Chapter 52

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 52

Beyond (2)

"What, what is that?"

The Awakeners who were fighting the monsters gaped at the transformed Choi Jongchul.

A monstrous creature with eight grotesque mouths, grasshopper arms, and a snake's lower body.

Although not particularly large in size, it emitted a bizarre aura that was far more violent than any other monster.

"Ugh! A human turning into a monster!"

"What the hell is this?!"

The Awakeners distorted their faces and raised their weapons.

They formed a circle around Choi Jongchul.

"Let's take him down first!!"

"He must be the boss!"

The Awakeners charged at the transformed Choi Jongchul.

Despite their considerable experience and skills from participating in the extermination operation, they were no match.

"Interfering? Trying to? Is that it?"

Choi Jongchul's gaze turned to the Awakeners.

-Boom!!!

"Aaaaah!!"

The snake's tail extended to dozens of meters and lashed out like a whip.

An Awakener who was struck by the tail screamed and flew away.

"Interfering? Don't? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?"

Crack!

The tail caught the flying Awakener.

The tip of the snake's tail pierced the Awakener's left chest.

"Keh! Keh!"

"Will you? Help me? Yeah? We need to? Kill that guy, right?"

The corner of Choi Jongchul's mouth twisted.

Whirr!

The black aura surrounding his body flowed into the Awakener's body through the tail.

"Keh! Cough! Rumble!!"

The Awakener's body swelled like a balloon, and soon sharp thorns began to sprout all over.

"Keh! Krraaah!!"

In less than ten seconds.

The Awakener who was caught by Choi Jongchul had transformed into a monster.

"Uaaaaah!!!"

"What, what is this!!! How, how can this be...!"

The Awakeners trembled in shock.

A monster that could turn humans into monsters.

It was a bizarre phenomenon they had never heard of.

"Kraaaaaah!!"

"Mincheol!! Snap out of it!!"

The transformed Awakener attacked another Awakener.

They seemed to know each other.

The attacked Awakener was at a loss and fumbled.

-Crunch!!

"Keh! Keh!!"

A fountain of blood spurted.

A terrifying scream echoed.

"Madman!"

"Run! Don't get caught by that tail!!"

The Awakeners shouted urgently.

But.

Swish!!

The snake's tail, split into five, targeted the Awakeners.

As time passed, the number of Awakeners caught by Choi Jongchul's tail gradually increased.

One, two.

The number of Awakeners decreased while the number of monsters increased.

'Damn it.'

O Jin gritted his teeth as he watched the increasing number of monsters.

'This is not good.'

If this continued, the increasing number of monsters would become uncontrollable.

He needed to kill Choi Jongchul as soon as possible.

But.

"Damn it."

O Jin looked down at his body, from which the blessing had disappeared.

The overwhelming sense of omnipotence he felt earlier was gone.

"Hmm."

He couldn't run away.

Even if he tried, Choi Jongchul would catch up quickly due to his mobility.

After all, Choi Jongchul was targeting him.

'I have to kill him here.'

But how?

"..."

O Jin's eyes sharpened as he observed Choi Jongchul, who was relentlessly attacking the Awakeners.

Specifically, he focused on the black aura flowing from his body.

'It's not just from that black orb.'

He turned his head to look at the city center where the black pillar had risen.

From the center of the collapse, black mist was slowly rising.

And the black aura rising from there.

'Is flowing into Choi Jongchul.'

Others might not notice, but O Jin, who could sense the power of the 'Black Star,' could see the aura flowing from the city center into Choi Jongchul.

'Then.'

O Jin gripped his spear roughly.

"O, O Jin!"

Haeun's urgent voice reached him.

"Quick, we need to kill that guy...!"

"Sis."

He grabbed her shoulder as she was about to charge at Choi Jongchul.

"I have a favor to ask."

"What? What favor in this situation!"

Haeun bit her lip anxiously.

"Do you see that black mist over there? Go there right now and destroy the source of that mist."

"...What about you, O Jin?"

