Chapter 597: The Terrifying Edge of Judgment

A deathly silence fell over the entire area.

A large group of South Korean Awakeners, battered by the shockwave, stared in terror at the chasm.

Although the Final Judgment wasn’t aimed at them, the following shockwave had little effect on their forces.

Yet as that sword descended, even the other Third-Stage Advanced fighters felt a powerful aura of death.

If that sword had targeted them, their fate would have been sealed!

They had no idea what force they were facing or who was behind it. Those who should have rushed to aid now stood frozen, too dumbfounded to move.

Were they really courting death?

Without Park Chan-eun’s combat prowess, the remaining fighters were no better than the Peak Third-Stage warriors recently seen in Vietnam.

If this mysterious man still dared to fight, it would be nothing short of a death wish!

It was too fast! Too terrifying!

They had witnessed powerful Peak Third-Stage warriors before, each renowned for a distinct fighting style.

They were convinced that the ferocious, almost instantaneous sword strike was unlike anything they recognized!

Even the very top Peak Third-Stage fighters couldn’t have dispatched Park Chan-eun that quickly, could they!?

Moreover…

They were sure there were no fighters of this caliber in the Vietnam sector, nor could Huaguo possibly field someone of this level!

The System never lies! It would be a miracle if the Huaguo side could muster even two or three ordinary Peak Third-Stage warriors!

So…

Who exactly is this man!?

To take down the Captain in one strike was simply unthinkable!

Within the chasm, Yenir exhaled softly, unfazed by the reactions outside.

He only chuckled, clearly amused as he watched Park Chan-eun—now disoriented—reach out for help.

Perfect.

It seemed his damage estimates were spot-on…

Park Chan-eun had been pushed to the brink—a state ideal for converting him into an Otherworldly Ghost.

Yet for now, Yenir had no rush to trigger the transformation.

Outside, however, enemies still lingered.

“Hmm, how many should I convert?”

“It looks like there are three more Peak Third-Stage fighters out there…”

“I’ve already drained quite a few of my skills… My Judgment state is gone; I only have two Dimensional Surge left and one Divine Rage.”

“Sword Breath Torrent poses little threat against Peak Third-Stage warriors…”

“In other words, keeping these fighters around is more of a nuisance than an asset.”

He furrowed his brows slightly.

Originally, Yenir hadn’t planned to convert these fighters into Otherworldly Ghosts. His initial strategy was to let Nguyen Tianming and his team test the waters—if they could beat him, he wouldn’t intervene; if not, he’d eliminate one and let them capture these fools.

That way, he could keep his true strength completely under wraps.

As for point allocation, he could always kill Nguyen Tianming before the national battle was settled.

In the end, the points would still be his.

But now, if he aimed to capture as many Otherworldly Ghosts as possible while still winning the national battle…

it meant that the more Peak Third-Stage fighters he secured early on, the easier his later fights would be—killing them outright would be a waste.

“Should I force the Evil God Ritual?”

“I need to save at least one SSS-Level skill in reserve for emergencies.”

In a flash of thought, Yenir hesitated.

To hold onto a strong trump card, it seemed his only option was to trigger the Evil God Ritual, braving his opponent’s damage in a way that would truly terrify them.

Though his combat prowess was fearsome enough to scare these fools away, that would only drive them off temporarily.

To completely shatter their morale, nothing was more terrifying than the prospect of endless resurrection.

“South Korean Battle Zone, there’s another group of North Koreans approaching from the other direction…”

“If all goes well, once they hear what’s happening here, they should be racing over in no time.”

“Forget it, let’s finish this quickly! Move out!”

Though he had many thoughts running through his mind, Yenir’s lightning-fast reflexes saw everything unfold in less than a second.

Once he roughly finalized his plan, Yenir abruptly grabbed Park Chan-eun’s hand, intent on soaring upward to intimidate these fools.

If they dared to make a move, he would unleash the Evil God Ritual and blast these idiots.

Of course, having to run would be a major hassle.

“I just hope these fools have some sense of teamwork—why won’t they even save one of their own…?”

Muttering under his breath, Yenir pulled Park Chan-eun up, attempting to drag him away from the ground.

But with a piercing shriek and a sickening, wet crack, Yenir froze in shock.

“Damn…”

“It’s broken off!?”

Half of Park Chan-eun’s body, partly embedded in the chasm, let out a crunch as his lower half was brutally torn away.

Only then did Yenir truly comprehend the lethal implications hinted at by the dismembering aspect of the Final Judgment sword technique.

That one strike nearly split Park Chan-eun in two…

In the ensuing silence, Yenir’s expression turned strangely cold as he regarded Park Chan-eun’s severed lower half with a touch of cruelty.

“Oh well… without a lower half, he’s as good as dead…”

“Once converted into an Otherworldly Ghost, he might regrow it… aside from that part… well… that part would vanish anyway…”

……………

A few seconds later.

Under an atmosphere of extreme tension, with everyone locked in a deadly stare,

a figure cloaked in swirling black and red mist slowly emerged from the chasm, as observed by the South Korean Awakeners.

In Yenir’s hand, only half of the Captain remained—so uncertain of his fate that a chunk of his innards sloshed out.

Amidst the ruins scattered on the ground…

this sight instantly turned the faces of the South Korean Awakeners ashen.

The Captain… is he dead!?

A chill crawled up from the depths of their hearts.

Though every Awakener present was at Third-Stage, they had seen plenty of gruesome scenes before.

Yet, watching Yenir drag a half-bodied corpse through the air like a vengeful specter made their skin crawl.

On instinct, three Peak Third-Stage fighters felt an overwhelming urge to bolt!

Even though their senses suggested Yenir’s aura was just Third-Stage Advanced, they refused to believe that someone capable of one-hit-killing their Captain was so ordinary.

He had to be far stronger than they could perceive, to the point where his true power was beyond their grasp!

Should they run!?

The Captain appeared dead! And this monster had barely expended any strength!?

With rapid, panicked breaths, the urge to flee grew even stronger.

If not for the North Korean reinforcements streaming in, they would have surely opted for a tactical retreat!

Sensing the imminent flight of these fools, Yenir furrowed his brows and decided to intimidate them first.

“Surrender or die!”

“Whoever dares to run, I’ll kill him!”

In an instant, Yenir steeled his resolve to activate the Evil God Ritual.

He wondered if its might would be enough to truly terrify these fools.