novelraw Chapter 283 : Transcendence (2)
Chapter 283 : Transcendence (2)
"The secret of the stars."
Ju Taeyang asked.
"What exactly is that?"
"Since you're dying, I'll tell you."
Malek said.
"...Is that what you thought I'd say? Rarely strong vermin, just die in ignorance."
"I see."
Ju Taeyang smiled.
"Actually, I'm not that interested."
"Oh?"
"I imagine it's related to the bonds of existence."
"You can guess that much and still not be curious? The minds of vermin are difficult to comprehend."
"What difference does it make whether I know it or not?"
Ju Taeyang retorted.
"I've simply decided this will be my final battle. I just intend to take a traveling companion with me on my way."
"Don't you have many traveling companions?"
The demon laughed.
"I've already sent many worms ahead, so you won't be lonely."
Crash!
The powers of the dragon and demon collided in midair once more.
"Kuuuuu!"
"Iyaaaap!"
Blue mana, and black magical energy.
'What kind of human is he?'
Great Overlord Malek gritted his teeth at the fact that even drawing out his true power couldn't push back this human's strength.
'Any more struggle would be my incompetence.'
He couldn't disappoint the king.
'Not at all.'
"Strong human! Now I'll end you!"
Malek finally drew out his power once more.
Rumble rumble.
All of nature trembled as if submitting to the energy emitted by the demon lord.
The massive magical energy became sword, flame, and lightning, trying to tear Ju Taeyang apart.
'This is dangerous.'
But Ju Taeyang, though sensing the crisis, did not flee.
Because.
'Now!'
Su-hyeon had been waiting only for the opening that massive attack would create.
Swoosh!
Su-hyeon, who appeared behind Malek, activated Chukji once more, stepping on a Mana Shield he created in midair.
"Hup!"
The sword he swung, carrying the energy of Chukji, penetrated Malek's sturdy body and left a cut.
"Arghh!"
'At least I cut through his skin.'
A little blue blood.
A slight deviation from his trajectory.
That was the result of Su-hyeon's surprise attack.
And it was enough.
"How dare you interfere, Jeong Su-hyeon!"
The moment the enraged Malek stretched out his hand to ensnare Su-hyeon.
Roaaaaar!
Ju Taeyang's body, which had transformed from human form back to dragon form, extended tens of meters in length, leaping the distance in one breath to thrust his mouth right in front of Malek.
"You bastards!"
Whiiiiiing!
Malek, with his hands in disarray, tried to completely block the attacks of the two by surrounding his body with high-density mana like a barrier.
"Get lost!"
It was a flawless choice, but.
[Now. Cut him down.]
This time, the opponent was not favorable.
'I'll cut.'
Su-hyeon's eyes, captivated by a single thought, shone.
Jeong Su-hyeon, the swordsman who had reached the highest level of S+ class.
From Lee Yu-jin, Lee Ho-seung, and Lee Un-hak.
He had learned swordsmanship from the Lee family swordsmen spanning three generations.
From Ahn Byeong-jun, he had mastered the art of "cutting through the grain."
And through training with Ju Taeyang, he had integrated and perfected all those levels.
And now.
'Liberation.'
Thump!
Su-hyeon's body drew out all its potential.
'Chukji.'
Additionally, he built up the maximum kinetic energy his body could withstand at his feet.
Yet through supreme relaxation, the entire process leading up to the impact was like flowing water.
'But at the moment of cutting, like lightning!'
Everything Su-hyeon had built up now transformed into a single sword strike.
And so.
Slash!
Nothing could block the trajectory of the Moonless Sword.
"In. Sane."
Malek's arms and waist were cut off effortlessly, dividing his body in two.
"How... can... this...?"
Beyond rank, Su-hyeon's one sword created a miracle.
[Well done, Su-hyeon!]
Booooom!
