Chapter 209
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 209.
Yoo Tae-rang staggered as he stood up.
His usually immaculate attire was now tattered like rags, and his hair was disheveled.
His head was bowed so deeply that there was no way to discern his expression.
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun stopped in his tracks.
He had never intended to approach in the first place. His plan was to trigger the event’s activation.
‘The Demon Being Event (鬼人).’
Yoo Tae-rang, who awakened his unique ability at a young age, had always been accompanied by a ghost.
A ghost known as The Sword Demon.
In the distant past, it was a famous swordsman—one who harbored deep resentment toward the Sword Saint’s family.
‘It lost to the Martial God in battle, didn’t it?’
After being defeated and killed in that battle, The Sword Demon clung to its grudge and bided its time.
Waiting for the chance to destroy the Sword Saint’s family that had slain it. And…
‘The chance to be resurrected.’
Yoo Tae-rang spread both hands.
In his grasp, sword energy coalesced, forming two intangible swords.
Slowly, he raised his head.
His eyes, brimming with ghostly energy, flashed.
“Ha… Haha. This knowledge flooding my mind, this unique ability… So it could be used this way after all.”
Yoo Tae-rang grinned ominously.
“This power! A fullness I’ve never felt before. Yes, this is it! With this power, I can achieve anything.”
His eyes gleamed with greed.
Behind him, an eerie blue energy surged violently.
Though it was the same blue as Yoo Baek-jun’s, its hue was murky beyond measure.
―Aaaaah…….
If one listened closely, they could hear something akin to screams emanating from that energy.
They were the souls enslaved by The Sword Demon, a powerful vengeful spirit. Even in death, they found no rest, forced to offer their strength as slaves.
Yoo Tae-rang clenched his swords.
“I will become the family head!”
Yoo Tae-rang’s figure vanished.
He moved so fast that it seemed as though he had disappeared, his speed beyond what the eye could follow.
And then—a flash of light cutting through the air.
Kaaang!
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Yoo Baek-jun deflected the blue blade that had thrust toward his throat.
Immediately, he turned his head.
Yoo Tae-rang, who had charged and slashed, had already circled behind Yoo Baek-jun and was sheathing his sword.
“Even after seeing this—”
Demonic energy erupted from Yoo Tae-rang’s entire body.
“You dare say such things?”
The ground beneath his feet trembled—or more precisely, the shadows did.
“This is…….”
Swoooosh!
With a sinister aura, someone emerged from beneath Yoo Tae-rang’s feet.
A shadow in the shape of a human.
Yoo Tae-rang dropped the sword in his left hand.
―Kehahahaha!
“This is a first for me.”
The shadow caught the sword and burst into maniacal laughter. Yoo Tae-rang gripped his sword tightly.
“Assist me, Sword Demon.”
And then—he unleashed his sword.
High, middle, low. Three lightning-fast strikes aimed simultaneously.
The ominous energy imbued in the intangible swords was released, transforming into massive sword energy.
―Kyaaaa!
But that wasn’t all.
The shadow Sword Demon that rose from beneath Yoo Tae-rang’s feet executed the exact same swordsmanship.
Like a mirror image.
Kaa-dudududuk!
The barrage of strikes from both Yoo Tae-rang and The Sword Demon descended upon Yoo Baek-jun at once.
Yoo Baek-jun raised his Heavenly aura to block the incoming sword strikes.
“Kuhk!”
Yoo Baek-jun grimaced.
His Heavenly aura was being pushed back.
The force of this attack was beyond what he could withstand.
Yoo Tae-rang pressed on.
―I can move my body! I don’t even remember how long it’s been. Kehehe!
A storm of sword energy raged.
With every swing of Yoo Tae-rang’s sword, countless sword energies shot forth.
Yoo Baek-jun could barely defend.
―I should thank you, brat! All of this is thanks to you!
“What’s this bastard saying?”
“Shut up, Sword Demon!”
The Sword Demon aided Yoo Tae-rang’s assault.
It mirrored his sword strikes perfectly or launched surprise attacks in different patterns to disorient the enemy.
Yoo Baek-jun retreated.
―It’s been so long since I’ve fought! Let me enjoy this more! Don’t you dare run away!
The Sword Demon swung its arm.
Countless hands burst from the ground, grasping Yoo Baek-jun’s legs.
An attempt to prevent him from escaping.
―Keke… Hahaha!
“Fool.”
Yoo Tae-rang gathered energy in his left hand.
He gripped the intangible sword, now radiating an even more sinister light, and thrust forward with all his might.
A blade aimed straight for Yoo Baek-jun’s heart.
The tip of the sword trembled—then.
Swoooosh!
The sword split apart.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of sword energies shot forward.
An inescapable, all-encompassing attack descended upon Yoo Baek-jun.
Kwa-gwagwagwang!
Impact.
A deafening roar echoed.
“Sword Demont!”
Before the aftermath could settle, Yoo Tae-rang called for The Sword Demon and raised his intangible sword high.
