Chapter 163 – Taking the Initiative (Part One)

“Don’t give me that bullshit…!”

*Clang! Shhkkk!*

A powerful swing of his sword sent Kim Yu-jin sliding backward.

Displeased by his opponent’s sophistry, Il-hyeon scowled.

Her argument explained why she hadn’t killed him despite constantly running into him while he interfered with her plans, but the idea of joining them was unthinkable.

He’d rather die fighting them; he didn’t have the slightest intention of participating in such a horrific scheme.

However, if such a thing were to happen, there was only one possible scenario.

“Right, you’re planning to use mind control…”

Il-hyeon muttered, a certain woman coming to mind.

The reporter, Park So-yeon. Her real name was Hwa-yeon.

A monster that even Yoon In-hye, known as the strongest psychic, couldn’t resist.

It was still a mystery how she knew about him and approached him the moment he Awakened, but she had consistently shown her face.

If she decided to seize control of his mind, Il-hyeon, whose innate resistance to special powers wasn’t particularly high, would have no choice but to succumb.

But upon hearing his words, Kim Yu-jin simply shook her head.

“I have no intention of doing that. You’ll come to us on your own.”

“Such nonsense…”

“You stand there as if you know everything now, but unfortunately, there are still many truths you don’t know. I didn’t believe it myself until he showed us directly. Why we made such an extreme choice, and conversely, what will happen to the world if we don’t resort to these methods… It’s easy enough to figure out.”

As Kim Yu-jin shrugged, Il-hyeon paused, lost in thought.

The choice to overturn the world by sacrificing… no, slaughtering innocent civilians.

That woman, and Park Seong-hyeok, were once people who had willingly risked their lives for humanity.

Yet, as if by arrangement, most of those who had saved humanity in the past had joined this cause.

It was something that could never be understood through ordinary reasoning.

“‘He,’ you say… Who’s the one who planned all this?”

There was definitely someone above them.

If so, the one who showed them something ‘convincing’ was likely the mastermind behind this whole affair.

The one who recognized Il-hyeon’s ability before he could even properly use it, sent a psychic Awakened to approach him, persuaded past Awakened like Kim Yu-jin to join them, and created a massive organization with numerous new high-ranking Awakened—who had never before revealed themselves to the world—as its regular members. The one who orchestrated it all.

“That’s enough talk. Let’s see if you’ve improved.”

*Krrrrack!*

Il-hyeon lowered his stance and parried the violent sword aura that tore through the surroundings as it approached.

But at the same time, Kim Yu-jin spun around, approached from his blind spot, and struck a precise blow at Il-hyeon’s opening.

*Baaam!*

Feeling a slight impact on his ribs, Il-hyeon was sent flying, crashing through a wall.

The impact from just a kick was so strong that even his dual-core Defensive Coat sparked.

“…To be this strong at an age long past her prime.”

Il-hyeon muttered, spitting out the dust that had entered his mouth.

He had vaguely sensed it last time, but facing her now, he could clearly gauge the extent of her power.

Even for a legendary generation, this level of strength at an age approaching forty was absurd.

Just then, Seok Pil-joon, who was barely managing to sit up and compose himself, spoke.

“That’s not it, Kang Il-hyeon. That woman hasn’t aged a day since she retired.”

“What?”

“No, if anything, she looks closer to how she did in her youth. That’s probably the work of some unknown ability, too.”

He’d thought she looked incredibly young for her age when he saw her in person compared to her pictures, but it seemed she had actually gotten younger.

Based on her appearance alone, she looked to be in her mid-twenties… almost the same age as him.

Kim Yu-jin replied as if to confirm his words.

“Even so, my body is still creaky, so I’m not as good as I was in my prime…”

*Paaat! Jjeoong!*

The air trembled once more as their swords clashed.

“I’ll tell you this in advance, I don’t have time to drag this out like last time.”

A declaration that, unlike before, she would go all out from the start.

As if to prove her point, Kim Yu-jin spun and launched a series of unorthodox strikes, forcing Il-hyeon to retreat step by step to defend.

Her movements, as she unleashed a relentless assault within the thick mist, were difficult to follow with mere reflexes. Il-hyeon, with all five senses on high alert, barely managed to parry by reading her presence.

But the more violently he moved, the more the mist seeped into his body, making it impossible to even maintain that situation.

Just like how he’d been helplessly defeated last time, his strength began to drain, likely due to the mist’s ability, and Il-hyeon was pushed back even further.

He thought he’d become strong enough after gaining better control over his Predation ability in combat and absorbing two S-rank cores, but now that they were clashing, the thought that it was impossible couldn’t help but cross his mind.

The Great Cataclysm, when the Gates appeared twenty years ago.

Back then, there was no equipment made from Ether like swords or Defensive Coats, and thinking back, there wasn’t even a common-sense response system in place.

Moreover, while there was a sufficient number of Awakened now, accumulated over the past twenty years, the number of Awakened back then was at its lowest, not long after the Gates first opened.

And these were the people who had protected the world by desperately fending off the Gates in such harsh conditions.

The true identities of his enemies, including Kim Yu-jin with whom he was now crossing swords, were the very people he himself had once admired.

Even if her power had diminished slightly from her prime, the strength she displayed now was undeniably real.

But Il-hyeon hadn’t come here alone without a plan.

The biggest reason he hadn’t used a core during the fight with Leviathan earlier that day was Kim Yu-jin, the woman right in front of him.

*Crack!*

Il-hyeon took an A-rank core from his pocket and immediately crushed it, scattering the shattered fragments around him.

A white light of Ether erupted from within and flowed into Il-hyeon’s body.

