Chapter 85: Fighting the Poison Demon-4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: Fighting the Poison Demon-4
Whoosh!
Sun-woo’s Sword Astral aimed straight for the Poison Demon’s waist.
Clang!
The Poison Demon raised his Black Hand, parrying the Sword Astral before immediately lunging for Sun-woo’s heart. He intended to pierce it through.
Clang!
However, Sun-woo pulled his parried Sword Astral back into his guard, blocking the Black Hand.
It was then.
Shiver.
A chilling sensation once again pricked Sun-woo’s senses.
‘It’s dangerous.’
He didn't know what it was, but Sun-woo trusted his gut. He detonated his internal energy at the Yongcheon Point and threw himself backward.
Swish!
He saw it then—a black-stained left hand sweeping through the space where he had just been standing.
Goosebumps erupted across Sun-woo’s skin. If he hadn't dodged, he would have been poisoned by that Black Hand and met a certain death.
A sense of dread toward the Poison Demon welled up within him. Just how many hidden cards did this old man have? He never imagined the other hand could also be imbued with ink-colored poisonous qi.
If he hadn't been in his Awakened state, he would have been poisoned before he even had a chance to react.
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
His teeth began to knock together. The realization that death had come knocking at his door filled him with terror.
Crunch.
But Sun-woo quickly bit down hard. He didn't have time to stand there trembling. Time was running out. His breath was growing shorter, and his internal energy was beginning to run dry.
He had to cut him down before he reached his limit.
Sun-woo raised his sword once more and charged.
*
‘Tsk.’
The Poison Demon clicked his tongue inwardly as his decisive move missed. As the boy rushed him again, he noticed the youth was no longer boasting the same transcendental speed as before.
The Poison Demon rejoiced. The boy could no longer use the Transposition Technique. His body had clearly reached its breaking point.
However, the fact that he couldn't use the Transposition Technique didn't mean the Poison Demon had the upper hand. He simply couldn't overwhelm him. The boy's sword was still sharp, and his speed remained equal to the Poison Demon's own.
Irritation flared. His own internal energy and poisonous qi were steadily depleting, yet this man’s sword was growing sharper by the second. It was as if he were evolving.
The boy was now not only blocking attacks he couldn't even react to initially but was also launching counterattacks. For the first time while facing him, the Poison Demon felt a sense of crisis.
Driven to desperation, the Poison Demon risked total energy depletion and transformed his other hand into a Black Hand as well, all to land one final, decisive blow.
But that blow had failed, and now his internal energy and poisonous qi were hitting rock bottom. He had to end this quickly.
The Poison Demon’s eyes began to glint with murderous aura as he glared at Sun-woo.
Clang!
Clang!
The distinct sound of metal on metal rang out as a fierce exchange of offense and defense unfolded between the two.
*
How much time had passed?
"Haah... haah... haah..."
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Both Sun-woo and the Poison Demon were gasping for air. After countless exchanges, their stamina had begun to fail.
No longer able to use the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker, Sun-woo could no longer drive the Poison Demon back with the same overwhelming force. However, his physical abilities, pushed to their absolute limit, were still formidable. He managed to hold his own against the Poison Demon—who was at the peak of the Transcendent Realm—and put up a good fight, landing numerous strikes.
"Haah... haah..."
Sun-woo breathed heavily. The act of exchanging blows itself consumed an enormous amount of physical and mental energy. On top of that, Sun-woo was maintaining his Awakened state, which placed a severe strain on his body.
As a result, Sun-woo’s stamina was plummeting. He felt so lightheaded he could barely think.
‘Shit.’
Sun-woo cursed under his breath. He could clearly feel that as the fight dragged on, even that monster-like Poison Demon was tiring. The gap between them, which had once felt like a massive mountain range, now looked like nothing more than a small hill.
He felt like he could win if he could just push a little more.
The problem was that his own stamina had reached its limit. He was exhausted. No, it had gone beyond exhaustion into pure agony. Every muscle in his body was screaming.
In particular, the muscle fibers in his ankles, calves, and thighs—strained by the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker—ached as if they were about to tear. He felt that if he pushed himself even a fraction more, they might actually snap.
