The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 484

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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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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 3, Episode 88

“Yeo Joo!”
At Lee Yu Eul’s sharp cry, Kang Han’s spear—which had been cutting through the Parasitic Creature’s vines without hesitation—came to an abrupt halt.
They’d been making good progress toward the Gate.
The creature had delayed them momentarily by blocking the path, but everything had been proceeding smoothly.
Now, wrapped in black tendrils, Yeo Joo was no longer visible.
“[Roooaaarrgh!]”
At Baek Ho’s urgent roar, Kang Han’s mind snapped back into focus from the depths of despair.
He gripped his spear firmly again and prepared to rush toward Yeo Joo.
But Kang Han stopped once more.
“Damn it! It’s too dangerous!”
Crack!
Crackle-crack!
As the tendrils that hadn’t rushed toward Yeo Joo completely sealed off the Gate entrance, cracks began to spider across its massive dark surface like a black tray.
Snap!
Screech-crack!
“Aaaaahhh!”
“P-please, save us!”
Hunters’ screams mixed together with hideous sounds.
They’d been trying to escape through the Gate, nearly out.
Attacked from behind without warning, they were defenseless.
In that fleeting instant, Kang Han wrestled with a fierce dilemma.
‘If I go rescue Yeo Joo, what happens to those people?’
Unfortunately, only his skill could deal any effective damage to the Parasitic Creature’s tendrils.
The other S-rankers, including Yoo Myung Hwa, could only buy time.
If he left now to rescue Yeo Joo, not only would the hunters trying to escape be lost—those assisting nearby would be endangered as well.
‘Is it right to abandon them and go save Yeo Joo?’
Protect Yeo Joo safely, no matter the circumstances.
That axiom, which had seemed so absolute, trembled.
Then it happened.
Whoosh! Clang—!
A blade wreathed in blue Fear Fire streaked past Kang Han at speed, striking at the black vines coiling around Yeo Joo.
“I can’t… hold on anymore…!”
“Grraaahhhhh!”
Even as agonized screams erupted from the Gate, Sa Ma Young didn’t so much as glance back.
Scrape-crunch! Bang!
“[Kyaaahhh—!]”
Hong Joo, Sa Ma Young’s Familiar, joined the assault.
They charged forward with singular purpose—toward Yeo Joo alone.
As if nothing else in the world held any meaning.
“Guild Master Kang Han!”
Shin Tae Muk’s voice called from the Gate entrance.
Just a name and the title “Guild Master”—
Yet that plea for help felt to Kang Han like an enormous boulder as he turned his body toward the Gate.

Meanwhile.
Before the chaos erupted, Sa Ma Young’s mood had been soaring.
It was because of Sa Ma Jin, the patriarch of the Sama Group and the father of both Sa Ma Young and Sa Ma Jung.
What expression would he be wearing now?
He’d deeply regretted not witnessing it with his own eyes—the moment he’d seen Sa Ma Jung’s death through the streaming broadcast.
His father had cherished that son like a second self; how utterly he must despair now.
Once he escaped this Dungeon safely, he was planning to visit Sa Ma Jin.
Would he be preparing for a funeral with no body, tears streaming down his face?
Or would he curse the one who’d killed Sa Ma Jung and come charging at him?
Either way, he would savor it.
“Yeo Joo!”
“[Kraaahhh!]”
But the moment he heard Lee Yu Eul and Baek Ho’s cries, all that anticipation evaporated from his mind.
Where Yeo Joo had been standing moments before, only revolting tendrils writhed.
She wasn’t visible.
Simultaneously, screams erupted from the Gate.
To feint east and strike west—the creature was shaking both Yeo Joo and the Gate at once.
Yet Sa Ma Young’s crimson eyes fixed on nothing but Yeo Joo, encircled by vines.
Hunters crying out for help?
Irrelevant.
Even if hundreds of thousands of humans who weren’t Yeo Joo simultaneously begged for his aid, it would be the same.
Even if all of them cried out at once—the answer would not change.
Whoosh! Clang—!
Sa Ma Young swung his blade, summoning Fear Fire to its maximum.
He gritted his teeth and drew forth his strength, but only a shallow fissure appeared in the small mountain of vines.
Crack-crunch!
Gripping the sword hilt with both hands, Sa Ma Young forced Fear Fire into that narrow gap.
It wasn’t enough.
“Hong Joo.”
“[Kyaaahhh—!]”
His Familiar answered the soft command, tearing at the creature’s branches with sharp fangs and claws.

[ Skill ‘Yearning’ is activated. ]

Sa Ma Young drew forth a skill that had lain dormant for some time.

