From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 257. The Last Barrier Pt. 7

“Ughh.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong spat, causing a glob of blood to fly through the air.

‘He’s fast.’

Baldur was nothing but a hassle.

‘This is not a good matchup.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who crushed his opponent with powerful force. However, that was all but useless if his blows couldn’t connect with an opponent who moved at such a high speed.

Originally, it wasn’t as if there was no way to deal with him. He could have attacked the path his opponent would take, or he could have forced him into a certain place by attacking the entire surrounding area. Unfortunately, there was a factor that continued to be bothersome.

“Hehehe.”

All of the options that Lee Jun-Kyeong had were of no use against Baldur, who was close to being truly immortal. In other words, Baldur’s entire existence negated all of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s strengths.

‘I have to find a way.’

BANG!

Lee Jun-Kyeong racked his brains as he blocked.

‘There’s no such thing as true immortality.’

He was sure of that much. Whether it was the Twelve Heroes who founded Eden and called themselves Gods or even the Demon King, they had all reached near true immortality. But, even their immortality wasn’t complete.

Moreover, not even the Sponsors, who were beings at the top of the food chain or even equivalent to gods, could be considered to be true immortals.

“.”

After all, that bastard had killed a Sponsor. While Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t actually received any notifications that stated a Sponsor had died, what had appeared at that time had clearly hinted at the Sponsor’s death.

Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong whispered, “Help me.”

If it was , then wouldn’t it be able to circumvent the immortality of Baldur, whose existence was of a lower level than the Sponsors?

“Pfft.” Lee Jun-Kyeong laughed humorlessly. “I never thought I’d find myself relying on a Sponsor.”

All Sponsors were enemies. Although he thought that the Sky of the Apocalypse was special, he still couldn’t completely get rid of his doubts.

‘After the battle began…’

Not a single Hunter had heard any notifications. There had to have been some Hunters who had felt some sort of changes during the battle. Furthermore, there was no way that they had lost the attention of the Sponsors during the cataclysm.

‘But we haven’t heard a single notification.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong had two guesses. Either the Sponsors had stopped sponsoring them for a moment due to what was happening, or the sponsors were busy.

It was a definite possibility that they were too busy doing something. In actuality, it didn’t matter what the reason was. The important thing was that this wasn’t a situation where he could ask the bastard for help.

“What are you muttering to yourself?”

When Lee Jun-Kyeong heard Baldur’s whispering voice in the air, he turned around, preparing for the shock that would follow. At the same time, he shouted to someone he had called in advance, “Hel!”

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought about any ways to deal with immortals.

“Grab him!”

***

The Immortality Authority was absolutely rare to have. Siegfried was the only person with it recorded in the Book of the Demon King. Anyone else to have it, like the Heroes of Eden, was thought to have obtained it gradually over time. However, that was a story of the previous timeline.

‘It’s a lot different now.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong had changed many things after he went back in time. One of the things was the growth of the Hunters. Apex Hunters like Zeus, Arthur, and Merlin had strengthened more than expected.

‘I also gained an Authority close to that of Immortality.’

The Dragon’s Bloodstone gave him immortality that was imperfect, just like Siegfried’s. In fact, it was odd even to call it immortality, given that it was somewhat limited, but he had still achieved it.

That was why he had thought that there might be other immortals. Lee Jun-Kyeong found it hard to believe that there could be any other immortals that could be his enemies, as any of the Hunters that had reached that level of strength should have already been on his side.

Still, if there were someone who wasn’t that had gained the Authority, they would definitely be a powerful enemy. That was why he had still prepared ways to deal with it. More than anyone else, he was worried about one person.

‘The Demon King might also have the Immortality Authority.’

If that man had come back to the past like Lee Jun-Kyeong had and had memories of the previous timeline, then he would have already achieved it as the Authority that he would have most wanted to obtain would have been Immortality.

‘Because he can’t die if he wants to change the future.’

That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared even more for how to deal with Authorities like Immortality.

“Hel!”

Hel suddenly appeared and held out her hand.

"This…!”

Puzzled, Baldur looked down at his body. At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong summoned both of the Familiars who had been resting until now.

“Hyeon-Mu!”

Plop, plop.

The sound of waves echoed through the air, and simultaneously, Baldur froze.

“...!”

Trapped in water, he stayed still, unable to do anything, not even able to struggle to try to escape.

“Hold onto him tightly.”

He was unable to because Hel had caught a hold of him. There was only one thing that could keep even someone like Baldur from moving.

“I can’t hold on for long…!” Hel was holding on to his soul. “This isn’t some normal level soul! This…!”

Hel, who rarely felt flustered, shouted as if she was terrified, “There are countless souls mixed in with his! Moreover, they’re…!”

“They must be Ruler-level souls,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked at Baldur, who was glaring at him from the water.

The Hunter couldn’t move due to Hel’s soul restraints and Hyeon-Mu’s abilities. In addition, Hyeon-Mu wasn’t done yet.

“Freeze him.”

“I obey your commands.”

Hyeon-Mu froze the water that Baldur was trapped in. With a crackling sound, the water began to freeze from the outside in. Within the ice, Baldur struggled as if in pain.

“Mmm! MMM!”

“It’s no use.”

