Chapter 685

“It’ll be a close call.”

Jinhyuk continued to assess both sides.

Thanks to Alice, Medrey, and the remaining returnees fighting valiantly, they had bought enough time to activate the [Blood Wayport].

But it would only last for a short while.

After all, stopping a monster on Yomaganto’s level was close to impossible.

‘I would rather deal with the simple-minded Gros.’

It was not just about raw power.

Mana distribution, senses, and positioning—he understood better than anyone how to move to secure victory.

In fact—

[The ‘Satellite Fleet’ is cruising.]

Every drone Jinhyuk had sent out through the [Machine Lord] had been shot down. On top of that, every route leading into the canyon had been blocked.

They had even formed a multi-layered encirclement around the canyon, as if for a perfect hunt. Barriers, fire summons, various distortion fields, and fleets—everything had been mobilized.

‘It feels like I am fighting a strategist, not an ancient god.’

For the first time in a while, cold sweat ran down his spine as he felt impressed by the flawless rear operations being carried out even during the battle.

“Wolyoung.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wolyoung, standing beside him, bowed at Jinhyuk’s call.

“Go with Frey and escort Pesis and 2Chickens.”

Thanks to rewriting the bounty event to target Yomaganto, the returnees would not chase after them, but he could not ignore the possibility that the ancient beings had prepared something else.

2Chickens, who could use [System Manipulation], was with them, but that was not enough to cover Pesis.

2Chickens was not an Operator specialized in combat, either.

“I think it is safer that way too. Yeah.”

Frey nodded.

But unlike her words, she did not immediately follow Wolyoung.

“What is it? Something bothering you?”

“No… I am just a little worried about leaving you alone. Yeah.”

“……? I allocated the personnel properly, so do not worry. It is not like a massive hole will open up just because you two are gone.”

“There is a 99.25% chance you did very poorly on the language test. Yeah.”

Frey shook her head from side to side.

He had no idea what she was talking about all of a sudden, but it felt like she was sulking slightly.

As Frey left, Michael clicked his tongue.

“You are as clueless as ever, then and now.”

“What are you talking about now?”

“Never mind. I should not have said anything.”

“Stop talking nonsense and hurry up with the Wayport. That guy is sharp enough to figure out our scheme in no time.”

“Damn it. Do you not know that rushing me will not make me faster? I am trying this kind of formula for the first time to begin with.”

Michael frowned nonstop.

It was inevitable. The complex formula on the blueprint was top-tier—ancient barriers and runes had been chaotically grafted onto the existing [Blood Wayport].

‘How the hell did he make something like this?’

The [Blood Wayport] itself was the result of the Decasus Family Head pouring a decade of effort into it.

Yet the human in front of him had not only developed a higher-level formula several times more difficult, but had even created a third formula that maximized the synergy between the two.

He could not even fathom the height from which this man was looking down.

At the same time, he understood why he and the Family Head had been defeated by a monster overflowing with talent.

Just then—

KABOOM!

The ground shook with a tremendous explosion.

It was the result of Yomaganto and Medrey trading wide-area skills.

Tingle!

Even from this far away, the collision of those absurd techniques could be felt. It seemed Alice had properly provoked Yomaganto.

Then, Yomaganto’s gaze pressed down on him head-on.

In the end, the existence of the [Blood Wayport] had been exposed.

“Damn it.”

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.

Alice’s Mana must have dropped sharply from that exchange. Medrey and the remaining returnees alone could not stop Yomaganto.

“How much is left?”

“About eighty percent…”

Michael swallowed hard as murderous intent flooded down on him.

“Keep going. I will buy time somehow.”

KABOOM!

As soon as he finished speaking, Jinhyuk threw himself toward Yomaganto.

His body, using [Demonic Heavenly Army’s Advent], vanished like the wind.

The time he had to buy was about thirty minutes.

He had to pour everything out in that window.

—

“So you are finally stepping up yourself.”

“It seems it was a little too much for just our kids.”

Jinhyuk handed Alice a glass bottle filled with his blood.

Alice took a slow breath and drank it.

“It looks like you are plotting something interesting, but coming here to buy time was a mistake.”

A small sphere floated beside Yomaganto.

A drone.

It had the function of projecting images transmitted from outside into the air.

[Special AI ‘Mini Satellite’ is activated.]

Crackle…!

Familiar faces appeared in the air.

Pesis and 2Chickens, and even Wolyoung and Frey approaching them.

The movements of the separate team securing the Necronomicon were captured perfectly.

Of course, so were the numerous pursuers chasing them.

“My subordinates are much faster than yours. The only reason they are not ambushing you right now is because they are waiting for you to secure the Necronomicon.”

The bear does the work, and the owner takes the profit.

He could watch leisurely until the hunting dogs secured the prey.

Killing them would be enough afterward.

“And.”

“I do not know what you are preparing, but would it not be meaningless if you are not alive, no matter what it is?”

“That is not wrong. So what are you trying to say?”

“It looks like the formula will be completed in twenty to thirty minutes, but it is a miscalculation to think you can endure that long against me.”

