Chapter 398: The Origin of Kang Geom-Ma (2)
4LKjpThe sky-blue hair spread out like a fan over the field.5Xevr0L
QHLozA light breeze stirred the short grass.9gr
umC1DFeeling the tickle on the nose, a groan escaped through the lips.Sw5
4i6O1“Ugh, uuuugh…”wOgZcV2
qKFTSaki Ryozo clenched her fists tightly on the grass. A foreboding headache loomed among the folds of her brain.xjD3
Kv3OXwL“Hey.”bHUp
1v1Ibp“……?”jc0c
2gTo8CyA woman’s voice suddenly rang out. Saki Ryozo, propping herself up on the grass, lifted the upper part of her body.buF
F5JBUD“You are…”Tfg
QyTA girl, with a crown of woven flowers on her head, was crouching in front of Ryozo. She brushed back the strands of hair that had fallen near her ears.g9MD38
0u5vbL“Are you more conscious now?”vkHS
GjZSwq“…Is this a dream?”vVyXaTT
ngoRyozo looked around. The place she was in was a hill that resembled Daegwallyeong, in Gangwon Province.vds
4cIYAlthough she clearly remembered that until just moments ago she had been on the island of Avalon.f3a
Ri0At her question, the girl gave a slight smile.42O6B
a6CnzJM“Of course it’s a dream.”MBdM
mmx“I see.”2RCSlfE
mDujEOWhat a strange dream.Ja05kI8
9aq6gH“How do you feel?”179
Hw1D16n“I’m not completely well, but… I guess I’m fine.”Gh8
qpNSaki Ryozo pressed hard against her throbbing temples. It was a slight dizziness, the kind that would ease with a painkiller tablet.UTxChH
CYSR95e“Then, would you like to come with me for a moment?”ULDJhy
8So0C“…Uh, ah?”80Oif
i07mc3“If it’s difficult, you can lean on me to stand up.”Api
ScGgDbThe girl extended her hand as if to push her, and then set off with a determined stride. Ryozo followed.4Wj0c
Jc8After what felt like about ten minutes of walking, the girl stopped abruptly.Jj5DvO
PjxFex4Moving aside slightly, she revealed a small wash ditch.cxaQI
ayRYBeneath the girl’s navel grew a small tree sprout that barely held itself up, with leaves of a peculiar color.rTZ
jQ7vKn“Gold…”4sU
nhoYfaUIn a world where blessing and magic ruled everything, only one tree existed with that color.Qf6d
rtN36eK“Yggdrasil.”99eR17l
VuyOAi“Ah, so in future generations you call our Yid that.”2gYvfmI
vXzDThe girl scattered a bit more dirt over the tree’s roots, as if building a toad’s nest.Gyov
b7Z“Future generations?”yReB
2X8bNHGDream.YmKzNng
VWtMuYggdrasil.7AaAhog
BKIRyozo quickly connected the context and the girl’s words.yQuEr
bF6hEven though she had only just awakened and was suffering a headache, she deduced the meaning immediately.j8J85u
8vd9“You are…”cdgkW
TxWJtDhHer way of addressing the girl changed.N6KfY
ucPhG“An ancient wisdom.”0Xf
tw9“Wisdom?”ar1
1IE“Gaia.”gnGgSjR
kDQThat’s what she is called in the modern era.IdX0
A1O“Hmm. I don’t really like that name, it doesn’t sound pretty…”ewaVQrq
dILBLVTThe girl pursed her lips in annoyance.xCz6
8IaMuZIn that instant, when Ryozo blinked, the girl’s image transformed into that of an adult woman.GXfK
0CkmA very familiar appearance.LBX
dvvBShe seemed like a sage, or perhaps a colossal force, or maybe both and neither at the same time.yBnS
74CY9Either way, both faces clearly coexisted.p1H
AZipnr“So that’s the type of Mr. Geom-Ma.”YHlox
lxTOThe woman suddenly approached, scanning Ryozo up and down. Or rather, she completely scanned her.E4aW9
C7gGB“Either way, I’m sure I’m prettier.”bTBN
hz5Her bright green hair gave off a gentle scent of grass. From her eyes emanated a particular vibration as she took a step back.dU7q
WB8E“My name is Mesther.”spAbY
dQBxFThe woman with the flower crown spoke.KFWKzh
RLjV7z“Mister, that is… I was Geom-Ma’s first love.”UNKgC
LSuqn***chHv
qnHsmcSA deafening boom shook the entire forest.wdIn
yjSBoom!uu6
ugZLeon turned hastily. Metatron had been hurled through the air. The forest he had passed through looked as though a hole had been bored straight through it.teXp
jUgzP3“Father!”FzNdX
XXDS9yIt was a single slash. Metatron was flung from the forest all the way to the sea by one strike from Kang Geom-Ma. The tips of Metatron’s feet barely skimmed the sea’s surface, leaving behind a long, white trail of water.G1ubda