Hel still hadn’t released her restraints. However, as the souls of Rulers were mixed in with Baldur’s, it wouldn’t hold for long.

“Quickly! Freeze him!” Hel shouted.

Still, before that, Baldur would still be trapped in a prison of ice where he would no longer be able to move. As the temperature dropped endlessly, he would lose energy and halt.

“...”

As expected, the eyes of the Hunter within the ice began to relax a little. This was Lee Jun-Kyeong’s way of dealing with Immortality.

“I’ll seal you.”

He had chosen to seal Baldur, but it was a method he hadn’t wanted to use because it was imperfect. He had originally discarded this idea, as it seemed unlikely to work against the Demon King.

‘Because he is also the manifestation of fire.’

However, it was different if Baldur was his opponent. Baldur wasn’t as threatening as the Demon King, nor did he have the Authority of Fire. All he had was speed. Thus, he could never break this ice seal.

He couldn’t be killed as he was an immortal, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be hindered. However, after this battle was over, Lee Jun-Kyeong swore to find a way to kill him.

“When this fight is over, I’ll come back and end your suffering.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong felt sorry for him. The Hunter was very different from him, so Lee Jun-Kyeong could vaguely empathize with what he must have been feeling. Furthermore, Baldur was an immortal.

“Atone for your sins by suffering within the ice until then.”

Even if all of that ice froze, he wouldn’t die, just stuck to feel the pain of his body continually being frozen. Lee Jun-Kyeong would find a way to kill Baldur and end his suffering after the upcoming battle, but the pain he would suffer until then would serve as atonement for the evil deeds he had committed.

Crack!!!

As he thought to himself, Lee Jun-Kyeong watched the ice freeze. Since it was Hyeon-Mu’s magic and special ability, mana escaped from him just as when he had formed the Arm of Surtr.

“Master! I… I can’t hold on…!” Hel's tired voice rang through the air.

“You can let go,” Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

Hel could no longer restrain the souls.

“Because it’s already over.

Hyeon-Mu’s process was about to end anyway. The ice, which had slowly been freezing, accelerated and had reached Baldur.

–Agh!!!!

They could see that Baldur’s mouth was in the shape of a scream as the Hunter circulated his powers and tried to struggle. The light emanating from him pierced through the ice like a prism, a rainbow illuminating in all directions. Despite that, there were no signs of the ice breaking, and when the bright light finally dimmed, the seal had been completed.

“It’s over.”

“Gasp… Gasp…” Hyeon-Mu was out of breath, as if he was exhausted.

“You really seem like a person now, don’t you? You’ve finally obtained a complete body.”

The Familiar that had used to be a skull was now no different from a person. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled wistfully at that sight. Hyeon-Mu bowed his head deeply, expressing his gratitude.

“Everything is thanks to you, master.”

He had said that he wanted to become a man, and that wish had come true. Baldur had been taken down.

“Hel, and Hyeon-Mu, you guys…”

“We wish to follow you.”

“We will follow you.”

Although the two forced themselves up and spoke, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped them.

"No, rest. You’ve already overdone it.”

As Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, the two were extremely exhausted. They had to have been as they had just produced a seal that had been able to seal true immortality.

Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled. Baldur had been defeated, and now, there was only one thing left.

“Is it just the Demon King now?”

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the Association building. But then, light began to flash again.

“...!”

"Master!"

"Master!"

Hel and Hyeon-Mu urgently shouted.

Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around, and in his eyes, he could see Baldur glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

–You bastard!!!

“How…”

Baldur’s light was heatless, so there was no way he should have been able to escape the seal. Or at least, that was the expectation. Moreover, the ice that had sealed him was strong enough to trap even Zeus.

Crack!!

However, before their eyes, it was cracking, making a sound as if the ice was reforming.

“What the f…”

Only then did they see how he had managed to get free of the ice. Baldur’s entire body was breaking down and regenerating, and the heat and mana created in the process were melting the ice of the special seal.

"Master!"

Hel restrained him again, but she didn't seem to be able to last long.

"Master!"

Hyeon-Mu also tried to freeze the ice once more, but it was useless. Baldur would definitely break through the ice and come out. Lee Jun-Kyeong had to think through all of the things he had prepared to overcome True Immortality.

The seal had failed. So then, how on earth could True Immortality be stopped? There was only one answer to his question, and it was the preparations he had made for the Demon King.

“Surtr.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong drew his spear. It was a new weapon created by combining Muspel’s Spear with Mistilteinn. Even though it hadn’t been gifted by a Sponsor and had been created by humans, it was a divine item.

Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly lifted Surtr with his right arm. There was still time before the ice broke.

“Whew…”

He held his breath and activated mana stream, using it to concentrate all of his techniques that manipulate mana, including Galdr, into Surtr.

ROAR!

Flames engulfed Surtr's Spear. Nevertheless, he didn’t throw it yet.

‘It’s not enough.’

The way that Lee Jun-Kyeong had envisioned to defeat true immortality and the Demon King was simple.

“I’ll use a force powerful enough to break even laws.”

Both Baldur’s Immortality and the Demon King would be suppressed by his power.

“Ha-a-eup!!!”

Lee Jun-Kyeong let out the breath he had been holding and shouted as a huge force trembled. The battle finally began, and a message appeared for the first time.

[Mistilteinn has been activated.]