Deep Labyrinth (1)
2,507,000 AP. Rather than agonizing over how to spend it, Yun-seok first checked what he'd gained from the previous duel.
Mana stats below C+ rank increase by +1.
Mana stats below B- rank increase by +1.
Not a skill sold in the shop. Of course not. It was better to just boost a stat directly than raise something like this.
This'll be useful for synthesis later.
Yun-seok soon opened the skill he'd earned by defeating the Sword God, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Purple Haze Divine Art (Rank B)
Rank B - Opens the Middle Dantian.
Rank C - Increases the density of Purple Haze Qi.
Rank D - Reduces Purple Haze Qi consumption by 50%.
Rank E - Enables external operation of Purple Haze Qi, with maximum accumulation increased by 3x.
Rank F - Accumulates Purple Haze Qi in the body; mana stat increases up to +2 based on accumulation.
It felt roughly similar to Dragon Soaring Qi. But the mana stat correction and starting at Rank B made it incredibly tangible.
Yun-seok circulated the Purple Haze Qi coiled in his body.
Definitely suits Hwasan well...
Unlike mixing Dragon Soaring Qi with Blood Demon Qi, there was no repulsion at all. Like water mixing with water, or fire with fire? Purple Haze Qi held infinite transformative potential. That made it highly compatible with Hwasan's swordsmanship, which pursued illusion and fluidity. The same went for the Sword God's contradictory swordplay, full of paradoxes.
Yun-seok soon turned his attention elsewhere.
Middle Dantian opened again or something? Nah.
His Middle Dantian was still just the one at his heart's core. But it had expanded significantly, now blending not just Blood Demon Qi but Purple Haze Qi as well. He wasn't sure if this was good or not. He still had no grasp on how to use the Middle Dantian.
Put it on hold for now...
Yun-seok then checked the equipment from Predation. The two Purple Tassel Swords, siblings to Mana Reinforcement, were unceremoniously melted down with Iron Pot Three.
Durability (C+) rank increases due to the effect of Iron Pot Three.
With the sword from the Sword God in hand, there was no room for hesitation.
◈ Sword of Hwasan forged from millennium cold iron.
◈ 10x mana recovery speed on equip.
◈ 50% reduced mana consumption when using mana via Plum Blossom Sword.
◈ Indestructible.
An A+ rank sword was different. It massively boosted his key stat, mana, and was indestructible to boot.
Guess I can't use Moonlight Sword anymore.
Moonlight Sword grew with him on victories and might match it at the same rank. But it'd started at 'C-' and had only reached 'C+' now. Too slow to keep up with his pace.
Better keep it just in case, rather than melt it with Iron Pot Three.
Even if kept, it'd rank up eventually, so melting after that might yield more. Smiling contentedly at the Plum Blossom Sword in his hand, Yun-seok thought he'd scored a real gem.
Though the real jackpot's elsewhere.
The top prize from this Predation was the stat absorption. From A rank, it'd leaped two stages to S- in one go. Natural, considering he'd absorbed the Sword God's mana, at least 'S+'.
Was gonna invest in mana this time...
No need now. Impossible anyway—S rank required 6 million AP.
Stick to skills again, then.
Resolved, Yun-seok boldly spent 750,000 AP to raise Dragon Soaring Qi.
But...
Dragon Soaring Qi (Rank B)
Opens the Middle Dantian.
What was this? No pain like the first Middle Dantian opening. But it expanded further at his heart, and Dragon Soaring Qi, which never mixed with Blood Demon Qi before, fully blended inside.
Inner arts hitting B rank always open the Middle Dantian?
Felt anticlimactic. Without knowing its use, expansion and mixing changed nothing.
Should've raised Predation instead...
1.75 million AP left. Raising Predation would leave 1 million. But Judgment of the Destruction Lord to 'A-' needed 1.15 million.
Stuck between Predation or the ace that felled even the Sword God.
Tough call.
If Dragon Soaring Qi had shown real growth, Predation would've won out. It hadn't. After agonizing, Yun-seok decided.
Judgment of the Destruction Lord (B-) rank increases.
Judgment of the Destruction Lord (B) rank increases.
Judgment of the Destruction Lord (B+) rank increases.
No change to cast time or cooldown. Description showed no range increase. But these skills usually scaled coefficients with rank—more power per mana.
Not just that, though.
Judgment of the Destruction Lord (A-) trait selection available.
