Episode 1003 Continent (4)
thud!
The cross-section of the lake, split in half, was indescribably clean. There were no protruding parts. And so, they collided vertically and harmoniously with the waterlogged ground.
“Phew…… Phew…….”
Mauler breathed while kneeling on one knee. He squeezed his muscles to stop the bleeding, but it was difficult to move immediately because his internal organs had been severed more than twice.His body was slowly beginning to fail him, but he actually felt relieved.
Mauler liked the scenery where a torrent of power, which humans who could not reach transcendence could only look up to, had completely changed the terrain.
This is the transcendent.This is truly a bloody battle between transcendents.
Mauler took pride more than anyone in the fact that he was a transcendent being.
“Your resistance… is quite something. More than I thought.”“Compared to my Lord’s magic.”
Adrian grabbed the scattered lightsaber and struck the ground with the tip. His weight was put into the blade. His shadow rose.
“Your punches are infinitely light.”“You little brat, that’s a provocation.”
Recalling the moment he had been tormented by dark red magic, Mauler gathered his saliva and spat it out. The massive gauntlet, its finger joints creaking.Taking a deep step, Mauler surged forward at almost the same speed as before.
Adrian closed his eyes there and gripped the light sword with both hands.
Indeed… what a brute body.
Even if the homeostasis is similar, there is quite a difference in resistance. Unless a fatal wound is inflicted, it would be impossible to stop something like a runaway airship.
That is why it must be destroyed head-on.
If Adrian focuses on defense and evasion, Mauler will have the luxury of doing the same. Even if he gains the upper hand in speed, he will only sustain more scratches.That way, it is absolutely impossible to force a defeat from Mauler.
Devote all nerves to the attack.
However, faster.
It is to deliver the full strike of the light sword without considering a follow-up attack. That is the only way to inflict damage that far exceeds Mauler’s physical resistance.
Willingly… … enter the line of death.
Crunch!
The lightsaber, accelerated with lightning speed, shattered Mauler’s armor and slammed into his collarbone. The sensation of bone splitting and catching cracked as it flowed through his fingertips.As a consequence of completely disregarding his defenses, a merciless punch landed near his neck.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Adrian, slumped against the lake wall, clutched his neck with veins bulging. He nearly broke his neck, but…At the same time, blood gushed from Mauler’s left shoulder, where the lightsaber had vanished.
Mauler twitched the corners of his mouth.
“Are you suggesting we die together?”“We might both die.”
Adrian stood up, staggering while leaning his back against the cliff.
“But whatever happens, my sword will surely reach first.”
Mauler’s strength and skill might end Adrian’s breath in an instant. However, for that to happen, Mauler must absolutely withstand his single sword strike.
It was a different situation from when he was defeated after engaging in a constant slugfest with the King of Water.
If he dropped his rigid stance to counterattack with all his might, his head could be severed in an instant. When speed is added to that sharpness, resistance becomes futile.To kill him, Mauler would essentially have to risk his own death. Are you prepared to accept the life-or-death struggle that Adrian is forcing upon you?
thud!
The gauntlets clashed against each other.
“True to a transcendent being.”
The energy of the light blue, heavily depleted by the fierce battle, surged. As if in response, purple energy concentrated on the blade of the light sword.
It was a prelude to the transcendent period.
As the earthquake struck, the lake water pooled on the surface soon fell underground, anda fleeting waterfall split the two.
Kwag
The ultra-high density of energy stole the light. Having effectively become the radiance of energy, they clashed in madness, leaving behind afterimages of afterimages.
Using the cliffs and the empty space as stepping stones, he soared into the sky visible through the gap in the cliff.
Although the gauntlet was severed midway, the endlessly linked fists and legs destroyed Adrian’s muscles, crushed his internal organs, and shattered his dislocated bones.
and.
The ceaseless barrage of sword energy left deep wounds all over Mauler’s body before that.
The moment I back down even an inch, it’s over… … .
This speed.This sense of crisis.This pain.This fierce battle.This bloodlust.
This endless sense of exhilaration.
An intense consciousness stirred. Unbeknownst to me, my waning grip tightened on the light sword, and my sky-blue eyes grew even more vivid.
Adrian, having entered a state of ecstasy beyond physical limits and becoming one with his sword, immersed himself in the world that changed moment by moment.
‘This bastard… … his demeanor suddenly changed in a strange way.’
As if something were wrong with his mind, he didn’t close his eyes at all, even when struck squarely. His dilated pupils glared at Mauler with an unceasing, persistent gaze.It felt like encountering a beast acting on instinct, its reason completely gone.
