Chapter 162. If This Fails

A cone-shaped, dark red flame burst from the spear, embedding itself in the Shadow Lord’s palm.

It’s working!

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes sparkled with resolve. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he launched forward like a lightning bolt with Sky Thunder.

Pzzzz—!

He became a living spear, surging with energy. The flames—a fusion of the Heart of Flame and the Shadow Lord's shadow—spiraled violently. The Violent Stream ferociously tore through the Shadow Lord’s arm.

Kraaagh—!

The Shadow Lord screamed, caught off guard.

The creature’s negligence was as plain as day. He wielded his immense power recklessly, unleashing it without refinement or precision—which was a fatal flaw. Kim Do-Joon’s attack cut through the gaps in his shoddy defenses.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

The spear of energy pierced through his wrist, climbed to his elbow, and then to his shoulder.

Boom—!

The impact forced the Shadow Lord back, his arm left in tatters. Blood poured like a storm from the long, gaping wound that ran down his arm.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t waste the opportunity. He sprang into the air with all his might, soaring higher than the Shadow Lord’s head. Their gazes locked for an instant—Kim Do-Joon looking down, the Shadow Lord looking up.

“How? How can you destroy my shadows!?” roared the Shadow Lord.

His eyes quivered as they fixated on Kim Do-Joon’s dark red flames.

It made no sense. How could a mere human from this world wield such power? These flames weren’t like those of Gao Lin, the other Seed—they were on a completely different level..

Damn it!

However, there was no time to contemplate. From his body, hundreds of shadows erupted like a tidal wave, racing to drag Kim Do-Joon back to the ground.

Swoosh—!

Kim Do-Joon bent himself mid-air, twisting against the torrent of shadows. His eyes betrayed no hesitation, only unwavering focus on his target.

Swish—!

Baaam—!

As hundreds of shadows were about to engulf him, Kim Do-Joon hurled his spear with a sharp twist. A deafening roar followed as the weapon tore through the air. Even as shadows enveloped Kim Do-Joon, the spear flew straight and true toward the Shadow Lord’s face.

As the two forces converged, the Shadow Lord’s memory stirred.

He must be...

The Shadow Lord finally recognized Kim Do-Joon.

He had seen this human in Gao Lin’s memories. It was the man that possessed shadows eerily similar to his own. He should’ve been more cautious! Why hadn’t he investigated further?

He had dismissed it as coincidence, perhaps because the World Tree’s laws weren’t his creation.

If only he hadn’t been distracted by the traces of that old man and his sister!

However regrets, no matter how quick, always came too late.

Swoosh—!

“

Aaargh!

”

Kim Do-Joon’s spear, imbued with the Heart of Flame and infused with the Shadow Lord’s power, struck true. It embedded itself deep into the Shadow Lord’s eye, searing everything from within. His once-brilliant, golden-yellow eyes were consumed by pitch-black flames.

Thud.

Kim Do-Joon landed gracefully atop the Shadow Lord’s head. Calmly, he retrieved another spear from his inventory.

One arm, one eye, and...

Kim Do-Joon’s gaze fell to the scar on the Shadow Lord’s neck—a mark left by Jecheon Seong.

The wounds were accumulating. Each one was a mortal blow on its own, yet the Shadow Lord remained standing. Now, three such devastating injuries layered together, his frenzied movements betrayed his growing desperation.

Balancing on the wildly thrashing Shadow Lord’s back, Kim Do-Joon maintained his composure.

For a brief moment, Kim Do-Joon and Jecheon Song’s eyes met. No words were exchanged. Their unspoken understanding was clear: deal as much damage as possible while the opportunity lasted.

“

Keugh...!

”

As Kim Do-Joon drove his spear deeper into the Shadow Lord’s back, Jecheon Seong unleashed a flurry of strikes. Each wound drew another guttural growl of agony from the beast. The Shadow Lord twisted violently, his massive frame writhing in pain.

Then, with a thunderous flap of his wings, he ascended.

He’s trying to take to the skies, but I won’t let that happen.

Without hesitation, Kim Do-Joon dashed toward one of the massive wing joints that towered like a pillar. With a swift thrust, Kim Do-Joon’s spear pierced through, severing the wing entirely.

Crack—!

The first wing fell uselessly to the ground. Looking to the other side, Kim Do-Joon saw Jecheon Seong had already taken care of it. The Shadow Lord, now wingless, plummeted back to the earth with a resounding crash.

“Damn it... Damn it!”

The Shadow Lord growled, glaring at his fallen wings. He opened his maw wide, preparing to devour them.

No, you can’t.

Kim Do-Joon was determined not to let him devour anything. The Shadow Lord had shown him that consuming things only made him stronger. If he swallowed those wings, his strength would surely recover.