[ Health and mana are sacrificed as offerings to increase the attack power of ‘Fear Fire’. ]

Whooom!
The blade trembled as Fear Fire condensed into a denser form.
Crack-sizzle! Snap!
At last, the blade began carving deeper wounds into the tendrils.
But it still wasn’t enough.

[ Due to the effect of skill ‘Yearning’, the abnormal condition ‘Desire’ is stacked and triggered. ]
[ All Awakener abilities are temporarily increased by 20%. ]
[ All Awakener abilities are temporarily increased by 50%. ]
[ All Awakener abilities are temporarily increased by 70%. ]

“Haa—.”
Hot breath mixed with acrid smoke rose before him.
Blood welling up his throat couldn’t pool—it became an offering to Fear Fire instead.
Sizzle-crackle!
Fear Fire overflowed, more than the blade could contain.
As the blue flames pooled and ran around Sa Ma Young like a well, the black tendrils began to melt along its path.
But the speed at which the main body sprouted endless new tendrils outpaced the speed at which Fear Fire consumed them.
“Still not enough.”
As Sa Ma Young willed more to be burned as offering, the System displayed a new message.

[ The System recognizes your ‘destructive Desire’. ]
[ Warning. ]
[ Warning. ]
[ ‘Desire’ has reached its limit. ]

The skill was pushed to its absolute extreme.
Snap! Crack!
Every swing of Sa Ma Young’s blade severed multiple tendrils, turning them to ash, yet Yeo Joo remained hidden from sight.

[ Warning. ]
[ All health and mana available for sacrifice have been exhausted. ]

Yet Sa Ma Young did not stop.
It didn’t matter.
He continued to force-activate the ‘Yearning’ skill, commanding silently:
‘Find another offering.’
In exchange, kindle a hotter flame.
Then the System asked:

[ Will you offer the Awakener’s own life force as a sacrifice? ]

Sa Ma Young activated the skill instead of answering.
Ssssaaaahhhhh—!
With a sound like a serpent’s hiss, Fear Fire engulfed Sa Ma Young in an instant.
The caster himself became the offering, and the flames—more vicious than ever—began to consume his entire body.
A suffering beyond imagination descended upon him.
“Ughhhh!”
Yet the faint whimper of Yeo Joo from beyond the dark wall hurt him more.
Slip.
Half-delirious, wildly swinging his blade, Sa Ma Young suddenly looked down at his hand as the blade began to drift.
His right hand, the one holding the sword, had entirely melted.
White bone showed through the sizzling blue flames; he regarded it impassively, then wordlessly transferred the blade to his left hand.
Twist.
Now his vision narrowed.
One eye socket had burned away.
Sa Ma Young calmly closed the eye that had lost its purpose.
One eye remained, still relatively intact.

[ Warning. ]
[ Warning. ]
[ Life force will soon be fully depleted. ]

Soon the Fear Fire would extinguish.
Clasping both hands around the hilt, Sa Ma Young unleashed one final strike.
He had to pull Yeo Joo free before his offering—his life—ran out.
Focused entirely on that singular yearning, Sa Ma Young didn’t notice the color of his Fear Fire beginning to change.
Scrape! Scrape! Crackle-crack!
Crack!
The moment the stark white Fear Fire pierced deep into the wall of vines—
‘Now.’
No one had spoken it, yet he knew.
Now he could reach Yeo Joo.

[ Skill ‘Yearning’ is activated. ]

Rumblerumblecrash—!
Like a dam bursting, the pure white Fear Fire began to blacken.

[ You have transcended your limit! ]
[ You awaken as SS-rank! ]
[ Skill ‘Fear Fire (S)’ reawakens as ‘Underworld Fire (SS)’! ]

“Yeo Joo.”
At last, he saw her.
Even through his dimming vision—one eye nearly burned away—he saw Yeo Joo’s face, as if on the verge of tears.
Sa Ma Young staggered forward and knelt, bringing his gaze level with hers as she sat crumpled.
Soft.
At the warmth of Yeo Joo’s forehead against his own, Sa Ma Young exhaled in relief and spoke:
“I’m here. What are you so afraid of?”
“Sa Ma Young, your body….”
Damn.
He cursed silently to himself.
Whether his hearing had been compromised as well, he couldn’t quite make out Yeo Joo’s voice clearly.
Then, suddenly, Sa Ma Young’s gaze fell upon her shoulder.
Her arm was twisted grotesquely, wrung like wet laundry.
Whooom—!
The dead fire, Underworld Fire, erupted and incinerated all the tendrils surrounding the two of them.
Screech, screech-screech!
As the Parasitic Creature became an offering to the Underworld and shrieked, Sa Ma Young whispered soothingly to Yeo Joo:
“I’ll kill it all for you, Yeo Joo.”

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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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