892

[Chapter 222]

[A Handful of Light (2)]

A few days before the subjugation operation.

Eun-ha heard the news that Ryu Yeon-hwa had manifested a myth and left the training ground.

That would mean the previous generation <Divine Spear> Nam Gung Seong-un had also left the training room.

To understand Baek Seo-jin's fighting style, it would be better to ask father-in-law.

Eun-ha went down to the training ground.

The two were still in the training ground.

"Ah, Eun-ha."

"I heard training was over? Looking at your face, it seems you achieved satisfactory results."

"Yes, it's all thanks to Master."

Ryu Yeon-hwa's face brightened as soon as she saw Eun-ha.

Eun-ha exchanged eye smiles and carefully examined their condition. There was an aura emanating from their bodies.

Something that could be called presence.

Ryu Yeon-hwa's presence, seen after a few days, had something more attractive than before.

From the start, he could tell she had achieved considerable results just by looking at her face.

On the other hand, Nam Gung Seong-un looked haggard.

"...Father-in-law, are you alright?"

"Hoho, I guess I've gotten old too. Son-in-law, if you came down to spar with me, how about doing it tomorrow? Right now my body isn't feeling well..."

Passing on a myth.

Eun-ha didn't know exactly what that meant, but he could guess to some extent.

The meaning of passing on one's achievements in this world to another person would be passing on one's existence.

As a result, Nam Gung Seong-un's presence felt smaller than before.

He seemed to have lost a lot of strength after passing on his myth to Ryu Yeon-hwa.

Eun-ha quickly supported him.

"I'll ask for a spar later when you've recovered. It must be hard to even walk, I'll escort you to your room."

"Hoho, I've got a good son-in-law. Alright, then I'll trouble you."

"I'll help too."

Nam Gung Seong-un entrusted his body.

Ryu Yeon-hwa also assisted Eun-ha.

Nam Gung Seong-un smiled bitterly as he received their support.

"Now the meaning has changed and <The Seed> has come to mean disciple, but originally it was created to pass on a myth to one's disciple. To pass on a myth, it's best to give it to someone who has lived a similar life, for compatibility."

"...So Father-in-law's myth could only be passed on to Yeon-hwa."

"That's right. And according to Seong-jin's research, the power of a myth can only grow stronger if it's passed on like that for a long time. That's why he would often talk about maintaining the lineage of myths."

<Index > Yoon Seong-jin.

Nam Gung Seong-un seemed lost in memories as he talked about him.

He continued talking as if telling them to just listen.

"On the other hand, Jun said myths should no longer exist in this world. He thought that leaving the existence of myths in the rebuilt world would become seeds of conflict again, aside from the backlash. He thought that to create a peaceful world, human civilization should return to the state before using mana." "Is that so?"

"He said what's truly needed in a world where people live with people is mutual understanding, not physical power. So he argued that players should be thoroughly managed to prevent conflicts from occurring. In that aspect... he agreed with Baek Seo-jin."

And thus myths were sealed.

As players went through generations, they became stronger than previous generations but couldn't reach the truth.

As a result, Baek Seo-jin rose to a position no one else could reach.

Now there's only one person who can stop his solo run, he said.

Nam Gung Seong-un spoke as if self-deprecating.

He turned his head to Eun-ha.

"Son-in-law, it's you."

"..."

"My myth is collapsing, and now that I've passed it on to Yeon-hwa, I can no longer manifest a myth. So now the only people who can manifest myths are you and Yeon-hwa."

Only a myth can face a myth.

The words Eun-ha heard from <Sword Empress> Hwang Jin-hee also came from Nam Gung Seong-un's mouth.

He added.

"Among them, your myth is very special. You raised the rank of your myth by one level by defeating Armageddon's myth. Probably the only person in this country with a myth of higher rank than even living myths is you."

That means only Eun-ha can face Baek Seo-jin.

This is something even Ryu Yeon-hwa, who received Nam Gung Seong-un's myth, can't take on.

Eun-ha's myth was that special.

However─

"─Be careful of Baek Seo-jin's myth."

Baek Seo-jin's myth couldn't be considered lacking in rank either.

Nam Gung Seong-un warned.

"Even living myths don't perfectly know what ideals each other's myths are made of. Among them, almost nothing is known about Baek Seo-jin's myth."

<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

Even Nam Gung Seong-un didn't know much about Baek Seo-jin's myth.

In a battle between myths, not knowing the opponent's myth becomes a fatal flaw.

