Chapter 684

Splash!

Ogram's fist struck the White Blood Religion’s leader, causing her head to explode in a shower of white blood. Her body disappeared, as if it had never existed to begin with.

“How impatient.”

The White Blood Religion’s leader reappeared in her original state from a puddle of blood twenty steps away. The crimson blood rippled out into a white color as her feet touched it.

Her face resembled that of a saintess, but her black pupils contained only a sinister, sultry aura filled with the stench of blood.

“A blood clone.” Ogram furrowed his brow, shaking the white blood off his hand.

‘It still looked incomplete the last time I saw it. Did she complete it since then?’

Blood Clone was a martial art that allowed the user’s body to escape while leaving blood behind, just like a snake shedding its skin.

It was still crude the last time, allowing him to cause damage to her internally, but the White Blood Religion’s leader had perfectly escaped his punch. Ogram recognized that the White Blood Religion’s leader had perfectly recovered her previous realm—and had advanced further, at that.

However, there’s no reason to be afraid. After all, he had also gotten stronger, even more than her.

“Did you feel the difference?” The White Blood Religion’s leader curled her lips up into a faint smile. “I don’t need to run away from you anymore.”

She stretched her hand to the right side, and a shrouded figure clad from head to toe in a red coat handed her a pair of gloves. Ogram could sense that he was even more powerful than an apostle.

“You know about this, right?” The White Blood Religion’s leader pointed at him with her chin, wearing the gloves given to her by the man. “Your friend treasured it, after all.”

She curled her lips into a smile as if she were laughing at Ogram.

“The White Hawk Gauntlets.”

Ogram bit his lip to the point of bleeding while looking at the gloves that had the symbol of a hawk on them. The white gloves she was wearing was a legendary artifact, capable of amplifying the owner’s energy and even allowing them to catch astral energy with their bare hands.

It was also a treasure that belonged to his best friend, Bellon, the king of the Khal Kingdom.

‘Bellon…’

Bellon had offered to give Ogram the White Hawk Gauntlets, but he had refused, saying that a weakling needed good equipment, at least.

Seeing that the item filled with memories of his friend was in the villainess’s hands made his blood boil, almost grilling his insides.

“The White Hawk Gauntlets are definitely special. However…” Ogram raised his gaze. He clenched his fist, glaring at the black eyes of the White Blood Religion’s leader.

“It won’t be able to save you!” He roared, rushing at the White Blood Religion’s leader from the right side.

Cring!

The white blood flowing on the land turned into sharp spikes, shooting up at him. The spikes were large enough to pierce his entire body, not just his foot.

Whaam!

Ogram advanced, destroying the entire spike by covering his foot with aura.

‘I need to calm down.’

His eyes were shining furiously, but he was suppressing his boiling emotions. Physical condition and mental stability were even more important than sheer strength when it came to a battle between Transcenders. He was going to take a serious amount of damage if he rushed into battle in an agitated state.

“Hmph.”

The White Blood Religion’s leader’s black eyes followed him. She was predicting his movements instead of using her sight to track him. She immediately created an invisible barrier of bloody energy.

“A futile effort!”

Blood was flowing down her barrier, and Ogram thrust his fist at it.

Thud!

A yellow radiance occurred in front of his unshakable fist, destroying the barrier of bloody energy and pushing back the body of the White Blood Religion’s leader.

It was the Hundred Palm Piercing Fist, a deadly strike that came from a distance.

“You are so damn strong, just like always.” The leader of the White Blood Religion was thrown back violently, furrowing her brow. “As expected of the strongest body among the Six Kings and the Five Demons.

Her trembling wrist suggested that the inside of her body was damaged.

“Don’t be mistaken.” Ogram narrowed his eyes and followed her as she was being thrown back. “I don’t simply have the strongest body. I’m just the strongest.”

“It looks like even your head has become as hard as a stone.”

The White Blood Religion’s leader spread her fingers while snorting. A net of light as white as a magnolia appeared from her hand, blocking Ogram’s path.

Whaam!

