Chapter 53 - 52: The clash of Champions

The digital echo of the system’s message struck harder than any bullet could. "What the hell is this..." In-Ji muttered, taking a sharp step back. His hand trembled on his gun. Hana Lee was frozen, her eyes flitting across the screen, her lips parted but speechless. Slowly, realization sank in. Her voice broke like glass.Her eyes brimmed with betrayal. "Was that why you never showed your status window?You.... You have killed people. You... you lied to me?". Cheng-Min didn’t flinch. Because he wasn’t Cheng-min anymore. A dark shadow loomed behind those pupils. Raven King. Seo-Yeon’s breath caught. "Mr. Kang and Min-Ho... they were cold because—" she stopped herself, her eyes widening in horror. She turned slowly to In-Ji. "They were already dead." In-Ji didn’t speak. Bang. Bang. Bang. Each round hit Cheng-Min’s chest—and bounced off like marbles against steel. "What the—?!"he hissed. "Cheng-Min!" Hana cried, rushing forward—but Mother caught her, yanking her and the baby back. "Get them out of here!" I barked. Mother grabbed Hana Lee and her infant daughter, dragging them toward the exit. Hana Lee paused at the basement stairs. Her voice cracked with desperation. "Please... Ye-Jun. Whatever happens—make sure he comes back alive. Bring my husband back." I didn’t answer. I couldn’t lie to her. And I couldn’t promise her a miracle. Then came the voice. It curled into my brain like a whisper sliding under my skin. "You’re clever to stay silent, Ye-Jun. It saves us both the trouble of empty promises." The Raven King communicated with me through telepathy. Another telepathic pulse shot through me. It was volt this time. The situation is collapsing! Raven units are pouring in—we can’t hold much longer!" A system message followed it like a grim bell toll. [FACTION WAR: Raven King vs Owl King] Current Territory: Buk-gu Ulson Status: 95% Raven King Dominance The more enemies you eliminate the opposite faction, the higher your contribution reward. Time limit : Until the champion winner is decided. "The mall still stands only because of my presence." Volt continued, " I can’t help you in the battle unless it is too important." "No you are doing great." I replied. "Let’s hope that things don’t go into those situations where I need your help." "You’re wondering why, aren’t you?" "Why choose him?" The Raven King spoke through Cheng-Min now, his lips moving like a puppet’s. "Because he’s perfect. Immortal in body. Fragile in mind. Guilt turned his soul brittle, and I slipped in like thread through fabric." I raised a trembling hand, clenching it into a fist. "Is that all this is to you? A game?" I hissed. Cheng-Min’s smile curved unnaturally. "Yes. And I was bored." "Then go play with your birds," I snapped. He tilted his head. The Ravenling Familiar perched on his shoulder let out a screech. "Mr. Kang. Run. Far. Let them waste time on the body." Seo-Yeon, connected to my mind, gasped. She heard it too. I immediately ordered Junior to follow Mr. Kang. I am suspecting that he has the original heart. Seo-Yeon gasped through our link. "Min-ho’s moving too. He’s heading for the twins!" "No—" I barked. Ye-Rin lunged just in time, her axe flashing like a bolt of defiance. Sparks flew as steel clashed against Lee Min-ho’s electrified dash. In-Ji dashed beside her, firing two more shots. Seo-Yeon joined them, her hand trembling but her gaze locked onto Min-Ho with unshakable resolve. They were holding the line. "We need to make sure that he doesn’t attack Ye-jun." Ye-Rin spoke, gripping her ax tighter. Another system message blinked in front of me: [Faction Mission Activated] Kill enemy faction players and their familiars to gain EXP, Items, and Titles. Bonus Rewards for Eliminating Raven Monarch’s Champion: Cheng-Min Lee] I stared at it. Kill him... or save him? Hana’s last words echoed in my ears."Make sure he lives..." But how do you save someone already gone? I stepped forward. My fists clenched. "Alright, Raven King," I muttered. "Let’s see if you’re still bored... after I tear you out of him." I can’t use beastification into Junior or volt right now. Volt is keeping those Ravens in check so they won’t barge inside the shopping mall whereas Junior is following Mr. Kang. So I suppose that leaves me only one option. Roger. Roger landed on my shoulder—no screech, no rustle. "Let’s end this. Together." I whispered. "Is that Roger?" Raven king asked through Cheng-min’s mouth. "Didn’t expect the Owl king to be so generous. To let his one of the best of a lowly human as you?". [Do you want to use Beastification] [Target Pet : Roger The Owl king’s Spy] [Yes/No] Without hesitation, I pressed Yes. My muscles rippled under my skin.Shoulders widened, collarbones cracked forward to make room for the new span. Feathers erupted in black and silver patterns, trailing down my arms and spilling across my back. From my shoulder blades, wings burst forth.My hands lengthened, nails curving into dark talons that gleamed like obsidian. My legs reshaped, toes curling forward with vicious hooks. My face remained human like. But my whole body has transformed into that of a Harpy. Roger’s essence bled into him fully now: Silent Flight. Night Vision. Ghost Glide. 