So he was telling Eun-ha what he knew about Baek Seo-jin's myth.

And he warned again.

"Considering the life Baek Seo-jin has lived so far, if my thoughts are correct, you should be careful of his myth. Even if your myth has a high rank, it might become useless before his myth." "..."

"So what you need to keep in mind for that time is... this."

"The heart?"

Nam Gung Seong-un pointed at his chest.

Eun-ha tilted his head.

Then he shook his head.

"No. The body, the flesh."

"..."

"Not the achievements that brought me to this place, but the body where all life experiences are melted in."

Humans manifest myths and become gods.

But it's absurd to become a god with a human body.

They don't reach complete godhood.

After all, they're still human.

So─

"─In the end, the battle of humans who couldn't become gods isn't about who's closer to being a god, but victory is decided by who has reached the extreme as a human."

"..."

"A healthy mind comes from a healthy body. Remember that all fundamentals lie in that body."

Paradoxically.

The battle between myths is decided by who is stronger as a human.

Eun-ha decided to remember those words.

☆

Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, Baek Seo-jin's secret chamber.

The battle between players and Slayers was tilting in favor of the players.

It was natural.

Players backed by the state could receive full support.

On the other hand, Slayers had to fight only with the resources in the secret chamber.

The longer time passed, the more disadvantageous it became for the Slayers.

"Hmm, no matter how you call it a geomantic formation, in the end it's just a type of barrier. As it's magic that repels people's footsteps, how could it repel wind?"

Moreover, the geomantic formations that were supposed to be barriers for the Slayers weren't properly effective against the players.

This was because <Operator > Jeong Ha-yang was excelling at disabling the intertwined traps.

With other navigators joining in, even the geomantic formations couldn't avoid being dismantled.

Not only that, but the players' side also had <Wind Mage> Chae Seon-woo.

He, who could freely control wind, sent wind first into areas where players hadn't entered to check the formations installed there.

Then if he could break them with wind, he would do so on the spot, and if not possible, he would pass it to Jeong Ha-yang.

"The speed at which the secret chamber is being conquered is faster than I thought... At this rate, we'll be defeated by them before that person captures the Fairy."

To this, Mastema analyzed the situation and fell into thought.

In fact, the battle taking place here didn't exert a critical influence on the battle betting the nation's fate.

The battle happening in Seoul.

The situation would be decided by the outcome of the battle between Baek Seo-jin and Noh Eun-ha, and who supports the Fairy.

Even if the Slayers lose, if Baek Seo-jin captures the Fairy and broadcasts nationwide using her as a hostage, the players would have no choice but to kneel for her survival.

So the Slayers had to hold the players' feet here in battle, to buy time for Baek Seo-jin to capture the Fairy.

"Should we move at this point?"

In that sense, Mastema's strategy was as good as half successful.

The elite forces that the Mana Management Organization could deploy had come down to Changwon.

They were in a situation where it was hard to escape after stepping deep into the geomantic formations.

Then what if we open a subspace here and escape with the Slayers to another place?

The elite forces would be isolated here.

Meanwhile, we could go up to Seoul to help that person, or cause terror in other places to draw their attention.

We can abandon the Slayers fighting the players.

Anyway, the moment Baek Seo-jin becomes king, all darkness is bound to follow him.

That's the nature of darkness.

They might even welcome it.

Not just darkness.

In the case of people keen on profits and losses, they might side with Baek Seo-jin.

In other words, the Slayers here were no different from replaceable troops.

So Mastema was about to take the Slayers by his side and move to a suitable place.

It was then─

─The subspace won't open?

Mastema encountered a completely unexpected situation.

He couldn't open a subspace.

The mana dissolved in the atmosphere wouldn't move at all.

His subspace magic needed the mana in the atmosphere and his body to respond to each other to open, but that was blocked.

"We couldn't have not anticipated that you would escape like that. After all the trouble we went through to come here, did you think we'd let you do that?"

<Witch of Time> Precise Memory.

She had analyzed Mastema's magic and stopped the mana dissolved in the area to block subspaces.

Magic only she was capable of.

She smiled gently, her blonde hair swaying.

"As long as I'm here, you won't be able to use magic related to time and space from now on."

She struck the ground with her stone staff.

Mastema clicked his tongue and tried to counter her while retreating.

Right then─

"─It's upsetting to leave me out! Where are you ignoring me?" "...!!"

<Azure Wind> Jin Pa-rang.

He fell from a tree.

An unexpected surprise attack.

