Chapter 309

“That is no longer an entity that can be opposed with human strength. If you wish to defeat it, you must find a way to exploit an opening from another angle.”

Cheongil’s expression was extremely rigid, and the sense of crisis emanating from his attitude was palpable.

“Even with your power, it’s difficult?”

“That being’s essence is more dangerous than you can imagine. At best, I can buy time. If it begins to exert all its power, I cannot hold out for long.”

The group, whose morale had risen with the appearance of a powerful ally, focused again and nodded at Cheongil’s words.

If he was that certain, then trying to defeat Polar Night head-on was not good.

While they were in a stalemate, it would be better to devise and try other means.

‘…So it comes to this in the end.’

I had been thinking about that aspect myself for a while now.

That’s why, by now, I had managed to derive my own answer.

‘But, it’s still insufficient.’

To properly seize a single opportunity, I needed to capture Polar Night’s attention even more than now.

Furthermore, I had to find the final piece of the puzzle to grasp its true nature.

Kwaaaang—!

Watching Cheongil and Polar Night, who had already begun another round of offense and defense, I sank into thought, synthesizing all the clues I had gathered so far.

‘It was Doyo who gave birth to the first Specters and spread their power throughout the world. And it was said that Polar Night also originated from her.’

However, as previously revealed, Polar Night was not a living creature or a Specter.

It was a kind of Sorcerous Principle born from someone’s Strong Desire.

There were several possibilities, but from among them, I could intuitively infer one answer.

‘The moment Doyo harbored her most powerful Strong Desire would be when she gave up everything and decided to die herself.’

If so, it was highly likely that Polar Night was also born precisely at that moment.

In other words, the Strong Desire Doyo held at the moment of her death would be the driving principle behind Polar Night’s current actions.

Furthermore, I recalled the last words Hongrim left in the World of Forbidden Techniques at that very moment.

‘She said that two Polar Nights facing each other would surely try to eliminate one side.’

I couldn’t precisely guess her thoughts, but at least she wouldn’t have spoken nonsense in that situation.

Meaning, based on that fact, I could somewhat infer Polar Night’s purpose.

‘I think I understand.’

I wouldn’t know the perfect answer without asking the being itself, but at least I felt I had uncovered most of it.

Now all questions were resolved. Moreover, I became confident that the plan I had in mind might surprisingly be effective against Polar Night.

The remaining problem now was how to create an opening in her and put the plan into action.

‘Fortunately, Cheongil is not an enemy Polar Night can easily dispose of.’

If there was an opportunity, it was only now, while Cheongil was holding his ground.

As I had mentioned the final measure beforehand, the group who understood my gaze nodded.

Simultaneously, we all rushed into the dizzying battle between Cheongil and Polar Night.

Huuung!

“Heavenly Thousand Rotation Wave!”

Sophia’s Spiritual Power emitted a brilliant light, but as Polar Night waved her hand, a strange wind flowed in and swallowed it.

Knowing that a single burst of attack wouldn’t be effective, the following Seo Jian summoned fierce winds, whirlpools, and multiple Water Spears, firing them at Polar Night in sequence.

Sswae-aek!

Kwa-gak!

Kwa-ga-ga-gak—!

Unfortunately, Polar Night, without even exerting much power, evaded most of them with fluid movements and easily neutralized Sophia’s second strike that followed.

“Nightmare Repulsion!”

“…It’s useless.”

Jjeeo-eong!

Even the Primordial Cursed Technique Cheong Joohwa painstakingly deployed was not a very threatening attack to Polar Night.

It seemed because the nature she possessed was fundamentally different from that of the Dark Devourer.

However, perhaps finding the successive onslaught somewhat annoying, Polar Night soon created a large fan, spun it once, and formed a massive wind barrier.

Just as we were helplessly swept into it, Arietta, who had rushed forward, sharpened her gaze.

“I anticipated a big one was coming.”

“This is……”

Perhaps she had laid groundwork within the failed attack from earlier, Polar Night’s shadow suddenly wavered and twisted her fan.

Seizing the moment the wind barrier weakened, Yoo Haon, Han Seoa, and I, who were still poised, leaped into the barrier.

“Trust Shattering Shade!”

The combination of the Demon-Suppressing Trait and Cursed Technique that had been active several times so far, but Yoo Haon was not limited to that. Through the Azure-White Sword received from Cheong Joohwa, he directly stabbed at the opponent.

“Hahp!”

Sswae-aek!

Perhaps unable to simply ignore the sword strike imbued with the Power of Demon Slaying, Polar Night also quickly adjusted her stance this time, trying to create distance from Yoo Haon.

And at that moment, the frame of the Cheonghongyeong I threw in was pierced by the Azure-White Sword, and a powerful suction force began to erode the surroundings.

Huuuung!

After a very short time passed, the place where we existed was no longer a space in reality.

Before Polar Night, who had entered the trial space of the Cheonghongyeong, could grasp the situation, I, who had followed in, quickly rushed at her.

“…Do you think you’ll gain an advantage with just this?”

