Chapter 79: A Bloody Battle - Part 3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: A Bloody Battle - Part 3
Clang!
Sun-woo furrowed his brow.
A resonant sound, sharp enough to make his ears sting, was tormenting him.
The source of the sound was the Human-Faced Spider he had been fighting.
Sun-woo had been steadily inflicting damage on her by utilizing the techniques of the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker. As a result, his thighs, calves, and ankles were screaming in pain, but he didn't care. He knew that unless he used the hit-and-run tactics of the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker, he wouldn't be able to defeat her.
Ultimately, his intuition had been correct, and he had managed to deal significant damage. Having plunged his Sword Astral into her dozens of times, her regenerative powers must have waned considerably. In fact, from the ninth strike onward, her healing speed had begun to slow down—comparable now to the male Human-Faced Spider.
Encouraged by this, Sun-woo had pressed her even harder with the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker.
How many times had he cut her?
After dozens of sword wounds were carved into her body, she suddenly wrapped her legs around her torso and vanished completely from sight.
Startled, Sun-woo formed his Sword Astral and struck repeatedly at the legs shielding her body, but it was useless. Not even a scratch appeared on those legs.
Before long, a brilliant radiance began to leak from between the legs covering her torso, eventually enveloping her entire body and emitting that piercing resonance. Sun-woo covered his ears against the vibration that seemed to shake the very air, but it did no good. The resonance grew louder, and the ground began to tremble.
"Fuck, knock it off already!"
Sun-woo spat out a curse toward the Human-Faced Spider while clutching his ears. He was beyond irritated. Just when he thought he had finally seized the upper hand, she had hidden her body behind her legs. Those legs, layered over one another, were harder than his Sword Astral; he couldn't even leave a mark. She had transformed into something resembling an impregnable fortress.
But he had no other choice. Her carapace was too hard; the only parts he could damage were her human-like face and torso. Sun-woo could only wait patiently for her to reveal herself again.
He slowly began to circulate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to heal his body. He intended to recover as much as possible before the Human-Faced Spider showed herself once more.
That bitch. Just show your face again, and I’ll put a hole through your skull.
Sun-woo watched her silently, imagining the many ways he would cut her down.
In truth, her head was positioned too high to target easily. No matter how fast the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker was, it took time to reach that height. Furthermore, being in mid-air limited his freedom of movement, creating a significant risk.
That was why he had only targeted her torso before, but things were different now. She had lowered her posture to wrap her legs around her face and body. If she revealed herself now, he felt he could pierce her head without much trouble.
Sun-woo adjusted his grip on his sword and waited, and waited, for her legs to unfold.
How much time had passed?
The light emanating from her body began to fade slowly. Soon, all the light vanished, revealing her massive form. Her giant body was still ink-black, and she remained curled up, shielding her human-like torso and face.
"Fuck, when are you coming out?" Sun-woo grumbled.
It was then.
Twitch. Twitch.
One of the massive legs shielding her began to move. Sun-woo rejoiced. It looked like she was finally moving her legs. He tightened his grip on his sword. The moment she popped out, he would drive his blade into her skull.
Whoosh!
The massive leg swung upward, clearing the way. Her beautiful face began to come into view. Without a moment's hesitation, Sun-woo pushed his Wind-Dust Step to its limit, utilizing the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker to rocket forward.
His sword, imbued with Sword Astral, was thrust straight ahead.
I’m going to pierce your head.
With renewed resolve, Sun-woo’s blade lunged forward at an incredible speed.
Swish!
However, his plan failed. His sword, moving at lightning speed, cut through nothing but empty air where the Human-Faced Spider should have been.
What!?
Sun-woo was momentarily stunned. He had clearly confirmed the position of the Human-Faced Spider’s main body before swinging. Yet, she was nowhere to be found, and he had only struck the void.
Did she dodge?
Sun-woo quickly turned his head. But there were only the legs and carapace of the Human-Faced Spider; she herself was nowhere to be seen.
It was then.
Slash!
"Ugh!"
Something had sliced across Sun-woo’s back. A groan escaped his lips involuntarily. Who could have cut his back so suddenly?
Could it be the Human-Faced Spider?
Rip!
"Agh!"
