episode_0314

“Kukuk…”

“What’s so funny?”

I raised my Hwecheon sword, pointing it at Duke Darius. He chuckled like a fool. I couldn’t stand the sight, so I lightly lunged with a sword strike.

Sssak—!

A torrent of blood erupted, swallowing the ashen-colored demonic energy. That’s when it happened. Crimson veins spurted out from all around.

“This… is only the beginning.”

“Right. That’s how it should be.”

I tossed my Hwecheon sword into the air and scattered it. If he’s serious, it might be difficult using a technique I’m not familiar with.

I calmed my demonic energy and drew up only pure aether. A pure white light bloomed from my body. Since this forest is already filled with demonic energy, I can also expect the effect of combining the two forces.

Only I shone brightly.

I overlaid the spirit fragment on my body. I donned the Muyeong armor and raised the Muyeong sword.

After finishing my preparations, I looked at Duke Darius. He too was chanting magic, wreathed in crimson blood.

‘I can’t give him an opening.’

I forcefully repelled the aether in the air. My body shot out faster than a ray of light. Becoming a single stream of aether myself, I ran, tearing through the demonic energy.

With all my might, I swung the Muyeong sword towards Duke Darius, shrouded in black blood.

Muyeong Sword Style, Sixth Form: Baekya (White Night).

The sword strike, possessing the power of absorption, interfered with Duke Darius’s magic incantation. The smooth flow of blood stiffened slightly. I thought I had successfully disrupted the magic activation.

Ssiik-

Duke Darius laughed. The blood writhed simultaneously, then transformed into sharp thorns that shot towards me.

I widened my eyes and twisted my whole body. I instinctively felt that the Muyeong armor couldn’t block them. There wasn’t any space to dodge.

‘Deflect them.’

I raised the Muyeong sword and swung it widely. Dozens of spirit fragments inhabiting my body mimicked my sword strike. Hundreds of other white lines were wildly embroidered around the pure white line.

Muyeong Sword Style, Fourth Form: Gaecheon (Open Heaven).

A bright white flash exploded in the darkness of the forest. The black blood thorns were shattered into pieces and scattered in all directions.

Suppressing my slightly ragged breath, I looked at Duke Darius. He was still smiling unpleasantly, shrouded in black blood.

“Just now… the spell was already complete.”

“Yes, it was complete… Everything is ready! No matter how much you struggle, you can’t stop the descent of the demon god Tenebris!!”

I raised my head and looked at the sky beyond the forest. The war was still not over, and even at this moment, hundreds and thousands of people were dying.

Their souls were still flowing into this forest, forming countless processions.

I know the Tenebris descent ritual requires countless sacrifices. Whether he actually fulfilled those conditions or it’s just Duke Darius’s boast, it’s certain that those souls are required as sacrifices.

First, I need to neutralize Duke Darius and find the ritual altar.

‘Should I increase my speed a little more?’

I walked on the air. The pure white footprints on the dark world gradually widened their stride.

Muyeong Movement Technique: Kway.

I dashed through the forest. Everything I touched shattered and dispersed. Leaves, branches, all things imbued with demonic energy and devoid of life.

Duke Darius’s eyes followed me closely. Dozens of bundles of black blood thorns were shot. They were sharper and far more numerous than before.

Parrying or blocking them consumes a lot of energy. I was fast enough now. I continued to run, dodging all the thorns.

Pat- Pwat—

I ran between trees, drawing dozens of streaks of light. Each time I dodged into Duke Darius’s blind spot, his reaction started to slow down.

His face grew anxious. I continued to increase my speed.

Then it happened.

「Burst—!!」

A strange voice echoed through the forest. I easily recognized it. A curse was contained within. The voice of a curse, a Juju.

However, such a vague curse doesn’t work on me who has drawn up aether. Unrefined and chaotic curses are neutralized and disappear by the aether’s waves.

I stepped forward without a care. But that was the moment.

Kwaduk-

The trunk of the tree I stepped on was deeply dented. As soon as I felt a sense of incongruity, I enveloped my whole body in an aether barrier. Immediately afterward, all the trees around exploded simultaneously.

Pweoeoeong—

It was an explosion of black demonic energy. Some of it broke through the barrier and penetrated my body. A considerable amount of pain pulsed through my right leg.

But I didn’t stop. I used the shockwave of the explosion as a second foothold and continued to step and jump. My speed didn’t decrease; it increased even more.

It was the moment when the Duke Darius chasing me was slowest. I didn’t miss that opportunity and ran to the opposite side of him. It was the perfect moment to get behind him.

Florain Martial Arts: Changcheon-gak (Soaring Heaven Angle).

