Free Web NovelChapter 253: _Twice As Killable
Earlier before the pantheon got inside the hotel Loki had gotten to the entrance. They quickly realised that the entire building was trapped under a shroud of non-existence.
Powerful enough to keep space within the hotel locked from the outside world.
Breaking down the entrance wasn’t an option. Neither was any spatial transportation.
And that left getting the task or getting in to the only Pantheon member capable of bypassing even spatial obstructions.
When the others arrived Kali was able to use her dominion over time to send a projection into the building’s past. Before the Void Entity locked it off from the outside world.
That way she was able to pull in the others and herself through this opening point in the past before proceeding to take them back to the present.
Loki was still puzzled about how exactly it worked.
But at least now they had the Void Entity in sight.
"Halt!" Apollo yelled out, pointing a finger at Han Jae-won from where he levitated. "We have you surrounded. Surrender now so this doesn’t become more difficult."
Han Jae-won arched a mocking brow. "Difficult for you or myself?"
"Hmph." Wukong pulled out his aether-modified metal rod, swinging it between both hands before pointing it at the enemy. "Let’s find out, shall we?"
Around the hotel lobby, survivors watched from a safe distance.
A woman holding her wounded husband close to herself smiled with relief. "Those are Hunters. They have to be."
"And they seem more powerful than the other group." Another person added.
"Yeah!" A man cheered with a fist raised high. "We’re saved!"
Ambrose felt the sudden urge to roll his eyes—although he understood the sentiment. Indeed, it was relieving seeing hope of them getting out of this alive.
Yet something felt... off.
"Wait," Kali held out a hand before Wukong could make any rash moves. Her violet eyes gleamed with an inquisitive light as they locked on Han Jae-won. "That isn’t just the Void Entity."
"It isn’t." Gabriel blurted as he, Ambrose and the others joined the Pantheon. "It’s an A-Rank Guide. He’s somehow gotten... possessed by the Void Entity’s abilities. And probably some shred of its consciousness."
"All I’m hearing," Wukong’s lips curved, "is that this bastard is twice as killable."
"Or that we need to be twice as careful," Apollo muttered. "One of the Void Entity’s main traits was its human-like intelligence. Imagine adding that to an actual human."
Han Jae-won heard those words.
And instead of responding... he laughed. A grating, unnervingly prolonged sound that thundered through the lobby.
Everyone—including the Pantheon—tensed at that.
"Hilarious." Jae-won finally stopped, wiping off imaginary tears from his eyes. "So you admit that your situation isn’t favourable?"
Yemoja shook her head. "No," she took a step forward, the air moisture thickening around her. "All it means is that we’ll be more focused on bringing you down."
Every member of the Pantheon readied their aether.
The possessed Guide’s smile twisted into something foul. "Very well." He lifted a hand, pointing it at the Pantheon members. "Just know it didn’t have to be this way."
Apollo’s fingers flared with sparks of golden light.
However just when they thought Han would send an attack at the most powerful targets—
—His hand swayed away from them. And fixed directly on Ambrose.
The latter’s eyes bulged when a bolt of darkness zapped in his and little Orion’s direction. He clutched the boy tighter while weighing his odds in a couple of milliseconds.
There was no way to avoid this on his own.
"AMBROSE!" Gabriel shouted.
Space warped around him right when the bolt got a few inches away from touching him and the kid.
When he opened his eyes again—he was safe, standing several meters away from the strike zone. The spot he was standing on a second ago had been erased, leaving nothing but a dark, empty void where the marble floor was supposed to be.
Orion had accidentally let go of Viktor’s phone during the chaos, causing it to get erased as well.
"Uncle Vik’s phone!" He yelled.
The cry made Jae-won snap his neck to them again. Ambrose’s heart jumped into his throat.
Before Han could launch another attack at him Viktor swooped in right on time. The ice Prince created a wall of ice to block the attack, grabbing Ambrose and Orion the following second.
The wall was wiped out of existence.
"I got you." Viktor took Orion off Ambrose’s hands before interlocking the Guide’s hand in his. "Run!"
As the two ran for safety across the lobby Wukong had shot himself like a bullet at Jae-won. He lifted his staff for an overhead strike.
Han blinked out of the way.
When Wukong hit the ground the results were devastating. Debris and dust shot out of the spot as cracks spiderwebbed for several meters.
"How strong indeed." Jae-won chuckled behind the SSS-Rank, making him swerve his head back. In time to see the Guide pointing a finger at him.
Wukong leapt into the air, missing the darkness bolt by only a hair.
Just when Han raised his hands for another onslaught the shadows around him morphed unnaturally. Phantom hands sprouted out of them before he could react, seizing his limbs.
All heads turned to Valentine.
The Necromancer’s crimson eyes glowed in the darkness as Apollo jumped in next.
Tens of thousands of golden light arrows appeared over the entirety of the lobby. With a clench of the god of light’s fist, the arrows converged to one point before descending on the single target.
"AHH!" The sound that came out of Han’s mouth stopped sounding human halfway through.
He struggled in vain to get the phantom hands off him. The light arrows quickly shredded through his defences, riddling him all over with bloody holes.
It got so bad that his intestines flapped out of his back.
After what felt like ages—the rain of light arrows ceased.
Everyone in the lobby brought their attention to the aftermath. Han Jae-won’s body was still left standing. Or at least, what was left of it.
It was now reduced to a skeleton with only some flesh, blood and fabric sticking to it. The phantom hands retreated due to the light’s brilliance.
Ambrose squinted from where he stood.
Was that... it?
Were they done here?
Was Han—
"You think destroying a vessel will stop me, humans?"
Every face paled.
Shadows coiled around Han’s skeleton like tendrils. Apollo shot a beam of golden light at it. It got dispelled.
When the shadows cleared, not only was Jae-won’s body reconstructed from scratch. His skin now emitted a pitch-black fog that surrounded him like a miasma.
Ambrose found himself inching closer to Viktor, Devon and Orion.
"... That’s no longer Han Jae-won."
