Chapter 313: Fight of the Dead (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 313: Fight of the Dead (2)
Undead.
Those who do not die even in death.
It was their nature to endlessly wander, hungering for the living.
And.
The pinnacle of the sword that commanded them...
...was none other than the 'Death Knight'.
[T-Bone activates Lv15 'Darkness Blade'!]
Crackling!
A black aura blade surged along the pure white blade.
A deep, intense light flared within his empty eye sockets.
In his fully unleashed form, there was no trace of T-Bone's usual playful demeanor.
Only a knight who absolutely obeyed his master's command remained.
"Neighhh!"
Dash!
T-Bone pulled the reins of his phantom steed and began to charge forward.
The distance was too short to fully utilize a heavy cavalry's characteristic speed, but it didn't matter.
For a phantom steed, acceleration was not something to build up; it was possessed from the very beginning.
"Kieee!"
"Kaaack!"
The Blood Jiangshis lunged instinctively.
Empowered by the formation, the jiangshis knew no fear.
Claws that could easily slice through iron, and legs that had become phenomenally faster.
With these two assets, they could easily tear a cavalryman to shreds.
The jiangshis gathered in a dense formation.
"Break through."
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
T-Bone spurred his mount to accelerate at the vanguard.
The rest of the ancient soldiers also thrust their long spears forward.
A wedge formation.
Their destructive power, maximized at a single point, pierced straight into the heart of the jiangshis.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
In an instant, the jiangshis in the front row were blown to pieces.
T-Bone swung his sword, cleaving through the enemies, while the ancient soldiers followed up with mathematically precise thrusts.
Like bullets.
Thud!
Thwack!
Round, hollow wind tunnels were punched through the bodies of the Blood Jiangshis.
And through the gap opened by T-Bone and the ancient soldiers...
Clack! Clack!
...countless skeletons surged forward like a tidal wave.
This was the undead legion.
"How... can this be?"
Shimmasaryong's eyes widened in shock.
He had heard that there were arts to control the dead on floors other than Murim.
But.
Overwhelming Blood Jiangshis while the Necrotic Retinue was active?
Did that even make sense?
A force of Blood Jiangshis of this caliber was enough to lay waste to an entire sect of the Orthodox faction within half a day.
And yet.
Thump!
The skeletal knight, radiating a sinister aura, was utterly dominating the battlefield.
The other knights and skeletons attacking alongside him were equally troublesome.
Already, nearly half of the Blood Jiangshis had been rendered combat-incapable.
At this rate, their total annihilation was only a matter of time.
"...Impressive. I hate to admit it, but the Blood Jiangshis are no match for them."
Shimmasaryong nodded.
Then.
Swish!
With the sound of rushing wind, jiangshis whose entire bodies were dyed pure white began to move.
These were the Yin-Yang Jiangshis, specially brought along to deal with peak-level masters.
A stark contrast between a crimson-stained left hand and a frozen white right hand.
Yin and Yang.
The opposing attributes targeted T-Bone's neck.
"Sending just three should be more than enough."
A sinister smile played on Shimmasaryong's lips.
But right then.
Hummmmm!
[Unique Ability 'Blessing of the Stars' is activated!]
A holy light cascaded from the heavens.
Teresa, clad in white armor, interposed herself between T-Bone and the Yin-Yang Jiangshis.
Clang!
The claws struck her shield and bounced off.
"I will join you."
Dazzling blonde hair fluttered from beneath her helmet.
The 'Joan of Arc's Relic' and the Holy Cross Sword, received from the Holy Kingdom affiliated with the Empire, emitted a blinding radiance.
"Kieee!"
"Keee!"
Confronted by the white brilliance, the jiangshis shrieked in agony.
Divine power was the ultimate counter to the undead.
Teresa's very presence was lethal to the jiangshis.
On top of that...
[You have used 'Blood Spear'!]
Whoosh...
...Boom! Boom! Boom!
Harpoons made of blood impaled the bodies of the Yin-Yang Jiangshis.
"Arghhh!"
Skewered like meat on a spit, the Yin-Yang Jiangshis flailed their limbs wildly.
"Hmm. They're quite sturdy."
Pitch-black hair that perfectly complemented her dark eyes.
