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Chapter 308: Star, the United Army (8)

Jinwang and Chogang turned to look at Thanatos, the King of the Underworld, and he chuckled. Thanks to Chang-Sun, Thanatos had been able to save everyone in his army from the explosion, but the battle taking place right now was too intense to join again.

Rumble, rumble, rumble―!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!

A Cataclysm Celestial and Evil Celestial… It was difficult to consider the battle between Chang-Sun and Sangwon an ordinary one. Sangwon’s arm had been severed, but in turn, Chang-Sun’s waist had sustained a deep cut. A storm of lightning energy had risen high like a tsunami, but it was swept away by the explosion Sangwon had created.

[Sanjiva is being destroyed!]

After Sangwon’s explosion swept away Sanjiva, all the hellish fire within it had been extinguished. With the addition of the destructive battle, the place was collapsing.

‘Destroying Sanjiva? This is also a situation I didn’t expect. Seriously, my partner produces wonders whenever we meet,’ Thanatos thought. He chuckled dumbfoundedly while watching the fight.

Only a part of Sanjiva had been summoned through the [Execution Sword], but still, it was being destroyed. The level of power Chang-Sun unleashed was marvelous. ‘Divine Twilight’ was the fiend who had made numerous Celestials plummet, but only now did Thanatos finally realize why Chang-Sun had earned the title. The stronger his opponent was, the more resentment he could muster against his opponent, and the more driven he became.

How remarkable was that? Thanatos was very content with the fact that he had made the right decision to choose Chang-Sun as his weapon. Chang-Sun would continue to help greatly when it came to executing punishment in the future.

‘After this is done, all his Divine Steel shackles will be unlocked… Then he’ll no longer be a prisoner of the <Underworld>. That might be an issue,’ Thanatos thought, stroking his chin.

The reason why Chang-Sun had been displaying perfect teamwork with the <Underworld> was that one of their agreements was reducing his sentence. Of course, his strongest drive had to be his grudge against <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology>, but it was true that the link between him and the <Underworld> would weaken once he was free of the shackles.

‘I need a new deal—no, a new link that will keep both the <Underworld> and Twilight satisfied,’ Thanatos thought. His eyes sparkled. ‘Several positions among the Ten Purgatory Kings are empty. Offering one of them might be…’

The position of a special-rank reaper was certainly great, but it was not comparable to that of a Purgatory King; they were the judges of the Purgatory Plane and had their own territory. Above all… Each of the Ten Purgatory Kings had their own unique Authorities. As Chang-Sun had an insatiable thirst for power, it would be a good deal for him.

‘I’ll have to think about what position to offer him,’ Thanatos thought, the ends of his mouth curling up. ‘Of course, I’ll have to capture Sangwon first.’

While he was lost in thought, Jingwang’s and Chogang’s eyes remained glued to him. After realizing that, Thanatos lightly waved his hand and said, “Let’s just watch.”

“But…!” Jingwang began, his eyes filled with concern.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Thanatos shook his head and continued, “Do you think Twilight will be glad if we help him with the fight and make Sangwon stand trial?

Jinwang bit his lower lip. Among the Ten Elders, he was the closest to Chang-Sun, enough to be called First Elder.

“This is Twilight’s fight. He’s making a declaration of war to his enemies and <Heaven>, announcing his return from hell. He’s telling them to wash their necks clean and wait for him to cut their heads off,” Thanatos said.

“Hahahaha!” Chogang burst into laughter, knowing that Chang-Sun would probably say that.

“But what would happen if we interfered? I’m really not confident about whether or not I would be able to deal with how irritated Twilight would be. Regardless, go ahead if you think you still have to give him a hand. I won’t stop you,” Thanatos continued.

Jingwang smiled bitterly and took a step backward, indicating that he would not insist any further.

Thanatos’s gaze seemed filled with infinite trust as he looked at Chang-Sun, grinning. He said, “All we have to do is sit back and cheer for him as we watch the fight.”

* * *

Thanatos was right. From the beginning, Chang-Sun had believed that this was his fight, and that he had to end it on his own. Sangwon was the enemy who had put him under the bridle of defeat; the only way to overcome all the traumas that had been subconsciously affecting him was to put Sangwon through a Divine Trial, just as Sangwon had done to him. This was a ‘knot’ he himself had to take care of.