Boom!
Mauler, sensing that something had changed in Adrian, twisted his waist once again. Whatever it was, there was no turning back.
Until one of the two falls.
Adrian’s light sword sliced through Mauler’s ribs and passed through his lung, and Maula’s elbow, swung diagonally, struck Adrian’s shoulder.
Kagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagang!
As if pouring out their last ounce of strength… performing hundreds of exchanges, the moment they reached a four-digit number, the two emerged from the cliff.Silence descended.From the ground where the foundation had collapsed, the final punches and sword strikes flew in.
Who would dare be above me?
Supreme
A transcendental technique that overwhelms even the majestic Mount Tai.
If struck, even a transcendent being will be shattered into pieces before their homeostasis can exert its power.
An indescribable pressure blocked all of Adrian’s escape routes, and Mauler’s next most powerful blow struck right before his eyes like a massive rockfall.
Cut down the sky.
Adrian threw himself toward the transcendental energy without hesitation.
The light sword [Silendar] pulsated.
Following the grain of the transcendental energy, a purple sword mark etched a curved afterglow. The afterglow did not vanish but lingered in place.Adrian, whose will had awakened, was already seeing a world different from Mauler’s.
A flash of energy flashed.
────────────!
Adrian and Mauler crossed paths for a moment. Adrian knelt on one knee. The light sword, which had been in the lower left corner, stopped in the middle right corner.Adrian bowed his head halfway. His blade reflected the sunlight, shimmering like an aurora.
Crack.
Sword streaks bloom in the air.
During the fierce battle, from every void Adrian’s sword energy had slashed, countless traces of sword energy manifested and took over the area. Asif with a clear will, they erupted with a roar like shattering glass and simultaneously enveloped the space surrounding Mauler.
At the extreme of disconnection, the world multiplies.
Transcendence.
Myriad realms
A divided sky.The world is shattered.
* * *
The world, which had branched out into many directions, is gradually being restored.
Kuu
In the aftermath of the conflict between the transcendental eras, the lush mountain range was destroyed and turned into part of the earth, and the small lake, which was as beautiful as a mirror, dried up and became desolate.
Some of the crustal faults were displaced.
The lake cliffs, rising in two, could not withstand the impact and tilted and collapsed.As the thick dust rising all around dissipated, the ruined landscape, crumbling into the debris of large and small rocks, was revealed.
“…….”
Mauler lay sprawled on the blood-stained rock, his eyes dimmed.His entire body was mutilated.Through the cracked skin and muscles, something that should not have been seen was visible.
It was a wound where it would not have been surprising if he had not been a transcendent being, having died hundreds of times over long ago. The star was holding Mauler’s life captive.
Srrrr.
The lightsaber aimed at Mauler’s neck, emitting a fierce metallic clang. Adrian, pressing down firmly on Mauler’s upper chest with his knee, held the sword in a reverse grip.
Move.
If you put your weight into it, Mauler’s weakened body will be pierced without much resistance.
If you are confident you can survive even without a head.
Adrian was far from normal, with a disfigured shoulder and the like, yet his will was as sharp as a freshly forged blade.A sensation as if my skin were being cut, even though I hadn’t been wounded by a sword, flashed through my mind .
Cough, cough!
Mauler spat out a handful of blood, breathed heavily, and tilted his eyes.
The two met each other’s eyes.
‘… … !’
Adrian flinched at a chilling and intimidating strange presence. Mauler twitched the corners of his eyes. The bizarre presence vanished as quickly as a dream.It seemed as though Mauler’s eye color had changed, but upon closer inspection, it remained the same.
“Yeah, this must be… the limit of a transcendent being like me. Tsk.”
Mauler clicked his tongue and relaxed his body.
I will join the Alliance.
Because of his strong pride, he did not rule out the possibility that he would rather choose death, but Mauler admitted to de facto defeat.
The outcome was finally decided.
“Welcome to the Alliance.”
Adrian slowly sheathed his lightsaber. Having dismounted from Mauler’s body, he, too, relaxed and slumped to the ground. A deep sense of exhaustion surged through him like a tidal wave.
“hey.”
Mauler rolled his eyes while lying on the ground.
“What was that just now?”“……I don’t know.”
Adrian stared at his torn palm through his broken glove.
I don’t know either.
It felt as if it had transcended the realm that the physical body could embody… …It seemed to reflect Adrian’s instincts, materializing not only actions but also intangible will. It was a sensation that was clear yet vague, though it has now vanished.
It is probably a fragment of the next level.
