Part 2, Episode 241.
Master of the throne
They were the masters of the territories ruled by each throne.
With the master’s authority, one could look into the place where the throne existed at any time.
-Hmm…
The Dragon King, Drakar Bahargon, was also like that.
Befitting the owner of the first throne, ‘Bahargon’, he was clearly looking into the cave where Dohyeon and Archeon were fighting.
However, his expression was not at all convincing.
Bang! Crash!
Whoosh, —!
Dohyeon fiercely swinging his sword, and Archeon relentlessly attacking.
It could never be called an equal fight.
It is merely a desperate resistance from a man struggling not to be pushed back.
… … I guess it’s not going to work after all.
The Dragon King, Drakar Bahargon, let out a low sigh as he watched the desperate struggle.
-Kasiyar… … My friend, was the author truly the best choice?
Who is Kasiyar?
A time when humanity was strong enough to be the owner of the fifth throne, which had been vacant for the longest period.
The Golden Generation, where the greatest powerhouses of all time, such as King Wu, emerged.
Even amidst that, he was the strongest man who would never appear again in history.
It was a strength that even I could not fathom.
It was only during the war with the gods that I was finally able to grasp his true worth, which I had always seen only in fragments.
Even though a thousand years have passed, it is still vivid in my memory.
Archeon, he was the first human chosen by such a Kasiyar.
The title of successor was not lacking.
I couldn’t help but marvel that such qualities could be born into the current human race, where most of their potential has been sealed away.
On the other hand, what about this successor?
It is insufficient. Infinitely lacking. To think that nothing is complete.
There is no god-slaying sword like Archeon, either.
He could not fully inherit Kasiyar’s will, and the quality of his soul is also low.
I understand that the rank is low because humanity’s racial value is currently low, but as the successor of Kasiyar, one should not act that way.
Because when facing the god right then and there, Archeon’s ‘rank’ was equal to his own.
‘Compared to that, the author… … must have undergone transcendence twice at most.’
It was incredibly disappointing.
Strictly speaking, Archeon is not the man of prophecy, but one who defied the heavens of his own accord and carved out his own destiny.
That is why, even though he failed, I only felt regret and accepted it.
Because that was the fate from the start.
And now, finally, the man of prophecy has arrived… Honestly, I had high expectations at first.
The fact that he was secretly using his power, and that the successor of the prophecy had just arrived at Bahargon where Archeon was asleep.
Everyone considered it their fate.
but…….
“I do not know. Kasiyar, my friend. Are you truly asking us to stake the survival of our race and the future of Avtartel on that man?”
I feel sorry for Kasiyar, but I can’t risk everything trusting a man of that caliber.
The only one who can kill Cardium is the Man of Prophecy. Successor, you are not worthy.
Drakar Bahargon is the king of all dragons.
Never before in the history of Avtartel has the survival of the Dragon Race been driven to such a brink.
Because as a king, he had the duty and responsibility to preserve his race.
I am sorry, my friend. Do not forgive my choice to fail to help humanity once again.
Unable to hide his bitterness, Drakar let out a low sigh and soon averted his gaze from the two.
Kaang-!
The sound of knife fights continued to be heard, but I paid no further attention.
He thought that the sound would stop soon.
Kaang! Kang-! Squeak-
Looks like you have the motivation.
Even though the sound continued longer than expected, I simply closed my eyes.
It’s holding out a bit longer than expected, but it’s bound to collapse soon anyway.
The sound that had been ringing so regularly suddenly became rough.
Kaang! Kwaang-!
Looks like it’s over…
When he calmly mutters to himself.
Bang!
A loud roar rang out once more.
But it was strange.
Bang! Crash! Bang!
-… … ?
Starting with that, violent explosions erupt incessantly.
It is even quite regular.
It feels like the metallic sound of swords clashing has changed into the sound of an explosion.
However, it is abnormally refined.
What on earth is going on?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Drakar looked into the cave once again.
And I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the sight that unfolded before me.
-Swords… … are being dueled.
The struggling look from just moments ago was gone, and they were continuing a fairly close fight.
He even showed signs of overwhelming it from time to time.
BANG-!!!
And every time that happened, the sound coming from the sword changed.
That was the reason why loud noises rang out regularly.
‘… … Archeon is increasing the output of his swordsmanship.’
It was Archeon’s will to set the output to be just enough to defeat the next successor.
And the two men’s swordsmanship had become something that could no longer be called swordsmanship.
Whenever the light-infused swords clashed, the cave flashed, and whenever a technique was unleashed, the air currents shifted and swirled through the space.
The difference is so great that it’s embarrassing to even compare it to the beginning!
I can’t believe it… Such rapid growth? What an unbelievable talent this is.
With every minute and second that passes…
No, growth was noticeably evident every time the swords clashed.
The sight of him fiercely exchanging sword blows with Archeon no longer looked as overwhelming as before.
It is at a level that cannot be explained unless the world itself has changed.
The energy of the Reverse Heaven-Reversing Qi residing in the sword has also now grown thick enough to become a torch in front of a lamp.
It continues to grow even at this very moment. Huh, what monstrous potential this is.
This is just like what I felt from Kasiyar…
Why on earth would someone with that much talent…
I couldn’t understand why, even up until the moment right before the war broke out, he had only achieved that level.
Was there no catalyst? No, with that kind of talent, he should have realized it on his own even without one. What kind of bizarre situation is this?
Drakar did not know.
