Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 92
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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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Chapter 92.
Ha Gyeong had been driven to his absolute limit.
His Mana and Abyss Energy were completely drained.
His physical strength was at rock bottom.
He couldn’t even twitch a single finger.
Yet Ha Gyeong mechanically swung the Resonance Staff.
Whoooosh… Thud!
A limp blow that lodged itself in Barkalon’s skull.
He was moving, certainly.
But Ha Gyeong was confused.
‘How am I even moving right now?’
By all rights, he should have been sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
Barkalon seemed equally bewildered.
―How are you still moving? At this point, even the undead would have shattered joints.
Ha Gyeong wanted to say something, but he lacked the strength to open his mouth.
If he had that much energy, he’d use it to land another blow.
Remarkably, he was translating his thoughts directly into action.
Whoooosh… Crack!
The attack was slow, but Barkalon couldn’t dodge it.
This creature, too, had reached its limit.
Without pouring everything into regeneration, he’d die right here.
The two were squeezing every last drop from themselves as they fought.
Barkalon stared at the motionless Ha Gyeong and spoke.
―Why push yourself to this extent?
“If I fall here, I can’t achieve my goal.”
―A goal? That’s rich, fighting mindlessly like that.
“I’ve been adapting to my opponent, that’s all.”
―So you’re calling me, an imperial noble, mindless?
“The fact that you have to ask proves your intelligence is truly pathetic.”
Ha Gyeong ignored Barkalon’s words
and lifted the Resonance Staff.
Where he was finding this strength from was beyond understanding.
It made no sense whatsoever.
Barkalon shook his head violently and cried out.
―So what is that goal? You can’t just leave me hanging like this!
“Since you’ll be dead soon anyway, it doesn’t matter. The Abyss Ruler. I’m looking for him.”
―You really are insane. You’ve picked an impossible opponent.
“Did we even have a choice? Your lot started the invasion. You have no right to complain about the cause for enmity.”
―Hmm…
Barkalon fell silent.
Wasn’t this entire battle caused by the Jardor Empire?
If they hadn’t opened the Gate, none of this would have happened.
Perhaps knowing this well,
Barkalon said nothing more.
His eyes merely darted about.
He seemed to be searching for any crack through which to escape.
But Ha Gyeong had no intention of letting him go.
“Hagh!”
He brought the Resonance Staff down from where he’d raised it high.
Whoooosh—!
Until now, each swing had felt barely manageable.
This one was different.
An emotion roiling in his chest like boiling water.
It was rage.
And a burning, lethal thirst for revenge.
The Resonance Staff split Barkalon’s skull and severed his body.
Crack!
“Ugh! Hgh!”
Ha Gyeong drove in that final blow and gasped for breath.
Barkalon’s form was horrifying.
His body had been split nearly in half.
Cleaving a body in two with a blunt weapon—
it spoke volumes about how much punishment he’d endured.
Barkalon looked up at Ha Gyeong with a weary expression.
―If there’s a madman like you, I think he could land a blow on that one.
“The Abyss Ruler. Where is he?”
―I don’t know. And even if I did, I’d have no reason to tell you.
“Fair enough.”
―Is it time for a new fight now?
Barkalon closed his eyes calmly.
To face even death head-on in direct combat.
Ha Gyeong shook his head slowly.
“You look even crazier to me.”
He had faced death countless times before.
But never like this—driven to his absolute breaking point.
Not just his body, but his very will had been gnawed away.
He looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Yet Ha Gyeong forced himself to move.
‘It’s not over yet.’
Ultimately, the Abyss Core had to be destroyed.
Only then would the Gate Break end.
He looked up at the sky.
The senses of Soul Stigma piercing through the hazy mist.
Ha Gyeong drew the Crimson Edge.
Shing.
The scrape of the blade against the sheath tickled his ears.
He lacked the strength even to use Abyss Resonance.
But he could throw it.
Just as he had swung the Resonance Staff.
A suppressed battle cry escaped Ha Gyeong’s lips.
“Graaagh!”
His iron will to complete the mission to the end.
And his hatred toward the Abyss Ruler drove him forward another step.
The Crimson Edge shot upward with force, cleaving through the yellow sphere.
Swoosh—!
Soon after, a brilliant beam of light erupted forth
and fell down upon Ha Gyeong’s head.
Wheee—!
[You have destroyed the Abyss Core.]
[You have embodied the Core Guardian’s will, ‘Brutalize,’ as a skill.]
[A massive amount of Abyss Energy has been transferred.]
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
A pale-white aura engulfed Ha Gyeong’s entire body.
Normally, overwhelming pain should have followed immediately.
When Abyss Energy mixed in.
A fierce backlash occurred.
But Ha Gyeong’s expression remained serene.
‘I emptied myself so completely that there’s no resistance.’
Vitality seemed to surge through his weary frame.
Yet something felt different from usual.
Ha Gyeong quietly examined his inner state.
Then the difference became clear.
A moment later, his eyes opened.
‘My Mana is completely gone?’
Ha Gyeong’s body had always contained both Mana and Abyss Energy coexisting.
The ratio was roughly 1:9.
A small amount of Mana governing a large amount of Abyss Energy.
But now it had completely reversed.
Pure, undiluted Abyss Energy now occupied his being,
and he could wield all its power freely.
Ha Gyeong attempted Abyss Resonance as a test.
Whoooosh—!
A transparent aura wrapped the blade.
It was far faster than before, and the density of power seemed much greater.
If he combined this with Compression Authority…?
[The Abyss Challenger’s ‘Compression’ Authority increases the density of Abyss Energy.]
