Lion Knight — Part 2
Just as I’d anticipated.
As soon as the duel began, the Lion Knight activated [Dash].
Dash is one of the fastest traits in Arcane Seoul, ranked among the top for sheer speed.
But I was faster.
Of course.
No matter how quick Dash is, it can’t beat the speed of pulling a trigger.
Thunk! Thunk!
The grenade launcher vibrated.
A heavy, resounding noise filled the air.
Oh Dusik’s eyes widened.
“Are you trying to take us both down?!”
He quickly retracted his sword.
Raised his shield.
Smooth, fluid movements.
Dark light radiated from the shield, and an invisible aura shimmered around his body.
The combination of his Holy Shield and Holy Barrier.
I was the same.
I had already swapped my traits just before the duel and deployed my own barriers.
[Domain Shield], [Mana Shield], [Mana Barrier].
A triple-layered defense.
Between my Mana Shield and his Holy Shield…
The grenade erupted in a silver explosion.
Boom!
“Guh!”
“Ugh!”
Both Oh Dusik and I let out groans.
The grenade had exploded right in front of us.
Even for superhumans specialized in defense, this was hard to withstand.
The impact and shrapnel hammered my triple-layered barrier.
Parts of the barrier cracked, and mana surged out of control.
A bitter sensation burned my insides, and I tasted blood, but I forced it down.
If I backed down here, it was all over.
The Lion Knight I knew from Arcane Seoul could withstand this much.
Even under the blinding silver flash of Slayer’s Metal, he would push through, advance, and crack my skull with his hammer!
If I hesitated even a moment, I’d be nothing but a slab of well-tenderized meat!
“Die!”
I pulled the trigger again.
Thunk! Thunk!
The grenade launcher’s cylinder rotated.
BOOM! BOOM!
The shockwaves and hail of debris tore into my body like a raging storm.
But I ignored it.
Again and again, I squeezed the trigger.
The grenades surged out with each recoil, battering the unstable triple-layered barrier from the front.
My mana had already drained completely.
Before exhaustion could overtake me, I activated the ring.
The stored mana flooded through my body like a tidal wave.
A revitalizing surge.
Clink!
I had fired all six rounds in the grenade launcher.
I discarded it without hesitation.
Then, grabbing the grenade launcher strapped across my shoulders, I fired again.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
“This… this lunatic!”
“Oh my god!”
“Teacher! This is too dangerous!”
“Be careful!”
“Hah, what a ruthless man.”
“Wait… isn’t he still Level 3? How is he using a triple-layered barrier?”
“A Level 3 superhuman with this much mana?”
The murmurs of the spectators reached my ears as mere background noise.
My focus was entirely on the battle in front of me.
A dark shadow loomed ahead.
The dust kicked up by the explosions obscured my vision.
I kept firing grenades into that darkness.
Targeting that pitch-black shield, one round after another.
The world shook with each explosion.
But rather than falter, the tremors only sharpened my concentration to a razor’s edge.
Click. Click.
I’d exhausted all the grenades.
I dropped the grenade launcher.
Then I saw Oh Dusik’s face emerge from behind his shield.
He looked ragged.
His Holy Shield and Holy Barrier were in tatters, frayed like rags.
Several shards were embedded in his armor, leaving dents and gashes.
But his eyes were still alive.
Blood trickled from his mouth, his eyes bloodshot, yet his fighting spirit was as strong as ever.
“Dieee!”
I launched the next attack.
I drew my axe with my left hand and kicked off the ground.
A surge of powerful mana propelled me forward.
It was like being thrown by the force of my own mana flow.
Dash!
I charged at him with the force of a raging boar.
With my body lowered, I barreled into Oh Dusik with full force.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped Oh Dusik.
He couldn’t help it.
I had switched my traits the moment I discarded the grenade launcher.
[Smash], [Dash], [Toughness].
[Strength], [Mighty Strength], [Endurance].
An entirely different setup, designed for an offensive warrior, not the pure-tank combo I’d used earlier!
Even the iron-clad fortress that was Oh Dusik staggered momentarily.
But I didn’t stop there.
My hand axe gleamed with an ominous light.
[Fury] activated.
All of the magical gear on my body began to glow, granting me more strength.
“Die!”
I swung my sword in a crude but powerful arc.
A wild strike, yet honed to a lethal edge.
The blade glowed faintly as it aimed straight for Oh Dusik’s heart.
“Hah!”
Even Oh Dusik gasped.
He tucked his arm close to his body and angled his shield.
Unfortunately, my Holy Sword was blocked by that maneuver.
But my attack didn’t end there.
I slammed my left-handed axe with all my might.
Bang!
Oh Dusik blocked the axe with his shield again.
As expected of a Paladin.
It felt like attacking a massive wall.
But I hadn’t survived this long just to be stopped by one Paladin.
I hadn’t fought tooth and nail to die to a mere Level 4 superhuman!
Grinding my teeth, I pressed forward.
My brain felt like it was boiling.
My head throbbed, heat coursing through it.
Yet my focus remained painfully sharp.
