[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
Chapter 354
It was a desperate, life-or-death crisis.
<Hey! Get out of there, quick!>
Tenebris shouted urgently.
‘You bastard, if I could’ve gotten out, I would’ve done it already.’
Even with all buffs activated, he was still being overpowered.
Jeong-hoon accelerated his brain, searching for a way to break through.
“I can practically feel your eyes spinning in there.”
Escanon grinned slyly.
At that eerie smile, the corner of Jeong-hoon’s mouth twitched upward.
“Are you nervous that things might get flipped around?”
“What?”
“Let’s admit it. No matter what I do, it’s impossible to crush someone like you, who’s under divine protection, with sheer strength.”
“Ha, who are you calling the one under divine protection?”
Escanon replied with irritation.
A human blessed by the Named and Abaddon.
When he first entered this place, he had felt uneasy under the illusion that he had been abandoned.
In that situation, he didn’t give up—he struggled, and as a result, was chosen.
If he hadn’t been chosen, he would’ve died at the hands of the man before him.
“How foolish. Do you really think I’m receiving divine protection?”
“What nonsense. If you're not under protection, how else would you explain that power?”
Escanon hadn’t ruled out that possibility, but gave up on his suspicion when the man had veiled his eyes.
“Hmph, even if I explained it, you wouldn’t understand.”
“What?”
At that moment—
[Activating ‘Overlord’s Wrath’.]
Titan’s second skill.
Overlord’s Wrath.
When the skill was cast, Titan—plunged into the ground—began to glow red.
As the sword turned crimson, the surrounding air changed.
“Let your guard down, did you?”
Before he realized it, Titan was embedded in the ground next to him.
When Escanon grabbed him by the collar, Jeong-hoon had feigned escape and planted Titan.
With Overlord’s Descent already active,
Now that Overlord’s Wrath was triggered, the abilities of everyone within the Overlord’s domain were forcibly nullified.
As a result, Escanon’s domain vanished as well, and Logos’s interference was cut off.
At the same time, Goblet of the Void and Scroll of Divine Judgment, which couldn’t be used earlier, began to glow once more.
‘So, they really can’t be used while abilities are active, huh?’
Jeong-hoon grinned slyly as he pulled out the Goblet of the Void.
[You have selected a clone.]
[Generating a clone linked to the main body.]
“Still flailing to the very end, I see!”
Escanon tightened his grip, trying to lift Jeong-hoon.
But Jeong-hoon didn’t budge an inch.
Escanon’s face was flushed with panic.
“Why? Surprised that your strength is gone?”
“You… what did you do!”
“Even if I told you, would an idiot like you understand?”
“Gah!”
Jeong-hoon drove his fist into Escanon’s abdomen.
From the shock that defied all expectation, blood vessels burst in Escanon’s eyes, and he staggered backward, releasing his grip.
<Wow… that was really close.>
Only after confirming that Jeong-hoon had broken free did Tenebris let out a sigh of relief.
‘If the trigger was the domain, then erasing it is enough.’
Honestly, it was more of a gamble.
When the domain was deployed and Logos's power was activated, Jeong-hoon suspected that the third annihilation had been configured to work that way from the beginning.
So he thought, if the domain was broken, maybe Logos’s power would disappear too.
‘Nailed it.’
The gamble was a huge success.
Jeong-hoon pulled Titan from the ground, leapt again, and swung the sword.
Clang!
Even in his suffering, Escanon raised his sword to block Jeong-hoon’s attack.
However, unlike before, he was pushed back by the force, his body sliding across the ground.
Is a Hero still a Hero?
Even while being overpowered, his posture didn’t falter at all.
Jeong-hoon admired him, purely and sincerely.
“You really are impressive.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Can’t even accept a compliment as a compliment. You’re seriously twisted.”
“Shut up!”
Screee—
While locked in a clash, Escanon dragged his sword sideways, trying to slash Jeong-hoon’s waist.
Thud!
