Instant Kill, Time-Stop Spellcaster

[Tl Note:- sry for not uploading Yesterday was a little busy]

…..

A demonic aura emanated from Park Cheol-woong’s heart.

For some unknown reason, his heart now belonged to a demon.

‘Is that why he cherishes Oh Hyuk-jun?’

If he wanted to receive another human heart, it would have to be from a blood relative.

Oh Hyuk-jun was his only known kin.

‘Of course. That makes sense.’

And now he dares to speak of regret?

What does a pest like him know about family bonds?

‘For demons, divine power is absolute.’

Providence.

The land of divinity.

The peak closest to the heavens.

Even the Black World Tree never dared to invade that place.

Because it was overflowing with divine energy.

And because the ruler of that mountain range was an incredibly troublesome entity.

‘To think I’d ever ride on Avalon’s sword.’

He guided Avalon’s sword, opening a portal.

Just enough to land a blow on Park Cheol-woong.

It ranked in the Top 10 most thrilling moments of his entire existence.

Taking a direct hit from an S-rank punch.

Then playing tag with Avalon in that state.

‘No joke, I almost died.’

Rumble—!

Avalon retrieved his sword.

He hurriedly distanced himself from it.

When the blade of light was fully withdrawn, he closed the portal.

Mission success.

‘Definitely not doing that again.’

Park Cheol-woong was sent flying out of the building, soaring through the sky.

Still unable to regain his senses.

He must be in absolute agony.

Divine power weakens demonic energy.

Even if it was brief, he had been exposed to the light of Providence.

On top of that, Avalon’s sword had grazed him.

‘The fact that he’s still alive… He really is a monster.’

That Avalon must have been a replica.

From the gash in Park Cheol-woong’s chest, dark energy leaked out.

“【Open】”

A portal opened in the sky above Park Cheol-woong’s falling body.

A massive one this time.

The light of Providence rained down upon him.

“KRAAAAAAH—!”

Civilians on the ground gasped in shock.

“It’s blinding!”

“W-What is this light?! Is it safe to be exposed to it? Is it an Awakened ability?”

“But this light… I don’t know how to describe it… It feels sacred…”

“Look up! It’s S-rank Park Cheol-woong!”

The Sword of Light.

The Light of Providence.

Park Cheol-woong had been severely weakened by both.

Right now—

“【Stop】”

Kiing—

Park Cheol-woong’s body froze mid-air, just outside the building.

‘Got him.’

His limbs wobbled from exhaustion.

Almost all his mana was depleted.

And even this wouldn’t hold for long.

‘Even in that state, he still eats up this much mana… What a freak.’

He leapt toward Park Cheol-woong.

Fixing his feet mid-air.

“【Stop】”

He looked down at him.

“Ugh… Wh-what the hell is… happening…?”

Time to end this.

He spoke directly to Park Cheol-woong’s soul.

“Soul (靈魂).”

“My body….”

“Spirit (魂魄).”

“Stop, stop… Move… Damn it…”

“Soul Ritual (魄儀)”

“Wait… You…”

“Spirit rites (儀典)”

Park Cheol-woong’s eyes trembled violently.

As if he had just realized something.

“Decree (典令)”

“You just said ‘【Stop】’….”

“Final decree (令終)”

“No way… Could it be…?”

“Last Statement (終言).”

“You’re really using Lord Kyle’s Word of Power…?”

“Declaration (言明).”

“How is that possible…?”

“Annihilation (明滅).”

Nine seals had been completed.

Only the final incantation remained.

But before that, there was something he had to confirm.

“Do you possess that man’s skill?”

“What? That man? Who the hell are you talking about?”

“Detorion. I’m asking if you have his martial arts.”

Judging by the way he threw his fists, it didn’t seem like it…

But just in case.

“Hah… You think I’d play question-and-answer games in this situation—”

“That skill was promised to be mine. Answer me.”

“Ugh… Heh. Even in this state, you’ll never break through my—”

And then, Park Cheol-woong froze.

“W-wait a second.”

A realization struck him, and he swallowed hard.

His eyes quaked as if possessed.

“That man…? Just now, you called Lord Detorion ‘that man’…. The only person who would say that…”

The more he spoke, the more violently his pupils shook.

“Word of Power… Demon Swordsmanship…”

“Answer me.”

“That man…? And just now, you said… ‘That was promised to me’…?”

“What happened to his body?”

“Why do you care about his corpse…? No… No way…”

His crazed, trembling gaze slowly fixed itself on Kang Hyun.

“You… No, it can’t be…”

And when their eyes met—

Park Cheol-woong’s eyes flew open in pure horror.

He had found the source of his unease.

That look.

Those murderous eyes, overflowing with raw killing intent.

He had seen them before.

In a magical film created from the memories of the people of Thea.

He had watched it over and over again, more times than he could count.

There was no mistake.

That was the same gaze as the protagonist of that movie.

“O-oh… Oh no…”

Park Cheol-woong gasped for air.

“O-oh… Ah…”

His pupils lost focus.

In a hollow voice, he muttered:

“I… do not possess his martial arts. I was supposed to receive it… once everything was over.”