360° View. Metalic Feathers I flexed once, and the feathers along my forearms whispered like blades being drawn. The Raven King’s presence was like static in the air. His voice, faint and cruel, leaked from Cheng-min’s lips. "You can’t save him. But you can die with him." "We will see about that." I spat out. "I promise you, Shin Ye-Jun. You should have not accepted That bastard’s Offer." Cheng-min or rather Raven king summons his talon blades. "I will make sure that Either this body is dead or You and your mother and your sister and your friends will be dead by the end of this whole ordeal." "You talk too damn much" I replied. As soon as I said those words, I shot upward with a single wingbeat. I folded my wings, dive-bombing. Cheng-min met him halfway, mud spires erupting from the ground like jagged teeth. I somehow dodged this attack but Cheng-min—no, the Raven King—was already moving. Electric Dash, zigzagging across the cracked floor. His talon blades screeching against the asphalt. He was so fast it felt like my eyes had to buffer before they caught up. Clang! A talon blade came for my face. I twisted, felt the metal brush my cheek, and slammed a counter-kick into his ribs. The Raven King let the hit land—only to hook my ankle with his other blade and drag me forward. I flared them hard, wind blasting dust in his face, breaking his grip. [HP: 91%] You have resisted the Bleed effect. The bastard laughed through Cheng-min’s mouth. "Your feathers are pretty. Wonder how they’ll look nailed to a wall." Then the floor exploded. Black threads erupted from the cracks like the tendrils of some subterranean beast, snapping at my ankles. I leapt — wings snapping open — and the nearest thread missed by inches, slicing a support pillar clean through. That could’ve been my leg. Two more threads shot out, moving unnaturally, bending in midair to track me like snakes. I twisted mid-flight. "Come on, Ye-jun," Cheng-min’s voice — or the Raven king — purred from somewhere in the shifting dark. "Show me those clever little tricks. Let me see how you became Rank no 1 in your District." I answered with speed. Diving low, I skimmed just above the cracked tiles, baiting his threads to follow. They did — a swarm of blackened lines snapping at my wings — and I twisted upward at the last second. The threads whipped forward into a collapsing steel shelf instead, cutting it in half. The sound of snapping metal echoed, masking my glide to the far side. "Line of sight broken. Good." But Cheng-min didn’t need eyes. He was already there, reappearing from the shadows with an Electric Dash, movement so fast it blurred. I barely had time to snap my wings into a shield as his talon blades came for my throat. CLANG! Sparks burst between us as my hardened feather-guard took the blow. My arms trembled from the impact — his strength was monstrous. He twisted, his blades sliding against mine, and tried to hook my shoulder. I countered with a sharp kick to his gut, buying a heartbeat of space. "You’ll have to do better than that," the Raven King murmured through him."You’ve grown wings.But you still fly like prey." I didn’t dignify him with an answer. I grab the roof above my head with my talons and use my momentum I yanked hard, dropping two tons of debris from above. WHAM! The dust hit first, blinding both of us in a grey storm.My ears twitched — a hiss from the left — and I spun just in time to block another blade swipe. "Persistent little parasites, aren’t you?" I spat, slamming my talons forward. With a single beat of my wings, I shot forward, launching a flurry of midair spins, talons slashing from every angle. Cheng-min blocked the first three, dodged the fourth, but my fifth strike raked across his ribs. Blood spattered the wall — black and red, mingling. For a second, he staggered. For a second, I saw his real eyes — wide, confused, scared. Then they vanished again. "Almost had me," the Raven King chuckled. "Do it again."