Chapter 283: Yaksha (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 283: Yaksha (3)
Slowly, a creeping black energy completely enveloped Jinhyuk's body.
At the same time, the purple mist released by the Evil Spirits and Demons began to be sucked into his right fist.
The weaker energy was being absorbed by the stronger one.
"……Ho?"
The Yaksha felt that mana.
An exclamation filled with interest and anticipation escaped his lips.
"This is absurd... He has the skill to execute a 'Form'?"
"Are you saying he was hiding his true strength even with the abilities he showed in the Heavenly Demon Hall?"
Dokgoryong and Chae Hong-ah's voices trembled slightly.
They had no choice but to be shaken.
A 'Form' in any martial art was its ultimate essence, piercing through to its very core.
Though they were numbered sequentially, they were ultimate techniques that could only be unleashed by those who had completely mastered the martial art.
Yet he was executing a Form of the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art—not just any martial art—with such flawless perfection?
So he wasn't just capable of emitting energy?
Dokgoryong's eyes turned cold and grave.
If we assume a miniature Dark Emperor is standing right here...
...He might be just as troublesome as the Yaksha. No, at this point, perhaps even more troublesome than the Yaksha.
He had to die.
That was how immense the pressure Dokgoryong and Chae Hong-ah felt was.
Unfortunately, the lowest-tier dokkaebi, whose peripheral nerves had been fried by the effects of 'Evil Spirits and Demons,' could not sense this ominous energy.
"Kill him! Kill! Kill!"
"Kee-hee-heet!"
"A mere human acting tough...!"
The lowest-tier dokkaebi rushed forward all at once.
In that instant.
Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art. First Form.
From his head, past his shoulders, to the tips of his fingers.
Black-Wheel Dark-Shattering Fist.
The condensed mana exploded in a single instant.
Rumble!
A black vortex swept through the very center of the dokkaebi.
"Keeeee!"
"Kyaaaak!"
Torn fragments scattered in all directions.
The lowest-tier dokkaebi were killed instantly just by being caught in the aftermath.
Even the intermediate dokkaebi suffered severe injuries.
It was a level of power hard to believe came from a single punch.
Only the high-grade dokkaebi barely managed to withstand the Dark-Shattering Fist.
This was solely thanks to their naturally high physical and magic resistance.
"Grrr..."
"Strong human. We kill him together."
The massive dokkaebi, with blue skin and glowing white eyes, drew their respective weapons.
Three went after Dokgoryong and Chae Hong-ah each, while the remaining ten closed in on Jinhyuk.
[A blue dokkaebi activates 'Gourd of Eumryeol'!]
Wrooooom!
A hazy gas spewed from the gourd it held.
Blades made of gas filled the air.
From spears and swords to maces and crescent blades, and even harpoons and nets.
Both their variety and their numbers...
...were on an entirely different level.
The Yaksha watched Jinhyuk with interest.
As if asking how he would handle this.
And to that silent question,
Jinhyuk responded with a smirk.
I'll show you.
Before these steps...
...numbers mean absolutely nothing.
Thud!
The black energy that had flared out gathered once more.
With every step he took, a thick, dark fragrance bloomed.
"Grr!"
"Kill... him!"
Whoosh!
Whirrr!
The weapons made of gas rained down all at once.
Countless lights reminiscent of a meteor shower rushed to tear Jinhyuk apart.
Front, back, left, right.
There was nowhere to run.
At that moment.
The First Step.
A gentle breeze stirred.
Heat rose along the ground.
In the black-stained steam, the first wave of incoming weapons began to burn away completely.
Sizzle!
The blue blades turned black and crumbled into dust.
And with the Second Step that followed,
Whoosh!
The gentle breeze transformed into a scorching gale.
The suffocating, breathless sensation lasted only a brief moment.
An agonizing pain pierced straight to their brains.
"Aaaargh!"
"M-my body! My body is burning!"
"It's... hot."
