Shwaaak!

Sungshik’s Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword flew toward her neck. Judging by her wide eyes, as big as lanterns, she hadn't anticipated this situation at all.

‘Got her.’

Seeing her frozen in place, unable to react, he thought his surprise attack had worked.

Vrrrnnng.

At that moment, light emanated from the black crystal necklace she was wearing, forming a protective barrier around her.

Crack—

The Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword was blocked by the barrier. Her shield was even stronger than he had expected.

‘No way… I even imbued it with Heaven-Splitting energy, and it still got blocked?’

Momentarily flustered by the unexpected outcome, Sungshik’s body moved on its own, transitioning into the next attack.

‘Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts, Third Form—Defence Breaking.’

Crack-crack—

The barrier cracked all over, yet it still managed to withstand even Defence Breaking. Its defensive power was astonishing. However, it had reached the point where it could no longer serve its purpose as a shield.

“N-no way… How did you nearly break a [Legendary]-grade barrier…?”

Han Eunyeong’s startled voice trembled as she finally came to her senses.

‘Legendary grade? Damn it, no wonder it was so disgustingly tough.’

Despite his casual words, it was a shocking feat. In just two strikes, he had nearly destroyed a barrier manifested from a [Legendary]-grade artifact.

If it had been any other 6-star Superhuman, they would never have been able to break it so easily. This was only possible because Sungshik was fundamentally on a different level. Although it sounded like a long explanation, in reality, these consecutive attacks had taken place in the span of a single breath.

He intended to continue his onslaught, but unfortunately, Han Eunyeong had regained her composure and quickly created a dark mana sphere to keep him in check, widening the distance between them.

“You were hiding your power, weren’t you?”

Her voice had become as cold as ice, dripping with killing intent.

“Where are you from? Could it be… Revolution Knight? Did you come from there?”

She seemed to have entirely misunderstood, believing Sungshik had approached her with the deliberate intention of assassinating her.

‘Revolution Knight, huh… So they’ve already made a move?’

Judging by the situation, it seemed Revolution Knight had already caught wind of Han Eunyeong and attempted to make contact.

“Yeah. I came from Revolution Knight.”

He decided to bluff. There was no harm in pretending.

“Kikikikik! So in the end, your people have succeeded in controlling that, haven’t you? Seeing as you’ve come to eliminate me… That must mean I’m no longer necessary.”

Her pupils suddenly turned blood-red, and a storm of berserk energy began to surge.

But more than her transformation, what she said was what caught Sungshik’s attention.

‘Controlling that…? What is she talking about?’

He didn’t know what exactly she meant, but one thing was clear.

‘Lena, those bastards have done something again, haven’t they?’

His thoughts didn’t last long. Han Eunyeong had begun to unleash her true power.

“First Army, answer my call.”

Vrrrnnng.

Countless unknown symbols and sigils began engraving themselves in midair. Sungshik immediately recognized them.

‘Summoning magic circle for the Army of Death.’

Before his regression, during the Night Trial, he had witnessed her battle once. Countless magic circles had appeared in the air at her call, and from within them, the Army of Death had poured forth, sweeping away the monsters in their path. That scene had left such a deep impression on him that it still lingered in his mind.

And now, that very same magic circle was forming in the air.

‘This is going to be fun.’

He licked his lips, moistening them. Though the scale was pitifully small compared to what he had seen back then, the thought of going up against a power that would one day be written in legend sent a rush of adrenaline through his veins.

‘I really must be a battle junkie.’

The thought of how he had managed to suppress this instinct before his regression made him chuckle.

Crack.

“…You’re still able to laugh? Very well. I shall show you why I am called the Witch of Hallasan.”

Misinterpreting his amusement, Han Eunyeong’s aura grew even more ferocious.

Gueeegh— Kieeeeh—

A horrifying chorus of wails erupted as countless undead materialized. Before he knew it, her once spacious room, large enough to rival an average hall, was now completely filled with her Army of Death. At the same time, she chanted incantations, buffing the undead with all sorts of enhancements.

This was what made her so terrifying. Unlike ordinary summoners, the reason she would one day ascend to the 11 Star Constellations wasn’t just because of the strength of her summoned undead army. It was because her buffing abilities were immensely powerful as well.

From Skeleton Knights to Wraiths, and even Black Knights. The red aura wrapping around them suggested that their combat capabilities had been amplified at least twofold.

Sungshik simply stared blankly at the spectacle.

“Are you done?”

He smirked. “Then take this.”

With those words, he poured his power into the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

Chhhhhh—

A faint breeze seemed to stir from the blade.

Then, gripping the sword with both hands, he raised it high above his head. The previously faint wind now visibly surged around the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, writhing violently.

And then, with a diagonal slash, he muttered:

“Wind Scar.”

Fwoooosh—

From the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, blades of wind imbued with Heaven-Splitting’s power burst forth.

Yongho guild member Park Geonwoo. A newly promoted 4-star Superhuman, he had managed to pass the entrance test for the prestigious Yongho guild by sheer luck, securing a spot as a new recruit.

That had been just three months ago. Now, the Yongho guild had become a source of pride and honor in his life. After all, he had joined one of the top-ranking guilds in the country.

Though he still carried the air of a newcomer, he performed his duties with enthusiasm. While others would slack off during their shifts, thinking, “Nothing ever happens anyway,” he would diligently patrol the guild grounds on foot, fulfilling his responsibilities with sincerity.

Today was no different. As part of his shift, he was patrolling the Yongho guild’s territory. As the undisputed ruler of Jeju Island, the Yongho guild owned an estate spanning over ten thousand pyeong. Thoroughly patrolling such a vast area was an exhausting task.

