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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Price of Arrogance
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Chapter 96
The countless warrior spirits that had poured out from beyond the mirror froze in place, like puppets whose strings had been cut.
「H-how…」
Kang-jun answered in a low voice.
“Undead…”
Then he asked again.
“Is this a gift?”
At his words, Susanoo stared blankly at Kang-jun, unable to hide his bewilderment.
“Just a paper-thin difference.”
Presently, the armored warrior spirits turned their bodies slightly, pointing the tips of their swords not at Kang-jun, but at Susanoo.
“Savor the gap in our power.”
Suddenly, the warrior spirits rushed toward Susanoo, swinging their longswords wildly.
Clang, claaang, claaaang—!
Stunned, Susanoo could only scramble to parry their ferocious assault.
「You bastards—!」
Their numbers were so great that facing them with only a sword was impossible; he had no choice but to unleash his disasters.
Ruuuuuumble—!
Lightning struck down upon them…
Whooooooooosh—!
A tsunami crashed over them, sweeping them away.
「What is the meaning of this—!」
But their numbers were so overwhelming that they showed no sign of diminishing.
*Ting!*
Just then, a clear sound rang in Kang-jun’s ear.
[ The authority ‘Myth Weaving’ (EX) has been activated! ]
[ The Creator God begins weaving your myth! ]
A rapid tapping sound, like something being typed, echoed continuously…
Once more, a ‘story’—neither voice nor text—began to spread throughout the Abyss.
『Susanoo, a high-ranking deity of the Takamagahara constellation, was one of the ‘Three Noble Ones,’ the most exalted of the gods…』
『He reigned as a god of war and martial prowess, wielding the powers of typhoons, the sea, and lightning as his own limbs, backed by his outstanding swordsmanship.』
『He arrived with a serpent, seeking revenge on ‘■■■’ for the unforgivable shame and humiliation inflicted upon his mother, Izanami…』
『But no matter what he tried, he could not reach ■■■, and in the end, he suffered the disgrace of having all his subordinates taken from him.』
It seemed his actions were being recorded as a ‘narrative,’ as they always had been.
Kang-jun spread his palm open with a snap, and a blackish spear materialized above it.
The spear, formed of dense, dark magic, shimmered as if its distinct shape was somehow indistinct…
*Grip.*
Kang-jun gripped the spear tightly, and his form stretched out like taffy before vanishing for a moment.
“Time to keep my promise.”
Kang-jun suddenly appeared before Susanoo, who was preoccupied with the chaotic battle, and spoke in a chillingly calm tone.
「What do you mean…」
The next moment.
“To think you dared to speak of my family…”
With the sharp tip of the spear he held, Kang-jun thrust it toward Susanoo’s right wrist, which was gripping his sword.
“The promise to pull out your impudent tongue.”
「Guaaaaaaaah—!」
“It would be wise to behave.”
Kang-jun didn’t stop at piercing his wrist; he pushed him all the way to a cliff on the distant shore, driving the spear tip in to pin him securely.
Whoooosh—/
With his wrist impaled by the spearhead, he dangled from the cliff, and from the wound, ‘text’ began to flow instead of blood.
- The most valiant of the Takamagahara deities, but whose wild behavior led him to accumulate many sins, for which he was punished by having his beard and nails, both on his hands and feet, cut off…
Kang-jun muttered, “That’s right,” and once again opened his palm to create a new spear.
「S-stop!」
Susanoo’s eyes widened as he shouted, unable to conceal his shock, but Kang-jun just asked back.
“If you were me, would you stop?”
He immediately pressed Susanoo’s left wrist against the cliff face and, without a hint of hesitation, pierced it with the spear, pinning it in place.
「Guoooooh…」
Having thoroughly sealed Susanoo’s hands, Kang-jun nodded as if he had made a decision and muttered in a low voice.
“It’ll be a pain if you struggle, so pinning your legs down will make this much easier.”
He then plunged a spear into each of Susanoo’s ankles, securing them firmly to the cliff face…
“Now then, shall we begin the procedure?”
Finishing his words, Kang-jun grabbed Susanoo’s jaw with one hand and brutally forced his mouth open.
「S-stop…」
Kang-jun gripped his tongue tightly and, with a cruel smile playing on his lips, began to mutter to himself.
“It’s been a while since I’ve pulled out a tongue.”
Just then, the ‘story’ was heard again.
『Before attaining divinity and becoming a god, ■■■ reigned as the ‘Emperor’ who oversaw an entire dimension within the Abyss.』
『In those days, ‘■■■’ often led his soldiers to victory from the front lines of every battlefield…』
『He was renowned not only for his overwhelming martial might but also for his infamy, gained by inflicting cruel tortures upon prisoners who refused to surrender.』
Kang-jun spoke again.
“Hey, hey, relax.”
It was the moment Kang-jun yanked the tongue he held with all his might.
With his limbs completely immobilized, Susanoo writhed in agony…
Kang-jun dangled the freshly torn-out tongue in front of his face and added.
“Here. This is your silver tongue.”
However, Susanoo’s eyes had already rolled back from the overwhelming pain, so he couldn’t see it.
『■■■ pierced Susanoo’s limbs with spears, pinning him firmly to the cliff face…』
『With the practiced skill he had warned of, he ripped out Susanoo’s tongue in a single motion.』
『He even dangled the severed tongue before Susanoo’s eyes, not forgetting to mock him…』
『The deities of various constellations who watched the spectacle could not help but be aghast at his cruelty.』
Kang-jun muttered, “Watched?” then suddenly looked up at the distant sky and spoke.
“It seems there are quite a few voyeurs this time as well. I’ll take this opportunity to give them a stern warning.”
