Chapter 125:
───!
A roar that could not be formed rang throughout the area, repeatedly flickering.
I shivered from the murderous intent throughout the roar, and looked towards the source of that sound.
And…..
‘To think that it’s possible to imbue mana into a voice….’
Nam GungHyuk could be spotted, seemingly giving up on hiding his killing aura.
Emitting a similar energy from earlier, he was charging as if attempting to catch up to me.
With enough force to damage the trees of the forest surrounding the lake.
Craaaaash-!
With each step, the trees shattered and the surface of the earth crumbled.
It was an absurd sight.
‘Crazy lunatic.’
I quickly increased the distance from the screaming Nam GungHyuk and felt a cold sweat.
It was inconceivable that the taunts from earlier would work so well.
It was befitting to call him a lunatic, roaring like a lion.
The bloodshot eyes with no sanity, and the pupils tainted with wrath….
‘This is more than what I wanted… this should be plenty.’
It was a success to anger him as planned, so it was time to move onto the next step.
「Deactivating the power ‘Iron-blooded Sword’.」
「Activating skill ‘Counter Shield’.」
The Iron blooded sword on the left hand disappeared and was replaced by a crimson sword akin to a club.
Crash!
A slash came from below and I immediately blocked it using counter Shield.
Seeing how numb the arm went, it was a heavy slash….
‘It seems like taunting is not needed anymore.’
It became certain that Nam GungHyuk was no longer thinking about the consumption rate of his powers.
He seemed to be attempting to drop me from the sky using his Slash Rampage, but he did not think things through.
Slash Rampage used a lot of mana, and it couldn’t cause a big damage to opponents of similar caliber.
It could not be considered to be more than a distracting technique.
Even he ought to have realized it despite losing his sanity.
Then the reason why he must be ignoring his limits of power must be because he was certain that he had a way to catch up to me.
‘There’s no way that he can act like this without it.’
Perhaps he was confident in his endurance.
After all, Nam GungHyuk was a martial artist from a different dimension that trained from a young age.
And it was natural to have strength in his stamina or mana according to his training.
But whatever it was, it did not change the fact that he made a wrong decision.
Because…..
「The skill ‘Counter Shield’ is accumulating the damage received.」
The ‘Counter Shield’ was slowly accumulating every damage that I’ve been receiving as we speak.
I smiled seeing the slowly accumulating power in the shield.
‘You plan on dragging me back to the ground with this?’
Nam GungHyuk was thinking arrogantly.
That he could make me leave the air by tiring me out.
Despite being unable to discern if I was actually flying or not.
He charged at me thinking as if I would never be able to defeat him without combining forces with others like back in Tokyo.
‘He truly did not mature at all.’
That day, when I could not kill Nam GungHyuk and released him in Tokyo.
I never stopped climbing up the tower and continued to get stronger.
Despite climbing only a few floors, I still matured as a martial artist and as a challenger.
But Nam GungHyuk did not climb up the tower, yet still thought of me as something like a prey.
So….
‘This works in my favor.’
I needed to teach him now.
‘I can get stronger more easily thanks to him.’
That the roles of prey and hunter have long been reversed.
And that Nam GungHyuk is a mere stepping stone for my growth.
»————- ★ ————-«
Nam GungHyuk is one of the martial artists in the end.
He too learned martial arts, and is not lacking in battle experiences, an opponent similar to me.
Even if my tauntings worked a little too well, I could not act brashly.
So it was necessary that I act cornered and slowly start revealing my cards.
‘White Sword Fold.’
Just like this.
Rumble….!
The space around the blade twisted from being imbued by a powerful will and mana.
Just like its title of space folding white blade, the ‘White Sword Fold’ distorted the space.
To explain, the natural order of the swordsmanship where a blade meets blade turned a little more violent?
If redirecting the direction of the opponent’s sword is parrying….
It was almost as if this parrying technique redirected the attack by folding the space itself.
And it did that in reality.
Crash!
Nam GungHyuk’s attack landed in an innocent location and exploded after it was redirected from the twisted space.
