Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 398: The Confrontation of Destiny

“Your reign over the world ends here. The Sword Saint has bestowed a sword upon Choi Yeon-woo in person.”

[If the Sword Saint is truly so formidable, then he should be able to cut me down himself. Isn’t that what it implies?]

With the appearance of the Sword Saint, as Yeon-woo lost consciousness, Baek-cheon and the Heavenly Demon exchanged sharp words. Dang Jin-ho remained silently managing poison and memorization from the back.

The Sword Saint had utterly defied causality. Attempting to extract people from a timeline where the world’s destruction was already determined was indeed an act risking his life.

Thus, he couldn’t simply eliminate the Heavenly Demon. The Demon had grown far too powerful.

Yet, this meant the Sword Saint had not given up on this world. He opened the door and placed the future in Choi Yeon-woo’s hands.

“Maybe. Still, something will change. And we will pave the way to alter the future.”

[Hahaha, your confidence is remarkable. Go ahead, give it a shot. Your gods are no longer my match, so you might as well enjoy this, right?]

Boom!! A tremendous amount of magical energy burst forth. Shar, watching from behind, desperately wished to refrain but found herself unable to do so.

“I’ll help…!!”

“Oh, thank you! Don’t overdo it!!”

Seeing the magical energy that enveloped the area disperse, Dang Jin-ho felt relieved.

He didn’t want a child taking part in a fight, but in this moment, it was a much-appreciated assistance.

*

‘So, this is it.’

Yeon-woo swung his sword. The space shimmered along the blade’s edge, leaving a thin wound.

It didn’t take as long as he expected… or so he thought. Honestly, he wasn’t quite sure. He had a tendency to lose track of time when concentrating.

As all forms etched through his body once, Yeon-woo suddenly realized the sword’s name was Cheon-dun (Heavenly Escape).

The way to use Cheon-dun. Thus, Cheon-dun swordsmanship.

Perhaps the power to unfold space was not merely the Sword Saint’s mastery but also the power embedded within Cheon-dun.

It was uncertain, but he wished to think otherwise due to his personal fantasies. After all, true masters do not rely on their weapons, right?

‘How it performs outside, it’ll be necessary to test.’

If Cheon-dun harbored the Sword Saint’s will, it might be capable of tearing open the domain of providence.

In that case, Yeon-woo would discover whether the delicate atmosphere between him and the Heavenly Demon was of providence or not.

Having completed those thoughts, Yeon-woo condensed his aura and swung down Cheon-dun.

It had inadvertently turned into a three-sword technique, but no way would he think of holding one in his mouth. Diverting the doppelganger’s assistance was the wisest choice.

As the space wavered, a thin line appeared. Yeon-woo extended that line with the tip of Cheon-dun and slipped through.

In that space, no one remained. Only a faint mist filled the void.

– Keep it up.

From his back, the warm voice of the old man echoed.

*

In truth, Yeon-woo knew he was supposed to wait until a martial hero appeared.

Though the title may differ, without a doubt, a martial hero would emerge.

Or perhaps one had already manifested. It was just that their young age prevented them from standing out.

There was something that should always be remembered. The next generation undeniably exists for humanity. That must not be forgotten.

The strength of humanity is by no means simple. The knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation strengthen humanity.

Yeon-woo was not unaware of this fact. However, he did feel to some extent the sentiments shared by all fathers.

They did not want to pass on issues they couldn’t resolve to their children’s generation.

The debt of many adults in Alkeon feeling they had to leave what they could not resolve for the children. Yeon-woo could not escape such feelings of indebtedness.

Children should live in a good world. A safe and warm world without threats.

Thinking so was not arrogance; it was the natural inclination of a parent.

“Ha! Finally coming to your senses!!”

As Yeon-woo opened his eyes, Dang Jin-ho shouted. The moment his vision cleared, he scanned his surroundings.

Dang Jin-ho was draped in a dark green cloak slightly in front of Yeon-woo, with Shar standing beside him.

At the forefront was Jin Baek-cheon. He was furiously striking at the magical energy encircling the Heavenly Demon at incredible speed.

“Dad, I’m awake!?”

“Sorry for being late! How’s the situation?!”

“I want to say it’s not too bad, but that’s wishful thinking.”

Dang Jin-ho answered with a nervous eyes.

It went without saying. Just as Yeon-woo sensed the wall against the Heavenly Demon, they were undoubtedly feeling the same barrier.

That overly dense magical energy could clearly cause despair to any human.

Shar likely came forth to assist the two in such a predicament. It appeared she had stepped in to regulate the magical energy in place of Yeon-woo.

Ugh, he didn’t want to share air with the Heavenly Demon…. How had it come to this? There was nothing to be done now that it was contaminated.

