NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
“I was hoping to resolve this through conversation.”
I coughed up a dark red blood and said to Azazel. The tentacles behind her back were poised like sharpened spears.
If you look at the descriptions I wrote in the original work [I Got Trapped in a Game], Azazel eventually goes crazy waiting for the protagonist, Kang Si Woo, who would never come to this monastery.
Having contracted with the Outer God to gain power, she grew strong enough to rip apart time and space, ultimately trying to capture Kang Si Woo for herself, which was the latter half of the novel I wrote.
Even though I had to stop the serialization and couldn’t finish it…
‘Can I really defeat Azazel now?’
Honestly, it felt almost impossible. The Outer Gods, known as the gods of the outer universe, cast their presence in many creations.
That’s why I aimed to recruit Byeo Wool and Verdandi to stand against her. I figured a Hero and a Heavenly Demon would be able to compete with the Outer God.
“Conversation? I don’t think we need that between us. You’re the same as those serving the Outer Gods, aren’t you?”
Azazel chuckled as she looked at me. Her rainbow-colored eyes swept over me.
Perhaps she would foresee the future through this. A scenario where all connections between the primal and primal create a path of conflict (鬪路) laid bare before her.
“…The same Outer God? What does that even mean?”
To buy myself some time, I decided to play along with Azazel. The Outer God I set for her was called Morgidian.
He kills innocent beings only if they pose a threat to him, solely feeding on corpses—a god of ghouls.
Unlike other Outer Gods, he had a merciful aspect, a unique and charming trait I thought to add.
But then,
“Outer God. I hope you aren’t saying you don’t know?”
Do I bear the essence of an Outer God too?
If I did, I would have either gone mad or be dead by now.
“They are beings that inhabit the abyss beyond the universe, gods beyond human comprehension.”
Outer Gods are inherently incomprehensible to humans. They are filled with phenomena that are hard to grasp, unlike regular mythological gods.
They have no concept of good or evil. There are no emotions. Common sense or ethics don’t exist.
‘You could say it’s a fear emerging from the unknown.’
I bit my lower lip as I gazed at the writhing black tentacle. That was part of the Outer God’s body. In human terms, it would be a part that could be shed without losing much.
However, these tentacles could rip apart time and space, and just touching them would lead to the soul being taken.
“That’s right. Don’t you have any suspicions? Haven’t you done anything to anger such beings or to receive their favor?”
Azazel slowly raised her tentacles as she spoke. It was as if she were questioning me like a priest interrogating a sinner.
“……”
To be honest, I had some ideas.
The devoted reader who brought me into this world from that nightmare I had earlier. The only one who followed my three discontinued works.
Can a being capable of pulling me into this world truly be called a human?
“Even if that’s true, what does it matter?”
I deliberately chose to play dumb. Even if what Azazel spoke of was indeed an Outer God, I had responsibilities as the author who created this world.
This is the world I created with my first love, Seolhwa. It is akin to the final trace she left before her death.
“Of course, it matters. It’s likely the reason the two girls you carry aren’t fighting each other.”
Azazel narrowed her eyes, as if sensing something unusual, while glancing at the two girls who were like daughters to me and Seolhwa.
“There is a being born from the aura of the Demonic King, as well as one Hero who has received the divine mandate. Is it possible that such a fate is but dust before the greatness of the heavens?”
“Can such things be known through dreams? Impressive.”
“…Well, I couldn’t peek into your dreams.”
With a deep sigh, Azazel readied to attack as I closed in.
In a seemingly ordinary prayer pose, her tentacles behind her had transformed into sharpened blades, honed more than ever.
“Now, please leave here for the sake of my love.”
Azazel spoke to me in a tone that scraped at the very essence of humanity. She expressed her displeasure at having her memories sullied.
“Azazel, love that cannot be reciprocated is not love; it’s mere obsession.”
I advised her. No one understood the difference between love and obsession better than I did.
After all, I twisted my dream of becoming an author into writing web novels just to keep the promise left by her last words after her death.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Well, we can see whose words are right by checking directly, can’t we?”
The reason we ended up fighting didn’t matter.
The gap in our skills wasn’t essential.
That’s how it is with battles fueled by obsession and love.
In a frenzy to protect what they cherish, people fight without caring for their lives, akin to crazed fighting dogs.
“Fall Down Style Swordsmanship, First Form.”
I invoked the legendary swordsmanship of the sword master who appears in the original work where Azazel originates.
Known for dropping even the heavenly bodies, the name is Fall Down.
He was a character I asked to accept me as a disciple when I was wandering the Western Region to extend my lifespan.
Just like I had done for Byeo Wool, I summoned an ice sword, held it low, bent my body, and advanced.
And then,
“Crescent.”
I responded with a thrust as if to counter Azazel’s tentacles. The aura traced a sharp line at the tip of the ice sword.
Kang, kaang—!
An intense metallic clang sounded, like steel clashing against steel. Sparks flew as the solidified tentacle met my sword, forcing Azazel back a step.
“Ice Crystal Divine Art, Sixth Primal Ice Kill Kick (冰殺脚).”
I concentrated all my energy into my right foot and delivered a kick toward her unguarded side. A part of her that hadn’t been blocked froze up.
