Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Threefold (6)
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Ralph quietly repeated Johan’s words.
“Threefold, Demonic Flow. The flow of demonic energy…….”
The flow of demonic energy.
Or it could also be called the flow of mana.
From what Yuri had shown, he could roughly guess what kind of technique it was.
Ralph tossed a casual question at Johan.
“Is it a technique that returns the opponent’s power back at them?”
“For now.”
“For now…….”
It was a single phrase loaded with so many meanings.
Was it being used right now to redirect the opponent’s power, but could be used for other purposes as well?
Or was it being used at that level now, but would develop into something more in the future?
Somehow, Ralph felt certain that Johan’s “for now” meant the latter.
Why?
Because the way Johan looked at Yuri said as much.
Chuckling, Ralph shrugged his shoulders and said in a deflated tone.
“You planned for this too? Hiding a trick like that and acting all dramatic.”
“Dramatic?”
“You predicted we’d come at you like this from the start, didn’t you?”
“What bullshit is that? How the hell was I supposed to predict you’d pull a stunt like that? Wait… now that I think about it, it pisses me off even more? You crazy bastard, staking that precious white steel on a kids’ fight just to win!”
Ralph blinked, realizing Johan’s rough reaction was genuine.
“…You really didn’t know?”
“I said I didn’t!”
“Then that Demonic Flow thing—wasn’t it your senior who taught him to use it?”
“Taught him my ass. I didn’t even know that punk could use it like that.”
“But you taught him, didn’t you?”
“I did teach him…….”
Johan trailed off, a look of deflation settling on his face.
“…I showed it to him twice.”
“Pardon?”
“Precisely, I showed it to him once half a year ago, and properly taught it two weeks ago.”
Johan shook his head with a slightly dazed expression.
He’d originally only planned to teach up to Brain Reflex, but moved by Yuri’s effort and talent, he’d taught him Demonic Flow about two weeks ago.
No, not even two weeks.
Just ten days ago.
‘And he’s already handling Demonic Flow at that level?’
Even Johan hadn’t predicted Yuri’s Demonic Flow would be that refined.
Ralph watched Johan’s ever-changing expressions before cautiously asking.
“That Demonic Flow… is it normally easy to learn?”
“Easy?”
Johan let out an incredulous chuckle.
“Pff, I haven’t even mastered Demonic Flow properly. I’m just now refining the fairly complete theory for real combat.”
“That… was incomplete?”
“Yeah. Anyway, that’s not the point! Even though I created it, it took me about a year to be able to use Demonic Flow like that.”
Johan’s mana circuit and the one Yuri had learned.
The two mana circuits had the same basic framework, but the one Yuri had learned was an improved version for Demonic Flow.
Which made it more efficient for Yuri to learn Demonic Flow, that much was true.
‘Even so, for me… Johan Redner… to take a year on something that kid finished in ten days.’
Johan’s face hardened.
And as if voicing his thoughts, Ralph asked in a stiff tone beside him.
“Where the hell did you pick up that monster…?”
Ralph was already calling Yuri a monster.
Moreover, he couldn’t deny it.
That Johan’s eye for talent far surpassed his own.
‘Senior spotted that kid’s talent from the beginning.’
Half a year ago, he himself hadn’t seen anything special in Yuri.
But Johan had scouted him and even taken him as a disciple.
‘Though Senior never admits he’s a disciple…….’
Regardless, Johan’s discernment in recognizing Yuri’s talent was exceptional.
However, Ralph’s thinking was only half right.
Johan’s eye was sharp, true—but even he hadn’t seen everything in Yuri.
For instance, every time he taught Yuri, Johan had been astonished by the boy’s talent exceeding his expectations.
His pride wounded, he’d vowed not to be surprised by the brat anymore.
It felt like losing every time he got shocked over a kid.
But.
“Heh…….”
A chill ran down Johan’s spine.
What gave him goosebumps was……
‘The time it took for him to learn Yunbo was three months, Brain Reflex about one month… and Demonic Flow, ten days.’
The monster’s talent was still growing.
‘…This is insane.’
The corner of Johan’s mouth curled up slightly.
There was a hint of fear in his smile.
* * *
Crack.
A tree that had barely stayed upright finally toppled over.
Thud.
The sound of it crashing snapped Muche out of his daze.
“Ah…….”
Slumping to the ground, Muche blinked at the scene before him.
‘If I hadn’t dodged…….’
That would’ve been his body in the tree’s place.
Gulp.
As the dazed Muche swallowed dryly, something climbed onto his shoulder.
Clink.
A blade carrying a chill pressed against his neck, and Muche turned his head slightly to look behind.
Yuri was gazing down at him.
“Man, your attacks were no joke.”
“…….”
Yuri, spouting crude words learned from a retired mercenary, gave a thumbs-up.
Muche couldn’t say a word in response to his refreshed smile.
His mind was a mess.
How Yuri had done it, how he’d repelled his attacks.
He couldn’t properly understand any of it.
Just one realization.
‘…I lost.’
He’d lost again.
“Ugh…….”
The fact that he’d been defeated once more.
