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Jaehwan

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  1. ‘Stab’.
  2.  
  3. Jaehwan had started climbing the tower much later than others. It made him miss out on the chance to get hidden skills or classes so Jaehwan gave up on everything else and concentrated on the ‘Stab’ skill.
  4.  
  5. He stabbed, stabbed and stabbed.
  6.  
  7. After about 50 million stabs, people began calling him ‘Jaehwan the Persistent Stabber.’ And that’s when he felt his [Stab] changing. It became faster and more accurate. It had become stronger.
  8.  
  9. 60 million, 70 million… and 100 million times.
  10.  
  11. His basic [Stab] skill now had become powerful enough on par with even rarest of hidden skills. Also, it was only a basic move so it did not require him to use his mana, which made him attack endlessly.
  12.  
  13. But it was not enough to handle the Frost Dragon of the 99th floor. He barely made a scratch when he stabbed one point of the scale hundreds of times. But there were times when he managed to damage the scale with one strike.
  14.  
  15. ‘There, I see it again.’
  16.  
  17. His sight became blurry and his stabbing changed its power. It was not fast, but not slow. But the stab wasn’t avoidable.
  18.  
  19. “KAAAAAA!”
  20.  
  21. The Frost Dragon roared in pain.
  22.  
  23. He couldn’t remember but this occurred rarely. Maybe out of one in hundred thousand times, he saw a faint line on his sight. He followed it without thinking. If he were successful in following the line, his stab managed to inflict an attack that equaled thousands of attacks.
  24.  
  25. [BoS Jaehwan's combat explained - based purely around stabbing, skilled to the extent that he can hit the same spot of a dragon in combat hundreds of times in a row, attacks are "not slow, not fast, but not avoidable" and his special attacks cause damage equal to thousands of attacks with a single hit]
  26. - 2
  27. ---------------------------------------------------------
  28. ‘Dammit, it’s still not enough.’
  29.  
  30. The dragon took a deep breath and released it, filling the tower. It was a critical strike to Jaehwan who was already in bad shape. His health was dropping rapidly toward 0. Jaehwan barely managed to avoid the breath.
  31.  
  32. -It is unfortunate, human. If there were 10 more like you, you might have defeated me.
  33.  
  34. “Shut up.”
  35.  
  36. [Manages to avoid a dragon breath that "fills the tower" that he's fighting on]
  37. - 2
  38.  
  39. ------------------------------------------------------------
  40. “I’m the Demon, Beastlain. I’m the master of the <Tower of Nightmares>, which you just completed and I’m the master of World 294’s tutorial game.”
  41.  
  42. Game. Tutorial game. He had not been mistaken. All of it, which wiped out mankind, had only been a tutorial. Jaehwan couldn’t say anything. He was fighting a cacophony of emotions. Part of him told him to accept reality while part of him wanted to go mad.
  43.  
  44. After a while, he came back to his senses. No, he came back armed with a colder look in his eyes.
  45.  
  46. Beastlain seemed impressed.
  47.  
  48. “Oh? You recovered pretty quickly.”
  49.  
  50. Jaehwan expressionlessly looked at Beastlain. If he couldn’t withstand the shock, he wouldn’t have made it this far alone.
  51.  
  52. [Shock resistance lol]
  53. - 3
  54. ------------------------------------------------------
  55. “This…”
  56.  
  57. Jaehwan could not speak. Everything he had done all this time had been recorded.
  58.  
  59. “It was an epic drama that went on for 30 years! I was glad to have you! You know, if you stay here while doing the same thing over and over again, it’s refreshing to see a story of a man like you! I’m almost certain that the lords of the <Great Lands> would have been delighted while they looked at your story.”
  60.  
  61. [Jaehwan has 30 years worth of combat experience]
  62. - 3
  63. ---------------------------------------------------
  64. Jaehwan walked up and placed his hands on the walls. He felt the cold feeling of the stone. He had spent more time within the tower than the time he had spent time on Earth. But after all this time, he had never realized that this giant structure was an [Item]. It was time to change what he knew. He closed his eyes and focused on the tower. He imagined the shape of it. Everything he had seen and experienced.
  65.  
  66. After a few moments, his head hurt. It was as if something within him had broken down. Then a window popped up with an item description.
  67.  
  68. [Item Detail]
  69.  
  70. Name: Tower of Nightmares – Tutorial Mode
  71.  
  72. Description: 2nd Creation of Nightmare [Mulack], the creator of the ‘Fortress of Remorse.’ Traps the one who accepts the summon into its dream world.
  73.  
  74. “This tower is a giant [Stone of Nightmare].”
  75.  
  76. Jaehwan spoke. “I was already within the ‘Dream of Nightmare’ created by this tower from a long time ago. From the day I accepted the summoning.”
  77.  
  78. Silence fell. Beastlain was lowering his head so his face couldn’t be seen. He shivered as if he cried for a seconds, then raised his head.
  79.  
  80. “HAHAHAHA!”
  81.  
  82. He laughed so hard. But his laughter now contained an anger of some kind.
  83.  
  84. “This… this is amazing! You have astonished me so many times!”
  85.  
  86. [Jaehwan can use item description on metaphysical things powered by the Nightmare]
  87. - 4
  88. -------------------------------------------------
  89. 72 times.
  90.  
  91. He challenged Beastlain 72 times within 2 months and he never even scratched on him. When the battle was over, he returned almost dead each time. Yet Beastlain never killed him.
  92.  
  93. He used everything he knew, every power and trick he acquired as he climbed up to the 100th floor.
  94.  
  95. Yet he was no match against Beastlain.
  96.  
  97. [Early Jaehwan literally cannot scratch Beastlain]
  98. - 5
  99. ----------------------------------------------------
  100. The Tower of Nightmares was a creation of ‘Nightmares’ who were usually called [Creators] that ran on the power of the Great Tree, or the <Tree of Imagery> located at the center of the <Great Lands>. It meant everything that happened within this tower was the dream created by the Tree of Imagery. This also meant that without any special way, no one who died in this dream will have its spirits die also.
  101.  
  102. [SCALING - The Tower was made by Nightmares, people called Creators who are boosted by the Great Tree. Vrey strong]
  103. - 5
  104. --------------------------------------------------
  105. After some time, he began seeing something weird. He thought it was just an illusion, but it wasn’t. He realized what he saw was the nature of this world. It was sometimes a smooth particle and sometimes became rough rocks. It always seemed to be in various shapes and sizes.
  106.  
  107. That’s when his stabbing became unstable.
  108.  
  109. He felt a weird sensation each time he used his [Stab] skill. The skill that he had stuck in its form in perfection, had become loose and Jaehwan felt something he had been forgetting was coming back.
  110.  
  111. It was the feeling of being ‘alive.’
  112.  
  113. Jaehwan named it [Suspicion] for now. The power to look into the truth of the world. However, he had no idea how to use the power yet.
  114.  
  115.  
  116. [First mention of Suspicion power. A tier above his 'thousands of hits' single thrust attacks]
  117. - 6
  118. --------------------------------------------------
  119. “…It’s just- just volunteering. Someone needs to do it, so here I am. Haha.”
  120.  
  121. The awkward smile made Jaehwan narrow his eyes.
  122.  
  123. ‘Volunteer?’
  124.  
  125. Jaehwan looked at the particles floating above Beastlain and thought. As his [Suspicion] skill got stronger, he was now able to distinguish various particles. Some stood in its place while some moved about actively. The particles that floated above Beastlain were very distinguishable. They touched Beastlain and moved in some kind of formation, and disappeared toward the outside of the tower quickly.
  126.  
  127. To Jaehwan, the formation seemed like a word. It seemed Beastlain was talking with someone from afar.
  128.  
  129. ‘Lord… …sends… message…’
  130.  
  131. ‘Product… cultivation… harvest… yet…’
  132.  
  133. ‘Don’t kill… the product…’
  134.  
  135. ‘The land… not… conversation…’
  136.  
  137. ‘You can’t… due date… no time…’
  138.  
  139. Jaehwan spoke again.
  140.  
  141. “…Hmph. Let’s go back to the story then.”
  142.  
  143. [Suspicion allows Jaehwan to see telepathic, cross-universe spanning communications]
  144. - 7
  145. ------------------------------------------------------
  146. Most [Products] barely managed 10 years within the tower because their mental state couldn’t handle the stress. But the [Product] had managed to survive for 30 years and was at the brink of clearing the 99th floor. His spirit was unhinged. Beastlain was shocked. And overjoyed.
  147.  
  148. ‘THIS IS IT! IT’S HIM!’
  149.  
  150. Clearing the infamous difficulty of 1st Generation tower alone. It was unheard of in the entire material world. It was why Beastlain had to accept every nonsense that the [Product] was doing until now. There was no telling how high of a price the [Product] might fetch him. He could not dare to damage it.
  151.  
  152. [Jaehwan's willpower is nutty good]
  153. - 8
  154. -----------------------------------------------------
  155. Beastlain felt some kind of victorious satisfaction as he looked at the face down Jaehwan. His plan had been disturbed but now, this human would accept his fate. However, it was then…
  156.  
  157. “Demon Beastlain.”
  158.  
  159. “Yes?”
  160.  
  161. “You are called the Gentleman of Deception in the <Great Lands>?”
  162.  
  163. “…Right. How did you know that?”
  164.  
  165. “You have lived 784 years and worked on 128 worlds to [Cultivate] various races. Spewing your filthy lies, such as promising the [Products] that you will make sure they go to Great Lords.”
  166.  
  167. “H-HOW DO YOU KNOW?!”
  168.  
  169. Beastlain seemed in shock.
  170.  
  171. “What’s so surprising? Is it shocking to hear this from your [Product]?”
  172.  
  173. “How…!”
  174.  
  175. “You’re thinking of selling me to the [Harvester] called the Lord of Darkness. For that, you will receive a great reward that you need to go on your 4th Mort.”
  176.  
  177. Jaehwan looked up to the ceiling as he spoke. His [Suspicion] skill that he had trained for the past 100 days was working well. The particles within the tower were chattering and Jaehwan listened. [Suspicion] showed him a new world. A new world that told him a new story.
  178.  
  179. […Lord of Darkness. The first stage of [Cultivate] will be ending soon. The deposits will be…]
  180.  
  181. […This Product is an extra-special grade. I have never seen such a Product in my 784 years of life…]
  182.  
  183. […After this deal is done, I will be a high-ranking Demon after my 4th mort. If you trust me through the cultivation…]
  184.  
  185. “…Who are you?”
  186.  
  187. “A [Product]. The [Product] that you raised here for over the past 30 years.”
  188.  
  189. Jaehwan felt the tree binding him becoming loose. This was another power of his [Suspicion]. It allowed him to deny the presence of material and dismantle it.
  190.  
  191. “But not anymore.”
  192.  
  193. [Suspicion giving Jaehwan past knowledge of Beastlain (probably through reading chats tho) and also allowing him to deny the presence of and therefore dismantle materials (it was a powerful tree thing that was holding him in place)]
  194. - 9
  195. --------------------------------------------------
  196. Two swords were thrust into the space. Beastlain barely managed to dodge the attack, but his left arm was left with a long gash. It should be impossible. The enemy was a puny Walker who just cleared the tutorial, while Beastlain was a Demon that finished the 3rd Mort. Only a being who passed at least the 1st Adaptation would be able to hurt him.
  197.  
  198. ‘Wait… Over-adapter?’
  199.  
  200. Over-adapter.
  201.  
  202. A [Product] that had grown beyond the imagination.
  203.  
  204. [Jaehwan after training is now able to harm Beastlain with his attacks, despite still being just as weak as he was before]
  205. - 9
  206. --------------------------------------------------------
  207. Jaehwan’s specialty was unleashed at the tip of the Frost Dragon Sword.
  208.  
  209. Stab.
  210.  
  211. Or it was hard to even call it at that anymore. From the movement to its power, Jaehwan realized through his [Suspicion]. After countless times of using [Suspicion], he realized.
  212.  
  213. ‘I have [Understood] the stabbing.’
  214.  
  215. It was no more a mere thrust.
  216.  
  217. It was like a flash of lighting. Beastlain’s body began spraying in blood. His eyes opened in shock.
  218.  
  219. “2nd Adaptation?!”
  220.  
  221. The speed, and the power. This wasn’t possible for anyone before the 2nd Adaptation.
  222.  
  223. And throughout all history, there were no 2nd Adaptations born from the tutorial.
  224.  
  225. Beastlain was given no choice. If Jaehwan really did manage to gain the power of the 2nd Adaptation, Beastlain had to bring out his power from the material world to fight. He quickly brought his synchronization to 80% to borrow his original body’s power.
  226.  
  227. [Jaehwan's Stab is now faaaaaar more powerful than it used to be (thousands of attacks per hit in the past) making him able to attack faster and stronger than should be possible for him]
  228. - 9
  229. ----------------------------------------------------------
  230. A Demon’s 3rd Mort did have similarities to the 3rd Adaptation, but there were differences. Most adapters could not defeat Demons at the same stage. Even if the stage were the same, there was a huge difference in hands-on experience from age. A huge claw raised from Beastlain’s hand swung at Jaehwan, damaging him instantly.
  231.  
  232. Jaehwan’s body began bleeding like a fountain and his health dropped by half.
  233.  
  234. “SURRENDER NOW!”
  235.  
  236. Jaehwan felt his legs trembling from the terrible energy coming from Beastlain. It was definitely a Demon. There was no chance that he could win. The particles forming the tower seemed to be at their limit also.
  237.  
  238. ‘Is this the end?’
  239.  
  240. Jaehwan made his last attack. His perseverance was what brought him there. He kept stabbing and stabbing. How many times did he stab? 100 million times? 200 million?
  241.  
  242. The only one who knew the answer was Jaehwan’s body.
  243.  
  244. 9,999,999,991
  245.  
  246. 9,999,999,992
  247.  
  248. 9,999,999,998
  249.  
  250. 9,999,999,999
  251.  
  252. 10,000,000,000!
  253.  
  254. At that moment, Jaehwan saw some kind of weird line in front of him.
  255.  
  256. [Continues fighting after receiving serious injuries from a being strong enough to start destroying the Tower just by his presence being there]
  257. - 9
  258. --------------------------------------------------------
  259. [Awakening].
