I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 317 : Climbing the Tower (5)

Eligoss was watching Su-hyeon as he climbed the tower.

"Now he's finally alone."

The Celestial Tower, consisting of a total of 100 floors.

Surprisingly, Su-hyeon had never properly fought even once until he reached the 90th floor.

At most, he would occasionally draw his sword to cut down enemies who persisted stubbornly.

'Even to a much higher point than expected, I couldn't draw out Jeong Su-hyeon's fighting.'

Even in the midst of that.

-Kyaaaak!

Su-hyeon, who had dropped a demonic beast's head with a single strike, broke through the 90th floor, with only nine floors remaining now.

"He's strong."

It was truly spine-chilling.

'How was Belred? Around this time, he was already in tatters and staggering.'

When Belred had arrived before him.

He had the leisure to offer Belred potions and rest.

But not with Su-hyeon.

He had come this far while deliberately hiding his power.

And after being left alone, he was advancing at a rapid pace, cutting down all enemies with just one sword.

'This is troublesome.'

Moreover, Su-hyeon was deliberately sticking to only one type of fighting.

Drawing his sword and cutting.

It was done so naturally, so fluidly, that there was almost no information to be gained from that fighting style.

Therefore, the only impression Eligoss could have was.

"He's strong."

That was the only one.

To the extent that he regretted not having seen the fight with Crosell.

'That guy had mastered considerable concealment magic, though not as much as Belred.'

It wasn't just Belred who was aiming for higher places.

'Though she's already dead.'

Moreover, even the three Great Overlords—Furcas, Nebirhos, and Allocer—couldn't draw out Jeong Su-hyeon's full power.

"Hmm."

Eligoss, leaning back against the backrest, drew his dark-colored longsword and flicked the blade with his hand.

"Are you nervous too?"

Looking at his favorite weapon, which was giving off a resonance unlike usual, Eligoss fell into thought.

'If Jeong Su-hyeon comes up to this 99th floor without having his full power drawn out or his strength sufficiently depleted.'

It was clear that even he would find it difficult to claim high odds of winning.

"The second test... should be called more than a pass."

Now only the third test remained.

The passing condition for that test was his own death.

"I wonder, Lord Belphegor."

Eligoss, who had risen from his seat, murmured as he descended the stairs.

"Whether Jeong Su-hyeon can heal your loneliness..."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"So you've come out to greet me."

Su-hyeon, who had destroyed the heart of the great demon Asmodeus blocking the 99th floor, looked up.

"The 100th floor is a precious space bestowed by my lord."

A knight with a beautiful and neat appearance reminiscent of an angel.

That was Belphegor's apostle and the first-ranked Great Overlord, Eligoss.

"That's strange. Before, you always waited for me on the 100th floor."

"Ah, you're talking about your 'previous lives.'"

Eligoss's voice was beautiful and noble, as if singing.

"Perhaps back then, you weren't... as threatening."

"Indeed."

Su-hyeon acknowledged this matter-of-factly.

"You've climbed here much more comfortably than I thought."

"Are you flustered because of that?"

"No."

Eligoss denied.

"This too is just a situation within the range of what could be anticipated."

"I see."

"Jeong Su-hyeon."

Eligoss, who had now descended all the stairs, looked down at Su-hyeon from a height of one head taller.

"You're strong. You are stronger than me."

"That's stating the obvious."

"But you won't be able to overcome me."

"We'll see about that."

Su-hyeon grinned.

"You should be careful with such definitive statements."

Then a moment of silence.

'Shall we begin?'

The moment Su-hyeon drew his Sain Sword.

Reading that precursor and moving first, Eligoss's sword aimed for the nape of Su-hyeon's neck.

Tak!

But a left hand coated with fist energy blocked that sword tip.

"...!"

Eligoss had prevented Su-hyeon from drawing his sword.

Su-hyeon had blocked the sword aiming for his nape.

It was an exchange where each partially thwarted the other's intention.

"...As expected."

Eligoss marveled.

