Chapter 194. The Sound of Scheming

All around the island, roots jutted out from the ground. Most of them surged toward Kim Do-Joon and the old man, but Ushas was not entirely spared either.

Swish!

Ushas swung his arm, slicing through the Roots. Cutting the smaller ones was no challenge for him.

A few more Roots lunged at him, but they posed no real threat. He glanced briefly over his shoulder, where a massive dome of intertwined roots stood, encasing Kim Do-Joon and the old man.

It’s concerning... but...

Ushas could not imagine his opponent being defeated so easily. Not only was that undead crafted from his father’s corpse, but also empowered by Alcyone’s divine authority. Regardless, with the powers of Mel Sior and Vango, Kim Do-Joon was also a tough opponent.

Then I’ll have to deal with this bitch first and claim Laoha’s divine authority before anything.

It was the only path to victory—the only way to tip the balance in his favor.

Ushas inspected the mana circle etched into the ground. Fortunately, the Roots hadn’t damaged it. It continued to function perfectly, glowing faintly.

“

Ugh...!

”

Suddenly, a burst of light erupted from Siwelin’s trembling hands as she knelt on the ground, her focus unsteady. Ushas casually twisted himself to dodge it. The beam passed through a few stray Roots before waning and fizzling out.

It wasn’t bad for a desperate attempt.

Thud.

Ushas stomped the ground, and the mana circle flared brighter. Siwelin shuddered violently, and moments later, her wings folded into her back, and the glimmer in her eyes vanished.

She collapsed face-first onto the ground. Ushas approached her, his expression unreadable. He reached for the back of her neck, intending to toss her to the old man.

Despite her power, Siwelin wasn’t his sister. Whether she lived or died meant nothing to him.

“S-stop! Drake!”

Ushas narrowed his eyes as a voice rang out. A group of American Hunters led by Walter stood before him, blocking his path.

They were all faces he recognized—former comrades, or at least colleagues, from his days as Drake.

“Why... Why are you doing this?” Walter asked through gritted teeth.

Hoping that Drake was not the culprit at this point would have been foolish. Everything pointed to him as the perpetrator.

Why would someone hailed as a hero, revered by all, do something like this? He already had wealth, fame, and power. What could possibly drive him?

The thought made no sense. Was he like some villain from a children’s cartoon, chasing world domination for no reason?

“

Hmph

.” Ushas didn’t even bother answering.

Explaining himself was pointless; they wouldn’t understand anyway.

Wealth, fame, and world domination mattered not to him. The reason he had started his plans was simple: creating an ideal environment to contain his younger sister. The reason he continued down this path was even simpler—to survive.

Of all the emotions he’d experienced in his tangled life, he could state one truth with certainty: his desire to survive trumped every other craving in the universe. Ushas flicked his fingers dismissively.

Suddenly, grotesque hands emerged from the ground beneath the Hunters. One hand grabbed at their ankles while another reached for their throats.

“

Keuk!

”

“S-stop them!”

That was all it took. These so-called elite Hunters of America began to flounder. They slashed with their swords and unleashed fire and ice, but the undead empowered by Ushas’ divine authority didn’t so much as flinch.

“Get out of my way,” Ushas said coldly.

He defeated them with ease and turned back to the unconscious Siwelin. Part of him wanted to end it swiftly by cutting her down, but he could not risk it.

Vango had proven what could happen. If Siwelin died like that, Laoha’s authority would return to Laoha—or, worse, fall into Kim Do-Joon’s hands.

That would be the end.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

With Vango already absorbed, losing his sister’s divine authority would leave him with no chance of victory. He had to ensure Siwelin’s power was transferred to the undead.

Reaching her before Kim Do-Joon and the undead could finish their fight had given him an advantage.

A small smile crossed his lips as he reached for Siwelin. Just as he was about to lift her, a deafening explosion roared behind him, accompanied by a gust of wind that pressed heavily against his back.

—

Babababam—!

Ushas turned around in alarm. There, standing amid the wreckage of the dome, was Kim Do-Joon, carrying the limp corpse of the old man over his shoulder.

“Take your hands off her,” Kim Do-Joon said, his voice low and deadly.

***

A short while earlier, inside the cocoon of Roots, the old man swung his sword with ferocious precision. Roots that surged toward him were slashed apart with ease.

Ting!

However, one Root refused to be cut. The old man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He raised his sword again and brought it down with renewed force, but the result was the same. A sharp, resonant sound echoed as his blade was deflected.

This Root was different. It was lighter in color, untainted by the dark and ominous aura of the others. It radiated a clean, fresh energy, exuding an almost serene presence.

The old man lifted his head. More Roots were coming for him, snaking through the air like relentless predators. Among them, several carried that same pure aura.

His movements began to falter. The regular Roots would stop moving after a single cut, but these bright ones were relentless. Not only were they impervious to his blade, but they also kept pursuing him.

Now.