  260.  
  261. Beastlain could not believe it, but there was no other way to describe this phenomenon. If that was not the ‘Awakening,’ then what was?
  262.  
  263. However, there was no time to be shocked. A countless number of sword attacks were thrown at him. The attack power was also increasing. Beastlain frantically used his claws to deflect the attacks. After blocking or deflecting every attack, and just when he thought it was over, he knew he had lost.
  264.  
  265. “….what… how can this be…?”
  266.  
  267. He felt a searing pain that seemed to rip apart his very being. His body had no visible damage, but he could feel the pain.
  268.  
  269. “Don’t worry, it won’t kill you. But it might be more painful to be alive.”
  270.  
  271. What Jaehwan attacked wasn’t the Beastlain’s spirit here. He attacked the line that connected him to outside of the tower. Jaehwan did not know but this was the ‘Link’ that existed between Beastlain’s spirit to its body.
  272.  
  273. The link was disconnected by Jaehwan’s stab.
  274.  
  275. “AAAAARGH!!”
  276.  
  277. Beastlain screamed in terrible agony.
  278.  
  279. [Jaehwan attacking the link that connects Beastlain's spirit to his real body (his real body is over a universe away)]
  280. - 10
  281. ------------------------------------------------------------
  282. Awakener at the level of [Void]
  283.  
  284. A being whose status can’t be shown by the system. Even Beastlain, who was the master of the tower, could not see Jaehwan’s status.
  285.  
  286. [User Detail]
  287.  
  288. Name:?????????????
  289.  
  290. Title: ??????????????
  291.  
  292. Class: ?????????????
  293.  
  294. Skills: ??????????????
  295.  
  296. [Jaehwan's Awakener status of [Void] means that his abilities cannot be viewed]
  297. - 10
  298. --------------------------------------------------------------
  299. [All Tower of Nightmares are copies of the ‘The First Nightmare’ located at the top of the ‘Tree of Imagery’. I only think about one thing when I make my creations. If I borrow its powers, I will always end up with the same problem. All of my creations are just roots to maintain ‘The First Nightmare’.]
  300.  
  301. Scribbles that seemed to be left by some artist. Jaehwan figured this could be a hidden clue so he took note of it. Similar scribbles were also found on the 47th floor.
  302.  
  303. [I came to this conclusion. Shouldn’t we climb up to the ‘Tree of Imagery’? Should we not see the secret of true creation? At the top of the ‘Tree of Imagery,’ shouldn’t we face ‘The First Nightmare’?]
  304.  
  305. [Towers are just roots that maintain the first nightmare (there are millions of universes that branch out from the Great Lands)]
  306. - 10
  307. -------------------------------------------------------------
  308. Jaehwan glanced at the ceiling of the 100th floor and stabbed into it. The ceiling cracked and Beastlain wailed,
  309.  
  310. “NO! MY TOWER! NOOOOOO!”
  311.  
  312. Again, and again.
  313.  
  314. Jaehwan saw it clearly through his [Suspicion].
  315.  
  316. The great flow of energy that sent particles that allowed the tower to be maintained. From the top to bottom. This area was at the far end of an enormous network of energy flow.
  317.  
  318. Jaehwan knew if he followed the flow, he would arrive at the secret of the world.
  319.  
  320. The 100th floor was not the end.
  321.  
  322. ‘If this is a root, I probably can reach up through it.
  323.  
  324. The ceiling collapsed from Jaehwan’s attack and a bright light began to shine through it.
  325.  
  326. [Suspicion showing the flow of energy between things spanning universes]
  327. - 10
  328. ---------------------------------------------------------
  329. There was no way he could understand. They did mention something about a horn, so Jaehwan flashed it as he spoke.
  330.  
  331. “Good. I’ll give you this if you tell me where this is…”
  332.  
  333. Then they attacked with their swords unsheathed. It wasn’t just a threat. Jaehwan then turned to the sky. The sun-like thing was up there. It was hot.
  334.  
  335. “Hey.”
  336.  
  337. He dodged.
  338.  
  339. “Antennae.”
  340.  
  341. He dodged again.
  342.  
  343. “If you do that again, I’ll kill you all.”
  344.  
  345. And he dodged yet again.
  346.  
  347. “Die.”
  348.  
  349. Soon, all of them lay dead. They bled blue blood before they died and perished to dust.
  350.  
  351. [Dodging and decimating a group of enemies]
  352. - 11
  353. --------------------------------------------------------
  354. He couldn’t get much information but he acquired something.
  355.  
  356. It was the items that the group had in their belongings.
  357.  
  358. Most of the things weren’t useful but one was good. After checking it with [Suspicion], the small white bag he had on his back was as follows:
  359.  
  360. [Item Details]
  361.  
  362. Name: Small Dimensional Backpack
  363.  
  364. Description: Use dimensional space to haul various objects. Provides 2 square meters of storage space.
  365.  
  366. ‘It’s like an inventory.’
  367.  
  368. After he got out of Tower of Nightmares, he was not allowed to use most skills that were provided by the Interface System, such as inventory. It was weird as Beastlain had said that the Interface System worked throughout all the <Great Lands>.
  369.  
  370. It was maybe because of the weird experience he went through before he got out of the tower.
  371.  
  372. The feeling of his body dismantling, and reassembling into a new thing.
  373.  
  374. He could not even use his [Item Identifier] skill so he had to rely on [Suspicion] to determine the details of an item.
  375.  
  376. [Everything about Jaehwan's abilities comes from his own 'skill' by virtue of his awakening, he doesn't have access to the system - also Suspicion as an item description ability]
  377. - 11
  378. ----------------------------------------------------
  379. “W-who are you?”
  380.  
  381. To Jaehwan, that sounded like this.
  382.  
  383. “#W*H@#?”
  384.  
  385. Jaehwan thought there was no easy way.
  386.  
  387. After a while, Jaehwan successfully managed to speak with the party. It was the result of using [Suspicion] to its limit.
  388.  
  389. “So… you are Jaehwan?”
  390.  
  391. “Yeah.”
  392.  
  393. [Suspcion lets Jaehwan talk to people without knowing the language]
  394. - 12
  395. ---------------------------------------------------------
  396. The ones from renowned families moved in groups, wore peculiar clothing, and their walking style was easy to notice. He definitely wasn’t one of them, but she couldn’t make out who he was.
  397.  
  398. -Skill failed.
  399.  
  400. -Skill failed.
  401.  
  402. She had only been using the Assassin skill [Close Examination] on the man named Jaehwan. However, as if it were broken, her skill wasn’t working correctly.
  403.  
  404. [Status checking not working again on Jaehwan]
  405. - 13
  406. -------------------------------------------------------
  407. In addition, there was something else that was weird.
  408.  
  409. The man’s spiritual power rating was at the level of a [Non-Adapter].
  410.  
  411. Mino was shocked when she checked the rating. The Dark Forest Clan distributed accurate tools to check spiritual power for absolute accuracy as their targets might be concealing their power. Their machines allowed them to see through the spiritual powers of even the powerful ones. The machine showed the lowest rating possible for the man.
  412.  
  413. He had no skill, and he had no spiritual power.
  414.  
  415. [Again confirmation that he has no spiritual power]
  416. - 13
  417. ---------------------------------------------------------
  418. And the night came.
  419.  
  420. The one who offered to camp out was the leader Kanghun. The village wasn’t far, but Kanghun reasoned that it might be dangerous to move at night as more monsters might come out.
  421.  
  422. Jaehwan feigned sleep and used [Suspicion] to listen to the conversation between the parties with [Whisper].
  423.  
  424. [Leader, is that really?]
  425.  
  426. [Yeah. It’s a Spirit Weapon for sure.]
  427.  
  428. [Spirit Weapon?]
  429.  
  430. [It’s a weapon that eats up other items to continue growing. It’s a valuable weapon used only by the Lords of the <Great Lands>.]
  431.  
  432. [OH! Weapons used by the Lords!]
  433.  
  434. [Yeah. I don’t think his weapon would be that powerful, but it’s still an opportunity.]
  435.  
  436. It was as the woman had thought.
  437.  
  438. --
  439. [Jaehwan can use Suspicion to eavesdrop on people talking with a skill that means they shouldn't be able to be eavesdropped on]
  440. - 14
  441. -------------------------------------------------
  442. Jaehwan pulled out a sword from his dimensional backpack. It was the Dragon Sword that he got from the 88th floor of the Tower of Nightmares.
  443.  
  444. Mino shouted, “That’s not going to be enough…!”
  445.  
  446. The fight erupted before she could finish. Adapters quickly lunged at once all together. There were attacks from various weapons in a continuous strike. Some even had special skills that Mino recognized.
  447.  
  448. ‘Fire King’s Fourteen Strike…!’
  449.  
  450. It was the main attack skill of the Fire King Clan of the Ten-Clan of Chaos. If trained to the extreme, it allowed the weapon to wield fire and burn the area.
  451.  
  452. ‘So, the Fire King clan really was selling skills to lower clans..!’
  453.  
  454. The forest was burning. The fire of the Fire King burned everything in its path and the mad fox ran rampant from within. Jaehwan readied himself.
  455.  
  456. Mino knew what he was trying to do. She needed to stop Jaehwan.
  457.  
  458. A mere [Stab] was not enough to defeat the Fire King’s Fourteen Strike.
  459.  
  460. But Mino could not believe what she saw. She could not believe her five senses. The law of time was being distorted in front of her eyes.
  461.  
  462. [Void]
  463.  
  464. Mino, who was right next to Jaehwan, was able to see it for just a slight moment. The swords rushing to Jaehwan were slowing down, and Jaehwan moved through them effortlessly.
  465.  
  466. ‘…Am I dreaming?’
  467.  
  468. None of the attacks could land on Jaehwan’s seemingly frail body. It seemed as if Jaehwan did not exist.
  469.  
  470. --
  471. [Jaehwan's Void causes a distortion in time that makes it easier for Jaehwan to avoid incoming attacks]
  472. - 16
  473. ------------------------------------------
  474. [Suspicion]
  475.  
  476. Among the weapons, there was a way that was only shown to Jaehwan. The one line that was only visible to the one who is suspicious of the world. Jaehwan’s sword moved.
  477.  
  478. It was a stab, a mere stab.
  479.  
  480. It wasn’t anything grand, but with accurate, rhythmic movement, the blade slashed the enemy’s bodies. Lightning flashed and brightened the darkness. Six of the Red Fox members disappeared to dust.
  481.  
  482. --
  483. [Suspicion attacks rolling and one shotting people]
  484. - 16
  485. ---------------------------------------
  486. “DAMMIT! KILL HIM!”
  487.  
  488. The rest of them became frantic and began pairing up to attack. Fire King’s Fourteen Strike attacked from all four sides, a prison cell made from the fire. It was an attack that none would stand a chance against.
  489.  
  490. Yet, Jaehwan came out from it unharmed.
  491.  
  492. “…How?”
  493.  
  494. There was much more to it than him remaining unharmed from the fire.
  495.  
  496. [Understanding]
  497.  
  498. The fire was now gathering at the end of his blade, as if it actually originated from his blade. Something bad was going to happen. Klant, the Black Fox, shouted as he felt an attack incoming.
  499.  
  500. “Everyone! Get to cover!”
  501.  
  502. Then Jaehwan thrusted. But it wasn’t just a simple stab.
  503.  
  504. The air was extracted and grew silent. In that short silence, Klant and the other Adapters felt their breath stop and their lungs getting struck. Klant had felt this feeling a few times during his lifetime.
  505.  
  506. It was when he stood upon a Leader of the Ten-Clan, the strongest of the Chaos.
  507.  
  508. As the air exploded, the flame shot out. The forest and humans alike burned as they were swept away by the storm of fire. Screams were covered by the explosions and broken trees and were scattered away.
  509.  
  510. What was left after the fire was burnt ash.
  511.  
  512. Mino had watched everything from start to finish.
  513.  
  514. That was when she knew. Jaehwan had given the bihorn corpse not because he was a fool. He had lent his Spirit Weapon not because he was a fool. The reason he didn’t run even when he was cornered by all these Adapters wasn’t because he was a fool.
  515.  
  516. He was just plainly too strong.
  517.  
  518. Klant, who barely managed to hide behind the trees, mumbled,
  519.  
  520. “…Where did such man appear from?”
  521.  
  522. He did get a report that a fool came with a ‘Spirit Weapon’ while he was on the way to the [Witch Hunt]. But it wasn’t a fool; it was a monster. After blocking the Fire King’s Fourteen Strike, he dismantled the skill and returned it with a more powerful attack. One simple attack eradicated half his team.
  523.  
  524. Defending the middle-level skill was possible for 3rd stage Adapter, but dismantling it and sending it back was unheard of. Klant couldn’t even guess how strong the man was.
  525.  
  526. --
  527. [Understanding allows Jaehwan to dismantle incoming attacks and send the same attacks back at a higher level of power - destroying a huge section of forest with a fire attack]
  528. - 16
  529.  
  530. .......
  531. The foolish soldiers did not know, but Mino shook at the powerful presence gathering within Jaehwan. It even gave her an illusion of Jaehwan killing everyone here and strolling in.
  532.  
  533. The devastation from yesterday came back to her. The terrifying stab that burned the entire forest.
  534. [Confirmation]
  535. - 18
  536. --------------------------------------------------
  537. Jaehwan walked up to him. As he got closer, Kanghun stepped back out of fear. He could not understand the depth within Jaehwan’s eyes. It was not something to be understood by numbers or stats. When Kanghun came back to his senses, he was kneeling down. Jaehwan reached out and took the sword from Kanghun and pointed the sword at the fleeing members of Red Fox.
  538.  
  539. Stab. But it was much more serious. It was if he were demonstrating what was it like to use the skill.
  540.  
  541. Kanghun shivered as he knew what about what was going to happen.
  542.  
  543. “…Wh…what are you?”
  544.  
  545. As his eyes filled with despair, a light was fired out from the blade, a powerful and vicious energy that seemed to be aimed at the world itself. Klant, who was running away in distance, looked back in shock but it was too late.
  546.  
  547. “I can’t believe…”
  548.  
