Chapter 69

Clang!

Fierce sparks flew.

They were sparks generated by the clash between Kang Yuseong’s sword and the weapons of Viper Squad.

Unlike before, Kang Yuseong couldn’t push forward with his usual momentum.

Instead, he was being pushed back.

The power imbued in their weapons was beyond imagination.

It was clearly a disadvantageous position for him.

Yet, the smile playing on Kang Yuseong’s lips didn’t fade.

In fact, it deepened, sending shivers down the spines of those who saw it.

A demon.

He wore the expression of a true demon, one who genuinely reveled in this blood-soaked battle.

Whoosh—

Flames ignited in his left hand.

And those flames transferred directly to the sword in his right hand.

The men of Viper Squad frowned, but that was all.

They charged at Kang Yuseong without a word, bringing their weapons down.

Clang!

Suddenly, a different dynamic unfolded.

Their weapons could no longer suppress Kang Yuseong.

Instead, a tingling sensation shot through their weapon-wielding arms, inwardly surprising them.

Clang!

At that moment, fierce flames erupted from below.

“Agh!”

Unable to withstand the power of that attack, the men recoiled.

But they weren’t given the luxury of deep thought.

Swish—

Kang Yuseong dashed forward and brought his sword down on them.

Boom!

Even though it was sword clashing against sword, a dull, heavy sound echoed, as if something massive had fallen.

“Ugh!”

One man, who had blocked his sword, surprisingly buckled at the knees.

He hadn’t been able to fully deflect the attack imbued with immense power.

Boom!

At that moment, Kang Yuseong’s kick flew toward his chest.

The man was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground.

But Kang Yuseong wasn’t there anymore.

Clang!

Before they knew it, he had lunged and brought his sword down on the man next to him.

The man also desperately tried to block the attack with his sword, but something astonishing happened.

Thwack—

The sword he held shattered into pieces, and Kang Yuseong’s blade descended upon the man.

The man’s eyes widened, and the sword mercilessly cut him down.

Clang!

At that moment, a silver flash gleamed, and someone struck away Kang Yuseong’s sword.

It was Colonel Kim Won-hak, who had been observing from the start.

He held two short spears in his hands.

They were short spears, reminiscent of tonfa in length, but Kang Yuseong instantly recognized their true nature.

He knew how terrifyingly powerful those weapons were.

As if to prove it, a sharp tingling sensation shot through his grip after clashing with the short spears.

‘Hmph…’

Strong.

Indeed, Kang Yuseong’s power alone was not yet enough to handle everything.

But he couldn’t retreat here.

That’s why he had come to Pyongyang.

Blowing up Daeseongsan or other outposts didn’t hold much significance.

To completely break North Korea’s will to fight, they first had to strike the Presidential Palace.

That’s why he was here.

If not now, the Republic of Korea would be inevitably shaken by the surrounding great powers.

‘Is there no other way?’

Kang Yuseong fumbled with a potion in his pocket.

It was a Chakra Enhancer.

But he was deeply conflicted about consuming it.

The reason was clear.

It was due to the potion’s toxicity.

Since it wasn’t a potion made with proper processing methods, severe side effects were inevitable.

He had already consumed a potion to revive the corpses before entering Pyongyang, so drinking another bottle now, less than a day later, would cause side effects.

The side effect was none other than this:

The Chakra Enhancer forcibly activated and drew out the body’s vitality and latent Chakra Force.

However, if one forcibly drew out that power too much, their ‘true strength’ would be depleted, and they would inevitably collapse.

‘Time is…’

He thought.

Stamina Potion-I could temporarily replenish that true strength.

Even then, the Chakra Enhancer would only buy him five minutes, and the Stamina Potion ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

What he had to do in that time was…

“– Kim Do-jin.”

He sent a message.

“– The time has come.”

At those words, Kim Do-jin’s eyes gleamed.

His gaze was entirely different from before.

“– Five minutes. Finish it within that time.”

Kim Do-jin nodded.

No matter how skilled Kim Do-jin was, he couldn’t continuously draw upon his Chakra Force. He was already feeling his limits when Kang Yuseong’s message came through.

“– Understood.”

He said nothing else.

Then he reached into his pocket.

His fingers closed around a small bottle.

He pulled it out and uncapped it.

Click—

The unknown potion he was told to take when the time came.

Kim Do-jin poured it into his mouth without a moment’s hesitation.

Whoosh!

And his eyes snapped open.

Roooooar!

This immense power surging from deep within his body!

‘Th-this is!’

A potent force, one he had never seen or heard of before, filled his entire being.

Whoosh!

Tiny sparks swirled and erupted around him.

Kim Do-jin looked down at his hands.

What in the world was this incredible power?!

His previous limits were long gone; he had become even stronger with this new power.

Through his eyes, he saw enemies charging from a distance.

“Disperse.”

He waved his hand in the air.

Then, as if scattering dust, a hazy mist spread before him. The tiny sparks had dispersed widely in all directions.

A grim smile formed on Kim Do-jin’s lips.

