Chapter 112

Walking to return to Pohelrn.

I felt an immense presence approaching in the direction of Pohelrn and quickened my steps.

What came into view was a scene where the king of giants seemed to be gathering energy with one hand raised, as if a mountain range was moving.

When I saw the tremendous concentration of power and that my brothers were at the end of that power, I regained my senses and leaped into the air, swinging Bulrak toward the king of giants, Terato.

‘It’s heavy.’

It was a strike intending to cleave through.

However, the blow succeeded in slicing through the shining outer shell like iron armor on the chest and splitting the muscle.

Due to the impact, Terato staggered his enormous body, and blood gushed out as if a reservoir had been opened.

‘It’s not deep.’

But I considered it a failure.

It seemed to have dealt a significant shock, but it wasn’t fatal.

Although he looked surprised at me, there was no particular expression of fear.

I calmed my trembling right hand, which had felt more resistance than I expected when I struck.

‘It feels like I’ve cut through the crust of this planet… not just a mere fabric.’

It didn’t seem like a body made of flesh and blood.

Beyond appearances, the condensed body had a mass that was extraordinary in a completely different dimension.

Every inch I dug deeper, I felt a thicker resistance.

‘It’s more than it appears on the surface.’

The World Tree El Prigion, my mother.

True to its name, it manifested as a gigantic tree capable of extending its branches anywhere in the world.

In terms of height, width, and volume, it was far superior to Terato, casting shadows that crossed half of Pohelrn.

However, in terms of mass, it seemed that Terato was larger than El Prigion.

“You’re Araya. I could tell as soon as I saw you.”

Terato’s hand detached from his open chest.

A faint glow of energy shimmered, and the bleeding had already stopped with the wound healing.

“Looks like Eremai returned safely.”

“Indeed. I didn’t think that child would lie, but honestly, I couldn’t fully trust it. I never expected a being like you existed. No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like one of ‘us.'”

“When did you see me to look down from above?”

“I have always been the one looking down from above since my birth. Can’t you see it? It seems rather hard to look up at me.”

Terato laughed as if he had made a delightful joke.

“Enough chit-chat. Did you come all the way from the far north just to farm? You’re as careless with your steps as you are with your tongue.”

“How sharp. And very rude.”

I sensed anger in Terato’s eyes.

“You may not know, but do you think those little beings down there can escape my hands? They seem precious from your anxious response.”

“Who knows.”

“You’re being evasive. Or are you trusting the barrier that covers and protects that place?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“I mentioned submission to those little beings.”

“I’ll answer you. It’s a refusal. Get lost. If you really don’t want that boasting large body of yours to be split in two this time.”

“You’re arrogant. Very arrogant. It’s surprising that you wounded my body, but that’s not such a significant accomplishment to me. Look.”

The giant’s gaze turned downward.

As Terato’s blood dripped to the ground, it began to gather and take shape, forming Titans.

‘…Just as Gal mentioned.’

“It seems you already know about my blood. What’s your connection to the Gal Dragon?”

I stared calmly at the Titans being formed from the massive pool of blood, and Terato inquired.

What was there to say?

The reason I encountered Gal in the first place was that Gal had wounded Terato, causing a mass emergence of Titans that began to rampage into the Human Territory.

As a result, I endured an utterly humiliating childhood.

I aimed Bulrak without further response.

“You say you don’t need an answer. That’s fine.”

In an instant, mist and clouds began to gather around Terato.

‘…That body wouldn’t be concealed by mist, to begin with.’

“It’s the master’s duty to inform the foolish.”

Intense energy began to wrap around Terato.

The mana in the walking atmosphere began moving erratically as if caught in a typhoon.

With it, Bulrak was swung.

Kaga-gaga-gak-!

It was cut.

But still, it wasn’t deep.

Kwarururuurung-!

‘Kugh—!’

In an instant, my whole body shook as if it had been struck by lightning.

‘No, I was truly struck by lightning.’

By then, Terato’s surroundings had become completely covered in mist and clouds.

Amidst that, there was lightning, and the lightning that extended from the storm clouds struck down, hitting my body in an instant.

The guardian instrument, the Spirit Armor, barely absorbed the impact.

‘I can’t see it to evade.’

I stepped beyond the realm of cognition.

At the moment the opponent intended to use lightning, it struck my body faster than sound and light.

