Chapter 191

In an instant, a dazzling light erupted from Taewoon’s body. It was neither holy nor ominous, but simply a pure and serene light.

【A Handful of Blessing – The Dawn Shall Arrive】

▶ For a short period, you may borrow and use one of the abilities of ■■ ■■■. This can be activated only once per Cycle.

‘I couldn’t even guess at first… but now I have a rough idea of who the owner of that name is.’

The Dawn Sun God.

The unknown entity that the Dawn Assembly seeks to resurrect, and one of the final means to counter the End of Dawn.

Though he did not know the exact nature of its power, he was certain that the ability he was borrowing would be immensely powerful.

The light, rising clearly and staining the surrounding space white, poured down equally not only on Taewoon, but also on The Nameless Head, the followers of the Apocalypse Society, and even the awakened dead.

【An equal rest is granted to all beings present. Those who receive this rest cannot recover any damage taken for the next 10 minutes, regardless of the method.】

“…What?”

A bewildered voice escaped Taewoon’s lips involuntarily.

At the same time, Aphrasia also shouted, her expression one of distress.

“Hey, Hunter! What did you do?”

“…I’ve blocked that thing’s regeneration, but it’s the same for us. Do not let its attacks land under any circumstances.”

“So it’s a thin line between life and death… We must push it back during this window!”

Equal Rest.

In other words, it meant that the transcendent regenerative ability Taewoon had acquired was also sealed.

‘…To think I’d borrow such an absurd ability.’

This was effectively a double-edged sword. It was a golden opportunity to shut down The Nameless Head’s persistent regeneration, but simultaneously the worst possible gamble, leaving him completely exposed to the risk of death.

However, the die had already been cast, and the only thing left for Taewoon was to move forward.

“You all heard that! For the next 10 minutes, that thing cannot heal its wounds! Pour everything you have into the attack!”

With Aphrasia’s shout as the signal, the curtain rose on the all-out war. Taewoon no longer thought of defense. Accepting that his body might be shattered, he focused everything solely on offense.

The red lightning fired by Taewoon tore away a whole section of The Nameless Head’s form. The torn part did not regenerate, remaining as a hollow hole and permanently damaging the creature’s existence.

A wave of curses spat out by The Nameless Head struck Taewoon’s left arm. Normally, the Crimson Mist would have blocked it, or the wound would have regenerated instantly.

However, due to the effect of the Rest, Taewoon’s left arm turned black and began to necrose in an instant.

A horrific pain surged as flesh melted and bone vanished, but Taewoon did not even scream.

“Kugh, now!”

The followers of the Apocalypse Society moved in unison, drawing out the various divine artifacts they had brought from the main headquarters.

Then, resonating with the source of the dead, they began to create an effect that transferred the damage the undead took directly to The Nameless Head.

One by one, the wraiths fell to the followers’ attacks. Normally, it would have been negligible damage that couldn’t even scratch The Nameless Head, but now that recovery was impossible, each small wound accumulated as fatal damage.

‘Damn… this is insane…’

It was a literal game of chicken to see who would lose their life first.

As time passed, the battlefield became more desperate, and proportionally, Taewoon’s body became a wreck.

His left arm had almost lost its shape, and fatal curses were etched all over his body. Yet, the look in Taewoon’s eyes did not waver in the slightest. Rather, as death drew closer, they shone with a colder, sharper light.

“With this… I’ll end it!”

Finally, Aphrasia made her decision. She took the black-stained branch she had cherished and, while chanting a spell, snapped it in half.

The moment the branch broke, black blood erupted from her mouth. At the cost of the holy relic—the divine object of the Apocalypse Society and the source of her power—she unleashed the most powerful Authority she could muster.

“I didn’t expect to suffer this much loss…”

A pitch-black void erupted from the broken branch and swallowed The Nameless Head. It was the Authority of the apocalypse, returning everything to nothingness.

Whether this strike was fatal or not, The Nameless Head’s presence began to fade rapidly.

But that wasn’t the end. On the verge of annihilation, The Nameless Head gathered every last bit of its remaining strength and fired a single fragment of the stele containing its existence straight into Taewoon’s heart.

An unavoidable strike.