Pung!

Cursed spikes emerging from an unnoticed space pierced my body in succession, but they soon transformed into several Talismans, scattering a flashing light in all directions.

At that point, the distance between Polar Night and me was a mere three meters. However, Polar Night, unconcerned with sight or such, immediately raised her hand, and at that moment, a single Talisman that flew to Polar Night’s feet formed a human silhouette.

“You let your guard down.”

Jjeeo-eong—!

His identity was Cheongil, who had taken the form of a Talisman through the Witch’s Sorcery completed by Han Seoa.

One of the Light-Source Talismans left behind when evading an attack with a Cursed Technique earlier was precisely that.

From the start, the plan was to disrupt Polar Night’s concentration using light.

“…Ugh.”

Perhaps because she allowed an unexpected strike, Polar Night revealed a gap for the first time in this battle.

And the moment Polar Night was flung back by the impact of the sorcery, one side of the space transformed into a beautiful peach garden, and a flawless young girl revealed herself.

As the Cheonghongyeong’s trial occurred, a portion of Doyo’s memories she possessed had flowed out.

“……”

There was no intense reaction, but I was certain that this moment was the only opportunity given to me.

Seizing that gap, I drew out all the power of my evolved Phantom Body Trait, enveloped my entire body in shadow, and charged straight at the fallen Polar Night.

Sseureuk!

Chwaaaak—!

An intense resonance occurred instantaneously. Also, as I gradually made contact with Polar Night’s essence, I could find within it the single strand of Strong Desire I was targeting.

‘Now!’

Grabbing it with all my might, I had the shadow create a circular entrance and entered it along with the strand of Strong Desire in my hand.

Is this the feeling of sinking into a Dream Within a Dream, or perhaps a deep abyss?

Somehow clinging to and enduring my fading consciousness, I could finally confirm the figures of Polar Night and myself left in darkness devoid of even a sliver of light.

“…What have you done now?”

“Well. Would you like to guess?”

It wasn’t difficult.

Through the ability of the Phantom Body Trait I had learned in battles with Great Specters, I had temporarily separated the Strong Desire that was her origin from within the being called Polar Night.

Frankly, I hadn’t verified it before, but it was indeed possible.

And now, Polar Night and I were inside a space within a shadow, differentiated by the power of the Phantom Body Trait.

Strictly speaking, her true body existed outside, but I had only drawn out that Strong Desire and confined it here.

‘This must be the essential ability of the evolved Phantom Body Trait.’

Launching attacks unaffected by the opponent’s defense, while simultaneously striking their deep spiritual realm.

In fact, even that was probably just a derivative effect.

“I didn’t know such a thing was possible. But even so, what changes?”

“Surely you haven’t noticed?”

At those words, Polar Night, who had flinched, suddenly made a disbelieving expression as if realizing one fact.

“Why……”

“The amount of power you can utilize must have decreased considerably. Because this place is, in a sense, a space cut off from the outside.”

Earlier, within the World of Forbidden Techniques, Polar Night, who had discerned our identities, showed not the slightest intention of heading outside.

At first, I thought it was only to avoid encountering another Polar Night, as Hongrim said, but now I knew. There was a more fundamental reason.

“As a sorcerous existence born from someone’s Strong Desire, you must have a kind of clear purpose and rules.”

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense. Because it was a kind of principle.

And I speculated that the realm Polar Night could involve herself in was limited to one world.

“Judging from your words, Doyo was an extremely benevolent being despite possessing immense power. And the Strong Desire she instinctively recalled at her final moment is also predictable.”

I wish this world would become clean.

Or, I wish all the negative thoughts filling the current world would disappear.

I might not know exactly, but it probably wasn’t very different.

In other words, Polar Night could only act within the rules limited by that Strong Desire. And thinking from that perspective, for the Polar Night in the World of Forbidden Techniques, this place was no different from another space, not her own world.

Even if she had arrived in the outside world back then, she wouldn’t have been able to properly exert her power.

“Am I wrong?”

“……”

And as a result of maximizing the characteristics of the evolved Phantom Body power, I could now compose this world within the shadow as an area not connected to the outside.

Of course, it wasn’t perfect and merely weakened the opponent’s power, but it was clearly a much better situation than before.

“…I’m certainly surprised. To think you could devise a means to this extent. And if my guess is correct, the moment the current me, merely an extracted Strong Desire, vanishes, the me outside will also lose its essence and collapse.”

But.

“Even so, I don’t need much power to deal with just you.”

Huuung!

Instantly crushed by immense power, I was engulfed in an illusion as if suffocating.

Certainly, as she said, no matter how well-prepared the situation, facing her alone was no different from suicide.

However, this place was inside my shadow. What that meant was extremely simple.

“All of you, come out.”

Puhak!

Puhwaak—!

As if waiting for this moment, Shikigami that sprang out from all directions began to stare at Polar Night, each emitting vibrant energies.

And in my hand, which had created such a situation, was a single yellow stone holding a strange light, now somehow held within it.