The nearby dokkaebi writhed in agony.
Jinhyuk took another step.
The Third Step was the final stride that heralded the end.
The surrounding wind died down, and soon, even sound vanished.
Like the calm before a storm, everything sank into a deep silence.
Power compressed to its absolute limit,
dark and cold mana,
burrowed deep into the earth.
Crackle!
This was different from before.
If before he had thrown a punch directed at a single point,
this time, with the third step, the entire ground became a stage to manifest the Third Step.
To my master...
The Three Steps in its truest sense.
The final step he had yet to reach.
...I will reach it.
This was...
...the demise of the Three-Step Divine Fist.
Ruuuumble!
A massive black flame erupted from the ground.
* * *
Sizzle!
Dirt and stone burned away.
The pillars lining the left and right barely maintained their shapes.
Naturally, the dokkaebi at the epicenter of the explosion were vaporized, leaving not even a bone behind.
And in the very center of it all, only Jinhyuk stood alone.
Arrogant.
Utterly, incredibly arrogant.
For that was the very symbol of the power possessed by the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art.
"Ha... Hahaha! As expected, this is fun. So fun! Is this your power? Wow, it sends shivers down my spine, eh?"
The Yaksha's hair stood on end.
Unable to contain his excitement, the corners of his mouth twitched repeatedly.
His defense is on a completely different level compared to the dokkaebi.
Seeing how he was perfectly fine after an attack that swept away even high-grade dokkaebi, he was indeed ridiculously sturdy.
After all, his only damage was being slightly singed.
"Stop looking so excited like a little kid."
Jinhyuk beckoned the Yaksha with a finger.
"Come at me."
"Hahaha! Of course! Just what I wanted!"
[Yaksha uses the unique ability 'Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits'!]
Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits.
Literally, an ability that encompassed bizarre and supernatural powers.
This ability manifested in quite a variety of ways depending on the user.
In the Yaksha's case...
...he became a monster specialized in close-quarters combat.
[Strength, Stamina, Physical Defense, and Magic Defense increase by 30% each!]
[Fear Resistance increases by 100%!]
A red status window appeared before Jinhyuk's eyes.
A terrifying aura erupted from the Yaksha's body.
From above...
...to below.
Craaaash!
The Yaksha's first strike signaled the start of the battle.
"……!"
It was heavy.
Jinhyuk's feet dug into the ground.
Even though he had unleashed the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art to the 4th Star, it was impossible to withstand the attack of the Yaksha using Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits.
Furthermore,
a massive blue hand approached from behind the Yaksha.
One strike, two hits.
The first attack was by the Yaksha,
and the second attack was executed by Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits.
This was the first characteristic of Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits: 'No Retreat'.
The second strike, which made one forget the first blow, was the true form of a tyrant.
Craaaash!
The palm slammed down onto the ground.
Ruuuumble!
The ground shrieked, unable to withstand the pressure.
Blue flames turned the surroundings into a wasteland, digging even deeper.
And just like that,
a crater resembling a meteor impact site was formed.
"Hmm. This is all well and good, but the problem is it's too strong... Tsk. Did he die in one hit again?"
The Yaksha approached the crater.
However,
when he lifted his palm, the crushed corpse that should have been there was nowhere to be seen.
At that exact moment,
Thud!
"Ack?"
A dull impact registered on the Yaksha's back.
Bam, bam, bam!
The sudden attack sent the Yaksha rolling unsightly across the ground.
"Just when did he...?"
The Yaksha scrambled to his feet, his face contorted in bewilderment.
He had clearly kept his eyes glued to him, yet he couldn't believe when the human had vanished.
Black smoke rose from Jinhyuk's legs.
"I'll admit I'm outmatched in strength."
But...
"I'm superior in speed."
"You're superior in speed? I've lived a long time, but that's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. I'll rip your head off right now!"
The Yaksha lashed out in a rage, swinging his arm.
