Chapter 121: Eclipse

The entirely unexpected appearance of Eclipse left even Hocheol stunned.

Of course, it wasn’t just unexpected—it wasn’t incomprehensible.

This was Ji-an and the ‘organization’s’ stronghold, and Eclipse was as deeply tied to it as Hocheol.

The organization had been heavily involved in Eclipse’s escape from the start, and afterward, Eclipse formed a new villain group, clashing with the organization.

In the end, Ji-an and Eclipse had even faced off directly.

That fight was publicly deemed a draw.

Was today the day Eclipse came for revenge?

It felt unfair, but it wasn’t entirely illogical.

Hocheol leaned out the window.

Outside, due to the reversed gravity, rocks of various sizes floated.

He stepped onto one of suitable size.

The sun drew closer.

And in front of it, a figure stood in midair.

Once the top S-rank hero [The Sun], now the villain [Eclipse].

He, too, seemed slightly caught off guard by meeting Hocheol.

“I came quickly on intel that this place was empty, but it’s practically full.”

“There’s more than just me.”

Hocheol tilted his head back, gesturing lightly.

“Was that idiot earlier one of yours?”

“Idiot, huh. Can’t deny it. But he’s pretty useful. Survived against you in your villain days, after all.”

“…None of the guys who knew my face had that kind of trait.”

Hocheol frowned, digging through his memory.

“Don’t tell me you spread my face and info to all your lackeys?”

“Of course.”

Eclipse answered nonchalantly.

“You’re the biggest obstacle to my goal. No reason not to share your info. So you’d better watch out. Among my people, those without a grudge against you are few and far between.”

“Tch. What about my image rights? Guess you don’t care about that as a villain now.”

Normally, their meeting would spark an immediate fight.

But for the sake of their respective goals and information, they continued a ‘pretend’ calm conversation.

Hocheol was curious about the villain with the corpse-possession trait, but that could wait.

This was clearly more important.

Hocheol stared at Eclipse.

He looked worn out, visibly aged in just a few months.

His short, gray hair from their last meeting had grown shaggy.

Stubble marked his face.

His fiery red eyes stared back.

After a brief silence, Hocheol spoke first.

“By the way, Eclipse?”

He threw out casually.

“You introduced yourself so confidently as Lee Byeong-hoo, and now it’s Eclipse?”

He’d met him at the Hero National Cemetery.

Back then, Eclipse had boldly declared he’d abandon his hero name [The Sun] and live as the human Lee Byeong-hoo.

Yet the name Lee Byeong-hoo never surfaced, and now it was Eclipse.

Seemingly embarrassed, Eclipse averted his gaze.

“It wasn’t my intention. The media avoided mentioning my name.”

“Seriously.”

Hocheol snorted, mocking him lightly, but quickly dropped the smile.

“So why are you here?”

“To finish things.”

Eclipse answered briefly.

“But after all my preparations, I came here.”

His preparations, naturally, referred to the artificial sun still floating behind him.

He frowned, scanning the area.

“To find it empty. Talk about timing. Did they move their base?”

Lacking the intelligence networks of the association or the organization, Eclipse was unaware of Ji-an and the organization’s split or other classified details.

He only assumed the organization had relocated for some reason.

He turned back to Hocheol and asked.

“And you?”

“I’m here to check some things out. Got stuff to find.”

“Then we’ve no reason to fight.”

As long as their goals differed.

Even when Hocheol was a villain and Eclipse a hero, such moments happened.

Depending on priorities, they’d overlook or ignore each other for a greater cause.

Hocheol, rationally, agreed.

But.

“Hey, by the way. What’ll you do if you find that guy?”

“The obvious.”

“Kill him.”

For someone who’d crossed the line, murder was the simplest, safest option.

With that, Eclipse turned to leave.

With no target, there was no need to linger.

His subordinate wanted to scavenge more loot, so he’d stick around with the others and return on his own.

As Eclipse turned to go—

“Hold up.”

Hocheol called him back.

“What?”

“You said kill. That’s a problem.”

“I don’t get it.”

Eclipse’s reaction was natural.

Unaware of Hocheol and Ji-an’s relationship, he wouldn’t understand even if he knew.

So Hocheol explained kindly.

“That ‘organization’ already split and got swallowed by another villain group.

The kid you fought?

I’ve got him.

I’m his guardian.

Can’t just let that kind of talk slide.

Got it?”

“Not at all.”

Eclipse’s eyebrow twitched.

What the hell was that nonsense?

Chewing over Hocheol’s words, he asked again.