Adrian retold in his mind the moment of the Second Transcendence, *Man-gye*, which he had instinctively manifested as a derivative of the single Transcendence, *Gye-rye*.Catching his breath and reviewing the battle, he rummaged through his waistband.
The space bag my lord gave me is a mess.
The storage bag kept inside the armor-type artifact [Shadow Spider] was damaged. If handled roughly, it would soon lose its functionality.
He took out two bottles of Lisandro’s fruit potion and threw one of them next to Mauler’s head.
“Drink.”“Do you think a mere potion will do?”“Shut up and drink.”
Mauler spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and gulped down the potion with trembling hands. Of course, the one provided to him was low in concentration.It would be convenient in many ways if he could run on his own. He had absolutely no intention of carrying Mauler on his back.
Gulp.
Adrian treated his fatal and severe injuries by taking portions of the potion. After confirming that his broken shoulder had healed, he spoke.It was because there was one thing he was truly curious about to Mauler right now.
“But why did you suddenly head south from Delharun to the Kingdom of Ronia? There’s no way Eon’s movements reached your ears.”“You short-sighted bastard.”
Mauler sat up, observing the amazing effects of the potion.
“Do you think you’re the only ones who have encroached on the territory?”
It was then.
“Are you perhaps talking about me?”“……!”
Adrian and Mauler turned their heads at the sudden appearance of a presence. A beautiful woman in a dark red uniform was right there.They had missed the sound.Adrian instinctively sensed that something was amiss and immediately picked up his lightsaber.
“That’s strange. It wasn’t exactly quiet, but it moved fairly quietly in its own way. Well, whatever.”
The woman clapped for the two people.
“It was a fierce fight. My blood was boiling so much I almost barged in halfway through. Honestly, I thought one of them was going to die. Hehe, as an audience member, there is almost no greater pleasure than this.”“Who… are you?”“Above all, I saw something fascinating.”
The woman’s sharp gaze curved into an arc as she looked at Adrian. Soon, she drew the sacred sword of the Kingdom of Ronia.
Hisril del Roharun.
Empress – Hisril revealed her name.
“I’m sorry to bother you when I’m exhausted, but you guys are a hindrance. So you’ll have to stay with me.”“You crazy bitch.”
Mauler held his breath, bent his toes, and shot out like a cannonball. The figure of Hisril, who had been waiting leisurely, became blurred.A graze punch.Seizing the distance in an instant, Hisril struck Mauler’s solar plexus, neck, and temples with his knees, elbows, and the hilt of his sacred sword.
……thud.
Mauler collapsed.He didn’t budge.He had completely lost consciousness.
Even though he was exhausted, Mauler was subdued so helplessly. As a transcendent being, he was a fighter of at least equal or greater skill.
“one.”
As soon as he took down Mauler, he kicked off the ground on all fours and charged like a beast. He was not a match for someone who could handle him while tending to their injuries.In response, Adrian gritted his teeth and accelerated recklessly.
Ss
An unseen, swift, and fierce technique naturally twisted the path of the light sword. A shadow fell behind Adrian as he sliced through the air.
“two.”
The tip of the hilt struck the nape of his neck.Everything went blurry.Adrian staggered, slammed his head into the ground, and lost consciousness. The lightsaber slipped from his hand and lay sprawled on the rocks.
“You were so immersed earlier that you entered a state of awakening, yet as expected, you don’t seem to realize it yourself. This isn’t the skill of a transcendent being who instinctively grasped the true meaning. Either you know how to awaken, or you don’t know at all. It’s usually one or the other. Hmm, was there some intermediate state I wasn’t aware of?”
Hisril approached the fallen Adrian and crouched down.
“What a strange transcendent being.”
A beautiful finger poked Adrian’s cheek.
How interesting.
* * *
He was helpless against Hisril’s intervention immediately after finishing a fierce battle with Mauler.After that, he had to spend his time imprisoned.
Well, that’s how it turned out.
Adrian finished explaining the situation that had taken place in the southern part of the Eastern Continent.He omitted the very minute details. Hementioned only briefly things like Mauler, victory and defeat, and Histhril. Of course, the resurrection of ancient transcendent beings like Histhril had already been conveyed long ago.
“How long has it been since you became a Transcendent?”“Not long.”“But you defeated Gareth. He went into hiding for a while after being defeated by the Beast King, but his skill is undeniable. Besides, to think he would concede… Did he have a major change of heart during his seclusion? Judging by his antics at the World Conference, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
Yurion crossed his arms and reflected on Mauler’s usual behavior.Adrian shared similar thoughts with Yurion.
There were some parts that felt a bit off.
