๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐: ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ 2
Grim demonic energy swarmed from all sides.
Choi Dae-soo, who had been bombarding the White Tiger with his fists, suddenly felt a foul sensation and tried to pull back.
He didn’t go well with Diakan anyway, but his compatibility with magic and demonic energy was much worse.
“It’s. . . Useless. . . .”
Diakan unleashed the demonic energy he had gathered in his small body.
A horrifyingly dark and murky demonic energy covered the surrounding area, flaunting its grandeur.
‘๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ 3๐ณ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐บ.’
Choi Dae-soo did not know much about their class system, but he knew that the guy was comparable to a high-ranker.
‘๐๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ง 3๐ณ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐บ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ 2๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ 1๐ด๐ต ๐๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐จ๐ถ๐บ.’
He observed Diakan without slacking off his magic detection, trying to analyze the situation.
A skill based on magic power and a skill based on demonic energy were different in their composition, starting from the magic circuit, namely the spell formula.
Since the energy used is different, the strokes, symbols, and characters that make up the circuit are bound to be different.
The frightening thing about demonic energy, in particular, was its power that exceeded ordinary magic power and its heavy and solid density.
“I dare not. . . defeat the world’s 0th ranker. . . . But I think I can make it quite difficult. . . .”
Diakan stabbed the demonic energy he had unleashed into the spell formula.
The rough and heavy demonic energy followed the stroke and a magic circle was materialized in an instant.
[World’s Gap: Spores of Darkness]
Several dozen black spore-like orbs the size of billiard balls scattered darkness, then flashed a black light.
Choi Dae-soo was startled and hardened his magic shield.
‘๐’๐ฎ ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด. ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฅ?’
As if trying to block his path, the [Spores of Darkness] densely surrounded Choi Dae-soo.
“Hohoho. . . I do not recommend forcing your way through. . . . If you try to force your way through. . . I’ll just let you know that the [Spores of Darkness] explode in response to magic power.”
Diakan explained with a face that seemed exhausted from using up all his demonic energy.
Choi Dae-soo clicked his tongue inwardly.
He felt that he had been sent the most difficult type to deal with in ใPandemoniumใ.
For Choi Dae-soo, the most comfortable opponents were the ones he could crush with force and easily distinguish between the strong and the weak.
However, Diakan was someone who was thoroughly defensive, making it difficult for Choi Dae-soo to easily display his abilities.
It was a fight between a spear and a shield, literally.
‘๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ. ๐๐ต ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฆ’๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐บ๐ป๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ต๐บ๐ญ๐ฆ.’
Furthermore, the guy did not even try to confront him with a shield.
If he had, they would have clashed to see who was stronger between the spear and the shield, but Diakan just let Choi Dae-soo’s attacks slide.
In some ways, he could not have been a more suitable figure to hold Choi Dae-soo back.
“Then. . . the White Tiger and I will. . . go elsewhere. . . .”
“Are you not going to play with me anymore?”
“Hohoho. . . . You are a game changer who can turn the tables. . . . So please stay here for a while. The [Spores of Darkness] will. . . . disappear in time. . . .”
Diakan gestured to the White Tiger.
The White Tiger, who had been growling at Choi Dae-soo for a while, leaped high to go to another area at Diakan’s gesture.
“Phew.”
“You look. . . relieved.”
“Hmm? Oh, I guess it’s almost time.”
“What. . . do you mean?”
“I wonder if it was me or you who was stalling for time.”
“What are you talking abo. . . .”
Kwaโโโโโng!!
Diakan could not finish his words and turned his head at the loud noise that suddenly rang out.
He saw the White Tiger, which had leaped high into the sky, regenerating its body that had burst into pieces on the ground.
“Who the hell. . . .”
Diakan hurriedly looked around to identify the enemy, and his vision flipped in an instant.
Zeโck!!
He did not even have time to scream.
His head spun first, and then he felt a sharp pain.
“Keugh. . .!!”
Blood spurted out of Diakan’s mouth, and a sharp pain as if his stomach had been pierced spread throughout his body.
He raised his head to check his opponent.
“You are. . .?”
“Min Siwoo, you son of a b*tch.”
Siwoo kicked the guy’s face with his foot.
Paaaang!!
With a loud thud, Diakan’s body flew more than ten meters and crashed into a building.
“That was a flashy entrance.”
Choi Dae-soo greeted him with a cigar in his mouth, not as a greeting.
“Why are you stuck in some weird thing?”
“They explode when they come into contact with magical energy. Thanks to that, I was able to wait for you comfortably.”
In fact, Choi Dae-soo had received a call from the US HSIU just before arriving here.
They planned to send Min Siwoo through the portal in a few minutes.
So he requested that Min Siwoo’s return location be the HSIU headquarters closest to the White Tiger’s occurrence area.
It was a gamble, but he expected it to work.
“I see. It seems like you couldn’t fight with all your might because it’s an urban area. So you waited for me.”
Siwoo deduced their battle based on the traces of the fight.
If Choi Dae-soo had fought with all his might, this area would have been scorched to the ground, leaving not even a speck of dust.
That White Tiger wouldn’t have even been a challenge for Choi Dae-soo.
“If I destroy the city center trying to stop a monster, what will happen to my approval rating?”
“So you were ‘holding back’ those two to have me kill them.”
“Well, something like that.”
Siwoo shook his head.
Those who did not know Choi Dae-soo well thought he was an unintelligent hunter who only knew how to use brute force.
However, Siwoo had never seen anyone as cunning and experienced as Choi Dae-soo among the hunters he had fought so far.
