Chapter 60
Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Victory in the Colosseum
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'As expected of a former orc great warrior. His physical abilities are just ridiculous.'
Triple Harmony - Reinforcement.
A new reinforcement technique unique to Shin-hyeok, blending mana, magi, and holy power.
Its amplification was on a whole other level compared to standard mana reinforcement.
Even so, Shin-hyeok was clearly at a disadvantage in raw physical prowess.
His opponent was a former orc great warrior.
Even after his physical stats had dropped due to the restrictions placed on him upon becoming the Colosseum champion, they were still nothing to scoff at.
On top of that, with Three Lights Unity boosting his physical abilities even further, Tarkhan might have reclaimed some of his past glory.
No, it was almost certain.
Despite that, Shin-hyeok was convinced.
'I'll win.'
A declaration of perfect victory.
Of course, he'd heard it was no different from a defeat flag, but that only applied to the era's losers.
Ignoring the faint voice of the man with a donut hole in his chest crying, "Take it back...!", Shin-hyeok purchased a Title Addition Ticket from the Achievement Shop.
'50,000 points... It hurts, but I had to buy it eventually.'
An exorbitantly expensive item costing a whopping 50,000 points each.
And the price kept rising with every purchase.
Still, he only needed one for now, so after buying it, Shin-hyeok immediately equipped the Candidate for Little Heavenly Demon title alongside Disciple of the War God (Temporary).
That completed all his preparations.
"Thunder Horse Step."
Thunder Horse Step
KRRRRUMBLE!
Black lightning wrapped around Shin-hyeok's legs the instant his figure vanished.
Only then did the thunderclap echo, making Tarkhan flinch, but as a born warrior, he quickly shook off the surprise and scanned his surroundings.
Pabababap!
Shin-hyeok's form circling him wildly left only afterimages in its wake, moving at blinding speed.
The fusion of his transcendent physical abilities and the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was that extraordinary.
But Tarkhan was a warrior and a shaman.
"Eagle's Eye, Deer's Legs, Wind's Embrace, Earth's Charge."
"Eagle's Eye, Deer's Legs, Wind's Embrace, Earth's Charge."
⟨ Auxiliary Shamanism ⟩
Kiiiiing!
He chanted auxiliary spells in an instant.
Eagle's Eye to enhance eyesight.
Deer's Legs to boost leg strength.
Wind's Embrace to lighten the body.
Earth's Charge to increase speed.
All these merged, straining his body in backlash, but his Three Lights Unity-reinforced physique shrugged it off.
"Found you."
Kwaaaaang!
Using his shaman-boosted physical prowess, Tarkhan located Shin-hyeok and charged.
A terrifying speed utterly at odds with his massive frame.
Tarkhan reached Shin-hyeok in a flash and raised his glaive once more.
"Heaven Splitter!"
"...!"
Kwaaaaaaaang!!!
A downward strike followed by a heavy overhead smash.
An X-level heavy overhead smash.
Brutally simple, but its power was unparalleled.
The Colosseum floor shattered, collapsed, and exploded.
Debris scattered like grenades, sweeping the area.
Naturally, it concentrated on Shin-hyeok.
The debris storm dominated the space, battering his body.
"Protective Demon Qi, Protective Ki, Shield, Divine Barrier."
Pubububububububuk!!!
Four-layered shields.
Barriers of magi, mana, magic, and holy power blocked the debris.
Like standing in a downpour.
Or perhaps a hailstorm. The impacts flowed through the shields to Shin-hyeok.
But no real damage.
That was why, the moment Shin-hyeok's eyes gleamed...
"Continuous Twist Thrust."
Choi Shin-hyeok Style Chapter 1 - Twist Thrust unleashed in rapid succession.
Alternating thrusts from the holy sword and demon spear.
Their clever twists made trajectories unpredictable, forcing Tarkhan to rely on instinct.
Kagang! Kang! Kaang! Kaang!
Countering the jarring shocks along the glaive's blade with fighting spirit, Tarkhan roared.
"Krwooooaaar!!!"
A warrior's roar.
Infused with shamanic effects to cower foes, amplify his physical abilities, and boost morale as a bonus.
In response, Shin-hyeok stomped down on Tarkhan's instep.
"Foot Breaker."
"...!"
Kwaaaaang!
The impact cratered the floor beneath his foot, landing precisely on Tarkhan's instep.
Many dismiss feet as crude, but they're surprisingly delicate.
Especially the instep.
Imagine a box corner dropping there from waist height.
Of course, Foot Breaker's power far exceeded that.
His foot was half-smashed.
Tarkhan's mobility plummeted by nearly a third in an instant.
He could still move on the mangled foot.
Thanks to Three Lights Unity numbing the pain.
But no pain didn't mean full efficiency.
That marked the start of Shin-hyeok's hunt.
"Thunder Horse Step."
Thunder Horse Step
KRUMBLE!
Black lightning coiled around his legs once more.
"Soul Thrust, Piercing Demon, Wind Demon."
Choi Shin-hyeok Style Chapter 6 - Soul Thrust pierced Tarkhan first with the holy sword, followed by Piercing Demon from the demon spear piercing again, then a wide swing.
A triple combo in a blink.
Reduced mobility left Tarkhan unable to fully evade, forcing blocks that staggered him badly.
A split-second opening.
"Body Slam."
Thud!!!
Shin-hyeok didn't miss it.
Choi Shin-hyeok Style Chapter 9 - Body Slam.
