scratched his head as a new problem among many was presented to the group: there were six different passageways waiting for them in the first room past the lengthy, enigmatic corridor.

    "Is this a damn maze, or something?" Myung-Hee huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

    "Whatever it is, it''s trouble," Hyun replied.

    Staring down the shadow-d passageways with worry inhabiting her blue eyes, Kamou spoke, "...Should we split up?"

    "Huh? Why? That sounds dangerous," Hyun asked.

    "I agree¡­We don''t know what''s in here," Ara reinforced her brother''s words.

    They looked to her for her answer, but reason isn''t what mostly fueled her decision¨Cit was emotion. She was worried for Jeong-Hui, who was left alone in the enigmatic domain.

    "If we all go down the same corridor, who knows how long it will take to find Jeong-Hui¡­? By the time we found him, maybe¡­" She trailed her words.

    "Kamou¡­" Myung-Hee put her hand on the girl''s shoulder.

    As they stood there in the hall sitting before thebyrinth of corridors, silence befell the group as a lofty decision had to be made.

    "...I get what you mean¨CI do. I''m worried about Jeong-Hui, too," Hyun said, rubbing his head, "but, we can''t get reckless here, you know?"

    "I know, but¡­"

    "I guess it can''t be helped."

    "Huh?"

    To her surprise, Hyun seemed toe to an understanding with what she wanted quickly, to the surprise of the other two as well.

    "Brother¨C?" Ara looked at the orange-haired man.

    "Well, at the end of the day, stuff like this is gonna happen, right? I guess what I''m trying to say is¨Cwe should be prepared to act on our own," he exined, "Ara and I will be fine on our own¨Cand I''m damn sure you two will be, as well."

    "Hyun¡­" Kamou smiled.

    Myung-Hee pped the man on the back with a smallugh, "See? You get it!"

    "...Also, he saved us, so¡­What kind of people would we be not to return the favor," he said with a small blush, scratching his cheek, "...right?"

    "I''m sure he''d tell you not to think about it," Kamou smiled.

    "Sometimes, that guy is just too nice¡­It''s almost creepy," Hyunughed.

    They all shared a briefugh before settling down, smiling as the mood seemed to shift for the better.

    Hyun and Ara faced one corridor, while Kamou and Myung-Hee faced the other.

    "Alright!" Myung-Hee called out, "Let''s meet back here before we go down another corridor, alright? If one of our groups finds Jeong-Hui¨Ceven better!"

    "Sounds like a n," Hyun nodded.

    ¨C

    Venturing down the dark, quiet corridor, Hyun and his younger sister kept their steps quiet, remaining as cautious as can be.

    "Stay close, Ara," he instructed with a whisper.

    "You don''t have to tell me that," she replied quietly, "...Still, did you have to agree to something so reckless?"

    He couldn''t help butugh quietly, holding his hand over his hand to muffle the noise.

    "What''s so funny?" She looked up at him.

    "You''re always so cold to others, Ara. You know, there''s more to life than just your big brother," he told her, "--Not that I don''t like you depending on me, but¡­these people are good. Jeong-Hui is somebody worth being reckless for¨CI think."

    "You think? This is what I''ve never understood about you¡­" Ara breathed out quietly.

    "What''s that?" He smiled.

    "Sometimes, you act without thinking, as long as it''s for somebody else¡­" Ara muttered.

    "Is that a bad thing?"

    "It is," she looked at him.

    "I see¡­" He smiled, "Well, we all have our vices."

    Before their conversation could continue, a rumble resounded through the corridor, causing them to freeze as the floor beneath hummed with an ominous vibration.

    "What was that¡­?" Ara whispered.

    "Stay behind me," he instructed his younger sibling.

    "I''m not a k¨C"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ara."

    Without being able to argue against her elder sibling, Ara quietly nodded and stayed behind them as they moved forward cautiously.

    He kept his eyes forward as a droplet of sweat ran down his cheek, listening to his own breaths leave his lips in a rhythm.

    ¨CCould it be Jeong-Hui? If it''s a Defect, Ara and I can probably handle it¡­we''re high enough level to squeeze through even a level twelve, he thought.

    Part of him wanted to grab his sister''s hand and run the other way, but he refused to do so when imagining his friend lost alone in the depths of the dark dungeon.

    ¡­What kind of friend would I be to back out now? Should I at least tell Ara to wait near the entrance? He thought.

    "Hey, Ara¡­" He began to say.

    "No."

    "Huh¨C?"

    "You were about to tell me to stay behind, weren''t you? Well, I''m not," she insisted, grabbing onto the sleeve of his snow-white uniform.

    He sighed out, scratching his head as he ruffled his own bright, orange tufts, "Am I that easy to read?"

    Though he didn''t get a verbal answer, the look his sister gave him was telling enough as he chuckled quietly before returning to his serious demeanor when looking forward.

    "What do you think that rumble was¡­?" Ara asked him.

    "I don''t know, but I doubt it''s Jeong-Hui," he answered.

    There wasn''t much of an option when traversing the corridor of the dungeon¨Cit was narrow, dark, and without many features besides thepletely ck, smooth stone it was formed out of.

    He drew his sword from its sheath, gripping it tightly as he felt sweat exude from the pores on his palm while slowly moving forward.

    They didn''t exchange any words while traversing the narrow passageway, moving silently until reaching the next room.

    It was vast inparison to any previous chamber; upied by colossal pirs of intertwined, engraved dark-steel. The room was unnatural, or rather, inhuman in its design as the ceiling was curved and wavy like a vibrating, ck sea of solid material up above.

    The sound of liquid dripping down in a rhythm filled their ears alongside an unceable hum.

    "This ce¡­" Ara said quietly.

    "Yeah," he replied, "It''s giving me the creeps."

    As they slowly and cautiously walked around, scoping therge, mostly empty chamber, he came across something concerning painted on the walls:rge, crimson-painted crosses, alongside markings that were mostly mysterious to him.

    "What the¡­?"

    "Is that blood?" Ara asked with her hand over her mouth.

    It was when they came close to the crimson-coated walls that a stench was recognized; something putrid that attempted to coax the bile from his stomach.

    "What''s that smell¡­?!" He asked, covering his mouth as well.

    "It''s horrible."

    Though he couldn''t find a tangible answer to his question, he dide to see the next passageway waiting; it was difficult to see without first approaching the leftmost walls of that chamber, as it was suffocatingly dark.

    An odd whisper seeped through the hall; something different from the hum. It was subtle, but there¨Clike an augury of the darkness awaiting in the next hall.

    He looked around to see if there were any other paths, but it stood alone in the chamber, awaiting them like a gateway to something unknown and shrouded in enigma.

    "...I don''t know¡­" Ara said, staring down the dark passage.

    "We''vee this far, right?" He replied with a wry, forced smile.

    "...Still."

    "I told you¨Cif you''re worried, you can wait back there," he told her, reassuring her with a pat on the head, "--nothing showed up at the entrance, so it should be safe."

    "You know I''m not going to do that," Ara told him.

    "Yeah¡­I know," he smiled a bit.

    They both looked forward at the next hall, pausing as it took an ounce of courage too far to thoughtlessly step into.

    A certain breeze exuded from its depths, luring with it a chill that made him tighten his grip on his sword as he gulped down his fears.

    "Alright¨Clet''s go," he said.

    "--"

    Ara didn''t say a word as she followed directly behind him as they stepped into the eerie corridor.

    The moment he stepped past the threshold, the flooring creaked beneath his step. He could feel the weight of his step push down on the flooring, also being grasped by the cold air upying the hall as if it existed on a different boundary.

    "...You owe me on, Jeong-Hui," he muttered quietly to himself.

 Chapter 43 Ominous Foe

    Ara muttered while staying close to him, "...It''s so dark."

    "I know¡­hold on," he said, stopping.

    He held his sword up, running his finger along the surface of its silver, clean steel, "Cast: Burning Edge."

    From his invocation, a me spread itself across the steel, giving light to the shadowy corridor atst.

    It wasn''t something he wanted to do, as it ate away at his spirit and would likely give away his position, but it was far too dark to even move in, and it was simply eerie enough to make his skin crawl. With the light from the me, used like an unorthodox torch, they could finally see the hall they walked through.

    "You''re kidding¡­" He muttered in disbelief at what his eyes met with.

    The walls werepletely painted in blood¨Csome of which didn''t seem quite as dry as the other inscribings as it dripped down the surface.

    There were dozens of blood-drawn crosses, scattered over the walls in great numbers.

    "This isn''t right¡­!" Ara shook her head.

    "Ara¨C?!"

    As he looked back, he felt his sister tugging on his arm, coaxing him to retreat¨Cbut such a choice wasn''t avable.

    The walls closed in, shutting off the route they came in from and entrapping them in the corridor, prompting Ara to attempt to m her hands against the newly-formed wall, but achieving nothing.

    "...No! Not again¡­!" She let out.

    "Ara!"

    He grabbed her wrist, stopping her as her knuckles were already bloodied and cut from hitting the wall.

    "...This isn''t right¡­Something isn''t right, Brother¡­" Ara said as tears began to stroll down her cheeks.

    All he could do was look at her with worried eyes before letting go of her wrist, standing beside her as he raised his torch-like de for light.

    "I know. Something is messed up here," he told her, "but that''s why we have to find Jeong-Hui."

    "--"

    "I know you don''t want to hear it, but we don''t have much of a choice now, do we? And if we find him, our chances improve as well¨Cit''s a win-win," he assured her.

    "--"

    She was silent, clearly not wanting to go further down the blood-painted corridor, though he felt a simr way himself.

    "Ara,e on."

    A smile was given to her for reassurance as he extended his free hand to her. She looked at his hand for a moment with her pale, gray eyes before epting it, prompting them to begin moving forward again.

    This time, the hall descended into a flight of dark stairs that echoed each step they took downwards.

    He could feel Ara tightly holding onto his free arm while they slowly stepped down the dark stairs, lit only by the me-engulfed de he held out in front of him like a precious lifeline.

    The eerie feeling crawling across his skin couldn''t be shaken; though he spoke bold words to his sister, if the wall blocking their escape wasn''t there, he wouldn''t hesitate to leave now.

    Come on, Jeong-Hui¡­Meet us halfway, he wished.

    "I don''t think I have to tell you this, but¡­be ready to cast," he whispered to her.

    Ara simply nodded, replying quietly, "I know."<novelnext></novelnext>

    To their surprise, there was a faint light waiting at the bottom of the stairwell, greeting them with a soft, blue luminescence as they reached the bottom, entering into the awaiting room.

    He allowed the light-producing mes persisting on his de to dissipate as he lowered it, looking around at the mysterious chamber.

    "It''s weird. There haven''t been any Defects, yet," Ara said, standing beside him.

    "Here''s hoping it stays that way," he replied quietly.

    Torches holding blue mes sat on chiseled, ck-stone pirs that stood at half a dozen, connecting to the ceiling.

    It was a stark difference from the rest of the domain; the sleek, metallic makeup of the dungeon had shifted into a more archaic, stone-made foundation that housed soot, dust, and more blood paintings.

    "What''s that smell?¡­It''s terrible," Ara covered her nose as they ventured deeper into the room.

    "I don''t know, but I don''t like it¡­"

    He suddenly stopped as his next step was met with the feedback of wetness, sshing beneath his boot as he looked down.

    "¡ª"

    Words were caught in his throat as his eyes met with the puddle of crimson that sat on the floor, seeping into the cracks and grooves of the stone below.

    Slowly, he moved his eyes to find the puddle''s source: a limp, inanimate body covered incerations,id on the ground.

    "¡ªNo¡­!" He shook his head.

    As he took a step back, he bumped against his younger sister, turning back to look at her.

    "Ara¡ª?"

    Looking at her, he found her eyes trembling, staring off at something.

    "¡­Hyun¡­"

    It was a rare asion for her to call him by his name¡ªa fact that made his blood run colder in his veins than it already did.

    "¡­Who is that¡­?" She asked in a whisper almost unmistakable for a breath.

    He slowly began to match the direction of her gaze, still stiff with fear from the body present in the room.

    "¡ª"

    A lump formed in his throat, his blood turned to frost, and he froze with utter fear at the sight of the other entity existing in the room.

    It was a man, most likely, though it was difficult to tell with the full-body robes, tightened with belts around their body and limbs, all-ck and obscuring, but they were enormous. They stood at least a head taller than himself, standing at the other end of the room, blocking what looked like the next corridor.

    Something about the figure struck dread into him; they stood there¨Csilent and still like a statue, yet their subtle breathing could be heard behind the tattered, makeshift mask they wore in the form of a bag.

    What prompted him to finallye back to his senses was seeing the red cross etched onto the front of the tall man''s garments, triggering his fight-or-flight response:

    "...Ara, get back¨Crun! Go!"

    Just as he turned back to give his sister a push in the opposite direction, guiding her towards the stairs, the sounds of heavy, but rapid footsteps began, repeating behind him.

    "Hyun!" Ara called out to him.

    He turned around, barely managing to lift his sword as another object crashed against it, wielded by the towering, heavily-breathing man who had sprinted the length of the ominous chamber in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 44 Unspeakable Despair

    "Hyun!" Ara called out to him.

    He turned around, barely managing to lift his sword as another object crashed against it, wielded by the towering, heavily-breathing man who had sprinted the length of the ominous chamber in the blink of an eye.

    Though he guarded against the sudden attack, it was nothing short of a miracle, and even then, he was pushed back immediately as his soles slid across the ground.

    "...Little man¡­Little woman¡­"

    The enigmatic giant of a man spoke in a bellowing voice, pushing his curved, blood-stained ymore against his much smaller de.

    His eyes were unable to be seen through the dark holes poked into the makeshift mask he wore, though his gaze could be felt as he struggled against the monstrous strength possessed by the tall man, gritting his teeth.

    "Ara¡­run¨C!" He yelled out again, though strained as he was pushed back further.

    It didn''t take long for his back to meet against the wall, having little room to resist the push of therge, unclean weapon wielded haphazardly by the hunched-over giant.

    His arms trembled, quivering as he used both hands to grip his sword, already breaking into a heavy sweat as he focused his entire being on pushing back against the towering man.

    The entire time, he could feel the hot, unpleasant breath of the man befall him, overshadowedpletely.

    "Cast: Stone Seal!"

    ¨CAra invoked her magecraft, assisting her sibling as stone-made chains protruded from the ground, wrapping themselves around the wrists and ankles of the lumbering brute.

    "What''s¡­this¡­?" The giant man bellowed.

    Rather than being frightened or angered, the man only simply seemed curious, looking at his bindings as the much smaller, orange-haired man finally escaped from his push, ducking and rolling away as he runited with his sister.

    Getting aplete look at the giant again, who was bound in chains of pale-gray stone, the system simply returned back to him an "error" when retrieving yer information.

    "...It''s just like before¨Cwith those other people¡­! He''s a yer hunter!" Ara said anxiously, gripping onto his sleeve.

    "Yeah¡­let''s get the hell out of here!" He said, beginning to turn back towards the stairs.

    "We can''t go back though¨Cit''s sealed off!" She reminded him.

    He paused for a moment, hastened with anxiety as he could see the giant man fiddling with his bindings.

    "...Peculiar¡­New magic¡­" The giant man mumbled, tugging on the stone chains.

    The thought urred to him to use the sword in his hand and strike the man while he was bound, but something screamed at him to run instead.

    Still, he was stifled by the thought of traveling even deeper into the domain, but it was looking to be the only option as he grabbed his sister''s hand, taking off in a sprint through the dreadful chamber and into the next hall.

    They didn''t exchange words while running, only concentrating on getting away from the giant man. His heart thumped wildly in his body, mming against his chest as he concentrated only on moving one foot in front of the other, as quickly as possible.

    He hardly even digested his surroundings, not realizing until it was toote, after taking sharp corner after sharp corner with his sister''s hand held in his own that he was in some sort of dark, sootybyrinth.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The air was thick and hard to breath; filled with abhorrent particles that filled his lungs with a particr disgust, fueled by the mmy walls that were slick with grime, blood, or a mixture of both. From the walls, chains hung, some holding bits and pieces of what looked to be flesh¨Csome of animals, and some questionably of something more dark.

    "What''s this¡­?" He said quietly,ing to a stop.

    There was no response from his muttered question as he looked up at the ceiling, which seemed to to be inhabited by silver spikes.

    "Ara¨C?"

    Looking back after receiving no response from his sister, he clenched her hand, feeling no feedback as he finally turned around to see¨Cnothing.

    "Ara¡­?"

    Everything went cold; his ears rang, and his heart stifled.

    What he held in his quivering grip was indeed his sister''s hand, but it was attached to nothing else. There was nothing he could do but stand there¨Cfrozen¨Cfor the moments that dragged on like an eternity of utter horror.

    He immediately dropped it out of sheer terror, falling onto his rear as his legs gave out from beneath him. Even his de fell from his grip, tumbling onto the floor below as the steel rattled, echoing off of the narrow, deathly walls as he began hyperventting.

    It felt as if his breath was forever lost from his lungs, unable to manage the rapidpression and expansion of his crazed respiratory system.

    "Ara¡­Ara¡­Ara¡­!" He repeated her name, beginning to scream it out in hopes of getting a response in turn.

    ¨CNo such luck came.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    Heavy steps appeared, vibrating the ground he sat on in horror with each slow step. Even still, he could hardly process such a thing as shock enveloped his body, running along his skin in the form of a pale, unseen sheet of ice.

    "...Little sheep¡­fleeing¡­"

    It was that harrowing, bellowing voice that met his ears as arge figure began to be visible from the shadows clinging to the corridor.

    Each heavy step caused the chains shackled to the walls to chime as the sound of something being dragged across the floor filled his ringing ears with a repetitive scratch.

    "Sinners must be¡­saved¡­"

    He finally came into view¨Cunfortunately for the trembling eyes of the orange-haired man.

    Being dragged in one hand by the giant, hunched-over man was the broken and beaten, bloodied body of a girl familiar to him.

    "...Ara¡­!" He called out, straining his throat as tears fled his eyes.

    To the fortune of his sanity, she was still alive, though hardly conscious as he looked at him, being held by her hair as she reached out to him with her singr, blood-soaked hand.

    "Hyun¡­"

 Chapter 45 The Fall Of The Innocent

    "Hyun¡­"

    There were so many things he wanted to do, so many actions avable, so many emotions flooding through his mind¨Cbut all of those options only made him a scrambling mess as he crawled to his feet. He nearly fell back over in doing so, picking up his sword as tears flooded from his ears.

    "Let her go¡­!"

    As he rushed towards the man, screaming at the top of his lungs as tears fled in his sprint, he was stopped, left frozen as the giant, brutish man tossed his battered sister directly towards him.

    "...Ara?!"

    His aggressionpletely halted as he spread his arms, giving up his attack in order to catch his sister. As soon as he caught her, he held her tightly in his arms as if afraid of losing her again.

    Hearing how faint her breathing was, he felt his heart shatter, seeing up close just what the state of her body was.

    It couldn''t have been more than a minute they had been separated, but she was covered incerations and bruises, bleeding out of her nose, mouth, ears, and many cuts across her body. It seemed as if more of her skin was dyed in red than her naturalplexion.

    "Ara¡­!"

    He was angered, and at the same time saddened¨Cthough as he held her with a growing resolve, their reunitement was cut short.

    "--"

    A visceral squelch filled his ears, feeling an inexplicable heat in his abdomen. It quickly bubbled up into a harsh warmth, looking down to find what the cause of it was: through both of their bodies, the rusty ymore wielded by therge man pierced them together.

    "...Gyuh¡­!"

    He spat out a lofty amount of blood from his throat, spilling down his chin as he looked down at his sister.

    She was already gone; whateverst bits of life she had left were taken in that one, sweeping blow.

    "Ara¡­!...Ara!...Ara!...Ara!"

    As he held her, gripping her shoulders and shaking her to try and reignite whatever embers of life might be left in her, he vomited up a heaping amount of blood once more as the ymore was retrieved from his bowels.

    He could feel its jagged, unkempt edge tearing and pulling at his innards as it was withdrawn, causing him to fall to his knees as it was plucked from him and his sister''s bodies.

    "Ara¡­!" He called her name as blood seeped down his lips.

    Attempting to reach her, he was kept to his knees, holding his gut as he could feel his organs attempting to fall out.

    "...So fragile¡­" The brutish, hulking man said through his mask, letting his blood-slick ymore rest against the ground.

    Sitting there, dark blood rushed outwards from his gaping wound as he was lost, staring at the corpse of his shattered siblings with eyes that stared endlessly somewhere else.

    The ringing persisted in his ears as reality felt like a fleeing, yet terrifying dream.

    "...Ara¡­"

    Once more, her name left his lips in a quiet, trembled breath.

    His body fluctuated from hot to cold, warm to freezing, burning to chilly¨Csitting there as blood seeped from the corners of his lips, pouring against his hand and out of his eviscerated abdomen whilst the giant lumbered towards him.

    ¡­Why did ite to this? Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this? He thought.

    It felt like the cruelest fate that could await him, alone in such darkness and depravity that he felt cursed.

    He sat there on his knees, knelt in a united puddle of his own blood and his sister''s, unmoving as the giant, masked man stopped in front of him, raising his ymore with one hand as if it were a light dagger.

    ¡­There''s no damn way I''m dying and letting you live. Why should I burn in Hell while you still walk the Earth? That''s unfair. I won''t ept it, he thought.

    Instead of bleak sadness fueling him, an insurmountable, unsurpassed anger drove through his body as his expression contorted with the tears strolling down his cheeks in further abundance.

    "AHHH¨C!"

    He stood up just as the ymore came down, barely missing him as the man didn''t seem to expect a second wind from him.

    With his sword in hand, holding it tightly with both hands, his wound was uncovered as his guts began to seep out, but he charged forward nheless with only red in his sights.

    "You¡­still¡­?!"

    Before the lumbering giant of a man could react, the orange-haired, rage-driven man leapt towards him, using his own sword like a knife as he stabbed it repeatedly into the man''s muscr neck, driving it as deep as he could, as fast as he could¨Cover and over.

    "Raagh¨C! Sinner¡­perish!"

    The slow, slurred words of the tall man bellowed out, but he still stood even while being repeatedly pierced.

    He was caught in a bear hug by the brutish man, beginning to be squeezed tightly as he felt his flesh and bones beingpressed together as his back began to crack.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But, he held no tethering to his life anymore, only focused on ending the man in front of him as he continued stabbing into the man, lodging his de into the side of the neck before using both of his hands to gouge the man''s eyes.

    "Graaah¨C!"

    The giant groaned out in pain, but didn''t let go, continuing to squeeze him tightly into the hold before¨CSNAP.

    "--"

    Blood burst from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, having his spine snapped by the monstrous strength of the merciless giant.

    He was dropped onto the ground, unable to move as hended directly next to his sister, feeling the warmth of his own blood ooze out beneath him while he coughed up further crimson.

    Past his sadness and rage, he felt satisfaction¨Conly able to look up, he could see a fountain of blood spewing from the various holes in the ogre-like man''s neck, stumbling and blinded as he screamed out in agony.

    After a minute of stumbling around, bumping into walls and swinging his de at the air, the giant man fell over, face first into the ground with arge thump.

    "...Heh¡­I did it¡­"

    He celebrated wryly, immediately coughing back up as he felt just how shattered and damaged his body was.

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5. Remaining Health Points: 0/2150]

    As his health points reached zero, the personal interface disappeared, leaving him without his system any longer as his white uniform returned him to his normal clothes.

    It marked the point of no return. He was in the grasps of the reaper,ying on death''s threshold, only waiting now for the solemn ferry to fetch him.

    "--"

    Heid there, breathing as he turned his head, looking at his fallen sibling, whoid motionlessly. Seeing her again, the tears left his eyes once more as he carefully extended his trembling hand towards her,manding all of his remaining, fleeting strength to grasp her hand.

    "...I''m the worst¡­big brother¡­aren''t I¡­?"

    Saying that, he stared silently at her with quivering eyes, clenching her hand and hoping she''d reject his words with her own, but no such reprieve came.

    ¡­I couldn''t repay that debt, Jeong-Hui.

    Instead¡­I lost everything trying to pay it back. I''m hopeless, aren''t I? I don''t know if it''s much for repayment, Jeong-Hui, but¡­if the desire of a dying man has any power, then you can have it¨Clive and kick Armageddon right in the teeth for me, he thought.

    Still¡­if Heaven or Hell really do exist now¡­I guess maybe I can pray I go wherever she does.

    Please, God.

    If there''s one thing you can grant me, then grant me that one wish¡­He thought.

    As his eyelids slowly shut, the beating of his heart came to a crawl.

    Ba-Dump.

    Ba-Dump.

    Ba-Dump¡­

    ¡­Ba-Dump.

    ¡­

    ¨C

    In unison, the other three members of the party saw the interface for the party information, showcasing the deletion of the two siblings.

    It was a stunning moment, leaving the three frozen.

    "Hyun¡­Ara¡­" Jeong-Hui let out audible, stopping in the middle of a corridor as his eyes trembled.

    A single tear crept down his cheek as he was processing this information. Standing there for a moment, alone in his silence, he mmed his fist against the wall.

    "Dammit¡­"

 Chapter 46 The Last Bastion Of Gods Will: The Insane

    Somewhere else within the merciless dungeon, Myung-Hee and Kamou were taken aback by this news as well.

    "...No¡­It''s my fault¡­" Kamou hid her face in her hands, beginning to exude her guilt in the form of tears.

    "Hey¡­stop that. It''s not¨C"

    Myung-Hee did her best tofort herpanion, but it seemed the guilt was well-ingrained in her.

    "...There''s nobody to me, Kamou," Myung-Hee told her.

    "--"

    "If you want somebody to me, then it''s both of us."

    For another few minutes, the silver-haired girl stood there, exuding her sadness while Myung-Hee looked more angered at who could''ve done such a thing.

    Kamou looked at her, already having a face full of tears as they stood in the dark chamber.

    "Why did this happen¡­?" She asked.

    "Wish I could answer why any of this crap is happening," Myung-Hee responded, scratching her head, "This world is just cruel, isn''t it?"

    "...It is, but I still believe in it," Kamou muttered, stifling her tears as she tried to adjust herself.

    Even still, no such time for reprieve came as a massive m echoed off of the infallible walls. It felt as if there was no room to even be sad, as the harrowing dungeon disyed its fangs.

    The room they were currently in was essed after descending a lengthy flight of stairs, structured in a dome-like shape with contorted angel statues inhabiting the grimy space.

    "What was that¡­?" Kamou asked quietly, wiping the tears from her face.

    Myung-Hee held her ymore, clenching the handle with focused eyes as she looked down the dark hall, "...No clue, but it''s probably bad news."

    The taller, sleeveless woman could tell that herpanion was hardly in the state to fight: Kamou was visibly shaken¨Cher fingers quivering just as her knees did, with tears still streaming down her cheeks despite her attempting topose herself.

    Myung-Hee took to the front, cing herself before her silver-headedpanion to face whatever was causing the repetitive, closely-growing thumping in the corridor beyond the chamber they sat in.

    It wasn''t that she was unaffected by the fall of her twopanions, but she was more caught in the present danger and issues they were pressed with.

    ¡­She''s not in any condition to fight right now¡­I''d like to get the hell out of here, at least for now¡­but Jeong-Hui is still in this ce¨CI saw his health drop low then shoot back up, and it''s been fine now. He''s still fighting down here¨Cwe can''t leave him, Myung-Hee thought.

    As she kept her ymore raised, footsteps became audible¨Cthey weren''t frantic or approaching aggressively, but traversing calmly in their direction,ing from down the corridor beyond the current chamber.

    "Someone''sing¡­" Myung-Hee warned quietly.

    Kamou stifled her tears to the best of her ability, holding her mystical staff in her shaking fingers as she fought hard to possess them to grip the rod.

    A long, loud inhale could be heard following the melodic steps in the corridor, as if someone was sniffing the surrounding air.

    "I smell sin."<novelnext></novelnext>

    What showed itself from the hall was a man, crawling on all fours like a beast, covered in a scroungy, bristly mane of lengthy, scarlet hair that was almost like a coat of fur running down his back.

    But, there was another, one holding a chain leash that was wrapped around the man''s neck: a tall, deathly-pale man with snow-white hair and unblinking, all-white eyes.

    A smile was held across his lips as he stepped into the room, guiding with him the beast-like man who continued sniffing the air with a metal te screwed to his head that acted as a blindfold.

    "Is it potent, Yu-Jin?" The man asked.

    He wore a long, all-ck set of robes simr to that of a priest, bearing a crimson cross on the forefront of his garments.

    "Strong. Strong! It! Is! Sinners!"

    Answering the question, the hound-like man on all fours answered frantically, tugging at his chain leash as he attempted to lunge at the two women, who stepped back.

    The dog-like one was yanked back by his metal bindings, reared back by the tall, white-eyed man whose expression contorted into almostical rage.

    "Down, Yu-Jin!"

    "--"

    Without a word or further contesting, the blinded, abhorrent man on all-fours stopped, falling silent as the standing man''s expression returned to its previous smile.

    It was a perplexing, almost feverish sight in the depths of the dark dungeon; two humans, yet¨Cthey seemed more depraved and far away from humanity than Defects of Heaven.

    "Greetings, sinners," the white-haired man spoke to them, "Wee to the "Last Bastion of God''s Will"...I hope you''ve found it quite hospitable thus far."

    He spread his arms out in a wee, though that stained, yellow-and-brown, decrepit smile of his he disyed was anything butforting.

    "...Who the hell are ya''?" Myung-Hee asked, staying on guard.

    "Ah, a suitable question. I am the envoy of God''s wrath, the protector of his realm, the reaper of sinners¡­You may call me Cah-In, however."

    The two women couldn''t make much sense of the words spewing from the man''s dried, blistered lips, but rather be disgusted at his abhorrent fashion as he spoke visually, moving his arms about whilst holding the leash in his hand.

    "I don''t care about all of that loony bullshit¡­just answer one thing," Myung-Hee said, holding a malicious, intentful glint in her eye.

    "Oh¡­what may that be?" Cah-In smiled, holding his hands behind his back.

    Myung-Hee mmed her ymore against the ground, holding it there as a symbol of her malice, "Did you do that to Hyun and Ara?"

    The question made Kamou flinch, and brought on a further crease to the snow-haired man''s smile, all while the dog-like one panted on all-fours.

    Cah-In grinned, tilting his head to the side, "...Such names are mysteries to my ears, however, they must be the friends you''vee here with¨Cthe aplices of sin. You think I''ve killed them, do you? I can see it in your eyes: such heartfelt rage, the burning sorrow¨Cveiled by a darkness so abundant that no light can shine through."

    "Answer the question¡­!" Myung-Heemanded, clenching her weapon so tightly her veins protruded against her skin.

    The slender, white-eyed man shrugged his shoulders, "I''ve done no such thing. However, I imagine they''ve met with Hah-Gaal. As an envoy of God, he''s aplished his mission¡­it seems as though they took each other out¨Coh, what sadness¡­" Cah-In mourned, though it seemedically exaggerated as he held himself, "It is a shame to lose such a devout, hard-working ally of true belief¡­He''s done his mission, though. After cleansing sinners, he''s earned his valued spot in Heaven."

 Chapter 47 Bad End

    It was infuriating listening to the maddened spiels of a man who had long since been released from his sanity.

    "What the hell are ya'' on about¡­?! What''s yer'' game here, huh?! Why''re you attacking us¨C?!" Myung-Hee shouted out at the man.

    As he was holding himself in a sad embrace, he suddenly stopped, seizing his tears as his expression shifted back to almostplete apathy as he stared dead center at the brte-haired woman.

    "What''s the purpose of this? Need you ask? Is it not obvious? Is our work not clear? Is it fogged? Is it hazed? Is it that unclear? Is? It?" The man spoke quickly before stopping, adjusting himself as he tugged on the leash of the hound-man, pulling him back, "...Forgive me, I let go of my emotions for a moment there."

    "--"

    "..."The Last Bastion of God''s Will"...the truth is in the name, maidens. When Armageddon befell our world, Heaven''s gates opened¨Cthough¡­I questioned: why? If we, humanity, were all deemed unfit to continue on, why were we given this grace by God?...I found my answer: he is simply too just. Too kind. Too forgiving. I could not stand such a thought. Heaven, the true, one paradise in existence, upied by sinners? It must be reserved only for those who truly love God and appreciate his will. That''s our mission; we will purge those who wish to ascend to Heaven, and allow them only reprieve in the depths of Hell."

    Maddening.

    That''s all it was; they expected some semnce of a reason, but in truth, it was delusion, insanity, and without logic.

    "...Yer'' just a psycho¨Cin and simple," Myung-Hee muttered, gripping her weapon, "I knew there were people like ya'', but¡­it still disgusts me¨CHyun and Ara were good people¡­ya'' had no right!"

    "I had every right!" Cah-In contested her words, spreading his arms as he yanked the chain leash he held in his hand before letting it go, "--With that right, I will continue my mission: Yu-Jin, bring me their heads!"

    Without hesitation, the red-haired man on all fours began to rapidly rush towards the two, lunging towards the silver-haired girl in the back before being stopped by the ymore-wielding warrior.

    "--No ya'' don''t, you freak!"

    Though she swung her lengthy de towards the abhorrent man, he evaded it with a nimble leap utilizing his limbs, twisting his body as he held a sharp-toothed smile.

    "...Dark Edge¡­"

    Yu-Jin''s low, gravelly voice sounded out before his lengthened fingers and sharpened nails became enveloped in a dark energy, carving into the stone beneath his step before he rushed towards the woman again.

    ¨CHe used a weapon-enhancing spell without a weapon? Myung-Hee thought.

    Before they shed, Kamou gathered herself through her chattering teeth and trembling fingers, pointing her staff towards herpanion:

    "Cast: Haste¨C"

    "I don''t think so."

    ¨CThe interruption came from Cah-In, who remained at the back of his side still as if spectating the battle, raising a single palm as the young woman attempted to cast magic.

    "Cancel: Magic."

    "Huh¡­?!"

    Nothing came from her invocation besides a few dud particles of mana, resulting in no spell being cast, leaving herpanion unsupported.

    It¡­didn''t work? He canceled my magic¡­? Isn''t this like¨Cthat person from before? She thought.

    "Kamou! What''s wrong!"

    Myung-Hee yelled out without looking back, being forced to sh with the red-haired dog-man who rapidly swiped at her, forcing her to hide behind her ymore like a shield.

    Her anxiety spiked tenfold as she looked forward to see her brte-hairedpanion being forced back by the aggressive, repeated shes from Yu-Jin, who slobbered and howled as he continued his barrage of attacks.

    "Ngh¡­!" Myung-Hee gritted her teeth.

    shes began to pierce through her guard, cutting at her skin andcerating it with ease as the blindfolded man used his lengthened, enhanced ws.

    "...Cast: Haste!"

    This time as she used it, she specifically watched the pale-haired man who stood still, watching as he simply held a vague smile, this time not attempting to interrupt her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨CBut again, nothing came out but a slight fizzle of mana.

    "What¡­?"

    "Kamou, a little help would be great¨C!" Myung-Hee called out.

    "...I''m trying, but nothing is working¡­!" Kamou yelled back as tears crept on her eyes whilst the sense of powerlessness flooded through her body.

    What''s wrong with me¡­? Why can''t I use any magic? I thought "Cancel: Magic" only stopped one instance of magic. Could it be¡­itpletely negates my magic for a certain amount of time¡­? Is something like that even possible? This is a different system we''re talking about¡­it''s not out of the question¡­She thought frantically.

    As she theorized this in her mind with a trembling bottom lip, it felt all but confirmed by the pleased smile she saw stretched across Cah-In''s lips.

    Myung-Hee finally managed to repel the quadrupedal man, forcing him back by swinging him away with her ymore and stomping her boot against the ground.

    She momentarily nced back at her silver-hairedpanion, already drenched in sweat and bleeding from a dozencerations.

    "What''s going on, Kamou?!"

    "...I don''t know¡­I think he canceled my ability to use magic¡­?" Kamou answered with a quivering voice.

    Myung-Hee''s eyes widened at this information, but was forced to turn her attention back to the battle as she witnessed the jarring, harrowing shift in Kamou''s expression.

    As the woman back to turn back, she started an invocation, "Cast: Grand Re¨C"

    "Cast: Greater Haste."

    ¨CThe invocation came from the lips of the long-haired, pale-skinned cultist, invoking his magecraft as Myung-Hee''s was stifled in her throat.

    The agility-enhancing magic shrouded Yu-Jin, amplifying the dog-like man''s speed greatly as he bounced from wall-to-wall, throwing off Myung-Hee''s senses.

    "Myung-Hee¡­!" Kamou yelled out.

    ¨CIt was toote to have any effect.

    SQUELCH.

    mped onto her jugr, the jaws of the red-haired, animalistic man squeezed.

    "Gyuh¡­!" Myung-Hee cried out.

    It was a horrific, blood-chilling sight; the deformed, inhuman man''s teeth sunk deep into the woman''s throat. Before she could make any effort to retaliate, he reared his red hair-covered head back, using his powerful jaws to rip out a chunk of her throat in one go.

    "M-myun¡­"

    Kamou couldn''t even properly release the name from her lips as she fell to her knees, simply looking out with tear-streaming eyes as a fountain of blood spurted from the torn neck of her friend.

    "Good job, Yu-Jin!" Cah-In praised the dog-man.

    The man howled out, drenched in the abundantly-spilling arterial fluid of his foe as he spat out the chunk of flesh from his mouth.

    Myung-Hee was left gasping and choking, immediately falling to one knee as she used one hand to cover her bleeding neck.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, Kamou could see the health points of herpanion drop down in one fell swoop, and continuing to rapidly plummet as blood fell to the ground.

    "Myun¡­"

    Kamou managed to bring herself over to herpanion, crawling over to her side with eyes trembling and wide, as if unable to perceive the reality she so fervently wished to reject.

 Chapter 48 Descent Into...?

    "...Cast: Recover¡­!"

    She desperately tried to use the restorative magic on herpanion, holding her magecraft-conjuring staff close to the gushing wound.

    "Cancel: Magic."

    ¨CAgain, her magic was snuffed out before she could conjure anything, all done at the snap of the man''s bony fingers, backed by his blood-churning grin.

    "...No¡­"

    She could hardly manifest the words from her gut through the infallible veil of despair hanging around her.

    It continued to rapidly descend in front of her eyes; the life of her friend.

    Myung-Hee was profusely sweating, oveing a sh fever at the continuous, aggressive loss of blood as she kept her hand over the wound in a futile attempt to stifle the loss.

    "...Get out of here."

    Those words muttered from Myung-Hee''s lips confused the silver-haired girl as she sat there on her knees beside herpanion, only faintly hearing theughter and heckles of the two entities of evil who seemed to spectate with interest.

    "What¡­? Why would I leave¡­? You''reing, right?..." Kamou asked weakly.

    Myung-Hee only stared at her, the white, sleeveless uniform she wore bing half-drenched in crimson as she did her best topose herself.

    "I''m not makin'' it outta here, Kamou."

    "--"

    "...I''ve¡­maybe for a minute or two¡­I''m not usin'' that to il around and act all pathetic, holdin'' onto my life¡­I''m usin'' it to actually do somethin''."

    Myung-Hee''s words were backed up as the bleeding warrior-ss woman struggled, but managed to lift herself back to her feet, using her ymore to help her bnce.

    "Myung-Hee¡­!"

    She attempted to persuade herpanion otherwise, but that look embedded in the eyes of the bulwark woman stopped her: utter convictionid in her eyes¨Cepting of the fate that awaited her.

    ? Why¡­is she already so open to death? There''s still hope, isn''t there? Something can be done, right? Even if it''s a one-in-a-million¡­! She thought.

    "Even¡­if it''s just praying for a miracle¡­Myung-Hee, we have to go!--I can still¨C!" Kamou tried to urge her.

    Myung-Hee remained unmoving to her words, only stepping in front of her as the red-haired hound-man was on the prowl once more with her second, andst stand.

    "I''m makin'' a miracle right now."

    "...?"

    "Get outta here already, Kamou¡­!" Myung-Hee yelled at her, "I''ll never forgive ya'' if ya'' don''t even give me the chance to make somethin'' outta my death, ya'' hear?!"

    "--"

    There were no further words she could say; she understood what was being asked of her, though it was difficult to swallow.

    Silence filled her throat as she looked on with trembling, tearful eyes at herpanion, but resolutely nodded her head, holding her hands close to her chest.

    "...I''ll go¡­"

    Myung-Hee wore a small smile at her understanding before returning to her hardened, resolved expression.

    "...Then get outta here already! Go!"

    ¨CWith that, Kamou finally nodded, running back towards the steps to venture back to the original hall with diverging paths.

    "No, I don''t believe I''ve permitted such a thing: Yu-Jin, get her!" Cah-Inmanded.

    As the dog-man sprinted towards the silver-haired girl on all fours, leaping towards her with his unnatural fangs bearing, he was intercepted by Myung-Hee, who moved with speed unbing of somebody in her condition, forcing the red-haired, animalistic foe to twist himself back to avoid being bisected.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How do you still move¡­?" Yu-Jin asked in his raspy, low voice.

    Myung-Hee had one hand on her bleeding, torn throat, and one holding her ymore, breathing heavily as she simply stared at him.

    "...Good question¡­"

    ¡ª

    Running up the stairs, the silver-haired maiden didn''t look back; clenching to thest wish of her friend, she ran and ran, surmounting the steps as tears fled from her eyes.

    Why¡­am I so weak? She questioned.

    Shutting her eyes, she didn''t want to imagine what the sounds she hearding from the chamber far behind her now were¨Cthe sh of steel, the grunts, the yells¨Cnone of it was wanted against her ears.

    Running without stopping, she pushed herself, stumbling and falling down as she reached the starting point from which the tragedy embarked; the room bearing many passageways.

    "--"

    Sheid there for a moment, still processing what was happening as she caught a glimpse of the party status in the corner of her eye:

    [Kamou Yoo. Level 12. Health Points: 2700/2700]

    [Jeong-Hui. Level 12. Health Points: 2250/2500]

    [Myung-Hee Yun. Level 12. Health Points: 0/3000]

    "--"

    In the next moment, after having witness herpanion''s health plummet to the state which can''t be returned from, the party status shifted:

    [Kamou Yoo. Level 12. Health Points: 2700/2700]

    [Jeong-Hui. Level 12. Health Points: 2250/2500]

    She was gone; Myung-Hee''s status was erased following her loss of life, prompting the tears to force their way out of the girl''s eyes.

    "...Myung-Hee¡­"

    A quiet mourn left her lips as she cried,ying there for a moment before forcing herself up, cing her hands on her knees to help herself stand.

    She didn''t want to, but she knew she had no other choice.

    She did this for me¡­a helpless person like me¡­the least I can do is keep going. I¡­I have to find Jeong-Hui¡­She thought.

    The same problem from the very beginning arose: selecting the proper path among enigmatic options.

    As the sounds of footsteps and panting became audible,ing from beyond the depths of the hall in which she just escaped from, she forced herself to make an option, opting for one of the unexplored passages as she ran down it.

    It was a faint hope she held onto, but she held it dear and close to her heart: the fact that Jeong-Hui''s status seemed fine.

    He''s doing his best¨Che''s making it. We can make it out of this still¡­! She thought.

    As she moved with this hope in mind, not hesitating to traverse the depths of the horrific keep of the cult, she eventually found herself stumbling into an unknown, enigmatic area: it was the edge of a precipice, guided only by adder that led downwards.

    "Adder¡­? She mumbled quietly.

    But, it was exactly what she hoped to find¨Csomething leading far downwards, as Jeong-Hui had seemingly fallen to such depths previously.

    It was so abundantly, suffocatingly dark that she couldn''t even see the domain in which thedder led down towards, but after standing there for a moment, she found it to be her only choice as she began her descent.

    Please stay safe, Jeong-Hui¡­She prayed.

    Tears were still falling down her cheeks even as she pushed herself, as an explicable sorrow embedded itself in her heart, causing her to yearn for salvation in the safety of her one, finalpanion.

 Chapter 49 Sinner

    "...Why is this happening?"

    He leaned against a wall, pressing his palm against it as he held his other hand over his left eye with a strained expression.

    Tears strolled from his eyes, fleeing downwards as he stood there in a mixture of confusion, anger, and sadness.

    "Hyun, Ara, and¡­now Myung-Hee¡­? What the hell is going on?!"

    He balled his fist up, mming it against the wall harshly before resting his forehead against its cold, grimy surface.

    It was just Kamou and himself left on the party status¨Ca reality he thought felt like a horrific nightmare that he wished to cast aside, but no such reprieve was found.

    Instead, he was alone in the dark, maze-like halls of the dungeon, finding himself traversing its confusingyout with no proper direction.

    "...Kamou¡­"

    I have to find her¨Cbefore it''s toote! He resolved, And if any of these freaks get in my way¡­I don''t have room or time for mercy¨CI can''t hesitate.

    Though, he hardly knew where to begin; he wandered aimlessly and tirelessly with a heart filled with anxiety.

    Even walking forward felt like a task in itself as he tried to suppress his emotions, feeling his steps grow heavier with each step.

    Simply, his heart throbbed¨Cit ached. It was a sadness he wasn''t ustomed to; the loss of friends. Even in the face of the apocalypse itself, he didn''t experience firsthand loss, not so close, and so visceral.

    More than grief in that moment, he felt enraged: the fewpanions he had made were stripped away from him, and the hard fight they fought for their lives were snuffed out.

    ¡­I''ll get them. Whatever it takes¨Cthese people can''t be left¨Cthey can''t continue doing this, he thought.

    By now, he regretted sparing the one he encountered earlier, but it was toote to turn back¨Che had to find Kamou.

    As he turned down a few corridors in thebyrinth that was covered in filth and chains, he quickly covered his nose at the arrival of a repugnant stench.

    "What''s that¡­?"

    He asked himself, muffled by his hand as he looked up, stepping back out of sheer shock of the sight that awaited his eyes: bodies, strung up by the chains, decrepit, rotting, and left for whatever reason.

    The one question that arrived in his mind was simply: "Why?"

    It made no sense why such a thing would be done, but it was something he found his own answer to through remembering the man he encountered earlier: there was no rhyme or reason to evil.

    He pulled his scarf over his nose, continuing to move down the zigzagging corridors while attempting to keep the bodies out of view, but the inherent, human curiosity kept causing his vision totch onto the horrific sights persisting at the corners of his eyes.

    ¡­Dying in a ce like this is just¡­He thought.

    Imagining Kamou now being alone in such a repulsive domain of utter depravity, he felt his body run over with an impatient, bubbling heat, yet feeling his spine running with a chill at the same time.

    "I have to find her¡­" He whispered to himself.

    Venturing through the darkbyrinth, he found himself turning a corner that made him stop as the bottom of his shoe immediately sank into a warm puddle of something that sshed beneath his step.

    "Huh¡­?"

    He looked down to find a puddle of blood that he had stepped into, slowly raising his gaze to find its source.

    There were three bodies, two of which he recognized¨Ca heart-shattering, vile sight that immediately made him turn around and vomit, spewing bile from his gut.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was one thing to see their life be plucked from the system, but another entirety to see that reality with his own two eyes. The two blood-rtedpanions were in such horrid condition that he couldn''t help but feel the pain they must''ve experienced in their final moments.

    "...Shit¡­" He said in a tremble, covering his mouth as his eyes quivered.

    He purposefully avoided looking back, feeling the dreadful air surrounding the horrific scenery rise behind him as ventured away from that area, using the wall to guide himself as he walked slowly.

    Taking his sses off, he stopped again, having to exude the sorrow from his eyes as he wiped them down with the ck sleeve of his uniform.

    It was an experience that embedded itself into his memory; the sight, smell, and the hum of the deathly air. Through his aimless traversing of the grotesquebyrinth, he carried this fresh, horrific memory with him.

    ¡­Just how vast is this ce? He questioned.

    Though it resembled an Obsidian Dungeon, it was distinctly different in the human-made attributes that were attached to it, causing him to look up as he stopped for a moment, being alerted by the sounds of chains dangling.

    As he looked upwards, he saw it must''ve just been a draft, brushing against a link of chains as they chimed.

    "--"

    Before he could take another step forward, a presence suddenly weighed down directly behind him, prompting him to turn around.

    "Wha¨C"

    Something came in a blur, hitting against his head with a solid thwack before¨Cit all went ck.

    In the absence of consciousness, he could perceive some form of movement, as if his body was floating, being moved towards something.

    His wrists and ankles were bound, and a certain pressure formed at his head¨Che was being carried upside down, he surmised in his faint sense of mind.

    ¡­What''s going on¡­? He wondered faintly.

    The sounds of shuffling met his ears, a wooden door creaking open, chains dangling, steps being taken, and voices conversing.

    It was all too much for his faint, flickering consciousness to process, though it all felt as if it was happening across a single moment.

    When suddenly being dropped down onto the harsh, solid ground, he woke up in a jolt, opening his groggy eyes to find the metallic, barred door of a metal cage being mmed shut in front of his face.

    "What the¡­?!" He muttered out, immediately sitting up.

    He fell just as quickly as he lifted himself, remembering his ankles were tightly bound together, and his wrists were wrapped tightly in ropes, squeezing against his wrists so tightly that the slightest movement burned his skin with friction.

    In front of him, past the cage, he could see them: robed men, obscured by the shadows of the grimy room, but one stood out most: anky man with long, straight locks of snow-white, possessing pupiless eyes that possessed an intrinsic madness.

    As if sensing his gaze, the snow-haired man aggressively spun his head around to meet his gaze, smiling as he kept his hands behind his back.

    "He awakes."

    ¨CThe pale, malnourished-seeming man dressed in dirtied priest robes spoke with an unnatural movement to his lips, looking straight at him with his fully white eyes.

    He instinctively reared back, backing against the far wall of the cage as the pale man approached the cage, turning his side to stare at him as if scoping the very contents of his soul.

    "The fear of a sinner," the man spoke quietly, yet clearly, "It''s a potent stench, some may call it. I consider it a fragrance. Knowing that a sinner such as yourself is feeling the weight of their grotesque actions brings me an endless feeling of satisfaction."

 Chapter 50 Last Resort

    "The fear of a sinner," the man spoke quietly, yet clearly, "It''s a potent stench, some may call it. I consider it a fragrance. Knowing that a sinner such as yourself is feeling the weight of their grotesque actions brings me an endless feeling of satisfaction."

    "--"

    He fell silent for a moment, still adjusting to the seeming rapid shift in situations.

    ¡­I was walking down thebyrinth corridors just a moment ago, right¡­? I remembered something¨Cor someone, popping up behind me. Was I knocked out? Is this the leader of this group or something? He thought.

    "I can see the perplexion wrapped across your expression, sinner¨Callow me, Cah-In, to exin," the snow-haired man stood tall with a smile, surrounded by his silent, hooded followers.

    It was a dark room, but at leastpared to most of the dungeon, it had sparse light in the form of azure-me torches, but the light disyed things that he''d rather not have seen.

    Bodies were hung up by chains, disyed on the walls and stitched with crimson crosses in their torsos on disy like religious statues.

    "Wee to the "Last Bastion of God''s Will", sinner. Rejoice, you''ve been specifically chosen to fulfill a very important task," Cah-In told him, leaning close to the cage bars with his eerie, inhumanly-wide smile.

    When looking at him with the intent of finding yer information, of course what he received was [Error]--the man was likely in possession of the GOETIA System, like the other, as he surmised.

    "Task¡­?" He repeated what he heard.

    It was then, by proxy of Cah-In''s eyes moving towards something else in the chamber, alongside an odd, heavy breathing mixed with low growling that he found what the man must''ve been referring to.

    In therge chamber, decorated to resemble a twisted, hellish cathedral, a monstrous entity was chained near an altar, with its massive hands held down by pikes, and a plethora of chains around its neck.

    Its skin was a mixture between a muddy brown and a shade darker than any de, possessing a shape simr to that of a hound mixed with a creature straight out of fantasy, crossed between a dragon and a frog; it was an illogical existence that made little sense to his human eyes.

    Even bound, its breaths sent vibrations through the flooring, reverberating a hum through the walls as it stared at nothing, having spears driven and lodged through its eyes.

    "...Is that¡­a Defect¡­?" He asked slowly,pletely taken aback by the creature''s appearance.

    "Quite not," Cah-In replied, "That, boy, is well-and-truly a creature from the depths of Hell."

    Looking at it, the system came up with a prompt, filling his vision with a ckened, corrupted notification:

    [Enemy¡­Identified: "A?????????????b????????????????????????????y?????????????s????????????????????????????s?????? ????????????????B???????????????????e?????????????h?????????????????e???????????????????m??????????????o??????????????????t??????????????h?????????????????? | Level: ???]

    However, something else caught his eye, something that he didn''t notice at first with the imposing presence of the hellish entity bound and chained: a familiar head of silver-hair caught his eye.

    "...Kamou¡­!"

    He pressed against the cage, calling out to the girl who was strapped down to the t-surfaced altar which sat just beyond the reach of the wide, sludge-seeping beast''s jaws.

    The girl was unconscious; unresponsive to his repeated yells of her name as he began to throw his body against the unmoving, metallic bars to no avail.

    "Now, now, that won''t do¡­You will need to wait your turn, sinner," Cah-In stood in front of the cage, speaking to him as he raised his hand, pointing it towards the altar holding the young woman, "This is a delicate process. Barbas'' feast must not be interrupted."

    "...Feast¡­?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He fell still at those words, witnessing saliva in the form of grime spill from the round, blistered lips of the grotesque beast as it seemed to hunger for the pale-skinned woman.

    Cah-In looked at him with a smile, "Why, yes! By bringing delectable, mournful sinners to Barbas, the seals of Hell grow weaker in his rise of power. With the seals of Hell growing fragile, those ming depths will rise and overtake this world¨Cbringing damnation to the sinners on Earth''s crust¨Cthen, Heaven will truly be unattainable to them."

    "...You''re insane. Nothing you''re saying makes any sense!" He yelled out to the snow-haired cultist.

    "Insane? Of course I am. Sanity is a possession of the stagnant. I move ever-forward, unstopping and immovable from my path. If I was bound by such things as empathy, morals, and emotions, I am sure even my loyal soul would waver," Cah-In spoke to him with a smile.

    He fell silent, his mouth agape at the sheer insanity of the one he was dealing with. Sitting there on his knees, bound at his wrists and ankles, he did nothing for a few minutes as the me-lit torches flickered before finally¨CCah-In made his move.

    pping his hands together, calling the hooded followers forth, the man smiled, "The time has arrived, my fervent believers: the "Supper of Hell" willmence!"

    "--No! Stop it! Stop! Kamou¡­! Wake up!"

    He began relentlessly bashing his shoulder against the cage with the sparse strength he could form with his bound limbs, quickly bruising his body as he continued throwing himself against the bar-formed cage in an attempt to either break out or wake hispanion.

    The cloaked followers moved towards the bound beast, taking to each side of the cross-inscribed walls, tugging on the chains as the loosening allowed the behemoth to inch closer to the slumbering woman.

    "Kamou! Kamou¨C!" He yelled until his throat felt as though torn.

    He began tugging at his bindings to no avail, then attempting to cast magic, which also failed, likely due to the mystical enhancement of the ropes that glowed slightly as he attempted magecraft.

    The silent, red-painted followers began to slide the barbed spears out that bound the beast''s jaw like a steel cage, causing a deathly miasma to fill the room in the form of the hell fiend''s breath.

    "Kamou¨C!"

    Seeming to awaken, the beats began to thrash, mming its meaty maws against the floor as the entirety of the chamber trembled, though Cah-In only continued to grin.

    The sight of its awakening drove him further, making his desperation spike as he looked for any way out of his bound situation.

    Think, Jeong-Hui¡­! Think! Think! What can you do?! Anything will do¨Canything! So! Do it! He urged himself.

    Kamou seemed to have awakened, holding wide, tearful eyes now as she attempted to scream, but was muffled by the cloth in her body. She attempted to fight her bindings, but could hardly move due to how tightly they were secure.

    "Kamou¡­!" He yelled out once more.

    The creature''s maw continued to near her as the chains were drawn back, causing its heavy, putrid breath to envelop her in its vile state.

    Not many choices opened to him; his position waspromised by the bindings keeping his movements tightly locked.

    Still, there was sce in one fact: the cultists seemedpletely enamored with the process of awakening the bound, demonic entity¨Cthat was his one opportunity.

    While erratically looking around, checking the cage for anything of use, he looked to his side, having his eyes meet with the dagger at his hip.

    ¡­Bingo! He thought.

 Chapter 51 Edge Of Despair

    It was a difficult, tight movement, but he managed to unsheath the dagger, holding it with trembling, anxious fingers as he carefully flipped it around, holding it in such a way that its sharp edge pressed against the ropes tied around his wrists.

    Come on¡­! He thought.

    Periodically ncing up to make sure the fiendish cultists weren''t looking at him, listening to the grumbles of the demon and the cheers and chants of the followers, he began rapidly cutting away at his bindings with his dagger.

    He summoned all of his strength and all of the speed that he could, biting away at the rough, tightly-wrapped ropes before finally¨Cthey were cut away.

    His eyes widened in surprise in triumph, not wasting the opportunity as he quickly did away with the same bindings around his ankles.

    The moment he stood to his feet in the midst of the depraved ceremony, a few of the hooded figures were drawn to him from his movements, but it was toote¨Che reared his fist back, preparing to bash the cage door away.

    "Cast: Breaker Fist¨C!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2350/2700]

    Using the condensed power at his knuckles, he mmed his fist against the cage, causing the metallic door to burst open and fly back, crashing into one of the approaching cultists as now the entirety of the group was drawn to him.

    Cah-In''s eyes widened with an indescribable anger, "...Heretic! You seek even to writhe in mud whilst we bestow upon you a worthy fate, despite your sin?!...Uneptable! Much has been lost today: Hah-Gaal¡­my loyal Yu-Jin¡­This day will not be lost due to your abhorrence!"

    As those words spilled from the man''s lips, jabbing his bony finger towards him, he didn''t listen, only intending to cut through that man first on his path to saving the girl.

    ¡­I''m going to kill you¡­! He thought.

    Retrieving both daggers from their sheaths and squeezing them tightly in his grip, he kicked off with a [Blink Step], aiming for the man''s throat as it was all that filled his convicted vision.

    But, all he found was a widened smile stretching across the cult leader''s repulsive lips.

    "...That''s no good, sinner¡­"

    Before the edge of his ckened de could reach the pale neck of Cah-In, his arm was halted in its movement¨Cno, it was his entire body.

    What''s going on¨C? He questioned.

    Something held onto him, so tightly and fervently, squeezing him¨Cnot quite enough to cause damage, but enough to stun him in the pain that apanied its tight hold.

    Standing just in front of him but with a single hand held up, having snapped his fingers, Cah-In looked at him with his white-voids for eyes.

    "You were told to sit quietly, were you not? You broke quite a simple request without much hesitation¨Cmy, you truly are a sinful one, aren''t you?" Cah-In reprimanded him with his grin.

    As he looked down, he realized what it was that stopped him: ck chains, sprouting from the ceiling, floor, and walls, all wrapped around him so swiftly that he didn''t even recognize theming into y until just then.

    From one set of bindings to another, he was bound even more vigorously this time, with no room for escape.

    "As punishment for your inability to remain silent in your actions, you will bear witness to the feast¨Cthere will be no looking away."

    Cah-In snapped his fingers again, manifesting another link of ck-steel chains that descended from the ceiling at his behest, wrapping around the red-haired young man''s neck and forcing his gaze to point towards the altar.

    "No¡­! No! Stop it!" He begged, crying out.

    His trembling, emerald eyes met directly with the azures of the girl''s who looked at him tearfully with desperation filling her benevolent, frightened eyes.

    "Cast¨C"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That will not do."

    Another snap, another set of chains.

    They wrapped around his mouth, pushing past his lips and binding his ability to speak as the abhorrent metal sat past his teeth, pressed against his tongue as he was left unable to conjure any words.

    "Hk¡­ggk¡­"

    He attempted to speak, but no such ability was afforded to him.

    "Again and again, you rebel against salvation for your sins. That is the nature of humanity. That is why God has mourned us. That is why Heaven must be kept safe," Cah-In said.

    There was nothing he could do. His joints were bound by the tight, squeezing chains, his tongue was blocked by the steel, and his gaze was forced to watch as the chimera-like beast from Hell parted its bleeding, gargantuan maw, revealing an endless valley of teeth awaiting.

    After struggling, letting out muffled noises, Cah-In waved his finger, momentarily releasing the chain around the young man''s tongue to let him speak.

    "Cah-In¡­! Let her go!"

    His pleas were ignored as he fought against the holds of the chains, being suspended in midair as he was forced to be a part of the spectators.

    "Just take me¨C! You don''t need both, right?!...Just¡­let it be me¡­!"

    This time, his weak pleas seemed to meet the pale man''s ears as he looked back at him, holding an idle, but almost damning expression as shadows crept over his face.

    "...How noble you are, sinner. However, you have not listened to a single word I''ve spoken, have you?" Cah-In addressed him quietly, "This is not a game chosen by whim; this is a mission¨Cone of which you are a key piece to. By feasting on one so delectable, filled with sin, battered in sorrow, and marinated in despair, Barbas'' power will grow. As he grows, he will fully incarnate¨Cand once that is done, his legions will birth from the soil of this decaying world. And when his legions ravage this crumbling world of sinners, the princes, dukes, and kings of Hell wille as well. Soon after, humanity will bathe in the pits of the underworld, while Heaven remains open only to us, the diligent envoys of God."

    Finishing his words, Cah-In waved his bony finger once more, causing the ck, unsavory chains to hold his tongue as the maddened man returned his sights to the horrific event.

    Unable to do a single thing, he did the one thing he could: close his eyes as tears crept through his tightly-shut blinds, still being forced to listen.

    The sounds of the beast''s heavy breaths exuded, and following were the noises of the girl''s struggles against the altar in some vain attempt to break from her bindings¨Chowever, with a stomach-churning squelch that filled his own eyes like an orchestra of sorrow, all faint hope was lost.

    The moment it met his ears; blood profusely falling to the ground like a dreadful downpour, the crunching of bones, and tearing of flesh¨Che struggled and fought against his bindings, screaming out though muffled.

    It was all in vain.

    He knew he couldn''t do a single thing, yet the mixture of sorrow and rage provoked him to wrestle against the chains, unmoving as he could begin to hear the spectating cultists p.

    For him, it felt as time was halting to a crawl, allowing the wave of negative emotions to flood through his body, washing over any hope he had with utter despair as his body fell limp.

    He didn''t want to believe it; over and over, and over, and over, and over, and over¨Che wished for this all just to be a nightmare.

    Clenching his eyes tightly, he yearned for nothing more to wake up in a cold sweat in his bed, finding hispanions smiling beside him.

    "Marvelous! Barbas has fed!" Cah-In announced, overjoyed.

    ¨CBut, that was impossible.

    Kamou¡­Kamou¡­Kamou¡­please¡­why¡­He thought.

 Chapter 52 Unravel

    As he slowly opened his eyes, vowing not to look up at that dreaded scenery, he stared at the dark floor, seeing a stream of fresh blood traversing the grooves of the flooring.

    There was nothing except his own name visible on his personal interface¨Cthere was no longer a party of yers, but just himself now¨Calone.

    The unison of anger, sadness, and despair spiraled in his gut, flowing through his limbs and out of his body through the tears he silently wept.

    He wanted to scream, but there was no strength in his conceded body to do so.

    Cah-In stepped in front of him, bending to the side as he forcibly met his gaze with his absent eyes, "It burns, doesn''t it? Utter powerlessness. Ingrain it into your flesh and never forget it, never let the mes of Hell burn away thatmentation¨Clet it ignite your suffering for an eternity."

    Though he was being spoken to directly, he paid no mind to the crazed man''s words, lost in a world of utter despair.

    As if trying to coax him into speaking, the cruel man snapped his fingers to release the bindings on his mouth, but he let out no words.

    ¡­Kamou¡­He thought.

    There were a lot of thoughts swirling in his mind, but none bore themselves to the forefront; such a mixture of emotions kept him unfocused and lost in that moment. He stared at nothing, hardly processing the fact that the snow-haired leader of the viscous cult was speaking directly to his face.

    ¡­I want to kill him¡­He thought.

    ¡­I want to kill all of them¡­He wished.

    ¡­I want to ughter them all¡­He yearned.

    It was then that time itself seemed to crawl to aplete halt for everything except himself as even his breaths left his lips stagnant.

    "--"

    Through the little movements he could make with his chain-bound neck, he looked to see that the ck-robed followers were as still as statues, and in front of him, Cah-In was frozen midway through a movement of his lips.

    What''s going on¡­? He questioned.

    There was a ball of light in front of him, glowing with an emerald iridescence that reflected off of his simr eyes; he didn''t know what it was, but it seemed sentient.

    [Jeong-Hui.]

    It was a male voice, though unlike the one from the Angel System, it wasn''t monotone, but instead possessed some semnce of personality.

    "...Wha¡­?"

    [In your current situation, death is inevitable. With the strength you have cultivated so far with the Angel System, you can''t do anything here.]

    "...I know that¡­"

    [However¡­]

    [There is a way out of this. A way you can get what you want.]

    "...How? What the hell even are you, anyway?...Is time frozen or something¡­?"

    [No.]

    [Time is not "frozen". More precisely, your perception has been altered in such a way that you''re experiencing time with me at such an infinitesimal level that it seems that way.]

    [For your first question¡­]

    [I am your strength.]

    [That is, if you ept me.]

    "My¡­strength?" He asked through a choked up voice.

    [You''re a curious one.]

    [That''s fine.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [I am your personal system. Something cultivated and crafted specifically for yourself, Jeong-Hui.]

    "Personal system¡­? Don''t I have one already¡­?"

    The verdant ball of light flickered in front of him as if bing impatient with his onught of questions amidst the crawl of time.

    [The Angel System is different from myself.]

    [Think of it like a shared reservoir between the entirety of the human race, something everybody taps into indifferently.]

    [I am exclusive to you. There is nothing shared with others. You will cultivate this system yourself, unbound by the regtions and limits of God.]

    "--"

    Part of it felt like madness.

    Was he deluded by the flood of emotions and regret he felt? Was this a spawn of his imagination? Some way to handle the pain, and grant his wish through childish dreams?

    Or was it¡­real?

    "...I don''t get it very well, but if I use you, I can kill them, right¡­?"

    [It would be well within your means.]

    [Your system is in itself intertwined with the Angel System. It''s current status is equal in experience and level to your Angel System, so when it is fully manifested¨Cthere will be a plethora of new power at your disposal.]

    "...What''s this system, anyway¡­?"

    He looked weakly at the verdant sphere humming just before his weak, tear-drenched eyes, waiting for his answer in the fractions of fractions between the stratifications of time.

    [...It''s the "Sage System"...]

    "Sage System¡­?"

    The first thing that came to his fractured mind upon hearing this was the unique ability he possessed¨C"Sage Period", and it seemed the sentient sphere recognized this question instinctively.

    [As you may be thinking, the Sage System is indeed your Sage Period ability, in a way. It''s been dormant this entire time, or rather purposefully hidden within the Angel System itself to allow it to properly cultivate.]

    [The Sage System is about "optimization" rather than obtaining divine, magical skills like the Angel System.]

    [That''s all. We''re out of time.]

    [If you wish to continue on, manifest the Sage System with all of your heart.]

    "...How¡­?"

    [That''s up to you to figure out. Search for it within you, and use whates to mind.]

    With that, the sphere was gone from his vision in what felt like an instant, and the frozen-seeming time resumed to its normal ways, with Cah-In continuing to speak maddened delusions directly to him.

    "Soon, it''ll be your time to rest in the belly of Barbas. Are you prepared?" Cah-In asked.

    He hung there in the chains for a moment, holding his mouth agape as he slowly attempted to formte an utterance.

    "Pardon? I can''t hear you?" Cah-In cupped his own ear, leaning closer.

    His sses slid off of his face, shattering against the floor, but he didn''t require them.

    Just then, he stiffened his entire body in anticipation, yelling out with everything he had¨Call of thementation, sorrow, and rage:

    "Unravel, Sage System¡ª!"

 Chapter 53 Sage System: A Merciless Killer Is Born

    "Unravel, Sage System¡ª!"

    The moment he called upon it, a verdant energy coalesced around his body, releasing in a sort of supernatural pressure that repelled the bindings around his limbs as a shock wave was released.

    "What¨C?!" Cah-In let out in shock, falling back.

    [Good job, Jeong-Hui. You''ve manifested your unique system, atst. Currently, you''re at level 15, the same as the Angel System. These two systems are in no way connected¨Cnormally, that is¨Cbut the Sage System hastched onto it, causing their experience to be shared.]

    [What that means, is that right now, the Sage System is at full strength.]

    [The strength of the Sage System awaits in its augmentation of your mind. Allow it to guide your de forward and carve your way to the path of victory, Jeong-Hui.]

    He naturally understood how to use this new system immediately, feeling its innate knowledge flood into his mind seamlessly as hended on the floor while the chains chimed and dropped to the ground beside him.

    Quickly, he was surrounded by a plethora of cultists while Cah-In hid himself behind the group.

    He was calm; surprisingly so.

    There was something about the "Sage System"--a tranquility that eased his mind, as if bringing him into the optimized mindset for battle.

    "Seize him! Break him! Tear his limbs off, if you must¨Cbut don''t kill him!" Cah-Inmanded from the back in desperation, slurring his words as saliva left his mouth, "He must be sacrificed to the great beast¨C!"

    For a moment, his emerald eyesid on the broken, torn body of the silver-haired woman towards the back of his room, and even with his optimized mind, a single tear strolled down his cheek.

    His sights then moved to Cah-In, who seemed to flinch the moment their eyes met, as he used a [Blink Step] without even moving an inch, aiming past the crowd and directly towards the man.

    ¨CHe was intercepted before he could reach the cult leader, however, as an unmet, blindfolded man with a hefty mane of red hair stopped his dagger with his sharpened, inhuman ws.

    "Yu-Jin! Good job!--Now tear his arms and legs off! Cut his tongue away! Castrate him¨C!" Cah-In screamed out.

    "...On it¡­" The one named Yu-Jin whispered with a smile.

    He remained silent and focused before flipping back, ncing back to see an array of robed men approaching him swiftly from behind.

    With a single press of his sole against the ground¨Che disappeared.

    None of the crazed men could see it, but he [Blink Stepped] multiple times in session, appearing behind the grouping of hooded cultists.

    "Ripper."

    He spoke quietly, shing his de against the air as all of the ck-robed followers remained frozen behind him before¨Can uncountable number of shes embedded themselves against their dozen bodies.

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 2050/2700]

    Arms were flung off, legs cleaved, torsos chopped, and bodies eviscerated¨Call in that one moment, with one skill, he slew a dozen.

    I''m done. I''m not ying the hero anymore. I''m sick of it. If this is what it brings, then I''ll throw it aside, he thought.

    [Cultists in. New experience gathered: "Assassin Cultivation" +50 EXP.]

    [Assassin Cultivation: Level 10 | 10/100 EXP]

    It was a new system prompt, this time spoken by the masculine voice of the new system. He immediately understood what was going on with it without having been told: the Sage System functioned directly¨Crather than gaining experience only through ying Defects, it was able to cultivate experience through other aplishments.

    Specialized and honed to evolve certain aspects of himself; case-and-point¨Cthrough using his skills as an assassin-ss to kill, it specifically earned him experience with his proficiency as an assassin.

    For him, it was as if moving his body was something he had practiced for a century, gruesomely perfecting each movement, tirelessly training his prediction¨Call afforded to him naturally by the new, mysterious system.

    Beyond that, it altered his perception whilst active; his emerald eyes took a certain shine, inhabited by a digital array¨Cfor him, he witnessed time at a slowed rate.

    "...Huh?" Cah-In let out in shock.

    All of his enigmatic followers were cut down in an instant, leaving a mess of eviscerated bodies on the floor.

    "You useless bunch! You can''t even handle one boy! Not one! Not one¨C! Yu-Jin, get him! Get him! Get him! Get him! Get! Him!" Cah-In rapidly spoke, repeatedly jabbing his finger towards the red-haired man''s direction.

    Breaking off in a rapid sprint, running on all-fours, the dog-like man dashed toward him aggressively as he prepared to counterattack.

    It was when using this new system did he realize; his skills as an assassin were dulled this entire time¨Cutilizing the proficient nature of the Sage System, he felt the mastery of killing was natural to his movements.

    This came when Yu-Jin leapt towards him, aiming for his throat before he swiftly ducked down without batting an eye, countering with an unseen dagger straight to the neck of the animalistic man.

    "Hrk¡­!" Yu-Jin spat out blood.

    "Yu-Jin¨C!" Cah-In shouted.

    He only looked at the depraved, dog-like man with his enhanced eyes before drawing his de from his neck, leaving a gaping hole in which blood poured from.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Yu-Jin was left to the ground, choking on his own blood as he now set his sights on the one and only foe left in the room¨CCah-In.

    "You¡­!" Cah-In gritted his teeth in anger, "Die¡­!"

    With a wave of his arms, the pale man summoned a storm of chains, protruding from each wall and chasing after him.

    He saw iting, and was able to predict the movements of the chains through the usage of his new power.

    "Sage System"...I understand it. It''s not about obtaining new, crazy magic, but perfecting the human system. My fatigue is optimized, hardly dropping, my reflexes were bolstered, my thoughts were refined¡­with each new experience, I cultivate something.

    Ever growing like a studious sage, I can cultivate every aspect of myself, he thought.

    Around the chains, he danced, avoiding their reach as he hopped from spot-to-spot, even using the ck chains themselves as footing as he dashed towards the inhuman man with both of his daggers in hand.

    "What¨C?!"

    Cah-In was left dumbfounded; it was an unnerving sensation to be faced against somebody who moved optimally, wasting zero movement as every step they took seemed perfectly carved to reach their destination.

    As hended near the man, just a few steps away, out of sheer desperation, Cah-In waved his frail arms, hailing down what seemed to be an endless number of chains towards him.

    "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! D¨C"

    ¨CHe was too swift.

    A [Blink Step] was used just a fraction of a moment before the ends of the interlinked chains could descend upon him.

    Through the temple of the wicked man, he pierced his dagger through flesh and skull.

    Such an infliction was enough to instantly seize the cult leader''s functions as his body went limp, with saliva running down his chin.

    "Shut up and die already," he said, pulling the dagger out of the man''s head before letting his body fall to the ground.

    As he stood there, wiping the blood away from his face, he held no remorse in his eyes before releasing the amplification of the new system, returning his eyes to their normal, unglowing state.

    The moment he released it, his breaths came out heavy before he dropped to his knees.

    "Ghh¡­! This is¡­?!"

    While in "Sage System" his unwanted emotions were suppressed, tucked away while in battle, but now, they came out strong, forcing a flow of tears from his eyes as he brought himself beside the fallen body of his silver-hairedpanion.

    "...Kamou¡­"

    He held his head as it ached.

    It didn''t appear until just then: a prompt in response to his actions.

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached Level 20.]

    "Huh¡­?"

    There were no Defects he killed, but he realized it after another moment, turning back to look at the scenery of death left in his wake within the room: he gained a plethora of experience from massacring all of the cultists, who were in turn yers.

    But, he didn''t care about that just then.

    What sat in his mind, churning in his stomach, was what he had done.

    "...I killed them¡­"

    His breathing began to haste, ascending into an uneven, rapid hyperventtion as his eyes shook, looking on at the pile of bodies in the rancid room.

    I killed them¡­I killed them, he thought.

    It was when feeling a hot wind brush against his pale, sweat-d skin did he turn back again, met face-to-face with the abhorrent beast from Hell, still fortunately bound just enough for its jaws to be unable to reach him.

    Even in the face of the malicious beast beyond human imagination, he didn''t recognize it as a threat; the sadness in his heart overpowered his fear as his attention went elsewhere.

    "...Kamou¡­"

    Again, he said her name, looking down at her blood-covered body for a minute before slowly lifting her body into his arms as he rose to his feet.

    "...Let''s go¡­"

    With a shine of tears glossing his emerald eyes, he looked down at her as he carried her in his arms, making his way through the dreadful domain to make his leave.

 Chapter 54 A New Light

    "...I killed them¡­"

    His breathing began to haste, ascending into an uneven, rapid hyperventtion as his eyes shook, looking on at the pile of bodies in the rancid room.

    I killed them¡­I killed them, he thought.

    It was when feeling a hot wind brush against his pale, sweat-d skin did he turn back again, met face-to-face with the abhorrent beast from Hell, still fortunately bound just enough for its jaws to be unable to reach him.

    Even in the face of the malicious beast beyond human imagination, he didn''t recognize it as a threat; the sadness in his heart overpowered his fear as his attention went elsewhere.

    "...Kamou¡­"

    Again, he said her name, looking down at her blood-covered body for a minute before slowly lifting her body into his arms as he rose to his feet.

    "...Let''s go¡­"

    With a shine of tears glossing his emerald eyes, he looked down at her as he carried her in his arms, making his way through the dreadful domain to make his leave.

    Wandering weakly and slowly, his mind experienced faint thoughts as he marched onwards, aimlessly through the keep for hours on end like a mindless drone before eventually reaching the entrance.

    As soon as he reached that dark hall where it all began, the sealed door opened itself as if recognizing his presence, and theck of presence from those who once inhabited its depths.

    Still holding the silver-haired, lifeless girl in his arms, his eyes squinted as the arrival of light; it was merely the soft orange of the setting sun, but it was more than his eyes were adjusted to after hours in the darkness.

    "--"

    Awaiting beyond the threshold of the ursed dungeon was not the simple scenery of the post-apocalyptic neighborhood he expected.

    There were people waiting beyond the door.

    Dressed in the seraphic, pure white uniforms native to the Angel System, he stopped his own hand as it instinctively moved towards the dagger sheathed at his hip.

    "Are you a part of the "Last Bastion of God''s Will"...?"

    It was a question asked by the man with slicked-back, silver hair, wearing in sses. Somehow, past the haze on his mind, he vaguely recognized the stoic-faced man.

    [yer Recognized.]

    [Dae-Seong. Level: 32 | ss: Luminate Swordsman]

    It was easy to tell he was high-level without being told, as the white uniform, with golden designs, etched like clouds, he wore with ivory steel armor over most of his body, stood out as something powerful.

    On the man''s back, a colossal greatsword stayed sheath, remarkably designed with a handle that resembled the wing of a dragon.

    That''s right¡­this guy¡­is the one from at the very beginning of all of this, he remembered.

    Feeling no animositying from the stoic-expression man, he simply shook his head, unable to properly speak through the veil of despair over his heart.

    "I see," Dae-Seong replied, "...My condolences."

    Being bestowed such words, it felt as if it stitched the reality he wanted to disbelieve together, causing his legs to fall powerless beneath him as he dropped to his knees, still holding the lifeless body of hispanion in his eyes.

    "Are they still in there? The ones who did this?"

    The question was asked by the woman beside the white-uniformed man who seemed to be the leader of the group.

    He shook his head again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This answer seemed to surprise the group as they looked between each other, but the two at the forefront remained looking at him.

    Met with those frosty eyes, and flowing, dark-ck hair that was brushed by the evening wind, he recognized her as well.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Ma-Ri Hyeon. Level: 29 || ss: Radiant Fencer]

    "Ma-Ri¡­?"

    "Hm? Oh, I remember you¡­" The woman''s cold eyes opened a bit out of surprise, showing some emotion, "You''re the one I rescued from the End Titan."

    "You''ve met him before?" Dae-Seong looked at his ck-hairedpanion.

    Ma-Ri nodded, "He was only level eight then I think¡­hold on¨Clevel twenty?"

    Chatter spurred from the other members of the group who stood behind the two, talking about him as he sat on his knees, hardly paying mind to them.

    "Level twenty?"

    "It''s hard toe across others that high recently," a man with spiky, dark-blue hair said, though he looked hardly older than him, he had a wicked scar across his face.

    From the prompts appearing as he looked at these other people with the main two, they were all high level, averaging between eighteen to the low-twenties.

    Dae-Seong looked at him, still holding his unmoving expression.

    "Did you finish off all of the enemies in there? Jeong-Hui, was it?" Dae-Seong asked, having likely scanned his yer data.

    He nodded slowly, looking down at the face of his fallenpanion.

    Silence befell the group, though Dae-Seong and Ma-Ri, who seemed to be the vice-captain of the group, exchanged a few whispers before the middle-aged, silver-haired man knelt down before him.

    "--"

    "Those men had killed one of our own. That wasn''t the only reason we were tracking them down, though. The "Last Bastion" are an evil of this world, devoted to hunting people like us. They have killed many, and would never have stopped¨Cbut you put an end to one of their most heinous groups."

    He kept his head down while Dae-Seong spoke to him, feeling only these words resurface his unwanted, fresh memories.

    His eyes widened slightly as he saw a hand be extended to him.

    "Jeong-Hui, how would you like to join our group? I can guarantee you we will seed in reaching the Tower, so long as we work together," Dae-Seong offered.

    He looked up, now finding a certain kindness that he didn''t recognize before in the man''s light-golden eyes.

    Part of him was scared to do it all again; joining a new group, but he knew moving forward was best¡ªit was what he needed to do.

    The rest of the group looked on, awaiting his answer, some holding reassuring smiles. Not answering immediately, he looked down at the one he held in his arms before wiping the tears from his face, brushing his hand off against his pants before epting the man''s hand.

    He wasn''t particrly delighted about this, or anything for that matter. Despite his grievances, and his own hesitance with jumping into another group--he knew it was best for him, and the life he miraculously held onto from this dreadful day.

    "...Alright¡­"

    Dae-Seong helped him stand, "Wee to "Gangcheori", Jeong-Hui."

 Chapter 55 A Moment Of Grief

    "Are you alright?"

    ? The question was asked to him by the silver-haired man as he stood beside him.

    It was that very night still, with the fresh memories of the horrific events still thriving in his mind as he stood silently, looking at the grass beneath their feet.

    He was brought to apound, using one of the Gangcheori members'' unique abilities to transport the entirety of the group to Seoul; it was an area different than any other in the world shaped by Aramgeddon.

    "--"

    Large walls stood, formed of scavenged steel and other resources, reinforced and actively guarded by lookouts, maintaining a barrier around the sector of the city where no Defects could get through.

    It was just him and Dae-Seong there, but some members looked on from a distance, giving him space.

    It was a burial ground. There were many headstones; it was almost countless.

    The secluded area surrounded by umber trees wasn''t an actual graveyard, but one of Gangcheori''s own making in Dosan park.

    There were hardly any concuent thoughts in his mind, but many fractures, painful ones as he stood with his fists clenched, looking down at the fresh set of four burial spots where hispanions rested.

    With the night, came the rain, dripping down onto the verdant grass as the two stood there in silence.

    Dae-Seong himself had helped settle his fallenrades into the mncholic field, wiping the dirt off of his hands as he momentarily removed his sses.

    "Jeong-Hui."

    "--"

    "It is important that you don''t let this bring you to a stop," Dae-Seong told him, "I know how it feels; the light of hope has dwindled, and an immeasurable darkness veils your sight¨Cbut, even so, you have to move forward."

    "I know that," he replied quietly without looking at the man.

    Dae-Seong looked up towards the rainy sky, pouring down from the abundant, ever present clouds that hid the stars.

    "It''s one thing to know, but it''s another to understand. Just telling yourself to move forward won''t be enough. Every day your own mind will test your conviction and resolve, you''ll ponder "what-ifs"...that''s why just telling yourself isn''t enough," Dae-Seong told him.

    He finally looked at the man, seeing the deeply-seeded pain and experience thatid in those eyes, tucked behind the veil of his lenses.

    It was clear to him that the silver-haired leader spoke from a ce of experience, and of care.

    "How do I understand it, then?" He asked

    The rain came down harder as the ambience of the cloud''s grievances pelting against the many leaves around them filled his ears.

    "I can''t answer that for you," Dae-Seong spoke patiently to him, looking at the flowers that signified the graves of the young man''spanions, "but, I found my reason to move forward initially through spite."

    "Spite¡­?"

    "Sometimes the only thing keeping you upright is hatred. Maybe it''s spite against the one who wronged you, life itself, or some other abstract concept¨Cit doesn''t matter. It doesn''t need to be spite¨Cguilt can be enough," Dae-Seong told him, "Eventually, time will dull that pain, and you''ll find a worthy reason to continue."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The words were hardly uplifting, but they served some use as he found himself lifting his head, looking up at the somber clouds as the cold rain pelted down against his face, causing his curly, red locks to be drenched and stringy.

    "So what will it be for you, Jeong-Hui?"

    He didn''t answer for a moment until his tears fled his eyes without his expression shifting, mixing seamlessly with the falling rain.

    ¡­My reason to continue moving forward¡­He thought.

    "I''m angry. It''s just¡­so unfair. They were good people¨Cthey¡­were my friends," his expression finally relieved into sorrow as he sunk his face against his hands.

    "What is it you''re angry at, exactly?"

    "All of this. So what if humanity is a little messed up? What changes by taking away the right to live from everybody?...It''s stupid. I hate it. I just wanted to live a normal life¨CI didn''t want to have to kill people, or experience things like this¡­! I''m not some ruthless fighter¨CI''m not special¡­why did I have to be dragged into this?"

    He fell to his knees as he finally let it all out, letting his tears flow unrestrained as he looked dreadfully down at the filled graves.

    "Whether you want to fight or not, if you want to continue on, whether it''s for yourself or the efforts of those who''ve brought you this far, you have to fight," Dae-Seong ced his hand on his shoulder, "You''ve made it this far. You''ve made it to us, and us to you. That means something, Jeong-Hui."

    "--"

    "It means you want to live. Even in a cruel, falling world, you want to live. That''s your drive, isn''t it?"

    "--"

    "Feel free to take as much time as you need to recover."

    With thosest words, the leader of Gangcheori left a pat on his shoulder before leaving the secluded graveyard of the fallen.

    He knew it without it having to be said; this graveyard was a ce of sorrow for Dae-Seong as well, and likely many of Gangcheori.

    The burial spots were plentiful¨Cin the high dozens; it was a reminder to him, past all of that despair in his heart, that he had to continue on, no matter how much it hurt.

    ¡­Hyun¡­

    ¡­Ara¡­

    ¡­Myung-Hee¡­

    ¡­Kamou¡­

    You''d all want me to fight, wouldn''t you? Even if I don''t know what lies beyond the horizon, within the "Tower", I''ll fight¡­that''s all I can do as part of thest bastion of humanity, he resolved.

    It would be a journey of hardship, and little mercy, but it was one that he needed to make. There was hardly much sympathy left in his heart for his enemies, after facing such an event previously--but, it did leave him with something new.

    Never again--he won''t hesitate.

    From that day onward, he never wore his sses again¨Cnot that they were needed, but they also only served to fog his vision with painful memories.

 Chapter 56 New Life

    [One month remaining before the Tower opens, ???]

    "Come on, Jeong-Hui! Put more manliness behind your blows!"

    Swinging a wooden training sword, a tall, burly man with a salt-and-pepper ponytail yelled out with a wide smile, knocking it against the wooden daggers the red-haired young man held.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    He winced, bracing himself as he was flung back by the natural strength of the man.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Korain. Level: 27 | ss: Luminate Warrior]

    They were in an empty room of arge warehouse, set up for training, though it seemed as if the two were onpletely different wavelengths.

    It''s been a couple months since I''ve joined "Gangcheori"--the most prestigious, powerful group of people in the entire nation. Even though I''ve already reached level twenty-two, Korain insists on training me so I don''t be rusty.

    He''s one of the executives of Gangcheori¨Che''s the one I''ve spent the most time with, for better or worse¡­He thought.

    After having his hand identally smacked by the wooden training sword wielded by the tall, strongly-built man, he fell on his behind, catching his breath.

    "I guess it''s about time to call it a day," Korain smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead as his ponytail rested on his shoulder.

    During such training, it was an unspoken rule for him not to use his Sage System, as the benefits of it in training made it quite unfair for just "training"--mainly since this was just meant to keep his physical status in check.

    "Sage System"...I learned that having a unique system wasn''t actually unheard of from others in Gangcheori, however, the odd thing is the fact I have two systems. Every person with their own system had the Angel System be overridden, but not me.

    I wonder if Dae-Seong realized that when he took me in?...He thought.

    ¨C

    [Three Weeks Ago¡­]

    "An additional system? And a unique one, at that?"

    The silver-haired leader of the organized group sat at his desk in the surprisinglyvish office, as if it had not seen the apocalypse beyond the furbished, wooden walls that were lined with fully-stocked bookshelves.

    He nodded as his curly, red locks bounced slightly, sitting in the soft, leather seat across from the man.

    "I "awakened" it right before the Last Bastion were about to sacrifice me," he exined.

    "I see," Dae-Seong rubbed his chin, adjusting his clear sses.

    The stoic, well-educated man seemed to study him for a minute, gazing directly at him as he neatly stacked some documents on his dask before continuing to speak.

    "That lines up with other instances we''ve heard of," Dae-Seong continued, "I have my own unique system, in fact. Sol does as well."

    "You do? Pardon my rudeness¡­but your uniform looks like something from the Angel System," he replied.

    Dae-Seong looked at him, "Acute observation. There is a lot we still don''t know about these "systems", but it seems they derive from a simr force, or theory. Perhaps they''re just simr in the essence that they''re something inexplicable to human minds¡­nheless, it would seem "unique systems" for the most part transfigure the base Angel System. I can still acquire Angel coins, use Angel shops, and conjure the same items, as well as the same equipment, as you''ve noted."

    "...Makes sense," he nodded quietly.

    His eyes were worn and bloodshot from all of the tears he had wept night after night, holding an exhaustion and fatigue to his appearance in his unkempt hair and face.

    "I have the "Evolution System" myself. This "Sage System" of yours sounds incredibly useful, and curious. Please, continue to experiment with it and report your findings to me, Jeong-Hui," Dae-Seong said.

    It was as if the silver-haired, well-groomed man recognized the tired look inhabiting the young man as he finished their brief meeting, prompting the curly-haired adolescent to get up from his seat and begin walking away.

    "Jeong-Hui."

    "Yeah?" He nced back.

    "I hope you''re settling in well. If any of the others aren''t treating you right, then don''t hesitate to tell me," Dae-Seong told him.

    He wore a small smile, "This group is great, Dae-Seong¨Creally. Thank you."

    ¡ª

    [Present Day]

    Walking into the training space, catching his attention by the sound of steps echoing off of the concrete flooring, was a girl with short, hazel hair and round sses, holding two bags in her hands as she approached the two men.

    "Yo, Eunji!" Korain raised his hand to greet her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Eunji. Level: 20 | ss: White Mage]

    The tall man identally flung sweat onto him as he moved his arm, causing him to hold a repulsed expression as he sat on the floor.

    Gross, he thought.

    Eunji wore a beige skirt down to her knees, and a gray sweatshirt with sleeves just a bit too long as they covered most of her hands. The moment she looked at Jeong-Hui with her amethyst eyes that sat behind herrge, prominent sses, her freckled cheeks came over with a slight blush, quickly averting her gaze.

    "What''s up, Eunji?" He asked, grabbing a rag from atop one of the boxes and wiping the sweat from his skin away.

    Eunji averted her gaze, still holding her slight blush as she held up both of the bags, "...I brought you both lunch."

    "Oh! Really?" Korain seemed ecstatic at the prospect of food.

    Of course, the temple of refined muscle that Korain had to maintain required a regr intake of calories.

    "Oh!" Korain let out as he opened the bag given to him.

    "...It''s nothing special. Just battered chicken, some rice, and that special sauce¡­" Eunji mumbled meekly.

    "The recipe Jeong-Hui taught you?" Korain asked with a bubbly smile, already beginning to eat.

    Eunji blushed even further at that question, hiding her clear embarrassment before nodding, "...Mhm."

    He grabbed his own bag, tasting the chicken and swallowing it whole, not noticing that the girl was intently watching him as if trying to see if he enjoyed it.

    "That hits the spot," he let out a satisfied sigh.

    "Indeed! A good serving of protein after a fulfilling workout is sublime!" Korainughed boisterously.

    It was an environment that needed some adjusting, but he enjoyed it; the members of Gangcheori were surprisingly weing.

    I expected a high-end group to be a lot more conceited¡­but I guess they''re just people fighting like everybody else, he thought.

    After finishing his homemade lunch, he ventured out of the warehouse and into the secured neighborhood of Gangnam-Gu; it was walled off by Gangcheori, making for a ce that managed to be secure from Defects.

    Guards sat atop the walls, swapping out every few hours. It was an almost nostalgic feeling to be able to walk along a city street without having to worry about the threat of the viscous rejects of Heaven.

    "Gangcheori" is a lot more than just a group of survivors. Dae-Seong has pretty big aspirations¨Che wants to assure that we''ll make it to the Tower, and if there is a further fight awaiting the Tower¡­that we''ll win. This is a group of fighters, he thought.

    His ce of residence was at a hotel, and a renowned one at that, before the world''s end urred. It was likely the main benefit of a falling world: the freedom of the already built resources.

    Entering the establishment, he walked across the marble flooring, entering the elevator before pressing the button leading him to the fifth floor.

    All of the electricity was functional, though theck of inte was something he''d have to continue to live with.

    The generic song yed in the elevator to help pass the time before the metallic doors opened, leading him into the halls before he found his room¨C"#108".

    "Hey, fire-head!"

    It was a voice he knew that called out to him, rough and gravelly, but not very deep, causing him to look to the left just as he was opening the door to his room.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Yeong-Un. Level: 23 | ss: Dual Spellde]

    "Hey," he replied tiredly, rubbing the back of his head.

    It was somebody he met early on, when first encountering Gangcheori; he was just two years his senior, with spiky, dark-blue hair that screamed "Wild!", apanied by the prominent scar that stretched from his forehead and down by his lips.

    Like most of Gangcheori, he perpetually stayed in his [Equip], which was a deep-blue coat with rolled up, red sleeves and ck lines running over in a sleek design. Under his dark-blue coat, he had matching ck pants and a ck, mesh shirt.

    Strapped to his back in an "X" crossed-formation were his two, sheathed broadswords, tucked into twin, expensive-seeming scabbards of a sleek, ck material with blue metal designs protruding along their length.

    He''s a scary looking guy, but in reality¡­He thought.

    One of the man''s arms wrapped around his shoulder, bringing him into a half-embrace, "How''s it going, best friend?!" Yeong-Un asked with a bright smile, tugging him close.

    He''s the most affable man I''ve ever met¨C! He thought.

 Chapter 57 The Compound

    He''s a scary looking guy, but in reality¡­He thought.

    One of the man''s arms wrapped around his shoulder, bringing him into a half-embrace, "How''s it going, best friend?!" Yeong-Un asked with a bright smile, tugging him close.

    He''s the most affable man I''ve ever met¨C! He thought.

    "...I''m alright," heughed wryly, still not used to the outward affection.

    Yeong-Un ruffled his curly locks with augh, standing just a few hairs taller than him, "Did Korain give you another beating?"

    Though he looked pretty intimidating for sure, Yeong-Un was the easiest friend he made in his short time with Gangcheori thus far. Past his scar-covered body, wild, blue hair, and punk-like outfit, Yeong-Un was a genuinely good guy that he felt he could rely on--though he still had his rough edges.

    "Yeah¡­Seriously, I think he might just be a sadist," he sighed out.

    "Ha-ha! I don''t me ya'' for thinking that! He used to be that way with me, too¨Cit''s just his way of supporting ya''. Korain wants us to be the best we can be!" Yeong-Un assured him, pping him on the back yfully a few times with augh.

    "Yeah, yeah, I get that¡­" He smiled a bit.

    Beginning to open the door, he looked at the spiky, blue-haired man whoughed, walking backwards to see him off.

    "Hey, listen, fire-head! We''re having a little get together in a few hours, why don''t you stop by?!" Yeong-Un offered.

    "--"

    He paused for a moment, thinking it over before he nodded with a smallugh, "I''ll try, if I don''t sleep right through it."

    Yeong-Un smiled wide, celebrating with a boisterousugh of his own as he went to his door, which neighbored Jeong-Hui''s, "I''ll hold ya'' to that! You''ve skipped out thest few weeks¨Cpeople are worried, ya'' know!"

    "I know¨Cthanks," he assured the youthful man with a smile.

    Entering into his room, he quietly shut the door behind him as his expression dwindled to a mncholic idleness.

    It was a minimalistic room; he had hardly changed anything from when he was first given the space upon joining Gangcheori: afortable, gray-sheeted bed, white walls with no decor, a single, wooden stand, and an olive-green carpet stretched across the well-maintained, wood floor.

    "--"

    He fell backwards onto the bed, looking up towards the ceiling as he exuded his exhaustion through a drawn out exhale.

    ¡­Ah¡­It still hurts, no matter how hard I try to distract myself¡­He thought.

    Laying there in the silence of the room, only apanied by the distant noises of chatter in the small, guarded sector of the city, he was left alone with his thoughts.

    cing his hand over his eyes, his lip trembled slightly, but he fought against the tears, reluctant to let it out again.

    It was just a couple weeks, right? I hardly knew them, right?...So why am I still hurting so long after? What''s wrong with me? He questioned.

    Forcing himself to sit up, he pped his cheeks to coax himself away from the memories of tragedy.

    "C''mon, Jeong-Hui¡­Forward¨Cjust think about the way forward," he talked himself up.

    A sudden, unexpected knock against his door made him jump out of surprise as his cheeks reddened, hoping the person on the other side didn''t hear him speaking to himself.

    "Y-yeah?" He called out.

    It took a moment for the person on the other side to respond, but once they did, he recognized who it was immediately:

    "...Sorry, I¡­hope I didn''t disturb you."

    A meek, almost suppressed voice like that could belong to none other than Eunji, prompting him to get up and open the door.

    As he opened the door, which seemed to take the sses-wearing girl, who was an entire head shorter than himself, by surprise as her cheeks were flushed and her expression shocked.

    "Don''t worry, you''re not bothering me," he assured her with a smallugh.

    He was a little confused as to why she was visiting his room directly, but he could see she was holding something behind her back, fidgeting and averting her gaze.

    "...So, what is it, Eunji?" He looked at her.

    Even he couldn''t help but feel his cheeks heat up when being on the receiving end of her amethyst gaze; behind the lenses of her sses, her sparkly eyes weren''t dulled in the slightest.

    "I brought you dinner¡­"

    He didn''t even notice until she finished her words that she presented her gift to him, holding a tupperware container, decorated with yellow and blue flowers, that contained what looked to be freshly-made food.

    "Oh, thanks¡­this looks like a lot more than just dinner, though," heughed a bit, epting the package.

    Eunji averted her gaze again, fidgeting as she held her hands together, moving her fingers together in such a way to deal with her nervousness.

    "Well, I¡­I identally made more than I expected, so¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ah, I get it¨Cyou need help getting rid of the extras?" He asked with augh.

    "No, no¡­I was already nning to make it for you¨CI mean¡­Yeah¡­"

    Watching the hazel-haired girl go through her usual, indirect way of interacting, he couldn''t help butugh, having to cover his mouth to avoid causing the girl further trouble.

    "W-what''s so funny?" She looked at him with cherry-red cheeks.

    "Nothing, nothing," he stopped, holding a smile.

    Silence fell between the two, which only served to cause the meek girl to hold a further fluster for that quiet moment.

    "Are you going to the get-together that Yeong-Un''s havingter?" He asked.

    Eunji didn''t answer for a moment before slowly shaking her head, "No¡­I¡­don''t usually do well with things like that."

    "I see, I see¡­I''m not really too get with stuff like that, either," he told her.

    Moving away from the doorway, he went back to his bed, sitting down on it as Eunji almost seemed perplexed, not knowing if she was allowed to enter or not.

    "You''re not a vampire, are you? You don''t need to wait for permission to enter, you know," heughed a bit.

    He sat aside the gifted dinner on the bedside stand, looking at the hazel-haired, meek woman.

    "R-right¡­Excuse me, then."

    Eunji is without a doubt one of the kindest people here. I honestly don''t know how somebody like her even exists in a world like this anymore¡­She was there for me when I was at my worst, he thought.

    "...We''re not too far out from the opening of the "Tower" now, aren''t we?" He asked with a mncholic smile.

    "Yeah¡­" Eunji nodded.

    It was a concept that most were wary of in the crumbling world: the "Tower"--shrouded in enigma, and nted as the singr goal for all of mankind to reach¨Cindividually.

    "What do you think it is? The "Tower", I mean," he asked, looking towards her.

    He thought of her as an incredibly intelligent person; someone gifted with an acute awareness of many things, yet she undervalued that herself.

    Eunji shyly adjusted her circr-rimmed sses, gulping a bit, "What do I think of the Tower?"

    "Mhm," he nodded.

    "Well¡­" Eunjiposed herself, finding an answer for him, "...We''ve all theorized about it by now. The general consensus is that it''s the gateway to Heaven, isn''t it? Only those who made it to the Tower are allowed into paradise."

    "Yeah, that sounds about right¨Cthat''s what most people think," he replied.

    The amethyst-eyed woman stared at him for a moment as if reading his inquisitive expression, holding a different calmness to herself in contrast to her usual flustered self.

    "You don''t think that''s it, do you?" She asked him.

    "--"

    "The leader doesn''t think so, either¡­Dae-Seong believes that the Tower is the starting point of this entire ordeal¡­"

    "Do you believe that, too?"

    Eunji took a moment to reply before slowly nodding, "Going off of the little information we have¡­I do," she drew in a breath, "...It''s a bit of a stretch, maybe, but the fact that the goal is "level twenty" strikes me as odd. You were somebody familiar with "RPGs" before all of this, right?"

    The question was aimed at him, but he didn''t know whether to feel offended or not based on the fact she guessed that merely by looking at him.

    "Yeah," he replied, scratching the top of his head, "That''s been the thing bugging me, too. "Level twenty" is generally when the real battle begins in a lot of games. It''s a little weird for me to equate video games to "almighty God", but¡­all of this has been weird already."

    "Still¡­We won''t know until we reach it," Eunji replied quietly.

    "Yeah."

    A moment of silence transpired, then soon Eunji swiftly stood up as if in a sudden rush.

    "What''s up?" He looked at her.

    "I, err¡­I forgot I was going to help Ma-Ri out with the garden," Eunji exined with red cheeks.

    "Oh, alright. See ya'' then," he smiled.

    Again, he was left alone in his room, but he didn''t really know whether or not that was something he was satisfied with or not as he lounged back on his bed.

 Chapter 58 Status Check

    Feeling a grumble in his stomach afterying around for an hour, nodding off and rummaging through books, his eyes set on the container of freshly prepared food given to him from the girl.

    "...Let''s see what she made," he mumbled to himself.

    Popping the lid off of the tupperware, he was immediately greeted by a sweet, savory fragrance that rumbled his stomach.

    It was a hefty serving of rice, mixed with fluffy, golden eggs and saucedthered, diced bits of chicken.

    "Wow¡­she''s a natural, isn''t she?" He muttered to himself.

    Before he dived into the meal, he realized one important aspect he was missing: a drink.

    He didn''t have anything stored in the mini fridge present in his minimal room, forcing him to take a pause from his savory dinner and venture out of his room towards the lobby, which was stocked full of various snacks and drinks.

    It wasn''t exactly "noisy" but there was a certain ambience to the well-maintained hotel. That surprising cleanliness of the hotel could be attributed to two factors: those staying there and using it as residence making an effort to pick up after themselves, and the woman who designated herself as the "Chief of the Hotel"--Binna.

    In those halls, he found himself crossing by the self-proimed chief of the hotel, Binna, who was a head taller than himself with flowing, light-golden locks that descended on her broad shoulders.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Binna. Level: 22 | ss: Luminate Warhammer]

    "Oh! It''s you, Jeong-Hui!" Binna looked up at him, standing herself up as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

    She was a firmly built woman, with respectable muscle mass and definition, wearing an altered [Equip] that was uniformed with an apron as she held onto a wet rag, having been wiping down the walls.

    "Hey," he greeted her with a polite smile.

    Looking at the snow-white wall she had been scrubbing down, he saw therge, purple stain that was embedded in as day onto its mass.

    "...What happened here?" He asked.

    He instantly regretted asking as the blonde-haired woman popped a vein at the recollection of the stain''s origin, seeming to squeeze the life out of the rag she held.

    "Those boys¡­Yeong-Un and Sol¨CI''ve about had it up to here with theirck of respect!" Binna let out as her tanplexion reddened in anger.

    Oh, boy¡­they did it again, huh? He thought.

    He knew it was likely an unintentional spill, knowing the two and their harmless nature, but Binna certainly didn''t take it that way.

    "Seriously, next time I see those two¡­I''ll grind it into those thick skulls of theirs not to run through the halls while carrying drinks!" Binna assured.

    "I see¡­" He said with a wry smile, beginning to walk away, "Good luck with that!"

    Waving the woman off before she could continue her angered rant, he slipped away, opting to use the stairs this time to descend the many floors of the hotel-turned-home.

    At the ground floor of the well-kept establishment, he went into the sector that was once used to sell snacks, which was just now essentially apound or storage for the food and drink items they would find around the city.

    "...Let''s see¡­"

    He came here quite often, usually in search of salty snacks. Opening the fridge that upied the area, he grabbed a carton of banana milk before going back on his way.

    While returning to his room, he sipped on the sweet milk, not worrying about the prospect of Defects around every corner.

    It was this peaceful pace of life that Gangcheori managed to cultivate in the decaying world; a small sanctuary from the constant ughter beyond their walls.

    After returning to his room, finishing his meal and washing it down with the rest of his milk, it wasn''t long after until the sun finally set, leaving the night toe¨Cwhich prompted him to get out of bed.

    Stretching his arms, he let out a small breath, "...Being a night owl isn''t doing me any favors in this day and age. Working nights isn''t exactly free of stress."

    He had been out of his [Equip] the entire time, though he had been pushing himself further and further with leaving it on for longer periods of time, as advised by Korain.

    "Equip" is an amazing thing, but it does make your body exhausted. Gangcheori seems to have figured out that the more you see it, pushing it for longer and longer, the less that burden bes¨Cit seems to bepletely erased for Dae-Seong, he thought.

    "Equip."

    Manifesting his equip, a new set of equipment ced over his body in the form of a sleek, ck uniform that was tightly kept to his body, designed with emerald tracings, and ovepped by a thin coat that hid the daggers sheathed at both of his sides.

    His hood naturally was raised, and he no longer wore his sses, as he discovered his enhanced sight made them practically obsolete.

    It was a new uniform he acquired; the benefit to this special set of assassin-ss garments helped silence his movements and increase his overall stealth capabilities.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I got lucky. Assassins are a pretty rare ss, apparently, so they had this equipment on hold since nobody could make use out of it, he thought.

    "System status," he called.

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 22. EXP: 5600/9000.]

    [Age: 17. ss: Luminate Assassin.]

    [Health: 3100/3100. Spirit: 3200/3200.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 0.]

    In addition to his base stats, he was given information that was derivative of his "Sage System":

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: Level 30/9999]

    [Assassin Arts Proficiency: Level 22/9999]

    It was still something he wasn''tpletely adjusted to¨Cthe "Proficiency" leveling of his unique system, but he was getting the hang of it.

    The more I use and practice things, the higher my "proficiency" rises. It''s a weird feeling¡­the knowledge and mastery just sort of¡­etches itself into my mind and body. All I have to do is use it, and vo¨Cit improves, he thought.

    Disying this, he practiced a few kicks, carving them through the empty air inside of his room as they were executed smoothly.

    For now, I''m just going to focus on "Taekwondo"--It''s just a theory, but I feel like trying to develop too many things at once will result in diminishing returns, he thought.

    After making sure he was all set, he left the building, strolling the secured streets of the small piece of Seoul under the control of Gangcheori.

    It was the one thing expected of you if you were to join the group: work for your stay, protection, and resources¨Cthis either came in doing monster hunts, dungeon raids, or, as he was getting prepared to do, patrols around the sector.

    He hadn''t been to Gagnum-Gu while the world was still functional, so the impression he had was only in its hollow state; most stores had their windows boarded up or shatteredpletely, left in a mess.

    Though, some were still functional, or rather restored by members of Gangcheori: particrly, the Starfield mall, which was an especially beautiful establishment, being one of thergest malls in all of Asia.

    It''s amazing. I never would''ve imagined something like this still existed in this world: amunity. It''s not veryrge, but still¡­there''s a sense of civilization. Dae-Seong really is an incredible guy, he thought.

    When experiencing the city kept sparsely alive, it didn''t feel like a job to him to walk its streets at night, stepping over the overgrowth that seeped through the cracks in the concrete sidewalks¨Che wanted to maintain it as well.

    "Oh, crap¡­I totally forgot about that thing with Yeong-Un and Sol¡­Well, whatever," he mumbled to himself.

    He was given the specific job of scoping out Starfield mall, as it was almost treated as the symbol of Gangcheori''s sanctuary.

    Entering its lit domain, he stepped on the epoxy flooring that squeaked beneath the soles of his boots, looking upwards at the behemoth of bookshelves that were famous of the renowned establishment.

    Since I''m already level twenty now, I don''t really have to stress about grinding experience. Though I still have to help out sometimes by partying with members who are lower than twenty to help them level up. It''s a good system that Gangcheori has going¡­I''m lucky I found them¡­This way, we''re sure to make it to the Tower, he thought.

    Exploring the scope of the mall, his echoing steps were the only things filling his ears as it was vast yet unfilled with people.

    He could imagine it just by walking across the epoxy flooring, overlooking the vast lower floor as he traversed the second story: the lively days the ce once experienced.

    It was a mncholic feeling, but that mncholy soon shifted into a tangible sadness as he looked over the balcony, imagining what had been lost.

    ¡­After everything that has been taken, I have to reach the Tower. I want to know for myself¨CI want to ask¨Cwhy? If it was simply because humanity "failed" the expectations of a creator we''ve never even met¡­then I refuse to ept that, he thought.

    He knew it was a childish conviction, but he kept it close to his heart anyway, continuing his patrol through the silent, vast mall alone.

    Moving to the back of the mall, he reached the end of the second story, having passed by rummaged clothing stores, electronic appliance vendors, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

    Looks like it''s all clear. Those walls really do work, he thought.

    Beginning to turn back, he stopped as a noise met his ears¨Ca metallic nging, as if something was knocked over, echoing against the acoustic ground.

    "--!"

    He froze for a moment, checking his surroundings, but he already knew it came from the first floor, prompting him to hop over the railing as hended seamlessly from a height that would be lethal if he wasn''t in [Equip].

    ¡­Just my luck if something did manage to get through and end up in my patrol route, he thought.

 Chapter 59 A Glimpse Of Things To Come

    Drawing both of his daggers from the sheaths hidden away beneath his coat, he walked silently, carefully looking side-to-side.

    Using his new equipment alongside his higher proficiency with assassin skills, his steps werepletely devoid of sound, and his senses were sharpened, holding onto the tiniest, most minute semnces of another existence in the vicinity.

    There were many ces that one could hide¨Ctoo many, in fact. Dozens of shops, even more corners and vendors. This fact made him wary, honing his assassin-etched senses as he let nothing escape his cautious patrol.

    Another noise caused him to sharply turn, moving in haste as he used a far-reaching [Blink Step] to instantaneously bring himself standing atop a counter to a small fast food vendor, already holding his daggers in preparation of attacking.

    "Ah¨C! It''s just me, Jeong-Hui!"

    The yell caused him to halt, stopping to see a familiar man hiding behind his own arms, shying away from the daggers pointed at him.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Ho-Jun. Level: 19 | ss: White Mage]

    "Ho-Jun?" He muttered in surprise, lowering his held weapons.

    It was a ratherrge man¨Cboth in height and width, possessing a round, bulbous shape and a height that nearly doubled the curly-haired young man''s own, though his personality didn''t match his imposing stature.

    "...Ah¡­you sure frightened me," Ho-Jun breathed out, clutching his chest.

    "Frightened you? You scared the hell outta me!" He replied, cing his hands on his sides after hopping down from the counter, looking at the man, "What''re you doing here, anyway? It''s curfew."

    Ho-Jun straightened himself out, clearly sweating from the close encounter as he adjusted the hazel tie of his all-white suit that was indeed an unorthodox [Equip], seeming to somehow magically fit his round-shaped body.

    "...Well, the truth is¡­"

    Without stating it directly, the man, a few years his elder, with braided, deep-purple locks and burgundy eyes, presented a small package to him.

    "A Honey Twist?" He looked at the wrapper that therge man held in his palm.

    Ho-Jun nodded, "There weren''t any at the hotel, so¡­"

    "So you broke curfew and came to Starfield?...Seriously, man, this couldn''t wait until morning?" He sighed out, folding his arms over his chest.

    "I am deeply sorry. Please do not tell Dae-Seong," Ho-Jun lowered his head.

    After looking at the man for a moment, he let out a sigh, "Did you find any more than just the one?"

    His question made the pale-skinned man raise his head with a surprised look before a small smile formed across his lips, "Oh, yes! Do you like honey twists?"

    "Never met anybody who didn''t," heughed.

    There was an entire box filled with the sweet snacks that Ho-Jun discovered in the cab tucked behind the counter.

    "Woah¡­Nice find," he said, seeing the sheer amount of number.

    "I just knew I''d find some here," Ho-Jun smiled in celebration, already biting into one, "but this is a miracle!"

    Grabbing a couple from the box, he stuffed some into the pockets of his coat while snacking on one, beginning to walk away as he waved to the man.

    "Make sure to get back to the hotel soon, alright?" He called out, "Dae-Seong will give you an earful if he finds out you were hunting snacks at night."

    "I will! Don''t worry, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Ho-Jun nodded a few times.

    After settling that, he smiled, being able to experience the delicate snack from his childhood again as he left the bounds of the mall, havingpleted his patrol.

    Leaving the mall left him walking the night-veiled streets, which were still upied by many abandoned cars, though most had been moved out of the way from the efforts of Gangcheori.

    He kept his hands in his pockets, looking up as the faintest twinkles of stars could be seen past the shrouding clouds that upied the sky seemingly forevermore.

    I didn''t really have the chance to look at the stars after Armageddon began. It''s not something I really thought about, but¡­seeing it again, I did realize I missed it, he thought.

    "Hey, fire-head!"

    ¨CHe didn''t expect to hear anybody else past curfew. There were a few members who had nightly patrols, but more often than not they kept to themselves.

    There was only one person who called him by such a name, though, as he turned to the side, looking to see an unmistakable head of wild, deep-blue hair apanied by a gleaming smile.

    "Oh," he mumbled before replying, "Yeong-Un?"

    "The one and only!"

    "And me," the young man beside him, who he didn''t notice at first due to the way the nightly shadows fell, said, holding a peace sign up.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Sol. Level: 21 | ss: Luminate Lancer]

    "Sol? What''re you two doing out here? Didn''t know you had a night patrol tonight," he said, moving across the street to greet his two friends.

    Sol wore a red cloth as a headband, keeping his light-brown fringes held up to make for an intentionally messy hairstyle, though he wore a headstrong smile backed by his dazzling, amber eyes. He was the shortest of the three, and the youngest, at age sixteen.

    "Well, nobody really turned up to our get-together," Solughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head.

    Yeong-Un yfully jabbed his elbow against the hazel-haired man''s side, "...This guy tried to invite all chicks to our ce¨Cof course nobody showed up!"

    "I see¡­" Heughed.

    Compared to everybody else, Sol''s outfit stood out, simrly to Jeong-Hui''s, but for his own reasons.

    By his own admission, the equipment he chose to wear was a "stylistic choice": a lengthy, umber coat with simrly colored leather armor over his ck undergarments with leather gloves, finished with a sheathednce he carried on his back.

    He looked straight out of a medieval fantasy world, but it was apletely intentional look for him.

    Sol chuckled, not denying the im from the scar-faced young man, "Yeah, yeah! So, we decided to take up a job from Dae-Seong to earn some extra coins."

    "Oh, right¡­There''s a special event with the Angel Shops nearby soon, isn''t there? I should grab some stuff, too¡­" He put his hand to his chin, muttering before looking up at the two, "Wait, what kind of job? You''re not just on patrol?"

    Yeong-Un waved his hand, "Nah, the ol'' leader said there have been reports of somethin'' lurking in the sewer system¨Cso he wanted us to check it out. Well, it was an open job, but nobody wanted ta'' go into the sewers."

    "Not hard to see why," he smiled wryly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Want toe with?" Sol offered with a bright smile.

    I don''t know about that, he thought.

    Though he opened his mouth, prepared to swiftly reject the offer, he closed his lips as for some reason, he imagined what he''d be doing if he denied his friend''s offer: like every other day, he''d just return to his room, alone and with his thoughts andmentations.

    "You know what? Sure," he epted with a smile.

    "Wait, really?!" Yeong-Un raised an eyebrow.

    "Yeah¡­I don''t have anything better to do, honestly," he chuckled, "I already finished my patrol, so I''ll check in with Chang-Ho then meet you both by the gates, alright?"

    "Sounds like a n!" Sol yelled out, though quickly stopping himself after realizing it was well past curfew.

    Making his way back to the man in charge of documenting the Gancheori members'' patrol of hours, he made sure to be in-and-out.

    "Alright, you''ve got me, Chang-Ho?" He said, leaning over the man''s cluttered desk.

    The golden-haired, sses-wearing man flicked his seeing-essories up with a disgruntled look at the young man''s impatience, "Of course I do."

    "Alright, thanks!"

    ¨CHe waved off, but stopped, taking something out from his coat and tossing it to the manager, who caught it with a surprised, perplexed expression.

    "A honey twist¡­?"

    "Long shifts make me snacky, so¨CI''m sure you get like that, too!" He smiled, making his way out of the small building.

    Chang-Ho looked at the small treat for a moment after the young man left, smiling subtly as he epted the gift.

    ¨C

    He had to turn a few blocks in order to find the sewage entrance that the two others were waiting for him at; in the dead of night, it was a harder task than he thought.

    "Took ya'' long enough," Yeong-Un greeted him.

    "...Sorry that I''m not too familiar with sewers, unlike you," he snapped back with a smile, standing beside the two at the entrance to the unsavory, underground domain.

    Yeong-Un smiled wide with his abnormal, sharp teeth, "Ha-ha! Ya'' got me there!"

    This guy is too affable, he thought to himself.

    "Does anybody have a mask or something¡­?" Sol asked wryly, standing just before the tunnel entrance.

    The other two had already stepped into its bounds, but the hazel-haired one still stood there with visible hesitance as sweat dripped down his cheek.

    "Huh? The hell are ya'' talking about?" Yeong-Un looked back.

    "Yeah, are youing or what?" He asked Sol.

    "Seriously, you guys don''t smell that¡­? It''s terrible! Rancid! It smells like something died, then died again!" Sol asked frantically.

    It wasn''t an umon urrence with Sol, in fact, the two were used to this antics from their red-headband wearing friend.

    "C''mon, man¡­it''s a damn sewer¨Cwhat do you expect?!" Yeong-Un barked.

    "Eugh¡­fine, fine¡­Don''t me me if I hurl!" Sol whined, finally following the two through.

    As the three entered the sewers with little worries clouding their minds, they had little clue of what would soon befall not only them, but thepound itself.

    A threat looming in the Heavens themselves; an impatient soul seeking to stir things up.

    ¡ª

    [???, A Domain Beyond The Horizon]

    "...This is getting boring¡­"

    The man, not human, with blemish-free, golden brown skin, in nature spoke, sitting atop a summit separated from the world, in a pce of mystical clouds that overlooked the world that seemed minuscule inparison.

    Behind his back, grand, pale-white wings stretched out, curved and hanging in an imposing, seraphic manner.

    "Even if they were failures, they were my brothers. The so-called "Defects", even I must disagree with that name Father gave to them¡­Nheless, they were his children¡­"

    He spoke solely to himself, wearing a snow-white uniform that was decorated with golden ornaments. Above his head of beige, unkempt hair, a circr ring of heavenly light sat.

    "...What''s the point of this game if they''re not even challenged? Like a nest of insects, they''re biding their time, hiding behind their frail walls as if a single breath wouldn''t flip their world upside down¡­I''m sick of it¡­"

    The man beyond the scope of humans rose to his feet, standing above the swirling clouds as he looked upwards to the glowing, divine horizon.

    "Father! Grant me authority to descend to Earth!--Allow me to serve as a trial to those conceited humans¨C"Gangcheori"--I will remind them that this is not a challenge to take lightly."

    "--"

    The blinding horizon of endless radiance above him spiraled aggressively with a bubbling warm, supplementing a presence beyond it that conjured a smile across the golden-eyed man''s lips.

    "Radueriel¡­My Destroying Angel¡­Must you lie to get your way? I created you. I understand your true nature, and your intentions as clear as day, my child," the imposing voice beyond the seraphic horizon spoke to him.

    He couldn''t hide it; the voice knew him better than he knew himself as his smile wickened.

    "...Forgive me, Father. It''s as you say¡­I want to destroy! It''s be insatiable; watching those worms crawl on the ground, holding onto their hopes, unknowing of what awaits their path¨CI want to crush it!" The man yelled out towards the endless horizon above.

    "--"

    A light began to sprinkle down on his form as golden bands manifested on the winged-man''s biceps, wrists, and thighs.

    He looked at the mystical bands in perplexion for a moment before returning his gaze upwards just as the voice of the creator spoke once more:

    "My child, I shall grant your yearning for destruction, as I do believe your words hold meaning; it''s as you say: that particr gathering of humans have be conceited. They don''t feel the test of my wrath. You can be the representation of such, my child, Radueriel," the voice spoke, "However, I will limit your abilities while you visit Earth. With the power you wield, you would certainly produce cataclysms that would interfere with the game. Aim your wrath at those humans only, my child, Radueriel."

    A wide, giddy smile stretched across the perpetually youthful man''s lips as he nodded his head in joy, "Of course, Father! Once more¡­I will descend from Heaven as the Destroying Angel."

 Chapter 60 In The Sewers

    "Gross, gross, gross¡­"

    Sol held himself as he slowly marched through the repugnant waters of the sewer tunnel, constantly repeating the same word with a disgusted expression.

    "Cut it out already, would ya''?! Yer'' makin'' my damn noggin'' beat against my skull!" Yeong-Un looked back, barking at the man.

    Every little movement Yeong-Un made caused the X-crossed swords on his back chime while his dark-blue coat swayed. For some reason while Yeong-Un moved his arms around while talking, always keeping the sleeves of his coat rolled up midway past his biceps, he noticed the plethora of scars that were etched onto his toned arms.

    "Well, sor-ry that I still have a highly functional nose! Just because we live in an ending world doesn''t mean we should abandon all standards¨C!" Sol continued toin.

    "If yer'' that bothered by the smell, then the exit is back thatta'' way! Fire-head and I will split the reward ourselves¨Cno worries," Yeong-Un told him.

    "Huh?!" Sol let out.

    It was a seemingly everyday urrence between the two that they had witnessed: constantly butting heads due to Sol''s inexplicably, absolute cowardice.

    "Hey, hey, hey! That''s not fair!" Sol replied.

    The three hade to a stop because of Sol''s constant whining about the rancid conditions of the sewer tunnel.

    "How''s it sound to ya'', fire-head? I think it sounds pretty damn fair that the ones who do all the work, take all the pay!" Yeong-Un asked, looking at him.

    "Sounds fair to me," he replied.

    Sol yelled out, being so viscerally backed into a corner by his friends as he stomped his boot, "Alright, alright! I''ll do this¨C! I can do this!"

    "d ta'' hear it!" Yeong-Un smirked with his sharp teeth.

    "Money is quite the motivator, isn''t it?" He mumbled to himself with a smile.

    Finally getting Sol to calm down, though he still let out disgusted noises to himself while dredging through the gross waters of the sewer, the three moved deeper into the sewer system.

    It was dark and without any real sense of direction, causing them to constantly have to stop and decipher their next path.

    "What''re we even looking for, exactly?" He asked.

    Yeong-Un replied, "Huh? Ya'' didn''t ask that earlier? Ha-ha! Well, I don''t know!"

    "--"

    The nk look he gave to the spiky-haired friend of his prompted a chuckle from Yeong-Un, who quickly continued, "I told ya'', didn''t I? We''re here based on reports, or rumors, I guess. Somethin'' is down here, apparently. It seemed to be seen by enough people that the ol'' leader thinks this is a legit issue."

    "...I just hope he doesn''t cut our pay if we end up not finding anything," Sol sighed out quietly.

    "Dae-Seong will pay," he assured Sol, holding a half-smirk, "...Though, I''m not sure we''ll get aplete payout if we don''t find anything. Shouldn''t that be a win in itself?"

    "Oh, man¡­" Sol let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders.

    Heughed a bit at theical disappointment from the youngest of the three, walking directly beside Yeong-Un as he looked towards Sol, who marched a good meter behind them.

    "What''re you so hung up on money for, anyway? Is there something you want to buy?" He asked.

    "...Yer'' gonna regret asking that one¡­" Yeong-Un muttered.

    "Huh? Why?--"

    Just as he heard the mumble from his sharp-toothedpanion, he was interrupted by a sudden burst of passion from Sol, who was happy to answer his question.

    "If I shower Byeol with gifts, she might finally ept my fiery love! And to get gifts, I need Angel coins! A lot of them¨C!" Sol told him fervently.

    "...Pardon?" He let out with a wry smile.

    "Told ya''," Yeong-Un muttered, letting out a short sigh.

    It wasn''t any secret that Sol was an entric figure, and certainly one that seemed still ripe and center in his mid-pubescent mindset.

    "It''s a wless n, isn''t it? Byeol is always giving me the cold shoulder, but it''s just because I''ve been taking my approach the wrong way," Sol exined, waving his hands around as he walked beside the two, "...Man, oh man, thatvender hair with olive eyes, to boot¡­everytime I see her, I feel like I can take on the whole world!"

    "Can hardly take on a smelly sewer," Yeong-Unmented in jest.

    "I''m here, aren''t I?!" Sol contested.

    "That''s fair," heughed, almost acting as the mediary between the two.

    "Yeah, whatevs'', let''s just finish our search and get our pay!" Yeong-Un smirked.

    It was more of a difficult task than expected to track down a single, rumored entity in the depths and maze-like passages of the sewer; not simply due to its repulsive air, but its confusing structure that led them in circles at points.

    "I''m starting to think there''s nothing here," Sol finally said after they spent an entire hour trudging through the area, "Maybe they just saw a rat or something!"

    "Huh? We''re almost through the ce, so put a sock in it!" Yeong-Un replied.

    "Woah¡­"

    He muttered to himself in surprise, stopping at the front of the group as the other two stopped behind him.

    "What''s up?" Sol asked.

    "Looks like I found our final destination," he said, ncing back at his twopanions.

    They stood beside him, looking over the chamber that follows the abrupt end of the tunnelway they traversed.

    "Damn, the hell is a big ass ce like this doin'' here?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "Beats me. But, we have to scope it out anyway," he said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The two didn''t hesitate to hop down from the edge of the tunnel,nding in the vast, darkly-shrouded domain below.

    Of course, Sol stood at the top for a moment, hesitating to jump down.

    "Are youing or what?" He called out to the hazel-haired man.

    "--"

    "C''mon, you shrimp!" Yeong-Un yelled out, his voice echoing through the repugnantir.

    Sol took in a breath before yelling out, "Fine, but I''m cursing you both if I contract a disease down here!"

    Saying that, the medievally-dressed young man hopped down,nding with a thud as the thinyer of repugnant water sshes beneath his boots.

    "Sheesh¡­and I thought he was done with that crap¡­" Yeong-Un mumbled, waiting for Sol to catch up.

    "After all of this time, you expected that?" Heughed.

    "Yer'' right," Yeong-Un smirked.

    Catching up to them and huffing, Sol caught his breath, leaning over as he breathed in and out with sweat clearly dripping from his skin.

    "...Yer'' already tuckered out?" Yeong-Un asked him.

    "--"

    Sol was too busy catching his breath to answer, wiping the sweat from his chin as he looked up with one eye closed.

    "Seriously, man¡­You need to work on your cardio or something," he added.

    It was bad enough to get such advice from him, who was just up until recently a shut-in who spent more hours of the day ying MMORPGs than going outside.

    Sol huffed out, "...The Angel System doesn''t magically cure my asthma, you know, assholes!?"

    "Always with the excuses," Yeong-Un muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

    "That''s a medical condition, not an excuse¨C!" Sol retorted, raising his fist.

    "He-he¡­" Yeong-Unughed, pleased with himself.

    They two began walking away while Sol followed behind, "Hey!...Grr¡­Just think of Byeol and her magical bosom, Sol¡­"

    I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that, he thought with a wry smile.

    "Hey, stop."

    Yeong-Un said in a serious, quiet tone, raising his arm for him to stop walking.

    "Huh?" He let out quietly.

    He could see the serious look embedded in the man''s sharp, acute eyes. If there was anybody''s senses he could trust, it was Yeong-Un''s, whose senses rested in the threshold of animalistic more than human.

    The wild-haired man reached behind him, gripping the handles of his sheathed swords¨Cthe left having an all-white, cloth-wrapped handle, and the right having one of a dark, all-ck steel handle. Slowly, his dual des were drawn from their sheaths as the sharp metal hissed against the interior of the scabbards.

    Both of the des were inscribed with unique designs: the white-handled de bearing mes etched onto its silver, and the ck-handled one disyed what looked to be jagged, curving bolts of lightning engraved on its surface.

    Even Sol fell silent, looking around in search of whatever it was that caught the man''s senses.

    If he''s that serious, then something ising, he thought.

    Reaching under his coat, he plucked both of his daggers from their small sheaths, standing at Yeong-Un''s side while Sol joined them as well, watching their nk.

    "It''sing," Yeong-Un warned quietly, looking forward with a chilling, calm intensity, "--From the water."

    "The water?"

    It was just then he began to hear it¨Cthe sounds of something shifting through water¨Cprompting him to look onward, squinting his eyes as he saw the pool of sewage water that sat beyond the smooth, wet flooring they upied.

    "What''sing¡­?" Sol asked in a quiet, frightened whisper, gulping down.

    Almost as if the young man''s question triggered some event, arge ssh of the vile water rose up like a geyser, sending a tremor through the metallic, abhorrent ground they stood on, prompting all of their gazes to befall that direction.

    "--"

    It wasrge, though that was an understatement. By all means, it was colossal¨Cbeyond the scope of their expectations.

    A hiss that vibrated the walls left its maw before itnded on the dark-silver flooring, allowing its massive, scale-d tail to p against the water behind it.

    "An alligator¡­?!" Sol let out.

    "Didn''t know they got that big!" He added.

    "Looks more like a damn dragon ta'' me!" Yeong-Un called out.

    There was definitely something abnormal about the creature, besides its gargantuan size that dwarfed even elephants: its scales were all-white, though it didn''t seem to just be an albino alligator, as bone-like protrusions formed on its back like spikes, covered in blood and guts from what could only be hoped to be animals.

    "Is this¡­?"

    Before he could properly ask his question, a prompt appeared:

    [Enemy Recognized: "Titanic Maw" | Level 28]

 Chapter 61 The Great Beast Of The Abhorrent Sewers

    [Enemy Recognized: "Titanic Maw" | Level 28]

    "Damn, twenty-eight?!" Yeong-Un let out, seeing the same prompt for himself.

    "T-twenty-eight?!" Sol said as well, though his was much more in shock and horror than Yeong-Un''s intrigue.

    It continued to let out a bellowing hiss, eyeing them with its crimson, beady eyes as its meaty paws mped down on the steel flooring, looming over them.

    "Looks like this is our target, though," he said, holding his daggers up as heposed himself.

    "Yeah," Yeong-Un smirked with his sharp teeth, holding his twin broadswords up with spread arms, "Let''s get our pay!"

    While the two stood side-by-side, holding their weapons up, squaring off against the goliath of the sewers, Sol held a trembling smile, beginning to back away.

    "Err, I, um¡­I''ll make sure no enemies ambush us¨C!"

    "Like hell ya'' are!" Yeong-Un called out.

    The spiky-haired man didn''t hesitate to grab his friend by the back of his umber cor, pulling him back before he could attempt to flee.

    "Huh?! Are you trying to kill me?! Seriously, I''ll have an asthma attack! I''ll die and it''ll be your fault! Your fault! You hear me?!" Sol frantically tried to escape.

    Yeong-Un wasn''t having any of it, using his brutal physicality to toss Sol up to the front, making him the closest to the morphed alligator.

    "Give ''im hell, Sol!" Yeong-Un smirked.

    "Hey, isn''t that a bit much?" He said wryly with a small smile.

    "He''ll be fine, don''t worry," Yeong-Un assured him, resting the dull side of one of his des on his own shoulder, "He may cry and piss his pants now, but¡­" his eyes looked forward with belief, "...Sol is actually a pretty damn reliable guy, when ites down to it."

    It was hard to believe that when looking upon the back of the hazel-haired, leather-armored man whose legs quivered in the face of the behemoth, slowly drawing his ivory spear from behind his back.

    "Help me, help me, help me¡­"

    ¨CThe quiet, repeated mumbles from Sol definitely weren''t reassuring anyway.

    "I think you might be wrong¡­" He said.

    "Huh? What makes ya'' say that?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    "That¡­"

    They watched as the gargantuan, pale deformed alligator began to crawl forward, spreading its massive maws to reveal an endless valley of jagged, bloodied teeth inside, slick with saliva, all while Sol remained still with shaking legs.

    He''spletely frozen with fear! He thought.

    "Ah, crap¡­Hey, Sol! Do something, man!" Yeong-Un called out.

    Though it seemed fear hadpletely taken over Sol as he stood there, quivering and holding his spear as if it were his one and only protective force.

    "Weren''t you confident in him just a second ago?!" He asked.

    "Well¡­yeah, but¡­crap¨C!" Yeong-Un''s expression hastened with intensity.

    ¨CBefore the two could act to aid their quivering friend, the towering, pale-scaled alligator was already right in front of Sol, spinning around with speed that didn''t fit its ridiculous stature.

    "Crap, crap, crap¨C!" Sol yelled out.

    The thin, sharp spear he wielded wasn''t something meant to be used as a shield, so when he raised it as such against the path of the gargantuan, multi-meter long, thick tail of the crocodilian¨Cit didn''t go well for him.

    "Gah!"

    With a harsh m, Sol was knocked away with a brutal force that lifted the soles of his boots from the putrid water, flicking him to the side as he bounced off of the steel walls, crashing off of it and back into the ground.

    "Sol!" He yelled out, rushing towards him.

    "--" Yeong-Un was silent, not knowing whether to focus on taking down the behemoth alligator or aid his injuredpanion.

    "Hold it off, Yeong-Un!"

    ¨CThe choice was made by Jeong-Hui, who yelled back at his spiky-hairedpanion while he rushed to Sol''s side.

    "...You got it!" Yeong-Un held his des, crossing his arms as he wielded the dual swords with a resolved glint in his eyes towards the beast.

    He listened to the beginning of the battle between the scarred, youthful man and the alligator as he reached Sol''s position, dropping to his knees as he checked on the condition of the hazel-haired adolescent.

    "You okay, man?" He asked, grabbing his shoulder and turning him over.

    "Urgh¡­" Sol groaned, spitting out the sewage water that infiltrated his mouth with a repulsed expression.

    He doesn''t look too bad at all. I guess he''s got a pretty high constitution? He thought.

    Helping Sol sit upright, he inspected him, not seeing any obvious wounds besides a trail of blooding down from his forehead.

    Though Sol seemed to be a bit groggy and woozy from the impact, swaying side-to-side and only staying upright because he had his hands on the afflicted adolescent''s shoulders.

    "Crap, I don''t have any potions¡­Do you? What''s your health status looking like?" He asked.

    "Health status¡­?" Sol replied groggily.

    ¨C<novelnext></novelnext>

    Behind them, in the center of the vast dwelling of sewage water that came in through a plethora of interconnected tunnels, Yeong-Unughed as hebated the massive, ancient beast, shing his des against its massive ws and scales.

    ¨C

    "Yeah," he nodded.

    Sol''s amber eyes blinked a bit as he looked confused at the question, "Why would I need a potion¡­?"

    Is his head really messed up or something?! You just got whacked by a massive tail, dude! He thought.

    "Well, for starters, you''re bleeding from your head," he told him with a wry chuckle, keeping his hands on his shoulders to stabilize his friend.

    For some reason, those words made Sol''s eyes go wide as if a sudden burst of energy birthed itself through his body.

    "B-b-bleeding¡­? Did I hear that right? Is my head just all messed up? It is, isn''t it? Bleeding?!" Sol began talking frantically, cing his face close to his as he spoke without any care for personal space.

    He backed away a bit, not expecting such a reaction, "...If you think your head is messed up, why is it so hard for you to believe you''d be bleeding?"

    As if cementing this question into the frantic, cowardice-fueled mind of the falsely-bravado adolescent, Sol gulped as he slowly raised his trembling hand, brushing his fingertips against his forehead.

    He watched as his hazel-haired, entricpanion brought his fingertips in front of his gaze, seeing the clear sight of fresh, running crimson on his hand.

    "Ah."

    "Ah¡­?"

    That was all that left Sol''s lips before his body suddenly went limp, slumping over as his consciousness left his eyes.

    "What the¨C?! Sol?! Hey, Sol?!" He let out worriedly, shaking his friend''s body by his shoulders.

    "Leave him be, fire-head!"

    Yeong-Un yelled out while in the midst of battle, continuing to sh with the massive, yet swift beast as he countered one of its w shes with a burst of mes from his white-handled de, sending it back momentarily.

    "Huh?! You want me to leave him?!"

    As he asked this, he watched as Yeong-Un sprinted over to him, grabbing his arm and having him raise to his feet while the alligator was temporarily stunned by the mes.

    "What''s the big idea?"

    He rarely fought alongside the two, and when he did, it was usually against easy-to-handle, lower-end Defects that were dealt with swiftly; this was a new experience.

    "Ya'' got to trust me on this one," Yeong-Un gave him a reassuring smile, gazing directly into his eyes.

    "...Gotcha," he hesitantly nodded.

    He hesitantly followed alongside Yeong-Un as they faced the great, towering beast d in scales together.

    It already recovered from the burst of mes, seeming undamaged by their heat, only angered as it unleashed a water-vibrating hiss from its jagged-toothed maw.

    "Not even those mes hurt it?...This thing is tough," hemented.

    "Damn right it is," Yeong-Un smiled, "It''s a proper fight!"

    They weren''t quite in sync as he was still standing still while Yeong-Un burst forward with incredible, wild speed while his spiky, dark-blue tufts brushed in the swift winds of his own agility.

    Yeong-Un spun around, gathering wind pressure around his dual des as he smiled wide, "Let''s see how ya'' like this one, ya'' overgrown dinosaur!"

    Around his white de, mes formed along its silver, and on the ck de, traces of red lightning forged across the steel. While he spun around to gather force, the two elements seemed to intertwine, forging an unnatural element of chaotic mes and erratic lightning, d together before being unleashed towards the alligator.

    It attempted to part its massive jaws to swallow him in one bite, but was met with an unsavory counter in the form of the merged elements, being propelled by the visceral force of his dual-wielded des.

    "...Take this: Red Tiger, Raging Dragon!"

    He could only watch from below, unable to join in the attack as the assaultunched from the dual spellde produced a colossal, powerful impact itself. In its winds, Yeong-Un''s rolled-up, wild coat was brushed by the wind as his sleeveless, mesh-shirt that did little to hide his torso beneath was in full view.

    The moment the lightning-infused mes crashed against the scale-d beast, an explosion roared out, propelling Yeong-Un back as hended nimbly against the far wall.

    Electricity hissed around the orange clouds of mes that engulfed the snow-white beast, infusing the sewage water with that same element as both chaotic forces worked together to seize the beast.

    "Holy crap¨C! Talk about shy!" He held his arms up, feeling the abrasive winds generated by the attack push against his body.

    "Ya'' like that one?" Yeong-Un asked with a bashful grin of his sharp teeth, rubbing the spot between his upper lip and nose as he leapt back beside him.

    "Hey, watch out!"

    While Yeong-Un was being bashful about his sh skill, he was distracted, forcing him to push the spiky-hairedpanion of his to the side, causing them both to stumble over.

    "What''s the big idea, fire-head¡­?!" Yeong-Un stood himself up.

    But, the scar-covered adolescent witnessed what the purpose of his friend''s action was as through the billowing center of fulminating mes, the massive, armored arm of the beast stretched out, mming where they previously stood with force that would''ve surely crushed them.

    "...The damn thing is still goin''...?" Yeong-Un asked quietly.

    "Looks like it," he said, catching his breath as he straightened himself up before taking off in a dash the moment the mes settled, "Back me up, Yeong-Un!"

    It didn''t even have to be said; Yeong-Un smiled at this turn of events, smacking his two des together, "Hell yeah!"

 Chapter 62 At The Mercy Of The Predator

    "Looks like it," he said, catching his breath as he straightened himself up before taking off in a dash the moment the mes settled, "Back me up, Yeong-Un!"

    It didn''t even have to be said; Yeong-Un smiled at this turn of events, smacking his two des together, "Hell yeah!"

    Using his nimbleness as an assassin, he used a [Blink Step] to appear on therge, towering arm of the pale beast, running up its length as if traversing a living, moving bridge with his daggers in hand.

    Its crimson, malicious eyes tracked him as it attempted to move its arm to lose him, but he moved too fast, making his way to its shoulder before shing his des against its hide.

    "Ripper!"

    An onught of shes stretched across the broad, armored shoulder of the morphed beast, causing it to write in pain momentarily while the assault persisted.

    Through the usage of "Sage System", he no longer received constant updates from the system on each and every loss of spirit, but instead innately knew his own status. The only times in which prompts appeared for such things is when his amount reached a critical low.

    "Nice on!" Yeong-Unplimented, meeting him on the battlefield as he rushed forward with a dash that seemed to break the sound barrier.

    Before the alligator could turn its head back to snatch the red-haired young man in its jaws, the dual spellde, who grinned with a love for battle, swiped his element-infused swords against its chest, causing its attempted retaliation to halt.

    We can do this! He thought.

    ¨CJust as he thought as such, confident after seeing the damage he inflicted with [Ripper], managing to tear through scale and fleshpletely¨Cthat hope faded.

    The reddened, bleeding flesh of the alligator''s shoulder intertwined, extending strings of matter together before the wound mended itself within moments.

    It¡­healed? He thought.

    "Yeong-Un, this thing¡­!" He began to yell out.

    "--Yeah, I see it too! This damn thing can regenerate!" Yeong-Un called out.

    Before they could make their next move, the colossal alligator suddenly sprouted an unexpected thrashing of its body, causing his bnce to be shaken and Yeong-Un''s next attack to be halted as he jumped back.

    It mmed each of its four legs downward repeatedly, causing the entirety of the sewage domain to tremble under its weight, repeatedly bashing its tail downward and side-to-side, mming into the walls.

    It''s iling around¡­!? To force me off?! He thought.

    Though it seemed like nothing more than a tantrum, it was in fact a scary demonstration of intelligence from the presumably mindless beast as he was forced to jump away amidst its thrashing, ducking and rolling as he intended to rendezvous with hispanion.

    "Fire-head¨C!"

    An unusual desperation coated the words thrown from Yeong-Un''s lips, prompting him to look forward as the man he was running towards in confusion.

    What''s got him so scared¨C? He thought.

    It wasn''t just desperation; something embedded a look of fear and dread into the heterochromic, blue-and-gold eyes of the man.

    He looked back in that moment that felt as if time was beginning to crawl to a slow, witnessing a peculiar action taken from the alligator: it wasn''t rushing towards them, or swinging its tail, but instead nted firmly down against the ground, stretching its jaws open as far and wide as possible while a light formed in its mouth.

    It was thanks to his altered perception of time with the usage of his "Sage System" that allowed him to see it, but that slowed perception didn''t make his body move any quicker.

    Oh, shit¨CHe thought.

    "Dammit¡­!"

    The strained yell came from the wild-haired, scar-covered adolescent, who used his blinding speed to appear between hispanion and the glowing maw of the beast.

    "Wha¨C?" He looked on in surprise, seeing Yeong-Un appear in front of him at a speed faster than he could blink or perceive.

    Just then, a massive release of prismatic energy unleashed from the bowels of the alligator, sending outwards like an unrefined st that tunneled towards them.

    ? "--Divert and Disperse: Rock-Solid Mountain Bisection!"

    Yeong-Un spoke through an intense, collected tone as he crossed his des, stomping one boot downwards as he stepped forward, facing the color-shifting breath of destruction as its heated winds caused his wild hair to brush in its arrival.

    He couldn''t do anything to help, only just barely being able to perceive what was happening thanks to his unique system.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out.

    As he reached out towards the back of hispanion, it was toote¨Cthe energy reached their position, but just as it did¨Che shed his dual-wielded des with utmost precision and patience.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Straight through the middle of the swirling, chaotic gathering of energy, the perfectlyunched shes merged and intertwined into immutable stratifications of wind, parting the beam of energy.

    "Huh¨C?"

    He was left speechless as the colossal spiral of energy that was certainly going to hit them instead was split, being branched off into separate directions away from them.

    Yeong-Un held both des spread out after having unleashed the singr sh, unleashing a steady exhale through his pursed lips.

    "I did it," the scar-faced man celebrated calmly, sweating visibly as if hardly believing his efforts came to fruition.

    Even though they avoided the main brunt of the st, a following shock wave took them both by surprise, knocking them back with an abrasive force that flung them against the farthest walls of the repugnant chamber.

    "Ghh¡­!" He winced.

    "Grhh¨C!" Yeong-Un branched himself.

    [Health Points: -1100. Remaining Health Points: 2000/3100]

    The insane loss of health took him by surprise, but he soon realized just how much damage it was as he slumped over on the ground with ringing ears and swaying vision, spitting up blood as he felt it leak from his ears, nose, and mouth.

    What the hell¨C? What is this thing? This isn''t right, he thought.

    Yeong-Un was hardly in better condition, his uniform torn and tattered as his coat was gone in its entirety, leaving just his mesh, fis shirt as scratches were left all over his body while he hacked up blood.

    "Fire-head¡­! Ya'' okay¡­?!"

    Though he spoke, his words could hardly be perceived as he had to rely on mainly reading his ally''s lips.

    "Okay¡­?"

    You should be worrying about yourself, idiot¡­He thought weakly.

    Things had gone from bad to worse in a singr action; that was the nature of "Armageddon Game" and why most people died immediately, or became so fearful of the game that they refused to even try leveling up in the first ce.

    The colossal, snow-white alligator with crooked, endless teeth began to step towards them, each step causing a tremor to traverse through the floor as he tried his best topose himself, but his body was adverse to such efforts.

    "Fire-head, get up¡­! It''s not over¨C!" Yeong-Un yelled out, crawling towards him as he was bleeding from his nose, ears, and mouth just the same.

    Huh? I can''t hear you, he thought.

    They both froze though as a blinding radiance caused them to shield their eyes momentarily, looking past the light to witness another coalescence of energy within the beast''s jaws.

    "Shit¡­! I''m gonna have to use everything¨Cright here, right now¡­!" Yeong-Un spat out the blood from his mouth, somehow managing to stand with his quivering legs and thwarted sense of bnce.

    He wasn''t able to say the same, only managing to hardly stay upright as he could still feel the effects of the shock wave ringing within the marrow of his bones.

    "Come on! Bring it on¨C!" Yeong-Un coaxed the beast, spreading his arms out with bravado, holding his des high with teeth painted in his own crimson essence.

    It seemed his taunts shifted the beasts'' intent, causing it to attack him whilst charging its mouth-st, swiping at him, stomping its arms, and spinning around to use its massive tail as a weapon.

    "Gghh¡­! Is that all ya'' got?!" He taunted, spitting out blood from his mouth as he countered with his dual-wielded des.

    The only exnation he could find in his swaying consciousness for the unexpected toughness of the monster is that it wa some sort of anomalous existence; a one-time enemy that existed as an unregistered "BOSS" type, and given it''s level that was dreadfully higher than theirs, where each level counted like the world¨Cit seemed unbeatable.

    Even a repeatedbination of me-sts and bolts flung from the edge of his de didn''t do much to stop the pale-scaled titan of an alligator as it beat him down, repeatedly knocking him away before it opened its maw again, revealing the bubbling energy.

    "...Stop¡­idiot¡­!" He reached out, trying to stop hispanion, but he could hardly enunciate his words through his strained throat, only coughing up more blood.

    With unexpected speed, releasing much faster than before, the spiraling, shing breath of destructive force unleashed from the mouth of the giant beast.

    Just as the spiky-haired, injured man took his stand, attempting to to counter the released energy with the same skill as before¨Che fell, his own legs giving out beneath him.

    ¨CCrap, I didn''t realize how shit condition my body was in¨C!  Yeong-Un thought.

    "Yeong-Un¡­!" He yelled out again, managing to pick himself up to one knee.

 Chapter 63 Blood Forger System

    "Yeong-Un¡­!" He yelled out again, managing to pick himself up to one knee.

    It filled his vision¨Cthe blinding light.

    But, it didn''t reach him.

    It wasn''t the well-toned, dual-wielding man in front of him that stopped it, as he looked just as dumbfounded as he was.

    "...So loud¡­Can''t a guy get some sleep around here?"

    It was a third figure, standing there with one hand raised, manifesting some sort of crimson shield thatpletely nullified the destructive impact of the st, by some miracle saving the two behind him.

    "Sol¡­?" He let out quietly in disbelief.

    "Took ya'' long enough, bastard!" Yeong-Un smirked, barely picking himself up as the light behind the shield dispersed.

    He didn''t believe his eyes in the slightest: not only was the hazel-haired man supposed to be unconscious, he disyed proficiency far beyond his frantic cowardice from before.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Sol. Level: 28 | ss: Blood Knight]

    Wait, what is this¡­? He questioned.

    "His level¡­is higher? His ss is totally different, too¡­! What''s going on here?!" He asked in surprise, exuding his thoughts audibly.

    Yeong-Un stood up, though held one of his bleeding arms as bruises already formed across his body as he smiled, backing up as he stood beside the red-haired, perplexed young man, helping him stand as well.

    "I told ya'': Sol is a reliable guy, when he has to be," Yeong-Un told him.

    "That doesn''t exin anything¡­How is his level different and his ss? He seems totally different himself, as well¡­" He asked, looking forward.

    With a seamless swipe of his hand, Sol silently discarded the crimson shield as it broke down into streams of red liquid, merging back with his body as it seeped into the wound on his head.

    "...Sol possesses a unique trait¨Ca weird, pretty damn inconvenient one, at that," Yeong-Un exined, "...Normally, he''s pretty damn useless and whiny, but on the condition that he sees blood and passes out¡­he awakens."

    "Awakens?" He looked at his spiky, blue-hairedpanion.

    ? Yeong-Un grinned with his sharp teeth, nodding, "Yeah. The "Angel System" he normally uses alters into his own unique system temporarily: the "Blood Forger System"...it''s a damn strong system, too. And when he''s like this¨Cyou can kiss that coward you''re used to goodbye!"

    It was difficult to believe, but it was right in front of his eyes. Though he wanted to help, he was in no condition to, and none of them seemed to possess the rare, scarce potions of this world¨Cso they watched from afar.

    Sol faced the gargantuan alligator alone with a stunning calmness, though his amber eyes had shifted to a potent, almost glowing crimson as he stood silently, yet firm.

    The altered adolescent caressed one of his ears with a disgruntled look, "...You''re going to pay for interrupting my sleep."

    With a smooth, perfect movement, he used his boot to kick up his silver spear as trails of blood coalesced around the sharp-pointed weapon, forming a spiral,rge crimson end that turned the spear into a full-blownnce of forged, reinforced blood.

    It was almost unsettling to see the jarring shift from the sniveling, quivering coward before to now the calm, absolutely confident figure now who didn''t bat an eye at the angered, thrashing colossus before him.

    "Is he going to be alright¡­?" He asked, wiping the blood that trailed from his nostrils.

    "Not like we''re in any condition to fight¡­heh, but yeah¡­as he is right now, I don''t see Sol losing to an overgrown lizard like this!" Yeong-Un spoke confidently.

    Their conversation was cut short as they witnessed the confrontation between the titanic creature lung towards Sol, keeping low to the floor as it pushed forth with its jaw hanging wide open in an attempt to eat him.

    "Look out¨C!"

    Though it didn''t seem he needed to give such a warning as Sol leapt up, easily avoiding the reach of the beast''s jaws as something began to form and spread over his body: the blood that had trickled down his head and onto his body stretched itself over him, crystallization and hardening into a sleek, crimson armor.

    "Blood Knight Panoply."

    Sol''s garments were tucked beneath the full-body armor of hardened blood, prompting the quiet, altered adolescent to spin his blood-forgednce around before tossing it downwards towards the body of the snow-white alligator.

    Though he tossed it, he maintained a connection with it through a chain-link crafted of blood, linked at thence''s end and his wrist, allowing him to thrust it downwards without worry as it plummeted against the beast''s back.

    "--"

    The beast roared out, writhing in agony as the blood-builtnce pierced past its scales, shattering them and embedding itself into its back.

    As he came downwards, it attempted to w at him, but he simply pulled back hisnce by tugging on the crimson-formed chain, returning it to his hand as he mmed thence against the beast''s hand repeatedly.

    The barrage of pierces blew its hand into pieces, sending a rain of meaty chunks down onto the sewer floor as blood began to flow in tandem with the putrid waters.

    "He''s doing it¡­!" He called out in surprise.

    "Told ya''! That''s why I''m so hard on the damn guy¨Cif he could just utilize this power properly¡­!" Yeong-Un held his fist up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As if amplified by their words, the blood-armored man moved with blinding swiftness, bouncing from wall-to-wall as he left speedy, unpredictable pierces that tore through the pale beast''s hide; chunking through its arms, legs, and body, it eventually was unable to even hold itself up.

    Sol really is¡­incredible¨C! He thought.

    Another release of energy exerted from the alligator''s mouth, this time in seeming desperation as it seemed to catch the crimson-d man in midair, missing its target as he simply conjured a temporary chain of blood, pulling himself away.

    "...Finish it, ya'' unstable bastard!" Yeong-Un called out.

    ¨C

    "Don''t have to tell me," Sol whispered calmly, raising hisnce as more blood coalesced at its tip, forming a colossal spearhead that took a vibrant, crimson shine.

    Attempting onest, desperate attempt to kill the man, the behemoth of the sewers pulled itself towards him with its salivating, bleeding maw, leaking onto the floor below.

    "Blood Forge: Internal Coffin."

    Speaking calmly, Sol stepped forward, thrusting the massive spear of crystalized blood forward and into the mouth of the beast before it could bite down.

    As it entered into its body, the spear released, revealing the true form of the invoked magecraft as dozens of jagged des of blood protruding from the alligator''s body, produced from within it and it came to a stop immediately.

    From each of the newly-formed holes in the body of the snow-white beast, arterial fluid seeped out in abundance while its body fell limp with a tremor of its dead weight against the ted flooring.

    "...Is that it?" He asked, holding his body, still feeling the throbbing ache within his skeleton.

    It seemed the regeneration of the beast wasn''t enough with its cranium being pierced from within multiple times by the skewering of hardened blood.

    ["Titanic Maw" defeated. Gained EXP: +1500. Current EXP: 7100/9000.]

    The prompt appeared, though it hardly felt deserved to him as he stood there, gathering his breath as he wiped the blood from his nose.

    The blood armor dissipated into a mist of red, leaving Sol to his usual, dull-brown coat and leather armor.

    "Nice one, Sol, ya'' really¨C"

    Before Yeong-Un could celebrate, they both stopped, looking at the red headband-wearingpanion of theirs who turned around to face them, swaying as his eyes faded with unconsciousness.

    "Oh, crap¨C!"

    With a [Blink Step], he managed to catch Sol in his arms before he could fall backward, holding him as Yeong-Un rushed over as well, checking on him.

    "Is this normal¡­?" He asked, looking at his scar-faced friend.

    "Yeah¡­and he usually ends up sleepin'' like a log for a while," Yeong-Un smiled, patting the hazel-haired man''s head, "let''s get him to bed and report this to the ol'' leader."

    "We need some rest, too¡­You think Dae-Seong will make us pay for potions?" He asked.

    Yeong-Un scratched his head before cing the unconscious adolescent on his back, beginning to walk with him to the exit of the sewers, "...He better not, now that you mention it¡­"

    They managed to make their way out of thebyrinth-sewer, released from the nose-burning stench of the vile area as the fresh air of the brisk night nicely greeted them.

    "Phew¡­Take a nice, long breath!" Yeong-Un inhaled with exaggeration.

    "Already on it," he replied, inhaling deeply as they both exhaled simultaneously with satisfaction.

    After returning to the hotel, they both ventured to Sol''s room, which Yeong-Un opened with a kick¨Cnot even checking the unconscious man''s pockets for a key.

    "Alright¡­to bed ya'' go," Yeong-Un muttered as he set the hazel-haired man onto the bed.

    Yeong-Un wasn''t exactly the most gentle person, simply dropping him onto the bed, but still going the extra length to toss the sheets over him, though not exactly tucking him in.

    "Should we go to Dae-Seong right now? Is he even still up?" He whispered, trying not to wake Sol, who was now snoring after being ced in his bed.

    "Heh."

    "What''s funny?" He looked at his mesh-shirt-wearing friend.

    "Ya'' think the ol'' leader sleeps¨CI''ve never caught that guy catchin'' a wink," Yeong-Un told him, as if exining some mythical creature.

    "Huh? Really? You''re not messing with me, are you?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "Honest," Yeong-Un assured him.

    "Let''s go then," he said, taking a step but nearly falling over as he clutched his chest, wincing, "...We could use a potion, or three¡­"

    "Agreed," Yeong-Un winced as he stretched.

 Chapter 64 Night Of Respite

    The two ventured to the highest floor of the hotel, to the singr "grand suite" that was exclusive to the rumored, sleepless leader of Gangcheori¨CDae-Seong.

    "Come in."

    ¨CHis voice called after a single, gentle knock against the fine, wooden set of doors.

    In they entered, seeing the silver-haired, tout man not even raising his gaze as he was busy working on paperwork, drinking from a cup of piping hot coffee.

    "Jeong-Hui? Yeong-Un? What do I owe a visit from you two, at this time?" Dae-Seong asked after finally looking up after having them wait a few minutes for him to finish his writings.

    The two looked between each, with him deciding to be the one to exin.

    All of the details were given to the level-headed leader, who adjusted his sses after staying silent for a moment, "I see. That''s strange, indeed. An Earthly creature morphed into a Defect of some sort, and it was that powerful? I''ll look into this¨Cfor now, here is your pay, and¡­"

    "Potions," Yeong-Un insisted.

    "And potions," Dae-Seong assured.

    Bringing up a prompt, the man with slicked back hair waved his finger before manifesting a few of the vials containing the softly glowing, pinkish-red liquid, tossing them to the two young men.

    "Get some rest¨Cboth of you," Dae-Seong said before settling back behind his desk.

    They were ted to receive the potions, quickly gulping their own down, saving the extra for Sol as their wounds rapidly recovered.

    After gulping the recovery essence down, he looked at the leader, who had already begun focusing on papers.

    "How about you?" He asked.

    The question seemed to catch the man off guard as he looked up briefly, "Pardon?"

    "You should rest, too."

    "--" Dae-Seong went silent for a moment, "...I have much work to do, Jeong-Hui. But¡­I''ll get some rest soon."

    He smiled at the reassuring words from the leader, waving off as he and Yeong-Un left, returning to Sol''s room as they dropped the contents of the potion into his mouth as he slept. The healing liquid mended the wound on his head, and the internal injuries he likely was inflicted with.

    ¨C

    "Man, that turned out to be one helluva event, didn''t it?" Yeong-Un said with a smirk, scratching his head as they stood in the hallway.

    "That''s a bit of an understatement¡­" He agreed with a wry smile, rotating his arm as it felt stiff.

    "Anyway, thanks for the help. Gonna spend that extra cash on anythin'' special?" Yeong-Un asked.

    It was a question he hadn''t really considered. There weren''t many things he had an interest in anymore¨Cin fact, not a single thing came to mind.

    "Not really," heughed, rubbing his own head, "I guess I''ll figure it out whenever I go to a shop."

    "I see¡­" Yeong-Un smiled, extending his fist, "Well, I''ll cya tomorrow, fire-head!"

    "Right! Cya, man," he met his friend''s extended fist, bumping their knuckles together as they marked the end of a surprisingly eventful night.

    As Gangcheori slept for the night, with the trio returning to their beds for a much deserved slumber, that day reached its end.

    However, the next one toe would bring its own event¨Cone surpassing any experienced before.

    ¨C

    [The Next Night]

    After experiencing such a battle together, it seemed the bond between the three had grown¨Cfor better or worse.

    His room was more lively than it had ever been, and more packed, with both Yeong-Un and Sol settling in, bringing in futons while speaking loudly.

    "Damn! Yer'' ce is spotless, fire-head!" Yeong-Unmented.

    "I didn''t take you for a minimalist, dude," Sol added.

    He sighed, sitting on his bed, "Call it whatever you want, I only use my room for sleep."

    Due to the fact his room barely had anything in it, yet the two were so determined to use his ce as the base for their sleepover, Yeong-Un marched back out to the halls,ing back with an entire television set.

    "What the¨C?! Where''d you get that from?!" He asked in surprise.

    "I was wonderin'' why ya'' didn''t have one in your room! I guess they must''ve skipped yer''s or somethin''!" Yeong-Unughed, setting it down.

    "I see¡­Oh, you guys forgot drinks!" He realized.

    "Ah, crap, yer'' right!" Yeong-Un looked back.

    There was only arge pile of snacks, but no drinks to be seen: that was obviously a problem.

    "I''ll fetch them¨Cyou both just set that T.V. up, I guess," he said, leaving the room in search of beverages.

    As he wandered into the halls, he noticed one of the doors that was always closed was open for once, prompting him to peek in as his curiosity got the better of him.

    What the¡­? He thought.

    It waspletely something unexpected, unfitting of the hotel; a medical setup inhabited the room, with the rhythmic beeping of machines sounding off.

    Sitting on a gurney, with tubes attached to his arms and running up his nose, a malnourished-looking, white-haired young manid, staring out of the window. It was a sight that took him back in that moment, listening to thebored breaths of the sickly young man.

    Just as he caught himself staring too long, he saw the snow-haired adolescent''s head begin to turn, prompting him to move away and quickly move down the hall.

    "What was that all about¡­?" He mumbled to himself.

    Going down to the lobby, he retrieved an assortment of drinks, ranging from strawberry milk, banana milk, and more "splurgy" beverages like c.

    His arms were full as he returned to the room, finding the two having already set up the television and a console, though Sol was the one who did the brunt of the work.

    "Damn, ya'' grabbed a lot," Yeong-Unmented, looking at the assortment he returned with.

    "Well¡­" He said, setting all of the drinks down, "...It''s probably going to be a long night, isn''t it?"

    As he predicted¨Cit would be.

    The first movie was an action flick¨C"Six Shot Aces"--obviously, a choice by the rowdy, spiky-haired young man.

    Throughout the entirety of the movie, Yeong-Un repeatedly yelled out at each character for every dumb mistake they made on screen¨Cpumping his fists and sometimes looking as if he was one second from grabbing the television and violently shaking it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Multiple times, he and Sol tried to assure him it was "just a movie", but Yeong-Un forgot their words whenever the next scene would begin.

    "Ya'' dumbass! Grab the silenced weapon¨Cif ya'' shoot that, you''ll alert everybody¨Cargh!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    From the constant noise¨Can unsurprising result came: a knock on the door.

    Opening it, he found himself greeted by a disgruntled, messy-haired Korain who did not look happy to be awake.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­"

    "I know, I know¡­" He sighed out quietly, using his thumb to point to the two in his room who were engrossed in the flick.

    Korain looked past him, understanding what the source of the racket was, "Ah¡­I see. Well, try to keep it down a bit, would ya''?"

    "I will, sorry," he smiled, nodding a few times.

    Returning to the room, it was time for the next flick¨Cone he chose this time: "Red-Red Dark Night"--a ssic horror flick.

    Again, if there was one benefit in the apocalypse, it was that all of the resources in nearby stores were free, meaning an endless supply of DVDs and such.

    "...What''s this one about¨Ca-again?" Sol asked, trying to hide his fear with a wavering smile.

    "Oh? You''ve never seen "Red-Red Dark Night", Sol?" He looked at the hazel-haired adolescent.

    Sol slowly shook his head, gulping as the title card of the movie popped on, already making him flinch from seemingly just a mundane ssh of text.

    "Ha-ha! I loved this when I was a kid!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "K-kid? It''s not too bad then, right?" Sol gulped.

    "Oh, no¨Cit''s freakin'' terrifyin''! Gave me nightmares for an entire month! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Unughed, much to the dismay of the worried, hazel-haired man.

    Holding a pillow close to his chest, Sol''s eyes widened and wavered like a shivering pup, "...N-nightmares¡­?"

    Damn, he''s really that easy to scare, huh? He thought.

    Though, for some reason, he feltpelled to spur on the frightened antics of the young man, adding his own take.

    "Yeah¡­I honestly couldn''t sleep for an entire two months after I saw this," he added with a slight smirk, selling his words well.

    To his satisfaction, Sol seemed terrified of his words, gripping the pillow firmly against his chest as if it were his life support.

    "Y-you were just a kid, too, right?" Sol gulped.

    He shook his head, "Actually, it was only two years ago."

    "Gyah!...T-two years?!" Sol jumped just at his words.

    It was honestly amazing just how shrouded in cowardice Sol was, seemingly frightened at the very concept of being scared.

    "Do we have to watch this one¡­? Look, we have others! Err, "Peach Bay Escape"--oh! It''s an action one! You''ll like this one, Yeong-Un!" Sol dug through the DVDs, pulling one out in an attempt to get the other two to swap the movie.

    "Can it! This one is good!" Yeong-Un denied the proposal.

    "Yeah, it''s definitely a heart-throbbing experience," he added.

    Sol grew more desperate, "You both have seen it, though! Don''t you want to watch something new?!"

    "We''re willing to stick through it so you can experience its greatness, right?" He asked, looking at his wild-haired friend.

    Yeong-Un nodded, "Hell yeah!"

    "...Alright¨Cbut if I go into cardiac arrest, it''s on you guys!" Sol begrudgingly epted.

    All lights were off, leaving the television that was disying the horror flick as the only source of light¨Cwhich wasn''t much, as the movie produced a dark, dreary atmosphere.

    Even though they all sat close together, Sol was still trembling like a chihuahua, gripping the pillow close to his body.

    "Is it almost over yet¡­?" He asked in a mumble, peeking out from behind the pillow.

    "Huh?! It only just started five minutes ago!" Yeong-Un replied, munching on a bag of spicy-vored chips.

    For himself, he preferred cheese-powdered chips, snacking on them while enjoying both the movie, and the whimpers of his easily-frightened friend.

    Each time a jumpscare would pop up, or any sort of scare for that matter, Sol would yelp out, quickly covering his mouth.

    "Haah¨C!"

    Sol shrieked like a girl as soon as a stter of blood appeared on screen, prompting him to swiftly faint from the sight of such potent crimson.

    "Really¡­?" He let out in surprise.

    Yeong-Un had caught him before he fell back, holding the limp, unconscious young man by the back of his cor, "The squeamish bastard faints at the sight of any blood."

    "That''s totallyme," he muttered.

    "I know, right?" Yeong-Un smirked.

    Still, they weren''t going to just leave him hanging; Yeong-Un tucked the passed-out, squeamish adolescent into his futon, letting out a sigh as he ruffled his own hair before plopping back down.

    "You knew he was going to pass out, right?" He asked.

    "Huh?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    "I mean, you knew about his phobia of blood, didn''t you?" He raised an eyebrow.

    ? "Oh, it just slipped ma'' mind¨Cto be honest, I just really wanted to see him freak!" Yeong-Un chuckled, "...It was totally worth it."

    "I don''t disagree."

    After the horror flick came to an end, with the idental state of slumber that Sol had fallen into, the two decided to call it a night as well, falling into their respective ces of rest.

    Heid there in the dark, soon having to be subject to snores from both of his friends as he smiled slightly, looking at his own hand.

    ¡­Not a day goes by that it doesn''t still hurt. I think about it each day¨Cperhaps every moment. All of this regret¡­I wonder if it will ever truly subside? At least, though, I''ve found something worth marching forward for¨CI won''t let the same happen to them, he thought.

 Chapter 65 What Descends From Heaven

    "Aaa¡­"

    With the morning arriving, he sleepily walked the halls of the hotel, yawning and marching groggily towards the lobby in search of coffee.

    It wasn''t everyday that he sought the spirit-lifting effects of caffeine, but after such an eventful day a few nights prior, he required it in order to properly function.

    Man, my body is stiff¡­He thought, rubbing his shoulder.

    Reaching the lobby, he made his way into the section of the hotel''s ground floor dedicated to a full-blown cafe, maintained well due to the high priority of coffee that most of Gangcheori believed in.

    "Ah."

    If he was any more awake, he would''ve jumped, but he was only slightly surprised as he entered the cafe to find it upied by somebody already: Ma-Ri.

    Hardly registering his existence, the ck-haired, icy-eyed girl looked up at him before returning her attention to the cup of coffee she sipped from.

    "...Good morning, Ma-Ri," he did his best to greet her through his half-asleep veil.

    It took a minute to get a reply as the royally-dressed woman in an exuberant, white-and-ck uniform with a flowing cape, and ornamental decorations of golden badges and material took a length sip.

    "Morning," Ma-Ri replied quietly.

    I really don''t know how to approach her¨C! He thought.

    Using the grounded coffee beans already prepared by the counter, he set some coffee into the machine, adding the grounded material in before pressing the "ON" button, allowing the coffee-creating machine to handle the rest of the leg work.

    Waiting those few minutes, simply staring at the machine as it hummed and churned his water and beans into proper coffee, felt like an eternity as he blinked, hoping not to somehow manage to fall asleep while standing upright.

    "Aaa¡­"

    He let out a stretched-out yawn again, scratching his head of curly, vermilion locks sleepily before finally retrieving his fresh cup of joe.

    There were a dozen tables to choose from, but he definitely didn''t want to intrude on the girl''s space who was clearly somebody adverse to social interaction.

    I can totally get that¨Cyeah, he thought.

    Sitting at a table a few over from Ma-Ri, four to her right, in fact, he settled down and began sleepily sipping the piping hot liquid.

    "Yowch¡­!"

    He let out a small noise as the burning liquid harshly met his tongue, causing him to set the cup down and let it properly cool off first.

    ncing over, he looked to see if he caught the girl''s attention, but it seemed no such luck came from his failure.

    Mmm¡­she''s a tough one. Breaking the ice like her is like trying to one-punch a freakin'' cier! He thought.

    All he could do was carefully sip from his mug while trying not to scorch his poor tongue any further.

    It was worse than being alone; sharing the cafe with the unsociable woman made him insecure, even quieting the sips he took as he was fearful of feeling that icy stare.

    "You¡­"

    ¨CUnexpectedly, she called to him, making him have to check by looking towards her to make sure she was specifically referring to him as he forced himself to swallow the scorching hot coffee he had in his mouth.

    "Me?" He pointed to himself.

    "Err¡­"

    "Jeong-Hui," heughed, realizing she had forgotten his name.

    Did she not check the system?...Man, am I not worth even that much of an effort? He thought, slumping his shoulders.

    "Sorry, err, Jeong-Hui then¡­" Ma-Ri spoke to him, brushing her silken locks behind her ear, "...How is it? Gangcheori, I mean."

    "Oh, well, I really like it," he answered with a smile, holding his mug of coffee with both hands.

    "Really? I''m d, then," Ma-Ri smiled softly.

    He couldn''t help but find himself blushing just a tad, not expecting this from the girl he initially thought was as cold as the tundras of Russia.

    "Everybody is really kind, honestly¡­they''ve treated me well," he told with a warm smile, looking down at the cup of warm, dark liquid, "Even Korain, as much as he beats me mercilessly with that wooden training sword."

    "I''ve heard he can be like that¡­" Ma-Ri said quietly.

    "Heard? You''ve never had to train with him?" He asked, looking at her.

    Ma-Ri shook her head lightly, "...I was the one who trained him, actually."

    "Wha¨C?" He was taken aback, though notpletely surprised.

    Even from his first encounter with her, the finesse she had with her de was unlike he had anything seen, let alone the strength she held as a high-leveled yer.

    "You trained that brute?!" He asked further, moving from his table and sitting at the same one she sat at.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a risky maneuver¨Che knew that, but he could tell she was the type of person not to take steps forward in building rapport with somebody else, instead, for once, he needed to be more proactive.

    "...Just a few basic things, and some advanced maneuverster on," Ma-Ri exined to him, "Korain is incredibly gifted physically, but he initiallycked any elegance to the way he fought."

    "I see¡­warrior sses are like that, aren''t they?" He smiled mncholically.

    "Mhm, they are," she nodded with a slight smile.

    It was a nice thing; an experience he didn''t think he''d find again in a world past its lifespan¨Csuch a simple thing, just sitting down and drinking coffee on a misty morning beside another.

    "Jeong-Hui, I¨C"

    "What is it?" He smiled.

    For some reason, she stopped in the middle of her words, pausing as if sensing something that he couldn''t.

    For some reason, her pale expression made him feel some sense of unknown worry as well as he looked at the dark-haired woman.

    "Ma-Ri?--"

    ¨CJust then, a tremor shook the entirety of the building in a jarring fashion, violently producing a quake that caused sses to shatter as he immediately stood up, nearly falling over.

    It was so sudden that he didn''t understand what the force taking hold of his surroundings even was for a solid few seconds.

    "What the hell¨C?!" He yelled out, though even his yell was muffled by the sudden tremor.

    An earthquake?! He questioned.

    "Jeong-Hui, get out of here!" Ma-Ri shouted at him, suddenly taking amanding, hasted presence as she stood, beginning to race out of the cafe.

    "Huh?! What about you?!" He yelled, following her out of the cafe.

    It was still shaking, before finally stopping as things became eerily silent, though Ma-Ri still looked worried.

    "...I''m going to make sure everybody in the hotel is alright. Check what''s going on outside for me, please?" Ma-Ri asked of him.

    Of course, he couldn''t reject something asked of him by those crystalline, pale-blue eyes.

    "Yeah," he assured her with a smile, "You can count on me!"

    "Thank you, Jeong-Hui," Ma-Ri smiled with a slight sense of relief.

    Going separate ways on this abrupt turn of events, he rushed through the lobby of the high-star hotel, making his way through the doors as he wasted no time calling forth his power, "Equip!"

    His ck uniform manifested over his body as he left the building, immediately looking up, and being stunned in doing so.

    What his eyes met with above was something he couldn''t process, even as hard as he stared up at it.

    A gaping hole sat in the abundant, ever-present clouds hanging in the sky, swirling around the open space that gave way to golden, heavenly light.

    What descended from that radiance was something that made him freeze, with his blood running cold on his veins: it possessed an orb-like form as an eye, with an array of rings that spun around it, holding even more, constantly shifting eyes.

    Though it was mainly made up of constantly moving eyes, there were many, swirling forms inhabiting it; text etched and erased on the golden tings of its physical form, flesh bore itself through the grooves of steel, diminishing just as quickly as it came.

    A flood light birthed itself from its position, spiraling,pressing, and expanding¨Call at once, continuously.

    What is¡­this? He questioned.

    He didn''t even draw his daggers, only able to watch as the entity beyond human perception continued its descent from the Heavens.

    The concrete of the sidewalk vibrated against the bottom of his tough boots as an ominous hum emitted from the orbr, eye-like creature; it was massive in size, causing a disturbance in the winds as it reached the ground floor.

    Sprouting from the metallic entity of eyes, two, angelic wings stretched far, covering the width of the street as the abandoned vehicles were pushed away just by the new, warm winds emitting from its form.

    He didn''t know whether he wanted to attack it with everything he had, or run in the opposite direction with his utmost speed, but he could do neither, only standing, frozen, with his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

    What is this¡­? My body isn''t responding at all¡­Something about this¨Cit''s making my mind swirl¨CI can''t exin it¡­! He thought.

    It stopped just above the street, hovering as the pressure emanating from its inconceivable form cleared the immediate area around it.

    He couldn''t help but continue staring at it, not blinking as his eyes began to dry and redden.

    Staring at it so intently, all noise deafened being reced by one thing, yet many: fast, multiyered whispers flooding directly into his mind.

    Just as he looked upon it, the main, colossal eye looked back at him with its prismatic, ever-shifting iris.

    It was iprehensible, yet the whispers invoked feelings that manifested in pseudo memories, surging through his mind visualizations of images he''d never seen, staring past the veil of human perception.

    Simply put¨Cit was maddening.

 Chapter 66 Ominous Eye

    Quickly his mind began to wane, his senses being enveloped by the sight of the inexplicable entity.

    The birth of the universe, the evolution of mankind, the erosion of past mountains, the swirls of the sea, the mysteries of the world¨Csuch things poured into his mind simply through the mystical, frightening whispers that froze him.

    He was so lost in the trance of whatid beyond imagination that drool crept down his lips to his chin, falling down onto the cement before¨C

    "Snap outta it, fire-head!"

    ¨CWith an abrasive p to the back of the head, his vision was moved away from the enigmatic entity as he looked down, holding his head as he turned back in surprise.

    "...Yeong-Un?!" He called out in surprise.

    "What''re you doin'', dozin'' off at a time like this?!" Yeong-Un barked at him.

    He felt as if he was dreaming for a moment, being jarringly taken out of the trance as he blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes that had dried out before he ced his hands on his friend''s shoulders.

    "Yeong-Un?!"

    "Err, yeah, it''s me? What''s up with ya''?" The sharp-toothed adolescent raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if not understanding why he was surprised to see him.

    It must''ve only been a minute or two, at most, but for him, that trance felt like hours by the strain put on his body.

    "Are ya'' alright, man? What the hell is that thing, anyway?" Yeong-Un asked, noticing how heavily he was breathing with sweat clinging to his skin, grabbing his friend by the shoulders to help him stay on his feet.

    "...Yeah, but that thing¡­I don''t know¡­but don''t stare at it¨C! It put me in some sort of trance¡­I was stuck in it until you hit me in the head. How did you know, anyway?" He asked, looking at the wild-haired man.

    Yeong-Un snickered bashfully, rubbing his own head, "I saw ya'' droolin'' like a baby, so I knew a good smack would set ya'' straight."

    "...Fair enough. Did Ma-Ri send you out here?"

    "Yeah," Yeong-Un nodded, "--Reinforcements are on the way, dontcha'' worry!"

    As the man assured him, he drew both of his des from the sheaths on his back, flipping them through his fingers as he spread his arms, uncovered by the rolled-up sleeves of his dark-blue-and-ck coat.

    "This thing doesn''t look very aggressive¨Cif the trick is just not to look at it, then this''ll be a piece of cake!" Yeong-Un called out, closing his eyes.

    "Are you¡­? Hey, dummy! You''re not really nning on fighting with your eyes closed, are you?!" He yelled out towards Yeong-Un.

    Yeong-Un stopped, briefly looking back at him as if confused with his confusion, "Huh?! Just watch me!"

    Without leaving any room for discussion, the fis-shirt-wearing man broke off in a rapid sprint with his open coat fluttering in the winds made by his own agility. While he moved, he kept his eyespletely shut, yet still managed to maneuver perfectly without any hindrance.

    Hopping from the hood of each car, and even using the walls of the surrounding buildings as footing, Yeong-Un perfectly set himself on a path towards the stationary, hovering eye.

    Wait a minute, he''s actually doing it¨C?! He thought.

    He identally looked at the eye while spectating the efforts of the wild man, quickly averting his gaze and shielding his eyes before the mysterious eye could do anything.

    "Yer'' mine!" Yeong-Un called out.

    Both of his dual des were spun around once more before he leapt directly towards therge eye, rearing his weapons back before going for a powerful strike¨Chowever, it was intercepted.

    "...Huh?!" Yeong-Un let out, keeping his eyes shut.

    It was one of the spiraling, every-moving rings that orbited the enigmatic entity,pletely blocking his sh.

    He could only see this while spectating as he watched through his fingers, making sure not to look directly at the main eye.

    "Yeong-Un, be careful!" He called out.

    "Yeah, yeah!" Yeong-Un yelled out in response.

    He wanted to help, but there was little he could think to do to help against such a perplexing enemy.

    At least, it doesn''t seem to be attacking, I think¡­? He thought.

    Yeong-Un flipped back after being blocked by the ring of eyes and ever-shifting materials, catching his bnce before bursting forth for another attack, this time dragging his des along the ground without much elegance to his style.

    "--Try this! Raging Bull, Mellow Yak!"

    This time, both of his des possessed a potent energy, with the same type of amplification inhabiting his body as his muscles temporarily swelled, giving him further speed as he kicked with enough speed to break through the ringed guard of the entity.

    He did it?! He thought.

    "Yer'' mine!" Yeong-Un called out with his eyes still tightly shut.

    He stomped against the ground with a short-lived quake, mustering all of his strength as he unleashed hefty, all-out strikes against the eye of an unknown material; it wasn''t "fleshy" by normal means, instead inhabiting a ludicrous durability to itself.

    "Don''t stop!" He called out in support of his ally.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t n on it!" Yeong-Un yelled out in response, continuing with a strength-bolstering warcry as he continued his barrage of shes against the eye.

    ¨CSuddenly, a sonic boom unleashed, causing his ears to ring a powerful shock wave emitted with a great sh.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out, uncovering his eyes.

    He could see his scar-coveredpanion being blown back through the air by some unseen force likely produced by the eye in retaliation.

    "Shit¡­!" He muttered through gritted teeth.

    There wasn''t any room for hesitation¨Che used sessive [Blink Steps], using a car as a foothold, then a bent traffic light before using another to bring himself in the air, catching Yeong-Un who was stunned by the st.

    "Damn thing got me good¡­!" Yeong-Un hacked up blood, coughing.

    "I told you to be careful!"

    Holding his friend in his arms, though in a slightly awkward position as Yeong-Un wasrger than himself, just slightly in height, but greatly so in muscle mass, hended back down on the ground, making sure to keep both of their backs to the mysterious eye.

    Yeong-Un didn''t waste much time after taking a momentary knee to catch his breath, standing back up with both swords in his tight, callused grip, "Alright, time for round two, you cyclops bastard!"

    "We''re waiting for reinforcements¡­!" He told Yeong-Un, pulling him back down.

    "Huh?!...I almost had ''im!" Yeong-Un tried to contest his decision.

    Though, it didn''t go too well since at his weakened state from suffering the powerful shock wave directly, he was easily kept down by Jeong-Hui, who was adamant on waiting for the others.

    "Dammit, yer'' stubborn sometimes, ya'' know that!"

    "Good, because I''m not losing anybody¡­not ever again!" He yelled directly into his face, keeping him down.

    Yeong-Un''s eyes widened slightly as he decided not to fight against it anymore, seeing the pained look in the red-haired man''s emerald eyes.

    Before they could exchange any further words, an ear-filling hum emitted from the colossal eye''s position.

    "The hell is it doing now¡­?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "I wish I knew¡­"

    They were both taken aback, having to look at it through slight means as they were left clueless to its intentions.

    It was clear just sitting around wasn''t going to cut it now, as the malicious hum shook the street, causing the dormant rms of the cars to sound out before being promptly crushed by the pressure emitted by the enigmatic eye.

    Sage System, is there anything I can do to get around that eye? My senses aren''t crazily animalistic like Yeong-Un''s¡­He thought.

    [...]

    [There is a method in which you can use.]

    It was a different voice than the "Angel System"--a male voice that sounded distinctly human, rather than inly robotic and female like the former.

    Give it to me straight, he thought.

    [It''ll be taxing on your mind, however, it can be done: using the capabilities of your Sage ability, you''ll be able to memorize the surrounding area to the most minute detail¨Cthis way, ingraining that visualization in your mind, you will be able to move freely without normal sight.]

    Gotcha¨Clet''s do that then! He thought.

    Standing up, he opened his eyes wide as his emerald irises were inhabited by a spiraling, digital-like ent.

    "Sage System: Memorize!" Hemanded.

    Through his vision, it was as if a wave of an extended sixth sense stretched itself over the surrounding area, ingraining not just the visuals of the scenery, but its sounds, feelings, and smells.

    [Memorization Complete. When closing your eyes, your nk sight will be overridden by the snapshot of the street''syout.]

    "Understood," he mumbled to himself, looking back at Yeong-Un, "It''s my turn to give this a shot."

    "Tch," Yeong-Un clicked his tongue before smirking, "Give it hell, then!"

    He closed his eyes, experiencing a bizarre sensation as with his eyelids shut, he was still able to see, though he knew it was a recreation of his vivid memories.

    Still¡­it''s so real. Even the wind brushing against leaves¡­It''s alive. This is "Sage System", huh? He thought.

    Without wasting any further time, he sprinted towards the humming eye, intending to halt whatever attack it was building up to.

    Sage Period, activate! He thought.

 Chapter 67 Korain! The! Strong!

    Without wasting any further time, he sprinted towards the humming eye, intending to halt whatever attack it was building up to.

    Sage Period, activate! He thought.

    As he activated the altered form, he drew his daggers, using a [Blink Step] to throw the eye off before shing the air, sending a wave of purple, hissing energy cutting towards the eye with viscous speed.

    It cut through the street easily, bisecting the yellow car that was in its path beforending against the eye in a fiery, purple explosion that propelled a shock wave outwards.

    "Twilight Cutter", it''s a new skill I opted to learn through my skill tree to make up for myck of range, while keeping close to my assassin proficiency. I don''t think martial arts is going to be my best option against an enemy like this, he thought.

    [Amplification state initiated.]

    "Sage Period" itself had altered along with the awakening of his secondary system, taking on an evolved, more versatile form.

    The demerit of taking double damage from attacks was still present, however, alongside the baseline benefit of being able tobine skills, two more benefits were active: the ability to use skills and spells without invocations, and the reduction of spirit cost.

    It was a t "-100" to the cost of his skills and spells while in this enhanced Sage Period, making a skill like [Twilight Cutter], that took a toll of one-hundred spirit, free to use.

    Even so, that didn''t mean the skill would actually bear much fruition in an attack against the otherworldly eye.

    He continued this strategy; jumping and dashing around while sending the massive, energized forms of shes against the eye in repetition.

    "Watch out, fire-head! It''s lookin'' right atcha''!" Yeon-Un yelled out as a warning.

    It''s looking at me¨C? Is it nning to attack? Did my attack not have any effect? He wondered.

    Either way, he used a [Blink Step] to warp himself atop one of the traffic lights, taking a moment to regain himself.

    "Fire-head! Jump! Now!" Yeon-Un yelled out.

    Just as the warning came, he could feel an explicable heat press against his body,ing from the general direction of the eye as he leapt to the side, barely evading a sort of beam that intended to erase him.

    "Huh¨C?"

    He briefly opened his eyes while looking at what could''ve hit him; it was a golden light, condensed into a beam that burrowed into the highrise building behind him. The heat from theser caused the surrounding material of the tall building to bubble up and melt as the eye dragged the beam upwards, carving through arge section of the building in one go.

    What the hell is this¡­? This isn''t something we can fight¨Cit''s at least level thirty-no, fourty? This type of attack power is in another realm, he thought.

    Hended on the ground in a roll to maintain his momentum, finding an opening as he sprinted with haste towards the eye while it continued to carve the highrise tower behind with its humming, destructive beam.

    I''ll cut it away now, with everything I have¨C! He thought.

    Approaching the enormous eye, which surpassed his size at least by a dozen times, he flipped his daggers to gain momentum as they became shrouded in absolute darkness, then bolstered in shining violet.

    "Dark Edge", "Twilight Cutter", and "Ripper"--this is "Death By A Thousand Harrowing Cuts"! He thought.

    As he reared his magically-enhanced daggers back, leaving a trail of swirling, chaotic power in their movement, he was stunned the eye suddenly halted its previous attack, spinning around with an unsettling speed as it contorted itself¨Cstaring directly at him with a dted pupil.

    "--!"

    "Fire-head!" Yeong-Un yelled out to him.

    Ah, crap¨CI messed up, he thought.

    A gathering of scorching heat coalesced at the otherworldly eye''s pupil, generating a blinding light that consumed his vision in that moment between moments.

    "No pupil of mine is falling today¨C!"

    ¨CA familiar, boisterous voice.

    The blinding light dispersed as a massive wind pressure mmed against the eye, knocking its iris around as it seemed to be snatched from its focus.

    As he turned, he could see a familiar, muscle-bound man with ck-and-white, long hair kept into a ponytail, wielding arge, cobalt ymore.

    "Korain¡­!" He called out in surprise, naturally smiling out of relief.

    The hulking mannded with a thud on the street, resting his sword on his shoulders as he strode with confidence backed by a million-dor smile.

    "Miss me, my dear student?" Korain asked, patting him on the head as he towered over the crimson-haired adolescent.

    "Cut that out¨CI''m perfectly fine," he bashfully smacked the man''s hand away, thoughughed a bit.

    "What''s the situation with this creepy fe?" Korain asked, stopping his antics as he squinted with a serious look in his eyes.

    He looked back as well, seeing the eye still swirling as it readjusted itself in response to the hefty blow received from the man, "...Honestly, I don''t really know. It dropped down from beyond the clouds¡­and¨Cmake sure not to match its gaze¨Cit did something with my mind," he exined, holding his face as he winced.

    "I see," Korain nodded, tapping the dull side of his cobalt ymore against his broad shoulder, "Leave this to us!"

    "..."Us"...?" He asked, confused.

    Just then, he saw two more figures arrive beside Korain, who seemed to only just arrive.

    "Eunji¡­!"

    The meek, short-haired girl stood, wielding a magical staff as she kept herposure beside the towering man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Standing to the right of Korain, another man, though slender and pale with long, unkempt locks of a jet-ck shade stood, holding an expression as if wanting nothing more than to be somewhere else.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Moon. Level: 25 | ss: Magi-Summoner]

    "Moon!" He let out.

    It was rare to see the reclusive man out, who had grown a stubble that he scratched, wearing a dreary, baggy uniform as his equip with thin, blue gloves and a simrly colored mantle.

    "Let''s get this party started! If a "Boss" wants to drop down on our doorstep, I say let him! It''s free experience for Gangcheori!" Korain proimed, pointing his ymore at the colossal eye as it finally adjusted itself, surrounded by its rotating rings of ever-shifting visuals.

    "Yeah!" He said, joining in with the other three.

    "...Dontcha'' dare forget about me."

    Yeong-Un ced himself beside them with a smirk, wielding both of his different-handled des as he spit out a heaping of blood from his mouth.

    "Yeong-Un¡­Are you sure you should be fighting?" He asked.

    "The hell kinda question is that?" The wild-haired, scarred adolescent smiled at his ally, "If myrades are fightin'' their hearts out, ya'' bet yer'' ass I''m roaring right alongside them!"

    With an ensemble of five, even against the seemingly immutable eye, he couldn''t help but feel confident now, or at least, hopeful.

    "Any other pointers for us?" Korain asked.

    "It''s tough as hell," he answered, "...Sorry, that''s all I''ve got for you."

    "I can attest to that," Yeong-Un agreed, wiping the blood from his nose.

    "Hah! Good enough¨CI know I''ll have to hit it hard, then!" Korain yelled, flexing his muscles as they bulkened with veins protruding against his skin, "Let''s roll, baby!"

    All at once, the group set out, with Eunji and Moon staying at the backline due to their roles in the battle.

    "Come, Red Chimera!" Moon called out, tightening his blue, steel-embroidered glove as it shined in response to his call.

    A magical seal formed on the ground, spinning as a mystical beast rose from its unseen depths, roaring out as it revealed its full,rge form as a red-furred lion with the tail of a ck-scale serpent, and the wings of a dragon sprouting from its back.

    The multi-part beast withrge, de-like ws roared out before dashing out, running alongside the three who took to the vanguard.

    "Cast: Steel-Like Skin!"

    Eunji raised the ivory, wooden-wrapped staff up as she summoned a confident voice from the depths in her being to conjure her party-wide buff, granting a defensiveyer of unseen armor to each fighter on the vanguard.

    Even though they ran together, he was left in the dust by Korain, who being a considerably higher level, possessed immense physical stats¨Cbut that wasn''t quite it.

    Korain himself was an anomaly; he burst forward with such speed that the asphalt beneath his step, causing the nearby cars to bounce up, crash against the neighboring walls, or roll over as he propelled forth with an unmatched speed.

    A storm of dust kicked up from the aftermath of the man''s takeoff, leaving even Yeong-Un in his dust as the man coughed up from the overflow of sediment.

    Luckily, they were a good few blocks away from the hotel as the shock wave from Korain''s takeoff shattered the nearby windows of the towering buildings.

    "Talk about a show-off!" He coughed up.

    "Ha-ha! That''s the way a real man rolls! Let''s not be left behind¨C!" Yeong-Unughed, pushing himself to max speed as well.

    In a full sprint, he was able to match Yeong-Un as they ran with such speed that his vision curved, though it still wasn''t enough to catch up to Korain who swiftly arrived at the eye entity''s position.

    "Let''s see how "unbreakable" you really are, why don''t we?!" Korain shouted out, wielding his massive ymore as it became enveloped in a swirling wind.

    With both hands gripping firmly around the handle of the lengthy ymore that was nearly the height of the one who wielded it, Korain smiled fiercely before mming it down directly towards the mysterious eye, which watched him as he did.

    One of the rings, inhabited by countless eyes and flesh that disappeared and reappeared continuously, attempted to block the downward m of his swing, but this time¨Cthe eye''s defensive capabilities fell short.

    "Oh, crap¨Cis he using that?!" He shouted out in realization.

    "Yeah, get back!" Yeong-Un called out, evenmanding the summoned chimera that seemed to understand his words.

    Korain held a wide smile as he sessfully shattered one of the seemingly unbreakable rings that orbited the eye, breaking through it with the wind-infused swing of his de that imposed a swirling tornado onto the ground.

    "...He''s not a team yer at all, is he?!" He shouted out, running in the opposite direction now alongside Yeong-Un and the chimera.

    "Ha-ha! He never has been!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "How is this funny?!"

    The force of the manifested, raging force of nature could be felt as abandoned cars were lifted from the ground, spiraling around the roaring winds that enveloped the eye.

    "How''s that?! I bet you regret messing with my students now, don''t you!?" Korain taunted, standing atop the colossal eye as he pressed his ymore against it.

    His temple of muscle was strained and reddened, bulkened as he forced himself to persist amidst the tornado, keeping it manifested at the terrible winds tugged at the orb''s constitution.

    "...One more outta do it¡­" Korain muttered, gathering his heavy breaths before raising hisrge de above his head again.

 Chapter 68 The Destroying Angel

    "...One more outta do it¡­" Korain muttered, gathering his heavy breaths before raising hisrge de above his head again.

    He made sure not to meet eye-to-eye with the entity, this time invoking a different amplification as an illustrious, divine wind formed around his de before he mmed it down with such a powerful force that the tornado itself was forcefully dissipated, causing the airborne vehicles to crash down like meteors on the ravaged block.

    "Holy crap¡­! Is this how Korain always fights?!" He asked in surprise, only being used to the man''s training mode.

    "Hell yeah!" Yeong-Un pumped his fist in the air.

    The asphalt cracked and cratered beneath the eye after having the light-infused ymore mmed into it, managing to pierce it atst.

    "...He did it?!" He realized, seeing the de embedded into the eye.

    Even Eunji and Moon seemed to take notice of Korain''s sessful assault, though he did it on his own.

    "...That man is always so extra¡­" Moon spoke boredly, scratching his scruffy beard, "Chimera came out for no real reason."

    "It''s better safe than sorry, right?" Eunji smiled meekly.

    They all watched in anticipation while Korain caught his breath, still standing on the eye as he slowly withdrew his de.

    "--"

    Cracks began to spread across the shape of the enigmatic eye, allowing a blinding, heavenly light seep through its unnatural form.

    "Get back!" He called out to the man.

    Even the boisterous man seemed to take that warning to heart as he leapt away, meeting back up with the vanguard as he ruffled the chimera''s fur, keeping his eyes on the bizarre entity.

    "Did ya'' get it?" Yeong-Un asked.

    Korain held a serious look, "...Can''t say. But, I can''t shake this ominous feeling."

    "What do you mean?" He asked, looking up at the well-built man.

    "When my sword was inside of it¡­I felt something¨Cit was beyond human; something that shouldn''t be touched. I was frozen until you called out¨Cthere''s something inside of it," Korain said.

    "Hold on¡­"

    Eunji and Moon had met back up with them, with the sses-wearing, short-haired woman speaking up.

    "Huh? Did you find something?" Korain looked at the tiny, skirt-wearing woman.

    Eunji adjusted her sses, "...The way it''s cracking all over¡­more than an eye, it seems like¡­an egg."

    Those words brought a realization to the entire group as their eyes widened, moving to the cracking, shattering eye with full intent now.

    ¡­That can''t be it, right? He thought, or more so wished.

    At once, as enough cracks stretched across the spherical form in the eye like an array of cobwebs, it peeled, falling apart as an eye-filling radiance obscured the entirety of the street block.

    Following the breaking of the egg-like eye, a massive pulse released outwards, propelling a wave of obscene, unseen force in the form of a shock wave.

    Korain didn''t waste a moment as he protected both Eunji and Moon with his body from the iing wave of released energy.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    "Gk¡ª!"

    "Argh¡ª!"

    They were blown back by the widespread shock wave that sted away the nearby windows as well.

    Luckily, the defensive spell used on them earlier had protected them from taking much damage, but it still had an effect.

    He held his head,id out on his back against the asphalt as ss from the shattered windows of the towering buildings rained down.

    "Man, what the hell¡­?"

    Laying there for a minute, he picked himself up with ringing ears, extending his hand down and helping his spiky-hairedpanion back to his feet.

    "Damn, that rattled my guts!" Yeong-Un yelled out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Not a visual I needed¡­" He replied wryly.

    The other three were fine, but that was due in part of Korain, who wasn''t even moved by the shock wave.

    "Phew¡­That was close," Korain smiled, looking down at the two he protected.

    Eunji looked worried, "Korain, are you alright¡­?"

    "Ha-ha! Never been better! That spell of yours definitely saved my ass!" Korain pped his own bicep.

    Moon didn''t say anything, simply moving away as he looked past the ck-and-white haired, burly man at what came from the shattered eye.

    All of their sights set in that direction.

    What was felt from the shattered entity was something distinctly potent; an aura that could only be described as "beyond human".

    A pair of beautiful, yet ominous wings stretched out, and in the heavenly light, a humanoid figure stood, walking towards them from afar.

    "Beautifully done, humans¡­"

    The voice of a man spoke from the enigmatic humanoid figure, still shrouded in light as they walked towards them.

    "It really was some sort of cocoon?" Korain asked, gripping his ymore.

    "The eye itself seemed alive¡­How odd," Moon muttered.

    "I wouldn''t try too hard to find reason with something like this¡­" He added.

    "I think¡­I know what this is," Eunji said quietly.

    They all looked at the round-sses wearing woman as she adjusted nervously.

    "You do?" He asked.

    "It''s just a guess¡­I don''t want to believe I''m right, though¡­" Eunji mumbled.

    "Then spill it!" Korainmanded, ruffling the hazel hair of the girl.

    Eunji blushed as her hair was messed with, "¡­Alright! I think¡­this is an "Angel" itself¡­"

    "An Angel¡­?" He repeated, then looking forward at the winged being shrouded in light.

    It fit the bill: holy radiance and grandiose wings stretching from their back.

    "A full-blown Angel? Hah! That''s one helluva opponent!" Yeong-Unughed in excitement, "Imagine the experience we''ll get from this guy!"

    "Well said!" Korain agreed with an excited smirk, "I bet this guy came down because the six months are reaching their end¡ªI guess we might be reaching the "endgame" or something like that."

    Finally, the almost blinding radiance settled down as the shrouded form of the Angel was revealed to their curious eyes.

    He was thin, but packed with perfect, optimized muscle and golden-brown, tan skin.

    What stood out immediately was his seeming height,pared to Korain who was over two meters, the mysterious Angel seemed to possess a superior height, by quite a bit as well.

    "Are you going to just stare with your mouths open?"

    The Angel spoke,ing to a stop a dozen meters away from the group.

    Golden bands could be seen, worn on his biceps, neck, and legs, alongside his white, holy uniform that matched the feathers of his illustrious wings.

    Even just standing there, an immensely dense aura exuded from the position of the Angel who simply stood, staring towards them with odd, rectangr irises of a golden shade, with ck sclera.

    Korain was the one who managed to step towards the Angel, pushing past the immense, suffocating aura that naturally exuded from the being.

    "Who the hell are you? If you''re stepping into our home, dragging your feet across the floor, you should at least properly introduce yourself," Korain said with a sly smile, staring down the Angel.

    The mysterious Angel looked at the man for a minute before releasing unrestrainedughter.

    "Oh, man, that''s good! I like you¡ªyou''ve got some spirit!" The Angel jabbed his finger against his own chest, "I''ll let you know my name then, the one given to me by the Holy Father! I am Radueriel, the "Destroying Angel", burn it into your memories!"

 Chapter 69 [Bonus ]Abandon: Stage...!

    "Oh, man, that''s good! I like you¡ªyou''ve got some spirit!" The Angel jabbed his finger against his own chest, "I''ll let you know my name then, the one given to me by the Holy Father! I am Radueriel, the "Destroying Angel", burn it into your memories!"

    Bestowing his name to their ears, the beige-haired, golden-eyed man spread his seraphic wings wide just as he did his arms, holding an excited smile.

    "So, you really are an angel, then," Korain said with an unmoving, confident smile.

    An angel¡­? I thought we drew our power from angels¨Cso why is one fighting us like this? He questioned.

    "In the flesh," Radueriel smiled, holding his fist up, "So¡­Who will it be? The first to fight me, that is. Or, would you all like toe at me at once? It doesn''t make much of a difference."

    Against all five of them, the winged-man didn''t seem to care one way or another, simply goading them into a fight.

    "...He really does want to fight us, huh?" He muttered.

    "Hah! Cocky bastard really thinks he can take us all on?! I''d like to see him try!" Yeong-Un held both of his swords up.

    "Don''t rush in, dumbass!" He said, holding his wild-haired friend back by his arms.

    "Hey! Let go!" Yeong-Un barked.

    Eunji assisted in trying to sway Yeong-Un''s impatient, one-track mind, "...Jeong-Hui is right¡­we shouldn''t jump into a fight with somebody like this without everybody being here."

    "Not just that¡­have you actually checked the status of that man?" Moon added, scratching the stubble on his chin.

    Now that it was asked, he realized he didn''t try to obtain the status of the self-proimed angel, letting go of Yeong-Un as they all seemed to do the same thing.

    ["Destroying Angel, Radueriel" | Level 50]

    "Tell me I''m seein'' things here¡­" Yeong-Un muttered.

    "Is that right¡­? It''s not, is it?" Eunji asked worriedly, holding her hands close to her chest as she gulped.

    "Level fifty¨Cwhy is something like this appearing right in front of us¡­?" He asked, beginning to sweat.

    As if noticing that they''ve seen his strength, the angel smiled, tilting his head, taking joy in the dread inspired by his very presence.

    "If you all are too scared, then leave it to me!"

    ¨CKorain announced, still standing closest to the angel without looking back, tapping the dull side of his de against his shoulder.

    "Korain¡­" Eunji mumbled.

    "Hey! Who said I was scared, huh?!" Yeong-Un contested, but was held back by the red-haired ally of his, "What''s the big idea, fire-head?! Are we just gonna let him fight that bastard alone?!"

    "...''Course not! Well, for now¨C! We have to leave things to Korain¨Cdon''t you understand what he''s doing for us?!" He asked, holding Yeong-Un back from jumping straight into battle.

    "Huh?" Yeong-Un looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

    It was the silent, dreary-eyed man with lengthy, unkempt locks that exined, standing beside them:

    "Out of all of us, Korain possesses the best chance of surviving an encounter with an enemy of that level. He knows that," Moon exined, "If we all jumped in together, there is a chance all of us may be killed by that angel in one fell swoop. This way, Korain ns to obtain information throughbat and buy time for the others to arrive."

    "--" Yeong-Un gritted his teeth, knowing well what was said was true, "Still¡­!"

    "Yeong-Un¡­please," Eunji pleaded.

    Atst, it finally seemed the scar-covered adolescent understood, pulling away from the hold that Jeong-Hui restrained him in, "...Just don''t you dare fuckin'' die, Korain¡­"

    ¨C

    Korain didn''t pay any mind to what was said behind him, instead meeting eye-to-eye with the angel who stood without any guard raised.

    "You''re quite the brave one, aren''t you? Or would foolish be a more apt way to put it? I wonder," Radueriel cracked his knuckles without touching them.

    "Why don''t you stick around and find out?" Korain coaxed with a smile, pointing his lengthy de directly towards the heaven-descending being.

    A smile that in no way hid the malicious excitement of the angel stretched across his lips as he simply gestured with his hand for the human man toe at him.

    Korain drew a calm breath through his lungs, fixing his expression into one of frivolity into cautious intensity.<novelnext></novelnext>

    One wrong move here and I might just bite it¨Cthat''d be pretty damn embarrassing in front of my students¡­so let''s try and look cool, Korain thought.

    "Cast: Abandon: Stage Two."

    The moment the invocation left the lips of the tall, burly man, veins protruded across his skin as hisplexion began to heat up, shifting from a slight tan to a strained red.

    Watching this sudden shift from Korain, he was left perplexed at what he was seeing as the man seemed to bulken, redden, and produce a slight steam from his body.

    "What''s that?" He asked in surprise.

    Eunji answered, "...It''s a unique skill that Korain possesses as a warrior-ss: "Abandon". It''s a dangerous technique¡­it puts a massive strain on the user''s body, but in turn grants them immense physical bonuses. There are five stages total to it, but¡­"

    "But?" He looked at Eunji.

    The meek, sses-wearing woman fell silent for some reason, holding a hesitant, glossy look in her eyes as she looked down.

    "But¡­Korain has only ever used up to stage four," Moon answered in her ce, "...because stage five is certain death for the user."

    "Certain death¨C?!"

    It was just then their conversation was cut short as Korainunched towards the angel with a kick from the ground, cratering the asphalt beneath his boot as he moved at an amplified speed.

    So fast¨C! He thought.

    It almost seemed as if therge man had used a [Blink Step] to break the distance between himself and the angel, but it was just his raw speed itself.

    With a single hand, Korain wielded his ymore, swinging it without form or grace in a downwards sh, though it missed the nimble angel who sidestepped it without any worry present on his expression.

    "Not bad," Raduerielplimented casually with a smirk, "You''re fast¨Cfor a mere human."

    The Destroying Angel was an entire head above the already tall man, choosing not to counter with an attack of his own as he instead disyed the speed he possessed, appearing behind the man whose strike mmed into the asphalt.

    The missed sword strike had struck the street with a booming impact, sending a cobweb of cracks throughout the asphalt while Radueriel stood behind him without any guard raised.

    "Still, it won''t be enough to reach me," Radueriel leaned back, whispering his taunt directly to the reddened man''s ear.

    "--"

    Korain didn''t respond, instead attempting a swift, viscous spinning strike that once again missed its target as the winged being flipped over him while the sheer wind pressure unleashed from the strike pelted against the sea of abandoned cars.

    "Close, but not quite," Radueriel smiled, keeping his arms folded across his chest as hended behind the ck-and-white haired man once again.

    This time, Korain stomped his foot down with enough force to cave in the dark asphalt beneath his boot, gripping his ymore with both hands as his veins seemed to press against his skin in a rage, rearing his de back before spinning around to sh it directly against the angel.

    ¨CHowever, the smiling, patronizing angel remained unmoving, not evading the strike this time.

    "No way¡­!" He let out in surprise, spectating the sh.

    The de, backed by immense physical prowess from Korain, stopped against the raised forearm of the angel, who wasn''t even damaged in the slightest by blocking it with his own flesh.

    "Are you beginning to understand? The efforts of a mere human cannot reach one of Heaven such as myself," Radueriel exined to him, opting to grab the de directly clenching it with his vice-grip, "...It was a valiant effort, but it will amount to nothing."

    "That''s funny¡­" Korain spoke quietly through his strained voice, breathing heavily as sweat left his pores.

    "Hm? "Funny"? What''s funny here?" Raduerie raised an eyebrow, looking down at the man with his radiant, golden pupils.

    Korain looked up, huffing and gathering his breath, "...I haven''t even given it everything I have yet, and you''re already talking as if this battle is decided! That type of arrogant bullshit really gets my blood pumpin''--so I''ll have to thank you for that!"

    "What?" Radueriel asked in utter confusion.

    All at once, a whirlwind of energy swirled around Korain as hisplexion reddened further, with his pupils beginning to be lost through the utter pressure imposed on his body, "Cast: Abandon: Stage Four¨C!"

    Sliding the de back, managing to overpower the hold of the angel, the man drew his de back, managing to leave a cut against the divine man''s palm as a trail of blood left the path of the cobalt de.

    "Grgh¡­?!" Radueriel seemed more surprised by the wound than actually pained, looking at his shed palm in shock.

    "Stage four?!" He noted in surprise.

 Chapter 70 The Unstoppable Foe

    "Stage four?!" He noted in surprise.

    "Already?!...He was pushed to stage four already?!" Yeong-Un seemed upset by this, bing more impatient as he gripped his des, "Fuck this! I''m helpin'' him!"

    Before the impatient man could move in, he was held back once again by hispanion, who gripped his biceps from behind.

    "Dammit, fire-head! He''s your teacher, too, ain''t he?! What''re ya'' gonna do if he dies!?" Yeong-Un barked.

    "...I''m going to be in the battle long before that happens!" He retorted, "Trust me!"

    "--!" Yeong-Un seemed confused, ripping away from his hold as he turned around to meet him face-to-face, "This is bullshit, and ya'' know it! Korain is just tryin'' to sacrifice himself for us! I won''t let that shit happen!"

    Eunji and Moon were silent, leaving him to be the one to have to settle his friend down, with the only method that came to mind.

    "Yeong-Un¡­" He said quietly, clenching his fists.

    "Huh?" The man raised one of his scar-shed eyebrows at him.

    "Get it together, you idiot¨C!" He yelled out.

    Just as he yelled, he was already midway through rearing his head back before mming his forehead directly against his friend''s own, causing them both to stumble back in pain, wincing and holding their foreheads.

    "The hell was that about, ya'' idiot?!" Yeong-Un asked, wincing as he caressed his forehead.

    "You really are thick-skulled, aren''t you?! Anyway¡­think! You really think we''re just going to stand around and watch Korain die?!" He asked, getting in his friend''s face again.

    Yeong-Un went silent, clicking his tongue before replying, "...So that''s how it is, huh?"

    "Obviously! Once things get bad, we''re hopping in¨Cno matter what he says or does afterwards!" He told him.

    A warm sensation trickled down his forehead as he spoke to Yeong-Un, noticing that the wild-haired man was staring at his head.

    "Yer'' kinda bleedin'', man," Yeong-Un told him casually.

    "Oh¡­crap," he chuckled, touching his forehead.

    After settling that, Eunji used healing on both of them to handle the aftermath of the resolving headbutt.

    Once they finally returned their attention to the battle taking ce, what they witnessed was something that sat in another realm from what was previously shown.

    "Raaagh¨C!"

    Korain roared out, sprinting with a speed that caused the air to hiss as he chased after the angel, who smiled at the prospect of battle while quickly pacing backward.

    In an aggressivebination, the bulkened, human man repeatedly shed his ymore, cutting at the asphalt, splitting the cars that got in their way, all while intending to eviscerate the angel in front of him.

    None of the shes could reach, though, as Radueriel blocked and deflected each of the lucirously powerful attacks with the golden bindings on his wrists, holding a wide smile while doing so.

    "Never in a million years did I expect to see power like this wielded by humans! Maybe I was wrong¨Cthe Armageddon Game is pretty interesting!" Radueriel yelled out.

    "Shut up and fight me¨C!"

    Korain stomped his foot down, unleashing a shock wave that momentarily stunned the angel, having taken him by surprise and breaking his guard.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do it¨C!" He yelled out in support.

    "Get that bird-lookin'' bastard!" Yeong-Un called out as well.

    Summoning all of his strength, Korain swung his hips back as well as his ymore, manifesting a massive swirl of wind along its length that inhabited a destructive force that caused the ground they stood on to quake.

    Radueriel was smiling wide, though a certain semnce of worry was worn on his expression as it was far toote to recover his guard.

