Bab 620: Sekilas (3)
Sebenarnya bukan urusanku untuk mengomentari hal ini, tapi aku tak bisa menahan diri untuk berpikir: bagaimana bisa tubuh setangguh ini?
Aku hanya menguasai dasar-dasar ilmu pedang, dan biasanya aku mengandalkan kelas berat fisikku untuk menutupinya.
Tapi bahkan dengan mempertimbangkan hal itu, ketahanan boneka itu jauh melampaui ekspektasiku.
’Seharusnya aku sudah tahu saat anak panah yang tertancap di punggungnya meledak dan dia tetap baik-baik saja.’
Aku nyaris tidak berhasil menenangkan tanganku yang gemetar dan menatap boneka itu.
Bangsat itu mengerutkan kening, seolah-olah dia benar-benar merasakan sakit.
Meski begitu, dia menggenggam erat pedangku dengan kedua tangannya untuk menghentikannya agar tidak menusuk lebih dalam ke pinggangnya.
Seolah membuktikan bahwa dia manusia, darah merah cerah menetes dari tangannya.
[Kurasa ini memang tidak cukup untuk menghentikanmu.]
Suara yang kuduga berasal dari Aragon itu melayang keluar dari tepat di depanku.
Aku baru menyadarinya sekarang, tapi boneka itu bahkan tidak menggerakkan mulutnya sedikit pun saat suara itu berbicara.
Aku tidak yakin dari mana suara itu berasal, tapi itu bukan hal yang penting saat ini.
[Kalahkan tubuh ini dan masuklah ke dalam, saudaraku tercinta.]
Dduk—
Sebuah suara seperti sinyal yang terputus, seolah-olah seseorang menutup telepon, terdengar.
Dalam sekejap, ekspresi mata boneka itu berubah.
Dan kemudian, mulut di bawah mata itu mengucapkan kata-kata yang tak dapat kupahami.
"Sakit..."
"...."
Itu bahasa Korea. Bahasa Korea yang jelas dan tegas, bukan bahasa Inggris.
Apa karena itu? Untuk sesaat, aku gagal mendengar suara Teong! yang nyaring bergema.
Swiiiik—
Beberapa saat kemudian, bayangan raksasa mulai menaungi kepalaku.
Kaget, aku menengadah dan melihat sebuah kereta bianglala jatuh tepat ke arahku.
Chwaak!
Karena tidak punya pilihan, aku menarik pedangku dari pinggangnya dan melompat mundur.
Karena lukanya fatal, seharusnya sulit baginya untuk bergerak untuk sementara waktu.
Kwang!
Kereta bianglala itu jatuh, untuk sementara menghalangi pandanganku ke arah bangsat itu.
Di sela-sela waktu singkat itu, aku melirik ke arah bianglala. Kereta-keretanya perlahan berkurang jumlahnya.
Aku tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi setelah semuanya jatuh, tapi untuk saat ini, tampaknya yang terbaik adalah menangani boneka itu lebih dulu.
Beonjeok!
"?!"
Pada saat itu, kereta bianglala yang menghalangi jalan antara aku dan boneka itu mulai berkedip.
Cahaya bocor dari celah yang membentang vertikal di kereta itu.
Saat melihat itu, aku secara naluriah memutar tubuhku.
Chwaaang!!!
Begitu aku memutar tubuh, Sword Qi dengan kekuatan dahsyat membelah kereta bianglala itu menjadi dua dan meluncur maju.
Kekuatan penghancur Sword Qi itu begitu besar sehingga rasanya bisa dengan mudah membelah gedung dua lantai menjadi dua.
’Dia menyembunyikan kekuatan sebesar ini?’
Kebingunganku hanya berlangsung singkat karena sensasi dingin menjalari tubuhku dari balik kereta yang terbelah itu.
Menoleh, hal pertama yang menarik pandanganku adalah boneka yang mirip Dewa Utama itu.
Aku jelas telah membelah pinggangnya hingga setengahnya, tapi dia tampaknya telah beregenerasi sepenuhnya dalam waktu sesingkat itu.