"I need to stop him."

O Jin said, looking at the wildly thrashing Choi Jongchul.

After all, Choi Jongchul was targeting him.

Even if she escaped, he wouldn't chase her.

"..."

Haeun clenched her fist tightly.

A conflicted look appeared in her eyes.

She probably didn't want to leave him alone and go somewhere.

But if she were the Haeun he knew.

"Got it."

Yes.

That's our sis.

"I'll handle it."

In terms of sheer firepower, Haeun was far superior to O Jin, who had lost his blessing.

If she couldn't eliminate that black mist, it would be impossible for anyone to do so.

"Remember our promise? If you break it this time, I'll really be mad!"

Haeun turned and moved away.

"Promise."

Yes.

It's a promise with our sis, so it must be kept.

O Jin smiled and slowly walked towards Choi Jongchul.

"Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"

Creak.

Choi Jongchul's gaze turned to him.

A chilling aura sent shivers down his spine.

"What, so many questions?"

He raised his middle finger to provoke Choi Jongchul.

"Even your mom didn't know why she gave birth to you, so why would I?"

"Aaah. Aaaaaah!!"

Boom!

Choi Jongchul leaped forward.

The snake's tail extended and lashed out like a whip.

'A faint trace of intelligence remains.'

If he had completely lost his mind, he wouldn't react to provocation.

-Swoosh!

The sharp tip of the tail aimed at his head like a spear.

He barely dodged by bending his neck.

'Fast.'

Choi Jongchul's attacks were so fast and threatening that they were hard to follow with the eye.

'But.'

Compared to Reik, they were laughable.

-Boom!

The snake's tail struck the ground.

Cracks appeared in the stone.

O Jin focused mana in his legs.

Crack! Crack!

Blue lightning enveloped his calves and feet.

"Hmm."

He took a short breath and slid forward.

The distance closed.

The snake's tail, which had struck the ground, aimed at his back. He dodged with a forward roll and struck the ground with his spear, launching himself into the air.

He quickly moved behind Choi Jongchul and thrust the sharp tip of his spear at his back.

-Thud!

'Damn it.'

The spear tip bounced off the outer skin.

Pain shot through his palm.

Swish!

Choi Jongchul's arm, shaped like a giant scythe, struck down like a pickaxe.

'I can't block this.'

O Jin's expression hardened.

He had focused mana in his legs and couldn't spare attention for his arms.

If he were hit, he would be pushed back by the force.

-Crack!

"Ugh!!"

He detonated an explosion right in front of him.

The recoil sent his body flying.

"Trying to? Run? Again? Is that it?"

Choi Jongchul followed at a terrifying speed.

Before his flying body even landed, the eight split mouths opened wide and lunged at O Jin.

"Damn it!"

He cursed and reached out his hand.

Clang!

He narrowly avoided the attack using the wire shooter.

"Useless? Isn't it?"

Swoosh!

His body, pulled by the wire, was struck by the snake's tail.

-Smack!

"Keh!!"

A dizzying shock shook his entire body.

In the blink of an eye, the snake's tail wrapped around his body.

'Explosion!!'

As soon as the tail wrapped around him, he focused mana in his arms and used the explosion.

Crack!!

"Kyaahaaaah!!"

While Choi Jongchul writhed, O Jin slipped out of the loosened tail.

"Haa! Haa!"

His breathing became heavy.

'The attacks aren't working at all.'

He saw some signs of pain, but that was it.

The outer skin of Choi Jongchul, who had been hit directly by the explosion, didn't even show a scratch.

"Painful? Isn't it?"

Choi Jongchul's eyes glinted fiercely.

"Painful? It is!!"

Swish! Swish!

He swung his arms wildly.

The giant scythe-shaped arms split into dozens and rained down on O Jin.

'The arms can also transform, not just the tail!'

O Jin used the lightning feather to shoot at the split scythes.

Clang! Clang!

The lightning feathers deflected the scythes.

But.

"Ugh!"

O Jin rolled his body urgently.

