Chapter 507: Kim Hyunsung’s Awakening (2) |
‘I’m so proud.’
Artists would always be excited to see their work being published, and Director Doom Ki-Young was no exception. Goosebumps broke out all over me, and I felt like I had become a child again.
The scene was similar to those in comics where the ally of justice stood in front of the villain after receiving a power-up.
I was relieved to see Kim Hyun-Sung’s power.
‘What changed? Did he get a new job? How did he awaken? Wait, did he really awaken?’
I would have to confirm it for myself, but it seemed like he earned a Semi-Mythic job. He managed to break out of his shell without Elune or Benigoa’s help. His sword was constantly emitting light, so I figured that some of his Mythic skills had been unlocked.
Who could have known that the sword he had gotten from the Rift Museum would be helpful in a situation like this?
‘Awakening! Awakening! Awakening! Kim Hyun-Sung’s awakening!’
Kim Hyun-Sung looked at Donovan while holding his sword tightly, and his refreshed expression made it clear that he had already put down the heavy burdens that he had been carrying until now.
I could see Kim Hyun-Sung taking deep breaths through the magic hologram. I was staring at him through the magic hologram, but I felt like I was being sucked in.
I knew it…
‘I picked the right actor.’
Kim Hyun-Sung was handsome, so he would look good in any situation. In addition, there was another lead actor on this stage. A decent movie needed a decent villain. It was different from my original plan, but the right guy was here.
Actor Donovan had to get beaten up, and he was acting like the perfect villain. Of course, he wasn’t actually acting. However, the puzzle pieces were falling into place, so I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
- How dare you! How dare you…! You lowly human! You lowly human…!
‘Man, I was just wondering why he wasn’t saying that line.’
- How dare you! My arm…!
‘That’s a nice line as well. I would’ve been sad if you didn’t say that line. Seriously…’
- Whooo…
Donovan pounced and swung his fists. It seemed like he wanted to show everyone that he hadn’t been taking Park Deok-Gu seriously because he mustered enough power to destroy a hill. However, our lovely regressor easily avoided his attacks. The wind that Donovan’s fists were kicking up destroyed the surroundings, but Kim Hyun-Sung didn’t blink even once. He was reading Donovan’s movements.
- …
‘How beautiful…’
Donovan was trying to get close while Kim Hyun-Sung was trying to keep a certain distance from Donovan. I was sure he thought that he would get injured if Donovan’s fists were to hit him.
Donovan was getting annoyed, and he started waving his arms like he had gone crazy.
Unfortunately, the weakest member of the Four Heavenly Kings could never lay a finger on the protagonist.
The result hadn’t come out just yet, but the battle could already be considered over.
There was no way Kim Hyun-Sung could lose.
Kim Hyun-Sung was swinging his sword while dodging.
An experienced swordsman or warrior swinging their weapons would look amazing in the eyes of any layman out there, but Kim Hyun-Sung’s movements were simply incomprehensible.
‘I feel like he got too strong…’
I was sure that Kim Hyun-Sung would be in danger if Donovan managed to hit him, but Kim Hyun-Sung looked like he was trying to test the new power that he had just acquired on Donovan.
It seemed that Donovan had seen through Kim Hyun-Sung’s thoughts as well because he started going even crazier with his attacks.
- How dare you trick me…! How dare you trick me, you dirty human…! You’re standing in the presence of the great Donovan—a high priest of the 27th Legion! I’ll rip you to pieces. I will rip you apart, no matter what!
- …
- I’ll do the same for the other humans here. You pesky humans! You pesky humans…! Die—Aaaarghhh!!
- …
While I was distracted, Kim Hyun-Sung wounded Donovan’s leg.
However, Donovan was still doing his job while cursing, so I had no choice but to thank him for that.
‘Goodbye, Novan. Really… this is goodbye.’
- The living sacrifice I’m going to offer to my close friend—Cough!
- …
- Damn it! I-I…!
- …
- I won’t… be defeated… by a mere human! I can’t…! My promise to my close friend… I can’t break it...
‘Geez, Novan.’
I felt a bit sad seeing him struggle. Rather than going back to hell, he decided to squeeze the final vestiges of his strength. The large-framed demon transformed. He probably used up all the merits he had accumulated so far just to transform here.
Lonovera stared at him as if he was pitiful.
- Idiot… It’s shameful that someone like him is my comrade.
Donovan looked as if he had broken through his limits. A demon would usually suffer from a penalty upon being summoned here. However, Donovan used up all of his merits to transform and wield his true power as a Semi-Mythic demon.
I pitied him a bit because I could feel his desperate will to complete his mission, even if it meant resisting the system. However, he was destined to die in the script I had written, so it was unfortunate.
- My friend…!
- He is not your friend.
- What?
- He is not your friend.
‘That’s right, Hyun-Sung. Damn it, that’s it...’
- What do you know? How dare you spout nonsense! You’re nothing but a useless mortal! You know nothing!
- Bastards…!
The conversation ended there, and Kim Hyun-Sung’s expression changed.
- I’ll kill you all…!
Donovan gathered a large amount of mana—the amount was large enough to make me flinch, and then a massive fist fell from the sky.
