Chapter 245

Chapter 245. Merlin (3)

At this point, there was probably only one person in the entire universe who had even vaguely understood everything.

Kang Yujin.

I had not actually been destroyed on the spot after being struck by Gáe Bolg.

Right before it hit...

I canceled my Constellation Skill, [Avatar Descent], and returned to my throne in the Spirit Realm.

Normally, every other Constellation traveled between the Material Realm and Spirit Realm through Gates.

Until recently, I had also been moving around that way with the others.

But this time...

I had descended to the Material Realm using [Avatar Descent], just like I used to.

[Avatar Descent] had one major advantage.

There was no need to pass through a Gate, and I could instantly return from the Material Realm to my throne.

I had expected many Constellations to descend and participate in this battle.

And once a Constellation descended...

one restriction appeared.

They could no longer bestow Blessings upon their Contractors.

But I could overcome that limitation using [Avatar Descent].

The moment I canceled the Skill and returned to my throne...

I could immediately bestow Blessings on Kang Yujin and the rest of my Contractors.

This was the hidden trump card I had prepared for my final battle against Merlin.

Cú Chulainn’s pursuit had presented me with the perfect opportunity.

The reason I deliberately didn’t finish him after defeating him with the Ruyi Jingu Bang...

was because I expected Cú Chulainn to make one final desperate attack with Gáe Bolg.

And honestly...

making it look like I disappeared after being hit by Gáe Bolg was a pretty good idea.

When [Avatar Descent] was canceled, my body didn’t slowly crumble away like Siegfried’s or Beowulf’s when they died.

I vanished instantly.

But Gáe Bolg was powerful enough to completely tear apart an ordinary human if it struck directly.

Worse, vicious barbs erupted from it and ripped the target to pieces from the inside.

So if I vanished immediately after supposedly taking that attack...

it looked perfectly natural.

And everyone fell for it.

When I checked Constellation Tube, everyone thought I was dead.

Even Merlin had been completely deceived.

And because of that...

Kang Yujin had been able to catch Merlin off guard.

“Hey, brother.”

A communication request came in.

It was Lee Gyu, the ‘Murderous Fiend of Two Axes,’ who had been standing by and monitoring Ha Mina in case something happened.

“Finally got through to you.”

“I really thought you died.”

“Sorry. I needed everyone to think I was dead.”

“Keke. Still, that was exciting.”

“That was probably the best twist you’ve staged recently!”

Lee Gyu grinned, showing his teeth.

“The Constellations on Constellation Tube are freaking out right now.”

“Why don’t you say something?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Until now...

I had never left a comment during a live Constellation Tube broadcast.

If I said something here, the reaction would probably be pretty good.

─ What the hell?!

─ The Nameless King was alive?!

─ Did he return to the Spirit Realm while pretending to disappear?

─ Merlin, what happened?! Show us closer!

─ The Nameless King scammed everyone again!!

─ Puhahaha! We all fell for it!

─ Long live the Nameless King! The Nameless King is a god!

─ I knew it from the beginning. The camera angle was bad when the Nameless King disappeared. The Apostle running the broadcast pulled something.

─ Didn’t look like that to me.

─ If you knew, you should’ve said it earlier. People always say this after everything’s over.

─ Why didn’t Merlin notice? Isn’t he supposed to know everything with magic?

─ Do you think magic is omnipotent or something?

[S-rank Constellation ‘Nameless King’ speaks with administrator privileges.]

[Comment: Thank you for all the support.]

─ What?!

─ Nameless King!

─ Nameless King!

─ He just appeared out of nowhere!

─ Today’s developments are completely insane.

─ Long live the Nameless King! The Nameless King is a god!

─ I believed in the Nameless King from beginning to end. Please believe me when I say I was never tempted by Merlin even once.

[B-rank Constellation ‘Golden and Silver Children’ has donated 20,000,000 Origin Power.]

[Comment: I actually cried just now.]

[A-rank Constellation ‘Adventurous Sailor’ has donated 50,000,000 Origin Power.]

[Comment: I seriously thought you were dead!]

[S-rank Constellation ‘King of Knights’ has donated 100,000,000 Origin Power.]

[Comment: I believed in you.]

Even after taking [Heavenly Splendor Great Thunder: Infinity], the same technique that had dealt a fatal wound to Beowulf...

Merlin was still standing.

A huge hole had definitely been blasted through his body.

