Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Sparring Match
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For so long now.
And I'd held it in well. Even I thought so myself. That evening after returning from the Leseun Auction House. The first time I heard about the Peerless Sovereign from Ha-ryeong at the restaurant.
'Full Moon Reveler Ox God Head.'
The moment I first heard that name. Looking back now, I somehow managed not to laugh. It was partly good luck, but also because Yuri himself was hyper-aware of it.
Peerless Sovereigns were among the top martial artists in this world. A powerhouse like that could easily appear as an NPC in the game, so if a familiar name popped up and I showed a weird reaction, it might raise suspicions of me being a Possessor. That's why I'd been controlling my expression from the start.
Thanks to that, I heard the name Full Moon Reveler Ox God Head for the first time and passed it off without laughing.
Next.
The top floor of the Derusia Magic Tower, in Orca's room. When we spied on Ox God Head's antics upon arriving at the city walls through magic. Kicking the iron ball into the gate for a goal, showing off his ceremony. And when Orca told me that iron ball's name was 'Madorido.'
Even then, I somehow held back the laughter. The conversation before had been so serious, and Orca's prospective disciple Leysi was inwardly convinced I was a Possessor. This talk itself might be some kind of test, I thought, so I'd been managing my face well in advance. Thanks to that, I didn't laugh at Ox God Head's bullshit even after seeing it.
Next.
When I actually met Ox God Head. When he boasted his name, talked about 'my bro,' and borrowed what seemed like his bro's profound quote to act all weighty. When he declared that his bro never broke a promise.
The biggest crisis was—when Ox God Head took off his outer robe to prepare for the spar. That was truly dangerous. Who would've thought he'd be wearing a custom-made uniform underneath. I'd overcome so many crises by then, and after seeing it in person, I'd gotten a bit used to it, so my tension had loosened just a tad in that moment.
Laughter nearly burst out, but I bit my tongue to hold it back.
I figured there wouldn't be any more crises. I'd gotten plenty used to that bastard Ox God Head's antics, and I didn't think he'd pull anything more idiotic than what I'd already seen.
—Too focused.
The spar between Bakerd and Ox God Head was at such a high level that I had no choice but to watch intently, and just observing it expanded the 'martial arts' domain in Yuri's head. I didn't want to miss a single thing.
But.
But who would've thought. There was still more left.
'Full Moon Ox Slaughter Fame Secret Art.'
'Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain.'
The moment I heard that, laughter escaped before I could even think 'I have to hold it in.' Luckily, the laugh Yuri let out was very, very small compared to the world-shaking roar. So small that no one would hear it unless they were right there.
But Yuri didn't let his guard down. Right now, Elena and Ha-ryeong were beside him. Elena was a 4th Tier mage, and Ha-ryeong—while her exact tier was unknown—seemed to be at or above Elena's level.
Especially Ha-ryeong, an assassin. Assassins naturally had sharp senses. She might have even caught Yuri's laugh amid this thunderous noise.
Anyone else was fine, but he didn't want Elena or Ha-ryeong knowing he was a Possessor.
He couldn't turn to check. Doing so would just prove he had something to hide.
So Yuri didn't look around, and he didn't notice Orca and Leysi staring straight at him from afar.
A life-or-death moment. Yuri's thoughts raced. He didn't think his laugh had been buried in the roar. Relying on such sloppy assumptions could get him killed later.
Yuri immediately circulated his internal energy. The laugh was already out; no helping that. So he had to disguise it as not a laugh. It took only a few seconds to make that call. This was the worst crisis since possessing—maybe ever. In that instant, Yuri didn't hesitate a beat.
He deliberately twisted the flow of internal energy surging from his dantian. Stomach-churning pain, self-inflicted internal injury—blood sprayed from Yuri's mouth.
"Puhk."
It made the exact same sound as the initial laugh. Blood didn't just come from his mouth. It trickled from his nose and eyes too.
"Yuri?!"
Ha-ryeong jumped in surprise and supported him. Elena freaked out and grabbed his arm. But Yuri didn't look at either of them to the end. Blackish blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and mouth as he glared straight ahead with eyes already bloodshot from before.
"Kwon Rang..."
He forced out a voice that barely worked from the injury. A cracked, trembling voice. Actually, perfect. Yuri clenched his fists, blood streaming like tears from his eyes.
"To this extent...!"
Ha-ryeong sighed with a convinced look. Yuri and Kwon Rang Bakerd weren't master and disciple. But to her, they seemed no different. Not even a full month, but he'd received martial arts instruction almost every day.
So Ha-ryeong thought Yuri was shedding bloody tears out of a disciple's heartfelt loyalty. His bond-forged master standing firm against Full Moon Reveler's overwhelming martial arts...