  549. Klant fell to the ground with a hole in his chest. Similar sounds came from throughout the forest.
  550.  
  551. [Ranged stab attacks]
  552. - 16
  553. ---------------------------------------------------
  554. The <Great Lands>, the promised land.
  555.  
  556. Adapters who had lived for some time within the land knew what the ‘Promised Land’ stood for. The land did not promise any chances, but promised one thing.
  557.  
  558. It was related to death.
  559.  
  560. “…you can only come here when you die.”
  561.  
  562. Jaehwan realized why he wasn’t able to move to the <Great Lands> and had instead come to <Chaos>. If he had his body, he would’ve been able to move onto the <Great Lands>. But Jaehwan broke out of the tower after clearing the tutorial with only his spirit. That was why Tree of Imagery categorized him as a ‘dead man’ and sent him here.
  563.  
  564. It was the place where all spirits withered away from the Great Lands gathered.
  565.  
  566. [The people Jaehwan fights and kills are spirits]
  567. - 18
  568. ------------------------------------------------------
  569.  
  570. Jaehwan did not answer and James scoffed. Another [Whisper] was sent to Jaehwan.
  571.  
  572. [Come on! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay?]
  573.  
  574. Mino then saw Jaehwan focus on someone approaching. A powerful Spirit energy was approaching. It was the person that made her efforts useless.
  575.  
  576. [Sensing people with strong energy]
  577. - 19
  578. ---------------------------------------------------
  579. Karlton was shocked. It was a rare case for an Adapter to be this defiant throughout his 55 years of duty. Most Adapters could not resist the bind that his law readings gave them. He didn’t just read the laws for no reason.
  580.  
  581. Skill [Order of Law]
  582.  
  583. It was a skill only a few people in the fortress could acquire. Karlton was the only one who was allowed to learn even though he was only a gate captain. Even 3rd stage adapters could not resist his [Order of Law].
  584.  
  585. However, this man easily ignored it. What was weirder was that it was Karlton who had received damage by using the skill. A spirit that not even [Order of Law] could break through. Karlton was astonished.
  586.  
  587. ‘He seems to be proving himself by not proving himself.’
  588.  
  589. How was that possible?
  590.  
  591. [Jaehwan ignoring Order of Law - probably better to go for the manhwa version]
  592. - 19
  593. -------------------------------------------------------
  594. Karlton’s hands began to be covered in a silver aura. The silvery net shot out from his hands and wrapped Jaehwan’s entire body. The guards shouted in excitement. It was a rare sight.
  595.  
  596. “Wow!”
  597.  
  598. If [Karlton in deep thought] was the favorite for women collectors, then there also was the wealthy collectors’ favorite. A sculpture of Karlton covered with a silver aura.
  599.  
  600. [Karlton of the Silver Bind]
  601.  
  602. The motive for the sculpture was standing in front of them. Silver Bind was another one of Karlton’s nicknames.
  603.  
  604. The unique skill of the Sky people, [Silver Bind].
  605.  
  606. This was the best skill Karlton had. It bound the target no matter how powerful the target was. However, Karlton was shocked yet again. The net aura that was shot out at Jaehwan dissipated into smoke and disappeared as it touched him.
  607.  
  608. “…But how?”
  609.  
  610. There were some who had resisted [Order of Law] as some Adapters had powerful Spirit Power. But even they were powerless against [Silver Bind].
  611.  
  612. Everyone who disobeyed the Gorgon Code of Law was ‘Evil’ who could not be freed with the [Silver Bind]’s power. But [Silver Bind] was now saying that this man was not ‘Evil’.
  613.  
  614. [Ignoring the effects of silver bind]
  615. - 19
  616. ---------------------------------------------------------
  617. And after a while, Mino and Karlton walked out of the office. Mino seemed she had been shaken as she definitely had a hard time going through the [Order of Law].
  618.  
  619. “Mino, you should always carry the certificate. And never bribe again. I would have to punish you, but I’m letting you go because Jaehwan asked me to.”
  620.  
  621. Mino looked lifelessly at Jaehwan as Karlton continued,
  622.  
  623. “Jaehwan has proved his identity.”
  624.  
  625. It was the object Jaehwan threw at Karlton. It was the [Stone of Forgotten Spirit] created by one of five renowned families of Great Lands, the Greens. It was mostly used by members of the Greens to prove their identity, but there was a reason why it was famous.
  626.  
  627. The stone would boost an Adapter’s Spirit Power when carried around with them.
  628.  
  629. The one he threw at Karlton was powerful enough to change a Non-Adapter into a 1st stage Adapter. That was enough to prove Jaehwan’s identity.
  630.  
  631. “These stones have been examined, so I will return it to you.”
  632.  
  633. “You don’t need it?”
  634.  
  635. “You should not give it away to anyone. You should value what you have, Messenger of the Greens.”
  636.  
  637. Karlton handed over the two stones to him. After guiding Jaehwan and Mino inside, he took out something that looked like a temperature measurement device.
  638.  
  639. “This checks the Corruption level of the Spirit. Everyone must be tested with this, just in case.”
  640.  
  641. Jaehwan looked at Mino as she would usually explain in this case. But Mino still looked lifeless.
  642.  
  643. “She will be like that for a while since she was punished with the [Order of Law].”
  644.  
  645. Jaehwan nodded.
  646.  
  647. [Order of Law affecting Mino, to show it has some teeth]
  648. - 20
  649. -----------------------------------------------------------
  650. Karlton smiled bitterly and asked, “James, do you know what the [Stone of Forgotten Spirit] does?”
  651.  
  652. “Doesn’t it increase an Adapter’s power?”
  653.  
  654. “Right.”
  655.  
  656. Everyone knew about the stone. All Adapters wished to put their hands on it.
  657.  
  658. “Then do you know about its traits?”
  659.  
  660. James became dumbfounded but Karlton took off his white gloves and showed his hands. It was as if his palms had been burned. It wasn’t a burn, but James knew what it was.
  661.  
  662. “Corruption…!”
  663.  
  664. James could not believe it. Corruption was like a plague that existed within <Chaos>. Everyone in <Chaos> would rack up corruption little by little, just by living here, and when it reached 100%, they would meet with a fate more horrific than death.
  665.  
  666. But there were ways to defend against it. It was to eat the horns.
  667.  
  668. Those who took those medicine created using the horns were allowed to live longer, and Karlton, was the one with the cleanest of spirits within this fortress.
  669.  
  670. However, his spirit was corrupt, only at the palm.
  671.  
  672. James took out medicine from his pocket frantically and powdered Karlton’s hand. It was the medicine he got from Mino.
  673.  
  674. “…Is this from the stone?”
  675.  
  676. Karlton nodded.
  677.  
  678. “James, have you seen anyone other than the Greens holding the stone?”
  679.  
  680. James thought about it. He had never seen anyone else.
  681.  
  682. “Isn’t it weird? Why won’t others try to take it as their own?”
  683.  
  684. That definitely was weird. There were Greens who traveled alone and if they all had those stones, some might have attacked them in order to take the stones for themselves.
  685.  
  686. “It’s because of the corruption.”
  687.  
  688. Karlton nodded again.
  689.  
  690. “Yes. No one other than the Greens can handle those stones. They are the only ones who are allowed to carry the stones without corrupting their spirits.”
  691.  
  692. If that was true, then it wasn’t weird for Karlton to consider him to be from the Greens.
  693.  
  694. [Jaehwan is immune to spirit/soul corruption]
  695. - 20
  696. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  697. After a long walk through many merchants, Jaehwan realized he had lost his way. He was now in a back alley of the bazaar. Deep in the alley, people that looked like gangsters were inhaling the ‘medicine’ that Mino took.
  698.  
  699. ‘Where the hell am I?’
  700.  
  701. Jaehwan activated [Suspicion] and [Understanding]. It was so he could gather any information he heard from his surroundings. However, he ran into a problem. It was his first time visiting such a crowded place. He was bombarded with information and received a headache. That was when he obtained an important piece of information.
  702.  
  703. “Hey, it’s about time you woke up.”
  704.  
  705. Mino slowly came back to her senses.
  706.  
  707. “…why am I here?”
  708.  
  709. “Don’t ask and lead the way. I’m having a headache.”
  710.  
  711. Mino looked around and then guided Jaehwan.
  712.  
  713. “Let’s go that way first.”
  714.  
  715. As they walked out to the alleyway, they arrived at a big road with fewer people. Jaehwan felt his headache disappearing.
  716.  
  717. “Good. You can go now.”
  718.  
  719. “…Don’t you think that’s rude?”
  720.  
  721. ...
  722.  
  723. One was watching him from the top of the structure. He was noticed when Jaehwan used [Suspicion]. Jaehwan also knocked him unconscious while he was dealing with the ruffians. He didn’t kill him because he wasn’t a threat.
  724.  
  725.  
  726. [Suspicion and Understanding giving enhanced senses, sensing hidden opponent]
  727. - 21
  728. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  729. Jaehwan nodded as he gripped his sword.
  730.  
  731. “Yeah, but after I beat those that have been following us for a while.”
  732.  
  733. Jaehwan turned. At the corner, there were the ruffians that were sniffing medicine back in the alleyways. The man who seemed like their leader walked up.
  734.  
  735. “Leader! It’s him!”
  736.  
  737. “Haha! We got you now. Bring that sword to…”
  738.  
  739. As they took out their swords, Jaehwan stabbed with his sword.
  740.  
  741. The head of their leader turned into white powder and dissolved away.
  742.  
  743. After a moment, ten ruffians all disappeared into white powder and dispersed.
  744.  
  745. [Ranged stabs]
  746. - 21
  747. ----------------------------------------------------------------
  748. The man in dark clothes bowed his head as he kneeled in front of the middle-aged man.
  749.  
  750. “What happened?”
  751.  
  752. “I don’t know, sir. I just… got knocked out and I woke up lying on a roof.”
  753.  
  754. The middle-aged man frowned. He had been knocked out but did not know how he was knocked out.
  755.  
  756. “What stage are you at?”
  757.  
  758. “3rd stage, sir.”
  759.  
  760. “What’s your stealth rank and level?”
  761.  
  762. “It’s at the high-ranked and master level.”
  763.  
  764. “And you were found out?”
  765.  
  766. “…I don’t know what happened, sir.”
  767.  
  768. “This is crazy.”
  769.  
  770. If a 3rd stage Adapter with a master level, high-ranked stealth skill was in hiding, it was hard for even higher ranking Adapters to find out. But the target had found him and easily knocked him out without him knowing.
  771.  
  772. [The guy Jaehwan sensed above was notably good at stealth]
  773. - 23
  774. ---------------------------------------------------------------
  775. Meikal started to hate the man. No one knew about how the [Craft] skill worked and this man was insulting him just because of it.
  776.  
  777. “You sound like you know how it works.”
  778.  
  779. “Yes. I found out just now.”
  780.  
  781. “What?”
  782.  
  783. Jaehwan then touched the horn with his hand. The surface swirled as if it was reacting to his touch. In the next moment, something unbelievable happened in front of Meikal.
  784.  
  785. “H-how did you use [Craft]…?!”
  786.  
  787. Jaehwan cut the horn with his finger as he ran it along the white marking. Meikal became dazed. He felt his legs losing strength and slumped to the floor. He was filled with jealousy and despair.
  788.  
  789. “…Wha-what are you? How did you earn such blessings and talent?”
  790.  
  791. “It’s not a talent,” Jaehwan answered firmly.
  792.  
  793. “Look again closely and tell me what you see.”
  794.  
  795. Meikal looked at Jaehwan’s fingertip again. The particles that his finger touched were dug up as if something had eaten them.
  796.  
  797. “…The particles are being destroyed?”
  798.  
  799. [Jaehwan copying Craft after seeing it being used - it works by manipulating particles (kinda, full chapter is just weird)]
  800. - 25
  801. --------------------------------------------------------------
  802. He also had some unexpected information. When Jaehwan [Understood] the [Craft], he acquired some interesting information. Those monsters were not naturally occurring. The Garnak horn had already been [Crafted] before they worked on it. That meant-
  803.  
  804. ‘Monsters are the creation of someone else.’
  805.  
  806. There was no telling who did it and for what purpose, but they were carefully crafted masterpieces for sure. Jaehwan tapped on the scabbard and said, “I like it.”
  807.  
  808. [Jaehwan can tell when things (monsters, items, whatever) have been created by someone else]
  809. - 26
  810. ------------------------------------------------------------
  811. Jaehwan knew everything when he and Mino stood at the fork in the road.
  812.  
  813. [Don’t be foolish, witch.]
  814.  
  815. [If you don’t keep to the deal, that old hag is dead.]
  816.  
  817. Whispers kept flying to Mino. Jaehwan knew what was going on. Someone was threatening her and was holding a hostage. And the criminal wanted Jaehwan.
  818.  
  819. Jaehwan thought Mino would betray him.
  820.  
  821. After [Understanding] the world through countless [Suspicions], he realized that this world was full of stats and data. It was filled with people selling even their spirits for higher stats. To Jaehwan, Mino was the same kind of dead corpse. The [Suspicion] that was never wrong warned Jaehwan that Mino would betray him. That was why Jaehwan did not listen to Mino.
  822.  
  823. ...
  824.  
  825. She sent out a few daggers imbued with spiritual power and made a side of the roof explode. The hole was big enough for everyone around to hear what was happening inside.
  826.  
  827. “You think you’re smart?”
  828.  
  829. “…”
  830.  
  831. “It’s no use. We already laid silence magic around this area.”
  832.  
  833. Her last trick didn’t work. It was obvious that they had someone who could use silence magic if they had come in with this crowd of people. They might have even bribed the guards.
  834.  
  835. ...
  836.  
  837. Jaehwan turned back.
  838.  
  839. That was when his [Suspicion] returned with the voices.
  840.  
  841. [The witch has betrayed us! Send the message!]
  842.  
  843. […The [Nightmare] we brought is no use then.]
  844.  
  845. ‘[Nightmare]?’
  846.  
  847.  
  848. [Jaehwan's Suspicion can get around sound cancellation magic to hear through it. Suspicion also lets him know that he was about to be betrayed]
  849. - 28
  850. ---------------------------------------------------------
  851. The one who moved first were the brothers.
  852.  