As Sun-woo turned his head, his chest was slashed this time. He concentrated his internal energy into his Yongcheon Point.
Boom!
He detonated the energy, using the recoil to propel himself backward. His plan was to get as far away from the spider's massive body as possible to assess the situation.
However, Sun-woo’s plan did not go as intended.
Crash!
Someone grabbed him by the hair and slammed him face-first into the ground. Sun-woo’s head spun from the impact.
"Fuck!"
Still pinned to the ground, Sun-woo swung his sword wildly. He needed to drive away whoever was holding his hair. Fortunately, his intent worked, and the pressure on his head vanished.
Spring!
Sun-woo scrambled to his feet, swinging his sword to ward off any potential follow-up attacks. He gripped his sword tight and stared ahead, trying to identify his assailant.
Dammit, where the hell are they?
But before him stood only the massive, empty shell of the Human-Faced Spider. Nothing else was visible. A sense of urgency washed over him. The fact that he had lost track of his enemy meant they could take his life at any moment. If he didn't find their location soon, he was dead. If they had targeted his neck or head instead of his back or chest, he would already be a corpse.
Sun-woo scanned left and right, searching for the enemy.
It was then.
"Are you looking for me?"
A clear, melodious voice tickled his ear.
Above!?
Sun-woo frantically looked up toward the source of the voice. It was coming from a tree. His jaw dropped.
Standing on a branch was a woman.
She had ebony hair that flowed down to her shoulders. She was completely naked, revealing a pair of large, swelling breasts, a slender waist, incredibly wide hips, voluptuous buttocks, and sleek, perfect legs. Above all, she possessed a peerless beauty that would make the title of "World's Greatest Beauty" seem an understatement.
Indeed. The one who had appeared on the tree was the Human-Faced Spider that had vanished. She had appeared before Sun-woo’s eyes in a completely human form.
"What the fuck?"
The curse slipped out of Sun-woo’s mouth before he could stop it.
"What does 'fuck' mean?"
Having heard his curse, the Human-Faced Spider asked for its meaning.
She can speak?
Sun-woo was bewildered. A mere monster was speaking the human tongue. Her already human-like appearance now seemed even more human.
"Tell me. What is 'fuck'?" she pressed for an answer.
"It means things suck," Sun-woo replied flatly.
"Then what does 'bitch' mean?"
"It means shut the fuck up, you crazy hag."
"How rude, human. To think you would compare me to such a lowly creature."
The Human-Faced Spider frowned, looking genuinely offended.
"What happened to your legs?" Sun-woo asked, his eyes filled with doubt.
If she had transformed, her entire body should have changed, yet she had left her carapace and legs behind and only the body had emerged. And she had grown human legs as well. He couldn't help but be suspicious.
"I molted."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? To kill you, of course."
She responded with a refreshing smile. If anyone else had seen that smile, they might have blushed and fidgeted, but to Sun-woo, it inspired a terror greater than that of a reaper from hell.
"You're insane."
Sun-woo was at a loss for words. How could a spider molt into a human form? Even a Nine-Tailed Fox has to endure a thousand years of penance to become human. This crazy bitch had undergone a human molting just to beat him once.
"Now then, die."
With those words, she lunged straight at him.
Whoosh!
Sun-woo lost sight of her as she charged.
Thwack!
The sound of the impact on his face was the only way he realized he had been hit. And she was moving at an impossible speed.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
She moved with incredible velocity, beating Sun-woo like a dog. Sun-woo tried to resist by swinging his sword, but since he couldn't see her, it was a futile effort.
Fuck.
Sun-woo began to shroud his entire body in Astral Qi. It was his Protective Qi. Because it consumed so much internal energy, he had tried to hold out without it, but he realized he might actually die if he didn't use it.
Pang!
Pang!
Once he deployed the Protective Qi, the pain from the direct hits diminished, and soon, the agony vanished entirely. Her attacks were clearly unable to penetrate his Protective Qi.
Sun-woo felt a surge of relief. In exchange for gaining unrecognizable speed, the Human-Faced Spider had lost the massive destructive power that came from her giant body and legs. Fortunately, it seemed that molting hadn't made her stronger in every aspect.
Shit, I thought I was done for.
