Chapter 85: Incarnation of War (4)
Kwa-jijijik— Kwa-kwa-kwaang!
The first missile sliced by the greatsword detonated, completely obliterating the massive blade.
The following missiles slammed into the upper body of the war machine, triggering energy explosions that instantly reduced it to half-destroyed wreckage.
The remaining missiles then turned toward the very war machine that had originally launched them.
Shwaaaaaek— Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!
The second war machine’s upper torso was cleanly blown away.
The sheer destructive power left everyone except Jin-young speechless.
Shin Soo-jeong glanced pitifully at Vladimir Zhukov, who was still wrestling with the last war machine on the side.
She couldn’t even begin to fathom the limits of Jin-young’s power.
“As expected, when the energy is contained like this, the destructive force drops quite a bit.”
Jin-young muttered while looking at the war machines that had only been half-destroyed.
By distributing the energy across multiple missiles, the overall power had been diluted.
Moreover, the mana missiles themselves acted as a medium that somewhat suppressed the raw explosion.
If he released the pure, unmediated energy without any vessel, the resulting blast would become something even Jin-young would struggle to control.
Until he became more proficient with Cyclic energy and his psionic energy grew stronger, using this method to regulate it seemed acceptable for now.
“Shouldn’t we help Zhukov?”
Shin Soo-jeong said to Jin-young.
Vladimir was still grappling back and forth with the war machine, but the wounds on his body far outnumbered those on his opponent.
Still, he endured through sheer grit and willpower.
“Leave him be. That guy needs to take a few hits to grow.”
The only reason Jin-young let Vladimir continue was simple.
Finding a tank of his caliber wasn’t easy.
“More importantly, today I’m planning to raise your level a bit.”
Today, Jin-young’s main focus was Shin Soo-jeong’s growth.
The sooner she reached zero-grade, the greater the effect of her All Things Enhancement ability would become.
“I’ll do my absolute best.”
When she had first climbed onto the missile, Shin Soo-jeong had regretted coming here.
But now she had largely let go of that feeling.
Moreover, considering everything Jin-young had shown so far, she was certain she could gain something valuable today.
Since things had come this far, she resolved to give it everything she had.
That mindset had carried her through until now.
By constantly growing stronger and raiding without end, someday she would be able to return to that dungeon—the same world where she had lost the comrade she loved most.
Jin-young nodded slightly as he caught the shift in her eyes.
Then he turned to the variant.
“You’re on support duty today.”
“Understood.”
The variant nodded.
Jin-young walked past the collapsing building ruins and fragments of war machines until he stood directly before the Red Knight and the prophet.
At that moment.
Ta-ta-ta-tang—
In an instant, the Red Knight drew his pistol from its holster and unleashed a rapid barrage of mana bullets.
Tz-kwaaaaa—
Red energy trailed behind like a comet’s tail, looking as though it would pierce Jin-young’s head any second.
But it got caught in the web of psionic energy Jin-young had already spread.
Kwa-tz-tz-tz-tz!
The mana bullets resisted his psychokinesis for a brief moment before finally being seized completely.
Tz-pat— Pa-tz-tz!
Jin-young inwardly admired the red energy bursting from the mana bullets.
Never before had any force resisted his psionic energy so fiercely.
The Legacy energy he had seen in Renard, and the one wielded by the Black Knight, hadn’t reached this level.
Of course, it likely depended on the user’s mastery of the energy.
Regardless, the red energy controlled by the Red Knight was not something to be underestimated.
“You’re strong, I’ll give you that—but your learning ability is terrible. Is it because you’re being controlled?”
Jin-young crushed all the mana bullets into dust with psychokinesis.
Seeing this, Yulia spoke with a hardened expression.
“Just who the hell are you?”
“Everyone who fights me asks that at least once. Knowing my identity won’t change anything, though.”
“Arrogant bastard. You may think you’ve won so far, but this is only the beginning.”
Tz-tz-tz-tz—
Black mana began flowing from Yulia’s body.
It was the same deep, dark mana he had sensed even while riding the helicopter.
As the mana enveloped her, her appearance began to change.
Shusss…
Her body rapidly enlarged, the green scales growing larger and more vivid.
Her elongated form lost its limbs, and even her head transformed completely into that of a serpent.
Kwaaaaa—
A sudden burst of black mana from Yulia’s body swept outward in a circular wave.
The Creep-covered ground overturned, surrounding buildings collapsed, and even Vladimir—who had been wrestling with the war machine—was sent flying.
