The King looked Jaehwan weirdly. He seemed to be surprised, or amused. Or perhaps even angered.
[You wish to kill me?]
His presence was so great that it seemed like he could destroy mountains and the earth.
[ME?]
Chunghuh could not even get up. The strong presence was so overbearing that even Chunghuh, who was an Awakener, could not stand against him. His power was immeasurable, an impossible might that could not be explained.
“Give back the Master’s spirit.”
Chunghuh could not understand how that man can stay so calm and-
“Or I will kill you.”
…Speak like that to him. The King looked at Jaehwan. Chunghuh could not even dare to look at the King even when he wasn’t looking at him. But he had to do something. He barely managed to compose a whisper. Even if it meant that they would lose the Master, he could not let Jaehwan die here.
[Kid! No! You can’t just kill him!]
Jaehwan wordlessly prepared for a [Stab].
[That… that thing is not something that can be killed!]
“Old man.”
Chunghuh looked at Jaehwan while shivering.
“Man up.”
It wasn’t confidence or pride. It was just a matter of fact.
“I’m stronger.”
A strange sound came. The sound was so strange that it took some time for Chunghuh to realize that it was laughter. The King was laughing.
[Amusing fool. It’s the first time in 900 years after that [Nightmare] came that someone funny like you appeared.]
Chunghuh knew who that [Nightmare] was. Mulack, the legendary [Nightmare] who reached the top of the Tree of Imagery. However, even Mulack could not do anything against the King. Although Mulack fought the real King’s body and the one in front was only an avatar, Chunghuh was sure that no one could fight against such a being.
[Good. We shall fight. Come, foolish Awakener.]
A cloud-like substance appeared in the King’s hand and formed a dark, transparent blade.
‘Void Sword!’
Chunghuh barely managed to calm himself by grabbing his own trembling shoulders. It was the terrifying weapon that made half of the Expedition Team into Dead Man in one strike. Weapons on each side moved in an instant.
“UGH!”
Chunghuh was thrown back by the wind created by the clash. The King spoke.
[I’ve seen eyes like yours before. You wish to go to the <Depth>.]
Chunghuh was surprised.
‘The kid wants to go to the <Depth>?’
He knew the man was mysterious, but he never thought Jaehwan would want to go to the <Depth>.
[It’s amazing that there are ones who wish to reach the end of this world, even to this day.]
Jaehwan ignored his words and readied himself. It was the start of a real fight.
[EXCITING!]
The King shouted. He seemed to be really excited.
[But not enough! It’s not even close to that [Nightmare]!]
The King’s movements became faster. Jaehwan had not laid a successful strike against the King yet. The King was moving much faster than Jaehwan’s [Slight Stab]. Jaehwan focused his sword to concentrate the energy on his blade.
[Normal Stab]
The attack was made but the King wasn’t there. Jaehwan then felt sudden danger and instinctively twisted his waist. It was a miracle that he dodged the attack. The shoulder that Void Sword touched had turned black.
[Corruption is a disease of time.]
Jaehwan quickly examined his shoulder through [Suspicion] and was shocked. Only the shoulder’s time was being fast forwarded. Hundreds of years were passing by.
‘So, this is how the corruption takes place.’
The phenomenon of spirit becoming aged. The corruption was with time. Jaehwan let out the aged spirit from his body. King spoke, astonished.
[Interesting. A slight touch would’ve made you a Dead Man… you have a great spirit.]
The King smiled, and then disappeared.
[But that’s not enough!]
Ten Void Swords appeared from the King but Jaehwan did not fall back. Ten [Normal Stabs]. His stabs clashed against the ten Void Swords.
[It’s great for a toy made by a [Nightmare]!]
The blade then cut Jaehwan’s thigh and Jaehwan cut off part of the spirit that was starting to become corrupt.
[You will not have enough spirit left if you continue.]
That was true. If this went on, Jaehwan would lose.
‘He’s really strong.’
Jaehwan could not measure the opponent’s strength. He could not see his weakness even through [Suspicion]. Without [Suspicion], his [Understand] would not work. All he knew was that the being had lived for countless years.
Jaehwan unleashed his energy. The white world Chunghuh created was being removed and was replaced by a new world. Chunghuh shook. It was the true power of an Awakener.
All Awakeners had their [Own Worlds]. This world came to life through the keyword they acquired when they awakened and the more powerful an Awakener was, the more beings it could bring into its world.
Chunghuh’s white world was such a world. Then, Chunghuh realized something.
It was hell. Jaehwan was living in hell. His world was made of hatred and rage. A world that destroyed all worlds.
The ground had countless blades stuck in it with hot lava flowing underneath. There was an eery eye in the sky like a moon with a swarm of crows pecking away at the ‘moon eye’, spilling blood into the lava.