Chapter 403: Return of the Moon (2)

Namgung Jincheon's gaze slowly moved down. There was a long oblique wound drawn on the shoulder, and it only meant one thing.

'…I was cut? My divine body?'

He couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t the Diamond Buddha the peak of external ki techniques? How did it get cut like it was nothing but a rag? However, Namgung Jincheon wasn’t the only one who was shocked.

‘I didn’t manage to kill him? Even though he had his guard down?’

The power of scorn completely the opponent's defenses. The Death Scythe was a weapon born from the amalgamation of that power.

‘I thought it was possible to kill him with a single stroke, so I gave it my all from the start...’

However, he failed. The Diamond Buddha was pierced, but Namgung Jincheon was tougher than he expected.

"I didn’t expect you to have such a dangerous trick up your sleeve."

‘Damn it.’

It was a miscalculation.

If Seo Jun-Ho had known that he wouldn’t be able to kill Namgung Jincheon in one blow, then he shouldn’t have made the latter raise his guard up like this. Seo Jun-Ho started regretting his actions, but it was already too late.

"Then, you should be dealt with appropriately."

Namgung Jincheon’s aura abruptly changed. Earlier, his aura was exaggerated as if he was trying to show off his prowess, but now, it was the opposite.

‘It’s tiny, withdrawn, but sharp…

It was dangerous—Namgung Jincheon’s aura became even more ‘efficient’ in killing people.

- Partner! Retreat!

Taaat!

Seo Jun-Ho flew back as soon as he heard the warning. At the same time, he could feel something warm on his nape.

‘Blood?’

A chilling sensation came up his spine. If he had been a beat late in his retreat, his head would have gone flying rather than receiving just a shallow wound.

"I wanted to savor the joy of being a god for a bit more, but you have poured a bucket of cold water over my excitement, so you will have to die for it."

"…You’re still making a fuss about being a god?"

Seo Jun-Ho was annoyed as he stopped the bleeding on his wound.

"Making a fuss?” Namgung Jincheon smiled. “Is that what you think I have been doing all this time?"

Namgung Jincheon raised his left hand quietly. "If you can’t believe it, then see it for yourself. Witness the power of a god."

Snap!

Namgung Jincheon snapped his fingers. It was loud, but nothing seemed to be happening afterward.

"What the heck? He was talking like he was going to do something amazing,” grumbled Skaya. A huge shadow was suddenly cast over her, and her eyes widened when she saw what was going on up above.

“Uh? What the…?”

East, West, South, and North…

From the landfills outside the city, countless mechanical parts rose high into the sky. It was a magnificent sight, as if there were four huge mechanical bridges between heaven and earth.

"What is that?” Seo Jun-Ho stared at it. All of a sudden, Director Hyun-Baek’s words came to mind.

“The System Chip possesses the omnipotent power to control everything in this city.”

‘Really? No way.’

He thought it was just a chip that managed the overall matters of the city. He felt that it wasn’t as good as the Sect Record Chip and the Neigong Chips, so he didn't pay it much mind. However, he had been mistaken.

‘The omnipotent power to control everything in the city. So this is what you meant by that…’

He could finally understand it. Among the first chips, he should have been the wariest about the System Chip. He had no idea that a single chip would be able to shake the laws of the world.

"Now, do you understand? Do you finally understand why I have always wanted to be in this position and why was it that I was so impatient about breaking through the System Chip’s security?”

It was all because of this. He wanted to obtain this incredibly abnormal power.

"I am a god in this city. The seven hundred years I spent hadn’t been in vain.” Namgung Jincheon smiled slyly and added, "It’s about time I give my first decree in commemoration of becoming a god.”

Snap!

He snapped his fingers once more.

"Remove all Players from this land."

Kukukukuku!

There was a huge mechanical parts factory in the sky, and it started dropping finished products to the ground, one after another.

Boom, boom, boom!

Most of the robots were destroyed, unable to endure the impact. However, the Players couldn't laugh at the ridiculous sight.

"How many… Just how many robots…?"