Jjeo-eong!!!
Pedang Heavenly Demon dan pedang besar boneka itu bertabrakan, melepaskan raungan yang memekakkan telinga.
Aku hampir terdorong mundur, tapi aku berhasil bertahan.
’Dari mana kekuatan sebesar ini berasal?’
Lalu, sesuatu menarik perhatianku. Itu adalah wajah boneka itu.
Retakan seperti jaring laba-laba mulai terbentuk di wajah yang sangat mirip dengan wajahku sendiri.
Darah juga menetes dari mulutnya. Itu berarti dia menderita luka dalam yang parah.
’Apa? Jangan bilang, Qi Devia...’
Kkaang!!!
Saat aku tenggelam dalam pikiran, bangsat itu mendorongku mundur dengan kekuatan mentah. Dia bertekad untuk tidak memberiku waktu sekejap pun untuk lengah.
Berkat itu, aku bisa melihat boneka itu secara utuh. Aura Blade menyelimuti seluruh tubuh dan senjatanya.
Tidak seperti sebelumnya, sekarang dia memanfaatkan Unity of Self and Object sama sepertiku. Dan dia melakukannya bahkan dengan mengorbankan tubuhnya sendiri yang hancur.
Huuung!
Lackey dan Dolsoe segera menyerbu masuk, menyiapkan serangan masing-masing.
Tapi seolah sudah menduga ini, boneka itu menghantamkan pedangnya ke tanah.
Kkwaang!
Saat pedang itu menusuk tanah, gelombang kejut dahsyat meletus ke luar dengan boneka itu sebagai pusatnya.
Gelombang kejut itu melemparkan saudara-saudara Sun Wukong terbang jauh. Dan mereka tidak terbang mundur secara normal.
Kwang! Kwang!
Mereka dibanting begitu keras hingga menabrak gedung-gedung. Dengan hantaman seperti itu, mereka akan linglung untuk beberapa saat.
Dengan kata lain, sekarang ini menjadi duel satu lawan satu antara aku dan boneka itu. Bbareumbo juga ada di sini, tapi kita kesampingkan dulu dia.
Uuuung!
Seolah bertekad untuk bertarung kekuatan melawan kekuatan, Astral Qi yang berputar di sekitar tubuh boneka itu tumbuh jauh lebih intens.
Aku juga buru-buru mempercepat mana di dalam tubuhku. Jika aku tidak menaikkan output-ku, aku akan kewalahan oleh kekuatan absurd itu.
’Apakah begini rasanya orang-orang yang bertarung melawanku?’
Tekniknya dasar, tapi stat fisiknya sangat tinggi.
Dan bahkan jika kau mencoba mengeksploitasi tekniknya, dia hanya membongkar semuanya dengan kemampuan mentahnya yang aneh itu.
Dalam istilah game pertarungan, ini seperti menghadapi seseorang yang tidak menggunakan kombo sama sekali, tapi sepenuhnya mengandalkan serangan poke—serangan dasar.
Tapi masalahnya adalah serangan dasar itu menghasilkan damage sebesar kombo penuh. Bagi orang lain, ini adalah puncak ketidakadilan.
Chwaaak!
"Ugh?!"
Persis seperti itulah yang kurasakan saat ini. Saat boneka itu mengayunkan pedangnya ke bawah, Sword Qi yang jauh lebih besar dari sebelumnya meluncur lurus ke arahku.
Aku nyaris menghindarinya, tapi pada saat itu juga, boneka itu menyerbuku.
Masalahnya adalah kecepatannya sangat menakutkan. Aku bisa merasakan obsesinya yang murni untuk membunuhku, bahkan dengan mengorbankan tubuhnya sendiri.
Saat aku buru-buru mencoba memblokir dengan pedangku...
Chwareureuk! Peok!
Dentingan rantai bergema dari kejauhan, dan sebuah peti mati raksasa menabrak boneka itu.
