Chapter 364
Chapter 364
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 364
Chapter Title: I Absolutely Won't Die
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"Tell my master. I absolutely won't die."
Even as he spoke, he activated his spatial magic.
Did a master and disciple really need to resort to fists?
Just as he thought White Path might let him go, her figure vanished from in front of his eyes.
"Where are you—"
💥 CRACK! 💥 -Crunch-
"You bastard...!"
The sound of his captured arm being crushed echoed out.
As White Path's mana flowed into the activated spatial magic, it began to twist in a dangerous direction.
If it came to this, even he didn't know how it would end.
⚙ TELEPORT ⚙ Spatial coordinates shifted. Environment changed to unknown location. A dark pre-dawn sky. White Path, still gripping his arm, had followed him and clenched her fist.
A cold wind blew from behind.
He felt relieved amid the wild trees sprouting from the ground.
Thank goodness this place was a vast forest, not the city.
💥 IMPACT! 💥 -Boom!-
He and White Path plummeted at astonishing speed.
The ground cracked open. The moment their backs hit the earth, they righted themselves and aimed fists at each other.
💥 CLASH! 💥 -Thud!-
One exchange, two exchanges.
The reeds bowed their heads, shadows flitted past.
He landed in the reed bed and backed away as he rose. White Path approached, white mana scattering from her fist.
💥 IMPACT! 💥 -Boom!-
Their fists collided, bending the grass in one direction.
A massive gust of wind.
"I have no idea what you're thinking, trying to beat me with that seventh disciple brain of yours."
Pure power pushed him back. He opened his status window internally, his muscles swelling throughout his body.
"...I'll drag you back even if I have to peel off your limbs."
"Try it."
"The Heavenly Demon's seat isn't something you can just set down whenever you like. Who said you get to die?"
"Fuck, I said I won't die."
"Then listen..."
He pulled his fist back, a single streak of white light blooming like a flower.
"...to what I'm saying!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ White Peach · Fang Reacting to the scattering petals, he crossed his arms to block the strike.
The straight-line assault of petals pierced his elbow.
The impact felt different.
"Shit...!"
More than any technique he'd blocked so far.
Unlike the supreme art White Peach, which could punch through mountains with sheer force, hers had transformed in an instant into a narrow, fierce stream that completely tore away half his body.
"Gah—"
Ah.
This woman really intended to let him go through with it.
Before his body could recover, White Path flew in and closed the distance to his face.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ White Peach · Chain Ring · Leaf Kick From between the Black Dragon Robe, White Path's thigh shot out.
A long, sinewy leg clad in tights.
Shadow fell over his face.
She smashed it straight into his head.
💥 CRUNCH! 💥 -Crack!-
The sound of flesh being pulverized. White flowers clung to his body, preventing proper martial deployment.
An interfering power.
He enveloped himself in Fortitude and slowly repaired his shattered body.
Seeing his wretched state, White Path bellowed.
"The ones you're up against are far stronger than this."
A voice trembling with anger.
White Path descended slowly amid scattering petals.
Petals danced around her shin.
"Not small fry—even I could fall to them."
"......"
"In the middle of that war, what can a weakened fool like you hope to save?"
💥 CRUNCH! 💥 -Snap-
The sensation of bones knitting together.
Coated in red battle aura from Fortitude's authority, he shook off his body and awakened his mana.
"Then should I just fucking lose everything?"
His restored voice furrowed White Path's brow.
"If you lose here once. What about next time?"
Would she let him go then too?
If he kept yielding like that, he'd end up losing his master, his lover, and left alone.
"Kukukuk."
His mana core swelled as if about to burst. Thick black demonic energy leaked from the cracked core.
"...You."
White Path's face twisted in an instant.
The fierce momentum of her flowers died down slightly.
"Since when... have you had that...?"
"Why should a seventh disciple master need to know?"
What he couldn't yield wasn't the only thing. This side was the same.
If he backed down here once, he'd have nothing left he could do.
Who would feel good defying their master's will?
He clenched his fist with pent-up frustration.
Assumed stance, thrust the fist forward. Black demonic energy gathered on it.
Strongly.
Without yielding.
"Come at me."
White Path's body vanished.
Every nerve in his body reacted. If it hit, he'd be done for.
As if foreseeing the future, his body bent backward.
💥 BLOCK! 💥 -Bang!-
He blocked White Path's leg with his arm.
It was just an accelerated downward strike, yet the muscles in one arm melted away instantly.
'Can't keep up.'
Judgment made.
Only judgment.
White Path vanished from his sight again. Just tracking her movements was overwhelming.
Her form appearing and disappearing from all directions. He barely managed reactions to the onslaught.
Heel struck his head.
Fist broke his collarbone.
The more it went, the more distorted White Path's face became.
"Please, just give up already!"
💥 COUNTER! 💥 -Crunch!-
In the gap of those words.
Seizing that tiny opening, he grabbed White Path's ankle and hurled her sideways.
💥 SMASH! 💥 -Rip-
Trees snapping. He panted, repairing all his tissues.
"Huff, huff."
Fibrous material protruded from his skin and adhered.
Bloody clumps discarded on the ground, regenerated anew.
Without the new Fortitude ability, he wouldn't have lasted this far.
"...Lee Siheon."
White Path muttered in her still chilling voice.
"Please give up."
"...Master. Fuck, I have shit to do too."
-Drip, drip.
A long red streak down his jaw. Blood drops trailed along it.
Nosebleed too, damn.
"Kuhuhu."
He raised his fist again.
"Remember what you said before, Master? When you asked why I fight."
"...What about it."