The thought that the Nameless Spear would be the best tool to cut through the knot crossed his mind. It was the first weapon he had created after his return to Earth. Although he had been calling it the Nameless Spear simply because it was difficult to come up with a name, it was actually also a form of self-deprecation. He had lost his Divine Name, and believed that meant he practically had no name of his own.

However, from the moment he began to rise again, the Nameless Spear had always been with him. Although he had acquired the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth], and also recovered several of his old favorite weapons such as [Balmung], [Gram], and [Nothung], his most reliable weapon was the Nameless Spear. Although he had not used the spear in many battles, it was no exaggeration to say that it had been the greatest help in the birth of the new ‘Divine Twilight’. His whole <Myth> was within the Nameless Spear.

Now, he had almost finished recovering his Divine Name and was about to overcome all his past traumas. Chang-Sun felt that he could finally put a name on the Nameless Spear.

‘It was about to be upgraded for the last time… It’s a bit of a shame that I didn’t get to do that,’?Chang-Sun thought.

It seemed that after this, he would have to return immediately to Korea and let Choi Bu-Yong handle the spear. With that thought in mind, Chang-Sun shoved away Sangwon, who was charging toward him, to create some distance; he then lowered his Nameless Spear.

Pzzzz―!

White ice energy emerged from [Ice Crystal] in the Nameless Spear, and it emitted amber lightning sparks. At that moment, the Nameless Spear had been waiting for the right time to awaken all its memories, <Myths>, and Spirituality. Sensing the Nameless Spear’s wishes, Chang-Sun muttered, “Awaken, Twilight.”

Twilight. Twilight Spear was the Nameless Spear’s new name.

Ooooong―!

The Nameless Spear—no, [Twilight Spear]—let out a long howl and shook more fiercely than ever. The spearhead had already been white because of its [Ice Crystal], but it subsequently turned so pale that it looked transparent. On the snow-white spearhead, Chang-Sun’s amber lightning energy danced and quickly inscribed numerous runes.

[The dormant Myth in the Nameless Spear has awakened, containing Spirituality!]

…

[The Authority ‘False Belief’ has been activated, engraving runes.]

[Several rune sentences have been inscribed, making up a rune paragraph.]

[A prayer has been completed!]

‘God be with us’ was the first sentence that Chang-Sun had engraved on himself, but the first sentence on the [Twilight Spear] was a little different.

―Dear God, we ask that you infuse the souls of these vulnerable sheep with your divine spirit, and bring divine punishments upon the malevolent wolves who dare to challenge you.

While a rune sentence could be an effective method to concisely deliver a complicated intention, a rune paragraph could deliver one’s entire will, and that was how Chang-Sun had created a prayer dedicated to himself. He was not only maximizing the <Myth> in the [Twilight Spear], but also forcing it to connect with his soul.

[Congratulations! The awakened Spirituality has acquired its own personality, and is able to express its will.]

[The Nameless Spear has acquired a new name.]

[Twilight Spear]

An avatar that was forged by Ou Yezi the Divine Blacksmith’s heir and completed by ‘Divine Twilight’. No one can fathom the avatar’s full potential. The avatar will grow stronger in accordance with its master’s growth.

“Night will soon arrive in the world where twilight falls.”

· Type: Spear.

· Grade: Divine relic, spiritual relic, relic.

· Effect: <Myth> resonance.

Chang-Sun tightly gripped the [Twilight Spear], which seemed to be trying to escape from his grip. Of course, he knew that it was not defying him; the newly born [Twilight Spear] merely wanted to flaunt its dignity.

[The Title ‘Close-Combat Combat Master’ has been upgraded to ‘Thousand-Weapon Commander’!]

The [Twilight Spear] shook harder as time passed. As it was already a spiritual relic, it could move on its own even if Chang-Sun left it alone, and a relic such as the spear would run even wilder after meeting someone like itself.

Click―!

Chang-Sun pulled out his iron mask and put it on his face.

[Equipped ‘Bestla’s Mask’!]

The mask and the spear began to resonate due to the Effect of [Thousand-Weapon Commander].

[Someone embedded in the back of ‘Bestla’s Mask’ recites a certain epic.]

[A verse of the poem has been applied: “When the king drew his spear and roared, all his enemies lay down on the ground and begged for his forgiveness.”]

“Simon,” Chang-Sun said.

「I await your command.」

“Let’s go.”

「Deus vult[1]! 」

Simon Magus shouted, his voice tinged with excitement.

Paaah―!