Tidak menyangka ada peti mati yang terbang ke arahnya seperti gada dari samping, boneka itu terguling tak berdaya ke tanah.
"Cain-ssi?"
[Maafkan aku karena melanggar perintahmu. Aku merasa kita perlu menyelesaikan ini dengan cepat.]
Yang melempar gada peti mati itu, tentu saja, adalah Cain. Dia tampaknya ikut bertarung setelah secara naluriah merasakan betapa berbahayanya boneka itu.
Aku khawatir ini akan membuat anak-anak tidak terlindungi, tapi kekhawatiran itu cepat hilang.
Kugugugu!
Karena energi yang memancar dari boneka itu mulai membengkak lebih jauh lagi. Aku menatapnya dengan hampa.
Seolah bertekad untuk mengalahkan kami bahkan jika itu berarti meninggalkan segalanya, mana yang meletus dari tubuhnya berkobar seperti api liar.
Seperti yang bisa dilihat dari perbedaan antara Aura dan Aura Blade, pancaran mana mentah semacam itu sangat tidak efisien.
Namun, tubuhnya tidak bisa menampung mana internal, memaksanya untuk termanifestasi dengan cara yang kacau seperti itu.
Bukankah aku juga persis seperti itu di masa lalu? Tidak mampu menangani mana yang berlebihan, Aura-ku melonjak tak terkendali.
Hwareureuk!
Pada saat itu, bola api raksasa meluncur cepat ke arah boneka itu. Dan bukan hanya bola api itu.
Dari sisi berlawanan, telapak tangan raksasa meluncur maju seolah ingin menyapu segala sesuatu.
Itu adalah serangan dari Lackey dan Dolsoe. Tampaknya mereka melepaskan kekuatan absolut maksimum yang bisa mereka kerahkan.
Namun...
Kkwaang!
Boneka itu menjatuhkan senjatanya dan menusukkan kedua tangannya ke dua arah. Lalu, hasil yang mencengangkan terjadi.
Hanya dengan merentangkan tangannya, dia memblokir dua serangan dengan sifat yang sangat berbeda.
Kelas berat fisik yang luar biasa, dikombinasikan dengan lautan mana yang tak tertampung. Dia mempertahankan diri hanya menggunakan dua faktor ini.
[Apakah Dewa Utama... benar-benar jauh lebih kuat dari itu?]
"...."
Aku tidak menjawab. Sebenarnya, itu pun hanyalah ’fragmen’ belaka.
Dewa Utama yang sebenarnya adalah sosok kuat yang menaklukkan bahkan Raja Naga Tirani hanya dalam dua pertukaran, jauh melampaui bahkan Aris, Dewi Perang.
Seueuk—
Boneka itu menggenggam pedangnya dan mengangkatnya perlahan. Pada saat itu, aku bisa merasakannya dengan jelas.
Sensasi khas yang membuat bulu kudukku berdiri. Lonceng bahaya berbunyi di kepalaku.
Aku buru-buru mengambil posisi bertahan, tapi ada yang melangkah maju sebelum aku sempat.
"Pee-ee-ek!!!"
"Ty... Tyranno?"
Itu Tyranno. Tyranno terbang ke arah boneka itu, melepaskan breath attack yang kuat.
Dan bukan hanya Tyranno. Cheongseol juga dengan panik menggerakkan kaki depannya yang pendek, menembakkan laser dari mulutnya.
Terakhir, ada Wonmo. Tidak seperti yang lain, Wonmo tidak punya opsi jarak jauh.
"Kkyuuuuu!"
Mungkin karena itu, Wonmo menyerbu langsung ke arah boneka itu dan melancarkan body slam.
Itu serangan yang bahkan tidak akan meninggalkan goresan, dan langkah yang sangat ceroboh.
"Sialan! Bbareumbo! Awasi anak-anak!"
Ketakutan oleh tindakan mereka, aku melempar pedangku ke samping dan bergegas ke arah anak-anak. Akan menjadi bencana jika mereka terluka.
Bbareumbo juga tampaknya menyadari bahayanya, meluncur turun dari punggungku untuk mendekati anak-anak.
