Chapter 66 - Pohang (7)
Become one of the Wycon tribe.
Then I shall spare your life.
Kim Sun-woo didn't respond to the absurd demand. He simply held his Black Flow Sword straight and true.
His senses are sharp.
The opponent's killing intent, carried on the wind, was still overwhelming, but having experienced it once before, it no longer carried that suffocating pressure.
Instead, his own cells stirred in response, his mind sharpening like a blade unsheathed.
The thrill that had prickled at his fingertips now surged to his chest, igniting a fierce urge to clash with the beast right then and there.
- Hurry and move him.
- Be careful. Human bodies are fragile.
In the meantime, the fish soldiers carried the injured Gu Jin-uk away.
Clearing the field so Kim Sun-woo could fight freely.
And Jin Hae-don...
This seemed to be the outer sector; all the major presences were concentrated on the opposite wall.
With constant roars echoing nonstop, that side was locked in fierce combat too.
Lascael must have come here alone to breach the wall and turn the tide of the stalemate.
Whoosh.
As Kim Sun-woo stepped forward, his form blurred into the air and vanished cleanly.
Lascael glanced around with interest before casually swinging his hand backward.
Clang!
Sparks flew in a brilliant yellow burst, accompanied by a sharp clash of metal.
Lascael bared his teeth at Kim Sun-woo, who materialized mid-leap.
"You can hide your form, but not your scent."
"...Thanks for the tip."
Kim Sun-woo narrowed his eyes, channeling power into the Black Flow Sword where it met Lascael's hand.
As the werewolf said, Dark Flow Step only concealed his appearance and presence—scent and lingering mana traces remained.
He'd suppressed the mana echoes by gathering his inner energy, but against a foe with Lascael's nose, he'd overlooked the smell.
Kak!
Knocking Lascael's hand aside, Kim Sun-woo boldly plunged into the beast's guard.
Exploiting the enemy's eyes fixed on his blade tip, he flicked his fingers to unleash Flying Thunder Flash, then swung the Black Flow Sword like an axe with one hand.
"Fine technique."
Thung. Thung.
Lascael batted away the Flying Thunder Flash with his knuckles, twisted to evade the sword, and swung a light fist.
Crack!
Like a whip cracking, Kim Sun-woo's body flew back.
He'd barely blocked with the sword hilt's end, but the impact was brutal.
His chest throbbed; a split-second slower, and his ribs would've caved like Gu Jin-uk's.
Spitting blood-tinged saliva, Kim Sun-woo toed the ground and charged again.
Pop!
A dazzling display of Flash Flow Step, fast enough to draw admiration.
But Flash Flow Step prioritized speed, leaving predictable trajectories as a flaw.
Kim Sun-woo had racked his brain over this during spars with other hunters in the underground training hall.
Ssssh!
And he'd devised a solution.
The key is controlling pace and rhythm.
Whether White Flow Step or Flash Flow Step, it all boiled down to high-speed movement.
Efficiency depended on using it in three dimensions.
Slow to an extreme upon landing or touching a wall to redirect.
With mastery, he could do it mid-motion or stepping off air.
He'd instinctively realized high-level experts extended this by rebounding mid-move.
"Ho."
Lascael let out a low murmur of approval, eyes tracking the myriad trajectories surging before him.
Impressive maneuvering in this narrow space atop the wall.
"I see your intent."
Kwak.
His clenched fist sprouted ash-gray fur, morphing into a werewolf's claw.
A dark crimson aura flared, then slashed forward, tracing a long arc in the air.
"But still too predictable."
Ssssh!
Facing the razor-sharp momentum plunging from above, Lascael grinned and swung his claws.
Aiming to shatter the Black Flow Sword and neutralize him, just like with Gu Jin-uk.
I won't kill him.
Talent like that didn't come around often.
He'd even stood firm against his killing intent and returned for more.
A warrior's spirit was innate.
Forcing it artificially was tough, even for him.
So...
Ssssh.
But Lascael's claws sliced only empty air.
Looking up with slightly widened eyes, he saw Kim Sun-woo's form spiral away, evading his hand.
And not content with that, a flashing sword light whipped toward him.
Slash—!
Blood sprayed.
The arm severed cleanly above the elbow tumbled through the air before hitting the ground.
"Hah, huff, hah..."
Kim Sun-woo landed, gasping raggedly.
A strike that had drained his inner energy and willpower to the limit.
A crude sword stroke, unworthy of a named technique.
But unlike before, it yielded a decisive result.
"Heh."
Lascael gazed at his empty arm socket, murmuring in genuine surprise.
One final step beyond the brink.
Whether he'd hidden his fangs or it was calculated, severing his arm meant no mere luck.
