Chapter 395

Chapter 395

Chapter 70: Battle of Wits (5)

I, Rashar, again coughed up blood as I searched through my spatial magic tool. I was trying to find the extra sword and potion I had brought along. The shock from before had paralyzed my body, making it difficult to move. Nevertheless, I stubbornly used the chance to rummage through the pocket of hidden space while I was thrown off the battlefield.

Outside, rumbling noises continued while I searched for my sword. It was clear that other members who had fallen behind were returning.

“Good, it’s too early to give up.”

There was still a chance. I remained faithful to my role. Drawing the extra sword I had, I opened the potion bottle. Carefully, I pulled out the blade lodged in my wrist and poured the potion on the wound. Just as I was about to drink the remaining potion to recover internally, there was a sharp sound slicing through the air.

I suddenly saw the corrupted divinity—it was aiming directly at me, flying in a straight line. Aware of the ambush, I raised my sword, but it was already too late. I accepted that I might lose an arm.

In that split second, the ground shifted. It was Yang Taeho’s magic, a stone barrier. That brief moment when the corrupted divinity shattered through the layers of piled stone gave me the time to raise my sword again. This allowed me to block the incoming attack.

Successfully repelling the attack, I kicked the pile of fallen cement. Just as I exited the building, the corrupted divinity trailed behind, snapping like a whip. To evade it persistently targeting me, I twisted my body.

Whoosh.

The corrupted divinity narrowly grazed past my skin, and I swung down with my sword.

Clang.

Though it made my hand tingle, I couldn’t slice it down. To make matters worse, the cursed divinity, which had maintained a thickness as wide as my forearm, started to change shape. It split into multiple branches as if to coil around me.

Barely scattering the puppet in fear, I fled, only to find shadows descending simultaneously from above and behind me.

Boom.

Yang Taeho shoved me aside as he gritted his teeth, holding up his shield. He felt as if he was pinned under a huge mountain. Each vein was strained to its limit to endure the weight pressing against his shield.

‘A new doll, huh!’

It was an entirely black doll with only its eyes shining brightly red.

‘He managed to create another one in that short time!’

Just as I was about to thrust my sword toward the doll, a relentless onslaught of corrupted divinity began.

“Damn it!”

I was only able to remain unharmed thanks to Yang Taeho. He was the one who created the golden canopy that enveloped us.

It was a trait left by the late Temoria. It remained embedded within the game’s program, still in operation.

Thanks to it, we were able to hold off the sudden surge of corrupted divinity.

Yang Taeho steadied his breath as he collected his shield, speaking up, “It seems we both got kicked further than expected.”

“Yes, it seems that way.”

Thudding noises echoed repeatedly as numerous corrupted divinities struck the barrier. The overwhelming amount made it impossible to secure a view of the outside situation.

I frowned as I recalled the pitch-black doll I had seen earlier. ‘I definitely sensed restraint in using divinity…’

Judging from Ombi’s actions, it wasn’t a misconception. What Ombi usually did was either create puppets or use monstrous transformations to drive us away. Direct attacks using corrupted divinity as is were almost nonexistent.

Yet the corrupted divinity that seemed to persistently chase me a moment ago, and the countless entities now striking down the golden canopy—perhaps, possibly, I felt the blood inside me gradually turn cold at the speculation.

“Perhaps, after I was knocked away, ombi…”

Yang Taeho nodded with a hardened expression before I even finished speaking.

“The attitude changed suddenly. It was like that after I got hit and landed nearby too.”

Listening to him, I realized he had also been knocked away by Ombi and thrown to the outskirts. That black doll had chased Yang Taeho and lunged at me upon spotting me.

“This is serious…”

“It is.”

Both of us sighed heavily almost simultaneously.

‘Ombi must have changed his mind at some point.’

Rather than pushing us off, ombi decided to eliminate us all as quickly as possible.

Perhaps he judged this method would, in the long run, and as a result, conserve more divinity.

Given the altered circumstances, the battle was bound to become far more dangerous than before.

Indeed, ominous thunderous sounds continued to resonate in the distance, sending chills down my spine. The ground occasionally trembled as huge dust clouds continued to rise, looming over tall buildings.

It was evident that an intense clash was happening.

‘How far could I last the moment I step outside this canopy?’

Unconsciously, I clenched my hands tightly and shut my eyes. Despite standing on battlefields from a young age, fear of death always felt terrifying.

‘But I can’t just stay hidden here.’

As a combatant, the burden on those outside would only grow with my absence.

I needed to return to the battlefield without delay.

Regaining my composure, I opened my eyes to see Yang Taeho adjusting his grip on the shield. Without needing words, we had both arrived at the same conclusion. We had to act before it was too late and do our part, even if it meant risking death.

At that moment, with a determination as if mirrored from another world, we formed the same thoughts concurrently.

“Can you pave a way as close to him as possible? I’ll handle sweeping the sides and rear.”

“I’ll hammer through, so aim for the opening.”

“Yes.”

The two of us moved simultaneously following a brief strategy session.

Yang Taeho lifted the canopy, charging forth like an enraged bull.

Thunderous, earth-shattering magic churned the ground and split the air, demolishing everything in its path ahead—a charge often referred to as another trait of tanks.

I followed closely behind Yang Taeho.

Though the corrupted divinity rebounded off the shield and adjusted trajectory to target us from behind, I, armed with sharp puppets, struck them down relentlessly.

With such a vast number dulling visibility, I could have missed one or two.

Yet, I used every sense in my body to strike down the corrupted divinity targeting us.

“Ugh!”

Each attack—the weight—was overwhelming, causing my palm to sting as if it was being ripped apart with every strike. My sword whimpered in protest. The new sword too seemed unlikely to endure this battle for long.