“…Are you insane?”

“A bit earlier. But I’m clear now. My goal’s simple.”

Maybe the inversion field was weaker here.

Hocheol pointed a thumb at himself.

“I’m gonna make that kid human. Like me.”

Eclipse stared silently for a moment before speaking, as if sighing.

“You’re a miracle. A real miracle, like a monkey typing Shakespeare by sheer chance. And you want to deliberately recreate that?”

It wasn’t because he was a villain now.

Even as a hero, he’d have dismissed it as crazy.

And above all, he could only see Hocheol’s goal as delusion.

“I’ve seen it myself.”

Having fought Ji-an, Eclipse recalled that encounter.

“That kid’s a beast. Untamable, incapable of normal life. A cancer to society. Even if he behaves, it’s just suppressing his nature.”

As a hero, Eclipse knew human nature’s depths better than anyone.

So he could say with certainty.

Hocheol didn’t argue.

Ji-an’s social skills, ethics, and morality were far from good, even by generous standards.

But that didn’t matter.

He just believed.

His responsibility was to uphold that belief.

So he simply.

“That’s why I’m doing it. I was worse than him, so I think it’s possible.”

“So you’ll fight me now, for that reason?”

“If I have to.”

Eclipse, ever expressionless, smiled for the first time.

“You’re really insane.”

He suddenly extended a hand toward Hocheol.

“I’ll say it again. Join me. If you do, I’ll guarantee that kid’s safety.”

He repeated the offer from the Hero Cemetery.

“A peaceful, normal life might be tough. But I’ll ensure you lack nothing as a human and won’t face society’s darkness or absurdity.”

Hocheol silently looked at Eclipse’s outstretched hand.

Darkness, absurdity—likely the real reason he fell from being a hero.

Hocheol had once been curious about it.

But that curiosity had faded.

Whatever the reason, it was probably something he could relate to.

But it wasn’t enough to sway Hocheol, who’d built so much here.

He didn’t answer.

That was enough to answer.

Eclipse withdrew his hand.

With the offer rejected, only one path remained.

“I told you back then. Next time we meet, one of us dies. Looks like that’s today.”

Recalling their cemetery conversation, Hocheol added lightly.

“I’ll let you live, though.”

“Funny.”

Like with Ji-an, both intended to spare the other’s life, but the context was different.

Their shared definition of ‘alive’ meant not in a coffin, even if missing limbs or in a vegetative state.

No need to hold back.

“This place is damn uncomfortable.”

Muttering, Hocheol lightly stomped.

The rock couldn’t withstand the force and fell to the ground.

Eclipse descended slowly, planting his feet.

Hocheol stretched lightly and said.

“Shall we?”

* * *

Invincible as long as the sun shines.

A simple, unexaggerated description of the hero [The Sun].

And as a villain, it wasn’t much different.

Capable of everything the sun could do.

Not just heat and energy—an entirely different league.

Among anomaly-type traits, it was the strangest and most complex.

Even Hocheol, who’d fought countless life-or-death battles against him, didn’t fully understand it.

Nor, perhaps, did Eclipse himself.

“Unlike last time, I came prepared.”

Eclipse raised a hand lightly.

The sun behind him pulsed.

The surrounding space trembled, an unpleasant dissonance echoing.

The sun visibly shrank.

Where did that energy go?

Hocheol knew instantly.

He muttered irritably.

“Still as disgusting as ever.”

Eclipse’s outline warped strangely.

His base body temperature was already absurdly high compared to a normal person, but this was different.

The heat was so intense Hocheol felt it clearly from a distance.

The ground around Eclipse boiled like water.

He smirked, unlike his usual stoic demeanor.

In battle, he smiled more than expected.

“No creepy sword today. You okay?”

Hocheol’s Purple Crystal Sword matched his trait well but was particularly unpleasant for Eclipse.

Its ability to treat heat as energy and absorb it was a natural counter.

Hocheol shrugged.

“Left it at home.”

“You’ve gone soft. The old you wouldn’t have done that. Maybe you have weakened.”

Hocheol’s expression soured.

Hearing that again, huh?

Eclipse swung his hand lightly.

A corona burst from the sun, hurtling toward Hocheol.

He twisted to dodge.

“Damn fast.”

It didn’t stop at one.

Coronai shot out like sharp spears, raining down on Hocheol.

The flames tore through the air, scorching the ground, and engulfed him at terrifying speed.

“And damn numerous.”

An attack came at an unavoidable angle and timing.

Hocheol clawed his hand, ripping through the fiery pillar.