Ogram advanced even faster toward the White Blood Religion’s leader’s bloody energy rushing towards him and smashed it with his fist. The formless punch ruthlessly destroyed the wave of bloody energy.

However, he couldn’t avoid being injured in the process, the huge amount of bloody energy tearing through his skin.

‘I’ll finish her off as quickly as possible.’

There was another villain inside the village that was as powerful as an apostle. It was necessary to defeat the White Blood Religion’s leader quickly in order to save the tribe.

Ogram didn’t care about his wounds. He dashed forward without hesitation and thrust the fist that he’d pulled back in advance, aiming for the White Blood Religion’s leader’s bloody energy.

Whaaam!

The barrier of bloody energy that the White Blood Religion's leader had unleashed with both hands shattered, and her shoulder was crushed like crumpling paper.

“It’s over.” Ogram accelerated even further. His fist followed the White Blood Religion’s leader, even faster than sound.

“Who do you think you are?” The White Blood Religion’s leader laughed coldly and raised the back of her hand. White lines emerged from the tips of her fingers one after the other. It almost looked like an entire bottle of white ink had dropped onto the canvas of reality.

Whaam!

Ogram lowered his brow while looking at his fist, which had been blocked by the bloody energy. It looked like the Tidebreaker didn’t manage to reach the White Blood Religion’s leader because the bloody energy was too thick.

“You should be aware…” The White Blood Religion’s leader smiled from behind the transparent wall of bloody energy. “Just like you have the strongest body, my bloody energy is the best among the Six Kings and the Five Demons.”

She gestured with her hand, and a huge wave of bloody energy rushed toward Ogram.

Wham!

Ogram lifted his fists, standing his ground.

‘I shouldn’t dodge this attack.’

The White Blood Religion’s leader had a practically infinite amount of bloody energy. He had to withstand the blow because it would be difficult to close the distance again if he withdrew.

He clenched his fist and channeled his willpower. He unleashed the Explosive Lotus Fist’s special technique toward the approaching bloody energy.

Whaaaam!

The frontal clash between the bloody energy and punch tore the land apart, making the sky howl. Ogram furrowed his brow while looking at the white bloody energy that was being refilled endlessly.

‘Seriously, her bloody energy at least…’

The amount of energy possessed by the White Blood Religion’s leader was higher than everyone else because she’d been sucking the blood of countless people. Even Glenn Zieghart or Derus Robert wouldn’t have been able to match her in terms of sheer amount of bloody energy.

“Thousand Dance of Blood.”

The White Blood Religion’s leader didn’t miss the opportunity, spreading her hands. A huge tidal wave surged from behind her—as if the land had turned into an ocean.

“Be buried in white blood and perish.”

The white wave of blood gushed down onto Ogram’s head.

‘Now.’

In that instant, yellow lightning erupted from Ogram’s eyes. He stopped his consecutive punches and focused his aura on his right hand.

Whir!

Ogram thrust his weakly clenched fist toward the white wave covering the entire sky and land. His brown aura slowly subsided, creating a colorless radiance.

Whaaam!

The white wave was shattered into pieces alongside a tremendous shockwave.

“Hmm…” Ogram groaned quietly. Crimson blood gushed from his mouth, the wounds on his shoulder and chest inflicted by her bloody energy opening up again.

“How thoughtless.” The White Blood Religion’s leader curled her lips into a deep sneer. “With such a simple way of fighting—Cough!”

White blood gushed from her mouth in the middle of her speech. “Wh-what’s happening?!”

The White Blood Religion’s leader’s eyes widened. She was unable to understand why she was coughing up blood.

‘Even for the Tidebreaker, how could it damage me through the bloody energy…?’

She was aware of Ogram’s Tidebreaker. It was the Beast King’s specialty, consisting of damaging the inside of the body through aura.

She’d been maintaining a thick barrier of bloody energy to avoid his Tidebreaker and had even filled her body with bloody energy. She couldn’t believe that she was injured inside despite everything she’d done.

‘No, wait… Is this really an internal injury?’