However, Taewoon had no intention of dodging it. Instead, he charged head-on toward the stele, staring at the single Spear Path visible only to his eyes.

‘Now.’

Prepared to throw away his life, feeling the horrific sensation of a hole being punched through his heart, Taewoon unleashed his final strike, pouring in all his will and soul.

【Condition 1: Be facing a Formidable Foe】

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

【Condition 3: Have mastered all Techniques of the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear】

【Condition 4: Be suffering from fatal wounds to the point of nearing death】

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: Extreme Soul Eight Annihilations】

A torrent of will swallowed everything.

The final step Taewoon took, the Extreme Soul Eight Annihilations launched from the boundary between life and death, pierced the source of The Nameless Head in a flawless, perfect form.

A single flash that erased existence, crossed causality, and returned even the source of a being that had entered the realm of Transcendence to nothingness.

What The Nameless Head vomited out at the end wasn’t even a scream. It was a primal denial of the annihilation of its own concept, like a wave of absolute agony crashing over its very existence.

That wave shook the space and scraped at Taewoon’s soul, but it could not break the will of a man who had already poured everything into the strike.

Finally, the massive presence scattered like a handful of dust. A Calamity that seemed poised to swallow the world met its end so vainly.

“…”

With that sight as his last, Taewoon’s consciousness also sank into a distant abyss. His broken body and depleted soul no longer had the strength to hold onto his mind.

Darkness fell, and all senses vanished. In the pitch-black silence, Taewoon felt only an endless fall.

‘In the end… did I fail?’

When he opened his eyes again, what greeted Taewoon was not the familiar scenery of the Waiting Room.

The faint, stinging scent of medicinal herbs and blood, and a ceiling with a cool touch, as if carved from stone.

Attempting to raise his upper body in confusion, Taewoon checked his physical condition and let out an involuntary hollow laugh.

‘Can this… even be called being alive?’

The place where his left arm should have been was still empty, and there was a hole in his chest where his heart once was, large enough for an adult man’s fist to pass through.

A phenomenon resembling mist appeared near the center of the wound, preventing further bleeding or collapse, but it was a gruesome sight that no one could call the body of a living human.

‘I definitely took enough damage to have died several times over…’

It was a funny thought in a way, but Taewoon was a man more skilled than anyone else on Earth at detecting the sensation of approaching death.

It should have been the end, yet Taewoon was alive.

From the center of his body, instead of a heartbeat, he felt a quiet yet powerful pulsation of Magical Power. A red energy flowing through the blood vessels of his entire body was replacing his blood and maintaining his life functions.

“Oh my, it seems our precious guest has finally opened his eyes?”

With a cheerful voice, Aphrasia appeared. She approached with a nonchalant face and poked the hole in Taewoon’s chest with her finger.

“Look at this, you really are a monster. How are you alive without a heart? I was actually considering dissecting you for a bit because it’s so fascinating.”

“…Your jokes are going too far.”

“Jokes? I was serious. Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe. You slept for a whole week straight, I really thought you were dead.”

As she said, Gasphen, who had entered the room, was looking at Taewoon with a complex expression. In his eyes were awe, admiration, and even a hint of fear toward a being he could not understand.

“Is your body… alright?”

“As you can see, I don’t look particularly alright.”

“That is not what I meant.”

Gasphen murmured as he approached. He examined Taewoon’s wounds for a moment and then let out a deep sigh.

“You have already half-cast off the skin of a human. That body is no longer bound by the laws of mortality. I do not know whether to congratulate you or mourn for you.”

At those words, Taewoon gave a bitter smile.

He felt it himself. Through this desperate struggle, he had crossed a river from which there was no return. Likely from this point on, Taewoon would never be able to return to being an ordinary human of the past.

“From now on, The Society will fully support your hunt. I do not know how meaningful our support will be to someone with your level of power, but we will ensure you lack nothing in terms of information or resources. You have more than enough qualification for it.”

“…I will accept it gratefully.”

“Right. That aside… do you feel any changes in the Blood of Adora? Since you used a being of that magnitude as nourishment, there must have been some massive change.”

At Gasphen’s words, Taewoon finally looked deep within himself.

And there, he could feel three changes, far more vivid than anything he had experienced before.