CH 43

When Chang-Sun lived as ‘Divine Twilight’, his entire life had been filled with warfare, but he still had colleagues. Apart from Gramps, who had practically been his father and teacher, there had also been ‘Goddess of Massacre and Destruction‘, ‘Thousand-Year Slumbering Dragon’, ‘Wandering Shadow’, ‘Iron-Blooded Lion’… They had once been Chang-Sun’s pillars of strength.

Although they had bitterly left Chang-Sun, unable to withstand his growing madness, his memories of them were still precious. However…

‘Why can I detect traces of Xerxes’ aura on him?’ Chang-Sun wondered.

Xerxes was the real name of ‘Wandering Shadow’. No one had welcomed him due to the powerful curse placed on him, forcing him to wander the world, unable to settle in one place. Xerxes had been called a cruel person, but he had always smiled gently in front of Chang-Sun.

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How was Baek Gyeo-Ul using Xerxes’ Skill, [Shadow Secret Technique]?

That was, of course, not the real name of the Skill. Even though Chang-Sun had unexpectedly found a trace of his old colleague, he had no reason to risk referring to it by its real name. After all, he was being watched by Song Yoo-Jun, as well as Heoju, who could very well know Divine Twilight and Xerxes’ relationship.

Although Chang-Sun had only come into conflict with Heoju’s faction after his colleagues all left him, it was still possible that Heoju knew about his relationship with Xerxes; Heoju had no doubt investigated everything about Divine Twilight and his allies during the conflict.

[Shadow Secret Technique] was actually the term Xerxes used to collectively refer to all of his Skills and Authorities.

“My power is unique because I only have one Authority, although everyone else has several Authorities and Divine Authorities.”

There was only one deity who had one Authority. That was why the Skill’s true name was a secret only Chang-Sun and Xerxes’ closest colleagues knew.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ wonders what Skill Player ‘Gyeo-Ul’ used.]

From Heoju’s reaction, Chang-Sun could tell that he had not figured out much information about Gyeo-Ul.

‘There should be a big difference between Xerxes’ real [Shadow Secret Technique] and a mere mortal’s [Shadow Secret Technique], so it’s no wonder he didn’t recognize the skill,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Unlike Heoju, Gyeo-Ul reacted strongly. As soon as he heard the words [Shadow Secret Technique,] his expression turned grim and he asked, “How do you… know its name?”

“Well, I asked first, didn't I?” Chang-Sun replied sarcastically.

“I’ll make you speak then!” Gyeo-Ul shouted, his eyes burning with a desire to make Chang-Sun answer him.

Clash!

Gripping the rear end of the spear handle, Gyeo-Ul fiercely swung the spear diagonally. Chang-Sun was forced to retreat, withdrawing the [Yuchang Sword] from Gyeo-Ul’s neck. Until Gyeo-Ul told him the truth about [Shadow Secret Technique], Chang-Sun had to refrain from harming him.

Clang, clash, clang!

Clash! Clang, clash!

Gyeo-Ul moved much more quickly than before. Every time he moved, he brought forth the intimidating aura of a tiger walking forward; he was using [Tiger Prowl]. On top of that, he swung his spear sharply but silently using [Shadow Secret Technique]. The combination of both skills made his every movement fiercer, as if he had unsheathed a hidden blade. His spearmanship was extraordinary; he swung his spear to deflect Chang-Sun’s attacks, sending [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] flying toward the ground with a diagonal sweep. Then, he pulled his spear back to create more torque.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ watches his soon-to-be subordinates’ fight very contentedly.]

The tide had turned against Chang-Sun, and Gyeo-Ul was backing him into a corner. Taking full advantage of the three-meter-long spear, Gyeo-Ul never allowed Chang-Sun to close the distance between them, attempting to overwhelm his opponent with speed and power. Chang-Sun sensed Gyeo-Ul’s strong will to get answers out of him.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ cheers you on, saying she will make you pay if you lose to that weird guy!]

Realizing he needed to do something, Chang-Sun sheathed [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] and the [Yuchang Sword]. In their place, he drew the two batons hanging on his left waist. As blades emerged from the ends of the batons, Chang-Sun struck the upper and middle parts of Gyeo-Ul’s long spear to deflect his attacks.

Clash, clash!

“…A spear?” Gyeo-Ul muttered, surprised that Chang-Sun had sheathed his two daggers and pulled out the same weapon he was using. However, yet more surprises were waiting for him.

Click―!

Chang-Sun quickly formed the Nameless Spear by connecting the ends of the two short spears. During the tests, Gyeo-Ul had not watched Chang-Sun hunting the Drake and had taken zero interest in Chang-Sun afterward, which meant the scene before him was a complete surprise.

Although Chang-Sun’s spear was much shorter than Gyeo-Ul’s long spear, Gyeo-Ul somehow felt that Chang-Sun’s demeanor and aura had changed a great deal. When Chang-Sun was using the two daggers, he had been like a deft, nimble black panther; now, he looked more serious and dignified, like a lion.

