Chapter 277

Chapter 277

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 277: Absolute Evil (6)

A world of black light unfolded.

There was no land he had claimed as his domain.

The crimson sky, like blood, and the world illuminated by the sunset’s light he had seen in his victory.

And countless corpses. Soldiers that were fewer in number but worth a hundred each.

These were consumed and eroded by another presence. A sky full of dark clouds.

A black sun, pulsating with life, yet embodying the essence of death.

The moment he saw it, he felt it.

They were dangerous. Black clouds with the power to annihilate all living things.

And then.

Something yet to come.

Swaaahhhhh─.

The sound of waves was heard. The years he had accumulated warned him—his chances of dying here were high.

In normal circumstances, he would have laughed boldly and fought on the edge of life and death. But this time, even that seemed impossible.

The Vicious Abomination.

He looked ahead.

Kid, he thought.

At first, he was just a kid with strange powers. Later, a guy with exceptional potential.

There was a time he felt threatened, suspecting the kid might one day cut him down.

That was until he saw him in America. Back then, he seemed barely clinging to his feet.

And when he saw him kill Daji.

“I should have killed him.”

Even if it meant his own death.

He should have done it.

Because of that kid, too many things had gone awry.

He looked at the black sword tinged with blue light.

The Vicious Abomination gripped his greatsword.

Dragon Edge, Terror, and Embryo.

Weapons he had obtained in his days as a human ruler of the world.

Despite the passage of time, their edges had not dulled.

Instead, their mystical properties grew stronger, making them far more powerful than in his lifetime.

Yet when pitted against the black sword wielded by that boy, his own blade barely held together.

It was insufficient to counter the force that devoured everything.

“Revenge…”

It seemed unlikely he would achieve it.

“Hoo…”

He steadied his breathing. He abandoned thoughts of survival. Now, he would pour everything into winning this fight.

Boom!

His body swelled dramatically. Compressed malice surged from within and emerged into the world.

Authority.

He combined the Authority of the Evil God with the Authority of the Soulbreaker. The power of the Soulbreaker was a tricky one to handle. But it didn’t matter.

If he could exact revenge on that boy.

He had already given up on life. Regardless of whether he won or lost this fight, death awaited him at the end.

For that reason.

“I will take you down with me.”

His heart was filled with nothing but malice.

-Be careful.

Black Heaven wrapped tightly around my neck, issuing a warning.

-No matter how much weaker they are than you, the opponent has thrown away their life. It’s a mutual destruction tactic, and… his resolve is full of malice.

“I know.”

When dealing with the Vicious Abomination, there were certain patterns. If it was a one-on-one fight, he tended to probe endlessly, only to die an absurd death.

After he took down Daji, it was a case of forfeiting his life for revenge.

“Still, it should have taken at least five years.”

Sighing inwardly, I moved forward.

At the same time, I checked my condition. Even if the opponent was using a mutual destruction tactic, I didn’t take a defensive stance.

“I need to attack him even more aggressively.”

Even if his limbs were torn off, he’d headbutt or bite with his teeth.

As expected of a Mine, his fighting methods were utterly crude and reckless.

Thump, thump.

My heart began to beat steadily. I reached out my hand. Blue lines spread across my body, binding me as if to restrain me.

[Talent, True Dragon (Ex-) dwells within your body.]

[The power of the Giant Race dwells within your body. Some of their attributes are assimilated. Other Giants may claim their place…]

[The Absolute Stat, Blue, strengthens your body.]

Boom!

The Vicious Abomination charged at me.

“Flow effortlessly.”

[Talent, Sword God (Ex), observes the target.]

System_end

I gripped the Sword of Four Seasons.

The Vicious Abomination approached. The Sword of Four Seasons was imbued with a blue light. I rotated my wrist lightly.

Srrk.

The Abomination’s fist grazed past me, deflected like flowing water.

Wung, wung, wung, wung!

I wielded Black Heaven, now infused with the Dark Azure Blade. I swung it effortlessly. Crunch.

The Abomination’s wrist was severed. But it didn’t retreat. Instead, it stepped forward.

Thud!

It clenched its fist, then pulled it back toward itself.

Though simple, this action distorted space itself. My body was drawn toward the Abomination.

I countered by stepping into Jingak—this time, more heavily.

The Abomination raised a massive sword forged from the fusion of three blades. It collided with the Dark Azure Blade.

At that moment, an intuitive premonition surfaced in my mind.

[Talent, Sword God (Ex), predicts the opponent’s movements.]

The Abomination drew its sword back. It offered up its own body, aiming to strike me directly with its fist.

It was a tactic of sacrificing bone to wound flesh.

I could sense that it was literally giving up its life.

I smirked.

Its resolve was shallow. If it was willing to abandon life, its combat methods should also reflect that choice.

It should delve deeper—burn its own life force and mine to ash in the process.

Even if the Dark Azure Blade impaled its body, it should wield it with suicidal intent.