But his form blurred...

and then he reappeared elsewhere, completely unharmed.

Magic?!

Still...

that much was within expectations.

There was no way Merlin, the greatest magician, would go down that easily.

“Kang Yujin!”

“How did he suddenly get faster?!”

“A Blessing! He received a Blessing from his Constellation!”

Christina, Sylvia, and Alexandros hurriedly tried to stop Kang Yujin.

But the others weren’t standing still either.

“Stop!”

At Princess Longji’s shout, a violent storm of water swallowed the three Contractors.

Immediately afterward, Lee Hyeonje’s lightning crashed into the water and electrocuted them.

Seok Taejun and Atalanta rushed them at the same time.

“Kang Yujin! Leave the small fry to us and go after Merlin!”

Hearing Jason’s shout, Kang Yujin charged toward Merlin.

“Ghk...!”

Merlin raised the staff in his hand.

Lightning and fire erupted simultaneously and swept toward Kang Yujin.

“Useless!”

Kang Yujin focused.

In a situation like this...

he could use [Nameless Great Art].

The magic power constructing Merlin’s spells was absorbed and gathered into Kang Yujin’s fist.

“Haaap!”

He stole Merlin’s own magic power...

and used it to counter Merlin’s magic.

Countless offensive spells were instantly broken apart.

Merlin’s expression stiffened.

“My offensive magic doesn’t work...?”

“That’s absurd...!”

Merlin hurriedly tried to create distance.

But Kang Yujin refused to let him escape.

“Nameless Great Art, Heaven-Shaking Tyrant Dragon...!”

He gathered even the scattered energy around them into one place and released it all at once.

The violent energy surged forward like a dragon and engulfed Merlin.

BOOOOM!

The dragon’s head swallowed Merlin and smashed straight through the roof of the building.

Kang Yujin leaped through the collapsing roof and chased after him.

But the moment he emerged outside...

dizziness struck.

An illusion!

The world had become distorted.

Up, down, left, and right shifted irregularly, confusing all of Kang Yujin’s senses.

A violent storm raged on one side.

Lava erupted from another.

“Merlin...!”

For an instant, Kang Yujin thought he saw Merlin.

He hurriedly tried to move toward him...

only to suddenly feel as though he were falling into a bottomless abyss.

“Ghk...!”

Then he felt blood burst from his back.

“This is...!”

Kang Yujin’s body was protected by [Protective Aura].

And yet...

something had pierced through it and wounded his back.

“Rhongomyniad.”

When Kang Yujin turned around, Merlin was holding a spear in one hand.

“A spear made from ash wood, once wielded by King Arthur.”

“It was the spear that killed Mordred in Arthur’s final battle.”

“How do you have something like that...?”

“I’ve been desperately collecting weapons like these for the past ten years.”

“Weapons meant to be given to Contractors...!”

Kang Yujin tried to charge Merlin.

But Merlin vanished instantly.

Then pain stabbed into Kang Yujin’s back again.

“You’re a magician! Why the hell are you using a spear?!”

“Did you think I couldn’t use swords?”

At that moment...

countless swords suddenly rained down from above.

Kang Yujin urgently rolled aside from the shower of blades.

But another sword shot out from a completely different direction and cut into his body.

Damn it...!

He tried using [Nameless Great Art] to break the illusion.

But it didn’t work properly.

The spell had spread across too wide an area.

Simply swinging his fists wasn’t enough to destroy it.

“I misjudged you, Kang Yujin...!”

Merlin’s voice rang out as more attacks continued pouring in.

“Your true nature is nothing more than that of a fanatic!”

“You’re completely unqualified to become the king of a new world!”

“I never said I wanted to become king!”

Kang Yujin shouted and reached into his inventory.

Then he pulled out the Demon Venerable’s talisman and threw it into the air.

“Haaah!”

He stepped onto the foothold created by the talisman.

With his eyes closed.

The footholds appear wherever my feet touch...

And if I keep my eyes closed, the illusions can’t fool me!

Kang Yujin focused and launched himself forward.

With his eyes still closed...

he avoided Merlin’s continuing attacks.

“What a strange trick...!”

“Your magic is stranger!”

Then Kang Yujin pulled the flail from his inventory.

As if daring Merlin to attack him, he started swinging it wildly in every direction.

“What an ignorant... ghk!”

The iron ball struck something.

Merlin groaned.