A scythe he couldn't deflect grazed him.

Swish!

The side of his body split open, and blood flowed out.

'Not enough firepower.'

If he clashed head-on, he would surely lose.

Even if he dodged the attacks and aimed for vital points, he couldn't inflict significant damage.

'With the amount of mana I can use at once, there's no way I can kill him.'

Although he didn't have much time, he still had a considerable amount of mana left.

The problem was that he couldn't use it all at once.

It was like trying to draw water from a large tank with a thin hose; there was no way to generate enough firepower.

'What can I do...?'

His mind was in turmoil.

-Boom!!

"What? Thinking? So deeply? Why?"

"Ughhh!"

The relentless attacks.

They came so fast that he couldn't keep up.

"Damn it!!"

He could barely dodge.

He couldn't match Choi Jongchul in strength or speed.

'If only I still had the blessing!'

He wouldn't be this helpless—

"..."

O Jin shuddered as he continued his thoughts.

'When did I start thinking like this?'

To think of relying on someone else's power when cornered.

How pathetic.

"Hmm."

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

'Don't hope for a miracle.'

He knew, didn't he?

From the distant past, which he couldn't even remember.

Hadn't he felt it bone-deep?

'Focus.'

He recalled what he could do, what he had to do.

"Ha? Ha? Almost? At your limit?"

Choi Jongchul's taunt reached him.

He ignored it.

"Haa."

He exhaled heavily.

'The amount of mana I can release at once is limited.'

It wouldn't increase unless he raised the 'Holy' level of his scar.

'The way to increase the power of mana in that state is—.'

He thought.

"Ah."

A short exclamation.

O Jin's eyes sparkled.

If the pressure of water flowing from a hose wasn't satisfactory.

'Narrow the hose's opening.'

If he forcefully compressed the mana circuit, he could release more powerful mana with the same amount.

Forcing the mana circuit to compress.

If another Awakener heard this, they would be shocked, thinking it was a ridiculous idea.

'When did I start caring about such things?'

He smirked.

"Hmm."

He took a deep breath.

Crack! Crack!

He enveloped his left chest, where the mana circuit was concentrated, with lightning.

He compressed the mana circuit as if narrowing the hose's opening.

-Boom!!

"Keh!"

The sensation of being struck by a massive blunt object in the chest.

His back arched like a shrimp, and his body trembled violently.

"Ugh! Ughhhh!!!"

A dizzying pain.

He twisted his body, spitting out a lump of dark red blood.

'Painful.'

It hurt.

If he were to split his flesh and insert a thick hose, then turn the faucet to the maximum, would it feel like this?

The sensation of scalding hot oil tearing through his body instead of blood.

The terrible pain made his mind go blank.

'Painful, painful, painful, painful, painful!'

The pain was so intense that he felt like he would lose his mind.

More terrifying than the dozens of deaths he experienced in battle with Reik.

But.

"Cough! Keh! Ughhh!"

He endured.

He didn't stop.

Pain could be ignored.

Suffering could be endured.

If it could be solved by enduring.

It was nothing.

'Until now.'

There were only things that couldn't be solved by enduring.

-Crack! Crack!

He increased the pressure on his heart.

'Not enough.'

Focusing pressure on one side would unbalance him.

'Not just the heart, but the whole body.'

He compressed all the mana circuits in his body.

The accelerated mana, compressed through narrow circuits, surged like a beast.

"What? What? What?"

Choi Jongchul shuddered and took a step back.

"Cough! Cough!"

He spat out blood and gripped his spear.

His consciousness flickered as if about to fade.

The terrible pain intensified.

But.

-Crack!

One more step.

Forward.

-Ding!

[You have acquired 《Exceed (Lv1)》.]

[Warning! Your current physical condition is not suitable for using Exceed!]

[You have entered the 'Overload' state.]

[It is recommended to stop using the skill!]

A red warning window appeared before his eyes.

Heh.

O Jin smiled brightly.

"Let's see."

A blue lightning current swept around him.