"...."
Tapi anehnya, boneka itu tidak bergerak untuk menyerang.
Dia hanya mempertahankan pertahanan minimum, sama sekali tidak menunjukkan tanda-tanda untuk membalas.
Itu reaksi yang sepenuhnya berlawanan dengan ekspektasiku, tapi bahayanya tetap tidak berubah.
Peok!
Karena itu, aku membanting bahuku ke boneka itu, mengangkatnya ke atas punggungku, dan mendorong kaki-kakiku ke depan.
Sementara itu, boneka itu membanting siku-sikunya ke punggungku dan memukuli tulang rusukku dengan tinjunya.
Peogeok! Peong!
Setiap kali, suara seperti bom meledak bergema, dan aku merasakan sensasi menyiksa dari organ dalamku yang hancur, tapi aku mengertakkan gigi dan bertahan.
Karena aku punya rencana dalam pikiranku.
Kuung!
"Kuhk...!"
Menyerbu dengan sembrono, aku akhirnya membantingnya ke p
Chapter 620: Glimpse (3)
It’s not really my place to say, but I couldn’t help but think: how on earth can a body be this tough?
I only know the basics of swordsmanship, and I usually make up for it with my physical weight class.
But even taking that into account, the doll’s durability far exceeded my expectations.
’I should have known when it was perfectly fine even after the arrow lodged in its back exploded.’
I barely managed to steady my trembling hands and looked at the doll.
The bastard was frowning, as if it actually felt pain.
Even so, it was gripping my sword tightly with both hands to stop it from digging any deeper into its waist.
As if proving it was human, bright red blood dripped down from its hands.
[I suppose this isn’t enough to stop you after all.]
The voice, presumably Aragon’s, drifted out from right in front of me.
I only realized it just now, but the doll hadn’t even budged its mouth when that voice spoke.
I wasn’t sure where the voice was coming from, but that wasn’t what was important right now.
[Defeat this body and come inside, my beloved brother.]
Dduk—
A sound like a signal cutting off, as if someone had hung up a phone, rang out.
In an instant, the look in the doll’s eyes shifted.
And then, the mouth beneath them uttered incomprehensible words.
"It... hurts..."
"...."
It was Korean. Clear, distinct Korean, not English.
Was that why? For a split second, I failed to hear the loud Teong! echoing.
Swiiiik—
A moment later, a massive shadow began to loom over my head.
Startled, I looked up to see a Ferris wheel car falling right toward me.
Chwaak!
Having no choice, I pulled my sword from its waist and leaped backward.
Since it was a fatal wound, it should be difficult for it to move for the time being.
Kwang!
The Ferris wheel car crashed down, temporarily blocking the bastard from my sight.
During that brief window, I glanced toward the Ferris wheel. Its cars were slowly running low in number.
I didn’t know what would happen once they all fell, but for now, it seemed best to deal with the doll first.
Beonjeok!
"?!"
At that moment, the Ferris wheel car blocking the path between me and the doll began to flash.
The light was leaking from a crack that ran vertically down the car.
The moment I saw that, I instinctively twisted my body.
Chwaaang!!!
As soon as I twisted away, a Sword Qi of immense power sliced the Ferris wheel car in half and surged forward.
The destructive power of that Sword Qi was so immense it felt like it could easily cleave a two-story building in half.
’It was hiding this much power?’
My bewilderment was short-lived as a chilling sensation washed over me from beyond the split car.
Turning my head, the first thing that caught my eye was the doll that resembled the Chief God.
I had clearly sliced its waist halfway through, yet it seemed to have completely regenerated in that brief span of time.
Jjeo-eong!!!
The Sword of the Heavenly Demon and the doll’s greatsword clashed, unleashing a deafening roar.
I was almost pushed back, but I managed to hold my ground.
’Where is this strength coming from?’
Then, something caught my eye. It was the doll’s face.
Spiderweb-like cracks were beginning to form on the face that looked so much like my own.
