Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Inner Demon (2)
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Instead of answering, I raised my sword and charged.
To end this as quickly as possible.
Because I knew my own condition wasn't good.
Thanks to my wings, I arrived in front of him in an instant and thrust my sword.
*Fwoosh—*
My sword pierced the Alliance Leader's heart in a single blow, but his form scattered like smoke.
Phantom Step.
There was no sensation of impact, and since I had already experienced this technique once before, I immediately retrieved my sword, spun around, and parried.
*Clang—*
Using the recoil, I retreated slightly.
“Hoh, I thought you were just a boar charging headfirst, but you’re an Outsider, after all.”
This was not good.
My throbbing wrist after just one exchange told me he was no easy opponent.
What’s more, when I blocked his attack just now, I had imbued my sword with my intent.
The intent to slice through his sword and all.
But his blade did not break.
“Hoh, you tried to cut down my sword and all. So you’ve awakened to intent as well.”
It seemed the Martial Alliance Leader had also imbued his sword with intent.
“This time, I’ll come to you.”
As he spoke, the Alliance Leader’s form blurred and vanished.
It was a speed impossible to follow with the naked eye, but thanks to the intent I had spread throughout the surrounding space, I could easily pinpoint his location.
The right!
Almost simultaneously with the thought, he appeared on my right and swung his sword.
This time, I didn't back down and exchanged several blows with him.
Block, thrust, dodge. Slash.
After about ten exchanges, I pulled back again.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Neither the Martial Alliance Leader nor I had landed a single successful attack, but after clashing swords a few times, I understood.
“Who said I was backing down!”
I charged in again, and we exchanged blows, but once more, not a single attack landed.
Of course, the Alliance Leader also failed to land a hit, but continuing a close-quarters fight didn't seem like a good choice.
“Hmph, I’ve already figured you out. You’ve never properly learned the sword, have you?”
He was right.
I had mostly learned the sword from Hanna and sparred with Bio from time to time, but I had never actually learned what could be called swordsmanship.
What I had learned was how to be faster.
How to cut stronger.
It was practical swordsmanship for fighting monsters that had no set form.
Of course, the Martial Alliance Leader's sword was also fast and strong, but while I was clearly a cut above in speed, I was the one getting tangled up.
The Alliance Leader's sword seemed to have a form, and I tried to learn and counter it, but he would immediately change it, using dazzling movements to exploit my openings.
Unlike mine, his sword had a refined depth.
If my swordsmanship was for fighting monsters...
The Martial Alliance Leader's swordsmanship was for fighting people.
“Isn’t your title the Sword God? Isn’t it a bit shameful to be on equal footing with someone who’s never even learned the sword?”
“The rat that keeps running away has a sharp tongue!”
*Clang—*
Judging that close combat was a lost cause, I clashed our swords and used the recoil to create distance once more.
“Where do you think you’re scurrying off to, you rat!”
The Martial Alliance Leader threw his sword at me.
The blade, shrouded in blue mana, flew toward me at high speed, but I easily dodged it…
Or so I thought. Like a guided missile, it drew a parabola, U-turned, and came at me even faster.
*Swish—*
My reaction was a bit slow, and his sword grazed my arm.
[You have been hit by Ki-Driven Sword.]
The burning sensation on my left arm, as if I’d been seared, snapped me to my senses.
It was my non-sword arm, but a slight misstep could have cost me the limb.
*Fwoosh—*
The Martial Alliance Leader, having closed the distance again in an instant, swung his sword. I hastily dodged and created more distance.
He pursued me at a terrifying speed, but I was still faster.
I accelerated my wings to their maximum and first checked my left arm.
With the gear I was wearing, my regenerative ability was on par with a troll's.
I had expected it to heal naturally, but the throbbing pain wouldn't stop.
When I rolled up my sleeve, sure enough, the wound hadn't closed at all.
He was the Martial Alliance Leader, so it probably wasn't a curse, but maybe the sword was poisoned?
My skin color hadn't changed, so it didn't seem to be poison, but my movements had widened the wound, and blood was now gushing out.
Looking closely, my sleeve was completely soaked.
It hadn't been noticeable because of my black clothes.
