Chapter 453 – Right Arm (3)

Choi Han carefully moved away from the others as well as the enemies. He then moved behind Sayeru while hiding his presence as much as possible.

It was impossible for him to completely hide his presence as he did not have excellent stealth techniques like Ron, however, the others were helping him.

Cale, Mary, Raon, and Eruhaben.
They were revealing their powers and presences as much as possible, allowing Choi Han to hide his presence among theirs.

Choi Han could see Sayeru's back. He slowly raised his sword over his shoulder and pointed the tip of the sword forward as if he was holding a spear.

'Huh? Choi Jung Soo, you're going home again? I said let's go for a drink.'
'Haha. I'm sorry, sunbae-nim! I have something to do! It'll be my treat once I finish this!'
'Nah, that's okay. How can I mooch off someone making less than me? Just come next time when you're free. Ah! Bring that punk Kim Rok Soo with you! That punk always disappears right after work, where the hell does he go?'
'Yes, sir! I understand! Then I'll be heading out now!'

He recalled one of Choi Jung Soo's memories.
After struggling at work with Kim Rok Soo when he first entered the company, he headed home right away after finishing work for a while after he got used to the work.
There were colleagues who wanted him to join them after work because he was a friendly guy, but he always declined and headed to his place. Only Kim Rok Soo and the team leader knew the reason he had to go straight home.

Honestly speaking, his home wasn't much.
The company that was located in Seoul was located around the central border of the destroyed area and the still somewhat intact area and Choi Jung Soo's house were around there as well. His house was a small one-bedroom in a building that was barely maintaining its shape as a villa.

The building looked old as old as the buildings in a movie about the apocalypse he watched before the world changed, but the people living inside were happy.

'Oh, Jung Soo. Are you on your way home?'
'Yes! Work ended early today, haha!'
'Good, good. Come get some radish kimchi later.'
'Thank you! Your radish kimchi is the best, grandma!'
'Aigoo, my radish kimchi is nothing special. I should give you more things since we get to live peacefully thanks to you.'

The grandmother looked very happy as she thanked him. Choi Jung Soo could not help but smile back.
He looked around before going into the villa.

The people here seemed to be more relaxed with his company being nearby. That was how the world slowly recovered its vitality and started to have hope for the future.
The people walking around this villa all seemed happy and the sky was bright.

Choi Jung Soo looked for a bit before heading toward his one-bedroom place with refreshed and light steps.
He washed and cleaned for a bit before sitting down at his desk.

Choi Han clearly remembered what was on top of Choi Jung Soo's desk.
Choi Jung Soo picked up the pen.

'Who else would do this if I don't do it? Am I right?'

Who knows who he was talking to, but he continued to write in the notebook in front of him.

He was writing down the ancient martial arts and sword arts that the Choi household had trained for generations.
There were already a lot of written pages. There were some scribbles, memos, and a lot of pictures.

Choi Han remembered Choi Jung Soo's emotions as he wrote in the notebook. Choi Jung Soo wanted to leave it for the world.
No, he wanted it to continue.

'Although I'm the only one left…'

Even though he was now alone… Even though his family and cousins had all left first…

'We still need to leave behind a record of what we did.'

The things the Choi household had done.
They had researched Korea's ancient martial arts and sword arts and trained day and night to introduce them back into the world.
Choi Jung Soo wanted to continue that.

Choi Jung Soo who was left alone was still bright and energetic. However, despair, sorrow, and loneliness lingered underneath those emotions.

He was working hard to record his household's martial arts research that he remembered.
Choi Han had watched all of it, and thanks to Choi Jung Soo, he was able to tell what the Choi household was trying to leave behind and continue.

He recalled that memory as he made the same resolution that Choi Jung Soo had made.

'If I continue it, that means that my family and cousins are not gone from this world. As long as I continue what they were doing, they'll be alive in this world and by my side.'

The moment that mindset became engraved in Choi Jung Soo's heart like a tattoo…
He had created his 'White Miru.'

His emotions, thoughts, and efforts…
Choi Han thoroughly understood them all.

After understanding Choi Jung Soo, a phrase the first Dragon Slayer, Nelan Barrow or Choi Jung Gun, had left in his memoir resurfaced in Choi Han's mind.

< I put my heart into my power. >

It had seemed to be a random sentence in the middle of an important story.
However, that phrase was extremely powerful.

It felt even more powerful when he thought about 'Abandoning Your Life,' and the 'Sword of Disasters.'
The first time he read Choi Jung Gun's memoir, he had wondered what this ancestor of his was trying to do.
He had been angry at how his ancestor had found sacrifices to be normal.

