Chapter 198 – The Last, Not the End (Part One)

As a wave imbued with the power of the Transmutation Ability spread out, the surrounding space distorted and then settled, rippling like the surface of water.

It was a method he was trying for the first time.

But it wasn’t much different from how he’d operated before.

*Whoosh!*

The distance between Il-hyeon and Baek Il-ho, who were facing each other, distorted and instantly widened, and Il-hyeon immediately took his next action.

The immense power gained from absorbing the cores made it easy to interfere with space.

Even so, it was not enough to generate a spatial intervention powerful enough to subdue Baek Il-ho in an instant. To unleash that much power at once, he had to go through a certain process.

*Crackle!*

The space around Baek Il-ho began to deform, one section at a time.

Before unleashing his full power, he was altering parts of the area in advance, laying the groundwork for a chain reaction.

Of course, Il-hyeon’s current opponent was the Awakened who had accumulated the most experience on the battlefield in human history.

There was no way he wouldn’t notice something suspicious about such blatant groundwork.

Baek Il-ho, who was intimately familiar with the concept of spatial distortion thanks to his old comrade Min Ji-hoon’s ability, saw through Il-hyeon’s intentions. He realized Il-hyeon wanted to end this fight quickly, unwilling to take any risks.

*Fwoosh!*

Through the ability of his sword, Lawbringer—Spatial Designation—Baek Il-ho bypassed the distorted space and instantly moved behind Il-hyeon.

Once again, a strike aimed precisely for the heart.

It was the same situation as before, but the outcome that followed was not.

Il-hyeon spun around and parried the sword, then transmuted the ground beneath his feet into a foothold and leaped backward.

Baek Il-ho was clearly giving it his all, and every single attack was a threat.

Moreover, unlike his opponent who could simply absorb any attack thrown at him, a single hit would be fatal for Il-hyeon.

Aware of this, Baek Il-ho relentlessly closed the distance, pressing Il-hyeon without pause.

The Illusion and Nightmare abilities were the first cards Il-hyeon had intended to play against Baek Il-ho, but they had been rendered useless.

However, unlike most mental abilities, those two were not incapable of exerting physical force.

*Sssss…*

A black mist began to seep out, blanketing the area.

It was a special mist that could completely block the vision of even a high-ranking Awakened.

In response, Baek Il-ho heightened his senses to their peak and closed the distance to Il-hyeon’s position in an instant.

*Thud!*

But in the thick fog, his sword pierced not Il-hyeon, but the forearm of a jet-black giant.

“This is…”

A flicker of agitation crossed Baek Il-ho’s face as Il-hyeon perfectly replicated the ability Hwayeon once possessed.

But it was only for a moment.

Baek Il-ho unleashed a blast of sword energy straight from his embedded blade, shattering the giant to pieces.

He then swung his sword at Il-hyeon, who was standing behind it.

Il-hyeon tried to receive the blow and deflect it as before, but Baek Il-ho overpowered him with immense force, cleaving his body in two.

Red blood gushed from the wound, and Il-hyeon collapsed stiffly like a lifeless block of wood.

But upon cutting Il-hyeon down, Baek Il-ho realized he had hit nothing of substance and scanned his surroundings.

What he had cut was not the real body, but a clone.

The surrounding mist not only interfered with his senses but also had the power to give illusions substance, making the fake harder to discern than those created by other means.

Nevertheless, Baek Il-ho quickly located the real Il-hyeon and slowly savored the sensation of cutting down the clone.

He would only be fooled once. Having now imprinted the difference between Il-hyeon’s clone and his real body, no more tricks would work on Baek Il-ho.

*CRASH!*

Baek Il-ho kicked off the ground with explosive force and charged.

They were separated by what would normally be a considerable distance, but for beings like them, who were practically transcendent, it was a gap that could be closed in a single stride.

Just then, a summoned creature, a crow that had appeared on Il-hyeon’s shoulder, spread its wings and moved.

The crow flew straight ahead to block Baek Il-ho.

As expected, Baek Il-ho casually swung his sword and cut the bird down, its body split in two by the resulting sword energy.

But the crow, cleaved by the energy, cracked and split into two separate birds.

The two crows, though they hadn’t been cut again, began to divide continuously, their numbers multiplying exponentially.

The ever-increasing murder of crows swarmed not only Baek Il-ho’s line of sight but the entire area, the sound of their flapping wings filling the air.

“Trying to buy time, are you?”

A flock of infinitely multiplying crows.

Faced with this chaotic scene, Baek Il-ho remained unfazed.

He simply released the immense power he had been gathering.

*BOOOOOM!*

A storm of fire with immense destructive power swept over the area, incinerating the entire flock of crows.

Even the dense black mist that had settled over the area was scattered and driven back.

“Caw!”

A single crow, the only one remaining, cried out from Il-hyeon’s shoulder.

Against the now-clear backdrop, Il-hyeon and Baek Il-ho faced each other once more.

But they were not far apart, nor were they facing each other head-on.

Amidst the chaos he had just created, Il-hyeon had seized the opportunity to close the distance completely and get behind Baek Il-ho.

It had been only a fleeting moment from when the first crow was cut to when the rest were consumed by the flames, but thanks to spatial travel, time was not an issue.

Baek Il-ho sensed the presence behind him a moment too late and turned his head, but it was already over.

*BOOOOOOOOM!*

The countless abilities Il-hyeon possessed were layered and unleashed simultaneously, all their power concentrated into a single strike.

A massive impact occurred, and Baek Il-ho, who took the blow head-on, was pushed back, his feet dragging across the ground.

*Shraaaak!*

“……!”

To make Baek Il-ho’s feet slide back with just a single blow.

Considering his abilities and level, it was an incredibly significant achievement.