Fortunately, I didn't feel dizzy, but I pulled a potion from my belt.
[High-grade Potion has been reloaded.]
I gulped down half and poured the rest on the wound.
A cool sensation spread through my body, and white foam bubbled up from the wound, but a closer look revealed it wasn't healing easily.
[You have used a High-grade Healing Potion.]
[This is an injury from Ki-Driven Sword.]
[Healing effect is reduced by 70%.]
It even had a healing reduction effect?
I was about to pull out another potion to pour on it, but a murderous intent from the front made me descend rapidly.
Just like before, the Sword God's blade zipped past my head at a ferocious speed.
I wouldn't fall for the same attack twice.
Knowing it had a homing function, I kept my eyes on the sword and, anticipating its return, parried it with my own blade.
Imbuing it with the intent to shatter it completely.
*KABOOM—*
The clash of two swords produced a sound like an explosion, and I was pushed far back.
I had failed to shatter it, but the Martial Alliance Leader's sword also couldn't withstand the impact and was now plummeting to the ground.
The connection seemed to have been severed. Thinking this was my chance, I dove swiftly toward the falling sword and swung my own once more.
*Slice—*
As expected, this time I was able to cut through it with ease.
A moment later, the Alliance Leader appeared, his face scrunched in a frown.
Seeing the faint trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, it seemed the backlash from the broken connection had dealt him a considerable blow.
“You little rat, how dare you break my sword… Ptui!”
He spat out a mouthful of black blood mid-sentence.
It seemed he was far more seriously injured than I had anticipated. The outcome of the battle felt decided.
“I’ll end this now.”
“Hmph! As if breaking a single sword matters. I’ll show you why my title is the Sword God!”
I thought he was just making an empty bluff in a losing situation, but it wasn't a bluff.
“…Weren't you a martial artist?”
I was bewildered.
When the Sword God swept his arm once through the air, dozens of swords materialized from nothing.
Moreover, every single one of them was coated in the same blue mana as the sword that had been aimed at me earlier.
I mean, what kind of martial artist summons and fights with swords like that…?
“I have as many swords as I need.”
At the Martial Alliance Leader's words, dozens of swords rained down on me from all directions.
*Fwoosh— Clang— Clang—*
I dodged as many as I could and parried those I couldn't.
Of course, the power of each individual sword was weaker than when he had used just one.
After only a few exchanges, I had already knocked down about five and sliced through two.
But the situation was far from good.
Because the Martial Alliance Leader was summoning new swords as fast as I could take them down.
The number of swords wasn't decreasing at all, and the Alliance Leader himself, holding a new blade, was rushing me with a relentless assault.
“I’ll acknowledge your speed. But how long can you keep dodging like that?”
I blocked the sword of the mockingly smirking Alliance Leader and created distance, but in an instant, dozens of swords swarmed me again.
*Clang— Clang—*
I deflected most of them and created more distance to dodge, but two swords from my blind spot embedded themselves in my wings.
*Swish— Swish—*
[You have been hit by Ki-Driven Sword.]
[You have been hit by Ki-Driven Sword.]
[Spirit Wings have sustained critical damage.]
[Self-repair initiated.]
[Time remaining until self-repair is complete: 11:59:59]
As if the item had been unequipped, my wings vanished, and I plummeted to the ground.
Dammit.
Since they weren't part of my original body, I hadn't paid enough attention to my wings.
Fortunately, I wasn't too high up, so I managed to land safely with a roll, but losing my mobility was a crushing blow.
The Martial Alliance Leader, with dozens of swords floating behind his back, landed gracefully in front of me.
“Now you can’t run away like a rat, can you?”
Run away?
He was spouting nonsense again.
If I had wanted to run, I would have run long ago.
I had never once considered running away.
Because if I don't kill the Martial Alliance Leader, I can't go up.
“Cut the crap and focus. I'm getting serious now.”
“Such an absurd bluff. Ah, but of course, I have no intention of letting my guard down.”
It would be nice if he let his guard down a little… No, what's with this weak mindset?
If Bio found out, he would have chewed me out.
Suddenly, his words from yesterday echoed in my mind.
‘A troubled mind dulls the sword. Remember your goal.’
