As countless pages began to appear from the random skillbook, they fluttered and turned rapidly. This time, however, it was different. Golden, ornate pages shimmered alongside even more radiant and resplendent ones, their brilliance unmatched.
Shoooosh!
The sound of flipping pages resonated, accompanied by a cascade of glowing lights. Before Seong’s eyes, three pages floated in midair, emanating an orange hue signifying their legendary status. Each page seemed to showcase its skill with vivid, animated imagery.
The first page trembled as though the sword it depicted was roaring, sending out waves of black energy. The visualization revealed countless dark wounds forming on a target standing before the sword.
The second page showed a figure moving swiftly, leaving shadows trailing in its wake, only to suddenly accelerate at a blinding speed.
The third page displayed an overwhelming storm of swords, sabers, and spears, surging like an unstoppable tidal wave.
“Ah, a chosen one indeed!”
“Incredible! He’s drawn such legendary skills!”
“Blessings upon the Chosen One!”
The elven knight ghosts erupted into a frenzy, clapping and cheering enthusiastically. Some even twirled through the air like acrobats in celebration. Their elation was almost too much, making Seong feel a twinge of embarrassment.
“Is all that really necessary?” he muttered, his thoughts brimming with secondhand embarrassment. Nevertheless, Seong invoked a skill he’d honed since childhood—ignoring ghosts.
He focused instead on the vivid imagery of the three pages, committing them to memory while awaiting the long-anticipated system notification.
[You have used the Random Skillbook with the Close-Combat Class specialization.]
[You have acquired the legendary skill 『Cry of the Black Blood』 for the Knight Class!]
[You have used the Random Skillbook with the Close-Combat Class specialization.]
[You have acquired the legendary skill 『Shadow Drift』 for the Assassin Class!]
[You have used the Random Skillbook with the Close-Combat Class specialization.]
[You have acquired the legendary skill 『Torrent of Blades』 for the Warrior Class!]
“Oh?” Seong’s brow arched. The names alone exuded power and gravitas. Shadow Drift seemed slightly less impressive at first glance, but a legendary skill was still a legendary skill.
He recalled the imagery linked to each page. The first skill, Cry of the Black Blood, appeared to focus on weapon-based attacks. Judging by the sudden formation of countless wounds, it seemed like a stacking offensive skill.
“A stacking damage skill, huh?” he mused. It felt like a natural match for his existing Mark of Death ability.
The second skill, Shadow Drift, depicted an assassin moving with shadow-like fluidity, accelerating dramatically at key moments. Seong suspected it was a hybrid skill, offering both passive and active effects.
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“It’s basically a mobility skill,” he concluded, the imagery being fairly straightforward.
As for the final skill...
“An insane multi-hit attack, no doubt.”
The image of countless swords, sabers, and spears flooding the target with attacks left little to the imagination. The skill was bound to deliver an overwhelming barrage of strikes.
“Pairing Cry of the Black Blood and Mark of Death with something like this? Yeah, that’s devastating,” Seong thought. While it was likely there would be drawbacks, he couldn’t deny the synergy such a high-hit-count skill could bring.
He couldn’t see it yet, but his deduction was spot-on.
『Cry of the Black Blood』
Eager to test his new skills, Seong approached one of the wooden golems nearby. As he moved, his footsteps became fluid, almost ghostly, leaving behind faint shadowy afterimages.
Ssshhh—!
“Huh?” Startled, Seong immediately checked his condition. He resumed walking normally, and the shadowy effect disappeared. Then, deliberately mimicking the footwork he'd been practicing, he once again triggered the phenomenon.
Sssshhhh—!
The shadows reappeared, enveloping his movements in a subtle, stealthy aura. “This... is amazing,” he muttered, already envisioning the potential uses. Combined with his mask’s abilities, deceiving his opponents would be far easier.
Standing before the wooden golem, he watched as it began to stir, its mechanical joints creaking to life. Seong calmly gripped his sword and moved with precision, his steps leaving faint afterimages that confused the golem’s perception.