Alice, dressed as a Murim warrior, summoned a succession of harpoons.
"Do not let a single one pass!"
"Yes, Eldest Senior Brother!"
"We can't leave everything to those from outside the Tower."
So Yu-myeong and his junior disciples also formed a wide defensive square to protect the people.
Having trained rigorously since childhood, the Combined Attack Formation executed by the four of them was incredibly solid.
* * *
"Tsk!... How annoying."
As the situation took an unfavorable turn, Shimmasaryong muttered in irritation.
As long as the Necrotic Retinue was active, the others would barely be able to hold their ground.
If he could just eliminate those phantom cavalrymen, the tide of battle would swing back in his favor.
Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to step in himself.
It was a hassle, but it would only take a little effort.
Shring!
Shimmasaryong drew two daggers.
Uniquely shaped blades curved like half-moons revealed themselves.
However...
"You haven't forgotten, have you? I'm your opponent."
A chilling voice whispered in Shimmasaryong's ear.
"When did you—?!"
Jinhyuk had taken Shimmasaryong's back.
Screeech...!
Just as Fang was about to pierce his neck, Shimmasaryong angled his dagger to deflect the blow.
A sharp, metallic screech echoed.
"I clearly set five Yin-Yang Jiangshis on you... Did you dispose of them all already?"
"Dealing with a mere five is hardly a challenge."
He should have at least kept the Asura Heavenly Slaughter Jiangshi in reserve if he wanted to buy more time.
The Tower he had climbed alone.
In the past, he had to face all the jiangshis entirely on his own.
He had failed many times, and suffered just as many frustrations.
It was only natural.
He had to resolve a near-impossible task all by himself, without anyone's help.
But.
This time, he was not alone.
He had companions he could trust, companions to whom he could confidently entrust his back.
With such reliable support...
...he lacked confidence.
The confidence to lose, that is.
"Since everyone else is fighting hard, let's bring this to an end too."
The stage was set.
It was time for a grand climax.
"Do you really think you can defeat me here, where my Blood-Realm Sorcery is active?"
A forced nerf to all stats.
Indeed, fighting and winning against a powerhouse of Shimmasaryong's caliber under these conditions was no easy feat.
But there was exactly one exception.
An ability that remained completely unrestricted even within this sorcery.
—The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
A martial art beyond the heavens, transcending all constraints and shackles.
The strongest and most devastating power, permitted only to the Heavenly Demon.
Jinhyuk quietly closed his eyes.
Zzzzt!
A strange energy began to flow from the tip of his sword.
Since he hadn't met the copying conditions yet, he couldn't utilize its full power.
That was right.
In other words, this was a mere imitation.
Incredibly lacking and inferior compared to the original source.
However.
Through the Heavenly Demon's memories, he had seen the mnemonic... and above all, the true essence contained within that martial art.
Nobly. Arrogantly.
Thinking only of oneself, leaving behind neither regret nor lingering attachment.
"Watch closely. See exactly who it is... that you betrayed. And just how foolish it was of you to choose someone like Samaja."
He would show them now.
Jinhyuk opened his eyes.
He would recreate it.
The sight he had witnessed back then.
Fang and the Twin Dragon Sword took up different stances.
That was...
...the beginning.
Boom!
'First Form'.
The materialized qi along Fang exploded in an instant.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Heavenly Dragon's Advent!
The sword wind generated by the strike swallowed Shimmasaryong's entire body.
"Arghhh!"
Although he deflected the attack with his half-moon daggers, he couldn't withstand the absurd sword pressure.
His black robes were shredded to tatters, completely exposing his arms.
"That technique... No, how could you... How on earth?!"
Shimmasaryong couldn't even finish his sentence.
His voice trembled violently from the sheer shock.
He had no choice but to be shocked.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a unique martial art that only the Heavenly Demon could use.
Hadn't even Samaja broken dozens of taboos just to learn it?
Before the trembling Shimmasaryong, Jinhyuk took his stance once more.
"If you have any more cards up your sleeve... you'd better play them right now."
Whoosh!
An even more massive aura flared up from the Twin Dragon Sword.
* * *
From a step behind.
The Heavenly Demon watched the battle in silence.
