The dark black fog approaching Lee Sungmin and company looked like a natural phenomenon that was impossible. Through the fog, Volander approached forward as he sat on top of the phantom steed at the forefront.
The steed had no name. Volander had been riding this horse since he first became a Death Knight, but that didn’t mean he was attached to it, nor did it mean he liked being a Death Knight in the first place.
The horse that Volander rode when he was a human being had already died long ago. The phantom steed he rode all this time as a Death Knight was only a part of Volander’s soul. And since becoming a Death Knight was in fact, embracing death as a whole, that tiny bit of Volander’s soul had branched off to form a steed to match him.
“Ghost Spear.”
Lee Sungmin’s gaze met with Volander’s as he called out his martial nickname. Back when Lee Sungmin and Volander had met by chance on the sea in the South, Volander had been thinking that Lee Sungmin would eventually become the Predator of Massacre that all of the monsters in Predator worshipped. Such thoughts had not changed… even now.
Rather, after seeing Lee Sungmin before him, Volander’s beliefs had become closer to conviction. Look. Lee Sungmin’s soul was even more unstable and violent than what it was in the past.
Volander, as a Death Knight, could see the ferocious force that was being forcibly suppressed. If any opportunity arose, it was clear that the violent monstrosity that was locked inside Lee Sungmin’s consciousness would break free and reign terror without taking a second look back.
“If you were the Predator of Massacre that Geniella wanted…”’
Volander slowly lifted his right hand. The dark clouds behind him embodied the thick energy of death energy that the 300 Death Knights behind him emanated with their killing intent.
The Death Knight’s corps gathered in one place was a visible plague itself. Being alone pollutes the surroundings. Kim Jonghyun’s barrier of death energy that turned the city of Germane into a Necropolis and made the plants dry and twisted. As Volander was looking at Lee Sungmin, Lee Sungmin was also looking right back at Volander.
Under the dim and dark dog, Lee Sungmin could see several pairs of golden will o’ wisps, but even then, he could not see their facial expressions due to their helmets. Still, the atmosphere was clearly readable. Lee Sungmin clenched his spear.
It had been too easy up until now. Zombies, Ghouls, Stone Golems, Dullahans, and Banshees. They were not even close to a warm-up for Lee Sungmin.
In the fight thus far, Lee Sungmin had yet to experience a true battle. He was too strong, and his opponents were too weak.
[If it’s Volander, you definitely won’t feel that way any longer.]
Heoju muttered.
[Back in the days when this old man was alive, Volander had always been rather old and strong. He was said to not have found a worthy opponent among hundreds of thousands of humans, monsters and other living beings since he was human. Such a powerful entity was forced into becoming a Death Knight.]
Lee Sungmin slowly moved forward.
[The more noble the soul he had when he was a human being, the more valuable it is to a Devil. Volander is both the most chivalrous and strongest Death Knight ever to walk this planet. He became a Death Knight under a curse, not due to his mind being corrupted like many others. Even though it was forced upon him, the Devil who cursed Volander also happened to give him enormous amounts of power. Much more power than when he was originally alive.]
Volander reached forward with the hand he raised.
Woooooooohoo!
The cry of hell soared from the Death Knights as they gathered behind Volander’s back.
[In addition, what he became now is much more different than how he was originally when he became a Death Knight… When he abandoned his chivalry eventually and let his mind become corrupted as well… he gained even more power. That being said, he is not at a level like most monsters.]
[Oh! and I can feel it from this distance, too. He’s much stronger than the last time that we bumped into him on his ship a few years ago.]
‘I know.’
Lee Sungmin was also feeling it. The ominous energy of death that surrounded Volander and the other Death Knights. If Lee Sungmin tipped even the slightest of balance within his own body in this kind of environment, he would surely lose his sanity and turn into a monster.
“I have to go.”