"You are not below me."

"And you. The being closest to transcendence. Fittingly the strongest being in the category of 'quasi-transcendent.'"

He was essentially a being with power no different from a Transcendent.

Never once in hundreds of iterations had Su-hyeon defeated Eligoss.

In fact, he had only reached this point four times.

The first time, he had died with his head cut off without being able to do anything.

The second time, just two exchanges.

The third time, he had saved many companions to reach here, but couldn't withstand even 5 minutes before total annihilation.

The fourth and last time...

He had irritated Eligoss and been wiped out in just 10 seconds.

"I think we've finished our greetings."

Eligoss's longsword, dripping with pitch-black magical energy, pointed at Su-hyeon.

"Let's determine who's superior."

Flash!

Light and darkness collided, dividing the world in half.

Su-hyeon and Eligoss.

The battle between beings who had learned the martial arts of humans and demons, grasped their profound principles, and then surpassed them continued evenly.

Swords entangle, fists and feet cross.

An elbow strikes a chin, then a kick from a strange angle pushes the opponent back.

The swords wielded by both probe each other's distance, thrusting and cutting in unexpected places.

Advancing then retreating, retreating then advancing.

Bringing one's head to the opponent's blade, only for the opponent to withdraw the sword in response.

A succession of incomprehensible movements.

As the exchanges that seemed neither acrobatics nor fighting continued, Su-hyeon and Eligoss increasingly evaded each other's attacks until the last possible moment and continued to counter.

A tightrope walk where a moment's hesitation, a moment's advance or retreat could end with one side losing their head continued.

Sight and touch, energy sense and smell, hearing and sixth sense.

Su-hyeon's self, which was using all senses and all organs to receive and judge the opponent's movements, repeatedly foresaw the opponent's next move and acted in advance from a realm where non-self and self were mixed into one.

Thus, their battle of moves reached principles, deviated from principles, and repeatedly twisted and struggled to exceed the opponent's expectations.

In an instant, Su-hyeon's intuition, which had been foreseeing the next moment, had already transcended the realm of precognition to reach the realm of 'inducing the opponent's movements according to his own intention.'

In other words.

It meant no less than that Su-hyeon had come to dominate Eligoss's battle, Eligoss's future.

Bwak!

"Kughk!"

Eligoss, whose breath was cut off by an ordinary left body blow, retreated and knelt down.

But to plant that one punch with an ordinary trajectory, Su-hyeon had been designing hundreds of exchanges.

Eligoss knew this.

"Truly remarkable."

Eligoss raised his body while spitting out blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

"Even with my eyes that foresee the future, it's impossible to see through you, who possesses a higher level than me. Both in the realm of martial arts and in the level of existence, you have the advantage."

"That's right."

Su-hyeon nodded.

"Now that we've fought, I understand even better. I am stronger than you."

"A newborn Transcendent. But you're growing stronger by the day, by the second."

A smile played on Eligoss's pale face.

'As expected.'

No, Eligoss shook his head.

'This isn't expectation... it's as foreseen.'

Clang!

Su-hyeon's Sain Sword collided with Eligoss's longsword in the air.

Bwak!

Eligoss's body fell backward as his wrist was bent by a technique so subtle it couldn't be perceived, and simultaneously his temple was struck by a knee kick.

Swish!

Just as Su-hyeon's Sain Sword was about to drop his head, Eligoss's body had already changed coordinates in space and moved behind Su-hyeon.

"You're using a technique that defies principles."

"The same goes for you."

Like Su-hyeon who moved as if folding the ground.

Eligoss's movement was also a technique of an entirely different dimension from teleport or blink, manipulating coordinates within space.

"Jeong Su-hyeon. You are a being I cannot overcome."

But Eligoss's face showed neither fear nor disappointment as he said this, so Su-hyeon had no choice but to ask.

"At this rate, your defeat is as good as determined. You know that, right?"

"Yes. I know."

"Yet you remain composed. Are you thinking of using your authority?"

"Of course. It's the only means left to me."

