Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

 

Lee Ha-kyung was struck by a vicious memory.

How many of his comrades had been sacrificed to that mad attack?

Every single raindrop hammering down carried terrifying destructive force.

Even a glancing hit would make the flesh all over his body rot away.

Lee Ha-kyung’s face slowly hardened.

‘Damn it, I hate to admit it, but….’

It felt as though the terror of the past were closing in on him again.

Of course, the remnant’s Authorities had been significantly weakened.

Originally, the mana suppression effect should have reached ninety-nine percent, and Downpour should have covered a far wider area.

Its presence was not what it had once been, but that did not mean he could take it lightly.

Even a single hit would be fatal.

Lee Ha-kyung calmly swept his right hand through the air.

‘I can do this. One step at a time.’

[The Abyss Challenger’s Authority ‘Distortion’ inverts space]

FWIIIIING—!

The cluster of dark crimson streaks vanished in an instant.

A purple disc appeared in the air a moment later.

The Authority of Downpour had been sent back at the Abyss Ruler.

PFFT PFFT PFFT PFFT!

The dark red streaks ruthlessly pierced its massive body.

But the Abyss Ruler merely observed the scene in calm amusement.

—Hah! This is… the Authority I lost back then.

The Abyss Ruler’s back had been torn to shreds.

Countless holes had been punched through it, and thick black blood gushed out in waves.

Yet it only spread its five pairs of arms without the slightest concern.

Lee Ha-kyung ground his teeth.

‘Damn it, what kind of monster takes that and stays standing…?’

Then light began pouring from the Abyss Ruler’s hands.

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority ‘Scorch’ creates a sea of fire]

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority ‘Gale’ summons a tornado]

KWAKWAKWAKWAK!

A gigantic flaming vortex sprang into existence and began laying waste to everything around it.

Lee Ha-kyung immediately broke into a sprint across the wasteland.

‘Damn it, that cursed combination.’

How many of his comrades had died from that monstrous technique?

He could not stop moving.

The instant he let himself believe he was safe, he would be swallowed up in a heartbeat.

But then, suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

‘That is right. It was the same back then. Even after four of its arms were torn off, it barely reacted.’

At the time, he had not been able to think deeply about it.

Fear had consumed his mind.

Looking back, the enemy’s reaction could be interpreted in two ways.

The first was some kind of pain immunity effect, like Cloak of Command.

And the second was…

‘It is just enduring it.’

Lee Ha-kyung stole a glance at the Abyss Ruler.

Its face was hidden behind a black mask.

There was no way to read its expression.

Still, the possibility was more than real.

The Abyss Ruler saw awakened ones as creatures no better than dust.

If it had been hurt by beings it considered beneath notice, how could it afford to show pain?

Not a monster that arrogant.

Lee Ha-kyung abruptly changed direction.

‘Its attack power should be enough. If I can drive one perfectly sharpened Soul-Sever into it just once!’

The Abyss Ruler always used the combined move of Scorch and Gale whenever it was in danger.

If so, then that meant its injuries were far from minor even now.

As Lee Ha-kyung closed the distance, he thrust out his left hand.

[Kin-Eater Skill Target Set]

[Target: Abyss Ruler’s Remnant]

PEEEING—!

In an instant, Lee Ha-kyung’s entire body burst into white flames.

Then his movement came to a dead stop.

Because he had been running, he slid forward and ended up tumbling across the ground in an ugly sprawl.

A moment later, he let out a ragged breath.

“Ghk!”

An overwhelming amount of abyss energy had just ripped through his entire body.

Watching him, the Abyss Ruler casually snatched him up.

Then it tilted its head as though it found him interesting.

—To steal another’s power and use it as your own. What a truly unusual ability. And a useful one as well. Provided you can endure it.

Lee Ha-kyung had intended to pour everything into a single strike.

In truth, that had been the obvious choice.

The Abyss Ruler’s power was clearly immense.

But the energy was too savage to bear.

So savage that even Cloak of Command could not dull the pain.

By then, Lee Ha-kyung’s eyes had already turned completely white.

“Gggghhh!”

A groan tore out of him on its own.

He looked as though he had swallowed some ultimate poison.

In truth, that was not so far from reality.

The Abyss Ruler’s power was not something a mere awakened one was ever meant to withstand.

Lee Ha-kyung squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again.