    "Raaaagh¨C!" Korain yelled out from the top of his lungs.

    As the man swung his hips, generating all of the strength he could conjure, the winds howled as his de bisected those very airs before being shed directly against the angel, instantaneously releasing an onught of wind that propelled through the street.

    The attack manifested in a sideways tornado that burst through the abandoned street, ripping and tearing at the stationary vehicles as the angel sat at the very forefront of the wind''s rage.

    "Holy crap¨C!" He let out, witnessing the scope of Korain''s attack.

    They all had to focus to maintain their bnce, even though the source of the attack was pointed in the opposing direction, a couple blocks down, at that.

    "Ha-ha! Give him hell¨C!" Yeong-Un pumped his fist into the air in excitement.

    Korain held his same position, allowing the rage of the wind to churn through the street wildly as it sounded off like a continuously roaring cannon.

    With this, I can do it¡­! Korain thought.

    With every ounce of strength he had, the reddened, strained man roared out again, gripping the handle of his weapon with enough conviction to shatter it if it weren''t any less sturdy.

    "--Enough of that. It''s hurting my ears."

    All at once, the swirl of powerful wind stopped in a seamless moment as the de itself was suddenly gripped by the golden-brown hand of the angel.

    "...Huh?" Korain let out.

    Radueriel stood over him with a bored look, holding his de with direct contact as he clenched it tightly.

    There was no visible damage present on the angel''s immacte body, much to the dismay of everybody watching.

    "No way¡­!" Eunji let out in shock, covering her mouth.

    "What the¨CKorain! Don''t let him stop ya'' like that¨C! Hey¨C!" Yeong-Un screamed at the top of his lungs.

    Crap¨Cthis is the worst case scenario! I knew level fifty would be something else, but he''s treating Korain like a child! He thought.

    The man who engaged with the angel was speechless at the disy of superior strength, unable to react as the angel attacked for the first time, pulling on his ymore to bring him closer before sinking his fist into his gut.

    "Pyuh¨C!" Korain spit out.

    It felt as if his interior organs were just hit with a train, being abrasively mmed as not only saliva was spat out, but blood too as he coughed, being flung directly upwards by the divine strength demonstrated.

    "This isn''t right¡­" He mumbled.

    They were left stunned at what they witnessed; the terrifying power belonging to the "Destroying Angel" himself.

 Chapter 71 Lonely Stand

    As Korain wasunched into the air, flipping around helplessly from the force of the mighty blow, the angel flew upwards, meeting him amidst the winds with a smirk.

    "Take a nap for me," Radueriel told him exclusively, "...When you wake up, all of yourpanions will be dead!"

    With a tremendous kick, the burly man was sent down with a shock wave that broke the sound barrier, causing him to crash down into the asphalt like a fallen meteor, releasing a tremor and a wave of dust that filled the block.

    "Korain¨C!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    Yeong-Un and Eunji were the first ones to move, with himself and Moon quickly following as they rushed to the man''s side, moving as quickly as possible.

    The mix-colored-haired man could be seen in the near distance, embedded into the street, fallen unconscious and bleeding from multiple orifices as his "Abandon" seemed to automatically disable with the loss of consciousness.

    "Shit¨C! Korain¡­!" He called out.

    As they all rushed towards him, only meters away from reaching the man¨Cthe angelic presence appeared with a speed surpassing their senses many times over, warping in the middle of the group.

    Huh¨C? He thought.

    It was thanks to "Sage System" that his perception of time automatically altered with the sense of danger being felt, slowly turning back to see the smiling, tan-skinned angel standing between the four of them.

    Despite being one born in the heavens, a look of utter bloodlust inhabited those golden, seraphic eyes of his.

    Such primordial thirst for killing sent his blood cold as his hands instinctively moved down towards his sheathed daggers¨Cbut it was toote.

    In that slowed perception of time, he witnessed Radueriel''s golden eyes shift to him as if moving at normal, uninhibited speed, appearing in front of him with his fist already sunk into his gut.

    "--!"

    The halted perception of time was a curse at this moment; he could feel the pain birth itself throughout his body, spreading from the center of his stomach and rippling throughout the rest of his body as an unmatched heat bubbled up within him.

    I''m going to die. I''m going to die¨CI''m dying, he thought.

    These thoughts spurred from the primal corners of his brain that felt his insides being churned by the sheer force of the swift, untraceable hit.

    It wasn''t just him, in that moment between moments, upying the ce between seconds, Radueriel assaulted each of them.

    [...0.000000041 seconds¡­]

    In that amount of time, the Destroying Angel blinked between each of them, using a single hit on each of them.

    Once he managed to resume his normal perception of time, a propelling force knocked each of them in opposing directions after being hit by the seemingly impervious angel.

    [Health Points: -1500. Remaining Health Points: 1600/3100]

    "Sage System", exhibiting the nature of "optimization" made it so he only got prompts for lost health when losing a critical amount¨Cthis was one of those times, dreadfully as he knew it was just a simple much.

    He slid against the asphalt a dozen meters, not even registering the pain from the friction burns as he focused on trying to regain his breath as his lungs refused to listen to him.

    It burns. My stomach burns. My lungs burn. Breathe¡­Breathe¡­! Hemanded himself.

    As he hyperventted, attempting to regain his breath as he struggled to sit up just a few inches, watching the terrifying angel in his antics.

    "Just as I thought¡­That was the strongest of you, wasn''t it? The rest of you are nothing more than maggots, thriving in the mud!" Radueriel taunted.

    While the angel ranted, he kicked Yeong-Un, who wasid out on the street already, causing the wild-haired man to crash through one of the neighboring building walls.

    "--!"

    He tried to yell out his friend''s name, but couldn''t muster anything more than a strained gasp as there was no oxygen filling his lungs.

    All he could do was witness the same thing repeat: the Destroying Angel toyed with the others, kicking them, stomping, and tossing them against walls, seeming not to notice him as he had been initially flung the farthest.

    If one attack did roughly half his health, then the others were on the brink of death¨Cthat much was clear to him.

    ¡­I have to get up! I have to breathe! I won''t let it happen again¨C! I won''t let everybody fall¡­! I won''t be thest one standing¨Cnever again! He thought.

    Reigniting his lungs with this conviction, he managed to calm himself, drawing in breath atst as he pulled himself up to his feet.

    It wasn''t pretty; though he stood to his feet, he was hardly bnced as the effects of the previous punch was still embedded in his body.

    "..."

    He had to focus entirely on breathing as he stood there with his arms limp, coaxing each breath in, and slowly releasing it.

    STOMP.

    ¨CIt was in an instant: the presence of the angel appeared directly in front of him whilst in the process of exhaling, causing him to hold his breath without realizing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He didn''t want to look up, but was forced to as he had to strain his neck to look directly at the tall, well-built angel who looked down at him with a malicious smile.

    "And here I thought I destroyed your organs with that punch. Humans love to subvert your expectations, don''t they?" Radueriel spoke in a twisted way.

    There was nothing he could do besides hope for some sort of stray miracle as he focused on building his breath once more, only looking up at the tan-skinned angel without responding.

    To his surprise, Radueriel didn''t attack, instead holding his arms out before cing his knuckles against his sides, flexing his body as his toned muscles stiffened.

    "...?"

    "I like to think I''m a generous guy, you know? For surviving that hit and getting back up to your feet, I''ll give you a reward," Radueriel smiled wide, though it was devoid of benevolence and only wickedness, "One minute. I''ll give you one minute to give me everything you''ve got!"

    ¡­Huh? He thought.

    It was a perplexing move taken as he looked around to see if any of hisrades were getting up, but they all wereid out, unconscious by the angel in the desecrated streets of the once luxurious city square.

    "Your time starts now!" Radueriel proimed, standing in front of him,pletely still with his hands against his sides.

    Though he was left confused and only operating on sparse strength, he forced himself to act, taking advantage of this one opportunity given to him.

    ¡­Sage Period: Activate! Hemanded in his mind.

    Activating Sage Period shifted his eyes as he used the optimization of his ability to stabilize his breathing, forcing strength to flood through his limbs as he took a taekwondo stance¨Cpreparing to unleash everything he had.

    While the angel smiled, he began his assault, beginning with a "Leopard Strike"-- a blow that was done by holding his fist in an uneven position with the knuckles of his index and middle finger protruding, striking against the divine man''s chest.

    He followed up with a "Swift Descent"--a quickly, seamlesslyunched ax-kick that exchanged some power for its swiftness, bringing it down against the angel''s shoulder.

    Even with those initial two strikes, Radueriel remainedpletely unmoving with his hands still on his sides, smiling at him with unbreakable arrogance.

    He wanted to shatter that arrogance¨Cthat drive pushed him further as sweat left his pores in abundance.

    "Dark Edge" plus "Twilight Cutter" plus "Breaker Fist"! He thought.

    [Spirit: -100. Remaining Spirit: 3100/3200]

    Thebined skills resulted in not just his fists, but his forearms being amplified by swirling, intertwined energies.

    He didn''t stop at just that, not relying solely on raw strength as he maintained his taekwondo stance, pushing forward as he breathed sharplyunching an onught of attacks swiftly.

    One, two, three, four, five¡­

    After leveling up [Breaker Fist], it heightened the number of times he could strike while using it, allowing him to repeatedly, and quickly, thrust his surging knuckles against the bare chest of the standstill angel with enough force to produce small shock waves.

    "Heh¡­not too bad!" Radueriel called out.

    There was hardly a scratch present on the man''s golden-brown chest as steam exuded from the spots of impact.

    Not even that¡­? He thought, taken aback by the futility of hisbined attack.

    He swallowed his breath, resuming his stance, though this time he flexed both his arms and his legs.

    Shatter Star! He thought.

    [Spirit: -400. Remaining Spirit: 2700/3200]

    The unspoken invocation was unleashed in abination attack as he kicked himself upwards, spinning around into a midair roundhouse kick directly against the angel''s nose. He didn''t stop, unwavered as he used the momentum to flip into a dropping elbow against the man''s head, resulting in the asphalt beneath Radueriel''s step to be caved in from the downward pressure.

    As hended back down, not batting an eye as sweat dripped from his skin, he finished thebination with an open-palm strike directly against the angel''s abdomen.

    ¨CAtst, he managed to move the divine being as he slid back a meter, driving his feet through the ck material of the street.

    Still, Radueriel remained in the same stance with a smile, unphased by thebination attack as only a small mark was left on his nose, with steam from the impact trailing from his stomach.

    "...Thirty seconds left¡­" Radueriel informed him with a confident smirk.

    "--!"

    The realization of his free time left hastened him as he became desperate, rolling his sleeves up as he summoned the strength from the depths of his body.

    In the face of an overwhelming opponent, he did his best to stand strong¨Cunintentionally conjuring the headstrong, wild personality that fit perfectly for such a situation as he held himself strong: "Yeong-Un".

    "Yer'' goin'' down¨Cright here, right now," he promised, looking up towards the smiling angel.

    Raduriel pped his own chest as the simple movement manifested its own shock wave, "--I''m waiting!"

 Chapter 72 Everything Within

    "Yer'' goin'' down¨Cright here, right now," he promised, looking up towards the smiling angel.

    Raduriel pped his own chest as the simple movement manifested its own shock wave, "--I''m waiting!"

    He nned to unleash everything, unfearing of the consequences of the angel''s wrath as he cracked his knuckles.

    "Endless Star Shaper"! He thought.

    It was a skill from his martial-arts subss, though it didn''te in the form of an attack, but an amplification that conjured itself in a fiery-red aura around him.

    Pushing forward again, he came at the angel with everything he had, pushing his body to its max as he unleashed a series of punches at his utmost speed.

    Each hit became sharper, more powerful, exceeding thest''s potency as the ground shook beneath their feet.

    Radueriel continued to smile as the fists rapidly struck his torso, watching the desperate, red-haired human with his intense gaze.

    ¡­Faster, I need to go faster! He thought.

    "Endless Star Shaper" ¨Cit was a skill that temporarily gave him a unique trait thatsted only for his nextbination, and would deactivate if a certain gap of time persisted between attacks: with every attackunched in session, the next grew stronger. It was a slow growth, but at the speed heunched at, it became monstrous.

    It was normally something he''d be unable to do, but against an opponent as conceited and arrogant as the Destroying Angel¨Cit was his perfect chance.

    Each strike heunched was a technique inherited by his taekwondo mastery, shifting the position of his knuckles, changing his stance, and striking different spots at the angel''s chest with pinpoint uracy despite the speed.

    It went from a half dozen punches a second, rising to a dozen, then ascending further¨Cdozens of punchesunching each second as an orchestra of shock waves propelled from their position.

    Radueriel was silent, but still smiling and standing tall, nting his feet down against the asphalt, embedding into it for stability as he withstood the endless, rapid barrage.

    He was beginning to realize that his fists ached, throbbed, and felt challenged each time they mmed into the chest of the angel, whose chiseled muscles felt as if formed of immutable steel¨Cbut, he didn''t stop, instead pushing himself to go faster and more intensely.

    ¡­Faster! Faster!--It''s up to me now! If I can push him back¨Cor even just take him out ofmission for a bit until Ma-Ri or Dae-Seong get here, then¡­! He thought.

    Using his heightened perception, he was able to urately ce each blow, nning each one meticulously as each hit was crafted to hurt the angel.

    Pure desperation drove his fists: it was all on his shoulders, or rather, his knuckles. When it came down to it, he felt his martial arts techniques were better suited for a situation like this than his assassin skills¨Cafter witnessing what happened with Korain, if that man''s de was useless, his was practically dirt to the angel.

    Even if my skin breaks, my bones shatter, and my blood spills¨CI''ll give it everything I can¨C! He thought.

    It came endlessly; his sights blurred as his entire body conditioned itself only to the task of hurting the being in front of him, continuing to repeatedly, and with utter swiftness, m his knuckles against the angel''s chest.

    The skin of his knuckles had long since been scraped off, bleeding and cauterizing itself through the heat produced by the overwhelming strength and friction used in unison. Past the tearing of his own knuckles, his fists turned to a bruised purple, yet he continued thrusting them forth with even more strength than thest.

    "...5¡­4¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Radueriel began to count down, prompting him to hasten¨Ceach of his hits, now ascended hundreds of times over by "Endless Star Shapter", shook the asphalt and pushed the angel back, though inches, it was still movement.

    A cloud of steam had enveloped the two, originating from the constant stream of punches as the angel''s golden-brown chest was beginning to bruise.

    ¡­Standing here, I''ve realized¨CI''m still weak. But, that means I have room to grow. We all do, together, asrades, friends¨Cand, as a family! Even if this world bes a barren wastnd, I''ll continue fighting¨C! There''s something past all of this, something that''ll make it worth all of this tireless fighting, all of this loss¨C! He thought.

    "3¡­"

    With only thest few moments left, he suddenly shifted gears, changing his method of attacks to the surprise of the golden-eyed being as he spun around, carrying the momentum of his barrage into a kick that gathered wind pressure around his leg.

    "Weeping Spiral"! He thought.

    It was one of the most recent techniques he learned through his taekwondo proficiency, and revealed the precipice of mysticism his martial arts encroached on as he spun around, gathering a gust of wind around his body.

    "2¡­1..!"

    "Breaker Kick"! He thought.

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2500/3200]

    A potent force gathered around his right leg as he spun himself around, gathering further momentum as the winds grew fiercer.

    "Your time''s up¨C!"

    He hasn''t realized it. I haven''t beenunching my strongest punches¨Cinstead opting for the most efficient, speediest ones while still seeking after some level of strength. This is all for the purpose of cultivating mybo, and using it for this¨C! He thought.

    Radueriel''s call came just as the kick wasunched, moving swift enough and with such intensity that even the angel found himself unable to evade it within that time frame, witnessing the boote towards his chin inevitably.

    ¨CThis is for fucking with my friends¡­! He thought.

    Combined with the exuberantbination cultivated through [Endless Star Shapter], the powerful force garnered through Weeping Spiral''s momentum, and the usage of [Breaker Kick] to skyrocket his power¨Cthe kick that camended as if a bomb had sounded off, releasing a shock wave that blew the nearby cars back and shattered the closest windows of the vehicles and buildings.

    "Grgh¨C?!"

    Radueriel let out in surprise before being flung to the side like a sports ball, being kicked into the leftmost building like a bullet being shot by a railgun.

    "...Phew¡­"

    He held his leg up still, breathing in and out before slowly setting his leg down, catching his breath.

 Chapter 73 Assault Against The One From Heaven

    From the rubble of the rightmost building that was covered with electronic panels, he looked over as noises of something moving showed.

    "Yeong-Un¡­?"

    "Damn! He got me good!" Yeong-Un coughed out.

    Jumping to his feet, covered in scratches and visibly bleeding, the wild-haired man hardly seemed hurt in how he held himself, however, stretching and looking around.

    "Where the hell did he go?" Yeong-Un asked.

    He raised his hand to reply, "I sorta¡­kicked him away."

    "Ya'' what now?" Yeong-Un raised an eyebrow.

    Just then, Eunji and Moon could also be heard awakening from their unconscious state as well, and the same with Korain, who groaned out, slowly picking himself up.

    "...Talk about not holding back, sheesh¡­" Korainined, rubbing his back.

    As the group rose to their feet, it was clear none of them were in optimal condition from the sparse disy of the angel''s strength.

    "You repelled him?...Nice job, kid," Korain patted him on the shoulder, looking back at the others, "Alright¨Clet''s regroup with the others while we still can¨C"

    However, amidst the man''s words, a harsh reminder came:

    The Destroying Angel would not be put down so easily.

    The imposing, winged figure crashed down on the asphalt, arriving in the center of the group with his blinding speed as he stood there, cracking his neck side-to-side and rubbing it as he smiled sharply.

    Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and out from his nostrils as he smiled with a certain intensity embedded in his eyes, "That was great! Seriously, what a good idea it was toe down here¡­It''s been so fun, and we''re just getting started! It''s been millenia since I''ve exhibited such violence¨C!"

    Before any of them could react, his face was already gripped in therge hand of the angel, held so firmly that he couldn''t contest it no matter how much he tugged at Radueriel''s wrist.

    "As a reward for your effort, I''ll take you for a ride in the sky¨C!" The angel smiled wide.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Korain yelled out.

    None of hisrades were able toe close to reaching him as a p of the angel''s powerful, heavenly-blessed wings knocked them all back, leaving him powerless to Radueriel''s hold as he was carried upwards into the sky.

    What the hell¨C?! He thought.

    The wind whistled against his ears as he kicked his legs, feeling nothing under them as he nced down, seeing the street be more and more distant before the air grew more thin, overtaken with a sudden cold.

    "How''s it?! Can''t even catch a breath can you! Ha-ha!" Radueriel taunted him.

    The angel changed his hold, letting him go for a brief second before catching him again, holding him by the blue hood of his ck-and-blue coat.

    "--"

    He looked down, seeing just how minuscule the city looked as he was now inhabiting the air, likely tens of thousands of meters high from just moments of ascent of the angel''s wings.

    "If I dropped you, I wonder what would happen? It''s true that you humans are blessed with a portion of our angel''s strength, though just a fraction¡­however, you don''t have our wings. Can you even call that the power of angels then? Ha-ha!" Radueriel continued to taunt him,ughing boisterously as he held the young man by only his hood.

    His mind was racing; being brought to such insane heights with nothing holding him but the malicious grip of the angel, his senses went wild.

    Radueriel brought his lips close to his left ear with a grin, "...Let''s find out, shall we?"

    Just then¨Chis stomach dropped. The grip on his hood was released as he began quickly plummeting downwards.

    "Aaaaahh¡ª!"

    He moved his arms and legs, frantically iling as he even tried to reach out towards the angel who stood on the air as if it were a solid foothold, watching him with his heckling smile as he fell downwards.

    Shit, shit, shit¨C! He thought.

    It was harrowing how fast he dropped, feeling the fierce winds pull at his cheeks as his ears were filled with nothing but roars of wind while he racked his mind for an answer out of this.

    The highrise buildings quickly becamerge once more as he descended, bing daunting as the street itself soon came back to view.

    [Blink Step] wasn''t an option as he needed a proper foothold in order to use it, but that restriction brought something to mind.

    ¡­This is risky, but it''s my only bet! He thought.

    "Cast: Radiant Shield¨C!" He yelled out at the top of his lungs, holding his left hand stretching downward.

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2450/3200]

    The shining, golden shield manifested directly below him as he managed to turn his body around, nting his foot down on the round, magically-manifested shield as he fell directly beside one of the sky-reaching structures.

    Alright¨Chere goes! He thought.

    Pushing off as he timed his jump perfectly, aided by his enhanced perception, he used a [Blink Step] by using the shield as a foothold, crashing through one of the windows of the many-floored building.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ghh¡­!"

    He rolled, using his momentum to minimize the impact as he found himself in an abandoned, but well-maintained office, huffing as his heart wildly thumped inside of his chest.

    "...I''m alive¡­" He mumbled.

    As he knelt on a carpet floor that was dirtied with shattered ss, he had no time to celebrate as an ear-filling hum met his ears.

    Looking back out of therge window he had crashed through from, he could see the angelic man smiling, hovering a dozen or so meters away from the building with one hand raised.

    A golden light formed at the fingertip of the angel, sending a chill through his body as he could sense the malice from there.

    "You''re as tenacious as a cockroach," Radueriel said with a smile, "...It makes me wonder. Did Father create them with humans in mind, then?"

    As he spoke casually, he swiped his finger forward, to an unknown effect to the young man sitting in the office on one of the highest floors.

    What did he do¨C? He thought.

    He found that question answered as after the angel swiped his glowing finger, the room suddenly shifted with loud, crashing sounds emitting throughout the buildings.

    The ivory-haired angel repeated this a few times, casually waving his finger as the entirety of the skyscraper shook intensely.

    He''s cutting the building?! He realized.

    Being diced apart like an oversized vegetable, the skyscraper began to crumble into half-a-dozen, colossal pieces, sliding out of ce as he was forced to act without knowing what to do.

    "...Come on! This is just getting ridiculous!" He yelled out as the room he stood in became airborne, shifting to the side as it plummeted downward.

    He ran upward against the incline, maintaining his stability through his assassin proficiency as the gyrating forces of gravity tugged at him.

    The angel seemed to just watch in amusement as he hopped from piece of falling debris to another piece, though it felt pointless as he fruitlessly continued to do it.

    ¨CAfter one jump, the piece of rubble he aimed for was vaporized, all by the point of a finger from the smiling angel.

    "Ah."

    Once again, he began falling through the air, spinning around helplessly as he nned to use the same trick as before.

    "Fire-head¡ª!"

    Of all things he expected to hear while falling through the air, that nickname was at the bottom of the list.

    "...Yeong-Un?!"

    He turned to see an enormous, blue-feathered avian diving right towards him.

    ¨CA bird? Is this something that Moon summoned? He questioned.

    Just as it passed him, the scar-faced man riding on its back grabbed him by his hood, pulling him onto the back of the creature before they curved away, avoiding the hovering angelpletely.

    "I gotcha''!" Yeong-Un assured him with a smile.

    "Holy crap¡­! I owe you one!" He sat on one knee of the monstrous avian''s back, pping his hand against his friend''s palm, "What the hell is this thing, anyway?"

    "It''s one of Moon''s pets!" Yeong-Un exined.

    Though as soon as the word "pet" left the scarred adolescent''s mouth, a screech left the avian''s beak as it began shifting side-to-side, forcing the two to hold tightly onto its feathers.

    "Companion¨CI meanpanion!" Yeong-Un corrected himself.

    Just as he fixed the term he used, the blue-featured creature settled down, prompting a sigh of relief to leave both of their mouths.

    "How''re we going to handle this guy?...He''s a freaking monster!" He asked, looking back to see the angel still simply watching with a smile; a fact that made his blood cold.

    "We''re bringin'' him back to the ground level!--Whether by skill or dumbass luck, ya'' bought us the time we needed!" Yeong-Un had to yell for his voice to overtake the winds.

    "Huh?!"

    "Ma-Ri and Dae-Seong are here now! We''re bringin'' that bastard right to ''em!" Yeong-Un grinned.

    The avian began to descend, aiming towards the war-torn street at swift speeds, but he still felt a doubt swirling in his gut.

    "...Are you sure they''re going to be enough to stop this guy? He''s level fifty!--You''ve seen how it''s been so far¡­we''re like toddlers to him!" He asked.

    "Pfft," Yeong-Un onlyughed in response, "...You ain''t never seen Ma-Ri and Dae-Seong fight then, I''ll tell ya'' that."

    For some reason,plete, unbreakable confidence was in those words, prompting him to withdraw his doubts, at least for the time being.

    "Alright! Let''s stick thendin''!" Yeong-Un called out.

 Chapter 74 The Nine-Tailed Fox

    "Alright! Let''s stick thendin''!" Yeong-Un called out.

    At the same time, when both were just meters away from the asphalt, they ducked and rolled into a harsh, but manageablending while the mystically-feathered, giant bird continued on its path, flying by the man who summoned it.

    "Here hees," Moon stated quietly, watching the sky, "You two hide somewhere¨Cwe''re entering phase two of the n."

    "Phase two¡­? What n?" He asked.

    Yeong-Un grabbed his hood, forcing him to run alongside him, "Don''t ask questions! Just follow!"

    "Wha¨C?!"

    Before he knew it, he was being brought into a corner store a block away, which was an abandoned cafe.

    "What''re we doing?! We should be helping!" He contested Yeong-Un''s decision.

    "Huh?! Use yer'' damn head! This is helpin''! Just watch, ya'' idiot!" The abrasive friend of his assured him with a p to the back.

    Though he did find it weird¨Cwhy was Moon standing alone in the street? Where were Korain and Eunji? And more importantly: where were Ma-Ri and Dae-Seong, who he was just told had arrived?

    I''m totally lost¡­but it seems something happened while Radueriel was toying with me! He thought.

    "Cast: Recovery."

    ¨CHe nearly jumped out of his skin as the inexplicable, feminine voice appeared from behind him, looking back to see the familiar, short-haired, skirt-wearing girl.

    "...Eunji?" He let out.

    The girl nodded, though looked surprised herself at his frightened reaction, using her staff to use the restorative magic on him.

    Slowly, his health points began to crawl back towards their natural max.

    "I see¡­No wonder you seem fine after being whalloped by that angel¨Cyou got healed too," hemented, looking over at his spiky-haired friend who was tapping his foot impatiently.

    "Huh¨C?! We all got our asses beat, fire-head!" Yeong-Un retorted.

    "Maybe so, but at least I gave him a nick," he smiled in satisfaction, knowing his friend couldn''t retort that.

    Yeong-Un only clicked his tongue, continuing to tap his foot as he looked past the window towards the street where it was all coalescing to.

    The unshaven, scruffy man left alone outside was posed alone against the cruel angel who descended with a smile, looking down at him.

    "A single man. If you''re standing here to buy time for your allies, then I pity you: your death will hardly be of value," Radueriel stated with a cruelty embedded in his holy irises.

    "I don''t give a shit about what you have to say," Moon replied stoically, pping his hands together before pressing his palms against the asphalt, "Come, Gumiho!"

    What rose from the summoner''s call was a colossal magical seal that caused the street to rumble, before a creature rose from its otherworldly depths: a gargantuan, snow-white fox with nine, swaying tails.

    "A fox¡­?" Radueriel muttered, keeping his arms folded across his half-shown chest of his white robes.

    Moon stroked the fur of the fox, standing alongside it as its colossal tails swayed in a melodic rhythm, "Sorry to ask this of you, but would you mind fighting for me, Gumi?"

    The shaggy-haired, reclusive man asked this of therge, mythical creature as it looked back at him with its mystical, pale-blue eyes.

    It slowly nodded its head before setting its sights back on the angel who hung in the sky.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Thank you," Moon nodded his head as well, whispering before allowing the mystical fox to face the angel.

    "...I wonder¨Cwhere did you get the idea that a human, such as yourself, lower than a heavenly being, could do anything with a creature subservient to your lowly self? I fail to see the reasoning here," Radueriel stated, keeping his arms folded over his chest.

    "You''re one conceited guy, aren''t you?" Moon responded without a care.

    "What?" Radueriel narrowed his eyes, replying as the man''s words obviously struck a chord within him.

    "I just mean, humans are pretty miserable sometimes, sure¡­but I''ve never met somebody with such skyhigh hubris like yourself, Mr. Angel," Moon told him, "Are you sure you''re not jealous that we have all of the attention of your Father?"

    Somehow, it was as if the scruffy man knew exactly what was needed to get beneath the divine being''s skin, who had a vein pressed against his forehead at such words.

    "...What do you think you know? Why is it that you think I''m here?! I couldn''t witness you maggots crawl around and struggle any longer¨Cwasting the gift given to you by Father! That''s all you humans amount to: maggots festering in a pile of mud! I''ll see to it myself none of you reach the Tower, with my own two hands!"

    "Is that so? I''d worry more about what''s in front of you," Moon casually responded, sliding his hands into his pockets.

    "Wha¨C?" Radueriel raised an eyebrow.

    Suddenly, an enormous shadow loomed over him, prompting the angel to look up in surprise as therge, white-furred fox bearing nine tails somehow was now above him without him noticing.

    As he swiped his hand, the angel manifested an array of weapons forged out of golden light, pointing the assembly of swords, spears, and axes at the colossal fox that descended upon him.

    "Fall, feral beast," the angel spoke in quiet anger.

    Dozens of the golden weapons shot towards the snow-white beast as if being fired from a cannon, though before they could pierce the body of the magnificent creature, its lengthy tails stretched around it.

    "What¨C?" Radueriel let out in perplexion.

    The mystical tails acted like a shield¨Cthe pale fur stiffening like an armor of spiky armor as the divine weapons forged from the angel''s will pelted against it rapidly.

    "You¡­!" Radueriel let out as his words were inteced with anger, witnessing his attack have nill effect on the beast.

    Before he could do anything further, the nine-tailed beast spread its tails once more, descending upon as it roared out, shing its massive ws towards him.

    "Grgh¨C!"

    Radueriel was knocked down into the street with a resounding boom, causing a spiral of dust to shroud his position as the gargantuan foxnded on the street once more, sending a tremor through its block.

    "Keep going, Gumi!" Moon yelled out.

    Following themand, the fox attempted to m its snow-white paw down against the asphalt in which the angel was embedded.

    "--!"

    Therge, car-sized paw that was brought down halted before it could fully descend, with the golden-brown angel being seen standing beneath it, holding the paw up with a single hand as he smiled.

    "I underestimated you, but¡­it makes no difference!"

    Radueriel pushed upwards with enough force to knock the fox'' arm up, causing the beast to stumble as the angel sprinted forward with blinding speed, using his fist to punch the mystical creature right in its torso.

    Even though he was tens of times smaller than the mythical fox, the angel''s punch caused the beast to be flung against the wall of one of the stores, crashing into it as it came down beneath its weight.

    "Come on! Don''t tell me you went down with just that¨C!" Radueriel called out in ecstasy driven by battle.

 Chapter 75 Tag-Out

    "Come on! Don''t tell me you went down with just that¨C!" Radueriel called out in ecstasy driven by battle.

    As the angel rushed forward with his wings spread, therge fox returned to its feet, shaking off the debris from its pale, clean fur before opening its jaws¨Crevealing blue mes building up in its mouth.

    The azure mes spewed out from the beast''s mouth, pushing through the street and against the opposing building with a hissing, roaring heat.

    "I can feel the heat from here!" Jeong-Huimented, still residing in the building a block away.

    "Damn, that''s hot!" Yeong-Unughed.

    While the mes persisted, seemingly enveloping the angel, the fox''s jaws were suddenly mmed shut as from the beast''s blind spot, the angel appeared beneath its mouth, having punched its bottom jaw up to close.

    "Gumi¨C!" Moon yelled out worriedly.

    Radueriel smirked, "Bad pup."

    With the blinding, unparalleled speed the angel possessed, he vanished, though as the fox sought its opponent, it suddenly felt weightless as it somehow began to float before rapidly being dragged into the air.

    "...Am I dreamin'' right now? This angel guy is somethin'' else¡­" Yeong-Un muttered.

    "He''s too much¡­" Eunji added, spectating through the window as the three moved their gaze upward.

    Raduriel''sugh echoed, holding the beast by one of its many tails as he dragged it into the skies, "Bad pups need to be punished¨C! Go take a nap!"

    Swinging the mythical beast around while grasping its tail, he gathered momentum as therge, behemoth of a fox was helpless to his pull before being released directly towards the ground far below.

    The resulting impact was as if a meteor had just plummeted into the town, causing the entirety of the block to shift and rumble.

    "Ha-ha-ha!" Raduerielughed in absolute glee of the battle taking ce, witnessing the destructive impact of his actions.

    The resulting winds from the impact expanded outward and pushed upward, spiraling the air as the asphalt cratered and shattered beneath the weight of the great fox.

    "Gumi¡­!" Moon called out, rushing towards his summoned familiar.

    Before he could do anything to assist his familiar, the scruffy man found his wrist suddenly grabbed¨Cblinded by the unnatural agility of the angel, who smiled down at him.

    "Now, now, sitting in the back while your friend there does all the fighting is pretty despicable, isn''t it?" Radueriel said with a grin.

    "What''re you¨C? Ah¨C!"

    His wrist was snapped by the immutable angel, bent to the side in a grotesque way from a simple tug.

    "Moon¨C!" Eunji called out, quickly covering her mouth as she shrieked from the cruel disy of strength.

    "Dammi! What''re we waiting for, Yeong-Un?!" He looked at the scar-faced man.

    Though he felt contempt for whatever this stagnant n they were following was, he stopped as he saw just how emotional his friend was himself¨Cclenching his fists tightly as well as his teeth while he sweated profusely.

    "Just wait, fire-head¨C! Moon is buying us precious time! We need the perfect moment!" Yeong-Un assured him.

    "...How can I be confident in that if you don''t tell me anything?!" He pressed the man, grabbing Yeong-Un by his fis shirt.

    The blue-haired man looked at him, clicking his tongue, "Alright, alright!...Moon is gettin'' that angel bastard in proper position. With that fox, he can hit way above his level, so he''s wearing him down the best he can¨Cthen, once that smug bastard is busy lording over him¨Cthey''ll strike."

    "They¡­"

    ? He already knew who the man was referring to with those words, and could presume another by theck of a presence:

    Dae-Seong, Ma-Ri, and Korain¡­but will it be enough? He questioned as sweat trailed down his cheek.

    ¨C

    "Grgh¡­!" Moon held his forearm, falling to his knees before the winged entity.

    Radueriel seemed utterly pleased with the agony he inflicted on the man, smiling wide as he raised a single hand, "...I''llmend the beast, but you''re nothing but a worm!"

    As the angel brought his hand down with a destructive, golden essence coating it, he was suddenly halted as multiple, elongated and fluffy trails wrapped around his limbs and body, pulling him back with a whish.

    "Hghh¡­! You''re tougher than I believed, beast¨C!" Radueriel called out, shifting around to face the snow-white behemoth as he broke free from the holds of its tails, "Be honored in your death¨Cand fall!"

    ¨CSuddenly, the angel''s senses were distorted¨Cthe view of the fox he thought he saw, from a bird''s view of the shattered street, revealed itself to be something else to his eyes: a serene, night-fallen field of luscious, green fields.

    "What¨C?" He let out.

    As he halted his attack, dropping down onto the ground, he looked around, finding himself surrounded by a valley of mountains that waspletely different from the scenery just a moment ago.

    Looking directly up, the dark, star-filled sky of the night was supplemented by the iridescent glow of the full moon.

    What is this? What''s going on?...Is this the ability of the fox, or perhaps one of those worms? Was I warped? Radueriel questioned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was indeed something supernatural in nature.

    To the outside view, the angel was standing stagnant in the street, looking around in utter confusion as if lost.

    "Do it now, Gumi¨C!" Moonmanded.

    With that swipe of his shattered wrist and a yell released at full strain of his throat, the manmanded the snow-white, giant fox to nt itself firmly against the ground, parting its maw as it gathered an azure energy pointed directly towards the entranced angel.

    "He got him¡­! Moon trapped him!" Yeong-Un pumped his fist with a relieved smile.

    "Yes! It worked!" Eunji celebrated, pping her hands together and sping them in a prayer.

    "Huh¡­?" He was left confused, not knowing what was done.

    Yeong-Un noticed his confusion, exining it, "Gumi, Moon''s bigass fox, has a unique ability: those it touches with one of its tails can be ced into an illusionary mindscape! It was a gamble if it would work on an angel, but it paid off!"

    "Oh! Get him!" He celebrated as well, now knowing what was happening.

    While the angel was caught in a sense-altering illusion, the fox continued to build up the azure energy in its jaws, unleashing heat waves that propelled like shock waves.

    "Go, Gumi!"

    All at once, the dark-blue mes were unleashed, tunneling towards the stagnant angel as they burst through any vehicles on the street, carving up the asphalt and causing it to bubble up just in its presence.

    The wave of azure, mystical mes crashed against the form of the divine man, enveloping himpletely in its aggressive hold as it swirled directly around the angel.

    "Rggh¡­!"

    Radueriel came to, blinking as the heat of the mes dragged him out of the mindscape¨Cbut, it was toote¨Cthe mes had already birthed into full force around him.

    It continued to rapidly swirl around him before a stationary, azure tornado of mes formed, sparkling as if filled with the beauty of stars.

    "Rggh¡­! You dare test me, beast?! I was going to let you off easy¨Cbut now? I don''t know!" Radueriel yelled out from within the blue mes.

    The mes continued to exude from the maw of the nine-tailed fox, all while the angel continued to roar out, and the others watched anxiously.

    "Enough¨C!"

    With a voice that boomed as if amplified by divine means, the mes suddenly dispersed, being pushed away by an omni-directional shock wave that freed the angel from their wrath.

    "--"

    Radueriel was breathing heavily, with visible scratches and light burn marks against his golden-brown skin: though they were light, almost superficial wounds¨Cit was something, and more importantly, it seemed to drain him somewhat.

    "...You''re going to Hell; all of you! I''ll make sure of it with my own two hands!" Radueriel promised.

    Rearing his hand back, the angel manifested a colossalnce of golden light, matching the size of the great fox.

    "Gumi¨C!"

    "Oh shit!" Yeong-Un let out while watching on.

    Radueriel roared out before swiping his hand forward,unching the gargantuan, divinence towards the white fox¨Cthough it hit nothing but air.

    "Return, Gumiho¡­!"

    ¨CPressing his hands together, even with his twisted wrist, while breathing heavily, Moon managed to recall his familiar just in time.

    Radueriel clicked his tongue as he turned back to see the summoner, knelt down and on hisst draws of energy.

    "All you''ve done is change the direction of my wrath, human," Radueriel told him.

    Moon caught his breath, looking right at the angel, "I know that."

    "Hm," Radueriel began to slowly walk towards him, conjuring a sword of golden light as he neared the man, "Perhaps you may be able to die some semnce of an honorable death, then."

    "Maybe¡­but that''s just because my fight is over," Moon muttered.

    "..."Your" fight?" Raduriel stopped just before him.

    At that very moment, the angel felt two presences arrive simultaneously, and from either side of himself, prompting his senses to kick into high gear.

    "--!"

    Arge, decorated greatsword mmed at the spot the angel stood just a moment before, embedding itself into the asphalt with a tremor stretching through the block.

    "Oh? Another worm joins the fray?" Radueriel spoke while backstepping.

 Chapter 76 Three Versus One

    "About time, leader¡­" Moonughed weakly.

    The silver-haired man adjusted his sses with one hand while holding his massive, human-sized greatsword with the other, not looking back at his subordinate.

    "Rendezvous with the others, Moon. Get some rest¨CI''m not sure if this will be the final phase of the battle," Dae-Seong instructed, "...Well done."

    "Heh. Give him hell," Moon waved off before running in the opposite direction.

    The others that were tucked away in the building a safe distance away could now see Moon running towards their direction, holding his shattered wrist as he did so.

    "Dae-Seong came!" He let out a smile of surprise.

    "Hell yeah¨CI told ya'' so! Ol'' leader is as reliable as they get!" Yeong-Un gave him a high-five.

    "...Moon is injured!" Eunji called out.

    The moment the scruffy-bearded man pushed through the doors of the abandoned cafe, the white mage began to tend to his wounds.

    "...Damn, that guy is tough as crap¡­" Moon winced, looking back through the window.

    "Yeah, that''s a bit of an understatement¡­" He replied with a wryugh.

    "Still, they''ll be able to handle him¨CI''m confident in that," Moon assured.

    He couldn''t help but have his own doubts about that belief, but it seemed the rest of Gangcheori believed in their strength, so he wanted to see it for himself.

    Just what kind of man are you, Dae-Seong?...And what kind of woman are you, Ma-Ri? I''ve been wanting to see it since the start of all of this, he thought.

    ¨C

    Against the sword of light forged from the angel''s authority, the silver-haired man''s greatsword repeatedly countered against it.

    "A worm, you said?" Dae-Seong finally replied to the angel''s words, adjusting his sses again as his white, gold-decorated coat swayed in the wind.

    "Tch¡­" Radueriel clicked his tongue, "You''re only a level thirty-eight¡­You shouldn''t have strength like that."

    "I shouldn''t? That''s odd¨Csince it seems I do indeed possess this strength you''re so wary of. Though the strength of a mere "worm" shouldn''t pose any threat to a mighty angel, should it?" Dae-Seong replied stoically.

    The angel silently fumed, bursting toward the man, "I''ll turn you to ash, worm¨C!"

    The leader of Gangcheori didn''t raise any sort of guard, much to the surprise of the angel, who swung his light-forged de towards the man¨Chowever, it was stopped before it could reach his flesh.

    It wasn''t Dae-Seong who blocked it, though, as he still remained unmoving, only matching the direct gaze of the angel.

    "Thanks for the assist¨CMa-Ri, Korain," the leader thanked.

    Standing between him and the angel were two others; the dark-haired, pale girl wielding a spotless rapier, and the muchrger, bulky man who held a ymore¨Ctogether they guarded against the hissing, golden de of the angel.

    "You oughta be more diligent, boss!" Korainughed.

    "You¡­!" Radueriel hissed out, recognizing the man from earlier.

    While he was momentarily distracted, the angel''s eyes widened as the middle-aged man with slicked back, silver hair wasn''t in front of his gaze anymore¨Conly the two who held his de back.

    What¨C? Radueriel thought.

    "You should use your head in battle more, angel."

    Dae-Seong spoke from behind the divine being, prompting Radueriel to push away the two in front of him before spinning himself around in a fit of frustration.

    FWOOSH.

    "Ghhh¡­?!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    A massive, vertical sh etched itself across his chest the moment he turned around, bisecting the winds as it created a massive shock wave¨Csplitting the once immutable-though skin of the angel and spilling his blood onto the asphalt.

    He cut me¨C? This doesn''t make any sense¨CI didn''t feel strength capable of this from him at first¨Cso what is this?! Radueriel thought.

    Upon inspecting the silver-haired man again, he witnessed something that for the first time, embedded fear into his body:

    [Dae-Seong. Level: 76]

    "H-how¡­? This isn''t possible! You were half of that just a moment ago!" Radueirle swiped his arm in disbelief, holding his bleeding,cerated chest with his other hand.

    Dae-Seong adjusted his sses, "Since you''ve shown such kindness to myrades, I suppose I can let you off with that much information. What you''re witnessing is my "Evolution System" ¨C one of my evolutions allows me to temporarily double my level to ovee my opponent."

    "What¡­? Something like that can''t be¡­!" Radueriel gritted his teeth.

    "I''d focus more on what''s behind you," the silver-haired, stoic man warned the angel.

    Just then, the angel felt a presence rapidly approaching him from behind, prompting him to swing back around as sweat dripped from his skin.

    ¡­I was so focused on that man that I forgot about the other two! Radueriel thought.

    Leaping towards him overhead, the ck-and-white haired, burly man disyed a reddened, strainedplexion while rearing his ymore back with as much force as he could muster.

    [Abandon: Stage Four]

    "--!"

    "This is payback for earlier, you sunnuva'' bitch!" Korain roared out with a boisterous smile.

    Like a meteor strike, the man mmed his ymore downwards with all of his strength, forcing the angel to manifest intertwined shields of light from his raised forearms to guard against the overhead swing.

    "Graagh¨C!"

    Even though he defended against the swing, the sheer force caused the asphalt beneath his feet to crack and sink, giving in to the overwhelming pressure as he felt it exude over his body, forcing the blood from the long, gruesome wound on his chest to spurt out in greater intensity.

    Shit¡­! Radueriel thought desperately.

    If that wasn''t enough, while the angel was preupied holding the massive, downward swing of the ymore back from above him, he looked forward to see a sh of light approaching him before¨Ca sharp impact.

    "Gyrah¨C?!"

    A rapier had pierced against his body, leaving an attack just as swiftly as the figure shed past him¨Cembedded a small hole in his chest that squirted crimson fluid out.

    The girl¨C?! The angel thought.

    "Ha-ha! Get him, Ma-Ri!" Korain roared out from above, pushing down harder against the angel as he had him locked in ce.

    The tables had turnedpletely: the ivory-haired angel now looked back with fear in his golden eyes, being met by the cold, icy gaze of the woman who looked no older than herte teens, yet possessed such indifferent malice as she strolled forward.

    In the blink of an eye, that casual walk shifted into a shing sprint while thevishly-uniformed girl raised her shining rapier upward.

    Another pierce¨Cthis timeing in the form of a dozen, swift stabs against the angel''s back.

    "Graaaagh!" Radueriel let out in pain.

    ¨C

    "They''re doing it!" He shouted out, pressed up against the window as he watched excitedly.

    "I told ya'', didn''t I? The executives of Gangcheori are nothin'' short of amazing!" Yeong-Un watched alongside him.

    "They really might just pull this one off¡­!" He said, beginning to believe it.

 Chapter 77 Forced Into A Corner

    While still being held in ce, forced to guard against the powerful strike of the muscle-bound man, Radueriel was on the receiving end of shing pierces. It was even more perplexing how the thin rapier wielded by the dark-haired, icy-eyed woman continued to inflict damage on his body.

    She''s level thirty¨CI can see that clearly! There''s no tricks like with the man, so how¨C?! Radueriel questioned.

    The angel inspected the rapier as it passed by his gaze, deciphering its origin: "The Silver Line".

    Upon finding its name, he was able to figure out its true nature¨Cthe ability to bypass the defense of its target.

    What? Something like that¡­?! The angel thought in a furry.

    Just as he mustered up his strength, fueled by the rage of being helplessly attacked, he exuded a golden radiance, forcing the man above him back as a pulse of divinity propelled outward like a shock wave.

    However, in turn, another sh of the massive greatsword came at him, prompting him to turn around and attempt to guard against it, only to have his toned forearms shed mercilessly.

    "Hghk¡­!" Radueriel winced.

    The residual force from the massive, powerful sh had produced a wind capable of knocking the angel back, causing his soles to slide through the asphalt as steam exuded from hiscerated forearms.

    "So this is the strength of an "angel"? It''s not as impressive as I had imagined," Dae-Seong coaxed him with his stoic words.

    "You worthless, mud-crawling maggot¡­! I am the Destroying Angel, Radueriel¨C! Don''t get full of yourself because you''ve managed to draw a bit of blood from me¨C!" The angel shouted out, looking up words the sky, "Father! Release one of my seals!"

    They all came to a stop as the sea of ever-present clouds hanging above swirled around a golden light that seemed to respond to the angel''s call.

    "--"

    Something was heard, though not understood to the humans¨Conly to the angel, who smiled in glee as the bindings ced on his wrists shattered, crumbling onto the ground.

    ["Destroying Angel, Radueriel" | Level 80]

    Dae-Seong, Ma-Ri, and Korain regrouped, facing the angel together whoughed at the unsealed power he presented, cracking his knuckles and his neck in glee.

    "Hey, hey¡­Isn''t thispletely unfair?!" Korain asked.

    "Stay focused," Ma-Ri told him calmly, "Nothing''s changed¨Cour objective is still the same: defeat the enemy in front of us."

    "It''s as she says¨Ckeep pushing forward," Dae-Seong added.

    Despite their words, it looked bleak: the half-unsealed power of the divinity shook thendscape, exuding a powerful mass of a radiant aura that shook the street with eachugh leaving the angel''s lips.

    As both sides pushed forward at the same time, the three executives of Gangcheori shed with the angel, who grinned whilebating them solo.

    The angel moved nimbly, using minimal movement to evade their attacks, even managing to avoid the pointy-tip of Ma-Ri''s shing rapier, as each missed piercing sent a condensed, sharp air pressure past the angel.

    "...Let''s thin the herd!" Radueriel smiled.

    It was clear that Korain was the weak link of the three¨Cthe angel knew that clearly as he used his blinding, casually hypersonic speed to push past the other two, bringing himself directly before Korain.

    "It won''t be that easy!" Korain yelled out.

    As the boisterous man enhanced his sword with sharp, spiraling winds, carving up the debristhered asphalt in its path upward, the angel swiftly spun his body around it, countering with a roundhouse kick that mmed against the man''s nose.

    The impact resulted in the sound barrier being shattered, flinging Korain back at a viscous speed.

    "Was that¡­?!"

    "That was yer'' move, wasn''t it?!" Yeong-Un finished his thought.

    He nodded, gulping, "...He copied it? Or does he already know?"

    Things once again were looking unsteady as the angel now only had to worry about two opponents at once, turning back to the vice-leader and the leader himself with a smile, flexing his muscles with an ominousugh.

    "You were so full of yourselves just a minute ago, what happened to that bravado? What was that about the strength of an angel being "unimpressive"? I''d like to hear those words leave your lips again!" Radueriel''s yful words shifted intoplete anger with thosest few as he stomped down, causing a spider web of cracks to run along the street.

    The two ignored the words of the angel as the silver-haired man casually adjusted his sses.

    "Ma-Ri," Dae-Seong said calmly, "Let''s do "that", yes?"

    "Alright," the ck-haired girl, a full head shorter than the leader nodded.

    In unison, the two began to walk, though Dae-Seong ran straight for the angel, Ma-Ri took an alternate path, using her shy speed to begin vanishing from spot-to-spot.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Radueriel held his smile while ncing around, "Are you that desperate? A little bit of haste won''t throw me off."

    Dae-Seong didn''t give him the satisfaction of responding, only dashing towards him silently as he spun around, pivoting off his left foot andpletely shifting the angle at which he attacked.

    "...Grand Vtile sher¡­"

    The invocation was whispered from the man''s lips mid-sh, though the angel barely had time to hone in on the quietly spoken words as the decorated greatswording towards him bubbled up with a unique heat.

    What''s that¨C? Radueriel questioned.

    Though he raised a single arm, manifesting a divine shield in the path of the iing de¨Cthe angel, for some reason, regretted taking that course of action.

    The moment the edge of the greatsword shed against the protective barrier, the air momentarily hissed before rapidlypressing then expanding into a massive explosion of electrically-charged, purple energy.

    It wasrge enough to fill most of the width of the street, resulting in a cloud of smoke swirling before dissipating, revealing the golden-brown angel being flung back, bouncing a few times before finally crashing into the asphalt.

    Slowly, Radueriel hazily returned to his feet, coughing as he looked down at his body, which was covered in burn marks, bleeding from multiple, heavy scratches now as he coughed out.

    "What is this¨C?" The angel questioned.

    Before the divine being could figure out what the overflowing pain was surging throughout his body, he was forced to engage in battle with Dae-Seong, who approached at a rapid speed.

    He''s fast¡­! Radueriel thought.

    The angel shrouded his forearms in intertwined, radiant armor, blocking each of the massive swings of the silver-haired man''s greatsword. Each impact resulted in a massive air pressure releasing, burning and shattering thend behind the angel though he blocked each iing strike.

    "Grgh¡­!" Radueriel gritted his teeth, spinning around and swiping his hand.

    The swipe of the angel''s hand manifested a plethora of divine weapons into the air, shooting each and every one of them towards Dae-Seong as they came from every angle, descending rapidly.

    Dae-Seong looked up without worry, stomping down as the strength of his step shook the street, "God Lacerator."

    The casually spoken invocation was apanied by a massive swing of the decorated pir of sharpened steel, resulting in a colossal sh of meshed light and darkness that repelled the rain of golden weapons.

    This human¡­! His strength makes no sense¨C! Radueriel thought, witnessing the aftermath of the massive sh result in a powerful release of wind.

    As they shed again, the silver-haired human managed to match the angel''s sheer speed and nimbleness, hopping from car-to-car in a sh and sprinting alongside the sides of one of the highrise skyscrapers.

    Along its height, Radueriel summoned his divine armory again, unleashing a rain of the iridescent weapons like a storm of arrows upon Dae-Seong.

    The man responded only by rushing forth, wielding his greatsword as if it were weightless; shing it rapidly to deflect each of the weapons before knocking the angel back down to the street with an unexpected kick.

    How can a human like this exist¨C?! This is merely the beginning of Father''s game¨Cso how does somebody like this already exist?! Radueriel thought, crashing down before immediately picking himself up.

    Mustering his angelic might, he felt an unstable force spiral in his gut, causing his power tosh out against him.

    "Ghk¡­! What''s going on?!" Radueriel winced.

    Dae-Seong stood a good dozen meters away, adjusting his sses as he firmly nted his greatsword against the ground.

    It was just then when the wincing angel, being inflicted with harmful, purple strands of electricity, looked forward that he saw something peculiar: a dark, almost unseen scaling of mystical energy running along the surface of the silver-haired man''s de.

    "Thanks to my "Evolution", angel, my attacks have taken on the trait of "Anti-Holy", or more urately, "Unholy", correct?" Dae-Seong spoke to him.

    "...Unholy?!" Radueriel gasped out, realizing what the odd sensation was overtaking his body.

    It was like an infection; constantly attacking the angel''s body whenever he exuded any form of divinity¨Ccreating an instability in his reservoir of strength.

    That''s our opening. Go, Ma-Ri, Dae-Seong thought, adjusting his sses.

    Before the angel could properly recover, suddenly lines of tinum light manifested all around him.

    From every angle, surrounding him as if ensnaring him in a cage, the angel looked around to find the lights'' iridescent nature shining close by him.

    But, it wasn''t quite what he had thought.

    Suddenly, shes and pierces pelted against his body, hitting him rapidly, all at once as he was left helpless, being repeatedly struck by the unseen attacks.

    What is this¨C?! I can''t see it! The light¨Cwhat is this light?! Radueriel questioned.

 Chapter 78 A Sudden Shift

    What is this¨C?! I can''t see it! The light¨Cwhat is this light?! Radueriel questioned.

    Though he found his answer as he looked towards the sky, finding more of the constetion-like lights forming: it was the residual sh left in the trail of the woman''s attacks.

    It was too fast¨Cit in actuality moved at a different degree of speed, taking a different formbining dyed impacts with shing, unmatched speed.

    A singr hit didn''t amount to much, but dozens of the sharp-ended impacts pelted against his body, leaving dozens of shallow holes in his flesh as blood seeped onto his golden-brown skin.

    "...Enough¡­!"

    Radueriel flexed his entire body, brute forcing past the unholy element infecting his body as he forced a release of holy energy outwards, stopping the assault.

    Though he managed to halt the attack, the abrasive, reckless counter resulted in him spitting up blood, bleeding out from his nose and ears before he leapt up, taking flight as he brought himself high into the sky.

    "...I''m done with you, worms! I should''ve done this from the start¨C! I''ll destroy it all! I''ll reduce this city to ash! Your actions, your battles, your hardships¨Call to ash!" Radueriel proimed, holding one hand up towards the heavens.

    An immense, dense gathering of seraphic light swirled around his extended arm as utter power exuded from the angel''s form.

    "Err¡­what''re they going to do about that?" Moon asked, spectating from the window.

    "...So much power¡­" Eunji mumbled.

    "Knock that winged bastard down!" Yeong-Un continued to cheer on, yelling at the top of his lungs.

    What if that attack actuallynds¡­? I can sense it from here¨Csomething like that will erase us all! He thought in stressed silence.

    The gathering of divine energy of such a degree shook the entire city below in a courage-shattering earthquake.

    Yet, Dae-Seong remained calm, propping his sses up as he walked forward alone with his de in hand.

    "Hm? Ready to struggle pathetically until yourst moment?" Radueriel asked from above, bleeding from multiple orifices.

    The leader of Gangcheori didn''t respond, only looking upwards towards the mass of blinding, golden energy.

    "...Those wings are a problem¡­"

    Those whispered words read from Dae-Seong''s lips paused the angel, who hastened the coalescence of energy, witnessing the man begin to raise his de.

    "Return to the dirt!" Radueriel yelled out, finishing the gathering of divine energy as he held a massive sphere of golden light above his palm.

    Dae-Seong responded with something of his own, "...Mine is the de that separates the Heavens from the Earth, and the Earth from Hell: Cut Away ¨C Realm Scraper!"

    Lifting that massive greatsword up, it was enveloped in an unspeakably dense energy, causing even the angel to pause as in its path, the ground rumbled with such intensity that pebbles stayed airborne as it passed.

    Before Raduriel couldunch his attack, Dae-Seong shed his massive hunk of steel against the air, releasing an air pressure so potent that every window in the vicinity shattered into countless pieces, readjusting the winds, and cracking the nearby buildings.

    More urately, two shes were forged from one, releasing as a condensed, viscous air pressure that embedded itself through the stratifications of wind, hailing towards the angel at a speed and intensity so great that the divine being was left still.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Squelch.

    "Huh¨C?" Radueriel let out, dumbfounded and wide eyed as his ears rang with such intensity his skull felt as if it were being pounded.

    Both of his elegant, angelic winds were separated from his body, cut away swiftly as his ears were filled with the roars of wind by the passing force of the human''s singr sh.

    "Huh?" Radueriel repeated.

    Only stumps of the angel''s cut-away wings were left on his shoulder des, causing the divine being to begin plummeting downwards as he lost focus of his built-up energy.

    Without first realizing what truly happened, the angel crashed into the ground. The dust from the impact settled, revealing Radueriel to be on his hands and knees, looking down in shock as blood profusely poured from his back.

    "My wings¡­!?"

    The divinely, beautifully-feathered wings had fallen on either side of the street, unattached to his back.

    Radueriel screamed out at this realization as tears formed at the edge of his eyes, only looking forward when the slow, methodical steps of the one who cut away his wings approached.

    "You¡­! You! You! You!"

    Each time the angel repeated the word, he mmed his balled-up fist against the asphalt, cracking it as he picked himself up in a tearful rage.

    Ma-Ri and Korain returned, intending to help the leader finish off the dewinged angel, but the silver-haired leader raised his arm, "Reserve your strength. This fight is over."

    "Oh¡­alright then, boss," Korain said, looking over at Ma-Ri in surprise, who simply shrugged her shoulders, sheathing her rapier withplete faith in the man.

    As the Angel rushed towards him in a screaming rage, Dae-Seong''s expression remained unmoving as he dropped his greatsword, meeting the divine being fist-to-fist.

    There was no elegance to the angel''s movements, who simply relied on his heavenly strength to thrust his fists wildly, aiming to crush the silver-haired man''s face with all of his anger.

    Dae-Seong swayed his head masterfully, evading each strike and parrying the next ones toe, countering with a powerful m of his knuckles against the angel''s jaw, bruising it after having sent the divine being back several meters.

    "When I said your strength didn''t impress me, I wasn''t referring to your physical power," Dae-Seong spoke while still in close-quartersbat with the angel.

    "Shut up¡­! Shut up! Schut¡­up!" Radueriel''s repeated words began to slur in anger.

    None of the attempted blows from the angel came close tonding as Dae-Seong redirected his strength, tossing the divine being over his shoulder and flipping him with superior skill.

    Dae-Seong looked down at the bloody-and-bruised angel, adjusting his sses with a look of little pity, "I was unimpressed by the fact of those who judged humans were such petty creatures, such as yourself."

    Suddenly, augh sprouted from the lips of the angel, who kicked up to his feet, forcing the silver-haired man to jump back.

    "...I see, I see¡­I see! That''s how it is¡­" Radueriel snickered.

 Chapter 79 Unseen Trump Card

    "Did he finally lose it?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "...I don''t know, but I don''t like this," he replied.

    Spectating from the cafe, the snickeringughter of the angel was felt unnervingly, even from their distance.

    ¨C

    "..."Level Thirty-Six"¡­Your time is up, little man," Radueriel tilted his head with an ear-to-ear smile.

    It was a bluff that the leader intended to keep hidden, but it seemed it couldn''t be kept away from the golden eyes of the angel.

    "Your evolutions are only temporary, aren''t they? I''m conceited, are I? Petty?...Ha-ha-ha¡­Satre into the void long enough, and what happens¡­?" Radueriel continued to snicker.

    ? "Boss!" Korain yelled out.

    As Korain rushed over to the side of the leader, the angel simply swiped a finger without even looking at the burly man, causing a golden impact to crash into Korain, knocking him back.

    With that same, shy speed, the rapier wielded by Ma-Ri aimed towards the back of the dewinged angel, though it was caught in his grip as he reached behind his own back in an unorthodox fashion, still snickering as he looked directly at Dae-Seong.

    "...All crumbling down¡­You had a chance before, but now? He-he-he¡­I''ll enjoy tearing you apart¨Cno¡­I''ll tear yourrades apart in front of you, then finish the deed!" Raduerielughed out wickedly.

    Before the angel could spin around to counter the rapier-wielding woman''s attempted attack, Ma-Ri pulled away.

    "...One-Thousand Winters!" Ma-Ri called out.

    Filling the width of the street as she rapidly jutted her needle-like de forward, her pierces manifesting in spears of ice that twisted and curved, aimed towards the angel as they came from each angle.

    "Begone, fly," Radueriel grinned.

    With a snap of the divine being''s fingers, he produced a shock wave that crumbled the magnificent conjuring of ice, using his superior speed to take even the swift vice-leader by surprise before sending her away with a sharp kick.

    "--"

    Dae-Seong remained unmoving, keeping his cool as he witnessed the angelnd back down a dozen meters in front of him.

    "...How cool you are, "leader". Even still, you''re trying to maintain that "cool-as-ice" attitude in front of your subordinates? Ha-ha-ha¡­I wonder how long that''llst," Radueriel continued to taunt him.

    At his level, and unrestrained by hubris as the angel now sought just to destroy, Radueriel used his unmatched agility to take the leader by surprise, cing his hand against his face and mming him into the asphalt with enough force to shatter it beneath the man''s back.

    "I was wrong. I thought holding myself back to make a more even fight would be more funpletely dominating your enemies is so much more fun!" Raduerielughed out.

    Over and over again, the angel held his grip on the silver-haired man''s head, mming him into the asphalt repeatedly.

    "I can''t watch this¡­!" Eunji shielded her eyes.

    "Get up, old man!" Yeong-Un said.

    After such a showing, there was no longer anything holding them back¨Cthe four that hid away in the cafe rushed out of the building, nning to aid their leader.

    However, somehow noticing their attempt to help, Dae-Seong yelled out, "Stop!"

    "Old man¡­?" Yeong-Un muttered quietly.

    They all halted a few dozen meters away, witnessing the leader still in the grip of the smiling, bloodied angel.

    "Angel, let me inform you of one thing," Dae-Seong spoke.

    "Huh?" Radueriel twisted one of his eyebrows as he looked down at the man.

    The middle-aged leader was now bleeding from his head, with his sses shattered and piercing his skin, yet he looked up calmly at the divine foe.

    "It''smon sense not to reveal your hand unless victory is certain."

    These words made the angel pause for a moment in shock beforeughing out, gripping the man''s silver hair as he looked down at him while sneering.

    "Did I m you a bit too hard?! You''ve got no chance, you fucking maggot¨C!" Radueriel yelled directly against his face.

    Without warning, everything fell silent.

    A resounding squelch filled the surrounding area, meeting the ears of each who joined the battle as everybody came to a pause.

    Pierced through the chest of the angel, a crimson odachi stuck out through the divine being, prompting him to look down with wide, unknowing eyes.

    "What¡­?"

    Before Radueriel could properly figure out what had happened, he coughed up a heaping serving of blood, spilling directly down onto the silver-haired man''s face.

    "When your opponent is unflinching, yet¡­victory seems assured, question everything. Perceive your surroundings, think how your enemy would, seal your hubris¡­that''s how war is won," Dae-Seong told him.

    The de wasn''t thrust by Dae-Seong, as it came from behind the angel, though the one whomitted the act wasn''t one who was present in the battle beforehand.

    "...From the very beginning, your loss was ensured. You believed myself to be the key to victory, and you let that get to your head," the silver-haired man let his final words flow to the angel''s ringing ears, "...That''s why you lost, Destroying Angel: you were too strong."

    Dropping the leader, the angel brought himself to his feet, almost stumbling as his eyes trembled, still unable to process what was happening.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he looked back, he saw the one who drove therge, curved de through his body: a youthful man of a frail, malnourished build, with long, unkempt, snow-white hair who looked at him with struggling eyes.

    Despite doing nothing beforehand but this singr action, the frail man, dressed in a gray-and-blue uniform that was baggy on his thin build, the young man was huffing, breathing heavily as if he just exerted himselfpletely with that one action.

    "You¡­" Radueriel let out weakly.

    He returned his attention to the crimson de in his body, witnessing a coating of enigmatic energy flow from the de.

    The angel felt his strength being sapped, but it wasn''t quite just that. Everything was being taken from him¨Chis strength, memories, experience¨Cit all flowed from within him and out.

    Everybody was silent at the sudden turn of events once more as the frail man slid the de out from the angel''s back, causing Radueriel to stumble forward, falling to his knees.

    "Who is that¡­Wait, I''ve met him before!" He asked out, witnessing the peculiar event.

    It took him a moment to recall, but it was unmistakably the sickly young man he had seen in the closed-off room of the hotel, who was attached to a plethora of medical equipment.

    "Damn, didn''t expect him to join the fight¡­" Yeong-Un mumbled.

    "Who is he? I''ve never seen him fight before," he looked directly at Yeong-Un.

    Though he looked at his scar-faced friend for an answer, he got one from the scruffy-bearded summoner.

    "Baek-Hyeon. He''s got "Common Variable Immunodeficiency"...It makes his antibodies practically nonexistent, so he''s mostly kept to his bed," Moon exined.

    "...But, with something like that, how¡­?" He began to ask.

    "How is he able to survive this world? Well, you''re witnessing it right now," Moon told him, "Baek-Hyeon is another person that possesses a unique system: the "Assimtion System"--above all, it might be the scariest system in this world."

    "So that was yer'' game, ol'' leader¡­" Yeong-Un mumbled to himself.

    "Assimtion System"...? He questioned.

    It was witnessed firsthand what that title indicated as they looked on, watching the final moments of Radueriel who continued spitting up blood as more arterial fluid poured from the gaping wound in his chest.

    "...I see, this is how it is¨C"

    Before the angel could exude hisst words, the frail man used both of his hands to drive the sword through the divine being''s heart, silencing him as he exerted all of the little strength he had to do so.

    "--"

    Baek-Hyeon breathed out heavily as his long, uncut hair obscured his gray, solemn eyes.

    "Well done," Dae-Seong stood himself up, adjusting his sses as if he wasn''t bleeding from the head.

    ¨CSuddenly, the malnourished adolescent''s eyes went wide as his body convulsed, being enveloped in a golden flow that went from the fallen angel''s body into his own.

    "...I see. Dae-Seong really is always a step ahead of us," Moon muttered.

    "Huh?" He looked at the scruffy man.

    "The ability to grow and evolve by absorbing the strength and abilities from those you y. That''s the "Assimtion System"--and it just got ahold of that wickedly powerful angel," Moon told him.

    It was the perfect execution: throughout the drawn out battle, even the mighty angel had his stamina worn out, and the muttions from Dae-Seong, and the poison that was the unholy element, left Radueriel to be the perfect target for the frail man.

    As the essence flowed into the small, frail man''s body, he suddenly bulked up, filling out his baggy uniform as his height increased, and his physique matched that of the Greek god-esque build of the angel he slew.

    "What the?!" He let out in surprise, watching the transformation.

    Within moments, the man who was nothing but skin and bones had transformed into an unrecognizable form, now possessing a healthy, peak condition body with illustrious, snow-white locks and golden eyes.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Baek-Hyeon. Level: 55 | ss: Angelic Swordsman]

    "Fifty-five¡­?!"

    It was a surprise to seemingly every member of Gangcheori. Something like that was thought only possible through cartoons¨Cthe frail, small adolescent had morphed into a tall, muscr build within moments, just as his level spiked up as well.

    For a moment, Baek-Hyeon was silent, clenching his fists as the newfound strength flowed through him.

    An odd expression was present on his face; one of a quiet, eerie emotion before he quickly reced it with a smile, lifting his crimson odachi up and sheathing it at his hip.

    "This is wonderful!" Baek-Hyeon smiled, "...This is the constitution of an angel. All of the impurities within my body are gone; it''s amazing."

    As they all gathered, though not unscathed, a light sat over the street block in the aftermath of victory.

    "Holy shit¡­we actually won," he let out in disbelief, holding his arm.

    "Hell yeah, we did!" Yeong-Unughed boisterously before coughing up.

    On that day, Gangcheori obtained a new weapon¨Ca man who surpassed all reason for the six-month mark of Armageddon Game: "Baek-Hyeon."

 Chapter 80 Celebratory Victory

    That night, a small party was thrown in celebration of the hard-fought victory, taking ce in the restaurant hall of the five-star hotel that they maintained, with Eunji and Jeong-Hui operating the kitchen.

    "...I''m a bit rusty," he warned, bashfully rubbing the back of his head.

    "If you''re rusty, then what am I¡­?" Eunji asked quietly.

    "Ha-ha, fine, no excuses, no excuses," heughed a bit, "Seriously, though¨Chow did Sol sleep through all of that¡­?"

    "I was wondering that, too¡­" Eunji sighed out in unison with him.

    After a bit of preparation, the two began their dual-operation of crafting a savory feast for the members of Gangcheori¨Cthemselves included.

    It took a bit of convincing for him to set foot in the kitchen, actually.

    Eunji practically wouldn''t let me sit down¨Cshe''s usually as meek as a fawn, but when it came to this¡­she was really pushy about having me step back into the kitchen. I''m¡­notining, though¡­being back in here feels great, he thought.

    Using abination of his assassin-ss proficiency and his umted experience with culinary processes, he swiftly chopped up an assortment of vegetables, doing it beyond normal human speed.

    "Be careful¡­Fingers¡­" Eunjimented, getting worried witnessing the speed at which he rapidly moved the knife with.

    He smirked, flipping it before continuing, "Don''t worry, I totally got this under co¨C"

    Squelch.

    "Ah¨C!"

    While showing off, he managed to nick his thumb, causing it to spew out blood as he quickly withdrew it from contaminating the vegetables.

    "...I warned you¡­! Jeez¡­"

    Eunji sighed out, cing her hands around his finger before quickly invoking her magic, "Cast: Recover."

    "Heh¡­My bad¨Cthanks," he chuckled embarrassedly.

    While having his finger healed, witnessing the wound close up before the sses-wearing woman went the extra mile, cleaning the blood from his thumb with a rag, he looked at her, inspecting her face before quickly looking away as she stared back at him.

    "What is it¡­?" She asked meekly.

    "Nothing¡­" He scratched his head, stopping as something came to mind, "...Be honest with me: do you ever feel¡­I don''t know¡­helpless? Maybe that''s not the right word¨CI guess¡­useless, maybe?"

    The question came from a solemn ce in his heart; something that gued him, yet he didn''t know exactly how to voice it.

    "What?"

    "Sorry, forget I asked," he waved his hands, dissuading the question.

    They both went silent for a moment, looking down out of the tangible awkwardness in the air.

    Just as he returned to the vegetables¨Cthis time, humbled and cautious¨Che got an answer from the short, hazel-haired woman.

    "...I do."

    "Huh?" He turned back to look at her.

    Eunji adjusted her round sses, "...A lot of the time, I do feel useless."

    "--"

    "As a White Mage, all my skills are meant for helping others¡­but that means I can only watch while they fight. If I was alone, I wouldn''t be able to do anything¨CI have to rely on others¡­" Eunji said.

    He looked at her, patting her head as a soft blush came over her cheeks, which seemed to take the girl by surprise.

    "That''s not the right way to look at it. I mean, look, I just relied on you to heal my finger," he told her with a smile, raising his thumb.

    "That''s¡­" She looked down.

    "What I mean is¡­in battle, we all can fight confidently knowing you''re supporting us, Eunji," he assured her.

    "--"

    Eunji''s cheeks were as scarlet as ripe apples, though she did her best to hide it by looking down until raising her gaze again, adjusting her sses as she stared directly at him with her dazzling amethyst eyes.

    "What about you?"

    "Hm?"

    "...You didn''t ask me this for no reason, did you?...You must be feeling some sort of way¡­I can tell," Eunji pressed him.

    "Ah¡­Well, it''s just¡­" He started, lingering his words as he scratched his cheek.

    Though after being pressed herself, it seemed the meek girl wasn''t letting him off the hook as she continued to stare at him, coaxing him to spill his feelings.

    He sighed out, "...Against that angel, I was totally useless¨Cin every way. I couldn''t hurt him, and I couldn''t even support the others. I had to just¡­watch."

    Looking down at his own hands, that memory yed over and over¨Cthe helpless assault heunched against the angel, all of those hits that amounted to absolutely nothing.

    "That''s not true."

    "Huh? What''re you saying?" He looked at Eunji in surprise.

    "I-I¡­err, I kind of saw you¡­" Eunji adjusted herrge sses shyly, holding her hands, rubbing her arms together, which were covered in her baggy sweatshirt.

    "Saw me¡­?"

    "When you stood against the angel¡­alone," Eunji exined.

    "Ah."

    He blushed himself; to him, he thought there were no eyes beside his own and the angel''s spectating that scene. That''s why he was able to act so unrestrained, giving it his all no matter how pathetic it might''ve appeared.

    "...Then you know what I''m talking about, don''t you? I couldn''t do a damn thing to him¡­" He muttered, clenching his fists out of anger at his own weakness.

    "You''re wrong."

    "How can you say that¡­? You saw it yourself."

    "I saw you trying your hardest, giving it your all, despite the fact you thought you were all alone," Eunji assured him.

    To have her so adamantly ce her words down while meeting his gaze, he couldn''t find it in himself to reject them¨Chaving to ept it and think about it right then.

    "Jeong-Hui, right then¡­I thought you were cool," Eunji told him while twiddling with her fingers.

    "--" He couldn''t respond as he simply blushed at such an admission.

    I was¡­cool? He questioned himself.

    For a moment, they just stood there like two,pletely socially inept people before he decided to break the ice.

    "We should get this prepared! It''s a pretty important dinner, isn''t it?" He smiled, scooping the diced vegetables up into a pot.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Mhm," she nodded with a small smile, stirring a pot of stock, "Because of Baek-Hyeon''s condition, he couldn''t eat most things, besides extremely small portions¡­so, part of this celebration is his recovery."

    "Sounds rough¡­" He said, adding the chopped vegetables to the stock, "...Still, that "Assimtion" ability of his is really something, isn''t it?...Just like that, he''s got the power of that crazy strong angel now."

    "Yeah, it''s a good thing though, isn''t it?" Eunji looked at him.

    For a moment, he didn''t know how to answer that. It waspletely unfounded, but he felt uneasy with that person wielding such power.

    "Jeong-Hui?"

    He snapped back from his thoughts, giving her a smile, "...Yeah. It''s good. Having somebody that strong around will be nice!"

    After preparing the lofty amount of dishes, the two brought it out to the dining hall¨Csetting it up on the long, illustrious table covered by a clean, white cloth.

    "Holy!--Is this what they call a "Feast for Kings"?! I''ve never seen this much food in my life!" Yeong-Un let out, drooling with his eyes at the sight of the arriving feast.

    "...That can''t be right; you''d be a peasant, Yeong-Un," Sol cheekilymented.

    "Huh?! What was that?!" Yeong-Un barked.

    The two''s bickering stoppedpletely as Dae-Seong sat himself down at the forefront of the table, scooting his chair forward in such a way thatmanded their yful back-and-forth to halt.

    All eyes were on the silver-haired leader of the group, waiting for him to speak as he ced his hands together atop the table.

    "This looks fantastic¨Cwell done, the both of you," Dae-Seong smiled small as he looked at the two responsible for preparing the dishes.

    There was a little of everything: kimchi stew, rice curry, savory beef and rice, stringy, spicy noodles¨Cand even dishes that weren''t inherently Korean, such as chicken alfredo, battered fish, and american-style hamburgers.

    A lot of the foreign dishes were prepared by Jeong-Hui, who always had a certain curiosity with preparing such dishes.

    "Thank you, Sir¡­" Eunji epted thepliment shyly.

    "Thanks!" He nodded, standing proud.

    Compared to his usual self, who could be as meek as Eunji at times, he held himself confidently when it came to culinary practices.

    The two responsible for the feast sat themselves down as well, with Eunji and himself sitting across from Yeong-Un and Sol, who could barely behave better than grade schoolers.

    Every member of Gangcheori was present, making it a full house as little room was left at the long table.

    Even Ho-Jun, who looked more than ready to consume the luscious-seeming food, looking down at his te, but none of them could eat yet before the words from the leader.

    Besides the leader himself, most eyes were on the man of the hour: Baek-Hyeon. It seemed he wasn''t the only onepletely unfamiliar with the white-haired man, as nobody seemed to be openly approaching him.

    Baek-Hyeon sat directly to the left of Dae-Seong, though he stood out-of-ce due to his recently-acquired,rge stature.

    He''s huge¡­He thought.

    The mysterious member of Gangcheori, possessing the "Assimtion System", was somebody he had only seen sparsely before his transformation, yet it was still a jarring shift. Baek-Hyeon was previously shorter than himself, and likely less than half of his weight¨Chowever, now, the man dwarfed him, and everybody else in height, with muscle mass to give Korain a run for his money.

    Besides the change in his stature and physique, what stood at most abnormal to him were the lightly-glowing, golden irises the man possessed.

    "Now, I''d like to bring attention to why we''re here, sitting in celebration, in the first ce," Dae-Seong announced.

    Silence filled the dining hall as steam rose from the fresh dishesid out on the table; there was a unanimous, absolute respect for the leader.

    "Today we faced an obstacle that was sent down with the intention of crushing us inpletion. From the heavens themselves, they sought to squash Gangcheori. Yet¨Cwithout losing a single person¨Cwe imed victory. Not only that¡­We gained strength far beyond our yesterday," Dae-Seong said.

    Those words were pointed to the one who drove his de through the back of the angel, the gray-uniform wearing man who sat with a warm, rxed smile.

    Baek-Hyeon stood up, taking the course of the leader''s words now, "It was only because of your efforts that this was possible¨Csince I was little, my body was no stronger than ss, and any sickness could result in a swift death for myself. Yet, even in a world thrown into bloodshed, Gangcheori gave one such as myself a home. For so long, I was unable to help¨Cit ate away at me. "Even in Armageddon, I cannot fight", I thought to myself¡­but, Dae-Seong found the perfect path. From here on out, I will repay that kindness¨CI will fight at the vanguard for Gangcheori."

    Baek-Hyeon''s words were met with apuse afterwards, and some cheers¨Cthere was nothing more relieving than the man who boasted a level in the fifties assuring them of his alliance.

    Still, he couldn''t help but feel something was off about the angel-powered man.

    "Hell yeah!" Korain pumped his fist into the air.

    Though, seeing such reactions from hispanions, he set those baseless feelings aside¨Cfocusing on what was in front of him: the delicious feast.

    After a day of such a ridiculous battle¨Cbeing flung into the clouds, dropped from the sky, exerting every ounce of strength in his body, a good meal was what he needed, and a good meal is what he got.

    "Damn! Look at ''im go!" Yeong-Unughed.

    He didn''t focus on anything else but eating, sliding noodles past his lips and shoveling beef into his mouth.

    With such a bountiful feast, after its end, he found himselfpletely immobile, having to be assisted by Eunji and Sol into his room.

    "Ugh¡­" He groaned.

    "You ate a lot more than you could handle, didn''t you?" Solughed wryly.

    "...I guess it was good, then?" Eunji asked.

    Though even just slightly alluding to food made him want to puke as he slowly shook his head, letting out a drawn out breath, "...Please don''t ask me that right now."

    The two assisting himughed before gently setting him down on his own bed. As Eunji took her leave, Sol still lingered in his room for a bit, as if waiting for the girl to leave.

    "Sol?" He looked at his friend.

    Sol peeked out into the hall as if making sure there weren''t any nosy ears or eyes lurking about before turning back to him with a mischievous smile.

    "I know you''re not feeling it right now, but in two days, Yeong-Un and I are nning on tackling a Sky Dungeon," Sol told him quietly.

    "..."Sky Dungeon"? What''s that?" He asked, sitting up a bit on his bed.

    "Shh!" Sol quickly shushed him as he spoke just a few decibels higher than a whisper.

    He was confused by why the hazel-haired, entric friend of his was being so odd about this, but he yed along, nodding silently.

    Sol answered, "They''re a new thing that have recently popped up. I scouted out a level twenty-five one¨Cthat should be perfect for us; not too hard, but good enough to provide nice loot, right? Whaddya say?"

    "...I''m up for it, but are you? Last time youpletely chickened out against that alligator," he asked, scratching his head.

    Sol almost seemed offended, but more soughed quietly at his question, "I don''t me you for thinking that. The "Sol of yesterday" was indeed a coward, but you''re talking to the "Sol of tomorrow", Jeong-Hui!"

    "...Okay," he narrowed his eyebrows.

    "Well, if you''re up for it, then let''s meet up first thing in the morning, the day after tomorrow!" Sol brought his hand out.

    He was almost too exhausted to do it, but he obliged, giving his friend a high-five before watching Sol leave the room with a joyful stride.

    That guy¡­He''s totally going to piss himself in that dungeon, he sighed to himself.

    ¨C

    What I didn''t realize then, was the fact that the "Sky Dungeon" was another beast entirely¨Csomething beyond our wildest imaginations.

 Chapter 81 To The Sky Dungeon

    [The Morning of the "Sky Dungeon" Expedition, Three Weeks Until the "Tower" Opens]

    To his surprise, but at the same time not, he was the first one outside of the hotel on that morning, already dressed in his mostly-ck [Equip] uniform as he brought his azure hood up tobat the cold.

    It''s not too far out¡­until we''ll have to abandon this world and venture into the unknown "Tower". I don''t know whether to be excited, scared, or both. All we can do now is wait it out and gain the strength we can to prepare for what''s toe, he thought.

    It was a particrly cold day, as a lightyer of mist upied the streets and the cold pressed against his skin like tiny needles.

    "...Lazy bums," he muttered out as his breath left in a mist.

    "What was that?!"

    His soul nearly left his bodypletely at the sudden, far-too-loud, rough voice of Yeong-Un directly against his ear, causing him to jump in a startle.

    "Holy¨C! You can''t sneak up on me like that in the morning, man!" He huffed.

    Yeong-Un seemed pleased with himself, chuckling as he left a pat on his shoulder, "Ha-ha! Yer'' fault for being so jumpy."

    "Anyway¡­Sol didn''te down with you?" He asked, looking past Yeong-Un, but there was nobody else standing on the block.

    "Nah," Yeong-Un replied, folding his arms across his chest, still keeping his blue sleeves rolled up to his biceps despite the chilly weather, "Did ya'' expect that bastard to wake up on time?"

    Every word that left the mouth of the scar-covered adolescent exuded a frosty mist towards his face.

    "Good point," he sighed out, "How''re you feeling?"

    "Huh?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    "I mean, after the fight against that angel. It was pretty rough¨Cfor everybody," he rified.

    Yeong-Un smiled bright, pping his own chest, "Oh, that? I''m in tip-top condition! Ha-ha! Eunji''s magic is the real deal!"

    "You''re definitely right with that¡­Seriously, healing magic is amazing," he smiled a bit.

    It wasn''t long after that the two were finally met with thete arrival of their third, who walked out with spastic, messy bedhead and half-open eyes, yawning out.

    "...Mornin''..." Sol greeted them.

    "Dude, did you get any sleep?" He chuckled a bit, looking at Sol.

    Sol shook his head, trying his best to adjust his unkempt, light-brown locks to the best of his ability for wrapping his red headband over his forehead.

    "The hell were ya'' doing all night, then? Ya'' knew we were doing something today!" Yeong-Un asked.

    "I¡­err¡­I just couldn''t sleep," Sol exined tiredly, yawning again with bags visibly present beneath his eyes.

    It was a bit worrying for their third to be so clearly exhausted before heading to a new, unknown dungeon, but they both knew he was more useful unconscious than conscious.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to wait a bit? Maybe grab a coffee?" He asked, looking back at Sol.

    They already began journeying down the street, leaving the bounds of Samseong-Dong, heading towards Cheongdam, an affluent section of Gangnam-Gu.

    "So, why''re we doing this so early?" He asked.

    The entire day yesterday, they left him in the dark about the specifics about the day-long expedition, but he didn''t exactly mind¨Cit was an excuse to pass up his daily patrol.

    "Isn''t that obvious? So we don''t hafta deal with the others!" Yeong-Un told him with a wide smile.

    "Okay, but why don''t we want to deal with the others?" He asked wryly, not getting mch of an answer from his friend.

    He looked to Sol to rify this, who seemed to be the one who thought this "Sky Dungeon" was such a secretive thing in the first ce.

    "Well, you see¡­Dae-Seong doesn''t know we''re heading out here," Sol exined with a forced smile.

    "...What? Why not?" He raised an eyebrow out of surprise.

    "Sky Dungeons are off-limits, that''s why!" Yeong-Un added, "...It''s bull, though! Who says they''re any different from Obsidian Dungeons, huh? Ol'' leader is just being a bit too cautious."

    "Cautious isn''t bad¡­" He responded.

    "Jeong-Hui," Sol called his name, looking at him, "...We have to get stronger. I don''t know about you, but I don''t have a good feeling about the Tower, if it has more foes like that angel you guys fought¡­And, I don''t feel like relying on Baek-Hyeon."

    Sol looked down with his words, clenching one of his leather-glove-covered fists as they walked together down the block, putting a few blocks of distance between themselves and Gangcheori''s district now.

    "Look at you," he said with a smile, "I thought you had no pride at all."

    "Hah!" Yeong-Unughed at his remark.

    Sol wasn''t as joyful at the snidement, "I don''t mean it like that! It''s not pride, or anything! It''s just¡­I don''t know¨CBaek-Hyeon gives me a weird feeling¨CI can''t exin it."<novelnext></novelnext>

    For some reason, the hazel-haired, shortest of the group voiced exactly what he felt about the peculiar, enigmatic member of Gangcheori.

    "...You too, huh?" He responded quietly as his breath left in a cold mist.

    "Wait, you think so, too? I thought I was going crazy¡­" Sol added, letting out a sigh of relief.

    Their attention shifted to their blue-haired friend, who didn''t seem to have much to say one way or the other.

    Yeong-Un ced his hands behind his head as he marched forward, "I don''t feel anythin'' from that guy. That means I don''t really suspect him, but¡­It always means I don''t really trust ''im, either."

    "The leader trusts him though, doesn''t he?...Maybe we should just leave it at that," Sol looked down.

    "I don''t think we should tantly take every action from Dae-Seong as the gospel¨Ceven he can misjudge somebody," he added, "...I just think we should be wary of Baek-Hyeon. That much power in somebody''s hands¡­and, well, yeah¡­something about the aura he gives off just makes me shiver."

    After a prickly conversation that they wouldn''t dare let meet the ears of any other members, they continued on their way on the cold morning.

    Though the walls of Gangcheori''s district were far spread, the southern walls weren''t guarded at all, as the bulk of their base was in one area at the northern sector.

    This made it easy for the three to slip through, once again entering Defect territory. Within an hour of walking through the frosty morning, passing through the dested, abandoned cityscape, and avoiding prowling Defects¨Cthey arrived in Cheongdam.

    Right away, it was clear what level of wealth the city disyed in its heyday:rge hedges sat at the sides of the streets, though now unkempt and overgrown.

    Many of the buildings upying the neighborhood in abundance possessed unique, sophisticated architecture¨Csome seemingly madepletely of ss, and others intertwined in ivory material like a piece of art.

    "Ever been here before? I mean, before everything fell," he asked while they all slowly walked through the abandoned street.

    Sol shook his head, "Nope. I don''t think my family was rich enough for this area, ha-ha."

    "Hell no! This ce still reeks of pompous assholes!" Yeong-Un answered the same, just with less elegance.

    The first notable area they found themselves in was the "fashion street" of Cheongdam, though it was mostly upied by high-end, big-brand businesses, there were at least cute, anthropomorphic statues to greet them.

    "Where exactly is this "Sky Dungeon" anyway?" He asked, poking the snow leopard statue.

    "Should be closeby," Sol answered.

    "Well, hurry up! I''m itchin'' to cut some Defects!" Yeong-Un called out.

    It was always a mncholic feeling to stroll through affluent areas like this; the abandoned shops were leftovers of mankind, and passing by therge headquarters of entertainment mammoths that ran the pop industry in Korea reminded him of the way of life that was stripped away.

    ¡­It''s like walking through a ghost town. Just a year ago¡­this ce was packed full of people, he thought.

    Standing still and taking in the air, he could imagine it clearly, feeling the past presence of thousands of people who upied the streets. He could almost hear it, too: that ambience of a bustling city.

    "Jeong-Hui! Youing, or what?" Sol called out from up ahead.

    "Hurry it up, fire-head!"

    "Coming!" He shouted back in return, jogging to catch back up.

    As they reached a narrow market street, something unique finally came into view¨Carge, enigmatic structure of pure-white material inhabiting the sky without any assistance below.

    The only thing connected it to the ground below was a single, golden rope, hanging down in an ominous invitation.

    "Is that the dungeon?" He asked.

    Due to the mist hanging around it, it was impossible to tell just howrge the quartz structure inhabiting the sky was.

    "Yup! There it is!" Sol proimed, seemingly surprised he actually managed to find it again.

    "Hell yeah! I''m pumped¨C!" Yeong-Un moved forward first.

    The three gathered in front of the golden rope, looking up as it let upwards around two-hundred meters into the sky.

    "...This is really our only way up to it?" He asked wryly.

    "Yeah¡­I''m not the biggest fan of it, either," Sol gulped, adjusting his umber coat, making sure his sheathed spear was in its proper hold.

    "Hah! Nothin'' like a good warmup! You two should be roarin'' at this chance!"

    Yeong-Un, obviously, couldn''t be more excited, jumping up as he began rapidly ascending the rope as if he were an olympian in the sport.

    "Well¡­Guess that''s our cue," he muttered.

    Taking the second spot, he followed behind Yeong-Un, though at a much lesser rate as he preferred slow and steady, rather than risking falling as he tugged himself up its monstrous length.

 Chapter 82 Aquatic Foes

    There was a part of him that was adverse about the idea of heading into an unknown dungeon, after his past experiences, but something was different¨Cthe two he was with were strong¨Cstronger than himself.

    At least, only when Sol passes out¡­He thought wryly.

    "...Man, it was my idea, but still¡­! You got this, Sol!" The hazel-haired adolescent pumped himself up, pping his own cheeks red.

    Though he boosted himself, Sol moved at a snail''s pace, wrapping his legs around the golden material while slowly crawling up its height.

    Even just a third of the way up, he could feel the cold atmosphere enveloping his body, caressing it with its frosty fingertips as he looked down, checking on Sol.

    "Brr¡­"

    Sol was visibly shivering, but still hanging on and moving, though at his own pace.

    What an annoying method of going up¡­You''d think God could just snap an elevator into existence, or some stairs, at least¡­He thought.

    Looking up, he could hardly see Yeong-Un through the thickening mist, who was still rapidly climbing up like a monkey who had spent his entire life ascending trees and prickly branches.

    ¨CAll of a sudden, a concept that for some reason slipped his mind brought itself into existence: a strong, cold wind brushed against the rope, swaying it side-to-side even with their weight dispersed on its length.

    "Gyeeeugh¨C! What the hell?!" Sol screamed out without any pride, clutching the rope as he wrapped his limbs around it tightly.

    "Woah¨C!" Yeong-Un let out, momentarily having to hold his entire body weight with just a single hand gripping the golden, thickly-intertwined rope.

    "The wind¡­!?" He mumbled to himself, clutching the object with both of his hands.

    It howled against his ears, continuing to push the rope from side to side in an unstable manner. Going back down was not a usible option as they were already more than halfway up, and it would be just as difficult, if not more, than just going up.

    There wasn''t anything directly neighboring the rope¨Cnot from the heights it reached. Below, and off to the sides, were the buildings of the market street, but it''d be toote to reach them in the aftermath of a fall.

    "Hyaaaah¨C! Why is the winding out now?! Is God mad at us for killing that angel¨C?! I wasn''t a part of it, I swear¨C!" Sol yelled up towards the clouds as if his words reached the entity beyond theiry.

    "Shut up, will ya''! I can hear ya'' from all the way up here¨C!" Yeong-Un yelled out from up above, having his voice be carried down against the howling winds.

    ¡­Thanks for saying what I was thinking! He thought.

    Being the closest to Sol, he had to listen, in clear detail, to the whimpers of the hazel-haired young man, who definitely tried his best to seem cool, by his fantasy-adventurer-like outfit, but was indeed¨Cthe opposite.

    "Sol! Come on!" He looked down, urging hispanion.

    "No! God is trying to finish us off right here¨C! I-If I just stay here, it''ll pass!" Sol retorted, with an obvious trail of snot leaving one of his nostrils.

    Gross¡­He thought.

    Putting aside his grievances with his friend''sposure, orck thereof, he still held his patient, slowly going back down the rope towards Sol as the wind continued to tug at it, pushing it in each direction.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?" Sol called his name quietly in surprise.

    He put on a reassuring smile as his curly, red hair was brushed by the passing, aggressive winds, "It''s not that bad, see?"

    Against his better judgment, he disyed to his friend that the winds weren''t out to get them¨Creleasing one hand from the rope and hanging halfway off of it.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­! That''s¡­!" Sol called out worriedly, but stopped himself after noticing what he had just done by instinct.

    Despite his own crippling fears, Sol had naturally reached his hand out from theplete worry of Jeong-Hui, realizing this, as he was now only holding onto the golden rope with one hand, his eyes were opened to the nature of the howling wind.

    "Oh."

    "See? Are you good now?" He looked down at Sol with a smile.

    Sol nodded slowly, seemingly almost crying as tears hung by the edges of his eyes.

    For some reason then, he felt himself being able to understand that swirl of cowardice in Sol''s heart: there was something fundamentally fragile in him.

    It seemed Sol himself understood his shorings, as he tried his best to "look cool" or "look strong": his entric, unkempt, hazel hair and the standout, red headband he wore alongside his dark-brown coat and leather armor. He looked like a reliable person, yet it was far from himself.

    I wonder if¡­something happened to him at the start of Argmageddon? Maybe I''ll ask¨Csomeday, he thought.

    Together, they all reached the summit, though Yeong-Un arrived much before them, waiting as he sat on a quartz block on the outside entrance.

    It was like a cut-off section of a road, carved into a perfect circle just beyond the open entrance of the quartz structure.

    "Took ya'' long enough," Yeong-Un said, resting his cheek against his hand.

    "Well, not everybody is an ape like you," he mumbled

    He helped Sol crawl over onto the ivory flooring of the airborne dungeon, who was breathing heavily as he rested on his hands and knees for a minute.

    "Woah¡­" He let out.

    The view was breathtaking; it was something unachievable elsewhere¨Cthe Sky Dungeon was its own piece of the sky, in a way, allowing them to look over most of Gangnam-Gu.

    "...We''re this high?" Solmented, looking over the edge of the dungeon exterior¨Cnearly causing himself to hurl as he quickly pulled away.

    "Enough wastin'' time, let''s get this thing started!" Yeong-Un announced, lifting Sol to his feet by a grab of his cape.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As impatient as ever¡­He thought.

    After taking one more look of the awe-inspiring view from up above, he followed the two into the Sky Dungeon''s mysterious entrance.

    Rather than an open room to begin off with, they were immediately ced at the start of a spiraling set of ivory, engraved stairs.

    "One climb and into another, huh¡­?" He muttered, looking up.

    "Are they trying to wear us down before ambushing us?!" Sol asked nervously.

    Yeong-Un promptly pped Sol in the back of the head, pushing past them and onto the stairs, "No use worryin'' about that! We''ll worry when the enemy is in front of us!"

    I don''t know how effective that n of action is! He thought.

    Either way, it was true; the only way forward were the stairs, which they began to ascend as each step echoed off of the quartz walls of the towering structure. What he felt was a good change of pace from the ground-floor dungeons was how bright it was inside¨Cthe quartz walls were illuminated by golden-me-bearing torches on the walls.

    After a dozen minutes of ascent, he felt a certain shortness of breath¨Cnot from fatigue, but the natural atmosphere persisting within the dungeon.

    "Is it just me, or is the air kind of heavy¡­?" He asked.

    "Yeah," Yeong-Un breathed audibly, "...It''s a bit funky in here."

    "...Should we head back?" Sol asked.

    "No," ¨CYeong-Un and himself replied in unison.

    Not a minuteter did they finally reach the summit of the stairs, leading them into the first room of the Sky Dungeon: a quartz bridge extending into a circr, grooved tform that was surrounded by a body of water.

    "What the¡­? Water, up here?" Sol mumbled.

    "I wouldn''t try to apply reason to a construct of Heaven¡­" He replied wryly.

    Yeong-Un, of course, was the first to enter, stepping across the narrow bridge as the bottom of his boots echoed against the percussive flooring.

    Statues of angelic beings protruded from the walls, holding spears of some kind as if guarding the chamber in silence.

    "What''s the point of all of this?" Yeong-Un squinted his eyes once reaching therge, center tform, soon met with the other two.

    "I guess this is sort of the lobby of the dungeon? I don''t know," he gave his take, "This is already way different than Obsidian Dungeons."

    The path forward was another bridge, though suspended by golden ropes with a peculiar arc, looking to a room on the other side of the chamber that was shrouded in obscuring light.

    "...Guys, do you feel that?" Sol asked.

    While they were standing and looking around to figure out the purpose of the vast, water-filled chamber, Sol''s question asked in a nervous tremble brought their attention to him.

    "Feel what?" He asked.

    ncing at Yeong-Un, he could see the wild-haired man was also readily cautious about something¨Chaving both of his hands ready and gripping around the handles of his sheathed des.

    Before he could part his lips again¨Che felt it.

    Vrrrr.

    A subtle hum pressing against the soles of his ck, leather boots, tickling his lower legs as it persisted in an abnormal sensation at his feet.

    "...What''s this¡­?"

    The sound of water rippling brought his gaze up, alongside the other two as they saw the unclear, misty water rippling with some sort of presence tucked beneath its surface.

    "Get ready!" Yeong-Un called out, unsheathing his dual des.

    Just as his warning came, multiple objects sprouted from the rippling waters around them,nding on the tform that they stood on.

    There were three¨Ceach of the enigmatic foesnding by one of the three to take them on individually.

    The gray-skinned entities held an appearance that was a sh between human and fish, with a humanoid body and webbed feet and hands, yet a shark-like head that disyed arge set of jaws.

    "Huh¡­? These are¡­?"

    [Enemy Identified: "Holy Sea Dweller" | Level 22]

    "What the hell are these things?!" Sol asked in almost a squeal.

    "Draw your spear, idiot!" He yelled out.

    It was worrying that it seemed his reminder was the only thing that actually made Sol do as such, drawing the silver weapon from his back as he wielded it, gulping down as he was faced with the aquatic humanoid, twice his size.

    ¡­I''ve never seen an enemy like this before. It doesn''t seem to be holding any weapons¨Chow the hell does it attack? He thought.

    Of course, the System wasn''t looking to hand out free answers to all of his problems¨Cobstacles like this were up to the yers themselves to handle.

    "Looks like I''m making sashimi today!" Yeong-Un roared out in augh.

 Chapter 83 Fishy Fiends

    "Looks like I''m making sashimi today!" Yeong-Un roared out in augh.

    ncing back at Yeong-Un, he could at least feel confident that he would be able to handle his own opponent, but Sol was a different question entirely.

    I''ll just have to trust in him for now¨C! I have my own problems to handle! He thought.

    He ducked from a sudden swipe of the aquatic monster''s webbed hand, unsheathing his daggers at the same time in an attempted counterattack¨Cbut it missed.

    The Holy Water Dweller exuded a small burst of air from the gills on its sides, causing it to propel backwards and out of reach from his daggers.

    "Tch!" He clicked his tongue.

    It''s pretty nimble, and smart for that matter, he thought.

    Flipping his daggers between his fingers, he reversed his grip before reengaging with the fish-like foe.

    After it attempted to swipe at him with a sharp stream of water running along its forearm like an elemental de, he ducked past it before snapping his fingers.

    "--Flinch!"

    The concussive sh stunned the fishman, allowing him to follow up with his next attack, "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 3000/3200]

    In an onught of quick shes, the oily, fish-skinned body of the creature was covered in cuts, with its peculiar hide being sliced up relentlessly.

    Each sh was executed with instinct, with him flipping his grip of the daggers before each set of attacks. [Ripper] pushed his agility to its limits, in the department of attacking, resulting in a dozen, strong cuts being ingrained in the fishman''s body within a moment.

    "Rhkk¡­!"

    The aquatic being hissed and groaned as it was shed, exuding blood from its dozen wounds as it stumbled back.

    That should do the trick¡­He thought.

    As it quickly had its gray hide painted in its own blood, the fishman stumbled about, leaving him to believe it was the end¨Cbut, it was not.

    Just before he could rush towards it to finish it off, aiming straight for its head¨Call of its gills spread to release a repulsive wind, knocking him back.

    "What¡­?" He let out.

    A dark-blue, indigo ooze secreted from both its gills and its wounds, running across its body in a peculiar way.

    "Look out! These things got somethin'' up their sleeve!" Yeong-Un warned.

    The one that the wild-haired, dual spellde was fighting was cut up even worse than the one he fought, going the same route of covering its body in the mysterious ooze.

    ¨C

    Meanwhile, Sol had not yet reached that point¨Che was still having a hard fought battle against his water-dwelling opponent.

    "Ghh¡­! Come on¨Cyou''ve been attacking for a minute straight! Gimme a break!"

    Sol used his spear as a shield, moving it in the way of each webbed strike that came down towards him as he was forced on the defensive.

    "Mercy! Mercy!" He pleaded, though his words didn''t seem to meet any meaning upon the fishman''s ears.

    It''s strength was immense; each blocked hit rang through the spear and into his bones like a hammer being flung against an anvil.

    As he looked to each side in hopes of finding help from one of hisrades, he could see both of them were preupied with their now morphing enemies.

    Crap¨Cthis is all me, isn''t it? Sol thought.

    He was already visibly sweating, tightly gripping his spear as he blocked each of the downward shes of the tall, wide-built beast from the water.

    His amber eyes shifted, forced to track the moist, mmy hands of the fishman, managing to block each of its sessive hits.

    More than offense, a lot of his skills were built into defense¨Cthis was a result of his absolute fear of being hurt, or worse.

    Amidst the seemingly endless stamina the fishman possessed, it reared its hand back, focusing a heaping amount of water around its gray fist to bolster it with a rippling strength.

    "Cast: Bracer!"

    Sol shouted out just before the water-amplified fist of the humanoid fish came down, manifesting in the form of a defensive spell that forced him to stand still with his guard raised¨Cblocking the attackpletely.

    It virtually made him into a statue for the moment¨Cforcing him to raise his guard with perfect time, else its entire purpose would fail.

    It was a one-time augmentation; after sessfully guarding the water-backed m of the fishman''s fist, the defensive veil was gone as he was able to move again.

    Though guarding one attack had little effect on moving the goalpost forward towards victory, as the other fist of therge, towering fishman was coated in spiraling water as well, being mmed into his gut.

    "Pyeuh¨C!"

    All of the air immediately was sucked from his lungs, leaving him breathless as he was flung back, bouncing against the stone tform.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sol!" Jeong-Hui called out.

    There was no opportunity to help though, as the curly-haired young man was pushed back by his own opponent, who was now d in a blue armor made of the secreted ooze.

    Sol was on his hands and knees, struggling to pick himself up after the hefty blow to his stomach. The single hit from the Holy Water Dweller resulted in one-third of his health points being lost.

    It burns. It feels like I''m breathing fire¡­! He thought.

    Coughing out, he looked up to find the merciless fishman already looming over him, lifting its foot as it prepared to stomp his head against the stone.

    "No¡­!"

    He managed to raise his spear just in time, blocking the mmy foot froming down on his head, though it was a struggle.

    It pressed its foot down against the body of his silver weapon, turning it into a contest of strength. Against his throbbing arms, the singr foot of the fishman was winning in terms of raw strength, pushing down as he gritted his teeth, still uneven in his breaths.

    ¡­I know I''m a coward. And¡­I know I''m not as strong as the others. I don''t have shy skills like Yeong-Un, or the reliable efficiency of Jeong-Hui. But¡­that doesn''t mean I can''t do anything! He thought.

    "...Cast: Cloudy Coil!"

    He strained his throat to call out the name of the spell, but its invocation came fiercely; stretching across the length of his ordinary, steel spear, azure strands of electricity sparked.

    It wasn''t a particrly powerful spell, or often a useful one, but for the predicament he was in¨Cit was perfect.

    The sudden existence of electricity repelled the foot of the fishman, giving him space to return to his feet as he regained his breath through his burning lungs.

    "--"

    He gripped the electricity-coiled spear, immune to its effects as he stared down the fishman.

    To his fortune, it seemed wary of him now after having its foot shocked, allowing him to regain his breath and somewhat regain hisposure.

    His fingers trembled as they wrapped along the rod of the spear, leaving him listening to his own breaths and the ongoing battles of hispanions.

    I''m scared. Seriously, I''m scared¡­but, I''m scared of death. So if I want to live¡­I have to¨C! He resolved.

    It was a standstill; neither him or the fishman pushed forward, only watching each other carefully.

    Though half of it was cowardice, he stood still partly because of a n he had¨Cone that would have to be executed with close to perfect timing.

    While the water inhabiting most of the angelic statue-upied chamber rippled, he listened to his own sweat dripping down onto the stone, grooved tform below.

    "Graaaugh¨C!"

    Finally taking action, the fishmanunched towards him, propelling itself forward with a stream ofpressed air from its gills.

    At the very same moment, while holding a nted stance with his spear held forward, he unleashed:

    "Through The Winds: Sonic Blitz."

    In a single step that unleashed enough speed to break through the sound barrier, aimed in a straight, immovable direction, he burst forth.

    Once he set forward, he couldn''t stop or change his trajectory. But, in turn, the explosive speed he set off with took the fishman byplete surprise, not allowing it to react before his spear wasunched forward.

    In less than a moment, the spearhead of his weapon had lodged itself through the head of the gray, mmy-skinned foe.

    "...I did it?"

    Not even he was able to perceive his own speed from thencer-ss skill, only realizing what happened after he came to a stop, holding onto the spear that was pierced through the water-dweller''s skull.

    "I did it!..." He finally celebrated.

    Before it could transform itself like the others did against hispanions, he finished it in one blow¨Cbeing the first victory atop the water-surrounded tform.

    "Alright¡­Now¡­get outta there!"

    He gritted his teeth, ting his boot down against the fallen fishman''s body as he tugged his spear from its head in a stomach-churning fashion.

    Feeling the spearhead shift around in the foe''s brain matter and fiddling with the interior of its skull, he was one moment from puking before finally dislodging it, falling backwards onto his rear as he huffed.

    "Level twenty-two¡­Heck yeah!" Sol celebrated.

    ¨C

    Yeong-Un and Jeong-Hui were momentarily caught off-guard by the fact that Sol actually managed to ovee his enemy before them.

    That fact fired Yeong-Un up, who smiled fiercely while smacking both of his swords together.

    "Alright¨CI''m pumped now!" He called out.

 Chapter 84 An Even Greater Foe

    That fact fired Yeong-Un up, who smiled fiercely while smacking both of his swords together.

    "Alright¨CI''m pumped now!" He called out.

    The fishman he faced was d in indigo, stiffened armor that protected its vitals, and seemed to amplify its strength as it stomped towards him.

    Before he could go for a swift sh, the fishman spewed apressed stream of water from a hole in his hand, shooting towards him like a boilingser.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    He was forced to dodge from nearly point ck, countering with a sh to the creature''s gut, only managing to embed a shallow cut across its stomach.

    "Raegh! Raegh! Raegh!"

    ¨CThe wide, muscr fishman grunted as it unleashed haymaker after haymaker without any form or grace, attempting to bash his skull in, but his natural reflexes allowed him to evade each hit, though it was close.

    "Get back, ya'' fishy bastard!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    Stomping his boot down, he created a small shock wave that momentarily stunned his opponent, allowing him to clutch his des as a swirling heat birthed itself on the sharpened steel.

    "I''ll gri ya'' into a nice dinner!" Yeong-Un spun around, gathering momentum for his next strike as the mes began to form in full, "--ming Slice n'' Dice!"

    He unleashed a set of four strikes, each propelling a thin veil of mes towards the fishman. Differing from a normal me enhancement to his swords, the very shes he set out inhabited the element of "burn".

    Even though the air-pressurized shes couldn''t fully shatter the dense armor of the fishman, the residual heat melted it away, leaving it defenseless for a moment¨Ca pivotal moment.

    "Gotcha''!" Yeong-Un grinned fiercely.

    While the half-fish, half-man creature was left unbnced and taken aback by the fierce heat, Yeong-Un was already rearing his des back for another attack.

    "To sashimi ya'' go!" Yeong-Un called out with augh, "Swordsman''s Haste!"

    The skill used by the dual spellde resulted in a burst of hyper-energy engulfing his body, sending him into a temporary "overdrive" of sorts, only for the singr attack he''d unleash¨Cthe swiftness of his shes were unmatched.

    Before the fishman could so much as raise its ooze-covered fist, the wild-haired, smiling man swung into over thirty shes¨Call in a singr second before the augmentation spell came-and-went just as fast.

    "...Fish outta'' water."

    After sliding his des back into the cross-formed sheaths on his back, Yeong-Un smiled as the fishman remained still as a statue before¨Cone¡­two¡­twenty¡­thirty¨Cinto a plethora of pieces of flesh, the gray-skinned foe spilled into mincemeat.

    "Easy peasy," Yeong-Un smirked, having turned his foe into what he had promised: a pile of fish meat.

    In almost unison, Jeong-Hui finished his foe as well, managing to catch it off-guard with a [Blink Step] into a dagger through the back of its neck.

    ["Holy Water Dweller" Defeated | EXP + 500 | 8600 /9000]

    Close to level twenty-three¡­Being in a party really is helpful, he thought.

    "Tougher than expected," hemented, sheathing his daggers as the three met back up.

    "Nah, they ain''t that tough!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "Phew¡­"

    Sol stood by them, using his spear as a crane to kneel down and catch his breath.

    "Nice job," he smiled.

    He extended his hand down to the hazel-haired, amber-eyed friend of his, who looked at it in confusion for a moment before smiling himself, epting the hand as he stood up.

    "It was pretty much all luck, though," Solughed a bit, bashfully rubbing the back of his head.

    Yeong-Un pped him on the back of the head lightly, causing Sol to let out a slight "Yow!" as he stumbled forward.

    "What was that for?!" Sol barked, holding the back of his head.

    "Stop selling yerself'' short, idiot!" That''s yer'' problem!" Yeong-Un told him.

    It was an astute observation; somewhat surprisinging from the lips of the abrasive, wild-haired young man, but at the end of the day¨Che was the most affable of them all.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­I can''t help it," Sol pouted a bit, sighing out afterwards.

    "Anyway, that was our greetin'', huh? Not a bad warmup, I guess! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Un said, marching forward as he stretched his arms.

    "You and I have totally different understandings of what a "warmup" is," Sol sighed, following behind him.

    "Agreed," he chuckled a bit, walking alongside them.

    The curved bridge swayed slightly as they walked across it, suspended only by golden ropes above the enigmatic, foggy water below.

    "I wonder if those things will be our main enemy of this dungeon," he asked, looking down as he watched his steps.

    "Those fishes? No damn problem, if so!" Yeong-Un proimed with a confidentugh.

    ¨CThose arrogant words would quickly be stifled as they entered into the next chamber, which had its entrance shrouded by a seraphic fog that hovered around the threshold.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh, good," he let out in a sarcastic breath.

    It was vast, in all regards¨Cstretching far above, and expanding in each direction. Enormous, quartz pirs that were engraved with golden swirls separated different sections of the chamber, holding contaminants of water behind them.

    Though there was no ss or shielding from keeping the water suspended in the air from spilling, yet it remained unmoving. Separated stars ascended in a spiral, reaching to separate tforms upward into what looked like their path to the next area.

    "Water? The hell?" Yeong-Un asked.

    It was a confusing sight; the sections of water persisted alongside the air, making for an environment inhabitable by bothnd dwellers and water dwellers.

    "Looks like we should getfortable with fishes¡­" He said, drawing his daggers preemptively.

    "...Crap, even more of those¡­? I barely handled the one!" Sol whined out, hesitating to follow the other two.

    Though the sounds of the surrounding, suspended waters rippling forced him to begrudgingly follow behind the two as they ascended the mystically ced steps.

    Each step echoed off of the acoustic walls of the towering domain; protruding from the walls, hundreds, if not thousands of sculpted faces of what looked to be angels watched them in their steps.

    "...See anythin''?" Yeong-Un asked quietly.

    He was constantly looking side-to-side, watching the mystical, airborne sections of water carefully.

    "Nope. But¡­" He lingered his words.

    "Yeah," Yeong-Un kept moving up the steps at the very front of the group, "...They''re waitin''."

    The first tform was reached, leaving them surrounded by a dome of suspended water that hung over them in an air of enigma.

    However, they soon realized an error in their thinking: it wasn''t multiple presences swirling from within the enigmatic depths of suspsenses water, and it wasn''t a horde of fishmen awaiting their arrival for an ambush.

    It was one, singr foe.

    Something lurking within the waters, andrge enough to cause the waters to ripple from multiple angles despite being in one ce.

    "Hey, hey, hey¡­this is a joke, right? Something like this¡­!" Sol began to say, hesitantly holding his spear as he gulped down.

    "It''s real, and itsa''in''!" Yeong-Unughed out, weing the challenger within the water.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­let''s get this done," he added, holding his daggers.

    They all watched the same spot in front of them from the suspended walls of water as it began to spiral and ripple, witnessing a shadow approaching from behind the veil of water¨Cquite arge shadow, at that.

    In an impact they couldn''t brace for, a wave of water sshed out as the wall of aqua parted, revealing the gargantuan foe that left its bounds.

    Simrly to the fishmen from before, it possessed a humanoid physique, yet stood well over five meters tall, dressed in abyssal, seaweedden armor of a ck tint, with the head of a vicious, great-white shark.

    [Enemy Identified: "Holy Deep Sea Tyrant" | Level: 26]

    "Izzit a boss¡­?" Yeong-Un muttered.

    "I don''t know, but it sure looks like one¨C!" He replied.

    Him and Sol were both caught off-guard as the towering, shark-man dressed in illustrious, eerily-grooved armor moved with blinding speed despite its massive build, only being stopped by an interception of Yeong-Un between them.

    "...Focus!" Yeong-Un strained out, gritting his teeth.

    Both of his des were required to guard against therge fist wielded by the tyrant, which was asrge as the entric adolescent''s torso.

    "I almost died¡­! I almost died a virgin¨C!" Sol let out in shock.

    "Get it together, man!" He yelled out, moving Sol to the side to get him going before he set off, aiding Yeong-Un.

    While the dual spellde was holding off the fist of the armored sharkman, he rushed forward, staying low as he used a [Blink Step], aiming the sharpness of his des at the beast''s ankles.

    Gotcha! He thought.

    ¨CThough with surprising agility, the armor-dressed shark pulled away from its sh against the two des, shifting its attention to the assassin as its beady eyes watched him.

    It''s able to keep up with my speed that casually?! He questioned.

    Before he could properly react, the behemoth of a shark was already propelling its fist towards him with utter, indifferent bloodlust.

    "Disperse-!" He yelled out.

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 2700/3200]

    It was a quick release spell, making it so that upon impact from the shark''srge fist, he would automatically [Blink Step] away to a safe position and leave a cloud of ck smoke in his ce.

    "That was close¡­" He mumbled.

    He had warped back next to Sol, who seemed to have no idea how to engage in this battle as he looked on nervously, already sweating as he constantly shifted his grip on his spear.

    "Sol, we''re going to need your help on this one," he said, standing back up.

 Chapter 85 Together, One Last Push

    "Sol, we''re going to need your help on this one," he said, standing back up.

    During that moment, it was Yeong-Un who held the tyrannical shark at bay, shing des against its fists¨Call whileughing despite being pressed by the overwhelming physicality of his foe.

    "C''mon! I''ll turn ya'' into sashimi, too!" Yeong-Un taunted.

    There wasn''t much motivation for Sol when spectating that battle; the speed at which the twobatants moved and fired off lethal attacks, nonending, but each being felt by all parties, was daunting.

    "I hear you, but¡­I''ll just get in the way with an opponent like this¡­" Sol said, looking down as he gulped.

    "And that''s your problem," he told him.

    "Huh?" Sol looked at him.

    "If you''re already thinking you''re going to lose before going into something, then you''re for sure going to lose," he said, looking forward, "look at Yeong-Un. He''s never scared, is he? I''d say you have moretent talent than him, so what''s the big idea?"

    "I really don''t¡­" Sol muttered.

    It was difficult to convince someone so deeply ingrained in their own shorings, but he knew there was one way to motivate Sol.

    Taking a step forward, he headed back towards the center of the battle, waving back to Sol, "Alright, guess we''ll just die¨CI guess maybe you''re right: if you survive this, you can tell the others what happened."

    "Wait, I¨C!" Sol responded, but was ignored.

    It was a bit of bait to motivate Sol, but he knew it wouldn''t work immediately¨Cit was a slowly burning me that was lit right under the man''s ass.

    Alright, for now, let''s do this, Yeong-Un! He thought.

    Just before one of the massive fists of the shark could crash down against the dual des held in a guard by hispanion, he rushed by, leaving a set of shes against the exposed parts of the sharkman''s wrists.

    "Nice one!" Yeong-Un smiled wide.

    The swift, shallow strikes did their job¨Cmomentarily halting the shark''s attacks as it looked around in quiet anger.

    After leaping by swiftly, he ducked and rolled, looking up as dense tremors resounded through the airborne tform, finding the shark sprinting towards him.

    Holy shit, that''s scary¨C! He thought.

    Before it could reach him, an explosion of mesnded against the tyrant''s back, causing it to stop and lean over as the force only seemed to confuse it for a moment.

    Of course, it was Yeong-Un who unleashed the attack,ughing out boisterously as he coaxed the shark, "Fight me, you fishy bastard!"

    Nice save, Yeong-Un! He thought.

    To his surprise, water manifested around the shark''s body, being used to snuff out the mes on its back before the water itself clung to his shoulders, flowing downwards into an aquatic cape as it held out both of its arms.

    "Whazzit doin''?" Yeong-Un mumbled to himself.

    As more water coalesced at its summon, the shark conjured a massive greatsword befit for its size, formed of clear water, along with a giant battle-ax of the same element in its other hand.

    To both of thebatants'' confusion, the towering, armored shark stood at the side, facing neither of them as it kept its dual weapons raised.

    "Huh¡­? Wait, Yeong-Un! Watch out¨C!" He yelled out.

    "Wha¨C?!" Yeong-Un called out.

    In a massive swing of both of its arms, the giant water dweller swung both weapons down, unleashing apressed sh of water towards both of them.

    He managed to evade it with a [Blink Step], rolling to the side afterwards, but Yeong-Un wasn''t awarded such freedom; against his raised forearms, the string of water shed his muscr arms.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    A deep cut was left as blood seeped from his forearms, though Yeong-Un didn''t blink as he immediately set out against the shark giant again.

    "Yeong-Un! Dammit!"

    He wanted to stop his friend from rushing in, but the only choice he had was to go in with him, sprinting in with focus.

    Against an enemy like this, martial arts probably isn''t my best choice. I think Yeong-Un has the right idea: sashimi it is! He thought.

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2500/3200]

    Making sure to [Blink Step] there to break the distance between himself and his opponent, he unleashed a series of shes along the height of the sharkman''s body, though most were stopped by its heavy set of armor.

    "Huh¨C?" He let out.

    It barely had any effect?! He thought.

    In front of him, amidst his fall from jumping up to meet his foe''s height, he could see the behemoth shark parting its blood-soaked maw, raising its water-formed weapons with the intent to retaliate.

    Against his better reflexes, the swift counter from the sharkmannded, nicking his side with a powerful force.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Health Points: -400. Remaining Health Points: 2700/3100]

    "Ghk¡­!" He winced.

    "Make room, fire-head¡ª!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    That call was enough to set him straight as he used the arm of the great beast that swung down towards him as footing to [Blink Step] away, giving Yeong-Un proper room to do whatever it was he nned to do.

    "Nice!" Yeong-Un called before leaping into the air with both of his twin des crossed, holding a vicious smile as he greeted the sharkman, "--Water folk like ya'' don''t take too kindly to this element, do ya''?! Cast: Fangs of The Roarin'' Heavens!"

    Engulfing the length of both des, lightning coiled around the ck-and-white des, taking on a bright, iridescent azure as he swung before the titanus shark could turn around fully to stop him.

    The shes released into strands of powerful, jagged bolts of lightning rather thanpressed slices of air, targeting the unmissable body of their gargantuan foe with shocking intensity.

    As Yeong-Un twisted and curved the position of his swords, he guided the lightning, causing it to split and attack the great beast with more curving bolts.

    "Nice¡­! You''re hurting it!" He called out.

    The sharkman grumbled with a percussion that shook the tform, being left stunned by the lightning that coiled around its massive form.

    "What''re ya'' doin''?! Attack it¨Cnow!" Yeong-Un yelled out, nting his boots against the ground as he continued to stabilize the lightning fangs.

    "Right¨C!" He replied.

    Just as he sprinted forth, he realized he wasn''t running alone¨Cbeside him, though with so much hesitance that it seemed a slightly strong wind would turn him the other way, Sol ran.

    "Sol?!" He let out with a surprised smile.

    "--I''m not going to just sit around, okay?! I-I''m not a coward¨C!" Sol yelled out, as if trying to convince himself as he held his spear with tear-filled eyes.

    "Prove it to the big guy, not me!" He replied.

    Together, theyunched an attack just as Yeong-Un''s stunning electricity reached its limit, freeing the armored, humanoid shark as it stumbled a bit, shaking its head to shake off the residual shock.

    Solunched his attack first, attacking from a distance as he reared his spear back like a javelin, shutting his eyes tight.

    "Cast: Malevolent Returnal!"

    As Solunched his spear, it zigged and zagged through the air as if moving by an unseen, propelling force, attacking various points of the sharkman''s armor with enough force to weaken its armor before returning to Sol''s hand like a frisbee.

    Next, it was his turn.

    Sage Period, Activate! Hemanded his system.

    As soon as it was activated, he didn''t waste any time, opting to use a recently acquired skill: "Hassan: First Mountain: Nazar Doctrine!"

    [Spirit: -600. Remaining Spirit: 1900/3200]

    It was a hefty price for a skill, but with that price came strength.

    Immediately, his body shifted into a spiritual azure, moving without a physical form as the disgruntled, bleeding sharkman attempted to attack him, but its efforts met only an astral form.

    One¡­

    Two¡­

    Three¡­

    Running along the surface of its body in its temporary, astral form of blue mes, his shes were amplified, damaging the armor while simultaneously embedding its attacks below its protectiveyer.

    Four¡­

    Five¡­

    Six¡­

    Each sh left a trail of supernatural, azure mes that clung to the sharkman with a hungering tenacity, causing the beast to throw a tantrum as it wildly swung its water-forged weapons in a futile attempt to hit the assassin-ss adolescent running along its body in his weightless form.

    Seven¡­! He thought.

    It allowed seven strikes in total, and ten seconds at maximum to be used, but the seven strikes ingrained themselves into the body of the tyrant with an explosive force, shing through its armor as a heaping amount of crimson spewed from the sharkman''s body.

    "Holy¨C! That was awesome, Jeong-Hui!" Sol let out, excited from the disy.

    Hended back down directly beside Sol, having flipped back as he caught his breath, "...I''m not too experienced with that one yet, but it''s pretty strong."

    "Looks like ya'' put him on hisst legs, fire-head! Let''s finish this strong!" Yeong-Un yelled out, meeting up beside the two.

    This time, they all pushed together as the bloodied, towering sharkman roared out before shing its aquatic weapons wildly, unleashing waves of sharp,pressed slices of water towards them.

    Cra, crap, crap¨C! Sol thought.

 Chapter 86 A Foreign Player

    Sol danced around the shes, moving without little elegance as he stumbled about, letting out small yelps as the water slices narrowly missed him.

    Moving ahead, Yeong-Un and himself leapt up before Sol could reach the sharkman, attacking him in unison.

    "ck Dragon, Red Phoenix!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    Both of the dual spellde''s weapons became engulfed in their own element; the ck de manifested an erratic, unstable ck lightning while the white-handled de produced a wide, awakening me.

    "ck Ripper¨C!"

    [Spirit -100. Remaining Spirit: 1800/3200]

    His daggers exhibited a dark essence, bringing him to a swiftter speed as he approached the sharkman.

    He unleashed his attack first, embedding the dozen shes of darkness across the battered body of the sharkman before dashing away out of the ssh zone of Yeong-Un''s iing attack.

    Yeong-Un''s attackunched itself in a swirl of ck lightning meshed with an expanding heat,nding against the shark in a heaping explosion.

    Though a storm of electric mes surrounded the shark, a retaliation still burst through as a water-swirled fist of the armored shark pushed through, mming directly against Yeong-Un.

    A singr hit packed enough force to release a small shock wave, knocking the wild-haired adolescent directly against the tform.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out.

    Yeong-Un leapt back to his feet, though nearly fell over, "I''m fine!"

    "You''re bleeding from your head, idiot! You''re not¨C"

    Just then, they both fell silent as the mammoth of the water was directly before them spreading its maw of endless teeth as it rushed towards them with its imposing stature looming over them.

    "Death," that was the one feeling that exuded from the daunting form of the sharkman.

    "Cast: Blitz Lance!"

    From behind the shark, the yell released in close to a tremble, but what followed left the sharkman immobile.

    The silver spear of Sol had shot directly through therge humanoid''s chest¨Csinking through its heart in one fell swoop.

    "Sol¡­?!" He let out in surprise.

    Yeong-Un was left dumbfounded at what just happened.

    As they both stood there in shock from the unexpected save from Sol, the stagnant body of the giant shark slowly toppled forward, forcing them both to move out of the way as itsrge size plummeted.

    ["Holy Deep Sea Tyrant" Defeated. EXP + 1500. Angel Coins +500 | Current Angel Coins: 3150]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 23]. Current EXP: 1100/12000.]

    [Resources [Health] and [Spirit] have been fully restored. Remaining Health Points: 3200/3200 Remaining Spirit: 3500/3500.]

    [Remaining Skill Points: 3]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +2 | Level 24]

    Just like that, his wounds and exhaustion subsided, and the same seemed to happen for Yeong-Un, who leveled up as well.

    Nice, more coins¡­I''ll definitely be stocking up on ingredientster. A nice feast will do after an expedition like this, he thought, nodding to himself a few times.

    "...Well, shit! Ya'' do have some balls, after all. Maybe one," Yeong-Un smiled, pping Sol on the shoulder a few times.

    Sol epted it, though held his shoulder afterwards, "I have two balls, thank you very much!"

    "Enough talk about balls," he sighed, reuniting beside the two, "Looks like our real spoils are here."

    It seemed defeating the shark tyrant resulted in the waters dying out as they sank away, revealing a few chests sitting on the surrounding tforms.

    "Hell yeah!" Yeong-Un called out, rushing towards one of the chests.

    "Please tell me one of these has a potion¡­" Sol begged, going towards one.

    "A magic tool would be nice," he muttered, heading towards the third chest.

    With each chest opened, resounding disappointment was found as none of them released any sort of indication of excitement.

    "Armor for a ck Mage¡­" He sighed.

    "Same here," Yeong-Un huffed.

    "...I found this," Sol disyed a small, red crystal, not knowing what it was.

    It seemed none of them knew exactly what it was as they inspected its iridescent, crimson form that shined against the light of the hanging, golden torches.

    "Dunno," Yeong-Un muttered with a raised eyebrow.

    "I guess keep it? Maybe somebody back home will know," he added.

    "Yeah, you''re right," Sol tucked away the crimson stone.

    Heading upwards, there was nothing left in the tower-like chamber, ascending the spiraling, magically-levitating stairs before stopping at a lone tform at the summit.

    "Huh? There''s nowhere else to go!" Yeong-Un called out in confusion.

    "Weird," he added quietly, looking around.

    Suddenly, the tform began to lift upwards through some unseen force, causing them to momentarily lose and regain their bnce as they looked upwards at the same time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "An elevator¡­?" Sol realized.

    "Seems like it," he replied.

    A few momentster, listening to the hum of the mystical tform, they were brought to the next, higher-stationed chamber, being left in a peculiar space.

    "Huh¡­?" Yeong-Un voiced what they all felt.

    Contrary to just about every experience they had with dungeons before, the environment they were greeted with left them speechless for a lengthened moment.

    The walls still stood tall and pure in their quartz form, but the flooring was forged mostly with luscious soil, and ivory grass. Lengthy, colossal trees with seraphic, lightly-glowing leaves inhabited the chamber.

    Though that wasn''t where the oddities with the unorthodoxndscape of nature stopped; the limbs of the tinum trees extended over them like a ceiling¨Cintertwining, curving, and twisting as the golden leaves swayed above their heads.

    "A forest¡­?" He asked out loud.

    "Weirdest forest I''ve ever seen," Yeong-Un added.

    "...Let''s be careful, okay?...There''s a lot of blindspots here," Sol gulped.

    The hazel-haired member of their trio waspletely correct; it was a vast space¨Cwider than any single room any of them had ever been in, upied by an artificial, heavenly forest of unknown upants.

    "Should we head back?...I mean, this dungeon is a lot more than I thought it''d be," Sol suggested, rubbing his own arm.

    "Huh?! We''ve been killin'' it! Whatcha mean?! Ya'' been killin'' it the most!" Yeong-Un reassured him, repeatedly pping him on the back as he always seemed to do.

    "...I have to agree," he added in, "...Mostly because I don''t think we can go out the same way we came in."

    "Really? Yeong-Un looked at him.

    The curly-haired young man nodded, tapping his boot against the tform, "It''s not exactly moving back down, is it? I think we''ll probably have to find the "boss" of this ce and defeat it before we can leave."

    "That''s what we nned to do anyway! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "We did?!" Sol let out in surprise.

    Pushing forward, the three kept close when entering the depths of the seraphic forest, soon surrounded by countless, foreign trees that exuded glowing particles.

    It was an illustrious environment, but at the same time frightening, considering the nature of a dungeon in the first ce.

    After marching through the fields of thick, ivory grass that crunched beneath their boots, the group came to a stop as Yeong-Un held his arm out, leading from the front.

    "Yeong-Un?" He called his name quietly, narrowing his eyes as he focused.

    "Somethin'' ising," Yeong-Un warned the two.

    It was thanks to the supernatural, animalistic senses the scar-covered adolescent possessed, standing still and watchful as his dark-blue coat swayed in the wind, revealing his sleeveless, mesh shirt beneath.

    The other two became aware of the warned presence as the bushes began rustling from their apparent north¨Cvisibly moving as something approached.

    "...Crap, is it going to be a bear?...Please, please, please don''t be a bear!" Sol prayed to himself, holding his spear like a shield.

    ¨COut from the bushes, the enigmatic entity swept out, stomping outwards into the clearing as it roared out, disying its vicious canines andrge fists that it mmed against the ground.

    A¡­gori?! He thought.

    Clearly not just any normal gori, either¨Cit possessed red fur, and possessed a height twice of the tallest of their group, Yeong-Un, even while hunched over with its fists acting as its front legs.

    ["Inferno-Inferno Ape" Identified | Level 25]

    "Another boss?" Yeong-Un asked, cing his hand on only one of his des.

    "I don''t think so, but it seems pretty strong for just a normal enemy¡­" He replied.

    However, before any of them could engage the fiery-furred gori, a shadow of another presence cast over it, looming over the gori that fell still in its salivating rage¨Chalting the beating of its chest.

    "Easy catch-o!" ???

    With a single hit, the gori was mmed into the soil below with a thunderous impact, resulting in a small-scale explosion that easily put the wrathful animal down in one blow.

    "...What the¡­?" Sol let out in a confused whisper.

    Appearing from behind the now deceased gori, a man walked out, wearing a bright smile and heavy-duty, illustrious gauntlets that covered his fists and up to his forearms, forged of white steel and decorated with azure gems.

    Another person? In this dungeon? Is he a friend, or foe¡­? He questioned.

    "Yo!" The man greeted them, raising a single hand as a greeting.

    He was huge, though that felt like an understatement. Standing well over two meters, he possessed a muscle-filled physique to match, with a dark-brownplexion foreign to Korea. Unlike their uniforms, which were usually equipped with coats, he wore a simple, sleeveless, skin tight shirt of bright-yellow fabric and fuzzy res around the holes.

    "...Yo?" He replied.

    "Ya'' took our kill!"

    ¨COf course, Yeong-Un wasn''t pleased with his "prey" being stolen right before him, but the peculiar man simplyughed it off cheerfully, rubbing the back of his own head.

    He had purposefully shaggy, tinum hair, with matching eyes that almost felt as if peering into a silver kaleidoscope.

    [yer Identified¡­]

    [Maverick King | Level: 26 | ss: Luminate Pugilist]

 Chapter 87 Cybernetic Augmentation

    "Maverick King¡­?" He repeated the name the System showed him.

    It seemed the tall, foreign man got their names as well, putting his hand to his chin, "...Jeong-Hui, Sol, and Yeong-Un? If I''m not mistaken, and apologies if I am, those are Korean names, right?"

    "That''s right," he nodded, "Wait, are you not from Korea? But¡­this dungeon is¨C"

    By now, the tension had settled from the natural charisma and warm aura the mysterious man produced¨Cthere was no hostility exuding from him.

    "Wait, you don''t know about the Sky Dungeons?" Maverick asked in surprise, a bit wide-eyed.

    "Huh? What do ya'' mean?" Yeong-Un asked, folding his arms across his chest¨Cstill obviously somewhat sore from having his enemy stolen.

    Maverick ced his gauntlet-d hands at his sides, "The Sky Dungeons are interconnected across the whole world! I came in from one in the U.S. of A! Ha-ha! You don''t know about that?"

    "...No clue," he shook his head in shock, still trying to understand.

    Sol had his hand to his chin, "Wait, you mean people from across the world are in this same dungeon? How big is this ce?!"

    "Ha-ha! It''s practically endless!" Maverickughed, "If you''re looking for an exit, well, they''re scattered around! They''re routed to take you out exactly the same way you came back in, so don''t worry!"

    "...Have you met others from around the world?" He asked.

    "Yeah! I was about to ask that, too!" Yeong-Un added.

    Maverick smiled bright¨Cit was clear by his natural energy and his smooth, handsome expression that he was still in his prime youth, "You bet! I''ve met some from Japan, Russia, and even somebody from Antartica! Ha-ha! Some of them were pretty special¨C! Watch out for bad seeds though, you hear?"

    The three nodded, naturally inclined to listen to the older yer who boasted a natural experience to himself.

    The foreign man smiled bright, giving them a thumbs-up as he began to walk away, "Well, be seeing you around! I''d like to talk some more, but I''ve got a group of my own to babysit! Ha-ha!"

    "Yeah, err¡­cya," he waved quietly, still perplexed by this development.

    The three simply stood there for a few minutes, processing the encounter they just had, though Yeong-Un was the first one to break the silence.

    "Damn, he really stole my kill¡­"

    "You''re still sore about that?" He smiled wryly.

    "I had that ape! I would''ve turned him to mincemeat, too!" Yeong-Un retorted.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­Let''s move on¨Clooks like this is going to be a longer expedition than nned," he smiled, looking back at them as he led them forward, "...I''d like to get home A.S.A.P and whip us up a nice dinner."

    "Oh, hell yeah!" Yeong-Un jumped up in excitement.

    "That sounds nice¡­I could go for some grub right about now," Sol rubbed his stomach as it growled.

    With this new information bestowed onto them, the three headed deeper into the heavenly forest, unknowing of the trials ahead.

    While they ventured through the domain of iridescent trees, he opened up his skill tree, using his newly acquired points to funnel into his assassin-ss abilities.

    I''ve learned that there really isn''t much of a point in putting a lot of points into my martial arts subss. It''s proficiency scaling is way more beneficial than my assassin proficiency. The martial arts skills just evolve on their own with that. I''ll grab this new one¡­hmm¡­"Hades'' Touch", sounds cool, he thought.

    "Whacha doing?" Sol asked.

    He just finished cing his points into the new skill, swiping the personal prompt away before replying, "I had some skill points from the level-up. What about you both? Have you used your new points yet?"

    Yeong-Un looked back with a smirk, "Yeah! I got a badass new skill! I''m roarin'' to try it out!"

    It was the most "Yeong-Un" response he could have possibly expected,ughing a bit before turning to Sol.

    "What about you?" He asked.

    Sol held his silver spear, staring at it with a small smile before nodding, "I picked a little something up. It shoulde in handy."

    "That''s good," he smiled.

    Eventually, they found themselves climbing an incline, trudging up the hill of ivory grass as the golden leaves up above sparkles with loose particles.

    "...Are we sure we''re heading the right way?" Sol asked, having to use all fours to climb up the hill, as well as use his spear like a pickaxe.

    "Did ya'' see a trail or anythin''! There is no "right way" here!" Yeong-Un replied.

    On the other hand, Yeong-Un was even less elegant in his climb, using his hands to dig into the soil as he rapidly crawled up with a boisterousugh.

    Everything feels like apetition with him¡­He thought with a wry chuckle.

    Once they reached the top, with him helping Sol up with a helping hand, they were met with a wide, abnormal clearing.

    "Whazzat¡­?" Yeong-Un asked.

    There was a single tree that inhabited the center of the clearing, but it dwarfed all the others by arge margin. It stretched up past any ceiling they could see, and possessed a width that surpassed any skyscraper he''d seen.

    Stretching out above them, the limbs of the great, elder tree held sparkling, seraphic leaves that glittered down on the clearing, leaving a fantastical scenery.

    They were all awe-struck for a good moment, simply taking in the sight before continuing.

    "A really big tree?" He replied.

    "Hold on¡­look! It''s got a door, or something¨Cdo you see that?" Sol pointed out.

    "I see it¡­Is this the next area, or something?" He asked.

    "Ya'' think the big guy went in there?" Yeong-Un added.

    "Only one way to find out, right?" He said, looking between his twopanions.

    They fell silent for a moment, looking on at the colossal tree as it seemed both daunting and weing with its beautiful, yet imposing nature.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Aww, damn¡­yer'' right," Yeong-Un ruffled his own, wild, blue locks with a chuckle.

    All that was left was confirmation from Sol as he looked back at the hazel-haired member of their trio.

    "Sol?"

    "...Do I have a choice?" Sol sighed out.

    "Not really," he smirked.

    "Knew it¡­" Sol breathed quietly.

    Heading towards the gargantuan, intertwined tree of luscious, tinum bark and heavenly leaves, they entered the peculiar doorway that waited at its base.

    Much to his surprise, the interior of the tree wasn''t very "tree-y", but rather a refined structure of furnished wood and masterful architecture.

    "Woah, this ce is actually nice," Yeong-Unmented, looking straight up.

    "Right? It''s kind of throwing me off," he replied.

    Before they could further sink into the nice, exuberant interior of the grand tree, their conversation was stifled by a sudden, inexplicable "BOOM" that resounded throughout the cedar¨Cshaking it violently as if an earthquake had just taken hold of thend mass.

    "What the¡­?!" He called out in surprise, bncing himself.

    "An explosion?!" Yeong-Un barked.

    Sol had already dug his spear into a crevice between two shelves for bnce, holding on tightly as the shaking finally settled.

    "Wait a minute¡­ya'' hear that?" Yeong-Un asked quietly.

    "Hear what?" Sol asked, catching his breath.

    After they all fell silent, they listened¨Ccling, ng. Cling, ng. It repeated; the sounds of steel being used for violent means.

    It came from the floor directly above, which could be reached from the nature-decorated steps that were neighbored by luscious flowers.

    "Is somebody fighting?" He mumbled, listening in.

    "I dunno, but it sure sounds like it," Yeong-Un replied.

    The noises of steel shing continued before another "BOOM" resounded, abrasively pressing against his ears before they were left ringing for a good minute. It shook the foundation of the colossal tree again.

    "Alright, we''re checkin'' this out!" Yeong-Un said both out of annoyance and sheer curiosity.

    "We are?!" Sol yelled out.

    He pushed Sol forward with a gentle push to his back, "Come on, you know it''s useless to try and argue once Yeong-Un gets moving."

    Sol resigned to his fate, following along with a sigh, "Yeah, yeah, you''re right¡­"

    Up the flower-decorated stairs they ascended carefully, listening to the constant echoes of battle that persisted on the floor above.

    The moment the three reached the next floor, they all immediately had to duck as a wave of sparks flew out in every direction, snapping by their skin with a scorching heat.

    "Yowch! What the heck is that?!" Sol let out, rubbing his cheek that had been singed slightly.

    Rather than paying attention to Sol, his eyes were on the person fighting alone against the odd creatures present on the next floor.

    It was a vast, mainly empty space, save forrge bookshelves made of intertwined branches, but it was upied by living, humanoid trees of tinum bark.

    [Enemy Identified: "Silver Ent" | Level 25]

    These sentinels of nature stomped about, fighting against a single person¨Cthough even in theirrge size and group that outnumbered the one man¨Cthey were being eviscerated.

    Who¡­is that? He thought.

    It was different than anything he had seen in this apocalyptic world of magic and divinity; the man fought the four-meter tall goliaths of nature with a suit of cybeic armor that clung to his body like a sleek suit.

    The all-ck, metallic armor was thin andpact enough to almost seem like anotheryer of skin for the gray-haired man, who looked to be about in his mid-twenties by the sparse looks at his uncovered face.

    "Is that guy usin''...techno-shit?" Yeong-Un asked, clearly confused.

    Tobat the Silver Ents, the cybeic suit-wearing man wielded a glowing katana, which hummed as it possessed an electrical charge that released a massive sh each time he swung it.

    BOOM.

    The swing of his sleek, electrical katana unleashed an explosion that ignited with the Silver Ent after having already shed the goliath.

    "...Looks like it! Holy crap¡­that''s awesome!" Sol''s fear immediately left as he smiled like a giddy schoolboy at the sight.

    After swift movements and shes that were hardly traceable, the cybeically-enhanced man finished off all of the Silver Ents, slowly sheathing his katana into the robotic sheath that clicked having the de was secured in its hold.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Yakeru | Level: 27 | ss: Luminate Swordsman]

    It was a slightly confusing bit of information to receive, considering he''s seen swordsman sses before, yet none resembled the man at all.

    The man dressed in a full-set of cybeic, sleek, all-ck armor turned to them, looking directly at them with his light-blue eyes that seemed augmented by tech as well.

    "...I''ll ask you one question."

    A smooth, deep voice left from the lips of the mysterious man as his gray locks were brushed in a passing breeze.

    "Are you enemies of mine?" The man asked, looking directly at the three.

 Chapter 88 Yakeru, The Enigma

    "...I''ll ask you one question."

    A smooth, deep voice left from the lips of the mysterious man as his gray locks were brushed in a passing breeze.

    "Are you enemies of mine?" The man asked, looking directly at the three.

    They didn''t know how to answer for a few seconds as the man exuded a certain tranquil, yet vicious aura, but he stepped forward, quickly dissuading any notion of that.

    "No¡­not at all¨Cwe came here because of the explosions we heard below," heughed wryly, hoping not to upset the man.

    He''s strong. Stronger than all of us¨Cthere''s no question about that, he thought.

    Yakeru looked at him for a moment before momentarily closing his eyes, rxing his guard as he bowed his head.

    "Apologies," Yakeru said quietly, "I didn''t realize there were others in the area."

    "No, no, it''s alright," he assured the man with augh, "I''ve gotta ask¡­what''s up with your gear? It''s way different than anything we''ve got."

    The other two had already stood beside him, staying silent as they seemed to want to ask the exact same question.

    Yakeru was silent for a moment, looking down at his body that was shrouded in the light, sleek armor that adjusted itself, resulting in metallic noises with each movement he made.

    "...I see. That''s an understandable question," Yakeru said, "...Though, apologies, but I won''t be answering it."

    "Huh? Why?!" Sol let out, disappointed by the answer received.

    Yakeru narrowed his gaze, "Even if you might not be enemies, who knows if that will be the same in the future? In a world like this, it''s better to keep your hand to yourself, rather than open to any passing stranger¨Cyou''d do well to stick to that yourselves."

    It was an understandable response, seeing as they wereplete strangers to the enigmatic, pale-skinned man.

    "Well, can you just answer this, then? Is this cybeic stuff from a unique system you have?" He asked.

    Yakeru went silent again for a moment before rubbing his metallically-armored hand against his guarded chin, "Perhaps."

    Perhaps? He sighed to himself.

    Yeong-Un spoke up this time, "Hey, that name of yers''--it doesn''t sound familiar. Are ya'' from somece else?''

    It was surprising to him that Yeong-Un was the one who realized that first, and asked it, but it made sense to him now.

    "Yakeru", that''s definitely not a name I''ve heard before. And he doesn''t look Korean, exactly, he thought.

    "I''m from Japan," Yakeru answered stoically, "Any other questions?"

    It was clear that the cybeic-enhanced man wasn''t particrly sociable, seeming impatient to go on his way.

    Before Yakeru could walk away, he stopped him, "--Hey, hold on!"

    "--"

    Yakeru stopped, ncing back at him with his augmented gaze. He was an intimidating figure to impose so carelessly; he wasn''t towering, by any means, only just slightly taller than Yeong-Un, but his electronic armor and force behind it was daunting.

    "You''re alone, right? Why not join our party?" He offered, "We could use the help¨Cthis dungeon is seeming a bit more difficult than we imagined."

    "Wait, huh?" Yeong-Un seemed taken aback by the extended invite to the stranger.

    Sol didn''t say anything, but gulped as if wanting it to happen desperately as they all looked forward at the unsociable man.

    "...Who said I was alone?" Yakeru asked with his deep, scarring voice.

    "Err, I¡­" He tried to make up a reason, but he realized it was sort of a rude assumption.

    Yakeru fidgeted a bit, covering his face, "...Is it that obvious¡­?"

    "Wait, what?!" He let out.

    Is he¡­embarrassed?! He thought.

    The man who stood at the pinnacle of "cool" to the eyes of the young men was indeed blushing slightly at the presumption, covering his face with his cybeic-armored hands.

    "My bad, I didn''t mean to assume anything! I just¨C" He tried to assure the man.

    "No, it''s fine¡­" Yakeru said, uncovering his face, "...It''s obvious I don''t have any friends, right?"

    What''s up with this guy? He thought.

    Aftering back to his senses, Yakeru looked at them,posing himself again as he straightened himself out.

    "Well, if you''d like me to join¡­I wouldn''t mind. Just for the time being, though."

    Don''t act like you''re above us now! He thought.

    Either way, he extended the offer anyway, inviting the cybeic armored man to their party, "Sounds good to me. We''re inpletely different countries outside of this dungeon, anyway, so that''s understandable."

    Yakeru stared at the prompt that appeared for him before tapping it with his ck-d finger, joining the party officially.

    [Jeong-Hui | Level 23 | 3200/3200]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Yeong-Un | Level 24 | 4000/4000]

    [Sol | Level 22 | 3500/3500]

    [Yakeru | Level 27 | 4500/4500]

    It was relieving to see somebody so powerful in their party, especially after seeing their capabilities first hand after cutting down the Silver Ents.

    Yakeru didn''t even see any words, only beginning to continue moving through the interior of the grand tree as the others followed.

    "What''s this ce, anyway?" He asked.

    "Don''t know," Yakeru answered.

    "You¡­don''t know?" He replied with a slight chuckle.

    "I got lost in the White Forest, then found myself in here," Yakeru exined, "I''ve only been here a few minutes longer than you all."

    Surprisingly, he didn''t consider that earlier.

    That actually¡­makes sense, he thought.

    Without even discussing it, they all began moving to the next floor of the great tree, ascending the flower-ingrained steps as all of their eyes were on the man dressed in advanced armor.

    "What''s up with that techno-crap, anyway?! It was pretty awesome back there!" Yeong-Un asked while they followed behind Yakeru.

    "It was nothing," Yakeru coldly replied.

    "Huh?!" Yeong-Un was taken aback by the frosty response.

    Before the wild adolescent could reply in his own, spiky way, he tapped him on the shoulder and shook his head, passing him up on the staircase.

    Sol whispered in the ears of the other two, "...He really isn''t very friendly, is he?"

    "Well¡­I don''t think this world really breeds friendliness, anymore¡­especially if he''s been alone," he replied quietly.

    He knew first hand what type of turmoil the fallen world created, and just what kind of unseen scars it could leave on people.

    ¡­I wouldn''t judge anybody who isn''t really sociable in a world like this, he thought.

    Upon reaching the next floor, Yakeru immediately put his hand on the ck handle of his all-ck de, gripping it as it prompted the mechanical sheath to click, releasing the katana to be drawn fully.

    "What''s up?" He asked, looking up at the gray-haired man.

    Yakeru answered quietly, keeping his eyes on the room ahead as from the position on the staircase, only half of his body was showing up above, "Hostiles ahead. Seven of them. tinum Ents."

    "Alright, let''s do this¨C!" Yeong-Un called out with augh, pushing past Yakeru as he drew both of his des.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out, trying to stop his reckless friend, but it was a futile effort to stop that man from going into a fight.

    Yakeru only watched silently for a moment before turning to him, "Your friend is careless. That''s a surefire way to end up dead in this world."

    "I know¡­but, he''s strong, and¨Che''s got us," he assured Yakeru with a confident smile, unsheathing both of his daggers as he followed behind Yeong-Un.

    "Y-yeah, he''s got us!" Sol added before whispering to Yakeru, "Please help us!"

    The chamber ahead was much more akin to what the interior of a tree should look like, with walls of intertwined branches and twigs, and a covering of ivory leaves that sprouted from every corner.

    It was a vast area,rge enough to contain the "tinum Ents" in question¨Cwhich looked to be superior to the silver variation that Yakeru took down previously as they stood taller and possessed a more bulky, humanoid form with their shaped, metallic-seeming branches.

    "Alright, be careful¨Cif one for each of us is too much to handle, let''s regroup," he said, walking beside the other three.

    "Hah! These twigs won''t be shit!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "I''ll be taking four for myself," Yakeru said, walking in front of them, "--You three just make sure to keep the others upied."

    Before they could contest such a brazzen decision, the cybeic-armored man used his ludicrous speed to appear between four of the gargantuan ents, engaging in battle with them.

    "Huh?! What the shit¨C?! No fair!" Yeong-Un yelled out, looking to be a moment away from popping a blood vessel.

    "Chill out, man! Yakeru has this¨Clet''s just do our part," he calmed Yeong-Un down, approaching the tinum Ent he set his sights on.

    Yeong-Un growled before begrudgingly epting, "Fine, dammit!"

    "...One if plenty¡­maybe too much," Sol whispered to himself nervously.

    With their opponents set individually, the group split up in the vast chamber of nature, taking on their designated opponents.

    Alright, let''s do this, he thought.

    [Enemy Identified: "tinum Ent" | Level 26]

    Approaching the tinum Ent, which stood over seven meters tall with bulky, shining limbs of thick roots, he could feel its imposing size from the groans it let out, watching him with its hollow face formed of holes in its own body.

    A level twenty-six opponent, even if a normal-ss enemy¡­it''ll be a challenge for each of us. But, a challenge is what we need¨Cif the "Tower" really is where the real game begins, we have to be prepared, he thought.

 Chapter 89 Platinum Ents

    Flipping his daggers between his daggers, he watched the golden-leaved ent carefully as it reared its tinum fist back before mming it down towards him like a plummeting meteor.

    It was easy enough to dodge, due to itsrge size, allowing him to step onto his arm before returning with his own attack¨Cshing at its limb.

    ng.

    "Huh¨C?"

    Zero effect. The ck-steel daggers he sliced with simply bounced off of its unaffected skin before he was forced to jump back to evade being caught in its grip.

    It''s tough¨C! I hit it with everything I had right there, he thought.

    Flipping back continuously, the downfall of the ent''s massive foot continued to try and stamp him out like an insect.

    Spinning himself around in an agile manner, he pressed forward while simultaneously avoiding the ent''s attack, allowing him to go for a more potent attack this time:

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 3300/3500]

    shing around the ent''s sizable, bulbous body in a speed surpassing his norm, he iid on its tough skin a series of focused shes¨Cng.

    Again, each of his attacks simply bounced off of its incredibly durable hide.

    No way¡­! He thought.

    While he was taken aback by this failure, he looked back¨Cbeing brought face-to-face with the eerie, hollow expression of the monstrous tree lifeform, being pelted with an air that exuded in its gravelly roar as it attempted to snatch him up.

    Using a [Blink Step] to ce more distance between himself and his colossal foe, he checked side-to-side to see how his allies were doing.

    Yakeru didn''t seem pressed in the slightest, easilybating the ents, but Yeong-Un and Sol seemed to be having the same issue as him: the skin of the tinum Ents was far too tough.

    "Shit! This bastard is tough as hell!" Yeong-Un called out.

    Even a st of mes cast by the spellde''s mystical steel had practically no effect on the ent as it pushed forward through the roaring inferno as if it was just a passing breeze.

    The same was likely the case for Sol, but it was impossible to tell as the entire time he was running around the perimeter of the ents'' floor, being chased by the colossal being while crying out.

    "Help me! Help me! Help me!"

    ¨CSuddenly, a loud hum sounded out, followed by a vibration that traveled through the wooden floor beneath everybody''s feet.

    It came from Yakeru, who had already in two of the ents and had his sights set on Sol, who was calling for help.

    A glow of azure, nuclear energy shined from the grooves in the sleek, all-ck armor of the cybeically-d man.

    "Susanoo-no-Mikoto: Phase Two: Serpent yer."

    From Yakeru, a burst of energy propelled as strands of electricity turned to almost divine lightning emitted from the unstable energy gathered around him before¨Che burst forward.

    It was such speed that his Sage System immediately kicked in to alter his perception just to trace the movements of Yakeru.

    In a millisecond, the gray-haired man crossed the length of the room, appearing between Sol and the tinum Ent and already having shed his de, leaving a fiery aftermath in its wake.

    "What¡­?" Sol let out.

    The tinum Ent suddenly split into two, being scorched by the heat produced by the sh.

    Yakeru looked back at him with a look of disappointment in his eyes, "...If you''re too weak, you should stay out of the way."

    "I¡­" Sol couldn''t find the words.

    The hazel-haired man didn''t even get the chance to respond before Yakeru immediately returned to battle, dashing back to the three ents he had designated for himself before taking them each out with a single sh of his humming de.

    For a moment, he was thrown off as he didn''t receive any experience from the ents that Yakeru was ying, but he didn''t have much time to worry about that while facing his own foe.

    None of my attacks are able to hurt it¨C! Is this just the difference in level at y¡­? Three levels?...I''ve definitely ovee that before¨CI can do it again! He thought.

    It was clear that at his current state, his physical power just didn''t cut it for a higher-leveled foe that specialized in defense, but it still felt bitter as Yakeru single-handedly slew multiple of them with singr shes.

    ¡­It''s not just a game of stats, or who can hit the hardest. If it was, I would''ve been long dead. Even in this hellish game, I have to admit¨Cit''s well-bnced. Even higher-leveled enemies can be conquered with the right usage of abilities, he thought.

    What came to mind was the recently acquired spell he had just obtained from his recent level-up, keeping that in his mind as he continued to evade the stretching and contorting limbs that the ent expanded towards him.

    Even though the gargantuan sentinel of roots was slow in nature, it made up for thatck of agility by stretching its plethora of metallic roots out, using them like tentacles as they whipped through the air, forcing him to stay on the defensive.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    It was only thanks to the assassin-ss proficiency he cultivated through the Sage System that his reflexes and natural ability to dodge that he had remained unhit, continuing to use minimal movement as he hopped short distances and even bounced off of the roots themselves to dodge.

    After evading by spinning his body around and kicking off one of the roots, he found his opening through a clearing within the mass of roots.

    There¨C! He thought.

    Kicking off with a [Blink Step] heunched directly towards the torso of the ent, honing his senses to their max in this pivotal moment.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though to his surprise, one of the roots from the ent passed by his guard, whipping against his abdomen in a sharp, stinging strike that immediately burned.

    [Health Points: -600. Remaining Health Points: 2600/3200]

    "Grghh¡­!"

    Still, he pushed on, seeing the opening ahead of him as his singr chance against the sentinel of nature.

    "Cast: Hades'' Touch!"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 3000/3500]

    After the invocation, and not a momentter, a frosty air exuded from his body, leaving even his breaths to leave his lips in a cold mist. This attribute extended to the weapons he wielded as he wasted no time following up with a further attack:

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2800/3500]

    This time, the onught of shes etched across the tinum Ent hit with a different force; though they didn''t pierce the immutable roots of the creature, they left an alternate effect.

    Ayer of frost began to birth itself from each spot where the ent was cut, stretching around its body and digging past the grooves of its roots as it infiltrated its sturdy form.

    ¡­Bingo¨Cit''s as I thought. Ents in RPGs were usually super-effective against fire, but after seeing Yeong-Un''s mes fail to hurt it, I realized it might be the reverse, in this case: an absolute weakness to ice! He thought.

    Within moments, the ice conjured by [Hades'' Touch]pletely enveloped the colossal ent, turning it into a frozen statue.

    Tucking his daggers away, he immediately switched into a fighting stance, breathing swiftly through his lips as he focused himself.

    "Let''s finish this! Breaker Fist!" He yelled out.

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2600/3500]

    The heat bubbled up at his fist, feeling the blood in his veins rush through his body in an overwhelming warmth as his strength spiked far beyond its norm temporarily.

    With his radiant fists, he mmed them into the frozen ent without mercy, unleashing a powerful impact that shattered the colossus of ice into countless pieces like dropped ss.

    The ice sprinkled down like a night of winter, raining down softly as he caught his breath afterwards.

    ["tinum Ent" Defeated. EXP + 800. 1900/12000 | Angel Coins + 300 | 3450]

    "...Phew¡­" He breathed out slowly.

    By the time he had finished his opponent, Yakeru had already in all four of the tinum Ents he designated for himself¨Cwhich reminded him of something he realized in the midst of his fight.

    He finished off those ents, right?...So where''s the experience? Everybody in a party shares experience from defeating enemies, he thought.

    Looking at the party status in the corner of his vision once focusing, he found his answer:

    [Jeong-Hui | Level 23 | 3200/3200]

    [Yeong-Un | Level 24 | 4000/4000]

    [Sol | Level 22 | 3500/3500]

    What the¡­? He''s not in the party? I know he joined¡­I saw his status earlier, so what gives? He thought.

    Before he could ask the technologically-augmented man about this peculiarity, he witnessed Yeong-Un reaching the climax of his own battle.

    "Fire, lightning, wind¡­none of it hurts ya'', does it? Fine by me! I was savin'' this one for a boss¨Cbut yer'' a good test dummy!"

    Not even he knew what it was that Yeong-Un was talking about, witnessing the wild-haired man take an unorthodox stance as he spread his arms out, holding them up but having his dual des pointing downwards.

    "Beast yer: Vorpal Shredder!"

    A tremendous amount of energy exuded from Yeong-Un''s position as his body momentarily bulkened, clearly strained as veins pressed over the surface of his skin while he smiled crazily.

    Just as the tinum Ent stepped towards him¨Che swung his des, but no effect was seen.

    "Huh? Did he mess it up?!" Sol called out, cing himself beside Jeong-Hui.

    But, that was not the case.

    After a moment of nill effect, suddenly a force imploded from within the ent, causing its form to break down as shes propelled outwards from inside of its body released.

    "What the¡­?" He muttered.

    It was a difficult skill to understand by just witnessing it, but it seemed incredibly powerful.

    Yeong-Un held a smirk, lowering his des as he breathed out with a wide smile, clearly tired from the powerful attack.

    ["tinum Ent" Defeated. EXP + 800. 280012000 | Angel Coins + 300 | 3750]

 Chapter 90 A Mysterious Room; Intertwining Paths

    As they all grouped up together, having taken care of the den of ents, he was still perplexed by the skill just showcased.

    "What was that? It was really something," he asked.

    Yeong-Un smirked, rubbing the spot between his upper lip and nose bashfully, "Right? It''s pretty damn amazin'', ain''t it?"

    "I mean, what really was that? What did it do? It took out that ent instantly," he asked, brushing off his friend''s boasts.

    "Yeah, that was crazy! It popped like a balloon!" Sol said, making a motion with his hands to represent his words.

    Yeong-Un seemed more than happy to exin, tapping the handles of his sheathed des like a proud father, "Heh, that impressed, are ya''? "Vorpal Shredder" is somethin'' I picked up to handle tough bastards like those things. It stabs right through their defenses and manifests the attack inside of their body! Awesome, ain''t it?!"

    "Try frightening¡­" He replied wryly.

    "Yeah, really¡­" Sol shuddered at the thought.

    There was no doubt about it to him, though¨Cit was by all means an "ultimate ability"--a trump card that he was d to have on his side.

    As they talked, he looked over to see Yakeru in the process of walking away without having said a word.

    "Hold on," he called out.

    "--"

    Yakeru came to a stop, only halfway looking back at him. The trio were now all looking at the man.

    "Why did you leave the party?" He asked.

    "--" Yakeru remained silent for a moment, avoiding his gaze, "...It was a moment of weakness."

    "A moment of weakness?" Sol repeated.

    "You three reminded me of some old friends, that''s all. That''s why I epted your invitation, at first. However, it''s clear to me that my presence is a poison to you," Yakeru said quietly.

    It was difficult to gauge what the introvertive man meant by his words, prompting him to step forward and press him for a clear answer.

    "What do you mean a "poison" to us?" He asked.

    "As you all are right now, you''re much weaker than I am," Yakeru told him, "...If we stick together, you''ll only learn to rely on me and be unable to adapt to hardship. While it may be beneficial for the moment, that hubris will corrupt your mind. Undeserved growth is not the path to enlightenment."

    "Weak?!" Yeong-Un let out, seemingly only hearing that one word.

    "...So that''s how it is?" He mumbled.

    They could only stand there as Yakeru took his leave, who stopped once more to bestow them with sparse sayings:

    "I''ll be on my way now," Yakeru told them before issuing a warning, "...I''d wait a few minutes before ascending to the next floor of this tree. You might end up in my crossfire."

    Just like that, the cybeic, enigmatic man was gone, vanishing up the next staircase as they were left perplexed by the oddities of the man.

    "What the hell was all of that about? He thinks he''s better than us, or something?" Yeong-Un folded his muscr, scarred arms over his chest.

    "...Something like that," he sighed out, slumping his shoulders.

    "Man, having somebody that strong around was nice¡­what a bummer," Sol huffed.

    By the time they ascended to the next floor of the great tree, heeding the warning given by the foreign man, all of the monsters present in the grandiose, mahogany chamber were already in.

    "Damn, can''t knock him for his efficiency¡­" Yeong-Un muttered.

    Sol''s first instinct was to inspect the overgrowth-clung chests that sat on the leaf-infested library, letting out a disappointed breath, "He took all the loot, too!"

    "Well, he did do all the work¡­" He added with a wry chuckle.

    "He''s a greedy bastard, that''s all!" Yeong-Un clicked his tongue, kicking one of the oversized, wooden tables present in the colossal library.

    Even from below, they could hear the floor above rattling from the swift battling that the man who abandoned them took ce in, ending just as swiftly as it began after wood chips and dust snowed down from the aftermath.

    Sol coughed out, closing the lid of the empty chest as he stood up, looking at the towering bookshelves that were mostly cluttered with overgrowth, "What is this ce, anyway? It doesn''t feel like a dungeon. It''s sorta like¡­"

    "An actual ce where people lived? I was thinking the same thing," he replied, stepping by the hazel-haired adolescent as he ran the fingertips of his ck gloves over the leaf-clung table nearby.

    "I was thinkin'' this ce was pretty weird. The Defects are all weird here, too!" Yeong-Unmented.

    "They don''t seem like Defects, not at all. This whole ce seems like a different domain entirety than Obsidian Dungeons," he said, "...I wonder."

    A theory popped into his mind, but it seemed oundish to even consider past the surface level of his thoughts.

    "What is it?" Sol looked at him.

    "Well¡­What if this ce is like¡­an alternate world created by that God? Or maybe like a preview of it," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he fiddled with his frizzy, red hair.

    "Now that''s a crazy idea," Yeong-Un muttered roughly.

    "Yeah, yeah, I know, but how do you exin all of this?" He looked up with his emerald eyes.

    There was no arguing against the fact thatpared to the Obsidian Dungeons, which were minimal and absent of features, the Sky Dungeon was inhabited by a variety of lively concepts, and creatures of a mystical scale.

    "Doesn''t matter either way¨Cdoesn''t change the fact we''re here to cut down enemies and pick up loot," Yeong-Un said, moving onward as he lightly kicked the toppled over table from his path, "And that gray-head bastard up there is ruining that!"

    "Chill out, would ya''?" He sighed, tugging on the back of Yeong-Un''s coat to pull him away frompletely stomping out the innocent woodwork, "I think Yakeru might''ve had a point, at least¨Cwe shouldn''t rely on a stranger to help us out. We came here so we wouldn''t have to rely on somebody much stronger than us, right?"

    It was clear that he was right, since Yeong-Un begrudgingly fell silent like a pouting child, and Sol nodded a bit, ruffling his own tufts of brown hair.

    "...I know it probably seems like a jokeing from me, but I think this is for the better¡­Half of me always wants to run away, but half wants to fight. That usually results in me freezing¡­and then picking that first half. But the half that wants to fight¡­I want to be able to pick that half every time," Sol said quietly, looking away.

    "Heh," Yeong-Un let out quietly, "That''s not a half-bad resolve."

    He stepped over to Sol, patting the shoulder of his umber, dark-brown coat, "Honestly, I''m surprised you haven''t pissed your pants yet. I''d say that''s an improvement."

    Sol''s cheeks immediately went red as he pped away his friend''s hand, "Come on! I was being serious!"

    "Ha-ha-ha!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "I know, I was just kidding," he assured Sol with a yful smile before hearing his own stomach rumble, "...Alright, I think it''s about time we have some lunch."

    Going through the intangible inventory he had, thanks to the System, he was able to manifest a few stic-wrapped, already prepared sandwiches.

    Seriously, I''d be dead without this inventory feature. Screw backpacks, he thought.

    "Inkigayo?"

    He said, lifting the uniquely-vored sandwich that housed abination of egg sd, cabbage, false crabmeat, and perhaps most peculiar of all¨Cstrawberry jam.

    "Right here!" Sol called

    Being tossed the sandwich, Sol enthusiastically caught it, sitting atop one of therge tables of the silent library and unwrapping it quickly.

    "Barbeque Chicken is all you, then," he said, tossing the savory sandwich to Yeong-Un, who caught it with one hand.

    "Hell yeah! I''ve been waiting all mornin'' for this!" Yeong-Un said before chomping into the easy-to-carry meal.

    While the other two quickly began to fill their stomachs, he unwrapped the package around the sandwich he prepared for himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And for me¡­spicy tuna and mayo. I hear it''s pretty big in Japan¨CI wonder if Yakeru likes this? He thought.

    "Hmpf¡­"

    He ate it quietly while sitting on the leaf-covered, wood-paneled flooring of the abnormal space. For drinks, Yeong-Un consumed a chocte protein shake¨Cthough he didn''t admit it, it seemed he was trying his best to catch up to Korain in the department of muscles.

    He''s a few inches too short, though. And like¡­a good forty pounds off, he thought.

    As always, Sol had banana milk, or strawberry milk¨Cwhichever was on hand at the time as he gleefully drank the banana-vored dairy drink through a straw, swinging his legs like an overgrown toddler.

    And for me¡­water. Gotta stay hydrated, he thought.

    After a few minutes into their lunch break, Yeong-Un leapt to his feet with a reinvigorated smile, mming his knuckles together.

    "Alright! I''m pumped! Let''s conquer this damn ce¨C!" Yeong-Un called out.

    Though he wanted to sit around for a bit longer, he slowly got to his feet, stretching his arms up before leaning side-to-side to let the blood flow through his legs properly.

    Sol tossed his carton of banana milk to the side, letting out a small burp as he brushed the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, "...I don''t know about all that, but I''m pumped!"

    "d you''re both so energetic," he said quietly, finishing his quick stretches as his ck coat moved around, tightening his dark gloves, "--Try to keep your head on your shoulders, at least. If we end up against a real boss in this ce, it''s probably going to be something monstrous."

    "Yeah, yer'' right, but that''s good! The bigger they are, the more loot falls!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "I don''t think that''s quite how that goes, but you''ve certainly got the spirit," he smiled, patting Yeong-Un on the shoulder before moving past him.

    As he moved towards the stairs that led to the next floor, his step sank into a spot of the wooden floor, releasing an audible click.

    "Eh¡­?" He looked down.

    It was a false tile; it pressed down beneath the weight of his step.

    "What was that?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "Guys, look¡­!" Sol pointed out.

    A rumbling sound filled the quiet, secluded library overtaken by nature as they both looked towards what Sol was pointing at¨Cwitnessing the bookshelves on the leftmost wall begin to part to reveal a secret corridor.

    "Whazzat?" Yeong-Un asked in his hoarse voice, squinting his mix-colored eyes.

    "...Looks like a hidden passageway to me," he muttered in disbelief.

    "Wait, wait, wait! This might be amazing!" Sol said, stepping past them as he stood by the threshold of the dust-covered, newly revealed hall.

    "Huh?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    Sol turned back to the two with a look of avarice and curiosity in his amber eyes, "A secret passage might mean treasure! Jeong-Hui, you yed a lot of video games, right? Tell me I''m wrong!"

    "No¡­I definitely agree¨Cthis could be good," he agreed.

    Yeong-Un wore arge, excited smile after having the more "of mind" member of the trio confirm this, pping them both on the back, "Then what''re we waitin'' for?! Let''s get some damn jewels!"

    Together, they pushed into the dusty, dark corridor, finding it covered in abandoned cobwebs. The wooden walls, decorated with enigmatic, indecipherable paintings only continued to justify his theory of this peculiar dungeon.

    Yeong-Un brushed his hand against the wall, swiping ayer of thick, old dust off as he flicked some off of his azure-painted nails with a look of disgust, "Whoever owns this ce sure ain''t doin'' a great job of maintainin'' it."

    Surprisingly, for being such a wild soul, Yeong-Un is pretty strict when ites to cleanliness. It might not seem like it from how loud and reckless he can be, but he does take care of his appearance quite a lot, he thought.

    "This is a dungeon, I don''t think anybody is looking after it¡­" Sol replied, avoiding the cobwebs with a frightened look on his face.

    "Yeah, yeah," Yeong-Un scoffed, "Ya''d think God would be a bit more conscious about his territory, but whatever."

    Of all the things to question¡­He sighed to himself.

    It was a perplexing corridor¨Cit stretched on quite a ways, holding the same aesthetic of old, mmy wood that likely hadn''t been touched in an unknown amount of time. There were no other pathways or doors on the sides of the narrows walls, but only an exit at a very, very end awaiting them.

    He was behind both Yeong-Un and Sol, only watching as the two exited before him into the next room, yet when he looked on¨Cthey were frozen, looking at something.

    "What''s up?" He questioned.

    ¨CHe reeled in no response, only walking forward curiously now as he stepped past the threshold, entering into a vast, secluded domain.

    When he looked up, his blood froze.

    It was a room that was crafted of dark, rotting wood, kept stabilized by ck pirs and what looked to be talismans, clinging to the decrepit walls.

    However, none of that matteredpared to what it was that caught their gaze so intensely.

    Sitting in the center of the vast, cut-off chamber, sitting in stagnation with chains binding each of its limb and joints, a colossal, dark being was bound.

    It was all-ck, built with mountains of muscle with curved, gargantuan horns protruding from the sides of its head in two pairs.

    The demonic entity, sitting in a slumberous state on its knees with its arms held up by the chains, exuded a natural, deathly air that came out like a putrid miasma.

    "What the hell is that¡­?" He finally managed to exude the words stuck in his throat.

    [Enemy Identified¡­]

    ["???" | Level 250]

    ¡ª

    [The Same Day]

    Through a quartzid entrance, three figures stepped through the doorway, entering the seraphic domain. The area they were greeted with was one resembling avish garden, presenting them with a tiled pathway, neighbored by clear, spring waters that flowed beautifully.

    "So, this is a "Sky Dungeon", huh? It''s a lot nicer on the eyes than those other ones, I''ll say."

    The words left the lips boisterously from the ponytail-wearing man, who stepped in as if owning the ce.

    "Korain, keep your voice down," a dark-haired, taut woman said, standing half of his height as she stood beside him, "We don''t know what sort of enemies are waiting for us."

    "Oh, rx, Ma-Ri! After facing that angel, I''m pumped to m some chumps!" Korainughed without a care.

    Following behind them, a meek girl adjusted her sses, gulping as she held her magic staff tightly in her hands.

    "I-I think Ma-Ri is right, Korain. We don''t know anything about this dungeon¨Cit could be dangerous."

    Korain looked back with a reassuring smile, giving the girl a thumbs-up, "It''ll be a piece-of-cake, Eunji! Too much worrying will give you wrinkles!"

    "I-It will?" Eunji replied, feeling her own cheeks.

    Ma-Ri elbowed Korain lightly in the side, shutting him up, "Don''t fill her head with your dumb ideas."

    "Ha-ha! That stings!...A lot!" Korainughed, though wincing.

    After bickering for a bit, the three straightened out, heading into the depths of the seraphic domain.

    ¨CUnknown to the presence of the trio within the dungeon, and the trio to them, Gangcheori headed into the interconnected, vast dungeon, inevitably moving to a singrity point in which they''d reunite.

 Chapter 91 Spinning Room

    "Err¡­Are you guys seeing what I''m seeing? This is a glitch with the System, right? Right?" Sol asked in a tremble.

    ["???" | Level 250]

    He looked at the information presented by the System again, just to make sure¨Cit wasn''t his eyes ying tricks on him.

    "Nah, that''s a bonafide freakin'' monster right there¡­" Yeong-Un stated in frightened awe.

    Even without seeing the level attached to the dormant, bound demon, its power could be felt by its imposing aura even while it remained in slumber¨Cits colossal breaths releasing in light tremors throughout the secluded domain.

    "Why is this here?" He asked, "...Something like this isn''t possible to beat, is it? What''s the point?"

    "...I''m startin'' to think yer'' little theory holds some weight, fire-head," Yeong-Un replied, "This ce might not just be a dungeon for this game¨Cit could really be some part of a different world."

    "Either way¡­we should get out of here¨Creally," Sol urged them, grabbing onto both of their coats as he stood by the doorway.

    "For once¡­I''m agreein'' with that instinct of yers'', Sol," Yeong-Un gulped, sweating as they all did from the heat produced just by the colossal, sleeping entity''s presence.

    The colossal chains that bound it were a mixture of gold and silver, producing a heavenly shine as their very nature seemed to constantly burn the slumbering entity''s flesh.

    "Yeah, I''m not sticking around to see if this thing wakes up," he added.

    Just as quickly as they came, following their instinct to live rather than their human curiosity, they left the same way they came, returning to the abandoned library with the stairs being their path once more.

    Sol clutched his chest as they ascended the stairs, breathing heavily, "...That thing was crazy. Did you feel that aura? My whole body was screaming at me to get out of there."

    "Normally I''d say that''s par for the course with you, but¡­same," he said, "...Let''s hope that monster stays asleep."

    "If it wakes up, that''s a heaping load of E-X-P!" Yeong-Unughed.

    "Yeah, totally¡­" He replied.

    As they traveled up the stairway, they found themselves reaching what looked to be the summit of the grand tree itself¨Cthere was no longer a ceiling, but a ttened portion of the tippity-top of the colossal cedar, surrounded by its tower-sized branches that loomed over them.

    "Woah¡­" Sol let out, looking around.

    Snow-white petals rained down in a gentle manner, dancing in the air as they stood on the silver-bark flooring of the ttened top of the tree.

    "Never in my life did I think I''d see crap like this," Yeong-Un said, taking in the sight.

    "I''ll have to agree," he added, extending his hand as he allowed one of the pale, white leaves to fall atop his palm before letting it go.

    Discovering a bridge that was formed of intertwined, colossal branches from the tree, by Sol''s watchful eye, they moved onward.

    "Holy crap¡­we''re high¡­" Sol said, holding tightly onto the natural rope suspending the bridge as he moved along its length.

    A look down showcased the height at which they were at; the trees of the forest below looked like nothing more than des of snowy grass.

    At the other end of the bridge, a new domain awaited¨Cfrom what he could see, itid behind a building of heavenly quartz, decorated with golden, angelic statues that guarded it in silence.

    "I''m starting to think we''re biting off more than we can chew here¡­" Sol mumbled as he carefully stepped across the high-ced bridge.

    A passing wide howled, brushing against him as the bridge trembled slightly, prompting Sol to momentarily squeal out as he held tightly onto the ropes.

    After the high-altitude winds settled, artificially born within the domain seemingly, Yeong-Un looked back at him with an annoyed raise of his eyebrow, "It''s a bit toote for that, dontcha'' know?"

    "Yeah, that guy from America told us earlier: our only way out is to find one of the designated exits¨Cwhich knowing dungeons in this world¡­It''s not going toe easy," he added.

    Sol breathed out, holding onto the ropes tightly with a trembling body as he scooted down the bridge, "...Can''t you guys just lie and give me good news?!"

    "No can do," heughed.

    Keeping his hands tucked into the pockets of his sleek, ck uniform with his azure head pulled up, he reached the end of the bridge alongside Yeong-Un, having to wait an extra minute for Sol to crawl his way over.

    "What aren''t you afraid of, exactly?" He asked.

    Sol caught his breath, adjusting his red headband as he straightened himself out, "...A lot of things! Heights are just another beast, Jeong-Hui!"

    "Sure, sure¡­" He smiled.

    Turning his sights to whatid ahead, the entrance to the next area was both inviting and daunting, standing as a towering dooray that stood at least ten meters tall, ted with gold and silver decorations iid into the pure quartz.

    It was impossible to see past the doorway itself as a thick fog clung to it, purposefully obscuring their sight as they were left with only one choice: to move forward.

    "I feel like I''m wastin'' my breath sayin'' this by this point, but¡­" Yeong-Un began saying, drawing just one of his dual spelldes, "...Be on yer'' guard. Dunno what''s on the other side of that doorway."

    "Right¡­" Sol gulped, holding his silver spear tightly as he followed behind the two.

    Even for him, he felt stepping through the fog gate was a daunting task; through the experience with the falling world and the Sky Dungeon itself¨Cthe possibilities were endless for what could be awaiting them on the other side.

    Yeong-Un stepped through first, as if having something to prove as he wore a readied smile, with him following second, and Sol crawling inst against his better judgment.

    Stepping through the fog gate resulted in an odd sensation momentarily holding his body; the seraphic fog felt as if many fingers ran across his body, caressing him and gently pushing him forward to the other side.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Eurgh¡­Not gonna get used to that¡­" He muttered, stepping onto the other side of the enigmatic gate.

    "Definitely a waker-upper," Yeong-Un agreed, rubbing his own head a bit.

    Sol came out, bumping into his back as he stumbled forward a bit, prompting him to nce back at his amber-eyedpanion.

    "Be careful, will you?" He said with a smallugh.

    "My bad," Sol nodded.

    The domain they found themselves in was already a mind-boggling one; an area that left them with little clue as to where to actually go.

    It was an illustrious, white-and-gold room ofvish decor; bearing spring fountains that flowed freely into separated pools of the clear water while perfectly-trimmed hedges stood along the quartz-tiled walkways.

    "...Now this is a problem," he said quietly.

    There were tall stairs on each side of thevish chamber, leading to four different passages on the second floor, and another four on the bottom floor.

    "That''s a lotta options," Yeong-Un scratched his ear, "Where the hell do we go?"

    "Hmm¡­Looks like we''ll have to go with our gut on this one," he deduced, putting his hand to his chin.

    "Sounds good to me," Yeong-Un smirked.

    "It does?!" Sol added.

    After looking through the utopian chamber, there didn''t seem to be a clear difference between any of the eight corridors from their initial length.

    "...Alright, I say the left on the top," he suggested.

    "I say straight-and-center!" Yeong-Un suggested his own, pping his own bicep with a smile.

    "...I''ll go with bottom-right¡­" Sol hesitantly added.

    ¨CAll different answers from each of them. With conflicting ideas on where to go, though all unfounded, there was only one solution.

    "If you¡­!"

    "Don''t do it¡­!"

    "You''ll lose¨C!"

    In unison, they all yelled out the chant, standing in a small circle before bringing their hands down:

    He picked scissors, holding a smile that quickly dimmed.

    Sol selected scissors as well, wincing as the result of the decision-making game.

    Yeong-Un picked rock, holding his fist tightly shut with a smirk.

    "Victory¨C!" Yeong-Un celebrated, holding his victorious fist up in the air, "Ha-ha-ha!"

    As if it were more serious than it was, the wild-haired, blue-nailed man gloated with a triumphantugh, filling the vast, rich domain.

    "Yeah, yeah, whatever¡­so that''s our path then," he said with a sigh, looking ahead.

    As chosen, it was the passageway directly forward from the way they came in¨Cin and simple, just like how Yeong-Un preferred to do things.

    The entire time they marched over to the centermost passageway, Yeong-Un continued tough quietly at his clear, decisive victory over the other two in the game of chance, leading the trio towards the chosen path.

    It took twenty minutes of pursuing the exact same length before they finally entered into the area awaiting the snow-white corridor: a distortedndscape.

    Simr to the heavenly forest, it was a domain of nature, however, while trees sprouted from the ground floor, they also stretched out from the walls, twisted and curved in a mystical fashion.

    "...Err, this scenery makes me want to puke¡­" Sol held his hand over his mouth.

    It made little sense; a wind upied the wild domain, causing the sideways trees to sway up-and-down as the iridescent leaves danced around.

    A hum filled the circr domain; verdant grass sprouted with lush vigor, stretching across all walls indifferently, contrary to the ivory fields of the previous stretch of nature.

    Simply, all sides of the chamber were presented as if being the ground floor¨Ca confusing, mind-boggling concept for the trio who stood there, taking in the fantastical scenery.

    "I can attest to that¡­" He muttered.

    He looked up above, seeing there were even upside-down trees, and more perplexing, a clearke that inhabited what should be the ceiling.

    "Are they tryin'' to fuck with our heads?!" Yeong-Un let out, marching forward as he looked around.

    Flowers the size of them stood tall, exhibiting a rainbow of colors and petals of all shapes¨Csome hexagonal, some circr, and some even triangr.

    "Be careful¡­I''ve got no clue what this ce is about," he said.

 Chapter 92 Unseen Trap

    As he passed by one of the towering, crimson-petaled flowers, he swore it moved out of the way to purposefully avoid him.

    ¡­It''s hard to focus in this ce. All of the sides of this domain are distracting¨Cit all feels like it flows into one ground, he thought.

    "Gyaaah¨C!"

    While they were trying to carefully and quietly walk around, he found himself and Yeong-Un quickly spinning around at the sound of a scream from none other than Sol.

    "What''s wrong¨C?!" He instantly drew his daggers as he called out.

    Though as he turned to see what the meaning of the scream was, he looked to see a verdant set of roots wrapped tightly around Sol''s left leg.

    "Something''s got me! It got me!--It''s squeezing! It''s squeezing! Help, Jeong-Hui! Yeong-Un!" Sol panicked.

    "Just cut it with your spear, ya'' idiot!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    For some reason, it seemed that simple idea slipped the frantic mind of the amber-eyed coward, who nodded vigorously before beginning to use the tip of his spear to slice the thick roots from his leg.

    "...It''s tough!" Sol called out.

    From all of the noise Sol was making, he felt it was necessary for him to help as he begrudgingly moved forward, "Here, let me help¨C"

    Just before he could aid his friend, the roots suddenly protruded from the soil in full, pushing it up as they revealed a lengthy, heaping amount of the verdant tendrils, causing Sol to be lifting high into the air.

    "Aaaaaah¡ª!"

    Sol yelled out, being held upside down by the towering, sentient roots as he dangled far out of their reach.

    "Dammit! Ya'' clumsy idiot!" Yeong-Un huffed.

    Though the blue-haired, heterochromia-eyed man said such sharp words, he moved forward swiftly with both of his des drawn, running alongside the curly-haired man in an effort to cut down the roots.

    "Wah¨C!"

    "Grrh¨C?!"

    Before they could attempt to help, more roots sprouted in a massive bulk, shooting up from the soil as they whipped around violently to force them back.

    As Yeong-Un forced himself forward anyway, going for a swing of his des, the roots came from beneath his step, rapidly shooting up and entangling his arms.

    "What the¨C?! Ya'' have to be shittin'' me!" Yeong-Un yelled out, being bound by the thick, powerful roots.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out.

    Again, it was impossible to go on the offense as he had to flip backward to avoid a swarm of the sentient roots from ensnaring him just the same as his twopanions.

    As he squinted at the roots, he attempted to decipher their identification as enemies, but nothing showed up.

    What''s going on¡­? Is this not an enemy registered with the System? He thought.

    He had to continue backpedaling, leaping back and sprinting away as a wave of the verdant, intertwined limbs shot towards him in such a great mass that they cast a shadow over the immediate area.

    "Ghh¡­!" He gritted his teeth, having to swiftly bounce off of the trunk of a silver tree before it was mmed into by roots not a moment after.

    They''re so aggressive! He thought.

    "...Lemme go, you dirt-eating fucks!" Yeong-Un growled.

    Though his arms werepletely bound by the roots, that didn''t stop the wild adolescent from opening his mouth and beginning to bite away at the natural tendrils¨Ctearing away at them like a ferocious dog.

    The entire time, Sol was still being swung around in the air as he attempted to stab the roots with his spear, but from his upside-down position, being constantly moved in a stomach-churning manner, he was less than battle-readied.

    "Put me down! Put me down¨C!" Sol repeated, thrusting his spear to no avail.

    After biting away at the roots, spitting out a hefty serving of severed nt life, Yeong-Un lightened the burden on his arms enough to tear through their hold with his raw strength, roaring out as he did so.

    "Ha-ha! Ya'' can''t bind me, ya'' weak sauce!" Yeong-Un smiled wide, wielding his des as he began rapidly cutting away at the roots in front of him now.

    As Yeong-Un went on aplete rampage of shing his des wildly and frantically, therge intertwining of nature began to weaken its hold on Sol, who noticed this, looking down.

    "--Yeah, yeah, yeah! Keep that up, Yeong-Un! It''s working!"

    "Don''t gotta tell me!" Yeong-Un replied in a yell without looking, continuing to mow away at the roots.

    While those two were handling that side, he was still on the run from the swarm, looking back as they continued to viciously reach out towards him.

    Being forced to one of the walls, he used a [Blink Step] tond on the side of the natural wall, but found his expectations shifted¨Cthe left-standing wall he had jumped onto shifted.

    "What the¡­?"

    It was now perfectly situated to be the ground floor for him, but he knew he had just leapt onto a sideways wall¨Cyet his senses told him he was on the ground.

    As he looked back, he could now see Yeong-Un and Sol, but for him, they were standing sideways on the verdant flooring.

    ¡­This is weird. Are all of the walls perfectly travble? He realized.

    Before he could think about it any further, instead of roots popping up from the soil to ensnare him, he was suddenly surrounded by crimson-petaled flowers that bore humanoid-shaped bodies of inteced stems.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just great, he thought.

    ¨C

    [Twenty Minutes Later]

    "Eugh¡­That was fun," he said sarcastically, trudging forward as he pulled limb roots and leaves from his hair.

    "I''m going to hurl¡­" Sol repeated in a whisper, walking while hunched over and holding his stomach.

    "Hah! It wasn''t so bad!" Yeong-Un smiled.

    The endless energy of Yeong-Un was almost too much for the other two, who didn''t look back after exiting the head-spinning domain and into the next corridor.

    Status, check, he thought.

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 23. EXP: 3700/12000.]

    [Age: 17. ss: Luminate Assassin.]

    [Health: 2400/3200. Spirit: 2000/3500.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 0.]

    Though nothing felt terribly imposing so far, little by little, his health was being chipped away at, and the same could be said about his spirit.

    We need to find an exit from this ce as soon as possible, he thought.

    As he plucked all of the flower petals from his hair, he walked into the next chamber without much thought, too distracted by his own thoughts as he wound up walking all the way into the center of the unknown area without looking.

    "Ah¨C"

    Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he looked up and turned around, looking back towards his twopanions¨Cbut something came between them.

    "Fire-head!"

    "Jeong-Hui!"

    For some reason, his two friends called out to him desperately, but he was confused as to why.

    Why''re they yelling? What''s going on? He thought.

    ¨CHe realized it just then.

    Rising from the middle of the room, a grand, thick wall of quartz rose swiftly, pushing up from the floor all the way up to the ceiling in less than a second with a harsh m.

    Itpletely cut him off from the other two.

    "Yeong-Un! Sol!"

    He immediately sprung into desperation, beating his fists against the dense, white wall to no avail as it remained unmoving.

    All he could hear were muffled calls from the otherside, as the barrier between them stood just that thick in nature.

    ¡­What the hell? How did this happen?! He thought.

    Stepping back, he looked around, realizing the scope of the chamber he was in: it was built like an arena, structured like a heavenly dome where a soft, seraphic light filled it through golden, glowing crystals ced around the white-and-gold domain.

    Panels of ss made up the flooring, showcasing that directly below was nothing but the pale azure of the empty sky underneath the interconnected dungeon.

    "Yeong-Un! Sol¨C!"

    He tried again, mming his fists against the colossal wall that split the room into two halves, but the same, empty result came as sweat clung to his skin.

    Suddenly, his assassin-cultivated senses spiked, prompting him to equip his daggers as he turned around with his guard raised.

    Something came from the tall, lion-designed doors on the other end of the room, opening only for it, and closing after the being dressed in sleek, silver-and-gold armor entered his half of the chamber.

    They resembled a knight, though their stature was unnaturallynky with the armor seeming as if melded around their figure with a split, golden cape flowing behind their back as they drew two, illustrious des from the sheaths at its hips.

    [Enemy Identified: "Divine Knight: Desolice" | Level: 25]

    It silently approached him as its metallic boots echoed off of the ss flooring with each step it took.

    A boss¡­? It has a unique name¨Ccrap! Why now?! He thought.

    From the sounds of things, behind the wall, his twopanions were facing something of their own.

    ¡­A trap¡­I should''ve known something like this would be waiting in a dungeon, he thought.

    Though its level didn''t seem unmanageable alone, he was already working with lower resources¨Cboth in the health and spirit department, prompting him to keep his guard raised and stay on the defensive.

    For now, I''ll scope out its arsenal. It''ll be a quick meeting with death if I try to attack blindly, he thought, sweating visibly.

 Chapter 93 Grit Your Teeth

    The moment it got within a few meters distance to him, it dashed forward, already mid-way through a swing of its left de as he ducked away, avoiding the sharp edge that aimed for his neck as he rolled past the seraphic knight.

    Close¡­! He thought.

    As he rolled and stopped on one knee, turning back to face the silver-d enemy¨Cit was already partially through another attack towards him with mind-boggling speed and ferociousness, swinging its illustrious, shining de downwards upon his head.

    A [Blink Step] backwards was his only option, only evading the attack by a hair as a powerful impact resounded against the ss floor, which surprisingly didn''t crack in the slightest from the force.

    The Divine Knight looked at him with its helm forged to resemble the head of a lion, with a golden plume flowing like the mane of a powerful beast.

    Both of the longswords the knight wielded had handles that took the form of crosses, being of white-steel and decorated with golden jewels.

    They were twindes; the silver, reflective steel of each being split down the middle as if being two des in one, bearing many inscriptions along their length.

    He''s fast. I have to be on my A-game here, he thought.

    As he kept cautious, not so much as blinking while watching his swift opponent, he witnessed one of the knight''s des be raised, pointing upward.

    After being pointed towards the heavens, the de suddenly became engulfed in a golden me, swirling and coalescing along its appraised metal.

    A long-range attack?! He realized.

    By the time he came to figure out what it was his silver-armored enemy was building up to, the lion-masked knight swung his heavenly de down, unleashing a torrent of golden mes towards him that roared with a destructive force.

    Reflecting off of the ss flooring, the illustrious mes produced a blinding light that threw him off as his sense of direction was distorted.

    Crap¡­! I can''t see a thing! He thought.

    His eyes were forcibly closed by the scorching light, leaving him only with one option in order to evade being reduced to ash.

    "Cast: Disperse!"

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 1700/3500]

    He was reluctant to use any magic, but the situation called for it as once the mes reached him, he was immediately warped to a nearby spot of safety¨Cwhich wound up being in the space directly above.

    "Gyuh¨C!"

    It was a jarring shift in position as he quickly grabbed onto thevish, multiyered chandelier to prevent himself from falling into the sea of swirling, golden mes that waited for him below.

    Close¡­way too close! He thought.

    He bided his time while the mes began to waver, but the knight didn''t simply sit around and let him wait out their wrath¨Cbringing his visor-covered gaze to him before leaping towards him with both des reared back.

    ¨CBut, it''s exactly what he was waiting for.

    Spinning himself around, he kicked up, reversing his position as he used the chandelier as a foothold tounch into a [Blink Step], tightly gripping onto the handles of his ck-steel daggers.

    Sage Period, activate! He requested through intent.

    The moment he felt the shift in perception, being able to carefully think now, he immediately melded "Dark Edge" and "Ripper" together¨Cforging his go-to killer move:

    "ck Ripper!"

    The initial [Blink Step] caught the knight off-guard as he was able to sessively take the silver,nky foe by surprise with the series of dark-embedded shes that urred in a shy moment.

    [Spirit: -100. Remaining Spirit: 1600/3500]

    I felt it¡­It went through! He thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As hended on the immutable, ss panels below, he rolled before looking back, witnessing the knightnd on their feet before taking a knee as blood spurted out from the eviscerations left past their armor.

    ¡­I did it! I can do this! I can¨CHe thought.

    However, his thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly keeled over, feeling a concentration of warmth on his side as he looked down.

    By pure instinct, one of his hands was already holding his side as he lifted it, seeing a frightening amount of crimson staining his ck glove.

    "Huh¡­?"

    Looking down atst, he realized what the immense heat was bubbling at his side: arge gash had been sewn through his right side, bleeding profusely onto the see-through flooring below.

    That''s not possible¡­My perception was altered¨CI should''ve been able to see an attacking. Was it¡­that fast? He thought.

    Finally, he saw the prompt appear as a warning for his health:

    [Health: -1500. Remaining Health Points: 900/3200]

    It was a blood-chilling sight to see his own life put into a numerical form, and at such a critical number, at that.

    [Health: -10.]

    [Health: -10.]

    ¡­The loss repeated quickly, prompting him to panic as he breathed in-and-out in sparse, shallow breaths, but he acted quickly.

    "Sage Period, off!"

    First thing''s first, he turned off the augmentation to stifle the doubling rate of bleeding from the general demerit of receiving twice as much damage.

    There was only one way to stop the bleeding: a method he didn''t like, but he didn''t have time to think.

    "Cast: me Lance!"

    [Spirit: -100. Remaining Spirit: 1500/3200]

    Manifesting thence formed of mes, he didn''t spawn it to attack his enemy with, but for the opposite: to aid himself.

    As he constantly nced back to look at the knight, who was still taken to a knee as they were damaged heavily from his earlier attack, he slowly brought the ming manifestation close to his gushing wound.

    He hesitated, looking down at it as sweat left his pores in abundance while his ragged breathing continued; through his frizzy, vermilion fringes which hung down close to his emerald eyes¨Che was afraid of what was next.

    "Fuck¡­!"

    He finally gritted his teeth and forced the mes against his wound, yelling out despite his best efforts as the inferno sizzled against his eviscerated side.

    However, through the agonizing pain that reeled in gut-wrenching screams from his throat, he managed to seal off the wound and stifle the bleeding.

    By the time he finished, he cast the ming rod away, huffing as he stayed on his knees for a moment, drenched in sweat.

    [Health Points: 740/3200]

    It had fallen immensely in the time it took for him to cauterize his wound, but he couldn''t help but just feel relieved he bought himself some time.

    ¡­This is bad. Really bad. I''m¡­working on fumes here, he thought.

 Chapter 94 A Regretful Situation

    Though he wanted to catch his breath, or rather restpletely, he was forced to stand as he looked back to see the knight beginning to rise to their feet, having their silver-and-gold armor dyed in their own arterial fluid.

    "Guess it makes both of us, huh¡­?" He said out loud.

    I''m going to die anyway if I don''t do this¡­At least this way, it''s possible to live: Sage Period, activate! He thought.

    The glossy, emerald eyes he possessed were inhabited by the augmentations of Sage Period, giving him his heightened perception, among other benefits¨Cthough it meant a singr blow could spell the end for him.

    For a humanoid enemy, and at a critical time like this for a battle that would be settled in the next confrontation, he put his trust in his assassin abilities rather than martial arts.

    "One fell swoop," those were the words he embodied going into this final sh.

    Combine: "Blink Step", "Ripper", "Dark Edge", "Twilight Cutter"...Hemanded.

    With that forge of skills melded into one, he gathered his breath properly, gripping his daggers with his blood-soaked hands as he watched the silver-armored humanoid rush towards him once more.

    ? ¡­If I mess up the timing, I''m dead. If this doesn''t kill it, I''m dead. So basically¡­let''s do this right, Jeong-Hui, he thought.

    Waiting for the knight to draw in a meter closer, no more, no less¨Che stepped forward, disappearing from view.

    "Death By A Thousand Moonlit Cuts."

    [Spirit: -200]

    "Death By A Thousand Moonlit Cuts."

    [Spirit: -200]

    "Death By A Thousand Moonlit Cuts."

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 900/3500]

    Three times in session, he cast the newly-forged skill, leaving the knight stagnant in its path before¨Cone dozen¡­two¡­three..four¡­ten¡­twenty¨Can uncountable number of dark, violet shes shes around the half-portioned chamber.

    In total, three-hundred-and-sixty shes were left as he exerted himself to his limit, utilizing the instantaneous speed of [Blink Step], the amplification of [Dark Edge] and [Twilight Cutter], and the potent killing power of [Ripper].

    The result was a spell that strained his body beyond its limits, but allowed him to momentarily enter a state of explosive swiftness as the innumerable shes were left on the knight''s body.

    After finishing the assault, he immediately crashed against the ground harshly froming off of such speed, coughing up blood as his body felt as if it were shutting down.

    [Health: -200. Remaining Health Points: 540/3200]

    It was loss from simply the exertion of his body, causing him to continuously hack up blood, but worse could be said for his foe:

    The knight stood motionless for a moment before exploding into mincemeat from the aftermath of the dark shes, leaving a rain of blood befalling the ss floor.

    ["Divine Knight: Desolice" Defeated. EXP + 1000 | 4700/1200 | Minor Health Potion Acquired]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +5 | Level 29]

    More than the experience, the sight of the rare restorative item being found prompted him to immediately call upon it without missing a beat.

    "Item: Minor¡­Health Potion¡­!" Hemanded.

    As the small vial of pinkish red liquid manifested into his grip, he dropped it into his mouth, swallowing it before gasping out, coughing from drinking it so fast.

    [Health Points: +1000 | 1540/3200]

    It was enough to turn his cauterized, nasty wound into a mostly-healed cut, and give him enough energy to return to his feet, though still exhausted beyond any previous experience.

    "...I made it¡­but, the others¡­!" He remembered.

    Though to his surprise, it seemed the defeat of his knight signaled the walls toe down, leaving him waiting anxiously with heavy breaths, unknowing of what he would see on the other side.

    What he saw caused him to freeze.

    "Yeong-Un¡­! Stay with me!--Yeong-Un¡­!"

    It was Sol, crying as his silver spear, which was covered in blood, sat beside him. The hazel-haired, youngest of their group was on his knees directly beside Yeong-Un, who wasid out on the ss floor on a puddle of blood.

    "...What¡­?" He muttered out, forcing the singr word through the lump caught in his throat.

    Sol turned to him with eyes streaming tears, covered in blood that was a mixture of the fallen knight, who looked to be a twin of the one he defeated, and from theid-out friend of theirs.

    It likely didn''t result in any experience for him since it was technically a "separate battle", designated by the walls: though party members shared experience, they had to partake in the same battle to do so.

    But, he didn''t even think about that.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­Please, he needs help!" Sol told him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He immediately broke free from the frozen fear clinging to his body as he rushed to Yeong-Un''s side as well, seeing the wound inflicted on his wild-haired friend.

    A hole had pierced right through his abdomen, likely destroying his innards.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?" Sol said his name desperately, holding Yeong-Un''s head up for stability with arms soaked in blood.

    What should I do? What can I do? How? How? What? No. No. Not again. Not again. Not again! He thought.

    Memories of the dreadful stay at the cultists'' base flooded into his mind; images of his pastrades'' fallen, desecrated corpses filled his mind as he froze in horror.

    ¡­It''s happening again, he thought.

    "Jeong-Hui!"

    ¨CIt was Sol that snapped him out of it, shaking him by the shoulders as he was brought face-to-face with his friend that was just as terrified as him.

    "What¡­?"

    "...I-I need you to go ahead¨C! Look for a potion, or somebody that can heal him¨Cplease!" Sol urged him.

    Despite the frequently cowardice-stricken man being such, he was the one who took initiative, forcing him to gather himself.

    Looking down, he felt his heart drop as he could see Yeong-Un still conscious, though staring upward with eyes that likely didn''t see them, and ears that didn''t hear them.

    "...Right! Keep pressure on that wound!" He told Sol.

    Without wasting any time, he sprinted with the full strength of his legs, moving past human limits as he ventured down the corridor in search of something to save his friend.

    What spurred him forward was regret; powerful, heart-wrenching regret.

    If I just didn''t drink that potion¡­! If I waited another minute¨Cjust another thirty seconds! This¡­It wouldn''t be like this! He thought.

    He felt an animosity towards his own well-being, scorning the fact he was living and breathing right now while his friend was left in such a state, but that regret lit a me within him as he rushed forward with the instinct to save taking over.

    Though it took a minute of running, listening to his wild heartbeat filling his ears, he found himself in a mostly-empty room.

    The enemies waiting inside, armored fishman, were already defeated. By some miracle, he wasn''t stopped by such foes, but instead, something else awaited¨Ca situation he wouldn''t know how to unravel.

    The chamber was cleared by a familiar figure: a tall, dark-skinned man with shaggy, tinum hair and an unmistakably bright, yellow shirt without sleeves and massive gauntlets.

    Maverick¡­? He thought, recognizing the tall, well-built figure.

    Though Maverick had a solemn expression of his own, opening a chest that was present in the room.

    The moment he saw whatid in the chest¨Ca vial of pinkish-red liquid¨Che moved forward instinctively with a few sessive [Blink Steps].

    He intended to snatch it¨Cright then and there, without any thought of the repercussions.

    However, he stopped as his desperate, outreached hand was grabbed, stopped just inches short of taking the potionid in the chest.

    "...Jeong-Hui, was it? Sorry, but I need this right now," Maverick said solemnly, only just then looking back at him with pained eyes.

    He didn''t even respond, still stricken with shock and desperation as he spun around into a sharp kick against Maverick''s cheek, freeing himself from his grip and causing the man to stumble back a few feet.

    They faced each other, both intending to take the Greater Health Potion sitting in the brass-built chest.

    Maverick didn''t seem phased by the kick, standing tall with an expression contrary to his previous, jovial attitude he held in their first meeting.

    "I''m sorry," Maverick apologized quietly, "...By that crazed look in your eyes¨Cthe one we share¨CI can tell you really need that health potion, but¡­" the man looked up at him with tearful, yet resolved eyes as he clenched his fists, "I need it, too."

    He finally spoke back to the tinum-haired American, yelling out in desperation as it felt as if every moment was fatal, "...My friend is dying! Just¡­let me have it!"

    Maverick''s expression wavered for a moment, but remained stiff and sturdy, "...Sorry to hear that, but I''m in the same, shitty position as you."

    He didn''t expect those words, only expecting the reason for Maverick''s pushback to be his own greed, but it was worse¨Cit was something that he could feel intensely.

    The resolve he had wavered as he felt his entire body trembling; tears strolled down his cheeks.

    ¡­If I do this, if I take this¨CI''m leaving somebody else to die?

    Even still, remembering his memories with his friend; the slumber party, the battles fought together, and even their meaningless chats, he clenched his fingers around the handles of his daggers, forcing himself to hold a stance.

    "...I need it, Maverick¨CI''m sorry, too."

    "It''s like that, then?" Maverick rolled his shoulders, exuding a slow, drawn-out breath, "...This is something neither of us can back down from. Something that has to be done. Yeah¡­I don''t have any room for mercy right now¨Cso don''t me me for what happens next."

 Chapter 95 Maverick King

    "...I need it, Maverick¨CI''m sorry, too."

    "It''s like that, then?" Maverick rolled his shoulders, exuding a slow, drawn-out breath, "...This is something neither of us can back down from. Something that has to be done. Yeah¡­I don''t have any room for mercy right now¨Cso don''t me me for what happens next."

    With immense speed, unfitting for the man''s stature, Maverick appeared in front of him, unleashing a swift jab of his massive gauntlet aimed directly for his head.

    Luckily, his heightened senses allowed him to slip beneath the jab, honing his eyes on the figure before him.

    Complimentary of his assassin-ss proficiency, he began to be able to see the weak points of his foe, even if they were human; the most optimal approach for attack that presented itself to him was going for the man''s sturdy jugr.

    As he flipped his daggers into a reverse grip, he was stopped just before the tip of his dagger could reach the man''s veiny neck, feeling his senses scream at him as a massive wind pelted against his right side.

    He immediately jumped back, looking forward to see that massive spike in his senses came from the fact Maverick was countering with an unseen haymaker.

    Against the empty air, the tall man''s gauntlet-d fist unleashed an explosive force that would''ve surely resulted in his swift demise.

    Maverick only looked up, matching his gaze with utter conviction; there was no doubt about it¨Cthis was a duel to the death.

    "Let''s not y any games," Maverick said quietly, "...We''ve both got friends to save; let''s make this quick."

    It was easier said than done, however; Maverick King was a whole three levels higher than him, and obviously in better condition¨Cit was an uphill battle, to say the least.

    Still, he obliged, sinking everything he had into this conflict as he reactivated [Sage Period], knowing that a single direct-hit would be his swift retreat into a grave.

    This time, he took the initiative, using two sessive [Blink Steps] to throw off Maverick''s trace of him before swinging his daggers against the air from a distance.

    "Twilight Cutter"---! He invoked.

    The wild, purple shes of vicious energy propelled towards Maverick, carving through the marble flooring as the dark-skinned man raised his gauntlets to shield against them.

    "Grrgh¨C!"

    Maverick roared out, being on the receiving end of a continuous barrage of the rangeless shes before unleashing his guard, spreading his arms as he repelled the shes with his sheer physicality alone.

    It was an unexpected, uncalcted move of pure, raw strength as he was now being rushed at by the swift, much more powerful man.

    He was put on the defensive immediately as Maverick unleashed abo-attack of jabs, crosses, uppercuts, and haymakers.

    "I was the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world in boxing," Maverick told him sternly while thrusting his gauntlets towards him with bleeding precision, "...I''m telling you this because I want you to know who killed you."

    He wasn''t able to reply to his words as he was solely focused on evading the massive thrusts of the man''s fists, having to drop down to the ground as his senses kicked off¨Cnarrowly avoiding an explosion that emitted outwards from the metallic knuckles of Maverick''s gauntlets.

    "--Vtile Knockout," Maverick said quietly, "...Would''ve been a painless death; never would''ve realized you were dead."

    Still, he couldn''t speak as he was delved deep into the battle of life-or-death, picking himself up immediately as he spun on his hands into a series of helicopter kicks that stirred up a powerful wind against the boxer.

    He was pulling out everything he had¨Canything he could use against the seemingly insurmountable foe.

    All of the kicks resulted in null as his rapidly spinning legs were stopped by the heavyweight champion grabbing onto his left ankle, picking him up and roaring out before throwing him.

    "Grk¡­!"

    The strength beyond the malicious toss propelled him wildly towards the wall, but he managed to flip himself around and use the quartz wall as a foothold tounch himself directly into battle again.

    Maverick was caught by surprise by his agile tenacity, being subject to what came next:

    "ck Ripper¨C!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 700/3500]

    Knowing full well that he faced a man of a sturdy foundation, he didn''t hold out; each of the dozen cuts were aimed for the boxer''s vitals, shing at his arms, Achilles'' tendons, and neck.

    Though Maverick managed to guard his neck¨Cthat was expected by the assassin.

    Thanks to his assassin-ss intuition, cultivated by his Sage System''s ability to raise his proficiency, he knew to target the strongman''s tendons on his arms, slicing them deep with a burst of dark energy left in the trail of his des.

    "Greugh¡­!" Maverick winced.

    He rolled past the boxer after finishing the assault, huffing as the strain on his body caused him to hack up blood once again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨CA sess.

    As he turned back to face Maverick, who was attempting to throw a fist against his skull, therge, foreign man''s arms suddenly went limp at his sides as blood spurted from his sliced tendons.

    "Grrgh¨C! I can''t¡­move my arms!" Maverick called out in pain.

    While the tinum-haired man was left stunned at his inability to lift his arms, he took advantage of this, picking himself up to his feet as he rushed towards the man like a merciless predator, yelling out with his daggers in hand.

    ¡­I''ll kill him¡­! I have to! I have to do this! I have to do it¨C! He repeated in his mind ad nauseum.

    Again, he aimed both of his daggers towards both sides of the man''s neck, going for a quick, clean finish as desperation coated his dense breaths.

    Squelch.

    ¨CA miss.

    Neither of his daggers had sunk into the neck of the well-built boxer, but rather, at thest moment, Maverick lifted his burly shoulders up, allowing the des to stab into his shoulders as they sank in deep.

    "Wha¡­?" He muttered in disbelief at the unorthodox move.

    Maverick breathed heavily with eyes bloodshot with strain and agony as he reared his head back, "This ain''t over yet¡­!"

    As he realized the man was going for some sort of counterattack, he attempted to unsheathe his twin daggers from the man''s flesh, but was unable to tug them out.

    What¡­? Why¡­?! He questioned.

    Looking at the state of Maverick King''s arms, he realized what was going on: the man''s dark-brown skin was flexed, protruding with veins as they were being squeezed with his utmost strength.

    ¡­He''s holding the daggers in by clenching his muscles?! He realized.

    Without knowing what wasing, he deactivated [Sage Period] purely by reflex of knowing something wouldnd in the next moment.

    Before he could react further, he looked up just in time to find the man''s forehead mming against his own with a concussive, skull-throbbing impact that resounded throughout the vast, empty domain.

    It split his forehead open like a melon, spurting out blood that trailed down to his eyes as his vision became drenched in red.

    "Gkk¡­!"

    [Health: -300. Remaining Health: 240/3200]

    He stumbled back, letting go of his daggers as they were left lodged in the muscr shoulders of his fatal opponent.

    All he could see were stars as his sense of bnce was thwarted, focusing everything he had on trying to stay upright as his feet constantly moved, intertwined and getting mixed up as he swayed side-to-side.

    Luckily, his opponent was hardly in any position to try and pursue him as Maverick breathed heavily, standing with limp, unusable arms and daggers embedded into his flesh.

    He finally managed topose his bnce, but his vision was swirled by his own blood, finding the strength in his body fleeting as he ran through both shes of bitter cold and uneven warmth.

    "Heh¡­What''s an assassin without his des?" Maverickughed weakly, "...I don''t need my fists; my head will do, if not, then my legs, if not¡­then my teeth!"

    Thest words from Maverick were yelled out in a roar as he began to run towards the dizzy assassin with bloodshot, malicious eyes.

