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nThe King looked Jaehwan weirdly. He seemed to be surprised, or amused. Or perhaps even angered.

nYou wish to kill me?

nHis presence was so great that it seemed like he could destroy mountains and the earth.

nME?

nChunghuh 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.

n“Give back the Master’s spirit.”

nChunghuh could not understand how that man can stay so calm and-

n“Or I will kill you.”

n…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.

nKid! No! You can’t just kill him!

nJaehwan wordlessly prepared for a Stab.

nThat… that thing is not something that can be killed!

n“Old man.”

nChunghuh looked at Jaehwan while shivering.

n“Man up.”

nIt wasn’t confidence or pride. It was just a matter of fact.

n“I’m stronger.”

nA 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.

nAmusing fool. It’s the first time in 900 years after that Nightmare came that someone funny like you appeared.

nChunghuh 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.

nGood. We shall fight. Come, foolish Awakener.

nA cloud-like substance appeared in the King’s hand and formed a dark, transparent blade.

n‘Void Sword!’

nChunghuh 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.

n“UGH!”

nChunghuh was thrown back by the wind created by the clash. The King spoke.

nI’ve seen eyes like yours before. You wish to go to the .

nChunghuh was surprised.

n‘The kid wants to go to the ?’

nHe knew the man was mysterious, but he never thought Jaehwan would want to go to the .

nIt’s amazing that there are ones who wish to reach the end of this world, even to this day.

nJaehwan ignored his words and readied himself. It was the start of a real fight.

nEXCITING!

nThe King shouted. He seemed to be really excited.

nBut not enough! It’s not even close to that Nightmare!

nThe 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.

nNormal Stab

nThe 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.

nCorruption is a disease of time.

nJaehwan quickly examined his shoulder through Suspicion and was shocked. Only the shoulder’s time was being fast forwarded. Hundreds of years were passing by.

n‘So, this is how the corruption takes place.’

nThe phenomenon of spirit becoming aged. The corruption was with time. Jaehwan let out the aged spirit from his body. King spoke, astonished.

nInteresting. A slight touch would’ve made you a Dead Man… you have a great spirit.

nThe King smiled, and then disappeared.

nBut that’s not enough!

nTen Void Swords appeared from the King but Jaehwan did not fall back. Ten Normal Stabs. His stabs clashed against the ten Void Swords.

nIt’s great for a toy made by a Nightmare!

nThe blade then cut Jaehwan’s thigh and Jaehwan cut off part of the spirit that was starting to become corrupt.

nYou will not have enough spirit left if you continue.

nThat was true. If this went on, Jaehwan would lose.

n‘He’s really strong.’

nJaehwan 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.

nJaehwan 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.

nAll 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.

nChunghuh’s white world was such a world. Then, Chunghuh realized something.

nIt was hell. Jaehwan was living in hell. His world was made of hatred and rage. A world that destroyed all worlds.

nThe 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.

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