Chapter 370

Chapter 370
## Chapter 370

Rehearsal (3)

Vast shockwaves tore through the atmosphere, warping the very coordinates of space as monumental entities collided on the battlefield.

Koooong—!

Kaboom!

The massive detonations convulsed not only the immediate zone but the entirety of Beijing, their sheer violence indicating a clash capable of ending the world.

A brutal conflict, a war between deities, a duel deciding the survival of creation.

Rustle—

Yet, a considerable distance from the epicenter of the carnage, a lone figure stealthily breached a structure in the center of Beijing, completely detached from the ambient chaos.

The movements were silent, fluid, and practically invisible, the individual entirely consumed by the objective.

‘I initiated a diversion, but this is… less challenging than I anticipated. His concealment techniques must have progressed immensely due to his recent endeavors.’

The infiltrator, Hugo, a peak Master Realm combatant operating under the moniker Ha Seung-hoon, paused briefly to evaluate the ambient energy within the premises.

His perceptions, heightened by his inner force, were as sharp as a honed blade.

‘…Excellent. Let us proceed.’

No erratic variables manifested.

Given the meticulous preparation he had invested into this operation, a failure would have been highly anomalous.

He completely suppressed his presence and pressed forward with his intrusion, advancing like an ethereal phantom.

「Heavenly Ki Body」, which permitted him to synchronize with the surrounding essence, 「Nameless Art」, a combat system capable of mirroring any methodology, 「Convergence of Ten Thousand Techniques」, which amplified its adaptability, and 「Jack-of-All-Trades」, which accelerated his comprehension…

…the cumulative synergy of these traits and gifts bestowed upon him a stealth capacity rivaling a legendary thief.

‘I haven’t actually unlocked any specific stealth techniques, though. It appears every new style I acquire simply gets integrated into the “Nameless Art”. I wonder when it will finally receive a proper designation?’

The methodology he was currently utilizing was the Shadowless Movement Technique, a esoteric art belonging to a mythical rogue known as the Shadowless Phantom.

He had uncovered it within the archives of the Heavenly Demon Cult, and Hubert, employing his 「Analysis」 trait, had cataloged it as a top-tier A-rank style.

It was far from simple to master, but owing to his diverse array of competencies and development multipliers, Hugo had rapidly grasped its fundamentals.

His recent… practical exercises against the Demonic Cult combatants in the outskirts of Beijing had also proved beneficial.

‘Well, it is highly advantageous. I can execute any martial style with peak performance, given that I can ignore the structural constraints and unique traits of inner force.’

In contrast to the A-rank Shadowless Movement Technique, its integrated inner force refinement methodology was a mere C-rank.

It was a system that bartered long-term progression for immediate lethality, a desperate stratagem meant solely to optimize the movement art.

He would have disregarded it entirely were it not for his exceptional attributes.

Regardless, due to those factors, he had successfully navigated past the structure’s defensive perimeters and reached his objective.

Such a feat would have been unachievable under standard conditions, even with his heightened concealment… but an all-out war was raging outside, a conflict determining the fate of the world.

The elite entities capable of sensing his presence were entirely preoccupied with the fighting, and the strongest Demonic Cult sentinel posted here was merely at the peak of the Master Realm, matching his own current tier.

Furthermore, he possessed complete knowledge of the building’s architecture and defensive protocols.

It would be highly irregular for anything to go awry.

‘This is the location.’

He arrived at a subterranean chamber.

The masonry was adorned with runes and glyphs painted in fresh blood, while bizarre ritualistic implements and sputtering candles formed a macabre and unsettling environment.

“The hour has arrived. Commence the ritual.”

“Understood.”

Arriving at the absolute zenith of opportunity, seven or eight Demonic Cult mystics were on the verge of initiating their incantations.

Positioned beside them were the Dragon’s Children, bound, gagged, and completely immobilized.

“Heaven-Shattering Curse, Eternal Memory, Willing Sacrifice…”

“Heaven and Earth Reversed, Formless Form…”

The mystics began their intonation, their voices reverberating across the shadowy subterranean vault.