Gyeo-Ul was not mistaken.

Paah―!

Chang-Sun’s new attacks were much more powerful than before. He had distributed all 55 of his additional stat points to his Strength of 96, adding up to a new total of 151. There was no way a mere Level 30-something Player could handle his sheer power.

Clang!

“Urgh!” Gyeo-Ul’s eyes widened as he felt a tremendous weight bearing down on his spear handle, making it shake fiercely.

His spear clearly seemed better, as it was longer and heavier. His frame was also much larger, and it seemed his level was higher than Chang-Sun’s. How was Chang-Sun so strong?!

[The Skill ‘Tiger Disaster’ has been activated!]

[The Skil ‘Tiger Prowl’ has been activated!]

Swish, swoosh, swish!

With every step, Chang-Sun continuously thrust his spear. As if it were alive, the Nameless Spear moved at strange angles, repeatedly stabbing toward Gyeo-Ul.

[Skill Combination is in progress.]

[The simultaneous activation of ‘Tiger Disaster’ and ‘Tiger Prowl’ has created a perfect ‘Tiger Form’!]

The image of a tiger appeared behind Chang-Sun, revealing its claws.

[The Skill ‘Tiger Kill’ has been activated!]

As the tiger bared its claws, a storm raged in the nest.

[Skill Combination is in process.]

[The simultaneous activation of ‘Tiger Form’ and ‘Tiger Kill’ has created perfect ‘Tiger Teeth’!]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As if someone were firing cannonballs, loud booms echoed through the nest whenever Chang-Sun thrust the Nameless Spear, strong enough to make the mountain shake. He attacked Gyeo-Ul constantly with the spear.

Like a reed dancing in the wind, Gyeo-Ul’s long spear swayed dangerously. The tremendous power and silent movements he specialized in were useless before Chang-Sun’s brutal attacks. In the end, he scowled, making his ugly face even more hideous. Seemingly reacting to its owner, the raging manifestation of Gyeo-Ul’s magic also shook fiercely.

As Gyeo-Ul frantically retreated…

Swish!

Chang-Sun slashed diagonally from left to right with the Nameless Spear, attacking from below. Although his spear had only one blade, five wounds appeared on Gyeo-Ul’s body, as if a real tiger had appeared and scratched him with its claws. However, only his collar was torn, and his wounds only bled slightly. That was because Chang-Sun had withdrawn his spear midway.

“…!” Gyeo-Ul had been knocked half-unconscious, although it was hard to tell due to his burn marks. Faced with Chang-Sun’s maelstrom of spear attacks, he had felt as if he were swallowed up in a storm, facing imminent death.

Thud―

Unable to feel his legs, Gyeo-Ul collapsed onto the ground.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ has a hard time staying in her seat due to her excitement for a good fight!]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ has received a lasting impression of you once again!]

Although Gyeo-Ul had lost, Chang-Sun could see his will had not been broken, as the other man continued to glare back at him.

“What are you going…?!” Gyeo-Ul yelled.

“You’re a half-spirit,” Chang-Sun interrupted.

“…!” Gyeo-Ul’s eyes widened mid-sentence. Chang-Sun had accurately deduced the true identity he hoped no one would ever find out.

“That’s why you have a supernatural ability,” Chang-Sun concluded with a nod.

“H-How did you…?” Gyeo-Ul stuttered.

“Does it matter?” Chang-Sun replied nonchalantly.

Half-spirits were usually born when a human had intercourse with a spirit. They naturally bore curses for their entire lives, as they were born through an unnatural process. Common examples of such curses were their unusually hideous appearances and mental instability; additionally, they were often surrounded by strange phenomena and hallucinations.

That was because they were born with supernatural abilities they could not handle. Although supernatural abilities were normally considered gifts in the current generation, those that could not be controlled were simply considered abnormal phenomena or curses, causing fear in most people. As such, it was natural for Gyeo-Ul to react the way he did.

Although Chang-Sun did not know for sure, he could tell that Gyeo-Ul had been despised by many people due to his uncontrollable supernatural ability and his appearance. Gyeo-Ul’s experiences had no doubt traumatized him, making him hide his half-spirit side.

‘He has those burn marks because he’s a half-spirit, not from an accident. He didn’t obtain [Shadow Secret Technique] through training, either. He was just born with it,’ Chang-Sun thought. He had found his answer from the spear fight against Gyeo-Ul.

The deity’s scent Chang-Sun had smelled on Gyeo-Ul upon first meeting him had to belong to Xerxes. He had not recognized Xerxes’ scent instantly, partly because they had been too far apart in their first encounter, and partly because of how dull his senses had grown. On top of that…

‘Xerxes’ energy has weakened a lot,’ Chang-Sun thought bitterly.

The power of [Shadow Secret Technique] had weakened so much that Chang-Sun was not even sure he could call it the legacy of a Celestial. Considering that the power of Skills and Authorities could change on the original owner’s Divine Class, Chang-Sun assumed that something had happened to Xerxes, enough to significantly damage his Divine Class.