Rather, Do Kyung-hoo was the most simple-minded, and Choi Dae-soo was so meticulous that every move he made could be considered an intentional strategy.
“Wrap it up quickly and get out of here.”
“Do you think I can heal like you? If I could use magic, I would have gotten out.”
“Such a big guy with such a sharp tongue.”
Siwoo twisted his lips and filled both his hands with magic power.
Two different large spell formulas emerged.
The fiercely gushing magic powers rose into the circuits of each spell formula and crossed the strokes.
An intersection emerged in the two spell formulas, and different magics merged into one, boiling with enormous energy.
[Gale: Dragon Ascension]
[Breath of Water: Raging Waves]
A wave of magic power surged from the ground and was released at a terrifying speed as if sweeping across the area.
The blue waves washed away Diakan’s black spores mercilessly.
The spores that reacted to the magic power immediately began to explode, and Siwoo’s gale, combined with water, rotated the explosion and prevented it from gushing out of the water.
Dozens of darknesses exploded in a chain.
However, none of them led to external destruction and were consumed by Siwoo’s magic.
Choi Dae-soo watched the scene silently from inside his magic shield.
‘๐๐ช๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ.’
To others, it might seem like he had just cast a wide-range magic to sweep away Diakan’s spores, but to Choi Dae-soo, it was not that simple.
Each of those [Devil’s Spores] was a lump of demonic energy with tremendous explosive power.
If he had fired magic without thinking, the spores that reacted to the magic power would have exploded in a chain, and the magic itself might have been combined with them, turning the area into a mess.
It was possible to sweep them away without causing any damage solely thanks to Siwoo’s meticulous control of magic power.
Furthermore, Choi Dae-soo, who was at the center of it all, did not suffer even the slightest damage.
‘๐๐ฆ’๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ.’
If it had been any other hunter but Siwoo, Choi Dae-soo would never have allowed such an attempt.
“Now that I’ve taken them out, do your part.”
Siwoo nodded at Choi Dae-soo without showing off.
It was a gesture to deal with the guy over there.
Where he pointed, the White Tiger, which had now fully recovered its body, was growling with its teeth bared.
“You want me to clean up the leftovers?”
“Me and that bag of bones don’t go well together.”
“Hehehe, I got it. See you in a minute.”
“Even a minute is too long. 30 seconds.”
Choi Dae-soo charged his gauntlet with magic power and kicked off the ground toward the White Tiger.
Siwoo shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze in the opposite direction of where Diakan had flown.
Kwaโโng!!
In that short moment, Siwoo’s new form moved and kicked Diakan, who was running away, with his foot.
“Keuheuk. . .!”
Diakan crashed into the middle of the crushed ground.
“Where do you think you’re running like a rat?”
“Ugh. . . In America. . . you should have died. . . . Why the hell. . .?!”
“You should watch the news, even when you’re on a mission.”
“But. . . Giovanni said he would. . . . eliminate you. . . .”
“That dead bastard?”
Diakan’s eyes widened at Siwoo’s answer and he glared at him.
“You. . . Don’t you know who Giovanni Barberini is?!”
“I know, the touchy guy who’s the world’s 2nd ranker.”
“I know you’re strong. . . . But Giovanni is not your match.”
“You really don’t watch the news. Well, it’s only been a few dozen minutes.”
Siwoo continued with a sly expression, raising one side of his lips.
“Who’s the world’s 0th ranker now?”
Diakan shook his head and looked at Choi Dae-soo with his trembling pupils.
Choi Dae-soo, the world’s 0th ranker.
Followed by Shamal, Giovanni, and Namir.
This order had remained the same for the past few years.
“Wrong answer.”
Siwoo pulled Balmung out of his arms.
“The correct answer isใ ก.”
ใ๐๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐, ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐!!ใ
Pre jumped out of Siwoo’s inner pocket and flapped his wings.
What’s a 0th ranker like you?”
ใ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ! ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ซ, ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ซ!ใ
“You’re annoying. Stop showing up at the most important moments.”
Siwoo flicked Preโs forehead with his index finger.
Tang.
ใ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ค!ใ
Leaving Pre flying like a leaf, Siwoo opened his mouth again, looking at Diakan.
“He spoiled the surprise.”
“You. . . . Are you saying that you’re the. . . . 0th ranker?”
“Uh-huh.”
Siwoo pushed the tip of Balmung’s blade into Diakan’s nape.
Balmung’s sharply honed blade flashed fiercely as if it would cut a piece of paper in half if it was placed on it.
Diakan swallowed nervously and carefully constructed a spell formula.
However, such tricks would only work on someone who was inferior to him.
Siwoo smiled faintly and swung Balmung like lightning.
It was difficult to even grasp what had happened.
Diakan realized that his two hands were empty and followed them with his gaze.
“Keuk. . . . Kuaaagh!!”
“Next time, I’ll cut off your ankles.”
“Keuk. . . . K-Kill me!”
Siwoo looked at Diakan with a dumbfounded face.
Then he crouched down and spoke to the guy kindly and gently.
“Why would I kill you?”
“Yes. . .?”
“Where can I find an excellent source of information like you?”
He grabbed Diakan by the hair and grinned.
At that calm smile, Diakan could not help but clench his jaw.
“You will not be able to die even if you want to until you spit out everything you know.”
“Haak. . . . Tor. . . .”
Diakan’s pupils shook from side to side.
Siwoo ripped Diakan’s robe and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Chew on this if your teeth fall out.”
“Heueup. . .! Heueup. . . .”
“When should you talk? I’ll let you talk when you feel like dying. Until then, bear with it for a while.”
Siwoo took out a dagger and muttered, holding it up to the guy’s eyeballs.
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