Chapter 60 Chul Namgoong (2)
No matter how many coins there were, the number of challengers had drastically decreased as they went up the floors due to the nature of the duel. It may be the Tower’s tactic to help them prepare, but the enemy’s data for this round were admins that had previously gone through the trials.
‘If that’s the case, it’s not entirely impossible for the Heavenly Warrior to be my opponent…’
There was a childish side to him when he got mad at Elle for showing him clairvoyance. But maybe it was his signature look? The invincible aura shown at that time didn’t match Chul Namgoong now.
‘Are they the same person…?’
He was still suspecting it, but there was no way to confirm it. Even if he asked Chul Namgoong, he would only believe the reality that he was still ascending the Tower. So he wouldn’t be able to provide a proper answer. As he was thinking about it, he felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck.
‘Don’t tell me…I’m also the same…?’
The idea that perhaps he was also a creature created by the Tower briefly flashed by. If that were the case, the opponent would have to be a challenger from the next round instead of being a specter from the past. Of course, the biggest reason to stop worrying was that the immediate situation was too tense to allow his attention to deviate.
“Executioner of Steel.”
Yoon-seok first used the totem skill, which increased his physical resistance by 50%. A steel sword fell from the sky and dug into the ground. And at that moment…
Whoosh!
The sword that was orbiting around Yoon-seok descended like an arrow. As soon as he tried to block it, the sword split into two, as it did before. No command preceded it this time either. Countless questions crossed Yoon-seok’s mind.
Was it a Unique Skill that could be controlled by one’s heart, just like the energy from b Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum}? Or was it just a technique? If it was a technique, then what was the principle behind it?
He couldn’t tell. However, because he knew it would happen, Yoon-seok could give up his defense and use a different method to avoid the sword.
“…”
Dodging away, Yoon-seok fixed his posture, remaining wary of the floating sword. Chul Namgoong, on the other hand, was relaxed to the point where he was telling him things to show off.
“Hahaha! What do you think? The swordsmanship of the Namgoong household, which combines Sword Manipulation and Shifting!”
Sword Manipulation and Shift. They were martial arts techniques he’d heard about once while he was learning from the Heavenly Devil. At that time, she only knew that there was no way to use the Inner Qi in the Tower, so she hadn’t offered a further explanation, leaving it as an advanced technique that Yoon-seok shouldn’t even dare to try at that time.
‘And I think it was said to be one Qigong….’
Yoon-seok shoved the thought away. It was good to know what technique his opponent used, but he never intended to be defeated.
Bang!
Yoon-seok fired Bloodseeker’s Energy at Chul Namgoong with {Trajectory Enhancement}. The random attribute of Lightning flashing out along the wave, briefly shocking Chul Namgoong as he blocked the energy with his sword.
Yoon-seok approached quickly, digging persistently into even the smallest opening. The moment he tried to plant a continuous attack…
‘Damn it.’
The floating sword overhead surged toward Yoon-seok, forcing him to step back. Should he say that it felt like a battle with two people in sync instead of one? He wondered how he would use his two swords, but it was a method he never expected.
‘But I’m glad he only seems to be able to handle one sword.’
The future Heavenly Warrior had seven swords at his disposal, so he didn’t even hold a sword in his hand like Chul Namgoong did today.
“Haha! Die! Devil’s pawn!”
Earlier, he said he was an unmannered gangster, but somehow it switched to devil’s pawn. Well, that was great. Regardless of whether Chul Namgoong was enjoying the current situation, what he had to do here hadn’t changed.
“…”
Yoon-seok started raising b Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum}, causing a blood-red aura to creep up over his body. Most challengers were frightened by the appearance of Yoon-seok, calling him a devil, but Chul Namgoong was different. On the contrary, he was delighted to see his devilish appearance. He had found the most solid evidence of his justice.
“Emergence of the Azure Dragon!”
He didn’t know whether it was a command or purely for show. The moment Chul Namgoong shouted, the sword wandering next to him flew in like a storm. At the same time, Chul Namgoong took out another sword from behind him.
Was his childish personality and ability separated? The timing of the attack from the front and back at the same time was perfect.
Hisssssss!
Yoon-seok chose to break through the front. He ran toward Chul Namgoong after covering his body with Bloodseeker’s Energy.
Clang!
Chul Namgoong raised his sword to block it. But that was what he expected. Yoon-seok extended out his remaining sword as if he had been waiting. Not to block the sword that was shot from behind but to cut Chul Namgoong’s throat.
“No way!”
Just as the sword previously was divided into two, Chul Namgoong’s sword was divided again this time. He held one sword, but he could block two separate swords coming in from two completely different directions.
Whoosh!
He had no time to think about how this worked. Yoon-seok hit the floor and rolled, choosing the most practical way to avoid the flying swords from behind.
Chul Namgoong ridiculed him.
“You’re just as filthy as a devil for holding onto that petty power of yours!”
Yoon-seok was slowly growing more annoyed. Yoon-seok never replied, but he always said something whenever they exchanged blows, and the conclusion was always to brag about himself.
