Shockwaves erupting from across the battlefield twisted the flow of the atmosphere.
Kugooooong—!
Kwaang!
The resulting aftershocks carried such devastating force that they shook not just the surrounding area, but the whole of Beijing.
It was a battle so fierce that the words *a final clash for the fate of the world* fit it perfectly.
Ssasasak—
However, slightly removed from that place, a figure stealthily infiltrating a building in the heart of Beijing showed no reaction even amidst that chaos.
Simply suppressing his presence as much as possible, he focused solely and silently on the task at hand.
*'I deliberately left some openings to a certain extent, but this is smoother than expected. It seems my stealth arts have reached a considerable level thanks to all my activities until now.'*
The intruder, Hugo, a Transcendent martial artist going by the alias Ha Seunghun, briefly came to a halt and surveyed the energy within the building.
His senses were honed as sharp as blades by the internal energy that had spread throughout his entire body, including both ears.
*'...Good. Shall we get going?'*
As expected, there were no significant variables.
Well, considering how much effort he had put into this place, how could the plan go wrong at this point?
Gathering his energy once more, he resumed infiltrating the interior of the building with ghost-like footsteps.
Applying the Cheongijiche to assimilate with the surrounding energy, and combined with the synergy of the Nameless Gong capable of embracing all martial arts, Manyu Gwijong, and Versatility, he was able to deploy concealment arts rivaling those of a renowned thief.
*'No skill specifically related to that was generated separately. However, all the new martial arts I acquire feel like they're being absorbed into the Nameless Gong. Just when is this going to get a name?'*
The martial art he was currently displaying was the Shadowless Divine Method, the secret ultimate art of a grand thief who had once been called the *Shadowless Divine Thief.*
He had discovered this body technique while rummaging through the Heavenly Demon Cult's archives, and it was a high-level martial art that had received an A-rank from Hubert's Analysis when appraising the secret manual.
Naturally, it hadn't been easy to master, but thanks to skill assistance and all sorts of growth corrections layered upon him, Hugo was able to acquire it in no time.
Having spent some time circling the vicinity of Beijing and training against cultists in near-real combat probably had an effect as well.
*'Well, it's not too bad as it is. Since I can ignore the nature and limitations of internal energy, I can use any martial art at peak efficiency.'*
Unlike the Shadowless Divine Method, which had received an A-rank, the internal energy cultivation method paired with it was merely C-rank.
Normally, once one learned an internal energy cultivation method, it couldn't be changed at will; it was a matter of sacrificing developmental potential on one side to maximize the body technique's performance.
Had it not been for his trait, he wouldn't have even given it a glance.
Anyway, thanks to that, Hugo could smoothly approach his target after bypassing the building's security.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been impossible no matter how outstanding his stealth arts were, but wasn't there a war currently raging on the outskirts that would decide the future of this world?
The experts capable of sensing his presence had all already departed for the battlefield, and among the cultists guarding this place, the strongest was a Transcendent like Hugo.
Moreover, he was thoroughly familiar with the exact sentry arrangements and defense levels.
It would have been stranger if a problem arose.
*'This is the place.'*
Thus he arrived at an underground space.
That underground chamber was filled on all sides with diagrams and incantations drawn in blood, and combined with grotesquely shaped ritual implements and faintly flickering candles, it exuded a thoroughly ominous atmosphere.
"It's about time. Let's begin."
"Is that so?"
As if he had timed it perfectly, the seven or so cultist sorcerers who had been busily moving about were just beginning the ritual.
On one side, the Children of the Dragon prepared as sacrifices were restrained so they could not resist.
"Heaven-Shattering Command, Eternal Unforgetting, Willing the Great Descent..."
"Heaven and Earth Reversed, Form Within Formlessness..."
The sorcerers took their positions and began chanting.
There was no more need to delay.
*'As quickly as possible.'*
Hugo, who had been concealing his presence in the darkness while gripping a sword, abruptly sprang up.
And in the same instant a flash of light flickered.
"Spectral Com—"
Ssak—
—the head of a sorcerer chanting nearby fell clean off.
It happened so suddenly that no one could react.
It was only after the second and then third head fell to the continued flashes that the sorcerers began responding properly.
"An intruder? How did you get in here...?!"
"Impossible! There should be formations deployed here that even a master could not easily penetrate! You mean you silently bypassed such an absolute formation?!"
"Kuk! What are the guardians doing?!"
Panic was evident in their eyes as they hurriedly raised their ritual implements.
Indeed, how could they have predicted that their leader, whom they thought an ally, had secretly opened the way for the enemy?
Even in such a situation, their tearful struggle to activate sorcery with a desperate determination to stop the intruder was touching, but unfortunately, their efforts could not be rewarded.
In a confined space, a Transcendent martial artist appeared right before them, and they had no proper defensive measures prepared beyond the ongoing ritual.
Under such conditions, it was impossible for even outstanding sorcerers to produce meaningful results.
After all, martial arts hadn't become the mainstream of this world for nothing.
"Keuk! You...! You will never leave here alive either...."
