Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Regressed to Bronze
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Kwaaaa!
Even in a situation where one misstep could send him plummeting thousands of feet into the abyss below, Choi Shin-hyeok's footsteps showed no hesitation whatsoever.
The terrain didn't allow for proper footwork techniques, but his steps were incredibly light regardless.
Reaching Elder Cheok in an instant, Shin-hyeok thrust his sword forward.
He harbored no illusions that it might pose any real danger to the elder.
Even if he poured every ounce of his power into the strike, he had no confidence it could leave so much as a scratch on the man's skin.
In response to Shin-hyeok's full-force thrust, Elder Cheok extended a hand with a faint smile.
A strike that was slow yet fast, simple yet profound.
At this rate, he'd lose his sword the moment they clashed—but Shin-hyeok's face remained impassive as he unleashed his technique.
"Twist Thrust."
"……!"
Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 1 - Twist Thrust.
The serpentine thrust, moving in an off-beat rhythm, slyly evaded Elder Cheok's hand and dove straight for his heart.
The elder's eyes flashed with slight surprise at the attack that slipped past his hand like flowing water, now aiming unerringly for his vital point.
Cliiing!
Of course, it didn't mean success.
His hand had softly rotated at some point, its palm precisely blocking the sword tip.
A clash between a Unique+ grade sword—made primarily from Unique-grade materials with Rare-grade additions—and the flesh-and-blood body of Elder Cheok.
Anyone would bet on the former, but astonishingly, the outcome was the exact opposite.
"Cough!"
Shin-hyeok, colliding with the elder's palm, suffered severe internal injuries.
It was due to the rebound force from the sheer toughness of Elder Cheok's body.
In contrast, not even a hairline scratch marred the elder's palm.
To be precise, there were faint traces of injury, but they had vanished before one could even blink.
Realizing this, Shin-hyeok momentarily retreated, tending to his wounds.
In that split-second interlude as he recovered...
"Now it's my turn to come at you."
"……!"
Elder Cheok, who had just blocked Shin-hyeok's attack, glided forward with movements like flowing clouds.
The moment Shin-hyeok sensed him, the elder was already upon him. Gritting his teeth, Shin-hyeok lashed out with his left fist.
Remembering the previous exchange, he had no intention of actually colliding with the elder's body.
Instead, he struck the empty air with his mana, shoving Elder Cheok back.
It was only a minuscule distance, but it bought Shin-hyeok a brief moment. Eyes fixed on the elder's incoming hand, he gripped his sword at a slant.
"Flat-of-the-Blade Hook."
Kak!
Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 3 - Flat-of-the-Blade Hook.
A technique that deflected an incoming attack diagonally using the flat of the blade.
The sound and impact were unbelievable for a clash of hand and sword, but Shin-hyeok endured it.
First, he'd already experienced it once and was prepared. Second, the Flat-of-the-Blade Hook had diverted as much of the shock as possible.
Still, some impact was inevitable, so Shin-hyeok used a twisting step to widen the gap.
"Trying to run? But this place isn't that spacious. How long do you think you can keep fleeing—"
Shweeeek!
Elder Cheok, hot on his heels, flinched at the sight of Shin-hyeok's sword flying toward him.
The elder was the War God.
As a supreme martial artist, he couldn't help but react to someone hurling their weapon without hesitation.
A beat late, he countered Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 7 - Weapon Throw.
Thud!
The sword ricocheted off Elder Cheok's forearm and clattered across the ground.
Any other player would have panicked, but Shin-hyeok spared the rolling sword not a glance. He immediately pulled a bow and arrows from his inventory.
And that wasn't the end.
"Undine, Salamander, Sylph, Gnome."
Four lower spirits materialized at his call.
They infused their power into his bow and arrows.
Thanks to the spirits' aid, the Common-grade bow and arrows temporarily gained Rare-grade might.
Empowered, Shin-hyeok's archery zeroed in precisely on Elder Cheok.
Pew-pew-pew-pew!
In a blink, he loosed over a dozen arrows—archery so divine it bordered on the miraculous.
Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 4 - Continuous Shot.
This was especially true since every arrow targeted only the elder's vital points.
Joints in legs and arms.
Between the eyes and under the nose.
Chest and abdomen.
Even his groin.
Elder Cheok couldn't hide his incredulity at the arrows heading for such a spot.
But regardless, his defense was flawless.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Like the Thousand-Armed Kannon, his hands multiplied in an instant, snatching every incoming arrow.
