862
[Chapter 214]
[Battlefield of Myths (5)]
The key to opening the door of myth.
Eun-ha realized when he faced another self in his mental landscape.
In this life.
When was I most deeply imprinted in people's memories?
Now 7 years ago.
When he graduated from the academy.
Eun-ha once came close to death while battling Ye-gyeong.
At that time, people who saw his struggle mistakenly thought he had died.
When he drank an elixir and completely recovered his body, they believed he had resurrected.
I didn't think Eun-ha Faith would be this helpful.
Ilya preached to people that only a god can resurrect from death seeing that sight.
Furthermore, she founded a religious order.
Thus, their belief gathered to Eun-ha.
Myth Manifestation
Revival
In that sense, he had misunderstood about myth.
While manifesting myth a little during Mana Church's Half-Soul Ritual terror, he only thought his myth was simply related to fire.
He was so buried in that thought that it took a long time to find his myth.
But not anymore.
"Resurrection... How can such a myth possibly exist? This doesn't make sense."
"What doesn't make sense? I'm proving it like this."
"People who embodied myth can be said to have accumulated karma to be deeply imprinted in the world. That means there are many people like you who were driven to near-death states and became stronger reviving like legendary heroes. Though Baek Seo-jin doesn't know much about that guy's myth, <Divine Spear>, <Sword Empress>, and <Iron Fortress> all came about like that."
"..."
"But why do only you have the myth of resurrection!? Resurrection should surely be possessed by most beings who embodied myth, so why can only you manifest resurrection?"
"How would I know that?"
Eun-ha was dumbfounded.
As a result of retracing the path he had walked, this was his myth.
But how to answer the question of how that's possible?
It just happened as I walked this path.
But unlike Eun-ha's reaction, Armageddon kept muttering trying to solve the question.
"It can't be, it's impossible. Even I who burned my body and resurrected as a Mine couldn't have the myth of resurrection... Don't tell me you who only experienced near-death, not real death, have the myth of resurrection?"
"You really talk a lot."
"...Kid, let me ask one thing."
"What."
"Tell me honestly. Did you really experience death? I'm asking if you really experienced death to be imprinted in this world and were revived by some method. If not, your myth doesn't make sense."
Armageddon's face was serious.
Eun-ha looked at him quietly.
Did he really experience death where soul and body separated to be imprinted in the world?
Has he actually ended his life?
...There is something that comes to mind.
If this world is an extension of the world before regression.
Eun-ha died before the regression.
Whether that death was imprinted in the world was uncertain.
"Kid, please tell me. Your existence makes me feel scholarly passion."
"Why am I a kid?"
"...Eun-ha, please tell me."
Armageddon begs earnestly.
Eun-ha chuckled.
He had only one answer.
"I won't tell you."
"..."
"Why on earth should I explain in detail what my myth is to an enemy. Isn't that what a battle of myths is?"
"Hah..."
"A battle to dig into each other's myths and neutralize them. So why should I tell you that?"
"For your first time manifesting myth, you know well. Yes, that's correct."
A battle of myths is a clash of ideologies.
He was already familiar with this through <Sword Empress> and Armageddon's battle.
Armageddon summoned hundreds of thousands of troops behind him.
Eun-ha moved his hand and eliminated the hundreds of thousands of troops with the power of flames.
"Your power is extremely strong. No matter how many troops I control, it won't work on you."
Hundreds of thousands of troops disappeared.
Nevertheless, Armageddon wasn't surprised and waved his hand.
Then black mana behind him began to fluctuate.
Dead beings aren't appearing.
Mana that formed the shape of some being was seeping into Armageddon's body.
"But kid, it's really troublesome if you underestimate me. My power isn't originally to control corpses, but this can be said to be it. Souls."
"..."
"If I possess souls, I can become anything. I can inherit their power in this world without filtering. Though I can't handle swords myself, I can handle swords like this."
Armageddon took a stance.
The staff in his hand distorts changing into the form of a sword.
The soul behind him emits aura trying to threaten Eun-ha.
"It's the soul of a man once called <Joseon's Best Sword>. Besides this, I can summon any soul, be it <Sword Master> or whatever."
"..."
"In my world, you can never defeat me. You should have come here with your comrades to defeat me."
"..."
"Kid, one person is strong. But when that one person gathers to become many, they become even stronger. What's the difference between you and me? It's simple. You're alone now, and I have over ten million souls with me."
This is the difference between you and me.
Armageddon chuckled.
Indeed, Eun-ha's fire couldn't eliminate the souls possessing Armageddon.
It's possible if he applied power persistently, but then he'd have to allocate mental strength elsewhere while battling Armageddon.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha stepped towards Armageddon.
He wasn't scared at all.
Because─
Thump thump thump
As long as this heart beats.
He is alive like this here.
And absolutely not alone.
The presence of clan members was clearly felt even in this world.
Gift <Brave >
Clan members are there.
Though not here.
They lend him strength.
☆
After subjugating the 2nd rank Magoo.
Eun-ha roughly understood what his gift was.