The breath that Ju Taeyang spewed with all his might created a massive tail of light in the dark sky.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
The corpse of Great Overlord Malek, who had been immense despair and death itself, lay sprawled on the ground with only the lower half remaining.
"Commander!"
"Commander, are you alright!"
With no time to relish the victory, Captain Gong I-an and the surviving Execution Force members rushed to Ju Taeyang.
"...All of you."
Ju Taeyang, who had used up all his power, spoke in a weak voice.
"Thank you for surviving."
"It's thanks to you, Commander!"
"And thanks to Su-hyeon here."
"That's right. Without Su-hyeon's sword, we wouldn't have won in the end."
Ju Taeyang placed his hand on Su-hyeon's shoulder.
"...That's truly the case."
Captain Gong I-an said.
"In front of that terrifying demon, my will to resist was broken. But Su-hyeon was different. I'm truly ashamed, and truly amazed."
Gong I-an was realizing through this incident that the true hero who would lead the next generation was not himself.
'Facing an overwhelmingly strong enemy, I gave up on victory, but that boy did not.'
Only those who move forward even in the most desperate moments could become true leaders.
"...For a moment."
Ju Taeyang said.
"Would everyone step back? I have something to discuss with Su-hyeon."
"Understood."
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
"I feel that my death is truly drawing near."
Gasp, gasp.
Breathing heavily, his face now that of an old man as if he had suddenly aged decades, Ju Taeyang said.
"But it was fulfilling. As you said, my final battle was worth it."
"...Yes."
Su-hyeon bowed his head in grief.
"Now the time has come."
As Ju Taeyang placed his hand on his chest, a bright white light appeared.
"Eat my Dragon Heart."
"......"
"It is the essence of the power I've built up throughout my life. It contains my complete martial prowess. If you can eat and absorb this, you will surely surpass me."
This was Ju Taeyang's final preparation.
"......"
"What are you hesitating for? Didn't we already discuss this?"
"...Alright."
Su-hyeon opened his eyes again after squeezing them shut.
Woooong.
The Dragon Heart, about the size of an apple, naturally detached from Ju Taeyang's chest.
'An incredible... and pure crystallization of mana.'
But it was not simply mana.
A precious object containing the records of the dragon, where everything he had built up was melted in.
'To think I would eat a Dragon Heart like this.'
It was a necessary process. Any thoughts that interfered would be impurities.
Nevertheless, Su-hyeon swallowed the Dragon Heart with an indescribably complex feeling.
'Commander Ju Taeyang. I can only express infinite gratitude and respect for your sacrifice.'
Woooong.
Su-hyeon shuddered at the unusual movement of mana felt within his body.
"Close your eyes, sit comfortably, and straighten your back. Exceptional concentration and mental strength will be needed to digest that power."
"Understood."
Ju Taeyang smiled.
"I will fulfill my mission by guiding you on that path."
It was right then.
[Not so fast.]
"?!"
[Hahahahaha!]
Great Overlord Malek's voice echoed in the minds of the two.
[You are truly strong humans, truly strong worms! I'm truly surprised!]
"This is...?"
"What in the..."
Su-hyeon and Ju Taeyang looked at each other with stiff faces.
[Are you surprised? Is it hard to believe? Let me tell you!]
Malek's maniacal laughter continued.
[My king, Belphegor, has bestowed powers upon us Great Overlords. And the name of the power I received is...]
After enjoying an eternity-like silence, Malek's voice continued.
['Resurrection'. I can return from death once in my lifetime.]
"...!"
[So do you understand my anger? I never thought I would have to use that ability because of worms like you-!]
Woooong!
Rumble!
Plants trembled and the sky shook, startled by the Great Overlord's anger.
"Fuck."
At Su-hyeon's uncharacteristic curse, Ju Taeyang also wore a distant expression.
"This is... outside our calculations."
"Indeed."
Since Su-hyeon had never killed Malek in his previous runs either.
There had been no way to know about his power until now.
"...Damn it."