"Damn it, we have been dealing with robots all day, and we have to deal with more robots again!”

The factory dropped hundreds of thousands of robots, but only a small portion of them survived the fall to the ground. Unfortunately for the Players, a small portion was still tens of thousands of robots.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The robots that managed to survive the fall started rushing at the Players.

"Take up your weapons! We have nowhere to escape as long as they’re around!"

"They’re so weak they can’t be compared to the Immortal Army! Their numbers are their only strength, so don’t be afraid!"

The two armies clashed once again. However, the scale was tilted to one side. It wasn’t really a surprise, considering that the enemies were untiring, and their numbers were overwhelmingly huge.

“…”

Seo Jun-Ho's two trembling eyes scanned the city.

Aaaah! Ah! Aaaah!

The only things he could hear were groans of despair, far from the sound of laughter earlier.

- Partner! In front!

Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips. He retrieved the Sword of Ambition from his Inventory and swung it forward.

Crack!

However, the Sword of Ambition was destroyed in a single blow. The Sword of Ambition shattered into dozens of splinters, and a sharp splinter even scratched Seo Jun-Ho's face.

"Take out a new weapon. I'll be waiting."

When Seo Jun-Ho saw Namgung Jincheon’s relaxed expression, his heart burned with impatience.

‘To reverse this situation at once... there’s no other way but to kill him.’

The only way to stop those robots was to kill Namgung Jincheon and acquire the System Chip from him. Dozens of other methods came to Seo Jun-Ho's mind, but they were quickly discarded.

‘Moon Eye? No. He doesn't have something like a cell.’

‘Death Scythe? I've already failed once. It's not strong enough to end his life.’

'W-what should I do...?’

A deep sense of helplessness weighed on his shoulders. There was nothing he could do. In that case, should he just calmly accept their defeat?

"Stop fucking around…!" Seo Jun-Ho gnashed his teeth. Midnight Sun quickly enveloped him, and his figure scattered like smoke.

'I have to check and confirm every method...’

He was good at it as well. He had to keep checking so that he would eventually discover what method would work against Namgung Jincheon. And there was only one way to find out—he had to fight with his life on the line.

The first method he chose to use was a battle of speed.

'Overclocking Maximum Output.'

Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t moving as fast as light, but it was the first time Seo Jun-Ho was moving this fast. He moved slightly forward, and the scenery around him was peeled away as he arrived at his next destination.

"You're fast."

Unfortunately, Namgung Jincheon easily caught up to him.

Craack!

Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying directly into a wall.

"Give up. Humans can never stand up to a god."

“…”

If speed didn’t work, then strength. Getting up, Seo Jun-Ho ran forward.

"Foolish."

Crack!

Namgung Jincheon casually received Seo Jun-Ho’s attack with the Sawtooth Sword using his fingers. The pitch black sword aura surrounding the sword burned violently, but Namgung Jincheon seemed fine.

"Heup!"

Seo Jun-Ho's arms bulged. He pushed down with all his strength to the point where blue veins started popping up all over his body, but the Sawtooth Sword remained unmoving like a mountain.

Namgung Jincheon spoke indifferently, "The muscle groups of this frame are made with a Titan’s Core.”

A titan was the epitome of power. It was said that a titan could tear apart even a god with its hands. Anything modeled after their power wouldn’t be something humans could overcome.

'Damn it...!"

Seo Jun-Ho’s Strength was over 700 points, but he was trembling while trying his best to push the Sawtooth Sword down.

"Is this all?” Namgung Jincheon asked.

Seo Jun-Ho's bloodshot eyes glared at Namgung Jincheon as the Sawtooth Sword was gradually pushed back up.

"If this is all you can do, then there is no need for me to spend any more time with you."

Crunch!

Namgung Jincheon's fist slammed into Seo Jun-Ho's chin. It was painful, and he felt like passing out, but he held out by burying his feet into the ground like they were nails.

"If you don’t give way, then you'll end up breaking."

Crack!

He was struck in the jaw once again, and the world around him spun. His concentration was severed, and the Midnight Sun protecting him disappeared.