    However, the boxer learned something in the next moment:

    Jeong-Hui was not just an assassin.

    A sharp, spinning kick executed with fifty-percent luck, and fifty-percent perfect execution resulted in the heel of his boot mming against Maverick''s sturdy chin, causing the injured, half-dead man to stumble to the side.

    "...Huh? The hell was that?" Maverick asked quietly, spitting out blood.

    He barely managed to bnce himself after unleashing the kick, but did so through sheer force of will as he breathed out calmly to steady his rapidly thumping heart.

    No response poured from his lips as he simply met the gaze of Maverick with his resolved, emerald irises.

    The "luck factor" of the spinning kick came from the fact his vision was encumbered by the blood that seeped over his eyes, and the swirling nature of his sight, taken by his concussed brain. He only managed to hit his target with the assistance of his Sage System, optimizing his hearing as he used the percussion of Maverick''s footsteps to time his counter perfectly.

    ¡­No matter what¡­No matter the cost¡­I''ll save those close to me¡­He thought.

 Chapter 96 A Deed Needed To Be Done

    Maverick gathered himself, shaking off the blow to his chin, "...So, you''ve got kicks, eh¡­? I''ll have you know¡­kickboxing was part of my repertoire!"

    Meeting halfway, the two shed from a powerful dashunched by both of them, shing leg-to-leg as both of their kicks resulted in an immense gust of wind propelled outwards from their position.

    Pushed to the absolute brink, teetering on consciousness-and-unconsciousness, he let his instincts take over as his martial arts proficiency was all he pulled from, aided by his Sage System.

    Pulling away from one another, they immediately shed kick-for-kick again as a shockwave resounded, but he used the momentum to spin around into another kick, though Maverick wove his way out of it with a duck of his head.

    Each time their legs shed in a deadlock, they canceled out the damage from each other''s attacks, repeating this deadlock over and over as they both were delved into the "zone"--fighting at the top of their reflexes, instinct, and capabilities.

    Maverickunched a few sessive kicks from the same leg, all being swiftly dodged by the sight-taken man who silently evaded each strike with his instincts guiding him.

    It all came together; the techniques he learned through cultivating taekwondo¨Cheunched himself into another kick, this time opting for a frontal to Maverick''s burly chest.

    "Guh¨C!"

    Maverick spit out, being knocked off of his guard, giving him the perfect opportunity to follow up.

    Pressing forward, he unleashed a string of attacks: using instantaneous [Blink Steps] while hardly having to perceive it, using the swift momentum from the warps to spin into harsh kicks against various points of Maverick''s sturdy body.

    It wasn''t just kicks; he unleashed punches tailor made for destroying his opponents¨Cgoing for a reverse punchunched with a shock wave emitting force.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: +3 | 33/9999]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Flesh Temple]

    Again, heunched a chain of kicks,unching them with a supernatural force. Amidst the air, having kicked his muchrger opponent up with a sharp, high-kick to his jaw, he jumped higher than him, gathering momentum for himself once more.

    "Eve of The Dragon."

    ¨CA special technique that manifested itself in a ming spiral, a new technique learned just then that allowed him to conjure mes in semnce of a dragon that followed his leg before crashing it down into an ax-kick upon Maverick''s chest.

    The impact mmed the man into the ground, resulting in an explosion of the draconic mes that assaulted the boxer that was etched into the marble flooring below.

    "Gyraaah¨C!" Maverick spit out as all of the air was forced from his lungs.

    He flipped back, catching himself on his wobbly-sense of bnce as he hacked up blood, feeling a throbbing heat centered around the wound on his forehead.

    You have to be kidding me¡­He thought.

    Even after all of that, Maverick still got up once more, and to his dismay¨Cthe champion pugilist raised his bulky arms.

    "How¡­?!" He let out.

    Maverick caught his breath, bearing a nasty, purple-and-yellow bruise that stretched across his torso, "..."Last Stand"...that''s my unique ability. Call it a miracle worker, whatever¡­I don''t care¡­It means I''min'' at ya'' with everything I''ve got, Jeong-Hui."

    Those words weren''tced with any falsehoods as not a moment after, Maverick charged at him with a resurgence of energy.

    ¡­This is bad! It''s not just a direct hit anymore that''ll do me in¨Cthe slightest flick of damage, and I''m dead! He thought.

    All at once, he put everything he had into heightening his senses and maximizing his bnce as a flurry of blows were sent his way from the close-quarters fighter.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Small-scale explosions emitted from the knuckles of the boxer, forcing him to dodge in unorthodox ways such as leaning his entire upper-body backward to avoid every instance of damage that could reach him.

    It was a wobbly dance he was forced to perform, pivoting and spinning as he did everything he could to avoid the range of the sts, listening to his instincts and following his enhanced perception to the thinnest wire.

    Repeatedly, he bobbed and weaved through the rapid haymakers, spinning himself around and flipping back as Maverick mmed his massive gauntlet against the ground, resulting in a trail of explosions hunting him down.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    With a [Blink Step] that felt as if it was tearing as his calf muscles, he managed to evade the pir of vtility, trying to wipe the blood from his eyes only to see therge, dark-skinned man rushing towards him once again with little semnce of mercy in those determined eyes of his.

    Sorry, Maverick¡­but, I promised myself I would never lose anybody again. Even if it makes me a bad person¡­I''d rather be that than betray myself again¨C! He thought.

    It yed in his head; those words from the assassin-ss cultist he encountered months prior¨Cberating his inefficiency at killing.

    However, in this moment, he released those shackles¨Cuninhibited by morals or his emotions.

    As an unexpected counter to the boxer''s rush, he flicked his wrist, hurling a stter of his own blood directly into Maverick''s eyes¨Cblinding him with pinpoint uracy.

    It wasn''t a special, named technique, but it was something that came from his cultivated instinct as both an assassin and a martial artist: the necessity to win¨Cno matter the cost.

    "Grugh¡­!" Maverick grunted, instinctively closing his eyes as his opponent''s blood blinded him.

    That moment in which both the boxer''s sight and direction was ripped from beneath his feet was all he needed, bursting forward by focusing all of his power into his legs.

    ¨CEven if it means I have to betray the values you gave me, Mom¡­I have to do what I think is right. I have to value the living over the dead¨CI have to value my trustedrades over strangers.

    I have to kill this man, he thought.

    He closed the distance in that moment, easily avoiding the aimless strike that Maverickunched out of desperation before gripping both handles of his twin daggers that were lodged in the man''s shoulders.

    In a swift, merciless movement, he plucked the des from Maverick''s boulderous shoulders in a vicious tear, leaving the man yelling out in pain.

    Just as Maverick forced his eyes open, holding apletely bloodshot tinge to his whites, he attempted to bring his arms around the much smaller, thin-built assassin¨Cbut it was toote.

    With a quick, singr movement, he swung both des in a straight, perfectly-executed arc, shing directly across the foreign man''s throat in two separate directions.

    "--"

    He kept his gaze down, listening as gargles sounded out from Maverick''s lips before a rain of blood spewed out from the man''s parted neck.

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached [Level 24]. Current EXP: 50/13500.]

    [Resources [Health] and [Spirit] have been fully restored. Remaining Health Points: 3250/3250 Remaining Spirit: 3600/3600.]

    [Remaining Skill Points: 3]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +3 | Level 32]

 Chapter 97 A Chip On The Heart

    Killing the man resulted in him inheriting the experience he had from his current level progress, healing all of his wounds instantaneously, though even the exhaustion he held couldn''t be subsided that easily.

    Just as the darkplexioned man''s body began to fall over, he moved out of the way, walking past him without looking back¨Cnot wanting to see the results of his actions as he set his sights on the potion in the chest.

    Not a word went through his mind as he picked up the potion, nearly tumbling over just from kneeling down.

    ¡­What is this? I''m so¡­tired, he thought.

    As he attempted to stand, he couldn''t find the strength to do even that as his vision flickered.

    Get up. Get up. Don''t waste this. Don''t waste this¡­! He thought.

    Just before his consciousness subsided, his eyes widened as a hand grabbed onto his wrist, bringing him to his feet.

    It was a sight that felt more like a fever dream than reality: illustrious, long, dark hair with a white-and-ck suit of armor, paired with an exuberant cape who stared at him with familiar, icy eyes.

    "...Ma-Ri¡­?" He asked weakly.

    "What''s happened here?" Ma-Ri asked him, clearly seeing the corpse behind him.

    "--"

    "Jeong-Hui?" Ma-Ri called his name worriedly, helping him stand.

    He immediately started crying, showing her the potion, "...It''s Yeong-Un! I-I have to get to him! He''s¡­!"

    Ma-Ri seemed to immediately understand what he meant as her eyes widened with haste as well, grabbing onto his arm and putting it around her shoulder.

    "Show me the way¨CI''ll help you get there," Ma-Ri told him, not wasting any time.

    He was still taken aback by her sudden presence there, but he didn''t question it, only nodding, "...This way¡­!"

    Rushing down the corridor he came from as fast as he possibly could with the aid of the woman''s shoulder, he arrived in the daunting chamber¨Crushing over with the little strength he had over to Yeong-Un''s side.

    "Yeong-Un¡­! Sol, is he¡­?!" He wasted no time, falling over onto his knees by his side.

    Sol looked up at him, having his hands firmly ced against Yeong-Un''s gored abdomen to stifle the bleeding to the best of his ability, "...He just dipped below fifty-health¡­! Hurry, Jeong-Hui¡­!"

    Sol didn''t even seem to question how Ma-Ri was there, only focused on the wellbeing of theirrade.

    He popped the lid off of the Greater Health Potion he acquired, having Sol keep Yeong-Un''s lips parted as he poured the mystical liquid down his throat.

    "Come on¡­! Come on¡­!" He repeated anxiously.

    The two sat there on their knees in desperation, watching Yeong-Un closely as Ma-Ri watched worriedly from a few meters away.

    Please¡­Please, Yeong-Un! He prayed.

    "Pyuck¨C!"

    Yeong-Un spit out blood, beginning to cough out as his eyelids fluttered before opening fully.

    He could see it in the party status:

    [Yeong-Un | Level 24 | 4000/4000]

    His health is restored! That means¡­! He realized.

    Even more evident, the massive hole in his stomach that had pierced through his mesh top had closed off¨Cit was a sess.

    "Man, my gut is sore as hell¡­!" Yeong-Un winced, sitting up as if nothing happened.

    Before the blue-haired, entric man could even register what was going on, he was suddenly embraced by his two friends tightly.

    "He''s alive! Thank the Heavens¡­Wait, it''s the Heavens that did this! Screw the Heavens¡­!" Sol sobbed out.

    "...Too close¡­! Too close!" He muttered quietly.

    "What the hell?! What''s this all about¡­?!" Yeong-Un was left utterly perplexed, but holding a blushy tinge to his cheeks from the sudden affection.

    Even his tough exterior cracked from the obvious, clear-cut relief from his two, closest friends.

    After smothering their friend with hugs, tears, and a bit of snot, they gathered themselves twenty minutester, in which Korain and Eunji finally caught up with Ma-Ri.

    Ma-Ri apparently rushed over because she "recognized the cries of a certain reckless assassin"...I guess I should just be thankful for that, he thought.

    ¨C

    As they pushed through the dungeon in search of an exit, they inevitably passed by the fallen body of Maverick¨Can unsavory sight that he opted to avoid.

    Yeong-Un seemed to understand what went down while he was in critical condition as he kept uncharacteristically quiet, but simply ced a put on his back.

    "Thanks," Yeong-Un said quietly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah," he nodded.

    It wasn''t something he was proud of, and wasn''t a memory he wished to cling to¨Cnothing about it was good: the sight of his friend bleeding out, his other friend in panic, and the taking of not one, but two lives as a result of his selfish desire.

    While the six members of Gangcheori moved with a certain quietness to their march, in one of the chambers which was cleared out, exhibiting a sleek, modern design, it was upied by a group of three people.

    They were in grief.

    A brown-haired man was held in the arms of a sobbing woman, who was being consoled by another person. He wasn''t stupid¨Che could put two-and-two together.

    This was the result of his choice to save his friend.

    Though his heart ached and his head throbbed¨Che fervently clung onto the resolve that he believed in his choice.

    ¡­This likely won''t be thest time I have to do something like this, but¡­I wish it was. It''s so easy when you can justbel something as "evil", but when your enemy is no different than you¨Cno, when they''re a better person¡­how do I sleep at night after something like this? He wondered.

    ¨C

    After the group continued to move out with their sights set on an exit, Sol pulled him aside for a moment. By the trembling look present in the short, youngest of the group''s eyes, it was clear that the situation was still eating away at Sol.

    "What''s up?" He asked.

    Sol gulped, looking straight at him with his amber eyes which were still pink and puffy from the earlier tears, "...I''m sorry."

    "For what?" He looked at him, putting on a smile, "Whatever you think you did¨Cdon''t worry about it."

    "Really?..." Sol looked at him.

    He knew what it was that Sol was likely trying to apologize for, but it was something that was misced.

    This wasn''t anybody''s fault. In the end, this is a result of each side pursuing what they want, he thought.

    He nodded, "Really. I¡­I just did what I had to do¨CIt was needed to save Yeong-Un."

    "Yeah¡­It was necessary, wasn''t it? Still¡­I just wish it didn''t have toe to that," Sol said.

    ¡­You and me both, he thought.

    Even though things were fine now, he still couldn''t shake the quivering from his body¨Cfeeling his fingers tremble though nothing was happening.

    It''s different. When I killed those cultists back then¡­I was able to justify it. But¡­this? There''s nothing like that. I did what I wanted¨Cand two people died because of it¡­He thought.

    It seemed the pathway they headed through had already been cleared by the previous group; the hedges were swamped in the blue blood of aquatic beasts that had surfaced.

    "Hey, Jeong-Hui."

    It was Korain that called his name, shifting through the small group to walk beside him as he kept his muscr arms crossed against his bulky chest.

    "...Yes?" He replied.

    He was taken out of his thoughts by the call of the executive member of Gangcheori, who looked down at him with watchful, intentful eyes.

    "There is something on your mind, isn''t there?" Korain asked.

    "--"

    "You can be honest with me,d. We''ve all had to undergo simr situations in this world¨Ctrust me," Korain assured him.

    "...Really? I don''t know¡­this is different. It hurt me, and it still sticks with me, but¡­killing those cultists was something I still felt right in doing," he exined, cing his hand on his chest as he looked down, "...It doesn''t feel right, no matter what way I try to spin it in my head."

    As he voiced the knots that intertwined in his heart, the mixed-haired man watched him before looking forward towards theirpanions that walked ahead.

    "I see," Korain said calmly, "Then you''re doing fine."

    "Huh?"

    Korain rified with a smile, ruffling his hair, "If you''re feeling that sort of burning guilt in your heart, then that means you''re a fine person. I''m not going to tell you that it''ll get easier¨Cfrankly, it shouldn''t."

    "What do you mean¡­?"

    "I mean that if it stays foreign to you¨Cthe sight of blood on your hands¨Cyou won''t have anything to worry about. Difficult choices like this have to be made. That''s the world we live in," Korain told him, "And for that matter¡­I don''t think this God of ours is going to judge you too harshly by ying by the rules of his game."

    It was something he needed to hear in the moment; words from somebody he idolized, and respected greatly.

    ¡­I''m fine¡­I''m not lost¨Cnot yet, he thought.

    Tears lined the edges of his eyes, leaving inpact streams down his cheeks as he did his best to smile.

    "...Jeong-Hui? Are you alright,d?" Korain asked worriedly.

    He nodded his head with a faint smile, wiping the tears, "Yeah, I guess I am."

 Chapter 98 Reprieve From The Sky Dungeon

    Through some form of miracle, the group managed to find one of the sought-after exits of the Sky Dungeon, ced at the end of a luxurious hand of gilded steel.

    "...That wasn''t so bad, was it?" Eunji said with a sigh of relief, holding her hands close to her chest.

    "Speak for ya''self," Yeong-Un said, stretching his neck side-to-side, "...I''m feastin'' like a king when I get home."

    Korain pped Yeong-Un right on the back with an audible echo, followed by his boisterousugh at what felt like karmic justice for all the times the wild-haired young man did the same to others.

    "That''s not a bad idea! Ha-ha! Jeong-Hui, Eunji¨CI''m leaving that part to you two!" Korain proimed with a thumbs-up.

    You''re really sticking me with a task after all of this?...Oh well, I can''tin, he smiled to himself.

    As the group exited the Sky Dungeon, standing at the balcony of the outside from the mystical domain, he stopped and stared at the sunset that stretched across the horizon of the abandoned city.

    Seeing Yeong-Un bicker with Sol, while Korainughed carefree and Eunji tried her best to remain modest, he couldn''t help but feel the warmth of hisrades overtake the darkness that clouded his mind.

    "You''ve gotten stronger."

    ¨CTo his surprise, Ma-Ri spoke to him, standing right beside him as the two looked over the sunset of Gangnam-Gu, listening to the chats of theirrades just a meter or two away.

    He bashfully rubbed the back of his own head, "...Yeah, I guess I have."

    "You don''t seem happy about it," Ma-Rimented, staring right at him with her icy blues.

    Read like a book¨Cthat''s the term that came to his mind following those words falling from her lips.

    "Yeah, I guess not," his smile dimmed, "...I don''t think I have the right to feel happy about it¡­not under these circumstances."

    "Why not?" Ma-Ri interjected.

    "What?" He looked at her, confused.

    "Yourrades are alive¨Cyou''re alive¨Cwhat is there not to be happy about? It was your strength, both physical and mental, that brought you to this destination," Ma-Ri told him with her unmoving expression, "Are you not satisfied with such an oue?"

    Being told it like that, he didn''t know how to respond¨Cafter all, nothing she said was wrong, but he still felt as if it was.

    "It''s just¡­you know what they say, right? It''s cheesy, but¨C"The ends don''t justify the means"...something like that applies here, I think. Sure, I saved Yeong-Un''s life, but¡­In exchange, I took the life of two others," he told her quietly, looking forward.

    He watched while Yeong-Un and Sol bickered, with the wild-haired man coaxing the frightened, hazel-haired friend of his to descend the golden rope downward.

    "Jeong-Hui," Ma-Ri looked straight into his eyes, "You''re mistaken."

    "I am?"

    Ma-Ri nodded as her silken, jet-ck locks draped over her slender, but powerful shoulders, "I don''t understand exactly what transpired, but I have a rough idea. That man you fought¨Che wanted the same thing as you, didn''t he? The potion that would save hisrade. You wanted it as well."

    "Yeah¡­that''s about it," he confirmed with a quiet nod.

    "Then is it not fair to say that both of your convictions shed and equaled out? You both chose to forego the life of another to save one¨Che epted that, and you did by engaging in battle with him. Therefore, you did only what was the equal response to another''s will," Ma-Ri told him.

    The way she spoke and looked at him was as if experiencing little emotion, yet she wasn''t wrong, once again.

    "Still¡­It doesn''t mean I should be happy about this," he told her, looking up towards the clouds.

    Just as he looked up, a droplet of cold rain sshed down against his cheek before more followed¨Cwithin moments, it began to shower down as the sunset dimmed.

    Ma-Ri''s expression wavered when noticing the pain embedded in his emerald eyes as her immutable, stone-cold expression flinched for just a moment, "...I see. I suppose you''re right. I can''t tell you how to feel."

    "Yeah."

    "Are you two ready to go?! I''m not trying to catch a cold out here!" Korain called out.

    By then, Yeong-Un, Sol, and Eunji had already begun descending the golden rope that led back down to the city.

    "Y-yeah! Coming!" He replied.

    As he moved forward, he nced back at Ma-Ri, who followed behind, "...Thanks, Ma-Ri," he gave his words with a smile.

    For a moment, in the breeze that carried the brisk rain, Ma-Ri looked at him in surprise before giving a small smile of her own, "Yeah."

    He''s strong. Dae-Seong was right about him¨CJeong-Hui is somebody that can survive, Ma-Ri thought.

    After touring through the abandoned city, avoiding all of the prowling Defects, the group of six returned to thepound, and soon into the hotel.

    "Gyaah! I''m soakin''!"

    Yeong-Un shook his head vigorously to rid his spiky locks of the rain.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They were all soaked from the downpour, which pelted down against the asphalt beyond the hotel doors aggressively.

    "Hey! You''re just getting me wet, too! Stop shaking like a wet dog¨C!" Sol whined, holding his arms up to block the water.

    Without batting an eye at the rain that drenched her clothes, Ma-Ri faced the group, "I''ll give a report of today''s findings to the leader. Please dry yourselves and get some rest."

    "Ya'' got it!" Yeong-Un pped his own bicep.

    "...Sleep sounds good. Food sounds good. Bath sounds good¡­" Sol said tiredly with a yawn.

    Ma-Ri disappeared up the stairs of the hotel, leaving the other five to settle back in after the long, strenuous day.

    By the way that all eyes were left on him, he knew what was being silently asked of him as he let out a yful sigh.

    "Alright, alright¡­I''ll get dinner started¨Cyou guys go take baths before you catch a cold!" He ordered.

    To his surprise, even Korain followed hismand¨Clike motivated by the prospect of a savory, sulent meal.

    "Jeong-Hui, do you need¡­?"

    Eunji asked, trailing her question as she stayed back while the rest parted in reach of the bathing rooms.

    He shook his head, giving her a reassuring thumbs-up, "Go on ahead. I''ve got this."

    "But¨C"

    "It''s fine," he told her with a small smile, "Besides, cooking helps me ease my mind."

    Eunji hesitated for a moment before nodding, "If you say so, Jeong-Hui¡­"

    After being left alone in the lobby, he waited for a minute as he looked up at the bright, iridescent chandelier before making his way to the kitchen.

    "Alright¡­Nothingplicated¨Cjust something to get the job done," he talked to himself, thinking of what he wanted to prepare.

    Being in the high-end kitchen, surrounded by culinary tools and an endless assortment of ingredients¨Cthanks to Angel Shops and the abandoned supplies of therge city¨Che already had his mind beginning to be distracted as he looked through his options like a child in a candy shop.

    "Hmm, this? No¡­maybe this? No, that won''t do¡­Eunji doesn''t do spicy things. Let''s see¡­" He went through the ingredients, looking for the perfect meal to cater to hisrades'' tastes.

    Eventually, he found himself settling on something simple, foreign, but unmatched in its savory, filling nature: all-american beef stew.

    It didn''t take long for the entirety of the kitchen to be steamy with the fragrance of seasoned beef filling the area while he prepared the vegetables into the pot.

    Even just cooking it, he could feel his stomach rumble as he stirred the pot, nearingpletion as he added the finishing touches¨Csprinkling scarce salt in and light spices, just enough for an extra ir while not being ufortable for somebody like Eunji.

    "...And there," he smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

    The entire process took around an hour, but the finished result was a savory pot of beef, vegetables, and a hearty stock that he began to divide into bowls for each person.

    Bringing out the six dishes, having to bnce them unevenly on his arms, he stumbled out of the kitchen, finding hispanions situated at the table already.

    Of course, Yeong-Un and Sol were arguing about their contribution to the dungeon run¨Cbickering as always.

    Korain was attempting to tell some sort of story about how he caught a fish the size of himself, but Ma-Ri hardly seemed to be paying any attention as she sipped a fresh cup of coffee.

    "This big¨CI swear!" Korain said, holding his arms out.

    "Mhm," Ma-Ri nodded, not paying him much mind.

    On the other hand, seeing him struggle to carry all of the servings, Eunji rushed over to help him.

    "...Here! I''ve got it," Eunji smiled, grabbing a few of therge servings which were ced in sleek, ck bowls.

    "Thanks," he nodded with a smallugh.

    After settling down, the time for supper came to the pleasure of the entire group, who were all ready for a nice, warm meal.

    Without any manners, Yeong-Un immediately began shoveling food into his mouth, while Sol, Eunji, and Ma-Ri did a small prayer before beginning their meal.

    It was something that struck him as odd still: the fact that people still seemed to pray in this world.

    ¡­It''s not like God is going to aid us. He''s the one that threw us into this mess. It just seems¡­pointless, he thought.

    It was a small thing, but it didn''t bother him much¨Che knew what was likely the real reason: maintaining their previous way of life.

    In the falling world, people clung to whatever semnces of the world before Armageddon they could.

 Chapter 99 Last Night Before...

    "Amazing¡­" Sol let out a satisfied sigh, "...As amazing as always, Jeong-Hui."

    "Thanks!" Heughed a bit.

    Korain reached over, giving him a yful, but stinging p on the back with augh, "If only your skills as a warrior matched your finesse as a cook! Ha-ha!"

    "...Yeah, yeah," he sighed out with a small chuckle.

    The gloomy atmosphere from before hadpletely vanished at the dinner table, filled by the bickering between Yeong-Un, Sol, and now Korain¨Cthough they kept talking with their mouths full.

    This prompted Ma-Ri to stop all three of them with swift chops to the head, causing them to fall in line like reprimanded children.

    "Just because the world is under a new curtain doesn''t mean we shouldn''t maintain table manners," Ma-Ri scolded them.

    "Yes, ma''am," they all said in unison.

    He couldn''t help butugh, though he did his best not tough too loud as to get the same punishment from the icy-eyed vice-leader.

    Still, he felt his worries wash away when with them. Even if it was only a temporary feeling to fill the haze in his heart, he felt things would go well.

    ¡­I guess today was a long day, wasn''t it? He thought.

    With dinner being finished, he got up, grabbing a few dishes in preparation to begin washing them all, but was stopped.

    "Huh?" He looked up.

    Eunji had stopped his left arm, but Sol had stopped his right in an action he didn''t quite understand.

    "We''ve got this, Jeong-Hui," Sol assured him with a smile, grabbing one of the dishes.

    "You haven''t taken your bath yet," Eunji said, "We can handle this much."

    He paused for a moment, not knowing what to say as for some reason, this small, minuscule persistence of helping almost made him want to cry right then and there.

    "...You sure?" He said.

    Yeong-Un slung his arm around his neck yfully, pulling on his cheek with his azure-painted nails, "Ya'' hard of hearin'' or somethin''? It''s called gratitude, fire-head!"

    Even though the wild-haired, rambunctious adolescent said that, he could tell there was genuine thanks iid in his multi-colored eyes.

    "Ow, ow¡­I hear ya'', I hear ya''," he replied, moving Yeong-Un''s hand away from his cheek.

    As he began to leave, he looked back, seeing the other five all working together to handle the dishes themselves.

    Rubbing his pinched cheek, he smiled to himself while heading to his room for a much needed bath.

    What did I do to deserve such reliable friends? He asked himself.

    Once reaching his room, it was easy enough to deal with his soaking wet, ck uniform as he simply did away with his [Equip], leaving him in his still-dry undergarments, but it didn''t change the fact his body was still drenched.

    For the first time in a while, he set up a bath for himself, delving into the hot, but not scorching water as a sigh offort immediately traveled from his lips.

    "...That hits the spot¡­"

    After sitting there quietly, utterly rxed as he kept his arms lounged on the clean porcin, he decided to check on his stats.

    "System status," he called.

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Level: 24. EXP: 50/1350.]

    [Age: 17. ss: Luminate Assassin.]

    [Health: 3250/3250. Spirit: 3600/3600.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 3.]

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: Level 33/9999 | Current Rank: Disciple]

    [Assassin Arts Proficiency: Level 32/9999]

    Catching his eye were the skill points he had avable, which were practically the most valuable asset in this world, though they weren''t exploitable like that.

    "Let''s see¡­" He muttered to himself.

    Moving his finger in the air, he manifested his personal projection of the skill-tree, looking through the skills avable.

    Hades'' Touch was really useful. If I level that up, it''s duration will increase and the frost will be stronger. After I level that up¡­I''ll be able to ess "Underworld Projection" next¨Cwhatever that is, he thought.

    It was an easy enough choice as he ced all of his skill points into increasing his frost-manifesting skill while lounging in the bath.

    ¡­Well, let''s see what awaits tomorrow. Ever since I reached level twenty, I haven''t had to worry about dailies, which is pretty nice. Though, I had to grill the System to stop alerting me each morning about them. At this point, the experience from them just isn''t worth the effort, he thought.

    During the next day, he took things slow as his muscles were sore and strained from the previous day.

    "You don''t have to help me with this, you know? You should rest," Eunji told him.

    "Don''t stress it," he told her, "...Laying around all day would drive my nuts, anyway."

    They were on the lobby floor, handling the cleaning duties that inevitably had to be divided due to the size of the hotel.

    He was in charge of mopping the smooth, tan-brown floors, dunking the cleaning tool into a bucket of water before continuing.

    "If you say so¡­Thanks, Jeong-Hui," Eunji smiled.

    The girl with short, hazel hair focused on wiping down the walls and cleaning the dust that had clung to them naturally over time.

    "Hey, Jeong-Hui¡­" Eunji called his name, "You mentioned meeting people from across the world in the Sky Dungeon, didn''t you?"

    While they were both cleaning, he replied from across the lobby, continuing to work diligently with a focused smile, "Yeah. What about it?"

    "What was that like?...I mean, we''ve been disconnected from the entire world since the start of all of this," Eunji asked.

    He stopped for a moment, dunking the mop back into the bucket as he put his hand to his chin.

    "Well¡­Oh! We met this really odd guy¨Che was from Japan, actually!"

    "Really?" Eunji looked at him curiously.

    "Mhm, mhm," he nodded, beginning to mop the floors again while talking, "His name was¡­Yaku? Yakem?...Yakeru! Yeah, that one. He was a shy guy, but he used robotic enhancements to fight."

    "Robotic enhancements? I thought manmade weapons didn''t work on Defects," Eunji said.

    "That''s what I thought, too! But, I''m pretty sure it was a unique System he had. Though¡­he wasn''t really willing to tell me," he sighed.

    As they talked away, it didn''t feel like much of a chore to clean the lobby of the hotel. Though it wouldn''t be much longer until once again, his body would be pushed.

 Chapter 100 Worst Of The Worst

    [Two Days Later, Two and A Half Weeks From The Opening of the "Tower"]

    "Hoh! You''re motivated today, aren''t you?!"

    Korain smiled, though it was a pressed expression as he was forced to block the iing, swift strikes from the young man''s pair of wooden daggers.

    They were in the abandoned warehouse just a block from the hotel, filled only by the noises of their boots squeaking against the concrete flooring while they danced in the mock battle.

    "Something like that," he replied between breaths.

    Even though they used wooden weapons for training, it was still taken seriously. For one, there wouldn''t be much of a point in the exercise if it was taken with a grain of salt, and another was¨C

    "Yow!"

    Korain winced, rearing his hand back as the fingers that wrapped around the handle of his wood-made ymore were smacked.

    It was unsurprisingly painful to be smacked by wood that was being swung at superhuman levels of strength.

    "Gotcha!" He celebrated, jumping back before his training partner could retaliate.

    The tall, burly man with ck-and-white, long hair stood still for a moment, breathing against his reddened pinky to try and dull the pain before shaking it.

    "...That you did, that you did¨CI''ll give you that one!" Korain smiled, holding his ymore up again as he pointed it directly at him, "--It''s time you learned why they called me "The Demon" back in university!"

    "The Demon"!? He thought.

    An intense aura exuded from the man''s position as he suddenly rushed forward without any further warning, rearing his de back.

    Korain''s [Equip] had been changed, as after his fight with Radueriel, he discovered he needed more power.

    The muscle-built man now wore a uniform of snow-white, bulky armor forged of seraphic steel, designed with azure stripes and hexagonal designs. Most apparent were the new gauntlets he wore, that were iid with mystical gems that took to an enchanting glow when he prepared for a powerful strike.

    From the sheer explosive speed the linebacker possessed, he found himself pressed to dodge as he evaded with a quick pivot to the right.

    During training, while they used [Equip], they didn''t use any skills¨Climiting his options against his physically superior training opponent as it became a game of finesse and reflex for him.

    Though he pivoted away from Korain''s rush, the man did exactly the same¨Cexploding towards him again with his powerful legs shooting him after him at an rming speed.

    Crap¡­he''s fast! He thought.

    Realizing he''d be caught without being able to use his swift assassin-ss skills forged for such situations, he instead reversed his direction¨Cgoing towards his opponent in a surprising turn.

    Wha¨C? Korain thought in surprise.

    Just as the muscle-bound man swung his wooden ymore in a vertical swipe towards the red-haired assassin''s chest¨Cit missed.

    He faked Korain out, ducked down at thest moment as he countered with a flurry of strikes with his wooden daggers.

    "Grghh¨C! Damn, that stings!" Korain let out.

    After hopping away to avoid a nasty retaliation, he couldn''t help but smile as he caught his breath, seeing Korain shake the sting away from his body.

    Korain pped himself on the chest, unleashing a rejuvenating breath as he smirked, "Damn! You''ve gotten good,d! You''re not using that Sage crap on me, are you?"

    He shook his head, "No¡­I think this is just my natural proficiency rising."

    "Well," Korain exhaled, blowing his low-hanging fringes away from his face as sweat clung to his skin, "It''s pretty impressive, I''ll say. In terms of skill alone, you''re catching up quickly. Gonna leave poor, old me in the dust soon enough. Still¡­there''s one thing you''re missing."

    As Korain gave his impromptu lecture, unnned and from the heart, the man smiled, pointing his wooden de at the adolescent.

    "Yeah?"

    Just then, without any sound or warning, Korain reared his training sword back in an unnatural way before throwing it like a spear directly at him, "--Experience!"

    "Gah¨C!"

    Before he could react to the sudden cheap attack, the tip of the wooden ymore hit him directly on the bridge of his nose.

    Though it hurt, it didn''t do any damage to his body, thanks to the augmentation of the Angel System that shifted his physiology¨Chealth points were only lost when taking dangerous damage.

    "What the hell¡­? That was cheap!"

    He stood there, rubbing his now reddened, aching nose as the tall, boisterous manughed in triumph.

    "Enemies don''t y fair,d. I''m sure you''ve already figured that out yourself. In a real battle, honor and all that crap is thrown out of the window¨Cwhat really matters is winning, no matter what or how," Korain instructed him, picking up his wooden weapon and resting it against his shoulder as he wiped the sweat from his face.

    As the man wiped theyer of sweat from his chin, he sat down on one of the crates with a satisfied smirk, seeing the annoyance on his expression.

    "...I know that already. Obviously I''m not expecting cheap crap like that while we''re training!...And what if it doesn''t matter?" He asked.

    "What if what?" Korain looked at him.

    "What if there''s no more fighting after we reach the Tower?"

    "Jeong-Hui," Korain looked at him with an exasperated expression.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He couldn''t cling to that thought process either, letting out a sigh, "...I know. Just a pipe dream, isn''t it?"

    "It''s all just theories anyway, but we might as well prepare for the worst," Korain assured him, standing up as he wiped himself off with a towel, tossing him one as well, "I''m heading out¨Cyou''ve got noon patrol, right? You should probably head out soon."

    "Yeah, I know," he caught the towel, watching as Korain headed out while he drank from a water bottle.

    They had been training since the break of dawn, and it seemed to be encroaching on noon now. This routine of training was more for building personal experience outside of the system, but it did seem to slowly but surely raise his proficiency.

    [Tactical Proficiency: +1 | Level 4/9999]

    It was a recent development, but he realized that there were a multitude of "proficiencies" that his Sage System was raising, but it only disyed to him the two most important aspects he focused on most of the time: [Assassin] and [Taekwondo].

    I had to personally talk to the Sage System to get it to show me every proficiency I was raising¨Ceven my cooking is part of the system! System, disy my cooking proficiency, he thought.

    [Culinary Proficiency: 10/9999]

    He shuddered just imagining what a max proficiency chef entailed.

    Picking himself up from the crate he sat on in the dustyered warehouse, he crumpled up and tossed the water bottle aside before heading out.

    "...Another day, another patrol¡­" He yawned out while stretching his arms above his head.

    Going onto the streets of Samseong-Dong, the chilly nature of the morning still held onto the air around him as he kept himself tucked into the ck-and-silver coat of his.

    It was usually quiet along the streets; there was a lot of ground to cover for patrol, and not many members of Gangcheori¨Conly fifteen in total, and half had other jobs to take care of, resulting in his walks being lonely most of the time.

    It''s not really expected I''ll run into anything. I''m kind of just like the "sweeper"--if anything somehow got past the walls, then it''s my job to find it and exterminate it. I''ve only ever found a single Defect, and it was aplete pushover anyway, he thought.

    Going block-from-block, he wound up by one of the famous parks of Samseong-Dong, however, as there was nobody to maintain it any longer, the luscious, verdant grass had withered away to a decrepit, light-brown.

    It was surprisingly set beside arge, behemoth of a mall: the CONEXUS Mall, which still had all of its exuberant, digital lights shing even in the abandoned state of the world.

    The park itself was neighbored by a captivating ce itself, located at the heart of the fallen metropolis: Bongeunsa Temple, a buddhist temple that still remained untouched by the erosion of Armageddon.

    ¡­It''s been so long since I actually went in, he thought.

    Looking around, he decided to venture through the main gate, which was manifested in a tall archway, entered through scarlet-designed doors.

    A walkway paved of pale-gray stone followed, next to a verdant, silent garden in which faint trails of water still traveled through, providing sustenance to the curved trees of the old temple.

    Finding his way into the main area, overlooked by a hanging sea of red balloons, he passed by the seles which were inscribed with buddhist texts.

    It was a surreal feeling¨Cwalking through the silent temple in which many used to walk its domain, and many who built and maintained it.

    "--"

    He breathed out slowly, taking in the sight and the tranquil silence before suddenly¨Ca dense aura birthed itself into his senses.

    [Notification to all [yers] of the Armageddon Game]

    Huh¡­? He thought.

    It was the monotone voice of the System, speaking directly to his mind, unprompted.

    [Congrattions for surviving this far into the game. Your efforts aremendable. However, with the opening of the Tower nearing, it is time to enter the final phase of this game''s beginning.]

    Final phase¡­? Wait¨C"game''s beginning"--then¡­is this all really just the warm-up before the Tower? He thought.

    [As the Earth has been weakened, shattered, and left fractured, the seals of divinity that have prevented the forces of evil from seeping into the realm of humans have weakened. Now, those seals havepletely copsed.]

    "Seals¡­?" He whispered to himself.

    ¨C

    It wasn''t just him¨Ceverybody within Gangcheori was receiving the same, widespread notification from the System''s origin.

    "The hell is goin'' on?" Yeong-Un barked, d in sweat from practicing sword swings in his room.

    ¨C

    "Hoh¡­Interesting," Baek-Hyeon held an unwavering, confident smile at this news.

    ¨C

    Sitting in his office, Dae-Seong remained silent, listening in on this announcement with a resolved, honed gaze.

    ¨C

    [As of right now, the forces of Hell, the Underworld, Naraka¡­Whatever you know the realm of evil, of sin to be¡­it''s gates are now intertwined with that of Earth. As such, enemies of a different magnitude will now surface¨Cwith the intent of chaos and destruction.]

    [Good luck, yers. There is approximately [16 days, 17 hours, 35 minutes, and 40 seconds] until the Tower opens]

    [Let the [Last Culling] Begin.]

 Chapter 101 On The Run

    With that announcement settled, he felt a bloodlust surge from behind him, given no time to think.

    It immediately forced him to turn around as a loud stomp echoed behind him, forcing his vision toe into contact with a harrowing sight:

    It was a humanoid, but obviously not a human; dressed in golden, exuberant attire that jingled with the slightest movements like a set ofvish chainmail, it wore a headpiece of the same, bright metal.

    What frightened him was its face; it waspletely inhuman¨Calmost demonic in nature with a snow-whiteplexion, fierce, unblinking eyes of violence, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

    [Enemy Identified: "Rakshasa" | Level 25]

    "Rakshasa"--? He thought in surprise, A man-eater¡­? What the hell is this doing here? Is it a Defect?!

    He didn''t have much time to ponder its existence as he witnessed four arms unveiled from the tall, humanoid entity''s body, wielding curved, scarlet des in each of its muscr, gold-d hands.

    As he prepared to engage it, he immediately stopped as all of his instincts fired off as he felt an inexplicable sense of danger surrounding him.

    What¡­is this? He thought.

    A cold sweat left his pores as he looked behind him to confirm the suspicions of his instincts.

    He felt his blood chill as he witnessed multiple Rakshasa behind him, climbing over the scarlet, sloped roofs of the temple buildings.

    ¡­Three? No¨Cthere''s more! He realized.

    Looking to his left, he found another two approaching silently, all wielding four des and dressed in simr, gold attire¨Cthough with some differences as some wore robes of gold, and some full sets of shining armor.

    Before he could make any sort of n, he was forced to flip backwards onto his hands and back to his feet to avoid a sudden sh from the initial man-eater, who hissed at him.

    This is bad¡­! All of these made it past the walls¡­? Or did they descend from above? No¡­we have people watching the skies too¨Cwhat''s going on here?! That announcement wasn''t lying¡­was it? It''s already beginning?! He questioned.

    Without hesitating, he bolted towards the attacking Rakshasa, using a [Blink Step] to juke past the swing of its des as he continued sprinting, retreating from the seemingly unwinnable battle.

    As he ran at full speed, he looked back, finding the group of Rakshasa trailing behind him as they were clearly slower than him.

    Alright, good¡­I''ll make it back to the hotel, and warn the othe¨Che thought.

    However, his thoughts ceased, or rather¨Ccut offpletely as in the path of his tactical retreat, something crashed down into the stone ground with a heavy, dramatic impact.

    Through the cloud of dust kicked up from the cratered stone, the System managed to identify what hadnded:

    [Enemy Identified: "Demon King: Hadimba" | Level 37]

    ¨CHe wanted to puke just seeing that level, finding his own thoughts caught in a lump within his throat as he looked up silently in disbelief.

    It was a tall humanoid, possessing six arms and dark, crimson skin and a lengthy, jeweled beard with fearsome, demonic eyes apanying the vicious aura exuding from the many weapons he wielded in his just as plentiful limbs.

    Something is wrong. None of this makes sense. This isn''t how this works, he thought.

    It was only then that he looked up to notice something perhaps even more daunting: the permanent swirl of clouds that upied the sky had been dyed to a crimson, leaving a red hue over the sky itself.

    Suddenly, the coldness of the morning had be the heat of the noon as he was faced with a perplexing, frightening situation.

    Before he could be swallowed by fear, he forced himself to adjust his uneven breathing, focusing himself just as a swing of a massive cleaver-like de wielding by the boss foe came towards him, allowing himself to roll under it.

    Passing beneath it, he could see the blue-tinged steel in his heightened perception, watching it slide over his vision, just inches from slicing through his face.

    In the path of the dodged de, the stone flooring was carved up and flung in a wave of debris.

    Rolling right past the overleveled entity, he continued sprinting without a second thought, pushing his legs to their limit as he ran at superhuman-levels of speed.

    I''m not dumb enough to try fighting something like that! "Final Culling"...This is it! This is the final stretch before the Tower! That "God" is trying to finish off as many "weak links" as he can before opening that ce up, he thought.

    After believing to have lost the colossal humanoid foe, he looked to the side before¨C<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨CSWOOSH.

    He swerved his gaze to the right, finding the five-meter tall, royally-dressed humanoid with six arms suddenly right beside him with jarring speed, matching his agility as it sprinted alongside him while rearing its plethora of weapons back.

    As if nothing but pebbles in its path, the demonic humanoid stomped across the abandoned cars in its path without batting an eye, smashing their metallic exteriors with its thunderous stomps.

    It''s here¨C? It matched my speed?! This isn''t fair¨C! He thought.

    As it went for an attack, he had no choice but to halt his mach-sprint as he jumped back, avoiding a downfall of a war-ax and curved sword, which cratered down onto the street with an impact replicating the boom of roaring thunder.

    The wind pressure released from the demonic entity''s attack caused him to be blown back, mming past the ss windows of the mall behind him.

    "Grgh¨C!"

    He rolled back, using the momentum to his advantage to minimize thending to receive no damage¨Cfinding himself in the contemporary interior of the mall, surrounded by digital kiosks.

    The gold-dressed demon king barged through the windows with a simple stride, breaking through the ceiling as if it were no different than ss itself.

    Shit, it''s really after me, isn''t it¡­?! He thought.

    As he watched the boss entity stop a dozen meters away, using the scarce time to regain his breath after the harsh blowback, he witnessed a fiery essence propel from the form of the illustrious, humanoid demon who presented his sharp fangs.

    "Crap¡­That can''t mean anything good, can it?" He mumbled to himself.

    Just as he used a [Blink Step] upwards,nding atop a digital, advertising pir, an enormous set of me-amplified shes swept through the lobby of the mall, bisecting the pir he used as a temporary foothold.

    ¡­I would''ve died if thatnded, he realized.

    Before his foothold could crash, he hopped over to the next one, repeating this maneuver as the gargantuan boss continued to unleash fiery shes in his direction.

    The entire mall rumbled beneath the power of the enraged, demonic foe who roared out with a mixture of a bellowing yell and a distorted screech that pierced his ears.

    "Argh¨C!" He covered his ears.

    It would be difficult to move across the electronic pirs normally with all of the rumbling taking ce as mes exploded and stretched out along the building, but his assassin proficiency proved invaluable as he was as steady as stone.

    ? Before he could retreat into the next section of the mall, a couple of the Rakshasa blocked his path, bearing their devilish fangs as they pped their swords together as if coaxing him into a fight.

    "I don''t have time for you¨C!" He yelled out.

    Using one of their heads as a foothold, heunched off of the Rakshasa''s head, leaving it to be eviscerated by an iing sh of mes from the stampeding, colossal boss-version of them.

    He only looked back briefly while running through the center of the illustrious mall, witnessing the crimson-tinged, demonic king burst through the low-hanging ceiling of the previous area as he roared out again.

    I wonder if it''ll be a bad thing to go to the hotel now?...What if I drag this thing there into unsuspecting members of Gangcheori? Still¡­there''s no way I''m beating this thing alone! He thought.

    As he turned around to check how far it was behind him, he was faced with a terrifying tunnel of mes burrowing directly towards him in an unholy, scarlet swirl.

    There wasn''t any time to use a spell to block the iing mes¨Cfor some reason, in that moment of heightened perception, thanks to his Sage System, he remembered his earlier conversation with Korain:

    "Experience!" ¨CThat abrasive reminder struck through his mind like the chime of a bell as he acted without further hesitation.

    Kicking the legs from the stic table beside him that held pamphlets on its surface, he swung it around and nted it in front of him like a shield, lowering down behind it just in time as the scarlet, demonic mes mmed against its surface.

    "Hold¡­!" He yelled through clenched teeth.

    As he held the table in ce by its handles, he could see, smell, and feel the stic melting against the overwhelming heat.

    It''s not going tost¡­! Think! He told himself.

 Chapter 102 A Secret Technique That Starts With "R"!

    It''s not going tost¡­! Think! He told himself.

    Moving mostly on instinct and quick, sessive thoughts, he picked the table up, using it to shield the mes beforeunching it forward with a kick, momentarily diverting the mes as he dashed to the side.

    After using an instantaneous step tounch atop an electronic pir then crawling onto the second floor, he could see the six-armed boss still spewing the red mes from his demonic maw.

    The many pieces of jewelry; gold, sapphire, ruby, and emeralds alike, jingled in the fiery winds forged from the Demon King''s breath.

    It finally seemed to notice that he had moved once the stic table had been reduced to a condensed ball of melted stic, pulling its head to the side as the far-stretching cone of mes moved upwards towards up.

    "Crap¨C!"

    He quickly began to rush across the marble-floored second floor as the beam of scarlet mes chased him, chewing through the stores in its path as ss shattered and materials melted.

    Ducking through a sudden turn of the mes that went overhead, he struggled not to fall as he temporarily moved on all fours to pick himself up, rushing over as he found a flight of stairs to descend.

    No time was wasted sliding down the railings of those white-made stairs, reaching a different section of the humongous mall that had yet to be reached by the boss.

    Now''s my chance¡­! He thought.

    "Cast: Conceal!" He invoked.

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 3550/3600]

    The assassin-ss spell that embodied the very nature of stealthiness turned him nearlypletely invisible, leaving his footsteps untraceable and even his breaths unheard.

    Even dressed in all-ck, which stood out amidst the contemporary, snow-white section of the building, he became nearly impossible to see.

    He still kept cautious in his step, moving carefully around the narrow area of the mall as the thunderous footsteps of the jeweled, humanoid demon approached nearer and nearer.

    With a booming crash, Hadimba barged through the other side of the staircase with a single thrust of its gargantuan de, marching forward as it stopped¨Clooking around for him as he remained still.

    Even though he was concealed almost perfectly, it still wasn''t quite impervious in nature: if the enemy focused hard enough, they could still find him.

    ¡­I can''t let my guard down now. Even if my concealment worked, if I''m careless¨Cit won''t mean anything! He thought.

    He kept to the bushes, using them as an extrayer of protection from the sight of the demonic entity''s eyes as it slowly marched forward, sending tremors through the hall with each step, scanning the area.

    Its breaths were heavy, exuding in a rumble reminiscent of a vehicle''s engine. With every step it took, drawing further into the hall, it filled the width of the narrow space, stretching each of its six, scarlet-tinged arms out as its illustrious jewels dangled and jingled.

    With its arms outstretched, the blue-steel of its demonic weapons scraped across the once perfect, immacte walls of the mall, releasing an ear-filling screech as the tusked-demon moved closer.

    He remained perfectly still now, ducking behind a withered bush as he still quieted his breathing just out of instinct.

    "--"

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    Those stomps which rung against his ears like bombs were apanied by the constant jingling of the scarlet-skinned, bearded giant''s dress of gold jewely, ovepping a glistening, metal-ted tunic.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­Just pass by! He thought to himself.

    ¨CIt stopped.

    Hadima fell still; it was clear by the sounds of his previous steps before halting that the ludicrously powerful entity was but a few stomps away from him, but he didn''t turn back to check.

    It waspletely silent¨Ceerily so.

    Within his own concealment, not even his own breaths were heard. This prompted him to slowly look back, checking where the colossal, jeweled demon was¨C

    He froze.

    In his veins, his blood ran cold, and for a moment¨Chis heart stopped. But once it resumed¨Cit pounded against his chest¨Cba-dump. Ba-dump. Badump.

    It was right there; bent over, meeting him face-to-face and looking directly at him with its inhuman, bloodthirsty gaze of spiraling, crimson irises. It exuded heated, heavy breaths through its pierced nostrils, breathing out as he struggled to do the same, with his body frozen in totality from the insurmountable fear engraved in that very moment.

    What finally released him from the icy grips of dread was the tusked, human-like demon opening his mouth full of countless, razor-sharp fangs and unleashing a distorted howl that dered its violent intent.

    "Grgh¨C!"

    He immediately flipped up, using his taekwondo proficiency to spin his lower body into a crescent kick directly against the massive being''s jaw before sprinting down the hall.

    The kick itself did absolutely nothing to the decorated demon, in fact, it hurt his own leg from how sturdy the entity was, but he used that moment to run with all of his might.

    ¡­Shit! He thought.

    Bursting off with such speed caused his concealment to wear off, prompting him to move with the fear of death chasing behind his heel.

    Again, that monstrous speed was disyed once again as the surprisingly nimble giant shot forward before leaping over his head with a stomach-dropping shadow soaring over him.

    Cutting off his path, the demonic giant crashed down in front of him, spreading its six, muscr arms out as each of its violent weapons shined with malicious intent.

    "What''s your damn problem?!" He yelled out in half frustration, half fear.

    All he got in return was a booming roar from the golden-dressed demon, who once again exuded a fiery aura.

    The tangible, supernatural mes that enveloped the body of the demon shifted the air, heating it and bubbling it up as the surrounding tile began to melt and tremble.

    "--"

    His breathing became slower and more strenuous while being near the six-armed demon, sweat being reeled from his pores as he gulped, pondering his options.

    It''s persistent, fast, and in another realm of power from myself. What the hell do I even do?! He questioned himself.

    Even with all of the tactical experience he thought he''d rued, and further bolstered by his optimizing system¨Cthere was still only one concept in his mind:

    Run! He thought.

 Chapter 103 A Hopeless Wall

    Waiting for the perfect moment as the demonic foe winded up for another attack, he bolted forward, using a [Blink Step] to dash between its nted legs and continuing past it in haste.

    But, he knew a bit of distance would be easily covered by the swiftness of the high-leveled demon.

    ¡­Alright, let''s lose him! He thought.

    This time, he immediately used sessive, instantaneous steps to duck into one of the stores within the mall, tossing himself into a woman''s clothing store within moments of executing his glorified retreat.

    "--"

    He breathed out quietly, hearing confused stomps from the demon as he slowly, and quietly, opened the door stationed at the back of the clothing store.

    To his luck, it led into a storage warehouse that seemed interconnected to all of the stores, but separated from the main section of the mall.

    Bingo¡­! He thought.

    He immediately raced down its unknown length, pushing past abandoned, dusty crates and palettes, aiming his sights on the door with an unmissable "EXIST" sign stered above it.

    "--"

    BOOM.

    ¨CAgain, the persistent, tenacious, and dreadful being crashed through one of the walls with enough force to produce a burst of wind that howled forth.

    "Again?!"

    It was beginning to feel futile and repetitive, though he could hardly feel annoyed as fear and desperation is what coated his mind.

    As it swung its des, producing range-less shes of fire towards him, he prioritized only defensive maneuvers as he raced past it.

    Swiftly lifting up and throwing crates, tossing a bundle of clothes in the air to disturb the demonic boss'' sight, he was able to get past it and through the exit with a harsh kick to the handle of the door, mming it open as he rushed out.

    This time as it crashed through the brick wall to follow after him, he drew his daggers, using this moment to go for an attack of his own¨Chaving already leapt up to a point above its head.

    Sage Period, activate!

    "Hell''s Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -350. Remaining Spirit: 3200/3600]

    It was abination of [Ripper], [Dark Edge], and [me Lance], creating an amplification of powerful darkness around his dual-wielded daggers, enveloping them with the aspect of roaring, ck mes, and finishing it with a dozen, weak-point targeting attacks all within an instant.

    Before the colossal, demonic being could recognize his position, he unleashed each of his shes without mercy, going so far as to push his muscles to their limit to include every ounce of strength he could in the attack.

    I know this won''t kill it, but it should at least hurt it enough to give me time to get away! He nned.

    The trail left by his shes were of ck, curving mes, left across the golden-jeweled, humanoid demon after he finished his assault, rolling as hended back down onto the sediment-coated sidewalk.

    Good!...That should do it, right¨C? He thought

    Or so he hoped.

    Standing tall and unmoving, covered in the residual, dark embers, Hadimba simply looked at him as if perplexed by the series of bugbites left on his form.

    No way¡­! He thought.

    It wasn''t his most powerful attack, but it was high enough up there that it made him realize one, simple fact: he could not beat the enemy before him.

    There was not a scratch left on the red-skin of the demonic colossus, and not a nick that etched itself on the many jewels he wore.

    "...Shit!" He yelled out in frustration.

    Sage Period, deactivate!--He thought.

    It was a miracle his reflexes guided him to release Sage Period, just in time for what came next.

    ¨CAs if punishing his previouspse of judgment, a strike so swift, so vicious, swept across his vision before he could react, leaving him standing frozen for a moment as his mind adjusted to what had just urred.

    A fountain of blood shot out in front of him, or rather¨Cfrom him.

    "Gyugh¡­!"

    Across his chest, stretching diagonally from his right shoulder and down to his left hip, a massive gash split open from the unseen, sharp sh, leaving a spray of blood on the concrete in front of him as his body ran cold in a veil of dread.

    [Health Points: -2000. Remaining Health Points: 1250/3250]

    It was at least clear where the attack came from, as through his trembling vision he could see Hadimba returning his massive, cleaver-like sword back after it had been coated in blood.

    There was already a shallow pool of blood beneath him just seconds after being shed, leaving him no choice but to test out a new ability developed through his Sage System''s optimization of his body.

    It was something born from his martial arts proficiency being risen from his previous battle:

    "Raaaagh¨C!"

    He screamed out from the top of his lungs, from the bottom of his gut, clenching all of his muscles to their maximum, causing hisplexion to shift to a strained red just like his very own blood that stained his ck uniform.

    "Flesh Temple," was the name of the technique¨Cone bordering on superhuman, yet teetering just on that threshold of what was humanly possible.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Through almost supernatural control of his own body, he managed topress and flex the muscles around the open gash on his chest, forcing it to close through a rock-solid, sealed flex that remained.

    "--"

    He panted, feeling a surge of pain flow through his body after using such a brutal technique, but the bleeding had sessfully stopped.

    [Remaining Health Points: 950/3250]

    The blood loss had caused his health to dwindle further, now testing the threshold between life and death, but¨Che was alive, at least for the time being.

    As if interested in the unorthodox technique, Hadimba had spectated his countermeasure to blood loss before finally making his move once more, raising all six of his weapon-wielding hands as if disying his intent to attack once more.

    Shit¡­He thought.

    While out of breath, he held his daggers up, but felt just how dreadful the situation was; surrounding him in the abandoned street corner, the Rakshasa arrived once more,nding atop the stationary vehicles.

    There was no avenue of escape now, the man-eaters salivated as they ng their des together in a chime as if coaxing the colossal, crimson-skinned leader of theirs to finish him off.

    "...Just great¡­two times in a row this week I get a personal confrontation with death, huh?" He muttered to himself.

    As the dozen Rakshasa closed in, presenting their flesh-eating, vicious teeth with their tattooed tongues hanging from their mouths, he huffed, gathering what little energy he could to prepare for the impossible battle.

    Swoosh.

    Before his eyes, he witnessed a sh sweep across his vision, going straight through the necks of the two closest Rakshasa.

    That same, tinum light sharply turned, bouncing from one te to another as a trail of radiance was left, sweeping through each and every Rakshasa within a second.

    A hum resounded, filling the air with a fluctuating heat that sat in contention to the gloomy, crimson horizon above; the zig-zagging, curved stream of light surrounded him, but only touched his enemies.

    After the blinding blitz finished, the one responsible for the swift attack finally appeared, leading the trail of tinum light as a fur-lined, ck cape flowed behind their back, almost blending with their fluttering, jet-ck, silken hair.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Ma-Ri | Level: 30]

    Not a momentter, each of the Rakshasa''s heads popped off, resulting in many geysers of blood raining down.

    The rapier-wielding woman turned back, looking at him as her golden-badged, white-and-ck uniform of sleek, flexible leather and a ck skirt apanied by the same colored leggings, looking at him with her unwavering gaze.

    "Jeong-Hui. Return to the hotel at once," Ma-Ri issued hermand.

    "But, that thing is too strong¨Ceven for you, Ma-Ri!" He contested.

    Though his point was easily countered by his own actions as he attempted to step forward by her side, but keeled over in pain as the simplest movements caused his temporarily-closed wound to reopen partly.

    "You''ve taken critical injuries," Ma-Ri told him, "Eunji will heal you. I can handle this¨Cworry not, others will be on their way to help me."

    "--"

    It was difficult to swallow, but his worries were aided somewhat as he looked up just in time to witness Hadimba going for a strike with three of its arms, swinging downward towards the ck-haired, co-leader of Gangcheori.

    With a movement of her needle-like de that resulted in a sh of light, the tri-attack was repelled swiftly.

    "Go," Ma-Ri repeated, "That''s an order, Jeong-Hui."

    He gritted his teeth, finally epting his own position as he ran the other way, holding his chest to help his muscles mp shut as running made it difficult to concentrate his abnormally flexed chest muscles.

    Don''t die, Ma-Ri! He thought.

    Racing through the car-filled streets, he could feel the massive, temporarily-closed gash on his chest burning with a fiery pain, yearning to open as trickles of blood still managed to seep through slowly, running against his hand.

    Coughing out, something emerged within him¨Ca desperation crawling through his skin right before a pain clenched itself into his body, causing his next cough to spit out crimson fluid.

    Huh¡­? He thought.

    He was already a few blocks away, too far from Ma-Ri as he could hear their sh continuing, but he was unable to move forward, instead falling to his knees as an inexplicable agony took hold of him.

    What¡­is this? He wondered.

    Looking down, he realized where it originated from: the forcibly-shut wound across his upper-body; it was searing, releasing a lofty amount of steam upwards to hisplete, unknowing confusion.

    Why¡­? I don''t understand, he thought.

    It was only then that the pain against his palm was realized by his consciousness as he reared his hand back, looking at the skin of his palm that was clutching his searing wound¨Cseeing that his flesh had been scorched and peeled away.

    He began to understand once seeing the crimson embers that fluttered from his clutched wound that ran alongside the scarce trailings of now heated blood that ran down his chest and abdomen like boiled water.

    ¡­That demon did this. It''s attack¡­holds some sort of burning after-effect? A curse? He guessed.

    It was likely the shock in that moment that kept the pain in the back of the mind, but it all returned as he began to realize what it truly was¨Cscreaming out in agony as the massive gash burned violently.

    Repeatedly, he could feel his numerical life value dropping, sinking low as he was left helpless.

    What should I do? What can I do?...Is this it? Even after being saved¡­? Even after surviving all of this time¨C? This is how it ends?! He thought.

 Chapter 104 Guardian Angel

    It was enraging; the sheer helplessness of his own wound, and unhelping was the scenery before him as he looked up with tears born of a mixture of agony and grief:

    Demons crawled around the distant buildings, screeching out, crawling from the underbelly of the world as they burst through concrete.

    This¡­is the end, he thought.

    It wasn''t just his fate he was considering¨Cthe sheer amount of deathly creatures of otherworldly forms birthing into the world with malicious intent was something beyond his imagination.

    A few caught wind of him as he was knelt in the middle of the street, likely through the stench of burning blood that rose from his ursed wound.

    ck-skinned,nky humanoid demons crawled across the walls of the surrounding buildings, dragging their lengthy tongues against the air as they sought his flesh out.

    A massive, minotaur-esque demon of sooty, brown fur stomped towards him, wielding a hammer forged of melded bones with a handle made out of spines.

    All he could do was sit there on his knees, witnessing his own end approaching¨Cboth internally and externally.

    ¡­Sorry. Kamou, Myung-Hee, Hyun, Ara¡­I couldn''t make it. Sorry, Mom¡­Even in the end, I couldn''t be somebody you could be proud of, he thought.

    As he began to ept this fate, he looked up with tears in his eyes before, for some inexplicable reason, something bubbled up inside of him: a fire burned in his gut, one intangible, but one that washed away his willingness to die.

    What the hell am I saying¡­?! He thought.

    He forced himself to his feet as his legs trembled beneath him, weakened from the heavy blood loss as he pushed past the pain with heavy, uneven breaths.

    I fought all of this time. I lost so much¡­so why the hell would Iy down and take it now?! If there''s even a glimmer of hope¨Cif there''s even a chance in hell¨Ctake it! He told himself.

    This resolve came just in time as he managed to evade an iing strike that came in the form of one of the grotesquely elongated tongues of the no-eyed, crawling demons, using a [Blink Step] to jump back.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    He felt his wound sear from the sudden movement, but he knew it was better than being caught by the attack.

    Despite dodging that attack, his reflexes were dulled by his critical state, having his left wrist suddenly bound by another one of the crawling creature''s slimy, ck tongues.

    "--!"

    It began to reel him in like a catch from ake, tugging him towards its maw that unhinged like a serpent''s, nning to consume him.

    He contested its pull by nting the soles of his boots against the asphalt, but with the little, fleeting strength he had, he stood no chance in fighting against its pull.

    With the slowly stomping, gargantuan minotaur approaching and the other crawlers encroaching on his position rapidly, he flipped the dagger in his free hand around, "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 3000/3600]

    With just a single dagger, he unleashed the onught of shes in a moment, dicing apart the dark tongue and freeing his left hand before pulling away.

    It was a race; faced with so many enemies¨Che had to force himself to act beyond his dwindled limits.

    Everything¨C! Hemanded.

    This order was issued to the Sage System itself as his eyes strained, quickly bing bloodshot as he honed them to their max with forcibly amplified perception and reflexes¨Cpushing past the limits of his own consciousness.

    It allowed him to perfectly react to the three iing, curving tongues from the set of crawlers that sought him out, stomping his foot down as he gripped the handles of his trusty weapons with all of his strength.

    "...Ripper¡­!"

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2800/3600]

    ? Through the fleshy tongues, he swept his daggers with utmost, yet withered speed, tearing them apart before they could reach him as his body strained itself, his skin being pressed with veins all across his body.

    I can do this¡­! He thought.

    Forging space for himself, he now had a direct opening to the three, weakened crawlers from Hell as he took a single step forward before being stopped

    It was a present right beside him¨Cdense, thick, and imposing¨Cbelonging to the towering, four-meter tall minotaur.

    A steamy air exuded from its red nostrils as it looked down at him with beady, crimson eyes.

    All he could do was raise one of his arms before the massive, bone-forged, blunt weapon it wielded was swung against him, causing him to be flung back with an air-cracking impact.

    [Health Points: -500. Remaining Health Points: 450/3250]

    His trajectory was finally stopped once he mmed into a car, being stopped as heid there for a moment, attempting to coax air into his burning lungs.

    Once he finally opened his eyes, looking up at the scarlet clouds that taunted him with an eerieughter, he stood up with swaying vision.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­It hurts¡­He thought.

    With the crawlers and the hellbound minotaur approaching, he attempted to raise both of his arms to prepare for another sh, but only his right hand managed to be raised.

    "Huh¡­?" He let out quietly.

    Looking down, he realized the impact from the bone-club hadpletely disfigured his left arm, causing his forearm to twist in apletely different direction as it dangled with bruising and torn flesh at various points, still miraculously gripping his dagger.

    "Aagh¨C!" He yelled out in pain once his brian finally processed what had happened.

    In hispromised position, the demons closed in on him now, with the giant, grimy minotaur standing before him with steam shooting out from its nostrils.

    ¡­Shit¡­I¡­tried, at least, he told himself.

    As he stood there, holding his shattered arm, he clenched his eyes shut as he witnessed therge, horned fiend drawing its bone-forged weapon back for a lethal, inevitable blow.

    "Lower your head for me, will you?"

    ¨CIt was a masculine voice he didn''t quite recognize, but definitely knew as familiar.

    He didn''t know who, what, or why, but he listened¨Cducking down just as a hum filled the immediate area.

    A grumble from the minotaur sounded out, followed by an ear-filling squelch as the sound of blood raining down on the asphalt met his ears in surprise.

    As he opened his eyes, looking up, he found a tall, gray-uniformed figure standing between him and the minotaur, who had just been mercilessly sliced in half by the man in front of him.

    Snow-white hair that curtained down his back, and a massive build surpassing that of Korain, with a seraphic aura that resounded a reassuring warmth within him¨Che finally recognized who the man was.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Baek-Hyeon. Level: 55 | ss: Angelic Swordsman]

    The white-haired, powerful figure wielded a scarlet odachi, a foreign weapon that sparked with a deadly aura.

    "It''s you¡­?!" He let out.

    Baek-Hyeon nced back at him with his iridescent, golden eyes, holding a reassuring smile, "I made it just in time it seems. Good job holding out for as long as you did, Jeong-Hui."

    Before he could respond, the angelic-powered man returned his gaze forward as his divine locks swayed in the passing breeze, "...Now, let''s handle the rest of you."

    In a burst of speed that caused the mysterious member of Gangcheori to disappear right before his eyes, leaving a spiral of wind in his ce, all of the approaching crawlers were cut into pieces within a moment.

    Baek-Hyeon reappeared in his vision after having finished off the crawlers, now targeting another,rger minotaur that approached, stomping forth with two sets of horns and a two axes forged of bone as well.

    Even asrge in stature as he was, Baek-Hyeon moved with utmost elegance, possessing no wasted movements as heunched forward, spinning around as a single swipe of his scarlet de cut through both the beastly entity''s weapon and through its body.

    The aftermath of the sh left a tear of scarlet electricity propelling forth through the other end of the street.

    It was only a couple seconds, but the man who assimted the Destroying Angel had finished off all of the demons upying the block.

    This speed¡­this power¨Che''s in a different realm from the rest of us, he thought.

    Still, it didn''t change the fact his body was shutting down from the multiple, critical injuries sustained as he fell to one knee again.

    Before he couldpletely fall over face-first into the gravelly asphalt, he was caught by a white-gloved hand against his chest. Again, Baek-Hyeon disyed his inhuman speed by catching him by traversing a block within a moment.

    "I''ve got you, don''t worry," Baek-Hyeon assured him.

    Though he was told that, he couldn''t put much stock into it; "no matter how powerful you are, it doesn''t change the fact I''m as good as dead,"--those were his thoughts.

    However, such was unproven by the man who wielded the authority of Radueriel himself as a divine, golden glow emitted from the hand holding his chest.

    "...?" He looked down with his mouth agape as blood trickled from his bottom lip.

    Before his eyes, his wounds were mended by a mystical force¨Chis shattered arm twisted itself back around to its natural state with all of the bruises and cuts fading away.

    The same happened for the massive gash on his chest as it closedpletely, also returning the life to his body as his consciousness returned in full.

    [Health Points Fully Restored. 3250/3250]

    Baek-Hyeon smiled, "It''s surprising, isn''t it? Though this power I havees from an angel of destruction, it also gave me the ability to heal wounds. Angels are quite amazing, aren''t they?"

 Chapter 105 Zombie Self-Sustain

    He was able to stand on his own, feeling his own chest in surprise before looking up at the golden-eyed man who smiled down at him.

    Something distracted him for a moment after having been healed from the brink of death: a prompt from his Sage System appeared for him:

    [Undying Proficiency: +1 | Level 2/10]

    It was peculiar¨Cit capped out at ten, while everything else capped out before ten-thousand. But, he brushed it off for the time being.

    "Thanks¡­?" He let out in confused gratitude.

    "Of course," Baek-Hyeon nodded, "You''re a hard-working member of Gangcheori. It''s my pleasure to aid you."

    The way the man spoke caught him as abnormal, but he put it aside as the man had just clearly saved his life from the ws of death.

    "Would you like me to escort you back to the hotel? The leader will need your help¨Cthese demons are attacking the building itself now," Baek-Hyeon offered.

    He was about to ept the offer, but stopped as he remembered something, "Wait! Ma-Ri will need your help¨Cshe''s down the block¨Cthere''s a high-level boss enemy she''s fighting alone! Please assist her!"

    Baek-Hyeon looked at him with an idle, nk expression for a moment before nodding, recing his nkness with a vague smile, "Of course. Be safe, Jeong-Hui."

    The man still struck him as odd, but in the hellish horizon that overtook the world, he was needed more than ever.

    Left alone once again after the angel-powered man set off with untraceable speed, he rushed towards the hotel as the sounds of hellspawn seeping into the world filled his ears with a dreadful ambience.

    The streets cracked and spread to give way for them, they howled and scaled the surroundings buildings, and mes swept through the air above: it became Hell on Earth just within the first hour of the "Final Culling".

    By the time he found himself back at the block where the hotel stood, he was met with the sight of barricades being built.

    Helping craft the barriers, the tubby,rge member of Gancheori, Ho-Jun, moved as swiftly as he could, carrying whatever materials he could find; wooden nks, sheets of metal¨Canything to create a new wall around the immediate area.

    "Ho-Jun?!" He called out.

    The round, purple-haired man looked at him in surprise, "Jeong-Hui! There you are!"

    "Huh?"

    "The leader was looking for you¨Che was quite worried, you know?" Ho-Jun informed him, setting down the materials.

    "Less talking, more building!"

    ¨CThe barked order came from the manager of the patrollers, Chang-Ho, who adjusted his sses while his furled, golden locks brushed in the heated breeze.

    There were half a dozen members working on the new barricade, mostly made up of the lower leveled members, while it seemed the strongest in Ma-Ri and Baek-Hyeon were currently out, likely because of him.

    "R-right!" Ho-Jun called out, picking up the materials again as he looked back at him, "Hurry inside, it''s unsafe out here!"

    "...Got it," he nodded.

    Rushing inside, he could feel just how urgent everything was¨Cfinding Korain rushing down the halls with his ymore in hand.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Korain stopped for a moment after ncing a second time at him, "Go see the boss! Get your orders from him!"

    All he did was nod before breaking off in a sprint up the many stairs of the hotel, feeling the pressing nature of the new horizon looming over the world.

    While running up the stairs, ascending each flight in haste, he stopped momentarily to hold onto the silver railings as the entire, towering hotel shook as dust rained down atop his head.

    "What the¡­?"

    It only cemented the spiraling destruction that was seeping into the world now as he pushed himself upward, racing up to the highest floor.

    Finally, he reached the highest floor, where the leader of Gangcheori''s office sat, prompting him to burst through without much hesitation as he huffed and caught his breath.

    The silver-haired, stoic leader stood by therge windows of his office space that overlooked the scarlet horizon, "...Jeong-Hui."

    "Dae-Seong," he said while catching his breath, "...What''s the n here¡­?"

    "We''re going to do the best that we can with the little time afforded to us," Dae-Seong turned to face him, adjusting his sses, "...That God up in the sky truly ns to eradicate us¨Cthis event has made that clear¡­Right now, there are a few priorities: one; secure the barricade around the immediate block. Two; eliminate the approaching fiends while the others build the barricade. Three; scavenge for necessary supplies around the neighborhood¨Cbut not too far away."

    As Dae-Seong exined these three, key roles, it was clear what his next words would be as he looked straight at the exasperated young man who had just looked death in the face minutes prior.

    "...Which will you partake, Jeong-Hui? I trust your judgment; choose what you think you will be most beneficial in doing," Dae-Seong asked him, putting his hands on his leather chair as he stood firm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Which do I do? Build the barricade, protect the builders, or hunt supplies¡­? He questioned.

    It was a difficult choice, and one that needed an answer soon as there was no time to be wasted beneath the horizon of hell.

    "I''ll¡­secure Gangcheori supplies," he chose, clenching his fists.

    It was the clear choice for him; against the newly-risen fiends, it was a gamble whether he''d be able to handle them, and he wasn''t particrly good with as craftsman¨Cso the only choice was to use his nimble, stealth abilities to hunt supplies.

    "I see," Dae-Seong replied, grabbing a small paper and quickly writing down on it while continuing, "We''ll need more rations. Try and find non-perishable items; canned goods, if possible. Beyond that, if you can find medicinal products¨Cfirst-aid, pills, anything¨Cdon''t hesitate to grab it. We''ll need everything we can get."

    After exining this, Dae-Seong handed him the paper he had quickly written down on, which he epted.

    Written on it were the items of note he should look for, and which stores would likely hold them.

    "Can you do it?" Dae-Seong asked onest time.

    He read the list before nodding, "Yeah, I''ve got this!"

    With both efficiency and stealthiness being key to this impromptu mission, he left the bounds of the exuberant lodge through a back door, venturing out as he pulled his azure scarf up above his nose with the veil of ash and embers roaming through the air.

    It had been no more than an hour, at most, yet the entire world had been turned into a hellscape.

    "Still¡­That reminds me, what was this "Undying Proficiency" all about?" He mumbled to himself while quietly moving through the alleyways of the city.

    ["Undying Proficiency" ¨C It is the core of your tenacity, force of will, and strength¨Call in the face of death. By cultivating your Undying Proficiency, you will adapt new skills to counteract dangerous situations. In fact, you acquired a new skill when leveling up this proficiency earlier.]

    It was the masculine, empathetic voice of his unique system that informed him of this, speaking directly to his consciousness as he made sure to quietly move around the dark alleys, scoping out the area for stores holding the needed supplies.

    "...I did?" He finally asked after checking each direction past the grimy walls of the alley.

    [You did. You have acquired "Zombie Self-Sustain" at the base level. This ability also has its own proficiency scaling.]

    "Zombie Self-Sustain? What is that¡­? Sounds kinda creepy," he asked quietly.

    While speaking to his personal System, he crossed the street after confirming the prowling demons were facing the other direction, rushing over to the abandoned establishment on the other side of the street he entered through the shattered window.

    It was an abandoned supermarket, "T-Mart", which was barely illuminated by a low-hanging, fluorescent light that flickered.

    ["Zombie Self-Sustain" is a general ability that grants you a minor level of regeneration. More importantly, it allows you to operate more efficiently with wounds, and bestows you a heightened endurance. As for raising your proficiency with it: allowing small wounds to be recovered from its self-rejuvenating properties will work towards evolving it. The same goes for operating in strainful events guing your body.]

    "Huh¡­Sounds pretty amazing, actually," he muttered while carefully walking through the desecrated supermarket.

    The market was, of course, ransacked, but it didn''t seempletely empty¨Cin fact, most items were in stock, for better or worse.

    What brought a negative light on this was the fact the perishable items in the store had grown stale, moldy, and rancid, as the section of the store holding an assortment of fruits and vegetables was inhabited by an empire of flies that hung around the decrepit produce.

    "...Ugh¡­" He scrunched his nose, moving away from that area.

    As he wandered around, he found his way to the section that held the bulk of canned food, mostly made up of soups, kimchi, and tuna.

    Though as he began grabbing some cans, he realized an error in this mission: he couldn''t quite carry a lot.

    "...Crap, I need a backpack, or something¡­"

    It was the difference between normal items, and things forged by Angel Shops: the products that were avable in the divine stores were made by the same, unknown power that was integral to the existence of Systems itself.

    As he wandered through the aisles, he passed by white shelves of old magazines¨Cprompting him to stop and check them out for a moment.

    "...Huh."

    It was the usual magazines: pop coverage, traveling, of-the-day fashion, and celebrity gossip.

    Though magazines were something that never caught his eye, looking at them now was like peering through a window of the world before Armageddon.

    Seeing the pirs of the idol world, the daily news, sights of the world before the mess it was flung into¨Cit felt so distant, yet it had only been months.

    ¡­Focus, Jeong-Hui, he told himself.

    He set the magazine back onto the shelf, but not before hearing a can topple onto the floor. The jarring sound came from a few aisles away, prompting him to quietly draw one of his daggers as he remained vignt.

 Chapter 106 Through Total Darkness

    Inplete honesty, he wished not to have to fight anything during this scavenge. After the skirmish with the Rakshasa, Hadimba, and the other rising fiends¨Che was exhausted. Still, despite knowing he was tired, he still felt as if he could go on for another two days.

    Must be that "Zombie Self-Sustain" at work¨Cneat, he thought.

    Another can falling over sounded out as he quietly walked¨Cthis time sounding out from just the next aisle over, prompting him to rush around the corner and bursting forth with a swift session of [Blink Steps].

    He initiated his agile assault with a kick off of one of the shelves, bringing his de forward before¨Che stopped.

    "I yield! I yield!"

    ¨CIt was a person.

    Only a hair away; that''s how close the edge of his ckened dagger was from the neck of the unknown person.

    "Huh¡­?" He let out in confusion.

    They were much smaller in build, with long, silken hair that came in a light-gray, soft shade. The mysterious person had flinched, hiding behind their arms, which were dressed in a long-sleeved, olive tunic.

    It was impossible to decipher their gender; one one hand, their face was feminine¨Cno question, with smooth, pale cheeks and dazzling eyes, and that lengthy curtain of almost mystical, silver hair.

    But, the one thing contesting their feminine side was theirpletely t chest, and the boyish aura they gave off.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Xiaodan | Level: 22 | ss: Luminate Martial Artist]

    Oddly enough, there didn''t seem to be any armor they wore¨Cit was difficult to tell if they were even in [Equip] or not as they wore baggy, beige pants and slippers akin to something a martial arts practitioner would be seen wearing¨Cin movies he''d seen, at least.

    "Err¡­Are you gonna move that de away from my neck?" Xiaodan asked, still holding their arms up with a nervous smile, looking up at him with their pale-green eyes.

    He was stillpletely confused, by a number of things at that, but pulled the weapon away as he felt no hostility from them, "...Yeah, my bad."

    A sigh of relief poured from the adrogynous person''s lips, who ced their leather-gloved hands on their sides.

    They were a full head shorter than him, raising one of their soft, gray eyebrows as they looked at him as if expecting some sort of apology.

    "What''s with the look¡­?" He asked slowly, sheathing his dagger.

    Xiaodan replied, "Nothing. Just wondering if you''re one of "them" or not."

    "..."Them"...? If you''re trying to figure out if I''m some sort of enemy of yours or something, you should know I could''ve cut your neck just now," he assured them.

    "I was perfectly capable of deflecting your attack, but that''s beside the point," Xiaodan folded their arms over their chest, "...You don''t seem like aplete lunatic, so you''re probably fine."

    "What''re you even talking about?" He squinted at them.

    He was still trying to figure it out for himself if this mysterious stranger was a friend or foe still, but he was the one being questioned instead.

    "Those crazy cultists. You haven''t seen them? I think they call themselves¡­Hmm, what was it?" Xiaodan answered, putting their hand to their chin as they pondered.

    The mention of "cultists" made his blood run cold as his eyes widened, looking straight at the youthful, silver-haired person.

    "..."The Last Bastion of God''s Will"..." He answered for them.

    "Yeah, that''s it," Xiaodan snapped their fingers.

    "How do you know them?" He asked.

    It was an urgent question¨Cone with many answers, and little that could possibly calm him.

    The adrogynous, lithe person looked at him, blinking a few times with their bushy, silver eyshes before answering, "Well¡­They sorta chased me here. I''ve been on the run, ehe¡­"

    "Chased¡­?"

    "Yeah! I was in an obsidian dungeon past those huge walls out there¨Cthey tried cornering me, but I''m nimble, you know? Got out of there in a jiff. Still, they''re persistent¡­I don''t doubt they''re still on my trail," Xiaodan exined, recing their serious expression with a carefree smile again, "That''s about the jist of it!"

    ¨CThis was urgent. Even more than the hellish horizon outside, this felt even more pressing than the looming demons.

    "Xiaodan, was it¡­? Are you alone? Do you have a group you''re with?" He asked.

    "Nope," Xiaodan answered, "Just me. Why?"

    He gulped, "Just a few blocks down, there''s apound¨Cwe have a lot of strong yers. We''re staring in a luxury hotel, too¨Cit''s nice. It''s safe there."

    This offer was extended as he knew full well what hell awaited for somebody wandering alone in this world now¨Cbetween the rise of demonic entities and the mysterious yer killers out there, he knew letting them walk away would be the worst case scenario.

    If I just let them go alone¡­It''s no different than killing them! He thought.

    Xiaodan looked up at him as if reading his intent before smiling wide, "Sure! As long as you''ve got food and shelter, I''ll go anywhere!"

    "Really? That easily?" He asked in surprise.

    A growl came from the adrogynous figure''s stomach, prompting them to chuckle embarrassedly, "...Yeah, I''ve kind of been on the run for awhile now. I''m starving. That''s why I came in here!"

    "I see¡­" He let out a sigh of relief, "I came here to stock up on supplies for my group¨Chelp me out and you''ll earn your stay. We need canned food and any sort of medical supplies you can find."

    "Roger, roger!" Xiaodan yfully saluted.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before he could get the opportunity to ask if they were a boy or a girl, Xiaodan marched down the aisles while humming a tune, collecting canned goods.

    ¡­They do realize what the world has gone to, right? He wondered.

    Though he could only be relieved he managed to find them by a stray miracle¨Cotherwise, he could only imagine the worst could''ve happened to them.

    Still¡­if the Bastion is around¡­I''ll have to tell Dae-Seong about this, he thought.

    "Just one thing after another, huh¡­?" He mumbled to himself.

    Finding a backpack, he began tossing all the canned goods he could find, dumping the tins into the red-lined baggage before filling itpletely.

    Xiaodan found one as well¨Ca pink, flower-designed backpack that they filled to the brim before wearing it on their back with a smile.

    They''re a girl then, right? He wondered.

    "All done!" Xiaodan presented with a smile.

    "Good job," heplimented, slinging his filled pack over his back before stopping, looking right at the youthful, lithe figure, "...I''ve got a question."

    Xiaodan tilted their head, "Hm? What is it?"

    "Are you¡­you know¡­a guy or a girl?" He asked, finding it to be an awkward question for some reason.

    The adrogynous, newpanion of a small stature looked at him for a moment with a nk expression before giving him a cheeky smile, "Who knows?"

    "Huh?"

    All he got in response from them was a teasing sticking out of their tongue as Xiaodan began to move out of the building.

    "Huh?! I mean it!"

    Xiaodan chuckled, walking beside him, "It''s no fun if I give you an answer directly."

    "It''s that way then, huh?...Whatever¨Cit doesn''t matter to me which you are," he said, rubbing his head.

    As the two headed back outside onto the streets, he was surprised that the jovial-spirited youth was actually adept at moving stealthy alongside him, following him without making a single sound in their step.

    I wonder if the martial artist ss has some crossover with the assassin ss? He wondered.

    "What''s this ce like, anyway? Is your group¡­?" Xiaodan trailed their question as they moved into the alleyway.

    "They can be rowdy, but they''re all good people¨Ctrust me," he assured them with a smile, "Though they can be a handful sometime¨C"

    As he was walking, his words suddenly cut off as something inexplicable happened: all light vanished from the horizon. It stretched from the sky above; an overwhelming, inescapable darkness that within moments, enveloped everything.

    It was as if a veil of absolute ck had reced the air, imprinting a total, suffocating darkness around them.

    "What¡­?" He let out.

    Raising his hands, he could hardly see them waving in front of his eyes as even his assassin-ss inherit ability to see in the darkness struggled to adapt.

    What''s going on? It''s¡­pitch-ck, he thought.

    He took a step forward, smacking his face against the brick wall of one of the alleyway sides before having his arm grabbed, causing him to jump from the sudden sensation.

    "Hey! I''m right here!"

    ¨CIt was Xiaodan, who moved close enough for him to barely make them out in the absolute darkness.

    "What''s this?...It''spletely ck out here," hemented, "Forget night¨Cthis is something else entirely."

    "If I had to guess¡­It probably has something to do with this "Final Culling" thing that God told us about," Xiaodan theorized.

    "That''s what I was thinking, but¡­Give us a warning or something, you know? This is just unfair, honestly," he whispered, grabbing onto Xiaodan''s wrist, "--Let''s go. We should get back before this gets any more weird."

    He couldn''t see it, but Xiaodan held a slight blush at having their wrist held, being guided behind him as he led the way forward.

    My eyes are adjusting just a bit¡­but all that means is that I can see roughly a meter in front of myself¨Cnothing more. Everything past that meter ispletely ck, he thought.

    "...It''s awfully quiet now, isn''t it?" Xiaodan whispered to him.

    "Now that you mention it¡­yeah, it is," he replied in a whisper as they slowly walked through the alley.

    They were in the middle of the city that was overrun with both Defects and demons, yet it was eerily silent all around them.

    He looked back at Xiaodan, who looked a bit nervous but was still holding a small smile, looking back at him with their verdant eyes.

    "Do you have any spells that can give us some light?" He asked.

    Xiaodan shook their head, "Nope. Sorry, hehe."

    He knew it was a long shot, but it was worth asking. There was only one other option he could think of tobat the all-epassing darkness, but it was something he had never actually tried before.

    "Alright¡­It might work," he mumbled to himself.

 Chapter 107 Show Me What Youre Made Of

    "Alright¡­It might work," he mumbled to himself.

    "Jeong-Hui?" Xiaodan tilted their head, looking up at him as he talked to himself.

    He looked at the silver-haired, androgynous newfoundpanion of his, "I''m going to use a skill of mine¨CI think it''ll work on you as well as long as we remain in physical contact. Got it?"

    "Got it," they nodded in response.

    He breathed in before invoking the spell, "Cast: Conceal."

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2750/3600]

    The existence-hiding spell enveloped the both of them, bringing both of them to a nearplete invisibility.

    "Woah¡­" Xiaodan noted in awe, looking at themselves.

    "It''ll mask our steps and breathing, but¡­still do your best to keep hidden," he told them quietly, "Won''t really help us see any better¡­It''ll even the ying field, though."

    Xiaodan quietly nodded, putting a finger to their lips as if affirming this idea with a small smile. He looked at them for a moment before beginning to walk slowly again, staying partly crouched as he guided them by his hold on their wrist.

    The alleyway was absent of light to every degree, leaving him afraid of the possibility of even bumping into a wall harshly as he wasn''t meticulously familiar with this area.

    "This is bad¡­" He muttered to himself.

    "What''s wrong?" Xiaodan whispered to him.

    He paused for a moment while slowly moving forward, "...I just remembered a couple of my friends are still out here."

    "Oh¡­They''re capable though, right?" Xiaodan asked, looking at him with a smile that sought to assure him.

    "Yeah¡­They are," he replied.

    For now, I have to worry about myself and this one¡­It''s a tall order to get back in this darkness, he thought.

    Continuing on, he did his best to venture through only the alleyways as they were narrow and usually uninhabited by fiends, but eventually¨Che had to walk the streets.

    As soon as they stepped onto the asphalt, the two ventured down the street carefully, with him having to constantly stare down to watch where he was stepping. However¨Csomething met their ears: a chilling hiss that crescendoed into a full-blown scream.

    "What was¡­?"

    Looking back at Xiaodan, he matched their lowered gaze to see that their slipper had stepped not on the asphalt, but on a long, stringy object that resembled flesh.

    ¡­Entrails? He thought.

    "--"

    Xiaodan looked up at him silently, mortified for some reason.

    It was just then he matched where Xiaodan was staring past him, slowly turning around to find himself face-to-face with something so unnatural, so horrifying¨Che froze.

    It had a face like a mask with an abnormally stretched grin that presented its meat-eating fangs andrge, dted eyes that stared directly at him as its tongue unraveled from its mouth.

    A mane of snow-white hair flowed from its red-skinned, giant head, moving and swaying unnaturally.

    [Enemy Recognized: "Leyak" | Level 28]

    It was a disembodied head, though the head alone was asrge as himself, but flowing beneath it, dangling in the air, were a set of entrails; its heart, liver, lungs, intestines¨Call flowing in the dark wings.

    "Get back¡­!"

    Xiaodan, realizing his frozen state, yanked him back before the Leyak could do anything, creating space¨Cthough that proved only to be a bad move.

    After moving just a few meters away, the all-epassing darkness made it now impossible to see the demonic, disembodied head as itughed with a distorted snicker.

    Moving away caused their concealment to vanish, but it seemed pointless anyway with the disembodied head that seemed capable of tracking them despite that.

    "...What the hell is that thing?!" He asked, clutching his chest while still holding onto Xiaodan''s wrist with his left hand.

    My chest is so tight¡­It''s hard to breathe. This fear¨Cit''s unnatural¡­Is it because of that thing? He questioned.

    "Mr. Jeong-Hui," Xiaodan called his name quietly.

    They were standing still in theplete darkness; though they were dead center in the street of therge, affluent city¨Cit looked like nothing but a void of ck and asphalt.

    He let go of their wrist as they stood back-to-back, keeping an eye out for the terrifying, disembodied head.

    "...Yeah?"

    "Please be careful¡­I believe I''m familiar with our enemy," Xiaodan spoke seriously now, keeping ready.

    "You are?"

    Xiaodan nodded, "The "Leyak" is famous in Balinese folklore¡­I was a bit of fanatic with different culture''s history before all of this¨CI remember this one. It primarily seeks the blood of humans, but can cause illnesses¡­ording to the books, at least."

    "Sounds troublesome¡­Anything else?" He asked.

    The silver-haired, adrogynous figure shook their head, "Sorry¡­that''s all I''ve got."

    It wasn''t much to go off of, but there was no choice but to face it now as they were left helpless in theplete dark.

    The bellowing snickers could be heard shifting directions, as well as the sounds of its hanging entrails sliding across the asphalt as it moved around them.

    ¡­It''s toying with us. This really is a demon¡­He thought.

    Suddenly, his instincts fired off as he swerved his head, evading some sort of projectile but not seeing what it was until after evading it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨CIt was one of its intestinal tubes¨Cshot out like a chain towards him as it spewed out a sooty, acidic blood that barely missed his pale cheek by a hair.

    Blood¡­?! It''s using its intestines as weapons?! He thought.

    But, he didn''t let the opportunity slip as he grabbed onto the fleshy length of the intestine¨Cmuch to his dismay, but he did it anyway¨Cholding it in ce.

    "Xiaodan!" He called out.

    "I know!" The adrogynous figure responded.

    Without hesitation, the silver-haired, lithe figure rushed towards the direction the captured flesh was shot from.

    As Xiaodan spun around for a swift, azure-powered kick where the bodiless entity should be¨Ctheir slipper only unleashed a burst of dark-blue energy against the air.

    "Huh?...It''s not here?" Xiaodan let out in shock.

    "Get back!" He called out.

    Before his warning could properly reach Xiaodan, two tendrils in the form of intestines reached out from both the left and right of the martial artist ''s sides, stretching out from the abyssal depths of the night.

    "Gyah¨C!"

    Xiaodanunched into the air with a smooth, triple-flip, done with inhuman agility that was likely due in fortune to their martial artist ss¨Cmanaging to avoid the entanglement of the acidic blood-dripping entrails.

    He rushed over, attempting to slice the fleshy tentacles with his daggers, but found himself a moment toote as the entrails withdrew swiftly back into the void of darkness that surrounded them.

    "Crap¡­!" He let out in frustration.

    "Calm yourself," Xiaodan told him quietly.

    "I know," he breathed in and out, standing back-to-back with his newpanion once again.

    It was surprising to him just how reliable the jovial youth actually was; when it came to a serious situation like this, Xiaodan seemed like apletely different person.

    The distorted snickering of the taunting demon could be hard again as its pale-white, harrowing mane could be briefly seen as it passed by, prompting both him and Xiaodan to try attacking¨Cbut they were too slow once again.

    "...This darkness is bad," he muttered.

    "Yeah," Xiaodan nodded, "...Our vision is practically erased now. On the other hand, I don''t think these demons rely on our "feeble" human senses."

    Slithering across the asphalt, it came into both of their senses quickly that something was crawling towards them: it was a plethora of entrails, slithering like a horde of snakes across the street towards them.

    "...What the?!" He let out.

    He didn''t waste a moment grabbing onto Xiaodan''s arm¨Cto their surprise as they looked at him in shock.

    "Mr. Jeong-Hui?!"

    No response came from him as he pulled his lithepanion with him into a [Blink Step],unching into the air and onto one of the traffic lights to avoid the reach of the dozen, far-stretching entrails.

    "Warn me before you do that¡­!" Xiaodan said, pulling their arm away as they bnced beside him on the traffic light.

    "Sorry¡­Didn''t have much of an opportunity," he exined.

    "...Thanks," Xiaodan said quietly.

    They watched from above as the harrowing, sentient-seeming entrails wriggled across the asphalt, leaking the acidic blood onto the street.

    He gulped, holding his hand out as he focused.

    Xiaodan watched him, confused at what he was doing, "What''re you nning?"

    "Something I should''ve done right from the get-go," he answered, "Cast: Recon!"

    [Spirit: -50. Remaining Spirit: 2700/3600]

    He unleashed the scouting spell, allowing the wave of sensory particles to disperse in the obscuring darkness around them.

    Almost immediately¨Cthe sensory spell found something: from all directions, hostile intentions rapidly approached.

    "--Moreing!"

    He yelled out, prompting both him and Xiaodan to leap down from the traffic light before looking to them, "Clear ournding!"

    Xiaodan replied, "Leave it to me! shing Sky Ladder!"

    The silver-haired martial artist descended at a rapid speed after raising their left leg above their head, gathering a pale-blue electricity around their slipper before crashing down with a kick that left a trail in the air resembling adder.

    As the impact crashed down against the asphalt, a blinding sh of lightning emitted alongside the force of the downward kick itself¨Cvaporizing the wriggling entrails that were left below.

    "Nice!" He called out,nding beside them a moment after.

    Though there wasn''t much time for celebration as he witnessed a pair of tendrils immediately shoot out from the darkness in retaliation, wrapping around Xiaodan''s arms swiftly.

    "Gyah¨C!" Xioadan yelled out in surprise.

    Before it could pull them away, he quicklyunched forward, shing his daggers horizontally to tear apart the lively intestines.

    The intestines themselves hissed after being diced apart, falling onto the ground and wriggling as Xiaodan was released from their grotesque grip.

    "...Gross¡­Seriously gross," Xiaodan shuttered before focusing back into a stance, mimicking that of a snake with their hands pointed in a spear-like formation, "...I want to finish this thing off, and fast!"

    "Agreed," he said, flipping his daggers before standing beside them.

 Chapter 108 Return To The Compound

    An unexpected assault of intestines whipped out towards them, though Xiaodan was able to avoid them gracefully with coordinated movements¨Cas if knowing the perfect technique for each attack that came from various directions.

    With a spinning kick, they repelled a frontal attack. With a duck and open palm strike, they countered a tri-attack. Even whenpletely surrounded, Xiaodan managed to unleash a flurry of nimble attacks at such a speed that he could hardly trace them.

    Beyond that, the thin, small-of-stature one possessed physical prowess far beyond their appearance, as their normal chops and kicks easily crushed and cut apart the monstrous entrails.

    Amazing, he thought.

    It was unexpected to see such finesse from the frivolous figure, but he appreciated having them by his side at this moment.

    With his recon ability out, he knew exactly where the Leyak was, unable to see it directly, but feeling its presence lurking in the darkness to his right.

    "...To the right¡­about four meters," he whispered to Xiaodan, "It''s surrounded by some sort of shield of entrails right now."

    "Got it," Xiaodan nodded quietly, facing forward still.

    They both faced north as a way not to give away to the Leyak that they knew where it hovered, listening to its taunting snickers that filled the ck night.

    Filling their ears alongside the eerieughter was the skin-crawling sounds of the intestines slithering across the asphalt once more, attempting to slowly reach towards them.

    Waiting until the perfect moment, they stood still until¨C

    "Now!" He shouted.

    In that moment, Xiaodan burst to the right with a swift, explosive step, gathering an azure light around their hand as they held their fingers straight like a spear.

    "Bite of The Desert King," Xiaodan invoked internally.

    The azure glow spiraled out, wrapping around their entire left arm and condensing at their fingertips as they thrust their hand forward into the darkness¨Cshing against a grotesque wall of intertwined intestines.

    "--!"

    Xiaodan''s eyes widened slightly at the newly revealed, abhorrent sight of the fleshy shield in front of them, but pressed forward with their attack as the sharp strike tore through the wall of flesh, forcing them to jump back as the Leyak immediately tried to counter with a spray of its acidic blood.

    "...It''s all yours now, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Xiaodan called out.

    He was already in the air, having sheathed both of his daggers and clenching his fists tightly as he activated Sage Period, known by the glow of his emerald eyes.

    "Ripper," the embodiment of my assassin-ss proficiency. "Breaker Fist" "Breaker Kick," the embodiment of my martial arts proficiency .

    Together¡­what results is the apex of my journey so far¨CI haven''t mastered it yet, but now is as good as training as ever! He thought.

    "Crushing Riptide!"

    Around his arms and legs, a supernatural strength bubbled, resulting in an exuberant heat at his knuckles, toes, and heels as swiftness guided him downward.

    He descended on the crazy-eyed, white-maned spirit with a flurry of instantaneous, smoothlybined attacks as he spun around into a series of kicks and a flurry of swift punches that wereunched with the seamless agility of "Ripper".

    In the trail of his hands and feet, the leftover heat disyed itself in a dazzling, yet warm light that twinkled like the stars of the night sky, flourishing like the evergreen.

    The result was abination attack that optimized both speed and attack potency, leaving a dozen shock waves following the aftermath of his attacks after hended.

    [Spirit: -600. Remaining Spirit: 2100/3600]

    The Leyak was flung back, decimated by the mixture of assassin abilities and martial arts techniques that surpassed human limitations.

    He stood tall, catching his breath as he felt the muscles on his forearms and calves burn intensely after pushing his body past its limits for that momentary assault.

    "Woah¡­That was amazing, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Xiaodan hopped in excitement, pping him yfully on the shoulder, "I didn''t know you were a practitioner of martial arts, too!"

    "Yeah¡­" Heughed a bit.

    ¨CJust then, he realized:

    Where''s the prompt for defeating it? He thought.

    Suddenly, the harrowing presence was right before him¨Cmoving swiftly as he nced to the side with his heightened perception to see that daunting, man-eating maw of the disembodied head¨Cbroken, battered, and spewing blood.

    It was on the brink of death from his previous attack, going into a frenzy as it had its jaws unhinged wide enough to swallow him whole as he could see thousands of teeth inside of its deathly maw.

    But, it didn''t reach him. It wasn''t his own doing that saved him from the jaws of the entrail-disying, evil spirit.

    Xiaodan acted swiftly, stepping forward as they nted their foot down with a strengthened force, holding a resolute, iron-tight stance as they swiftly jutted their fist forward only an inch forward.

    "Purge Cannon," Xiaodan invoked internally.

    It was a one-inch punch, d in a purple energy that took the shape of spewing, miniature dragon heads.

    As their knuckles mmed against the Leyak''s red nose, thepact attack dealt the finishing blow, causing the haunting head to explode into chunks of decrepit flesh like a balloon¨Cpopping with an ear-ringing release.

    Though brief, the resulting breakage of the sound barrier howled, releasing a gust of wind that propelled outwards in all directions.

    "...Nice save," he finally muttered out.

    ? They''re strong¡­For just being level twenty-two, that''s some serious firepower. It goes without saying their martial arts abilities surpass mine, he noted.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xiaodan held their nted stance for another moment, holding their fist forward that exuded a residual steam before returning to their jovial, yful nature, sticking their tongue out, "Just call it even!"

    "Hey, wait¡­! We''re not in a party!" He suddenly realized.

    "Oh, I guess we aren''t," Xiaodan put their finger to their chin, "What about it?"

    "You got all of the experience for yourself, then!" He let out.

    All the adrogynous figure replied with as their lengthy, silken locks of soft silver draped over their slender shoulders was a yful snicker.

    Venturing down the street once more, they remained ever-cautious after such a grotesque, haunting encounter.

    "I''ve got to ask¡­" He began to say.

    "I''m not telling you what privates I have!" Xiaodan yfully interrupted him.

    "...Not what I was going to ask, but okay¨Cpoint taken," he sighed out, continuing, "That name of yours¨Cit isn''t Korean, is it? If I''m not mistaken, it''s Chinese, right?"

    Xiaodan looked at him with a small smile, walking directly by his side before nodding, "Correct! You know your stuff," theyughed quietly, "It means "little dawn"...kind of overbearing, isn''t it?"

    "I think it''s nice," he said, looking at them.

    The silver-haired, adrogynous figure blushed just a tinge before returning their gaze forward, "Enough about that! What''s your name mean? I''ve never heard it before."

    He scratched his cheek a bit before adjusting his ck, fingerless gloves, "There''s a few meanings¡­but my Mom always told me she chose it with the "Quiet and Splendid" meaning in mind."

    "That''s quite a name to live up to, isn''t it?" Xiaodanughed.

    "Right?" He smiled.

    It was only a small glimmer of reprieve, but for the time being, they felt safe as they crossed the blind roads.

    "Say¡­" Xiaodan began.

    "Hm?"

    "Do you know where we''re going? No offense, but it''s as ck as can be out here¨CI wouldn''t trust myself to find the back of my own hand," Xiaodan asked, looking up at him.

    It was a fair enough question. Due to the circumstances, they had to walk practically arm-to-arm in an effort not to lose sight of one another.

    "Ah¡­Well, I''m pretty positive I know where we''re going," he said, looking up.

    There was really no point in looking upward; the ckness of the mystical night blocked all except the faint glimmers of the scarlet clouds above.

    "Pretty positive? I dunno how reassuring that is," Xiaodan smiled wryly.

    "Don''t worry¨CI know where we are," he said, "I''m not that inept."

    He shifted the position of the backpack that he wore on his back, hardly feeling the weight due to the natural strength of his [Equip].

    "So, this group of yours¡­Have you been with them for a long time?" Xiaodan asked.

    "Hmm¡­A couple months now, yeah. "Gangcheori", I think it''s safe to call us the strongest group in Korea, at least," he boasted with a bit of a smile.

    The look the wavy, silver-haired adrogynous figure gave them was as if asking "Are you really a prime example of that?", but he dissuaded that on his own.

    "Don''t take me as an example. Our executives are crazy powerful," he assured them.

    Xiaodan stared at him as if inspecting him for a moment before replying, "...You''re plenty impressive yourself, you know?"

    "Really?" He bashfully scratched his cheek.

    "Yeah, those were some awesome moves you showed off back there. I felt in perfect synch with you despite just meeting you, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Xiaodan exined.

    He chuckled, "Same to you then."

    After carefully traversing the hellish night, avoiding any instances of abnormal noises around them¨Che finally managed to guide the two of them back to the back part of the colossal hotel.

    "This is it," he said.

    "We''re going in through the back? Not very weing, is it?" Xiaodan joked.

    "Yeah, yeah. Look at the world around us right now," he replied.

    Opening the door, he entered to find even the lights within the hotel were almost non-existent, save for a few lit candles spread through the halls.

    "Creepy," Xiaodan mumbled.

    "It''s not usually like this¡­trust me," he told them, cautiously stepping in.

    Is everything alright here? It''s certainly eerie, he thought.

 Chapter 109 An Unfortunate Time For Slumber

    He could only faintly hear noises, but he was beginning to understand what was at y here, going off of his experience outside.

    This overwhelming night¡­I think the darkness is stifling sound. So not only is our vision hindered, but our hearing¡­? He realized.

    "Come on," he ushered for them to follow as he opened the door to the stairwell, "I''ll bring you to our leader. Sorry, but I''m not trying to get my ear yelled off for bringing you in under his nose."

    "I understand," Xiaodan nodded with a reassuring smile.

    Another walk up the lengthy, echoing stairwell didn''t do wonders for his exhausted body, but it was thanks to his new skill that he was able to continue pushing without stopping.

    Unhelping was the fact that only two candles were ced within the dank stairwell: one at the very bottom, and one at the very top, leaving them mostly in the dark as they marched upward together.

    After what felt like an eternity, he reached the office of the Gangcheori leader, looking back at Xiaodan and nodding to reassure them before knocking on the door.

    "Come in," Dae-Seong''s voice was heard from the other side.

    He opened it, walking in with the lonesome survivor following in behind him.

    "Dae-Seong," he called the leader''s name as he entered.

    The middle-aged man was at his desk, visibly stressed out from the predicament the entire world had just been plunged into as his mess was a desk, illuminated by only a few candles within the office.

    As soon as the sses-wearing,posed man looked up, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the unknown face beside the red-haired member.

    "...Jeong-Hui, who is this?"

    Before he could introduce the Chinese, adrogynous figure for them, Xiaodan stepped forward themselves, cing their hands on the sides of their long-sleeve tunic with a certain air of confidence.

    "I am Xiaodan, a solo yer, level twenty-two, martial artist ss! I can cook, clean, and fight! I can''t really read or write very well, but I''ll do my best!"

    Xiaodan bowed after their boisterous, confident introduction, wasting no time giving their status to Dae-Seong.

    What the?! I thought it was clear that I''d handle it! He thought.

    The Gangcheori leader was stunned, sitting there with his hands in front of him as he stared at the adrogynous figure.

    "...I see¡­" Dae-Seong quietly replied after a moment of silence, "And Jeong-Hui¡­Do you vouch for this person?"

    It was an important question. Being on the receiving end of Dae-Seong''s stone-cold, deciphering gaze, he couldn''t do anything but answer honestly.

    If Xiaodan for some reason turned out to be a bad apple, it would fall on him as the one who vouched for them.

    "I do."

    ¨CHe answered confidently without hesitation, finding a cheerful, thankful smile from Xiaodan who looked up at him.

    "I see," Dae-Seong said, "There is nothing further to discuss then. I''ll leave it to you then to show Xiaodan around and get them limated to Gangcheori."

    "Really¡­?" He let out in surprise.

    Dae-Seong adjusted his sses, "It may be a pressing time, but that''s all the more reason we can''t abandon anybody. You agree, don''t you?"

    Being on the receiving end of those words, he knew them well; in his darkest hour, it was Dae-Seong that extended his hand to him.

    "Mhm!" He nodded with a smile.

    "...Besides that, did you get the supplies?" Dae-Seong asked.

    Without wasting a moment, he showed the spoils of his scavenging to the leader, who was satisfied with the findings.

    "Good job," Dae-Seong held a small smile, though it shined brighter than any other, "...I knew you''d be right for the job, Jeong-Hui. These are dark times indeed, at the moment."

    The leader looked at the windows that made up the back wall of his executive office, of which nothing could be seen in thepletely abyssal night.

    "Not only has Hell risen, but this darkness is another fiend of its own," Dae-Seong said before looking back at the two of them, "...Help Xiaodan settle in. Get some rest¨Cit''ll be needed. Patrols are changing starting now. We must patrol thepound itself¨Cswapping out throughout the night; nothing is safe anymore."

    "Got it¡­" He nodded.

    It was a bit dreadful to hear, but it was the truth, nheless.

    As they left the office, he and Xiaodan ventured to the rooms, finding his floor as he would prefer to keep them close.

    "The leader is nicer than I expected," Xiaodan said, "I was imagining some tough, scarred badass. An overzealous one, at that."

    "He''s definitely a badass¨Cyou got that part right," he smiled a bit, "...It''s amazing how calm he is during all of this. Same to you."

    Xiaodan seemed surprised by hisment,ughing a bit as they ced their hands behind their head while walking, "I''ve been on the move through the city since this all started. This isn''t too big of a change for me¨Cif anything, it just got better! I''ve got a ce to stay."

    Seeing how excited the youthful person was for Gangcheori and the safety it provided, he couldn''t help but feel fulfilled.

    "Thanks, Mr. Jeong-Hui."

    "Huh?" He looked at them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, if it wasn''t for you taking a chance with me¡­I''d still be out there," Xiaodan bashfully disyed their gratitude with a small chuckle.

    "Oh, that? Don''t mention it," he smiled as they walked down the stairs, arriving on the fifth floor.

    Passing by his own room, which was "#108", he stopped down the hall at the vacant room, "#114", opening it up for Xiaodan.

    ¨C

    "Woah¡­It''s so big!"

    Xiaodan stood in the center of the room before flopping down onto the bed, moving their arms and legs as if creating a snow angel.

    They sure are chipper¡­Well, I already knew that, he thought.

    "You can find the food and drinks downstairs in the lobby¨Cand don''t be afraid to introduce yourself to the others," he said.

    "Alright," Xiaodan smiled, seemingly enamored with their new room.

    Before he could head out of the room, he was stopped as his name was called by the silver-haired, adryogynous new member.

    "Mr. Jeong-Hui."

    "Hm?" He looked back at them.

    "I''m a boy, by the way," Xiaodan told him, sticking their tongue out in a cheeky manner.

    "Ah¡­"

    He quietly left the room, closing it behind him as he stood in the hall silently for a moment as that information sank in.

    "A boy¡­?"

    Holy crap¨Cif that''s a boy then¡­Get it together, dumbass, he told himself.

    ¨C

    Exhaling, he pressed his back against the wall before sliding down, sitting on the carpet as he rested his head against his arms.

    He watched the burning wax that formed light in the wall flicker as it sat atop one of the hallway tables.

    "...This is all real, isn''t it?" He mumbled to himself.

    It took awhile for it to be fully realized, but once the adrenaline had settled, it all felt as if it flourished harrowingly before his eyes.

    The scourge of Hell, the wrath of Heaven, and the suffocating darkness; on all fronts, they were being assaulted. It was something he already knew, and so did all the rest of the survivors¨C"God" sought the destruction of humanity.

    However, with the turn of the "Final Culling" being spurred into creation, it was all the more clear that their triumph over this herculean hardship was not expected, nor supported.

    Passing through the halls, he looked up to see Binna, the brawny, blonde-haired woman who took up the job of maintaining the hotel itself. Contrary to her usual, energetic self, he could see bags under her eyes with stress embedded in them.

    "Hey," he greeted her quietly, still sitting on the floor with his back to the wall.

    Binna almost seemed not to hear him, taking a moment to reply as she passed by, "Hey, kid¡­"

    As she passed by without another word, he could understand well what that stress was, and where it stemmed from:

    Our own "creator" wants us dead, he thought.

    For some reason, that thought struck somewhere deep in him¨Cit wasn''t that he felt any sort of sadness for failing that cruel deity in the sky, but what he felt was an immutable sense of helplessness knowing that the all-powerful creator truly sought the destruction of humanity.

    "--"

    Even so, with dark bags beneath his eyes and little strength in his hands, he clenched his fists shut as a reminder to himself.

    That God can go to Hell for all I care. I''m sure everybody else would say the same. I don''t care if he created this world, me, my friends, or my family¨Cthey''ve taken everything away from me. They intend to take it all away again. If by some stray miracle I can make it through all of this, I''d really like to send one straight to his jaw.

    Just a bit more than two weeks left to go¡­He thought.

    Without intending to do so, he managed to fall asleep while sitting on the hallway floor of the hotel, finding himself drifting away while watching the flickering me of the aroma-exuding candle.

    Something like a bad dream woke him, though he forgot all about it the moment he woke up, slowly blinking as he opened his dreary eyes.

    "Mmgh¡­" He yawned into his hand.

    As he looked up, he immediately found something off about the corridor; the clean, white walls had shifted into a different materialpletely¨Ca dull, worn wood.

    He stood up, rubbing his eyes and looking again as the flicker of the lonesome candle continued to show him the walls that shouldn''t be there.

    "Am I going crazy?" He mumbled to himself.

 Chapter 110 Alls Well In Hells Hell

    "Am I going crazy?" He mumbled to himself.

    It was as he stood there, reaching towards the wall did the true nature of his environment begin to unravel itself before him; the walls around spiraled and extended outward, leaving him stumbling as he reached out towards something fleeting.

    Those dull, mmy wooden nks began to peel, releasing a miasmic air as cockroaches began to seep out from the spaces between the boards.

    The corridor had been forcibly widened, being triple the width it was just a moment ago as soot and grime clung to the floorboards now.

    "What the¡­?!" He yelled out, stumbling back.

    It rang in his ears; something inexplicable, and something inhuman.

    This was not the hall he fell asleep in; it was something malicious¨Cthat much he knew from his instinct alone.

    As he stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as he stood in a now widened space, forcibly contorted by supernatural forces, his back pressed against the wall¨Cimmediately finding a wet sensation running against him from behind.

    "Ghh¨C?!"

    He moved forward, spinning around to see a ck ooze leaving the cracks in the peeling, wooden walls now.

    As he was left frantic and confused by this sudden shift in environment¨Ca repetitive thumping sounded out, echoing off the walls anding from somewhere unknown.

    ¡­Does this have to do with Hell seeping into Earth? Is this part of that darkness? He questioned.

    He quickly began to rush down the hall, opening each door to look for hispanions, but¨Cnobody upied a single room on that floor.

    It made little sense, but it caused his heartbeat to hasten as he failed to find Sol, Yeong-Un, or Xiaodan on the fifth floor.

    He could already feel it through the suffocating, unseen mist that swayed all around him, but he needed to confirm it¨Cthat he was alone here.

    By the smell of moist, rotting wood and the constant thumping around him, he could hardly stop to think as he forced himself to run down the stairs to look for the others.

    The structure of the building was no different from the hotel, but it was clearly different; it was as if he had slipped into an alternate world.

    Reaching the lobby after sprinting down the stairs at full speed, he found it to be just as deste as the other floors, stopping there and looking around as he gathered his breath.

    "Yeong-Un! Sol! Eunji! Anybody¨C!" He yelled out.

    It was only after finding nothing on the lobby floor that he looked outward past the front windows¨Cfinding a perplexing scenery beyond the walls of the hotel.

    Gray fog filled the atmosphere, just as blinding as the sheer darkness from before; swaying and moving, but never leaving the streets.

    "...This doesn''t make any sense¡­" He muttered to himself.

    Again, he tried yelling out for anybody, "Korain¨C! Dae-Seong! Ma-Ri! Anybody¡­!"

    His screams echoed out, reaching seemingly nothing as he began to venture towards the front doors to check outside.

    However, he was stopped just before leaving those doors¨C

    "All''s well."

    It was a deep, croaky voice,ing from directly behind him as he spun around to see something that was not in the center of the lobby just a moment prior:

    A man with long, straightened hair of astral tinum sat reversed on a chair with his arms resting on the wooden piece of furniture. He was dressed nicely, wearing a ck waistcoat that held spiral patterns, with matching trousers and dress shoes, worn over a long-sleeved, white-cored shirt.

    "Wha¡­?" He let out quietly.

    The man, whose facial features were difficult to make out due to his dark El Dorado hat and long fringes that obscured his expression, though his softly luminescent, magenta eyes could be seen as he casually took a breath from his held cigar.

    "All''s well in Hell''s Hell."

    Those croaky words were spoken directly to him, but he had no clue what they meant, or why he was even being spoken to in the first ce.

    But most importantly¨Che had to know who this man was.

    "Where¡­where is everybody?! Did you do something to them?!" He yelled out.

    As he stepped forward, preparing tounch an assault against the strangers, he reached to his sides to unsheath his daggers only to find his hands meeting with nothing.

    "Huh¡­?"

    He had only just noticed it, but he wasn''t in [Equip], only dressed in a casual, ck T-shirt and gray sweatpants.

    "...Equip!"

    As hemanded his System, nothing came.

    He looked up to see the peculiar, seated man still casually taking hits from his cigar, watching him from across the room before he tried again:

    "Equip¨C!"

    Again, nothing came in response to his call.

    "I''m not in the mood for fisticuffs right now," the long-haired man called out, finally addressing him with decipherable words, "...So settle down for a minute, would you?"

    It was an impossible request as a million thoughts were running through his mind, with the forefront of them dictating this odd man to be the cause for this nightmarish ambience.

    "Settle down¡­?"

    "That''s right," the man responded, breathing out a cloud of smoke from his scarred lips, "--All''s well, Jeong-Hui."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He went quiet for a moment, staring right at the cigar-smoking, enigmatic stranger who watched him with those odd eyes of his.

    I don''t want to admit it, but without "Equip"...I''m helpless. He doesn''t seem aggressive, at least¡­Think rationally, Jeong-Hui¡­If there''s anything you''ve learned¡­it''s to take things carefully, he thought.

    Taking in a breath, he stood tall, maintaining eye contact with the man, "Do you know what''s going on here? Is this some sort of alternate world?...Is it a dream?"

    "Heh."

    "What''s so funny?" He squinted at the man.

    The croaky-voiced, middle-aged man breathed out another billowing cloud of smoke from his lips, "You asked me if this was a dream. How would you expect an aspect of a dream to answer that for you? Tell me, does this feel real to you?"

    He looked around, watching the wooden walls of the once contemporary hotel now turned old-fashioned. The smell of wet wood filled his nostrils alongside the cold air of the fog that clouded the exterior; that brisk wind could be felt against his bare arms.

    It was an easy answer.

    "...It does."

    "So that eliminates one possibility, then," the man told him, twiddling his lit cigar between his fingers as small embers rained down, "...Now, an alternate world? That''s an astute observation."

    "Wait, are you saying¡­?"

    "--Perhaps it is," the enigmatic man answered vaguely, "Perhaps it''s many things. I could give you many answers; many truths, many lines¡­but, none of it matters from the lips of somebody who you don''t trust."

    Slowly, the man stood up from his seat, almost unraveling himself into a surprising height as hisnky physique likely surpassed two meters easily.

    Along the walls,rge, centipede-like creatures slithered, moving their countless legs along the smooth surface in an orchestra of skin-crawling movements; somehow, he didn''t notice this before.

    "Am I wrong, Jeong-Hui?" The man asked, cing his cigar between his scarred lips.

    He shook his head, "...No, but you''re responsible for whatever this is, aren''t you? Even I can gather that much¡­"

    "And what gives that away?" The man asked, taking a step towards him but appearing by his side instantaneously.

    The phantom pace of the man threw him off, causing him to lean back as he was suddenly brought face-to-face with the pale, enigmatic stranger.

    "Are you afraid?"

    "--"

    "Coax your words from your throat if you wish to dissuade that obvious answer," the man told him, pulling back as he stuffed one of his hands into his pockets, puffing out smoke from his lips towards the ceiling.

    He couldn''t speak while in the direct presence of thenky, well-dressed man. It was an overwhelming, cold air that exuded off of him; a primordial darkness, so deep and thick it seemed boundless.

    "Enough games¨Cyou''ve entertained me so far, so I''ll give you some crumbs," the man finally told him, "I rescued you."

    "Huh? Rescued me¡­?" He replied quietly.

    The long-haired man breathed out another ball of rich, fragrant smoke, "It''s dangerous to sleep so carelessly now that Hell''s domain stretches over Earth. You were slipping right into the realm of many, hungering spirits, Jeong-Hui."

    "Then¡­what is this?" He asked.

    It seemed odd to him that the enigmatic man was implying that this ce is a safe haven from something potentially worse, going off of the eerie atmosphere hanging in the decrepit, alternative realm.

    "Where you''re standing right now is my world," the man told him, tossing his ember-sparked cigar to the ground and stamping it out, "This is Hell''s Hell¨CWee."

    For being an implied sanctuary from evil spirits born of Hell, the name of this domain wasn''t veryforting to him: "Hell''s Hell."

    "...Hell''s Hell? Your world?"

    "Don''t worry yourself; "All''s Well in Hell''s Hell". Just remember that," Thenky, magenta-eyed man assured him with a vague smile, "...Nothing will gobble you up here."

    Now that he thought about it, for some reason, he didn''t sense any malice around him. None of his instincts were red for being in such an unorthodox environment.

    "I don''t get it¡­Your world? What are you?"

    "Don''t rack your brain too hard trying to process everything. That''s a swift way to lose your sanity," the man warned him, "Keep on stumbling about and I imagine you''ll find your answers naturally. It''s no fun if I spoon feed you everything."

    "--"

    It was clear there was something beyond the superficial kindness the tinum-haired man pretended to have, as it seemed his main motive was simply to satisfy himself with a bit ofpany.

    As he stood there, unknowing of what he should ask, he suddenly found himself experiencing a pounding headache, grabbing onto his own head.

    "Ngh¡­" He groaned.

    Suddenly, the man snapped his pale, bony fingers, resulting in a crack of wind that echoed in his ears repeatedly, throwing him off of his bnce.

    "That''s right; stay here too long and your mind will wither. I suppose I should return you to the normal world now; I did what was necessary. It was a fun talk," the man smiled a bit with his cut lips, "I do hope you enjoyed your stay, albeit a short one, in Hell''s Hell."

    Just as those words left the enigmatic figure''s lips, he felt his consciousness flickering, causing the world around him to be more and more hazy.

    "Wait¡­! I still have so many questions¡­!" He reached out to the man, "...Who are you?!"

    Thest thing he could see were the magenta eyes of the tinum-haired, smoking man who smiled just a bit:

    "You can call me Flueric," the man told him, "--Try not to have any more nightmares, Jeong-Hui. Oh, and you should be ready for a certain "visitor" to appear by your doorstep."

    ¨CJust like that, it all faded.

 Chapter 111 The Timid Coward

    As seamlessly as it all vanished, his eyes opened as he found himself sitting in the corridor of the hotel¨Cthe one he knew fondly as he gasped out, clutching his throat as he coughed.

    ¡­What was that? Was it a dream? No¡­It felt so real. What did he mean by "visitor?" he questioned.

    As he brought himself to his feet, his stomach rumbled, bringing it to his attention that he hadn''t eaten the entire day, nor drank anything for that matter.

    "...Right," he said to himself, "...Been so busy all day it didn''t even ur to me."

    He slowly marched down to the lobby, looking out to see members of Gangcheori still working on the makeshift barricade.

    A feeling of guilt came over him for not being out there with them at the moment, but he knew he was more useful while well-rested than forcing himself to work, bringing himself into the kitchen as he looked for something quick and easy.

    Scouring through cupboards, he retrieved an energy bar, specifically one with almonds in it and arge bottle of lukewarm water. He didn''t bother going back to his room with them, instead sitting at the empty cafeteria as he sleepily munched on the almond bar.

    "...So don''t sleep carelessly? Is that what that weird, cigar bastard was trying to tell me?...He said it wasn''t a dream, but it sure seems like one now¡­" He mumbled to himself, munching on the bar.

    Only a single candle sat in the cafeteria, keeping it on the table he sat at as the rest of the room was shrouded in darkness.

    Setting the wrapper down, he screwed the cap off of the bottle of water, putting the opening to his lips as he drank the refreshing liquid.

    After spending a long time outside, in the ashy heat of Hell''s rise, his throat was more parched than he realized, resulting in him gulping down the entire bottle in one-go.

    "Aah¡­"

    He let out a satisfied sigh, setting the bottle down as he looked down at the table.

    "Huh? I thought I put the wrapper down right here¡­" He mumbled to himself, checking the ground to see if it simply fell off, but no such luck, "...That''s weird. Whatever."

    Before he could even have these few minutes to properly rx, he jumped to his feet as the front doors to the hotel suddenly burst open, following a rumbling that shook the entire building.

    "What the?!"

    He ran out into the lobby, seeing the group that were working on the barricade running in:

    During that shift, it was Korain, Binna, Sol, and Moon.

    Each of them were clearly exasperated and running urgently into the building from something, with Korain and Binna immediately grabbing a few pieces of stray wood and boarding up the front doors.

    "What''s going on?!" He asked.

    "It''sing through¨C!" Sol yelled out.

    "What is¨C"

    Just as he asked this, "it" came through the street just in front of the hotel.

    Its length was unquantifiable; at a certain point, something thatrge, that long was simply "too big": it was a centipede-like creature, ramming through the street and destroying the barricade swiftly as it pushed through.

    Those earlier words spoken from within the mindscape returned to his mind when witnessing the presence of the gargantuan creature beyond the entrance: "Oh, and you should be ready for a certain "visitor" to appear by your doorstep."

    Wait a minute¡­Is this the "visitor" that Flueric was talking about¡­? He realized.

    "Hold¡­!" Korain yelled out.

    Together, the five of them held the front doors shut, with the scruffy summoner manifesting an extra pair of helping hands for them:

    "Come, Haetae!" Moon called out.

    Summoned from a mystical seal temporarily formed on the ground, a ck-and-gold leonine stood, d in sturdy scales as a bell hanging from its neck rang out.

    "Hold the door, Haetae!" Moonmanded.

    Understanding hismand, the fearsome, mythical leonine used its massive paws and burly body to help support the front entrance as it rumbled greatly.

    The walls quaked and dust rained down as he could see the colossal, grimy centipede burrowing through the streets still.

    "What the hell is that thing¡­?!" He called out, straining himself to hold the doors alongside them.

    "No clue! It came out of nowhere while we were working on the barrier!" Korain answered.

    It was difficult to decipher itsplete, unmasked form as its burrow through the city stirred up a massive amount of dust. Paired with theplete ckness of the overbearing night, only scarce showings of the colossal centipede''s form was revealed through the city-shaking rumbling.

    "...Is it a demon?" He asked, gulping down as he kept his body pressed against the entrance.

    "It certainly crawled up from Hell!" Sol yelled out.

    "I only got a short look at it¡­" Binna said, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she used her brawny arms to hold the doors in ce, "...It came up as level forty-six, that''s all I saw."

    "Forty-six?!" He let out.

    That number alone was enough to make Sol quiver as he kept his back pressed up against the barricaded doors, opting not to look outside.

    Coming down the stairs, Dae-Seong rushed down, holding a litntern as a minute after, the bulbous Ho-Jun followed and the vice leader.

    "What''s going on here?" Ho-Jun asked nervously, gulping.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Dae-Seong and Ma-Ri opted to get answers after assisting, aiding them in securing the entrance as they grabbed the spare sheet metal and nks,pletely walling off the entrance.

    The leader and vice leader worked efficiently, managing to secure the barricade within a minute.

    "...Korain, report," Dae-Seong said, catching his breath.

    The rumbling had stopped, or more so grew distant as the city-long centipede had moved a long distance away.

    They all moved away from the entrance, heavy and uneven in their breaths as the mix-colored haired man stepped forward, nodding to the leader.

    "A level forty-six centipede appeared," he informed him, "It was seen charging forward by Sol; it was wrapped around the trade center. It was only visible because of a red glow it gave off¨Cit seemed to light up when it spotted us."

    "A centipede?" Dae-Seong adjusted his sses as if trying to process the unbelievable information, "It must be quiterge to produce a trail like this."

    "Large is an understatement¡­" Korain wryly replied, "If I had to guess, it was as wide as the street itself, and as long as the city¡­something like that."

    It was obvious what sentiment this sudden situation spurred on: "It just keeps getting worse,"--that was the thought they all shared.

    He decided not to mention the peculiar encounter he had, mainly for the sake of not having them doubt his sanity.

    Dae-Seong breathed out quietly, "It seems for now, at least, it has its sights set elsewhere. Let''s hope it stays that way. Should we have to fight it¡­Well, Baek-Hyeon will be handling that burden."

    "Where is he anyway? Baek-Hyeon, I mean," he asked.

    "You needn''t worry. He told me about how he found you out there earlier," Dae-Seong told him, "He''s currently in the basement to make sure nothing that shouldn''t be inside got in."

    "I see¡­"

    In truth, they all knew this was likely not some sort of "Boss" encounter, but likely just a normal urrence in the "Final Culling"--a daunting thought, but it was the hellish reality that now persisted.

    That''s what the "Final Culling" was: a never-ending onught of terror, a sleepless era¨Cthest wave of exctinction for mankind before the opening of the mysterious Tower.

    It was clearly getting to them on the first day already; there were hardly any breaks to be found, or moments of rest.

    ¨C

    "It seems we''ll be holding up solely within the hotel now," Dae-Seong stated, "It''s far too risky to venture out now."

    "Do you think this darkness is gonna stick around?" Korain asked, folding his burly arms over his chest.

    "Hope not," Binna added, "It''s a real pain."

    Sol nodded, "...I worked this shift because I couldn''t sleep. It''s just¡­It just feels wrong."

    The words from the hazel-haired adolescent brought to the forefront of his mind the mysterious encounter he just had.

    "Oh, err¡­about that¨Ctry to sleep carefully. Make sure you''re safely tucked into your beds, don''t just pass out wherever¡­okay?" He told them.

    He didn''t exactly know how to exin it, but he had to make sure they all knew that anyway.

    "Good thinking!" Korain gave him a thumbs-up, "Can''t be careless about anything at the moment. I''ll make sure everybody else sleeps tight, too!"

    "You all should get some rest, on that note," Dae-Seong instructed them, adjusting his sses, "It seems we''ve entered a momentary calm. Let''s use that to our advantage and live to fight another day."

    "Got it."

    They all agreed in unison with themand given by their diligent leader, returning up their rooms, now faced with being sealed in the hotel for the foreseeable future.

    "Hey, Jeong-Hui," Sol said, walking beside him up the stairs, "How''re you holding up? I haven''t got to see you today."

    "...I''m holding," he replied with a wry, tired smile, "It''s been a long day¨Cfor all of us. The same goes for you, right?"

    Sol hesitantly nodded, looking down as if trying to hide the stressed bags under his eyes as his smile trembled, "Jeong-Hui, can I ask you something?"

    "What is it?" He looked at him.

    "H-how does everybody stay so strong at a time like this? I don''t get it¡­They''re all smiling and acting like it''s going to be okay¨Cbut, Jeong-Hui, I can''t stop shaking¡­" Sol showed him his trembling fingers, "Does nobody else feel it? It''s like death itself is creeping over my shoulder, watching me so intently¡­waiting for me to give in."

    It wasn''t something he was foreign to; he felt that fear as well. Even just being the first day, the existence of Hell rising and the persistent threat ofplete, indifferent evil was something that shook his soul to the core.

    For him, it was easy to understand why somebody like Sol would face troubles in an environment like this.

    "Everybody feels it, Sol," he told him.

    "They do?"

    "They do. At some point, I guess we all just learned to grit our teeth and bear with it¨Cjust keep dragging our feet along to the finish line. I still freeze sometimes too, you know? But¡­you just have to realize being scared isn''t helping you," he told him, "I guess at the end of the day¡­It''s not too different from what we''ve been surviving through."

    "If only it were that easy¡­" Sol muttered.

    He didn''t know exactly how tofort Sol, but one idea dide to mind¨Cthough he wasn''t sure how much he liked it himself.

 Chapter 112 Under The Crimson Horizon

    "If only it were that easy¡­" Sol muttered.

    He didn''t know exactly how tofort Sol, but one idea dide to mind¨Cthough he wasn''t sure how much he liked it himself.

    "Err, how about this¡­" He began to say, stopping once arriving in front of his room.

    "Huh?" Sol looked at him.

    Seeing how much fright was left in the amber eyes of his friend, he swallowed his own grievances with the idea and sighed out:

    "You can knock out in my room, if you want," he offered.

    Suddenly, despite the gloomy atmosphere, Sol''s eyes lit up, "Really?!"

    "Keep it down!" He shushes him, bringing his finger in front of his lips.

    "Sorry," Sol nodded a few times quietly, "...I''ll grab my bedding!"

    As he watched Sol rush down the hall excitedly, he sighed out to himself before smiling, going into his room as he prepared forpany.

    Not a minute after heid down on his own bed did Sol burst through, tossing a futon and a set of child-like, star-decorated nkets onto the floor as he settled down.

    "...Dude," he said.

    Sol already knew what he was getting at, "Th-these were the only nkets I could find before¨Cwhat''s wrong with it?!"

    "...Nothing," he sighed, turning the other way as he closed his eyes.

    Still, it wasn''t just him doing a favor for his friend¨Cit was relieving for himself to have somebody he could trust nearby.

    ¨C

    Unknown to all of those within the buildings was whatid on the streets; in the path carved by the looming centipede, a hellish grime was left in its wake¨Ca sentient, wicked substance that began to seep itself through the crevices of the building, slowly, but surely.

    But, beyond that, something else lurked just beyond the holds of the building¨Csomething more sinister than they could fear.

    "I''m pumped up!"

    mming two, heavy-metal gauntlets together, a burly man dressed in an all-ck turncoat stood atop a building that overlooked the hotel.

    A digital mask bearing a sharp-toothed smile was worn beneath his head that did little to hide his light-red dreadlocks.

    Putting a hand on the tall, gauntlet-wearing man''s shoulder, another came up from behind him, dressed in an all-ck uniform, decorated with a thick, crow-like cape that flowed from his back. At his hip, a rose-designed greatsword intertwined with bones sat as he looked onward with calm, inhuman eyes that took the shape of five-pointed, silver stars.

    "Calm yourself, Doh."

    Therge, dreadlocked man hesitantly nodded, "...Sorry, Boss Jun-Seo."

    "Hell has risen; the time of the GOETIA System waiting in the shadows is no more. If it''s to be the "Final Culling", who better to do it than us? With this turn, the authority of GOETIA has awakened fully," the mysterious wielder of the GOETIA System said, "That being said¡­It''s time to hunt."

    Stationed behind him were three more members dressed in ck uniforms; anky man with arms far too long in proportion to his body, an old, wrinkled man, though unwithered by age, and a youthful man with an unmoving smile.

    Darkness clung to the atmosphere tightly, but to the ones who were sunk in the abyss, it was as bright as a sunny day for them¨Ctheir natural environment. The entire city was filled with the ambience of demonic howls, and the few and far between screams of stragglers of the surviving pieces of humanity.

    Still traversing the Gangnum-Gu was the colossal centipede, crawling along its surface and wrapping around the highrise buildings.

    "Let''s go, Geom Jug-Eum," Jun-Seo announced, "Unleash the Infernals."<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was the old man dressed in dark robes who took this request upon himself with a wicked smile, stroking his pale beard before sping his hands together.

    "Rise, Infernal Legion!"

    Birthing in the air, small, numerous embers grew into gates of swirling mes, giving way for ashen-formed humanoids to crawl out.

    These tall,nky inhumans breathed, saw, and exuded mes of a mystical, verdant color.

    "Our Judas has secured a path for the Infernals to seamlessly enter the building."

    "Hoh¡­I had almost forgotten about that. It''s been months now, hasn''t it? Quite the long game you''ve yed, Jun-Seo Boy," the pale-bearded, old man said, "You''re quite confident in the fact that this group openly epted your brother, aren''t you?"

    Jun-Seo kept his eyes forward, watching the hotel from a distance as the ming, demonic humanoids drooled mes from their gaping mouths.

    "Of course," Jun-Seo replied quietly as the darkness hid hisplexion through his hood, "I have full confidence in my brother. ughtering Gangcheori will make us the most powerful there is¨Cwe''ll crush the Tower. Let''s move out."

    "Hell yeah! I''ve been waiting to get my revenge on that red-haired bastard! You''re sure you saw him with Gangcheori, Hongkee?"

    The burly man whose face was hidden behind the smiling mask asked out, mming his metallic knuckles together as he moved forward.

    [Doh | Level 28]

    "I am quite positive," the old man replied, moving forward with his hands behind his back as he leaned forward as if suffering back problems, "...The eyes of my Infernal Legion are unquestionable."

    [Hongkee | Level 30]

    "Kekeke¡­I don''t care who it is! I want to cut them up! All of the pretty girls there¡­I want to cut them up!"

    Thenky, long-armed man dressed entirely in ck, leather-strapped garments with dozens of belts and buckles around his body as if trying to contain him snickered with a twisted tone, swaying his low-hanging arms as he walked.

    [Sip | Level 1]

    "Stay focused," Jun-Seomanded them.

    He was standing on the edge of the highrise building as he looked down at the abundant darkness of the hellscape, only illuminated by verdant mes of the group of Infernals that descended and moved on the ground floor.

    [Jun-Seo | Level 40]

    "This is our "Apex Mission"--we must not fail," Jun-Seo looked back at the other four members of the yer-killing group, "Let the first wave of our hunt begin."

    "Hoh, are you going to let Omukade make the first move?" Hongkee asked with a smile as he stroked his beard, standing on the ledge of the highrise building.

    Jun-Seo continued to look forward, "They likely have no idea what the true nature of Omukade is¨Cthe one feared as the "Hell Centipede"...Making the mistake of believing its size is the only thing to watch out for is a certain way of being killed."

    Before setting out, the leader of the yer-killing group extended his hand, pointing it towards the towering hotel:

    "Noise: Cancel."

    With the spell that wrapped around the building manifesting, the group headed out together.

    Last but most certainly not least, the quiet, youthful man with shaggy, bright-pink hair followed along, smiling happily as his all-ck, steel armor was unmoving in the darkness.

    [Dae-Mon | Level 35]

    Jun-Seo looked back once more at his group, "Remember: Find and secure Dae-Seong, Eunji, and Moon. Those are special targets. Their power can''t go to waste."

 Chapter 113 Comin Through!

    "Jeong-Hui¡­"

    He heard his name whispered from the only other person present in his room.

    Feigning being asleep, he kept his eyes closed while stayingid towards the wall, tuckedfortably beneath his nkets as he wanted nothing more than to stay in the heavenlyfort he yearned for.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­!" Sol whispered again, a bit louder, "Jeong-Hui!"

    "What¨C?!"

    He sat up with his frizzy, red hair being more unkempt than usual, he saw Sol already standing up with his knees pressed together in a universal sign:

    "I''ve gotta take a leak," Sol told him.

    "...Why''re you telling me? Go!" He said,ying back down as he pulled his nkets back up to his shoulders.

    "But it''s dark out there¡­! Your toilet doesn''t flush!" Sol contested.

    He almost couldn''t believe what he was hearing, but then again¨Cit was Sol, the man frightened to the core of his very own blood.

    It was all because of an incident a week prior when they were having a sleepover with the two of them and Yeong-Un.

    You''ve got to be kidding me¡­All because that guy clogged the toilet! He thought.

    Regret already seeped in just an hour into their impromptu sleep over as he wished Sol was in his own room.

    "Please, Jeong-Hui¡­I don''t do well in total darkness like this¨C!" Sol pleaded, rubbing his knees together as he seemed one moment away from an ident.

    "Okay, okay! Jeez¡­"

    He begrudgingly got out of bed with a huff, still half asleep as he ruffled his own vermilion locks. Being tucked into bed, he was out of his [Equip], just dressed in a in, ck T-shirt and some sleek, gray sweatpants.

    Like a child, Sol was wearing light-blue sleepwear; a long-sleeved, buttoned shirt of soft fabric with sleeves that hung over his hands, and baggy pants of the same fabric.

    "...You owe me one," he said, still peeved by this entire ordeal.

    "You got it!" Sol assured him, walking beside him into the dark hallway with his knees tucked in an odd fashion.

    [Social Proficiency: +1 | 2/9999]

    Huh?! Even my social skills are being cultivated by my Sage System¡­?! Well¡­I might need that, actually, he thought to himself.

    It was beginning to fit a theory of his he had: the Sage System continuously evolved and unlocked more branching paths as he went forward. What helped this was the fact he only just now leveled up his "Social Proficiency" when he had been intertwined in a social circle for months now.

    This Sage System is definitely expanding further by the day¡­It''s honestly kind of exciting, he thought.

    "So dark¡­" Sol mumbled.

    "Why''re you walking so slow?" He asked tiredly, looking back.

    Sol was a good few meters behind him, holding his hands over hisher region while walking with his knees touching.

    "...If I walk normally, I won''t be able to hold it¡­" Sol told him quietly.

    "You''re really something, you know that¡­?" He shook his head with a sigh.

    They reached one of the vacant rooms on the same floor, with him standing just outside of the room while Sol went in to handle his dder-filled business.

    "Good grief¡­" He sighed to himself, leaning against the wall as he waited.

    While standing in the dark, silent hall, he looked up towards the ceiling, finding something peculiar catching his eye.

    Drip. Drip. Drip.

    "What''s that¡­?" He questioned quietly.

    It was a ck liquid, slowly trickling down from the ceiling and falling onto the flooring below in a monotonous sound.

    Kneeling down, he got a closer look, beginning to reach out towards the sooty liquid to inspect it before¨C

    "GAAAH¨C!"

    ¨CA scream from within the vacant room that Sol was using for its bathroom.

    He immediately jumped back to his feet, pulled out of whatever half-asleep state he was in as he was full alert.

    "Sol?!"

    He rushed into the room, finding the room unupied, but the closed bathroom door had a small candle light shining from within.

    Without wasting any time, he ran over and flung the bathroom door open¨Cfinding Sol backed into a corner by a skin-crawling insectoid formed entirely of an all-ck exoskeleton.

    It was a centipede, but muchrger than the norm as it stretched for one-fourth of his height.

    "Get back! Get back¨C!"

    Sol was still in his pajamas, using a nearby mop like a spear as he kept the heinous insectoid at a distance while crying out.

    Through sheer fear, it seemed Sol didn''t even recognize that he''d shown up.

    "Use Equip, idiot!"

    As he called that out, it manifested his own equipment as his casual attire was ovepped by his all-ck, stealth-made uniform, instantly manifesting his daggers into his hands as he rushed towards therge centipede.

    "Hyah!"

    Stabbing one of his daggers downwards, it pierced through the many-legged insect, causing it to writhe in pain as an ear-piercing hiss resounded before it suddenly released into a puddle of grime.

    "Eugh¨C! What the?!" He pulled away, avoiding the ck aftermath of the insect.

    "Gyah!" Sol hugged the corner of the bathroom further.

    Wait¡­that substance¡­it looks just like the stuff dripping from the ceiling, he thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After watching for an entire minute to make sure the centipede didn''t magicallye back to life, Sol moved away from the corner, stepping around the puddle carefully as the two left the bathroom.

    "...Thanks for the save," Sol gulped.

    "You could''ve handled it easily if you just used Equip¡­" He replied wryly, tucking his daggers away with a sigh.

    "I was frozen with fear¨C!" Sol defended himself.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­did you get to use the bathroom, at least?" He asked.

    Sol only nodded while they stood in the center of the dark, vacant room within the hotel. By some miracle, he was just surprised nobody had been woken by Sol''s loud antics.

    "Let''s go back to bed, then¡­I''m¡­tired," he said slowly, being interrupted by his own yawn.

    Just as he turned around, he heard a yelp escape Sol''s lips.

    "...What''s it now¨C"

    Turning around groggily to check on his friend, his eyes widened instantly as they met with what Sol was looking at: arge number of those ck, sooty centipedes had somehow invaded the room, crawling along the walls and the carpets.

    "J-j-jeong-Hui¡­!" Sol said through chattering teeth.

    What the hell is going on¡­?! He questioned.

    "Get your equipment on!" He called to him, drawing his daggers again as he began shing away at the insectoids.

    It took a moment for Sol to do so as he was still driven by freezing fear, but eventually called out: "E-equip!"

    Ovepping his nighttime pajamas, Sol''s adventurous uniform appeared alongside his silver spear, falling directly into his grip as he hastily began to thrust it towards the insectoids.

    There was no rhyme or reason to his aim; Sol simply cried out as he relentlessly stabbed the horde of giant centipedes.

    "Don''t use any magic! Don''t forget we''re still inside!" He reminded Sol, having to stab a centipede that fell from the ceiling towards him.

    It was an abhorrent situation for him, as well. Though he didn''t outwardly express his fear and disgust quite so tantly like Sol, his skin was still crawling as he wanted to vomit his disgust.

    "Gyaaaah¨C!"

    Sol screamed out again, prompting him to look back and check on hispanion; the hazel-haired young man had his legs wrapped around by the centipedes, who moved their numerous, tiny legs along his thigh in a fashion that made his skin visibly shiver.

    "Help me¨C!" Sol called out in utter horror.

    "I''ve gotcha!" He assured him.

    Though it was easier said than done¨Cwith the centipedes wrapping directly around Sol''s legs, he had to be careful how he approached his attack.

    ¡­It''s too easy to just identally cut him, too! Crap! He thought.

    Even worse, there was hardly room to think as the number of centipedes only seemed to grow as they seeped in through the corners and crevices of the room.

    "Shit¡­!" He muttered to himself.

    Without much time to waste, hearing a pained yelpe from Sol''s lips as the centipedes squeezed his limbs, he sheathed his daggers.

    Against his better judgment, he grabbed onto the grimy insectoids directly, pulling with his raw strength as he began to unravel the monstrous insects from his friend''s legs.

    "Get¡­off!" He grunted through his teeth.

    Keeping his boots nted against the ground, he had to summon all of his strength against the surprising strength of the centipedes, though he only realized why once he finally removed them from Sol''s legs.

    "Aaargh¡­!" Sol cried out in pain.

    There was an audible squelch that met his ears after removing the centipedes, quickly stabbing them with a drawn dagger before looking at his friend again:

    Through the legs of his ck, leather-armored pants, the fabric had been torn in various spots with little piercings that resembled bite marks ced across his thighs.

    "...Huh? Are you alright?!" He called out.

    By some miracle, Sol didn''t look down at his own, bleeding thighs, else he would''ve passed out on the spot and be enveloped in the hellish swarm of centipedes.

    Sol nodded, "It hurts, but¡­I''m fine! Jeong-Hui¡­there''s more!"

    "More" was simply an understatement; there were likely hundreds now flooding in the room, enclosing on them as the sounds of their thousands of little legs cking against the walls and floorboards was a nauseating orchestra.

    "I don''t wanna die! I don''t wanna die like this¡ª! I don''t wanna be bug food!" Sol cried out, holding his spear with trembling fingers.

    "Get it together!" He yelled at Sol, "Individually, these things aren''t that strong¡­! We can handle them if we stay strong!"

    Sol gulped his fears down, though still more than hesitant about engaging with the flood of centipedes as they closed in further.

    By this point, there was no "running"--their route to the door had beenpletely blocked by the swarm of sooty centipedes.

    I could Blink Step¡­but Sol can''t. Crap¡­somebody wake up! He thought.

    As if his wish was heard, a familiar, gravellyugh resounded before the hiss of centipedes being in sounded out.

    "Huh?!"

    "Comin'' through! Comin'' through¨C!"

    A session of shes came in the form of a spin so fast that the figure unleashing them momentarily looked like a tornado of silver beforeing to a stop, having slewn countless centipedes in that one maneuver.

    Dual des; one of a white handle, one of ck. Spiky, blue hair and a face with a long-stretching scar with one blue eye, and one gold. An open, dark-blue coat with rolled up sleeves and a mesh shirt that hardly hid his bare torso.

    It was none other than¨C

    "Yeong-Un!"

    "I heard yer'' girly screams and came runnin''!" Yeong-Un exined with a smile, "...Looks like I came in the nick of time! Just like a superhero! Ha-ha!"

 Chapter 114 Trio United

    Dual des; one of a white handle, one of ck. Spiky, blue hair and a face with a long-stretching scar with one blue eye, and one gold. An open, dark-blue coat with rolled up sleeves and a mesh shirt that hardly hid his bare torso.

    It was none other than¨C

    "Yeong-Un!"

    "I heard yer'' girly screams and came runnin''!" Yeong-Un exined with a smile, "...Looks like I came in the nick of time! Just like a superhero! Ha-ha!"

    Yeong-Un stomped on the nearest centipedes brutally, holding a smile as if he was waiting for a situation like this.

    "...I''ll ignore that firstment of yours! Your timing is impable!" Sol called out happily.

    "Really¡­It is," he added.

    "Ha-ha! The hell are these things anyway?" Yeong-Un stood back-to-back with them.

    The three began to fend off the iing swarm together now, managing to dwindle their numbers this time.

    Yeong-Un was the perfect one for the job, as his dual des and ferocious style allowed him to mercilessly thin the swarm¨Cpartly in thanks to his ruthless fighting style.

    "Don''t know! They came out of nowhere!" He replied.

    "Yeah¡­! They showed up while I was in the bathroom!" Sol added, jabbing his spear against a centipede in disgust.

    "Ha-ha! Must''ve seen somethin'' it liked!" Yeong-Un teased while hacking away at the insectoid swarm as if mowing tall grass.

    "--S-shut it!" Sol replied quickly.

    Even with the three of them, it was clear it still didn''t seem to be enough to fully repel the assault of grimy centipedes.

    Why doesn''t it end?...I don''t see anymore crawling through the walls, he thought.

    While stabbing and cutting away, he looked down¨Cfinding out what was truly going on.

    The puddle of ck gunk that was left after killing each centipede caused them to reform momentster.

    Wait¡­we''ve just been¡­? He realized.

    "Guys! I figured it out¨C!"

    "Huh?" Yeong-Un looked back at him.

    "What is it?!" Sol asked desperately.

    He answered after stabbing a centipede that leapt towards him, "It''s the ck liquid! They''re reforming from it! Cutting or stabbing them is just going to let them reform¨C!"

    "Then what¡­?" Sol asked quietly in terror.

    However, Yeong-Un already seemed to get the memo as he reared both of his dual des back with an excited, sharp-toothed smile as both of his mes became engulfed in crimson mes.

    "So¡­we just gotta burn ''em away, don''t we?!" Yeong-Un called out.

    "I''ll leave it to you! Just don''t burn the hotel down!" He called out, pulling Sol back to give free reign to the spiky-haired adolescent for this.

    "Sweepin'' Dragon''s Breath!"

    Yeong-Un called out as he spun around, swinging both of his mes as he conjured a spiral of crimson mes around himself, expanding outward as the scorching fire engulfed the horde of regenerating centipedes.

    Theirbined squeals sounded out as their exoskeletons were burned away, along with the entirety of their forms as the dark gunk was reduced to nothing in the harsh mes produced by theughing, spiky-haired man.

    "He scares me sometimes¡­" Sol mumbled.

    "I''d be more scared for his enemies," he added with a quiet smile.

    After the mes settled, all of the mystical insectoids had been vaporized, leaving nothing left of the creepy-crawlers.

    "You did it¡­!" Sol called out.

    "Heh. Easy peasy," Yeong-Un bashfully smiled, resting one of his des on his shoulder.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Err¡­" He let out quietly.

    "Huh? Whazzit?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    In exchange for handling the centipedes in one fell swoop, the mes had left a scorch mark on the wooden floorboards of the room.

    "...Let''s keep this one a secret from the leader, alright?" Solughed nervously.

    "Y-yeah," Yeong-Un nodded.

    "...Luckily we''re the only ones on this side of the fifth floor," he sighed out, "I''m sure that would''ve woken¨Coh, crap¡­"

    "What is it?" Sol looked at him.

    Something had juste back to his mind after pondering about the upants of the fifth floor: there was indeed another person, albeit a new recruit who lived on the same floor.

    "...We should check the other rooms, too¡­who knows if there''s more," he said.

    "True¡­I''ll check mine," Sol gulped his fears down, clutching his spear.

    "I didn''t see any in mine before I ran over, but another look to be sure won''t hurt! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Un left the room as well.

    It was one of the most nerve wracking moments for him: walking to his room, unknowing if he''d find a swarm of centipedes waiting for him or not.

    "...Please, please, please¡­" He yearned quietly.

    Grabbing the doorknob to his room, he slowly twisted it, opening it before¨C

    "Clear¡­" He sighed out in total relief.

    Not a single sign of a grotesque, many-legged insect. Now, there was one more room for him to check: Xiaodan''s.

    He walked over quietly, opening the door in such a way to make zero noise as he peeked inside.

    "--"

    There the silver-haired, feminine boy was sprawled out on his bed and sound asleep. Luckily, there wasn''t a single of the gunk-regenerating centipedes in there, either.

    "Thank goodness¡­"

    He sighed out again before closing the door, returning to the hall just in time as Sol and Yeong-Un returned from their check-in as well.

    "Anything?" He asked.

    Sol shook his head, "I didn''t see anything."

    "Nothin'' here, either," Yeong-Un folded his arms over his chest, "Went to the other side and checked Korain and Binna''s rooms¨Cnothin''."

    "Nice thinking," he nodded.

    As they stood in the barely-lit corridor for a moment, it seemed they all had the same question in mind, but Sol was the first to voice it.

    "...What were those things, anyway?" Sol asked, gulping.

    "I thought they were normal enemies, but¡­I didn''t get any prompt from the System," he answered, "Did either of you?"

    "Nah," Yeong-Un shook his head.

    "Nope¡­" Sol gave the same answer.

    "That''s¡­weird," he said, holding his hand to his chin, "Should we tell Dae-Seong about this? I know we haven''t seen more of them, but¡­"

    Yeong-Un pped him yfully on the shoulder with a sharp smile, "Nah, we''ve got this!"

    Though the wild-haired young man seemed excited at the prospect of fighting, it was clear to tell what his intentions were as he marched down the hall.

    He probably doesn''t want to stress out Dae-Seong with something that we can handle¡­I agree, I think, he thought.

 Chapter 115 Wriggly Madness

    "What now?" Sol asked.

    "Huh? I don''t know about ya'', but I don''t feelfortable sleepin'' tonight knowing those things can still be slitherin'' around! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Un answered.

    "Thanks for the reminder¡­" Sol hugged himself.

    In the dark halls of the fifth floor, they simply followed behind Yeong-Un, who marched around, looking around for any stray insectoids.

    "Just want to patrol then?" He asked.

    "Yeah," Yeong-Un replied, ncing back, "Maybe we should check the other floors, too! Let''s split! We can cover more ground that way!"

    "S-split up¡­?" Sol gulped.

    It was clear that the hazel-haired coward had little eptance of a strategy like that, but Yeong-Un insisted.

    "I''ve got the fifth floor! I''ll check higher, too, so ya'' two check the lower floors!" Yeong-Un suggested.

    He''s awfully tactical tonight¡­He thought.

    "Alright, then¨Cbe careful," he said.

    "Careful is my middle name!" Yeong-Un flexed one of his biceps for some sort of reassurance.

    Sol and himself went into the stairwell, beginning to travel down to the next floor after leaving Yeong-Un to patrol the higher levels.

    "Is he going to be okay¡­?" Sol asked.

    "Do you have to ask me that? Yeong-Un is stronger than the both of us¨Cyou know what better than anybody," he assured his friend.

    "You''re right¡­I just have a bad feeling about this," Sol ced his hand on his abdomen.

    He scratched his head, arriving at the fourth floor''s entrance as he looked at Sol, "I''ll check this floor out. You go check the third then let''s meet back up here, alright? If one of us doesn''t show in about¡­fifteen minutes, we''ll check on the other. Sound good?"

    It was his best strategy to work around Sol''s innate, unmatched cowardice, but it seemed to be enough as the hazel-haired spearman nodded.

    "Got it."

    "Alright. Hopefully we don''t find anything, though," he smiled before heading into the fourth floor.

    Immediately, he felt a cold air run up his back once being leftpletely alone on the fourth floor. It was nearly swallowed inplete darkness, save for two candles that gave off faint light in the distance down the branching paths of the halls.

    There''s only two members of Gangcheori on this floor: Ho-Jun and Junsu. I don''t remember exactly which rooms they''re in, though¡­Guess I''ll have to check all of them, he thought with a small sigh.

    He began to walk quietly down the dark hall, apanied by an eerie silence that surrounded him with an eerie ambience.

    There were roughly twenty rooms on each floor, give or take, leaving him to quietly turn each doorknob he came across and peek inside.

    ¡­Nothing, he thought.

    The first dozen wound up in nothing but vacant rooms until he turned the doorknob to room "#95"--opening it to find an empty bed, but not an empty room.

    "Ho-Jun? Junsu?" He whispered, quietly stepping into the unknown room.

    It was a bit ufortable for him to intrude, but desperate times called for such measures as he looked around.

    By the immacte, orderly room that was decorated with posters of opera houses and ssical artists, he knew who this room belonged to:

    Ho-Jun, he realized.

    Though it made little sense to him why Ho-Jun himself wasn''t inside of his room, especially at this hour while everybody else was asleep.

    "Where is he¡­?" He mumbled to himself.

    Checking the bathroom attached to that room, Ho-Jun wasn''t there either.

    Now it was worrying for him¨Cwith the prospect of sludge-formed centipedes on the loose, he didn''t want to think of what could''ve happened to the pudgy, kind-hearted member of Gangcheori.

    "Crap¡­" He muttered.

    He made sure to check everywhere in the room: the bathroom, closet, and even under the bed just in case of some inexplicable oddity, but s¨CHo-Jun wasn''t in his room.

    Going back into the dark hall, he moved with a sense of both urgency and caution, not knowing whether he should be calling Ho-Jun''s name now or remaining on the side of stealth.

    It was likely thanks to his new [Zombie Self-Sustain] skill that was able to operate with any semnce of orderly function on such a low amount of sleep, after a day of fighting, no less.

    Still, it didn''t make it a pleasant experience, as he still felt like crawling back into bed, but it was no such time for that.

    ¡­I should''ve known this would be different. When it was just Defects, they wouldn''t attack or try to invade homes unless doors were left open¡­but, this is different. I doubt creatures of Hell aren''t tethered by many rules, huh? He thought.

    Again and again, he opened each door in an attempt to either find Ho-Jun, or discover Junsu''s room.

    Junsu wasn''t somebody he saw around very often, mostly because of their conflicting schedules with patrol, but he was a kind, gentle person who was a few years his senior.

    Crunch. Crunch.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--"

    An audible noise of something being crunched by what sounded like something being eaten met his ears.

    It sounds¡­close, he thought.

    As he continued down the dark halls, he picked up the candle that was left on one of the corridor tables, taking it with him as he carefully approached the door that seemed to be inhabited by the crunching noises.

    The soft me swayed side-to-side as he held it still, standing in front of the door, listening in on the grotesque mixture of squelching and crunches as his free, right hand remained hovering just in front of the doorknob.

    Just as his hand touched the doorknob, without making a single sound himself¨Cthe crunching stopped.

    He paused for a moment, feeling the heat of the me-bearing, slowly melting candle as he held the tray steadily before beginning to turn the knob.

    Please¡­just be nothing, he hoped.

    Finally opening the door, a miasma immediately flooded against his nose as his eyes met with something beyond the horrific smell itself thatid in the room.

    "...No¡­! Junsu¡­!"

    On the bed, a half-eaten corpse was left on the blood-soaked sheets with entrails spilled out off the side of the ursed furniture. The blonde-haired member of Gangcheori had half of his face missing along with most of the left side of his body.

    "...What the fuck?!" He let out, backing away as he coughed and gagged.

    But, before he could back out of the roompletely¨Che saw what was responsible for this horror, something that amplified the terror in his heart to a heightened degree.

    Crunch. Crunch.

    "...Ho-Jun¡­?" He let out in dreaded disbelief.

    Therge, round man didn''t answer, having his back turned to him as he stood in the corner of the room, consuming something as the crunching and squelching of flesh continued to fill his ears.

    There was clearly something not right with the tubby man as ck veins protruded beneath his skin, wriggling in an unnatural manner.

    "Ho-Jun¡­!"

    As he took a step closer, covering his mouth as he tried not to look at the horrific, mauled body of Junsu¨Cthe sounds of eating stopped as Ho-Jun froze.

    "...Ho-Jun¡­?"

    Suddenly, therge man spun around, revealing his white-suit to be drenched in blood and guts, not of his own as his face was painted in the same abhorrent spige. Held in the hands of the man, who now had pupiless, ck eyes, was one of the disembodied arms, likely belonging to Junsu.

    "No¡­! Ho-Jun?! What the fuck did you do?!" He yelled out.

    All he received in return was an inhuman howl that sounded out from Ho-Jun''s dislocated jaw, revealing his tongue to be reced by a ck centipede that stretched out.

    The centipede tongue attempted totch onto him, but he jumped back, dropping his candle in the process as he rushed out of the room.

    What the fuck is going on?! Ho-Jun¡­he ate Junsu?! He thought.

    As he stumbled out of the room, dibobted by the unearthly situation, he could feel the stomps of the man-eating member of Gangcheori following behind him.

    He turned around, mming the door shut as he continued, only for the door to be rammed through, doing nothing to stop the man-eating Ho-Jun as the wooden material shattered like ss.

    "Ho-Jun¡­! Listen to me¨C! What''s wrong?!"

    "--!"

    Another ear-ringing screech resounding from the ck-veined, man-eating man before he was being rushed at once more.

    He''s not listening¡­! That centipede¡­it''s part of him! Did it¡­take him over?! What the fuck is this?! He thought.

    He didn''t want to fight the once gentle, pacifist Ho-Jun, but he was left with no choice as he drew his daggers.

    That centipede that''s acting as his tongue¡­I''ll cut it! That has to be the source of this! He theorized.

    He stood his ground, waiting as therge, round man rushed towards him, stomping as his arms iled unnaturally in an inhuman manner while screeching out in bloodlust.

    Now¡­! He thought.

    Just as Ho-Jun got within range, he used a [Blink Step] to zip past him, shing his dagger at the same time as the outstretched, giant insectoid was cut out from the man''s mouth in a clean maneuver.

    "I got it¡­!" He told himself, turning around after rolling across the floor.

    He watched as Ho-Jun fell as still as a statue, facing away from him while the cut-up centipede writhed in pain on the floor before shriveling up.

    "Ho-Jun¡­Are you good?" He called out.

    ¨CNothing.

    ¡­Shit. Was that not enough? He questioned.

 Chapter 116 The Pain That Must Be Swallowed

    Slowly, the bulbous, overtaken man turned around, swaying side-to-side as if intoxicated before revealing his face to him.

    Another howl left in an inhuman frequency from Ho-Jun''s maw before his eyeballs bulged out and his face began to crack and peel apart.

    "What the¡­?" He watched in disgust.

    Ho-Jun''s entire head broke apart in a stomach-churning fashion, being stripped apart before the body of a giant centipede,rger than the previous ones, stretched out as if taking over as the man''s new head.

    He immediately had to resist the urge to vomit as tears hung around the edges of his eyes; it was beyond anything he had seen in this twisted world. Chunks of brain matter had been sshed onto the walls, and bits and pieces of skull fragments flew around the hall as the centipede-controlled man stumbled towards him.

    This isn''t right¡­! Is this what "Hell" is truly like?! He questioned.

    There was no time to be disgusted as he forced himself to get ready to sh with the infected, lostpanion of his.

    He''s dead¡­There''s no saving him now, Jeong-Hui¡­so don''t hesitate! He told himself.

    Aiding himself in this, he activated Sage Period with the primary intent of augmenting his reflexes and emotions.

    Let''s do it just like that first time¡­I know I might hesitate¨Cso, let''s suppress my unneeded emotions! He thought.

    Just as hemanded himself, those hesitancies were whisked away as his emerald eyes took to a glow, now able to face the centipede-human without any doubt in his mind.

    As the bulbous being rushed towards him, he jumped up, spinning himself around as the soles of his boots pressed against the ceiling, dodging right over the attempted bite of the centipede-head as he looked down at it.

    Dark Edge plus Ripper¡­He thought.

    "ck Ripper."

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 2000/3600]

    He executed thebined skill by first using a [Blink Step] to close off the space between him and his opponent on the ground, shing by as hended on the ground behind the infested man.

    In a dark sh, many shes appeared, cutting up the body of who was once Ho-Jun, as well as cutting apart the centipede head.

    "...That should do it¨C"

    As he thought it was the end, he looked back to witness the bisected, enormous centipede body that stretched out from Ho-Jun''s neck cavity had reattached itself before it could fully separate.

    Regeneration¨C? This is different from how the other centipedes recover¨Cit''s almost instantaneous, he realized.

    He was forced to jump back as the ck, monstrous centipede extended from Ho-Jun''s neck, whipping towards him in an unnatural path as he avoided its mping, sludge-oozing mandibles.

    "--!"

    It was a tricky opponent; watching the body of Ho-Jun only served to deceive him as the centipede stretching from the body''s neck cavity moved differently and more aggressively than the lumbering, thick body itself.

    Cutting isn''t going to be very effective, is it? Not normal cutting, anyway¡­He thought.

    "Hades'' Touch."

    [Spirit: -200. Remaining Spirit: 1700/3600]

    Sage Period lessened the spirit toll on normal, ubined spells, allowing him to manifest the aspect of deathly frost as it exuded from the ck-steel of his daggers in a cold air.

    If Yeong-Un could end them with fire, maybe ice can handle it simrly, he theorized.

    He jumped up, avoiding the mandibles of the lengthy centipede as it curved around, redirecting itself to try andtch onto him again.

    With a swift counter, he sliced the midsection of its skin-crawling body, leaving a trail of ice that stretched across its form.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Got you."

    ¨CHowever, it didn''t seem to be the end as he was suddenly shoved by the headless body of Ho-Jun afternding back down, rolling across the floor as he quickly caught himself onto his feet again.

    It barely did any damage, not enough to trigger a prompt from the System, but it did leave his shoulder feeling stiff afterwards as he looked up.

    "...Shit," he let out quietly.

    The icy attempt to thwart the centipede seemed to end in failure as the lengthy, monstrous insectoid split its body, leaving its head to wither away while its sludge-spewing, headless body quickly regenerated, regrowing its head in mere moments.

    It can break off like that, then¡­I''ll have to freeze Ho-Jun''s body, he thought.

    Using Hades'' Touch for too long had its own side-effects; the deathly cold could be felt within his own body as his temperature slowly dropped, prompting him to take to the offensive this time while the main centipede was still recovering.

    Hades'' Touch plus Twilight Cutter¡­! He thought.

    It was a difficult maneuver to make, but was able tobine one skill with another while one was still active, adding the rangeless, visceral aspect of [Twilight Cutter] to his ice-bearing daggers.

    shing his daggers, he unleashed pale-blue, starry shes that propelled forward,nding against the round, ck-veined body of Ho-Jun.

    "Underworld''s Horizon."

    As the centipede-controlled corpse itself was defenseless, the resulting shes split open Ho-Jun''s abdomen in an abhorrent fashion as his guts spilled out, but quickly froze over before the spige could fall.

    It''s working! He witnessed.

    The centipede halted its attack as it writhed in the pain of the biting frost that stretched across Ho-Jun''s mutted corpse.

    Witnessing this made him realize an aspect of "Hades'' Touch" itself:

    It looks like the frost is much more powerful if it''s inflicted on a weakened enemy, or if it''s born from their wounds? He thought.

    After standing there and watching the frost stretch, he witnessed it eventually freeze over both the body and the centipede itself¨Cleaving a grotesque statue of ice in the hall.

    "Haah¡­"

    Using [Hades'' Touch] for that long resulted in his breaths leaving in a frosty mist before he canceled it, allowing his temperature to return to normal as he slowly moved over to the frozen corpse.

    ["???" Defeated. EXP + 300 | 350/13500]

    "...Weird. It looks like this isn''t an enemy recognized by the system¡­" He thought.

    Sage Period, off, he thought.

    The moment Sage Period was deactivated, his suppressed emotions returned as tears trailed down his cheeks.

    With the abundant death lingering on the fourth floor, he fell to his knees before mming his fist down against the ground.

    "Shit¡­!"

    He screamed out from the top of his lungs, crying out as once again, he had failed to protect hisrades.

    After a minute, he collected himself, wiping his face as he breathed in and out, knowing there was little time for grief.

    This isn''t something that can be swept under the rug now. We''ll have to tell everybody, as soon as possible¡­this is terrible. I just hope Sol and Yeong-Un are fine¡­He thought.

 Chapter 117 Shine Bright, Sol

    "Please¡­no bugs¡­"

    Sol whispered to himself as he clutched his spear close to his body like a lifeline, walking slowly throughout the third floor as he gulped.

    It was apletely vacant floor, but that made it all the more daunting to search through as to him, any semnce of noise meant something would be there that wasn''t meant to be there.

    As he took another step into the lightless corridor, the sound of the floorboards creaking beneath his own step made him jump out.

    "Gah¨C!"

    He let out a sigh to himself after realizing it was his own step, holding his hand over his heart as he regained his lost breath.

    ¡­I''m not made for this kind of stuff. Even if I try my best¡­at the end of the day, I''m a coward. You can''t change who you are naturally¡­He told himself.

    Though he moved slowly, he inspected the floor to the best of his ability, peeking into each room as he moved with utmost caution.

    Every step he took, he wanted to take three back, sweating and gulping down his worries as he held his spear close to his body.

    Luckily, there wasn''t anything to find on the floor¨Cby some miracle that he felt thankful for. There wasn''t even a single one of the hellish centipedes squirming around, prompting him to let out a sigh of relief once he reached the end of the floor.

    "...What a relief¡­"

    I wonder if Jeong-Hui found anything on his floor? He thought.

    As he began to go back down the halls to wait at the stairwell for Jeong-Hui, a presence emerged from behind him in a violent, aggressive manner.

    "Wha¨C?!" He screamed out, turning back.

    A gathering of ck sludge seeped through the boarded-off window, coalescing from the crevices of the floor and the ceiling and forming into arge, multimeter long millipede with many, wriggling legs.

    No, no, no, no, no! You have to be kidding me¨C! There was nothing here just a moment ago! What kind of cruel deception is this?! He thought.

    Though he realized wishing it wasn''t so just simply wasn''t enough as the sludge-formed insectoid began to rapidly slither towards him, slithering across the floor, walls, and ceiling in a spiral movement towards him.

    "Gyaah¨C!" He yelled out, breaking off in a sprint in the opposite direction.

    There was no part of him that wanted to fight the monstrous, grimy millipede as it hissed out towards him, repeatedly mping its mandibles together in a hungering fashion.

    I''ll find Jeong-Hui, or Yeong-Un¡­Yeah, I''ll get one of them to handle this¨C! He thought.

    However, even he opened his own eyes to that wed thought process; some part within him found something deeply wrong with that mindset.

    No¡­that''s not right. Right now, it''s just me. Jeong-Hui is fighting his own battle, and so is Yeong-Un. They trusted me¡­they trusted me to be able to handle this on my own. What kind of friend am I if I betray their trust each and every time? Can I even be called a rade" of theirs if I''m the one that needs saving each time? He questioned.

    Stomping his foot down against his better judgment, he turned around and faced the iing insectoid while his entire body shivered in fear, yet he forced himself to stand tall with quivering eyes and a spear held with trembling fingers.

    "...Cast: Cloudy Coil!" He invoked.

    Through his invocation, his silver spear became enveloped in ayer of buzzing electricity as he held it towards the millipede, which reared its grotesque, humanoid face at him while its horn-like mandibles salivated.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I''ll stand tall¡­and win! He resolved.

    Just as it lunged towards him from above his head, he shut his eyes out of fear and rolled forward, avoiding its strike as the hardened head of the millipede mmed into the spot which he previously stood.

    ¡­Crap! That would''ve gone right through me if it hit! He thought.

    As he stood back up, he found the body of the insectoid open for an attack as he roared out¨Cthrough fear and whatever resolve to fight he wielded¨Cbefore thrusting his electric-engulfed weapon towards its body.

    Crack.

    He managed to stab through its tough exoskeleton, though it stopped the head of his spear from digging into the main body of the many-legged entity.

    Attempting to pull his spear back, it barely budged despite him tugging on the pole.

    "What the¡­? It''s stuck¡­!"

    Fear drove over him once again as he nced behind him to see the top-half of the millipede''s body beginning to turn back towards him after having mmed into the ground.

    Come on¡­! Get out! He yearned.

    As the human-faced insect lunged towards him from behind, he yelled out, "Shock it!"

    Focusing on the spell that enchanted his spear, he invoked the full-throttle of its electricity, causing the volts to surge throughout the millipede''s body in a bubbling heat. The focused, surging heat from within caused the insect''s exoskeleton armor to protrude and exude steam throughout its lengthy form as it hissed out.

    After it writhed around and mmed its tail-end, thrashing about, his spearhead finally came loose as he fell onto his rear.

    "Gh¡­! Gyah¨C!"

    Before he could have any time to process anything, the angered, giant millipede slithered towards him as he scrambled to his feet.

    A smack from the tailend of the millipede mmed against his gut, knocking him against the wall and causing him to cough out saliva.

    The single attack caused him to lose one-third of his health, feeling his organs be heavilypromised by the sheer strength of that insect''s body.

    Before it could attack again, he got up while holding his stomach that burned with a heat that reced the pain.

    Again, it came to him: the main art of the "Lancer" ss¨Can imperfect style that only refined itself in moments of trouble.

    "Through The Wind: Sonic Blitz."

    Just internalizing the true name of the skill was enough to invoke it as the entirety of his mind and body agreed in unison to use it, prompting his next step to break the sound barrier as he propelled forward.

    Even with the sudden burst of speed, he managed to naturally pivot off of it and stop himself, turning around and facing his insectoid enemy with newly created space.

    "Woah¡­" He let out in surprise after releasing the powerful skill.

    For some reason, using that skill gave him a burst of confidence as the adrenaline that pumped through his veins flourished with optimal strength.

 Chapter 118 The One Who Can Shine The Brightest

    [Three Years Prior]

    "Hey, Sol!"

    The streets were bustling, full of passing cars and busy people, all who seemed to have a ce to go.

    On the other hand, he walked without a care beside his schoolyard friends. They were delinquents; people that didn''t strive to aim high, and only to do what they wanted.

    To him, they were cool.

    "Sol!"

    Again, his name was called, this time pulling him from his daydreaming-mind as he looked forward to his blonde-haired, tan-skinned friend.

    "Yeah?"

    The delinquent friend of his certainly looked the part; blonde, wild hair, an unnatural tan, piercings on his ears and lips, and their school uniform, unbuttoned and open.

    "Hurry up, would you? My guy isn''t going to wait all day for us."

    "Right!"

    He followed along, rushing down the sidewalk as he followed his friend, against his better judgment.

    Ming, his friend with many connections to other delinquents, many above their grade, had brought him along as he had found somebody willing to sell them alcohol. Since they were just thirteen, it''d be impossible to obtain it normally.

    To him, this was the most wild gambit of his youth thus far.

    "This is the ce¡­?" He asked.

    It was a dark, shoddy-looking alley that seemed a world away from the bustling streets of Seoul.

    "Yeah, let''s go¨Cor are you chicken?" His friend coaxed him.

    "I-I''m not chicken!" He assured him, following him into the dark alleyway.

    Regret was immediately had once they delved deep into the smoky, dreary alleyway as he saw the "connections" that his friend, Ming, was touting.

    They''re huge¡­He thought.

    They were students, just like him, but clearly a few years their senior; standing in the dark alley, smoking and drinking with scars and tattoos.

    This was the big league.

    He gulped, looking at Ming, who approached the delinquent with the buzzcut and scarred lip.

    "Hey, do you have the stuff?" Ming asked.

    The look he got from the tall,nky delinquent who towered over the both of them was not a pleased, or weing look.

    "The fuck are you?" The delinquent asked sharply, taking a hit from his cigarette.

    "M-Ming, you remember, right? My cousin told you about me. You got the drinks, don''t you?" Ming asked nervously.

    Seeing his usually confident, strong friend get nervous made him nervous as well as he looked at the other delinquents in the alley, who were all now watching them silently with merciless eyes.

    The man took another hit from his cigarette before dropping it onto the ground, stamping it out, "Oh¡­I remember. You''re the little wannabe."

    "Huh¨C?" Ming looked up in surprise.

    Suddenly, Ming''s hair was gripped by the much taller, stronger delinquent, pulled roughly as he was helpless to the older one''s grip.

    "Aagh¡­!" Ming yelped out in pain.

    "H-hey!" He called out.

    But he immediately stopped once being on the receiving end of that delinquent''s gaze.

    "Huh? What''re you going to do, shitstain?"

    "--"

    He fell silent, only able to stand and do anything.

    My legs won''t stop shaking. Everything won''t stop trembling, he thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    That day¡­I ran. I ran and I never looked back. I could hear Ming''s screams. I never saw him again after that. I''m a coward. But¡­I don''t have to be for the rest of my life.

    ¨C

    It was the first time in a long time that¡­

    I feel confident, he thought with a smile.

    He stood tall, breathing in-and-out through his barely parted lips calmly as he set his amber eyes on the approaching millipede, tightening the red headband he wore before gripping his weapon tightly.

    This time¡­I''ll be like you, Jeong-Hui; quick and efficient. It always amazes me how you can move so fast, yet so gracefully¨Cexecuting your ns instantaneously with pinpoint uracy. It''s unlike Yeong-Un''s rough, raw-power style¡­You prioritize ending things quickly without anybody being hurt.

    I want to be like that, he resolved.

    "Cast: Malevolent Returnal!"

    As he yelled out the spell invocation confidently, a visible air wrapped itself around his silver spear before heunched it with wind-breaking speed before he followed it himself.

    "Through The Winds: Sonic Blitz."

    Moving with supersonic speed in a singr direction, he brought himself on the right wall just in time as his mystically-guided spear mmed against the millipede before shifting direction and hitting the insect again.

    This left the human-faced, giant insect distracted as its hissing rage focused on the self-guiding spear, leaving him free tounch his own attack.

    "Through The Winds: Sonic Blitz."

    Launching off of the wall, he utilized the ludicrous, one-way speed tond a powerful kick against the millipede, creating a harsh impact as he slid by, catching his spear in his hand.

    As the insect recovered from the attack, though with a cracked exoskeleton, he repeated it once more¨C

    "Cast: Malevolent Returnal!"

    And just as he cast his self-moving spear, he moved himself as well: "Through The Winds: Sonic Blitz!"

    One spell, and one skill; together, the speedy assault left the feeble-minded creature unable to adjust orprehend the angles at which it was repeatedly attacked.

    Using his own swift-guided fists and feet to attack the armored millipede resulted in bruising his own body, but he pushed through while having the momentum, repeating thebined attack two more times before finally¨C

    Squelch.

    The giant millipede had its armor shattered and broken, its fleshy, vulnerable body spewing out ck blood as it fell to the ground.

    But, it wasn''t over yet¨Che knew that.

    It''ll regenerate if I don''t vaporize itpletely¡­! Let''s finish this! He resolved.

    Reaching his hand out, his spear returned to his grip before he reared it back once more, breathing in and out as his heart thumped wildly in his chest, and his blood ran like moltenva through his veins.

    It was frightening, and it was foreign¨Cthe heart-throbbing sensation of a real battle; but he resolved to finish it as he stomped his boot down.

    "Through The Winds: Message From The Ever-Present Storm!"

    As he threw his spear this time, it shattered the sound barrier, releasing like a bolt of lightning that propelled forth at a blinding speed before piercing right through the front end of the millipede and shooting out of the back end.

    All at once, the trail of azure lightning vaporized the insect from the inside out, leaving it turned to nothing but ash afterwards.

    "Fuu¡­"

    He slowly caught his breath, holding his hand out as his spear returned to his hand in a triumphant matter.

    "...I did it¡­" He held a small smile as sweat left his pores in abundance, looking at his bruised knuckles, "--I did it. I did it without even taking much damage¨C! I''m¡­I''m strong!"

    Somehow, it was a powerfulbination: the fear of being hurt that made him avoid his enemies'' attacks desperately, and the wondrous speed of his special skills.

    A mere five-hundred experience felt almost like a joke after conquering his fears, but it was just the first of many steps on his path to bing the kind of person he strived to be.

    Still, that small amount of experience felt like a heaping amount as it was just enough to push him to the next level.

    "Twenty-three."

    He took a breather, falling back onto his rear as he caught his breath, looking at his trembling hands before clenching them shut.

    This is what having pride in yourself feels like? He thought.

 Chapter 119 Wrath Of Hades

    After both of them cleared their respective floors, they met in the stairwell.

    Sol had a victorious, proud smile on his lips as he approached him while bashfully running his fingers through his unkempt, hazel locks.

    "Yo, Jeong-Hui!" Sol greeted him as they both met on the mid-section between both floors on the stairwell, "I ran into a giant insect, but I managed to defeat it. Not a biggy. What about you?"

    In contrast to Sol''s proud expression, what he wore was a solemn look ofmentation that quickly caused Sol''s own smile to fade as he realized what that look could mean.

    "Jeong-Hui? What''s up¡­?" Sol asked.

    He looked up, "Ho-Jun and Junsu¡­they¡­"

    Before he could finish as his words lingered with hesitation to embed such a reality, Sol began to realize what was being told to him as his eyes widened in disbelief.

    "They''re dead," he finally got out with it.

    "No way¡­" Sol said quietly.

    He nodded, clenching his fists as his eyes held fresh sorrow in them, "...I honestly still don''t know what it was exactly that I saw, but it looked like¡­Ho-Jun was taken over by one of those centipedes."

    "...Taken over¡­?" Sol repeated in disbelief.

    "Yeah," he confirmed, "By the time I found him, he was gone. He wasn''t of mind anymore. He¡­ate Junsu."

    "Ate him¡­? What the hell? This is bad, Jeong-Hui," Sol held his own head, looking at him, "We have to regroup with Yeong-Un! We''ve got to get everybody awake!"

    Sol had grabbed him by his shoulders, looking straight at him with urgent fear now, though he was still processing the abhorrent sights he had just witnessed.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?!"

    "I know," he finally responded, looking up at him, "...Go up and find Yeong-Un. Make sure he''s fine, then tell him to wake up everybody on those floors. After that, get Dae-Seong¡­right now, we need his leadership."

    Sol nodded, gulping, "What about you?"

    "I''ll keep checking the lower floors¡­Korain, Eunji, and Kwang-Jo are on the second floor, and Chang-Ho is on the first¡­I''ll get them up and figure out if there''s anything else lurking," he nned as he went, nodding to himself, "Get going! We don''t have time to waste!"

    Swallowing his new grief, Sol nodded before sprinting up the stairs, "Stay careful, Jeong-Hui!"

    He watched the hazel-haired young man disappear up the staircase before mumbling to himself, "Careful is all you can be in this world."

    Moving down to the second floor, he burst through the door from the stairwell like a football yer, bashing through it with his shoulder.

    To his surprise, he didn''t need to find Korain or Eunji, seeing the two already in the hall, but they were up for a reason:

    Together, the two werebating what looked like a hivemind of centipedes that balled up and intertwined in an abhorrent mess that took a humanoid shape.

    The man with long, ck-and-white hair roared out before using his ymore to cut off the humanoid amalgamation of centipedes'' arm, but it instantly reformed and forced him to guard against a powerful fist of insectoids.

    "Damn! This thing doesn''t stay down!" Korain grunted.

    "Cast: Thorn Barrier!" Eunji called.

    The spell came just in time to guard Korain from an unexpected extension of the centipeetle-humanoid''s arm that reached for his throat.

    It took shape in a wall of mystical, pale-white roots that bore razor-sharp thorns, catching the hivemind of centipedes'' extended arm in it.

    "Nice save!" Korain called out.

    "Hey!"

    He yelled out, running up from behind them, getting their attention now that their enemy was held at bay by the thorn wall.

    Korain and Eunji both looked back in surprise.

    "Jeong-Hui?" Eunji called out his name.

    "Lad!" Korain said in shock.

    Meeting up with the two, he caught his breath, seeing that they weren''t exactly in perfect shape, as Korain''s ivory armor had been scratched and dented at various points, and Eunji''s beige skirt was torn at various points, along with her white, ovepping mage robes.

    "...I''m guessing I don''t have to catch you both up on the situation?" He said through his breaths.

    "Nope¡­You''ve been through the ringer yourself, huh?" Korain asked, noticing it by the exhausted wear on the young man''s expression.

    "Yeah¡­" He looked at the two for a moment beforeing out with it, "...Ho-Jun and Junsu are dead. These things got them."

    He opted not to tell them that Ho-Jun ate Junsu, as it definitely wasn''t the intent of Ho-Jun himself, but the centipede that took control of him.

    Eunji''s mouth dropped in disbelief, "...That''s¡­"

    "Shit¡­Two more? Dammit," Korain clicked his tongue in frustration.

    "..."Two more"...?" He looked at Korain.

    As he asked this, the two in front of him fell silent for a moment while the amalgamate centipede continued to try and break through the thorn barrier.

    "Kwang-Jo didn''t make it," Korain told him straight, not beating around the bush.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He could tell it was still fresh for the both of them, as Eunji seemedpletely distraught by all of the loss that happened so quickly.

    "Oh¡­I see¡­" He looked down, squeezing his fists shut.

    Another¡­Why is this happening? He thought.

    A moment of silent grief persisted between the three before Korain brought them back into focus with a p of his hands.

    "Alright! Now''s not the time toment! We''ve got to act now, or we''re all going to be victims of these centipede bastards¨C!" The Gangcheori executive member told them.

    Eunji sniffed, forcing her tears back as she adjusted her round-rimmed sses with a nod, "R-right!"

    "I''m with you," he said, "...By the way¨Ccutting them doesn''t work."

    "I noticed," Korain clicked his tongue at the centipede monster.

    It was beginning to break through the pale, thorned roots, tearing them apart as the three got ready for a confrontation against the wild, hissing hivemind of insects.

    "What do we do, then?" Eunji looked at him.

    "Burning them away works, and freezing does as well. I can do both, but¡­this one looks tougher than the others," he told them.

    Korain nodded, "Yeah. It''s made up of hundreds of those bastards. All balled up. Those exoskeletons are tough, and even tougher when grouped up like that. It won''t be easy to burn ''em all away like that, or freeze them."

    "That''s why it''s going to be a group effort, right?" He said.

    Korain put on a wry smile, taking the front, "You read my mind."

    Finally, the human-shaped mess of centipedes tore through the thorns, immediately whipping its extending limbs of many-legged, hard-shelled insects around in an attempt to mutte and crush them with sheer force.

    The wind hissed from the strength of its arm-whips, each time they hit the walls, they cracked from the raw power exhibited.

    Korain took to the vanguard, naturally, deflecting the whip-strikes with his ymore as he yelled out, "It goes without saying, but don''t get caught by its strikes! This damn insect packs a punch!"

    "I can tell!" He yelled out in response.

    Eunji held her mystical staff forward: "Cast: Full-Metal!"

    The defensive-augmentation spell cast on the ponytailed warrior multiplied his "constitution" stat as hisplexion temporarily resembled gleaming titanium¨Cin other words; his sturdiness was magnified.

    It was clear what the n was without it having to be explicitly said: Korain was allowing its attack to focus on him, and Eunji was supporting him with magic to lessen the burden.

    That left him, the swiftness and most nimble, to handle the offensive.

    Normally the fast, repeated whip strikes that extended several meters, curving and snapping at blinding speeds would make it impossible to close in, but he just so happened to have the perfect tool to get around it:

    Sage Period, activate! Hone my senses! He thought.

    It was a double-edged sword, one that came with a heavy risk: Sage Period came with the unavoidable demerit of doubling whatever inflictions he received, but in this case, his reflexes were heightened beyond their normal limits.

    I can see it, he thought.

    As he watched the humanoid hivemind of centipedes continue to unleash its repeated whip-strikes of its elongated limbs while Korain defended against it, they moved as if they were recorded in slow-motion for his vision.

    It required his utmost amplification of his senses, however, as he strained his eyes enough for the veins around his orbr organs to be prominent and protruding.

    I''ll end this as swiftly as possible: Hades'' Touchbined with Ripper¡­That should do the job! He thought.

    Heunched his assault after ingraining the pattern of the centipede''s whips into his mind, setting off with a series of [Blink Steps] that allowed him to pass through the vicious defense of the monstrous entity''s strikes.

    There were over a dozen whips per second, resulting in a repetitive, mming-and-thumping sound repeating as the centipede-amalgamation relentlessly pelted against Korain''s ymore.

    "Ngh¡­!" Korain gritted his teeth.

    Even though he was able to cleanly avoid the whipping limbs, he could still feel the potent, abrasive winds generated by their visceral force, knowing full well the impact those would have on a direct-hit.

    First heunched up to the ceiling, then forward onto the right wall, then to the left wall, directly behind the melded horror of centipedes.

    "...Wrath of Hades!"

    [Spirit: -500. Remaining Spirit: 1200/3600]

    All at once, his frost-enchanted daggers were guided into a seamless flow of a dozen shes,nding at various points of the centipede monster''s wriggling body.

    ¡­It worked! He thought.

    With so many visceral shes left at once, the frost of Hades'' Touch quickly spread throughout the insect horror''s form.

    As his assault seeded, he released Sage Period, taking the strain off of his eyes as he blinked.

    And during that singr blink, it struck¨C

    "Look out, Jeong-Hui!"

 Chapter 120 Silver Rendezvous

    As his assault seeded, he released Sage Period, taking the strain off of his eyes as he blinked.

    And during that singr blink, it struck¨C

    "Look out, Jeong-Hui!"

    With immense, explosive speed, Korain was already in front of him, pushing him back for a reason unknown to him.

    "...Korain¡­!?'' He reached out.

    Squelch.

    He was unable to reach the mix-colored haired, burly man as he fell back, looking up at Korain''s broad back in confusion.

    "Damn¡­!" Korain grunted.

    Though the mass of centipedes was almost finished beingpletely frozen over, itunched onest, desperate attack, causing the mandibles of itsrge, intertwined centipede arm to dig into Korain''s raised forearm.

    "Korain!" He got up.

    "Cut it, Jeong-Hui!" Korain looked back at him, yelling out his order.

    "R-right!" He hopped to his feet.

    Just before he could rush over and cut the extended arm that was made up of four,rge centipedes, he witnessed a sudden burst of smaller, ck centipedes swiftly slither up Korain''s arm, going into the newly-formed wounds on his arm from the bite.

    "Agh¡­!" Korain gritted his teeth.

    Out of desperation, he rushed forward, using thest bit of his frost enhancement to slice the centipede-mass arm, freezing the veryst part of it.

    He caught his breath for a moment before facing Korain again as Eunji rushed over as well.

    "Korain¡­! Are you¨C?!"

    "Shit! I can feel it trying to¡­invade my body! It''s going up!" Korain gritted his teeth.

    The manpletely flexed hisrge, defined muscles to attempt to stop the invading centipedes from traveling further up the innards of his arm, but it only seemed to slow them.

    He could see the insects bulging beneath Korain''s arm like veins, wriggling about in an abhorrent manner.

    "Eunji, can you¡­?!" He asked desperately in ce of Korain.

    The girl shook her head, "N-no, this isn''t a normal wound¡­! I think I''d only make it worse¨C!"

    ? "I know what to do! Get back!" Korain yelled out.

    The two looked at the executive member of Gangcheori, who was sweating profusely with a strained, reddenedplexion.

    "Get back¨C!" Korain roared out again.

    This time, they listened, as it was rare for the easy-going, kind man to yell in such a way as the two backed away and watched him.

    Korain wielded his ymore in his right hand, looking at his right arm that had the centipedes crawling through it as he breathed out heavily.

    What''s he¡­? He thought.

    Just as he began to put together what it was that the man was nning¨Cit was toote for him to suggest anything else.

    "Hraagh¨C!" Korain roared out to amp himself up.

    The man raised his ymore overhead, bringing it down without any hesitation as in one, singr movement¨Che lobbed off his left arm from the bicep down.

    "AAAGH!" Eunji screamed out in horror at the gruesome sight, covering her mouth as tears sat at her eyes.

    "Holy shit¡­" He muttered in disbelief.

    Korain didn''t yell out in pain or even flinch for that matter, only standing there and breathing his heavy breaths as his white-and-ck fringes hung near his baggy eyes.

    "Eunji¡­!" He called out.

    "R-right¡­!" Eunji rushed over hesitantly, gulping as she held her staff near the clean cut on his now amputated side, "Cast: Recovery!"

    The bleeding immediately stopped as the wound began to close over with the muscles forcibly being contracted and the skin wrapping up to seal the woundpletely.

    It was a known fact, but now more than ever it was a reality: healing magic can''t recover lost limbs.

    "...You''re insane," he said after a few minutes had passed.

    Korain''s wound closed, but he was now left without his left arm, standing there with his bulky, ivory armor that had been dyed in his own crimson fluid.

    All he did was smile while huffing, "Insane is what you''ve got to be to survive in this world,d."

    Korain had sat down against the wall while Eunji insisted on continuing to use a recovery spell on the spot of infliction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Alright¡­I''m going to head down to check on Chang-Ho," he told them, "Yeong-Un and Sol are checking out the top floors and getting everybody up¨Cwait."

    He just realized a direpse in judgment when on the topic of Yeong-Un and Sol getting everybody up.

    They don''t know about Xiaodan¡­! He''s left alone on the fifth floor, still¡­! He realized.

    "What''s it?" Korain looked up at him, asking through a pained tone.

    He gulped as a sense of urgency flooded through him, "...Somebody is still left on the fifth floor¨CI have to get them! Crap¡­!"

    Korain forced himself up to his feet, though Eunji tried to keep him from getting up, he insisted, "I''ll check on Chang-Ho, don''t worry."

    "Korain, you''re not¡­!"

    "I''m perfectly fine!" Korain assured him, wearing a smile though sweat dripped from his chin, "One arm only makes things a bit more fair for the enemy!"

    He hesitated for a moment before nodding, beginning to move down the hall as he called out to the two again, "--I''ll be back as fast as possible! I''ll meet you down at the lobby, alright?!"

    "You got it,d," Korain told him.

    Without wasting a moment, he rushed into the stairwell again, sprinting up the many steps as he brought himself back to the fifth floor in haste.

    Please be alright¡­! He wished.

    To his earnest surprise, the fifth floor was still clear after the initial encounter as he swiftly rushed over to Xiaodan''s room, pushing through the door without any care for being quiet.

    Xiaodan instantly snapped out of their peaceful slumber, having been drooling on their pillow, "I¡­wha¨C?"

    "Sorry, but you''ve got to get up!" He told Xiaodan.

    Xiaodan groggily blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes as he straightened his long, silken locks before sitting up with a yawn.

    "What''s going on now¡­?" Xiaodan asked sleepily.

    "...It''s easier if I don''t exin it¨Cjust trust me¨Cwe''re under attack right now," he extended his hand to him.

    Xiaodan blinked a couple times, looking down at the outstretched, ck-gloved hand with his verdant eyes before standing up.

    "I''m not a kid, you know? I don''t need to hold your hand," Xiaodan told him.

    "My bad," he said, "Juste on!"

    Outside of their [Equip], Xiaodan wore a short-sleeved, bright-yellow shirt and short-shorts of a light-brown shade. Even the outfit he wore sat on the threshold between masculine and feminine.

    "I''d use "Equip" if I were you," he looked back at Xiaodan, who sleepily followed him out of the room with a yawn.

    Xiaodan slowly nodded while rubbing his eyes, "...Equip," he called with another yawn.

    The [Equip] uniform they possessed still took him by surprise as itcked any visible defense, or benefit for that matter besides being minimal, loose, and light, resembling a ssical, Chinese martial artist''s uniform.

    "Can you tell me what''s going on already?" Xiaodan asked, finally seeming to rise from their sleepiness as they ventured down the white-walled halls of the fifth floor.

    He looked back, "...Promise not to call me crazy, alright?"

    "Promise."

    "Well¡­" He continued walking in front of Xiaodan, "...There are "super centipedes" attacking the hotel right now."

    As he said this, he nced back at the adrogynous-looking young male, finding himself on the receiving end of an inquisitive gaze.

    "You see what I meant now about it being easier to just trust me?" He asked.

    Xiaodan nodded, "You''re not pulling my leg, are you?..."super centipedes" is kind of just¡­"

    "I don''t know what they are exactly. All I know is that they can regenerate from physical attacks unless you burn or freeze them. That, and they can invade your body to take you over."

    While exining the dreadful situation to the new member of Gangcheori, he opened the door to the dark stairwell as it creaked, entering it as Xiaodan followed behind.

    "Creepy stuff," Xiaodan said.

    "We already lost three people to this. Please take it seriously," he told them.

    Xiaodan stood still for a moment as the news of death seemed to finally engrave into them the direness of this situation.

    "I will. You can count on me, Mr. Jeong-Hui."

    "Stop with the "Mr" stuff, please¡­you''re making me feel old," he sighed out.

    Xiaodan smiled a bit, "Alright, Jeong-Hui."

 Chapter 121 The Fiery Basement

    Together, they traveled down the many steps in an effort to regroup with Korain and Eunji as it seemed like there were countless things needed to be done on this sleepless night.

    "The more we get together, together, together. The more we get together, the happier I''ll be¡­You smile at me. I smile at you. The more we get together, the happier we''ll be," Xiaodan sang quietly in a singsong voice.

    He looked back at the silver-haired adolescent who walked down the steps in a yful manner, though Xiaodan wasn''t smiling.

    "Xiaodan?" He called his name.

    The tune stopped as Xiaodan looked up with a small frown, "Sorry¡­I just like to sing nursery rhymes to myself when I''m in a tough spot¡­"

    "Oh," he said, looking forward again, "I don''t mind."

    Once they reached the second floor, he peeked in to see that Korain and Eunji did indeed already move down, prompting him to turn back into the stairwell with Xiaodan.

    "I know I keep saying this, but¡­be on guard," he warned them.

    "I''ve got it," Xiaodan assured him.

    "Good¡­"

    As they rushed down to the first floor, they were stopped as a harsh tremor shook the entirety of the building, causing it to momentarily rumble.

    "Woah, woah, woah¡­!" Xiaodan held onto the stairside railing, "Are those centipedes doing this?"

    "...I doubt it!" He replied.

    The rumbling stopped just as quickly as it came, leaving them momentarily still before they pushed onto the first floor.

    Immediately, it was dark¨Cthe space just beyond the dust stairwell had its candle snuffed out, for some reason unknown to him. Beyond that, it was quiet.

    "What''s the deal, Mr¨CI mean, Jeong-Hui? It''s pretty spooky¡­" Xiaodan whispered.

    "I don''t know¡­" He replied quietly.

    The lobby floor wasrge and far-expanding, but even so, it shouldn''t be this quiet in the staff section they were near.

    As they slowly moved forward in theplete darkness, a hand suddenly ced onto his shoulder, causing him to immediately grab his daggers before being stopped¨C

    "It''s just me."

    "--?!"

    It was a familiar head of snow-white hair, belonging to a man of arge, towering physique who looked down at him.

    "Baek-Hyeon¡­?"

    Xiaodan was even more confused than he was, staying behind him as the presence of therge, golden-eyed man wasn''t one he knew.

    "...Who is this?" Baek-Hyeon asked, looking past him, directly at Xiaodan.

    "A new recruit," he answered quickly, keeping Xiaodan behind him.

    There was something odd about the angelic-powered man; he was still smiling despite the dreadful situation, and beyond that, something more important stuck to his mind.

    Where are the others? They should be here¨Cwhy is it just him? He thought.

    "Hey," he looked up at Baek-Hyeon, "Where are Korain, Eunji, and Chang-Ho?"

    "Hm?" Baek-Hyeon looked down at him.

    "They''re supposed to be down here," he exemplified, "Where are they?"

    There was a silent moment in the dark lobby floor as Baek-Hyeon''s divine, golden eyes glowed in the shadow-crept area.

    "Oh, that''s right," Baek-Hyeon broke the silence, "They''re in the basement. It''s the safest ce to be. You two should be going down there, as well¨Cperfect timing."

    "Huh¡­? Why?!" He asked in surprise.

    Baek-Hyeon smiled, "I''ve been tasked with evacuating all members of Gangcheori to the basement. After which, I''ll dispose of the enemy."

    "But¡­"

    "Direct orders from Dae-Seong," Baek-Hyeon told him sternly this time.

    As much as he wanted to go against it, he couldn''t find a rational reason to reject the man''s words, nor did he have the strength to against the level fifty-five member.

    "Alright¡­Let''s go, Xiaodan," he said quietly, ncing back at his silver-hairedpanion.

    Xiaodan hardly looked ready to follow the words of the towering, enigmatic man, but he trusted the red-haired young man, at least.

    "Good," Baek-Hyeon said, "Right this way¨CI had to barricade it so those insects wouldn''t get in."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Baek-Hyeon moved in front of him, guiding them towards the entrance to the hotel basement as he used his superhuman strength to remove the heavy-duty shelf from in front of the door, opening it.

    The snow-haired man held it open, waiting for them to enter.

    I don''t have a good feeling about this, but¡­I''m just tired. It''s probably fine, he thought.

    To his surprise, Xiaodan grabbed onto his hand as they moved into the basement, beginning to descend the mmy, dark steps.

    SLAM.

    The basement door was shut behind them as the screeching of the shelf was heard, once again blocking off the door.

    "Is this right¡­?" Xiaodan asked quietly.

    "...I don''t know, but¡­Baek-Hyeon is powerful. I''d rather be on his good side," he said.

    There was no light present to shine down on the grimy basement stairs as they slowly stepped down, sticking close to one another as the sound of water dripping down was the only real noise until¨C

    FWOOSH.

    "RAAAGH¨C! It just never stops, does it?!"

    ¨CAn unmistakable, boisterous voice shouted out as the sounds of mes building was also followed by an inhuman screech.

    Korain?! He thought.

    He didn''t waste a moment rushing down the stairs, as Xiaodan, confused and bewildered, was forced to follow him down into the depths of the basement.

    The mmy, uncleaned bottom floor of the hotel was lit by a verdant me, though it wasn''t by a candle orntern, but a humanoid entity.

    Korain and Eunji were pressed against a wall, with the warrior-ss man swinging his ymore with his singr arm to dissuade the ming humanoid from approaching closer.

    "Get back! Dammit¨C! That Baek-Hyeon¡­!" Korain yelled out.

    Eunji was on the ground, huffing and puffing heavily as her left arm looked to be burned while the one-armed executive stood between her and the ming entity.

    "Let''s go! They need our help!" He told Xiaodan, unsheathing his dagger as he rushed across the basement.

    "...Right!" Xiaodan nodded.

    They moved swiftly, using the fact that the ming entity wasn''t aware of their presence to unleash a swift, sharp assault.

    [Enemy Identified: "Infernal" | Level 26]

    He manifested [Dark Edge] around his daggers, using a [Blink Step]bination for a pseudo [Ripper] of his own as he repeatedly struck the charcoal-skinned, skeleton-like entity bathed in mes.

    "Hot, hot, hot¡­!" He said to himself, jumping back as he shook his hands after unleashing the attack.

    "Lad¨C!" Korain called out in surprise.

    Though Korain''s look of delighted shock at his reappearance quickly turned urgent as he shouted out, "Look out,d!"

    The ming,nky humanoid was lunging towards him, howling out, but was stopped¨C

    "Punisher Comet," Xiaodan invoked.

    It was a dropkick that was shrouded in a sh of light,unching against the side of the burning entity with a harsh impact that sent it flying back before it crumbled away into ash.

    "...Not so strong," Xiaodannded on his feet, wiping the sweat from his chin.

    "Only because I softened it up for you," he said.

    After the unknown enemy was defeated, he set his sights on Korain and Eunji, though he was more pressed about the state of Eunji herself as she was sweating and breathing heavily, bearing a burn mark on her left arm.

    "Eunji! Is she¡­?" He rushed over to the girl''s side, looking up at Korain.

    Korain huffed, "That damned thing came out of nowhere¡­Honestly, you¡­two showed up right as it appeared."

    After exining that, the Gangcheori executive looked a bit confused at the new face present in the basement.

    "Yo, I''m Xiaodan," the silver-haired, feminine male introduced himself.

    "...Korain," the executive returned the greeting.

    It seemed that there were more important matters than formal greetings as Eunji''s burnmark seemed to continue burning for some reason, exuding steam from the handprint-shaped burn.

    "What do we do¡­?" He said.

 Chapter 122 Infernal Slaying

    "What do we do¡­?" He said.

    "Wish I knew. I''m no healer," Korain huffed, "...That bastard Baek-Hyeon led us down here. Wasn''t he checking the damn basement? How did that thing slip through?"

    Hearing Baek-Hyeon be questioned by somebody he held in high-regard made him feel justified, but before he could open his mouth, Xiaodan knelt by Eunji, cing his hands near the burn mark.

    "What''re you¨C" Korain began to say.

    "Quiet. I need to focus," Xiaodan said calmly, yet sternly.

    "Okay¡­"

    The two men watched while Xiaodan held a focused stare, whispering tranquil, gentle words as a water-like emission flowed from his palms, guiding towards the scalding wound on Eunji''s arm.

    "Hail to the jewel in the lotus."

    With those audiblest words of Xiaodan''s silent mantra, the mystical flow of nearly-transparent water enveloped the wound on the girl''s bicep, washing away the burn as if scrubbing away a simple impurity.

    Eunji''s heavy breathing settled down as she seemed to fall to sleep just moments after.

    "She''s¡­?" Korain began to say.

    "...Asleep. She''ll be fine," Xiaodan stood up with a small smile.

    He looked at the silver-haired, lithe figure in surprise, "What was that? That doesn''t look like something a martial artist ss would have."

    "Skill trees are quite diverse," Xiaodan winked.

    Korain''s stress dwindled heavily as Eunji was assured to be alright, letting out a drawn-out breath before holding a small smile towards the much smaller Xiaodan.

    "Thanks, kid. After something like that, I''d be ashamed if I didn''t recognize you as a member of Gangcheori. Especially if Jeong-Hui here trusts you," Korain said, patting them on the shoulder.

    "I do," he assured.

    "Ehe, it was nothing¡­" Xiaodan bashfully chuckled, ying with his own hair.

    Though there wasn''t much time for celebration as footsteps could be heard stamping down on the thin puddles of water present in the dank basement.

    It wasn''t hard to see the identity of the invaders as the green mes that were produced from their burnt,nky bodies made them impossible to miss in the darkness.

    "...Shit. More of them? Baek-Hyeon is really dropping the ball on this one¡­I''m going to give that guy an earfulter," Korain clicked his tongue, holding his ymore with his singr arm.

    "How''re they getting in?" He asked, getting ready for another confrontation.

    "Let''s figure that out, first things first¨Cwe''re going to need to crush some fodder!" Korain announced, pointing his ymore towards the approaching Infernals.

    There were four Infernals, each of them possessing different physiques, and stronger, thicker mes of exotic green.

    "Korain, can you¡­?" He asked before pushing forward.

    "Don''t you start worrying about me! I''ll handle two of them!" Korain smiled wide, sshing his ymore against the puddle, drawing the attention of the Infernals.

    He hesitantly nodded, moving his gaze to Xiaodan, "Let''s go! I''ll take the left, you handle the right!"

    "Gotcha!" Xiaodan nodded.

    The two nimble fighters dashed away, allowing the two center Infernals to rush towards Korain, who coaxed them towards himself with a smile.

    "Come and get it! I''m in a pretty awful mood¨C!" Korain grinned.

    Even with one arm, the brute strength of Korain wasn''t dwindled as with a single arm, he gathered his immense power from "Abandon"--swinging his ymore against both of the Infernals with a devastating wind pressure exuding forth.

    "Tch," Korain clicked his tongue.

    The sh was too shallow, only serving to knock the two Infernals back as they screeched out. With their rage, their mes grew, roaring out as a heat filled the mmy basement.

    Guess this''ll take some getting used to¡­I''m left-handed, after all. Well, not anymore, Korain thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While Korain fought his two, he moved on, confronting a burly, gori-armed Infernal that immediately tried to m its burning fist towards his nose.

    He swiftly ducked beneath it, countering with a swipe of his dagger, though it only resulted in a superficial cut on its tough forearm.

    It''s stronger than the other one¡­These things are each unique? He thought.

    He was forced to flip backwards as it stomped its foot down towards him, unleashing a quick burst of verdant mes that stretched outward in a fiery roar.

    Though he flipped back into the air to avoid the reach of the hellish inferno, he could still feel the impressive heat against his skin.

    "Dark Edge."

    As hended on the ground, preparing to assault the burly Infernal with his dark-enhanced daggers, he stopped as a sudden jolt of burning pain resounded against his soles.

    ¨CIt was the puddles of water; the Infernal''s mes caused it to boil up. There wasn''t any damage caused by it, but the momentary distraction made him susceptible to the iing, straight-punchunched towards him.

    Even so, he managed to use his heightened reflexes to side-step the propelling, ming fist, seeing it move past his face as he pushed forward for a counterattack.

    Against heat like this, martial arts isn''t an option¡­so! He thought.

    While inside of the Infernal''s guard, the mindless creature was unable to properly react as he sent his dagger upward from beneath its vision, mming his de through its chin and into its head.

    "Gruuuu¡­"

    The Infernal let out a groan as its mes went out after having its brain destroyed. As he slid his dagger out, the entity crumbled away into ash.

    ["Infernal" Defeated | EXP + 250 | 600/13500]

    "Phew¡­" He let out quietly.

    Sweat left his pores from the brief encounter with the Infernal''s heat.

    To his surprise, Xiaodan didn''t have much trouble with the fire-engulfed enemy despite being a hands-on fighter.

    Xiaodan''s techniques were wlessly executed, and powerful, at that¨Cinstead of attacking directly, he used the air pressure from swift, powerful strikes to dibobte the Infernal.

    "Graaah¡­!" It roared out.

    Xiaodan nted his slippers against the ground, taking a wide stance.

    "Hermit''s Untouchable Shell," Xiaodan invoked.

    While standing still, he unleashed simple, but perfect straight-punches towards the air, manifesting strikes of wind.

    "Raa¡­! Raa¨C!"

    Though thenky Infernal desperately tried to lunge towards Xiaodan, the punches that produced air continued to keep it back, never letting it close in.

    Each strike isn''t particrly powerful¡­Is he nning on just whittling it down? He questioned.

    But his thoughts quickly subsided as he witnessed Xiaodan seamlessly switch stances, taking advantage of the dibobted state of the Infernal, rushing forward with a nimble burst.

    "Thunderbird Strike," Xiaodan invoked.

    It was an agile kickunched from a low, almost all-fours position, utilizing his arms and left leg to propel himself, putting all of his body weight behind a lightning-infused kick thatnded directly against the Infernal''s chin.

    The low-performed kick sounded out like a roar of thunder, kicking the Infernal''s green-zing head straight from its shoulders as it instantly fell to ash.

    "One and done," Xiaodan quietly imed victory.

    At the same time, Korain managed to bisect thest of his two Infernals, using a wind-enhanced sh that left it split in two from its top and bottom half.

    "One arm isn''t gonna let you scrawny bastards have a shot at me!" Korain roared out with a triumphant smile, huffing as the two Infernals returned to ash.

    With all of the Infernals handled, they regrouped, though they were all surprisingly more tired than it seemed from the non-pressing battles.

 Chapter 123 Inner Quarrels

    With all of the Infernals handled, they regrouped, though they were all surprisingly more tired than it seemed from the non-pressing battles.

    "Is it just me¡­or is it hot in here?" Xiaodan asked, breathing more heavily than before.

    "...Yeah," he answered.

    "Those bastards are dead, so what''s the deal? It''s not like they¨Coh," Korain ate his words as he looked past the two.

    "What is it¡­?" He asked quietly.

    Though he could feel what it was before even turning around, his own eyes confirmed it: half of the basement had suddenly been engulfed in verdant mes.

    "What the¨C?! When did this happen?!" He called out.

    "Crap!...Hey, new kid!" Korain looked at Xiaodan, "Got anything that can put out mes?"

    Xiaodan gulped, visibly sweating as he looked at the mes, "...I don''t know, but I can try!"

    While Xiaodan began invoking some sort of unknown magic, Korain rushed over and hoisted the unconscious Eunji up with one arm, slinging her over his shoulder.

    He began to cough out, pulling his scarf over his nose and mouth, feeling the smoky air fill his lungs.

    Shit¡­This is bad! He thought.

    "Don''t breathe this stuff in! I think it might beced with something!" He warned.

    Though by now, his warning would already be toote as they''d all been breathing in the fumes of the billowing mes.

