“We don’t know their methods.
But since we’re in the position of pursuing them and they’re in retreat,
Shouldn’t we at least go in confidently? If they’ve noticed our presence, do you think they wouldn’t have proper defenses?“
Upon explaining calmly, both P and Roshi nodded in agreement.
“It really sounds like our master.”
“Anyone can see the method is just like Baekdo’s.”
“Huh?”
I was startled and furrowed my brows.
Both Cheondo and these women, why were they so insistent on comparing me with Baekdo?
I felt relieved that I was wearing a mask. Otherwise, they’d have seen my annoyed face.-Clap.
P clapped once and extended a hand to me.
“Well, that’s not necessarily wrong. Hey, junior, turn around quickly. Since you’re so tall, kneel down.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Hurry up and move. I have to do it too.”
I knelt down in the mud. P gently touched my back and soon began to channel her energy.
While doing so, P smirked.
“You’re very fortunate, you know? An S-grade buffer is truly something money can’t buy.”
“Yes…”
After flaunting a bit, she started to chant spells and draw magical circles.
[Physical Enhancement][Muscle Hypertrophy][Magic Circuit Strengthening][Regeneration Increase][Magic Defense][Magic Release][Intense Resistance][Overflowing Life]…
Calmly and lengthily.
Dozens of magical symbols were engraved and illuminated on my body.
The blue glow soon absorbed my energy and turned black, and simultaneously, my muscles expanded.
“Phew, that was exhausting. I’ve given everything I could. Hey, Roshi.”
“I know, I know.”
Next was Roshi’s turn.
The gap between a supporter and a healer was so close they practically had similar abilities.
-Humming!
Roshi’s magic overlaid on top of P’s magic.
It felt as if I had reached a much higher realm. I could quickly refine my sword and fist techniques right there.
“It’s done.”
Upon hearing Roshi, I quickly glanced at my left hand and clenched it.
I could genuinely feel the flow of air splitting around my movement.
Such incredible power.
It felt multiple times, no, tenfold stronger than my usual strength.
Was this what it felt like to surpass 10 stat points?
I stood up and raised my head.
The overflowing energy from my entire body was too much to contain, and it seeped out.
“How much time do I have?”
“20 minutes.”
“I’ve got 30. I’m on a different level than her.”
Roshi and P exchanged glances. Faint voices of argument reached my ears.
Feeling a strange movement, I thought about charging forward.
As I bent my legs, P grabbed my shoulder, preventing my leap.
“You’ll need some time to get used to it. Even S-grade hunters take about a year to fully adapt to our buffs.”
“Really?”
“Well, if Cheondo recognized you, maybe it won’t even take a month?”
I slowly turned my head toward the factory and paused.
“How long did it take Master Baekdo?”
“Huh? Why? Hey, how long did it take for Baekdo?”
“It only took 3 days. Probably a world record.”
‘I see.’
I chuckled.
“I’ve adapted already.”
“What?”
I was even above Baekdo.
-Kwaang!
The ground crumbled.
The muddy floor made a rough noise, and the brown wave broke continuously.
Wherever my foot touched, ripples of energy followed.
A bright gleam shot up into the sky.
The night view of the early morning passed like lightning, expanding and shrinking again.
My thrown punch itself generated a windstorm.
Kugugugu!
When that first strike hit the wall.
The steel beams and pipes that made up the factory’s exterior were torn apart, looking as ragged as the skeleton of a dead fish.
Concrete and cement shattered.
“It’s beyond imagination.”
I flexed my hands, feeling the power.
It felt like I caught a glimpse of the world in which Baekdo lived.
Krrrr.
Right in front of me, an Ent, which was as large as me, swung its massive fist.
An attack I could barely track before now seemed very slow.
This time, I controlled my strength.
Just enough to kill the one in front of me.
I drew back my fist in a primitive posture and punched right into its vital point.
A simple and crude blow without any technique.
Kung!
A massive hole appeared in the Ent’s chest.
Kicking the kneeling Ent’s chest, the force sent its body flying, and it got pinned to the wall.
The difference in weight was meaningless against this overwhelming power.
I felt the thrill running through my entire body.
And at the same time, the weight of responsibility pressed on my shoulders. In this situation where I was the sole combatant, what would happen if I fell?
Gulp.
I swallowed.
Regrettably, it wasn’t a situation where I could deeply contemplate the possibility of defeat.
Flash.
Dozens of yellow eyes stared at me. Shadows in robes surrounded me.
Dozens of Ents and dozens of acolytes, each hiding their form, subtly revealed their hostility.
“Junior, this looks like a lot. They really intend to kill us, don’t they?”
P, who had followed behind me, was frowning at the enemy. She cracked her knuckles.
“Ah~ they want a show. They don’t even know who we are.”
“Shut up for a moment. I can’t get the balance because of you.”
Roshi snapped at P. Even though they were speaking with a playful tone, the energy and hostility emanating from them was palpable.
Genuine professionalism in considering the act of killing an enemy as no different from a peaceful daily routine.
Admiring that attitude, I lifted my right foot.
I felt I could do it now.
“Thunder… no.”
Perhaps.
“Heavenly Horse Kick.”
With a step, the immense pressure from the ground dominated the confined space.
Kugugugu!
The earth vibrated, and the air quivered.
Some Ents and acolytes, with wide eyes, couldn’t withstand the pressure and knelt.
“Hey, you… that…”
P and Roshi behind me had their eyes wide open.
It looked as if they witnessed an unimaginable technique. Roshi even covered her mouth in shock.
“Junior, did you learn that from the master?”
It wasn’t that.
I smiled at her.
“I stole it.”