Chang-Sun made a move. The sight of him charging toward Sangwon using [Windstalking Tiger] was undoubtedly the epitome of the Skill.

[The Authority ‘Storm Era’ has been activated, starting a rampant gale!]

Kyaaaah!

Sangwon unleashed an eerie shriek at Chang-Sun. As he had long since lost his reason, he had only an obsession with becoming stronger by devouring Chang-Sun, truly living up to his <Myth>. Sangwon the Evil Celestial had eaten again and again, but when nothing was left in the world, he had eaten himself and turned an entire plane into nothingness.

Boooom!

[False Belief] and [Storm Era]... The moment two of the Inverted Pentagrams, Chang-Sun’s trademark Authorities, activated, the damage of his next attack became incomparably stronger than before.

Rip!

Just as expected, Sangwon’s right arm was torn off and flew into the air after colliding with the [Twilight Spear].

Roarrrr.

Sangwon screamed in pain once again. Of course, Chang-Sun was not in good shape either.

“Keough!”

Clenching his teeth, Chang-Sun pulled himself together, thinking, ‘...My Class is unstable. This isn’t easy.’

With the combination of the [Twilight Spear], [Prelati’s Spellbook], and the [Secret Darkness Techniques], Chang-Sun had increased his attack damage as much as possible, but his soul had almost shattered just then, making him grit his teeth.

No matter how much he drove Sangwon into a corner, the Three Enclosures were still the Three Enclosures in the end. On top of that, Sangwon had deleted numerous Worldlines in his true form, so he could not be taken lightly. Although Chang-Sun was trying his best, he was barely neck-and-neck with Sangwon.

Of course, it was not as if Chang-Sun would ask Thanatos for reinforcements or give up on his fight. The stronger his opponent was, the more driven he became.

[The Authority ‘Despising Weakness’ has been activated, increasing your Attack to the maximum for about five minutes!]

[Your Attack has temporarily increased by 300%.]

[Your divine power usage rate has temporarily increased by 250%.]

…

[Your Defense has temporarily decreased by 150%.]

…

That was why Chang-Sun chose to deliver a full-scale assault. By using every last scrap of his divine power, he planned to overpower Sangwon. [Despising Weakness] was the ultimate life-or-death technique, so there was no going back once he activated it.

[Starting the countdown.]

[00:05:00.]

[00:04:59:99.]

[00:04:59:98.]

…

Slash, slash, slash―!

Chang-Sun scratched Sangwon’s chest with the [Twilight Spear], but Sangwon still closed in on Chang-Sun as if it did not matter and put on the pressure. Sangwon raised his remaining arm and powerfully swung it downward. Thinking it was too late to dodge the attack, Chang-Sun utilized [False Belief] at its maximum output, gritting his teeth. His shoulders automatically became sturdier as Sangwon struck them.

Boom.

The pain was so horrible that Chang-Sun felt as if every bone in his body would shatter, but he endured it without even groaning. Instead, he raised his foot and stomped the ground.

Thuuud!

[The Authority ‘Landslide’ has been activated, creating fissures in the ground!]

With Chang-Sun’s kick, the earth itself was overturned, covering Chang-Sun and Sangwon in a solid dome. They were both trapped in a narrow space.

Krrr!

Sangwon’s eyes widened as he noticed something was odd, but Chang-Sun was already initiating his next attack.

[The Authority ‘Blood Law’ has been activated, creating a series of explosions!]

Boom, boom, boom―!

Rumble…!

When Sangwon almost shattered Chang-Sun’s shoulders, blood had splattered outward from them; just then, all the blood exploded. With the addition of Chang-Sun’s lightning energy, the damage of the explosions was indescribable. On top of that, since they were in a sealed dome, he and Sangwon took all the heat from the explosions. In a sense, it was a self-destructive technique that could kill Chang-Sun himself, but he trusted [False Belief].

Rumble―!

The dome could not withstand the explosions and collapsed in the end, revealing the interior. Sangwon’s body was so tattered that it was impossible to recognize him. It was no different for Chang-Sun, however. He was so bloody and pale it looked as if he was about to fall to the ground, but his eyes blazed more brilliantly than ever.

[2 minutes, 21 seconds, and 9 milliseconds remaining!]

Chang-Sun drove the [Twilight Spear] into Sangwon’s chest. Lightning sparks flew up from the spear and created a pillar of fire.

[1 minute, 49 seconds, and 92 milliseconds remaining!]

Sangwon recovered again and again. Using all his power, he drove Chang-Sun into a corner.