    Xiaodan huffed, sweating heavily as he guided his hands in a dance-like flow before casting his mystical invocation, "May health abound forever. May peace abound forever: Auspicious Aqua!"

    Manifesting from Xiaodan, who held his palms together in a prayer, was arge, serene bubble of aqua that swirled itself with a wind of light traces of blessed aqua,bating the verdant mes.

    The mes had already crawled up the pirs of the basement that supported the ceiling, stretching above them as therge bubble continued to generate further bubbles that aimed towards the green inferno.

    "Is it working¡­?" He questioned.

    Korain continued to sweat, moving up the steps with Eunji on his shoulder, "--I''m not sitting around to find out! Sorry, but I can''t let her breathe all of this in! I''ll bash that door down, if I have to!"

    As the burly, one-armed man rushed up the stairs, he stayed down to witness the extinguishing bubbles do their work.

    Xiaodan was profusely sweating by this point, standing amidst the mes, though not being directly touched by them, it was still clear that the heat itself had an impact on them.

    He began to notice it: the verdant, raging mes sizzled and released steam, beginning to dwindle away from the effects of the mystical bubbles that swallowed their hungering destruction.

    "It''s working! You did it!" He called out, keeping his scar over his nose.

    Though by the time the green mes had been quelled, he looked on at Xiaodan''s back, who swayed in a peculiar fashion before¨C

    "Crap!"

    He rushed over in an instantaneous dash, catching Xiaodan before he could fall over. In his arms, the silver-haired, lithe martial artist was breathing heavily, d in sweat as their eyes were closed.

    "Xiaodan!" He called out.

    A light, weak chuckle left Xiaodan''s lips, "My bad¡­I guess I got a bit light-headed from the heat."

    To his surprise, Xiaodan opened his verdant eyes, weakly managing to stand himself up with a bit of assistance.

    "Are you sure you''re fine?" He asked.

    "...Yeah, just a bit nauseous still¨Cbut nothing I can''t handle!" Xiaodan assured him.

    Even with the ze put out, Korain was still stomping up the stairs, marching upwards with a certain angercing his intentions as it was clear what he really wanted to do.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Baek-Hyeon. I''m interested, too¡­In questioning his intentions, he thought.

    He began to follow Korain up the stairs, with Xiaodan watching him for a moment before promptly following¨Cclearly not having much of a mind of their own in this foreign environment.

    "Here¨Ctake her for me, would you,d?" Korain said.

    With one arm, the burly, tall man moved the unconscious, short-haired woman from his shoulder, holding her towards him as if passing a note.

    "...Sure," he nodded, sheathing his daggers before holding Eunji in his arms, "What''re you going to do?"

    Korain paused for a moment, staring at the closed, sealed-off door to the basement, "I''m going to bust this door down."

    "I mean after that," he rified.

    "Isn''t it obvious?" Korain looked back at him, resting his trust ymore on the pauldron of his armor set, "I''m going to have a few choice words with Baek-Hyeon."

    It was clear what that meant by the uncharacteristic anger in Korain''s tone as he stared down the door, preparing to break it down.

    There was no denying that something was amiss, or at the very least, Baek-Hyeon disyed an extreme amount of negligence.

    It was Baek-Hyeon who was responsible for checking out the basement¨CDae-Seong told us that. Then he adamantly pushed for us toe down here, only for it to end up housing unknown enemies? Even if Baek-Hyeon was unaware¡­He still needs to be talked to, he thought.

    "Alright¡­Get back," Korain warned.

    He nodded silently, stepping down a few steps while holding Eunji; Xiaodan did the same as they both looked up, watching as Korain reared his ymore back as it became engulfed in a swirling wind.

    With a strong roar, Korain mmed his de down, cutting down the door and sting away the furniture used to keep it shut¨Call in one fell swoop.

    Xiaodan whistled, "I wouldn''t want to be on the receiving end of that."

    "Come on," he quietly ushered the new member up the stairs.

    "Roger," Xiaodan nodded.

    The two silently followed Korain up, who stomped up the stairs and out of the basement with conviction.

    They entered the lobby, seeing Baek-Hyeon standing in the middle of it, who turned around to see Korain stomping towards him.

    "What''s this? Aren''t you all supposed to be bunkering away?" Baek-Hyeon asked with a smile.

    The gray-uniformed man had his cor gripped as Korain reached him, holding him close with a bubbling anger.

    "That''s right¨Cwe were supposed to be, until ming bastards barged in and tried killing us!" Korain told him straight to his face.

    Baek-Hyeon looked at him, unflinching as his cor was held onto tightly, cing his own hand on Korain''s wrist, "Release your hand."

    ? "I don''t think I will," Korain squinted at him, "I''ve been thinking about this for a little bit now. You never talk to anybody. You never use that newfound strength of yours to aid expeditions. Even now, you assure us this basement, that you scouted out, is safe, then have the audacity to seal it off while there are monsters lurking down there?"

    They stayed silent, watching as the executive member of Gangcheori reprimanded the angelic-powered man.

    Baek-Hyeon''s smile faded as his expression shifted to a taut, serious one, looking down at Korain with his divine, golden irises, "...What''re you implying, Korain?"

    "I''m implying that something isn''t right about you. I have a certain sense for this kind of thing¨CI can almost smell it: the dishonesty, the facade, the paper-thin veil of benevolence. In reality, you''re¨C"

    "Korain."

    The mix-colored haired man was stopped in his words by another voice¨Camanding tone that even he stopped to listen to.

    "Leader?" Korain looked to the side.

 Chapter 124 The Intangible

    Baek-Hyeon''s smile faded as his expression shifted to a taut, serious one, looking down at Korain with his divine, golden irises, "...What''re you implying, Korain?"

    "I''m implying that something isn''t right about you. I have a certain sense for this kind of thing¨CI can almost smell it: the dishonesty, the facade, the paper-thin veil of benevolence. In reality, you''re¨C"

    "Korain."

    The mix-colored haired man was stopped in his words by another voice¨Camanding tone that even he stopped to listen to.

    "Leader?" Korain looked to the side.

    Standing by the stairwell that led to the higher floors, the silver-haired leader of Gangcheori stood with a tight expression, adjusting his sses as he walked towards the two.

    "What''s the meaning of this? This is no time for quarrels," Dae-Seong told him.

    Korain unhanded Baek-Hyeon begrudgingly, looking at the leader, who was already dressed in his snow-white armor with his greatsword on his back.

    "But¡­!" Korain tried to exin.

    "--But there are more important things at hand. We can discuss thister, but for now, I need you on the upper floors¨Cthe enemy attack is only growing more fierce. The others are fighting up above," Dae-Seong told Korain before looking at Baek-Hyeon, "...I''d like you to scout the perimeter outside. Your divine light is the only thing capable ofbating the darkness¨Cit''s a job only you can handle, Baek-Hyeon."

    "Leave it to me," Baek-Hyeon moved out with a grin, waving off.

    Korain was still hesitant about all of this, but a re from Dae-Seong forced him to follow the orders given to him, heading up the stairs to assist the others.

    After Baek-Hyeon broke down the barricade to the front door and left, it was just him, Xiaodan, the unconscious Eunji, and now Dae-Seong, who for some reason simply stared at him until the other two left.

    "Dae-Seong?" He called out.

    The silver-haired man adjusted his sses before a smile reached across his lips, "How was that? Convincing, no?"

    "What¡­?" He replied quietly.

    Focusing on the familiar figure in front of him that was now smiling oddly in the darkness, he squinted to get a read on his yer profile:

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Error.]

    "Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan said his name quietly from behind him.

    "What is it?" He nced back at Xiaodan.

    "Is that¡­something the leader always does?" Xiaodan asked.

    "Huh¡­?"

    As he turned his gaze forward once again to look at what Xiaodan was referring to, his stomach sank as he witnessed "Dae-Seong''s" arms unnaturally extend downward, growing in length as his bones creaked, growing taller as a whole, yet thinner.

    "...Fooled you¡­All alone¡­"

    The pale skin of the man began to peel away, melting as his entire appearance drooped and washed away along with his hair and outfit.

    Within moments, his entire appearance melted away, revealing anky figure, dressed in an all-ck set of belt-wrapped garments resembling a straightjacket.

    "...Who are you?!" He asked, stepping back.

    Though he wanted to prepare for a fight, his arms were preupied with holding Eunji.

    The mysterious, skin-crawling figureughed lowly at his question, seeming to take pleasure in his confusion, "Kehehe¡­Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    "Jeong-Hui!...I think this is one of them!" Xiaodan said anxiously, standing by him with a stance ready for a fight.

    "Huh?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "One of those creepy people I ran into before¡­They use a unique System! What was it called again¡­?" Xiaodan mumbled.

    It was thenky, shapeshifting figure that answered with a quietugh, "...The "GOETIA System"...kehehe¡­The fangs to bite into all the pretty bodies I want."

    Already it was clear that the one they were faced with wasn''t of a stable mind,ughing as only his mouth was visible from the belt-wrapped mask around his head, smiling wide and cackling as his sights seemed to set on Xiaodan.

    "...Pretty girl¡­I want you¡­I bet you taste delicious," the man slipped his tongue from his mouth, making a gut-wrenching movement with his drooling tongue.

    Xiaodan held a nervous smile, "Hate to break it to you, but I''m not a girl."

    "Huh?" The crazed man let out, "...Lies. Deception! Kahaha! That won''t stop me from tasting your smooth skin!"

    Beginning to walk towards them with an uneven, stumbling step with his arms swaying side-to-side, the crazed user of the GOETIA System approached.

    "Well, that didn''t dissuade him¡­" Xiaodan muttered.

    He wanted to help, but Eunji''s state made it a tall order as he looked on urgently, not knowing what he should do.

    I can''t set her down¨Cit''s too dangerous around here. Forget the centipedes¡­there''s also a creep like this lurking around! He thought.

    "Xiaodan¡­!" He called the name of hisrade.

    "I know," Xiaodan smiled, cracking his knuckles, "I''ll take this one on myself! Just keep the princess safe!"

    There was an air of confidence around Xiaodan that he couldn''t quite ce; he bounced in ce, warming his body up as he lightly shook his limbs before swiftly shifting into a sturdy stance, preparing to sh with the enigmatic enemy.

    Despite being of a lower level, Xiaodan''sck of hesitance andplete confidence was enough to ce himself on a higher realm than he normally should be; it was a perfect understanding of his own capabilities, and a trust in his strength.

    Be careful, Xiaodan! He thought.

    While thenky, salivating figure approached, Xiaodan burst forth with a special technique¨C"Tiger''s Dogma"--a skill that concentrated the muscles of his legs, contracting them to their max before releasing, resulting in an explosive force that allowed Xiaodan to dash with incredible speed.

    "Graah¨C!"

    Unable to react to this speed, the long-armed man attempted to swipe at the martial artist without any form or elegance, but was toote as a palm strike from the feminine, silver-haired man struck his chin with a thunderous impact.

    "Oooeugh¡­"

    The yer-killer stumbled back, swaying and shifting as they were left dibobted from the harsh strike to the chin, drooling over themselves.

    Xiaodan returned to a stance, but didn''t follow up, seeming to believe it was the end of the encounter, but he knew better:

    "Keep going! Don''t let up¨C!" He yelled out, though it was more of a warning.

    Just as the silver-haired, lithe figure heard this and stuck true to those words, spinning around into a roundhouse kick¨Cit seemed toe a moment toote.

    Or rather, it was anticipated.

    A grin came over the belt-wrapped figure''s mouth, suddenlying to as if feigning being stunned by the attack with a cacklingughter.

    "What the¨C?!"

    Xiaodan''s foot sank right into the tall, hunched-over man''s abdomen, being pulled in as if it were made of liquid.

    As Xiaodan tugged his foot back, standing on one leg, though still bnced through their proficiency, their slipper couldn''t budge from the rippling, liquid-like body of the cackling figure.

    "Kehehe¡­Got you, pretty one¡­"

    The long-armed figure continued tough, letting his tongue hang out as it dropped down, salivating in an abhorrent delight.

 Chapter 125 Nightly Resolve

    "Kehehe¡­Got you, pretty one¡­"

    The long-armed figure continued tough, letting his tongue hang out as it dropped down, salivating in an abhorrent delight.

    "Xiaodan!" He yelled out.

    "--I can''t get my foot out!" Xiaodan called out, ncing back.

    Shit¡­! He thought.

    Against his better judgment, he ced Eunji down carefully against the wall before drawing his daggers, rushing in to assist hisrade.

    Even though he was charging towards thenky, tongue-hanging man with his daggers drawn back for a strike, the yer killer didn''t flinch¨Cshifting his eyeless gaze towards him as if weing the attempt.

    "Come on¡­!" The maddened invader taunted him.

    He gritted his teeth and closed the distance, swiping the sharp edge of his ck-steel dagger against the man''s throat.

    Ssh.

    There was no solid connection; as if swiping his weapon through water, there was no damage done, and no impact felt.

    "What the¡­!?" He let out.

    "Kahaha! It''s always the same reaction! You can''t hurt me¨C!" The man cackled out,ughing with a twisted pleasure that filled the room.

    While the man wasughing, he continued to try a few more strikes; shing through his head, stabbing into his shoulder¨Cnothing.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­!"

    Xiaodan called out his name through a painful wince, closing one eye before yelling out in pain as the peculiar body that engulfed the young man''s foot seemed to be squeezing it now.

    "I''ll gobble you up! I''ll taste your skin; each and every inch! Kahaha!" Thenky figure continued tough, drooling as his saliva dripped onto Xiaodan''s outstretched, trapped leg.

    All he could do was try in a futile attempt as none of his attacks had an effect on the non-solid foe.

    Nothing is getting through¡­! He thought.

    "Dark Edge!"

    This time, he tried coating his daggers with magic, but immediately felt it was just as pointless as the slobbering man onlyughed as they approached.

    He unleashed abination attack, shing through the figure''s head, neck, torso, and even his legs, but it still had no effect.

    "Ngh¡­!" Xiaodan continued to wince, falling over as their leg was still held up, ensnared in the liquid body.

    "Frustrating, isn''t it? Kahaha! Watch as I eat your friend alive!" The man taunted.

    Following his taunts, his rippling, non-solid body began to spiral around his abdomen, causing blood to spurt from newly engraved wounds on Xiaodan''s leg.

    "Gyaah¡­!" Xiaodan screamed out.

    He only had moments to think, but his mind only arrived to onest option, though it was supported by his Sage System:

    [Jeong-Hui.]

    [If your opponent is boasting a liquid-like body, perhaps an icy vengeance will do the trick."

    "Yeah¡­I was thinking the same thing," he muttered to himself with a resolved look in his eyes.

    The hunched-over, crazed man noticed his new look, continuing to cackle, "What''s this? Getting upset? Want to throw a fit, little man?"

    He ignored the taunts, only invoking what was needed in that moment as he breathed out a frosted breath, "Cast: Hades'' Touch."

    [Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 900/3600]

    "Ngeuh¨C?!"

    Witnessing the cold air that exuded from the curly-haired man''s daggers, the maddened,nky foe frowned in displeasure and shock, beginning to back away now.

    Xiaodan was dragged across the floor by the few steps back that the man took, but he rushed forth himself, flipping his daggers into a reverse grip.

    "No, no, no! Of all the luck¨C!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He didn''t hesitate to strike the man, sinking his frost-enchanted daggers into his non-solid body in a flurry of swift strikes.

    Crnk¡­

    From multiple spots of origin, frost began to stretch around thenky, unnatural man''s body, extending to Xiaodan''s leg before it was freed from his abdomen.

    "Xiaodan!" He rushed over.

    "Ngh¡­"

    The silken-haired, small-of-stature man''s leg had been crushed and bruised near the ankle, bleeding out from a ring-like infliction that quickly shifted to purple from the internal bleeding.

    "Crap¡­" He let out.

    At the veryst, the bit of ice that had reached Xiaodan''s leg acted as a natural assistant, reducing the swelling and giving it room to heal.

    "Kehehehe¡­"

    "You¨C!"

    It was assumed the coating of frost did the yer killer in, but he looked up to find the man crawling on all-fours, sinking halfway into the ground as his hands wrapped around the unconscious Eunji.

    He scrambled to his feet, nearly falling down as he dashed out with a powerful kick of explosive strength, aiming to kill the man in that single strike¨Cbut, it was toote.

    "...I still got my hands on a pretty one, kehehe¡­"

    Sinking into the ground itself as if it were a pool of liquid, the abnormal enigma of a man dragged Eunji into the floor with him, disappearing into it just as he reached the man, swiping his daggers in a missed strike.

    "No¨C! Shit¡­!" He gritted his teeth inmentation and anger.

    With all of his regret and wrath, he mmed his knuckles against the wall, cracking and caving it in as he stood there, clenching his teeth with utter anger and disgust in himself.

    "Again, and again, and again¡­! Why does it never end?!" He screamed out from the top of his lungs.

    Before he could hit the wall again, he was stopped as his arm was held.

    "Huh¡­?"

    He looked back to see Xiaodan, giving him a stern look as he held onto his arm. By some miracle, he was standing on his bruised-and-battered leg, coughing out in pain.

    "Hey¨C! You should be¡­!" He called out worriedly.

    Xiaodan dissuaded his worry, giving him a small, but awakening headbutt that caused both of them to stumble back.

    "What the¡­? What was that for?!" He asked, holding his throbbing forehead.

    On the other hand, Xiaodan''s forehead had been cut and started bleeding from the sh of skulls, "...Get it together! That girl wasn''t killed, was she? There''s still time to go and save her!"

    "But¡­" He slumped his shoulders.

    He knew well what the people possessing the GOETIA System were capable of; the dreadful memories resurfaced and yed in his mind on repeat, serving both as a reminder, and as a punishment for his failures.

    "But she''s still alive¨C! You haven''t seen a dead body, have you?! This is one thing I won''t let you hang on, Jeong-Hui!" Xiaodan confronted him.

    "What''s gotten into you¡­?" He asked, perplexed by this shift in attitude.

    Xiaodan grabbed him by the cor of his ck coat with teary eyes, "--I know what it''s like to give up halfway! To think it''s all over...to think I''m too weak. Giving up when it looks over¡­only to find out if you just acted a second earlier, then maybe¡­! Jeong-Hui, are you going to do that?"

    Being on the receiving end of those pearly, verdant eyes, he already had his answer. Reprimanded like that, there was only one path to walk:

    "...Let''s go. She''s not dead yet¨Cyou''re right," he nodded, watching as Xiaodan unhanded his cor, "Thanks, Xiaodan."

    "Of course¨Cconsider it my way of paying you back," Xiaodan smiled wide, rubbing his bleeding forehead, "What''s your skull made out of anyway?!"

    Together, they moved out, aiming their sights on the basement once more¨Cthough a dark force could be felt bubbling from its depths now.

    "Is it just me, or did it get a whole lot creepier?" Xiaodan asked quietly, staring down the staircase.

    "Maybe¡­but, we still have to go," he said, taking the first step, "Let''s prevent another death on this terrible night!"

 Chapter 126 Sol: Worst Nightmare

    [Seventh Floor]

    "Wakey, wakey! It''s time to get up!"

    Yeong-Un screamed out from the top of his lungs while in the midst of dodging a strike from a two-headed centipede.

    He stomped down oncending, roaring out as he shed his dual des, cutting the monstrous insect into multiple, fleshy bits.

    "Huh¡­Is nobody on this damn floor?" He huffed, wiping the sweat from his chin.

    After finishing therge centipede off, he continued down the hall as his open, dark-blue coat was brushed by a passing breeze.

    "Is a window open, or somethin''...?" He questioned in a mumble.

    He stood still for a moment, listening in to the silent, seventh floor for any prowling entities. All of his senses were alert, heightened by the urgent situation.

    "Guess it''s nothin''," he mumbled.

    Just as he stook a step forward¨C

    CRASH.

    The entire wall to his left was shattered apart with a brutish impact as chunks of the white material flung outwards.

    "Poundin'' time!"

    "I knew it!" Yeong-Un grinned.

    It was incredibly fast, but he saw it: the one who charged through the wall¨Ca towering man of heavyset muscrity, wielding massive twin gauntlets, an all-ck uniform, and a smiling mask that hid his face.

    "Yer'' one of those GOETIA bastards, arentcha?!" He asked in a smiling yell.

    He was holding back one of the steel gauntlets of the muchrger, dreadlocked man with both of his twin des crossed over one another for extra sturdiness.

    "Huh?! Ya'' actually blocked that one? Ya'' might be some fun, after all! Ha-ha!" The burly manughed out from behind his glowing mask.

    With a single step forward, the man exhibited overwhelming strength, digging his boots into the ground as he pushed his armored fist forward, knocking the dual spellde back.

    Damn, he''s strong as shit¨C! He thought.

    In that moment in which his soles slid back against the carpeted floor with his guard broken, he saw the gauntlet-wielding man rushing towards him with his shoulder held forward like an American football linebacker.

    But, what he saw was more like a bull charging at him with its horns on disy, however, once that broad shoulder mmed against his sr plexus, what it truly felt like was¨C

    A train¡­! It''s like a fuckin'' train just rammed into me¨C! He thought.

    The impact alone from the shoulder bash released a minor shock wave, sending him flying back as he rolled across the corridor carpet.

    "Pyah¡­!"

    He spit out as his breath left his lungs harshly, rolling over and quickly throwing himself back onto his feet with his animalistic tenacity.

    "--That''s the way! Don''t let me break ya'' that easily!"

    As he got up, that steel-d set of knuckles was already mere inches from his face,ing towards his skull in what felt like slow-motion that came as the advent of certain death.

    In that crawling moment, the boisterous, maniacalugh of the masked, burly man rang against his ears, taking pleasure in the very act of violence.

    ¨CStill, Yeong-Un wasn''t somebody who sat around andmented his own shorings.

    "Yer'' annoyin'' me! I got a damn mission here, so beat it!"

    He yelled out after ducking beneath the fist, moving low in an unnatural way as he simply relied on his core strength to move as if on all fours, yet only using his legs.

    "Wha¨C?!" The masked, dreadlocked man let out.

    It was an unnatural movement, making it jarring to witness as he used the opportunity to rear both of his twin des back for a counterattack.

    "ck Dragon, Red Phoenix!"

    A mixture of seething mes and dark lightning manifesting from his swords before he shes them directly towards the man''s bare abdomen, targeting his chiseled, tan-skinned stomach with the mixture of vicious elements.

    The resulting impact left an explosion filling the hallway as the fire released into a vtile explosion, producing the hissing, ck strands of lightning within its small radius.

    "Serves ya'' right, bastard," he said, jumping back as he wiped the sweat from his chin.

    As the aftermath of the elemental explosion settled, he was surprised to see therge, gauntlet-wielding man still standing, though he wasn''t unscathed.

    Most of his ck uniform had been destroyed, leaving just tattered of fabric clinging to his tattoo-d, muscly body as he stood there¨Chuffing and puffing heavily as blood seeped from multiple wounds.

    Cuts and bruises alike were inflicted, and various burn marks.

    "Yer'' one tough sonuvabitch," he muttered quietly in surprise, looking on with his blue-and-gold eyes.

    The manughed quietly as his dreadlocks flowed in the passing winds of the element''s trail, "And yer'' not so bad yourself, brat."

    Even though he was battered and roughed up badly from the direct impact, the man, whose smiling mask was cracked and peeling, still looked towards him.

    "But¡­ytime is over," the burly man raised his gauntlets as something began to manifest around him.

    ¡­Yer'' kiddin'' me, right? He thought, seeing what it was that was manifested.

    What surrounded the burly man in the air were astral manifestations of what looked to be percussion instruments: snare drums, bass drums, tambourines, and even a giant, golden gong.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--It''s time to show you the Rock N'' Roll of Doh!"

    ¡ª

    [Sixth Floor, The Same Time]

    Rumble.

    "What was that¡­?!"

    Sol, rushing through the sixth floor to look for Yeong-Un, nearly fell to the ground as the building shook from an impact resounding from directly above.

    Why is this happening while everybody is asleep?! Why do I have to be the one to¨Cno¡­I was trusted with this! Get it together! He urged himself.

    pping his own cheeks hard enough to momentarily turn them red, he stood himself up before marching forward, looking around.

    "Yeong-Un!" He yelled out as his voice echoed down the dark corridors, "--Yeong-Un!"

    Another rumble gripped the walls, shaking it vigorously as he struggled to maintain his footing, cing his left hand against the wall for bnce.

    As he looked up at the ceiling, a sprinkle of dust rained down, prompting him to cough and shake his head as his unkempt, hazel locks shook as well.

    "...I don''t think he''s on this floor," he mumbled.

    Just as he turned around, he felt his skin crawl for some inexplicable reason. It was as if a cold air, separate from the norm, brushed past him like cold fingertips trailing his skin.

    "Huh¡­?" He let out quietly.

    Swinging back around swiftly, he thrust his spear with a battle-cry, "Raaagh!" to counter whatever may be lurking behind him, but nothing was there.

    He let out a sigh of relief, sweating already, "...See? It was nothing but your imagination."

    BANG. SLAM.

    "Kyaaaah¨C!"

    A girlish squeal left his throat as he jumped at the aggressive, sudden noises that came from behind him, prompting him to turn around¨Cnothing.

    "Something is here¡­! I''m not crazy!" He mumbled to himself as his teeth chattered.

    "--"

    Directly against his ear, he felt a cold breath, exuding against his pale, left ear as it went red and tickled from the foreign sensation, causing him to jump once again as he stumbled forward before actually turning to face what it was.

    ¨CNothing again.

    "H-huh¡­?!"

    After such an experience, he scrambled to his boots, picking himself up as he hastily moved towards the door to the stairwell.

    Sorry, Yeong-Un¡­! If you''re on this floor, I''m sorry¨C! I''m not sticking around any longer! He thought with teary eyes.

    Reaching the door, he attempted to yank it open by the handle, but it didn''t budge in the slightest.

    "What?!"

    The almostical fear exuding off of him increased tenfold with this revtion as he continued tugging on the door desperately.

    BANG. BANG. BANG.

    "Kyaaaa¡ª!!!"

    He screamed out again as banging sounded out throughout the halls, creeping up closer and closer as he pulled on the door with all of his might, nting his boots against it to pull with his entire body weight.

    BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

    It sounded as if somebody was pounding the walls, floor, and ceiling as they ran down its length, but he was hesitant to look back as he desperately tried opening the door.

    Just as he was turning around to finally check¨C

    ¨CSuddenly, it stopped.

    "...Huh?"

    An eerie silence filled the shadow-filled hallway of the sixth floor as he gulped, not knowing how to feel as he continued trying to tug on the door.

    Click.

    It unlocked. Though it should''ve never been able to lock from the other side in the first ce, he was just thankful that it did.

    "Phew¡­" He sighed out, closing his eyes momentarily as he opened the door to the stairwell.

    Opening his eyes again, he looked up¨Cimmediatelying face-to-face with something standing in the threshold of the door.

    A pale,cerated woman whose foot hovered just above the floor, wearing a dirty, white gown with lengthy, jet-ck locks of stringy hair that hung down over her face.

    "KYAAAAA¡ª!!!!"

    This time, his squeal-like scream surpassed all others as he fell backward onto his rear, quickly crawling away backward as the poltergeist hovered towards him slowly and silently with its arms hung limp at its sides.

    "Get away! Get away! Get away¨C!!!"

 Chapter 127 Seeing Red

    "Get away! Get away! Get away¨C!!!"

    Picking up whatever he could find¨Clint, framed pictures, or even piles of paper from the hallway stands, he threw all he could at the hovering evil spirit, but none of it did anything to halt it in its tracks.

    He eventually managed to pick himself up to his feet, using a pile of papers thrown to obscure the spirit''s vision, scrambling over like a newborn calf that was just learning to walk as he rushed towards one of the rooms.

    Jiggling the doorknob, it didn''t budge, even as he pulled and hit the door.

    "No, no, no! Open¨C!" He yelled desperately.

    He moved down the hall, trying the next door, which to his delight, opened without a problem as he rushed in and shut it, gathering hisst breath frantically as he stood against the door for a moment to catch his breath.

    What do I do¡­?! Nobody told me poltergeists were a thing in Armageddon¨C!! He thought.

    With little optionsing to mind, and a head-on confrontation sitting at the rock bottom of his options, he did what any frantic coward would do:

    He crawled under the bed and covered his mouth, hoping for the best.

    Even if it''s a poltergeist¡­It should obey the rules of Armageddon, right? I don''t think enemies are allowed to have some sixth sense about people! He hoped.

    It was a tight fit beneath the bed, forcing him to move his buckled spear from his back holster to his side, holding it close to his body as heid beneath the bed in silence.

    BANG.

    A loud m against the door made him jump, but he stayed quiet, sweating profusely as his eyes stayed wide with fresh fear.

    It''s noting in, right? Ghosts don''t normally open doors, right?--Wait, how do ghosts work again?! He questioned.

    A few more ms against the door sounded out as he grasped his own mouth to make sure not a single squeak left his trembling lips.

    Finally, it stopped.

    It was that eerie silence once more; a silence that left him unknowing of what was toe or if it was over. Though he didn''t dare move to even test if the ghost was indeed gone, instead waiting under the bed.

    Alright¡­I''ll wait another hour¨Cno, ten minutes¡­five? Crap, I really don''t want to move from under here, he thought.

    After another couple minutes, he finally decided it was time to move away from under the bed. As he looked to the side to grab his trusty, silver spear¨Cit was face-to-face with him; the hair-hidden, ghastly face of the poltergeist.

    "GYAAAA¨C!!!"

    He felt as if his soul had evaporated from his body as he screamed out with everything he had, earning a banshee-like scream in return from the evil spirit as he rolled out from beneath the bed, scrambling to his feet in an inelegant struggle.

    "Leave me alone! Leave me alone¨C! I don''t taste good! My soul isn''t delicious¨C!" He screamed out, pulling on the door knob, "...Huh?"

    It didn''t budge.

    "Huh?"

    He tried again; twisting, pulling, and yanking with all of his might.

    But, it wasn''t budging in the slightest.

    "Huh¡­?"

    It was the worst case scenario from him; he could hear the inhuman murmurs of the poltergeist from behind him as he was unable to open the door.

    ¨C

    Witnessing this, the poltergeist''s presence was not something spurred on naturally, but rather conjured and summoned by one.

    Hiding within the vents was the one responsible; a wrinkly, but athletic old man who stroked his lengthy, snow-white beard with a pleasured chuckle as he spectated Sol''s horrifying encounter with the evil spirit.

    [Hongkee | Level 30]

    "Let me hear your more guttural screams, boy," the old man whispered while peeking through the vents.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨C

    "Open! Open! Open, you useless door! What''s the point of a door that won''t open, huh?! You should go die¨C!!! Go be turned into wood chips and be crafted into something more useful!" He screamed while jiggling the doorknob violently.

    He could hear it creeping up behind him, moving slowly as the evil spirit hovered closer and closer while he hectically pulled on the door.

    Finally, it managed to open up, nearly making him fall back as he ran into the corridor once again.

    As he looked behind him, he could see the long-haired poltergeist just a couple meters behind him as he sprinted forward before¨CSLAM.

    Not watching where he was going, he ran directly into the wall while in full sprint¨Chitting his forehead on a corner, no less.

    The old man responsible for summoning the evil spirit couldn''t help but giggle at the young man''s clumsiness, having to cover his mouth not to give away his position before he snapped his fingers:

    "Let me end this before you embarrass yourself further, boy," Hongkee whispered, "Rise, Unholy Butchers."

    As Sol sat on his knees, holding his forehead and wincing, dark-purple summoning seals manifested on the ground around him, filling the nearby hall.

    "Huh¡­?"

    ncing to the side, he witnessed new entities emerge from the darkness; a small figure no higher than his knee, wrapped in blood-stained bandages and wielding two butcher knives. Another figure, though quite the opposite¨Ctall and thin, with a body protruding with many des, wrapped in the same bandages.

    Last but not least, a towering, round figure with gray, rotten skin, wielding a humongous cleaver. These three new figures encircled him, filling the hall with a stomach-churning stench of putrid flesh.

    However, what was perplexing to the GOETA System-user spectating from the vents was the fact that the coward-of-a-man wasn''t freaking out.

    Sol had brought his hand in front of his gaze¨Cblood.

    "What the¨C!?" Hongkee let out from the vents

    Before the old man''s eyes, watching from the venttion shaft above, he witnessed the hazel-haired young man pass out right then and there, falling over backward onto the floor.

    The old man raised an eyebrow in confusion before beginning to snicker, unable to contain his amusement.

    He passed out from utter fear¡­! So, this is what "Gangcheori" is made out of! Hah! Jun-Seo won''t have any issue dismantling this group, then, Hongkee thought.

    "Butcher him!" Hongkeemanded the Butcher trio.

    The three summoned entities of varying statures and physiques began to move towards the unconscious, snoring adolescent with malicious intent. Stomping down with each step, therge, blubbery one that wielded the oversized cleaver approached foremost.

    But, the snoring stopped just as quickly as it began.

    Once more, his eyes opened¨Cthis time, their amber shade had shifted to a refined scarlet as a calm expression took over.

    For some reason, there was a unique pressure that exuded from the young man that wasid on the ground as he simply looked up with those scarlet eyes.

    "What¡­?" Hongkee let out., "Attack him! Cut him apart! What''re you waiting for?!"

    As the fat butcher reared its massive, human-sized cleaver back, bringing it down in a violent chop¨Cthe young man disappeared from view.

    Once the cleaver had mmed into the ground, missing its target, the summoned entities and the summoner alike were left perplexed.

    "You''re loud."

    ¨CHe reemerged from behind the cleaver-wielding giant, thrusting his spear through its body with a powerful blow before any of the assants could react.

    The movements made were faster than their eyes could react, and surpassed sound as the air whipped out only moments after he reappeared¨Chaving silently moved beyond their perception.

    Before the other two butchers could react, the blood that spilled from the gaping wound in the cleaver-wielding giant swirled around, gathering around his body into a hardened armor forged of the crimson fluid.

    [Blood Forger System: Awakened.]

 Chapter 128 The Beast Of Black Lightning

    [Blood Forger System: Awakened.]

    "What''s this¡­?!" Hongkee screamed out.

    Dropping from the vents as the metal lid fell to the ground as well, the white-bearded old man revealed himself with a frustrated twist to his expression.

    "...So loud. Don''t you have any manners?" He asked calmly, manipting the seeping blood from the bulbous spirit around his spear.

    Hongkee growled, "--Nothing''s changed, brat! You''ll still be my prey, nheless! ughter him, my minions!"

    From themand of the summoner himself, it seemed all three of the manifested butchers were amplified by his call, being enamored in a crimson, violent aura that made even the cleaver-wielding one continue to fight even with a hole through its gut.

    "How pointless."

    As he dodged around a m of the cleaver, he used his blood-d spear to cut through the same, gaping figure, causing its crimson fluid to spew out like a fountain.

    But before it could fall to the ground, he waved his hand, controlling the freshly spawned blood and shaping them into small bullets, "Crimson Rain."

    "Hm¡­?! What is this power¨C?!" Hongkee asked himself.

    It was only in thest moment that the old man pped his hands together, manifesting a living shield for himself, "Rise, Nether Tortoise!"

    From directly in front of the wrinkly summoner, a ck-shelled, giant tortoise rose, shielding him from the barrage of blood-bullets that shot out rapidly through the hall.

    These blood-bullets skewered the butcher trio, filling them with countless holes while violently pelting the hellish tortoise''s shell, beginning to crack it as the force and speed seemed to increase.

    This strength¨Cit shouldn''t belong to that sniveling coward! What kind of ability is this, anyway? He''s manipting blood! Hongkee thought.

    Though the old man''s thoughts were interrupted as a force mmed against the other side of the tortoise he hid behind.

    Just in time, the wizened yer killer hopped back to witness the crimson-wrapped spear thrust through the ck-shelled creature with a powerful blow.

    Sol looked up, seeing the man still in the midst of jumping back as he calmly invoked: "Scarlet Release."

    With the spear still inside of the hellish, giant tortoise, the creature suddenly exploded into a mass of blood, being maintained in a spherical orb of scarlet liquid.

    The blood gathered to that same orb from the butcher trio that had been annihted by the blood bullets, being reshaped into lengthy, visceral des forged of the life-sustaining fluid.

    I must kill this boy! Hongkee thought.

    "Rise:--!"

    As the old man pped his palms together, preparing for another summon¨C

    Squelch.

    Those two hands he used to invoke the summoning ritual were cut off in an instant, lobbed off by a swift extension of one of the blood-formed des.

    "Huh¡­?" The old man let out in quiet shock.

    The blood-forger remained calm, watching as the wizened, ck-uniformed mannded on the floor, looking at his handless, bleeding wrists in horror.

    "My hands¡­" Hongkee repeated quietly to himself as crimson squirted from the freshly-made wounds.

    "Your first mistake was giving me fodder to draw blood from," he told the wrinkly, old man.

    But, the old man began tough even with his missing hands, starting with a quietugh then breaking into a maddening cackle.

    "...?" He looked at the old man with his calm, scarlet eyes.

    "Do you think I need my hands to summon?! Your hubris is your undoing, boy!" Hongkee yelled out.

    The pale-bearded man mmed his stumps against the ground, allowing his blood to seep into the carpet.

    Before he could rush over to stop whatever wasing, a strong surge of magical energy propelled outwards, keeping him back as a malevolent aura spiraled into the corridor.

    Instead of a summoning circle manifesting on the ground, a portal opened up on the old man''s body, housing an abyssal-ck swirl of nefarious energy in its boundless depths.

    "This is¡­?" He let out quietly.

    Hongkee smiled a twisted joy, "...Use my life and arise, Duke of Hell: Amdusias!"

    Sprouting from the depths of the hellish gateway, decrepit hands with lengthy ws stretched out, gripping onto the sides of the wizened man''s body.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As whatid in the abyssal depths of the summoning gateway began to pull itself out, the old man''s body began to be torn apart and be deted, soon falling to nothing less than a sack of skin as the entity birthed itself.

    "You crazy old man¡­What the hell did you do?" He mumbled, watching in disgust at the unorthodox summoning.

    It bore the body of a man, covered in dark-gray skin,yered in dark hair, with the head of a horse with curving horns, and trails of ck lightning coiling around its limbs.

    [Enemy Identified: "Lesser Duke of Hell: Failed Incarnation Amdusias" | Level 32]

    As soon as he met the ck eyes of the horse-faced, half-man demon, seeing the celestial, enigmatic shapes within them¨Cit was in front of him.

    Trails of ck sparks were left behind the tall, monstrous entity as it was mere inches away from him in the blink of an eye.

    He raised his arms in a guard, hardening the crystallized blood-armor around his forearms as the demonic entity shed its lightning-coiled ws against his guard.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    There was much more force behind the swipe than he expected as he was lifted into the air by a meter from the impact.

    Crack.

    It managed to cut through most of the armor around his forearms, just barely stopping before leaving deepcerations on his skin.

    But, that wasn''t all that came from the attack¨CZAP.

    Just as hended back onto his feet, an electrocution surged over his body as the ck lightning belonging to the summoned demon took hold of him violently.

    ¡­Can''t move, he thought.

    The mystical lightning wrapped around his limbs, extending throughout his body and seizing his actions as it caused his muscles to twitch and cramp up.

    While he was stunned by the ck electricity, the towering, non-verbal demon appeared in front of him again, using a low dash to send its fist straight into his gut for a brutal impact, causing him to fling up and crash against the ceiling before falling back down.

    "--"

    The horse-faced demon exuded steam from its red nostrils, looking down at him as it nted its foot down against his back.

    An inhuman, unevenugh gargled from its throat as it pressed down with its heavy weight, causing the floor beneath to croak and crack, the same as his blood-forged armor.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    This thing is fast, and strong. Not to mention this ck lightning it has is troublesome¡­He thought.

    "--"

    It continued to exude steam from its scarred nostrils while pressing down on his back, cracking his crimson armor before mming its foot down again, shattering it nearly fully.

    Still, the ck lightning clung to his body, continuing to keep him unable to respond to the violent, cruel actions being cast down on him.

    "Scarlet¡­" He slowly moved his lips.

    Just from the beginning of an invocation, unknowing to the cruel demon, the fallen, seeping blood from the grotesque corpses in the corridor began to rise.

    "...Imprisonment," he finished the invocation.

    In a hasty coalescence, the risen blood from all angles formed into red bindings, wrapping around the muscr, horse-faced demon.

    "Raagh¨C?!"

    The horned, equine-esque let out in confusion as the multiple ropes of blood tightened around its body.

    He used another invocation after the demon stumbled back, lifting its weight from his back, "Scarlet Reinvigoration."

    The blood maniption was internal, rather than external¨Ccausing his blood to pump through his veins with a heightened pressure, increasing the heat to generate a pulse of safe, regting warmth for his body that repelled the lightning.

    I wasn''t able to use "Reinvigoration" while he was putting pressure on my lungs like that, he thought.

    As soon as he stood back up, he used the residual blood left around the floor to reinforce his armor, rebuilding the crimson, sturdy set in mere moments.

    However, it was only just enough time bought for him as the demonic half-man, half-horse which stood above two meters, flexed its body, bulkening its physique momentarily as it shattered the blood restraints around itself.

    "...Mad, are you? That makes two of us."

 Chapter 129 Blood Forged Path

    "...Mad, are you? That makes two of us."

    With a swipe of his hand, he assured the blood used for the bindings didn''t go to waste, causing them to reshape into whip-like des before shing them against the demon''s sturdy hide.

    "Graaaah¨C!"

    It howled out, pushing past the assault as it burst forward, gunning straight towards him with a dash bolstered by its powerful, thick legs.

    "--Scarlet Sanctuary."

    This time, he swirled and reforged the surrounding blood into a multiyered, dense shield that curved around him for further protection, cing it as a means to defend against the lightning-infused charge of the powerful demon.

    ¡­Wait! He suddenly thought.

    ¨CThere was a second dash, or rather, a second "boost" to the dash as a burst of ck lightning roared from another kick of the demon against the ground, sending it forward with a sh of speed that shattered right through his shield.

    "Grgh¨C!!"

    Even reinforcing his blood-forged armor with anotheryer, the impact blew him back with a thunderous force, sending him flying down the corridor before tumbling across the floor, only stopping once hitting the backend of the hall.

    Crack.

    The sturdy armor of crystalized blood had been shattered, broken to nearpletion as most of it fell into particles of crimson droplets onto the carpet below.

    More so, the impact resounded internally¨Cthrottling his internal organs as he spat out blood onto his own chest.

    Despite the awful state he seemed to be in, bruised and bleeding from his split eyebrow, seeping nose, and busted lip¡­Despite the difference in raw strength¨CSol was just given the utmost advantage.

    The blood that poured from his mouth ran down his torn shirt, mixing with his shattered armor and rebuilding his crimson set of sleek, tough armor; this time it intertwined,yering itself multiple times for extra protection, adapting to the strength of the enemy.

    I need¡­more power. Enough to crush this horse-mouthed freak, he thought.

    Even more, the arterial fluid that trailed down from his wounds opted to forge new augmentations to his blood-forged armor, following his next invocation: "Iron Maiden."

    This new variation of his armor created tiny spikes from the interior, stabbing into his own flesh to draw out more of his blood, supplementing further strength to himself.

    This was the terror of the "Blood Forger System"; the more damage he took, the more plentiful his strength and arsenal became. Against all but an insurmountable foe, it was practically unbeatable.

    Blood itself is my "spirit", but also myplete strength. The more of it I can draw from, the more I can increase my power¨Cwith "Iron Maiden", I can close the gap in strength, he thought.

    It was a full suit of crimson armor, guarding even his head inpletion as it possessed a slightly bulkier form with the additionalyers and defense added.

    "Come on, then¡­Let''s finish this already," he coaxed the horse-faced demon.

    Without any further dy, it rushed towards him with that blitzing speed, going for ariat that he barely managed to react to with a backwards bend, watching the muscr forearm go right over his head.

    He countered with a thrust of his spear, aiming for the chin of the towering demon, but a surprisingly agility allowed it to evade the attack, moving its chin back and countering with a roar that released as a lightning-infused shock wave.

    "Scarlet Supercharge," he invoked.

    The scarlet armor he wore took to a slight glow, humming as the heat within bubbled up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a momentary amplification of all of his stats, allowing him to eat up the head-on shock wave, pushing through it before gathering a swirl of blood around hisnce.

    "...Scarlet Piercer!"

    Thrusting it forward as he brute-forced his way through the deafening, ongoing shock wave, he unleashed a torrent of crimson des that blew the demon back, stopping the roar as he instantly released the supercharge.

    "--"

    He breathed heavily; strained from the short usage of the supercharge as he amped himself up, forcing the spikes of the Iron Maiden armor to dig deeper, drawing more blood as it fueled him with further energy.

    "Scarlet Supercharge" has to be used sparingly¨Cit does exactly what it sounds like: supercharging the blood around me, amplifying my physical abilities multiple times over, but it takes a toll on my body, he thought.

    To his surprise, the torrent of sharp crimson hardly had an effect on the horse-faced, muscr demon as it only seemed momentarily stunned by the attack after being knocked back. At the very least, it created some space for him once again in the ravaged hallway.

    It''s sturdy. More tough than it is fast or strong, most likely, he thought.

    "A war of attrition, huh¡­?" He muttered to himself, staring dead-on at the demon, "...Fine by me."

    He dismantled his own armor in a perplexing move, breaking it down back into its liquid origin as he surrounded himself with rings of hovering blood that slowly swayed around his lengthy, brown coat.

    "Come."

    ¨CWithout having to say anything, the horse-faced demon was already moving towards him, but took an alternate route as it side-stepped, breaking through one of the walls and sprinting down the halls by bashing through multiple walls.

    "--Huh?"

    It was a peculiar move, taking him nearly by surprise as the demon reemerged to his left, shattering through one of the walls with a burst of ck lightning, mming it in the ground where he previously stood after he had jumped back.

    "Scarlet Eviscerator."

    Coming at the demon from all angles, the blood des attempted to sh at it, but were avoided as the surprisingly nimble giant bobbed-and-weaved through them, bursting forth with another charge of lightning speed.

    As it missed him, it burrowed right through the wall behind him, leaving him little time to react and turn around as it already spun around itself, going for another charge directly at him.

    What''s this¨C? It wasn''t this aggressive nor tactical just a moment ago, he thought.

    Waving his hand, he halted its rush towards him by reshaping the blood into spikes that rose from the ground, tunneling towards the hairy humanoid as it rolled to the side, momentarily running on all-fours towards him in a frightening manner.

    But, it was just as nned as he held his hand outward, snapping his fingers: "Scarlet Explosion."

    All around the part-equine spawn from Hell, the scattered blood began to boil up and rise with a glowing heat, only being realized by the demonic entity before it released into a bright-red explosion that engulfed itpletely.

    I wasn''t attacking randomly¨Cthis entire time, I''ve been making sure to scatter blood everywhere for this. I realized it once my attacks barely had any effect on you¨CI needed to bring out the big guns for this, he thought.

    The entire floor shook from the resulting explosion, but due to its core element being blood, it had no effect on him, but the same couldn''t be said for his horse-faced foe.

    As the crimson smoke settled, the tall, burly demon was revealed to have half of its bodypletely scorched by the explosion; its skin was burned away, revealing its bare flesh and sparse showing of its bones beneath.

    "You''re not done yet, are you?" He asked.

 Chapter 130 The Battle Thrives

    "You''re not done yet, are you?" He asked.

    All he got in response was a blow of steam from the demon''s nostrils before it lowered its body, taking an unmistakable stance for a quicking assault.

    He gathered the blood around him back into a sleek set of crimson armor again, gripping his spear as he used the residual blood to form a full-fledgednce.

    ZAP.

    What¡­? He thought.

    It was fast. Too fast. From the enemy who should be half-dead, it exhibited power beyond its previous showings.

    An exchange of blowsmenced as he managed to react, using hisnce to counter the flurry of ck lightning-infused fists that came his way.

    Full-force was required with every thrust of his spear to cancel out the force of the demon''s fist-barrage, spinning it around and using a quickstep to get around it.

    Without turning around, it blocked the spear thrust aimed at its back, grabbing onto the end of the spear and hoisting him forward before mming him against the ground brutally.

    What the¡­?! He thought.

    It seemed impossible for such a thoughtless, violent beast to be that skillful, but it became more apparent as he tried another unseen attack, silently guiding a slice of blood towards the back of its neck.

    ¨CAt thest moment, it ducked its head forward without seeing the attacking.

    "Through The Storm: Blood Blitz."

    As it ducked, he took advantage of a simple concept: the fact it could only dodge one attack at a time as he burst forward with a sound barrier-shattering usage of speed, leaving a trail of blood behind him as he mmed his spear against its chest.

    It pierced the initialyer of skin, but hardly digging deeper as the horned horse-man demon flexed its chest, causing its muscles to shift in a hexagonal, stiffened armor to prevent his spear from digging in further.

    As a counter, the ck lightning that was inherent to the demonic beast began to release erratically, spiraling around as strands of the abyssal fulmination burned the walls and shocked him.

    ¨CBut, he pushed through it, even as his flesh was cooking and blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, it was all he needed for an extra push of momentum as he dug his boots into the ground below.

    "Blood King Piercer!"

    Shouting this out, he pushed himself further with more strength, drawing more blood from his various wounds as the blood-d spear grew in size, gathering the crimson at its tip as it began spinning rapidly with a gyrating hum.

    "Raaaagh¨C!" It roared out in pain, attempting to grab and halt the spin of thence, only to have its hands eviscerated in the spiraling storm of blood.

    Even still, the fearsome, erratic strands of dark lightning managed tobat the bulk of the spiraling blood, lessening the damage inflicted.

    Though most of its body was being cut up by the wild blood, it didn''t seem to be enough to put it down for good as the ck lightning began to overpower the swirl of crimson.

    ¡­In that case, he thought.

    The whirlwind of spiraling blood halted as the particles stood stagnant in the air, throwing the demon off of its bnce by the sudden stoppage of such force.

    It wasing: an overwhelming force of ck lightning manifesting¨Cexuding from the horse-faced demon''s position that the monster itself resembled a static screen by the veil of electricity over it.

    But¨C

    "Crimson Requiem."

    Before the force of ck lightning could properly reach him, hemanded the surrounding blood that hung in the air to shift into awork of spikes, jutting out in every direction, but seeking the form of the demon.

    It was all in an instant; dozens ofrge, visceral spikes of crystalized, yet fluid blood formed in the air, piercing the demon throughout its entire body, skewering itpletely.

    The ck lightning quelled not a momentter after the demon''s brain was pierced multiple times, leaving it falling to its knees¨Cdead.

    Just as it dropped to its knees, he did the same as the defeat of the enemy prompted the [Blood Forger System] to once more return to slumber, leaving him bleeding profusely from many wounds, alone in the destroyed floor.

    ["Lesser Duke of Hell: Failed Incarnation Amdusias" | EXP +5000]<novelnext></novelnext>

    Bing.

    [Congrattions. You have reached Level 23.]

    Though the level-up prompted all of his wounds to heal, it didn''t suppress his exhaustion that quickly overcame his mind.

    "...Can I sleep now? Yeong-Un¡­You''ve got it from here, right?" He mumbled to himself before falling face first against the blood-stained carpet.

    ¨C

    [Seventh Floor, The Same Time]

    DRUM. DRUM. DRUM.

    "Pyeh!"

    An unseen force sted Yeong-Un back the moment that the dreadlock-wearing, burly man pped his palm against the astral percussion instruments.

    DRUM. DRUM. DRUM.

    "Ghh¨C!!!"

    Holding his swords up like a shield, he attempted to guard against the unseen, blunt attacks, but was unable to properly defend against that which he could not see as one came from the left, mming him into the right wall then knocking him against the ground.

    He quickly sprang back up to his feet, though was met with another¨CDRUM¨Cbeing hit square in the face as his bruised noise now became broken by that impact, curving to the side as blood spewed from his nostrils.

    "My Rock N'' Roll is unbeatable! Hahaha!" The burly manughed out, continuing to hit the drums without any mercy.

    Shit¡­What the fuck is this?! He questioned.

    It had been several minutes already of this one-sided beatdown, unable to perceive the attacks as his ears rang each time with a deafening howl of wind before the force mmed into him.

    "Gyaah¡­!" He spit out a mixture of blood and saliva.

    It was a one-sided beatdown, but¨CYeong-Un smiled once more, much to the surprise of his foe.

    "Huh?! What''re ya'' smiling for?!" The burly man asked roughly.

    "--I think I''m startin'' to get it now!" Yeong-Un grinned, picking himself up straight.

    Was it a bluff, or was it true?

    The man could hardly tell through that blood-painted, ear-to-ear grin the blue-haired, scar-faced young man held.

    The yer-killing, dreadlock-wearing man simply scoffed, "--Before I kill ya'' I gotta ask¡­"

    "Huh?"

    "Do ya'' know where one called "Moon" is? I''ve got a job to do, after all."

    "What¡­?" He let out in surprise.

    In shock from this unexpected question, he fell silent for a moment as the man continued with a further question:

    "If not, then if ya'' tell me where "Dae-Seong" or "Eunji" are, I''ll make it quick!"

    "Not a fucking chance!" He roared out with a devilish smirk.

    They''re after specific members¡­? Fuck if I''ll let ''em! Round two starts now! He thought.

 Chapter 131 Action Must Be Taken

    [First Floor]

    Xiaodan and himself ventured down into the basement, but it felt darker than ever; shrouded in abundant shadows, and eerily quiet¨Cbut, it felt as if there were other presences upying the space alongside them.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan whispered, staying by his side.

    He nodded, "I know. This is definitely a trap."

    Even knowing that, the two still slowly moved through the depths of the ck basement¨Cperiodically hearing small, but rming noises of inexplicable origins. sh.

    It was the reflexes engraved in his body that prompted him to step forward just in time to avoid the malicious swipe that aimed for his ankle.

    "Wha¨C?"

    He looked down, only briefly seeing a hand wrapped in ck fabric swipe by before disappearing back into the darkness.

    "Kehehehe¡­"

    The ominousugh from the crazed men echoed throughout the pitch-ck basement, leaving the two falling still, turning to each side, but only being met with more darkness.

    "He''s here¡­!" He warned.

    "Yeah¡­" Xiaodan nodded.

    ¨CBefore any further words could be exchanged, he instantly raised his arms in a guard just as a swipe came from the darkness¨Cshing through the leather guards on his forearms and leaving a set of cuts on his arm.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    [Health Points: -50 | 2950/3250]

    "Jeong-Hui!" Xiaodan called out worriedly.

    He went for a quick counterattack, but his dagger only shed through shadows, being taunted by the disembodiedugh of the crazed man.

    "...I''m fine," he huffed, assuring hispanion as blood dripped down from his cut forearm.

    "Are you sure?" Xiaodan asked.

    He held up his arm, showing the set of four cuts that were left on his forearm, having ripped right through the fabric of his ck coat, "...It wasn''t that deep, I guess. I only lost a small amount of health from that."

    "...Still, be careful," Xiaodan said quietly.

    "Yeah, we''ve got to be on our guard; one-hundred-and-twenty percent of it. My guess is that this guy is slippery, but he doesn''t hit very hard¨Cat least, I hope that''s just how it is," he said quietly, whispering to his ally.

    Again, another assault came from the overwhelming shadows¨Cthis time aimed at Xiaodan, who stepped back to avoid a sh from the almost animalistic ws of the crazed man, bumping into Jeong-Hui''s own back.

    "--!"

    "My bad!" Xiaodan apologized.

    "Don''t worry, just stay on¨C!" He began to reply, but their conversation was cut short.

    ¨CIt was another swift assault from the darkness, this timeing from the ground as Xiaodan''s leg was cut, embedding a sh on his left shin.

    "Agh¨C!" Xiaodan winced.

    "Xiaodan!" He turned around.

    "...I''m fine!--Stay focused!" Xiaodan assured him, holding his bleeding shin.

    It wasn''t a momentter than when he turned forward again that he leaned back slightly, dodging the iing, sharpened nails of the maniacal figure by a mere hair.

    Managing to evade the dirty attempt to eviscerate his eyes, he ducked down and stepped forward for a swift counterattack, but his daggers only went right through thenky figure that blended into the shadows.

    "...Kehehe¡­"

    Again, thenky, hunched-over entity vanished into the shadows around them, heckling his failed attempt at a retaliation as he clicked his tongue.

    "Shit¡­!" He muttered to himself in frustration.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan called his name.

    He looked back,ing back to a stable mind as he assisted his silver-hairedpanion with standing, giving his shoulder to help Xiaodan stand.

    "Can you move?" He asked.

    Xiaodan nodded, "Yeah¡­I was just having trouble standing¡­for some reason."

    For some reason, Xiaodan''s words became uneven and fractured, putting more time between each word as his eyes began to blink slowly.

    "Xiaodan?"

    As he called the name of his androgynouspanion worriedly, he began to feel a certain way himself; it looked as if Xiaodan was swaying right before his eyes, yet unmoving.

    It was the room itself¨Cspinning and twirling as nausea set in.

    So heavy¡­my eyelids¡­He thought.

    Holding his head, it felt like he had to support it for it not to slump down due to how heavy it felt, stumbling about as his coordination was thrown offpletely.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­"

    Xiaodan''s voice seemed to grow distant, yet it was right there with him, no more than a meter apart.

    "...What¡­is this?" He muttered.

    It was a simr sensation to being intoxicated, but magnified a few times over; even with his nimbleness and heightened coordination, it was still a tall task to remain standing and upright.

    sh.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Huh¡­?"

    Unable to react to the sh of darkness that rushed past him, he was only able to figure out what had just happened once the prompt appeared:

    [Health: -50 | 2900/3250]

    As he witnessed his health drop, the pain finally set in as sensation returned¨Cfeeling a heat gather around his side as blood squirted out from the tear in his coat.

    "Ghh¨C!!!"

    He looked around desperately for the enemy, sweating as his internal temperature spiked from the inexplicable nausea.

    By the time he fully turned in a circle, he realized something that set in dreadfully into his stomach:

    "Xiaodan¨C!!!" He yelled out.

    ¨CHe had been separated from hispanion in the gulf of darkness. It almost didn''t seem right; it was so abundantly dark, but he knew the basement, at least to some degree.

    It shouldn''t be thisrge, he thought.

    But, with little stability to his senses, he was unable to think properly nor gather his thoughts to rendezvous his sanity.

    This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. What should I do? Xiaodan and Eunji both are¡­! No! Get it together! Get it together¡ª! He urged himself.

    It only seemed to get worse; the dizziness, the fever overtaking his body, and the overall sickness that swirled in his gut.

    The shadows around him danced and spiraled, leaving him unable to discern which direction he was facing anymore or where in the basement he even was.

    "Xiaodan! Eunji¡­!" He called out.

    sh. sh. sh.

    This time, three came¨Cso fast and merciless that he could only flinch as the attacks came. One was left on his cheek, another on the left bicep, and thest on his right tricep.

    [Health: -150 | 2750/3250]

    Standing there for a moment, breathing heavily as his blood trickled down his ck coat, he felt his heat bubble up further as his legs began to quiver beneath him from the sheer dizziness at y.

    Wait¡­I think I get it now. It''s those shes¨Cthat guy''s ws! Each time he cuts me, he''s leaving some sort of poison in my wounds. It''s increasing with each sh¨Cif it stacks like this, does it settle fast? Does he have to keep reapplying it?...Either way, I have to avoid it! He thought.

    He managed to react this time, by some miracle, countering the shes with his des, only to watch the man''s hands slip right through the ck-steel like an astral entity.

    "--!"

    At thest moment, he managed to [Blink Step] back to avoid it, nearly tumbling backward as the jarring movement threw his senses off further.

    Is he focusing on me since he knows I can hurt him with my frost¡­? He thought.

    There was hardly a window to ponder from as the attacks emerged from the shadows, lunging to him but¨Cit was a distraction.

    Above¡­! He thought.

    From above, hanging like a bat, thenky figure swiped at him, to which he bobbed-and-weaved through the shes, stumbling back again after the assant vanished into the darkness once more.

    "D-disperse!" He called out.

    It was difficult to even speak as his throat tickled and his head throbbed and grew more light-headed by the moment, but he got it out just in time.

    [Spirit: -300 | 600/3600]

    I''m almost out of spirit. Right now¡­I have to make every drop of it count! Sage System, maximize my senses! He thought.

    [I must warn you, since you''ve asked this specific request: maximizing your senses can be incredibly dangerous for your mind and body alike. The Sage will bring you to a realm of sensory that you''re not ustomed to, do you still¨C"

    "Do it¨C!!!" He yelled out, interrupting his unique System.

    [...Request granted. Be careful, Jeong-Hui.]

    All at once, it hit him: Sight, even amidst the total darkness, he could see it all. Smell, everything, all at once, swirling and mixing, he could smell it, smelling even the fear of his lostpanion and the madness of his enemy. Touch, the cold air itself met his skin like an extension of his being. Hear, each minuscule sound resonated within his ears, leaving nothing silent as even the droplets of water in the farthest corners of the basement sounded like heavy rain. Taste, the darkness itself held an abhorrent greeting to his tongue, but like smell, he could taste the despicable nature of his enemy.

    It was all at once, unrestrained and stunning; he remained still for a moment as his senses maximized beyond supernatural levels¨Cleaving him unhindered by the shadowy ambience.

    Come¡­! He thought.

    From behind this time, a sh came from thenky, unhonorable foe of his, but¨Cit is exactly as he nned.

    From his [Disperse], he vanished before the sh could embed itself on his back, leaving a cloud of sensory-dwindling smoke around his enemy.

    He reappeared directly above the darkly-dressed yer killer, holding both of his daggers as his heightened senses fought against the poison in his body.

    "--Hades'' Touch!" He called out.

    [Spirit: -300 | 300/2600]

    "Wha¨C!?" The freakish man looked up at thest moment.

    "--You''re not going to have your way anymore! Not while I''m still drawing breath!" He yelled out.

    Before thenky, unsolid man could disappear into the floor, he crashed down on top of him with a swift sh of both of his daggers, bringing the frost-bearing steel right through his neck as the icy made his body tangible for that passing moment.

    "Gyuh¨C!" The figure spit out.

    In a brutal, one-move finisher, he lopped the eerie man''s head from his shoulders.

    Just like that, the slippery foe fell to the ground, no longer bearing their peculiar form as they returned to a solid state while their head rolled across the ground.

    [EXP + 2000 | 2600/13500]

 Chapter 132 The Faceless Man

    "..."

    He stood there, catching his breath as he watched in disgust at the result of his actions, looking at the headless corpse before he sealed away his own guilt as his head suddenly throbbed with an urgent pain.

    "Grrrgh¨C!!!"

    It was a headache beyond all measure, feeling as though a dozen tiny pricks were hammering down into his skull.

    ¡­Maximizing my senses results in this just after a few seconds? Shit¡­I have to hurry, he thought.

    Utilizing his amplified senses, he scoured the basement unhindered, finding Xiaodan, who was wandering aimlessly in the dark like a lost child¨Cjumping as his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

    "Wha-?! Who¨C!?"

    "It''s just me¡­" He assured Xiaodan weakly, pulling him alone, "--Hurry!"

    "R-right," Xiaodan nodded.

    Together, with Xiaodan being led behind him by a hold on his wrist, they ventured to the back of the basement, finding Eunji, who he found through his senses thattched onto her scent and minuscule sounds of muffled breathing.

    "How did you¡­?" Xiaodan asked, realizing he perfectly led them to the girl.

    "It''s hard to exin," he answered with a wry chuckle, "Help me out."

    "--Of course!" Xiaodan nodded.

    If anything, Xiaodan was a hard-worker, helping him untie Eunji and free her from the bindings that were set on her by the beheaded man.

    "Hhh¡­Jeong-Hui?...And?" Eunji asked quietly.

    "Xiaodan," the silver-haired, girly-faced young man answered for her with a small smile.

    "Sorry¡­Thank you both¡­" Eunji said weakly.

    It was clear she was still half-conscious from everything that had urred, but he was just relieved to have found her in the first ce.

    She''s unhurt¡­that''s good, he thought.

    Releasing his maximized senses, the headache mostly subsided, though he could still feel a slight throbbing alongside a heat inside of his head.

    "...I can carry her," Xiaodan told him with a smile as they reached the stairs.

    "Huh? No, it''s¡­" He tried to shake his head, but Xiaodan didn''t listen.

    The verdant-eyed, slightly-tan figure hoisted Eunji onto his back, though they were nearly the same size, so it seemed like more of a hassle.

    "Get some rest¡­is what I''d like to say," Xiaodan told him, "...I have a feeling we won''t be getting any rest for a good bit now. I can do this, at least."

    "Thanks¡­" He nodded with a tired smile.

    ¡ª

    [Seventh Floor]

    "Ya'' talked a big game, but yer'' still helpless! Hahaha!"

    DRUM. DRUM. DRUM.

    The taunts from the stand-still, dreadlock-wearing man were apanied by percussive thuds as he pped the palms of his metallic gauntlets against the astral instruments.

    "...Ya'' talk too much!" Yeong-Un replied through his gritted teeth.

    ¨CHere ites! He thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a faint feeling hetched onto, but a small gust, or rather a roar of the attack''s arrival brushed against his body before the main hit came, prompting him to leap up.

    The st of unseen force zoomed past the spot he stood as he managed to evade it¨Cmuch to the surprise of the muscr, masked man.

    "Wha¨C?!" The man growled out.

    He smirked, wiping the sweat from his bruised chin as hended back on his feet, "...I told ya''. I''m just gettin'' started!"

    The man stomped his muddy boots down, flexing his tanned arms as he clicked his tongue, "Don''t get cocky off of a fluke, brat!"

    Again, he raised his gauntlets before beginning to m his palms down against the drums that hovered at his sides in their ghostly form.

    DRUM. DRUM. DRUM. DRUM. DRUM. DRUM.

    It was more at once than ever before, alling in quick session towards the bruised-and-battered adolescent.

    ¡­I feel it now! The vibrations beneath my boots¡­The hum of the air¨CI''ve got the hang of this crap! He grinned.

    Using his animalistic nimbleness, he burst forward, using the walls as footing as he evaded the sts of unseen force that carved through the hall, leaping swiftly from wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor, as he closed the distance between himself and the enemy.

    The burly man began to be pressed, growling and grunting as he picked up the pace¨Cfrantically beating the astral drums now as the swift, spiky-haired adolescent grew closer.

    ¡­I''ve got it now! Yer'' attacks are easy-peasy once you get it! He thought.

    He didn''t rely on his sight at all, instead feeling the vibrations tremor through the air itself, listening to the hum against his ears as he timed his swift hops perfectly with a battle-driven grin faced down at his enemy.

    "--I''m bringin'' it to ya''!" He yelled out, leaping directly towards the man as he reared his dual des back.

    "I told ya'': don''t get cocky!"

    ¨CBefore the man could reach down for another m of his drums, an unexpected burst of speed came from the young man:

    "Leaping Tiger, Lunging Mantis!" He invoked.

    It concentrated all of his muscles on his legs, tightening and condensing them as he curled them as if crouching on the air itself before kicking off as if the empty space itself was a foothold, unleashing a shock wave.

    The extra burst of speed formed in midair propelled him forth as he spun around¨Creaching the tall, muscle-bound man as he shed both of his des.

    CLINK.

    At thest moment, the GOETIA System-user managed to raise hisrge gauntlets like a shield, but it only mitigated the damage from death to near-lethal.

    "Tsk," he clicked his tongue after having his assault guarded against.

    Due to the insane boost of the previous skill, hended far down the hall, several meters away from the darkly-dressed, tattooed man.

    For some reason, the burly man was as still as a statue, still holding his arms up before beginning to turn around, mumbling undecipherable words in anger.

    "Huh? What''re ya'' yappin'' about?!" He called out.

    ¨CSeconds after the attack, he finally saw it: the mask the man wore split in half from the attack, and from his other de, the man''s chest wascerated, spewing out fresh crimson that trailed down his bare torso.

    "Ngh¡­! Damn you¡­!"

    What the¡­? He thought.

    His silent reaction came from what he saw beneath the man''s mask: a face, or rather,ck thereof¨Call of the skin on his face had seemingly been burned away from an old wound, leaving only his wide, inhuman eyes visible with his fleshy features on disy.

    "Y-ya'' sonuvabitch! Ya'' seen it now¡­!" The burly man growled, attempting to cover his face with one of his gauntlets, "I''ll kill ya'' dead¨C!!!"

    "Huh?! Who the fuck cares about yer'' face!" He yelled out.

 Chapter 133 Pump It Up

    "Huh?! Who the fuck cares about yer'' face!" He yelled out.

    His words only seemed to further drive the man into nonsensical anger as he roared out, using his one avable gauntlet to manifest the massive, astral gong in front of himself as it pointed towards the young man.

    "What''s that¡­?" He mumbled to himself.

    As he stood himself up straight, he could feel the impact of all the previous impacts he took¨Cthey rung through his body, beating his flesh and bones repeatedly to the current state of his entire body ringing in constant pain.

    "Die, die, die¨C!!! Doh will bring yer'' death!" Doh roared out as his dreadlocks swayed while he reared his entire body back.

    It took a moment for him to realize what therge-set man was doing, who leaned far back before suddenly stomping forward¨Cputting all of his weight into a height against the massive, supernatural gong formed of golden magic.

    DONGGGGGGGG.

    The aftermath of the heavy blow to the giant, percussive instrument released a sound so jarring and ear-filling, he was leftpletely still for a moment¨Cstunned by the sheer gravity of the noise before the impact came.

    It peeled the paint from the walls, rummaging and tugging at the carpets as they rippled like unruly waves of the sea.

    Wha¡­? He realized.

    ¨CIt was the vibrations he searched for; they were too numerous, and far too potent¨Cit was unavoidable.

    "Gyhh¨C!!"

    The hall-filling, invisible impact mmed into his body with a force that resounded through his skeletal system, rippling his skin, and hammering his skull.

    Holy shit¡­! Am I¡­dyin''?! He questioned.

    "Giving up already, kid?!"

    "Wha¡­?"

    ¨CIt was a rough, female voice that called out, though it was muffled against his ringing ears as he briefly saw them pass his swaying vision.

    She was tall, and built with a nice foundation of muscle that entuated her flowing, golden locks.

    "Binna¡­?"

    Between himself and Doh, the athletic woman stood, already having manifested her [Equip] as she held her giant, dark-red warhammer that had a skull design etched on its blunt side. The uniform she wore was a white tank top with metal bracers on her arms and legs; a flexible outfit that traded defense for swiftness.

    "Getting your butt kicked, kid?" Binna looked back at him with a smile.

    "--I''m not! Wait, why''re ya'' here?!"

    It took him a moment toe to as the aftermath of the impact left his ears, mouth, nose, and eyes bleeding.

    "Huh?! Who the hell wouldn''t hear this ruckus?! I was trying to sleep!" She barked back before she set her gaze forward at the faceless man, "...This is one of those yer killers, huh? What a time to attack¡­tch."

    He struggled to stand up as his entire skeleton still seemed to be singing the tune of the gong''s bell, forcing himself to his feet as he coughed up blood.

    "This guy really roughed you up, didn''t he?...That''s uneptable," Binna said with a quiet anger as her grip tightened on the handle of her warhammer.

    The dreadlock-wearing man scoffed, holding his gauntlets above the astral drums as he looked on with his eyelid-less eyes, "What''re ya'', his mommy or somethin''?"

    A vein protruded on Binna''s forehead as she responded sharply, pping her hand against the torn paint of the hallway wall, "--What''s more uneptable is this mess you''ve made¨C!!!"

    "Huh¡­?" Doh let out in confusion.

    "Do you have any idea how much work goes into maintaining this damn ce?! Hours, hours, and ours¨C! Every day! Every week! All so your sorry ass can barge in and mess it up?! Hell no!" Binna yelled out, gripping her warhammer with both hands.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh crap¨C!"

    He rushed to his feet, knowing full well what wasing from the short-tempered woman as he ran back while Binna lifted her hammer above her head.

    "I don''t care if yer'' a girl, I''ll rough ya'' up all the same!" Doh yelled out, smacking the astral drums once more.

    But, Binna seemed to only see red in that moment as veins pressed against her arms, wielding her hammer with her utmost strength before mming it downward, "--Jotun Roar!"

    As soon as the blunt side of the massive warhammer met against the ground, the floor itself wasn''t damaged, but all of the force propelled down the hall directly towards Doh.

    "Wha¨C?!" Doh let out.

    ¨CIt directly contested the unseen impacts of his Rock N'' Roll ability, resulting in a sh of invisible forces.

    Both forces shing resulted in a cancetion of both forces, dispersing with a st of wind that filled the halls, both ways.

    Wait a minute¡­He thought.

    Jumping to his feet as blood squirted from his ears, he smiled in excitement, "Yer'' a perfect match for this guy!"

    "Huh? I am?" Binna looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

    "Hell yeah! That hammer of yers ain''t so different from those drums he uses. Ya'' both use shock waves and all that tricky crap," he told her.

    "Oh¡­I see now," Binna grinned, resting her warhammer against her sturdy shoulder, "--Looks like this guy is shit out of luck, then!"

    Doh seemed less than pleased to have his ability canceled out, growling and gritting his teeth as he took a lowered stance, beginning to fiercely beat his percussive instruments again, "I''ve decided now¨CI''ll turn your bones to dust¨C!!!"

    "I decided that the moment I saw your ugly mug-!" Binna sharply yelled back, mming her hammer against the empty air.

    As it crashed against the unfilled space, arge shock wave propelled outward that, once again, nullified the drum-made impacts.

    "Grgh¡­!!" Doh growled in frustration, continuing to p the drums at a higher rate.

    Binna smirked, "I can do this all day, chump¨C!!!"

    Even with therge, heavy weapon she wielded, by spinning it around and controlling its momentum, she was able to strike with it in rapid session, producing counter forces to the yer killer''s Rock N'' Roll skill.

    He was looking for an opening to get closer to Doh, but found it difficult as there was a constant "No Man''s Land" where both of the invisible forces shed¨Cleaving it an untraversable area.

    "I can hold him off, kid, so you handle the "kicking his ass" part, alright?!" Binna told him.

    Though she yelled, her words didn''t meet Doh''s ears as the halls were filled with the deafening, repeating sounds of shock waves sounding out.

    It was impossible to do what he didst time by evading the sts; the dreadlock-wearing GOETIA System wielder was so filled with thriving rage that he continued vigorously beating the drums¨Cfilling the corridor with a barrage of unavoidable sts.

    "...I know, but how the hell do I get closer?!" He gritted his teeth.

    "Use your head for that one!" Binna told him with a smirk.

    "Huh?!"

    "You''re the maverick of Gangcheori, aren''t you? So use that thick skull of yours and find the path to victory¨C!" Binna yelled at him.

    "--" He was left dumbfounded at how unhelpful her words were until they resounded in his mind, prompting a cocky smirk from him as he held his des up inughter, "Yer'' damn right¨C! I''ve got this!"

 Chapter 134 Yeong-Un: Origin

    "--" He was left dumbfounded at how unhelpful her words were until they resounded in his mind, prompting a cocky smirk from him as he held his des up inughter, "Yer'' damn right¨C! I''ve got this!"

    Binna couldn''t help butugh to herself while continuing the string of warhammer-swingbos, already sweating profusely from the stress of constantly utilizing such speedy force with the heavy weapon.

    "Stalwart Mountain!" Binna yelled out an incantation.

    It was ast moment defensive spell that made her anchored to the spot she stood, increasing her constitution itself but more so aiding her in remaining an unmoving shield against Doh''s barrage.

    Kid just needs a little push then he''s off to the races, I swear, Binna thought.

    Just like that, his mind began to race, looking for any opportunity he could or alternate path to reach Doh amidst the stalemate.

    C''mon, C''mon, C''mon¡­! He thought.

    He could tell that Binna was already straining herself just a minute into the stalemate against Doh; he was stronger and faster than her, so in turn, she was pushing herself to one-hundred-and-twenty percent in their sh.

    Seeing the sturdy woman be pushed so¨Csweating heavily and beginning to bruise as some of the impacts broke through, he hastened his search for an opening,

    Binna still couldn''t help but smile just a bit at the situation, remembering those recent words from the enemy:

    Am I his mommy or something, that''s what you said, huh?...Close, I''ll give you that! Binna thought.

    ¨C

    [Four Years Prior]

    "You''re going to school¨Cno "ifs, ands, or buts", kid."

    Standing in the doorway to his room, the blonde-haired girl was dressed in a school uniform herself; an all-ck zer, small red tie, and an olive-colored skirt.

    "Knock it off, Binna! I''m tired today!"

    The spiky-haired young man lounged on his bed, flipping through a magazine while ignoring the woman, brushing off her words with his abrasive words.

    A perturbed vein pressed against the woman''s head as she tapped her foot before heading over, plucking the magazine straight from Yeong-Un''s hands, snatching it away.

    "Hey! I was readin'' that!" He reached for it.

    Binna smirked, holding it over him as she had the advantage in height, "Ya'' can do yer'' readin'' at school, ya'' idiot."

    The woman, a couple years his senior, hardly looked to be a role model herself with pierced ears and a nose with a simr piercing¨Cclearly not abiding too well with school rules.

    He looked up at her before scoffing, looking away as he sat on his bed.

    "...Yer'' not my sister. Stop pretendin''. Ya'' ain''t recin'' her," he muttered quietly.

    Binna''s eyes widened a bit from his abrasive words,posing herself as she exhaled slowly, smacking him on the head with the magazine.

    "Tch¡­! The hell was that for?!" He held his head.

    "Yer'' right¨CI''m not yer'' sister. Cho-Hee was too nice. She coddled you too much," Binna told him, "--Now it''s my responsibility to correct yer'' troublesome ass."

    "Huh?!"

    His ear was pinched, forcing the young man to stand on his feet as the taller, less gentle woman reprimanded him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Get dressed, ya'' jackass. I''ll give ya'' a ride since you already missed yours," Binna told him, tossing the magazine onto his stand.

    He stood there for a moment, caressing his reddened ear as he scowled at the woman while she walked away.

    "...Damn, fine¡­" Heplied in a mumble.

    The less-than-ideal student went into the bathroom, undressing as he brought his school uniform with him.

    As he met with his reflection in the mirror, he stopped for a minute as his eyes dimmed to a mncholic shade while looking at the scars that were present all across his body.

    It happened about a year ago now.

    That day where my entire world flipped upside down, he thought.

    [One Year Ago]

    "You''re a real handful, you know that?"

    The soft voice talking to him belonged to a young woman with straight, silken hair of a baby-blue shade, lighter than his dark-blue locks.

    Her skin was wless, free of any blemishes with a spring-readied paleness to it, and unlike him, her eyes were a consistent, light-gold. To him, his older sister was the best example of a person.

    "Tsk¡­"

    "Another fight, huh¡­? What have I told you, Yeong-Un?"

    Cho-Hee was standing in front of him with a worried look in her pale-gold eyes, using a towel to wipe the blood from his nose and the cut on his forehead.

    There were no scars present on his body, but his knuckles were bruised with a throbbing purple and bleeding, mixed with blood of his and not.

    "...They were makin'' fun of my eyes. Pissed me off," he made an excuse for himself.

    Cho-Hee finished wiping the blood before ruffling his wild locks with a small smile, a bit to his surprise but he epted it.

    "Be more careful, okay? Even if you won today, you could lose tomorrow. Do you want to stress your big sister out that much, Yeong-Un?" Cho-Hee yed with his hair.

    "--"

    He wasn''t able to look her in the eyes when asked a question like that, only shaking his head a bit in response.

    "See? Anyway...How about some Bungeoppang? It''s summer now, so the ice cream style is out!" Cho-Hee smiled.

    "Really?! I mean¡­sure," he epted with a quiet mutter.

    She''s always been like this. My sister is practically an angel. We''ve been alone ever since I was a toddler¨Cour good for nothing parents up and left us, and Uncle passed away a few years back¡­left us with enough money to livefortably, though, he thought.

    He was still in middle school, but due to his fiery, unflinching nature, he earned a reputation even among high schoolers in the area as a person who shouldn''t be messed with.

    Though, despite his attitude, he wasn''t somebody that particrly enjoyed violence. To him, it was a "grand n":

    Be the most feared delinquent in Seoul, and everybody will be scared toy a finger on Cho-Hee, he thought.

 Chapter 135 Yeong-Un: Origin (2)

    Be the most feared delinquent in Seoul, and everybody will be scared toy a finger on Cho-Hee, he thought.

    Getting into the silver car his sister owned, and who just recently acquired her license, it seemed more like this dessert trip was an excuse for her to break in her new vehicle. He buckled himself into the passenger seat, adjusting his hair that had been ruffled previously.

    Cho-Hee started the car, humming a tune as the two siblings started to drive through the quiet suburbs, "So, what do you want to do for your birthday? I already know what you want¨Cyou''ve been into designer clothestely, right?"

    The streets lining the suburb were clean, well-maintained as kids could be seen, ying andughing as the sun of summer loomed over the horizon.

    "I don''t need anythin''," he told her.

    "Aw, don''t be like that! I was thinking me, you, and Binna could go out somewhere to eat, then have a movie night," Cho-hee suggested, guiding the car from the suburbs into the metropolitan, which was merely a few blocks away.

    "...Why do I have a feelin'' you already made these ns?" He sighed.

    "He-he, you got me! I already called Binna about this a few days ago," Cho-Heeughed.

    Still, he couldn''t help but smile himself, hardly feeling the throbbing of his nose from the scuffle earlier in the day¨Call washed away when seeing his sister smiling herself.

    I want to be better¡­so I can stop worryin'' her, he resolved.

    But, despite his own thoughts and aspirations, he was powerless to do any such things if the world simply decided to spin his life around on the dime.

    "Yeong-Un, I¨C"

    Before Cho-Hee could get her words out, which were apanied with a warm smile, he could see iting¨Cin thest moment, in what felt like halted time, the headlights of a vehicle quickly approaching,ing in towards the driver side.

    "Sis¨C!!!" He screamed out.

    Just as the two vehicles collided, everything went ck.

    "--"

    After an unknown amount of time, his eyes blinked slowly, looking up as he could see the haze of smoke over him, blocking the sky above as he coughed out¨Cfeeling a heat all across his body.

    "Sis¡­"

    Managing to sit up, he winced, looking down to find an uncountable number ofcerations across his body; his garments were destroyed, and many of these cuts had reached deep enough to cause bs of skin to hang loose while blood dripped all over his body.

    It even ran down his head, feeling a molten warmth across his face as he realized it had been cut the worst.

    Still, he hardly cared about his own wellbeing, focused entirely on his his sister was¨C

    "Sis¨C!!!" He screamed out.

    Managing to crawl to his feet, he stumbled forward like a zombie risen from a grave, holding his mutted body as he walked towards the ming, toppled car as he seemed to have been flung from outside of it in the crash.

    They had been toppled over into a ditch, with the verdant grass being lit by the mes spewing from the battered vehicle.

    "Sis¡­!" He yelled out again.

    Nearby people who had witnessed the horrific urrence came in and grabbed the injured young man as he attempted to crawl into the ming vehicle to look for his sister, holding him back as he fought desperately against their hands.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hold it, kid! You''re not in any shape to¨C" a middle-aged businessman urged him, holding onto him.

    "--Shut it! I''m not leavin'' her!"

    Not listening to reason, he smacked the back of his head into the man''s nose, breaking free of his hold as he stumbled forward, falling onto his knees as his body hardly listened to him.

    Before he could rush into the car¨Cthe mes bubbled and exploded, knocking him back with a violent force, worsening his already devastated body.

    Still, he didn''t care in the slightest about any of that. For the first time since his infancy¨Cthe boy weeped.

    "...Sis¡­"

    "Hold on. The paramedics are on their way!" A passing woman reassured him.

    "Stay calm, kid! You''re going to be alright!" A man on his way to university, who came over to help, assured him.

    Their words felt deaf to his ears as heid on the grass, looking up at the sky that was hazed by the smoke.

    Why''s this happenin'' to me? It feels like I''m bein'' punished for somethin''...but what did I do? He thought.

    Sitting in the bed of grass that became dyed in his own blood, he eventually passed out from the umted trauma, eventually waking back up to find himself in a hospital bed.

    Beep. Beep. Beep.

    Though he wanted to freak out and thrash upon waking up, something was making him weak and calm; sedated, heid there with half-open eyes in the pearly-white room with tubes running up his arms and nose.

    Beep. Beep. Beep.

    It seemed most of his body was bandaged up heavily as he looked down, unable to even so much as flex a toe while in bed.

    I don''t know how long I sat there, he thought.

    Staring up at the pale-white wall while his ear was periodically met with the beeps of the machinery he was hooked up to, and the hum of the quiet hospital, the door to his room finally opened.

    A white-coated doctor walked in, holding a clipboard and a somber expression.

    Bad news, he guessed.

    "Yeong-Un. I''m d to see you''re awake, however, I have some difficult news for you. Your sister, Cho-Hee is¨C"

    My mind went nk there. The moment those words spilled from his lips, it all went nk for me, he thought.

    Days and days passed with him simply moving on through life silently. For Yeong-Un, such silence was harrowing to those around him, as he was naturally somebody who filled the room with his voice.

    Even at the funeral, surrounded by distant family that he didn''t recognize, not a word was spoken from him as he simply stood there, watching as the casket holding her was lowered while his shoulder was caressed by Binna.

    This¡­is real, ain''t it? He finally realized.

 Chapter 136 Yeong-Un: Origin -- The Devil Middle-Schooler (3)

    Of course, he took some time from school as a bereavement. Even after being released from the hospital, he was still to stay in bed as he had healing ribs, a fractured cheek bone, and a body still mostly in recovery.

    "Want anythin'' to eat?"

    The question came from Binna, who stood in the doorway to his room.

    From the first day his sister tragically left, Binna was there¨Cready to be there for him.

    Binna was always like a member of the family. A second sister. I was sorry at that time, but¡­I appreciated it a lot, he thought.

    He slowly shook his head,ying in his bed silently.

    Binna looked at him for a minute then turned away back down the hall.

    Most days went like that. I just sat there in bed, bein'' sorry for myself day-and-night. For some reason, I managed to hold it all in fairly well¨CI did my best not to shed tears in front of the doctors or at the funeral, but¡­when I walked in front of the mirror that one day, he thought.

    Getting up, it was time to finally remove his casts and bandages, taking them off himself while Binna was away as he stepped into the bathroom to get a look at himself.

    His body was covered in scars; head-to-toe, they stretched across his skinpletely unmissable. Seeing this immediately made tears stroll down his cheeks, standing there in total shock of what his body had been turned into.

    "Frankenstein''s Monster," "A zombie", "A viin"--just ncing at himself, he knew what people would think of him¨Cwhat he already thought of himself.

    It wasn''t somethin'' I told anybody besides Sis, but I wanted to be a model. Not many people assumed a brawler like me would take to somethin'' like that¡­but Sis supported me. But, when I saw that face in the mirror¨CI felt those dreams snuffed away like that, he remembered.

    Seeing that "monster" in the reflection, his first instinct, out of sorrowful anger, was to smash the mirror, but he stopped himself as he realized Binna was now standing by the bathroom door, looking straight at him.

    "Kid¡­"

    "--"

    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" Binna asked worriedly.

    It felt like she was messing with him. "What''s wrong?"--it felt like a sick joke to him, as if it wasn''t clear what was wrong with him.

    "...Don''t y with me."

    I went into total istion. One week, one month¡­it was seven months until I finally was convinced by Binna to try out school again¨Cbut it was only because of her constant naggin''...and, I felt bad for her. She was tryin'' her hardest, he thought.

    [Six Months Later]

    Throwing his uniform on, he made sure to tug the sleeves of his ck zer down his arms, hiding his scars and attempting to hide the scars that stretched over his hands, but it wasn''t possible.

    Instead, he decided to shove his hands into his pockets, wearing a gray sweater beneath his zer so that he could keep a hood on, keeping his head down as he finally stepped out.

    Fortunately for him, it was now winter, allowing for his heavily-obscuring uniform to not be that questionable as it could just be deemed as himbating the natural cold.

    "Oh¨CYeong-Un. You''re back. Are you alright?"

    The driver, a wizened old man with a bristly mustache asked, looking at him as the doors to the yellow van.

    "--"

    He didn''t answer, only quietly seating himself in the cramped van, forced to sit directly besides other students.

    "Yeong-Un? How''s it goin'' bud¨C"

    As the shaggy, white-haired student sat closer to the hooded young man, he stopped as once getting closer, he saw the state of Yeong-Un''s body.

    "Oh, err, my bad¡­" The boy avoided him.

    "--"

    Returning to school, he avoided everybody. Despite multiple people trying to approach him, some even delighted at his return¨Ca cold shoulder is what he gave everybody.

    "Alone," he thought, that''s what I was.

    Though it wasn''t entirely the fault of him being on his own, most students entirely steered clear of him.

    As weeks passed, rumors began to cultivate; murmurs and whispers being spread about the "Devil Middle-Schooler". Since there was nobody that truly knew him now, these rumors were made because of his scarred appearance, and the nasty look in his mix-colored eyes.

    This led to him being an urban legend, almost¨Cfamous between the schools in the city¨Ceventually leading to other up-anding delinquents wanting to make a name for themselves by confronting him.

    "Hey."

    Blocking his path on a walk home, in an alley of the suburbs that was overshadowed by looming trees, a tall student stood in front of him.

    He was tall, towering over him with an unbuttoned, crimson zer, piercing on his lips, nose, and eyebrow and a shaved head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A highschooler? He thought.

    Though it was clear the older delinquent was trying to act imposing and intimidate him, he hardly cared.

    "Out of my way. I''m tryin'' to get home," he said quietly.

    As he tried to walk past the older student from another school, the towering delinquent stepped in front of him again, shoving him back harshly as he stumbled a bit, still keeping his head down.

    ¡­Why is it always like this? People like this just can''t let bygones be bygones. I''m pissed. I''m sad. Why the fuck can''t you just let me grieve¡­? He thought.

    He stood there with his mind swirled in his hazy thoughts before the delinquent pped his hood away, revealing his scarredplexion and grabbing into his spiky, dark-blue locks.

    "This is the ''Devil Middle-Schooler''? He''s just a shrimp! Ha-ha!" The highschooler taunted him, looking back at his two sleazy underlings who were spectating.

    Quietly, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms that held a plentiful number of scars as well, ignoring their taunts.

    "Look at that face! He''s just as fucked up as they say! Ha-ha!" One of the delinquent''s followers said,ughing.

    "No way, I''m totally sharing this on Twetter!" Another brought his phone out.

    But just before the round-bodied highschooler from the back could take a picture, the main, towering delinquent''s wrist was grabbed tightly.

    "Huh? You angry or something, shrimp?" The piercing-wearing delinquent grinned.

    However, that smile quickly dimmed as the grip that squeezed his wrist became painful and debilitating¨Cforcing the delinquent''s hand to release its hold of the young man''s hair.

    Looking down at the "Devil Middle-Schooler", the delinquent was met with those gold-and-blue eyes, which, to his surprise, was thest thing he remembered of that encounter.

    Snap.

    Just as the photo was taken, with his entire body weight behind it, he mmed his knuckles directly against the highschooler''s chin¨Cknocking him out cold.

    "Holy¨C!" One of the onlookers let out in surprise, "Chul?!"

    "H-he knocked Chul out?! That middle schooler¡­?" The one who snapped the picture said, capturing the image of the knockout.

    Afterying out the towering, red-uniformed highschooler, he looked up, holding that fierce gaze that immediately made the spectating delinquents run away.

    From then on, the image of the "Devil Middle-Schooler" knocking out the giant highschooler spread like wildfire through social media¨Creaching every school in the region.

    It wasn''t long before Yeong-Un, the "Devil Middle-Schooler", was the most feared delinquent in the region¨Cbeing left alone.

    However, this was an oue he hardly was pleased with now. It''s what he wanted before, but now¨Che was simply by himself.

    Sorry, Sis¡­I couldn''t protect you. But¡­I''ll stay safe, for ya'', he resolved.

    Wearing his scars openly, he adopted a new confidence¨Copting to own the infamy he gained from the viral image, making sure everybody burned the image into their head of the most dangerous student in the country.

    Still, somehow¡­to his surprise, he also earned some friends. It was his intention to drive himself into a corner, away from trouble, but¨Chis own infamy brought its share of good to him.

    "Hey, you''re the ''Devil Middle-Schooler'', right?! So cool¡­!"

    "Want to eat lunch with us?"

    "You''re a living legend, dude!"

    Even so, he didn''t dislike the attention, either¨Cembracing it as instead of infamy, at his own school, he became famous.

    "Can I see your scars?"

    "Please!"

    A group of newly arriving students at his school asked him, to which he obliged with a slight smile, "Sure!"

    As he held his arms up, he disyed his scars with a smile, watching as the eyes of the new students lit up at the sight.

    "Badass!"

    "Yeah, I want some scars like that, too!"

    "Can I touch them¡­?"

    Heughed a bit, lowering his arms, "Okay, not that far!"

    The local legend of the "Devil Middle-Schooler" wound up being a title of respect, not of fear, as many talked about Yeong-Un with one description at the center of his being: "affable."

 Chapter 137 The Devils Luck

    Stepping forward, he stood right beside Binna, holding a trembling smirk that he held wide as his mix-colored eyes were set forward.

    "Kid, what''re you¨C?" Binna let out, perplexed.

    Heughed before boisterously yelling out, "--Did ya'' forget? It doesn''t matter who it is, what it is, where it is¨CI never back down! Nothin'' will ever keep me down¨Cnever again!"

    His words sparked those memories inside of her again as her lips fell agape momentarily, looking down at the spiky-haired young man in surprise.

    "...Are ya'' an idiot, or somethin''?! This is different! Ya'' can''t just¨C!" Binna tried to reprimand him in the midst of the battle, still swinging her hammer.

    By ident, she let her old way of speaking slip through, which he caught on to, but only smiled with his sharp-teeth on disy.

    "...It''s not different! Did ya'' hear what I just said?! It doesn''t matter what I''m facing¨CI face it with everythin'' I''ve got! That''s the only way I can fight¡ª!!!" Yeong-Un called out with a bloody smile.

    Binna could see it now; he was trembling. Perhaps it was fear, or the fact that his body was broken and beaten by the battle¨Cbruised all over, cut, and battered as blood seeped from his ears, nose, and mouth still, having dyed the white of his eyes in crimson.

    "Kid¡­"

    "Just ya'' watch! I need somebody to spectate the miracle workin'' of Yeong-Un, The Great!"

    Before she could try to stop him, she stopped herself¨Crecing her worried disbelief with a reassuring smile as she nodded.

    "Then hurry up and show me!"

    "Ha-ha! I''m on the job¨C!!!" Yeong-Un replied, holding his ck-and-white des up high.

    As Binna canceled out the next volley of unseen impacts, he stepped in front of her now as Doh readied the next barrage.

    Doh was seething more than ever, lost in his own rage as he once more summoned the giant gong, beginning to repeatedly bash it.

    Multiple of the massive forces began to tunnel through the corridor with a paint-peeling, floor-shaking power held by it.

    Before Binna could hold any worries for the young man¨Che stepped forward:

    "--Divert and Disperse: Rock-Solid Mountain Bisection!!!"

    Swung down at the perfect moment, both of his des were used in unison to produce a force that not only counteracted the tremendous strength of the gong-produced shock waves, but surpassed it.

    It was a condensed release; cutting the wind itself with such force that it howled out in a symphony of destruction, taking the thinned, but more potent slice of space and cutting apart the wide-spanning force in its path.

    "Wha¨C?!" Doh let out.

    The dual-de shock wave broke through the gong sts, brushing against the dreadlock-wearing man with the aftershock as he stumbled back.

    Without wasting the opportunity, Yeong-Un leaned down, taking a running stance as hepressed the muscles in his legs once more:

    "Leaping Tiger, Lunging Mantis!"

    As he released the muscrity of his legs like a spring, he sprung forth with amazing speed, sting towards Doh, who was still recovering from the stunning force of thest impact, unable to properly prepare himself.

    Cho-Hee¡­You raised one hell of a kid, Binna thought with a smile.

    The dreadlock-wearing yer-killer could see it approaching; a semnce of himself.

    A boy covered in scars; so jarring, stretching across his face, scaling his arms, and even having abnormal eyes¨Cyet, the boy still openly smiled, and did nothing to hide those blemishes.

    "G-get back¡­!" Doh yelled out, mming his drums again.

    The unseen impacts of the drums sts out, hitting the spiky-haired, mesh shirt-wearing young man, but he continued forward as blood trailed from his mouth, yet he remained smiling with his immutable confidence.

    "...What''re ya'' so afraid of, huh?!" He roared out, coughing up blood as the impacts mmed against his chest.

    It felt as if those words were aimed at the very face he sought to hide, prompting Doh to continue pping his astral drums in seething anger and bubbling fear.

    Again, the drum-born impacts mmed against him, yet were unable to stop his drive forward, though shattering his bones as his arms became bruised and broken.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Still, he was not deterred¨Cin the eve of battle, at the climax of their sh, and at the advent of triumph, Yeong-Un held his bleeding smile, gripping his des with his purple-tinged fingers.

    "Erk¨C!!!"

    Seeing the futility of his own attack to stop the young man, Doh stepped back in fear of what wasing.

    I''ll keep it simple for ya''...Fast n'' easy! He thought.

    "White Dragon, ck Dragon: Twin Talons¨C!!!"

    As he held both of his twin des back, extending from their steel-forged form were astral projections of mighty beasts, d in scales and grandiose in nature, trailing behind in a form between reality and illusion.

    However, what was real was the strength that magnified his des as they took to a shining radiance before being shed with the authority of the dragons themselves.

    As he swung both of his enchanted swords forth towards the man, their reach was extended, unleashingrge w-like shes through the corridor that cut right through Doh like a hot knife through butter.

    I¡­lost?...That''s fine. Jun-Seo will¡­take it from here, Doh thought.

    Thest thing he witnessed was the form of the wild young man;yered in scars, inelegant, yet somehow, shining and graceful. He held himself in such confidence that his blemishes were almost unseen, in fact, they could hardly be called so when attached to such a man.

    ¡­If I had to be killed, it would be by somebody like him, wouldn''t it?...Poetic justice, eh? Doh thought.

    ¨CJust like that, the man''s burly body was split into three by the sheer strength of the shining shes, falling to the ground into a puddle of freshly-formed blood.

    "Phew¡­"

    Finishing his opponent off, he dropped onto his rear, letting out a prolonged exhale before wincing, feeling his lungs press against his fractured ribs.

    "Man, that smarts¡­" He muttered painfully, holding his side.

    "Oh?" He blinked.

    All of his wounds began to vanish, but he quickly discovered why: all of the experience from the yer-killing man.

    [Level 26]

    "...The Devil''s Luck, huh?" He smirked.

    Seeing that part of his status, all he could do was chuckle as he picked himself up with a freshly rejuvenated body, looking back at Binna with a confident smirk before¨C

    BOP.

    A fist right to the dome, causing him to wince as he caressed his head, shoveling his fingers through his spiky, blue locks.

    "The hell was that for?!" He growled.

    "Look at the mess you made!" Binna said, pointing behind him.

    As he looked back again, he saw therge shes embedded in the floor and ceiling from the finishing attack he used.

    "So?"

    BOP.

    That uncaring response earned him another meeting of her knuckles to his skull as he winced once more.

    "That''s right, I almost forgot¨C!" He said, holding his head as he looked at the woman.

    "What''s that?"

    "That guy was askin'' about the ol'' leader, Eunji, and Moon! I think they''re here lookin'' for them! I dunno why¡­"

    "Huh¡­Well, let''s try to regroup, then," Binna said worriedly.

 Chapter 138 Leader And Leader

    [Top Floor]

    Huff. Huff. Huff.

    Reaching the summit of the hotel after some odd minutes of running with his exhausted body, Korain burst through the stairwell doors, bashing through it with the shoulder of his singr arm while breathing heavily.

    To his surprise, his eyes met with a figure he shouldn''t be seeing¨C

    "Boss?" He said in confusion.

    Dae-Seong was standing in the hall leading to his office, obviously having recently been awakened by the tired bags beneath his eyes as he ced his sses on, looking up at the man who had just abrasively made his entrance.

    "...Korain. What''s the situation down there? From the noise, I can assume¡­" Dae-Seong began to ask.

    He only just noticed it then, but Ma-Ri, the vice leader of Gangcheori, was present as well, having been using the secondary office of the top floor as her ce of work as well.

    They both seemed ignorant of what was going on below¨Cwhich made little sense to him.

    "Huh? What''re you talking about? You''re the one who told me toe up and oversee the top floor!" Korain asked.

    Dae-Seong raised an eyebrow, adjusting his white coat and straightening it out, "I have no idea what you mean, Korain. I just woke up a minute ago because of the rumbling¨Care you alright? What''s happened to your arm?!"

    "What? No¡­That''s not¡­" He shook his head, utterly confused.

    "I can attest to the fact he''s been here the whole time," Ma-Ri added, "Korain, what happened? Something is going on within the building, isn''t there? An attack?"

    It was then he began to realize something, gritting his teeth as he looked past what his eyes told him, and scouted the previous situation itself.

    The exhaustion set into his body, paired with the afflictions he suffered, paired for an unsteady mind of his own.

    ¡­A trick? Deception? Was it¡­Baek-Hyeon?! He thought.

    Remembering that sly smile from the lips of Baek-Hyeon, and the very fact that Dae-Seong was present here, it wasn''t difficult when thinking rationally that there was something else at y here.

    This was a result of his experience; it wasn''t intelligence beyond that of the norm, but simply the callused mind of somebody who has survived Armageddon thus far.

    "Speak your mind, Korain," Dae-Seong asked of him, "Right now, your input is invaluable. I trust your judgment."

    "...I think¨Cno!¡­We''re under attack!" he finally began to put it together, "--Going off of the nature of this attack, I believe it might be the GOETIA System users. This feels like something they''d pull. But¡­There''s something else, " he paused for a moment, "Listen to me¨CI know you don''t want to hear this, but¡­I think Baek-Hyeon might have a hand in this."

    Silence followed his words as he looked down, knowing that it was unlikely that his words would truly carry the belief he felt in this revtion.

    But, s, Dae-Seong''s hand suddenly befell his shoulder softly¨C

    "I see," Dae-Seong said quietly, yet sternly, "...If that''s the case, there is nothing more to consider."

    "--" Korain held himself high.

    "Makes sense," Ma-Ri put her hand to her chin in thought, "The GOETIA users have always lurked in the shadows. It only feels right that they''d finally get the gall to strike during a bleak time like this."

    "You share my thoughts, Ma-Ri. I just wonder¡­if it''s "that" group. That Jun-Seo¡­I imagine he''s grown strong now¨Cbut, it matters not."

    "What makes you think Baek-Hyeon is a part of this, Korain?" Ma-Ri asked him, "That''s not a light usation to make."

    "You''ve been here since the inception of Gangcheori¨CI trust your judgment as much as my own, Korain. So tell me what you believe fully, and nothing else," Dae-Seong asked him as well.

    Put like that, there was nothing else he could do but tell them as it was: he exined everything that happened; the invasion of the centipedes, Baek-Hyeon affirming he had orders from Dae-Seong for the others to bunker in the basement, the fact that Infernals waited in the basement, and the "false Dae-Seong" that seemed to work in Baek-Hyeon''s favor.

    "I see¡­" Dae-Seong held a pained look in his eyes as he adjusted his sses, "...That''s how it is, then."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah," he nodded, "--Just the thought of it now is making me seethe!"

    "--"

    "If it''s Gangcheori they''ve chosen to attack," Dae-Seong adjusted his sses before walking towards the stairwell door, with Ma-Ri following behind, "--Then it''s by Gangcheori''s hand that they will be felled. There will be no mercy for traitors."

    Those words traveled from the silver-haired, taut leader''s lips as an augury of his anger, stopping for a moment.

    Just then, Dae-Seong used the back of his hand to strike the wall, breaking an unseen spell that had been wrapped around the walls in a stringy, violet glow¨Cshattering and releasing into particles of mana afterwards.

    As soon as it broke, the sounds of battle from the floors below could be heard.

    "Boss!" Korain looked at him in delighted surprise.

    Dae-Seong nced back at him, "You''ve done well holding out so far. It seems there was a noise-canceling spell at work to try and prevent us from catching on to this invasion. Rest here and recover, Korain."

    However, something didn''t quite feel right; in the engulfing darkness that filled the corridor, it felt as if something amiss sat in that abyss.

    "--Boss!!!"

    Korain''s yell this time came out urgently, prompting Dae-Seong to finally begin to catch onto whatid amiss in the top floor, but¨Cit was toote.

    Emerging from the shadows, something moved with a sudden swiftness that surpassed their surprised reflexes, moving straight past the silver-haired man,unching towards the ck-haired vice leader.

    "Ma-Ri!" He called out urgently.

    Toote.

    By the time he swung his head around, he could already see the darkly-dressed figure having sent his fist right against the girl''s gut, mming into it without a thundering force.

    "--"

    Ma-Ri''s consciousness immediately left her eyes as she began to fall over backward.

    It was so sudden; the figure d in an all-ck, hooded coat that was covered by arge, crow-like cape that flowed from his back had seemingly emerged from the shadows themselves.

    "You bastard¨C!!!" Korain screamed out in rage.

    Without hesitation, the man with one arm rushed towards the crow-caped figure, holding his ymore up in a blind rage in an attempt to get revenge for Ma-Ri.

    "No, you fool!" He yelled out to try and stop the man, but again¨C

    Toote.

    The dark figure moved swiftly and without wasted movement, entering the personal space of Korain in a blink before elbowing the man directly in his throw¨Csiphoning his consciousness away without another moment having passed.

    Korain''s burly body fell over onto the ground, noter than the unconscious vice leader''s, leaving just himself and the mysterious attacker from the shadows.

    "...It''s just the two of us, then. That''s what you wanted, right¡­" He trailed his words, adjusting his sses with a quiet rage, "...Jun-Seo?"

    Even past the shadows that sat in the ck-dressed man''s hood, he perfectly called out his name.

    Lifting his hands, the enigmatic man gripped his fur-lined hood with his ck-leather gloves, removing it as he revealed his head of well-kempt, burgundy hair, eyes of a malicious existence, and snow-white skin that was unseen by the sun.

    "As astute as ever, Dae-Seong. I would be disappointed if you''d dwindled over time," Jun-Seo finally replied, leaving his hand by his sheathed, bone-made sword.

 Chapter 139 Jun-Seo

    "As astute as ever, Dae-Seong. I would be disappointed if you''d dwindled over time," Jun-Seo finally replied, leaving his hand by his sheathed, bone-made sword.

    He was hardly in the mood for conversation, seeing as his tworades were just abrasively knocked out, but still¨Che knew it was something he should almost be thankful for.

    ¡­He could''ve killed them, if he wished. Maybe. Perhaps he knew killing them would be more difficult than simply knocking them out? He wanted to single me out, I imagine, he pondered.

    "I didn''t take you for a man with a grudge," he said.

    Jun-Seo looked straight at him with his emotionless expression, "Is that what you think this is? Heh¡­" The emotion-void man chuckled just slightly, "...We don''t hold grudges. Death is not something deserving of anger. Especially when we ourselves are killers. That would be hypocritical, wouldn''t it? We''re prepared to die, just as we are to kill."

    "How noble you are," he replied sarcastically.

    "I should be the one saying that¨Cafter all, I''d expect you to be the one with a grudge," Jun-Se responded slyly.

    That remark earned a twitch of the stoic leader''s left eye as he remained standing still, muttering quietly.

    "I never said I didn''t."

    "Heh," Jun-Seo chuckled quietly again, "Dae-Seong, you know well why we''re here. You know what the GOETIA System is."

    They fell silent for a moment on the corridor, standing several meters apart, remaining deathly still as even in what seemed to be a stable conversation was only one minuscule movement from shifting into a bloodbath.

    "The GOETIA System, hmm¡­" He closed his eyes momentarily, opening them once more as he adjusted his sses, "The antithesis of the Angel System; the authority that evolves as you y people like us¨Cpeople who are simply striving to survive Armageddon. In conclusion¡­You''re the scum of the Earth; the reason Armageddon exists in the first ce."

    "Precisely," Jun-Seo smiled just a bit.

    "Get on with it," he said low in a silent anger, "...Talking to you makes me want to heave."

    Though his words were scalding, the burgundy-haired leader of the yer-killing group only seemed to take delight in his disgust.

    "As I said¨Cyou know why we''re here; there is no other reason than to kill. You''ve cultivated Gangcheori into quite the delicacy. So much experience for us, but¡­that''s not quite all," Jun-Seo said.

    "--"

    "Things have changed. Unfortunately, I''ll have to take you alive," Jun-Seo told him.

    It was a perplexing revtion to him¨Cone that made little sense in the face of the merciless killer who gained only from murder.

    "--Alive?...Try your best, then," he said, grabbing hold of his greatsword, beginning to unsheath it.

    Just as he retrieved his weapon, he witnessed Jun-Seo ce both of his palms together in an unknown effort¨Cspawning a darkness so potent and miasmic that it felt as if he was standing near the threshold of Hell itself.

    Jun-Seo spoke without emotion, holding his hands together as his star-like irises gazed into his own, "Through my blood, a curse is born. Through my words, a maledictiones to pass. Into The Bowels of Hell: Torment of Death."

    "What¨C?"

    Before he could react, reality itself seemed to be overridden, ovepping as if the curtains were pulled over on the corridor he stood in, bringing him into a spacious, deathly realm of darkness and malice.

    One second ago, I was in the hotel, now I''m in¡­Hell? He questioned.

    "I understand your confusion," Jun-Seo said.

    "--"

    The unconscious bodies of his tworades were still in the same area as them, though he didn''t know whether it was a grace or a bad omen.

    "Wee to my own Hell; this is the evolution of the GOETIA System," Jun-Seo introduced as his crow-feathered cape brushed in the harrowing winds.

    The walls were formed of what looked to be millions of intertwined, melded bones, slick with blood and grime as the floors themselves seemed to be of a simr constitution.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A vast, dome shape is what the personal realm took, allowing a small space of crimson fluid to drip down from the spaces between the rattling, bone arms that wriggled on the ceiling.

    It was an abhorrent domain, inhabited by the stench of death and the plume of malice, but he knew well what something like this meant.

    ¡­A personal spatial deployment? I doubt this is something I can just simply "leave" from. I likely have to defeat Jun-Seo right here, right now, he thought.

    He raised his greatsword, allowing its iridescent shine to take forth in the vile realm as his silver locks moved in the winds generated by his rising magical energy.

    "It''s still terrifying¨Cthat de of yours, or rather¨Cthe man wielding it," Jun-Seo smiled, "...The first andst time I tasted defeat, it was by your own hand. "The man blessed more than any other"--I''d say that''s a fitting title for you, Dae-Seong."

    Holding his illustrious de as it exuded a lofty pressure, he looked up at the yer-killing man, "Is that what you think? As I thought¨Cyou''re truly ignorant, Jun-Seo."

    "Hm?"

    "I''ll do this crumbling world a favor and rid you from her crust," he raised his greatsword high as it became coated in an emerald storm.

    Jun-Seo only seemed tough quietly to himself as he drew his malignant ymore from its sheath at his hip, intertwining his fingers around the skeletal handle of the weapon.

    "Let''s settle the score," Jun-Seo said as a shadowy essence thrived at the steel of his rose-designed d.

    "Finally, I think we can agree," he replied, adjusting his sses once more as he wielded his heavy de with a single hand.

    With a strong step forward, he watched with his careful, unwavering gaze as the crow-caped man moved with a swiftunch forward, but not breaking the distance between them¨Conly bringing the shadows he flung forth from his de even closer.

    He didn''t bat an eye, countering with the emerald energy that gathered around his greatsword in a wordless retaliation.

    The sh of malicious darkness and overwhelming verdancy resulted in a vtile release, canceling both attacks out.

    ¨CHowever, Jun-Seo didn''t waste a single opportunity; the six-pointed star-eyed man used the colorful explosion as a cover to get closer, smiling with a certain ecstasy that stemmed from the battle itself as he thrust his de towards his chest.

    "--"

    Once more, he didn''t flinch at the assaulting his way, simply stepping back and stomping his foot down as he unleashed a condensed shock wave that knocked Jun-Seo back fiercely.

    "Hh¨C!" Jun-Seo sharply let out a breath.

    After being flung back, the yer-killing man regained his bnce, flipping back and stopping his travel as hended on his ck-steel boots with a small smile.

    "You¨C"

    Before Jun-Seo could say anything, the silver-haired leader of Gangcheori was already right in front of him, rearing his massive greatsword back as it became enveloped in a blinding radiance.

    He''s already here?! Jun-Seo thought.

    shing his heavy greatsword across horizontally, he unleashed a st of shining light that sought to melt the impurity before him, causing a tremor to take hold of the bone-made hellscape.

    "--"

    After the light diminished, it was revealed to his eyes that his attack wasn''t as fatal as he had hoped, as Jun-Seo managed to raise his left arm, manifesting a half-transparent shield of humming darkness.

    "Tch," he clicked his tongue.

    Though it didn''t negate the attackpletely, as much of the crow-caped man''s armor had been destroyed, and the cloth covering his torso vaporized, leaving his bruised and cut chest onplete disy.

    "--Just as I had hoped," Jun-Seo said through heavy breaths, "Your sharpness hasn''t been dulled."

 Chapter 140 In The Bowels Of Hell

    "--Just as I had hoped," Jun-Seo said through heavy breaths, "Your sharpness hasn''t been dulled."

    He wasn''t up for conversation as he immediately tried to follow up with a spinning sh that utilized a st of light again, but the GOETIA System user leapt back, using a peculiar technique to hasten his movements to leave a stuttering afterimage behind.

    "...In more ways than one," Jun-Seo said quietly to himself, wiping the sweat from his chin.

    "It seems to me you''ve improved little," He replied.

    Jun-Seoughed before stabbing his de into the ground, cracking the bones beneath, "...Perhaps you''re right. I''d argue otherwise myself."

    "--?"

    From seemingly nowhere, a bountiful aura produced itself from Jun-Seo''s body; a darkness so prevalent that it felt unmistakably from a hellish entity, yet the one before him was a man, no doubt.

    In the dark winds, the red-haired man''s feathered coat swayed while his tattered, ck armor was brushed around with his scars on full disy as he held full confidence in his wicked smile.

    "I''ll show you, Dae-Seong; the conviction of a manughterer."

    Abandoning his sword, Jun-Seo rushed towards him in a sudden burst, disappearing and reappearing with blinding speed.

    "--?!" Dae-Seong reacted in surprise.

    Jun-Seo raised his left hand, manifesting and shaping the darkness he conjured into a formless de before shing it towards him.

    CLING.

    At thest moment, he managed to use his greatsword as a shield, halting the visceral darkness from cutting him, but Jun-Seo didn''t let up: once more, he raised his right hand this time, summoning a shadowy rapier.

    Another¨C?! He thought.

    Before he could lift his greatsword to defend against the sudden continuation of the attack¨Cthe ck rapier was thrust with an incredible speed, stabbing right into his abdomen.

    "Ghh¨C!" He winced in pain.

    While his expression contorted in agony, Jun-Seo seemed delighted, pushing the rapier deeper.

    "Don''t fall now, Dae-Seong¨C! It''s just getting started! The world is changing!" Jun-Seo yelled out with a smile.

    Before the malicious man could drive the weapon formed of darkness deeper into his flesh, Jun-Seo found his wrist suddenly clenched by a grip tighter than any other.

    "Huh?"

    The red-haired man found his gaze meeting with the fearsome, resolved eyes of Dae-Seong''s; the tight grip on his wrist squeezed, locking him in ce.

    Jun-Seo tried to pull back, but was unable to move as his wrist was held fervently in the silver-haired man''s hold.

    I can''t move¡­! Jun-Seo thought.

    "Convenient that you brought us to Hell¡­It''ll be a quick trip," he told the man, lifting his greatsword high as he kept him perfectly in ce.

    The force that built around the thick steel of the greatsword came with an overwhelming density, causing the air to thin out and the domain to tremble as he manifested a blowced with killing intent.

    "...Mine is the de that silences evil. Mine is the blood that boils with anger. Mine is the path of the righteous: Twin Paths Annihtion!"

    Jun-Seo looked up after hearing the incantation, witnessing the greatsword now resemble a skyscraper of overwhelming, dense energy now being pulled downward over his head, filling his ears with an ear-piercing hum.

    Die and rest in Hell, Jun-Seo¨C!!! He thought.

    "Cancel: Death."

    ¨CWhat left Jun-Seo''s lips was an invocation that made little sense to the ears of a man only vaguely familiar with the workings of the foreign System.

    It was between moments, sitting between one second and another that he heard it, not stopping him as he swung his greatsword downward, slicing it right through the crow-caped man with an impact that met the ground like a meteor.

    The entire domain shook violently from the aftershock, spilling out a bright energy that burst outward from their position.

    He knew it for sure: he had split Jun-Seo in half, and vaporized him with the energy itself, no less.

    However¨C

    "You almost had me there."

    After the light had settled, the darkly-dressed, tattered figure stood before him, resting his glove against the surface of his greatsword that had cut through the bone-formed floor.

    "What¡­?!" He let out.

    Don''t tell me¡­that skill allowed him to negate his own death!? He realized.

    "As somebody so closely intertwined with death, is it a surprise that I''ve learned to dance around her icy grip?" Jun-Seo asked with a smile, peering at him with his iridescent, ominous irises.

    It seemed almost like an impossibility, despite the overwhelming evidence before his eyes.

    Other than that, there was something else bothering him¨Csomething monumental to his fate in this sh.

    ¡­My Evolution System¡­I have yet to acquire a single adaptation to his attacks. What''s going on here¡­? He questioned.

    It was mostly a question that spurred from the new wound opened in his flesh; after the rapier had pierced his stomach and left his flesh, no adaptation came to aid his wound.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "...Perhaps something else is leaving you perplexed?" Jun-Seo asked in a demeaning tone.

    "--"

    "I''ll tell you, if you want," Jun-Seo offered.

    In the midst of his words, the red-haired man stepped back as a swift attempt for a counterattack wasunched. He had lifted his greatsword once again, trying to behead Jun-Seo with a surprise swipe, but it failed to reach.

    "Always to the point, aren''t you?" Jun-Seo continued to taunt him.

    He didn''t ept the invite into a conversation, only concentrating on the singr goal of taking out the man before his eyes.

    With his two long-timepanions unconscious and nearby, it made it even more paramount what his own failure would mean.

    As their leader, I must not fall, he resolved.

    Before he could go on the offense for myself, he looked up to see a spawn of verdant mes spiraled around Jun-Seo''s position, focusing around his extended hand:

    "Cast: Greater Infernal Sin."

    Launching outwards were a half-dozen pirs of the green inferno, spewing forth as some tunneled along the ground, some took jagged turns to the sides, and some flew towards him from up above.

    In response, he clutched his bleeding stomach with his left and raised his right, looking the roaring mes dead-on, "Cast: Brilliant Radiant Shield."

    Around him, a miniature fortress of light manifested, rising upwards as the sparkles of divine glow wrapped into the form of an impregnable castle, bolstered by a glorious, lion-faced shield that manifested at the forefront.

    The two forms of magic shed, resulting in the verdant mes unleashing in a vtile ze that filled the ivory, deathly domain with a sublime glow.

    "Ngh¡­"

    He held on, enduring the strain on his body as he managed to hold the defensive spell long enough as it broke just as the hellish heat diminished.

    "Persistent."

    ¨CThat singr word came in a whisper to his ear as once again, Jun-Seo exhibited his sneaky, ludicrous speed that allowed him to ambush him in an instant.

    He immediately blocked the iing strike with his greatsword, guarding against the shadow-formed ax before a sh ensued.

    Jun-Seo was much swifter than himself, using quiet steps to disappear and reappear¨Cutilizing a hidden skill that he began to understand: "Blink."

    Each time the crow-caped leader of Geom Jug-Eum blinked around him, he manifested another dark-conjured weapon, attacking with broadswords, daggers, hammers, axes, spears¨Can onught of his shadow-born armory.

    [0.001]

    [0.0001]

    [0.000014]

    With each attack, the man only seemed toe faster and more violently, allowing bursts of vtile darkness to spawn from his shadow-built weapons.

    He was only left with his greatsword, but it was enough to at least defend against the flurry of shifting attacks, finding himself backpedaling while using his weapon as a shield while shadowy particles danced in the abhorrent air.

    The continuous hits took their toll, even through his guard:

    His strength is different from before. He must''ve leveled up greatly. I feel my arms growing tired¡­This wound isn''t helping, either, he thought.

    ncing back, he found himself moving back towards a wall while Jun-Seo continued his devastating, aggressivebination of shadow-based attacks, manifesting shadow chains that he whipped against the man''s greatsword.

    "Ghh¡­!" He winced, gritting his teeth.

    The entire time, Jun-Seo seemed to hold a quiet delight in his unpunished offense, but¨Cjust as the darkly-dressed, red-haired man swooped in for another attack, using a [Blink] to instantly and silently appear at his side¨Che countered.

    "God''s Silent Damnation."

    "--!"

    Suddenly, a massive gash appeared across Jun-Seo''s chest, tearing through the abyssal cloth left on his torso as crimson fluid poured out in abundance.

    Jun-Seo immediately jumped far back, putting space between them as he held his chest.

    "Cast: Hellish Deathweeds¡­"

    The spell manifested in the form of dark threads that sprouted from his own flesh, stitching his wound closed without the assistance of any other.

    What was that? Jun-Seo questioned to himself, looking up at the man across the hellish domain.

    Dae-Seong remained standing tall, regaining his breath as he adjusted his sses once more, sessfully stopping the assault.

    "God''s Silent Damnation," will only work once or twice, maybe. It can only be cast when somebody is within a one meter radius of myself, and when their entire focus is set on me. It allows me to momentarily bypass "cause" and enact an "effect", he thought.

    "...I expected you to have some tricks up your sleeve. It wouldn''t be any fun otherwise," Jun-Seo straightened himself out, showing his confident posture once more.

    Dae-Seong could only think of one thing during that moment when meeting eye-to-eye with the man he hated most in this world:

    ¡­If only I had killed you on that day, Jun-Seo. Even a world with no future would still be a better ce with you erased from its soil, he thought.

 Chapter 141 Fragile Memories

    [Four Months Prior]

    In the abandoned streets of Gangnum-Gu, the silver-haired man marched alongside two others:

    [Jeol | Level 12]

    [Korain | Level 15]

    Through, he himself was much above the levels of his twopanions, leading them forward as he kept his wary eyes on the cityscape itself.

    [Dae-Seong | Level 21]

    "...Man, I wish I was as high of a level as him," Jeol sighed out quietly.

    The adolescent with shaggy, light-gold hairined as he slumped his shoulders, walking beside the burly man as the twogged behind Dae-Seong himself.

    "Ha-ha! Give it up, Jeol! The Boss is just made out of something different," Korain told him, smacking him on the back.

    Jeol stumbled forward a bit after having the man''srge hand p him from behind, looking back as he winced.

    "Cut it out! Last time you gave me a welt!" Jeol sharply retorted.

    "Ha-ha! It''ll help you toughen up!" Korainughed boisterously.

    Though the mix-colored haired man''sughter was cut short as the silver-haired, taut man looked back at the two, giving a sharp look to Korain specifically.

    "Keep it down. Let''s not draw in unnecessary foes. We''re just here looking for survivors," Dae-Seong said calmly.

    Korain nodded, quickly quieting down as he disyed his utmost respect for the man''s words before holding a smile, continuing to walk through the abandoned streets.

    "...You really think it''s impossible for me to catch up?" Jeol asked.

    Korain looked down at him for a moment, inspecting the disheartened look that cast a gloomy veil over his usual, sparkly-emerald eyes, "--Well, catching up to the Boss is a tall order. But, you can pass me up, for sure."

    "Huh?" Jeol looked up at him.

    "You''re plenty talented. You just need something to fight for, you know?" Korain assured him with a smile.

    To the hot-headed, blonde-haired adolescent, those words had arge impacting from the strong, reliable man.

    "Something to fight for?" He asked.

    Korain nodded, "Yeah! Like the Boss, for example¡­He fights for humanity."

    "For humanity? Isn''t that...too much for one person?"

    "The Boss is strong. I bet he''s the strongest person around, honestly. I asked him about it before, and you want to know what he told me?" Korain looked at him.

    Jeol nodded curiously, looking up at him as they walked through the abandoned city street, passing by trashed cars.

    "He looked me straight in the eye and said¨C''I''m doing it because nobody else will. Everybody is lost. People are lonely and afraid. Even if I started off at level one, my objective would be the same: help as many as possible reach Heaven''."

    "...Is he a superhero or something?"

    Korainughed, much to the confusion of the young man who didn''t think it was a funny question.

    "What''s so funny?" Jeol asked.

    The expression of the man with ck-and-white hair softened into a more serious, almost mncholic look.

    "The Boss isn''t a superhero. I think like all of us he''s just¡­sick of all of this loss. We''ve all lost so much. Everything. Yet, despite all of that, he''s the only person I''ve seen fighting for something more than just himself. Something beyond just one person," Korain spoke fondly of the silver-haired man who walked far enough ahead not to hear their conversation, "But, he knows that he can''t do it alone. That''s why he has us, and that''s why he wants to find others," Korain rified with a soft smile.

    Jeol felt a new sense of admiration for the man in front of him, looking onward at Dae-Seong''s back as he smiled with a reinvigorated purpose.

    "--I can help him save humanity," Jeol smiled happily.

    "That''s right. The future isn''t so grim, is it?" Korain chuckled.

    ¨C

    It was that very night, beneath the downpour from the clouds as the raindrops pattered onto the ground.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--"

    Jeol was held in the arms of the silver-haired man, looking up as he saw a look of sadness embedded in his normally stalwart eyes.

    "...Dae-Seong¡­"

    "--"

    The marks of battle were engraved on that street; sides of buildings shaved away, the surrounding cars dented and burned, and the corpses of ck-dressed yersid out in a puddle of blood that mixed with the falling rain.

    Korain stomped on the ground, shattering the asphalt beneath his boot as he roared out, "Dammit¨C!!!"

    The mix colored-haired man attempted to march towards the single man dressed in all-ck who was retreating, but was stopped¨C

    "Korain."

    "Huh?" Korain looked back.

    Dae-Seong was looking at him, drenched in the constant rainfall as he slowly shook his head, holding the body of the young, blondepanion of theirs who was on hisst breaths.

    I failed.

    In my mission to give sanctuary to those beaten down by Armageddon, I failed to protect even the ones by my side.

    ¡­I must not be deterred, though. Even if I fall over, I must stand. If I don''t, who will? He thought.

    --

    "Perhaps I over-prepared for this day," Jun-Seo stated.

    "--"

    He stayed silent, adjusting his sses before he tore the armor around his torso off in a confusing choice, ripping his garments to fully reveal the stab wound left on the left side of his abdomen.

    "What''s this?" Jun-Seo watched him.

    If my Evolution System won''t help me¡­It''s up to myself to handle this, he thought.

    "Cast: me Edge!" He yelled out.

    Spurring an awakening of lively mes around the steel of his thick greatsword, he huffed, sweating heavily before bringing the ming steel close to his wound¨Cbreathing in and out once more before¨C

    "Nrgh¨C!!!"

    He pressed the fiery surface against his bleeding wound, using the heat of the mes to cauterize the gash on his abdomen.

    After a minute of the agonizing solution to his wound, it finally managed to stifle the bleeding as he allowed the mes to dissipate, leaving him standing there,thered in sweat and breathing heavily.

    "...I see. Perhaps I doubted your conviction," Jun-Seo said, "But, it makes no difference. My victory was assured the moment you were brought into my domain."

    "--"

    Though he didn''t like it, he allowed the malicious man to continue talking so he could buy himself time, holding his stomach as it burned with a throbbing, heated pain.

    As much as it pains me to admit, he does have the upper-hand. This man''s skillset is tailored for killing other yers. If I wish to win¡­I must use every opportunity given to me, he thought.

    He watched as Jun-Seo raised a single hand, ushering in an air of malice that swirled into a dampening darkness.

    "Rise, Tormented Souls."

    From the ground of bones, those very materials began to rattle before coalescing, forming into skeletons that rose with an undying aura sprouting from their hollow forms.

    "Tch¡­" He clicked his tongue, mumbling painfully as he held his stomach, "...So this is the true nature of your domain?"

    Jun-Seo smiled faintly, "It''s an undying army¨Csubservient to myself. Each and every one of them are victims of the GOETIA System, though not all are by my hand."

    "You''re sick," he said, adjusting his sses with his trembling, weakened fingers, "It''s not enough that you take their lives away, but you take even death from them?"

    "I am despicable, yes. Have we not established that?" Jun-Seo replied with a smirk.

 Chapter 142 The Resolve Of A Leader

    "Rise, Tormented Souls."

    From the ground of bones, those very materials began to rattle before coalescing, forming into skeletons that rose with an undying aura sprouting from their hollow forms.

    "Tch¡­" He clicked his tongue, mumbling painfully as he held his stomach, "...So this is the true nature of your domain?"

    Jun-Seo smiled faintly, "It''s an undying army¨Csubservient to myself. Each and every one of them are victims of the GOETIA System, though not all are by my hand."

    "You''re sick," he said, adjusting his sses with his trembling, weakened fingers, "It''s not enough that you take their lives away, but you take even death from them?"

    "I am despicable, yes. Have we not established that?" Jun-Seo replied with a smirk.

    The crow-caped man was now hidden behind the army of dozens of rattling skeletons, who were of ck, charred bones.

    "But, what does it matter? The gates of Heaven are indifferent to good and evil; indifferent to your past¨Cyour deeds and your failures¡­All that matters is strength," Jun-Seo said, waving his hand as the army of skeletons seemed to charge towards his enemy, "--Paradise awaits the strong, Dae-Seong. Which one of us will reach those pearly gates? This battle will decide that."

    He sure runs his mouth¨Cthat has changed. When I cornered him before¡­he was so quiet. Fearful, almost. It doesn''t matter¨CI''ll do it again, he thought.

    With his Evolution System bing unresponsive, he was left with solely his own strength inherent to the basis of the System itself; his greatsword and the skills he had acquired naturally.

    As the horde of undead rushed towards him, he spun his hefty de around, gathering a golden me that crawled along its length.

    "--"

    To him, it only felt as if there was a wall ced between himself and his foe, with the sprinting piles of bones being nothing more than an obstacle he began to wash away with the reach of his enchanted de.

    Each strike left a trail of the iridescent mes, turning their already charred bones into ash as the mes consumed their decrepit form.

    Still, as quickly as he could move his weapon and release the breath of gilded mes, the horde of skeletons pushed in more aggressively,ing from all sides now.

    For some reason, though he should be more worried than anything¨Cthis angered him.

    He stomped down, unleashing a shock wave that pushed the skeletons back after they had begun to grab onto him.

    "Jun-Seo! Just how many people have you killed?!" He yelled out.

    All the crow-caped, malignant man could do was quietlyugh at this question, shrugging his shoulders before his expression returned to his emotionless state, "I lost count a long time ago."

    That answer only served to fuel his anger further as he raised his arm with the horde of tormented dead rushing in once more.

    "Cast: Wind Sentinel!"

    A powerful wind spiraled around his position, repelling the group of fleshless undead as it began to take shape; the powerful, howling wind morphed into the shape of a knight, bearing the top-half of the illustrious, armored figure that shrouded him.

    It acted as both an offense and a defensive; it manifested around him, shielding him from the skeletons outside of the walls of visceral wind while the knight of raging air itself began to cleave away at the many fiends with its weather-formed ymore.

    "Hoh. Magnificent, Dae-Seong," Jun-Seoplimented him with his superficial, demeaning words before raising a single hand and snapping his fingers, "...Cancel: Magic."

    Thosest few words were spoken in a low,manding tone, with the snap of his fingers echoing as if silencing all else.

    "--!"

    Around himself, the storm-forged knight that manifested around him had beenpletely erased, negated by a snap of his enemy''s fingers.

    The absence of the Wind Sentinel left him once againpletely open to the horde of boundless skeletons that ravenously charged in.

    In truth, most of my strengthes from my adaptations. New skills are born to counter whatever my opponent throws at me. It is almost an assurance to win any battle, so long as the foe I face isn''t in another realm entirely from myself.

    Without it, I am almost entirely left naked. I don''t possess the Angel System itself, but the Evolution System, along with most unique systems, is a variation of it. As such¡­my skill tree inparison to normal Angel System users is barebones¨Ceven so, I won''t lose, he thought.

    Completely engulfed in a mountain of skeletons, his uniform began to be tugged and torn before he regained his thoughts¨Cfocusing once more.

    "Cast: Heavenly Disperse."

    Invoked calmly, a seraphic shock wave propelled from his position, sending the pile of skeletons away from him in a quick manner.

    Despite this, he could see Jun-Seo still standing across the chamber of bones, unmoving and simply watching with a small, satisfied smile.

    He used the sparse time he had to regain his breath, doing his best to remain standing tall and unflinching of his flesh wound.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''re just as amazing as I recall, Dae-Seong. Still¡­You didn''t think my realm simply was made to throw these scrawny undead at you, did you?" Jun-Seo asked.

    "--?" He raised an eyebrow.

    Just then, he was grabbed by one of the skeletons¨Cor what he previous thought was.

    It was a head of light-gold hair that was unmistakable to his eyes, belonging to a short, youthful man with an athletic build, dressed in gray-and-yellow leather armor.

    "D-Dae-Seong¡­"

    "...Jeol¡­?" He let out in quiet disbelief.

    "Why did you let me die? I trusted you¡­I trusted you!"

    The blonde-haired young man had his fingers wrapped around his neck, beginning to squeeze as the man was left utterly stunned by what met his eyes.

    "Jeol, I¡­"

    For once, the resolved, pale-blue eyes of the man faltered, shaking with uttermentation and despair as his grip began to loosen on the dragon-winged handle of his weapon.

    Remembering the tough, yet happy days spent before the formation of Gangcheori; walking beside Jeol and Korain¨Chis grip tightened on his de as his eyes focused, raising his weapon as he stabbed it through the one bearing his fallenrade''s face.

    Behind the lenses of his sses, he watches as the loathsome expression held by his falsepanion sunk into emptiness, falling limp as his de sank through their chest.

    "--"

    It was a painful sight, but he didn''t fall to it.

    After all of this time, I can''t let something like this be my ruin. Jeol, I''m sorry. Right now¡­I don''t have room to shed tears, he thought.

    Blood spilled from his lips before he could get a word out.

    In that moment of distraction, many of the skeletons had gathered around him¨Cstabbing into him from every angle, sinking their jagged, ursed des into his body.

    Slipping from his face, the sses he always wore fell to the ground, shattering on impact.

    "--"

    "How merciless you are," Jun-Seomented, watching the event transpire.

    When he looked up at the red-haired man, his eyes held utter hatred for the man they looked at; it was an icy rage beyond any he had felt previously, holding his de so fervently as the blood spilling from his dozens of stab wounds trailed down to his palms.

    There was not a word that left his lips. There were many things he could say, and wanted to, but none of them could properly express the newfound ceiling of contempt he had found.

    Nothing more in this world was wanted for him¨Cto kill the man named "Jun-Seo."

    "Are you angered? I don''t me¨C"

    What? Jun-Seo thought, interrupted by the inexplicable speed of his foe.

    In that moment between moments, he had crossed the length of the otherworldly chamber without a word, not moving his bloodlusted gaze away from the crow-caped man.

    "Death,"--of all things, that''s what Jun-Seo felt as he witnessed that massive, dragon-etched greatsword be reared back as Dae-Seong''s golden-cloud decorated coat fluttered in a massive uproar of power.

    For the first time since he could remember, Jun-Seo felt fear when peering up at the figure that feltrger than life in that moment; a "Grim Reaper" who held a de with only his name inscribed on it.

    A man who should by all means beying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood, yet stood there, towering over him with such an imposing presence as blood poured from his wounds in abundance, seeming as if only a minor inconvenience.

    "Cancel: Death" is still on cooldown¡­What do I¨C? Jun-Seo questioned.

    The burst of power from Dae-Seong was inexplicable to the GOETIA System user; he was sure the man''s Evolution System was ineffective.

    It was a simple reason, one that Dae-Seong himself had not realized:

    "Within the "Bowels of Hell" all are looked at as "dead"--though they may not be actually fallen, their existence is still considered "dead", as such, Dae-Seong''s Evolution System, which normally responds only to counter dangerous attacks on himself, does nothing since there is no danger to the dead," Jun-Seo recounted.

    However, there was one fatal w in Jun-Seo''s knowledge: the Evolution System itself can evolve.

 Chapter 143 The Artificial Devil

    In that moment, through a mixture of desperation and insurmountable intent to kill, those two desires intertwined like a double helix, spiraling into a new adaptation of the Evolution System.

    As such, Dae-Seong was able to adapt to what he himself perceived as a threat, not having to wait for an attack to counter.

    I see¡­so that''s it! Jun-Seo realized.

    Just as the burgundy-haired, scar-bodied man came to figure this out, he raised his guard, manifesting an intangible shield just as the monstrous greatsword was brought downward.

    It wasn''t nearly enough¨C

    SWOOSH.

    A torrent of power; a mixture of crimson mes and verdant winds that propelled it into greater potencyced into the sh itself, exuding a st against Jun-Seo''s impromptu shields, shattering thempletely and shing down into the man''s flesh.

    "Phh¡­!"

    Pouring from Jun-Seo''s closed lips, blood immediately poured out as the greatsword cleaved into his right shoulder, cutting down into his torso in a brutal fashion.

    Using his bare hands to hold the de back as it attempted to cleave him in two, Jun-Seo yelled out as blood poured from his lips, squirting from his newly forged wound as he pushed back against the sharp edge of the greatsword.

    "I will not fall here¨C!!!" Jun-Seo roared out.

    [5 seconds remaining¡­]

    [4¡­]

    It was a test of strength; a sh of power; a contest of will¨Che pushed down with all of his might, holding the dragon-winged handle with all of the burning strength in his body as blood squirted from his strained wounds. On the other hand, Jun-Seo pushed up against the de, allowing his hands to get eviscerated, seeping his crimson fluid in heaping amounts as his fingers began to be cast off, but he roared out all the same.

    [3¡­]

    This meeting was the decider between life-and-death for both men; the final sh that would settle who would remain victorious.

    "Cast: Infernal Sin!"

    Without using his hands as a point of guidance, Jun-Seo yelled out the invocation desperately. The verdant mes howled, spawning in a pir that engulfed the both of them for a few seconds.

    Even with those few short seconds, it should be lethal, as the hell-born mes burned hotter than any man-made ze. Even so, the inferno dissipated¨Cleaving the caster unharmed, but the silver-haired man suffered various burns, yet continued to press with even more strength.

    "...How''re you still standing?!" Jun-Seo yelled.

    There was no response as he was solely intent on driving his de downward, pushing his body past its limits with small, but continuous adaptations that drew out the maximum strength from his opponent as well.

    Jun-Seo boltered himself with every ounce of strength in his body, forcing his ck veins to press against his pale skin as he continued to try and hold the de back with his shaking hands.

    [2¡­]

    Deeper and deeper, the de carved into Jun-Seo''s torso, continuing the slow, grueling process of splitting him in two.

    Finally, the crow-caped man''s hands had been sliced too far to hold onto the de anymore as most of his fingers fell to the bone-forged floor below.

    [1¡­]

    "I-I will not¡­! Not after everything¨C!!! Not after all of this time¨C!!!" Jun-Seo yelled out as blood seeped from his mouth.

    He continued to ignore the man''s spiels, pressing down with all of the willpower he had as he felt his own garments be soaked from his own blood loss from beneath.

    [Cooldown over.]

    Immediately, just before the sharp steel that was now dyed in his abhorrent, ck blood, Jun-Seo screamed out, "Cancel: Death¨C!!!!!"

    Notter than when those sybles left his spewing lips, the greatsword cleaved through his body in a gruesome, resounding squelch as his heart was torn to shreds and his bones cut through like brittle, finishing the prolonged sh by severing the man diagonally.

    But, just as quickly as Jun-Seo''s body was bisected into two, jagged halves, his flesh reconnected itself from meaty tendrils that stretched from his mutted tissue. In a disgusting moment, his body was stitched back together, bringing him back to life with hisst moment, death-preventing invocation.

    Jun-Seo smiled with his blood-painted teeth, "--I made it!"

    ¨CHowever, the look on his silver-haired foe''s expression was not one of shock or despair as he had expected; Dae-Seong was already midway through another attack, not having wasted a moment as his focused eyes, full of hatred andmitment to that emotion, looked deep into his very being.

    What? Jun-Seo questioned.

    Squelch.

    That massive de once more pierced his flesh, this time being speared through his torso¨Cdirectly being sent through his malicious, still-beating heart with no mercy on its edge.

    "...Merciless, that''s what I said, is it? Heh¡­An understatement. You''re unstoppingly unforgiving."

    Jun-Seo spoke, but didn''t seem resigned to death yet.

    The silver-haired man slowly drew his greatsword from the man''s chest, allowing the newly-made gaping hole to seep out his rushing, ck blood before stepping back and falling to a knee.

    "Huff¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    All of the wounds he had taken had finally reached him; taking that knee, he found the momentary strength he had flee from his body as he used hisrge de to keep himself sitting on his quivering knee.

    "...Huff¡­"

    As he sat there on his knee, blood trickled down his body, squirting out of the various gashes left on his shredded form.

    It was hardly painful; running down his body with a fleeting warmth, all he could do was sit there as his entire life seemed to be reminisced.

    As he looked up again, still huffing as his breathing persisted raggedly, he could see Jun-Seo still standing, even with a heart that was no longer functioning, the man still seemed to be pressing on.

    "--"

    "I¡­long since abandoned my humanity¡­Dae-Seong," Jun-Seo spoke parted words, holding an abhorrent smile as most of himself had been painted in ck blood by this point, "...The threshold between¡­demon and man¡­I march on that fine line, but now¡­I cross it¡­"

    Just then, once more, an aura of thick darkness, dense with malice, poured out from the man''s position as he reached into the hole in his torso, gripping the shredded remains of his human heart, clenching it tightly as the ckened blood seeped into his hand.

    "...I surrender my humanity! I discard it! All that is holy! All that is sacred¡­! I recognize only darkness! Death, destruction, and despair¡­I surrender myself to it¨C!" Jun-Seo yelled out as his abyssal blood began to seep from his pores, clutching the remains of his heart.

    Those tattered remnants of his heart somehow began beating once more, thumping with an abnormal volume.

    Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

    "Ars: Demonification!"

    With that invocation turned malediction, the abyssal blood that spewed from his pores flooded out, wrapping around the man''s form and engulfing him as the wild torrent of dark fluid shifted into many hands, caressing him in its malignant love.

    All he could do was watch as he slowly brought himself to his feet once more with his shaking, strengthless legs, silently spectating the horrific transformation.

    "Huff¡­" He slowly walked back without a word.

    While the dreadful alteration was urring, he reached down to the floor, retrieving his fractured sses and returning them to his face before adjusting them.

    Through his imperfect lenses, he saw the terrifying abhorrence that filled the realm with such darkness; the ck hands swirled around the figure in a pir of intertwining malice.

    "What a bother¡­" He mumbled to himself tiredly.

    At this point, he was too far on the brink to even register fear; death itself already had its grips entangling his body¨Call he could do was spectate what was toe with his half-closed, bloodshot eyes.

    Once the array of abyssal hands of varying sizes, miniature and colossal, finished caressing the figure held in the spiral of altering darkness, they spread out like a blooming flower, unveiling the man within who had been reshaped by the abyssal fluid.

    Whatid in the newly-formedke of dark blood was a taller figure, slowly being revealed to his eyes as the darkness washed away.

    By all means, it was a horrific sight; the man''s body had been grotesquely transfigured¨Chis bones painfully extended to increase his height and reach, with his arms being split down the middle from his middle finger tip up to his shoulder, leaving new, demonic arms sprouting out as the abandoned halves of his old limbs still flowed from his shoulders.

    "--"

    It was the same for the being''s legs; they were split apart to give room for new, bull-like legs to sprout out, leaving his old limbs still clung to his form.

    The one who was once human stood there for a moment in sheer awe of their newfound power, moving their inhuman, tattoo-covered arms in the air slowly as if taking in their hellish grace.

    "...So you''ve really done it¨Cyou''ve abandoned your humanity altogether¡­" Hemented, witnessing the abhorrent spectacle.

    The red-haired, once-human had a tail sprouted from behind him, as well as many tattoos of ck symbols and lines stretching across his body, now exhibiting ck veins that bumped demonic blood in full.

    But, there was one more step to the process, apparently¨Cone most repulsive and that came as a shock to the man witnessing the ritual that went beyond human depravity.

    Jun-Seo raised his hand, conjuring his fingernails to shift into ws with his new demonic constitution while holding onto his own hair with his other hand as if to hold his head still.

    "--!"

    In a brutal fashion, the demonic, ck-eyed man stabbed his w-like fingernails into his neck, beginning to vigorously saw away as his head slowly loosened from his shoulders.

    Dae-Seong couldn''t let out a word during this grotesque process, simply watching with wide eyes as he tried to bide time to slow his inevitable bleeding.

    Through an orchestra of abhorrent sounds of flesh being sawed away, the inhuman figure finished the deed by using his other hand to tug his own head off of his shoulders, tossing it aside as the demonic entity now stood without a face.

    ¨CIt was only for a moment as from the gaping hole in its blood-spewing neck did something begin to emerge, rising from the crimson wound.

    First a pair of curved horns came through, soaking in fresh crimson before the shape fully sprouted into apletely new head; bearing curved, obsidian horns, a sgow smile, and eyes that have lost all humanity.

    The ritual was finallyplete; the swirling pools of abyssal liquid were absorbed by the dry environment of intertwined bones, leaving him on the receiving end of the otherworldly-evil gaze of the newly born entity.

    Its very existence was taboo; a step in evolution sacred from God''s will¨Cthe descension of man to demon. The air was wrapped tightly by its natural malice, spreading an unseen darkness through the realm like a wildfire.

    In essence, it was unrestricted, total evil; a force of nature that existed solely for the misery of others, destruction, and to inflict total depravity on the world, it was¨C

    [Artificial Devil Jun-Seo | Level 48]

 Chapter 144 Dae-Mon, The Unnatural

    [Sixth Floor]

    "Zzz¡­"

    On the floor, Sol snored without any restraint, filling the devastated halls with his uneven breaths.

    A light tap against the crimson bandana the hazel-haired adolescent wore caused him to jump up in a fright, directly from his sleep.

    "Who¡ª? What?!" Sol let out, already wielding his spear just a moment after jumping to his feet from slumber.

    The dreary-eyed Sol blinked a few times at the one responsible for waking him, "¡­Jeong-Hui?"

    "Yeah," he nodded to confirm his sleepy friend''s words, "¡­What happened here, man? Are you alright?"

    The corridor waspletely trashed, with multiple walls crumbled and the floor holding burn marks from ck lightning.

    On the floor, the carcass of the horse-faced demon was stillid out.

    Sol gulped, "Err¡­Honestly, I don''t really remember. Oh! Th-there was a ghost, Jeong-Hui!"

    As soon as the young man remembered that fact, Sol grabbed his friend by the shoulders, shaking him as if trying to drill it into him that he wasn''t crazy.

    He nodded wryly, "I get it. I''m just d you''re alright."

    Sol sighed out, "What about you¡­? You seem kind of rough, dude."

    It was a long story, but he summarized all that happened: the encounter with the GOETIA System user, how he targeted Eunji, and the weird encounter with Baek-Hyeon.

    Though he had to rify "Xiaodan" to him since the silver-haired new member of Gangcheori had yet to meet most other members.

    "¡­That''s about it. I had Xiaodan look after Eunji in one of the safe rooms. She still seems really out of it¡­" He exined.

    "Another death, huh¡­And Korain''s arm? Man, this day can''t get any worse can it?" Sol whimpered, holding his face in his hands, "GOETIA users are really attacking, then¡­can''t get worse than that."

    Though he felt grief himself, at the moment he was resolved to handle this.

    He ced his hands on Sol''s shoulders, calmly reeling him back into focus, "We should regroup with Yeong-Un. By now, he should''ve contacted the leader and vice leader. If they''re not already down here, then¡­"

    "Things are even worse¡­?" Sol asked.

    He hesitantly nodded his head, knowing it was a tough pill to swallow for his friend.

    "Do you think you can continue?" He asked.

    Sol looked up at him, holding his answer for a few moments before nodding his head, straightening himself out, "I can."

    "Alright then, let''s¨C"

    "Aha-ha-ha!"

    ¨CAn abrupt, cheeryughter caught both of them off-guard as he looked back immediately.

    Shrouded in the ever-present darkness of the blind night, a thin figure approached, though their bright, frizzly, and pink hair was impossible to miss.

    "Who are you?" He asked in a serious tone.

    The figure continued to approach eerily through the shadow-crept halls, moving towards them as their all-ck armor became seeable.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­" Sol said worriedly.

    He called out again as the figure failed to identify themselves, "--Stop right there! Don''te any closer until you tell us who you are!"

    Finally, the figure stopped once being close enough to see their face.

    Huh? He thought.

    To his surprise, it was a young man who looked around his own age, simr in build to himself but wearing that engraved, grimy armor that stood inplete contrast to his soft features and bright-pink locks.

    "Aw man, I forgot my manners again! Sorry about that, guys!"

    The unknown person apologized with a cheerfulugh, bashfully ruffling his own hair as he stood with his eyes closed.

    "Huh¡­?"

    Sol and himself let out in unison at theplete oddity of the enigmatic visitor.

    "Where did youe from¡­?" He asked.

    He was sure there was nobody that followed him up the stairwell, nor did he hear anythinging from above¨Cyet here this stranger was, standing before them.

    "The back door was unlocked, you silly billies! It''s not like I broke in or anything¨CI swear!" The enigmatic, pink-haired adolescent assured them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a puzzling situation. The one they were facing in the grim corridor was so unlike any other they had confronted before, it was remarkably difficult to figure out what the proper action to take was.

    "Oh, right¨Cman, my manners are really bad today, aren''t they? Aha-ha! It''s really easy for me to forget things like that. I''m Dae-Mon, nice to meetcha''! As for why I''m here¡­" the pink-haired adolescent finally opened his eyes, revealing his ck-pearl irises that held zero emotion in them, "My job here is to ughter you."

    Right then, the two felt an overwhelming bloodlust ooze from the unreadable adolescent''s position.

    Again, it seized just as quickly as it came as Dae-Mon closed his eyes with another cheerfulughing, ''Oh, that''s right!--I can''t kill all of you. Hmm¡­Everybody except¡­Dae-Seong? Eunji, I think? Korn? No, no¡­Korain! Yeah! Everybody but those three, I can ughter! Aha-ha!"

    "ughter¡­? What''s he talking about¡­?" Sol asked nervously, gulping down.

    Even he could hardly find the words from his throat in the face of the perplexing, pink-haired man whoughed jovially while disying unrestrained bloodlust.

    It''s as if killing for him¡­is nothing more than a child''s game! He thought.

    Just as Dae-Mon began to approach them once more, stepping towards the two with their oozing intent to kill thriving out and filling the halls with a cold air¨C

    Crack.

    They all stopped as dust sprinkled down from the ceiling up above, finding a series of cracks stretching across the pale-white material.

    "Huh?" Dae-Mon let out curiously with his unchanging smile.

    CRUMBLE.

    Suddenly, the entirety of the ceiling above gave way, breaking apart and crashing down¨Cthough he managed to act quickly with his hyper reflexes, grabbing into Sol, who was still unaware of what was happening, and pulling him aside into one of the rooms to the side.

    "Wha¨C?!" Sol let out.

    Sol was tackled to the ground of the room to the left, being pinned down momentarily by the red-haired friend of his as the entire floor shook and filled with a sea of dust from the copse of the ceiling above.

    "...You saved me¡­" Sol let out in surprise.

    "Yup¡­" He stood up, extending his hand down to his hazel-hairedrade.

    Sol epted his hand, being hoisted up as they looked at the newly desecrated floor, with broken floorboards, walls, and furniture flooding the sixth floor in a destroyed mess.

    "The seventh floor¡­came down?" Sol questioned.

    "Seems like it," he answered.

    "Do you think¡­?" Sol began to ask.

    "You already know the answer to that," he sighed, drawing his daggers.

    Sol looked down anxiously, "...I know. I was just hoping that guy would be handled by that¡­"

    Though the two epted that their jovial enemy was unlikely to have been felled by the copse of the floor above, it didn''t help that the destion now mixed up the entire sixth floor, making itsyout new and unknown with a sea of debris in the way.

    Sol clutched his silver spear close to his body, still clearly exhausted by his previous obstacles.

    That much was noticeable to him as he nced back at the hazel-haired adolescent, keeping track of him as he knew the unsuspecting nature of his opponent.

    GOETIA System users can''t be underestimated. More specifically, I can''t trick myself into thinking I understand how they work. It''s a total mystery¨Cthey''re an enigma. They don''t think like us, either. I might as well be facing a monster, he thought.

    As he stepped over the sea of shattered floorboards that made a pile in the broken, widened corridor, he scanned the area carefully, listening to Sol''s steps follow behind him.

    Even worse¡­I''m running on fumes with spirit here. I''ve got enough for one or two spells, max. I''ll have to use Sage Period for any magic I use now. That makes things a whole lot more tricky, he thought.

    With another step taken, the littered pieces of wooden beneath his step cracked, causing him to momentarily look down.

    "--?"

    ¨CIn that slight moment where he lost focus, the wall to his right copsed, being barged through by the pink-haired figure who greeted him with a cheerful smile despite rushing towards him with utter malice.

    Shit! He thought.

    Thanks to his hyper reflexes, he was the only one aware of the threat that was mere inches away from grasping him, as Sol had yet to process what was happening.

    The rasp of an abrasive engine met his ears as he finally looked at what form the pink-haired menace had taken: apanying Dae-Mon''s ever-cheerful smile, his arms had been morphed into the shape of jagged, revving chainsaw des, unleashing the raspy hum of the malicious engines as the spinning edges were pointed towards his flesh.

    What the hell¨C?! He thought.

    It was so out of the ordinary that he waspletely taken aback by the two chainsaw-arms that were being brought down towards him from the joviallyughing adolescent that had burst through the wall.

    He dashed back with a [Blink Step], having his back m against the wall of the opposing side of the corridor as he witnessed Dae-Mon''s attempt to mutte him fail as the chainsaws that reced the young man''s arms mmed into the debris below.

    "Aha-ha-ha! You''re a slippery one, arentcha? No worries, I like a game of tag!" Dae-Monughed happily.

 Chapter 145 Frivolous Malice

    "Aha-ha-ha! You''re a slippery one, arentcha? No worries, I like a game of tag!" Dae-Monughed happily.

    Still in disbelief, he watched as the pink-haired yer killer lifted his machine-morphed arms as the engines of the chainsaws were still revving, producing a lightyer of smoke around him,ughing all the same.

    What kind of ability is this? Is it a spell? Turning your arms into chainsaws is just¡­He thought.

    Before he could properly decipher what was going on, his attention shifted as he witnessed the target of Dae-Mon shift from himself to his hazel-hairedpanion who was still standing to the right, several meters away.

    Just the same as he was, Sol was in shock from the unorthodox way that their opponent chose to attack¨Cleaving him wide open as Dae-Mon rushed towards him,ughing like a child at a yground with the gravelly engines humming with malicious intent.

    "Sol¨C!!!" He yelled out desperately.

    Crap, I won''t make it in time¡­! He realized.

    As Dae-Monughed out, swinging his massive chainsaw arms downward towards the red bandana-wearing adolescent, the jagged saws were halted by a miraculous blockage using his silver spear as a stopgap.

    "Aha-ha! You''re pretty scared, aren''t you? Aw, don''t be afraid! I''ll make it quick¨Clet''s pinky promise on that one!" Dae-Monughed jovially, pressing down harder against the spear held in Sol''s shaky grip.

    "Ngh¡­!" Sol struggled to hold him back.

    It was clear that in the department of strength, Dae-Mon was the clear winner as Sol was being pushed back easily without the taller, pink-haired foe having to exude much effort in doing so.

    "Aha-ha-ha! You''re not much of a fighter, are you? I wonder how you lived this long! That''s really impressive that a coward like you held out¨Cgood job!"

    Dae-Mon''s words were spoken so genuinely and with a cheerful voice, yet they were scalding for the young man on the receiving end, who could only grit his teeth as he desperately held back the dual chainsaws that actively sought to tear away at his flesh.

    From the meeting of his silver spear and the revving chainsaws, sparks flew around them, continuing to leave Sol being pressed back as his grip on his lifeline of a weapon began to falter.

    "Ngh¨C!!"

    I''m¡­I can''t¨C! Sol thought.

    ¨CBefore such a result could ur, the red-haired assassin made his move, appearing behind Dae-Mon, who seemed to register his presence immediately as he pulled away from the sh with Sol, facing him swiftly.

    "--You want to y some more, too?!" Dae-Mon grinned wide.

    He didn''t respond, pushing towards the pink-haired fiend with his daggers gripped tightly, making sure the abnormal man had his full focus on himself.

    Sage Period! He activated through intent.

    Just as Dae-Monughed in excitement, raising one of his revving, malicious arms to go for an attack¨Che disappeared from the pink-haired man''s perception.

    "Huh¨C?" Dae-Mon let out confusedly.

    [Blink Step]

    Using the uninterrupted bloodlust disyed by Dae-Mon, who thought about killing and nothing else, he used that tunnel-vision to take the yer killer by surprise, flipping his daggers between his fingers before gripping the handles tightly.

    Twilight Cutter! He thought.

    Manifesting the visceral, violet energy from his daggers, he swiped them downward, unleashing a potent, extending sh that cut into the debris around them¨Cas well as cutting straight through Dae-Mon''s arms.

    The unseen strike sliced the man''s arms off, separating them from the shoulder as he made sure to get rid of those lethal weapons he had in ce of limbs.

    ¨CGot it! He thought.

    From the brutal amputation, Dae-Mon''s expression contorted in agony as he tightened his featured before¨Che grinned:

    "Just kidding~"

    "Huh¨C?"

    Before the chainsaw-morphed limbs could even reach the ground, ck tendrils stretched out from Dae-Mon''s abhorrent wounds, reconnecting his parted limbs as they reattached seamlessly in an instant.

    With such an unexpected turn, he was caught off-guard as Dae-Mon continued immediately into his own counterattack, dashing forward with blinding agility as he attempted mming both of his chainsaw limbs at him from either side.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    He managed to block each of the jagged weapons with his daggers, but the unorthodox position he was in made it difficult to maintain his strength against Dae-Mon''s superior physicality.

    "Aha-ha-ha! I''ve got you now, nimble one!" Dae-Mon smiled cheerfully.

    "Get away¡ª!"

    ¨CComing to his rescue, though he yelled out as if even more scared than the one caught in the assault, Sol yelled out frantically as he came from behind Dae-Mon with his silver spear in hand.

    "Sol?!" He let out in surprise.

    Sol didn''t respond, instead attempting to thrust his sharp-pointed weapon through the back of the pink-haired fiend, only for Dae-Mon to use an acrobatic maneuver to spin to the side, avoiding it with an unseen flexibility.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uhh¡ª!" Sol let out.

    After missing his target, Sol''s spear was now heading straight for his red-haired friend, who luckily managed to evade its end with a sidestep himself.

    "Careful¡­!" He reprimanded his friend.

    "Sorry!" Sol apologized quickly.

    Before they could exchange any further words, the chainsaw-armed menace was already back on the assault, rushing towards them with his carefreeugh echoing throughout the shattered halls.

    "This guy is a problem, Jeong-Hui¨C!" Sol said while running alongside him.

    They were being chased now by the maniacal yer killer, who seemed to enjoy it as if it were truly a life-or-death game of tag.

    "You''re telling me! I''m just about out of spirit¨C!" He replied.

    "You are¡­? Oh crap¡­this is worse than I thought!" Sol whined out, almost crying at the sounds of the chainsaws revving up with greater intensity from behind.

    Though as they ran down the halls, finding the end of the corridor reaching closer, he looked to hispanion, "--I''ve got a n. Just follow my lead."

    Sol gulped, nodding quietly as they sprinted with all of their might while being hunted by the dual chainsaw maniac, whoughed and skipped down the corridors after them.

    "Coming for you,ing for you, I''ming for you~!" Dae-Mon sang happily.

    ¨CSuddenly, he spun around in a seamless movement, breaking off in a dash that converted into a [Blink Step] as heunched directly towards the pink-haired lunatic.

    "Ah¨C?" Dae-Mon smiled in surprise.

    It was his best shot in getting around those visceral weapons the man wielded as his arms¨Cusing a burst of unexpected speed to turnover the assault.

    But, Dae-Mon epted this challenge with a grin that could only be described as "shit-eating" by the red-haired assassin dashing towards him.

    The chainsaw arms that the pink-haired adolescent wielded suddenly morphed, releasing into lively strands of pure-ck flesh that reformed itself into a different shape in an instant¨Cng.

    A set of chains now took the ce of Dae-Mon''s arms, pulling rearing back and swung around the approaching assassin from all angles.

    He morphed his arms again¨C? Is it some sort of unique ability, then?! He questioned.

    It wasn''t until one of the edges was close to him that he realized the ck chains weren''t just ropes of metal utilized to whip him, but instead wielded sickles at their ends.

    "Gh¨C!"

    One of the curved, cruel sickles stabbed into his back, sinking into his flesh with a sudden burst of pain as he could see Dae-Mon sneering in utter delight, but he pressed on.

    [Health: -300 | 2450/3250]

    It seemed his willingness to push forward took the jovial yer killer by surprise as he managed to bring himself within the man''s personal space, not wasting any time to stab his left dagger straight into his abdomen.

    "Oh¨C!" Dae-Mon let out, more surprised than in pain from being stabbed.

    Next, with his right-held weapon, he attempted to cut the cheerful man''s throat, but Dae-Monughed as he leaned back, bending back to an unnatural degree to evade the de''s edge.

    Just as he missed, his instincts fired off as he looked around in the augmented time perceived by his heightened reflexes¨Crealizing he walked right into a trapid by the crazed man.

    Huh¨C? Did he expect this? He questioned.

    It was surprising, and terrifying that the jovial figure actually was of a sound mind, at least in the department of fighting as he looked around to find the chains closing in on him, wielding at such an angle that a half-dozen sickles were now aimed towards his body.

    Coming to his reprieve at thest moment, the familiar spear of silver material came swooping in on its own, bouncing multiple times in the air to deflect the hostile chain-sickles from reaching his body.

    Nice save, Sol! He thought, ncing back to see the spear return to the hazel-haired man''s grasp.

    "Oh¨C!!! That was so cool!" Dae-Mon smiled.

    He didn''t have any words or mercy for the pink-haired man, using the very moment he spoke jovially to step forward, swiftly swiping his dagger across his neck the second he was standing straight again.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    It took a moment for the slice to appear, but once it did, Dae-Mon''s throat was split open; the cut itself wasunched so viscerally that it was half way to beheading the bright, cheery killer.

    The pink-haired adolescent gargled on his own ck blood as it poured from his mouth, beginning to stumble back as the frizzy-haired assassin watched, swiping the fresh blood from his dagger.

    And once again, just as Dae-Mon was stumbling back, on one foot as he moved his arms for bnce¨Che grinned with blood-stained teeth:

    "...Just kidding~! Gotcha again!"

 Chapter 146 Death, Murder, And Manslaughter

    It made absolutely no sense to Sol or himself, watching as the ck-armored, pink-haired man simply returned to his bnce seamlessly with a smile despite his throat holding a gaping, blood-spewing gash.

    The same as the case with his arms, abyssal strings of flesh extended from the jovial man''s wounds, reconnecting his mutted neck and returning it to its unharmed state in a seamless recovery.

    "All good! You''re a real ruthless one, you know that? You got me good! Aha-ha!" Dae-Monughed, ruffling his own hair.

    Is he immortal or something? He questioned in disbelief.

    As the two regrouped, standing side-by-side as they watched the abhorrent, seemingly unkible man simplyugh off the injury that would be fatal for anybody else, they felt an eerie aura exude from Dae-Mon''s position.

    "...Now, now, I should be taking things a bit more seriously, shouldn''t I? It''s really a bore, but¡­I don''t want Jun-Seo to get mad at me. I don''t like being yelled at¡­I really don''t," Dae-Mon groaned, slumping his shoulders as his chain-arms morphed back into their normal, human shape.

    Watching him mumble to himself, the two stayed on their guard; even when their foe''s guard seemed to be lowered, the pink-haired man was such an unusual entity that his unpredictability called for the most cautious of approaches.

    "What''s he on about now¡­?" He muttered quietly.

    "I don''t know, but it''s freaking me out!" Sol replied worriedly.

    Dae-Mon began to chuckle, bringing his arms up as the ck armor around his limbs had already been lost by his transfigurations, beginning to frantically talk to himself¨C

    "I need something honed for murder¡­A tool of ughter; a form that will eviscerate them! Yes! Yes¨C!!!" Dae-Mon grinned wide, "--I''ve got it! Aha-ha!"

    Just before the abnormal man could begin morphing his limbs into something else¨Can unexpected attack came, but not from Sol nor himself.

    "--What?" Dae-Mon let out in shock, looking down to find two des sticking through his torso.

    To the two witnessing this, there was no other possibility in which those des could belong to somebody else but the one they knew well.

    "Yeong-Un¡­!" Sol called out happily.

    Yeong-Un was behind the man, who was still taken aback by the fact he was pierced through his torso.

    "...I''ve been havin'' my ear rung by this freak''s ramblings!" Yeong-Un roughly called out.

    "You need to die," Dae-Mon said with no expression present, "--You need to die!"

    Before the man could reshape himself once again, another figure emerged from the side,ing from the same direction in which Yeong-Un hade down.

    "Gyeugh¨C!"

    A brutal, blunt m had nted itself against the side of Dae-Mon''s head, bashing the right side of his head in as his skull split open from the strike bestowed by the heavy warhammer.

    "Binna?!" He let out in surprise this time.

    The golden-haired woman didn''t hesitate to unleash the strike, but looked mildly disgusted by the result as Dae-Mon fell limb for a moment, still standing straight from the des struck through his upper-half.

    "Uugh¡­" Dae-Mon groaned quietly.

    A heaping amount of blood poured from his split-open head as fragments of his skull had been flung around the debris-filled corridor.

    "Did they get him¡­?" Sol asked quietly before beginning to run towards them cheerfully, "--You did it! You guys are great¨C"

    Though he knew better than to believe that was simply the end of the tenacious, inhuman young man as he interrupted Sol''s premature celebration:

    "Get back, you idiot!" He suddenly yelled out, "--You two, get back, too! He''s not done!"

    "Huh? Well¡­I''ll finish him off for ya'' then!"

    Just as Yeong-Un said this, as if taking the red-haired assassin''s warning as more of a challenge, he pulled his des through Dae-Mon''s midsection, cutting them out through his sides as he freed his swords from the man''s gut.

    "--And I''ll give him one more for good measure!" Binna yelled out, lifting her hammer high above her head.

    As Dae-Mon was left stumbling without the swords in his bnce to keep him upright, he dizzily stood there, groaning with his bleeding, bashed head before the giant hammer came heavily down from atop, mming into his skull.

    The impact smacked him into the floor below with a resounding thud, bashing into his head with a brutal impact that left a blood stter on the wooden chunks below.

    "Damn, that was brutal¡­" Yeong-Un said under his breath, looking down at the still body of the pink-haired man below.

    Binna lifted her hammer as blood dripped from its blunt side, resting it on her shoulder as she breathed heavily, "...Well, if they want to attack us¡­I''m not going to respond kindly."

    He was left silent, gulping as Sol once again imed celebration as he approached the other two with open arms.

    "Boy, am I d you both showed up! That guy was a real menace¡­" Sol sighed, catching his breath.

    Though they believed victory was had, though the pink-haired figureid limp on the floor, face down with their light hair bing dyed in ck by their own rushing, dark blood¨Che had an uneasy feeling swirling in his gut.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was only a few seconds that passed; a few seconds that held impatience, respite, and yet again¨Cdread.

    He saw it.

    A single twitch of Dae-Mon''s finger, brushing against the sharp wood chips below, slipping through his puddle of blood.

    "Get back¡ª!"

    ¨CIt was toote.

    Without even first getting up, Dae-Monughed, muffled as his face was pressed against the floor, raising a single arm as it morphed into an abhorrent, spikednce.

    Squelch.

    "Ghh¨C?"

    Right through the chest of the golden-haired woman, theicallyrgence formed from the limp man''s arm stabbed through her.

    Without using his arms, or even so much his legs, Dae-Mon picked his upper-half up with simply his core strength, revealing his twisted, delighted grin as he looked up at the one he pierced so lethally.

    In that moment, the three others werepletely still by the harrowing, uncanny nature of the situation.

    "--That really, really hurt. It''s cruel to attack someone while they''re helpless, you know? Well¡­Bye, bye~"

    Binna dropped her hammer to the ground, spitting out blood as the arm-forgednce had gorged through most of her torso, causing the life immediately to blink from her eyes while the man responsible simply chuckled in his ever-frivolous nature.

    "You piece of shit¡ª! What the hell are you?!" Yeong-Un screamed from the top of his lungs in sheer rage.

    Wielding his two des, Yeong-Un was fuming with bubbling emotions, immediately setting to stab his des down into the man from above and behind.

    But, once again, the maniacal fiend seemed to read them all like a book as he immediately reformed hisnce-arm, causing it to disappear from Binna''s chest as the mortally-injured woman began to fall forward.

    "Binna¨C" Yeong-Un let out, having his focus turned away.

    ¨CSol caught her in his arms, allowing the spiky-haired, enraged man to return his focus to the cheerful murderer, but Dae-Mon was now prepared to greet him, swiftly turning himself around as he produced a series of des from his body.

    "Come on~! Give me a big hug!" Dae-Mon held his arms open, disying the dozens of des of varying sizes that protruded from his body.

    Yeong-Un was already lunged towards him, unable to shift his trajectory now in the moment between moments¨C

    "Ghh¨C!"

    With a [Blink Step], it was the frizzy-haired assassin that came between him, tackling Yeong-Un backward to avoid the lethal porcupine-like strategy that their foe developed.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?" Yeong-Un let out.

    Though the dual spellde immediately tried to get back up, he was kept down.

    He held Yeong-Un down, knowing full well what type of state his friend''s mind was in with what had just urred.

    "What''re ya'' doin''?! Let go of me¨C! Let me at him-!!!" Yeong-Un screamed out.

    "I''ll let go once I know you''re not about to charge right into an early grave!" He yelled back, directly in the face of Yeong-Un.

    He knew the only way to get through his hard-headed friend was to match his abrasive, ear-piercing tone.

    Though, there wasn''t much time for words¨CYeong-Un realized that himself as he could see Dae-Mon approaching them with his ever-present, cheerful grin as the des sunk back into his body.

    Yeong-Un breathed heavily before yelling out begrudgingly, "--Fine! I¡­I''ll be careful about how I kill this fuckin'' guy!"

    "Good!"

    Just as they finally came to an agreement, he got off of Yeong-Un, the two of them rolling to opposite sides as they evaded a strike of one of Dae-Mon''s arms, which had been morphed into a massive greatsword momentarily.

    "Aw¡­I was hoping you two would stay still that time!" Dae-Monughed.

    As Dae-Mon''s arm returned to its normal form, he looked up at the two who had avoided his deathly assault with a smile.

    "This guy is really pissin'' me off¡­!" Yeong-Un muttered, picking himself up.

    "Same here," he nodded, "But we have to y this smart. For now¡­hold those emotions in the best you can."

 Chapter 147 Sublime Horror

    "This guy is really pissin'' me off¡­!" Yeong-Un muttered, picking himself up.

    "Same here," he nodded, "But we have to y this smart. For now¡­hold those emotions in the best you can."

    Though he could see that his words didn''t nearly match what Yeong-Un felt; the scarred adolescent was shaking and trembling with a mixture of rage and grief, gritting his teeth as tears lined his eyes.

    To him, it felt like a miracle that he managed to subdue his blind rage even slightly.

    "...Binna¡­!" Yeong-Un said painfully through grit teeth as he looked past their enemy, towards the woman who was held in Sol''s arms.

    ¨CShit! He''s not focused!...I don''t me him, but¨C! He thought.

    Since Yeong-Un was preupied between conflicting emotions of grief and rage, he was forced to jump in front of him, blocking an iing attack from the jovial fiend.

    "So diligent! You''re truly admirable, Jeong-Hui!" Dae-Monughed with a smile.

    The attack he blocked came in the form of a gigantified fist, wrapped in chain-like, metal skin that was natural armor forged by the morphing body of the pink-haired, smiling man.

    Dae-Mon was still as lively as ever despite the previous brutal attacks he took, which naturally were mended by his monstrous constitution.

    "...Do you ever shut your damn mouth?!" He spilled through his clenched teeth.

    Against the overwhelming strength behind the metallic-skinned fist that had been blown up to well over twenty times its normal size, he felt his boots slide back while holding his own strength against Dae-Mon''s.

    "Sorry, I guess I don''t! Aha-ha! I do really enjoy talking to you, though!" Dae-Mon grinned.

    This guy¡­! He thought.

    As he nced back, he realized Yeong-Un was no longer standing there, leaving him perplexed momentarily.

    Huh? He thought.

    As he looked forward once again, he saw at thest moment that Yeong-Un, using his animalistic agility, sprinted across the walls in an unnatural silence, fueled by fiery emotions as he swiped his dual des.

    "Oh¨C?" Dae-Mon said in delight.

    Squelch.

    Before the immortal-seeming man could properly react, the words left his lips as his head was already sliced from his shoulders.

    Just as quickly as it was lobbed off, Dae-Mon reached up with his headless body, catching his own head and reattaching it to his neck as it stitched itself back together instantly.

    "Splendid!" Dae-Monplimented him.

    Yeong-Un didn''t bat an eye, continuing on as he took over the fight from there, beginning to rapidly sh his dual des towards the shapeshifting foe in front of him.

    "So fast! You''re really fired up now, aren''t you?!" Dae-Mon dodged the edge of the des while smiling happily.

    Not nning on being caught in the crossfire, he backed away, rushing over to Sol and Binna to check on the mortally injuredrade of theirs.

    "Is she¡­?" He asked, dropping to his knees beside Binna.

    The woman''s eyes were lost, looking up at the ceiling but not staring at anything. Just one look at the massive, clear hole left in her torso was enough to assure anybody of her fate.

    Sol was hardly able to maintain himself as tears left his eyes, shaking his head, "--What the hell do we do, Jeong-Hui?! We''re¡­We''re losing everybody¨C!!!"

    Hearing those exact words, he felt his own stable mind diminish¨Cstruggling to hold onto whatever calm focus he miraculously had been gripping onto with his quivering fingers.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?" Sol said his name through tears.

    "--"

    I have to do something. If this continues¡­everybody here¡­He thought.

    ¨C

    Yeong-Un continued to swing his des aggressively as he saw red, swiping violently as he cut into the walls by ident, slicing up the ground in the way of his assault.

    "--So, so scary!" Dae-Mon taunted him yfully.

    Using a sudden burst of speed, Yeong-Un silently took the pink-haired man by surprise this time, aiming both of his des for his head directly.

    If I cut up that brain of yer''s¡­Even you should go down, you fucked bastard! Yeong-Un thought.

    ng.

    Before the edge of the enchanted des could meet with the target, they were halted by a new pair of swords, which had been manifested through Dae-Mon morphing his arms from the forearm down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How is it?...I''m not a big fan of swords myself, but I really like butcher knives. So I mixed the two!" Dae-Mon proudly disyed, wielding the massive butcher-knife made swords as he repelled Yeong-Un''s weapons.

    "Tsk!"

    Yeong-Un angrily clicked his tongue before immediately setting back in, clenching his grip tightly around the white-and-ck handles of his des while enchanting his own body: "Berserker''s Red Daze."

    It was a spell perfect for his current situation; siphoning his own bottomless rage and shifting it into further physical prowess as his speed increased along with his power.

    The ensuing repeated sh of des was with him on the offense, and Dae-Mon backpedaling while on the defense, though still smiling ear-to-ear the entire time.

    Still, progress was beginning to be made as the pink-haired yer killer''s defense became more and more shoddy; each time they shed, his de arms began to be bounced back, only returning to sh against his angrily-wielded swords at thest second.

    With the next attack, they shed into a stalemate as sparks danced in the repugnant air of the horrific night.

    "--I can smell your anger. What''s got you so worked up, buddy?" Dae-Mon asked with a smile.

    Yeong-Un growled as he locked eyes with him, "...First things first, I''m cuttin'' that tongue out of yer mouth."

    "How frightening!" Dae-Monughed right in his face with that frivolous expression.

    He was pushed over the edge, pressing forward as he intended to end the man right then and there, utilizing his berserk strength to push down on the de-arms.

    I''ll fuckin'' kill him! I''ll end this sack of shit, right here, right now-! He told himself.

    However, he was caught off-guard as Dae-Mon suddenly pressed his face closer to him with a smile, leering forward as he opened his mouth:

    "Boo!"

    "Huh¨C?"

    Without any inclination what was about to happen, Yeong-Un''s eyes widened as a heat centered around his shoulder¨Clooking down to see a de that was stabbed into his left shoulder that was formed from the extended tongue of the abnormal man''s mouth.

    The moment the pain set in, that brief sh of weakness in the contest of strength allowed Dae-Mon to break right through his guard, casually swiping his de-made arms in session as multiplecerations were left on Yeong-Un''s body.

    "Grgh¨C!" Yeong-Un winced, falling to his knees.

    Right before the spiky-haired young man could fully topple over, he was caught by the re-morphed hands of Dae-Mon that returned to their normal human shape, being held by his chin.

    "Let''s see¡­I''m curious what such an angry fellow such as yourself looks like on the inside~" Dae-Mon cheerfully said, parting his closed eyes to reveal his hollow, ck irises.

    He was helpless in the man''s grasp as his mouth was forcefully set open by Dae-Mon''s grip from both hands, who pushed both sets of his fingers inside of his mouth.

    "Grk¡­!" Yeong-Un tried to yell out, but was muffled.

    "Now, now¡­There''s no need to yell," Dae-Mon grinned.

    The interior of his mouth was gripped from within as the monstrous strength of Dae-Mon set in, beginning to pull his jaw from either side in a malicious, agonizing manner.

    With just a single tug, the edges of Yeong-Un''s mouth were torn open in a stomach-churning sound as blood immediately began seeping out from the fresh wounds.

    It was only just then that Jeong-Hui realized what was going on, distracted by the state of Binna as he rushed to his feet.

    "Shit¨C! Yeong-Un!" He called out.

    Dae-Mon looked up, realizing the assassin-ss youth was rushing towards him now as his smile faded into annoyance, "What a bummer. Guess I won''t get a look."

    The man released his grip on Yeong-Un''s jaw, tossing him aside as he prepared to sh with the enraged assassin, stretching his neck side-to-side.

    "...What a look in your eyes. I love it," Dae-Mon said with an uncharacteristic quietness.

    Even though he already dashed forward, aiming to stab one of his daggers through the man''s skull, and another towards his neck, he felt a vtile uneasy take hold of him when he met with those dreadful eyes.

    Don''t hesitate! He reminded himself.

    Jumping up, he threw his opponent off by using the wall as a foothold for a [Blink Step], reappearing at his side and catching his attention before disappearing again for a double fake-out.

    With this, he allowed the tip of his ck dagger to soar towards the side of the pink-haired fiend''s skull before¨C

    Dae-Mon simply raised his hand in the path of the dagger, allowing it to be caught in an unnatural grip.

    "What¡­?"

    As he looked forward, he saw what held onto his dagger as he attempted to tug it back: on the palm of the man''s hand, a mouth had opened, clenching itsrge teeth down to trap the de.

    "Heh¡­" Dae-Mon smirked, seeming to enjoy his confusion.

 Chapter 148 Terrorizing Man

    "Heh¡­" Dae-Mon smirked, seeming to enjoy his confusion.

    An elongated tongue slithered out from the unnatural mouth, stretching across the de and touching his hand as he reared back in disgust¨Cmanaging to free his de from the gritted teeth.

    Just as he pulled away, he looked back up to realize Dae-Mon was alreadypromising his moment of disgust to go for an attack, shifting his other arm into three sets of chains formed of razor-des.

    "--"

    His eyes widened; in his uneven footing at that moment, he wasn''t able to use a [Blink Step], watching as the malicious chains were being pulled back and flung towards him.

    "Raaagh¨C!"

    A warcry roared out not in confidence, but of fear sounded out, being produced by Sol, who charged forward with his spear held out in front of him as if he was sieging a castle¨Cinterrupting Dae-Mon''s attempt to take his life as Solnced the spear right through the man''s abdomen.

    "--You still have fight left in you, do you?" Dae-Mon said even whilst being pushed back by Sol''s spear-driven charge.

    The red bandana-wearing man didn''t respond, not out of pure distaste, but because the words were stuck in his throat while being brought so close to the inhuman foe before him.

    Fear was surging through his veins, but he pushed on, charging forward as he pushed Dae-Mon back through the hall.

    "...Sorry, but I don''t so much like this ride," Dae-Mon smiled.

    The charge came to a stop as Dae-Mon nted his ck-steel boots against the ground, gripping onto the spear for himself.

    Pushing back with his single hand, the pink-haired man plucked the spear from his flesh, allowing the gaping hole to instantly close as he looked down at the trembling, hazel-haired adolescent with a cheerful, yet haunting grin.

    "I wonder how angry I could make that other one if I plucked your eyes out? I''m curious," Dae-Mon said in a quiet threat.

    "Err¡­" Sol let out in quiet fear.

    Before such a reality coulde while Dae-Mon slowly reached his fingers out towards Sol''s eye, both Jeong-Hui and Yeong-Un appeared from the left and right, catching the human of pure evil by surprise.

    "Oh? All three at once? It''s getting lively here! I love it!" Dae-Mon called out in excitement, "Let''s try this one out¨C!!!"

    Dae-Mon allowed both of his arms to retain their normal shape, taking the daggers of the red-haired assassin into his left arm, and the edges of the dual spellde''s swords into his right.

    It was a perplexing, nonsensical strategy for him to allow himself to be cut, but he began to reveal why as when the two tried to retrieve their weapons¡ªthey were stuck.

    The pink-haired man clutched his muscles fervently, disying his unequivocal control over his body as he grinned wide.

    "What the fuck?!" Yeong-Un let out.

    "--!" He continued to try pulling his daggers out.

    Sol joined in the attack afterposing himself against, mming his spear right through Dae-Mon''s chest, who once again, didn''t seem to mind as his smile didn''t diminish.

    "My yground is in the mes of Hell. My only respite is in the suffering of others. All that is unholy, I embrace! In the Dead Man''s keep, I rule! Into The Bowels of Hell: Horizon Beyond Insanity!"

    ¨CSuddenly, from the mysterious invocation that met all of their ears, the space around them warped and was quickly swallowed by a veil of utter darkness before reality itself revealed a new form.

    Their weapons were let loose, prompting all three to leap back as they stood at three different sides of the unknown domain.

    It immediately presented itself with a horrendous stench of putrid, rotting flesh; the floors were oveid in rusted steel tes, but didn''tpletely cover the abhorrent flesh beneath. The walls were built simrly, with the rustic steel sloppily hiding the repulsive death of the true walls.

    Dangling down from the ceiling, an array of chains swayed and nged together, releasing a hellish chime as Dae-Mon grinned wide.

    "Wee to my yground, friends," Dae-Mon said.

    Without any warning, the pink-haired ruler of the hellish space allowed one of his arms topletely shift into a dozen ropes of steel, flinging the abundant number of chains that extended outward towards Sol.

    They moved with a mystical sentience, not allowing the frightened young man any chance to evade their grasp beforepletely wrapping him in their cold grasp.

    "Sol!" He yelled out.

    "Crap-! What the fuck is going on here?!" Yeong-Un sharply asked before running to Sol''s aid.

    None of them were fast enough as Dae-Mon used the bulk of chains that moved as naturally as his limbs to begin swinging Sol around, mming him into the walls repeatedly before thrashing him against the ground with aughter sunk into utter enjoyment.

    "Aha-ha-ha! I hate to break my toys too fast, but I gave you all enough time, right?! Right?! I can break you all I want now¨C!!!" Dae-Monughed out manically.

    As Yeong-Un reached his position first, Dae-Mon released the chains from Sol, who was nowid out in a pool of blood on the ground, before swiftly shifting his chain limbs into a shield of flesh, blocking against Yeong-Un''s me-enchanted des.

    "Oh! So hot!" Dae-Mon said in what should''ve been pain, but was still amusement.

    "Grggh-! I''ll fuckin'' kill ya'' for hurtin'' them!" Yeong-Un threatened.

    Dae-Mon responded by countering with a sharp kick that released in a small boom, knocking the aggressive spellde back, "--All bark and no bite! You even growl like a dog, too! Aha-ha!"

    From behind, he flipped his daggers around, aiming to cleave right through the devilish man''s skull.

    Again, their attacks were thwarted as Dae-Mon twisted his head around unnaturally, splitting his mouth into two separate forms before catching both daggers with his unnaturally-formed mouths.

    "What the¨C!?" He let out.

    Kicking off of the man''s body to enable a [Blink Step] heunched back just in time to avoid being cut by one of Dae-Mon''s limbs that shifted into a chainsaw, witnessing the man''s mouths reform back to their natural shape.

    ¡­It''s too much. He can change his body in whatever way he sees fit! He thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After leaping back, he rushed towards Sol to check on him, seeing that Yeong-Un was engaging with the devilish fiend once again.

    "Sol!"

    He rushed over, picking his hazel-haired friend up, who was groggy and hardly conscious, bleeding from a gash on his head, with new bruises quickly forming on his paleplexion.

    "Sol!"

    He rushed over, picking his hazel-haired friend up, who was groggy and hardly conscious, bleeding from a gash on his head, with new bruises quickly forming on his paleplexion.

    "How tenacious!" Dae-Mon smiled as he looked back, seeing Yeong-Un rushing towards him with a superhuman burst of agility.

    "Red Tiger, Raging Dragon!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    The man''s dark-blue coat brushed wildly in the new winds formed by his lightning and fire enhancements that wrapped around his mes, flexing his scarred arms as they were bare due to his rolled-up sleeves.

    Just as the swirl of aggressive mes came, mixed in with roaring electricity, Dae-Mon morphed his arm into a grotesque shape, increasing its size many times over as it maintained its fleshy constitution, bearing a giant mouth at the end.

    "Yum-yum!" Dae-Mon grinned.

    The gigantified mouth that formed from his colossal, monstrous arm parted its massive, pearly white teeth as it swallowed the lightning-infused mes in one go.

    Yeong-Un''s eye twitched as he witnessed his attack be easily dismantled, continuing to rush forward without dy, "--What the hell are ya'' anyway?! You''re not human!"

    "Oh¡­" Dae-Mon''s expression momentarily frowned as he shrunk his arm back down, grinning again, "...Did I ever im to be human? Sorry about that."

    "Huh?!"

    With a single blink, Dae-Mon''s eyes shifted; the sclera bing abyssal ck and his irises inhabiting a six-pointed star shape while his body itself morphed.

    He grew bulkier by a small, but noticeable margin, with his height increasing and curving horns protruding from the sides of his head while his smile widened so much that his mouth split open to make due.

    The restrained darkness unleashed itself, flooding the abhorrent domain with winds of malice born from an unending abyss that forged itself through sickness, depravity, and bottomless bloodlust.

    Sol regained consciousness just then, being helped up by the frizzy-haired assassin who looked over as well, witnessing this horrific reveal.

    Crumbling away to dust as if his restraints were shattered, his all-ck armor faded into lifeless chunks, leaving only his pants.

    "Am I dreaming¡­? Wake me up from this nightmare, please¡­" Sol said weakly, exhausted by the dreadful sight.

    "I wish this was just a nightmare¡­" He replied quietly.

    Dae-Mon''s physiology shifted inpletion, with tattoos stretching over his body in the shape of ck, indecipherable symbols; his fingernails became w-like, a tail sprouted from behind him, and his bright-pink hair seemed to grew, flowing down his back as hisplexion dimmed to a gray.

    [Artificial Devil Dae-Mon | Level 37]

    "See? I was never human from the start," Dae-Mon smiled, tapping one of his horns.

    As Dae-Mon prepared for his first assault in his revealed, demonic form, he extended his hand towards Yeong-Un''s shock-driven face, allowing a sharp-toothed hand to manifest on his palm as he grinned.

    ¨CThough what halted the assault was not Yeong-Un himself, but another.

    He dashed in with his flowing, vermilion locks swaying in the abhorrent winds, using his dagger to cut through the man''s wrist, lobbing his hand off before sheathing both of his daggers.

    "Oh?" Dae-Mon held a surprised, but unaffected expression.

    Of course, the severed hand instantly reconnected itself to the wrist stump, recovering in an instant¨Cbut he knew that before he even cut it off.

    He used that bought second to sheath his assassin skills, unsheathing instead his alternative specialty, taking a fighting stance.

    "...Oh?" Dae-Mon let out again, intrigued.

    Sweat dripped from his chin as he remainedposed, breathing in and out to calm himself, though it hardly helped to quell his rapidly beating heart while he was in the face of such pure evil.

    ¡­I''m practically out of spirit. In that case, martial arts is going to reach further than my assassin abilities. He''s recovering from killing blows, anyway. If I can wear him down, maybe I can find something, or at least allow Sol or Yeong-Un to find his achilles'' heel, he thought.

    "Fire-head¡­" Yeong-Un said.

    "Back me up," he said, ncing back.

    He knew well that the fresh rage burning inside of the sharp-toothedrade of his was an invaluable asset in this battle, receiving a nod without hesitation as Yeong-Un held his twin des high.

    Sol stumbled over, holding his side as he kept his spear in hand, wincing with each breath he took.

    "Sol¡­" He let out in surprise, seeing the injured man backing him up as well.

    "...I''m¡­not out just yet," Sol gave him a weak, but reassuring smile.

    By some stray miracle or curse, Sol hadn''t seemed to see the blood that trickled down his head, just narrowly avoiding his eyes.

    He looked forward again, apanied by his two most trustedrades as they stared down the smiling devil.

    "Let''s have some fun~" Dae-Mon said.

    "...If fun involves killing ya'', I''m game," Yeong-Un responded with a fiery conviction.

 Chapter 149 Fatal Misstep

    He adjusted his sses once more as his white-and-gold uniform had been dyed in his own crimson overflow, huffing out as he weakly raised his greatsword.

    "...Come on, then¡­"

    As he let his inviting words leave his lips, he watched one of the demonified man''s unholy hands raise towards him.

    "--?"

    Before he could properly gauge what was happening, a sweeping st of pure, unrefined darkness exploded outwards towards him.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    It was only at thest moment beforeplete impact that he managed to manifest a radiant shield, though all it did was mitigate theplete damage¨Ccausing him to be sted back by the vtile darkness.

    "Come on, Dae-Seong! Don''t tell me you can''t keep up now!" The demonified Jun-Seo taunted him with aughterced yell.

    Just from the simple, quickly-released st of darkness, most of his armor was desecrated, and further woundsid on his flesh, but he straightened himself out in time to guard against the devil man''s iing strike.

    Each strike that came from Jun-Seo''s demon-altered fists carried with it a heavy blow, knocking against the greatsword he used as a shield repeatedly.

    Jun-Seo smiled wide while unleashing the barrage of blows, hardly exuding much effort as he marched forward while pushing him back with the flurry of straight fists.

    "Grgh¨C!"

    With the wounds he had, just holding a guard was enough to push him to the limits of his failing body; each vibration that emitted from the devil-made man''s knuckles traveled through his bones, sapping his strength.

    "Come on! Is this really it?! How disappointing¨C!" Jun-Seo taunted him with a newfound, twisted smile.

    Just as the next strike wasing, nearing his bloodied face¨Che evolved when death itself looked him right in the face, and he looked back.

    [Warp Step]

    It was derived from his sub-conscious in that moment, remembering for some reason the main skill used by Jeong-Hui as a means ofst-moment defense. This prompted his Evolution Skill to create something of its own, simr to [Blink Step] itself.

    In an instant, he vanished from the malice of Jun-Seo''s knuckles, reappearing several meters to the side.

    "Hoh," Jun-Seo looked to the side, "--That unique System of yours really is something."

    "--"

    As he stayed silent, catching his breath¨Chis enemy didn''t let up. With the massive speed that Jun-Seo now touted, the horned entity appeared in front of him with a malice-bearing grin, preparing to swipe anotheryer of vtile darkness his way.

    Once more, he broke in his newly-acquired ability, warping away as he avoided the jaws of the explosive shadows, using another [Warp Step] to take to the offense this time.

    "--!"

    He drew in a breath, bolstering his strength before he went for a downward strike aimed to split the demon''s head wide open.

    Though just as his massive weapon of steel came downward, Jun-Seo deflected the strike with a backhanded strike, countering with a swift punch to the man''s already-injured gut.

    "Grgh-!"

    He spat out blood as his internal organs were devastated by the simple strike that carried inhuman strength behind it, being knocked back several meters as he tumbled against the bone-built ground.

    "No matter how much you evolve, it seems like the inevitable death you''re crawling towards is something you can''t adapt to," Jun-Seo said to him, walking over to the keeled over man.

    He continued hacking up blood, holding his abdomen as just sitting in one spot but for a moment resulted in a puddle of crimson forming beneath him.

    "Stand."

    As Jun-Seo demanded as such, the silver-haired leader of Gangcheori didn''tply, attempting to regain his unattainable breath as crimson trickled from his lips, down onto the chalky ivory below.

    "Huff¡­"

    He knew it.

    There wasn''t an oue where he walked out of here alive. As somebody that had strolled the fine line between life and death many times, he could feel it¨Cthis was the end.

    ¡­Forego living. Prioritize defeating the enemy in front of you, he thought.

    It was a strategy he developed thatcked one of the foundational aspects of tactics in the first ce: "defense."

    As he felt the devil''s foot press down on his back, the natural cling to life that all had vanished as he epted it fully¨Cdeciding to let go of caution andpletely prioritize offense.

    "In the end, you were¨C"

    Before Jun-Seo could finish his words, the monstrous left arm made up of intertwined, phantasmal limbs was amputated in an instant.

    "--What?" Jun-Seo let out.

    There wasn''t any sort of blow he saw. Simply a slice manifested itself, bypassing the entity''s devilish reflexes in their entirety.

    "God''s Silent Damnation."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though the loss of a limb was hardly a problem for the one who stepped into devilhood as the ck tendrils of malice stretched out, reconnecting his blood-spewing, abhorrent limb back¨Cpermanent harm was not the intention with that blow.

    Before Jun-Seo could realize, the silver-haired man who was drenched in blood of his own, somehow was on his feet again.

    What is this? This man should''ve been dead long ago. How is it he''s on his feet again? How is it he still wields that de with such intent?! Jun-Seo questioned.

    He drew a sharp breath through his parsed lips, bolstering his body as he summoned all of his strength. Doing so resulted in him forcing even more blood to pour from the dozens of gashes left on his body, but he did so anyway.

    "Did you evolve again?! How is this possible¨C?! Even with a System, humans have limits!" The Artificial Devilshed out, bringing himself into a counterattack.

    But, Dae-Seong presented unprecedented speed¨C

    Again, the Artificial Devil had his limb lobbed off, but this time¨Cboth arms were cut away in an instant.

    It was abination, though not instantaneous, they were used in such quick session that it mimicked abined skill: [Warp Step] and [God''s Silent Damnation].

    "Don''t lump me in with you," he finally spoke to the devilish man.

    "Ngh¨C?!"

    Jun-Seo turned around in anger as his limbs were reattaching, faced again with a swift, unhesitant assault as the silver-haired human was already directly in front of him, rearing his ck back.

    The greatsword was engulfed in heavenly light, burning with such intense heat that the particles of darkness inhabiting the ground ruptured into mes, being burnt away by the divinity that should not exist in the hellish domain.

    Just as Jun-Seo raised his hands, manifesting a swirl of darkness that hissed like the cry of a banshee, the malignant energy was cast away by the first swing of the silver-haired man''s greatsword¨Cdispersing it with the holy mes.

    "What¨C?!" Jun-Seo let out in surprise.

    Those golden mes¨Cno, they''re turning white! Is this a new evolution?! Did he adapt to my darkness?! Jun-Seo questioned.

    He nted his boot down firmly against the ground, cracking the bone-made floor beneath as he reared his weapon back as a dense gathering of holy heat engulfed its steel.

    "I''ll tell you where you went wrong; I am not standing here now because of my System, but my System is evolving because I''m standing here now," he said, lifting his de as the Artificial Devil was left stunned by the holy shock wave, "--You, who abandoned humanity in its most vulnerable state, would not understand this conviction¨Cmy conviction to stand by humanity and strive for a tomorrow."

    Continuously, the man evolved; his physicality increasing, the heat of his mes amplifying, and the aura he exuded thickening.

    The Artificial Devil looked on in surprise as the golden me-engulfed sword was hung over his head, casting a ceiling of a seraphic sea of fire that roared out with unreachable judgment.

    Not another word was spoken as the man, on the verge of death, swung his de downward with full intent of squashing the devilish fiend before him.

    ¨C

    Just then, the ck-haired vice leader of Gangcheori blinked, slowly parting her eyelids before coughing out.

    "--"

    Ma-Ri sat up,pletely perplexed by the foreign environment around her as she held her sore stomach.

    "Ngh¡­" She winced.

    It felt as if her organs themselves were sore, having been battered by some merciless force before she looked up, seeing the burly, unconscious Korain just a meter or so in front of her,id out on the bone grave.

    "Korain¡­!" She called out.

    As she knelt by the man''s side, he winced, beginning to slowlye to consciousness¨Cbut just then, her attention was grabbed by the massive tremor that traversed the enigmatic domain.

    "--!"

    ? Looking to the right, she could see a familiar figure in the near distance, though obscured by billowing, holy smoke.

    "Dae-Seong¡­!" She called out.

    In such a peculiar situation, her icy demeanor was shifted as she let out in worry for her trusted superior.

    But, what she saw as the smoke dissipated was now a sight that met her eyes kindly.

    "..."

    Dae-Seong coughed out blood, spewing it directly onto the gray-skinned chest of the ck-veined devil in front of him.

    A miss.

    Through a swift evasion and counterattack, the Artificial Devil had evaded the purging mes, sinking his fist through the torso of the silver-haired man in the process.

    "...So close, Dae-Seong," Jun-Seo said through his ursed lips quietly, looking at the man with disappointment in his ck eyes.

    "--"

    The man hacked up more blood as it dripped from his lips, trailing down his chin as the greatsword he wielded dropped from his grip, falling to the chalky floor with a small cloud of dust kicking up.

 Chapter 150 The Man Who Stood By Humanity

    "--Dae-Seong!" Ma-Ri yelled out.

    Just as the young woman climbed to her feet anxiously and desperately, she was stopped¨C

    "Don''te any closer!" Dae-Seong yelled without looking at her.

    Jun-Seo didn''t so much as care to recognize the others'' existence in the room, looking at the man whose heart he held in his hand.

    It was still inside of his body, yet the devilish ws were wrapped around the still-beating heart, caressing it with an inevitable malice.

    "I tried my best. It was not my intention to kill you¨Cyour life wasn''t mine to take," Jun-Seo exined quietly, "Anywho¡­Let''s have a chat for a bit."

    "--" Dae-Seong spat out more blood as the grip on his heart tightened ever so slightly.

    "You''ve shown it to me: how invaluable the "Evolution System" is¡­was. What a shame. If it had been assimted, he would''ve been quite unstoppable¡­" Jun-Seomented.

    The leader''s eyes widened at those words, gripping onto the Artificial Devil''s cold shoulders as he forced his gaze upward, coughing up more crimson.

    "...Assimtion¡­?" He spoke quietly through uneven breaths.

    "Oh?" Jun-Seo said in surprise at thest bits of vitality from the man.

    Ma-Ri watched from a distance as tears built up around her eyes, unable to process the impossible scenery around her, and the even more unsavory situation before her eyes. Korain himself was stilling to, coughing up as Ma-Ri forced herself to look away from the dreadful sight to help the man sit up.

    "What happened¡­? That bastard got me¡­!" Korain said hoarsely, caressing his bruised windpipe.

    "Korain¡­" Ma-Ri said his name weakly.

    The emotion in the young woman''s voice made him look up in shock, seeing the tears held at bay in her icy blue eyes before seeing what was happening in the center of the hellish domain.

    "Boss!" Korain screamed out.

    The salt-and-pepper haired man hardly cared for the abhorrent scenery around him, only focusing on the state of his dearrade, but Ma-Ri kept him down.

    "Ma-Ri¡­?" He looked at her anxiously, not understanding why she kept him back.

    She only shook her head, "...Trust him."

    Those simple words took the burning will from Korain, albeit only if for a moment, but he waited, nodding his head.

    Dae-Seong coughed out, catching whatever sparse breath he could before he continued his weakly spoken words:

    "...Baek-Hyeon¡­tell me¡­Is he¡­among your ranks?" He asked, gripping the devil''s shoulders, squeezing them with the feeble strength he had left.

    The ck-eyed, devil man looked down at him with half boredom, half disappointment, still clutching his beating heart through the hole he made in the man''s torso.

    "...For a moment, I considered: ''what would hurt more''? Letting you die without an answer, or letting you die knowing that you led Judas straight into your home¡­" Jun-Seo whispered close to his ear.

    His eyes immediately widened, both as the words met his ears and his beating heart was clenched tighter, without any semnce of gentleness.

    "Then¡­!" He realized.

    Jun-Seo smirked, keeping his ck, ursed lips near the man''s ears, "That''s right. Baek-Hyeon is one of us¨Cmy brother, in fact. How does it feel, oh-so-revered leader of humanity''sst bastion? It was all your fault."

    "--"

    Theck of an answer only brought further satisfaction to the one who had foregone his humanity, smiling in satisfaction as he could feel the quivering grip on his shoulders tighten while looking down at the man''s silver locks.

    "I see."

    "Oh?"

    Dae-Seong looked up at him, "--If that''s how it is, then I''ll ept my punishment and atone, right here and now."

    "What''re you¡­?" Jun-Seo looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

    Before the Artificial Devil could realize, chains of divine-linked gold sprouted from the floor, manifesting with a desperate swiftness as they bound his limbs and body.

    "Gh¨C! What is this? I shouldn''t be surprised¡­that you''d of all people would struggle until the bitter end¡­! Fine, then! I''ll¨C!" Jun-Seo said.

    In retaliation, even with his body bound, all the devil had to do was simply squeeze his grip as he squashed the human''s heart like a fruit, destroying the man''s core of life in a simple, but devastating action.

    "Dae-Seong¨C!"

    "Boss¨C!!!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¨CThe two executives who witnessed this yelled out, attempting to rush over with little restraint from their leader''s previous words, but were stopped¨Cnot by amand this time, but by a realization.

    "What¨C?" Jun-Seo let out.

    Even as the man''s heart was destroyed, even as blood spewed from his mouse, and seemingly every orifice as he stood in a pool of his own lively essence, he remained standing.

    The Artificial Devil then realized another fact¨C

    The chains! They''re still manifested¡­! They should''ve dissipated the moment I destroyed his heart! His health is null! The System should be deleted! He should be dead! Jun-Seo thought.

    "...I told you, didn''t I? The Evolution System¡­only adapts as I remain standing. As long¡­as I grit my teeth¡­as long as I''m on my feet¡­The impossible is made possible," the man told him.

    Like a corpse risen from the ground, the silver leader of Gangcheori reached down, nearly tumbling over in doing so as blood spewed out from his wounds, grabbing hold of the greatsword he dropped.

    The Artificial Devil attempted to break from the chains in order to stop him, but they held him with a tightness that increased the more he resisted, burning his unholy flesh in the process as he yelled out:

    "--What of it?! You''re a walking zombie, but on yourst breaths! What will this disgusting struggle bring but disgrace to your image?!" Jun-Seo screamed out from the top of his lungs desperately.

    Onest time, he wrapped his blood-soaked fingers around the dragon-wing handle, lifting the heavy weapon as he breathed heavily, hardly able to remain on his feet.

    As he lifted the sword, he was unable to look the devil in the eyes as his own vision was hazy, swaying, and diminishing by the second as his consciousness was fleeting.

    "...Even if¡­I can''t bring you down myself¡­I''ll make the impossible possible¡­for them," he exined through quiet words, coughing up further arterial fluid.

    "Nrrgh¨C!!!"

    Finally seeming to see past his hubris, the Artificial Devil utilized his unnatural body, bulkening it as he bolstered himself with a malicious force, shattering the chains atst¨Cbut the attack was alreadying.

    It was beautiful; to the eyes of the two who spectated thisst stand, it was a celestial grace that stretched itself across the air, expanding like a neb of creation as the glitter of stars shined bright.

    To the devil, it was terror¨Can evolution specifically honed to bring harm to him, surpassing natural divinity itself and soaring close to the mantle of the Heavens itself.

    The entirety of the hellish sub-reality shook; trembling in the face of utter, evolved, transcended, and magnificent power¨Cbeing flooded in with a light unseen by the deathly caverns, being invaded by hope that was drowned out by prior darkness.

    "Millenia Drive: The Stars of Tomorrow."

    In essence, it was a sh; enchanted by mes that melded divine heat multiple times over, adapting repeatedly until reaching a new height that took on the shine of the cosmos¨Creleasing a cut that bisected space and bypassed all defenses.

    "Dae-Seong¨C!!!"

    As Jun-Seo attempted to raise all of the unholy shields he could, sprouting walls of shadowy energy and ck steel itself, it was all shattered as the massive sh of refined, ascended power cut its way directly to him.

    Inteced in the mes of creation and destruction, conviction was manifested through rampant evolution; beyond anything he had unleashed previously, this was Dae-Seong''sst, and strongest, attack.

    ¡­After all, is there no greater responsibility for a leader than to pave the way for the next generation? Dae-Seong thought.

    It was Dae-Seong''s final evolution; an adaptation created with the purpose of one thing:

    "Reach the Artificial Devil, and create a path to victory for my subordinates."

    With the celestial force crashing against the abhorrent devil''s flesh, a vtile release expanded outwards in a condensed release of divine absolution that surpassed any weapons of mankind, mimicking the cataclysms that end eras, knocking the half-dead man back as the two immediately rushed over to check on him.

    "Dae-Seong¡­!"

    Ma-Ri fell to her knees at her side, tearing the white, blue-flower designed leggings she wore in the process, but not noticing in the moment.

    By this point, little life remained in the eyes of the stout leader, who only saw fluttering images of the young vice leader beside him, and the burly, but reliable man reaching him as well.

    "...Ma-Ri¡­" He said her name quietly, not hearing her repeated, desperate calls himself.

    "--"

    Ma-Ri fell silent, looking at him with desperate, trembling eyes as she stayed by his side.

    The wounds that the leader had suffered were far too great; even healing magic would not suffice by this point¨Cbesides the deep gashes left all over his body; severing the flesh on his arms, legs, and torso, what was beyond repair was the heart that waspletely shattered.

    Looking up at her, he could still see an innocent girl, unready for the world ahead of her.

    Ma-Ri¡­He thought.

    He remembered their first meeting¨Ca girl, lost and without aim, yet carried such an unparalleled me within her.

 Chapter 151 A Path Opened Towards Victory

    [Some Time Ago¡­A Distant Memory]

    "Mr. Dae-Seong¡­I mean, Dae-Seong¡­" Ma-Ri said meekly, holding her hands on herp as she sat at the ivory table.

    It was an abandoned kitchen, inhabiting a deserted restaurant in the middle of the city. The silver-haired man sat by the window sill, keeping watch while he could hear Korain rummaging through the storage of the restaurant for preserved food.

    "What is it?" He looked at the girl with a smile.

    She was already level eighteen, close to his own strength.

    ¡­It was a miracle, finding her in this lost neighborhood, all alone. I wonder¨Cif I was but a moment too early or toote in my march, would I have been unable to rescue this girl from her aimless journey? He thought.

    Ma-Ri looked at him, staying quiet as she fiddled with the bright-red apple she held in her hands, "Did¡­did you have any family, before all of this?" She asked.

    The question took him aback for a moment as his mouth was left slightly agape, but he wore a small smile before adjusting his sses.

    "I did."

    "Really¡­?" Ma-Ri looked at him, as if surprised by his answer.

    He nodded, "I had a wife, but¡­she left me quite awhile before all of this began. I did have a daughter, though."

    "A daughter¡­? Then what¨C?"

    Before the young woman could ask the question, she stopped herself midway through as she averted her gaze.

    He smiled through it, reassuring her, "It''s fine, don''t worry," he continued, "--When Armageddon began, I was away from home. In the middle of amute from work, actually¡­just a few blocks away from my house. It all happened so quickly, but I adjusted¨Csimply because I knew I had to reach home as quickly as possible because¡­"

    Dae-Seong trailed his words as his eyes took to a painful shade, looking through the window as he pushed his sses up.

    "I wasn''t fast enough. She was too young to understand any of this, and Armageddon holds little mercy for the unprepared¡­" He told her.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Ma-Ri responded quietly.

    To her surprise, a pat came to the top of the young woman''s head as she looked down, bringing her gaze up to find the silver-haired leader in front of her with a small smile as she knelt down.

    "We can''t forget yesterday, but we also can''t let it stop us from reaching a new tomorrow. That''s my goal; I want humanity to reach the end of this cruel trial, so one day, Ma-Ri¡­"

    ¨C

    "...Gangcheori is yours¡­"

    The words that left his bloodied lips were ones that the blue-eyed woman had heard once before.

    "What¡­? No, you can''t¡­!" Ma-Ri said quietly, her words shaking feebly through her tears.

    By now, Dae-Seong could no longer hear the words that left her lips, merely looking up as he watched her tears fall down onto his own face.

    It''s in good hands. All you must do is¡­take it from here, he thought.

    "Korain¡­"

    "Yeah, Boss¡­?" The burly man looked down with watery eyes at the man.

    Dae-Seong couldn''t match his gaze, having to use all of his remaining strength to coax the words from his mouth, "...You''ve been an invaluable ally, and even more so¡­a friend. Ma-Ri is not alone in this; she has you. Gangcheori needs you now¨Cmore than ever. I ask of you¡­continue being strong, Korain. Continue smiling."

    Korain nodded with tears strolling down his cheeks rapidly, "--You can count on me! Always!"

    Dae-Seong simply smiled a bit before turning his attention, "Ma-Ri¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--"

    "You may be green now, but you will be surpass me, in every way, soon enough¡­Make sure to listen well to Korain; there is no better right-hand man you could ask for," the words Dae-Seong gave were almost of a doting father, smiling small as he grazed his hand against the girl''s silken hair, "Ma-Ri...You''ve got it from here."

    Just as the words parted from him, the body of the silver-haired leader went limp; all life extinguished before the two''s eyes.

    It wasn''t any ce to die; they felt that seeing the man they most admired the most meet his end on the bone-made, depressing floor. One as illustrious as him, they thought, should have a more fitting end, at least.

    "Surrounded by everybody¨Cafter reaching the end of this cruel game," Dae-Seong thought to himself with his fading consciousness, whisking away, "I suppose¡­I can''tin. Ma-Ri¡­Korain¡­In hands as reliable as yours, Gangcheori will move on. This is but a momentary setback."

    "Boss¡­" Korain gritted his teeth, "--Shit!"

    "--"

    Ma-Ri was still in disbelief, looking down at the man as his words sunk in: "Gangcheori is yours."

    But, there was little time for the final sayings to unravel themselves as the smoke cleared from behind them with a massive tremor¨Cbringing both of the remaining executives'' attention to the source of it.

    The Artificial Devil was huffing heavily, seeping ck blood from various wounds as he hacked up the abyssal fluid from his mouth.

    "...That attack didn''t finish him?!" Korainmented, returning to his feet as he wielded his ymore.

    Ma-Ri was still on her knees, processing what had just happened before she was brought back to reality by her one-armedrade¨C

    "Ma-Ri!" Korain yelled out, looking back at her.

    "...Right," she got up to her feet as her cape fluttered behind her, drawing her illustrious, thin rapier from its sheath.

    Even if the Artificial Devil wasn''t finished by the attack, the burgundy-haired entity was clearly wounded heavily, crippled by thest attack as the massive gash on his chest wasn''t healed¨Ccontinuing to leak heaping amounts of dark blood.