I concentrated the gathered aether in my legs, and the moment I pushed off the ground, I exploded it powerfully. Aether strengthening, physical strengthening, Muyeong movement technique, combined with Changcheon-gak, a moment of acceleration.

I flew toward Duke Darius at a speed that seemed to transcend even time. I raised the Muyeong sword sharply and plunged it into his heart.

Muyeong Sword Style, Sixth Form: Baekya (White Night).

Pwuuk—!

Duke Darius coughed up pitch-black blood. Then I poured more aether into the Muyeong sword. The blade, swollen twice, thrice, couldn’t bear its size and spewed out aether.

Pweoeoeng—

The aether explosion ripped through the Duke’s body. He convulsed, spewing fountains of blood from his entire body.

“Kueok- Kweoeooo—”

Even at the moment he breathed his last, I had no intention of relaxing my vigilance. I continued to maintain the Sixth Form, Baekya, a technique with the characteristic of absorbing power. Until he completely disappeared.

Teoeok—

However, he didn’t seem to be dying easily. He stretched out his tattered arm, grabbed my shoulder, and slowly raised himself.

“K… kuk… Absorption… isn’t your only power!!”

Kwaduk-

The Duke extended his head long like a snake and bit my neck. It was an ominous pain. I was clearly protecting my whole body with the Muyeong armor, yet it was pierced so easily.

I widened my eyes.

‘Blood Ritual… did he add the power of Juju?’

Juju is a technique that offers sacrifices to invoke a curse commensurate with the price paid. What did the dying man have to lose? He would have been able to offer any sacrifice.

Tricky thing… the price. It’s certainly a power that gives a guaranteed effect to every act of bloodsucking. Unless it’s a power that nullifies all means of defense, a vampire’s fangs alone could not pierce my Muyeong armor.

From now on, it’s a battle of stamina and willpower. I manipulated my muscles with aether to restrict the blood flow gathering at my neck as much as possible. To slow down the sucking even a little bit.

“Gueuk… Geuhheueueueu…!!”

Duke Darius grabbed my body tighter and tighter. He seemed to have his energy restored after sucking fresh blood.

And I was a virgin, so the vitality of the blood was even more intense. A virgin’s blood is not only the most favored by vampires, but it also holds great significance in Juju.

The Duke started sucking blood even harder.

‘Damn it… this feels like shit.’

I also exerted more effort into the Muyeong sword’s absorption. Sucking blood, maintaining aether, I continued to grow tired. On the other hand, Duke Darius was gradually regaining his vitality.

Ujmjil-

While continuously tearing at the Muyeong sword lodged in Duke Darius’s heart, I felt something. A tremendous amount of aether.

“You seem to be looking for the altar of the ritual… Yes, I am the altar of the descent ritual myself!!”

“You madman… Kutt-”

“I can’t just put such an important thing anywhere… You cannot break the altar that’s thoroughly sealed with Juju! Obediently give up your blood and become a sacrifice—!!”

Duke Darius sucked blood even harder. For a moment, my mind was dizzy. This is truly dangerous. Along with the blood, my vitality, energy, and willpower are all being sucked away.

But… I smiled.

‘I’ve found the altar, therefore, it is my victory.’

I don’t need to destroy the altar. My objective isn’t the altar itself, but the deliciously gathered sacrifices on it.

The souls of the soldiers who died on the battlefield.

I released my sword and spread my arms. I drew up everything except for a very small amount of aether, just enough to not die.

A pure white light explosively erupted from within me.

The realm of souls.

Above the heavens, and beneath the heavens. Only I exist in a noble, pure white world. All things obey me, and offer their own souls to become a part of me.

Even if it is a powerless soul placed on the table of an outsider god.

“St, stop…!!”

“Oh my, your mouth still moves, it seems?”

I sucked away all the souls that Duke Darius had gathered. Juju or seals are irrelevant. No matter how much you block the outside from taking, obedient souls will come to me on their own.

Hwaaaat—

How many souls were gathered? The ritual contained within overflowed, making it difficult to maintain my sanity for a moment.

I caught my breath and shaped all those souls into a single sword. In the process, I had to release the realm.

Returning to the black forest, the soul-sword shone so brightly it almost blinded me.

“I will grant you the afterlife. Now… go wild one last time, and depart.”

I assumed a stance for a decisive strike. Sensing the danger, Duke Darius released my neck and quickly fled. However, it was already too late.

Hundreds of thousands of people followed me; I felt like a god. I revived the sensation of slaying the administrator in both my hands.

Muyeong Sword Style, Ultimate Technique, First Form: Choshinsei (Supernova).

I cut the black forest in half. The withered trees, the raging demonic energy, and Duke Darius.

This universe itself was split in two.