There was no rationale for delaying any further.

‘Swiftly and flawlessly.’

Hugo, drawing his weapon, his presence entirely masked by the gloom, suddenly materialized.

In a brilliant flash of steel, a solitary, blinding motion cut through the dark.

“Severing Flame…”

…Swish—

…the cranium of one of the mystics separated and dropped to the stone floor.

The strike was so abrupt, so entirely unforeseen, that not a single individual managed a timely response.

It was only when a second and third head rolled away, severed by identical streaks of illumination, that the surviving mystics finally comprehended the reality of the assault.

“An assassin? How did he breach this sanctuary…!”

“Preposterous! A monumental defensive array seals this perimeter! Even an expert of the Mysterious Realm shouldn’t slide through so effortlessly!”

“Ugh! Where are the sentries?!”

They frantically brandished their ritualistic implements, their expressions contorted with terror and bewilderment.

How could they have foreseen that their own commander would turn traitor and clear a path for the adversary?

They desperately attempted to trigger their sorcery, an effort that was admirable… yet entirely useless.

A peak Master Realm warrior, manifesting directly in front of them within a confined space.

Moreover, they possessed no defensive protections, having dedicated their entire focus to the ritual.

Even the most accomplished mystics could not survive such a devastating disadvantage.

Ultimately, martial prowess reigned as the supreme authority in this world for a specific reason.

“Gah! You…! You shall not depart from this chamber alive…”

Thud—

Consequently, the sudden skirmish inside the subterranean ritual vault concluded instantly, as the final mystic, his chest impaled by a blade, choked on his own lifeblood and imprecations, his body collapsing to the floor.

“Huu…”

Hugo returned his blade to its sheath, wiping the crimson stains from the steel, and released a slow breath.

The already macabre environment of the basement grew heavier still, the air saturated with the metallic stench of gore and the remnants of seven fresh corpses.

“…Young Master Ha?”

“Divine Healer?”

And then,

…two recognizable voices, belonging to a man and a woman, drifted through the quiet chamber, fracturing the heavy silence.

Hugo shifted his gaze, a subtle grin surfacing on his features, as he observed the pair standing before him.

Familiar countenances he had not encountered for quite some time.

He had been consistently updated regarding their status via Hans, but it was nonetheless… comforting to perceive them in the flesh.

“How did you manage…?”

Zhuge Hyemi, who had accepted her destiny as an offering, her eyes wide with astonishment and disbelief, was unable to conclude her query.

An unforeseen salvation, a beam of light cutting through absolute hopelessness.

Hugo, his grin spreading, his demeanor completely detached from the bloody environment—as though the territory surrounding him existed in an entirely separate reality—offered a self-assured reply,

“Did I not give you my word?”

His words, delivered with an easy, nearly lighthearted cadence, struck a powerful chord within her psyche.

“That I would liberate you, regardless of the cost.”

“…Ha… Ahaha…”

Speech eluded her, a breathless, incredulous laugh escaping her lips.

She had perceived it as nothing more than… empty reassurances.

He strode toward her, his actions mild and comforting, and undid her bindings, before turning his attention to Zhu Gang-in, who stood directly beside her.

“It has been some time, Your Highness. I did not foresee our paths crossing again under these circumstances.”

“…Indubitably. I find myself deep in your debt once more. This is… the most delighted I have ever been to encounter someone. Truly, not even when I reunited with my mother did I feel this way.”

“Um… I am deeply honored.”

He traded a few brief words with the imperial heir, then proceeded to liberate the remaining Dragon’s Children from their bonds. There were seven individuals in total.

Owing to the meticulous maintenance provided by their captors, none bore catastrophic trauma, though they all appeared remarkably exhausted and physically diminished.

“We offer our gratitude, Great Hero. Um… have our reinforcements arrived? Has the Demonic Cult been routed? Is the crisis averted?”

One of the Dragon’s Children, a young man possessing the demeanor of an academic, asked tentatively, his face illuminated by expectation.

“Regrettably, no. I breached this facility while the Murim Alliance engaged the primary army of the Demonic Cult outside.”