Blood was also trickling from its mouth. It meant it had sustained severe internal injuries.
’What? Don’t tell me, Qi Devia...’
Kkaang!!!
While I was lost in thought, the bastard shoved me back with sheer force. It was determined not to allow me even a moment of distraction.
Thanks to that, I could get a full view of the doll. An Aura Blade enveloped its entire body and weapon.
Unlike before, it was now utilizing the Unity of Self and Object just like me. And it was doing so even at the cost of ravaging its own body.
Huuung!
Lackey and Dolsoe immediately rushed in, preparing their respective attacks.
But as if expecting this, the doll slammed its sword into the ground.
Kkwaang!
The moment the sword pierced the ground, a massive shockwave erupted outward with the doll at its center.
The shockwave sent the Sun Wukong brothers flying far away. And they didn’t just fly back normally, either.
Kwang! Kwang!
They were slammed so hard they crashed straight into the buildings. With an impact like that, they would be dazed for a while.
In other words, it was now a one-on-one duel between me and the doll. Bbareumbo was here too, but let’s leave him aside for now.
Uuuung!
As if resolved to clash strength against strength, the Astral Qi swirling around the doll’s body grew far more intense.
I also hurriedly accelerated the mana inside my body. If I didn’t raise my output, I would be overwhelmed by that absurd strength.
’Is this how the people who fight me actually feel?’
The technique is basic, but the physical stats are ridiculously high.
And even if you try to exploit their technique, they just dismantle everything with their bizarre, raw prowess.
To put it in fighting game terms, it’s like facing someone who doesn’t use combos at all, but instead relies entirely on pokes—that is, basic attacks.
But the catch is that those basic attacks deal as much damage as a full combo. To anyone else, it’s the absolute height of unfairness.
Chwaaak!
"Ugh?!"
That was exactly how I felt right now. As the doll swung its sword down, a Sword Qi far larger than before shot straight toward me.
I barely managed to dodge it, but in that split second, the doll charged at me.
The problem was that its speed was terrifyingly fast. I could feel its sheer obsession to kill me, even at the cost of sacrificing its own body.
Just as I hurriedly tried to block with my sword...
Chwareureuk! Peok!
The rattling of chains echoed from afar, and a massive coffin collided with the doll.
Not expecting a coffin to fly at it like a flail from the side, the doll tumbled helplessly to the ground.
"Cain-ssi?"
[Forgive me for disobeying your orders. I felt we needed to wrap this up quickly.]
The one who threw the coffin flail was, of course, Cain. He seemed to have joined the fray after instinctively sensing how dangerous the doll was.
I worried that this would leave the children unprotected, but that thought quickly vanished.
Kugugugu!
Because the energy radiating from the doll was beginning to swell even further. I stared blankly at it.
As if determined to defeat us even if it meant abandoning everything else, the mana erupting from its body blazed like wildfire.
As one could tell from the difference between Aura and an Aura Blade, that kind of raw mana emission was highly inefficient.
However, its body simply couldn’t contain the internal mana, forcing it to manifest in such a chaotic manner.
Hadn’t I been the exact same way in the past? Unable to handle an excessive amount of mana, my Aura had surged uncontrollably.
Hwareureuk!
At that moment, a massive fireball flew rapidly toward the doll. And it wasn’t just the fireball.
From the opposite side, a colossal palm charged forward as if to sweep everything away.
These were the attacks of Lackey and Dolsoe, respectively. It seemed they had unleashed the absolute maximum power they could muster.
However...
Kkwaang!
The doll dropped its weapon and thrust its hands out to both sides. Then, an astonishing result unfolded.
Simply by extending its hands, it blocked two attacks of entirely different natures.
An overwhelming physical weight class, combined with an uncontainable pool of mana. It had defended itself using only these two factors.
[Was the Chief God... truly far stronger than even that?]
"...."
I didn’t answer. In truth, even that was nothing more than a ’fragment’.
The real Chief God was a powerhouse who had subdued even the Tyrant Dragon King in a mere two exchanges, far surpassing even Aris, the Goddess of War.
