Crushing the Demonic Clan's Leader
Rookie: Baek Jaesung 28
Do Byeong-seok glared at me, swallowing hard. I could feel the killing intent and fighting spirit radiating from his battle-ready stance. His aura was so intense it made my skin prickle. Had I ever encountered an enemy who exuded such raw aggression before?
Excluding allies like my master Kim Minyoung, Han Kangwoo, Danyuha, or Cheonhwa, he seemed like the strongest pure enemy I'd faced.
It made sense—he'd devoured the Demonic Clan's leader. Any half-assed punk would've been eaten alive by his underlings by now.
Do Byeong-seok was undoubtedly a powerhouse. Seeing him truly focused on the fight like this only sharpened that fact.
'But he's still no match for me.'
The sharp killing intent and aggression let me gauge his strength clearly, confirming the gap between us. I was above Do Byeong-seok. My travels across multiple worldlines had honed me tremendously.
"A cowardly tactic worthy of the Demonic Clan's clan master. Too bad it doesn't work on me."
I taunted him. At the mention of the Demonic Clan, Do Byeong-seok twitched irritably. Psychology mattered in battle. Every little jab like this could sway the fight.
"You're no ordinary bastard. No wonder Jicheol got taken down. Got some antidote item, huh?"
"Your poison's so fucking weak I didn't even need it."
I kept provoking, and his brow furrowed. Woo Sang-ho, who had been clutching his broken toe in agony, staggered back to his feet.
He was a tank. A minor injury like that wouldn't sideline him—if it did, he couldn't be a tank in the first place.
"Byeong-seok! That fucker! Let me smash him! Leave him to me!"
"Shut up and get ready. He's no pushover. We attack together."
Do Byeong-seok stayed calm. Not a hint of carelessness. He extended his arm toward me.
His ability was Magic Flower. A material ability like Rina's Chain Disaster, summoning flowers with special powers.
Rainbow Flower
A single flower with seven colors bloomed in front of Do Byeong-seok. The kind you'd hunt for in a dungeon. Its seven petals were exactly red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
The flower bent toward me like a cannon aimed at its target.
Suddenly, the petals clenched like a fist. It looked like someone puffing out their cheeks hugely. The flower Do Byeong-seok summoned was about to spew something at me. Even I'd be in trouble taking it head-on.
With my Life Vessel shattered, I shouldn't risk my life. I still had Resurrection of the Dead for one more, but it demanded stats as payment. No way I'd waste precious points I'd grinded so hard for.
Time Acceleration
I boosted my speed. The sensation of the world slowing around me was now second nature.
"Fire!"
With Do Byeong-seok's shout, a red orb shot from the petals. The rainbow flower spat scorching fireballs. They hurtled at me like shells. But with Time Acceleration pumping my agility, they couldn't touch me.
Kaboom!
The fireball slammed into the cave wall, heating the sealed space sweltering hot. Woo Sang-ho closed in with agile movements.
His footwork was refined. You could tell a trained martial artist from footwork alone. As a high-level party's tank, he'd naturally learned close-quarters combat.
'Not KHC, though. Well, martial arts aren't just KHC.'
Woo Sang-ho's fist glowed blue with mana. Different from my Holy Gauntlet's light. Gauging his ability, I threw a punch at him.
"Die, you fucker!"
Our fists collided with his enraged shout.
Thud!
A head-on clash came down to raw power. Naturally, I won. I outmuscled the tank Woo Sang-ho. I'd invested heavily in strength stats.
"Guh! For a healer?!"
Woo Sang-ho flew back several paces. No time for him to recover. I pivoted on my left foot, spinning and raising my right.
Mana from my heart merges with dantian ki in my lower body. Massive qi and mana swirl like a vortex into my right foot.
My clockwise-spinning body loaded full power into the right foot. True Kick, infused with rotation's mystery, enhanced by mana and ki.
Woo Sang-ho had two choices: dodge or block. As a tank, he chose block.
'Tank habits.'
Tanks at the front take monster hits with their body, prioritizing protection over evasion. That's why evasion tanks are rare—their role demands it.
'But right now, it's the worst choice!'
If Woo Sang-ho had sharper wits, he'd have dodged. But he was committed to defense, and my right foot flew straight at him. He realized the ominous momentum just before impact, face twisting in shock.
'Too late!'
Thwack!
Woo Sang-ho lowered his stance for stability, wrapping his arms in mana for defense. The kick struck head-on. Then his golden necklace blazed.
"Guh! Yeah! Earn your price!"
"Defense item, huh."
The necklace's light formed a transparent barrier around him—a force field. It pushed back my kick. But the repulsion was laughably weak.
"Urk! Me, pushed back!?"
Even with solid stance and item boost, Woo Sang-ho's form crumbled.
The profound mystery in the kick overwhelmed his defense. It turned into a ferocious dragon, rampaging through his body, shredding his arms.
"Gaaah!"
Woo Sang-ho soared backward spectacularly. I felt both arms snap clearly—like crushing dry twigs underfoot.
I moved for the follow-up, but had to retreat from incoming water cannons targeting me. Attacks from Do Byeong-seok's flower.
"Your escape ends here."
Suddenly, tentacle-like roots burst from the ground behind me. Plant roots, wriggling toward me with eerie autonomy.
As the roots lunged, the rainbow flower fired another fireball. These roots were likely part of the rainbow flower's power.
'Fireball blocks left, roots right.'
Do Byeong-seok sealed both evasion paths. But I brazenly chose both evasion and counterattack.
Light Saber
My left hand's Holy Gauntlet shifted form—a lightsaber. Transforming it was one of my go-to tricks.
Gripping the lightsaber, I spun.
Evade enemy attacks with afterimages.
The roots pierced my afterimage. I caught Do Byeong-seok's flinch—fucking idiot.
The lightsaber reacted to the incoming roots, slashing from upper-left to lower-right, diagonally severing them. Over a dozen strands fell to the blade effortlessly.
Severed roots bounced off the cave walls. Do Byeong-seok's rainbow flower wilted slightly. Connected, no doubt.
"Damn. A real monster. No wonder Jicheol's party fell."
Do Byeong-seok scowled.
"You look ready to join him. Any last words?"
"Don't get cocky. You'll be the one dying. Paralysis Mist."
The rainbow flower puffed up again, spewing yellow pollen. I held my breath.
'Some special powder. Paralysis poison?'
I readied my fist. Eyes closed, focusing on inner ki, circulating it through meridians. Perfect form, perfect theory—perfect result.
Ki from dantian converges in my left fist. Hyper-compressed qi erupts in a straight line, unleashing devastating fist wind with blinding light and thunderous roar.
The yellow pollen got caught in my fist wind, blasted back at Do Byeong-seok. His petty trick couldn't withstand the profound martial art Han Kangwoo had taught me.
Power from the fist flows into rotation, loading my left foot for another destructive strike. Ki at the toe tip becomes a barrage of projectiles slicing the air—target: the rainbow flower.
BOOM!
The seven-colored petals shattered, scattering everywhere. Do Byeong-seok barely dodged before they tore him apart too.
"Lucky bastard."
I smirked. The gap between us was crystal clear. Even I hadn't realized how wide. Sweat dripped from Do Byeong-seok's cheek.
"Time to end this."
I declared his execution.