Chapter 39…
Seo Gyeoul was gone.
All that remained was the silent corridor, my enemy before me—and the growing noise inside my head.
‘Just now…’
It was only for a moment. A fleeting instant.
When Pyeon-on was stabbed—something had stirred within the remnants of my suppressed rage.
[Do you wish to rest?]
A heavy wave rippled through me as someone whispered—
in a voice calm and deep, like the abyss.
[Let me bear your pain and rage.]
It wasn’t persuasion—it was temptation.
[Sheathe your dull blade, and with my claws, tear your enemies apart.]
The words rose from a windless depth,
sweet as a midsummer nap—
so sweet that instinctively, I felt revulsion.
[…All you must do is entrust yourself to me.]
I frowned.
“…Shut up.”
The words slipped out harshly, before I even realized it.
Seong-sik, perched on my shoulder, flinched.
“Piiiii—!”
Startled by his reaction, I came to my senses.
“Ah, sorry, Seong-sik.”
I stroked him gently, murmuring to myself.
‘That voice couldn’t be real…’
Yeah. No way.
Focus.
Now’s not the time for that.
The enemy is right in front of me—
time to forge the rage I swallowed into a blade.
“Quit stalling. If you’ve got something to pull out, do it.”
I twirled my shortsword idly.
“…What do you mean?”
“Before you die and regret it—show me everything you’ve got.”
“How arrogant.”
“Funny—you sure it’s me who’s arrogant?”
I wasn’t underestimating him.
He was a priest—a title only the “chosen” could earn.
Meaning, at minimum, he had an A-rank talent or higher.
‘A hidden blade is always more dangerous than a drawn one.’
That’s why I provoked him—to make him show his hand.
Of course, I had to prepare myself too.
Like this—
[A user’s mana manipulation follows certain laws and patterns of intent.]
I moved my mana with extreme precision—
carefully opening a long-forgotten Pandora’s box in my memory,
dust-covered and brittle with age.
‘It’s fine. I’ve done this before.’
Instantly, resistance surged through my mana circuits.
Forced release always came with that filthy sensation.
‘So what? Nothing’s free in this world.’
Ding!
[Converting enlightenment into a skill.]
[User’s qualification insufficient to master skill.]
[Adjusting skill rank downward.]
[Skill acquired: “Beast Resonance Lv.1 (B–)”]
From that old box emerged pain—and an old familiar skill.
[Beast Resonance]
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Rank: B– (Incomplete)
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Level: 1
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Info: Temporarily synchronizes your abilities with a tamed beast.
Resonance effects depend on the beast’s loyalty, taming rank, and mana.
(Some effects limited due to lack of qualification.)
It was a job advancement skill—normally impossible to use before second class.
I’d poured every bonus stat from clearing Scarlet Doom Gate into mana,
just to reduce the burden on my circuits, even a little.
[User invests all 9 bonus stat points into Mana.]
[User activates skill “Beast Resonance Lv.1 (B–)”.]
‘…Endure it.’
The moment the skill activated,
a foreign sensation flooded through my body.
Alien feelings—not my own—flowed into me.
If I had hesitated for even a heartbeat, the link would’ve broken.
Ding!
[Synchronized with “Seong-sik (Kakan)” successfully!]
[User’s stats increased: Strength +12, Agility +17, Endurance +22!]
The synchronization stabilized immediately.
‘Worth it.’
Even in infancy, an S-rank beast was leagues beyond me.
And these increases were reduced due to loyalty and mana limits.
‘Still more than enough.’
Tsshh—
Maybe he sensed something, or maybe my provocation worked—
Sible lunged without a word.
But I was ready.
I countered with a sudden thrust.
He evaded lightly, as if he’d predicted it.
“The Lord strips the senses from the arrogant first.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
A presence from the right—
I dodged left by instinct—
“…?”
Whoosh—
But somehow his dagger still followed my movement.
He smiled faintly, like the fight was already decided.
‘Tch…’
[User activates skill “Step of the Blue Wolf Lv.6 (C)”.]
A faint red line opened on my cheek.
Had I been a moment slower, my face would’ve been pierced.
But danger brings opportunity.
One step.
Two steps.
I dashed inward—straight into his range.
My winning tactic.
My shortsword gleamed.
“Die—”
A perfect ambush.
Perfect position.
Perfect timing.
‘I had him…’
But Sible, as if foreseeing the future,
was already several steps away, smirking at my empty swing.
“You dream of hope before your will can even reach it.
I can smell it on you.”
“…So that’s your gift.”
His words made it obvious.
A talent linked to perception.
Seong-sik chirped on my shoulder.
“Bwoop-boop—”
“Yeah, I got it too.”
I took a slow step—then suddenly launched forward.
Boom!
A sudden rush.
It looked like a reckless charge—
‘But reality isn’t two-dimensional.’
Tap—
I kicked off the floor, soaring upward like a dolphin.
“—?!”
The Beast Sword Style mimics animal strikes.
Slash!