In that instant, he caught a glimpse of a smile beneath the black mask.

The Abyss Ruler was openly sneering at him.

Something like lightning flashed through Lee Ha-kyung’s mind.

‘You bastard…!’

It felt as though his fury had taken form and was bursting straight out through his chest.

With immense effort, he raised his trembling arm.

The movement was so pitiful that the Abyss Ruler paid it no mind.

It looked as though it was simply considering how to kill him.

At last, Lee Ha-kyung’s arm slowly came down.

It felt like the careful stroke of a master craftsman drawing out a slash, thread by thread.

The Abyss Ruler gave a slight nod.

—That fighting spirit of yours is worthy of acknowledgment. But spirit alone accomplishes nothing.

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority ‘Heavenly Pierce’ summons an unfailing spear]

SSSSSSSS!

Something long and golden descended from the sky.

With a flick of the Abyss Ruler’s finger, the spearhead aligned itself with Lee Ha-kyung.

Slice.

Then the Abyss Ruler spoke.

—For a bug, your struggle was amusing.

KWHOOOM!

With a deep, crushing roar, a thirty-meter golden spear came crashing down.

If something like that hit him, not even the shape of his body would remain.

But right then—

a brilliant flash burst from Lee Ha-kyung’s karambit.

Overcoming the savage pressure, he brought his arm all the way down.

A slash filled with soul.

Soul-Sever.

HMMMM—! KWWWWUNG!

A massive gray-white disc shot forward.

Lee Ha-kyung’s Soul-Sever split the unfailing spear apart as it soared upward.

Then it drove straight into the Abyss Ruler’s chest.

KWAGAGAGAK! KZZZANG!

A deafening blast erupted, followed by a tremendous shockwave.

The next instant, Lee Ha-kyung was flung far into the distance.

After tumbling across the ground, he forced himself back up.

‘The attack landed cleanly. If that is the case….’

It had been a stronger strike than any Soul-Sever he had used before.

The thrilling sensation of it piercing through the enemy’s body still lingered in his grip.

There was no doubt he had dealt real damage.

Clinging to that thread of hope, Lee Ha-kyung lifted his head.

But then an unexpected system message appeared.

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority ‘Regression’ restores its destroyed body]

Lee Ha-kyung stared blankly at the dust hanging in the air.

Then the Abyss Ruler’s silhouette emerged.

Its body was a wreck.

Crack! Crunch!

But it was recovering at an absurd speed.

In a rather brutal, heavy-handed way.

Lee Ha-kyung tried to lunge forward at once.

‘I have to finish it before it fully recovers.’

But his legs buckled immediately.

He dropped to one knee.

Thud!

‘Damn it….’

He fought with everything he had, but his body would not move properly.

It was the backlash from forcing out power beyond his limits.

A massive amount of abyss energy was raging through his body.

Lee Ha-kyung vomited up a bowlful of black blood.

“Cough! Blegh!”

After retching it out, the twisted feeling in his stomach eased a little.

But his condition was still awful.

In the short time Lee Ha-kyung faltered, the Abyss Ruler finished recovering.

It snatched him up again immediately.

Crunch!

“Kh!”

A groan escaped him under the terrifying pressure.

Its grip was unimaginably strong.

It felt as though every bone in his body might shatter.

The Abyss Ruler curled up the corners of its mouth and said, —This is truly unfamiliar. To think I would be driven this far by nothing more than an insect.

Its voice sounded genuinely surprised.

But there was not a trace of mercy in it.

All Lee Ha-kyung could feel was a cold, relentless intent to kill him for good.

Staring into the Abyss Ruler’s glowing eyes, he said, “For a shadow, you sure do talk a lot.”

—What?

“You are not even the real thing. So why do you keep talking as though you are the original?”

—It seems the insect has lost all sense of fear.

The Abyss Ruler’s killing intent sharpened even further.

But it did not seem truly enraged.

After all, losing its temper at a tiny life-form would only make it look ridiculous.

Lee Ha-kyung, on the other hand, smiled to himself.

‘Now I can fight again.’

[Tyrant’s Bracelet Activated]

[Your body is recovering rapidly]

SSSSSS—

Did it really think he had opened his mouth just to chat in a situation like this?

He had only been stalling for time so Tyrant’s Bracelet could restore his body.