Lee Sungmin let out a deep breath, letting his tension release. Wuuuuuooong !His internal energy and dantian vibrated in unison within his body as he started to circulate his energy. Regulating his breathing using the breathing technique he had integrated from the tribe in the South that he had visited with the Crazy Heavenly Demon, his mind became clear and the field of vhis view expanded as he was able to see through the black fog. In that broad view, Lee Sungmin finally got a very clear look at Volander. Volander’s eyes were keenly locked in on every single one of his movements.
Lee Sungmin was the only being present who could even contest with Volander, let alone even a possibility of victory over the overpowered Death Knight. It was impossible even for Frau and Abel if they were to attack olander together. Luckily, they also knew that and had other things to take care of.
Crunch- Crunch!
The Death Knights began their march as their boots squashed the bones of the corpses of the zombies underneath their feet. Volander’s phantom steed did not move. The legion of Death Knights that numbered three-hundred strong, ran forward past Volander. Lee Sungmin walked without stopping in his steps. Theos, who had initially turned stiff at the appearance of these incredibly strong foes, raised his lance.
“Wooooaaaaah!!!!”
The Holy Knights mustered their spirits and shouted in a war cry as they ran forward. As soon as Theos tried to pass Lee Sungmin, Lee Sungmin’s knee bent deeply.
KA-BOOM!
There was a sound of air bursting out like a vacuum. Lee Sungmin’s body turned almost ethereal as he exuded tendrils of lightning colored in a deep violet . He immediately shot past the Holy Knights that were charging with all their might, as the speed of light was not to be taken lightly. Volander, who was not moving, finally spurred his phantom steed in a run just behind the legion of Death Knights and started to gain speed.
The legion of Death Knights that were running in a uniform matter, suddenly split into two. They seemed to acknowledge that there was about to be a large clash between their leader, Volander, and the one known as the Ghost Spear.
Lee Sungmin also did not care about other Death Knights. It would be too arrogant of him to face off against the three hundred Death Knights that were all at the Peak Realm on top of facing Volander.
Lee Sungmin had no choice but to believe in the Holy Knights around him and their strength. Looking at their individual capabilities, they could not face up against the Death Knights in their respective one-on-one clashes. Following Volander, these Death Knights had been famous knights since they were humans, and just as Volander gained strength from corruption, other Death Knights were no exception.
‘Will Teresa be the variable we need here?’
Or would it be the additional forces that came with the Holy Church? Either way, it was no longer Lee Sungmin’s problem as he had to face Volander right now.
Volander was running slowly. He held an elongated, double-handed sword with a single hand as he grabbed the reins to his phantom steed tighter with his left hand. Volander was straightening his back without lowering his posture. Lee Sungmin did not slow down either. The collision was going to happen inevitably.
Lee Sungmin flew forward and thrust the spear forth, and Volander swung the sword without breaking his posture on his phantom steed. There was no brilliant light exploding out or a loud sound of metal clanging against each other just yet. Just before the collision, Lee Sungmin twisted his posture in the air and recalled the martial arts his master left him.
Demonic Emperor’s Dark Storm Arts : Lightning Gale ( 雷風)
With the sound of the sound barrier breaking once more, Lee Sungmin’s body turned into a bolt of lightning and disappeared in a flash. Volander turned around with a relaxed expression and swung his sword.
Swiiiiik!
The phantom steed he was riding, suddenly started to fade away into the fog. The fog wrapped around Volander’s left hand and became a solid shield.
BA-BANG!
The clash finally erupted out. Lee Sungmin was a little surprised when the tip of his Dragon Bone Spear did not scratch Volander’s shield.
His spear was made from the strongest and most durable materials in the world, and was fired out with an immense amount of speed and power. Yet a shield that was materialized with some fog…. had stopped his attack?
[Even if your spear is made from the remains of Dragons, Volander’s armor, sword, and shield are soul weapons made from the Demonic Energy from the Devil he contracted with.]
Volander stepped back a little. It was not a big shield, but there was no room for Lee Sungmin to dig into any gaps.
A black light flashed at the center of the shield as a sharp blade was fired out. The start of the trajectory was like a stabbing motion, but the trajectory changed mid-attack. The attack suddenly shifted out and curved like a moon crescent.