If I were to exaggerate a bit, I felt like I was witnessing the nightmare that happened in Laios once again.
However, Kim Hyun-Sung seemed calm as he slowly floated into the air.
‘Is he going to use his ultimate move?’
I could tell from the air between Donovan and Kim Hyun-Sung that the two were about to use their ultimate moves on each other.
A fist as big as a house fell from the sky, and Kim Hyun-Sung’s sword emitted a light so bright that I couldn’t look at it properly.
The red sunset-like light that we had seen before parting ways pervaded the surroundings and drove the darkness away.
The sight was so beautiful that I couldn’t find the words to describe it.
‘Wow…’
I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but the red sunset-like light was so similar to the light we had seen in his consciousness that I couldn’t help but assume that he had gotten inspired by that light.
Kim Hyun-Sung bit his lips and swung his Promised Sword of Friendship beautifully.
The massive, dazzling light from the sword drove the darkness away and split Donovan in half.
- Haaaaa!!!
- Shiiiiiit!!!!
Kim Hyun-Sung’s attack shattered Donovan’s barrier, and there was no need to explain what happened afterward.
- I-I… by a… by a mere human…
- Ha, ha ha…
- I’m… sorry. My friend… I’m… sorry. Belial…
- Ha, ha…
It was a shocking ending to Donovan—who had basically become a symbol of the 27th Legion.
I was a part of the same legion, so I started thinking that I had to get out of here as soon as possible.
However, Act One was over, so it was time for Act Two.
The climax was reached, so it was time to wrap the chapter up.
“Let’s head out, Miss Lonovera,” I suggested.
- What? Are you…
“No. I should show my face for a bit. I have to tell them their next assignment,” I replied.
- What’s their next assignment?
“I’m not sure. Now that the continent has regained its final beacon of hope, it’s time for them to fight back… We’ll withdraw at the right time and prepare for the final battle. That should give them some time to rest and unwind,” I replied.
- Ah…
“They succeeded in protecting the 17th base, so they’re probably thinking that they have a chance against us,” I added.
Right now, all we had to do was prepare the final showdown with our troops against theirs.
Of course, the upcoming battle was surely going to be gruesome.
It would be a cliched, gruesome, and melancholic battle against the Plaguelord and his friend—the genius swordsman.
However, things would only go that way if I could keep up with Kim Hyun-Sung.
I thought I could do that after becoming the Plaguelord, but it was clear that Kim Hyun-Sung was more powerful than I thought. He had become an even bigger monster than I thought, even though he had just awakened.
It seemed that he truly deserved to be called a genius, and it wasn’t strange that a genius managed to defeat a demon high priest.
‘Should I start working out?’
“...”
‘Should I start doing some push-ups?’
My stats were too lacking for me to even dare fight him one-on-one.
I could come up with a different way, but I thought that it would be a beautiful sight if I fought him, even if it meant getting help from Belial—the lord of many demons.
As a corrupted, I wanted to hear him say, “Come back! Mr. Ki-Young! Come back to your senses!” at least once while our swords clashed.
‘I’m sure there’s a way…’
For now, I had to show my face from a distance. Lonovera was kind of nervous because it had been a while since I showed myself, so I patted her shoulder and showed my face to them from far away.
Of course, I was wearing Doom Ki-Young’s mask.
I slowly raised my hand, and the demons retreated like a receding tide.
Lonovera clung to me and smiled alluringly as if she weren’t nervous just a few moments ago.
I was sure that they felt relieved.
The battle had ended, and it ended in mankind’s first victory.
However, I reckoned that not many of them would start cheering after realizing that they had only defeated the weakest Heavenly King of the Four Heavenly Kings.
In addition, they definitely wouldn’t be happy at the thought of fighting Doom Ki-Young—Belial’s Chosen.
‘That’s right, guys. That’s how you become stronger. Pain is a blessing for the youth.’
I was really far from them, but I could see them looking at me as well.
I wasn’t interested, but I pretended as if I were excited and curious about how a mere human managed to defeat Donovan.
I was the final boss, so I looked at Kim Hyun-Sung as if what he had done wasn’t a big deal. I stared at them with indifference, acting like Donovan’s carelessness was the only reason for his defeat.
Kim Hyun-Sung looked straight into my eyes.
He clenched his fists and placed his hand over his chest, promising that he would save me by any means necessary.
However, it seemed that the gesture that he had done in his consciousness with me wasn’t enough, so he started talking as well.
I couldn’t really hear him, but I could read his lips, and I was sure that he was speaking the words I had told him in his consciousness.
“I trust you.”
‘Ah! I should grab my head here...’
I grabbed my throbbing head as if I were having an internal struggle. Of course, the struggle was brief, and I recovered quickly. I saw Kim Hyun-Sung’s hopeful look, but I smiled wickedly at him as if I were enjoying all of these.
‘God damn, I’m so charismatic...’
My silver hair fluttered in the wind as I said, “He was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, but I could have never imagined that mere humans could kill Donovan.”
- …
“Let’s go back, Lonovera. It seems like something interesting is about to happen,” I ordered.
- Okay, Mr. Lee Ki-Young.
‘I was immersed until the very end. Seriously...’
The ending to the first act was near perfect...
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