The Housebreaker (6)
From the very beginning, Lee Hyun had never considered the possibility that Chief Eom Gi-seon had realized he was the Blue Thunder.
"If there had been another witness at the scene back then, there is no way I would not have known. Katkatkat."
Exactly.
The place where Mukeshi had died was completely enclosed by Sa Oh-jeong’s curse barrier. It was a location akin to a domain of absolute power. The notion that someone could have intruded without his knowledge was simply impossible.
"Katkat. Even though this one has fallen greatly in station after being cast down from the heavens, failing to catch a single human would make the name Sa Oh-jeong rather embarrassing."
That was why Lee Hyun had guessed that Chief Eom Gi-seon had simply been in the underground waterway by coincidence, gotten lost, and awkwardly stumbled upon the scene.
And just as expected, the holes revealed themselves after he set only a few traps.
Yet Chief Eom Gi-seon behaved as if none of it mattered in the slightest. When Lee Hyun checked with the Fiery Golden Eyes, the result was clear.
[TRUE]
It seemed the man was genuinely interested only in the spar itself.
"Katkat. So it wasn’t a scheme to shake him by seizing a weakness. He is simply a natural-born martial idiot who feels competitive spirit toward the strong. Katkatkat."
"A brainless fool whose head is packed full of muscle. How dare he challenge this elder’s apostle without knowing his place?"
"Katkatkat. Now Senior Brother is no longer saying ‘temporary’ and simply calls him apostle."
"No, I…!"
"I will hear no excuses. Katkatkat. Apostle-nim, it seems our senior brother has taken a liking to you now… mmmph!"
"This guy for real!?"
The sight of the baby monkey climbing onto the baby turtle’s shell in an attempt to yank his head out was truly bizarre. The baby turtle, however, had completely withdrawn into his shell, which only made the baby monkey seethe with even greater frustration.
For me, this is actually for the best. This is the perfect chance to test the attainment of Mahakala.
Mahakala—the secret transmission of the destroyer god Shiva, more famously known as Shiva’s Dance. It was also the technique Sun Wukong had begun teaching him several days ago. Thanks to that process, Lee Hyun had managed to unlock his third unique skill, Bull Stride.
Successfully acquired the foundation of Shiva's vision, 'Pradipika'!
Add to skill window?
Cancel selected. Components disassembled and added to existing skill.
Skill grafting failed.
Skill grafting failed.
Skill grafting successful!
Elements of 'Mahakali' added to previously held 'Skill: Bull Stride,' enhancing its potential.
'Bull Stride (F)' has been promoted to 'Frenzied Rage Strike (E)'!
He had succeeded in recreating it as a far superior skill. Lee Hyun intended to test its effects during this very spar.
He slowly assumed his stance. Blue-white lightning crackled across the axe with the sound of popping beans.
“...Wait, why did the mood suddenly head in this direction?”
The training hall was instantly flooded with taut tension. Kim Min-jung stared at the two men with an expression of utter disbelief, but—
Eom Gi-seon’s shoulder muscles bulged as if the clothes would burst, and small white wings sprouted from his back.
Whoosh!
“I assume every Korean has heard the Uturi legend at least once. The ending is a bit much, but I’m not eas— whoa!”
Eom Gi-seon had been speaking confidently when he suddenly had to duck his head in a hurry. An axe was flying straight at his face with terrifying speed. Lee Hyun had hurled it without warning.
Boom!
“What the—how can you throw an axe while someone’s talking… again?!”
This time Lee Hyun closed the distance in a single explosive dash. Despite the considerable gap between them, he narrowed it instantly and slashed diagonally with the axe.
Eom Gi-seon swung the sword in his right hand upward in a vertical block.
Clang!
The metallic impact was so loud it seemed the blade might shatter. Lee Hyun brought his face close, smiling coldly.
“You said you wanted to fight. Since when did a spar become a war of words?”
“Hah! So that’s how you want to play? Fine. Let’s do this properly!”
Eom Gi-seon smiled icily in return and resumed their violent clash.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The axe rode up the sword’s blade, aiming for Eom Gi-seon’s throat.
“Hmph!”
With a light snort, Eom Gi-seon twisted his body to evade and drew a second sword with his left hand in one fluid motion. The elegant twin-sword style flowed like water.
Lee Hyun brought the axe crashing straight down.