The trait selection window popped up. Yun-seok inwardly cheered, scrutinizing the options.
—Trait 1: Vitality Focus. Enters focus state on cast. Range and power +20% per second held, up to 30 seconds. Senses severed, all skills sealed during focus.
Like a charging skill in a game. But senses cut off and skills sealed? Totally defenseless.
20% per second for 30... even if additive, full charge is 7x power and range.
Multiplicative would be insane, so likely additive. Still huge, but... 30 seconds defenseless in 1v1? Suicide. No sight, sound—and Blood Demon Divine Art sealed too. Decapitated? Dead.
Maybe pair with Shaman's Law, but risk too high.
Next option.
—Trait 2: Possession. Light of Destruction doesn't harm caster. +1 to all stats for 10 minutes on use; emits light wave on end.
No more synergy with Golden Body, but still solid. All stats +1 was massive now. Plus extra AoE?
Tough...
Both tempting. Possession better for duels, Vitality Focus for Earth or trials. But he was a duelist.
Judgment of the Destruction Lord granted Possession trait.
Spent 288,000 AP to raise Golden Body to 'B-'. No trait selection this time. Unfortunate but expected. Ignored it and boosted Sword Strike Enhancement to C rank.
Sword Strike Enhancement (Rank C)
Attack speed 4x on slashing attacks.
4x attack speed. Decent, but nothing special. Its value was enabling ranged sword qi, so no big thrill.
167,000 AP left, but nowhere to spend. Yun-seok checked his achievements from the duel to wrap up.
Worth the challenge. No immediate LP buys, so Yun-seok sat to review the Sword God duel, sorting tangled thoughts.
He was certain. If the Sword God's contradictions stopped seeming contradictory... his own sword would advance a step.
* * *
Sword God Lee Hyun-hak. His sword wasn't simple. Yun-seok couldn't mimic that realm from a few glimpses. But unlike with Cheonma, it didn't feel unattainable through effort.
Not that he was below Cheonma. The situation differed. He wasn't the novice who'd just picked up a sword.
Experience let him wield Cheonma Sword. Same here. Just needed time.
"......"
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step? Realms weren't leaped in one epiphany.
Since sinking into contemplation that day, Yun-seok focused solely on building stepping stones over the wall.
"......"
What was dominance? Aura ruling over all. Strength? Unbreakable resolve. Flexibility? Embracing all with softness.
Illusion? Dullness? Heavy? Swift? Light? He knew definitions. Not true meaning.
Had to grasp it. Else, glimpsing the Sword God's realm was mere arrogance.
How long since closing eyes and self-questioning via Yang's Art?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Fwoom!
Yun-seok rose quietly, swinging his sword. Flashily, slowly, heavily, swiftly, lightly... Using Blood Demon Qi for opponents when needed. Yang's Art spawned another self to control them—near-perfect clones, sans stats/skills.
Irrelevant for this training. Flashy sword vs. slow. Heavy vs. swift. Endless repetition yielded faint insights.
"......"
Suddenly halting mid-motion.
How long has it been?
Felt like two weeks, but uncertain.
Training's good, but plaza first...
He'd promised Eshton weekly plaza meets to avoid Earth mishaps. Immersed in training, he'd forgotten.
...Hope nothing happened.
Moving to the integrated plaza, second time so he spawned at his last spot—Eshton's space.
Paperwork in the Tower too? Eshton, scribbling at his desk, yelped at Yun-seok's sudden appearance.
"Gahhh!"
Yun-seok calmed him, asked the date. Three weeks passed.
Fortunately, no major Earth incidents.
"You were so late past our meet, I worried terribly."
"Stuck in the waiting room, lost track of time."
Eshton kindly shared [Convenience] sold Earth-synced clocks.
Come to think of it, yeah.
"Gonna buy one right away."
"Yes, alarm function too—most helpful."
They discussed the 10th floor trial. Eshton noted diligently.
"So that's the 10th floor trial."
Yun-seok shared trial info hoping Earthlings grew strong against invaders. It helped duelists climb floors. Pahur led at 8th.
"If a duelist reaches 10th, this info will save them—skipping the final trap."
The Sword God challenge.
"Any more info needed?"
Done talking, Yun-seok prepared to return. Resume training.
Then.
"Yes." Eshton nodded cautiously. "You asked about taking gear to Earth?"
"Yeah?"
"Not certain, but... there might be a way."
Worth hearing, whatever it was.