Do-Jin hurriedly cast a Shield spell. However, as Yu-Seong expected, Do-Jinâs hastily cast spell was not able to stop his Gale Force.
Yu-Seong could see the panic in Do-Jinâs eyes as the winds produced by Gale Force flung the latter backward.
Do-Jinâs back slammed against the wall of the training center, and it seemed as if he would fall to his knees. However, it was Yu-Seong who cried out in astonishment instead.
Do-Jin was rushing toward Yu-Seong through the gaps between the raging Gale Force winds. Though wounds appeared all over Do-Jinâs body, to the point that the raging wind seemed to turn red from his free-flowing blood, Do-Jin charged forward without hesitation and thrust his sword at Yu-Seongâs throat, which was open to attack due to Yu-Seongâs focus on casting Gale Force.
Barely avoiding Do-Jinâs sword, which passed by right in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong inhaled sharply and shifted his focus back to Do-Jin.
In spite of bearing the brunt of a passing Gale Force wind striking him head-on, Do-Jin pushed through the winds and caught up to Yu-Seong, eventually reaching Yu-Seongâs left side.
Do-Jin had moved much faster than what Yu-Seong had expected; however, it was not due to using Haste. To be precise, Do-Jinâs movements had not accelerated; rather, they had become more compact and concise. Each step Do-Jin took, and even the smallest movements of his shoulder muscles, were surprisingly refined and neatly compressed.
âI can't avoid thisâŚ!â
Yu-Seong tried to muster a defense by raising his spear, but Do-Jinâs sword passed his gap-riddled defenses and pierced his abdomen.
Right when Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Riâs startled shouts reached his ears, Yu-Seong felt a burning pain rise from his belly button to the top of his head.
If Yu-Seong had not slightly deflected the tip of Do-Jinâs sword with his spear at the last moment, Do-Jin would have stabbed a critical area.
Do-Jinâs gaze was cold. He quickly pulled his sword out of Yu-Seongâs abdomen, then spun around[1] and struck at Yu-Seongâs neck. This move was also thoroughly concise and nearly flawless.
Based on his extreme focus, which he had trained to the limit during his training session with Bak Ok-Rye, Yu-Seong knew that he would not be able to avoid Do-Jinâs sword. He was well aware of the sword skill that Do-Jin was currently using, a skill that was difficult to block or avoid.
âFlawless Sword⌠has he already perfected it?â
It was the very foundation of Do-Jinâs swordsmanship, the sword art that he had used when he had defeated a Demon King in his previous world. It was a sword art that had no form or technique, unlike normal martial arts.
At the beginning of the spar, Do-Jin had not reached this high of a mastery in his Flawless Sword. While his techniques had appeared perfect at a first glance, they had in fact been lacking in a few key points, so Yu-Seong had been able to handle him relatively easily; however, it appeared that Do-Jinâs skill level had further developed during their battle.
âWell, he is the main character after all⌠and crises make one grow quicker, right?â
Though this reality was unfortunate for Yu-Seong, it was unavoidable.
âRight, Do-Jin is just regaining his previous strength and abilities.â
Gale Force was a powerful skill, but that was also why it could be helpful to Do-Jin instead. Yu-Seong could not afford a half-assed approachâjust like Do-Jin, he had to act with the intention of killing his opponent.
âToo bad I canât use Flawless Sword like Do-Jin does.â
In terms of both magic and the ability to handle weapons, he was not Do-Jinâs match. Thus, it was close to impossible for Yu-Seong to beat the regressor. Luckily, Yu-Seong could at least move faster and in a more sophisticated manner than Do-Jin could.
This long, drawn-out thought passed through Yu-Seongâs mind in a split second. Feeling the cold edge of Do-Jinâs sword approaching the nape of his neck, Yu-Seong poured out all he had.
âActivate Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.â
The sound of thunder and lightning filled the training center, and right as the tip of Do-Jinâs sword touched his neck, Yu-Seong disappeared.
With not an ounce of surprise in his eyes, Do-Jin shifted his stance to the left, threw out his sword, and widened the distance between them.
