cnatrainingtips Chapter 484
Chapter 484
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 484
Holding the unconscious girl protectively in his arms, Sword Saint Yoo Sowon looked at the young man before him.
At this point, he could no longer be called a child or a boy.
Perhaps that was the true original appearance of Leon Cascadia that everyone else knew.
Of course, that was not what mattered.
The world unfolded around him.
A chilling shiver crawled across his entire body.
The domain of power Leon was displaying right now was not something like magic.
A fragment of a supreme realm that could not be expressed with words.
A transcendent domain beyond the theoretical pinnacle a martial artist could ever reach.
What should one even call that?
No, was it even possible to judge it by ordinary standards in the first place?
Soon, Leon took his stance.
After tossing the sword in his hand into subspace, he condensed aura into his bare fist.
Fist energy?
Fist force?
To compare it to such things would have been disrespectful, so deep and intricate was its flow.
As if entranced, he stared at it.
Then Leon spoke.
“Please remember this well, Elder. It may help you someday.”
With those words, Leon completely overlaid the desolate crimson world he had created over the surroundings.
And then.
Within his own domain, he revealed absolute dominance and unleashed his power without restraint.
Once destructive power exceeded a certain threshold, it could no longer be manifested through ordinary methods.
In that case, one created the surrounding environment capable of fulfilling the conditions and overlaid it upon reality.
The punch Leon threw did not seem very different from the fist Yoo Sowon himself would throw.
But that was an arrogant thought.
Now, he could see what he had never seen before.
The world Leon created devoured the monster’s domain entirely, stole away its influence, and collapsed everything.
Truly, what should that be called?
Starting from a single point, consuming lines, surfaces, every element—
Was it not, quite literally, a strike capable of destroying stars?
Outwardly, it merely looked like an ordinary punch, but that single blow belonged to a realm that even the fist Yoo Sowon poured everything he possessed into could not dare compare against.
The shockwave spreading out from Leon’s fist crushed the countless spaces created by the monster.
Ordinarily, there was no way it should have been possible to win a clash of power against a monster comparable to a divine being.
The proof was how even from here, he could feel the monster’s shock.
Because something that should never have happened had occurred.
To have reached such a realm at such a young age.
No.
There was nothing about him that resembled a young genius.
Why was that?
To Yoo Sowon’s eyes, that…
Looked like the conclusion reached after endless ages of trial and error.
Like a martial artist who had attained enlightenment, he gradually fell into a trance.
As though he were directly struck by the countless years contained within Leon’s punch, incomprehensible realizations swept through his mind like a tidal wave.
Understanding all of it was impossible.
But if he could grasp even one thing among them… just one…
Separate from that, the surrounding situation changed drastically in an instant.
The membranous space weakened as the monster’s influence diminished.
[!!!!!!!!]
The soundless horrific scream, presumably unleashed by the monster, caused blood to pour from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.
[What changes by doing this? Such insignificant resistance cannot possibly do anything to me.]
“I know.”
Leon took a step forward.
“But now you know too, don’t you? Even if you can kill me, you’ll have to be prepared to suffer a fatal wound yourself.”
[You have gained a paltry amount of power and become unbearably arrogant. You have only faced an extremely tiny fragment of my body.]
“Just wait. I don’t intend to stop here either.”
At the same moment Leon lightly crushed something invisible beneath his foot, space twisted and began collapsing.
Still standing there blankly, Yoo Sowon’s eyes widened when Leon grabbed his arm and pulled him.
“Get ahold of yourself, Elder. From here on, you’ll have to run like your life depends on it. You’re good at lightness arts, right?”
“Lightness arts… Though I may not compare to you, I am at least skilled enough to stake my name upon them.”
“Then leave it to me.”
“……No. I shall carry her myself.”
“Then keep up. If you fall behind, you’ll be trapped within this boundary.”
“Th-that tremendous power interfering with space itself……”
“This power isn’t omnipotent. One wrong move and both you and I could end up trapped here. Move.”
With those words, Leon scattered apart with a soft swish, like a gentle breeze blowing.
He had not vanished.
It was merely that the mind lagged behind in perceiving movement that resembled the wind itself.