Closing the distance, he swung his right fist.

Eclipse blocked with his arm, twisting to aim an elbow at Hocheol’s solar plexus.

Thup—

Hocheol raised his knee, blocking the elbow with his foot.

Chiiik—

No, he didn’t block.

The mere contact counted as a successful attack for Eclipse.

Hocheol’s body spun back from the impact.

He countered with his other foot, aiming for Eclipse’s chin.

Fwoosh—!

Eclipse staggered heavily from the hit.

In less than a second, several exchanges occurred.

By the fight’s flow, Hocheol should’ve had the upper hand, but he wasn’t unscathed.

He awkwardly lifted one foot, brushing his palm.

“Hot.”

Like Ji-an, Eclipse could attack from multiple angles at range with no restrictions, just willpower.

For Hocheol, who had to take it all physically, it was grossly unfair.

“Cheating.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Eclipse was equally incredulous.

This level of power could kill most S-ranks, yet Hocheol just called it ‘hot.’

Hocheol closed the distance again, throwing punches at Eclipse’s head, shoulders, sides, legs, abdomen—sequential yet near-simultaneous strikes.

Eclipse blocked critical hits or countered sharply.

Raw trait power alone didn’t make one the top hero.

His close combat matched Hocheol’s.

Close-quarters combat slightly favored Hocheol, but the overall fight was clearly against him.

Every touch inflicted unavoidable damage, gradually wearing Hocheol down despite successful attacks and defenses.

The battle raged on.

Not at his peak, Hocheol struggled to break through Eclipse’s defense and deal decisive damage.

Without his Purple Crystal Sword, and with no real sun here for Eclipse, neither was at full strength—barely 70%.

Eclipse’s defense was at full capacity, but his attack power was lacking, dragging the fight into a stalemate.

Hocheol glanced at the sun.

It had shrunk to half its size from continuous use.

If it ran out, the damn solar armor and corona bursts would stop.

But the problem was what came next.

Not a technique—a phenomenon.

If Eclipse’s techniques so far were for fighting people, this could vaporize kilometers in radius just by activating.

That would destroy the tower, endangering Se-ah and the external hero inside.

Even the core-hunting team could be wiped out.

Today’s sun might be even stronger.

A team wipe wasn’t impossible.

Eclipse likely had subordinates in the tower but probably didn’t care.

No choice, then.

Hocheol clicked his tongue and stepped back.

“I thought I might’ve gotten weaker over the years, but this is too much.”

He flexed his fist.

“Let’s call it here.”

The ideal would be defeating Eclipse, but that was unrealistic now.

Still, he’d shown Ji-an had him backing her and was still a force.

That was warning enough.

“Your call?”

Unlike Hocheol, Eclipse had no reason to stop.

Crushing Hocheol here would make things easier later.

Now he charged at Hocheol.

* * *

The fierce battle resumed.

The delicate balance broke when Hocheol left a critical opening.

Puuk—!

A solar spear pierced his side.

“Hiss.”

“What the?”

Despite landing a critical hit, Eclipse was the one surprised.

For Hocheol, such a simple attack should’ve been impossible to land, even if heavily injured.

Taking it made Eclipse suspect a trick.

Hocheol had no such intent.

Just.

“Sorry, I got a call. Had to answer.”

Stepping back, he smirked and pulled the spear from his side.

“Got my call, so I’m leaving. Let’s save the killing for later.”

He took a hit, but he won this round.

A telepathic message from the hunter side.

Answering it distracted him, letting the attack land, but it was critical.

Se-ah and the external hunter achieved their goal and escaped the tower.

The hunters found the core.

Hocheol’s reply was simple.

‘Smash it now.’

The core was destroyed, and the inversion field vanished.

As a result—

He pointed upward with a finger.

“Take a look.”

The upside-down tower above them fell.

Debris rained down, its scale and mass too much for even them to ignore.

Even Eclipse gasped in disbelief.

“Crazy bastard. What the hell.”

It wasn’t a mortal danger, but in a fight where minor mistakes led to critical injuries, this was a massive gamble for both.

To Eclipse, it looked like Hocheol gave up on skill and bet on luck.

Why?

But—

“Told you. I’m leaving.”

Beside Hocheol, someone appeared with a pop.

An association hero with a teleportation trait, startled by the situation, grabbed Hocheol’s shoulder.

“This is a warning. Touch my people—hero, villain, hunter—and I’ll make you regret it.”

With that, Hocheol vanished.

“Damn it.”

Before Eclipse could finish cursing—

Kugugung—

The tower collapsed on his head.

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