Chapter 112: The Pursuit Team (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112: The Pursuit Team (2)
Burn Flare, a 4th Circle spell.
It was an area-of-effect spell that unleashed an eruption of fire, blasting the surroundings.
As an elemental spell—and a fire one at that—its raw power was comparable to a 5th Circle spell. However, it wasn't highly regarded due to its complex formula and the telltale signs that preceded its casting, making it difficult to time correctly.
Of course, in a situation like this, where the opponents were ignorant of magic and had conveniently gathered in one place, it was undeniably the perfect spell.
The exploding flames swept over everything. The men in black, who had been in formation, were burned to a crisp.
However, the man who appeared to be their leader seemed unharmed.
He’s fine even after a direct hit from Burn Flare? Is that the Protective Aura I’ve only heard stories about?
A barrier of Qi surrounded the man's body. It was quite different from my mana barrier, looking more like a suit of armor he was wearing.
In terms of sheer durability, it’s at least as strong as a barrier from a 4th Circle mage... no, maybe even 5th Circle.
I now understood why he didn't have a single scorch mark despite taking a direct hit. His level of mastery was a step—no, half a step—ahead of mine.
But he wasn't completely unscathed. He had sustained internal injuries from forcibly dispelling the tangled energies. The proof was the irregular flow of Qi I could feel from him.
I seized the opportunity and rushed to Cheon Yeo-hwa.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“...I am sorry. You were dragged into this because of your connection to me...”
I gently pressed my index finger against her nose.
“You're talking nonsense, so you must be fine.”
I pulled the gasping Cheon Yeo-hwa into an embrace and infused her with my Qi to check her condition. She had almost no external wounds, but her internal injuries were the problem. Her Qi and blood were quite damaged from forcibly drawing out her internal energy. I quickly handed her some holy water and a potion.
“Here, drink this and rest for a moment.”
“Hyun-woo, you really can't this time. That man is no ordinary demonic practitioner! You have to run...”
“Yeo-hwa.”
As if reacting to the demonic energy flowing from the man in black, my Vajra Qi flared violently.
“I have no intention of letting the bastard who touched my woman go.”
I had no idea how to fully utilize the immense energy stored in my dantian. Juggling my mana circuits and Qi meridians felt incredibly awkward.
A one-on-one fight? This was my first time fighting for my life. And against an opponent who was a cut above me, no less.
Even so, I couldn't back down.
“Not only do you use strange dark arts, but you also reek of those despicable depraved monks. Are you truly that witch's escort?”
A bizarre sound, like insects crawling, slithered out of him. A heavy, cloying killing intent that set my nerves on edge filled the air. He showed no signs of agitation, even though all his subordinates had been annihilated.
From the way he drew his sword, I could tell he was completely different from me, someone who had learned swordsmanship through a crash course.
“I'll make a special exception and capture you alive. My master will be pleased.”
“Bullshit. Try it if you think you can.”
[Strength]
[Haste]
[Balance]
[The Steps of Fire]
[Iron Body]
I cast every support spell I could. I felt stronger than usual, and my body became lighter.
I'll save Berserk. I can't afford the extra stamina drain in this situation.
I had already used up a significant amount of stamina just running here. Replenishing it with mana had its limits. And a potion? Would I even get a chance to drink one in the middle of a fight?
I raised my mana to strengthen my barrier while simultaneously calculating a spell formula.
[Fireball]
Dozens of fireballs materialized from the magic circles that filled the air and shot toward him. Boom! Crash! Boom! They flew at over 100 kilometers per hour, but he dodged them without much difficulty.
I wasn't surprised; I had expected as much.
I infused Gilenium with Vajra Qi. A faint Sword Qi flickered to life.
Tsk. If only I'd had a little more time to train, I could have produced a much clearer Sword Qi.
Pushing my regrets aside, I focused my mind.
My usual fighting style—using support magic and mana enhancement to gain an advantage in close combat—was unlikely to work against a swordsman of a higher realm than me.
But I couldn't afford to create distance, either. The moment I moved from this spot, he would undoubtedly target Cheon Yeo-hwa.
“Is that all for your dark arts? How pathetic.”
“Not a chance.”
He began to close the distance, his footwork a blur. He was so fast that a moment's lapse in concentration would be enough to lose sight of him. I launched another volley of fireballs at him.
Seeing fewer fireballs than before, he dodged with minimal movement, as if it were the obvious thing to do. It was a logical decision; there was no need to waste stamina with large movements. And that was exactly what I was aiming for.
[Fire Burst]
BOOM! A fireball that had just passed him exploded. The force was extraordinary.
“...You bastard.”
The killing intent emanating from him, now rolling on the ground after being caught in the blast, grew even thicker. But that was all. Like a true assassin, he quickly suppressed his emotional turmoil.
“Are you pissed? I guess you're not an assassin, you're a donkey. The way you rolled on the ground was fantastic.”
Looking closely, I could see he had scorch marks all over. Just as I thought. There was no way he could maintain a Protective Aura of that density indefinitely. He wasn't a mage, after all.
I activated Formless Electric Body and charged toward him. A distinct, black Sword Qi rose from his blade. The gap between my Sword Qi and his was obvious to anyone.