In truth, he knew that he didn’t have to patrol so rigorously. The place was already secured with CCTV and numerous magical traps.

‘Still, it’s my duty.’

Driven by his own sense of fulfillment, he continued his patrol. The sun was beginning to set, and if he didn’t complete his rounds now, it would be even more tiring in the dark.

As he happened to pass by Han Eunyeong’s residence, a familiar question arose in his mind.

‘She may be the guild Master's sister, but… her house is bigger than his.’

The building she occupied on the premises was the largest among the guild’s structures. It seemed excessive for just one person.

Because of this, eerie rumors occasionally spread that there was a confinement room in the basement of that building. Whispers claimed that handsome male superhumans had been kidnapped and imprisoned there.

‘I guess it’s lucky I’m ugly.’

Every time he passed by, he felt a small sense of relief about his uniquely shaped face.

As usual, he was passing by Han Eunyeong’s mansion.

‘It feels even more unsettling today.’

He had always felt an inexplicable chill when walking past this place, but today, the unease was particularly strong.

‘This doesn’t feel right… I should hurry home today.’

Nearby, there were buildings where regular guild members resided. He reassured himself that, no matter what happened, they would rush over if necessary. But despite that, he could never quite get used to the ominous feeling he got whenever he passed this area.

‘A hot soup would be nice. I should go home and make some ramen.’

Just as he was thinking about slurping down the warm broth to shake off the chill—

Gruuuuh.

‘Huh?’

He thought he heard a roaring sound in the distance.

‘Did I imagine that?’

As he tilted his head in confusion—

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

“Gah!”

He saw it happen before his very eyes. One side of Han Eunyeong’s building was destroyed, and from the wreckage, countless blades of wind burst forth.

“Kyaaah—!”

Han Eunyeong was bewildered. Since becoming a superhuman, this was the first time her summoned army of darkness had been torn apart so easily.

The undead she had summoned ranged from 4-star to 6-star. Among them, three Black Knights stood at 6-star rank. With her buffs applied, they weren’t quite Death Knights, but at the very least, they were on par with 6-star+ elite Black Knights.

Yet, in mere moments, they were indiscriminately shredded apart. If she hadn’t quickly layered her shields and had her first battalion of undead block the attack, she too would have been ripped to pieces.

The realization drained the color from her face.

“You… you… what… what is… this…?”

She was so shocked that she didn’t even realize she was stammering.

Watching her, Heo Sungshik took a deep breath.

‘Hoo…’

Recalling the sensation of using Wind Scar back when he was at 7-star rank, he had unleashed it with all his strength. The gap between 6-star and 7-star was now painfully clear to him. Even though he had expended more energy this time, the destructive power was significantly lacking.

‘And the energy drain is too severe.’

It felt as though his entire body’s mana had been depleted in an instant. The difference from when he had used it freely at 7-star rank was so great that it left him with a sense of disconnect.

‘Still, I’m satisfied with the result.’

Smirking, he looked at the now desolate battlefield where only Han Eunyeong remained.

“So, when exactly are you going to show me why they call you the ‘Witch of Hallasan’? Surely this isn’t all you’ve got, right?”

Having regained his composure, Heo Sungshik taunted her. His mocking words snapped her out of her daze, and her previously shaken eyes regained their murderous intent.

“You… you bastard… I’ll tear you to shreds.”

Her eyes filled with malice as she quickly muttered an incantation.

“Trying to summon more of those minions, huh?”

He thought she was about to call forth another undead army, but this time, what appeared was something entirely different.

Gugugugu—

From behind, a sound of something approaching rapidly could be heard.

“!”

Heo Sungshik’s eyes widened in shock as he saw figures emerging from within the mansion. It was a large group of male superhumans, all with vacant expressions, running toward him. Seeing them, Heo Sungshik cursed inwardly.

‘This crazy bitch… she’s already enslaved this many…?’

That’s right. The ones charging at him were living superhumans whose souls had been bound using the 0. He had expected that she might have a few subjugated superhumans, but he hadn’t imagined she had already enslaved dozens. A quick glance suggested there were well over fifty.

‘Insane bitch.’

Whipping his head around, he saw Han Eunyeong grinning maniacally, her eyes brimming with madness.

“Kikikiki, go ahead—why don’t you deal with them first?”

‘Shit.’

As the superhumans charged toward him, Heo Sungshik tightened his grip on the hilt of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

Even before his regression, he had killed before. Back then, there had been countless so-called demonic beings and self-proclaimed villains. In the era of great chaos, killing had been inevitable for survival.

But this—this was different. Cutting down dozens of potentially innocent people left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Still, there was no way he could sacrifice himself in their place. His hesitation in cutting them down would last only a fleeting moment.

‘This is the only kindness I can afford them.’

Allowing himself a brief moment of remorse—that was enough.

‘But…’

Instead of cutting them down, Heo Sungshik turned and charged straight at Han Eunyeong.

‘If I eliminate the host first…’

Indeed, his conclusion was a logical one. Fighting fifty superhumans head-on would be pointless when he could end the battle quicker by taking out Han Eunyeong first.

However, an unexpected variable arose.

“Wait, aren’t those…?”

“Gwangsu-hyung? That’s Gwangsu-hyung, isn’t it?!”

“Huh? Minsoo’s here too! Minsoo!”

The commotion of his battle with Han Eunyeong had drawn the attention of the Yongho guild’s guild members, who had now arrived at the scene.