How could something so detached from the laws of the world occur?
Setting aside such martial curiosity, Yoo Sowon poured every bit of internal energy into his legs and kicked off the ground.
“Just endure a little longer, child. This old man will protect you.”
He did not realize that he was projecting his granddaughter onto the unconscious girl.
Though his outward appearance did not seem particularly old, the age of Heaven-Shattering True Man Yoo Sowon was considerable even among the stars.
Following behind Leon as he led the way, Heaven-Shattering True Man Yoo Sowon pushed his lightness arts until his legs felt ready to shatter.
When they had entered, the distance had not been this vast, yet as he traversed the endlessly spreading desolated land, his breathing gradually grew ragged.
Nothing about the surroundings seemed particularly different.
Then why could he not even keep up with Leon’s footsteps?
Hearing the other stars repeatedly say Leon was strong, strong beyond measure, and experiencing it personally were entirely different things.
It was so absurd it bordered on fear.
A great star had risen upon the continent…
Then should it not be the duty of relics of the old era to help that star shine brilliantly…?
“H-hey!! Is this really the right path?!”
“I don’t know the exact direction.”
The answer made his heart sink.
Yet he did not doubt him much.
After all, he had no choice but to trust him now.
Just as Leon had said, the moment they became trapped here, everything would end.
Though it had originally been a deserted island, this place was an entirely different dimension that had opened based upon the island.
“I’ll match your speed more closely.”
“Absolutely not!! I can still manage! A man who once prided himself on being the greatest under heaven cannot become a burden dragging down divinity!”
‘Even so, what terrifying lightness arts……. To think merely keeping up is impossible, and I must desperately sprint with all my might….’
If someone had claimed that Heaven-Shattering True Man was outclassed to this degree in lightness arts within the Eastern Continent, people would have laughed and told them to stop talking nonsense.
But reality was reality.
Simply chasing after Leon already overwhelmed him, and his breathing had climbed to the point where it was difficult to endure any longer.
Above all, the most horrifying thing was how, as this space collapsed, it pressed inward in real time as though trying to devour both Leon and Yoo Sowon.
Matching his speed, Leon ran ahead while completely blocking the immense power from pouring onto the two of them.
Yoo Sowon thought.
‘Could I do that?’
Absolutely impossible.
The torrent of power surging in right now was no different from a natural disaster.
How was it any different from a mere human trying to force his way through a tidal wave barehanded?
“Friend!!”
It was then.
Leon, who had been advancing at tremendous speed, suddenly stopped and turned toward the direction the voice had come from.
Then he stretched out his hand against the chest of the Heaven-Shattering True Man following behind him and forcibly halted him.
KWAJIJIJIJIK!!!
Soon, space tore apart, and the blue-skinned giant Sullivan appeared.
“Sullivan.”
“I suppose there is no need to ask about the result. I shall open the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Remember this, friend. And old human, never look back as you run!! The moment you look back, everything will be over!”
With those words, Sullivan slammed an unfamiliar ceremonial sword into the ground.
Immediately, a small passage large enough for two people to pass through opened.
“Thanks. See you again next time.”
“I can no longer even perceive your realm now. That power… was it the source you had hidden?”
“Something like that. But the situation’s different now compared to before.”
Infinite Breakthrough would not stop here.
It would probably become even stronger.
At Leon’s words, Sullivan smiled bitterly.
“Never look back, my friend. No matter what sound you may hear.”
At the warning, Leon nodded.
Then, without hesitation, he threw himself into the rift, and Yoo Sowon followed after him while carrying the girl in his arms.
A dizzying sensation and overwhelming speed, as though swimming through a wormhole, made his head ring sharply.
Leon took the lead, scattering apart the storm of power crashing head-on toward them in all directions.
“Do not fall behind. Ever.”
Knowing Leon was blocking all the burden alone, Yoo Sowon whipped his exhausted legs onward and ran once more.
“Elder! Just like Sullivan said, you absolutely must not look back!”
At the warning, he nodded.
Then he carefully held the child in his arms and kicked off wherever his feet touched.
[How dare you!! Where do you think you are fleeing!! I will never let you escape!]
