Episode 64: Apostle (6)
- Clang!
- Clang!
In just a few exchanges, I felt it deep in my bones.
The difference in our skill levels.
I had already been struck by his attacks and sent flying more than three times.
The moment I clashed with him head-on, it felt as if my spear was being sucked into the void.
The feeling in my fingertips was gradually fading.
Screams and the sounds of battle echoed from all directions.
My vision wavered, and blood pooled in my ears.
‘…Damn it.’
I had endured trials, undergone countless training sessions, and believed I had improved.
And in truth, I had. Without that progress, I would have already become a corpse by now.
But what I realized was this—I was still not at the level to be in this fight.
And that the realm attained through thousands of deaths could not be reached in a short time.
I twisted my body midair and leaped once more. At the same time, I began weaving my clones.
‘Cadenaccio.’
And from there, into Phalanx.
The strongest attack I could unleash at this moment.
It was all or nothing. I had to strike before it was too late.
With Park Gwang-chul grappling with Barkas and drawing his attention,
I gripped my spear with all my might.
Fatigue had already piled up in my body.
Clenching my teeth, I summoned my mana and deployed my clones.
At last, ten spearheads surrounded Barkas, all aimed at him in unison.
But in that instant,
His gaze flashed sharply in my direction.
And then—
“Ha!!”
—Kwaaaaaang!
Like a raging storm, Barkas’s lion’s roar exploded.
A massive shockwave split through space, and every single one of my clones shattered at once.
The illusions crumbled into pieces, leaving behind only crimson afterimages that scattered like blood in the air.
Instinctively, I curled up to defend myself. But it was already too late.
The overwhelming force engulfed my entire body.
“Ghh…!”
A ringing silence filled my ears.
Shattered fragments of stone flew in all directions, slamming into me as I was driven deep into the ground.
My limbs tingled.
A suffocating pressure crushed my chest. My head spun, and a dull pain spread through my nerves.
At that moment, in the corner of my vision, I saw Park Gwang-chul coughing up blood.
Even the old man was clenching his lips as he received healing from the paladin’s priest.
But even divine magic seemed barely enough—his breathing remained ragged. It wasn’t something that could be healed in one go.
“……”
I understood it completely.
With my current strength alone, this was my limit.
Now, I had to give everything I had left.
I closed my eyes and gripped Catastrophe.
The crimson engravings along the blade slowly began to burn.
And then—
[The First Authority of Aldebaran, ‘Stepless Step,’ is now unlocked.]
[The Second Authority of Aldebaran, ‘Demon Severance,’ is now unlocked.]
[Show me.]
A voice resonated deep in my bones, piercing through my entire being.
[The reason I chose you.]
The first trial.
And the second trial.
The power of Aldebaran had awakened.
Yet, my wounds did not heal, nor did my body recover.
I was still a wreck, my muscles screaming in agony. My whole body ached, and thick blood oozed from torn skin.
Even so, I stood up.
He still wasn’t looking at me.
He only acknowledged those who could be a threat to him.
In other words, he saw no reason to bother with someone like me.
—Bang!
At that moment, a sacred battlefield opened before my eyes.
It wasn’t a perfect battlefield—just an imitation.
But the resolve behind it shone brilliantly.
The paladins—all of them—
They marched forward, maintaining their formation step by step.
Golden holy light expanded, and divine sigils emerged beneath their feet.
Slowly but steadily, without stopping.
At last—
That sacred procession reached Barkas.
—Kwarurung!!
Lightning exploded from his fingertips.
A torrent of black electricity poured down like a waterfall, ravaging the paladins’ holy march.
“Kuh…!”
At the front, the leader of the paladins gritted his teeth as he raised his shield.
The barrier of holy light wavered momentarily, cracks beginning to spread across its surface.
“A foolish act.”
With one hand extended, he amplified the lightning.
At that moment—
-Thud.
The ground beneath him suddenly caved in.
Yucal, murmuring an incantation in a low voice, etched a magic circle onto the floor.
“Qolais… sio… kal!”
A crimson magic circle spread across the ground, and enormous, shackled hands burst forth from the void, seizing Barkus.
As the grand magic formation activated, the mages of the Fierce Tiger unit filled in the gaps of their formation.
Blood trickled from Yucal’s mouth. It seemed he had yet to recover from his previous wounds.
-Shhhhak!
The chains coiled tightly around the enemy’s limbs, constricting them.
“Hmph!”
It would take just one second for him to break free.
But that one second was enough.
From behind, Lee Do-hyun and Sung Ara charged forward.
Lee Do-hyun’s twin swords carved brilliant arcs through the air, slashing across the enemy’s waist. Sung Ara’s iron fist struck directly into his side.
His force field wavered violently.
“Filthy insects!”
Barkus swung his arm lightly.
That alone was enough to nullify every attack.
A tremendous shockwave sent the two of them hurtling backward.
But the assault did not stop.
-Swoosh.