Adrian had definitely subdued Mauler. If he had wanted to, he would have easily killed him by now. It was an undeniable result.
However, Adrian, who could not ignore the unknown presence emanating from Mauler in an instant as a misunderstanding, kept feeling uneasy.
Bendie said.
“We had no choice but to bring Mauler in to serve as a force for the Alliance of Transcendents, but as everyone knows, his nature is violent. We will need to keep a close watch on him at all times.”“What if he pulls a stunt?”“If that crosses the line……..”
Bendie tilted her head and slit her throat with an expressionless face. Among the current transcendents of the martial arts world, she had faced the most transcendents and had never been defeated even once in her life.
“Since he made a promise as a transcendent being, surely he wouldn’t do something that warrants it. If necessary, I can always restrict his actions later through a covenant.”
Yurion continued speaking.
“Moreover, if you’ve already reached that level, you’ll eventually reach Bendie. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t you?”“Maybe.”
Bendy looked up at Adrian’s profile with a peculiar gaze. Adrian felt inexplicably uncomfortable under that look.
“By the way, was anything unusual when you were imprisoned with Mauler? She is the Blood Empress, after all.”“As I said, she had no intention of killing us. She even brought us food one by one. Other than that, nothing in particular…”
Adrian suddenly recalled the sensation of the tongue and lips that had been forcibly injected.Could there be an experience more humiliating than that?
“Nothing happened.”“Is that so?”“Nothing happened.”
Adrian emphasized it once again and immediately took the lead.
“Let’s hurry, my lord might be waiting.”
* * *
Gring Arcanum was silent.
The host’s view was obscured.
It seemed that while he enjoyed voyeuristically watching others, he disliked being subjected to it.An Apostle of Destiny under ‘you’. Although it is unknown which Apostle the Host is, he was an ancient being as dangerous as the first king or an ancient king of the human world.
Perhaps it held a meaning beyond them.
Unlike the other Apostles, Host did not display blind faith toward ‘you.’ This was evident simply from the fact that he provided information to Verden, the Destroyer of Fate.He showed a demeanor completely opposite to the extreme murderous intent displayed by the First King of the Human World.
If you’re lucky, you might be able to uncover a very important secret of the world from the host.
Arcadium.
Verden felt the same way, hoping for a banquet of knowledge to take place. If he closed and opened his eyes a few times, the time to head to the deep sea would approach.
Verden, having looked around the Transcendent Alliance outpost guided by Enette, confirmed familiar faces and checked the state of their core forces.He entered the small city within the outpost and stepped into the reception room.
Not long after, I came face-to-face with the transcendents staying here.
Bendie Kaenar.Yurion Hairos.Adrian Chambers.
After exchanging brief greetings and checking each other’s faces, we sat around the table.
“Adrian, how are you?”“We will be able to recover our strength before their messenger arrives, my lord.”“That is a relief.”
Verden straightened his head after confirming Adrian’s well-being first.
“Then, let’s cut to the chase and get straight to the point. You must have heard about the unpleasant incident that recently occurred between Eon and the Ruas Theocracy.”“Hmm, I did.”
Yurion tapped the table.
“A saint who murdered the King of Ronia… I understand the revenge, but…”“It wasn’t an act worthy of a divine being representing the Ruas religion. However, war is imminent. The Ruas Theocracy is a force particularly strong against the undead.”
Bendia asks.
“Excessive retaliation will lead to division.”“I suppose so.”
Verden nodded.
“However, we cannot let this end at a moderate level. The Ruas Theocracy has remained at the top for a long time and refuses to yield to other forces, so such an overreach of authority might occur again. That is the nature of authority.”“Still, major friction will result from a weakening of military strength…”“I see this as a good opportunity.”
……opportunity?
Yurion blinked and asked back.
“An opportunity? What kind of good opportunity?”“The Luas Cult is undeniably a force of the Transcendents. The Luas Theocracy was part of the Continental Alliance in the past, and the Divine Beings were directly involved in the War of the Transcendents. They are more than qualified to join this Alliance of the Transcendents.”
Verden put emphasis on his tone.
“At the summit, we will place the Ruas Theocracy under the Alliance.”“A world religion…?”“Of course, we have no intention of taking full authority. Part of it will suffice.”
Adrian was also speechless, just like the other two, as this was the first time he was hearing such news. Throughout the ages, no force had ever held the Luas religion under its control.
Bendie realized that this was not Verden’s ultimate goal.
“What do you want?”“Influence.”
Verden’s blue eyes flickered. It was the gaze of a god, not a transcendent being.
We will replace the influence that world religions exert on the continent.