And Yuri’s gleeful eyes looking down at him made something surge up in Muche’s chest.
“Hn…….”
Unable to hold it back, he let it out.
“Waaah!”
“Huh?”
“Waaah! I hate you, hyung!”
“……!?”
Yuri panicked at the sight of Muche bawling on the ground, tears like chicken shit—or horse shit—streaming down.
“Hey, you brat! Crying is cheating!”
As Yuri flailed his arms in a fluster.
A booming voice rang out from behind.
“You bastard! Why’re you making my good boy cry, you shit!”
Yuri’s face soured at the sight of Ralph charging over with an angry look.
“…Fuck, squeezing out tears to summon the adults. Dirty trick.”
Orphans gotta stick together or something.
Why did winning feel like losing?
Pouting his lips, Yuri……
Squish.
Stepped slyly on the crying Muche’s foot.
“Waaaah!”
Muche’s wails naturally grew louder.
“Hey, you little punk! Instead of comforting the crying kid, why’re you tormenting him more!”
Thwack.
Johan smiled warmly watching Yuri get smacked on the back of the head by the rushing Ralph.
“Heh, what a mess. Heh heh heh.”
Rustle.
Johan’s hearty laughter mixed with the pattering rain and scattered.
And so that day.
The chaotic spar ended with Ralph and Muche cleanly admitting defeat.
* * *
After Ralph took the sniffling Muche and left, Yuri and Johan returned to their lodgings.
“Let me see it.”
Johan held out his hand to Yuri.
Instantly grasping what he wanted, Yuri unfastened the sword from his waist and offered it.
Taking it, Johan silently drew the blade.
Shing.
The blade emerging from the sheath looked off somehow.
A somewhat dull silvery hue.
After examining it briefly, Johan flicked his finger against the blade.
Ting.
It vibrated with a dull sound for a moment.
Crack—crack.
Soon, fine cracks spread, and the sword shattered powerlessly to the floor.
Handing back the hilt, Johan asked.
“Looks like you couldn’t fully redirect the force after all.”
Johan phrased it as redirecting, not repelling.
Taking the hilt, Yuri replied awkwardly.
“That last technique Muche used… it packed quite a punch.”
“It’s called Ice Wall Splitter. Among all the ultimate techniques I’ve seen, if I had to pick the three strongest, I’d name Ice Wall Splitter without hesitation.”
“That good?”
“Why do you think it’s called Ice Wall Splitter? If Ralph had used it instead of Muche, this whole area really would’ve split.”
“…No wonder it felt brutally heavy.”
“How’s your body?”
“What’s the point of saying? Feels like I’m gonna drop dead.”
Though he joked, Yuri’s condition was truly poor.
His face was pale, his forehead slick with cold sweat.
Even the hand holding the hilt trembled faintly.
He looked like he could collapse any second.
Johan clicked his tongue with a displeased face.
“Tch, who told you to take that hit? It’s your own fault for going blind over a scrap of iron.”
“A scrap of iron! Do you know what that is? White steel that’s three times more expensive than gold of the same weight!”
“Still just an expensive scrap of iron. Betting your life on an immature technique for that in a do-or-die situation was bad judgment.”
The Demonic Flow Yuri used wasn’t fully mastered.
If he’d executed it perfectly, even a wooden sword wouldn’t have shattered.
Nor would his body have been wrecked absorbing the residual force.
“If Ralph had unleashed Ice Wall Splitter instead of Muche, no amount of your half-baked Demonic Flow would’ve saved you—you’d be a puddle of blood.”
Yuri’s eyes narrowed at Johan’s repeated nagging.
“Old man, if you wanna praise me, just do it. Don’t beat around the bush with nonsense.”
“Hey, you punk! When did I praise you?”
“Old man, do you think I really misjudged mine and my opponent’s capabilities and used Demonic Flow recklessly in that situation?”
“…….”
“You think I used an unpolished technique without any confidence? For real? Nah, no way?”
“…Hmph!”
“Come on, is saying ‘good job’ really that hard?”
Johan was at a loss for words.
As the kid said, he knew.
Even in that split-second moment, Yuri had coldly calculated against Muche’s Ice Wall Splitter.
His own capabilities and the opponent’s.
What was needed for perfect victory in that situation, and so on.
Yuri’s actions, which might seem reckless, were born of thorough calculation.
With his wealth of combat experience, Johan couldn’t miss that.
‘Still, I nagged to make him more cautious for the future…….’
This sharp kid didn’t want to hear even that.
Feeling awkwardly embarrassed, Johan cleared his throat softly.
“Ahem, well… uh… good jo…….”
After the throat-clear, a barely audible mumble made Yuri furrow his brow.
“What?”
“Good… job.”
“…What?”
“I said good job, you punk!”
Praise or curse?
Johan’s face flushed red as he bellowed.
As Yuri’s gaze narrowed, Johan hurriedly changed the subject.
“Anyway, how was using Demonic Flow in real combat?”
And it wasn’t just a diversion—the seriousness showed on Johan’s face.
He waited calmly for Yuri’s answer.
“Hmm…….”
Yuri stroked his chin slightly at the question.
After a brief pause, he gave his response.