Furthermore, the wounds inflicted by the Human-Faced Spider had burst open from the overexertion, spraying blood. He had stopped the bleeding earlier, but the constant movement seemed to have aggravated them. Blood was flowing incessantly from the gashes.
And his heart.
A sharp, stabbing pain throbbed in his chest. It was agonizing. His heart was racing even faster than when he first entered the Awakened state. Consequently, his blood circulation had accelerated to a frantic pace. His blood pressure naturally skyrocketed, and his skin, which had merely been flushed, was now as red as a ripe persimmon.
Finally, his head.
As his blood pressure rose, blood rushed to his brain, and a massive headache began to hammer at his skull.
‘Ugh... argh...’
Sun-woo had to swallow his screams. Showing pain here was no different from giving the Poison Demon an opening. He couldn't let that happen. He had to act composed, at least on the outside.
Though his physical abilities had improved along with the pain to the point where he could hold an advantage over the Poison Demon, the agony wracking his body was beginning to gnaw at his mind.
‘Shit, shit, shit, shit.’
Only curses came to mind. No, curses were all he could manage. How could he even describe this pain? Tears flowed involuntarily from the sheer intensity of it. The thought of just letting go of everything began to fill his mind.
‘If I just let go now, wouldn't I be at peace?’
Slap!
Sun-woo raised his hand and slapped his own left cheek. His cheek swelled instantly from the blow delivered by a hand with peak physical power.
Sun-woo reproached himself. He had fallen into such pathetic thoughts because he couldn't handle the pain.
Grit.
He clenched his teeth even harder. If he fell here, he couldn't save anyone. He had set out to save everyone. Falling meant losing everyone. He couldn't allow that.
He poured strength into his lower body, which was supporting his frame. Terrible pain surged through him, but he didn't care. He gripped his sword and squeezed. He held it so tightly that his palms tore, and blood trickled down.
But it didn't matter. The pain of losing those women would be far worse.
Sun-woo stared straight at the Poison Demon. He saw the hideous old man gasping for breath. The man who had felt like a giant mountain now seemed to be standing on the same level.
There was no need to hesitate.
Sun-woo lunged off the ground. As soon as the Poison Demon was within range, he swung his sword down. It was the fastest attack he could muster in his current state.
Swoosh!
The sound of rending air echoed as the sword descended toward the Poison Demon.
‘Die!’
Sun-woo prayed. He desperately hoped the strike would reach him.
Clang!
Unfortunately, Sun-woo’s wish was not granted. The old man’s black-stained hands blocked Sun-woo’s blade.
"Urgh!"
However, the Poison Demon began to groan, seemingly struggling to withstand Sun-woo’s immense strength.
Sun-woo poured even more internal energy into his sword. He had to cut him down right here.
Thud!
Finally, the Poison Demon’s Black Hands could no longer endure the raw power behind Sun-woo’s sword and were knocked aside. His chest was left wide open.
Sun-woo didn't miss the chance. He put all his strength into his grip and slashed across the Poison Demon’s chest.
Slash!
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
The Poison Demon’s scream echoed through the Godok Hall. Blood erupted from his chest, drenching Sun-woo’s sword.
However, the expression on Sun-woo’s face after landing the hit was grim.
‘It was too shallow.’
He had cut the Poison Demon, but because of the resistance from the Black Hands, the blade hadn't reached the heart. Sun-woo quickly adjusted his grip to deliver a follow-up strike.
It was then.
Thump!
"Kh!"
The Poison Demon kicked out, pushing Sun-woo away. The kick was infused with a significant amount of internal energy, sending Sun-woo sliding back. As a result, a considerable distance opened up between him and the Poison Demon.
"Dammit."
Sun-woo spat out a curse. That had been his final move. He had thrown everything he had into it. But it was no use. He had failed to kill him.
‘...I should have used the Sword Ring.’
If he had known the final move would turn into a contest of strength, using the Sword Ring would have been better. Regret lingered in a corner of his heart.
"You dog-like bastarrrrrd!"
The Poison Demon’s enraged voice drifted from a distance. So he was still alive. Seeing how spirited he sounded, the wound seemed manageable.
Thump. Thump.
The Poison Demon began to walk slowly toward Sun-woo. To Sun-woo’s ears, those footsteps sounded like the approach of the Grim Reaper.
