Chapter 762: Even The Sky Said I'm Human...!
I came here to deal with some guy who was trying to do weird things to my daughter. Turns out it was a trap to lure me in, and apparently I'm some kind of enemy from his past life—though I don't remember any of it. But now he's saying I'm different from what he expected and tells me to get lost since he's seen enough.
What should I do in this situation? Normally, I'd just smash his head in, but unfortunately, my opponent seems to be the "law of this world." And since he's someone I've been looking for too, that option was impossible.
"What are you thinking so hard about? I can practically hear the gears turning in your head. But you know what? I understand what you want from me, but I have no intention of giving it to you."
Hmm, honestly, I think I could beat him up if I wanted to.
The problem is that he's currently taking the form of my mother and is somehow connected to her. If I focus a bit more, I might be able to use Insight to find a solution.
Ever since my guard went up, the interpretation has become more complicated.
...Tsk, if only I were a bit more refined.
"It's fascinating to see you make such expressions. I know you're not the Black Dragon, but it's absurd. Perhaps Adonis was right after all."
...Ah, right.
Adonis, that bastard.
I should figure out how to deal with him too, shouldn't I?
From the memories I've recalled so far, it seems Adonis is indeed the root of all evil.
"...Huh, did you know your expression when hearing Adonis's name looks very similar?"
...I suppose so?
Even if not as much as the Black Dragon, I don't exactly have fond feelings for Adonis either.
"It's so strange. So much has changed, yet your essence hasn't changed at all."
He finds the strangest things fascinating.
"Despite reaching the result you so desperately wanted, now that you've achieved it, you harbor opposite desires. Is there anyone more foolish than you?"
I wonder what desire the Black Dragon had that makes everyone react this way.
"I can see it. Although I'm not a being who governs prophecy or time, your future is so clear that I can guarantee it."
Huh?
"You will lose even what you could have grasped while trying to grasp what you cannot."
Why is he suddenly like this?
"After waking from your sweet dream, you'll wail in emptiness and finally reach a conclusion."
I don't know why he's suddenly saying all this, but...
"In the end, you're a selfish creature who can't trust others. You tried to wear a human disguise, but putting on human skin doesn't change your essence."
I can suddenly see more clearly...?
"So you..."
"You've worked hard talking nonsense. Idiot."
"...Huh?"
Things I couldn't see before, information that was forcibly hidden, became visible as soon as he started rambling.
My interpretation of his power progressed enough that I naturally realized how to deal with him.
It would be easy if I used the Heaven-Defying Power, but even without it, he's not at a level I couldn't defeat.
At the very least, I think I could dispel that form of his.
The moment I interpreted his severely tangled information, I could see how his power worked.
Without harming him, I could only interfere with his power.
The connection between him and my mother became visible to my "eyes," and I stacked Weakening on that delicate line.
The once-solid connection instantly lost its strength, growing weaker and weaker.
"Wh-what!?"
"What do you mean 'what,' you punk."
Soon it became so weak that even the slightest shock would break it.
"When your tongue gets longer, gaps appear."
"That doesn't make any—!"
"If it doesn't, what are you going to do about it?"
The moment the connection broke, his form collapsed, returning from my mother's face to an inorganic noise.
I didn't miss the opportunity and dove into his embrace.
"Ugh...!"
He was surprised but hadn't completely lost his composure, which made sense since he was apparently the law of this world.
Simple attacks with physically enhanced strength or ordinary artifacts wouldn't work on him.
No, for normal inhabitants of this world, even making contact with him through normal means would be impossible.
That was also part of the law.
The exception would be my Heaven-Defying Power, but I've put that aside for now.
So I had to use an unconventional method.
With my suddenly sharpened vision, I could see his structure.
The vast amount of information might seem impossible for a human mind to interpret, but...
If I extract only the information I need right now, it's not an impossible amount to interpret.
The gap created when the Dragon King twisted what was literally just a law to his liking.
The resistance that emerges from forcibly cramming disorder into a perfect, orderly being.
The moment I applied "Enhancement" to that, his expression crumpled, and I felt his seemingly untouchable status drop.
Through that gap in his lowered status, I struck him with Weakening, and his presence suddenly became tangible.
It's hard to describe precisely, but he went from an untouchable being to one I could touch.
In other words, it felt like he became susceptible to physical force.
And if physical force works...
"That means it hurts when you get hit, right?"
I drove an enhanced strike into him...
"Huh."
But the moment I thought I had, I found myself facing the inorganic noise again.
...What? Did he have an ability I hadn't figured out yet?
"You're insane. Absolutely insane. Do you have any idea what you just tried to do!?"
...I was going to beat you up a bit because you wouldn't listen?
No, that's not it.
It seems like an external force acted, not the power of this "law" being.
When he tried to change his appearance again with that crackling sound, I interfered with his power the same way, and it wasn't difficult to do.
"Even the Black Dragon never tried to hit me that seriously!"