    "Ma-Ri, you see that¡­?" Korain asked quietly, standing side-to-side with the young woman.

    She nodded, "He''s hurt. Dae-Seong gave us an opening."

    "...What a damn guy," Korain said as tears flowed down his cheeks, raising his ymore high, "--Lead the way, Boss."

    "Huh?" Ma-Ri was taken aback by the title she was referred to as, but looked forward, nodding, "Alright!"

    The horned, gray-skinned man was less than pleased, continuing to huff, puff, and cough out as he held his chest, looking at the two with his ck, malignant eyes.

    "What a terrible day. I can feel it; myrades have fallen. My dear, dearrades¡­Still, this day is not lost," Jun-Seo said, picking up his bone-made sword, "...I will ughter you, pups of Gangcheori, lesser of Dae-Seong, and bring the targets to Baek-Hyeon! I will not let all of this loss be for naught!"

    "Riching from you¡­What nerve do you have giving us that crap?! You came here! You killed our people¨C! You killed our leader! Huh?! Where do you get off?!" Korain yelled back in response, seething with anger.

    Jun-Seoughed quietly, allowing smaller, abyssal arms to stretch out from his de-wielding arm, bolstering his grip, "...You''re right. I just don''t see the worth in worms like you. Crawling helplessly through the mud, wriggling around without any strength of your own¨Cclinging to the false belief you''ll one day reach Paradise. I don''t recognize the "loss" of such insignificant beings."

    "You¡­!" Korain gritted his teeth.

    "Korain," Ma-Ri stepped beside him, somehow maintaining herposure.

    The senior member of Gangcheori looked at the young woman for a moment before releasing a sharp breath through his teeth and nodding, "Right. I''m not letting this bastard get into my head."

    Jun-Seo himself stayed at a cautious distance, still huffing heavily as blood continued pouring from the unclosing wound spread across his chest.

    That stubborn fool¡­He destroyed all but two of my hearts with that attack. My strength¡­is dwindling heavily, and my regeneration¡­I''ll have to kill these two to restore my lost hearts. Damn it all! What more could go wrong¡­!? Jun-Seo thought.

 Chapter 152 Formless Dread

    "Let''s do this!" He announced.

    With his words, all three set off, breaking off into different directions, but all with the same destination as they encircled the devilish foe.

    I''ll hit him with an "Eve of The Dragon"! He nned.

    I''ll cut him into tiny bits with "Vorpal Shredder"! Yeong-Un nned.

    ¡­I''ll, err, get him with something! Sol nned, gulping down.

    But, before any of them couldunch their strikes¨C

    "Let''s y a little game shall we?" Dae-Mon smiled, pping his hands together, "I''ll take you all on a tour through Hell¡­separately, that is."

    As soon as the devil-made man pped his palms together, the floor beneath each of their feet opened up, causing them all to fall directly downward into an unknown location.

    "What the¨C?!" He let out.

    Around him, the walls of flesh pulsated and leaked pus, surrounding him in a length tunnel that he fell down swiftly from.

    The other two¨Che split us up! He realized.

    As he looked around frantically, his eyes searched for a proper surface amidst the freefall.

    ¨C

    "Well, that settles that," Dae-Mon wiped his hands off with a cheery smile, standing in the grotesque chamber alone, "...I''ll let the fiends have some fun with them¨C"

    Just as Dae-Mon smiled and relished in his victory, the devil-made man had his ck eyes forcibly opened in surprise as something resurfaced in the room, echoing as if sharp steps were being taken.

    [Blink Step]

    [Blink Step]

    [...Blink Step]

    Leaping from the unnaturally formed hole in the floor, the vermilion-haired assassin reached the top of the tunnel after sessive [Blink Steps], huffing as hended with a thud¨Cbeing looked at in silent surprise by the Artificial Devil.

    "How did you¡­?" Dae-Mon asked quietly.

    He ignored the question, wiping the sweat from his chin as he stood up straight, "...I made it."

    The morphing devil reced his shock with his normal grin, transforming his arms into ded chains once more, increasing the number of the malicious, sharp chain links as he looked on at the emerald-eyed young man.

    "That was a big mistake, Mr. Jeong-Hui. At least if you fell down there like nned, you maybe had a chance, but now¡­You''re all alone with me," Dae-Mon told him.

    "Yeah, I know," he replied, "What of it?"

    For once, a vein pressed against the pink-haired devil''s skin as he held his smile, beginning to whip around the dozens of chains that acted as his arms in preparation.

    "...I wonder where this boost of confidence came from? Aha-ha¡­I''ll y along, though," Dae-Mon approached him slowly.

    He stayed silent, breathing in and out as he readied himself, avoiding pulling out his daggers as he was focused this time on embracing his martial arts side of the spectrum.

    He''s making it sound like fighting him is a much worse fate than what''s down there. If that''s the case, I don''t have to worry about the other two, then. I''ll just have to worry about myself. Compared to babysitting them¡­No sweat, he told himself.

    And, beyond "selfless" reasons, there was a selfish desire in choosing to face the Artificial Devil on his own; a reason that stemmed from the thumping of his heart, his desperate perspiration, and the focused drive pushing him onward:

    When my back is to a corner, and my life is forfeit but to a single mistake, that''s when my skills cultivate themselves the most. In a situation like this¡­I''ll transcend who I was the minute before, he thought.

    From both sides,ing at a rapid speed while he was in the midst of his thoughts, the razor-de formed chains closed in like a attempting to ensnare him into a brutal death.

    With a single step, he blinked away from their visceral edges, setting his eyes on the smiling, pink-haired devil.

    "Keep it up, Mr. Jeong-Hui! Don''t let me break you so easily!" Dae-Mon shouted.

    Whipping around his chain-arms, the devil manughed out as the dozens of killing chains danced around the abhorrent chamber, forcing him to continuously evade their reach while at the same time closing the distance between himself and that very devil.

    One wrong move and it''ll be over before I even realize, he thought.

    He was forced to use his [Blink Step] in unorthodox ways; cartwheeling and flipping over instantaneously as the ded chains came from every direction, whipping around harshly and smacking the ground with each miss.

    The thought urred to him to unsheath his daggers and use them to repel any chains that he wouldn''t be able to avoid¨Cbut he decided against it, keeping his hands at his sides and narrowing his eyes.

    This was a trial.

    One he set for himself, and one he also couldn''t back out of now.

    ¡­If I want to improve, I have to embrace it fully. With just my martial arts, I''ll fight you, Artificial Devil! He resolved.

    Just as he took a step closer in the rain of des, he saw the grin stered on the ck-eyed devil''s lips widen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    An unmistakable increase in malice exploded from the smiling evil''s position; an aura of quaking bloodlust that alerted him to what wasing:

    It''s getting faster! He realized.

    In the face of Hell, he activated [Sage Period], utilizing the enhanced reflexes it brought in exchange for the possibility of certain death upon being caught by those ded chain whips.

    He moved his body nimbly, dancing around the chains as they smacked against the metallic flooring, leaning back, leaning forward, and even momentarily falling to the ground to avoid an assault aimed at his upper half.

    "Good! Good! So good, Mr. Jeong-Hui! Keep it up!" Dae-Mon encouraged him through his malignant words.

    He drowned the words out, focusing only on the flurry of chains as his eyes darted side-to-side, strained and readied for the lethal objects that flew in at speeds far surpassing human reaction, even surpassing most superhuman reflexes, at that.

    The air cracked and whistled as the chains missed him before he spun around, preparing to avoid the next assault before¨C

    "Aha-ha!" Dae-Mon grinned, "--Don''t get too caught up one one thing, Mr. Jeong-Hui!"

    Around him, while the chains were hurling towards him at full-speed, they morphed into another form in an instant as the ck tendrils of rotten flesh reshaped itself.

    "--!"

    The chain limbs shifted into colossal sets of fleshy arms, made up of hundreds of smaller arms that now closed in on him, reaching for him with its countless fingers.

    He jumped up with a [Blink Step], avoiding the ensnarement of the grotesque limbs.

    As he looked down, that smile that watched him from below irked his instincts again as he felt something behind him while leaping up in midair.

    Above¨C? He questioned.

    ncing up behind him at the dangling chains that hung from the ceiling, he watched them morph into tubr, pale mouths that stretched out like human worms directly towards him¨Copening their jaws wide as saliva rained down.

    "--!"

    He can morph other things besides himself¡­? Is this what this inner realm is capable of? He questioned.

    In midair, it was hardly easy to avoid something that rained down from above him in the form of dozens of gaping, mping mouths that stretched down with a ravenous hunger.

    Still, he made do as he finally began to spin himself around, kicking as he built up momentum to reverse his trajectory, allowing a swirl of air to encircle him from the force built-up by the repeated helicopter kicks.

    "Ngh¨C!"

    He was still inexperienced with such maneuvers, but it miraculously worked¨Cthrough the unorthodox position he began the attack, he built up enough momentum tounch a tremendous kick, unleashing a shock wave bolstered by the wind pressure he garnered, stunning the mping mouths before they could reach him.

    "Wow! Amazing, Mr. Jeong-Hui! You''re really giving it your all, aren''t you?!" Dae-Mon called out from below, "--Keep it up!"

    Those less than encouraging words were apanied by the devil man''s colossal arms reaching up to him from the ground, wriggling its fingers made up of countless, quivering limbs that made his skin crawl.

    As it came right for him, he spun his body around, managing to evade the giant grasp as he began to run down the length of the limb as a downward bridge.

    "Oh¨C?" Dae-Mon watched in delighted surprise.

    The devil man prepared another alteration to his shape, sprouting spiky, hardened pieces of his own flesh in an attempt to catch the red-haired adolescent off-guard, but¨Ca [Blink Step] came.

    It propelled him downward at a speed thatpletely took the Artificial Devil by surprise as he used the momentum to spin around into a kick that gathered a lofty serving of mes around his heel, filling the repugnant air of the hellish environment with its heat.

    "Huh?" Dae-Mon let out quietly, mere inches from the me-bearing heel meeting his face.

    "Eve of The Dragon."

    Just as the kick descended upon the ck-veined, abhorrent devil, an explosion of mes that took the shape of a momentary dragon released.

    ¨CI did it! I got a clean hit on him! He thought.

    His heel was pressed directly against the nose of Dae-Mon, having mmed the devil into the ground as embers danced around them.

    Even with his face caved in by the attack, Dae-Mon chuckled quietly from below his boot:

    "...Oh, man¡­that one hurt! That had a nice sting to it!"

    Feeling the bubbling malice from his opponent, he jumped back just in time as Dae-Mon''s body protruding many fleshy spikes before the yer killer abnormally returned to his feet without the usage of his hands, picking himself up by using the spikes from his back to propel him upwards to his feet.

    Dae-Mon plugged his nose, gathering air in his cheeks before blowing hard, causing his caved-in face, that should be all means hold a fractured skull and bleeding brain, filling back up to normal as he bent his broken nose into the proper direction again.

    "All good! Ahh¡­where were we?" Dae-Mon stretched his shoulders, shaking his arms as the flesh on them morphed and twitched as if ready to shift shapes again.

    He felt it again: that immutable feeling of impossible victory before him when looking at the strange devil man.

    ¡­Don''t lose focus. Nothing is unbeatable. I can hurt him. It might not bepletely fair, but even Systems have their own restrictions. There is likely a weak spot I have to look for¡­If he''s a "devil" of some sort, I''m willing to bet there is a special organ, or organs, that have to be destroyed. That would exin why he can regenerate seemingly endlessly¨Cthere is something allowing him to reform, he deduced.

 Chapter 153 Below Hell

    He was taken by surprise that this time, Dae-Mon went on a full-on aggressive front, appearing right in front of him with lightning-like swiftness.

    ¨CHe''s not keeping a distance and using his limbs to attack?! He thought.

    "I''ll y your game. It seems fun," Dae-Mon grinned before grabbing him directly by his face.

    Though the pink-haired devil man spoke with gentle, yful words, his actions were anything but so as he gripped his face tightly, applying an agonizing pressure to his skull before mming him against the ground.

    "Gyah¨C!" He spat out his own breath.

    [Health -100]

    Again, he was mmed, knocking his head against the ground harshly, all while Dae-Mon chuckled in frivolous delight.

    [Health -100]

    Again. He tried to fight against the grip, but the inhuman strength of the Artificial Devil was impossible to resist.

    [Health -100]

    Again. Opting to try more technical counterattacks rather than ensue a futile contest of strength, he tried wrapping his legs around the devil''s arm into an armbar, but he was nothing more than a flea¨Cunable to apply any meaningful pressure.

    [Health -100]

    Again. He felt his consciousness be tested as his brain rattled around the interior of his skull, trying to stabilize his breathing.

    [Health -100 | 1950/3250]

    And again. It finally came to an end as he was tossed against the wall,nding against it without muchfort as he coughed out, trying to coax his burning lungs into epting oxygen once again.

    Dae-Mon approached him in a nonchnt march, stretching his neck side-to-side,ughing cheerfully and eerily while doing so.

    ¡­He''s a monster, no doubt about it. Lesson learned¨CI have to watch out for in-fighting and out-fighting. This guy is unpredictable, so¡­keep all avenues opened, at all times, he thought.

    "Did I break you? Awh, maybe I was a bit too¨C" Dae-Mon grinned without any care as he knelt down to check on the young man.

    However, amidst his antagonizing words, he received a sharp kick to the chin, delivered as the frizzy-haired martial artist lifted himself with his hands, delivering the blow before jumping to his feet to continue.

    Drawing breaths into his sore lungs, feeling them be pressed by his aching ribs, he began his counterattack¨Cutilizing the momentary stun inflicted on the devil to continue the swift barrage.

    Many blows wereunched; continuously striking the vitals he could only apply from human atony to demon anatomy before breaking off into a series of powerful kicks against the devil man''s body.

    With so little spirit to spare, he was forced to rely not on System-given skills, but his own techniques developed through the cultivation of taekwondo.

    I can do this¡­! He thought.

    After using a roundhouse kick against Dae-Mon''s abdomen, forcing the devil to spit up saliva, he watched as something began to bubble up within the inhuman''s body¨Ca shift that would likely be bad for him.

    "Flinch!"

    He snapped his fingers before such an unknown alteration could ur, stunning the devil as he made sure to unleash the concussive skill directly in front of the cruel begin''s face.

    ¡­I can still use skills that normally cost less than one-hundred spirit since Sage Period reduces the cost of skills by one-hundred t. I''ve got to y smart¨C! At least until the other two find their way back! He thought.

    As the Artificial Devil was momentarily stunned, slobbering as his mind was concussed for just a second, it was enough of an opportunity for him to continue his attacks,unching them desperately and sharply.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: +2 | 35/9999]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Sound Spear]

    After leveling up through the tense situation, he spun around, gathering wind around his body¨C"Weeping Spira"--building a proper amount of force andunching the potent, air-backed kick just as Dae-Mon came to, raising his arms to block it.

    Though the devil blocked it, the kick unleashed enough force to knock him back, but the Artificial Devil immediately went into his own assault the moment he was freed from the prolongedbo.

    "--You''re not fun," Dae-Mon said with wide, sanity-loss eyes.

    The devil altered his arms into giant ils that were attached to ck chains, tossing around the boulder-sized, spiky balls towards him with lethal speed.

    As they came down towards him, overshadowing him with a dense force, he rolled to the side, but was immediately faced with one of the boulder-like ils hurling towards him from directly in front of him this time.

    Before it could reach, he leaped over it, aiming to close the distance between himself and the angered devil as sweat dripped from his strained body.

    "Huh¨C?! Why won''t you stay still?!" Dae-Mon angrily let out this time.

    He ignored the rage-filled words of the inhuman devil, rushing towards him as he naturally honed in on the new technique acquired, kicking forward as he shot his left leg forward like a bullet.

    The technique required an instantaneous, maximum flex of his leg muscles and a release, giving him enough speed and force to shatter the sound barrier and m his boot against the devil man''s abhorrent face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Distracted by rage and blind to tactics, the maddened devil was unable to react to the sound-breaking kick as it crashed against his chest,nding with a booming impact that resulted in the devil having his torso broken through as the boot pierced him with the thundering force behind it.

    ¡­Got you! He thought.

    "Gyuh¨C!" Dae-Mon spit out ck blood before being kicked back several meters by the residual force that caught up.

    "...Not bad," hemented,nding on his feet after a flip backward, speaking of his new move.

    Just as he imed some little triumph, he winced in pain as the blood vessels on his eyes swelled up, making his eyes turn bloodshot as he quickly held his face.

    [Prolonged usage of such enhanced reflexes will result in your eyes being gravely injured, perhaps even destroyed, Jeong-Hui. I''d suggest finishing this battle as quickly as possible.]

    "You think I''m not trying that¡­?" He replied sharply.

    He huffed, moving his hands away as he breathed heavily, hardly able to keep his eyes opened as they burned from the strain.

    WOOSH.

    An unholy swirl of maddening energy birthed itself from the position of the one he kicked back, looking up to witness the pink-haired devil man rise to his feet, swallowed in a swirl of darkness.

    Again, Dae-Mon brought himself up as his arms dangled at his sides, looking up as his eyes were wide and unmoving.

    "You¡­you¡­you¡­ytime is over. How troublesome," Dae-Mon said quietly with an eerie seriousness.

    He blinked a few times, squinting to look at the devil''s chest to see it was still bleeding out profusely without being closed all the way.

    His chest¡­it''s not healing all of the way! He realized.

    But, even with that single win and dash of hope on his side, it came with its own overwhelming negative:

    A pressure unlike any other he had felt before exuded from the Artificial Devil''s position in a torrent of abyssal dread.

    In the face of such maddening power, a new proficiency birthed itself, simply from his fight thus far and the one ahead.

    In the world of gaming, one that the young man himself was much familiar with, there was a concept that was just as important as mechanical skill and game sense¨Cyet, it was almost an intangible factor, invisible to stats and hardly talked about.

    [Clutch Factor Proficiency: +5 | 5/100]

    He put on a small smile with this revtion, steadying himself as he faced his overwhelming opponent with a second wind afforded to him by miraculous effort.

    "I''m just getting started," he said.

    ¨C

    [Below]

    "Yuck¡­What is this?"

    Sol looked down in disgust, surrounded by a crimson swamp that his boots were sunk into; traversing the warm, slimy substance.

    He looked up towards the far above ceiling, seeing the hole he fell frompletely closed off, taking the repugnant shape of a crimson, fleshy sphincter, which made him shudder.

    "...This day just keeps on giving, huh¡­?" He mumbled wryly.

    Each step he took required him to lift his boots as if marching through a parade, though it was only because the slimy, scarlet swamp clung to his shoes each time he tried to take a normal step.

    "Where even is this, anyway¡­?" He muttered to himself.

    Looking around, the territory was far too vast to make sense of how it even existed. To him, it still felt as if they should be within the bounds of the hotel, but here he was, in a far-stretching domain that resembled Hell itself.

    "Into The Bowels of Hell"...Is this really some sort of special technique that GOETIA users have? The old guy I encountered didn''t pull out anything like this, so maybe it''s exclusive to higher levels? Hmm¡­All I know is¡­He thought.

    "I wanna get out of here¡­" He mumbled in fear and disgust of the crimson swamp.

    Lifeless, gray branches sprouted from beneath the murky, shallow liquids, curving in unnatural, jagged ways and supplementing nothing of aforting scenery.

    As far as he could see, this swamp stretched on to the hellish horizon that was overlooked by a ceiling of fleshy walls that pulsated and periodically oozed more of the crimson essence down to the abhorrentke below.

    The other two fell down here, right¡­? I''ve got to find them¨Cnot because I''m scared or anything¡­yeah! He thought.

    As he put his hands around his mouth, drawing in a breath to prepare to call out for his friends, "Je¨C"

    He stopped, sucking in his words as he realized it might not be that good of an idea to suddenly yell out into the unknown, evilnd.

    ¡­I really don''t feel like attracting demons right to myself¡­He thought wryly with a sigh.

 Chapter 154 Klaus, The Demon

    Slumping his shoulders,  he moved forward, finding a small piece of protrudingnd that gave him reprieve from the icky swamp of crimson.

    The clumps of gray soil bore no life, giving out beneath his step as he stumbled forward to catch his own bnce¨C

    "Woah, woah¨C!"

    He moved his arms around for a sense of bnce, managing to confirm his footing on the rotten, clumped-up soil.

    The small ind amidst the ocean-sized swamp was only a minimal sanctuary from the grotesque crimson as it took most of his focus just to not fall over on the peculiar terrain.

    "Huff¡­"

    He caught his breath, adjusting his red bandana as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, fixing his messy, hazel locks as well.

    "How am I supposed to find the others in this?...Or get back, for that matter¡­" He asked himself wryly, looking on at therger than life terrain.

    "I can help with that!"

    "Wha¨C?"

    The sudden, unknown voice caused him to jump, losing his footing as he scrambled, frantically reaching out for one of the branches of the curved, stone-gray trees¨C

    Crunch.

    The moment his fingers grazed the thin cedar, it crumbled away at his very touch. It faded away like dust to a gentle brush, being carried off in the wind as the helping hand he sought vanished in front of him.

    "--Huh?"

    Despite all of that, halfway through falling over towards the rotten soil¨Che didn''t fall.

    As he looked up, he found that he was caught by his wrist by the hand of apletely unfamiliar person¨Cif such a title applied to the abnormal humanoid he looked at, anyway.

    "Err¡­" He let out nervously.

    "Careful, now! The Blood Swamps are pretty tricky to navigate¨Cas you''ve just discovered, ha-ha!" The unknown manughed heartily.

    While he was still confused, not knowing if the pale-skinned humanoid was a friend or foe, the tall, reasonably burly man hoisted him up to his feet, straightening him out and looking at him with a smile.

    "...Thanks?" He said, still confused.

    "No problem! The name''s us," the white-skinned, horned man extended his hand to him.

    us was definitely not human, as his skin was as white as snow, and his eyes as ck as the starless night with medieval, studded leather worn on his lower half, and nothing worn on his torso.

    Protruding from his head were two,rge horns, but beside all of those inhuman features¨C

    He seems nice enough, he decided.

    epting the hand, he shook it lightly, still holding some hesitance but knowing it probably wouldn''t get him far to make enemies with the man, anyway.

    "...I''m Sol," he replied.

    "You got caught up by one of them, huh?" us asked.

    "Them?" He looked at the pale-skinned, horned man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    us broke off one of the branches from the brittle trees, using a mystical force to bolster it before handing it to the young man, "Here. Use this¨Cit''ll make traversing this ce a bit easy."

    "Thanks¡­" He took it.

    "Anywho¡­"They" are the "Artificial Devils"...Humans made into devils," us exined, standing at the edge of the small ind.

    As he used the walking stick to move over the rotten soil, which the inhuman managed to casually traverse, he stood next to us, still confused.

    "Err¡­What''s this ce, anyway? Is this actually¡­?" He began to ask.

    us shook his head lightly, "This isn''t Hell, not exactly, at least."

    "Not exactly?"

    "It''s a nexus of sorts. And where all of the discarded evil goes. Below all of the Artificial Devils'' domains. In a way, it could be thought of as the Hell created by men," us exined, keeping his arms crossed against his snow-white chest.

    "What about you?...Are you a demon, or something like that?" He gave the question, not knowing the best way to put it.

    us was silent for a minute, looking off in the distance. Despite the demonic appearance of the man, there was no animosity that was given off from his form.

    "...Something like that. There''s a few like me down here. I used to be human, but, well¡­I don''t exactly remember anymore," us scratched his head, "Once an Artificial Devil kills us, we "reincarnate" into¡­whatever I am. It''s an eternity down here for the unfortunate fellows like me. But!"

    us'' mncholic expression shifted into a lighter one as he faced the young man.

    "But¡­?"

    "You, Mr. Sol, are not stuck down here like the rest of us! I know a way out, actually!" us exined.

    "Really? You do?" Sol looked at him with wide eyes.

    Though us seemed to regret getting his hopes up to that degree as he bashfully scratched his bald, pale-white head.

    "Well, by "a way out", I just mean from this realm, but you''ll still have to return to that Artificial Devil''s domain. That''s the gateway between this realm and yours, and the Artificial Devils hold the keys to it, anyway. So¡­you''ll still have to take care of that one, I suppose," us sighed out, "Sorry, kid."

    It was sour news, for sure, but looking at the crimson horizon, he felt even the prospect of being able to leave this Hell was reassuring enough for him.

    "...No, that''s plenty!" Sol assured the disappointed-seeming, former human.

    "Really?" us looked at him in surprise.

    Now it was clear to him that the snow-white, horned inhuman was in fact somebody who meant well.

    He''s just somebody who was unfortunate enough to run into something like Dae-Mon¡­He thought.

    "Yeah, but well¡­" He scratched his cheek, "I was thrown down here with two of my friends, but we were separated. Do you think¡­?"

    us already knew he was asking, letting out a small sigh, "I hate to break it to you, kid, but finding a single person in the Blood Swamp is an exercise in futility, But, if you all were cast down here rtively close, we''ll probably cross paths with them!"

    "Really?" He asked as his eyes lit up.

    "Sure! Anywho¡­About the method of returning to the Artificial Devil''s domain¡­" us scratched his chin, looking up.

 Chapter 155 All Is Not Well

    "Sure! Anywho¡­About the method of returning to the Artificial Devil''s domain¡­" us scratched his chin, looking up.

    Above them, the entrail-like ceiling, seemingly sentient and pulsating as crimson liquid continued to rain down periodically, it seemed to stretch on infinitely in all directions.

    "How do we do that? It''s way up there," he asked.

    "I said I knew a way to escape, but it''s not exactly a "trail", if you catch my drift," us told him as his white, thick tail swayed behind him.

    "Huh¡­?"

    He looked at the white-skinned, demon-transfigured man who left the bounds of the small ind, beginning to walk into the crimson swamp again as he ushered for him to follow.

    "Ah¡­Alright¡­"

    A bit of hesitance came with reentering the grotesque, knee-high swamp, but he followed behind us, using both the mystical cane and his spear as a means to aid his slimy step.

    "About how we''ll get you out of here¡­" us said.

    Just as the benevolent demon began talking, an explosive sound echoed through the vast swamps, causing the hazel-haired adolescent to freeze and watch as various spots spewed upwards violently.

    "Blood geysers," us exined, "Yeah, be careful of those. They''ll vaporize you on the spot! Ha-ha!"

    "...I''m failing to see what''s funny here," he said with chattering teeth.

    The crimson geysers released a lofty amount of redced steam, blowing in from a distance as he could feel the residual heat still sting his skin.

    "Yowch¡­It''s that hot even from here?!" He held his cheek.

    usughed, uncaring of the brushing steam that passed by as blood geysers continued to give off in the distance, releasing periodic bomb-like noses.

    Of the geysers'' existence, the crimson, foggy waters continuously rippled, making the slimy terrain even more difficult to walk in.

    "You''re not affected by this heat?" He asked, already sweating profusely just a few minutes of their journey through the Blood Swamp.

    us shook his head, putting his hands behind his head as he walked casually, "Not at all. I guess it''s my new Hell physiology or something. I mean, it''d be prettyme to be a demon who couldn''t handle a bit of heat, right?"

    "Right¡­"

    "Anyway¡­We''re looking for a Devil Train Worm," us exined, "That''s your ticket out of this ce."

    "A ''Devil Train Worm''? I really don''t like the sound of that¡­What''s that got to do with getting up there, anyway?" He asked.

    He followed behind the snow-white demon man as they sifted through the knee-high swamp, passing by jagged, maze-like, brittle trees that extended from the depths of the hellish terrain.

    "They''re native to the Blood Swamp. Well, they''re kind of like the Kings of the Blood Swamp, if you ask me, anyway," us exined, "--It''ll be easier to exin once we find one, though!"

    "Err¡­okay," he nodded with a trembling smile and a wry chuckle.

    Crap¡­Is this really my only option?! Yeong-Un! Jeong-Hui! Show up, please! He pleaded to whatever nonexistent god was still on his side.

    He continued trudging forward, moving his spear and hardened branch along each step amongst the crimson waters.

    "I''ve got a question¨Cif, err, you don''t mind," he asked.

    "Hit me with it!" The entric demon-man said, ncing back.

    "You were a yer, right? In the Armageddon Game, I mean. Do you know¡­what happened?" He asked.

    us was silent for a moment as the sounds of distant Blood Geysers sounded off, propelling fountains of the steaming, red liquid upwards.

    "--Only vaguely," us answered.

    "Oh, err, my bad," he quietly responded.

    The mncholic expression immediately shifted back, "I mean, it''s not all bad! After all, what''s there to miss of what I don''t remember, right?"

    "Right¡­"

    Though the snow-skinned demonughed, it was clear he did hold some grievances of his own with his current situation.

    It was another few minutes through the Blood Swamps, following the kind demon through its shallow stretch while the liquid ripples and geysers spewed.

    "Err, Mr. us," he called the demon''s name.

    "Just us is fine," us told him.

    "Right¡­us. Why''re you helping me out, anyway?" He asked.

    The demon scratched his chin, looking up before looking at the young man with a simple shrug of his shoulders, "I don''t know, honestly. It just kind of feels¡­right. Isn''t that odd?" usughed, "--I wonder¡­if I was the type of person who helped others."

    He looked at the benevolent demon with a small smile, "I bet you were a pretty awesome guy."

    "Ha-ha! You''re going to make me blush, kid! Anyway, let''s get moving on! I''m sure your friends are waiting somewhere around here!" us ushered him to follow.

    The deeper into the Blood Swamps they traveled, the more difficult it became to navigate through its vast reach; many of the brittle, lifeless trees sprouted and curved around, blocking a lot of vision as patches of rotten soil formed dozens of small inds.

    "...Are these worms rare, or something?" He asked.

    us answered without looking back, "Well, most of the time you''d sure like them to be! Ha-ha! Well¡­Let''s just say these swamps aren''t big enough for many of them."

    "Big enough¡­?" He gulped.

    Just how big are these worms, anyway?! He thought as he shivered.

    Each step was taken cautiously as he was still deathly afraid of the hellish domain, holding onto his spear and makeshift cane as his lifelines as he trekked behind his guide.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Woosh.

    Another steaming geyser of blood that reached high, unleashing a shock wave of steam that prompted him to raise his arms to defend against the heat wave.

    "Hey, us?" He called.

    "Yeah?" us looked back.

    "...If you know a way out of here, why haven''t you tried escaping?" He asked, watching the snow-white, tattooed back of the demon-man.

    "Hmm¡­" us scratched his chin, "I told you, didn''t I? The only possibility of escape is returning to the Artificial Devil''s domain. The one who brought you here, anyway. As for me¡­I guess creatures like myself are just powerless to the will of the Artificial Devils."

    us looked a bit sad, looking down at his hands that resembled ws, as if not in favor of the shape of his inhuman form.

    "I see¡­"

    "It''s not so bad down here, though! I''ve just been wandering. I think I might''ve been an explorer when I was human! Really¨Cit''s just so vast here! There''s so many awesome ces; the Blood Swamp is just one of many!" us exined to him.

    "--"

    While he was silent, trekking behind the demon, who was able to naturally traverse the hellish swamps as if it were a smooth road, us continued going on-and-on about the pros of staying down in the hellish realm.

    "Sometimes I evene across nice fruit! There''s fish around here to catch as well¨Cif you''re hungry, that is. And, the bad people only mess with you every now and then. But, that''s when being able to run fastes in handy," us went on.

    "us¡­Sorry, but I''m not looking to stay down here," he quietly told the horned once-human.

    "Ah¡­" us looked hurt for a moment but smiled, "Of course! I knew that!--I was just talking, no biggy!"

    Though he could tell us certainly seemed lonely; in the depths of the great subsidiary of Hell, the man must''ve been wandering for some time, all alone, through the bowels of Hell without knowing who he was.

    I do feel bad, but¡­I''ve got my own problems right now. Gangcheori¡­needs me, I think. Even if they don''t¡­I want to help, he thought.

    Clutching his silver spear, he looked up towards the far-above ceiling, watching as it shifted and pulsated.

    Inside of his chest, the beating me of fear continued to throb, but by this point in the harrowing day, he found stepping forward to not be such a tall task.

    "Wait, what do you mean by that¡­?"

    It was only a few moments after us'' words that he responded like so, prompting us to look at him¨Cblinking a few times with his stygian eyes before smiling.

    The pale-white demon''s tail moved swiftly, stabbing into the water as iftching onto something.

    "Huh?" He let out, watching this in perplexion.

    us'' tail rose from the crimson swamp, revealing a bulbous, all-ck fish with horns for whiskers, "--This is what I mean! Sin fish are pretty yummy, actually."

    "That''s not what I was asking about¡­" He sighed out.

    "Oh?"

    us had already begun eating the pierced, hell-born fish, chomping on it and offering one half to the injured young man.

    He looked at it for a moment, shaking his head nervously in his best attempt not to offend the man who had been nothing but helpful so far.

    "No thanks¡­I''m good," he rejected half of the fish.

    "Your loss," us said, eating the other portion of the bulbous swamp-dweller.

    "Anyway¡­I meant what do you mean by the "bad people" here? I thought, well¡­I thought ones like you were the only ones down here," he asked, sifting his fingers through his own hazel locks nervously.

    "Ah, well¡­Yeah, there are some real bad apples down here. It''s sorta Hell, afterall, isn''t it? Honestly, I''m in the rare camp of being one that retained some of my humanity¡­these others are almost feral; moving only with the instinct of spreading malice," us informed him.

    This information made him weary, as the warninging from a demon itself felt even more paramount.

    "I see¡­" He gulped.

    "Don''t worry about it though! It''s pretty rare to bump into anybody in these parts¨Cah, well, your friends are a different case, I bet! Don''t worry!" us assured him, "--Irk."

    A ripple swiftly carved across the Blood Swamp.

    Just then, it happened so fast that his eyes could barely processed what had just happened¨C

    The white-horned demon''s head was taken straight from his shoulders by a sharply swung instrument¨Cbeheaded instantly without any sort of warning.

    "Huh¡­? us?" He mumbled in shock.

    He now saw it: standing in front of the now headless body of the snow-white demon was a tall figure dressed in tattered, ck robes, wrapped in bone-made jewelry that presented the decrepit heads of both humans and demons.

    "Another for the collection," the giant, massive-cleaver wielding fiend grumbled.

    ["Artificial Devil: The Head Hunter" | Level 34]

    "Huh¡­?"

    He was still in shock, feeling his knees buckle from beneath him, quivering and looking forward as the headless body of us spewed ck blood before falling lifelessly over into the Blood Swamp.

    "...Human. I knew I smelled something¡­so sweet," The Head Hunter said in his gravelly voice.

    The face of the robed, head-wearing devil was obscured, though its lengthy, spiraling horns were prominent; only its steam-exuding snout and beady, ck eyes could be seen beneath its hood.

    This was "Hell"; even if not the entire realm itself, it was clear that whatever domain he stood in was one that birthed little reprieve, and spewed out only malice.

    What¡­is going on? us is dead? Who is this guy? Level thirty-four? Huh? This isn''t fair, he thought.

 Chapter 156 The Head Hunter

    For the fragile mind of Sol, all of the fight was drained from him when faced against such mountainous dread and brutality.

    "Human head¡­so rare; like a diamond. Sweet as nectar, skin as smooth as snow; nothing like it in Hell," The Head Hunter spoke low.

    The Artificial Devil talked to him while trimming the low-hanging flesh from us'' disembodied head, clearing the neck before adding it to his various bone-made jewelry that presented many heads.

    There was something distinctly different between this Artificial Demon, and the one he was originally faced with; The Head Hunter was far more past the threshold of "demon" than Dae-Mon, holding little features of a humanoid.

    He was frozen by the gargantuan presence of The Head Hunter, who dwarfed his size by several times, looming over him with a dreadful shadow.

    Diamond¡­? Nectar¡­? What is this guy talking about? He thought.

    "I''ll be taking it," The Head Hunter said.

    Rather than reacting to the ludicrous speed attached to the Artificial Devil of such arge, bulky frame, he felt the crimson liquid ripple around him.

    The Head Hunter had disappeared from in front of his eyes, appearing behind him while rearing back the massive, multi-meter long, blood-stained cleaver he wielded that surpassed the young man in both length and width.

    "I''m yer'' opponent, jackass¨C!"

    Huh? He thought, hearing a different, but familiar voice now.

    ng.

    He turned around, unable to react to the mountainous cleaver that had been swung towards his neck, only saved by the two, much smaller swords that intercepted its path towards his flesh.

    "Yeong-Un¡­?!" He let out in surprise.

    The man with spiky blue hair and a mesh shirt that did nothing to hide his scarred, toned body was standing between him and The Head Hunter, covered in variouscerations.

    "I thought you were washed away by the swamp¡­what a great day; two human heads¨Cso wonderful," The Head Hunter said.

    The massive, blood-stained cleaver was swung back before beingunched forward towards both of the young men.

    With how swift and devastating it was, slicing through the crimson waters like a wave of death, he was frozen in fear, watching it grow closer.

    "Move it¨C!"

    He was grabbed by the cor as Yeong-Un pulled him out of the way from the cleaver''s path, taking them both into a fall of the Blood Swamp to duck beneath the head-slicing weapon.

    "...Close," Yeong-Un mumbled, getting back up immediately before looking down at him, "Are ya'' gonna get up n'' fight, or what?!"

    "--" He blinked a few times before picking himself up, now drenched in the crimson fluid as he held his silver spear, "...Yeah, I think so."

    "Ya'' think so?! Gimme a more solid answer!" Yeong-Un confronted him.

    ¨CThere was no such time for things as The Head Hunter was already, once again, aiming to slice their heads from their shoulders as the two had to duck beneath the cleaver again that passed overhead like a chopper de.

    "Damn, this guy is annoyin''!" Yeong-Un gritted his teeth.

    "Hey, Jeong-Hui isn''t with you¡­?" He finally asked.

    Yeong-Un grabbed him by the cor of his brown coat again, forcing him to move to the side with him to avoid a m of the massive cleaver, responding while on the move, "--Save the talkin'' for after we''re not dead! And no, Jeong-Hui didn''t evene down here, I think!"

    "...He didn''t? Wait¡­you mean he''s all alone against that creep?!" He finally realized,ing to.

    "That''s exactly what I mean!" Yeong-Un answered.

    While in the midst of their hectic conversation, the dual spellde reinforced his des with a defensive enchantment, blocking one of the cleaver strikes as he gritted his teeth.

    "--That''s why¡­we''ve gotta hurry!" Yeong-Un said through his clenched teeth while sparks spewed from the sh of steel.

    It was easier said than done, as even with his respectable strength, Yeong-Un was blown back by the power wielded by the Artificial Demon who flung him across the bloody waters.

    "...Struggle¡­vain¡­Wasteful," The Head Hunter bellowed.

    Yeong-Un bounced against the water, falling into the crimson liquid as he coughed out, picking himself up right away.

    "Yeong-Un!" Sol yelled out.

    "Huh?! Worry about yer¨C"

    Before the sharp-toothed man could even get his words out, that shining, abhorrent cleaver filled his view again.

    It was an unparalleled amount of aggression and violence that exuded from that cleaver; as it swept towards his neck, he could feel it then:

    This thing has killed a helluva lot of people. It''s a weapon of killin''...no doubts about that, he thought.

    Yeong-Un only barely managed to lean back, bending backward as he evaded the de''s attempted reach for his neck.

    Even after dodging through his unorthodox movement, he was forced to cartwheel back as the Head Hunter disyed unexpected dexterity¨Crearing his cleaver back again after missing and mming it down towards him.

    He huffed, catching his breath as his body was already in a bad state, "...Shit! A little help, Sol!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Sol was left stunned, snapped back into focus from the call of hispanion as he nodded and gulped, "Right¡­!"

    While Yeong-Un was evading and attempting to counter the Artificial Devil with swift flurries of his des, only to be defended against by the dexterous giant, he rushed in with his spear held in front of him.

    "Raaaagh¨C!"

    He sprinted forward, screaming his warcry that more so resembled a terrified yell, enchanting his spear with a lightning essence:

    "Cast: Lightning Rod¡ª!!!"

    As Sol closed his eyes and buried his fear, he tossed his spear towards the back of the head-wearing, grotesque enemy.

    Leaving his fingertips, the silver spear spun around, empowered by the torque of the spiraling, azure lightning that coiled around its lengthy shape before it boomed forth.

    Go¡­! He urged his own weapon.

    Though his stomach dropped as with swift, inhuman reflexes, the giant Head Hunter spun around, blocking the lightning-infused spear with its massive cleaver.

    "No¡­!" He let out in disbelief.

    Now it felt truly helpless to him; it was simply an unfair reality thatid before his eyes as the monstrous giant surpassed not only their raw strength, but possessed even superior agility.

    ¡­What do we do¡­? If we fall here¡­it''s all over for Jeong-Hui, too! He thought.

    But his thoughts were only just that¨Cthoughts.

    They were not reality, and they certainly were not the truth that one suchpanion of his would ept.

    "That''s plenty, Sol¨C!!!"

    From behind the Head Hunter, who had to focus his attention to the erratic, lightning-propelled spear, Yeong-Un leapt up, holding both of his des that were engulfed in azure mes that spewed out a destructive heat.

    "Yeong-Un¡­!"

    Just from the brief encounters with the Head Hunter, having to suffer the blunt effects of blocking its powerful blows, Yeong-Un''s body was imprinted with bruises, but the bloodied young man still grinned, holding his ming des with unmatched resolve.

    "--I''ll show ya'' what it means to challenge Gangcheori, hellspawn! This is my Burning Dragon, Burning Tiger, ming Triumph¨C!!!"

    Before the Head Hunter could fully turn around after repelling the spear, the dual-wielded des of roaring, blue mes of pure mysticism were shed forward, unleashing an azure explosion thatpletely enveloped the Artificial Devil.

    The vtile force alone blew Yeong-Un back, whose entire coat had been burned away to tatters as he was left with only his fis-like mesh shirt.

    "Woah, there¨C!"

    Sol caught his spear as it returned to his hand swiftly, having to catch his own bnce as the residual wind knocked up harshly by hispanion''s attack nearly caused him to tumble over.

    The result of the massive explosion of blue mes caused Yeong-Un to flip over through the air,nding on his feet beside Sol as he stumbled a bit to properly settle his bnce.

    "...Hah! I did it!" Yeong-Un grinned.

    "--"

    "I mean, err¡­I guess we did it! Ha-ha!" Yeong-Un corrected himself, pping hispanion on the shoulder.

    Sol winced yfully as the yful p was still enough to hurt his exhausted body, but he smiled, looking forward at the azure smoke that lingered from the massive explosion.

    "...Do you¡­think that really did the job?" Sol asked nervously.

    "If it didn''t, well, we''re screw¨C"

    Before he could get the words out, as if already jinxing himself, Yeong-Un''s eyes went wide as he immediately pushed hispanion to the side, stepping in front of him with focused eyes.

    "Yeong-Un¨C?!" Sol looked up.

    CLANG.

    It had happened so fast that Sol had trouble even perceiving what happened; from the azure cloud of smoke, the Artificial Devil had dashed forward with incredible speed, aiming to once again, sever their heads, but not before Yeong-Un managed to block the iing cleaver.

    "Ghhh¡­! Damn, yer'' tenacious¡­!"

    The Head Hunter pressed the cleaver against the two swords wielded by the spiky-haired adolescent, which inparison, were like toothpicks against a knife.

    "Head¡­I will take your heads¡­" The Head Hunter breathed his words out as an augury of his brutal intentions.

    "The hell if ya'' are!"

    Yeong-Un pushed forward, yelling out as he contested the goliath''s strength with his own. While witnessing the sh of power, the hazel-haired young man clutched his spear and watched nervously, still distraught by the entire situation.

    What am I doing¡­? Why aren''t I moving? Yeong-Un is fighting with all he''s got¡­He''s in worse shape than me¨C! So, what am I doing?! What am I so scared of?! Sol thought.

 Chapter 157 The One Who Forges Crimson

    "Head. Head. Head."

    The Head Hunter repeatedly said in its emotionless, bellowing voice as it walked forward, causing Yeong-Un''s boots to slide back through the shallow depths of the Blood Swamp.

    "...Ngh¡­!!!"

    It was obvious what sort of state Yeong-Un''s body was in by one nce; he was covered in cuts and bruises as blood seeped down his forehead from an unseen gash on his scalp.

    Yet, he possessed the same, unflinching vigor as always, pushing himself to the brink while Sol looked on in horror.

    "...I''m not stoppin''! Not ever! Not until¡­we reach a good endin''!" Yeong-Un proimed.

    With that promation, said from the depths of his being, to nobody in particr but to bolster himself, Yeong-Un dug his boots into the brittle soil in the swamp, doing his best to push back against the overwhelming strength of the devil.

    "Head! Head! Head!"

    With a brutal push, The Head Hunter attempted to crush the young man downward, but Yeong-Un maintained his stance, leaning back as he continued pressing his veiny arms upward against the daunting cleaver above.

    "Raaagh¨C!"

    SWOOSH.

    Just before the colossal weapon wielded by the Artificial Devil could crush Yeong-Un, a projectile was flung, hitting therge devil right in its chest with a sharp impact¨Ca perfect hit.

    "Nn¡­"

    The Head Hunter stumbled back, not too phased by the attack, but clearly hurt as it moved back, attempting to grab the silver spear before it plucked itself from the wound¨Cflying back to the hand of the one whounched it.

    Yeong-Un caught his breath, ncing back just as the spear returned to Sol''s hand, who was sweating from the simple, but ballsy throw.

    "Nice throw," Yeong-Un said between heavy breaths.

    "...It looks like all I did was make him angry," he responded with a nervous look.

    And, it was true.

    The Head Hunter, who towered over them, was hardly harmed by the spear, which was nothing but a stray arrow to itsrge body, which the wound healed itself seemingly instantly. A rumbling aura emanated from the Artificial Devil''s form, rippling the Blood Swamp as its ck cloak swayed, the decorative trophy-heads it wore jingled and ttered together.

    "Looks like yer'' fight," Yeong-Un said, wiping the blood from his lips as he held his dual des up, "--We just gotta cut him up, then!"

    "You make it sound so easy!"

    Just as the two readied for another sh, the massive foe was alreadyunching towards them, prompting the two to roll to the side in opposing directions as the massive cleaver was mmed downward.

    Every attack that came was fatal in nature; it carved through the air with its malicious edge, always seeking to cut through their necks.

    Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.

    Though the Head Hunter was but one entity, it went on the offensive against both of the young fighters even though they stayed separate¨Cutilizing insane bursts of explosive speed as before one could make a move¨C

    "Cast: Windbreak¨C"

    ¨CThe Artificial Devil would strike.

    Before Sol could cast the spear-augmenting spell while witnessing the devil sh against Yeong-Un''s des, the devil appeared in front of him with blinding agility.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    He felt his blood run cold from being face-to-face with the enigmatic Head Hunter, being stared at by the zed over eyes of the ornamental heads it wore across its ck, blood-stained cloak.

    Raising his silver spear as ast resort for a defense, the cleaver smacked against it harshly as the impact rattled him to the marrow of his bones.

    "--"

    He could feel the chime of wind whistle through his skeleton as he was left dazed by just guarding against the ungodly strength of the Artificial Devil, looking on as the Blood Swamp spun around his swirling vision.

    "Watch out, idiot¨C!"

    Yeong-Un''s yell did little to set him straight as he was too preupied keeping the soles of his boots attached to the swampy ground beneath.

    Wha¡­? He thought.

    SLASH.

    "Gyuh¨C!"

    Before he could react, he figured out what it was that his frantic, scarredpanion was yelling to him about:

    After defending against the strike of the cleaver, of course, another came¨Ccarving against his torso in a vertical muttion.

    He was clung back from the powerful swing as blood shot out from therge gash left across his upper-body.

    [--]

    It was difficult for him to even make out what his System was informing him of, but he could already guess it was that his health had just dropped to a threatening degree.

    As hended in the crimson depths of the swamp, he stared up at his own blood rained down on his face, blinking slowly as it all faded to ck.

    [--]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sol! Dammit¡­!!!" Yeong-Un screamed out.

    Not again! Not anymore! I won''t keep losin'' it all! Fuck all of this! Yeong-Un thought.

    Rushing forward with his des engulfed in hungering mes, Yeong-Un charged towards the Artificial Devil while letting out a warcry, abandoning all strategy as his repressed rage let itself out in all of its glory.

    But, just before the mesh-shirt-wearing young man could leap up andunch his anger-filled mes towards his enemy¨C

    The bloody swamp where Sol hadid exploded into a colossal geyser, stopping both Yeong-Un and the Head Hunter alike as they looked on.

    "Head?" The inhuman devil said quietly in his deep tone.

    The fountain of bloody liquid continued to stay risen before parting in a cascade of waves, parting the swamp as the hazel-haired figure stood on a cement of moist soil, untouched by the swamp as it stayed parted.

    [Blood Forger System: Active]

    Yeong-Un was left in suspense for a moment before a wide, excited grin stretched across his lips, pumping his fist into the air, "Hell yeah! d yer'' back, other Sol!"

    With his scarlet eyes opening, Sol''s idle expression held ayer of contempt as he seemed less than pleased to be conscious.

    "Shut up. I''m tired, so I''ll get this done quickly¨Cdon''t get in my way," Sol said.

    Those words came with surprising speed as Sol had somehow broken the distance between himself and Yeong-Un with a single step, traversing a dozen meters in a blink as he left a single pat on hispanion''s shoulder with those abrasive swords.

    "Huh¨C? Hey! Don''t get cocky just ''cause yer''--ah, crap! Fine! Mess him up, then!" Yeong-Un begrudgingly relinquished the fight to Sol.

    As Sol stepped in front of the confused Artificial Devil, he was unflinching;pletely calm as he stopped, slowly looking up at the head-wearing entity.

    "I''ll be taking your head," Sol said.

    "Head? My head¡­? Uneptable!" The Head Hunter bellowed.

    Immediately, with that agility that didn''t fit the giant, wide-set figure in the slightest, the Head Hunterunched his cleaver towards the young man''s neck, only for it to be immediately stopped by a swift force.

    It was just then that Yeong-Un came to a realization that made both his heart beat with excitement, and his stomach drop:

    "The Blood Swamp."

    This entire ce¡­as big as a damn country, maybe¡­it''s all blood. For somebody like him, who is stronger with the blood he has ess to, this is¡­! Yeong-Un put it together.

    "--?"

    Without moving an inch, the red-eyed young man deflected the cleaver,manding a whip of blood from the vast swamp to defend him.

    Yeong-Un only gulped, staying his distance as he was now certain of what was toe:

    Right here, right now¡­Sol is number one, he thought.

    "Head! Head! Head!"

    Going on a blubbering rampage, the Head Hunter danced around the swamp, repeatedly swinging his cleaver in various ways towards the young man.

    But, it was like an elephant attempting tobat a fish within the depths of the sea; though the Artificial Devil was swift in his own right, the Blood Forger was carried across the stretch of blood without having to take a single step.

    "Head! Give! Me! Your! Head!"

    Each m of the gargantuan cleaver resulted in a ripple of hellish energy that caused enormous waves to form throughout the Blood Swamp, all of which were only fuel for Sol''s strength, who watched his foe boredly.

    "Back."

    Sol gave the simple order with a snap of his fingers, coalescing arge gathering of the crimson liquid into a cannonball-like shape beforeunching it with a force that caused the wind to crack and howl.

    As it shot against the belly of the bulbous devil, it caused the giant figure to beunched back harshly.

    "Tch," the sleepy, alternate mindset of Sol clicked his tongue.

    Just as quickly as the Artificial Devil was blown away, he leapt back with a monstrous jump, crashing back down into the swamp with a fuming rage emitting from his unseen nostrils.

    "Head¡ª!!!"

    Losing all sense of intelligence, the devil gathered a ck mass of energy around his cleaver, swinging it as it unleashed a ze of abyssal mes in its path before soaring towards the Blood Forger.

    "--"

    Without moving a single muscle or uttering a word, he watched the enormous serving of abyssal energyunch towards him before arge barrier was erected by a formation of the blood swamp''s essence.

    The blood crystallized into a colossal shield, intertwining into multipleyers with a thick constitution that guarded against the explosive hellfire.

    "Is that it?"

    Though he spoke his words without any emotion, they came off as a berating challenge, issued towards the fuming devil who roared out.

    The roar that left the bowels of the Head Hunter caused the vast swamp to ripple and tremble, all while the Blood Forger looked on, unimpressed.

    "Kill. Behead. I am. Head Hunter!"

    Sol look on, "And I''m Sol¨CI''ll be hunting your head, today."

 Chapter 158 Clutch Factor

    Unleashing forward in a rage, the Head Hunter threw itself towards the Blood Forger, wildly swinging his cleaver side-to-side, trying to behead the much smaller human with repeated chants:

    "Head! Head! Head!"

    This assault was thwarted by a single snap of Sol''s fingers:

    "Blood Web."

    Utilizing the seemingly limitless Blood Swamp, the crimson liquid was instantaneously crystallized, expanding and breaking off into various branches that quickly surrounded the Artificial Devil.

    The series of crimson webstched onto the Head Hunter, ensnaring his entire body from various angles and tightly squeezing.

    "Head!...Head!...Head!"

    In a violent thrash, the Head Hunter pulled against the adhesive webs of blood, stomping forward as it tore through its bindings¨Call while looking straight at him with its bloodthirsty gaze hidden beneath its hood.

    "I''ll have it¡­Head! Head! Head!"

    Tearing from its bounds, the Head Hunterunched forward with its head-made ne jingling as it wildly swung its cleaver around.

    "Come on, then."

    While the Artificial Devil began swinging his cleaver, infusing it with hellish swarms of energy thatunched out into cascading explosions, the Blood Forger danced around the bloody swamp, remaining calm andposed.

    Swirling with howling, ck energy of an abyssal fright, the Head Hunter leapt up, wildly swinging its head-cleaving weapon as it unleashed various assaults of the hell-made malice down towards him.

    "Crimson Sentinel."

    A single utterance spoken calmly from his lips resulted in the fluids of the swamp coalescing into a colossal, humanoid figure that took the shape of a knight, lifting a massive shield to guard him and Yeong-Un from the array of ck shes.

    "Shit¡­! It''s angry!" Yeong-Un said.

    The shield raised by the blood-formed sentinel was gargantuan; spanning the side of a skyscraper and exceeding one in width as it produced arge shadow for the two behind it.

    Still, even against the massive shield, the ck explosions roared out, causing the Blood Swamp to tremble as the residual impacts spewed down in a rain of hellfire onto the bloody pool around.

    "Hey, red-eyes, do ya'' got this¡­?!" Yeong-Un asked sharply.

    The spiky, blue-haired young man was on one knee during this, huffing and holding his side as after his adrenaline settled down, the battered state of his body throttled him in a coat of pain.

    The Blood Forger ignored him, keeping his eyes up, watching as the shield above began to crack from the repeated, explosive shes from the Head Hunter.

    "Head! Head! Head! Head! Head!"

    In a nauseating chant, the Artificial Devil, enraged and lost in madness, continued repeating the same word it loved, over and over, while rapidly swinging the massive cleaver around against the crimson shield.

    "Red-eyes, I''m talkin'' to ya!" Yeong-Un barked out as blood coated his lips.

    He finally answered, not looking back at hispanion, "Shut up. I''m working."

    "Tch¡­" Yeong-Un clicked his tongue, "Ya'' have a real mouth on ya'' when yer'' like this, don''t ya?"

    Just as the colossal shield began to be broken through, the Blood Forger raised his own spear in his hands, thrusting it forward into the air.

    Though this action seemed to do nothing, the enormous sentinel of blood mimicked his movement, raising its skyscraper-sized spear and thrusting it towards the Head Hunter.

    The red spear dwarfed the Head Hunter, who despite hisrge build, was dwarfed by the Crimson Sentinel itself.

    The Head Hunter swerved around the tip of the spear with surprising agility, leaping up again as it prepared for another onught of hellfire shes.

    "I won''t let you throw another tantrum," he whispered.

    In his hands, he spun his spear around rapidly, causing the sentinel to mimic his move to a muchrger scale.

    WHOOSH.

    Above them, the air howled, producing a storm as the far-stretching spear of the blood-formed humanoid spun rapidly.

    "Holy¡­!" Yeong-Un grinned at the ridiculous disy of power.

    While the Crimson Sentinel moved its spinning spear around, which generated an overwhelming wind pressure, the Artificial Devil was knocked down harshly as the spear was rapidly swung downward, carrying the ludicrous momentum with it.

    "Ghhh¨C! Head¡ª! Head¡ª!! Head¡ª!!!"

    Picking itself back up rapidly, now spewing blood from beneath its robes, the Artificial Devil lifted its cleaver, manifesting a shroud of ck energy before swinging it towards the air.

    Instead of an outright attack, the Head Hunter manifested colossal, ck-me skulls that soared through the air towards the sentinel.

    Seeing the swarm of massive skulls, chattering their teeth as they hurled towards their location, Yeong-Un picked himself up slowly, using his own swords for bnce.

    "Huff¡­"

    "Stay down," the Blood Forger said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Huh!?" Yeong-Un looked up towards the back of his hazel-haired, red bandanapanion.

    The Blood Forger brought his spear up, causing the towering sentinel to do the same as he looked back at Yeong-Un with hisposed, scarlet eyes:

    "I''ve got this."

    Yeong-Un stared at him for a moment before nodding, "Ya'' better. If ya'' die, I''ll kill ya''!"

    "Heh."

    With but the most subtlest of chuckles, the Blood Forger returned his gaze forward, tightening his grip on his silver spear.

    "Huh¡­?" Yeong-Un looked around.

    From around the vast Blood Swamp, the crimson essence began to rise up, moving into the air and coalescing around the spear of the sentinel.

    All the same, the volley of gigantic, ming skulls hurled forward.

    "I don''t know what it is yer'' nnin'' to do, but do it soon¡­!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    The Blood Forger remained unflinching, flipping the spear once more as the skyscraper-sized one up above swirled in unison, using the gathered blood to form an enormous, circr de of blood-red brutality.

    It was an enormous formation; the circle of ovepping blood, swirling and spinning to gain momentum loomed over like a scarlet cloud before, just as the many skulls closed in, the Blood Forger swept his guiding spear forward.

    Just as he did, the sentinel did;unching the massive, circr de forward as it cut through the air, bisecting the skulls before they could reach¨Cresulting in massive, ck explosions filling the air.

    Even being swallowed in the vtility of the chattering skulls, the colossal de continued on its way, hurling forth as the Head Hunter looked on in shock as the attack that dwarfed itself was now just mere meters from him.

    "...Head?"

    Squelch.

    In a visceral, merciless fashion, the sky-made de of blood eviscerated the Head Hunter, sawing through the Artificial Devil, turning the fiend into multiple pieces all at once.

    "Ya'' did it¡­!" Yeong-Un looked on in surprise.

    The Blood Forger remained silent, breathing in and out quietly before bringing his spear down, and just as he did, he released the Crimson Sentinel¨Ccasting the blood used back into the hellish swamp.

    "--"

    "--Oh, crap!"

    Just as the sharp¨Ctoothed young man looked on, he saw Sol begin swaying side-to-side, running over and catching him before his friend fell over.

    "...Zzz¡­"

    "Heh. Ya'' did it," Yeong-Un said quietly.

    As Yeong-Un picked his unconscious friend up, setting him on his back, he turned around from a trembling that urred¨Cwitnessing a massive, wormlike creature d in metallic scales rise up from the swamps.

    "Holy¡­"

    It was gargantuan; easilyrge enough in length to reach the desired ceiling up above. Seeing that towering creature, a devilish grin appeared across Yeong-Un''s lips.

    "Looks like I found our ticket back to the fight!"

    ¡ª

    For the entire time he was alone, he managed to remain slippery to his foe, pushing himself past his limits.

    The Artificial Devilunched towards him with speed that only his hyper reflexes could witness, but his body was almost too slow to react¨Cfeeling as though he was tugging his corporeal form through a slowing sea.

    But, by some miracle, he moved just before the chainsaw-formed limb of the devil man could cut through his midsection, hopping up and avoiding it.

    "Huh¨C?" Dae-Mon smiled, though veins pressed against his skin.

    It was hardly pure skill or finesse that allowed him to avoid the swift strike, that much was proven again as he evaded a strike in mid-air, kicking off of the ck-blooded fiend for a foothold to avoid the jagged, revving chainsaw.

    How?! How?! How?! How?! Dae-Mon repeatedly thought.

    Even with the monstrous swiftness the morphing devil presented, transforming his legs into an equine-like shape for further speed, mming his chainsaw-arms towards the red-haired, ck-uniformed adolescent over and over¨Cit didn''t hit.

    He was gassed; controlling his breathing as none of these evasions came easy¨Ceach and every maneuver manifested his full-effort to dodge as the pink-haired devil sprouted three times as many chainsaws out of a temper tantrum, doing everything he could to mutte the young human before him.

    But, s, there was something different about him.

    It was focus; honed in so incredibly sharp to a razor''s edge¨Chis focus was nothing but stepping into the "Zone"--a state of incredible conviction towards one goal, ignoring all other instances as he drove himself towards his destination.

    This was the [Clutch Factor] he had recently cultivated; a concept in which at moments of impossibility, driven against insurmountable odds, miracles could be born through an intertwined effort of skill, luck, and will.

 Chapter 159 Objective: Kill

    "HOW¡ª?!?!?!?!"

    In sheer rage at the continuous slipperiness of his opponent, Dae-Mon screamed out before transforming his limbs into a grotesque, violent mixture of forms: dangling, far-stretching chains with chainsaws revving at their ends, numbering in the dozens.

    "Oh, shit," he mumbled, seeing this new alteration.

    From every angle, the steaming, spinning saws flung and whipped around him, prompting him to evade with every ounce of strength and effort in his body before¨CSLICE.

    "Ngh¨C!"

    The element of the [Clutch Factor] could only reach so high, andst so long, before one of the visceral chainsaws reached him¨Cslicing one of his hands clean off.

    [Health -850 | 1100/3250]

    His left hand was flung from his wrist as blood immediately geysered out from the new wound.

    Witnessing this, Dae-Monughed out, filling the grotesque, vast space with his ear-piercingughter, "--Aha-ha! How''s it feel?! You''ve been cutting me up and battering me this whole time, but I got you this time! You can''t heal like me, can you? Too bad, so sad!"

    He yelled out in pain, falling to his knees as the revving onught of chainsaws hovered around him by the supernatural chains, profusely sweating as he held his handless wrist with his right hand.

    Flesh¡­Temple! He thought.

    Utilizing the martial arts technique before he could lose blood, he forced his wrist to clench shut and halt the bleeding through forcibly tightening and contracting his muscles in that area.

    "Huff¡­"

    It was a dizzying sight to see ack of a hand at the end of his arm, but he did his best to maintain a level head¨Cpicking up his own severed hand and shoving it in his pocket.

    [I''ll handle focusing on keeping your wrist clenched. You just focus onbating the enemy in front of you, Jeong-Hui.]

    "...Thanks¡­" He said quietly through a heavy breath.

    "Oh? Wow! I''m impressed! You''ve got a good head on your shoulders, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Dae-Mon called out, "--Mind if I take it?"

    While standing there, left with only left hand against the devil that was already seemingly unbeatable when he had two, he breathed out slowly.

    I''ve noticed it¡­for a while now. At the start of all of this, from the day "God" descended from Heaven to issue his promation of our destruction¡­I''ve tried to convince myself not to lose my humanity.

    To me, "humanity" was simply benevolence, or something akin to sainthood. I didn''t want to allow myself to take a single life¨Cbut, I realized soon enough I wasn''t strong enough for a conviction like that.

    Even in Armageddon, with everything resembling a society gone, I wanted to hold onto that image of "humanity"--no matter how fruitless of an endeavor it was. Part of it was me wanting to honor my Mother¡­I didn''t want to be a killer in her eyes.

    But, I was punished for that. My own reluctance to kill resulted in me losing everybody around me. I changed my resolve; from not killing anybody, to killing only those who "threaten me or those close to me."

    That''s the wrong way to go about it though, isn''t it? I''m still holding onto some reservations. Even in this decrepit world, I''m still holding out.

    I''m afraid of where I''ll end up if I continue moving the goalpost.

    "What counts as a threat?" "Who counts as a danger to me or my friends?" It''ll continue to move¨Cbing more and more vague, and easier for me to ept smaller mistakes as excuses to kill.

    With this System, my body has been fine-tuned for killing. It''s my first instinct, but I''ve suppressed it. If I let it gopletely, killing will be at the forefront of my mind¨Cas natural as breathing. But if I''m alone like this, it''s fine.

    If I want to make it out of here¡­I have to let go of those chainspletely, and I''ll need your help with that, Sage System, he thought.

    With this reforged conviction, he honed his eyes, looking past any semnce of humanity left in his enemy as he burst forward, wielding only a single dagger now, with his single hand¨Cthough he didn''t let such a shoring dull his resolve.

    "Yes! Come! Come! Let''s y, Mr. Jeong-Hui!" Dae-Monughed out loud.

    The pink-haired devil reshaped his arms into dozens of mouths,unching them towards the nimble assassin, who ducked around their mping teeth.

    "Let''s y!"

    "y! y! y!"

    "Let me taste you! Please? Please?!"

    Each of the mouths spoke in high-pitched versions of Dae-Mon''s voice, filling his ears from every angle as they stretched out as tendrils of flesh that bore only the talking, violent mouths, attempting to bite him repeatedly.

    One opportunity; that''s what he sought through this Hell: a chance to find the weakness of the devil before him.

    "Come on! y with us!"

    "One little bite! Pretty please?!"

    He tried shing at the dozens of mouths as they repeatedly mmed their buck, pearly teeth towards him, but they were slippery; weaving from the range of his dagger.

    "How is it?! I took some inspiration from you and made them annoying to hit! Aha-ha-ha!" Dae-Mon yelled out, standing still as he let his transfigured limbs handle the fight.

    It wasn''t just that, though. He knew what was the real reason for his inability tond a substantial blow to the grotesque mouths.

    I''m not used to this; for months now, I''ve worked on solely dual-wielding¡­this feels off, but I''ll have to adjust, he thought.

    While it wasn''t enough to level up, the continuous effort in the battle while beaten, battered, exhausted, and mutted allowed to continue cultivating various proficiencies:

    [Zombie Self-Sustain]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Undying]

    [Clutch Factor]

    All of these proficiencies were at work, all gaining experience as he fought against theughing devil while maintaining hisposure to the best of his ability.

    Finally, catching his optimal footing in the midst of the continuous dodging of the many, serpentine mouths, he braced himself¨C

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -100 | 200/3600]

    It was by virtue of his Sage Period that had reduced the cost of Ripper, otherwise he would''ve never used it, but the skill allowed him to momentarily transcend his nimble limits and utilize his one dagger to unleash a plethora of quick shes.

    "Gyuh!"

    "Oh no¡­!"

    "..Ah, I''m dying! I''m dying!"

    The squeaky-voiced, taunting mouths screamed out as they were cut by [Ripper], which carved through the stale air with picture-perfect killing intent.

    "Ah-ha! That won''t do~!" Dae-Mon grinned.

    The grotesque tendrils quickly reformed, regrowing the chattering mouths that now unleashed a series of high-pitched, tauntingughter around him.

    However¨C

    This is what I was looking for! He thought.

    He was already just in front of Dae-Mon, who didn''t seem to notice he had broken the distance of the chamber at such a speed.

    What? Dae-Mon was momentarily taken aback.

    It was a series of sessive [Blink Steps]; a technique that, no matter how fast his opponent was, he could get the jump on them with the perfectly-crafted opportunity.

    And that''s exactly what he forged for himself; holding his dagger between his fingers still, but clenching his fist tightly shut.

    It was clear that he wasn''t going for a cut or a stab, but something else as he swung back, pulling his arm back before his fist became swallowed in a swirling, ck heat, coiled with strands of violet lightning.

    He used everything he could:

    [Dark Edge]

    [Twilight Cutter]

    [Breaker Fist]

    What was forged from this unison of spells was: [Abyssal sh]

    Due to the nature of the long-range shape Dae-Mon had taken with his limbs, the devilish, pink-haired fiend was unable to counter what wasing as it all urred over the course of a few moments.

    [Spirit: -200 | 0/3600]

    Take it¡­all! He thought.

    mming his fist, which had been amplified many times over by thest reserves of spirit he held, he threw it against Dae-Mon''s torso, sinking it in with every ounce of strength he had left.

    A condensed release of ck mes and purple lightningshed out, creating a sh of sharp energy.

    "Ghh¨C!" Dae-Mon spit out.

    "--"

    He stayed focused, looking on as the elements dispersed to see the result¨C

    Squelch.

    His eyes widened as he saw what had happened, finally noticing the heat felt at his arm; the abnormal body of the gray-skinned devil had retaliated against his blow¨Cprotruding spike that stabbed right through his fist and forearm from various spots.

    [Health: -500 | 600/3250]

    Still, hisbined skill had managed tond¨Cblowing a hole through the Artificial Devil''s chest that caused Dae-Mon to spew ck blood out as if vomiting bile from his bowels.

    I felt it that time. But, just to make sure¡­System-guy, what did I just destroy? He questioned.

    [It seems you''ve managed to obliterate one of this entity''s hearts. From what I can gather, there are still a few more. If you can get rid of those, then¡­]

    Then he''ll be defeated, he thought.

    [Precisely. However, at the current moment, I''d worry about getting your arm free. Remaining close to this foe is a dangerous tactic.]

    "Gotcha," he mumbled quietly.

 Chapter 160 The Cavalry Is Here

    [Precisely. However, at the current moment, I''d worry about getting your arm free. Remaining close to this foe is a dangerous tactic.]

    "Gotcha," he mumbled quietly.

    Though it wasn''t any easy task ahead of him, as he tugged, all he did was further injure himself with the spikes that were embedded in his arm.

    "Ghh¡­!" He winced.

    Luckily, the powerful blow had kept Dae-Mon concussed, who was coughing up the abyssal blood from his throat as it trailed down his inflicted torso.

    Dae-Mon managed to finally return to, letting out a groan before revealing a wide grin with his teeth painted in his own ck fluid, "...Again, again, again! Mr. Jeong-Hui, you''re a dangerous one¡­I can''t keep letting my guard down around you, can I?"

    As the Artificial Devil spoke to him in twisted words, he was forcibly made to match his malicious gaze as the cold hands of the devil man grabbed his head, looking at him directly with his blood-stained smile.

    "So special. How about bing a GOETIA user, Mr. Jeong-Hui? I''m sure the Boss would be delighted to have somebody as merciless as you with us," Dae-Mon offered.

    He was still trying to pull his arm free, making his movements subtle enough while wincing in pain as some of the fleshy pricks slid out from his arm.

    The Artificial Demon caressed his hair in an unsettling manner before leaning closer, letting his grotesquely long tongue flop out before sliding it across his face.

    "Oh¡­that won''t do," Dae-Mon looked up, slithering his tongue back into his mouth.

    The sudden shift in tone made his blood run cold, thinking the abhorrent man had figured out that he was breaking free from the spikes that held his arm.

    Dae-Mon looked into his eyes, "You see¡­I have a special talent; I can taste just how "fun" somebody is¡­but, Mr. Jeong-Hui, you''re not very fun, are you¡­? You don''t take joy in these things, do you? Mm¡­How disappointing!"

    Just then, Dae-Mon''s ck eyes widened just as his grin did the same, emitting an aura ofplete bloodlust just as he managed to pull his arm free from the spikes.

    He ducked down just as the palms that caressed his head shifted into bludgeoning, brick hammer shapes¨Cmming together in an ear-ringing crack that would''ve made little work of his skull and brain matter.

    "--I''d rather die before standing by your side anyway, freak!"

    He yelled out as in retaliation, he clenched his bloody fist,unching a sharp uppercut to the chin of the devil man.

    "Oh¡­!"

    Dae-Mon let out as he was knocked upward by the powerful blow that released into a small shock wave.

    "--Nrgh!"

    Even though he had sessfullyunched the counter against the absent-minded foe of his, he clenched his teeth in pain as blood poured out from the small, dozen holes that were pierced into his right arm.

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    [Health Points: -5]

    Before it could continue dipping down, he had to think of something quick with the sparse amount of time he had before the Artificial Devil got back up.

    Cauterization wasn''t an option; there were many spots of infliction, and he had no spirit left. "Flesh Temple" was also a no-go; with such an injury, clenching his muscles wouldn''t help, as his muscles were also severely damaged as well.

    This is bad¡­! I guess¡­it''s the old-fashioned way, huh¡­? He thought.

    Taking off his ck-and-silver coat, he was left with just his ck undershirt that was strapped with a few pieces of matching leather armor, wrapping his coat around his injured arm.

    Even such an action was difficult as he had no left hand, having to awkwardly use his left forearm to wrap the fabric around his bleeding limb, tightening it frantically with his right hand by some messy strategy.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    He tightened it as much as he possibly could; managing to stifle the bleeding, at least for the time being as he huffed, sweating heavily as he felt his body running over with a fever.

    Damn, I''m shot¡­! Am I going to give out¡­before dying properly? He questioned.

    [Health: 550/3250]

    "Nrgh¡­"

    Dae-Mon picked himself up, swaying side-to-side with a distorted chuckle as he looked towards him, holding a shattered, lopsided jaw that naturally realigned itself.

    "...I wonder how your friends are doing, Mr. Jeong-Hui?..." Dae-Mon said, caressing his own chin with a smirk.

    "--" He gritted his teeth, looking on.

    Dae-Mon continued to smile, "Down there, in those abhorrent swamps¡­I wonder? Have they met those giant worms? Or perhaps¡­the ''Head Hunter''? Aha-ha! If I had to ce a bet, I''d say they''re de¨C"

    Just as the Artificial Devil smiled wide with his taunts spewing out, the floor in the center of the room was suddenly burst through by an unseen force¨Ccausing both Dae-Mon and himself to look on in shock.

    "Comin'' through¡ª!!!"

    Cutting in through the flooring, a dual de-wielding man of many scars and gelled-up, blue hair crashed through with another person on his back.

    "What¨C?!" Dae-Mon looked on.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeong-Un? Sol?!" He let out.

    Yeong-Unnded on the ground, meeting back up with the vermilion-haired assassin as he set the unconscious Sol down by the wall.

    It was apparent through the hole forged through the fleshy ground: just a few meters below the flooring that sat high above the swamps below, the scales of one of the hellish worms could be seen.

    Dae-Mon recognized what happened instantly as a delighted smile came over his lips.

    "--You came in using one of the worms?! How fantastic! Amazing!"

    They ignored the crazed words after rendezvousing, looking at each other¨Cseeing the results of the hellish war.

    "What happened to you¡­?" He asked.

    Yeong-Un was covered incerations, and dirtied by the gunky, crimson swamps below as his coat was lost, leaving him only in his torn mesh shirt.

    The sharp-toothed young man replied sharply, "Huh?! I should be askin'' ya'' that! What''s going on with yer'' hand?!"

    Of course, that was definitely a standout factor¨Chis missing hand.

    He gulped a bit, wincing as he could still feel the bubbling heat of pain surge through his body, only dulled luckily through his potent adrenaline.

    "...Yeah, it''s not too bad. I''ve still got my hand," he said, tapping his pocket, "...I can reattach it, but only if we live through this¡­"

    "Not too bad, huh?...Yer'' a tough customer!" Yeong-Un grinned.

    As he said that, they both looked on at the pink-haired Artificial Devil, who stood across the abhorrent chamber with his arms spread with a fiendish grin.

    "...I''m just about dead, how about ya''?" Yeong-Un asked with a nervous grin.

    "Yeah¡­about the same," he responded, "I figured out how to put this guy down."

    "Huh? Ya'' did?" Yeong-Un looked at him.

    He nodded, keeping his words heard only by hispanion, "He''s got multiple hearts. I''ve taken our two¡­I don''t know how many he has in total, but I can''t imagine it''s many more."

    "Now that ya'' mention it¡­He does seem more hurt than before," Yeong-Un said.

    Dae-Mon morphed his arms into wing-like des, shifting each limb into a set of three as they curved into a lengthy form honed for killing while holding his yful grin.

    "What''s it you two are whispering about over there? Are you leaving me out of the fun¡­? No good, no good!" Dae-Monughed out, widening his smile.

    The two stood side-to-side, only theirst legs, drenched in blood of their own and not. With Sol passed out in the wall, they were the only ones that could stand now in the hellish domain.

    "Ready?" He asked quietly.

    "Heh! I''m as ready as ever!" Yeong-Un replied.

    With that, the two dashed forward just as the Artificial Devil did the same, rushing through the grotesque, meat-made chamber.

    "I''ve got no spirit left," he said, running beside hisrade as he kept his emerald eyes forward.

    "Nice of ya'' to tell me now! But¡­I''m just about out myself!" Yeong-Un replied, holding his des by his side, crossing his arms over one another.

    "Looks like we''re doing this the good-ol''-fashioned way, then," he said.

    "Seems like it!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    Just then, as they finished their brief discussion, they broke off into opposite directions, with him breaking to the left, and Yeong-Un to the right; they did this to throw Dae-Mon off, who swept his de arms in an attempt to sh them.

    "--Oh?! Nicely done!" Dae-Mon smiled.

    As the devilish man smiled, taunting them with his facade of kindness, Yeong-Un rushed in with a roar.

    "--Don''t think I forgot, ya'' bastard! I''m going to tear ya'' apart for what you did to Binna¨C!!1" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    Dae-Mon grinned, shuffling his de limbs apart as the steel grated across both ends, "You''re still mad about that?"

    The words from the pink-haired fiend spurred a further rage from Yeong-Un, who mmed his des towards the Artificial Devil.

    CLANG.

    Utilizing his shifted limbs, the devilish man blocked the dual sword strikes, grinning as he stared directly at the rage-filled adolescent.

    "...So angry! Be careful, or your head will pop like a balloon! Aha-ha!"

    But, that taunting confidence from Dae-Mon quickly shifted as a dagger cut into his back, stabbing in from behind.

    "Ghh¨C?"

    The vermilion-haired assassin had mmed his ck-steel edge straight into the devil''s back, piercing into the corrupted flesh.

    Yeong-Un jumped back, still huffing as he smiled fiercely, "...I''m in control here, not ya''! I''m pissed, but¡­I''m not a big enough dumbass to lose myself to that!"

 Chapter 161 For Binna

    The twisted smile that Dae-Mon held was exuded with ck blood as he nced back, looking at the assassin who struck him from behind.

    "...How¡­naughty!" Dae-Mon said.

    He quickly withdrew his dagger just as the Artificial Devil morphed his arms into razor-embedded ropes, escaping their grasp with a [Blink Step] backward.

    "Huff¡­"

    Clutching his handless arm close to his side, he caught his breath as he looked on at Dae-Mon, who stood facing him sideways since Yeong-Un was on the opposing side.

    "...Did I get one of his hearts¡­?" He mumbled between rugged breaths.

    [Unfortunately, that doesn''t seem to be the case. Nothing resembling a beating heart was felt from the dagger piercing into that one''s body. And, it seems the wound has already healed.]

    After his Sage System answered for him, he wiped the sweat from his chin, flinging it to the ground as he stood straight.

    "...Great. Again, then," he said.

    Though he sounded exhausted, he flung himself forward again, rapidly sprinting as Dae-Mon seemed delighted to re-engage in a violent bout.

    "Yes! Yes! Let''s dance!" Dae-Monughed.

    From both sides, closing in at once on the Artificial Devil, himself and Yeong-Un held nothing back.

    Dae-Mon ducked beneath the wild, enraged swing of the dual spellde, smiling as he shifted his arm into ance, holding a twisted grin.

    "--If you''re so hung over about it, I''ll give you and that woman the same death¨C!!!"

    Before thence-arm could be thrust forth, the pink-haired devil was stopped as with [Dark Edge], the emerald-eyed assassin dug his de into the demon''s back again.

    "Gyuh¨C!"

    This time¡­? He questioned.

    [I believe that time, you reached one of his hearts.]

    With the System confirming his thoughts, he quickly plucked his dagger out before Dae-Mon couldsh out, shifting his limbs into razor-linked chains in a fury¨Cforcing both of the young men to jump back.

    "--Ah! Ah! Ah! So! Annoying! I just want to break you, but you keep being slippery!" Dae-Mon yelled out.

    It seemed like nothing more than a tantrum, but the fearsome, unending whips of the lengthy sets of razor chains made for an imprable space as they repeatedly caused the sound barrier to crack and howl.

    "Shut the hell up¡­!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    "Wait, stay back¨C!" He yelled out, warning his friend.

    Though it was toote as Yeong-Un had already stepped forward, entering the visceral territory upied by the demon man''s razor-made whips.

    sh.

    Right across his face, stretching down from his forehead to his cheek, the whip shed brutally¨Cbisecting Yeong-Un''s left eye.

    "Yeong-Un¨C!!!" He screamed.

    He tried to rush over to aid his friend, who fell to one knee, clutching his profusely bleeding face, but quickly stopped as one of the razor whips smacked the spot his boot almost stepped over.

    "...Come on, don''t be shy now¡­" Dae-Mon grinned.

    Though the sharp-edges chains looked like inorganic objects, they crawled through the air with an unnatural, unseen suspension forged by the Artificial Devil''s innate strength.

    Crap¡­! How am I going to get close like this?! He thought.

    "--I''m fine!"

    To his surprise, the words left from hispanion''s lips, who brought himself to his feet, moving his hand away from his face as half of it was dyed in flowing crimson.

    "But¡­" He said, but stopped himself.

    "All he did was piss me off even more!" Yeong-Un grinned, only looking on with his singr, golden eye left, mming his des together, "--Let''s cut him up!"

    Dae-Mon looked at him, leaning back unnaturally with his blood-drenched, pink hair swaying, "--So energetic! I love it!"

    The sharp chains whipped towards Yeong-Un, who gritted his teeth and nted the soles of his boots firmly against the fleshy, yet metallic ground beforebatting the swift whips with his swords.

    "Raaagh¨C!!"

    Yeong-Un screamed out as he repeatedly swiped his des¡ªKLINK. CLANG. KLINK.

    Sparks danced in the air as the injured adolescent continued fearsomelybatting the series of ded chains.

    Standing there, he watched, gritting his teeth before realizing what it was that was happening before his eyes¨C

    He''s taking the attention of those whips from me! Even cut up like that¡­he''s still choosing to open a window of opportunity for me! I have to do this, then! Forget your fears, and push forward! He thought.

    Dashing in, he sprinted swiftly as he held onto his single-wielded dagger, passing through the brutal territory as he reached Dae-Mon.

    Stab.

    At the same time he sunk his dagger between the devil man''s throat and his chest, the gray-skinned fiend had returned the favor, shing him across his torso with one of the razor whips.

    "Ghhh! Aha¡­ha!" Dae-Mon stillughed as blood ck poured from his lips.

    "Ngh¨C!" He winced.

    [Health Points: -300 | 250/3250]

    Still, he dug the dagger in deeper, causing the Artificial Demon to spew out more blood as he roared out, pushing down as he carved the dagger deep into his enemy''s torso.

    [I felt it. You destroyed another heart.]

    "...Huff¡­"

    Utilizing [Flesh Temple] once more, he constricted the muscles on his chest to stifle the bleeding on his torso, but he was still feeling the effects of his injuries umte.

    The Artificial Devil continued to grin despite vomiting blood, shifting his chain-whip arms into enormous, curved chainsaws that revved with malicious scorn.

    "--You''re mine now, I''ve¨CGrk!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before the pink-haired devil could proim his malignant words, two swords were thrust from behind him, piercing through his upper body cleanly as the ck eyes of Dae-Mon went wide with a fear native to men: "Death."

    Yeong-Un stood behind the devil, huffing as half of his body was drenched in a mixture of crimson and ck blood.

    "...That''s for Binna¡­Ya'' piece of shit¡­"

    The eyes of the Artificial Devil zed over as the abhorrent domain around them began to crumble and peel away, just as the demonic-turned man himself did¨Cmumbling to himself as his flesh turned to ck gunk.

    "...How¡­all I wanted¡­was to have some fun¡­"

    [EXP+5000 | 7600/1350]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +3 | 35/9999]

    [New Assassin ss Skill(s) Acquired: Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour]

    He could tell right away that the skill was something forged by the encounter with the Artificial Devil, but it was hardly the priority of his mind at the moment.

    As Dae-Mon was reduced to nothing but a puddle of ck gloop, both of the young men fell to their knees from their various injuries as the world around them returned to the corridor, unveiling the false hell they were dragged into before.

    "...We did it¡­" He celebrated.

    He hardly registered the System prompts as he sat on his knees, feeling his adrenaline begin to settle down as the pain in his body shot up, causing him to keel over.

    "...Yeah¡­"

    Yeong-Un was on one knee, holding onto his des to keep himself upright as he huffed while blood dripped from his eviscerated face, breathing heavily before tears began to fall.

    Binna and Sol were near them, with the gorged, passed womanid there before him as he cried silently.

    As he looked up, he noticed Yeong-Un hide his tears from his gaze.

    "--"

    "It ain''t right to let another man see ya'' cry," Yeong-Un exined through a muffled voice.

    "I don''t mind."

    "...I don''t care what ya'' mind or not!" Yeong-Un replied sharply through hidden tears.

    He nodded weakly and looked down, beginning to hear soft sobs from his sharp-haired friend while he himself began to cry¨Cthough for different feelings swirling in his heart.

    I''m¡­alive. So many are gone¡­And, is it even¡­over yet? He thought.

    As he began blinking, he unknowingly lost consciousness whileying against the ground.

    I''ll¡­sleep for now, he thought.

    --

    "You''re fast, aren''t you?"

    Jun-Seo kept his eyes pinned on the rapier that aimed for his head, weaving through the repeated piercings as he spoke.

    "--"

    Ma-Ri stayed silent, holding a cold anger within her assault before the Artificial Devil spun around into a kick against the man who tried attacking him from behind, knocking Korain to the side with the monstrous strength he devil possessed.

    "You''re not nearly as stealthy as you may think," Jun-Seomented.

    Again, the rapier pierced through the air, aiming right for the skull of the Artificial Devil before being stopped.

    "--!"

    Jun-Seo caught it between two fingers without even fully turning back to face the dark-haired young woman, turning to face her.

    Though he remained imposing and powerful, it was clear he was operating on limited stamina; the Artificial Devil breathed heavily and bled from the mouth.

    "...Do not trick yourself into believing that my condition being just a bit thwarted gives you a chance!" Jun-Seo yelled.

    Before he could throw his fist,ced with shadowy energy, towards the girl, she kept herself focused and yelled out:

    "Cast: Holy Piercer!"

    The invocation turned the thin de of her rapier into a source of heavenly light¨Ccausing the devilish fiend to quickly move his hand away as it was burned by the scalding element.

    "Ghh¨C! You!" Jun-Seo let out in anger.

    Jun-Seounched forward with swift speed, intending to retaliate, but the swiftness of the newly-appointed leader of Gangcheori surpassed his expectations as the girl pivoted around him.

    Korain knew it well¨Cabove all, it was Ma-Ri''s undisputed title: "The Immacte Light."

    Around the entire chamber, Ma-Ri dashed around like shes of light¨Cdisappearing and reappearing at various spots like a flicker.

    Ma-Ri is the fastest¡­Even if she''s below him in pure strength, her speed isn''t matched! It''s not just speed¨Ceven if she''s younger than me, her tactical mind is on par with the Boss! Korain thought.

    This speed¡­! Jun-Seo thought.

    Perhaps it was the fleeting strength of the Artificial Devil''s body, but he found the shy steps that Ma-Ri took to be difficult to follow as he spun around¨Cwatching as she moved as a sh of light around him before¨C

    "Meteor Shower."

    Utilizing the holy-infused rapier, she bounced from spot-to-spot rapidly within the chamber, zipping by the devilish man and leaving stabs with her rapier across his body¨Cthough Jun-Seo managed to block most with his translucent shields.

    From every angle, the shing thrusts of the rapier carved through the air, curving around and releasing potent beams of condensed light¨Cblowing multiple holes cleanly through the devil''s body as he regenerated, slowing down in his healing the more they came.

    "...Enough!"

    Jun-Seo stomped down, swinging around as this time¨Che predicted the trajectory in which the young woman shot towards him at, holding a triumphant smile as he prepared to catch her wrist before¨C

    Clench.

    The Artificial Devil found himselfpletely stopped as a force wrapped around his torso¨Csqueezing him tightly as a weight surrounded him.

    "Do it, Ma-Ri!"

 Chapter 162 Heavens Storm

    "Do it, Ma-Ri!"

    Jun-Seo looked back at the boisterous voice that yelled directly past his ear, seeing the burly man directly pressed behind him, now holding him in a tight lock with a single one of his muscr arms.

    "You¨C!?" Jun-Seo angrily snarled.

    Just as he released his innate, demonic power, blowing Korain back¨CSTAB.

    There wasn''t enough time for him to react before the radiant needle stuck itself through his torso at a blinding speed.

    "Gyuh¨C!" He spit out ck blood.

    The thin rapier held within it an overwhelming amount of power, rtive to its small-seeming size¨Ccausing Jun-Seo to vomit out ck gunk before attempting to swipe at the girl.

    Just as he tried to retaliate, missing as the young woman plucked the de from his chest and jumped back with a sh step, he nearly fell over from the agonizing burn left within his body.

    Does she know where my hearts are?! No¡­She''s simply striking wherever¨Cthat holy element! It''s like a disease once it enters me¨Cit''ll destroy any closeby hearts anyway¨C!!! Jun-Seo realized.

    "Damn you to Hell! I''m done ying with you!...I have a job to do!" Jun-Seo screamed out, beckoning his skull-handled sword to his hand.

    Just as the Artificial Devil rushed forward, he set his sights on the speedy, icy-eyed woman, swinging wildly towards her.

    Each sh left a destructive release of ck energy, but the devil man failed tond a hit; again and again, Ma-Ri shed around him with the ludicrous speed she possessed.

    But, it wasn''t enough¨C

    I can see you! Jun-Seo thought.

    With a twisted smile, after the new leader appeared behind him and unleashed a holy piercing, he flipped around and allowed the rapier to stab through his hand, clutching down on the needle.

    "--!" Ma-Ri looked on in surprise.

    Though she attempted to pull it out, the twisted figure''s grip was too strong; Jun-Seo held onto it, though steam exuded and sizzled the gray-skinned devil''s skin, he smiled.

    "I''ve got you now¨CI''ll finally end this farce!" Jun-Seo said, raising his rose-decorated broadsword.

    As the man raised the weapon, he was surprised to see there wasn''t a hint of fear on Ma-Ri''s expression; only that quiet, but determined anger.

    Why isn''t she¡­?! Jun-Seo thought.

    Squelch.

    In that moment, the only thought that crossed Jun-Seo''s mind was a simple, "Oh."

    The Artificial Devil realized why there wasn''t a semnce of worry on the young woman''s pale face: the hand that clutched the rapier was cut off in a massive swing of a shing ymore.

    "Raaaagh¨C!"

    With his single, right arm, Korain mmed his de through the Artificial Devil''s wrist, cutting it off in a clean strike as not a momentter, Ma-Ri slid her rapier from the severed hand and jumped back.

    Jun-Seo didn''t waste a moment reattaching his severed hand through the reconnecting of ck, flesh threads, using his raised de, instead of attacking his intended target who jumped back, to block against the next, boorish strike from the white-and-ck haired man.

    "Ghhh!" Korain clenched his teeth.

    The two-meter tall, burly man, dressed in his ivory armor nted his greaves down before shouting out while contesting Jun-Seo''s guard: "Cast: Abandon: Stage Two!"

    "Korain, that''s dangerous in your condition¡­!" Ma-Ri looked on.

    But, the augmentation spell was already cast as Korain''s tannedplexion shifted to a strained red, with his veins stretching over his skin while pressing against the Artificial Devil''s raised sword with further strength.

    "...Even with one arm, you''re¡­!" Jun-Seo began to struggle.

    Korain paid no mind to his words, pressing forward, "Ma-Ri¡­!"

    "--!" Jun-Seo''s eyes widened, realizing again what was happening.

    Throughout this bout, while suffering from destroyed hearts, the leader of the yer killing group was finding himself subject to one concept that again and again, took him by surprise: the immacte teamwork between the two.

    While he was busy holding both arms up now, gripping his bone-handled de tightly against Korain''s ymore, he could see the newly-appointed leader dashing towards him with that flickering agility.

    ¡­Despite just losing their leader, they''re not even distraught? Their senses aren''t dulled?! How¨C?! Jun-Seo questioned.

    The devil had to make a choice right then and there between holding back the heavy greatsword that was trying to swing down on him and taking the blow from the shining rapier, or stepping out of the way and risking that burly sword from cleaving into him.

    ¨CHe did neither.

    With a nimble movement, he ducked down, immediately elbowing the burly man right in his toned abdomen before swinging around and shing des against Ma-Ri, repeatedly deflecting the series of piercing blows that came his way.

    "Ngh¨C!" Korain spit out as the air from his lungs was removed with that blow.

    It was an opportunity that the Artificial Devil crafted for himself, now being able to fight one-on-one with the speedy woman.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ng. Klink. ng.

    Jun-Seo smiled as he managed tofortably guard against the series of strikes, taunting the girl, "--You''ll never measure up to your fallen leader like this!"

    This sparked only a slight flinch of Ma-Ri''s eyes, but the next move she made, the man sensed could only be a response made out of spite:

    "Cast: One-Thousand Winters!" Ma-Ri shouted out.

    Invoking the magecraft, she had leapt back, repeatedly thrusting her exuberant de against the air as the Artificial Devil watched in surprise.

    Spawning from each precise strike against the wind, massive formations of ice reached out with blinding speed, surrounding the devil in its cold grip as they bound his limbs and pierced through him.

    Jun-Seo clenched his teeth, flexing his limbs as that simple gesture summoned enough strength topletely shatter the cold around him.

    "The cold will not restrain me!" Jun-Seo yelled out, nearly slurring his words before¨C

    STAB.

    A sh of light filled the abhorrent devil''s eyes before his entire head filled with a warmth that swiftly turned into a scorching heat.

    The holy-infused de stabbed right between his eyes, piercing through the back of his head.

    "Guehhh¡­"

    Having his brain skewered by the heavenly light that served as the very bane of his flesh, Jun-Seo drooled, losing all function of his body momentarily before his fingers twitched again.

    The moment Ma-Ri noticed it¨Cthat reaction came toote.

    Like a whip, Jun-Seo flung his arm brutally against the woman''s stomach, causing her de to slide out from his skull, leaving a cut through his head before being flung back.

    "Ma-Ri!"

    Korain managed to step into the path the young woman was flying back towards, catching her in his arms as he slid back several meters in doing so.

    "Gkk¡­"

    Ma-Ri coughed up droplets of blood as she stood on her own. It became clear what type of damage was inflicted once she was standing, causing Korain to wince.

    Through the girl''s white-and-ck, knight-like uniform, the abdominal region of the mystical fabric had been torn away, leaving a massive stretch of bruising mixed with a bleeding friction burn on her pale stomach.

    "Ma-Ri, are you¡­?" Korain asked worriedly.

    The ck-haired young woman wiped the blood from her lips before nodding, holding herself straight, "I''m fine."

    Though the man wanted to contest her words, he knew he would only be a hypocrite with the state his body was in as well, opting to stand beside her.

    "Looks like he''s still moving, even after you plucked his brain matter¡­What a monster," Korain muttered.

    "I noticed it when I stabbed him before," Ma-Ri said.

    "Noticed what?" Korain looked at her.

    Ma-Ri readied her weapon, "...I felt my de destroy a beating organ¨Clikely a heart. After that, he seemed actually affected by the damage he took. It seems he has multiple of those, and¡­Dae-Seong might''ve taken care of a few for us already."

    He looked surprised at this information then smiled with teary ears, pointing his ymore towards the Artificial Devil, "Then let''s finish what he started for us¨Clet''s not waste the opportunity he opened up for us!"

    "Right!"

    Just as they set forth, Jun-Seo finally regenerated from having his brain skewered, wiping the drool from his chin as his loopy eyes reset, fixing himself.

    How troublesome. Demonification wasn''t nearly as strong as I had hoped¨CI guess that''s the issue here; I need to consume to grow after undergoing demonification. Damn it¡­! Jun-Seo thought.

    This time, Jun-Seo manifested massive swirls of dark energy around his hands, condensing it into spheres that he tossed towards the approaching two.

    "Die and be my growth¨C!" Jun-Seo yelled out.

    The massive sts of darkness were countered as Ma-Ri dashed forward, enhancing her rapier with a more potent glow.

    "Cast: Heaven''s Storm."

    With acrobatic movements¨Cflipping through the air and dancing around in elegant movements, all while carrying her momentum forward, Ma-Ri left a trail of light from her de as she swiped it and pierced.

    The result of the light trail was an explosive release of light that swallowed the darkness, leaving her continuing forward with Korain rushing just a bit behind.

    "Nrgh¨C!" Jun-Seo watched in anger before shifting to a new assault.

    This time, Jun-Seo opted to wield his de again, engulfing it in a swirling mix of ck and crimson energy before rapidly shing it¨CFWOOSH.

 Chapter 163 Urgent Finish Line

    "Cast: Heaven''s Storm."

    With acrobatic movements¨Cflipping through the air and dancing around in elegant movements, all while carrying her momentum forward, Ma-Ri left a trail of light from her de as she swiped it and pierced.

    The result of the light trail was an explosive release of light that swallowed the darkness, leaving her continuing forward with Korain rushing just a bit behind.

    "Nrgh¨C!" Jun-Seo watched in anger before shifting to a new assault.

    This time, Jun-Seo opted to wield his de again, engulfing it in a swirling mix of ck and crimson energy before rapidly shing it¨CFWOOSH.

    The bands of spiraling darkness and shing red cut through the bone-made domain; even blocking it with his ymore, Korain was sted back and cut heavily.

    Though Ma-Ri jumped up to avoid the vtile shes, she was nearly caught by another, only deflecting it with her light-enhanced rapier.

    "--!"

    Using the ceiling as a foothold, she dived down like a ray of light¨CSWOOSH.

    With her de, she sted the right arm of Jun-Seo, which wielded the de, right off.

    "Grrrgh¡­" Jun-Seo winced before smirking, "...Got you!"

    Ma-Ri turned back in shock as the Artificial Devil''s arm instantly reconnected, using the sword to swipe against her, sending the woman flying straight back as a trail of blood rained through the air.

    "...Ma-Ri!" Korain screamed out, forgetting about his own injuries as he rushed over to catch her in the air.

    Grabbing her into his arms, Korain found a massive sh left from her left shoulder, stretching across her chest, and reaching to her right hip.

    "Damn it!" He clenched his teeth.

    But, to his surprise, Ma-Ri moved out of his arms andnded on her feet, stumbling for a moment before standing straight with her usual, cold grace.

    "Ma-Ri¨C?"

    "I''m alright. It''s just a scratch," she assured him.

    "--A scratch, huh? Well, I guess my left arm was just ''scratched'' too, then," he added with a massive sigh.

    Ma-Ri smiled just a bit before returning to her resolved, straight expression, dripping blood onto her already torn uniform as theceration had reached deep.

    "We''ve got to end this quickly," she said, "He''s adjusting to my speed."

    "Aye, Boss," Korain nodded.

    Beyond that, time was of the essence with the various wounds they had umted. But, she could tell as well¨Cit was the same for the devil-turned man: he was slowly but surely being whittled down.

    Jun-Seo stood there, huffing as his torso was covered in ckened blood, signaling for them toe, "I''m waiting."

    Despite hercerated state, she still exhibited her shy speed, springing off of the heel of her goldenced boot with a sound-barrier shattering step.

    But, it didn''t just stop there¨C

    The speed belonging to Ma-Ri, or rather¨Cthe "sh" she possessed pushed her into a state of movement not far off from light itself.

    Preparing for this, Jun-Seo utilized his monstrous body¨Cflexing his eyes as veins strained around his ocr organ as he readied his stance before the sh approached.

    I can see you! Jun-Seo thought.

    The Artificial Devil swung his de, managing to counter the thunderous impact of the shing rapier that shot by him.

    But, even if he managed to deflect the high-speed piercing, there were other factors he needed to consider, such as¨C

    "Windbreaker!"

    From Korain, a massive overhead m of his ymore rained down from above onto Jun-Seo, who just barely managed to move his sword upward to guard.

    However¨Cit was an expected move, and a faulty one.

    "--!"

    Jun-Seo was left surprised as a massive gust of wind emitted from the iing ymore¨Cknocking his unprepared, sword-wielding arm back and leaving him open for the iing strike that came in the form of a verdant wind that resembled the shape of dragon wings.

    "...This is for¡­taking away from us!"

    As Korain said that, tears built around his strained eyes before he finally swung the ymore against the flesh of the abhorrent entity.

    TEAR.

    "Raaagh¨C!"

    A scream of pain came from the devil as the ymore cleaved through his right side, severing a chunk of the right side of his body, arm included, before Jun-Seo tried countering with his left-held sword.

    Again, he was squandered by the picture-perfect teamwork he was faced against: FLASH.

    The radiant sh hummed after having already passed by, filling the repugnant chamber with a warm light before his sword-wielding arm was also severed.

    "Ghhh! Damn it¡­!"

    Jun-Seo, left without both arms, attempted to reform but was left without a chance as from behind, Ma-Ri was already springing towards him once again¨Cand from in front, the ymore-wielding man was roaring out as he rushed over.

    ¡­Shit! I won''t be able to reform in time!...What is this?! They''re in sync?! No¡­They just know what the other is thinking! How?! How long have they fought side-by-side?! It''s only been a few months since all of this began¨Cso how?! Jun-Seo questioned.

    As ast ditch effort, the corrupted man parted his mouth, building an abyssal energy in his throat that was pointed directly towards the executive member of Gangcheori.

    Ma-Ri saw it from behind, reaching out, "--Korain!"

    In the girl''s heart, no matter how cold or statuesque she may present herself¨Cthest thing she wanted was to lose more on this horrible night.

    But, she didn''t stop, even as the howl of ck energy shot towards Korain, he looked straight at her:

    "Keep going! Skewer this bastard¨C!!!" Korian yelled out.

    Just as he yelled, the abyssal, mouth-fired beamunched against him, sting him back in an explosion.

    In that moment, she took those words to heart, pushing past her anxious feelings and worries as she dashed forward with her shing speed, pulling her rapier back and springing it forward with her utmost strength and speed just as Jun-Seo spun around to face her.

    "Atonement By A Thousand Pierces."

    The skill manifested itself through countless thrusts of the golden-enhanced rapier, thrust again and again in the span of a few seconds, yet hundreds of light-infused stabs swept through the air in a sharp turn¨Ceachnding against the devil''s body.

    "Grgh!"

    Jun-Seo raised his arms as chunks of his demonic flesh were blown off by the power-back pierces, forming a shield of translucent darkness that quickly began to crack from the repetitive strikes.

    It didn''t take but a few seconds of the continuous, holy stabs to shatter the shield, forcing the Artificial Devil to counter with something else¨C

    "Capra Maw!" Jun-Seo yelled out.

    Through the golden rain, a shadowy maw in the shape of a demon head howled out, opening its abyssal mouth to swallow the holy strikes.

    ¡­You think I''m falling for it again?! Jun-Seo thought.

    While the abyssal mouth swallowed the light, the devil turned around to catch Korain rushing him from behind.

    As the Artificial Devil turned to the side, keeping his right arm holding the light-swallowing, horned mouth, his left was used to counter against the iing ymore strike.

    Korain strained himself with the physical amplifying effects of [Abandon], clenching his teeth and gripping his sword with the utmost strength of his one and only arm as he swung it downwards with all of his strength.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even as it sharply carved through the grotesque air of the hellish corner of reality, the ymore''s edge stopped as it crashed against the Artificial Devil''s forearm.

    "Huh?!" Korain let out through his clenched teeth.

    Jun-Seo wasn''t straining any less, having to focus on maintaining the demonic maw that kept Ma-Ri''s attacks at bay while his left arm was shrouded in a swiftly-formed ck exoskeleton as an armor against the de.

    "Ngh¨C!" Jun-Seo kept his teeth clenched as well.

    Blood continues to pour out from the unhealing wounds in the devil man''s chest, seeping out as ck blood leaked from the corners of his mouth.

    In the injured state of the Artificial Devil, who was sweating profusely with veins stretching across his body, it was clear that he was struggling to contest Korain''s swing¨Cbeginning to have his forearm armor broken.

    "--Just die already, you cockroach!" Korain grunted out.

    "I could say the same to you!" Jun-Seo responded.

    Just before the ymore could finally break through and cleave the devil''s arm, Jun-Seo ducked away and attempted for a swift uppercut to the man''s gut, but¨C

    That fast?! Jun-Seo thought.

    The moment the yer-killing man turned his focus away from the magic-consuming defense he held, the ck-haired woman was alreadying up behind him with that overwhelming speed at her disposal.

    A split second choice, or rather¨Ca split millisecond choice came on whether he shouldmit to the blow towards Korain''s gut, or turn an attack towards Ma-Ri.

    The choice was made:

    Giving up on the uppercut, he instead went for the best of both worlds, shifting the tail swaying behind his back into a muchrger, thicker form with scales as he spun around, whipping the dragon-like tail around harshly.

    It gathered a lofty amount of wind pressure, traced with potent shadows before it mmed against Korain''s gut, but Ma-Ri managed to jump back in time to avoid it¨Cthough it was still the desired result of Jun-Seo.

    Of course, the devil man only bought himself but mere moments, but for him, he sensed it was enough as he outstretched both arms¨Cfacing each palm towards the two opponents of his:

    "Turn to ash."

    There was no incantation released, causing the two to be surprised as a massive release of verdant mes spewed out from the palms of the Artificial Devil.

    "--"

    In a swift evasion, Ma-Ri leapt up, pressing the soles of her boots against the ceiling as she reared her rapier back, preparing for a counter.

    I''ve got to finish this quickly¨CKorain won''t hold up much longer. I won''t, either. I''m losing blood quickly, Ma-Ri thought.

    As the sea of green mes set into the chamber, sheunched from the ceiling like a spring of light¨Cshing by as Jun-Seo looked up just in time to step to the side, forced to release the mes.

    Korain, who was hiding behind his ymore, huffed, still taking damage from the heat as he caught his breath, witnessing the skirmish between the two.

    The Artificial Devil was on the backfoot; forced to relypletely on defense as the rapier thrusts came in swiftly and with intent to kill, with each and every strike.

    "...I''m ending this now!"

    Jun-Seo stomped down, creating a daunting shock wave that took her off of her footing for a split-second.

    It was ample time for the devil man to rear his hand back, coalescing a heaping amount of dark energy around his knuckles.

    "--!" Ma-Ri looked up, watching the fist soar towards her.

    My "sh Step" requires meticulous footing¡­I can''t do it like this! She thought.

    The swirl of darkness filled her vision, imposing a density to the air as it became cold and mmy¨Cclosing in on her as her reflexes saw iting, but in her stumble, she was helpless to evade it.

    "Grrrgh¨C!!!"

    Jumping in front of her, the one-armed, white-and-ck haired man took the dark shrouded fist for her, receiving the blistering knuckles straight to his abdomen as it blew him back harshly.

    "Korain¡­!"

    It was a devastating blow, but¨Cshe knew rather than be worried, there was something else she had to do.

    In that moment, she gathered her footing again, bringing her rapier back as Jun-Seo was still pulling his fist back for another blow.

    "--!" Jun-Seo clenched his teeth in anger.

    But, she was faster.

    "Holy Railfire."

    It was a single thrust of her rapier, enveloped in a swirling, angel-winged shape of holy energy, being cast forward as the moment the very tip of the needle-like de touched the skin of the devil¨C

    "--"

    Blood spilled from Jun-Seo''s lips as his arm fell to his side, limp.

    The simple, gentle touch of the rapier''s tip to the devil''s chest resulted in a massive hole being bored through his torso¨Cleaving no heart untouched.

    "--" Ma-Ri stood, still holding her rapier forward as blood seeped from her wounds.

    "...It doesn''t matter¡­" Jun-Seo said calmly.

    The small corner of Hell they were dragged into began to crumble away as particles of the walls of bones swayed in the wind.

    Jun-Seo stood there with tired eyes as his body began to dissolve into ck gunk, looking past her.

    "...You''ll all die soon, anyway. This changes nothing. I''ll be on my way now¡­to Hell," Jun-Seo said.

    With thosest words, the personal realm vanished, returning them to the top floor of the hotel as Ma-Ri immediately fell to a knee, clutching her rapier for support as she coughed out blood.

    "...Ma-Ri¡­"

    She quickly turned around after having her name weakly called, seeing Korain leaning against the wall, sweating heavily as he held onto his abdomen.

    "Korain!...Are you¡­?" She asked, getting up and going over to the man.

    Korain chuckled before wincing, "...He got me good, but¡­I''m not too bad. You''re way worse off than me¡­Find Eunji."

    The wound that Korain had suffered to the abdomenpletely shattered the armor on his stomach, leaving a swollen bruise on his gut that likely resulted in his organs being mmed as well.

    "But, you¡­!"

    "You''re our new leader now, Ma-Ri," Korain told her, "...Go make a good first impression."

    Those words brought her gaze to the body of Dae-Seong, whichid peacefully on the floor as just seeing it again made her want to cry.

    "I''m sure I don''t have to tell you this, but now''s not the time for tears," Korain told her, cing his hand on her shoulder, "There''s more of them here¡­and¡­Baek-Hyeon."

    "...That''s true. If Baek-Hyeon is really¡­I''ll go," Ma-Ri nodded, making her way towards the stairwell entrance before ncing back, "...Korain."

    "Yeah?"

    "If you''re going to tell somebody not to cry, you should follow your own advice first," Ma-Ri said before leaving the hall.

    Left in the hall, holding his bruised stomach with his one arm, Korain chuckled to himself before slumping over in the corridor.

    "I guess you''re right¡­" Korain smiled, looking at the body of the silver-haired former leader, "...Get some rest, Boss."

 Chapter 164 Regroup

    "Ngh¡­"

    Blinking a few times, he finally came to¨Cquickly jumping up before wincing in pain, holding his body.

    I''m not¡­dead? He thought.

    [Undying Proficiency: +1 | 3/20]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: Spirit Burst]

    [Zombie Self-Sustain: +1 | 2/10]

    "Don''t move so suddenly, Jeong-Hui!"

    The familiar voice brought him back to his senses as he carefully blinked, looking to see three figures sitting around him now:

    Xiaodan, who ced his hands on his shoulders to calm him; Yeong-Un, who was sitting against the wall with his wounds seemingly tended to, and¨CEunji, who was currently using her healing magic on his beaten body.

    "...Xiaodan? Eunji?" He said quietly.

    "Yeah, it''s us! So, sit down!" Xiaodan told him.

    He looked at them for a moment before slowly nodding and sitting back down. Through wiggling his fingers for some reason, he realized his hand was back, to his surprise.

    "You''re a lucky one," Xiaodan said.

    "--" He looked down at his hand, continuing to wiggle his fingers and clench it a few times to test its capabilities.

    Xiaodan raised one of his silver eyebrows, looking at him with his verdant eyes, "I found your hand in your pocket. Good thinking to keep it on you¡­otherwise, you''d be short a hand right now."

    He gulped, looking at Eunji who was quietly tending to the massive cut on his chest, which was already mostly closed.

    "Thanks," he told her quietly.

    "You saved me, so¡­don''t mention it," Eunji smiled sadly.

    Yeong-Un stood up, huffing as kept his eyes on the ends of the dark hall, pacing back and forth as his attire was still left in tatters despite his wounds being recovered.

    It was clear that through his silence and the way he angrily paced to and from, Yeong-Un was stricken by heavy emotions.

    A moment was needed for his dibobted mind to realize why, but he saw why when he looked past Xiaodan to see the corpse of Binna in the hell, which Sol was sitting near with his hand in hisp.

    "This night¡­is the worst."

    He didn''t mean to audibly whisper it, but his thoughts were so attached to those words that they naturally came out.

    Xiaodan looked at him and nodded a few times while Eunji simply reciprocated their meaning with the quiet sadness in her eyes, which were puffy and pink from obvious tears that had been shed sometime before this meeting.

    "All done," Eunji said, moving her hands away as the tranquil, verdant mana disappeared.

    He looked down, seeing the massive sh on his chest recovered, though a long scar was left as he softly caressed it with his fingertips, "..."

    "Sorry¡­This is the best I could do," Eunji lowered her head.

    As he sat there for a moment, Xiaodan softly elbowed him as he received a sharp re from the new member of the group which quietly told him "Don''t just sit there!", which he obliged by wearing a small smile as he left a pat on the girl''s head.

    "Thanks, Eunji," he said.

    Eunji lifted her head with a slight blush, adjusting her round sses before she nodded. Though not a momentter, tears strolled down her cheeks.

    "Huh¨C?"

    For a moment, he thought it was something he did, and Xiaodan seemed to think so as well before the hazel-haired girl finally spoke:

    "I¡­I couldn''t save them¡­! Ho-Jun, Kwang-Jo, Junsu, B-Binna¡­I couldn''t bring them back¨C!" Eunji sobbed.

    Those words took hold of Yeong-Un, who was several meters away but silently looked on once the name of his lost sister-like figure.

    Yeong-Un slumped against the wall, holding his face against his hands as it was clear to the eyes of the vermilion-haired young man what he was doing.

    "Eunji¡­that''s¡­" He began to say quietly.

    "It''s true¡­All I''m useful for is healing, yet¡­!"

    "Stop it," he told her adamantly now.

    "--" Eunji looked up at him, sniffling from the tears.

    He raised his hand, which was once severed and now attached perfectly. A circr scar wrapped around his wrist, but he smiled as he clenched his reattached hand.

    "Look at this. Without you, I''d be helpless. Yeong-Un, too. You saved both of us," he told her.

    Eunji looked on, "But¡­"

    "The ones to me for those we lost¡­are the ones responsible for this attack. If you''re even slightly guilty of not saving anybody, then I am, too. We all are," he told her.

    "--"

    Eunji wiped her tears, nodding quietly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He slowly stood himself up as Xiaodan did the same. It was a drear ambience that now filled the corridor, as the pain of loss was more potent than the injuries sustained thus far.

    "Xiaodan, I hate to ask you this, but¡­" He quietly said.

    The adryogynous young man shook his head lightly with a small smile, "It''s fine. I''m the only one who hasn''t been hurt, or¡­has really lost anything. So, don''t be afraid to ask me to help, Jeong-Hui."

    "Thanks," he smiled, "...We should regroup with Dae-Seong and Ma-Ri. I have a feeling they''re still at top¨Cthey might be preupied with their own battle."

    "That''s more of a reason to go meet up with them, isn''t it?" Xiaodan smiled.

    "Exactly, and¡­Baek-Hyeon is still up to something, I''m sure of it¡­" He said.

    As the two started towards the stairwell, they found their efforts to move as just the two of them thwarted.

    "--You guys¡­You should¨C"

    "Be restin''? The hell if I''m sittin'' around now¡­" Yeong-Un said.

    The sharp-toothed, blue-and-gold eyes adolescent said such with eyes reddened by shed tears, still holding his strong demeanor.

    "...I''m not waiting around anymore. I want to do something," Eunji said adamantly through her meek self.

    Sol stood too, though he was still heavily dreary with a less than excited expression, "It''s better if we all move together, right?"

    He couldn''t contest their choices as he simply nodded, "Right. Then let''s go."

    In a group of five, they all moved into the stairwell with the destination of the top floor in mind, seeking to find closure within the terrifying night.

    However, the moment they stepped into the stairwell¨C

    "Ma-Ri?" He said in surprise.

    There she was, the vice leader of Gangcheori, already descending the staircase. But, by the exasperated look on her face, paired with the bleeding wound that stretched over her chest¨Cit was clear that something already had happened.

    "...Jeong-Hui?" Ma-Ri said quietly.

    As she took a step, Ma-Ri faltered, clutching her chest as he blinked over to give her his shoulder, with Eunji rushing over.

    "Are ya'' alright¡­?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "I''m fine¡­" Ma-Ri said weakly.

    ¨C

    "Against the wall," Eunji advised.

    When it came to getting the process of recovery done, Eunji took on a bossy role, ordering him to gently ce the young woman against the wall as he nodded and did so.

    Eunji wasted no time, adjusting her sses and tightening her white gloves before casting a recovery spell on the tender wound that stretched across the blue-eyed woman''s chest.

    "Damn, what could''ve done this to ya''?" Yeong-Un asked.

    Though he said it was more abrasion than the others would''ve, it was a shared thought, as Ma-Ri was seen on a simr level to Dae-Seong in terms of capabilities in a fight.

    Ma-Ri''s eyes wavered a bit before she parted her lips, "...Let''s go over what happened¨Ceverything."

    ¨C

    They all shared their experiences during the gruesome night, resulting in the cramped stairwell dimming over in a somber veil.

    "The ol'' leader¡­No, say it ain''t so¡­" Yeong-Un clenched his teeth before kicking the wall, "--Damn it!!!"

    The wall rumbled from the frustrated kick before the teary-eyed spellde leaned his forehead against it.

    "...I''m gonna kill all of them. Each of these fuckin'' yer killers. All of them. After Binna¡­Now the ol'' leader, too¡­! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Yeong-Un scowled.

    After holding in his grief throughout the battle against Dae-Mon, Yeong-Un let it loose as he mmed his knuckles against the wall repeatedly.

    He ended up stopping Yeong-Un from going any further by cing his hand on his friend''s shoulder, just giving him a slight shake of his head. Yeong-Un didn''t even argue against this, only scrunching his angered expression up and balling his fists up.

    "It ain''t fair. The whole damn world is yin'' against us¡­" Yeong-Un said quietly.

    It was as if a foundation of hope had crumbled from beneath their feet. As bad as things may get, all members of the group hadplete faith in the strength of Dae-Seong, but one thing they all knew well¨Clife was fickle in the face of Armageddon.

    "What do we do, then¡­?" Sol muttered, holding his head in his hands as he sat on the stairs.

    After being healed, it was Ma-Ri who stood up, bringing all eyes on her with a single saying, "We''ll make it through this¨Cthat''s what Dae-Seong made sure of in his final moments. He left the leadership of Gangcheori to me, he entrusted it to me¨Cso I''ll make sure we get through this."

    He looked at her, "...So, you''re in charge now, huh? My condolences."

    "What''s that mean?" Ma-Ri looked at him.

    "It means you were left with the world''srgest mess to clean up," he answered, "think you can handle it?"

    Though his words were abrasive at best, he didn''t mean any harm in them¨CMa-Ri understood that as well when looking at his tired, emerald eyes. The words he said were more meant to see if the newly-appointed leader was truly up for such a task.

 Chapter 165 Obliteration: Lost Home

    Ma-Ri stared at him for a moment, keeping her arms crossed over her ck-and-white leather uniform, "...I know it''s probably biting off more than I can chew, so I''ll be requiring your help. All of you¨Cwho is this?"

    As the new leader of Gangcheori was looking at the other five present in the stairwell, her eyes fell on the unfamiliar face of Xiaodan.

    He took it upon himself to introduce them, as he was responsible for Xiaodan, "--Ah. This is Xiaodan. He''s a new recruit¨Clike, a few hours new. Dae-Seon approved of him."

    With her icy-blue eyes which seemed to discern each little detail of what they looked at, Ma-Ri looked straight at Xiaodan, who was roughly the same height as her.

    "I see. We''ll need all the hands we can get, then. Are you confident in your ability to fight? What''re your abilities? Are you support oriented? A close-quartersbat fighter? You do have the ''Martial Artist'' ss, so I''d assume so," Ma-Ri asked repeatedly.

    Xiaodan seemed overwhelmed at first, but being given a quiet nod from him, the adrogynous figure began answering, "...Yes, yes, and yes!"

    ¨C

    After getting the rundown on Xiaodan''s capabilities, Ma-Ri seemed to have herposure regained fully¨Cgetting the five prepared to move down through the hotel.

    "...In normal circumstances, splitting up into groups would be the preferred course of action with such a time-sensitive matter, but¡­" Ma-Ri said.

    "Our enemy is too damn dangerous?" Yeong-Un answered for her.

    The spiky-haired adolescent was less than pleased with the current situation, but it seemed the sole motivator keeping him moving forward was the thought of exterminating more of the yer killers.

    Ma-Ri nodded, "As it stands, our top priority is damage control; we have to retain the numbers we have and drive the enemy back."

    "Yeah¡­I don''t want to lose any more than we have," Sol said with a somberness to his tone.

    As it stood, the group they had to work with wasn''t badly off, but also not great. After a minute of thought, Ma-Ri broke down the status of their group:

    Yeong-Un: exhausted and out of spirit, but fueled by grief.

    Jeong-Hui: exhausted as well and empty of spirit, but able to continue on due to his Sage System.

    Eunji: nearly out of spirit; unable to fight as we need to prioritize her healing abilities, but sparingly.

    Sol: highly exhausted from consecutive usage of his alternate System, but otherwise, he''s fine on health and spirit.

    Xiaodan: seems to be in peak condition.

    Myself: tired, moderately good on spirit.

    ¨CThis was Ma-Ri''s evaluation, which was on the dot as the others certainly didn''t disagree with those notes.

    "What about Korain?" Eunji asked, holding her hand close to her chest worriedly.

    Ma-Ri answered, "Don''t worry, he''s fine. But, as it is, he likely isn''t able to continue fighting for the time being after depleting his stamina."

    He looked at Ma-Ri, "So, what''s the n here then?"

    Before an answer coulde, everybody froze as the entire hotel was shaken to its very foundation¨Ctrembling aggressively by some enormous force.

    "What''s that¨C?" Xiaodan looked up as sediment rained down from the high-up ceiling.

    "Am I seeing things or¡­?" Sol quietly said.

    "Seeing what¡­?" He asked.

    Everybody looked towards what Sol himself was staring at: a crack in the wall that swiftly stretched across the surface of the walls¨Cexpanding rapidly.

    "...This ce¡­!" Yeong-Un began to say.

    "It''sing down!" He yelled out.

    Suddenly, the walls began to split and crumble, along with the very foundation of the hotel as everything seemed toe down at once¨Ceach floor, each ceiling, every structure that was meticulously built with the stability of the towering establishment in mind¨Cgone.

    "Ahhh!"

    "Crap!"

    Even though they were all together, the group was quickly parted by the total copse of the building around them.

    "Ghh¨C!"

    He tried reaching out to hold onto something amidst the crumbling of the floor, but the rain of debris and the chaos that ensued made it improbable, but still¨C

    "Gotcha!"

    ¨CXiaodan managed to grab his wrist, who himself was only still held up by a piece of wood.

    "Ah¨C"

    Even that was fleeing, as the nk of wood snapped, resulting in both himself and Xiaodan now falling down amidst the rain of building chunks.

    He attempted to swing his body around to find a piece of falling debris as a foothold for a [Blink Step] but with his tired body and the chaotic nature of the copse¨Cit was impossible.

    It was only for a moment amidst the storm of material, but he saw it¨Cwhat was responsible for the sudden destruction of the hotel:

    The sounds of thousands of steps came to his ears amidst the sound of the building falling; it sounded as if an army was marching rapidly.

    "Large," was the only thought that came to mind, as it was the only visible object within the blinding darkness of the hellish night, bearing crimson-glowing cracks along its body.

    Those sounds of an army marching belonged to the countless, enormous legs belonging to the gargantuan creature that crawled overhead, having torn through the building.

    Before he could get a proper look at it¨C

    CRASH.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He hit the floor harshly, falling nearly fifty meters, sustaining minimal injuries only because of his light-footed nature as an assassin and his altered body with the System.

    But, as hended¨Cso did countless chunks of the building, whichnded directly on top of him.

    ¨C

    As he opened his eyes again, he felt a colossal weight sitting on top of him. Each expansion of his lungs with his breaths was stifled by this weight on his chest, forcing only small breaths toe in and out.

    "--"

    [Health: 2000/3250]

    [Breathe.]

    With such limited oxygening in, he could feel himself begin to panic, but quickly managed to calm himself through the efforts of himself and his gathered proficiency.

    "What''s the situation?" He whispered quietly.

    [It''s been four minutes and thirty-three seconds since you lost consciousness initially.You''re pinned beneath rubble from the hotel. It''s been obliteratedpletely. Roughly three tonnes of weight are pressed on your chest ¨C damage has been minimalized.]

    The voice of his Sage System answered him as he kept his eyes on the object that blocked his vision.

    Though each of those revtions was daunting, he remained calm,posing and controlling his breathing as he ced the bloodied palms of his gloves against the pale, dense column thatid on his body.

    "Is it possible to push this off?"

    [...It will need to be done in a single effort. All functions will be allocated to strength for a moment, and in that moment, you will need to push with everything you have, or else you''ll risk tearing your muscles and squander a second chance.]

    "--"

    [When you''re ready to do it, say the word.]

    He spent the next few seconds managing his breathing perfectly before nodding his sweat-and-bloodthered head, keeping his palms readied against the stone.

    Many thoughts were racing through his mind:

    "Is everybody okay?"

    "Is what did this still nearby?"

    "What should I prepare for once I move this stone?"

    "...Is everybody okay?"

    Each thought ran simultaneously, moving so quickly that it made it difficult to stayposed, but he managed.

    "Let''s do this."

    [I''ll count down then. On one, push with everything you have. I''ll release the natural limiters on your body then, and only for that moment¨Cso don''t miss your timing.]

    "Got it," he nodded with a quiet response.

    [Five.]

    [Four.]

    He kept himself focused, listening in closely on the System''s voice that existed solely to himself.

    [Three.]

    [Two.]

    I have to get up. This battle isn''t over¨Cit isn''t over until we''re all out of this, he thought.

    [One.]

    The very moment the ring of "One" reached his mind, he pushed up with everything he had, summoning a ludicrous strength that flexed his body to its utmost as his veins bulged against his skin, but¨Cthe heavy stone moved.

    With such desperate strength flowing through his body, he clenched his teeth before finally toppling the stone to the side as a cloud of smoke was kicked up with it sinking into the ground beside him.

    "...Huff¡­"

    [Good job.]

    Heid there, now able to fully expand his lungs with the deep breaths he took in with his arms sprawled out on the debris-nketed ground.

    Around him was the absolute darkness of the hell-turned world, looking upwards towards the crimson clouds that swirled in the ck sky. The air was stuffed with dust and the heat of the infernal tides that had extended into the world.

    "...Alright," he said to himself.

    After filling his lungs with a proper amount of air, he picked himself up swiftly, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he looked on.

    It was difficult to see in the desecrated street, as a veil ofplete darkness clung to the horizon, and the smoky atmosphere risen from the copse of the building further obscured his view.

    He cupped his hands around his mouth, yelling out, "Hey¨C!"

    As if responding to his call, it wasn''t a yell back that came, but a tremor across the ground as a familiar, but harrowing sound of countless legs moving met his ears¨Capproaching from a distance.

    Looking up, he saw the familiar, crimson glow that stretched along an impossibly long body, this time seeing clearly what it was:

    The colossal centipede.

 Chapter 166 Loss And Loss

    It was hovering over the street, looking down at him as its sets of giant, curved mandibles moved with ck gunk falling from their form.

    He froze for a moment, clutching his daggers as he prepared to take a step forwards it before¨C

    A massive sh of light burst into the air, originating from a radiant sphere that was thrown upwards, yet it seemed to rise up from the centipede''s body itself.

    The light suppressed the surrounding darkness, giving sight of the desecrated street as he looked around.

    "Yeong-Un!"

    He rushed over to his friend''s side, who was just standing up, rubbing his head as a piece of rubble seemed to leave a small cut on his forehead.

    "Damn¡­It''s just one thing after another, ain''t it¡­?" Yeong-Un said.

    It wasn''t just him, either. Sol was up, looking towards the colossal centipede as he clutched his spear closely.

    "...Is that what''s responsible for destroying the building?" Sol asked.

    "Seems like it," he answered.

    With the light, more members of the group found each other, with Xiaodan arriving, swiping dust off of himself with Eunji showing up as well.

    To his surprise, Moon and Chang-Ho were nearby as well, gathering themselves from the sudden copse just minutes ago.

    "Moon! Chang-Ho!" He called them over.

    He hadn''t seen them the entire night, so seeing that they were alive and well was a relief, but¨Csuch reprieve was only temporary.

    Sol asked a question that lingered like an augury of something harrowing the moment it left his lips, "...Wait, none of you cast that light spell? Then¡­who was it?"

    The question made everybody present pause with them looking up towards the shining sphere of light that hovered around the centipede, which hardly seemed to even recognize their existence as they were magnitudes smaller than itself.

    "There you are."

    In front of his eyes as he looked towards Chang-Ho and Moon, he watched as a figure appeared behind the two men before a sh of a de swept through with a crimson energy lingering in the dark air.

    "--"

    It was surreal to his eyes; the golden-haired, sses-wearing Chang-Ho was bisected in one fell swing by the ominous figure behind them.

    He stumbled forward, being the first to act at that moment, "Moon¨C!!!"

    Before he could reach the scruffy-bearded man and before the man himself could react¨CSTAB.

    Through his chest, the crimson de pierced through, releasing its ravenous energy that seemed to eat up the very essence of the one it pierced.

    What''s going on? How is this happening again? He questioned.

    He froze, watching as the body of both Chang-Ho and Moon dropped onto the ground in front of him, now seeing who was responsible.

    Standing there in a gray uniform, standing well over two meters tall with flowing, snow-white hair with radiant eyes that looked on like beacons of the night.

    [The Assimtion System]

    "At least something was gained in this failure of a night. What a travesty it is; the weakness of myrades. I gave them all of the openings they needed to attack this group¡­yet they failed miserably. Even my brother¡­what uselessness¡­"

    Those cruel words left the lips of the one responsible for mercilessly murdering the two.

    Just then, everything clicked.

    All of the doubts he had, all of the anger he built up; in the night of endless loss, torment, and grief¨Cthis was the climax of it all, a revtion so stomach-churningly disgusting to him that he screamed out with everything he had.

    "Baek-Hyeon¡ª!!!"

    He wasn''t the only one who yelled out that name in anger, as another figure charged towards the traitor alongside him.

    With one arm, covered in dust and dirtied, dried blood, Korain rushed to Baek-Hyeon, swinging his ymore with devastating strength.

    "Please," Baek-Hyeon said with a confident smile before effortlessly blocking the iing sword strike.

    At the same time, he arrived at the traitor''s position, attempting to stab right into his throat with his dagger.

    It was stopped just a mere inch away from meeting the pale man''s throat by just two fingers that had caught the de.

    "I''m not surprised you''ve made it this far, Jeong-Hui. I could tell you had a knack for survival¨Clike a cockroach amidst nuclear winter," Baek-Hyeon said with a smile.

    Even while holding Korain''s swing back with his sword and clutching his dagger with two fingers, Baek-Hyeon seemed less than strained.

    "--Shut up, murderer!" He yelled out.

    Korain added, straining as he nted his boots down, pressing more strength into his ymore, "It''s your fault! You''re the one responsible for this! All of their deaths! The Boss¡­! Baek-Hyeon!"

    It was only mere seconds before the entire, surreal murder had taken ce, with the two being without hesitance in their assault on the traitor amidst Gangcheori.

    For some unknown reason, Baek-Hyeon''s eye flinched as a hum of light approached¨C

    His dagger was released as the angelic-powered traitor leapt back, causing Korain to stumble forward before stopping himself.

    It was Ma-Ri, who had nearly pierced her rapier right through Baek-Hyeon''s chest, had he not moved.

    Ma-Ri clicked her tongue out of frustration from her failed sneak attack, now regrouped with the two, with the rest of the surviving members falling in as well.

    "Coward¨C!" Korain screamed out, looking up.

    Baek-Hyeon had leapt up, standing on the head of the hellish centipede that loomed over the desecrated street.

    "Y-you¡­you were with them?!" Sol yelled out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even the red bandana-wearing coward let out his anger and disbelief without suppression as tears fell from his eyes as the scornful loss of the night.

    "Ya'' piece of shit¨C!!! It''s yer'' fault! They would still be alive-!!!" Yeong-Un screamed from the top of his lungs.

    With the outlet of his anger found, Yeong-Un clutched his des tightly, straining himself with his yells as tears escaped his eyes as well.

    "This isn''t right¡­none of this is right¡­" Eunji fell onto her knees, "...Everything is wrong! Why would you do something like this¡­? I-I thought¡­we wererades!...family¡­"

    While some had their outward grievances, some simply held a silent, determined anger¨Cas did he as he clutched his daggers tightly.

    "He needs to die," was the thought in his mind¨Can unreserved conviction.

    Baek-Hyeon looked down from his abhorrent, far-stretching steed, "...I would''ve liked to assimte more than just the one, but¡­ns have changed. I prioritize caution over all. Even if my odds of being able to defeat all of you are in my favor, I''d rather not risk it until I''ve cultivated my strength further."

    "So you''re going to run like a coward?!" Korain yelled.

    "Don''t ya'' fuckin'' dare turn away now¨C! I''m just gettin'' started! I''ll tear ya'' apart!" Yeong-Un screamed out as well.

    It wasn''t just him that began to move towards the immense centipede, aiming his sights on the traitor, but Korain, Yeong-Un, and Ma-Ri all moved as well, but they each stopped once witnessing the next move from the unfathomable evil:

    "I''ll part you all with a gift."

    Baek-Hyeon simply looked down at the seven members, only responding to their justified anger by pressing both of his palms together: "Come, Gumiho."

    Manifesting from a massive seal on the car-filled street, the harrowing sight of a colossal, nine-tailed beast conjured as it howled out.

    "No way¡­That''s!" Sol said.

    "Moon''s summon¡­" Korain quietly realized, looking up, "He assimted Moon''s summoner ss!"

    This move only served to further anger the remaining members of Gangcheori, but Korain, who had lost much that night, could hardly suppress his anger.

    "Do you not have a single shred of humanity left in that ck heart of yours?! Killing him wasn''t enough¨C?!" Korain yelled out.

    Baek-Hyeon didn''t respond, only snapping his fingers as it seemed tomand his centipede-steed to turn the other way, beginning to slither away through the streets.

    "Get back here!" Korain screamed.

    "Don''t ya dare back out now!" Yeong-Un yelled as well, running alongside the one-armed warrior.

    Before they could try to approach the retreating traitor, a massive howl of blue mes poured out across the street, blocking their path.

    The giant, white-furred fox stood in the street, growling and disying its teeth with its mystical tails swaying as it obscured the path towards the man who summoned it.

    "Ghh¨C! Gumiho, don''t listen to that traitorous bastard!" Korain yelled out, looking up at the nine-tailed fox.

    As it stood there, it was Sol that noticed something peculiar about the nine-tailed fox: it wasrger, with more aggressive traits¨Cits snarling teeth, the red strokes of fur between the pale white, and the golden, threeyered halo above its head.

    "Gumiho is different now¡­Is it because Baek-Hyeon summoned it?" Sol asked.

    He stood beside him, looking up at the violent fox, "...I''d guess Moon''s summons scaled with him, and this¡­"

    "It scaled with Baek-Hyeon, who is level fifty¡­" Ma-Ri finished.

    Before he could even prepare to raise his daggers towards the massive, mystical fox, a scream filled his ears.

    "That sounds like¡­!" Sol said.

    He looked around, noticing an absent figure that shared that same voice from the scream¨C

    "Eunji is gone!" Xiaodan said.

    His suspicions were proven harrowingly correct as he clenched his teeth, looking forward towards the massive centipede that was slithering away.

    Sage System, enhance sight! Hemanded.

    There, he saw it: on top of the centipede, in Baek-Hyeon''s grasp, Eunji was held¨Csomehow, it had slipped right past them that he had done so.

    "He''s got here¡­!" He said.

    "What?!" Korain said in disbelief.

    Looking back at Ma-Ri, who was a moment away from rushing towards the centipede herself, he gulped, thinking to himself.

    Can I do it? I acquired that new skill earlier by surviving death¡­and another after defeating Dae-Mon with Yeong-Un. I probably can''t win, but¡­I might be able to get Eunji back! He thought.

    "Ma-Ri!" He called out.

    "--?" Ma-Ri looked at him.

    He looked her straight in the eyes, "Leave Eunji to me¨C!"

    The group had already begun battling the amplified Gumiho¨Cengaging in a terrifying battle with the fox as Korain and Yeong-Un were flung back by a shock wave inducing stomp.

    Ma-Ri clearly had little time to make a choice, but she could see the fox itself was a devastating opponent.

    The question came through her mind: "Can I trust him to handle this?", "What if he dies because I let him take this on?"

    But, she stopped herself, seizing those thoughts and putting her trust in him.

    Jeong-Hui isn''t stupid. He might be a bit reckless at times, but he''s only reckless when he has something up his sleeve. And¡­If I''ve realized anything in my time with him, he always has something up his sleeve. He''s agile, quick-minded, and above all, possesses the ability to see openings that slip past the rest of us¨CI don''t have to think twice! Ma-Ri thought.

    "I''m trusting this to you, Jeong-Hui!" The new leader of Gangcheori nodded as she drew her rapier, rushing towards the mystical fox.

 Chapter 167 The Trump Card

    He didn''t even have time to smile at having this trusted to him, wasting no time as he immediately sprinted forward.

    As he crossed the street, sprinting with his utmost towards the gargantuan centipede, in which the capturer of Eunji rode, the Gumiho extended one of itsrge tails, sweeping it towards him in an attempt to stop him.

    Though it came towards him with an unavoidable size, he kept his gaze forward, entrusting this to hisrades.

    As he had believed, the tail was stopped by a piercing sh that came from the swift, ck-haired young leader.

    "Go!" Ma-Ri shouted, repelling the tail as the group continued their battle against the fox.

    He nodded, picking up enough speed to conjure a howling wind around himself while his frizzy, vermilion locks were brushed in the fierce wind.

    The entire time, he continued to enhance his sense of sight, seeing through the obscuring darkness as he raced down the block, jumping atop the tail of the crimson centipede as it crawled over the many buildings in the night-swallowed city.

    ¡­I can do this. Right now, whether I can or not doesn''t even matter¡­I''m the only one who can. I have to, he thought.

    In a pragmatic, logical sense, losing Eunji was the worst case scenario of this horrible night: somebody able to use such wonderful healing magic was the difference between life and death in many situations.

    However, that pragmatic thought was secondary to the mixture of rage and desperation that swirled inside of him, as all he thought was: "I''m not losing anybody else. I''m not losing Eunji, too."

    As he sprinted up the length of the massive centipede, it was a marathon in itself around the bumpy exoskeleton of the titanus creature.

    After running along its moving form for a bit, he saw it, near the forefront of the city-stretching insectoid, Baek-Hyeon stood, binding the hazel-haired girl with a spell-made rope of sorts as she was kept by his feet.

    The moment he brought his boot down, readying his daggers at his sides, the traitorous, gray-uniformed man looked back at him with uncaring, golden eyes as his snow-white, lengthy locks blew in the passing wind.

    "Jeong-Hui. I thought you of all people would be reluctant to throw your life away," Baek-Hyeon said, "...Yet, you''ve chosen to pursue a suicide mission."

    "--"

    He didn''t even try talking, instead keeping his des held as he yelled out an incantation from the get-go, "Spirit Burst!"

    The mystical words unleashed a brief, azure light around him.

    [Spirit Fully Restored | 3600/3600]

    It was a new development thanks to his Undying Proficiency, though it wasn''t without its caveats.

    Once-a-day; the cooldown of this spell is an entire day. Not only that, but¡­He thought.

    [Spirit: -10]

    [Spirit: -10]

    "Spirit Burst" gives me fleeting spirit. It''s a full restore, but it drops rapidly, he thought.

    Baek-Hyeon faced him, not moving a step as he looked on, unworried without having drawn his sword.

    "What''re you hoping to aplish here? Perhaps if it was Dae-Mon or Ma-Ri, something could happen. But, it''s just you¡­feeble little Jeong-Hui," Baek-Hyeon said.

    Standing there atop the moving, colossal centipede''s back, facing that pale man while the one he sought to save was bound from a distance¨Cmemories spurred in his mind.

    ¨C

    [Vile Memories]

    "Cah-In¡­! Let her go!"

    His pleas were ignored as he fought against the holds of the chains, being suspended in midair as he was forced to be a part of the spectators.

    "Just take me¨C! You don''t need both, right?!...Just¡­let it be me¡­!"

    This time, his weak pleas seemed to meet the pale man''s ears as he looked back at him, holding an idle, but almost damning expression as shadows crept over his face.

    "...How noble you are, sinner. However, you have not listened to a single word I''ve spoken, have you?" Cah-In addressed him quietly, "This is not a game chosen by whim; this is a mission¨Cone of which you are a key piece to. By feasting on one so delectable, filled with sin, battered in sorrow, and marinated in despair, Barbas'' power will grow. As he grows, he will fully incarnate¨Cand once that is done, his legions will birth from the soil of this decaying world. And when his legions ravage this crumbling world of sinners, the princes, dukes, and kings of Hell wille as well. Soon after, humanity will bathe in the pits of the underworld, while Heaven remains open only to us, the diligent envoys of God."

    Finishing his words, Cah-In waved his bony finger once more, causing the ck, unsavory chains to hold his tongue as the maddened man returned his sights to the horrific event.

    Unable to do a single thing, he did the one thing he could: close his eyes as tears crept through his tightly-shut blinds, still being forced to listen.

    The sounds of the beast''s heavy breaths exuded, and following were the noises of the girl''s struggles against the altar in some vain attempt to break from her bindings¨Chowever, with a stomach-churning squelch that filled his own eyes like an orchestra of sorrow, all faint hope was lost.

    The moment it met his ears; blood profusely falling to the ground like a dreadful downpour, the crunching of bones, and tearing of flesh¨Che struggled and fought against his bindings, screaming out though muffled.

    It was all in vain.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He knew he couldn''t do a single thing, yet the mixture of sorrow and rage provoked him to wrestle against the chains, unmoving as he could begin to hear the spectating cultists p.

    For him, it felt as time was halting to a crawl, allowing the wave of negative emotions to flood through his body, washing over any hope he had with utter despair as his body fell limp.

    He didn''t want to believe it; over and over, and over, and over, and over, and over¨Che wished for this all just to be a nightmare.

    Clenching his eyes tightly, he yearned for nothing more to wake up in a cold sweat in his bed, finding hispanions smiling beside him.

    "Marvelous! Barbas has fed!" Cah-In announced, overjoyed.

    ¨CBut, that was impossible.

    Kamou¡­Kamou¡­Kamou¡­please¡­why¡­He thought.

    ¨C

    The cold touch of those ck chains from that day could still be felt, their tight grip forcing him to watch helplessly as the silver-haired girl was consumed by the grotesque evil, all while the cultists pped and watched in awe.

    It was a scene that he would not repeat. A scene of dread he would not allow to transpire once again; that conviction led him to stand even against the insurmountable foe in front of him.

    He kept his eyes forward, stepping in the same direction he watched as he tightened his fingers around the cold handles of his daggers.

    "I''ll take her back," he said.

    "I''d like to see you try. I mean it¨Camuse me," Baek-Hyeon challenged him, holding his hands against his sides without drawing his weapon.

    Again, such a sight drew memories from his mind as the physique of the traitor was all but the same of the Destroying Angel.

    ¨C

    [Vile Memories]

    To his surprise, Radueriel didn''t attack, instead holding his arms out before cing his knuckles against his sides, flexing his body as his toned muscles stiffened.

    "...?"

    "I like to think I''m a generous guy, you know? For surviving that hit and getting back up to your feet, I''ll give you a reward," Radueriel smiled wide, though it was devoid of benevolence and only wickedness, "One minute. I''ll give you one minute to give me everything you''ve got!"

    ¡­Huh? He thought.

    It was a perplexing move taken as he looked around to see if any of hisrades were getting up, but they all wereid out, unconscious by the angel in the desecrated streets of the once luxurious city square.

    "Your time starts now!" Radueriel proimed, standing in front of him,pletely still with his hands against his sides.

    Though he was left confused and only operating on sparse strength, he forced himself to act, taking advantage of this one opportunity given to him.

    ¨C

    Remembering such a thing, it only bolstered his desire to stand against the one who thought he could do nothing, who thought he was powerless.

    "What can you possibly do?"

    Baek-Hyeon asked as such, not moving an inch while the vermilion-haired young man quietly approached.

    He looked past the arrogant traitor as the short sleeves of his ck shirt swayed in the whistling winds, looking straight at the young woman whoid on the vast back of the centipede in tears, who could only make muffled sounds through the radiant bindings.

    "It''s okay, Eunji," he reassured her with a smile, "I''m here."

    Though he smiled, his emerald eyes only held utter, refined killing intent as they looked back at Baek-Hyeon, momentarily sending one feeling through the angel-empowered man:

    "Death."

    It was a promise made from the curly-haired young man to the towering, snow-haired possessor of the Assimtion System; a threat made with only an exchange of nces.

    By the time Baek-Hyeon decided to draw his sword, twitching his fingers by the sheathed weapon, he already made his move¨C

    Imagine it; a domain in which you''re king. A summit in which is unreachable by any except yourself. Cold and alone, yet to you, it''s warmth. Open the gates within your soul, part the pores of your body, resonate with the beating of your heart, and¡­release it, he thought.

    Not by a swing of his daggers, nor by a hasty step, but by a wave of his hand, he chanted:

    "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour."

 Chapter 168 Devil Slaying Hour

    "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour."

    Those words were the embodiment of his resolve; all of his trust went into this supernatural cultivation of himself; his life was in the very hands of his System.

    [Merciless Proficiency: +1 | 1/10]

    [Spirit: -2000 | 1000/3600]

    Stretching out from where he stood, a veil of darkness stretched across the space around them, dragging the perplexed Baek-Hyeon into the shadowy depths in which the young assassin outstretched.

    Reality shifted to just the two, taking away the crimson horizon and the surrounding city, leaving only what Jeong-Hui himself wished for.

    "What''s this¡­?" Baek-Hyeon whispered.

    Eunji was exempt from being pulled into the odd, separate dome of reality that revealed itself atst:

    It was an endless-seeming space with no walls; melted down and forged together into pirs that reached infinitely towards the cosmos above, with more swords, spears, and daggers protruding from each side.

    The floor itself was a graveyard of des, stuck into the scarlet dirt below as a wind pushed through the enigmatic domain.

    And free of death, yet inteced with it so deeply.

    It held endless malice, begrudgingly so.

    The soil beneath held withered grass and flowers, long since tarnished beneath the cosmic horizon above.

    It was the heart of Jeong-Hui; the soul which had swirled with both light and dark; a manifestation of whaty within him, given form, power, and conceptual authority.

    "The Devil ying Hour."

    "This is my personal realm," he exined, keeping his daggers held.

    A gargantuan, world-sized clock existed above as if acting as the sky itself of the alternate space, made of a smooth, stygian steel with hooded figures engraved along its size; the hand forged of a tinum de, not beginning to tick until¨C

    "The ''Devil ying Hour'' begins¨C" He said, snapping his fingers, "--Now."

    By hismand, the massive, sharp hand of the world clock began ticking, and immediately¨Cit shifted something inside of the confused traitor.

    As Baek-Hyeon looked up towards the clock, the hand seemed to move slowly towards the next point as therge, clunky sound it released reverberated against his ears slowly.

    Opting to move his hand towards his de, his own thoughts seemed to move many times faster than his body as his hand only responded to the signals from his brain seconds after.

    What''s¡­? Baek-Hyeon thought.

    He remained convicted, keeping his merciless, emerald eyes on the perplexed traitor.

    "Devil ying Hour," I just acquired it from the battle against Dae-Mon once I raised my assassin proficiency again. But, I understand it perfectly already. It''s simr to the "Bowels of Hell" that Dae-Mon used; a personal realm of my own.

    Within it¡­the reflexes, perception, and movement of my enemies are slowed down tremendously. In addition¨Cmy attacks are unmatched; my des can pierce anything! He thought.

    Just then, he blinked forward, using his daggers toy a few cuts onto the body of the burly, tall man who was ensnared in the snail-like reflexes imprinted on him by the mystical domain.

    "Gh¨C!"

    Baek-Hyeon felt the pain seconds after the cuts actually came, attempting to defend himself by drawing and swinging his de, but by the time he did¨Cthe red-haired young man was already long since out of his range.

    "Helpless?" He said.

    Appearing behind the angelic-powered man, who had no way to know he was there yet, he shed his back with both daggers, leavingrge shes on his back.

    "--I''d say you''re far more helpless than I am," he spoke.

    The words that left his lips only traveled to Baek-Hyeon''s ears seconds after, who winced and spun around to sh the figure, but again, he was already gone from that position.

    Even to Baek-Hyeon, the most who boasted a level as gargantuan of "50", he was still somehow being sliced like butter.

    Normally, this would be an impossible result¨Cif somebody tried attacking one who was double their level, their weapons would likely shatter just as their hopes did.

    Yet, he was hurting the traitor.

    "Devil ying Hour," it was the space in which he reigned absolute; his weapons were indiscriminate in their sharpness¨Cno matter what level his opponent sat at.

    That much was proven by the fact that Baek-Hyeon possessed the very same, sturdy constitution as the Destroying Angel, a once immutable foe he faced, yet¨Chis des were not stopped this time.

    I''ll kill you, Baek-Hyeon! It''s because of you¡­that I broke my promise!--I couldn''t save them! But¡­I''ll put an end to it here! He resolved.

    Again and again, through his swift moments, heid shes across the angelic man''s body, leaving his grandiose opponent helplessly turning side-to-side as he outpaced him greatly.

    This is the cultivation of my journey so far¨Cthe esoteric ability I''ve crafted from my march forward! He thought.

    Tick. Tock.

    The next movement of the hand caught his attention, causing him to hasten his approach as he went for another strike of his daggers before¨C

    FWOOSH.

    "--!"

    He managed to blink away from the range of the seraphic st, but was left shaken by how close it came tonding.

    How did he¡­? He thought.

    Looking towards the man ensnared in the "Devil ying Hour", Baek-Hyeon had his eyes closed, holding his hand out with a smile.

    "I''ve got it now; the timing," Baek-Hyeon said.

    It sounded ridiculous. Such a thing seemed impossible¨Cand he proved it to himself as he rushed in, leaving a series of cuts on Baek-Hyeon''s body before the much higher-leveled man could react.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was just a bluff, then, he thought.

    But by the next attack that he attempted, it happened again¨CSWOOSH.

    He was forced to lean backwards to avoid a sharp sh of the crimson, japanese-style de that the assimtor wielded.

    ¡­He was bluffing about having it done, but he''s adjusting, isn''t he?! He thought.

    Baek-Hyeon remained silent now, seeming to focus entirely on adjusting to the multiple second day between his reflexes and body as he held his de in preparation.

    Wait, is he predicting where I''ll be by the time his body responds to hismands? Is that possible? He questioned.

    Trying to think about it, he remembered one thing: the man he was fighting against was by all metrics, not normal. One who possessed the constitution of an angel, Baek-Hyeon wasn''t somebody he could apply logic to.

    Tick. Tock.

    ¨CAnother turn of the giant clock hand.

    This made him hasten once more, pushing forward with his daggers held tightly.

    I have to end this quickly¨Cbefore the "Devil ying Hour" is up! He resolved.

    Using Sage Period, he opted to create a spell, utilizing "Devil ying Hour"''s ability to allow him to bypass defense, that would be capable ofnding a lethal blow on the treacherous man.

    ck Edge plus Ripper, he thought.

    [ck Ripper]

    [Spirit: -200]

    [ck Ripper]

    [Spirit: -200]

    [ck Ripper]

    [Spirit: -200 | 1100/3600]

    ¨CThree times he repeated it, unleashing a series of shadow-edges strikes swiftly, opting to leave no chance for his afflicted foe to counter, but s¨C

    "Hmpf!"

    Pushing through the few slices that actually cut Baek-Hyeon, leaving gashes on his left bicep, his right thigh, and his left hip, the reflex-afflicted man nearly bisected him with an unexpected swing that aimed towards his midsection.

    "Ghh!"

    Though he spun his body around and evaded being cut in half from the de, a deep gash was left across his stomach.

    [Health: -600 | 1400/3250]

    Acting quickly before any blood loss could ur, he used "Flesh Temple" to clench his abdomen, moving swiftly without batting an eye at his own wound as he prioritized simply killing the man in front of him.

    Baek-Hyeon remained standing in the same spot, holding no guard as he remained unpredictable. Somehow, it felt as if the tables had turned, as if the halted reflexes of the angelic-empowered man actually made for a disadvantage against himself.

    Tick. Tock.

    Gritting his teeth and steadying his painful breathing, thanks to his bruised chest from the debris that fell on him earlier, he prepared for his next attack, flipping through the air and faintingnding back down and dashing around his white-haired foe, springing forth earnestly this time:

    I''ll end this now! Hassan: First Mountain: Nazar Doctrine plus Ripper! He thought.

    "Ripper of The First Hassan!"

    [Spirit: -600 | 400/3600]

    As he spun around, gaining momentum as he left a trail of azure mes around his temporary, ethereal form, he unleashed the fiery phantom shes towards the angel with full killing power behind each strike.

    "--I see it."

    At that very moment, Baek-Hyeon looked directly at him.

    He felt his heart drop, but he pushed through¨Cunleashing the zing shes against the man as the impact resulted in an explosion of azure, howling mes.

    While Baek-Hyeon was inflicted with the burning shes that created an "X" shape across his chest, burning the garments around his torso into dispelled fabric, the man managed to reach out and halt the attack with a swipe of his de.

    It forced him back before he could finish the job, and with thatst attack¨C

    Tick. Tock¡­

    He looked up above, seeing that the ded hand had reached the twelfth hour on the world-sized clock.

    It had only been but a couple minutes at most, but it was part in due to his inexperience in manifesting his innate realm, and how tremendous of an effort it surprisingly was.

    Crap¡­! He thought.

    The domain he manifested then crumbled, shattering from its inexperienced, first usage, returning both of the men to the back of the still-moving centipede.

    But, it wasn''t a fruitless effort.

    As he huffed and caught his breath, on the brink of passing out from the extensive night, he witnessed the Assimtion System wielder fall to a knee, bleeding profusely from the massive array of shes embedded into his chest.

    "....Huff¡­"

    Baek-Hyeon breathed heavily as multiple points of his cut body were still on the receiving end of the azure mes.

 Chapter 169 The Contenders Of Mankind

    In that moment, he looked forward with wide eyes¨Cclutching his des as the rage and grief took form in the intent to kill as he dashed forward.

    "You¡­!" Baek-Hyeon looked up.

    Before the angelic man could return to his feet, he watched as the vermilion-haired assassin had sprinted past him, lifting up the bound girl and hopping off of the centipede before rushing away.

    The urge to kill ran through his veins like a vengeful magma, pounding his heart to a thump of rage, but in this night of nothing but loss, he chose not to allow any further death.

    Jeong-Hui had chosen not to kill, or rather¨Che knew this was the smarter option.

    Even if he was injured, outside of "Devil ying Hour"...I wouldn''t stand a chance! He thought. Traveling into the distance, Baek-Hyeon stood on top of his centipede steed, holding his bloodied chest as many wounds were on his body. He simply swatted away the azure mes as he looked on.

    "Well done, Jeong-Hui. I greatly underestimated you¡­However, once we meet again, I will not make the same mistake," Baek-Hyeon promised, watching on while moving away.

    ¨C

    He got a safe distance away, looking back as the centipede and the man riding on top of it became distant before he stopped, quickly unbinding the golden ropes from the girl.

    "I''ve got you!" He assured her.

    The moment Eunji was freed, they immediately embraced with a hug, both taken aback by the close encounter with death each had shared.

    "...I was so scared¡­!" Eunji told him.

    "I know¡­" He said.

    In truth, he was as well. It was only after the encounter itself had passed that he realized how much his heart ached from cing himself near such death.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­?" Eunji said his name quietly, pulling away.

    "Yeah?"

    "You''re shaking¡­"

    He noticed this as well as he looked down at the hands they held the daggers, noticing his hands were trembling.

    It took him a moment of looking at his quivering hands to realize it wasn''t the residual fear of the encounter, but something else entirely¨Crelief, excitement, joy¨Csomething at a time like this he was foreign to.

    This feeling originated from a fact he had just then realized as he clenched his fists tightly shut.

    Kamou¡­Did you see that? I did it. I changed it¨Cthis time, I wasn''t helpless¡­I saved her, he thought, looking up as tears strolled down his cheeks.

    It felt to him as if the threads of fate had been spun into a new path, leading him to a fresh, untouched destination: a feeling of aplishment. The bitter taste of loss still found its way to his tongue, but amidst such loss, he saved something.

    "Jeong-Hui?!" Eunji looked at him in surprise.

    "What is it? Oh¡­That''s embarrassing," he said, wiping his own tears away.

    But, he realized the hazel-haired girl was looking towards his abdomen, pointing at it as she adjusted her round sses.

    "...It''s not that¨Cyou''re wounded!" Eunji said frantically.

    "Oh¡­"

    Before he could have any say in it, the young woman he had just saved was already repaying the favor as they bothughed.

    "You''re too reckless¡­" Eunji said quietly while keeping the healing waves close to his wound.

    He smiled, "Nothing is too reckless when ites to saving somebody else."

    Those words are ones that took Eunji by surprise as she looked up at him, seeing the mncholic look in his bright, emerald eyes before quickly looking back down as she tended to the wound.

    "That''s¡­a dangerous mindset."

    "Is it?...I would''ve given everything to have it just a few months ago."

    ¡ª

    It seemed with the state Baek-Hyeon was in, it forced him to de-manifest Gumiho, leaving the creature to disperse into particles as Korain''s de missed, smacking into the asphalt below.

    "Huh?" Korain let out in confusion.

    The group gathered around the street, lowering their guard as the immense fox vanished without hardly a trace.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Ma-Ri rushed over.

    She looked surprised, but at the same time¨Crelieved. It was the most emotion he had ever seen from her.

    ¨C

    After a half hour had passed, Yeong-Un and Sol took it upon themselves to find the bodies of their fallenrades within the rubble, bringing them to the street, wrapped in the dusty sheets they could find from thend of debris.

    Eunji was given some words by Korain, some telling of how worried he was, and some scolding her for allowing herself to be captured.

    With his job finally done, he copsed onto the ground on his rear, catching his breath as exhaustion set in full-force.

    "...Idiot¡­" Ma-Ri said quietly.

    "Huh?" He looked up at her.

    Ma-Ri sat beside him, "Nothing. Good job¡­Just¡­you should value your life more."

    "What''s thising from?" He asked in surprise.

    "...From somebody that hardly values her own life. But, I''ve got a lot on my shoulders now¡­" Ma-Ri said.

    They both looked around at the members of Gangcheori, which had been culled by more than half by the terrible night.

    "Yeah¡­" He said.

    "I''ll need you. I mean¡­you''re invaluable as a fighter and as arade. So, stay alive, would you?" Ma-Ri told him.

    He looked at her in surprise for a bit before smiling just a bit, "I''ll do my best."

    With the night reaching its end, the Final Culling had shown its fangs; Gangcheori had suffered a loss like no other.

    That night, Gangcheori had lost. But, all they could do now was count those that made it out as a victory in itself.

    But, the opening of the Tower was now but a step away.

    (Funeral Scene for all fallen members ¨C Dosan park; where Kamou and the others were buried as well. Mirror the scene of Jeong-Hui and Dae-Seong''s talk. Ma-Ri will watch how Jeong-Hui consoles Yeong-Un with Binna.

    Jeong-Hui gets punched by Yeong-Un, but he understands it''s just Yeong-Un venting in his own way)

    (THIS BELOW ¨C Dae-Seong and Jeong-Hui scene)

    (Dae-Seong himself had helped settle his fallenrades into the mncholic field, wiping the dirt off of his hands as he momentarily removed his sses.

    "Jeong-Hui."

    "--"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is important that you don''t let this bring you to a stop," Dae-Seong told him, "I know how it feels; the light of hope has dwindled, and an immeasurable darkness veils your sight¨Cbut, even so, you have to move forward."

    "I know that," he replied quietly without looking at the man.

    Dae-Seong looked up towards the rainy sky, pouring down from the abundant, ever present clouds that hid the stars.

    "It''s one thing to know, but it''s another to understand. Just telling yourself to move forward won''t be enough. Every day your own mind will test your conviction and resolve, you''ll ponder "what-ifs"...that''s why just telling yourself isn''t enough," Dae-Seong told him.

    He finally looked at the man, seeing the deeply-seeded pain and experience thatid in those eyes, tucked behind the veil of his lenses.

    It was clear to him that the silver-haired leader spoke from a ce of experience, and of care.

    "How do I understand it, then?" He asked

    The rain came down harder as the ambience of the cloud''s grievances pelting against the many leaves around them filled his ears.

    "I can''t answer that for you," Dae-Seong spoke patiently to him, looking at the flowers that signified the graves of the young man''spanions, "but, I found my reason to move forward initially through spite."

    --

    Across the world, with theing of the "Final Culling" and the opening of the illustrious, enigmatic "Tower" approaching, those that have survived up until this point looked upon the destination shared by all across the dested world.

    [In The Ruins of  Shenzhen, China]

    Standing atop a highrise building, overlooking the city overtaken by destion, a man dressed in a sleeveless, brown-and-ck uniform with silver decorations watched the crimson horizon.

    Behind him were two others, though they watched his broad back rather than the hell-torn sky above.

    "It''s soon," the white-haired man with sparkly, but powerful, magenta eyes said.

    "What is, Sir Guozhi?" The woman asked.

    When the brte woman spoke to the man, she referred to him almost in reverence as he stood with his muscr, bare arms crossed over his chest.

    "The opening of the ''Tower''," the man answered, looking at the Tower that stood in the distance.

    By all means, he was an imposing figure; standing just around two meters tall with an athletic build, yet a beautiful appearance in the princely, soft features he had.

    [Guozhi | Level 42 | Xianxia System]

    ¡ª

    [In The Ruins of Hokkaido, Japan]

    "Things are about to get real jazzy!"

    As the entric man stood on the verdant mountaintop, he moved his arms out in splendor as the jewelry he wore jingled.

    Around his neck, wrists, and even the piercings on his nose, ears, and lip were jewelry of a unique appearance; it was as if they bore the essence of the cosmos themselves¨Cholding the sparkle of stars and the nebs of creation, constantly moving in the lively jewels.

    He stood alone on the brisk summit with his arms stretched out, looking towards the tower with sparkling eyes that resembled the azure skies.

    "Soon enough, I''ll be able to meet all of the jazzy people that have made it this far! I bet they''ll be splendid!" The man called out with his booming voice echoing through the natural valley.

    He wore a id blue-and-gray scarf with a matching, short-sleeved sweatshirt and pants that hardly resembled the uniform of an [Equip], yet it very much was.

    He was facing the ivory Tower that stood in the distance, looming at the center of everybody''s own perception.

    [Tsukikage | Level 39 | Celestial Forger System]

    He pointed towards the tower with his fingernails, which were all painted different colors, bestowing a promise from his athletic, well-built self:

    "I''ll meet you there, everybody! Just you wait¨Cthe "Dazzling God, Tsukikgae" ising!" Heughed, announcing with vigor.

    ¨C

    [In the ruins of Madurai, India]

    Despite the state of the world, the illustrious, divine Koodal Azhagar Temple still stood inplete perfection. It was structured with a shorter height, in a pyramidal shape with the revered deity, Vishnu, disyed on its forefront.

    Standing there with his hands held together in a respectful prayer, a dark-skinned man stood before the temple entrance in reverence, surrounded by granite walls.

    "Give me strength, Lord Vishnu," the man with well-kempt, crimson hair spoke calmly.

    [Man | Level 43 | Divine Authority System]

    As he said his prayer, the man, dressed in light-azure leather garments, covered by sparse chainmail and a white mantle over his shoulders and upper torso, opened his focused, tinum eyes as fiends climbed over the walls.

    "If you choose to bring violence to sacred grounds, then I''ll punish you ordingly," Man said, raising his hand upward as the seal inscribed on the back of his dark-brown hand took to a vibrant glow, "Authority: Karna."

    Calling upon his unique ability, an illustrious bow manifested into his seal-bearing hand as he wielded it, pulling the divine string back as an astral arrow manifested by the simple action.

    He aimed it towards the red-furred demon that lunged towards him, swiftly releasing the string as not just one, but a dozen arrowsunched forward¨Cpiercing the fiend many times over.

    "Worthless," Man said quietly.

    As the second of these beasts tried to attack him from behind, he swiftly spun around, drawing the string back andunching a grand arrow through its torso, boring a hole through it effortlessly.

    Finishing the two fiends off, his gaze fell onto the Tower ced in the distance, reaching past the crimson clouds.

    "Soon¡­This needless bloodshed will cease on the holy grounds," Man spoke to himself.

    ¨C

    [In The Ruins of Das, Texas, The United States of America]

    "--And another one down!"

    A well-built woman wearing a full-set of emerald armor without any sleeves but gauntlets around her hands mmed her fist down, caving in the head of the unfortunate imp that crossed her path.

    She had flowing, silver hair kept into a pixie cut with vibrant, pink eyes as she smiled from the violent act.

    "More hat than cattle, that one," the woman said, raising her blood-soaked gauntlet from the extinguished imp.

    [Arnia Jones | Level 40 | Brawler System]

    Around the abandoned town, there were many small, nimble imps crawling along the buildings and ransacking cars for whatever little trinkets they could get their grubby hands on.

    "I''m fixin'' to squash a few more, whaddya'' say?" Arnia looked back at the members of her group.

    "Let''s get ''er done!" One man with a straw in his mouth, wearing overalls over his lumberjack shirt, obliged, raising his giant greatsword.

    ¡ª

    Around the world, many still thrived in the apocalypse, not giving in to the seemingly hopeless trial that was ced before them.

    These were the people destined to reach the "Tower"--which would soon, would be opened.

 Chapter 170 Countdown

    [Two Weeks Later]

    "Time remaining," he asked the System while walking.

    [Time until Tower opens: 2 days, 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 36 seconds]

    He continued walking along the abandoned street as the crimson clouds remained overhead, pulling his azure scarf over his nose.

    "...I''ve been thinking about it: I might start putting more points into offensive skills than defensive ones," Sol said, walking beside him.

    Without responding, he kept walking, lost in thought.

    Status, check, he thought.

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 25. EXP: 2200/15000]

    [Age: 17. ss: Luminate Assassin]

    [Health: 3600/3600 | Spirit: 3700/3700]

    [Usable Skill Points: 0.]

    [Assassin Proficiency: 39/9999]

    [Martial Artist Proficiency: Taekwondo: 40/9999]

    [Undying Proficiency: 3/20]

    Below Undying Proficiency, as a sort of "sub-proficiency" was another:

    [Zombie Self-Sustain: 2/10]

    He had other proficiencies scaling, but most were minor and didn''t require a watchful eye.

    With the skill points he had acquired from reaching level twenty-five, he chose to ce them further into his offensive-oriented build, hoping to reach new, shy abilities soon.

    Looking at his stats, he pondered a bit, keeping to his thoughts while traversing the block.

    It''s been two weeks since the yer killers raided ourpound. We lost over half of our numbers, and the one ce we could all call home during this hell. Since then, we''ve been on the move¨Cstaying at ces only for a few nights at most while moving, he thought.

    "Jeong-Hui! I''m talking to you, man," Sol huffed, cing his hand on his shoulder.

    [Sol | Level 24]

    The hazel-haired spear-wielder now wore a verdant, long-sleeved shirt with an oak-brown sheepskin vest and a ck-steel pauldron protecting his shoulder.

    Most importantly, he had upgraded from his silver spear to one of an obsidian material, with orange-glowing cracks running along its length that ended in a curved, molten-like end.

    He snapped into focus, giving a small smile, "Sorry. What were you saying?"

    "Jeez¡­I was asking if it would be a good idea too¨C"

    Before Sol could finish their sentence, they were interrupted by a yell from theirpanion across the street:

    "Hey, both of ya'' dorks! I found a promisin'' lookin'' ce!" Yeong-Un yelled, waving them over.

    [Yeong-Un | Level 26]

    In addition to the dark-blue coat he wore, the scar-covered man now wore cobalt gauntlets, greaves, along with some armor around his neck, though it was sleek enough to still allow for flexibility.

    It had taken the whole first week, but eventually Yeong-Un had returned to his normal, energetic self¨Cthough he did seem to have a more "visceral" side, at least more so than before.

    Losing Binna was hard on him. The first few days¡­well, he clobbered me one after I tried talking to him, he thought, rubbing his cheek as if caressing the long healed bruise.

    "What is it?" He asked, walking across the street.

    Him and Sol moved over to the store that had its windows busted out by Yeong-Un, stepping inside to find an abandoned market.

    It was difficult to see from the outside that it was a grocery store due to the signs being destroyed and the windows obscured by dust, but it was unmistakable once stepping in.

    "Ugh, what''s that smell¡­?" Sol asked, plucking his nose.

    "Rotten meat, and fruit, probably," he answered.

    Currently, the three of them were sent out to find food rations for the rest of the group, who were staying temporarily at a ce just a couple blocks away.

    They got to work searching through the abandoned store, looking for any non-perishable items that might''ve been left.

    Yeong-Un didn''t waste any time, excitedly finding both of them while holding two cans in his hands with a wide smile, "I found the jackpot!"

    "Oh!" He said.

    "Nice!" Sol smiled.

    They followed Yeong-Un to the aisle in which he found the canned goods, piling them into bags found within the store.

    "This should be enough for the next two days, right, Jeong-Hui?" Sol asked him.

    As he was the one responsible for cooking, at least the bulk of it, the questionid on him as he nodded in response, feeling out one of the tin cans.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah, this''ll get us through," he answered with a small smile.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    "Ah, damn it¡­It''s startin'' to pour," Yeong-Un said, ncing past the broken window.

    As rain began to fall down onto the street, the already bleak skies became dulled in a shadowy horizon with the rainfall.

    "We should head back before it turns into a storm," he suggested.

    "Yeah¡­Good idea," Sol nodded.

    "We got what we came for anyway!" Yeong-Un added.

    Bringing the spoils of their scavenge, the three ventured back out of the abandoned establishment as shattered ss crunches beneath their steps.

    He looked up as the cold rain gently collided against his pale cheeks,ing down twice as fast as the minute before.

    "C''mon, fire head!" Yeong-Un called out.

    He nodded before following, "...Yeah, my bad."

    Over the course of the past two weeks, they had put distance from thepound of Gangcheori after it was left uninhabitable by the destructive forces. It was a narrow street, almost akin to a mixture of an alleyway and a street, with little cars abandoned in its width.

    ¡­I just want to get back and have a bite, he thought.

    ¨CBut, turning the corner towards their way back to their temporary home, such reprieve never came easy.

    "Uglies ahead," Yeong-Un warned,ing to a stop as he unsheathed the dual des at his back.

    He stopped as well, looking forward to see a group of three demonic entities that were standing over a torn-open Defect, digging their hands through its opened corpse as they tugged at its pale-white intestines.

    The ravenous creatures took notice of the three humans as they turned back towards them, standing up.

    [Enemy Identified: "Crimson Daeva" | Level 25]

    They stood three meters tall, with bodies covered in bright-red, bristly fur and wide, golden eyes that held a spiraling hunger in them. A mixture of saliva and blood seeped from their sharp-toothed mouths, bearing blood-stained jewelry on their monstrous forms.

    "Gross¡­" Sol muttered, wielding his new, molten-tipped spear.

    Instead of drawing his daggers, he instead raised his hands, tightening the new gauntlets he wore on his arms.

    They were forged from an all-ck steel, sleek and designed with azure grooves that matched his scarf and new coat, which held azure fluff on the inside of its ck fabric.

    These gauntlets had been acquired during a visit to an Angel Shop; it was his "investment" into his martial artist side, bolstering the strength of his arms while maintaining the necessary dexterity of his hands for small, quick movements as an assassin.

    "One for each of us¨Clet''s do this the usual way," he said, stepping forward.

    "Hell yeah," Yeong-Un said.

    "...Got it," Sol gulped.

    It seemed the Crimson Daevas had the same idea, as the three, tall beasts rushed towards each of them.

    Immediately, the one thatunched towards him swiped towards him with its ck ws¨C

    CLANK.

    Sparks flew as the ws of the blood-stained daeva shed against the raised gauntlet of his, whichpletely stopped the attack from inflicting any damage.

    After the attack from the daeva had failed, he calmly spun around andunched a swift kick to its head, causing it to stumble to the side, dibobted from the powerful blow.

    It was the same for his legs: he had acquired ck-steel greaves that were light and minimal, amplifying the sturdiness and power of his own body''s attacks.

    "Graaagh¨C!" The maddened demon howled.

    It continued again, swiping towards him rapidly as purple mes began to exude from its hands, nearly reaching him as he continued backpedaling while calmly watching its assault.

    Each of its inelegant strikes failed tond before the beast, seemingly taken in rage, parted its blood mouth, spewing out a howl of purple mes.

    "--!"

    He used a swift step to get around the fiery breath, stopping the attack that set the asphalt aze with a swift kick to the creature''s jaw, knocking it back across the street with a small shock wave.

    Martial arts is invaluable; I''ve learned that. A lot of my assassin abilities rely on spirit to be used, but with my martial artist side¨Cthere are a sea of options, and many of them don''t require any spirit, he thought.

    He looked on as after the creature had crashed through a wall of an abandoned store, the crimson-furred daevaunched back out, crawling on all-fours now like a savage beast towards him.

    Come on, then, he thought.

    The moment it came within reach of him¨Che spun around again with inhuman agility, using a front flip into a devastating ax-kick that was bathed in a sudden spur of orange mes.

    "Dragon Stomp," was the technique used.

    It wasn''t just through continuous battle that he was able to cultivate his martial arts abilities; through his actions, he discovered a new path:

    I''ve been training with Xiaodan. Since he''s a martial artist ss first and foremost, there''s so much he''s able to show and teach me. I''m thankful, he thought.

 Chapter 171 Nomads

    "Dragon Stomp," was the technique used.

    It wasn''t just through continuous battle that he was able to cultivate his martial arts abilities; through his actions, he discovered a new path:

    I''ve been training with Xiaodan. Since he''s a martial artist ss first and foremost, there''s so much he''s able to show and teach me. I''m thankful, he thought.

    The me-fueled downfall of his boot had mmed down against the back of the daeva''s head, shattering the asphalt below as its furry head crashed into the harsh material below.

    Still, he began to realize what the true strength of the Defect-eating demon was all about: its wild sturdiness.

    It wasn''t as if it wasn''t taking damage from his blows, but it was simply so ingrained with the instinct to kill and eat that it shrugged off whatever injuries were inflicted, wing its way back up and rushing towards him in a heartbeat.

    I''m not the same person I was yesterday. That''s what it means to be a survivor in this hell; you have to strive to be better than you were the day before, and because of that¨Che thought.

    Even as it thrashed about,unching upwards and attempting to m its disproportionatelyrge fists down on him, he responded in kind with a high kick, spinning and pivoting off of his left foot as his right wasunched against the daeva''s chest.

    ¨CI''m prepared, he thought.

    It wasn''t a shy move of any sort, but it was wlessly executed with his superhuman strength to back it up, the kick had caved in the chest of the wild demon, knocking it back with a st-like impact.

    Amidst the air, the daeva spun around, rapidly spewing the same, malignant mes from its maw as itunched back towards him.

    "--!"

    It was a surprising maneuver; the seemingly instinct-driven demon disyed a tactical mind as it reversed its own trajectory.

    Using its own mes as a way to propel itself back to me?--Smart, he thought.

    Again, itunched back, spinning back around and immediately beginning another assault as it aggressively swiped its me-wrapped ws towards him.

    As he paced through the overgrowth-clung street of the abandoned city, the furious swipes were now apanied by mps of the beast''s jaws¨Cclosing in as he looked on in slight surprise.

    With a sharp uppercut, he countered the attempt of a bite out of his shoulder, forcefully closing the jaw of the daeva before following up with a kick to its side.

    It quickly went back into its ravenous assault¨Cswinging its massive hands towards him as he deflected the ws with his sturdy gauntlets.

    Nothing sh was needed, and in fact, it would be detrimental for what he was aiming for: improving his proficiencies. When simply relying on the most optimal, safest abilities, it allows for little growth.

    However, when allowing himself to rely on more restricted movements, he can condense his growth, aiming to add experience to his proficiencies.

    Right now, with his hyper reflexes afforded to him, he was easily able to outmaneuver the wild demon.

    Let''s finish this, he thought.

    Though he was attempting to conserve all of his spirit, he weighed the risk-versus-reward of that thought process; the benefit of not having spent any spirit would surely be great, however, if he did sustain an injury, it''d all be futile.

    With that in mind, he initiated Sage Period, snapping his fingers directly in front of the scarred snout of the daeva, unleashing a concussive sh right in front of it¨C

    "Flinch."

    The brief stun that took hold of the daeva gave him enough time to rear his fist back, swirling his innate strength into his knuckles.

    "King Fist."

    [Spirit: -300 | 3400/3700]

    As the ck steel of his sleek, minimal gauntlet began to slow with a swirl of azure energy that produced a pulsating hum of golden particles.

    After it was properly built up, enhancing the potency of his fist to its utmost, he swung with the entirety of his body weight properly ced behind the well-executed punch, piercing the air as it was stirred by his knuckles.

    The moment his fistnded against the fur-covered abdomen of the jeweled beast, a resounding shock wave that carried the azure-and-golden essence propelled outward, cracking the surrounding asphalt before the attack manifested itself in a mighty boom.

    "Grugh¡­!"

    In a devastating impact, the result of "King Fist" had blown the insides of the daeva out through a hole that exploded through its back¨Cit was an instant kill.

    "King Fist," the next step of evolution from "Breaker Fist"--a strike of immense strength that ced a sublime essence into his knuckles.

    After such a blow, the demon deted as its blood and entrails were obliterated by the attack, leaving it to slump over on the cracked asphalt.

    ["Crimson Daeva" Defeated | EXP +800 | 3000/15000 | Angel Coin +50 | Scarlet Hide x1 Acquired]

    At the same time, his twopanions had finished their foes as well, with Yeong-Un using a rapid selection of slices to cut his daeva up into countless bits, and Sol releasing a burst of mes from his spear after already piercing the daeva through its gut¨Ckilling it swiftly.

    [EXP +1600 | 4600/15000]<novelnext></novelnext>

    From their two kills, he also acquired the experience, prompting the three to rendezvous as they shared in a group fist bump.

    "Good work," he said.

    "It was easy peasy," Yeong-Un gloated.

    "...Yeah, I guess," Sol sighed.

    The trio continued on their way, without suffering a single blow in their short-lived battle, they ventured down the block until stopping at what looked to be an abandoned establishment:

    It was a hole-in-the-wall bar, entered through steps downward from the street that led into a ce that was very much alive, it was¨C

    "Wee home."

    Greeting them through the jingling front door was Eunji, who looked at him with a smile as she was wiping down a table.

    Sitting behind the bar that still held a selection of liquor, Korain was sitting on a stool and having a drink, kicking his boots up on the bartender workshop.

    "Hey," he greeted in return.

    From another room of the small, butfortable bar with old-fashioned furniture, the leader of the group entered while wiping her hands with a cloth.

    "How did it go?" Ma-Ri asked, not wasting a moment.

    The two he was with and himself raised the shopping bags that were filled with non-perishable goods, dumping them onto the green-covered pool table.

    "Woah, good haul!" Xiaodan, who was sitting with a book on hisp, looked up.

    He smiled, "We got lucky."

    Ma-Ri looked at him for a moment before smiling and nodding, "Good job."

    "I''m beat," Yeong-Un yawned, immediately falling onto the leather sofa as he lounged back.

    Sol sat on the couch beside, cleaning his new spear that he was awfully attached to.

    It did cost him a pretty penny, he thought.

    It wasn''t nearly as lively orrge of a group as before, but standing in that ce and seeing everybody doing the best they could to manage with what was lost¨Che felt fulfilled.

    "Alright, who''s hungry?" He asked from the center of the underground bar.

    Korain pulled the bottle of booze from his lips, "...I''m down for some grub."

    "Count me in," Xiaodan said from the corner of the room, holding his book.

    "I could use a bite," Yeong-Un said, still lounging across the sofa.

    "Same here," Sol smiled.

    ¨CIt was an overwhelming majority, and he was a part of it.

    Though he had finished the scavenge, it wasn''t as if his work for the day was as he brought the supplies into the kitchen stationed at the back of the half-home, half-bar, rolling his sleeves up.

    "Alright¡­Dinner time," he rubbed his hands together, pondering what to make.

    Looking at the cans, there were a plethora of options, but at the same time, it was questionable if they flowed together into a serviceable dish.

    After a few minutes of looking at the cans, which numbered from poached eggs, kimchi, vegetables, meat, and an assortment of other items, he put together an impromptu dish in his mind.

    I should use ingredients that don''t work well solo¡­I''ll leave things that are easy to prepare if I''m not around, he thought.

    Compared to thevish hotel, the cramped kitchen of the bar-home was nothing to write home about, but it was enough as he got to work.

    Popping open the first can, which held an unsavory smell, was braised pork that was marinated in spicy soy sauce, which he quickly got to preparing.

    It''ll never match fresh ingredients, but I can do my best to make it as close as possible¨Cthough I''m not a miracle worker, he thought.

    Though, it was his modesty speaking; as the dish had quickly formed to mind, with him preparing a mixture of sweet-and-savory with apple-and-carrot w that he diced up with a grater swiftly, he quickly whipped up something in the pot that produced a wonderful aroma.

    This was thanks to his "Culinary Proficiency" skill, which granted him a supernatural skillset in the kitchen.

    [Culinary Proficiency: 25/9999]

 Chapter 172 Boredom In Chaos

    [Culinary Proficiency: 25/9999]

    It was an easy proficiency to raise; simply being cultivated by assembling ingredients, creating dishes, and pushing the boundaries of hisfortable te¨Cthough, it didn''t help him much in battle, it was an invaluable skill for the sustenance and morality of the group.

    While preparing the dish, he nced out of the window, seeing the ominous, but hopeful Tower in the distance.

    Two more days¡­It almost doesn''t feel real. After all of this time, it felt like something beyond reach, but¡­soon, it''ll finally open¨Cthe "Tower", he thought.

    There was still practically nothing known about the very destination that the scraps left of humanity fought for.

    The System is withholding information. I just don''t get it: why is it a secret? He thought.

    While sprucing up some healthy, green veggies to add to the dish, his thoughts already somewhat knew the answer to his question:

    It''s kept from us because the Tower isn''t outright salvation. That''s the only exnation¡ªthe real fight will start then, he thought.

    As he was adding the finishing touches to the dish, wiping the sweat from his forehead as his frizzy, red locks moved with his movements, he was greeted by Eunji entering the kitchen.

    "Need some help?" Eunji asked with a small smile.

    He was wiping his hands down with a cloth, cooling down after being in the hot culinary space for half an hour.

    His first instinct was to shake his head with a "No" but he stopped himself.

    "Actually¡­Want to help me te everything and serve it?" He asked.

    Eunji seemed delighted to help, nodding with a brightened smile, "Of course!"

    While scooping the finished dish out into bowls, Eunji seemed surprised, looking down at the bowl of savory, saucethered beef paired with an assortment of vegetables and steamed rice.

    "Wow¡­"

    "What is it?" He asked with a smile, quickly rinsing off the equipment used.

    An aroma rose from the dish, filling the kitchen with the spicy, yet tangy scent of the meal.

    "It looks amazing. You really did this with canned foods?" Eunji asked.

    He bashfully ced his hands on his sides, "¡­Yeah, I''m still kind of surprised myself."

    "You would''ve been a Michelin-star chef¡­" Eunji said.

    Herment caused him tough a bit as he received a confused look from the girl.

    "What''s funny?¡­I''m not lying, Jeong-Hui. You''re a really talented chef," Eunji said.

    "I appreciate it, but¡­something like this is only possible because of my System. Lately my Culinary Proficiency has reached a new threshold, I guess¡ªthat''s all," he exined.

    Eunji picked up a few bowls, looking back at him before leaving the kitchen, "I still think I''m right."

    "¡­Thanks," he smiled.

    Picking up the rest of the steaming bowls, bncing them on his arms, he went out to the lounge space of the bar as well.

    To be honest, I''m kind of mixed about it. It probably sounds stupid, but¡­I liked honing my craft with my own mind and body when it came to creating dishes. With my System, it almost feels¡­I don''t know¡ªI''m probably just overthinking it, he thought.

    Eunji had already given a bowl to Korain, who wasted no time stuffing his face.

    Ever since he lost his arm and well¡­Since we lost the others, Korain has picked up his training. I bet that giant has a boundless appetite now, he thought.

    He approached Xiaodan, who was sitting on a stool in the corner of the room, sitting beneath a poster of an eighties'' popcorn flick¡ª"Robo-Sheriff." Though the androgynous adolescent looked less than interested in cheesy movies as he was busy reading a sophicasted-sounding novel: "The Crane of Tulip Hill."

    "Heads up," he said, getting the attention of the book-engrossed martial artist.

    Xiaodan''s expression lit up at the sight of the steaming bowl of beef and the aroma that apanied it, gratefully epting it.

    "Smells great! Thanks," Xiaodan smiled.

    He simply nodded before moving on, granting a bowl to the spear-cleaning young man who was sitting on a cushioned chair.

    "Oh¡ªsweet!" Sol epted the bowl.

    ? And of course, one for the lounging, scar-covered young man near him.

    "Yeong-Un," he called the resting man''s name.

    The blue-haired figure opened his eyelids, sitting up as he took the bowl with a yawn, "Thanks. ''Preciate it."

    By then, Eunji had already given thest person their dish¡ªthe new leader of Gangcheori, Ma-Ri, who stayed in the office space, mostly pondering.

    "Guess it''s our turn," he said, standing beside Eunji now.

    "Yeah¡­" Eunji replied, stopping as her stomach growled audibly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The meek girl quickly put her hand over her stomach, covering the pale-white and verdant fabric with a blush.

    "Ha-ha, I''ll get that bowl ready," heughed.

    "Okay¡­" She nodded shyly.

    After a quick visit to the kitchen, he rationed thest of the dish into two bowls¡ªone for Eunji, and one for himself, handing the bowl to the girl as they both sat near the pool table.

    He waited to take the first bite, instead waiting for the young woman to do the honors as he watched Eunji guide the saucethered serving of beef into her mouth.

    "--"

    It was important for him to see that initial reaction¨Cto know if what he crafted was something serviceable, or downright horrendous.

    "It''s good," Eunji finally said after swallowing.

    "Really?" He asked with a smile.

    "Are you surprised? You''ve yet to make a bad dish," Eunji smiled as well.

    "I guess," heughed.

    Delving into the bowl for himself, he was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the preservative-packed ingredients not only tasted, but felt in their texture. The beef was easy and tender, and the sauce still had a kick.

    It was a surprise to him even still¨Cthe supernatural mastery that his Culinary Proficiency awarded him.

    Man, I would''ve been the next Gordon Ramsay if I had this before¡­Hemented with a sigh.

    After finishing his meal, he collected the bowls from everybody before heading back into the kitchen¨Crolling up his sleeves and washing the dishes.

    It''s not like I''m expected to do all of this¨CI insisted on doing it. Patrol, scavenging, cooking, washing dishes, training with Korain sometimes¨CI feel like if I''m not constantly on my feet, I''m off my guard, he thought.

    Finishing cleaning the bowls, he set them back into the cab before letting out a sigh, drying off of his hands and cracking his neck side-to-side.

    ¡­What now? He thought.

    It was important to stay low during the "Final Culling"--this left little activities and even less opportunity to freely go beyond the doors of the establishment.

    This thought came to him thanks to a sudden bang against the red-bricked walls¨CBANG.

    "--"

    It wasn''t an umon urrence, in fact, it was fairlymon. He remained still while standing in the kitchen, looking towards the back wall that was banged on from the outsideyer.

    Unlike Defects, Demons will try to get in. Though it seems like they''ll only break into a building if they know for sure that somebody is inside. If you just stay quiet¡­they''ll go on their way, he thought.

    BANG. BANG. BANG.

    Over thest two weeks of sharing the world with the upants of Hell, it became normalized to the entire group¨Cthe constant banging from passing demons that were searching for any reaction to their disruptive knocks.

    ¡­I can''t wait until the Tower opens and this can all just be done. Hell is¡­well¨CHell, he thought.

    Leaving the kitchen, he made his way up the stairs of the bar, up to the second floor portion that was used as a ce of residence.

    There were only three rooms, which wasn''t so much of a problem, but still made things feel just a bit ustrophobic at times.

    As it was: Ma-Ri and Eunji shared a room, Korain and Xiaodan shared another, which left the room he was in with himself, Yeong-Un, and Sol.

    Heid down on the navy-blue futon on the floor, looking up towards the ceiling as he let out a rxed sigh.

    Two days¡­Just two more days¨CI''m stuck between being giddy and outright scared. It''s just¡­unknown, he thought.

    While heid there, the door swung open as Sol came in, looking at him as if not surprised to find him in the room.

    "What''s up? Early check-in?" He asked, looking up at his friend.

    Sol shook his head, sitting on the verdant sofa that was against the leftmost wall of the room,ying his spear beside him, "...No, it''s just more quiet in here, and¡­"

    "No banging on the second floor?" He finished for him.

    "Yeah. At least, not as much," Sol sighed.

    Alright, then¡­He thought.

    After a moment ofying down, he jumped up onto his feet, looking over at Sol as he cracked his neck.

    Though he tried to stay rxed, there was too much energy left in his body. Whether it was thanks to his enhanced proficiencies or not, resting was simply impossible when it wasn''t required yet.

    "...What''s that look for?" Sol asked.

    He smiled, "How about some sparring?"

 Chapter 173 Jeong-Hui VS Sol

    "...What''s that look for?" Sol asked.

    He smiled, "How about some sparring?"

    Sol seemed hesitant, almost instantly moving his lips to say "No" but stopped himself and begrudgingly nodded.

    With that, the two left the room and headed to the basement, where they would be able to train without making noise that would alert prowling entities on the streets.

    Once they were in the dank, barely lit room that was filled with old, discarded crates of booze and grime, they equipped the wooden versions of their weapons.

    "I guess¡­It has been helpful, honestly. And I need it," Sol said.

    "Mhm," he straightened his coat and tightened his gauntlets, "If anything, it''s going to help you be less scared of being hit."

    He yfully flipped the wooden daggers in his hands as he stood several meters across from Sol, who hesitantly readied his wood spear as well.

    "Ready?" He asked.

    "Guess I''m as ready as I''ll ever be," Sol gulped.

    He bounced on his toes for a moment, shaking to loosen up his body, "Alright¨Cit''ll end whenever one of us is knocked to the ground! Go!"

    The moment he instructed the start of their sparring match, he sprung forward with swiftness that immediately took Sol by surprise, who brought his spear up and blocked a swipe of the wooden dagger.

    "Come on! You''ve got to start countering that! You always fall for it!" He said with a smile, shing his wooden weapons against the shield-like spear.

    Sol backpedaled while blocking the attacks, already sweating, "--I know! It''s just¡­! Ngh!"

    As he swiped his wooden daggers around swiftly, he watched Sol closely, analyzing how he reacted to being put on the defensive from his flurry.

    He''s too scared ofbat. Part of that is the fear of being hurt¨Cit''s something we all have, but in this hell, it''s something we got over a long time ago. Still, Sol is holding onto it. I have to break that, he thought.

    It was clear that with his swift set of attacks, Sol was really getting nowhere, prompting him to give him some leniency and kick him back before jumping away to bring them back to neutral stances.

    "...Huff¡­" Sol breathed out, clutching his pale-wood training spear.

    "Come on¨Cyoue at me this time," he said, gesturing for him toe.

    Sol gulped, "I don''t know, Jeong-Hui¡­"

    "Come on!" He urged again.

    It took multiple pushes for somebody as entrenched in their own pits of self-doubt as Sol to finally take the initiative, but he finally convinced the red bandana-wearing spearman as he watched Sol rush over this time.

    Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.

    Multiple jabs of the edgeless spear came towards him, piercing through the air as he bobbed his head to avoid being hit by the spear tip.

    It wasn''t half-bad training for himself, either. While sparring with Korain or Yeong-Un lended itself to more intense, boorishbat, when it was against Sol, it was a lot more manageable for him and allowed himself to pick-and-choose what specifically he wanted to hone.

    This time, he focused on sharpening his reflexes further and his more minimal evasions while Sol repeatedly thrust the weapon towards him.

    Without using his weapons to block or deflect the spear, he kept his hands down by his sides while moving out of the way with just movements of his head and swift footwork.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    This, in fact, spurred a rare sense of frustration in Sol, who while trying to improve himself was watching his friend treat this as nothing but casual practice.

    ¡­I''ll show you! Sol thought.

    With a bit more motivation flooding through his veins, the hazel-haired young man sharpened his amber eyes before stomping forward, spinning his weapon around beforeunching a flurry of a dozen thrusts over a single second.

    "--!"

    So fast, so sudden! He thought.

    ? He was forced to lift his wooden daggers tobat the spear now, deflecting it and opting for moreplex evasions as he flipped backward¨Cresetting the momentum as the two squared off.

    "Finally lit a fire under your ass?" He asked.

    Sol breathed out with a focused smile, "Guess so."

    With that resolve noticed, he opted to stop half-assing things and take Sol more seriously now¨Ctaking the initiative with a quick burst forward.

    This time, as he swiped his right-held dagger towards Sol''s side, it was blocked by the lower end of the wooden spear before the hazel-haired spearman countered by thrusting his weapon forward quickly.

    Took you long enough, he thought with a smile.

    Shifting his weight as he pivoted off of his left foot, he flipped right over the tip of the spear seamlessly before retaliating with a strike of his wooden dagger straight to the side of Sol''s neck.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yowch!" Sol winced.

    "Don''t stop and think about the pain! Keep going!" He reminded him.

    He didn''t let up; this was the pivotal point in which Sol required to be pushed the most¨Che knew that, yelling such words out as Sol stopped himself from caressing his reddened neck and continued the sh.

    In sparring, three things were made clear: don''t use real weapons and don''t strike hard enough to inflict any real damage, and¨Cdon''t use skills.

    This made bouts like this purely reliant on physical prowess and finesse.

    While Sol rapidly jabbed his spear forward at increased speeds, the frizzy-haired assassin weaved through them andnded a counter by striking Sol in the abdomen with both daggers.

    "Gh-!" Sol spat out his breath.

    "--You need to take more initiative than this," he instructed him.

    Sol rubbed his stomach, "It''s just sparring, dude¡­"

    "Why do you think we''re doing this? Chances are, what''s waiting at the Tower for us is an even bigger fight than we''ve gone through already," he told Sol, "Do you want to be stuck like this while you''re there?"

    "--"

    He sighed out, looking directly at him, "Do you want to be a burden?"

    "--"

    Thosest words seemed to strike something within Sol as he stood himself up straight, wielding his spear in both hands.

    Seeing his wordless confirmation to continue, he readied himself as well, "Alright¨Clet''s do this."

    To his surprise, it was Sol who dashed forward this time, covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye before he was forced to spin to the left to avoid being struck by a heavy thrust of the spear.

    It''s easy to forget, but¨Che''s fast. Call it his natural affinity to run away, but Sol''s agility isn''t too far below mine, in pure stats, he thought.

    It felt like a true contest now; with Sol locked into actually putting effort through, he moved with finesse unseen previously¨Cproperly utilizing his footing to entuate his assault while jabbing his weapon forward with air-piercing blows.

    He countered with an elbow directly to Sol''s chest, but it was a move made out of pure reflex, not intending tounch it so hard as he watched Sol be knocked to the side.

    "Ah¨Cmy bad," he said out of surprise.

    By the time he had realized, Sol was already on the ground, holding his chest as he winced a bit to himself.

    "Damn, dude¡­Harsh," Solughed.

    He extended his hand down with a smile, "Sorry, just my instincts kicking in."

    "All good," Sol said, epting his hand as he was brought to his feet.

    After finishing a surprisingly lively sparring session, the "day" began toe to a close. While there was no longer sunshine amidst the hell conquered world, swarmed with demons and Defects of Heaven alike, there was a stark difference between the crimson horizon and what the group referred to as the "Blind Night".

    "We should head back up," he suggested.

    He could see the faint light of the crimson horizon settling through the sparse space between the wooden nks used to barricade the basement window.

    "Yeah¡­" Sol said, noticing theing of the Blind Night as well.

    Together, he traversed the creaky steps of the basement back to the main floor with Sol, returning to see Yeong-Un leaned against the door to the dank lower section.

    "What''s up?" He asked.

    Yeong-Un hardly looked energetic, "I heard ya''. Sounds like things were gettin'' fun."

    "Fun isn''t the word I''d use¡­Try ''painful''," Sol yawned.

    Heughed a bit, cing his hands on Sol''s shoulders from behind as the three of them marched towards their shared room, "We''re getting there. You''ve improved a lot, Sol. Don''t sell yourself short on that."

    "It''s hard when everytime we do this, I end up on my ass," Sol said with a yful sigh.

    "Well, nobody said it was an overnight process," he cheekily smiled.

    With the three of them getting to their room, they snuffed out all candles on their way in, and blew out the candle present in the room itself.

    "...Total darkness again," Sol said quietly, lounging across the sofa in the dark space.

    It had to be like this each night. With each set of the crimson horizon, the world was enveloped in absolute darkness. In such abundant shade, even the smallest semnce of light stood out like a beacon to those who crawled out from Hell; signal to the demons telling them "Humans are here"--simply, it was a foolish idea.

 Chapter 174 One Day

    Candles hardly did anything tobat such overwhelming darkness, anyway, so it was hardly worth the risk.

    Heid on the futon on the ground while Yeong-Un took to another futon just a few feet beside him.

    Quietly echoing through the halls were the steps of the other members of Gangcheori getting to their rooms, moving silently as to avoid attracting any prowlers of the Blind Night.

    After shuffling through his skill tree whileying on his back, looking through his present skills and future ones toe, he swiped the personal visualizations of his System away and turned over, getting asfortable as he could.

    "--"

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    Such terrifying, mighty stomps echoed from beyond the walls that felt as thin as paper in the hell-turned world, yet it was normal to their ears.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    Each step sounded like a tremor, shaking the city''s foundations itself as they allid there quietly, doing their best to try to fall asleep.

    Scratch. Scratch.

    Against the outside walls, the sounds of ws digging into the brick could be heard, dragging along the solid surfaces.

    It was the march of the hellborne. Whether it was thunderous stomps of inexplicable size, or nimble creatures scaling the surrounding buildings¨Cthey were always on the move, especially during the Blind Night.

    ¡­This is life. After this night, it''ll just be one more day. It''s so close. None of us have really brought it up¡­It almost feels like bringing it up would be a bad omen, you know? I''m not too different, he thought.

    Afterying there in the darkness, looking up at the ceiling above him that he could hardly make out past the clingy shadows, he heard some shuffling around in the futon beside him.

    "...Hey, fire-head."

    It was Yeong-Un, who seemed to be afflicted with the same problem as him: unable to sleep in the unwavering darkness and march of the demons urring in the cityscape beyond their walls.

    "Yeah?" He replied quietly.

    Sol was already snoring away, as heavy as a sleeper as always as he slept in an unnatural position on the couch.

    "It''s weird, ain''t it? We really weren''t expected to make it. "Reach level twenty in six months", my ass," Yeong-Un said quietly while keeping his arms tucked under his head, "...They''re throwin'' level twenties and thirties at us like nothin''. That God up there wants us all dead."

    "Yeah," he responded.

    It wasn''t wrong. In fact, it''s something he had been thinking about.

    If humans were only asked to reach level twenty, then why are creatures dwarfing those levels being thrown at them? It was something he and everybody else who asked the question knew.

    "...A God like that ain''t wein'' us to those pearly gates with flowers. Bastard is going to show us somethin'' of a whole new caliber two days from now," Yeong-Un said.

    "--"

    "A God like that¡­just had to throw onest curveball at us. Just had to¡­take Binna out like that¡­" Yeong-Un''s words trailed painfully.

    This wasn''t anything different, either. Just about every night, those locked up emotions of the tough young man had to be vented somewhere.

    Yeong-Un wasn''t somebody willing to shed tears in front of another, but in the total darkness of the night, it was a different story.

    He stayed silent, hearing the quiet, muffled sounds of the grieving friend of his'' release of tears. It was painful for him, too. That grief wasn''t any less potent for him¨Ctoo much had been lost, too much to simply get over.

    Even if he did his best to "tough it out" and "stay focused"--tears crept silently from his eyes as heid there, holding his hand up as he clenched his fist.

    ¡­Soon enough, the fight will continue. I can still feel it¨Cthe efforts ced by my fallenrades, their aspirations for the future, their desire to live, and the warmth they provided. None of it will go to waste, he thought.

    With that nighting to a close while the rumbling of passing demons of unknown magnitude continued outside, thest day before the opening of the Tower came.

    [One Day Left Before The Tower''s Opening | Morning]

    Rising up from his thin bed in the crimson morning, he headed to the main bar, finding nobody else awake yet.

    Or, so he thought.

    As he dressed into his [Equip], tightening his gauntlets and fixing his coat, he passed by the office, stopping as he made out a muffled sound through the mostly shut door.

    "--"

    There was only a small space of the door, but he peeked through against his better judgment, driven by curiosity.

    "...Dae-Seong¡­What do I do¡­? Are we ready for it¡­? We''re still so clueless¡­"

    Sitting at the desk, or more aptly¨Chalfying on it, Ma-Ri spoke to herself in a choked up voice, clearly having shed tears.

    He quickly withdrew from that scene, forcing himself away as he shook his head in disappointment of himself for being so nosy. Still, it wasn''t something he was happy to have seen, either.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ma-Ri¡­You''re not alone. We''re in this together, he thought.

    Before the others could wake up, he set off into the kitchen to get ready for breakfast¨Cone which felt more important than ever with the time until the Tower''s opening closing in.

    "Time," he said quietly to himself.

    [Time until Tower opens: 1 days, 8 hours, 3 minutes, and 12 seconds]

    With it being so close, he gathered an urate estimate of what exactly the setting for the opening would be as he got to preparing a morning meal for each member.

    Tomorrow, eight hours¡­It''ll be around noon, then. We should head out in the morning. I''ll talk to Ma-Ri about this, he thought.

    After sprucing up breakfast, he served it to the groggy, recently awakened members of the group who gathered in the main lobby of the bar.

    While they were all present, having poached eggs with a side of toast, he decided it was as good of a time as any for discussion.

    "...About tomorrow," he said.

    Those words alone that alluded to the prospect of the Tower''s opening made the room quiet as all eyes were on him.

    "I was thinking it''d be best to head out first thing in the morning. I don''t know if there''s some sort of time limit in which we have to arrive at the Tower, but I don''t think it''s a good idea to test that theory out. What do you think, Ma-Ri?" He asked the leader of the group, who was sitting across from him on a stool.

    Ma-Ri was quiet, looking down at her te while the others watched her for her answer to the foundationally important question.

    "Ma-Ri?" He called her name again.

    "Yeah, sorry¡­I didn''t get much sleepst night," she told him.

    It wasn''t much of a surprise, going off of the dark bags beneath her icy-blue eyes and the unkempt look of her usually straight, immacte hair.

    "...It would be best to head out as early as possible tomorrow, I agree," Ma-Ri said.

    "Alright," he nodded.

    Surprisingly, she agreed without much else words having to be exchanged. With the breakfast continuing, silence filled the room before another spoke up.

    "...What about that bastard?"

    Yeong-Un said in a harsh time while tightly holding his fork, staring towards the ground. "That bastard"--though he didn''t say an actual name, they all knew who he was referring to.

    "--" Ma-Ri didn''t answer.

    "If he''sin'' to the Tower¡­We have to kill him," Yeong-Un said, "After what he said, what he''s capable of¡­Why the fuck should he be allowed in there¡­?!"

    "--"

    Though the way in which he approached it was less than tactful, Yeong-Un''s words weren''t foreign to any of their hearts.

    In fact, he felt a simr rage burning in his blood on the topic of the traitor, and the mass of death left in his wake.

    Even so, seeing how Ma-Ri was clearly overburdened by all of this and falling silent, he took it upon himself to answer in a civilized way.

    "That''s¡­not our priority, Yeong-Un," he said calmly, looking at his friend.

    "Did I hear that right? "Not our priority"--takin'' out the person who killed so many of our friends¨Cour family, somebody who is on his way to the pearly fuckin'' gates that we fought tooth n'' nail for¡­that''s not our priority? Then what is it?!" Yeong-Un asked.

    As the spiky-haired young man fiercely ced his question, he mmed his hand against the arm of his chair, causing his te to crash down and break.

    Eunji flinched from the dish breaking, staying silent amidst the heated topic. Still, he kept his eyes on Yeong-Un.

    As he locked eyes with his passionaterade, he could see the blue-and-gold eyes of Yeong-Un''s quivering with utter grief andmentation; such potent feelings that the fiery young man had little clue how to deal with.

    That pain in his eyes only reignited his own as he clenched his fists, having to suppress his own personal feelings in the matter because in truth¨Che wanted the same.

    "Our priority is making sure we don''t lose anybody else, Yeong-Un¡­" He said quietly.

    "You¨C"

    "He''s right."

    ¨CSupporting his words was the most veteran amongst them: the one-armed, long-haired man who sat near Ma-Ri.

    Korain''s own ce in this discussion threw Yeong-Un off, who clearly believed of all people, Korain would possess the same feelings as him in this matter.

    "...How? We''re gonna lose more people anyway if that bastard is left to his own devices out there¡­! This is our chance!" Yeong-Un clenched his teeth with tears welling up in his eyes.

 Chapter 175 Bystander

    "...How? We''re gonna lose more people anyway if that bastard is left to his own devices out there¡­! This is our chance!" Yeong-Un clenched his teeth with tears welling up in his eyes.

    The thirst for vengeance was almost palpable from him, but was truly palpable already was the sadness quaking in Yeong-Un''s words as he looked one.

    Korain added in, "I get it, kid. I do."

    "Then why¨C!" Yeong-Un asked, but was interrupted.

    "We''re not strong enough."

    Those words that spilled from Korain''s lips quenched even Yeong-Un''s words, whose eyes widened at such out of character words from the rowdy vice leader.

    "Wha¡­?" Yeong-Un said quietly.

    The one-armed man looked down, reaching over by his left side in remembrance of his lost limb while holding a mncholic expression in his eyes.

    "Can you guarantee we''d be able to beat him? Do you have that knowledge, confidence, or strength to back that up?" Korain looked straight at Yeong-Un.

    "--" Yeong-Un fell silent.

    "So what if it would be better if he died now thanter? What does it matter if we can''t aplish that anyway?" Korain continued with his stern words, now standing over Yeong-Un as he spoke the thoughts of all that sat there, "...Even if we could, are you willing to sacrifice some of us here to reach that oue? Are you, Yeong-Un?"

    "I¡­" Yeong-Un gritted his teeth, clenching his pants.

    "That''s enough."

    ¨CIt was Ma-Ri that put a stop to Korain''s reprimansive words towards the scar-covered adolescent.

    Once again, the room fell silent as Korain sat back down. After a less than warm breakfast, he took the dishes back into the kitchen, hauling them over to the sink as he rolled his sleeves up in preparation of cleaning them off.

    "Hey-o."

    Coming into the kitchen, to his surprise, was the silver-haired androgynous figure.

    "Xiaodan," he said out of slight surprise, "What''s up?"

    "Ahh¡­Well, it''s a bit awkward out there, so I thought I''d lend a hand in here," Xiaodanughed a bit while ruffling his own lengthy locks of silver.

    He nodded, stepping aside to give room for the smaller-of-stature young man to help, "Yeah, I feel that, too."

    Over thest two weeks, he had watched Xiaodan naturally shift into the group, but it was still apparent he wasn''t deeply ingrained with the rest of the group.

    It''s not like anybody has really been in a jovial mood, I guess. After that night¡­I can''t me them, he thought.

    Rinsing the dishes, he scrubbed down the te as he looked over at Xiaodan, who was vigorously wiping down another te.

    "How''s iting along?" He asked.

    Xiaodan stopped, looking at the te then at him before smiling and continuing, "Oh¡­you mean into Gangcheori? Well, everybody is nice here. Eunji knows a lot about books, and Sol is easy to talk to."

    "d to hear it," he smiled.

    He felt partly responsible for giving Xiaodan a smooth transition into the group, but he was relieved to hear he was fitting in nicely.

    "...You''re really something, you know that?"

    Xiaodan''s words caught him off-guard as it was rare to hear genuine words like that from the cheeky new recruit.

    "Huh?" He looked over at Xiaodan.

    "Even if everybody is smiling and trying to act strong, it''s still easy to tell¡­everybody is hurting a lot. Still, you''ve been taking it in stride, Jeong-Hui. I didn''t know anybody who¡­you know, so I''m not doing badly, but¡­" Xiaodan told him.

    "Don''t get the wrong idea," he said almost sternly.

    "--" Xiaodan looked at him.

    He continued wiping off one of the tes, cing the recently cleaned one in the rack as Xiaodan watched him, looking at his emerald eyes that were focused on his task.

    "...Taking it in stride?" He said.

    As he scrubbed the dish, a movement of his handpletely shattered it as it crumbled away, leaving the silver-haired young man perplexed.

    Even as the vermilion-haired adolescent stood there with a calm expression, it looked like anything but that as something unseen burned within those emerald eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m barely holding on. I''ve never been so angry in my life. Before¡­I''d just be in anguish. That''s when I was weak¨Cbut now, I''m strong enough to instead feel angry. I know I have the strength to do it¨Cto kill. I''d give so much just to get my hands on him," he admitted, looking down at the sink with his emerald eyes.

    It was clear just by one look from Xiaodan that "calm" was anything but Jeong-Hui. Perhaps posed" was the better way to put it; he had control over himself, but that''s all it was.

    "I''ve failed before. I failed again. It feels impossible to get it right, doesn''t it? When you try to hold onto everything¡­some things just end up slipping through your fingers," he said quietly as he continued on with the dishes.

    "Sorry¡­I didn''t know," Xiaodan said quietly.

    He smiled, "Don''t be."

    While finishing up the dishes, the thought crossed his mind that it felt almost pointless to do¨Ckeeping the ce well-maintained. There was only a day or so left before the opening of the Tower, so keeping things tidy wasn''t necessary.

    But, at the very least, he wanted to keep himself on his feet and doing something.

    After finishing the dishes, he moved to the second floor of the bar-home, mostly wandering and looking for something to upy himself with before he wound up near the balcony.

    Going outside was simply not an option; there wasn''t any need and the risk made no sense when they were so close to the finish line, so he opted to simply sit by the window, taking his daggers out as he inspected and cleaned them.

    "--"

    Sitting there in silence near the hallway window, which was mostly boarded up, he watched between the spaces of the wooden nks while thinking to himself.

    While sitting with nothing but his own thoughts, unwanted memories yed on repeat in his mind.

    "If I did this,"--it was the single mostmon thought in his head; continuously pondering if he took a different action during those pivotal moments, what could''ve happened differently.

    Looking at his dagger, he looked at its ck steel.

    ¡­When this all started, if I wasn''t such a scumbag, if I actually tried from the start¨Cwould I have been strong enough to create a different oue? Would they still be here? He thought.

    As he swam into such thoughts while sitting alone, he imagined it: sitting beside him, Myung-Hee would be there,ughing together with Yeong-Un. Kamou and Eunji would likely be great friends, sharing knowledge of their supportive magic together. Hyun and Sol would likely get along well, and Ara and Ma-Ri would hit it off.

    He could see it¨Csuch a timeline; an impossibility crafted by what he promised himself was his own shorings.

    As he let out a sigh, easing himself away from those dismal thoughts, he looked out of the window again, peering through the cracks at the prowling creatures from Hell.

    Something caught his eye; a figure that stood out from the hellish, abhorrent fiends that traversed the hell-turned world.

    "What''s that¡­?" He asked himself quietly.

    It was unmistakably a human figure¨Cnow bing clear to his eyes as they stepped past the crimson haze,ing into full view as they walked down the street with a limp.

    A person¡­? He thought.

    A youthful woman with long, curly hair of a blonde shade with teary, blue eyes. She was clearly dressed in the standard white uniform of an [Equip] but injured as her left leg was drenched in blood, hanging limp as she dragged it along.

    "Help me¡­"

    The young girl said with tears, speaking words aimed at nobody yet everybody, but¨Cthey felt aimed at him.

    He instantly got up from his seat, but stopped himself before even taking the first step toward the unknown process.

    What am I doing? He questioned.

