Chapter 195. The Power of Giving

“

Keuk

!”

A figure was sent flying, crashing violently into a distant mountain.

Boom—!

The deafening sound reverberated through the forest as the ground shook, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.

Ushas staggered to his feet, grimacing, his vision swimming. However, his eyes widened in shock—almost splitting at the corners—when he saw the spear hurtling toward his head. It was Kim Do-Joon, closing in without mercy.

“

Keugh!

”

With a desperate grunt, Ushas leapt backward, unleashing a storm of violet lightning to cover his retreat. The attack didn’t even slow Kim Do-Joon down. Kim Do-Joon tore through the web of electricity as if it were nothing, unscathed and relentless.

Kim Do-Joon had already consumed three divine authorities. His very existence had transcended the ordinary. Just as Earth’s Hunters could barely scratch the World Tree or the Lords, Ushas’ lightning couldn’t hope to harm him.

Damn it!

Ushas knew the truth all too well, and it filled him with despair. Still, he twisted and dodged Kim Do-Joon’s strikes, desperately scrambling to survive. No matter how hopeless, surrender wasn’t an option.

“Ushas, let me ask you something. Was it your doing?”

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon’s calm voice cut through the chaos.

“...What are you talking about?” Ushas replied, his tone guarded.

Kim Do-Joon clenched and unclenched his hand, speaking as if tossing out an idle remark, “Your Father’s death. Was it you?”

Ushas froze for a fraction of a second. His expression, however, betrayed nothing. He quickly retorted with a sneer, his tone sharp, “What nonsense! I just... took advantage of the situation!”

“Oh, really?”

“You’re trying to find out who did it, aren’t you?” Ushas’ eyes gleamed dangerously.

This line of questioning meant only one thing—Kim Do-Joon was hunting for the culprit. If so, the information Ushas possessed could be his ticket out of this. As long as Kim Do-Joon needed something from him, he would not kill Ushas immediately.

“Not really.”

Kim Do-Joon’s voice came from behind him. Ushas barely had time to react before a crushing blow landed square on his spine.

Baaam—!

“

Gah!

”

A sickening sound echoed as he was hurled across the ground, carving a long trench into the dirt.

“Not really. I was just asking,” Kim Do-Joon added, devoid of malice.

He watched Ushas impassively, his expression cold. The brief exchange had not given him a clear answer. Was Ushas the mastermind, or merely a bystander? However, it did not matter to Kim Do-Joon.

Regardless of the truth, Ushas’ fate was already sealed.

Damn it!

Ushas spat, his trembling hands clawing at the dirt as he forced himself upright. He was a mess, covered in sweat, blood, and grime. Still, as if he could fuss over appearances, especially not in a life-or-death situation.

What really grated on him was Kim Do-Joon’s question.

Not really? Then why the hell did you even ask?

Grinding his teeth, Ushas reached into his coat and pulled out a blade—a jagged, wickedly sharp knife. He gripped it tightly with both hands.

Before Kim Do-Joon could close the distance, Ushas plunged the blade into his own throat.

Shlunk!

Kim Do-Joon paused, startled by the sudden act of self-harm. However, Ushas was not trying to kill himself. Kim Do-Joon knew he wouldn’t die from such a wound.

Blood spurted from the wound in a grotesque spray—far more than what seemed natural. And then, a door opened behind him.

From the other side came an eerie, chilling sound. It was a cacophony of wails, reminiscent of hell. The door led to a place filled with countless tormented souls.

This was Ushas’ masterpiece, which was a hellscape he had created by harvesting the souls of entire dimensions. Every corpse he had ever collected—whether for necromancy or experimentation—had left behind its soul, and Ushas had gathered them all.

Now, those souls came pouring out.

—

Keuaaaah—!

Millions of souls, collected from countless worlds, surged toward Ushas, their anguished cries filling the air. The storm of spirits flowed into him, merging with him.

Having transformed, Ushas lunged forward landing directly in front of Kim Do-Joon.

Thud—!

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes widened, and he instinctively stepped back, but Ushas was faster.

Bang—!

Ushas’ hand struck Kim Do-Joon, and an ominous energy exploded from the point of impact. A dark, sinister aura spread like a poison, clawing at Kim Do-Joon. He countered by igniting his Heart of Flame, burning away the foul power.

However, Ushas did not stop.

“Die!”

The attacks came one after another, relentless and vicious. Earlier, Kim Do-Joon didn’t need to dodge. But now, Kim Do-Joon felt pain and he was getting injured.

Blocking a punch, Kim Do-Joon realized too late that Ushas’ knuckles had sprouted bone spikes, stabbing into his hand. Striking back, his spear drove into Ushas’ chest—only for the muscles to clamp down, refusing to let go.

Ushas was no longer human. His body moved like a puppet, manipulated with the same mastery he used on his undead minions.

Keuk.

As Kim Do-Joon was pushed back, Ushas curled his lips into a sly grin. He was not overwhelmingly dominant, but their strengths were close enough to be evenly matched.

Once consumed, a soul could never be reclaimed. But Ushas didn’t regret anything. What use was hoarding it if it was not used when it mattered most?

This should work.

Ushas had no moves left to play. His ace in the hole—his undead father—had been defeated, and the souls he had painstakingly preserved had all been consumed in the battle.