And thanks to that, Lee Ha-kyung had seized another chance.

‘There is enough abyss energy. If I unleash Soul-Sever one more time….’

Point-blank range.

An overconfident Abyss Ruler.

It could not have been a better opening.

And on top of that, Lee Ha-kyung’s artifacts were lending him their strength as well.

[Reactive Magic Armor Activated]

[Cloak of Command Activated]

This was the moment for the perfect strike.

Lee Ha-kyung tightened his grip on the karambit.

But just as he was about to attack, his body suddenly froze.

‘Wait. Can I survive this?’

No one could stay unharmed after taking in transcendently powerful abyss energy.

The only reason Lee Ha-kyung had dared attack was because of Tyrant’s Bracelet.

No matter how badly his body was damaged, he could survive.

But he had already used its rapid-healing function once.

If he wanted to use it again, he would have to wait.

Lee Ha-kyung clenched his fist.

‘I could die. But when have I ever explored the Abyss while trying to protect my life?’

Of course, he could leave this dungeon whenever he wanted.

But there was no way he could turn his back on the mortal enemy standing right in front of him.

Lee Ha-kyung’s eyes slowly settled.

At last, he adjusted his grip on the karambit.

‘I have to overcome this somehow. If I settle for reality, I will never achieve anything.’

This opponent was only a remnant.

If he could not even overcome a trial like this,

then he would never be able to look the real Abyss Ruler in the eye.

Lee Ha-kyung let out a fierce roar.

“RAAAAH!”

The Abyss Ruler snorted.

Apparently it thought he was making one last meaningless struggle.

—Even the way you waste your effort is just like every other awakened one.

But then, a moment later, the Abyss Ruler’s eyes flew wide open.

A gray-white flash exploded from the grip it had been squeezing so tightly.

PSSHHT—!

—Kh?

The Abyss Ruler’s severed fingers dropped away one by one.

And in the next instant, Lee Ha-kyung’s figure rushed forward like lightning.

A gray-white disc slammed into the Abyss Ruler’s chest.

It was an even larger Soul-Sever than the one he had unleashed moments ago.

KWAKWAKWAKWAK!

The disc bored mercilessly inward and ran wild inside the Abyss Ruler’s body.

At the same time, Lee Ha-kyung twisted his karambit sharply to the side.

Because unlike the disc that had been launched out, the gray-white blade still remained.

He immediately hacked at the monster’s hand.

Hurling himself sideways, he unleashed slash after slash.

A strange feeling washed over him.

‘Father… Uncles. And all of you who fought beside me. This strike carries all of our hopes.’

It felt as though the faces of his old guildmates were flashing before his eyes.

As if he were swinging his blade together with them.

Then Lee Ha-kyung let out something very close to a scream.

“AAAAAH!”

Blood kept pouring from his mouth, probably because of the abyss energy raging inside him.

Even so, he did not stop.

The Soul-Sever he forced to completion at last pierced the Abyss Ruler’s wrist.

SHHK—!

What Lee Ha-kyung had been targeting was the middle arm on the left.

The one holding the artifact of Regression.

As if it had finally sensed real danger, the Abyss Ruler shouted harshly.

—Y-you lunatic!

“Exactly. You should never let your guard down in front of a madman!”

Even as he dropped straight down, Lee Ha-kyung kept attacking.

He carved severe wounds into the monster’s side and left leg as well.

At last, the Abyss Ruler dropped to one knee.

No, it actually toppled sideways entirely.

BOOM!

The Soul-Sever that had pierced its chest—

the gray-white disc had shattered and torn through its entire body.

That brought Lee Ha-kyung and the Abyss Ruler to eye level.

—It seems a beast is a more fitting description for you than a bug now.

“Then I guess that means you lost to a beast.”

—To grow arrogant just because you managed to cut down a single shadow. Still, you are free to cling to your delusions.

“……”

Lee Ha-kyung gazed silently at the enemy as it crumbled away.

There really had been a tremendous gap between this thing and the true Abyss Ruler.

If this had been the original, he would not even have been able to fight it on equal footing.

Not just in the power of its Authorities.

Its physical abilities had also been far, far lower.

Before long, most of the Abyss Ruler’s Remnant had disappeared.

Amid the drifting dust, a mouth full of fangs curved into a smile.

—We will meet again, beast.