For an instant, he thought he heard a chilling voice.
But Yoo Sowon violently shook his head and stepped even harder.
KUNG!! KUNGKUNG!!
Soon after, the sound of something forcibly closing behind them gradually drew nearer.
He almost reflexively turned his head to check what was happening, but barely held himself back through gritted teeth.
He did not know what it was, but something wanted them to look back.
But a warning was a warning.
Knowing full well what it meant to never look back, he gritted his teeth and continued running.
Behind him, countless voices echoed as though trying to tempt him.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
There were countless moments when he nearly turned around instinctively, but in the end, he endured.
And finally, after all that struggle, light leading outside began to appear, causing him to quicken his steps.
Though he had already pushed his lightness arts to the limit, for some reason his body felt light.
The light of the exit gradually dimmed.
The door was closing.
That monster clearly had no intention of allowing those here to escape.
Of course, at this speed, they could escape without issue.
It was then.
-Grand… father.
His footsteps stopped as though by a lie.
His hands trembled like aspen leaves.
-Grandpa…… don’t leave me behind….
How could he possibly forget that powerless voice calling out to him?
Yoo Sowon’s body shook violently.
Because it was a voice he could never forget.
You must not look back.
But the owner of that voice was the very voice he had yearned so desperately to hear ever since that day.
Stop. I can grant your wish.
It felt as though something whispered that into his ears.
“Elder!”
Leon, running ahead, sensed something strange and shouted.
But Yoo Sowon could not hear him.
If they met again, there were so many things he truly wanted to say.
That he was sorry he could not protect her, that he was sorry only this worthless old grandfather had survived.
The unforgivable original sin he believed he could never wash away.
His granddaughter’s voice was both trauma and an enormous shackle to him.
KWAJIJIJIJIK!!!
Running ahead, Leon forcibly grabbed the closing exit and tore it open wider.
“Elder! Get yourself together and run!”
But even at Leon’s shout, he stood frozen stiff.
Because of his granddaughter.
Was not the only reason his life had continued this long because of revenge?
Then could he truly ignore his granddaughter’s voice?
And just as he was about to turn around amidst that turmoil—
The small girl in his arms spoke.
“Mom…… Dad.”
Hearing the unconscious girl murmur as though trapped in a nightmare, Yoo Sowon’s body froze.
His trembling eyes turned toward the child in his arms.
And the more he did, the clearer his granddaughter’s voice became in his ears.
Ppudeuk.
He bit down on his teeth hard enough to shatter them.
“Guh… GuhAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”
At last, transparent tears—not tears of blood—fell from his eyes as he screamed and ran forward.
At this moment, he forgot everything about being the Fist Saint, forgot everything about being the greatest under heaven.
He was merely an old man trying to save a child who had lost her guardians.
If he could not guide divinity, then at the very least, he would not hold it back.
That was the pride of the martial artist once called the strongest of the old era.
I’m sorry…… I’m sorry, Yeona.
This grandfather is sorry he could not answer your voice.
The person most precious to him.
His beloved granddaughter whom he missed beyond words.
As he endlessly apologized to Yoo Yeon—the treasure left behind by his son and daughter-in-law, who had been everything to him—he threw himself through the gap Leon had forcibly opened.
Even knowing that the voice behind him was not truly his granddaughter Yoo Yeon, he had to rise above the horrifying guilt.
-Grandpa…… you have to live. Promise me.
Only then did the final last words his granddaughter had spoken long ago resurface in his ears.
KWAJIK!!
Immediately afterward, Leon forcibly stabilized the torn-open gap for an instant before throwing himself through it as well.
The boundary of the outer dimension consumed by the Outer God.
The two who escaped from there were finally able to return to the corrupted deserted island once more.
“Huff…… huff…….”
Breathing heavily, Heaven-Shattering True Man dropped to one knee and checked the child in his arms.
Though faint, her breathing could definitely be felt.
“I’m sorry.”
He muttered weakly.
His breathing was unusually rough.
Yet aside from looking slightly tired, Leon appeared perfectly fine.
Despite running at that speed while simultaneously pushing away every torrent of power crashing in from the surroundings.
