Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: New Secret Technique
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Whoosh!
The Ruthless, Jima's hand touched the ground once more.
I had no idea what principle he was using to produce it.
Sss...
Black energy crept up from the earth, gathering massively above his head.
That mass of energy, reminiscent of an evil spirit.
Rumble!
It split into eight streams amid a sound that shook the ground.
Screeech!
They charged at me with the momentum of a runaway locomotive, ready to shatter the earth.
‘Two on the left, three on the right, three from below?’
I faced the attacks head-on, slowly stepping into position.
Sss!
The activation of ‘Soundless’.
As long as there was ‘light’ anywhere in the world, I became stealthy.
Because the flip side of ‘light’ was ‘shadow’.
My movement speed increased within it, and even my footsteps made no sound.
“That’s it, you bastard! Just like that! Dodging is your one redeeming skill!”
The old man’s ‘World’s Best Invincible Footwork’ combined with the Shadow Shepherd King’s ‘Soundless’.
This level of attack was...!
Screeech! Screech! Screeech!
One, two, three.
I stably evaded Jima’s attacks.
I deflected them with minimal movement.
The deflected strikes passed by me, slamming into the innocent ground or scattering sparks skyward.
Just as I was about to dodge the seventh one stably.
Boom!
The explosion rocked my eardrums at that moment.
“Urgh...!”
My side throbbed.
“Hey now, are you not focusing?”
The old man’s scolding rang out.
“Whenever I try to praise you, you end up like this?”
‘It’s tougher than I thought...?’
High rankers weren’t high rankers for nothing.
I barely dodged seven out of eight, but missed one.
The silver lining was that it was a glancing blow, not a direct hit?
‘Of course.’
It just throbbed—no unbearable pain.
Honestly.
Pain was all too familiar to me.
Sss!
“Whew!”
I landed on the ground with a whistle, still in decent shape.
Just a bit of scorching on my side?
At that sight, Jima’s brow twitched.
“...You dodged that?”
“Not impossible to dodge.”
I flashed a grin.
“No way! Even Andrei struggled with this technique...!”
“Then Andrei must be a pushover.”
“...Specialized in evasion, huh?”
He judged me arbitrarily, then prepared another attack.
In response, the old man positioned himself in my line of sight.
“Now, move again. Match your steps and concentrate the energy in your body into your right hand. Like this! See?”
Lately, the old man’s teaching style had changed a lot.
He used to explain step by step, trying to impart enlightenment.
Now, he just showed it simply.
My motor skills, reflexes, and combat sense were at their peak, so just watching was enough?
‘True enough.’
It was the effect of the Supreme Azure Body Perfection Great Law.
A great technique limited to the body, turning mediocre talent into genius material.
“Recall the Supreme Azure Heart Method.”
“Simply move the energy accumulated in your dantian to your hand according to the incantation.”
“Energy is like a flow. You don’t have to use only what’s in your body—you can draw from the external energy too.”
“Hey! Who told you to move so sluggishly? Keep your body light! That way you can build speed and deliver the condensed power more forcefully!”
The old man moved in front of me like he was dancing.
But that dance was profoundly mysterious.
Just imitating it seemed like it would let me easily dodge Jima’s attacks.
“You can use a sword or a spear. But for starters, a spear will be easier. It’s great for focusing power in one spot.”
‘Yes, understood.’
Fwoosh!
Following the old man’s words.
I instantly switched my sword to a spear.
Then.
I instinctively began mimicking the old man’s movements.
From footsteps to breathing, to the flow of energy.
‘It works.’
What I could never have done before now flowed as naturally as water.
Like knowing how to move my pinky finger.
Twitch.
The energy, flowing normally, began to writhe.
“Keke, not so hard, is it?”
Yes.
It’s difficult.
“It’s your first time. And it feels unnatural. You’re forcibly gathering energy that was flowing in its natural path, so that’s expected.”
“Hup...!”
While mimicking the old man’s movements and dodging Jima’s attacks.
I also felt the pain of gathering energy.
“That’s what a technique is. It has value only if you can pull it off under harsh conditions. But you’re past the basics anyway.”
Whoosh!
Jima’s attack whipped up gusts of wind.
The black energy grazed my left cheek dizzyingly.
Sss!
In the wake of that attack, another small gust blew.
This one caused by me.
Thud!
I tensed my thighs, closing the distance to Jima.
‘Urgh.’
Inside, I endured the pain.
I even bit my tongue to manage my expression.
I was no longer naive enough to show the enemy I was hurt.
“You rat!”
Jima swung his fists wildly in frustration.
Each fist unleashed terrifying energy.
‘I dodge.’
I’d practiced dodging to death in the trials.
Even with senses restricted by penalties, I’d managed.
‘And gather.’
Following the old man’s demonstrated flow.
I concentrated part of my body’s energy into my right hand.
‘Not all of it.’
I knew instinctively.
I couldn’t, anyway.
Doing so would wreck my body.
Even now, it was barely holding together.
‘Huh?’
But the sensation was odd.
It wasn’t just the energy in my body.
It felt like the natural energy from outside was rushing in too?
“Kekeke, know why I called this my ultimate killer move?”
Reading my expression, the old man laughed.
“That’s it.”
“...”
“You can draw not just your own power, but the surrounding energy too. Impressive, right?”
It was impressive.