Kim Do-Joon leaped from the Shadow Lord’s back. He landed in front of the creature just as he tried to bite down. Kim Do-Joon slammed his fist into the Shadow Lord’s face with all his might, stopping him cold.

Boom—!

A thunderous crash echoed like an explosion as the Shadow Lord’s head snapped to the side. He then gritted his teeth.

“Damn it!

Daaamn

it!

Argh!

” the Shadow Lord roared, his voice twisting in fury.

For a brief moment, the Shadow Lord arched like a bow. Kim Do-Joon instinctively knew what was happening. The elder must’ve struck a devastating blow from behind, one the Shadow Lord could never recover from.

This is my chance!

Kim Do-Joon narrowed his eyes. Seizing the moment, he dashed forward, plunging deep into the Shadow Lord’s guard. They couldn’t keep dragging out this war of attrition. To end this, he had to strike a critical blow—and he knew exactly where to aim.

The heart of his power, full of mana, will be around his chest,

Kim Do-Joon muttered under his breath.

Then, without hesitation, he leapt, driving his spear straight into the Shadow Lord’s chest. He held it tight, shoving it in with all his strength.

Crack! Crack!

The energy of the Ice Crystal surged along the spear, extending the blade’s tip into a longer, jagged edge. Ice crystals glimmered faintly, coiling with an ominous black shadow.

With a swift vertical slash, Kim Do-Joon tore through the creature’s flesh.

Nice.

The blade met resistance but sliced through, cleaving a massive, gaping wound. The wound, large enough for a person to step through, revealed what lay within.

A grotesque, pulsating core—the Shadow Lord’s heart. Nestled within the beating flesh was none other than Gao Lin.

***

What the hell...?

Kim Do-Joon's eyes flickered with disbelief as he took in his discovery.

The immense energy gathered there left no doubt that the core was here. However, he didn’t expect to find Gao Lin with horns, wings, and a tail. A jagged crown of thorns also floated ominously above his head.

Gao Lin was buried in a disturbing mass of flesh. His eyes were shut, with black tears streaming down his face.

Briefly, Kim Do-Joon froze, taken aback by the eerie sight. However, he quickly snapped back to focus, gripping his spear tightly. He had no time to waste. He must destroy this core as soon as possible!

“Get lost!”

Shadows, sharp as needles, surged at Kim Do-Joon from all directions. A dense forest of black spikes closed in, filling his vision. Kim Do-Joon nimbly slipped through the deadly barrage like a leaf riding the wind.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The shadows targeted his vital points, but he parried them with his own shadow, ignoring the rest. With Invincible body, any attack that didn’t strike a critical spot wasn’t a threat for him.

Well scrapes still hurt.

It drove home just how absurdly powerful this creature’s shadows were. His Invincible Body, untouched through countless battles, was now chipping away from mere grazing contact.

Of course, his arsenal wasn’t just limited to that.

Although he hadn’t paid much attention to it recently, he could copy-paste defensive attributes he’d prepared in advance. Coupled with his ability to reinforce himself with mana, he was effectively armored to the teeth.

The fact that he still sustained minor injuries despite all that was both impressive and terrifying.

Got you.

At last, Kim Do-Joon reached the Shadow Lord’s core. A massive, pulsating heart loomed before him, connected to the dragon’s body by countless shadowy tendrils.

Should he sever all these connections? Or would simply obliterating the mass of flesh suffice?

There’s no point in overthinking it.

He could simply try both. Swiftly, Kim Do-Joon’s spear tore through the heart tendrils, severing them one by one. Shadows fell lifelessly to the ground like withered leaves.

Just as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow to the heart, the flesh split open.

“You bastard!”

With a guttural roar, Gao Lin surged from within the fleshy mass, lunging at Kim Do-Joon. His hands clamped around Kim Do-Joon’s neck.

“

Urk!

” Kim Do-Joon choked, caught off guard.

“You let your guard down!” Gao Lin snarled, grinning monstrously.

His words echoed in Kim Do-Joon’s ears. He wasn’t wrong. Kim Do-Joon’s eyes wavered in shock. Who would have thought Gao Lin could still move, even while buried in that grotesque core?

Did... Did the dragon stop moving?

It seemed so because the massive dragon, which had been thrashing wildly moments ago, was now eerily still, like a toy drained of its batteries.

“I’ll kill you!” Gao Lin hissed. “I’ll snap your neck before your precious elder has a chance to interfere!”

“

Kuk!

”

Kim Do-Joon’s vision blurred as his carotid artery was crushed. His breaths came shallow and labored. Struggling, he raised his trembling arms, gripping Gao Lin’s wrists to pry them off. Although he was shaking crazy, he didn’t give up.

“

Hahaha

, if you’re waiting for that old man, you might as well give up! I have plenty of time to kill you before he arrives!” Gao Lin mocked him, putting greater force on his grip.