To think not even his breathing had become ragged.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
“It’s alright. When I heard my mother and father’s voices too, I seriously hesitated.”
What kind of voice had that boy heard?
Surely he had endured desires beyond anything Yoo Sowon could imagine.
Meanwhile, the fact that he himself had frozen entirely at the sound of his granddaughter’s voice weighed heavily upon his heart.
“How is the child?”
“For now… it seems we avoided the worst.”
“Let’s think about the contamination later. If we have the Archangel’s power, we’ll manage somehow.”
“There is… something I would like to ask.”
He opened his mouth.
“That monster we encountered. The one you mentioned……”
“Yes. Though learning too much about it won’t do you any good.”
Leon plopped down beside him.
Then he fired a signal flare meant to indicate mission completion.
So the others on the surrounding islands would gather here.
“Did you not say that monster was in Pinas?”
“To be exact, only a part of it appeared in Pinas. It probably manifested that red space onto the deserted island and used the gap to drag out more of its true body.”
There were many stories about gigantic monsters, yet nowhere had he ever heard mention of a creature so immense it regarded planets as trivial things, which made it even more horrifying.
Yog’s plan was terrifying, but in the end, they had succeeded in stopping its scheme itself.
“Judging by the look of things, this child’s parents appear to have sacrificed themselves.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Elder. To be precise, we managed to save even one person against that monster.”
Still, when someone died, it was painful and sad.
Because war was like this.
“We should create a world without war orphans……”
“I heard your son and daughter-in-law passed away early.”
“That’s right…… my foolish son and daughter-in-law…… died after being caught in a civil war. Leaving only my young granddaughter behind with this useless old man.”
That was one of the reasons he had grown utterly sick of the internal power struggles within the Eastern Continent.
“What… do you intend to do now?”
“For now, I think we need to find the traitor.”
“A traitor?”
“Yes. Apparently there’s a traitor responsible for all of this. I don’t know who it is, though.”
At Leon’s answer, Yoo Sowon pondered the matter from several angles, yet no answer came to mind.
Instead, he cautiously asked something else.
“May I… ask one more thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“That world you unfolded… it was so desolate and empty.”
He asked.
“Why did you manifest such a mental world?”
At the question, Leon looked as though he pondered briefly, then scratched his ear and answered.
“Because I’m used to it.”
At that answer, Heaven-Shattering True Man Yoo Sowon could not hide his bitter emotions.
Just how much hardship had such a young man endured for him to say he was accustomed to a space so sorrowful and empty?
As someone who had lived longer, the fact that he had to entrust everything to him weighed heavily upon his heart.
Of course, Leon’s inner thoughts were different.
‘How ironic. It’s the place I hate most. Yet it’s also the place I’m most familiar with.’
Labyrinthos truly was simply familiar to him.
And the reason he had made Labyrinthos into his mental world was also because it was the place where he had drawn out the highest peak of his power.
And because there had been safeguards there that allowed him to continue fighting without dying.
Within Labyrinthos, the existence known as Leon Cascadia did not die, endlessly fighting enemies—the very embodiment of his peak, and the foundation of Leon himself.
It was then.
One corrupted lifeform could be seen charging toward Leon and Yoo Sowon.
Though they had driven Yog back, the monsters that had flooded over from the Pinas Archipelago had not disappeared.
However, before the creature could even approach, a streak of light flying from afar pierced straight through its head.
Then, as though riding upon the wind, a beautiful young woman landed gracefully.
“So both of you are safe!”
It was Bow Saint Yuhav.
“Elder Bow Saint. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“The others are all gathering as well. But…… the survivors.”
Quickly grasping the situation, her expression darkened.
“Let’s rest a little, then withdraw once everyone gathers.”
At Leon’s words, Bow Saint Yuhav tilted her head.
“Can we really just leave? The contamination on this island looks severe……”
At that, Leon chuckled and pointed toward the sky with his index finger.
There, a fully armored Archangel holding a blazing spear was condensing an overwhelming amount of divinity.
“Looks like they’re planning to vaporize the entire island.”
The Archangel did not understand the meaning of moderation.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]