Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Fast vs. Fast
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Han Ibi crossed his arms in an X shape without a second thought, blocking the attack.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, it was Han Ibi's body that went flying.
Crash!
Han Ibi had no choice but to sprawl out on the ground again, kicking up another massive racket.
"Ho ho. This is getting interesting."
The masked man chuckled as he continued.
"Your reactions are pretty sharp... but what about this?"
Shing!
He drew his sword from the scabbard strapped to his back.
The man was right.
Weapons were on a whole different level from fists or knees. One hit, and you'd be done for.
Swoosh!
In an instant, the masked man's sword shot toward Han Ibi's heart.
Startled, Han Ibi flipped backward in a handstand, dodging it.
But the man's sword changed trajectory mid-swing, stabbing toward Han Ibi's back once more.
Without thinking, Han Ibi pushed off the ground with both arms and leaped into the air.
The man's sword grazed past by a hair's breadth.
But using centrifugal force, it whipped back around toward Han Ibi's head.
Han Ibi curled his body mid-air.
Snip!
A chunk of his hair scattered into the air.
At the same time, Han Ibi activated his lightness skill and retreated nearly three zhang.
But then...
"You devil! You damn devil!"
Ah... aha ha...
The people right in front of him were none other than Seong Chun-don and his gang.
They swarmed toward Han Ibi like fat koi in a pond spotting scattered feed.
As he fended off their wild flurry of attacks, Han Ibi felt his lower abdomen swelling to the breaking point.
The sinister energy of the Crimson Dream Great Law...
It was like desperately needing the bathroom but being unable to hold it...
Whack!
Han Ibi finally took a hard blow to the back of his head.
It was a feeling so foul it made all the rage in the world boil up in an instant.
The culprit was Seong Chun-don, his eyes bloodshot. He'd finally succeeded.
Han Ibi lost his reason and charged at Seong Chun-don's lower body—like a low tackle...
Thud crash!
Han Ibi grabbed Seong Chun-don's legs and they both tumbled down together.
He mounted Seong Chun-don's upper body and unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound. No techniques came to mind—just pure frenzy.
"Today, I'm killing at least you before I go."
Zombie-fied martial artists stomped and punched at Han Ibi's back.
It hurt—a lot.
'Status window!'
Han Ibi selected the Dark Tumor Art skill.
Han Ibi deployed a localized Dark Tumor Art on his own back and began beating Seong Chun-don—just enough not to kill him.
At the same time, he felt the Crimson Dream Great Law's energy bubbling in his lower dantian grow even more intense.
Han Ibi flinched for a moment.
'The Great Law... can't let the Great Law activate...'
Then came a cackling laugh.
"Hey, kid. What the hell are you doing fighting me? You're one thick-headed bastard."
It was the masked man.
Infuriating, but in his excitement, Han Ibi had completely forgotten about him for a moment.
'Guess I really hate that Seong Chun-don guy...'
Just then, a dark shadow fell between Han Ibi and the masked man. It was Seo Ui-jae charging straight at him.
Despite his plump body, he was surprisingly nimble.
Proof that he had trained diligently without slacking.
But...
Pfsh!
Seo Ui-jae's movements halted in an instant.
He stared in disbelief at the masked man's sword protruding from his abdomen from behind.
"Elder!"
Han Ibi shouted in shock and rushed over.
At that moment, he saw Seo Ui-jae's torso lift upward.
The masked man had hoisted him up entirely on his sword like a skewer.
Han Ibi was even more stunned.
Whoosh!
Seo Ui-jae was flung into the air and slammed onto the ground.
Han Ibi swiftly deployed his lightness skill to catch Seo Ui-jae's hefty body.
"Elder!"
Han Ibi cried out.
Seo Ui-jae had already returned to his usual gentle expression.
In a voice like grinding metal, he said,
"Hurry... get away from here..."
He took one final deep breath. That was it.
Han Ibi laid Seo Ui-jae down on the ground.
He ground his teeth.
"You damn mongrels..."
The one person who had treated him like a human...!
Dark veins were spreading around Han Ibi's forearms.
But the masked man paid it no mind.
He cackled as he spoke.
"That fat pest got in this elder's way without knowing his place. That's his fault."
At that moment, Han Ibi raised both arms and bellowed like thunder.
"Rawr!"
The masked man flinched into a defensive stance.
Then Han Ibi bolted in another direction.
A perfect feint.
The masked man stood dumbfounded, not even thinking to chase for a second.
Another watching masked man yelled,
"Idiot! What are you standing around for?"
Hearing that, the masked man snapped to and pursued Han Ibi.
"You rat bastard! You think you can escape?"
Han Ibi ran with every ounce of strength.
But he wasn't actually fleeing, contrary to what they thought.
'I need a weapon.'
To face these monsters with their insane internal energy, he needed a blade.
The sword he'd left behind was on the rack by the sparring platform.
