The Broken Possessors of the Infinite Regression Academy - Chapter 199



Chapter 199 – Cataclysm

I barely made it to the dimensional gate, holding my body up by planting my eternity in the ground. Every single step was insanely hard. It felt like crossing a valley overflowing with water from a heavy rain.

It’s a valley where if you take just one wrong step, you’ll either be swept away by the current and never come up again, or you’ll crash into something and die.

“Mira! Mira! Over here! Hurry up!”

Rosaria, who had been waiting with a sorrowful expression from afar, jumped up and down as soon as she saw me. The fragments of time that had been clinging to the barrier until I headed towards the medium were no longer visible.

It wasn’t over, they couldn’t even come this way. They were still pouring out of the cracks, but they were torn apart by time before they could even get halfway down.

It wasn’t just them. The shield surrounding the dimensional gate and the seven people nearby also wavered dangerously as if it would break at any moment. His eyesight, which had been heightened to its limit by his body enhancement, scanned the dimensional gate.

‘It’s not good.’

Every time the barrier wavered, the dimensional gate shook as well. If it shattered, it would all be over. Since the gods who had to set the coordinates were gone, everyone would be trapped inside.

It would be better if I was just trapped. It wouldn’t be strange at all if I were buried in time and died. Even I have to exert all my strength to endure the flow, so how much more so must it be for others.

“Mira! It’s done! We’re almost there!”

I gritted my teeth and moved forward while listening to the cheering. Even though I was using my physical strength to the max, I felt like I would fly far away in an instant.

-Jj …

“……uh?”

Suddenly, an ominous sound rang out.

I looked at the dimensional gate with a feeling of hopelessness. The dimensional gate, which was already moving dangerously along the defensive barrier, was slowly being pushed to the side. And it was moving faster and faster.

The decision was quick. He immediately created a holy spear in his right hand and threw it at the dimensional gate. It was an action born of instinct, not thought.

If he had hesitated even a little, it would have been too late. As soon as the holy spear broke through the barrier and wrapped itself around the dimensional gate, its lower part shattered and rose into the air.

The beams of light that extended from the Holy Spear wrapped around the dimensional gate like spider webs, and extended like tree roots to support the barrier. It was a truly precarious situation, but there was no time to be amazed.

“You guys, just go in! Quickly!”

“You want me to leave you? Are you crazy?! Come here quickly instead of talking nonsense like that!”

Of course, there was a huge backlash. But I had my reasons.

“There’s no time! That won’t last long! If you don’t go in and hold out, I’ll only have less time to go in!”

I think they act like that because they think that not waiting for me and going in first is abandoning me, but how can that be?

Rather, it is a hundred times more dangerous to waste time waiting for me. If there is even one person left, I will have to let that person go and go in. It is just a waste of time.

“Ugh, ughhh… …! Seriously, try not to come! I won’t let you stay still!”

Latina, who had been twitching her feet, closed her eyes tightly and threw herself into the dimensional gate. When I saw her, I urged her once more.

The rest of them also began to throw themselves one after another, their teeth chattering. People with sorrowful eyes or eyes that said, “Let’s see later,” disappeared into the space that followed one by one.

Priscilla was the last. Priscilla had a face that seemed to have a lot to say to me, and then she ran inside, tears streaming down her face.

Now I was the only one left. I had reached the edge of the barrier, almost crawling, supporting myself on the eternity. Now it was hard to even open my eyes properly. The sound of the storm was constantly raging in my ears.

Still, it was okay since I was almost there. I barely managed to open the barrier and went inside. Finally, I put Eternity into the halo of light and reached out towards the dimensional gate.

-Oh my… … .

As soon as my right hand disappeared into the dimensional gate, an ominous sound was heard. Even though I had firmly held onto the dimensional gate with my holy spear, the remaining part of it was gradually being torn apart.

There really was no time. I just pulled out eternity and flew away.

-Kwajijijijik!

‘What the heck-‘

Just as my right elbow disappeared into the dimensional gate, the blue mana was completely split. Naturally, the time coordinates were mixed up, and the dimensional gate melted away without a trace.

The body floating in the air flew away, intertwined with time.

“You sensed something here? In this dead gate that was just taking up space uselessly?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay, very good.”

Cha Du-han chuckled and laughed frivolously at the secretary’s words. If his father had seen it, he would have hit him to save face, but now that the only person watching was his secretary, it was a good thing.

“I don’t know what kind of wind is blowing, but… … .”

Even though it first appeared 3 years ago, it was abandoned and called the Dead Gate because there were no monsters, cores, or dungeon bosses.

Since there was no core or boss, it could not be destroyed naturally, so everyone concluded that they would only keep a nominal watch, and lived without paying attention… … .

