The Mirror Force Barrier
The moment my condensed internal energy pierced his chest with my finger—
Mirror Force Barrier
The point of impact turned into a mirror that reflected me perfectly.
Mirror Force Barrier. A powerful magical barrier that reflected damage back at the attacker.
I knew it.
What was engraved on Sergey’s body wasn’t just support magic. There were also emergency defensive and escape spells that activated automatically. And among them, Mirror Force Barrier was the strongest.
Even though I could have used a devastating technique like the Apocalypse Dragon Fist or Mountain Tiger Blue Wave Claw, I had deliberately chosen a move that would steal his breath while stripping away his magic.
My outstretched finger was violently repelled by the powerful counterforce and bent backward at a grotesque angle.
“Mirror Force…?”
Sergey’s voice trembled with clear shock.
From what I remembered, that reflection magic was an automatic barrier that only triggered when it judged an attack as a genuine threat. In other words, when I stabbed his vital point, even Sergey had been in real danger.
Despite his panic, Sergey didn’t miss the opening created by the barrier and closed the distance instantly.
My right arm had gone numb. The reflected damage had left me unable to exert my full strength. If I had just two seconds, I could shake it off—but there was no way Sergey would simply stand by and watch.
Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts - Sixth Form
Phoenix Kick
Black flames coiled around my leg. The flames, darkened by the influence of the Asura Demon Spirit Heart Method, slammed into Sergey’s shin.
He staggered but refused to stop his advance. A wave of cold erupted from the point of impact.
He had activated True Stomp and Frost Nova at the same time—shattering my balance while trying to freeze my entire body solid.
-This is dangerous!
No. I can endure this much.
I stimulated my dulled body with Thunder God Physique. By the time I shook off the cold, Sergey had already closed in right before me.
A long blade of wind formed above his outstretched hand.
Wind Blade
Death Chop
He was far too close for me to disrupt his timing like I had with the first punch. To think he would ignore the Phoenix Kick and charge straight in. His combat sense really was monstrous.
I gathered the power of Polar Night in my right hand and created a blade of darkness. The internal energy moving according to the principles of the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword shimmered atop the shadow-forged blade.
CRACK!
The two blades collided head-on.
“Ugh!”
The impact felt like it would tear my palm apart as I was blasted several meters backward.
Even after using the strongest technique among all my buffs and martial arts—the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword—I still couldn’t completely neutralize Sergey’s attack.
Sergey chased after my flying body. I unfolded my Dark Shadow Body and released the internal energy stored in my dantian.
Manifesting five Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Swords at once was taxing not only on my qi but on my mind as well. I had to control both Polar Night and internal energy simultaneously.
This was a technique I hadn’t even used against Ellen Taylor. It represented my maximum firepower when I wasn’t using Void Mirror or Demonic Power.
Sergey must not have been able to ignore the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword either. He abandoned his pursuit and began deflecting the dark blades with defensive magic and hand-to-hand techniques.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Scars were carved into his skin. Even with shield magic and aura wrapped around his body, he couldn’t completely block the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword.
Crack. Pop.
I regenerated the fingers that had been bent by the Mirror Force Barrier’s impact.
“That dark power of yours… its range isn’t very long, is it?”
Sergey increased the distance between us. A magic circle rose above his outstretched right hand.
“Flame Cannon.”
A wave of flames that filled my entire field of vision. If I tried to devour it with Mana Absorb, my right hand would probably burn off.
I activated Cloud Flow Steps and slipped out of the Flame Cannon’s trajectory. The flames stubbornly chased after my back.
Swish!
I abruptly changed direction and tried to slip into the spell’s blind spot, but—
Multiple Spell
Lightning Blast
Energy Trap
Icicle Arrow
The spells activated through multi-casting blocked my approach.
He had already used up his trump card, Mirror Force Barrier. In close combat, I could barely keep up with him. But—
“This isn’t easy.”
Sergey had read my intentions and refused to let me close the distance.
Battle Mage. A class proficient in both magic and martial arts. Even without using hand-to-hand combat, Sergey was already first-rate—no, beyond first-rate—with magic alone.
Because he had to distribute his stats evenly, the raw power of his spells was slightly lacking. However, his ability to freely wield every attribute and his godlike mana calculation allowed him to completely overwhelm magic-type players of the same rank using only spells.
“Why don’t you use that ability that controls darkness!”
“You already figured out it has a limited range, yet you’re still saying that?”
Tsk. What a bothersome guy.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more advantageous it was for me. Hybrid types like him could cover both close and long range, but that also meant he couldn’t reach the pinnacle in either.
The same applied to Sergey. Even combining magic and martial arts, he couldn’t match the ultimate realm of true martial arts. His mana reserves were also insufficient, so he lacked staying power in prolonged long-range magical battles.
That was Sergey’s weakness. I knew it well because I had fought him many times before my regression.
The problem was that we were in a foreign country. I had already prepared an excuse for Han Suchang, but going on a rampage for too long would be troublesome.
-Wouldn’t it be better for you to engage him in a long-range magic battle as well?
“Ugh, how am I supposed to win against that?”
I grumbled in response, but as I mulled over Nyx’s words, I realized it wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Shall we give it a try?”
-Do you need the power of Yeo?
She was offering to synchronize with my Polar Night. I shook my head and declined.
“I still have some leeway.”