He swung the claw in his hand with all his might, wounding Mastema's chest.

Just then, a woman revealed herself from the bushes.

"I'll join in too!"

Twelve Seat <Summoner > Kang Ye-sol.

She drew in the air with her staff.

While Precise Memory's magic was completed and bound Mastema, Kang Ye-sol's summoning magic activated.

"If it's a being that suits the forest, it's a rabbit. How about being crushed by a max level rabbit?"

She giggled, wearing glasses.

Right after, a summoning circle appeared behind her and a giant rabbit walked out.

A summon created by her imagination.

The rabbit named "Max Level Rabbit" with a strange name leaped up.

Squeak!!

That rabbit squashed Mastema.

It was truly a humiliating attack.

☆

Mana Management Organization headquarters.

The battle between players and Slayers could be called a siege battle.

It could be said to be a battle between players defending the Fairy and Slayers trying to abduct the Fairy.

Thunder Step

Rain Step

They all fought fiercely without giving an inch.

Moreover, the battle between Eun-ha and Baek Seo-jin representing each force was even more intense.

No one dared to intervene in their battle.

It was that hard to follow their movements.

Every time you blinked, their positions changed, as if they were teleporting.

Blaze Crasher

Lightning Crasher

Eun-ha deflected Baek Seo-jin's sword and stepped back.

His sword flashed with light.

The Dawn Sword was enveloped in crimson flames, and the Twilight Sword was wrapped in blue lightning.

Eun-ha immediately kicked off the ground.

Using Thunder Step, he appeared behind Baek Seo-jin and swung his sword strike.

──!!

Baek Seo-jin responded quickly.

He blocked Eun-ha's attack with the two swords in his hands.

A battle of two-sword styles.

But as time passed, the one being pushed back was Baek Seo-jin.

Eun-ha pressed on just like that.

Rain Step

Moon Dance

Baek Seo-jin narrowly dodges.

After deflecting Eun-ha's sword strike, he immediately stepped on Jinggak and escaped.

Just like Eun-ha had attacked earlier, Baek Seo-jin appeared behind him and swung his sword.

A combo using two swords.

Eun-ha stepped back while looking for a gap to enter his range.

He quickly dug in between the gaps of attacks.

Ignis Dance

Blue electric current and crimson flames ignite.

Particles of different colors surge.

Eun-ha showed Moon Dance reestablished in his own style.

Ting!

Baek Seo-jin changed the rhythm.

He blocked the incoming attack after changing the trajectory of his attack.

Darkness imbued in the blade scattered like embers falling off.

It writhed as if alive.

──!!

Blue electric current and crimson flames.

And the collision of darkness.

This time too, there was no conclusion.

Eun-ha's blade only grazed near Baek Seo-jin's arm.

The two clashed without rest and jumped in different directions.

King of Hundred Poisons

Baek Seo-jin's cloak fluttered.

He threw the hidden weapons he had been concealing.

Dozens of hidden weapons.

The hidden weapons floating in the air flew towards Eun-ha.

"Kuk...!"

Eun-ha ignited flames.

The hidden weapons lost momentum and fell.

But some didn't succumb to the flames and grazed his body.

The hidden weapons were coated with poison.

Eun-ha gritted his teeth while enduring the stinging pain.

The pain was gradually intensifying.

Eun-ha drew up his internal mana.

Violent Venom

A principle writhed inside his body.

The principle destroyed that poison.

Eun-ha didn't just leave it to the principle, but directly ignited fire inside his body.

Whoosh!

His body was enveloped in crimson flames, burning away the poisons.

Baek Seo-jin marveled at that sight.

"I knew you had resistance to poison, but to think you'd overcome even these poisons. Among them was even the poison of a 3rd rank overrank Basilisk, truly amazing."

"Too bad for you. Poison doesn't work on me."

Eun-ha sneered.

He suddenly opened a subspace in the direction of the Dawn Sword.

"Then it's your turn now. Why don't you try taking it too?"

Violent Venom

Eun-ha launched a sword strike into the subspace.

Right after, he opened a new subspace near where Baek Seo-jin was.

The sword strike attacked him.

Baek Seo-jin couldn't dodge.

Clank!!

Because Eun-ha had grabbed Baek Seo-jin's ankle with an iron chain.

The sword strike grazed his side.

"Kuk...!! Ugh...!!"

The effect of Violent Venom takes action.

A poison that causes sepsis.

The blood rots, and that blood spreads throughout the body, contaminating it.

Baek Seo-jin coughed up blood.

