Chapter 235: Survive Three Strikes (2)
Chapter 235: Survive Three Strikes (2)
The White Tiger lamented toward the heavens for a moment before speaking again.
That was the best news Patrick had heard all day.
The White Tiger paused, his voice turning resolute.
“…….”
“…….”
Patrick remained silent.
In short, the tiger was telling him to get lost.
‘Well, I figured as much.’
If he could settle this by simply retreating from the Great Forest instead of fighting a monster like this, it was actually a profitable deal. Even if failing the pioneering project was a shame, retreating was the wise choice here. However…
“And if I refuse?”
The problem was that Patrick Schneider was a man who habitually made unwise choices.
The White Tiger frowned at Patrick’s answer.
Patrick gritted his teeth.
“You sure talk a big game, you damn overgrown cat!”
Patrick began to rant, jumping down the tiger’s throat.
“If you’re going to claim this territory so firmly, then manage it properly!”
“Because of the monsters that constantly pour out of this forest, countless humans in the East—including those in my hometown—are dying! And what? You guys can cross over, but we can’t? What kind of bullshit is that, you furball?!”
The White Tiger fell silent.
Most beings subservient to Kalaron were impulsive and possessed strong destructive tendencies. Consequently, internal competition was fierce, and those pushed out of their territories within the Great Forest would spill out into the world beyond.
To the servants of Kalaron, this was only natural.
Survival of the fittest.
By following the laws of nature, those who survived longer evolved and gained greater power. Those who continued to grow would eventually be chosen by Kalaron to reside in his Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.
It was inevitable that those nearby would get caught in the crossfire during that process.
The White Tiger sighed.
“I refuse.”
“What, you got a problem with that? Then let’s go.”
The man was an utter lunatic.
If anyone had been standing next to Patrick right now, they would have sold their soul to a demon just to shut that mouth of his. Unfortunately, only Patrick and the White Tiger were present.
And Patrick had no intention of backing down.
Even if he withdrew now, things would be fine for a while. If he used the forces he had gathered to fortify the Schneider Fief, he could protect his people from the monster threat—at least as long as he was alive.
But how long would that last?
After his death, as the Schneider Fief’s power inevitably waned, things would return to the way they were. A life where people barely clung to a daily existence defined by blood and death.
He couldn't just stand by and watch that happen.
Patrick spoke firmly.
“I’m not moving an inch. So if anyone’s leaving, it’s you.”
Patrick gripped his swords in both hands, his fighting spirit flaring out without reservation.
‘Dammit, I didn’t actually plan for it to go this far….’
His chances of winning?
There probably weren't any. For the first time in a long while, he was facing a battle that went beyond reckless and straight into suicidal.
But so what?
Wasn't a martial artist’s life spent walking on the edge of a blade anyway? If one abandoned their convictions out of fear of death, they were no longer a martial artist.
Seeing Patrick’s death-defying resolve, the White Tiger spoke.
“What? If there was a way, why didn't you say so earlier?”
“And?”
The White Tiger sighed at Patrick, who didn't even blink.
“A trial?”
The World Tree had mentioned a trial before, and now the White Tiger was doing the same.
“A trial, huh? What is it?”
Patrick thought for a moment before answering.
“Recognize my domain, from the Pioneer City I built to my hometown behind it.”
The White Tiger gazed up at the sky. After a moment…
“…….”
Patrick’s expression turned peculiar.
“Three strikes? Are you sure that’s enough?”
“…….*
Patrick looked up at the sky and lamented.
“The great Radiant Dragon Hero has really fallen, hasn't he?”
Sure, he acknowledged that the cat in front of him was a formidable being. In the Central Plains, it was one of the Four Symbols that protected the world, and in this world, it was an apostle of Kalaron, the god of destruction and chaos.
Impressive. Truly impressive. But…
“Three strikes, huh….”
Yeah, he couldn't help it. This was insulting.
Patrick gritted his teeth.
“Hey.”
“Shut up and…”
Patrick beckoned with his hand.
“Bring it.”
A red light descended from the sky, illuminating the White Tiger’s body. A strange mark appeared on the tiger’s forehead, one Patrick had never seen before.
The White Tiger spoke with a majestic voice.
In that instant, the White Tiger vanished.
Jincheon, the Radiant Dragon Hero.
Though he was more often called the "Mad Dragon" than the "Radiant Dragon," the meaning behind his title was clear.
A swordsman with speed like light.
That was how the Martial World knew him. Even the Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, who boasted the fastest blade among the Nine Great Sects, could not surpass Jincheon in speed.
It was the same on the Pangemonia Continent. No one had been able to outpace Patrick.
Until this very moment.
‘……!’
If you think and then move, you’re too late.
The moment he sensed danger, Patrick maintained his Immovable Heart and surrendered his body to instinct and intuition.
K-boom!
Long, terrifyingly sharp claw marks tore through the space where Patrick had just been standing. It was an attack that would have shredded a human body beyond recognition, striking so fast it was impossible to see it coming.
