Heir: Jongchil 16
Gwan Sa-hee's shattered bones embedded in his arm like broken glass. He hurriedly treated the wound. A notification window popped up before his eyes.
Mana Sword skill level has increased.
Wind Control skill level has increased.
Mana Sword (4Lv) (C-grade)
↳ Consumes mana to coat the sword in a mana blade. The blade's intensity increases with more mana spent, but efficiency drops off gradually.
Wind Control (6Lv) (B-grade)
↳ Consumes stamina and mana to freely manipulate wind.
The fruits of battle appeared. Mana Sword and Wind Control had both leveled up. As expected, real combat against superior foes was the best teacher.
There was no time to leisurely celebrate the skill-ups. He had to help Maro and Wolbi. Hyeolgunmyeong held the consistent advantage against the two. Maro was the one getting pushed back. He needed to intervene.
Hyeolgunmyeong was a dual-wield master. He'd appeared in the original story too.
Fitting for the leader of the Shadow Troops, his combat prowess was high. Alone, Jongchil would have given up on taking him down. Unless the Wish-Beads were fully charged, that is.
'With Maro and Wolbi's support, it's possible.'
Hyeolgunmyeong proved his might in real time. Even with Maro and Wolbi attacking together, there was no haste in his movements.
"I'll help."
He crashed into the fight.
Maro struck from the front, while Wolbi used her White Thread Needles to target the flank. But there were no gains.
Hyeolgunmyeong deflected Maro's incoming sword aura with his left sword, then countered Wolbi's needles from the side with his right.
He wielded the two blades as if they were extensions of both hands. Facing Maro and Wolbi simultaneously with left and right, his motions showed no tangling.
Proof he was accustomed to this style of combat. But what about three?
'The bastard has two hands. Two swords in them.'
From three onward, they could capitalize on numerical superiority.
He activated Mana Sword, cloaking his blade in a razor-sharp aura. The sword had lost teeth in the fight with Gwan Sa-hee, but Mana Sword made it serviceable again.
Using Wind Control for propulsion, he launched himself at the enemy. Simultaneously unfolding his swordsmanship.
"That deputy leader's pretty damn useless too. All he knows is nitpicking his underlings—shitty skills mean this pathetic end's all he gets."
"Your man's dead, and you're this cold about it?"
"Ha!? Affection? Expecting a lot from a Demonic Cultist."
The bastard didn't flinch at Jongchil's intrusion. He blocked Maro's flying sword aura with his left sword, then parried Jongchil's attack. Fresh off deflecting the aura, but the heavy destructive force at the blade's tip hadn't dulled.
Hyeolgunmyeong's and Jongchil's swords clashed. A heavy shock traveled up his wrist. The roaring clash of auras swept the surroundings.
In an instant, Hyeolgunmyeong's blade began to warp. The plain longsword twisted like a snake, aiming for Jongchil's throat. It was a serpent blade.
"Fucking kid's parlor trick! Think that'll work!?"
He twisted his body to evade the serpent blade's ambush. But black energy spewed from the sword, hurtling toward him.
A writhing, shadow-like foul aura. Not pure like Maro's demonic energy. Murky and filthy like muddy water. Yet its power surpassed Maro's.
He contorted maximally. But no angle fully evaded it. Bending further would shatter his balance. Better to take a graze.
Pshuk!
The bastard's demonic energy grazed his arm. Searing pain, blood spraying. The wound wasn't deep. No hindrance to fighting.
Shissik!
Invisible threads ensnared Hyeolgunmyeong. Wolbi's aid. He was like a fish in a net.
But Hyeolgunmyeong's movements outpaced Wolbi's White Thread Needles. Before they fully encircled him, he'd already fled far.
"Rat leader moves like that, huh! How long you think you can run!?"
"Haha! Rookie bitch taunt. Ain't me who's fast—you're just slow as shit!"
Hyeolgunmyeong swung twice. Sword auras thick with demonic energy targeted Wolbi.
Wolbi hastily recalled her needles, wrapping them around herself. They could defend as well as attack.
Kukukung!
The sword aura exploded. Like black ink spreading in clear distilled water, Hyeolgunmyeong's demonic energy left root-like afterimages across the air, engulfing Wolbi in seconds.
"Kuh!"
Wolbi groaned, staggering back. The explosion wasn't potent. The issue was the demonic energy. Coated in it, her body faltered.
"Wolbi! You okay!?"
Maro shouted, glancing at the unsteady Wolbi.
"Kyahaha! She ain't! My Shadow Yin Art's like poison—seeps deep inside. The infiltrated demonic energy turns to razor-sharp shards, shredding the airways!"
"Wolbi! Circulate your inner energy calmly! Drive out his demonic energy with yours!"
"Bullshit! Think you can meditate in front of me!? Little lord's arrogance pierces the heavens!"
"Shut your weasel trap!"
"Ha!? Weasel pawn!? I just use the Three Elders! I ain't that old fuck's pawn!"
