Great Battle b 3}
For a moment, he thought he was out of his mind. Despite this being his third time, the beast-man practically glowed over Yoon-seok’s victory. However, the woman’s reaction was rather vague.
“H-he should have done that sooner. It’s not like he’s teasing his foe…well, he’s lucky.”
Was it because she bragged about being the strongest here? It didn’t seem easy for her to admit that about Yoon-seok. The beast-man smiled as if he’d noticed.
“What luck? It’s embarrassing, but I almost screamed when I saw him radiate that sword energy. But seems like it’s different for you, lady?”
“I-I, too, can use sword energy!”
“Oh, is that so? I can’t use the force after coming to the Tower, so lady, you must be as special as that man! Can you show me once?”
“In the past…”
“In the past~~~?”
“In the past, I could use…”
The woman’s voice became smaller and smaller at his persistence, and soon her voice turned as small as an ant crawling by. The beast-man laughed happier than when Yoon-seok won.
“Hahaha, in the past? Is there anyone here who doesn’t have that? I am the only one who could shoot the force in an arrow, so I was honored as a bow master by my clan.”
“…”
“By the way, lady, do you like latte? Latte is one of the Earth’s tea types, and especially those who can’t forget the glory of the past like it very much!”
(*Latte = Korean pun for boomers, meaning “back in the day”)
Yoon-seok, who was focusing on their conversation while pretending not to, suddenly went blank. The beast-man was odd; how on earth did he know that joke? Well, when he thought about it, it was obvious. He guessed that he’d found out in the waiting room while talking to a challenger from Earth.
She might not understand the ad-lib, but the woman’s face turned red as if she could see that he was sarcastic as he explained it kindly. Eventually, the woman screamed.
“Oh, come on! Stop calling me lady!”
“Tsk, tsk. Even an Orc wouldn’t marry you with that temper.….”
His accusations made the woman angry again, but the quarrel between the two ended there. The waiting time was over, and the bars of the enemy camp opened, revealing the challenger for the center position.
Clank!
Yoon-seok came back to his senses.
‘This time, it’s a fairy.’
Humans, beast people, fairies, and magical species. These were the four species in the Tower. In the case of magical species, just as humans were divided by the color of their skin, it was said that races such as Orcs, Lizardman, Demons, and more.
Anyway, the first race that Yoon-seok had never met before was here. He perked up and gave his opponent a once-over. They weren’t as attractive as the elves in cartoons and movies. Although their ear tips were more pointed than a human’s, they weren’t fully protruding sideways.
Nevertheless, he could see why people from Earth called them elves. The fairy radiated an otherworldly atmosphere reminiscent of nature.
‘Their weapons are usually swords or bows, and their skills are said to use the magic of a specific element.’
Other than appearance, Yoon-seok recalled the characteristics of the fairy race he’d heard piece by piece in the chat room. Their weapon was a sword. Furthermore, considering that they were wearing magic accessories, he could likely expect that in their fight.
In terms of appearance, they matched the previous description.
‘I have the upper hand in terms of compatibility.’
He hadn’t met a challenger that relied on magic yet. Due to the nature of the duel, it was difficult for them to ascend the floors. As such, there are many ways magic could be countered. Even if he had Magic Resistance, they could exchange blows, and Yoon-seok alone could destroy magic with the Sun Sword if the opponent’s stat weren’t a level higher than his.
But just in case…
“Elemental Force.”
The fairy seemed to have the sword as their “Main” and magic as their “Sub,” much like a duelist. When the fairy swordsman chanted the command, a brilliant light began to hover over his body and sword.
“Sword energy…?”
“Huh, apparently that fairy also uses sword energy. We were the only ones who didn’t know, while those with this skill appeared one by one.”
Inner Qi, Aura, Force. Different dimensions and races used different terms, but did it have any special meaning for them to charge their weapons? The beast-man muttered in a voice filled with shame.
Yoon-seok heard his voice through his heightened senses but dismissed it. On the surface, this opponent was better than the previous one. He wouldn’t let his guard down.
“Executioner of Steel.”
Yoon-seok first took the center of the stadium and installed the totem that increased his physical resistance. He then used the Lady’s Commandment next.
「Lady’s Commandment disables all magic within range.」
He couldn’t put this precondition on the plaza because he had to stop them from escaping. But not now. It was impossible to escape from here, so it was most advantageous to place a fatal condition on the opponent.
At this rate, his Bloodseeker’s Energy would bottom out in less than a minute, but that was okay. He would just have to end him before that.
“…?”
As he received the notice, the fairy swordsman tilted his head to show the phrase appeared over his side too. Although the effects were unknown, the sword that the fairy swordsman raised was normal under the influence of the law. Therefore, Yoon-seok felt embarrassed.
‘Wasn’t he using magic…?’
Elemental force. Based on the word of the command, it was clear that it was a skill, but the store didn’t sell such skills. Then it must be a Unique Skill. Like how Bloodseeker’s Energy was converted from magic, his magic might also be converted to a different type of energy.
‘That was unnecessary.’
Yoon-seok lifted the Lady’s Commandment for now. As the absolute condition of limiting energy usage was present, his energy was escaping at an uncontrollable rate even now.
“You have an unusual skill, human.”
The fairy swordsman spoke aloud while looking at Yoon-seok. Then he dashed forward without a further word. It was a quick surprise assault with no unnecessary movements, but it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t react.
Whoosh! Clang!
