novelraw Chapter 236 : Life-or-Death Struggle (3)
Chapter 236 : Life-or-Death Struggle (3)
Chapter 236: Life-or-Death Struggle (3)
Puhk!
“Keugh!”
Luca, who had taken the full brunt of the Knockback Burst, spewed thick spit and was pushed far back.
Perhaps he hadn’t braced himself at all, as his body bent into a C-shape.
Yet even in that moment, Sanghyun erected a wall along the path where Luca would likely charge in a straight line toward him.
Since it was obvious that he would be targeted in his most vulnerable state, he blocked the path even while taking a hit.
Because of that, Sanghyun, who had planned to immediately charge after him, retreated for the moment.
He wanted to smash through the wall and continue, but he had no idea what kind of wall it was.
Some walls used by magicians exploded the moment they were touched—a truly shitty type.
“You bastard!”
Spitting blood-mixed saliva, Luca quickly formed hand seals with both hands.
At the same time, crackling sounds erupted as countless orbs of electricity gathered around Luca’s hands.
The time from casting to activation took just under a second.
Not a long time, but not quite enough to fully prepare either.
Crackle!
And soon, the electricity shot out!
『Defensive Sword』
Sanghyun deployed his Defensive Sword.
The most basic form of defense.
However, even while deploying the Defensive Sword, he was already preparing his next move.
Because in battle, there’s no such thing as ‘guaranteed’.
There was no assurance that the Defensive Sword would block the electricity completely.
Sure enough.
Boom! Crunch-crack!
Cracks instantly spread across the barrier of the Defensive Sword as it collided head-on with the electric orbs.
Like watching cracks form in a glass cup, lines of fractures rapidly expanded.
Ka-ching!
The barrier shattered instantly.
『Perfect Sword』
Sanghyun transitioned into Perfect Sword, a skill linked to Defensive Sword, to block the follow-up attack.
A full second of invincibility.
Suppose there had been another swordsman like Sanghyun, but without Perfect Sword?
Right now, they would’ve been exposed to the residual electricity that pierced through the barrier and been electrocuted on the spot.
A body struck by electricity would barely be able to move, making it perfect prey for a magician.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say they’d be practically dead.
But thanks to Perfect Sword, the follow-up attack was neatly neutralized, and the fight reset.
No—considering he saw blood come from Luca’s mouth, it could be called a small victory.
“Wow. What kind of swordsman pops out skills like that from everywhere? Impressive.”
Luca wiped the blood from his mouth and clapped.
Whether he was trying to hide his fear or genuinely impressed, it was clear he was at least surprised.
‘That’s my specialty and advantage. It’s also the one and only privilege I gained by returning with the ability to devour Artifacts.’
Sanghyun smirked internally.
All of this was the result of regression.
If his previous life had ended normally, he would’ve been just another average Player.
“……”
Sanghyun didn’t let his guard down.
Though it was true that he had landed a clean blow on Luca, this was only the beginning.
Even with 99% advantage, a 1% weakness could lead to a counterattack and cost one their life in battle.
Until he saw with his own eyes that Luca was dead, he had no intention of relaxing.
Not even for a second could he drop his guard.
Luca was a skilled Player at a much higher level than him.
And if he thought from a different angle, there was even a chance Luca was intentionally showing an opening.
In battle, inducing the opponent to let down their guard was one of the most effective psychological tactics.
Sanghyun planned to consider every possibility.
He didn’t care if others called him overly cautious or a coward. After all, the chance between life and death came only once.
The world remembers those who survive, not those who die fighting gloriously.
Meanwhile.
Lee Siyeon had left the accommodation and moved to a more distant location.
Just in case—on the very slim chance that the sparks of battle flew her way—she could end up getting caught in the crossfire.
Still, since she had relocated without telling Sanghyun, she made sure to send her location via smartphone.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I got to enjoy a pleasant outing. I hope you live a long, healthy life.”
Lee Siyeon spoke to her “inner self,” the original owner of the body.
She now quietly observed everything from within. She had been amazed by many things.
Still, during the possession process, the diseases that plagued the original body were all eradicated by the power of the Constellation.
Even if she didn’t know the details, unless someone deliberately harmed her body, she would likely live past one hundred with no issue.
Now, once the possession was “lifted,” she planned to return quickly to her dimension and spread the word.
First, she intended to persuade and mobilize the Constellations who were Sanghyun’s contractors and supporters.
Moreover, she planned to actively request aid from the greatest presence of them all—the God of Storms.
What was needed now was not the power of a Constellation, but the power of a Divine Seat, a level above.
And considering that the mastermind behind this incident was the Eye of Calamity, the archenemy of the God of Storms…
The God of Storms needed to act with full force. Only then could Sanghyun’s efforts produce a chance for change.
“……”
Lee Siyeon looked out the window of the place where she stayed, scanning a distant clearing.