He then forcefully deflected the sword coming for his neck, extended his arm, and used his Transmutation ability.

*Ssshhh!* The dense mist enveloping the area scattered, pushed out beyond the space where Il-hyeon and Kim Yu-jin were fighting.

Seeing this, Kim Yu-jin’s eyes narrowed.

The fact that Il-hyeon had manipulated and driven out the mist created by her ability meant that this time, Il-hyeon had won the power struggle between their abilities, something that had been impossible when they met in prison.

The surroundings were still slightly hazy, but it didn’t impede his vision at all, and he no longer had to worry about his body going numb.

Il-hyeon immediately lowered his stance, placed his hand on the ground, and summoned his wild dogs.

Dozens of wild dogs burst from the floor, charging ferociously to tear at Kim Yu-jin. The one dog that fell back picked up Seok Pil-joon and escaped the area.

Once the fight truly began, he, already injured and immobile, would inevitably get caught in the crossfire.

And while the dogs bought him time, Il-hyeon prepared for a large-scale summon.

*Rumble…!*

Kim Yu-jin had no trouble slaughtering the dogs that rushed her, but in that time, the entire ground around them began to tremble violently as Il-hyeon’s summoning was completed.

A long, rock-hard body coiled around the area, and a toxic aura emanating from the creature filled the air.

A monstrous beast in the form of a giant snake with eerie eyes and sharp scales—a Basilisk.

Boasting a size that overwhelmed his usual summons, the creature was large enough to easily wrap around a skyscraper just by straightening its back. It turned its head and stared down at Kim Yu-jin.

*Kiiiiieeeek!*

The Basilisk roared, baring its fangs in its massive maw.

Its thundering cry echoed through the surroundings as it spewed a thick cloud of venom toward Kim Yu-jin, who was looking up at it.

Of course, she easily dodged it, but the venom it spat completely corroded and melted the very spot where she had been standing.

More toxic gas spewed from the bubbling ground, and Kim Yu-jin began to feel the pressure.

The purification function of her Defensive Coat was far superior to those used by Aegis or the government, but even that system struggled to cope, and the severe toxin began to seep into her body.

Deciding she needed to turn the situation around quickly, Kim Yu-jin immediately gathered her energy and unleashed a powerful sword aura.

*Kwwwwwagagak!*

The violent aura swept across the Basilisk’s upper body, and the massive beast was wounded, torn to shreds as if ripped apart by a wild beast.

However, the Basilisk’s body, which had been reduced to tatters, began to restore itself. Furthermore, even more venom spewed from its wounds and the chunks of flesh that had been torn off.

If a monster of that size also possessed regenerative abilities, even she couldn’t finish it off easily.

In that case, the best option was to switch targets and aim for the main body.

Kim Yu-jin shifted her gaze to Il-hyeon.

Sensing her eyes on him, Il-hyeon raised his sword as if in preparation, and she closed the distance in an instant, clashing with him.

*Kagagagak!*

In the blink of an eye, dozens of blows were exchanged as they traded attacks in a fluid, sliding motion.

In the midst of it, Il-hyeon made a minute error in his follow-up movement, revealing an opening.

A fleeting moment, a minuscule yet fatal mistake that should never happen in a fight between high-ranking Awakened.

And there was no way Kim Yu-jin would miss it.

A single, concise strike that was impossible to block thrust forward.

*Chaeng!*

But the sword was stopped midway.

A sudden flash of light appeared in front of him, and a Valkyrie in resplendent armor materialized, blocking the attack with her spear.

Kim Yu-jin was momentarily stunned, never imagining he would have the capacity to summon another entity after calling forth a massive creature like the Basilisk.

And Il-hyeon, aiming precisely for that opening, slammed the sword he was swinging with all his might right into Kim Yu-jin’s jaw.

*Thwack!*

“Keuheup…”

With a dull thud, Kim Yu-jin was sent flying, tumbling across the ground before pushing herself up.

Even though her Defensive Coat’s protective function had activated, the shock was transmitted, and she staggered back for a moment, her jaw twisted from the impact.

“…To think you’ve gotten this strong.”

Kim Yu-jin said, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

It was as if something had triggered it; he was growing far faster than their projected timeline.

Il-hyeon, who had gained momentum and was showing an absurd growth rate, had now become an opponent she could no longer take lightly.

“Now we’re tied, one to one.”

Il-hyeon said, approaching with a casual swing of his sword.

The Valkyrie, holding her spear of light, followed behind him, and the Basilisk that filled the surroundings also looked down, ready to attack at any moment.

But just then, the sword in Il-hyeon’s hand whined.

“That woman’s attacks hurt, Master…”

“…Just bear with it for a little longer. You have a real talent for draining a man’s energy. A sword saying it hurts…”

“Idiot. You need to get hit yourself to snap out of it.”

The two bickered back and forth with their pointless chatter.

But because of it, Kim Yu-jin’s eyes widened as she realized the sword’s identity.

“Peacemaker…!”

“You found out. How did you know?”

The famed sword Peacemaker was known for being wielded by Min Ji-hoon, but back then, it wasn’t a noisy Ego Sword like it was now.

It had only started talking after coming into Il-hyeon’s possession, and its appearance had been altered for disguise, making it look no different from a regular sword. It was strange that she, who wasn’t its master, could recognize it.

But Kim Yu-jin didn’t reply, her expression hardening as she said.

“Min Ji-hoon… what on earth did you… That’s not something you should have.”

Her usual composure gone, Kim Yu-jin gritted her teeth.

A variable that could completely ruin their plans.

From their perspective, it was unacceptable.

“Sorry, but I have to retrieve that and go back, no matter what.”

“Do it if you can.”