“Kuugh…!”
It felt as if she had been struck by a hammer made of ice, dull pangs of pain flooded Azazel, and she glared at me as if she could kill me.
*
Azazel couldn’t help but be flustered. After all, she had encountered many heroes following Kang Si Woo, the Hero.
‘That’s definitely the swordsmanship of the Sword Master I know…!’
A character from the game that inspired the web novel [I Got Trapped in a Game] written by author Han Dohyun.
Among them, Fall Down, categorized as an SSR or ★5 character, was a character classified as essential with limited passes and always included in the party.
But how could that person use that swordsmanship?
The dull tremors transmitted through her tentacles and the cold pain stabbing her side gnawed at her thoughts.
– Azazel, get a grip. The opponent is weak. If you drag this into a long fight, you’ll definitely win.
Morgidian reassessed the battle dynamics.
He watched as Bing Yeon gasped for breath, trembling hands, and spat out crimson blood while enduring pain.
“But…! How can I win when my opponent is this strong…?”
– Focus on defense. If you utilize my divine body connected to you, you can easily fend off that level of attack.
In truth, Morgidian’s words were not incorrect.
After all, Azazel bore the essence of the Outer God, while Bing Yeon was only at the very beginning stage of the supreme realm.
However,
– Your lack of practical experience is your weakness. Azazel. The opponent knows that and is intentionally employing unconventional methods. Mixing swordsmanship with kicks is part of that strategy.
With nothing but trust in the Hero, Kang Si Woo, she had stayed at the rear, boosting her allies’ morale or healing wounds and reattaching severed limbs.
But she lacked the cunning to analyze the habits and breathing of her opponents by crossing the line of danger and exploiting weaknesses.
Bang—!
A punch landed precisely where it should.
The first primal move of Ice Crystal Divine Art, Ice Shattering Fist (冰破拳), sank into Azazel’s solar plexus, leaving her staggering from the impact.
“What’s wrong? Where’s that confident attitude from earlier gone?”
With her blurred vision and sluggish thoughts, Azazel couldn’t track Bing Yeon’s movements.
“Haha… I suppose I have no choice now but to use ██████’s power—”
Three Talented Sword Method,
The second of the three basic forms, the Vertical Slice,
Taesan Pressing Down (泰山押頂).
Swish—!
As Azazel’s words came to an end, the black tentacles surrounding her were severed.
“What’s the response speed of a human…!”
With her ability to manifest Morgidian at any moment by merely clapping her hands blocked, Azazel let out a sigh.
Is this really the strength and speed of a person with blocked vessels throughout?
Azazel doubted her own eyes. She was certain she had the upper hand in stamina.
“Do not reveal your means to the enemy. This is my first lesson to you.”
Immediately after, Bing Yeon, cutting off the remaining tentacles of Azazel, mixed punches with sword strikes to breach her defenses.
“Are you trying to perform some ridiculous teacher-student play?”
Phew! Azazel’s tentacles crossed dimensions to target Bing Yeon’s line of defense. He earned a thin wound on his arm from an unseen angle.
“I see you targeted the arm holding the sword. Nicely done.”
“Then perhaps you should give up and leave. I can offer to attach your arm back later; just find another healer and get it fixed.”
Seeing Azazel in such a predicament, Bing Yeon’s lips curled up slightly. The Saintess, who typically shouldn’t be good at close combat, was gradually growing stronger.
In that moment, Bing Yeon thought of a countermeasure he’d never considered proposing before.
“Azazel, didn’t you want to see that man, Kang Si Woo?”
“I have no obligation to answer you.”
Clap! As Azazel pressed her palms together, something crawled down from the ceiling, casting a shadow over the space they occupied.
The Outer God Morgidian.
The ghoul god, the Great Old One who hungers for corpses.
As she beheld him, Bing Yeon shivered. The sensation of death crept over him as if bugs were crawling all over his body.
“…There’s a tournament called the Dragon Phoenix Tournament (龍鳳支會). It’s originally held in the East, but this prize is quite special. I believe children from the Western Region will likely participate.”
Right before potentially losing all life, Bing Yeon revealed the settings of the original works he knew to Azazel.
Originally called a crossover, it is a meeting of characters from different works or shared universes.
Because there were elements connecting all the worlds and characters created by him and Seolhwa, it was something the author Han Dohyun had always wanted to try someday.
The protagonists of [King of Diamond Fist], Kim Hyul.
The successor hero Zikhart from [I Must Kill the Hero].
The player Kang Si Woo from [I Got Trapped in a Game].
He had envisioned an episode where the main characters of these three works all gathered together in the Dragon Phoenix Tournament.
“You’ll likely find the man you’re searching for, Kang Si Woo, there.”
“…What?”
Furthermore, this Dragon Phoenix Tournament’s grand prize was the Eternal Ultimate Blood Treasure (萬年至極血寶) containing the essence of ultimate vitality.
“If you join our faction, you would gain eligibility to enter as a successor.”
Having the Severed Pulse Condition, Bing Yeon thought of this as his last resort to heal his body.
“What do you think? How about becoming my disciple, thinking of it as a gamble?”
With that last word, Bing Yeon smiled at Azazel as he severed all the tentacles descending from above.