Crackle—boom!
Two-Eared God’s Deep Breath (A) reveals its fury, maximizing weapon performance.
Frenzied Rage Strike (E) activated!
Goblins are generally mischievous and love wrestling. They learn various wrestling styles from other civilizations and use them in the ring to prank their friends.
However, they are also easily excited; when they see blood, they cause no end of trouble for those around them.
Type: Combat Skill
Effect: Powerful attack, cumulative stack enhancement
Origin: Folk tale ‘Goblin Wrestling Ring’
Lee Hyun was deeply satisfied that the skill he had only used as a charging technique had now gained the wide potential of the Two-Eared God’s Deep Breath. Its power was on an entirely different level from the previous Bull Stride of the same rank. The output difference felt like at least two whole grades.
Boom! Boom! Crash!
Rumble—!
Axe and sword collided without pause. The shockwaves were so intense the entire building seemed to shake.
What kind of strength is this!
Despite his confident smile, Eom Gi-seon was barely holding on as the vibrations traveling down the blade nearly made him drop his sword several times. He had sparred with countless skilled fighters, yet this was the first time he had met someone with raw power equal to or greater than his own.
Is he on the same level as Director Ho…? That can’t be right!
Lee Hyun’s Strength was bolstered by the additional function “Snow Soul Power” from the Snow Queen’s narrative. Since Eom Gi-seon had no idea the man possessed such solid, ice-like brute strength, the shock was inevitable.
On top of that, Frenzied Rage Strike stacked power the longer the offensive continued before exploding. The combination of Snow Soul Power and Frenzied Rage Strike was something even Lee Gun-san had acknowledged during their training period.
Kwaaaaang!
Rumble—
“Damn it…!”
Yet the Baby General Uturi of legend had been a warrior capable of facing countless soldiers alone. In raw power, Eom Gi-seon had confidence.
Boom! Crash!
In the end, the greater impacts continued to pile up.
“Seriously, men are all the same… Fine. You two handle this yourselves.”
Kim Min-jung shook her head as if she no longer wanted to pay any attention to the matter and retreated to the edge of the training hall. Yet despite her words, her eyes shone with unusual focus.
One was her former superior. The other was her former lover. It was an absurd combination, but when it came to pure hunter talent, both men were among the very best. Simply watching them gave her plenty of inspiration.
Eom Gi-seon, that guy… Before, he only pushed with overwhelming power, but he’s changed. Did he learn swordsmanship separately?
His skill alone seemed comparable to the late Team Leader Jeong. It meant he wasn’t far from claiming a Ranker seat.
And Sunbae seems to have gained something again in the last five days. It’s similar to Bull Stride but different. Before it was a simple charging skill that crushed the opponent… Now the longer he maintains the offensive, the more cumulative damage stacks. His movements have become much cleaner, too.
Because Kim Min-jung knew the entire history of Lee Hyun’s growth, she could tell his attacks had grown far more lethal than they were four years ago. He attacked with no regard for defense whatsoever, yet his skill tree was designed like a precisely engineered machine. Every movement was efficient, without the slightest waste of energy.
“What the hell is this…?”
“I wondered why the building was shaking so much.”
“At this rate it doesn’t look like a spar—it looks like one of them’s going to end up half-crippled.”
The people who had come after hearing the commotion stood with their mouths agape.
Kwaaaang!
At that moment Eom Gi-seon was sent flying backward, coughing blood.
“What? Is the zombie getting his ass beaten?”
“Who’s the opponent… Isn’t that the Z-Team Leader? The one who got the position temporarily!”
“No way. He was that strong?”
“Zombie” was the half-joking nickname given to Eom Gi-seon by his fellow employees who frequently used the training hall. No matter how many times he was knocked down, he would rise again like a zombie and stubbornly cling on.
And he was doing it again now.
Boom!
Once more, accompanied by an earthquake-like tremor, Eom Gi-seon rolled across the floor. When he sprang back to his feet, his appearance was a mess. His hair was wild, his training clothes torn to rags. The only thing still burning fiercely was the gaze he fixed on Lee Hyun.
In contrast, Lee Hyun looked exactly as he had at the start.
“Is this the end? After throwing down the gauntlet so boldly, I’m disappointed.”
He wasn’t even breathing hard.
“Hey, zombie, just give up already. It’s getting ugly.”
