The Ninth Floor Test (8)
The Demonic Blade Divine General.
Among the countless powerhouses of the Heavenly Demon Cult, he was a man who always stood at the absolute front line.
As a vanguard commander of sorts, he possessed a specialized ability to pierce through anything in his path.
His trademark is using that long blade to slash enemies from a distance.
Before my regression, he was a powerhouse who had climbed all the way to rank 2,000.
In the Heavenly Demon Cult, where wars were waged constantly, surviving while always fighting on the front lines was proof of his monstrous strength.
"Get lost. Before I slice you all to pieces."
Raising his long sword with his twisted right arm, Jang Man-hong slashed horizontally.
Shraaaack!
For a split second, it felt as if Jang Man-hong's blade had stretched out like a whip.
Yet, his sword still maintained its perfectly straight form.
Just looking at it sent a shiver down the spine—it was thick, eerie demonic energy.
He swung his sword with mindless ferocity, but the power contained within it was on a completely different level.
Screeech!
It tore right through, ignoring the Star-Fire Dragon's divine power and scales alike, forcing its way in.
"..."
It had been a very long time since Jin-hyuk felt a blade piercing his flesh.
Even though he had his armor equipped, Jang Man-hong's sword felt as if it were slicing straight through it.
Of course, the damage was minor.
But this is...
Jin-hyuk gritted his teeth.
A sword that can pierce even armor.
A trickle of blood ran down the corner of Lee Jin-hyuk's mouth, as if he had sustained internal injuries.
It was only because of his scales and holy fire that he could withstand a Ranker's sincere strike to this extent.
Without either of them, his body would have been sliced clean in half by the opponent's slash.
Whew.
Fortunately, the barrier protecting Lee Jin-hyuk had not deactivated.
Koo!
Koooooo!
-Oh dear...!
Despite the brief commotion, Jin-hyuk's armor was still doing its job of protecting the group.
It feels like separating myself from this armor.
Focusing his intent, Lee Jin-hyuk was finally able to move from his spot.
Whoosh!
He had to maintain the barrier and use his Holy Fire stat to block the enemy's attacks, but he had no choice.
This was the only way to defeat the Demonic Blade Divine General while simultaneously protecting his allies.
"Hmph."
Rumble.
Watching Lee Jin-hyuk emerge after readjusting his stance, Jang Man-hong let out an incredulous laugh.
"I truly, honestly cannot understand this."
"Understand what?"
"How could you withstand a slash containing my full power? And on top of that..."
Jang Man-hong slowly wiped his blade.
"...you don't even look that hurt."
Out of the countless mediocre players, Rankers were the ones who shone the brightest.
And Jang Man-hong was a powerhouse among powerhouses, ranking in the top half of them.
Considering the entire population of the Tower, he possessed a level of strength that wouldn't fall short against anyone—excluding High Rankers, of course.
Yet, this newbie, who hadn't even reached the 10th floor...
...and was currently taking the 9th-floor test, had blocked his attack. It made absolutely no sense.
"Man, this is... so unfair. I didn't even hesitate to undergo human experimentation, and I've practically lived on the battlefield, yet I'm only ranked around 4,500th."
"..."
"But a genius like you—no, a monster like you—can soar high without having to make twisted choices like I did. Just like the Heavenly Demon up in the sky. Hehehe..."
Jang Man-hong had sacrificed everything to become strong.
Though born in the territory of the Orthodox Coalition, he had converted to the Heavenly Demon Cult to walk the demonic path.
Even though it was only for one arm, he had even accepted the power of the Banished Constellation from the witches.
Not stopping there, he had thrown himself into the most dangerous battlefields like a hunting dog, constantly crossing the line between life and death.
"When they told me to capture a player who had just reached the 9th floor, I wondered why they were giving me such a boring task. But look at this... You're a big catch. No, at this point, you're not a fish, you're a dragon."
Jang Man-hong bared his yellow teeth, smiling genuinely.
Throughout his blood-stained, fiercely competitive life, there was one moment that always brought him the greatest pride.