Just then, a *ting!* sound rang out, and a series of system messages appeared before his eyes.
[ ‘The Unstoppable Thunder’ of the Asgard constellation waves at you cheerfully. ]
[ ‘The Seventh of the Seven Generations of Gods, the Underworld’ of the Takamagahara constellation begins to weep sorrowfully. ]
[ ‘The Giant Whose Mouth Was Sewn Shut’ of the Asgard constellation expresses intense fury at your cruelty. ]
[ ‘The Flame Giant Who Desires Destruction’ of the Asgard constellation threatens that you will soon face annihilation. ]
However, Kang-jun didn’t even glance at the content of the system messages and simply continued with what he had to say.
“For whatever reason, if any of you set foot in my dimension, I’ll make sure you all end up just like this. Etch that into your minds.”
After speaking, Kang-jun threw the tongue he was holding to the ground, then condensed his dark magic again to form a sharp sword…
“Now, I might change my mind, so beg for your life.”
「S-save…」
“Didn’t I say I’d shove a blade down your throat if you begged me to save you?”
With those words, Kang-jun immediately shoved the blade down Susanoo’s throat.
[ The deity of the Takamagahara constellation, Susanoo, has been annihilated. ]
[ You have contributed the most to the annihilation of the Takamagahara constellation’s deity. ]
[ A portion of the divine power of the Takamagahara constellation’s deity, Susanoo, will be absorbed. ]
The head and limbs of the deity ‘Susanoo,’ pinned to the cliff, went limp…
[ Your presence as ‘■■■’ becomes more distinct. ]
[ Your deeds spread throughout the Abyss! ]
[ All the gods of the Abyss watch you once more. ]
Checking the series of system messages that appeared, Kang-jun let out a low sound of admiration. “Hmm?”
[ A new authority is unlocked. ]
Meanwhile.
“What in the world is…”
On the shore, those who had been watching the battle between Kang-jun and Susanoo were all dumbfounded.
The fight between the two deities was beyond what the naked eye could follow, making it impossible to discern what was happening…
To their eyes, it simply looked as if the two deities had engaged in a fierce exchange before vanishing into the distance.
“Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
At that moment, Yamata no Orochi let out a great roar and began to move, attempting to charge in the direction its master had disappeared…
“We have to stop it!”
Jeong Yun-chan, who had been watching the duel between Kang-jun and Susanoo in a daze just moments before, shouted as he looked around at all the hunters.
Although he had witnessed their life-and-death struggle, he couldn’t dare to guess the outcome…
He judged that if that ‘giant serpent’ were to join the fray, Kang-jun would surely be put on the defensive.
“Ugh…”
As the Nuclear Samurai stabbed his sword into the ground to use it as a support to force himself up, Jeong Yun-chan spoke.
“To hold it back, I need your help and the help of the hunters under your command.”
The Nuclear Samurai grimaced from the pain rising in his chest and nodded with difficulty, answering in a low voice.
“Yes, I’ll help…”
Jeong Yun-chan retorted.
“Will you be of any help in that state?”
“What?”
“Take his head.”
At those words, the Nuclear Samurai stared at him as if asking what he was talking about…
Instead of answering, Jeong Yun-chan gestured with his chin toward ‘Genji,’ who had been turned into a charred husk by the lightning strike.
“What…”
Jeong Yun-chan added.
“He’s still alive.”
Just as Jeong Yun-chan said, ‘Genji’s’ fingertips were twitching faintly, as if in a seizure.
“Quickly, before he stops breathing.”
Understanding Jeong Yun-chan’s meaning, the Nuclear Samurai gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
For Awakened, their stamina was, for some reason, restored the moment their ‘level’ increased.
‘Kill him, recover, and lend your strength…’
After swallowing dryly, he sliced off Shadow Genji’s head with a single stroke.
[ You have leveled up! ]
A system message appeared before his eyes…
[ Stamina has been restored. ]
His body, which had been so exhausted it could have collapsed at any moment, regained its strength.
“Hoo…”
Looking down at the now headless corpse of Genji, the Nuclear Samurai began to speak.
“You…”
He felt a sense of cognitive dissonance, as Jeong Yun-chan’s attitude was completely contrary to the man he remembered.
“There are many who are not yet dead. Give the same order to the hunters under your command.”
After speaking, Jeong Yun-chan immediately led the Korean hunters forward, charging to block Yamata no Orochi’s path.
The Nuclear Samurai, who had been silently watching Jeong Yun-chan’s back, also shouted to the hunters of the Shogun Guild.
“Kill the remaining members of the Shadow Corps who are still breathing, recover your strength, and support them!”
Then he immediately ran after Jeong Yun-chan…
Clang, clang, claaang!
He watched Jeong Yun-chan, who stood at the forefront, fighting against the eight serpent maws.
Huh…
With fluid movements, as if performing a sword dance, he was somehow managing to hold his own against the eight maws.
“We’re joining in!”
Just as dozens of hunters began a chaotic battle against Yamata no Orochi’s eight heads and eight tails…
Craaaaaack—!
A crack appeared in the air once again…
A snake, several times larger than Yamata no Orochi, poked only its head through and flicked its long tongue.
The hunters who saw the snake lost their will to fight, their faces filled with despair as they let out low groans. “Huuuh…”
*Step, step.*
Kang-jun approached from a distance…
“Stand back.”
As Kang-jun spoke in a low, gentle voice, the hunters, who had been frozen stiff by the appearance of another snake, retreated a good distance…
“Ouroboros.”
Kang-jun added.
“Devour it.”
The moment that short command fell, the most powerful serpent in the world… Ouroboros, swallowed ‘it’ whole.