"..."
Seeing Lascael's reaction, Kim Sun-woo's expression hardened.
No visible damage despite the amputation.
And sure enough, with a casual shake, the stump bubbled and regrew rapidly.
"Even more enticing."
Licking his lips, Lascael fixed his predator's gaze on Kim Sun-woo.
Boom!
Decision made, he showed no more mercy.
Shrrrk!
Ash-gray fur erupted across Lascael's body.
The massive beast, larger than any other werewolf, rose with a savage aura.
"...What."
Kim Sun-woo let out a hollow chuckle.
Not even against the vampire in Death's Land, nor the flame-spewing fire dragon in central Gangwon, had he felt this.
His body hair stood on end, limbs tingling with dread.
His honed senses screamed to turn and flee.
Kwak.
But for the first time, Kim Sun-woo ignored them.
Turning back now means death.
Better to fight head-on and seize an opening.
Amid the chaotic battlefield, he focused every nerve on the beast, slowly—ever so slowly—gripping the Black Flow Sword.
Tzzzz.
Drained by two-thirds from the prior exchange, he pushed his inner energy to the brink.
Pure white energy surged along the black blade, coalescing into a new form.
"Sword Gang."
Ash-gray Sword Gang also formed on Lascael's claws.
Darker and more menacing than Kim Sun-woo's.
"A privilege granted only to those worthy of ascension. Even among humans, few can wield it."
Kwak.
As Lascael's eyes widened, a heart-stopping pressure crushed Kim Sun-woo's body.
Like invisible hands gripping him tight.
Damn...
Grinding his teeth, he tried to move, but Lascael closed in instantly, denying him.
"Worry not. I'll show you realms your frail human flesh could never dream of."
Ssssh!
Lascael's claws slashed at his shoulder.
In evolving to Wycon, he'd gain tougher flesh.
Those weak limbs, vulnerable to blades, were mere baggage—best removed early.
Kagak!
But astonishingly, the claws halted.
Ash-gray aura blade clashed fiercely against brilliant white Sword Gang, sparks flying.
Lascael gaped, genuinely shocked at the sword stroke pushing back his claws.
"Impressive willpower. Even kin struggle against 'Intimidation.'"
"...Lame skill name."
Kim Sun-woo shoved the sword desperately, blood dripping from his mouth ignored.
Mount Tai pressed from above.
Crack. Crack.
Not just arms—legs buckling under immense pressure.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall beneath his feet, on the verge of collapse.
—Ssssh!
Then, a sharp whoosh pierced between them.
Lascael clicked his tongue and retreated; Kim Sun-woo kicked off, widening the gap.
Trident?
A trident embedded in the wall.
Jin Hae-don swam down from the air, landing before Kim Sun-woo and extending a fin.
"Young Lord Sun-woo! You've done well. I'll take over now—fall back."
"...Jin Hae-don."
Click.
Grabbing the trident with his fin, Jin Hae-don spun it fluidly and planted himself before Lascael.
"Beast of the moonlit lands, why invade the sea's domain?"
"Bold words for a fellow beast. We should each guard our territories like proper monsters. Coveting the Golden Realm brings your own doom—don't you know that?"
"Hah."
Lascael snorted, eyeing Jin Hae-don.
"Talking big in that getup."
Clack.
Jin Hae-don, wielding the trident, wore armor straight out of a historical drama.
"You lot, mingling with the Golden Realm first, must've hidden impure motives. Biding time until you could enter without cost."
Lascael glanced at Kim Sun-woo regrouping behind.
"Monsters are monsters. Opportunists lurking in cracks, waiting for gates to open. Think you or that pup are any different?"
"...Nonsense."
Kim Sun-woo sneered, stepping forward slowly.
At minimum, Haesinjeon had treated them kindly from start to finish.
Even if harboring dark schemes.
"You gonna lump them with overt backstabbers like you wolf pups?"
"Haha."
Lascael chuckled at the sharp retort.
"If words won't reach you, I get it. Just wipe you all out anyway..."
Fwaaah—!
Then the battlefield shifted.
The clear sky over the water darkened to blood-red, churning violently.
Crimson rain poured, drenching the field and walls.
"This is!"
Chae Eun-seo's black magic.
Its activation here meant...
—Kwaaaang!
A massive explosion rocked one side, shaking Haesinjeon.
A group of hunters poured in, tearing into the wall-climbing monsters.
"Looks like our reinforcements beat yours."
Sensing a familiar aura among the hunters, Kim Sun-woo grinned and raised his Black Flow Sword.
"..."
Did Lascael sense it too?
He stared silently at the field, then whipped his head away.
"We'll meet again. Await that day."