Lee Sungmin rotated the spear without panic. The spear divided into multiple afterimages as he stabbed at several gaps within the moon crescent and diminished the attack before it fully manifested.
However, it seemed Volander already knew what Lee Sungmin was going to do, as the attack suddenly exploded at the points where Lee Sungmin’s speartip hit.
Boom-Boom-Boom!
Light erupted from each of the points of contact between Lee Sungmin and Volander.
Wshaaaaah…
All the surrounding buildings were destroyed in a mere second as the collision of two beings that were at the apex of strength, was similar to a natural disaster running rampant.
‘I couldn’t even leave a scratch.’
Through the eruptions of light, Lee Sungmin had closely followed Volander’s armor and shield with his eyes. There was no scratch on the armor or shield that had come into contact with his spear. Volander walked straight forward as something attacked Lee Sungmin in his peripheral view. It was the mysterious shield that was a ‘soul weapon’ as Heoju called it. Was it even a shield in the first place?
Whoosh!
Lee Sungmin hurriedly twisted his body to avoid Volander’s stab movement with the shield that was starting to morph into a sword mid-movement. There was no explanation for this ridiculously durable and morphing weapon, so Lee Sungmin was forced to believe that it was some kind of power due to Volander’s soul. The scariest fact about all of it, was that Volander had mastered the art of using this kind of weapon. It made sense to a certain degree that he would master such a martial art that was fluid to change with the soul.
Volander, who was now wielding two swords; one in each hand, did not hesitate to narrow the distance between him and Lee Sungmin. It took less than 0.01 seconds to reach in front of him. At that moment, Volander’s black swords made countless attacks. Kagagak !Lee Sungmin rotated the spear and fired off his internal energy to block the swords. At that moment, Volander’s two swords became a single large axe.As the double-handed ax was storming down, Lee Sungmin immediately realized it was an attack he should not receive head-on. Regardless, Lee Sungmin trusted his master’s martial arts and thrust his spear as he stepped back to avoid the attack.
BA-BOOM!
The land beneath them was split in half by the axe. The buildings, the walls, everything was cleaved in two. Everyone and everything that was caught up in the attack was cut in two without exception. A dark line spewed death energy from the axe as it turned once more into fog. In the eerie darkness, the axe changed yet again. The fog started to coat itself around the morphing weapon as it turned into a pitch black spear.
The dark spear started to twist in Volander’s hands and went after Lee Sungmin once more. Lee Sungmin fixed his posture in the air and finished his preparation for the next attack. The spear in Lee Sungmin’s hands started to change form as well. It was no longer a simple spear, but a purple lightning bolt in both of his hands.
Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques : Fate Severing(武神) x Lightning Annihilation { 閃電滅 )
At the same time as the collision, fragments of internal energy scattered in several directions. The space vibrated and the collapsed debris from their surroundings became reduced to powdered rubble.
In the flashing world of lightning and darkness, Lee Sungmin kicked into the air. Volander held a sword, not a spear in his hands this time. The sword in Volander’s hands started to vibrate as a coating of spatial essence was starting to wrap around it.
The sword cleaved downwards and space distorted around Volander.Lee Sungmin took a deep breath in as he took everything in. Letting out an exhale, he dug his pivot foot into the ground and started to accelerate his speed. Lowering his body, thighs and feet, Lee Sungmin roused his internal energy and brought the spear closer. Volander, seeing Lee Sungmin finish his preparation and thrusting the spear upwards, did not avoid the clash.
Bang!
The tip of the spear took a snake-like path and twisted around the sword’s movement as Lee Sungmin avoided the attack with spatial essence. The speartip, bursting towards Volander’s chest landed with smooth contact. Lee Sungmin felt that his spear did not scratch Volander yet again. Despite knowing this, Lee Sungmin stepped in further and accelerated his speed without hesitation.
