Knowingly Cheonho muttered while looking at Yoon Seok.
In fact, one could call that state of mind as Simma.
He was being swallowed by his fear which led him to lose all his reasoning.
He was trying to run away from himself.
âYou said that you were from the military, but I guess you donât have much experience.â
During wars, such phenomenons were quite common.
Only a soldier who could overcome their fears was the one who survived in a war
âStill, your basics were solid. So Iâm sure youâve been training all night long.â
From Cheonhoâs point of view, his basics were truly remarkable.
Seeing his opponentâs swift attack, the way he lifted his shield and swung his sword was without any hesitation.
So much that he would have never imagined, Yoon Seok held the sword for the first time in his life.
Nevertheless, up to here, Cheonho evaluated him.
âYou have the talent for fightingâŚâ
He was filled with regret.
If only his opponent had enough experience, this would have been a pretty good fight.
Him being romantic was one of the reasons why he was respectable back in Moorim. Born and raised in modern times, Yoon Seokâs unsympathetic way of thinking could never be compared with the man.
âI donât know if my voice could reach you or not, but if I get another chance, weâll have a good fight.â
Smiling bitterly, Cheonho raised his sword.
In a flash, he approached the defenseless Yoon Seok.
But then.
ââŚ?â
Suddenly Cheonho paused his steps.
Even the sharpest eyes might lose its sight but if focused they could have seen Cheonhoâs hands were slightly trembling.
âShaking? Me?â
Cheonho was not a man of noble birth.
Born an orphan, he was raised by the streets. However, he made a living by learning martial arts with the Blue Dragon sword, which he encountered by chance.
In other words, killing people was his job.
He went through a lot of real battles, and there to save himself he had taken countless lives. And as time flowed; his feelings gradually faded and at some point, he stopped being afraid of death.
ButâŚ
âWhat in the world? Is he resisting with his aura?â
Stepping back Cheonho inspected and saw his opponent in a new light.
Yoon Seok was still out of his mind.
His body was trembling, still biting his lips with blood dripping.
The scene was as if his throat was cut off in a single slash, and thatâs what Cheonho was about to do when suddenly he felt the abrupt animosity.
ââŚ.â
Cheonhoâs thick eyebrows scrunched up as he was frowning.
His intuition was sharp, building it through life and death battles.
He didnât know what was going on, but his instinct was telling him to back off.
It was then.
âDie!â
Yoon Seok rushed forward like a beast.
Those hazy eyes, burning with life.
Cheonho was a little surprised.
Usually, when you fall into that state, one usually swings their sword aimlessly.
But Yoon Seok.
Just because the sword aura was becoming violent, every sword move was in the right posture. It didnât seem like Yoon Seok had lost his sanity.
So fast!
âHow much did you achieve?â
Cheonho laughed while the opponentâs sword was heading towards him.
This was not something that grows stronger with each training.
Unlike those people who devote their entire lives to cutting otherâs flesh and blood, who push their limits in every fierce battle they come across.
Kacha!
Two different blades struck each other causing the sparks to flow.
Cheonho wielded his sword to attack.
While Yoon Seok used his sword to push back the incoming attack.
âSo you have the instinct, and now you know how to fight? Itâs so much fun!â
Cheonho excitedly struck his sword fiercely at Yoon Seok, one after the other.
In fact, if he wanted to end the duel, he could have. He was handed with several chances, but Cheonho didnât.
Just as they were abducted to this âTower of Heavenâ, their inner strength magically decreased and their body got weaker. Limitations were like shackles to their bodies.
Cheonho felt the need to adjust to his current body, and Yunseok was the perfect partner for such readjustments.
Of course, the possibility of losing never crossed his mind.
ââŚ?â
It was around the time when Cheonho almost had 100 exchanges that he felt strange.
All this time he was just chasing Yoon Seokâs black aura.
But when did that start?
Surely, Yoon Seok was the same, but the way he swung his sword was getting smoother and faster.
âIs this even possible?â
Without any further delay, Cheonho decided to finish the duel.
But he didnât dare to make a hurried move.
Slowly, he was analysing and observing the sword held by Yoon Seok.
He was left in shock as if he saw something unbelievable.
âIs thisâŚ?â
Though the movements were still a bit clumsy and awkward, there is no way Cheonho couldnât recognize it.
Because the movements were the mirror image of his own.
Cheonho, a martial artist, learned the Blue Dragon sword technique which was a mixture of many martial arts. Though it took a lot of practice, it was a popular method in the Moorim.
But still, the man standing in front of him easily duplicated it, even if it was rough around the edges.
ââŚlearned? During this fight?â
Of course, he still had a long way ahead to master the form, but it canât be called a mere imitation.
Though he wouldnât be surprised if it was.
The sword art that Yoon Seok seemed to be casually wielding, had the inspiration from Cheonhoâs sword art.
The phenomena couldnât be described with the thing called common sense.
Itâs the realm of enlightenment.
âHe lost all his reasons leaving his instincts behind. So how?⌠Wait, is it because of his instincts?â
Cheonho brushed aside all his curiosity.
It didnât matter if Yoon Seok was a genius with an absurd talent or he just had a stroke of luck which would never appear in his lifetime.