Of course, he still did not understand that, but he felt that he could understand a bit of what his ancestor was thinking.

Ooooooooong-

A natural disaster started to gather inside Choi Han's sword.
This was the ancient power Choi Jung Gun had created by channeling most of his life force. The White Star who had inherited that power had created this half Sword of Disaster for the fake Dragon Slayer, Syrem.

Even though Choi Jung Gun had not been the one to create this half power, Choi Han realized Choi Jung Gun's thoughts.

He tried to understand why he created this natural disaster, this power to destroy the world.
Now, he understood at least a bit of it.

He was someone who had lost everyone other than his close friend, the Dragon.
He was someone who died without ever leaving behind any children of his own.

However, he still continued the name of the Dragon Slayer.

Choi Han added Choi Jung Soo's Yong into the disaster that was gathering in his sword.
And finally, he added his black aura into it.

The Yong that had become violent because of the natural disaster slowly turned black. The moment the black Yong that finally appeared at the tip of his sword opened its jaws toward the enemy…

"…Shit!"

Sayeru's body started to shake as the White Star felt a strong power behind him.

"Why are you so shocked?"

Cale was sneering at the White Star's stiff expression as he stood there with the blue spear in his hand, but the White Star could not respond to Cale this time.

"Head down."

He grabbed Sayeru's back.

"Huh, what are you doing?!"

He then threw the shocked Sayeru to the ground.

Swoooooooosh-

The wind wall surrounded Sayeru before quickly carrying him over to where Illusionist Elisneh and the others were standing.

The White Star then turned around and shot up to the air with his wind.

Shhhhhh-

The blue spear flew past where he had just been standing.
The White Star would normally sneer at Cale who had such strong powers but failed to hit him because his spear-throwing was terrible, but he didn't have time for that right now.

The White Star made eye contact with Choi Han.

Ruuuumble-

The sky was crying. It felt as if thunderbolts would start striking down at any moment.

However, in a spot where the wind was quietly gathering, unlike those loud rumbling… The White Star's gaze headed toward Choi Han's sword, the black Yong that was pointed at him.

"…My power?"

He felt the power of the Sword of Disasters inside that Yong.
The half powered Sword of Disasters he had given to the fake Dragon Slayer Syrem whom he created in order to replace his fate to maintain the balance of the world clearly existed inside that Yong.

"…No. This isn't my power."

However, it was not the power that he had created.
It was different.
It was not half-powered.
He could feel something inside this black Yong.

'The feelings I had when I received the Sword of Disasters-!'

Deep in his memories to a distant time… It was the time when he had finally taken his place as the Dragon Slayer. He had received the crown and the powers from the previous Dragon Slayer at that time.
The moment he activated the Sword of Disasters which was one of those powers, he was elated at the strong power but angry that he could not reveal it to the world.
However, he still could not forget the thrill he felt when he first faced that amazing power.

But why could he feel that power coming from this sword master?

"It is mine but also not mine."

There were other things in addition to the power of disaster. Choi Han took a step toward the White Star instead of responding to that statement.
The disaster inside his sword was the first to move along with that step.

'This is ours.'

The Yong raised its body once he took another step.

Choi Jung Gun had thrown away the rest of his life to prepare for the potential that another White Star might appear in the world.
Choi Jung Soo had wanted to protect the world with the Yong that was created from a collection of things his family had left behind.

Choi Han did not have as grand a goal as the two of them.
The black Yong flashed once Choi Han's aura was added.

'I want to be happy like I am now.'

Choi Han took a third step.

His sword pointed toward the sky. He then looked at his friends at that moment.
Eruhaben's gold mana, Raon's black mana, and Mary's Black Bone Dragon. They were waiting for Choi Han and Choi Han responded to them.
The sword and the black Yong that was pointed toward the sky slowly slashed down toward the White Star.

"Roooooar-"

The body of the black Yong that was full of strength twisted as it quickly shot toward the White Star.

"Go!"

Raon and Mary's powers also shot toward the White Star once Eruhaben shouted.
North, south, east, and west. Strong powers attacked the White Star from all four directions.

The White Star's gaze was still focused on Choi Han even at that moment.

Someone who looked similar to the first Dragon Slayer and knew how to read that text. The bastard who was able to turn the Sword of Disasters into a brand new power.
In addition, someone whose time was twisted like his own.

Smirk.

That bastard was smirking at him.
He was also mouthing something. He couldn't hear what that voice was saying, but he was able to read the lips.

"Even though thunderbolts can't protect you…"

'He's not a good person. This bastard is different than Cale.'

The residents of the territory down on the ground would all die if the White Star struck down with his thunderbolts right now. This bastard was laughing even while knowing that was the case.
The White Star stretched his hand toward the sky.