Kim Do-Joon had been waiting for this opportunity. A spear hurtled toward the old man, fast and deadly. Alarm bells went off in his mind as he poured every ounce of his energy into blocking the strike.

Clang!

The old man managed to deflect the spear, but it came at a cost. Roots coiled tightly around him, pressing him down.

Creak. Creak.

Even as the Roots constricted him, the old man didn’t stop moving. It would take more than a few Roots to hold him in place.

With a flick of his wrist, his sword aimed for Kim Do-Joon’s vital points. The Roots made it difficult to manipulate the wind, but he still had control over water and earth.

The ground beneath his feet trembled as he reshaped it at will. Torrents of water surged from his hands like cascading waterfalls.

However, Kim Do-Joon had countermeasures for all of it. When the earth trembled, he moved as if walking on air. When the water surged, he neutralized it with the power of Fire Spirits.

Meanwhile, the Roots of the World Tree continued to entwine the old man, binding him tighter and tighter.

Snap!

Finally, the old man’s movements slowed dramatically, his speed now inferior even to Ushas’. Kim Do-Joon seized the moment, striking upward with his spear and sending the old man’s sword flying.

The old man reached for another weapon without hesitation, but Kim Do-Joon was faster.

Thunk.

Closing the distance, Kim Do-Joon grabbed the old man’s head with his left hand. In response, the old man clamped a hand around Kim Do-Joon’s forearm.

A fierce struggle began anew. In the early stages of their battle, they had grappled like this, but it had ended in a stalemate. This time was different.

Kim Do-Joon had absorbed Vango’s power, and he had witnessed the old man’s memories.

Alcyone’s divine authority...

The power flowed through him like an unstoppable flood, surging from the old man’s head into Kim Do-Joon’s arm. The old man, realizing what was happening, fought desperately to stem the flow, but it was futile. The balance of power had already been broken.

“

Kuh... urgh...

”

Alcyone’s power was slipping away. The old man knew instinctively that if he lost this, he would have no chance left.

Summoning the last of his strength, he unleashed everything. The cocoon of Roots shuddered violently. A storm erupted inside, winds raging and whirlpools spiraling out of control. The confined space filled with unbearable pressure.

Boom—!

At last, the Roots exploded outward, revealing the sky above. For a fleeting moment, the old man felt free. Acting on instinct, he leapt away, eager to put distance between himself and his opponent, to regroup and recover.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

However, Kim Do-Joon’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade. He was already there, blocking the old man’s escape.

“This ends now.”

Kim Do-Joon extended his hand.

The undead shuddered. Despite being lifeless, it was gripped by a profound, bone-deep terror—a fear of complete annihilation.

It was not unfounded. Alcyone’s authority had been completely stolen, and the necromancy Ushas had painstakingly crafted over centuries to animate the corpse was stripped away.

The light faded from the old man’s eyes. He slumped, losing all vitality, reverting to nothing more than a lifeless husk. Kim Do-Joon stood over the body, his expression hard as stone.

Thud.

Kim Do-Joon caught the old man’s body before it hit the ground. Letting it fall seemed wrong, when it had done him no harm. If anything, it was the vessel of someone he deeply respected.

I will honor your final request.

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon lifted his head. His first priority was to assess the situation with Ushas and Siwelin. The sight before him ignited a fire in his eyes.

Siwelin laid crumpled on the ground, utterly drained. Even her wings had disappeared from her back. Thankfully, she did not appear dead, but she was clearly unconscious.

And there was Ushas, reaching for her.

“Get your hands off her.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it struck like a roar. To Ushas, it felt as though Kim Do-Joon was growling right next to him.

“H-How... this can’t be...” Ushas stammered, disbelief etched across his face.

Kim Do-Joon stood there, holding a body stripped of all its power.

There was no mistaking what that meant. The old man had lost, driving the nail in the coffin.

“

Aaaah!

” Ushas let out a shriek.

His hand, once outstretched toward Siwelin, recoiled. Without hesitation, he turned and began to flee. There was no longer any reason to pursue Siwelin. Without the undead old man, there was no way to extract his sibling’s divine authority.

Even if he managed to claim her powers somehow, it would not be enough. Kim Do-Joon had already reclaimed the powers of all three siblings.

Where... where can I go?

Ushas’ mind raced as he ran. Staying on Earth was no longer an option. He needed another dimension, somewhere to regroup...!

He recalled a few possible destinations, some were places where his other siblings resided. Perhaps they could lend him their aid.

As he fled, his thoughts spun furiously. Begging for forgiveness was out of the question. His only chance was to find a way to turn the tables, no matter how desperate the odds.

However, then, carried by a gust of wind, Ushas froze in terror.

“I can hear the sound of your scheming from here.”

“Wha—!”

Boom!

Before he knew it, Kim Do-Joon was upon him. Grabbing Ushas by the head, he slammed it into the ground with crushing force.