No matter how difficult the situation, I will never give up.
Because I have a goal.
****
Kramis Labyrinth, 8th Floor.
“I’m ready! Everyone, back away!”
After shouting a loud warning, Lee Ha-young released the bowstring she had drawn.
The three arrows that left the string struck the Twin-Headed Troll in the heads.
*KABOOM— KABOOM— KABOOM—*
With massive explosions, the troll's heads vanished without a trace.
“My god. It’s an instant kill.”
“Ha-young is seriously strong, isn't she?”
All the new members of the Golden Lion Guild's 37th batch couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
“It’s probably because you all chipped away so much of its health, right? I just landed the last hit from the back.”
“Aren’t you being a little too humble? We all know the truth now.”
“Yeah, I feel like we barely did anything. It’s seriously insane…”
“Party leader, you think so too, right?”
Yeong-cheol, who was holding a large shield, posed the question to the party leader, Mi-jeong, but she too was utterly aghast.
It was understandable. The troll they had just hunted wasn't just any monster; it was the floor boss of the 8th floor.
“Um, party leader?”
“Huh? Oh? What is it?”
“Ha-young is being modest again.”
“When was I…”
Finally snapping out of it, Mi-jeong ordered them to stop chatting and collect the items.
““Yes.””
Honestly, Mi-jeong had never thought they would make it to the 8th floor of the labyrinth this time.
Especially not in just three days.
Except for herself, all the other party members were newcomers who had just arrived in Elsia.
Furthermore, the Guild Master had repeatedly warned them not to overdo it.
She had planned to wrap things up around the 3rd or 4th floor, maybe the 5th if they showed promise, but this batch of newcomers grew quickly.
While the others were quite decent, the reason for this unbelievable speed was all because of that girl, Lee Ha-young.
The Guild Master had said Ha-young’s trait was pretty good and she could pull her own weight, but this was far beyond that.
It wasn't just pulling her own weight.
At first, when faced with a monster, she had shown the same flustered look as any newcomer, but she adapted and grew faster than anyone else.
It made one wonder what kind of trait she had.
She had heard that Hyeon-ung had cured her terminal illness and she had gained a good trait, but Ha-young had said the Guild Master told her not to talk about it, so she never specified what it was.
I’ll have to ask her for sure when we get back.
“Party leader, we’re done looting.”
“Alright. Yeong-cheol, you hold onto it. Did anyone level up this time?”
At Mi-jeong’s question, Eun-ji and Yeong-cheol… and Ha-young raised their hands.
“Wow, Ha-young, you leveled up again?”
“So you’re level 10 now?”
It seemed that since she had the highest contribution, she also received the most experience, making her growth the fastest.
“Yes. I’m level 10 now. And party leader, I have a favor to ask…”
“A favor?”
“Can I leave the party?”
Mi-jeong and all the other party members were stunned.
“What do you mean by that, Ha-young?”
“You’re leaving the party?”
“Summoner Lee Ha-young! Just because we praised you a little, you think the labyrinth is a cakewalk? A newcomer like you wants to solo play!”
What kind of scolding would she get from the Guild Master later?
Mi-jeong waved her hands and shook her head firmly.
“No. It’s not that I want to act alone. There’s something I want to test.”
“Test?”
“I got a new skill when I reached level 10. And it requires me to leave the party.”
“Wow, you got a skill?”
“But you haven’t even changed your class yet. Ha-young, you’re amazing.”
Once again, everyone was filled with admiration.
“Everyone, quiet. What kind of skill is it?”
Looking at the tilting head of Mi-jeong, Ha-young hesitated.
Her father had told her not to speak about her trait even to the executives, as it could become a target of envy and jealousy.
But maybe this much would be okay?
It wasn't directly related, and she really wanted to try it right now.
[The Unbreakable Thread of Fate]
[An exclusive skill for the possessor of the 'Genius Who Overcame Fate' trait.]
[Allows you to send and maintain a remote party invitation to the possessor of the 'Defying Heaven' trait. (If the possessor of the 'Defying Heaven' trait is already in a party, the invitation will be automatically rejected.)]
[Cooldown: 1 day.]