Sun-woo breathed a mental sigh of relief. The situation, which had been desperate before he used his Protective Qi, had improved slightly. She had gained speed but lost her weapons.
"What is that? It is quite sturdy."
"None of your business, you bitch."
"How many times must I tell you not to compare me to such lowly creatures?"
She pouted, looking somewhat sulky. She seemed to have a wide range of expressions. If she weren't a Human-Faced Spider, she might have even been cute. To Sun-woo, however, every change in her expression only made his skin crawl.
"What are you going to do? You gained speed but lost your weapons. Why don't you just surrender? If you leave quietly now, I'll spare your life."
Sun-woo spoke with a hint of bravado while maintaining his Protective Qi. He had to drive her away before his internal energy ran out. As it stood, he couldn't think of any way to defeat her. How was he supposed to catch a monster that moved at a speed he couldn't even perceive?
Moreover, Protective Qi was a monster that devoured internal energy. It was so taxing that it consumed more energy than even Sword Astral. He had to get away from her before his reserves were depleted.
"It's okay!"
She gave him a bright smile. Then, four thin spider legs began to sprout from her back.
What the fuck?
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of leaving without killing you."
"Look, I'm sorry about killing your husband, but the bastard attacked me first!"
"That doesn't matter. My other half was weak, and you, the stronger one, simply crushed him."
Her bright smile vanished as she continued.
"It's the same now. You are weaker than me, and you will simply be crushed."
Her eloquence was unexpectedly refined. Thanks to that, he understood her perfectly. This woman had nothing but his death on her mind.
Sun-woo adjusted his grip on his sword. He had been deluded because she took a human form. This woman was a monster known as a Human-Faced Spider. She wasn't someone who could be reasoned with.
The clash began again.
Clang!
Her slender legs began to batter Sun-woo’s Protective Qi. Fortunately, they weren't enough to pierce it yet, but his defense was being slowly whittled away.
This really sucks.
It was dangerous. At this rate, the internal energy in his Dantian would be completely exhausted. He had to think of something—a way to perceive her, even if he couldn't match that monstrous speed.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
His internal energy was draining, and his Protective Qi was gradually wearing thin. If the current barrier broke, there wouldn't be a second one. Sun-woo’s mind raced furiously. He didn't want to die like this. If he died, not only he but Ok-ryeong would die as well. He couldn't let that happen.
Think, think! She's too fast to follow with my eyes. That means my eyes are as good as useless. So, assuming I have no eyes, how can I track that speed?
Clang!
Clang!
No eyes... then instead of eyes... sound?
That was nonsense. He wasn't some blind swordsman; how could he catch those movements using only his hearing? Rejected.
Then, a counterattack the moment she touches me?
That was also bullshit. She was so fast he wouldn't even be able to grab her.
...Fuck.
No answer came.
Clang!
His Protective Qi was already more than half gone. The Human-Faced Spider’s sharp legs were drawing closer and closer to him.
How can I feel where she is!?
It was then.
From far away, he began to sense an immense Poisonous Qi. It was coming from the location where the Poison King and the Poison Demon were.
A flash of inspiration struck him.
Wait, Poisonous Qi?
It was a possibility. But if it failed, those thin, sharp legs would almost certainly impale him.
I’m counting on you, Plot Armor.
He had no other choice anyway. Sun-woo squeezed his eyes shut. Then, he deactivated the Protective Qi that had been surrounding his body.
The Human-Faced Spider looked on in confusion. He was throwing away the armor that protected his body? And he was closing his eyes? Was he giving up on everything and attempting suicide?
Questions sprouted in her mind, but she soon stopped thinking. It didn't matter. Whatever his intention, she would simply kill him.
She dashed forward at high speed and swung her spider legs to split Sun-woo’s head open.
It’s over.
Whoosh!
But what she sliced was only air.
"Huh?"
Her dumbfounded voice rang out.
Slash!
A sword wound was instantly carved into her torso. He had cut her clean.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Cut deeply, she screamed and retreated. She stared at Sun-woo with eyes full of doubt. How had he managed to cut her?
Sun-woo simply stood there with his eyes closed, his sword raised and pointed at her. A smile played on his lips.
He had found the answer.