It was a godlike technique that didn't just defend—it nullified the attack entirely.
Even as his assault came to naught, Shin-hyeok's eyes blazed with undimmed fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Elder Cheok let out a hearty laugh that belied his appearance.
"Ha ha! Come at me! I'll take everything you've got!"
It was the heart of a senior facing the earnest resolve of a much younger junior.
In response to the elder's shout, Shin-hyeok drew various weapons from his inventory and charged.
Chwajajajak!
Weapons flew at speeds too fast for the eye to follow.
Swords, spears, axes, daggers—every variety hurtled through the air toward Elder Cheok, who deflected them with soft or rigid palms.
In that moment, Shin-hyeok vanished.
'……Behind me!'
He had lowered his realm for this encounter, but a War God's senses remained sharp.
Sensing Shin-hyeok preparing a chilling strike from behind, Elder Cheok lightly turned—and prepared to counter.
'A fist?'
He spotted Shin-hyeok with his fist clenched.
And then—
Pow-pow-pow-pow-pow!
Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 6 - Soul Pierce was unleashed.
A Soul Pierce delivered with the fist.
It blended emitting force and fist wind subtleties.
The fist wind avoided direct hits, while the emitting force aimed to shake the insides, bypassing the sturdy exterior.
At point-blank range, even Elder Cheok couldn't block them all this time.
After taking a few solid blows, he grinned.
"Heavy stuff. Isn't this a bit much for an old man?"
"You said you'd take my full power, Elder Cheok."
"Ahem, true... but if this is the end, it's a bit disappointing..."
"I figured as much."
"Meaning?"
"Be careful. Even at the level you've lowered your body to match me, this might hurt a little."
"……Kuhahaha! Excellent! Come on then!"
Not only had Shin-hyeok noticed the elder was holding back to his level, but he even warned it might sting—Elder Cheok loved it. He reverted to his original stance for the first time.
One hand behind his back, the other extended, waiting for the attack.
In response, Shin-hyeok sent his entire body's mana into overdrive.
Kugugugugu!
"Ho!"
Instantly grasping Shin-hyeok's intent, Elder Cheok exclaimed in admiration.
Ignoring the War God's praise, Shin-hyeok drew his final card.
"……Overlord."
Choi Shin-hyeok Style, Chapter 10 - Overlord.
A secret technique that rampaged the body's mana to push physical limits beyond their peak for a very brief time.
One slip, and the mana circuits could tangle or shatter outright—not for just anyone.
But in his previous life, Shin-hyeok had mastered it better than anyone.
"……Here I come."
All preparations complete.
His Gold-threshold body skyrocketed straight to Platinum level.
And in that state, his final move was—
"Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style - Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist."
Elder Cheok's martial art.
The Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist of the Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style.
He had shown it passing through the waves before, but this Peng Bird Fist was 180 degrees different.
His surged physical prowess.
Mana boiling like molten lava.
The resulting Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist was utterly transformed.
"……Truly beautiful. Then I can't just stand by either."
Performing it before the originator might seem like a worm dancing before a lion, but Elder Cheok was pleased instead.
And his satisfaction soon took form.
Formless flying daggers, compressed from air and mana.
Gripping them, Elder Cheok smiled and declared,
"Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style."
"……!!!"
The Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style, unleashed directly by the originator himself.
Shin-hyeok had witnessed it once before.
That time, it had been Chapter 1, Verse 1: Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist.
But what he saw now was absolutely not the Peng Bird Fist.
Just as the sky tolerates no two suns, there was only one Peng Bird rising.
Yet like a god shooting down a sun, Elder Cheok aimed his formless daggers at the heaven-destroying Peng Bird.
As the Peng Bird finally flew toward him, Elder Cheok spoke.
"Heaven-Destroying Supreme Thunder Flying Dagger."
"……!!!"
Ping!
Dozens of formless daggers shot forth, yet only a single whoosh pierced the air.
Incredibly precise and swift attack.
This was the flying dagger bearing the might of the ultimate heaven-destroying thunder.
The Heaven-Destroying Supreme Thunder Flying Dagger.
Watching the massive heaven-destroying Peng Bird struck by dozens of formless daggers, letting out a mournful cry as it plummeted, Shin-hyeok blacked out from Overlord's backlash.
The final message window he saw before fainting was more than enough to bring a smile to his lips even in unconsciousness.
"Not quite ready to take as a full disciple yet—temporary disciple it is. I'll throw in an extra gift to match."
Elder Cheok's gifts were as bountiful as a grandmother's holiday spread.