The Blue Wind unit slipped through the opening. Their weapons moved in perfect synchronization, hammering against the enemy’s raging force field.
Barkus detonated his aura in defense.
It was as if an intricately woven net was closing in.
Slowly, yet surely, tightening around him.
Capturing a great whale was never an easy task.
This may have been their first time coordinating, but these warriors were the vanguard of humanity’s finest.
They all knew what needed to be done.
They could feel it in their bones—
How monstrous an Apostle truly was.
And how, if even one of them failed to bring him down here, an unimaginable tragedy would follow.
Thus, every blade on the battlefield—
Turned toward Barkus.
“Wheel Formation.”
Like the relentless turning of a wheel, they took turns engaging, launching an unending assault.
This was no mere chaotic skirmish.
Each faction performed its role to perfection, orchestrating the most efficient strategy to drive the enemy into a corner.
A single Vanquisher could never have achieved this.
But by covering each other’s openings and staking their lives on this battle, they pressed forward against the Apostle.
The plans, forged through countless trials and visions of tragedy,
Were now unfolding.
I merely hid.
Curled into myself.
I sank into the heat of the battlefield.
Erased my presence.
Veiled myself, waiting for the right moment.
“….”
Before my eyes, my comrades were sent flying.
Thrown, repelled, coughing up blood.
A cold numbness crept through my body.
Watching it unfold was anything but joyous.
But I had to do this.
To become the dagger that would pierce through his force field.
To become the wolf that would tear into his throat.
Sharpening my blade,
I concealed myself even further.
First Authority: Stepless Step.
Cadenaccio, followed by Phalanx.
Originally an aerial technique—one that required leaping into the sky to be executed.
But Stepless Step no longer needed the sky.
Even without rising, it felt as though I had taken flight.
Gravity no longer held meaning for me.
Second Authority: Demon Severance.
The spear Catastrophe’s End trembled.
The crimson markings engraved upon it began to ignite.
As the flames of its aura burned ever brighter, I felt it even more clearly—
“Pierce the wicked and reveal the righteous.”
The spear was imbued with the essence of Demon-Slaying.
Broader.
Even broader—
A strike as if to cleave the world itself.
The enhanced blade energy took form.
Demon Severance.
As its name implied—
A slash that severs demons.
I adjusted my grip on the spear.
Raising my head,
I locked eyes with him.
It felt as if, in this space, only the two of us existed—just me and him.
[『Unwavering Clarity』 evolves into 『Unwavering Focus』.]
If, in the past, I had merely attained a state of selflessness, then now, I was in Unwavering Focus —a state of absolute focus.
I concentrated on only one thing.
Without distraction, without deviation, with a single goal in mind.
I gathered all my killing intent toward him.
His movements felt as if they were in slow motion.
The sound of his heartbeat, the intake of his breath—I could hear them all.
Every one of my senses locked onto him.
And then—
At that moment, he turned his head.
As if surprised by something.
The ever-relaxed expression he had worn twisted, as if he had just witnessed something incomprehensible.
As if it was beyond all reason.
“You bastards… what the hell are you doing…!”
He whipped his head around, scanning his surroundings.
“All four…?”
A face filled with doubt.
And for the first time, the one who had never shown an opening—revealed a massive one.
Now.
It was time to bare my fangs.
Stepless Step.
I stepped forward lightly.
Without a sound. Without leaving a trace.
I slipped into his blind spot.
I had already been standing in his dead angle for a while now.
And that blind spot—would become the only path leading to his death.
I charged in a straight line. There was only one chance.
Catenaccio.
It wasn’t enough.
Phalanx.
Even this wouldn’t be enough. No—it definitely wouldn’t be.
Demon Severance.
The tip of my spear shimmered with a massive jade-green sword aura.
The demon-slaying aura condensed into blade energy.
If anything could pierce him, it was this.
Like a raging storm, my spear shot forward—
And at last, it reached his force field.
—KWAADDDDDDDD!
“What…!”
Seeing me approach undetected, his face contorted in shock.
But at the same time, a flicker of relief crossed his eyes.
Even now, Barkus still regarded me as nothing more than an insect.
That… is why you will die.
The force field that was supposed to protect him didn’t hold for even a single moment.
It was torn apart like paper by my spear.
And then—
—KWA-DUK!
The spear tip pierced his heart.
“KUAAAHHHHHHH!”
A scream. A wail. A monstrous howl erupted.
His hands flailed desperately, grasping at the spear.
I’d seen this before.
Back then, I had been lacking…
But this time—it would be different.
—KWAKWAKWAKWANG!!
A massive lightning bolt exploded from his heart. A brilliant flash seared my eyes, shaking the heavens.
The dazzling wave of lightning engulfed my entire body.
The sensation of burning.
The searing pain of muscles ripping apart and flesh being torn away.
The electric storm gnawed at my nerves, shredding them to pieces.
But—
I didn’t care.
“Khrrrrr…!”
A groan escaped from my lips.
And yet—
The spear embedded in his heart did not waver. Not even by a fraction.