“Doesn’t look like someone you can handle.”
“Yeah, man. There’s a time to quit. Keep going and you’ll really lose your soul along with everything else.”
“Damn it…! All of you shut up! Who the hell is losing here?!”
Eom Gi-seon exploded at the unhelpful advice from his colleagues. Of course, it had zero effect.
“Look at him, look. Zero self-awareness. He just planted a death flag.”
“Nah, he’s just embarrassed. Once his stubbornness gets his head cracked again he’ll quiet down.”
“But even if he faints, that mouth of his will probably keep running.”
“Aaaargh! I said shut up! Please!!”
Kim Min-jung watched the exchange between Eom Gi-seon and the training hall crowd with an expression of pure amazement. Just from listening to their conversation, it was easy to guess what kind of relationship they had. It seemed their behavior hadn’t changed at all from the past to the present.
* * *
Meanwhile, Eom Gi-seon clenched his teeth and glared at Lee Hyun.
Just what the hell is he made of? Even when I saw him last time, he wasn’t this strong…!
No matter how he searched for an opening, it was hard to find one. It felt like standing before a wall too solid to ever break.
Should I just use it? Should I? But that’s something I swore I’d never pull out unless I was desperate… Damn it. How can I take one more step forward?
No matter how many fierce attacks he launched, Lee Hyun refused to budge. Closing the distance was no easy task. Just one step. If he could close that single step, he felt like the path would open up… The problem was that every time he tried, Lee Hyun answered with an even greater onslaught, leaving him unable to think straight.
The axe swings came as if he didn’t care whether he himself got hurt. And the occasional grabs at the collar combined with kicks made it impossible to keep up with pure senses alone.
Berserker.
If he had to describe Lee Hyun in a single word, that would be it.
…Come to think of it, it was similar when he was a curse sorcerer, too.
Eom Gi-seon had witnessed Lee Hyun’s combat by chance. He had kept his distance because Team Leader Jeong’s pathetic state had stopped being amusing. Although they were ex-lovers, he had still planned to step in if Kim Min-jung seemed to be in danger.
…And it wasn’t as if he hadn’t felt jealous watching Lee Hyun stick close to Kim Min-jung these past few days.
But—
That worry was a luxury. His skill was simply too overwhelming.
The way he dominated the curse sorcerers had been astonishing. He had been so mesmerized he hadn’t even realized it. That was when the competitive spirit had been born—the desire to fight him once. The intense urge that perhaps, by clashing with this man, he could overcome the wall currently blocking his own path.
Yet now that they had actually collided, instead of leaping over the wall he had slammed into an even greater one. He felt ridiculous for ever thinking this person might be a mage like the Blue Thunder.
Mages are people who view the world only through reason and calculation. But this man relies entirely on instinct and intuition. Maybe even more than I do.
In the end, Eom Gi-seon made up his mind. At this rate he would only show an unsightly performance. If so, he might as well pour out everything he had.
Having firmed his resolve, Eom Gi-seon raised his right hand high. The small wings tucked beneath his armpits suddenly swelled, wrapping around his right arm.
His right hand swelled like a giant’s gauntlet. From his back he drew the greatsword that Director Ho had given him long ago.
With this,
Shiiing—
I’ll aim for victory in a single strike.
Eom Gi-seon swung his right arm with brutal force. The greatsword, laden with the full weight of his legacy, tore through the air with tremendous force, pushing the atmosphere aside.
Lee Hyun responded in kind.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
He raised the output of his lightning dramatically and brought the axe down.
The Two-Eared God’s Fury strikes!
Kwaaaaaang!
The greatsword and axe collided violently, generating a fierce shockwave. Then—
Crack—
The sound of metal shattering rang out, and—
Clang! Whirr—
Unable to withstand the destructive force carried by the axe, the greatsword suddenly broke apart. The fragments shot straight toward where Kim Min-jung stood.
“……!”
“……!!”
Both Lee Hyun’s and Eom Gi-seon’s gazes snapped in the same direction.
“Min-jung!”
Lee Hyun quickly hurled his axe to intercept the flying shards. But before he could—
“Honey!!”
“……!?”
Not even “babe”—he used the baby-talk nickname. With a short-tongued cry that completely clashed with the deadly atmosphere, Eom Gi-seon threw himself toward Kim Min-jung.
Thud!!