Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: 23. Blockhead (2)
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When Young-woo announced Doggo's support and drew Underdog, a wedge-shaped logo traced along the blade's trajectory.
Hwaaah!
Kim Tae-jun's eyes widened at the spectacle that anyone would find astonishing, but the most shocked person in the group was none other than Jo Sang-ik.
He had met all sorts of First Swords through the gatherings, but this was the first time he'd seen anything like it.
'What the hell is this guy...?'
He still didn't get the sense that the man was strong.
But there was definitely something. Some kind of power that was different from strength.
Slash.
Soon, Young-woo gripped Underdog and spoke.
"The friend who's with me right now didn't reach out first either. So let's settle the fight first."
It was as if he was saying their minds would change after they got hit.
Looking down at him, Kim Tae-jun lifted his granite jaw toward the sky.
「Who knows. Can you all even handle me? I think heaven's given me plenty of power.」
Then he lowered his gaze again, looking at Young-woo with eyes far colder than before.
「Since all the First Swords will attack me eventually anyway, I might as well take you two out first.」
Kim Tae-jun was the decisive type.
「Sorry about this.」
With those meaningful words, his grayish-white flesh began to writhe.
Crack.
At the same time, an absurd message appeared in Young-woo's vision.
「Sensory stat temporarily increased from 600 to 2,144.」
A golden flash had stolen Kim Tae-jun's sensory stat of 1,544.
This meant his base sensory stat exceeded 3,000.
'No way.'
There was no time to just stand there stunned.
The Gyeongbuk Sword Technique was ordering an immediate retreat in response to the opponent's attack.
Taat!
As Young-woo hurriedly pulled back, a rock fist slammed down almost simultaneously, shattering the ground.
Kwa-jak!
"Ugh!"
"Th...!"
The unbelievable attack speed left not only Young-woo but Jo Sang-ik in shock.
'What the hell is that speed?'
If that attack had come their way, could they have dodged it in time?
Jo Sang-ik felt a chill down his spine at the combat power that was leagues beyond a Day 2 mutant.
「Graaah!」
In the meantime, Kim Tae-jun, who had punched the ground, uprooted the pavement and sent an asphalt wave crashing toward the two First Swords.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-kwak!
Their vision went pitch black in an instant, but the regional sword techniques of the First Swords activated even with sight completely obscured.
Orders to evade sideways were transmitted to both Young-woo and Jo Sang-ik.
Ta-tat! Paat!
As the two leaped in different directions as if by prior agreement, Kim Tae-jun realized their consecutive dodges weren't coincidence.
「The world's gotten interesting. So that's what being a First Sword means.」
But the two First Swords couldn't hear that line.
They were already surrounding Kim Tae-jun from both sides, swinging their swords for dear life.
Shwaaaaak!
The two First Swords' first attack finally began.
Jo Sang-ik wielded his curved sword, Young-woo his black sword, both slashing at the opponent's upper body with all their might.
But strangely, the combat markers floating in their visions were all "break" symbols.
Meaning their current attacks would at best disrupt his stance.
And indeed.
Kwaak!
Before the two First Swords' blades could even touch Kim Tae-jun's body, his two hands seized them.
"Ah...!"
"Ha."
Young-woo was shocked that even Jo Sang-ik's sword—clearly from someone with far higher stats—had been caught, while Jo Sang-ik sighed at realizing the Gyeongbuk First Sword's level wasn't much different from his own.
Moreover, neither First Sword could pull their swords free from Kim Tae-jun's grip.
"D-Do... you have any other tricks?"
As the flustered Jo Sang-ik urged Young-woo to try something else, Young-woo extended his black sword to five meters, widening the distance from Kim Tae-jun.
Shwaaak!
A sort of emergency escape.
Then he tossed the Underdog in his left hand high into the air above his own head—not toward Kim Tae-jun.
Flick!
"What the...?"
While Jo Sang-ik wore a look of utter disbelief, Young-woo released even the hilt of the black sword he held.
Then.
Pa-pat!
He bolted straight to the rear, behind Kim Tae-jun who was still facing off against Jo Sang-ik.
"You bastard...!"
It looked like a blatant retreat to anyone watching, and curses flew from Jo Sang-ik's mouth. At that moment, Kim Tae-jun's expression twisted oddly.
「Huh...?」
The black sword he had been holding suddenly surged with tremendous power.
As if it were about to burst free any second.
So as Kim Tae-jun tightened his grip on the sword.
Hwoot!
His body was yanked backward with immense force.
「...Ah!」
The black sword, receiving the remote retrieval command, began dragging Kim Tae-jun along as it returned to its owner.
Kwa-dududuk!
As his center of balance crumbled and his two legs scraped across the asphalt, a look of bewilderment crossed Kim Tae-jun's face for the first time.
On top of that.
Shwaaaaak!
A massive whoosh echoed from high above.
It was the Underdog Young-woo had thrown earlier, coming back.
'What the hell is all this?'
Even Jo Sang-ik, who had been caught up with Kim Tae-jun alongside his own sword, was equally stunned.
He had asked the Gyeongbuk First Sword to show something more, but he hadn't expected feats like this.
Shiiiik!
Soon, Underdog closed in with a sharp whistle.
「Damn it.」
In response, Kim Tae-jun finally released both the black sword and curved sword to regain his balance.
Then he barely swatted away the bullet-like Underdog.
Paaang!
A deafening boom erupted, sparks flying.
At the same time, granite fragments swirled in the dust and scattered everywhere.