“Do you think such a crude sword would work on me, the Firmament Sword, Chul Namgoong?”
It was no longer important whether Chul Namgoong was the Heavenly Warrior or his descendant. It didn’t matter if it was all acting or a scheme set up to provoke Yoon-seok. He just wanted to keep that mouth shut.
Ironically, the first thing he had to do was to acknowledge his opponent. Chul Namgoong was strong. Not just in terms of stats or skills, but his understanding of martial arts was more advanced than Yoon-seok, who’d learned from the Heavenly Devil for only a few days.
Perhaps it was natural. In a world where martial arts were considered the law of the jungle, he might’ve wielded a sword for decades longer than Yoon-seok had. Therefore, Yoon-seok endured the insult and continued to explore Chul Namgoong’s sword.
If there was anything to learn, learn. If there was a shortage, fill it up.
That was how Yoon-seok had been winning all this time. The outcome wouldn’t be any different this time.
‘What method is he using?’
Yoon-seok directed his cold eyes toward Chul Namgoong. To be exact, he held his sword to face the floating sword above him.
Sword Manipulation. This technique of handling a sword using Qi made sense. No, he felt like he could control it if he put his mind to it. There was nothing out of sorts with using energy to make his enemies kneel or make his parents levitate in the air.
But he didn’t know much about Shifting. The Shifting he’d heard from the Heavenly Devil for the first time meant a method of moving extremely fast to the point of leaving an afterimage behind.
But Chul Namgoong’s was different.
‘There’s no way his method is like a parallel world with different principles, right…?’
It wasn’t just an afterimage of a sword, but both of them had a physical presence. If one of the two was an illusion, it should have been impossible to block his two swords simultaneously.
‘What is it?’
Yoon-seok contemplated while he was looking out for his surroundings. Something invisible he couldn’t quite catch glimmered in his head. The version of Shifting Heavenly Devil showed and the version of Chul Namgoong’s. If he could spot the difference, he might have a clue.
However, Chul Namgoong didn’t have a kind personality; he just spoke a lot of nonsense.
“Do you think you can stop my sword if you start thinking?”
Had he run out of patience? Chul Namgoong screamed and rushed forward. Yoon-seok did not imitate his sword even when he watched it. The situation was different from the previous fight against the fairy swordsman. He wasn’t so easy an enemy where he could copy the unfamiliar sword technique easily.
“…”
Two swords flew in from the front and back. However, since the swords were divided into two again, it felt like he had to deal with a total of four swords at the same time. It was tricky, but it didn’t mean he ran out of methods. It may be a little too simple, but Yoon-seok chose the fast sword as his breakthrough.
Boom! Boom!
Yoon-seok narrowed the distance between them to delay the time for the two swords to reach him.
He’d only bought a tiny bit of time, a tenth of a second, but it was enough.
As if time had stopped, Yoon-seok first blocked Chul Namgoong’s sword. Regardless of whether it was an illusion or a reality, both swords were cut off with his double sword. Then, he also responded in the same way to the sword that flew from behind. Chul Namgoong’s sword was versatile and brilliant, but it was possible because the power contained within the sword wasn’t that great.
“…?”
Chul Namgoong was slightly startled when he saw Yoon-seok moving so fast to leave a blur behind him.
It was the same for Yoon-seok. He could slowly differentiate between afterimage and reality now. The differentiation itself was meaningless in the first place. If it existed in two spaces faster than the opponent’s ability to recognize, it was irrelevant whether it was illusion or reality.
“…”
Yoon-seok radiated his Bloodseeker’s Energy. Then, as his concentration was increased, the energy was then condensed into droplets. Due to a lack of skill, the shape of the sword wasn’t perfect. However, it was enough.
He didn’t use the energy to make the sword. Although it’s possible, Yoon-seok thought that it would be more efficient due to the nature of the b Bloodseeker’s Energy}. He thought that it might be Manipulation.
However, Chul Namgoong had different thoughts.
“In-invisible sword…?”
Chul Namgoong’s mouth opened wide; his eyes were filled with dismay. Was it different from Sword Manipulation? It was hard for Yoon-seok to understand why he reacted like that since he couldn’t feel much of a difference between the two.
His foe suddenly grew angry.
“So you’ve made fun of me by hiding your skills!”
Did he think that he was hiding his skills? Chul Namgoong’s voice was filled with indescribable anger. It was unfair for Yoon-seok to be falsely misunderstood…well, he decided to think that it was part of Chul Namgoong’s character.
Whoooooosh!
Yoon-seok released more energy and shaped it into a sword. The total volume of the energy itself wasn’t insufficient, but he’d reached his limit because he was too concerned about manipulating them.
But it was just enough.
He wondered if Chul Namgoong would provide him hints again about how to split a sword in two.
Yoon-seok called out to him.
“Chul Namgoong.”
He was still unsure if Chul Namgoong and the Heavenly Warrior were the same people. But if so, there was something he wanted to tell him.
“Then and now, you talk too much.”
Comments