The world moved in slow motion, my attacks flowing out in a frenzy.
I slashed downward with my sword.
[Mountain Breaking Sword Art], [Swordsmanship], [Slash].
[Einherjar Cultivation Technique], [Mana Stabilization], [Focus].
My silver Holy Sword danced.
Its shimmering trails filled the air, blooming like flowers in the void.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Oh Dusik deflected the flurry of sword strikes.
I pressed even closer.
Close enough to feel his breath against my nose.
I swung my hand axe with every ounce of strength I had.
[Strength], [Mighty Strength], [Toughness].
[Smash], [Chain Attack], [Endurance].
The hand axe pummeled Oh Dusik in a relentless barrage.
Explosive sounds filled the air each time it struck his shield.
His shield quivered violently with each block.
His gleaming eyes.
Reflected in Oh Dusik’s pupils, I saw myself grinning like a berserker.
“Hah, impressive!”
Oh Dusik twisted his body.
From behind his shield, his war hammer shot forward, its head gleaming.
It traced a deadly path straight for my abdomen.
Just as I’d swung down with my axe.
Dodging was impossible.
But I had no intention of dodging.
I blocked it.
Turning slightly, I braced my left arm and extended my shield.
The shield unfurled with a whisper.
A black aura-covered war hammer crashed into it with brutal force.
BOOM!
For a second, I thought the shield would shatter.
The deafening impact seemed to rip through my eardrums.
I nearly lost my balance, but I held firm.
I tightened my core, drew upon the support of six traits, and forced myself upright.
[Defense], [Toughness], [Endurance].
[Resolve], [Vigor], [Vitality].
“Raaah!”
I thrust my sword.
A fierce counterattack.
In that brief opening, I managed to land a solid blow on Oh Dusik.
“Ugh!”
But it was shallow.
Even a well-placed strike couldn’t penetrate his holy armor.
“Not enough!”
Perhaps lost in the heat of battle, Oh Dusik dropped his formal speech and swung his shield at me.
A shield bash at point-blank range!
I met his attack head-on.
Like a true defense warrior, no—becoming a defense warrior—I struck back with my own shield.
BANG!
“Ugh!”
“Grrk!”
An unbelievable result.
A Level 3 Warrior against a Level 4 Paladin.
By all rights, I should’ve been thrown far back.
But the result was completely different.
I took three steps back, while Oh Dusik, the Level 4 Paladin, staggered a single step.
A result that defied all expectations.
Oh Dusik’s eyes wavered, and even the spectators who had been sitting now jumped to their feet.
“This… this can’t be!”
“Impossible!”
“The captain… he took a step back?!”
“Kill him! Don’t hold back!”
“Captain!”
I ignored all of it.
No, it didn’t even register.
Whether the crowd was in an uproar or not, my focus was solely on Oh Dusik.
I poured all my strength, all my potential, into him.
“Raaaah!”
“Oh, Old Father!”
We charged at each other.
Like runaway trains.
CRASH!
We collided.
Neither of us lost our balance.
Even as blood sprayed, even as our torn muscles trembled, we clung to each other.
A close-quarters brawl ensued.
Sword and hammer, axe and shield, clashed with unrestrained fury.
The air itself grew hot.
Beads of sweat evaporated from the mana surging through me, filling the air with a dense mist.
My mind was ablaze, nearly blank with the intensity.
It felt as if my sanity might dissipate at any moment.
I was moving almost entirely by instinct.
Switching traits countless times.
Not even every second.
It was like I was swapping traits every 0.1 seconds.
When I thrust and slashed with the Holy Sword, I became a Warrior!
When I struck with the hand axe, I turned into a Berserker!
Blocking with my shield and defending with the Holy Sword, I was a Defensive Warrior!
And whenever there was a slight distance between us, I became a Charging Warrior, rushing forward!
I shifted forms like a chameleon.
A combination that would have been impossible to coexist in a game.
Completely different classes.
Completely different forms of Warrior Kim!
It was as if four different versions of me had possessed this body.
I was a one-man party, pounding down on Oh Dusik.
Relentless attack after relentless attack.
Gradually, Oh Dusik’s defenses began to crack.
The Holy Sword and the axe left scratches on his enchanted armor every now and then.
Finally, he took a step back.
Once he retreated, it was only a matter of time.
Two steps, three steps, four steps—he was pushed further and further back.
“Graaah!”
With my momentum fully charged, I stuck to him like glue.
I attacked from point-blank range, close enough to feel his breath.
The clang of metal resounded over and over.
With each impact, Oh Dusik’s face twisted in pain.
“Damn it!”
Finally, he erupted in fury.
Oh Dusik swung his shield in a wide arc to push me back.
His war hammer glowed a menacing crimson.
Earthquake Strike!
I had to dodge this.
[Mobility] I twisted my body.
[Dash] I ran at full speed.
[Agility] My pace quickened.
[Leap] I stomped down and jumped with all my might.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar erupted as if it had been lying in wait.
The shockwave caught me, slamming into my back.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
My torso felt like it was folding in half.
