Chapter 46 – Chain of Outrages (9)

We don’t know our opponents’ tactics.
But if we are the ones in pursuit and they are retreating,
shouldn’t we at least advance confidently? If they have noticed our presence, how could they not have prepared a proper defense?

As I calmly explained, P and Rosie nodded their heads.

“It does resemble our Master.”
“The method is unmistakably Baekdo-nim’s.”
“Really?”

I could not help but frown in surprise.
Both Heaven and these women seemed so eager to connect me to White Peach. Why this impatience?
Thankfully, I was wearing a mask. If not for the mask, I would have shown my anger.

*Clap.*

P clapped once and extended her handto me.

“Well, it’s not wrong, though. Hey, junior, quickly offer your back. You’re too tall, so kneel down.”
“Ah, yes.”

“Hurry and move aside, I have to do it too.”

I knelt on the muddy ground. P gently stroked my back, and soon began to channel magic through their fingertips. P chuckled softly.

“You’re incredibly fortunate, you know? An S-class buffer is truly remarkable. It’s difficult to obtain, even with money.”
“Yes…”

After a brief moment of levity, she turned serious and began to construct a magic circle, reciting her incantations.

[Physical Enhancement][Muscle Hypertrophy][Magic Circuit Strengthening][Regeneration Increase][Magical Defense][Magic Unleashing][Fierce Resistance][Overflowing Life]…

Calmly, and at length.

Dozens of glowing magical symbols etched themselves onto my body. Originally shining blue, they soon absorbed my mana, transforming to a dark hue, and simultaneously my muscles swelled.

“Phew, that was quite challenging. I’ve added everything I could. Hey, Rossi.”
“Ah, I know what to do, no need to tell me.”

Next up was Rossi’s turn.

The gap between a supporter and a healer was so narrow that their abilities could be considered virtually identical.

– Ugh!

P’s magic was overlaid with Rossi’s magic once more.

This alone made me feel as if I had glimpsed a level several steps higher, allowing me to swiftly enhance my mastery of both sword and fist right then and there.

“It’s done.”

Almost startlingly, as Rossi’s words fell, I gazed at my left hand, clenching and unclenching it. The sensation of air currents splitting in response to my movements felt incredibly real.

What astonishing power.

It was as if my usual strength had increased several times—no, tenfold. Could having an ability score surpassing ten be like this? Rising from my seat, I lifted my head.

Mana surged from my entire body, unable to be contained within me, and escaped outward.

“How long is the time limit?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“I have thirty minutes. I’m on a different level.”

Rossi and P locked eyes. A distant grinding noise reached my ears. I sensed an odd movement and loosened up my body. Should we charge forward now?

As I bent my legs, P grasped my shoulders, preventing me from dashing ahead.

“You’ll need some time to adjust. Even an S-rank hunter takes about a year to properly adapt to our buffs.”

“Really?”

“Well, considering Heaven approved of you, maybe it will take less than a month?”

Slowly, I turned my head towards the factory and continued speaking.

“How long did it take Master White Peach?”

“Why do you ask? Hey, how long did it take White Peach?”

“It only took her three days. Could that be a world record?”

Is that so?

I couldn’t help but smirk.

“I’ve finished adjusting.”

“What?”

I’ve surpassed White Peach.

– Kwaaaaang!

The block shatters.

The mud on the collapsed floor emitted a coarse noise as tawny waves cleaved through. Ripples of magical energy spread wherever my toes touched. Glinting eye light flowed, reaching towards the sky.

The night view of dawn, fleeting like lightning, expanded and contracted once. The outstretched fist generated a gale on its own.

– Koo-goo-goo!

When the initial strike connected with the wall, the steel frames and pipes that composed the factory’s exterior were torn away like the bones of a carcass.

Concrete and cement shattered.

“It’s beyond my imagination.”

I clenched and unclenched my hands, feeling the power coursing through me. It seemed as if I had caught a glimpse of the world where White Peach lived.

– Kreureuk.

The Ent, waiting just in front of me, swung a fist as large as its own body. The attack, which previously had barely been traceable with the naked eye, now appeared to move in slow motion.

This time, I adjusted my strength. I eased back my power, intending to kill only the foe right in front of me.