―Kyaaaaah!
And then—a single slash.
An overwhelming number of thrusts and a fierce cleaving strike struck Yoo Baek-jun all at once.
An unavoidable attack.
No matter who he was, there was no way he could withstand this. That was what Yoo Tae-rang believed.
“Look at how pathetic you look now!”
His assumption wasn’t wrong.
As the sword energy filling his vision dissipated, Yoo Baek-jun’s battered figure was revealed.
“You were so confident, and this is the result? Is this all the Martial God’s martial arts amount to!”
―…….
Yoo Tae-rang sneered triumphantly, while The Sword Demon remained silent.
Yoo Baek-jun staggered.
“Even your legs are unsteady!”
Yoo Tae-rang continued his assault.
An unrelenting barrage. The combined attacks of Yoo Tae-rang and The Sword Demon were flawless, relentless, and terrifyingly destructive.
‘Not much longer now.’
That was what Yoo Tae-rang thought.
The time to kill the despicable Yoo Baek-jun, the time to become the family head—it was now within reach.
‘The Martial God’s martial arts, not the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique? I don’t need that. Not when I have The Sword Demon’s power!’
A smile crept onto Yoo Tae-rang’s face.
He thrust his sword to end Yoo Baek-jun’s life—already as good as a corpse.
The motion felt effortless.
But—
Kaaang!
It was blocked.
Yoo Tae-rang struck again.
A precise attack aimed at a vital point.
Yet once more.
“……!”
Blocked.
Yoo Tae-rang relentlessly attacked to ensure Yoo Baek-jun’s death.
Kaaang! Kang!
Yoo Tae-rang was the only one attacking.
Anyone watching this battle would have thought so.
He did too.
‘What’s going on?’
But something felt off.
Yoo Tae-rang suddenly realized.
‘I’m the one unleashing all these attacks. I’ve definitely wounded him. But…’
There were no fatal blows.
As Yoo Tae-rang scrutinized Yoo Baek-jun’s body, he realized the truth. What appeared to be severe wounds were merely scratches.
Despite the countless strikes, none had dealt a lethal blow.
“Impossible.”
What Yoo Tae-rang was using now wasn’t the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique—it was The Sword Demon’s.
A swordsmanship he had never wielded before. No one could have seen it coming.
Naturally, no one could counter it.
‘Just a coincidence.’
Yoo Tae-rang summoned his sword energy again.
This time, he executed The Sword Demon’s swordsmanship from start to finish, in perfect sequence.
The sword energy surged forth.
Yoo Baek-jun watched.
‘I was obsessed with this game.’
He could say that with confidence, having played Heroes Road for so long.
Countless repetitions had ingrained even the patterns of bosses and named enemies into his mind.
Against such foes, he would observe their patterns and devise countermeasures.
But.
‘Some enemies are beyond that.’
Some required more than just pattern recognition—they demanded complete mastery of the battle’s flow.
That was Yoo Tae-rang.
And ‘he’ was someone who had fully grasped both the patterns and the flow.
‘I had no choice.’
Yoo Tae-rang, possessed by The Sword Demon, was lethal with every move.
There were no second chances.
A single mistake meant death, forcing a restart of the playthrough.
To survive—to clear the game—he had to learn.
Perfectly.
That was why.
‘I have no doubt I’ll win.’
Now, with all conditions met, he was certain he wouldn’t lose to Yoo Tae-rang.
The sword strike surged from below.
Yoo Baek-jun read its trajectory perfectly and blocked it with his sword energy.
‘After blocking this, the next strike comes from above..’
As Yoo Baek-jun’s posture leaned downward, The Sword Demon swung from above.
A direct slash aimed at his head.
He twisted his body back, using the Frozen Soul Palm to alter the sword’s path.
‘If the attack misses, then next is—’
Yoo Baek-jun moved before the next attack even came.
As if he already knew.
Because he did.
Kuuuung!
Countless playthroughs and relentless research had taught him.
How Yoo Tae-rang would move, and how to manipulate that movement.
“W-what is this……!”
Yoo Tae-rang was stunned.
How could he not be? Every combined strike from him and The Sword Demon was being blocked.
―Astonishing movement.
He dodged incoming attacks.
For the unavoidable ones, he twisted their trajectories to minimize damage.
And fatal strikes? He avoided them entirely.
To The Sword Demon, it was more than acrobatics.
It was an art form.
―Is this even possible? Did he see and dodge? No, that’s not it. This is…
Movement surpassing even comprehension.
Something even The Sword Demon, once at the pinnacle, doubted was possible.
He couldn’t help but admire it.
“Now’s not the time for admiration!”
―Kehehe. So you feel nothing watching this?
“Damn it, shut up!”
Yoo Tae-rang gritted his teeth.
This was absurd.
Unthinkable.
He couldn’t believe what was unfolding before his eyes.
Dodging and blocking attacks he’d never seen before.
Just how much skill did that require?