"You seem to have quite a lot of faith in that power."

"Absolutely."

Eligoss affirmed.

"This is the strongest power bestowed by my lord."

At that moment.

Nothing was visible to Su-hyeon's sight.

"!?"

Su-hyeon quickly tried to raise his energy sense to substitute for vision.

"My authority is called 'Sensory Blockade.'"

Eligoss's voice echoed in his ear.

"First, I'll take away your sight."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Kughk!"

Gong I-an, kicked by the Death Knight, knelt down.

"Ah... it's not going to work."

His spear was broken and taken away.

His body was beaten and cut until there was not a single intact part.

"How foolish humans are, needing to experience the obvious firsthand to understand it."

The Death Knight sneered, looking down at Gong I-an.

"Since it's come to this, it's actually good. In place of Eligoss-nim, I'll personally slaughter you humans who remain on the lower floors."

"..."

Gong I-an exhaled with a "Hoo."

"That won't happen."

With his lungs damaged, even a single breath was precious now, and it was an act that hastened his own death.

Now, with death approaching before his eyes, the 'ultimate principle of martial arts,' which had been just out of reach throughout his life, was finally grasped by Gong I-an.

"!?"

An intangible spear.

It was taking form in Gong I-an's hand.

"What is this?!"

A spear of mind.

It was a realm that could only be obtained by one who had broken the wall and reached the realm of 'quasi-transcendence.'

Pook!

That spear directly pierced the heart of the Death Knight, who was retreating in astonishment.

Kughk!

Gong I-an's intangible spear directly destroyed the 'source of existence' of the Death Knight, who wouldn't die even if killed.

"I-impossible. That I, to such a bug...!"

"Carelessness. Arrogance. Always the incurable disease that brings down the strong."

"Damn it, daaaaamn iiiiiit!"

'Divine Spear' Gong I-an.

Only at the brink of death did he finally obtain strength that did not shame his nickname.

"Disappear, monster."

Leaving only a long scream behind.

Saaaaa.

The Death Knight turned to sand and scattered into the air.

"Kuluk!"

Gong I-an, barely leaning against the wall, coughed up blood.

"...It was fortunate."

Even in this state, the Death Knight was still a stronger being than himself.

But.

"It's enough that I could kill you on my final journey."

A satisfied smile hung on Gong I-an's lips.

"So this is the realm visible to a martial artist who has 'transcended the limit'..."

Infinite satisfaction.

Infinite sense of achievement.

Infinite pleasure was producing massive dopamine.

But conversely.

Gong I-an's lungs were completely destroyed, and the blood flowing out was also in a concerning state.

"It's a pity. If I had lived, I could have aimed for 'what comes next'."

He recalled his old superior who had entrusted the next generation to him and departed.

"Commander Ju Taeyang. I think you would say I've done my duty well enough..."

Now, with all success or failure hanging on Su-hyeon's success.

"Win. By whatever means necessary..."

'Divine Spear' Gong I-an.

The warrior who had reached a fragment of transcendence, surpassing the wall of humanity after 'Dragon Spear' Ju Taeyang, thus closed his eyes quietly, without receiving anyone's condolences.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Eligoss's authority 'Sensory Blockade' was truly a cruel ability.

Su-hyeon, who had been fighting after losing his sight, lost in succession his sense of smell, energy sense, pain perception, sixth sense, and touch.

"Kughk!"

Su-hyeon, who had been hit in the jaw with a sword hilt, rolled on the floor.

'Damn it.'

Even the taste of blood filling his mouth was disappearing.

"Now that your taste has disappeared, all that remains is hearing?"

Eligoss's voice echoed like an echo, making it impossible to determine direction.

"You wouldn't know since your pain perception is gone, but your body has now lost its left arm and stomach."

"..."

"Now you won't hear this either."

With those words.

Su-hyeon, who had lost even his hearing, was trapped in a world of perfect darkness.

"This is the end, Jeong Su-hyeon."

Eligoss thus declared the end of the battle.