Chapter 91: Chapter 91

The Sorcery Killing Technique is a game.

However, ever since Kim Dojun entered this world, he had come to realize in many ways that the Sorcery Killing Technique was no longer just a game, but reality.

He felt that fact most acutely when he encountered Gatura of Salvation.

... To be more precise, it was when Gatura of Salvation used Divine Construct Liberation—a technique he hadn't even seen in the game—to put him in mortal danger that Kim Dojun painfully realized this place was not a game.

At that time, if it hadn't been for the necklace he had obtained in advance as a spiritual tool, he might have died.

"Did you really think I would just grant you Divine Construct Liberation without any thought?"

In fact, Kim Dojun already knew what kind of ability Azmo of Greed's Divine Construct Liberation possessed.

'Although it's not an ability in the game...'

In the game, Azmo of Greed didn't use Divine Construct Liberation.

That's because, originally, Azmo of Greed was a boss who appeared in the first part of the game's story—set up as the second boss to be taken down in the Sorcery Killing Technique, according to the level design.

In other words, all the information Kim Dojun originally had about Azmo of Greed was just the two sorceries, 'Plunder' and 'Seize', which this maglignant spirit employed.

Yet, the reason Kim Dojun was able to know about Azmo's Divine Construct Liberation was because information regarding 'Azmo of Greed' had circulated widely.

Not from the game, but from the library and the internet.

Azmo of Greed had already descended into this world dozens of times, causing disasters and slaughtering numerous sorcerers.

As a result of the deaths and calamities brought on by this maglignant spirit, information about him had spread so widely that anyone could easily learn about him by searching a bit on the internet or in the library.

And from this abundance of information, there were two things Kim Dojun found helpful.

The first: once Azmo of Greed liberated his Divine Construct, he could freely use all the sorceries he had obtained until then.

The second: when Azmo of Greed activated Divine Construct Liberation, the abilities 'Seize' and 'Plunder', which he had used previously, would become nullified.

Of course, the second piece of information was originally not particularly necessary for Kim Dojun.

That is, if Kim Dojun had no need to use spiritual power.

"Johwasu. Assimilate."

As Kim Dojun's low voice echoed through the air—

When Azmo of Greed was struck by Kim Dojun's surprise attack and sent flying back, Kim Dojun—almost as if waiting for this—opened his clenched fist.

What lay within were the fragments Kim Dojun had collected so far—Fragments of the Powerless.

Immediately, the johwasu that manifested in front of Kim Dojun began to spin once around toward the two fragments in his hand, then disappeared as if being sucked in.

A bright light exploded forth, and a notification window appeared before Kim Dojun, who had been enduring until now.

Salvation of the Powerless.

Description: In an era when the mighty and monstrous existed, an unnamed scholar, powerless his entire life, poured his soul into creating this grudge-infused artifact, longing to kill the mighty.

Effect: While carrying Salvation, 50% of physical attacks are converted into sorcery attacks, and as long as spiritual power exists, you retain B-rank resistance!

※ Activating via johwasu's assimilation! If all spiritual power is depleted, salvation will lose its power!

A notification window appeared, letting him know he could now kill Azmo of Greed.

"Now—I can properly beat you up."

With a smile as if he had been waiting for this, Kim Dojun charged forward.

[Underworld Suppression (冥往鎭)!]

Flustered by Kim Dojun's sudden change in demeanor, Azmo of Greed immediately formed a hand seal and recited a sorcery.

"That's not going to work a second time."

Effortlessly dodging the Underworld Suppression chains as if they were nothing, Kim Dojun reached Azmo in an instant.

Once again, Azmo hurriedly tried to form a hand seal.

Kim Dojun's fist was faster, slamming directly into Azmo's abdomen.

The shoulder guard that had withstood Kim Dojun's relentless attacks for dozens of minutes—cracking but never shattering—

Azmo's abdomen was pierced.

"Well then, let's start the second round."

The moment Kim Dojun pierced Azmo's abdomen, his true purpose was accomplished.

Originally, before losing his spiritual power, he had intentionally allowed himself to be pummeled and rendered a wreck without showing assimilation, even letting Azmo of Greed perform Divine Construct Liberation—just to create an absolute and undeniable weakness in the maglignant spirit.

He had already experienced that his pure physical strength could not break through Azmo's defenses, and only after pounding away for dozens of minutes and finally using assimilation for the final blow did Azmo's shoulder guard break.

Now that he had created a clear weakness, Kim Dojun was going to focus on breaking Azmo's Divine Construct Liberation by distracting him—without any further worries.

Since a weakness had formed, even if Kim Dojun's spiritual power was sealed again, the initiative remained his.

'This guy's consumption of spiritual power is insane.'

Even Kim Dojun, usually insensitive to spiritual power, could feel the enormous drain that assimilation was causing.

Kim Dojun plunged in again, throwing a fist at Azmo's face.

Azmo, clutching his pierced abdomen and screaming, managed to block Kim Dojun's punch by any means possible.