It would’ve been strange if it was an internal injury when she didn’t feel any pain in her organs or body.

Her mind was what received the damage. Her head and upper energy center were aching to the point that she just wanted to collapse.

“No… The soul?” The White Blood Religion’s leader looked at Ogram with a trembling chin.

“Correct.” Ogram shook off his fist while nodding his head.

“The ultimate Tidebreaker doesn’t simply stop at breaking through aura. It can even harm the soul.”

His eyes gleamed with a lethal intensity.

“It’s the hard counter for evil spirits like you who switch between bodies.”

Ogram leaped into the White Blood Religion’s space, activating Tidebreaker. He seemed to be planning to take that opportunity to finish her off.

“Kuh…”

The White Blood Religion’s leader rapidly gained distance, but Ogram’s movements were even faster.

Whack!

Ogram’s punch struck the White Blood Religion’s leader’s waist.

“Kuah…!”

She fell back while activating a shield of bloody energy, but the damage from Tidebreaker made her spit up thick blood again. Her complexion gradually turned pale.

“It’s over.” Ogram clenched his fist, his eyes glowing with a murderous will.

“Stop talking nonsense!” The White Blood Religion’s leader put her hands together while coughing up blood, and a white goddess manifested behind her.

The goddess opening her eyes had fifty arms, three eyes, and skin as white as a snow field. Crimson blood was flowing from her three eyes.

“The Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish.”

Ogram didn’t panic even though he’d witnessed the grotesque figure standing behind her.

“There’s nothing in the world that Tidebreaker can’t break through.”

“Shut up!”

The White Blood Religion’s leader put her hands together once again, and a snow-white lotus appeared on the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish’s hand.

A tremendous amount of bloody energy blazed, creating a huge fissure on the land.

Wham!

Ogram charged at the wave of bloody energy covering his entire vision.

‘I can see it.’

He could sense the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish’s movements as if he had it in his grasp. The White Blood Religion’s leader was unable to properly utilize the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish, panicked by Tidebreaker.

Rumble!

He dodged the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish’s palm strike with a paper-thin difference and focused his aura and willpower on his left fist.

‘I’ll finish her off in one fell swoop.’

The White Blood Religion’s leader had the ability to seize another person’s body. It was necessary to annihilate her soul right away.

Whaam!

He deflected its last strike, the White Blood Palm Strike, with the back of his hand and broke through the barrier of bloody energy.

“Kuh…”

The White Blood Religion’s leader was watching with trembling lips, shocked by how easily he managed to break through the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish.

‘Perfect.’

He had blocked all directions where the White Blood Religion’s leader could potentially try to escape. He just had to thrust his fist to kill the vampire in front of him.

Whoosh!

Just as Ogram gritted his teeth and started to thrust his fist, the energy of death sparked from behind him.

Slash!

His left arm, infused with aura, passed through his vision, hanging upside down.

Tap!

His left arm dropped to the ground like a marionette on a broken string, and the White Blood Religion’s leader executed her bloody palm strike with a smile on her face.

Whaack!

The palm strike infused with bloody energy struck him before he could even defend himself, sending him flying backward.

Ogram’s chin trembled as he coughed up darkened blood. Red blood was gushing from his left shoulder like a fountain.

“What…?” He still couldn’t understand the situation.

“Your reaction is so slow. I should’ve acted faster if the Beast King only amounts to this much.”

A man stood up from the darkness surrounding them. The tall man gave off a relaxed and frivolous impression. However, his face stood out the most. He was wearing a blue dragon helmet, shimmering under the starlight.

“Wh-who are you?”

Ogram bit his lip while holding his shoulder. He still couldn’t sense his presence too well even though he was right in front of him. Even though he was focused on the White Blood Religion’s leader, he shouldn’t have gone unnoticed until his arm was cut off. Ogram had never heard or seen anyone like that before.

“There’s no reason to introduce myself to someone who is heading to his grave.” A frivolous laugh escaped from the man in the dragon helmet as he mocked Ogram. “It’s partly because I don’t have a name yet, though.”