Swinging his spear in a wide arc, Yu-Seong cut Do-Jinâs sword in half! With lightning crackling and swirling around his body as if flowing together with his Gale Force winds, he shot upward. Without any hesitation, he moved together with the air currents and reengaged Do-Jin.
From his subspace, Do-Jin took out a new sword and smiled as he unleashed Flawless Sword once more.
With another explosion, Do-Jin was pushed back, and a huge flame rose in front of Yu-Seongâs eyes.
Without any hesitation, Yu-Seong rushed into the flame and broke through. Despite having gone through the flame, he did not have a single burn mark.
As his eyes lit with blue flames, the distinctive feature of Insight, Do-Jin could not help but exclaim with admiration when he understood the movements of the wind flowing around Yu-Seong.
âIn that short moment, he scattered and neutralized my flames with his wind.â
Do-Jin was surprised and could not help but thinkâŚhad he ever met a person like Yu-Seong in his previous world or in this world?
Although he had experienced despair when he first faced the overwhelmingly powerful Demon King and shuddered at the deep darkness that the Demon King exuded, Do-Jin had never experienced anyone ever chasing him at such terrifying speed.
âHis attacks are relentless!â
Do-Jin had attained full mastery Flawless Sword, which he had planned to do for a while, but despite awakening the beast within him and striving with all his might, Do-Jin realized that he could no longer keep up with Yu-Seongâs crazy movement speed. He realized that it would be difficult to block all of Yu-Seongâs spear attacks.
At that moment, Do-Jin acknowledged that if the Heavens had sent someone down to Earth to be his opponent, that someone was definitely Yu-Seong.
âYes, youâre my rivalâŚ!â
While these thoughts were quickly passing through Do-Jinâs mind, right in front of his eyes, he saw Yu-Seong charging at him with the spear pulled back, ready to launch an attack.
Based on Yu-Seongâs breakneck speed and familiar-looking stance, Do-Jin knew that Yu-Seongâs ultimate move, Lance Charge, was coming.
Did Do-Jin have a sword skill to withstand and confront such an ultimate move head-on? No, he did not; however, he did not show any sign of distress. There was no need to panic. No matter how fast and strong Yu-Seongâs attack was, it could be evaded with a single step, and it could be deflected with a single, short blow.
Do-Jin closed his eyes and focused all his senses on the tip of his sword and the sound of the tearing atmosphere as his sword moved through space. Yu-Seongâs movement was seemingly as fast as lightning, but the direction from which it was approaching Do-Jin could be discerned just by the sound Yu-Seong gave off.
Do-Jin felt Yu-Seongâs spear touch the tip of his sword, and at that moment, he saw the image of a lightning bolt striking down.
The image of the sword moving in his mind was not strong, nor was it quick. However, Do-Jinâs sword accurately met the path of Yu-Seongâs lightning, then continued up that path, slashing through the lightning.
Do-Jin envisioned the move in his mind, then proceeded to make it a reality. He moved and twisted naturally with the flow of the raging wind as he slashed downward with his sword.
âFlawless Sword, Absolute Lightning.â
Right before their weapons collided, Yu-Seong gasped as he saw Do-Jinâs mysterious and astonishing movement unfold in slow-motion.
His attack was being cut apart. The problem was that, having launched an all-out attack with his spear, Yu-Seong could no longer pull back, no matter what. This meant that there was only one way out for him.
Like Do-Jin, Yu-Seong had to overcome his limits at this critical moment.
âThe Wind Thunder Dragon God Art is not just about pouring in power and letting the technique guide your swingâŚâ
He had to be the one controlling the technique.
Yu-Seongâs mental strength, which he had reinforced during his training sessions with Bak Ok-Rye; his physical strength, which was based on his solid chakra; and his constant technical training shone through at that moment.
âWind Thunder Dragon God Art â Lance Charge, Coiling and Rising Snake!â
To cut off Do-Jinâs technique, Yu-Seongâs spear wrapped around the approaching sword and swung upward!
