Chapter 413. Sky Bridge (3)

Flames shot up from the left, and a blizzard fell from the right. A myriad of noises rang at the clash of the troops, and screams erupted continuously without stopping. The detachment unit that had trespassed into the Sky Castle was putting up a better fight against the incoming enemy than expected. They weren’t getting swept in an instant and were somehow holding on. But that was all. They were barely maintaining their defensive line and couldn’t hold their enemies off completely, so a couple of them kept slipping through the defense from time to time. Though Yunael could easily take care of them individually, the issue was that they were coming from all around her.

Even though only one or two enemies were breaking through one part of the defense, their number grew many folds when the same thing was happening all over the place. Furthermore, more enemies were coming from the outskirts overtime. Yunael moved left and right from the center and did her best to take care of them, but she soon found it difficult to keep up with what was going on. It was then what they feared happened, and one side of the defensive line completely broke down, allowing enemy troops to push inwards. That caught Yunael off guard, but what alerted her more was what was happening at the center.

The Kobalos, who should be busy drawing a magic circle, were being chased by the troops who had penetrated through. Yunael hastily ran over to them and killed every enemy in sight.

“Circle! Quickly!” Yunael shouted after barely saving the Kobalos’ elder from a group of enemy soldiers.

“It’s…finished!” The Kobalos’ elder gasped in pain while coughing. “We’ll block the enemies from coming from that side, so please proceed with the ritual! Quickly!”

Since their enemies had penetrated into the center of defense, there was no room for even a second of hesitation. The Kobalos’s elder got up and led his tribe members with a loud battle cry. Rather than fighting, it was more accurate to say that they were throwing themselves at their enemies, and Yunael didn’t waste the time the Kobalos’ tribe had won for her by sacrificing their lives. She soon made her way to the very center and stood in front of the Kobalos’ magic fire pit.

Chi-Woo had told her to use this fire pit to target the Sky Castle. In the beginning, Yunael had planned to make an offering lacking in comparison to her wish, yet after a good amount of consideration, she realized that the plan wouldn’t work. The fire pit’s trial only applied to the person who made the wish. Thus, even if she made a wish and threw the fire pit at the Sky Castle, there was a high possibility that it would have no effect on it, and their efforts would become meaningless. And it wasn’t as if they could cast large-scale dimension distortion magic around the Sky Castle as they had done at the last gate.

Thus, Yunael changed her way of thinking. She thought she should use the fire pit properly, like how it was meant to be used this time. Then, she would need to get an offering. It was surprisingly easy to do with all the riches the Last Dragon had collected in her lair over the past thousands of years. After hearing that Chi-Woo was the one who proposed to take down the Sky Castle, the Last Dragon offered her storage without hesitation and picked out the most valuable items among her possessions.

Yunael took off the bag she had on her back and flipped it over, emptying it. She even dropped the bag into the fire pit after that and gathered her hands to pray.

‘Please—’ Yunael was about to pray to the fire pit to crush the Sky Castle to pieces, but she paused when she recalled the warning Chi-Woo had given her.

—Don’t try to destroy the Sky Castle at once.

—I tried to do it through my abilities somehow, but it was impossible.

—The fire pit’s effects may apply for only a moment. Be moderate with your wish. Do you understand what I’m saying? And just one more thing. The Sernitas are probably…

Beads of sweat gathered on Yunael’s forehead. She had thought she understood him then, but she began second-guessing herself now that she was put on the spot. ‘Moderate’ was as vague a word as they came, and how should she make her wish so that it would be right for the situation?

‘How many hours? One hour? No, no. Maybe thirty minutes…’ If she made a mistake, she could bring forth a trial due to her offering being lacking. Then she would get crushed rather than crushing the Sky Castle. Even if she was fine with dying, humanity and the Cassiubia League would die with her. Yunael began to feel a little resentful toward Chi-Woo. He should’ve at least given her more concrete information and suggestions, but Yunael didn’t have time to even dwell on the matter. She heard enemies rushing toward her from all directions and clenched her teeth. She couldn’t come up with a perfect wish to make no matter how hard she thought about it. In the end, she made the safest and most definite wish she could and prayed.

“Please do something about the Sky Castle in accordance with the offerings I made just now.”

The magic circle drawn in the center of the fire pit glowed with an eerie light.

—…Analysis complete.

Having been on full alert until now, the Sernitas immediately responded. They had already been taken down once by this method; they wouldn’t allow a second time. However, Chi-Woo knew the Sernitas would be prepared for them to use the fire pit from the gate again. They would’ve had not much of a choice in using the same method against the Sernitas. This was the reason why they had changed their method slightly and, instead of holding the ritual at the gate, came all the way to the center of the Sky Castle instead. Yunael prayed so hard that the veins on the back of her hands popped out.