But I had magic.
In terms of pure physical strength, I had the upper hand. Our strikes cut through the air. CRASH! An incredible roar, impossible to imagine coming from the clash of cold steel, echoed around us. A massive cloud of dust billowed up.
Gilenium, clad in Vajra Qi, aimed for his neck. But he blocked my attack as if expecting it and countered. I immediately used my footwork to retreat.
CLANG! But his Sword Qi slammed into my barrier, bearing down on me. I hastily dodged the attack and backed away.
What was that? It felt like his sword just bent...
I was sure I had dodged it, but his Sword Qi was already tearing through my barrier.
“Where did all that earlier bravado go? Are you suddenly afraid for your life?”
CLANG! I quickly deployed another barrier and parried his attack. There was no time to think. I could only react to the relentless onslaught.
But at this rate, I would be the one to fall first.
...I need to buy a little more time.
[Extreme Speed]
[Berserker]
Electricity raced through my mana circuits, and my muscle fibers expanded. My strength and speed rose to another level.
Using my suddenly increased attack speed, I caught him off guard and succeeded in slashing his shoulder, but no blood appeared on the tip of my sword. His Protective Aura had blocked it.
The man, who had remained expressionless the entire time, merely glanced at his shoulder, showing no surprise at my increased speed. Instead, he honed his fighting spirit and readjusted his stance.
“...Hiding your strength, were you? But if it was a power you could use without a price, there would have been no reason to hide it in the first place. Are you getting desperate?”
I didn't answer. Just as he said, Extreme Speed strained my mana circuits, and Berserker accelerated my stamina consumption.
On top of that, I had pushed myself to use the unfamiliar Formless Electric Body on the way here, so I didn't have much time left to maintain my Vajra Qi.
My opponent, on the other hand, was completely unharmed aside from some minor internal injuries. He even seemed to have plenty of internal energy to spare.
I didn't know how much longer he could use his Protective Aura, but he was minimizing his energy consumption by using it only at the most opportune moments. A war of attrition was out of the question. In the first place, the difference in our swordsmanship made it difficult to land a single effective blow.
...Enough.
This was a situation where life and death were decided in an instant. I cast aside all useless thoughts. The only thing that mattered now was how to kill my opponent.
Formless Vajra Art, Formless Electric Body.
I became a golden thunderbolt, charging forward. I unleashed my sword as soon as I closed the distance. As expected, he dodged and blocked. In contrast, his sword reached me, shattering my barrier. Still, I stubbornly created another one. The rapid consumption of mana put an even greater strain on my mana circuits.
Neck, heart, liver, dantian. Befitting an assassin, he aimed for nothing but fatal vital points. The speed of his sword strikes increased. If my speed in creating barriers slowed for even a moment, it would be the end of me.
My heart pounded as if it would burst. But ironically, my mind grew colder than ever before.
—Swordsmanship is simply the way you handle the tool called a sword. There is no right answer to handling a tool. Swing it as you please. As long as you have the fundamentals down, that will become your swordsmanship.
A voice echoed in my head—the voice of my master, something he had once tossed out with an indifferent expression.
Formless Vajra Art, Formless Sword Art.
A golden energy pulsed along my blade.
My sword's speed increased. My hesitation in swinging it lessened. The number of times my sword parried his attacks and followed up with a counterattack began to grow. His Protective Aura wavered.
Through our clashing blades, I could feel his emotion. Desperation.
CRASH! The output of his Sword Qi exploded. It then condensed into a sharp point, coating his sword like a second blade.
—Hyun-woo, that's an Aura! Your Protective Aura can't block it!
Cheon Yeo-hwa's voice rang in my mind.
The terror of an Aura wasn't just its power to slice through steel like tofu. Its true essence was its ability to imbue an attack with one's will, effortlessly ignoring the enemy's defenses.
CLANG! My barrier, at maximum output, shattered in an instant.
For the first time, a smile appeared on the man's face, as if certain of his victory.
“Die.”
His sword, clad in Aura, descended toward my head.
[Thought Acceleration]
The world around me slowed.
Until now, I had been fighting like a swordsman, not a mage.
The distance was too close to use magic for harassment, and it was obvious that any large-scale spell would be blocked by his Protective Aura.
Of course, I wasn't the only one who couldn't fight as they normally would.
That bastard in black had also been fighting uncharacteristically passively for an assassin. He had consistently used Sword Qi instead of an Aura and blocked my attacks with his energy-consuming Protective Aura. He was probably wary of my magic.
And his judgment had been sound.
If he hadn't felt desperate at the end and used his Aura, I might have been the one to fall.
But now that he had exhausted all his remaining Qi on that Aura and released his Protective Aura, the opportunity was mine.
“You seem to be mistaken about something.”
Dark clouds gathered in the clear sky.
A massive magic circle covered the heavens, churning with immense mana and lightning.
From the moment he survived Burn Flare until now, I had focused on concealing my mana, dedicating most of my mental resources to weaving this single spell.
“I'm a mage.”
[Thunder Breaker]
A single bolt of lightning descended from the sky, engulfing the entire area.