Chapter 338:
"Oh, who are you?"
The Fragment owner from Russia was a large man with a bear-like appearance.
A huge scar crossed one of his eyes, and his forearms and other exposed parts of his body were covered in scars of various sizes. He looked more like a ferocious bear that had lived fiercely in the wild for many years than a human.
He smiled slyly at me.
"No, I can tell without you answering. You're the one who was gathering the golden light in this land, right? This is surprising. I never expected you to come out to meet me."
"What about the others?"
His four pupils emitted an intense glare as he tried to oppress me, but I dispersed it all with a light scoff.
"I'm alone. From the beginning, I didn't think I needed companions."
"Did you take all the Fragments from the others?"
"Of course! And I killed every one of them who owned them!"
He boasted about his actions as if they were something to be proud of, widening his single eye.
His smile, stretched so wide that his lips nearly reached his ears, resembled a wild predator, sending chills down my spine.
"I didn't spare anyone, even if they begged for their lives and cried. No matter who it was, even if they gave me this golden light unconditionally, I wouldn't have let them go. Do you know why?"
"I'm not really curious."
"It's because I'm a chosen predator."
The owner spoke without listening to my words.
"Why did I gain this power? I know. This power is not just simple strength. Awakeners? Collectors? They are nothing compared to me, much more pure and powerful. Yes… this is what you can call divine power. And I obtained it."
If a god must exist in this world, there should only be one.
If someone who received divine power and gathered all that power could become a god,
It had to be him.
So he killed them all.
"Taking and taking and taking again, I was able to reclaim everything around me. The more I did, the stronger I became."
He looked at me. Despite seeing me wearing the Mask of Aporia, he showed no signs of fear. Instead, he licked his lips with anticipation for the upcoming battle.
"I wonder how powerful your golden light is. I'm really looking forward to it."
"You came here to gain power. Is that it?"
"Of course. Why else would I come to this small piece of land?"
"Who put you up to this?"
"What?"
The owner frowned at my words, as if he found them nonsensical.
"Who? Put me up to this? Me?"
He burst into laughter, finding it absurd.
"Ha ha ha! That's ridiculous! Who could manipulate me? If there was such a person, I would have torn them apart first."
"So, you came here of your own will?"
"You're asking the obvious. While gathering power, I felt it. There are others like me in different places. And I realized one more thing. If I came here, I could gain even more power. There might be others with similar thoughts."
"You were aware of other owners besides yourself."
"Even if they were on the other side of the world, they emitted the same intense wavelength as I do. How could I not notice? So, this is a competition. The one who gains power first can become stronger faster, and with that, they can reach the true position of a god."
"I see."
Thanks to his words, I was able to understand a few uncertain things.
This owner claimed that he came to Korea of his own will, and that others did the same. However, it seemed highly unlikely that they all coincidentally arrived on the same day at the same time.
That could only mean one thing.
They were being manipulated so subtly that they didn't even realize it.
"If there's nothing more to gain from you, then there's no need to prolong this pointless conversation."
"What?"
The owner's already fierce face twisted even more menacingly.
Did he think that I was being presumptuous because I hadn't killed him immediately and had exchanged words with him?
‘What an arrogant fellow.'
I knew that the menacing mask I wore wasn't ordinary, but that was all.
Seeing him look down on me and assume I was weaker because I indulged in a few words of conversation, I felt the need to show him the true gap in our power.
And, he would painfully realize who he was being so presumptuous to.
How much mercy he was being shown just by standing here.
"Yes. Come to think of it, there are a few more owners of golden light in this small peninsula besides you."
He sensed the presence of other Fragments far away. The real deal was in front of him, but there were four more, presumed to be his subordinates or followers.
He must be the leader, and the others his subordinates or companions.
"I've decided. I won't kill you right away."
The owner smiled wickedly, baring his teeth at me.
"First, I'll cut off your limbs. I'll keep you in a state where you can't live or die, dragging your body around and bringing all your subordinates before you. And in front of you, I'll tear them apart alive."
"…"
"No matter how much they beg for their lives, you won't be able to do anything. Even if you want to die, you won't be able to. And when all their golden light returns to my hands, then you'll shed tears of blood and regret your arrogance now…"
"I've been thinking for a while."
I cut off his words, flicking my fingers.
"You talk too much for your size."
* * *
Flames roared in a separate world, not in reality. Wonderland created by Descartes' power was engulfed in fierce flames.
The ground, as if a bomb had exploded, was marked with countless craters, and the air, still reeling from the aftermath of the battle, swirled violently.
In the aftermath of the natural disaster, I stood on the chest of the Fragment owner.
"Krrk! Krrrk!"
The owner who had been arrogantly speaking to me was in a pitiful state.
His limbs were torn off, nowhere to be seen, and blood continuously gushed from his throat, making it hard for him to breathe.
He glared up at me, standing with my hands in my pockets, looking down at him.
"How… how could you…"
He could understand being dragged into a strange world, but the scene that unfolded afterward was beyond his comprehension.
He had fought back desperately, using all his strength, but it was no use.
I threw his own words back at him. I ripped off his arms and legs alive, toying with him.
"How could you have that much power…"
"I have nothing to tell a puppet."
"Please, spare me!"
When his life was in danger, the owner desperately pleaded. The grotesque smile he had just moments ago was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a desperate, pitiful sight.
"Please. You've done enough… So please, spare me."
"…Ha."
He had blatantly tried to kill me earlier, but now that he was losing, he begged for his life?
His changing attitude was disgusting, but what was more laughable was his lack of resolve.
Begging for life from the person who had put him in this state.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Eek!"