  853. [Shadow]
  854.  
  855. The shadow swords swung at Jaehwan. It was hard to tell which was real and which was not. Jaehwan moved to dodge, but the attacks followed. Jaehwan barely managed to dodge the blades.
  856.  
  857. ‘That’s why they say 4th stage and above are high stages.’
  858.  
  859. The skill that the man was using was very powerful. Jaehwan was planning to find the real ones by using [Suspicion], but their spiritual pattern was not easy to recognize.
  860.  
  861. Jaehwan became annoyed and decided to deflect all the blade attacks. White light filled the air as Jaehwan used ‘Slight Stab’ multiple times. There were so many that the attacks left traces lingering in the air.
  862.  
  863. Janya frowned.
  864.  
  865. “This can’t be…!”
  866.  
  867. [Suspicion seeing through shadow-based stealth and deflecting phantom attacks along with real ones]
  868. - 28
  869. ----------------------------------------------------------
  870. Jaehwan, for the first time ever, regretted that he only knew how to stab. If he had some other skills at least…
  871.  
  872. ‘Other skills… hmm…’
  873.  
  874. Jaehwan suddenly redirected his ‘Slight Stab’ at various parts of the saloon. Some attacks were aimed at the Jan brothers, while others were aimed at the roof. The attacks made the saloon look like it was full of bullet holes.
  875.  
  876. “He’s gone mad!”
  877.  
  878. Janya laughed as he thought he had gained the upper hand. It was apparent that the man’s Spirit Power would soon fall to zero at this rate. A few minutes later, Jaehwan stopped attacking. He had used his stab so much that the saloon roof was now full of holes and the sky was visible. Jaehwan looked up at the sky and lowered his sword.
  879.  
  880. ‘This should do.’
  881.  
  882. He turned his back to them and Mino became shocked.
  883.  
  884. “W-what are you doing?”
  885.  
  886. “I’ll let him take care of them.”
  887.  
  888. “…Him? Who are you talking about?”
  889.  
  890. “The talkative, stubborn one.”
  891.  
  892. Talkative, stubborn one?
  893.  
  894. Mino thought of someone. But how…? At that moment, one of the Golden Sky members shouted in shock.
  895.  
  896. “Janya! The Silence Barrier has been broken!”
  897.  
  898. Janya was completely shocked.
  899.  
  900. “What?! WHEN?!”
  901.  
  902. He sent a message to the ones working on the Silence Barrier, but he couldn’t feel their Spirit Power. He then glanced around the saloon. The holes made by the stabs. Those attacks…
  903.  
  904. [Jaehwan's ranged stabs destroys a silence barrier]
  905. - 29
  906. --------------------------------------------------
  907. Janya adjusted his mask and readied himself to walk back into the saloon. The saloon was covered in black smog. Even the smallest effect was enough to corrupt the spirit so he did not want to go back in. The ones inside had probably reached their limit of corruption already.
  908.  
  909. ‘I don’t even want to think about it.’
  910.  
  911. He knew what became of the ones who reached the limit of corruption. There was no one in <Chaos> who did not know this. Suddenly, Surlang stopped Janya and asked,
  912.  
  913. “…Janya. Who is he?”
  914.  
  915. Janya turned and found a man looking at him. He had casually walked out of the smog-filled saloon. Janya was shocked. It wasn’t possible. Even the Greens could not stay normal after breathing in the cloud, and he was not one of the Greens.
  916.  
  917. [Jaehwan is unaffected by a cloud that corrupts the soul]
  918. - 30
  919. ----------------------------------------------
  920. Janya laughed and tried to reach out his tentacles. But he felt something different.
  921.  
  922. Why was there a ‘human’ in this world?
  923.  
  924. Janya looked around, but there were no humans. They were all dead bodies. However, that man still looked human. Janya could not believe it. That being should not exist. He looked like a human, yet he felt like a dead man, but with a much greater presence than himself.
  925.  
  926. Janya tried to move his tentacles to kill the man, but they didn’t move.
  927.  
  928. His tentacles were trembling. Janya, was trembling. Janya tried to attack with all his might to ease his terror and be freed from that being.
  929.  
  930. The man held up his sword and aimed. At that moment, Janya’s sight became distorted. Powerful energy sped past him and he felt his entire body being torn apart while the world turned upside down. Excruciating pain filled him and he saw his reflection in the man’s eyes. Ripped tentacles rained down from the sky.
  931.  
  932. ‘It’s like the world just ended…’
  933.  
  934. And that was the last sight Janya was able to see.
  935.  
  936. [What are you… how did you acquire the power of the Dead…]
  937.  
  938. Janya’s spirit lingered a little before it scattered away.
  939.  
  940. [But you will… not alone…]
  941.  
  942. Then Janya’s spirit dissipated into white powder. Jaehwan rotated his shoulder and frowned.
  943.  
  944. ‘…I wasn’t going to use ‘Normal Stab’ if possible.’
  945.  
  946. The trace of the stab that penetrated past Janya distorted the sky. It was as if the sky had been hammered down.
  947.  
  948. [In Jaehwan's world he exudes an energy that intimidates people into not being able to fight back. His normal stab distorts the sky, so it's range and potency is huge]
  949. - 31
  950. -----------------------------------------------------
  951. What was he?
  952.  
  953. It seemed that he had become a monster called a ‘Dead Man’ in this world. The monster that was born from a spirit corrupted to its limit. Jaehwan was surprised. All beings here showed him their true identity once he used [Suspicion] on them. Humans became dead bodies while monsters became tainted objects of feelings. But this ‘Dead Man’ did not change its shape. It meant its giant mouth and tentacles were a part of its true form.
  954.  
  955. [Suspicion lets him see the true forms of things (anti-shapeshift?)]
  956. - 31
  957. --------------------------------------------------
  958. “I’m only working to uphold the law.”
  959.  
  960. “The law. Yeah.”
  961.  
  962. Jaehwan used [Suspicion] and examined Karlton’s inventory.
  963.  
  964. ‘He has it.’
  965.  
  966. Jaehwan reached out and took out a book. It was a book of law.
  967.  
  968. “Let me see… Special law, Chapter 1 line 4… Once the subject reaches 95% corruption level and begins to Morph, he or she will be put to death at once. Is this it?”
  969.  
  970. “…Yes.”
  971.  
  972. “So, if Karlton does not become a Dead Man, he will be saved?” Jaehwan asked as he took out a dark, black horn from his dimensional backpack.
  973.  
  974. [Suspicion lets him look at people's inventories]
  975. - 33
  976. ----------------------------------------------
  977. He raised his sword. He was shown an imaginary line which showed Mino’s death. It was only displayed when his senses reached their limits. If he followed the line, it would mean instant death for her. That was the best he could do for her now.
  978.  
  979. However, at that moment, the area began to change.
  980.  
  981. ‘What?’
  982.  
  983. Everything, except Mino and Jaehwan, turned white. Jaehwan used [Suspicion] and his senses grew. He had felt a similar thing when he met the succubus on the 66th floor of the Tower.
  984.  
  985. ‘It’s a hallucination.’
  986.  
  987. Jaehwan glanced around while using [Suspicion]. There was no one other than Mino lying down. Jaehwan gripped his sword tightly, thinking to rip the space apart. Suddenly, he was surprised. There was an old man sitting next to Mino.
  988.  
  989. [My, my… little Mino. What happened to you?]
  990.  
  991. It was an old man dressed in dark clothes with a long, round hat. It seemed that the old man had not noticed Jaehwan.
  992.  
  993. [Poor girl… let me help you.]
  994.  
  995. The old man then squished Mino’s cheeks this way and that, before breaking into a satisfied smile. Jaehwan looked at him quietly. After a while, the old man noticed Jaehwan and turned towards him in shock.
  996.  
  997. [HHHAA! Who are you?!]
  998.  
  999. He blushed like a man caught stealing and coughed.
  1000.  
  1001. [Y-you, young man, have a very noble spirit. How did you come here?]
  1002.  
  1003. Jaehwan did not answer and used [Suspicion], but it did not work. Many theories flashed through his mind. It was a man who suddenly appeared as he was watching a corrupted spirit.
  1004.  
  1005. ‘Is he the reason for the corruption?’
  1006.  
  1007. --
  1008.  
  1009. [Kinda mystic eyes of death perception thing, as well as Suspicion letting him see through and cut down illusions]
  1010. - 33
  1011. -------------------------------------------------
  1012. The old man opened his eyes wide in shock and yelled,
  1013.  
  1014. [You, young man, must be taught a lesson!]
  1015.  
  1016. Then, a bright sword strike flash. With the shock, Jaehwan was forced back a step, and the old man staggered three steps back. Jaehwan was shocked.
  1017.  
  1018. ‘He blocked my attack?’
  1019.  
  1020. It was the first time that his [Slight Stab] was blocked. There were instances where someone dodged it or didn’t die, but no one was able to block it. However, that wasn’t the only thing.
  1021.  
  1022. It was a ‘Slash’ that the old man had used to block the stab.
  1023.  
  1024. The old man moaned.
  1025.  
  1026. [H-how did you block my ‘Normal Slash’…?!]
  1027.  
  1028. It was a familiar name. The old man stepped back. It seemed his wrist was sprained from the strike and his sword had a crack.
  1029.  
  1030. [What are you?!]
  1031.  
  1032. The old man shouted as the hallucination shattered. Jaehwan knew he was back in the normal world. His sword was still at Mino’s neck but something around had changed. He heard a voice.
  1033.  
  1034. “No… my precious quadhorn sword!”
  1035.  
  1036. Jaehwan realized it was the same old man’s voice. He turned, and there he was, on his knees and wailing. He was shaking as he held onto the broken sword.
  1037.  
  1038. [Jaehwan overpowers a 'normal slash' with his 'slight stab' ability, shattering an illusion in the process and breaking his opponent's weapon]
  1039. - 33
  1040. --------------------------------------------
  1041. As he opened his eyes again, the white world was waiting with only Chunghuh who was there in shock and Mino who was asleep.
  1042.  
  1043. Jaehwan, for the first time ever, took up the sword to save someone. The white world accepted him. He felt like he could draw in anything in this world. Then, Jaehwan began moving.
  1044.  
  1045. He then remembered Mino, a weak-minded Assassin. A stubborn woman who liked to joke. A woman who always attracted trouble. A woman who did not betray. A woman who hated him. And…
  1046.  
  1047. The woman who trusted humans.
  1048.  
  1049. Jaehwan moved his hand without resting. As if he was worried that the Mino he knew would disappear, he moved and moved again.
  1050.  
  1051. After some time, it seemed like it was finished but something was lacking. That’s when Jaehwan remembered. He had never seen it, but he came to know about it unintentionally. Jaehwan then finished by placing a small spot on Mino’s right breast. It was complete. Jaehwan blinked and as he breathed in…
  1052.  
  1053. “…You still remember that?”
  1054.  
  1055. Mino smiled brightly in front of him.
  1056.  
  1057. When Jaehwan opened his eyes again, he thought he was still in the white world. It was because everyone was silent. James was rubbing his eyes and doctors were shaking with the measurement meter in their hands. Claire was numbly looking at Mino. The black vein was disappearing. Someone shouted.
  1058.  
  1059. “The morphing has stopped!”
  1060.  
  1061. “Corruption level is dropping!”
  1062.  
  1063. And the Doctor of Despair was in shock.
  1064.  
  1065. “How… but…”
  1066.  
  1067. He had used the ‘Dead Man Slash’. This wasn’t something that could be copied just by looking at it. This was not a skill. Many wanted to be taught, but nobody could manage to do it.
  1068.  
  1069. [Jaehwan using Dead Man Slash, an ability that completely removes almost total corruption of the soul of a being that is basically a spirit (meaning soul corruption corrupted their entire being)]
  1070. - 35
  1071. ---------------------------------------------
  1072. “We will not ask for your status, nor your identity. We will not ask you to pay back the property loss and protect you. All you need to do is one thing for us.”
  1073.  
  1074. Jaehwan was able to guess what the request would be. He had heard many whispers along the way and the powerful spiritual energy deep within the deep castle was telling him the nature of the request already.
  1075.  
  1076. “Please, save our Master.”
  1077.  
  1078. [Energy detection]
  1079. - 37
  1080. ------------------------------------------
  1081. Vicious energy filled the room. Jaehwan finally felt danger for the first time.
  1082.  
  1083. ‘It’s powerful.’
  1084.  
  1085. Chunghuh’s blade moved. Quick and powerful, that one attack was enough to blow this building away. The two swords clashed and created a terrifying energy wave. Warriors ran out from the room while the building shook with the tremor. Jaehwan had to take 7 steps back from the clash and his right arm felt slightly numb after the attack. Chunghuh had taken 3 steps back.
  1086.  
  1087. “HAHAHAHA!”
  1088.  
  1089. He seemed very happy.
  1090.  
  1091. “SEE?! I knew you couldn’t take this!”
  1092.  
  1093. “…”
  1094.  
  1095. “But kid, you’re good too. I was worried that you might die.”
  1096.  
  1097. Chunghuh seemed to be surprised that Jaehwan was unharmed. Yet it was Jaehwan who was really surprised. He had to admit that the old man was quite strong. What Jaehwan just used was [Normal Stab]. He had been pushed back this much even though it was just a normal stab.
  1098.  
  1099. Jaehwan asked, “What is the name of that skill? It’s quite powerful.”
  1100.  
  1101. “It’s ‘Powerful’ slash.”
  1102.  
  1103. Chunghuh put his hand on his waist and proclaimed the name proudly. He seemed to think that he had won.
  1104.  
  1105. “Your skill was good too. What was the name?”
  1106.  
  1107. “Normal stab.”
  1108.  
  1109. Chunghuh’s eyebrow flinched.
  1110.  
  1111. “Normal? What an arrogant name! It makes it sound like you have a stronger skill!”
  1112.  
  1113. “Yeah.”
  1114.  
  1115. [Jaehwan equals Chunghuh's powerful slash with a normal stab - said slash would destroy a building]
  1116. - 39
  1117. -------------------------------------------------
  1118. “Old man, I can stab 100 times in a second.”
  1119.  