My strong feelings about where I aim for are reflected in the gift and exert effects.
That's how it was based on what he understood so far.
Strong wishes, resentment, goals, ideals, etc.
His gift responds to those.
He couldn't know in detail how to define this gift.
Thump thump thump
But it doesn't matter.
Whatever this power is.
In the end, it's power he uses.
Eun-ha avoided flying blades and advanced towards him through subspace.
He swung Zangetsu Kōsei with all his might.
Zangetsu Kōsei
The sword gripped in his left hand disappears.
The sword turned into starlight rushes at Armageddon.
A storm of stars.
Eun-ha waded through that storm preparing his next attack.
Gift <Brave-Beast >
Doppelganger
Since Jung Ha-yang wasn't here, he couldn't connect comrades' gifts with her gift.
Still, he didn't feel disappointed.
He's satisfied with the reality he exists in now.
He exerted Jin Pa-rang's gift.
Whoosh!!
He didn't have monster factors in himself.
But Buldak substitutes for that.
Soon Eun-ha wrapped in crimson flames transformed into a huge phoenix.
He uses doppelganger in that state.
The phoenix splits in two.
The original body Eun-ha released the gift.
Gift <Brave-Beast >
Doppelganger
Once again.
He borrows Ariel's gift.
Grrrr!!
Kang's factor responds.
Blue lightning wraps around Eun-ha.
Eun-ha appeared as a huge liger in blue lightning.
He creates a doppelganger in that state.
Eun-ha regains his original body again.
Besides these─
─Gift <Brave-Ice Flower>
Doppelganger
Eun-ha borrowed clan members' gifts creating doppelgangers possessing their powers.
He didn't worry about mana.
He already occupied half of Armageddon's world.
As long as he's in the crimson world, he and his doppelgangers could exert power without worrying about mana.
"Hahaha! Yes, doppelgangers don't need much control in this world! But do you think I can't respond! I'll show you the power of a person once called this country's best <Archmage > long ago!!"
Over ten doppelgangers.
Eun-ha jumped in simultaneously with them.
They who spread their wings snipe at Armageddon who repelled the storm of starlight.
Armageddon swings his sword.
The soul of <Archmage > exerts power, casting world-class magic.
Magic circles cover the entire world.
Gift <Brave-Resonance >
Eun-ha borrowed Cha Eun-woo's gift, matching wavelengths with the area's mana.
Magic pours down.
Bombardment flying from all directions.
That bombardment didn't injure Eun-ha and the doppelgangers at all.
Magic passes through them.
By matching magic wavelengths, they twisted providence so magic wouldn't recognize them as enemies.
Gift <Brave-Quadruple >
Gift <Brave-Boost >
Eun-ha and the doppelgangers crossed the remaining distance in one breath.
They accelerated subspace using Jo A-ra and Bae Su-bin's gifts.
Even if Armageddon escaped through subspace, it was a speed he couldn't shake off.
Hundred Flowers Scattered
Zangetsu Kōsei
Flower petals and starlight dance.
The world Armageddon condensed to defend against attacks.
Colorful lights caused a huge storm there.
──!!
The world shatters to pieces.
Black mana loses cohesion and scatters melting into crimson flames.
Whoosh!
The world burns fiercely in flames.
Armageddon's myth is crumbling.
The myth of eternal immortality.
However, it's no match for Eun-ha's myth who obtained true immortality.
A clash of ideologies.
A collision of ranks.
Eun-ha held overwhelming superiority in any of them.
"It's troublesome if you misunderstand you've overwhelmed! Even if you obtained a higher rank than me, can you handle myth better than me! Even if my world disintegrates, that's soon a world too!!"
Armageddon blocks with his sword.
Unable to overcome Eun-ha's power and deflected, he fiercely emitted internal mana.
The torn world began to gather towards Armageddon.
The fragmented world pieces each revealed extremely huge presences.
They were rushing at Eun-ha flying towards Armageddon.
Gift <Brave-Environment Sensing>
Eun-ha concentrated his consciousness.
World pieces honed like blades graze by.
Eun-ha borrowed Kaede's gift, avoiding attacks trying to injure him even a little.
Blast Cross
The doppelgangers fired sword strikes.
Crimson sword strikes purify the blades.
When the blade pursuit lessened, Eun-ha soared in one breath.
Myth Manifestation
Magic Way Rules All
"Yes, I acknowledge your power! Noh Eun-ha! You far exceeded my expectations!!!"
The urgency in Armageddon's voice.
Crimson flames were gradually shrinking his world, and world fragments heading towards him almost all burned up.
His spatial dominance is falling.
In the end, he had no choice but to bring out the <Magic King> myth he first embodied.
"In my world, absolutely no one can use magic!"
The myth forming Armageddon's core.
He was cornered.
So Eun-ha didn't shrink back even at the new myth he brought out.
Magic rushes in.
Black mana spreads before his eyes.
In a world where magic can't be used, there's only one thing Eun-ha can do.
Believe in himself.
