Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 41

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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 41.
Chat Rush had long been a dishonorable technique passed down through the ages.
There was no rule forbidding speech during combat.
It was cowardly, but entirely permissible to attempt.
Yet a master of Ha Gyeong’s caliber—one who’d experienced the Incomprehensible Grade—would stoop to such a tactic?
Moreover, Ha Gyeong didn’t even know that he was connected to Choi Hyun-gi.
He moved on instinct, throwing both arms up and crossing them.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
A violent impact shook his entire body.
Something had flown at his chest, only to strike his crossed arms instead.
[Spirit Cloak activated]
[Immunity to pain granted]
Thanks to the Spirit Cloak, Ha Gyeong’s mind cleared quickly.
‘Even masters slip up.’
Not all skilled fighters fought with honor.
You only had to look at the Readers to know that.
Composed entirely of top-tier Awakeners.
Every last one of them a reckless brute.
With his vision stolen, Ha Gyeong was defenseless.
Thud! Crash!
He managed to shield his vital points, but defeat was only a matter of time.
One solid hit would send him sprawling from the arena.
Ha Gyeong ground his teeth.
‘Damn it. When will this wear off?’
No matter how long he endured, the Blindness Curse showed no sign of lifting.
This was the real deal.
But he couldn’t simply stand here and absorb punishment forever.
Ha Gyeong held his defensive stance and waited quietly.
Whoosh!
The moment a sharp cutting sound reached his ears.
He switched to the offensive without warning.
This was Ha Gyeong’s trap.
‘To attack me, he has to close the distance.’
This was a Ranking Tournament between Melee Dealers, after all.
And his attack range was exceptionally wide.
Boom!
Ha Gyeong’s Compressed Abyss Resonance stretched out four meters.
It was nearly impossible to avoid.
Crash!
As expected.
A violent response trembled through his hands.
Ha Gyeong unleashed a barrage of strikes in that direction.
Soon, the announcer’s voice drifted faintly to his ears.
—Contestant Ha Gyeong, afflicted with the Blindness Curse, has nonetheless located his opponent! What extraordinary Resonance ability!
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“Wow!”
It seemed Ha Gyeong’s performance had been quite effective.
Soon the Awakeners in the Waiting Area began exchanging views.
“How is that even possible? Even a stone-hearted fighter would freeze.”
“Right? I would’ve stumbled and sunk without a trace.”
“It was a dirty move, but a perfect trap. Yet Ha Gyeong dismantled it by extending his Abyss Resonance range far beyond normal.”
“The strength right from the start is insane.”
Even in the chaos, Ha Gyeong heard their voices.
So his conviction only deepened.
If he kept up the pressure, he could win.
But after six or seven successive strikes landed.
Ha Gyeong’s blade found only air.
Whoosh!
He stopped and listened intently.
It was to locate Jang Do-soo by sound.
But his opponent made no sound at all.
Yet an enormous sense of danger washed over him.
Piercing sound, thud!
“—!”
Ha Gyeong’s eyes snapped open.
His body was driven backward by an unexpected attack.
Of course, the Spirit Cloak blocked the pain.
But Ha Gyeong realized he’d suffered a serious injury.
‘My face is pierced.’
Warm blood pooled in his mouth, bringing a bitter metallic taste.
His cheek had been struck, his jaw likely shattered.
It seemed his opponent had deliberately targeted areas armor couldn’t protect.
Still, Ha Gyeong felt a sharp displeasure.
‘Combat may be brutal, but did he have to aim for the face?’
There were many other unprotected areas.
The armpits, the inside of the elbows.
The collarbone and the gaps along the ribs.
Far more vital spots existed.
Yet the reason for targeting his face was clear.
To defeat Ha Gyeong as brutally as possible.
‘To destroy his dignity.’
Wasn’t that Choi Hyun-gi’s objective?
For a moment, fury welled up, but Ha Gyeong pushed it down.
He’d never cared about reputation anyway.
He simply wanted to gather fragments and reopen the Ultimate Abyss.
Every action he took now was merely a step toward that goal.
There was no reason to rage.
Ha Gyeong composed himself.
He focused only on sound.
And then it happened.
Swish!
Suddenly, his opponent’s movements became visible.
Or rather, ‘felt’ was the more accurate word.
Ha Gyeong’s sight remained blocked after all.
‘Why can I see this?’
Though confused, he moved his body.
He’d read the trajectory of the attack.
Jang Do-soo, anticipating a counterattack.
Was throwing his weapon from four meters away.
The blade of a short sword clasped in his grip.
Whoosh!
The Short Sword grazed Ha Gyeong’s cheek by a hair’s breadth.
Wondering if it was mere chance, Jang Do-soo tilted his head.
“Hmm?”
Then he instantly retrieved the thrown weapon.
With just a flick of his arm.
The Short Sword was pulled back into his grip.
Soon the barrage of Short Dagger throws resumed.
Whoosh!
But this time too, the Short Sword missed completely.
Ha Gyeong had leaned his upper body sideways to dodge.
Jang Do-soo cursed.
“What the hell? How?!”
He summoned the Short Sword again.
And repeated his throws.
Whish! Whish!
But not a single blade found its mark.
Each time Ha Gyeong dodged with pinpoint precision, the crowd roared.
“Incredible!”
“Can he see now?”
“No way. Look—his eyes are still closed. He’s keeping them shut because it’s pointless to open them anyway.”
“Damn! His Observation Haki is incredible!”
Contrary to the crowd’s amazement.
Ha Gyeong was privately uneasy.
‘Can I keep dodging like this?’
It was a reasonable concern.
If this sensation suddenly cut out?
Ha Gyeong would become a stationary target for Jang Do-soo to pummel.
Of course, the Tyrant’s Bracelet could absorb some of the damage.