"……."
His emotions were complicated.
Because his own martial art, which he could no longer use...
...was being unleashed by the hands of another.
"……."
He had thought it was a battle forgotten by everyone.
He had thought it was a solitude that would never be acknowledged by anyone.
Because he took that for granted, he harbored neither lingering regrets nor remorse.
But.
He was wrong.
Right before his eyes, the techniques unleashed in that past battle were being recreated one by one.
As if to say that remembering that battle...
...and knowing who had protected Murim...
...was not something the Heavenly Demon did alone.
Tight.
He bit his lip.
An indescribable emotion welled up in his slightly trembling eyes.
"……Thank you."
Words that should never have escaped the lips of the Heavenly Demon.
At the same time, a gratitude that would never reach the other person quietly slipped out.
* * *
[‘Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step’ is activated!]
[Due to insufficient proficiency, the ability's effect is limited to 10%.]
10%.
Yet, such a measly number could not diminish the prestige of the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step.
Manifesting even a mere fraction of it was more than enough.
Clash!
Sword clashed against sword.
Jinhyuk parried the strike Shimmasaryong aimed from his blind spot.
Jinhyuk lunged into the opening created by the impact.
"……."
Fang moved at high speed, executing a series of thrusts.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew.
The blades clashing in midair exchanged blows too rapid to count.
In an instant that was almost simultaneous.
The Twin Dragon Sword slashed horizontally.
Screeech!
"Ugh!"
Shimmasaryong barely blocked the attack by crossing his two daggers.
But by the time he tried to counterattack, Jinhyuk had already vanished.
His speed grew faster and faster.
Dust kicked up, and the ground where he stepped gouged open.
Now, only the faint afterimages of the two could be seen.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom!
Shimmasaryong swung his half-moon daggers frantically.
His heart pounded as if it would explode, and all his senses were pushed to their absolute limits.
It was no longer a matter of seeing and reacting; it was a continuous sequence of prediction and foresight that transcended even that.
He was truly fighting with everything he had.
However.
"I... I can't keep up."
Despite using every ultimate technique in his arsenal, he was slowly... being pushed back.
Slash!
Sword wounds multiplied across Shimmasaryong's body.
At this rate, he would be defeated.
His hesitation did not last long.
"Who said this was a one-on-one?!"
Shimmasaryong commanded all the jiangshis through his Necrotic Retinue.
"Arghhh!"
"Kaaack!"
The Yin-Yang Jiangshis that had been dealing with T-Bone and the others rushed toward Jinhyuk all at once.
On top of that, his trump card, the Cheonhan Jiangshi, was deployed.
He might be called a coward.
He might be told he was outmatched in skill.
But in the end, the one who survived was the strong one.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The tense balance shattered.
The Yin-Yang Jiangshis pouncing from all directions blocked Fang and the Twin Dragon Sword with their bare bodies.
And the Cheonhan Jiangshi, whose capabilities were several times superior to the Yin-Yang Jiangshis, tore Jinhyuk's body into a lump of shredded meat.
Or rather...
...that was what they thought they had done.
[Unique Ability '1-Second Invincibility' is activated!]
From amidst the dozens of jiangshis.
Jinhyuk could be seen smiling faintly.
"Yeah. I figured you'd pull something like this."
The only question was when.
He was certain that if he kept backing Shimmasaryong into a corner, the man would eventually throw every single jiangshi he had into the fray.
Including the Cheonhan Jiangshis that had stayed out of the fight until now.
'It was much more disadvantageous for us to fight while also protecting the villagers.'
Alice might have been fine, but the others were in danger.
That was why he had kept waiting.
Until all of the enemy's forces gathered in one place.
And finally, the moment he had been waiting for arrived.
An endless amount of qi began to condense around Jinhyuk's body.
Hummmmm!
The heat haze rising from the ground distorted.
A phenomenon caused by an absurd amount of mana.
'Heavenly Demon Great Cataclysm'
An ultimate technique boasting extreme destructive power.
The signature technique of the Heavenly Demon, which had once been used against Shub-Niggurath, was unleashed.
"At this distance... there's absolutely no escaping."
Jinhyuk thrust his two swords forward.