The crimson sword energy swirls.
The sword energy sharply radiates divine power before swiftly aiming for my neck.
The technique unfolds smoothly like flowing water.
Kaaang!!
“…!”
“That’s fierce.”
It’s far beyond my expectations.
“Holy Shield?”
The attack blocked by the Holy Shield sends Jeokhye retreating swiftly as she pulls the tip of her sword back.
A rough power begins to gather from the sword’s tip.
If I were to express it in martial arts terms…
Kuuuuoooh!!
‘Internal energy.’
You’d think gathering power would take a considerable amount of time, but in reality, it took less than a second to prepare.
It’s more like opening the floodgates of power I had previously accumulated.
The red internal energy bursts forth.
“Red Sword Wave!”
KWAAGH!
A massive wave of red energy pours towards me.
Everything inside the building, except for me and Jeokhye, is obliterated, shaking the entirety of Jeokwagak.
Of course, the building itself doesn’t seem to be damaged because of some magic, but it was still quite a force to reckon with.
‘At least, it should be on the level of Kaums, Akron, or Liz.’
These guys were bosses from the ancient island.
I don’t know how many times Jeokhye has done this, but her skill is undoubtedly on a high level.
Crack crack…
The Holy Shield shatters.
[Wow]
[That’s stronger than I expected?]
[OMG]
[Look at that shield break]
[Isn’t that an ultimate technique?]
[LMAO]
[Big reveal]
[It’s strong, but… something feels off]
[Hmm… lol]
“……”
“Impressive. To unleash such power in such a short window.”
I gaze at Jeokhye while gathering the fragments of shattered divine energy.
Her eyes have become even fiercer than before.
“…You. What are you really?”
“I’m a person.”
“Don’t lie. Those who can survive a Red Sword Wave with 4-star power are few even in the Heavenly Realm.”
“Isn’t 10 stars the highest?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then I’ll have to use 10 stars.”
“……Alright.”
Click!
Jeokhye’s sword goes back into its sheath at her waist before she pulls it out again.
Unlike the scabbard that seemed perfectly crafted, the sword has grown significantly longer than before.
“I thought that brat was similar, but I misjudged. From now on, I’ll treat you seriously.”
“But does it keep getting longer? It’s not long sword level, it’s more like super long sword—”
“Red Divine Sword.”
Sukakak!
A newly formed shield cracks in two.
Even though I didn’t particularly gather power, the sword slices through the shield like tofu, rushing fiercely to decapitate me.
If possible, I’d like to test both Jeokhye’s attack strength and my regeneration…
‘But getting decapitated is a bit much.’
Some things are just off-limits, especially the neck.
Thwack!
I deflect Jeokhye’s sword with my hammer.
Chiro deflects Jeokhye’s sword.
Jeokhye’s eyes widen, and I immediately soar into the air, gripping the unique weapon I just acquired.
If the Saintess’s unique weapon is a staff, then the unique weapon of the Hammer’s path is, of course, a hammer.
It may not match the performance of the transcendental White Guardian, but the unique weapon has its own special ability.
That special ability is…
Zoom!
“It might sting a bit.”
“It maximizes the technique of ‘Teshiniria.’”
Zaps!
Before I knew it, the hammer, imbued with white lightning, came crashing down on Jeokhye’s torso.
An overwhelming speed that I had never experienced since returning.
“Roar of Acceleration!”
“Unleash Transformation!”
Bam!!!
Amidst the white lightning, a red puff of cloud spreads out.
In an attempt to dodge the attack, Jeokhye transforms into a red frog and crashes into the remnants of Jeokwagak.
One could say she narrowly escaped, but…
“Kyack! Kyackkk!!”
It was too late to dodge, and she had already taken the full brunt of the white lightning strike.
Cough…
“You… you… hybrid, hybrid race… ultimate human…”
“Huh?”
“Glurrr…”
Thud.
[???]
[Wow, this is crazy hahaha]
[Is she dead?]
[What a sweet experience hahaha]
[What’s up with the frog?]
[Did she transform?]
[What was that speed from Lily just now?]
[Holy crap, I’m losing my mind]
[Unleash?]
[She just dropped dead in the blink of an eye]
[Let’s go for a total annihilation route~]
“Hey, she’s not dead yet. I don’t even plan on killing her.”
This is merely a duel and a test.
I lift the fallen red frog and channel holiness into it.
Even if she was hit by holiness, since I used the Saintess’s compassion, there shouldn’t be any issues with the healing.
Her mind should return with time.
More importantly, the fact that Jeokhye transformed into a frog…
“She’s cuter than I expected.”
The statue I saw before entering Jeokwagak? It’s exactly that size.
To compare, it’s about the size of a medium-sized puppy.
The way she looks and the fact that she’s closing her eyes makes her like a puppy, which is quite adorable.
“Oh?”
[She is cute]
[Let’s eat frog gumi]
[hahaha]
[Why?]
“By the way, didn’t you just say ‘Unleash Transformation?’”
■
Even ordinary creatures can reach supreme heights if they achieve ultimate mastery.
Look at humans.