“Phew….”
But Patrick dodged.
Though his shirt was shredded by the passing claws, his body was uninjured. Landing calmly on the ground, Patrick whispered.
“One.”
He had dodged the first strike. Two remained.
If they were simple attacks like that, he might be able to survive somehow, but…
The White Tiger gave a low growl. Then…
“Hmm….”
Pale sprouts began to burst from the earth. They grew at an incredible rate, turning into trees and stretching out branches that moved according to the tiger’s will.
The White Tiger’s Authority was over plants and wind. He was a divine beast capable of controlling the growth of vegetation at will.
In an instant, hundreds of branches lunged toward Patrick.
Patrick’s instincts screamed. These weren't just branches. Each one carried the weight of a 7-Star Knight’s full-powered strike.
He had to dodge, but there was no path of escape. In that case…
‘If there’s no path, I’ll force one open.’
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Sixth Form
Nine Dragons Under Heaven
Adaptive Style: Surging Departure
The dragons of Patrick’s Shaped Aura surged toward a single point.
Crash!
The dragons collided with the trees controlled by the White Tiger, but their advance was halted only for a moment before they shattered. However, Patrick’s sword did not stop.
A second dragon immediately flew toward the same spot.
Boom!
Right after the second dragon shattered, a third followed.
Rumble!
Then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth….
Normally, Nine Dragons Under Heaven was a technique that released nine dragons of Shaped Aura simultaneously to cover a wide area, making it useful against multiple opponents.
But this was different.
Instead of sending nine dragons at once, he sent them in nine successive waves, concentrating them all on a single point.
BOOM!
The eighth dragon finally pushed through the wall of wood controlled by the White Tiger. Patrick didn't miss the opening and launched the ninth dragon.
At the same time, he threw himself onto the dragon, surging forward with it.
Creeeeeak.
Unleashing his full Shaped Aura nine times in a row put an extraordinary strain on his entire body. However…
KABOOM!
Patrick finally broke through the encirclement of trees by sheer force. The dragon he unleashed ascended high into the sky, and Patrick landed lightly on the ground.
“…….”
He clamped his lips shut to keep the blood from welling up in his throat. After swallowing it back down, he spoke to the White Tiger.
“Two strikes down.”
One left.
The White Tiger looked at Patrick with eyes full of wonder.
What kind of nonsense—no, cat-sense—was it going to spout now? It was probably more of that "Man of Prophecy" talk.
‘Like I care.’
The moment a martial artist draws their sword, even the greatest secrets of the universe are nothing but distractions. Patrick’s expression didn't show a hint of agitation.
The White Tiger raised its front paw. The surrounding wind began to gather around its unsheathed claws.
Whirrrrrrr!
The wind gathered. It compressed.
Between the tiger’s claws, a turbulent surge was transforming into sharp blades of air. The mere aftershocks created a violent torrent that made it difficult for a normal person to even stand.
Within that storm, Patrick took his stance and stared calmly at the White Tiger.
The White Tiger looked at Patrick with a gaze of faint admiration.
The tiger spoke with genuine concern.
The moment the White Tiger’s paw struck down…
――――――――.
Sound vanished.
All that could be seen was the blinding white light of the wind blades.
The sheer volume of wind blades—thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps millions—was like a natural disaster. Facing that overwhelming power, Patrick narrowed his eyes and lunged forward.
Throwing himself into that terrifying storm of blades seemed like the height of recklessness. However…
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Seventh Form
Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon
The illusory dragon that frolics in the moonlight leaves no trace even as it passes through clouds.
As if seeping into the enemy’s attack without resisting the flow, Patrick moved forward.
Clang! Tang!
Between the attacks, Patrick’s sword darted out, parrying the trajectories of the wind blades. His progress, step by step through the gaps he created, was nothing short of miraculous. However…
Slice! Rip!
The number of attacks grazing Patrick’s body began to increase. Patrick’s brow twitched as his focus wavered.
‘Is it too much after all?’
Among the Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles, there were two forms Patrick had never perfectly mastered.
One was the Ultimate Secret Art, Radiant Dragon’s Reign. The scale of that technique was so vast that he doubted it was even meant for a human to perform. It was understandable that he couldn't pull it off.
But this technique—the seventh form, Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon—was fundamentally incompatible with Patrick.
While most of the Twin Dragons techniques were built on speed and power, Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon was the pinnacle of illusion and softness. This most idiosyncratic of the forms was notoriously difficult.
Even the legendary Radiant Dragon Hero had only mastered it to a usable level in actual combat in his mid-thirties. And even then, it wasn't to his satisfaction.
Naturally, it became a technique he rarely used, and at some point, he had simply acted as if it didn't exist.
Now, he was paying the price.
Thud! Slash! Bam!
‘Dammit… I should have practiced more.’