“And his body?”

“I heard… it has been preserved. The skill has not been extracted yet…”

Kang Hyun nodded.

“Then now—”

“I…”

Kang Hyun stopped.

There was moisture in Park Cheol-woong’s voice.

“I never… wanted this…”

Tears streamed down his face.

“This is… too cruel…”

His face twisted with sorrow.

“I didn’t want things to turn out this way… I was only trying to… set things right…”

He looked up at the light.

At the sky beyond the portal.

But what he uttered was not an apology.

It was nothing more than a child’s lament.

“Facing you like this… It’s… too cruel…”

“…”

“Why… Why did it have to be you…? I admired… that gaze so much… But now… it’s looking at me… like that…”

The regret in his voice was heartrending.

“Ugh… Uuuugh…”

So that’s what he was trying to say.

There was nothing more to listen to.

“Di—”

“Hyuk-jun-aaah—!! Run away—!! Live—!!”

Tsk.

“【Die】”

Shaa—

Park Cheol-woong, who had been screaming in a frenzy, stopped.

The burning resolve in his eyes flickered out.

Yet, his tears continued to flow endlessly.

I closed 【Open】.

I deactivated 【Stop】.

His massive body fell in a lifeless free fall.

“Oh no, he’s f-falling!”

“Get back!”

Boom.

The citizens who had scattered earlier began gathering again.

“That’s Park Cheol-woong, right?”

“Is he out…?”

“Isn’t he dead?”

“There’s no way Park Cheol-woong is dead.”

“Someone go shake him and check!”

Soon, someone claiming to be a doctor checked his pulse.

“Oh my god….”

“Wh-what is it?”

Kang Hyun, who had been looking down for a moment, landed on the building.

There was still one pest left.

“G-Guild leader. Did you… really die because of me…? No, this can’t be… Ahh….”

Oh Hyuk-jun sat there, completely dazed, tears streaming down his face.

Kang Hyun approached him indifferently.

And then, he plunged a knife into his heart.

Thud.

He pulled the knife out and wiped the blood onto Oh Hyuk-jun’s clothes.

His body, pushed by the knife, slumped over helplessly.

“Ah… Guild leader…”

Silence fell.

Even this corpse continued to shed tears.

‘Hm. Now I really don’t have to pay my debt back.’

Park Cheol-woong’s unexpected final cry.

Oh Hyuk-jun’s grief.

Even after witnessing it, Kang Hyun felt nothing.

Truly, nothing at all.

If anything, just a faint sense of physical disgust.

Like watching a cockroach lay eggs as it died.

Ah, come to think of it, cockroaches do lay eggs, don’t they?

That was about all he thought of it.

He stepped closer to the broken wall and looked down.

“He… He’s really dead?”

“Did Park Cheol-woong really die?”

“Then… that means this country’s last S-rank is…”

“No way, did he actually die in battle? Park Cheol-woong? For real?”

“L-Look over there! It’s Phantom!”

The crowd collectively turned their gaze upward.

The murmurs didn’t stop.

Camera flashes and the faint sound of shutters clicking filled the air.

Kang Hyun gazed down at them indifferently before lightly jumping.

“【Gara】”

His jet-black form streaked through the sky.

###

The noisy night passed, and the next morning.

As always, he went to work.

“Mister, mister! Something huge happened!”

“I saw the news to—”

“It’s not that! Chae-young unnie is screaming for you! I’ve never seen her like this before! It’s terrifying!”

“Oh.”

“Wh-what did you do?!”

Busted.

How did she find out?

Yoo Chae-young shouldn’t know who the ‘Phantom’ is.

‘Ah. Right, she did say she was going to raise hell over this.’

And come to think of it, the Phantom’s suit was borrowed from Yoo Chae-young.

‘Eheh, I didn’t plan on making this big of a mess.’

Soon, a piercing scream came from upstairs.

“Kyaaaaah—! Kang Hyun! Where’s Kang Hyun?! Bring me Kang Hyun—!!”

“A-Ah, mister, what do we do?!”

“I’m on vacation.”

“What?”

“I’m taking a day off. You’re my superior, so pass it along for me.”

“Are you insane?!”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Hey! You bastard!”

And just like that, he clocked out.

‘What should I do?’

The training room is in the company building.

And I’m too scared to go in there.

Tch, maybe I’ll hit a dungeon.

‘Should I take Aden out for a meal…? Ah, wait, is she already captured?’

Oh well.

Poor guy.

As he walked leisurely down the street,

A small crowd had gathered.

Inside a glass-front electronics store, TVs were on display.

All showing different channels, yet broadcasting the same thing—news.

Countless voices of newscasters overlapped.

People gathered to watch.

Everyone stood there, mesmerized, unable to utter a word.

More and more passersby stopped in their tracks.

The crowd steadily grew.

As he watched the scene unfold, his phone rang.

Chief Choi.

‘Ah. Right, this guy knows I’m the Phantom.’

Damn, what do I even say to him?

I really didn’t expect things to blow up this much.

The cleanup is going to be a pain in the ass.