A bitter smile lingered at the corner of Yomaganto’s mouth.

Snap!

With a flick of his fingers, the flames took on a new shape.

[Sword of Incineration ‘Ring of Fire’ is activated!]

A red circle spread outward.

Less than one centimeter thick, yet packed with tremendous speed and heat.

KABOOM!

Jinhyuk barely managed to deflect the ring upward.

He had tried to block it reflexively, but he was fortunate to realize in time that it was not something he could stop the moment it made contact.

The redirected ring cut off another cliff in the canyon before vanishing into the air.

“You handled one well enough. Then how about several dozen times more than that?”

Whoosh!

The one-meter rings multiplied.

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

The rings were a problem, but the real threat was separate.

[Eye of Gluttony] caught the mini-satellite floating beside Yomaganto, gathering an absurd amount of Mana.

A purple radiance that could only be called Primordial Essence.

If that finished forming, it would become a far more dangerous strike than the Ring of Fire.

“Goguma!”

Jinhyuk moved first.

Goguma, waiting in the air, opened his mouth wide.

“Mogiii!”

[Goguma activates the ‘Sword of Punishment’!]

Heh heh heh!

A burning sword was summoned.

“An ancient species, huh? It is not even an adult, yet it is trying hard. Do you really think a hatchling’s Breath will work?”

He had been waiting for that.

Ahem…! Ahem!

Jinhyuk cleared his throat.

Then he took a stance, conscious of all the eyes watching from behind.

“It is not about whether it works or not.”

His sincere voice carried a greater cause, as if for the sake of many rather than their own safety.

“To protect the place where my children were born. And to protect the children who will live in the future, we will pour out everything we have. Even if we all fall to you here.”

Twitch.

The corner of his mouth spasmed.

A desire to turn into fine dust on the spot, unable to endure the cringe, surged up.

But he had to endure it.

He had to endure this cringe now, because a great reward would follow later.

“Ha… how absurd. You think that kind of obvious emotional manipulation will work…?”

Yomaganto let out a hollow laugh.

A melodrama only shines when a plausible target builds it up neatly. No matter how much someone as tainted as Jinhyuk spoke the right words, no one would respond.

It was a reasonable thought.

Normally, it would have been correct.

But there was something Yomaganto was overlooking.

Unlike Yomaganto, who had been worn down living as countless returnees…

…Spirit Beasts and fairies, who had little contact with humans, had little resistance to this kind of drama.

Moreover—

[Unique Ability ‘Mantra Taming’ is activated!]

Whoooo!

Transparent lines connected the Spirit Beasts and Divine Beasts.

[Communion with the races of nature reaches its peak.]

[Yottleam Canyon responds to your pure will to protect the canyon.]

[The purest Mana is supplied.]

“To think you think of us that much.”

“To the end….”

“…I will be with you.”

“The canyon will not be broken.”

The Spirit Kings gathered all the remaining Mana.

“This… this is working? Are everyone’s eyes pinholes?”

Yomaganto muttered, dumbfounded.

“You are too tainted. The kids are pure.”

Pure, massive Mana seeped deep into his body through the ground and the air. Blue sparks erupted in Jinhyuk’s eyes.

[Unique Ability ‘One Eyed Moon’ is activated!]

[Unique Ability ‘System Manipulation’ is activated!]

[The attack range of ‘One Eyed Moon’ is readjusted to a single target.]

Whoooo!

KABOOM-KABOOM-KABOOM-KABOOM-KABOOM!

The air split, and a crimson ray burst from Gros’s single eye.

A beam taking the shortest path.

By switching the range to single-target with [System Manipulation], he had nearly doubled the damage compared to before.

It would be weaker than what Gros used, but even Yomaganto would struggle to remain unscathed if hit directly by a Unique Ability that carried an ancient being’s power.

And on top of that—

Whoooo!

[‘Memory of the World’ is opened.]

Whirr….

The pages flipped rapidly, and the abilities he had stored surfaced one after another.

He selected the authorities of the Olympus gods and the optimal launch platform for each.

[Unique Ability ‘Traitor’s Golden Apple’ is activated!]

[Unique Ability ‘Monstrous Strength and Divine Power’ is activated!]

Crunch.

He bit into each of the four golden apples.

[Summon Zeus’s ‘Astrape’!]

[Summon Poseidon’s ‘Wave of the Sea’!]

[Summon Athena’s ‘Promised Victory’!]

[Summon Ares’s ‘Red Divine Spear’!]

Four different authorities formed in the summoned hand created by [Monstrous Strength and Divine Power].

The Phase 2-enhanced [Monstrous Strength and Divine Power] maximized everything it could unleash, wrapped in crimson sparks.

“Here I go.”

The moment the Sword of Punishment and Gros’s ray erupted—

KABOOM!

Jinhyuk, having moved behind Yomaganto, poured out every skill he had.

Ratatatatat!

Attacks from both directions.

Perfect timing and power.

However—

“Yes. I knew you could use copied abilities.”

Even after witnessing a blow that could be called a finishing move, Yomaganto spoke as if it had been waiting for this moment.