Jin-young’s group was engulfed in the black storm as well.
Yulia flicked her tongue in satisfaction.
“Heh heh heh… This is it. The power bestowed by the Godfather. No matter how strong you think you are, you cannot stand against me now.”
But as the black storm cleared, revealing Jin-young’s group once more—
Jin-young had gathered the black mana with psychokinesis and compressed it into a small orb.
He then launched the black orb toward the variant.
Shuuut—
The black orb was sucked into the variant’s body in an instant.
“……”
The variant turned to Jin-young with a dazed expression.
Sskwaaaaa—
At the same time, a pitch-black storm erupted from his body.
***
Kurrrrrr—
The variant felt as though endless thunder and storms were raging inside him.
It was the kind of sensation that would drive anyone mad in an instant, yet strangely his mind remained eerily clear.
‘The great existence is protecting me.’
Thanks to his mental link with the great existence—the tentacle—he could endure this much with ease.
His body, already akin to a demon’s, accepted black mana readily, but the amount Jin-young had injected far exceeded its limits.
‘I can definitely feel the Godfather’s power. Yet it’s not nearly as violent.’
If he had received the power directly from the Godfather, his body might have been torn to shreds.
It seemed Yulia had filtered it once, and Jin-young had casually refined it further, making it considerably gentler.
At this level, the pain was perfectly tolerable.
Kwa-kwa-kwa…
The black mana storm enveloping his body gradually subsided and was absorbed inward.
There was no dramatic change in appearance, but the Creep covering him grew even denser, and the volume of black mana inside him increased dramatically.
Enough to rival most prophets.
Of course, the Yulia standing before him had already surpassed ordinary prophets.
“Is that it? Kind of disappointing.”
Jin-young looked at Yulia and muttered as if he were let down.
Enraged, she immediately opened her jaws wide and lunged forward with her head.
At the same time, the Red Knight raised his sword high and charged.
The variant swiftly manipulated the Creep.
Chwaaaaak—
The Creep transformed into dozens of hands, seizing the Red Knight’s horse and halting its charge.
Meanwhile, Shin Soo-jeong—reinforced by her own ability—hurled a spear at incredible speed.
Shwaaaaaek—
The long spear flew like a beam of light, seemingly about to impale the Red Knight.
Kwa-tz-tz-tz— Pueong!
It was blocked by red energy and bounced away.
Ta-at— Grab.
But Shin Soo-jeong swiftly reached out and caught the spear again.
“I’ll block the attacks, so do everything you can.”
The variant said to her.
Even if defeating the Red Knight was impossible, simply clashing with him would provide an enormous foundation for growth.
Of course, there was only one reason he was helping Shin Soo-jeong grow.
『Trust in me.』
‘I have always trusted you, great existence.’
Tudududu—
At that moment, the Red Knight’s mana bullets continued firing.
Tz-tz-tz—
But a black portal opened, and tentacles shot out, intercepting the mana bullets.
Pukwak!
The tentacles burst apart but regenerated instantly.
“What the hell is that…?”
Shin Soo-jeong said in bewilderment at the sudden tentacles.
“Don’t worry about it—just keep doing what you’re doing.”
The variant continued unleashing Creep toward the Red Knight as he spoke.
‘The great existence will protect us.’
***
Kwaaaaang!
The head of Yulia—who had lunged at Jin-young with her jaws wide open—slammed straight into the ground.
“……”
She couldn’t comprehend what had just happened—why her head had been driven into the dirt.
But her confusion was short-lived. She activated her ability as naturally as breathing.
Kududududud…
The ground trembled, and the spot where Jin-young stood split open in an instant.
Tz-kwa-kwa-kwa—
A gigantic hand made of rock burst forth, attempting to seize him.
But before the rock hand could even close into a fist, it shattered into pieces.
Jin-young’s clothing began whipping wildly as though caught in a storm.
“After all that waiting, this is it? Just getting uglier was the end result.”
There was no wind, and he hadn’t released any mana—yet this bizarre phenomenon occurred.
He spoke without even properly looking at Yulia.
“Let’s wrap this up quickly.”
The next moment.
Kwaduk— Kwadudududuk—
The joints of the massive serpent’s body began snapping one by one.
“……!”
Yulia’s once-straight body was violently bent into zigzags and angles. She couldn’t even scream.
But she was far from dead just because her bones were breaking. Enduring the agony, she continued attempting to counterattack.
