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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Inside the Treasure Gate.
Lee Seong-joon walked across the desolate plain with a relaxed gait. Occasionally, a monster wave would surge forward, halting his progress, but they were annihilated in a mere five minutes.
From the start, a simple horde of monsters couldn’t stop Lee Seong-joon, who wielded Blood Blossom: Heaven and Earth Creation and Soul Devouring Blood Absorption.
The raid proceeded smoothly. Just an hour after entering the Treasure Gate, he came across a temple with thick plaster pillars rising high into the sky.
“…What is this?”
Lee Seong-joon’s usually relaxed eyes narrowed. Boss monsters typically resided in the most distinctive area within a gate. But he couldn’t sense any boss monster presence within the temple.
‘Is there a more distinctive place than the temple?’
A question arose in his mind, but there was no need to wrack his brain over it. He could just check it himself.
The moment he stepped into the temple, his eyes gleaming…
Gurgle—!
A black liquid pooled on the temple floor bubbled and coalesced into the shape of a human. As the liquid solidified, Lee Seong-joon’s eyes narrowed at the familiar face. It was his own.
“…A Doppelganger.”
Although it was his first time encountering one in person, Doppelgangers weren’t unfamiliar to him. They occasionally appeared and caused a stir after the Great Change. But he couldn’t remain complacent. Not one, but three Doppelgangers were taking his form, assuming combat stances.
“This is unexpected.”
He chuckled, facing the Doppelgangers. Although Doppelgangers couldn’t speak, their cold eyes, colder than winter winds, were identical to his. Not just their eyes. Their gaze, posture, breathing—it was like looking in a mirror. He felt a surge of curiosity.
‘Just how much have they replicated?’
A golden aura rose from Lee Seong-joon.
Ding—!
> Using Star’s Favor, Earth’s Blessing, Wind’s Protection, Strength Enhancement, Stamina Enhancement, and Agility Enhancement on user ‘Lee Seong-joon‘.
> Due to the effect of the Amplification skill, the effects of enhancement skills are increased by 50%…
As Lee Seong-joon felt the immense power surging within him, the Doppelgangers were also enveloped in a golden aura, their latent energy increasing explosively.
Crash—!
The four Lee Seong-joons kicked off the ground and charged forward simultaneously. Their next moves were identical. They focused their power into their fists and thrust them forward.
‘Indestructible Iron Body External Qi Technique, Diamond Dragon Strike.’
Kaboom—!
The external martial arts techniques, said to be the best in the world, clashed mid-air with a deafening roar. The flat temple floor buckled, pieces flying in all directions. Lee Seong-joon and the Doppelgangers, the source of the power, were also thrown back by the shockwave’s recoil.
It looked like an even match, but there was a clear victor and loser in this clash.
“Kuh…”
A trickle of blood flowed from Lee Seong-joon’s lips. He couldn’t win a 3-on-1 fight. Of course, Lee Seong-joon, a veteran of countless battles, knew this. There was a reason he had engaged in such a reckless exchange.
‘…They didn’t just copy my body.’
They had replicated his skills, martial arts, even his thoughts and habits—everything about ‘Lee Seong-joon.’ There was no need to gauge their strength.
“This will be interesting.”
Wiping the blood from his lips, Lee Seong-joon adjusted his stance and took a deep breath.
“Haa…”
His eyes turned a seductive red, and energy, surging from beneath his feet, enveloped his body. A wide grin spread across his face. Since returning to Earth, his fights had been boring. He had finally met a worthy opponent.
How strong was he now? And how much fun could he have in this fight?
As he was thinking, the three Doppelgangers, their eyes glowing red, vanished from sight. Lee Seong-joon calmly opened his senses wide. His dispersed energy scanned the surrounding space. Although he couldn’t see them, he could read their movements.
One on the left, one on the right, and the last one above. They were skillfully targeting his blind spots and cutting off his escape routes. Seeing the Doppelgangers mirroring his own thoughts, Lee Seong-joon hurriedly raised both arms and chanted inwardly,
‘Star’s Protection.’
At the same time, as he hastily layered his Aura Shield onto the invisible barrier, the energy gathered in the Doppelgangers’ hands exploded, shattering his Star’s Protection.
Kaboom—!
The Doppelgangers’ fists, now at point-blank range, filled his vision. He hurriedly moved his arms, blocking and deflecting the incoming attacks. But he couldn’t block all three attacks at once.
