Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 44
A duel without using magic.
Se-yeon readily nodded her head at this.
"Good."
Thinking there was sufficient chance of victory, Se-yeon's eyes regained their vitality.
Se-yeon silently drew her sword and pointed it at Seo-jin.
A rusted iron sword with chips here and there.
It looked like a piece of scrap metal that could break at any moment, but Se-yeon didn't seem to mind much.
Well, for her, weapons were ultimately just mediums used to efficiently release her monstrous strength.
It wouldn't matter if it was a club or steel pipe instead of a sword.
Seo-jin extended his hand with a relaxed expression.
"I'll let you go first."
The duel began with Seo-jin's words.
CHIRIT-.
In an instant, Se-yeon's figure became blurry and she rushed right up to Seo-jin's nose.
Se-yeon's eyes flashed as she swung her sword.
But Seo-jin had predicted her approach by seeing the strength enter Se-yeon's legs.
He tilted his head back and easily dodged the attack.
SSWAEK-.
Seo-jin's hair scattered in the air, cut by Se-yeon's sword.
Because Se-yeon's attack was slightly faster than expected, he couldn't dodge it perfectly.
'Fast.'
Then black sword energy burst forth from Se-yeon's iron sword.
JWAAAAAK-.
This wasn't sword energy from the swordsman class, but Se-yeon's unique authority - Blood Lineage Sword Energy.
The sword energy splitting into three streams looked difficult to dodge easily.
In response, Seo-jin used his secret martial art, Mixed Origin Black Flash Steps to slide away from that spot.
SSEUSSEUSSEU-.
Seo-jin scattered black lightning with his toes as he distanced himself far back.
Se-yeon, who had cut through empty air futilely, landed on the ground and simultaneously,
PAANG-.
Sprang toward Seo-jin again like bouncing.
CHWAJAAK-
Se-yeon scattered sword energy toward Seo-jin once more.
Seo-jin dodged the attack using footwork just like before.
Thus continued the exchange where Se-yeon attacked and Seo-jin dodged.
PABABAT-.
However, the tide of battle gradually turned unfavorable for Seo-jin.
Because as the battle continued, Se-yeon's speed and strength gradually became faster and stronger.
This was the effect of Se-yeon's characteristic - Berserk.
As health and mana decreased during battle, her blood boiled up, greatly increasing agility, strength, and natural healing power.
"KURURU."
As the characteristic activated, Se-yeon's pupils gradually reddened and she was slowly consumed by instinct.
When it reached its peak, severed limbs would regenerate instantly, and she could exert maximum power even in a dying state.
There were only two ways to end this berserker state.
'Kill in one blow.'
Or.
JJEOENG-!
Deplete the 'blood' that was the source of the rampage.
Seo-jin caught Se-yeon's attack with hands imbued with the mysteries of Mixed Origin Fist and raised the corners of his mouth.
'No matter how good the regeneration, blood isn't infinite.'
If he blew off her limbs a few times and made them regenerate, the berserker state would quickly be released due to the blood used for regeneration.
"I can't kill you, so take some hits."
PPAK-.
"......!"
Seo-jin's fist landed squarely on Se-yeon's nose.
Blood burst from Se-yeon's nose and splattered everywhere.
After being knocked back once, Se-yeon rolled on the ground, regained her stance, and charged at Seo-jin again.
PAANG-!
Her movements naturally brought beasts to mind, and charging forward with her sword extended looked just like an arrow.
By this point, even Seo-jin's eyes could barely follow that form.
He could only dodge Se-yeon's attacks based on instinct, intuition, and experience.
If he used the Eye of Insight, he could respond by analyzing mana flow and muscle movements, but he had said from the beginning that he wouldn't use magic.
Seo-jin gathered mana at his heel and struck the ground to block Se-yeon's charging path.
[Mixed Origin Kick]
JJEOENG-.
The ground burst and fragments flew toward Se-yeon.
"......!"
Se-yeon, who had been rushing toward Seo-jin, swung her sword at the fragments pouring toward her.
SASAK-.
Se-yeon instantly cut through the fragments.
Fine fragments she couldn't cut grazed past like bullets, carving wounds all over her body, but she couldn't stop her charge.
Se-yeon, covered in blood from the thin cuts, ignored this and continued rushing toward Seo-jin.
"Tch."
No ordinary method could stop her.
Making this judgment, Seo-jin gathered Mixed Origin energy in both hands to block Se-yeon's thrusting sword.
PAJIJIK-.
A wall of internal energy created by applying the principles of Mixed Origin Palm.