—Hohohohohohoho….

She heard a soft chuckle that sounded as if it would belong to a lovely lady. Yunael looked up in surprise.

—How interesting…it’s a tough request to fulfill…but I can’t turn a blind eye to such passionate feelings for one man…

—Yes…if it’s five minutes…

Yunael heard another chuckle that she couldn’t understand, but soon, fire rose from the fire pit and let out a sparkling pink smoke. The pink light shot up and quickly descended before seeping into the Sky Castle’s ground. If the Sernitas had a bit more time, they might have been able to respond properly. Unfortunately for them, searching for information and carrying it out took a longer time than praying and activating the fire pit.

—Activating the most effective method among the searched methods…error. Err…

The Sky Castle was about to find a solution and carry it out, but suddenly shut down. Then, it became silent like a computer with its plug pulled out.

***

—What can I do to become strong?

This was the question that Chi-Woo had asked Philip a long time ago. Philip answered then that Chi-Woo should go and fight enemies. A battle that put him in and out of the realms of life and death would be more effective than training hundreds and thousands of times. Though it was easier said than done, there was nothing wrong with Philip’s answer. This was the day that advice would be put to use.

—That’s why you should’ve done this from the beginning.

Philip chuckled.

—You must’ve gotten anxious because he looked like he was really going to die.

If Bael had heard him, she would’ve asked Philip what kind of nonsense he was spouting. But Philip wasn’t talking to Bael, but to Chi-Woo; more specifically, he was talking to the mysterious power hiding inside him. Philip didn’t know exactly what this power was either. It sometimes popped out and showcased unbelievable strength, but it was also dangerous in the way that it tried to dominate and take over Chi-Woo. And the moment this power gained full control of Chi-Woo, Philip knew that the unimaginable would happen—something so big and great that it would change everything; or else Byeok wouldn’t have advised Chi-Woo so strongly against using the power.

That was why Philip had been wary of the power coming out the whole time Chi-Woo was fighting Bael since Chi-Woo had always done that whenever he was in a pinch. Yet Chi-Woo didn’t do that this time. Instead, he seemed to be trying his best to suppress it while fighting Bael, and he continued to do so even after he lost consciousness. He showed a strong resolution to rather die than pull out the power again.

Then what in the world was he going to do now? Philip wondered anxiously, and in the short time period when Chi-Woo lost consciousness, he entered Chi-Woo’s body and possessed him. It was then he realized the gradual change that had happened inside Chi-Woo’s body. In short, the unknown power inside Chi-Woo was yielding. It probably had been waiting and counting down expectantly, wondering when Chi-Woo would let it out again. Yet Chi-Woo didn’t do as the power wished and showed a firm resolution that he wouldn’t ever use the power again.

Thus, the unknown power was astounded. It thought it would be able to completely take over Chi-Woo’s body and run havoc for sure this time. However, if Chi-Woo died like this, it was evident that it would also disappear meaninglessly. It couldn’t let that happen and needed to stop that from happening at all costs. The unknown power ran wild to convince Chi-Woo to quickly use it, but in the end, it failed to break Chi-Woo’s will. Thus, it couldn’t endure any longer and admitted defeat. And because it seemed like Chi-Woo would really die at this rate, it hastily tried to fix the situation.

As a result, the unknown power didn’t try to rule over Chi-Woo anymore and didn’t reveal its true form like it usually did. It changed to a new form and spread throughout Chi-Woo’s body. Then it forcibly tapped into Chi-Woo’s potential. If this unknown power was defined as fate, Chi-Woo had basically resisted fate and made it surrender. Of course, both Philip and Chi-Woo were unaware of this, but it truly was unbelievable. It was so shocking that even Chi-Hyun would’ve been stunned if he knew what had happened. Thus, in a situation where Chi-Woo could only accept defeat or use his unknown power, a new possibility was presented to him.

There was nothing much Philip needed to do. He only had to guide Chi-Woo to the right path. He realized something unimaginable had happened and he could leave the rest to Chi-Woo.

Chi-Woo gradually raised his head. His face looked blank like he was slightly drunk. While surrounded by strange and unfamiliar sensations, Chi-Woo suddenly recalled a memory from his childhood: he was roughhousing with his brother, having fun jumping up and down when he suddenly jumped much higher than normal and surprised himself. After that, he couldn’t reach the same height no matter how many more times he jumped.