Namgung Jincheon took advantage of that opening to send a kick into Seo Jun-Ho’s exposed abdomen.

“…!” Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying as a sharp pain that took his breath away assaulted his nerves. He couldn’t even gasp due to the pain as he rolled dozens of times on the asphalt.

- Partner! Get a hold of yourself!

Scraaatch!

Seo Jun-Ho barely managed to stop rolling by burying his nails into the ground. He staggered back up. His clothes were dirty and torn all over. His skin had peeled as well, and blood dripped freely to the ground.

‘What, what can I do to win?’

The opponent was fast, strong, and had better technical skills. If so, was there something that he could utilize to contest?

‘…Mental power?’

Amidst the pain, Seo Jun-Ho chuckled hollowly. He had nothing else to put forward other than something so humble and shabby.

"Why aren’t you using the Black Moon Martial Arts?" asked Namgung Jincheon.

Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t answer.

'It’s not… that I’m not using it.'

He couldn’t use it. The only thing he learned from General Cheon-Gwang was the ‘heart method.’ He actually hadn't learned any other martial technique from the Black Moon Martial Arts.

"Huh? Wait, no way! Wait, really?” Namgung Jincheon’s smiled so wide his lips reached his cheekbones.

“Uahahahaha!" He burst into laughter for a long time and said as if nailing it home. "You… you still haven’t learned the Black Moon Martial Arts completely.”

Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn’t use it. There couldn’t be any other reasons why he wasn’t using it other than the fact that he still hadn’t learned it completely.

Namgung Jincheon looked at the silent Seo Jun-Ho and sighed.

‘I feel like a fool for being so nervous all this while…’

There was only one reason why he was wary of Seo Jun-Ho more than necessary. If Seo Jun-Ho used the Black Moon Martial Arts in addition to the power of darkness he had used to cut him earlier, he would definitely be in danger.

'But… this is how it turned out.’

It turned out that Seo Jun-Ho only learned the Black Moon Martial Arts halfway.

Namgung Jincheon looked sorrowful, as if he had lost a long-term friend. "Now, there’s no one...”

His natural enemy—the only one who could harm him had disappeared. The Black Moon Martial Arts, which he had been constantly on the lookout for even after Cheon-Gwang’s death, could now be considered lost.

“Cheon-Gwang, that fool."

If he had taught Namgung Jincheon the Black Moon Martial Arts, it wouldn’t have been lost at the very least.

Namgung Jincheon moved slowly toward Seo Jun-Ho. "It’s too bad. It was made by an enemy, but it was a great martial art Cheon-Gwang had created. That's why I wanted it so bad."

His voice was filled with regret over the lost martial art.

"It was a martial art that was as free as the wind but as sturdy as a giant tree...”

“…”

While Seo Jun-Ho’s mind was spinning in an effort to find a way to stop Namgung Jincheon, his ears suddenly trembled upon hearing the latter’s words

'Wait, those words just now. I'm sure…’

He was certain that he had heard it before. Seo Jun-Ho's mind started shouting at him—he had to recall where he had heard those words at all costs.

‘But where the hell...?’

Seo Jun-Ho was still searching through his memories, but Namgung Jincheon was only ten steps away from him.

Fortunately, a voice in his head screamed at him.

- Partner! It's the spar! It's from the spar!

‘What?’

Seo Jun-Ho's eyes grew wide.

‘Spar...? No way! Was it back then?’

Memories of the trial played through his head. It was there. Cheon-Gwang had definitely left him something other than the heart method, and it definitely had something to do with those eighty-one martial artists.

‘Cheon-Gwang’s test!’

Seo Jun-Ho had to fight eighty-one martial artists to succeed in the test.

‘The first data, Yi-Hyul—a man as free as the wind…’

‘Second data, Kwon-Mok—a man as sturdy as a tree with deep roots…’

The movements of the eighty-one martial artists started to overlap right in front of his eyes.

"Ah."

The epiphany was like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. The movements of the eighty-one martial artists were combined, and after they were compressed twenty-seven times, exactly three techniques were created.