“......”

Ogram bit his lip, meeting the eyes inside the dragon helmet.

‘He isn’t the Heavenly Demon.’

The Heavenly Demon also wore a dragon helmet, but the color was different. He definitely wasn’t the Heavenly Demon—he was a new enemy.

‘He isn’t from Eden either.’

The way he was speaking made it clear that he wasn’t from Eden. If someone like him was in Eden, they would’ve had three factions instead of two.

“So, are you trying to kill me to gain a name and fame for yourself?”

“No.” The man wearing the dragon helmet shook his head, saying that he wasn’t interested in anything like that. “I’ll get a name when I slay an even more important figure.”

He laughed, saying that someone like Ogram couldn’t serve that purpose.

“You bastard…”

“Do you know why I was going after you?”

“What do you mean?” Ogram asked.

He was trying to buy some time to drive out the energy stuck in his shoulder, but the enemy’s aura was sticking to him like a shadow, making it difficult to get rid of. It almost felt like the energy of death was dwelling inside of him.

“The Suran tribe and the Khal Kingdom.” The man wearing the dragon helmet raised his fingers one by one. “You acted alone when those two places were in a crisis. You can only do that because you have an overwhelming confidence in your own strength. That’s why you became my first target.”

His eyes shimmered with a ghastly light.

“It’s easier to hunt down an angry boar than a rabbit.”

“Are you really resorting to a surprise attack despite how powerful you are? Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?” Ogram ground his teeth, glaring at the dragon helmet and the White Blood Religion’s leader one after the other.

“......”

The White Blood Religion’s leader averted her gaze slightly, showing that she was feeling embarrassed. However, the man wearing the dragon helmet was different.

“What is shame?” The man in the dragon helmet giggled.

“Hmm…” Ogram felt goosebumps rise on his skin as the mocking laughter echoed from within the helmet.

‘What’s wrong with him…?’

The Transcenders were extremely prideful of the fact that they’d reached their realm. They were usually ashamed if someone else interfered with their battle, but the man in front of him didn’t seem proud at all despite being more powerful than the White Blood Religion’s leader.

He didn’t seem to be bluffing. He seemed to truly believe that a surprise attack was a natural thing to do. Ogram couldn’t understand how a person like that managed to reach his realm.

“You’ve had enough time, haven't you?”

The man wearing the dragon helmet casually nodded his head. He must’ve been aware that Ogram had been eliminating the energy stuck inside his body while buying time for it.

“Yes.”

Ogram lowered the hand that was holding his shoulder. A formless wave of energy blazed from all over his body like the heat haze of a volcano. It was a display of his resolve to face death head-on.

“You could’ve just killed him right away!” The White Blood Religion’s leader furrowed her brow.

"This level of consideration is only natural, given that we're taking down a star from the sky right now." The man in the dragon helmet twirled the wrist attached to the hand holding the sword, saying that it was a meaningless struggle anyway.

“You’re just adding more work!”

The White Blood Religion’s leader put her hands together, and the Goddess of the Blood Devouring Anguish standing behind her emanated a huge amount of bloody energy once again.

“Hmm.”

The man in the dragon helmet casually nodded, holding his pitch-dark sword in a reverse grip.

Ogram bit the tip of his tongue while looking at the White Blood Religion’s leader and the man in the dragon helmet.

‘I can do it.’

Glenn Zieghart had driven away the White Blood Religion’s leader and the Fallen at the same time. He could do even better than him since he had unleashed Tidebreaker’s potential to the extreme.

Swoosh!

The Goddess of the Blood Devouring Anguish unleashed a huge storm of bloody energy, and a blade of death rushed towards him, shattering the space on its path. It almost looked like white and black tidal waves rising from the horizon were assaulting him.

Whaam!

Ogram stomped the ground with his left foot. He unleashed Tidebreaker toward the black and white waves, which were brimming with bloody energy and energy of death. His fist created a gigantic fissure in the world.

Whaaaam!

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Harley]