I bent down, bringing the Mask of Aporia closer to his face. The four pupils burst into a dazzling light.
At first, the owner thought the mask was merely threatening, but when he faced the four pupils, his complexion turned pale.
Not out of fear, but because he was losing too much blood from his wounds.
"At least have some backbone." "I… I…"
Before the owner could make an excuse, his head exploded.
* * *
While I was fighting the Fragment owner, the members of White Flower Management faced their own enemies in different places at the same time.
First, in the sea of Jindo.
Ten people landed on the coast. They were from Australia, a party mixed with various races.
"Is this the place where the owner of the golden light is?"
"What should we do? Recruit them to our side first?"
"Stop it. They have five people, but more than twenty golden lights. Even if they share them equally, each one would have four. Why would they side with people like us who only have one?"
"Then what?"
"We need to band together and take them down. They're scattered anyway, so we should take this opportunity to defeat them individually."
While everyone was having this conversation, a voice came from above.
"Finally here. I thought my neck would break waiting for you."
"What?!"
"Who are you!"
They had assumed there was no one here, but an uninvited guest's voice surprised them.
Everyone looked up toward the cliff. A white-haired girl, with a black cloak billowing in the sea breeze, looked down at them.
"Who am I?"
Seo Sumin, now a full-fledged Collector, stood with the Dark Dragon Sword at her waist and a custom-made baseball bat on the opposite side, arms crossed. A confident, competitive smile spread across her face.
"I am the Heavenly Demon Seo Sumin."
With that, the energy of the Seven Demonic Black Sky Divine Art surged from her, engulfing the surroundings.
"I am your opponent."
* * *
The Fragment owner from Europe was a woman, alone.
Dressed entirely in black, she moved silently and stealthily like a shadow.
Her specialty was assassination. She had killed other Fragment owners one by one, taking their Fragments with this power.
She expected the same outcome when she set foot on Korean soil, but she faced a major obstacle right from the start.
A dragon.
A dragon made of blue lightning quietly observed her. Though it didn't roar, the intense electricity it emitted and the overwhelming presence it exuded could kill her instantly.
However, there was someone with a far greater presence than the dragon.
A woman stood there in a modernized, flowing white martial arts uniform, holding a pure, elegant sword.
The aura she exuded was incomparable to the dragon behind her.
Srrng.
The Fragment owner drew daggers in both hands. Since she had been discovered, a fight was inevitable. Her emotionless gaze fixed on Kang Hye-rim.
Kang Hye-rim also stared at her, sword in hand, with a gaze that could freeze anyone.
There was no need for words between them.
The two figures simultaneously launched off the ground and collided in mid-air.
* * *
Five people appeared in the waters off the coast of Busan.
They moved swiftly upon landing, checking for any witnesses and identifying the direction of the nearest city.
"No one within a 3km radius."
"This place is quiet and good for moving stealthily."
"Let's move quickly and eliminate the golden light owners."
The five had worked together as a team for this task. As a special team of a private military company (PMC) from the United States, the golden light was both an opportunity and a blessing for them. They realized there were others like them and killed them, absorbing their power.
Having absorbed all the ones in America, they aimed to seize the remaining ones in Asia.
At that moment.
Bang!
A bullet from somewhere pierced the head of one of the five team members.
Before the body hit the ground, the remaining four quickly took cover.
"What's going on! You said there was no one within a 3km radius!"
"I checked three times! There was no one!"
"Then what is this!"
"Everyone shut up. Did you hear the shot?"
"The sound? No."
"Damn it."
The leader of the group, a black woman, clicked her tongue.
"This insane attack came from beyond 3km."
"What?"
As expected, Yoo Young-min, who had been watching their actions from a great distance, lifted his eye from the scope.
"They reacted quickly even after a surprise attack. They're not ordinary people. From their gear and uniforms, they must be mercenaries used to rough situations."
This was troublesome.
The opponents weren't just simple Fragment owners; they were specialists in warfare.
For Yoo Young-min, who handled firearms, they were the worst possible opponents.
In fact, they quickly assessed the distance and direction from which the initial shot had come and began calmly approaching, coordinating their movements.
Even so.
"It doesn't seem like we'll lose."
Yoo Young-min grinned as he pulled the trigger.
* * *
While everyone was plunged into war.
Kwon Jia stood on a mountaintop overlooking the city of Gangneung.
‘What's this? It's about time they passed through here.'
She didn't care whether there was one opponent or many. The only thing on her mind was how quickly she could finish this and return.
Failure was not an option. She didn't deny the possibility, but she was confident. Even considering that, she didn't think she would lose.
‘I feel unusually good today.'
After casually adjusting her sword, she turned her head.
She sensed an approaching presence. Finally, they had arrived. Kwon Jia drew her sword and waited for the opponent to appear.
‘…There are many of them. I'm surrounded.'
She sensed over fifty presences. Narrowing her eyes, she realized they were clearly targeting her.
Had they discovered she was waiting here? But fifty was too many, even if there were a lot.
As she pondered, one person stepped in front of her.
"…You."
Recognizing the man, Kwon Jia's mind grew even more complicated.
"The leader of Unleashed, Jin Cheong-woon…"
"We've met before, haven't we?"
Jin Cheong-woon waved at her with a smile, like he was greeting an old friend. Kwon Jia couldn't fathom what he was up to.
No, it didn't matter. Once she recognized the enemy in front of her, her course of action was clear.
"It's a pity Kang Yu-hyun isn't here."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I avoided him on purpose."
"What?"
"The person I wanted to meet is you, Mad Dog Kwon Jia. Or should I call you this?"
Jin Cheong-woon grinned and pointed at her.
"Owner of the Codex ‘Bookmark'."
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