‘Shit.’
Was he really going to die like this? Doubt and fear began to coil around his body. He wanted to run away right this instant. But his body refused to listen.
His lower body, which was supporting his torso, trembled as if his strength would give out at any moment. He couldn't move anymore. He had pushed himself too hard with the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker. A pain as if a giant spear had pierced him from his toes to his thighs surged through him.
It was impossible. Just standing was the best he could do. He couldn't face that old monster with only his upper body mobile. All he could do was struggle.
A wave of sorrow washed over Sun-woo. He still had internal energy left, and compared to his legs, his upper body was still holding up. But his damn legs wouldn't move. It was as good as being told to die.
Thump. Thump.
Stop.
The Poison Demon’s footsteps stopped. He had arrived right in front of Sun-woo.
"Be proud. You are a martial artist who almost killed the great Poison Demon."
The Poison Demon, now standing before him, continued as he looked down at Sun-woo. He was sincere. This young lad had almost killed him—the world's greatest poison user, a man at the peak of the Transcendent Realm peering into the Profound Realm. It was something to be proud of.
"You may brag about it all you want in the afterlife."
Having finished his piece, the Poison Demon began to stain his right hand black once more. It was the Black Hand. He intended to deliver the final blow.
Sun-woo began to pour all his remaining internal energy into his sword.
Vrrrrm.
Even if he was going to die, he intended to put up one last bit of resistance. Astral qi began to condense and compress at the tip of his sword. Soon, the condensed qi began to take the shape of a round sphere.
It was the Sword Ring.
"Bwahahaha! You intend to struggle until the very end?"
The Poison Demon burst into laughter upon seeing the Sword Ring form on Sun-woo’s blade. This brat wouldn't even be able to move because of the side effects of the Transposition Technique. His trembling legs, barely able to keep him upright, were proof of that.
How could he attack if he couldn't move? The Poison Demon couldn't help but laugh. Unless someone stood perfectly still for him, there wasn't a fool in the world who would be hit by a sword swung from a stationary position.
The Poison Demon’s smile widened. This boy had entertained him until the very end. He would send him to the afterlife in one go, without pain.
The Poison Demon raised his black-stained right hand high. He planned to crush the boy's skull. Sun-woo also simply waited for him to charge.
Step.
The Poison Demon’s foot left the ground as he lunged at Sun-woo. Simultaneously, Sun-woo began to swing the Sword Ring down. He was aiming for the Poison Demon’s head.
Vrrrrm!
Immense power poured toward his head. But the speed was incredibly slow. Seeing the speed, the Poison Demon snorted. He had suspected as much, and it seemed the boy was indeed exhausted. He would dodge it with ease and then burst the boy's head.
Just as the Poison Demon was about to pivot and dive in—
Stab!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, something pierced through his chest from behind. It was something sharp, as thick as a woman's thigh.
"Gah!"
An incredible pain surged through him. Fortunately, it had missed his heart, so he was still clinging to life. The Poison Demon slowly turned his head to look behind him.
There, he saw a peerless beauty smiling brightly.
‘The Human-Faced Spider?’
Her smile grew even wider. She was mouthing something.
Mumble, mumble.
The Poison Demon involuntarily followed the shape of her lips.
"Look... ahead?"
As if pleased with his answer, she smiled and nodded repeatedly.
Snapping back to his senses, the Poison Demon quickly turned his head forward. As he turned—
A round, orb-like sphere was waiting for him right before his eyes.
‘...No.’
Crunch!
Taking the Sword Ring directly to the head, the Poison Demon’s skull shattered instantly.
Thud.
His headless body collapsed to the floor.
The man who had once plunged the entire Murim into terror twenty years ago as an Elder of the Demonic Cult; the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, which was as famous for its poisons as the Sichuan Tang Clan.
The former World's Greatest Poison User, who had reclaimed the title after defeating Tang Jin-cheol, the Poison King.
The sinister strategist who had harbored a grudge for twenty years and chose the Tang Clan as a sacrifice to announce the resurrection of the Heavenly Demon Emperor, spending two decades meticulously planning their massacre.
The Poison Demon met his end in such a manner, by Sun-woo’s blade.