But Jeong-hoon was a beat faster and kicked him in the groin.
“Guhh!”
Even as a Transcendent, vital points didn’t just vanish.
Unlike when he was hit in the abdomen, the pain brought him to one knee.
Jeong-hoon then kicked him in the face.
“Guhhak!”
Next, he raised Titan to strike Escanon’s abdomen.
Clang!
Escanon barely managed to swing his sword and deflect it.
But then, ten phantom arms struck Escanon, and he couldn’t defend against them.
“Gaaaagh!”
Even though Jeong-hoon had used Asura, the phantom arms hadn’t attacked Escanon until now.
It was a deliberate ploy to make him let his guard down—he had held back to ensure a definite end.
So now, there was no reason to hold back anymore.
Due to the forced application of bleeding, blood was pouring out of his body in violent bursts.
“Let’s bring this to an end.”
Jeong-hoon had to finish him off before he could deploy his domain again.
Then, even as he vomited blood and his lips were smeared with it, the corners of Escanon’s mouth slowly curled upward.
“You really are an amusing human. To have pushed me this far.”
“Hm?”
Jeong-hoon frowned at his composure.
Could he possibly have something else left?
“I’ll return everything you’ve done to me.”
At that moment, Jeong-hoon staggered with a groan.
<Hey! Are you okay?!>
Tenebris, who had been watching leisurely, was startled.
‘I’m fine.’
Jeong-hoon raised a hand to reassure him.
Though contrary to his words, something hot surged up and he coughed up blood.
<That doesn’t look fine!>
‘Yeah. I didn’t expect him to use Reflection.’
Jeong-hoon hurriedly used divine power to heal himself.
Then, Escanon rushed at him and began to apply pressure.
Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed again and again.
Escanon, who had been on the verge of death moments ago, had used Reflection to recover completely.
And unlike before, he was no longer being pushed back.
He hadn’t just reflected the damage—he had absorbed it to amplify his own power.
<Why the hell was that guy ever considered low-tier?>
Tenebris stared at Escanon with bewildered eyes.
From his perspective, Escanon possessed high-tier martial power even among the Lords of Heaven.
‘I have no idea either.’
Jeong-hoon struggled to block his attacks, trying to find an opening.
But his stance was perfect, making it difficult to find one.
‘Ha… he’s insanely strong.’
Through the Dominion of the Conqueror, the Conqueror’s Wrath surrounded the area.
And with Descent of the Conqueror, he had entered Conqueror Mode, raising his tier to a mad level.
On top of that, he had completed up to the sixth stage, further raising his tier.
And he was benefitting from the full effects of his title.
Yet he still couldn’t overwhelm Escanon.
‘Then I’ll have to actively use the Divine Relic.’ S~eaʀᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Jeong-hoon gave a command to the clone he had prepared in advance.
[Using Heavenly Retribution Reversal Scroll.]
[Select the target’s ability.]
[Selecting Reflection Conversion.]
Through the Heavenly Retribution Reversal Scroll, Escanon’s ability was sealed.
As the amplified power vanished, his strength returned to its previous state.
“You bastard!”
Escanon’s face twisted violently.
“Why? You can use your Divine Relic actively too.”
Jeong-hoon smiled faintly as he swung Titan.
Clang!
Once again, Jeong-hoon began to press the attack.
[The count of the Karma Brand has reached its maximum.]
One of the abilities of the Heavenly Retribution Reversal Scroll.
Every time the sealed ability is attempted to be used, a count accumulates under the Karma Brand.
The guy had repeatedly tried to use the sealed Moonless Slash, and the newly sealed Reflection Conversion had pushed the count to its maximum.
[Divine punishment will be inflicted on the target.]
[Select the form of divine punishment.]
[1. Wrath]
[2. Retribution]
Wrath and Retribution.
Jeong-hoon, deliberating while swinging his sword, made his decision.
[You have chosen Retribution.]
[Punish the target directly.]