The winding, snake-like Lance Charge was an esoteric technique, one of the forms of the Magic Spear. As it unfolded, the two weapons rapidly intertwined, with sparks flying out in all directions.
Everything happened in a flash, but for the two of them, the exchange was long and drawn out.
In the end, Yu-Seongâs spear rose like lightning as it grazed Do-Jinâs neck. Do-Jin stiffened, with Yu-Seongâs spear now resting on his shoulder.
At the same time, Do-Jinâs sword, which Yu-Seong had expected to be near the ground based on its trajectory, instead pointed upward, having stopped on the left side of Yu-Seongâs neck.
Both of them stopped moving. Between them, hot, pure-white steam rose in the air, slowly scattering away.
They stood still, both with their weapons still poised to cut off the opponentâs head, until Do-Jin finally broke the silence.
A silent moment later, cracks began to form on Do-Jinâs sword.
Then, half of Do-Jinâs sword shattered into pieces, falling to the ground.
Do-Jin watched this happen with a calm expression on his face. Then, he spoke up again.
â⌠Youâre the attack leader.â
Yu-Seong smiled at Do-Jin and nodded.
âThe position was mine from the start.â
At the same time, Yu-Seong staggered and collapsed on his side.
Jin Do-Yoon rushed in and quickly supported Yu-Seong.
Do-Jin snorted coldly. He turned his back at Yu-Seong and looked at his broken sword.
âIn the end, I couldnât stop his lightning.â
He had expected Yu-Seongâs lightning to follow a straight, downward path. Instead, it had risen up like a snake about to bite its prey, thoroughly smashing and ruining his sword.
After staring at his broken sword for a long time, Do-Jin trudged past Ah-Rin.
âDo-Jin, are you okay!?â With a concerned expression, Ah-Rin caught up with Do-Jin.
Do-Jin nodded his head heavily. âJust this once.â
âIâm not the kind of weakling whoâll crumble just from one loss.â
âAhâŚâ Ah-Rin exclaimed.
As a regressor, he had traversed a long and difficult path, so one defeat was not something that would throw him into despair.
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Even in this world, he did not expect to always be victorious. Hadnât he felt despair when he had first seen the mighty Demon King? However, in the end, Do-Jin was confident he would come out on top.
âHonestly, my pride took a hit⌠but thatâs about it.â
He felt bad, but he had to admit the truth: Yu-Seong was indeed his rival. Hence, Do-Jin could accept the result.
âNext time, I will win.â
âYou⌠youâre a much more thoughtful guy than I thought, arenât you?â Ah-Rin said as she clenched her fists tightly in admiration over Do-Jinâs unexpected reaction. âOkay, then I shall also work hard and not lose out until the day our Eclipse surpasses the Comet Guild!â
âNaturally, vice president. That is your role.â
Do-Jinâs role was to always lead the way, stand at the forefront, and overwhelm the opponent. Each had their own path.
As Do-Jin organized his thoughts in this way, a cold, sharp gaze settled in his eyes as a voice filled with deep resentment rang in his mind.
âChoi Yu-Seong⌠will he become another barrier in my pursuit to kill Choi Woo-Jae?â
Hoping that this scenario would not come to pass, Do-Jin headed outside the training center.
The hospital required Yu-Seong to recuperate for at least two weeks. No matter how good his physical ability was as a player, Yu-Seong had a hole in his abdomen and accumulated fatigue and injuries throughout his body. Even with the help of players with considerable healing abilities, Yu-Seong needed time to heal naturally.
If it had been the Yu-Seong of the past, he would have sighed and looked down helplessly at his hospital bed as he waited for time to pass by.
âBut itâs different now.â
Yu-Seong summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat and received additional healing assistance whenever there was no one watching him. As a result, he recovered from all his wounds and fatigue and left his hospital bed in a mere two days!
âAs expected, the effect of staying up all night!â
Even the doctor who had forced him to rest was surprised by this miraculous recovery, which made Yu-Seong all the prouder for having obtained the Green Wind Spirit Cat from the Tower of Heaven.
1. The raws say âhalf circle,â but that would put Do-Jinâs back toward Yu-Seong. â