The collision of fire swords and the whirlwind created a magnificent spectacle. Flames scattered in all directions, and the swirling winds lost their course, bouncing erratically.

The fusion of fire and wind formed a scene so mesmerizing that it could be called beautiful. It was like witnessing a grand natural phenomenon.

However, separate from that, Sungshik spat out a thin stream of blood from his mouth.

“Kuhk.”

The price of using excessive power beyond his limits. Because of this, Sungshik suffered internal injuries. But by paying that price, he secured a more certain opportunity to create an opening.

Right now, Sa Docheon was expending all his strength to block the fire swords. His concentration was wavering—this was the perfect chance.

‘Can I do it?’

No. Even questioning it was a luxury. It wasn’t about whether he could—it was a situation where he had to do it.

Sungshik focused his mind. He activated his trait, ‘Shadow Swamp,’ in its literal form.

Ssss.

At the very moment when Sa Docheon was too preoccupied blocking the fire swords, the shadow beneath his feet began to ripple, spreading like ink in water until it formed a puddle.

The instant he sensed something was off, Sa Docheon’s feet sank into the shadowy puddle up to his ankles.

“Urk…!”

Thrown off balance, Sa Docheon’s concentration faltered, and the whirlwind he had been unleashing wavered as well.

Thunk—

“Kugh.”

Because of that, one of the few remaining fire swords bypassed the storm and lodged itself into Sa Docheon’s body. The point of impact was his left thigh. The fire sword didn’t just stop there—it erupted into flames, engulfing his leg.

“Guhhh…”

A groan escaped from the searing pain of burning flesh. Realizing that staying still would be dangerous, Sa Docheon tried to retreat, but it wasn’t easy. The shadow puddle that had engulfed his ankles extended tendrils that tightly wrapped around his calves.

It was a true swamp of shadows. Once a foot was stepped in, it relentlessly ensnared its victim, refusing to let go.

However, this was merely a means to buy a brief moment. Against Sa Docheon’s 7-star+ level physique, this alone was far from enough to hold him down.

“Cursed trickery—”

Sa Docheon unleashed his full strength in rage.

And at that very moment, Sungshik’s eyes gleamed. The brief opening exposed when Sa Docheon released his power—this was the moment he had been waiting for.

“Shadow Movement.”

Sungshik’s body vanished as if sinking into darkness. His vision momentarily flipped, turning pitch black, and when it cleared, Sa Docheon’s back was in front of him.

Seeing Sungshik appear behind him, Sa Docheon’s expression twisted in shock. In that instant, he realized—

“This technique is—”

The power consuming his feet, the sensation he had found oddly familiar even in the chaos—now, seeing Sungshik travel through the shadows to his back, he understood the origin of this ability.

“Xiaoguang’s…”

However, Sa Docheon couldn’t finish his sentence. The moment he sensed an explosion of light from Sungshik’s hand, his consciousness faded into darkness.

As the light burst from Sungshik’s hand, Sa Docheon instinctively realized—this moment was his end. His past flashed before his eyes like a racing lantern.

Sa Docheon had always had a soft heart. That was why, even before his regression, he had cared for Xiaoguang despite his own struggles.

Even after gaining power thanks to Xiaoguang, nothing had changed. He had felt bitter about having no choice but to kill Ken when facing Shiriya Ken. When he met Yun Gardes afterward, he had hesitated to go all out against him.

And it was the same now. He never enjoyed staining his hands with blood, yet he had come here for Xiaoguang’s revenge.

Even while fighting Sungshik, he hadn’t fought with his full strength. That was one of the reasons why Sungshik had managed to hold his own against a 7-star+ superhuman like him.

‘I have no regrets.’

He had always known that his soft heart would one day lead to this moment. Perhaps he had never truly been suited for the path of a superhuman.

‘I have no lingering attachments. Except…’

A red-haired boy he had recently taken in came to mind. The boy, who had seemed to have lost his smile, reminded him of his own younger self, which made him care for him even more.

The gift he had prepared for the boy’s coming-of-age ceremony—his one regret was not being able to give it to him in person.

It would have been nice to see the boy smile, at least once. That was his final thought before Sa Docheon’s consciousness faded completely.

Thud.

The lower half of Sa Docheon’s body collapsed backward, his upper body completely erased.

Shudder.

Sungshik’s hands still trembled from the aftershock of his final attack.

“…That was incredible.”

He couldn’t find the words as he looked at what remained of Sa Docheon—no, more accurately, what had once been Sa Docheon. His attack had erased his upper body and continued skyward, piercing through the clouds themselves.

The final technique he had used after moving behind Sa Docheon with Shadow Movement—the ‘Amplification’ skill embedded in the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

And the sixth form of the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts—Piercing the Heavens, Flashing Thunder Spear.

Originally, Piercing the Heavens was a technique that maximized a single thrust, like a lightning-fast stab—an ultimate pinpoint attack that could pierce the sky itself.

The technique was certainly powerful, but under normal circumstances, the strength of a 7-star Sungshik would never have been enough to reach the heavens. At the very least, one would need to be at the level of an 8-star or higher to unleash such power.

However, the ‘Amplification’ skill bridged that gap, making such an outcome possible.

―Didn’t I tell you? Do you now understand just how incredible it is to amplify a skill?

That’s right. He had once been disappointed, thinking, ‘Is this really only usable once a month?’ Back then, Heaven-Splitter had said those words to him.

“I admit I was wrong. This is no joke.”

Sungshik had used Piercing the Heavens countless times while training in the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts after reaching 7-star. That was why he knew better than anyone—this was far beyond its normal power.