    It was only one day out from the opening of the Tower. Taking any sort of risk felt like the epitome of carelessness, yet¨C

    ¡­How am I supposed to just sit around and watch somebody die when I could help? He thought.

    Rather than the epitome of carelessness, if he did nothing, he would recognize that as the epitome of hypocrisy.

    The path he had carved for himself was made of simr decisions, and abandoning his own ways at this stage felt like a level of cowardice beyond anything he could ever imagine.

    "Shit¡­!" He said quietly before storming down the hall.

    He kept his daggers out, descending the stairs as he moved towards the door at the front of the bar, moving his hand towards the handle before being stopped.

    "What''re you doing?"

    Without looking back, he knew who it was that questioned him: Ma-Ri. He knew what he was doing was impractical to say the least, and Ma-Ri was somebody even more steel-like in her judgment than Dae-Seong.

    "I saw a girl outside. She looked hurt¡­She was calling for help," he said, telling the truth concisely.

 Chapter 176 Upgrade Equipment

    "What''re you doing?"

    Without looking back, he knew who it was that questioned him: Ma-Ri. He knew what he was doing was impractical to say the least, and Ma-Ri was somebody even more steel-like in her judgment than Dae-Seong.

    "I saw a girl outside. She looked hurt¡­She was calling for help," he said, telling the truth concisely.

    Ma-Ri''s expression wavered a bit as she looked at him, "I understand how you feel, but we can''t take a risk like this, Jeong-Hui. What if she''s a GOETIA user?"

    "What if she isn''t?" He retorted.

    Part of it wasn''t simply the desire to help somebody, or at least not simply just that. After so much had been lost, he wanted to counteract that as much as he possibly could.

    "Jeong-Hui. I know it''s difficult, but the Tower is one day out now. We have to look after our own numbers," Ma-Ri told him sternly yet gently.

    "--"

    Standing so close to the door, he could hear the scraping of the injured girl''s limping steps passing across the street.

    "Jeong-Hui. Think about the group. All of us that have made it here¡­It''s only thanks to the effort of those who have left us. If it all came to a close here, if we lose anybody else¡­What would be the point? I''m asking¨Cno, pleading with you¡­Hold off," Ma-Ri asked him.

    While he had his reservations on this, he knew what kind of stress the new leader was under.

    "Jeong-Hui, I know¡­if it were Dae-Seong standing here, he wouldn''t hesitate to bring that person in," Ma-Ri said, "But¡­I''m not him, and Gangcheori wasn''t what it was. We have to survive¨Cthat''s all we can do right now."

    "--"

    "So, please. Think about what we have¨Cremember what it feels like to lose it."

    Such words stuck true as he felt his fingertips against the cold brass of the door handle, knowing well what the biting frost ofmentation does to his heart.

    And, for better or worse, he knew he had to be relied on.

    He let go of the handle begrudgingly, "...Alright."

    Against his own heart, he put his trust in rationale; his and the young woman who asked such of him. Still, it felt as though by letting go of that door handle, he betrayed some part of him¨Cthe feeble scraps of humanity he tried to cling to through Armageddon.

    I''m sorry. I couldn''t save you, he thought.

    He ced his forehead against the cold wood of the door, listening to the growls of the prowling demons before the screams of the girl sounded out.

    Soon, what came next were the sounds of an unsavory passing¨Cone that he felt he had a hand in by staying out of it.

    "--"

    ¡­Is this the first time? Since I resolved to be better¡­I betrayed my own promise to myself? Is this part of that promise, or did I lose today? Who knows¡­He thought.

    As soon as he lifted his head from the door¨Csomething cracked.

    "--?"

    It was Ma-Ri and himself that looked towards the door, not knowing what it was that they just heard before suddenly¨Ca line of cracks formed along the walls in a split-second.

    "Get back!" Ma-Ri warned.

    ¨CJust then, he didn''t need to be told so as his instincts red like fireworks, instantaneously leaping back as the entire front portion of the building''s entrance was crashed through by an outside entity.

    It was a tall, humanoid demon dressed in shoddy, ck robes without any sleeves to cover its white-skinned, scar-covered arms that wielded massive butcher knives. The three-meter tall entity possessed long, stringy locks of kc hair that mostly obscured its face that was covered by a sack mask, etched into its head.

    [Enemy Identified: "Man Butcherer" | Level 30]

    As he leapt back,nding beside Ma-Ri as debris from the walls rolled across the floor, he readied his weapons, looking up at the tall, muscr entity.

    "A demon¡­? How did it know?!" He questioned.

    With such a devastating impact crashing in, it didn''t take but a few seconds for all seven members of Gangcheori to rendezvous at the lounge, facing the butcher-titled demon.

    "What the hell¡­?!" Yeong-Un called out, drawing his swords.

    "It broke in¡­?" Sol questioned, pulling his spear out.

    It wasn''t just the one.

    With the entrance busted wide open, more hellish fiends began to creep into the human-upied space.

    "There''s so many¡­!" Xiaodan said, holding his fists up.

    Korain looked around as the demons flooded in, looking over at the white mage in their group, "--Eunji!"

    Having her name called, the young woman seemed to know what to do, "Cast: Radiant Barrier!"

    Forming in the room and splitting it off into two halves, a light-formed wall blocked off the invading hell fiends and the members of the group.

    "Will that hold¡­?" Sol muttered.

    "It better, or else we''re toast!" Xiaodan answered.

    Being able to look past the translucent barrier, it was clear just how many demons had arrived¨Cattracted to the very prospect of humans.

    "There''s way too many of them, Ma-Ri. We can''t fight this many," he said, looking over at the ck-haired woman.

    Ma-Ri had drawn her rapier already, calmly analyzing the situation before nodding her head, "Up to the second floor! Eunji, can you maintain it while moving away?"

    "Err¡­" Eunji had her hands held up, focusing on the integrity of the barrier.

    While the barrier was up, the abhorrent entities on the other side scraped their des and tainted fingernails against its seraphic form, watching the humans on the other side.

    There were ogre-like creatures with singr eyes and flesh-made clubs, drooling at the sight of the girls, and hellish spider-like creatures, scraping their many legs against the barrier.

    Eunji gulped, "...It won''tst long if I do, but I''ll try!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Okay," Ma-Ri said, looking over at him and Yeong-Un, "--Focus on protecting Ma-Ri while we head up to the roof! We''ll clear out any enemies above!"

    Given this order, he stood still for a second before nodding, standing beside Eunji as Yeong-Un did the same, holding both of his des up.

    While the rest of the group moved up to the roof, the two young men had to stay with Eunji, who had to move slowly to maintain the barrier. The white mage was already sweating from maintaining the barrier, holding it as some of the fiends began to attack the wall of light.

    "Ghh¡­!" Eunji struggled.

    "Keep it together!" Yeong-Un called out.

    "It''s hard¡­! I can feel all of them pressing against it¨C! I won''t be able to move while holding this!" Eunji said, sweating profusely now.

    It was clear even to the two that had no hand in maintaining the barrier that it was being pressed by the array of demonic monsters, mming against it and wing at its seraphic form.

    Even though the divine nature of the barrier caused the demons to be met with a seraphic burn as they touched it, it hardly deterred the savage fiends.

    "--I''ll take some of them out!" He called out, moving forward.

    "Wait¨C!" Eunji called out.

    "How do ya'' n to do that¨Coh," Yeong-Un realized as he asked the question.

    Just as he stepped in front of the barrier, drawing his daggers back, he swung around and unleashed a swipe. By all means, his des shouldn''t have been able to pierce the barrier, yet they phased through¨Ccutting through the flesh of the drooling fiends behind it.

    "Void Shift."

    It was a skill he had acquired not through leveling up or cing skill points into specific slots, but by different means.

    ¨C

    [One Week Ago, An Angel Shop]

    After already picking out his gauntlets, he ended up at the cksmith''s divine forge, looking at his daggers.

    They weren''t in a pretty shape after the tough battles he''d put them through, and by this point, any new weapons would prove to be much more effective.

    But¨C

    ¨C

    [A Time That Feels Like Forever Ago]

    [Craft: [Stygian Daggers] | Resources Needed: Stygian Ore x10.]

    "Ten¡­?"

    He was disheartened by that prompt, only having four of the required ore himself as he slumped his shoulders.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Turning around at the question, he was surprised to find Kamou and Myung-Hee standing just behind him, looking curiously.

    "Ah¡­Nothing, I just don''t have the right amount of ore," he sighed out quietly, defeated.

    ncing between one another, the two women then looked back at him with smiles that made him perplexed.

    "System, transfer three "Stygian Ore" to Jeong-Hui," Kamou called out with a smile.

    "Same here; I already have a good weapon, so I don''t need my ore¨Cgive it to Jeong-Hui, System!" the muscr womanmanded her interface with a smile.

    He waspletely taken aback by this gesture, trying to stop them frantically, "No, no, you don''t need to¨C"

    Kamou stopped him, "Please ept it."

    "Huh?"

    "...You helped us, don''t you remember? No, you''ve been helping us. So, please, ept this," Kamou looked at him with her big, azure eyes.

    Looking at Myung-Hee as well, he could tell he didn''t have much of a choice in the matter, wearing a smile of his own in return as he nodded his head, causing his curly, vermilion locks to bounce somewhat.

    "Thank you," he nodded in gratitude.

    [Received: [Stygian Ore] x3 from yer [Kamou]. Received: [Stygian Ore] x3 from yer [Myung-Hee].]

    As he now had the proper amount of resources, he returned his attention to the inhuman, silent cksmith, epting the prompt to forge the daggers he had his sights set on.

    It was a mystical forgery; thenkly, tall creature used its multiple arms to heat the ore up, hammering away at it in an efficient manner before the request was done within a minute.

    "This it¡­?" His emerald eyes almost sparkled behind his sses at the finished result.

    Retrieving the dual daggers, his sheath naturally reced itself with two, much smaller ones that sat at both of his hips.

    "Those look pretty strong," Myung-Heemented, looking over his shoulder.

    "You can give those a try at the subway," Kamou smiled.

    He nodded, sliding the daggers into their new sheathes before adjusting his azure scarf a bit, picking his bag of groceries back up, "That''s right, I forgot we were going into the city today!"

    ¨C

    Recalling such memories, resurfaced by the twin cksmith chamber he stood in within the Angel Shop, he looked at the daggers with soft eyes.

    ¡­I can''t. They helped me craft these¡­Kamou and Myung-Hee...this was their gift to me, he thought.

    With that conviction, another choice made itself known to him by a prompt issued by the multi-armed, Defect cksmith.

    [Upgrade weapons?]

 Chapter 177 Maximum Daggers

    ¡­I can''t. They helped me craft these¡­Kamou and Myung-Hee...this was their gift to me, he thought.

    With that conviction, another choice made itself known to him by a prompt issued by the multi-armed, Defect cksmith.

    [Upgrade weapons?]

    It wasn''t an option that he had considered, but seeing it now¨Cit was his best option.

    However, knowing he could upgrade his beloved, treasured daggers¡­he did not stop at simply just one upgrade as he continuously clicked the prompt.

    It started with the first upgrade costing fifty Angel Coins, then the next was one-hundred, the next two hundred¨C

    By the time he maxed out his daggers, he had spent over one-thousand Angel Coins in the span of a few minutes, but they had changed now, reaching their final state.

    [Weapon [Stygian Daggers] sessfully evolved into [Fangs of Revtion] | New Skill(s) Acquired: [Void Shift] | [Parade of Death] |]

    Disying his daggers, which were given new life as their ck steel was almost opalescent with a subtle glow of silver, his twopanions were questioning his decision.

    "...One-thousand coins? You could''ve bought yourself some really awesome new daggers," Sol said.

    "That''s a helluva lot of coins, are ya'' sure about that?" Yeong-Un asked him.

    He smiled, looking at his daggers a bit with eyes that reminisced before sheathing them with a nod, "Yeah. These have their own value to me."

    "If you say so¨Canyway, let''s go home and grab a bite!" Sol jumped up.

    "Good idea, I''m runnin'' on empty," Yeong-Un smiled, patting his toned abdomen.

    He followed behind his twopanions, happy with what he spent his hard-earned coins on as he felt as if the daggers at his hip carried a bit more than simple violence now.

    ¡­Let''s go, Kamou, Myung-Hee, he thought.

    ¨C

    From his max-upgraded daggers, the skill exclusive to the [Fangs of Revtion], [Void Shift] allowed his ck-steel des to phase through anything in their way.

    Even the radiant shield wasn''t able to stop his weapons as they cleaved through the demons that pressed against the barrier.

    "...Is that helpin''?" Yeong-Un questioned, staying readied by the young woman''s side.

    Eunji nodded, still strained, "--Keep it up, please, Jeong-Hui!"

    He didn''t need to be asked as he raced across the length of the room-stretching wall, sliding his daggers through it with split-second shifts that were timed with his swift shes.

    "Void Shift" doesn''t require any spirit, but it onlysts for a second with each use. I have to time it perfectly! He thought.

    While he wasn''t able tond lethal blows just yet, he was able to inflict deep enough eviscerations on the abhorrent, malformed demons.

    "Get going¨C!" He yelled out while shing at the closest fiends.

    Though Eunji was standing there, not knowing if she should or not, she moved once the spiky-haired man next to her ushered her along.

    "C''mon! Are ya'' going to waste the chance he''s given us?!" Yeong-Un yelled to her.

    Eunji looked on for a moment, sweating as she shook her head and began to follow Yeong-Un up the stairs, still maintaining the barrier through a strained effort.

    That''s right. Just be resilient, Eunji! He thought.

    While he was left alone in the split room, cutting away at the fiends that tried to bludgeon or cut the barrier, it seemed only more and more demons began to show up.

    "--"

    There''s no end to them, is there? He thought.

    [Enemy Identified: "Blue-Skinned Cyclops | Level 28]

    While he was busy keeping some of therger, ogre-like demons away, who wielded massive clubs that could greatly harm the integrity of the barrier, he was unaware of another problem that soon made itself known.

    Crack.

    What? He thought.

    ncing back, he could see through the window of the kitchen door that cracks were forming along the back wall.

    Crack.

    It was the same for the wall to his left¨Cit was beginning to give in.

    This was a horrific revtion; perhaps the "worst case scenario" in the abrupt invasion of demons.

    While he was still busy keeping the ogres at bay, shing at their kneecaps to prevent them from mming the barrier¨Cthe walls to his right and behind him were shattered.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Eunji called out from atop the staircase.

    From all around, the building was now marched in by those who crawled out from the depths of Hell.

    "Go!" He yelled.

    "But¨C" Eunji tried to contest his reluctance to retreat.

    "Go¨C!!!" He repeated.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before Eunji could try to convince him further, Yeong-Un grabbed the girl by her arm and pulled her along, "C''mon!"

    "--He''ll die down there!" Eunji looked at Yeong-Un.

    "No he won''t! That bastard is as tenacious as a cockroach¨Che''ll make it!" Yeong-Un said, though he couldn''t bring himself to look back at all.

    With so many enemies flooding in, he knew if he simply ran up those stairs, they''d catch up to the others in no time.

    [You''re a reckless bastard, Jeong-Hui.]

    "Heh¡­Maybe so, I''d call myself it "calcted recklessness", though," he responded to the voice of his Sage System.

    [That''s contradictory.]

    "That''s kind of the point," he replied, steadying his breathing as he focused himself.

    Don''t worry. I''m not a suicidal idiot¨CI''ll grab their attention for as long as I possibly can, then I''ll be right behind you! He thought.

    As they poured in from all sides,ing in varying sizes, levels, and aggression, he relied on his augmented perception to carefully n his next actions.

    He quickly leapt up, using the barrier as a foothold before heunched forward, taking the heads off of two, long-necked demons in an instant.

    There was no time to acknowledge any System prompts or even think for that matter as he relied on instinct, instantly jumping back up as he kicked a blue-skinned cyclops in its jaw as it tried rearing its flesh-mended club back towards him.

    "Raagh!" The bellowing cyclops stumbled from the sharp, well-ced kick.

    He spun around, using his momentum from jumping up to guide his dagger''s edge through the neck fat of therge, thick cyclops.

    Though as soon as he felled the club-wielding brute, he could see a spear-armed, apron-wearing demon approaching from behind the sliced cyclops, and a pig-nosed demon approaching from his right.

    [Enemy Identified: "Man-Eating Swine" | Level 25]

    He had to act quickly¨Copting to nt a strong kick against the cyclop''s stomach to knock it back against the spear-limbed demon, buying enough time for him to face the pig-demon that wielded a humongous knife.

    "--"

    Without batting an eye, he flipped back as that knife came down towards him from the red-skinned, tall pig demonoid as it oinked with its beady, red eyes watching him.

    It was fast; the blood-stained swine fiercely swung its oversized knife towards him while squealing.

    As fast as it was though, he was able to evade it with nimble movements; flipping around, ducking and even jumping off of the walls to gain an advantageous opening¨Cshing his daggers towards its neck, intending for a quick kill.

    CLANG.

    To his surprise, the butchering swine possessed a surprising level of finesse inbat as it managed to block his daggers with its rusty, blood-soaked knife.

    "Rreeegh!" The swine squealed in his face.

    "--So, you want to y that game, huh?" He mumbled.

    Backing away, he went for a sh towards its opening, having his attack blocked purposefully before he instead flung one of its daggers towards its throat with an easily missable flick of his wrist.

    Even so, the swine presented its unexpected skill as it raised its knife to block the path of the projectile¨C

    "Void Shift."

    Squelch.

    However, despite the hellish pig-humanoid''s best efforts, the dagger phased right through the knife, sinking into its throat.

    "Reeegh¨C!!!" The swine yelled in pain, thrashing around.

    With a [Blink Step], he swept by it, retrieving his dagger as withdrawing it from the swine''s neck resulted in a spray of blood filling the room.

    While the Man-Eating Swine continued to thrash while squealing out, it identally butchered the horned gremlins that attempted to infiltrate the building as well.

    "...Reeegh¡­"

    As the swine had blocked the hole crashed through the side of the bar, it was suddenly sliced in half from behind as something evenrger stepped through, blowing steam from its red nostrils.

    "Holy¡­" He said in shock at the creature that entered the room.

    It was a minotaur-like demon with all-ck fur andrge horns that spiraled around, stomping in with a massive greatsword that had cleaved through therge swine seamlessly.

    [Enemy Identified: "Sentinel of Samael" | Level 29]

    His first instinct was to bolt up those stairs, but he knew something asrge and imposing as this newly arrived demon would easily burrow through the walls and impede on the group''s efforts.

    I''ll end this thing right here and now¨CI can do it, he told himself.

    In fact, at that moment¨Che was in the "zone"--a state that could not be forcibly entered; an inexplicable experience in which everything simply "came together" and "felt right". Simply put, he was at his best.

    First, he sprung forward, leaving a few shes against the hellborne minotaur''s chest before it could lift its enormous greatsword again.

    ¨CHardly an effect.

    His des did pierce its body, but only just barely cut through its skin, leaving only superficial wounds on the minotaur''s torso.

    Shit, he thought.

 Chapter 178 Hellish Chase

    Before he could jump back, the minotaur instantly lifted its greatsword, swinging it towards him with a length that allowed its edge to sweep across the entirety of the room almost¨Cbisecting the spear-armed demon that entered as well.

    SLAM.

    It was the final straw that broke the camel''s back; the minotaur''s weapon crashed against the barrier, finally prompting the barely-held wall to shatter.

    From all sides now, dozens of demons closed in all¨Cbearing their weapons, their fangs, and their immeasurable thirst for violence as someughed, some roared, and some simply smiled in delight at finally being able to get their hands on him.

    ¨CBut, amidst the impossibly dreadful situation, closed in by a horde of hellborne fiends, he was ready.

    A dark aura hummed around his daggers as his emerald eyes took to a focused dim.

    "Parade of Death."

    [Spirit: -1000 | 2400/3700]

    It was an exclusive skill to the [Fangs of Revtion], ushering him forward as he spun around, unleashing a whirlwind of darkness that trailed from his des¨Cslitting the throats of the ravenous, hound-like demons that leapt towards him.

    However, that was only the beginning of the skill as he continued on, pursuing his momentum as he ran along the room, spinning around and unleashing an unending torrent of continuous shes that were strung together in perfect harmony.

    Such a skill could only be utilized with the full focus of his Sage Period honed in on, allowing him the proper perception and focus to engage in the arduous dance of death.

    As the [Man Butcherer], the demon responsible for setting off the invasion of the bar, shed its butcher knife towards him, he jumped off the wall in a seamless continuation of his parade of killing, dragging his daggers along the butcher knife before it retaliated, swiftly swiping at his side.

    [Health: -600 | 2700/3300]

    "--"

    He kept moving forward despite being cut, unstopping in his flow. Any cut he suffered was automatically clenched shut with masterful control of his muscles, being operated by the subconscious element of his Sage System.

    In an instant, he had cut through the Man Butcherer''s body with one dagger, and beheaded it with his other.

    This was the nature of "Parade of Death"--a skill honed for "mass ying"; it was a continuous flow of shes, strung together in a wake of death that grew more potent the more lives were taken by it.

    It manifested through the vibrant streams of shadows that trailed from his daggers, growing more and more powerful with each violent act umted, and each life taken.

    While "Parade of Death" was a powerful skill in its own right, this was simply the optimal setting for it; surrounded by an endless supply of targets and supplemented by Sage Period''s amplification of his senses and finesse¨Che was able to bring the shade of the Beast''s fangs to new heights.

    Spinning around in a cartwheel, he used the force to m his daggers down, lethally slicing through the gray-skinned demons in his path before finally reaching the gargantuan minotaur, who attempted to swing its me-engulfed greatsword towards him.

    He easily managed to spin around, pivoting off of his step and springing onto the left wall, then onto the right before propelling forward in an instant¨C

    SQUELCH.

    With the climax of the Parade of Death, he put all of its remaining strength into driving his daggers forward with the potent darkness exuding from his des¨Cburrowing right through the chest of the minotaur.

    If given a number, through the dozens of demons he had cleaved through in the dance of death, the temporary amplification it gave to him would''ve ced his level at: "38." For just that moment, he was heightened to a new threshold of cutting power.

    "--"

    As hended on his feet, the dance of death came to an end with the death of the "Sentinel of Samael".

    What came in the aftermath of the skill was a rain of blood that cascaded downward together; the entire process was but a few seconds.

    The crimson rain that fell, painting the walls in the arterial fluid of the felled demons, was the very tears of the Beast.

    "...Phew¡­"

    It happened so quickly that all of the prompts for defeated enemies wasbined together into one message from his System:

    [EXP +8400 | 13000/15000 | Angel Coins x640 | Samael''s Essence x1]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +2 | 41/9999]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: [Poison Cloud] |]

    With that, he did his part¨Clooking over to see more demons flooding in as he finally bolted up the staircase.

    After unleashing such a strenuous, unfamiliar skill, he felt the toll it took on his muscles as he was moving a bit more sluggishly, having tomand his body to move at its utmost.

    "Ghh¡­!" He winced, feeling all of the muscles around his body cramp up.

    He had no time to even recognize the pain, pushing through it as he moved away from the bar-floor that was quickly overrun.

    Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.

    With no care in their step, the horde of demons trampled the corpses of their felled kin, drooling and howling out.

    "Crap, crap, crap¡­!"

    As he sprinted up the stairs, he could feel the heavy breaths of the human-loathing demons behind him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a stark difference in the feelings produced by fighting and by fleeing; while fighting, he could confront them openly, but while running¨Che felt terrified.

    mp. mp. mp.

    ncing back, he could see a spherical demon that was made up almost entirely of just a mouth with giant, buck teeth, continuously nipping at his heels as he was pushed to go even faster, jumping up to the second floor.

    As he reached the second floor, he scrambled through the hall, hearing dozens, if not hundreds, of footsteps following directly behind him like a continuous storm chasing behind him.

    ¨CI''m so dead! He thought.

    Though with such an aggressive number of enemies behind him, the newly-acquired skill came to mind as he looked back.

    Maybe this will work¨C? It could be the difference between life-or-death¡­! He thought.

    "Cast: Poison Cloud!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 2100/3700]

    Reaching his hand out behind him, a poison cloud of verdant, miasmic essence spewed out from his gauntlet, which he was seemingly immune to.

    [Clutch Factor: +1 | 6/100]

    "Come on¡­!" He watched, looking back while running down the hall.

    To his surprise and delight, the demons directly behind him that were caught in the cloud of poison that filled the hall, began to cough up blood, bleeding from their pores as they copsed.

    Holy shit, this spell is brutal! He thought.

    [Poison Cloud is a mystical substance that conceptually degrades any that are caught in its hold. It doesn''t matter whether they''re human, angel, or demon¨Cit''ll have an effect.]

    The Sage System exined this to him as he watched the cloud of verdant death take hold of the enemies chasing behind him.

    Though it didn''t seem to work equally on all enemies, as from behind the giant mouthed fiends, boorish ogres stomped past the poison with only minor side effects.

    Crap! He thought.

    He spun around the next corner, going up the steps that lead to the roof as he busted through the door.

    "Jeong-Hui!" Eunji said in surprise.

    "Close it! Close it! Close it!" He yelled out frantically.

    Aiding him in shutting the door were Yeong-Un and Xiaodan as the three of them pressed up against the door whilst it started to be banged on harshly.

    "You sure pissed them off!" Yeong-Un said.

    "Yeah, well, they can bite it!" He replied.

    Korain came over, holding a few wooden nkets, "Move over!"

    The three obliged as just as they moved, the burly man ced the nks against the door with one hand, sliding them over the handle to the rooftop entrance.

    "Phew¡­" He breathed out.

    Though he had reached safety, reuniting with the rest of the group, it seemed only like a momentary reprieve as they were merely stuck on the rooftop now.

    "So¡­what now?" He asked.

    They looked towards Ma-Ri, who was watching the city skyline that was overlooked by the hellish horizon.

    "Well, there''s no way we''re going back the way we came, I can tell you that much¡­" Korain said, looking back at the barricaded door.

    It was already being mmed against aggressively by demons¨Clooking as if it would only hold for a brief amount of time.

    "We''ll have to jump," Ma-Ri finally said.

    "Jump?" Sol gulped.

    "Sounds like a n!" Yeong-Un grinned, stretching his legs.

    There was another building neighboring the one they stood on top of; it was much taller, which meant the aim they had wasn''t on the roof, but the windows to the skyscraper itself.

    "I don''t know¡­" Eunji muttered.

    But all doubts were quickly thrown to the wind as the wooden nk used to block the door began to split apart.

    "It''s either jump or be food for them!" Korain said, "I don''t know about you¡­but I''m jumping!"

    With a smile, the single-armed man took the lead, leaping from the edge of the building and across to the other, mming through the window, shattering through it as crimson smoke billowed from the hellish atmosphere.

 Chapter 179 Momentary Relief

    "It''s either jump or be food for them!" Korain said, "I don''t know about you¡­but I''m jumping!"

    With a smile, the single-armed man took the lead, leaping from the edge of the building and across to the other, mming through the window, shattering through it as crimson smoke billowed from the hellish atmosphere.

    "--Right after ya''!" Yeong-Un shouted.

    Hopping from the ledge, the spiky-haired young man followed behind Korain,nding through the skyscraper window.

    "Well, here goes¡­" Sol gulped.

    The others all made their jumps, sessfully traversing the gap between both buildings, which was a good half-dozen meters.

    It wasn''t exactly the fear of plummeting down to the ground that held onto the hesitant few, but it was the fear of falling into the horde of demons below.

    Thest ones left on the demon-infested building were himself, Eunji, and Ma-Ri.

    "You two go," Ma-Ri said, "I need to make sure everybody else makes it first."

    "Yeah," he nodded, looking back at Eunji, "Let''s go."

    "But¡­"

    As Eunji shook from the prospect of building-hopping, her trembling eyes calmed as a hand was extended to her from the vermilion-haired young man.

    "Jeong-Hui?" She looked at him.

    "Let''s do it¨Ctogether," he smiled.

    Eunji looked at his hand for a moment before nodding and taking it, gently wrapping her soft fingers.

    Without wasting any more time, they both ran together with him taking the lead before jumping from the edge of the building hand-in-hand.

    "I''ve got you," he assured her.

    Eunji was left looking at him in disbelief, taken aback by the kindness he still held onto in the bleak apocalypse.

    His hand¡­She thought, it''s rough¡­callused, yet still gentle.

    It was just as they leapt off of the building that the barricaded door to the rooftop was busted wide open before theynded through the shattered window of the neighboring skyscraper.

    "Ma-Ri!" Korain yelled out.

    Though there was hardly a cause for concern as with a swift step, Ma-Ri traversed the gap in an instant,nding beside the group with a calm expression.

    "Oh¡­right," Korain awkwardly realized.

    He stood back up to his feet, helping Eunji stand again before giving her a small smile, "That wasn''t too bad now, was it?"

    "No¡­thank you," Eunji nodded.

    As the group finally looked around the dark, messy floor of the building, it looked messy from some panic, likely near the start of Armageddon, but not torn apart by stragglers.

    "What is this ce, anyway?" Yeong-Un asked.

    "Looks like some big-shot corporation," Xiaodan responded.

    Korain walked around with his heavy boots stomping across the floor, kicking some loose papers out of the way, "Whatever it is, it''s saved our asses."

    "This''ll be as good a ce as any to stay for the rest of the day," Ma-Ri said.

    "Yeah, looks like those guys didn''t catch on to where we went," he said with a sigh of relief.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ncing back through the shattered window, he could see the horde of hellborne fiends on the rooftop of the building across; luckily, it seemed they didn''t witness them leap from that building to the next.

    "--"

    He sat down on the old, out-of-use printer while the others either scouted the abandoned building or took it upon themselves to take a quiet moment as well.

    "...Why does one day feel so long?" Xiaodan asked, sitting on one of the office chairs.

    The floor they were on had walls made up only ofrge, tinted windows that served as a constant reminder of the hellscape beyond those fragile walls.

    "I feel that¡­" Sol added, sitting on the floor with his spear held close.

    "One ce to another," he sighed.

    Yeong-Un paced around the room, keeping himself ready in case any of the prowling demons got smart to their location, "It''s been like that. Should be used to it now."

    "Yeah, doesn''t mean I have to like it, though," he replied.

    Yeong-Un stayed silent after that, continuing to march around the room as he nced past the tinted windows.

    He got up from his seat on the white, janky printer, looking past the windows as well. It wasn''t exactly a pretty sight thatid across the city.

    They were everywhere; hundreds, if not thousands, of demons prowled the streets, clinging to buildings and tearing apart any Defects that crossed their paths.

    "Shit¡­It''s gettin'' bad down there," Yeong-Un muttered.

    "It definitely wasn''t like this earlier¡­" He added.

    Standing beside him, Eunji adjusted her sses and gulped at the harrowing flood of demons far below.

    "...I had a feeling something like this would happen," Eunji said quietly.

    "Something like what?" He asked.

    "Yeah, whatcha mean?" Yeong-Un added in, folding his arms over his chest.

    Eunji took her eyes away from the scenery of hell, "The closer we get to the opening of the Tower, the harder it bes for us to get there¡­"

    "So what yer'' saying is¡­" Yeong-Un trailed his words.

    "God is making sure hardly anybody makes it?..." He finished the thought.

    The hazel-haired girl nodded meekly as her amethyst eyes quivered at the begrudged confirmation.

    "It''s never enough, is it?" Sol said, tucking his knees close to his chest, "...No matter how much we fight, and how much we lose¡­it''s not enough until we drop dead, is it¡­?"

    Tears dripped from Sol''s eyes as he balled his fists up, keeping his head down as the others couldn''t help but share the same sentiment.

    Xiaodan stood up, beginning to pick up some papers, "...There''s no point in being upset about it now, right? This is the battle we''ve been fighting since the start."

    "Yeah, you''re right¡­" He nodded, "What''re you doing, anyway?"

    The silver-haired, feminine-faced boy had collected most of the white papers that were scattered over the floor, straightening them out as he tapped them against a desk.

    "If we''re going to be staying here until tomorrow, I''d rather myst abode in this world not be a dump," Xiaodan answered.

    Yeong-Un sighed, leaning against the wall, "This whole world is a dump now, I don''t see the point in gettin'' picky with it now."

    "Maybe so, but¡­I guess this is just how I am," Xiaodan smiled with a hint of mncholy.

 Chapter 180 Simply, Hell

    "Maybe so, but¡­I guess this is just how I am," Xiaodan smiled with a hint of mncholy.

    While the androgynous figure picked up the office, he went over and began picking up the scattered parchment as well.

    "You don''t have to help," Xiaodan told him.

    "It''s fine¡­What else am I going to do, anyway?" He smiled.

    "True," Xiaodan smiled in return.

    While they were keeping themselves busy with cleaning up the floor, Korain and Ma-Ri had headed down the floors to look for any resources still left in the building.

    "I was hoping things would calm down during ourst few days¡­" Sol sighed out, looking up.

    "Well, tough shit," Yeong-Un responded quietly, sitting by the windows.

    ¨C

    He eventually settled down, sitting by the stairwell as he kept his daggers drawn, for obvious reasons.

    Over the course of the Final Culling and the uprising of Hell unto Earth, the air had grown thin and hot, smokey and ashen. It hardly felt suitable long term for humans anymore, besides the clear threat of man-eating, sadistic demons that marched through the streets.

    Eventually, Ma-Ri and Korain returned, their steps being audible up the stairs as he looked up from his seated spot against the wall.

    Korain was holding arge bag between his arm and his torso, "Look what we found."

    "Huh?" He squinted.

    Ma-Ri was holding a simr, colorful bag as well. Though he recognized them after squinting for a moment.

    "Chips?"

    "Yup," Korain nodded, "A whole lot of them. Some candy, too."

    With the findings of food, the bags were tossed into the center of the office as everybody grabbed whatever they needed.

    There were a variety of choices: corn-vored chips, shrimp-vored, crab-vored, and a lot of thick-cut onion chips. As for candy, it was mostly chocte, strawberry, and banana-vored items.

    He grabbed a bag of shrimp chips and a strawberry sweet bar, sitting beside Sol, who had grabbed only banana-vored bars, and Xiaodan, who seemed to have grabbed one of each.

    Sol unwrapped the bar, biting into it as a small smile ced itself across his lips past the solemn expression that had previously sat there.

    "...This reminds me of before all of this¨Cwhen I was a kid," Sol said, "I remember always begging my mom to get me these when we were at the store. I''d throw a fit about it until she finally did."

    Heughed a bit, "That sounds just like you."

    "Ouch," Sol yfully responded before looking at the silver-haired young man that was sitting to his right, "What about you?"

    "Huh?" Xiaodan looked surprised to be called out.

    "Do you have any fond memories from when you were a kid?" Sol asked.

    He was interested in this, too. The androgynous, new member of the group was somebody that they hardly had the opportunity to converse with besides Amarageddon-driven exchanges.

    "Mm¡­If we''re talking about food, when I was a kid, my ma used to make these beef dumplings¡­usually, it was just for me," Xiaodan smiled while reminiscing, "I was like that, too¨CI''d throw a fit if she wasn''t around to make them for me."

    "Really?" He asked with a smile.

    Xiaodan nodded, "My dad would try to make them, but¡­it wasn''t the same. I''d cry and cry for ma until she made them."

    "Sounds like you were a handful," Sol said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I was," Xiaodan nodded, "...I miss them. Ma¡­dad¡­"

    "--"

    It was a feeling that none of them were foreign to. Not a day went by that the sea of unending loss seemed to calm; the whirlpools of grief had each of them ensnared.

    But, the difference between them and those that had fallen to such depths of despair was their capability to move on despite its harsh cling.

    "My parents¡­they¡­" Sol struggled to ce his words as he looked down, "When it all started, a Defect for them. I was frozen, but¡­my mom stood in front of me while my dad tried fighting it off."

    While the hazel-haired young man tried to remainposed while telling this, tears were naturally said as he tightly gripped his spear.

    "How could I ever forget that? I couldn''t find it in myself to move¨Cso they died just to protect a useless son like me," Sol said.

    "Don''t say that," Xiaodan told him.

    "--" Sol remained quiet.

    "Parents¡­have a certain way to them, you know? Even if you think you''re good-for-nothing, you were their star," Xiaodan assured him.

    Sol smiled a bit past his tears before looking at the red-haired adolescent, "...What about you?"

    "Me?"

    It wasn''t something he was really prepared to discuss, but there wasn''t any need for sensitivity when they all shared simr experiences, anyway.

    "...To be honest, I don''t know," he admitted.

    "You don''t?" Xiaodan asked.

    He shook his head, "My dad was working abroad, and my mom was in a different city altogether. I¡­really don''t know if they''re alive or not."

    It got quiet between the three of them amidst the dreary conversation they had, sharing tales of parental loss.

    "Well, they could still be out there," Sol looked at him.

    "Yeah, and you know, if you think negatively, bad things will happen, but think positively, and¡­" Xiaodan smiled, "...Good things will happen."

    Though he could hardly feel that same optimism they tried to bestow unto him, he smiled a bit and nodded, "Yeah¡­I sure hope so."

    A topic such as this was indeed a prickly one, but being able to openly share their experiences was a relieving thing in itself.

    Plopping down directly beside him, the sharp-toothed man sat with his sheathed, dual des jingling behind his back.

    "Whatcha'' talkin'' bout?" Yeong-Un asked, biting into a candy bar.

    "--"

    "Err, nothing, really¡­" He smiled.

    With that, the mood was unspokenly agreed upon to shift right then and there with the arrival of the entric, blue-haired young man.

    ¨C

    Amidst their impromptu stay at the deste office tower, the crimson horizon grew more dense, howling above them.

    "...Do you hear that?" Sol asked, looking up towards the ceiling.

    Yeong-Un nodded, "That''s Hell right there."

 Chapter 181 The Unending Plague

    The group was mostly silent during the eerie howls that stretched through the horizon like an augury of malice spreading thin across the sky like a winter storm.

    Eunji joined them, sitting between him and Xiaodan as she kept her staff tucked close to her chest.

    "One more day, right?...Just one more, and we''re out of this Hell?" Sol asked quietly, speaking to nobody specifically.

    "Yeah, I sure hope so," he replied.

    It was a mncholic experience, sitting there with a full view beyond the tall, tinted panes of the crimson skies and the fiends that now inhabited the world. In the distance, colossal hellborne entities trampled the streets, with each of their steps echoing far into the city.

    After a few hours had passed, most of the group had fallen asleep, save for himself and Ma-Ri. Though Yeong-Un had resolved to "Not wink for a single damn second", he passed out with Sol in slumber as well, leaning against his shoulder.

    He was sitting against the wall, watching the hellish horizon in its somewhat beautiful nature that was heavily veiled by its horror.

    "Jeong-Hui."

    Ma-Ri quietly said his name, bringing his gaze up to the dark-haired woman who was standing a few feet away.

    "Yeah?" He replied quietly, so as not to wake his sleepingpanions.

    "I''m going to check out the lower floors for any gaps in security," Ma-Ri told him, "Do you want to join me? You can rest, if you''d like."

    He stood up quietly without question, "No, I''m ready to go," he smiled.

    Ma-Ri seemed relieved with his answer as the two quietly moved away from the room, heading down the lengthy stairwell of the building.

    "I would''ve woken Korain up toe with me, but¡­he deserves some rest," Ma-Ri told him.

    "Yeah. He''s been pulling overtime," he responded with a small smile.

    Ma-Ri stayed silent for a moment before talking again, "...I wonder where we''d be without him."

    "Worse off, I''d imagine," he replied.

    That time, Ma-Ri didn''t reply, but it was clear she shared the same sentiment as him. Together, they descended the many floors, arriving at the bottom soon enough.

    "Well, it''s secure¡­at least until somebody gets smart that humans are holed up in here," he said, inspecting the front entrance.

    It was boarded up, but a few sheets of plywood and positioned nks were hardly going to stop the man-loathing fiends beyond the walls.

    "...That should do for the night," Ma-Ri said, turning her attention towards the closed door to the side, "...Where my concern lies is with the basement."

    "Yeah?"

    Ma-Ri nodded, "ounting just for the enemies that will stroll through the expected path is a quick way to find yourself taken by surprise. With the variety of foes upying this world now, it''s not far-fetched to believe some will weasel in through other means."

    "I get what you mean. Something like that happened back at the hotel on that night," he told her.

    They both went over to the closed, silver door, with the young woman opening it to reveal a grimy passage down to the basement.

    "Is that so?" Ma-Ri looked at him, "...Wait, I believe I recall this. The Infernals, right?"

    "Yup," he nodded, "Luckily, it seemed Xiaodan and I went down there before they flooded in, but something like that really was nced over during the panic."

    "Exactly; we must stay vignt," Ma-Ri told him.

    Though the stairs that descended into the grimy depths below the building were dank and creepy in nature, the blue-eyed woman didn''t hesitate in her march down, with him not wanting to fall behind as he walked directly behind her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Careful," he whispered, keeping his left hand situated by his sheathed dagger.

    "I should tell you that," the girl replied.

    As they reached the bottom of the stairwell, the basement they found was flooded with a good foot of gunky waterying stagnant.

    It gave off a putrid smell of liquid that had been left to gather the residue of the grimyir for an unknown amount of time, but again, Ma-Ri didn''t stop for a moment before stepping into the basement-turned-swamp.

    Of course, he had no problem seeing in the darkness that curtained the eerie area, but Ma-Ri was a separate case as she drew her rapier, holding it like a torch as it took on a glow across its thin steel.

    "Tell me if you notice anything dodgy," Ma-Ri told him quietly.

    "There''s a whole lot dodgy about this ce," he replied.

    They slowly shifted through the gunky swamp, walking past copsed, tall shelves as crates and cardboard boxes stayed afloat.

    What he looked for were any clear, standout weaknesses in the basement''s security: holes in the walls, windows that could easily be broken through, or even pipes.

    "...It seems good to me," he said.

    Ma-Ri continued moving forward, reaching the end of the basement, "We can''t be halfway about things like this, Jeong-Hui. Think about what would happen if we overlooked a ring hole in our defense."

    "Yeah," he replied quietly, looking to the side, "...I get it."

    He wasn''t just saying this to appease the pragmatic leader; he understood clear as day why the young woman would be so thorough, even if it seemed almostical in how meticulous she was.

    After having lost so much, there was no such thing as "too thorough"; he figured that out for himself.

    Though as he nced to the side for no real reason, he noticed something: a pipe. It was connected through the wall, and of course had to connect with something outside of the building.

    What stood out about the grimeden pipe however was what was staring back at him from inside of it with beady eyes.

    A¡­rat? He questioned.

    "Squeak. Squeak."

    Suddenly, the walls began to rumble as the sound of ws rapidly scratching across the metal interior of the pipe system echoed out.

    "What is that¨C?" Ma-Ri spun around with her rapier held.

    "...Rats," he answered, still not fully grasping what was going on.

    "Rats?" Ma-Ri asked, just as perplexed as him.

    "Rats!" He rified.

    Just then, a stream of ck-furred rodents poured out from the pipe, flooding the basement and skittering across the water directly towards them.

    "What are these¨C?" Ma-Ri said.

    "Do they have rabies or something?!" He questioned, drawing his daggers.

    Though at the same time he said this, the System disyed a prompt designating the rodents as verified foes:

    [Enemy Identified: "The Unending gue" | Level 40]

 Chapter 182 Against The Vermin

    [Enemy Identified: "The Unending gue" | Level 40]

    It confused him for a moment, but he realized what it was that the System was showing him.

    ¡­It''s not just the singr rates¨Cthe whole group is one enemy? He realized.

    He began swiping at the rodents that closed in on him, cutting them away as they only continued to pour in.

    "Ma-Ri! Be careful!--These aren''t normal rats!" He called out.

    "I know! Come here!" Ma-Ri ordered.

    Standing side-to-side, they began to fend off the swarm of ck-furred, grotesque rats that scurried across the water unnaturally towards them as if ignoring the very nature of water itself.

    The ck-furred rats were clearly deformed; some having tumorous growths, twisted ws, and constantly chattering,rge teeth.

    "--They just keeping!" He yelled out.

    "We need to get out of this basement! This terrain is bad for us!" Ma-Ri said.

    It was easier said than done, though, as the swarm of hellish rodents poured out so quickly, flooding with a seemingly endless rush while squeaking and mping their teeth towards the two humans.

    "Dark Edge!"

    Engulfing his daggers in the brand of darkness, he swiped them swiftly, cutting through dozens of the endless rats while beginning to make some progress towards the stairs, with Ma-Ri following beside him.

    Of course, singrly the rats weren''t much at all¨Cjust a single swipe of his daggers, or a thrust of her rapier, was enough to eviscerate one of the rodents, but that wasn''t enough.

    More, and more, and more, and more flooded in through the constantly rattling pipe, filling their ears with constant squeaks and the rippling of water as the "Unending gue" rushed towards them in the form of the malformed rodents.

    "I don''t think I have to tell you this, but don''t let any of these creatures touch you!" Ma-Ri warned, thrusting her shining rapier through a dozen of the swarming rodents.

    He cut through the ck-furred rats that foamed at the mouth, clearing his path for the next few, slow steps through the flooded basement, "Yeah, I got that! "gue" is in their name so¨Cit''ll probably be bad news for us if they get a bite in!"

    While the endless number posed a problem, he looked back towards the pipe that allowed the rodents to invade in the first ce.

    "...Do you think we should try blocking that pipe?" He asked, ncing back at Ma-Ri.

    Ma-Ri was still busy piercing rodents while following behind him, "--No. It''ll be a waste."

    "How do you figure?!" He asked in a shout while having to swipe his daggers against the aggressive horde of rodents.

    "...That pipe isn''t their only entry point," Ma-Ri told him.

    It was then that he saw that reinforced, boarded windows were pressed with a sheet of ck; scratching across the ss were endless ws of endless rats.

    Just then, he started to realize just what the true horror of "The Unending gue" was¨Cit was truly seeming to be something infinite in terror and abhorrence.

    "...How the hell do we stop this then?!" He questioned out loud.

    "We''ll have to figure that out as we go!" Ma-Ri replied.

    It was an arduous battle in itself to traverse the flooded basement floor as the horde of rats moved unnaturally, swarming around them and constantly obstructing their path.

    While most simply scurried across the shallow waters directly towards the two, others scaled the walls and wrapped around toe at them from the front.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even worse, some of the grotesque, hellborne rats leapt off the walls and shelves.

    "Ghh!"

    He cut through one of the tumor-holding rodents, bisecting it as its innards dunked into the grimy waters. By this point, through ying hundreds of the rodents, the waters had be infested with the corrupted flesh of the rats.

    Finally, he reached the first step of the stairs, leaving the bounds of the gue-filled waters and looking back, extending his hand to the young woman.

    "Come on!" He yelled out.

    Ma-Ri silently reached out, epting his hand as she joined him on the steps while they both repelled the iing rats that pursued them.

    By the time they had reached the reprieve of the gunky, but solid steps, the shallow waters that filled the dank basement had shifted into a ck swamp, filled with the corpses of the rodents.

    ¡­This is disgusting! He thought.

    The thought of having been in those waters made his skin crawl as he stomped his boots down against the iing rats while backing up the steps beside the rapier-wielding woman.

    While stamping out the ones that scurried forward, he cut away at the hordes of vermin that crawled across the walls, only managing to keep them at bay while slowly moving back thanks to Ma-Ri''s swift rapier aiding him in this endeavor.

    "How''s your spirit?!" Ma-Ri asked while fending off the Unending gue.

    Unfortunately, due to how vast the building was, it was unlikely that theirpanions would hear their struggles that urred on the very first floor, while the others were amidst the highest floors of the skyscraper.

    He stabbed his ck steel through one of the leaping, hellish rodents, "--I''ve got enough, but I don''t know if using spirit on these things is a good idea!"

    "...I see what you mean," Ma-Ri responded, thrusting her rapier against the horde, "...It won''t aplish much if they keeping back in evenrger numbers."

    As they just about reached the top, the two of them leapt past the door of the basement stairwell, mming it shut behind them as they both held it firmly.

    THUD.

    It felt as if a colossus was pressing against the door, but it was the coordinated, yet feral might of the countless rodents mming and crawling against the silver door.

    Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

    Like nails to chalkboard, the sound of many ws dragging desperately across the other side of the door grated his ears.

    "Ngh¡­! Why''re they so damn strong?!" He questioned.

    "--These definitely aren''t normal vermin¡­" Ma-Ri said.

    Ma-Ri had kept her back pressed up against the door while he was facing it, keeping his palms pressed t against it as he did his best with the woman to keep it shut.

    "You can¡­say that again¡­" He clenched his teeth.

    Continuously, the door was mmed against as it seemed more and more vermin were flooding in behind the door with its bulging forward past its hinges.

    "Crap¡­!" He called out.

    "Hold it!" Ma-Ri told him.

    "I''m trying¨C!!!"

 Chapter 183 Held At Bay

    The ws of the tumorous vermin were beginning to peek through the sides, bottom, and top of the door as hemanded all of his strength to keep the door firmly closed, but it was bing a more difficult task from moment to moment.

    Shit¡­What kind of enemy even is this?! How do we beat something that doesn''t have a limit¡­? He questioned.

    While he faced the door, beginning to sweat as he pushed his palms against the t surface of the door while the squeeks of the vermin reverberated against his ears like a skin-crawling orchestra, Ma-Ri seemed to catch something in her view.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­"

    "Yeah¨C?" He replied through a strained tone.

    "Can you hold the door alone, for just a bit?" Ma-Ri looked at him, sweating as well.

    It was a question that almost felt like a joke to him by how badly the two of them together were doing in the wild endeavor. While Ma-Ri was arge degree higher than him in level, her strength stat was hardly over his due to the fact she was somebody sped into agility by arge margin.

    Still, he looked to the side at the woman, meeting her icy-blue gaze and nodding.

    "...I''ve got it," he told her.

    Ma-Ri nodded silently and moved forward, leaving him to handle the door by himself.

    The moment the white-and-ck uniformed woman had stepped away, he felt the full-force of the Unending gue press against the door, forcing him to ce his entire body against it with all of his muscles working overtime.

    He kept his back to it, looking forward as he watched Ma-Ri sprint over to the object that caught her eye: a vending machine.

    "...Is that gonna be enough to hold them back?!" He called out.

    THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

    Against his back, he could feel the ravenous forces of the repugnant swarm against the door as he watched Ma-Ri begin to push the tall vending machine over.

    "It''ll have to be!" Ma-Ri replied.

    BOOM.

    He nearly lost his footing, almost stumbling forward as a sudden explosion of force mmed against the door, almost removing it from its hinges as the sight of the ck-furred rodents now could be seen, attempting to squeeze past the cracks.

    What the hell was that?! He thought.

    "Ma-Ri!" He yelled.

    "--I''m going as fast as I can!" Ma-Ri yelled back, sliding the heavy machine across the smooth floor.

    Again and again, the countless rodents on the other side of the door pressed with supernatural, tenacious strength as he clenched his teeth and strained himself to his limits to keep that door held.

    I''m not¡­going tost! He thought.

    Before his strength could give in to the swarm locked behind him, feeling the caved-in door press against his back, he looked forward to see Ma-Ri raising her leg up from behind the vending machine.

    "Move!" Ma-Rimanded.

    He was confused for a moment but nodded, jumping out of the way just in time as the youthful leaderunched a powerful kick directly against the vending machine.

    Just before the swarm of infected vermin could bust down the door, the out-of-order machine swiftly scraped across the floor before mming against the door, sealing it shut with its dense form.

    "--"

    He caught his breath, looking at the new blockade of the basement door before turning to Ma-Ri, who looked just as shocked that it had worked.

    "...Good thinking," he said through a breath.

    "Yeah," Ma-Ri nodded, "Good job holding it."

    As the two stood side-by-side, still hearing scratches and squeaks beyond the blocked door, they regained their breath.

    "What the hell do we do now?...I''m sure you''re not satisfied with this solution," he said, looking at the young woman.

    Ma-Ri shook her head as her dark locks swayed, "No. It''s only a temporary bandage that will be scraped off eventually."

    "So, do you want to wipe them out? I''m not seeing how it''s possible," he asked.

    "...I have yet to figure out how as well, so our best option would be to find a new ce of residence until tomorrow," Ma-Ri said.

    As that solution was put into words, they both naturally looked to the front entrance of the building, which was boarded off but could easily be undone for the group to leave.

    Though, looking towards the boarded windows, the momentary reprieve they felt waspletely shattered.

    Squeak. Squeak. Scratch. Scratch.

    Beyond those dusty, stained windows, a sea of fuzzy ck could be seen, constantly pulsating and moving erratically.

    It seemed to have only been out there for a few moments as the windows began to bulge forward with the weight of the endless vermin, beginning to croak as the fragile material struggled to hold it back.

    "The Unending gue."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He grabbed Ma-Ri''s wrist, tugging her towards the corridor, "--We''ve got to move! That''s going to burst any moment!"

    Ma-Ri was in shock for a moment before nodding, moving alongside him as they both looked back.

    From what they could tell, by the pressure that seemed to be applied from the exterior by the weight of the endless vermin from all sides of the building, the Unending gue likely had filled the streets.

    "There has to be thousands¨Cno, hundreds of thousands? Millions?" Ma-Ri questioned.

    "I don''t know, but it''s way too much to handle! We''ve got to get everybody up!" He yelled out.

    It was a race up the stairs as the two were lost of words, only focused on ascending the lengthy steps while the sounds of the vermin gue became more and more daunting by the moment.

    SHATTER.

    With the sound of ss shattering, it was by the next moment that the sounds of the grotesque rats could be heard entering through the hole of the entrance.

    SHATTER. SHATTER. SHATTER.

    ¨CMore windows, more entry points for the rodents. It was audible for them even multiple stories high by now.

    "Shit!...They''re already getting in!" He called out, ncing back.

    It was distant, but it made his stomach sink: watching the sea of ck vermin swarming onto the ground floor as he followed beside her up the stairs.

    "Just focus on what''s ahead!" Ma-Ri told him.

    What came to his mind in a situation like this were memories of his encounter with the horde of monstrous centipedes, which he fought alongside Sol to repel.

    However, this was vastly different in scope; it felt truly unending and dreadful.

    The two reached the desired floor, busting in without any care for noise as he immediately yelled out¨C

    "Get up-!!! We''re under attack! Red Alert! Code Red!" He yelled out whatever came to mind.

    Within moments, most of the group had sprung up awake. In the hellish apocalypse, it was a necessary requirement to be able to wake up at the fall of a leaf and be ready for whatever wasing.

    "What''s goin'' on¨C?" Yeong-Un asked.

    Korain rose to his feet, holding his ymore already, "Yeah, what''s the situation?"

    "Vermin. An endless swarm of them¨Cthey''ll be on this floor in less than a minute," Ma-Ri told the group without missing a beat.

    Though it was clearly something that took even those who had fought through hell thus far aback.

    "Vermin¡­? Like, rats?" Sol asked.

    "Uegh¡­" Xiaodan shivered at the thought of it.

    Ma-Ri nodded, "There''s no time to exin. Barricade the entrance to the floor. Now!"

    With an order given, even if it was in the face of something that seemed unbelievable, they didn''t question it any further¨Cquickly scattering around the floor to assemble whatever they could to fortify a proper blockade.

    "Coming through!" Korain warned, hoisting an entire sofa over his shoulder.

    Yeong-Un rushed in before the burly man, "Hold it a min''! Here!"

    The blue-haired young manid out office dividers to act as a makeshift wall, lining them up before nodding to Korain for the man to nt down the heavy item.

    "Hyup!" Korain breathed out before bringing the sofa down with one arm.

    He gathered what he could find, but an office space was hardly a flourishing market for heavy, protective objects.

    ¡­This''ll have to do! He thought.

    Hoisting a desk in his arms, he nted it down atop the sofa, with Xiaodan tossing a few chairs in for good measure.

    "--There!" Xiaodan said anxiously.

    Sol was pushing a heavy, wooden shelf across the floor, scooting it forward with some trouble as he noticed, rushing over and getting beside the bandana-wearing adolescent and assisting him.

    "Let me pitch in, too!" Yeong-Un said.

    Together, the three pushed the dense shelf in front of the makeshift, thrown together barricade atst, getting out of the way as the finishing touches were left to the white mage:

    Eunji held her staff high, pointing it towards the jumbled mess of heavy objects, "Cast: Forest Binds!"

    Sprouting from the walls around the barricade, thick tree roots extended and curved, forming a sturdy ribcage around the blockade to supplement its toughness.

    "...Is that good enough?" Eunji asked, breathing out with a worried look in her amethyst eyes.

    Ma-Ri looked on, squinting at the state of the blockade and nodding, "It''ll hold."

 Chapter 184 No One Left Behind

    Not a moment after the barricade was properly fortified, the rumble of the vermin horde was heard before continuously mming and scratching followed.

    "...You weren''t kidding, were you? There really are¡­a swarm of rats attacking us¡­" Xiaodan gulped.

    "Yeah¡­" He nodded.

    "What now?" Sol asked.

    Ma-Ri paused for a moment before answering, "We have two options as of now: we can wait them out, or we can attempt to flee this building."

    Yeong-Un didn''t seem to buy the leader''s answer as he huffed, putting his hands on his sides in contention, "I think yer'' missin'' an option there!"

    "Huh?" Sol looked at the abrasive man..

    "We can also squash all of them!" Yeong-Un said, clenching his fist.

    To the majority of the group that were unaware of the vermin horde''s true nature, this actually seemed like a reasonable choice as they looked towards both Ma-Ri and the red-haired assassin.

    He answered, keeping his arms folded over his chest as he shook his head.

    "That''s not much of an option," he said.

    "Huh? Why not?" Yeong-Un raised an eyebrow.

    "We tried wiping them out, but they just keeping endlessly," he said, "I caught a glimpse at what the System called this horde¨Call of the rats are under one entity: "The Unending Horde"--to make it worse, it was level forty."

    The answers he gave seemed to dim the mood as Xiaodan, who seemed to harbor a phobia of rodents, looked one moment away from heaving.

    "I see¨Cwell, then¡­" Korain rested his ymore on his shoulder, "I personally think we can hold the fort as we are, but the choice is yours, Boss."

    Ma-Ri kept her rapier in hand as she looked at the barricade, which was trembling from the constant force pressing against it from behind.

    "We''ll¨C"

    ¨CBefore the choice could fall from her lips, the tiled ceiling suddenly caved in as a mass of bundled ck crashed down, quickly scurrying¨Cit was the vermin.

    "They got in!?" Eunji called out.

    "Shit!" Yeong-Un drew his swords swiftly.

    Within moments, they were surrounded by the swarm of tumorous vermin that poured in from the broken ceiling.

    "Watch each other''s backs!" Ma-Rimanded.

    Everybody found the person nearest to them as the group became scattered throughout the floor quickly,ing into pairs.

    He was back-to-back with Ma-Ri, holding off the swarms of rodents that had filled the floor.

    Sol and Yeong-Un were together, fending off the gue personified by the vermin.

    Korain and Eunji stayed close, but it was mostly an effort of the burly man using the length of his ymore to sweep through the surrounding rodents, protecting the white mage vigorously.

    "Damn! There''s too many of ''em!" Korain said, entering his [Abandon] state as he swept through the rodents.

    Yelling back from across the room, Sol was jabbing his spear downward against the salivating rodents, "--You weren''t kidding! There isn''t an end to them!"

    However, while most of the group had fallen into a makeshift strategy of holding each other''s backs, one was left alone, having been driven off into a corner by the tidal wave of ck-pelt rodents that swarmed forth.

    "Xiaodan¨C!" He yelled out, using his dark-infused daggers to cut away at the rodents.

    He tried taking a step forward to try and get closer to the lonesome, silver-haired man, but didn''t even have enough of a chance to do so.

    ¡­Crap! If I try to help Xiaodan, I''ll be leaving Ma-Ri open from behind! He thought.

    "Try and get over here¡ª!!!" He screamed out towards Xiaodan.

    It was worse than it originally was in the basement. The rodents had grown tenfold more aggressive, lunging towards them like hopping fleas with their buck teeth constantly mping down in hunger for their flesh.

    "Ghh¡­! I can''t!" Xiaodan called back.

    The silver-haired adrogyngous figure was in a precarious spot as he relied solely on his own body as his weapon, meaning he was constantly putting his own flesh near the gue-carrying vermin.

    Still, with swift enough chops, kicks, and punches, Xiaodan was able to hold his corner, though it was a brutal effort.

    "Shit¡­!" He spat out, clenching his teeth as his back pressed against Ma-Ri''s.

    Ma-Ri spoke to him while using her light-bearing needle to stab through the heads of the rodents with pinpoint precision, "...If you deem it necessary, go to his aid."

    "I can''t do that! Even you can''t hold this many off alone!" He said.

    "--" Ma-Ri paused for a moment, holding a strained expression though sheposed herself, "...Perhaps, perhaps not. However, if you believe you can make a difference in securing the life of that one, then¡­I won''t reprimand you for such a choice."

    He didn''t respond, but he took those words in as he focused on shing through the grotesque horde that continuously piled into the room.

    All the while the group was put to the brink against the sea of gue-bearing vermin, the barricade was still being tested by an ungodly number of them.

    The floor quaked beneath the march of the vermin; their mangled ws skittering around with their mutated forms, bearing an abnormal amount of muscrity to their cancerous forms.

    "...Ma-Ri, what''s the n here?!" Korain shouted out with his booming voice.

    "Yeah¨Cwe can''t hold them off forever!" Yeong-Un added.

    While Ma-Ri took time toe up with an answer, he couldn''t me her despite the woman holding the burden of leadership amongst the group.

    ¡­She''s responsible for everybody here; her decisions bear that kind of responsibility. She has to make those sort of decisions while fighting just as hard as us, he thought.

    He used a [Twilight Cutter] to carve through a good chunk of rodents, though the clear space in the floor was filled right back up by more of the swarm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Feeling the pressure of the swarm, he spoke to the woman behind him without looking back, "--We should evacuate, Ma-Ri."

    "How do you figure we should do that¡­?" Ma-Ri asked, sweating as she continuously thrust her rapier against the unending vermin.

    "The same way we came in¨Cwe''re going to jump," he said.

    "--"

    "There''s another building¨Cwe can make it," he assured her.

    Ma-Ri was silent for a moment at this suggestion as the two continued ughtering the vermin with only centimeters of leeway in their defense.

    "Alright," Ma-Ri agreed.

    He felt relieved that his suggestion went through, listening in as themanding figure of the group sucked in a breath before yelling out:

    "Head for the eastward window! We''re going to jump to the next building-!" Ma-Ri boomed out.

    Thismand was heard by each of them as the group began to make their way through the horde, with the duos staying back-to-back while doing so.

    "C''mon!"

    Korain punched the window out without wasting a moment, hoisting Eunji up and leaping out of the building with her in hand.

    "--Comin'' through!"

    "Eek!"

    Yeong-Un and Sol leapt out a few moments after, with even the timid Sol not hesitating with the vermin nipping towards his ankles.

    Ma-Ri and himself closed in near the shattered window, seeing the lower building that was an easily manageable jump, though he caught a glimpse of the state of the block:

    "That''s¡­"

    Below, the streets were utterly swarmed with vermin, likely millions, as an underestimate. Still, the other building seemed untouched, at least by its roof.

    Ma-Ri was in front of him, with him nearest to the window as the girl fended off the rats while he prepared to jump.

    "Hurry now, Jeong-Hui!" Ma-Ri urged him.

    "I know, I''m¨C"

    Before he could finish, he nced back as his stomach dropped¨Cseeing that Xiaodan was still kept into a corner, helplessly defending himself against the horde.

    "--You got ahead!" He called out.

    Pushing through, he began relentlessly shing through the horde as he trudged through a path of his own creation towards the lonesome, silver-haired boy.

    "Jeong-Hui¨C!!!" Ma-Ri yelled out to him, reaching out.

    He didn''t look back, only calling to her again, "Go ahead! I''ll be right behind you!"

    The ck-haired young woman clenched her teeth, unable to respond as she finally listened, bringing herself through the window while looking back once more, "--You better be right behind me, Jeong-Hui!"

    "I will!"

    Ma-Ri leapt from the building, leaving just himself and the cornered Xiaodan in the rat-infested skyscraper now.

    "Ngh¡­!" Xiaodan winced.

    "Xiaodan!" He called out.

    As he inched closer, his heart stopped as he saw bite marks ced across the body of the lithe China-borne young man.

    "--"

    The obvious teeth marks of the rodents were embedded into Xiaodan''s fists, arms, legs, torso, and even cheeks, leaving him bleeding from a dozen spots.

    He pushed on despite the dread bubbling in his stomach, forging a path between the two as he swept his daggers through the leaping rodents.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­!" Xiaodan looked at him desperately.

    "I''ve got you!" He assured him.

    By now, the floors were slick with the ck blood of the countlessly in vermin, and cluttered with the entrails and torn corpses of those very creatures.

    With just a little bit more space between them, but the floors being too flooded with rodents for him to take the next step he reached out to Xiaodan.

    "--Come on! I''ve got you!" He assured him again.

    Xiaodan looked at him again with desperate eyes, having countless holes drilled through his robes and skin alike before epting his outreached, helping hand.

    He grabbed onto Xiaodan''s forearm, and Xiaodan held his, before he pulled the smaller and younger adolescent over.

    "...Let''s get out of here!" He said anxiously.

    "Y-yeah!" Xiaodan nodded, running alongside him now.

    While running beside the injured, bite-inflicted young man, he noticed Xiaodan was noticeably more sluggish and less graceful in movement than usual; nearly tripping over his own feet as he caught him.

    "...Sorry," Xiaodan apologized, breathing heavily.

    "Save it for when we make it out of this!" He said impatiently.

 Chapter 185 The Plague

    After clearing the obstructing vermin from their path, he kept Xiaodan close as they leapt together from the infested building, rolling over onto the neighboring rooftop.

    As an assassin, he was as light as a feather in hisnding, but Xiaodan immediately copsed onto the ground, struggling to pick himself back up.

    The others that had made it to the roof of what looked to be an abandoned shopping mall came over, checking on the two, though their concerns lied with Xiaodan, who was covered in deeply-etched bites.

    "...Is he okay?" Korain asked.

    "Doesn''t look so hot," Yeong-Un noted.

    Eunji hurriedly came over, dropping onto her knees as she immediately invoked magecraft of rejuvenating elements onto Xiaodan.

    "...It''ll be alright," Eunji assured him.

    Xiaodan managed to move himself enough to sit down on his rear, wincing as he breathed heavily, sweating profusely to an unnatural degree.

    "How''re you feeling?" He asked, knelt besides the silver-haired young man.

    Catching his breath for a moment, though never seeming to steady it, Xiaodan responded, "...Feels like I''ve got a fever."

    "I see¡­"

    ¨C

    While Eunji focused on recovering the wounds on Xiaodan''s body, it seemed at least for the moment, the group had met a reprieve from the endless swarm of unnatural rodents.

    "Look at all of ''em¡­Disgusting freaks," Yeong-Un stood on the edge of the roof, looking down at the streets that were filled with the ck sea made up of vermin.

    "How are we supposed to get to the Tower now?" Sol asked.

    Korain was sat near the edge, "...We''ll probably have to hop building to building, that or make a helluva run for it."

    "I don''t like the sounds of either of those¡­" Sol mumbled.

    While overlooking the city that seemed to be crawling with the endless rodents now, something caught the eye of Sol, who was watching both with caution and fear.

    "...Err, guys¡­" Sol said.

    "What is it?" Yeong-Un looked with him.

    Sol gulped, "It looks like we aren''t the only prey of those things¡­"

    As they looked down where the amber-eyed spearman was watching, they all realized what he meant: down below, even the demons that marched through the streets were instantly ravaged by the vermin.

    It was a disgusting process¨Cthe rodents scaled the entirety of their prey''s body, leaving only a skeleton after just moments of the consumption beginning.

    "...Holy shit¡­" Yeong-Un said under his breath.

    He felt it, and they all seemed to feel it¨Cwhat could''ve been if they weren''t lucky enough to escape the ill-upied building.

    While the others were questioning how they would be able to move forward with the streets gued by the vermin, he was pulled aside by Ma-Ri.

    "What''s up?..." He looked at the woman.

    "Jeong-Hui, the Tower opens tomorrow," Ma-Ri told him.

    "Yeah? I know that¨Cwhy''re you telling me that?" He asked.

    "--"

    While Ma-Ri looked at him silently, he began to feel a lump form in his throat, getting some inkling of where this conversation was headed.

    The clue to what Ma-Ri was pulling him aside for was the state of Xiaodan himself; Eunji had cast her healing magic on the young man, and though the bite marks seemed to close, he was still suffering an intense fever.

    [Time until Tower opens: 17 hours, 20 minutes, and 4 seconds]

    He checked the time to distract himself for a moment before Ma-Ri finallyid the truth out¨C

    "We need to consider¡­leaving Xiaodan behind," Ma-Ri told him quietly.

    "What?"

    Hearing something so oundish fall from the pragmatic woman''s lips, he couldn''t hide the anger thatced his singr worded response.

    "I''m simply taking into consideration what gives us all our best chances of making it to the Tower. You''ve seen what the streets are like down there," Ma-Ri rified.

    Even then, he could hear what the streets were like¨Cthe constant scurrying of the millions of rats, storming the width of the abandoned intersections.

    Even still, he felt his blood running hot with such a suggestion.

    "...Xiaodan is part of "all of us", Ma-Ri¡­Did you forget that?" He said quietly yet sharply.

    Ma-Ri looked at him with her eyes of frost, "It seems I was mistaken."

    "Huh?"

    "I thought¡­we would be able to see eye-to-eye on what was best for our group," Ma-Ri told him.

    "Yeah, you''re definitely wrong if you think I''d agree to something like that," he told her sharply.

    "I was merely raising a possibility. If you''re so opposed to it¡­We can try and make due, but¡­" Ma-Ri nced back towards the hardly conscious Xiaodan before looking at him again, "...Should he slow us down, we''ll have to cut him off."

    "--"

    He couldn''t find a proper response in himself. Anything that would fall from his lips would surely be only insults or enraged words.

    "Ma-Ri," he finally said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--"

    "Dae-Seong would never have considered something like this. He would''ve been thinking about a strategy in which we all make it out," he told her.

    Ma-Ri seemed hurt by those words, though she hardly showed it through her cold exterior as she turned away.

    "...I''m not Dae-Seong. Unfortunately¡­I''m weaker, less sharp, but¡­I can at least make decisions he couldn''t," Ma-Ri told him, "...Gangcheori was left to me. I''ll see that Gangcheori makes it to the Tower, no matter what."

    "If ites to it, then, I''ll be responsible for Xiaodan," he told her.

    Ma-Ri seemed hesitant to agree to that, "...You''re invaluable to Gangcheori, Jeong-Hui, you can''t¨C"

    "You can''t assign value torades," he told her sternly.

    "I have to when ites between diverging paths. When I have to make a choice, these are the things I must evaluate. If I''m the one who has to decide, then I can''t be biased, Jeong-Hui. I have to look at things objectively; what value one has to the group, their impact with the others, their rtionship," Ma-Ri exined, "Somebody that is not only sick, but a recent addition to the group¡­The choice is clear there."

    "...Fine, then."

    "--"

    "I get it. I do. But, I still feel like¡­I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I gave it everything I had to survive only to give up what makes me human," he said.

    "Jeong-Hui," Ma-Ri looked at him.

    "Yeah?"

    "Thank you," Ma-Ri said, "--I didn''te to you with my mind made up. The opposite, in fact. With your perspective¡­I think I have a better understanding of things. Perhaps this is the path that Dae-Seong envisioned."

    "--I think so, too. Dae-Seong was¡­kind."

    "He was¡­" Ma-Ri agreed with a hint of sadness in her icy eyes, "...But he had the strength to back up his beliefs."

    He didn''t hold ill-will towards Ma-Ri herself, but more at the unfairness of the situation presented to them.

    ¡­I know that it''s probably the safer choice, and Ma-Ri is just the one who has to make impossibly difficult decisions like this, but¡­why does it have to be like this in the first ce? We''re one day out¡­why does it have toe to something like this? He questioned.

    With that, he walked away, ending the conversation as he went to Xiaodan''s side, who wasying t on the roof.

    Eunji was kneeling by the silver-haired, sickly young man''s side,forting him with a worried, regretful expression.

    "How is he?" He asked.

    Eunji shook her head, "...I healed his wounds, but his fever isn''t settling¨Cit keeps getting higher¡­"

    Hearing that made his stomach stink with a certain dread as he looked down at Xiaodan, who was unconscious yet breathing heavily with his lips parted, exuding sweat rapidly.

    "It''ll be alright, bud¡­" He assured Xiaodan, patting his head.

    Looking over at Eunji, he could tell the meek girl felt responsible for being unable to alleviate the sudden sickness that the Chinese youth was experiencing.

    "This isn''t on you, Eunji. You did amazing¨Cthere''s not a bite on him," he said.

    "Still¡­He''s¨C"

    "He''s got a chance now, thanks to you," he told her.

    Eunji seemed close to contesting his kind words, but stopped herself and nodded quietly with tears lining her eyes.

    ¨C

    In the distance, the Tower stuck out like an iridescent beacon; always there and standing, untouched by the crimson horizon. He looked at it, knowing that to get there, an arduous march would have to beunched.

    "How''s the kid holding up?"

    The ivory armor worn by the stalwart, one-armed man chimed as he stepped over, cing his question with a concerned furrow of his white eyebrows.

    Eunji tried to respond, but looked as if she''d cry if her lips parted.

    Noticing that regretful expression held by the white mage, he answered the question in her ce, "The wounds he suffered are gone, but it seems like those rats left him with some sort of sickness."

    "If that''s the case, shouldn''t we¡­you know¡­keep our distance?"

    The question was hesitantly asked by Sol, who had quietly shuffled over.

    He didn''t consider that angle, looking at Eunji, who finally spoke up.

    "¡­It''s not like that," Eunji said quietly.

    "Hm?" Korain looked down at her.

    "It behaves like a disease, but it''s more like¡­a curse was left in his body. Over and over¡­I can''t undo it. It was ced repeatedly¡­" Eunji exined.

    While Xiaodan certainly seemed to be in a sorry state, it didn''t look as if he were out for the count, but the wg Eunji behaved seemed to paint the contrary.

    The few that had gathered around tofort the sickly adolescent watched silently for a moment, listening to the uneven breaths that puffed out from Xiaodan''s parted lips.

    "Eunji¡­How bad is this sickness?" Sol asked.

    Such a question was made even more dire by the wheezing that apanied Xiaodan''s ragged breathing.

    "...I could feel it when I touched it with my own mana¡­" Eunji said quietly.

    "''It''?" He repeated.

    "It''s eating him from the inside¨CI¡­I did my best to keep it at bay, but it''s no use¡­" Eunji said as she hid her face in her hands with tears falling, "...I tried, but¡­Xiaodan is¡­Xiaodan is¡­going to die¡­!"

 Chapter 186 Chaos Brews

    "It''s eating him from the inside¨CI¡­I did my best to keep it at bay, but it''s no use¡­" Eunji said as she hid her face in her hands with tears falling, "...I tried, but¡­Xiaodan is¡­Xiaodan is¡­going to die¡­!"

    Hearing it straight from the lips of the only person capable of working miracles on the mortal flesh, it was solidified with a harrowing certainty to them.

    Sol shed a few tears, but didn''t weep¨Cmostly standing in disbelief. Korain held an expression of regret, but he maintained hisposure, turning away as he seemed angry at this oue.

    Tears trailed down his cheek, but he remained calm as he ced his hand on top of Eunji''s pale, small one.

    "...Are you sure about that?" He asked.

    "Huh¡­?"

    "Are you absolutely sure he''s going to die? Can you promise that there isn''t a chance for him? Can you guarantee it?...Eunji, can you say for certainty that we should¨C"

    "Jeong-Hui."

    ¨CStopping him in his words that wereced with rage towards the unfairness of the falling world and desperation was a call of his name and a hand befalling his shoulder.

    "Ma-Ri¡­" He looked behind him at the icy-eyed woman.

    He could tell that the situation was wearing on the leader as well, as though she still tried to remain as stalwart and unflinching as ever, those azure eyes of her heldmentation.

    "That''s enough, Jeong-Hui¡­" Ma-Ri told him.

    After calming down, he looked forward to see Eunji''s expression twisted with grief from his series of harsh, forward questions.

    "...I''m sorry¡­" He apologized.

    "No¡­It''s alright¨CI¡­I shouldn''t have said that," Eunji looked at him, removing her sses for a moment to wipe her tears, "...There''s always a chance, right?"

    He smiled just a bit despite the dreadful situation, holding onto that faint light as he nodded to the young woman.

    "That''s right," his words were aimed at the entire group, "--Whether it''s a one-in-a-million shot, we have to keep going. Xiaodan is fighting right now¨Che''s not the type to justy down and take it. We''re alive until the moment we drop dead."

    Eunji wore a trembling smile through her expression that was messied with her own tears before she nodded in agreement as well, "Right¡­!"

    "...That''s damn fuckin'' right! We don''t stop fightin''...not after how far we''vee!" Yeong-Un added, having walked over, "Everybody who isn''t here¡­they created this future for us. We better take it!"

    "I agree¡­Xiaodan, keep fighting!" Sol supported.

    He looked back at Ma-Ri, who seemed to know right away that the words he said were most of all, pointed towards her.

    ¨C

    For the next few hours, they bunkered down on the rooftop of the mall, which was hardlyfortable, especially with the constant sounds of the rat gue below.

    At the very least, it seemed hellborne fiends and Defects weren''t actively prowling the block with the vermin upying its space.

    Still, that didn''t apply to all:

    VRMMMM.

    It sounded like a massive explosive firing off, sending a subtle tremor throughout the tiled roof.

    "What was that¡­?" Yeong-Un questioned, sitting up after lounging back.

    Sol was looking off, gulping as he seemed to notice it first¨Ca colossal entity marched towards their location.

    "..."

    He was silent, just as the others were with finally seeing it up close. The whole time since the beginning of the Final Culling, the existence of the colossus was known, but they were more of a distant, scenic piece than a primary concern.

    VRMMMMMM.

    Each step sounded out violently as the entity''s height overshadows the surrounding skyscrapers, bolstering a blocky, humanoid shape with no skin to hide its ck flesh.

    It wasn''t just the one, truthfully.

    [Enemy Identified: "Tarnished Colossal" | Level 48]

    These colossals weren''t visible before due to the crimson haze that limited their sight, blocking off all view just a few meters beyond.

    They looked like skinless men with size surpassing that of skyscrapers, though instead of red flesh, it was pitch-ck with azure mes clinging to their form. A massive, gaping hole was bore through their chests, the same as their faceless heads.

    VRRRRRM.

    Yeong-Un stood up as well, looking on at the group of ck-fleshed colossals, "...So, what the hell do we do if those things get smart about us?"

    "We run¨Creally damn fast," Korain answered, looking beside him at the stoic leader, "--Right, Boss?"

    "...Unfortunately, I agree with you. That seems to be the only choice against something of that magnitude," Ma-Ri replied.

    Vrrrrrrr.

    Each and every one of them had their eyes widened and their blood run cold as a massive air pelted at them from behind, brushing upon their backs like an augury of the most fearsome, unforgiving winter toe.

    He slowly turned back, seeing the glow of an azure me that emitted from the gargantuan entity that overshadowed not just them, the building, but the entire block.

    The Tarnished Colossus looked down at him with its faceless hole as the whispers of its eternally burning mes spoke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--Holy shit," Yeong-Un muttered in disbelief.

    Somehow, it had snuck up on them as if apparating out of thin air, sending an unequivocal feeling of smallness through them all.

    I''m going to die. I''m going to die. I''m going to die, Sol thought.

    He was the first to move, but only a split-second before Ma-Ri as he used a [Blink Step] to pick up the sickly, unconscious Xiaodan, hoisting him into his arms just as the leader yelled out an order simple enough for them all:

    "We''re leaving! Start moving¨Cnow!" Ma-Ri shouted.

    As the colossus lifted its tower-sized arm of ck, rotting flesh high enough that the air howled in response, parting the lowest hanging of the crimson clouds, the entire group took off, following behind Ma-Ri as they leapt from one building to the next.

    He carried Xiaodan in his arms, sprinting beside Eunji who was already hard of breath, nervously clutching her breath as not even the girl''s fear of heights stopped her against the fear of the giant.

    Luckily, the surrounding buildings were simr in height and close together, though looking back, luck hardly felt like a big enough factor.

    Holy¡­He thought.

    Watching behind, he witnessed the Tarnished Colossus swing its massive, ck arm down,pletely demolishing the mall which they inhabited previously with an impact that sent a brief earthquake through the neighborhood.

    "What the hell!? How is something like this fair¨C?!" Sol frantically said while sprinting across one rooftop and leaping to the next.

    "Don''t question it!--It''s here now, so deal with it!" Korain yelled out in response.

    It was less than a steady path ahead of them, having to jump from building-to-building while making sure not to miss their leap as the sea of gue-carrying rats waited beneath.

    He kept Xiaodan in his arms while sprinting and hopping swiftly, ncing back to see the lumbering colossus following them.

    "--"

    In his arms, he could feel the unnaturally heated body of his silver-haired friend, along with Xiaodan''s ragged breaths as he continued forward, jumping across another building.

    "Watch out-!" Yeong-Un called out.

    During the group''s next jump over, Korain grabbed Eunji by the back of her shirt, bringing her with him into a powerful leap as they all moved just in time before the massive, skyscraper-sized arm swept through the street, shoveling the buildings in its path.

    It wasplete mayhem.

    "Do ya'' got him?!" Yeong-Un asked while running beside him.

    He nodded, keeping the unconscious, feverish young man in his arms as he sprinted, "--I''m fine!"

    From up above, a hailing storm began to descend in the form ofrge chunks of debris from the Tarnished Colossal''s destruction of the buildings behind them.

    "There''s another! To the left!" Ma-Ri called out from the front of the group.

    This brought to his view another of the ck-flesed titans that lumbered in from the west, marching through the billowing crimson.

    Vrrrrrm.

    With one behind and one to the left, the towering entities'' sluggish chase felt ustrophobic, forcing them all to begin aiming towards the right in their run now.

    "We need to lose these things!" Sol yelled out.

    "Easier said than done," he added.

    Though the Tarnished Colossals were slow in their movements, just a single step of theirs could cover the entirety of a block, and their unseen eyes were watchful of likely the whole city with their natural vantage point.

    Not only that, the option of hiding between buildings was mitigated by the fact they couldn''t simply rush through the streets and rush through doors with the endless vermin upying the streets.

    "Ma-Ri¡­We need to think of something," Korain said, following behind the frontmost woman.

    "I know," Ma-Ri replied, "...I''m thinking, we should¨C"

    As the dark-haired woman nced back while running across the t roof of the brick building, looking at the members of the group that followed¨Csomething arrived.

    Vrrrrm.

    The bellowing hum of a colossal; directly above them that seemed to manifest instantly from nothing but the dust particles in the air.

    Such a wide-reaching shadow was cast over them all, leaving the people below wordless in shock from the close and sudden appearance of that which transcended the height of man made architecture.

    What sailed down towards them with an inescapable size was the decrepit, rotting arm of the colossus, which was being constantly seared by the azure mes attached sparsely to its form.

    He held Xiaodan tightly in his arms, thinking to himself but one thought in the face of certain death:

    "What do I do?"

    It all transpired within moments, but by the time his thoughts flowed once again¨C

    VRMMMMM.

    The arm mmed down with such a heavy force that an amazing wind pressure was formed, spawning a short-lived natural disaster that interweaved the air into a chaotic torque.

    It all went ck to him for a moment as the indirect force of the blow, just grazed by the wind expulsion alone had nearly made him lose consciousness as he was flung back.

    What''s¡­going on? He questioned.

 Chapter 187 Pestilence

    By the time he came to, he realized he was being flung back through the air, looking down to see he was set to plummet right down into the sea of ck-furred vermin.

    The others¨C? He thought.

    There was no use in wondering about that; he could hardly see it, but he realized the weight of the blow had likely blown them all back, separating him from the rest as he was the only one on the south side of the impact.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    As he readied himself, holding the feverish young man in his arms, who was still unconscious in this frightening moment, he flipped himself around to take control of his momentum for a safending¨C

    The moment the soles of his boots touched the asphalt, the grotesque vermin, endless in their numbers, all set their beady, ravenous eyes on him as he moved instantaneously with a series of [Blink Steps].

    There was no option of cleaving through the rodents as his hands were taken up by holding Xiaodan, but even if his hands were free, there would be no use in trying to sweep a path through the sea of vermin.

    He vanished into the alleyway, using the quick nature of his instantaneous steps to hopefully lose the gue''s focus as he mmed his shoulder against the grimy, metal door, flinging it open before mming it back shut by pressing his back against it.

    "...Huff¡­"

    The skin-crawling orchestra of intertwined, countless squeaks from the vermin filled his ears, listening to the sounds of their march fill through the alleyway as he was forced to act quickly.

    "Come on, Xiaodan, wake up¡­" He muttered.

    The establishment he entered seemed to be the storage room of some sort of restaurant. He set the unconscious young man down before looking for anything he could to barricade the door.

    "Come on¡­Come on¡­" He mumbled to himself frantically.

    First, he started to move the metal rack that held a variety of spoiled meats on it, swiftly hauling it over and using it to block the door.

    But, he knew that wasn''t enough.

    Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

    "--!"

    He rushed out of the storage room into the main dining center of the restaurant, seeing that the vermin were already diverting their numbers in trying to break through an alternate entrance.

    Frantically, he swept his gaze around, looking for anything to barricade the front door¨Cleaving him with the unorthodox choice of ripping out one of the booths entirely.

    "Rrghh¡­!"

    He clenched his teeth, summoning his supernatural strength as he picked up therge, red seat meant for an entire group, mming it down in front of the door just as the weight of the vermin swarm began pressing against it.

    "--"

    As he stopped and gathered his breath, granting himself a reprieve perhaps just that minuscule, he felt little hope coursing through his veins.

    He couldn''t even see outside any longer; against the windows, the ck swarm pressed against each side of the building, skittering and squeaking relentlessly.

    "...Shit¡­"

    Walking tiredly back to the storage room, he slumped down against the wall, sitting beside the unconsciouspanion of his as he quietly breathed.

    It was already flooding through him; a cold feeling that made his fingertips uneasy and his breaths feel inconsequential.

    This feeling was the inevitability of his own death.

    "...How the hell did it get to this?" He quietly asked himself.

    Against the sealed doors and the walls alike, the sound of the vermin trying to break through was all that he heard, except for the uneven breaths of his sickpanion by his side.

    There was simply nothing that could be done now but to sit and wait, praying that by some miracle, perhaps the vermin swarm would lose interest.

    Vrrrrm.

    He could still hear the deep hums of the Tarnished Colossals that walked the streets as their immense steps sent vibrations through the floor he sat on.

    Tell me¡­What should I do? He thought.

    Sitting there with the constant scratching against the walls flooding his ears, some time passed as he simply watched the walls, keeping his hands by his daggers and ready.

    "Hkk¡­"

    He jumped a bit as the unconscious, sickly one beside him began coughing up.

    "Xiaodan¡­!"

    It wasn''t just a simple cough; each visceral hack caused ck fluid to spew out from Xiaodan''s mouth.

    What''s going on¡­? He thought.

    Sitting on his knees beside the infectedpanion of his, he grabbed Xiaodan by the shoulders, shaking him lightly to try and wake him.

    "Hey¡­! Xiaodan! You''ve got to get up!" He called out.

    "Hkk¡­"

    Xiaodan continued coughing before beginning to hack up more of the ck fluid, beginning to choke on the substance.

    He acted quickly, though panicking somewhat, he rolled the young man onto his side, but it hardly seemed to help as Xiaodan continued hacking up the abyssal substance from his mouth.

    It leaked from the sickly adolescent''s lips, beginning to trail down from his nose and leave his ears as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    What''s going on¡­? What should I do? Somebody, please¨Chelp, he pleaded in his mind.

    "Xiaodan¡­!"

    His mind was racing; seeing the amount of ck fluid that he could only guess was blood seeping out from the young man''s pores.

    "...Xiaodan¡­"

    Helpless, unknowing of what to do, he could only sit there and watch as his friend coughed and shivered.

    Why¡­is the world like this? Was humanity so bad that we deserve something like this? What did I ever do? What did he do? Kamou, Myung-Hee, the siblings¡­they were good people. Dae-Seong, Binna¡­It''s not fair, he thought.

    In the face of the insurmountable gue, and the very bearers of the abhorrent infliction scratching at the walls around him, he slumped down.

    "You''re pretty pathetic, aren''t you?"

    ¨CA raspy voice spoke to him, pouring into his ear as he looked up tiredly to see a figure crouched down in front of him.

    With how defeated his heart felt in the face of inevitable death, he tried to move his arms to strike the enigmatic figure, but stopped himself from doing so.

    "Well, I can''t me you. Humans are pretty pathetic all-around."

    The figure that spoke to him had lifeless, tainted skin that was covered with blistered, sores, and scratches as flies encircled their repugnant form. They werenky, malnourished-seeming, but hunched-over with their spine pressing against their back.

    "--"

    "Don''t you have anything to say? I''m a terrible demon, you know? At the very least, you should try attacking me," the malnourished figure pointed to his neck.

    "--"

    It was clear that the decrepit figure that had appeared from seemingly nowhere, appearing in front of him at his lowest, wasn''t human, but they also looked very human for a demon.

    "If you just sit here, my gue is going to consume you, you know? I don''t mind, but at least put up a shyst stand. It''s boring otherwise," the pale-haired man said, scratching his own neck as his uneven fingernails dug into his putrid flesh.

    When looking at the figure, the System didn''t register them as an enemy, but rather simply as the entity they were.

    [Identified: "Pestilence" | Level 90]

    Ah¡­He must¡­be too strong to even be considered an "enemy"...He thought tiredly with his foggy mind.

    "You haven''t been infected yet, but you''ve already given up. Man, talk about pathetic. Look at your friend here," Pestilence pointed to Xiaodan, who continuously coughed up blood, "...They''re experiencing a painful death, you know? What''s your excuse? You''re just a coward, aren''t you? Is that it?"

    While asking him questions in his raspy, berating voice, Pestilence grabbed him by his hair, forcing him to match his gaze.

    ¡­Why is he bothering me? He questioned.

    Finally, his arm moved on its own, and swiftly at that, aiming to sever the wrist of the hand that was holding his hair.

    CHNK.

    "--"

    It was as if the edge of his dagger had mmed against unmoving steel. He struggled, trying to push the sharp side of his de through the grotesque wrist of the malnourished, tall figure, but nothing happened.

    Pestilenceughed with a small, rotten smile, "Did I upset you? That''s good, that''s good. I''ve been killing a lot, you know? It gets boring just watching my gue overwhelm humans to the point that they just let it happen."

    "--"

    "Don''t you have ''human spirit'', or something? C''mon. Go out there and fight," Pestilence goaded him, "You might have a chance."

    "--"

    "If you make it out, I might cure that boy," Pestilence offered with a twisted grin, pressing his fingernail against Xiaodan''s cheek.

    Such an offer brought him to as he dragged himself from his helpless haze, looking at the mysterious entity straight into his split, orange irises.

    Pestilence chortled, "There is some fire left in the tank, isn''t there? It''s a kind offer, isn''t it? I''m really being nice here. So, grow some balls and save your friend here."

    While goading him with the odd deal, the malnourished entity continued jabbing his sharp, uneven fingernail against the cheek of the sickly adolescent.

    "...Stop¡­"

    "Huh? Are you going to do it or not?" Pestilence squinted with one eye at him.

    Now, the grotesque humanoid pinched the cheek of the feverish Xiaodan, squeezing it hard enough to draw blood.

    "Stop¡­!"

    "Then take your friend and make a run for it," Pestilence told him with a smile, showing his yellow-stained teeth, "C''mon. Save him. You can do it, can''t you? If you don''t, his death is on you."

    Just as he opened his lips to ept the malicious entity''s offer, he was stopped as his System spoke to him:

    [Jeong-Hui.]

    "--"

    [Don''t listen to him. He''s trying to bait you into going outside. Don''t listen to him. That one isn''t to be trusted¨Cany deal he offers is as flimsy as straw.]

 Chapter 188 Give Up, Surrender

    [Jeong-Hui.]

    "--"

    [Don''t listen to him. He''s trying to bait you into going outside. Don''t listen to him. That one isn''t to be trusted¨Cany deal he offers is as flimsy as straw.]

    But¡­He thought.

    Closing his eyes for a moment, he regained control of his breathing as he squeezed his grip around both of his daggers.

    "C''mon. Aren''t you his friend? What kind of person would just sit around and watch his friends die? You''re the worst. Seriously¨Cthe worst of the worst," Pestilence berated him.

    The words dug deep into him, but he ignored them as he suddenly pushed forward, swiping his daggers against the malnourished figure with [Dark Edge] activated.

    "Ah¡­"

    Pestilence breathed out, unflinching as he simply leaned back to avoid the visceral edge of the daggers.

    "--"

    "You really don''t get it, do you? I was trying to be nice, you know. I really was. Yet, you attacked me? What do you humans say? ''Don''t bite the hand that feeds''--something like that. No wonder you keep losing your friends¨Cyou can''t make smart decisions, can you?" Pestilence continued to berate him with scathing words.

    It seemed that the enigmatic, gue-personification had some sort of insight into him beyond just what he could see from their first meeting.

    "Shut up, would you?..." He said quietly.

    Pestilence grinned, "If you''re going to ruin my fun, then I''ll just¡­"

    As the entity raised his hand, clenching his blistered fist, it caused Xiaodan to suddenly begin violently hacking up as a fountain of ck liquid spewed out from his mouth.

    "Argh¡­Gkk¡­!" Xiaodan choked.

    "Xiaodan!" He called out before looking at Pestilence with his daggers held tightly, "--You bastard!"

    He rushed towards the mysterious embodiment of the gue, using sessive [Blink Steps] to encircle the figure before unleashing a fury of shes towards him.

    Pestilenceughed while evading the daggers with his unnaturally skinny body, dodging a strike aimed for his neck before retaliating by backhanding the vermilion-haired young man across the cheek.

    "--!"

    He winced, being flung back against the wall as the sharp, disrespectful counter had reddened his cheek and cut it, though it didn''t amount to any real damage.

    "The worst of the worst¡­I really love you, Jeong-Hui. Humans like you. You''re so weak, so vile, so twisted, stupid, and pointless!" Pestilence chortled again, "Do you realize what you just did?! No wonder you keep losing everybody!"

    "--" He held his cheek.

    "Your friend is dying over there¨Cyet, you prioritized your own anger and attacked me, rather than helping him! I don''t have to tell you how twisted that is, is it?! How stupid can you be? You go on-and-on-and-on-and-on about wanting to ''be a better person'' and ''not lose your humanity''--does that mean you lose all of your friends instead! Ha-ha!" Pestilence couldn''t help butugh right in his face, "Seriously, man, you''re the best of the best!"

    Again, he got up,unching a kick aimed for the head of the figure that continuously berated him, but his boot only met with a dispersing impact.

    Before his eyes, as his boot met with Pestilence''s head, the decrepit figure dissolved into a swarm of locusts, dispersing and leaving.

    "...Keep on living like a cockroach, ursed good-for-nothing. Live and watch everybody around you die because of your own hubris. I''ll watch as well. Ha-ha-ha¡­" The voice of Pestilence echoed, disembodied from the locusts he had turned into.

    The mystical locusts left the room, leaving him there with his stinging cheek as he was left silent in utter confusion from the encounter with the entity responsible for the "Unending gue."

    "Xiaodan¡­!"

    He rushed over to the silver-haired young man''s side, who was continuously coughing up ck liquid from their bowels as the same substance crept out from their eyes, nose, and seemingly every pore.

    Do something, he told himself.

    He could hardly think of any method in which to approach the unstable condition of his afflicted friend, tring to shake him awake again.

    "Xiaodan!"

    Do something. Don''t let another person die on you. That guy was wrong, wasn''t he? He thought.

    After another moment, he looked down to find the sickly figure had stopped breathing altogether whileying on the floor in a pool of the abyssal blood.

    "No¡­"

    You''re not¡­I''m not¨Cno, he thought.

    "No, no, no¡­"

    cing his hands on Xiaodan''s chest, he pushed down, repeatedly pressing the young man''s chest to try and artificially pump air into his lungs and reignite his heart again.

    "Come on¡­! You''re not done! Not like this¡­!" He yelled out desperately as tears hung at the rims of his eyes.

    He continued pumping Xiaodan''s chest before leaning down, breathing air into his mouth desperately.

    "...Hhh¡­"

    It was faint, but he heard it; lightly brushing against his own lips was a shallow exhale from the silver-haired figure.

    "Xiaodan!" He called out with hope in his emerald eyes.

    That one glimpse of light; such a small semnce of hope in the endless sea of dread around him, no matter how tiny, was enough for him as he continued pumping his chest.

    This time, he tore open Xiaodan''s verdant shirt, pushing against his bare chest fervently now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Come on¡­! You can hear me, right?! You need to fight, too!" He yelled.

    Again, he brought his lips to Xiaodan''s own, ignoring the bitter taste of the ck blood and pushing his own breath of life into him.

    "Hail to¡­"

    The words that traveled from Xiaodan''s lips were so quiet as if nothing more than the softest breeze of the wind, but he listened closely.

    Xiaodan was still seemingly unconscious, or rather, seemed to be unable to move. He recognized the words he heard, though.

    ''Hail to''...wait, is this¡­? He thought.

    "The mantra you used before with Eunji¡­! I see! Keep at it, Xiaodan!" He said.

    Aiding his ill friend with another exchange of breaths, he pumped his chest with little restraint, making sure he wasn''t cutting any corners.

    Xiaodan breathed out the words quietly, "...Hail to the¡­jewel in the lotus¡­"

    As the invocation finally managed to escape the lips of the near-death young man, an encirclement of clear, pure water manifested around the two.

    "...You did it," he said in surprise, watching the water spin around them.

    The azure, divine liquid enveloped Xiaodan, caressing his form before disappearing a minuteter.

    Again, there was silence as he watched anxiously.

    Please¡­He thought.

    "Pyuh¡­!" Xiaodan suddenly spat out blood that must''ve been caught in his lungs.

    "Xiaodan!"

    Finally, the eyes of the silver-haired, lithe young man opened, though they were dreary and half-dyed in the ck substance, they were indeed open.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan said weakly.

    "Yeah, it''s me¡­! I''m right here!" He said, grabbing and holding his hand.

    Xiaodan struggled just to look to the side and up at him, "...I can''t move. I¡­was only able to dispel the impurities within me¡­but¡­I can''t heal the damage done to my body¡­"

    "--" His words were caught in his throat.

    "But¡­I''ll live¡­thanks¡­to you," Xiaodan smiled a bit, "...though¡­I think you might''ve¡­broken some of my ribs just now¡­"

    The words were faint and raspy, though that was understandable after what the young man had just faced and survived.

    "...I didn''t do anything. You had to save yourself in the end," he said with a relieved smile.

    Xiaodan lightly shook his head, "...Idiot. Can''t you just¡­ept it when you''ve done¡­something good?"

    He smiled a bit, not responding as he remembered the encounter he just had with the embodiment of the gue.

    ¡­You weren''t wrong. I''ve lost a lot of people I care about. But¡­I didn''t kill them. If I was stronger, maybe they''d still be there, but¡­the past is the past. The future ister, and the present is now. And right now, I won, he thought.

    Sitting there for a few minutes, he helped Xiaodan sit up against the wall before looking around the establishment for water to give to his sicklypanion.

    While leaving the storage room to check for a drink, he was reminded that he wasn''t free yet¨Cnot even close.

    The vermin were still swarming the ss, surrounding the building and constantly scratching at the windows with their vile, chattering teeth.

    He managed to find a water bottle under a cab, returning and sitting beside Xiaodan as he helped him drink from the stic bottle.

    "...Thanks," Xiaodan said, gulping it down.

    "Listen, I hate to be the one to say it, but¡­we''re still not out of the mud, yet," he told him.

    Xiaodan was silent, sitting beside him as they listened to the constant wing at the walls from the endless rodents.

    "I guessed as much¡­we''re "snowed in", aren''t we¡­?" Xiaodan asked.

    He nodded, "Yeah¡­You weren''t awake then, but we were with the group, fleeing from some enemies, but then¡­I got blown back while holding you¨CI didn''t have very long to make a choice, so I brought us in here."

    "I see," Xiaodan said.

    Sitting there with the prospect of the endless vermin still harrowingly close, the two seemed out of options.

    "...We were so close to the Tower," Xiaodan said quietly.

    "We''re going to make it," he replied calmly while looking towards the wall.

    Xiaodan looked at him, still hard of breath and unable to move but his fingertips and head, "I sure wish I had that optimism, Jeong-Hui¡­"

    "You should have more than me. You were on course straight to Hell, you know," he said.

    "Heh¡­I guess you''re right," Xiaodan chuckled weakly, leaning his head against the wall.

    The entire time he sat there idly, hardly speaking, his mind was racing, thinking of each and every possible avenue of approach with the daunting, seemingly impossible task of escaping the surrounded diner.

    "But, Jeong-Hui¡­Would it be so bad for things to end here?"

 Chapter 189 Unexpected Savior

    "But, Jeong-Hui¡­Would it be so bad for things to end here?"

    The question came randomly from the lips of the gravely afflicted young man, taking him by surprise as he nced over with his tired, emerald eyes.

    "Huh?"

    "I just mean¡­What''re we fighting for, exactly? I''ve lost so much¡­Ma, my dad¡­You''ve lost a lot, too, haven''t you? Doesn''t it just feel pointless? What''s the point of fighting and going on¡­if we have no family to return to," Xiaodan asked.

    "--"

    Xiaodan looked straight into his eyes, ncing at his dagger, "...I don''t want to be eaten alive, Jeong-Hui."

    "Yeah, me neither," he stoically replied, trying to dissuade this conversation.

    "--If ites to it¡­" Xiaodan began to say.

    "...You''re not thinking straight right now¨Cget some rest," he interrupted.

    Xiaodan stared at him for a moment with dreary eyes before closing them and doing his best to rx against the wall.

    "Maybe you''re right. I''m not thinking straight, am I?...I hope this feeling is just temporary," Xiaodan spoke quietly as a small trail of tears ran down his cheeks.

    He looked over, quietly watching as Xiaodan seemed to fall to slumber, breathing quietly. Once he made sure the silver-haired boy was asleep, he held his own face in his hands, gripping his frizzy, vermilion locks.

    ¡­It''s nauseating. A world like this¡­it''s an endless cycle of suffering and loss. All we can do is win small battles, insignificant victories that only allow us to continue pushing on for another day. Just losing one of those minuscule battles can result in death. How many are there? Hundreds of these battles? Thousands? When will we be able to rest? He questioned.

    It was difficult for him to pinpoint why he continued dragging his feet along the cold gravel of the fallen world, or why he held onto his daggers with his trembling fingertips each day.

    He felt it as well; that small voice inside of him, cing the idea in his mind, reasoning with him on why he should simply give up.

    If it wasn''t suffering, it was death. If it wasn''t death, it was despair. If it wasn''t despair, it was suffering.

    This perpetual cycle did nothing but wear him down, but he found himself moving despite the dreary world constantly taking jabs at him.

    "...A reason to continue moving forward¡­" He remembered those words from thete Dae-Seong on the burial day of his fallenpanions.

    Thinking of what Xiaodan had just told him about, he felt a mixture of anger and grief boiling inside of him, though it was quelled by the nature of the situation around him.

    I didn''t go through all of that¡­to save you¡­only for you to give up, idiot, he thought.

    While pondering to himself, he caught on to a noise persisting beyond the vermin-tested walls.

    ng.

    It was distinct amongst the melody of high-pitched, ravenous squeaks that never seemed to stop amongst the rodents.

    Clink. ng.

    Now, it was obvious¨Cit was the sound of steel striking asphalt, being hammered down violently as the squeaks of vermin being eviscerated met his ears, though muffled through the walls.

    He put it together quickly; there was somebody in the streets, sweeping through those rotten rats.

    "...Who would¡­? Are they suicidal?!" He muttered to himself.

    Of course, the thought urred to him to help whoever this person was, but as he instinctively reached for the door handle, he stopped himself.

    Even somebody as brash as him knew well¨Cif he opened that door, there would be no benefit from it, only loss.

    Beyond that door was a sea bearing waves of millions of rodents. And, even if he somehow managed to evade their wrath, and keep Xiaodan out of their reach while simultaneously saving the person outside, that person was likely infected many times over by the gue.

    Clink. ng.

    "Raagh! Outta the way, bastards!"

    The masculine voice he heard roaring outside was deathly familiar to him. Though for just a brief moment, it was relieving like the soothing warmth of a firece to him, that was quickly reced by a cold shock.

    "...Korain¡­?" He mumbled in disbelief.

    Even if he wanted to reject it now based on the sway of his heart, the logical part of his mind couldn''t look past it: Korain was likely on borrowed time now.

    Why is he here? Did he get separated from the group, too? Then why would he be out here¡­? He questioned.

    Another yell came from the street, echoing loud with the strong but desperate tone of the burly man carrying it throughout the block, "--Jeong-Hui¨C!!! Xiaodan¨C!!!"

    Hearing his name be called, his heart sank as the pieces fit together on why somebody would make such a terrible, suicidal decision as to march through the Unending gue.

    He''s¡­looking for us? He realized.

    With his hand hovering near the door handle, he didn''t know what to do. If he opened that door, there would be no stopping the swarm from pouring in.

    But, he couldn''t bear the thought of silently sitting there while the man risked his very being just to find them.

    It wasn''t even a question; he was going to make his presence known.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Still, he couldn''t risk Xiaodan being caught up in his own hasty, dangerous decision, so he quickly explored the diner, looking for any way he could safely call back out to Korain.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­! Ngh! Xiaodan!" Korain''s voice was heard again.

    While racing around the diner, he finally realized it wouldn''t be possible to open any entrance without letting an ungodly amount of vermin inside.

    He went over to Xiaodan''s side, slightly shaking his shoulder as he spurred the groggy, injured young man''s eyes to blink tiredly.

    "...Jeong-Hui?"

    "We have to go," he said, "...Korain is out there. He came looking for us, I think¡­"

    Xiaodan''s eyes widened a bit, "Korain¡­? Why would he¡­?"

    "I don''t know, but¡­we can''t sit around, right? We have to make ourselves known," he said, looking at the silver-haired boy.

    For a moment, Xiaodan sat still, hardly moving as his body was still encumbered by the devastating effects of the washed-away gue.

    But, another yell from outside seemed to ignite something in Xiaodan;

    "Jeong-Hui! Xiaodan! Come on¡­! I know some little rats won''t beat you!" Korain yelled out again.

    Xiaodan looked at him, nodding, "...Let''s go."

    "Alright," he smiled slightly.

    "Well¡­I''ll need a bit of help," Xiaodan told him.

    He already assumed so, quickly kneeling down and giving his back to Xiaodan, who wrapped his arms around his neck as he was hoisted onto the vermilion-haired assassin''s back.

    Facing towards the wall, he ced his hand forward, focusing his breathing and the rapid thump of his heart.

    "Hold on," he said.

    "Right," Xiaodan replied.

    It was a stupid n¨Cthere was no question about it. There wasn''t much thought about it, and the risk of failure was much greater than the chance of sess. But, if they were going to die anyway, this was their one chance to shift that oue.

    With Sage Period active, he held his palm towards the concrete wall that he was sure led to the alleyway.

    I''ll have to execute this quickly. Luckily, Sage Period is just the tool for that, he thought.

    "Cast: me Lance!"

    The zero cost spell was manifested by his invocation, summoning a spiraling spear forged of mes that immediatelyunched forward with a heated sh.

    "Hot¡­!" Xiaodan winced as his silver locks blew in the me-generated winds.

    As the me-bornence crashed against the wall, it blew it apart. He didn''t waste a single moment bursting forward with his first [Blink Step], causing both himself and Xiaodan, who hugged onto his back tightly, to leave the broken wall and enter the alley.

    Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

    Nipping towards his heels, the countless rodents were instantly aimed for him, leaping up and attempting to bite both of them, but heunched with another instantaneous step. This time, he brought the soles of his boots against the wall, jumping with onest [Blink Step] as the rats leaped up high like springs, nearly reaching them.

    "Ngh!" Xiaodan clenched his teeth, feeling the swarm of abnormal rodents nearby.

    With the final step, the two miraculouslynded on the roof in an executed n that extended across only a few seconds total.

    "We did it¡­" Xiaodan breathed out.

    "Yeah," he said, standing on the roof.

    With a new view of the street, he confirmed his suspicions: Korain was there in the center of the vermin-filled street, swinging his de that was engulfed in spiraling winds as he eviscerated the surroundings rodents.

    "Oh no¡­" Xiaodan muttered.

    "--"

    Korain was clearly filled with bites, though he pushed on, the number of vermin was too much.

    "Korain!" He yelled out.

    "Korain¨C!" Xiaodan yelled with him.

    While battling the sea of rats, the mix-colored haired man nced up, seeing the two on the roof as his bloodied, strained expression turned to a grin.

    "...There you are!"

    "Jump up! Come on!" He called out.

    But, he realized there was a simply reason why Korain was stuck on the ground, despite being able to easily leap the height of the surroundings buildings with his immense physicality.

 Chapter 190 All You Need Is Grit

    "Jump up! Come on!" He called out.

    But, he realized there was a simply reason why Korain was stuck on the ground, despite being able to easily leap the height of the surroundings buildings with his immense physicality.

    "--"

    Korain''s legs had been eviscerated by the man-eating rodents; chunks were torn from his legs, and a trail of crimson was left in the man''s wake. It seemed only through dragging his feet and by sheer will did the man manage to make it this far.

    "Dammit¡­!" He clenched his teeth.

    After being set down on the roof, Xiaodan looked up at the young man in surprise, "Jeong-Hui¡­? What''re you¨Cwait!"

    Before Xiaodan could stop him, he had already jumped from the roof, using the surrounding buildings as footholds as he closed the distance to the burly, one-armed man.

    [Ripper]

    [Ripper]

    [Ripper]

    [Ripper]

    [Ripper]

    [Spirit -1000 | 1100/3700]

    Aiding the injured veteran of Gangcheori, heunched sessive bursts of shes, forcing a clearing around the two as he used [Blink Steps] to create a spherical range in which all vermin were cut apart in an instant.

    "...Damn, kid¡­You''re showing me up," Korain breathed heavily, joking lightly as he was clearly burdened by his injuries.

    "Shut up¡­! We have to go!" He yelled.

    As he grabbed onto Korain''s arm, he dragged the man along with him with a few sessive [Blink Steps] that brought them back up to the roof before the vermin could surround them again.

    "That''s embarrassing. I came here to rescue you, not the other way around," Korain chuckled.

    Though as Korain fell onto his rear, sitting on the roof, the wounds he suffered became clear as day¨Chis legs were torn apart, his arms were covered in bleeding wounds, having reached past his armor.

    Even more apparent was the massive hole in his armor, left on his chest.

    "Xiaodan¡­!" He looked back at the silver-haired boy.

    The androgynous male nodded, scooting closer to Korain as he brought his hands close to him, "Hail to the jewel in the lotus."

    Korain was silent, focusing on regaining his breath as the rejuvenating waters surrounded him, tending to his inflicted body, but once it dispersed, it hardly seemed to have any effect.

    "--"

    "Xiaodan, did you do it?...Try again!" He shouted desperately.

    "--"

    "Xiaodan!"

    "I can''t heal wounds like this¡­! I tried! I canbat the gue inside him, but¡­the damage that''s done is done!" Xiaodan shouted back.

    Sitting there now in a pool of his own blood with his ymore held by his side, Korain gave a half smile with his tired eyes and messy hair, "...Yeah, sounds about right."

    "Do you have a potion on you? Anything?" He asked.

    Korain shook his head lightly in response.

    "...Why the hell did youe here, Korain¡­?" He asked now.

    "Huh? What kind of question is that, idiot?" Korain raised an eyebrow, looking at him with an exhausted smile.

    "--"

    Korain pointed to his chest, where the ivory armor that once protected it was blown away, leaving a charred, steaming mark on the man''s muscr torso.

    "I was hit pretty hard by one of those big ass brutes¡­It knocked me down and well, those rats had a field day with my body, as you can see, I was grounded instantly," Korain smiled weakly, "...The others were still frantic about you two missing. Those two idiots were raving about going out to look for you¨CI doubt Ma-Ri would''ve been able to stop them. So¡­I volunteered myself, since I''m damn near dead, anyway."

    As he had thought¨Ca suicide mission. It wasn''t surprising that a hot-headed, stubborn man like Korain would do something like that, but the thought of it was still dreadful.

    "...That''s not a reason to get yourself killed. The group needs you¡­If you''re not there, we''ll be lost!" He said.

    Xiaodan was silent, watching with a bleak sadness in his eyes at the decrepit state of Korain''s body.

    The man huffed, "--I''m not dead yet, am I?"

    "--"

    "I''ve been through worse¡­just look¡­" Korain struggled to put out his words as he began to stand.

    Somehow, with those hole-filled legs that continuously spurted out blood, the man rose to his feet, holding a tired, but triumphant smile, "...See? Don''t count this old man out yet. I''m not dying just yet¡­not until you two are back with the others."

    He was left agasp for a moment at the sheer willpower that Korain must possess to aplish such a feat before hetched onto thosest few words.

    "The others¡­where are they?" He asked.

    Korain pointed his sword towards the heavenly Tower situated in the distance, "It''s obvious, isn''t it? We''ve all got the same destination."

    "You''re right¡­" He said, "All we''ve got to do is reach the Tower now. That''s it."

    Though he felt a relief at this thought, with there only being mere hours left before the opening of the enigmatic structure, he realized his hopes were far too optimistic.

    "We, huh?" Xiaodan mumbled.

    "What? That''s right¨Cwe''re going there. All of us," he said adamantly.

    Xiaodan looked up at him, "We have to be realistic here, Jeong-Hui¡­" He smiled sadly, "...I can''t move my lower body¡­and, Korain, I know that''s not sustainable¡­You''ve only got a few hours max¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--" Korain was quiet.

    "Realistic¡­? Stop that. Stop it. We''ve been fighting all of this time, haven''t we?! So don''t give me this shit! I didn''t push myself through this hell just to abandon my friends¨Cand you sure the hell didn''t go through this just toy down and take it right before the finish line!" He yelled out angrily.

    "Kid¡­" Korain looked at him.

    He was on the verge of tears¨Cbut even that changed as they began to trail his cheeks as he kept his teeth clenched.

    "How about we meet halfway?" Korain said.

    "What?" He looked at the man.

    Xiaodan seemed confused as well as the two looked at the middle-aged man, who kept himself standing while exuding sweat and blood from his pores.

    "...I''ll carry Xiaodan. We''ll follow behind you, but¡­you''re not allowed to walk back. If we fall, that''s it. We tried," Korain told him.

    "--"

    "It''s as good as we''re going to get," Korain said, "As it stands, we have to make due with our best odds. If you try brute-forcing something like this, you''ll just be dragged down, too, kid. I''m not trying to die pointlessly. So, live."

    Xiaodan added in, "...I feel the same way. Jeong-Hui, you''ve saved me twice now¡­I know it sounds selfish, but I want to at least be able to return the favor, just once. If you ended up dying yourself while trying to protect me¡­I''d never forgive myself. At the very least, give yourself the best chance of making it."

    He didn''t like the sound of it, not at all. But, he couldn''t deny that it was likely the only option that worked for both sides'' desires.

    "Alright¡­Let''s go."

    ¨C

    It was an unorthodox arrangement, and one that was clearly aligned with death itself.

    Korain, hardly able to walk with his mutted body, held Xiaodan on his back while using his ymore to sweep through the vermin in their path.

    On the other end, he stayed ahead, leaping from building-to-building as he kept looking back every few seconds, worriedly checking on the two.

    It was certain death for both of them.

    [Time until Tower opens: 9 hours, 10 minutes, and 34 seconds]

    By the time left, it was certainly dawn, but there was hardly any way to discern night from day amidst the hellish horizon that sat over the world.

    It was impossible for him to solely set his sights on the colossal tower in the distance as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, continuously hearing the sounds of Korain and Xiaodan''s struggle through the vermin-filled streets.

    Though part of the agreement was that he''d move on ahead without slowing down for them, he still kept himself within distance of the two¨Ckeeping his daggers readied in his grip.

    Something caught his eye just a bit ahead; a sight that ced some hope in the abyssal pits of his heart.

    "...There! Up ahead!"

    It was a massive hole left in the middle of the street, splitting it in two and leaving arge gap.

    Korain and Xiaodan looked ahead, seeing it as a resurgence in vigor seemed to flow within the burly man.

    This was an important discovery, due to the fact that the horde of rats weren''t able to bridge such a gap, even with their increased leaping strength, it was clear on the other side.

    "Alright! Hold on tight¨C! I''m using thest of my spirit for this!"

    "Right¡­! Do what you have to do!" Xiaodan said.

    Of course, Korian couldn''t simply unleash a mighty jump with the state his body was in, but he summoned a burst of air beneath his boots, allowing him to scale the gap in the street.

    "...Phew¡­"

    "We made it¡­" Xiaodan looked back in disbelief.

    He immediately jumped down from the rooftop, meeting the two on the empty, rat-untouched street now with a relieved smile.

    "What did I say!? You just had to push on¡­!" He said with tears welling up in his eyes excitedly.

    "...I really didn''t think there was a part of this city left untouched by those furballs¡­" Korain said, still shocked.

    "Yeah, same here¡­" Xiaodan added.

    It was a burden of despair lifted from each of their shoulders as they now ventured together down the abandoned, dested streets.

    "...Ma-Ri is going to freak once she sees us," Korain chuckled, "She''s probably going to smack me a good one."

    "I thought you volunteered toe out here¡­Why would she be mad?" He asked with a smile.

    "Well¡­that girl''s mind works in mysterious ways, I''ll tell ya''," Korain answered.

    ¨C

    The seraphic Tower sat in the center of the city; it was definitely within reach far before the time it would open for them, even with their sluggish pace.

    Naturally, he took Xiaodan onto his back now, leaving the weight freed from Korain''s already cut-up body, who held a limp in his stride, but moved nheless.

    "How''re you holding up?" He asked, ncing back at the man.

    "I''m holding¡­Don''t worry about me, kid. I''ve got enough in the tank," Korain answered with a reassuring smile, resting his ymore on his shoulder.

    "If you say so," he epted.

    "Alright, alright, if I think I can''t walk anymore, I''ll just let you carry me as well," Korian joked.

    "As if¡­" He responded wryly with a smile.

    The threeughed, though Xiaodan seemed drained of energy due to how hard his body must''ve exerted itself to rid itself of the vermins'' curses.

 Chapter 191 The Reaver Demon

    Nearing the base of the illustrious Tower, the group stopped, taking in the spectacle that was the divine structure. Extending like seraphic roots through the streets, the Tower seemed to embed itself into the asphalt.

    ''Woah, there it is¡­" Sol said.

    "Finally seein'' it up close," Yeong-Un added.

    The area around the Tower had a sudden decrease in level, seemingly caved in by the presence of the immacte structure.

    They had stopped in front of what looked to be a rundown store that sold sporting gear, having a sign resembling a tennis racket.

    "We''ll stop here for now," Ma-Ri said.

    Bags hung beneath the eyes of the youthful leader, but it was the same for each of them¨Cthey were all tied from the arduous, stress-filled expedition.

    "I hope they''re okay¡­" Eunji said quietly.

    They entered the doors of the sporting store together, which was vast and filled with a variety of items: tents, kayaks, and hunting equipment.

    "They''ll be fine," Sol said, "...At least I hope so."

    The hazel-haired adolescent was pped on the back yfully by the blue-haired, mesh shirt-wearing friend of his, who walked in front of him.

    "Dontcha worry. That fire-head has a talent for survivin''," Yeong-Un said.

    "For now, we have to worry about ourselves," Ma-Ri said, "...We have neither the strength nor stamina to stress ourselves over those beyond our reach. All we can do now is put our trust in them."

    "Right¡­" Eunji nodded.

    Though her way with words was stoic at best, and abrasive at worst, it was clear that Ma-Ri was concerned with the wellbeing of the three missing members of the group.

    ¨C

    Ma-Ri sat down on one of the camping chairs on disy, exhaling as the others settled into the disy tents that were already propped up.

    ¡­Don''t fall when we''re this close, she thought.

    "Hey, Ma-Ri."

    She looked up to see Yeong-Un standing beside her, extending an item to her. It was a bar wrapped with the design of a mountain range across it: "Climber Energy Bar."

    "What''s this for?" She asked, looking at it.

    "It''s for ya''," Yeong-Un rified.

    "--" She looked at it before turning her gaze forward again, "Don''t worry about me."

    Yeong-Un gritted his sharp teeth, cing the bar in front of the leader''s face again, "Hey! Yer'' the most tired of us, aintcha?! Yer'' the leader, so naturally ya'' take priority! So, don''t be stubborn and just take it!"

    The fiery way that the scar-covered adolescent spoke took the exhausted woman by surprise as she looked up at him with her azure eyes before epting the bar.

    "...Just, try not to be so loud, alright?" She said.

    "Err, yeah, my bad," Yeong-Un chuckled.

    While she sat on the chair in the dim, unlit store while the others stayed in the propped up tents, she unraveled the energy bar, biting into it and chewing the grainy food slowly.

    "--"

    Between her fingers, the bar shook. It wasn''t the bar that was shaking, but the hand that held it as she sat there quietly with an expression that wished to falter.

    Stay strong, Ma-Ri. If you start to show weakness¡­it''s over. You have to be strong. It''s all on you now. They need you, she told herself.

    It was all a bit too much for a young girl such as herself, just shy of her twenties. Yet, she could feel the burden weighing on her.

    Dae-Seong¡­How did you do it? Losing people¡­It''s the worst. I wish Father was still here¡­to hold me, to tell me "It''ll all be okay"...but, it''s past that now. There''s no going back, she thought.

    It was an unhealthy way sheposed herself. Amidst the despair that seemed to center around Gangcheori, she held her head high, opting to shed no tears.

    But, it''s not as shecked emotions; the contrary. Inside of her, all of those emotions spiraled, bubbling up and wanting to be released, but she kept them locked up inside of her.

    It was a problem she had long before the beginning of Armageddon; Ma-Ri felt little identity for herself. To her, she needs only a duty given to her; a goal, and she willmit to it. Due to thisck of individuality, the need to express herself had never truly urred to the girl, and when it did, she ruled it as "unnecessary."

    ¨C

    [Months Prior]

    Surrounded by the corpses of Defects, all pierces many times over as blue blood seeped onto the carpet, the young girl stood there silently.

    "You''ve been here all alone, fighting by yourself, haven''t you?"

    Standing at the doorway was a man with slicked-back, silver hair with eyes that held a simr coldness to her own.

    "--"

    "What''s your name?" He asked.

    "--"

    After not receiving an answer, he gave his own, "My name is Dae-Seong. I''ve got a small, but capable group of fellow survivors."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--"

    The young woman was silent, questioning the man''s intentions by the sharp, cold look she gave him.

    Dae-Seong looked straight at her, "I am not here to save you. You''re strong, are you not?"

    "--" She seemed surprised by his honesty.

    "I need strong people like yourself. I''m looking to save the weak, but I can see that you don''t need saving. So, I''d like to request your help instead," Dae-Seong said, extending his hand, "I can put that strength of yours to good use."

    To her, this was what she needed to hear: purpose. Simply being ''saved'' did nothing for her. However, being given a reason to continue fighting¨Cit was more than she could ask for.

    She took the callused hand extended to her, gripping it firmly.

    "Ma-Ri. That''s my name."

    Dae-Seong smiled warmly, "Thank you, Ma-Ri."

    At that moment, emotion had expressed itself in a slight parting of her lips as she witnessed that warmness from the man. Just then, she realized, this man was not like her.

    ¨C

    "...Dae-Seong¡­Why did you have to leave us? Why¡­did you have to leave me all alone?" She whispered to herself.

    Biting into thest of the bar, she felt just how tired her body was by just how taxing it was to chew the tough, nutrient-filled item.

    Sitting in his tent, Sol looked up at the fabric of his temporary ce of rest, sighing out as he rolled over, shifting continuously into different spots as he found it difficult to get into anyfortable position.

    "...Damn it," he mumbled.

    How am I supposed to rx when they''re still out there? Come on¡­Hurry up, Jeong-Hui, he thought.

    Eunji felt the same, unable to keep her eyes shut as she sat in her tent with her knees tucked closed to her chest, looking down with somber eyes.

    On the other hand, Yeong-Un passed out without fail, not wasting the opportune moment for rest.

    "Zzz¡­" Yeong-Un snored.

    While they passed the time, with Ma-Ri still refusing to get rest as she sat on the chair, watching the entrance, a certain noise began to meet each of their ears.

    A scratching sound scraped against the roof, sounding as if a sharp object was dragging along its surface.

    "--"

    "What''s that?" Sol muttered, sitting up.

    For some inexplicable reason, Ma-Ri felt a dreadful feeling spawn inside of her, prompting her to stand up, heading towards the door.

    Yeong-Un crawled halfway out of his tent before being stopped¨C

    "Stay inside your tents," shemanded.

    "...Alright, then," Yeong-Un hesitantly epted.

    She headed to the front, looking through the clear door before reaching over to the stand beside her with the intent of moving it over in front of the entrance as a blockade.

    But, before she could do that, something crashed through the ceiling harshly.

    "--!"

    She immediately hid behind the orange kayak suspended on disy, peeking past it at what had fallen through the roof.

    "Graaah¡­"

    [Reaver Demon | Level 40]

    Something of such a level was something she''d prefer not to fight if possible, and definitely not with the others around.

    It wasnky, with pitch-ck skin that seemed slick with some grimy substance, possessing thin, far-spanning winds, a pair of horns, and a white tongue that unraveled down a couple meters.

    The face of a man, the tusks of a boar, and the ws of a tiger; it was a terrifying amalgamation of violence.

    "--"

    As it began stomping around slowly, hissing as the ck grime that clung to its form dripped down onto the wooden floorboards with an acidic burn, she ducked beneath the kayak for cover.

    Luckily, the others in the tents had remainedpletely silent, which felt like a miracle considering how hot-headed a certain one among the three could be.

    ¡­Why did it fall in? Does it know we''re in here? She thought.

    It began to sniff the air, the flexing of its nostrils being audible as its nictitating eyelids revealed its zed-over eyes.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    The Reaver Demon was a good portion over two meters, and likely closer to three as it walked around slowly, smelling the air as it left a trail of acidic, ck gunk in its wake.

    Sitting in the tent, Yeong-Un had his hands near his sheathed des, watching through the fabric of his closed tent as he could sparingly see the shadow of thenky demon, slowly prowling through the store.

 Chapter 192 Tucked Away

    Eunji kept her hands over her mouth and nose to make sure her unsteady breathing wasn''t heard; sweating as the pressure of the highly-lethal demon could be felt like the weight of a mountain looming over her.

    Worst of all, Sol was frozen like a statue in his tent, looking forward at the harrowing situation that was his tent; the p was open. In the time that the demon had crashed through the ceiling, he didn''t get a chance to close it.

    Crap, crap, crap¡­! He thought.

    While he wanted to reach forward and zip it up, that was hardly an option as the sports store was dead silent, save for the noises created by the prowling hellspawn itself.

    What do I do? What do I do¡­?! He thought.

    The footsteps of the Reaver Demon were not only heard, but felt; the dreadful vibrations reverberated through the floor, felt beneath the tent he sat in as he kept his hand outstretched, but too frozen in fear to grab the zipper.

    He watched, gulping as the tall, winged demon continued to sniff around the air of the quiet sports store, rummaging through the aisles as its wings toppled racks of sporting gear.

    While it made noise in its abrasive prowl, he finally summoned enough courage to grab the zipper, beginning to slowly pull it up to minimize the sound it produced.

    Please, please, please¡­He pleaded in his head.

    A lengthy inhale from the demon was clearly heard, sniffing up the air wantingly, desperate to find what it was seeking as he continued to pull up the zipper.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    ¨CIt wasing towards his direction.

    Feeling the weight of those horrific steps marching through the store, stomping down on the wooden floorboards like muddy hooves, he frantically began to guide the zipper up now.

    Come on¡­! Come on! He thought.

    The heaviness to those steps resounded within him; each downfall of those acidic feet, stomping closer towards him made his heart beat just that much more erratically.

    Just as it crept into the section of the store filled with tents¨Cit zipped up.

    "--"

    He quietly breathed out in relief, but it was only momentary as the Reaver Demon continued prowling forward, hissing out as its thick tail with an ax-faced end swayed, whipping into the nearby shelves.

    The breathing of the onyx-skinned demon sounded like the growling of arge mutt; while it slowly stepped around, sliding its trail across the floor behind it, they each remained as silent as could be.

    It felt as if the most minuscule sound, nothing more than a breath exhaled with the slightest more volume, or a piece of the tent''s material creasing, would cause the stalking fiend tosh out immediately without recourse.

    Calm breathing, calm breathing, Sol¡­! Jeong-Hui taught you this! He thought.

    All he could do was soften his breathing to the highest degree he could, though it was difficult as the presence of the daunting demon caused his chest to tighten and his pores to ooze sweat.

    "--"

    He ced his hands over his mouth, feeling his breaths exude warmly against his fingers as he clenched his own lips in an attempt to stifle any noise from escaping.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    The footsteps, being so very near now, vibrated the tent he hid inside of, reverberating against his body like horrific drums being hit.

    Beyond the veil of the tent, he could see the outline of the demon that stalked the store''s interior; it was hunched and tall, dragging a behemoth of a tail behind its slow steps. Past its lips, its tongue slithered out, vibrating like the bell of a rattlesnake.

    Calm, calm, calm¡­! He thought.

    By now, as the demon directly passed by his tent, his thoughts had be so diluted by fear that he repeated that one word over and over again in his mind as if it did anything but provide the opposite effect.

    "--!"

    He nearly screamed against his hands as the demon''s tail slid by, brushing against the tent as its tongue continued to rattle.

    With such a noisy tongue belonging to a powerful creature, it felt like less of a warning, and more of a sound that promised certain death to any that walked in its path.

    But s, the demon passed by.

    Almost by reflex, he nearly let out a sigh before sucking that breath right back into his lungs, sealing it in.

    "Kreeee¡­"

    The demon hissed, leaning down as it seemed to sniff the fabric of the tent that Eunji was inhabiting.

    Within the tent itself, Eunji mped her mouth with both of her hands, trembling as she shut her eyes tightly out of fear.

    "--"

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    By some miraculous happening, the Reaver Demon left the tent section, moving on as it aimed for the doors.

    But, this wasn''t exactly a good thing, either. Not for Ma-Ri, who was still hiding beneath the suspended kayak.

    "--!"

    If she didn''t see the demon approaching her general direction, she could certainly feel it through the hefy vibrations emitted with each of its imposing steps.

    It didn''t have any thought to spare for the items in its path; the demon simply stomped forward, crunching paddles beneath its step and toppling racks with its far-spanning wings as its tongue continued rattling.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A difficult problem presented itself to her; a choice had to be made.

    She looked around, keeping silent as sheposed herself, though sweat lightly left her pores. There was a chance the demon could perhaps pass by her without noticing her, and it might not be a low chance at that, but it was something that was arge enough risk.

    But, if she did choose to move, she would have to be both absolutely quiet and remain out of the ck-skinned fiend''s line of sight.

    Neither of these options seemed easy, but she had to choose, and quickly.

    As it stomped closer and closer, she quietly crawled across the floor, using the rack in front to break line of sight as she moved herself as noise-free as possible.

    "--"

    Trrrr.

    The tongue of the demon, that hung low, continued rattling as it was new just a meter or two away from her as she managed to bring herself in the rack of sporting gear, hiding among the winter-suited coats just as the demon passed by.

    She maintained her breathing to such a low that one could mistake her for not even inhaling or exhaling at all, but with that icy-cool calm, she managed to hide herself from the notice of the powerful fiend.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    It let out a grumble before using its fist to m against the doors, unleashing a power shock wave from the simple thrust of its hand that blew the see-through doors straight off of their hinges.

    But, it was never that easy.

    It was a single stroke of misfortune that just before the reaver demon could step outside the bounds of the store¡ª

    "Achoo!"

    Sol sneezed out with the most harrowing sneeze heard by the other three that were hiding in the store.

    That was all it took.

    For a moment, the fiend d in abyssal skin froze in ce as they all sat in total silence.

    "¡ª"

    "Raaaaergh-!!!"

    The reaver demon spun around and unleashed a banshee-like cry as its rattling tongue shook aggressively.

    Just as it stepped forward with its onyx eyes locked in the direction of the young man who sneezed, Ma-Ri intercepted its path with a shing thrust.

    In an unorthodox disy of agility, the tall creature managed to avoid the piercing end of the radiant rapier by twisting backward.

    Crack.

    The sound of bones cracking and reshaping sounded out as the demon seemed to bend its own spine backward for evasive advantage.

    "¡ª!"

    She flipped by after barely missing, instantly going in for another attack as she thrust her rapier forward¡ª

    "Shining Typhoon!"

    A swirl of radiance surrounding the trajectory of the rapier thrust as it hurled towards the demon.

    Silently, the demon ced its palms together before snapping its wrists joints, holding its hands in an upside-down prayer.

    What is it¡­? She questioned.

    Just before the sharp end of her weapon could reach the demon, it stopped as a sphere of translucent, dark energy manifested in a shield around the reaver demon.

    She immediately withdrew after failing tond her attack.

    Though it looked like a simple barrier, the fact that she didn''t know exactly what it''s true nature was lead to her not taking any chances.

    "Cowabunga!"

    ¡ªLeaping in from the side, out of seemingly nowhere, Yeong-Un roared out with both of his des reared back.

    "Wait!"

    It was toote for her to try to stop the spiky-haired young man once he already got going.

    Yeong-Un crashed down with a massive overhead sh against the ck sphere, resulting in an impact that had no visible release.

    "Wha-?!" Yeong-Un uttered in shock.

    "Get back!" She yelled out.

    The stagnant sphere started to vibrate and hum while the multi-colored eyed young man stared down unknowingly at it.

    Just as the ck sphere released a shock wave, she dashed forward with a sh, tackling Yeong-Un away from the range of the attack.

    "...Thanks," Yeong-Un grunted.

 Chapter 193 Grin-Grin

    Just as the ck sphere released a shock wave, she dashed forward with a sh, tackling Yeong-Un away from the range of the attack.

    "...Thanks," Yeong-Un grunted.

    She was already back on her feet before Yeong-Un kicked himself up onto his feet with that seemingly boundless vigor flowing through his veins.

    "Let me handle this one," she said.

    "Huh?! Are ya'' crazy?!" He barked.

    Sol and Eunji grouped up with them as well, giving the young leader a look of concern as if agreeing with the sentiment of their loud-mouthedrade.

    She looked back at the other three, "Do you see its level? Something like that will mean death if itnds a single blow on you. I''m the only one with the appropriate level to engage it."

    "--" Yeong-Un looked displeased, but didn''t have a counterargument.

    Before any further words could be exchanged, they were all forced to dodge as a m of the reaver demon''s hand came down, crushing the floorboards below with an ear-filling boom.

    This time, she was the only one to face it, using the wall as a foothold before springing forward with a sh.

    Again, the demon disyed otherworldly reflexes as it seemed to reorganize its own spine to bend backward, avoiding the piercing strike as she flew by swiftly.

    "--!"

    She caught herself on the next wall, seamlessly flowing into another strike before the grimy demon could stand itself back up.

    While she wasunching towards it with a shing pierce, its eyes that held nothing but pure malice in their pearly form locked onto her while it was bent over backwards, watching her with its upside-down gaze.

    A chill ran up her spine as she met that gaze; though she had a clear opening on the creature, she stopped her attack midway as her instincts fired off, flipping around and bouncing back just before making contact with the demon¨C

    SWOOSH.

    ¨CHer instincts proved to be correct as the reaver demon spun itself around in an unorthodox fashion; its bones cracked as it rearranged its spine, spinning its torso around, turning its neckpletely and reversing its arms.

    Without having actually lifted itself, the demon returned to its feet through shifting its joints, repositioning its body in a grotesque fashion.

    "...What the hell is that?! It''s disgusting!" Sol called out, covering his mouth.

    "Keep it down, will ya''! Don''t distract her!" Yeong-Un reprimanded him.

    The two young men and Eunji kept themselves tucked away across the store, watching anxiously as the leader of the groupbated the high-leveled demon.

    It was a hard pill to swallow, but Ma-Ri waspletely right: they had little chance against the reaver demon themselves¨Cit would only result in them getting in the way.

    Dammit¡­Why am I so damn useless?! Yeong-Un thought.

    ¨C

    She continued using sh steps for swift attacks, making sure to never stay within reach of the tall,nky demon for but a fleeting passing of light. Still, it was easier said than done tond a hit on the overly-flexible hellspawn.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    Again, as she passed by, her rapier was no more than a strand of hair away from its light-infused tip from piercing the flesh of the unholy creature, but this time it snapped its own neck back to make sure its forehead was left untouched.

    It''s not a boss or anything like that; these sort of reflexes are abnormal. I understand it''s a high-level fiend, but¡­something like this? Not even Jun-Seo was this slippery, she thought.

    She was forced to jump back as a counterattack came in the form of a whip of the demon''s arm, flung with an sticity of rubber as it extended forwarding mere inches from making contact as she could feel the sharp wind exuded from its strength.

    "--!"

    By some miracle, she managed to avoid the surprise attack, though the whip-arm mmed into the ground, resulting in the floorboards being caved in harshly.

    ¡­Its body is unique. It can twist it around, extend it¡­it''s like a weapon of its own, she thought.

    Again, she was forced to evade a whip of its arm that elongated, stretching forward as the air cracked from the whip-strike.

    The racks in the path of its grimy arm were flung and shattered from the strength behind each strike, though it was unable to reach the swift young woman.

    "Get ''em, Ma-Ri!" Yeong-Un yelled out.

    "Umm¡­" Sol mumbled.

    "Huh? What is it?" Yeong-Un looked at the young man beside him.

    Sol pointed up to the hole in the roof, "...I think its friends are here¡­"

    Yeong-Un and Eunji both looked up as well, seeing demons smiling down from the opening in the roof¨Clooking straight at them.

    "Well, I''ll be damned¨Clooks like we''re not standin'' around today!" Yeong-Un smirked, wielding his twin des.

    "...Why do you sound happy?!" Sol shouted as he raised his spear.

    Eunji hid behind the two young men, clutching her staff close to her body as she adjusted her sses frantically, "I-I''ll support you both!"

    "Thanks!" Yeong-Un smiled.

    Jumping down from the hole crashed through the roof, a pair of smiling demonsnded down with a THUD. They didn''t possess heads, or rather, their torsos were their heads as their eyes and mouths were ced on their bodies; they were tall andnky, with burly legs but thin arms.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Grin-Grin Demon | Level 27]

    "...Creepy¡­" Sol trembled his words out.

    "Let''s get ''em!" Yeong-Un roared.

    Without any n or hesitation, Yeong-Un dashed forward, taking on one of the grinning demons as he shed both of his des forward¨CCLANG.

    "Huh¨C?" Yeong-Un let out.

    Stopping his des were metallic scales that ted the demon''s forearm, protruding from its flesh like a newyer of skin.

    "Re-he-he!" Itughed straight into his face.

    "Watch out!" Eunji warned.

    ¨CHe leapt back just before the grinning demon''s tongueshed out from its stomach-mouth, attempting to wrap around him as he flipped back,nding on his feet.

    "What the hell is this thing?! It''s gross!" Yeong-Un huffed.

    "...I don''t want to say I told you so, but I told you so!" Sol added.

    The two stood beside one another; Sol held his spear forward, and Yeong-Un raised his two spelldes.

    "I''ve got the left," Yeong-Un imed, speaking low.

    "Guess that leaves the right for me¡­I wish I didn''t have to fight either of them," Sol sighed.

    ¨C

    Amidst that fight, Ma-Ri had no opportunity to worry about herrades as her hands were full with the body-shifting reaver demon before her.

    She had to be on her feet, constantly vanishing from one spot to another as the far-stretching arms of the demon continued to whip towards her. Through its attacks, she slipped through with a sh, reeling her rapier back before thrusting it forward with a icy swirl of wind around its needle¨C

    "Winter Skewer."

    The tip of the rapier aimed itself for the torso of the demon¨Cthis was on purpose.

    It can bend its arms, legs, spine, and even its neck, but it can''t just allow its entire upper-body to vanish! She thought.

    As the icy-infused needle pierced forward, it stabbed into the ck flesh of the demon, quickly releasing ayer of ice that spread itself across the chest of the reaver demon before it retaliated.

    SLAM.

    Its whip arms came in swiftly, forcing her to leap back with a sh step before fully sinking her rapier into its body.

    This was a battle of swiftness; a contest of agility¨Cit could be settled in a single strike on both ends, but they both possessed the ability to make it difficult for their enemy tond a blow.

    SLAM. SLAM. SLAM.

    Instead of reaching out and chasing the young woman, the reaver demon stood its ground, using its stic limbs to continuously whip around a small zone around itself.

    "--" She watched cautiously.

    It''s created a "safe zone" for itself¡­anything that gets within that space will get struck. I imagine a single strike from those limbs of it will be instant-death, or something terrible at the very least, she thought.

    ¨C

    On the other end, Sol was experiencing the opposite issue:

    "Why me, why me, why me¨C!"

    He was sprinting around the store as the grinning demon chased after him, stomping through the section of the store filled with fishing equipment whileughing out with its giant, stomach-mouth.

    As he looked back, he let out another scream as he saw it less than a meter behind him, letting its massive tongue flop out as saliva trailed in the air.

    "Stay back! Stay back!" He said.

    Using his spear awkwardly like a pole, he tried jabbing the creature back while running, but it did absolutely nothing to phase the grinning demon.

    As he looked forward again, Sol let out a scream that gave off no noise¨C

    A wall.

    His avenue of cowardice was cut off as he ran straight into a wall, now being forced to spin around and face the burly-legged demon as it lunged its tongue towards him.

    "Gh!"

    Against his will, he wielded his molten-tipped spear, flipping it around as he invoked: "Cast: Burn Point!"

    The quickly-invoked spell resulted in the tip being engulfed in a me with an incredibly high temperature as steam immediately exuded from its form. As the tongue whipped towards him, he jabbed the me-enchanted spear forward, attempting to sever the ck tongue right then and there.

    "Huh?!"

 Chapter 194 Smiling Demons

    "Huh?!"

    Though he tried cutting through it, the tongue shifted direction on its own¨Cbending around to avoid the edge of his spear in an unnatural way.

    "What the¨C?!"

    Catching him by surprise this way, the tongue wrapped around his left arm, binding it with a squeezing tightness.

    "Re-he-he!" The Grin-Grin demonughed.

    Feeling the slimy rope of flesh slithering around his bicep, wriggling and squeezing, the young man let out a squeal that was anything but "masculine."

    "Let go! Let go! Let go¨C!"

    As he tried to swing his spear again to free himself, the demon moved its strong tongue to hoist him up, tossing him across the aisle.

    "Aaah-!"

    He yelled out before crashing into one of the shelves, wincing before fishing rods crashed down on top of him.

    As he groaned out, he was forced to immediately jump back to his feet as the heavy steps of the grinning demon were heard¨CSTOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

    "--Come on! Gimme a break!"

    He was forced to throw himself to the side as that vicious tongueshed out towards him again, managing to evade it as the fleshy whip crashed into the shelf.

    This is my chance! He realized.

    Sol rushed forward as the grinning demon''s tongue was seemingly stuck in the shelf, shaking it violently in an attempt to free himself, but he aimed his spear forward.

    "Cast: Haste!"

    The basic spell amplified his speed as heunched forward, using the momentum to back his strength before¨C

    "Ah."

    ¨CReeling back like a tape measure, the demon''s tongue flipped back, smacking his ankle amidst his dash as he tumbled forward.

    "Gaaah!"

    While Sol had less of an elegant start against his opponent, the young man with sharp, blue hair had his own issues to tackle with the grinning demon he faced off against.

    "C''mon!"

    Yeong-Un roared out as he flipped around the outstretched tongue, evading its slippery, floppy movements with acrobatic-like jumps.

    While he wasbatting the torso-faced demon, Eunji struggled to try and aid him as the way in which he fought was so erratic and fast-paced.

    I can''t keep up¡­! Eunji thought.

    Just as he drew in close with both of his des reared back for a strike¨Cthat tongue zipped back, splitting into five different tongue snow before springing out towards him like a cobweb of slimy flesh.

    "Ngh!"

    He halted his attack, shing at the split tongues that hurled his way like whips, though he was unable to cut through them as that same steel-like armor protruded from the tongues.

    Whatever that shit is, it''s tough! I won''t be able to cut through it with half-assed strikes! He realized.

    "Try this on, ya'' bastard! Red Whirlwind, Crimson Storm!"

    From each of his ck-and-white des, a spiral of pure-red mes birthed, roaring out as he spun himself around, unleashing a ming spiral of shes that managed to slice through the armored tongues with the heat supplementing his des'' sharpness.

    "Gyugh¨C!?" The Grin-Grin demon yelped out.

    He smirked as his blue-and-gold eyes sparkled with a fiery passion, "--Don''t like it very much, do ya''?! Too bad!"

    Without an ounce of hesitation, he carried his momentum forward¨Crunning as he continuously shed his fire-bearing des against the splitting-tongues. Embers danced in the air wildly as it looked like a storm of mes burrowing forward before finally¨C

    "Here I am!" He yelled out.

    "Kree¨C?!" The Grin-Grin demon let out a surprised noise.

    He spun around again, gathering force behind his des as he intended to cleave straight through the abnormal demon in one strike, but once again¨C

    CLANG.

    "Gh-!"

    It was that armor again¨Cthis time, it was much more thick and protective, stopping his des from bisecting the creature as it immediately grinned once again.

    "Re-he-he!"

    Shit¨C! This armor again! It can make it thicker?! He thought.

    He was forced to jump back as the armor-d tongue mmed down towards him with a heavy impact, shattering the floor below as debris propelled outward.

    "Eunji!" He yelled.

    "--I''m trying!" Eunji yelled in response.

    With the way that he fought, using acrobatic movements and rapidly hopping around and attacking, it was incredibly difficult for the support mage to assist him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though she wasn''t nning on using any offensive spells, as she had only a few and they hardly did anything, the supportive spells she nned to use in an effort to bind or momentarily stun the demon could identallynd on Yeong-Un.

    ¡­If he could just stand still for a moment¨Cno, this is my role¡­I have to find the opening myself! Eunji thought.

    It was incredibly difficult to concentrate on that. The entire store had turned into a battlefield¨Cbetween the two boys fighting the grinning demons and Ma-Ri tackling the reaver demon all on her own, the sounds of battle filled the sports store in the deathly night.

    Eunji positioned herself, drawing in a quick breath.

    I''ll do it¡­! She resolved.

    ¨C

    Still fighting in his own secluded section of the store, Sol found himself scrambling to his feet as the slithering tongue sought after him.

    "...No! No! No! Get away!"

    ¨CIt was less of a fear of pain, injury, or even death that flooded the body of the cowardly young man, but it was simply the sheer disgust of the wriggly tongue that continued to chase him down the aisle.

    Though as he rolled over, feeling fear trickling through his veins with a quake that shook his fingertips, he breathed in¨Cremembering the promises made to himself, and more harrowing memories.

    It was still so fresh in his mind: the memories of the dreadful night against the yer killing group. The death of hisrades, the icy-grip of death, and the introduction to Hell itself: these experiences reminded him of his own conviction¨C

    I can''t keep running away! I have to move forward! He thought.

    If it wasn''t for himself, he told himself that it was for hisrades¨Cjust hours away from the opening of the Tower¨Che decided to face his enemy head on.

    "Through The Wind: Sonic Blitz."

    As he summoned the will to fight, he pressed forward, feeling the swirl of mana in his body, allowing it to burn up with a vigor born of his sheer intent, igniting in the bowels of his body like an engine revving up.

    ¨CBut, just as he set off, he flinched¨Cseeing that grinning demon in front of him, everything in his body cowered away as the very idea of heading straight into the arms of that demon unsettled him.

    "Gh-!"

    Heunched forward with a burst of one-directional speed that shattered the sound barrier with a whip of the wind, scooting the surrounding shelves back.

    But, due to his own hesitance, hepletely missed the grinning fiend.

    "Kre¨C?"

    The Grin-Grin demon seemed taken aback by the imposing burst of speed¨Cstanding there for a moment, idle in the aisle with its elongated tongue stillid out across the floor before it slowly turned around with its smiling expression.

    "...Huff¡­"

    He had crashed into the boxes at the far wall,ying in them for a moment before he jumped back to his feet.

    Damn it¡­! Why am I so scared?!...I can do this! I know I can! Why am I shaking?! He questioned.

    As he questioned his own mindset, he was caught off-guard as that abnormal tongueshed out with monstrous speed, striking him with a whip-like attack. Though he tried to raise his spear, it was knocked out of his hands¨C

    The unexpected oue led him to being unable to catch his spear as the powerful whip knocked it to the ground away from him.

    "--No!"

    Crap! He thought.

    Before he could rush over to retrieve his spear, the fleshy organ lunged towards him again, forcing him to scramble away, nearly falling down as he crawled out of the path of the tongue''s strike.

    SLAM.

    It broke through the cardboard boxes behind him, tossing them around as the tongue wriggled. He sat on his rear for a moment in a panic, crawling backward as his trembling eyes darted between his spear and the grinning demon itself.

    What do I do?! He questioned.

    While his mind was flooded with indecisiveness, the grinning demon once more attacked with its weaponized tongueunching it directly towards him.

    Pressed into the corner, all of that panic somehow wound up into a dead calm as he instinctively uttered the word¨C

    "Through The Wind: Sonic Blitz."

    FWOOOM.

    The sound-piercing speed was used tounch himself directly upward as he evaded the tongue. It crashed into the wall behind him as he was now roughly ten meters high, flipping around and nting the bottom of his shoes against the roof.

    Disying some level of intellect, the grinning demon murmured as it set its sights on his spear, sliding its tongue towards the dropped weapon as it predicted he''d go for it¨C

    ¨CAgain.

    "Through The Wind; Sonic Blitz."

    To the shock of the torso-faced demon, the hazel-haired young manunched himself with that otherworldly speed, but not towards his lost spear.

    He propelled directly towards the demon.

    "Kre¨C?!" The Grin-Grin demon let out.

    Don''t think! Don''t think!--Don''t think! He repeated in his head.

    Clutching his eyes shut, heunched downward towards the demon, using the momentum gathered from his meteoricunch to use himself like a cannonball. With a heavy impact, he held his arms up before crashing against the stomach-mouth demon.

 Chapter 195 Impose Your Will

    "Kreeegh¨C!" The demon reeled.

    "Gh-!" He winced.

    The impact managed to knock the demon back, giving him ample time as he rolled over, using the momentum to return to his feet as he jumped over¨Creaching out for his spear.

    "Kreeee!" The demon yelled out in anger.

    Come on¡­! He thought.

    Lashing out towards him, that grotesque tongue hurled at him as his fingertips neared the ck handle of his weapon.

    Just in time, with the slipper organ nearing him¨Cjust inches away from touching his side, he grabbed hold of his spear, lifting it swirly into a swipe.

    "--Back off!" He yelled.

    As he repelled the tongue, having left aceration across its grotesque form, he flipped back onto his feet, wielding his spear carefully now with both hands.

    "Kreee¡­" The demon hissed.

    He gathered himself, invoking: "Cast: Reinforce: Self!"

    The self-amplification spell was a general buff to his stats¨Cincreasing his agility, strength, and defense as a momentary glow surrounded him.

    "Kreeee!" The mouth demon roared out before rushing towards him again.

    This time instead of solely relying on its tongue, it stomped in his direction with itsnky arms bearing ws and its tongue swirling itself into a drill-like shape, propelling towards him.

    "Come and get me, then!"

    ¨CThe words he spewed from his lips as he sprung forward as well were nothing short of "big talk"--they were merely words used to pump himself up as he produced enough sweat to make one think he was standing in a sauna.

    As that drill-shaped tongueunched towards him while spinning unnaturally, he concentrated his strength in preparation to counter it:

    All around his body, he flexed his muscles¨Ceach and every one¨Cswelling up to his max for a split-second at most as veins pressed against his skin; in his mind, he imaginedpressing all of that muscles and releasing it like a spring before¨C

    "Through The Wind: Cyclone of Devastation!"

    With that invocation, as he reared his orange-pointed spear back, powerful winds gathered around its end; the swirling air howled out as he stomped down and thrusted that spear forward with all of his might.

    "Ngh!"

    The impact of the intertwined tongue that attempted to bore through him shing against his wind-swirled spear created an ear-ringing "BOOM" that blew the surrounding shelves back.

    "Kreeee!" The demon yelled out in agony.

    ¨CThrough the bundled tongue, the spear pierced through the fleshy obstacle, producing its same, potent spiral of air that eviscerated the stic tongue from within. ck blood flung around the aisle along with chunks of the tongue before the spear began to slide right through its elongated form.

    He ran with his spear held forward, carving through the multimeter organ without stopping as with onest explosion of intent within him¨C

    "Through The Wind: Sonic Blitz!"

    ¨CHe exploded forward, slicing through the tongue as the grinning demon attempted to protect itself with its metallic scales, but the strength of the cyclone-bearing spear was too much.

    CRACK.

    There was no resistance against the end of the spear as itpletely broke through the armor seamlessly, stabbing right between the eyes of the stocky demon.

    "--"

    Once the spear had entered the demon, the spiraling winds shredded it from within¨Ccreating a storm of corrupted chunks of flesh that flung around before finally, the grinning demon fell.

    "...Phew¡­"

    As he withdrew his spear, having to tug it a few times to free it, he nearly fell over backward with an uncoordinated stumble.

    "...Got my one," he said.

    ¨C

    Not trying to fall behind, Yeong-Un continued his rush, swiping his des but being held at bay by the insane swarm of tongues that unleashed from the seemingly endless bowels of the grinning demon.

    "--Where the hell does it end, huh?!" He yelled out.

    There was no doubt that the grinning demon that the spiky-haired man fought was more imposing than the one Sol had battled; it wasn''t as though it possessed greater physical attributes or supernatural abilities, but it was tenfold more aggressive.

    It didn''t y around with its food; the demon continuously split its tongue into dozens of tendrils, stretching them and splitting into even more, smaller whips that formed a cage of fleshy madness around the dual swordsman.

    "Gh¨C!"

    Though to somebody as hot-headed and full of energy as him, this only felt like a direct challenge to his abilities¨Cpushing him to return the favor with even more shiness to his attacks.<novelnext></novelnext>

    SWISH. SWISH. SWISH.

    He was unleashing a dozen shes a second, engulfing his des in mes that shifted from the normal hue of orangish red, then to blue, purple, and even ck¨Cit was as if small fireworks were popping off in the sector of the store.

    With a mighty stomp down, he emitted a shock wave that stunned the tongues, lifting his des high, "Cutting Storm, Slicing Winds!"

    The dual spellde''s skill resulted in a flurry of strikes so fast that it was nearly impossible to keep track of. Its resulting was shes of wind being emitted outward, splitting all of the tongues into mincemeat as he reared his des back for one more attack¨C

    But, amidst his attack, the grinning demon rebnced itself with a hecklingughter,bining all of its tongues into one, mighty limb that shot out towards him.

    "Gh-!"

    In the position he was in, dedicated to unleashing his final blow, he wasn''t able to dodge it,but¨C

    "Cast: Stone Wall!"

    Eunji had found her opportunity, not wasting a moment to invoke the mystical invocation right then and there.

    From in front of him, a wall of stone emerged from the ground, rising just in time to defend him from the condensed tongue-st.

    "Huh¨C?"

    He was perplexed for a moment, but smirked once realizing what had been done.

    "Nice one, Eunji!" He stomped forward, "Beast yer: Vorpal Shredder!"

    With his muscles momentarily bulkening as he let air flow through each strand of his muscle fiber, he unleashed a sh of his des that resulted in an unseen effect.

    "Geh-?" The Grin-Grin demon let out, unknowing of what just happened.

    SQUELCH.

    All at once, the space-bypassing shes cut through the demon from the inside-out, releasing an explosion from within its body as it was turned into mincemeat.

    "Boo-yah," he smiled.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, the neck-and-neck battle of speed continued between the leader and the reaver demon.

    As the demon continued whipping its stic limbs around in a circr zone to prevent her froming closer, she encircled it¨Clooking for an opening. It was easier said than done to find such a gap, though¨Cthe arms bent like noodles, though packed with such devastating force in their path that the air vibrated and the material flow cracked.

    ¡­One misstep, and something like that will deal heavy damage, she thought.

    She attempted a faint¨Cgoing in for a pierce, but stepping back just before getting into range of the swirl of arms.

    SWOOSH.

    "--!"

    ¨CIt was as she had hoped: the demon took the bait¨Cstopping its unending swirl of whips as itshed out towards her.

    With a swift sidestep, she evaded the whip-strike, dashing in with a shing speed, rearing her rapier back and jutting it forward as it pierced through the air.

    "March of Light."

    The skill unleashed itself in a form of instantaneous bursts of light, causing the demon to halt its strategy and stumble back as the shes of luminescence approached it.

    It wasn''t a set of radiant spells seeking it out, but the young woman moving with such ludicrous speed that to the eyes of the reaver demon, it looked as if sparkles of light were closing in on its position.

    The assault met its climax as she blitzed by, unleashing a hundred thrusts of her rapier as the light giving off of its steel sizzled the air and the dreadful flesh of the demon.

    "Reeegh¨C!"

    The light-infused rapier peeled through the demon, scorching its flesh as the radiance scraped its flesh off, melting it away with the swift, but destructive blows.

    It attempted to fight back, but once it had finally being caught by the shining end of her rapier, its actual body didn''t hold up well to an unrelenting flurry; its arms were pierced through as it tried to counter, leaving it meeting its fate as she drew her weapon back once more:

    "Brave Shine!"

    The skill set off in a zig-zag sh forward, catching the demon on her rapier like a kebab¨Cusing the torrent of light to disintegrate it fully before stopping. The light carved around, cleaving through the tough exterior of the fiend, piercing it and scooping its flesh.

    "--"

    On the floor, all that was left was a charred husk of the once tall, imposing demon, exuding steam off of its burned away form while she stood over it, catching her breath. Somehow, the attack worked to its full effect, though she was wary of it for a moment.

    After such a close fight, it felt as if it would jump back up at any moment. But, fortunately, that was the end of the demonic fiend.

 Chapter 196 What Looms In The Skies

    "What¡­is that?"

    Lifting his arm weakly, Xiaodan pointed up towards the hazy sky with his questioning words leaving quietly.

    The two men looked up as well, catching a glimpse of something in the distance.

    It was difficult to make out at first, but it seemed to be a figure riding upon a red horse, traversing the skies as the equine bore far-stretching, majestic wings.

    "Lay it to ash, my steed! Our war is just beginning!"

    Booming from the skies, the rough voice of the one who rode upon the back of the airborne steed held a sword up high,manding bolts of crimson lightning to strike the city below, terrorizing the tall-standing structure.

    The wind howled as the red horse bearing a zing mane galloped across the sky with the zealous man raising his sword high, roaring out his signals of battle.

    [Identified: "War" | Level 140]

    They all noticed the indomitable level of the mystical foe who rode through the skies, leaving destruction in his path.

    As the horseman rode in a circle just below the crimson clouds, "War" steered directly in their direction suddenly.

    "Quick¡­!" Korain said, tugging on his sleeve.

    He was pulled into the alleyway with Xiaodan on his back as Korain clenched his teeth, clinging to the wall beside him.

    Just then, the one named "War" rode through the sky above them, roaring out a war-cry as he unleashed destruction on the street; ripping up the asphalt with strands of lightning.

    It seemed as if all were enemies of the golden-skinned man dressed in nothing but a simple cloth on his crotch, who while on horseback struck down one of the Tarnished Colossals with a swing of his divine de.

    "You dare obstruct my path of war?! This is God''s Will; thends, the people, the riches, and the authority¨Csuch things belong to the strongest; the victor of war!"

    The golden-skinned man with flowing, dark-red locks spouted out with his mighty, heavenly voice as his sword strike caused a massive sh of mes to cut through the colossus with utter impunity.

    As the colossus fell backward slowly, the air vibrated in the path of its massive weight before it crashed down, sending an ear-filling "BOOM" across the town as well as a powerful tremor that momentarily shook the streets.

    "...Just who the hell is that¡­?" Korain questioned.

    "Level one-hundred-forty?...Isn''t that way too high?" Xiaodan asked.

    While the two were utterly bewildered by the wild presence of the one named "War", who tore through the city, he remembered his encounter previously with the gue-bearing entity.

    ¡­Pestilence, War¡­is this? He realized.

    "''The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse''," he muttered.

    [Correct. It seems this is the final assaultunched by the Creator before the Tower opens. The Four Horsemen are unbeatable in your current state. This is not an obstacle meant to be faced head-on.]

    The Sage System spoke to him personally as he waited a moment.

    Korain and Xiaodan caught onto his words,ing to that same understanding now, which could be the only exnation of such a unique entity.

    "I was starting to think it was that, but damn¡­This world really is over, isn''t it?" Korain said.

    "With levels that high¡­How are we expected to fight back?" Xiaodan asked.

    He replied, "We aren''t. This isn''t called the ''Final Culling'' for nothing¡­We tuck our tails between our legs and run."

    Still, it was easier said than done to do even that with the impossibly powerful figure riding above, patrolling andying destruction across the city.

    "This world is my eternal battlefield! Let it be plundered, let it be asunder!" War roared out beforeughing out boisterously.

    As they waited in the shadows of the alley, watching the entric horseman sail the skies, he looked back at Xiaodan.

    "...Are you able to walk yet?" He asked.

    "I think so¡­let me try," Xiaodan answered.

    Getting off of his back, the silver-haired boy stumbled a bit, but was able to stand.

    "I guess I can," Xiaodan said in surprise.

    "That''s great," he nodded with a small smile.

    While the two were focused on that, he looked back once hearing the jiggle of a door knob, seeing Korain testing one of the handles to the alleyway door.

    It opened.

    "Bingo," Korain smirked, "Come on. If we''re going to move, it''d be best to stay out of sight the best we can from that guy."

    "Right. Good thinking," he nodded.

    Entering the building, it was used merely as cover for their expedition towards the Tower and reuniting with the others.

    While moving through the clothing store, the building rumbled as the sound of the fiery-maned horse traversing the skies directly above could be heard.

    "Aha-ha! Tremble in the face of utter destion! War lives on! Even if humanity shall die out, war is eternal!" War called out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    BOOM.

    A strike of crimson lightning struck the street closeby, causing a scarlet sh to blind them momentarily as they stopped, staying quiet.

    "One problem gone, and another appears¡­" Xiaodan mumbled.

    "That''s just life for ya," Korain responded.

    As soon as it seemed they were clear of War, they quickly left the building, moving across the street and into the next alleyway.

    Though it hardly held any benefit to do so, he looked up to the sky, watching the apocalyptic horseman zipping through the sky with speed that pierced through the sound barrier, razing the ground below whileughing out with enough volume to match the thunderous impacts he spurred.

    We definitely can''t be seen by him. If he catches onto us¨Cit''s over. Korain and Xiaodan can''t even fight as is, he thought.

    "How far out are we?" Xiaodan asked.

    "...At this pace? I''d say we''re a couple hours out from the Tower," Korain answered, leading them forward.

    Xiaodan walked in the middle, leaving him watching their nk while traversing the maze of alleyways in an effort to avoid being seen at all by the destructive, war-lusted deity of the skies.

    "Do you think the others already made it there?" He asked.

    Korain nced back, "Yeah. So it''s up to us now not to be left behind, right?"

    "Right," he nodded.

    Vrmmmm.

    While they were moving together through the cramped, rancid alley, a familiar, but unwee hum filled their ears.

    "Shit¡­!" Korain let out.

    Up above, one of the Tarnished Colossals loomed over them, appearing through a coalescence of ash that clung to the air. There was no doubt about it to him now: the skyscraper-sized beings were definitely able to vanish and reappear, undoing the vital w of their sluggish bodies.

    "...Does it see us?" Xiaodan questioned, gulping.

    The three fellpletely still, hoping the shadows of the narrow passageway of the alley were enough for the mighty entity not to see them below.

    "Better start praying that it doesn''t," Korain replied quietly, looking up as well.

    Around them, the walls quivered from the weight of the mountainous colossus while the winds whispered sharply of its overwhelming form, humming in the presence of the building-ttening giant.

    Vrrrrrm.

    The faceless head turned down, aiming directly at the three stragglers in the alley as the azure mes that perpetually clung to its ck flesh began to howl.

    He could feel the back of his throat grow hot, tightening with blood-chilling before he tightening his grip on his weapons, one moment from making a futile decision before¨C

    "You dare trample thend under my jurisdiction?! Fowl demon! I shall bestow upon you the taste of my brethren''s authority¨Cdeath!"

    Sailing across the sky as the winds parted and whistled in the wake of the speedy, majestic rider, War swooped past the colossus, leaving a ming sh that lobbed its massive arm right off.

    To their luck, the force of the sh had flung the arm to another block, though the impact deafened him by the brutal explosion that resulted.

    "Aha-ha-ha! All of that size, yet youck haste!"

    Steering around toe back in for another attack, the golden-skinned horseman boomed withughter as the colossus turned to attempt a massive sweep of his arm against the fiery-haired personification of war.

    "Slow! Slow! Slow!"

    Evading the towering limbunched towards him, the horseman encircled it swiftly in a swirling maneuver before the majestic horse propelled forward with further speed.

    With a sh that sent an arc of mes cascading through the ashen sky, War beheaded the colossus, killing it wlessly as if handling a tantrum-throwing child.

    "...Did we¡­get saved?" Xiaodan asked.

    "It''s a damn miracle," Korain breathed out, having held his breath the entire time.

    Somehow, they were saved by the war-lusted entity.

    "Hold on¡­" He said quietly.

    Though, that thought was fleeting.

    Something sorge, felled by just two sword strikes, had toe down naturally. It was directly above them, with its fallen limb having already fallen a block away.

    "Oh, shit¡­!" Korain let out.

    It wasing down directly over them; the corpse of the tower-sized colossus, slowly descending upon the three.

    "Can you cut it, or something?!" Xiaodan asked.

    "Something that big?...I don''t think so, but I''ll try!" Korain said, rearing his ymore back in preparation.

 Chapter 197 Alone And Ready

    At the same time, he drew his fist back, focusing a lofty amount of magical pressure around his knuckles, "--I''ll handle this! Just get ready to handle the chunks!"

    "The chunks¡­?" Korain looked at him.

    Before he could get an answer, a massive swirl of magical energy emitted from the young man''s fist as he waited for the perfect moment before leaping off of the alleyway walls, jumping up to meet the falling corpse in midair.

    "King Fist!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 800/3700]

    It was a shy maneuver, but fortunately, War had long since flown away in his destructive endeavors, leaving him to freely unleash his most powerful blow:

    As his fist was thrust forward, being engulfed in a swirl of light with royal, azure strands of iridescence trailing from his knuckles, it shed directly against the defenseless abdomen of the colossal corpse.

    Against a sack of meat and bones that was unable to defend itself, the potency of his blow manifested itself fully in an impact that emitted an explosive force, blowing a massive hole straight through the stomach of the colossus.

    Falling back down, steam exuded from his right fist as the aftermath of the impact left not just the gaping hole in the corpse, but damage done to most of its body.

    "Go, Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan said in disbelief.

    "Nicely done, kid," Korain muttered before squinting, "Ah¡­so that''s what he meant by the ''chunks''."

    From up above, the entrails and fleshy bits of the deceased colossus rained down on them, prompting Korain to begin swinging his sword to handle the big, dangerous boulders of bone and flesh from crushing them.

    "Ngh¡­!" Korain focused.

    "Gross, gross, gross¡­!" Xiaodan put his hands on his head, ducking away from the storm of blood.

    As hended back down, he huffed, holding his steaming fist before drawing his daggers and aiding the ymore-wielding man in handling the grotesque hail.

    "Remind me to never let you take the lead on things!" Korain said jokingly.

    "We''re alive, aren''t we?!" He replied, swiping through a rib the size of a bus.

    The remnants of the colossus'' corpse meteored the surrounding block, crushing other buildings as fragments of bones were like cannonballs, crashing into buildings as if a war hadmenced on the abandoned cityscape.

    By the time they were done, the alleyway they stood in was caked in blood and ivory fragments.

    "Phew¡­" He breathed out.

    "...Well, we are alive, I guess, so¡­" Korain said, looking at him, "Not bad."

    Moving through the city, etching themselves closer and closer to the Tower while staying beneath the radar of War, something came to obstruct their path:

    As if out of medieval society, walls of steel, wood, or whatever seemed to be on hand were erected with sharp ends. Sitting on those spikes were the heads of people. Some seemed in the process of decaying, but some looked fresh. Fortunately, none were of theirrades.

    "Gkk¡­!"

    The sight of it immediately made Xiaodan gag, who promptly covered his mouth.

    Korain was disgusted as well, but remainedposed, "...What the hell is this?"

    He was left without words as the rotten stench hit the back of his throat like something pulled straight out of Hell itself.

    "Do you think people did this?" He asked quietly.

    "Well, who else would?" Korain replied.

    He looked at the heads disyed on the spikes for another moment, "...Demons."

    "--"

    It seemed Korain had forgotten that such creatures once thought to be fairytales now walked the world.

    "...Is there any way around?" Xiaodan asked, still holding his mouth.

    "Doesn''t look to be¨Cunless we want to wrappletely around, but look¡­" Korain nudged in the direction he was talking about.

    In the distance at their west and east, Tarnished Colossals marched inrge numbers, almost acting like a wall that secured the broad area around the Tower''s location. Beyond that, War was still sailing the skies, attacking the colossals and whatever seemed to catch his eye.

    "If we''re going to head through this way, let me scope it out first," he said, holding his daggers.

    Korain looked at him for a moment, "Alright, then. Try not to die, will you?"

    "Like you''re one to talk," he replied.

    The walls were certainly tall,cking any refinement with the barbaric disys of human heads and what looked to be entrails, strewn across the surface.

    Using his inherent nimbleness, he scaled the wall silently with his featweighted steps, peeking over it beforemitting to hopping its height.

    ¡­Bingo, he thought.

    Stationed around the streets beyond the grotesque wall were pig-faced demons, dressed in obsidian armor. The streets were painted in blood, with a mountain of corpses sitting in the intersection in the near distance.

    He looked back at his twopanions, who waited, "...I''m going to clear our path."

    "Be careful," Xiaodan said worriedly.

    All he did was nod before quietly hopping the fence, quickly casting an assassin-ss spell: "Cast: Conceal."<novelnext></novelnext>

    With Sage Period, the ability was free of cost; he turned nigh-invisible, unseen and unheard as he began stalking the demon-governed neighborhood.

    First was one of the snout-nosed, red-skinned demons that guard the south wall which he had jumped over, who was luckily snoozing away as he would''ve likely noticed him at first.

    [Enemy Identified: "Demon Swine" | Level 23]

    As he moved closer, he moved quietly and methodically, slowly sinking his dagger into the throat of the pig-man demon.

    "Rr¨C"

    Before it could squeal, he covered its mouth with his other hand, snuffing out its cries before pulling his dagger out. A heaping amount of ck blood poured out from the lethal wound as the demon quickly passed.

    [EXP + 500 | 13500/15000]

    Previously, [Conceal] would be nullified by anybative actions taken, but with a higher assassin proficiency, he could take such actions, as long as they were slow and subtle.

    Moving on, he set his sights on the next demon, who was fiddling with the blood-stained jacket of a in human.

    "--"

    From behind, he slid his dagger across its neck with a deep, but swift cut that left no room for the pig-faced demon to make any noise before it fell forward. Before it could fall with a heavy thud, he grabbed it by the back of its armor, allowing it to quietly drop onto the ground.

    [EXP +500 | 14000/15000]

    It was difficult for him to remainpletely silent, in that the repugnant stench that filled the streets made him want to gag.

    Still, he held it together as he approached the two demons that were stationed at the end of the corner. The two pig-faced, weapon-wielding fiends were conversing in an unintelligible tongue.

    "¡ª"

    "¡ª¡ª"

    Thenguage used sounded like gargles and aggressive spitting, making for a tongue as violent as the ones speaking it.

    Handling two at once while remaining concealed was tricky, but he carefully flipped his daggers around before moving in.

    Even standing just a couple meters from them now, the crimson-eyes demonfolk couldn''t discern his presence.

    "¡ª"

    Just standing near them, the deathly stench burned his nose and singed the back of his throat with the putrid stench oozing off of them.

    They were disgusting creatures, no doubt; they drooled over themselves with unwashed skin stained with blood not of their own.

    Without waiting any further, he stabbed each dagger into the skulls of the pig demons.

    [EXP +1000]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached level 26]

    [Spirit (3800/3800) and Health (3500/3500) fully restored]

    [Skill Point(s) Avable: 2]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +2 | 43/9999]

    Though his mind hardly registered the level up as he carefully made sure the bodies dropped to the concrete with as little sound as possible.

    Looking forward, he could see many more of the demon swine marching through the crimson-painted street.

    A dozen? Maybe more, he thought.

    As he checked behind, he knew that if the marching demons caught sight of their fallen kin, it could stir up some trouble.

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

    Heavy, powerful stomps met his ears as he nced around the corner again, seeing a massive variation of a demon swine that was riding in a rusty pnquin that was being carried by six of the pig-faced fiends dressed in full armor.

    The transportation traditionally used for royalty was twisted, bearing the heads of humans on the top of its spiky pirs.

    Sitting on the bed atop the pnquin was therge demon swine, dwarfing the ones that carried it a few times over. It wore a crown made of bone, still stuck with strands of flesh as it held a disembodied human leg in its hand, eating it with its gluttonous, bulbous form.

    [Enemy Identified: "Swine King" | Level 29]

    While the sight of it disgusted him and drove some anger through his veins, he maintained his cool while watching within his concealment.

    I have to clear this ce out quickly. Korain is still losing blood¡­I don''t have much time to work with here, he thought.

    While hugging the wall, he walked along the main street of the demon swine camp, keeping quiet as his nigh-invisible form seemed to work while the Swine King passed by.

    "--"

    He was scoping the entire camp, making sure that if he did engage in battle, there weren''t any unounted for factors to catch him by surprise.

    All it takes is one clean blow. One blow and your time will be over. It works both ways, though. In a cruel world like this, one who has the element of surprise has the true advantage, he thought.

 Chapter 198 The Pig Demons

    As he walked along the bloodied, corpse-filled street, he quietly slit the throat of another pig-man that was secluded, sitting by a store entrance.

    It was a quick sh, unleashing without stopping in his march forward.

    [EXP + 500 | 500/18000]

    Hearing a bellowing, wetugh from behind, he looked back to see the Swine Kingughing at something, not facing his direction.

    "--"

    His eyes widened as he saw whatid at the eastward end of the swine camp: humans left in cages, beaten and malnourished.

    The Swine King pointed to a young man sitting in the cage, who immediately screamed out a bloodcurdling cry as the lesser swine demons followed his order, opening the cage and dragging the sickly man outside of its metal bounds.

    "Ge-he-he¡­" The Swine Kingughed wickedly.

    With his grubby hands, the gluttonous, snout-nosed demon reached down and grabbed the full-grown adolescent, fitting his grip around the waist of the human as he pulled him up.

    "No¡­Please, no! Somebody please!" The man screamed out.

    As he took a step forward with the intention of going in to save the man from the swine''s hold, he stopped himself.

    "--"

    I can''t. I''m putting myself in danger if I attack wildly now. It''s not just my own life¨Cif I fall, Korain and Xiaodan will follow. Can I take a risk like that?...Jeong-Hui, think, he told himself.

    Standing there while concealed in his stealthy spell, he closed his eyes, opting not to look as the man continued to scream out.

    "...Please! Please¡­! No!"

    Opening his maw, strands of saliva and gunk were on disy from the Swine King''s mouth as he brought the human in closer before closing his jaws once again on the top half of the man.

    Chomp.

    It was a disgusting sound; flesh being squelched and torn, bones being crunches, and those screams being snuffed out in an instant.

    "--"

    He wanted to gag; the sounds of a monstrous fiend consuming a human wasn''t something he was inexperienced in hearing.

    ¡­I''m sorry, he thought.

    Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

    The Swine King chewed the hefty bite he had taken out of the man before grabbing each leg of the half-eaten body¨Cspreading his arms as in a disgusting fashion, with no respect for humanity, the royal swine tore the corpse in two.

    "...Feast¡­" The Swine King said in a twisted, bellowing voice.

    Spilling down below, the entrails poured onto the ground as the retainers of the Swine King ravenously began consuming the fresh meat before he also chucked one of the halves down for the swine soldiers.

    The sound of the guts spilling onto the asphalt, mixed with the inelegant feasting of the swine demons, challenged hisposure before he began to move closer.

    While they were busy eating, he had a clear nk on the caravan of the Swine King, gripping his daggers tightly as he sat his sights on the guards that were stationed around the street.

    As he looked up, he could see crossbow-wielding swine watching from above, as well.

    Didn''t see those before. They''ll go first, he thought.

    With an instantaneous step, he jumped up before sprinting up the side of the building, climbing to the roof within moments. The swift movement caused his [Concealment] to wear off, but it was toote for the ranged swine to do anything anyway.

    "Ree¨C!"

    Just as the snout-nosed mean-eater raised his crossbow, a dagger flew straight between his eyes.

    [EXP + 500 | 1000/18000]

    Before it could fall forward lifelessly, he dashed by it, retrieving his thrown dagger before swiftly running forward and leaping to the next building with a [Blink Step] breaking the distance.

    With his surprise assault, the crossbowman on the neighboring building didn''t even register his presence before its throat was already slit with a ruthless slice of his dagger. He kept his eyes on the Swine King caravan below.

    [EXP + 500 | 1500/18000]

    He could see the malnourished people trapped in the cages below, shaking, crying, and watching in horror as the merciless swine consumed the man.

    ¡­Just wait a bit longer, he thought.

    As he looked up, he saw another guard stationed on the rooftop across the one he stood on. At the same time, that crossbow-wielding swine seemed to notice him as well as it lifted its flesh-formed weapon, aiming it at him.

    "Ree¨C!"

    "--!"

    He had to act quickly; there were mere moments given to him to take out that guard before it would inevitably alert the rest of the camp of his presence.

    With a [Blink Step], he flung himself forward, though he only managed to cover half the distance between the buildings, and now he had no foothold.

    Directly below him was the Swine King and his retainers, surrounded by the grotesquely decorated buildings.

    Chnk.

    The crossbow fired, sailing towards him with a ming enchantment that guided the projectile forward through the repugnant winds.

    "Cast: Radiant Shield."<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Spirit: -50 | 3750/3800]

    With the golden shield coalescing from radiant particles, swaying through the wind, he had manifested the small, round barrier, but not to defend against the crossbolt.

    "--"

    In a nimble movement, hended just a single boot upon the shield conjured beneath him amidst the dark winds, using it as a foothold to enable another [Blink Step] as he vanished forward just before the bolt could strike.

    "Regh¨C?"

    The Swine let out in confusion before the vermilion-haired, hooded human reappeared in front of it, apanied by a wide sh that had cleanly sliced the demon''s head away from its broad shoulders.

    [EXP + 500 | 1500/18000]

    "Reeeegh-!!!"

    Unnoticed by him was a small swine demon, who was sitting on the building to the left of the one he was just standing on.

    As he looked over in surprise from hearing the squeal, he noticed the dwarf swine holding a war-horn in its hands.

    Oh, no! He thought.

    Brmmmmmmm.

    ¨CIt sounded off, filling the swine camp with its loud, overbearing tune as the eyes of all of the swine now looked up towards the sound.

    The Swine King looked right at him, roaring out as he pointed his brain-shaped staff towards him.

    "...Get¡­human¡­!" The Swine King ordered with his rough voice.

    Themand brought the gaze of the man-eating retainers up, drawing the unseen swine demons that were inside of the buildings, and the stationed guards, all to him.

    It wasn''t just the swine; the imprisoned people looked up, though they held little hope for him.

    Shit! He thought.

    There were more than he expected, leaving him to act quickly as his new priority was to regroup with his twopanions waiting behind¨C

    As he sprinted forth, leaping off of the buildings and aiming to go down the street he came in from¨C

    Vrrrrrr.

    He looked up to see a hexagonal barrier forged of ck, gunk-like magecraft manifest around the camp, enclosing around it and blocking off his escape route. Attempting to leave, he bashed his shoulder against the ck barrier, but it didn''t budge¨Cin fact, it repelled him, knocking him back a few feet as he was left agasp.

    "What¡­?" He said.

    Looking back, he saw what was responsible for the entrapping magecraft: a cloaked, staff wielding swine that was guarded by heavy, broad soldiers.

    ¡­This is bad, he thought.

    From all sides, there were enemies; some running towards him with unrefined weapons held high, some readying their crossbows, and now some preparing spells to fling at him.

    With so many targets, he set his sights on one first and foremost: the barrier mage.

    That one needs to go first, he thought.

    Springing forward, he swept across the street with his heightened agility, attempting to cleanly take off the mage''s head in one fell swoop before¨C

    CLINK

    His daggers were halted by the tall, full-armored swine that used its studded club as a shield.

    SWOOSH

    Before he could back away and attempt another attack, two crossbow bolts sailed towards him from his left and right,ing in simultaneously.

    Leaning his head back, he watched the first projectile carve through the wind, mere inches from his nose, and pivoting around, he avoided the next one from embedding into his shoulder.

    "--"

    Using his momentum, he spun around, gathering force into a spinning kickunched directly against the club-wielding brute in front of him.

    DUNK.

    Despite the figure being d in heavy armor, his kick still produced enough force to knock him back as he instantly sprung forward in an attempt to take out the barrier mage.

    "Grgan!"

    The mage spouted his unintelligible tongue, waving his staff around as hellish magecraft was invoked.

    "--!"

    Before he could reach the mage, ming chains shot out from the asphalt, attempting to bind him as he jumped back, dodging the fiery steel as it followed him.

    "Dark Edge."

    Deflecting the chains with his shadowy daggers, he darted his eyes around to find a group of the swine now surrounding him, waving their weapons around as they charged in.

    A unique form of blood magic took form around the brutish swines'' weapons, shrouding their cleavers and greatswords in vtile blood.

    One, two, three, four, five¡­Alright, he thought.

 Chapter 199 The Swine King

    Calmly counting the foes that surrounded himpletely, he flipped his grip of his daggers into reverse.

    mming down towards him, one of the crimson-enchanted des neared his head. Another sailed towards his back. These attacks came from the slobbering swine men in which he held no mercy for.

    He watched with his vastly enhanced perception,posed and unflinching.

    "ck Ripper."

    [Spirit: -200 | 3550/3800]

    Stretching out in a sh of ck, sharp stratifications of wind howled out briefly.

    A rain of onyx blood came in the next moment; the string of instantaneous shes eviscerated the brutes, leaving gashes on their necks and shes splitting through their skulls.

    Only one of the five immediate swine managed to survive the lethal-intended shes, but not for long as he dashed past it, quickly stabbing his dagger into the side of its head and withdrawing it in a seamless movement.

    [EXP + 2500 | 4000/18000]

    More crossbow bolts came at him from various directions while he ran forward, flipping with a swift jump to avoid the sharp projectiles as he continued sprinting without stopping, looking straight at the mage.

    This time, the snout-nosed, cloaked mage seemed caught off-guard by the viciousness of the human assassin, stumbling back.

    Yeah, I''ming for you, he thought.

    The fully-armored guards returned to guard the mage, but this time he closed the distance with a [Blink Step], sliding across the asphalt as he wlessly ducked beneath the swing of the massive club.

    "Void Shift."

    Thrusting his dagger up from below, it phased right through the abyssal armor of the pig demon, stabbing into its stomach.

    "Grrk-!"

    From behind its dark helm, the armored swine spit out blood as the vermilion-haired assassin jumped up, dragging his dagger upward as it split open the belly of the swine, leaving it falling forward without fail.

    [EXP + 1000 | 5000/18000]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +2 | 45/9999]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: Misdirection]

    Before the other two heavily-armored swine could reach him with their clubs, he flipped back before their massive weapons mmed into the asphalt, cracking and breaking it.

    "Gh¨C!"

    Catching him by surprise while he was focused on dodging those in front of him, a crossbow bolt lodged itself into the back of his right shoulder.

    [Health -500 | 3000/3500]

    ncing back, he could see the crossbow-wielding swine several dozen meters behind, standing on a tform.

    He momentairy disengaged from the heavy soldiers that guard the barrier mage, but left them with something else as he jumped back:

    "Cast: Poison Cloud!"

    [Spirit -300 | 3250/3800]

    The cloud of powerful toxins exuded from his outstretched palm, creating a zone of lethal air as he sprinted back, setting his emerald eyes on the ranged swine.

    "Get¡­him!"

    Ordering again, the Swine King who sat idly on his cushioned throne, upheld by his retainers, spit out his order angrily.

    The heavyset soldiers were caught in the noxious cloud, coughing up and backing away from its range, giving him an ample opportunity to vanish over to the swine who shot him.

    "Regh!"

    "Shut it," he quietly said in annoyance.

    With a strike of his dagger, he sliced through the weapon itself, cutting in two as the pig-faced demon drew a shortsword from its belt.

    "Regh! Regh-!"

    Swinging it wildly, the swine swiped its de without any form, only relying on its brawny, tall build to supplement strength for skill.

    He easily weaved through the strikes, ncing to the side to see more swineing his way as he spun around, kicking the ankle of the swine.

    The powerful low-blow caused the man-eating fiend to trip over, falling straight into his dagger as he pierced its heart, plucking his de from its body as he prepared for the cavalry.

    [EXP + 500 | 5500/18000]

    "Ngh¡­"

    He winced, feeling the crossbow still in his shoulder as he reached back, tightly gripping onto the ck-steel rod as he breathed in.

    "--!"

    Clenching his teeth, he pulled out the bolt in one tug, though he ended up letting out a pained groan.

    As he tossed the bloodied bolt to the ground, he realized it was forged in such a way that pulling it out caused even more damage, as the head of the bolt had jagged ends.

    [Health: -500 | 2500/3500]

    Before the bleeding could continue, he clenched his teeth again and flexed his shoulder muscles, stifling the bleeding, but still suffering the damage done as the swine were now just moments away from reaching him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he ducked under the wide-sweep of the cleaver-like ymore wielded by the snout-nosed fiend, he nearly fell to a knee as his legs wobbled a bit.

    Huh? He thought.

    Regaining his footing, he was forced to fall and roll over to the side as a m of a warhammer crashed down from another swine, caving in the concrete where he just stood.

    Something''s not right with my body, he thought.

    He jumped back up to his feet, having to concentrate just to not trip over his own legs as he moved backward to create some distance between himself and the two fiends.

    [There has been poison detected in your body.]

    The Sage System informed him of this, which didn''t seem surprising now that he was given this information.

    [It''s not lethal. It seems to be meant to confuse their targets for a ''game'' of hunt.]

    Even if it wasn''t lethal, it was indirectly as meddling with the functions of his body made him that much more susceptible to the enemies'' attacks.

    Adjust my senses to the poisons'' effect, hemanded the Sage System by thought.

    [Calibrating your senses to adjust to the injection. It is advised to take out these demons as quickly as possible.]

    "I know," he muttered.

    Using his System to counteract the shift in his motor functions, he spun around,unching a sharp kick to the head of one of the swine while blocking an iing sword strike from the one behind him, stopping it with his dagger.

    While holding the butcher sword back with one dagger, looking forward at the swine he had just kicked, he held his hand out:

    "Cast: Poison Cloud!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 2950/3800]

    The noxious plume of verdant essence expanded around him, taking hold of the two swine as they began hacking up blood, seeping mucus, saliva, and ck from their lips.

    While they werepromised by the poison, and he wasn''t, he mercilessly cut their throats and left the cloud of toxin, setting his sights on the barrier mage once again.

    [EXP + 1000 | 6500/18000]

    [Venomancy Proficiency: +1 | 2/100]

    It was a new proficiency shown to him through the personal prompt that sat around his vision.

    [Venomancy revolves around the use of venom and poison. As you grow more proficient with it, the potency of your craft in using such concepts will improve, and you will obtain more spells pertaining to Venomancy.]

    After obtaining the exnation from his System, he was already sprinting towards the mage desperately, holding his daggers up.

    ¡­I have to hurry! This is taking too long! Korain and Xiaodan don''t have time for this! He thought.

    As he moved as swift as a bullet from a chamber, the aggressive speed took the warlock by surprise as he waved his staff around, attempting to conjure up a ming spell before¨C

    I don''t have time for you, he thought.

    shing by, he cut straight through the warlock''s neck, causing a pressurized spray of blood before the barrier-crafting entity fell down.

    [EXP +700 | 7200/18000]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +1 | 46/9999]

    Just then, the hexagonal dome of ck mysticism crumbled away, falling apart into ck particles that were carried off by the wind.

    On both of his sides, the fully-armored swine that protected the warlock had juste to, still affected by the noxious fumes.

    Before their clubs could reach him, he vanished from their sigh, moving away and sprinting directly towards the Swine King himself now.

    ¡­This one needs to go. I have a bad feeling about him, he thought.

    Before he could even properly approach the oversized, gluttonous swine that sat on his cushioned throne of discarded metal, an ivory spike resembling a sharp rib protruding from the ground in front of him.

    It nearly hooked his chin, reaching several meters high as he barely managed to flip backwards to avoid it.

    "...Stupid¡­human¡­tasty¡­" The Swine King slobbered.

    In the blood-soaked, warty hands of the swine royal, the brain-shaped staff he held glowed after being waved around.

    That was his doing? He thought.

    Coming up again, a half dozen of the gigantified ribs rose harshly from the ground in an attempt to skewer him as he jumped around to avoid them.

    As he was in the air, he looked over to see the mystical staff held in the man-eating Swine King''s hands glow again.

    "...Meat¡­!"

    Scarlet spores manifested like pollen fallen from trees, dancing in the air around him as he nced around, unknowing of their tree nature.

    They were plentiful, making it difficult to avoid the many spores while also evading the ivory spikes that curled upward toward each step he took.

    While leaping back, his hand identally brushed by one of the red spores¨C

    "--!"

    It expanded instantaneously into a fleshy substance, bearing spikes that extended in every direction.

 Chapter 200 Ambush?

    While leaping back, his hand identally brushed by one of the red spores¨C

    "--!"

    It expanded instantaneously into a fleshy substance, bearing spikes that extended in every direction.

    But, from the perspective of the Swine King, when the fleshy spikes should''ve skewered the young man many times over, the ck-uniformed assassin simply vanished from his sight.

    "...Human¡­gone?" The Swine King grumbled.

    Suddenly, he reappeared directly in front of the Swine King,nding on his upheld seat that was carried by the swine retainers.

    "Regh-?!" The Swine King looked down in surprise.

    [Misdirection]

    The newly acquired assassin-ss ability required no spirit, but certain conditions had to be met: the attention of his enemy had to be fully on him, and he had to find the split-second moment in which their focus was diverted onto a moment of sure victory.

    This allowed him to bypass their own perception, moving as though he vanished and reappeared, but having simply been in their ''blind spot" the entire time.

    The prisoners held in the cages watched in silence with their eyes filled with trauma and uncertainty as the man faced down the Swine King directly.

    "...Kill¡­!"

    Before the colossal swine, too fat to even stand on his legs, could wave his staff, he moved first:

    Light de plus Dark Edge, he thought.

    [Purgatory''s Impunity]

    With one de d in radiant light, and the other swallowed in shadows, he spun around, unleashing a number of swift strikes on the flesh of the Swine King, cutting through his scarlet garbs.

    After bestowing the visceral shes on the grotesque, wart-covered swine, which left the burning aftereffect of the holy de''s edge and the infectious decay of the dark de''s cut, he moved before the retainers holding up the throne could retaliate.

    "Cast: Cataclysmic Tremor!" He shouted.

    [Spirit: -350 | 2600/18000]

    As he stomped down, he invoked thebined spell, invoking the wrath of a mighty tremor that swept outwards with a holy shockwave.

    The powerful downfall of his boot forced the heavy king-carriage to m down with the weight of the metal-built object itself and the Swine King atop of it, crushing the five retainers below with a brutal squish.

    [EXP + 2500 | 9700/18000]

    "--"

    "Regh¨C?!" The Swine King squealed in fear.

    Looking up at the abhorrent, man-eating demon, he realized something:

    These are just stragglers. They''re weak. I thought it was weird that demons had banded together, but it makes sense, he thought.

    "You''re nothing but cowards¨Cand you''re the king of them," he said quietly with a merciless tint to his eyes.

    Before the Swine King could try to defend himself, the assassin unleashed a brutal swipe of his daggers.

    In an "X" cross-sh, he embedded a deep gash into the swine''s neck, watching it drop down with a resounding thud.

    [Merciless Proficiency: +2 | 3/10]

    ["Swine King" Defeated. EXP + 3000 | Angel Coins x200 Acquired]

    It turned out to be a profitable endeavor, experience wise and otherwise, as he opened the cages to free the people within. Though it hardly felt as if he was "helping" them as he could tell none of them were even close to level twenty, and the Tower was hours from opening.

    "--"

    They''re dead anyway, he thought.

    "Thank you¡­" One of the freed men meekly told him.

    He looked at the man, who was constantly shaking and looking down, "...Yeah. Of course."

    It hardly felt like a triumphant win for humanity. But, even in the end, it was better than being a meal for the swine.

    ¡­There are still so many people who have just been hiding out, not ying the game and simply waiting for the apocalypse to do its job. That could''ve been me, he thought.

    ¨C

    Finally meeting up, Korain and Xiaodan showed up, meeting him in the aftermath of the swine camp''s destruction.

    "This is¡­terrible¡­" Xiaodan said, looking around.

    It was the simplest truth. With bodies strewn across the barricaded streets, a mountain of corpses piled high¨Cit was indeed something out of a nightmare.

    Korain sighed, "This is what you should expect from a world that''s gone toplete shit."

    "Still¡­" Xiaodan covered his mouth and nose.

    "Why did you guyse in? I didn''t say it was safe yet¨C'' He asked.

    He was promptly knocked on the head by the burly man, who was hardly in any shape to do so as he smirked.

    "Did you expect us to just sit around while you disappeared in here? Hell no!" Korain told him.

    "Exactly!" Xiaodan added.

    Sheathing his daggers, he sighed out, "...Well, I managed, somehow."

    Xiaodan squinted at him, "You did¡­all of this?"

    "Mhm," he nodded.

    "You''re pretty damn efficient when you want to be,d," Korain told him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He ignored their words, continuing forward with the path cleared for the three of them now, "Let''s just get moving, alright? I don''t know how either of you are still walking¡­"

    Korain pped his own chest, "I''m made of strong stuff, you should know that by now!"

    "Yeah, me too," Xiaodan apanied Korain''s boisterous words.

    "Whatever you say¡­" He smiled small.

    They marched forward towards the Tower once again, though they tried to keep the mood as high as possible, the dreadful atmosphere was thick and suffocating in its ever-present horror.

    "Still, I can''t believe something like that happened here¡­" Xiaodan mumbled, ncing back at the now distant, wiped out camp.

    Most of the city seemed to be on fire now, with the purity of the air being a foreign concept as smoke billowed constantly. It was likely due to the efforts of the flying horseman¨C"War."

    He kept moving forward, "I doubt it''s a rare urrence."

    "Really?..." Xiaodan asked.

    "This world is overrun with demons now," he replied, "...It wouldn''t surprise me."

    "Unfortunately, I have to agree," Korain sighed, "Having seen what Hell looks like, this ain''t far from it. You''ve seen it, too, haven''t you,d?"

    The question was aimed at him, but he hardly wanted to remember the encounter with the Artificial Devil.

    "Yeah," he nodded, replying quietly.

    ¨C

    It was difficult tofortably breathe in the oxygen in the air that was inteced with thick smoke, supplemented by the mes that took hold of most of the city by this point.

    "Holding up alright?" He asked the two of them.

    Xiaodan nodded, "...I''m fine, my body is just exhausted, but I''ll pull through."

    "Don''t worry about me; my warrior spirit keeps me going!" Korain assured him, pping his own chest.

    It was difficult to believe such words,ing from the man covered in wounds, but his actions were more significant than his words¨CKorain had kept up this long, so there was no reason to doubt him.

    Most of their march was spent avoiding prowling demons, Defects, and War, who seemed to be flying across the entire nation with the very concept of destruction iid in his being.

    However, most troublesome of all was avoiding the burning, crumbling buildings, having to journey clear of their fall.

    "It looks close now," Xiaodan pointed out.

    True enough, the Tower seemed closer than ever; the luminescent essence of its pure-white, quartz form shined like an object truly crafted in the holds of Heaven.

    "We''re almost there," he said.

    [Time Until Tower Opens: 5 Hours, 24 Minutes, 54 Seconds]

    "Are you sure the others are waiting by the Tower?" Xiaodan asked, looking at Korain.

    They were marching up an uphill part of the street, with a lot of asphalt having been dug up by what looked to be something only an excavator could do.

    Korain nced back, "I can''t guarantee anything¨Cand I won''t. But, that group is in a helluva lot better condition than us. So, if we made it¡­"

    "It''s a safe bet," he finished Korain''s sentence.

    "Just about," Korain said, "Those tough bastards wouldn''t give in at this stage."

    Moving to the top of the incline of the street, he stopped, lifting his arm to make the two behind him stop as well.

    "What''s the matter?" Xiaodan looked at him.

    Korain looked forward, "Huh."

    Up ahead, there was a single person; a young girl, dressed in the unmistakable white uniform of an [Equip].

    Sitting on the asphalt, she looked to be in trouble, holding her leg while wincing as if it was hurt. She looked around the same age as Eunji, with short blonde hair in a bob cut.

    "Help me¡­!"

    He watched from a safe distance for a moment while his twopanions looked on as well.

    "Shouldn''t we help her¡­?" Xiaodan asked.

    "I don''t know if we''re in any position to help strangers," Korain interjected.

    "--"

    While part of him did want to help, he also understood Korain''s words as well. As they were, their own survival was questionable.

    "The Tower is just up ahead¡­It''s not too much to help her," Xiaodan said.

    "It''s because the Tower is so close that we can''t risk it. Look, we''re just at the finish line¨Crisking it now is a sorry idea," Korain added.

    "I''ll go," he finally added.

    His words took the two by surprise as they both looked at him. With the billowing mes surrounding them in the burning city, the light of the Tower sat beyond his resolve gaze while he looked on at the distressed girl.

    "Huh?" Xiaodan let out.

    "What?" Korain looked at him.

    He nced back at them, "If this is some sort of trap, I''ll handle it. If it''s not, then even better."

    "But Jeong-Hui, you''re the only one of us still in decent shape¡­" Xiaodan said.

    "I have to agree,d. Right now, you''re leading the charge. But, I guess that means¡­it''s also your choice," Korain told him.

 Chapter 201 The Assassin

    "I have to agree,d. Right now, you''re leading the charge. But, I guess that means¡­it''s also your choice," Korain told him.

    As they were standing by the corner of a building, the blonde-haired girl, dressed in a white skirt and robes didn''t notice them yet, only continuing to call out for help.

    "Help, please¡­! Anybody!"

    He looked forward, "She''s in our path anyway, right? Just stay behind me."

    "--" Xiaodan looked at Korain.

    Korain nced down at the adrogynous young man, shrugging his shoulders before looking forward, "Alright, then. Lead the way."

    ¨C

    As he approached thepromised girl, she finally took notice as a relieved, but desperate expression stretched across her tear-drenched face.

    "Oh¡­! Please! Please!"

    Moving over, he brought his finger to his lips, "I''ll help you, but you have to keep it down."

    He gestured his finger around, suggesting that if she didn''t stay quiet, the prowling fiends around the city would hear.

    The girl nodded, gulping down as she looked up at him silently.

    "Alright¡­What''s wrong? Can you not walk?" He asked.

    She shook her head, "...I twisted my ankle while on my way to the Tower."

    It definitely seemed to be the case; one look at her ankle twisted the opposite direction it should be looked like apromising injury to him.

    Something struck him as odd about that when he looked at her, gathering her information from the System:

    [Dasom | Level 18]

    If she was heading to the Tower, and certainly in a rush at that, seeing as she managed to injure her ankle, it would be a given that she had the proper level to enter the Tower, but she didn''t.

    She''s two levels short, he thought.

    "...Alright, do you have any friends? Anybody you were with?"

    Dasom looked at him for a moment before shaking her head, "...Well, actually, I did¡­but they left me here after I messed up my ankle¡­"

    "I see¡­that''s too bad. Well, I''ll help you out," he said.

    "Oh, thank you, bless you!" Dasom''s expression lit up.

    As the girl reached her hand up to him for aid, smiling with teary eyes, his expression remained unflinching as he extended his hand down, but not to grasp her own.

    "Cast: Recon."

    From his hand, the scouting spell exuded, propelling its deciphering mass of intangible air around the area.

    It automatically filtered out hispanions, but it registered any with ill intentions as his enemies:

    [(5) yer(s) Detected. Hostile Intent Recognized.]

    "--Huh?" Dasom looked up in surprise.

    "Get back."

    His calm words were for his twopanions that stayed a safe distance behind as he reached for his daggers, swiftly drawing them as he nced at either side just as the ss of both buildings neighboring him amidst the street shattered.

    "Wait, hold on¨CI-I just wanted¨C" Dasom waved her hands, trying to dissuade him.

    [Merciless Proficiency]: it was a proficiency he was ignorant of its capabilities, but it was something that acted "in his best interest"--a subtle alteration of his mind that gave him the proper fortitude tomit to the action he was about to take.

    Without batting an eye as four yers charged out from the buildings; two to his left, and two to his right, all wearing white uniforms, he uttered it:

    "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour."

    [Spirit: -2000 | 600/3800]

    Before any of the ambushing yers could get the chance to strike, the personification of his inner realm stretched out, dragging the five unknown yers inside of its hold instantaneously.

    I can feel it; their killing intent. Perhaps it''s my assassin proficiency being higher, but I can smell it in the air like the copper scent of blood, he thought.

    In the enclosed realm holding a graveyard of des and a world-sized clock up above, he looked forward as the five yers all were taken aback by the change in scenery.

    Dashing forward, he set his sights on the man dressed in all-white armor, who wielded a quartz warhammer.

    [Level 18]

    The same as the girl, the man was too low a level for the Tower, and too low of a level to stand a shadow of a chance against the red-haired assassin who wasn''t holding out now.

    "Graaah!"

    Swinging wildly, the hammer-wielding yer yelled out, disoriented by the nature of the Devil ying Hour before¨C

    Squelch.

    "--"

    A sh right across the throat stifled his yells; instantly killing the lower-leveled yer as his hammer fell from his hands.

    He didn''t bat an eye, moving forward as thepanion to the hammer-wielding man took notice of his friend''s fall seconds after, due to the altered perception. The yer ahead of him was an assassin as well, though he wore all-white with only a single dagger in his hands.

    [Level 16]

    "--Wait, wait! We''ll leave! You''ll never see us again! So¨C"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Stepping back, the assassin-ss young man who wore a rag around his head used a [Blink Step] in an attempt to retreat, but his variation of the skill was superior, reappearing behind the lesser assassin.

    "Grk¨C!" The white-uniformed assassin spat out blood.

    The dagger he wielded stabbed right through his neck, leaving him gargling on his own blood as he turned around just as a massive fireball was hurled towards him.

    As he jumped up to evade it, the zing attack smashed into the level-sixteen yer, exploding and charring his body without fail.

    The one who threw the fireball was a woman wielding arge, three-pronged staff with triple orbs on it, wearing lengthy, white-and-purple robes. She was without a doubt a mage-ss.

    "--Crap, no! Ta-Ro!" The orange-haired woman cried out.

    [Level 19]

    Angered by the tragic misfire, the ginger mage screamed out as she held her staff forward again, "Cast: Dragon''s Smoldering Judgment!"

    It looked to be the ultimate skill of the fire-wielding mage, manifesting the head of a dragon shaped by orange, roaring mes as itunched towards him, tunneling through the sands of his personal realm.

    Hended on the ground, sprinting forward much to the dismay of the mage, who flinched just at the sight of the ruthless assassin not flinching as he was set to sh with the meborn dragon.

    "Twilight Cutter."

    With a spinning sh of his daggers from afar, he unleashed the violet, rangeless slice that carved through the sands with impunity, cutting straight through the ming projectile with ease.

    "What¨C?!" The woman yelled out.

    The twilight sh stopped as it reached her, leaving a massive gash that stretched from her forehead down to her abdomen.

    "Ghh¨C!" The mage winced.

    Though it wasn''t enough to be instantly fatal, leaving him to finish the job as he blinked over, instantly cutting her throat as he moved past her towards the man who looked to be the most powerful of the group.

    "Damn it¡­! Who the fuck are you?!"

    It was a yer dressed in pearlescent, white armor of sleek steel, wielding two ymores with a ss he was unfamiliar with.

    [Level 23]

    Without a doubt, that man was the leader of the desperate, yer-ambushing group, angered as his spiky, snow-white hair fluttered in the wind.

    "I''ll kill you! I''ll kill you!--I''ll kill you!" The dual ymore-wielding man slurred out his words in a rage.

    Unleashed from those two, tinum des was a massive set of shes, released in a fit of wrath that carved through the sands harshly.

    He didn''t stop moving forward, dashing right past the attack as he continued to close the distance between him and the ringleader.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    The man stumbled back, clearly having trouble processing theg between his body and the actions he ordered it to take.

    "...Fuck!!!"

    Without any thought, the ringleader unleashed everything he had, recklessly lobbing spells that razed the sand with lightning bolts, mes, and sharp gusts of air before¨C

    Blink.

    "Nothing personal, right?"

    Those words quietly falling from his lips were thest that met the ears of the dual ymore wielder as his dagger sunk straight into his heart, being pulled out harshly as the yer fell to his knees¨Cbleeding out on the spot.

    Last but not least was the girl whoid the trap in the first ce.

    Tick. Tock.

    The massive clock ticked as the hand groaned, sliding across the far-reaching surface of the world clock.

    Crawling backward, the blonde-haired young woman pleaded, "...Please! Th-they forced me to do it! Yeah! They forced me!"

    Seeing that the vermilion-haired assassin wasn''t stopping in his march towards her, Dasom changed her pleas again:

    "We just needed some experience¡­! The Tower is about to open¨C! We would''ve been left here! You understand, right?! It''s hell out here! It''s¡­It''s terrible!" Dasom cried.

    The crocodile tears didn''t move him as he ced his boot down on her pale leg, anchoring her in ce as she couldn''t move away any further.

    Though Dasom opened her mouth in another attempt to beg for her life, the look in the emerald eyes of the man standing over here already told her how futile it was. In those eyes, the decision was already made.

    "You''re right. This world is terrible. I have to look out for myself and the people close to me¨Cthat''s why people like you can''t exist," he told her coldly.

    "Please¨C!"

    Squelch.

    Ending it swiftly, he dragged the perfectly sharp edge of his dagger across her soft throat in a seamless movement.

    He stopped for a moment, standing there as the clock inside of the Devil ying Hour realm continued to tick.

    Finallying to a momentary stop, all of the collective experiencebined itself into one prompt:

    [EXP + 20000 | 14700/20000]

    [Congrattions, Jeong-Hui. You''ve reached level 27]

    [Remaining Skill Point(s): 4]

    [Spirit (3900/3900) and Health Points (3550/3550) Fully Restored.]

    [Assassin Proficiency: +4 |  50/9999]

 Chapter 202 A Warning Arrives

    What took him by surprise was just how much proficiency he earned for his assassin area in just that encounter.

    ¡­I guess killing people really is the truest essence of an assassin, isn''t it? He thought.

    It didn''t feel good, and frankly, he didn''t know how he did it. In the face of malicious foes, his mind simply went on auto-pilot.

    With the Devil ying Hour realm shattering, he seamlessly returned to the street where it all began, surrounded by the corpses of all the yers he had just eradicated.

    "...Jeong-Hui," Xiaodan walked up, looking around.

    Korain looked around too, "Serves them right. Scumbags."

    "No."

    "No?" Korain looked at him.

    He nced back as a single tear strolled down his cheek, "They were just trying to survive¨Clike us."

    Korain looked at him for a moment with somber eyes, nodding, "I see. Let''s move on,d."

    ¨C

    Through the deste city, they neared the luminescent Tower with the haze and fire surrounding them, engulfing the various buildings in the city.

    Hours had passed and now it was but just an hour away: the opening of the Tower.

    It was there in full-view now; it stood past the clouds, embedded into the asphalt as glowing roots entangled the surrounding buildings.

    "There it is," Korain said, looking on, "Beautiful, isn''t it?"

    "I''d say it''s a mix of that and horrifying," he replied.

    There was something about the Tower; such a structure was so out of this world that staring it almost felt as if you were being entrancedpletely¨Cyour eyes being lulled to its divine form as it sangforting melodies to your heart.

    "Let''s go," he said.

    "Right behind you," Xiaodan replied.

    The streets were eviscerated around the Tower; the roots had carved through the asphalt, wrapping around buildings.

    "Where do you think the others are?" Xiaodan asked.

    Korain answered, lumbering along with them, "...Somewhere close by. All we can do now is look around and holler."

    "Hollering doesn''t sound like a good idea," he said, walking ahead of the two.

    As of right now, his caution was at its peak. The blood in his veins was running hot, yet bearing a merciless cold as his trust was at its lowest. The top priority in his mind was survival¨Cfor him and his friends; this meant that anybody that challenged that would be dealt with¨Cfiend or human.

    "Yeah¡­" Xiaodan said.

    "Let''s just stay on our toes. Keep your eyes peeled¨Cwe''ve got to watch each other''s backs right now¨CI''m sure you know just as much as I do that around the Tower is probably the most dangerous ce in the world right now," he said.

    "Why''s that?" Xiaodan asked, walking beside him.

    They marched through the burning streets, neighbored by the seraphic roots of the tower that were embedded in the walls of the buildings around them. Cars were totaled, flipped over, and smashed. There were bodies here and there, but it seemed most victims had already been taken away by something.

    He kept his eyes peeled and focused, constantly surveying their surroundings, "--The close-off time for meeting the requirements of entering the Tower is just an hour away. That means anybody who met those requirements is waiting around here¨Csince they were smart enough to survive, they''re probably tucked away. But, those who didn''t make it¡­"

    "--Are desperate," Korain finished for him, "Like the group we just encountered."

    "Exactly," he nodded, "people below level twenty, who are desperate, will probably try and score some experience by taking out other people around here."

    Xiaodan gulped, looking around now with caution in his eyes, "I see¡­Makes sense."

    ¨C

    Vrrrrr

    Something unpleasant met their eyes as they all stopped at once.

    "Huh¡­? What''s that sound?" Xiaodan mumbled.

    He was quiet, looking down the street as he kept his hands near his sheathed daggers¨Cready for whatever wasing.

    It became clear what one of the sounds was¨Cfootsteps. There were desperate footsteps, turning a corner and running down their way.

    "Help-!"

    "It''sing!"

    ¨CNot that it was aplete shock to see, but there was a group of people in white uniforms rushing down the street with expressions weathered by fear and anxiety.

    People? He thought.

    "Please¨C! I-it''sing!" One of the men shouted.

    "Help us! Do something¨C!" A woman cried desperately.

    The panic on their faces as tears fled their eyes was nothing that could be faked; the utter dread of inevitable death had wrinkled their skin.

    "Jeong-Hui¡­" Xiaodan said.

    Korian kept his hand gripped around his ymore, "Do you think it''s another set-up?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He kept still before shaking his head, "...No. Something ising!"

    It was just then after he had stood there listening closely did the subtle hum personify itself as a rain of pale-white arrows rained down on the street.

    "What the¨C?!" Xiaodan let out.

    The arrows were massive and glowing;nding down and eviscerating the people that were trying to run. It was a gruesome, brutal sight¨Cthe arrows tore through the humans as if they were made of paper¨Ccleaving their limbs, heads, and even cutting them straight in two.

    It was impossible in that moment to make out what had done such a visceral act as the light of arrows filled the sky above, raining down on the surrounding buildings.

    Vehicles were trampled by the light arrows, having their roofs crushed and pierced through; the asphalt was stabbed and cratered¨Cit was utter destruction.

