Know Thyself (1)
Blood Demon Sword. An intangible blade inspired by Namgoong Cheol's weapon sword and forged from Blood Demon Qi. The energy consumption itself was minimal, but controlling it required immense focus—back during his duel with Namgoong Cheol, three swords had been his limit. Yet after forty-five days of guard duty and meditating in his spare time, he'd improved. He could now handle two more than before.
In other words, along with the twin swords in his hands, he could wield a total of seven blades at once.
Six swords in use. Strength stat +1.
Seven swords in use. Ghostly energy swirls around the blades.
Attack speed 4x. Power 3.5x. Mana (Blood Demon Qi) consumption halved. Agility and Strength stats +1. And even this ghostly energy whose effects were still unknown...
The effects of a single skill, King of Ten Thousand Swords, were beyond imagination.
Yun-seok sensed tremendous potential. This was the maximum output when creating Blood Demon Swords, and he could only maintain seven for five minutes at most, but... That could be rephrased as: the more he trained, the better it would get.
'If I could wield a hundred Blood Demon Swords at once...'
Impossible at his current level, but if he progressed steadily like now, it might happen someday. No, it would happen. He'd learned from watching the Heavenly Demon that nothing was impossible for the human body.
"......"
After practicing with the Blood Demon Swords, Yun-seok suddenly stopped, overcome by extreme mental fatigue. Controlling them felt like solving multiple complex math equations simultaneously with a single brain. He wasn't sure which was harder in reality, but that's how it felt to him.
'It'd be easier with a supporting skill...'
Coming from Earth, where martial arts and magic were mere studies, Yun-seok had no stubborn prejudices. He valued control as much as raw character performance. Well, who among those who'd made it this far didn't?
Even if it was something he could overcome with control someday, if the system offered an easier, faster solution, he'd choose it a hundred times over. It was far more efficient. Whether skill or stats and abilities—everything combined was the essence of getting stronger for Tower challengers.
'Nothing feels perfect.'
Yun-seok opened the shop and browsed the skills for sale.
'High-Speed Calculation', 'Thought Acceleration', 'Focus', 'Brain Burst', 'Automation', 'Ego Granting', and so on. Individually, they were ambiguous, but synthesis might yield something suitable. Problem was, he lacked the capital to buy them now.
'To get stronger, I just have to keep climbing.'
Thinking the obvious, Yun-seok checked his LP one last time. He'd spent 500 LP on the mission directive recently, but new achievements had pushed his reserves to 920 LP.
Checking the conditions for the Slayer achievement earned during the mission trial, Yun-seok gave a wry smile. He'd half-expected it from the name, but... 1,000 people? The system wasn't likely wrong, but the number felt unreal.
'Save LP for later. Who knows when I'll need it.'
For the first time in ages, Yun-seok opened the chat room. He'd heard about the trial from Elle in advance, and with no one chatting anyway, he'd naturally stopped visiting.
Entering 9th Floor Chat Room.
Current participants: 2/741
Two participants out of 741 total. Just one other besides Yun-seok.
'741?'
Surprised by the higher-than-expected number, Yun-seok filtered for Earthlings only.
'As expected, just me.'
Maybe some were higher up, but on the 9th floor, he was the only Earthling.
No reply. They might be AFK or just ignoring him. Yun-seok waited a bit longer, then resumed training his Blood Demon Sword.
Soon, a curt response came.
Chucking at the unexpectedly cool response, Yun-seok pressed on.
Meaning many had abandoned the trial, heading to the plaza or using tickets to return home. Factoring in permanent returns not counting toward totals, the number blocked by the 9th floor trial was staggering.
What kind of trial could do that? Yun-seok, who hadn't heard details from Elle, asked.
No point? As Yun-seok typed to ask what that meant—
Current participants: 1/741
The cryptic words only deepened his doubts. What did they mean? No clues about the trial.
But waiting for someone kind to enter and explain felt endless.
'Guess I have to face it head-on.'