Thud—
And so, the battle that had abruptly erupted in the underground ritual chamber ended triflingly as the final sorcerer, a sword through his heart, spat out a curse mixed with blood before his head fell.
"Huu."
Hugo swung his sword through the air to shake off the blood and sheathed it, exhaling the breath he had held.
The already ominous space began to exude an even more savage air with the scattered blood and the addition of seven or so new corpses.
"...Young Master Ha?"
"Divine Doctor?"
As if shattering that atmosphere.
The familiar voices of a man and woman cut through the silence simultaneously.
Hugo turned toward them with a slight smile.
Before his eyes were faces he hadn't seen in a long time.
Although he had been checking their safety in real-time through Hans, he couldn't help but feel glad to see them directly.
"How are you here...?"
An unexpected rescue had descended upon her when she had been giving up in despair as the ritual began.
When Zhuge Huimei, her eyes wide with bewilderment, couldn't speak, he opened his mouth with a confident smile.
"Didn't I promise?"
With a refreshing smile ill-suited to the horrific surroundings.
The sight was deeply etched into her mind, as though the space he occupied had become a different world.
"That no matter what happens, I would definitely save you."
"Ha... ahaha..."
Still unable to speak, she let out a hollow laugh.
She must have thought they were just empty words.
Approaching her as her eyes welled up with emotion and her throat bobbed, he released her bindings, then addressed Ju Gang-in beside her.
"It's been a while, Your Highness. I never thought we would meet again under such circumstances."
"...Indeed. I find myself in your debt once more. Truly, this is the first time in my life that meeting someone has brought me such joy. I wasn't even this happy to see my own mother."
"Ah, well... that's quite an honor."
After exchanging brief words, he went on to release the others as well. The number of Children of the Dragon present here was seven in total.
Thanks to having been carefully managed, none were in seriously poor health.
Though it couldn't be helped that they were inherently frail.
"Thank you so very much, Great Hero. Um, but... has the punitive army arrived? Have all the cultists been defeated? Is everything over now?"
Then one of the Children of the Dragon, a young man with the innocent impression of a pale-faced scholar, cautiously asked.
With an expression brimming with the hope of finally going home.
"Unfortunately, the situation isn't fully over yet. I snuck in while the Martial Alliance was clashing with the cult's main forces."
"Ah, then that means..."
"Yes, it means there are still hordes of cultists outside."
Darkness settled over everyone's faces again at that answer, including the young man's.
They realized that although they had escaped becoming sacrificial victims for now, it was far too early to rejoice.
If the Martial Alliance's punitive force were to be defeated by the cult, they would once again become helpless sacrifices.
Sswiik—
Amidst the flowing gloomy atmosphere.
Just as Hugo was about to open his mouth, Zhuge Huimei approached his side and carefully grasped his right hand with both of hers.
Having seemingly calmed her heightened emotions, her expression had returned to normal.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
Then she pressed his hand to her forehead and began quietly muttering something.
Because of that, the blood on his hand flowed down her face, but she paid it no heed and focused solely on what she was doing.
After a brief moment.
"Hmm?"
Hugo's eyes widened at the refreshing sensation that suddenly swept through his entire body.
"...There was a curse on you, so I dispelled it. It must have been from those cult sorcerers earlier."
Zhuge Huimei slowly removed his hand from her forehead and spoke.
He had already been aware of the curse.
He had planned to remove it later through Hans when he had the chance.
A curse spat out like dying words by a high-ranking sorcerer at the moment of death carried strong compulsive force in and of itself.
It was no different from a Word Spirit activated by offering one's own life and resentment as a sacrifice, using death itself as the ritual.
Hugo, who had yet to reach even the Transformation Realm, could not fully resist it; yet she had dispelled it so easily.
*'I knew she had grown rapidly while here, but to think she had reached this level.'*
He had heard she had delved deeply into theory for quite some time, but even so, her growth was beyond common sense.
Hugo's gaze turned to Ju Gang-in and the other Children of the Dragon standing blankly nearby.
No such distinguishing traits were visible in them...
Was this the innate quality of a Child of the Dragon, or was Zhuge Huimei simply born with special talent?
*'Perhaps it's both.'*
Having organized his thoughts, he shook his head.
Even if he had gained a brief respite, his work here wasn't done yet.
Just as he was about to move, he belatedly realized she was still holding his hand.
"Um, Miss?"
"Ah."
Perhaps lost in thought, the sound reflexively escaped her lips at his call.
But her two hands were still tightly gripping his right hand.
"...?"
"..."
After a quietly flowing moment.
Just as her head snapped up and her mouth slowly opened.
Thud! Thud!
Rumble—
"—Hurry! The sacrifices must not be allowed to escape!"
"—How dare you, so fearlessly! Do you know where this is?!"
The raucous noise of crowds surging in from outside the underground room began to reach them faintly.
Though they had been delayed by the formations against external intrusion backfiring, those guarding this place should be sufficiently familiar with the entry routes.
A hair-trigger situation where one couldn't know when the cultists would come barging in.