Right next to Seong Chun-don's...
The martial artists around the platform were still locked in fierce brawls.
Already, quite a few Qingcheng Sect disciples lay dead or wounded.
'Damn it... This is turning into the exact same disaster from Dream of the Ant Snake. I knew it was coming and still couldn't stop it... My failure is unforgivable...'
Han Ibi dashed over, snatched his Hwanjo Sword, spun around, and shouted,
"Come on, let's have a proper fight."
The masked man, panting as he caught up, saw this and laughed in relief.
"Thought you were running to the outhouse? Just grabbing that freakish blade, huh? Heh heh heh."
Han Ibi said with resolute expression,
"Yeah. Laugh it up."
The masked man doubled over, clutching his belly as if about to collapse.
"Rookie. I've roamed the jianghu for years, but that's the ugliest dao I've ever seen. Ha ha ha. Thanks for broadening my horizons."
Han Ibi grinned and replied,
"Sorry, but this isn't a dao. It's a sword."
"Call it whatever you want. Not my business."
His eyes sharpened through the mask.
Han Ibi gripped the Hwanjo Sword tight. This would be its first real combat use.
At the same time, the status window reacted, and a light appeared.
[Player's current status specified.]
[Info]
[Martial Arts Categories]
- Internal Arts
- External Arts
- Lightness Skills
[Other Skills]
[Equipment]
Especially the changes stood out.
For one, an "Affiliation" had appeared. Guess he hadn't really belonged anywhere before.
To Koreans who valued business cards, a sense of belonging was huge.
'Nice, nice.'
He'd been avoiding it because the numbers weren't rising much, but after a while, everything had shot up across the board.
The blue text in Agility (+100) was especially satisfying.
This denoted so-called "gear boost."
With base Agility at 136, it was nearly double the effect.
'Huh? What's this?'
In the equipment abilities, there was "Random Reversal Acceleration."
Swoosh!
The sound of slicing wind!
"Rookie, what are you spacing out for?!"
Oh crap. This was still a fight!
This lunatic...
Han Ibi gripped the Hwanjo Sword again, clenched his molars, and braced for the attack.
He could see the masked man's sword tearing through space.
From the look, the man specialized in swift swordplay.
The blade itself was thin and light, designed to minimize air resistance.
The sword tip plunged toward Han Ibi's throat.
No more games—he was going for the kill.
Han Ibi watched it calmly.
The masked man laughed.
"What? So scared your limbs are curling up? Ha ha ha."
Sheesh... this cocky bastard.
'Now!'
Han Ibi unleashed Zhongli Pure Swordsmanship, striking down at the sword aimed at his throat.
Clang!
The sharp clash of true steel rang out.
Now it was the masked man's turn to look shocked.
"You dare!"
But he had no time to finish.
Han Ibi swiftly slashed toward his legs.
The masked man nimbly stepped aside while thrusting at Han Ibi's head.
Han Ibi switched to defensive and parried it away.
Clang!
Simultaneously, he unleashed a centrifugal slash.
The masked man flinched and shifted, but his side tore open.
'Good. He's really fast. Much faster than usual.'
Han Ibi nodded inwardly.
He hadn't noticed during practice, but the Hwanjo Sword suited real combat perfectly.
'Thanks, Elder Bok!'
Strike while the iron's hot, as they say.
Han Ibi extended his body to maximize reach, thrusting at the masked man's heart.
The masked man whirled his sword to block.
Clang!
A loud crash as blades locked.
A brief contest of strength ensued.
The man's strength seemed inferior to his agility.
The locked blades were slowly pushing toward him.
Imagining the masked face twisting in dismay, Han Ibi smirked triumphantly.
The man changed tactics, suddenly withdrawing his sword.
Retreating into a counter—essential for swift sword users. He sneered,
"Taste this, punk."
But something was off.
Though he'd pulled back instantly, Han Ibi's sword clung like glue, advancing without separating.
"Wha—how?!"
That's right.
The man had overlooked it.
His opponent—gear-boosted or not—was matching or exceeding his swift sword forms, mirroring the path once he read the moves.
The panicked masked man spun his sword wildly.
Han Ibi spun his in the same direction.
More desperate, the man hurled his sword outward like a projectile.
But that was the mistake.
This wasn't mimicry—why would Han Ibi follow that far?
He broke from the mirrored path and carved his own, lunging forward.
Lightning-fast speed!
Han Ibi's sword finally pierced the man's left shoulder.
The Hwanjo Sword sank an inch before pulling free, spraying blood.
Staining black fabric...
"Gah! You damn dog..."
But Han Ibi propelled forward and quipped,
"Why curse innocent puppies?"
He extended his arm fully, slashing at the man's head.
The wounded, flustered man had no chance to defend.
In a flash, Han Ibi's sword sliced toward his throat—
Clang!
(To be continued in the next chapter)