    "--Get to cover!" He shouted out.

    It was his words that shook the shock from his tworades, prompting all three of them to rush into the alleyway and barge through the door of the closest building for cover.

    A small cafe was found on the other side of the door; obviously long since abandoned and messy, but it was enough.

    "What the hell was that?!" Korain yelled.

    "--I don''t know, but it shredded those people up¡­!" Xiaodan replied.

    Again, the cmity of arrows rained down from the sky, unleashing a destructive onught on the streets below.

    Out of instinct, he covered his ears, with the other two following, just as the storm of heavenly arrows desecrated the street just beyond the cafe windows.

    It was a hellish sound; the scraping off asphalt, steel being skewered, windows busting open, and the hissing of the air as the giant arrows of light cast down like missiles.

    After a few minutes, it finally stopped.

    "My conquest here is over. Thend is mine. The glory is mine."

    It was a calm, focused voice devoid of emotion that echoed through the sky above before the air howled with the seeming departure of the unseen figure.

    "...Is it over?" Xiaodan asked, still holding his hands over his ears.

    The windows had shattered from the shock waves of the arrow barrage, but it had fallen as quiet as the apocalypse could be now.

    "Think so," Korain said, standing back up.

    He carefully stepped forward as ss crunched beneath his boots, peeking out of the broken windows towards the skies.

    Besides the hellish horizon above, it was clear now.

    "...Looks like we''re good to go," he said.

    They headed out once more, hugging close to the buildings as he kept his eyes cautiously watching their surroundings.

    Right now, there is no such thing as being "overly cautious"; this is the climax of it¨Cthe moment just before the "Tower" finally opens¨Ceverything is trying to kill us, he thought.

    "Jeong-Hui, you have a skill that can find the others, right?" Xiaodan asked him from behind.

    He nced back, "Huh?"

    "That one thingy¨Cerr¡­I forgot what it was called, but you used it when we first met! Against that weird head-demon!" Xiaodan said.

    For a moment he was confused as to what the feminine, silver-haired boy was referring to, but he stopped once figuring it out.

    Recon! He remembered.

    "Yeah, I do," he said.

    "Well? What''re you waiting for!" Korain asked.

    ¨CThere was no question that time was of the essence; not only was the opening of the Tower near, but the wounds that Korain had suffered weren''t simply vanishing, and the same could be said for Xiaodan''s exhaustion. It was still up to him to handle all of the fighting.

    "...Right. Give me a moment," he nodded.

    It was something that slipped from his mind due to the fact he''d never aimed [Recon] to be used for this specific purpose. Usually, including the concept of "allies" in the desired scope would only distract him since he mainly used it to figure out where his enemies were or how they were approaching in their attack.

    Alright¡­this works perfectly! Even if I can''t find them with one use, something as low of cost as Recon won''t take a toll while I''m using my Sage Period! He thought.

    As he held his hand out, he invoked the spell, "Cast: Recon!"

    While standing perfectly still and concentrating solely on the extension of the veil of sensory particles, he was able to propel the range of his reconnaissance.

    It covered the surrounding block, delving through the intersection as he looked for his lostpanions.

    "¡ª"

    He went silent.

    "Jeong-Hui?" Xiaodan called his name.

    "Did you find anything?" Korain asked.

    His fingers began to tremble as something indeed was found from the recon, but it was not the desired traces of his allies.

    [WARNING: [BOSS] FOE APPROACHING.]

 Chapter 203 Hopeless Sacrifice

    [WARNING: [BOSS] FOE APPROACHING.]

    It was through the touch of his shadow-formed particles that stretched around the corner of the street did he sense it before the other two, but they sensed it soon enough.

    "Hey, what''s¡ª"

    As Xiaodan stepped forward, all words were stifled and movements were frozen as a thunderous stomp echoed out:

    It stepped out from around the corner. The scrape of what it dragged across the cement was like nails to a chalkboard.

    "¡­What the hell is that thing?" Korain asked in quiet disbelief.

    The pale-white entity was tall and bulky, possessing a humanoid body but the head of a fish with pale, feathered wings protruding from the sides of its head. It was easily four meters tall, holding in its arms its prey.

    There were demons limp in its grasp along with humans, all dripping of blood and reeking of death.

    [BOSS Enemy Identified: The Exterminator | Level 38]

    A Defect¡­? It''s hunting demons and humans alike? It looks like trouble, he thought.

    There was no hesitation in drawing his daggers as he called out to the two behind him, "Stay behind me! I''ll handle this!"

    "Are you kidding me?! Do you not see that ugly bastard''s level?!" Korain yelled in response.

    "Yeah! That''s too much to handle by yourself!" Xiaodan added.

    He didn''t relent, "¡ªAnd you two are half-dead as is! You''ll only get in my way now!"

    "Gh-!" Korain angrily clenched his teeth, "I''m perfectly capable of fighting!"

    "I don''t want to hear it¡ª"

    Just as he was retorting, having turned back to respond to his ally, the wind changed.

    A sharp chime yed against his eardrums.

    Whistling? The air is¡­? He thought.

    He could see the expressions slowly change on the faces of Korain and Xiaodan as they were able to see what wasing from behind.

    As he turned back around in that moment of heightened perception¡ªhis stomach sank in shock and confusion at what he saw:

    Bodies? He thought.

    They were thrown in his direction as bloodced the air, pping with the limpness that came of death.

    Time fully resumed¡ª

    "What the?!" He let out.

    The air whistled as the thrown corpses zoomed by like cannonballs, crashing into the ground around them before exploding into messes of flesh.

    Chunks of meat exploded like shrapnel and the smell of iron filled his nostrils as he stood there amidst the dust clouds that were kicked up.

    "¡­What was that?What¡­?" Xiaodan said.

    He looked forward, seeing the fish-headed man-bodied Defect standing on the other end of the block, raising its arm slowly.

    "What is it¡­?" He mumbled.

    While the other two were still perplexed by the corpse projectiles, he was watching the Exterminator closely as its hand morphed into a new form: it was a snow-white binding of barrels with a handle protruding from the side.

    What''s that¡­? Wait, that''s a¡­! He realized.

    "Move! Get to cover!" He shouted.

    He was forced to grab onto both of his allies, tackling them behind the abandoned delivery truck.

    "Huh? Why did you¡ª?" Xiaodan asked.

    The question was answered as the sound of gunshots filled the air, soon sailing through the streets and colliding against the truck they were hiding behind.

    "Gah! Gunfire?!" Xiaodan said, hugging his own head.

    All of the windows in the street were shot out by the rapid gunfire, shattering as the abnormal bullets carved up the street.

    He was forced to quickly move his boot as it was merely an inch from behind the truck, but a bullet came zipping by anyway, nearly nicking his foot.

    "Shit! It really is shooting at us! What kind of Defect even is that?!" Korain said.

    It was hard to focus on the words from the man''s mouth as the sound of ss breaking, cars being battered by bullets, and the block being scraped up, all filled his ears with an abrasive orchestra.

    "It had a "BOSS" identifier on it! That''s not something we can fight in our condition, is it¡­? We have to run!" Xiaodan said.

    He huffed, keeping his back pressed tightly against the truck, "--Maybe I could make it out of here, but if either of you tried, you''d be turned into swiss cheese."

    "--" Xiaodan went silent.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''re a real ass today,d. But¡­that''s what we need," Korain breathed out with a wry smile.

    The bullets continued filling the block while the slow stomps of the fish-headed Defect began moving down the street.

    He nced around the carved-up truck, getting a small peek at the Exterminator before being forced to hide again as a bullet flew by.

    "What''s the game n?" Korain asked.

    "--" He was silent for a minute as he gathered his breath before he gripped the handles of his weapons tightly, calmly answering, "I''ll take it on."

    As expected, his words spurred on his worried allies as they looked at him as if he were some sort of madman.

    "Quit with that, Jeong-Hui! You don''t seriously think you can fight something like that, do you?" Xiaodan asked him concernedly.

    "...I thought it was crystal clear that I wasn''t letting you get yourself killed for a half-dead old man like myself," Korain added in.

    He was quiet for a moment before looking up with his calm expression, "Who said anything about dying?"

    "Huh?" Xiaodan raised an eyebrow.

    "I''ll buy you both enough time to go around this thing. I can do that much. Just give me the signal when you''re in the clear, and I''ll make a run for it," he said, "--if there''s one thing I''m good at, it''s surviving. Let me use that."

    "--"

    This proposition made the other two silent while the hail of gunfire continued, carving up thend in its path as the truck behind them only became more and more shriveled up by the bullets.

    "We don''t have much time. Hurry and decide¨Cnow," he said.

    Amidst this dreadful night, his attitude had slowly shifted, being molded by hardship into necessity of one that sought the most optimal oue for survival; this resulted in a certain abrasion to his words.

    Korain looked down at him, "Lad, you better not let yourself die here. Not when we''re this close to the Tower."

    "Of course," he nodded.

    ¨CJust like that, it was decided.

    While the other two ran straight for the alley leading to the neighboring buildings so they could go around the Exterminator, he made his move.

    SWOOSH.

    Out from behind the truck, something was flung out¨C

    The fish-headed, bulky Defect swerved its arm-gun to the side, filling the object with holes, leaving it in tatters within a moment.

    A coat.

    ¨CIt was a distraction; now running along the wall towards the pale-white Defect, the red-headed assassin sprinted without his coat on, only having his ck t-shirt on beneath.

    The minigun-turned arm pointed in his direction, resulting in the torrent of gunfire to begin carving up the brick wall, but not before he vanished from the sideways tform¨Cnow appearing to the side of the Exterminator with his daggers in hand.

    Utter focus swirled in his emerald irises; there wasn''t a thought flowing through his concentrated mind.

    He swept his daggers from a near distance, unleashing violet shes in a set of [Twilight Cutters] that carved through the asphalt and crashed against the muscr, giant body of the Exterminator.

    ¨CNo effect.

    It was annoying, but not surprising to him as he began sprinting around again, running as the gunfire chased behind his feet.

    This thing is a level higher than Dae-Mon. I was hardly able to survive against Dae-Mon¡­I needed Yeong-Un''s help to finish him¨Cand this thing is stronger than that. But, I''m stronger, too, he thought.

    "--!"

    Amidst his run from the constant gunfire, he was caught off-guard as the fish-headed creature was looming over him, blocking his path with stomach-dropping speed.

    What? I assumed it was a ranged-fighter¡­Is it not? This kind of speed¨Che thought.

    That minigun-shaped right arm of the creature morphed, taking the shape of a massive mallet that was mmed down towards him.

    It''s just like him¨CDae-Mon. This ability to morph its body¡­That just means I have experience here! He thought.

    With a [Blink Step] executed just as the blunt side of the snow-white hammer began to press down on the flowing vermilion strands of his hair, he reappeared above the Exterminator. The oversized mallet mmed into the asphalt, sending a ripple of destruction through the street as the asphalt split and caved.

    In his mind, the thought of what would''ve happened if he were still on the other side of that blunt force was prominent¨Cthere was no doubt that his brain matter would''ve been painted across the street like contemporary art.

    Still, he followed through, having the broad, feathered back of the Exterminator open to him.

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200 | 3700/3900]

    The onught of shes came swiftly, using the adrenaline flowing through his veins to amplify the strength of his attacks as he etched them across the Defect''s back.

    But, there was once again a futile disy on his end.

    ¨CNot even that? He thought in surprise.

 Chapter 204 The Yearned For Signal

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200 | 3700/3900]

    The onught of shes came swiftly, using the adrenaline flowing through his veins to amplify the strength of his attacks as he etched them across the Defect''s back.

    But, there was once again a futile disy on his end.

    ¨CNot even that? He thought in surprise.

    As sparks swayed in the air in the aftermath of his swift shes, he looked upon the creature''s back amidst his fall, seeing its pale-white flesh begin to morph, twisting and melding into a new shape.

    Tubes? Spikes?--No! He realized.

    ting his boot against the Defect''s back for a foothold, he initiated a vanishing step, but not before the shapes on the Exterminator''s back took the form of a dozen small barrels¨CBOOM.

    Pellets shot out as smoke exuded, shooting outward just as he blinked away.

    "...Ghh¡­"

    Drip. Drip. Drip.

    He stood on the street, several meters behind the Exterminator as he watched the fish-headed monster turn around to face him as he breathed out, wincing.

    One of the pellets shot out from the creature''s shapeshifted back had nicked his ear lobe, leaving it seeping blood onto the ground below.

    The pain quickly stopped registering as his blood rushed with the Exterminator closing the distance in an instant again with a monstrous dash towards him.

    The Defect had returned the shape of its arm into a normal hand once again, attempting to grab him into its buff limbs, but he countered with a high kick straight to its chin.

    "--!"

    To his surprise, the sharp kick did nothing to stop the beastly Defect in its tracks as it pushed forward still, attempting to catch him in its arms before he slipped away.

    This thing is tough. It''s got Dae-Mon beat wildly in that regard, at least. Devil ying Hour might be my best bet here, but I don''t want to just jump straight into it. It''s incredibly exhausting¨Cit''s ast ditch effort here, and I''m not nning on killing this thing anyway¡­if that''s possible, he thought.

    He flipped back, backpedaling as the Exterminator stumbled, holding the sameck of emotion in its pale-blue fish eyes while moving towards him.

    As he prepared for his next move, the moment he took a step forward¨Cthe Exterminator''s right arm shifted again, morphing into the familiar shape of a minigun right before his eyes.

    ¨CAgain? He realized.

    Though he was close enough to duck right below its arm as the rapid gunfire began, feeling the unique bullets shoot just above him as his ears were assaulted by the banging.

    Still, he moved in with his daggers in hand, setting his eyes on the throat of the Boss Defect.

    CHNK.

    "--!"

    ¨CThe left arm of the Defect was still at its side, pointed towards him as his eyes moved down just then, noticing that it held the form of a massive double-barrelled shotgun.

    Its left, too? It only morphed its right this entire time¨CI tricked myself into thinking this was some sort of opening! He thought.

    Even as determined as he was, dread still flowed through his veins when feeling the barrels of that destructive weapon pointed dead center at his body. Thanks to his heightened perception that kicked in at moments like this, he could analyze the situation briefly, but it didn''t make his body any faster.

    What can I do? It''s right there. I can''t initiate a blink here. It''s toote for a shield spell. What can I do?...Am I dead? No¨Cthere has to be something! He racked his brain.

    It was then that he began to realize the mistake he had made. He was so tunnel-visioned on making sure that hisrades survived that he had neglected to consider his own life in the equation.

    Simply, the foe in front of him outssed him. It was a simple, irrefutable fact.

    But¨C

    ¡­Until I hear that signal, I can''t stop! He resolved.

    [You will be unable topletely avoid damage here, Jeong-Hui. However, you can minimize said damage. Don''t think about evading the bullets or blocking them with your des¨Cmeet them halfway.]

    The words from the Sage System filled his mind as he instantly understood what it was he had to do.

    If there wasn''t enough time to blink away or to manifest a shield, there was time for something else: he was already holding his daggers tightly, halfway through swinging them. He summoned his strength and focus, altering the trajectory of his strikes¨C

    "Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -200 | 3500/3900]

    It wasunched just in time as the shotgun-arm sted, briefly filling his vision with the explosion within the barrels, puffing out smoke and sparks as an onught of pellets shot out towards his torso.

    The quick session of shes came just in time as he managed to sh against the white pellets as they aimed for him. Though he managed to deflect most of them, a few had pierced through his defensive-oriented offense.

    [Health: -800 | 2700/3500]<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ghh¨C!"

    The impact still knocked him back as he blood squirted from his abdomen; a few holes were torn into his ck shirt around his stomach.

    Just as hended on his feet, he didn''t even have time to caress his stomach that burned like the pits of hell as the Exterminator pointed its gatling-arm towards him, firing the endless hail of bullets his way.

    He had to sprint with all of his might despite the agony it brought on his abdomen, being chased as the bullets nipped at his ankles.

    "...Gh!"

    It was a difficult pace to keep up: having to jump and run along the side of a building as the bullets hunted him down with impunity. Despite the pain, he kept his muscles clenched to stifle the bleeding before lowering down, bending his knees before springing off of the wall¨Cshooting towards the Exterminator with his daggers sharpened.

    The burly, fish-headed Defect stood alone in the center of the street with its gatling gun still firing, though the bullets were trailing behind the red-haired assassin as he went for another attempt at the Exterminator''s throat.

    ¡­Dark Edge, Ripper, and Light de! With that I should¨C! He thought.

    ¨CThough his mind went nk for a moment as he was propelling through the air downward towards the Boss Defect, seeing the center of its chest morph as the snow-white flesh protruded, shaping itself into a new form.

    "--!"

    It felt as if he had just waltzed straight into a deathtrap, foregoing his attack as he flipped around, changing his course of actionpletely.

    "Cast: Radiant Shield!"

    [Spirit: -50 | 3450/3900]

    Beneath his boots, the golden shield manifested in the air as he used it as a foothold to alter his trajectory, blinking away just as the shape on the Exterminator''s chest finished¨Ctaking the form of a massive cannon that produced an amber glow in its hole.

    FWOOOOM.

    The air roared and sound broke as a golden stunched from the cannon born from the Exterminator''s chest, unleashing the radiant destruction in the form of a coalescence of energy that burrowed through the street and into the building on the opposing side.

    As hended a safe distance, watching from the side, he looked on in dread at the power wielded by his foe.

    ¡­It has something like that? That kind of destructive power is just¡­unfair, he thought.

    A cloud of smoke swayed from the aftermath of the st, cascading down on the street as the silent, fish-faced Defect turned towards him as its chest returned to its normal form.

    It began to walk towards him as the wings on the side of its scaly head pped; the left-hand shotgun morphed as well as its right-hand gatling gun, though it looked to merely be "alterations" rather thanplete changes.

    des¡­? He thought.

    Sticking out from the underside of both gun-formed limbs of pale flesh, snowy des reached out with the length of longswords.

    Bays? He realized.

    Once more, that ludicrous speed, unfitting of a being so tall and imposing in physique, was on disy as the Exterminator was immediately in front of him again.

    "--!"

    He jumped out, flipping in the air over its left arm that it had thrust forward into a punch, sting the shotgun end at the same time as the vtile sound filled his ears.

    It was incredibly arduous to find the pathway to its neck as when he went in for a sh, it used its right arm not to try and shoot him, but for a stab as it utilized the newly-sharpened bay. He managed to deflect the attempt it had to stab him from the underside of his jaw, but he was immediately followed up by gunfire from the gatling end once more.

    "--Agh!"

    It caught his left shoulder before he could fully dodge, shooting with such velocity that the bullet had bore right through his flesh, skeleton, and out of the other side, leaving a clean hole.

    [Health: -400 | 2300/3500]

    Holding his shoulder, he quickly rolled to the side as the Exterminator had leapt towards him, stomping down as the asphalt gave in beneath its stomp.

    ¡­Where the hell is that signal?! He thought.

    As he grasped his shoulder, feeling blood trickle against his gloves, he breathed out as he watched the imposing Defect face him again.

    CLANG.

    ¨CIt echoed from afar. It was an unmistakable sound of steel shing against steel. The force behind it, how much of a dumb move it was¨Cit fit into ce as a small smile of relief went across his lips.

    The signal¡­! Korain did it! Him and Xiaodan made it around! He thought.

    They were a few blocks down already, but Korain had indeed used his ymore to strike a wall of steel with his utmost strength.

    "I made it as loud as I could for him! Do you think that was enough?" Korain asked.

    "It should be plenty¨Clet''s go!" Xiaodan said.

 Chapter 205 The Exterminator

    With that relief flowing through his body, now a weight was flung from his shoulders as he turned around, breaking off into a sprint, but¨C

    The gunfire nearly swallowed him up as he dashed to the side, rolling across the ground and flipping to his feet.

    I can''t¡­! He thought.

    It was in his face already, attempting to st his head into kingdome with that shotgun arm again as he ducked down, though it was more of a fall onto his rear than a proper dodge as the gun sted past him, carving through the wall behind.

    I can''t shake this guy¡­! He thought.

    As he used his hands to lift his lower body, he flipped around as if going into a breakdance with a gathering of energy around his leg.

    "King Kick!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 3150/3900]

    Power swelled around his left leg as he used his taekwondo mastery to m it into the side of the bulky Defect, unleashing a ground-trembling impact.

    For the first time, an attack of his worked as it caused the Exterminator to be stunned for a moment with its pure-white flesh bruising at the point of impact.

    Yes¡­! He thought.

    As he jumped to his feet, he immediately began running, dipping into the alleyway for further coverage and mming his shoulder through the first door he found, nearly stumbling over the trash bags on the other side.

    It was a book store of some sorts, dark and moldy from the neglect of the apocalypse.

    "...Huff¡­"

    He ran forward, using the store as a cover as he ran towards the direction of the radiant Tower in the distance.

    CRASH.

    The wall to his right was blown away as the harrowing sight of the fish-headed, mutated divinity showed itself, having crashed through the wall as if it were simply cardboard.

    Shit¡­! He thought.

    He used the bookshelves as cover, though the hellfire of bullets began once more, carving through the wooden shelves with impunity as books fell all over, dropping onto his head and shoulders as he tried his best to hide.

    ¡­I''m an idiot! Did I really think I could do this?! I got cocky just because I held my own against Dae-Mon, but I only managed against him because he was insane! He yed the whole time and basically let me damage him!--This thing is the total opposite! It''s all work and no y! It wants me dead¨Cno ifs, ands, or buts! He thought.

    It was clear that his makeshift barricade wasn''t going to hold but a mere few seconds as the gunfire spread across the library, decimating the archive of books.

    I have to do something! He told himself.

    Out of pure desperation and perhaps just an ounce of tactical knowledge, he used a powerful front kick to send the shelf in front of him flying forward, propelling it directly towards the gatling-gun toting Defect.

    As it turned the malice of its spinning gun to the shelf thatunched in its direction, filling it with holes and blowing it away, he had already made his move.

    He used the distraction to jump up, running along the wall as the interior of the store was filled with fluttering papers that rained down like snow in a winter storm.

    As light as a feather, he used the papers that glided in the air as footholds for his blinks, traversing the distance across the dested bookstore as bullets chased him in the air.

    Again! Dark Edge, Light de, and Ripper! He thought.

    As he drew within range of one more blink from the Exterminator, looking down at it amidst the bridge of fluttering papers, his left dagger bore the radiance of heaven, and his right manifested the darkness of hell.

    "Purgatory Ripper!"

    [Spirit: -275 | 2975/3900]

    With onest blink downward, hended on the gatling arm of the fiend and executed the flurry of instantaneous strikes that glided into an array of divine and hellish cascades, bestowing their burning impunity onto the flesh of the entity forged only of violence.

    The mixture of the elements of light and darkness inteced with such potent shes etched themselves in tangible cuts across the burly body of the Exterminator.

    It was only for a moment, but after the sessive shes finished, the floors, walls, and ceiling near the target were cleaved by the radiance and darkness.

    "--"

    The Exterminator was as silent as always with its fish mouth always agape and its eyes lifeless, simply standing there as a dozen eviscerations were left on its body.

    "..."

    He exhaled slowly, looking up at it afternding on the ground. The wounds on its body were hardly deep; it was certainly not enough to put it down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not even that¡­? I know it''s a high level, but my skills as an assassin are meant for extreme damage, exploiting weaknesses, and mybined skills amplify that! This thing is a mountain of steel! He thought.

    There wasn''t even enough time to make a run for it again as the Exterminator went back into fight-mode after just a few seconds, still inhabiting the steam on its body from the powerful shes.

    As it rushed him with another shotgun-baybo, he blinked past it, crashing through the front window of the store as he strived to escape from the seemingly unbeatable foe, but it was once again proven futile¨C

    SWOOOOSH.

    He felt the air above his head shift as a shadow passed over him, but he fully realized what it was as it crashed down in front of him in the street,ing down like a meteor.

    "--"

    The Exterminator had leapt the distance of the block, intercepting his escape and staring him down with its lifeless, zed-over eyes.

    "...You''re persistent, I''ll give you that," he mumbled.

    As he was thinking about, and simultaneously dreading, its defensive capabilities, something sprouted in his mind.

    ¡­If physical attacks aren''t doing the job, then let''s try something else, he thought.

    This time he waited for it to charge him before as it once again attempted its seemingly favorite attack.

    Left hand forward, you''ll go for a shotgun-jab! He predicted.

    As it did just that, he hopped straight up, standing over its head as he pointed his hand downward to it:

    "Cast: Poison Cloud!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 2675/3900]

    The green mist of deadly fumes quickly expanded in the air, engulfing the space in which the Exterminator stood, though he still had to maneuver out of the way of a few bay swings and bullets being shot in his direction.

    ¡­There we go. How''s that feel? He thought.

    He watched anxiously with high hopes that were swiftly dashed as the Defect didn''t fall. Though it momentarily thrashed andshed out as the toxic particles that swirled in the air around it, recing the oxygen with deadly fumes, it began to leave the cloud of poison.

    It wasn''t as though he believed the ability to be some sort of end-all-be-all, guaranteed-win, but it certainly had always had more of an effect than what he witnessed.

    Seriously?! It''s not going down¡­?! He thought.

    There was clearly some damage down as it was breathing heavier and more ragged, but the utter drive to kill wasn''t dwindled in the slightest as itunched towards him again.

    Its gatling-turned arm began to morph as it rushed him, shifting into a new, unfamiliar shape as he kept himself ready for whatever wasing.

    "--!"

    Before he could get a look at what that right arm had morphed into, the left was jutted forward with a shotgun sting his way again.

    He used a blink, rolling along the floor with the momentum as he managed to evade the burst of high-speed pellets without being nicked this time.

    As he lifted his gaze again, he saw what shape the right arm of the Exterminator had chosen to take: arge formation of white steel, separated down the middle as strands of lightning coiled around the interior.

    While he looked at it to try and decipher what it was, he began to figure it out as a golden energy gathered within it:

    A railgun?! He realized.

    Just as he came to this realization¨Cit fired.

    Any standing windows were pulverized by the shock wave that emitted; the ground vibrated just as the air, trembling at the might of the condensed, radiant beam of light shot directly towards him.

    In the face of such power; a force that sizzled the air, cooking it and eradicating impurities in its path, he felt his blood shift between an icy cold and a burning heat before he managed to blink out of the way at thest moment.

    Jesus fucking christ¡­! He thought.

    That was the one thought that ran in his mind as he was standing there with his mouth agape, looking behind him at the devastation left in the path of the railgun''s firing.

    In a straight line down the street, the street itself had been carved up and melted, with a tunnel of steam swirling in a perfect shape. Strands of golden electricity hissed out from the steaming sediment left in the carved path of the st.

    His ears were still ringing; looking on as ss had coated the entire block from the destion that had urred over the course of a single moment.

    What kind of ungodly power is that¡­? How is anybody supposed to survive something like that?! He questioned.

 Chapter 206 All You Need Is Kill

    Though he wasn''t allowed to think for very long as once again, that harrowing hum filled his ears.

    It was that golden glow again; though he could only see the silhouette of the Defect through the cloud of steam, he could see the charge of the devastating weapon once again.

    As it sted out once more, he jumped up, avoiding the st though he could feel the air around him being cooked by the vicious heat.

    There''s no defending against that. If I''m caught by it¨CI''m dead. How the hell do I run away now when it''s got a railgun chasing after me?! He questioned.

    Afternding back down, he pushed forward, encircling the Exterminator while it fired its shotgun arm at him while charging its railgun once more.

    ¡­I''ll have to use it. Shit! I didn''t want to use it now¨Cit''s going to tire me out, but I don''t have any other choice! He thought.

    His top priority now was closing the distance, but it was easier said than done with those shotgun pellets constantly firing off at him, keeping him from running straight towards the fish-headed beast, all while that railgun tried to aim at him.

    Lose it¡­Don''t let it fire! He told himself.

    If there was one advantage he had, it was agility and his evasiveness¨Cusing his speedy movements, blinks, and unorthodox routes to throw the railgun off while he continued to close in on the Exterminator.

    It was an inch-by-inch process; the shotgun continuously sted towards him, not restrained by any sort of ammunition or need to reload as the pellets sought to pierce his flesh.

    Closer!...Just a bit closer! He thought.

    As he blinked forward, closing the distance between him and the Defect¨C

    CHNK.

    The smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils as did the sight of sparks and smoke. It was as though his move waspletely predicted by the Boss Defect that was thought to be a mindless killing machine.

    [Health: -800 | 1500/3500]

    "Ghh-!"

    Against his gut, pellets buried themselves through the fabric of his shirt, past his skin, and sank into his flesh with a stinging gyration to their movement.

    It was only by preemptively clenching his muscles did he manage to mitigate the damage, though it was more than enough to still be dreadful.

    "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying¨C"

    Before he could get the words out with the invocation manifesting itself halfway, it was snuffed out as the shotgun-arm sted again, prompting him to move his head to the side, though the pellets still nicked him.

    [Health: -400 | 1100/3500]

    One such pellet slid across his cheek, carving a chunk of flesh out while another nicked his neck and pierced past his ear.

    He gritted his teeth and stomped down,mitting once again to the direly-needed invocation, "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour!"

    [Spirit: -2000 | 675/3900]

    This time, it came.

    Expanding outward from the depths of his being, his innate realm manifested, dragging him and the Exterminator into the pocket space as the scenery around them shifted momentarily into total darkness before revealing itself into its true form.

    As the deste soil appeared beneath his feet and world-clock loomed overhead, he breathed out and clenched his daggers harder than ever before.

    Looking on, the Exterminator''s fish brain seemed overloaded by the existence of the new, momentary realm it was standing in¨Csimply standing statuesque with its gun arms slumped at its sides.

    That''s right¡­You''re in my world now! He thought.

    He didn''t waste a moment as he ran forward, dashing by as he left an "X" crossed sh across the chest of the Exterminator.

    This time, the edges of his ck des pierced the stalwart flesh of the Boss Defect, drawing blood from its abnormal body as it dripped over its burly chest.

    Still, the mindless Exterminator didn''t make any noise or seem to register the damage that was inflicted; simply standing there as if pain itself didn''t exist in whatever brainid in its scaly fish brain.

    I have to kill it. Right here, right now, he thought.

    He continued dashing by, leaving shes on its burly body as the nature of his innate realm allowed him to bypass its defenses, giving his des an unstoppable sharpness.

    Why is it standing still, though? Is its brain fried by the augmented perception or something? He questioned.

    As he went in for another strike, this time aimed for its throat and head¨Che halted just as he witnessed it: the movement of the Exterminator.

    "...No way¡­"

    All across its body, sprouting from every pore and inch of its snow-white form, protruding from its front, back, and even on its face¨Cgun barrels and cannons sprouted.

    What the fuck am I supposed to do?! Those are pointed in every direction!--There''s no cover here! He thought.

    While racing forward, he held his hand forward, invoking his own magecraft before the dozens of flesh-formed weapons fired:<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Cast: Radiant Shield!"

    [Spirit: -50 | 625/3900]

    The golden shield manifested directly in front of him just before the onught of gunfire began. A maddening amount of bullets pelted against his shield as he tried to continue marching forward, but the constant force behind the gunfire attempted to push him back.

    Shit¡­! This fish brain actually thought of a pretty good counter! It''s just firing off without any semnce of a fucking idea of what its hitting! He thought.

    The shield he held in front of himself was being chipped away by the hail of bullets, though he continued dragging his boots forward with the intent ofnding a lethal blow on the imposing foe before him.

    It sounded like a warzone; bullets continued firing off in all directions without stopping. Some fired like an array of shotgun pellets, some more controlled bursts, and some were even highly-pressurized,rge bullets that resembled that of anti-tank shots.

    CHNK.

    All he could do was inch closer, but the gunfire was still chipping away at his magical shield, forcing him to squeeze behind it as the space of protection grew smaller by the moment.

    At this rate, it''s not going tost¡­! I''ll have to recast it the moment it goes down¨Cno! That won''t work! If I try to do that, I''ll be filled with holes by the time the shield is up! I''ll have to do this differently! He thought.

    As he thought about it for the few moments he had to spare as divine hail continued eating away at his defense, he began putting together whatever he could muster:

    Force Stomp, King Kick, and Reinforce! I''ll make the strongest stomp I can create! He thought.

    [New Spell(s) Forged: "Colossus Wrath"]

    It was just as the shield was utterly obliterated did he begin invoking this new spell, raising his leg into the highest ax-kick he could with his heel going straight up beside his own head.

    "Colossus Wrath!"

    [Spirit: -500 | 125/3900]

    This is it¡­! He thought.

    A gathering of potent energy coalesced around his raised leg, sharpening into a glow that vibrated the air around it. Even the bullets thatunched in that redirection had their course subverted by the force emitting from his leg.

    With every ounce of strength in his body, he kicked straight downward into the ground, splitting the wind in the path of his glowing limb before meeting with a mighty stomp that carved through the air like a bolt of lightning from the heavens.

    FWOOOM.

    In the eve of such disastrous strength focused into but his own leg, a massive impact birthed itself, repelling all of theing gunfire as the entirety of the innate realm shook with the soil splitting and light manifesting.

    If what wasing towards him were bullets, then the kick he just unleashed was a devastating bomb¨Cexploding out as powerful streams of wind pressed the Exterminator back.

    "Ngh¡­!"

    A surge of pain resonated through his leg after having stomped down, feeling his swollen muscles squeeze his bones as it cramped up to a ridiculous degree.

    Shit¡­! I brought out too much power! He realized.

    As he ran forward with the opportunity given to him, he winced a bit as there was pain present in using that leg, but it wasn''t anything that would stop him.

    It''s not broken, but¡­it''s not at full capacity. I''ll have to make do¡­! He thought.

    It was reasonable to understand why thebined skill had such a side-effect on his limb after seeing how it still left the sturdy Exterminator concussed.

    There was only a moment spared, but it was enough as he blinked over with full intent of seizing this opportunity he had created for himself.

    If I can just reach its head¡­! He thought.

    Flipping his daggers around, he aimed to pierce its skull in one fell swoop.

    He extended his arm to its utmost, straining his muscles as the fibers felt as if they were being torn apart by the miraculous stretch.

    It was all that was needed; with theplete opening and the nature of his domain, it would take only a simple stab of his weapon.

    Come on¡­! He thought.

    ¨CAnd it sunk in.

    In that moment of sheer desperation, he managed to push his left dagger straight down into its head, though it didn''t feel as if there was a skull there with the minimal resistance that met his de.

    All it felt like was flesh being sank into, but he didn''t question it as hended the decisive blow.

    Or, what he believed to be the decisive blow.

    That''s enough, isn''t it¡­? Then why¡­do I feel something bubbling up again?! He questioned.

 Chapter 207 The Tower

    In the position he was in, it was the worst case scenario as he was directly in front of the Defect which bore an endless amount of barrels from its body.

    The humming of those weapons charging filled his ears in that minuscule passage of time that slowed to a crawl as his heightened perception attempted to find any avenue of escape in the face of insurmountable death.

    All of those guns¡­! I''m right in front of them! What do I do?! Think! Think¨C! He urged himself.

    With no shielding around him, he did the only thing he could think of: release the innate realm.

    Just as it crumbled away, returning them to the desecrated street¨CBOOM.

    All of the guns fired off, though he had no way of defending himself but holding his arms up and praying his daggers took the brunt of the attack.

    He saw it.

    In his slowed perception, gunfire filled his vision like fireworks, lighting the dreadful street around him with its radiance.

    ¡­It''s pretty, he thought.

    For some reason, at that moment, he wasn''t scared. In the face of the inevitable volley of bullets, his mind went at ease, seeing as there was nothing he could do.

    It came.

    It showered down on his flesh like steel rain, piercing the fabric of his clothes and biting past his skin. All he could hope to do was defend his own head, but the rest of his body was subject to the brutal gunfire.

    Through his hands, his feet; his arms, his legs; into his stomach, his chest¡ªit rained down. He had made sure to disable Sage Period before, but it didn''t seem to matter in the end.

    This was death; he was certain of that much.

    ¡­I''m¡­not scared. I don''t regret it! I did what I had to do! Is that what you want to hear?! Do you want to hear mementing my own choices in the end?! Not happening¡­! He thought.

    It felt like an eternity that the bullets ate away at his flesh, filling him with holes as all he could do was stand his ground and hold his daggers in front of his head, flinching each time their steel miraculously deflected in an iing bullet that sought his head.

    ¨CFinally, by some other stray miracle, the gunfire stopped.

    [Health -1000 | 100/3500]

    The streets had been carved up and filled with holes, cars annihted, and windows obliterated. It wasn''t much different for himself as he stood there with steam pouring off of him.

    The gunfire had stopped for one simple reason:

    ["The Exterminator" defeated | +5000 EXP | 19700/20000]

    As the assault came to an end, he couldn''t help butugh to himself as blood seeped out of every orifice of his body.

    "...Just shy of a level, huh? There really is some God out there out to get me¡­"

    He was quivering just standing. There were holes drilled into his body numbering in the dozens; he was drenched in his own blood while simply standing there with heavy breaths.

    [Prioritizing the minimization of blood loss¨C]

    "...Don''t bother¡­" He smiled slightly.

    ¡­I''m done here. I can''t move, he thought.

    After standing for another few moments, he fell over backwards onto the asphalt. There was hardly a beautiful sky to greet his eyes as he stared upward, finding only that hellish horizon staring back down at him.

    I did what I could. That''s enough, right? This time¡­I didn''t let anybody die. That''s good, right?...So, I can rest, then? He thought.

    His breathing was uneven and shallow as he gasped for air through his throat that had been nicked by one of the bullets previously. Each breath came in and out like a wheeze as his lungs and ribs both had been pierced.

    A hum filled his ears as he witnessed strands of light flowing through the crimson clouds above.

    What''s¡­? He thought.

    There were many of these trails of light, all seemingly coalescing at one spot. All he could do was lift his head just slightly as he looked to where they gathered.

    The Tower.

    It was now glowing with such shining divinity like a beacon of hope; vibrating with a warm energy that propelled outward.

    [Attention all yers.]

    [The Tower is now open. Those that have reached the required minimum level of [20] may now enter. There is a Tower avable in each city around the world. They will all meet in the same ce.]

    [Please arrive with haste. The entrance will close in thirty minutes.]

    [Congrattions. Jeong-Hui. You''ve passed the requirement to enter the Tower. Please make your way to your city''s Tower.]

    "..."

    It felt like a cruel joke to him, almost prompting him tough again if he had the vigor to spare for such an act.

    "So close, yet so far," was the sentiment in his mind as he watched the trails of light that pulsated within the hellish clouds.

    Still, he wasn''t bitter for very long as he realized what this meant.

    They''ll make it¡­They''ll get out of here. Yeong-Un, Sol, Korain, Ma-Ri, Eunji, and Xiaodan¡­You''ll all make it, he thought.

    "...Thank goodness¡­"

    It was eptable to him.

    The wounds he suffered; he knew there was no right way he would live on. Blood loss continued, though minimized by his System, it was an inevitable death that was approaching.

    It''s fine. You can''t make stupid choices like I did and expect to go on living scot free, right¡­? I carved my path with my own decisions¡­and if this is where it led me, so be it¡­He told himself.

    As heid there with a puddle of blood forming beneath him with a warmness that gathered under his back, he stared up at the clouded sky with his emerald irises that were hollow of light.

    But, for just a brief moment, he remembered.

    That silver hair; it was always popping up in the corner of his eye.

    "...Kamou¡­"

    The name left his lips weakly. Just saying it invoked a painful twist of his heart and a lump in his throat. That silver hair of hers was as seraphic as the Tower itself; it provided a nostalgic warmth to him even as a fragmented memory.

    It was that warmth that filled his emerald irises with a shine again as he began to twitch his fingers.

    ¡­What am I doing¡­? He questioned.

    Though all he wanted to do wasy still on the dested street and await his end, he began to force himself up.

    Why did Ie all this way¡­? Why did I go through all of that pain¡­? Did they die¡­just so I couldy down and die right before the end¡­? No¡­that''s not it at all¡­! He thought.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    He winced as blood seeped from his lips, using the meager strength left in his dying body as he sat up, feeling the pellets still burrowed in his body, cutting into his flesh from within at the slightest movement.

    By some miracle of its own, he picked himself up to his feet, though nearly fell back over as he stumbled and coughed out a heaping amount of crimson fluid.

    "...Huff¡­"

    As he looked up, he found the world already beginning to change once more with the opening of the Tower having happened: fire rained from the skies, bringing destion to the world below.

    The ground vibrated beneath his feet with the constant rumbling of the falling world, but he dragged his boots forward, leaving a trail of blood as he did so.

    "--"

    Move forward. Just keep¡­moving forward! He urged himself.

    The Tower wasn''t very far, but it was just distant enough to feel like a faraway dream just out of reach of his fingertips. It was a mile away¨Ca straight shot down the street.

    FWOOM.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Loud noises filled his ears, but he kept his eyes forward despite the apocalyptic forces raining down on the world now in its final hours.

    Massive creatures of dark flesh descended on the world, bearing curved horns and auras of utter dread.

    [Enemy Identified: ??? | Level 300]

    He didn''t pay them any mind; there was only enough willpower and strength in his body to focus simply on moving forward.

    Move it¡­Just keep¡­moving it! He thought.

    The pale-white pellets that were shot at him had either bore holes right through him or remained in his flesh still; those that remained continued to twist and stab into his interior bio with each step he took forward.

    Each step was a massive deration of his will to live; they were slow and hardly of much progress, but he continued dragging his boots along.

    The gunfire had fractured many of his bones¨Cespecially those in his legs as his femur had a pellet drilled right into it still, creating an unbearable agony with each step taken.

    Fuck¡­! It hurts! Just¡­clench your teeth, dammit! He thought.

    He wanted to give in. It was a torturous act just to continue walking forward. What made it worse was the idea that he did have the capabilities of disabling his own sense of pain, but that would only be possible within Sage Period. But, activating Sage Period at such proximity to death was simply uneptable.

    If a demon or Defect came his way, it''d be game over. At this point, even the smallest scratch would bury him in the decaying Earth.

    Don''t think about the pain¡­! Don''t! Don''t!...Don''t! He repeated.

    He''d continued to hope that eventually the pain would be too much and that his body would simply abandon the concept of pain entirely, but no such respite was found in his egregious, desperate march.

    "...Huff¡­"

    Exhaling sharply, his own breaths felt like mes exuding from his nostrils and between his clenched teeth.

    Blood trickled down from his forehead as deflected bullets had still scraped his head beforehand, leaving his own blood running across his eyes in an attempt to blind him.

    ¨C

    It was in clear sight now. In full view, but just two blocks away now, he saw the opened entrance of the Tower. In every way, it was immacte¨Cshining brightly like a star in the night sky; the lone beauty left in the decaying world.

    "Just a bit further," he had to repeat to himself continuously just to supplement his body with embers of motivation to continue.

    The world was inplete shambles; around him buildings decayed to the falling mes, the atmosphere was thin of oxygen and bountiful of smoke; cracks began to stretch along the asphalt as the gargantuan entities in the distance continuedying destion across the Earth''s crust.

    Giants of abyssalplexion carved up the streets, striking down the creations of mankind and stamping out any remnants of its existence.

    "This is the end," he realized when looking upon this dreadful scenery.

    It was all over. The world he was born on, that served as the catalyst for a flourishing history, was now being unraveled by the will of its creator.

    But, there was no time to say goodbye, and no time toment its end¨Call there was inside of his body was the will to keep marching forward with his broken body.

    The temperature was nothing short of scorching; it was already an unlivable environment for humans by this point as mes seemed to intece the air itself. It infiltrated his lungs, making it even harder to breath on top of them being pierced and bruised from his sustained injuries.

    "--"

    As he huffed out with the smell of fire and blood filling his nose, he continued dragging himself forward¨CBOOM.

    One of the nearby buildings exploded, releasing into mes as the shock wave emitted outward, knocking him down as any passing breeze might have.

    "Ghh¡­!"

    Even just falling like that was agony. His flesh was tender and his bones brittle, but he began to pick himself up once more.

    ¡­I want it¡­I want to live, too! He thought.

    He dug his fingernails into the asphalt as he managed to weakly raise himself to his feet again, marching forward.

    The vision he was equipped with was hazy at best; the blurry world around him was orange, illuminated by mes and clouded by ash.

    Inside of his lungs, ash and smoke billowed as he coughed out a mixture of saliva and blood, pushing on as he drew closer to the Tower''s opening now.

    It was so close; he could see it clearly now: an entrance forged of light, opened in the body of the radiant structure. Such a door seemed like the gates of Heaven itself.

    ¡­Don''t do this to me now, body. Not when we''re this close. Not after all of this. Just a bit further! He thought.

    There were only but a dozen steps between him and the seraphic opening; a breeze of golden light emitted from the Tower''s entrance, brushing past him with a warmth unlike any he had felt before.

    "--"

    Each breath came as aborious task; his bruised and shattered ribs felt as if they were prodding his lungs with each inhale.

    ¡­Please¡­He thought.

    Around him, the world continued to be on the receiving end of utter destruction; buildings crumbled and streets were carved up, and all he could do was drag his feet little by little.

    "Gah-!"

    As he reached out towards the entrance, the strength in his body finally gave out, resulting in him falling over just short of the light-forged door.

    "--"

    There was nothing more painful than this situation. Nothing in his life felt quite so bitter and spiteful than falling now of all times¨Cjust mere inches short of reaching the heavenly entrance to the Tower.

    I can''t feel my legs¡­! My body¡­is giving out! He thought.

    All he could do was hardly move his fingertips, attempting to drag himself forward, though that was aplete longshot.

    "--"

    As heid there on the ground with his ears ringing from the destion thundering throughout the world in itsst hours, he looked up.

    He saw a sight that he didn''t know whether he weed or wished stayed in the back of his mind. But, it was there.

    "...Kamou¡­? Myung-Hee? Hyun? Ara?" He said quietly through a weak voice.

    It was hazy at best, but there was no mistaking the figures he saw in front of him, standing over him.

    What he expected were expressions of scorn; words of belittlement and a true outlet of their spite towards his failures. Part of him wanted that¨Che needed to hear it; there needed to be a tangible exnation for hismentation.

    But, they were simply smiling. There were no words given to him.

    It''s so warm, he thought.

    For that moment, all of the pain inside of his body subsided, if only for that moment, but it was enough.

    There was only numbness throughout his limbs, but he gritted his teeth and summoned what meager strength he had left anyway, pressing his palms against the burning asphalt as he began to slowly lift himself.

    My story won''t end here¡­There''s still so much I have to do¨Cso much I have to know, he thought.

    [Undying Proficiency: +1 | 4/20]

    [Zombie Self-Sustain: +1 | 3/10]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: System Evolution]

    With a quivering body and lungs filled with ash, he returned to his feet. Though just a slightly stronger gust of wind would be enough to knock him down, he pushed forward onest time, stepping past the threshold of light.

    Everything was put into that final stride forward; only one foot was left standing on Earth as the other stepped past the boundary of Heaven¨Cwith the next movement, the world behind him would be gone forever.

    He looked back once more, seeing the crimson horizon, lit aze by the destruction set into it by forces of unknown scale.

    "--"

    There wasn''t a word that came to mind before he finally looked forward once more, stepping into the entrance of the unknown, ever-enigmatic Tower.

 Chapter 208 The First Floor

    It was a single step.

    An act learned as an infant; so basic and fundamental. But, right here and at this moment, a step was what led to the crossing between realities, the venture from one world into another, and the parting of himself from Earth.

    "--"

    As he stepped through the entrance to the Tower, the scenery around him immediately shifted from the dark destion that swallowed Earth into an immacte white.

    It was an explicable feeling that surrounded him; what was once wind felt like an entirely different concept from what was on Earth.

    A swirling force; an energy that was subtle, but surely there¨Cunseen, butpletely felt.

    Wind¡­? No, this feels like¡­the ''origin''--this is where¡­everything started? I can''t exin it. It just feels like my body¨Cno, my soul¨Cunderstands this, he thought.

    As he blinked once more, he found himself standing in a vast chamber, forged of white, quartz walls and filled with people.

    ¡­People? yers? He thought.

    It was an enigmatic area, and he had little idea what to make of anything, but it seemed he wasn''t the only one as there were a lot of people voicing their confusion of this new area.

    "This is the ''Tower''?"

    "What''s going on here?!"

    "It''s kind of creepy¡­"

    All he could do was stand there, inhabiting a balcony section that was also filled with many people as he checked his own body.

    The pain had seamlessly vanished once he entered the bounds of the mysterious Tower, and he didn''t feel that looming coldness of death anymore.

    "Health status," he whispered.

    [Health Points: 3500/3500]

    "What? How¡­?" He questioned.

    [Question Recognized¡­]

    [Answer: Upon entering the Tower, all of your [Health] and [Spirit] was restored.]

    It was an easy enough exnation for him to buy, though he was still left confused by why he and so many people were simply standing in this immacte, all-white area, left without any answers.

    ¡­Where are the others? Did they manage to get in?...There''s no way they didn''t, right? He thought.

    As he looked around, trying to find his friends, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack with so many people filling the vast space, and many of them wearing simr, white uniforms.

    Though he managed to, by some miracle, see a familiar set of faces in the distance: unmistakable blue hair paired with mixed colored eyes, a bandana-wearing coward, and a girl with icy-blue eyes that were standout even from their distance.

    Yeong-Un, Sol, and Ma-Ri¡­?! They''re over there! He thought.

    Even though he wanted to reunite with them as soon as possible, there was no feasible way as they were all the way across the immacte space, on the opposing balcony behind a flood of people.

    And, before he could even think to move, something appeared¨Can entity thatmanded the attention of everybody present.

    It wasn''t "God", or at least it didn''t appear to be so.

    What manifested in the center of the vast hall of divinity was a woman; she was certainly tall¨Ctowering at least ten meters high, dressed in majestic, tinum-armor with flowing, silver locks and golden eyes that bore cross-shaped irises.

    "Wee, strongest of mankind. All of you here are those that had both the will and strength to survive and make it this far¨Cthat is mostmendable; be proud."

    The voice of the seraphic, giant woman was soothing, but almost robotic in a way of there being no other emotion other than kindness in it.

    Though the enigmatic woman spoke words that sounded something akin to apliment, none of the people standing in the space were in a celebratory mood¨Conly quietly listening for their fate.

    "You''re the pinnacle of your species. There are ten-thousand-four-hundred and sixty-two of you that have reached the Tower."

    That information made his heart drop at such a number.

    ¡­Ten-thousand? He thought.

    He knew surely that humanity had dwindled quite a ways since the beginning of Armageddon, but knowing that such a feeble number from the original billions that existed before was harrowing, but at the same time made him appreciate the fact that he had made it.

    Others around him were clearly taken aback by this information as well, with some crying, and even some seemingly ranged¨Cbut some seemed to not care with even an outlet of empathy.

    "I am Varuel; it''s my honor to wee you all to the Tower," the silver-haired woman said.

    It seemed the gentle words spoken weren''t enough for some people as from the crowd of survivors, a man yelled out:<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What the hell is this ce, anyway?! Is this Heaven?!"

    The divine woman seemed to not like the random outburst, though she responded with a single word, "Silence."

    It wasn''t as if the man had his lips forcibly sewn closed, but the singr word was enough to squelch any other utterances.

    "Where you''re all standing is not Heaven itself. The ''Tower'' is the ascension to Heaven, so to speak," Varuel exined.

    Ascension? He questioned.

    A lot of mumbling went on around him, though people seemed to keep their chatting to a low out of fear of drawing the giant, divine woman''s gaze.

    Varuel lifted her hand, manifesting a projection that disyed the Tower itself, though it was scaled down and see-through, disying what looked like a high number of floors within.

    "The ''Tower'' is actually a structure known as ''The Record of Humanity''--a recreation and storage of humanity''s most prominent eras and creations; including fiction itself," Varuel told, "Within ''The Record of Humanity'', there are three floors that must be ascended before reaching Heaven."

    This exnation all but confirmed a suspicion he had held all of this time, one that he knew was likely, but it was harrowing nheless.

    ¡­The fight isn''t over¨Cnot even close. It''s¡­just beginning, he realized.

    Varuel continued, "These three floors are each unique and vastly different; within them are creatures that will prove as obstacles to you in your ''Ascension.'' You will find guardians on each floor¨Cthe most powerful entities of each floor, acting as barriers between one floor to the next."

    "Three floors¡­?"

    "What?! That''s not fair!"

    "We did what you asked!...W-we survived!"

    Unsurprisingly, people weren''t happy about this realization. Some had even begun crying near him, though most of those tears were apanied by rage.

    He wasn''t foreign to this feeling, in fact, he understood well what was going through their minds: all of the suffering, stress, and loss from these hellish months were all fought with the idea of it all being for the sake of reaching the "Tower"--yet, that Tower was only the ultimate obstacle for them.

    ¡­Three floors, then we can reach Heaven? If what we experienced out there was just the culling of humanity¨Cjust what kind of level is ''The Record of Humanity'' at, anyway?! Shit¡­He thought.

    Varuel didn''t flinch at all at the yells of the people below, but as the pale-skinned, divine woman lifted not but a single finger, all the chattering fell silent.

    "Please be prepared for the floors of the Record of Humanity. Each will be an entirely new world with newws, creatures, and discoveries for you to find. They''re vast in scope and unforgiving in challenge," Varuel said, cing her hands together in a prayer, "I wish you all the best. One minute from now, you will all fall into something akin to slumber¨Cwhen you awake, you will be on the first floor: ''The Dragon Kingdom.''"

    Just like that, there was little information given, but their next challenge would begin without any reprieve.

    What¡­? It''s already beginning? He thought.

    Around him, the other survivors of Armageddon were shocked by the sudden start as well, having to either gather themselves or lose themselvespletely.

    He looked in the distance once more, catching a glimpse of his friends just before that one minute arrived, and his consciousness went into slumber¨C

    No matter how many times it takes. No matter how much I have to fight¨Cthere''s always something left ahead of me. There''s always a struggle; always despair around the corner; always pain waiting for me. It''s no exception this time. All over again, I''ll ascend.

    I''ll reach for the highest heights¨Cthis time, I''m not taking any half-measures; I''ll annihte any obstacles in my path if it means reaching myrades, he thought.

    From this conviction, his System recognized his desires and implemented its own changes, though unbeknownst to him.

    [Sage System Evolution.]

    [Merciless Increased.]

    [Empathy Suppressed.]

    [Jeong-Hui: Improvement of Mentality: Complete.]

    ¨C

    An unknown amount had passed before he opened his eyelids once again, slowly parting them as he found himself staring up at a surprising sight: a pale, blue sky, calm and tranquil, with fluffy clouds slowly traversing its scale.

    "--" He stared up for a minute.

    Beneath him, he felt the prickly sensation of grass beneath his body. He inhaled deeply, taking in the oxygen that was surprisingly fresh.

    What is this? It''s¡­beautiful, he thought.

    Compared to the hellish horizon he''d grown used to seeing, he was practically in paradise, though he was perplexed as to why.

    He slowly sat up, finding himself sitting in arge, far-spanning field of verdant grass that was overlooked by the pleasant sky.

    "What happened¡­?" He mumbled to himself, holding his head.

 Chapter 209 Porkchops, Anybody?

    "What happened¡­?" He mumbled to himself, holding his head.

    After pondering for a moment, racking his brain for hisst memories, he finally remembered what happenedst.

    That''s right¡­I reached the Tower¨Cthatdy said we''d fall asleep and wake up within the first floor¡­so, this is a floor in the Tower? This doesn''t seem like just some floor¨Cwas it true, then? I thought it was an exaggeration when she said each floor is a separate world, he thought.

    It was confusing, but it seemed to be the only usible exnation for the unfamiliar scenery around him.

    He brought himself to his feet, brushing off his pants as he continued looking around. The distant surroundings were made up of towering mountains that seemed to reach higher than any he had seen before; piercing the clouds and almost acting like walls around the region.

    I don''t get it, what am I supposed to do here¡­? I''m in the middle of nowhere, he thought.

    Grumble.

    Growling out, his stomach let out its own verbalint as he caressed it, now realizing just how hungry he actually was.

    Damn, when was thest time I ate¡­? He wondered.

    Despite the tranquil scenery around him, the instincts he had forged throughout his time surviving Armageddon were still on high-alert as he began marching through the unfamiliar fields.

    ¡­There''s gotta be something nearby, right? He thought.

    It seemed like the pasture stretched on endlessly as he walked across its vast coverage, finding the gentle breeze and fresh air to fill his body almost like a medicine.

    Eventually, after trekking forward for around an hour, he did find something new, if only a change in environment: a lustrous forest that weed him in through a barely-visible trail.

    In fact, the trail he found was something only able to be sensed because of his proficiency as an assassin.

    First on the agena: food, he thought.

    Though it was clear he wasn''t going to have the luxury of just being able to walk into some abandoned store and find leftover cans of vegetables or meat just sitting around¨Cit looked as if everything was going to have to be from scratch.

    ¡­It''s time to get medieval with it, I guess, he thought.

    The grumbling of his stomach forced away any reluctances he had as he began looking not just for any wild game stalking the forest, but natural grown fruit as well.

    It definitely wasn''t as if there was a shortage of berries, but there was another problem at hand:

    I don''t know what any of these are!...Isn''t it like the first rule of survival to not just stick random berries in your mouth? He thought.

    There were extremely colorful assortments of berries hanging on shrubs, but that colorful nature is what made him hesitant.

    Do I have some sort of poison resistance as an assassin, at least¡­? He questioned.

    [Answer: With your [Venomancy] proficiency, you''ve acquired a baseline resistance to all poisons and ailments.]

    The System''s response did alleviate some of his restraints, but he was still skeptical. However, his stomach didn''t have the same witholdences as him as it growls again, prompting him to sigh out and collect the berries he found.

    Alright, risks need to be taken¡­! He thought.

    As he plucked the pink and green polka-dotted berries from one of the tall shrubs¨Cit moved.

    "Huh?"

    The bush in front of him began violently rustling, but it''s not as if there was an animal of sorts moving around inside of it.

    What''s¡­? He thought.

    His instincts prompted him to jump back and draw his daggers as the bush he was picking from suddenly sprouted up, unraveling thorn-covered roots that swayed around like arms.

    "What the¨C?!" He let out.

    [Enemy Identified: "Man-Eating Shrub" | Level 17]

    It was definitely a new sight¨Ca living, angry nt that was definitely capable of doing as its name suggested.

    Level seventeen? He thought.

    Though it was a surprising enemy to run into, the level it possessed was nothing short ofughable for the young man as he almost felt as if it was a mistake.

    The living, thorn-d ntshed out, tossing its spiky roots towards him, but he simply moved his daggers without much haste, cutting the natural tendrils apart casually. It was remarkably slow to his eyes, and no more threatening than a mouse as he made little effort in dispatching the mystical creature.

    "--Down you go," he said.

    With a single blink step, he left a few shes across its form, cutting it up and instantly dispelling it without any trouble.

    ["Man-Eating Shrub" Defeated. EXP + 100 | 19800/20000]

    It wasn''t surprising that the experience obtained was minuscule, as the enemy he fought was so far beneath his own level.

    This encounter was a relief for him, but not because of what it meant for his own survival for the time being.<novelnext></novelnext>

    If the creatures are at this level, then the others will be fine. I''m guessing since the requirement to reach the Tower was just level twenty, it would make sense the creatures on the first floor are around that level, he thought.

    As another part of his victory, he decided to im the pink berries he initially tried to pick from the sentient shrub, taking them with him as he delved deeper into the forest.

    Part of him was simply enamored with the domain of verdant, flourishing trees itself, exploring it with a certain excitement as he marched through its uneven flooring, using his daggers to cut through low-hanging branches.

    Earth was hell for a while. Even before Hell literally descended on it. I¡­forgot about the beautiful parts of it¨Clike this. Though I guess this isn''t "Earth" exactly, is it? It''s some sort of recreation by "God"--but, isn''t that what Earth is, anyway? I don''t know, he thought.

    He sat down for a moment, finding a fallen over, moss-covered tree trunk to use as a bench as he took out the berries he had acquired, bringing them from his pocket and looking down at them on his palm.

    There was a rainbow-like variety of them as he poked at them, rolling them around between his fingers as he picked up a bright-blue variation, sniffing it.

    It smells sweet. Is that a good sign or bad? He thought.

    He realized that with theck of knowledge he had was only going to work against him if he tried to think about it, and instead chose to rely on his built-in poison resistance as he popped the natural-grown nutrients into his mouth.

    It was somewhat crunchy, for some reason, but even more than that, it was juicy.

    It''s sweet¨Cso fresh, he thought.

    A natural smile came over his lips for what felt like the first time in a long time at this small piece of joy, but he couldn''t help it. It felt like forever since he had something so authentic, fresh, and refreshing.

    Being able to sit there amidst untampered nature, snacking on berries, having made it to the Tower¨Che felt as if so much weight had been lifted from his body.

    But, he wasn''tpletely relieved.

    ¡­I still have to find the others, he thought.

    As he ate a few more berries, he got up and continued trekking through the forest in his lonesome journey.

    ¨C

    ["Somewhere Else", Floor One]

    "What the hell is up with this¡­? I''m totally gettin nowhere!"

    Standing on top of a mountain peak, the young man with spiky, blue hair and sharp teeth yelled out to the horizon.

    "Gimme my damn status," he huffed.

    [Name: Yeong-Un]

    "Damn, right."

    [Health: 5200/5200]

    [Spirit: 3800/3800]

    [Level 29]

    [Current Experience: 21500/25000]

    Sitting down for a moment on the edge of the grass-clung mountain, he let his legs dangle as clouds passed by directly beside him, overlooking great ins and forests that sat below.

    "Seriously, where the hell am I¡­? Is this really that ''Tower'' ce?" He mumbled.

    I was right beside the others before¡­BAM, I passed out¡­then I woke up, snoring and crap, right on the edge of this mountain! He thought.

    As a small noise caught his ear, he ced his hand on one of his swords sheathed on his back, staying still as he listened closer.

    STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

    There was something prowling in the midst, approaching him from behind as he slowly nced behind him while rising to his feet.

    It came from a cave burrowed into the heart of the mountain¨Can enormous ram with curved horns and a fluffy coat of silver wool.

    A damn goat¡­? He thought.

    Though it was definitely fantastical inparison to simr animals that existed on Earth¨Cit was easily the size of a moose, or perhaps even a small elephant, staring him down with its beady ck eyes as it began to scrap its split hooves against the gravely floor.

    [Enemy Identified: "Cloud-Dwelling Ram" | Level 19]

    "...Angry fe, aintcha?"

    Well, I am pretty fuckin hungry right about now¡­He thought.

    He drew both of his des from his ck-and-white sheaths, holding his shark-like smile as he looked his enemy down.

    "Well,e at me, then!" He yelled out, issuing a challenge to the massive ram.

 Chapter 210 Dragonkin

    "Well,e at me, then!" He yelled out, issuing a challenge to the massive ram.

    Of course, with the level of the beast, it stood little chance against the man that possessed a growling stomach. In just a couple shes, the giant ram was felled, prompting him to carry the spoils of his hunt into the cave.

    "Alright¡­easy does it," he said with a strained smile.

    It was definitely much more difficult to actually bring the body of the beast with him than it was to y it, as he dragged its massive body into the cave.

    As he reached the innards of the dark cave, he ced the giant ram down and huffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead before he nced around.

    "Fire¡­need some damn fire¨Cfor light and cookin this thing!" He said out loud.

    Luckily, the flourishing mountain was inhabited by plentiful trees, which he chopped up for some wood before bringing back to the cave, tossing some into a spot and conjuring a fire by using his own skills.

    "Huzzah! That''s the power of magic, baby!" Heughed.

    It felt more satisfying to use fire for this purpose than to burn enemies, as he gifted himself with a healthy me.

    There was a lot of effort that went into it, but he managed to properly cut up the huge ram and begin cooking it, having a hefty serving of meat for himself.

    "Nom!"

    He bit into the harsh meat, tugging at it and chewing at it as he watched the azure sky from his spot in the cave.

    You better have made it, fire-head. Things have gotten a whole lot more interesting here, he thought.

    After finishing his meal, there was definitely a vital part missing from the necessities needed to survive:

    "Damn, my throat''s dry!"

    I need water, dammit, he thought.

    As he got up, he decided to pack up some of the leftovers from the beast in a makeshift container of leaves before heading out from the cave, beginning his descent down the mountain.

    Pretty sure I saw some rivers or something sitting below, he thought.

    cing a de of grass between his lips, he nonchntly marched down the trail that spiraled down the mountain, chewing on the piece of grass while doing so.

    The mountain was definitely not some untouched piece ofnd, as the trail wasn''t something that looked naturally formed, but carved out.

    What even is this ce, anyway? We''re in a tower, right? So why''s it like¡­a whole world and crap? Pretty damn annoying¨Ccan''t they exin shit to us?! He thought.

    As he descended the trail, he came to a stop while his hands were tucked into his pockets, finding two figures sitting by a campfire on a piece of t stone protruding from the side of the towering rock formation.

    "Huh?" He raised an eyebrow.

    Looking at the two, quiterge men that were sitting around the campsite, he was definitely surprised by the size they were¨Cthey both were built like professional basketball yers, dressed in armor formed of shells with raw hide beneath.

    "Hey! Do ya two have any idea what''s going on ''round here?" He asked.

    Though as he called out to the two men, he felt his question was wrongly given as they noticed his presence, looking towards him.

    They had sharp eyes; vertical slits like beasts and cheeks that had an odd texture, like scales. By their facial features, they both looked of chinese origin.

    What''s up with these guys¡­? They don''t seem right, he thought.

    By their equipment that seemed dated and unlike the uniforms usually seen of equip and the mysterious scales that covered some portions of their skin, it was clear that something was different about the tall men.

    As they stood up slowly, he watched their hands move towards the long scabbards situated at their hips.

    He didn''t waste any time cing his hands on the handles of his sheathed des either, staring the two, beast-eyed men down, "...Easy does it. I''m not lookin for a fight."

    What''s up with these guys? They''re freakin huge and their outfits are different. I don''t get the vibe that they''re yers, he thought.

    It was only once the long des the two men possessed began to be drawn did the System finally give away their information to him:

    [Yinlong Soldier | Bowen: Level 22]

    [Yinlong Soldier | Bambang: Level 23]

    As he learned of their basic titles, he drew his des in response, staying cautious as he watched the silent, stone-faced soldiers hold their des up, squaring off against him.

    "Yinlong Soldier"--the hell is that? They''ve got names¡­they''re people¨Cbut, they''re not people? Damn, I''m confused! He thought.

    "Hey! I''m not really in the mood for killin humans right now, so let''s call a truce, ya got that?!" He called out.

    "Quiet, invader," the one named Bowen said.

    "You can save your words for the dragon, once you meet him in the afterlife," the one named Bambang told him.

    He was mistaken as some sort of intruder, but he didn''t recall trespassing into any privatend as he had simply been on the mountain this entire time. Though he didn''t like the idea of having to fight fellow humans, it didn''t seem he was given much of a choice.

    "...It''s yer loss then, not mine," he said quietly.

    As he wielded both of his des, the two, tall and burly men dressed in ancient armor that resembled B.C. era Chinese equipment charged at him with surprising swiftness.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though the two native warriors of this unfamiliarnd swung at him simultaneously, he managed to block both of their des with his own.

    "--!" Bowen and Bambang both looked surprised.

    He smiled while holding both of their swords back, "...Surprised, aintcha? Well, no take backs! Ya started this, ya better see it through now!"

    Summoning further strength, his muscles bulkened momentarily as he forced both of the warriors back with a mighty push.

    "Raging Ox!" He yelled out.

    Due to the nature of his special incantations used for his unique ss, it bolstered his physical state¨Camplifying his strength and speed greatly.

    The "Raging" is for amplification, and wind. "Ox" is used forplete, brute force! I usually stick with "Dragon" as that one brings out the strongest elements, but this''ll do for chumps like this! He thought.

    The nature of his skills worked differently than most. It wasn''t as if one type of beast invocation summoned one specific element, but each were different tiers of strength, such as "Tiger" bringing out medium-power mes, but "Dragon" bringing out even more.

    With "Ox", he brought out a medium-level amount of physical amplification.

    "What''s this strength?! Is he one of the ''Scarlet Wings''?!" Bambang called out.

    "It doesn''t matter! We must seize his head¨Cfor Emperor Jiao-Long!" Bowen yelled.

    He grinned as veins pressed against his skin, "--I dunno who this Emperor Joe-whoever is, but just try and take my head!"

    Thement from him sent the two warriors into a visible rage as they bothunched towards him, beginning to strike at him with their lengthy steel as he deflected their shes while still grinning.

    "You''ll pay for your insolence, invader!" Bambang yelled.

    Just as the tall, ponytail-wearing warrior yelled out, a sh cut through his chest, stifling his words.

    Heughed out, "Did anybody teach ya not to talk so much in battle?! Yer wide open!"

    "Ghh!" Bambang winced as veins protruded against the grizzled warrior''s forehead.

    After getting the visceral sh against the warrior, he stepped back as a powerful overhead strike tried to take his neck,ing from therade of the man.

    "--Stay focused, Bambang!" Bowen yelled.

    "Right," Bambang straightened himself out.

    To his surprise, the one he had just cut, who suffered a massive gash across his chest that bled heavily, was standing up with a focused expression, intently watching him.

    Woah, woah now¡­what''re these guys made out of? It''s like he doesn''t even feel pain! He thought.

    "Let''s unleash it," the warrior named Bowen said as his spiky, dark-brown hair swayed in the wind.

    "Yeah," the warrior named Bambang nodded.

    ''Unleash it''? The hell do they mean? He questioned.

    Suddenly, before his eyes, the two warriors began to shift; their muscles swelled and their limbs lengthened. The fingers they possessed stretched out as their fingernails shifted into sharp, w-like shapes.

    The dark-gray scales that were sparsely on their skin extended, spreading across their entire body as their bodies morphedpletely.

    It was such an abnormal sight that he was caught inplete curiosity, watching as the two shifted into seemingly entirely different species.

    Tails sprouted from behind the men''s backs; they grew in size enough, bulkening to such lengths that the armor over their upper bodies tore away.

    They''re¡­reptiles? Dragons?! He realized.

    The two warriors still possessed humanoid physiques, but were d in gray scales and their faces had shifted, now possessing snouts and fangs, still wielding their swords as their tails smacked against the ground.

    [Dragonkin Bowen | Level 25]

    [Dragonkin Bambang | Level 26]

    "Come, invader," Bambang said in a deeper, scratchier voice.

    "...We''ll end you here," Bowen added.

    They were certainly imposing now, if they weren''t before; both of the dragon-men scratched a height of three meters, oozing a new, strong aura.

    "Alright! Ya want me toe at ya this time?! With pleasure!" He yelled out with a smile.

    As he crossed his des, he silently invoked his next skill:

    "Red Dragon, Green Rhino!"

    The invocation of [Red Dragon] allowed each of his des to be engulfed in raging mes, while the other invocation covered his skin in a translucentyer of mysterious amplification.

    "Let''s do this!" He yelled out excitedly.

 Chapter 211 In The Wild

    "Let''s do this!" He yelled out excitedly.

    Springing forward, he spun around and swung his des, unleashing a wall of fire against both of the dragon-turned warriors.

    It was a momentary whirlwind of scarlet mes that swirled around both of the warriors, swallowing them in its burning wrath before dissipating.

    "Wait, wha¨C"

    Catching him off-guard, the enemies before him weren''t harmed in the least from the scorn of the mes as the one with the ponytailunched forward, mming its fist into his stomach.

    "Pyuh-!" He spit out the air from his lungs.

    As he wasunched back, he mmed into the body of the mountain, being embedded in the caved-in rock.

    Bambang slowly walked towards him, "An insult. Did you believe your mes could harm our scales? We''re one of the Dragon''s blood. me is the very essence of our blood."

    "Huh?" Bowen let out.

    To the dragon-men''s surprise in turn, the young man grinned despite the attack he suffered, dislodging himself from the mountainside and hopping onto his feet without a scratch on him.

    "How is this possible? I hit you with all of my strength!" Bambang growled.

    He smirked, "I''ve got the hide of a rhino right now! A little lizard like you ain''t shit!"

    "You¡­!" Bambang clenched his teeth.

    "Bambang, wait¨C!" Bowen called out.

    However, the ponytail-wearing dragon-manunched forward anyway, solely approaching the young, sharp-toothed man with clear anger boiling in his blood.

    "I''ll have your head for your insolence, invader!" Bambang roared.

    "Talk is cheap!" Heughed out loud.

    This time, the warrior charged at him with speed that momentarily took him by surprise, forcing him to have to lean back to avoid the swift strike sent his way.

    ¨CHe got faster¨CI just thought he got bigger! He thought.

    It didn''t let up with just a single attack; he was forced to flip to the side as it went for another strike. In addition to the increase in speed, the sheer strength it possessed was amplified greatly¨Cresulting in a straight line of stone being cut through cleanly.

    Huh?That coulda killed me! He thought.

    For just a moment, he''d forgotten that he was facing two adversaries¨Conly remembering this once he felt the wind pressure shift behind him, ncing back to find therade of the other behind him.

    The scale-d foe was already midway through a swing aimed for his neck, to which he opted to guard against instead of dodging.

    He had to solely rely on his own physical merit to block the attack, which proved difficult as the moment the dragon-turned warrior''s steel shed against his own, he was knocked back several feet.

    This power¨C! It''s no joke! He thought.

    There was a difference from gauging an opponent''s strength from sight rather than feeling it out and experiencing it first-hand; that was what he had just experienced. He didn''t properly prepare himself for his opponent''s strength, so he wasunched back.

    Though he managed to flip around and catch himself on his feet, he quickly found himself being pressured by the two warriors instantly.

    ¡­No mercy, huh? Fine, then! He thought.

    It was a dangerous gambit fighting on the edge of a mountain, but he made do as he sprinted along the edge of the trail, sliding off intentionally and running along the side of it in an unorthodox path.

    "Hunting Wolf," he invoked.

    Unlike the "Rhino" invocation, this one opted more for speed, even more so focusing on sheer nimbleness than anything as he effortlessly ran along the side of the mountain, with only the floor far below underneath him.

    This unquestionably took the unknown warriors by surprise as he sprung back up,unching himself with a spinning sh that was aimed for one of their necks.

    "What?! Who moves like that?!" Bowen said.

    ¨CBut, such words were snuffed out as the dragon-turned warrior had his head cleaved off by the speedy attack. It was a seamlessly executed attack, leaving Bambang frozen in silence for a solid moment.

    It dropped to the ground: Bowen''s perplexed expression.

    A flood of emotions seemed to exude from the scale-d warrior, who had little restraint on himself as he yelled out.

    Bambang swelled up in rage, shouting out as he stomped out the ground below, "Insolence! A barbaric, no-name invader like yourself striking down a Yinlong soldier?! I will not stand for such baffling disrespect!"

    In the depths of blind rage, the gray-scaled warrior seemed to shift more into "dragon" than "man", flinging himself towards him as there was no semnce of grace left in his swordy.

    "Fall! Fall! Fall!"

    Using his de like a club, Bambang swung it around rapidly and without any technique, simply aiming to cleave the young man, one way or another.

    He weaved through the rampant shes, using his dual-wielded des to deflect those that sailed too close to his own flesh.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Angry, huh?! Ain''t it the warrior''s way to die on the battlefield, or somethin?!" He yelled out with a smirk.

    Bambang''s veins grew even more prominent as he growled, "--Don''t you dare speak of a warrior''s pride, you ignorant barbarian!"

    Though try as he might, Bambang simply was unable to connect the edge of his silver de to the skin of the scar-covered young man with two different colored eyes.

    This failure tond but a single ncing blow infuriated the dragon-shifted soldier further, causing each sh of his de to crack the surrounding stone and invoke the air to hiss as it was cut.

    "--You''ll pay!"

    "Sayin it won''t make ite true!" He replied.

    Just as he said those words, he harshly deflected the iing strike, causing the towering dragon-man to stumble back, leaving himpletely open.

    Alright¨Clemme finish this one in an instant! Azure Dragon, Raging Tiger! He thought.

    Around both of his des, azure strands of electricity formed, coiling around the shining steel as his muscles slightly swelled again.

    It all happened in an instant¨C

    From the moment the hiss of lightning was heard, and the birth of a thunderp sounded out¨CBambang was dead.

    Huh¡­? Bambang thought.

    To the dragon-shifted warrior, the world was upside down in his eyes. It was a perplexing sight¨Cthe clouds were at his feet, and the blue sky had shifted into a rocky horizon.

    Oh¡­I''ve lost my head, Bambang realized.

    It was as if lightning had shed past the dragon''s eyes initially; such a sight of grandiose elements that it wasn''t even initially perceived.

    Hended several meters beyond where he had initially sprung, finding himself right at the edge of the mountain with a victorious grin.

    "--No-name invader, huh? That''s Yeong-Un to you!"

    ¨C

    ["Some Forest", The First Floor]

    Through his march through the forest, he found himself feeling dehydrated as his mouth was dry and his head began to throb.

    Guess I haven''t drank a thing in a while. I thought the juice from the berries would be enough to hold me off, but I guess not, he thought.

    As a certified shut-in, the wilderness definitely was something outside of his expertise as he found himself ignorant of what anything did or how to handle himself in such an area.

    "I seriously need to find some water¡­" He muttered to himself.

    At some point, he had wandered far enough that the simple forest had shifted into some almost resembling a vast jungle. It became more arduous to traverse with uneven ground, steep inclines, and vines obscuring his path at every turn.

    Seriously, is this some sort of punishment for staying indoors all that time? He questioned.

    The humidity within the bounds of the region of nature prompted him to remove his coat, tying it around his waist as he continued marching onward with the goal of finding water.

    It''s been a few hours¡­It''s going to be night soon, probably. I don''t really like the idea of being stranded in a forest like this during the night, but it''s not looking like I have much of a choice anymore, he thought.

    As he was walking, something caught the corner of his eye¨Ca jarring set of movements. It was something that was clinging to the bark of the widthy tree he passed by.

    "Huh?"

    ncing to his left, he saw it: a yellow-skinned arachnid that wasrger than both of his hands put together.

    Such a sight made him experience a quick session of feelings in the span of a singr moment: he froze, he dreaded, then he ran away.

    The truth was, Jeong-Hui suffered from severe arachnophobia; this was not something the System cured him of.

    Giant spiders?! Man-eating bushes weren''t enough?! He thought.

    When his instincts fired off like that with fear empowering his legs, the speed he ran with surpassed any athlete by realms, finding himself only stopping after ten seconds had passed. In those few seconds, he had covered quite a ways.

    "...Huh? What¡­? Is this some kind of joke?" He mumbled to himself.

    By some stroke of luck, while running with no direction in mind, he had stumbled upon a crystal clear river flowing calmly through the forest.

    He almost felt like dropping to his knees and thanking God, but he was reminded that such an entity was the entire reason this scenario happened in the first ce.

    Sitting at the riverbank, he cupped the clear, fresh water into his hands, looking down at it before beginning to gulp it down.

    [Survivor Proficiency: +1 | 1/20]

    Huh? He thought.

 Chapter 212 The Xianxia System

    [Survivor Proficiency: +1 | 1/20]

    Huh? He thought.

    The act of consuming the water must''ve been thest act that helped level up the new proficiency. It was something he had realized beforehand, but in this situation, he wasing to terms with the potency of his unique system.

    ¡­Just about everything I do seems to be able to ascend. Social skills, cooking, and now survival skills? What''s this one do exactly, Mr. System? He thought.

    Just like that, the voice answered in his head:

    [''Survivor'' focuses on developing skills and knowledge on sustaining yourself through any perilous environment. As of right now, you might find yourself grasping concepts you didn''t previously know. For example, inspect the nearby fruit.]

    As the System told him this, he was a bit confused, but indulged the words from the inner voice as he walked over to the shrub near the riverbank, finding bulbous, yellow fruit that seemed inedible at a nce.

    [How do you feel about this one?]

    "...They''re fine to eat. Nutritious; they contain a good amount of water, so it serves both for calories and hydration," he said.

    It was surprising that he seamlessly knew this despite never having seen the odd fruit before, but the knowledge was already there in his mind.

    As he took a couple of the yellow-skinned fruits with him, snacking on their juicy forms, he followed the riverbank for some ways, finding himself in a much more open area of the region.

    Though something caught not only his eye, but his whole body as the entirety of the forest-jungle hybrid seemed to rumble and roar out.

    What''s¡­? He questioned.

    "Woah there, mate!"

    It was the yell of a youthful, masculine voice, but he didn''t even process where it wasing from until he looked up, finding something sailing through the air, flying right towards him.

    A bird¡­? No, that''s a person?! He realized.

    There wasn''t much time to react, so he nted his boots down and held his arms out, managing to catch the mysterious person just before they crashed into him. The impact caused him to slide back several meters, but he eventually stopped as he helped the stranger up to their feet.

    It was a man with lengthy, but messy hair of a bright-blonde shade, wearing cargo shorts and a verdant-and-brown vest; he looked like some sort of park ranger.

    On his head was a beige hat with strings hanging from the sides, having a feather tucked onto its side.

    "Thanks for the save there, mate! Yer a real bloody hero!"

    The man seemed to be around his age, perhaps a couple years older, but he definitely wasn''t from the same region as him, not by a long shot by his potent ent.

    He had deep, green eyes that were kind and a bright smile; his skin was tan, certainly presenting him as somebody that lived outdoors.

    He''s¡­australian? He thought.

    [yer Recognized¡­]

    [Archie Irvine | Level 25]

    Despite the System already likely introducing both of them to one another, the entric, blonde-haired man extended his hand, "Name''s Archie! Ya can call me ''Arch" if ya want! Or anything, really!"

    His level isn''t bad. He doesn''t seem like he has any malicious intent, either, he thought.

    He epted the man''s hand, nodding, "...Yeah, no problem, I''m Jeong-Hui, but¡­why were you flying?" He asked.

    Before answering, Archie blinked at him beforeughing without a care, "Oh, that? Well, there''s a big ol'' lizard thatta way!"

    The blonde-haired man hailing from Australia pointed to the north, but all he could see from there were trees.

    "...A big lizard?" He repeated with a raised eyebrow.

    Archie seemed excited to rify, "Oh yeah! A real big chook that one! I scared ''im good so he pped me with his tail, and I went flying right into yer arms there!"

    "...Tail?"

    It sounded like he was listening to some imaginary recollection from a child, but it wasing from a grown man.

    "Yeah! It was about as big as one of these trees, I tell ya! C''mon, ya wanna see it, right?" Archie asked with sparkling eyes.

    "...Err, no," he replied.

    Archie had already begun marching north as if certain that the red-haired young man was going to agree, only to stop at the clear-cut rejection as he spun around.

    "Huh?! Why?!" Archie asked in shock.

    "Do I really need to answer that? Whatever that lizard is, it sent you flying across the forest with its tail," he exined, "...Sorry, but I''m not exactly up for that. I have friends I have to find."

    As he turned the other way to find another direction to go, he was stopped from words shouted from behind by the entric Australian.

    "...Tracking, eh? That''s just my specialty! If they''re in this world, I can find ''em for ya!" Archie proimed.

    This made him stop as the man certainly didn''t have the air of a liar, and the uniform he wore was definitely something of somebody experienced in the wilderness.

    "You can help me find them?" He asked, ncing back.

    "Sure can! I reckon it''ll be easy as piss! But, there''s just one condition!" Archie raised a single finger.

    "And that is?"

    Archie smiled brightly, "Yer gonna help me catch some critters!"

    ¨C

    [Near The Capital of The Yinlong Empire]

    "He''s too powerful¡­!"

    "How is this fair?! We just got here?! We got to the level you asked for, God¡­so why?!"

    Across thevish courtyard just outside of the city protected by grandiose walls of such imposing height, bloodied corpses of those who had reached the Tower were strewn about,ying dead.

    There were at least a dozen, all mutted and felled at the feet of one man.

    He wasnky, but wielded two, humongous halberds of a pure-white steel and dressed in jewels; spiked up were his silver locks, and looking forward with a fierce joy were his golden eyes.

    Though he was slick with blood, it was not of his own, but the enemies he had in; he wore a smile vibrant in ecstasy, thriving in battle.

    "Is that all?! The Great Emperor foretold the arrival of challengers to the Yinlong kingdom''s glory, but I expected more! Ha-ha!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Yinlong Empire | One of The "Twelve Winged Generals" | Yahui, The Demon General | Level 40]

    He had a tail sprouting from his tailbone, d in scales that patched his silver hair; the same scales protected his forearms and chest.

    Those that were still standing were those that had recognized the man''s level, freezing in fear and not having stepped one step closer since recognizing his strength.

    "Come!" Yahui yelled out with a smile.

    In addition to his singrmand and challenge, the bloodthered man of such indomitable fighting spirit mmed the bottom of his dual-wielded halberds against the tiled floor below, summoning a daunting roar of the wind.

    "--"

    "I can''t move¡­!"

    None dared step closer to ept the challenge from Yahui; there were just three yers left, of three levels of no consequence to an enemy of such magnitude:

    [Tobias | Level 20]

    [Rachel | Level 22]

    [Jurah | Level 21]

    The merciless general held a stoic expression after recognizing theck of fighting spirit left in the three, holding a disappointed look as he moved his halberds slightly.

    "...So be it. Out of my sights weaklings¨C"

    ¨CJust as the man began to swing one of his halberds, about to unleash a skill that would surely have the heads of the three¨Cit was stopped.

    "Huh?" Yahui raised an eyebrow.

    What stopped his mighty weapon was not another, nor a shield, but somethingpletely unexpected and inexplicable.

    A¡­fist? Yahui realized.

    It was a man with hair as pale as snow and a fair face that stood in juxtaposition of his muscr body; he wore a sleeveless, dark uniform with silver decorations, but most prominent of all were his eyes.

    Those eyes the mysterious man possessed were as if one were staring into a kaleidoscope of many colors.

    "You¡­stopped my halberd with your first?" Yahui asked.

    The man didn''t answer, withdrawing his hand silently as he exuded an aura so suffocatingly thick that it forced the battle-loving general back, causing him to jump back.

    "Who are you¡­?" Yahui asked.

    Even the three that had nearly lost their lives were in shock, but they could see who the man was through their System.

    [Guozhi | Level 44 | Xianxia System]

    He was like them, but that wasn''t quite right. In all regards, that man was far above them.

    "I am the one who will reach Heaven¨Cwith my fists alone," Guozhi said calmly.

    Yahui smirked as sweat trickled down his cheek, "--I''ll take you there right now!"

    Utilizing both of his three-meter tall halberds, which boasted an incredible reach, the powerful, youthful general began rapidly swinging them towards the man.

    CHNK. CHNK. CHNK.

    Each swing was met with total nullification as the halberds'' edges were blocked by the immutable knuckles of the Xianxia System user; he was dead calm, keeping up with Yahui''s speed without breaking a sweat.

    "...What''s¡­going on? I can''t see anything¡­it''s like they''re¡­blurry?" Tobias mumbled.

    The surviving yers that stayed behind this battle watched in a mixture of fear and awe, unable to perceive the movements of both fighters.

    After swinging both halberds towards both sides of the pale-haired man with rainbow eyes, using a pincer-attack, Yahui was utterly surprised to find, once again, his attack was blocked effortlessly by Guozhi''s knuckles.

    What is this man?! I''ve never met anybody like him! I don''t sense dragon blood in him, but his might is unfathomable! Yahui thought.

    Guozhi looked at him with his stoic expression, "...Are you done waving those around? I''ll begin, then."

    Begin¡­? Yahui thought.

    What came next took away all of the fighting spirit from the general that was utterlyposed of that energy.

    The man with colorful eyes of a divine shade held a calm stance, pressing both palms together as the moment both hands met, "something" was invoked.

    Beneath the enigmatic man''s slippers, the tile below became translucent, shifting into a glimpse into the cosmos themselves.

    There was a haze that encircled Guozhi; though it was no simple fog¨Ca neb was worn around his neck and under his arms like a scarf; the very clouds of creation.

    The snow white hair of his became softly radiant, flowing like the absolute, untampered white of an empty realm; spheres gathered around him, worn like a bead ne ofs.

    What¡­is this? Yahui thought.

    "Transcendence."

    It was a simple realization, and one confirmed by a single nce of Guozhi, who now stood with a celestial neb around him andary beads hung around his neck; the glitter of stars hung around him and below each step he took, the cosmos seemed to follow.

    I don''t understand. This man is¡­different? He''s not human¨Che''s evolved. He''s be something else, Yahui thought.

    The other yers watched from a distance, but the sight was tooplex and beyond reason; it was impossible for their eyes to decipher.

    Once Guozhi finally parted his palms from one another, his eyes opened once more, revealing those rainbow kaleidoscopes for eyes had shifted, holding the veil of the cosmos within them.

    "I am ready," Guozhi said.

    What proceeded could not be called a battle.

    In truth, it was over in the blink of an eye. What it could be called was "punishment"--perhaps for the sinsmitted by Yahui, or perhaps simply just for attacking a man possessing such transcendent qualities.

    "Trampling the weak should not bring one such joy. Perhaps you''ll learn that in the next life," Guozhi said.

    Though his words met no ears, as all that was left was a massive crater in the courtyard, stretching well over a few acres, embedded in the perfect shape of a human hand.

    Nothing was left of the Winged General.

 Chapter 213 The Kingdoms Move

    [The Royal Throne Room | Yinlong Capital]

    "Yahui has fallen, you say?"

    Sitting on a throne forged of immacte steel, shaped like the wings of a mighty dragon, a man sat, possessing the fair, blemish-free face of a prince.

    Around the royal chamber, which was decorated with the statues of divine dragons, looming high in their perfect, quartz material, imposing sentinels stood as guards for the man sitting on the throne.

    "Yes, Emperor Jiao-Long."

    Delivering this news was a man dressed head-to-toe in ck gear that seemed specialized for espionage and reconnaissance.

    Emperor Jiao-Long possessed aplexion as pale as snow, dressed in snow-white scales andvish armor to match; cascading down his shoulders were flowing locks of a jet-ck shade, standing in opposition to his powerful eyes that shined of a tinum glow.

    "I see," Emperor Jiao-Long said calmly, "So, it''s begun. God''s prophecy has rung true¨Cthe champions of another world have arrived."

    "--" The messenger remained bowed down on the floor.

    The Emperor raised his hand to give amand, "Gather the other eleven Winged Generals to the capital. We''re to prepare for a full-scale war; the time for games is over."

    Such amand shifted the atmosphere within the divine chamber, causing the messenger to sweat profusely as he nodded vigorously returning to his feet before rushing off, "As you wish, Great Emperor!"

    Sitting on his throne, the emperor thought to himself, resting his cheek against his hand.

    [It is time. The Twelve Winged Generals¨Cthe most powerful warriors in this world¨Cwill be unleashed in full. How will you respond, Scalyue?]

    "...You really want to catch this lizard, huh? Didn''t you say it was big?" He asked.

    He was following behind the outdoors-dressed youthful man with golden hair, who marched through the mud with his resistant boots.

    I didn''t have any choice but to agree, honestly. I don''t know the first thing about tracking down people, and this guy certainly fits the bill of somebody familiar with a setting like this. Though I feel like I''ve just agreed to a wild journey¡­He thought.

    Archieughed, "Oh yeah! This one definitely isn''t an ankle biter, that''s for sure!"

    "Then how do you n to catch it¡­? Why do you want to capture it, anyway?" He asked.

    No matter how many questions he asked, it seemed Archie was never annoyed or reluctant to answer as the bubbly man kept looking forward.

    "Why? It''s pretty simple, really! I want to create a reservation for every creature!" Archie exined.

    "Reservation? How do you n to do that?"

    Archie chuckled, "I''ll show you that once we find this big fe again!"

    He didn''t know what to expect, but somehow, the bubbly, fearless nature of his newfoundpanion left him feeling somewhat hopeful for the future.

    Delving into the heart of the forest, he followed behind Archie as the man took more quiet steps, sneaking through the tall foliage. Of course, the act of stealthiness was something he was proficient at as none of his steps made any sound, no matter how much he brushed through the shrubs.

    Archie''s eyes shone, "...There she is, mate!"

    As he sat beside the golden-haired man, he saw it as well: the so-called "big lizard"--but even such a description didn''t do it justice.

    It dwarfed the size of any elephant, covered in obsidian scales as it feasted on the carcasses of fawn that seemed minuscule to therge creature. There was arge, moss-veiled cave that seemed to be the abode of the humongous reptile.

    ¡­Lizard? That''s a freaking dragon! He thought.

    "How the hell are you nning on capturing something that big¡­?!" He asked in a sharp whisper.

    "Just leave the capturing part to me, mate! I just need ya to wear it down for me!" Archie told him.

    "Wait, what?" He let out.

    Before he could get a proper answer, being left with this realization, Archie revealed himself from the tall grass, shouting out as he cupped his hands around his mouth¨C

    "Over here, ya bloody chook!"

    Just like that, the massive, scaled lizard of Jurassic proportions looked up with its vertical, yellow eyes, roaring out with such force that the trees swayed as if in the midst of a storm.

    "You''re crazy!" He yelled out.

    "Aha-ha! Gettem, mate!" Archie said, holding his hat to keep it on his head.

    It began to stomp towards them, moving like a massively scaled-up komodo dragon as each of its steps rumbled the forest.

    He was forced to rush out, meeting it in the secluded clearing as he drew his daggers.

    [Enemy Identified: "Onyx Ground Dragon" | Level 28]

    Level twenty-eight?! That''s way higher than what I''ve encountered here so far! He thought.

    Still, there was no room for doubts as he jumped up, avoiding a mp of its jaws that could no doubt swallow him whole.

    He spun his body around, cing his hands against its snout as he hopped onto its head, catching his footing as the lizard began to spin around to shake him off.

    ¡­Wear it out?! This thing is insane! He thought.

    "Keep it up, mate! The bloody thing can''t catch ya!" Archie cheered him on.

    How about you do something, too?! He thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He had to run along its back as the lizard continued to wriggle vigorously, beating its hands and feet into the mud below as it stirred up a storm of mud in the air.

    It was definitely a new type of opponent, unlike any he had faced as he could feel the odd texture of its scales beneath his boots. Something akin to steel, but somehow flexible and rough like sandpaper; that was its hide.

    He was forced to jump up once again as the behemoth rolled around to finally get him off, finding himself having to act quickly as the wingless dragon began spinning around, using its massive tail as a weapon.

    If that hits, it''s going to hurt! He thought.

    To his side, he cut down a branch as he was falling, grabbing it and tossing it under him as he used it as a momentary foothold, activating his instantaneous step as he vanished from the cyclone of mud and death forged by the ground dragon.

    "...Close," he mumbled, exhaling.

    All that met his ears was rumbling as the building-sized reptile trampled the foliage to charge him.

    Here ites¡­! He thought.

    Though he was nearly caught off-guard as he watched its lips part, finding something propelling out towards him like a whip. It was a pale, pink whip; thicker than his body and longer than the nearby trees.

    A tongue?! He realized.

    He managed to dodge it with a sidestep, but found the ground dragon closing in swiftly as he countered its stampede by jumping up and kicking it right in its massive nose.

    THWAM.

    The impact sounded out, causing the reptile to recoil as it hissed out¨Cbut the kick did halt its rush, leaving it stunned momentarily.

    "Crikey! That''s one bloody kick ya have there, mate!" Archie called out from the bushes.

    Though it didn''tst long as the behemoth reptile quickly came to, angrier than ever as it roared out with its ear-piercing volume, causing him to freeze for a second.

    In that second, the beast spun around with incredible agility, building momentum on its scale-d, massive tail.

    Oh no¡­! I can''t move¨Cit seems like that yell has some sort of stunning effect when you''re within range of it! That tail¨Cit''ll do some heavy damage if it hits! He thought.

    "C''mon out, End Shielder!"

    ¨CIt was Archie''s voice, but the words that met his ears provided little information before something appeared in front of him.

    A tall, broad figure possessing pale-white skin like snowy armor, wielding two, giant shields on both arms that it held forward¨Cblocking the tail strike for him.

    A Defect¡­? Huh? It''s¡­protecting me? He thought.

    As the stunning effect wore off, he nced back towards Archie, seeing that the entric man held a big smile, revealing himself from the bushes as there was a magical mark shining on the man''s palm.

    It resembled the silhouette of the Earth itself, glowing green.

    Did he¡­? He began to piece together.

    "Focus up, mate!" Archie called out.

    "...Right!" He nodded.

    Though it was perplexing, the shield-bearing Defect seemed to be on his side, blocking the repeated, spinning tail strikes with its shields that resembled massive doors that would protect the entrance to an illustrious kingdom.

    I''ll ask him after this is over! He decided.

    As he leapt towards the ground dragon, he sheathed his daggers and instead opted for his martial arts side, unleashing a barrage of blows against it.

    My job is just to wear it down, right? I don''t need to y it, then! He thought.

    Martial arts definitely wasn''t structured with the intent of fighting such massive, inhuman creatures, but that wasn''t much of a restriction when the concept of superhuman physicality was in the picture.

    With a spinning kick executed seamlessly and with a vibrant energy around his leg, he delivered a massive impact right to its side, knocking it to the left.

    Launching the creature had its own downsides as it rolled over, crushing the neighboring trees beneath its weight.

    "...Oops," he mumbled.

    The ground dragon got up with a wrath burning in its eyes, stomping its hands down, digging its ws into the mud as it parted its maw wide, revealing a glowing, orange light being born in its throat.

    ¡­Fire?! He realized.

    Before he could even think to dodge, the shield-possessing Defect slid in front of him, mming its hulking shields down and stabilizing them in the ground as it protected him from the me breath that poured from the lizard''s mouth.

    It was an odd sensation to be protected by a Defect, the very sort of entity that had persecuted humanity, but for now, he was happy it was so as the rampant mes didn''t reach him.

    After the tunnel of swirling inferno died down, a straight section of the forest floor had been desecrated¡ªthe grass was turned to ash and the soil was ck like obsidian; the smell of fire burned the air as the ground dragon continued forward.

    "You seriously want to capture this thing?! It''s violent!"

    He spoke while dodging the snapping jaws of the beast and its swiping ws, flipping around them and countering with powerful kicks.

    Archie called out in response, "I don''t discriminate! A mean cranker like ''im will fit right in, anyway!"

    There was obviously no dissuading the entric man from his wish to capture the giant reptile, so he decided to oblige.

    Urgh¡­Whatever! I''vee this far¨C! I''ll knock it out right now! He thought.

 Chapter 214 And Then There Was Fire

    There was obviously no dissuading the entric man from his wish to capture the giant reptile, so he decided to oblige.

    Urgh¡­Whatever! I''vee this far¨C! I''ll knock it out right now! He thought.

    As the beast rushed towards him, he used a [Blink Step] to appear right beneath its stomach, utilizing its massive size and his much smaller frame inparison to get in its blind spot.

    ¡­I''m taking you for a ride, you big lizard! He thought.

    At his side, an energy swelled at his knuckles, coalescing in an azure energy that burned up his forearm.

    "King Fist!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 3600/3900]

    Straight up, he used an uppercut against the underbelly of the ground dragon, emitting such force that it rippled its hide and sent the reptile straight up into the air with sessive shock waves propelling it high.

    "Bloody hell!" Archie let out in surprise with a smile, looking up.

    ¨CBut, that was only the first part of the attack.

    While the dark-scaled, wingless dragon flew upward into the air, scaling the height of the colossal trees, he swiftly raced up, using continuous blink steps to get himself above it as he leapt high into the air.

    Around his leg, the same energy manifested, spiraling around his limb as it grew radiant with the burning heat of condensed power. The air around his left leg curved and distorted from the sudden spike in energy; he aimed it at the beast as it flew up directly within his range.

    "King Kick!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 3300/3900]

    From below, Archie watched beside the shield-wielding Defect, holding his hat on his head, witnessing the violent descent of the ground dragon.

    "--There shees!"  Archive yelled out with a giddy smile.

    Its size overshadowed the clearing, sailing down before¨CBOOM.

    The soil cracked and the trees groaned out as the ground dragon reunited with the forest floor, crashing down with a thunderous impact.

    He was still falling from above,nding on top of it, though his weight was nothing more than a speck of lint as he stood on its body.

    "...Happy?" He asked.

    Archie extended his hand, causing the Defect beside him to fade away before something appeared in his hand¨Ca shining.

    "Do me a favor and move, will ya, mate?" Archie asked.

    Without knowing what wasing, he stared at the green-eyed man for a moment before jumping away, watching as the vibrant seemed to expand as it fluttered in the wind.

    What''s up with that? He thought.

    He witnessed curiously what his entricpanion''s move was; while the ground dragon was concussed from the powerful blows and thending, Archie tossed the mystical out. In the air, it expanded many times over, stretching to a size that allowed it to epass the entire size of the beast.

    ¡­I still don''t get it, how''s that gonna¨C? He thought.

    But, his doubts were quickly diminished as he witnessed a miracle before his eyes: as the fully wrapped around the tumbled ground dragon, it began to shrink¨Ccondensing down and turning the creature within it smaller as well before suddenly¨CPOOF.

    "Sess! Alrighty!" Archie celebrated.

    He still didn''t understand what happened, watching with a raised eyebrow as Archie picked up the bundled, condensed and allowed it to be sucked straight into the seal on his palm.

    He absorbed the? With the creature? He thought.

    Now that the scuffle with the great reptile was over, he found it was time for an exnation as he approached the Australian yer.

    "...What''s the deal with that Defect? I think it''s pretty clear that Defects aren''t very keen on protecting humans. They''re more fond of ughtering us in cold blood," he asked, "I''m guessing it has to do with what you just did, too, right?"

    Archie looked at his palm for a moment before smiling at him, nodding his head, "That''s about right, yeah!"

    It seemed his boisterouspanion was happy enough to disy it fully to him; he watched as Archie held his hand out,manding a swirl of energy at his palm.

    "C''mon out and greet our new friend, End Runt!" Archie shouted out.

    Manifesting out from a coalescence of energy from the blonde-haired man''s hand was a small figure, revealing itself to be a small-sized Defect; it was humanoid in shape, with a snow-white body and a spherical head, presenting arge mouth of sharp teeth.

    "...A Defect¨Cyou can summon them?" He said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It took a lot of restraint not to reflexively strike down the Defect, but his feelings were cooled as he watched the small creature climb on Archie''s shoulder, perched there like a pet.

    Archie gave it a pat on the head as he held a smile, "Sorta. I have to catch them myself beforehand, as ya saw. Everything I catch in my special neat goes to my ''Reservation''--kinda like a subspace, ya know? From there, I can call on them when I like. That''s my ''Bestiary System.'' Pretty nifty, ain''t it?"

    It was surprisingly an intricate ability for somebody who seemed as easy-going as Archie, but he was impressed.

    "I''ll say¡­That''s pretty awesome. So you can just snag anything in that and¡­boom?" He asked.

    Archieughed, "They have to be in a weakened state first, obviously! That''s why I asked ya to handle that part! Though not everything I capture is for fighting. I''ve brought most of the critters from Earth into my Reservation, ya see!"

    "I see¨Cwell, now you have that crazy dragon in there, right?"

    "Yeah! She''s a rambunctious one, that Susie! I can sense her thrashin'' about in there! She''ll cool down, though!" Archie assured him with a carefreeugh.

    As they finished up that roundabout task, his stomach ended up grumbling out, nearly in unison with Archie''s as they both were audibly hungry.

    "Hah! Seems like we hit empty on the gas tank, eh?" Archie asked, patting his stomach.

    He sighed out, "Yeah. Those berries aren''t doing it for me."

    Gesturing for him to follow, Archie began walking, "Let''s find somethin'' to whip up then, yeah?"

    "Sounds like a n," he nodded with a smile.

    When with somebody reliable and as boundlessly joyous-and-curious as Archie, he began to feel himself experiencing a new feeling towards this new world before him.

    They crossed over a curving stream of water, passing by trees inhabited by colorful monkeys of varying sizes, and even spectating more ground dragons prowling around their abodes.

    It''s like¡­I''m in a world of fantasy. It''s different from before¨CI don''t feel that same stress for some reason. Is it because of him? Is it just how this world is? He questioned.

    Either way, they soon found their promised meal in the form of a golden-furred deer, nibbling on the foliage.

    The two hid beside one another in the bushes, but he watched as Archie manifested a bow-and-arrow to his hands.

    ¡­He''s an archer-ss? I guess I didn''t see him fight before, he thought.

    It was a simple, butvish bow, crafted of a verdant material that resembled the vines of the forest.

    Though he felt some sort of confusion for himself when looking at the man pulling the arrow along the string.

    "...Don''t you love animals? I would''ve thought you''d be reluctant to hunt like this," he asked.

    Archie smiled, looking forward as he aimed his arrow, "''Course I do. But, animals are a natural part of a human diet. That''s nature; I respect nature more than anything. I''m not gonna break that beautiful bnce."

    "--" He was surprised.

    "We may have lost our world, but not everything has to be gone, ya know?" Archie told him, "I think as long as we''re still around, we can keep it all going. That''s why I sought out to fill my Reservation with as many critters as I could. While Earth was beautiful, it ain''t the that makes us. It''s us that makes us¨Cour experiences, our neighbors, our memories. To me, that''s ''Earth.'' I don''t want Earth to truly die. That''d be sad, wouldn''t it?"

    "Yeah," he nodded.

    Just like that¨CSWISH.

    Archie had shot the arrow, allowing it to carve through the air with surgical precision as it lodged itself straight into the golden-coated deer''s head.

    It was an instant-kill.

    After their prey had fallen, they both left their ce of hiding and went over to it. Archie hoisted it up, carrying it over his shoulder with a smile.

    The golden-haired man certainly didn''t strike one as being strong at first, through his cheery demeanor, but there was no doubt he was built like a brick wall; he was quite stocky, though¨Cstanding a whole half-head shorter than Jeong-Hui.

    "How about we set up a fire for the night, eh?" Archie asked.

    He looked up, realizing that the pale-blue sky had shifted to a warm orange, "...Yeah. That''s probably a good idea.

    Luckily, there was a tucked-away cavern that looked to be unupied, allowing them to settle down for the night as he gathered firewood, returning and setting it down. Though he nned to use a fire-weaving spell to create the fire, Archie insisted on doing things the "natural way."

    This was done through the outgoing man vigorously grinding a stick against a rock, spinning and churning it before sparks flew and a me was born.

    "Hah! Still got it!" Archie smiled.

 Chapter 215 Sentinel Of The Forest

    This was done through the outgoing man vigorously grinding a stick against a rock, spinning and churning it before sparks flew and a me was born.

    "Hah! Still got it!" Archie smiled.

    "Nice job. That''s pretty impressive," heplimented, "Where''d you learn this kind of thing?"

    Archie began to get to work on skinning the deer, preparing it to be cooked, "Well, my house was near a lot of critters. There''d also be some Joeys runnin'' around¨Croos, ya know?"

    "Kangaroos?" He asked.

    "Yeah! Real powerhouses, those are. But, I''d spend a lot of time outside. Critters have always been fond of me. I always pestered my dad to take me to more remote areas so I could experience the wilderness more¨CI loved interacting with critters, meeting them, and seeing how they lived. I picked up a lot of things like this naturally over time, I guess. Though I think my dad taught me a thing or two, ha-ha!" Archieughed.

    In essence, he felt Archie lived a life inplete reversal of his own. Though as it was currently, he didn''t feel so different from him. The wilderness felt more weing than the world that had crumbled away; its liveliness and flourishment felt refreshing.

    There was surprising efficiency to the way Archie prepared the deer¨Cgetting it ready to be cooked within minutes before it was raised over the fire.

    While the deer cooked, the veil of night finally came, shrouding the forest around them in darkness; the only light they had was the small fire within the cave.

    "We''re standing out like a sore thumb here," he noted.

    "Huh? Izzat right? Well, maybe you''re being a bit overly cautious there, mate," Archie said, rxing against the stone wall.

    He looked outside, "I''m not. We''re in unknown territory here¨Cthis forest is definitely not our friend. In this kind of darkness, a fire like this is basically a beacon shouting ''Hey! There''s tasty humans over here!'', you see?"

    Archie definitely didn''t seem to share the same cautionary instincts as him, but he also didn''t reject his words as he smiled and nodded.

    "If ya think so, what do ya want to do, then? We gotta eat, ya know?" Archie asked.

    He nodded, "Yeah. I think we should block off the cave entrance¨Cat least block out the light of the fire."

    "Alrighty, then," Archie said.

    While Archie tended to the cooking of the deer, he strayed out beyond the cave to find some workable twigs and leaves to make a natural curtain for their temporary abode.

    "...No good."

    The leaves he found around the immediate area were either drenched in mud or crumbled up.

    He didn''t realize it until he had stepped out, but it was raining; from the clouds above, a gentle rainfall cascaded down the verdant towers of the forest, leaving the soil turned to mud as he ventured a bit farther in search of materials.

    Guess I should be d we found firewood before it started raining, he thought.

    After walking perhaps one-hundred yards, he found a tree wrapped in tough, flexible vines¨Cexactly what he was looking for.

    Perfect, he thought.

    He used one of his daggers to cut away the lime-green vines, gathering them into a bundle simr to rope. There were quite a number of unknown insects crawling around the orange-bark tree, but he ignored them and got the material he needed.

    Alright¡­should be enough, he thought.

    Just as he began to turn back to return to the cave¨Chis left leg didn''t move.

    "--Huh?" He nced down.

    There was a bundle of intertwined vines wrapped around his ankle, gripping tightly as he tugged a few times, but was unable to budge it.

    What is this? Some sort of self-defense mechanism of a nt? He guessed.

    It was incredibly strong¨Cit squeezed around his leg, making it impossible for him to lift his left boot though he tugged at it. Even summoning the amplified strength he had, it only bought him a few more centimeters or movement.

    ¡­What the hell are they feeding these nts?! He questioned.

    Though he soon realized this wasn''t the work of some sentiencecking ntlife, but something else as his instincts red up like an rm system ring out.

    Something''sing! He realized.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the darkness of the night, his vision wasn''t hindered as his assassin-ss proficiency provided him inherent sight in the darkness, so once he nced back¨Che saw it: it was a humanoid female, but definitely not human by any means.

    The woman seemed to be made out of a mixture of tree bark and flowers; her flowing locks were that of blossoming flower petals. Each step she took seemed to bring life to the soil beneath, spurring life into the dirt as flowers bloomed and awakened.

    [BOSS Enemy Identified: "Nightfall Dryad" | Level 30]

    What the¡­? A ''Dryad''? He realized.

    For some reason, the System recognized his thoughts as a true question, bringing an answer to him:

    [Dryads are guardians of nature; they''re in tune with forest; sentinels of nature and the embodiment of the world''s bloom. They are usually friendly towards humans, but it seems cutting apart the nt life has angered the dryad of this forest.]

    "...All I did was take some vines and you want blood? That''s a bit much!" He said.

    As it slowly walked towards him, he acted quickly, gripping his daggers and cutting the vines that had bound his leg, breaking free and jumping away just as a spike of sharpened tree hide protruded from the dirt.

    While in the air, he looked down at the pir of lethal bark below him, witnessing just how close he came from being impaled on it.

    ¡­This is the embodiment of nature? I thought nature was supposed to be more gentle! He thought.

    As soon as hended back down on the soil, he was immediately forced to flip around as more protrusions of bark jutted up from the ground, aiming to skewer him.

    Still, the dryad herself had yet to actuallyunch an assault of her own, still slowly walking towards him in an ominous, but tranquil fashion.

    There was something about the dryad that made him feel uneasy in a sense that was separate from fear or dread; in the advent of a life-or-death battle, his blood should be pumping and his senses should be at their peak.

    All of the merciless bloodlust that he should be experiencing when facing an enemy was suppressed¨Cflipped around as his instincts were silent.

    I feel¡­calm? Happy? This isn''t right¨Cit feels wrong! He realized.

    This inexplicable spectrum of emotions caused him to p his cheeks, reeling in his focus just in time to evade a bundle of roots protruding from the soil, attempting to bind him. He flipped back, putting some distance between him and the dryad as he kept his ck-steel daggers raised.

    What was that? My focus waspletely dulled¨CI felt like I was as calm as could be, but in a bad way¨Cmy body wasn''t on guard, he thought.

    As he stood there, trying to figure out what was tinkering with his mind, he realized there was a sweet aroma that met his nose; a nectar-like scent.

    Honey? Wait¡­He thought.

    ncing around, he realized there was a golden dust that exuded from the yellow flowers born on the dryad''s body of nature elements.

    Pollen? Is that what''s causing this? He questioned.

    Realizing this, he brought his scarf over his mouth and nose, staying wary of the particles that danced in the nightly air, keeping his eyes on the silent, but nearing dryad.

    Should I attack? I don''t know how it''ll respond¨Cso far it''s just used vines and those treences. Maybe it''s trying to keep me away? If that''s the case¡­then a swift assault is my path to victory, he thought.

    Though it was easier said than done, as the very moment he thought to take a step, he was forced back as a row of bark-forgednces sprouted from the soil, nearly impaling him.

    Fast! He thought.

    It wasn''t as if the pikes were raised with just the intent of driving him back or creating space, but the intensity at which they rose spoke of the killing intent behind them.

    The entire time he dodged the nature-formednces, he could see the dryad simply standing still like a nted cedar itself, watching him with its eyes thatcked ocr organs, but in ce were flowers, sprouting from its eye sockets.

    ¡­This is annoying! He thought.

    There wasn''t much of a risk posed to him with this kind of attack¨Cit was predictable to his seasoned mind and his reflexes were quick enough to allow him to safely evade even if he didn''t predict where they sprouted from.

    Still, the endless nature at which they seemed toe was a different problem entirely.

    Is it trying to wear me down?...Enough, then. I''m going to flip this fight around¨CI''m taking the offensive! He decided.

    As he flipped around one of the pikes, he used another as a foothold before bolting forward, closing the distance swiftly.

 Chapter 216 Damn, Nature

    Per the natural instincts of an assassin, his daggers naturally slid across the air in search of the dryad''s bark neck, but¨Cthey did not reach their destination.

    "--!"

    A wall ofyered, intertwined vines rose up between him and the dryad, blocking his attack as his dagger slid across the ntlife.

    Continuing, he unleashed a set of shes, but it didn''t seem to make much of a dent in the wall of vines.

    It''s so thick! Is it regrowing as I cut it? Are more sprouting? Or is there just this many?! He questioned.

    Again, his instincts fired off as he jumped back without knowing what wasing¨Cwitnessingnces of thickly-twisted vines protruding from the wall, scaled in thorns.

    "Still trying to impale me¨C?!" He yelled out.

    There was no doubt that what stood before him was a troublesome opponent, though he felt it was nothing more difficult than the perilous bouts he had ovee before.

    The first thing he remembered was the Exterminator; it was several levels higher than the dryad, and he had managed to defeat it. However, it wasn''t as simple as that.

    The Exterminator was higher, but that hardly matters. This functions differently from games¡ªlevels mainly just point to a difference in attacking power and defense. That''s all. In this world, levels can be ovee with the right usage of abilities and skill. That also means this dryad can be more troublesome than that fish-headed freak, he thought.

    What especially made this thought process feel true was the very environment he was fighting in; he was in the depths of the dense forest¡ªthe yground for the sentinel of nature to manipte around him.

    Before he could think further, he was forced to begin dodging around as small, but fast projectiles beganunching towards him,

    "¡ª!"

    They came from the dryad''s hand; drill-shaped bullets of wood that shot at speeds surpassing sound.

    It was thanks to his hyper reflexes that he was able to maneuver away from them, but he could feel the force behind each wood bullet; the air vibrated in their path and hissed as they zoomed by.

    As he sessfully avoided the barrage, he didn''t waste any time before rushing forward for a counter.

    What came next was abined skill of supreme power, forged with the idea of breaking through any defense that tried to stop his des.

    "King Ripper!"

    [Spirit -500 | 2800/3900]

    The vastly powerful essence amplified his strength, but primarily magnified his gripping power, extending to his daggers a vibrant, deep-blue energy before unleashing the instantaneous shes.

    As expected, the wall of vines rose again to try and stop him, but he cut straight through them with the immensely powerful skill, unleashing a howl of azure energy in the wake of each sh.

    ¡ªIt reached.

    "AAA!"

    The inhuman dryad released a cry like a banshee as one of the daggers reached its form, cutting into it and leaving a gash through its wooden body. What poured out wasn''t exactly but blood, but certainly the counterpart of it for the dryad: a golden, amber-like substance.

    Though his attack was certainly sessfully, he wasn''t prepared for what came next¡ª

    "¡ª!"

    THUD.

    It formed seamlessly instantly: a burly giant forged of wood, soil, and flowers. The sentinel was built like a strongman, without a head and only a body made forbat.

    The familiar of the dryad protected the one who summoned it, sinking its massive fist into the gut of the red-haired assassin.

    "Pyuh¡ª!"

    He spat out the air from his lungs as the dense, rigid fist mmed into his abdomen, also using his own momentum against him.

    My insides. They''re burning! I can''t breathe! He thought.

    In the next moment, he was sent flying back, crashing into a tree harshly as he was left gasping for air.

    [Health -1000 | 2500/3500]

    It was a devastating blow, and he could feel such as a burning sensation flowed through his organs as ifva had reced his blood.

    [Internal damage sustained. Caution advised. Any further blows can result in organ failure, and subsequently¨Cdeath.]

    Internal damage? It feels like my insides just got hit by a hammer¡­What the hell was that? It summoned a minion? He thought.

    Though he didn''t get any chance to think or recover as he was forced to get up and jump as the wooden strongman rushed at him, throwing its fist forward.

    He just managed to avoid it by a hair, leaping straight up and swinging around a branch tond on as the fist of the dryad''s familiar mmed against the hulk of the three.

    THUD.

    The impact caused the entire tree to vibrate as if an earthquake had shook it by its very roots.

    [Enemy Identified: "Tree Golem" | Level 25]

    It hardly seemed like a "minion" but a monster in its own right; he watched as it turned its attention upward towards him, extending one of its fists up as its bark-forged hide began to unravel and extend.

    "--!"

    He jumped away as the extended bindings attempted to ensnare him, fending them off with swipes of his daggers.

    ¡­Should I try to run back and get Archie?...No, if I drag these enemies straight to him, he might not be able to prepare in time. I have to handle this! Shit! I thought this floor would be a breeze, but of course¨Cnothing can go right! He thought.

    As he dodged the roots from the Tree Golem, he nced back to find the dryad summoning pikes from the soil behind him, attempting to lock him in with a pincer attack.

    He managed to evade with a blink step, utilizing his blinding speed to unleash a swift attack against the golem at the same time.

    CHNK.

    "--!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he shed at its torso, he found the mark left by his de instantly recovering as the roots reformed within moments.

    It had no effect¡­He realized.

    It was a daunting sight to see the burly golempletely unphased by his attack, nearly leaving him subject to a storm of wood bullets as he used his daggers to deflect them.

    "I''m getting tired of that one!" He yelled out.

    Again, he was learning the difficulty of facing two foes of such different strategy; while deflecting the wooden bullets, he had to roll to the side as the golem charged in, mming its massive fists down into the mud.

    I have to take this one out quickly! Physical attacks don''t work, but¡­Could it be more obvious what your weakness is?! You''re made out of wood! He thought.

    As he jumped up to his feet, he extended his hand outward, invoking a spell, "Cast: me Lance!"

    Manifesting around his arm were embers that quickly coalesced into roaring mes; the fire spiraled into ance, shooting outward directly towards the golem.

    It was instantly set aze upon impact, charring and beginning to peel and fall apart.

    "Gotcha!" He smirked in celebration.

    ¨CBut, it didn''t fall right away. His eyes widened as he witnessed the golem, engulfed in mes, charging towards him like a fireball.

    The dryad was still summoning pikes around him, leaving him without much space to move around while the me-swallowed Tree Golem rushed in on him.

    Shit! He thought.

    Spikes raised aggressively, spawning in numbers, varying in sizes, and protruding swiftly¨Che was forced to evade those rather than focus primarily on the golem, resulting in the golem bashing him with its shoulder.

    It was at least three times his size, using its entire body weight and density to m hits shoulder into him like a football yer.

    Holy shit¡­! He thought.

    [Health -1000 | 1500/3500]

    However, though his health dropped, the golem fell to the mes just after he was knocked back, resulting in¨C

    [EXP + 1200]

    [Congrattions. You''ve reached level 28 | EXP | 2000/25000]

    [Health [3550/3550] and Spirit [4000/4000]  Fully Restored]

    [Remaining Skill Points: +2]

    It was an instantaneous second wind, recovering his wounds and allowing him to rush towards the dryad once more.

    With a wave of its arms, the flower-and-oak dryad waved its arms around, summoning a bed of flowers in his path that sprouted tall.

    "--!" He looked up.

    Some of the flowers manifested whip-like vines, and some disyed rows of teeth like venus flytraps, surrounding him and attempting to harm him.

    ¡­Nature is pretty damn scary! He thought.

    Another wall was raised around the dryad, formed of a thick wall of vines, leaving the malicious flowers to fend him off.

    But, an idea popped into his mind, one that was the very bane of such ntlife:

    "Cast: Poison Cloud! Cast: Poison Cloud!"

    [Spirit: -600 | 3400/4000]

    Twice, he invoked the same magic, sheathing his daggers and holding both of his hands out as he began releasing the toxic fumes while running forward.

    The deathly clouds exuded, filling the air around the clearing and suffocating the flowers as they withered away instantly.

    "How''s that?!" He said.

    It was aplete counter; the moment the gas touched the flowers, they wilted and died, crumbling away within moments.

    The effect wasn''t any different for the barrier of vines; the gas melted them away like mes to timber.

    ¡­Poison Cloud plus me Lance! Let''s end this in one blow! He thought.

    [New Spell Forged: [Poison Lance] ready to be used.]

    He pressed forward, pointing his hand directly towards the dryad, yelling out the name of thebined spell: "Cast: Poison Lance!"

    [Spirit: -450 | 2950/4000]

    It spiraled like a drill,bining the raging, red mes with the deathly, green fumes into ance of toxin and destructive fire. He threw it forward, allowing it to m into the dryad with impunity.

    Swirling around the dryad, the clouds of miasma gathered, suffocating the sentinel of the forest as she unleashed another banshee-like cry.

    It''s super-effective! He realized.

    The poison seemed to be even more potent than mes for the female protector of nature; wiping out the dryadpletely within moments.

    [Venomancy Proficiency: +1 | 3/100]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired: Patient Zero]

    Crumbling away, the dryad fell apart into a bundle of rotted wood and wilted flowers; its cries mixed with the wind before dissipating fully.

    ["Nightfall Dryad" Defeated | EXP + 3000 | 5000/25000 | Angel Coins x700 Acquired  | Genesis Seeds x5 Acquired]

 Chapter 217 Sols Soul Is Sold!

    What stuck out to him were the seeds he had acquired from defeating the dryad, calling them from his subspace inventory as five, celestial-colored seeds appeared in his palm.

    "...This is?" He questioned in a mumble.

    There was no answer given to him by his System, leaving him without any clue as to what their use was before he stored them away again.

    "Man, this forest is messed up¡­" He sighed.

    I only came out here for some vines¡­But, I learned something at least: this first floor isn''t to be taken lightly, he thought.

    ¨C

    Returning to the cave, Archie was munching on a portion of the cooked deer, looking up in surprise at his return.

    "There ya are! Took ya bloody long enough!" Archieughed.

    The man spit out food while he talked, much to the disgust of the red-haired young man who began setting up the curtain of roots over the cave entrance.

    "...I ran into some trouble," he exined.

    "Oh?" Archie said.

    "I handled it," he rified.

    Archie looked at him for a moment beforeughing, "I see! Good on ya, mate!"

    "...Right."

    As expected, the newfoundpanion of his couldn''t be bothered to be anything less than jovial about any piece of information.

    With night fully set in, he used his coat as the only piece of bedding he could find,ying his head against it as heid on the cold, cave floor. The stone was moist and chilly, rough and solid; it was the opposite of afortable experience.

    Still, he''d grown used to sleeping in difficult environments, so it didn''t take him very long to slip into slumber nheless.

    ¡­Just a bit longer. I''ll find you all again. It''ll just¡­take some time, he thought sleepily.

    As morning came, he was awoken not by the sunlight that peeked through the veil of vines that acted as the curtain for the cave, but by the thunderous footsteps that resonated outside of the temporary abode.

    He instantly jumped up to his feet, cing his hands on the handles of his sheathed daggers, ready for action within a moment of waking up.

    "Settle down, would ya, mate?"

    "--?" He nced back.

    Almost unsurprisingly, Archie was sitting on the floor, snacking on some fruit that he must''ve gone out and grabbed before he''d woken up.

    "Nothing ising in here to harm ya, don''t worry," Archie assured him.

    "Yeah, well, better safe than sorry," he sighed out.

    "True enough!" Archieughed.

    He moved his hands away from his des, slumping his shoulders as he finally adjusted to reality, yawning out and sitting on the floor again.

    "Still, ya outta chill out every now and again, ya know? It''s real bad for ya to always be so tense," Archie told him.

    "I think it''s even worse to be rxed all the time," he replied.

    Archieughed, "A jab at me, eh? Fair enough!"

    In the morning, it was definitely a struggle to bear with the constantughter that emitted from Archie, who didn''t seem to be somebody who was ever exhausted or dreary.

    "Heads up!"

    He was nearly caught off-guard by Archie''s sudden call as he caught something thrown at him¨Ca round, yellow-skinned fruit.

    "Thanks?" He said.

    "Ya wanna start searching for your friends, right? I''m guessing ya wanna move out soon¨Cso get some energy in your body before then!" Archie told him.

    "Yeah¡­good idea," he nodded.

    There was a lot on his mind, between the mysterious nature of the first floor and the whereabouts of his friends, but he did often forget to take care of his own needs¨Cwhich he was thankful to Archie for supplying him with much needed calories at a time like this.

    After finishing the sweet, juicy fruit, the two left the bounds of the cave, back into the sheer wilderness.

    "Alright, then! We''ve got an adventure ahead of us, eh?" Archie said, looking up at the pale-blue sky.

    "That we do," he said in agreement.

    Archie rubbed his chin, "I reckon we should aim for a settlement. Where there''s people, there''s people!"

    "...Yeah? That''s¡­kinda obvious," he replied.

    "I mean that ces with a lot of people draw in more people, ya know? You and me? We can handle the wild just fine," Archieughed, "but people want stability, and other people. I guess most people aimed for settlements when firsting here."

    They started heading out north of the direction they came in from, following a riverbank, by suggestion of Archie, down the length of the forest.

    "What about you?" He asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah?" Archie looked at him.

    "Did you arrive at the Tower with anybody else?"

    Archie looked forward before answering, "Nope!"

    It was a surprising answer to him. He''d been in groups for so long at that point that the thought left his mind of people surviving by themselves, but it wasn''t as if he waspletely foreign to that idea.

    ¡­I started off like that. Feels like an eternity ago now, he thought.

    "Really?" He asked.

    "Yup! Just me and my critters¨Cit wasn''t easy, ''course! But, we made it¨Cand look where it brought us! I sure missed the true wild," Archie said.

    "...Yeah, I think I get what you mean," he agreed.

    Such an affable person like Archie made it seem like in their short time together so far, they had be close friends, but that was just a side-effect of the easygoing, kind nature of the Australian-hailing man.

    "Yer from Korean, right?" Archie asked him.

    "Yeah," he nodded.

    Archieughed, "Bingo! Bit hard for me to figure out sometimes¨Cnames are confusing and all!"

    "...Is that so? Well, good job," he smiled wryly.

    "I''ve always wanted to go there, but I''ve always wanted to go everywhere, anyway!" Archie said, "...Well, that''s a faraway dream now, ain''t it?"

    "Seems so," he said.

    The forest was quite a long stretch, but with Archie''s experience in navigating the wilderness, despite it being an entirely different world they upied, they managed to avoid gaining the attention of unwanted critters.

    After a few hours, and quite a lot of fruit and river-drinkingter, they found themselves at the edge of the forest, leaving the bounds of the trees.

    "See that! That''s our start!" Archie pointed to the distance.

    What stretched beyond the forest were great ins, surrounded by hills and mountains, curling around arge city in the near distance.

    "...Yeah, looks like it," he said with a naturally forming smile.

    ¨C

    [Base of A Mountain, First Floor]

    "...Where is everybody¡­? This isn''t right!"

    The hazel-haired young man was tucked away behind arge rock, muttering to himself as heavy stomps resonated against his ears.

    [Name: Sol]

    [Level: 25]

    At the base of the mountain, it was densely packed with foliage simr to a jungle''s ustrophobic amount of trees and tall grass, though it wasn''t very humid.

    Sol had found himself having to hide from the massive beast that prowled the base of the mountain, covering his mouth with one hand and clutching his spear close to his body with the other.

    Just my luck! Always my luck! It''s bad enough I got separated from everybody, but now this?! I was using that cave to sleep inst night¨CI didn''t know its real owner was just out momentarily! He thought.

    Hesitantly, he decided to peek around the boulder to get a look at the beast that was hunting him down, gulping down as he slowly looked behind therge rock he was hidden behind.

    It was a massive tiger-like creature, though its sizergely dwarfed any such familiar creature as it stood taller than some trees with its length from its head to its swaying, striped tail being even greater.

    The gargantuan feline was covered in blue fur with ck stripes, baringrge fangs as it prowled, salivating onto the grass below.

    [Enemy Identified: "King Tiger" | Level 28]

    By all means, it was a predator that gave off sheer intimidation, if not by its size alone then thergeness of its fangs.

    What do I do?! This thing is totally looking for me! It thinks it''s got a nice meal waiting for it¨Cbut news alert, buddy¨CI don''t taste good! He thought.

    Those thunderous stomps sealed away any temptation he had to actually run away or, god forbid, fight the beast.

    Still, he could tell there was little merit in simply hiding as the beast wasn''t moving away from that specific area¨Che could hear its sucking air through its nostrils, sniffing him out as there was no doubt his scent was left in the air.

    Is it trying to smell my fear!? He thought in a panic.

    As he kept his back pressed against the boulder, controlling his breathing as sweat trickled down his head¨Che realized something.

    It was quiet. Eerily so. The sound of the beast growling was no longer meeting his ears, and its massive steps had stopped.

    Did it leave?! Praise the lord! He celebrated.

    As he got up to his feet, he let out a breath of relief before ncing back¨Cthat was a mistake. It felt like his blood turned to ice in his veins as he looked back, finding the massive tiger staring him down with its vertical-slit eyes, looming over the rock he was hiding behind.

    "...Err, hello," he said quietly.

 Chapter 218 Around The Floor, They Move

    "...Err, hello," he said quietly.

    Gulping down, if the scent of fear is what lured the beast directly to him, it was now exuding from him like the thickest cologne.

    It loomed directly over him, overshadowing himpletely with its massive size as saliva slowly dripped from his fangs.

    That drool rained directly over Sol, who quivered as a droplet of saliva fell on his cheek.

    "Eek!"

    The moment he let out the squeaky noise from his throat, the massive beast parted its maw, unleashing a mighty roar that emitted directly against him.

    It boomed through the forest ground, rattling the trees and parting the grass; the roar caused his hazel hair to wildly sway as his ears suffered the full wrath of the devastating volume.

    As the roar came to a close, he was left stunned for a moment before turning around and bottling.

    "Screw this!" He yelled out.

    There wasn''t any bone in his body that wanted to battle against the mystical beast as he raced away, running into the forest.

    Hell no! Hell no! Hell no! He thought.

    As he raced into the trees, he nced back, finding the massive tiger sprinting towards him with speed unhindered by its size, moving even faster than a normal tiger, at that. Through itsrge size, it mmed through any foliage or trees in its path.

    "I''m not even that much meat! Like, seriously! I''d just be a beefstick to you! Chasing me is just going to burn more calories than I''ll recover! It''s simple math, you hear me?!"

    He tried reasoning with the beast while running, but it seemed to only provoke it as it lunged at him, forcing him to duck and roll beneath a branch.

    "Gah!"

    The thick branch immediately snapped off, but it saved him from the jaws of the great tiger, prompting him to stumble to his feet and continue sprinting.

    Inside of his chest, his heart thumped like a drum as he could feel the breaths of the ravenous predator chasing his heels; he could only listen to the sound of wood shattering while the tiger charged through the forest after him.

    "I told you already: I''m not tasty! I''m spoiled meat! Full of diseases, you know!? It''d be a bad idea to munch on me!" He yelled.

    Just as he nced back while trying to reason with the violent beast, he realized it was lunging right towards him, leaping with such force that surely he wouldn''t be able to dodge it.

    Am I¡­going to be kitty food?! He thought.

    "--A dazzling appearance is made!"

    Such a random assortment of words was shouted, echoing through the forest with such shy style that he was left confused in that moment between moments.

    As the King Tiger had its maw open, nearly engulfing him between its massive teeth, a sh of light was sent across his vision, shining like a star.

    SQUELCH.

    Huh¡­? He thought.

    Between him and the beast, there was a man; he was tall and built like an athletic specimen, wearing a id blue scarf and a matching vest that showed off his muscr, tattooed arms.

    There was a strike that must''ve been unleashed at untraceable speeds, as before his eyes, the beast''s head was cut off cleanly, causing the now headless beast to tumble past the two, falling to the ground.

    Who is this guy¡­? He thought.

    Jingling met his ears, sounding like bells, but not so¨Cit was the jewelry the man wore, all sparkling with a unique, space-like design that seemed to move within the confines of the jewelry as if containing space itself.

    ? [Tsukikage | Level 40]

    The first thing that caught his attention was that ludicrous level¨C"40."

    Fourty¡­?! That''s ridiculous! That''s even higher than Dae-Seong was! And that name¡­is he Japanese? He thought.

    He stood frozen, watching the man with white-and-pink hair in awe as he turned around to face him, met with a dazzling smile and sparkly, pink eyes that resembled jewels.

    The man named Tsukikage had fingernails that were all painted different colors, but even more standout than the man''s appearance was the weapon he held in his right hand¨Cit was arge katana of sorts, though it wasn''t forged of steel.

    It didn''t seem to be made out of any known, tangible material, but of the cosmos itself as it contained the shine of deep space, filled with stars,s, and the spirals of gxies.

    "Well met! I, the ''Dazzling God'', Tsukikage, have just saved your life! What do you have to say?" The man spoke to him, looking down at him with a bright smile.

    There was something extremely intimidating about the man, besides his high level and his entric fashion, he was built like an olympic athlete, carrying himself without any fear.

    He was left devoid of words as he nced back, confirming once agains that the tiger was indeed beheaded and in.

    ¡­He killed it in one-shot¡­so casually, he thought.

    "What do you say?" Tsukikage repeated.

    He gulped, "Err, thank you very much¡­?"

    Tsukikage''s smile widened before heughed, "Indeed! You shall now worship me from now until the end of your life!--No! Now and forever, even in death! That''s the reverence the Dazzling God summons!"

    "''Dazzling God''...?" He repeated, squinting up at the man.

    "Indeed! I embody wildness, mboyance, and joy! Me, Tsukikage!" The manughed.

    He''s a human just like me. This guy is a total nutjob¡­but he''s stupidly strong so¡­I''d like to stay on his good side, Sol thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Alright, Dazzling God¨C"

    "Tsukikage is fine," the man corrected him casually.

    "Okay, Tsukikage¡­You''re a yer, too, right? Do you know what''s going on?" He asked.

    Tsukikage remained smiling, running his fingers through his white-and-pink locks, "Of course I do!"

    "Really?"

    "We''re in a forest!" Tsukikage told him.

    "--" His expression immediately dulled as he sighed, "Not what I meant¡­"

    For better or worse, he now found himself with a panion", though it felt more like he was a minion to the entric man.

    "There you go! Keep it up! I''ll leave the non-dazzling parts to you!" Tsukikageughed.

    He was left chopping away at any foliage or low-hanging branches in their way, clearing the path for Tsukikage.

    Well, I guess this way¡­I should be safe, he thought.

    ¨C

    [Quite A Tall Mountain, The First Floor]

    Marching down the mountain trail, Yeong-Un found himself constantly looking over his shoulder as unfamiliar animals scurried around, watching him, though not attacking.

    "...Little punks," he mumbled.

    For the young man with sharpened senses, the air felt noticeably alien from the world he''d just been;pared to the hellish skies that swirled around Earth, the winds were pure and refined within the new realm.

    Even while traversing the mountain trail, where the air should be more thin and sparse, it was a pleasure to breathe it in, at least inparison to the ashced air before.

    For a moment, he stopped, standing on the edge of the mountain as he was still high enough to be just below the roaming clouds. The clouds cast a shadow over him as they slowly traversed the pale blue.

    The reason he stopped wasn''t to gawk at the pretty scenery, however.

    "--" Yeong-Un stood still, watching the ground he was standing on.

    It was subtle, but noticeable to his keen eyes; pieces of sediment were vibrating on the gravel. Beneath the soles of his leather boots, the ground was humming with a building frequency.

    Somethin''s up, he thought.

    His ears picked up on a noise; it was a quiet scratch, as if rocks were being rubbed together. This sound crescendoed until it reached a full-fledged BOOM¨Chis ears were filled with an abrasive sound.

    "What the¡­!?" He let out.

    All at once, the mountain began rumbling as he looked up as arge shadow, darker and more spread out than the cloud loomed over him.

    It was a beast with a wingspan that stretched the size of a small town; covered in ck scales, it flipped its mighty wings as another BOOM abrasively manifested. That massive noise was the p of its wings; the air was shattered by the strength of each wing p.

    "Ghh!"

    Being not more thore a dozen meters below the dragon, which didn''t notice the human man that was nothing more than an ant to it, he was subject to the pulsation of its wing, causing him to lose his bnce and trip from the mountain trail.

    "Grrgh! Arghh!" He yelled out.

    What just happened?! That big fuckin'' lizard popped out of nowhere and knocked me off?! Just my luck¡­! He thought.

    It was quick to soar through the skies beyond the mountain, leaving such freak idents in its mighty wake, but the young man still fell downward, plummeting as his body fell through the sideways-growing trees along the mountain.

    He gritted his teeth as branches continuously pped against his body on the way down; crashing through trees and getting leaves stuck in his mouth, he eventually gathered himself, drawing both of his swords from his sheaths.

    Hate to do this to ya, but right now I''m in a pickle¡­! He thought,menting to his dual swords.

    As he fell downward with the high-velocity wings hissing into his ears, his blue hair swaying rapidly, he reared his des back.

    "The hell if I''m dyin'' to someme ass fall!" He yelled out.

    With that angry promation, the scar-faced youth stabbed both of his swords straight into the rocky hide of the mountain. It was a less than elegant usage of swords, to say the least¨Cthe cries of cksmiths could be heard groaning from the afterlife, but he smiled nheless as his split-second n seemed to be working.

    "HA-HA-HA!" Heughed out loud.

    Used like icepicks, the swords were embedded into the stone, carving downward through the mountainside as his descent began to slow down.

    Of course, for the entric young man, this proved to be an adrenaline rush for him that he enjoyed before he finally came to a full stop. He was clinging to the handle of his swords with such gripping power that he counteracted the forces of gravity more than should be humanly possible.

    "...The Great Yeong-Un lives another day!" He proimed with an ear-to-ear grin.

    Though he had stopped quite close to the ground, so it was simple enough for him to pluck his swords from the skin of the mountain and jump down,nding on the forest ground without any issue.

    As he walked through the forest, the critters avoided him as the aura he gave off was not unlike an apex predator; his sharp teeth, the swords that were his ws, and his fearsome eyes¨Che was a beast in his own right.

    Though as he left the bounds of the forest, he found himself staring at a distant sight that caused him to lean forward and squint.

    "A big ol'' city¡­If there''s any ce where the rest of ya are, it would be there, huh?" He said to himself before smiling, "--Then there''s no question about it! That''s my destination!"

 Chapter 219 Information Gathering

    [Vast ins and Hills | Jeong-Hui]

    The trail to the city was long and tedious; the grasnds were filled with mounds and tall hills that continuously needed to be traversed. Though Archie seemed genuinely excited for an outdoors adventure, the red-haired young man, on the other hand, didn''t like having to take so much time in reaching the ce where he could most likely rendezvous with his friends.

    "I wonder what the people of this world are like!" Archie said, walking with an energetic strut.

    He nced around, keeping an eye out, "...Yeah, I wonder."

    They were both curious of the new reality they marched through; whether it was simply a floor, part of a divine tower, or an entirely new world altogether, there was far too much unknown to them. However, the curiosity they both possessed was not inherently the same.

    He was cautious; in his mind, he felt as though anything or anybody that naturally inhabited this realm was likely an enemy. To Archie, however, the Australian man seemed a lot more optimistic.

    Still, there was no denying the natural beauty of the great ns; the grass was flourishing and full of life as a crystal-clear river ran through the valley, leading into the mountain-walled city.

    "So, whatcha thinkin, mate?" Archie asked him.

    "Huh?"

    He looked to the side at Archive, who had his hand up, using it as a visor to the bright, orange sun as he looked on ahead towards the city.

    "I mean, about all of this!" Archie rified, "This "Tower" thingy!"

    "Ah¡­" He looked forward, "...I don''t know if it''s possible to put into words all the things I''m thinking about right now. It''s all just¡­a lot."

    "Ain''t that the truth?" Archieughed.

    As they spoke, they neared the naturally-formed gates of the city; the mountains were perfectly lined up to act as walls around the great city, though it was visible through gaps in the stone and therge, steel doors at the forefront.

    By all means, it was an imposing entrance; pirs reached high along the front gate and two guards stood tall at the doors as they reached.

    The guards were dressed in ck-and-redmer armor; it was thin leatheryered by steel tes. Each of the men were no doubtrge in stature and built like olympic strongmen.

    He was unquestionably cautious in his approach, keeping his hands near his daggers, though Archie seemed to notice this as he took things into his own hands.

    "Leave the talkin'' to me, mate," Archie said with a big smile.

    "Huh? Sure," he nodded.

    Will that be alright¡­? He questioned.

    There were some hesitations with allowing his entricpanion to handle talking to the unknown denizens of this floor, mostly due to the wild, unprofessional tact of Archie, but he obliged.

    The appearance of the garbs and the general existence of spear-wielding sentinels made him realize the sort of era this unfamiliar realm was set in.

    I''m getting massive B.C. China vibes here¡­It''s like I''m staring straight through a history book, he thought.

    "Halt," the guard with the bushy beardmanded in a deep voice.

    He stood behind Archie as they stopped in front of the two guards, keeping his emerald eyes carefully locked on the two gate watchers.

    By the looks of the guards of the foreignnd, they weren''t to be trifled with; they stood firmly, holding tall spears upright while watching the two with their wizened gazes.

    Still, Archie didn''t seem to even register any fear as he waved to them with a smile, "Good day, mates! We''re not from ''round here, so we were hopin'' to get to stop by this lovely city here! Mind letting us through?"

    The way the blonde-haired man of the outdoors spoke was anything but respectful, but instead treating the pair of mean-looking guards like some friends that he went way back with.

    He had to stop his palm from meeting his face as he quietly sighed out, shaking his head at the fact he allowed Archie to handle the talking.

    The bushy-bearded guard with bright-blue eyes looked down at Archie, who only came up to about the man''s sternum, "...Outsiders? I see. You two must be adventurers. That''s clear enough from the gear your friend there is wearing."

    "Adventurer¨C? Eh, yeah! Ya betcha we''re adventurers¨Cthrough n'' through!" Archie smiled brightly,ughing out.

    Why did I trust him to handle this¡­? He questioned, watching from the back still.

    "Due to the ongoing war, the city of Minjing now requires a fee to enter," the guard exined, "Three coins will suffice."

    Ongoing war? He thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh, yeah! That''s no problem!" Archie said, ncing back at the red-haired adolescent.

    The look that Archie gave him with that pure smile practically said "My wallet is empty, mate! Leaving this one to ya!" To which, he sighed and manifested three angel coins into his hand through a thought.

    He didn''t know for sure that this was the same currency the guard requested, but as he handed it over, the guard seemed to ept it as he nodded.

    The two, tall-standing guards moved to the side, signaling upward for those that controlled the gargantuan, metal gates to open up, "Wee to the city of Minjing¨Cin all of the kingdom of Scalyue, it''s the most beautiful city. Enjoy your stay, esteemed visitors!"

    It was a brighter wee than was expected, but what caught both his attention and Archie''s was the sight thatid beyond the massive gates, which spread their thick, steel form to reveal an illustrious city tucked within the barriers of mountains.

    "Crikey!" Archie let out.

    "...I agree. Crickey¡­" He nodded slowly.

    The beauty of the city within the veil of mountains was surpassed by none; the streets were paved by smoothed stone and were filled by denizens of the unknown world. There were natural shadows cast by the exterior of mountains that loomed over the city, but the rays of sunshine danced down all the same.

    As they entered the city, they found tall,vish buildings all around; wagons filled with fruit and vegetables were pulled by moving merchants and streetside shops were set up.

    "Get your appuns! Get your appuns!"

    "Fresh turun here! The highest quality in all of Scalyue!"

    ¨CThe owners of such shops constantly called out, advertising their wares to the passing citizens of the city. Citizens were varied; though most looked to be of a race simr to asian, there were a lot that looked more western, and definitely so by their garbs that were different than the norm.

    Some of these people were dressed in varying armor, carrying swords on their backs, though they didn''t seem affiliated with the city guards or some sort of military.

    "Would ya look at that! It''s humongous!" Archie said with his arms spread, gawking at the city, "What''s first on the agenda, mate? Got a whole world ahead of us!"

    He nced around, "...First thing''s first, we need to gather more information on this world."

    "Good idea, yeah," Archie nodded a few times.

    "Those guards said this city was called "Minjing", and the country we''re in is called Scalyue. I don''t know about you, but this definitely isn''t a ce that existed before," he noted.

    "Ah¨Cyeah, I know whatcha mean!" Archieughed.

    By the way Archie nervously scratched his head and chuckled, it was clear that the man didn''t actually pick up on that information before.

    Really¡­this is life or death here, he thought.

    "...There''s that, and that guard¡­He said something about an ''ongoing war'','' he said with his hand to his chin.

    "Ah! I do ''member hearing that one!" Archie said.

    He looked at the man for a minute as if deciding whether or not what he was about to say was safe, but ended up going with what he had in mind, "I was thinking we should split up for the time being."

    "Split up?" Archive tilted his head.

    "Yeah," he nodded, "We''ll cover more ground that way. While there are a lot of people in this city, we''re still able to tell who is from our world just by looking at them, thanks to our Systems."

    "Oh! I get whatcha mean!" Archie looked at him in surprise, "It''ll be a cinch to find your friends, then!"

    "Not just that¨Cmake sure to ask around as well. Anything information you can get about this city, kingdom, or anything about this ce is invaluable right now," he said, "We''ll meet¡­"

    ncing around, he looked for a clear object of rendezvous so that they could meet back up without any trouble in the unknown city. What stood out to him was the gargantuan tree that stood in the center of the city, reaching high with rich, ancient bark and golden leaves sprouting from its many limbs.

    "--There," he said, pointing to the tree, "Let''s give ourselves an hour."

    "Gotcha! Leave it to me!" Archive confidently nodded.

    Before they separated for the time being, he gave the names of his lostpanions to the entric fellow so that he''d be able to identify them. Though Archive, somewhat creepily, suggested he''d be able to tell if they were his friends by their scent.

    ¡­Alright, where to start? He thought.

 Chapter 220 Minjing, New City

    ¡­Alright, where to start? He thought.

    Alone in the illustrious city walled by lined mountains, he looked around before beginning to walk around.

    Let''s go over what I know: angel coins seem to be the natural currency here. That means this world must''ve been built around this entire Armageddon event. It should be connected, then. That means there are probably equipment shops and functional cksmiths that can provide items that fit our Systems. Beyond that, it sounds like there is a war going on between this kingdom and another, he thought.

    As he walked around, he could hear murmurs of this war: most citizens didn''t seem worried as they talked confidently about these "Eight Divine Kings" and how they were "absolutely invincible."

    What caught his ear was the name of the kingdom that was at war with Scalyue¨C"Yinlong." Unsurprisingly, the people didn''t have anything good to say about the enemy of their homnd:

    "Did you hear?...Those Yinlong barbarians thrashed that vige near the Bulue river."

    "Such savages."

    "It''s because of them that the taxes have grown so high!"

    He opted to eavesdrop by standing around talking citizens rather than asking upfront. Due to his nature as an assassin-ss, his ability to pick up information was superb.

    "Ah! Adventurer! You look quite famished!"

    The words were pointed at him as he was passing by a food stand, though he was a bit put off by the seller''s words as he looked at him.

    "...Famished?" He said.

    As he looked down at his own body, he didn''t think he was particrly "famished" looking, but what the man was referring to was likely his paleplexion and the bags under his eyes that made him almost look sickly.

    "Ah¡­apologies! It just seems like you''d benefit from filling your stomach¨Cand I have just the thing to help do so!" The food merchant told him.

    "I don''t know¡­" He said.

    Before he could turn forward again to move on his way, he was taken aback as what looked like a kebab of freshly-grilled chicken thered in a mysterious, but enticing red sauce was held in front of his face.

    "Ignoring the call of your stomach is a fool''s errand!" The food merchant said.

    "Huh? I''m not¨C"

    Just as he tried to deny the man''s words, his stomach growled as if contesting his own words instead. To this, the merchant, dressed in beige robes and a brown vest, smiled.

    "...Fine," he sighed, "How much?"

    The convincing merchant held his smile, "Usually a "Fire-Red Skewer" like this goes for two coins¡­"

    "Alright," he nodded.

    "But for you? One coin will do!" The man said, changing the price for him.

    "Eh?...Okay, sure," he looked up at the man.

    In his grip, he conjured one of his angel coins into his glove, handing it off to the man as the meat-on-a-stick was handed to him in return.

    "...What''s this sauce, anyway?" He asked, looking at the item. A quick sniff told his culinary-keen nose that it was something simr to duck sauce, having a sweet, tangy scent to it.

    The man twirled his gray, whisker-like mustache with a smallugh, "--It''s a trade secret! Though it''s earned a nickname around the city!"

    "And that is?"

    "The ''Dragon Breath Sauce''!" The man informed him, holding his arms out as if unveiling the title of a mystical item.

    It did leave an impression on him though, as it was a grand name given to a rtively harmless looking substance on the stick of meat, but he finally delved in and took a bite. There was a certain sense of excitement and curiosity bubbling within him, as a connoisseur of food and a passionate chef, food from another world definitely intrigued him.

    And what met his tongue was certainly intriguing, at that.

    "--!" His expression lit up.

    It was a st of vor; sweet, sour, and a little spicy. Something like this perfectly suited his tastes and made him quick to take another bite.

    "Ho-ho! I see it''s to your liking!" The food sellerughed.

    "...It''s great! Seriously, do you sell this sauce¡­?" He asked, wiping a bit of the sauce from the corner of his mouth.

    The man shook his head, "As I said: a trade secret, my friend! However, do feel free to stop by and get another whenever you''d like!"

    It was somewhat disappointing, but he went on his way without getting the sauce or the recipe, finishing the saucethered kebab before stopping.

    "Crap¡­I should''ve asked him for some information¡­I got distracted," he mumbled to himself.

    As he walked around the city, he kept looking around, catching sight of a yer by mere ident. It was a tall, thin-built man dressed in azure leather and light chainmail; his dark-brownplexion and facial features were that of somebody from South Asia, specifically¨CIndia.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [yer Recognized.]

    [Man | Level 44]

    Such a level put him on guard as he kept his distance, though the man didn''t seem to notice him as there were hundreds of people walking that singr street in the bustling city.

    Level forty-four? He''s strong¨CI can tell by that look in his eyes, too: he''s a lone wolf. Somebody that powerful and with that high of a level¡­I''d say the chances are high he killed other people to level up like that. Maybe not, but¡­It''d be best for me not to involve myself with him, he thought.

    As he moved around the city, listening in to conversations of passing civilians, he picked up more information. People always have grievances to air with the state of the world, problems with their government, blind praise, and discussing rumors of thend; in that regard, he found it was no different than Earth.

    He stopped in an alleyway to go over what he found out, thinking to himself.

    Alright, he thought, it seems as though this entire world isposed of two "grand empires"--there are only two kingdoms that rule everything, and of course, they''re both directly opposed to one another. That''s just the nature of two kings trying to exist in one world, I suppose. "Scalyue", this kingdom, seems to be ruled by a child king, from the sounds of it. It seems a lot of civilians have their doubts about a leader who''s barely graduated from diapers¨Ccan''t me them.

    Though as he was stuck in his thoughts, he nced to the side, finding a few yer signatures registering in his vision:

    [yers Recognized.]

    [Terry | Level 20]

    [Jon | Level 22]

    [Reba | 20]

    It was a group of three yers who still wore white uniforms, though outfitted with some ting or chainmail, but they were clearly left stunned and afraid. There were some wounds present on them; scratches and such, and the look in their eyes was definitely that as if something was lost.

    He thought about approaching them, but he knew from one look that there would hardly be any merit in doing so.

    They''re practically shivering. Lost and confused. I doubt they even have the slightest clue what''s going on. Not that I''m much better, but I''m getting there, he thought.

    "Hey! You''re from Earth, too, right¡­?"

    Even though he chose not to approach them, it seemed it didn''t matter as he was suddenly spoken to by one of them: the level twenty, orange-haired man named "Terry."

    "Level twenty-eight? Wow¡­" The one named Reba said, a meek-looking girl who was small in stature with brownish-ck pigtails.

    He was caught off-guard by them approaching him as he was trying to stay away from prying eyes within the shadows of the alley, but there was no choice now.

    "...Yeah," he said.

    The tall one with a shaved head, "Jon", stepped forward with his bottom lip quivering, "Please help us¡­! We don''t know what to do! Everything out there is higher-leveled than us!"

    Terry nodded his head in agreement with hispanion, "It''s horrible out there¡­We lost our friend. Not just that, we saw others get wiped out, too¨Cthere was this super high-leveled guy!"

    "He was level forty!...I think he was called a "Winged General"..." Reba added.

    Though all of them hounded him for help, it was aimless and desperate; it was clear they were devastated by the reality of the Tower and clinging to any support they could find.

    Winged General? He thought.

    He gave them the cold shoulder, leaning against the wall of the dark alleyway, "If you''re that scared, just stay in the city."

    "...But, we lost our coins¡­" Terry said, slumping down.

    "Lost¡­?" He repeated quietly.

    Jon added in, "It''s nothing like before¨Cseriously! There were these monsters that took our coins each time they hit us!"

    This was all new information to him, but he still held his indifferent look as he turned away, "Find some odd jobs or pick your fights better. There were some monsters in the forest, north of this city, they were lower than twenty. The three of you should be able to handle yourselves there."

    "But¡­!"

    "I''m not looking to babysit anybody," he coldly said, "I''ve got enough to worry about. You should''ve used your time better beforeing here."

    Turning down the desperate three, he walked away, abrasively brushing past them as he left onto the street while they watched him with eyes full of despair.

    "...You''re scum! If we die¡­It''s on you!" Terry yelled out.

    "Scum!"

    "Coward!"

    Their words thatshed out at his back were unfounded, but he still felt them hitting somewhere deep inside, but he moved forward nheless.

    ¡­I can''t worry about others right now. I have to find my friends and make sure we survive, he thought.

 Chapter 221 In Cold Blood

    There was no time to be spared for anybody else; though perhaps a version of him from just a month prior might have lent a helping hand in just a heartbeat, that was in the past and the now is the now.

    As he walked through the streets of the isted, but popted city filled with adventurers and people of his world, he bumped into a peculiar situation urring just outside of an inn. There were onlookers gathered around.

    What''s going on? He thought.

    Pushing past some onlookers, he found the sight of a few yers surrounding another man, who was sitting on his rear with his hands together, pleading.

    "Please! I''ve done nothing wrong! Nothing at all!" The man pleaded.

    "Bullshit! We know who you are!" One of the yers with curly, blue hair shouted.

    The three yers dressed, two dressed in standard white, and the blue-hair man, dressed in an orange set of leather armor, registered to his vision:

    [yers Recognized.]

    [Leeroy | Level 25]

    [Kyle | Level 22]

    [Bron | Level 24]

    They were fairly decent levels, but when he tried looking at the man on the ground, who had pale skin and stringy, jet-ck locks that hung down to his back, he couldn''t acquire his information.

    Don''t tell me¡­That''s a GOETIA System user? He thought.

    As he stepped forward, the unnamed, ck-haired man who had a bloody nose and bruises on his cheeks, no doubt from receiving kicks from the three yers, looked up at the red-haired assassin with hopeful eyes.

    "--Sir! These men¡­they''re attacking me! Please!" The man begged.

    The blue-haired one named "Leeroy" was quick to dissuade that, kicking the man again and knocking him back, "Don''t listen to his bullshit! This is one of those ''yer Killers''!"

    "Yeah! He''s one of those psychotic murderers! If he reached the Tower, then¡­!" The young man with shaggy, brown hair, named "Kyle" added in rage, stomping the man''s leg.

    The eldest looking of the three, with a steel breastte and scars stretching across his sour face added in, "--How many people did you kill, huh!? You sick bastard!"

    Without wasting any time, the three continued kicking and stomping on the pale-skinned man, who cried out and curled up on the street.

    "--" He watched.

    Leeroy looked back at him, "Come on! You want him to pay, too, don''t you?! You''ve lost people to these yer killers, haven''t you¡­? Sick bastards like this guy¡­they don''t deserve to live!"

    "Yeah! There''s no way I''m letting a sick fuck like this get into heaven!" Bron added.

    Though he did have utter disdain for yer killers, that blind rage didn''t burn inside of him at this moment. Rather than violence, his mind was more focused on finding those dear to him. Besides, he didn''t personally know this man or know for sure if the crimes he was used of were true.

    ¡­I''ve got to keep moving. Still, this confirms it¡­GOETIA users are in the Tower, too. That means¡­"he" is here¨CBaek-Hyeon, he thought.

    Just as he turned around, something arrived¨CTHUD.

    It was a powerfulnding, dropping onto the street with a heavy force that kicked up a wave of dust that caused the onlookers to cough up.

    Even the bitter trio of yers stopped and looked up at the figure that hadnded, frozen in shock from the sudden arrival of the unknown entity.

    Once the dust had cleared, a knight dressed in scarlet, heavy-set armor stood like a pir of power, towering over the group as his illustrious, ck cape flowed behind him.

    Who is that¡­? He thought.

    The face of the knight couldn''t be seen as they wore a helmet in the shape of a roaring dragon; they wielded a massive greatsword that looked to be made out of a bone, precisely the tooth of a gargantuan beast.

    [Scalyue Sentinel | Level 30]

    Such a massive figure, standing silently, invoked silence from those around himself. The GOETIA System user was still curled up,ying directly at the feet of the sentinel.

    As he looked around, he saw that the citizens looked relieved at the sight of the massive knight, so he lowered his guard and kept his distance, simply watching.

    Level thirty? That''s pretty high, he thought.

    Leeroy finally spoke up, smiling, "--You''re like the police here, right? That guy right there is a criminal! He''s killed many people!"

    "--" The Scalyue Sentinel waspletely silent for a moment before speaking in a voice as deep as a canyon, "You''re disturbing the peace. Seize this at once."

    "Huh¡­? Didn''t you hear me?! That guy is a murderer¨C!" Leeroy yelled out.

    Just as the hot-headed young man stepped forward¨CSQUELCH. It happened in an instant; so fast that the other two that were with Leeroy didn''t even register what had happened for a few seconds.

    In a swift sh, executed without hesitation, the towering knight bisected Leeroy the moment he came a single step closer.

    "--!" He watched in surprise.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A spray of blood painted the street in crimson as the upper half of Leeroy fell to the ground, lifeless with his innards strewn across the paved ground.

    "What the fuck¡­?! What the fuck just happened¡­?!" Bron let out in shock, holding his head.

    Kyle''s legs were quivering before he turned and ran in the opposite direction, stumbling over but continuing to sprint away without his friend.

    As he nced around, the civilians didn''t seem surprised or taken aback by any of this; it was as if it was the expected result.

    "Outsiders like that are always so rowdy."

    "I''m d that was taken care of."

    Thements from the Scalyue denizens were nonchnt to say the least as they went on their way.

    Still on the ground, the yer killer who was covered in bruises finally uncurled, looking up to find his assant butchered on the street as a smile stretched across his lips.

    "Hah¡­Aha-ha! Aha-ha-ha!" The manughed out, "Serves you right!"

    He was still standing there, watching in disbelief at the uncanny situation. Before leaving, the Scalyue Sentinel raised his hand, invoking a fire spell before incinerating the remains of Leeroy and cleansing the blood from the street, erasing any evidence that the young man ever existed.

    What kind of city is this¡­? Violence is met with a death sentence¨Cjust like that? He thought.

    Without a word, the massive, dragon-armored knight leapt away once more, returning to the building that loomed over the city: a ck-quartz keep that had a statue of a dragon, curling around its architecture.

    Still sitting there, the GOETIA user cackled withughter,unching insults at the in youth, "Pompous brat! Serves you right! Attacking me, Higara! Rot in hell! Ga-ha-ha!"

    Though he wasn''t angered by the man''s existence before, hearing him rave about the death of the young man caused him to squeeze his fists shut and step forward.

    Higara noticed this, flincing as he approached but then slowlyughing with his scratchy tone, "...Touch me! I dare you toy a finger on me! You saw what happened to that stupid brat, didn''t you!? Violence within the walls of this city is handled just like that!"

    "--" He stopped, staring at the abhorrent man silently.

    "Gah-ha-ha! See?! You can''t do a damn thing! Scurry along now, brat!" Higara taunted him.

    Begrudgingly, he turned away, which caused the yer killer to continueughing with his ear-scratchingugh.

    "Run, run, run along!" Higara continuedughing, "--Huh?"

    Slowly, a red line appeared across the man''s throat, spreading before it was revealed to be a gash, appearing out of nowhere before blood sprayed out from the GOETIA user''s neck.

    "Grggh¡­?!" Higara fell back, clutching his throat as he gargled on his blood.

    He nced back only once, returning his dagger to its sheath that was never seen leaving its holster.

    Within moments, the cackling yer killer died out from blood loss, only noticed by passing city goers who didn''t stop to help¨Conly avoiding the man out of disgust.

    [EXP + 5000]

    [Assassin Proficiency +2 | 52/9999]

    [New Skill(s) Acquired | Crimson Thread]

    Eliminating somebody like that didn''t weigh on his conscience at all; to him, it was simply making the world a better ce.

    ¡­It''s almost been an hour, hasn''t it? I still haven''t found any signs of anyone, he thought.

    The more he explored the city, the more he wanted to find his friends as soon as possible, realizing it was a hectic ce, filled with too many questionable individuals and unknown, harshws.

    After spending some more time roaming the streets, passing by more marketces and crowded corners, he managed to find the rendezvous point once again at the primordial street embedded in the center of the city.

    He waited directly against the tree, leaning against its sturdy hide while children yed around on its gigantic branches, sitting on its high points and giggling. It had been awhile since he''d even seen a child; the existence of such innocence made the smallest smile form on his lips.

    Is he here¡­? Don''t tell me he got lost¡­He wondered.

    "Aye, mate! Jeong-Hui!"

    The unmistakable, thick ent met his ears as he looked over, finding Archie waving at him with a bright smile.

    Though the man was always enthusiastic, there was something about his giant smile this time that made his heart skip a beat with hopefulness; that hopefulness was amplified as he saw a figure following behind the Australian entric.

    "--" He was silent and hopeful, watching closely.

    Archie raced over, "--I found one of your mates! This is ''im, right?!"

    As the blonde-haired man stepped to the side, he found his eyes reuniting with a familiar sight that made him move instinctively.

 Chapter 222 A Despicable Existence

    Archie raced over, "--I found one of your mates! This is ''im, right?!"

    As the blonde-haired man stepped to the side, he found his eyes reuniting with a familiar sight that made him move instinctively.

    "Korain!" He yelled out with a smile.

    The one-armed, burly man looked just as surprised as him with wide eyes that were brimming with tears, "Jeong-Hui¡­?! It really is you!"

    No other words had to be said as they embraced tightly; for Korain, finding the red-haired young man was a heart-lifting achievement.

    Korain patted his back as some tears managed to escape his eyes, "...You made it! Damn it! You''ve got to stop throwing your life on the line like that¡­!"

    "But I made it, didn''t I?" He smiled.

    "You did¡­" Korain nodded.

    Archie stayed silent, taking a few steps back as he let the two catch up as he awkwardly looked the other way.

    As they let go after a solid minute of an embrace, it still felt surreal. Though he had many questions, the first of which came obviously:

    "...The others¡­?" He began to ask.

    Korain nodded, "Everybody made it. Sol, Yeong-Un, Ma-Ri, Eunji, Xiaodan¡­Everybody, Jeong-Hui. I''m not sure that would''ve been able to happen if it wasn''t for you¡­You''re a crazy kid."

    "Heh¡­" Heughed, finally feeling somewhat at ease for the first time in what felt like forever, "...I''m guessing¡­you haven''t found anybody else yet, have you?"

    Korain slowly shook his head with a look of regret in his eyes, "I tried looking, but¡­no luck so far. Luckily, that guy there found me lugging myself towards a tavern¨Cstopped me right before I drank my worries away."

    "That''s good, then," he smiled, "I need you sober if we''re going to find everybody else."

    "''Suppose you''re right," Korain smirked.

    A new vigor and optimism painted itself over his bleak te as he smiled brightly, holding his fist out towards his reunited friend, "Let''s find everybody and beat this thing!"

    "Hell yeah!" Korain agreed, bumping his knuckles against his.

    Archie added himself in, joining the fist bump, "Count me in, too, mates!"

    Just like that, a new fire ignited with the reuniting of Gangcheori underway¨Cthough separated, there was nothing stopping them now.

    ¨C

    [Valley of The Old Cataclysm | Outskirts of Yinlong]

    [Within the Yinlong Empire, the Twelve Winged Generals continued to gather¡­Unknown to those ascending the Tower, these twelve would be their chosen obstacles of the first floor.]

    "...Stay back, Eunji¡­"

    Saying this to the hazel-haired girl with sses, the leader of Gangcheori spoke in a whisper, staying in front of the girl as she kept her hand near the handle of her rapier.

    "Yeah¡­" Eunji nodded, gulping as she tucked herself behind the boulder, holding her staff close to her chest.

    The two of them were hiding behind arge boulder in a quarry; thend was devoid of life as the valley was carved out from the rest of the flourishing fields.

    Ma-Ri kept watch, peeking around the side of the boulder at the sight that persisted in the center of the lifeless valley of bleached stone.

    One man stood, surrounded by massive, draconic beasts that walked on two legs, covered in bright-blue scales.

    [Dragon Bruiser | Level 32]

    There were half a dozen of the powerful, tall creatures, though their attention was not on the two young women, but the man who stood calmly with his arms folded over his chest. It was a man they knew well, and one that was a sore sight.

    He had flowing, silver hair, dressed in a gray uniform that was outfitted with silver gauntlets and greaves; his radiant eyes were calm, watching the dragons that encircled him.

    [Baek-Hyeon | Level 54]

    "...If you''re going to attack, then do it already," Baek-Hyeon said boredly, "I don''t have all day."

    It seemed his calmly issued challenge spurred one of the bipedal dragons to attack as one lunged towards him with its talons pointed towards his flesh.

    Without batting an eye, his hand moved to his sword as the scarlet de on his back was drawn in a fraction of a millisecond, unsheathed as a sh of red hissed through the air.

    "GRAAK!" The dragon yelped.

    The humanoid beast fell past him as its shoulder split from its neck with a massive cut stretching from its shoulder and through its body was carved in an instant.

    "--" Baek-Hyeon remained calm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A subtle, intangible essence flowed from the in, draconic monster and into the man as the kin of the felled beast snarled and roared out at him.

    Ma-Ri, still watching while hiding beside Eunji, silently wished the draconic beasts would end the traitorous man, but no such miracles were born in the encounter.

    As another of the beastsshed out, swiping at the man, he effortlessly raised his left arm, blocking the strike with his own limb as the talons of the beast sliced his forearm. The ws of the scaled beasts were as sharp as katanas, curved and lengthy like daggers.

    CHNK.

    Yet, there was no damage done¨Cit sounded as if steel had met steel.

    It was beneath the light-gray sleeve of the man''s uniform: durable, azure scales that protected his forearm. The sight of it made the draconic beast, seemingly of some intelligence, snarl in confusion while the man smiled.

    "...How do you like it? That''s my ''Assimtion System''," Baek-Hyeon said.

    Without any fear for his own wellbeing, the man sheathed his sword, wielding no weapon as he waited for the beasts to attack.

    As the draconic fiends came at him from all sides, he effortlessly dodged the ferocious w swipes and tail swings, evading snaps of their jaws as he countered with just his fists, possessing divine strength in his knuckles as they were all sted back with shock wave-inducing impacts.

    It was the constitution of an angel; such a factor assimted into his being made the physical existence of Baek-Hyeon simply divine in nature.

    From simple blows,cking in technique or form and simply fueled by supernatural strength, the scales of the beasts were shattered and their tough exteriors caved in like brittle.

    He''s too powerful. It''s just our luck that we crossed paths with him¡­The only silver lining is¡­maybe he hasn''t noticed us, Ma-Ri thought.

    As she watched, a flicker of hope came as one of the pulverized, blue-scaled beastsunched back up directly towards Baek-Hyeon''s unguarded back, spreading its jaws wide at it went in for a bite.

    FWOOSH.

    Though any hope of the Assimtion System wielder''s defeat was gone in a sh.

    Even with his back turned, Baek-Hyeon defended himself without batting an eye as a spear forged of golden radiance manifested in an instant, propelling downward and piercing through the throat of the beast before its fangs could reach the man.

    "...Did he¡­?" Eunji asked quietly, shivering behind the boulder.

    Ma-Ri was still watching cautiously, nodding, "He did. He wiped them all out without a scratch."

    "Ngh¡­" Eunji groaned quietly in dismay.

    After wiping out the ravenous dragon bruisers, the silver-haired man turned his gaze around¨Clooking directly towards Ma-Ri with his keen, golden eyes.

    "--!" Ma-Ri instantly withdrew behind the boulder.

    Eunji noticed the visible shock on the usually stoic woman''s expression, "Ma-Ri¡­"

    "Quiet," Ma-Ri whispered.

    The sound of the man''s footsteps was heard loud-and-clear in the dead valley, echoing out as it was unmistakable approaching the two girl''s direction. As the leader, responsible for the lives of herrades, thest thing Ma-Ri had hoped for was an encounter with Baek-Hyeon at a sensitive time like this, but she kept her hand ready by her sheathed rapier.

    "--" Ma-Ri kept herself pressed against the back of therge rock, preparing herself.

    As the echoes of Baek-Hyeon''s footsteps came within less than a dozen meters away, they stopped.

    The reason for the footsteps being stifled was clear to both Ma-Ri and Eunji as well as something else filled the silence: the air was whistling, as if something was rapidly descending from the sky.

    "...What?" Baek-Hyeon squinted, looking up.

    There was something descending; falling from the blue skies, a shadow closed in quickly before¨CFWOOOM.

    This mysterious being''s arrival caused Baek-Hyeon to jump back as a cloud of dust was kicked up. Both of the young women stayed behind the boulder, just as ignorant as Baek-Hyeon to who the unknown visitor.

    "How fortunate I am! The Great Emperor summons me and I find quite the interesting person stepping on our soil, ying our skin!" A boisterous, booming voice of a man yelled out.

    The dust began to clear, revealing a tall, burly figure standing high and mighty, facing the Assimtion System user.

    "To step onto the greatnd of Yinlong and spill the blood of dragons¨Cdeath is a sentence far too light for you!" The man with a flowing, dark-brown mane of hair called out.

    [Yinglong Empire | One of The "Twelve Winged Generals" | Mengyao, The Impervious | Level 80]

    Such a level caught even the confident Baek-Hyeon by surprise as his eyes widened once registering the unknown figure.

    The one named Mengyao possessed a mighty beard, which stretched down to his tanned-brown chest which was covered in tattoos; onyx scales protected his bare arms and ribs as horns protruded from the sides of his head.

    "...Eighty?" Baek-Hyeon muttered to himself.

    "Speak no whispers in the presence of Mengyao, The Impervious!" The man boomed.

 Chapter 223 The Impervious

    "Speak no whispers in the presence of Mengyao, The Impervious!" The man boomed.

    With a m of his shoe down, the draconic man, who stood over five meters tall with a broad build like an ox, imposed what felt like an earthquake through the quarry, rumbling the ground.

    "--Enough. It doesn''t matter if your level is that high. My Divine attribute will pierce whatever defenses you have," Baek-Hyeonposed himself.

    Casually swiping his hand, the silver-haired man signaled for a dozen of light-forged des to manifest out of thin air, sinking through the stratifications of wind before shooting out like cannons to the towering figure.

    Each impact of the divine weapons exploded into a glorious cloud of gilded smoke, releasing vtile collisions that cracked the stone ground of the bleached valley.

    "Ghh¡­!" Eunji winced, keeping herself low as powerful winds exuded in the presence of Baek-Hyeon''s assault.

    After the explosions of radiant energy settled, the winds were still whistling while rocks crumbled and continued etching with cracks.

    "As I assumed," Baek-Hyeon said to himself, "It is inconceivable that the first floor would be inhabited by such powerful¨C"

    Before the angelic-empowered man could finish speaking, his words were caught in his throat as the smoke dispersed, revealing the inhumanly tall and imposing man to be standing in the exact same spot without a scratch on his form.

    "What?!" Baek-Hyeon called out.

    Mengyao stood tall, unfolding his arms from his chest as he flexed his entire body, "Disappointing. Your attacks are predictable and slow, yet you stand there and rely on them as if you''re some king too high and mighty to battle yourself. But, I''ll teach you¡­"

    An enormous pressure propelled outward from the Winged General as he raised a single foot to begin one step.

    Baek-Hyeon tried to leap back to evade, but the towering warrior closed the distance in an instant.

    Mengyao stared at him with his dark, fearsome gaze, "...There''s only one man fit to be king in thisnd! And that''s the Great Emperor!"

    Sinking into the gut of the Assimtion System user was the massive fist belonging to the inhumanly durable man, which produced such strength that even Baek-Hyeon spit out the breath from his lungs before being buried into the ground with a thunderous impact.

    "No way¡­" Eunji mumbled, watching from behind the rock.

    "...There''s somebody like this on this floor?" Ma-Ri questioned.

    Standing over Baek-Hyeon, who was breathing heavily as his lungs were battered well andid on the shattered and cratered ground, Mengyao looked down at him as his lengthy beard swayed in the wind.

    "Impressive. You''re made out of strong stuff. Usually one of my blows is enough to turn bone to ash and flesh to red mist. Not bad for a scaleless," Mengyao said, "However, I am on my way to visit the Great Emperor¨Cdon''t waste my time with half-baked attacks."

    Still, Baek-Hyeon retaliated in an instant, unleashing a burst of concentrated divine energy that mmed against the general''s chest, forcing him back. After knocking the impervious general back, Baek-Hyeon huffed, returning to his feet as wings manifested onto his back.

    "...I''m retreating for now," Baek-Hyeon said quietly, clutching his chest as he still had trouble breathing.

    So, this is the most powerful entity on this floor? I see. God truly gave humanity little chance of ascending by cing an obstacle like this here¨Cthis one is like a natural disaster; he''s best to be avoided, Baek-Hyeon thought.

    Steam gave off from the point of impact on Mengyao''s chest; the skin of his chest had been scorched, but it wasn''t a lethal wound in the slightest, but a wound nheless that only made the draconic man scoff.

    "Your fortune ran dry the moment you stepped into my path! The greatest of the Twelve Winged Generals stands before you¨Ctry not to scorn your own weakness, but only remember you were defeated by the strongest!" Mengyao proudly proimed.

    Before another sh could happen, Baek-Hyeon used his powerful wings to take off with sound barrier shattering speeds, elerating in an instant and retreating.

    "Tch," Mengyao clicked his tongue, "Still, who could me one from running from me, Mengyao, The Impervious?! I am the greatest warrior in this world! Be it Yinlong or Scalyue¨CI am the most powerful subject of the Great Emperor!"

    Such an arrogant promation shouted out, echoing forth felt like nothing less than the truthing from the man with a body that was seemingly invincible.

    Fortunately for the two women, the emperor left, leaping away as by some miracle, they survived the encounter between two monsters.

    "Phew¡­" Eunji sighed out.

    Ma-Ri slumped against the boulder, catching her breath from the stress-inducing situation.

    ¨C

    [Crowded Forest | Outskirts of Yinlong]

    "Uergh¡­So much walking," Sol groaned.

    "Comining is not very dazzling! Try and smile more!" Tsukikage said with a bright smile, marching forward.

    The mboyant, muscr man with white-and-pink hairughed, walking in front of the hazel-haired youth who slumped his shoulders.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­" He groaned again.

    "Waaah!"

    "Huh?"

    A yell suddenly sounded out,ing from directly in front of the two, piercing through the dense forest of thick trees and abundant foliage.

    "Mm?" Tsukikage blinked a couple times, "A girl?...Ah, no! Even more dazzling! A boy!"

    "Wha¨C?" Sol nced at the man before looking forward again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a familiar figure that was yelling out desperately; long, silver hair, a feminine face, but definitely a boy around his age.

    [Xiaodan | Level 24]

    "Xiaodan?!" He called out.

    Tsukikage casually nced down at him, "You know him?"

    "You bet I do!" He nodded, "...What''s he running from though¡­?"

    Xiaodan only seemed to register him as he sprinted within a couple meters of him, temporarily shifting from his anxious expression to one of surprise, "...Sol?!"

    "Yeah¨Cwhat''s up?!" Sol asked.

    "No time to exin¨Crun!" Xiaodan warned.

    "Huh?" Sol let out.

    Suddenly, it barged through the trees, rushing in and stomping with a mighty weight; a massive beast covered in a thick, dark-brown hide with a singr horn on the front of its head.

    "A rhino?!" Sol yelled.

    [Stone Horn | Level 35]

    Though, following the norm of this world, the rhino-like creature dwarfed any other of its rtives from Earth, charging forward as steam emitted from its nostrils.

    "Ha-ha! Great beast of this forest, it is inelegant to attack esteemed guests!" Tsukikage yelled out casually.

    He looked back, seeing the entric, pink-eyed man standing with open arms in the massive rhino''s path, "What''re you doing?! You''re gonna get a horn through your body!"

    Xiaodan nced back as well, running alongside him, "What''s up with that guy¡­?! Doesn''t he see that thing charging right towards him!"

    The stampede of the monstrous rhino''s thunderous stomps filled the forest with vtile rumbles as the branches of the surrounding trees trembled and leaves danced down.

    "He does, he''s just¡­not normal!" He replied.

    Though as the stone-skinned beast neared the man, causing the winds of its heavy weight to brush his id scarf around, Tsukikage''s stance changed as he held his arms out in front of him with a confident smile.

    "--If you''re going to ignore reason, then¡­!" Tsukikage said.

    The two reunited members of Gangcheori stopped and watched, now at a "safe distance" as the house-sized rhino was stepped dead in its tracks by the man, who, whilerge himself, was dwarfed inparison to the beast.

    Tsukikage dug his shoes into the dirt, nting himself down and flexing his muscles as he fully nullified the charge of the steam-breathing creature.

    "Am I hallucinating or is that guy¡­?" Xiaodan asked in awe.

    "...I told you: he''s not normal¡­" He gulped.

    Even the rhino seemed surprised as it quelled its steam-exuding breathing and tried to back away, but the grip that the mboyant man possessed didn''t even allow the dozen-ton creature to move in the slightest.

    "Say, Sol and¡­"

    "Xiaodan," the silver-haired, androgynous boy gave his name.

    "Sol and Xiaodan," Tsukikage fixed his words with a smile, holding the massive beast still in its tracks, "How do you feel about rhino for dinner?"

    Sol replied, "...I''ll eat just about anything right now!"

    Xiaodan added, nodding in agreement, "Same here!"

    With that decided, Tsukikage grinned, looking the Stone Horn straight in its eyes, "Hear that?"

    "Gruu¡­" The Stone Horn growled low.

    As it tried to dig its feet into the soil and resist the man''s hold, it was quickly countered as Tsukikage breathed in and summoned further strength, flipping the beast up into the air.

    Such grand weight being lifted up caused the air pressure to change momentarily as the soil cracked and the foliage swayed.

    "What a monster¡­" Xiaodan mumbled, watching in astonishment.

    Sol nodded with a nervous smile, "Let''s just be d he''s on our side."

    After hoisting the beast vertically into the air, Tsukikage roared out before body mming it, causing the forest to rumble and knocking the creature out.

    "--Alright! Let''s feast!" Tsukikage smiled.

    ¨C

    Though the entric, jewelry-wearing man tried to have the hazel-haired young man and Xiaodan carry the beast, it was proven impossible, requiring the man himself to carry it to a clearing in the forest.

 Chapter 224 The Floor Moves

    A fire was started by Sol, who gathered some wood with the help of Xiaodan while Tsukikage diced the humungous prey into cookable pieces.

    "So, you''re a friend of Sam?" Tsukikage asked with his mouth full from a bite of the cooked beast.

    "My name is Sol¡­" He corrected the man.

    "Right, Saul," Tsukikage said, brushing him off as he looked at Xiaodan.

    Xiaodan nodded, "We were in the same group but the Tower split all of us up. I''ve just been sorta roaming the forest¡­trying not to die, ha-ha."

    "I want to find the others," he said, looking down at the cooked meat he held in his hand, "but, honestly, I don''t even know where to start¡­They really just threw us in blind, didn''t they?"

    "That they did¡­" Xiaodan nodded, sharing his sentiment.

    The meat from the Stone Horn was more tender than expected for a beast that looked carved out of stone, but it was thanks to how carefully and with finesse that Tsukikage prepared it, using what looked like utensils forged from the hide of the cosmos itself.

    Still, it was rather nd, but that was to be expected when working without spices or sauces.

    Can''tin. I''m just d not to be starving, Sol thought.

    "...It''s good that we''re still alive, though, at least," he said almost in a whisper.

    Xiaodan smiled, "It''s only thanks to Jeong-Hui that I''m still alive. Seriously, that guy is something else¡­That''s why we''ve got to find them all, right?"

    "Obviously," he smiled.

    Tsukikageughed, joining into their conversation, "Sounds like a shy bunch!"

    "I guess you can say that," he nodded with a small smile but then looked at the pink-eyed man with a raised eyebrow, "Hey, I just thought about this, but¡­Tsukikage, were you with anybody before arriving at the Tower?"

    The mboyant man shook his head as his celestial earrings jingled, "Nope!"

    "Huh¡­" He let out, but not exactly surprised.

    He''s the sort of person that can afford to be solo, I guess. With that sort of power, he''s a one man army, he thought.

    Xiaodan leaned back, leaving his hands on the ground as he looked up towards the sky, which was shrouded by the tall leaves of the forest, "...Still, where do we even start? We''re in the middle of nowhere."

    "Good question," he scratched his head, "I expected a "floor" to just be arge area, but this is something else entirely¡­It seems like the creatures around here are higher than twenty. Isn''t that kind of wrong?"

    "I get what you mean. The entry requirement for the Tower was twenty, but that was clearly just a "bare minimum"--though that''s still unfair," Xiaodan added.

    Tsukikage suddenly stood up, stretching his muscr arms and moving his neck side-to-side as it let out audible cracks.

    "What''s up?" Sol looked up at the man.

    "This forest is quite dull and devoid of excitement now¨CI''ve had my fill of it," Tsukikage said with a smile.

    "...Yeah, same, but¡­we kind of have to deal with that¨C"

    As he tried to say such, Tsukikage interrupted him as he pped his hands together, "It''s time to move on to the next area! I''d suggest moving at least¡­six feet to the left!"

    "Huh?" He let out.

    "What''s he talking about?" Xiaodan raised an eyebrow.

    Though the two stopped asking questions once a massive reservoir of magical pressure released from the man''s position, causing the air to vibrate and hum intensely.

    "...I don''t know, but let''s move¡­!" Sol suggested.

    "Yeah¡­!" Xiaodan nodded.

    As the two moved out of the way, Tsukikage''s smile faded into a focused expression as his jewel-like, pink eyes shined with conviction; he nted his feet down firmly and bent his knees slightly, holding a single hand forward. He kept his right arm, which was extended in front of him, steady with his left hand.

    Finding the entric and talkative man now silent and focused as an imposing sight as the space around him seemed to curve unnaturally.

    "Celestial Forge: Anti-Matter Technique: Void Zone."

    From the tip of his finger, the air contorted and space rapidly condensed itself as a loud hum filled the ears of the two observing this spectacle, ring against their ear drums before an unseen, imaginary mass was unleashed.

    All at once, it burrowed through the forest, carving up the soil and erasing the nt life in its path; foliage was swallowed by the invisible particles and trees were vanquished in an instant.

    It took only a moment to reach the other end of the forest, having cleared out apletely clear pathway now, unimpeded by trees or tall grass.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Tsukikage slowly exhaled, straightening himself up before looking back at the two with a smile, "What''re you waiting for? Let''s go!"

    "...Right," he nodded.

    "--" Xiaodan was silent.

    After witnessing such inhuman power, the two didn''t question the decision to go, following behind the entric man through the carved section of the forest.

    Just what kind of person is he¡­?! Sol questioned.

    ¨C

    [Near the Capital of Yinglong | Yeong-Un]

    Marching on his own, the dual spellde set his sights on the city in the distance, which was surrounded by towering walls.

    Though the closer he came, the more grand the city looked in scope; at a far distance, it still seemed immacte, but upon being closer, it was massive in scale. The quartz walls towered just below the clouds, stretching far and wide as dragon-sigiled gs fluttered in the wind.

    "...Damn, that ce is huge," he mumbled to himself.

    Scratching his head as he summited a small hill, he found an rming sight in front of him: a courtyard between the forest and the city itself, doused in blood and littered with the corpses of other humans like him¨Cthat much was clear by their uniforms.

    "What the hell¡­?" He muttered in surprise.

    Before he could approach closer, he was stopped as a hand suddenly befell his shoulder, causing one of his hands to instantly reach for one of his swords.

    "I''m not an enemy," a masculine voice spoke into his ear.

    "--Huh?" He nced to the side.

    It was a man with pale-white hair like snow, wearing a sleeveless, ck-and-brown uniform with silver designs along it. He had peculiar eyes; varying in color like a rainbow.

    [Guozhi | Level 44]

    Level forty-four? Who is this guy? He questioned.

    "Who are ya¡­?" He asked, tugging his shoulder away from the man''s hand.

    Guozhi looked at him before looking back towards the city, "Guozhi. That''s all you need to know right now. What''s more important is that you stay away from those walls."

    "Huh? Why?" He asked.

    "That city there¨CIt''s just a theory right now, but¡­" Guozhi looked at him, "I believe that''s where our "goal" for this floor lies."

    "Ain''t that more of a reason to go there, then?!"

    "You''d die in an instant," Guozhi warned him, "A level forty enemy arrived when a group of yers approached those walls¨Cluckily, I was able to handle him. However, that''s only the start of things, I suspect."

    There were definitely grounds for believing such words when they came from somebody of such an extremely high-level, especially when the man didn''t seem to have any hostile intentions. Whether it was a six sense or just acute intuition, the young man had a sense for such things, and the snow-haired man wasn''t giving him any malicious auras off.

    "...How''d youe to all of that?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest, "I mean, you don''t know for sure, right?"

    "I don''t, but tell me¡­Does a city like that not strike you as the "final boss" of this floor?" Guozhi asked.

    He looked at those colossal walls again that stood around the seraphic city, "...Ya got a point."

    "I''d advise you to head south of that city, just as I am," Guozhi told him, "From what I''ve heard, there''s arge gathering of survivors in a spot outside of one of the Yinlong Kingdom''s cities. It''s called the "Advent Dawn." I believe that will be our sole respite on this floor."

    He''s damn smart. This guy is some sorta genius, or something¡­In that case, maybe I should tag along with him, then? Yeong-Un thought.

    "Well, I was already headin'' that way, so you can follow along if you want!" He said, walking forward.

    As usual, he took the initiative in order to keep his pride intact, but the stoic man didn''t seem to take any sort of offense as he went in the same direction as well.

    Though the man hadn''t done anything to arouse suspicion, and the fact that his acute sense of smell wasn''t picking up on anything rming, he kept his guard raised as he periodically nced back at the man.

    Why the hell did I choose to take the lead¡­? Watching my back with someone almost twice my level ain''t exactly a simple endeavor, he thought.

    Guozhi was a wellposed individual; he walked straight, never missing a stride or shifting his pace, and his expression remained calm as his spectacr, rainbow eyes stayed looking forward.

    Well, I''ll just have to trust this guy for now. If there''s a city where yers are gatherin''...I need to get there, he thought.

 Chapter 225 Duel Of Ambrosia

    [The Yinlong Royal Throne Room]

    " Great Emperor Jiao-Long!"

    In unison, the ten figures all bowed in servitude to the regally-uniformed man who sat on the grand throne, overlooking the keep.

    The Emperor waved his hand, "Stand, my Winged Generals."

    With that simplemand, each of the generals rose to their feet, again in unison. In the presence of the Great Emperor, there was no room for quarrel or resistance, as there was an immeasurable amount of respect and reverence held towards the man who ruled the imperialistic kingdom.

    "...Is Mengyao not present?" Emperor Jiao-Long asked, counting the generals.

    One of the scouts stepped forward, kneeling down before giving an answer, "Great Emperor! Lord Mengyao was seen inbat with one of the otherworlders."

    "Hm. I see," Emperor Jiao-Long said quietly, "We will continue without him."

    In the draconic room of royalty, surrounded by gilded statues, marble floors, and statuesque regal guards, it seemed almost on the tip of divinity.

    "My Winged Generals, the prophesied time hase," Emperor Jiao-Long stood up, his immacte curtains of hair cascading down his shoulders, "The Scalyue Empire conspires against us. They''ve stooped low enough to rely on warriors from another world to aid them in battle. However, we will not back down."

    "--" The Winged Generals were silent, listening closely.

    The throne room was dense with powerful auras; a single Winged General possessed the strength of a demi-god, yet so many sat in one room, beneath the banner of one man, grander than all within the Yinlong Empire.

    "We are the ones who bear the strongest connection to the Scaled Progenitor. It is in our blood to rule; it is in our blood to be unrivaled. In that¡­we will strike first," Emperor Jia-Long announced, his voice now booming.

    Each Winged General, unique in their armor, physiques, and overall appearances shared in their excitement for this promation.

    "This is war! Atst, we will subjugate the Scalyue Empire and be the sole dominators of thisnd!" Emperor Jiao-Long proimed, "It begins today! Prepare your squadrons for battle!"

    "Understood, Great Emperor!" The Winged Generals roared in unison.

    The Great Emperor looked at the general most gloomy in appearance, "Ash."

    "Great Emperor," the Winged General dressed in ck responded.

    "It seems there are otherworlders prowling our sacred grounds," Emperor Jiao-Long said, "Survey the wilnds and return with your findings."

    "Understood," Ash nodded.

    With just a nod and a kneel, the ck-dressed general vanished into the shadows without a trace, enacting his mission.

    It was on that day that the preparation for a battle unlike any other began.

    It is time; only one kingdom will stand by the end of this, Emperor Jiao-Long thought.

    ¨C

    [Minjing, Scalyue Kingdom | Jeong-Hui]

    Some hours had passed, and the evening horizon crept up on the city as the soft orange sky peeked over the walls of mountains. They found a proper inn to settle at, and acquired some more information on where other masses of outsiders like them have been appearing.

    He held up a map, looking at it, "...Seems like this area called the "Advent Dawn" is where a lot of people like us are going to end up going. It seems like some sort of event."

    "We''ll all end up meeting together naturally, then?" Korain asked.

    "Probably," he nodded, "...I hope so."

    "...Before we head out, how about finding some grub?" Korain suggested.

    As the man gave this suggestion, he scratched the scruff on his chin with his singr arm, looking at both Archie and Jeong-Hui.

    He nced around, feeling an emptiness in his stomach, though eating wasn''t high on his priority list, not while worrying about his friends and especially after witnessing such a brutal execution earlier. The skewer he had didn''t seem to do much of a job to fill him up, that or his body just severely needed the calories.

    "Sure," he nodded, "We can''t search on empty stomachs, right?"

    Archie pped his hands together, "Aye! I''ve been meanin'' to try the food in this country!"

    "I found a ce when I first came here¨Cc''mon, it''s pretty great," Korain gestured for the two to follow.

    "Alright, lead the way," he sighed out, "If you have one skill, it''s finding your way to a good te."

    Korainughed, "That''s right! That ability of mine brought us together in the first ce, Mr. Chef!"

    "Chef?" Archie nced at him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As they walked together down the street, it was blurted out, but not something that was particrly supposed to be hidden, but he brushed it off.

    He scratched his head, "Ah, it''s nothing, I just do a bit of cooking here and there."

    "So modest! Jeong-Hui there can fire up a real masterpiece of grub! Give him the right gear and ingredients and you''ll have a masterchef on your hands!" Korain boisterously imed.

    Archie let out an "Ooo!" in excitement and surprise, looking at him, "Ya never told me that! Why was I doin'' the cookin''?!"

    "...I just¡­haven''t really been in the mood," he said.

    "Ah, I gotcha," Archie epted with a smile.

    Though the youthful, Australian man had his own entricities, he was as kind and affable as could be; as easygoing as a gentle breeze, but as energetic as a curious child fueled by sugar.

    As they went on their way in search of a heart meal before setting out for more information and surveying for their lost members, they wound up at the ce of interest that Korain rmended.

    The moment they arrived in front of the establishment, he found himself a fool for believing the ck-and-white haired man would suggest anything else but such a ce than the one found before him. Even from outside, it reeked of booze and patrons of the establishment wandered out, either arm-in-arm with flushed faces or stumbling down the steps and giggling.

    It was a tavern.

    "Aye! I like the way you think!" Archie smirked, gently elbowing the ivory-armored man.

    Korain smirked as well, "Right? There''s no better support system between worlds than the nectar of the gods!"

    Without any hesitation, and hardly knowing one another, Archie and Korain were arm-in-arm,ughing like old buddies as they entered the tavern with unknown, worrying prospects ahead of them.

    He was still standing there at the wooden steps of therge, bustling tavern for a moment, scratching his head as he didn''t know quite what to do.

    "C''mon, Jeong-Hui!" Korain called out.

    "C''mon! C''mon!" Archie added.

    Though he was hesitant, he let out a sigh before following them into the tavern, pushing past the swinging doors as he entered the establishment of booze-and-celebration.

    Somebody has to be the sober one, I guess¡­gotta keep those two in check, he thought.

    It hit his nose like a truck; the aroma of alcohol and meat¨Ca lot of meat. There were a few dozen patrons in the tavern, most of which were already drunk off their horses, challenging one another to drink offs or arm wrestled for coin. By the looks of it, more than three-quarters of the customers were adventurers, by their equipment.

    "Gh¡­" He brought his scarf over his nose.

    He seated himself at the same table as Korain and Archie, who were quick to rack up mugs of amber liquid, not wasting any time to swallow the booze.

    "...I''ll just get a sd," he sighed, telling the waitress.

    "Coming right up!" The brown-haired waitress smiled brightly.

    While he waited for his meal, he was subjected to watching his twopanions fill their bellies with booze. Of course, the angel coins they had each umted allowed for a lot of leeway in the form of luxuries¨Ca pint of beer was only a single coin, which meant they had free reign to drink practically as much as they wanted.

    Surprisingly, despite Korain being built like a temple of muscle with an imposing height to boot, Archie, who was on the smaller scale of size for a man, was able to match him in the league of consuming the fine nectar.

    "Go! Go! Go!"

    "Go! Go!"

    "Money on the big guy!"

    "I''ve got three coins on the small fe!"

    Naturally, such apetition of David vs Goliath sparked a crowd around the table as patrons of the tavern cheered them on¨Cwhich didn''t help the situation that the red-haired young man sought to avoid. That is, such peer pressure andpetitive spirit itself drove the two to splurge further into the depths of alcohol.

    Even more surprisingly, but at the same time not so, there were a couple people from Earth in the mix:

    A middle-aged man with a scruffy five-o''-clock shadow, shaggy brown hair, dressed in an outfit that hardly looked like an [Equip]; a ck vest, a white, long-sleeved dress shirt beneath, ck dress pants with fine fabric, and a coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape.

    "I''ve got ten coins on the small fellow!" The already drunk man said.

    [Elias | Level 30]

    It was a fairly high level, but nothing that blew his mind, though it did cause him to take further note of the man.

    What stood out most in his appearance was his heterochromia: his right eye was scarlet, and his left eye was of an emerald shade, simr to his own.

    He''s got the same eye condition as Yeong-Un, he thought.

 Chapter 226 Ant And Angel

    [Elias | Level 30]

    It was a fairly high level, but nothing that blew his mind, though it did cause him to take further note of the man.

    What stood out most in his appearance was his heterochromia: his right eye was scarlet, and his left eye was of an emerald shade, simr to his own.

    He''s got the same eye condition as Yeong-Un, he thought.

    The addition of the exuberant gambler Elias'' bet, the crowd went wild as further stakes were ced on the drink-off.

    He stayed at the table, though the stench of booze and the constant sshing of golden ale made him get up from the seat just as a loud, jarring noise came from outside the tavern¨CFWOOM.

    It sounded as if something sharply descended,nding just outside of the establishment. Though he seemed to be the only one to notice this as the cheers and roars of the patrons dulled the sound, that or they were all too drunk to pay it any mind.

    "I''ve gotcha¡­!" Korian slurred his words, mming another mug down before letting out a hefty belch.

    Archie mmed another down as well, smiling with flushed cheeks as he burped as well, "...I''m just gettin'' started ''ere, mate!"

    While they were going at it strongly still, he looked towards the tavern doors as his heightened hearing picked up approaching footsteps even beyond the constant flood of noise spilling from the mouths of the intoxicated patrons.

    ¡­What was that impact just now? He thought.

    Just as the doors to the tavern swung open, a tall figure stepped through; a man with lengthy, straight locks of a silver shade, entered the establishment as he stretched his neck side-to-side.

    It was a face he was all too familiar with; a sight that flipped a switch in his mind the moment his eyesid on the man.

    [Baek-Hyeon | Level 54]

    There was only a millisecond in which he was frozen; a frozen moment of shock before his blood skyrocketed in temperature, his body flexing as adrenaline surged through his veins.

    [Kill Switch: ON.]

    In an instant, he set-off, not saying a word yet as he kicked forward with his full-strength, springing and blinking towards the man not even a second after his boot initially entered the interior of the tavern.

    "Baek-Hyeon¨C!" He yelled out.

    Even the angelic-empowered man was surprised by the red-haired assassin''s presence, which was due to his inherent ability to stay out of focus of unengaged entities.

    He tackled the gray-uniformed, golden-eyed man out of the tavern, bashing him with his shoulder as he threw Baek-Hyeon out of the doors and onto the street.

    Baek-Hyeonnded on his feet, holding an unpleasant expression as he brushed his chest off, "...Jeong-Hui. I can''t catch a break today, can I?"

    "Shut up, you traitorous coward!" He screamed out, holding his fists up.

    "Come on, then. I''ve got some rage to take out," Baek-Hyeon said casually, straightening himself out.

    The people in the street cleared the way, spectating as the red-haired young man burst forward again, spinning into a kick as the angelic-bodied man raised his arm to block it, but it was a faint. Instead, he spun around once more and swerved into another attack¨Copting to sweep the man''s leg.

    As his leg kicked against Baek-Hyeon''s own, the impactnded, but there was no effect as the man remained standing strong, looking down at him.

    "Don''t delude yourself into thinking you can challenge me," Baek-Hyeon told him, "Last time was merely a fluke. I was caught by surprise¨C"

    "King Fist!"

    [Spirit: -300 | 2900/4000]

    Before the man could finish his arrogant ramblings, a fist sank into his gut, presenting an explosive impact that sent him sliding back several meters.

    He followed up with more close-quartersbat techniques, spinning around and generating mes in the advent of his kick, mming his leg against the man''s side then spinning around andunching a liver kick that was potent and precise.

    Though it was a direct hit, it only left Baek-Hyeon momentarily stunned, but unharmed as he brushed the dust off of his coat once more, "--As I said, a fluke."

    It was as if he repeatedly hit a solid wall of imprable steel; nowhere did he feel any semnce of damage was inflicted through his blows.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: +1 | 41/9999]

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Kungfu: +3 | 4/9999]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Fa-Jin]

    Instantly, he utilized the new technique inherent to Chinese martial arts, closing the distance with a [Blink Step] while extending his momentum before stomping his boot down and using a potent palm strike; the "Fa-Jin" ability focused his explosive power to its utmost.

    The impact of his palm came directly against Baek-Hyeon''s chest, producing a shock wave that emitted from his back as the blow managed to inflict some level of damage¨Cthough minor, on the seemingly unbeatable man.

    Baek-Hyeon was surprised for a moment, butposed himself as he huffed, "Vermin."

    This time, it was Baek-Hyeon who took the initiative with an attack, simply waving his index finger as he manifested a golden javelin that spawned from a radiant sub-space.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Die," Baek-Hyeon said with impunity in his golden eyes.

    The air hissed as the divine javelinunched forward as if thrown by a railgun, still he managed to sidestep it with a [Blink Step], however¨C

    "That won''t work," Baek-Hyeonmented casually, folding his arms over his chest.

    Switching direction in mid-air, the javelin spun around, changing its course andunching towards the red-haired assassin again.

    "--!" He looked back in surprise.

    Is it tracking me? Dodging it won''t work, then! He realized.

    With dodging out of the question, he relied on a new technique he had just acquired: he intertwined his fingers momentarily before spreading his hands, revealing crimson threads stretching from his grip.

    [Crimson Threads]

    "Hm?" Baek-Hyeon watched in surprise.

    A lofty amount of threads were unraveled at once as he tossed them out, weaving them into a wild array of manyyers, managing to ensnare the mystical javelin in the web of red threads. The strings were incredibly durable and sharp, allowing him to intertwine andyer them multiple times over to increase their strength enough topletely  halt the javelin by enveloping it heavily.

    [Spirit: -100 | 2800/4000]

    Mana was used based on how much length of the crimson threads he used, which made it incredibly flexible to use for any situation.

    ¡­Good first impression, huh? It was a gamble, but it worked. Only one-hundred mana for that much thread? I think I can get used to this, he thought.

    After capturing the javelin, he moved his thread-bearing hands as ifmanding a puppet, flinging the projectile around and releasing it back towards the man who initially summoned it.

    Baek-Hyeon caught it back in his hand, moving his head to the side as he just barely avoided its sharp end, "...Hm."

    Murmurs from the crowd were unheard by the two that were involved in the personal conflict as they both initiated at the same time.

    The moment Baek-Hyeon lifted his boot centimeters from the ground, the ck-uniformed assassin already vanished from his position.

    Though the onlookers lost track of him, Baek-Hyeon''s eyes immediately tracked him: the red-haired assassin blinked multiple times from wall-to-wall, moving swiftly and nking the Assimtion System user.

    Just as he used another blink to close in, drawing both of his daggers and aiming for the man''s neck, Baek-Hyeon responded in kind, manifesting a golden sword into his hand.

    "Cease."

    "Cease."

    Mere inches from the throat of Baek-Hyeon, his ck-steel daggers stopped, and mere inches from his head, the seraphic weapon of the traitorous man had fallen still as well.

    The reason they both came to a stop so close to finishing the battle was the presence of two of the crimson, dragon-armored sentinels.

    "Violence is prohibited within the walls of Minjing," the left sentinel said.

    "Cease this or forfeit your lives," the right sentinel warned.

    Both of the guards stepped between thebatants, having intervened with such speed and precision that a bloody end was not met. Still, despite neither a win or a loss being found, Baek-Hyeon looked less than pleased.

    It surpasses reason. Despite his level being almost half of mine¡­He''s able to contend with me to this level. There''s no doubt I''d annihte him, but¡­something about him isn''t right, Baek-Hyeon thought.

    ¡­I wouldn''t have been able to cut his throat like this, but if I could drag him into Devil ying Hour again, then maybe¡­Jeong-Hui thought.

    They both backed off within the presence of the sentinels who were almost robotic in their strict adherence to thew and enforcement of it.

    Baek-Hyeon turned away, taking his leave, "I''ll admit you''ve grown strong, Jeong-Hui. You''ve sharpened that edge of yours¨CI assume I''m partly responsible for that."

    "Don''t tter yourself," he said with scorn.

    "Hm," Baek-Hyeon looked at him for a moment before setting his gaze forward, "Rest assured, my sights aren''t set on you, Jeong-Hui."

    "Huh?"

    "You''d be wise to look past your grudges, too¨Cfor the time being, at least. This floor contains monsters above even I¨Cfor now," Baek-Hyeon said, "I n to ascend this Tower, and I''ll do anything to do so. If it means assimting you, that may happen. However, as you are right now, I don''t see any merit in doing so. You''re an ant to me; you''ve never once forced me to exert myself. Take sce in that; my sights are elsewhere, ant boy."

    "You¡­!"

    "I''ll be seeing you," Baek-Hyeon waved him off without looking back.

    Before he could say another word or retaliate, within the presence of the merciless sentinels of the city, the golden-eyed man disappeared within the crowd.

    He really is here after all¡­Shit! If things couldn''t get any worse¡­He thought.

 Chapter 227 Non-Standard Walk

    He really is here after all¡­Shit! If things couldn''t get any worse¡­He thought.

    As he returned to the tavern, the drinking contest was still going on, though he wasn''t in any sort of mood for such theatrics.

    Though his sd arrived, he was hardly in the mood to eat as disgust swirled in his stomach from the encounter, but he stuck around the drunken two he was with. Eventually, they did finish¨Cthough "eventually" was the right way to put it; it was another twenty mugster before they both caved in.

    There was quite arge debate on who actually won between the patrons at the tavern who ced bets on the drinking match, but it seemed in fact, Archie was the one who drank the most, as his mug was just the slightest bit more empty than Korain''s.

    "...Honestly, you both are idiots," he sighed.

    Against the table that was drenched in spilled alcohol, the two were snoring, passed outpletely into the deepest slumber possible.

    I guess it''s a good thing that "Advent Dawn" is tomorrow¨Cthough I wanted to get a head start on it today. Oh well, he thought.

    As he tried shaking them, poking their backs, lightly pping their cheeks¨Cnothing worked as they snored like a pair of bears. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible for a few reasons, but at the moment he mostly didn''t want to bother the kind waitress any further with the pair of oafs.

    "...C''mon, am I really going to have to carry both of you?" He muttered.

    Sighing out, he prepared to do so, hoisting Korain up and putting the man''srge arm around his shoulder. While Korain was heavy, his strength didn''t make it much of a problem, but the man''s size made it difficult to see how he''d carry another person.

    "Let me give you a hand."

    "--?"

    As he nced to the side, he found the drunk yer from earlier standing by the table; though his cheeks were still slightly flushed, he didn''t seem very intoxicated anymore.

    "It''s fine, you don''t have to¨C"

    The well-dressed man with messy, hazel locks insisted, "It''s no bother for me. Besides, this one here just won me a nice bit of coin¨Cit''s fair I return the favor."

    He looked at the man for a moment, "...Alright, then."

    "Great!" The man said with a smile.

    Though he was definitely stuck with the short straw in carrying a snoring Korain, he did appreciate the assistance vastly as he and the man set out for the tavern, stepping into the streets that were overlooked by the mountains overshadowed by the setting sun.

    "I''m Elias, by the way," the man introduced himself, carrying Archie on his back, "Though I guess you already figured that out.

    "Yeah," he nodded, "Jeong-Hui."

    "That''s certainly a unique name¨CI''ve definitely never heard of one like that in my country," Elias said, "I''m from Germany. Nuremberg, to be exact."

    "Germany? I''ve always wanted to go there. Authentic schnitzel or veal sausage would''ve been great to try," he said with a small smile.

    Hisment spurred a smallugh from the mix-colored eyed man as they ventured down the streets that had quieted down.

    "Schnitzel, eh? Well, I guess we''re pretty famous for that," Eliasughed.

    "Well, I''m from South Korea. Seoul is my hometown," he said for himself, "Our food is pretty different.

    "You seem pretty enamored with dishes, eh? You don''t strike me as a glutton¨Cperhaps you''re a chef?" Elias asked.

    It was surprising that he was figured out that fast, but it brought a smile across his lips as that passion was one that was always aforting reminder for him.

    "Yeah, well, I never got to really pursue it¡­" Hemented.

    "Ah," Elias looked forward with a mncholic smile, "Many dreams have been snuffed out in this event, however¡­Try and simply be happy about the fact you''re still living and breathing."

    Such words weren''t lost on him as he did know not to take for granted what he still had, in spite of what had been lost. If there was any singr lesson etched into his soul, or any that participated in Armageddon itself for that matter, it was that: to keep moving forward and hold onto what you can.

    Eventually, they arrived in the inn, which Eliasughed about once they came to the establishment.

    "What''s funny?" He asked, still carrying Korain.

    Elias smiled, "I happen to be staying here, too."

    "Oh¡­That''s convenient, then," he said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Indeed. Perhaps I was meant to assist you on this day," Elias said.

    "Maybe," he replied.

    It was surprising to find a person like Elias at this stage past humanity''s culling, as even he felt he''d lost a lot of his own kindness, but it was something he appreciated to find nheless. Elias helped him set the two down on the beds within the rented room, to which neither of the drunkenpanions of his so much as batted an eye throughout the entire process of bringing them here.

    "Well, that''s done¡­Thanks," he said with a sigh of relief.

    Elias smiled, "No problem! I''ve got some booze knocking at my mind still, so I think I''ll go catch some sleep for myself¨Cyou should, too."

    "Yeah, you''re probably right," he nodded.

    After the long day, the heated skirmish, and dragging Korain back to the room, he did feel he could use some rest.

    "Anyway, I''ll be seeing you around," Elias said, leaving the room with a small smile.

    "See ya''," he said.

    Following the man''s departure from the room, the only sound that met his ears were thebined snores of both Archie and Korain.

    Though he did feel somewhat tired, he didn''t have any urge to sleep with all of the concepts swirling in his mind, and the constant snores from hispanions didn''t help, either. With night creeping around the corner, he left the inn without his coat, walking the streets without any real purpose.

    In the midst of the night, Minjing became a different ce; it quieted down and the stars glittered up above, as if magnified by the walls of mountains that enclosed around the city. A sky that wasn''t polluted by smog or filled with artificial light was one that allowed the beauty of stars to shine to their fullest.

    "--" He looked around.

    Sliding his hands into his pockets, he exhaled, stopping for a moment to simply gaze up at the stars. It was a feeling that had be foreign to him over the months that felt like years: simply being able to let his guard down and breathe.

    In the city where violence was prohibited to the highest order, it allowed him to safely stand there, not having to watch his own back as he could finally just¨Cexist.

    Still, this didn''t mean that he did let his guard down fully; his body and mind was fine-tuned to do so, and it wasn''t something he could simply "omit" to do.

    I made it, Kamou, Hyun, Myung-Hee, Ara. This is the ce we all wanted to reach¨Cthe ce we were all supposed to be at. Still, I guess¡­the world just works like that now, doesn''t it? There''s still a lot of fighting left. Frankly, it''s only just started. But¡­I''m tired. I''ve been fighting for my life each waking moment, he thought.

    Breathing out slowly through his lips, he continued on his nightly stroll, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets as he mainly watched the stars.

    As he ventured through the city, wandering into a quiet section that was away from most shops and mostly a residential area, he heard odd noisesing from an alleyway spot, tucking between two buildings.

    Snickering was heard as well as sharply spoken words, though it was as if the voices were trying to be quiet.

    "Gah!"

    The clear sound of somebody spitting out in pain met his ears as well as flesh being hit. Though he wasn''t in much of a mood for such antics, it did bother him for some reason.

    As he stepped closer to get a clear look, he saw three yers in total.

    One was cornered by the other two, a teenager on the smaller side: a boy with round-rimmed sses and shaggy, ck hair: [Yun | Level 20]

    Another, who had just kneed him in the gut was an older-looking yer, dressed in a dark-red uniform with a half-shaved head of ck, spiky hair: [Reggie | Level 21]

    Alongside Reggie, another yer with a simr red uniform wasughing, pushing Yun against the wall: a sour-faced man with a scarred lip: [Trevor | Level 21]

    ¡­Fighting? Well, more so bullying. Still, how? Sentinels should catch onto this pretty quick, he thought, Ah¡­I think I get it now. The alleyway is dark and isted; I bet the Sentinels watch from that huge castle, so they can''t see this.