Pat-pat-pat-

Unlike before, I heard the faint sound of air being displaced.

I moved as fast as I could around Terato.

Simultaneously.

Sew-ssseok-ssseok-

Parts of Terato’s body began to burst open.

“You’re like a bug.”

Terato’s enormous hand swung.

The sense of perspective was bizarre.

His palm, much like a giant Buddha’s, sparked flames as it created friction with the air while swinging.

As the fiery, red-hot surface of Terato’s palm flickered and pushed through the air, a stifling air erupted all around.

“Avoid it!”

As Terato began to move, the Titans started to retreat.

Terato possessed a mass beyond measure.

He was a disaster taking the shape of a massive human, thinking and moving.

Even when moving, it wouldn’t have been safe for the Titans, even if they were on the same side.

Whooooooosh-!

The burst of air enveloped the entire space.

Tearing apart.

Lightning struck in all directions.

The air boiled.

Terato’s gaze couldn’t keep up with my speed.

Putting all my effort into it, Terato could only follow my afterimages.

Before long, it seemed Terato completely gave up on tracking me with his eyes and began striking down lightning or swinging his hand in places I passed.

But.

‘There are no effective hits left.’

The swung Bulrak sliced into Terato’s flesh.

But it was still not deep.

Compared to the first wound, it didn’t even reach half the depth.

Given the size of Terato’s body, at this depth, even if I had cleaved a vital point, it wouldn’t have been fatal.

More importantly, the shallow wounds quickly healed.

‘To avoid being targeted by lightning and those hands, I keep moving and can’t prepare a proper strike.’

As a result, we were merely exchanging meaningless flailings at each other.

Sew-ssseok-

I sliced the back of his neck.

“It’s meaningless. Can’t you feel it yourself?”

Terato said with a mix of scorn in his voice.

“I admit that you managed to wound my body with that knife-like little thing. But what of it? It seems it cannot deal a fatal blow to me.”

Kwaang-!

A flash of light passed before my eyes, followed by a sound.

‘Kugh.’

One of the thousands of randomly shot lightning bolts pierced through my body.

I staggered for a moment but soon landed firmly on my feet.

“In contrast, if I can accumulate attacks against you even once, then that will be sufficient. Accept it. It’s just a matter of speed. This outcome is already determined. Kuh-!”

“I told you, your tongue is too long. If the pain you desire becomes a sufficient lesson, then I will gladly assist you myself.”

Bulrak sliced through one side of Terato’s thick lips.

“…You!”

A shout laced with anger for being mocked.

While I found it amusing and snickered, I quickly regained my composure.

‘Terato isn’t wrong.’

Unlike before, I could run several times over the air without running out of vital energy.

However, that doesn’t mean my vital energy is infinite.

Each bolt of lightning from Terato held enough power to incinerate humans and even Titans instantly.

Moreover, that body, almost like a mass weapon, wielding his palm could generate a force akin to a natural disaster.

As this situation persisted, if just once.

If just one of my attacks landed properly, it seemed the balance would undoubtedly crumble.

‘Avoiding is not an option.’

An opponent on whom even a meticulously prepared strike fails to inflict fatal damage.

With wispy slashes, I could only create superficial biological damage.

Even the Titans born from the blood that fell to the ground wouldn’t know they could become a problem for the humans down below.

‘In one stroke, swiftly cut through.’

I made a resolution.

My upper Dantian began communicating with the heavens through the Baihui as my spirit began to awaken.

‘Araya’s Smoke.’

With that, a massive void appeared amidst the fog and clouds surrounding Terato at the eye of a storm.

The space created by Terato was swept away, and a realm centered solely around my will and thoughts emerged.

“…Oh. It’s quite like the powers of the Gal Dragon.”

Terato looked at me, floating at the center of that massive void he had created, with interest as he dispersed the mist and clouds he had summoned.

At the same time, Terato pointed a finger at me.

Lightning began to gather at the tip of that finger.

He was a transcendental being who had lived for hundreds of years.

It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to predict what my chosen number would signify.

I slowly raised my sword in response.

“Come to think of it, you are a giant as well.”

When the ancient giant died and the age of chaos ended.

When it died and laid its body to the earth, its fluids became rivers and seas, and its bones and flesh became mountains, fields, and hills.

Though it seemed smaller than the giant said to have supported the world for 18,000 years.

“I’ll teach you how to make your body a bit more useful to this world.”

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