Baaaaaang-!

A loud explosion covered the sky.
People could see a large thunderbolt strike down to the ground. The thunderbolt was striking down on one single person.
The thunderbolt was still connected to the black sky. It seemed as if that person had become the thunderbolt himself.

"Roooooar!"

The Black Bone Dragon charged toward that thunderbolt.

The Dragon's wings ripped apart and the bones exploded. A tsunami of gold and black light mixed and attacked from above the Dragon.

The White thunderbolts mixed with the gold light and black light to create a strong gust of wind.
And finally…
Something that was clearly a Dragon but looked different than any Dragon he had seen before opened its jaws and crunched down on him.

Bababababaaaaang!

All sorts of lights mixed and clashed. The black Yong continued to slowly gobble up those lights even through the explosions. The explosions continued.
It seemed as if the stars were exploding.

Choi Han looked toward the feast of lights. He could see the White Star who covered his body with his thunderbolts. He was using those thunderbolts to protect his body while destroying the attacks one by one.

"Huh?! Another Dragon!"

People saw another black Yong at that moment.
That second black Yong charged toward the thunderbolts as well.
The person who created that Yong weakly lowered his sword as he mumbled to himself.

"One more time. Cough!"

Blood started to drip out from Choi Han's mouth.
He could feel his plate starting to shake. This seemed to be the reaction to using a lot of one's ancient power.

'My plate is strong. That is why it is only at this level.'

There was a bit of a burden on his body because he used a lot of it for his first time.
He was bleeding but it wasn't difficult.
It was just the side effect of combining three people's powers, the things they had left behind, together.
That was why he realized Cale's pain.

What kind of pain must a person with a weak plate feel?

Choi Han looked toward the White Star.

"Do you really think you can touch my body?"

The White Star glared at Choi Han's black Yong in anger.

"One more time!"

Eruhaben and Raon channeled their mana again and shot a large spear toward the White Star. The White Star scoffed at the two Dragons.

"I'll take everything you got!"

The White Star sneered with a crazed smile on his face.
Raon and Eruhaben's mana struck his thunderbolt again.

"Keep it up!"
"I know, gramps! I will persist!"

Raon's two front paws were shaking. Eruhaben's back was starting to get wet.
The people below watched the lights combine again as well as the black Yong that attacked those combined lights.
As his sight became covered by a bright gold light and a dark black light…

"Hahaha! No matter how many times you try, no matter how many new powers you come up with, you cannot defeat me!"

The White Star destroyed the two Dragon's powers even without being able to see them clearly.
He then scoffed at the black Yong approaching him.

The first black Yong had already been destroyed by the thunderbolt. The second black Yong opened its jaws and charged forward the same way.
The White Star sneered and received the attack.

"Come at me! Keep attacking! I will des-"

However, he could not finish his sentence.

Inside the open black Yong's mouth…
A very small power that had been hidden by the large powers was inside the Yong's mouth.
It was so faint and only as thick as a needle.

"When-!"

The White Star started to frown.

Inside the open black Yong's mouth…
Was a thin blue spear. The black Yong charged into the thunderbolt with the blue spear.

Crackle, crackle!

That tiny power dug into the thunderbolt. It created a tiny gap and continued to push forward.

This spear that was so small that even the White Star did not notice had a strong water power that had been condensed over and over.
The power that had been hiding inside the black Yong slowly started to reveal its true appearance as it aimed for a single location.

The spear created a single dot.
That dot then created a line until the blue spear finally created a path to the White Star's body.

"S, shit-!"

The White Star tried to block the spear.
Gold and black mana wrapped around the White Star's thunderbolt-covered legs at that moment. The black Yong used its body to wrap around the White Star's upper body.

Siiiiiizzle. Siiiiiiiizzzzle!

The gold and black manas and the black Yong held onto the White Star's limbs as best as they could even as they became destroyed.

"U, ugh, no!"

The blue spear that had created the path was heading for the White Star's heart.
The White Star then noticed Cale who was leaning on Choi Han. Cale's cold eyes that were glaring at the White Star even as he coughed up blood seemed to desire the White Star's death.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang-

A loud explosion occurred.
People could see the black clouds covering the sky slowly disperse.
They then realized that dawn had arrived.

Now that the clouds were gone… The black sky turned dark blue as it slowly headed toward morning.

The explosion had ended, and…

Plop.

Something was falling from the sky.

"How disappointing."

Cale had an emotionless stare as he stared at the White Star who managed to destroy the two Dragons and Choi Han's powers as well as block the blue spear that was aiming for his heart.

The White Star's left arm had been ripped off by the blue spear and fell to the ground.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]