  1120. “I just said it’s not that kind of problem…”
  1121.  
  1122. “I can do 1000 times.”
  1123.  
  1124. “…What? How can you stab 1000 times in a second?”
  1125.  
  1126. “Why do you think you need to stab it with a sword?”
  1127.  
  1128. Chunghuh then realized something. He then turned doubtful.
  1129.  
  1130. “Wait…”
  1131.  
  1132. There was something he felt the moment he met Jaehwan. Energy that pointed out from within him like a spike. Chunghuh just thought it was Jaehwan’s character, but when he felt it more carefully, the energy was more like thousands of energy spikes. Chunghuh then placed his hands on the sharp energy radiating out from Jaehwan.
  1133.  
  1134. Blood came out as he was poked. That was when he realized that it was not energy.
  1135.  
  1136. It was a real [Stab].
  1137.  
  1138. The stab that had overcome the form of an image. The man, through his countless stabs, had become a stab himself.
  1139.  
  1140. “You… you really…”
  1141.  
  1142. The will against the world itself. The man’s 10 billion stabs was the product of the hatred of the world. Even now, this man was stabbing the world.
  1143.  
  1144. “Like I said, 10 billion times.”
  1145.  
  1146. Chunghuh felt his leg giving out and kneeled. He could not believe it. There was no way such a man could be still sane.
  1147.  
  1148. [Jaehwan's energy is constantly stabbing at the world from all directions]
  1149. - 39
  1150. ----------------------------------------------------------
  1151. “The Master went berserk all of a sudden. He only does it once a week, but…”
  1152.  
  1153. It seemed something had happened regarding the Master of the fortress that only Chunghuh could solve. Then, an explosion was heard within the keep and the commander turned pale.
  1154.  
  1155. “No…!”
  1156.  
  1157. The powerful and ominous energy source was stronger than Janya’s. It was stronger than any force Jaehwan had faced until now. He narrowed his eyes.
  1158.  
  1159. ‘So, the master was in that state.’
  1160.  
  1161. He had guessed when he heard Euren asking to him to save his ‘Master’.
  1162.  
  1163. ‘Below the keep… is it underground?’
  1164.  
  1165. Jaehwan looked into the keep with [Suspicion]. It looked weird. It felt like the keep was shaped like a giant stomach of a monster. Deep below lied something dark. It was a dark figure that his [Suspicion] could not read. A monster with tentacles and a giant mouth. Jaehwan knew what it was immediately.
  1166.  
  1167. ‘…Dead Man.’
  1168.  
  1169. The Master of Gorgon Fortress was morphing into a Dead Man.
  1170.  
  1171. Something terrible was about to be born.
  1172.  
  1173. [Uses Suspicion to see what's happening inside a castle from the outside of it, seeing the person kept in the basement of the castle]
  1174. - 42
  1175. ------------------------------------------------
  1176. The only one he could depend on now was the doctor, but he was in deep sleep from being drunk. That was when Jaehwan felt some powers moving toward the keep. The energy was familiar.
  1177.  
  1178. ‘It’s those Golden Sky people from the earlier.’
  1179.  
  1180. Something was going to happen.
  1181.  
  1182. [Sensing the energy of regularly powerful people (so not Dead Man exclusive)]
  1183. - 43
  1184. -------------------------------------------------
  1185. One stab killed three guards. The general panicked and ordered to form a new formation.
  1186.  
  1187. “Attack together!”
  1188.  
  1189. In the next moment, tens of Shadowmoon Guards vanished after Jaehwan’s normal stab. An enormous black beam erupted out from the sword and almost half of the Shadowmoon Guards were gone, dissipating into white powder. The beam destroyed the ground and shot up into the sky.
  1190.  
  1191. The Shadowmoon General looked down at his waist, which was gone. He tried to speak, but he could not make a sound. He then disappeared into powder.
  1192.  
  1193. It was a terrifying attack that killed an army and a 5th stage Adapter in one move. The people were shocked. Maihan, who managed to barely protect himself from the explosion, panted.
  1194.  
  1195. [Jaehwan's stab kills a small army, charges through a castle, and shoots into the sky]
  1196. - 45
  1197. ------------------------------------------------
  1198. Maihan shouted and seven officers pulled out their swords. The traitors had revealed themselves willingly. At that moment, ca ountless number of Golden Sky warriors appeared. The commander and Euren’s face paled. It was impossible to defeat an army like that even with the doctor or Leader of the Ten-Clan. It was the unified attack of one 6th stage Adapter and seven 5th stage Adapters, including hundreds of 3rd stages. But why?
  1199.  
  1200. “It’s really great-”
  1201.  
  1202. Jaehwan looked excited.
  1203.  
  1204. “The likes of you-”
  1205.  
  1206. His sword roared like a lion.
  1207.  
  1208. “Make me feel at ease to put an end to this world.”
  1209.  
  1210. Maihan then felt something was wrong. He also knew it was too late to turn back. Something great was coming. But before he could think, he was swept away by something.
  1211.  
  1212. An enormous beam of light destroyed the inner fortress’ ceiling and the tower. It soared through the sky and created a giant crack across the night sky. The light shined upon the dark night instantly. People of Gorgon ran out of their houses at the tremor.
  1213.  
  1214. Stars were falling down from the sky.
  1215.  
  1216. Star particles bombarded the Inner Keep. Armies approaching the inner fortress died from the falling particles and the area was filled with white powder that was blown by the winds.
  1217.  
  1218. The extreme of all stabs.
  1219.  
  1220. It was Jaehwan’s first time using a ‘Strong Stab.’
  1221.  
  1222. When the dust died down, Maihan was revealed again. Golden Sky and all the officers around him were gone. Maihan realized that he could not survive. He had lost his both arms and legs in the attack. His body was torn and he could not even speak properly because of his ripped throat.
  1223.  
  1224. [Strong stab eradicated an army, causes a giant crack in the sky, and brightens up night time to be as bright as day]
  1225. - 46
  1226. ------------------------------------------------
  1227. Sole-King Catastrophe. The King of all Dead Men and the Master of [Dead Man Palace] located at the center of <Chaos>. The only being who could open the door to the <Depth>.
  1228.  
  1229. [Why? Why are you still here? Is it to protect this worthless world?]
  1230.  
  1231. The voice shook through the spirit. It was as if the voice was going to suck the spirit into it. The King reached out with his hand towards the white world that Chunghuh had created. The white turned into darkness at once.
  1232.  
  1233. [Did you not find what you wanted within the <Depth>?]
  1234.  
  1235. Chunghuh slumped down on the ground. His spirit had reached the limit in handling the situation. That’s when the King turned to Jaehwan.
  1236.  
  1237. [Interesting. Fully awakened, but with a human heart.]
  1238.  
  1239. Jaehwan then realized he had been gripping his sword tightly. He was tense. Jaehwan asked, “Old man, you failed, right?”
  1240.  
  1241. Chunghuh looked at Jaehwan while trembling. How could that man stay calm with that thing in front in front of him? How can he be so calm?
  1242.  
  1243. “Then, I can kill it right?”
  1244.  
  1245. [Jaehwan ignoring Soul King's passive spirit damaging aura]
  1246. - 46
  1247. -----------------------------------------------
  1248. [You wish to kill me?]
  1249.  
  1250. His presence was so great that it seemed like he could destroy mountains and the earth.
  1251.  
  1252. [ME?]
  1253.  
  1254. Chunghuh could not even get up. The strong presence was so overbearing that even Chunghuh, who was an Awakener, could not stand against him. His power was immeasurable, an impossible might that could not be explained.
  1255.  
  1256. “Give back the Master’s spirit.”
  1257.  
  1258. Chunghuh could not understand how that man can stay so calm and-
  1259.  
  1260. “Or I will kill you.”
  1261.  
  1262. …Speak like that to him. The King looked at Jaehwan.
  1263.  
  1264. [Jaehwan can ignore the Soul King's supposedly mountain destroying aura that Chunghuh couldn't stand in]
  1265. - 47
  1266. --------------------------------------------
  1267. A cloud-like substance appeared in the King’s hand and formed a dark, transparent blade.
  1268.  
  1269. ‘Void Sword!’
  1270.  
  1271. Chunghuh barely managed to calm himself by grabbing his own trembling shoulders. It was the terrifying weapon that made half of the Expedition Team into Dead Man in one strike. Weapons on each side moved in an instant.
  1272.  
  1273. “UGH!”
  1274.  
  1275. Chunghuh was thrown back by the wind created by the clash. The King spoke.
  1276.  
  1277. [I’ve seen eyes like yours before. You wish to go to the <Depth>.]
  1278.  
  1279. Chunghuh was surprised.
  1280.  
  1281. [Jaehwan clashing with the Void Sword and being unaffected (turning someone into a Dead Man with one strike means full corruption of the soul instantly)]
  1282. - 47
  1283. ------------------------------------------
  1284. The King’s movements became faster. Jaehwan had not laid a successful strike against the King yet. The King was moving much faster than Jaehwan’s [Slight Stab]. Jaehwan focused his sword to concentrate the energy on his blade.
  1285.  
  1286. [Normal Stab]
  1287.  
  1288. The attack was made but the King wasn’t there. Jaehwan then felt sudden danger and instinctively twisted his waist. It was a miracle that he dodged the attack. The shoulder that Void Sword touched had turned black.
  1289.  
  1290. [Corruption is a disease of time.]
  1291.  
  1292. Jaehwan quickly examined his shoulder through [Suspicion] and was shocked. Only the shoulder’s time was being fast forwarded. Hundreds of years were passing by.
  1293.  
  1294. ‘So, this is how the corruption takes place.’
  1295.  
  1296. The phenomenon of spirit becoming aged. The corruption was with time. Jaehwan let out the aged spirit from his body. King spoke, astonished.
  1297.  
  1298. [Interesting. A slight touch would’ve made you a Dead Man… you have a great spirit.]
  1299.  
  1300. --
  1301. [Jaehwan taking an attack from the Void Sword and being fine despite its time and soul manip properties. Soul King is way faster than Jaehwan, Jaehwan dodging instinctively]
  1302. - 47
  1303. --------------------------------------------
  1304. The King smiled, and then disappeared.
  1305.  
  1306. [But that’s not enough!]
  1307.  
  1308. Ten Void Swords appeared from the King but Jaehwan did not fall back. Ten [Normal Stabs]. His stabs clashed against the ten Void Swords.
  1309.  
  1310. [It’s great for a toy made by a [Nightmare]!]
  1311.  
  1312. The blade then cut Jaehwan’s thigh and Jaehwan cut off part of the spirit that was starting to become corrupt.
  1313.  
  1314. [You will not have enough spirit left if you continue.]
  1315.  
  1316. That was true. If this went on, Jaehwan would lose.
  1317.  
  1318. ‘He’s really strong.’
  1319.  
  1320. [Cutting off spirit corruption, spamming normal stab against superior opponents]
  1321. - 47
  1322. ---------------------------------------------
  1323. Jaehwan unleashed his energy. The white world Chunghuh created was being removed and was replaced by a new world. Chunghuh shook. It was the true power of an Awakener.
  1324.  
  1325. All Awakeners had their [Own Worlds]. This world came to life through the keyword they acquired when they awakened and the more powerful an Awakener was, the more beings it could bring into its world.
  1326.  
  1327. Chunghuh’s white world was such a world. Then, Chunghuh realized something.
  1328.  
  1329. It was hell. Jaehwan was living in hell. His world was made of hatred and rage. A world that destroyed all worlds.
  1330.  
  1331. The ground had countless blades stuck in it with hot lava flowing underneath. There was an eery eye in the sky like a moon with a swarm of crows pecking away at the ‘moon eye’, spilling blood into the lava.
  1332.  
  1333. [Jaehwan's Own World (The World After the fall) overpowering Chunghuh's pretty easily]
  1334. - 47
  1335. -------------------------------------------------
  1336. [I see. This is your world! Interesting!]
  1337.  
  1338. The King’s voice became even more excited. Their swords clashed. Jaehwan felt strange as he moved his sword. He had never felt this way. As their swords clashed, thousands of words were exchanged.
  1339.  
  1340. [You do not give up on your hatred even after you realize the truth and emptiness of life!]
  1341.  
  1342. The King was astonished.
  1343.  
  1344. [I have seen beings that destroyed worlds for over millions of years. All of them climbed this tree with their questions.]
  1345.  
  1346. King Catastrophe spoke while deflecting stabs.
  1347.  
  1348. [What question do you seek to be answered with such a world on your back?]
  1349.  
  1350. Jaehwan did not answer. But the King seemed to understand.
  1351.  
  1352. [I see. The world itself is your question.]
  1353.  
  1354. Their swords clashed again.
  1355.  
  1356. [A world that has fallen!]
  1357.  
  1358. The stab had reached its maximum power.
  1359.  
  1360. [In this world (The World After the fall), Jaehwan is able to fight evenly against the Soul King in an extended fight]
  1361. - 47
  1362. --------------------------------------------------
  1363. The world screamed. His [Strong Stab] was unleashed.
  1364.  
  1365. The light that penetrated the world stormed the area. The place that stormed left the Master’s body. Only the flesh remained with the bones while the left arm and right leg were missing.
  1366.  
  1367. [I see… so it wasn’t a question. You are not climbing the Tree to question.]
  1368.  
  1369. The King was enraged.
  1370.  
  1371. [You are an insolent fool!]
  1372.  
  1373. Powerful Dead Man energy quickly regenerated the Master’s body. The arm and leg regenerated and all the wounds on the body had healed. Yet the King was shocked. Jaehwan had disappeared from his sight. The King then felt the pain of something being cut from the back.
  1374.  
  1375. [What…?]
  1376.  
  1377. [Strong Stab] was made to fight against an army. It wasn’t a good skill to use to attack an individual. Jaehwan had not intended to kill him with [Strong Stab]. It was just a decoy to buy time.
  1378.  
  1379. ‘This being cannot be killed. Even when I’m using a stronger skill than [Strong Stab].’
  1380.  
  1381. The only thing that would be destroyed would be the Master’s spirit. The King was using his spirit as a conduit to appear in this world. Its material body was not here, so it was impossible to kill. The only way to fight it was to cut the link between the King and the Master.