He was getting hit more and more frequently. How much longer could he hold out? Could he protect his body to the end with an unrefined technique amidst this infinite storm of wind blades?
Should he switch to the powerful defensive form, Dragon Scale Whirlwind? No, it was impossible. Dragon Scale Whirlwind’s defense wouldn't be enough to block this.
He had chosen Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon precisely because he knew that. And more than anything, forcing a change in sword forms mid-execution would lead directly to Qi Deviation.
‘I’m not April… wait.’
A possibility flashed through Patrick’s mind.
April. A Heavenly Martial Body whose pure talent might even surpass his own. She had created and performed a technique that combined Flash Dragon Strike and the Great Dragon Cross Sword.
At the time, Patrick had been amazed that she hadn't suffered Qi Deviation after pulling off such a reckless stunt. But looking at it another way…
‘What if it’s possible to execute two sword forms simultaneously?’
It was a slim chance, but it might be the only way out of this crisis.
Of course, he knew. This was insane.
Flash Dragon Strike and the Great Dragon Cross Sword were at least somewhat similar in nature. Even combining those two was perilous. But to simultaneously perform two techniques with completely different foundations…
The most likely outcome was dying on the spot, bleeding from every orifice. But then again…
Thwack! Shhhhk!
The result would be the same if he just kept trying to endure. There was no way he could survive to the end with his current mastery.
‘If I’m going to die either way….’
“Then gambling is the right answer.”
Patrick abandoned his Immovable Heart.
A fierce fighting spirit returned to his face, and his grip on his swords tightened. He ruthlessly pulled the energy from his two Dantians up to his middle Dantian.
And then…
‘Let’s see if this works.’
He shattered it.
He intentionally destroyed his middle Dantian, the vital core necessary for manifesting Aura.
Normally, this would be considered the act of a madman. But…
Twin Dragon Primordial Chaos Heart Method.
‘I’m putting my faith in you.’
Nowhere else in the world would you find a sect that split their Dantian in two besides the Twin Dragon Sect.
“Gah…!”
Patrick coughed up blood from the agony of his middle Dantian shattering. It was a violent pain that threatened to make him collapse instantly.
But he had to keep swinging his swords.
Pang! Boom!
If he stopped for even a second, he would be shredded to pieces. He had to keep defending himself while simultaneously practicing the Twin Dragon Primordial Chaos Heart Method to forge two middle Dantians.
‘Dammit, is this even humanly possible?’
Circulating energy during a battle? Insane.
Splitting the middle Dantian in two? Also insane.
Insane + Insane = ?
What was he even supposed to call this?
‘Tch, no wonder people called me the Mad Dragon.’
Patrick gritted his teeth. Splitting the middle Dantian was something even the Radiant Dragon Hero of his past life had never attempted. He had to make it happen now, somehow.
Carefully… but there was no time for care.
In a situation where every second counted, Patrick rapidly divided his Dantian, infused it with energy, and connected it to his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Perhaps it was because he had done this twice before? It was actually working.
“Ugh… Gaaaah!”
Even this hardened warrior couldn't help but scream from the excruciating pain. And finally…
“Cough… It… it worked!”
The middle Dantian had split and settled into place. Normally, he would have checked and double-checked its state before carefully utilizing it, but…
“Let’s gooooo!”
He was about to die; there was no time for that!
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Synthesis Style
Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon & Dragon Scale Whirlwind
‘I’ll name the move later!’
A powerful whirlwind erupted from Patrick’s body, soaring toward the heavens. Simultaneously…
The White Tiger was struck with awe.
The countless wind blades it had unleashed were caught in the whirlwind, rising toward the sky and changing shape. Before long, the vortex transformed into a massive dragon of wind—a Wind Dragon that coiled the blades around itself and surged toward the White Tiger.
KABOOM!
With a terrifying explosion, the White Tiger was sent flying backward.
“ROAARR!”
The White Tiger cried out in pain, yet it was filled with joy.
How long had it been? How long had it been since it had felt an attack powerful enough to actually cause it pain?
The White Tiger tumbled back a great distance before finally skidding to a halt. When it picked itself up, it saw Patrick standing tall on his two feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
The White Tiger was certain.
“…….”
“…….”
It was then.
“Gah…”
Patrick sprayed a mouthful of dark blood and collapsed backward.
The White Tiger panicked and rushed to Patrick’s side. It nudged Patrick’s body gently with its massive paw, its voice trembling with anxiety.
Hearing the tiger’s wailing, Patrick spoke in a trembling voice.
“You… you….”
‘You did this, you son of a… no, you damn cat.’
“Dam… ages… head….”
‘I’m getting compensation for this, you damn furball. Internal core, Cintamani, hide, claws….’
“Gurgle!”
Looking into the White Tiger’s shimmering, earnest eyes—completely oblivious to his true thoughts—Patrick felt a Qi Deviation coming on that was worse than when his Dantian had split.
‘You piece of….’
And then, Patrick lost consciousness.