Chapter 379 – The Battle to Subdue Cornus (Complete)

-Lee Si-heon!!!!!

A voice so powerful, it made the entire hallway tremble.

-Just one step!!

-Boom!

With a bloodied hand, I shattered the automatic door and sprinted down the corridor.

-Kuh, Kahak…!!

My brain throbbed as I felt the sinister aura of Sanhyeokwon relentlessly pursuing me from behind.

-A mere human dares to interfere!!!

I expanded my mana as much as possible to locate my opponent. Piercing the wall with my arm instead of using the laboratory door, I created a narrow gap just wide enough for an adult to squeeze through.

‘Time…’

Each second was precious. I continued to push my burning, dizzy head, forcing my body through the gap.

As I did so, Sanhyeokwon, who had followed me to this location, shouted at me.

“Cease…!”

Not a liberated figure, but that of a human caught in the midst of a tumultuous era.
He was covered in blood and black spots, just like me.

Could we win if we confront each other?
No, right now, I don’t even know my own condition.

I felt no sensation whatsoever. It was clear that engaging in battle in this state would be tantamount to suicide.

If captured, at least one person would die.
I saw the coordinates of a straight line before my eyes.

– Kwadang!

“Ugh…”

Coughing up blood, he collapses to the ground.
I abandoned attempting to walk after stumbling.

Instead, I devise a desperate strategy.
Time flows slowly as my focus reaches its limits. My progress is sluggish. As the researchers gaze at me with bewildered expressions, I pound the ground heavily and memorize the coordinates.

My brain feels scorched. The pain is so intense that it seems my eyeballs will pop out.
A threshold the perpetrator could never achieve, my once expansive view narrows to focus solely on the destination.

Like a beam of light piercing the darkness. Only that area brightened as the hastily read coordinates were forcibly integrated into the equation.

Taking the artifact’s interference into account, I solved the unknowns by directly applying every possible value. Penetrating the myriad of uncertainties, I roused and searched for the magical theories and principles stored in my mind, ultimately discovering a way to escape the current predicament.

My mind cleared.

‘…Calculated.’

– Woosh!

The space folded, and my body vanished.

Reaching the seemingly distant location, I shielded Sansuyu’s body with my hand just before the procedure began.

Flicker. The pinnacle of spatial magic.

My body weaved through the researchers and positioned itself in front of Sansuyu. Before the researchers could react, I summoned my magical power.

Not a single expression or word.
Eyes clouded with determination.

Perhaps it was too late. Desperately clutching her torn abdomen with her hand, she tried to staunch the bleeding.

A myriad of thoughts swirled through her mind. If it had reached the point of no return, could she ever free herself from the burden of guilt?

Amid her worries, she mustered the strength to conjure her magic one more time.

“…thi…s-“

As Sanhyeokwon’s voice echoed, the space around them shifted.

– *Flash!*

A musty scent filled the air as they found themselves sprawled atop a dusty bed, their bodies entwined.

– *Thud!*

The darkness engulfed them, but she somehow managed to lift Sansuyu’s limp form.

“…hey.”

Her throat ached, making it difficult to speak.

“Cornus, hey!”

She embraced Sansuyu’s cold skin. Employing the last vestiges of her healing power, she felt her own vitality drain away as Sansuyu’s wounds began to mend.

Yet, there was still no response.

Sansuyu’s feeble arms trembled, utterly devoid of strength.

Like a lifeless jointed doll. As soon as I turned on the light, I examined her features: her chapped lips, the eyes that failed to reflect my face, her pale and faded hair, and the body that seemed to lack any warmth.

On Sansuyu’s cheeks were traces of tears, akin to dried-up springs.

“……”

In the end, no response came.

My mind went blank for a moment, but amidst my desperation, I immediately took action. Her heart was beating. She was breathing. Her hands shook ever so slightly.

“It’s okay. Everything will be alright.”

I couldn’t tell if I was speaking to myself or to her. Holding Sansuyu tightly, I stroked her back several times in an attempt to soothe her. My warmth began to seep into her still frigid body.

The sticky, humid air of summer failed to warm Sansuyu. Drenched in some form of medication, a viscous white fluid oozed out, running down her body like thick mucus.

The melted flesh dripped down.

As power and magic gradually returned,
due to Cornus’s nature of absorbing mana, the mana would play a significant role in composing her body.
After all, that’s what happened to Sanhyeokwon.

‘…Potion.’

Long ago, Lee Se-Young and Azalea had given a high-quality potion, which had been brought here.

Cradling Cornus in my arms, I supported my hips and slightly stood up.
Cornus remained unresponsive.

“Foolish creature… What’s so special about that family?”

Muttering curses and complaints, I held Cornus close while retrieving a potion from the cabinet and drank it all.
I then transferred all the mana to Cornus and laid her on the bed.

“Ha… ha.”

My body felt weak.
Sweat dripped from me, falling onto Cornus’s collarbone.

Cornus showed no signs of the nervous response that living beings should possess.

Would it be right to consider this a victory? Some might question it, but that’s alright.

– Thump, thump, thump.

My heart trembled.
Blood dripped from my nose, perhaps due to the stress from the intense upheaval and the aftermath of the battle.

– Drip, drip.

“…I’m fine.”

Covering my nose with my hand, I sat down next to the small, square refrigerator.
I didn’t even have the energy to unroll the tissue paper at the moment.

– Ugh!

Behind the cheap, cobweb-covered refrigerator, where hot air rushes in.
I rested my head on the metallic part.

Although no one was by my side, this hard surface felt more comfortable than anyone’s shoulder at the moment.

