Chapter 223: Chapter 223

Jeong-hoon released the arrow he had drawn.

Whoosh!

The ultimate arrow shot forward, hitting the Japanese man standing to Shun Kaneda’s right directly in the chest.

“Gah!”

The man hit by the arrow collapsed instantly.

“Hiroshi!”

His companion shouted in panic, but the man, known as Hiroshi, coughed up blood and died where he fell—his heart pierced.

[You have defeated a Transcendent’s avatar.]

[Due to the death of the contractee, you gain 40,000,000 experience points from the Transcendent.]

So, this is the power of a Demon King-class Transcendent?

Unlike Apostles, it gives experience points generously.

‘This is nice.’

A slight smile tugged at the corners of Jeong-hoon’s mouth.

“What the…? How could it be a one-shot kill?”

“This doesn’t make sense… Our bodies should be protected, shouldn’t they?”

Unlike those contracted with Apostle-class Transcendents, avatars bound to higher-class Transcendents are granted special protections. These protections provide constant buffs, drastically increasing physical stats. Even if Jeong-hoon is strong, it shouldn’t be possible for a single arrow to kill him instantly.

“Damn it…”

Shun Kaneda bit his lip.

—

[Player Information]

– Nickname: Hoon

– Level: 367

– Class: Martial Arts Master (4th Class Advancement)

—

Belatedly, he checked Jeong-hoon’s level.

Level 367, having completed the 4th advancement.

‘He reached level 367 in such a short time?’

He had miscalculated. He hadn’t imagined that Jeong-hoon would not only complete his 4th class advancement but also reach the upper 300s in level.

An upgraded reward.

Shun Kaneda drew his sword and deployed the “Veil of Light.”

Because of that bastard, he still hadn’t achieved a hidden class but remained as a Royal Guard. This time, he’d kill Jeong-hoon and gain a hidden class as his reward.

“I’ll give you a boost.”

Then, Iwase Haruto activated his power.

He held a hidden class known as the “Enhancer of Detection.” It wasn’t just a reconnaissance-based class. As a hidden class, it also carried the abilities of a buffer.

[‘Veil of Light’ has been enhanced.]

With the enhanced buff applied, the light around Shun Kaneda’s barrier grew even brighter.

And that wasn’t all.

The abilities of all the Japanese fighters present were enhanced by one level.

The Transcendent intervened once again, this time casting debuffs on Jeong-hoon.

[Safeguard is used.]

However, Jeong-hoon used Safeguard to immediately dispel all the debuffs affecting him. Looking up at the sky, he smirked.

“You’re not the only one who can dispel.”

A voice of shock rang out.

Understandably so. These debuffs had been directly cast by a Demon King-class Transcendent, and while not at full power, they weren’t something a mere human like Jeong-hoon should be able to remove.

Yet the reason Safeguard worked was due to a new passive skill he had acquired.

‘Just as I expected.’

Elevation of Power—a skill that allowed him to confront Transcendents directly. Although the debuffs he’d placed on the enemies had been dispelled, using Safeguard was a meaningful advantage.

Bang!

Support fire from his mother followed.

“Ugh!”

The Japanese fighter holding a dagger staggered in place. Though hit directly in the head, he merely faltered from the impact rather than suffering a fatal injury. His enhanced physique as an avatar and Shun Kaneda’s Veil of Light protected him.

The Veil of Light wasn’t just a single-target skill; it was an area-wide buff.

But, in an instant, the veil surrounding him dissipated.

‘Genesis Shot.’

The Genesis Shot erased the Veil of Light.

Seizing the moment, Jeong-hoon drew and released his arrow.

It struck the man squarely in the neck.

“Gah!”

Clutching his neck where the arrow had embedded, he collapsed.

[You have defeated a Transcendent’s avatar.]

[Due to the death of the contractee, you gain 40,000,000 experience points from the Transcendent.]

Two targets had been eliminated in quick succession.

“Damn it!”

Shun Kaneda gestured toward his rear, prompting an onslaught of spells directed at Jeong-hoon.

[Light Barrier is used.]

Jeong-hoon deployed the Light Barrier.

Upgraded to a legendary grade, the Light Barrier withstood the wave of magic without a scratch.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“L-L-Light Barrier…?”

Shun Kaneda’s eyes shook with disbelief.

Light Barrier was a skill superior to Veil of Light. How could a martial artist wield it? And the radiant glow indicated it was no ordinary grade.

Bang!

And once more, a gunshot echoed.

Thud!

Shun Kaneda staggered briefly as pain exploded in his head.

[Veil of Light is destroyed.]

In an instant, the Veil of Light he had cast vanished.

It was due to another Genesis Shot being fired.

Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened at the sight.

‘How…?’

He knew his mother’s Genesis Shot could only be used once per day. Yet, here it was, fired consecutively.

‘Mother must have undergone some kind of change.’

His mother, too, was growing stronger, and with her growth, Genesis Shot seemed to have evolved as well.

Jeong-hoon once again drew his bow and released.

An arrow shot toward Shun Kaneda.

“Damn it!”

Shun Kaneda hastily activated Divine Armor.

He had used this Divine Armor once before in his battle with Jeong-hoon. It was an invincible ability that required nearly all of his divine power, leaving only 1% as he entered an absolute defense state.

During the next three minutes, any accumulated damage would convert back to divine power, automatically triggering a “Counter” buff.

However, there was a drawback: it was ineffective against stronger opponents, leading to his previous defeat.

But this time was different.

Shun Kaneda’s Divine Armor shone brilliantly. With Iwase Haruto’s enhancement buff and the Transcendent’s intervention, the Divine Armor instantly ascended to a legendary grade.

A counterattack?

If that were true, there was a high chance of a reversal.