For some reason, it felt like returning to his roots. But he wasn't anxious like before. Instead, Flame's parting words lingered, prompting self-reflection.
'How well do I know myself?'
Truthfully, not well. That's why he had to climb higher. Shedding the side effects of Blood Demon Divine Art would reveal his true self.
Prepare. Duel will begin soon.
Just one step from the 10th floor. It was close now.
* * *
Countdown beginning.
The familiar circular arena of the waiting room. As the countdown started, Yun-seok's eyes widened.
3.
The twin swords on his back, mask, full-body suit, Arc Hunter's hunting gloves. And the Blood Demon Qi rippling over his body...
The moment he laid eyes on his opponent, he understood Flame's words.
2.
Not a monster, challenger, or replicated administrator. His 9th floor opponent was...
A perfect copy of himself.
1.
Suddenly, he recalled Namgoong Cheol from the 7th floor, who had believed that illusion was reality. Maybe the replicated one was him, not the copy?
A fleeting thought. No time for deep reflection.
FIGHT!
Countdown over. Duel begun. All he could do was fight with everything he had.
Tat-tat.
Both Yun-seoks charged forward simultaneously. Muscle twitches, step length, sword draw timing—perfect mirror images, like a mirror in between.
Until their swords clashed.
Then Yun-seok felt the stark difference.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
He was pushed back. Overwhelmingly in raw power.
"...?"
Why the gap? Specs not matching? Even as he flew back, he couldn't comprehend.
But hesitation was death here.
Woooong!
Yun-seok instantly summoned five Blood Demon Swords. Ghostly energy in dull gray swirled on them thanks to King of Ten Thousand Swords.
His opponent did the same.
Whiiiish!
As Yun-seok fired his, five identical blades flew from the copy.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwa-kwang!
They collided midair. Equal power should cancel out.
But reality defied him again.
"...!"
The copy's swords weakened but shattered his and pressed on.
Kakang! Kang!
Yun-seok blocked with his twins. Then he realized.
The copy wasn't using just Blood Demon Divine Art. Faint but visible: a bluish energy coated the rampaging Blood Demon Qi like varnish.
He knew it instantly.
'Dragon Soaring Qi...'
Not a synthesis—Yun-seok hadn't synthesized them. He'd tried mixing Blood Demon Divine Art and Dragon Soaring Qi, but they repelled like oil and water.
"Who are you...?"
No answer. The copy attacked mechanically.
A message appeared.
Shaman's Law
All healing effects on all beings are nullified.
Not his doing.
'Damn...'
No healing meant vital hits were instant death—for both. Yet the copy used it...
'That confident?'
Underestimated badly. But Yun-seok swallowed his pride. He'd been outmatched. Assuming short fight was risky.
He recalled Shaman's Law for counter—but no time. The copy was upon him.
'High-speed short-range teleport.'
One of his authorities. By the time he noticed, blue light burst from the gloves.
The soul of the ancient hunter protects the user from unperceived danger.
"...!"
Yun-seok gritted his teeth. Nearly died there. Same cards, yet he'd lost the Arc Hunter's Hunting Gloves advantage early.
Did the copy have extras? A bitter laugh at the excuse.
'No excuses. Conditions are equal.'
He'd felt it already. System specs matched perfectly. The gap was...
Pilot skill. Pure and simple.
'How well do I know myself?'
Flame's words hit home. Not mental—it was literal self-knowledge.
'...'
Yun-seok didn't know himself. Thought he did, but no.
Watching his copy drove it home. It knew every card perfectly and used them more efficiently.
'So that's the trial...'
This foe wasn't a personality clone. A combat-optimized AI, stripping away all else.
Now Yun-seok understood fully. The copy wouldn't use full potential—otherwise, unbeatable.
'Win by using everything?'
Those who knew and maximized their cards better than the copy would win easily. Otherwise, toughest fight ever.
Hard to accept, but Yun-seok was the latter.
'...Interesting.'
Until now.