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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Whack! Crack!
“Ugh…!”
“Aagh!”
The Knights’ cries echoed through the darkness.
Chae-rin watched, along with most of the otherworlders. The fighting was concentrated here, and both Yor and the Knight Commander were present.
They’d been worried, and then… it had happened.
A wave of darkness had engulfed Yor and the surrounding Knights, followed by a flurry of attacks.
They couldn’t see what was happening, but they knew who was attacking.
They didn’t hear Yor scream.
The chat window filled with comments.
[Whoa]
[What skill is that? Looks OP]
[It’s not the skill, it’s the user, idiot. Don’t even try to learn it;;]
[Using Illusion like that… clever.]
[He’s surprisingly strategic]
[The Knights must be panicking lol]
But it didn’t last long.
“Break formation! Move to where you can see!”
Unlike the fog, which had covered the entire forest, Ha-neul’s spell was localized.
They had to break formation, but they could escape the darkness by retreating a short distance.
And the Knights weren’t stupid. They knew what the spell was, and who had cast it.
“You! Take this!”
“Ugh…!”
A Knight charged, slashing at Ha-neul’s chest.
Slash!
Blood sprayed. Not a fatal wound, but serious. Ha-neul’s Illusion spell dissipated.
She wouldn’t be casting any more spells today.
The darkness receded, revealing the aftermath.
The otherworlders gasped.
“Whoa…”
Dozens of Knights lay unconscious on the ground.
Even with his enhanced senses, Yor shouldn’t have been able to move so effectively in complete darkness.
He was strong. Incredibly strong.
He’d decimated their ranks in the fog, picked them off one by one as they tried to regroup, and now this.
Most of the Knights were down before they could even form a proper defensive line.
Only about fifty remained. Still a significant force, but a far cry from their initial numbers.
‘…Damn it.’
Reilly gritted his teeth.
A devastating loss.
He didn’t know that Yor had been holding back. He assumed all the unconscious Knights were casualties.
How many were seriously injured? How many were dead? The number must be high.
But he couldn’t retreat. He had to avenge his fallen comrades.
He raised his sword and addressed his remaining troops.
“…I apologize for my incompetence. You’ve all suffered because of me.”
“No, sir!”
“Don’t say that!”
Their morale was still high. They hadn’t had a chance to fight properly, and their loyalty to Reilly was strong.
He was a man, which helped, and he cared about his troops, which was rare.
How many commanders apologized to their subordinates?
He gathered his thoughts and issued his orders.
“Advance! Maintain a wide perimeter. I’ll handle him.”
Their morale was high, their ranks reformed. He could still win.
He charged towards Yor.
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I emerged from the darkness, gasping for breath.
“Ha… ha…”
I’d been fighting non-stop since dawn. I was exhausted.
But I’d significantly reduced their numbers. The problem was, there were still too many.
I assessed the situation.
‘Things are… getting worse.’
Even if I could keep the Knights occupied, the otherworlders on their side outnumbered my reinforcements.
The quest’s penalty had deterred many.
If this continued, Chae-rin’s group would be overwhelmed.
Time was running out.
Clank, clank, clank!
The Knights closed in, forming another encirclement.
Were they persistent, or just stupid?
This time, it seemed like persistence.
I was running out of options.
‘The fog is gone, Ha-neul is down…’
The Knights were regrouped, their ranks reformed. I couldn’t disrupt them anymore. I was glad I’d taken down so many.
‘If I can’t use tricks…’
I only had one option.
A direct confrontation.
I took a deep breath, calming myself, focusing my mind, planning my next move.
The Knights closed in, but I didn’t flinch.
The Knight Commander stepped forward, his body and weapon drenched in holy water, his sword glowing with a bright, intense Sword Qi.
The other Knights looked at him with a mixture of hope and desperation.
I smiled.
It felt like an arena. A hostile arena, where every step brought a new attack, every opening an opportunity for a sneak attack.
The otherworlders were occupied. I was on my own.
It was a dangerous situation, but I wasn’t afraid.
I raised my spear, channeling my Sword Qi.
‘I just need to win.’
This was the decisive moment.
The Knights had suffered heavy losses. Their numerical advantage was dwindling.
If I could defeat the Knight Commander, they might retreat.
Swish!
His sword lunged towards me, a beautiful, refined blade, imbued with a powerful mana. I blocked it, but my spear was pushed back.
My Sword Qi was weaker, cruder.
The food and spirit herbs from the deeper layers had increased my mana reserves, but the difference in skill was still significant.
He was a master swordsman, trained for years. I was a self-taught brawler.
His swordsmanship was impeccable. He didn’t just block my attacks. He parried, deflected, using his shield to redirect my blows. And his armor was thick, difficult to penetrate.
Slash! Slash!
His sword grazed my skin, drawing blood. His attacks were unpredictable, fluid.
And the holy water on his blade made it difficult to control my blood. It was neutralized on contact.
And the holy water was slowing my regeneration.
But…
‘…It doesn’t matter.’
I continued my attack, accepting the injuries. My fighting style was based on enduring pain, delivering a decisive blow.
If I could land a critical hit, a few scratches were a small price to pay.
“Oops.”
“Ah.”
My shirt, torn by his blade, slipped from my shoulder, but I ignored it.
I focused inward.
…I had an idea.
Use Seere’s arm to steal his shield, creating an opening for a thrust.
‘But it probably won’t work.’
He’d seen me use Seere’s arm before. He’d be prepared. He might be momentarily surprised, but he’d recover quickly, using his Sword Qi to block my attack.
I needed something more.
Slash! Slash!
I channeled the blood from my wounds, gathering it on my spear. Even neutralized by the holy water, I could still collect small amounts.
I remembered my conversation with Shin Han-byeol in the deeper layers.
– Sword Qi is an extension of the weapon, she’d said.
I’d asked her why I couldn’t imbue my blood with Sword Qi, and she’d explained.
– It’s difficult at first, but it’s a matter of skill. With practice, you can imbue any weapon with Sword Qi.
There were no limitations.
She was right. I’d imbued my spear, daggers, and axe with mana.
‘Why couldn’t I do it with my blood?’
The answer was simple. I hadn’t thought of my blood as a weapon.
It was a part of me, a magical ability.
And combining the two had seemed… complicated.
I hadn’t even tried. And yet, it was my most powerful weapon.
Hum…
It was time.
I channeled my Sword Qi, imbuing the blood-coated spear with mana.
The blood’s lethality, combined with the Sword Qi’s durability… even the holy water wouldn’t be able to neutralize it instantly.
I aimed my spear.
The tip glowed red, then transformed, the blood reshaping itself into a sharp, piercing point.
“!”
He raised his shield.
But it was too late.
Swish!
Seere’s arm activated, stealing his shield.
“What?!”
He was startled, but he quickly raised his sword, preparing to block.
Our weapons met.
Clang!!!
A deafening clang, a brief struggle.
The air rippled from the impact.
But it was over quickly.
Snap!
His sword broke in two.
My spear continued its trajectory, piercing his side.
Pierce!
A soft thud, a spurt of blood.
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