This was his last shot. It had to end here and now. And, by some small miracle, it looked like he had a real chance.

At least, it did—until Kim Do-Joon opened his mouth.

"So what?"

"What?"

The ominous feeling sent a shiver through Ushas, freezing him for a moment. In that brief instant, Kim Do-Joon made his move.

Boom!

A massive rock pillar shot up and struck Ushas squarely in the jaw. That was not the end, though.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

It was as if a whole ruin was rising from the ground, the mountain of rocks growing larger by the second.

"

Ugh!

"

Ushas was twisted grotesquely amidst the crags of rock, the pain pounding at his skull. His eyes flared with fury as he ground his teeth.

Boom!

Then, Ushas exploded. The body that had once belonged to Drake was consumed in an eruption of blood and flesh, as red smoke billowed outward, uncontrollable. It was like the smoke from those cursed spirits earlier—no rock could contain it.

Soon after, the smoke solidified into a massive, monstrous shape. A Giant made up of blood-colored smoke—Ushas’ true form.

“Damn it...!”

Ushas had used his own body as a vessel in countless experiments. Afterward, he existed only in the form of a spirit, possessing countless corpses and living through them. This was the first time his true form had appeared in nearly a thousand years.

Ushas was a necromancer who controlled the dead, so revealing his true self was dangerous. It exposed his weaknesses.

However, it was also an opportunity. His true form was undoubtedly stronger than the frail human body he had been hiding in.

Grinding his teeth, Ushas swung his arm. A colossal spectral sword tore through the rocky island, aimed at Kim Do-Joon.

There was something almost pleading in Ushas' eyes as he made a strike.

Swish—!

However, Kim Do-Joon’s spear, coated in the Heart of Flame, swung with tremendous force, cutting through Ushas’ shoulder. The sword-bearing arm fell to the ground, igniting Ushas in the process.

"

Keuaaaah!

"

The agonizing, maddening pain of his soul burning alive made Ushas flail, desperately trying to shake off the flames. However, the spear’s fiery shadow clung to him, relentlessly consuming his spirit.

Kim Do-Joon swung the spear again, and the flames followed, cutting off Ushas’ limbs, splitting his torso.

Ushas shrank down to the size of a human, barely holding together as it burned. The severed limbs and body parts remained attached, albeit their size was drastically reduced.

Kim Do-Joon approached, and Ushas trembled, his expression contorting in pain.

"Damn it! Damn it! Why? Why me! There are others! Why are you just doing this to me!"

Ushas tried to crawl away, but Kim Do-Joon quickly drove the spear into him, pinning him down.

"Shouldn't have shown up, then,” Kim Do-Joon said coldly.

Ushas trembled at his words, then began his final struggle.

"If I die, that bitch will never return!" Ushas cried out.

"What?" Kim Do-Joon was unfazed.

There was no turning back now.

Originally, the mana circle had been intended for when Vango would bring his Father’s daughter. However, Vango had failed.

"That woman over there! The Saintess!" Ushas yelled.

Ushas subtly tensed as he observed Kim Do-Joon, carefully gauging his reaction. If it had been his daughter, there would have been no doubt, but the woman was an uncertain variable.

Does she hold any value as a hostage? Or is she useless?

Kim Do-Joon’s brow twitched. Seeing this, Ushas inwardly cheered. The thread of hope was thin, like a fragile strand of silk, but it was still a thread. And in times like this, having even that was crucial.

“I’ve completely sealed her consciousness. Showing her the corpses of those villagers made sure of that. It only made the effect stronger,” Ushas said with barely concealed glee, brimming with mockery.

Kim Do-Joon looked down at him coldly, his expression unreadable.

Could it be true? So she’s not just unconscious?

After all, Ushas could just be bluffing to buy himself some time. Kim Do-Joon extended a hand, and shadows swirled around them, filling the space with their dark presence. The shadows coiled and began binding Ushas tightly.

“Let go! Let me go, damn it!” he shrieked.

Ignoring his protests, Kim Do-Joon wrapped him even more securely, fully restricting his movement.

For now, he chose not to kill him. Ushas' fate was Siwelin's to decide, not his.

“

Mm! Mmph!

”

Ushas’ laughter turned to muffled grunts as Kim Do-Joon gagged him. Then, Kim Do-Joon turned to the unconscious Siwelin.

He knelt beside her, carefully laying her flat and checking her condition. She was not dead. As he had suspected, her life was not in danger.

Then, Kim Do-Joon sensed the unmistakable trace of Ushas’ seal, lodged deep within her.

So it’s true.

Kim Do-Joon hesitated.

While he could forcibly extract it, doing so would carry risks. What would happen to Siwelin’s consciousness if he acted rashly? He could not afford to gamble with her life.

“

Mm! Mm! Mm! Mmmph!

” Ushas let out a muffled laugh, mocking him even now.

Kim Do-Joon thought for a second whether he should just ask Ushas. However, he quickly made it his last resort. Ushas would undoubtedly try to use it to manipulate Kim Do-Joon.

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon looked down at his own hands. Extracting Ushas’ power from Siwelin was simple enough, but it wasn’t the right time. Besides, he still had other options.

Therefore, he placed his hand on Siwelin.

Originally, his strength—the old man’s strength—wasn’t about taking from others, but about giving what one had to others.