It was just a damned trick I picked up. It felt too shabby to call it anything else.
I started gathering energy into both fists. Every gesture, drawing lines in the air, resembled Baekdo’s.
The stance of the Wooden Fist Technique, Immortal Fruit.
A martial arts stance fitting for my body that adopted Baekdo’s form.
Though it was still incomplete, I believe I could wield its power to some extent.
Snap.
The pressure stopped.
The enemies, ablaze with intent, charged all at once.
P and Roshi drew their weapons.
In the time it took for the clock’s second hand to tick a few times,
Paang!
Blood sprayed from the throats of the acolytes, painting flowers on the grayish floor.
As the battle raged on, my clothes were stained with deep red patterns.
After some time, I was drenched in the blood of the acolytes.
Kwaang!
I grabbed an acolyte’s face and smashed it onto the ground.
Blood flowed between the broken cement pieces.
5 minutes left.
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and quickly scanned the surroundings.
“Huff, huff.”
Only the faint moonlight illuminated the dark, abandoned factory.
A mound of twisted corpses, intertwined with armor and skin, stood tall.
“Is that all?”
“Don’t know. Damn.”
P replied coarsely. It seemed she couldn’t maintain a prolonged fight due to the energy she expended on my enhancement. Roshi seemed to be in a similar state, clutching her injured shoulder.
She whispered to me as I reached out to touch Roshi’s shoulder.
“Junior. Wait. It’s not over yet.”
“Huh?”
“… There’s someone else.”
I expanded my senses around me and simultaneously touched Roshi’s shoulder.
Woong Woong!
The power of healing. The green orb-shaped power healed Roshi’s shoulder rapidly.
“…What is this?”
“Don’t ask, just answer. Where’s the guy?”
“I’m not sure. I only caught a glimpse during the battle.”
I clicked my tongue in frustration.
I took another look around.
Mounds of corpses. Despite their eerie appearance, the air was serene. The scent of blood lingered for just a moment. The distinct smell of oil and rust filled the air.
‘…Wait.’
Oil?
Ttubuk.
Footsteps echoed from all directions.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Snow-white hair fluttered with each step.
Looking no older than seven, the girls approached us in almost synchronized steps.
“I wanted to greet you in my true form, but it seems that won’t be possible.”
Their appearance instantly brought a name to my mind.
Cistus.
Somewhere in my brain, a terrifying future seemed to unfold.
Ttok Ttok.
They moved towards us, maintaining a perfect distance as if separated by a glass wall.
P urgently nudged me.
“…Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Fly up.”
There was no need to respond.
With a strong push, I lifted both women off the ground and soared into the sky.
But faster than that, Cistus’s body began to split.
“You’re too late.”
The young girl’s body exploded. A crimson inferno engulfed the inside of the factory.
For a moment, I was paralyzed, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene.
It was a unique manifestation of magic.
Magic began to split in a manner I had never seen before, and its heat rose up, similar to nuclear radiation.
“Damn it!”
P frantically spread her hand, stained with clotted blood.
A barrier constructed of multifaceted properties.
The crimson wave enveloped the barrier entirely.
Death seemed imminent.
“Hey, hey, transfer your energy quickly!”
Hearing P’s desperate voice, Roshi reached out and touched the back of her head. The barrier, which had started to crack, solidified for a moment.
But that was not enough.
‘I need to transfer my energy…’
As I was about to transfer my energy to her, I froze for a moment, assessing the magic circle and its power.
Ah, it was not possible.
“What are you doing?!”
“Even if I give it, we can’t stop it.”
I made a cold judgment.
Even if I gave her all my energy, I couldn’t stop this explosion. There was no concrete evidence, but my intuition told me so.
If I transferred my power now, we’d die.
Think. Heaven had given me a test.
Seeing me, P yelled with a red face.
“So we’re just going to die like this?”
“P, just a moment.”
“Why? You want us to die together?”
“No, it’s not-”
Roshi, losing her words, looked at me. No more words came out. I just focused on the barrier, thinking about its structure and condition.
Zizzik.
The foreign words seeped into my mind through the cracks in the shattered barrier.
Heat surged. My cheeks felt like they were melting. Yet, there was no pain.
The feeling I had when I first sensed magic surged like a whirlwind in my throbbing head.
“Ah.”
I stretched out my hand.
When my dark energy touched the barrier, its weak form began to shift.
Since magic alone couldn’t resolve it, I burned my life force.
Zizzik, zizzik.
The sound felt like my eardrums were bursting. Burning pain enveloped me. Blood flowed from my nose.
‘We can survive.’
Having that certainty, tears streamed down my face, tasting of blood.
As the heat subsided and the barrier lost its vigor, I, who had hovered in the air, plummeted to the ground.
Whooong.
The wind brushed my cheeks. The feeling of dying.
“Hey, grab the kid. Heal! Heal!”
“I’ve already got him!”
Cradled in a woman’s arms, I heard the voices of Roshi and P in my dim ears. A potion sprinkled on my face, and healing magic enveloped me.
Maybe 30 seconds had passed.
I managed to utter a few words.
“…I survived, damn it.”
“You brat!”
Thank God for healing potions. Without them, who knew what would have happened?
P hugged me with a voice filled with awe, and Roshi wiped the sweat off her forehead, fatigue evident on her face.
Everything seemed to have ended.
Kugugugu.
However, most challenges did not consider the contestant’s circumstances.
When it rained, it poured. Was that the apt expression?
A colossal beast, large enough to fill the building, stood amidst the aftermath of the explosion, glaring at us with bulging eyes.
“I’m losing my mind.”
Death came knocking again.
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