Gift <Brave-Metabolism >
It feels like his whole body's blood is boiling.
Eun-ha using Son Ga-yeon's gift couldn't control the power.
His vision is pushed back.
He charges through the darkness.
Swords containing flames wade through the darkness.
No light is visible.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha absolutely didn't stop flapping his wings.
Armageddon's world hadn't completely enveloped Eun-ha yet.
There's a gap somewhere.
He must aim for that gap in the myth.
Gift <Brave-Cutting Providence>
Mok Min-ho's gift.
Eun-ha gathered power in his sword blade.
He can't use magic.
Physical attacks absolutely can't cut this darkness.
But what he's cutting isn't darkness.
"...You cut through providence!?"
He splits Armageddon's myth.
The darkness splits.
Beyond that, Armageddon's greatly shaken face was visible.
Eun-ha squeezed out his remaining strength.
He escapes through the darkness.
Eun-ha who entered deep into <Magic King>'s world looked down at Armageddon.
"Eeek...!!"
Armageddon struggles.
He waves his hand.
The dead are revived.
Magic applying debuffs activates.
Bombardment magic falls.
Eun-ha scattered flames.
All attacks touching his body soon touch flames and disappear.
Gift <Brave-Critical >
Almost there.
Armageddon can't block anymore.
He can't escape.
If he escapes this world, it would be over.
He'll be devoured by Eun-ha's myth.
So Armageddon had to settle it in this narrow world.
...Found it.
A world with particularly high density.
All that's visible is pitch black darkness.
But Choi Eun-hyeok's gift finally discovered a crack in the world.
The crack created by <Sword Empress> Hwang Jin-hee.
No─
─Receive salvation in crimson flames.
From the beginning.
Armageddon had no chance of winning.
People's faith gathered to Eun-ha bestowing heat that could melt his world in one breath.
Memories imprinted in the world raised their hands to Eun-ha.
After the Mana Church Half-Soul Ritual terror, Eun-ha obtained a myth that could stand superior to everything related to Mana Church.
Divine Crimson
The god worshipped by Mana Church, Mana God.
<Magic King>'s myth deeply connected to that couldn't surpass Eun-ha's myth.
The two swords in Eun-ha's hands were engulfed in crimson flames.
He swung a huge stream of fire towards him.
"...!!"
Streams of fire crossing in an X.
Crimson streams of fire pierce through Armageddon's body.
Simultaneously, his myth crumbles and is swallowed by fire.
Now Armageddon had to acknowledge.
"You... won."
Armageddon's body burns in fire.
He looks straight at Eun-ha.
"But, kid..."
Armageddon becoming embers and disappearing.
Said smiling painfully.
"You couldn't stop my goal."
Armageddon chuckled.
His gaze turned downwards.
Even as his body disappeared, Armageddon's heart was still beating.
From that heart, as if exhausting its final life, high-density mana spewed out.
Black mana burst like a fountain.
Not burning in the flames Eun-ha raised, it assaults him head-on.
He can't avoid it.
"I've been waiting for this moment. I'll show you the results of my soul research so far."
Armageddon chuckled.
At that moment, Eun-ha's heart reacted.
Gift <Heroic >
The world line splits in two.
He saw the future that would happen in a few seconds.
☆
The future about to unfold.
In that future, Eun-ha couldn't resist Armageddon.
The wish he created just before disappearing pushes out Eun-ha's soul.
He is completely devoured by a power that even his gift can't handle.
His consciousness cuts off just like that.
He dies.
...What should I do?
Eun-ha raised his head from the future.
Armageddon had already become embers and was disappearing.
But the mana that infiltrated Eun-ha's body didn't disappear.
Though he was blocking it by raising flames inside his body, he was barely suppressing it.
Give up, kid.
No matter how much you struggle, you will eventually be consumed by my soul.
A thought echoing in his mind.
Armageddon mocks him.
Eun-ha clicked his tongue.
Whoosh!
Eun-ha's world was crumbling too.
His strength is running out.
Before that, he had to eliminate the mana dwelling in his body.
Armageddon's mana would start eating away at him in earnest once he reclaimed his myth.
Right then─
───!!
The swords in his hands cried out.
Hundred Flowers Scattered and Zangetsu Kōsei.
The two swords were strongly making their existence known to him.
"..."
Eulji-grade artifacts.
Swords made from the Seven Star Sword.
The swords said to cut evil were trying to tell him something.
"Please."
There was no choice.
He decided to trust his instinct.
As the swords wished─
─Hundred Flowers Scattered
Zangetsu Kōsei
Eun-ha thrust the two swords into himself.
The swords piercing his body react, bursting into flower petals and starlight.
The storm raised by the two swords ravages inside Eun-ha's body.
Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!
Wh-What's happening...!!!
A scream echoes inside his body.
Armageddon screamed with a scream he had never made before.
Save me, save meeeeee!!!
Eun-ha closed his eyes to his screams and.
Breathed all his remaining mana into the swords that disappeared into his body.
And so─
─........
Armageddon's mana disappears and.
The crimson world returns to normal.