  1382.  
  1383. Jaehwan had done it on Beastlain back in the tower. He was sure that he could do it again. As the King focused on defending against the Strong Stab, Jaehwan concentrated his entire focus on [Suspicion]. He was then able to see a faint line coming out from the body.
  1384.  
  1385. [How did you use this skill…!]
  1386.  
  1387. For the first time, the King was shocked.
  1388.  
  1389. […Interesting. Skill of [Rupture]!]
  1390.  
  1391. The power of the King was being lifted and the Master’s damaged spirit was coming back. The King glared at Jaehwan and spoke.
  1392.  
  1393. [You who live the fall. I will wait for you at the entrance of the <Depth>. Please, do not disappoint me then.]
  1394.  
  1395. And he was gone. Master fell down on the ground like a rag doll and Jaehwan sighed.
  1396.  
  1397. --
  1398. [Strong Stab against Soul King fucks him up and makes an opening for Jaehwan's ability to cut the link between soul and flesh]
  1399. - 48
  1400. ------------------------------------------
  1401. Even if he was here to get permission to get his office, he couldn’t allow himself to beg in front of such a kid. Irhan held onto Jaehwan’s hand and activated a skill.
  1402.  
  1403. Top ranking skill – [Eight Gates of Hell]
  1404.  
  1405. It was a skill that only the highest-ranking officers of the Disciples Clan could use. The skill that only could be used upon skin contact. It trapped the target in a terrible prison filled with monsters gathered from the <Great Lands> and would never be freed until the caster deactivated the skill.
  1406.  
  1407. Irhan quickly opened it up to the third gate. The third gate was the hell full of heat in which the Red Dragon Tiamat lived. The man in front of him would probably be fleeing for his life in burning hellfire, away from Tiamat.
  1408.  
  1409. ‘Taste hell!’
  1410.  
  1411. Irhan knew what everyone became after being entrapped in Eight Gates of Hell. The entrapped would beg to be taken out of the hallucination and end up getting their minds destroyed. The best part about this skill was the secrecy. No one other than the user and the target would know that the skill had been used.
  1412.  
  1413. Yet, many people in <Chaos> had gathered here. There were some who knew the skill and were suspicious about Irhan using it.
  1414.  
  1415. [Is he using the Eight Gates of Hell?]
  1416.  
  1417. [That’s too much for a 50-year-old kid!]
  1418.  
  1419. Some even sent direct whispers to Irhan.
  1420.  
  1421. [Irhan, stop! He is the Master of a Fortress!]
  1422.  
  1423. Irhan frowned. ‘Old fools are irritating.’
  1424.  
  1425. Irhan had no intentions of stopping. If he was successful, the permission to build the office would be easy to get. There was no need to back off now. Irhan ignored the whispers and concentrated on Jaehwan’s hand.
  1426.  
  1427. ‘It’s about time for a reaction.’
  1428.  
  1429. Something was wrong. It was the [Eight Gates of Hell] from a 6th stage Adapter. Even the powerful warriors of the Ten-Clan would have reacted by now. But this Jaehwan did not show any change.
  1430.  
  1431. ‘Is he hiding something? So the 3rd gate is okay? How about this?!’
  1432.  
  1433. Irhan instantly opened up the 6th gate. That was the farthest he could open up the gates before reaching Frost Dragon Velkisus.
  1434.  
  1435. ‘This will be…!’
  1436.  
  1437. But Jaehwan suddenly spoke out loudly.
  1438.  
  1439. “What are you doing? Can you let go if you’re done introducing yourself?”
  1440.  
  1441. “Huh? Uh, y-yes. I’m sorry.”
  1442.  
  1443. Irhan became confused. Was the skill not activated? Was he okay even after facing the Frost Dragon? That was impossible.
  1444.  
  1445. ‘Did he withstand the skill?’
  1446.  
  1447. That was the only possible explanation. There was no way to get out of the hallucination created by the skill other than facing the fear itself.
  1448.  
  1449. ‘That’s impossible.’
  1450.  
  1451. As Irhan let go of the hand, he felt dizzy. He saw his field of vision changing in front of him.
  1452.  
  1453. ‘W-what!’
  1454.  
  1455. Irhan clearly saw the world changing in front of him for a slight second. What was it just now? Even when he faced the Leader’s [Eight Gates of Hell], it wasn’t like this. Where did such a place exist?
  1456.  
  1457. It was a place that only could be described as hell itself. When Irhan came back to his senses, he was slumped down on the ground, shaking.
  1458.  
  1459. [What had happened?]
  1460.  
  1461. [Did the skill get deactivated?]
  1462.  
  1463. Jaehwan warned him. “You insulted the Master so you deserve a lashing, but I will let you go for now. There won’t be a next time.”
  1464.  
  1465. “Y-you…”
  1466.  
  1467. Chunghuh became frustrated.
  1468.  
  1469. ‘What? Is that it? That’s boring!’
  1470.  
  1471. Chunghuh was looking forward to something exciting as he thought Jaehwan will stab away at the man for such a transgression. But nothing serious happened. It seemed he just showed his own world and called it a day.
  1472.  
  1473. [Jaehwan tanks a strong hallucination/mental ability with no issue and uses his Own World to mentally damage his opponent back]
  1474. - 51
  1475. ---------------------------------------------
  1476. “Oh, really? So you can slash like your stab?”
  1477.  
  1478. Chunghuh spoke sarcastically, but Jaehwan nodded.
  1479.  
  1480. “Yeah, a bit.”
  1481.  
  1482. Chunghuh scoffed.
  1483.  
  1484. ‘You’ve stabbed all your life! Slash isn’t that easy!’
  1485.  
  1486. Jaehwan spoke.
  1487.  
  1488. “I can’t do that strong slash, but-”
  1489.  
  1490. “It’s not strong slash! It’s ‘POWERFUL’ slash!”
  1491.  
  1492. Jaehwan continued, ignoring Chunghuh.
  1493.  
  1494. “I can do [Slight Slash].”
  1495.  
  1496. “It’s not slight, it’s normal slash- what?”
  1497.  
  1498. “It’s this, your slash.”
  1499.  
  1500. Jaehwan stepped back and slashed his sword in the air. Powerful energy ripped the space in front.
  1501.  
  1502. “It’s not strong as yours though.”
  1503.  
  1504. Chunghuh could not speak. It was weaker than his slash for sure, but it was a really small difference. His slash was something he earned after countless years. But this man had acquired it in just five days.
  1505.  
  1506. [Jaehwan can use Chunghuh's slight slash, seemingly rips space]
  1507. - 53
  1508. ---------------------------------------------
  1509. “You, young fool, are crossing the line! Okay, I’ll teach you a lesson today and become the Master myself!”
  1510.  
  1511. However, Jaehwan was faster in pulling out his sword. The stab that had the movement of a slash. Chunghuh ran at the storm of blades created by Jaehwan.
  1512.  
  1513. “UGH! RESPECT YOUR ELDER FOR ONCE!”
  1514.  
  1515. The storm blew out, destroying the training ground. Chunghuh looked at the skill in shock.
  1516.  
  1517. ‘What kind of ‘single target’ skill is that!’
  1518.  
  1519. The warriors who were training in a corner were swept away and yelled in shock. The problem did not end there. His storm did not end and put a hole in the ceiling and flew up.
  1520.  
  1521. Then they heard someone screaming.
  1522.  
  1523. [Jaehwan destroying a training hall and roof with an attack]
  1524. - 53
  1525. ---------------------------------------------
  1526. Dryad wiggled on its branch as she spoke. She was dressed in Blue Chinese Dress with pinned up hair, exposing her white skin upon her neck. She looked to the horizon, towards the far north where Gorgon Fortress was located at.
  1527.  
  1528. Unique Skill [Far-Sight]
  1529.  
  1530. It allowed user to observe enemies at thousands of miles away. With her skill, she saw terrible things moving towards Gorgon.
  1531.  
  1532. “No…!”
  1533.  
  1534. She knew what these monsterss were.
  1535.  
  1536. “It’s Giant Dead Man…”
  1537.  
  1538. The Sole King Catastrophe had its followers. Widely known as Giant Dead Man, the once strongest of Chaos that became Dead Man. These were monsters that even combined forces of leaders of Ten Clan cannot defeat it.
  1539.  
  1540. ‘Upright Magrit!’
  1541.  
  1542. Master of Dryad knew the name of this Dead Man. Magrit, was one of Master of Fortresses once. It had face on its legs that gave its name. The Dead Man was leading other dead man into direction of Gorgon.
  1543.  
  1544. -No peeking, girl.
  1545.  
  1546. Then the skill [Far-Sight] was cut out immediately, damaging the master of Dryad a bit. The spirit power of Magrit had reached thousands of miles to this place.
  1547.  
  1548. [Scaling - Margrit's power can span thousands of miles]
  1549. - 58
  1550. -----------------------------------------------
  1551. Meng activated his reading skill [Seven Golden Line]. It was a top-grade unique skill that enabled Meng to read all the statuses of a target. Meng’s ‘Eye of Sky’ shone red.
  1552.  
  1553. [System Error. Cannot read user data.]
  1554.  
  1555. [System Error. Cannot read user data.]
  1556.  
  1557. Meng frowned. ‘W-what?’
  1558.  
  1559. And then Jaehwan spoke for the first time.
  1560.  
  1561. “Are you done? If you talk again, I’ll kill you.”
  1562.  
  1563. Jaehwan made a move with his sword. It had been a long time since Meng had gotten beat up. It was too late when his sight was fading. He felt pain had struck his stomach and he couldn’t think. The pure pain made him astonished.
  1564.  
  1565. {Powerful status reading skills can't read Jaehwan's status}
  1566. - 60
  1567. ------------------------------------------
  1568. The hate that could be felt from within this man was enough to chill Mukeuk without doing anything. Mukeuk then felt the space around Jaehwan distorting weirdly and quickly sent a whisper to Chunghuh, who surely knew the reason why.
  1569.  
  1570. [Is he an Awakener?]
  1571.  
  1572. [You only found that out now?]
  1573.  
  1574. Mukeuk gasped.
  1575.  
  1576. […I can’t believe there was another Awakener in <Chaos> other than you.]
  1577.  
  1578. [To be frank, I don’t even come close.]
  1579.  
  1580. Mukeuk was shocked. He had never seen the proud Chunghuh speak like that of someone else.
  1581.  
  1582. {Jaehwan's stabby stabbing distorts space}
  1583. - 61
  1584. -----------------------------------------
  1585. Other than Jaehwan, all of the remaining fighters were at a similar level. Six fighters remained, including Cayman and Yong. Jaehwan checked them using [Suspicion].
  1586.  
  1587. ‘The only ones powerful enough is her, her, and her.’
  1588.  
  1589. Other than Cayman and Yong, the only ones interesting enough was the Leader of Divine Lady, the woman who beat Kanghwang, and another woman who had tied her hair into a ponytail.
  1590.  
  1591. {Can read the strength of opponents}
  1592. - 61
  1593. -----------------------------------------
  1594. Jaehwan asked, “They will die because this ‘ocean’ exists, right?”
  1595.  
  1596. “…Of course.”
  1597.  
  1598. “Then I will destroy this ‘ocean’.”
  1599.  
  1600. Ryung became dumbfounded.
  1601.  
  1602. ‘W-what is he talking about?’
  1603.  
  1604. It was a foolish answer. But Jaehwan pulled out his sword.
  1605.  
  1606. “WAIT! What are you-!”
  1607.  
  1608. A powerful force of energy gathered at the end of Jaehwan’s sword and was thrust outward in a stab. Then, something shocking happened. The image of the ocean created for the ‘Question of Righteousness’ was divided into two.
  1609.  
  1610. -The ocean has opened up!
  1611.  
  1612. -It’s a miracle!
  1613.  
  1614. -We are saved! Thank you, Captain!
  1615.  
  1616. The people on the boat began to cry in joy as they crowded around Jaehwan.
  1617.  
  1618. [System Error]
  1619.  
  1620. [Question of Righteousness is now aborting]
  1621.  
  1622. The hallucination was aborted and the tournament ring returned to normal. The crowd was dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. Ryung shouted furiously with her hair in a mess from the wind created by Jaehwan’s stab.
  1623.  
  1624. --
  1625. [Jaehwan breaking a mass hallucination/TP thing by stabbing so hard he breaks the ocean within the ability]
  1626. - 64
  1627. --------------------------------------------
  1628. At that moment, a black ray of light shot out from the ground into the sky. It distorted gravity, dragging some men up into the air. It was Magrit’s power, ‘Augmented Reality’.
  1629.  
  1630. Everyone, including the leaders of the Ten-Clan, cowered. They could not even imagine fighting against such power. As the ray dissipated, a few warriors perished into dust. The Sword General was one of them.
  1631.  
  1632. They were powerless.
  1633.  
  1634. There was no hope against such a monster.
  1635.  
  1636. Then, they saw the sword.
  1637.  
  1638. The sword passed all the cowering people and moved toward the army of Dead Men. Ryung barely raised her head to look. She tried to speak, but couldn’t. She wanted to stop him, but couldn’t. Then, the black ray of light again erupted toward the man.
  1639.  
  1640. Ryung closed her eyes to avoid watching the impending doom. When she opened her eyes, she faced a sight that she would never forget her entire life.
  1641.  
  1642. The black ray had been split.
  1643.  
  1644. A ray of light was dividing it, it was destroying that overwhelming power. Distorted senses and gravity returned to normal. Upright Magrit was screaming in agony.
  1645.  
  1646. -Then I will destroy this ‘ocean.’
  1647.  
  1648. She remembered what Jaehwan had said. Everyone felt the same as Ryung at that moment. This was the answer against the world full of despair.
  1649.  
  1650. [Jaehwan overpowering Augmented Reality, a power that fucks with gravity]
  1651. - 65
  1652. ------------------------------------------------
  1653. -Kid, you would know since you went through it, but there are three steps to be ‘Awakened’.
  1654.  
  1655. The first step was to destroy the world of ‘Adaptation’. This was usually called [Disassemble]. This was what Jaehwan called [Suspicion]. It would allow one to acquire a way to [Disassemble] the world and see the truth hidden behind it.
  1656.  