His hand swept through the space where Jinhyuk's head had just been,
followed by the massive blue hand sweeping through the area.
But it was the same this time as well.
Jinhyuk had already vanished like smoke.
Swish.
With the sound of brushing against the ground, Jinhyuk appeared right in front of the Yaksha's nose.
A distance close enough to feel each other's breath.
Indeed.
This was a provocation.
A dare to hit him at this range.
Afterimages begot afterimages as a barrage of strikes unfolded at point-blank range.
Bam! Bam!
Thwack!
The Yaksha's body rocked left and right repeatedly.
"You bastard... Ugh! If only I had properly recovered my energy... Aaargh!"
Having been sealed for so long, the Yaksha's physical condition was far from normal.
For years, the only thing he had consumed was the morning dew.
Of course, in a life-or-death battle, such words were nothing but excuses.
"Just once... let me catch you just once. If I catch you, I'll—!"
"Then I just won't get caught."
"Aaaaah!"
The Yaksha summoned the arm of Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits once more.
The massive blue arm approached with its fingers spread wide.
Jinhyuk ducked slightly.
Matching the timing of the fingers closing...
...Now!
He slipped through the gaps between the fingers and leaped onto the arm.
Tap, tap... leap!
Jinhyuk began to sprint along the arm.
And using his running momentum, he struck the Yaksha square in the face.
[Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art Third Form 'Blood-Earth Penetrating Force' is activated!]
A force that tore apart the inside rather than the outside.
Boom!
The Yaksha's head snapped back.
The single trail of blood trickling down the corner of his mouth was terribly red.
However, despite landing it at the perfect moment...
...all he had managed to draw was a single drop of blood.
"I don't like calling people blockheads, but I can't think of any other way to describe you."
To be honest, he thought this would work, but it hadn't dealt any significant damage.
He wasn't called one of the strongest magic beasts of the middle floors for nothing.
Even the disadvantage of his depleted energy was barely a handicap.
"You...!"
A low growl escaped the Yaksha's mouth.
His slit pupils contorted with rage.
"Your hit-and-run tactics like a pesky fly end here."
[The second ability of Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits awakens!]
* * *
If the first ability was specialized in one-on-one combat,
the second ability was specialized in one-versus-many, anti-army combat.
The character for 'Fire' (火) glowed on his six arms.
Fwoosh!
Blue flames enveloped his entire arms.
When the character for 'Wind' (風) also appeared, a gentle breeze brushed past Jinhyuk's hair.
Though they had shrunk in size, his speed had increased by at least two levels.
Enough to keep up with the Sword Demon Emperor Stepss.
"Let's start over."
The Yaksha vanished.
To the side... no, behind.
Whoosh!
Sharp claws grazed Jinhyuk's cheek.
Jinhyuk's body spun counterclockwise.
Using the rotational force,
Aim for the chin.
Swish!
This time, the Yaksha lightly dodged the counter.
He even deflected the following spin kick with the back of his hand.
However, the Yaksha was also swinging at air.
In the span of a single breath, nearly a dozen exchanges occurred, with neither landing a clean hit.
Our speed... is almost equal.
Jinhyuk quickly widened the distance.
"It's useless to run. I can catch up to you as much as I want now."
The Yaksha sneered.
He had definitely gotten faster.
The longer this drags on, the more disadvantaged I am in terms of endurance. Our base mana capacities are on completely different scales to begin with.
In that case...
Jinhyuk clenched his teeth with resolve.
If possible, he had wanted to complete his training under his master before fusing them.
But since things had turned out this way, he had no choice.
With so much on the line, he couldn't afford to worry about the strain on his body.
Hummmmm!
A massive bookshelf materialized behind Jinhyuk's back.
Tombgrave's Right Arm
Sword Demon Emperor Stepss
Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art
Domain of Wind
Four pages turned in the all-powerful archive where his abilities were stored.
To create a new skill that surpassed 'Celerity'.
"I will fuse the skills."