[All of your stats are enhanced by the count value.]
[Also, all cooldowns of your abilities are set to zero, and activation conditions are removed.]
[However, this only applies during the punishment, and everything returns to normal afterward.]
‘Hoo… this really is broken.’
Boosted stats aside, all skill cooldowns being nullified and activation conditions removed was overpowered.
“Hrrgh!”
As his stats exploded in power, Escanon was completely overwhelmed.
“Damn it…”
Escanon cursed and retreated.
In response, Jeong-hoon planted Titan into the ground.
“Still planning to keep struggling?”
At Jeong-hoon’s question, Escanon’s lips curled upward.
“Heh… you idiot.”
As the domain shattered, the overflowing power disappeared.
So he had been holding on desperately until he could deploy it again.
‘This time, I’ll really finish it.’
He had lost focus before and the domain broke, but he wouldn’t make the same mistake again!
Escanon raised his sword and slammed it into the ground.
But contrary to his plan, nothing happened.
“W-what…?”
Escanon poured more power into the sword, but the result was the same.
As if it had broken, it no longer responded to him.
“You… really are a fool. Did you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”
Jeong-hoon was laughing at Escanon.
Then, he pointed at his clone with a finger, and in the clone’s hand was the Heavenly Retribution Reversal Scroll.
“N-no way…?”
Escanon’s pupils shook violently.
Jeong-hoon nodded, as if confirming that his prediction had been correct.
“That’s right. I sealed it so you couldn’t activate your domain.”
“You son of a bitch!”
“Still thinking of struggling?”
Jeong-hoon stepped forward with the Heavenly Demon Lord’s Dominion and instantly appeared in front of Escanon.
“Shut up!”
Escanon grabbed the sword embedded in the ground and tried to swing it at Jeong-hoon.
Thud!
“Guh!”
But Jeong-hoon was one step faster, slamming his fist into Escanon’s abdomen.
Unlike before, his fist was surging with a pure white energy.
Divine Annihilation Strike.
The core skill of the Martial Artist’s sixth advancement, and a finishing technique with extremely difficult activation conditions.
But now, in Retribution Mode, the activation conditions were removed.
First Strike.
Heaven Chain.
Escanon’s waist bent, and he couldn’t move as if paralyzed.
Jeong-hoon followed up with the second strike.
Earth Heat.
He launched an uppercut into Escanon’s jaw.
“Urgh!”
Escanon’s body was sent flying.
Without a word, Jeong-hoon slammed his fist into the ground.
Third Strike.
Spirit Strike.
As the third strike activated, a massive phantom fist appeared and smashed Escanon from above.
“……!”
The impact was so powerful that Escanon couldn’t even scream.
He wanted to resist, but the stun hadn’t worn off, and the power that once dominated his body was locked away like it was sealed.
Fourth Strike.
Destruction Strike.
Jeong-hoon continued to beat Escanon mercilessly.
With every punch, Escanon’s life force rapidly decreased.
The lost life force burned away, eliminating any possibility of recovery.
“S-stop…”
If this continued, he would truly die.
Escanon weakly raised his hand.
At that, Jeong-hoon’s fist paused for a moment.
“Stop what?”
“I… I lost… I’ll hand everything over… Just stop.”
“Ha, fuck.”
Jeong-hoon clenched his fist in irritation.
This was the bastard who had betrayed humanity, seized the throne of the gods, and didn’t hesitate to destroy everything.
Watching that bastard beg for his life in the face of death made Jeong-hoon feel sick to his stomach.
He should’ve held onto his pride until his final breath.
In the end, he was no different from the rest.
“You said you wanted the throne… Fine. Go sit on it.”
“……”
“If you need power… I’ll do everything I can to help you……”
Jeong-hoon glared at him as if ready to kill and spat out a single word.
“Fuck off, you piece of shit.”
There was no longer any value in exchanging words.
Jeong-hoon brought down the final, Fifth Strike — Annihilation Strike — and crushed his skull.
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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