wJoS5“Hhhup…!”sHbc
V120WlbHolding his breath, Metatron struck the air to propel himself vertically. He launched back at Kang Geom-Ma at a speed faster than sound.W5myV
bfeVzivLeon and Valerion synchronized their advance. The three approached almost simultaneously.bj9ZH0x
Tk1T2lFor now, those three were the vanguard. The plan was for them to confront Kang Geom-Ma’s power head-on to evaluate it, and then the other heroes would join the battle.GhNbO7
NaU7Given the situation, there was no time for verbal discussion. A glance was enough. That was sufficient.J8Hy
gkNAbel, Rachel, Shail, and the other heroes lowered their stances to reduce air resistance. Their hands trembled as they gripped their weapons.fIRou
PyCAbel raised a hand to shield herself from the gale. Between her fingers, she caught sight of Kang Geom-Ma, with his hair as white as snow.O3XiVYn
UyzP“Geom-Ma…”quRgmhv
tCrHe had always been on their side.GiCm
0ZiAnd that was why she had forgotten a truth,OYtJj0
3mnNZDwWhat it meant to face Kang Geom-Ma not as a companion, but as an opponent.1NCa
JmqUqAbel and Rachel suddenly remembered. Back in their student days, when the special Celestial class was formed and they trained in subspace with Kang Geom-Ma.B9QYh
fKslThere they had truly faced Kang Geom-Ma.yqyJ1
weToUBut now it was even worse. They felt it in their very skin. Not even the universe could contain him. His existence was an aberration, a phenomenon outside all logic.K6uB
xSmlMbBoom! Boom!xz8eD0L
Zix6The world screamed as if it could not endure.9OM0VD5
3xQZzzzt!Fqx
EQgSpeedweapon unleashed the “speed buff” before his lips split apart.AgH0ws
nP1oNHe drew a spiral in a new shape and charged toward Kang Geom-Ma. A single mistake, and his body wouldn’t even leave behind a scrap of flesh.SfoBa
y4sv‘Only because this is the opponent…’MRaVwA
7v6jmeKang Geom-Ma watched with impassive eyes. His slow movements contrasted with the speed of Metatron, Valerion, and Leon. His gaze left one doubting if he was truly conscious.xu3yf
Fr9WoUThen he began to move. His thermal image flickered faintly and faded to the sides. He disappeared.rHu
Pom“……”d6iXRDl
89W“……”55DSs
JJtbQp2“……”8tQQD
MuDFrom Metatron’s perspective, the thick forest suddenly began to stretch sideways.yKSEMJ
MxOvzY2While he was charging forward, he was suddenly displaced laterally. When he tried to change the trajectory of his strike, Kang Geom-Ma was already at his side and pushed him with one hand. His head jolted so violently that his entire body was paralyzed.UogkjxT
KBUv3Leon and Valerion fared no better. Kang Geom-Ma multiplied. Using teleportation and creating clones, he expelled all three from the combat line at once.KXK
hECuwZ‘Damn.’jkwzpbv
Ehql0X4Leon was dazed.C5A
hf2Wham! Wham! Wham!9LDv8Y
ajuM0His body slammed repeatedly against trees as he was thrown back. The scenery shifted as if it were a lie. An overwhelming sense of unreality.FRFk3rm
oLLNHe had to endure. He could not label it as unreal. Biting his tongue, he reminded himself it was real.U1qx
Pk67zVp‘This isn’t tree felling.’SGjGV
ATEWEOIt’s a rescue.7E4
gZdeVTo save a friend trapped in the swamp, one must be ruthless. Abandon all sentimentality!6eWPr0d
5Q4‘He’s not someone you can contain, Leon!’KQnCQu
obNWLeon uttered his technique in desperation. Black and white energies enveloped his sword. Carrying all the essence of good and evil, he stabbed one of Kang Geom-Ma’s clones.GBj6vc
aErM4tMThe clone disintegrated down to the level of particles. Leon barely managed to regain his balance. He coiled like a spring and pushed a gigantic tree. He didn’t just push it—everything behind the tree toppled like a fan. Even the distant sea stirred with cone-shaped waves.OBXXJ
s7bCuAt the same time…axVR
lnYjEPvWhile being repelled, Valerion’s eyes flew wide open. His skin cracked like an eggshell, and his inner essence emerged.XBsYu
cSd“—!”Gz8oNz
0KyxepFrom the Dragon Lord’s throat, a blaze ignited.ly7WbSo
VToWhQA breath.8A3
QVdC□□□□□□□—!lu4wO