Boom.

Chang-Sun was catapulted away and slammed against a cliff. Sangwon opened his mouth to devour Chang-Sun.

Crunch.

Just like that, parts of Chang-Sun’s left hip and leg were ripped away.

[58 seconds and 37 milliseconds remaining!]

Both of them were covered with injuries; it was a wonder they had not yet fallen to the ground. Their divine power was already depleted, and they were practically moving based on instinct alone.

[26 seconds and 88 milliseconds remaining!]

Nevertheless, Chang-Sun was sure of his victory. The longer [Despising Weakness] continued, the more destructive attacks he could deliver. Thus, he would be at an even greater advantage as the countdown neared its end.

[14 seconds and 42 milliseconds remaining!]

Of course, the backlash Chang-Sun would suffer after the countdown was bound to be immense, so he would lose unless he could take out Sangwon within the remaining time. What would happen if Chang-Sun died here? He would be annihilated for sure.

[8 seconds and 66 milliseconds remaining!]

However, that did not matter if Chang-Sun could eliminate Sangwon and shove that damned bastard into Abysm…! He was fine with any outcome, as long as he could put Sangwon through the same humiliation he had gone through.

[4 seconds and 73 milliseconds remaining!]

‘No.’

Chang-Sun suddenly changed his mind. His new life was not solely his, as his old lover had given it to him in the distant past to ensure his survival.

‘Ithaca.’

[3 seconds and 6 milliseconds remaining!]

It was not just Ithaca. Xerxes, Kali, Crom Cruach… His friends had passed away while trying to get him his revenge.

[2 seconds and 49 milliseconds remaining!]

He also had Baek Gyeo-Ul, Jin Prezia, Sinmara, Simon Magus, and his other subordinates. He could never leave them and die.

[1 second and 35 milliseconds remaining!]

Thus, Chang-Sun gritted his teeth. He had one second left, and he would bet everything in that single second. Between thinking that he was fine with dying to establishing the will to survive no matter what, the only thing that had changed was his mindset, but his whole perspective transformed as a result.

[66 milliseconds remaining!]

The left side of Sangwon’s neck caught Chang-Sun’s attention. He had cut Sangwon down again and again, but Sangwon continued to recover. Up until then, Chang-Sun had believed that Sangwon was incredibly resilient, but he now had a feeling that was not necessarily the case.

[44 milliseconds remaining!]

The world around Chang-Sun slowed down, and he twisted his torso. Shortly after, the [Twilight Spear] flew forth like a lightning bolt to bring twilight upon Sangwon, living up to its name.

Perhaps Sangwon noticed something, as he retreated backward. That was why Chang-Sun was sure he had found Sangwon’s weakness. That spot had to be Sangwon’s Spiritual Vault, where his soul was.

[22 milliseconds remaining!]

The problem was that the [Twilight Spear] could miss Sangwon as he kept retreating backward. Just a little more… If only the [Twilight Spear] could fly a little faster…!

[11 milliseconds remaining!]

Right at that moment, an idea flashed through Chang-Sun’s mind. The [Secret Darkness Techniques], the special techniques Mephistopheles had given him to train in, consisted of nine chapters, but was that really the end? Despite mastering Atrox Immortálitas, the ninth technique, Chang-Sun still felt as if he was not even close to reaching Mephistopheles’ level.

Besides, Mephistopheles had said that he would actually consider taking Chang-Sun as his student after this. That could mean only one thing. The ninth technique was not the last of the [Secret Darkness Techniques]; there had to be more.

When Chang-Sun came to that realization, he focused all his energy, as well as all the divine power he could squeeze out of his [Cataclysm Heart], into the [Twilight Spear]. His <Darkness>, ice, lightning, and ghost energies blended together and became one ray of light. And then…

‘Go.’ Chang-Sun threw the [Twilight Spear] immediately.

The [Twilight Spear] merged into the ray of light and pierced the world. And at the end of its path...

Crack!

…was the left side of Sangwon’s neck, where his soul’s core lay.

Roooaarr!

Accompanied by the sound of something shattering, Sangwon howled in pain.

Pzzzz―!

His body disintegrated, and the mystery of Indulgence was also torn apart. And then…

Swirl!

Dozens of metal chains struck Sangwon.

[The defendant ‘Tai Wei Yuan’ stands before the court!]

1. This means ‘God wills it’. It was a battle cry used by Christian crusaders.