After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 47

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 47
Whoooosh!
The City Predator’s palm descended toward Sang Hyeok’s head.
Sang Hyeok did not dodge. Instead, the first line of the Huk Sool Rok flashed through his mind.
‘Decay.’
Crack!
A black brand seared itself across the City Predator’s chest.
[Target is 4 levels higher than the caster.]
[The reduction effect of Decay decreases according to the level difference.]
The level gap had diminished the effect, but Decay had struck true nonetheless.
The descending palm visibly slowed, and the stream of black liquid flowing between its fingers grew noticeably thinner.
Sang Hyeok pushed off the creature’s chest before the slowed palm could land, hurling himself sideways.
Crash!
The enormous palm slammed down upon the Predator’s own chest.
The impact caved in the sternum, fissures splitting deep into the interior.
Several fingers snapped under the force of the collision.
Squirm.
Liquid surged from the wound, sealing the fractured fingers back together.
In that instant, light drained from the barriers of both cities.
[The Eastern City’s barrier weakens.]
[Barrier maintenance: 91% → 86%]
[The Western City’s barrier weakens.]
[Barrier maintenance: 100% → 95%]
Sang Hyeok did not miss that flux—his Dragon’s Eye caught every current.
Thousands upon thousands of threads of magical power streamed from both cities, converging upon the Predator’s chest.
Where all those threads of light converged, a black Crystal Core the size of a man was buried deep within.
Each time the Crystal Core flashed, the cities’ magical power was drawn inward.
That stolen power spread throughout the creature’s body, mending the fractured fingers and the gaping chest wound.
Sang Hyeok fixed his gaze upon the black Crystal Core.
‘If I can destroy that, it’s over.’
The problem was that the Crystal Core lay deep within the Predator’s chest.
If he deployed Annihilation from outside, the distance was too great.
He would need to close to within a single step of the Crystal Core—close enough to annihilate it precisely while leaving the magical power still connected to the cities intact.
The City Predator raised its palm.
The deep fissure that split its chest—the wound it had inflicted upon itself moments before—remained gaping open.
Liquid was rising to fill the gap, but Decay had slowed the rate at which the wound would close.
[Time remaining: 03:56]
Still, the split was sealing itself gradually from below.
If he did not strike now, he would have to tear through the creature’s body again.
And each breach would cost the barriers more magical power.
Sang Hyeok bolted toward the fissure.
Roooar!
The City Predator convulsed.
Rubble embedded in its back and shoulders tore loose and cascaded down upon Sang Hyeok.
Sang Hyeok did not slow his pace.
The moment the largest stone pillar closed within a single step of him, he swung his right arm forward.
‘Annihilation.’
Shhheee!
Black energy swept across the space before him.
The pillar and massive sections of wall-stone transformed into black sand and scattered.
Sang Hyeok surged through the gap he had carved, reaching the fissure in the creature’s chest in a single breath.
Just as the two halves of flesh were about to seal shut, he threw himself into the narrowing gap.
Snap!
The fissure in the chest sealed closed behind him.
The interior of the Predator’s body sprawled before him like a vast, hollow cavern.
Black liquid streamed down along the rough-hewn walls.
Threading through it all, thousands of threads of light—magical power drawn from both cities—stretched deeper into the creature’s interior.
To disturb even a single thread was to risk the collapse of the barrier it was bound to.
Sang Hyeok twisted his body between the threads of light, driving deeper.
Sharp spines erupted from the liquid in rapid succession.
Crack-crack-crack!
Sang Hyeok swept the spines aside with his left arm and pressed forward.
Thoom!
As the predator’s body convulsed, the black water flowing inside surged forth with renewed violence.
Sang Hyeok gripped the jagged wall, bracing against the current before hauling himself upright again.
Beyond the wavering shafts of light, the dark gleam of the Crystal Core came into view.
Not much time left now.
[Remaining time: 03:18]
The closer the Crystal Core drew, the fiercer the light pouring from both cities became.
