Chapter 405: Return of the Moon (4)

Upon returning to the battlefield, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the Players first rather than at Namgung Jincheon. Each and every one of them was in such a miserable state that they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open.

"Ha, haaa."

They had long reached their limits, and there was a high chance that they were only awake through sheer willpower.

"L-let go… of him."

Ha In-Ho walking over to save Rahmadat tripped and fell.

Catch!

Seo Jun-Ho caught Ha In-Ho.

“…”

Tremble.

Ha In-Ho's arms and legs were shaking like crazy. His left arm holding the shield had swollen to twice its size. It was only natural because the bones in his left arm were broken, and the blood vessels had burst.

‘Despite that…’

The purple and bruised, swollen hand still held the enarmes tightly without letting go. Upon realizing that he didn’t fail his mission, Ha In-Ho turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho. His eyes were glazed, and he finally let his willpower rest.

"I-I got… through it...”

Seo Jun-Ho nodded without saying anything. If he were to open his mouth, tears would surely well up in his eyes.

'Everyone. Great job hanging in there.’

Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic. He let the tankers fall asleep and laid them on ice beds.

"Hu, huhuhu." Namgung Jincheon hurled Rahmadat aside and slowly walked toward Seo Jun-Ho. "You’re really practicing that cursed martial arts. You’re practicing the Black Moon Martial Arts!"

Namgung Jincheon’s smiled brightly like a full moon. Black Moon Martial Arts once made him tremble in fear.

‘It's like a stigma of my miserable days.’

He didn’t think that he would ever be able to wash away the disgrace, but he couldn’t have predicted this opportunity.

"Today, I will finally break off this persistent ill-fated relationship." Neigong bloomed from Namgung Jincheon’s body. Words were unnecessary at this stage. “Let’s see how much you’ve learned!"

Namgung Jincheon charged like a thunderbolt, and his fist carrying as much power as a mountain couldn’t be avoided. It wasn’t like Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t avoid it—he had to take it because the unconscious tankers lay behind him.

‘…’

Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and took out a shabby iron sword from his Inventory. Namgung Jincheon’s attacks were strong enough that he even manage to shatter the Sword of Ambition. Since that was the case, was he being reckless here?

‘No.’

Srrrrr.

‘This is enough.’

Cheon-Gwang's martial arts leaped through time and eras to become his own martial arts. The martial arts contained only three martial skills and the very first martial skill specialized in saving lives rather than killing enemies.

"Black Moon Martial Arts First Skill: Sky’s Frost."

Bang!

Seo Jun-Ho repelled the fist flying toward him.

"Good!” Namgung Jincheon's limbs constantly pressured Seo Jun-Ho. Earlier, Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t completely deal with Namgung Jincheon’s high-tier martial arts.

‘But not anymore…’

Seo Jun-Ho’s beautiful movements made him look like he was dancing as he deflected all the incoming attacks without any unnecessary movements.

"Hmm? Namgung Jincheon could feel that something was strange.

‘The moment I came close to him…’

He slowed down significantly. At first, Namgung Jincheon thought he was imagining it, but now, he was certain.

"You… this is the Black Moon Martial Arts…?”

Namgung Jincheon's face crumpled like a sheet of paper. This wasn't the Black Moon Martial Arts he knew. It was a completely different martial art, and it seemed to have been solely made by Seo Jun-Ho.

"Ha! This is not the Black Moon Martial Arts!"

“Because you said so?" Seo Jun-Ho looked down at Namgung Jincheon. "Black Moon Martial Arts is about escaping the confines of this world.”

It was a martial art that could develop in countless directions depending on the individual practicing it. For example, Seo Jun-Ho added Frost and the power to Freeze to the first martial skill.

‘Sky’s Frost, a snowy night.’

What other name would fit so well? Namgung Jincheon’s neigong was being torn apart, and they scattered slowly like snowflakes of early winter.

“…”

Namgung Jincheon stopped attacking and retreated. He attacked with all his might but didn't expect that Seo Jun-Ho would be able to repel all his attacks without breaking a sweat.

'…It doesn’t make sense.’

It didn’t matter even if Seo Jun-Ho had completely learned the Black Moon Martial Arts because it had just been a few minutes. How could he go beyond simply learning it completely and adding his own interpretation in just a few minutes?

‘I see...’

Seo Jun-Ho was his kind—a so-called genius. While Namgung Jincheon was thinking about how to attack from now on, Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "That's too bad."

Too bad? Just what was too bad? Namgung Jincheon didn't understand. He didn't even know why Seo Jun-Ho was looking at him with an indifferent gaze.

‘I'm strong. I'm a god. Don’t give me that kind of look. Admire me a bit more and be more afraid.’

"Y-you dare look down on me? A Pureblood dares to look down on me who has reached the highest level?"

"…If you’re only at this level, then you don't even deserve to see the third martial skill."

Clack.

Seo Jun-Ho's iron sword was sucked into its sheath. At the same time, he lowered his posture. The second martial skill of the Black Moon Martial Arts had a purpose that was completely different from the first martial skill.

‘The enemy's death.’

However, he was too reverent and quiet to say that he had the eyes of a murderer.

Seo Jun-Ho muttered, “Black Moon Martial Arts Second Skill: Silent Flash Wave.”

“…!”

It was another martial skill Namgung Jincheon was hearing for the first time. He reached forward with his hand without realizing it. He just felt like he should. He felt like if he didn't do that, the world he had built would suddenly collapse.

‘D-diamond Buddha!’