  1657. ----------------------------------------------
  1658. The Tower of Nightmares had historically only been created by [Nightmares]. Other higher races like Demons or Angels had ways to interfere in the systems, but only [Nightmares] could create and repair them.
  1659.  
  1660. However, a human trying to create it? It was foolish.
  1661.  
  1662. -It’s okay. Meikal can do it. Besides, we are only making the first floor.
  1663.  
  1664. -First floor?
  1665.  
  1666. -Just enough to control time. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
  1667.  
  1668. That was when Meikal and all the entire smiths of Twilight’s Fall were called in. And one week later, it was completed.
  1669.  
  1670. “….I never imagined that a human could create the Tower of Nightmares.”
  1671.  
  1672. “It only has one story, but it’s still amazing.”
  1673.  
  1674. Inside, there was only an endless amount of space and sky, but it was still a great feat. It was something that no other race had achieved in the millions of years of history. Jaehwan then thought.
  1675.  
  1676. ‘Well, we did have a really hard time.’
  1677.  
  1678. For a whole week, Meikal and Jaehwan put a lot of hard work into creating this tower. It would not have been possible without Jaehwan’s experience as a [Product] and Meikal’s skill as an experienced blacksmith. Jaehwan also came to understand a lot about the [Nightmare] race. The skills that they used were very similar to the power of an ‘Awakener’ that Jaehwan used. It was so similar even to the point where it seemed like [Nightmares] were the first Awakeners, as most of their skills were based on Awakening steps.
  1679.  
  1680. However, it also seemed only natural. One needed to know the truth of the world to make another. Maybe it was the [Nightmares] who knew the reality of this world.
  1681.  
  1682. And so, Carpediem was created. It was a tower to bring back lost hope to <Chaos>.
  1683.  
  1684. Meng said in astonishment, “I am deeply touched! To be able to return to this place not to be [Cultivated] but to destroy it!”
  1685.  
  1686. “M-me too! I wanted to say that too!”
  1687.  
  1688. Yong also agreed. The Leaders turned to Jaehwan, asking for his next words.
  1689.  
  1690. “All training will be done in here now.”
  1691.  
  1692. Jaehwan looked at each one of them carefully.
  1693.  
  1694. “As you may have guessed, the time in this tower goes a hundred times slower than in real time. A day in <Chaos> will mean a hundred days in this tower. Considering the fact that we have a week, you will have close to two years to train.”
  1695.  
  1696. [Jaehwan and Meikal creating a tower of infinite size]
  1697. - 68
  1698. ----------------------------------------------------
  1699. ‘An Awakener is not limited by one’s maximum spirit power limit.’
  1700.  
  1701. That was what Cayman had learned in those few days. All of the skills that Jaehwan used required a huge amount of spiritual energy, but Jaehwan’s actual Spirit Power was only at the level of a Non-Adapter.
  1702.  
  1703. ‘It’s impossible to achieve without at least reaching the 10th stage.’
  1704.  
  1705. Adapters, when they reached the 10th stage, learned a power skill called [Infinite Circuit] that allowed them to have an infinite amount of spiritual power. But Awakeners were able to wield such power at just the beginning of the 3rd step. It seemed to work differently from [Infinite Circuit], but it was the same in regards to being allowed to use Spirit Power infinitely.
  1706.  
  1707. [Jaehwan has effectively unlimited magical energy]
  1708. - 68
  1709. -----------------------------------------------------
  1710. The world around Chunghuh began to turn white. It was his own world. It was a threat.
  1711.  
  1712. “You and your world are still the same.” Surha spoke sarcastically. “You’re too scared to even draw anything in your newly-made world.”
  1713.  
  1714. At that moment, thousands of lightning bolts rained down, destroying Chunghuh’s world. It was Surha’s world taking over. Chunghuh smelled the distinct smell of blood from all around.
  1715.  
  1716. There were mountains of corpses and blood.
  1717.  
  1718. Chunghuh knew where this world was derived from. It was from the place of the Great Disappearance.
  1719.  
  1720. “How do you like my world? It’s the outcome of your teachings.”
  1721.  
  1722. Chunghuh took a step back. He had taken huge amounts of damage just through the destruction of his world. Chunghuh gritted his teeth.
  1723.  
  1724. [Awakeners destroying each other's worlds]
  1725. - 70
  1726. --------------------------------------------------------
  1727. He activated his extra-grade skills [Torn Depth] and [Torn Sky] at once. They were powerful skills that would destroy everything within a hundred-yard radius. The power made even Cayman hesitant.
  1728.  
  1729. ...
  1730.  
  1731.  
  1732. However, Cayman knew how to overcome this anxiety. Jaehwan had taught him. Cayman closed his eyes.
  1733.  
  1734. Humans cannot exist without a world.
  1735.  
  1736. A human that is out of the world of numbers and data would wane and die. That was why many Awakeners had killed themselves. But those that reached the 3rd step acquired their own ‘world’ to fight against the ‘Adapter’s world’.
  1737.  
  1738. That was the ‘Unique World’.
  1739.  
  1740. When Cayman opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a sea. The vast region of the sea that he lived in for 900 years. That was his ‘Unique World’.
  1741.  
  1742. “What is this…!”
  1743.  
  1744. Chunir became dumbfounded. A giant wave moved together with Cayman’s sword and attacked Chunir.
  1745.  
  1746. “This isn’t enough!”
  1747.  
  1748. Chunir’s attack collided against the wave, but he was damaged. Then, something that resembled a giant light struck Chunir. It was Jaehwan’s most powerful skill that was to be used against a huge army. [Strong Stab].
  1749.  
  1750. Cayman wasn’t used to using it, so he became dizzy after using it once.
  1751.  
  1752. ‘Again!’
  1753.  
  1754. Cayman stabbed again. He saw Chunir’s body being torn in between his waves.
  1755.  
  1756. -You should attend the Triad Meeting alone.
  1757.  
  1758. -But there may be someone too strong for me to handle.
  1759.  
  1760. -It’s okay. Believe in yourself.
  1761.  
  1762. Cayman was deep in his trance as he kept on stabbing. It was a shocking but wonderful experience.
  1763.  
  1764. “KAAAAAAAA!”
  1765.  
  1766. The powerful Lesser General was dying. Suddenly, another person appeared through the waves. It was Ryung. She used her assassination skill on Cayman, which he deflected with his finger.
  1767.  
  1768. [Cayman, who had only just awakened (scene in prior chapter of him feeling Jaehwan is incomparably stronger than himself) beating a Lesser General in his unique world. Cayman's world boosts his power through waves aiding his attacks]
  1769. - 73
  1770. ----------------------------------------------
  1771. “…You’ve become stronger, kid.”
  1772.  
  1773. The skill Jaehwan just used, which killed six of those Half Dead Men in one hit, was a [Normal Stab]. But it was now strong enough to kill four 6th stage Adapters at once.
  1774.  
  1775. ‘I don’t think there’s anyone better at stabbing than him throughout the entire <Great Lands>.’ Chunghuh thought.
  1776.  
  1777. [Jaehwan after an insane amount of training (one or two chapters back says he was training for hundreds to thousands of year) is far stronger than earlier]
  1778. - 76
  1779. ----------------------------------------------
  1780. He swung his spear into hundreds of directions at Jaehwan.
  1781.  
  1782. High-Grade Skill – Eight Fangs of Valkan.
  1783.  
  1784. Top-grade or high-grade skills had similar names, such as the Seven Swords of Akaram, or the Eight Fangs of Valkan. These were all created by [Nightmare] Apprentices or [High Artisan] ranks, who then named the skills, but their power was more than just amusing. With the power of Dead Man, Heintz was now able to unleash the power of a top-grade skill instead of his regular high-grade skill.
  1785.  
  1786. However, it didn’t hurt Jaehwan at all.
  1787.  
  1788. “S-so you know how to fight! But I’ve got much more than that!”
  1789.  
  1790. Heintz began to attack frantically. He released powerful attacks enough to be considered a 9th stage Adapter, but Jaehwan dodged them easily. It was hundreds of attacks with the power he got from throwing away everything in his life.
  1791.  
  1792. And yet…
  1793.  
  1794. ‘Why can’t I get to him?’
  1795.  
  1796. His attacks did not even get close. As he attacked further, Heintz felt his entire body overwhelmed with pleasure. He was losing his mind. It was the side effect of wielding the power of Dead Man. As he used more and more of its power, it was turning him into a Dead Man.
  1797.  
  1798. His attacks blinded everyone’s sight as it covered all possible space. It was an attack that no one could dodge.
  1799.  
  1800. However, someone spoke up.
  1801.  
  1802. “Let’s stop now.”
  1803.  
  1804. The spear stopped. Jaehwan was still watching him silently.
  1805.  
  1806. “But how…”
  1807.  
  1808. Heintz, although he thought it was impossible, knew the reason why he lost his mind was to compensate for his fear. Then, he realized.
  1809.  
  1810. “Ugh…”
  1811.  
  1812. Half of his body was gone. Pain struck him as Heintz concentrated his Spirit Power on the missing half. Tentacles began to form to recreate the missing half.
  1813.  
  1814. “Ugh…”
  1815.  
  1816. Regenerating half of a body was hard, even for the strongest Half Dead Man.
  1817.  
  1818. ‘It was a [Stab]…’
  1819.  
  1820. --
  1821. [Jaehwan effortlessly dodging enough attacks to cover the entire space around him and launching an invisible counterattack in the meantime]
  1822. - 77
  1823. ----------------------------------------------------
  1824. And Jaehwan’s stab struck out against the wall. Chunghuh’s slash also struck soon after.
  1825.  
  1826. The guards fled as the wall was destroyed.
  1827.  
  1828. It was the beginning of the [War of Revival].
  1829.  
  1830. ...
  1831.  
  1832. Power that shook the entire fortress was felt in the very depths of Manticore.
  1833.  
  1834. “Is that…?”
  1835.  
  1836. The new Master of Manticore, Jinong, also felt this. In fact, he was watching the hologram that showed the situation outside of the fortress.
  1837.  
  1838. ...
  1839.  
  1840. All of the citizens of Manticore were already turning into Dead Men. There were millions of them and they were sure that Jaehwan could not survive the millions of Dead Men attacking him.
  1841.  
  1842. [Jaehwan's attacks can shake the entirety of Manticore, a fortress that houses millions]
  1843. - 75/76/77
  1844. -------------------------------------------------
  1845. There were millions of them and they were sure that Jaehwan could not survive the millions of Dead Men attacking him. In fact, there were already many Dead Men coming out of the streets to attack him.
  1846.  
  1847. “<Chaos> is full of idiots.”
  1848.  
  1849. Jaehwan swung his sword, destroying tens of tentacles coming at him.
  1850.  
  1851. “All of you think that you tried.”
  1852.  
  1853. His second swing destroyed hundreds of tentacles.
  1854.  
  1855. “But none of you say you are trying.”
  1856.  
  1857. The number of Dead Men coming in was now too great, it was like a wave, an endless wave that would never stop. Jaehwan changed his stance. He thrust his sword forward. It wasn’t a normal or strong stab. It was the extreme of all stabs, powerful enough to even distort space.
  1858.  
  1859. The world shook at the energy, and the ground trembled.
  1860.  
  1861. Heintz looked on in shock.
  1862.  
  1863. ‘I-impossible.’
  1864.  
  1865. The sudden giant ray of light destroyed hundreds of Half Dead Men, turning them into dust. They couldn’t even scream.
  1866.  
  1867. [Way of the Wave]
  1868.  
  1869. The man stabbed again and again, against a never-ending wave. And it became a Way.
  1870.  
  1871. Heintz ran, just like all the other Dead Men. When the light overwhelmed him, he felt his life disappearing. At that moment, he was in a different world.
  1872.  
  1873. The world that Jaehwan saw.
  1874.  
  1875. ‘Is this his unique world?’
  1876.  
  1877. There were countless corpses and a giant eye in the sky. When Heintz looked at the eye, the eye looked back. The giant eye watched over everything in the world.
  1878.  
  1879. The Truth of the World.
  1880.  
  1881. Heintz realized what that eye symbolized, what that man was fighting for. Heintz was shocked, and found hope.
  1882.  
  1883. If I didn’t give up.
  1884.  
  1885. If I was still the Righteous.
  1886.  
  1887. Would I be on the same path, following this man’s dream?
  1888.  
  1889. Those were his last thoughts in his dying moment.
  1890.  
  1891. “Just a bit longer…”
  1892.  
  1893. And then, the world faded.
  1894.  
  1895. “…You monster. You just destroyed Manticore’s thousands of years of history.”
  1896.  
  1897. Chunghuh spoke as he watched the attack penetrating into the inner keep in the distance.
  1898.  
  1899. “I should call it a [World Stab] now.”
  1900.  
  1901. “Cut the nonsense and let’s move.”
  1902.  
  1903. “It’s not nonsense! How did you do that just now?”
  1904.  
  1905. Chunghuh clearly saw that the place where the stab touched distorted into his unique world. Chunghuh never saw anyone, not even from the 4th or 5th step Awakeners from [Rupture] use such skills.
  1906.  
  1907. “I just did it with all my might.”
  1908.  
  1909. The world was destroyed just because of that? Chunghuh frowned, but Jaehwan was not lying. At least it was his most powerful attack. However, Jaehwan wasn’t satisfied.
  1910.  
  1911. [Jaehwan's stabs bending space, pushing a path through millions of Dead Men, going through the entire Fortress, and the people hit by the stab beam see the Unique World]
  1912. - 77
  1913. -----------------------------------------------
  1914. Someone with enough power to destroy a fortress. She had faced many Awakeners and was even chased by them a few times, yet she had never seen such an attack with a [Stab] powerful enough to distort a world.
  1915.  
  1916. ‘…He cracked the ‘Adapter World’ just by using physical means. How solid is his unique world?’
  1917.  
  1918. Sirwen knew there were more powerful attacks that could do much more damage. The Lords over the 10th stage, or 4th step Awakeners could easily cause more destruction, but even they could not destroy a world.
  1919.  
  1920. Destroying it was different from just opening up a unique world. It was not vulnerable enough to be destroyed by someone’s will or imagination. If one part went missing, it would be replaced with another. It was like nature or the cosmos. It wasn’t something that could be fought against by a single being.