For the first time, the impact had surpassed the total amount Baek Il-ho could absorb at once.

His balance faltered for a moment, and Baek Il-ho staggered.

But in an instant, his arm shot out and snatched Il-hyeon’s hand.

“Damn…!”

All Il-hyeon could do was watch as Baek Il-ho’s fist shot toward his solar plexus with terrifying speed.

*BOOM!*

Taking the blow squarely in the chest, Il-hyeon was sent flying.

He was in danger of being blasted through the very wall he had erected, completely outside the mountain where the fight was taking place.

He had to stop himself, whether by using an ability or moving his body, but the direct hit made it impossible to muster any strength in his limbs.

If he was thrown out of the area and Baek Il-ho moved elsewhere, losing him, this fight would be absolutely unwinnable.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the crow, which had suddenly grown enormous, gently caught Il-hyeon on its feathered back.

Momentarily relieved, Il-hyeon nodded slightly and looked down.

A horrific wound greeted him; it was as if the upper half of his torso had been blown away.

It was an injury that even an Awakened with tenacious life force would have to abandon all hope of surviving.

*Sssst!*

However, his ravaged body quickly healed, and Il-hyeon stood up, feeling the intense aftershock in his head and ribs.

And for a moment, Il-hyeon’s eyes shimmered.

His vision, which had been momentarily blurred by the impact, began to clear and recover.

But something was strange.

“Wait…”

A separate field of vision, as if two scenes were overlapping.

Two streams of sight were simultaneously replaying in his mind like a fleeting panorama.

The images that had been flickering at the edge of his consciousness since he absorbed the core and continued the battle were suddenly taking concrete form.

The Peacemaker, held firmly in his hand, began to hum, resonating with him and sending a telepathic message into his mind.

“Master…!”

“I know.”

It was a brief moment, but he understood the entire situation. Il-hyeon looked down at the hand holding the Peacemaker and nodded.

*Flicker!*

Il-hyeon’s eyes turned white and then back to normal, again and again, trembling precariously.

“Where do you think…”

Il-hyeon muttered under his breath.

As expected, Baek Il-ho was destroying the walls on one side, preparing to leave the area immediately.

The launchpad, the core of their plan, was under attack, and Baek Il-ho was well aware that Il-hyeon had recklessly boosted his power for a short time using the cores. There was no reason for him to take a risk and continue the fight.

*Fwoosh!*

But Il-hyeon instantly teleported to Baek Il-ho, swinging his sword and sticking to him tenaciously.

He had to buy as much time as possible to keep him from leaving this area.

Il-hyeon was now certain that his team members, who had gone to target the launchpad, would soon finish the job.

“I told you, you’re not going anywhere.”

“My apologies, but the plan comes first.”

*CRUUUUMBLE!*

A powerful shockwave unleashed by Baek Il-ho brought down all of Il-hyeon’s surrounding walls.

The area was now wide open, creating an environment where Baek Il-ho could escape simply by using Spatial Designation on wherever his sword was pointing.

Without hesitation, Baek Il-ho tried to shake Il-hyeon off and leave.

No matter how much Il-hyeon struggled, blocking all four directions would be impossible.

*CLANG!*

But things did not go as he expected.

Every time he extended his sword to escape, Il-hyeon was there to block him, attacking with perfect timing as if he knew in advance.

Il-hyeon’s movements, which had made for a difficult fight just moments ago, had suddenly changed.

“How…? What did you do?”

Only then did Baek Il-ho see Il-hyeon’s white, color-changed eyes.

“It means I can finally use a sword properly now, too.”

Il-hyeon gestured with his head toward his sword.

He could easily predict where Baek Il-ho was trying to escape.

Because when it came to this battle, he could see everything, without exception.

He had reached a state where he could handle future sight even without using a core.

After absorbing the cores, the caliber of Il-hyeon’s power had temporarily ascended, allowing him to properly wield the true potential of the Peacemaker.

*CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!*

While Baek Il-ho was frozen, Il-hyeon swiftly closed in, unleashing a flurry of strikes.

Where he would parry, whether he would try to deflect, or if he was aiming for a counterattack.

The battle happening in the present and the future that would unfold moments later played out simultaneously, vividly flowing into his mind.

*Clash!*

Dozens of blows were exchanged in a fraction of a second, and when the exchange ended, a small distance opened between them.

But Baek Il-ho could not hide his bewildered expression.

“What the…!”

His own sword, Lawbringer, was in Il-hyeon’s hand.

Attacking Baek Il-ho’s body directly wouldn’t have inflicted any meaningful damage anyway; what Il-hyeon had been aiming for was his sword.

“What are you trying to do? Unless I willingly relinquish ownership, that sword only obeys its master,” Baek Il-ho said to Il-hyeon.

These weapons were made by a former comrade, who had personally designated their owners.

Even setting aside their special abilities, they were a far cry from ordinary swords.

Without needing any more words, Baek Il-ho extended his arm and called the sword back to his hand.

*Kreeeeee!*

Lawbringer reacted violently, trying to return to its master’s embrace.

Il-hyeon gripped it with all his might, but the sword’s pull was not something that could be stopped with mere physical strength.

But he only needed to hold on for a moment.

*Crackle-crackle!*

Sparks flew violently around the sword in a clear rejection.

But that, too, was brief.

Suddenly, the Lawbringer in Il-hyeon’s hand stopped moving completely.

As if it were a faithful sword held in its master’s hand.

“How on earth…?”

Baek Il-ho couldn’t believe what was happening before his eyes.

Forcibly taking his sword was supposed to be impossible.

In all his decades of fighting, no Awakened, no monster, not even the being that had once killed him, had ever managed to take the weapon from his hand.

But just then,

“I’m hungry!”

Lawbringer spoke.