Captain Battle (3)
It only lasted a moment, the blank look on their faces as if their souls had fled. True to his word about being on his third try, the beastkin quickly brightened up and cheered Yun-seok's victory. The woman's reaction, however, was a bit ambiguous.
"W-well, you should've done that from the start. Scaring people like that... Whatever, you got lucky."
Was it because she'd boasted earlier that she was the strongest here? She didn't seem ready to acknowledge Yun-seok easily.
Noticing that, the beastkin grinned. "Lucky? No way. Shamefully, I nearly soiled myself when I saw that masked fellow spewing sword energy. But did the young lady not see it?"
"I-I can use sword energy too!"
"Oh ho! Is that so? I lost the ability to use Force after being summoned to the Tower, so the young lady must be special like that masked one! Care to show us?"
"I used to... before."
"Beforeeee?"
"I said, I used to be able to... before."
Under the beastkin's persistent questioning, the woman's voice grew quieter and quieter until it was barely a whisper, like an ant crawling. Watching her, the beastkin laughed even more delightedly than when Yun-seok had won.
"Hahaha! 'Used to'? Is there anyone here who hasn't 'used to' do something like that? Even I earned the title of Bow Master in my clan by infusing Force into my arrows."
"......"
"By the way, young lady, do you like lattes? Lattes—you know, one of Earth's teas. I hear people who can't forget past glories especially love them!"
Yun-seok, who had been pretending not to listen to their banter, suddenly went blank. A being from another dimension, judging by his appearance. How the hell did he know that drip?
Well, thinking about it, it was obvious. He'd probably picked it up chatting with Earth challengers in the waiting room. He might not grasp the joke fully, but the friendly explanation made it clear he was mocking her—and her face flushed red.
In the end, the woman yelled. "Argh, seriously! Stop calling me young lady!"
"Tsk tsk. With a personality like that, even an orc wouldn't marry you..."
The woman bristled again at the beastkin's lingering barb, but their bickering ended there. As the brief waiting period after the duel concluded, the bars of the enemy camp opened, revealing the mid-tier challenger.
Clank!
Yun-seok quickly pulled himself together.
'A fairy this time.'
Humans, beastkin, fairies, demons. The races in the Tower of Heaven were broadly divided into four. Well, demons were subdivided like humans into blacks, whites, and yellows—into orcs, lizardmen, devils, and so on. Anyway, this was the first new race Yun-seok had faced since arriving here.
He scanned the opponent head to toe with heightened interest. Not the handsome beauties from comics or movies. His ear tips were pointier than a human's, but not elongated sideways like an elf's. Still, Yun-seok could see why Earthlings called them elves. The fairy exuded an otherworldly aura, as if fused with nature.
'Weapons are usually swords or bows. Skills are elemental magic.'
Yun-seok recalled snippets about fairies from the chat room, beyond their looks. Sword as the weapon. And with all those mana-related trinkets dangling, magic too. It matched the description.
'Matchup's in my favor for now.'
He hadn't faced a magic user yet. Duel characteristics made it hard for that type to climb high. Magic had tons of counters. Even basic anti-magic resistance allowed trades, and Yun-seok could perfectly dismantle spells with his solar sword unless their mana outstripped his.
But as expected, ifs became whens.
"Elemental Force."
True to his duelist roots, the fairy swordsman treated sword as primary, magic secondary. As he chanted the command, brilliant lights swirled around his body—including his sword.
"Sword energy...?"
"Heh, looks like that fairy uses it too. We were the clueless ones; everyone's found some kind of energy technique."
Inner energy, aura, Force. Names varied by dimension and race, but infusing weapons with energy—did it hold special meaning for them? The beastkin grumbled self-deprecatingly.
Yun-seok's sharpened senses caught it, but he let it slide in one ear and out the other. This opponent looked skilled compared to the last. No room for carelessness.
"Steel Executor."
Yun-seok claimed the arena center first, laying down the totem that boosted physical resistance. Then he chained Shaman's Law.
All beings within the domain are prohibited from using mana.
In the plaza, he'd skipped this precondition to prevent escapes. But not here. No fleeing mid-match, no matter the method. Best to impose the deadliest debuff possible. Blood Demon Qi would bottom out in under a minute, but that was fine. Just end it faster.