The predator seemed to understand what Sang Hyeok was aiming for.
Black radiance churned violently within the Crystal Core.
Whoooosh!
Thousands of threads of Magical Power streaked past Sang Hyeok’s side.
[The Barrier of Eastern City weakens.]
[Barrier integrity: 86% → 74%]
[The Barrier of Western City weakens.]
[Barrier integrity: 95% → 83%]
Through the Dragon’s Eye, he could see the state of both barriers.
The fracture in the Eastern Barrier had descended all the way to just above the city gate.
Transparent shards were beginning to fall away from the Western Barrier as well.
If he waited any longer, both cities would crumble first.
Sang Hyeok closed the final distance to the Crystal Core.
With only a single step remaining, he drew forth the Magical Power rising from the Apocalyptic Dragon’s Heart with his right arm.
Crackle-snap!
Crimson light blazed between the scales of his right arm.
Sang Hyeok distinguished each shaft of light connected to the Crystal Core one by one.
‘Preserve every thread linked to the cities. Only the Crystal Core.’
‘Annihilation.’
Shrieeek!
Black aura bloomed from his right hand, engulfing the Crystal Core.
The threads of Magical Power connected to both cities remained unchanged.
Only the surface of the Crystal Core transformed to black sand, spreading from the edges.
Then the Crystal Core drew the Magical Power from both cities even more fiercely.
The drawn-in force converged at the fractured surface, and black crystals began to regrow in the vanished place.
Sang Hyeok’s right arm trembled with weight.
It was the burden of the high-grade predator’s strength combined with the Magical Power of both cities.
Sang Hyeok gathered more Magical Power into his right arm.
The crimson light blazing between the scales deepened.
Roooaaar!
The predator’s entire body twisted violently.
Spines erupting from the water descended upon Sang Hyeok from all sides.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Sang Hyeok shielded his head and chest with his left arm.
Each time the spines scraped the scales, crimson sparks flew.
Some grazed his ribs and legs, tearing his clothes.
[Remaining time: 01:49]
Shatter-snap!
The fracture in the Eastern Barrier spread all the way to the city gate.
Transparent shards cascaded over the rampart, and beyond them the black wave rose high once more.
When the next wave struck, the barrier above the gate would collapse first.
Sang Hyeok suppressed the tremor in his right arm and drove the Annihilation aura into the Crystal Core.
He could not simply pour his strength without restraint.
If Annihilation so much as grazed even one thread of light, the barrier at its far end would vanish with it.
To protect both cities, he had to obliterate only the Crystal Core down to its final fragment, with absolute precision.
Sang Hyeok held his breath and concentrated all his awareness on the Dragon’s Eye.
The surging current and the spines erupting from every direction blurred from his vision.
Only the thousands of threads of light connecting to the Crystal Core remained sharp and clear.
Sang Hyeok threaded Annihilation inward through the Crystal Core, weaving between each thread of light.
Shrieeek!
With each new black crystal that sprouted, it crumbled to sand and scattered.
Annihilation began to overtake regeneration, bit by bit.
At last, even the final fragment turned black.
Whoosh.
The Crystal Core crumbled to nothing.
Crack!
In that instant, thousands of strands of magical power coursing toward the predator’s body halted in place.
The light that had been drawn into the Crystal Core reversed direction, flowing back toward both cities.
[The City Predator’s forced absorption has been interrupted.]
[The magical current linked to both cities’ barriers has been preserved.]
[Eastern City barrier maintenance rate: 74% → 100%]
[Western City barrier maintenance rate: 83% → 100%]
Boom!
The fractured barriers of both cities sealed themselves in an instant.
The predator’s hands lunged again to seize both barriers, but the barriers, restored to brilliance, thrust back the massive fingers.
Crash!
The arm extended toward the Eastern City plunged beneath the waves.
The hand gripping the Western platform was flung back against the barrier.
Changes rippled through the predator’s body as well.
The flesh that had just been revived lost its form and flowed downward as black sludge.