Tu-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa— Pakwa-kwaang!
The ground surged upward like a tidal wave, and boulders rained down like hail.
Yet none of it inflicted even the slightest damage on Jin-young.
It was as though an invisible wall existed around him.
It was as though he existed in a completely different dimension—nothing could touch him.
“What the… what the hell are you…! Arghhh!”
The moment Yulia realized she could do absolutely nothing, the pain she had forgotten surged back all at once.
The already broken and snapped bones began disintegrating piece by piece.
Kwaduk— Pukwa-kwa-kwak!
Her massive body folded violently, crumpling into a smaller and smaller shape.
“No… this can’t… be how it ends…”
She had just received even greater power from the Godfather—how could she die so meaninglessly?
Above all, she could not accept being rendered powerless by this inhuman monster.
There couldn’t possibly be another transcendent being like the Godfather.
“I won’t… die alone…”
Kugugung!
The ground in the area shook violently.
Kwa-jijijik— Pu-hwaaaaak!
The earth split open in an instant, and lava erupted wildly from multiple spots.
It might not be enough to kill that monstrous Jin-young, but it was more than sufficient to incinerate the rabble he had brought with him.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!
The cracked ground collapsed further, leaving almost no place to stand.
Just as the molten lava was about to swallow them whole—
Tz-tz-tz-tz-tz— Hit!
An incomprehensible force seemed to freeze the entire area in time. The ground, the lava—everything halted.
Purrrr—
A violent gale appeared out of nowhere, sending hair and clothing flapping wildly.
Jin-young raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.
Kwaduk—
“Kiyaaaaak!”
Yulia’s body was instantly crumpled into a perfect sphere.
Tz-tz-tz—
A black portal opened in front of her, and tentacles surged out.
Even with her body crushed to such an extreme degree, Yulia remained conscious. She saw the approaching tentacles.
The moment they wrapped around her and pulled—
She felt it.
“Father…?”
It was exactly like being held in the Godfather’s embrace.
***
Sss-sss…
“Huu…”
For the first time in a while, a single bead of sweat rolled down Jin-young’s forehead.
He had explosively unleashed his psionic energy, using psychokinesis to completely dominate the entire area.
To the point where it looked as though time itself had stopped—this was the pinnacle of psychokinesis he could display without straining his body or mind beyond its limits.
『Hmm. Among all the black mana I’ve tasted so far, this one is the most delicious.』
The tentacle, having absorbed every last drop of Yulia’s black mana, spoke in an unusually excited tone.
The absence of the constantly annoying Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword probably helped as well.
‘You’re starting to develop emotions, aren’t you?’
Jin-young sensed that emotions were beginning to emerge in the tentacle.
Previously, it had always been dry and mechanical, but now its voice carried rising and falling tones.
『The more mental imprints I leave in various people’s mental worlds and the more minds I share, the more emotions seem to be input into me.』
Jin-young had many thoughts about the tentacle developing emotions, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
Kwa-tz-tz-tz— Kwa-gwa-kwang!
Shin Soo-jeong and the variant were still locked in a desperate struggle against the Red Knight.
They were steadily being pushed back, yet somehow managing not to die.
Without the tentacle’s support, the variant would have died and revived dozens of times already.
For Shin Soo-jeong, who had only one life, it went without saying.
“Huu… Time to wrap up the disaster too, I guess.”
Jin-young looked somewhat fatigued from expending a considerable amount of psionic energy.
Sss-sss…
He accelerated the regeneration of his psionic energy using Cyclic energy.
Then he began tearing apart the red energy enveloping the Red Knight with psychokinesis.
Tz-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—
His psionic energy was being consumed rapidly, but Cyclic energy regenerated it at the same time.
Normally, at this rate, his energy would have depleted first.
Tz-tz-tz-tz-tz—
Yet inside Jin-young’s mental world, a subtle but significant change was taking place.
The growth of his psionic energy. And not just that—his Cyclic energy was growing alongside it.
This had already been foreshadowed the moment he blocked Yulia’s attack.
Jjeojeok— Kwa-cha-cha-chang!
Soon after, the red energy protecting the Red Knight shattered completely.
『This is…』
Freed from Yulia’s control, the Red Knight muttered as he sensed the psionic energy.
Jin-young snatched the artifact from the now defenseless Red Knight.
Shuuut—
The Red Knight’s silver sword came into his hand.
“I hope you behave yourself.”
He spoke quietly to the blade.
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