Chapter 220: Blood Sword, Baeksa (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: Blood Sword, Baeksa (2)
Jinhyuk clutched the wounds on his arms and legs.
Throb!
Red blood flowed from the places cut by the sharp, keen blade.
However, more important than the immediate pain was figuring out what exactly had hit him.
"That weapon..."
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
The sword in Baeksa's hand had taken on a completely different form from before.
Chrrr.
The saw-toothed sword had somehow extended to over seven meters in length.
A whip sword.
This was the moment the true form of the strangely shaped sword was revealed.
Because one never knew where it would bounce, predicting its trajectory was incredibly difficult. But if one knew how to wield it properly, that whip sword was more troublesome to deal with than any other weapon.
Furthermore...
'To think it even absorbs the mana mixed in the blood.'
It was highly unusual that the blade, drenched in blood, actually turned white.
It felt as if he were looking at a white snake.
"Impressive. You even reacted to that? Of all the bastards in the Ten Great Sects of the Heavenly Demon Cult, you're the first to deflect my opening strike like this."
"You use something surprisingly delicate for someone who looks like you, mister."
He was already an enemy with absurd internal energy and real combat experience. But the moment he gripped that sword, his momentum shifted completely.
As if growing wings on a tiger, a red energy began to billow from Baeksa's entire body.
Here he comes.
Just as Jinhyuk kicked off the ground—
Shhhk!
The whip sword swept across the ground as it lunged forward.
Striking dirt and gravel, the sword's trajectory shifted unpredictably.
He shouldn't try to predict it. He had to rely on the experience he had accumulated until now to survive.
Clash! Clash!
Claaang!
Jinhyuk frantically swung Fang in midair.
Even with his body strengthened by the 'Sword Demon Emperor Footwork', he couldn't shake off the whip sword.
"Damn it! Didn't you say you were going to capture me alive?"
His actions practically dripped with the intent to go all out.
He understood the guy was excited to finally use his whip sword, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before he killed someone.
"Stop running and fight me properly! How can someone who knows how to use black Aura whine so much over just this!"
Roaring wildly, Baeksa lashed his whip sword in all directions.
...This was bad.
[Baeksa casts Lv19 'Blood Serpent Chain Burst'!]
The Aura, splitting into hundreds of strands, instantly swallowed the surrounding area.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
With a single strike, the surrounding trees collapsed like toothpicks. Whether it was a boulder or anything else in its path, it was sliced clean in half.
It was incredibly fast, and its destructive power was absurdly immense.
"Ugh!"
Blown back several times, Jinhyuk steadied his breathing.
Although his wounds were healing thanks to the 'Blessing of the Stars', the speed was far too slow. There was probably something coated on that sword to aggravate wounds.
But before he could even catch his breath, another attack followed.
Thud!
Thud! Slice!
Left, right. Left again.
Wind tunnels opened up where his feet had been standing just moments ago.
The whip sword writhed, seemingly aiming for his instep, before suddenly shifting its trajectory to target his leg.
It was a paper-thin margin.
He barely dodged, but another wound was added to Jinhyuk's body.
"Whew..."
As his blood loss mounted, his stamina plummeted rapidly.
The problem was that due to the sheer difference in their total mana pools, his opponent showed no signs of exhaustion whatsoever.
'If I keep just defending, I'll eventually get done in.'
Time was on his opponent's side.
If he wanted to find an opening for a counterattack, he had to strike at the exact moment that ceaselessly lashing sword paused.
Even amidst the flying sparks, Jinhyuk stared intently at the direction the blade was moving.
Here it comes again.
He slightly adjusted his grip on his sword.
And the moment he intentionally exposed a blind spot—
Boom!
The whip sword, flying in a semi-circle, struck his flank.
It was heavy.
But he endured it somehow.
'Now!'
The only time the whip sword left an opening before its next attack was right now.
[Lv11 'Glacial Shaping' is activated!]
[Unique Ability 'Fire Dragon's Breath' is activated!]
The two skills were used simultaneously.
Whoosh!
Sizzle...
The meeting of ice and fire.
Opposing skills clashed in the exact same spot.
"With such cheap tricks...!"
Baeksa used his Body-Protecting Aura to instantly shake off the clinging ice shards and flames.
Because his internal energy was so deep, an attack of this level couldn't leave a single scratch on his body.
However...
"It was enough to distract you."
That wasn't the main event.
Before anyone realized, Jinhyuk had sheathed the Twin Dragon Sword at his waist and gathered his mana to the absolute limit.
To make the most of his one and only chance.
To seize victory despite the disadvantageous conditions.
He had willingly let his flesh be cut.
And now, it was time to take his opponent's bone.
Squeeze...
His delicate fingers brushed the end of the hilt.
[Lv2 'Draw Sword' is activated!]
It was at that exact moment that the condensed mana erupted.
'White Moon Night'
A white crescent moon took shape through the blade.
At the same time, a streak of flash sliced through space.
[Unique Ability 'High-Speed Sword' is activated!]
With the addition of the ability of the knight praised as the empire's strongest, the accelerating sword instantly vanished from sight.
A sword strike transcending perception.
A gust of whirlwind heralded its beginning.
And just like that...
Everything...
...was dyed white.
* * *
'...I've been hit.'
It wasn't that he had let his guard down. Nor had he held back.
The opponent had simply dug into the whip sword's sole weakness.
That tiny mistake had led to this result.
Faced with an unavoidable attack, Baeksa grit his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
In just a moment, he would pay the price for that mistake.
If he was lucky, he'd lose an arm.