"This, this poison..."

He probably never experienced it before.

The only person who knew about that poison in detail was Eun-ha himself.

Eun-ha didn't wait for Baek Seo-jin to manifest internal mana to prevent the deadly poison from spreading.

Clank!!

"...!!"

He pulls the iron chain.

Baek Seo-jin is dragged.

He tries to step on Rain Step, but the poison was ravaging his body.

He failed to activate Rain Step.

And Eun-ha didn't miss the opportunity and struck again.

Beast Transformation

Liger Blaster

Boom!!

He fires condensed lightning.

Blue electric current engulfs him.

☆

"Fighting directly... I see. You really are... cough, strong."

What seemed like an even match was brief.

As time passed, Baek Seo-jin couldn't respond to Eun-ha's skills.

He barely gained resistance to the poison and blocked Eun-ha's attacks.

In the end, he was driven to the state of having to bring out fragments of his myth.

"But it's as expected. How could I, with an old body, match you, the representative of the golden generation?"

Darkness spreading from Baek Seo-jin's center.

He was recovering his body after draping myth over a space about three steps wide.

He was even getting younger, as if returning to his prime.

"Anyway, you probably expected it too. The fight between you and me isn't like this, but a battle between myths."

He raised the corners of his mouth.

Eun-ha glared at him as he gradually took control of the space.

Eun-ha knew too.

It was just a preliminary skirmish.

Now the real battle would begin.

"Stop talking and bring it out."

Eun-ha also concentrated his consciousness.

Embers flowed out from his body.

Crimson embers encroached on his surroundings, creating an independent world.

Whoosh!!

The speed at which the flames spread was fast.

The area was enveloped in crimson flames.

Now Eun-ha engraved his ideology into the world he created.

He declared to the world.

Myth Manifestation

Revival

The completion of the myth.

Eun-ha's hair turns red.

Flames bloom in his pupils.

Players who entered his world don cloaks of flame on their shoulders.

Eun-ha became their monarch and set his eyes on the enemies right before him.

"A myth of revival, how amazing. I'm surprised how you embodied such a myth. You're not the only one who experienced near-death states."

Baek Seo-jin spoke calmly.

The speed at which darkness spread from his center was extremely slow.

Writhe writhe, writhe writhe.

Darkness shaped like tentacles expands, forming a world.

High-density darkness encroaches on space, dyeing everything.

Soon his ideology resounded.

As the world was born from darkness in the beginning, all things in the world have their roots in darkness.

The ideology is engraved.

From that moment, the high-density darkness spread explosively.

Jet black, as if made by mixing all kinds of paint, paints over everything existing in the world.

Slayers who stepped into his world disappear without a trace.

I am the king who looks down on the world while keeping that darkness under my feet.

Eun-ha opened his eyes wide.

Baek Seo-jin's myth was covering even his myth in jet black.

It was useless even if Eun-ha tried to resist that power.

For some reason, his myth couldn't properly resist and was being sucked into Baek Seo-jin's myth.

"Eun-ha!!"

""""...!!""""

Not just Eun-ha's myth.

Even the people inside Eun-ha's myth disappeared without a trace.

Eun-ha tried to grab Noh Eun-ah, but she was erased as if painted over.

Before he knew it, Eun-ha was standing alone in a black world.

No, he wasn't alone.

Baek Seo-jin was there in front.

Myth Manifestation

Root of Darkness

Baek Seo-jin's myth was completed.

There was no particular change in his armament standing in the darkness.

He just became younger to his prime, and the armament destroyed in the previous battle was restored.

"Your myth is certainly amazing. Probably no myth surpasses yours in terms of rank."

"..."

"Except for me."

Baek Seo-jin opened his mouth.

Eun-ha, who couldn't manifest his myth, silently turned his gaze to him.

"As long as you're in this country, no one can have a higher rank than my myth. That's natural. Because─"

Baek Seo-jin shrugged his shoulders.

He continued speaking while looking at Eun-ha.

"─This country was built on darkness, and I am like a king who oversees that darkness. Thinking about it, isn't it very natural? How do you think you, Eun-ha, you all could be born and live until now in this country? It's because this country existed."

In other words.

Everything you've achieved in the country I created is ultimately rooted in darkness.

Baek Seo-jin explained calmly.

"It's only natural that you, born in a country encroached by darkness, can't stand above me."

Only limited to this country.

Baek Seo-jin's myth has superiority over any myth.

That was the myth Baek Seo-jin had achieved over decades.