“Kuh, ugh… Kyaaaah!”
Yoo Tae-rang roared as he retreated.
Fine. If the opponent could evade his attacks, he’d use something unavoidable.
“Yes, that’s it…….”
Yoo Tae-rang recalled something from the past.
Long ago, Yoo Moo-hak had shown him something, saying he’d have to learn it someday.
A secret technique he had studied but lacked the skill to wield.
The ultimate technique of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
“Aid me, Sword Demon.”
―Kehehe, gladly.
He raised his hand high.
The one thing the successor of the Sword Saint’s family must prioritize above all—the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
Those who disregarded it and fled could never reach this realm.
“Do you know the meaning of ‘Heaven-Destruction’?”
A sword materialized in his grasp.
An intangible sword forged from blue sword energy.
Yoo Tae-rang swung it upward with all his might.
As if to cleave the sky itself.
“…….”
A seemingly meaningless slash.
Just cutting through empty air.
To onlookers, it held no significance.
At least, until—
Crack, Crack!
Before this sound rang out.
A crushing noise, and the sky began to change.
The blizzard-filled skies—
“I’ll show you its meaning now.”
Were split in two.
The seemingly pointless slash had severed the sky.
Then, like shattering glass, the bisected sky fragmented.
Crack, Crack!
Countless shards formed from the broken sky.
The precarious fragments, unable to withstand their own weight, began falling toward the earth one by one.
“……!”
The shards took the form of swords.
Witnessing this, Yoo Baek-jun couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s breathtaking.”
Like a meteor shower.
An overwhelming number of swords rained down from the sky, targeting the earth. The sheer scale covered the entire area.
‘Can I dodge?’
Impossible.
‘Then block?’
No, that’s impossible.
How could one block falling rain with bare hands?
Stopping these swords was no different. Whether armed with a blade or any skill, it was meaningless.
Such was this attack.
“You are nothing! Even with the Martial God’s power, it’s meaningless before this!”
Yoo Tae-rang laughed maniacally.
Yes, it couldn’t be blocked.
And from the start—
“I never planned to block.”
Kwaaaaang!
The swords pouring from the sky engulfed the earth, triggering a colossal explosion. Yoo Baek-jun’s words were drowned in the blast.
Like a true meteor impact, the surrounding area began to collapse.
Kwaang! Kururur!
―Kyaaaaah!
The deafening roar of the mansion crumbling.
The screams of swordsmen caught in the aftermath.
And the earth-shattering explosion.
The massive blast obscured vision, and Yoo Tae-rang smiled in satisfaction.
“There’s no way you could’ve dodged that.”
The only possibility would’ve been to escape the area entirely.
But he had seen Yoo Baek-jun get caught in the sword rain with his own eyes.
“This is the ultimate technique of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.”
Yoo Tae-rang savored the satisfaction, watching the meteor shower from the sky.
Imagining Yoo Baek-jun’s corpse once it ended.
―Yoo Tae-rang!
But his celebration was short-lived.
The Sword Demon urgently shouted. Before Yoo Tae-rang could react, someone emerged through the explosions.
“You…….”
Yoo Baek-jun.
Unscathed despite the countless swords raining down.
He charged toward Yoo Tae-rang.
“How?!”
Yoo Tae-rang’s eyes widened.
Then he saw it. Whenever a sword touched Yoo Baek-jun, space distorted, swallowing the blade.
‘Distortion.’
Grandal had such an option.
An effect that warped space to deflect enemy attacks when death was imminent.
A one-time activation, but—
“More than enough to create an opening!”
The distance closed.
Yoo Tae-rang tried to raise his sword, but Yoo Baek-jun was faster.
He seized the sword’s hilt.
“Slash……!”
A flash of light.
A massive sword energy shot forward.
Moon Cleaver Slash.
Swoooosh!
Yoo Tae-rang’s right hand flew off.
The intangible sword soared into the air. Refusing to yield, he tried to use his left hand.
Thud!
A lightning spear pierced through his left arm.
The spiraling spear shredded the limb, and the lightning it emitted incinerated the remaining flesh.
“……!”
Now disarmed.
Yoo Baek-jun clenched his open hands tightly. Heavenly Aura surged around him, and blue dragons materialized around his fists.
―Kyaaaaah!
Two dragons roaring at each other.
Yoo Baek-jun unleashed two different fist techniques as he stepped forward.
The first to land was the Iron-Cutting Fist.
“Kuhk!”
The unleashed blade-like energy tore through Yoo Tae-rang’s desperate defense.
Yoo Baek-jun locked eyes with him.
“This tiresome grudge……”
His gaze held nothing but hatred.
Feeling the blind hatred directed at him, Yoo Baek-jun grinned fiercely.
And threw his fist.
“This ends now.”
Heavenly Destruction.
A colossal dragon, blazing with blue flames, swallowed Yoo Tae-rang whole.
The ensuing explosions filled the battlefield, and soon after—
“Aaaaah!”
A piercing scream echoed.