The main problem here was a way to deal with him.
âI have to finish it now!â
Cheonho, who once again fired up, focused all his strength on the attack.
If it was earlier, he knew it wouldnât be easy any longer.
Yoon Seok was once again growing exponentially.
Cheonho realized.
âItâs not just his swordsmanship. He clearly is a fighter.â
His senses acknowledged that.
Yoon Seokâs body, only with instinct, was on high alert, moved efficiently and was ready for combat.
He had no reason to hold back.
Block the attacks that can be blocked.
Avoid attacks that can be avoided.
But what about the attacks that can neither be avoided nor blocked?
âIf that happens, it canât be helped.â
Itâs no longer about cutting or stabbing.
Yoon Seok boldly played with his sword as if he had to cut his own bone he would.
In a way, it was similar to those chicken games.
Yoon Seok was willing to fight till his death, while his opponent Cheonho was hesitating.
Cheonho pulled out his cherished card.
âI didnât want to use it, butâŚâ
Unique skill .
[Every slash would increase four times the original attack. Though requires the consumption of mana and waiting for a certain period for reuse.]
Cheonho already made up his mind while he was in his waiting room. He wouldnât use a skill if it doesnât help his sword practice.
He thought that the power he gained, rather than helping him would conflict with his path.
It was just a fragile ideal that he held from his world. It hadnât been that long before he entered the Tower of Heaven. He had already broken a self-oath as soon as he went out for his second duel.
âOne and a half!â
As soon as Cheonho shouted, a transparent sheath was placed over the sword. At one glance, it looked like the sword he held before but it wasnât so.
Cheonho swung his sword left and right with all his strength.
Yoon Seok sensed an unusual aura from his opponent, all his plans were put aside and got ready to protect himself with his swordâŚ
The thin black aura looked too weak to stop the incoming blow.
Cheonho already placed a victorious smile on his face.
ButâŚ
Cha-Ching!
Cheonhoâs was blocked.
ââŚâ
Cheonho couldnât believe his eyes.
The sword that blocked the attack now illuminated with a reddish aura.
*
Unique Skill
The sudden announcement pulled back Yoon Seokâs consciousness.
And the first thing he saw was Cheonhoâs astonished look.
âWhat was I⌠What was I doing?â
He felt like he had a dream.
But he couldnât remember what he saw.
Yoon Seok could vaguely remember fighting with Kang in their old classroom.
ââŚ.â
Yoon Seok lowered his sword.
But for some reason, a red aura engulfed his body.
ăMana exhaust in 00:02:56ă
He felt something stirred in his stomach, is it magic?
To get a hold of himself, Yoon Seok concentrated all his strength in his hands. On the other hand, his opponent realising something, retreated back with his sword.
Still, Yoon Seok couldnât get out of the dream-like sensation.
He felt drowsy as if he was drunk.
He was aware that if he let himself soil, he would be killed by Cheonho at any moment.
So with all his might, he had to move his body.
âWhen did I become so skilled in swordsmanship?â
He saw his own aura, it was filled with strength but with the hint of tenderness.
He no longer felt the fear to face his opponent with the absence of his shield.
Stab! Thrust! Cut!
With these three moves in his mind, Yoon Seok moved his sword as natural as water down the stream. Threatened, Cheonho focused on his defence to prevent it.
Cling! Kachang! Ching!
Both swords moved towards their opponent creating a rapid spark to scatter.
Looking at Cheonho, blocking the attacks he might seem calm, butâŚ
It wasnât just Yoon Seok who had enhanced their weapon.
With every encounter, sparks flew and slowly yet surely Cheonhoâs sword was gradually forming cracks.
And when that happened, the transparent film appeared from Cheonhoâs sword.
[ is enabled for reuse]
As soon as the message was received by Cheonho he no longer wasted his time and activated his Unique Skill. Then he swung his sword as if he was waiting for this moment, but Yoon Seok was ready to take it head-on.
Kachang!
The move contained their lifeline and changed their history.
The last one standing was Yoon Seok.
could increase the effect of the blow but that was it.
So, Cheonhoâs sword penetrated deep into Yunseokâs blade, but that was it.
The impact made a crack and soon the small crack couldnât withstand, breaking Yoon Seokâs into two different halves. And giving the blow Cheonho moved forward, butâŚ
Chak!
Though one half of the sword was in Yoon Seokâs hand, the other was flying in the air forming a crescent moon projectile flung towards Cheonho. Fountain of blood splashed over, his stomach cut open, organs barely hanging itself to the man.
Only then did Yoon Seok return to reality.
ăYou wonă
When he saw himself, his whole body was soaked in blood. Yoon Seok couldnât help but tremble like a leaf.
ăReward for the duel will be deposited 2000APă
ăUnique Skill has been activated.ă
ăLearn one skill of your opponent at random.ă
Obtained Unique Skill
He killed a man.
And in return, he got a reward.
But surprisingly, there is no guilt.
If he didnât do it, he would have been the one lying dead.
He thought it is possible to win a reward and get a unique skill at the same time.
ăOne coin is being rewarded for the upgradeă
ăSending to the waiting room in second flooră
ăPrepare for the next duelă
Yoon Seok, who for the half of his life lived as someoneâs prey finally realized.