Domination.
Crushing brilliant geniuses like this with his own martial arts was when he felt most fulfilled.
"Just think of it as bad luck. If you had met me a bit later..."
"Man."
Jin-hyuk smirked.
"You talk too much."
Dominator's Aura
Shhhhh!
"...!"
Feeling the suffocating pressure tightening around him, Jang Man-hong's hand began to tremble.
My arm, which is infused with the witch's power, is trembling like this?
It was something that every living creature was bound to possess.
The fear of death.
The fear of death, which he thought he had long since castrated, stirred conflicting emotions within him.
His pride was wounded by the fact that he was terrified of a 9th-floor nobody who didn't even have an epithet.
Yet, he felt a thrill that a 9th-floor nobody could pressure him this much with mere aura.
"If I kill you..."
He grinned.
"...I wonder what kind of epithet the world will grant me next!"
The Heavenly Demon.
And the Witch of Ruins, Majuron.
Both had ordered him to bring Lee Jin-hyuk back alive, but Jang Man-hong had no intention of doing so.
Before this monster could grow any further, he wanted to crush and tear him apart with his own hands.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Thud!
His booming voice mingled with demonic energy, shaking the entire battlefield.
"Come at me, rookie!"
The Demonic Earth Sword Technique.
A sword technique designed for field combat and close-quarters battle, embodying the movements of the earth in a demonic form before ascending to the heavens.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Jang Man-hong used his specialty, the Demonic Earth Sword Technique, to unleash several streams of demonic energy from his blade.
It was an unbelievable speed, especially considering it was a long sword swung with only one hand.
Any ordinary player would have been torn to shreds, unable to withstand this rain-like barrage.
But...
Swish.
I can see it.
Truth-Seeking Eye
In Lee Jin-hyuk's eyes, the feast of sword qi woven from demonic energy and the trajectory of the blade were laid completely bare.
Since the sword was so clearly visible, Jin-hyuk had nothing to fear.
All he had to do was watch, dodge, or block.
Spreading his wings once more, he plunged straight into the storm of slashes.
"You're charging into this?"
Seeing this, Jang Man-hong grew even more excited, putting more strength into his arm as he swung.
"Are you stupid, or just arrogant?!"
The enemies he faced never fought him head-on.
And for good reason—doing so meant their bodies would be shredded to pieces by his blade!
"Or are you just acting cocky because of your items?!"
Creeeech!
"A Myth Grade item doesn't make you invincible! Hehehe! Though, I didn't think you were the type to rely solely on an item!"
Even as he spoke, Jang Man-hong felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Why isn't he getting hit?
No.
His attacks were definitely tearing into the opponent.
He was sure of it.
Then what was so strange?
Ah, I see.
He smirked.
It's not that he isn't getting hit; he's avoiding clean hits.
Lee Jin-hyuk was deflecting most of his attacks.
For the strikes that were impossible to avoid, he was positioning himself so they missed his vital points.
It sounded simple in a single sentence, but enduring like that amidst such a chaotic onslaught was no easy feat.
Moreover, wasn't he rapidly closing the distance, having realized the long reach of his sword?
That's impossible to pull off without immense combat experience. How can someone who has only climbed to the 9th floor possess this level of battle sense?
Geniuses blessed with heaven-sent talent.
Even they had a weakness.
Experience.
Without combat experience, they were bound to panic when faced with such a chaotic assault.
But Lee Jin-hyuk was different.
Despite his lack of experience, he was fighting back as if he had survived countless battlefields.
He was an anomaly that transcended heaven-sent talent—a monster.
He possessed a "sensory instinct" that allowed him to react as if he had already experienced it all.
Among monsters, he is a truly...
He grinned.
...extraordinary one!
Although his muscles had stiffened slightly under the opponent's pressure, Jang Man-hong poured even more strength into his arm without hesitation.
The speed of his swings grew faster than before, but the price was steep.
Crack.
The muscles in his right hand were twisting and rupturing.
Jang Man-hong was pushing himself far past his limits.