But eventually, he’d still fall.
It wasn’t a perfect solution.
Ha Gyeong cautiously opened his eyes.
‘Still nothing?’
Unfortunately, his vision remained dark.
Yet he could still dodge the attacks.
Then, suddenly, an overwhelming sensation flooded him.
A breathless, choking moment.
Immediately, Ha Gyeong understood.
‘My opponent is preparing something massive. And… this is a Soul Stigma.’
He’d been momentarily confused because they were outside the Abyss.
But this sensation was no accident.
The unease drained from Ha Gyeong’s heart in an instant.
In its place came absolute confidence.
A stigma carved into the soul could never fade.
Whoosh! Swish!
Ha Gyeong dodged the twentieth Short Dagger throw.
A faint smile played at his lips.
“Why do you keep trying attacks that won’t land?”
“You… you can see?”
“No. My eyes are closed.”
“Then how the hell are you dodging?!”
“It’s obvious. And I can feel it.”
“You’re reading trajectories from just sound and air currents? Stop spouting nonsense!”
Jang Do-soo’s attacks came again.
But something was different this time.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh! Whoosh!
A subtle sound hidden beneath the roaring cut of spinning blades.
Ha Gyeong immediately raised his Karambit to intercept.
Clang! Ring! Ring!
Two impacts, and metal pieces clattered away.
This time, a Long Sword had been thrown alongside the Short Dagger.
By spinning it, he’d tried to mask the sound of the Short Dagger.
But it was futile.
Ha Gyeong could perceive objects as clearly as if he were watching them.
Jang Do-soo was stunned.
“But… you couldn’t possibly have heard that clearly?”
A grave misunderstanding, but Ha Gyeong saw no reason to correct it.
Let him deceive himself and crumble all the faster.
Ha Gyeong advanced slowly.
‘I know where he is, and I can read his attacks. No hesitation needed.’
Yet he couldn’t drop his guard entirely.
His opponent surely had one final ace hidden away.
And indeed.
Jang Do-soo suddenly began striking his weapons together with tremendous force.
Booooom!
Ha Gyeong realized he could no longer hear.
A message likely appeared like this:
[You have been struck by Champion Jang Do-soo’s Silence Wave]
[Your hearing is lost]
Believing Ha Gyeong relied on sound to predict trajectories.
He’d forced himself to deploy a hearing-suppression skill.
Yet Ha Gyeong’s advance never faltered.
Clang!
He was effortlessly parrying the incoming strikes.
Meanwhile, Jang Do-soo’s breathing had grown ragged.
“Gasp! Huff! You can’t see or hear—how the hell are you fighting?!”
A frantic cry.
But Ha Gyeong didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
His hearing was gone.
Ha Gyeong’s face was calm as he launched his counterattack.
Whoosh! Clang!
“Argh!”
He’d simply swung his Karambit down, channeling Compressed Abyss Resonance through it.
Yet Jang Do-soo’s body reeled from the blade strike.
His legs trembled.
His arms shook.
The impact had been far stronger than he’d anticipated.
Even Ha Gyeong seemed taken aback by his own strike.
“What? Why so weak? Is sensory deprivation your only strength?”
“Aaaghhh!”
Whether stung by Ha Gyeong’s muttering or not.
Jang Do-soo’s face contorted like a demon’s.
Then he began attacking with frenzied desperation.
“Arrrgh! Die! You monster!”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Blue flashes erupted as his paired blades—long and short—whirled.
The skill deployed this time carried tremendous power.
Ha Gyeong’s forward momentum ceased.
He was gradually pushed backward.
Not from being hit, though.
Ha Gyeong was blocking every strike.
It was simply the sheer force of Jang Do-soo’s technique that drove him back.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced—something Choi Su-ho had once said.
‘No matter how strong the power, if it doesn’t connect, it means nothing.’
A perfect fit for this moment.
Ha Gyeong’s mouth curved upward.
What better stage to prove how hollow that boast was?
He poured vast amounts of mana and Abyss energy into his Karambit.
In an instant, his blade stretched to ten meters.
Even with maximum Abyss Resonance enhancement, it had never reached this length.
Which meant he’d activated a different skill entirely.
A deep, resonant hum filled the air—
And a pale gray crescent was drawn across the emptiness.
Then brilliant light engulfed the Tournament Arena.
For an instant, all sound in the vicinity vanished.
The spectators, the contestants.
The referee and judges.
All stood frozen, mouths agape.
Moments later, a strangled cry tore from Jang Do-soo’s lips.
“Grraahhh!”
Thud! Clatter!
A severed limb and armor pieces fell to the ground.
Jang Do-soo stared down in shock.
His left arm, drenched in blood, twitched on the floor.
Ha Gyeong’s Compressed Soul Severance had cleaved it clean off from the shoulder.
Shortly after.
Jang Do-soo collapsed with a scream.
“Aaahhhhh!”
“Match set! Healers incoming!”
The referee declared the bout over.
Brilliant lights descended in waves.
Though one arm had been severed, it was hardly catastrophic.
For a healer, such an injury was child’s play to mend.
Ha Gyeong felt sensation slowly returning.
‘Longer duration than expected.’
It was an irritating skill indeed.
But beyond that, there was little to praise.
A single casual swing of Compressed Soul Severance had ended the match.
Still, he’d gained valuable insights.
He’d discovered a new function of the Soul Stigma itself.
Ha Gyeong’s gaze drifted to the Waiting Area.
His eyes met someone’s—Choi Su-ho.
The man glared at him with murderous intensity.
According to the bracket, they would meet in the finals.
Ha Gyeong spoke quietly.
“Keep your games coming. I’ll keep breaking you.”
Gate Breaker
Author |
Moraetop
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Samyang C&C Inc.
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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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