chapter 86
Duan Yan hastily recoiled and tried to draw his weapon.
His inherited skill was Jin Dong (Golden Child).
As a Martial God tasked by the Jade Emperor to guard the Celestial Palace gates and maintain the order among the deities, he was ranked among the top defenders even within the committee’s elite.
A surprise attack like this should have been manageable—
[Sacred Relic: Wooden Tablet Room has been damaged.]
“Arghhh!”
Scritch!
Fwoooosh!
The shield Duan Yan held shattered, slicing brutally through his right arm.
Blood spurted into the air.
Through the space opened by the attack, a familiar face appeared.
A face he had seen countless times even in his dreams.
Jet.
It was Lee Hyun.
[Inherited Skill: Day Goblin Dance longs to resolve the grudges of the departed.]
“How is this possible…!”
Duan Yan was stunned.
He had thought that after all these years, even meeting him on the battlefield again would be winnable…
Four years had passed, and in that time, he had steadily raised his ranking in the Celestial Ledger.
So why was this man so strong?
Looking into Lee Hyun’s cold, steely eyes sent chills down his spine.
“Die.”
Lee Hyun raised the axe in his left hand, as if there was no need for any further words with Duan Yan.
A pale cyan flash approached from under his jaw.
As Duan Yan’s face turned ashen,
[Sacred Relic: Fire Spear detonates!]
A streak of red shot from the sky, slicing between Duan Yan and the flash.
Ka-WOOM!
Rrrrrr-
The red streak of the Fire Spear narrowly missed the axe, allowing Duan Yan to barely escape.
Through the widening of his eyes, he saw Qing Xiao lightly landing atop the Fire Spear embedded in the ground.
[Myth: Warrior Reborn from the Lotus ignites fierce fighting spirit!]
Duan Yan couldn’t bring himself to call Qing Xiao’s name.
At this moment, Qing Xiao’s aura seemed on par with Lee Hyun’s.
“Yan, tend to your injuries quickly and join the battle. We’re initiating Operation Jet Sweep now.”
“…!”
Ignoring Duan Yan’s words, Qing Xiao lunged at Lee Hyun.
[Wind-Fire Wheels spin furiously!]
Vroooom-
Two wheels attached to his feet spun violently, spewing flames and gusts of wind.
Qing Xiao used this momentum to enhance his attacks, intensifying the flames on the Fire Spear.
The spear strikes caused a massive explosion.
KRAAANG!
But Lee Hyun ignored Qing Xiao’s arrival, letting his fury at Du Eok-sini grow even further.
Though silent, the sheer intensity of his anger radiated from him.
KRRRRRR-
The violent clash of the two warriors made Duan Yan realize instinctively:
“…It’s a trap. Qing Xiao used me and Xue as bait to lure Jet in!!”
Duan Xue had been toying with the White Night troops like toys.
Naturally, seeing this, Lee Hyun would be furious.
That meant his first target would obviously be Duan Xue.
Qing Xiao had planned to strike immediately afterward.
…Just like they had tried to exploit the situation for their own gain.
Duan Yan wasn’t usually this quick-witted, but seeing Lee Hyun strangely calmed his mind.
“So then…”
His plan was simple.
“I’ll turn the tables and seize the advantage!!”
There was no reason to be loyal to Qing Xiao, who had used him.
Fwoosh-
Duan Yan turned and leapt in the opposite direction.
Qing Xiao’s face twisted in disbelief.
“You idiot! Heading there is straight into the tiger’s den…!”
BANG!!
Qing Xiao’s voice was drowned out by gunfire.
“AAAH!!”
Duan Yan stumbled and collapsed, his thighs torn apart.
Bang! Bang! BANG!
A series of shots erupted.
Duan Yan’s lower body was shredded, rolling helplessly on the ground.
[Inherited Skill: Red Lotus Boots fires reinforced projectiles.]
It was the snipers, Kim Min-jung and Alpha Team, providing covering fire.
“Argh! What the hell…!”
Duan Yan writhed not only from the gunshot wounds but also from the sudden curse spreading across his flesh.
His veins swelled as if about to burst, blood gushing uncontrollably.
Even using the cold energy inherited from Xu Changyou failed to stop the bleeding. The wounds refused to seal.
Instead,
Fwoooosh!
The backlash intensified, increasing his suffering.
[Golden Child is flustered, unsure how to deal with this calamity.]
[Golden Child is horrified, not knowing how Uma Wang’s magic reached here.]
“Uma Wang…? Why here—”
As Duan Yan struggled to lift his torso,
Bwoooom-
Fwoooosh!!
“…!!!”
This time, the axe plunged mercilessly into his left shoulder.
“Running isn’t an option. It’s been so long since we last met; shouldn’t we enjoy a reunion, Duan Yan?”
[Dialogue automatically translated via dungeon system.]
Duan Yan could barely scream, perhaps even his vocal cords were damaged.
He only let out guttural sounds, his head buried in the ground.
Even amidst the fierce battle with Qing Xiao, Lee Hyun did not take his eyes off him.
“So Xu Changwu supposedly gave you all a baptism? Show it to me. I’ll take it all.”
Even more impressive, Lee Hyun could have killed him at any moment, yet he hadn’t.
The fact that the axe narrowly missed his carotid artery was proof.
The wall of despair that was Jet had remained insurmountable, even after four years.
“No way!! He… he endured the Frost Loop for four whole years! I’ve trained in the Frost Loop too! Yet! Why!!”