Their swords came into contact, creating a loud crashing sound. Nevertheless, their swords remained intact. The fairy swordsman naturally separated and struck continuously while Yoon-seok blocked the blows calmly.
Boom!
Like the random attributes of {Weapon Enhancement}, an electric current flowed from the fairy’s sword. But the blow wasn’t enough to knock him out; he could still resist it with Bloodseeker’s Energy.
The effect of the sword changed along with its colors. When it was red, the energy split and emitted fire, and when it was yellow, its weight increased tremendously.
‘Is it not sword energy, but elemental properties? As expected, there are a lot of interesting people here.’
Yoon-seok felt a strange sense of pleasure he hadn’t since his last challenging battle. Although there was no desperation to fight for his life, how long had it been since he’d met a proper opponent? Yoon-seok focused on defense instead of offense so that he could figure out the fairy swordsman’s technique.
‘It’s a distinctive sword technique.’
Should he say it was like an appreciation for a real battle? The fairy’s sword pursued extreme efficiency, no matter how easy it was to kill the enemy. There was no waste, and its only purpose was to cut the enemy’s flesh and injure them. The sword’s point, which served only one purpose, keenly sought only the vital points that would end his life.
To put it simply, the art of swordsmanship…
‘Short, concise, cutting-edge.’
It sounded easy, but it wasn’t simple swordplay. It only seemed so because it valued efficiency, but it had hidden depth. Yoon-seok was strongly curious about the fairy’s sword.
‘Well, is this how you do it?’
Yoon-seok’s sword, which sought a proper harmony between power and gentleness, began to move differently at that moment. Should he say it was robotic? All the movements were snapped into place as if they’d been prepared in advance. Of course, it wasn’t perfect.
However, if one had some knowledge of martial arts, it would be clear to them that Yoon-seok was now copying the fairy’s techniques. It was pretty well done, too.
“…Are you trying to deceive me?”
Anger flickered in the fairy’s eyes. As a result, the movement of the sword was laden with rage. Yoon-seok didn’t care and continued to observe the fairy’s sword.
‘As expected, posture was the problem.’
Swordplay wasn’t done by the sword alone. Breathing and stride, upper body position, and strong core support were all necessary. One error alone introduced countless flaws in the technique. That was why swordsmen try again and again to become one with their swords and find the best posture. Yoon-seok did the same when he learned about swords from the Heavenly Devil.
But he wouldn’t need it this time. He had the best textbook right in front of him.
“To lower your waist and stretch your shoulders, is the core the most critical point?”
Yoon-seok’s posture changed to match the fairy, but something wasn’t right. He was different from the kidney downwards, and he held two swords. Even their bones and muscles structure was different. However, Yoon-seok’s body quickly found the ideal answer through trial and error.
Whoosh! Cling! Cling!
Yoon-seok’s sword clashed hard and aimed for the fairy’s heart as the fairy’s blade sought his. The two fought back and aimed at each other’s vital points.
The beast-man, who was watching the duel attentively, murmured blankly.
“Lady, you’re a swordswoman, so you would know. It seems like the masked man is copying his opponent’s techniques. Is that something every swordsman can do?
“You’ll know when you see it in person. Are those eyes only decorations? And don’t call me lady!”
While screaming like that, the woman’s eyes were focused only on Yoon-seok’s duel. She knew better. At first, she thought he was just mimicking it as a provocation. However, as time went by, the gap with the original narrowed and soon reached the point where there was no difference between the two styles.
To exaggerate only slightly, it was safe to say that it looked like the man was wielding a sword in front of a mirror. But the one who knew and realized the fact better than anyone else was the one battling in person, the fairy swordsman.
“I’ll kill you!”
Did he hurt his pride as a swordsman? The threat in the fairy’s sword intensified. He didn’t hesitate to bring out the skills he had saved until now.
Swoosh! Swooooosh!
Suddenly, a colorful group of lights appeared in the air. Red, blue, green, yellow, orange…it was a colorful band of lights, but it didn’t feel dangerous.
‘Was his power to use magic without command?’
He didn’t know what it was capable of, but the lights didn’t make any threatening moves. Instead, the energy in the fairy’s sword became stronger the moment the group of lights appeared.
‘I think it’s a field-forming power, just like the Lady’s Commandment.’
It was obvious that the fairy swordsman was doing everything in his power to win. Yoon-seok decided to stop copying him. It was for a very simple reason.
‘I don’t need to watch anymore.’
He’d seen all of his styles, and his body memorized it. Now it was time to take out its core and melt it into his sword.
Boom! Boom!
Yoon-seok swung his dual swords laced with energy. One, two…
Somehow, the fairy swordman’s expression changed from the time it took to receive both blows.
“…Is that all you’ve got?!”
At first, he thought he was fooling around with him, so he grew angry. However, he realized a moment later that Yoon-seok was far more powerful than himself. It didn’t take long for that anger to turn into surrender.
As the minute went by, the essence of swordsmanship that his clan was ever proud of melted into that man’s sword. It may have been the perfect formation he’d dreamed of all his life.
“This is ridiculous…!”
The last emotion in the fairy’s eyes was horror. It wasn’t because his head was about to be cut off. If that were the case, the woman who was bickering with the beast-man while watching the duel wouldn’t have made such eyes. She clenched her teeth and spat out one word as if to speak for the fairy.
“Monster….”
The woman could completely relate to the fairy’s feelings. A swordsman who absorbed and evolved the opponent’s sword just by exchanging blows.
Slash-!
No monster in the world scared a swordsman more than this.
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