A magic battle against Sergey, huh? I probably couldn’t win, but it would still be excellent training.
The number of spells I had learned by devouring essences was quite small. Among them, 1-star skills like Energy Bolt wouldn’t even scratch him, so they were out. The only spells that could actually land a hit on him were…
“I need to create some distance.”
“Hmph. What are you muttering about?”
Magical attacks flew at me without pause. I covered my front with Metal Reflection Gauntlets and charged forward.
“I never said I would give you any distance.”
Sergey clapped his hands together loudly. A fierce gale rushed toward me.
Instead of resisting the flow of the wind, I used the principles of Cloud Flow Steps to leap in the opposite direction. Since it had no killing power, I could ride the wind current just fine.
Thanks to the gale, I was pushed back over a hundred meters. Sergey’s face twisted.
“You increased the distance?”
“That’s right. I have something I want to do too.”
I rearranged my mana. The two skills woven together by Fusion Qigong merged into one.
Solar Explosion.
It was a powerful spell, so it required time to rearrange the mana.
“You dare… challenge me to a magic duel?!”
“You caught me.”
“I won’t let this slide.”
Sergey unleashed a barrage of spells. Blades of wind flew through the air, slicing toward me.
Dark Dominion
Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword
I no longer needed to use Dark Shadow Body. I could now manifest a single Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword remotely.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The spells were shot down in midair.
-Heh heh, not bad at all, is it?
“It’s all thanks to you, Goddess.”
I even had enough leisure to chat with Nyx.
The blazing flames grew fiercer. The moment Solar Explosion was completed, Sergey’s pupils shook violently.
“That spell…?”
“Consider it a gift.”
Strengthened by the Blessing of Greed, I hurled the Solar Explosion straight at him.
* * *
The energy suppressed within the orb was released all at once.
The blazing flames spread out, driving away the chill of the Siberian plains. A plume of smoke rose so clearly that it could be seen from several kilometers away.
“To think you would actually injure me with magic.”
Sergey ground his teeth.
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a little soot on your face and you’re making such a fuss.”
“You… you don’t even specialize in magic. How did you break through my barrier?”
“Same goes for you. You’re the one mixing martial arts with magic.”
Even as I shot back, I felt a pang of disappointment inside.
Solar Explosion was the strongest spell I could cast without borrowing the power of Ars Goetia. Given that my mana stat was at Gold—no, Platinum level—I had thought it would be enough to pierce Sergey’s defenses.
But it hadn’t worked.
Even after spending nearly ten seconds rearranging my mana to fire it, I couldn’t land a clean hit. The magic circles engraved on his skin, combined with an ice-type spell he cast at the last second to wrap around himself, had drastically weakened the explosion.
As expected, his senses were terrifying.
After receiving the blast of Solar Explosion, Sergey no longer bothered rearranging his mana. Instead, he looked up at me with a calm expression.
“Why would someone of your caliber go around tyrannizing Russian players?”
“I’m only Silver rank.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Reveal your name.”
“Who are you?”
“Yu Jinho. I came from Korea.”
“I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere… Wait, the Spice Island incident?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re quite different from the ‘hero’ they called you. I’d like to hear your reason.”
What a damn annoying bastard.
Whether now or in the past, the moment his eyes rolled back in anger, he stopped thinking about consequences. To calm Sergey down, I needed to let him vent that boiling bloodlust of his.
I couldn’t even remember how many times that personality of his had gotten him caught in the traps of the Old Gods.
I explained what had happened when I clashed with the skinhead gang.
Sergey’s bald head turned bright red.
“Is that true?”
“If you want, I can show you proof.”
“The footage has already been recorded,” Han Suchang added helpfully from the side.
“I apologize for looking down on you just because you’re Asian. That was my mistake.”
Unlike when he had first charged at me, Sergey quickly admitted his fault. His simple personality was exactly the same as before my regression.
Tsk. What a shame.
I wanted to break his spirit a bit more, but the location and circumstances made it impossible to drag the fight out any longer.
At my current level, defeating Sergey would require fighting with the intent to kill. And even then, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
I’d have to be satisfied with just denting his pride a little.
“By the way, Sergey. Before we enter the demonic realm, I have something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know anything about the Russian Guardian Knights?”
“Never heard of them. I think I might have, but I never paid attention.”
“It’s the organization those bastards who picked a fight with us belong to. They’re Neo-Nazis.”
“Neo-Nazis?!”
Sergey’s eyes flickered with rage. To the Russian people, the word “Nazi” was practically a taboo.
They still carried deep scars from the enormous damage they suffered during World War II.
The Russian Guardian Knights didn’t call themselves Nazis, but their political ideology was a direct successor to Nazism.
“You should look into it. Their forces seem pretty substantial.”
“Understood. Thank you for the valuable information.”
Before my regression, I had heard that Neo-Nazi guilds had gained significant power in Russia. The reason I said “heard” was because by the time I formed an alliance with Sergey, their roots had already been pulled out.
And the one who had done it was the man standing right in front of me.
“Sergey, are you the person in charge of this demonic realm exploration?”
“I am.”
“I’d like you to brief me on the schedule.”
“Since this was partly my fault, I will guide you personally.”
Sergey, who had been radiating murderous intent just moments ago, now led our group with perfect courtesy as if nothing had happened.
As expected.
With this guy, nothing worked better than a conversation through our fists.