She saw a barrier and the silhouettes of people fighting within it. It had to be Sanghyun.
A brief but delightful outing in the human world. Now she had to return to being a quiet observer from afar.
“It was fun.”
Lee Siyeon waved her hand in the direction of where Sanghyun was.
And without hesitation—
Paaht!
She returned to the Dimensional Order.
Now, the Dimensional Order would be busy too.
While trading blows with Luca—
Despite several moments where he was nearly in danger, Sanghyun had deliberately held back a few of his skills.
The most notable among them was the Blade of Ruin. He had never used it, nor shown signs of using it.
To Sanghyun, it was a hidden card that could instantly flip the tide of battle, a one-strike kill technique.
If the opponent were a lower-level Player, they might not even recognize the cue or prepare for it, even if the intention was obvious.
But against a skilled Player like Luca, even showing the skill’s preliminary motion could expose its traits and allow for a counter.
In fact, Sanghyun had remained mindful of Luca’s previous trap—Combustion Skill—which had nearly landed a fatal blow.
It was almost instant in speed, and an extremely threatening skill.
He only survived because he instinctively threw himself aside. Otherwise, a hole might’ve been punched through the center of his chest.
『Updraft』
“Eegh! Damn it!”
Meanwhile, Sanghyun was unexpectedly having fun using the Updraft skill.
Given Luca’s level and power, it was clear his stats lacked nothing.
No doubt his resistance to magic was also high, so Sanghyun had assumed Updraft wouldn’t even lift him into the air.
He hadn’t even considered using it—until he did on a whim.
Though it didn’t cause airborne status, it greatly interfered with Luca’s concentration when forming magical hand signs.
Among status effects, Airborne is rather uncommon for Players.
As such, few people use it, and those on the receiving end rarely experience it either.
Perhaps for that reason, every time Sanghyun used Updraft, Luca's focus while casting magic faltered.
So, whenever the tide started to turn against him, Sanghyun actively used Updraft.
While it couldn’t stop instant or quick-cast skills—
It could disrupt the preparation and concentration required for high-powered, destructive spells.
Meanwhile—
Luca didn’t show it outwardly, but inside he was growing more and more unsettled by the sense of mismatch he felt from Sanghyun.
At first, he had been sure of an easy victory.
He knew from his investigation that Sanghyun had, until recently, been an insignificant Player.
No matter how fast someone grew, there was no way he could compare to someone like Luca, who was over Level 570.
It wasn’t arrogance.
A difference of more than 100 levels couldn’t easily be overcome, no matter the circumstances.
That gap only widened as one reached higher levels. The fight should not have been anywhere near this even.
Yet he was struggling.
Because of the super-flame-type skill Sanghyun had manifested, Luca got caught in a giant pillar of fire that scorched his hair and clothes.
He had seen Players wield swords imbued with fire many times.
But never had he seen a swordsman wield flames several times longer than the blade itself.
Even among named swordsman Players from around the world, none had this kind of skill.
Not only was Luca struck by Sanghyun’s skills—some of his own were also blocked or countered.
For instance, he had tried to seal Sanghyun’s skills and launch a barrage of attacks using a Silence-type skill—but it failed.
A secret Luca didn’t know—
■ Special Effect – State of No-Self (無我境)
■ Skill Resistance against one designated status abnormality increases by 75%.
■ Designated status: ‘Silence’
Because of Sanghyun’s State of No-Self.
It was 75% resistance—so continued attempts might’ve eventually succeeded.
But after three consecutive failures to induce Silence, Luca concluded Sanghyun was immune.
And he gave up early.
Now, to Luca, Sanghyun had become someone for whom Silence was simply "impossible."
Even the signature spell of high-level mage Players—Invisibility Magic—
Invisibility too was completely read and neutralized by Sanghyun.
『Breath of Gaia』
■ Skill Level: Tier 5 (83.4%)
■ Skill Description: Reveals the path traveled by mana-using entities in a stealth state.
(…truncated)
All because of Breath of Gaia.
Since even stealth was seen through, Luca, who had tried to create variables in battle, ended up being countered instead.
Nothing worked.
It was like playing rock-paper-scissors, but he only had one hand while Sanghyun had two.
No matter what he used, Sanghyun countered, and Sanghyun always had more to throw back.
It was overwhelming.
Especially when he was hit by the skill Whisper of Darkness and temporarily blinded—
A shiver ran down his whole body. A skill like that shouldn't have come from a swordsman.
As things continued like this, fear of Sanghyun began to multiply and reproduce inside him.
It was the worst-case scenario.
As status effect skills—ones he had assumed Sanghyun wouldn’t have—began to appear one by one…
He started to feel like Sanghyun could have every status effect in existence, which made him hesitant to attack.
One wrong move, and he could get countered and killed. He couldn’t afford to take chances.
“Shit…”
A curse slipped out of his mouth.