Chapter 364
Chapter 364
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 364
Chapter Title: Shadows and Thunder
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After obtaining the Ring of the Black Soul and leveling up Selfish Sacrifice, Soo-hyuk sensed that he needed time for himself.
His greatest weakness right now wasn't stamina or mana—it was time itself.
Thanks to the miracle of reincarnation, Soo-hyuk had gotten another chance. He climbed the path he'd walked once before even faster, achieving steep growth.
Was that why?
For a long time, Soo-hyuk had felt like he wasn't fully utilizing what he had. He was merely overcoming everything based on his experience using Lightning.
But now, with the divine item Ring of the Black Soul added to that, and a dramatic spec-up from leveling Selfish Sacrifice...
'I need time. A whole lot of it.'
He had first felt it during his duel with Hiles. He wasn't even utilizing a tenth of the power he possessed.
He learned how to wield his power—and learned it again.
How much power did he need to use to fight longer? What output for an opponent this strong? For one that strong? What if the enemy was a grand archmage? The Heavenly Demon?
He made all sorts of assumptions and fought imaginary foes. Jin Do-ha was naturally among them.
One day, while Ye-ryeong was overseeing Unhyang's training, Soo-hyuk went to find her.
"The Ring of the Black Soul... it has Stealth too?"
Ye-ryeong was startled. She had thought Soo-hyuk was using the Ring of the Black Soul merely as a spare stamina pouch.
"It does."
"It does? It does? It dooooes?"
"......Don't mock me. You're the expert at fighting with Stealth, right? Teach me that style."
Ye-ryeong was negative about Soo-hyuk's request.
"It doesn't suit you. Lightning and Stealth are skills at opposite ends of the spectrum."
But as she answered, Ye-ryeong's expression quickly turned puzzled. Anyone but Soo-hyuk wouldn't have overlooked something so basic.
"You've got something in mind?"
"Just teach me first."
"And then?"
"I'll figure it out."
From that day on, Soo-hyuk learned combat utilizing Stealth.
Why, isn't there a saying that even a temple dog recites poetry after three years?
Watching Ye-ryeong all these years helped.
Soo-hyuk quickly learned her combat style. It was a new way of fighting, and he researched how to infuse Lightning into it.
"......This isn't assassination, is it?"
That was Ye-ryeong's impression after watching Soo-hyuk fight using Stealth.
The opponent vanished right before his eyes. And that opponent was Lee Soo-hyuk, no less.
His presence disappeared. Namgung Ga-hwi couldn't hide his shock.
'Stealth?'
He hadn't heard that Lee Soo-hyuk had such an ability. Stealth was Kim Ye-ryeong's technique.
"Watch closely."
Jin Do-ha spoke to Namgung Ga-hwi, who was staring at the spot where Soo-hyuk had first vanished.
"Isn't he over there?"
Namgung Ga-hwi's head turned. His gaze followed Jin Do-ha's.
Nothing was visible. Unlike Jin Do-ha, who could see through even Kim Ye-ryeong's Stealth, his senses were a mess, like when he was a greenhorn first gripping a sword.
Ssshhhk—.
The moment he sensed something approaching from point-blank range.
Whoosh—.
Jin Do-ha's blue sword aura sliced toward Namgung Ga-hwi, cleaving his body in two.
Was this how he died? He couldn't understand why Jin Do-ha was cutting him down.
But sparks flew from the sword Jin Do-ha swung.
Cclang—!
Splatter—
A sword appeared from somewhere and clashed with Jin Do-ha's. Golden lightning collided with Jin Do-ha's blue sword aura, sparks flying, followed by several exchanges.
Rumble—.
Thunder crashed every time their swords met, flipping the earth. Namgung Ga-hwi hesitated and fell back, then widened his eyes.
'I need to help.'
There had to be a reason Jin Do-ha was matching blows with him.
Boom, boom, boom! Enormous sounds erupted with each clash. Soo-hyuk and Jin Do-ha soared into the sky and dropped back down. Even in that rapid movement, their swords clashed without respite.
Kaboom—!
Lightning burst from Soo-hyuk's swung sword, sweeping through the forest trees like a wave. In response, Jin Do-ha's sword energy unleashed a blue wave that rippled forth.
In that moment of grand techniques clashing.
Flash—.
Namgung Ga-hwi dove between them. Aiming for the moment Jin Do-ha crossed swords, he thrust at Soo-hyuk's back.
But.
Shhrr—.
Once again, Soo-hyuk's figure vanished.
"Damn it!"
Namgung Ga-hwi, who had swung futilely at empty air, spat a curse.
He focused all his nerves and spread mana across the entire forest. It took immense mana, enough to warrant Emperor's Sword Form.
Jin Do-ha and Namgung Ga-hwi charged at Soo-hyuk simultaneously. As they unleashed fierce strikes in a pincer attack, whoosh.
Soo-hyuk's figure flickered in and out of sight.
Flash—!
The vanished Soo-hyuk suddenly swung lightning. Attacks coming from unknown directions gnawed at their nerves. Their minds truly grew hazy.
"You cowardly bastard! Fight fair and square!"
Even while pincer-attacking, Namgung Ga-hwi uttered "fair and square." His mind was that frayed.
Jin Do-ha's was equally chaotic.