At the same time, he imagined what might happen if he applied Amplification to other skills.

‘Even if I only used it on the fire swords just now…’

Its power was beyond estimation. It was to the point where it could undoubtedly be used as a ‘finishing move.’

“It’s a shame I can only use it once a month.”

Once every three days. No, even if it were just once a week.

—Your greed is excessive. Remember that amplifying power to this extent already bends causality.

“Tch, I know. I was just saying.”

Heo Sungshik said that before stepping forward toward Sa Docheon’s corpse.

—You can acquire the trait ‘[SSS Rank] Ruler of the Wind.’ Do you wish to obtain it?

[SSS Rank] Ruler of the Wind. It was the wind-manipulating trait that Sa Docheon had possessed. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

—Consuming...

—Congratulations! You have obtained ‘[SSS Rank] Ruler of the Wind.’

At that moment, Heo Sungshik felt as though he could control the surrounding wind at will.

Swish.

The breeze that had been gently blowing toward him suddenly curved to the side at his gesture.

This time, he opened his left palm and focused.

Whoosh—

A small whirlwind began forming in the center of his palm.

—Ho, the power of traits is truly fascinating.

Heaven-Splitter let out a small exclamation. It was understandable. To Heaven-Splitter, controlling the forces of nature was something that normally required surpassing the Flower Realm and reaching the Manifestation Realm.

However, these superhumans could easily perform what seemed like miracles by borrowing the power of ‘traits.’

“Well, that’s the nature of traits.”

Heo Sungshik chuckled at Heaven-Splitter. Even though he had already demonstrated control over fire, ice, shadows, and countless other forces, Heaven-Splitter still found it remarkable every time.

‘I gained quite a lot this time.’

The battle with Sa Docheon had been a critical juncture. He believed his victory was only possible because his opponent had been holding back. If not, the one lying on the ground could very well have been him.

[SSS Rank] Ruler of the Wind
—The power to rule over wind
—Freely manipulate the wind within your sphere of influence
—Removes limitations on acquiring wind-related skills
—Wind Affinity +30 / Wind Resistance +30

As expected, it was a power that allowed him to control the wind. His affinity and resistance to wind had also significantly increased.

The first thing that came to mind after obtaining this trait was, of course, the skill ‘Wind Scar.’ The ‘Wind Scar’ skill, which had unknowingly become his main offensive technique, would now be greatly enhanced with the ‘Ruler of the Wind’ trait.

‘I want to try it right away.’

Though he wanted to test it immediately, his body was in rough shape. Moreover, considering the commotion he had caused, there was a high likelihood that others had noticed the battle, even if this location was remote. Leaving as soon as possible seemed the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble.

‘By the way, this ‘Basic Heal’ is quite useful.’

Heo Sungshik’s [E Rank] Basic Heal. He had been using it since the battle ended, and its effects were surprisingly good. The minor cuts and scratches all over his body had already begun healing.

The +30 Light Affinity seemed to be playing a significant role. At this level, he could probably pass as a low-rank healer.

‘Should I try becoming a Paladin?’

If he purchased a few light-attribute skills, it wouldn’t be impossible.

‘Especially with the Manifestation trait I just acquired.’

If he could use Manifestation to materialize divine magic, becoming a Paladin seemed entirely feasible.

[SSS Rank] Attribute Manifestation
—The power to manifest attributes at will, known as Manifestation
—Allows for more efficient control of attribute-based abilities
—No limitation on what can be manifested

He hadn’t noticed during the battle, but upon checking afterward, he had been shocked. The power of Manifestation, which he had learned from Heaven-Splitter, had now become a formalized trait.

—I never imagined Manifestation could be categorized as a trait. I am truly curious about the one who created this system.

Heaven-Splitter was amazed because he had glimpsed the essence of the system.

The ‘system’ governing this world’s laws. This system wasn’t just a framework; it directly influenced the laws of reality.

Since Manifestation was a power understood by the system, it had been analyzed and converted into a trait, granting it to Heo Sungshik. The ability to interfere with the world’s laws was something only a Creator God or a top-tier divine being could achieve.

Heaven-Splitter seemed to have realized something about the nature of the system.

“I’ve always wondered about it too—who created this system?”

After briefly discussing the system with Heaven-Splitter, Heo Sungshik burned the remains of Sa Docheon’s lower half with fire before leaving.

As expected, there were a few people who had witnessed the battle from afar.

[Title: A meteor just fell in Yangyang, Gangwon-do.]
[The evening sky suddenly lit up, and when I looked up, I saw what looked like a shooting star falling in the distance.]
└I saw it too, but that wasn’t a shooting star.
└Then what was it?
└I checked with a telescope. It wasn’t a shooting star, it was a sword made of fire.
└A sword made of fire?
└Yeah.

[Title: Posting a video of the meteor in Yangyang’s sky just now.]
[If you zoom in, you can see the shape of a sword.]
└Wow, that’s real. Crazy.
└Was this a superhuman using magic?
└If it was magic, how high of a rank would someone need to do that?
└7-Star? 8-Star? Either way, that’s world-class level.
└Insane. What the hell was that?

The event spread rapidly across online communities.

Photos of a fire sword filling the sky. A giant beam of light shooting from the ground into the sky. These images fueled countless rumors.

And the news reached Revolutionary Knights as well.

Sa Docheon had hated being followed, so he never had subordinates with him.

Among Revolutionary Knights, Sa Docheon was considered one of the strongest. Since he was a completely different type of superhuman compared to Li Xiaoguang, no one had expected him to lose.

That was why Revolutionary Knights only learned about his defeat belatedly.

“What? Sa Docheon lost?!”