Thunder Horse Step propelled him crashing into Tarkhan's upper body.
The heavy impact shattered bones and organs, black dead blood trickling from Tarkhan's mouth.
But Tarkhan didn't take it lying down.
Kwaaak!
"Got... you...!"
"...!"
Grabbing Shin-hyeok mid-Body Slam, Tarkhan swung his head like a hammer for a headbutt.
Creeeeeng!
"Urgh, my head's ringing..."
Even with Armor of Absorption's innate skill: Shock Absorption mitigating most, the skull-rattling impact made Shin-hyeok stagger.
Of course, Tarkhan wasn't unscathed either.
Internal injuries from the Body Slam, skull cracks from his own headbutt.
They were both reeling from the pain and shocks.
A momentary lull as they recovered.
It passed in the blink of an eye.
"Uoooooooh!!!"
"Kraaaaaah!!!"
Eyes bulging, they glared and charged each other.
Bang! Bang! Kwaang! Bangbangbangbang!!!
A frenzy of blows.
Glaive clashing with holy sword and demon spear, sparks like mini-suns in a brutal slugfest.
Within it, both pushed past their limits.
"Behold! My ultimate power! Planet Splitter!!!"
Downward strike, heavy overhead, X-heavy overhead—his final ultimate.
A true X-heavy overhead smashed toward Shin-hyeok.
Power to cleave planets. Shin-hyeok gritted his teeth and thrust his demon spear.
"Piercing Wind Extreme Demon!"
A new technique merging Piercing Demon's penetration and Wind Demon's destruction.
Even the Heavenly Demon, master of the Divine Arts, showed interest as it clashed with the glaive.
Creeeeeeeng!
A massive shockwave erupted, blasting them back like cannonballs.
Kukwangagagak!
Skipping across the floor like stones, they slammed into the wall, emerging zombie-like from the rubble in wrecked states.
Shin-hyeok's demon spear was gone from his hand.
"Looking for this?"
"...Wrapping it in fighting spirit to block Recall. Clever."
The demon spear, quivering wrapped in red fighting spirit, was embedded beside Tarkhan.
Tarkhan's fighting spirit disrupted the Recall skill, keeping it from Shin-hyeok.
Thus, Shin-hyeok lost one arm's weapon.
In this situation, he couldn't use Admiral Yi's bow either. Only the holy sword remained.
"Nice. Brings back old memories."
"...What?"
"Demon spear and holy sword. Charging like a tank with dual weapons has its charm... but I'm a swordsman at heart."
Chak-
Recalling distant past with a faint smile, Shin-hyeok gripped the holy sword two-handed for the first time.
He'd always held it one-handed to free the other for the demon spear.
The moment both hands gripped it.
"Transcendence."
The Plus Ultra Ring on his finger blazed, infusing him.
Transcendence.
A cheat skill raising one possessed skill by a rank.
The chosen skill was—
"Comprehensive Weapon Mastery [B]."
Transcendence → Comprehensive Weapon Mastery [B]
→ Comprehensive Weapon Mastery [A]
Empowered by Transcendence, Comprehensive Weapon Mastery [B] rose to [A].
Kiiiiing!
Comprehensive Weapon Mastery [A] hammered sword principles, paths, and combat knowledge into his mind—things he shouldn't have access to yet.
Others might collapse, become half-vegetative, or die, but for Shin-hyeok, it was a familiar road.
Thus, he devoured the info ravenously, integrating it into his body in a flash.
Tsutsutsutsutsu!
"Sword aura..."
Radiant sword aura bloomed over Shin-hyeok's holy sword.
Not ordinary aura.
Milky holy sword aura, grown by devouring the holy sword's power, akin to a noble holy knight's.
But Tarkhan sensed it gazing at the holy sword aura.
'That's... even fiercer than fighting spirit sword aura.'
Auras typically reflect their energy: mana pure, magi violent, fighting spirit intense, holy power sacred.
But one factor overrides this.
'Human warrior, Choi Shin-hyeok. Is your imagery that intense?'
Imagery.
Whether warrior, mage, spirit summoner—even blacksmiths or alchemists without swords or staves possess it.
It can invert the energy's nature.
Tarkhan had never seen it, but the proof was before him.
"Excellent! A warrior's end must be profound, weighty, and glorious above all! Here and now, my finale is set—how could I flee? Come! I'll meet your blade!"
Bang bang!
Pounding his chest till it cracked, Tarkhan's eyes burned with competitive and combative fire.
His emotions flared his red fighting spirit sword aura brighter.
"I could use sword aura without Transcendence. But I used it for one reason."
"...!"
Sararararak!
Shin-hyeok's holy sword aura dispersed instantly.
Dispersed?
No.
"Sword... threads... How? How do you wield that power? Challenger... Only S-rank swordsmanship skills or equivalent players can handle it!"
Sword Threads.
Shin-hyeok's holy sword aura transformed into dozens of holy sword threads.
As Tarkhan stared blankly at the fluttering threads...
"Here I go."
"...Ha! My end will be gloriously radiant."
Shin-hyeok kicked off; Tarkhan let out a hollow laugh.
Chwararararuk!
White sword threads enveloped Tarkhan like a cocoon.
Plop!
The aura cocoon collapsed soon after.
From its unraveling stood one figure alone.
Serenely, like a butterfly emerged from metamorphosis.
Naturally, it was Shin-hyeok.
The Colosseum filled with the spectators' cheers.
The moment the new champion was decided.