Hmm, that sounds kind of funny, like "Even my father never hit me...!"
"Do you even know what would happen if I lost consciousness or collapsed...!"
"I do."
That's why I was going to hit you gently?
I didn't use enough force to knock you out.
I was going to hit you just hard enough to hurt like hell, to the point where you'd be gasping for breath, but still firmly maintain consciousness, okay?
You might be different from humans, but I've beaten up enough things to have a good sense of how far I can go.
You wouldn't have passed out from that hit.
And even if I misjudged and you were about to faint, I would have enhanced your mental strength with Enhancement.
What's the problem?
Anyway, not being able to sense external forces interfering with me is dangerous.
If he had been more aggressive, I could have endured while finding a solution.
"...Next time we meet, it won't be this simple."
I felt the distance between us growing, like I was being forcibly expelled from this space.
Unlike before when the exit approached me, I felt my consciousness being forcibly ejected.
I couldn't even resist this kind of power.
What the hell was this?
Ah, damn. It's been a while.
This feels a bit different from what Seoha used, but it was the Authority of the Creator...
*
Being forcibly ejected from the gap in the mental realm wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling.
Spinning on an elephant's trunk 300 times and being thrown off a roller coaster probably wouldn't make me this dizzy.
...Is it because I was forcibly ejected?
Tsk.
Judging by how my surroundings and the two people looking at me haven't changed much, not much time seems to have passed.
My head is buzzing which is annoying, but I'm fine after calming the dizziness with Weakening and restoring my balance with Enhancement.
...Well, now that I'm okay, let's try again.
The law.
His presence weakened, and when I used Insight on him, I figured out what he could do.
I couldn't just stay still.
I'd lost the final key to saving my mother right before my eyes, and that was more urgent than the Dragon King's memories.
"...What's this?"
But for some reason, the connection wasn't working smoothly.
It felt like something had forcibly put up a wall.
...No, it's obvious what it is.
Given the similar feeling to what expelled me earlier, this must also be the Authority of the Creator.
Not just a random blockage, but a restriction meant to guide my actions.
Let's see what it says.
...Finish reading the book first?
It seems they don't want me to confront that "law" being properly before I find all the Dragon King's memories.
Honestly, my personality makes me want to flip everything over, but given the situation, proceeding cautiously is the right move.
Yes, I needed to see it through to the end anyway.
Let's wait just a little, until I find all the memories.
Just as I was about to open the book again...
-Hey.
I started hearing a voice in my head that shouldn't be there.
Huh?
-Listen, punk. Take it easy. I know you're in a hurry, but think about the person cleaning up after you, okay?
Uh...? Huh...?
-Everything I've carefully planted is about to be uprooted, so wait a bit, got it?
"What, what is this."
"What's wrong...?"
"Has something happened?"
Ah, damn. I was so surprised I spoke out loud.
-Idiot. Anyway, don't look at that right away. Wait.
Why am I suddenly hearing Gang Ha-neul's voice in my head...?
*
"...This is so frustrating. Damn it."
In a space beyond So-hyun Kang's mental world—a place unknown even to most artifacts deeply connected to him—Ha-neul Kang was tending to the seed he had planted in the crack.
At first, he had planted it instinctively, feeling it was the right thing to do.
When the seed took root and effectively blocked the cracks and erosion in So-hyun's mindscape, he felt somewhat proud.
The problem started when So-hyun, who knew nothing about this situation, began widening the crack.
The erosion wasn't as severe as when using the Heaven-Defying Power, but every time he recovered a memory, the crack widened further.
Worse, thoughts capable of devouring him were flowing through from beyond.
Ha-neul had been desperately blocking it using Weakening and borrowing power from the seed.
But this guy, ignorant of all the effort, kept widening the gap.
Halfway through, Ha-neul almost gave up out of spite.
Unfortunately, the other side was the main body, while he was just a parasite who might completely dissolve and disappear at any time.
If the main body was consumed by those thoughts, nothing good would happen to him either.
The seedling he had carefully raised might also be devoured.
So Ha-neul decided to fight.
By his own assessment, he fought desperately, begging for it to stop.
He smashed the heads of things coming through the crack, frantically cared for the seedling when it seemed hurt.
After So-hyun's consciousness flew beyond the mental realm, he fought the more violent crack and desperately protected his mindscape.
This place had become his home.
And now this bastard was trying to widen the crack again.
So despite knowing his voice shouldn't be heard, he couldn't help but speak up.
And surprisingly, So-hyun heard him.
Not understanding how this was possible, but knowing the voice connection might not last, Ha-neul said what needed to be said.
"I warned you, you bastard...! Wait a bit! I need to rest and the seedling needs to grow more! Do you understand!?"
There was no answer, but hopefully he heard it...?
What if this guy ignores it as nonsense and starts acting up again...?
"Seriously, what kind of suffering is this? Damn..."
Maybe he should have just let himself be absorbed faster...