Maro charged straight at Hyeolgunmyeong. The bastard erupted his inner energy like an explosion, meeting him. No time for Jongchil to spectate.
"Your opponent's here too!"
"Blood clots stick together, still just clots! Tell Yama when you meet him—arrogance kept you from living full!"
Holy Missile
Thirty light projectiles formed in an instant, hurtling at the bastard.
Holy Missile was light-attribute. Nemesis to his demonic energy. The thirty shots encircled Hyeolgunmyeong in a flash.
"Hiding fun tricks! But useless!"
Black energy coalesced into a hemispherical barrier around Hyeolgunmyeong. Demonic protective aura. Confident in its defense, from his tone.
'Basic rule to pierce a shield: hit the same spot again.'
He recalibrated the thirty Holy Missiles' trajectories from all directions. Target: the aura's front.
The thirty glowing orbs, like summer fireflies flocking like migratory birds, was a spectacular sight.
Kukukukung!
They slammed the front precisely. Light barrages exploded with intense radiance and gale winds. The deafening ring was sonic attack in itself.
Yet Hyeolgunmyeong's aura held. Faded where hit, but no cracks. The bastard was stronger than expected.
But their assault wasn't over. Maro's turn.
The black demonic energy at Maro's blade tip had turned red. Effect of his Ten Blood Asura Sword.
"Latent Dragon Blood Scythe Slash!"
The red sword aura bloomed wide, forming a new shape. Like a massive scythe blade.
A crimson reaper come for souls, manifested via Maro's technique. His aura struck the battered protective barrier again.
Creeeak!
Cracks spiderwebbed the aura. Relentless barrage exceeded its hasty durability. Jongchil seized the gap.
Light Saber
He added a light blade to his sword. Extra damage to demonic energy users.
Jongchil from the left, Maro from the right—they closed in. Straightforward frontal slashes, but enough to corner him. Now, raw power over finesse.
Black demonic energy coiled around Hyeolgunmyeong's arm. Earthworm-like tendons bulged on his forearm. Demonic boost to physicals.
Worthy of deputy leader, he wielded demonic energy freely. Surpassing current Maro in that.
Thud!
Left sword blocked Jongchil, right blocked Maro. One hand per foe. Pride stung.
'Position Swap.'
He left afterimages, shifting. To the ignorant, it'd seem like Phantom Shift. Briefly, Hyeolgunmyeong's eye twitched in surprise.
"Not Phantom Shift! Where'd you learn that weird shit!? Can't fool these eyes!"
But Hyeolgunmyeong's reaction caught Jongchil's swap. Before his sword rose, the bastard swung first.
Thick demonic energy spewed from the tip. Like the one on Wolbi. He halted, ducked. Better to dodge.
Kukukukung!
The far-flung aura smashed a rocky wall, kicking up dust laced with stone powder.
Hyeolgunmyeong not only parried their tandem assault but counterattacked. Threateningly.
Each graze of his demonic energy visibly drained strength. It was a kind of poison.
Maro was in deeper trouble. Hyeolgunmyeong focused more on him—the biggest threat.
"Little lord. This it? Disappointing. A man ambitious to embrace the Demonic Cult should entertain me more, no?"
Hyeolgunmyeong smirked. Maro's body was riddled with cuts.
He heaved, swinging inertially. Trajectory simplified, speed dulled. Proof of infiltrated demonic energy.
'Trouble. Should I bail solo?'
Hyeolgunmyeong fixated on Maro. Gap to escape now.
No affection or bond with Maro, so ditching Present Demon Unit was tempting—but his feet wouldn't move. Wolbi.
'Can't leave untouched pussy behind. Against my principles.'
Needed to shift the tide. Regretted using Time Pose early. Such regrets always came too late.
'Do everything possible first.'
Immediate: invest bonus points. He had 108. Spent 100 to raise Agility by 10. But 10 Agility wouldn't turn the battle.
'Change weapons!'
Pulled a new weapon from inventory. The spear Aquila from Soul Community: Bucephalus.
Wooong!
As soon as drawn, the spear resonated with his energy.
Bucephalus roared. Full of pent-up grudge. The iron steed yearned to charge again. Perfect chance to vent.
Darkness Control
He loaded the spear thick with dark energy. Neither Hyeolgunmyeong's murky demonic nor Maro's pure. A new power absent from Extreme Sword Heaven World.
His indescribable unique demonic energy rode the spear tip.
The sentient spear Bucephalus resonated internally with the infused energy. Felt like spear and arm fused.
Not illusion. Bucephalus and his arm linked by same-wavelength inner energy. Bond as firm as bodily fusion.
Taste of Sword-Unity. Spear-Unity here.
Condensed darkness devoured Bucephalus's body. He gripped a strand of night.
'Over 1.5 times the charged power. As expected of Bucephalus. Divine Spear title well-earned.'
Raised Bucephalus behind his head, left hand extended forward. Natural spear-throw stance. Target locked.
Hyeolgunmyeong's head snapped around. Sensed the ominous aura from Bucephalus.
"What bullshit is this!"
But the spear had already left his hand.