Using the sound and the sensation transmitted through the flail, Kang Yujin launched himself forward with everything he had.

And finally...

he managed to grab the hem of Merlin’s robe.

“Got you...”

Kang Yujin prepared to throw a punch.

But the moment he opened his eyes wide...

he realized that more than ten Merlins were surrounding him.

Don’t tell me the robe I grabbed was an illusion too?!

The dozen or so Merlins all prepared attacks at once.

Kang Yujin instinctively understood.

If he didn’t find the real one and attack immediately...

he was going to be hit.

There was no time to think.

He forced himself to swing his fist.

And then...

every illusion around him vanished.

The scenery returned to normal.

All of Merlin’s clones disappeared as well.

“This is...!”

“Joo Minha’s Awakening Skill!”

Joo Minha had finally arrived.

Using her Awakening Skill, [Disruption Barrier], she instantly dispelled Merlin’s illusion magic.

“HAAAAAAP!”

Then came a familiar shout.

Rhongomyniad had been thrown toward Kang Yujin from a nearby rooftop.

Lee Jukheon leaped into the air and knocked it aside with his sword.

“Lee Jukheon...!”

“Sorry I’m late, Kang Yujin!”

Lee Jukheon grinned and raised a thumb.

But suddenly...

a man burst upward from below and attacked him.

Heracles’s Contractor, Alexandros, had broken free from the temple.

“Stop!”

Seok Taejun followed after him on the chimera.

But Alexandros swung a massive metal club and smashed the chimera downward.

The chimera screamed in pain as it fell.

And at that moment...

[Seok Taejun’s contracted Constellation ‘Nameless King’ has bestowed a Great Blessing.]

[Seok Taejun’s stats have greatly increased for 5 minutes.]

[Lee Jukheon’s contracted Constellation ‘Nameless King’ has bestowed a Great Blessing.]

[Lee Jukheon’s stats have greatly increased for 5 minutes.]

[Joo Minha’s contracted Constellation ‘Nameless King’ has bestowed a Great Blessing.]

[Joo Minha’s stats have greatly increased for 5 minutes.]

Seok Taejun, who had been falling with the chimera, kicked off its back and shot upward.

Lee Jukheon, who had just landed, gripped the Yitian Sword with both hands and leaped.

Joo Minha unleashed magic at the same time, restricting Alexandros’s movement.

“Kang Yujin!”

Hearing Joo Minha’s voice...

Kang Yujin sprinted forward.

Merlin was visible atop a nearby building, casting defensive magic.

Kang Yujin ignored it.

He drove [Heavenly Splendor Great Thunder] straight into the barrier.

“Merlin!”

The defensive wall Merlin created was as thick as a fortress rampart.

To break through it, Kang Yujin drew up every bit of internal energy he had.

“You told me to join hands with you to erase tragedy from the world, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Kang Yujin!”

“To save those who suffer, you must follow me!”

Merlin shouted over the explosive roar created by colliding internal energy and magic.

“You must follow me!”

“The Nameless King has neither the will to save the world nor any concrete plan to do so!”

“You’re saying you do?!”

“Yes!”

“Then why didn’t you save me?!”

“What...?”

Merlin flinched.

Kang Yujin kept shouting.

“I was kidnapped by Ha Mina, whom you manipulated, and turned into a test subject!”

“I’m one of the victims of the tragedy you caused!”

"...!"

“Maybe you really can save countless people from tragedy!”

“But you never saved the people who became miserable because of you!”

“You just looked away!”

Kang Yujin screamed.

“But he... that man...!”

“He was the only one who reached out and saved me!”

“He pulled me out of that pit of tragedy!”

That was the truth.

It didn’t matter how many people Merlin wanted to save.

Only one person had saved Kang Yujin.

“So there’s no way I’ll ever abandon him and join you...!”

“Ghhhh!”

At last...

Merlin’s defensive wall shattered.

Kang Yujin’s fist slammed into his chest.

But it wasn’t enough.

One punch wasn’t enough against this magician who intended to guide the entire world according to his own will.

“Heavenly Splendor Great Thunder... Infinity!”

With his fist still buried in Merlin’s chest, Kang Yujin immediately twisted his entire body.

Every joint transferred its force into that single fist.

Then he unleashed [Heavenly Splendor Great Thunder] once again with everything he had.

With an explosion that sounded as though every trace of magic power had detonated at once...

Merlin’s body was torn to pieces.