Chapter 399
Chapter 399
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 399
Chapter Title: Dance of Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords
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Tzztztzt-.
A remnant of lightning flickered at the tip of Lee Soo-hyuk's finger, still smoldering.
Jet-black lightning coiled around Soo-hyuk's body. The lightning, blazing like flames, soon settled calmly.
The Heavenly Demon, who had been charging forward, stopped by slamming his hand into the ground. A clear handprint from Soo-hyuk's palm marked his side.
The Heavenly Demon rubbed the struck side and spoke.
"Your skills have improved."
He was referring to the skill from the Black Soul Ring.
"Item power is pretty great, huh."
"Divine-grade item?"
"Yeah."
He hadn't expected a single item to boost his combat power this much. Even Kim Il-su had become far stronger than Si-woo or Ye-ryeong after acquiring Hydra's venom fang.
"Don't think it's unfair. You have one too, right? A divine-grade item."
Soo-hyuk's eyes sparkled as he stared at the sword in the Heavenly Demon's hand.
The five divine-grade items were distributed among five people.
Clementine, Hielz, Soo-hyuk, Kim Il-su, and the Heavenly Demon.
Among them, the Heavenly Demon's divine-grade item was known as the Heavenly Demon Sword.
The finest famed sword in the tower. A demonic sword that maximized the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
It was said that only the Heavenly Demon could wield it—the divine-grade item, Heavenly Demon Sword. The two of them each wielded one divine-grade item.
"I haven't used it properly yet."
"Then you'll get to today."
"I hope not."
Shiiik-.
As soon as the words ended, the Heavenly Demon charged again.
Soo-hyuk clashed with the Heavenly Demon, who streaked forward like a comet, drawing a red line.
Bang! Sparks flew as the red sword trail collided with pitch-black lightning. The two leaped upward again, soaring into the clouds.
The moment they shifted the battlefield upward.
Pajijijik-.
Waiting for the Heavenly Demon in the clouds were glowing orbs unfurled like chains.
The orbs spread around the Heavenly Demon like a barrier. Lightning bolts extended from them, wrapping around his body like a net, binding him.
Pajijijijik-!
The extreme current seared the Heavenly Demon's body.
Before long, red aura enveloped the Heavenly Demon's body. It was the 'Heavenly Demon Blood Armor' that had blocked Ripley's suicide bugs' explosions.
The Heavenly Demon, twitching from the lightning chains coiling around him, grabbed the chains.
The chains snapped one by one. In an instant, he severed them all and charged downward into the empty space.
Kwaang-!
The clouds scattered from the impact of the collision.
Soo-hyuk, who had been stealthed with the Black Soul Ring, revealed himself. He plummeted downward, still clashing with the Heavenly Demon.
Kadududud-.
Their swords collided as the two descended back to the ground.
In an instant, their swords clashed dozens of times. The Heavenly Demon Sword wrapped in red aura aimed for his throat. The ghostly wail grew clearer.
Shiiik-.
As their swords locked, the two unleashed powerful strikes simultaneously, without precedence.
Kwarung-!
Cjejeje-.
Sword-blue lightning and red aura crashed like waves, canceling each other out.
Their bodies were pushed far back. Soo-hyuk immediately moved to close the distance again.
That was when it happened.
Chwararara-.
The Heavenly Demon's sword began to divide.
One sword became ten, a hundred, a thousand.
Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance
(萬劍鬼煉舞)
Ten thousand swords surged like waves behind the Heavenly Demon. The true Heavenly Demon Sword remained gripped in his hand.
Seeing this, Soo-hyuk smiled palely.
"Phase two, huh."
A thought always crossed his mind whenever fighting the Heavenly Demon.
It felt like fighting not a person, but a guardian.
Each battle, he revealed a new form. Just when you thought he was this strong, he'd show an even more powerful phase.
Yes.
The Heavenly Demon using Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance was, in a way, the guardian's second phase.
Thump-.
He felt two hearts pounding.
If the Heavenly Demon had advanced to the next stage, it was only right that he did too.
His entire body felt ablaze. His heart burned hotter than when facing Runeterra's flames.
Power surged accordingly. As if in response, thunder rumbled from the sky.
Kwarung-!
The clouds flashed ceaselessly. The Heavenly Demon, manipulating the wave of ten thousand swords, looked up at the clouds.
"Indeed, your skills have improved."
"If you have ten thousand swords, I have the clouds."
Kurururu-.
As if announcing his preparations were complete, thunder continued to roar.
Chwararara-.
The ten thousand swords scattered in all directions.
As if daring him to come at them, the swords targeted Soo-hyuk all at once.
Soo-hyuk felt no fear. Instead, he took in every single sword with his eyes, determined not to miss a one.
Pajijijik-!
Drawing a black line, Soo-hyuk dove into the fray of the dancing Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance.
He plunged into the Heavenly Demon's embrace and swung his sword. Cclang! The clash sent the Heavenly Demon staggering back.
The Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance began to whirl. The swords spread everywhere started flying toward Soo-hyuk.
And at that moment.
Flash-!
The clouds flashed, and lightning struck down.
Kwarung-!
The falling lightning intercepted the swords of the Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance hurtling toward Soo-hyuk.
The swords shattered to pieces. When another came flying, lightning struck again.
Every time the Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance whirled, lightning fell. One sword brought one bolt; ten swords brought ten bolts.
A rain of lightning poured from the heavens. A hundred swords at once met a hundred bolts simultaneously.
Amid this, Soo-hyuk and the Heavenly Demon's swords continued to clash.
In the torrent of falling lightning and crashing swords.