Crackle—!
Though invisible to the eye, Ha Gyeong could feel it.
‘This is as strong as the True Soul I used six years ago.’
Back then, True Soul had been his ultimate skill.
But now his basic attacks carried that same power.
Ha Gyeong felt anew just how overwhelmingly stronger he’d become.
Suddenly, small drops of light fell upon his cheeks.
He tilted his head back—a radiant sun was pouring down.
Directly upon where Ha Gyeong stood.
“It’s over.”
The Abyss Core had been destroyed,
and with that, the Gate Break was finished.
Now only the return remained—
when suddenly a system message appeared before Ha Gyeong’s eyes.
[Your ‘Soul Stigma’ has detected a Gate Core.]
A purple mass hovering in empty air.
Ha Gyeong fell into thought.
‘If I destroy that, will the Gate disappear too?’
That was likely the case.
But he hesitated to move.
Gates were someone’s livelihood, after all.
Wasn’t the one Ha Gyeong mainly used the same?
‘The entire infrastructure for Awakened Ones would collapse with it.’
In Korea, he would have consulted the Association first.
But this was the United States.
He had no real connections here,
and the place wasn’t particularly friendly toward him.
Ha Gyeong made his decision.
“Since it’s free loot, there’s no reason not to take it.”
Besides, his blade was already wreathed in Abyss Resonance anyway.
He kicked off the ground.
[Cross Wind activated.]
[You can now perform a second leap.]
Boom!
With a second jump through empty air, he covered dozens of meters in an instant.
Ha Gyeong swung the Crimson Edge with satisfaction.
Screech!
“Hm?”
But the recoil in his hand was tremendous.
Level Five Resonance with Compression Authority.
And an attack made of pure Abyss Energy.
Yet the Gate Core remained unscathed.
It seemed that any ordinary skill would barely scratch it.
Ha Gyeong grimaced.
‘All my main skills are already spent, and waiting doesn’t sound fun… Ah! That’s right!’
His thoughts suddenly clicked into place.
He’d just shattered the Abyss Core
and obtained a new skill, hadn’t he?
This was the perfect chance to test how good it was.
Ha Gyeong immediately drew upon Abyss Energy.
[The Core Guardian’s will strengthens your physical abilities.]
[You cannot use other skills while ‘Brutalize’ is active.]
Roaaaar!
In an instant, Ha Gyeong’s eyes flushed crimson.
Simultaneously, limitless confidence surged from his core.
Soon, an outer shell identical to Barkalon’s sprouted over his armor.
He looked rather like an unpainted Iron Man.
Ha Gyeong savored the power overflowing through his entire frame.
‘Now I understand why Barkalon insisted on direct combat.’
It was probably this intoxicating euphoria.
He fixed his gaze on the purple mass hovering in the air—
the Gate Core.
He had to focus, or he might cause real trouble.
Then Ha Gyeong wielded the Crimson Edge like a madman.
Screech-screech-screech-screech-screech!
Deafening booms echoed repeatedly,
and ferocious shockwaves tore through the surroundings.
The slowly dispersing Abyss mist suddenly rushed outward.
In that brief time, Ha Gyeong landed dozens of attacks.
Remarkably, clear cracks now marred the Gate Core.
After that barrage, Ha Gyeong hurled the Crimson Edge away.
“That’s unsatisfying.”
Swinging a weapon alone hadn’t sated his destructive urge.
He grabbed the Gate Core barehanded.
Inserting his fingers into the slight gaps,
he simply tore it apart sideways.
“Graaaah!”
A suppressed battle cry poured from Ha Gyeong’s lips.
He was venting all the power he’d gained from Brutalize through pure strength.
Remarkably, the Gate Core was literally ripped to shreds.
Riiiiip! Crunch!
The halved purple mass fell to the ground,
and Ha Gyeong descended slowly.
The skill seemed to have deactivated.
His form was gradually returning to normal.
Scrape-scrape-crackle! Click! Click!
The metallic shell that had covered his body vanished,
and the blazing crimson glow in his eyes faded.
Yet Brutalize wasn’t completely over.
Ha Gyeong struggled to calm something turbulent in his chest.
‘What a crazy skill. I need to be careful with this.’
Wasn’t that exactly what he’d been thinking just moments before?
That if he didn’t break something soon, his heart would burst.
The skill’s lingering effects remained,
leaving his mindset slightly different than usual.
After steadying his breath for a moment, a new system message appeared.
[You have destroyed the Gate Core.]
[The Gate is closing.]
[A small amount of Abyss Energy has been transferred.]
There was unfortunately no major reward.
Just a modest absorption of Abyss Energy.
Yet Ha Gyeong smiled with satisfaction.
‘My total power has increased.’
This felt distinctly different from before.
As if his capacity had grown without any pain.
If this continued forward, it would be an excellent growth method.
Of course, after today, Ha Gyeong would face tremendous scrutiny.
‘The fallout will be significant.’
Anticipating the future that awaited him,
his gaze turned cold.
Then suddenly someone came running toward Ha Gyeong.
Bradley Turner, who had been providing Ha Gyeong with support skills all this while.
It was him.
“H-huff! H-huff! W-what, w-what the h-heck just h-happened?”
He seemed extremely shocked,
his words stammering badly.
Normally, Ha Gyeong would have started calmly explaining.
But something unexpected came from his mouth instead.
“Look and see for yourself.”
Gate torn apart.
Author |
Morae Top
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Editorial Director |
Editorial Department
Publishing Company |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books
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7F, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter (X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
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No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books.
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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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