I swung downward from above—
turning horizontal force into vertical power.
A shortsword wreathed in energy—
a move nearly impossible to predict.
‘Still, he’ll block it.’
CLANG!
Of course, he did.
But I’d already planned for that.
“I told you, didn’t I? You reek of—”
“Man, you talk too much.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I unleashed a flurry of blows.
He parried them all—and even countered.
Blood trickled from my arms, thighs, shoulders.
Sible grinned confidently.
“Give up and die. Your attacks—”
“—You can see them all, right?”
I smirked.
These wounds were nothing.
“If someone saw you, they’d think you could see the future.”
“…”
“You’re just a sensory type, aren’t you?”
Scrape!
I dragged my blade along the ground,
kicking dirt into his face.
“Cowardly—”
“Ha? Didn’t expect you guys to say that word.”
I stepped back, lowering my sword.
After bleeding a bit, my mind felt clearer.
Yeah—there was a delay.
When reacting to attacks, he hesitated a fraction.
‘If it were true precognition, this would be a pain.’
‘But with mere heightened senses… there’s a counter.’
Painful—but effective.
“Been a while since I used this… hope it still works.”
“What are you—”
[User borrows “Seong-sik (Kakan)”’s skill: “Transform Lv.3 (S)”.]
A foreign energy flooded me again,
thick and sticky through my veins.
I couldn’t reject it.
If I did, both Kakan and I would shatter.
‘Endure. You’ll adapt soon.’
[User activates “Transform — Copper Lv.3 (S)”.]
Copper.
A metal that conducts electricity.
[User’s nervous system is greatly enhanced.]
[User perceives magnetic fields of objects.]
The effect hit instantly.
Crackle—!
Electric current coursed through my neural pathways.
My mind sharpened, senses exploding awake.
‘My thoughts are so fast…’
Everything slowed.
Time itself felt frozen.
‘Focus. Control it.’
But that wasn’t all I had to handle.
Shift…
My vision changed.
‘Resolution… increased?’
Like the difference between analog and full HD.
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel everything—
because every material carries its own magnetic trait.
‘This ability…’
If I can just endure it—
it’s incredible.
Kakan really was a monster.
As my senses stabilized, time resumed.
— Wh…at… are… you… do…
Sible’s lips, once moving in slow motion,
sped up again.
“…doing?!”
“Shh.”
Tch—CLANG!
My shortsword crashed down like thunder.
Sible barely managed to block—too late.
“…!?”
“Too slow.”
Crude—but certain.
Before he could sense and react—
‘…I strike faster.’
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I unleashed blow after blow—
faster than he could process.
Pain rippled through me.
But I endured.
‘Still fine.’
Each movement went beyond my stat limits.
My body screamed, but I pressed on.
“Ugh…”
It was worth it.
With each exchange—
Sible’s wounds multiplied and deepened.
“I moved toward the scent of hope… yet…”
“I told you, I figured out your trick.”
I didn’t stop.
Once I started pressing, I finished it.
Mercy was only for the first exchange.
“I am one of the Fangs of Hope! The chosen sense—His blade!”
He screamed, twisting his body—
SLASH!
Something flew through the air.
A cleanly severed left arm.
He collapsed, writhing.
“I can’t… end like this!”
‘Damn it—!’
Warning bells rang in my head.
He was forcing something.
From his trembling hand,
he pulled out a small, round object.
‘No way—that thing?’
It was pale, faintly translucent—
like overlapping scales or insect eyes.
I knew it well.
I’d seen it before.
‘…A Divine Flesh Fragment.’
[Distorted Divine Flesh]
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Rank: None
-
Info: A forbidden relic, even to the cult.
Grants a “revelation” in exchange for your sanity.
(Rapidly increases Corruption Rate; prolonged use leads to madness.)
Not an item—
but a fragment of a living will.
The moment you swallow it,
you’re no longer “chosen.”
You’re possessed.
By an Outer God.
“The silence of senses opens the gate of revelation… I accept you.”
Smash!
I lunged forward, punching hard—
but he had already swallowed it.
The cloth over his eyes fell away,
revealing blank white eyeballs.
“….”
Rattle…
The whites of his eyes filled with blood—
and began to spin.
“Tch. So it’s come to this…”
BOOOOM!
A grotesque energy exploded outward from him.
Just standing in it made my skin boil,
my senses distort, my brain feel like it was shrinking.
“Heehee… no, you… you’re neither hope nor doom… so you must die… right, Lord Belmuth?”
Though the words came from Sible’s mouth,
his gaze was fixed on something unfathomable.
He was no longer a priest.
He’d become a monster devoured by revelation.
Not yet a bishop—
but close enough.
Exactly as I feared.
“You’ve really done it now.”
Anyone else would’ve fled in terror—
But I’d faced death too many times to be scared.
If anything—
this was better.
The harder the trial,
the stronger I’ll become after surviving it.
“Alright then…”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Looks like I really am destined to become stronger than before my regression.
