Chapter 137

‘If it were just one person, maybe…’

But there were three of them with this level of skill, and it was clear they had been coordinating their movements for a long time, not just a day or two.

‘Certainly, I am clearly outmatched.’

Since he had left the outer perimeter to Biryeong, there was effectively no combat power available to help Taewoon right now.

If that were the case, he had no choice but to face three opponents alone and hold out for the remaining four minutes.

“…You seem to be thinking too much.”

Suddenly, a thick, dark black mist surged out, beginning to fill the ship’s corridor and the area around Taewoon.

As he was surrounded by the mist, the forms and presences of the Guardians became distorted to the point of being unrecognizable, and an unknown headache and dizziness began to plague Taewoon.

However.

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

Soon, a burst of crimson mist exploded outward, countering the black mist as if driving it away, and the visual confusion and dizziness quickly dissipated.

With his powerful pollution resistance and the power of The Red Man, Taewoon had completely neutralized the opponent’s ability.

“…Tsk.”

At the same time, a massive Guardian who had burst through the wall spotted Taewoon and immediately charged, while the Sealing Arts Master followed close behind, eyeing Taewoon’s openings.

‘This is…’

Taewoon defended by clashing his spear against the giant’s sword, but a massive recoil generated from the impact instantly pushed Taewoon’s body backward.

As if he had anticipated this, the young Sealing Arts Master following behind wore a murderous smile and began to form two Magic Formations connecting one wall to another.

“Fast!”

The moment the youth struck the wall beside him, the impact was amplified several times over, striking Taewoon’s body directly before he could recover his posture.

It was a rapid-fire sequence of attacks; furthermore, as if several effects had been added to the strike, Taewoon felt the magical power within his body begin to solidify and his body grow heavy as lead.

“…I’ll take your head.”

Through sequential coordination, they decisively weakened the opponent, leaving the person capable of delivering the most fatal blow to finish the job.

In a way, it was a textbook and predictable method, but because of that, it was undeniably effective and powerful.

‘…If it were before, I really wouldn’t have been able to lift a finger.’

However, Taewoon had learned how to govern his inner self in the Heavenly Secret Manual Theater, and as such, he possessed exceptional skill in observing the state of his own body.

Clearing the blocked meridians and instantly returning the circulation of magical power to normal, Taewoon shared a clash with the woman and retreated, once again drawing upon the power of the Wax Mask.

As he recited the now-familiar spell, a tremendous power flowed into Taewoon’s body, granting him a characteristic sense of exhilaration.

The second Apostle Transformation.

Since he had succeeded before, he had no hesitation, and by now, Aquila had almost finished tracking the communication device.

‘There’s nothing to hold me back… I’m going all out.’

Taewoon’s presence, which had been flickering with stuttering movements, vanished for a moment and reappeared behind the giant.

“Khhk!”

Activating the Star Absorption Great Technique at maximum output, Taewoon drew the Remegethon, and immediately after, a bolt of electricity released by Reje froze the giant’s movements.

【Condition 1: Must be facing a Formidable Foe】

【Condition 2: Must possess and be using a weapon of a certain length or longer】

【Condition 3: Must have mastered all techniques of the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear】

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: Soul Chasing Path Destruction】

Eight streaks of Spear Shadow extending from the tip of the spear shot out as if entwining the giant’s body, battering his frame; the armor crumpled, and fresh blood sprayed.

“…Keuh!”

The giant’s body, which began to regenerate rapidly, lunged to grab Taewoon, but with his speed, he could not keep up with Taewoon’s movements in the Apostle Transformation State.

Following several more Spear Strikes, the giant was heavily wounded and retreated a few steps, falling to his knees on the ground.

“…Indeed, quite the skill.”

While kneeling, the giant induced a lapse in concentration and slammed both hands onto the ground, creating a massive vibration within the ship that poured intense pressure onto Taewoon.

However, that too was merely an afterimage. Taewoon’s figure vanished with a twist and appeared behind the young Sealing Arts Master who had been covering the giant, aiming for his throat with a dagger at his waist.

Simultaneously, the spear, saturated with magical power, flew through the air as if possessed by a will of its own, blocking the assassin woman.

“This is…”

Despite the enemy being alone, the situation felt as if they were fighting three opponents. The Guardians frowned, their eyes frantically tracking Taewoon’s movements.

But with this, five minutes had passed.

Glancing toward the three, Taewoon seized a momentary opening and exited the battlefield, leaving the Guardians behind, who could only let out sighs of utter disbelief.

“Damn… we completely missed our chance.”