It was important to accumulate damage using the counter shield, but these types of techniques were also a necessity.
It also made it seem as if I was being pushed back a little….
‘it’s not good that the counter shield accumulates to the max faster than my expectation.’
Nam GungHyuk had to be weakened through stalling time for a bit.
‘I need to complete the Light Saber when he’s completely defenseless.’
It would be troublesome if he had enough energy to block the Light Saber.
“You fucking bastard! Where did you steal that martial arts technique from?!”
Of course, Nam GungHyuk raged even more seeing the White Sword Fold….
I sped up further without bothering replying to him.
Acting as if I was desperate and didn’t even have the energy to respond to him.
If he was in his normal state, he would’ve never fallen for it.
But.
“How long do you think you can keep flying? I will break those lowly wings myself!”
He was currently chasing me without reason, with the intent of killing me.
And could not analyze that my every action was calculated.
‘How imprudent.’
Of course that thought never got expressed outwardly.
It could potentially destroy the hard earned upper hand of the battle.
Instead, I used all the blood from the lake as a counterattack to weaken him.
The arrows created from blood never got through Nam GungHyuk and dissipated, but it still did its part.
‘My goal was never an actual hit in the first place.’
If it managed to deplete Nam GungHyuk’s mana even just a little bit, it did its part.
And because of his anger, Nam GungHyuk’s attacks had too much force in it.
The force of sword flame was quite high, unfit for the current situation.
However, Nam GungHyuk still managed to hold onto a bit of his sanity and attempted to corner me as best he could.
“Blue Sky Thunder Strike!”
Despite it not being an actual skill, he demonstrated a never seen before technique yelling out its name.
Rumble!
A blue energy surrounded Nam GungHyuk’s sword like the lightning traveling through the stormy clouds.
And struck in a blink of an eye intending to pierce through me.
Fwoosh!
Among the piercing techniques that I’ve seen so far, its speed was incomparable.
However, my ability to sense intent improved through training in martial arts, and I quickly realized that the attack coming towards me was not just a normal piercing attack.
That….
‘I can’t block it.’
It was the strike that I mustn’t let the counter shield take.
Shield pierce.
That attack held the thought that could instantly destroy the counter shield.
That did not mean that it couldn’t be blocked at all.
After all, I could just deploy a defense of similar nature.
Whether that’s a skill or martial arts, there were multiple ways to block that.
Despite that technique being of a high level, I had enough skills to counter that.
But to block it, the overall efficiency went down.
So only one method remained,
‘Let’s parry it.’
Rumble!
With the white sword fold, the space around the blade twisted and folded.
The flash attack got blocked in the twisted space and slowed down to have its path redirected.
And….
Crash!
Nam GungHyuk’s techniques struck a different spot once again to disappear.
“Just what kind of martial arts can alter space…?!”
Nam GungHyuk shouted flabbergasted, but could not continue speaking.
Because…
‘He said that it was called Blue Sky Thunder Strike. It’s not efficient in mana usage.’
Pzzzt!
The Blood Demon Sword held in the right hand was displaying Blue Sky Thunder Strike as well.
Even though it was a modified version unlike Nam GungHyuk’s that only made it seem like lightning was surrounding it, this one actually surrounded itself with crimson lightning….
“How…?! How could this be…?! You modified Blue Sky Thunder Strike….?”
It seemed as if that part was more shocking to him for some reason.
「Activating skill ‘Storm Sword’.
「Due to skill ‘Storm Sword (C+)’, The blade is imbued with wind element.」
Instead of replying to him, I lightly thrusted the Blood Demon Sword to shoot out Blue Sky Thunder Strike
‘Oh.’
Although its mana efficiency was shitty, its speed itself was outstanding.
And with the effects of Storm Sword mixed in, it became better than Nam GungHyuk’s techniques.
‘This might be useful after all.’
There’s a similar technique that White Crane Sword Saint taught, so I dont think it will be used too often….
But this skill had its own positives so it wasn’t terrible.
Clang!