However, the berserker's power contained in Se-yeon's sword gradually cut through the Mixed Origin energy and burrowed inward.
Unable to help it, Seo-jin withdrew his energy and dodged to the side.
CHWAAAAAK-!
The tip of Se-yeon's sword advanced, tearing through the Mixed Origin energy.
Se-yeon twisted her pivot foot and followed Seo-jin who had dodged to the side.
CHWAJAAK-!
Relentless consecutive attacks poured down like a downpour.
Though Seo-jin's combat sense was outstanding, it was difficult to face someone with the makings of a Sword Demon with pure hand-to-hand combat while completely sealing magic.
Hyeon-wol watched Seo-jin running around and Se-yeon chasing him, muttering as if amazed.
[Ho, she lacks form and ceremony but has grasped the mysteries of combat. She's a genius of a different type from you.]
'Shut up. I know.'
The trajectory of Se-yeon's sword wasn't in the form of conventional swordsmanship.
But it wasn't random either.
Though it might not be refined, her instincts were leading her along the best sword path.
Truly movements optimized for survival and hunting.
That appearance of swinging the sword to survive, to defeat the opponent.
Perhaps that was the true essence of real swordsmanship.
PABABAK-.
The exchange continued.
The more blood Se-yeon shed, the faster and sharper she became, but Seo-jin was gradually reaching his limits.
"Kuk."
His body was already weakened to the extreme from the battle with the Lich King.
Having used refined mana to operate the Primordial Unity Technique here, he couldn't suppress the Reverse Heaven's mana and Seo-jin's body gradually began to be consumed by madness.
'...This is troublesome.'
He could win by blowing off one of Se-yeon's limbs, but the current Seo-jin wasn't cruel enough to do that.
KUULLUK-.
Finally, Seo-jin coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, Se-yeon's sword thrust precisely toward Seo-jin's neck.
'I can't dodge this.'
Sighing, Seo-jin extended his hand forward and cast magic.
"Black Chain."
CHWAREURU-.
Magic chains sprang from the magic circle and wrapped around Se-yeon's sword and body.
Se-yeon was tightly bound by the Black Chain, ending up dangling like a caterpillar.
Seo-jin used blood magic to extract blood from Se-yeon's body.
"Haa, haa,"
When the boiling blood was taken away, the bloodshot finally faded from Se-yeon's eyes and rationality gradually returned.
Coming to her senses, Se-yeon asked.
"You used... magic, didn't you?"
"Yes, you won."
Seo-jin answered while returning the extracted blood back to Se-yeon's body with blood magic.
Se-yeon wiped her dripping noseblood and said.
"I know you went easy on me."
"I didn't go that easy."
Though he hadn't used the optimal move of blowing off Se-yeon's limbs, he had done his best in his own way.
'She seems much stronger than in my previous life.'
Was it because she was living desperately, searching for meaning in life?
He thought he had picked up a kitten, but it turned out to be a tiger cub.
"The bet is your victory. Will you follow me?"
At Seo-jin's question, Se-yeon thought quietly then shook her head.
She felt her training was still insufficient.
"I'll devote myself more to training."
It wasn't that she had no desire to follow behind him.
But she didn't want to honestly admit that either.
Because it felt humiliating to succumb to another's kindness.
And Se-yeon herself knew.
That her power couldn't bloom if she settled under someone's kindness and protection.
That it was a blood-stained flower that could only bloom in a life that was more broken, more painful, and more lonely.
That was probably why Seo-jin was trying to separate from her too.
Having hardened her resolve, Se-yeon raised her head.
"Which floor shall we meet on?"
That didn't mean she planned to die buried in solitude.
So let's promise to meet again.
She could work harder for that time.
Seo-jin nodded at Se-yeon's answer. He decided to respect her choice.
"Contact me when you reach the 10th floor."
"How?"
"......"
Come to think of it, neither Seo-jin nor Se-yeon had communication terminals.
A primitive duo living disconnected from the world in the information age.
Seo-jin, who had lost his words and pondered for a moment, opened his mouth.
"Come to the Garden of Spring on the 10th floor. You'll be able to find traces of me there."
***
Several weeks after conquering the 4th floor.
News of the supernova covered the media daily.
[Achieving new records daily.]
[Just how far will the supernova's journey go?]
[Reached the 8th floor, next is the 9th floor.]
Seo-jin visited a restaurant and chewed chicken with his face hidden by a robe.
UMUULUMUL-.
Hearing news about himself was embarrassing, but Seo-jin felt no particular emotion.
Rather, Seo-jin was concerned about the gaze he felt from a table far away.
Seo-jin asked Hyeon-wol.