‘What in the world happened?’ Chang-Sun wondered, as he had not heard any bad news about Xerxes.

Although he had not had the time to look after his old colleagues in the midst of the Myth War, he would have heard any bad news about Xerxes then. That meant something had happened to Xerxes after Chang-Sun underwent the Divine Trial.

‘He had no choice but to leave his son in the Saha World,’ Chang-Sun realized.

Gyeo-Ul had to be Xerxes’ son. Considering Xerxes was a man, Xerxes had no doubt intercourse with Gyeo-Ul’s mother, who was most likely a shaman, and she had given birth to Gyeo-Ul...

The time frame did not fit perfectly, but it was not impossible. Time flowed differently in each dimension, universe, and plane. In some places, time even flowed backward, not forward.

Events from Arcadia’s future often happened in Earth’s ancient past. Thus, Gyeo-Ul’s conception could well have happened while Chang-Sun was ‘Divine Twilight’.

In any case, Xerxes had always wandered the world, just as his Divine Name, ‘Wandering Shadow’, implied. He never settled anywhere, nor did he properly display his abilities; he never did anything he would have to take responsibility for. It was not because he was irresponsible, but because he did not want to hurt those he would end up leaving eventually.

Despite all that, Xerxes had fathered a son, which meant he had to have a reason for not telling anyone.

‘I have no other choice but to keep him,’ Chang-Sun eventually concluded.

He had not expected to meet Xerxes’ son so suddenly, but he could not take the encounter lightly after having found a remnant of his old colleague. Still, Chang-Sun could not directly ask Gyeo-Ul about his parents because there were too many eyes around them. Thus, he needed to befriend Gyeo-Ul naturally in order to find out the truth.

‘There’s also no guarantee that Gyeo-Ul knows about his father.’

Judging from the way Gyeo-Ul was able to use [Shadow Secret Technique] with moderate proficiency, it seemed he knew about his father on some level, but he had not mastered the Skill. There was a strong possibility that someone taught by Xerxes had taught Gyeo-Ul.

Then, how could he keep his old colleague’s son by his side? It did not take long for him to figure out an answer.

Tilting his head, Chang-Sun said, “I’m guessing you were planning to kill the Jigwi to cure your half-spirit curse with the Jigwi’s eye, but it won’t work. Give up.”

Gyeo-Ul, who had been watching Chang-Sun in shock, shouted with a frown, “What do you know…?!”

“I know better than you,” Chang-Sun replied with a shrug.

“…What?” Gyeo-Ul asked in disbelief.

“Can’t you tell by the way I figured out you were a half-spirit after just exchanging a few attacks?” Chang-Sun replied so matter-of-factly that it left Gyeo-Ul briefly speechless. He continued, “You must have thought that the scar on your face came from a fire spirit-type parent, but the Jigwi’s eye would never cure you. It would only make your scars worse.”

Gyeo-Ul’s eyes lost focus.

Chang-Sun explained, raising an eyebrow, “First of all, your parent isn’t a fire-type spirit. Although you might have assumed so because of your burn mark-like scars, you wouldn’t be able to use the darkness-type skill, [Shadow Secret Technique], if that were the case. Besides, a Jigwi is closer to a death-type spirit, not a fire-type spirit, so it has much more ghostly energy. Were you seriously planning to eat that?”

[The Celestial ‘World-Circling Serpent’ tilts his head curiously, wondering where you acquired such knowledge.]

“I won’t stop you if your plan is to make your curse worse, in order to become a real ghost or a monster deity,” Chang-Sun said with a smirk.

Gyeo-Ul opened and closed his mouth silently multiple times.

“You must have known deep down, right?” Chang-Sun added, having guessed Gyeo-Ul’s thoughts from his reaction.

Half-spirits were never stupid—no, they were so smart that they could practically see the future. Thus, Gyeo-Ul would never have stupidly placed all his hopes on the Jigwi. He had only entertained the possibility, as he wanted to undo his hideous curse by any means necessary.

An aura of misfortune, gloominess, and loneliness surrounded Gyeo-Ul, as he had grown up alone and been forced to stand on his own. In a way, that was his other curse; he did not know how to make any friends. He had come this far in an attempt to overcome his curses, but he had run into yet another tall wall.

Even though Gyeo-Ul had not been dispirited after losing to Chang-Sun, now he looked sad. Through clenched teeth, he forced out the word, “What…”

Gyeo-Ul’s depression made him choke up. Grief and despair squeezed his heart, briefly leaving him unable to speak. Eventually, he forced himself to shout, “What… am I supposed to do then?!”

“I’ll help you cure it,” Chang-Sun suddenly replied.

When Gyeo-Ul’s obsidian-like eyes, the only part that had not been affected by his curse, widened in surprise, he saw Chang-Sun’s nonchalant expression.

“So let’s make a deal,” Chang-Sun offered.