With a crude posture, I drew my fist back and struck it directly into his solar plexus.
A simple, unrefined blow, devoid of any special techniques or finesse.

*Thud!*

A massive hole appeared in the Ent’s chest.
Kicking the kneeling Ent’s torso, the force propelled its lifeless body to fly and embed itself into the wall.

The weight difference became meaningless in the face of such overwhelming firepower.
I could feel the shivers coursing through my entire body.

Simultaneously, a sense of responsibility weighed heavily on my shoulders. In this situation where I alone stood as the combatant, I could only imagine the consequences if I were to fail.

*Gulp.*

Saliva traveled down my esophagus.
Regrettably, I had no time for deep contemplation about losing or facing defeat.

*Flicker.*

Dozens of bright yellow eyes stared at me. A figure cloaked in a robe encircled me.

Dozens of Ents and acolytes subtly revealed their desire to survive, all the while concealing their true forms.

“Junior, this seems a bit excessive. Were they trying to kill us on purpose?”

P, who had followed me unnoticed, swiftly dealt with the opponent. She clasped her hands together, producing a cracking sound.

“Ah, this disrupts the broadcast again. They don’t even know who we are.”
“Shut the fuck up. I can’t maintain balance because of you.”

Rossi chided P in response. Although their voices were playful, their bodies emanated a dangerous aura, brimming with vitality and magical energy.

The mindset of a true professional, believing there’s no difference between killing an opponent and living a peaceful life.

Admiring their poise, I raised my right foot.

It seemed possible now.

“Skin-tight… No.”

Perhaps.

“Heavenly Demon Reign.”

I placed one foot on the ground. The immense pressure generated from that single step dominated the confined space.

-Koo-gu-gu-gu!

The earth quivered and the atmosphere trembled. Some of the wide-eyed Ents and believers couldn’t withstand the pressure and fell to their knees.

“Hey, you… that.”

Directly behind, P and Rossi had their eyes wide open, as if witnessing a technique they couldn’t have ever dreamed of. Rossi was so shocked that he covered his mouth with his hands.

“My junior, did you learn that from our Master?”

I smiled at her. “No, I stole it.”

A result of sheer stubbornness, it seemed too vulgar to call it anything else. I began to gather magic in my fists, each stance in drawing the arcs resembling White Peach’s.

The stance of the Woodcarving Martial Arts, the Immortal Fruit Technique.

A martial arts stance fitting for my body, which had accepted White Peach’s technique. Though still incomplete, I believed I could wield its unique power.

The pressure ceased.

The individuals fueled by their burning desire charged in simultaneously.
P and Rossi brandished their respective weapons.

A brief moment passed, with only the clock’s second hand ticking several times.

-Paang!

Blood spurted from the followers’ necks, painting floral patterns on the gray-brown floor.

As the battle continued, crimson designs were etched onto their clothes.
After a short while, my entire body was drenched in the blood of the devotees, becoming a grisly sight.

-Quaang!

I grasped a believer’s face and slammed it onto the floor.
Blood oozed between the shattered fragments of cement.

Five minutes remaining.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding and scanned the surroundings.

“Huuh, huuh.”

The dimly lit abandoned factory, where only the faint moonlight cast its glow.
A heap of twisted and mangled corpses, their flesh interwoven, loomed before me.

“Is this all of them?”
“I don’t know. Damn it.”

P responded in a somewhat gruff manner. It seemed as though he had exhausted his magical energy on enhancing my strength, rendering him unable to sustain the fight for long.

The same was true for Rossi. She clutched her shoulder, appearing to have sustained some injuries.

As I reached out to place my hand on Rossi’s shoulder, she whispered to me with a barely audible voice.

“Junior. Hold on, not yet. It seems it’s not over.”
“Huh?”
“…There’s still someone around.”

Upon hearing her words, I expanded my senses to the surroundings. Simultaneously, I extended my hand towards Rossi’s shoulder.

-Humming!

Healing power. The moment the green orb-shaped energy touched her shoulder, her wound rapidly healed.

“…What is this?”
“Don’t bother asking. Now, where is that bastard?”
“I’m not sure. I only caught a fleeting glimpse during the battle.”

She clicked her tongue briefly.

She turned her head, surveying the surrounding landscape once more.