"B-blessing! I'll bestow a blessing!"
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Zhuge Huimei shouted loudly and pulled his hand firmly.
And while he let out a startled sound, she brought her lips to the back of his hand and lightly kissed it.
*'A blessing?'*
It happened in mere seconds.
But the result was far more dramatic than anticipated.
Phaaa—
"Huh?"
A radiance started from her—a light never before seen in this world.
It began to burrow into the back of his hand through the touching lips.
*'...What is this?'*
An energy felt there that was at once familiar and foreign.
But its identity was unmistakable.
*'Divine power?'*
A mystery that had not originally existed in this world.
The divine power of the Dragon God, the Lord of Ganghwangye.
It was manifesting in the present world through her body. ‘...Ah, I see.’ Hugo, who had been frozen for a moment, quickly grasped the situation and put on a serious expression.
To begin with, a child of the dragon was a variable in this world, designated by the Dragon God to restore a broken dimension.
A special being personally chosen by the chief god of a world and sent down to the earth. ‘In other words, Jegal Hyemi is an apostle chosen by god... no, practically a shamaness.’ Originally, her fate should have been to be sacrificed as nothing more than an offering.
But by awakening the power dwelling within her on her own and handling divine power, she had broken free from that framework of fate. ‘Well now, so this kind of case exists too.’ This was truly something he had not expected.
Had the Dragon God known this outcome as well? ‘Well, even so, does it really mean much? It’s not as if the Dragon Heart will recover just because a shamaness is born.’ The fact that she had awakened divine power on her own was impressive, but there were clearly limits to that as well.
If this dimension’s problems could have been solved with just that much, the dragons of Geumodo would not have struggled so hard. ‘...Tch, I suppose it might at least mean her value as an offering has increased.’ Thanks to her rank as a being having risen, she alone might be able to replace all the other children of the dragon.
That was about the extent of the change.
In the end, nothing major would change.
That was what he thought.
Saaa—
—But that was a hasty judgment. 《The individual has fulfilled the conditions and blossomed their potential. Special Skill 「Celestial Qi Physique」 has merged with 「Super Regeneration」, 「Monstrous Strength」, and 「Oversensitivity」, evolving into 「Void Spirit Physique」.》 The divine power that had seeped into Hugo began to interfere with his body.
It was a change that clearly went beyond the category of a blessing using divine power. ‘What is this?’ Startled, he turned to look at Jegal Hyemi with a shocked expression, but she merely remained frozen, her unfocused eyes hazy, her lips pressed to the back of his hand.
Only then was he able to realize the cause of the abnormal phenomenon occurring within him.
This was not because of her blessing. ‘...The Dragon God.’ Through her body, using the divine power dwelling within it as a medium.
It was a change brought about by intervention from a far higher place. 《The individual has fulfilled the conditions and attained enlightenment. Special Skill 「Nameless Art」 has evolved into 「Heavenly Dragon Divine Art」.》 And it did not stop at interfering with his body.
The unknown power that surged all the way to the crown of his head mixed together the knowledge of martial arts he had accumulated so far and wove it into one.
In a new method he had never even imagined.
Enlightenment regarding a new martial path was forcibly driven into his mind. ‘Mm, it’s been a while since 「Mind Hub」 and 「Soul Firewall」 were overloaded to this degree...’ It might have been dangerous for an ordinary person, but for him, who already had solid countermeasures in place, it was not a major problem.
Hugo calmly observed his own body and examined the changes happening to him in real time.
There were several conditions absolutely necessary to overcome a wall as a martial artist.
First was the mind.
He had already met that qualification long ago.
Even the transcendences he had achieved were not just one or two, and was his main body not even sprouting divinity?
The second, the body, was also not a problem.
Along with his sturdy body strengthened by points, there was 「Void Spirit Physique」, obtained when 「Celestial Qi Physique」 evolved.
It was no different from the legendary body that could use the qi of nature according to one’s will, a body in which the limits of not only internal energy but even the flesh disappeared.
And finally, the necessary understanding and enlightenment regarding martial arts.
That, too, had just been fulfilled.
Crack—
—crack, crack—
The sound of bones twisting echoed from throughout his body.
Rebirth through the shedding of bones and cleansing of marrow, said to occur when one crossed a wall as a martial artist.
For a martial artist, it was no different from a fortuitous encounter, but the process did not last long.
Because, thanks to point-based strengthening and various skills, his body had already always been maintained in peak condition.
When the change ended in an instant, Hugo opened the eyes he had closed and quietly looked down at his own body. ‘This is...’ An unprecedented power could be felt from both hands, from his entire body.
He had not immediately reached transcendence... in other words, the Profound Realm.
But this power, his power with all sorts of traits and new enlightenment added to it, was absolutely not at the level of someone who had just entered the Transformation Realm. ‘Well now, this is absurd.’ To think he would end up crossing the wall in this manner.
Hugo glanced up at the ceiling of the basement.
As if meeting the gaze of someone who would be above it.
It seemed the Dragon God also knew this was a bet that would certainly win.