Looking at Malek's lower body wrapped in a sphere of black magical energy in the distance, Ju Taeyang closed his eyes in frustration.
"That's a power that cannot be interfered with by mana."
'...Is this the end?'
There was no strength left to fight anymore.
But.
"Commander."
"...Speak."
"Surprisingly, this might be a blessing in disguise."
Su-hyeon still hadn't given up.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Body Transformation and Bone Replacement."
Su-hyeon said.
"In any case, for me to achieve true awakening, I needed to undergo body transformation and bone replacement along with the Dragon Heart."
"...That's right."
Body Transformation and Bone Replacement.
It was the final secret technique of Unlimited for Su-hyeon, who had reached the highest level of S+, to shed his human body and be reborn anew.
'I haven't known about this level for very long either.'
30 runs before Su-hyeon's final run.
When he felt that he was no longer getting stronger despite having S+ top-tier power and the characteristic of Unlimited, which meant having no limits.
Su-hyeon, who had barely survived from the brink of death, finally discovered the secret technique of Body Transformation and Bone Replacement.
And the principle of Body Transformation and Bone Replacement that he discovered through trial and error was quite tricky.
'When injured to the point of death, but not so much as to actually die. When reaching a level where you can no longer surpass it with a human body.'
Only under those conditions would the secret technique of Body Transformation and Bone Replacement bloom.
'Originally, I planned to take a long time and bloom before the door to Nastrond opened.'
That plan had already gone awry long ago.
'Moreover, this is rather a blessing in disguise.'
It was not simply Body Transformation and Bone Replacement, shedding the level and body he had built up.
It meant he could now gain the dragon's mana, wisdom, and experience through the Dragon Heart.
'Commander Ju Taeyang's power was certainly marvelous, but as Malek said, it was just a fragment heading toward transcendence.'
The true transcendence that even Ju Taeyang, who was born with a dragon's body, couldn't achieve, only the current Su-hyeon could attain.
'That is my destiny.'
And now.
The pieces for transcendence were complete.
'But transcendence through Body Transformation and Bone Replacement doesn't happen overnight.'
So here lay Su-hyeon's final arrangement.
'Until I return, so that humanity can hold out a little longer.'
'If we can kill or seriously injure Malek here, we can greatly blunt their spearhead.'
If that happened, they could buy some time until Malek recovered from his wounds, or until the next Great Overlord crossed over and widened that dimensional gap with their presence.
'If the whole world learns of the Great Overlords' strength, and is given even a little time to respond.'
It could make more of a difference than expected.
'I don't know how long it will take.'
Since this was the first time using Body Transformation and Bone Replacement while carrying the Dragon Heart.
Everything was an unknown.
'But if I survive here, I will be able to reach a much more advanced level.'
And now.
The only way to inflict a death blow to the Great Overlord of these terrible demons once more was to explode this nuclear power plant complex and melt him in a hell of radiation.
'It will become a land of death.'
The fortunate thing was that there were no civilians in this area.
It was concerning that it would be difficult to recover the bodies of the fallen warriors, and that the destruction of this place would make future power supply very difficult.
But the end of the world, the end of humanity, was too great a matter to hesitate over such damage.
'If we can't kill him here, all these concerns are just a luxury from the start.'
Su-hyeon recalled the faces of the cadets.
'I'm sorry, everyone.'
Hoping they would hold out until his return.
"I'm sorry, Commander."
Su-hyeon said to Ju Taeyang.
"You'll need to get everyone out of here and come back to stop Malek."
It was nothing short of asking him to die here for everyone.
"I will do that."
Ju Taeyang, who understood Su-hyeon's heart, smiled nonetheless.
"...I'm truly sorry."
"What are you sorry for? It's fine."
Ju Taeyang embraced Su-hyeon and said.
"I'm sorry. I wish you good fortune."
"Thank you for everything until now."
Ju Taeyang, barely pulling up his fading life force, said with labored breath.
"So have I."