On the other hand, Kim Do-Joon’s strength was fading fast. His hands barely held on, slipping with every passing second.

However, eventually, Kim Do-Joon’s hand crept higher, passing Gao Lin’s wrists, his shoulders, and finally to his head.

“

Huh?

What are you trying to do...?” Gao Lin sneered.

However, Kim Do-Joon didn’t have time for his mockery. His hand stopped at the black crown hovering above Gao Lin’s head. His focus narrowed.

This is my last hope...

Kim Do-Joon thought grimly.

It was a desperate gamble. The chances of it actually working were far slimmer, but sadly, it was the only thing he could place his trust in at this moment.

With the last of his strength, Kim Do-Joon gripped the black crown and yanked it with all his might.

Thunk!

[There is an unfinished copy-paste effect detected.]

[Target: Shadow Lord’s Fragment.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

Kim Do-Joon's vision blurred, his surroundings fading into indistinct shapes and shadows. However, amid the haze, he could make out one thing: a notification.

Through sheer determination, his hand tightened around the jagged crown once more.

***

Damn it! Damn it!

The Shadow Lord cursed internally, his thoughts spiraling into chaos. How had things gone so wrong?

By all accounts, his plan should have been flawless. The first Branch he unleashed was supposed to devour an entire nation effortlessly. From there, he would expand, absorbing more territories one by one. It wasn’t a particularly groundbreaking plan, but one that guaranteed success.

After all, he was at the very center of it. Yet, even the first step had gone awry.

The Branch didn’t spread as widely as he had expected. Worse, it left him vulnerable, allowing outside interference to disrupt his foothold.

Thanks to that, the Shadow Lord did not even have the chance to properly adjust to this world because he was too busy dealing with outsiders.

Amid all of that chaos, a monstrous man appeared, forcing him to absorb the Branch and adapt to this world to summon the “body.”

At the time, he had thought it wasn’t the end of the world. It was a setback, but nothing irreparable.

But now look where I am

.

The body he had painstakingly summoned—his most potent weapon—was on the verge of being destroyed. Worse still, the sacrifice he used to bring it here, the very Branch he needed to conquer this world, was already consumed.

Growing a new one would take centuries—time he didn’t have. His siblings would sense his failure long before then, and they wouldn’t let him recover.

His plan was collapsing entirely. To make matters worse, even now, in this very moment, he faced another dire predicament.

The human inside his body—the one who had pierced his heart—was barely within his grasp. Yet outside, that damned elder waited like a wolf circling its prey.

Can I even escape with this pathetic, incomplete body

? Grimly, the Shadow Lord wondered.

Then, he resolved himself.

Forget it. First, let’s deal with this one. The rest comes later.

The intruder inside him was the source of his troubles, the reason he had to abandon his body in the first place. He needed to crush this human before thinking of his next move.

“Die already,” the Shadow Lord growled.

“

Guh... kuh...

”

Kim Do-Joon’s breaths came in ragged gasps as the Shadow Lord’s grip tightened around his throat. The Shadow Lord sneered at the human’s feeble attempts to pry his hands away.

“What, trying to break free? Pathetic,” the Shadow Lord spat. “You don’t even have enough strength to make me flinch.”

The Shadow Lord’s hold grew tighter, his claws digging into Kim Do-Joon’s neck. Around them, shadows writhed and coiled, creeping toward the human’s arms and legs like snakes.

As the shadows wrapped around him, the Shadow Lord allowed a small smirk to cross his lips.

“Yes... I’ll devour him. His strength will buy me time to escape that elder. This will work,” he thought, the faintest glimmer of confidence returning.

Just as the shadows crept closer, swallowing the human’s arms and legs, the human’s hand shot up, grabbing hold of his crown.

Snap.

“What do you think you’re doing, touching that?” the Shadow Lord hissed.

It was almost amusing—this human, moments from death, reaching out in a pitiful, desperate gesture.

“Fine,” he thought. “You’re going to die anyway. I’ll let you have this one last act of defiance.”

However, as he prepared to tighten his grip and squeeze the life out of him, something unexpected happened.

Shhhk.

“What the?”

An unnatural sensation washed over him. The strength in his arms—no, his entire being—suddenly drained away.

More than that, he could feel his energy, his very essence, flowing out of him and into the human.

“No. No, this can’t be happening,” he thought, panic rising like bile in his throat.

His eyes darted wildly to the human. Kim Do-Joon’s expression was cold, almost mechanical, as he rose to his feet.

The Shadow Lord’s body trembled involuntarily.

“W-What is this feeling? This energy flow... this sensation...”

It was unmistakable. He had felt it before.

“Father...?” the Shadow Lord stammered, his voice quivering with fear.

For the first time, the self-proclaimed ruler of shadows was utterly still, unable to even muster the strength to resist while Kim Do-Joon rose slowly.