One Line on the Shoulder – Upper Asura

"Only one line on your shoulder means you've climbed to upper Asura. Impressive growth for the sixth battalion leader."

I tapped Jang Il-mun's shoulder lightly with the flat of my blade, and his face stiffened.

"They say the Yulmun Family exacts a heavy price for failed missions. What happened to Grom Kyler?"

"The lower Asura lost his rank and is toiling away on Hellgate missions."

"Hellgate, huh... Sounds like they just work you to death there."

"The fool didn't just die stupidly—he lost his weapon too. He deserved the punishment."

Jang Il-mun snorted coldly as he replied.

"But what about you? If you'd stayed quiet, you might've been picked as an elite assassin... Fail this, and you'll get demoted too, right?"

"You mad bastard... Do you know why I even told you about that idiot Grom?"

Shing—

Jang Il-mun glanced at the flame soldiers encircling him and smirked.

"I won't make the same mistake as Grom. I don't plan on losing to you. I'll take your head too and bring it back to the Yulmun Family."

I nodded at his words.

"Ever heard that famous saying?"

"...What?"

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."

Thwack—!!!

In that instant, I raised my blade and slammed it down on Jang Il-mun's shoulder.

Clang—!Kang!!

True to his upper assassin rank, he yanked his shoulder back just in time, dodging the strike.

"How dare you!!!"

Jang Il-mun gnashed his teeth and thrust his sword at me.

Wind Blade was the fastest technique among the Extreme Evil Instrument Arts.

But to me, who already knew its variations, it wasn't much of a threat.

Kaang—!!!

I parried Jang Il-mun's sword with Tesaro's blade, then closed in and plunged Amur's shortsword into his thigh.

"Grrraaah!!!"

Jang Il-mun grimaced in agony but refused to drop his sword.

"E-everyone, attack!!"

No matter how elite the Yukhap were, they were still human.

With their vice captain's head exploded right in front of them and flame soldiers surrounding them, their morale had already hit rock bottom.

Skang!Kang!!Kang!

A normal player might've dropped their weapon and fled, but these were Yukhap assassins. Their will to fight was broken, yet they didn't run.

"Good, good. That's more like it."

Baek Yiheon swung his stolen sword, activated with Ghostly Wail, at the charging assassins.

Slash—!!

The lead assassin's thigh split open, vanishing cleanly without a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drop of blood.

"Guh?!"

The assassin lost balance and toppled. He tried to stand but collapsed again from the missing leg.

"Everyone, watch out!! He's using Grom's Stolen Sword. Ghostly Wail is active!!"

The assassin behind him shouted upon seeing his fallen comrade.

But only for a moment—Baek Yiheon decapitated the shouter and gripped his sword hilt with both hands.

"Accidents don't care if you're careful."

Baek Yiheon murmured lowly to the remaining three assassins.

"Ugh, urgh...!"

"Uwaaaah...!!"

Whether from the Slaughterer trait's attack boost and fear effect or the overwhelming presence of the Mad Dog, the assassins were the ones terrified.

"Kuhahaha!!"

Baek Yiheon swung, unleashing the final Ghostly Wail and severing another assassin's arm.

"Snap out of it, everyone!! The Mad Dog's rampage days are over!!"

Trained assassins nonetheless, they charged with frenzied roars despite their dying comrades.

Whoosh...!!

But their courage was futile—the flame soldier's halberd smashed the shouter's skull as if waiting.

"Admirable spirit, but your head doesn't work. Has Yukhap fallen this low? Back in Dimension World 1, they were sharper."

I blocked Jang Il-mun's sword and taunted him.

"Thinking you had a chance after seeing your vice captain die in one hit... Your idiot captain's dooming his men. You're done in the rankings, just like Grom."

"Shut your mouth!!!"

Jang Il-mun twisted his blade.

'That's...'

I eyed the sword tip's movement and halted my dodge.

"Perfect practice dummy."

In field combat, non-party members' skill notifications don't appear.

Plus, with time passed since Dimension World 1, not all class signature skills were public knowledge. The Yulmun Family's hidden sword arts, isolated from the continent, were indeed threatening.

'If it weren't for me.'

The tip quivered like a vibration—the fifth and final Extreme Evil Instrument Art, passed only to upper assassins: Flying Bird.

Screeech...!!!

The sword screamed like a hawk's cry as it lunged at me.

Swish—

I assumed position as if waiting.

Across rounds, I'd fought Yulmun endlessly—even dueled their patriarch Galrung for three days and nights.