The same thing was happening now. He was hit with the same feeling he got when he somehow jumped the highest he had ever jumped and looked down. Thinking this, the continuously fluctuating power inside him gradually calmed. What had been too overwhelming to handle became a bit more digestible now, and with Philip’s help, he came to realize the reason for his unexplainable confidence. He got a grasp on how he should deal with Bael and thought even further ahead. It seemed he would be able to carry out what he had only pictured in his head before. After clearing his mind, he began to see things he hadn’t noticed before even in his peak state.

“How long are you going to stay standing there? I thought you were going to get serious now.” He heard Bael’s voice then.

Chi-Woo loosened up his tensed body and emptied his head. Then, he accepted nature as it was. Bael frowned, and she instantly regenerated the arm that was cut off.

“If you don’t have any intention to fight, keep getting beaten up!” Bael rushed forward and extended her arm. She was determined to kill Chi-Woo this time, and her hand sliced through the air sharply. It barely missed the edge of Chi-Woo’s nose as Chi-Woo slightly turned away. Bael snorted at first. She had already gotten into his space, and though her first attack missed, she thought he wouldn’t be able to escape the next sequence of attacks.

Soon, Bael’s face twisted in shock. None of her attacks landed on him—no punches or kicks even made contact, and Chi-Woo swerved around them. Moreover, Chi-Woo no longer dodged with obvious movements like he had done earlier. He moved by the slightest amount so that all her attacks missed him by a hair. Unlike Bael, who began to clench her teeth harder, a faint smile formed on Chi-Woo’s lips. To her surprise, Chi-Woo even closed his eyes mid-battle, as if he was savoring an afternoon tea on a lazy day.

‘I see.’ Amid the flurry of attacks, Chi-Woo nodded. ‘This is what they meant.’ It was the efficiency that Chi-Hyun and Byeok had emphasized to him time and time again. The fundamental principle of battle was to create the maximum effect with the minimum movements. Chi-Woo understood the theory with his head, but hadn’t been able to carry it out in action. Rather than understanding its essence, it was easier to mimic it by upgrading his Golden Ratio. He had only been grazing at the surface of this technique and didn’t get to its core. But now, he was making it wholly his.

‘Then…how about this?’ Chi-Woo recalled the movements Philip had taught him and opened his eyes. He saw a fist flying his way and slightly raised his arm.

“!” Bael flinched. All her attacks had been missing Chi-Woo by the width of a paper, but now the gap was slightly larger. It was the same for her kicks. A distance greater than a couple of layers of paper now formed between the two, and she soon realized the reason behind this change. Right before she hit, her opponent had already reacted. He lightly put his hand or arm on the body part she was attacking with and altered its direction. She was certain that Chi-Woo was pulling some kind of trick.

Thus, Bael thought she shouldn’t let Chi-Woo even touch her. She gritted her teeth and exerted more energy and force to make each attack more powerful, but in the end, that was the wrong decision to make.

“What?” She raised her speed and power, but the gap between her and her opponent increased instead. Chi-Woo moved only his arms and legs softly on the same spot, yet now, it seemed she was only making useless gestures and kicks; and whenever she tried to land an attack, it felt as if someone was slightly pushing her off.

“Ah—!” In the end, Bael couldn’t endure it any longer and shouted in rage. She gathered all her strength into one point. Then, she clearly saw Chi-Woo suddenly reach out and wrap his hand around her attack. His fist stopped as soon as it touched her face. It was the snapping technique.

Boom! A loud, powerful explosion broke out in Bael’s face, and she was thrown far backward. As it had happened with Chi-Woo, she bounced off only after crushing several buildings and rolled on the ground roughly. Bael couldn’t get up immediately because her consciousness was cut off for a moment. She was able to quickly recover since she had accepted the Sernitas, but the close-range explosion had still done a job on her face.

Bael was stunned. It was possible for her opponent to have superior techniques as she had risen to her current position with pure, raw power. Yet right now, she was also getting pushed back in terms of brute strength. That could only be the case since Chi-Woo had used the snapping technique with his original strength and added Bael’s power on top of that. Thus, the destructive power of his attack was amplified. Even if she could understand what had happened, she couldn’t erase the shock of being defeated in the area she thought she was best at. Bael had difficulty getting up, and the smile on Chi-Woo’s face deepened.

He was having so much fun that it was driving him crazy. Who knew it would be so enjoyable to do anything he wanted? He couldn’t hold back any longer and stretched out his arm. The ghost-busting club formed in his hand, but it was different from how it usually looked. It didn’t just stop after coming into form. Clusters of light gathered and let out an even stronger brilliance. The energy pouring out from the club of light was so powerful yet refined that Philip couldn’t hide his admiration for it. By contrast, Bael’s face hardened.