In return, the demonic energy within his sword grew even stronger, expanding its range.
Yet, its destructive power did not diminish in the slightest.
But Lee Jin-hyuk still calmly pierced through the sword qi, drawing closer.
Dragon's Pressure
Roaaaaar!
"Ha!"
After experiencing it a few times, Jang Man-hong realized that Lee Jin-hyuk wasn't simply emitting his pressure.
He was utilizing it as a tangible "energy," much like mana or his holy fire.
Sometimes like armor, sometimes like a shield.
Or even like a sword blocking his wild slashes.
To condense pressure and use it like that... I thought only those at the Transcendent Realm or higher could do that.
A realm where one doesn't just infuse intent into a sword, but can project pressure into all things.
The Transcendent Realm (or Grandmaster).
Is his pressure just unique?
If he were truly at the Transcendent Realm, Jang Man-hong, who was at the Peak Realm, would have died the moment their eyes met.
This could only be attributed to the boy's pure talent.
"Damn it."
Slash!
"Just how many powers are crammed into a single guy?!"
Slaaaash!
As he increased his swinging speed even further, Lee Jin-hyuk was forced to hesitate.
"Aaargh!"
"General!"
"W-we're getting caught in the crossfire!"
His subordinates nearby were torn to shreds because of it, but he didn't care.
They were nothing but expendable pawns anyway.
As long as he captured Lee Jin-hyuk, the divine beast and everything else didn't matter; the mission would be complete.
"Fall back!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers fled at the adjutants' command.
Even the witches who had been setting up magic circles in case of emergencies retreated.
They, too, feared being swept up in the carnage.
"How barbaric."
"...?"
Something was wrong.
He shouldn't be able to get close.
He was swinging his sword like a madman.
He was pouring everything he had into this, so why, of all things...
...why was the opponent drawing closer even faster?
"Urgh!"
Clang! Clash!
Realizing it wasn't enough, he began consuming his aura blade, no longer relying on mere sword qi.
A sword dance modeled not after the demonic earth, but the revered heavens, began to unfold.
It was a sword technique personally bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Demon, who had taken notice of him.
The countless streams of sword qi surrounding them vanished, replaced by a thick, persistent demonic energy coating his blade.
Crunch!
Sharp teeth, like those of a wolf, manifested.
Jang Man-hong's long sword transformed into a beast, biting and tearing at its target.
The Molar Crush.
Like a bite from a molar, it possessed the power to clamp down on the opponent and completely sever their windpipe.
It was Jang Man-hong's ultimate sword technique, executed by consuming all his remaining demonic energy to guarantee a kill.
"Foolish bastard. Walking right into the wolf's jaws?"
Lee Jin-hyuk probably thought closing the distance would bring him victory, but that was a grave mistake.
Once inside the wolf's jaws, the only thing left was to be torn apart.
The kid might have been confident in close combat, but against him, it was futile.
"You're definitely strong."
Flash!
"But not as strong as back then."
"Back then? What do you mean by—"
In an instant, a blinding light erupted from the sword Lee Jin-hyuk held in both hands.
White flames gathered at a single point, piercing through everything.
"...!"
Since it was a sword technique designed to pierce stars in the first place, it was impossible for Jang Man-hong's ultimate secret technique to withstand it.
Demonic energy that merely dyed the world in darkness could never block a divine power capable of shattering stars.
...Huh?
Staring at his easily pierced sword technique and then down at his own abdomen, Jang Man-hong gasped in desperation.
"How on earth...? You shouldn't even have had time to train..."
Whoosh!
But he couldn't finish his sentence.
Lee Jin-hyuk's holy fire finally spread, engulfing the world in white flames.
You have defeated the Demonic Blade Divine General, Jang Man-hong.
The target possessed an epithet! You acquire all points held by the target.
Your reputation among the Constellations increases in proportion to the target's infamy.
"You've got it all wrong."
Sheathing his sword, Lee Jin-hyuk smirked.
"A mere mid-tier Ranker like you."