Without the cities’ magical power sustaining it, the colossal body could no longer hold its shape.
As the Crystal Core vanished, the house-sized black heart behind it contracted in irregular spasms.
Not a single thread of the cities’ magical power remained flowing into that heart now.
Sang Hyeok’s gaze fixed on the black heart.
‘Now it’s just you.’
The predator’s heart contracted forcefully.
The surrounding water surged toward Sang Hyeok all at once.
Sang Hyeok carved through the current with his left arm and stretched his right hand toward the heart.
‘Annihilation.’
Screech!
Black energy engulfed the heart’s surface.
Severed from the cities’ magical power, the heart could no longer revive the sections consumed by Annihilation.
Whoosh.
The heart, vast as a house, transformed into black sand from the point where his palm touched it.
No new flesh sprouted in the void it left behind.
Instead, each contraction of the heart made the remaining surface tremble, expelling black energy.
With each pulse, the spread of Annihilation noticeably slowed.
Then the Decay brand etched onto the predator’s chest burned black once more.
Thump!
The heart’s contractions grew sluggish.
Sang Hyeok seized the opening and poured more force into his palm.
The Apocalyptic Scales on his right arm blazed a deep crimson.
Amplified by that power, Annihilation burrowed deep into the heart’s core.
Each time the predator thrashed, its interior convulsed as though being torn apart.
Sang Hyeok drove his left hand, covered in scales, deep into the surrounding flesh to anchor himself.
Annihilation obliterated half the heart.
Without pause, Sang Hyeok poured more magical power into what remained.
His magical reserves drained swiftly, but thanks to the Mana Vessel expanding his maximum capacity, enough power endured to annihilate the heart entirely.
Screech!
The force of Annihilation spread across the heart’s remaining entirety.
Thump!
The predator’s heart beat one last time, great and terrible.
Whoosh.
The last of the heart crumbled into black sand and scattered.
“Roooaaaarrr!”
The City Predator’s death cry shattered the Black Sea itself.
The water filling its body plummeted downward.
As its chest began to collapse inward, Sang Hyeok hurled himself toward the widening gap.
Crack!
Sang Hyeok burst from the fractured chest and seized the chain that connected to the Eastern City.
He slid down the chain toward the fulcrum without breaking pace.
As the central axis drew near, I released my grip and landed upon it.
Boom!
The City Predator’s massive form, bereft of its heart, tilted and collapsed into the Black Sea.
The remnants of the wall and tower embedded in its back plunged into the dark waters first.
Then its head, arms, and torso crumbled in sequence, losing all coherence.
The flesh that had composed its body transformed into black sand, pouring down like rain.
Where the sand touched the waves, it lost its dark luster and sank away.
[Lv.35 <City Predator> defeated.]
The Black Sea grew still.
Moments later, a bell tolled from the Eastern City.
Dong!
The Western City’s bell soon answered.
Dong! Dong!
The people of both cities poured into the streets, embracing one another.
On the Western wall, a woman holding a child bowed toward the center of the scale alongside the soldier who had saved her.
Sang Hyeok breathed slowly, listening to the bells ring from both sides.
This was the end I had sought from the beginning.
I had protected the two cities and everyone within them to the very last.
[Eastern City Survival: Complete]
[Western City Survival: Complete]
[Recorded Casualties: Zero]
[City Predator Defeated: Complete]
「You have achieved a complete conquest of the first <Unexplored Battlefield>.」
[Exploration Rating: Perfect]
In that moment, light flowing from both cities surged toward the sky.
The wall the soldiers had defended.
The people who had rushed into the streets.
The bells of the two cities ringing in unison, and the predator scattering into nothingness above the sea.
The scenes from moments before were released as luminous characters, filling the heavens.
It was utterly unlike any Tower Settlement I had witnessed before.
The moment countless characters converged into a single record, an unfamiliar notification appeared.
「A new ending, absent from the Record of Ruin, is being registered in the Universe’s Archive.」
「The <Akashic Record> opens before you.」

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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