'Gone again.'
Soo-hyuk's form vanished into the shadows moment by moment. He only appeared when unleashing lightning for a major blow.
With their skill levels, they could take an opponent's life in the blink of an eye. Yet Soo-hyuk killed his presence and vanished repeatedly.
It felt like fighting both Lee Soo-hyuk and Kim Ye-ryeong at once. They had one more person, but it felt like the enemy had more.
'Troublesome.'
Fighting an opponent who vanished into Stealth now and then wasn't just tricky—it was hell.
Soo-hyuk vanished from sight. His presence and existence faded entirely, and Jin Do-ha and Namgung Ga-hwi's swords sliced empty air.
A brief hesitation.
Right after, Jin Do-ha unleashed rippling blue sword energy. Instinctively, he had pinpointed where Soo-hyuk had Stealthed.
Ssshhk—.
Soo-hyuk, who had been in Stealth, grazed Jin Do-ha's shoulder as he passed. It was like an assassin's dagger missing the throat and slicing the shoulder instead.
Screeech—.
At the same time, Jin Do-ha's horizontal sword energy neatly felled the forest trees.
Ignoring the crashing trees behind him, he turned. Before blood could flow from his sliced shoulder, Jin Do-ha moved.
He leaped over falling leaves and thin branches. In the blink of an eye, whoosh.
Jin Do-ha arrived before Soo-hyuk.
Ssshhk—.
Jin Do-ha's sword softly cleaved the air. It seemed frustratingly slow at first glance, but all who were deceived by it were bisected.
Wall Cloud Cleave Extreme.
Clouds parted along the sword tip. The dark clouds blocking the sun split, pouring bright sunlight onto the ground.
Namgung Ga-hwi, watching the technique from afar, gaped.
The strike Jin Do-ha had just shown was the realm every sword user dreamed of.
The pinnacle for any warrior wielding a blade.
But the next moment, blue lightning erupted from Soo-hyuk's sword.
Kabooom—!
With a thunderous roar that shook the forest, lightning surged toward the sky.
Jin Do-ha's eyes widened. He rebounded the clashing sword and flew to land in front of Namgung Ga-hwi.
Drip.
Blood trickled from the wound on his sliced shoulder. After his fight with the Heavenly Demon, it had been ages since Jin Do-ha last saw his own blood.
The split sky filled with dark clouds again.
Rumble—!
This time, thunder crashed from the heavens. As if mocking, How dare you split the sky? With that puny blade?
Drip, drip, drip—.
The scattered raindrops grew into a downpour. Soo-hyuk's figure vanished into the rain once more.
Pour—.
The rain began to pour.
Jin Do-ha's hair loosened and flowed down. Without hesitation, he raised his sword and severed it.
The raindrops mingled with blood from his shoulder and pooled on the ground. Jin Do-ha let the blood flow without staunching it.
His eyes flashed as he cut his long hair. The pouring rain and flowing blood awakened the dormant war god.
Soo-hyuk walked toward the bloodshot-eyed Jin Do-ha, step by step.
"Yes. That's your real gaze."
Soo-hyuk pulled a mask from his bosom.
The moment he donned it again, Jin Do-ha and Namgung Ga-hwi were freshly reminded.
Of exactly who they were fighting.
Two red sword auras clashed. Sparks flew like fireworks from the colliding auras.
The ringing clash and skin-slicing energy drew all eyes.
It was none other than the battle between Un Cheon-geuk and his daughter.
The two wielded the same martial arts, exchanging identical techniques. Though their appearances differed, their movements were so identical it felt like swinging a sword at a mirror.
Their skills were even, but Un Cheon-geuk was the more surprised.
"You've grown so much!"
As he swung his sword at his daughter's neck, he exclaimed in admiration and delight. Depending on the viewer, he seemed like a father genuinely happy about his daughter's growth.
Ssshhk—.
Unhyang coldly swung her sword at his neck in kind.
"If my skill has grown, you should be scared. Not happy."
"You're right."
A drop of blood fell from Un Cheon-geuk's throat as they parted. It was shallow, but his neck was truly cut.
Unhyang had swung with genuine intent to kill Un Cheon-geuk.
"You're going too far. He's still your father."
"Which father? The one who birthed me? Raised me? Neither."
"If I had to say, the one who raised you."
"You threw us into an arena with beasts until only one survived. Is that raising?"
Unhyang spoke indirectly. This is exactly what you did to me.
Un Cheon-geuk had no retort, so he swung his sword again.
Blood Shadow Three Swords unfolded from Un Cheon-geuk's blade. Three strands of sword energy tangled and twisted as they flew toward her.
She could have countered with the same technique, but Unhyang didn't. Instead, she exploited its gap to evade.
Three allies were caught in Un Cheon-geuk's sword energy.
"Arghhh!"
"Y-your arm..."
"Lord! What are you doing?!"
Unhyang frowned at the indiscriminate attack.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I reduced your enemies. Shouldn't you be grateful?"
"You didn't reduce my enemies—you killed your own men."
Shhh—.
Crimson haze rose from Unhyang's back. It was faint, visible only to the nearest Un Cheon-geuk, but distinctly formed.
Manifestation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. She no longer feared revealing her power like before.
Her hair whipped in the wind as she spoke coldly.
"I really hate you."