  1921.  
  1922. That was the ‘Adapter World’, or the System.
  1923.  
  1924. However, that man made a crack in it. Or maybe it was good to even call it a ‘Way.’ Sirwen felt a surge of excitement as soon as she saw it. The smell coming from the man was also familiar. He had the smell of a [Nightmare] whom she admired and was jealous of at the same time.
  1925. [Jaehwan's World Stab destroys Worlds (basically, destroys reality marbles)]
  1926. - 78
  1927. --------------------------------------------
  1928. Killing soldiers was easy for high-ranked Adapters in <Chaos>. The problem was what came after.
  1929.  
  1930. Fighting the ‘Fortress’.
  1931.  
  1932. This was very different from fighting against an individual or a clan. The fortress worked as an administrator who controlled the Interface System and information about Adapters.
  1933.  
  1934. A fortress meant it was a world.
  1935.  
  1936. [What it means by a fortress being a world]
  1937. - 19
  1938. ------------------------------------------------
  1939. Jaehwan stabbed the snakes as he heard Chunghuh’s shout. But the destroyed snakes that weren’t alive in the first place quickly reformed themselves to attack. Jaehwan chased after Sirwen while being chased by the snakes. Jaehwan then felt his body becoming heavy all of a sudden.
  1940.  
  1941. All the buildings around him were being crushed down towards him. He tried to dodge it, but the debris was being pulled towards him as if Jaehwan was some kind of a magnet.
  1942.  
  1943. Magic.
  1944.  
  1945. It was a power that only [Nightmares] could use.
  1946.  
  1947. ‘She’s distorting gravity!’
  1948.  
  1949. All the rocks were stuck against Jaehwan. The [Nightmare] was planning to imprison him within a cell of rocks.
  1950.  
  1951. ‘I won’t let you do that!’
  1952.  
  1953. Jaehwan used all the Spirit Power coming out from his pores as stabs. The spirit energy that was released like a porcupine destroyed all the rocks. Then, a snake jumped at Jaehwan, swallowing him. He was sent down into the stomach, and in the next moment, the snake exploded as Jaehwan jumped out from it.
  1954.  
  1955. [Destroying building chunks by bursting mana from his pores, doing so seems to get rid of a gravity effect on him]
  1956. - 79
  1957. -------------------------------------------
  1958. The 7th Gate – Hell of Self Reflection
  1959.  
  1960. As he walked in, he saw the backs of many figures. It looked familiar and strange at the same time. But when they turned around, he realized why he felt it that way.
  1961.  
  1962. Thousands of ‘Jaehwans’ were looking at him.
  1963.  
  1964. ...
  1965.  
  1966. When she looked inside, she couldn’t help but be terrified. Thousands of consciousnesses were fighting against one.
  1967.  
  1968. ‘Thousands?’
  1969.  
  1970. It wasn’t right. The number of consciousnesses equaled to how long the target lived. One who had lived 50 years would fight 100, and 100 years would fight 200. But thousands?
  1971.  
  1972. ‘How long did he live…?’
  1973.  
  1974. Sirwen realized it was her who would faint if this went on for any longer. But then, the skill changed. Something was happening to the 7th gate. It wasn’t related to her power.
  1975.  
  1976. ‘Wait, how did he…?!’
  1977.  
  1978. The sound of destruction was heard.
  1979.  
  1980. The 7th gate was being destroyed.
  1981.  
  1982. [Jaehwan destroying the 7th gate, a place composed of thousands of himself]
  1983. - 80
  1984. ---------------------------------------
  1985. Aisa felt goosebumps. Jaehwan was confident in uniting <Chaos>.
  1986.  
  1987. ‘He’s already thinking about what will happen after the Palace of Reincarnation…!’
  1988.  
  1989. Jaehwan was confident in wiping out the Palace. Aisa was shocked. It was her first time seeing Jaehwan face-to-face. Cayman had talked highly of him multiple times, but Jaehwan was much more than that. She couldn’t even read his future with her skill. Where would he eventually end up in the end?
  1990.  
  1991. [Future reading skills don't work on Jaehwan]
  1992. - 84
  1993. ------------------------------------------
  1994. “I see. You are not yet dead.”
  1995.  
  1996. Jaehwan understood.
  1997.  
  1998. “YES! We will not die! Because…”
  1999.  
  2000. “You came here through the [Narrow Door].”
  2001.  
  2002. “…Huh? So, you knew! Hah!” the General exclaimed. Jaehwan focused his energy into [Suspicion] and found a thin line above each of their heads, the link that connected them to their bodies. That was what allowed them to return to their bodies.
  2003.  
  2004. “Whatever you do, we will not die…”
  2005.  
  2006. “No, you will die here,” Jaehwan declared as he watched the lines.
  2007.  
  2008. “Stop bluffing! You foo- UGH!”
  2009.  
  2010. Jaehwan swung his sword. Everyone heard ripping sounds from above. The Generals closed their eyes, thinking it was aimed at them. However, they did not feel any pain and opened their eyes.
  2011.  
  2012. “…What? Have you given up?”
  2013.  
  2014. Another General stood up, reversing his sword grip. He was pointing it at his own stomach.
  2015.  
  2016. “Y-you wait right there. When I return…”
  2017.  
  2018. “W-Wait! Something’s wrong!”
  2019.  
  2020. The General turned, and in the next moment, he felt severe pain from the top of his head.
  2021.  
  2022. “AAAARGH!”
  2023.  
  2024. The Generals all began to scream in pain and Laika shivered in fear as he watched. He had never seen such a thing after he became a General. Laika, who was standing a distance away, clearly saw what Jaehwan was doing.
  2025.  
  2026. ‘Impossible..!’
  2027.  
  2028. One of the Generals shouted angrily, “What have you done?!”
  2029.  
  2030. The General had exceptional senses and knew what had happened.
  2031.  
  2032. “The connection is broken…!”
  2033.  
  2034. The link that connected them to their bodies, or rather, the only line that allowed them to return back to their bodies… If it was broken, then…
  2035.  
  2036. Jaehwan asked, “How does it feel?”
  2037.  
  2038. The Generals felt a shiver run down their spines. It was a feeling that they had long forgotten. They knew what it was.
  2039.  
  2040. “Death awaits you now.”
  2041.  
  2042. ...
  2043.  
  2044. Chunghuh then froze in shock as he saw Jaehwan slicing his sword past the top of the Generals’ heads. Again, Laika witnessed the skill that could cut off the link between the spirit and the body. The Generals screamed immediately, and Jaehwan silently struck them down with his sword to finish them off.
  2045.  
  2046. [Jaehwan severs the connection that living people have with their bodies that exist in another dimension/universe - also said to be a link between the spirit and body]
  2047. - 87
  2048. --------------------------------------------
  2049. At that moment, Jaehwan frowned. There was that feeling of space distorting, air sinking, and time slowing down. It was something terrifying that only Jaehwan felt.
  2050.  
  2051. “Cayman, move away!”
  2052.  
  2053. However, a thundering sound erupted as soon as the [Fruit] was thrown up and Cayman’s body was smashed the side of the wall. Chunghuh shouted in shock.
  2054.  
  2055. [Jaehwan sensing dimensional teleportation through the feeling of space distortion, time slowing, and air sinking]
  2056. - 88
  2057. ---------------------------------------------
  2058. Jaehwan felt that this wasn’t an enemy he could not win against, but it wasn’t going to be easy either. Magito then counterattacked with his sword, which Jaehwan dodged.
  2059.  
  2060. [Strong Stab]!
  2061.  
  2062. [Strong Stab]’s range was originally too wide, but Jaehwan had trained for 2000 years to use it against a single target. However, Magito dodged it.
  2063.  
  2064. “That rumor wasn’t even close.”
  2065.  
  2066. Sameng Garam mumbled to himself. Magito did manage to dodge it, but his clothing was in rags and his right side was injured. It wasn’t severe, but it was embarrassing. Kanael laughed.
  2067.  
  2068. “HA HA! What are you doing, Magito? Can you not kill an insect?”
  2069.  
  2070. [Shut up, Kanael.]
  2071. --
  2072. [Jaehwan's strong stab can now be used against single targets - concentrated AoE attack]
  2073. - 89
  2074. ---------------------------------------
  2075. Jaehwan and Magito clashed against each other. According to Jaehwan’s [Suspicion], Magito was similar to when Jaehwan first arrived in <Chaos>.
  2076.  
  2077. ‘Let’s not waste time.’
  2078.  
  2079. Jaehwan moved. He needed to finish it while the enemy least expected it. Jaehwan attacked with his [Strong Stab]. Then, from the attack that had left a scar, Jaehwan’s unique world began to spread. Magito panicked. He had not expected such power from a mere human. He tried to use his best sword skill to fight back, but Jaehwan did not give him that luxury. He had already readied a second stab.
  2080.  
  2081. Repeated Strong Stab!
  2082.  
  2083. “Impossible…!”
  2084.  
  2085. Magito finally spoke out loud after hundreds of years. The damage spread, destroying everything in its path. Chunghuh and Sirwen quickly grabbed Cayman and evacuated behind Jaehwan to avoid being caught up in the aftershock.
  2086.  
  2087. “How dare you!”
  2088.  
  2089. Kanael jumped in. He originally just intended to watch, but it wasn’t going as they expected. Even if their pride was important, he couldn’t let Magito die. He quickly flew to Magito, who was being thrown back, to grab him.
  2090.  
  2091. “…I’m sorry, Magito, but I will have to jump in.”
  2092.  
  2093. “…Dammit…” Magito moaned. He had no choice, however. They were out on an official mission, and their job wasn’t to compete in an honorable duel. They would not truly die as they had come here through the [Narrow Door], but they couldn’t allow their spirit to be damaged as it would take days to recover.
  2094.  
  2095. [Jaehwan overpowering someone that was as strong as he was when he first arrived in Chaos. His stabs let his Unique World leak in - does it spread on the body as a disease to the spirit?]
  2096. - 89
  2097. -------------------------------------------------
  2098. His wings were ripping apart. Kanael used all his might to resist the attack, but Jaehwan made his final move.
  2099.  
  2100. The fifth strike.
  2101.  
  2102. It seemed like the world had been bombarded with a nuclear strike. Kanael and Magito were thrown into the sky like a pair of rag dolls. There was no Spirit Power from them as they were severely injured. Then, from all the scars from the previous attacks, dark matter began to seep out, covering the entire region in its picture.
  2103.  
  2104. The unique world.
  2105.  
  2106. Everyone watched as Jaehwan’s world appeared. Laika, who was watching all this from behind, looked at Jaehwan’s eyes. He realized that this man had let him survive to show him this moment.
  2107.  
  2108. <Chaos> was not weak.
  2109.  
  2110. ‘If he is here… no one will dare to enter <Chaos> with ease.’
  2111.  
  2112. Jaehwan’s sword sliced the connections from the two Generals and they began to writhe in agony. But it wasn’t over yet.
  2113.  
  2114. Jaehwan’s unique world was now advancing to where Sameng Garam was standing. He, for the first time, had drawn his sword. The power that reached him that defeated two Generals seemed to be too great for any one man to fight back.
  2115.  
  2116. [Unique World stuff, I still don't know what it does - Jaehwan's attacks compared to a nuke]
  2117. - 89
  2118. ---------------------------------------------
  2119. “He’s already at the level of a Commander!” Sirwen shouted, but her voice faded away as Sameng Garam’s dark flame distorted the space to create a new space.
  2120.  
  2121. ...
  2122.  
  2123. Jaehwan’s body that was burning in dark flame began to shine. The world that Jaehwan had in his imagination was now turning into reality.
  2124.  
  2125. ‘…Ah!’
  2126.  
  2127. Sirwen was stared in astonishment. She who had lived for 2000 years knew what was happening.
  2128.  
  2129. Creation.
  2130.  
  2131. From the opening of the world, Jaehwan pulled out something. It was a dark sword. Jaehwan then realized the keyword for the 4th step. The 4th step was the power allowed imagination to turn into reality.
  2132.  
  2133. [Theory]
  2134.  
  2135. A dark sword was the symbol of objection to everything of this world. Jaehwan held the new sword, and his old sword in each of his hands.
  2136.  
  2137. “So, this is your world.”
  2138.  
  2139. Sameng Garam spoke as he looked at the new sword.
  2140.  
  2141. “It is unfortunate.”
  2142.  
  2143. Sameng Garam knew what it meant. He knew what Jaehwan’s world was trying to achieve.
  2144.  
  2145. “A world born only to destroy another world.”
  2146.  
  2147. --
  2148. [Jaehwan reached the 4th step lets him turn imagination into reality, allowing him to tank/cancel a space-bending attack]
  2149. - 90
  2150. -----------------------------------------------------
  2151. A being was summoned. It had the shape of an Angel but wielded a dark spear. The Dark Angel then slashed at Jaehwan. It was an attack that was the embodiment of Sameng Garam’s thousands of years.
  2152.  
  2153. Jaehwan readied his swords. The power from his swords emerged from both his hands. Then, dark energy burst from it, like a flame tearing into the sky.
  2154.  
  2155. An attack that destroyed everything that existed.
  2156.  
  2157. The sky turned dark, and something fell from it.
  2158.  
  2159. It was a dark sky. The World was filled with maggots and no other living beings. At the top of the [Tree of Imagery] was an eye, and Jaehwan called it the ‘Eye of Asura’. It was the one that controlled and ruled over this world. Sameng Garam watched from where he had landed after falling and spoke.
  2160.  
  2161. “So, that is where you are heading.”
  2162.  
  2163. “It’s my enemy.”
  2164.  
  2165. “I see.”
  2166.  
  2167. Sameng Garam’s shoulders began to shake. It was at the top of the [Tree of Imagery], and at the end of the <Depths>, the place where the [First Nightmare] was known to be located.
  2168.  
  2169. “It’s terrible… This is the truth?”
  2170.  
  2171. Sameng Garam seemed to be in disbelief that the world he believed was in this state in reality.
  2172.  
  2173. [Jaehwan's stab 'destroyed everything that existed']
  2174. - 91
  2175. -----------------------------------------------------
  2176.  
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