“Oh… Then…”

“Correct, a vast number of Demonic Cult combatants remain stationed outside.”

The young scholar’s expression, along with the countenances of the others, instantly fell at his revelation.

They had been salvaged from the altar… but it was far too early for jubilation.

Should the Murim Alliance suffer defeat, they would instantly return to their prior jeopardy.

And then,

Just as Hugo prepared to speak, intending to offer words of reassurance, Zhuge Hyemi, who had been standing at his side, abruptly reached forward and delicately took his right hand within both of her own.

Her characteristically vibrant demeanor had vanished, replaced by a calm, collected expression, as though she had fully anchored her mind.

“Grant me a brief moment.”

She pressed his hand firmly against her forehead and began to whisper indistinctly.

Blood, still coating his skin from his previous… activities, smeared across her face, yet she disregarded it entirely, her concentration absolute.

After a fleeting interval,

“Hmm?”

…Hugo’s eyes widened as an intensely revitalizing sensation surged through his being.

“…There was an active hex. I have just… unraveled it. It undoubtedly originated from the Demonic Cult mystics.”

She relinquished her hold on his hand, her gaze slightly unfocused, her voice barely above a whisper.

He had been perfectly aware of the hex.

He had intended to have Hans cleanse it at a later time.

A curse hurled by an elite sorcerer during their final breath carried an immense binding authority.

It was essentially a Word Soul, sustained by the caster’s life force and malice, their very demise serving as the anchoring catalyst.

Hugo, who had not even achieved the state of transcendence yet, could not entirely neutralize it on his own… yet she had dissolved it with absolute ease?

‘I was aware she was evolving swiftly, but… I never anticipated she would possess this caliber of strength.’

He was aware she had spent a massive duration analyzing magical theorems, but even taking that into account, this defied standard logic.

He glanced toward Zhu Gang-in, the imperial scion, and the remaining Dragon’s Children, yet none of them appeared to display any anomalous capabilities…

Was this a specific attribute inherent to all Dragon’s Children, or was Zhuge Hyemi simply… a singular anomaly of genius?

‘Conceivably, it is a combination of both.’

He dismissed the thoughts with a sharp shake of his head, refusing to let his focus drift.

He had no time for complacency; his mission was far from finished.

It was then he noticed she had not let go of his hand.

“Young Miss Zhuge?”

“Ah.”

She appeared to have drifted into a trance, her voice executing a startled gasp as her awareness snapped back to reality.

Yet, her fingers remained tightly locked around his own.

“………?”

“……—”

A fleeting, heavy silence filled the space, and then,

…just as she raised her gaze toward him, her lips parting to articulate a thought,

Crash!

Rumble—

“…Move faster! Ensure the offerings do not escape!”

“…Insolent fools! This location is…”

…the echoes of advancing boots and furious shouting resounded from the corridor leading to the basement.

They were currently hindered by the active barrier sealing the threshold, but the sentries would inevitably navigate their way through.

They stood in an incredibly hazardous position.

“B-benediction! I shall grant you my benediction!”

Zhuge Hyemi, recognizing the immediate peril, suddenly cried out and pulled his hand forcefully toward her person.

Before he could offer any resistance, she pressed her lips firmly against the back of his hand.

‘A benediction?’

The entire sequence unfolded within a matter of heartbeats.

Yet, the outcome was infinitely more staggering than anything he could have projected.

Flash—

“Huh?”

An incandescent radiance, completely unlike any energy he had encountered in this reality,

…flashed from her form, transferring into his hand through the point of contact.

‘…What is the nature of this?’

A power both recognizable and entirely foreign.

Yet, he recognized its true identity.

‘Holy power?’

An energy source that conceptually should not exist within this universe.

The celestial essence of the Dragon God, the Primary Deity of Ganghwange,

…was manifesting directly through her vessel.

‘…I comprehend.’

Hugo’s fleeting bewilderment dissolved instantly as he analyzed the reality of the situation, his features hardening into a dead serious expression.

The Dragon’s Children were celestial anomalies, designated by the Dragon God to mend the fractured fabric of the dimension.