'Even unfinished, Yong-gong Geom-sik opened my eyes to the sword thanks to him.'

If even the patriarch knelt to my incomplete style, the Extreme Evil arts' flaws were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠obvious.

"Hup..."

Unlike prior Chilya, I sheathed the shortsword, gripping Tesaro's blade two-handed, gathering power.

After first learning True Chilya 2nd Sword from U-ryu-ga's hilt, the description explained why he never mastered it.

'Endless swift strikes don't suit charging energy.'

But it also revealed why Gullak passed him the second style.

'Chilya 1st costs 38 energy for 180 power. Chilya 2nd takes time to charge but maxes at under double the cost for over quadruple the power.'

It reaffirmed Chilya's profundity for me.

True Chilya 2nd Sword was a one-hit kill—a instant death blade.

"Black Eye."

I called his name while slowly drawing the sword from overhead to my chest hollow.

Black Eye instantly grasped my intent.

"Once is enough."

Energy drained rapidly.

But as a Chilya Sword Master, my reserves dwarfed other players'. I maxed the charge, curious about True Chilya 2nd Sword's power beyond shrine practice.

Kaang—!Kang!Kagagak—!

Black Eye raised his greatsword, repelling Jang Il-mun's assault.

Vmmm...!

In the draw stance, dotted lines traced the blade's trajectory in my vision.

"Urgh...!! Get lost!!!"

Jang Il-mun couldn't hide his dismay at Black Eye's fiercer-than-expected defense.

"Hup."

Seeing me inhale in stance, he grew desperate.

"Damn it!!!"

Finally, he pulled a vial from his bosom and splashed its myriad poison at Black Eye.

"...Dodge!"

Black Eye sensed danger from my shout, retracting his sword and retreating.

Drip—

But a few drops grazed him narrowly.

[Cough—]

Just a few drops staggered even poison-resistant Black Eye to his knees.

"Black Eye—!!!"

"Worry about yourself, asshole."

Jang Il-mun charged me with a furious glare, trying to splash the remaining poison.

For a split second, Jang Il-mun's movements slowed, letting me predict his path.

With energy already charging, Intent's activation squeezed my remaining reserves, choking my breath.

Faster than the chest-tightening pain, my sword shot toward Jang Il-mun.

Kwa-gagang—!!

As the blade left my sheath, it whipped up ferocious winds like a berserk beast, engulfing him.

"...!!"

One lapse in focus, and True Chilya 2nd Sword would've dragged me away— it was the beast incarnate.

"Grrraaah—!!"

Despite the enemy before me, I halted the rampaging strike.

"Guhk... Kkhuhk..."

Jang Il-mun stared in disbelief.

Thud—

His knees buckled, and he collapsed.

"..."

I'd sheathed mid-swing because of his state.

His right shoulder, arm, and ribs were torn off entirely, as if devoured by a massive predator—barely clinging to life.

Tremble... Tremble...

Overwhelmed by shock, the once-confident Jang Il-mun gazed at me in terror.

Drip—

I pulled a potion from inventory and dripped it over the wound.

Vmmm...

Faint light bloomed where it touched, staunching the gushing blood—but no regrown arm.

"I have questions. Can't let you die easy yet."

"Ugh... Urgh..."

Jang Il-mun glared.

Despite Baek Yiheon and the flame soldiers mopping up, his eyes still burned.

"You still look hopeful. Don't tell me you're waiting for that scrub G. Basel from the village?"

"...!!"

Disbelief crossed his face at my words.

"H-how..."

"I know everything. If that's your last hope, rethink it."

Crunch—!!

"Gaaahhh!!"

I stabbed into his severed shoulder's stump; he screamed.

Assassins maxed immersion for stealth, so blade pain hit hard.

"This'll take time. Let's start with the Fairy's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Eye."

"You psycho... Think I'll give it to you?"

"Such loyalty."

I looked away to where Baek Yiheon had cleared assassins, spotting a dropped iron chain from one.

"This'll do."

I wrapped the chain around Jang Il-mun.

"Wh-what the hell?!"

"You take death too lightly in this game. Don't wanna give it? Fine. But you won't die even if you want to."

"...What."

I yanked the chain; his body dragged across the ground.

"Let's see how far your loyalty goes."

"...What?"

"I'll drag you around, crying and begging for mercy, neither dead nor alive. Don't worry—I'll make Basel join you so you're not lonely."

"Y-you...!!!"

Thrashing as he scraped along, Jang Il-mun's face paled at my words.

Yeomhwa-ryeong nodded knowingly at his plight.