A power utterly unlike anything before!

He felt it coursing through him.

Thud-thud-thud!

Over a dozen Red Star Hunters and three men from Viper Squad were charging towards him.

They plunged into the mist of sparks, but paid it no mind, dashing madly toward Kim Do-jin.

Considering the enormous damage they had suffered because of him, killing him instantly wouldn’t even be satisfying enough.

But Kim Do-jin sneered at them.

Inside this mist was solely his domain.

Anyone who entered it…

“Explode!”

He clenched his fist.

At that instant, a tremendous explosion erupted around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A storm of fire raged in all directions with destructive power completely unlike the dust explosion from earlier.

“Aaaargh!”

The Hunters charging at Kim Do-jin were torn to shreds, their horrific screams echoing.

Rip! Rip! Rip!

The men of Viper Squad were not unscathed either.

They endured the explosion, but then felt their bodies twist and writhe under the subsequent blast of heat.

“Ugh!”

The heatwave was so scorching and fierce that their skin cracked and blood vessels burst.

Whoosh!

At that moment, clutching their chests, they collapsed.

Enduring the fiery storm had been difficult enough, but then over a dozen flaming arrows pierced through it, impaling their chests.

They stared at Kim Do-jin with expressions of disbelief.

They had thought they could kill him…

“Gag!”

Finally, they coughed up black blood.

Their lungs were damaged, and their hearts had burst.

Thud—

And within the fiery storm, they melted away.

Stomp.

Kim Do-jin stepped forward, watching them.

Numerous enemies appeared before him.

And the man standing far ahead.

Kim Do-jin smiled at that man.

Whoosh!

A short while later, massive fireballs began raining down madly across Pyongyang city.

It was a new phase of the battle.

Clang!

“…!”

Thwack!

Kim Won-hak was pushed back with a violent crash.

His face was completely etched with disbelief and horror.

This was impossible.

How could this be…!

When he first clashed with the man before him, he thought it wouldn’t take long to cut his throat.

Of course, the man was very strong, but his power had been significantly weakened, and he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the fangs of Viper Squad.

But now, that thought had been completely overturned.

The man before him had become an entirely different being than before.

His power, his speed, his agility.

“P-protect… him. Protect our Leader Comrade even in death!”

Kim Won-hak gritted his teeth.

At this rate, being breached was only a matter of time.

Behind them, a veritable inferno had erupted, a scene of utter chaos.

The KPA soldiers were consumed by fire and vanished, and the Red Star Hunters died in an instant.

Only they, Viper Squad, remained.

Of course, there was another guard unit in the Presidential Palace, but…

With this man’s skill…

“We must stop him even if our bodies are torn apart! Everyone, charge!”

Kim Won-hak shouted loudly, and the men of Viper Squad charged at Kang Yuseong once more.

Clang!

Their full-force attack unfolded, and for a moment, Kang Yuseong was completely surrounded, vanishing from sight.

Two swords aimed for his waist and legs, a battle hammer for his head, three axes for his neck, flank, and shoulder, and the short spear Kim Won-hak threw with all his might targeted his heart and nape.

But Kim Won-hak’s eyes widened.

Thud—

Clank!

The short spear that struck his chest fell away feebly, as if it had hit an unyielding wall!

And then…

Whoosh!

Out of nowhere, a massive aura pulled the Viper Squad Hunters towards Kang Yuseong.

And in an instant, a furious storm of blades erupted as if exploding.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Whish! Whish! Whish!

“Aargh!”

“Ugh!”

Countless blades surged in all directions, and the bodies of the men who had swarmed Kang Yuseong were torn to shreds.

The storm of blades utterly butchered even the already dead bodies, ripping them apart beyond recognition.

Thud!

Splatter!

A single strike.

Fragments of finely minced corpses belatedly fell from the air, and blood splattered everywhere.

Even Kim Won-hak, who had been at a distance, wasn’t unscathed.

His entire body was covered in streaks of blood, and he could barely remain standing, gritting his teeth.

Step.

Kang Yuseong walked forward, past him.

Chakra, Vengeful Iron Sword.

That skill, further empowered by the Chakra Enhancer, had torn all his enemies to pieces.

Swish—

The moment he brushed past Kim Won-hak, Kim Won-hak’s head slowly detached and fell.

Step.

And Kang Yuseong continued his steps toward the Presidential Palace.

Thud!

Kim Won-hak’s headless body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Whoosh—

Kang Yuseong dashed rapidly toward the Presidential Palace.

North Korea’s final enemy was within.

Arriving before it, Kang Yuseong took a long, deep breath.

No one had appeared yet, but he knew.

Someone of immense power resided within.

However, the moment he stepped inside, Kang Yuseong’s body trembled.

‘…!’

Unease.

And foreboding.

Something…

He had a feeling something unexpected was lurking.

All of it was…

Kang Yuseong’s eyes snapped open.

Countless corpses lay sprawled before the Presidential Palace.

The Presidential Palace had been transformed into a colossal tomb.