"That guy, he's looking at me, right?"
[Yes. He's been following since yesterday.]
A man sipping beer while wearing a large bamboo hat pulled down.
He seemed to think he was disguised, but Seo-jin could see his identity clearly.
'Shadowless Flying Hero Nam-gung Cheon.'
The former guild leader of the Thief Guild, a higher organization of the Black Snake Gang that Seo-jin had smashed at the beginning, and Seo-jin's former sworn brother.
When he had smashed the Black Snake Gang earlier, they had briefly exchanged blows over the 'iron ingot (Sword's Original)'.
He had wondered when he would come, and now he finally appeared.
His tracking ability was a waste of his title.
Or maybe, knowing that guy's personality, he hadn't been desperately chasing but searching leisurely.
HUROOP-.
Seo-jin finished the remaining beer and went outside the restaurant.
As Seo-jin got up from his seat, Nam-gung Cheon followed his movement.
Seo-jin deliberately moved toward a deserted alley, and Nam-gung Cheon lightly followed behind.
After moving for some time, Seo-jin stopped in the alley and said.
"Why don't you come out instead of hiding like a rat?"
"Tch......"
SEUIK-,
Nam-gung Cheon finally revealed himself from the shadows and asked with surprised eyes.
"How did you notice? My tracking technique is......"
"How many people wear robes like you on this 9th floor?"
What good was hiding in the shadows when his robe was clearly visible?
The 9th floor was an ancient Mycenaean-style labyrinth city. Nobody wore such robes.
"......Ah."
This was the result of dressing up pretentiously for style.
Flustered, Nam-gung Cheon pointed his finger at Seo-jin.
"Whatever, you know why I came, right?"
"Bounty? Did your younger sister send you?"
Nam-gung Cheon was greatly flustered as if hit right on target.
"Uh, how did you, no, that's not it......"
After floundering, he regained his composure and confessed the truth.
"Actually, that's right. I need to earn the bounty and get back the iron ingot (Sword's Original) you took."
"Then let's make a bet."
"What bet?"
"Breaking through the 9th floor's maze."
"I already cleared it?"
Nam-gung Cheon had already cleared the 9th floor climbing test.
He wasn't even at the level to be active on this floor anyway.
"I know. What I'm talking about isn't the maze for the climbing test."
There were various mazes in the labyrinth city.
From small-scale mazes used for climbing tests to giant mazes not yet explored.
The location of this bet was the still unconquered Labyrinthos. That is, the Minotaur's labyrinth.
"How about it?"
"......It brings back old memories and sounds interesting?"
Nam-gung Cheon shrugged his shoulders.
"But why should I? I could just beat you up here and take it."
From his position, there was no need to accept the bet. He could just beat him up and take it.
At this, Seo-jin smiled.
"After getting beaten like that on the 2nd floor, you think you can win here?"
"Hey, that was because I was drunk. If I'm serious, you're dead meat."
SEUIK-.
Nam-gung Cheon moved his body as if ready to charge immediately.
This was the ready stance for his footwork, Shadowless Steps.
But Seo-jin was relaxed.
"Well. If you're confident, try it."
When Seo-jin placed his hand against the alley wall.
ULLEONG-.
The wall instantly rippled like water.
At the same time, Seo-jin entered inside the wall as if being sucked in.
"Uh, what, what? Stop there!"
Nam-gung Cheon also leaped toward the wall where Seo-jin had disappeared, but.
KWAANG-.
"KKEUEOP!"
Unlike Seo-jin, he bounced off after hitting the wall.
"Damn it."
Nam-gung Cheon rubbed his reddened forehead and checked the wall surface.
The walls of the labyrinth city were a kind of living organism that could change into maze entrances depending on activity.
Though it was a simple wall now, he should be able to find the entrance by reading the flow of mana.
'Here, is it here?'
Originally, a labyrinth was a dungeon where once you entered, it was difficult to come out easily.
Entering recklessly meant you couldn't guarantee coming out safely.
Entering a labyrinth impulsively like now was practically suicide.
However.
For Nam-gung Cheon, whose eyes had already rolled back, such things were very minor problems.
Moreover, he had the aptitude of a 'Pathfinder' guide and possessed power comparable to the top floor strategy team.
If he backed down scared of a mere 9th floor labyrinth, even the neighbor's dog would laugh.
SSEUSSEUSSEU-.
'Found it!'
Nam-gung Cheon placed his hand on the wall, read the flow of mana, and soon found the entrance to the labyrinth Seo-jin had entered.
"Just wait until I catch you."
His fuming figure disappeared beyond the wall.