"...?"
Noticing the message, the fairy swordsman tilted his head mid-stance. But that was it. Whatever the effect, his rising sword energy remained intact under Shaman's Law.
It threw Yun-seok off instead.
'Not mana-based...?'
Elemental Force. Command-chanted, so definitely a skill. Not sold in shops, so innate. Maybe an energy like Blood Demon Qi, converted from mana into something else.
'Wasted effort.'
Yun-seok canceled Shaman's Law. The absolute mana lock was draining his Blood Demon Qi uncontrollably even now.
"An unusual skill, human."
The fairy swordsman murmured, then charged wordlessly. A swift ambush with zero wasted motion, but Yun-seok reacted.
Whoosh!
Boom!!
Swords clashed with a roar. Both blades held firm, neither surprised. The fairy flowed into second and third strikes; Yun-seok parried calmly.
Sizzle!
Like random attributes on Strike Enhancement, electricity arced from the fairy's sword. But anti-magic handled it—no stun.
Effects shifted with sword energy color. Red split into fire sparks; yellow added crushing weight.
'Not just sword energy—infused with elements? This place really has interesting folks.'
Yun-seok savored the rare proper fight, a thrill without life-or-death stakes. How long since a worthy opponent?
He focused defense, dissecting the fairy's swordplay.
'Distinct style for sure.'
Practical, battle-oriented? Swords existed to kill efficiently, but this pursued extreme efficiency. No waste. Sole purpose: slice flesh, inflict wounds. The tip targeted vitals with lethal precision.
Simply put... 'Short, concise, staccato strikes.'
Easy words, hard execution. Efficiency masked depth. Yun-seok's curiosity deepened.
'Like this?'
His sword, balancing hard and soft, shifted. Mechanical? Motions clicked perfectly, prepped in advance. Not flawless. But any martial artist would see: Yun-seok mimicked the fairy's style—impressively well.
"...Mocking me?"
Anger flared in the fairy's eyes. His sword's menace sharpened. Yun-seok ignored it, studying on.
'Stance is key.'
Swordplay wasn't just the blade. Breath, stride, torso position, leg muscles. One error dropped perfection. Swordsmen iterated for their ideal form. Yun-seok had with Cheonma.
No need now. Live textbook before him.
'Lower waist a bit, spread shoulders—that's the center of gravity?'
Yun-seok's stance mirrored the fairy's. Still lacking. Different heights, dual swords, bone/muscle variances. But his body trial-errored to optimal fast.
Whoosh!
Boom! Boom!
Yun-seok's staccato strikes targeted the heart. Ditto the fairy. They traded, vitals precisely aimed.
The watching beastkin muttered blankly. "Young lady, you're a swordswoman—you see it? That masked guy's copying the opponent's style perfectly. Is this something every swordsman can do?"
"You'd know if you watched. Are your eyes decorative? And stop calling me young lady!"
She yelled, but her eyes glued to Yun-seok.
Absurdity hit her harder than the beastkin. She'd thought it mere provocation. But the gap closed; now, indistinguishable. Exaggerated, like one man swinging before a mirror.
The fairy swordsman felt it most, clashing blades.
"I'll kill you!"
Pride as swordsman scarred? His sword's killing intent thickened. He unleashed reserves without hesitation.
Hummm! Hummmm!
Colorful orbs floated: red, blue, green, yellow, orange... Harmless vibe.
'No command—authority?'
Unknown effects, but no aggression. Instead, post-orbs, his sword energy surged.
'Field type like Shaman's Law.'
Fairy went all-out. Yun-seok quit mimicking.
Simple reason: 'No more to see.'
He'd absorbed it bodily. Time to extract essence, infuse his style.
Bang! Boom!
Blood Demon Qi-charged twins swung. One exchange, two... Fairy parried, face changing.
"...Am I just practice?!"
Initial rage at mockery. Realizing Yun-seok's superiority: frustration. To resignation: quick.
His clan's proud essence melted into the man's sword. Perfected, perhaps his lifelong dream.
"Impossible...!"
Terror veiled his eyes. Not from impending death—the woman watching casually wouldn't show that.
Voicing his dread: "Monster..."
She understood a hundredfold. Absorb, evolve swordplay mid-clash? No scarier monster for a swordsman.
Slash—!