The real problem: this bastard now looked at him with disdain.
Previously, he at least showed respect, but now—nothing.
He was treated like trash.
Duan Yan couldn’t tolerate it.
At that moment,
Click!
Something snapped in Duan Yan’s mind.
“…Don’t look at me like that, Jet!!”
Fsssss-
White frost descended on Duan Yan’s wounds.
[Frost Baptism begins.]
[Knight of the Snowfield ‘Radeum’ awakens.]
[Frost Baptism]
The Frost Loop is not merely a curse but a blessing from an icy realm that cleanses the soul.
If the recipient accepts the spirit granted by the loop’s master, miracles beyond imagination become possible.
-
Type: Sub-skill
-
Origin: Fairy Tale <The Snow Queen>
Bleeding ceased, vitality returned.
A snowstorm erupted.
KRAKAKAK!
Duan Yan’s body floated in midair like a marionette on strings.
The iron tooth embedded in his nape dislodged naturally into Lee Hyun’s grasp.
Shshshsh-
Ice blades sprouted from Duan Yan’s left hand.
White frost quickly formed armor over his body.
He looked like a medieval knight, his eyes emotionless beneath the ice-helmet, as if observing someone else.
He moved again, with speed incomparable to before.
Fwoooosh!
Qing Xiao could not read Lee Hyun’s thoughts at all.
“Why did he give Duan Yan a chance?”
No matter how he knew about the baptism, he must have realized it enhanced combat power…
The ritual invoked the spirits of knights and royal guards serving the Snow Queen.
Though Qing Xiao disliked the feeling of losing control over his body and stopped attempting it, he acknowledged its effect.
“Curious why I’d willingly fight a tough battle?”
Through a flash of lightning, Lee Hyun smiled coldly.
Shiver!
A chill ran down Qing Xiao’s spine.
“He’s not someone who should die easily.”
“…!?”
BANG!!
The gunfire rang again.
Duan Yan, running toward them, paused as his upper body was briefly knocked back.
But the damage only left dents on the ice armor.
Duan Yan scoffed and charged again.
Bang! Bang! BANG!!
The gunfire continued relentlessly.
Belts, thigh guards, knee pads, upper arm guards, shoulder plates—dents appeared everywhere.
Ice cracks and flakes formed but were immediately reinforced by the cold energy.
It only served to stimulate the ice knight inhabiting Duan Yan further.
“…What is he thinking?”
Meanwhile, Qing Xiao worried about Lee Hyun’s cold smile.
He pressed the attack to prevent Lee Hyun from doing something unexpected.
Pef pef pef peng!
Ku ku ku-
He dashed across the snow, attempting a charge.
[Heaven-Earth Fist tears through the air!]
[Golden Coin targets blind spots!]
[Horizon Seizer aims to bind!]
[Wind-Fire Wheels spin to gain acceleration!]
…
Qing Xiao unleashed a torrent of sacred relics.
Flames rose, gusts lashed, and movement was swift thanks to the Wind-Fire Wheels.
Lee Hyun, in comparison, was slower, unable to match the spear strikes’ speed.
But he had destructive power.
No matter how much firepower was poured,
[Du Eok-sini’s wrath erupts!]
Flash!
Rrrrr-
Lightning struck, sweeping away flames and wind alike.
Heaven-Earth Fist and Golden Coin attacks could not reach Lee Hyun.
[Du Eok-sini’s cloak ignites!]
The lightning-imbued armor already reflected all attacks.
Then,
KA-THUMP! THUMP!
Lee Hyun closed the distance to Qing Xiao, jamming the iron tooth of Du Cheol into him.
For someone retired for four years, this was unbelievable.
Jet had returned.
“No,”
Qing Xiao gritted his teeth.
“Something even greater has come…!”
In his mind, memories of Guo Irei, who had overwhelmed him and Mukeshi, flashed.
“AAAAARGH!”
At that moment, Duan Yan appeared again, plunging the ice blade into Lee Hyun.
His ice armor was streaked with old frost scars, looking patched together like worn clothing.
Qing Xiao’s eyes widened.
“Wait, if that’s the case—!”
Duan Yan moved slower than before.
The excess ice weight hindered his attacks.
[Sacred Relic: Frost Banner activates, granting the Frost Loop to the opponent!]
This made it perfect for Lee Hyun’s counterattack.
The cold from the ice marks intensified, creating more frost.
As a result,
Zjeh jeh jeh!!
Duan Yan was instantly trapped in ice, still in the middle of his sword strike.
A sudden snowstorm erupted around Lee Hyun.
Whirling snow and lightning simultaneously rained down.
At the center, Lee Hyun smiled coldly like a night goblin amid this unnatural phenomenon.
“…!!!”
Qing Xiao stared in shock.
“How did Jet gain the Frost Loop…!”
[The Nata rises, shocked!]
But it was already too late.
KRRRRRRR!
[Stack accumulated.]
[Heavenly lightning strikes!]
A sweeping axe strike, combined with a rain of lightning from above, shattered Duan Yan’s ice statue and destroyed Qing Xiao’s relics.
Fwoooosh!
Flames tore away as Du Cheol’s vicious iron tooth reached Qing Xiao’s neck.
“See that?”
“…I…”
“I haven’t intended to show this to anyone yet.”
Lee Hyun smiled.
“So die, Qing Xiao.”
Shhhhaaa!
Fwoooosh!
The iron tooth slashed diagonally.
Qing Xiao, bleeding, fell backward like a log.