The Tower of Corpses. Despite its grotesque form, only stillness enveloped the surrounding air. The faint trace of blood brushing past the nasal cavity was fleeting. The pungent odor of oil and rusty iron, unique to abandoned factories, pervaded the atmosphere.

‘…Hold on.’

Oil?

*Thump.*

Footsteps echoed from all directions.

**”I never expected to see you here.”**

Her snowy-white hair fluttered in time with her footsteps. The girl, who appeared to be a seven-year-old child, or rather, they, since there were several of them, closed in on us with nearly identical strides, encircling us perfectly.

**”I would have liked to welcome you in my true form, but sadly, I cannot.”**

Naturally, a name surfaced behind the approaching figures: Sisyphus. In a corner of my mind, a horrifying future seemed to unfurl.

*Tap. Tap.*

They drew nearer, maintaining an impeccable distance as if separated by a glass wall.

P jabbed me in the ribs urgently.

“…Hey.”
“Yes.”
“Fly upward.”

No response was needed.
Lifting the bodies of the two women, we kicked off the ground and soared into the sky.

But quicker than that, Sistus’ body began to split.

**”It’s already too late.”**

The girl’s body bursts apart. A vivid red blaze devours the interior of the abandoned factory.
For a moment, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scene.

A unique interaction of magical power.
The magic, which began to divide in an unseen manner, scattered like atomic particles, causing the heat to rise.

“Damn it!”

P hastily spread his hand. The palm was smeared with blood.

A barrier made of multifaceted traits.
A crimson wave completely engulfs the shield.

Death flickered before my eyes.

“Hey, hurry up and transfer your magic!”

At P’s urgent voice, Rossi reached for the back of her neck.

The barrier, which had begun to crack, instantly hardened.

But that wasn’t enough.

‘I need to transfer my magic…’

As I was about to give her my magical power, I hesitated for a moment, attempting to gauge the magic circle and the amount of magic within it.

Ah, it’s impossible.

“What are you doing, you bastard!”
“Even if I give it to you, I can’t stop it.”

I made a cool-headed judgment. Even if I were to give all my magic, I wouldn’t be able to halt this explosion. Though there was no concrete evidence, my sixth sense was warning me.

If I transfer my magic like this, I’ll die. I need to think. Heaven has given me a trial.

P, seeing my state, shouted with an anguished expression.

“Then are we just going to fucking die like this?”
“P, wait a moment.”
“Why? Why the hell should we die together?”
“No, that’s not it–”

Rossi looked at my face, speechless. No more words were heard. All I could do was fix my gaze on the barrier and rack my brain to discern its properties and condition.

*Sizzle.*

Through the broken barrier, the language seeps into my mind.

Heat surges. The skin on my cheeks melts.
Yet, it doesn’t hurt.

In my throbbing head, the emotion I first experienced when sensing the magic power wells up like a whirlwind.

“Ah.”

I reached out.

As the black magic touches the shield, the thin barrier gradually changes its shape.

Magic alone cannot resolve this, so life is burned.

*Sizzle, sizzle.*

The sound of eardrums bursting. Burning pain envelops my entire body.
Blood flows from my nose.

‘I can live.’

A confident decision is made.

Tears stream down as I tightly close my eyes in joy. Tasting it, I realize it’s blood.

As the heat subsides and the shield loses its strength,
I float above the ground, then collapse and fall to the floor below.

Whooooosh.

A breeze brushes against my cheeks.
A fading sensation.

“Hey, grab them! Heal! Heal!”
“I’ve already got them!”

Held in the woman’s arms, I heard Rossi and P’s voices in my muffled ears. The potion is scattered across my face. Recovery magic envelops my entire body.

Could it have been 30 seconds?

Finally, words tumbled out of my mouth, which had barely been breathing.

“…I’m alive, damn it.”
“Kid!”

Long live the World Tree of Healing. What a close call from being violated. P embraced me with a voice tinged with awe, and Rossi wiped the sweat from her brow, her face wearied.

It all seemed to be over.

Kkugugugugugugugug.

However, most trials do not take into account the challengers’ circumstances. When it rains, it pours. Is this expression accurate?

A colossal creature, large enough to fill a building, was staring at us with wide-open eyes, as it withstood the explosion.


“I’m losing my mind.”

Death came once more.