It has been just about a year since Dohyeon became the successor… or to be precise, since the start of God of Savior.
I mean that we are catching up in just one year to what originally should have taken five years.
Kwaaang-! Kaaang-!!
Even at this moment, the sound grew louder and louder.
As if gaining momentum, the battle was becoming increasingly fierce in proportion.
Drakar, who was watching the scene, unconsciously swallowed.
‘… … .’
He probably isn’t aware of it.
That his indifferent gaze had already changed into a completely different light.
* * *
—-!
Bang!
“…….”
How much time has passed?
I can barely remember how many times I’ve been forced to log out and reconnect already.
They duel with their swords again and again until they use up all their connection time.
How many times have I repeated the battle in my imagination, even while eating or sleeping?
It feels like it’s been well over a week.
I don’t remember what happened after that.
I can only guess that quite a bit of time has passed since just a week has gone by.
10th? 12th?
It might have been two weeks.
We just fought like crazy.
I was so immersed that I wondered if I had ever been this absorbed in my life.
To avoid breaking my concentration in the slightest, I did not leave the room, nor did I even touch my phone.
Complete your own era of defying heaven.
I engraved only that phrase into my mind over and over again.
My own story of defying heaven… …
The Period of Rebellion is when Archaeon walks the path of rebellion.
A swordsmanship created by making a promise to oneself to defy the heavens, so as not to yield to any adversity.
Therefore, reaching the Divine Killing at the end was an entirely natural progression.
In that case, should he also learn the Sword of the Divine Killer?
The answer was ‘no’.
The Reverse Heaven Technique I have wielded until now is the Sword of Archeon.
It was the path he had walked and the adversities he had faced.
At the same time, it was also the will he ultimately saw through.
so.
I have to walk my own path.
This was not simply a matter of mindset.
I let go of everything related to the Reverse Heaven Technique that I have been handling until now.
The first move, Shi (始), is the beginning of swordsmanship and a footwork technique that enveloped the energy of Mount Tai.
Thump.
I have now boldly cast aside the aura I used to wear out of habit.
—–!
The second move, Pa (破), which circulates the energy of Mount Tai to unleash a condensed shockwave that shatters everything it touches.
He also boldly put down the best dealing skill, Break.
Now, Dohyeon’s sword no longer held the energy of Mount Tai.
[Archeon casts the third move of the God-Slaying Sword, Mucheon.]
[A single strike that has reached the level of obscuring the sky grasps and erases the very foundation of all things.]
The same goes for the third technique, Heaven.
At first, I received it with the same three moves, but now I receive it with just a single sword.
There was neither the Reverse Heaven Prayer nor the Bailan Swordsmanship in it.
I just think of it.
I just… … wanted to remain human… …
Everything depends on you. Please stop Garion.
-Please stop the monster in my place, who has been forgotten…
If Parrying is sealed, what will you have left?
-O vessel… … Do you think you, who are incomplete, can kill me?
-Kuh… Hehe… What a pity.
“……”
The adversities I have passed through, and the determination I held during each of them.
Even the moments that eventually went beyond it.
As Dohyeon reminisced about the path he had walked, his sword was suddenly emitting a strange light.
Not the conventional, neat pure white light, but a rough, flowing dark red light.
-That’s… …! Oh my god.
Drakar, who was watching the scene, let out a gasp of shock.
The gleaming eyes seethed violently.
At that moment, Dohyeon saw.
“……!”
Archeon’s empty eyes watching Dohyeon, who had dug in without avoiding the third move.
An empty space with nothing but bones,
That is why, even though it was a gaze that shouldn’t have been felt, I could sense something blossoming.
[Abandoning all techniques of the Age of Defying Heaven, I walk my own path.]
[I realize the next level.]
[I have completed my own era of defying heaven.]
—–!!
As the dark red light sliced through the air, a rift opened as if a door were opening.
The moment Dohyeon’s eyes flashed as he stepped up, having completely trampled over the figures beyond the rift where countless dangers lurked.
[The Fourth Technique of the Reverse Heaven Period, awakening to ‘Opening the Way’.]
[The rank has been raised.]
[The signature swordsmanship, ‘Yeokcheongi,’ blossoms into ‘Pamyeonggeom.’]
[Casting Life-Shattering Sword – Annihilation.]
A dark red energy trampled through the entire cave as it passed.
The noise, which had been fierce enough to resemble a battlefield, ceased, and silence fell.
Swoosh-
As I grab Archeon’s shoulder, which is tilting forward, he meets my eyes.
Empty eyes, containing nothing but darkness.
What bloomed within it was neither astonishment nor admiration.
That which rose to my satisfaction was… … .
[… … Excellent.]
It was an admission.
Archeon’s body, pierced by the sword, turns to dust and vanishes.
He was finally facing a true death. Yet, his voice sounded incredibly peaceful.
[I entrust to you my… … His aspirations.]
Watching the crumbling bones turn to dust and vanish with that, Dohyeon slowly lowered his sword.
Although he won, Dohyeon’s reaction was calm.
To be precise, it was correct to say that there was no time to react.
Because the intense focus I had maintained for two weeks, immersed in both reality and the game, had come to an end, and the belated aftermath was upon me.
As the world, which had been flowing slowly, returned to normal, the white noise that had stopped also stimulated the eardrums.
The moment Dohyeon frowned, unable to adapt to it.
Ding! Ding!
The notification sound rang out loudly, and Dohyeon, noticing it, opened his eyes wide.