This misunderstanding linked perfectly with how Yuri had cheered Kwon Rang's title alone earlier. Ha-ryeong set aside her assassin self for a moment, empathizing as a fellow martial artist and someone who'd taken a master.
—Kwarrr!
Even as Yuri immersed himself in the soul-stirring spectacle, Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain didn't stop. It was a horrifyingly faithful secret art to its name. A rain of sword energy poured from Ox God Head standing tall across the sky.
Among the countless attacks, the absolute pinnacle was the Madorido Ox God Head kicked directly. Bakerd stood firm at the rain's center, catching it with both hands.
"Kruk...!"
Blood sprayed from between Bakerd's clenched teeth. He'd tried to deflect the Madorido with Southern Sky Cloud Stream Fist techniques, but this Madorido's power was worlds apart from before. Forget deflecting—even blocking with both hands was all he could manage.
Even then, Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain didn't stop. Relentless sword energy shattered Bakerd's protective aura.
"Kraaa!"
Bakerd roared as he barely twisted the Madorido aside. Shweeee! But it didn't fly where Bakerd wanted. Like a living thing with a will, it soared freely through the sky, syncing with the sword energy rain.
Only now did Bakerd understand why that man was called Full Moon Reveler. The Madorido wrapped in white sword energy was no different from a radiant full moon, and Ox God Head's martial arts played with that moon.
"...The Tang Clan, who dominate hidden weapons, has an ultimate art called Myriad Blossoms Heavy Rain."
Ha-ryeong, supporting Yuri, spoke up.
"It's a technique that unleashes countless hidden weapons in an instant—simple to describe, but devilishly complex and profound in practice. Full Moon Reveler's secret art, Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain... First time witnessing it, but it's different from the Tang Clan's Myriad Blossoms Heavy Rain. Still, its completion as a sword energy art is truly remarkable."
'Fuck, please...'
Hearing her seriously critique the martial art made it hard to hold back. So Yuri vomited blood again.
"Y-You're okay, right?"
Elena trembled, fingertips shaking in fear. She was terribly worried Yuri might be seriously hurt.
"Yuri, if it's too painful to watch, you don't have to force yourself."
"No... I-It's fine."
Yuri stammered in reply.
"It'll be over soon anyway."
He could see Bakerd flailing in the downpour. His whittled protective aura no longer shielded him. Blood flowed each time sword energy grazed him. That it didn't shred or crush his body on impact was Ox God Head's mercy.
'A bit, just a bit more...'
He'd seemed on the verge of collapse ages ago. But Bakerd clung to consciousness desperately. Surprisingly, his mind held no thoughts of how much time remained.
Endure for 1 minute? Impossible from the start. Bakerd still standing alive was only by Ox God Head's mercy.
Knowing that, Bakerd didn't fall. He didn't give up. He wasn't thinking of outlasting the time for a spar victory.
It was to gain something while weathering this supreme martial art. The 7th Tier wall blocking him for years. He knew it was a hard wall to climb. Countless experts were stuck below 7th Tier, most more talented than him, with superior arts and backgrounds. He never expected to leap it easily.
But Bakerd had work to do. In his view, what set him head and shoulders above the hordes of 6th Tier experts was his venomous drive and desperation. He had to avenge his clan. Find the three fiends who massacred the Raspeon Family.
They'd pulled off such carnage 20 years ago, so they'd likely reached 7th Tier by now. Maybe even among the Peerless Sovereigns, or the Demonic Cult's Seven Evils. Or hidden hermits unknown to the world... or perhaps... Possessors.
To hunt those fiends and achieve vengeance, stagnating at 6th Tier wouldn't do. Fueled by that venom and desperation, Bakerd had lived 20 years. Repeated spars with superiors had scraped together fragments of insight, propelling him to 6th Tier.
Defeat against Full Moon Reveler was a given. He had to glean even a sliver from this inevitable loss.
[If you don't despair at this assault, watch to the end and resist—maybe you'll gain something. Then you can collapse happily.]
Bakerd thanked Full Moon Reveler's consideration. Many called Full Moon Reveler a madman. Plenty scorned him just for being a Possessor. But to Bakerd, he was a martial artist worthy of awe.
'Just a bit... more...'
Unconsciously, Bakerd was using Southern Sky Cloud Stream Fist and Vajra Smashing Fist together. It was the genesis of the new fist art he'd obsessed over this past month. Their unfinished fusion, instinctively unleashed in this extreme state.
Weight loaded into his slowly extended fist. Softness and power coexisted. Bakerd's hands twisted the path of the raging sword energy. But he couldn't chain it repeatedly. His training wasn't there yet.