bS59iThe trajectory of the ray pierced through Yggdrasil. Kang Geom-Ma deflected the breath’s path using his sashimi. The twisted breath painted the entire island in flames. The intensity of the light illuminated the west.B4ww
bURFbThen, the members of the dragon race, to aid the Dragon Lord, shattered their human forms and transformed fully into dragons.AQgYjS
iSpi5FXTwisting their necks like windmills, they expelled fire. There was no longer any forest to shield them. Regrettable, yes, but necessary to increase the odds of victory. The trees were felled, burned. And Yggdrasil, the World Tree, watched the scene with solemn sorrow.kJ1oP
7lcs9The villain in the rabbit mask barely lifted his eyes. It was hell itself on earth. The flames dyed the sky red.XxnOpd
4d2AZCountless rays of light rained down on Kang Geom-Ma. The mere sight caused stabbing pain in the corneas.xNz
Jcn7***05iUDah
XGcMeanwhile, Kang Geom-Ma was moving even faster.SluARw5
aGPQHe pushed with his sashimi, charged with his body.S4vSH
l08He had not yet fully lost consciousness, for he did not kill—he only left cuts.wCwzn
lEVpThat made him even more terrifying.1rI
CVWSometimes, holding back is harder than killing.nMof
KOxKang Geom-Ma blocked every confrontation, no matter from whom it came.mM9
Ltv6mMEvery faint trace of an attack was destroyed with ease.iZhU
861IoJ0His power was indescribable, and the speed of his strikes, monstrous.DrK
pdVThe heroes swung their swords so fast it was as if they were at the edge of space-time.bbdjx7x
1eKjyjMetatron hurled punches from above, but his skin trembled from fear.qElo
GeDAround him and Valerion appeared magical formations with geometric figures—the highest-level magic circles.3XOd1
1nM8zIBut they could not reach him. The first slash, the second, the third… all failed.4HTSNi
bHYI“W-what kind of monster are we facing…?”PME
tRKIt was a late lament. Kang Geom-Ma, flying, spotted her.9yHW
IKqdxThe mere crossing of gazes caused an emotional heart attack.ZnM
lppk9The villainess tried to crawl away, but the sashimi unleashed a discharge of light upon her back.3bdTebU
BQK1BHHZap zap zap zap zap!XnOXxN
dueYP“Kyaaaaah!”mml9ZU
VoVHer piercing scream resounded. Her trembling fingers fell to the ground.GiS
7dciDumAs she died, she thought surely I’ll revive in a few years—this life with resets is truly cruel.nFtOn4F
v2wJZFwoooooosh!MXw
5DvgWAll the attacks converged on a single point.wDC9GA
5CIxThe offensive was massive, and its consequences, brutal.z6mLDEs
hEQFlames devoured the island. The waves could not contain the scale of the tragedy.4SW
MmBnJCrackle, crackle!1r5q
lealLdJThe clouds collided with one another.Gs3qXvS
Uv0nLkThe sky tore open.oxKLpvY
9s5ewmImmediately, lightning contained within the sashimi rained upon the earth like bombardments.QgcFF
AxOmEven the sea erupted into mushroom clouds.1oB
PKM1LA single strike equaled a small nuclear bomb.HdcNEs
snVxeQFwaaaash!kNaOO
F8SFrom afar, a sea wall approached.z1fJ
tJKsA tsunami. A true tsunami. From all directions, with no blind spot. The sea had a single purpose—to devour Avalon Island.YsWc
ZKxKCiRumble, rumble rumble!6cI
cmlSeismic tremors accompanied the tsunami.MGIhH1Z
egqssGvThe sky was completely red, like a painting over a yin-yang canvas.Ig72V
hhpeOIIt was like witnessing, in real time, the fall of the mystical kingdom of Avalon.lHlc0z
ec2Abel could endure no more.Fzm2eas
84zShe gripped her weapon and shouted to Rachel.dZyikF
uzZ“Rachel!”vjQfq
WNx1OR“Yes!”Ltt
DZ3sAbel landed on the blade of her spear like a cat.XYp
wve3FWWIf humans have no wings, they must find their own method.JMXn
nh5Vwoooom—!mxZueg
fy8EiHer spear spun in a whirlwind. She maximized the centrifugal force and hurled it.wCET2C
sWX9IBefore the weapon could fall, Abel shot herself like a missile.KkrEpi
vRsxKiKang Geom-Ma’s face drew near, as if to etch itself into her retina.g77P
lridl9Abel squared her shoulders.jbhTZ6
bKoMzPx“I…”4Ofv
FlJuThe shaft cut through the wind.OT9
3NDf9Mv“Won’t let you be alone.”AiMk9X
JOvAnd finally, upon colliding with the sashimi, a shattering explosion erupted.Ai1
Z4IBOOOM!Czpyax
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