"Yeah. Right after we first met. You said it so out of the blue."
Why fight?
To grab all the annoying bastards and beat them down.
It was just a fleeting conversation, but he remembered.
No.
Honestly, he remembered every experience since coming here.
Who he killed, what power he gained.
And what power he could wield, what chances of victory he had.
💥 TWITCH 💥 -Writhe-
A vicious, sticky demonic energy clung to his body.
Black spots etched onto his face.
He was still a guy who couldn't keep up with his master.
The classic case where the disciple couldn't surpass the too-excellent master.
White Path and Heavenly Path, who might have reached the pinnacle in this world.
People who had attained that realm they spoke of.
Not something a guy like him could challenge yet.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Black Peach He had to do it anyway.
💥 AGONY! 💥 -Grind-
Intense pain made sounds escape through his clenched teeth.
Grrrk, boiling black blood dripped from his mouth.
"Stop..."
"You're the one who started this, Master."
This was the first time he'd maintained reason this far.
He emitted even more demonic energy.
Unlike White Path's petals fluttering in the air, his black, sticky petals fell heavily to the ground without a single dance.
Blood-soaked petals... proof his wounds weren't fully healed.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Black Peach · Modification In a situation where he had to use strength, was there even a choice? Squeezing everything was the baseline.
Heal if hurt.
Stand if broken.
Tie if torn.
His melting body into black spots forcibly maintained through Healing Authority.
Ultimately, his power's foundation was the status window's forcibly raised potential,
and the Wood Spirit King's temperament that allowed absorption. If he examined it piece by piece, he was a guy with jack shit.
Yeah. He had nothing.
That's why it took time to reach it.
As a worthless state unable to even maintain forcibly squeezed power.
"...Did you really have to go this far...?"
White Path's words upon seeing him were far more subdued than before.
"I had to go this far."
💥 AGONY! 💥 -Grind-
His wretched form was a black persimmon tree covered in spots and petals, wilting away.
-Drip, drip.
The black spots were like ashes of a burning tree, they said.
Your father said that.
His body moved.
"Hup—!"
💥 QUAKE! 💥 -Bang!-
Striking the air shook the forest.
Exchanging blows with White Path caused black and white flowers sprouting below to tangle chaotically around them.
White Path's clenched fist wavered, losing aim.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ White Peach He countered.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Hedge Flower Snapped the rising white flower and broke it.
The two parallel lines of demonic energy struck White Path's shoulders, slicing nearby petals instantly.
From here, even he didn't know the forms.
Only moving according to his own body.
Creating a new variant of Heavenly Demon Divine Art directly.
"Kuh."
One groan from White Path's teeth.
He thrust his open palm straight at her heart.
With both flowers completely severed. Sticky demonic energy enveloped her entire body.
White Path's eyes still fixed on his face.
"......"
Summer persimmon dyed crimson.
The demonic energy split into hexagons.
Gathering and rippling in his palm, along with petals.
Honestly, he didn't want to defy his masters either.
He just believed they'd meet again after this brief parting.
If he followed Heavenly Path now.
If things went wrong, he might end up blaming her.
That scared him a bit.
He spat a hoarse word.
"...Daegu—"
The perfect term for his current state.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Sin of the Remaining Peach ⚙ EXPLOSION ⚙ -Flash!!!! Grind. Gathered demonic energy erupted in an instant. The demonic energy wrapping White Path's body emitted light simultaneously, greedily devouring the entire surrounding forest.
💥 SCREAM! 💥 -Screech, grind, rip!
His body screamed.
Spots spread across his entire face.
Everything vanished before his eyes. The light faded slowly.
White Path's disappeared form. He withdrew his power, slowly drawing the demonic energy back into his body.
Absorbed without exploding. The spots subsided.
Still insufficient.
"......"
The risen White Path appeared sufficiently wounded, yet she walked toward him casually.
No, he'd landed a serious blow.
His own body was just far more pathetic.
"Fuck... you're insanely strong."
White Path bowed her head in response.
"...Of course. How could I, not even third rank, lose to a mere seventh disciple?"
He'd razed the surrounding forest.
A force that shattered even the natural environment.
More seriously than against Plum Blossom.
Clashing with everything short of life-threatening. He laughed in disbelief.
"...We'll talk about that power later."
White Path raised her hand blade. No mana gathered.
"As I said. I'll drag you back even if I have to tear off your limbs."
"Kukuk."
Her stubbornness was unbreakable. He was stubborn too, but she was worse.
He invoked spatial magic with his hand and pulled his body back.
"So, Lee Siheon. Give up already..."
💥 CRACK! 💥 -Riiip!-
Sudden splitting sound.
White Path's hair turned orange, her face contorting fiercely.
"Shit—"
Harsh curse flew out, followed by changing form.
The woman in the Black Dragon Robe knelt and placed her hand on his body.
Massive mana enveloped him, healing his entire body.
"...Really. I told you really not to do it..."
Breath ragged from frustration.
Imperial Path, gritting her teeth with tears streaming, caressed his cheek.
"You idiot! What the hell are you doing fighting White Path?!"
"Well, that..."
It felt like the only answer.
"Of all people, White Path. Thought talking with fists was the way."
"You moron!"
First time getting cussed by Imperial Path.
After simple emergency treatment, she caught her breath and looked at him.
"Go. Quick."
"Sis...?"
"Before the body swap ends. You trust me, right?"
"......"
He thought for a moment, then nodded once.
Reactivated the spatial magic he'd prepared. The world flipped before his eyes.
The last image of Imperial Path he saw was blurry, her expression hard to recall.
She probably looked worried for him.