"Ah..."
His trance-broken mind saw the Madorido. The crystalline full moon gleaming amid the rain filled Bakerd's vision. The slowly approaching moon didn't smash into him like before. Instead, it radiated brilliant light.
Hwaaaa! All drifting sword energy wove into the moon's glow. An indefensible assault. But Bakerd was deeply satisfied. He laughed heartily, spreading his arms wide within Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain.
Sararak...
The scattered light converged, burst, and dispersed. Amid the fluttering light shards, Bakerd stood stock-still. But his unconscious eyes held no light.
"Five... minutes... up."
Overwhelmed by the flashy transformations, the peak sword energy mastery, everything of Myriad Heavens Torrential Rain—Namgung Ju-won finally spoke. Glancing between the nonchalant, hands-behind-back Ox God Head and the unconscious but upright Bakerd, he stammered.
"The spar's result is..."
"He didn't fall."
Ox God Head grinned.
"Five minutes passed and Kwon Rang's still standing? That's my loss. Didn't we say that at the start?"
"Um, er..."
"Unconscious, sure, but not down. Hahaha! Can't call it Kwon Rang's win, but not mine either."
That instant. Bakerd's body, standing only unconsciously, swayed. About to collapse at last.
Yuri.
Not his master, but master-like. At Kwon Rang's desperate sight, he'd spat blood and shed bloody tears. Maybe he'd overdone it, but staying silent now clashed with his earlier fervor.
Besides, it wasn't just that. Kwon Rang Bakerd's spar had left a deep impression on Yuri. He just felt like doing this.
So Yuri shook off Ha-ryeong and Elena's support. His self-inflicted injury made moving uncomfortable, but he reached Bakerd as he teetered toward collapse. Yuri supported him. Bakerd's massive build required wrapping both arms around his waist to keep him up.
"Hoo."
Ox God Head's eyes gleamed. Blood smeared on his face. Lips mangled from biting who-knows-how-many times. Seeing Yuri like that, Ox God Head smiled faintly.
"Not your master, but like one, eh? Hard to watch?"
How to reply. Brushing off brief hesitation, Yuri nodded.
"Painful, but proud too."
"Proud? Why?"
"Against a Peerless Sovereign, Full Moon Reveler, Bakerd didn't give up midway. And he kept his word to stand till the end."
Couldn't quite say Ox God Head's name...
"Right. Kwon Rang's one hell of a martial artist. Catching and striking my Madorido bare-handed—most wouldn't even dream of it."
"I know you went easy on him, Full Moon Reveler."
"Hahaha! Your name's Yuri, right? Yuri. Sure, I held back, but how many in the world would swing their fists at my Madorido bare-handed?"
Ox God Head boomed with laughter, wagging a finger.
"Only someone like Fist King Dugok Gwijin would dare face Madorido with bare fists. Most dodge instead of blocking. But Kwon Rang reached for it from the start. That alone makes him one ballsy fighter."
"..."
"Didn't expect much, but the spar was more fun than I thought. These five minutes I used today were worth it."
Ox God Head said that, then turned to Namgung Ju-won.
"Call today's spar a draw for neither. I rendered Kwon Rang combat-ineffective, but he didn't fall. Draw! Hahaha! Overtime or penalties sound fun, but draws have their charm too."
Ox God Head's laughing eyes turned back to Yuri.
"Yuri, you watched my spar with Kwon Rang real intently. See anything good?"
"My level's too low; don't think I caught it properly."
"Humble kid. Low tier, martial arts still look amateur... but good eyes? You followed eventually. Solid focus too."
"Too kind."
"I don't do empty praise. From experience, good eyes make good fighters. Even soccer needs 'em. Yuri, how long you been training martial arts?"
"About a month."
"A month? Hahahaha!"
Ox God Head's laughter boomed louder.
"Following that spar with your eyes after a month? That's impressive. You've got talent—be proud."
"..."
"Dunno how long I'll remember your name, but I have a feeling I'll hear it again later. If you don't die somewhere."
At that, many eyes turned to Yuri. Especially Sky-Splitting Sword Lord Namgung Ju-won, who'd been judging, eyed him curiously. No hostility or emotion in his gaze—he must not have heard about the thing with Namgung Jin.
"Thank you."
Yuri bowed deeply first. Ox God Head, grinning at him, suddenly soared into the sky.
"Don't do this often, but lots of spectators today and I'm in a good mood, so I'll show you."
Ox God Head kicked off the air, leaping high. His right hand rose above his head, fingers whirling to form a tornado.
"Torrential rain—!"
Spinning half-turn in midair, arms spread wide as he shouted—the crowd roared in cheers.
The spar was over.