“I did it.”

I succeeded.
I carried out my original purpose faithfully.
I’m worried about Cornus’s health, and I still have the task of bringing Aori and Tae-yang here, but the first strategy barely succeeded.
My eyes kept closing, so I slapped my cheek with my hand.

‘Just a bit longer.’

Let’s set off as soon as we gather a bit of magic.

I gazed at Sansuyu lying beside me with lifeless eyes. Her skin was on the verge of melting. When I touched it, I couldn’t feel any muscles. In the gaping wound, her organs were tangled and twisted in unforeseen ways.

If only I hadn’t blinked in that moment.
Or if I had been held back by San Hyuk-won for even a second.
If there hadn’t been a potion here.

Perhaps she wouldn’t have been able to remain in this world.

“…It’s alright.”

I murmured to her as if to reassure her, rubbing my blurry eyes repeatedly.
I forced myself to fight off the sinking consciousness.

With blood dripping from my hand onto the floor, I slowly rose and staggered toward Sansuyu one last time.

“Stay still.”

There’s still work to be done.

* * * * * * *

Bare feet emerging from the floor pierce the opponent’s heart.

– Kwajik!

Aori, frowning at the unpleasant sensation, wriggles her toes.

‘I should listen to the king’s praise.’

More than twenty corpses became mountains, and those mountains gathered to form a mountain range. As if to boast, Aori placed the mountains on either side of her, guarding the gate, and with a face that could no longer bear it, she removed her pants.

“It’s sticky.”

Holladang-

Wearing only pink underwear and a top. Upon removing her shoes, her bloodstained thighs and feet are fully exposed. Aori smirks and sits down on the floor.

‘I wonder if the king is doing well.’

Lee Si-heon’s strength is well known to Tae-yang and Aori. However, the problem is that the skills of Sanhyukwon are not yet widely known in the world. It is also unknown what the outcome of the experiment was.

“If the king loses that person… despair will follow.”

At that moment.

– Quaang!

Aori’s hair stood on end as she felt the shockwave from afar.

“Is the king in battle?”

A shiver ran down Aori’s spine as she sensed the unusual energy. A collision of power – that’s exactly what it felt like. The source of the thick, fearful aura was undoubtedly the magic used by the king. Forgetting her promise, Aori flung open the gate and sprinted toward the disturbance.

“Your Majesty!”

Corpses littered the surrounding corridors.

Shattered swords, broken wings, traces of magic, and neutralized poison. These were all connected by a blood-soaked hallway.

– Squelch, squelch.

As her feet became drenched in blood, Aori whipped her head around, fists clenched in both hands. She followed the lingering magic and the cries for help. Aori came to a halt in front of a partially destroyed door.

“It’s in here.”

Despite her conviction, Aori could not bring herself to enter.

-Jerbuck.

The sound of footsteps right behind her back.
As she turned her head, Aori’s face instantly hardened.

-Jerbuck.

A ripple spread through the footsteps.
The stream of blood trembled, involuntarily causing Aori to step back as her instincts craved life.

Had it been any other opponent, she wouldn’t have sensed the difference in skill.
Aori was exceptional, without a single flaw, and she knew the disparity because of her excellence.

– Run away as soon as you see this person.

An old man echoed Tae-yang’s words.
Mugung walked silently among the corpses.

– Thump, thump.

Aori’s heart almost dropped. She looked around.
The king was there, just beyond this door.

At the crossroads of her choice, Aori tightly closed her eyes and raised her hands.

“…Oh.”

Mugung, faced with Aori, narrowed his eyebrows.

“There was a young beast in here.”
“……”

“Where has your master fled to?”

Perhaps, they were referring to Tae-yang. The existence of the Beast King was known to the Association and other orders. Mugung was also aware of Aori, who had been assigned a disaster rating.

No, they had already encountered each other several times. Each time, it felt like they were on the verge of death.

“…Here. I cannot enter.”

Aori, who had spread her legs and assumed an attacking stance, caught her breath. An old man gripping a rusty sword at his waist held it cautiously.

“If you are my opponent, there’s no need to hold back.”
“…….”
“It’s astounding that the Three Disasters have crept in. Even a family with rotten roots had a hidden trump card.”

A being that had once destroyed a city with its enormous form and possessed the power to do so. Aori had previously been designated as such a disaster. If a being of such power exists, it can escape even when facing those who have reached a certain level.

“Why?”

Mugung harbored doubts.

“Why are you standing still?”

Sweat beading on her forehead roused Aori’s consciousness.
She would not crumble. Loyalty was an unwavering law.

“The duty of a subject…”

Aori managed a smile, her voice trembling.
Her hands extended as if performing a graceful salute.

“Is to trust and serve the king.”
“Indeed.”
“And to never die when not in the king’s presence.”

Her entire body began to swell tremendously.
Various types of trees sprouted all at once, encircling and seemingly devouring Aori’s body.

A fist of wood as large as two adult men combined.
Tree branches entwining her legs like tights.

Hundreds of tendrils extending from her back and hips.

“…A loyal subject!”

With words she had learned from Tae-yang, Aori valiantly raised her fist.

“The king’s sword and shield!”
“…A monarch.”

The severed tendrils raced toward Mugung in the blink of an eye.

The slanted moon ascended from the floor, severing all of its tentacles.

– Flicker!

As her body vanished, Aori reached the very brink of Mugung’s presence.
Her eyes, stained black, were bizarrely ripped apart.

“───!”

From her lips, a voice hardly describable as a living being burst forth.