Look, the Heavenly Demon seemed to be eyeing Shar with envy. That insane liberalist. He would definitely kill that brat.

Of course, to do that, he needed to buy some time. He had to use Cheon-dun.

He had to confirm whether the peculiar sensation he felt between himself and the Heavenly Demon was indeed the providence dictated by the world.

Was it merely a discomfort arising from the belief everything would go awry, or a rule imposed by the world to prevent Yeon-woo from recklessly moving about….

‘Thinking about it like this makes me sound rather self-centered.’

“So, what’s the plan!? You looked as if you wanted to give up the fight!”

In response to Dang Jin-ho’s shout, Yeon-woo shook his head as if to defer his reply. For now, confirming was of utmost importance.

Fortunately, unlocking the source itself wasn’t a significant problem. He had seen it once before.

The Cheon-dun in his hand flowed with ease. He felt as if he understood why this sword was called Cheon-dun, a name suggestive of hiding from the heavens.

This sword had been concealed beneath the enormous tree, Yeong-bin. At the same time, it was an extraordinary and formidable sword worthy of being hidden.

In other words, it could be seen as the perfect superior upgrade of the dimensional-splitting dagger used to extract Nea.

As a weapon, it was exceptional, and in terms of its abilities, words could hardly do it justice.

With the shimmering golden aura, a fine line was drawn in space. Even while wielding the sword in the air, he could distinctly feel he was cutting through something.

Naturally, the consumption rate of aura was monstrous. Yet, this sensation was indescribably compelling to cease.

Slowly, the circular cut space began to detach like a lid. The suddenly appearing fog concealed its edges, and Dang Jin-ho looked on with confusion, not understanding what was happening.

An overwhelming presence flowed forth. A sharp pain shot through his head. It was only to be expected. Inside lay countless concepts and laws.

Yeon-woo had now laid his hands on the power capable of rewriting the very laws of the world.

An infinite multitude of numbers, thousands overlapping with hundreds of thousands, millions, perhaps even more, all coexisted in that space.

As he gazed at the source, Yeon-woo understood precisely what Cheon-dun was.

In essence, it was a kind of ‘editing tool’. An item held by a divine being that must never fall into the hands of another.

Once a divine being had become one of the gears constituting the world, they may defy the laws, yet they would choose not to.

At that moment, they would know the unbearable agony of obliteration would befall the one involved.

Yeon-woo’s thoughts were guided by Cheon-dun. The laws relating to the hero gathered all at once through Cheon-dun.

First to erase were the laws regarding heroes and the Demon King of another realm. Second was the rule stating that a Demon King could not touch another Demon King.

Cheon-dun fully understood Yeon-woo’s intent and reacted accordingly. The will contained within stirred and moved.

Astoundingly easily, to the point where merely observing it felt like his head would shatter into pieces; it manipulated the space at will.

‘Never knew it would be this simple.’

Yeon-woo couldn’t help but feel flustered. Unsurprisingly so. When he had thrust the source to eliminate the Demon King of Desire, he had to endure what felt like an imminent explosion in his head.

However, Cheon-dun didn’t require such suffering. By merely thinking of what he desired, Cheon-dun would automatically search and retrieve it from within the source.

As a result, Yeon-woo easily located the two established laws. Of course, erasing them entirely depended on Yeon-woo’s hands.

Yeon-woo concentrated his mind. If Cheon-dun was that kind of object, the swordsmanship Cheon-dun revealed should also be relevant.

He executed the sword technique. Like connecting dots, he repeatedly jabbed Cheon-dun. Encircling the laws in a swift series of strikes, he slapped the sword’s hilt once.

What meaning this movement held eluded him at the time, but now he could understand.

If he pulled the sword straight out, the laws would slowly begin to extract. It was an action aimed at isolating specified elements.

He could feel the two laws struggling desperately to avoid being pulled from the source.

However, Cheon-dun embraced them within threads of will, beginning to extract them with astonishing ease.

And with lightning speed, he swung the sword. A sweeping sound rang through the air. Boom!! A tremendous pressure erupted with the sound of something exploding.

Eeeeeeek!! What sounded like a living creature’s scream coursed through the air. Dang Jin-ho grimaced, while Shar covered her ears.

It was a scream so piercing it almost hurt his eardrums.

Then, Yeon-woo turned to the Heavenly Demon. In this moment, oddly enough, he felt no particular thoughts.

“I can kill you now.”

[Oh?]

The two locked gazes with intrigue simultaneously. Coincidentally, Yeon-woo was not someone swayed by mere fate.

Once more, they pointed their weapons at one another.

Yeon-woo aimed to kill the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon sought to taint everything that set foot in this world with its colors.

(To be continued in the next episode)