「Ugh...?」
The back of Kim Tae-jun's left hand, which had struck Underdog, was partially torn.
The moment the dagger-axe weapon Underdog's power was proven.
【Power increased by 25% against targets larger than the user.】
And the moment it was confirmed that Kim Tae-jun's granite flesh wasn't invincible.
'But why isn't Pain Infliction activating?'
Young-woo tilted his head as he looked at the dust-covered Underdog that had returned.
Didn't the golden punishment's Pain Infliction activate just from the weapon grazing the opponent's body?
Yet Kim Tae-jun showed no sign of pain despite the damage to his flesh—he was merely surprised.
'No way that rock pile is some kind of shield?'
If so, he couldn't use the golden punishment effectively until he scraped away that outer layer completely.
"......"
As Young-woo's vision darkened and he was about to groan, Kim Tae-jun turned to attack Jo Sang-ik alone this time.
He had decided to reduce their numbers starting with the heads.
「Die!」
Having taken external damage in just two exchanges, Kim Tae-jun was far more agitated than before.
There were dozens more First Swords outside this intersection, and the fact that he couldn't overwhelm even these two was a huge disappointment.
Kwa-bam!
His enraged fists pounded the ground repeatedly.
The Gwanak Sword Technique advised thrusting out the sword to block—no, evade unconditionally.
But that didn't create an opening for counterattack.
Kim Tae-jun was a monster whose strength and sensory stats surpassed most First Swords.
Kwa-ang!
"H-Hey!"
Having dodged Kim Tae-jun's third attack by a hair's breadth, Jo Sang-ik finally called for Young-woo's support.
"Didn't we agree to cooperate earlier? What's going on?"
Of course, Young-woo wasn't deliberately sitting out the fight.
Kim Tae-jun's every punch had Jo Sang-ik dancing on the edge of death, making subjectively felt time stretch.
"Just hold on a bit longer. I'll figure something out."
Young-woo said this while already closing in almost to Kim Tae-jun's lower back.
'Piercing that outer layer with the black sword seems tough, so I guess keep hitting with Underdog.'
The Gyeongbuk Sword Technique proposed a similar tactic to Young-woo's thinking.
Throw the sword far again, then retrieve remotely for attack.
But how many more times would he need to use it to whittle away Kim Tae-jun's outer layer?
'I'll get hit first. It was already razor-thin earlier.'
Maybe the Gyeongbuk Sword Technique couldn't find a better answer and was repeating the same orders.
It couldn't be advising suicide against an unbeatable foe.
"......"
For the first time, doubt crept in toward the Gyeongbuk Sword Technique's guidance, but there were no other options.
'No choice. See how Kim Tae-jun reacts this time.'
In the end, Young-woo decided to follow the Gyeongbuk Sword Technique's advice one more time.
Hweat!
He threw Underdog high above Kim Tae-jun's head.
Taat!
Then charged forward, gripping the black sword with both hands.
"Hup!"
A diagonal slash with all his power.
At the same time, he recalled the distant Underdog for a pincer attack.
Shwaaaaak!
Hearing the unnatural whoosh again, Kim Tae-jun—who had been chasing Jo Sang-ik—halted and turned.
「You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?」
He then simply caught Young-woo's black sword—swinging with Doggo's wedge pattern—with his hand.
Taat!
The same development as before.
Next, Kim Tae-jun would swat Underdog, and Young-woo would extend the blade to retreat.
"......!"
But the hologram from the Gyeongbuk Sword Technique showed it standing still, doing nothing.
As if there was no next guidance.
'What? It wants me to handle it myself?'
Or could this be...
「Got you.」
In that brief moment of Young-woo's confusion, Kim Tae-jun's massive hand viciously seized his torso.
With the right hand that should have swatted Underdog, he grabbed Young-woo instead.
He'd had no intention of defending from the start.
「They call this giving flesh to take bone, right?」
Kuduk.
As Kim Tae-jun squeezed, blood sprayed from Young-woo's mouth, soaking Tae-jun's forearm.
"Kuhak!"
At the same time, Underdog returned to Young-woo.
Shwaaak!
Slamming into the wrist of Kim Tae-jun's hand that held him.
Taaang!
A strike so loud it deafened, sparks erupting under Young-woo's chin. Soon, the sound of Underdog hitting the ground rang out.
Clink.
The full-power attack succeeded, but failed to pierce Kim Tae-jun's body.
"You... idiot!"
Jo Sang-ik swung his sword at Kim Tae-jun's back with a devastated expression, but he didn't budge.
「I told you, heaven's given me plenty of power.」
Kim Tae-jun wore a triumphant look.
But not even a second later.
「...Ugh?」
His mouth gaped open, eyes rolling a couple times.
Like someone who'd unknowingly put spoiled food in their mouth.
「What is this?」
A strange energy enveloped his entire body.
Then the hand gripping Young-woo felt like it was burning.
「Eek!」
Kim Tae-jun reflexively flung Young-woo away, but the unidentified pain had already raced up his arm, spreading through his whole body.
「Wh-What did you do?」
As Kim Tae-jun voiced his confusion amid vision-blurring agony, Young-woo—sprawled on the ground—barely opened his mouth.
"It's one of my persuasion methods."
He raised his blood-soaked arm to grab the whistle around his neck.
"And this."
The whistle approached his lips.
"Is my last resort."
Preeeeek!
Finally, as Young-woo blew the whistle, the heavens began to open once more.