Seueuk—
The doll gripped its sword and slowly raised it. At that moment, I could clearly feel it.
That distinct, skin-crawling sensation that made all the hair on my body stand on end. Alarm bells of danger rang in my head.
I hurriedly took a defensive stance, but there were those who stepped forward before I could.
"Pee-ee-ek!!!"
"Ty... Tyranno?"
It was Tyranno. Tyranno flew toward the doll, unleashing a powerful breath attack.
And it wasn’t just Tyranno. Cheongseol was also frantically moving her short front legs, firing a laser from her mouth.
Lastly, there was Wonmo. Unlike the others, Wonmo had no long-range options.
"Kkyuuuuu!"
Perhaps because of that, Wonmo charged straight at the doll and delivered a body slam.
It was an attack that wouldn’t even leave a scratch, and an incredibly reckless move.
"Damn it! Bbareumbo! Watch over the kids!"
Terrified by their actions, I threw my sword aside and rushed toward the children. It would be a disaster if they were harmed.
Bbareumbo also seemed to realize the danger, sliding off my back to approach the kids.
"...."
But strangely enough, the doll made no move to attack.
It only maintained a bare minimum defense, showing absolutely no sign of counterattacking.
It was a reaction completely contrary to my expectations, but the danger remained unchanged.
Peok!
Therefore, I slammed my shoulder into the doll, hoisted it over my back, and drove my legs forward.
Meanwhile, the doll slammed its elbows into my back and pounded my ribs with its fists.
Peogeok! Peong!
Each time, a sound like exploding bombs echoed, and I felt the agonizing sensation of my internal organs being crushed, but I gritted my teeth and endured.
For I had a plan in mind.
Kuung!
"Kuhk...!"
Charging recklessly, I eventually slammed it into the support pillar of the Ferris wheel. The doll let out a pained gasp.
Since it was made of flesh and blood, it was bound to feel pain. Now was my chance.
Peong! Peong!
I relentlessly pummeled the doll, targeting both its face and torso without distinction.
Though I had never formally studied martial arts, I had learned some basic boxing from Ludwig.
The hands are the tools humans use best, so learning boxing allowed me to amplify the power of my strikes.
In this world, it was incredibly common for a hand-to-hand fighter to defeat someone wielding a weapon.
Deolkeong! Deolkeong!
With every punch I landed, the Ferris wheel shook violently. The cabins hanging from it rattled.
The doll held up its guard and endured, perhaps searching for a window to counterattack.
But time was on my side. The doll’s body was collapsing more and more with every passing second.
Since I was confident in a battle of endurance, I figured there would be no problem.
Kku-geu-geuk—
"Ah!"
At least, until the Ferris wheel above showed signs of collapsing.
I had been so focused on the doll that I had forgotten about the Ferris wheel. The moment I stepped back—
Kwak!
The doll grabbed me by the collar, and—
Kung!
Reversing our positions, it slammed me hard against the Ferris wheel pillar.
I frowned from the sharp pain, but there was something far more dangerous remaining.
Uuuung!
It was the bastard’s sword. I didn’t know when it had drawn it, but it was poised to impale me at any second.
I tried to react, but I was a fraction of a second too late. The enemy thrust the blade straight toward my face.
Kwaak!
In the end, I had no choice but to grab the blade with my bare hands. I vividly felt the agonizing pain of the skin and even the muscles of my palms being sliced open.
I feared my bones would be cleaved next. The others needed to step in quickly, but...
"Krrgh...! W-What is this?!"
"We can’t get close...!"
The rampaging doll was unleashing mana in all directions.
That mana was like a tidal wave, making it impossible for anyone to carelessly approach.
Ultimately, I had to resolve this on my own, but I was barely holding on myself.
Just when I thought I might actually die—
"Arrung!"
"?!"
I heard a puppy barking at my feet.
Looking down, I saw Heukgu biting and clinging onto the doll’s leg.
Since Heukgu lived hidden inside my shadow, he was able to approach like this.
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