If he was unlucky, he'd lose his life.
But then—
Boom!
The White Moon Night, manifested through Draw Sword and High-Speed Sword, shattered into pieces in midair.
Someone had intervened between Jinhyuk and Baeksa.
Baeksa's pupils shook violently.
Jinhyuk's eyes widened in equal measure.
This feeling. This sensation.
Could it be...?
There was no mistake.
"Dark Emperor..."
"Supreme Lord!"
The two shouted simultaneously.
"If I had been just a moment later, it would have been disastrous. I thought you were a mere kitten, but it turns out you're a tiger cub."
The person who appeared before them was someone who absolutely should not be here.
The robustly built old man looked back and forth between his slightly singed palm and Jinhyuk, then clicked his tongue.
"I-I have no excuse. I let my guard down..."
"Enough. It was also my fault for giving the order to capture him alive without properly assessing his strength. Had I ordered you to kill him, it wouldn't have come to this, but those are all meaningless hypotheticals now."
The Dark Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
Then, as if sensing something, he looked beyond the forest.
"Did you send the vice-commander and the Shadow Unit over there?"
"Yes. I ordered them to deal with his companions."
"Hmm... You had another monster with you. Though not fully complete, once their restrictions are lifted, even I would find them difficult to deal with."
The Dark Emperor muttered softly as he gazed toward the opposite side of the forest.
Just from the faint vibrations in the air, he could guess what the situation was over there.
There was undoubtedly not a single soul left standing on their own two feet.
"So you are the contractor. To think you could fight Baeksa to a standstill and even catch him off guard, all while continuously supplying mana..."
"I almost succeeded. If only you hadn't intervened, Dark Emperor."
"I won't deny it. If I hadn't come, this fight would have been your victory."
"In that case, can't we just say I won?"
"What?"
"You know, isn't there such a thing as the code of the Jianghu? It doesn't look very good for an elder to butt into a fight between juniors."
"Puhahaha! What an audacious brat."
At Jinhyuk's sly remark, the Dark Emperor burst into roaring laughter.
It was not a laugh of anger, but one of genuine amusement.
"I wondered why this child kept worrying about you, but seeing you in person, I understand to some extent. Anyone would be drawn to a talent with such skill and a silver tongue to match. Isn't that right, Wolyeong?"
The Dark Emperor smiled gently.
Then...
An all-too-familiar shadow rippled beside him.
It was Wolyeong.
"..."
Wolyeong stared intently at Jinhyuk with eyes full of complex emotions.
Damn it. It's not like I'm seeing an ex-lover again.
To be honest, facing a face stained with betrayal and disappointment pricked his conscience a little.
"Have you been well?"
"My Lord... No. It is none of your business."
He's sulking.
He is definitely sulking.
"Hahaha! You boys are really doing the most. You can resolve your lingering feelings later. First, I must say what I have to say."
"What you have to say... to me?"
"Yes. To be honest, I like you. It would be a waste to throw away your talent and skill like this. So, how about joining us?"
The Heavenly Demon Cult values strength above all else.
Neither the glory of one's family...
...nor one's personal past mattered.
They accepted everyone regardless.
The one most taken aback by this unexpected proposal was Baeksa.
"Supreme Lord! What do you mean by that? No matter what, accepting an outsider from outside the Tower is...!"
"Baeksa. Am I not speaking right now?"
"I-I apologize."
As Baeksa flinched and tucked his tail, the Dark Emperor asked Jinhyuk once more.
"What do you say? If you join us, you can aim for the upper floors of the Tower, not just the middle floors. Wealth and fame are guaranteed as well."
Above all...
"For a battle maniac like you, you will be given opportunities to spar until you grow sick of it."
"You make it sound as if I'm itching for a fight."
"Are you not? From where I stand, you look like a martial fanatic to your very bones."
The Dark Emperor shrugged.
Well, well...
At this point, it was hard to tell who was the real sly old fox.
But did the Dark Emperor know?
That even the proposal he was making right now was nothing more than reciting lines from a script?
* * *
'...He took the bait.'
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
He hadn't expected to meet the Dark Emperor here, but he had anticipated that if he did run into the old man, a proposal like this would come.
Being drawn to the strong was a martial artist's instinct.
Even in the past, in the Tower of Trials, the Dark Emperor had made a similar offer.
'It's a shame I can't see all his skills due to the gap between our levels.'
Still, he had managed to grasp a rough outline of the Dark Emperor's information through 'Gluttony's Eye'.
——————————————————
Name: Dark Emperor
Gender: Male
Age: 72
Level: ???
Strength: ??? / Agility: ??? / Stamina: ??? / Mana: 15 / Internal Energy: ???
Stat Points Available: 0
Class: ???
Unique Ability: Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art (Successfully seen through because you possess a lower-grade unique ability.)
Skills: Failed to see through the target's abilities because the level of 'Gluttony's Eye' is too low.
——————————————————
[Copy Conditions: You have habitually claimed to be the Dark Emperor's prize disciple. If you make that a reality instead of a lie, you can make all 12 forms of the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art your own. (However, the minimum training period must be at least one month.)]
Normally, it would take decades to perfectly master the Dark Emperor's signature martial arts.
However, if he met the copy conditions, he could shorten that period to just one month.
The problem was how to capitalize on this opportunity...
After pondering for a moment, Jinhyuk slowly spoke.
"If you agree to my terms, Dark Emperor, I will consider it."
From copying the ability to utilizing the card known as the Dark Emperor in this war.
The negotiation that would decide it all had begun.