“Not once, but twice! You’ve mocked me!”
Unfortunately, the modified Blue Sky Thunder Strike did not hurt Nam GungHyuk and disappeared after being sliced in half.
But it did its part in depleting his mana.
“I will not acknowledge it! NamGung’s sword is stronger than your fake one!”
Perhaps having his technique stolen right in front of him was shocking.
He completely gave up on being sane and started to use every type of technique he had.
So I had to move nimbly, but this situation was in my favor.
‘I’m going to remember all of this and use it later,’
Since this was a free lesson that I was getting.
‘He’s really not holding back in sharing his techniques.’
I wonder if he knew.
That all the swordsmanship that he praised so much….
Were all mine at this point.
»————- ★ ————-«
Crash!
「Charging Complete.」
「The skill ‘Counter Shield’ is in a state where you can reflect the accumulated damage.」
While receiving Nam GungHyuk’s attacks, the counter shield had accumulated enough force.
‘There is no reason to stall time anymore.’
I sped up my flight speed and increased my distance from him.
It might’ve seemed as if I am making my final escape attempt in Nam GungHyuk’s point of view….
But my real intent was getting ready for the final battle.
Since I am able to use the Light Saber as well now, I was planning on making him unable to defend himself as well.
‘Inventory.’
As soon as I reached the lake, I took out the Gray Crown.
「Ancient’s Emperors Gray Crown」
「Rank : A-」
「Charisma +30%」
「The ashen crown that the ancient emperor used during the ancestral rites for the god of darkness.」
「When equipped, the mind becomes unstable and the durability of the item will decrease each minute.」
「But instead, you can use the <spirit magic="" (b+)=""> installed inside the crown.」
「As long as the item is not destroyed, the durability of the item will increase when not in use.」</spirit>
An item acquired as a reward from clearing the 12th floor and has never been used until now.
There was no desire to use the item, but the situation was different now.
‘I have to use everything that I can.’
I immediately wore the crown, and a gray energy started to surround me.
「Your mind is slowly eroding from equipping the Ancient’s Emperors Gray Crown (A-).」
The instruction for using spirit magic was engraved in my mind like lightning.
Almost as if learning how to move a part of your limb despite never learning how to?
Somehow I could use the <spirit magic=""> and understand the limits of <spirit magic=""> within a blink of an eye.
And the item’s penalty description of eroding the mind did come to mind but…</spirit></spirit>
「Activating the power ‘Calm’.」
「Deactivating the eroding mind of Ancient’s Emperors Gray Crown (A-).」
With the power of ‘Calm’ I was undefeatable in terms of mind intruding attacks.
And it was the moment I landed on the ground in order to activate <spirit magic="">.
“You must’ve lost all your energy to escape like a rat.”
Nam GungHyuk spoke with flaming eyes while nearing.
“You don’t seem to change at all.”
I smiled coldly and spoke in a taunting manner.
“If you can use your brain even a little, can’t you understand the situation that you’re in?”</spirit>
As if he truly were pathetic.
“The cornered one is not me, but you.”
I activated the ashen energy coursing through my body.
“Nam GungHyuk.”
And….
「Activating <spirit magic(b+)="">, the exclusive effect of Ancient’s Emperors Gray Crown (A-).」</spirit>
Kieeeeeeek─!
The corpses of fishmen let out their cries while reviving under the guidance of <spirit magic="">.
Nam GungHyuk flinched at that sight and shouted.
“Are you using dark magic again? You won’t be able to…!”
“Defeat you? What a shame it would be if you really think that way.”
But I knew.
“You don’t even have enough mana to block this dark magic.”
With the earlier chase, he had no more energy to oppose me.
“…….”
And as if he knew that fact, he shut his mouth.
And I muttered quietly watching him.
—Crush him.
It was a simple command manifested through <spirit magic="">.
But it was plenty.
Kieeeeeeek─!
For the army of the dead befitting the end of time….
Forming into a singular form akin to a beast and cornering Nam GungHyuk.</spirit></spirit>
[To be continued.]
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