BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power-Chapter 84 – Accumulation Battle (2)

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The Third-Rank Master’s eyes did not leave Soman for even a fraction of a second.

He stood firmly, yet that firmness was not calm—it was suffocating focus, the focus of a man who had grown accustomed to analyzing everything before making a move.

He did not see merely an opponent before him, but a complex system of variables: power, speed, consumption, and an incomprehensible pattern that disrupted everything he was used to.

Inside his mind, calculations began running without pause.

Soman’s movements were still fast, despite his accumulation clearly decreasing. That alone was enough to raise suspicion. He should have been slowing down, showing clearer signs of fatigue, yet what the Master saw did not fully align with the rules he knew.

His strength as well... was high. Higher than any Second-Rank Master he had previously faced. And yet, there was a clear gap. It was not the complete power of a Third-Rank Master.

Based on all of that, he reached a near-certain conclusion.

Soman’s current accumulation... was less than thirty percent.

The moment that thought settled in his mind—

The hook appeared.

There was no sound, no ripple in the air, no trace of energy. Just a sudden manifestation, as if it had emerged from an untraceable point, embedding itself directly into his body.

His muscles tensed for a moment.

Then—his accumulation dropped.

Ten percent vanished in an instant.

"Damn..."

The word came out quietly, yet it carried suppressed anger. Even so, he did not act recklessly, nor did he allow his emotions to disrupt his calculations.

On the contrary—his focus sharpened.

He began searching for a pattern.

It could not be entirely random. This kind of ability, no matter how chaotic it appeared, must follow some law, some rhythm, some condition.

He began calculating the timing between each appearance and disappearance. He observed distances. He observed the timing of impact. He reorganized his thoughts, then waited.

And when the hook appeared again—

He moved.

With precision. With calculated timing. With enough speed to evade any conventional attack.

But the result remained the same.

He was hit.

His eyes narrowed.

He tried again.

He changed direction, then changed it again. He tried retreating instead of advancing, jumping instead of sliding, evading instead of confronting.

Each time, he believed he was getting closer to the solution.

And each time—

He was struck.

Irritation began to creep into him.

Not fear—

But refusal to accept that something existed beyond his understanding.

In another attempt, he raised his hand, and dozens of knives shot out around him. This was not random—it was a calculated formation. Each blade positioned itself to cover a gap, until a complete shield formed, leaving no opening for the hook to slip through.

He stood within that barrier, waiting.

One second... two...

Then—

The hook appeared.

But it did not come from outside.

It did not pierce the shield from afar.

Instead, it appeared at an extremely close range—within the same space—as if it had bypassed every defense he had constructed.

It embedded itself into his body.

His accumulation dropped again.

The knives fell, and the shield vanished as if it had never existed.

Silence followed.

Several more attempts did not change the outcome.

In the end, he stopped.

He lowered his hand slowly, and all the weapons around him disappeared. He no longer tried to understand the creature.

He reached a simple conclusion—

A harsh one.

There was no point.

Instead, he completely changed his approach.

He began focusing on what he could control, not what he could not comprehend.

He started balancing what he had left of his accumulation against what was being consumed.

The two decisive factors were clear: the small creature... and the red clouds.

He lifted his gaze to the sky. The clouds were still there, pressing down on Soman continuously, draining his energy slowly but steadily.

If things continued like this, the outcome was certain.

Even with that creature—he could win.

But at that moment—

The clouds began to disappear.

One after another.

Slowly, yet steadily.

A cold smile formed on the Third-Rank Master’s face.

He too had his own methods. He had no intention of waiting for Soman’s accumulation to drain slowly.

In a single moment, the Master abandoned all his defenses.

The knives vanished. Every form of protection disappeared.

He stood completely exposed.

But the result was immediate.

The drain on his accumulation stopped.

He waited... expecting Soman to attack, to accelerate the depletion—

But instead—

Soman staggered.

His body could no longer endure. He collapsed onto his feet abruptly, and his face darkened in a strange way, as if something inside him had shattered.

At that moment—

The message reached him.

"Jo... has been killed."

Soman closed his eyes.

He did not move.

He did not speak.

He did not allow a single tear to fall.

But the silence that descended upon him was heavier than any scream.

The Third-Rank Master did not understand.

All he saw was an opponent collapsing.

His accumulation had dropped close to ten percent—that was clear.