Lee Sungmin added his footwork technique into the attack as he decided to test the waters appropriately this time. Demonic Spear Arts Footwork Technique : Two-step Calamitous End (灾害)
(T/N : Changed this to Demonic Spear Art since we all know that Sima Ryunju accepted this footwork from Baek Sogo into Lee Sungmin’s martial arts)The space vibrated and the ground shook as a vortex of internal energy surrounded Lee Sungmin and Volander. Purple tendrils of lightning constantly erupted out from the vortex and sieged Volander’s armor. In Lee Sungmin’s hand, the spear started to rotate like a drill as Lee Sungmin’s eyes turned fierce.
Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques Ninth Move : Heavenly Spear of the Dragon (天槍)
As the vortex exploded and raged in resonance with Lee Sungmin’s fierce attack, a large purple and black dragon shot from the spear and the maws of the beast made from internal energy swallowed Volander. The exploding lightning and internal energy disturbed his sight a bit, but Lee Sungmin made sure that this attack was going to land no matter what.
Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques Eighth Move : Slaughter Spear(虐殺捕食)
Another shot with the spear shot out from the mouth of the dragon made from internal energy and penetrated Volander’s chest.
Whoosh!
Volander’s body, which flew backwards, was shoved into a building mercilessly..
Lee Sungmin’s breathing was not disturbed at all. He generously poured out his internal energy and martial techniques, but the amount of power he could handle now was so tremendous that even he did not know how the effects of such an attack would be.
“…are you not curious at all?”
Volander slowly lifted himself up in the debris. His armor was crushed inwards as there were several holes drilled in it from Lee Sungmin’s unyielding spear. The disturbing thing though, was how calm Volander’s voice was. Lee Sungmin and Volander had been attacking each other in earnest to take the other’s life, yet Volander was serene in such a moment.
“Would you even answer me honestly if I asked?”
“It depends on what kind of question it is.”
“I don’t understand.”
Lee Sungmin muttered as he shook his head. He knew that his attack failed to fatally injure Volander. Amidst the black fog, Lee Sungmin could hear several curses, shouts and war cries from the Holy Knights and others.
“Do you know what Kim Jonghyun is going to do”?
“He is trying to connect this world to the Demon Realm.”
“I know why you’re following Kim Jonghyun. He probably told you that he can restore you and the other Death Knights with you back into humans. But what does that even matter? Even if you become a human being, it would all be meaningless thanks to what Kim Jonghyun is doing.”
“I don’t want to live as a human being. I want to die as a human being.”
Volander walked out of the debris muttering the dark words.
“Death is not a rest for us who are cursed. Because our souls belong to the Devils that cursed us. Even if we die in this world as a Death Knight, we will only suffer endlessly under the hands of the Devils that enslaved our soulsl.… So, it’s not about trying to be a human being and living a life out as a mortal. It’s more that we want an end and to be restored to the proper cycle of reincarnation.”
Lee Sungmin clicked his tongue wistfully. He genuinely thought he might be able to persuade Volander, but it seemed that it was Lee Sungmin who had yet to truly understand Volander’s circumstances and wishes.
Lee Sungmin could not offer Volander anything better than Kim Jonghyun had already offered.
“You’re the Predator of Massacre.”
Volander muttered.
“I don’t think there’s a mistake in my judgement. Even if you try to deny it yourself. All the signs point to the fact that you inevitably will become the Predator of Massacre. Geniella is… ahahah…. That vampire saw the future where the Predator of Massacre came into existence. If the events in the present are going the way Geniella wants them, the Predator of Massacre will surely emerge.”
Rumble…
Black darkness soared from Volander’s feet. Volander’s eyes flashed through the gaps of the helmet he was wearing.
“If the future is going the way Geniella wants it to, then it’s likely I will not be able to stop you. If anything….”
Volander picked up the sword in his hands as his armor and sword were repaired in an instant.
“Maybe, I’ll awaken you to your true nature as the Predator of Massacre.”
“……Nonsense.”
Lee Sungmin shook his head and denied it….Despite feeling the monstrosity inside of his consciousness shaking his mental walls.