They have no inherent advantages over other life forms besides possessing wisdom.
Yet, through endless effort, they have attained strong bodies akin to bears and sharpness similar to tigers and wolves.
Moreover, in a life that lasts less than a hundred years, they have grasped prolonged immortality that spans hundreds or thousands of years.
‘So you too can do it.’
‘……’
‘Endure and endure again. Challenge your limits endlessly.’
Then the laws of the world shall not bind you.
“You won’t bind me.”
“…Here.”
Jeokhye slowly opens her eyes.
A strange ceiling.
No, it’s a familiar ceiling.
Whirrrrr…!
Lick!
A pure white crane is licking its own cheek.
Among them, if there’s an impressive crane with a greenish-blue feather growing on its head…
“Green Dragon Valley.”
This is the place where her master, Nokju, an elder in charge of part of the Main Temple fallen from the original world, resides.
It’s perfectly normal for her, a disciple of Jeokhye, to be here often.
But…
‘…Why am I here?’
She had clearly lost to the newly opened visitor.
And not just lost, but in a miserable defeat without even touching a single hair of the opponent.
Tremendous power, techniques that supported it, and outstanding abilities.
Beautiful appearance…
…
Anyway. Ultimately, she had fainted from her loss, and now she finds herself back in Green Dragon Valley.
From below the Main Temple, to the top of the mountain.
“…Extreme Human.”
The technique used by that visitor was one employed by the ‘Extreme Humans.’
Beings from other worlds belonging to the Multiverse, appearing human but not human at all.
‘That visitor was an Extreme Human. The appearance is different, but the technique is surely the same!’
And this is a very important issue.
The Multiverse consists of various worlds merged together, so territorial disputes often arise.
Thus, the leaders of each world made agreements not to invade based on the boundaries drawn through consensus.
However, that agreement was broken as of today.
An Extreme Human recklessly invaded and defeated a strong opponent from the Main Temple.
It’s something that should be absolutely impossible!
Creak-!
The door opens, and an elder with green hair enters.
The master of this place.
“Jeokhye.”
“Master.”
Jeokhye hurriedly gets up and assumes a respectful posture.
It’s only natural to do so in front of the master of the Main Temple, but the elder, Nokju, stopped her before she could fully gather her form.
“Enough. Sit down.”
“But…”
“Weren’t you just in a battle of life and death?”
The opponent probably didn’t think so.
“…”
Nokju held his tongue after that.
But Jeokhye, who had trained by the elder’s side for a long time, hung her head in embarrassment.
Shame. It’s shameful.
For Jeokhye, who is regarded as one of the strongest in the Main Temple.
To lose to just one Extreme Human without even touching them.
If only she had managed to exchange at least some blows.
No, if she’d rather died fighting than felt this unjust.
This is truly a life saved as if by an act of kindness…
“A month ago, that child must have thought the same way.”
“…It was my fault.”
“It was done and undone. In this world, there are many strong ones. This, too, is the nature of things.”
“……”
“What should we do if there are many strong ones?”
The ascension is not the end.
In a time when the main temple was thought to be everything in the world, ascension was the ultimate and supreme realm.
But there wasn’t just one world.
To the west lives a celestial being whom even the elders cannot handle, and to the north exists the king of bloodsuckers who plays with all life.
To the south, there are humans who disregard even the laws of the sky, and somewhere in the sky lives a raccoon that wields mysteries.
Each one is a being that matches or surpasses the ascender.
Above the sky, there was another sky.
So…
“We must become stronger. We have to grow stronger and ascend again.”
“That’s right.”
The old man smiled while feeding his crane, and Jeokhye let out a sigh inwardly.
That expression is familiar.
“The expression for messing with someone.”
“Do you remember how you got here?”
“…No.”
“You came here with your transformation undone. I was shocked when I saw the woman who brought you, completely loopy.”
Ah, my disciple really has no eye for people.
“……”
“Jeokhye, didn’t I always say it? Don’t look at the opponent, look at the world surrounding the opponent.”
“…I didn’t think they would be that strong.”
“Isn’t it because you were distracted by something else and couldn’t see properly?”
“That can’t be—”
“It’s a relationship that cannot be continued racially. Give it up.”
“That’s not it!!”
Hoooonng!!
The angry Jeokhye is blocked by the crane.
As she had a staring contest with the crane, Jeokhye sneered and sat back down.
“Maybe if you ascend once more, it could be possible. The world surrounding that woman is much higher than yours.”
“…It was a transcendent human.”
“Hmm?”
“I used the technique of a transcendent human. The power itself isn’t certain, but the technique was definitely like that.”
I saw it with my own eyes and felt it with my body.
It’s certain.
“I see, a transcendent human…”
“I think we can complain to them about this. They’re not bloodsuckers, and with our pact to do this—”
“Unfortunately, that woman is not a transcendent human.”
“…Pardon?”
She…
-There was a wish from Lord Nokju to wait a moment.
-Then, can I look around here?
-Please feel free to look around, ascender.
“There’s blood mixed from a being ‘above’ one world.”
Above ascension, there is the ascender.
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