‘Regardless, I’d grit my teeth and wield the sword until it shattered.’

Cling, clang! Clang clang!

The fierce offensive, without an inch of backing down from either side, continued for a while.

Soon Yang Taeho, leading the charge, reached the vicinity of the target.

“Haaah!”

He swung his hammer with all his might, as promised.

Smack!

The hammer had aimed for the doll’s head but hit its left shoulder instead due to a last-minute dodge by the doll.

Crack, crunch.

Unable to endure the power of the blunt force, the doll’s body crumpled.

At that moment, I had already leaped over Yang Taeho’s shoulder, releasing an unprecedented amount of authority.

Golden lightning shot out in all directions, as if moving with purpose, striking down the corrupted divinity at once.

The golden light collecting on my sword turned dazzlingly intense, as tears welled up.

Swinging my sword aiming for the doll’s neck, the doll countered with its still-functional right arm.

Driven purely by the intent to sever the neck, I struck without a hint of defense.

By a hairsbreadth, I successfully lodged my sword into the doll’s neck.

Exposed, I became vulnerable to its attack.

This time, Yang Taeho did not protect me. Instead of shielding me, he deemed it better to capitalize on the opportunity I created to ensure the doll’s demise.

Thud, smash!

Propelled away like a ragdoll, I tumbled through several buildings.

Meanwhile, Yang Taeho, after smashing the doll, swung his hammer upwards with all his might from below.

As my sword had pierced through, severing roughly half the doll’s neck as I flew off—the outcome from hammering in the direction of the wound was inevitable.

Crack, tear.

The jawbone was utterly crushed, causing the remaining muscles and skin supporting the neck to tear apart.

Thunk, thunk, clatter.

The head rolled pathetically amidst the ruins after being severed from the body.

Once the doll perished, the corrupted divinity dominating the previously chaotic space disintegrated all at once.

Upon confirming it was over, Yang Taeho immediately dashed toward the direction I had flown.

“Hey! Are you alright…….”

He, however, was forced to gape midway through his query.

What he beheld after weaving through the remnants of the buildings—was utter chaos.

It had been only 5 to 10 minutes since the two of us had been knocked away from the main body at most.

Yet in that brief time, a vast open space had emerged in the city’s heart.

“What the hell am I witnessing now….”

It hadn’t been like this before we were thrown off.

Back then, though there were crumbling and overturned structures here and there, buildings still stood tall, maintaining discernible road structures.

Though damaged, the remnants of the city still existed.

But several minutes later?

It was just desolation everywhere—everything in sight had collapsed.

The devastation we hadn’t been able to see due to the obstructing buildings during the battle with the doll.

Within several kilometers ahead, not a single intact building remained.

The mystery behind the ominous ground tremors lay revealed.

If anything, continuous rumbling and thunderous sounds in the distance indicated that this damned conflict wasn’t over yet.

“Keuhn… For now.”

While Yang Taeho was bewildered, I shakily rose, and after gulping down a healing potion, spoke.

“Let’s move.”

We had to reunite with the others to maintain our forces and prevent further casualties.

Yang Taeho nodded with a resolute expression and we began sprinting.

How far did we travel?

Unlike the ruins filled with cement and steel, buildings still lingered near the new battleground.

However, as we drew closer to the source of the booms, our expressions grew even more stern.

‘Two newly appointed apostles.’

Amidst our path, we came across a body.

We hastened our pace with growing urgency.

“Something’s coming!”

I sensed an approaching presence swiftly, prompting me to raise my sword.

Yang Taeho stepped in front of me just in time.

Crash, crunch!

Someone fell nearby.

“Ugh….”

Though unconscious and quivering in pain, it was unmistakably—

“Hyewon!”

I hurried to lift her.

Yang Taeho suddenly intervened, throwing her over his shoulder and shouted, “No time to waste. Splash some potion over!”

I too understood.

Thus, I complied without hesitation.

The three of us, or more accurately the two of us and our unconscious comrade, drew ever closer to the explosions.

Then—

“Ah….”

There was Horfe, weakly resisting with Ombi’s hand clamped around his neck.

Beside him lay Greg, abandoned in a pool of blood.

The pool at his prone body steadily expanded, likely due to ongoing bleeding.

They weren’t alone; other apostles were scattered, too.

More than half of them, however, had no mana reactions.

Certainly, none were standing on both feet.

Any desire to continue the battle within us was thoroughly extinguished.

Instead of conserving our strength, should that bastard move again, even the surviving ones were at risk of annihilation.

Just as we reached this obvious conclusion, stiffened—

“Si, sister….”

A faint voice reached us.

Swiftly turning, I spotted Kim Yul not far away.

“I tried to do it as gallantly as Hyung, but….”

Unable to set his broken leg properly, he groaned in pain.

I hurried over and began administering first aid.

In the meantime, Yang Taeho gulped, raising the shield higher as if to protect any survivors.

Yet his body trembled slightly.

Ignoring Horfe, ombi finally cast his gaze toward us.

In front of the impending tragic conclusion, everyone felt a sense of despair.

– Trouble, troublesome things.

Just as Ombi threw Horfe aside like baggage, he reached out toward our direction.

The overwhelming presence felt different from the first encounter.

We wouldn’t win this.

Death awaited.

That simple proposition couldn’t be denied, leaving us petrified.

Suddenly.

Rippp.

In an unpredictable moment and place, the air split open.

Emerging from within was the head of a spear familiar to all.

Damned System.

**New Elements and Characters**

라샤르 (Rashar) – her

양태호 (Yang Taeho) – he

타락한 신성 (corrupted divinity) – it

옴빈 (Ombi) – na

혜원 (Hyewon) – her

호르페 (Horfe) – he

그레트 (Greg) – he

인형 (Doll) – it

돌진 (Charge) – it