Crack—!
Lee Seong-joon staggered back from the continuous barrage. Although he didn’t lose his footing, the impact was considerable. How long had it been since he had experienced such consecutive setbacks? He couldn’t remember, and a burst of laughter escaped his lips.
“Haha!”
Since returning to Earth, all his fights had been boring. He hadn’t had a fight worth going all out for. The closest was when he defeated the SS-rank villain Jo Se-hyuk, the Rookie Slayer, but there hadn’t been a need for it.
He had done it simply because he wanted to give Jo Se-hyuk, with his repulsive appearance, a hopeless death. But the Doppelgangers before him were different.
‘I really have to go all out.’
He had finally met a proper opponent.
“This is actually fun.”
Grinning, Lee Seong-joon stopped defending and raised both hands. He wasn’t giving up on the fight. On the contrary, his mind raced faster than ever. Countless battle memories from his time as the Blood Demon and Demon God surfaced, but he shook his head.
Those memories wouldn’t be much help. He had never experienced a fight like this, so how could he find the answer in his memories?
His eyes gleaming, Lee Seong-joon charged forward. Focusing on the Doppelganger directly in front, he deflected an incoming attack and threw a punch.
Their fists collided. A rapid exchange of blows followed. At first, it was a perfect stalemate. But then, on the fifth, eighth, and finally, tenth exchange…
Crack—!
Lee Seong-joon’s fist struck the Doppelganger’s face.
‘The Doppelgangers only copied the current me.’
They hadn’t copied his experience and memories as the Blood Demon and Demon God.
‘Then…!’
The moment he formulated a winning strategy based on the information he had gathered…
The two remaining Doppelgangers closed the distance and simultaneously unleashed Golden Dragon Indestructible Pierce, the ultimate technique of the Indestructible Iron Body External Qi Technique.
Normally, he would have been able to block one but not both. However, a relaxed smile appeared on Lee Seong-joon’s lips.
‘Right hand, Golden Dragon Indestructible Pierce, left hand, Blood Reversal.’
In a split second, drawing on both external and internal energy, he moved both arms swiftly.
Boom—!
Another shockwave and a deafening roar erupted, and his body was lifted into the air. But it was expected.
‘Thousand Pound Weight.’
His ascending body suddenly dropped. Landing swiftly, he thrust both arms forward, unleashing Explosive Blood Rain.
Kaboom—!
The Doppelgangers, caught off guard, were struck in the abdomen and slammed into the temple pillars.
He had won the first exchange. But he hadn’t inflicted any critical damage. The Doppelgangers quickly got up and regained their stances, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.
But they didn’t attack recklessly like before. Although they didn’t have his memories as the Demon God, they instinctively sensed that continuing the exchange would be disadvantageous. Perhaps because of that, instead of continuing the exchange, the Doppelgangers prepared for a final attack.
“Haa…”
They took a deep breath, and their energy surged, the red power of the Asura converging into a sphere. Lee Seong-joon smiled as he watched the Blood Demon’s martial art, Blood Sky Dance, forming in the Doppelgangers’ hands.
‘Just as I hoped.’
He pushed the Blood Asura Divine Art to its limit. The internal energy surging from his dantian made his heart pound, and he felt a scorching heat coursing through his body. He extended his right arm.
“Ten Thousand Blood Demon Realm, First Form, Blood Sky Dance.”
A clash of power against power. Four red spheres collided in mid-air. As confirmed in the previous fight, the result was a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, I chose a direct confrontation. The reason was simple.
‘…This is the only way.’
There were three Doppelgangers. While he could gradually gain an advantage by exchanging blows, he couldn’t afford a war of attrition due to his limited stamina. Of course, even in a direct clash of power, his chances of winning were slim.
Kaboom—!
Indeed, despite pouring all his internal energy into it, his Blood Sky Dance was slowly being pushed back.
But Lee Seong-joon’s expression didn’t waver. He couldn’t win with the same martial arts, the techniques he already knew. The Blood Sky Dance he had unleashed was just a feint, to prevent the Doppelgangers from escaping.
‘The stage is set.’
He used the Infinite Blood Demon Cycle to reclaim the blood he had spilled and replenish his internal energy with the blood remaining in his body. Feeling his internal energy surge, he raised both arms without hesitation.
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