The taste of blood crept up my throat, bitter and metallic.
My mind grew hazy, nearly breaking.
But I held on.
Swapping traits as I went!
[Resolve], [Endurance], [Toughness].
[Focus], [Vigor], [Vitality].
I rolled once on the ground and sprang back to my feet.
Oh Dusik was watching me.
His shoulders rose and fell heavily with each breath.
Sweat evaporated from his body, reacting to his mana, creating a hazy mist.
We were both at our limits.
Both Oh Dusik and I.
“Damn it!”
But I would refuse to accept that.
I would deny it.
I wouldn’t acknowledge that this was my limit, my final point!
I pressed forward.
Even though it felt like my body might shatter, I charged.
Ignoring the agony of my bones grinding together, I rammed into Oh Dusik!
“Oh, Old Father!”
Oh Dusik did the same.
Blood poured from his nose, mouth, and eyes as he raised his shield.
His massive figure seemed to swell as he lunged forward.
A head-on collision!
Shield against shield, superhuman against superhuman, warrior against warrior!
BOOM!
The sound was like a thunderclap of steel.
It tore through the air like a temple bell being struck.
My eardrums rang, and my inner ear rattled.
The impact jolted my spine, sending both of us sprawling to the ground.
But like a jack-in-the-box, we both sprang back up.
I thrust my Holy Sword.
It was blocked by his shield.
His war hammer, blazing with dreadful light, swung towards me.
I barely deflected it.
My left arm snapped, pain radiating through my body.
Grinding my teeth, I rammed my torso into Oh Dusik.
Oh Dusik bit his lower lip, bracing himself.
Relentless strikes, again and again!
Neither of us backed down.
We both knew.
If either of us took even half a step back, the duel would be over.
Our bloodshot gazes locked onto each other.
Both of us were drenched in blood.
Limbs bent at unnatural angles, indicating broken bones.
Our mana reserves were nearly depleted.
At this point, it wouldn’t be strange if one of us collapsed and lost consciousness.
Only sheer determination kept me going.
Then, at a certain moment—
A crazed glint flickered in Oh Dusik’s eyes, a manic intensity.
“Let’s finish this!”
With a thunderous cry, he threw his war hammer.
From the center of his shield, an explosion of pitch-black light surged out.
It became a wall.
No, it was a wave stretching all the way to the horizon.
The Lion Knight’s ultimate skill as a dungeon boss, [Dark Tide], overflowed and filled the world.
Doubt crept into my mind like a viper.
Could I break through this?
Just with a few days of preparation? Just because I’d gotten a bit better with my sword?
I didn’t know.
I couldn’t know.
But instead of despair, I tightened my grip on my Holy Sword.
I trusted in myself.
In the time I had built up.
In the traits I had accumulated as Warrior Kim!
Fwoosh!
My sword flared to life.
A brilliant white light burst forth.
I poured everything I had into this single strike.
The [Mountain Breaking Sword Art] I had diligently trained.
The [Swordsmanship] I honed while getting pummeled by Seo Woojin.
The [Einherjar Cultivation Technique] I’d nurtured with care.
The [Mana Core] that had grown with me.
The [Dash] I chose with desperate resolve.
And…
The [Flash] that had taken Park Daeyeop’s life.
My entire body glowed.
Not just with my remaining mana, but with the sacrifice of a part of my mana circuit for this one blow.
All my enchanted gear flared up, lending me their strength.
I became a shooting star.
Flash!
Light pierced through darkness.
Darkness shattered before the light.
I passed Oh Dusik.
He stood there, shield raised, frozen in place.
In the stifling silence—
“Guh!”
I was the first to fall to my knees.
Blood, and bits of shredded organs, gushed from my mouth.
“Ah!”
“Teacher!”
Cries of alarm rang out.
I knelt, coughing up blood repeatedly.
But I didn’t collapse.
Using the Holy Sword as a crutch, I rose and turned to look at the motionless Oh Dusik.
“Uh…”
“Captain?”
Oh Dusik stood there for a long time, silent.
He turned slowly.
It was like watching a broken tin robot.
Empty eyes stared back at me.
Drip.
And then blood started flowing.
A dark stream poured from the hole that had appeared in his chest plate.
Clang!
Oh Dusik’s shield fell to the ground.
Right in the center of the shield was a round hole.
Exactly the size of a blade’s passage.
“No!”
“This can’t be!”
Despair-filled voices echoed around us.
But Oh Dusik didn’t look at the spectator seats.
With fading eyes, he searched for me.
“That was a splendid strike. What do you call it?”
A grave, weighty question.
I couldn’t answer lightly either.
“Flash…”
But why?
As I started to reply, a certain man’s face flashed in my mind, wearing a look both disappointed and satisfied.
“No, Meteor Sword.”
“Meteor Sword…”
The faint light returned to his dimming pupils.
Oh Dusik staggered.
He gathered the last of his strength.
His remaining mana straightened his spine one final time.
Then, in that state, Oh Dusik bowed his head to me.
“It was an honorable duel.”
And his final words—
“Warrior.”
–TL Notes–
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