Distinct entities, endowed with a sliver of the divine source.

‘Zhuge Hyemi is… an emissary… no, a high priestess of the Dragon God.’

She was designated to function as a mere offering, but…

…she had awakened her latent divinity, obtaining the capacity to command holy power, and shattered the shackles of her scripted destiny.

‘…To think such a development could manifest.’

It defied all expectations.

Did the Dragon God foresee this particular resolution?

‘Regardless, it alters nothing fundamental. The Dragon Heart cannot be reconstructed simply because a priestess has awakened.’

While her manifestation of holy power was extraordinary, inherent boundaries still applied.

The dragons of the Golden Island Sect would not be enduring such immense hardships if the resolution were so straightforward.

‘…I suppose this merely elevates her utility as an offering.’

Perhaps her amplified energy could substitute for the remaining Dragon’s Children.

That appeared to be the extent of the modification.

Or so he deduced.

Saaaa—

It was a premature deduction.

《The subject satisfies the necessary parameters and unshackles their latent capability. The unique attributes “Heavenly Ki Body”, “Super Recovery”, “Super Strength”, and “Hypersensitivity” have coalesced and ascended into “Empty Spirit Body”.》

The celestial essence that had saturated Hugo’s physical vessel began to alter his constitution, its impact far eclipsing the bounds of a standard benediction.

‘What is happening?’

He directed a stunned gaze at Zhuge Hyemi, but she remained entirely frozen, her pupils dilated and vacant, her lips still anchored to his skin.

Then, the realization struck him.

This was not an act born of her own volition.

‘…The Dragon God.’

It was a direct act of divine intervention, executed through her form, utilizing the celestial reservoir resting within her soul.

《The subject satisfies the necessary parameters and achieves profound realization. The unique attribute “Nameless Art” has ascended into “Heavenly Dragon Divine Art”.》

The transformation did not stop at his physical form.

The mysterious force, permeating his consciousness, systematically restructured and cataloged his entire comprehension of martial theory, forging a completely unprecedented paradigm of understanding.

‘Hmm, it has been a considerable duration since “Mind Hub” and “Soul Firewall” experienced this level of pressure… ’

Such a process might have proved fatal to an ordinary practitioner, but he possessed specialized countermeasures.

He quietly monitored the structural revolutions unfolding within his vessel.

The path to achieving transcendence through martial mastery demanded several criteria.

The initial requirement was psychological fortitude.

He had long since fulfilled that metric.

He had personally guided multiple entities into transcendence, and his primary entity was actively cultivating divine authority.

The secondary requirement was an exceptional physical vessel.

His body, consistently optimized through the investment of Karma points, paired with the 「Empty Spirit Body」 that had ascended from 「Heavenly Ki Body」…

…represented a mythical constitution that permitted the seamless manipulation of cosmic Ki, shattering the boundaries of mortal biology.

And the tertiary requirement, an absolute comprehension and dominance over martial arts…

…he had just secured it.

Crack— Crackle—

His skeletal structure popped and shifted, his physical frame adapting and realigning.

A complete metamorphosis, a profound rebirth, a grand phenomenon that manifested exclusively when a martial practitioner shattered their mortal constraints.

It was a monumental event, a defining paradigm shift in a warrior’s existence… yet the sequence concluded rapidly.

His physical form, perpetually optimized by Karma points and a myriad of traits, was already virtually flawless.

Hugo unclosed his eyes, the metamorphosis fully realized, and evaluated his new state.

‘This is… ’

An unprecedented reservoir of power rippled through his physical framework, radiating from his palms, his limbs, his entire existence.

He had not technically breached the threshold of true transcendence, the Mysterious Realm.

Yet his combat capacity, multiplied by his unique traits and his fresh enlightenment, stood leagues above that of any newly ascended Master Realm practitioner.

‘…This is… absurd.’

To think he would cross the threshold in this specific manner…

Hugo elevated his gaze toward the upper masonry,

…as though locking eyes with an entity peering down from the heavens.

It appeared the Dragon God likewise recognized a guaranteed victory when it saw one.