Swish! Sssk! Sssk!
He attacked with the long-armed elven knight ghost’s swordsmanship technique he'd absorbed the day before. His strikes flowed like blooming flowers, splitting into multiple arcs that slashed the golem. The wooden construct, initially unaware it was being struck, began to show deep gashes. As it tried to block, Seong’s movements became even harder to track due to the shadowy afterimages, leaving the golem defenseless.
With a final, decisive strike, the golem’s neck was cleanly severed.
"Ah! Look at that! The Chosen One is using my swordsmanship!”
“Indeed, it’s unmistakable!”
“But... he’s using it better than you ever did.”
“Yes, far better!”
“Wait, is that really a good thing...?”
The long-armed elven ghost knight's excitement was infectious, but the truth was undeniable. Seong had taken the swordsmanship he’d absorbed and elevated it beyond its original limits. Even the ghosts were awestruck.
Another golem activated, and Seong decided to test Shadow Drift. The moment he activated the skill, his speed increased tenfold.
“This... is insane!” he marveled, momentarily caught off guard by his own agility. But there was no time to waste. Moving like a blur, he closed the gap between himself and the golem almost instantly. The golem reacted, crossing its arms to block, but Seong responded by activating his newly acquired skill, Torrent of Blades.
The moment the skill activated, Seong’s feet rooted themselves to the ground, locking him in place. But that limitation was irrelevant as his arms unleashed a furious onslaught of attacks.
Pababababababababababat—!
Slashes came from every direction—downward, upward, sideways, thrusting. Each strike cut deeper into the golem, which reeled under the relentless torrent. In mere moments, the golem’s arms shattered, its body riddled with countless wounds.
Though the golem stumbled back, it no longer attempted to advance. Meanwhile, Seong stood motionless, observing his immobilized feet.
“So, that’s the drawback,” he realized. The skill’s immense power came at the cost of mobility. However, the sheer number of strikes landed in such a short time made the trade-off worthwhile. If this had been a real battle, his Mark of Death would have detonated countless stacks for devastating damage.
With the golem still barely standing, Seong activated Cry of the Black Blood. A dark aura emanated from his sword, accompanied by a low, resonant hum.
Tiiiiiing—!
As the blade emitted its eerie cry, the wounds on the golem darkened, transforming into black, festering marks. The vibrations from Seong’s sword seemed to agitate the marks, causing them to spread like a disease. The golem’s entire body was soon consumed by the creeping blackness.
And then—
Shwaaaarrrrk!
The golem’s body was torn apart, splitting into countless fragments that disintegrated into dust. Both Seong and the ghosts watching were left in stunned silence.
The power was overwhelming. While it was impossible to gauge its full damage potential on a wooden golem, one thing was clear: the combination of these skills was extraordinary.
“This synergy... it’s incredible,” Seong thought, thoroughly satisfied. As the ghosts erupted into cheers, their praises filled the air.
“Amazing! Chosen One!”
“To witness such mastery in my lifetime!”
“This is the essence of swordsmanship!”
“You, sir, are truly worthy of inheriting our techniques!”
Seong tilted his head at the last comment. That sounded oddly specific. Sure enough, a few overeager ghosts chimed in:
“Please, accept our swordsmanship!”
“Didn’t I tell you not to be so direct about it?!”
“A-Ah, my apologies...”
Seong chuckled. Their single-minded determination was amusingly persistent. But he wasn’t about to refuse. After all, mastering their techniques was one of the reasons he’d come here in the first place.
“You don’t need to rush. I’ll learn everything in due time,” he reassured them.
His words were met with thunderous applause and relieved sighs. The ghosts, emboldened by Seong’s promise, eagerly prepared themselves for his next lesson.
“Well then, whose swordsmanship should I study next...?” Seong mused, almost as if he were browsing through a shop.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint turquoise glow began to emanate from his chest, accompanied by a glimpse of crimson hair gently swaying in the shadows.