Their battle hurtled toward its climax.
Akseon's hands grew slick with sweat as he watched the stream.
There was no way this tiny screen could properly capture Soo-hyuk and the Heavenly Demon's fight. All he could see were flashes and the two colliding before parting.
The two were unbelievably fast and powerful. The screen even glitched at times.
He couldn't discern the flow of battle, but one thing was clear.
"Evenly matched...?"
Soo-hyuk was fighting the Heavenly Demon one-on-one.
The other allies were just watching. It seemed they'd agreed on that beforehand.
Mukan, who had fought Soo-hyuk in the counterattack, thought it was as expected and spoke.
"He wasn't holding back just a little back then."
At that time, Mukan had briefly matched Soo-hyuk evenly. He lost in the end but had counterattacked once.
But watching this fight confirmed it.
Soo-hyuk hadn't gone all out in that previous battle. No, holding back this much would have been harder.
If he were caught in this fight?
He was certain. He wouldn't last ten seconds.
The battle was intense and fierce.
Then, as the two distanced themselves, they suddenly conversed.
It seemed the Heavenly Demon had known Soo-hyuk's identity far earlier than they had.
Mukan, watching the stream, understood why Soo-hyuk asked this.
To convince those still doubting his identity. He kept persuading people.
And now.
Soo-hyuk borrowed the Heavenly Demon's mouth to assert once more.
That he was real.
The Heavenly Demon acknowledged it.
No one was unaware of his relationship with Lee Soo-hyuk. The man who dismissed even the Archmage was the only one who recognized Lee Soo-hyuk.
Did they conspire with the Heavenly Demon?
If anyone said that, he'd cleave their skull with a greatsword.
The Heavenly Demon was detached from all worldly interests. Knowing his story with Lee Soo-hyuk made it impossible not to believe.
"I-It really was him."
Some who had still doubted Lee Soo-hyuk's identity spoke in shock.
"He's really... Lee Soo-hyuk has returned."
Now, no one doubted him anymore. Who would question the Heavenly Demon's word?
Mukan inwardly admired Soo-hyuk's scheme.
'Did he plan this far?'
From revealing his identity to now, it felt like everything unfolded in stages.
If Soo-hyuk hadn't proven his strength, or if the Heavenly Demon hadn't acknowledged him, people would still be doubting.
After a brief exchange, the Heavenly Demon and Lee Soo-hyuk clashed again. Ten Thousand Demon Blood Chains unfolded, and Soo-hyuk slipped through to land a palm strike.
In an instant, they collided again and soared into the sky. The two, clashing too fast to see, descended back to the ground.
Chwararara-.
And the Heavenly Demon's technique unfolded.
"Ten Thousand Ghostly Swords Dance."
Someone who knew its terror muttered.
Those who had experienced the Heavenly Demon's sword even once trembled. Especially the Elfrado rankers who'd recently fought him—their faces turned ashen.
The Heavenly Demon began to unleash his true power.
How would Lee Soo-hyuk fight back?
The viewers gripped their hands, praying fervently.
May this era's Lee Soo-hyuk bring hope once more.
Soo-hyuk's guild members watched his battle from atop Vulcanus.
Throughout the fight, the group flinched multiple times.
It was a spine-chilling battle. One misstep felt like it could cost a life, making them want to jump in several times.
Ye-ryeong clutched her own shoulders to hold herself back, lest she rush into the fray.
Bang, kwarung-!
Lightning rained down from the sky in succession.
Intercepting the flying swords, Soo-hyuk clashed blades with the Heavenly Demon.
Even Unhyang, called a genius, and Hielz, the Archmage, couldn't hide their amazement.
"Is something like that... even possible?"
Hielz marveled for the first time while watching someone fight.
Clashing swords with the Heavenly Demon while intercepting ten thousand incoming swords one by one.
A battle where a moment's lapse in focus or control meant death. No one would even attempt it normally.
Just watching made their skin crawl—what must Soo-hyuk feel in the thick of it?
The two fought in a storm of swords and lightning.
Then, Hyo-min, watching the fight, asked Unhyang.
"How's the reaction from people?"
The first goal of this battle was proof.
Proof that he was Soo-hyuk.
And the surest medium to confirm it was the stream.
"R-Reactions?"
Startled by Hyo-min's question, Unhyang jumped.
So engrossed in the fight, she'd forgotten she was Soo-hyuk's manager.
Checking the stream belatedly, Unhyang's expression turned puzzled.
With a hunch, she counted the numbers.
"Ten... hundred... thousand... million......"
And moments later.
Unhyang shrieked a beat late.
"Hiiiik!"
"What's wrong?"
Everyone except Si-woo and Ye-ryeong turned to Unhyang at her loud reaction.
Frozen in shock momentarily, Unhyang turned Kit's screen to show everyone.
"Th-The viewers......"
She wasn't shocked by the reactions.
It was the unbelievable viewer count she could see with her own eyes.
Nine million.
And even now, the number kept climbing.
No need to check chats or donations. This reaction was the surest proof.
Unhyang cheered.
"It's done!"
The proof was complete.
All that remained was the battle's outcome.
Everyone's gazes turned to Soo-hyuk. The fight raced toward its peak; only the result was left.
Reading Unhyang's anxiety?
Si-woo, who hadn't taken his eyes off the battle, spoke.
"No need to worry. Worry about the one who needs worrying."
Si-woo harbored no doubts.
Even when the world thought Soo-hyuk dead, he left ice flowers yearly as a mark.
Thus, Si-woo was certain.
"That guy's unkillable, even if he tries."