“He is a dangerous opponent. Padrik’s concerns weren’t wrong.”

“…You all return to the battlefield. I will track the trail from here.”

“Right, try to avoid situations where you have to face him alone.”

As long as he couldn’t leave the island, the opponent was nothing more than a rat in a trap.

However, even they could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that Taewoon, having secured Padrik’s location, was racing toward that very spot at this moment.

And so, time continued to flow on the island.

‘So, it’s here?’

• Yes. Precisely. I detected the signal from the connected communication device here.

‘…He was hiding in quite a gloomy place.’

No wonder he couldn’t find a plausible hideout; the place where Padrik was concealing himself was none other than the island’s underground.

To be precise, between the island’s beach and the forest, there was an underground facility of unknown purpose.

‘I found the location… but the consumption was too great.’

Taewoon had already used the Apostle Transformation twice.

There was almost no magical power left in his body, and his body had been noticeably growing heavier for a while now.

‘Besides, that presence from a moment ago was definitely…’

The owner of that massive magical power—the one who likely exchanged communications with the Guardians—was chasing Taewoon.

And currently, as promised, Biryeong was blocking him to buy Taewoon time to move.

‘Right, there’s no turning back now anyway.’

Taewoon instinctively felt that the challenge of this Cycle was nearing its end.

Therefore, he decided not to worry about saving any remaining strength.

‘…The third Apostle Transformation.’

He didn’t think a particularly good ending awaited him, but there was no other way.

The method of entering the underground facility itself was a problem, and there would certainly be Padrik’s guard forces inside the building.

Focusing once more on the power beyond the Wax Mask, Taewoon recited the spell, and a massive amount of power began to pour down from the connected passage.

But this time, something was different.

‘What is this…?’

Magical power, far more refined and condensed than when he used the first and second Apostle Transformations, violently shook Taewoon’s body.

It felt as if he were borrowing power from a higher dimension.

Accordingly, crimson mist and particles of light began to scatter around Taewoon, and a sense of omnipotence—the feeling that he could do anything—clouded his mind.

‘It feels as if… I’ve entered the realm of the Heaven Beyond Heaven that I’ve only heard rumors about.’

Hongyeon, the Guild Master of Baran’s guild to which Taewoon belonged, was a figure particularly renowned even among Level 6-ranks, but with his current self, Taewoon felt he might be able to surpass such a person as Hongyeon.

And the warning Hongyeon had given him in the past about top-tier Hunters—he felt he could now perfectly understand its meaning.

‘I really feel like I can do anything… then, what on earth is the realm above this?’

The power Taewoon had obtained now was, at best, only at the very end of Level 6-rank or the beginning of Level 7-rank.

Moreover, this was only a temporary phenomenon; there was still a considerable distance before Taewoon could fully reach this stage.

In fact, from the moment he used the third Apostle Transformation, he could feel his physical body beginning to face destruction.

‘…Power that is several dimensions ahead of this, honestly, I can’t even imagine it.’

His main enemy, Kyurihi, was also a Hunter said to have reached the end of Level 8.

Taewoon felt as if he was only now truly experiencing the towering and terrifying gap between them.

‘…Ugh, my thoughts have been drifting.’

Many thoughts came to mind, but now was not the time to be distracted.

Calmly observing his inner self, Taewoon cast Thousand-League Perception, and a massive amount of information was injected into his head, as if everything in the surroundings had been rendered into a blueprint.

The location of the space where Padrik was hiding felt so close it was almost within reach.

‘No, perhaps actually…’

As Taewoon, having drawn upon the power of The Red Man, reached out his hand, he felt a sensation as if he had grabbed something, and his senses clearly perceived the space beyond.

Stepping forward slowly, Taewoon gazed at the scenery of the isolation room unfolding before his eyes and the face of Padrik, who looked as if his breath had stopped in shock.

It was not a hallucination or an illusion, but a clear reality.

“H-how… how are you here…?”

“I see, so this is how it is.”

Grabbing Padrik’s shoulder firmly once more, Taewoon moved, and before they knew it, the two had moved to the depths of the lake region.

Witnessing the unbelievable phenomenon, Padrik collapsed in horror, and even after Taewoon released him, he remained frozen, unable to even think of fleeing.

“What… what is it that you want?”

“All the information regarding this island.”

“Hehe… to think I brought such an unidentified, dangerous person to the island with my own hands. It seems the Empire’s vision has grown quite clouded.”

Muttering as if it were absurd, Padrik remained silent for a moment before staring into Taewoon’s face.

And then, he slowly opened his closed mouth.