Hundreds of layers of neigong wrapped around his body, and the aura from the outstretched hand protected him. But why? Why did his heart still tremble even after this much preparation? Namgung Jincheon opened his eyes wide and focused.

'…It’s coming.'

A sticky darkness covered Seo Jun-Ho's body. It was so dark that it seemed like it would suck one’s consciousness into it with just a glance, and it stimulated a primitive sense of terror. Wearing that darkness, Seo Jun-Ho meandered and approached.

‘He's not that fast. He doesn't even look powerful…’

He could stop Seo Jun-Ho. With that thought in mind, Namgung Jincheon gathered his tremendous neigong, but a flash interrupted him.

“…!”

The hundreds of layers of neigong and the Diamond Buddha were pierced at once. Namgung Jincheon's eyes shone in astonishment as he stared at the ordinary iron sword in front of him.

"Do you really think that a sword like that will be able to pierce a god's body? Ha!"

"If it’s a shitty god like you, yes,” Seo Jun-Ho muttered right in front of Namgung Jincheon’s face. He put more strength into his sword.

"I'd be happy to kill you, God."

Crack!

The ordinary iron sword covered in darkness pierced Namgung Jincheon’s chest like a lie. The nucleus parts and cores that formed his cyborg body scattered into the sky.

"Kaaaaak!"

Namgung Jincheon's face was stained with shock. He couldn’t believe it. He couldn't accept it.

‘Just one strike?’

Boom!

Namgung Jincheons’s legs lost strength and bent, forcing his knees to touch the ground. Seo Jun-Ho bit his lips.

‘Because of him…’

Many people sacrificed their lives for the petty ambition of someone like him…

“Die… die for all those who died because of you."

"Wait.” Namgung Jincheon sneered. He shook his head slowly. "I want to tell you something good before I go."

"What?"

"I just submitted an order to the System Chip." Namgung Jincheon pointed at the ground. "The order is to detonate the hundreds of bombs underground in five minutes."

Seo Jun-Ho paused. He was strong, but there was no way he could stop so many bombs targeting the city. "…Is that the best lie you could make up to save your life?"

"I'm not lying. I don’t really care about my life anymore."

Namgung Jincheon's eyes were stained with madness.

"A city where I can't rule as a god… It should just disappear with me.”

"You crazy bastard!"

Seo Jun-Ho grabbed him roughly by the collar.

"Stop it right now."

"Keu, keuk, kuhahahaha!"

Namgung Jincheon burst into laughter. He took the System Chip out of his head and threw it at Seo Jun-Ho's face.

"Why don't you do it yourself? However, I’ll let you know that you can only stop the order if you get past the final security of the System Chip.”

Even Namgung Jincheon failed to break through that despite seven hundred years.

Namgung Jincheon grinned. "You can’t do it? Then everyone will die. With me."

Seo Jun-Ho saw Namgung Jincheon’s sly fist. He couldn’t resist the urge and punched.

Crack!

Seo Jun-Ho then grabbed him by the collar. He took the System Chip with him and left.

'I need to find Frost.'

The Frost Queen had to be with Wisoso. Running toward the city center, he found the Frost Queen fighting against the robots.

"Stop coming. I am Niflheim—Oh, it's Contractor."

- It's Young Hero Seo!

The two children were surprised to see Namgung Jincheon being dragged along by Seo Jun-Ho.

"You said you were a god.”

- He must have been a fool, not a god.

"Soso, don't say bad things."

- Okay, I understand, so please stop hitting me.

Seo Jun-Ho approached them and looked around. The situation was grim. Thousands of robots were one-sidedly pushing back the exhausted Players.

"Frost, hand me Wisoso."

"Here."

The Frost Queen calmly handed over Wisoso. Seo Jun-Ho then plugged the chip into the groove on her head.

- Ugh, I feel weird. Young Hero Seo, what chip is this?

"The system chip of this city."

- Huh?!

Shocked, Wisoso's LED flashed. A hologram window appeared in front of their eyes.

[Enter the password for the System Chip.]

[The System Chip will be destroyed upon the input of an incorrect password.]

"…Uh."

Seo Jun-Ho looked a little surprised. He had been wondering why Namgung Jincheon couldn't get past the security for seven hundred years, but to think he had only one chance.

"Contractor, just what is going on?"

"If we don't solve this in four minutes and seventeen seconds, bombs beneath the city will explode.”

The Players—the citizens—everything in the city would turn into ashes by then.

Namgung Jincheon snickered at that. "Ku, kuhuhu. It's no use. Everyone will die with me."

"That’s—no way..." The expressions of the Players darkened. The situation was much more serious than they expected.

"Shouldn’t we be running away right now?"

"Damn it, there's no way that thousands of people can escape downstairs, no matter how fast we move.”

"And there are many injured people as well...”

To think that their efforts so far would just go up in smoke…

Everyone bit their lips.

"Why are you all so down?”

Tap, tap, tap.

Seo Jun-Ho casually tapped the hologram keyboard. Afterward, the hologram window flashed and gave off a green glow.

[Password confirmed.]

[Approved changes to the final administrator.]

[Authority of the final administrator and Emperor of Neo City has been passed on to Player Seo Jun-Ho.]

[What can I do for you?]

Seo Jun-Ho said, "First, turn off the bomb timer.”

[Affirmative, it has been turned off.]

"Thank you."

Blink, blink.

Namgung Jincheon stared dumbly at the scene.

"What? No, wait—huh? What is this? What…?"

His words sounded dumb, and it was perfect for his dumb face.