At the same time, with the hand that blocked the punch, Azmo immediately formed a hand seal.

[Talisman Formation (護符成)!]

As soon as he activated the sorcery, a round sphere was formed, pushing Kim Dojun away.

With that, his full-fledged battle with Azmo began.

Kim Dojun desperately tried to break through Azmo of Greed's defenses to land a decisive blow.

Conversely, Azmo tried to shake off Kim Dojun's attacks and cast sorcery in any way he could.

Every time Azmo attempted to escape with a defensive sorcery, Kim Dojun stuck to him, shattering his sorcery and pressing the attack.

Azmo clenched his teeth, activating new sorceries every time one of the stolen sorcerers' techniques got smashed, determined not to allow another effective hit.

'How the hell is he...!'

A thought raced through Azmo's mind.

No matter how he looked at it, the being before him was inexplicable from Azmo of Greed's perspective.

Even earlier, after having stolen spiritual power and sorcery, Kim Dojun had completely toyed with him at superhuman speed; it was the same now.

'How can he break all these sorceries at once...!'

Azmo of Greed had, after several descents, seized the sorceries of the era's greatest sorcerers—and among those, some techniques that couldn't be broken even by the original owners. Kim Dojun was now smashing through all of them with ease.

Azmo's face twisted in pain again as another sorcery was smashed.

"That's why you should have finished me off early...!"

As Kim Dojun taunted while swinging his fist, Azmo's face twisted into something like a demonic snarl, but he was forced to focus on defense.

He knew if he allowed even one more blow, it would be truly irreversible.

Thus began their grueling war of attrition.

However, in the end, it was Kim Dojun who brought the attrition to a close.

'Drawing this out any further won't benefit me.'

Kim Dojun's spiritual power was holding out for the moment, but if the battle continued as a test of endurance, he would be at a disadvantage.

After all, his spiritual power was finite.

'I'll end it this time.'

Kim Dojun stopped in place as he thought so.

As soon as Azmo realized Kim Dojun had stopped, he took the chance to cast every sorcery he could muster.

[Talisman Formation (護符成)!]

A dazzling spherical barrier formed around his body.

[Six Castles Wall (六城壁)!]

A massive wall rose up in front of the sphere.

[Seven Star Formation, master Casting Evil Dispelling Arts, arang's Polar Circle, combined Curse Unbreakable, monstrous Castle Barrier──────]

With each chant, an additional layer of powerful sorcery surrounded Azmo like an impregnable fortress.

[Thunder Lord Compilation (雷公編)]

A gigantic thunder drum materialized behind Azmo, and lightning began to strike.

[Fire Scatter Crown (火散冠)]

Flames erupted in all directions as a massive crown of fire formed above his head.

[Moon Soul Forge (月魄鑄)]

Hundreds of gleaming swords materialized in the air to guard Azmo.

[Under the Moon (月下)]

A colossal full moon rose over Azmo's head and began to fall toward Kim Dojun.

In addition, there were the dust dragons he'd seen at the very beginning.

Hundreds of crescent moons.

Dozens of grotesque monsters.

All targeted at Kim Dojun.

A catastrophe conjured in less than ten seconds.

Even before such disaster, Kim Dojun did not panic.

Whether the full moon fell toward him,

Or the hundreds of glowing crescents rained down, their blades glinting,

Or the thousands of snakes, or grotesque monsters, or the dragon of dust bore down on him,

Kim Dojun did not panic; he simply tensed his legs.

And in the final moment—

At the very instant Azmo, believing himself protected within his sorcery, kept on chanting,

Kim Dojun launched himself.

Hundreds of crescent moons scattered in all directions.

Thousands of snakes were crushed and whirled away.

Grotesque monsters dissolved into dust and scattered.

The dust-formed dragon dissipated.

And like a ballista, Kim Dojun's fist—compressed to the limit—

Blasted through Azmo's fortress.

Punching through the maglignant spirit's abdomen, piercing the heart.

Blue blood burst forth.

Azmo's face went blank.

Blue blood spewed from Azmo's lips.

In Azmo's mind flashed the word 'death', a sensation he had experienced countless times.

But even as the word 'death' flickered before his eyes,

His mind was filled not with anger or irritation at dying,

but just one overwhelming thought and question.

[What is that, exactly?]

[The power that tore apart all the sorcery I had ever plundered—]

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Greed gleamed in Azmo's eyes.

The desire to obtain, by any means, the power he had just witnessed overtook his entire being.

I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it───────────

"You won't get it even if you die."

Kim Dojun's words followed.

"This power isn't sorcery."

With that reply, Azmo of Greed—

Saw Kim Dojun crush the blue heart he'd been grasping.

Azmo of Greed, with the same look of despair he'd so enjoyed seeing in others, slowly began to fade.

Once Azmo's body had completely disappeared and collapsed, Kim Dojun dropped to the ground on the spot.

"Damn, thought I was going to die."