    As he casually thought about this, it seemed the bullies caught onto his presence as they stopped slugging the sses-wearing boy, looking over at him.

    "Huh? The hell do you want? Scram!" Trevor yelled at him.

    Not particrly caring about the endeavor, mostly wanting to just have some off-time and not fight, he was about to move on, but he did by ident meet gazes with the bullied individual.

    Yun didn''t call for help; he only briefly looked at him with his olive eyes, but almost seemed as if he didn''t want to get a stranger involved.

    Don''t look at me like that. That''s how you bring out the old, reckless me I''ve tried pretty damn hard to put away, he thought.

 Chapter 228 Kung-Fu

    "Yeah! Get out of here, firehead!" Reggie yelled out.

    For some reason, thatment struck a chord within him as he was almost going to leave, but that was the deciding factor as he slid his hands out of his pockets.

    "...''Firehead''?" He repeated.

    Reggie looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Got a problem with that, redhead?!"

    He sighed out, cracking his knuckles as he entered the alleyway, which seemed to strike fear into the two bullies as it looked as though they finally noticed his level.

    "Only friends get to call me that," he said, "And you two aren''t any friends of mine."

    Another reason he chose to fight was one he''d never admit: he wanted to get some exercise so he''d be tired enough to fall asleep through his friends'' snoring.

    Trevor stepped back, "--Crap! Level twenty-eight?! This guy''s insane!"

    As the two thugs were confronted by the so-called "firehead", the bullied yer used the opportunity to duck out of the alleyway, hiding around the corner but opting to witness what was about to go down.

    Gritting his teeth, Reggie, the one who seemed to call the shots between the two thugs, held his ground, "Fuck it! You don''t scare me! You don''t even have your weapon out! And there''s two of us, right?!"

    Trevor was hesitant to join in, bue nodded while sweating, "R-right!"

    The two thugs manifested their weapons, standing side-by-side and staring him down nervously, but ready. The one with the half-shaved head, Reggie, wielded a smooth club that was forged out of what looked like hexagonal-designed cobalt; the club wasrge and definitely capable of packing a punch.

    Trevor manifested a il into his grip; the spikeball had crimson spikes that spiraled like a drill.

    A club and a il? Interesting, he thought.

    He neglected to manifest his full armor nor his daggers, simply relying on his fists as he kept his hands down.

    "Huh?!" Trevor let out.

    Reggie scoffed, "Bastard has a death wish! Whatever! We won''t kill ya¨Cbut we''ll beat ya half to death until ya give us your coins!"

    It wasn''t a concept he''d run into before, that being people robbing others for their angel coins, but it wasn''t surprising in the slightest that it existed.

    "Raagh!" The sour-faced thug roared out, "Try and dodge this!"

    The il wasunched forward as its chain extended and its velocity amplified like a bullet.

    With his heightened reflexes, forged from countless life-or-death encounters, to him it moved in slow-motion. As he had leveled up, so did the optimization of his Sage System.

    Comparatively, if the level twenty-one thug whounched the il was able to world in [120 Frames Per Second] then he could see in [1200 Frames Per Second]¡ªthis difference allowed him to casually evade the spiked ball with a simple movement of his head.

    "Wha-!?" Trevor let out.

    As the il missed, zipping by his head, he reached up and grabbed onto the chain with a vice grip.

    Trevor tried pulling the il back, but the chain didn''t budge against the fingers of the red-haired assassin.

    "Pull it back already!" Reggie yelled.

    "I''m tryin''! This fucker is strong!" Trevor yelled back.

    Tugging on the extended chain, the scar-faced yer''s dismayed expression suddenly shifted into a wicked smile.

    "¡ª?l" He looked at the man.

    "Gotcha!" Trevor announced, "Cast: Eel Chain!"

    Surging through the length of the metal links, electricity was birthed as a blue light emitted into the dark alleyway.

    "Hah! Served the arrogant fuck right!" Reggie smirked.

    "Got him! Let''s take¡ª" Trevor started speaking, but stopped.

    The celebrations of the low-life yers, who certainly didn''t lead much of an honest path going by the way they seemed to take joy in the act of violence on their own kin, died out as quick as it came.

    "¡ªIs that all? A few volts isn''t anything," he said.

    [Health: -10 | 3540/3550]

    It was the sheer difference in levels that made the resulting attack from the much lower assants negligible, at best. Unlike him, a gap in levels couldn''t be summoned by them with the usage ofbined skills.

    "Huh!? Bullshit! It''s not fair!" Trevorined.

    "Not fair? You''ve been ganging up on people, and you''re talking about fair? If you took any time to understand how to use your skills properly, maybe that would''ve done some damage, but¡ªyou''re just novices," he said.

    "What''re you doing!?" Reggie yelled at hispanion, "Shock him more!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I¡ªGkk!"

    The il-ss yer was suddenly yanked forward by the superior strength of the curly-haired assassin, who pulled him into the air by their shared hold of the chain and dragged him straight towards the fist he reared back.

    "Oh crap¡ª!" Trevor yelled.

    With a powerful uppercut thats force was aided by the direction the thug fell into his fist, the resulting impact unleashed an echo of his knuckles meeting the man''s chin.

    The single, pivotal blow was more than enough to make the man''s eyes roll behind his head and his body to go limp as hended on the ground, unconscious and drooling.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 2/9999]

    Reggie sweated, ncing at his knocked-out partner, "¡­Shit! You''re useless, Trevor! Always leaving it to me to finish this crap!"

    Holding his hand out, the thug cast an unheard of spell: "Cast: Veil!"

    Around the alleyway, a curtain embedded itself that canceled out any noise from within and made them invisible to any outside eyes.

    The club-wielding thug held his weapon up and stomped his boot down, invoking a crimson aura that d itself on his body like an amplifying armor.

    "Cast: Ogre Presence!" Reggie yelled out.

    Fully invoked, the full-manifestation of the spell caused the man''s size to grow as his muscles bulked up and hisplexion reddened with veins pressing against his skin.

    It wasn''t just the man''s body; the mystical aura swirled around the club, causing it to erge as spiky protrusions stretched out along its brutal appearance.

    Reggie growled, "I''m gonna to pulverize ya!"

    The voice of the figure had be distorted as if two voices were ovepping; his own and a deeper, malevolent force thatced his words with concentrated violence.

    "Are you done powering up?" He asked.

    "Shut yer mouth¡ª!!!"

    Spiking up, the man''s hair, or what was left of it, stood up in the presence of the violent aura as he stomped forward.

    Watching from around the corner, Yun was shaking in fear, but not for himself as the aura of the club-wielder caused his sses to tremble.

    Get out of here¡­You''ll die!¡­Reggie isn''t normal! His level is misleading! He was infamous in my region¡ªhe''s got the "Berserker System!" Yun thought.

    Though the boy stricken with cowardice could only say such words in his mind as fear had stayed his tongue.

    Still, there wasn''t any shift in the red-haired man''s demeanor; worry didn''t exude from his calm self as he opted to continue without summoning his gear still.

    Stomping forward, Reggie looked at him with his eyes that lost their pupils and an expression contorted in absolute rage before raising his club.

    "I decided¡ªI''m gonna smash you into red paste!" Reggie proimed.

    "Go ahead and try," he replied,

    His unaffected response seemed only to stoke the unending fire of the man''s magical rage as he mmed the spiky club downwards towards his head.

    Though the massive weapon was swung down, it only met with a solid impact once hitting the stone floor below.

    "Huh!?" Reggie let out.

    Blinded by rage, the man was unaware of the assassin''s slippery nature, who blinked behind him.

    "You''re not going to hit me by just swinging like a toddler," he said.

    The words that came from behind caused the berserker to swing around with a roar, spinning his club around at the same time, but failing to hit the curly-haired man again. This time, he ducked beneath the club while keeping his emerald eyes locked on Reggie before countering with a straight kick straight to the man''s gut.

    "Pyuh!" Reggie gasped, sliding back a few feet.

    Though there was definitely some level of hubris that guided him not to summon his daggers nor his armor, the main reason was that a perfect opportunity to cultivate his martial arts proficiency opened up to him.

    While Reggie definitely was somebody he could defeat, it wasn''t as though he waspletely immune to losing, should he let his guard downpletely. Leaving himself only with his fists added another level of pressure that made raising his proficiencies possible.

    "¡ªI ain''t feeling a damn thing!" Reggie spewed a palpable lie before rushing in again.

    This time, he wordlessly swept the initiative from right beneath the berserk''s boots as he closed in with a blink, entering the personal space of the man, who was midway through swinging his club back.

    Using leopard-style shaolin kung-fu, he rapidly hit the man in the throat and armpits within a moment, canceling out his assault instantly.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Kung-Fu: + 1 | 5/9999]

 Chapter 229 Flawless Victory

    Though Reggie was clearly hurt by the attacks, he was quick to snap back into aggression as drool trailed down his chin; the berserker roared as his crimson aura grew more thick and potent.

    Yun trembled behind the wall, watching with the veil that isted the battle between the two. For the young man, it seemed unbelievable that somebody was able to contend with the monstrous thug.

    That aura¡­It''s making the back of my throat burn¡ªand I''m all the way over here. How is that guy able to handle it from there¡­? Yun questioned.

    This time, Reggie stomped forward, wildly swinging his club as a scarlet wind extended its reach and power, rattling the stone foundations around them.

    He continued to weave through the wild attacks, which only further angered the berserker and aided hisplexion in reddening and his muscles erging further.

    "Crush you!"

    Reggie became noticeably less rational and more monstrous as his rage increased, so did his strength and reckless abandon.

    [Fa-Jin]

    The Kung-Fu technique was swift and simple in its execution, though deadly in its power as the force of the red-haired fighter''s knuckles mming into the berserk''s gut emitted a small shock wave.

    Due to the nature of Fa-Jin, bypassing the exterior of one''s opponent, the impact resounded through the berserker''s internal structure.

    "Raaagh¡­!" Reggie groaned.

    The impact had rippled the crimson hide of the berserker; sending waves through his flesh and ringing through the marrow of his bones.

    With such a narrow space, Reggie was mmed against each wall after the impact, stumbling back as he held his stomach while slobbering in rage.

    He rolled his shoulders, "Alright, I think I''ve gotten my point across. Let''s stop this and go on with our nights, okay? I''m sure we could all use a good night''s sleep."

    As the berserker straightened himself up, growling and snarling as his enraged state grew into such a form that words could no longer be formed, all he could do was sigh.

    "Yeah, I saw that oneing," he mumbled.

    I''m getting kind of tired now. Guess a night time workout did the trick, I''ll finish this in the next attack and head back, he decided.

    It seemed as though there was no real limit to the building rage and the strength that came with it that the Berserker System user could tap into, but theck of a sound mind and the sluggish pace it took to get there made its ws undeniable.

    Reggie roared out, unleashing his reverberated yells that would be heard far through the city if not for the mystical veil around the alleyway, "Cast: Ogre Rush!"

    He readied himself with a stance, watching as the berserker''s crimson aura swirled and reshaped into the silhouette of a violent spirit, wielding a club of its own as it filled the width of the alleyway with its brutal vibrations.

    In an instant, enveloped by maddened strength, Reggie was in front of him, moving his club forward with a sea of violent energy following it.

    "I''m gonna crush you¡ª!" Reggie bellowed.

    However¡ªthe attack was halted, much to the confusion of the berserker. His club didn''t move and his limbs didn''t budge as he was frozen mid-assault.

    "Wha-!?" The berserker snarked.

    [Crimson Threads]

    [Spirit: -50 |2850/4000]

    It had happened so quickly that the berserker didn''t notice, nor did the bullied boy who spectated from around the corner; the precision and speed at which the threads were set were unable to be perceived.

    In fact, the threads did appear instantly through a splendid usage of Sage Period: [Blink Step] plus [Crimson Threads] to create [Blink Threads] which appeared instantly upon manifestation.

    [Weaver Proficiency: +1 | 2/25]

    The crimson threads were tightly wrapped around Reggie''s arms, legs, waist, neck, and even his club, suspending him mid-air.

    "¡­Graaagh¡­!" Reggie struggled to no avail.

    He stepped forward before stopping in front of the restrained man, rearing his fist back, "I could squeeze those threads and slide you up, but I''ll let you off easy for now with this¡­"

    This time, he centered his stance and stomped down to summon his body''s innate strength, allowing air to fill his muscle fibers; each strand expanded to bring out his utmost as for a moment, he maximized his raw strength,

    All of this was put behind a double-handed, open palm strike that he mmed against the stomach of his foe.

    [Decimator]

    It was simr to Fa-Jin in that it prioritized explosive strength, which was felt fully by the berserker as he was unable to be sted back by the force as he was held still by the sturdy threads, causing him to experience the full impact.

    "Raaaagh¡­!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    As the shock wave rippled the skin of the berserker, he was knocked out through the blow to the abdomen, siphoning the rage from him as his reddenedplexion returned to its normal, pale hue.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Kung-Fu: +2 | 7/9999]

    With thest attack, the threads vanished, causing the Berserker System user to fall t onto the ground, beside his partner, who happened to still be unconscious.

    As he brushed his hands off, stepping past the defeated thugs, he was stopped by a voice calling out from behind¡ª

    Reggie somehow was conscious already, struggling to sit up on his elbows as he breathed heavily, "¡­What''re ya doin? Don''t ya want our coins?!¡­"

    He paused for a moment, ncing back as he was a bit surprised by the fact that the man was even speaking.

    Seriously, he was out cold just a second ago. He''s made out of tough stuff, he thought.

    "I guess I could," he responded.

    "Gk¡­" Reggie winced.

    There wouldn''t be anything the man could do to stop such a thing as his entire body quivered just to slightly sit up as his eyelids drooped.

    "But, I''m tired. So, I''m heading to bed," he said, taking his leave from the alley as he waved, "besides, I''m not the kind that can sleep at night robbing people weaker than me."

    "¡­!" Reggie''s eyes widened at those words.

    It seemed it was merely a fluke that the thug managed to wake up in the first ce as he immediately fell unconscious again.

    As he left the alley, he nearly collided with the small-of-stature boy that had been getting mugged by the two thugs.

    "Gah¨Csorry!" The boy said, adjusting his sses.

    He looked at him for a moment before moving on without a word, being stopped as the boy called out to him again.

    "T-thanks! Thank you very much for helping me! If you never need anything¨Cn-not that I''m of much help¨C"

    "I didn''t do all of that to help you," he said, ncing back at the meek boy.

    "Huh¡­?" Yun looked at him.

    He looked at the measly-looking boy, who made it easy to question how he managed to reach the Tower in the first ce.

    "...It pisses me off seeing people acting so helpless when they could''ve easily helped themselves. At the end of the day, it falls on you to drag yourself out of that hole," he said, "but, more than that, I hate bottom feeders like those two back there; those who prey on those helpless losers."

    "L-losers?...What''re you talking about?" Yun asked.

    "Obviously I''m talking about you," he replied.

    For once, it seemed some fire was lit in the meek boy''s light-blue eyes as he stepped forward, holding his hands close to his chest as he had to summon the will to yell out.

    "...I thought you were a good guy, but¨Cyou''re just like the rest of them! I''ve been trying my hardest to survive¨Cand I''ve made it this far, so how can you say that¡­?!" Yun asked.

    "I can say that because I know," he answered.

    "Huh?"

    "I know what it''s like to be at the bottom. To think I''m doing my best, but in reality, there is so much more I could be doing. Let me ask you this, ''Yun''..." He looked at the boy, "Have you ever killed somebody?"

    Yun gulped, "...Killed somebody?"

    "By your reaction, I can tell you haven''t. It''s even more evident by your eyes; you''ve still got some shine in them," he said.

    "And?! So what if I haven''t?!...Is that anything to be proud of? Taking a life¡­isn''t something you should wear like a badge of honor," Yun told him, "Life is precious. You can''t just forget that."

    "Life is precious. That''s why sometimes you have to take it. Thinking ''All Life Is Precious" is noble and all, but when ites down to it, what''s precious is those near to you, or your own life for that matter. So when ites to the lives of those standing against you, and those close to you, then¡­The choice is easy, isn''t it?" He asked.

    Yun seemed hesitant to respond as his expression was anguished and conflicted by the words of the red-haired assassin, but he slowly shook his head.

    "That way of thinking is too twisted."

    "Yeah, maybe it is," he said, "but, that''s the kind of world we live in now. Trying to y the hero, sparing the lives of your enemies, trying to save strangers¡­You''ll bite off more than you can chew, and it''ll catch up to you."

 Chapter 230 Advent Dawn

    Though it seemed Yun wanted to contest his words, the look in those weathered, emerald eyes belonging to the young man were enough to convince him that those words were the undeniable truth from his lips.

    As he went to move on, aiming for a good night''s rest after such an ordeal, he was surprisingly met with words shouted at his back from the meek boy¨C

    "You can say all of that, but at the end of the day¡­you still saved me tonight, didn''t you? Don''t give me all of that! I saw it¨Cyou only moved once we made eye contact! So, don''t lie straight through your teeth¨Cyou still believe there''s good left in humanity! There''s still hope!"

    "--" He didn''t respond, instead continuing on his way.

    It wasn''t something he waspletely sure of either as he looked down at his hands amidst his stroll, unknowing of why he did what he did.

    ¡­Is that part of me really still alive, somewhere deep in there, still iling around and fighting? Even at this stage, after everything I''ve been through¡­some part of me still wants to help. Kamou, why do I feel like this is because of you¡­? He questioned.

    Stopping to think about it for a moment as he looked up at the stars, standing right outside of the inn, he did feel as though something was amiss with his heart.

    When trying to look deeper, it felt as though his own perception of himself was obscured; though it was only a subtle feeling.

    Feels like there''s a fog inside of me. Whenever I try to think about "right" or "wrong", I can''t figure out how it makes me feel. Maybe I''m just tired¡­yeah, probably, he thought.

    Heading into the inn, he returned to the room, finding his twopanions still passed out, though somehow managing to cuddle one another in their dream-sunk slumber. Though he was grateful for this development as it freed up the other bed for him as heid down in it, closing his eyes with his consciousness quickly fading into thend of dreams.

    Fading so delicately into slumber, he found himself weightlessly floating in an abyss; though it felt like a vast sea surrounded him, there was no touch of liquid against his skin nor an absence of oxygen.

    "--" He slowly parted his eyelids.

    I''m dreaming¡­? He thought.

    It was rare for him to actually experience dreams amidst a night of sleep, as most nights he woke up so frequently, paranoid and stressed, that dreams weren''t allowed to be cultivated.

    [Jeong-Hui.]

    The voice that spoke to him was unmistakably that of his Sage System, which didn''t possess the same robotic voice of the Angel System.

    Huh¡­? He thought.

    [The Sage System you''ve cultivated has reached the next stage. Through the peril you''ve faced and obstacles you''ve ovee, the next stage of evolution has arrived. This need has been birthed from your desire to summit the Tower and reach Heaven.]

    [Do you ept?]

    "--"

    He didn''t know how to answer what was being spoken to directly to him; sinking into the endless abyss with his body surrounded in an unknown warmth, all he could do was look up towards the light that sat far above the abyss.

    I don''t know what this means, he thought.

    [This evolution will alter your Angel System. This was the goal of the Sage System thus far: cultivate it until the point its authority surpasses the Angel System to that it too can be changed.]

    [Once you ept this evolution, your Angel System will be reconfigured into a new System: the [Dreamer System]--it will take effect immediately.]

    Huh¡­He thought.

    It was a lot for his exhausted, asleep mind to understand, but the confidence in which the trustworthy Sage System spoke to him guided him to agree to whatever conditions that failed to be understood for the slumbersome young man.

    [EXP from current level will be used to activate the Dreamer System.]

    [ept?]

    "...Sure¡­"

    [Do you ept?]

    "I said¡­sure¡­I ept it," he answered sleepily.

    The moment he agreed to this change, his entire body jolted in agony, contorting as he screamed out; the light above him shined bright enough topletely blind him. Across his body, it was as if code was being rewritten into each pore of his being; etched into his flesh, something fundamental was being altered.

    [EXP: -10000]

    [You will retain your ss and skill tree from the Angel System, however, the nature of the Dreamer System will give you an ability that is invaluable to growth. You¨C]

    Though the words that filled his mind directly were still hardly heard as he continued screaming out as it felt as though pens were continuously jabbing into the marrow of his bones as his skin felt as if it was searing.

    [--Through it, you will be able to¨C]

    [--Dreams to face against opponents without a risk of death¨C]<novelnext></novelnext>

    [--It will allow for further cultivation of the Sage System¨C]

    The voice of the Sage System kept cutting out in his mind as he yelled out, feeling a heat centering in his chest as the light felt as dense as a star now. It didn''t make much sense to him why he was in so much pain, especially to his fatigued mind.

    "System, remove¡­disable my ability to experience pain!...Hurry!" He yelled out.

    There was no response, only the continuous effort of the essence within him being unwound, raked out of his body as if his entrails were being dug out. That seraphic light that was plucked from him was unmistakably the Angel System, being rewoven and integrated with a new essence.

    It felt like once again, something about him was being changed; not just the System, but bits and pieces of what forged "Jeong-Hui" were altered.

    In the realm of dreams, the concept of time was unique; what felt like an entire day passed of his very essence being rewritten before it finally came to a stop.

    [Dream System Initiated.]

    [The world of dreams is now to be used at your leisure.]

    [Dreamer | Level 1]

    [Dreamer EXP + 1 | 1/100]

    Though the new System appeared to him, he only stared upward nkly while floating within the abyss of his dreamscape.

    After experiencing such nonstop agony for countless hours within the abyss of his own mind, there was no part of him that wanted to be there for even a moment longer.

    "...Just¡­wake me up¡­" He said weakly.

    Just like that¨Che woke up, jumping upright as he clutched his chest, drenched in sweat and gasping out the moment he returned to reality.

    "--" He exhaled with wide eyes.

    "Ya alright, mate?"

    As he regained his breath, still unsure of what he had just experienced, he looked to the side to find Archie staring at him in concern. His eyes squinted at the morning sunlight that fell past the curtains, though it was surprising it was only a single night that had passed.

    All of that happened¡­just during the night? It felt so long. It was horrible¡­what the hell was all of that? He questioned.

    "Jeong-Hui?" Archie called to him again.

    He nodded slowly, "Yeah. I''m fine. Just¡­a weird dream, is all."

    After getting up from bed, he brushed his teeth and took a quick bath, dressing up as he prepared for a new day. Archie informed him that Korain had already fetched breakfast for them, which was proven true as the man returned within an hour of him waking up.

    With a hearty breakfast consumed, it was time to head out of both the inn and the city itself as he led the way with the map in hand.

    "...This ''Advent Dawn'' thing is still confusing me. Why''re we going out there to this ce, anyway?" Korain asked.

    He answered, "I don''t know the specifics yet, but apparently a lot of our questions will be answered if we go there. Since this is something that''s probably being told to a lot of yers¡­It''s also a pretty good bet for finding our friends."

    "True enough," Korain agreed, "It''s like a tutorial section in one of those video games, then?"

    "Yeah¡­Didn''t expect you to make a reference like that," he said, looking at the tall man.

    Koraiughed, "I dabbled in some games during my time, you know! I''m not apletely old bastard."

    As they shared a bit of augh, he turned his attention over to Archie, as he just considered the question for the entric, outdoors man,

    "What about you, Archie?" He asked, "Ever y video games?"

    "Ah, me? Can''t say I was much of an electronics-type, no!" Archie replied with a smile.

    Though so, he thought.

    Leaving the bounds of Minjing, it was back into the vastnds of Scalyue, guided only by a map and a destination.

    "Shouldn''t we have fetched a carriage, or something?" Korain asked.

    It was around half an hour into their hike, with the one-armed warrior ncing around to find them now in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by grassy mountains and some small shacks, here and there.

    "A walk in the outdoors can''t be beat, mate! Ya know what they say? ''Preciate the journey, not the destination''!" Archie replied.

    "Yeah, well, maybe if we weren''t in "everything wants to kill usnd", I''d agree with you," Korain exhaled, looking up towards the sky, "Can''t say I''d disagree about the beauty of this ce, though. It''s a helluva improvement over what Earth turned to."

 Chapter 231 X Marks The Spot

    He was keeping careful watch of the map, making sure they weren''t losing their way.

    "It''s only an hour more," he finally spoke up, looking up from the map, "Besides, I''d prefer to just walk the distance anyway. We''re going to make it early, and I like being in control of my movement."

    "As cautious as ever," Korain smirked.

    "Ain''t he?" Archieughed.

    Surprisingly, there weren''t any monsters of note on their path to the marked location on the map besides practically harmless slimes and scaled newts that were less than half of any of their levels.

    [Feeble Slime | Level 5]

    "Think it''s worth killing any of these things?"

    As Korain posed his question, he nonchntly kicked one of the translucent blobs of blue gel, causing it to bounce over the dirt trail like a bouncy ball.

    "I''d bet against it," Archie said, "though, I think I''ll take one of these sticky fes!"

    "''Take one''?" Korain watched him.

    He stopped for a moment, tucking the map under his coat as he watched, "Right, you haven''t seen it yet, have you?"

    "Seen what?" Korain asked.

    "Archie''s unique System," he replied, folding his arms over his chest.

    Korain raised an eyebrow, opting to stay silent and watch for himself as the golden-haired Australian manifested his trusty into his grip.

    "--Easy does it!" Archie said.

    With a clean toss, the wasunched directly over the blue slime just as it had stopped its bouncy movements, being ensnared as the webbing of the shrunk until fully capturing the creature.

    "What exactly did I just witness?" Korain asked.

    Archie smiled, retrieving the and allowing it to dematerialize again, "Added that one to my ''Reserve''!"

    "Huh," Korain let out, "Wasn''t there a game based off of something like this? Ya know, that pocket monstro-whatever one?"

    "Yeah, well, I stopped questioning stuff like this a long time ago," he said, continuing to move as he took the map out again.

    "Same, honestly¨Ctoo much weird crap out there now," Korain sighed out, scratching his head.

    Venturing down the trail, they wound up within a closed-off valley, secluded by walls of stone that seemed carved unnaturally, but wereden with overgrowth.

    The path became narrow as smooth walls of stone now neighbored their path, walking up carved steps that led up and into the interior of a cloud-inhabiting mountain.

    "Damn!" Korain said sharply, swatting his shoulder.

    "Huh? What is it?" He looked back, leading the way.

    Korain huffed, swatting a cobweb that was in his path, "There was a huge spider on my shoulder¨Cno, seriously!"

    "Haha! Critters ain''t out to getcha, mate," Archieughed.

    "You say that, but damn thing was the size of my palm," Korain huffed, ncing over his shoulder.

    He looked forward again, "Let''s just be happy it''s not rats we''re dealing with."

    "You can say that again," Korain agreed.

    "I feel like I''m missin'' something here," Archie said.

    "Don''t ask," the other two said in unison.

    Reaching the top of the staircase tucked away within the exterior of the mountain, they arrived in a cleared chamber within the colossal mass of rock; it was kept lit by torches hung on the overgrowth-clung walls.

    "Is this really where we''re supposed to go? This ce looks abandoned," Korain asked.

    He sighed, "Have some faith in my navigation skills."

    "Yeah, well, you brought us straight to a ce out of Indiana Jones," Korain nced around.

    Archieughed, "It ain''t that dusty, izzit?"

    Though he realized just from a short time walking through the temple embedded into the mountain that it wasn''t some abandoned ce left to be consumed by nature. The walls weren''t dirtied with dust or cobwebs, but instead carved with designs of dragons.

    It was certainly archaic, but it was nothing that was long since left to decay; where they were was a renowned domain.

    "¡­This ce definitely isn''t abandoned," he spoke his thoughts out loud.

    "Yeah, I was starting to think that as well," Korain agreed, "torched, clean walls¡­it''s well-maintained."

    Archie was mostly in his own world, gawking at the critters that did make their way into the temple, capturing them with his special, though Korain looked disturbed by the fact that the young man happily caught arachnids.

    He kept his guard up, venturing down the ancient corridor as a passageway was seen and illuminated at the very end.

    "Woah. Pretty awesome," Korain noted.

    What the ponytail-wearing man wasmenting on were the draconian statues that inhabited the spot between the columns of the hall, standing tall and uneroded throughout time.

    "Seems like they really like dragons around here," he muttered.

    At the end of the corridor, a steep incline of old steps awaited. It reached high, bringing them through a passageway that led to further steps. There were no railings as these steep tforms continued reaching higher, and no walls or flooring existed within the vast in-between chamber.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "¡­Mighty long fall under us, huh?" Korain said.

    Below the stairs there was only an abyss in which words seemed to echo on for an eternity into the void.

    "Don''t look down, mate. First rule," Archie told him.

    "Human curiosity is a funny thing," Korain replied.

    Each step they took echoed with harrowing reminders of just howrge the area was, and how dreadful a fall would be. Though a fall was nearly impossible for the red-haired assassin due to his natural agility and bnce.

    He was the first to reach the summit of the steps, to which an entrance with a threshold designed like the wings of a primordial dragon awaited.

    "...Seriously, where did you bring us?" Korain mumbled under his breath.

    He nced back, "Hey, if you know a better way, speak up¡­"

    "Nope. Lead the way," Korain waved his hand.

    Into the doorway he walked, entering through it as the air immediately shifted; what was once shallow air, thin of oxygen, was now bountiful and rich.

    The chamber that sat at the summit of the mountain-interior steps was of grand scope, loomed over by a colossal statue of a dragon, carved of pale-gray stone that stood as tall as a skyscraper.

    "--" He looked around in quiet surprise.

    There were already other yers present in the room, though most seemed absent of anypanions¨Cwhich wasn''t all too surprising, considering the current predicament he found himself in.

    A quick scan around the room found varying levels, though most were in the mid-twenties, some even reached into the thirties, and a couple were in their forties.

    "...Though we were early," Korain said, standing beside him.

    He responded quietly, "Yeah. Guess we weren''t the only ones with that idea."

    It looked as though everybody was waiting for "something", though nobody knew truly what it was they were waiting for, only that the "Advent Dawn" event was ted to arrive at the turn of noon.

    "Yo! Firehead!"

    "--!"

    Such a nickname called by a rough voice was unmistakable to his ears as he immediately looked to the side, confirming it with his eyes. The scar-covered member of Gangcheori was approaching from the right.

    "Yeong-Un!" He called out.

    Korain was caught in surprise too, "Hot damn! You didn''t bite it!"

    The spiky-haired young man chuckled, shaking the hands of the two and giving them a short embrace, "--''Course I didn''t bite it! Do ya know who yer talking too?!"

    As they caught up, there was still little known between them about the nature of the Advent Dawn, or what they were actually waiting for. Though it was a relief enough to him to have found another of his lost friends.

    "Have you been alone? Pretty rough out there," Korain asked, leaning against the wall.

    Yeong-Un huffed, "Well, for the most part, yeah. I came here with another guy¨Che ain''t my friend or anything, honestly¨Che kinda rubs me the wrong way."

    Pointing out who it was, Yeong-Un directed his finger across the room, pointing out the stoic, quiet man who kept to himself with his arms folded over his chest, possessing unique, rainbow eyes.

    [Guozhi | Level 44]

    "Level forty-four? You were traveling with somebody like that¡­?" He asked.

    "We were just walkin'' in the same direction, really," Yeong-Un exhaled.

    He scratched his head, "We''ve got to be careful. I''ve seen it myself already, but people are pretty desperate. I can''t me them, considering the kind of threats are out there, but¡­it seems like they''ll do anything to get extra experience."

    "Yeah¨Ccowardly runts," Yeong-Un sighed.

    "A bit harsh, mate," Archieughed.

    It had been something he didn''t want to mention, but it felt like now was the time, with Yeong-Un returning and the other two not being mind-numbingly drunk any longer.

    He nced at Korain, "...Sorry, I didn''t mention this yesterday, but¡­I ran into Baek-Hyeon."

    "You what¨C?!" Korain reacted in shock.

    "...That bastard?" Yeong-Un clenched his fists.

    Korain rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You didn''t tell me that? That''s kind of a huge deal, you know?"

    He was a bit annoyed by the fact that the man even asked that as he looked up at him, furrowing his eyebrows, "...Excuse me for not telling the one who was in an alcohol-induceda about how I almost died."

    Korain swallowed his words, averting his gaze, "You''re, urr, right. Sorry."

    After settling that, he continued while the attention of hispanions was tightly held on him in the event of such news, "I had a short encounter with him. Obviously¡­It wasn''t the smart thing to do, but I was seeing red."

    "Can''t me ya," Yeong-Un said.

    "Same here," Korain added.

    Meanwhile, Archie didn''t have much of an understanding of the context of this "Baek-Hyeon" fellow, so he stood nearby and gazed into his reserve through a small marble he held.

    "But yeah, he''s here. Which¡­I don''t have to exin why that''s a bad thing," he scratched his head.

 Chapter 232 The Black Death

    "But yeah, he''s here. Which¡­I don''t have to exin why that''s a bad thing," he scratched his head.

    "I was hoping a bastard like that would''ve fallen into the pits of hell by now," Yeong-Un kicked a pebble, "That''s just one more damn thing to worry about, huh?"

    "If yer killers like that are allowed, what about GOETIA users?" Korain asked.

    He nodded, "Yeah, well¡­I also ran into a GOETIA user in Minjing."

    Korain almost didn''t look surprised, "...Really?"

    "I didn''t think it was important at the time," he exined, "I was wrong¨Csorry."

    Though after what he experienced and what they were all going through, nothing was held against him.

    "What happened with that?" Korain asked.

    "Yeah. Encounters with those scum is always messy," Yeong-Un huffed.

    He looked the other way, "...I took care of it."

    The two members of Gangcheori looked a bit surprised, sharing a nce between each other before looking at him again.

    "Nice," Korainplemented.

    "Good job," Yeong-Un added.

    He scratched his head, fiddling with his hair, "Enough about that. So we know GOETIA members are here as well as Baek-Hyeon. Besides monsters and whatever else, we''ve got to watch our backs around other people, too."

    "Nothing''s changed there," Korain breathed out, "That''s been our battle for a while."

    Archie finally added himself into the conversation, "GOETIA users, eh? Sounds scary."

    "Yeah, well, let''s just hope we don''t run into any of them," he said.

    All conversations between yers within the chamber were cut short as from behind the dragon statue, footsteps sounded out, echoing off of the primordial walls.

    "Wee, warriors from another world."

    ¨C

    [Outskirts of Yinlong]

    "I''m starting to feel like we haven''t made any progress¡­" Sol groaned.

    Despite leaving the bounds of the forest, he still found himself in ever-expanding nature, devoid of civilization.

    "Ha-ha! Try to be optimistic for once, you pessimist! It is very dazzling to moan-and-groan all the time!" Tsukikageughed.

    "Yeah, easy for you to say," he sighed.

    Leading the way, the silver-haired androgynous figure walked beside the calm river, which flowed with a gentle rush through the greends.

    "Let''s just follow the river," Xiaodan suggested, "It''s our best bet."

    "See?" Tsukikage looked back at him with his shining, pink eyes, "Be more like your friend here! He''s shy, dazzling, and optimistic¨Clike a ray of sunlight dancing on the grass!"

    Xiaodan was a bit overwhelmed by such powerfulpliments as he nervously chuckled and continued marching forward.

    The bandana-wearing young man only sighed out, "...Somebody has to be the realist around here."

    In the far distance, there was a mountain that caught his eye; though the unknown region was plentiful with colossal rocks, this was an exception in how clouds seemed to curve around it in the perfect shape of a ring.

    Weird, he thought.

    Either way, it was the direction they were heading. There were some slimes that crossed their path at times, though the gtinous creatures seemed to at least realize they weren''t a match for the humans as they bounced onward.

    "I wonder if the others are doing alright," Xiaodan said, looking up.

    He walked beside the silver-haired boy, holding his orange-tipped spear in his hand, "If I''m alive, then they sure are. Let''s see¡­Yeong-Un is too ferocious to die in an uncool way, Korain is way too much of a badass to go down, Ma-Ri, well, I can''t imagine her losing; Eunji might be a bit of a coward like me, but¡­she always pulls through. And Jeong-Hui¡­he''s got a special knack for living."

    Xiaodan seemed relieved by his words, smiling and nodding, "Yeah, you''re right. I just¡­really hope Jeong-Hui made it. After all he did for me¡­I wouldn''t have even had the chance to enter the Tower, let alone be here."

    "Then make sure you thank him when we meet back up," he smiled.

    "Right," Xiaodan''s smile brightened.

    From the back, Tsukikage was watching the nk as his earrings jingled with a passing breeze. Though something seemed to catch his attention as he suddenly stopped, calling out as he held his hands out.

    "Come out, whoever is trailing us!" Tsukikage yelled out.

    "Huh?" Sol stopped, looking back at the man, "What''re you talking about?"

    "I don''t see anybody¡­" Xiaodan said, ncing around.

    The two who were confused looked in the same direction as Tsukikage, finding a sudden aura of shadows coalescing before shaping into the form of a human. Though it was clearly not a normal human, as the person had two horns and a green-scaled tail swaying behind their back.

    It was a man dressed in ck garbs, dressed like the shadows themselves with amethyst eyes and ck-and-purple hair.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Who is that¡­?" Sol said, holding his weapon up.

    Just then, the status of the enigmatic figure appeared:

    [Yinglong Empire | One of The "Twelve Winged Generals" | Ash, The ck Death | Level 46]

    Such a level immediately caused his hands to sweat as his grip on his spear faltered; it wasn''t just him, either, as Xiaodan was noticeably sweating, standing beside him with his hands raised in abat stance, but neither seemed ready tobat such a foe.

    Tsukikage remained standing strong though as he manifested twin des forged from cosmic energy, "...And who might you be? You''re not very shy at all, and looking at you is quite depressing."

    The tan-skinned man from the shadows kept his distance, but a malicious energy still poured from his position, "I was merely here for reconnaissance. Why''d you go and have to notice me? I just needed some information. What a bother. I wasn''t looking to fight today."

    "Oh?" Tsukikage said.

    In the hands of the gloomily-dressed man, dark smoke billowed before revealing curved des, held in a reverse grip like onyx talons. This same smoke poured out from Ash''s position, causing the foliage to wilt as a smog surrounded the field.

    "I''ll eliminate you all right here," Ash said, "In the name of the Great Emperor."

    The ck smoke enclosed around the three, with Sol and Xiaodan naturally standing back-to-back, unknowing of what to expect.

    Tsukikage faced the Winged General, calling out to the two behind him, "I''ll face this one. You two hold off the small fry."

    "The small fry¨C?" Xiaodan repeated, "What''s he¨C?"

    It was then that they both figured out what the shy man was referring to, as from the veil of smoke, creatures of ck miasma crawled out, groaning as they emerged from the lifeless darkness.

    "Eek!" Sol squealed, raising his spear.

    [Abyss Fiend | Level 20]

    Though the level of the undead soldiers were manageable in a vacuum, there were a high number of them, all surrounding the two.

    "C''mon, Sol! We can''t just stand around!" Xiaodan said.

    Without hesitation, the silver-haired martial artist was already jumping into action, using a quick session of blows to repel the nearest undead.

    Though there was some dy in his motivation, the bandana-wearing spearman did join hisrade in battle, thrusting his spear against the many, mangled bodies of the abyss-born fiends.

    "Get back¡­! Don''t touch me! I''ll get tetanus!" He yelled out.

    ¨C

    While they handled the fiends from the ck smoke, Tsukikage nced back while holding his celestial-forged des.

    ¡­I''ll just have to trust that those two can handle themselves, he thought.

    Ash was obscured by smoke as it oozed directly from his pores, making it difficult to track him as he slowly began to move towards the man, "I can tell just by looking at you. You''re somebody that I can''t allow to live."

    "Oh? Is that apliment?" Tsukikage smiled.

    "Take it for what you will," Ash said, "A threat like you needs to be snuffed out."

    In that instant, the ck-dressed, draconic man vanished as only smoke was left from his position, reappearing behind the jewelry-wearing entric within the blink of an eye.

    Fast, are you? He thought.

    The curved de was already inching near his throat mere milliseconds after thest word had left Ash''s mouth, but it failed to reach.

    "--!" Ash cancelled his assassination attempt halfway through.

    Tsukikage vanished even faster than the Winged General had, distorting the space around him and even causing the de to seem to wiggle and curve at many ends.

    What is this? My de¡­can''t move further? Ash questioned.

    This mysterious power caused the wary fighter to vanish back with his smoke, keeping his distance as he watched space settle before the jingle of earrings subtly met the horned man''s ears.

    "Behind you," Tsukikage whispered into his ear.

    It was that hum of space being distorted again before the presence of the well-built man was felt in full behind the gloomy-attired Yinlong general, who swiftly jumped back, invoking a spell to counter.

    "Ghastly Hydra!" Ash invoked.

    Forming from the endless smoke at the dragonkin''s disposal, dragonheads were shaped, roaring out andunching towards Tsukikage, who spun his cosmis-shaded swords around with a smile.

    "I like it! Quite shy, indeed!" Tsukikage yelled.

    As he swiped his de around, emitting powerful, pressurized bursts of winds with each sh, he cut the smoke-born hydras before they could use their intangible jaws to ensnare him.

    Though it didn''t seem to quite work as though the smoke was parted and bisected, it reformed, allowing the hydras to continue chasing towards him without losing a moment.

    "Oh?" Tsukikage watched.

    Ash kept his distance, allowing more smoke to pour from his sleeves to extend the range of the hydras, "...Brute strength won''t save you against my hydras. Die."

 Chapter 233 The Advent Dawn Begins

    "Oh?" Tsukikage watched.

    Ash kept his distance, allowing more smoke to pour from his sleeves to extend the range of the hydras, "...Brute strength won''t save you against my hydras. Die."

    Though to the surprise of the gloomy, amethyst-eyed fighter, the jewelry-wearing man maintained a bright, confident smile despite the terror of the gargantuan, smoke beasts.

    "Too simple!" Tsukikage imed.

    "...Hm?" Ash watched.

    From the pommels of his twin des, chains were forged out of thin-air, made out of the same, cosmic material before the swords were instead wielded by those chains, not their handles.

    As the hydras of the ck smoke enclosed in on the man, he began rapidly swinging his swords with his monstrous strength, conjuring a storm of wind around himself that caused the smoke beasts to dissipate.

    "--" Ash watched, disgruntled.

    Tsukikage stood with a smile, catching his chain-linked des in his grip again, "I haven''t even spent a single spirit yet. I feel as though I''m being underestimated."

    "...The feeling goes both ways," Ash muttered, "It''s starting to annoy me. You''re starting to annoy me. I''ll kill you now."

    It was from the man''s position that the smoke grew further in abundance, thicker and more potent before it began to shape itself into many forms.

    Ash silently invoked, "Mist Dopplegangers."

    Standing beside the man, the ck smog shifted into perfect replicas of himself, matching hisplexion and demeanor perfectly.

    "Oh? Now, that''s dazzling!" Tsukikage eximed.

    "Shut up," one Ash doppelganger said.

    "I''ll kill you," another doppelganger said.

    "Let''s kill him," one more added.

    "All at once," anothermanded.

    Each doppelganger of the bitter assassin wielded their dual daggers, watching him and encircling him as the smoke billowed from each of their positions.

    "Come on, then! The Great Tsukikage wees all challengers!" Tsukikage shouted with a confident smile still present.

    Though behind that smile, which irked the smoke-manipting man, Tsukikage was calcting; closely watching each doppelganger and keeping an immacte perception of the battlefield.

    The leftmost and the rightmost¨Cthey''re more centimeters closer, but that''s a whole mile against somebody like this. They''ll attack first, Tsukikage thought.

    As predicted, the leftmost and rightmost doppelgangers of Ash dashed in with smoke obscuring their form, unleashing spinning shes at him in unison. It was a difficultbination of attacks topete against; the leftmost clone of smoke used low attacks, attempting to cull the tendons on his legs, while the rightmost aimed to sever his head, or at the very least cut his throat.

    Not bad! He thought.

    Still, he managed to possess a counter even towards such a brutalbination-attack as he squeezed the handle of his left sword.

    "Celestial Forge: Space Technique: Rend Discement!"

    The technique caused the cosmic de in his hand to glow as the star particles that sat within it shined as he swung it, causing space to distort between him and the leftmost doppelganger before the daggers could reach his legs.

    Ash watched from the smoke, staying his distance to gather information on the man while his doppelgangers fought.

    It''s that same ability from before. It''s slightly different though¨Che''s changing the air? No, it''s something greater than that, Ash thought.

    Space expanded, humming out as it contorted and twisted unnaturally, causing the air to shift and stretch in that space between the two, causing the doppelganger to be moved back several meters without having moved a step or being physically touched.

    By the time the unorthodox ability had ended, there were no alterations to the ground, but the doppelganger was left perplexed by what had just happened.

    That''s right, Tsukikage thought, I''m untouchable. I can manipte space at will¨Cso just try and get me!

    With just the other doppelganger rushing him down now, he flipped his right-held de in his hand with a confident smile, countering the flurry of shes with his own swords.

    "Haze!" The Ash doppelganger invoked.

    It was a quick-cast spell that allowed the man to exhale smoke from his mouth, pouring it onto the man and blinding him momentarily.

    But, again, it was proven futile as another ability was disyed with space contorting once more around the blinding haze.

    "Celestial Forge: Space Technique: Erase!"

    A single sh of his celestial de caused the space between him and his foe to be erased, which eliminated the smoke and dragged the doppelganger forward against any technique or strength.

    "--!" The doppelganger''s eyes widened.

    "Get¡­!" Tsukikage began to say.

    As the erasing of space flung the smoke-formed assassin towards him, he used the momentum to cleave right through the clone, dispelling him into puffs of smoke.

    "...Wrecked!" Tsukikage confidently boasted.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Watching the unscathed victory over the dual assault of doppelgangers, the original Ash clicked his tongue, "...Annoying. He''s stronger than I thought. Still, that makes it even more necessary that I win here."

    Suddenly, all of the doppelgangers began to race towards him, filling the area with smoke and zigzagging towards him to throw off their trail.

    "I see! I''ll change up my approach, then!" Tsukikage announced.

    Stop announcing your actions, idiot, Ash thought.

    A few throwing knives were swiftly tossed through the smoke, but the man repelled them¨Cthough failing to block all of them as two managed to pierce through his quick des.

    "...Tch!" Tsukikage winced.

    Though the pain wasn''t an issue, the moment he plucked the small-scale knives from his arms, he found a ck liquid oozing from the tip.

    Some sort of poison? Tsukikage thought.

    Still, utter confidence beamed from the white-and-pink haired man as he allowed his twin des to vanish before summoning something new; a frosty wind spiraled around his extended hand, coalescing into a massive de.

    "Celestial Forger: Sr System: Neptune!"

    It was this invocation that invoked the presence of the ice giant; the unparalleled cold of the frost was felt through the ck smoke as a weapon matching its biting frost was born.

    A colossal greatsword, forged of ice that exuded a cold, white mist was born into Tsukikage''s grip; frosty gas spiraled around it as he reared it back.

    "--!" Ash''s eyes widened.

    What wasing was something all-epassing:

    "Tundra Era!" Tsukikage invoked once more.

    It was a single, mighty sh of the de forged of Neptune''s essence, sending out a wave of frost that cascaded through the area like a storm, swirling the ck smoke and repelling the iing doppelgangers.

    A single swing¡­did this? Just what is this man? Ash thought.

    As if a storm brewed within the of Neptune itself swept through, the grass was frosted, stiffening as the ck smoke wasbated by the cold air.

    [Celestial Forger System: Among all Systems held by humans, it is considered at the apex, sitting along the summit of Systems, peered by only a handful of others. It grants one an ability thought only to be possessed by godly authority: the power to manipte space and forge weapons of cosmic properties.]

    Ash''s stoic demeanor was pressed as he stood his ground, "...It doesn''t matter. I''ve already won."

    As Tsukikage stood there, holding the mighty de of ice, he suddenly faltered as a sharp pain jolted through his body, causing blood to leak from his lips. It was like a me set within his veins, causing them to re and attempt to reject the foreign substance, prompting his muscles to flex and strain.

    "Gkk¡­!" Tsukikage spit out.

    The poison¡­! He thought.

    Ash pulled his scarf down, revealing his scarred mouth that breathed out the abyssal smog, "...That ''poison'' is my blood; it''s breaking you down from the inside as we speak. Just a single drop of it can y a King Tiger within a minute. You''ll be lucky to live for even five."

    Still, somehow¨Che smiled with his sparkling whites.

    What? Ash thought.

    "Five minutes?" Tsukikage said, "That''s plenty. I''ll finish this in three," the man imed, holding up three fingers.

    Ash looked visibly angered as his doppelgangers returned by his side, "...You should be more worried for your friends over there."

    "Huh? What''s this about?" Tsukikage raised an eyebrow.

    "When a mass of undead rises, something else is born¨Can ''anchor''," Ash exined, "It''s not something subservient to me, and it can grow quite out of hand. If ''it''es out, your friends will die."

    Tsukikage looked at him, "Monologuing, are you? Worry about me!"

    Ash sighed out, "Sure thing. I''ll kill you right now."

    ¨C

    [Advent Dawn]

    "Thank you all foring."

    The voice came from the figure that entered through a secret passage that only just then revealed itself from the colossal dragon statue.

    It was a man; dressed in pristine, silver robes and scale-like, quartz armor with flowing, snow-white hair that was kept neatly-kempt by a hairpin. By every metric, his appearance was fair and beautiful; he had the beauty of a princess yet the handsomeness of a prince.

    [Hero of Scalyue, Zhuge | Level 47]

    The red-haired assassin stayed  by one of the pirs, standing alongside hisrades as he kept to himself, merely spectating with his arms folded over his chest.

    "Hero", huh? He''s certainly got the stats to back a title like that up, Jeong-Hui thought.

 Chapter 234 The Edge Of Defeat

    "Thank you all foring."

    The voice came from the figure that entered through a secret passage that only just then revealed itself from the colossal dragon statue.

    It was a man; dressed in pristine, silver robes and scale-like, quartz armor with flowing, snow-white hair that was kept neatly-kempt by a hairpin. By every metric, his appearance was fair and beautiful; he had the beauty of a princess yet the handsomeness of a prince.

    [Hero of Scalyue, Zhuge | Level 47]

    The red-haired assassin stayed  by one of the pirs, standing alongside hisrades as he kept to himself, merely spectating with his arms folded over his chest.

    "Hero", huh? He''s certainly got the stats to back a title like that up, Jeong-Hui thought.

    All eyes were on him; a couple thousand yers were present in the chamber, but it was by no means cramped by their presence.

    "I am eternally gratitude to those that have decided to show up," Zhuge said, "I wish all of your kind would have arrived here, but nheless, your presence here is a great courtesy to me and the kingdom of Scalyue."

    Unnoticed before were additional figures that stood beside Zhuge; figures d in armor with their faces hidden, who seemed to be bodyguards of some sort for the unknown man.

    One of the people in the room abrasively called out, a man with spiky, beige hair, "Who the hell are you? I mean, summoning all of us out here?"

    "Stay your tongue¨C"

    One of the guards beside Zhuge said, stepping forward, but the snow-haired one bearing the title of "Hero" held his arm out, stopping them.

    "It''s alright," Zhuge said, speaking to all of those within the vast, sacred chamber, "I understand you may be confused as to why you''re here¨Cboth in this chamber and in thisnd."

    A few yers called out in response:

    "Yeah, you can say that."

    "Get on with it."

    "What''s in it for us? I mean¡­for whatever you want us to do."

    Though a lot of people seemed to have something to say, it was quelled as somebody stepped forward¨Ca man with a level appropriate enough to cause the naysayers to silence.

    [Man | Level 44]

    The sight of the dark-skinned, red-haired man, with a prince-like fairness of his own, and his level, caused murmurs to start between the people in the meeting chamber, but they fell silent.

    "If you can exin to us what we have to do to move forward, please do," Man said.

    Zhuge looked at the man for a moment with his sapphire eyes before nodding, "Of course. First, let me introduce myself. I am Zhuge Shouwei, the acting emperor of Scalyue."

    This introduction stirred up a reaction from those in the chamber, even a surprise to the red-haired assassin.

    "Acting emperor?" Korain mumbled.

    "So he''s a big shot? I already knew that," Yeong-Un gloated.

    With murmurs settling down, Zhuge continued, "While I am not of the royal bloodline, I am a warrior in which the people of Scalyue trusts. It is due to the unfortunate illness in which the Emperor has been afflicted with that I must lead in his stead¨Chowever! This information is a secret."

    "A secret? I see," Man said, squinting, "Saving face, then?"

    "Precisely," Zhuge confirmed, "If the enemy learned of our Emperor''s condition, it would spread like wildfire. The morale of the people would diminish and our enemy would take advantage of that."

    "Who''s this ''enemy"?" A yer dressed in full-armor asked.

    "Yeah, enemy?" Another asked.

    Again, chattering erupted, but silenced as Man raised his hand as if invoking quietness throughout the room, allowing the acting emperor to answer.

    "I have met with all of you here in secrecy¨Cmainly because that''s the least I can do. It was through the will of the warlocks of Scalyue that we made a pact with "God" to request the aid of warriors such as yourself," Zhuge exined, "The enemy we face is the empire of Yinlong¨Ca malicious kingdom built on ruthlessness, evil, and greed."

    Though the exnation of a pact with "God" being formed was said, most seemed to understand what was truly happening, and the reason behind it.

    "...A pact, huh?" Korain said.

    He nodded, "I assume they don''t know they''re a part of the "Tower"--God had this all nned from the beginning."

    It seemed no matter what sort of exnation came, a lot of people were disgruntled, but there were those who simply looked unmoved by any information, like Guozhi, who sat with that same idle expression on his face.

    Zhuge continued, "I know it''s unfair to involve outsiders in a conflict like this¨C"

    "You''re damn right it is!"

    "Yeah¨Cdon''t drag us into your mess!"

    Though some were outward in their distaste for this information, they were merely the loud minority that was quickly silenced as Man nced back, shooting a re at those that spoke out.

    "I understand your frustrations well, truly," Zhuge said, "However, you will all be treated with utmost respect within Scalyue. You have my word¨Cyou will be fed, given homes to sleep in, whatever it is¨Cif you fight in this battle. I know I am not simply dragging you into this fight against your will."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--?" Man looked at him.

    "''God'' was clear in his message. You are all on a path through a series of trials; this is one of them. Though it may be fate that you were brought here, and your destiny to fight¨CI want to wee you with open arms and work alongside you," Zhuge said.

    It was a surprise to the red-haired man, and to many others in the room at the fact that the acting emperor seemed to know that much.

    He knows¡­we have to fight anyway? So this is all a formality, then, he thought.

    "I know the condition that must be met in order for you all to ascend to your next trial," Zhuge announced, speaking loudly now.

    Those words were enough to silence any hecklers as they all listened in closely; in this foreign world devoid of information, they were about to receive what was the most pivotal information of it all.

    Zhuge''s voice boomed, "In order to ascend from this world, the emperor of Yinlong¨CJiao-Long¨Cwill need to be in, and the Yinlong Dragon Tablet destroyed!"

    Immediately, this announcement caused chatter throughout the room as many yers began discussing what this meant.

    "Emperor? Like him?"

    "Dragon Tablet? Is this like an ''RPG'' or something?...Wait, it totally is already."

    "Sounds like a pain."

    "I''m down."

    "Shut up!"

    ¨CNow, it was Guozhi who finally stepped forward, standing by Man as one of the few that was confident enough to stand before the acting emperor with his own words.

    "I''ve been to Yinglong¨Cspecifically, I''ve seen those colossal walls around the capital," Guozhi said, "What you''re saying we must do isn''t going to be a simple task."

    Zhuge nodded, seeming a little surprised that the man had seen the enemy capital, "That''s correct. In order to reach Emperor Jiao-Long, you will likely have to vanquish the ''Twelve Winged Generals''--that''s a task that not even Scalyue has been able to achieve as a nation."

    "I''ve defeated one of them," Guozhi said.

    "What?" Zhuge''s eyes widened.

    Most yers didn''t understand what this meant, as the identity and strength of the Twelve Generals wasn''tmon knowledge, but Zhuge knew well what kind of aplishment this was.

    "...I can tell, you''re not lying," Zhuge said.

    "--" Guozhi looked at him.

    "I see," Zhuge smiled, "How fortunate that we''ve been blessed with such capable allies. What''s your name?"

    "Guozhi," the man calmly said.

    "Guozhi? I see. I will keep in direct contact with you¨Cand you?" Zhuge said, looking over at the red-haired man.

    The dark-skinned yer nced over with his bored expression, "Man."

    "Man? I see. Henceforth, you two will be the representatives of your people," Zhuge said, "I will invite you two to my keep for strategic discussions¨CI trust that you two will ry this to the others here."

    "Fine by me," Guozhi said.

    "Sounds like a pain, but sure," Man nodded.

    For the red-haired assassin, who was able to listen in closely, unlike the others who could only pick up half of what was being said, it felt like he was being left out, but he also didn''t mind missing out on extra responsibility.

    ¡­Two level forty yers¨Cyeah, I''ll leave that kind of stuff to them, he thought.

    Zhuge raised his azure fan up as his snowy locks cascaded down his shoulders, "This concluded the Advent Dawn! From this day on, the Yinlong Empire is your enemy! We will stand together against their imperialism! I suggest you rest well and train your bodies¨Ca war is ahead of us all!"

    It was with that that the true nature of the first floor revealed itself atst:

    [The War Between Two Kingdoms]

    ¨C

    [Wilnds of Yinglong | Sol & Xiaodan]

    Held by the undead fiends, Sol and Xiaodan were pressed back-to-back, having to desperately attack to gain what little space they could. Though having to continuously move back, they were separated from Tsukikage, being pressed by the swarm of undead.

    "Did you feel that?! It just got really cold-!" Sol shouted.

    "Yeah! I think that was Tsukikage!" Xiaodan replied.

    "--Let''s just hope he wins!" He added.

 Chapter 235 The Lich

    "Did you feel that?! It just got really cold-!" Sol shouted.

    "Yeah! I think that was Tsukikage!" Xiaodan replied.

    "--Let''s just hope he wins!" He added.

    He evaded a swipe from one of the abyssal skeletons, countering with a powerful thrust of his spear that ignited with embers.

    As the ravenous, smoke-born fiends closed in rapidly, Xiaodan held his ground, focusing his strength into his right hand as an emerald glow centered around it.

    "Palm Nova!"

    With a devastating palm strike that struck solid air, an emerald shock wave released, repelling the fiends and breaking the skeletal beings.

    "They''re fragile, but there''s a lot of them!" Xiaodan shouted.

    He continued using his spear to keep them at bay, summoning ember sparks to ignite various fiends, "--And they''re not stopping anytime soon!"

    It seemed as though they had a steady method going¨Che was able to blow away each undead in one spear thrust, and Xiaodan''s swift movements made it manageable to keep them at bay.

    Though even the fragility of the skeletons was proven to be false as the piled of shattered bones was reconnected by strands of the ck smoke, rebuilding the undead. The piles of bones rattled, being connected again, but not into their original form.

    Something muchrger was born, made up of countless bodies of the smoky undead as dozens of arms dangled from its body, which was difficult to perceive.

    "...Give me a break¡­!" He said, witnessing the new undead being made.

    [Lesser Lich | Level 28]

    The ck smoke that naturally gave off from its rotten bones formed into a cloak around its colossal physique; a giant de was made out of repurposed skeletons, having an ivory edge.

    "All it is for us is a bigger target!" Xiaodan said.

    "Xiaodan!--Hey!" He called out.

    The silver-haired martial artist ran forward without hesitation, straight towards the cloaked giant of interlocked skeletons.

    What''s he doing¡­!? Idiot! He thought.

    Though he didn''t have any chance toment hispanion''s decision, nor aid him as he was immediately surrounded by more undead, prompting him to begin spinning hisnce around to repel them from touching him, "Ghh!"

    Xiaodan spun around in mid-air, using a shining dropkick toet down towards the giant skeleton: "Comet Dance!"

    "Fall."

    It was a single word spoken from the bone amalgamation, echoing from the depths of its fleshless body; the utterance sent chills through the body of the young martial artist, who found his resolve flickering in the middle of his attack.

    "--!" Xiaodan''s eyes widened.

    Suddenly, it was as if a bird''s wings were plucked; while traveling in mid-air, he was suddenly mmed down against the ground by an unseen force as if gravity had multiplied itself grossly in that instance.

    What¡­is this? Xiaodan thought.

    What was thought to be a mindless amalgamation of undead was something else. It loomed over him, walking with its ivory legs as its smoky cloak swayed in the miasmic winds.

    "Sol¡­!" Xiaodan yelled out for help.

    Pressed into the storm of bones as the undead wed at him, the cry for help urged him to move, but a desire didn''t simply make the impossible possible.

    "...Get back!" He grunted.

    It''s not just their strength or tenacity¡­that smoke! It''s making the back of my throat burn up! He thought.

    As he nced back, he could see the Lesser Lich approaching Xiaodan, who was pinned beneath an unseen gravitational force.

    ¡­I''ve got to get over there! He thought.

    The undead were breaking through his guard as their bony digits wed at him, leaving cuts on his skin and bruises on his body as they mmed against him like a wave of rotten growth.

    They were clinging onto his coat, gripping onto his arms and legs, trying to tear him limb-from-limb as bits of his skin did indeed begin to tear.

    For better or worse, his sights were set on aiding hispanion, but on his own condition; he bent his knees and summoned strength into his legs.

    "Gaaah¡­!" He yelled out before focusing, holding his spear forward, "Through The Winds: Sonic Blitz!"

    All at once, he strained his calf muscles and his hamstrings, using all of the explosive strength in his lungs to surpass the speed of sound in that singr movement, causing the air to whip and crack as he broke free from the grip of the undead horde.

    Bones broke and shattered as skeletons dismantled like jenga towers, though some disembodied bony hands still clung to him.

    The Lesser Lich was hoisting its ivory de up, looming it over the pinned-down, silver-hairedrade of his as the ck smoke billowed in its absent eye sockets.

    "...Get away¡­from him!" He shouted.

    There wasn''t any n or method to his attack, he simply charged straight towards the colossus of skeletons like a desperate bullet, tossing his spear as a hail merry.

    Just as the ivory de was swung down, the molten spear collided against it, managing to intercept the attack in a miraculous effort.

    "Yes¡­!" He let out in surprise and relief.

    Though he stumbled over in hisnding, he extended a hand down to Xiaodan as the gravitational press seemed to be dispelled with the lesser lich''s focus being disrupted.

    The spear he threw naturally returned to his hand like a frisbee, with the amalgamation of skeletons regaining its bnce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xiaodan looked at him in surprise, "¡­I''ve stooped to my lowest!"

    "Huh?"

    "I''m even getting saved by the crybaby now!" Xiaodan whined.

    "Ah, shut up! We''re not done yet!" He embarrassingly barked back.

    As they both rekindled their fighting spirit and stood by one another, they weren''t faced with the swarm of undead at all angles any longer.

    "What the¡­" He slowly said.

    Breaking down from their skeletal forms, the undead shattered and began being absorbed into the lesser lich.

    "Why is it going into its second phase now? Hey! You''re supposed to get into your next phase after we''ve actually done damage! This is terrible boss fight etiquette!" He yelled out.

    Xiaodan nced over at him as if thinking "Is this really the kind of person I''m depending on with my life?" Sol''s ramblings at times like this was his only cope with fear, that or simply cowering away; that wasn''t an option at this point, however.

    The abyssal smoke swirled around the field where all grass had been drained of life; the status of the skeletal monstrosity altered itself before his eyes.

    [Evolved Lesser Lich | Level 31]

    "It''s level increased!" Xiaodan noted.

    "Yeah, I can see that!" He replied.

    Together, they attacked in unison, rushing forward towards the mystical, dark being summoned by the depths of the ck smoke.

    The Lesser Lich didn''t take a single step forward, but emitted another word that echoed out like a malediction: "Repel."

    This time, another unseen force burrowed forward through the wilted field, rippling against the two with an all-powerful presence that knocked them back.

    "Ghh!" Xiaodan winced.

    "Gah!" He let out.

    There was nothing that could be done to resist the word-given-form as hended on his back with Xiaodan falling on top of him.

    "...Dammit¡­" He groaned.

    Xiaodan coughed out, picking himself up quickly, with Sol jumping up as well to face the imposing lich.

    What kind of power is this¡­? He thought, It''s totally unreal. How do we fight this¡­?

    The Lesser Lich stood with a presence of utter darkness; it didn''t feel like something simply summoned by Ash, nor a simple minion¨Cit felt like something else.

    He gulped, "...We''ll just have to hold out."

    "Yeah," Xiaodan nodded, "We can do that much. We survived Armageddon, right? This should be nothing."

    This time, they both gave a small nod to each other before sprinting towards the lich from opposite sides, opting to throw off its attention. Even as they rushed towards the lich for a pincer attack, the entity stood still, simply staring forward with its void eye sockets.

    "Raagh!" Xiaodan yelled out.

    Leaping out first, the silver-haired andyrogynous figure built up momentum behind his fist, gathering an elemental swirl of blue mes around his knuckles: "Blossomed me!"

    He opted to support Xiaodan, making sure he was able to get close as he reared his spear back, enhancing it with lightning, "Cast: Zeus'' Call!"

    It was a much more powerful spell than one that simplyyered the weapon in electricity; the spear was throttled with highly-intense lightning as blue sparks emitted before he tossed it forward like a javelin.

    ¡­This will have to work! He thought.

    With the enhancement of lightning, the spear roared out as it easily shattered the sound barrier with an ear-filling whip, shooting directly towards the lich.

    As both attacks closed in from either side of the lich, it remained standing still with its ghastly cloak swaying in the wind, only emitting a single word once more:

    "Vanish."

    It was an utterance more potent than the previous; without a moment passing, the lightning was suppressed from his spear, and the mes around Xiaodan''s fist were snuffed out in an instant.

    "What?!" He yelled out.

    "Huh?!" Xiaodan let out, feeling the same disbelief.

    Something of such magnitude seemed impossible¨Cmagic itself was silenced by a mere word, but there wasn''t any time to be in shock as the lich made its move for a counterattack. It raised its weapon, invoking the ck smoke before the ground began rumbling.

    Xiaodannded on the ground, but it was Sol that noticed what was about to happen as he quickly burst over¨C"Through The Wind: Sonic Blitz!"

    "Huh¨C?" Xiaodan gasped.

    The gray-haired martial artist was suddenly tackled by the bandana-wearing spear-wielder, causing them both to roll through the grass, but it was quickly realized why such an action was taken.

    Bone-forged spikes protruded from the soil, jutting upward intensely with the intent to impale and skewer.

    "...Ah, thanks," Xiaodan said, gulping after seeing the bone spikes on the ground.

    He got up, helping Xiaodan up, "Yeah, well¨Cdon''t count on that again!"

    Again, the lich invoked anothermand: "Suffer."

 Chapter 236 Against The Wall

    "...Ah, thanks," Xiaodan said, gulping after seeing the bone spikes on the ground.

    He got up, helping Xiaodan up, "Yeah, well¨Cdon''t count on that again!"

    Again, the lich invoked anothermand: "Suffer."

    This word was pointed solely at Xiaodan, who immediately screamed out the moment the word met his ears.

    "Gaaagh¡­!" Xiaodan screamed in agony, clutching his body.

    "Xiaodan!"

    He grabbed him by the shoulders, but Xiaodan didn''t even look at him, only biting down on his own lip and clutching his own body before keeling over in pain.

    Xiaodan continued screaming, "It¡­It feels like¨Cit''s tearing me up from the inside! Fire¡­it burns!"

    Though they were yelling out as if their flesh was being melted from their skeleton, there was no tangible damage actually being done; Xiaodan''s body was absent of injuries, yet heid in a fetal position, screaming out.

    "Xiaodan¡­! Get it together! It''s just an illusion!" He yelled.

    After shaking the silver-haired boy enough, it seemed to finally snap him out of the trance of agony as Xiaodan finally stopped yelling, having strained his throat enough as he looked up with bloodshot, teary eyes.

    "...What was that?" Xiaodan questioned in a weak, trembling voice.

    "I don''t know, but¡­I''m starting to feel like we''re up against something way out of our league here," he gulped.

    There was little hope in the face of a being of unknown power; the strength in its words alone made onement their own ability to hear.

    "Rumble."

    ¨CAnother word sounded from the colossus of decrepit ivory; this time, the ground began to contort and shake violently beneath the two''s feet.

    Xiaodan quickly lost his bnce, dropping to a knee as any sense of bnce was dragged away. Thinking quickly, Sol jabbed his spear into the wavy ground, gaining an anchor point for himself, "Grab on¡­!"

    It was as if the soil had shifted into a solid liquid; it bounced and rippled, rumbling intensely as it was impossible to take a single step.

    "Sink."

    Another word, another alteration to reality itself as the wilted grass folded in; acting like loose sand that began to swallow the legs of the two who had enough trouble standing.

    Is there a limit to this?...Every word it says, reality changes to it! He thought.

    As he thought about it, with Xiaodan clutching into his coat as ast pir of support, an idea came to his mind¨Cthough it was far-fetched, to say the least.

    I have to try it¨Cwhat other way is there? He decided.

    As he plucked his spear from the uneasy ground that sank in around his knees by now, continuing to drag him in, he flipped the weapon around before tossing it with all of his might.

    "--What''re you¨C?" Xiaodan said.

    Though attacking seemed futile, it was proven clear as to why a seeminglyst ditch effort was taken as the molten-tipped javelin propelled directly towards the lich.

    "Wall."

    The lich''s word caused the air in front of the skeletal being to solidify, forming an invisible shield that prevented the spear from reaching its body.

    It was the moment that the nextmand came that the floor returned to its normal form, causing the two to bounce back to their feet on the dead grass.

    "...It stopped?" Xiaodan questioned in surprise.

    He naturally called his spear back to his hand, exhaling as sweat dripped down his cheek, "I figured it out. It''s not much of a weakness, but¡­it seems like only one of its mands'' can exist at once."

    "It''s not much, but it''s something, I guess¨Cno, that''s perfect! I think you figured something else out just now," Xiaodan smiled, wiping sweat from his chin.

    "What?"

    "If it''s overwriting its othermand in order to protect itself from a half-asses spear-throw like that, I''m willing to bet the big guy over there isn''t very sturdy," Xiaodan said.

    "Oh!" He said, realizing this as well, "--I think you''re right. Hah! He''s no different than the other undead, then! Just a bag-of-overpowered bones!"

    "Yeah, that''s putting it lightly.." Xiaodan wryly smiled, holding his fists up, "Let''s do this!"

    "Yeah!"

    Though such optimism was quickly tested as the lich unleashed a brutalmand next, raising its de even from the dozen of meters of distance between them:

    "Rend."

    "--!"

    SQUELCH.

    Instantly, a sh etched itself across the chest of Xiaodan, cutting in deep as crimson fluids sshed out.

    "Xiaodan¨C!" He yelled out, looking over.

    There was no time to worry about the state of hisrade as another word fell from the fleshless lips of the entity again, without remorse: "Twist."

    CRACK.

    "Agh¨C!" He screamed out.

    The fingers of his right hand began to contort, twisting around as the bones snapped and cried out. It was a pain unlike any other; the twisted bones shattered, digging into his flesh as he fell to his knees, clutching his hand.

    "...Sol!" Xiaodan called out weakly to him.

    He was helpless to stop it as his fingers continued twisting, turning to a deep purple.

    I was stupid. Something like this¨Chow can we beat it?! He questioned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Out of desperation to stop the twisting of his fingers, and stopping whatever wasing next to Xiaodan, he scrambled to his feet, amplifying his strength with whatever meager focus he had before tossing his spear towards the lich.

    "Stagnate."

    The word caused the velocity of the thrown spear topletely crawl to a still. It was leftpletely frozen amidst the air, just a couple meters from the lich itself.

    "Gh-!"

    He extended his hand, attempting to recall his weapon as it was left still in the space between him and the harrowing entity.

    "Crush¨C"

    As such amand came, his spear was finally freed, but a feeling of dread washed over his body in anticipation of whatever lethal force was closing in on him; unseen and deadly.

    Though what instead came was a sh of light; focused and condensed, sparkling like the glitter of a star.

    Light¡­? That''s¡­He began to realize.

    It was a beam of light that trailed behind the thrust of thin steel; a rapier stabbing through the abyssal smoke.

    "Shield."

    Just as the unseen, crushing force neared him and Xiaodan, the lich had to give up themand to protect itself.

    As the light thrust shed against the shield that was mystically formed of solidified smoke, he finally saw who it was that had swooped in.

    That ck hair, flowing proudly alongside her cape; those focused, icy-blue eyes, honed on their target¨Cthere was no mistaking it.

    [yer Recognized.]

    [Ma-Ri | Level 38]

    "Ma-Ri¡­!" He called out in disbelief.

    The pain immediately faded from his fingers as his heart thumped with excitement at this shift, but it wasn''t just due to that.

    "Cast: Recovery."

    He almost didn''t notice it beforehand, but another figure had arrived, already tending to him and Xiaodan, who clutched the wound on his chest that had torn through his shirt, but began closing.

    [Eunji | Level 24]

    "Eunji!" He said.

    Xiaodan coughed out, "...Great timing."

    The sses-wearing girl focused on healing both of them at once, which seemed to be a new development from her heightened level, "We saw the smoke and came in¨Cwell, we heard screaming and, well¡­"

    Xiaodan looked over at Sol as soon as that was said, to which he couldn''t even argue against what was suggested.

    "I''m just¡­d you guys are here¨Cand that you''re safe," he said with a small smile.

    Even in the face of utmost despair, the presence of Ma-Ri helped quell that; but it wasn''t that alone¨Cbeing reunited with hisrades filled him with hope as well.

    Eunji smiled and nodded, "Of course. Same to you. But¡­what is that thing?"

    He stood up, picking his spear from the ground, "...I don''t really know all that much, but it''s insane. It''s able to shape reality with a single word."

    "Huh? Something like that¡­?" Eunji said.

    He shook his head, "Ma-Ri will be fine, though."

    Xiaodan smiled as well, "...I hope that''s true."

    After unleashing an array of shing pierces towards the lich, who suffered a few scathing inflictions, though shielded most, Ma-Rinded in front of him.

    "You both did well to hold out," Ma-Ri said, ncing back at them with a focused expression, "Leave it to me now."

    "Aye aye, boss," Sol smiled.

    Just like that, the leader of Gangcheori shed back into battle, contesting the lich by herself with uncontested speed on the battlefield.

    ¨C

    CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

    In a high-speed battle, the entric man with dazzling, pink eyes and cosmic jewelry possessed utmost focus as he shed des against the swift doppelgangers that constantly shed by him with shes.

    Left, he thought.

    Predicting the iing sh towards the back of his knee, he used his ice-forged sword to deflect the iing dagger strike.

    Right, he predicted.

    The sh towards his right bicep was countered as he summoned a wall of ice utilizing the true nature of "Neptune."

    There wasn''t a moment where those deep, amethyst eyes devoid of emotion weren''t looking at him; from every angle, Ash watched him.

    "Cutting Smoke."

    "Scathing Billow."

    "Mist Pulverization."

    Three skills were invoked at once,ing from three of the variations of the Winged General that faced off against him; by this point, he''d long since lost track of which was the original Ash.

    Three skills? Hah! No mercy! He thought.

 Chapter 237 Comradery Returns

    There wasn''t a moment where those deep, amethyst eyes devoid of emotion weren''t looking at him; from every angle, Ash watched him.

    "Cutting Smoke."

    "Scathing Billow."

    "Mist Pulverization."

    Three skills were invoked at once,ing from three of the variations of the Winged General that faced off against him; by this point, he''d long since lost track of which was the original Ash.

    Three skills? Hah! No mercy! He thought.

    Burrowing towards him, a tunnel of smoke that sliced up the lifeless soil hissed with malice from his front; to his right, a bountiful sphere of the ck smoke erupted in his direction, unleashing heat waves that caused the wilted grass to be carried off as ash.

    Worse, the third skill was born from behind him from the clone of the Winged General that had somehow gotten behind him.

    Crap¡­! He thought, he wasn''t lying about this poison¨Cit''s slowing down my movements¡­It''s certainly killer. I won''tst five more minutes like this. But! Just how dazzling would it be if I won in spite of it all?!

    "Neptune: Nova!" He roared.

    Holding the goliath of a de, forged of mystical ice with regional shapings around its form, he mmed it directly into the dirt. In an instant, the smoke was contested by a storm of icy winds; hail spiraled out intensely as frost stretched over the field.

    "--!" Ash watched, holding his arms up to shield against the frosted tempest.

    The technique caused theary de itself to break down and shatter, but it gave way to creations of ice being born in an instant; walls rose from the ground, built of reinforced ice that surrounded the man with their cial protection.

    Even the malicious spells of smoke were stopped by the barriers, though breaking through some, they were ultimately stopped.

    "...Huff¡­" He caught his breath with a smirk.

    As the storm of ice settled down, having quelled the smoke-born mysticisms, the doppelgangers of Ash gathered.

    "It doesn''t matter how well you resist, your fate was decided the moment you crossed my path," Ash said.

    "That''s right," a doppelganger added, "A mere scaleless human is nothing."

    From all sides, they blinked over to him, surrounding him in an inescapable gauntlet of des that neared his flesh.

    Yet, the man smiled.

    You''re underestimating earthlings, aren''t you? He thought, I''ve survived Hell being thrown at me, all alone in those mountains¡­In solitude, my sanity didn''t drain. I spent months, alone, surviving by myself¨Cyet look at me! I''m still the most dazzling man alive!

    Before any des could touch his skin, he looked up with his radiant eyes that almost seemed to be smiling.

    VRRRRM.

    The space around him contorted as in an instant¨Che was gone.

    All of the doppelgangers were left in shock before the man returned, manifesting a cosmic pole into his hand, spinning it around as its length extended, allowing him to blow the smoke-born assassins back.

    ? As the dozen clones rushed him, each utilizing their own skills through the abyssal smoke that reshaped itself into killing forms, he continued warping around the battlefield with a fearsome smile worn across his lips as if saying "Come at me!"

    Hydras of ck smoke stretched around, snapping their gastly jaws as he continued flipping around and warping, bending space to his will with each movement while spinning his cosmic spear around to generate a lofty wind.

    Surrounded by the suffocating smoke, he kept it at bay with the wind pressure of his mighty pole-spins, smacking the doppelgangers around as smoke bullets shot towards him, unable tond as he warped past them, sinking his knee into the gut of one of the doppelgangers.

    One of these doppelgangers leapt right towards him, dropping their des to instead allow the dark smoke to pour from their sleeves, forming into massive jaws of a formless beast that attempted to ensnare him.

    "Die!" The doppelganger of Ash yelled.

    He tossed his pole away with a smile, holding his hand forward as he focused with his strained body:

    [Celestial Forger: Infinity]

    It was a split-second manifestation of true space; infinitely folding a miniscule section, yet spreading it apart and pushing it outward to create a devastating, repelling force that mmed against the doppelganger with such intensity that it was entirely wiped from existence.

    "Not bad," one said.

    "But you''re only dying the inevitable," another finished his sentence.

    "If you think that was our best, you''re sorely mistaken," one of the draconic assassin clones said.

    "We''re only buying time until the poison drags you to the underworld," another finished.

    Still, Tsukikage stood tall as he raised his hand, once more manifesting something of imposing presence as the poison''s affliction was visible; various spots on his body were turned purple from the lethal substance.

    This time, the Celestial Forger System user didn''t craft a weapon into his hand, but instead pointed his finger towards the gathering of clones.

    "I wanted to settle this in a shy way, but I guess those cards are off the table," he said, closing one eye as if aiming his finger like a gun, "...I''ll have to end this in a boring fashion."

    "Hm?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

    "Bang," Tsukikage said with a smirk, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

    "What¨C"

    Just as Ash announced his confusion, the air contorted and rumbled within an instant before one of the doppelgangers was split in half, or rather bore through by an unseen force that had drilled through it in an instant.

    Dispersed, much of the abyssal smoke that had suffocated the field was moved in the wake of the condensed, invisible st of harrowing force.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The clone faded into smoke after having been eliminated, leaving the other clones of Ash, and the original himself wary as they all jumped away swiftly, putting distance between one another.

    "Celestial Forger: Anti-Matter Technique: Railgun," Tsukikage announced the true nature of his deadly ability.

    In the face of a power sitting beyond the boundary of the unknown, the wary smoke-summoner stayed within his smoke alongside his diligent clones¨C

    "Bang."

    The air parted once more with the smog being erased in absolution through the path of the destructive force¨Canother doppelganger waspletely decimated by the railgun that manipted imaginary forces.

    Ash exuded sweat as his tail flicked, witnessing what could''vended against him before he looked forward, disgruntled.

    "I''m not arrogant enough to think I can win without forfeiting my own life," Ash said, telling his opponent, "I''m retreating¨Cfor now."

    Tsukikage smirked, pointing his index finger towards him, "Bang¨C"

    Just as the invisible railgun shot, the draconic general within the smoke absorbed the mass of the abyss into himself, disappearing in an instant before the attack could hit him.

    "Damn," the pink-eyed man clicked his tongue with a smile.

    Just then, all of the undead returned to dust as the lesser lich crumbled away in front of the members of Gangcheori fighting on the other side of the deathly field.

    "Wah!" Sol yelled out.

    "Calm down¡­" Xiaodan said, "Still¡­it''s over?"

    ¨C

    As the poison still coursed through the veins of the man, darkening hisplexion as blood leaked from his pores, he held his hand out in front of him.

    "Alright¡­let''s get this done quickly," he mumbled to himself.

    [Celestial Forger: Sr System: Earth]

    In his hand, a greatsword was born, formed of rock that was covered in overgrowth with a river running down the middle of the stone-made weapon representing the eradicated world.

    I was holding out on this one. If he figured out what "Earth" could do, he''d change his approach, he thought.

    mming the de into the soil, he released it with amand: "Gaia!"

    The de broke down, reaching out and embracing him with glowing veins that stabbed into his flesh at various points, causing him to wince slightly. It was a tranquil energy emitted directly into him; a verdant glow that gently swirled. Golden pollen filled the air, easing the stench of smoke and inhabiting the field with the smell of nectar.

    "Ghh¡­" He quietly groaned.

    The poison running through his veins was washed away by the nurturing of [Gaia], easing the substance from his body before the vines pulled away, disappearing and leaving the man sighing out in relief.

    "Phew," he sighed out, ncing back.

    The others were already heading back towards him, with the two others that were strangers to him. Still, despite not knowing the two new women that had shown up, the man simply smiled.

    "I take it you''re friends of these two brats?" Tsukikage asked.

    Ma-Ri nodded, extending her hand, "Thank you for watching over them. I''m grateful."

    Tsukikage had a slight tint to his cheeks as he looked at the woman''s hand for a moment, to whom he stood almost twice as tall, but epted her hand.

    "You didn''t tell me you had such a beauty for a leader, Sol," Tsukikage said with a smile.

    Sol sighed out, "...Yeah, well, off-limits!"

    "Huh? Why?!" Tsukikage said, looking at him.

    "W-why? Ma-Ri doesn''t need a sleazy bastard like you getting all mushy with her!" He barked.

    "...Sleazy? That''s rich," Tsukikage rubbed his chin.

    In a contest of looks, Sol had little ammunition whenpared to Tsukikage, who had the looks of a man who modeled for the covers of magazines.

    "Either way! The more the merrier!" Tsukikageughed.

    Ma-Ri smiled slightly, "There''s moreing."

    "Oh? I suppose that''s true," Tsukikage said, "These two were talking about a scar-faced boy and a redhead."

    "Jeong-Hui and Yeong-Un," Eunji answered, adjusting her sses.

    Snapping his fingers, the man with cosmic-painted nails smiled, "That''s them! Onward, then! I''ve got a belly that needs filling!"

    As the man announced such, he patted his abdomen before moving forward, though Ma-Ri naturally walked ahead of him. Tsukikage raised an eyebrow at this, but it was just the naturalpetition between those who saw themselves as leaders.

    The two kept trying to surpass the others'' walking pace, leading to Tsukikage and Ma-Ri nearly sprinting while walking, forcing the others to follow.

    "...Gah! I was not in the mood for cardio!" Sol whined.

    "I''m with ya''!" Xiaodan added.

 Chapter 238 Unequivocal Strangers

    [Outside of Advent Dawn]

    Most yers already long left the area, which a lot of what was overheard was people deciding to visit taverns and restaurants to drink away the looming threat of the "war" that was on its way.

    "Well, that was enlightening," he said.

    The red-haired assassin stood outside of the tucked-away temple, leaning against the rock wall as he stood beside Yeong-Un, Korain, and Archie.

    "We''ve got a goal now, at least," Korain scratched his head.

    "Better than nothin''," Archie smiled.

    He scratched his head, "I guess for now we''re supposed to just wait around and toughen up before the real battle begins?"

    "If I know you, I doubt you''ll be sitting around," Korain said.

    "''Bout to say," Yeong-Un smirked.

    All he could think was "Well, say that to me from five months ago" but he opted to just take the slightpliment with a small smile.

    He exhaled, tightening his wristguards, "We''ve still got to find the others. Now more than ever with this war on the horizon. But, honestly¡­I don''t know where we''re supposed to look."

    Korain scratched his head with a sigh, "I see what you mean. If this war starts, and they''re lost in the middle of it¨Cit''s not going to look pretty."

    "Sorry ''bout that, guess I''m not as much help as I said I''d be," Archie embarrassedly chuckled.

    "No, this isn''t on you. I wouldn''t me anybody for not knowing their way around a foreign ce like this," he said.

    Still, there was little in the way of clues or direction to go off of. The four of them were left quiet for a minute with their thoughts on their next move.

    Yeong-Un was the one to finally speak up, "They could be in that Yinglong ce."

    "Huh? In Yinlong?...I mean, maybe¡­" He put his hand to his chin.

    "Ya guys haven''t been there, right? I didn''t get much of a chance to meander around myself, and I was told it''s pretty dangerous ''round there, so¡­" Yeong-Un said, "...Could be the ce, though it won''t be a pleasant time."

    "Still, isn''t it difficult to move from one kingdom to the other?" He asked.

    "Especially at a time like this, right?" Korain added.

    He raised an eyebrow, "Wait¡­How did you cross between both kingdoms?"

    The scar-faced man tilted his head as if it wasn''t much of a question in the first ce, "Huh? There''s a special spot I found¨Csome kinda weird bridge between both countries or somethin''."

    "Yeah? Where is it?"

    "Err¡­I''ll have to feel my way back there, but it was a big bridge, ya know?" Yeong-Un exined, "A big one, too! Had this big ol'' river around it, some huge dragon statues, too!"

    It sounded more like a child exining something straight out of his imagination, but in this alternate world, such entricities were the norm.

    "I guess we''ve found our destination, then," he said.

    Korain nodded, "Let''s stop back at Minjing for the night. I could use a beer, or two, or¡­three."

    "Same here," Archie nudged him with his elbow.

    He already didn''t like the sound of things, and now there was Yeong-Un to consider, who he watched carefully while they began hiking back to the city.

    I''ve never seen Yeong-Un with alcohol in him, and I don''t know if I want to, he thought.

    ¨C

    [??? | Yinlong Kingdom]

    It was a patch ofnd secluded from the roaring cities; tucked away in a domain of tall trees among the clouds, a mountain among many, connected by bridges that overlooked the valley.

    A statue of a man with draconic statues, holding his hands together in a prayer, stood tall.

    "Ah¡­sorry. What was that?"

    Sitting on an abandoned, stone bench that wasden with overgrowth, trying to be reimed by nature, a young man with unkempt, blonde hair and goggles over his eyes looked up with a goofy smile.

    A dragonkin warrior mmed the bottom of his spear down, "Exin your presence here, outsider. Depending on your answer, you may lose your head."

    The goggle-wearing adolescent scratched his curly, golden locks while staying seated, "What now? Exin my presence? I mean, I kind of just stumbled here, ya know? Nice bench, though."

    As he patted his hand against the bench, which wore a fingerless glove on it, the dragonkin soldier nearly burst a blood vessel in anger as he yelled out.

    "This is sacrednd youze around on! Speak now of your being here or die, outsider!"

    With another m of his spear against the ground, the Yinlong soldier summoned hisrades with him to stand beside him, readying their spears and pointing them towards the unknown human.

    "...Ah, c''mon now, can''t a guy just chill? It''s a nice, sunny day out, and I''ve gotten pretty pale, ya know?" The goggle-wearing, smiling adolescent said.

    He wasn''t much in the way of intimidating; he was slightly below average height, of an average build without much muscle on his frame, or any for that matter, and carried himself with ackadaisical demeanor.

    In the face of the dragonkin soldiers, who stood head-and-shoulders above him with their burly builds and frightening spears, it was clear who the winner would be in a conflict.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He smiled.

    The soldier roared, "Eliminate the outsider!"

    ¡ªAt least, normally such factors would lead one to believe this was the case.

    Just before the spear of the bearded Yinlong soldier could be thrust forward towards the body of the unknown adolescent, the blonde-haired young man raised his hand.

    "Huh¡ª?" The soldier stopped, sweating.

    The other dragonkin men stopped as well, confused as to why theirrade had halted his attack.

    "What''s wrong!?"

    "Captain!"

    What the others couldn''t see was the adolescent''s palm; it was glowing; bubbling up with a bright energy that began to emit something.

    "Ahh¡ªah¡­graaah!" The dragonkin captain yelled out,

    Suddenly, the soldier''splexion began to shift, darkening as his flesh bubbled up, boiling as steam exuded from his pores.

    The power birthed itself through an unstable energy; peeling at the skin, muscle, and bone of the soldier as it was broken down at its most fundamental level as if being unraveled like a tie.

    One of the soldiers tried to step forward to help, but stopped, "Captain¡­!"

    POP.

    Like a balloon filled with flesh, the dragonkin man popped; his entire body dissolved to an implosive force. A red mist was all that was left of the Yinlong captain; swaying like a crimson haze.

    "¡­Aww, man. I didn''t want to do that, but he sort of came at me, ya know?" The goggle-wearing adolescent scratched his head casually.

    The other soldiers were left in disbelief at the power disyed; unknowing of what had just happened, but imposed nheless.

    "You murderer!" One soldier roared.

    "Hey now, you attacked first¡ª"

    Just as the mysterious man tried to speak, the dragonkin with fear in his eyes began to morph into his draconic state while charging forward with his spear held towards the figure.

    Through the veil of his yellow-tinted goggles, the adolescent''s eyes intensified.

    "I''m getting really tired of being attacked for no real reason."

    With his hand held up, a small sphere of energy that resembled a miniature sun manifested above his palm, producing a wicked heat before being flicked towards the dragonkin.

    "Huh¡ª?" The soldier reacted.

    A sh of light was birthed as the sphere''s form dissolved into an explosive release, erasing the Yinlong warrior in an instant through a contained heat wave.

    It was a power that sat on a threshold opposite to divinity. Though it possessed ability profound in destruction and unmatched in annihtion, such power was the very antithesis of godhood.

    [Ajax | Level 43 | Nuclear System]

    Such a concept was the pr opposite of God''s will; it was the creation of man¨Cits greatest and worst discovery; a power cultivated and spun into a force that could invoke Armageddon itself.

    All that was left was another soldier, younger than the others and quivering as he fell back onto his fear.

    "P-p-please¡­!"

    The young man adjusted his goggles, lifting them up as he looked down at the dragonkin soldier with his silver pupils that were in the shape of an atomic structure.

    "¡­I was just following orders! I swear!"

    "I was just trying to catch some sun and rx, but you and your pals intruded on me, ya know? So I don''t get why you''re begging now," he said.

    As he held his hand towards the cowering soldier, gathering a focus of the vtile energy around his palm, he then stopped.

    The soldier himself, quivering and covering his head, was perplexed by why the action towards his demise was cut short, but thankful as he looked up,

    A noticeable sound of steps revealed the reason why Ajax stopped his retaliation. The adolescent looked towards the figure who had arrived with a cautious smile.

    "And you are?" Ajax asked.

    [Yinglong Empire | Grand Chancellor, Li Shuang | Level ???]

    It was a man with a devious smile, dressed in illustrious robes and the cap of a schr, though he had a young face, he was certainly seasoned by life through his scarlet eyes.

    He was unnaturally pale, as if almost translucent as a snowke; though the man had a smile thatbated his deathlyplexion.

    "Well met, outsider," the man greeted.

    "¡ª" Ajax watched him.

    "Oh, you needn''t be wary of me. Forgive my barbaric men for their rude weing," the grand chancellor said, "I am the grand chancellor of Yinlong; a humble position I uphold with the best interests of my kingdom in mind."

 Chapter 239 The Chancellors Moves

    "Oh, you needn''t be wary of me. Forgive my barbaric men for their rude weing," the grand chancellor said, "I am the grand chancellor of Yinlong; a humble position I uphold with the best interests of my kingdom in mind."

    "Name''s Ajax," the man returned the introduction.

    It was just them as the chancellor, dressed in red-and-gold robes, standing by the surviving soldier, did that very soldier seem to notice what was imminent.

    "Grand chancellor, forgive me, I¡ª!"

    The scarlet-eyed chancellor merely pointed his finger towards the pleading soldier, not breaking eye contact with Ajax, "Die and be silent."

    In an instant, the dragonkin soldier''s body withered as his skin lost its vigor and his flesh dried out like a dehydrated fruit.

    Ajax watched in surprise, but not moved much by the disy, "Interesting. Finally somebody is treating me like a human around here!"

    "Why, yes! It''s a great misfortune that your impression of Yinlong has been¡­that. However, I''d like to interest you in something to make up for this grave disrespect," the chancellor smiled.

    "Oh?" Ajax said with a casual smirk, "I''m all ears."

    Across the trail of the beautiful mountaintop, surrounded by blossoming trees of verdant and orange leaves, the grand chancellor approached him.

    "If youe with me to the capital of Yinlong, you''ll find your reason for being summoned to thisnd," the grand chancellor told him with a smile.

    Ajax held a pleased expression, adjusting his goggles, "Well, I''ve got nothing better to do, anyway! Lead the way!"

    "How blessed I am to have such an understanding prospect," the chancellor nodded.

    It was through a crystal orb that the grand chancellor wielded that the two were transported by a mystical contraption, enveloping the both of them in a light.

    "Oh? What''s this?" Ajax looked at his hands as the light shrouded him.

    The chancellor smiled, "Nothing to fear. It''s a teleportation spell, is all. It''s a long walk from here to the capital, you see."

    "Got it," Ajax nodded with a smile of his own.

    In an instant, the light vanished, leaving no trace of the two suspicious individuals as the mountain trail, which had been painted in bloody mist, was now silent.

    ¨C

    VRAP.

    With a sh, the goggle-wearing man now found himself in a new setting as he lifted the visors from his eyes, blinking a bit as he squinted around.

    It was inside of a vast keep; a building of royal architecture by its marble floors, illustrious paintings and artifacts present on the walls, and a kingly chandelier that loomed above.

    "Wow! Pretty snazzy ce you''ve got here," Ajax looked around like a curious child.

    The grand chancellor of Yinlongughed lightly, covering his mouth with his lengthy sleeve, "I am happy to hear you appreciate the beauty of Great Yinlong''s fantastic architecture. It''s thanks to Mishua Yi, perhaps the greatest art¨Cah, I''m rambling on, aren''t I? Forgive me."

    "Nah, you''re fine," Ajax said, ncing around as he fiddled with his goggles on his forehead.

    Looking around the current room, the curious young man prodded at therge crystal that hovered in the center of the chamber, which was suspended by spiraling, metal bands that emitted a slight hum.

    "Ah, I''d suggest you not poke that," Chancellor Li said.

    "Afraid I''ll break it?" Ajax nced over at him.

    The chancellorughed, shrugging his shoulders, "If you damage it, the Supreme Crystal will release enough energy to vaporize everybody within earshot of the resulting explosion. There would be nothing left."

    Ajax seemed amused, but convinced as he stopped poking at the object, cing his hands on his sides, "Alright, then! So, what''s it you called me here for?"

    Bringing a fan from his sleeve, the chancellor cooled himself gently as he looked at the foreigner with a small smile, "Since your people have been summoned into this world, the Yinlong Empire has been kindly letting in those who show¡­promise into our ranks. This is all tobat a great evil that is guing this world¨Cthe Scalyue Empire."

    "Ehh¡­I don''t really care about your political conflicts, ya know?" Ajax tilted his head.

    "Oh, I understand that perfectly, however, you have a stake in this, too," the chancellor smiled.

    "I do?" Ajax blinked.

    "Oh, you do! You see¨Cwe are well aware of your position! Stuck in this world, set with such a grandiose trial ahead of you! However! The path to moving on to the next floor coincides directly with our own goal," the chancellor told him, "Would you like to know what that is, Sir Ajax?"

    There was a clear, devious smile about the grand chancellor''s lips as his jet-ck hair danced down his shoulders; after witnessing the strength and anomalous power wielded by the entric human, it was clear what his motivation was.

    "Would I? I''m all ears!" The goggle-wearing young manughed.

    The chancellor looked at him, "The empire of the Scalyue Empire¡­If he''s in, the gateway to the next floor will open to you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "...Oh? Oh! That''s your enemy, isn''t it?" Ajax put it together, pping his palms together.

    "Indeed."

    "That means we should work together, then!" Ajaxughed.

    "Precisely. I''m d we''vee to an understanding," the grand chancellor smiled.

    It was as easy as pie; the goggle-wearing adolescent was ensnared directly into the words of the devious chancellor.

    "However, Sir Ajax¡­" the chancellor looked at him.

    "Yeah?"

    "Though we''ve recruited those from your world into our ranks already¨Cyou''ve shown great promise already," Chancellor Li told him.

    "I have?"

    "Indeed."

    Nodding with reassurance, the crimson-robed chancellor moved over to one of the tables, crafted of rich wood, taking the fine bottle containing a deep-scarlet liquid and pouring it into two sses.

    "For you," the chancellor bowed his head with respect, handing one of the sses to the man.

    "Oh, thanks!" Ajax epted it, sniffing the liquid.

    It smelled of fermented grapes; rich and sweet, almost tart in its scent alone. A taste of it brought the sublime smoothness and delicacy of a divine ambrosia to his lips, instantly bringing joy throughout his body.

    "Good, isn''t it?" Chancellor Li smiled.

    "It''s amazing! Seriously!"

    The chancellor chuckled, "As I was saying, Sir Ajax, you have quite the potential to be an invaluable ally to the Yinlong Empire in this endeavor. Such sublime power; it doesn''t belong in the ranks of your kin."

    "...Hmm," Ajax listened while looking at the sweet wine in the ss.

    "You see, recently¡­we lost a great hero of our kingdom. A brave, honorable man¨CYahui," the pale-skinned chancellor wore a frown as deep as a puddle, "He served the empire heroically and fought tooth-and-nail, but I''m afraid¡­the Scalyue Empire had already gotten its ws dug into some of your people."

    "Huh? My people? Ah, man¡­they killed somebody great like that?" Ajax rubbed his own head as if embarrassed.

    The adolescent had the maturity of somebody less than his own age, easily buying into the words that were served to him by the silver tongue of Li. In the exuberant room, kept illuminated by the azure crystal suspended in its center, the chancellor gulped down the rest of his ss before continuing.

    "Yes, it''s quite a misfortune¨Ca tragedy to lose such a man. He was one of the ''Twelve Winged Generals''--the most renowned warriors in Yinlong, you see," the chancellor exined, "...His death has left a void in our ranks; I''m afraid the people have grown afraid with such a pir being lost."

    Ajax looked hesitant for a moment, but bursting with anticipation as he came out, "--Ya know, I could help out with that! I''m pretty strong myself¡­"

    "Ah, I was getting around to that¡­" the chancellor smiled, "Sir Ajax, I would like to propose the position of one of the Twelve Winged Generals to you."

    "You would¡­? Isn''t it, like, totally awesome? A role for a hero and stuff¡­?" Ajax was in disbelief, overjoyed like a child presented with a toy.

    "Indeed. It''s a rank thatmands the respect and reverence of all within the Yinlong borders. To the people, you would be a hero, a champion, a¡­god," the chancellor stepped closer, whispering thest word to the gullible adolescent.

    Such words were as sweet as the ambrosia that the man held in the palm of his glove, sinking in through his ear hole and resonating through his mind like an illustrious promise to a future.

    "Ah," Ajax smiled.

    "It seems you like the sound of that, friend," the chancellor smiled slyly, "...However, such a positiones with certain¡­presentations."

    "Presentations?" Ajax tilted his head, blinking with his silver, unique eyes.

    The chancellor nodded, "Oh, it''s something you needn''t stress yourself over. I am certain with your unfathomable strength such a trial will be mundane for you, Sir Ajax," he continued, "For one to be one of the ''Twelve'', you must prove yourself in battle under the gaze of the Great Emperor."

    It was without question for the man, who''d been ted by such fine words as he had a giddy smile stretched across his lips, fiddling with his goggles.

    "Battle? Point me in the right direction!"

    "Hoh! I can see you''re raring to go already¨Cwell, your opponent has already been decided," the chancellor said.

    "They have?"

    "Why, yes," the grand chancellor''s scarlet eyes honed on him, "Another like you has been brought here¨Ca powerful prospect from your world who has also been chosen as a candidate for the spot amongst the Twelve."

 Chapter 240 Cybernetic Return

    "Hoh! I can see you''re raring to go already¨Cwell, your opponent has already been decided," the chancellor said.

    "They have?"

    "Why, yes," the grand chancellor''s scarlet eyes honed on him, "Another like you has been brought here¨Ca powerful prospect from your world who has also been chosen as a candidate for the spot amongst the Twelve."

    "Well, I''m ready whenever!" Ajax chuckled.

    It was a wee surprise to the sly chancellor, who nodded his head with a smile of his own, tucked his hands between his luxurious sleeves.

    Perfect. I''ve found a candidate that surpasses all; it''s not just strength, either, Chancellor Li thought, he didn''t bat an eye when I told him he''d be fighting one of his own brethren.

    ¨C

    Without any time to waste, the bout for the position of one of the Twelve was set. A  royal colosseum awaited Ajax, who was waiting in the corridor just before the arena floor itself; it was forged of ck steel, and thought it was a colosseum, he couldn''t hear the sounds of a crowd beyond the hall.

    Ajax stretched his limbs casually, making sure he was ready as he held a confident smile on his lips before sliding his goggles down over his eyes.

    "Alright, I''m ready!" He announced.

    Just like that, the steel door, designed with the face of a dragon, was hoisted up by a mechanism, allowing him to enter the arena itself.

    It was vast in size;rger than any he''d seen before, but spectators were few and far between, though he could see a figure that was clearly the "Great Emperor", surrounded by an entourage.

    Small objects, as tiny as a grain of sand, observed Ajax from the arena walls; minuscule, digital drones that recorded his information before moving subtly.

    ¨C

    In the opposing hall, the other candidate was "stretching" in a different form, instead checking the setting on the cybeic armor that he was d and fused in.

    Crawling in through the small gap beneath the door, the rice-sized drones returned to the figure.

    "Upload your findings," the man said.

    The drones blinked as the information was seamlessly uploaded directly into the mind of the cybeically-enveloped man.

    "...''Ajax''? ''Nuclear System''? That could be problematic. I''ll have to y this one out carefully," he said.

    The candidate held his wrist up as the ck-steel of his advanced armor shifted, revealing a digital screen that projected from his forearm. He tapped a few prompts, with each press, the onyx, cybeic armor that was one with his flesh, reconfigured itself.

    [Reminder: Current mission objective: Obtain information on the Yinlong Empire | Gather intel on their war strategies andbatants.]

    "Don''t need to remind me. I''m not here to y at being some ''Winged General''," he said.

    A light propulsion of steam left between the grooves of his armor as nanomachines gave room for alternate enhancements.

    It became slightly bulkier, adding further depth to his muscles which were outlined through the skintight carbonyer across the parts of his body not d in the armor itself, running electrical veins through his body.

    "Alright¡­" The silver-haired man with luminate, blue eyes muttered to himself, "Locked and loaded. We''re ready to go."

    [Yakeru | Level 41]

    With the barrier to the entryway of the arena opening, he made his move as his metallic boots resounded with each step.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he entered the stadium, his eyesid on his opponent; the light-blue iris of his adjusted, honing in as it, too, was cybeic.

    From his perspective, his vision was filled with information, supplied to him by digital text and metrics that analyzed the blonde-haired, goggle-wearing opponent set for him on the opposing side of the battleground.

    [Enemy Identified¡­]

    [Ajax | Level 43 | Nuclear System]

    [Unpredictable | Unstable mentality | Not able to be reasoned with.]

    "Woah!" Ajax smiled, "Are you like an android or something? Totally rad, man!"

    As the system fed him information, he tapped the metal te covering his ear to tuck away the analysis before responding, "Cyborg, actually."

    "Oh! Still¨Cthat''s awesome! Sadly, looks like I''m going to have to put you down, though," Ajax smiled.

    He didn''t reply, only drawing his katana from its sheath as it released a click, exuding steam as the fresh, electrical-enhanced de was unsheathed.

    From the balcony up above, the illustrious emperor, safeguarded by the visible barrier that sat around the arena in the inevitable destruction toe on the ground floor, spoke out:

    "Both of you stand as the representatives of a new history for Yinlong; through your strength, conviction, and willpower will the victory be decided throughbat," Emperor Jiao-Long said, "Let the dragon''s ferocity flow through you and with your own two hands, take the mantle of one of the Twelve. This is a battle to the death; let nothing be withheld. Fight!"

    The very moment the beginning of the bout was ushered in, it was the cybeic warrior that took the initiative; the armor on his calvespressed and released a st of steam as heunched forward with swiftness that overtook sound.

    It hissed; the vibrating, all-ck de bent the air around it, heating it up with the coil of electricity as it was swung right for Ajax''s neck.

    "--!"

    Yakeru was shocked to find that even through his speed and precision that acted on the foremost initiative, the goggle-wearing adolescent managed to duck beneath his vibrating katana.

    "--Almost got me there!" Ajax smiled brightly, rearing his fist back, "We''re kind of simr, ya know! I use energy, too! Though mine is¡­!"

    He could see it with his digital sight; theputer instantly analyzed the fist that was being thrust towards him.

    [Massive quantity of energy iing | Enemy is manipting their internal energy; amplifying their kic force | DANGER: Evade iing attack]

    Just as the fist was thrown forward without any form or grace, he managed to evade by flipping up in the air, reconfiguring the soles of his boots on the fly to be able to walk on the ceiling of the colosseum.

    From up above, the shock wave of the punch could be seen, having released a devastating contortion to the air as the metallic structure they fought in groaned.

    Ajax looked up after having missed his attack, "--Looks like I missed."

    He opted not to reply, only acting with haste as he spoke to his internalputer, "Ready the shot. Let''s kick it up to max potency¨Cwe''ve got a big fish to fry here."

    [Affirmative | N.E.T V4 Shot loaded | Ready to fire.]

    As he ran across the ceiling while upside down, like an adhesive insect, Ajaxughed out, releasing pollen-sized vtile spheres that exploded, but managed to be contained by the protective barrier around the arena.

    "Ha-ha! You''re good!" Ajax grinned.

 Chapter 241 The Zenith

    [Affirmative | N.E.T V4 Shot loaded | Ready to fire.]

    As he ran across the ceiling while upside down, like an adhesive insect, Ajaxughed out, releasing pollen-sized vtile spheres that exploded, but managed to be contained by the protective barrier around the arena.

    "Ha-ha! You''re good!" Ajax grinned.

    Jumping down with his katana held in his vice grip, a small cannon protruded from between two cybeic tes on his shoulder, shooting out an array of pellets. Each pellet separated at a fixed distance, propelling towards Ajax, who nced around, unknowing of what to watch out for with a curious expression.

    Connecting each pellet, threads of lightning formed a that swooped in, ensnaring the adolescent in its abrasive hold.

    "Gah!" Ajax let out.

    The obsidian anchors of the stuck to the back wall, trapping the goggle-wearing entric against it as the electric bands wrapped tightly around his body, feeding voltage directly into him.

    "...This¡­stings¡­!" Ajax groaned, fidgeting as the current caused his muscles to spasm.

    Yakeru moved towards him wielding his de as he finally responded, "Ten million volts, maximum amperage. An elephant would find itself dead in an instant within that, but we''re not so normal anymore, are we?"

    Though the constant surge seemed to ignite an anger within Ajax as his frivolous smile finally contorted with a radiant energy bubbling up from within him.

    [High increase in energy detected.]

    "Yeah, I can see that," he mumbled, "Give me a sh¨Cmaximum strength; concussive mode."

    [Affirmative.]

    Just as Ajax was groaning out and gritting his teeth, managing to raise his left arm while spasming from the electric hold with that fearsome, nuclear power bubbling at his hand, the cybeic fighter had apartment on his left forearm open.

    Popping out of thepartment, a clear-white grenade was caught in his hand that he immediately tossed out.

    FLASH.

    "Ngh¡­!" Ajax winced, flinching.

    The concussive re of light caused his hand to move just as he emitted the destructive release of energy, hitting the ceiling as the arena rumbled; the shock wave alone managed to dislodge the, freeing the unstable adolescent.

    "...Just great," he mumbled, rushing in with his vibrating katana while his enemy was still concussed.

    He immediately stopped as a warning signal emitted, originating from the rumble of energy that was being produced from the annoyed Nuclear System wielder.

    It came in a sh; formless strands, wielded like whips, contorted in the air and moved at a speed that surpassed physical matter¨Cmming against him harshly. The explosive impact knocked him back, shattering pieces of his armor in the process as he spit out an oil-like liquid in ce of blood.

    It cut through my ting like butter, he thought, not good.

    ? "Force fields up," he said, wiping his chin, "pronto."

    A sphere of cyan energy constructed around him just as the tendrils of unstable energyshed out from Ajax''s body; whipping around the room, the limbs of nuclear energy, devoid of physical matter, ignited the air and shook the arena.

    Each time an energy whip mmed against the barrier it sparked in retaliation, eventually beginning to crack.

    Ajax looked towards him, huffing as he caught his breath, "...That really stung, you bastard!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The bright-orange, sma whips extended from the young man''s forearms, which he swung around to ruthlessly guide the tools of destruction.

    He stood within the barrier as it continued cracking from the pressure of the vtile tendrils, but stayed calm while swiftly typing something onto the digital screen emitted from his wrist.

    [Mode Shift: Recognized]

    [...Reconfiguring suit¡­10%....30%...50%...]

    Nanomachines crawled out from the grooves of his highly-advanced suit, adding more armor and constructing new devices.

    "I''ve got you¨C!" Ajax smiled.

    [100% | Complete: [Pdin Shift] engaged.]

    It shifted just as the forcefield was broken, but the tendrils were halted by something wielded by the shifted, cyber-user.

    From the newly-altered gauntlets, multiyered force fields in the shape of bucklers were constructed from his wrists, blocking the nuclear whips.

    The mode shift brought on a more bulky armor rather than the skintight, sleek default, adding broad gauntlets and boots for stability, and engaging thick pauldrons as well as a durable, sleek visor over his face.

    "Oh?" Ajax said, "You''re a walking tank! Like a transf¨C"

    Before the goggle-possessing man with swirling irises could finish his giddy observation, he was forced to jump back as Yakeru shot an explosive round directly at him.

    That was close, Ajax thought.

    The shot was fired from a barrel embedded in the man''s palm, which smoke trailed from in the aftermath of the missed firing.

    Ajax smirked, holding his palms together as a light shined between before parting them to reveal a miniature sphere of unstable, nuclear energy, condensed and energized as it shifted hues from orange to blue like the sky from noon to the advent of dusk.

    "You''re fun," Ajax said, "It''s not often I meet somebody who can survive blows from me. I like a good toy that doesn''t break so¨Cdon''t shatter now!"

    As if attempting to test the limits on the barriers ced around the perimeter of the vast arena, Ajax tossed the sphere forward as its size rapidly increased, giving off enough heat to begin melting the metal flooring in its path that it sparsely touched.

    There''s no dodging that one, he realized.

    It was as if it were the very scorn of a god; such power into a singr ball,pact with wild energy that sought only to destroy. A heat was given off of it unlike any other, ushering in its own season of fire just by its very existence.

    "Bring out the ''Zenith''," Yakeru muttered to his internal system.

    In response, as the ball of nuclear energy sailed towards his position, a single handle popped out from thepartment in his chest, but the moment all five fingers wrapped around the obsidian handle¨Cit manifested.

    [Time since the nuclear sphereunched; 1 second.]

    It was a de madepletely out of hyper-focused energy; glowing crimson with the width of a greatsword, it hummed as he lifted it up, going into a stance to set himself up for a precise cut.

    The ''Zenith'' uses hyper-elerated annihtion matter, intertwined and stratified, to break down whatever ites into contact with on a subatomic level. Beyond that, it can siphon energy, but this¡­is a lot of it. I''ll have tond a sh at the perfect angle, Yakeru thought.

 Chapter 242 Rules Of Nature

    "Bring out the ''Zenith''," Yakeru muttered to his internal system.

    In response, as the ball of nuclear energy sailed towards his position, a single handle popped out from thepartment in his chest, but the moment all five fingers wrapped around the obsidian handle¨Cit manifested.

    [Time since the nuclear sphereunched; 1 second.]

    It was a de madepletely out of hyper-focused energy; glowing crimson with the width of a greatsword, it hummed as he lifted it up, going into a stance to set himself up for a precise cut.

    The ''Zenith'' uses hyper-elerated annihtion matter, intertwined and stratified, to break down whatever ites into contact with on a subatomic level. Beyond that, it can siphon energy, but this¡­is a lot of it. I''ll have tond a sh at the perfect angle, Yakeru thought.

    However, using such a powerful de had its own limitations: his cybeic body began to heat up vastly, emitting a lightyer of steam while he was connected to the Zenith.

    [Time since the nuclear sphereunched; 1.01 seconds.]

    I can only swing it a few times, at most, before my body overheats. I''ll have to make it count, he thought.

    Using the bulky boots, he anchored them down to the ground for further stability, rearing the Zenith back just as the sphere of nuclear devastation neared him.

    In order to sessfully execute a pinpoint sh that needed to be urate on an atomic basis, his cybeic eyes activated at full-capacity as his irises shifted into a momentary hue of orange.

    [Though eleration: Maximum Output | Perception MAX]

    To him, it was as if the sphere of nuclear energy was moving in slow-motion with the heat waves slowly churning out in front of him.

    [Time since the nuclear sphereunched; 1.0112 seconds.]

    Precision is difficult in ''Pdin Shift'', but I''ll have to make do, he thought.

    Instead of solely relying on his own instincts in that moment, the order was executed throughout his body; the signal from his mind traversed the adaptive tissue of his cybeic hide; as if puppeteering himself, he guided his arms to swing at the exact interval given.

    [Time since the nuclear sphereunched; 1.0114 seconds.]

    And once he sliced his de, the interval from when he began swinging it and once it swung through the color-shifting ball of destruction¨C

    [0.000000023 second(s)]

    At the very moment the Zenith sank its illuminate sharpness through the sea of nuclear radiance, he released his hold of it in faith that the precise cut had been executed.

    wlessly, it was.

    In that instant, the sphere waspletely nullified, vanishing as quick as it came as only a residual heat was left.

    "--" Yakeru exhaled.

    [Mode Shift: Recognized.]

    The bulky armor he had d himself in for protection retracted itself as he returned to his standard, slim cyborg frame as his protective nanomachines settled into their passive state.

    "Impressive! No¨Cseriously, ha-ha!" Ajaxughed, "You''re the real deal, man!"

    "Save it for somebody who cares," he replied coldly, drawing his vibrating de again.

    Ajax cracked his knuckles, "Aw, man¡­You''re a real bummer, though, you know that?"

    I''ve got a mission to do, Yakeru thought, I''m not here to y your little game for some fancy title. Just keep your eyes on me.

    "Like I care," he replied once more before pointing his de forward towards his opponent, "--I''m going to get serious now, since you''ve been so kind to do the same."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh?" Ajax blinked with a smile.

    [Yakeru | Level 41 | Techno System]

    [Compared to the anomalous systems wielded by a select few which granted conceptual power not unlike that of deities¨Cbending space, summoning destructive forces, and even evolving to higher nes, one might believe the mere ability to manipte technology wouldn''t suffice.]

    [However.]

    [That is not the case.]

    [The [Techno System] grants Yakeru a vast resource of knowledge and an internal supeputer to act as an unmatched subconscious. Beyond that, he possesses "Genesis Nodes"--nanomachines that are able to morph into any shape and function in countless ways. This vast arsenal at his disposal allows him to warp his cybeic frame and construct necessary weapons.]

    Suddenly, the air in the arena grew warm as the hum of the cybeic man''s frame sounded out before the grooves began to glow with a neon-blue light. A digital static began to spark as if reality itself was being ingrained with that of cyberspace.

    "Esoteric Domain: Rules of Nature."

    In order to enable the massive expenditure of energy, he tapped into the source of his power: within the center of his chest, the swirling mass of energy that surpassed known logic. By pressing down on a small button where his sr plexus would be, it initiated the full-throttle of this energy source.

    The result was something that went beyond simple digital construction: reality itself was overwritten as he and his opponent were dragged into a subspace of the cybeic fighter''s creation.

    "...Woah!" Ajax looked around in surprise.

    Digital scans ran across the walls and floors, taking them away entirely as the scenery was changed from the enclosed arena into a vast, abandoned city,den with overgrowth and filled with destion.

    "...A city? I expected something a bit more futuristic from you! Ya know¨Csome robots or alien spaceships!" Ajaxughed, "But, this is still pretty awesome!"

    "I wouldn''t beughing if I were you," he said, flipping his electric-charged katana around.

    Around them, cluttering the street, were abandoned cars and tanks, held by nature that attempted to reim the dested territory of mankind. Though it was supposed to be a digital recreation, it went beyond that; the smell of smog in the air, the feeling of asphalt crumbling beneath his boot, it was unmistakable from reality.

    "Why''s that?" Ajax asked, tilting his head as he seemed to augment his internal energy; his muscles flexed in preparation.

    The silver-haired cyborg stared him down, "You''re in my territory now. I''m the apex predator here. You''re about to see why."

    "Come and show me then¨C"

    As Ajax taunted him, the golden-haired young man stopped as a rock shot directly towards him from a near point-nk range, exploding as rubble shot outward from the smoke.

    "Keh¡­" Ajax coughed.

    The obscuring smoke was dissipated by an outburst of wind from Ajax''s position, who waved his hand, unharmed by the rocket, except for dirt marks on his dingy cloak.

    "--What was that anyway? No warning?" Ajax asked.

    Before an answer could be given, the man''s words were stifled as bullets zipped by his head, followed by ballistic missiles that forced him to move with focus as he manipted his internal energy to hover around, dodging the missiles.

    They crashed into buildings, exploding and wreaking havoc as they missed, but this time as Ajax looked back¨Che saw it: the missiles were digitally forming in mid-air,unching towards him.

    ¡­I get it now¡­he can digitally construct weapons in this ce?! Ajax realized.

    Yakeru had yet to move, allowing the cyber-manifested rockets to do the work as Ajax was forced to on the defense.

    Still, this thought only caused Ajax tough hysterically as he mmed back down into the ground with a picture-perfect heronding.

    [TIME: 08:030:020]

 Chapter 243 Unstoppable Nuclear Force

    "--Missiles?! Don''t make meugh! I''ve got the granddaddy of all missiles right here!" Ajax yelled out with a smile.

    Summoned between both of the goggle-wearing man''s hands, a sphere of wicked nuclear energy was formed, giving off such pressure that the nearby asphalt caved in and began to let off steam in its presence.

    "I''ll show you an explosion! How about a nuke?!" Ajaxughed, holding the sphere up with intent ofunching it as he hovered up into the sky, "...''Grand Bomba''!"

    "--" Yakeru simply watched calmly, readying himself.

    The ignition of such power was as if a new star had been born in the azure sky; clouds were parted in the radiation of such tremendous energy.

    Just in the presence of the colossal fallout building, the streets rumbled and skyscrapers began to falter; swaying and cracking at the seams.

    "Well, I''m not defending against that," he muttered to himself, tapping the digital buttons on his wrist, "Teleport me anywhere out of this fifty-mile radius."

    [Affirmative.]

    As hismand was registered, he began to be digitally deconstructed as the warp began to the desired location while he looked up just as Ajax finished building up the nuclear st.

    "--I''ll wipe this entire city out!" Ajax said before tossing the colossal mass of energy down.

    Just as it came down, spiraling with such force that it attracted rubble into its destructive form, the cybeic man teleported away.

    VRAP.

    He was reinstated well outside of the city, watching from a hill just as the shining sphere hadnded on the city ground zero.

    Just as itnded, an expansion of light extended rapidly, swallowing up the entire city in its annihtion as clouds of sediment encircled the region. It all shook; it felt as if the world itself was trembling from the impact. The singr shock wave from the vtile release turned the buildings that stood tall within the subspace city into ash.

    A mushroom cloud reached beyond the clouds, signaling the event of death.

    "Talk about overdoing it," he said to himself.

    Somebody like this is fighting for Yinlong¡­It''d be best to get rid of him now. At the very least, I need to ry this information to Scalyue, Yakeru thought.

    As the light settled down, there was no longer a city within the bounds of the all-destroying explosion; though with a snap of his fingers, Yakeru rebuilt the exact same city around himself just as Ajax exploded over.

    "--Slipper, are you? Starting to piss me off¡­" Ajax grinned down at him, though he seemed anything but happy, "What kind of ability is this anyway?! You''re telling me you can just recreate anything?! Even a whole city here?!"

    "Cry about it."

    "Gkk¡­!" Ajax looked one second from exploding.

    The truth was, behind his uncaring facade, Yakeru wasn''t disying some infallible, infinite power; it was very much limited and having an effect on him right then. As he gripped his katana, he held the fact that his hand was quivering.

    ¡­Crap. I can''t hold ''Rules of Nature'' much longer¨Cthat st damaged the integrity of it. I''ll have to unleash what I can before it crumbles away, he thought.

    There was an internal clock within him that dictated the length ''Rules of Nature'' could stay manifested:

    [TIME: 002:030:002]

    Hardly two-and-a-half minutes were left, permitted to him to do what he could to defeat the destructive fighter before him.

    Raising his de and pointing it forward as if leading a toon, digital constructs manifested throughout the street in his favor¨Chigh-duty, augmented tanks with cannons, railguns, and rapid-fire machine guns attached to them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Tanks?...Interesting! Still¡­I''ll justy waste again!" Ajax imed.

    Though just as the young man ced his goggles over his eyes in preparation to unleash another nuclear st¨C

    "Fire!" Yakerumanded.

    In unison, the army of modified tanks began firing their weapons, filling the streets with gunpowder and shes of light, overpowering all noise with ring explosions.

    Faced with this, Ajax didn''t have the chance to build up another city-erasing st as the railgun shots, defect-piercing bullets, and scathing missiles came his way.

    Ajax manipted the rampant energy from within him, manifesting a barrier around himself as he hovered around, defending against the shots that he couldn''t dodge, "...I''ll admit it! You''re troublesome!"

    The ability to make use of that boundless reservoir of internal energy within himself is what mad Ajax truly dangerous beyond his ability to simply destroy; it was an energy that when harnessed, simply felt insurmountable.

    The truth was, if it was any "normal"batant, such a disy of might would spell certain death¨Chowever, the wielder of the Nuclear System possessed power that seemed infallible.

    Yakeru noticed it firsthand while the adolescent flew through the city, swerving between skyscrapers as the army of tanks chased behind him with a variety of hellish fire.

    He''s not taking this seriously at all, he realized, he''s having fun.

    It felt as if he was merely entertaining Ajax, who pranced in the sky whileughing as if a child simply ying tag; even when he was hit, the barrier around him wasn''t weakened by the impacts.

    If you chose to apply ''unfair'' to one thing, this would be it. While humanity has been scrounging around and barely surviving as is, there''s a man like this¨Csomebody blessed with a power that could protect all of mankind alone, yet¡­heughs and dances like a god in the sky, Yakeru thought.

    [TIME: 000:045:020]

    Even though there was time left of ''Rules of Nature'', he chose for himself to shut it down as the digital constructs faded away, revealing the ck-steel arena once more.

    "Hm," Emperor Jiao-Long watched from up above at the return of the two from the subspace.

    Looking around, Ajax seemed surprised they were back in the royal arena before looking back at the silver-haired cyborg, "...We''re back already? I liked that ce!"

    "Shut up," he replied.

    [Mode Shift: Recognized.]

    "elerate process."

    [WARNING: This could result in permanent¨C"

    "Do it!" Hemanded.

    All across his cybeic frame, his artificial hide reconfigured itself as small, mechanical arms shifted his armorpletely while a swarm of nanomachines aided inpleting the process. Though this expedited procedure inflicted strain as he groaned, gray liquid seeped from the corner of his mouth as he toughed it out.

    Fortunately, the curious adolescent seemed to want to witness what wasing as he waited.

    It was a design even morepact than before; his legs were like that of a jackal, ready to spring into action as he was covered in head-to-toe in the all-ck, sleek shell; even his head waspletely shrouded as the metal folds connected, humming as the neon-blue shifted into a bright scarlet.

    [100% | Complete: [Bloodshed Shift] engaged.]

 Chapter 244 Climactic Turn

    [100% | Complete: [Bloodshed Shift] engaged.]

    Instead of just the single katana, now two were wielded, but not in his hands, instead protruding from his elbows, curved and shining red.

    "Going all-out?" Ajax asked.

    No answer came from the fully-augmented man, who had grown in height a few inches from the transformation before he sprang forward.

    "--!"

    Even Ajax was taken by surprise by the heightened agility presented by the cyborg; Yakeru vanished from his eyesight before the sound of those steel heels running across the resounding walls was heard.

    As the silver-eyed adolescent looked up, he found Yakeru sprinting along the walls, encircling swiftly before dashing straight towards him.

    Ajax barely managed to dodge as he watched the vibrating, all-cutting de move right past his goggles, swinging from the cyborg''s elbow.

    This isn''t anything I can''t match! Ajax thought.

    That skyrocket in internal energy came again as the golden-haired young man bolstered his own body with hisplexion shifting to a red as his hair stood up; he moved with tremendous speed himself, possessing even greater raw strength in the barrage of blows he unleashed.

    Despite this, he couldn''t touch the cybeic warrior, who weaved through every blow and expulsion of nuclear energy that came his way.

    "Grrh¡­!" Ajax growled in anger.

    Why can''t I hit him¡­!? I should be faster! Ajax questioned.

    What the figure, too lost in his own boundless gifts, didn''t realize was that Yakeru wasn''t operating solely on his own physical merit.

    They were all around the arena now, spread out and nted on every possible angle, watching closely and focused constantly on Ajax himself: the minuscule drones constructed by Yakeru.

    It was his "Omni-Sight"; his own sight was directly linked with the hundreds of drones that could see every inch of Ajax''s body, from every angle, studying every mannerism he made.

    This led to infallible predictions before an action was made, allowing Yakeru to act with pre-initiative, able to counter blows as he began to sh at Ajax, managing to bypass his natural barrier.

    "Ghh¡­!" Ajax winced.

    Though they were superficial cuts at first, the more they broke through, the deeper they came, slowly but surely as the sh continued, Ajax was on the losing side.

    The vibrating des; they specialized in weakening the atomic bond of whatever they cut. This led to even the sublime barrier that Ajax crafted to be subject to the breakdown.

    ¨CAnd yet, it wasn''t quite enough.

    In the face of beingpletely read like a book and defeated in finesse, Ajax yelled out as he ushered in the equivalent of a toddler''s tantrum: from his body, he emitted a nuclear wave, which pressured the barriers and blew the cyborg back harshly.

    The entire time, the Great Emperor and his entourage were silent in witnessing the bout between the candidates.

    [All drones destroyed.]

    Despite facing such a devastating blow, heunched back up, using the strength in his legs to spring like a grasshopper back into the fight.

    THUD.

    Ajax''s fist mmed into him with enough force of a ballistic missile itself, sending the thundering impact throughout his tough exterior.

    "--!" Yakeru held himself together.

    Destroying the drones got rid of "Omni-Sight"--without that, this guy is way too fast! Yakeru thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Able to manipte his own internal and kic energy, Ajax moved as if not restricted by his own physical matter, unleashing another devastating haymaker onto the cyborg.

    The only reason he wasn''t destroyed right away were his nanomachines that acted as a normally imprable hide. But, as more blows came, not even those could withstand the strain.

    Now¡­! He thought.

    As he used jet propellers on his legs to spin around at super speeds, using the momentum to whirl around with his vibrating des¨Che missed.

    Through his goggles, those silver eyes belonging to Ajax smiled before another blow came, packed with an explosive secondary force that blew him back harshly.

    ¡­Shit, Yakeru thought, I was hoping to get more firsthand information on Yinlong, but it looks like I met a pretty ridiculous obstacle.

    Ajax smiled, holding his hand pointed towards the cyborg, whose frame was dysfunctional and shattered from the point nk explosion, "...That was entertaining, but I think it''s time to put an end to this."

    If it wasn''t enough, all of the cuts that did manage tond on the golden-haired, smiling adolescent''s body had closed up, though a glimpse of what was beneath his skin was seen by the cyborg.

    Simply, Ajax wasn''t human¨Cat least, he wasn''t built like a normal human. Beneath hisyer of pale hide was that internal energy, swirling like an unending reservoir of destruction.

    The Great Emperor stood from his seat on the illustrious balcony, hardly seen as more than a silhouette past the velvet curtains.

    Slowly, the revered royal raised his hand, "Finish him."

    Ajax acknowledged this with a smile, though it never seemed to be a question to him as he nodded, "Ya got it, boss!"

    Unable to move, the cybeic man simply watched as the all-epassing sh of light came with a shock wave, shooting out in an unstable beam that crashed against his form.

    The resulting explosion of destructive atoms left nothing more than a shadow of the cybeic figure burned into the flooring as ash danced in the air. Such was the nature of such an ability; the man that was there just a moment ago no longer existed.

    Ajax held his hand up proudly with a smile, celebrating his triumph as the Great Emperor pped alongside his group of advisors and other highly-powerful political figures.

    "Splendid job, Ajax," Emperor Jiao-Long said, "Henceforth¡­You''re the Twelfth Winged General: ''Ajax, The Annihtion Factor.''"

    With the twelfth spot reced, the arena was cleared with the victory decided, however, unnoticed by any were the few, miniature drones that still clung to the walls.

    ¨C

    [Outside of the Yinlong Capital]

    [Yakeru C.L.O.N.E | Destroyed]

    "Yeah, I was watching," the silver-haired, techno-enhanced man muttered.

    Tapping the digital screen on his wrist, the cybeic man somehow stood on a cliff, overlooking the city while sitting beneath the cover of a tree.

    It took a lot of resources to build that clone of myself to reach that level. That ''Ajax'' is a monster¨Cstill, I got the information I wanted, Yakeru thought, and I did manage to snag some drones inside that building.

    "Alright. Now just to wait and let them exploit themselves," Yakeru said to himself, "...I should probably take this information back to the acting emperor¨Cwhat was his name again?"

    [Zhuge.]

    "Right¡­Zhuge," he mumbled, "I wonder¡­"

    [What is it?]

    The silver-haired cyborg looked off towards the distance, "Nothing. Just curious if those brats made it here¨Cthe Tower is an interesting ce, so far."

 Chapter 245 Dreamer System

    [Wilnds of Scalyue | Two Days After The Advent Dawn]

    "...Are you sure about having him lead the way? I mean, I love the guy, but¡­" Korain asked him.

    It was a crowded trail; trees hung over the path with leaves continuously raining down onto the dirt path. In front of them, Yeong-Un, leading as the only one who had actually seen the bridge that connected the two regions, which were normally separated by supposedly "insta-death waters", marched forward like a boy scout.

    "This is the way! For sure!" Yeong-Un announced with his spiky smile.

    The red-haired young man nced over to Korain, "...See? Totally reliable."

    For some reason, Jeong-Hui found himself inexplicably tired; dark bags hung under his eyes as he periodically rubbed his eyes and yawned.

    "Totally!" Archieughed, who was mostly preupied with checking on his reserve through a small orb he held.

    "Ack¨C" Yeong-Un stopped, looking side-to-side aggressively.

    What stopped them all was the trail splitting into two different pathways, and Yeong-Un not seeming to recall which one led where.

    "You were saying?" Korain looked at him.

    "Trust is necessary betweenrades," he wryly chuckled, watching Yeong-Un.

    After a solid minute of mumbling to himself and rubbing his chin, the spiky-haired man jabbed his finger in the direction of the left trail, "There! Onward, minions!"

    "...Minions?" Korain repeated with a vein pressing against his cheek.

    "Heh¡­" Heughed it off.

    Going down the left path, they found themselves passing by a waterfall, flowing violently into the river that was naturally etched through thend of trees itself.

    "Feels to me like this floor is more ''forest'' than ''civilization''," Korain stated while looking around at the scenery.

    "I don''t see a problem with that," Archie tipped his hat with a smile, "...It''s a beautiful thing to see, innit? This is a world still unimed by humanity. Nature is allowed to breathe."

    "Guess so," Korain responded.

    It wasn''t a small hike; the forestnd stretched on and was filled with obstacles, leading to night crawling over soon enough.

    "Let''s stop here," Jeong-Hui suggested.

    What he''d found was an entrance to a cavern, tucked behind a veil of overgrowth andrge leaves; it was a bit mmy, but as good as they were going to get for an impromptu home.

    "Good find," Yeong-Un said with a smile, settling in as he plopped down against the wall.

    The cave didn''t stretch very far; it was simply a hole in the size of a cliff, though it seemed man-made by the perfect shape of it.

    Realizing they needed firewood, he offered, "I''ll grab some¨C"

    "Woah, there," Korain stopped him, "We''ve got it."

    "Huh?" He looked up at the man, confused.

    Korain patted his shoulders, using him to sit down, "You''ve looked half-dead all day. Get some rest, kid."

    "--" He was quiet, not knowing how to ept this.

    "I''ve got to pull my weight around here, ya know? Just leave it to me!" Archie reassured him as well.

    He slowly nodded with a small smile, "...Alright, then. Thanks."

    It felt weird for him to simply sit there against the shadow-filled cave walls while watching hispanions set everything up; Korian went out to gather firewood, Archie, utilizing his natural capabilities as an outdoorsman, hunted berries and alike, and Yeong-Un stayed there with him, guarding the temporary abode.

    As another yawn escaped his lips, he couldn''t deny the temptation of sleep any longer, though for some reason, he feared it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­Why am I so scared to fall asleep? When I think about it¡­I don''t remember any of my dreams the past few nights, he thought.

    Still, despite his unknown qualms with slumber, there was no denying its necessity as his eyelids grew heavy and the world around him turned to darkness; slowly but surely, his consciousness faded away into the realm of dreams.

    It felt as if only a single moment had passed before his eyes opened again, but he found the ceiling above him not to be of moist stone but of immacte architecture; quartz walls engraved with delicate shapes.

    "Huh?"

    As he jumped up, thrown off by the sudden shift of scenery, he looked around to find himself far away from the cavern he just remembered sleeping in, instead finding himself in a vaguely familiar chamber.

    What is this¡­? Just a second ago, I was in the cave, right? He questioned.

    "Come back for more? You''re tenacious, I''ll give you that¨Cwell, that, or you''re some sort of masochist!"

    ¨CThe deep, powerful voice that greeted him was also distantly familiar, but it wasn''t that of a friend; hearing it made him freeze in ce for a moment before slowly looking up.

    It was a dark-skinned man that stood well over two meters in height, towering like a pir of muscle, wearing a sleeveless, bright-yellow shirt like a blooming sunflower along with heavy gauntlets of steel on his hands.

    That illustrious, silver hair swayed, reminding him, and if notpletely, then it was the following prompt that jogged his memory:

    [IDENTIFIED: Maverick King | Level 26]

    "Maverick¡­?" He slowly said in disbelief.

    The goliath of a man kept his arms folded across his chest, "Who else could it be? Did I hit you too hardst time?"

    He jumped up to his feet, fully aware now, "--You''re supposed to be dead! I killed you! I-I know I did!"

    Maverick tilted his head, "Killed me? Oh, right. That did happen."

    "Then¡­?"

    "Are you that stupid? I mean, c''mon! Talk to your System," Maverick abrasively told him.

    Of course, that was the better solution rather than asking somebody as prickly as Maverick King himself, somebody he was at the very least, not on good terms with.

    "...System, what the hell is going on here?" He asked.

    [ANSWER: This is your [Dreamer System]. What you''re experiencing right now is a recreation of your memories yed out in your personal dreamscape.]

    "Dreamer System¡­? That''s what this is? Still¡­You''re telling me that Maverick over there is just a figment of my imagination¨C"

    Before he could ask that question, a massive fist suddenlyunched against his face, mming into his nose harshly as he was blown back, having to flip with the momentum to catch himself on his feet.

    "What¨C"

    Shocking to him, he found a searing pain apanying the blood that leaked from his nostrils as he held his throbbing nose.

    It¡­hurts? This is a dream, isn''t it? He questioned.

    Maverick called out, wearing arge grin after havingunched the sucker punch, "Figment of your imagination! If that''s what makes you feel any better! But tell me¨Ccould your imagination deck you square in the schnoz like that?!"

    "--" He was quiet for a second, looking down at the blood on his palm.

    There wasn''t any denying that he was truly experiencing pain; the heat that ran beneath his face, centering on his nose as the crimson that seeped from it felt as fuming asva. It stung, and that was rming to him.

    If this is a dream, then why¡­? He thought.

    [ANSWER: The [Dreamer System] fully awakens your ability to enter your dreamscape and shape it to your benefit. In order to maximize your potential output, pain is necessary.]

 Chapter 246 Internal Growth

    If this is a dream, then why¡­? He thought.

    [ANSWER: The [Dreamer System] fully awakens your ability to enter your dreamscape and shape it to your benefit. In order to maximize your potential output, pain is necessary.]

    "...What the hell are you talking about? How is this to my benefit?!" He yelled out, holding his nose.

    This time, he didn''t receive an answer, instead being forced on the backfoot as Maverick rushed towards him, unleashing a series of blows in his direction that came with ferocious speed. Though the barrage of blows felt more aggressive and swift than what he experienced before against Maverick, prompting him to vanish away as one came square towards his cheek.

    [Blink¨C]

    Nothing. He didn''t vanish nor find himself free from the path of that gauntlet-d fist before it mmed into his cheek harshly.

    It was utterly perplexing to him; something like blinking away was as natural as breathing to him by this point, but for nothing to happen was simply inexplicable.

    Still, such confusion was the least of his concern as the pain throbbed in his cheek.

    I¡­didn''t dodge? I know I did¨Cbut, nothing happened? He questioned.

    As he held his cheek, it was burning hot from the impact, though he had little time to worry about what had happened as Maverick was closing in again.

    There was something clearly off within him; as he attempted to blink again, nothing happened as he was now left like a deer in headlights as that fist closed in on his chin.

    He''s so fast¡­! He thought.

    It wasn''t just that; the aggression presented by the boxer, who should by all means be dead and not in front of his eyes, was like a tide; closing in and looming over him.

    As he was forced only to move with his body as his blink didn''t work, he found himself having to fully focus on the iing jabs and haymakers sailing in his direction. Though that wasn''t quite enough as he couldn''t keep it up forever¨C

    SLAM.

    Straight into his gut, that massive gauntlet worn by Maverick King sunk into him, sinking in a riptide of raw strength that was felt in the deepest core of his soul.

    "Gyuh¡­!" He spit out the breath from his lungs, coughing up saliva onto the floor.

    He keeled over from the pain, falling onto his knees as he hugged himself, holding his stomach as it felt as if a me had ignited from within his bowels.

    It hurts. It burns, he thought.

    "Have you realized it yet?" Maverick asked, looking down at him, "In this arena, there''s no magic spells to be flung around; no fireballs, no hopping through the shadows¡­It''s just you and your fists¨Cagainst me."

    ¡­No spells? He thought.

    As he brought his gaze up, he was awarded no time for leisure as the tall, champion-ss boxer was alreadyunching another ruthless attack, sending those metal-d knuckles straight towards his face.

    It was an unexpected amount of speed that came behind that fist, causing it tond perfectly with a colossal blow, sending him flying back before sliding across the floor.

    What''s with this¡­? My "Dreamer System"...how is this beneficial?! He questioned.

    He realized it as he looked down at his hand, catching the fountain of crimson liquid that seeped from his shattered nose: it wasn''t just spells that didn''t work.

    I tried activating right then¡­usually my Sage System will heighten my reflexes and perception before an attackes, but¡­nothing happened. I''ve got nothing but my own constitution and proficiencies right now, he realized.

    There was still a lot of unknown surrounding the situation he found himself in, but at the very least, he realized he had to fight, and make do without the skills he''de to rely on as if an extra limb.

    "Raise those hands!" Maverick shouted, closing in on him again.

    He did just that, though more out of instinctual movement from the massive, energetic man hurling towards him with weaponized hands.

    It was a straight-right, mming against his forearms with a tremendous force; though he was guarding, it still felt as if a train had just ran through him, knocking his back to the wall as his breath was squeezed from his lungs.

    Even when blocking¡­?! He questioned.

    While he held his guard up like a lifeline, Maverick continued throwing heavy blows against his arms.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You know, you''re the same level I was at before you took me out," Maverick said, still throwing punches, "--Take all those fancy abilities away, and we''ve got a heavyweight versus a lightweight now! Word of advice: when ites to weight sses that different, don''t try and endure my blows!"

    "I¡­already know that!" He responded through his teeth.

    "Then stop sitting there and letting me bully ya''--not that I don''t enjoy it!" Maverickughed.

    Just as a massive hit soared in his direction, he found his opponent as he ducked beneath the man''s long, railgun-like appendage, sliding by him.

    As he had his opponent''s back to him now, he took the offense for the first time, aiming a "Fa-Jin" straight for the man''s liver as he honed in with utmost speed.

    If there was one thing relieving at least, in this dreamscape turned nightmare, his proficiencies were still avable, granting him his martial arts abilities.

    Still¨Ceven that didn''t make up the mountain of difference between the two.

    "--!"

    Before his fist could reach Maverick''s body, the silver-haired boxer spun around into a powerful kick, repelling his attempted attack.

    ¡­He''s so quick, even with that huge frame! Was he this fast when I fought him before?...No, it makes sense, he thought, take away skills¡­and this guy is a champion-level athlete. What am I? A chef? Well, that''s being generous!

    Again, the offense was seized by Maverick, who stayed within his personal space, continuing to send jabs his way as most of them broke through any guard he put up, repeatedly bashing his nose, cheeks, and lips as blood poured out.

    It seemed as though an hour had passed of this seemingly insurmountable battle, trapped within his own dreamscape as he continued being pushed back by the frivolous boxer.

    I know I didn''t do him right, but he''s definitely holding a grudge in those blows¡­! He thought.

    As one of those bullet-like jabs came his way¨Che saw it. For the first time, he perceived its speed and motion, watching as it came and allowing the synapses in his brain to fire off, signaling his body to react just in time to weave through the blow.

    "--!" Maverick''s eyes widened in surprise at this development as well.

    Out of the martial arts styles he''d taken to in his training, the one that came naturally when seizing this opportunity was¨C

    A flicker jab, moving swiftly like the wings of a fly; heunched it towards Maverick''s chin, though it managed to be stopped as the boxer lifted one of his gauntlets to defend against it.

    "Not bad," Maverick said with a surprised smirk.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 3/9999]

    Huh? He thought.

    It was a surprise, for sure: seeing the System prompt signaling the increase in proficiency was almost unbelievable, considering that he sat in a spacepletely set within his own mind.

    "I''m in a dream, right?" He asked.

    Maverick raised an eyebrow at him, "Seriously? You''re still wondering about that? You''re watching a dead man whoop your ass from one corner to the next and still thinking this is reality?"

    "--" He looked down.

    So, it is truly a dream, then? He thought.

    [ANSWER: You''re currently experiencing a dream, yes.]

    It was difficult to discern it from reality; the air was brisk, stagnant from the enclosed, illustrious walls of gray and quartz.

    Just then, he began to understand the true nature of the "Dreamer System" and why he was faced off against a foe from the past:

    "Internal Leveling," that was the term he''d pointed towards the phenomena he''d juste to realize.

    I can raise my proficiencies within the safety of my own dreams. While the pain still feels real, and well¡­it all sort of does, something like this¡­It''s invaluable, he thought.

 Chapter 247 Accelerated Growth

    Knowing that this situation, once thought dreadful, had potential within it, he readied himself, wiping the blood from his nose as he raised his hands, taking to an orthodox boxing stance.

    "Alright! Ready for round two!?" Maverick asked, raring to go.

    "Yeah!"

    What ensued, despite his resolve being now irond, was a beating more than he''d ever suffered in his life. Though he fought with renewed confidence and boxing proficiency of his own, Maverick was on a different level.

    It seemed that challenging Maverick on his own turf, using boxing for himself, dragged out the fiery passion of the champion-ss fighter.

    As he tried weaving through the bullet jabs that came his way like a shotgun st of pullets, he managed to get through the first couple before being knocked around by the rest of the blows.

    Still, despite the overwhelming difference, slowly but surely, he began to slip through, countering with his own blows, though they were dodged or simply tanked by the massive man.

    "If you''re going toe at me with boxing, you better treat it right!" Maverick shouted, "It''s all about finesse! Precision! Power! Speed!"

    That''s more than one thing¡­! He thought.

    After being forced to dodge through a storm of blows, he slipped through an opening as the soles of his boots slid across the stone floor, tossing a blow at the same moment another came from Maverick.

    They bothnded; his knuckles hitting the dark-skinned boxer''s cheek as the man''s gauntlets mmed into his cheek. Though they bothnded a blow in unison, there was a world of difference between their effectiveness as the blow from Maverick''s fist blew a mixture of blood and saliva from his mouth. On the other hand, Maverickughed through the hit he received.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 4/9999]

    Spitting out the blood swirling in his cheek, he tossed his coat off before delving back into the unending battle within his dreams.

    "That''s right! I like that fire!" Maverick boomed.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 5/9999]

    After figuring out the true nature of the dream, and that it was for his growth, he found himself beginning to enjoy the training; though it was hardly ''sparring'' as he used everything at his disposal and Maverick struck him with full-strength.

    There was one other thing that soothed his soul when shing fists with Maverick; that smile across the boxing champion''s lips¨Cthe man was truly enjoying himself. Though it may have only been a simtion built within the foundation of his dreams, it felt somewhat relieving to see the man he killedughing and having fun.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 6/9999]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Parry]

    "Ngh!" Maverick grunted, picking up the pace.

    The further his proficiency in boxing rose, the more techniques he developed and the more natural his movements became; soon he was bobbing his head instinctively, knowing from his own natural proficiency what strikes wereing.

    As a straight came his way, he quickly used his hand to parry the blow, knocking Maverick''s hand down and canceling the assault.

    "--!" Maverick looked surprised.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 7/9999]

    [New Technique(s) Acquired: Burst Jab]<novelnext></novelnext>

    As blows came in from Maverick, instead of simply dodging in the way he was experienced as an assassin, he slipped and rolled, countering with crosses and hooks of his own.

    He was still within the realm in which his proficiencies had yet to grant him mystical abilities, but what he had just acquired bordered on the supernatural¨Cthe "Burst Jab."

    As the champion boxer threw some test jabs his way, causing him to stay his distance as Maverick had the advantage in reach, he slipped through, unleashing this new technique.

    [Burst Jab]

    It was a single jab thrown forward,unched at high-speeds, however, where it differed from the norm was the resulting consequence of the movement.

    THWACK. THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.

    ¨CFour impacts, all from a single jab.

    "--?" Maverick was confused.

    Though it wasn''t a technique that delivered hefty damage, it was colossal in its speed and stopping power.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Boxing: +1 | 8/9999]

    I''m getting it, he thought, I''m approaching ''world-ss''!

    It was the reality of his Sage System; that which optimized skills to otherworldly, supernatural proportions¨Cwhile Maverick King was at the pinnacle of boxing skill as far as human development went, with every passing moment, Jeong-Hui ventured closer to that threshold, opting to step past it entirely.

    BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP.

    Inside of his chest, his heart was beating like a dream, resounding in his ears as he could feel the warmth of his blood pumping through his veins as if he were living and breathing in reality at that very moment.

    He had already realized it, but there was no waking up from this dream¨Cat least not the natural way, anyway.

    I probably have to defeat Maverick before I''m allowed to wake up, he thought, what a ve driver my System is¡­Still, this "Dreamer System"--an ability like this? I''ll take it.

    What drove him to press on, not to wake from this hyper realistic dream of pain, blood, and sweat was not to wake up from it, but to continue evolving from it; garnering the strength to survive was his highest priority. It was that strength that would lead him to his desired future.

    "--Don''t get cocky!" Maverick shouted.

    "Pyuh!"

    Still, his rise so far didn''t make him untouchable; even a slight misstep allowed him to be caught by a cross-hook-uppercutbination from the vastly powerful boxing champion.

    And just a single time being caught was enough to beid into by the gargantuan striking power that Maverick possessed.

    It was through this methodology of training through his own dreams that Jeong-Hui ascended at a rate unlike anything before.

    Whether it was increasing his martial arts proficiencies against the likes of Maverick or other trained foes, or his assassin proficiency while reliving agonizing memories, he evolved at a monstrous pace. This was the efficacy of the [Dreamer System], tuned to the maximum.

 Chapter 248 Despair

    Days passed, weeks came, and reunitement was found¨Ceverything seemed toe together as Gangcheori was reformed, but once it was time to face the ultimate challenge of the first floor, all optimism was crushed.

    [Yinlong Royal Throne Room]

    Gangcheori was together inpletion, and had grown through their obstacles on the first floor.

    "Are ya ready?...This is it," Yeong-Un asked nervously, thought tried to hold himself together.

    "Ready? As much as I''ll ever be, I guess," Sol replied.

    "Just stay focused. We''re here together¨Cwe''ve got each others'' backs," Jeong-Hui added.

    [Jeong-Hui | Level 40 | 6000/6000]

    [Yeong-Un | Level 38 | 6200/6200]

    [Sol | Level 36 | 5800/5800]

    [Korain | Level 40 | 8000/8000]

    [Ma-Ri | Level 44 | 7700/7700]

    [Eunji | Level 35 | 6200/6200]

    [Xiaodan | Level 36 | 6000/6000]

    Now, together alongside the other yers who managed to reach this far, they found themselves at the final obstacle of the first floor. It was forged of exuberant marble, vast and rich in scope and built on a foundation of power.

    [Archie | Level 38]

    [Tsukikage | Level 45]

    [Guozhi | Level 50]

    [Man | Level 50]

    They weren''t the only yers left; the others that had joined the raid were busy holding off the generals and other forces of the Yinlong Empire. Though it was questionable if they would be enough once the foe before them revealed their level:

    [FLOOR KING Recognized: "Great Emperor Jiao-Long" | Level 100]

    The royalty dressed in snow-white scale-like armor stood as his jet-ck, flowing hair cascaded down his back. There was true, refined power that exuded from him, almost as if he himself was a divine existence.

    I''ve never felt something like this¡­This is what we have to defeat? Jeong-Hui thought, I can''t think too hard about his level. Skills are what matter¨C

    Just as he thought that, he froze inpletion as the Great Emperor vanished from his view. Everybody present in the chamber froze as well, unable to move out of the overwhelming fear that gripped their limbs.

    The fair-faced emperor, with an inhuman height of three meters, had already appeared between all of them, "...Did you believe I''d be easy prey once my generals were separated from me?"

    All of them were still, only able to listen to the calmly spoken words that left the Great Emperor''s lips like silver. However, the first to move was Xiaodan, who clenched his fist and roared out as if trying to hide his own fear.

    "Xiaodan, no¨C!" Jeong-Hui yelled.

    As the silver-haired martial artist went for a swift kick aimed for the draconic emperor''s chin, his leg never reached its target.

    "Huh¡­?" Xiaodan looked towards his own leg.

    It was gone.

    In an instant, faster than anybody there could perceive, the limb belonging to the young man was torn away, held in the Great Emperor''s grasp before he tossed it away without a single change in his expression.

    "Argh¡­!" Xiaodan whailed.

    As if annoyed by the cry of pain, the emperor swept his hand, splitting Xiaodan''s neck open in a merciless movement.

    "Silence," Emperor Jiao-Long whispered.

    Such a dreadful sight at the result of an attack further froze thebatants in the room. Though anger boiled from theirrade being wounded, the utter dread was overpowering. Again, the first to attack was Korain, who bolstered himself¨C

    "Abandon: Stage Four!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Bulking up as his muscles bulged and hisplexion turned red with his blood boiling in his veins, the veteran of Gangcheori burst forward with his ymore d in a spiraling wind, swinging it towards the calm emperor.

    "Raaaaagh¨C!!!" Korain roared.

    Again, a futile effort.

    With swift footwork that almost looked as if space itself was warped around the quartz-scaled emperor, Emperor Jiao-Long passed by Korain seamlessly with his hand extended, held in a spear-like shape.

    SQUELCH.

    Blood sprayed from Korain''s throat as a deep cut had been left across it, spilling onto the exuberant floors before the emperor swiped the crimson from his fingertips.

    "How vulgar; staining my divine domain with your putrid blood," Emperor Jiao-Longmented.

    Witnessing the man who stood as one of the pirs of Gangcheori fall was finally the breaking point as everybody moved into action, desperate but fueled by anger and dread.

    "Korain¨C!" Ma-Ri screamed.

    They all followed Ma-Ri, who was the first to move as tears were in her eyes, drawing her rapier and leading the charge.

    "C''mon¡­!" Jeong-Hui shouted, getting Sol, Archie, and Yeong-Un to follow beside him.

    From the Australian man''s will, stalwart Defects were summoned, d in snow-white hide with ymore arms, jumping in first and foremost to hold the Great Emperor off.

    Such a diversion onlysted a second as the seraphic royalty tore the Defects'' heads from their bodies the moment they approached, though it was enough for Ma-Ri to dash in with a thrust of her rapier.

    "A female warrior? Don''t insult me," Emperor Jiao-Long said.

    Before the tip of the shing rapier could meet the emperor, he reacted to the leader''s monstrous speed with a back hand of his fist, mming it against her cheek and sending Ma-Ri flying across the chamber.

    "Ma-Ri!" Sol yelled.

    Seeing the leader be treated so brutally, courage overcame Sol as he rushed in, ovee with anger as he thrust his spear forward with enraged might.

    Though to Jeong-Hui''s eyes, he witnessed altered perception and simply read the battlefield, he realized how drastically wrong everything was going.

    We''re falling apart¡­There''s no order! It''s not even that, though¡­even if we worked in perfect synch¨Cthis guy is just too strong! He thought.

    The Great Emperor didn''t flinch as he simply deflected the spear with his knuckles before swiftly grabbing the hazel-haired adolescent by his throat, lifting him up as his feet dangled above the quartz floor.

    "It''s difficult to believe that this is the vanguard that breached through my empire. I will have to rebuild it¨Cstronger and better," Emperor Jiao-Long spoke calmly while holding Sol by the throat.

    Seeing theirrade in the grips of the monstrous emperor, both Jeong-Hui and Yeong-Un dashed in together desperately.

    "Let him go¡­!" Yeong-Un yelled out, swinging his dual des.

    "Grrrh¨C!" Jeong-Hui roared, shing swiftly with fluid movements.

    The Great Emperor stood there like a stalwart statue; unmoving to their attacks as they were nothing more than the buzz of flies by his ear.

    "Vermin like yourselves should know your ce; that is the one thing expected of lowly species," Emperor Jiao-Long casually remarked.

    As the immutable grip began to squeeze, Sol struggled, holding onto the emperor''s arm while iling and kicking, gasping out. There was nothing that seemed to work to harm the level one-hundred foe, causing Yeong-Un and Jeong-Hui to attack more desperately as they felt utter dread¨C

    "Die¨C"

    Just as the emperor invoked such words, the exuberant royalty dropped the spear-wielder and jumped back to avoid a sh that seemed to bend space around it.

    Landing between Sol and the emperor, the shy man with white-and-pink hair stood his ground, wielding a cosmic ymore.

    "Tsukikage¡­?" Sol said quietly, caressing his bruised throat.

    "On your feet, Sol!" Tsukikage yelled.

    There was still no emotion present on the draconic emperor''s expression as he stood in supremacy within his domain. Throughout all of their effort in the first sh, not a single blemish hadid itself on the snow-white skin of the emperor.

 Chapter 249 Reality

    "Tsukikage¡­?" Sol said quietly, caressing his bruised throat.

    "On your feet, Sol!" Tsukikage yelled.

    There was still no emotion present on the draconic emperor''s expression as he stood in supremacy within his domain. Throughout all of their effort in the first sh, not a single blemish hadid itself on the snow-white skin of the emperor.

    Jeong-Hui found himself nearly keeling over from the anguish in the losses ofrades, though held himself together sheerily through will. The same couldn''t be said for Eunji, who fell to her knees, holding her mouth as her eyes trembled in shock.

    Noticing this, Jeong-Hui was about to rush over to get her to move, but noticing that the emperor''s gaze found the girl as well, he opted to blink¨C

    However, not even his blink step was fast enough as in that simple gap between his brain processing amand and his body enacting it, Emperor Jiao-Long was already at the young woman''s position.

    "Eunji!" He yelled.

    Nobody else was close enough to help her or to even attempt intercepting the path of the seemingly unbeatable foe; Sol was still halfway through picking himself up and Yeong-Un was helping Ma-Ri up.

    ¡­It''s no use! I can''t make it! Please¨Cplease, body! Give me something! Jeong-Hui begged.

    As the emperor''s merciless fist neared the anguished girl, it was unexpectedly intercepted by another force.

    [Guozhi | Level 50]

    The man held cosmic irises and snow-white hair, managing to negate the force behind the Great Emperor''s fist as it met his palm with a suppressed impact.

    "...Hrm? What is this?" Emperor Jiao-Long asked in quiet surprise.

    "Zeus."

    Without an answer arriving, the word sounded out from a figure behind the perplexed emperor, surprising the figure as bolts of azure lightning struck the draconic being, leaving burn marks on his back.

    "Ghh¡­" Emperor Jiao-Long winced.

    The source of the attack came from the dark-skinned man dressed invish robes, who held a single finger forward.

    [Man | Level 50]

    It was a wee surprise to Jeong-Hui, who witnessed the uncoordinatedbination from the two highest level yers.

    For the first time, a mark was left on the sculpted body of the emperor.

    There was hope. Still, being able to have any effect on one''s opponent was the bare minimum, but it was achieved,

    "I see. There are worthy warriors among your kind," the emperor said.

    Guozhi only responded with a forward palm-strike that didn''t touch the royal foe, but still sted him back against the furthest wall with a devastating impact.

    "Don''t underestimate humanity," Guozhi stated.

    The three yers unaffiliated with Gangcheori stood together; Man and Tsukikage at the side of the Xianxia System user''s side.

    Only down for a moment, the stoic emperor picked himself up from the rubble, brushing the debris off of his pearly form before setting his sights on the three.

    "I see. If I eliminate you three, the rest will have no chance of victory," the emperor deduced.

    ¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>

    While the others shed with the emperor, Gangcheori grouped up as Yeong-Un and Sol brought Ma-Ri over to where Eunji, Archie, and Jeong-Hui were at.

    "She needs help¡­!" Sol yelled.

    The leader of Gangcheori''s skull was split by the earlier strike from the emperor, leaving blood spewing down her face.

    As Eunji looked up, she only lost it further at the horrific state of Ma-Ri.

    "Why¡­?! Why did it go like this?!" Eunji panicked, holding her own head.

    Even if Jeong-Hui could understand why she would be losing her cool like she was, it simply wasn''t the time. Perhaps it was his own System altering his way of handling emotion, but right now he needed to be pragmatic.

    "Eunji, she needs your¨C"

    Again, not even a single moment of reprieve was able to be found as a blur passed in front of him. As he perceived it, the sses-wearing girl was turned into nothing more than a red mist as the emperor appeared in front of him, holding the girl''s head.

    "It was easy to deduce," the emperor calmly said.

    "Huh¡­? What¡­?" Jeong-Hui quietly let out in shock.

    The Great Emperor tossed Eunji''s head down, "The way you brought your injured to her; this one was your medic. I have dealt with them; that eliminates your means of rejuvenation."

    "You bastard¨C!!!"

    Unleashing forward in a blind rage, Yeong-Un engulfed both of his des in red-hot mes, swinging them towards the seraphic emperor.

    Inhaling deeply, the Great Emperor''s lungs overpowered the ze itself, sucking it in as he consumed the me casually.

    "What the¨C?!" Yeong-un let out.

    After letting out a quiet exhale that released smoke, the emperor clearly nned to counterattack, though was intercepted by an array of fists that were formed by azure, destructive energy, pelting against the emperor''s chest with visible impacts that knocked him back.

    "Shiva," Man called upon.

    While only light marks, there was some amount of damage inflicted on the scaled torso of the draconic emperor, whonded on his feet with his ever-bored expression.

    Though the merciless foe wasn''t given a second to breath as Guozhi had already leapt above him, mming his palm downward as an invisible strike plummeted down on the emperor''s position.

    The unseen force carried a devastating amount of power within it as even the Great Emperor found himself strained, struggling to maintain his upward stance before the quartz floor caved in beneath his feet, burying him within it.

    "...Eunji¡­" Jeong-Hui muttered in disbelief.

    With emerald eyesden with shock, he looked down at his hands that were soaked in the girl''s blood, finding the same crimson staining his ck attire.

    Yeong-Un and Sol felt just as defeated, with Sol panicking at Ma-Ri''s state, which left her already at death''s door. The sight of blood didn''t evoke the system slumbering within him at first as grief was at the forefront of his mind, making him blind to anything else in that moment.

    "Ma-Ri¡­Ma-Ri! Please¡­! Please, somebody!" Sol cried.

    [It couldn''t have gone any worse. On that day, I received a grim reminder: "God" didn''t want us to win. All of this was made to make sure none of us made it.]

    This was reality.

    This wasn''t a story about thest bastion of humanity winning simply through their resolve; this was what happened in the face of true power.

 Chapter 250 Last Ditch Effort

    He simply faded away; into his own mind, he lost his senses for an unknown amount of time as emotions swirled and nked out all at the same time. It was too much to bear as he sat there on his knees, blind and deaf to everything around him.

    I just want to end it all, he thought.

    As such thoughts flooded his mind amongst the false silence, he suddenly came to as he was shaken violently, finding Yeong-Un standing in front of him, bruised and bleeding heavily.

    "Get it together, fire-head¡­!" Yeong-Un yelled in his face.

    "...Huh?"

    Looking around, he saw that the fight was still persisting, and they were still on the losing side, though there was progress made.

    The Great Emperor was bruised and bloodied, though still going strong as the big three: Guozhi, Man, and Tsukikage, were noticeably more worn than the Floor King. With a swift assault that came as a blur, the emperor managed to knock both Man and Guozhi back with powerful blows.

    "Get up¡­!" Yeong-Un yelled again.

    Finally he snapped into focus, hurrying to his feet just to turn around to find the Great Emperor parting his lips as a cone of azure mes traveled directly towards the two.

    "Watch out, dammit! Gaia!"

    Intercepting the sweeping inferno was Tsukikage, who jumped between them and used hisary weapon to manifest a wall of stalwart earth, managing to withstand the draconic ze.

    Though it stopped the azure mes, the sturdy barrier of earth was suddenly shattered as the Great Emperor charged through it, blitzing through and grabbing Tsukikage by the throat.

    "You''re troublesome," Emperor Jiao-Long remarked, "Die."

    With a squeeze of his fist, the draconic royalty snuffed the life out of the high-level yer casually as if eradicating a mere insect, having snapped Tsukikage''s neck.

    In the face of this tragedy, there was one amongst the remainingbatants who confronted the unstoppable foe.

    [Bloodforger System Activated]

    Overtaken with grief that converted into utmost anger, Solmanded the bloodshed around him into a source of strength, dding himself in crimson armor as tears were wept with a vicious expression.

    "You piece of shit¨C!" Sol yelled out.

    With a raise of his hand, the crimson-eyed adolescent manipted the blood that ran across the marble floor, shifting even the particles of crimson in the air into tangible form as well.

    The Great Emperor didn''t seem to take the dozens of projectiles of bloodunched towards him seriously, though as a few pelted against his skin, managing to draw blood, there was actual surprise drawn on his expression.

    "--!" The Emperor''s eyes widened before he began manually guarding against the blood bullets with his arms.

    It wasn''t just standard blood; Sol manipted its density, heat, and velocity, turning them into projectiles capable of harming even the stalwart body of the Great Emperor.

    "He''s hurting him¡­! Sol is actually givin'' it to that fucker!" Yeong-Un said in delighted surprise, clenching his fists, "...We can win, fire-head! We can! Ya'' hear me?! It ain''t over?!"

    "--" Jeong-Hui watched, still feeling his heart twisting in his chest.

    "Listen to me, dammit!" Yeong-Un grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing Jeong-Hui to listen, "This is how it was always gonna be! We all knew we could die fightin''! It''s up to us to make sure we fight even harder in their absence, ya hear?!...This ain''t our first time losing people. We gotta swallow it and stand tall!"

    The words from the spiky-haired man brought him to his senses as he nodded and got up, standing beside Yeong-Un even though fear andmentation flowed through the marrow of his bones.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After a hailstorm of blood shot against the Great Emperor''s body for a solid minute, the imposing figure finally began to adjust as he walked forward, storming the attacks as he enclosed on the bloodforger.

    "Ghh¡­" Sol strained himself, continuing the flow of the crimson hailstorm.

    Stomping closer, the Great Emperor reared his hand back as he got within striking distance of the Bloodforger System wielder before suddenly being locked in ce by an impact from above.

    Guozhi was standing, mming his hand down as he invoked a colossal palm strike that pressed down on the merciless royal.

    "Don''t stop! Continue what you''re doing!" Guozhi yelled.

    Sol adhered to those words without any need to hear them as the fire in his blood manifested through an increase in force, managing to fully stab through the skin and scales of Emperor Jiao-Long, shooting holes through his left arm and his shoulder.

    "Nrgh¨C!" The Emperor winced.

    It was the first true damage inflicted on the emperor''s body; injuries that were deep and permanent.

    This, however, seemed to finally invoke the Great Emperor to use more effort as he roared out, charging forward with full intent of squashing the Bloodforger.

    Before he could reach Sol, both Yeong-Un and Jeong-Hui leapt in, unleashing their ownbination of attacks.

    "Crimson Tiger, Scarlet Lion!" Yeong-Un invoked.

    "ck Ripper!" Jeong-Hui yelled.

    The onught of shes that unleashed howling mes and scathing darkness managed to halt Emperor Jiao-Long but for a moment, giving time for the next phase¨C

    "Thor."

    Invoking the authority of the Norse god, Man appeared with strands of lightning coiling his body, using the divine strength possessed by the essence of "Thor" to m his fist into the side of the emperor, pressing his knuckles against his ribs before unleashing a lightning-infused impact.

    A shock wave propelled through the air was strands of bright-blue electricity caused the air to spark up, expanding with a swiftly dissipating heat.

    It was a monstrous blow, actually causing the emperor to spit out as the force caused his side to swell and turn purple quickly.

    There was blowback from the attack, however, as the sleeve of Man''s coat was blown off as his arm shot back, quickly bruising up.

    "Tsk," Man clicked his tongue.

    Now the emperor''s focus was on the dark-skinned possessor of the Divine Authority System, honing his sight as he ignored the others before stomping towards Man.

    Preparing for the sh, Man quickly amplified himself, "Hercules. Shiva. Zeus."

    Using three divine authorities at once, veins pressed against the man''s skin as a stream of blood trailed down his nostril from the strain. Still, it proved to be a worthy cost as he managed to meet the godly emperor hand-to-hand, meeting him on equal footing physically.

    Man''s physique was altered by the authorities, bulking up as a divine aura exuded from his form as he locked hands with the Great Emperor in a direct contest of strength.

    "Do it now¡­! Hit him! Use everything you''ve got¨Ceven if it takes me with him!" Man shouted.

 Chapter 251 Deaths Doctor

    "Do it now¡­! Hit him! Use everything you''ve got¨Ceven if it takes me with him!" Man shouted.

    The unexpected selflessness was a surprise from the usually stoic, serious man, but the situation was pressing enough that this certainly seemed like the only moment to take advantage of it. Jeong-Hui and Yeong-Un hesitated, not knowing what they could even use in that moment to capitalize on a ''lethal attack'', but the one who came forward was Guozhi.

    The white-haired man with cosmic eyes reinforced his right hand in celestial energy, holding it by his hip as he focused an ungodly amount of power into his knuckles.

    "You have my respect, Man," Guozhi said.

    Man gritted his teeth, "--Just make sure you kill this bastard!"

    With that said, Guozhi finished condensing the unequivocal force into his fist before thrusting it forward with a release of energy that rapidly parted the air, causing Jeong-Hui''s ears to ring with a sh of light ring out.

    It was a sess.

    The pivotal attack unleashed by the Xianxia System user''s fist blew a perfect hole straight through the stomachs of both the Emperor and Man, carving up the marble flooring and piercing a clear hole through the back of the throne room as well.

    "...It''s done," Guozhi stated.

    Man slowly fell backward,nding against the bloodied marble with the light leaving his eyes within moments as his innards were obliterated by his sacrificial stay.

    They all breathed a sigh of relief; those left standing, anyway.

    Yeong-Un was still standing there with his des held, trembling in a mixture of emotions. It wasn''t too far off for Jeong-Hui either, who didn''t know what to say or even think. Archie sat there in silence.

    Falling to his knees, Sol''s System reverted as he quietly sobbed, keeling over in anguish.

    Standing as he released a slow exhale, Guozhi looked back at the others, "...Not all victories are without sacrifices. Still, we surmounted the obstacle in front of¨C"

    Before Guozhi could finish, his head was lobbed off in a sh as the figure of the Great Emperor loomed over his headless body, breathing heavily as blood seeped from his lips.

    "You mongrels¡­!" Emperor Jiao-Long spewed with bloodshot eyes.

    The first thought that came to the survivors'' minds was that the Great Emperor had rejuvenated his injuries, though it was clear the hole was still present through his gut.

    He''s still moving off of sheer will¡­.? Just die already! Jeong-Hui thought.

    It seemed all four of them shared the same sentiment, simply being done with it all as they rushed towards the Great Emperor as both sides had their final stand.

    Archie extended his hand with the intent to manifest a familiar, but the emperor caught on, blitzing past the others and grasping Archie''s face in his hand, mming him into the wall and sttering his head against the quartz.

    "Archie¨C!!!" Jeong-Hui yelled out.

    There was no time for emotion, and even less for speech as before he could so much as blink, Jiao-Long sprinted with that insane agility of his, using a liar against Yeong-Un as a stomach-dropping crack sounded out.

    Before he realized it, all that was left was himself and Sol, who stood before the half-dead emperor who was soaked in blood of his own and not.

    "...Jeong-Hui¡­" Sol said his name in a tremble.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "--" It took him a moment to even recognize that Sol had spoken as he was in shock, "...Yeah?"

    "I love you, man," Sol told him with a forced, quivering smile.

    Before he could even say anything back, it seemed Sol recognized what was about to happen as the emperor pierced his hand straight through Sol''s chest, skewering his heart with surgical precision.

    "...Sol¡­? Sol¨C!" Jeong-Hui screamed.

    All alone now, he had nobody to lean on or any hope totch onto. There wasn''t any ounce of fight left in his body as he''d lost everything. Nothing was there to fight for.

    As the Great Emperor approached the red-haired adolescent who''d fallen to his knees, the throat-cutting swipe of his hand seemed more of a pity kill than anything else.

    Utter failure.

    There was nothing he could do, and nothing he contributed. Above all else, Jeong-Hui was a failure.

    That is what he died believing, and the final thought he''d carry with him into the eternal darkness that awaited.

    He epted it. It was something he felt he should have weed a long time ago: "a permanent rest."

    I lost it all. Again, everything slipped right through my fingers, no matter how much I tried to hold onto everything. Even a single spec of happiness¨Cthat, too, slipped past, he thought.

    [But that''s not what happened.]

    It was a skill he thought to simply be ''without use''; one he had gained a long time prior without discovering a use for it. Yet in the face of evesting darkness, it awakened atst.

    [Death''s Doctor]

    A one-time ability that revealed itself only when his health reached rock bottom, surfacing only moments before he was to be ferried off through the Styx.

    No, he thought.

    His eyes opened as he found himself lying against the floor with the warmth of blood behind his head; it was his own, yet here he was, breathing again.

    Even his own ability to simply fade away was taken from him as the ability stitched his wounds together in an instant with pitch-ck, mystical threads that weaved his flesh together seamlessly.

    It wasn''t utterly perfect; though his flesh was mended and returned to peak condition, patchwork stitches were left on his face almost as a reminder of his proximity to death.

    Why am I alive? He questioned.

    As heid there, dumbound of his own inability to perish, he found himself disgusted by the sight and smell of the marble chamber; it was eerily quiet now, save for the jingle of the emperor''svish attire and his footsteps retreating to his throne. It seemed the emperor was ignorant of the man''s revival, though that was to be expected as Jeong-Hui wasn''t even aware of it before it came to be.

    ¡­I don''t deserve this¨Cwhy am I thest one, always? He thought.

 Chapter 252 The Avenger, Jeong-Hui

    Finally sitting up, he brought his hand to his head, feeling the warm blood that still ran slick over his face from his mended wounds.

    The silence allowed him to listen to his own heart, though he found nothing resonating in his ears; it was simply silent.

    As he looked over, he saw the merciless emperor sitting in his throne with a gaping wound still through his stomach, sitting there with a tired look, though as proud as ever.

    "...So, one yet still lives¡­" Emperor Jiao-Long said before coughing up blood.

    Jeong-Hui picked himself up, looking around the room to find the bodies of hisrades around the room, invoking tears from his eyes, though he didn''t weep.

    It was more of a ''stunning anguish'', as if most of it was simply utter shock with his mind realizing this wasn''t a dream.

    "You killed them¡­You did this," he said quietly.

    Jiao-Long watched him, not moving from his throne, though it seemed as though he wasn''t in any condition to, "Do not forget you''re the ones who began this attack. I simply responded in kind; do not provoke a war then whimper at its brutality."

    Picking up his daggers, he was deaf to the words of the dying emperor, looking down at those ck-steel des as he felt history was repeating itself.

    There were a lot of emotions brewing inside of him; anger, grief,mentation, bitterness, but above all of that, he simply felt tired. It was all too much; none of it felt real, yet it scorned his soul,

    "I''m going to kill you."

    Those words that left Jeong-Hui''s lips, born from the deepest depths of his gut weren''t a threat, but a promise; an inevitably soon toe,

    The merciless emperor felt as much through those words as his eyes widened, experiencing the malevolence from the red-haired man.

    "I see¡­" Emperor Jiao-Long stood from his throne as blood spilled from his gaping wound, "¡­Yinlong is all but perished; I can feel it. But, the same goes for you: your people are gone. You have nothing left, and neither do I; so let us finish this as two warriors."

    In that moment, he couldn''t care less of what the emperor had to say; he was simply a force of nature¡ªa predator that had to be put down.

    I won''t underestimate him, even if he''s a walking corpse. This one is a monster; a devil among demons. Everybody fell to him¡­I''ll finish what you couldn''t finish, my friends, he thought.

    As he inhaled, holding one dagger out with his emerald eyes setting on the emperor, the tall, imposing figure dashed towards him with that blinding speed. For one who stood on the threshold of death, the emperor moved with the same swiftness as ever.

    However, the assassin saw thising as he countered with the following  invocation falling from his lips:

    "Esoteric Domain: Devil ying Hour."

    Even the all-powerful royal of draconic heritage was caught by surprise with the sudden deployment of the assassin''s inner realm, causing a space to expand between them, dragging them both into the depths of the unique realm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Everything was momentarily swallowed in darkness before revealing the wastnd of swords, sitting beneath the world clock that ticked above.

    "¡­What is this foul world?" Emperor Jiao-Long questioned, ncing around at the deste ce.

    "Your burial site," Jeong-Hui answered.

    Though he tried to hold himself together in the face of what needed to be done, he was simply so clouded by anguish that his own inner realm shapes itself to his emotions; as tears strolled down his cheek, moistureced the air before it began to rain.

    I''m so weak, he thought, after all of this time¡­nothing''s changed. I''m still the nameless nobody I always was.

    Even with his mind clouded by sadness, the movements of the half-dead emperor were able to be perceived as clear as day within his own territory as he blinked away from an iing dropkick.

    After swiftly evading strikes from the powerful, draconic royal, Jeong-Hui''s enigmatic realm seemed to finally reveal itself to the emperor''s sharp mind.

    "I see¨Cthis ability of yours grants you a conceptual advantage?" Emperor Jiao-Long deduced.

    There was no part of him that wanted to indulge the words of the fiendish being before him, simply finding the sound that emitted from the Great Emperor''s lips to be abhorrent.

    It was without question that anger filled his veins, though he found himself hesitating to move in for the kill, simply feeling a total loss in all aspirations; he simply felt aimless now. Still, he knew this was the one thing, if nothing else, he wanted to do.

    When looking at the bloodied emperor, he found himself reminiscing of his fallen friends; the cowardly, but honest antics of Sol, Yeong-Un''s energetic, but sometimes rough attitude, and Korain''s guidance. He remembered everybody; all of those nice thoughts were warm, yet they made his heart ache and his fingers tighten around his daggers.

    It was those thoughts that sent him into a momentary trance of absolute bloodlust as he saw their murderer before him.

    Emperor Jiao-Long was already on hisst legs as more than enough blood had left his body naturally, leaving Jeong-Hui only needing to summon the intent of what came next¨C

    [Ripper]

    Invoked with utmost earnestness in his feelings towards killing the royal in front of him, he blinked forward before unleashing the array of shes against Emperor Jiao-Long, cutting across his neck, chest, and head multiple times in an instant.

    "--"

    ? Not a sound escaped Jiao-Long''s lips as he fell to his knees, falling dead within moments as it seemed only onest push was needed to guide him to the afterlife. Just as the emperor fell, the Devil ying Hour crumbled away, returning the corpse of the royal and Jeong-Hui himself back to the ursed throne room.

    The prompt that appeared, stating his victory over the boss meant nothing to him; the numbers it showed held no meaning nor importance as he sat on his knees.

    Is my only role in life to be an avenger?...I''m always thest one left standing, and the one who has to bloody their hands in the end, he questioned.

 Chapter 253 Solo

    [Five Years Later]

    [The Third Floor, The Tower]

    On a lone precipice, he stood, overlooking a seraphic horizon that was enveloped in unseen walls. Behind him, an azure scarf fluttered in the passing winds pulled by the high altitude, being neighbored by passing clouds.

    "System, bring up my status."

    [yer: Jeong-Hui.]

    [Level: 540. EXP: 125800/450000.]

    [Health: 25000/25000. Spirit: 15000/15000.]

    [Usable Skill Points: 12.]

    "...Alright," he said to himself, stretching his fingers and cracking his knuckles, "...Let''s do this."

    His eyes were set on the colossal, tinum-scaled dragon upying the ground far below¨Cyet, despite it inhabiting the ground floor that was hundreds of meters below, it still stood tall and imposing.

    I''ve been putting this off long enough now. It''s about time I take care of this, he thought.

    As he stretched his body, another prompt appeared, sensing his intent to fight.

    [Martial Arts Proficiency: Taekwondo: 5060/9999]

    Without any further hesitation, he leapt from the summit of the seraphic mountain, drawing his daggers from their sheaths that radiated with a dormant power.

    Through the usage of his ability, he was granted superb physicality, allowing him tond from the mighty fall without flinching, plummeting down as hended on both of his boots.

    The moment hended, the behemoth of a dragon, armored in shining, opulent scales that reflected the heavenly, orange rays of sunlight, took notice of him.

    A roar unleashed as it parted its mighty maw, sending a tremor through the stone flooring, cracking it and producing an overwhelming wood, but he stood tall.

    "Alright, big guy¡­let''s do this."

    From his form, nothing more than an ant whenpared to the tinum beast, he unleashed an aura of his own¨Ca magnificent energy that shook thend at his feet, producing a vibrant, potent hum that propelled outwards.

    [Enemy Identified: "Dragon King ¨C Deicide" | Level 600]

    Though the level of the tinum-scaled dragon surpassed his own, this was of little consequence to the young man who''d lost all mercy in his eyes.

    As the dragon, as mighty andrge as a mountain, swiped one of its ws towards him, he moved out of the way with instantaneous speed, warping around it and running along its arm with agility that mimicked lightning.

    [Innate Skill: "Lightning Infusion"]

    It was a passive ability that allowed him to use the essence of lightning throughout his body and to enhance his attacks, allowing him to amplify his speed and attack power to greater heights.

    As such, he used his beloved daggers, dragging them along the scales of the great beast as he sped up the length of its limb.

    Though as he zapped around its colossal limb, etching slices forged with azure lightning against its scales, they simply bounced off its tinum shine.

    No effect? He thought.

    In retaliation, the Dragon King''s limb swept away with surprising speed for its size, causing the air to contort and crack before another swipe came in while he was left mid-air.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Without any foothold, he was left seemingly helpless to the building-sized w heading his way. Despite the look of the situation, there was utter calmness and focus in his emerald eyes as he tossed one of his daggers towards the dragon''s head.

    Just before the w reached him¨Che vanished.

    To the eyes of the Dragon King, the red-haired human had disappeared from before his ws and reappeared right on top of his snout, catching his thrown dagger.

    ["Destined Warp"]

    It was an ability that allowed him to teleport wherever he threw his weapon, allowing himplete freedom over his movement inbat.

    As he was brought directly in front of the tinum beast''s face, being nothing more than a pimple in scale to it, he spun around as a ck aura d itself around his leg.

    With his martial arts ability scaling to ludicrous heights, the power drawn out was even greater¨C

    ["God King Providence"]

    The pitch-ck aura was dense and extreme in potency, contorting the space around his leg as he unleashed a monstrous kick, delivered straight to the nose of the Dragon King.

    An impact was born that swallowed the surrounding valley in a veil of darkness; the air was engulfed in abyssal mes and the clouds parted.

    The impact subverted casualty, making it impossible to dodge the kick nor avoid its lethality. Still, the Dragon King, Deicide, proved to be a sturdy beast fitting of its title as though its divine scales were damaged, it didn''t fail to retaliate.

    As it parted its jaws, the glow of a magnificent me was seen by Jeong-Hui, who utilized "Destined Warp" in the knick of time, tossing upwards as he reappeared just below the clouds. From above, he witnessed a golden beam of fire shoot from the dragon''s mouth,pletely erasing the mountain in its path.

    In response, he forged his own counterattack:

    ["God Cutter" + "Devil Ark" + "Behemoth Rend"]

    [New Spell(s) Forged: "God of Darkness'' Continent Slicer"]

    ["God of Darkness'' Continent Slicer"]

    [Spirit: -5000 | 10000/15000]

    Invoking thebined ability, he shed his des from a distance, manifesting into existence contortions of darkness that bent space, warping downward as the air unleashed magnificent echoes of power before slicing into the dragon''s scales.

    A devastating set ofcerations were embedded into the dragon''s flesh, leaving it half-dead as its own blood quickly formed a small river beneath itself.

    "Let''s hurry this up," he said.

    There was little left in his mind in the way of kindness. After losing everything, he gave in fully to the necessity to survive. Though he hardly had anything left to live for, he simply did so out of respect for the fallen.

    Though at this point, most of his resolve was merely to spite ''God.''

    It wasn''t over yet as he witnessed the bleeding, divine dragon roar out, lifting itself up as its wings pped, producing mountain-shaping shock waves while a primordial force gathered in its throat.

    Though before any such attack could beunched, the merciless, red-haired assassin acted:

    ["Godless Ring"]

    The high-level assassin technique invoked the very concept of "beheading", working on even the colossal beast as a ring-shaped cut of space perfectly encapsted the dragon''s neck before a fountain of blood sprayed out just before its head fell from its neck.

    ["Dragon King - Deicide" Defeated | EXP + 50000 | 76000/600000]

 Chapter 254 The Final Human

    It was defeating the guardian of the lonesome valley that the doorway finally revealed itself: forming into existence from coalesced matter, an ominous, stone door sat in the middle of the field.

    Years were spent alone by this point, simply grinding and grinding for experience as he made certain of his own sess.

    Almost five years ago now, I lost everybody. We underestimated the first floor, he thought, I will never repeat that. I''ll always be prepared.

    He no longer had a face free of blemishes; scars were etches on his skin and heavy bags hung beneath his eyes.

    This was the ''Ascension of A Nameless Nobody''; thest human, pressing onwards in solitude, unknown to joy any longer.

    Approaching the mysterious, stone door, he pressed his hand against the circr seal embedded in its center, causing a verdant light to fill its gaps before it unlocked, slowly opening to reveal a hidden space beyond its threshold.

    This is it, he thought, the Third Floor Boss.

    There was no fear left in the still blood of the red-haired man, only bitter conviction as he stepped past the nebulous threshold.

    It was a singr corridor of desecrated stone taken by overgrowth; verdant vines clung to the walls, leading to a room up ahead that could sparsely be seen.

    A resounding sound of stone groaning made him look back, witnessing the heavy door closing behind him, sealing itself shut once more. He didn''t attempt to open it, already knowing by the nature of the unfair Tower, that he was forced to move forward.

    Each step he took echoed through the lonely domain, finding himself looking towards a single entity that inhabited the center of the chamber waiting ahead. It was a solemn ce; a few rays of orange sunlight cascaded through cracks in the ceiling of the ruins, casting light over the enigmatic figure.

    "--" Jeong-Hui stopped.

    Before entering the room, he began invoking enhancement spells on himself in preparation of what was unquestionably his final enemy of the Tower.

    ["Enhancement: End Strength"]

    ["Enhancement: End Agility"]

    ["Enhancement: Buffer"]

    ["Enhancement: Elemental Mastery'']

    Being bathed in amplifications, he kept his pitch-ck daggers out as he took a single step past the barrier between the corridor and the arena-like chamber.

    Just then, the humanoid figure began to move, standing up from its crouched position, dressed in tattered armor and wielding a bright-blue halberd. The being was silent, getting up as if it were their unavoidable duty, having an unmoving face with cracked skin as if they were a living statue.

    [FLOOR KING Recognized: "The Last Human" | Level 999]

    It was a vexing name for the man who fought as the final bastion of mankind''s will, but nheless, as he always had, he prepared for a life-or-death fight.

    As he swiftly approached with speed carried like whispers of the wind, the Floor King stomped forward with an echoing strength, using a wide sweep of its sapphire halberd.

    "--!"

    Before he could realize it, the de of the being''s weapon swept through his neck, though it was negated by his [Buffer] ability, which prevented one instance of damage. After almost facing death through the unexpected speed and range of the halberd, he leapt back, resetting his approach.

    He''s fast. It seems like that halberd has some sort of special reach as well. I''ll need to be careful, he thought.

    [Buffer]

    He recast his safety before cautiously approaching the figure, gauging when he''d strike as the "Last Human" seemed to be reading him as well, discerning him with their stone eyes.

    As he warped forward with sessive usages of [Ripper]bined with [Vorpal Essence] to create attacks that swiped through space for disorientating blows, he found his daggers swiftly countered by a spin of the entity''s halberd.

    He''s skilled, too, he thought.

    Though there was no hesitation on his mind as he quickly recovered from being countered, blinking around the figure to throw off their senses before going in for a swift strike towards the Floor King''s unguarded back.

    [Nightfall Execution]

    The skill granted his daggers conceptual strength whenunching a strike towards his opponent''s back, allowing him to strike with essentially a "critical hit."

    Though just before his daggers could reach the stone-hide back of the "Last Human", he halted as he witnessed stone arms protruding from the figure''s back. He swiftly disengaged just as the arms struck with a greatsword that narrowly missed.

    As always, it''s never that simple, he thought.

    Sprouting from the "Last Human''s" back was another "half" of itself, a long-haired, cracked-skinned prince-like figure that wielded a greatsword.

    As he readied himself for the two-frontbat, he found himself pressed by an unequivocal sense of danger¨C<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Death Sense]

    It was a passive ability, allowing him a supernatural precognition that gave off a warning that something lethal was approaching, though he couldn''t tell what it was as the figure was still standing at a distance from him.

    What''s iting from¨C? He questioned.

    Just then, he was forced to begin using [Blink Step] as through a simple flick of the being''s halberd and greatsword together, rangeless shes etched themselves through space, attempting to eviscerate him.

    It wasn''t just as if the shes neglected to be hindered by range, but they bent space itself, warping to him instantaneously, forcing him to activate his reflexes to the highest degree in order to dodge.

    I need to break through, he thought.

    ["Kata of Void"]

    Amidst the mayhem of shes that flooded towards him, he rxed his entire body, closing his eyes as the high-level martial arts skill manifested itself in a sublime tranquility around himself.

    Total rxation, cutting off all internal thought and external distractions; with this, he simply enacted his own instinct.

    As the shes warped towards him from the "Final Human''s" barrage of halberd and greatsword swings, he simply walked forward, using minimal movement to dodge while gaining distance.

    Though it was a technique originating from his [Martial Artist] ss, it was bordering on divine as he moved like a gentle flicker, passing by all attacks before finally arriving within striking distance of the Floor King.

    He reared his fist back, finally parting his eyelids as he summoned an otherworldly amount of spiritual essence into his knuckles:

    ["Hallmark of Destruction"]

    As he sent his fist forward, managing to slip through the entity''s guard, he punched with the force of a condensed explosion, shing his knuckles against its cracked, unorthodox skin as a shock wave propelled outward.

    There was an utter ruthlessness and pragmatism to the way he fought; even afternding a pivotal blow, he didn''t let up¨Cwarping around and following up with a series of potent techniques.

    ["Dragon Spin"]

    A spinning series of kicks manifested inferno on his legs temporarily, bolstering his impact as a majestic glow of fire filled the solemn arena.

    Each impact caused the Final Human to stumble back as further cracks formed along its stone-like body, though not a single utterance left its tight lips as it was repeatedly hit. Though it was ruthlessly battered, the stone human could be seen tightening its grip on its halberd, preparing for a counterattack.

    Jeong-Hui noticed this, switching up as he blinked back then back in, resetting the momentum and capitalizing on his unorthodox approach.

    I won''t let you, he thought.

    ["Riptide of Forevermore"]

    The swift array of strikesunched with water-like flow as he swiped his limbs through the air with jet-ck, cosmic stratifications of wind reinforcing his arms, each impactnded on the being''s body provoked blows that shattered its stone hide.

    I can''t fail. I''m thest one. It''s all up to me now¨Cthat''s just the way it is, he thought, I''ll end this now.

    With that resolve in mind, Jeong-Hui invoked one of his most powerful abilities, drawing his daggers once more as he used his [Sage System] for abined spell.

    [Ripper], [Devil''s Axis], [Angel''s Axis], [Nebulous Lightning], and [Cosmic Shredder]

    The resulting ability was: [Creator''s Ripper]

    The dual-wielded daggers he wielded were soaked in what resembled a cosmic neb, coiled with ck lightning as he dashed forward, taking advantage of his opponent''s stunned state from his previous blows.

    As he swiped his des, the world shook; the foundations of the domain trembled as the shes tore through space, unleashing a maelstrom of enigmatic lightning and a swirl of hellish, yet divine energy directly against the Floor King''s body.

    At its core, the ability possessed the conceptual element of "anti-matter", being made to destroy anything hit by it, no matter the being''s own durability. To add to the lethality of the ability, it was improbable to be dodged as the shes moved like rays of light cascading through darkness.

    Jeong-Hui reappeared from his blink several meters behind the being, looking back after unleashing the [Level 1500] ssbined spell.

    That should''ve done it¨C, he thought.

    Though he believed as much, his stomach sank as he witnessed what was thought to be the humanoid''s skin crumble away like a shed armor; the twin on its back fell to ash.

    As it shed its stone skin, what stood there was undeniably "human", at least in some capacity; he had dark-brown skin with unkempt, snow-white hair and eyes that were like staring into the origin of the universe.

    ["The Final Human"]

 Chapter 255 The End Of The Line

    "You''re¡­" Jeong-Hui began to say.

    Before he could get a word out, he witnessed the dark-skinned being lift his crimson halberd up as it shined bright like the sun, invoking a wonderful heat before mming it down against the ground with an imposing thud.

    "--?" Jeong-Hui watched.

    Manifesting around thest human were soldiers; though that wasn''t what struck him as the most perplexing thing about the entity''s summoning.

    The soldiers summoned to the Final Human''s aid were not of one era, but all: some wielding spears, wearing a single loincloth like cavemen, others were dressed in unrefined, steel armor, holding swords and shields. Perhaps most surprising of all were the others dressed in camo and ker, equipped with modern weaponry such as assault rifles and shotguns.

    There were hundreds of them, filling the vast domain as they stood alongside the Final Human.

    "...I get it now¡­" Jeong-Hui said.

    As he raised his daggers once more, he set his visceral, emerald gaze on the army before him, readying himself.

    This is "humanity"--or at least, this is the embodiment of its most dire sin: war, he surmised.

    With a signal of his halberd, the Final Humanmanded his troops to engage as spear-wielding tribesmen and roman knights rushed the red-haired assassin.

    Gunfire red out as bullets soared towards him with amplified velocity and power, forcing him to evade left-and-right while also dealing with the close-ranged warriors swarming him.

    Slicing through a pair of spearmen with a single sh, he flipped to the side before an ax-wielding viking mmed his weapon down, caving in the stone beneath.

    They''re not normal soldiers¨Cthough, I could''ve guessed that, he thought.

    With abination of his martial arts and assassin abilities, he utilizes nimble footwork to swerve around his opponents'' attacks, ducking beneath spear thrusts and countering with shes, and doing the same for rapid ax-strikes that came for his skull.

    Still, it seemed the forces didn''t dwindle as he had to warp from a shrapnel grenade thrown at his feet, finding it to be thrown by one of the manifestations of a U.S. soldier. As his eyesid on the toon of modern fighters, a storm of lead came his way.

    ["Flicker Step"]

    An alternate version of [Blink Step], it allowed him to continuously blink across a short distance, causing the bullets to miss him before he reached the gun-wielding soldiers.

    ["Spirit Ripper"]

    As he eviscerated through the toon with swift shes amplified by a pale-blue aura, all of his spirit instantly recovered, though it was hardly needed as through his heightened level, his spirit hardly diminished no matter how many skills he used.

    "--Hm," he turned around.

    There were countless warriors closing on him, rearing their swords back, pulling arrows behind the strings of bows, and warhammers being mmed overhead.

    A flicker of pitch-ck darkness swept over his irises as he invoked a nebulous skill to counteract the number of foes around him.

    ["To Hell"]

    He moved as a beast of darkness itself for a moment, casting away his physical state into that of an abyssal monstrosity, sweeping by his foes and unleashing countless shes through his shadowy limbs before reforming himself in his normal state.

    Just as he managed to clear out the remnants of humanity''s history, he was abrasively greeted by gilded weaponry that shot towards him like missiles,unching from the Final Human''s will.

    "Tch," he clicked his tongue.

    The domain expanded, opening it up for morerge-scale attacks whilst he dodged around, evading the swarm of projectiles thatunched like railguns, homing in on him as he blinked away from their destructive nature.

    The wordless Floor King waved his halberd around, summoning knights on horseback, full-metal tanks, and even jets.

    It was utter mayhem for Jeong-Hui as he sprinted along the walls of the war-torn domain with heightened speed, running like a bolt of lightning as bullets, missiles, and arrows alike chased after him.

    ¡­This won''t be enough. I''ve spent years relentlessly training. I made sure I''d never fail again, he thought.

    As he kicked off from the wall, he took the initiative against the battalion against the cross-era army.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ["Storm of Hades"]

    Conjuring from a set of shes, his daggers unleashed a natural disaster of pitch-ck and violet lightning that razed the battlefield, tearing the tanks and jets apart as they set off into explosive zes.

    Atst, he was brought face-to-face with the Final Human once more as they stood amidst the zing, lightning-coiled battlefield.

    "--" The dark-skinned goliath stared down at him.

    He returned his opponent''s gaze before dashing forward to take the initial strike¨CSQUELCH.

    As he went in for a visceral, anti-matter variant of [Ripper], he was countered by the lightning-fast warrior as the tip of the being''s halberd stabbed into his left eye.

    "Ghh¡­" Jeong-Hui winced.

    Before it could''ve dug in deeper, he blinked back, though his eye was lost, seeping blood down onto his face as he huffed.

    "...Huff¡­" Jeong-Hui breathed out, focusing up.

    The Sage System automatically suppressed the pain, though he hardly felt it anyhow as utter resolve flowed through his veins as he approached again, reenacting the same dash he used beforehand.

    With a mighty stomp and lunge forward, the Final Human thrusted his halberd forward for the same counter, though Jeong-Hui predicted as much, luring out that same response as he swept by.

    ["Untouchable"]

    Followed by:

    [Creator''s Ripper]

    The unequivocal sh once more shook the realm as cosmic energy swept through the halls with an air of origin, embedding unblockable cuts deep into the being''s flesh in an "X" shape.

    Though the Final Human opened his mouth in pain, not a single sound left before he gritted his teeth, pushing past and countering with a swipe of his halberd.

    "--!"

    Jeong-Hui saw it in slowed-time, though it still came swiftly; he leaned back, still being grazed as its immacte edge embedded a cut across his cheek.

    In that moment, his spirit and body alike surged in unison with the will to win, allowing him to push forward as he unleashed one,st blow against his final opponent as blood seeped from his destroyed eye:

    ["Ripper"]

    The fundamental version of the skill proved to be enough as he cut through the already opened wounds of the warrior, putting him down with assassin-like ruthlessness.

    As the Final Human fell, he turned to dust, crumbling onto the ground as no experience or such rewards befell the red-haired man.

    "--" Jeong-Hui held his injured eye before looking forward.

    There was now a mysterious door sitting in the center of the room: a snow-white, wooden door that wasn''t there before.

    He knew what it was from a single nce and the eerie silence now surrounding him as all he could hear was his own breathing and the dripping of his own blood onto the ground.

    The end of the line.

    There wasn''t a thought on his mind as he walked forward slowly, feeling the weight of each step as he arrived at the door, grabbing onto the handle before twisting it.

    It creaked; the mysterious door let out a groan as it was opened, revealing a blinding, white veil in its threshold.

    "...Guess there''s no road left but the one ahead¡­"

    With that in mind, Jeong-Hui used loose fabric to create a makeshift eye patch before stepping through the door, unknowing of what he''d see on the other side.

 Chapter 256 Selfishness Or Selflessness

    [???]

    As his eyes adjusted from the blinding light, he blinked a few times before finding a familiar scenery before him: it was the parking lot of an apartmentplex, sitting beneath a pale-blue sky.

    ¨CIt was home.

    Though it seemed to be prior to Armageddon as dried blood didn''t paint the asphalt and the parked cars were kept in fresh condition. He looked around, seeing that the streets were empty, but not filled with bloodshed.

    I''m home, he thought.

    Still, he knew such a sight was not normal as his sights were set on the only possible destination: the prominent door on the second floor, his apartment.

    As he walked across the parking lot, looking around at the nostalgic view, he realized how he''d gone, and how he''d lost all the same, finding a bittersweet feeling inside of him before he ascended the staircase.

    Reaching the second floor of the dingy apartmentplex, he peered from the heightened view of the city, finding that detail was lost the further he looked as a veil of light prevented him from seeing too far.

    It''s all just a recreation¡­an illusion. Is "he" showing me this? The one responsible for everything? He questioned.

    Though he knew there was little merit in theorizing when the answer to his question was likely just a few steps to his left.

    After all this time, even the sight of his home didn''t sway him from moving forward as he approached his door, stopping for a moment as he hesitated. A single breath was inhaled before he gripped the handle, turning it as he opened the entrance to his old home.

    "Hey! Get your own loot!"

    ¨CUnexpectedly, he walked through the front of his apartment to find a red-haired young man spouting angrily at his ownputer monitor, fiddling with his keyboard frantically while yelling through a headset.

    It was Jeong-Hui, or at least, a spitting image of his past self.

    This is¡­He began to realize.

    As he stood there, he looked at his old self with surprised eyes, finding just how different the two were from one another, watching the "other" Jeong-Hui adjust his sses before grabbing his vibrating phone.

    "...It''s a text from Mom," he mumbled, watching.

    It seemed the other version of himself couldn''t perceive him as he stood there, caked in blood and looking as though he walked out of a medieval fantasy world.

    He whispered to himself, "...This is right before it happens¨Cright before Armageddon descends."

    Realizing this, he raced out of the front door, leaning against the railings of the second floor as he looked up towards the cloud, waiting for the sight of "God" to appear before¨Cnothing.

    No such event urred as he looked back, witnessing his other self respond to the text on his phone before continuing to y video games.

    "No fair, man! I was texting!--N-no, it was my girlfriend! I''m too old to be bugged by my mom!" the other Jeong-Hui spouted on his headset.

    As he stood on the patio, watching the unknown scene unfold, he was left perplexed before time itself seemed to drag to a halt around him with the alternate Jeong-Hui freezing mid-sentence.

    What? He thought.

    "Congrattions, Jeong-Hui. You''ve won."

    Speaking directly into his ear was a silvery, masculine voice that came off as sublimely gentle, though shook him to his core.

    As he dragged his vision to the left to meet the source of the words, he found himself looking at a humanoid-shaped entity that wasn''t made of physical flesh, but of the cosmos itself. Gxies swirled in the perpetually-moving body of the enigmatic figure.

    [??? Recognized: "God" | Level: ???]

    "You¡­" Jeong-Hui''s guard went up as contemptced his voice.

    There was palpable animosity oozing from the red-haired man as his eyesid on the one responsible for it all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ipletely understand your anger, Jeong-Hui," God told him, "You''ve experienced a lot. I''ve watched you from the beginning¨Cevery step of the way, I''ve watched you grow. I watched everybody. But, in the end, it was your journey that bore fruit."

    Part of him wanted to swipe his daggers through the divine figure''s throat, but something deep down inside of him knew it was pointless.

    "...It''s all your fault. They all died because of you," Jeong-Hui told him upfront, "Even if humanity had its problems¡­it didn''t deserve to be destroyed."

    "I see," God responded.

    "You see¡­?"

    The cosmic figure walked by him, paving a newndscape in his step as the patio expanded into a vast garden around them. At the gentle wave of his hand, God caused life to blossom in the form of colorful flowers.

    "Life has little significance to me; at but a mere thought, I can create and destroy it," God said, swaying his hand again.

    Just like that, the lively flowers wilted as all life was siphoned from their core. The being of matter and antimatter looked at Jeong-Hui with eyes made of swirling gxies, shining with brilliant stars within.

    "Humanity was an experiment¨Cthe millenia their existence stretched, the bountiful history they produced, it was merely a passtime in the scope of my existence," God exined, "That''s why I chose to destroy it and recreate it anew¨Cchanged."

    "But¨C" Jeong-Hui stepped forward.

    "However," God interrupted him, "I wanted a sign beyond my own divination. Though minuscule to me, I understand the beauty of consciousness and the infinite potential for joy and life. That''s why I gave humanity a path to prove itself."

    "A path¡­?"

    God moved his formless hands, weaving a new scenery of colossal temples around them, disying paintings of famous artists.

    "It''s your choice, Jeong-Hui,st of humanity," God presented him with two options, "Live a life with whatever you''d like in Heaven; filled with luxury, satisfaction, and all you desire, or¡­Sacrifice that ultimate utopia to recreate the world and humanity, before Armageddon."

    "What¡­? That''s¡­you''re lying," Jeong-Hui shook his head.

    "I speak only the truth¨Clying is not a concept beneficial to me," God assured him, "If you choose, you can live as a god yourself in utopia, or save your brethren¨Chowever."

    "However¡­?"

    "You will be the only one aware of what urred," God told him, "You alone will be the witness to Armageddon."

    The choice was clear to Jeong-Hui, after all he''d suffered, he wanted it toe to an end, one that he wanted most.

    He clenched his fists, remembering all of the pain he endured, all of the losses that weighed his soul before parting his lips with a smile, for the first time in years, feeling optimism:

    "Bring them back."

    God stared at him with his nebulous gaze for a moment, "Is that your final choice? Make no mistake; a life in paradise can be whatever you''d like¨C"

    "Do it," Jeong-Hui affirmed.

    There was no doubt in his mind; this was the only choice. If there was even a minuscule chance of returning those he lost, he''d take it.

    "--Good choice, Jeong-Hui, savior of mankind," God said, raising his hand.

    Before he realized it, an all-epassing wave of light blinded him, bringing him to a state of subconsciousness as he could feel the world itself being recreated around him. It was a warmth unlike any other; his body was mended.

    The swirl of time flowed backwards, bringing the shattered crust of Earth together, reforging ashen buildings and bringing cities built upon foundations of humanity''s ingenuity together once more.

    I did it, everybody, he thought.

 Chapter 257 Epilogue: Ascension Of A Nameless Nobody

    After an unknown amount of time in stasis within the light, he suddenly came to as he ¨C blinked.

    Opening his eyelids, he found himself staring at a monitor with a game interface¨Cstaring at the MMORPG he yed endlessly before.

    The familiar tune of the game met his ears as he sat there for a moment in total silence as if overloaded by the nostalgic senses.

    "--" Jeong-Hui was silent.

    As he looked around, scooting his chair back, he found himself rolling over a left over wrapper from a sandwich. It was his unkempt room.

    Touching his left eye that had been previously destroyed, he found it to be perfectly healthy, on top of that, sses sat on his face again. Stumbling out of his chair, he looked into a mirror, finding himself to be years younger, back to the point of his life hest remembered before Armageddon.

    There was onest thing to check, most important of all:

    "System¡­" He said as his heart pounded within his chest.

    Nothing.

    There was no voice that spoke directly into his head, and no digital interface that interrupted his vision. It was just him alone with his own thoughts, free of thatbat-born phenomena.

    "...I did it¡­" He slowly said in disbelief, "...It''s over¡­"

    As the birds chirped outside his window, tears strolled down his cheeks as he let his head rest against the way in utmost relief.

    Still, he held his breath for the next few hours as he stayed by the window, watching the sky to make sure God''s deration of the apocalypse didn''t return.

    Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

    As his phone vibrated against his desk, he looked over to find the contact disyed on the touch screen: ["MOM"]

    It had been years since he''d heard her voice, bringing him to scramble towards his phone as he answered it with a teary-eyed smile.

    [MOM: Jeong-Hui? Seriously, you worried me, kid¡­You''ve got to answer my texts.]

    "Yeah, I know¡­sorry," he apologized with a smile.

    [MOM: Are you alright? Well, you''ll just say "yes" anyway even if you aren''t. Anyway, how''s your day been? Anything special happen?]

    The question brought him to a pause as he parted his lips, unknowing of how to answer such a question as memories that felt fresh flooded through his mind.

    "No, just same old, same old," he replied with a smile.

    As he ended the call, he looked around his room, hearing the sounds of people casually talking in the parking lot and kids ying in the streets. It was something he didn''t know how much he missed.

    Going outside, which was a rare asion for Jeong-Hui before Armageddon, he opted to take in some fresh air, racing down the staircase as he threw on a ck sweater for the chilly weather.

    As he descended the stairs and began roaming down the street, he saw a figure approaching on the sidewalk.

    Dae-Seong¡­He realized.

    It was a sight that brought tears to his eyes as he felt like calling out, though he stopped himself as he realized he''d only make himself look like he had a screw loose.

    The silver-haired businessman spoke on his phone, adjusting his sses as he seemed to notice the young man staring at him.

    "What? Oh, nothing," the silver-haired man responded to the other person on the phone, moving past Jeong-Hui.

    It was painful, but at the same time it was more than he could hope for, seeing the man living once more, unshackled from the endless fight of Armageddon.

    Still, such a sight made him retreat into his home for the time being as he leaned against the closed door, finding himself on the verge of breaking down.

    I thought I could handle it, but¡­I miss them all. I''m so selfish¡­I just want us to all be together again, he thought.

    That passing thought brought upon an idea in his mind, one that swept away his tears and ignited a forgotten dream in his heart¡­

    Rather than continuing the stagnate, dead-end life that was previously set for the dropout, after being given another chance at life, experiencing rock bottom itself, Jeong-Hui put himself forward.

    Using what little money he had for himself set by an allowance, he bought ingredients, studying recipes online and high-end techniques as he ved away in the kitchen, day-in, day-out.

    In there, alone with the sizzling pan and scents of spices and seasonings, he found himself reminiscing the times he cooked for everybody, bringing a sparse light in their dim lives of survival.

    I can do this, he thought, I won''t be a nobody¨Cnot in this life.

    [Two Years Later]<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the center of the city, a restaurant was presenting itself with a "grand opening"--being unveiled by the owner himself, a red-haired, well-put together, rookie chef.

    "Thank you all foring here today!" Jeong-Hui announced, dressed in chef garments, ditching his sses and gelling his red hair back, "...Wee to ''Gangcheori Grill''!"

    Waiting in front of the establishment were familiar faces to the owner, though familiar only to him as they were left perplexed.

    "I don''t remember signin'' up for this, but a free meal is a free meal," a scar-covered man with azure, spiky hair said, scratching his head as he looked at the invitation.

    Yeong-Un, Jeong-Hui recognized.

    "Me neither, but hey! I heard the owner, err¡­Jeong-Hui, I think, is a rising star in the culinary scene!" A hazel haired man said excitedly, standing beside Yeong-un.

    Sol, Jeong-Hui saw.

    "Izzat so?" Yeong-Un raised an eyebrow with a smile.

    It wasn''t just those two¨Che managed to find every member of Gangcheori through grueling detective work online, asking around the city, and sending out invitations posed as "random" wins.

    "...Well, there is a pleasing aromaing from it," a ck-haired, icy-eyes woman said.

    [Ma-Ri]

    "Hell yeah! My stomach is roaring!" A burly man with ck-and-white hair said excitedly.

    [Korain]

    As he looked around, he didn''t see Dae-Seong there, though he waited a few extra moments, he feared losing interest from his friends that had forgotten him as he finally opened the doors to his restaurant.

    "Alright, let''s get this started!" Jeong-Hui announced.

    A party veiled as a grand opening started; Ma-Ri watched in awe as Ma-Ri managed to eat much more than her size. Xiaodan tried to get his hands on alcohol, but was stopped by Jeong-Hui. Korain and Ho-Jun ravaged the buffet area while Yeong-Un pressured Sol into gettingpletely wasted with him.

    "Another!" Yeong-Un mmed his ss down, "...And one for my new friend here, Sour!"

    "It''s S-Sol¡­!" Sol corrected him with cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

    While he hesitantly served them more drinks, he heard the front door jingle as more guests arrived¨Cthough he felt his heart pause at who arrived next.

    A silver-haired girl walked in with a muscr woman beside her, looking around the establishment for tables.

    Kamou¡­Myung-Hee, he thought.

    Following them moments after were the pair of siblings, Hyun and Ara¨Ca sight that almost dragged the tears from his eyes.

    "Err, where should we sit¡­?" Kamou asked quietly.

    "I dunno! Anywhere!" Myung-Heeughed.

    Rushing over, wiping his hands with a rag before straightening his apron, Jeong-Hui greeted Kamou personally, smiling as he caught his breath.

    "You received one of the limited invites?--Thanks foring," he said with a smile.

    "Y-yeah, of course¡­" Kamou looked at him for a moment as if studying his face, "...Odd, I feel like I''ve seen you before."

    Those words pulled at his heart strings, as he stopped for a moment before catching himself, holding a smile.

    "Really?...You must be mistaking me with somebody else," he told the girl.

    "Oh, I see¡­" Kamou replied.

    "Either way, wee!" Jeong-Hui proudly said.

    It was as he dreamed; everybody was there,ughing and enjoying themselves at his establishment as it felt like a scene taken from his dearest wishes.

    From zero, the young man who was solely privy to the world-ending event began his life anew, reforging his rtionships, even if he was the singr one to remember those bonds.

    I think¡­everything will be just fine, Jeong-Hui thought, surrounded by his refound friends, serving dishes to their tables.

    [This is the story of how a nameless nobody like myself ascended and thanklessly saved the world.]

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