A sly smile formed on Shun Kaneda’s face.

“I’ll break the barrier. The rest of you can handle it, right?”

“Understood.”

“We’ve got this.”

The ten support members behind him, enticed by a promise of sweet rewards, had come this far. Retreating wasn’t an option if they wanted those rewards.

Bang!

Once again, a gunshot echoed.

Thud!

Another impact struck Shun Kaneda’s head. But his smile only grew.

With Divine Armor activated, the damage could be stored and returned.

[Divine Armor is deactivated.]

But just like the Veil of Light, Divine Armor vanished in an instant.

“Damn it!”

Shun Kaneda’s face turned pale.

Swish!

At that moment, the arrow struck his abdomen.

Shun Kaneda’s body doubled over in pain.

“Shun!”

Iwase Haruto called out urgently.

“Gah!”

With bloodshot eyes, Shun Kaneda looked toward the origin of the arrow.

There, Jeong-hoon stood, expressionless, drawing his bow again.

‘Damn it! Help me!’

Shun Kaneda silently pleaded, casting his gaze to the sky.

But instead of helping, the Transcendent muttered in shock.

Thwack!

An arrow pierced Shun Kaneda’s shoulder.

At that moment, a rain of arrows poured down from above.

“Dodge!”

Iwase Haruto and the ten other Japanese fighters scrambled for cover, leaving Shun Kaneda to take the full brunt of the attack alone.

Soon, his body was so riddled with arrows it was hard to find a spot unscathed.

‘This doesn’t make sense… I’ve grown this strong… why, how…?’

Even as his consciousness faded, Shun Kaneda glared at Jeong-hoon.

Despite undergoing a contract, he couldn’t come close to Jeong-hoon’s power. What was he missing?

‘If it weren’t for that bastard, my life would’ve been perfect.’

With that resentful thought, Shun Kaneda closed his eyes.

* * *

The rest happened in the blink of an eye.

Jeong-hoon pulled back his bowstring, taking down Iwase Haruto and the remaining Japanese fighters one by one.

[You have defeated a Transcendent’s Incarnation.]

[With the death of the Contractor, you gain 40,000,000 experience points from the Transcendent.]

[You have defeated a Transcendent’s Incarnation.]

[With the death of the Contractor, you gain 40,000,000 experience points from the Transcendent.]

[Level up!]

[All stats increased by +1.]

[Bonus stat +1 has been awarded.]

[[Title] Incarnation Slayer has advanced to Lv.3.]

Only then did Jeong-hoon finally lower Anima.

It was time for consequences.

Normally, the death of just 14 Contractors wouldn’t be enough for a demotion. However, the Transcendent had interfered multiple times.

If the Contractors had completed the quest, perhaps rewards would have been granted alongside the intervention. But with Jeong-hoon’s victory, the Transcendent’s plans had failed.

“Funny how you’re all talk when you’ve lost your power and been demoted to Apostle rank.”

Jeong-hoon couldn’t hide his disappointment.

He had hoped the Transcendent would be erased entirely, but it had merely been demoted.

How could he not feel a pang of regret?

Mandora, reading his expression, was enraged.

“Sure. Go ahead, try your best, even though you can’t intervene for a while.”

Mandora’s demotion came with more than just a rank drop—it also meant losing its position and incurring a penalty that prevented it from interfering for some time.

Mandora’s words were cut short.

[You have demoted a Demon King-level Transcendent.]

[[Title] Transcender of Humanity has advanced to Lv.2.]

[You have randomly seized one of Mandora’s possessions.]

When a Demon King-level Transcendent is demoted, you gain one random item from their possessions.

[You have obtained the “Box of the Seven Deadly Sins.”]

“Oh?!”

Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened slightly.

The Box of the Seven Deadly Sins.

He hadn’t seen it before, but he knew it was a box that randomly contained one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

‘I can’t wait. What will come out of this?’

Jeong-hoon glanced at the box now stored in his inventory, a smirk on his face.

Just then, Yeo Min-Ji, looking somewhat miffed, made a comment.

“Am I just a bystander?”

Realizing he had almost forgotten about her, Jeong-hoon laughed awkwardly.

“Not at all. They just didn’t even try to engage us in close combat.”

“They couldn’t. You wiped them out with your arrows—how were they supposed to get close?”

She wasn’t wrong.

When the enemies first appeared, Yeo Min-Ji had been tense and on guard. But suddenly, Jeong-hoon had started shooting arrows, and they fell one after another. The battle ended before she had the chance to do much besides watch from the sidelines.

“Still, thank you. Because of you, it was easier to lure them out.”

Without her, they might not have detected the enemies’ incursion into Korea as quickly.

She had contributed significantly to the success of their plan.

“…Though the ending still feels a bit unresolved.”

“I’ll be counting on you next time as well.”

“No worries.”

Yeo Min-Ji nodded.

At that moment, Jeong-hoon’s mother returned from where she had been lying in ambush, supporting them from a distance.

“Son! Are you safe?!”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Jeong-hoon smiled brightly.

“That’s a relief.”

“But… Mom, how many times did you shoot the Genesis Shot?”

The Genesis Shot, originally limited to once per day, had been unleashed nearly ten times.

“My skill got an upgrade; I can shoot up to ten shots a day now.”

“That’s amazing…”

The power to seal abilities in ten Genesis Shots.

‘Even Mandora was shocked by it.’

The Transcendent seemed familiar with the power of a Genesis Sniper.

Could it be that his mother’s class wasn’t just any hidden class?

He made a mental note to learn more about the Genesis Sniper when he had the chance.

“I’m glad I was able to help.”

She smiled warmly.

“Yes. Then, let’s head back.”

He couldn’t wait to get home and open the Box of the Seven Deadly Sins.

———-