A sudden increase in magical power was detected a few hours ago. And it was a magical power that far surpassed that of a boss that appears at a normal S-rank gate.

If I could subdue that guy on my own, I would be guaranteed a promotion to S-class. Right now, I’m stuck at A-class because of those damned b*tches, but once I catch that guy who jumped out here, I won’t have any more excuses to refuse.

‘Just leave it. Once you get promoted, you’ll be fine… ‘

Cha Du-han continued to advance inside the gate, his mouth watering.

In order to enter here alone, it was necessary to hide the information by threatening the first discoverer and bribing the guild that was standing watch, but if the information was true, it was worth it.

“It’s that guy.”

“I think so.”

From noble mtl dot com

As soon as I entered the innermost part of the gate, a massive magical power response was detected. It was a huge and immense amount of magical power that even a normal person, not a hunter, could sense.

The thing that was emitting that powerful magical power was something that looked human. It was sitting still, not even moving.

“… … He looks pretty strong, right?”

Cha Du-han didn’t say anything to the secretary’s words, but he sympathized with them inwardly. He had only heard that it was a rapid magical reaction, but seeing it in person made it even more terrifying than he had thought.

“Are you really going to fight? We should retreat for now and call for reinforcements. It’s nothing. Yes.”

The secretary, overwhelmed by the amount of magical power, suggested a tactical retreat, but was immediately met with a fierce glare. He could not retreat now that he had come this far.

Flames shot out from Cha Du-han’s body. They weren’t the flames of some random flame user, but rather the flames of the immortal phoenix, a divine beast.

There was no substance that this could not burn. The ability that made Cha Du-han a top-tier hunter among Class A hunters and raised the reputation of the company to its highest level was burning throughout his body.

“Die!”

Flames containing the power of the Phoenix exploded from both hands stretched forward. The flames, which advanced with a momentum that seemed to burn even the air, enveloped the human figure sitting far away.

-Kwaaah!

However, the human figure was intact. Not only did it show no sign of pain, it didn’t even seem to be burning.

Instead, he slowly got up from his seat and turned his body towards me. All sorts of possibilities were running through Cha Du-han’s head.

‘Is it a fire immune boss? Or a super regenerative ability? Or a tank type?’

One of the three is that he doesn’t even flinch when he is directly hit by the Phoenix’s flames.

Either they have fire-related abilities like yours, making them immune to fire, or they have tank-related abilities, giving them ridiculous defensive abilities, or they have super regeneration.

“Phoenix! Burn everything!”

Cha Du-han, who realized that ordinary flames would not work, immediately released his power. Behind him, a bird-shaped flame appeared.

As the phoenix spread its wings, the entire boss room burned as if it was melting. Even the secretary, who had fire resistance, hesitated and had to step back for a while due to the tremendous heat.

A bird made of pure flame swooped down on the human figure. Cha Du-han was certain of victory.

-Crunch!

That is, until his neck was cut off and he was left rolling around on the floor.

Cha Du-han couldn’t understand what had just happened. The boss, who looked like a human, pulled out a sword from his waistband, dodged to the side, and swung the sword vertically. What happened next?

“… … .”

The flames that were swaying around its body went out. It was dead. The phoenix, a legendary divine beast made of pure flame, and according to legend, even if it died, it would be resurrected infinitely and could burn anything.

He died with his neck cut off with just one swing of the sword. He didn’t even get to resurrect. Only then was Cha Du-han able to confirm the boss’s appearance.

It was impossible to properly see the face because the entire body was engulfed in magical power and was shaking, but it was certain that it was the shape of a human male. Strangely, the lower part of the right elbow was completely missing.

“Uh… … Ah… … .”

Cha Du-han, who felt something was wrong, sat down with a thud. It was because his legs had lost their strength. The gate boss who had killed the Phoenix with a single stroke began to walk slowly. The secretary had already passed out.

“What are you guys? Where is this place?”

‘… … Human words?’

It wasn’t just the appearance. Even the voice resembled a human’s, and shockingly, it was speaking human language. It should have been concluded long ago that it was impossible for a monster at the gate to speak human language.

“Who, who— Kkaaah! aaah!”

As soon as he asked absentmindedly, both of his legs were cut off. Cha Du-han fell forward in a pitiful manner and cried. Blood gushed out like a fountain from the cut surface.

“I asked the question.”

“I, I am Cha Du-han, an A-class hunter affiliated with the Chasan Group! This is inside the S-class gate in Seoul… …!”

“… … S-class gate? Hunter?”

The humanoid boss muttered something as if something was strange.

“Let me ask again. Is this really Earth?”

“Yes, yes! That’s right! That’s right! If this isn’t Earth, then where else would it be!”

“… … .”

The tip of the sword slightly lowered. A voice full of emptiness flowed out of his mouth.

“What the heck is this… … ?”