Not the method itself.
But the energy gathered in my hand.
It felt so powerful my skin tingled.
“W-What are you trying?!”
Jima panicked, trying to widen the distance.
But I closed in faster.
‘Finally, me too.’
Like the Sun Spear or Eldrin.
Or Lee Seon-ah or Maxy.
I was getting a killer move?
“There, that’s enough. Go all out! Thrust as if pouring everything into it!”
‘Yes.’
I did.
Aiming precisely at Jima’s center mass.
Screeech!
I thrust the spear straight.
[Using 300 Qi.]
‘Huh?’
Just that, and Qi was consumed.
Meaning.
The gathered energy here was exactly 300 Qi?
That’s a lot.
I had plenty thanks to item buffs, but most hunters hovered around 100 Qi.
“This...!”
Jima, opposite me, screamed at my attack.
Then, inevitably.
He assumed the rider stance and thrust his fist.
The Ruthless.
Secret Technique.
Black Dragon Wave!
Rumble rumble!
The same draconic energy poured from his fist as before.
“Don’t dodge—clash. If you’d crumble to something like that, I wouldn’t have taught you.”
‘Yes.’
I’d already thrust anyway.
Couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.
But still.
The old man’s confidence eased my mind somehow.
Screeech!
Rumble!
The energies unleashed by two high rankers flew at each other fiercely.
In that split-second.
Boom!
A heart-stopping thud reverberated through the entire space.
“W-What?!”
“Huh?!”
Lee Dam’s forces bulged their eyes briefly.
- Growl?
- Screech!
Even the mindless monsters halted their movements from the sheer destructive power.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The fiercely colliding energies clashed repeatedly, vying for dominance.
“See?”
And.
The energy bursting from my spear began pulverizing Jima’s Black Dragon Wave.
Unmistakably.
An overwhelming difference in power.
“Something like that just melts away!”
The old man nodded proudly.
“Urk! Crazy!”
Jima recoiled in pained shock.
“The Black Dragon Wave splitting?! My secret technique, never once broken...! Why?!”
“Wanna know why?”
The pressure made my lips tremble.
But I forced a smile in reply.
“Mine’s never been broken either.”
Though it was brand new.
Just saying it to piss him off.
Roooar!
Ultimately, my energy shredded most of the Black Dragon Wave and slammed into Jima hard.
“Gaaahhh!”
His scream was laced with agony.
Weakened slightly from clashing with the Black Dragon Wave, but enough to shred Jima’s body.
Splurt!
Blood poured from Jima’s mouth.
His body was filthy like a rag, swaying.
His legs trembled, strengthless.
‘Still impressive.’
Standing after that.
“Raaagh!”
But.
I hadn’t unleashed everything either.
“Haaap!”
With a kiai, I gathered energy into the spear again.
[Using 300 Qi.]
Since I was going to crush him.
I’d crush him perfectly.
Even if it hurt me a little.
You’d hurt more.
Humm!
I glared at the ragged Jima, energy gathered anew.
Whoosh!
I took stance.
Just as I stepped to thrust.
‘Huh?’
Me.
“Hm?”
The old man too.
Our eyes widened.
Sss! Ssss!
‘That’s...’
Poison Fog.
The formation fully dismantled, feeding done.
It was charging at me at ferocious speed.
The funny part.
Some of that Poison Fog’s energy had naturally mixed into mine.
Rough estimate via Supreme Azure Heart Method.
Exactly another 300 Qi worth added.
“This...!”
The old man’s jaw dropped.
“Hah, brilliant idea. Using the absorption of surrounding energy to mix in poison...! As expected, teach you one thing, you grasp two and evolve it!”
No.
This was just.
Happenstance?
[Ding!]
Then.
[Acquired skill, ‘Poison Flash’ (S-Grade).]
[The skill has room for further growth.]
‘Poison... Flash?’
[Skill: Poison Flash]
[Grade: S]
[Effect 1: Gather energy in weapon and release all at once.]
[Effect 2: Poison energy added proportional to gathered energy.]
[Effect 3: Uses 300 Qi.]
Poison Flash.
A clean, satisfying skill name.
Ssss!
The Poison Fog, like Santa gifting sudden energy at Christmas, settled back into my body.
Humm!
Now, green energy rippled at the spear tip.
‘Master.’
I called the old man telepathically.
“What?”
‘Dare I call this a Myriad Arts secret technique?’
Myriad Arts referred to the vast collective of diverse techniques.
In that.
Could a single technique like Poison Flash.
Bear the grandiose title of secret technique?
A disciple asking his master.
“Of course.”
The old man nodded.
“That technique merits it. I used it often in my lifetime too. Though mine lacked poison, the essence of Myriad Arts is flexibility, no?”
‘Thank you.’
Bow.
I gripped the spear anew, having bowed to the old man.
Time to unveil the newborn technique to the world.
“Urghhh!”
Jima, eyes bulging, mustered his remaining strength for a counter.
I opened my lips.
“Consider it an honor.”
Then.
Whoosh!
I thrust the spear vigorously at Jima.
“Witnessing a Myriad Arts secret technique before death.”
“...!”
Roooar!
The condensed energy from my hand blasted forward.
Myriad Arts.
Secret Technique.
Poison Flash.
Then.
Flash!
Green light sparked, engulfing the space.
My first secret technique.