More Demonic Than the Devil (2)
Active and passive. Skills were largely classified into these two categories. Counter Weapon Shield was an active skill that required chanting its name to activate, consumed a ton of mana, and had a cooldown time. Passive skills, on the other hand, had none of that. For example, the Sword Mastery that Yun-seok had nominated as a candidate. Just by using a sword, attack speed increased continuously.
You have acquired a new skill.
After much deliberation, the skill Yun-seok chose was Backstep. Strictly speaking, it fell under the active category. But unlike typical actives, it had no mana cost or cooldown, which was its unique point.
"Backstep."
As he uttered the command, Yun-seok's body retreated 1 meter backward. And the moment the floating sensation ended and his feet touched the ground.
Counterattack state enabled.
"Feels strange."
Backstep was a skill specialized for evasion and counterattacks. He wondered if it was really worth spending AP on a skill that just backed away a measly distance... but the 2x power boost on counterattacks made it more than valuable enough. Combined with Weapon Enhancement and Ilseom during the counter window, it would become a true trump card.
Moreover, Yun-seok was thinking long-term.
It might only be 1 meter now, but as the rank goes up, the distance will increase.
On top of that, testing Backstep in various scenarios revealed it was more useful than expected.
The fact that it works from any stance is especially great.
It escaped physical limitations, so to speak. Even in stances where backing away was impossible, just shouting "Backstep" created 1 meter of distance instantly. The same went for mid-charge when acceleration was peaking. In a one-on-one duel, this was a massive advantage.
Maybe it's even better than Ilseom or the others...?
After experimenting with Backstep extensively in the waiting room, Yun-seok shifted his attention to the other skills. Weapon Enhancement and Ilseom. Both consumed mana.
"Ilseom!"
As he swung his sword while chanting the skill name, the translucent-coated blade whistled through the air. Yun-seok felt something huddled in his gut gush out in droves. Mana.
"Weapon Enhancement."
As he murmured, red energy gathered on the sword. He could feel mana draining from his body again.
That's weird. I didn't feel it when I tested in the waiting room before...
But he decided not to dwell on it. Good was good. Knowing mana consumption and reserves would let him fight more efficiently.
With two mana-dependent skills, Yun-seok felt the need to learn more about the mana stat.
Takes exactly 10 minutes for full recovery.
That meant 10% self-recovery per minute. He'd have to be extremely cautious using mana mid-duel. Well, raising mana stats or learning mana regen skills would solve it somewhat... but money was the issue, here or on Earth.
◈ Leather boots crafted in a style popular among mercenaries. Sturdy soles with iron plating on the front.
◈ Sale Price: 500 AP
He bought boots with his remaining AP. F+ rank, but far cheaper than the 1,500 AP weapons since it was a different slot. He wanted chest armor, but 500 AP only got F- rank leather scraps—not worth it.
Now AP was at zero. With prerequisites done, time to focus on the next task.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yun-seok moved his body just like before, practicing assumed scenarios. Swinging his sword, thrusting out his shield, Backstepping, even rolling on the floor in dire straits. Alone in the waiting room, he fought like he was in a fierce battle with an invisible foe.
In truth, Yun-seok was fighting someone else. Nangin Cheon-ho.
Here it'd be like this... no, that guy's sword was softer.
Shadow training. After battling the imaginary foe for a while, Yun-seok suddenly stopped. His body wouldn't move as fluidly as imagined.
He felt thirsty.
If I fight that guy one more time, I'd understand better...
Then he remembered the chatroom. Cheon-ho was skilled and seemed new to the Tower of Heaven. He'd probably revived with his remaining coins. If he could ask, he might pinpoint issues with his swordplay.
But...
I'm on the 2nd floor, so chatting's impossible...
Yun-seok had beaten Cheon-ho to promote to the 2nd floor. If Cheon-ho won his next duel and came up, they could chat then. Though whether Cheon-ho would answer honestly was doubtful.
Guess I'm on my own.
With that thought, Yun-seok resumed training. As if sword and self were all that existed here. In a trance, he looked like a madman from afar... but his mind was cooler than ever.
Can't just be strong. Can't be too soft either. The key is harmony...
Not mindless repetition of slashes and thrusts. Each move, self-reflection, seeking better ways. No visible progress, but Yun-seok's talent rewarded effort. Slowly, his sword moved toward the desired path.
This is fun.
He'd picked up the sword to boost survival odds at first. Now, not entirely. Even with auto-recovery, it should've been boring, but Yun-seok was thrilled. Effort, competition, conquest. Common in the original world, but irrelevant to Yun-seok leashed by Kang Hyung-woo.
Late learners catch up fast, they say. The thrill of self-improvement hooked him deep. So deep he snapped out only when waiting time dipped under a minute.
Please prepare. The duel will begin shortly.
Tensing up, he adjusted his stance for the remaining time—then his body teleported. Same circular arena. What opponent this time?
Countdown beginning.
During the 3-second pre-start, Yun-seok focused intensely on the foe. Human. Shield and mace in hand. Different weapon from Yun-seok's sword, but similar initial strategy. Victory would hinge on combat skill. Yun-seok planned for a prolonged fight.
But...
START!
As the start message freed his body, the opponent lowered his weapons.
"I surrender!"
"...?"
"I'm going home. So kill me painlessly."
He was a suicide hopeful snared by Demon666's temptation.
* * *
Victory.
Gazing at the fireworks in the sky, Yun-seok was dumbfounded. The opponent had begged for a quick death upon surrender, but Yun-seok stayed vigilant, suspecting a trick. Approaching cautiously... but it was genuine. Eyes closed until the blade touched his neck, even smiling faintly as his throat was slit. Confident in his belief.
4,000 AP has been awarded as reward.
Predation unique skill activated.
One of the opponent's skills has been randomly acquired.
You have acquired the unique skill Shadowless Chant.
Moving to 2nd floor waiting room.
Please prepare for the next duel.
Having braced for a war of attrition, Yun-seok returned to his waiting room in just 3 minutes. He hurriedly opened the chatroom.
A tiny minority resisted the madness.
No one actively tried to quell it. Even if they did, calming the chaos was near impossible.
The rumor-starter Demon666 hadn't appeared. Three possibilities: staying silent on purpose, killed by a Yun-seok-like challenger, or already on the 3rd floor.
Yun-seok left the chat, nausea overwhelming. He'd glimpsed humanity's essence.
"They're all insane..."
He could guess their mindset leading to that conclusion. But still...
Even witnessing it, he couldn't believe it. This was the 2nd floor. Every challenger had won at least twice. Factoring revives, even more duels. For such people to be swayed by one voice to this extent...
Am I the crazy one? Can you really go home after losing all coins?
Doubts crept in—maybe they were right. But Yun-seok shook his head.
They were wrong.
Keep winning, and a way home appears.
The C-rank ticket for 200k AP. Buy that, guaranteed Earth return. If it failed midway, he'd verify Demon666's words. But gambling his life was foolish.
Don't waver. My tasks remain the same.
Prepare for the next duel, temper himself. Clenching his fists as if etching resolve, Yun-seok checked his rewards.