Wung, wung, wung, wung, wung!

Perhaps it thought, “This should suffice.”

But it wouldn’t.

I increased the Dark Azure Blade’s output.

Maxing out its output was still challenging even for me—this power could very well consume me as well.

I pushed the blade further.

I felt the world of my psyche shrinking slightly.

A vast landscape, comparable to Earth, now felt diminished, as if an entire continent had disappeared from its expanse.

“What…?”

I seized the Sword of Four Seasons with the power of Blue. Launching it in a trajectory akin to Flying Sword, I held the Black Heavenly Divine Sword with both hands.

The Abomination sought a swift resolution.

Unfortunately for it, I had survived countless short-term battles.

“If anything, that’s all I’ve ever done.”

[Talent, Sword God (Ex), creates a new martial art.]

In an instant, inspiration struck like lightning.

A nameless martial art aided my movements.

A darkened sky.

My will merged with the intent to slay the Evil Gods.

Black Heaven Annihilating Evil Sword.

Swaaahhh──.

The sound of waves echoed nearby. Waves surged high, black as ink.

I found the scene amusing.

Once, the Black God who led the Evil Gods had been devoured by me. Now, I carried the power of those who proclaimed themselves Evil Gods.

And with that power, I hunted down Evil Gods.

Sea Annihilation Ultimate Sword.

A colossal tidal wave condensed. The brilliant Blue Light illuminated the blade.

The force of annihilation entwined the Dark Azure Blade, imbued with the power to destroy all.

Srrk.

Slash.

The Abomination’s body was cleaved in two.

But beings at the pinnacle of Mine did not die so easily.

Despite being exposed to overwhelming force, tendrils burst forth from its halved body, reconnecting it.

The Blue Light surged from the sword, and the condensed Sea Annihilation began to unravel.

Srrk.

I slashed again with the Blue Light, this time from right to left.

Its body split into the shape of a cross (十).

Flash──!

The Blue Light filled the area.

From within.

Blue Light endlessly surged from the split remains, causing the Vicious Abomination’s body to break apart.

The force of annihilation, which had engulfed my entire psyche, was now fully unleashed.

“N-no…!”

Had it sensed its impending death? The Abomination’s body began to transform. Malice swelled from its core, starting at the heart, initiating self-destruction.

“Self-destruction.”

A force born from malice and the refusal to die alone.

But it was too late.

And far too weak.

[The Sword of Four Seasons invokes ‘Autumn.’]

From the pure white blade, the glow of sunset radiated.

[The Sword of Four Seasons fixes the target’s power.]

“What…?”

The power of the Four Seasons locked down the Abomination’s strength. The power of Autumn converted its malice into pure magic.

Endless mana overflowed. The ownerless magic spread outward, only to be absorbed into Sea Annihilation.

“It’s over.”

Its final outburst…

Only brought its death closer.

The world of my psyche vanished.

In the bottomless abyss carved by my breath, a blue cross of light rose high into the sky.

I sat on a cliff, letting my body rest.

“Are you alright?”

“I think I’ll feel better if you back off a bit.”

“You seem fine, considering you’re talking back.”

Black Heaven clung tightly to me, perched awkwardly on my lap.

I gazed at the sky.

A clear expanse, with the sun beginning its descent.

It stirred something in me.

Perhaps I wouldn’t get to see this sky much longer.

“Because the Evil Gods will come.”

Both Soulbreaker and the Vicious Abomination were dead.

Only Radiant Evil and Overwhelming Evil remained.

“Those two are the real problem, though.”

It would have been nice to take them both down at this chance. The thought left a lingering regret.

Still, they wouldn’t be able to cause trouble for a while.

“Should I let Kim Seo-hyun handle them?”

The two weren’t worth much.

Even if I defeated them, they wouldn’t contribute to the story or elevate my standing.

My thoughts wandered.

What name should I give the nameless martial art?

I had created a new sword style, and surprisingly, it was excellent. Could I be a genius?

My body began to heal.

The nameless martial art not only fortified the body but also significantly enhanced its recovery rate.

“I’m not even that tired.”

With Black Heaven in my arms, I rotated my left shoulder and thought about how well I had prepared.

-Master.

A quiet voice.

Black Heaven was looking up at me.

“What?”

-Never mind.

It shook its head. Its voice seemed uneasy.

“Not bad, right?”

-Huh?

“Didn’t you say, ‘You don’t seem very dependable at first’?”

-…

“What else was it? You said I lacked talent in martial arts but was good at analyzing and exploiting things?”

-T-that’s unfair! I didn’t know you could acquire talent back then…!

I chuckled at Black Heaven’s excuse.

Beyond the horizon,

The sunset painted the world in a deep crimson.

“How does it look now?”

-…It feels like the title ‘Heavenly Demon’ is too small for you. Will you believe me if I say that?

Black Heaven spoke with embarrassment.

A compliment acknowledging I had surpassed even itself.

I couldn’t help but laugh.