But the reason... was not.

He did not see loss.

He did not see fracture.

Only numbers.

Soman’s fingers moved slowly. They trembled slightly, then he steadied himself and stood.

"He’s brave..."

The Master said it, then laughed.

A laugh filled with contempt.

He began speaking as if declaring an absolute truth:

"Ha... bravery belongs to those facing death. Fools believe that pretending to be steadfast when death is certain is something impressive... in reality, having no other option is what makes them deceive themselves into thinking it’s unmatched courage."

But his words—

Were cut off.

"Be quiet."

Soman’s voice was not loud.

But it was decisive.

Heavy.

Terrifying.

"Those who talk too much... are fools."

The next moment—

The Third-Rank Master fell.

He did not see the attack.

He did not feel it before it happened.

Only—

An internal explosion.

Blood burst from his mouth violently.

His internal organs were devastated in a single instant.

"W-what... is happening...?"

He tried to rise, but his body would not respond.

Then he realized something worse.

"My accumulation...?!"

It was gone.

Soman walked toward him slowly.

Each step felt like pressure crushing his chest.

"You will regret killing him."

His voice was dark, devoid of hesitation.

The Master did not understand.

But it no longer mattered.

Soman extended his hand—a double-pronged spear appeared.

"You think that small creature gives me your accumulation?"

He stepped closer.

"It is an Exchange Beast."

He began explaining—not out of explanation, but as a declaration of judgment.

"Summoning it consumes forty percent of my accumulation. But once its first attack succeeds, it returns that amount to me."

The Master raised his head with difficulty, pain tearing through his body.

Soman stood above him.

"But that amount does not return until I end the summon."

He paused, then continued in a colder tone.

"And there is another trait... Critical Risk."

He raised the spear.

"When my accumulation is ten percent or less... upon ending the summon, the same amount is cut from the opponent."

The Master’s eyes widened.

Only then—

He understood.

But it was too late.

"You thought you controlled everything..."

Soman said quietly.

"But the truth... is that you were the prey from the very beginning."

He tightened his grip on the spear.

"He was... a good man..."

Then he thrust.

The spear pierced the Master’s heart.

The scream did not last long.

He pulled the spear out—then with a second strike, the head flew away.

Silence fell.

Soman dropped to his knees, then sat slowly, as if everything holding him together had collapsed at once.

And finally—

He allowed his tears to fall.

Violently.

Sincerely.

Without restraint.

---

Elsewhere—

The sky split apart.

Not a simple crack, but a massive rupture, as if something greater than the world itself had forced open a path.

From above—

A colossal pillar descended.

The size of a skyscraper.

It was not merely an attack.

It was a judgment.

A judgment of annihilation.

It plunged toward the ground at a terrifying speed, compressing the air beneath it until space itself distorted. The earth began to tremble before it even arrived, as if preparing for collapse.

Below—

Luis stood.

She did not move.

Her eyes widened slowly. Light reflected within them—then darkness began to creep in.

"What... is this... madness...?"

She whispered, her words broken, barely escaping.

Her breathing was uneven.

For the first time in a long while—

She felt fear.

Not the fear of defeat.

But the fear of the end.

She looked at her gloves.

That weapon she had always relied on.

That gave her confidence.

That had saved her countless times.

Now—

It seemed trivial.

Small.

Worthless.

Before what was descending from the sky.

Suddenly—

A voice thundered inside her mind.

"Leader Jo... has been killed."

She froze.

Her eyes widened further.

She screamed.

But her scream was not directed at the pillar.

It was directed at the news.

Everything around her vanished.

She no longer saw the sky.

She no longer saw the attack.

Only one image remained.

Jo.

His words.

His sarcasm.

Those moments she had never admitted what she felt.

Respect.

Deep.

Genuine.

Tears streamed down her face.

Hot.

Heavy.

Then—

Everything returned all at once.

Sound.

Pressure.

Light.

And death—

Right above her.

She raised her gloves.

At first slowly...

Then faster.

As if standing against the sky itself.

Then—

An explosion.

A sound beyond description.

The ground shattered.

The rocks vaporized.

The air turned into shockwaves sweeping in all directions.

The entire area was destroyed.

And below—

Amid dust and rubble—

Luis fell.

Her body struck the ground without resistance.

Her gloves were still slightly raised...

But she...

Was no longer standing.