Nightmare
The art of teleportation, or “Shift and Swap,” is a technique that allows one to change positions instantaneously. When this ability is used, an afterimage remains at the original location, while the user can appear at the new location before the opponent’s eyes or awareness can catch up. Often, those with dull senses are fooled by the lingering afterimage, mistaking it for reality.
Of course, the effectiveness of this ability varies from person to person. If the opponent has keen senses and superior skills, they might detect the use of “Shift and Swap.” With enough skill, it can even be countered.
Despite this, the ability is highly valued because, in theory, countering it is possible, but in practice, very few can actually execute it. There are not many who can even sense the use of “Shift and Swap,” let alone predict where the user will reappear and attack them.
Thus, most strategies to counter “Shift and Swap” begin with defense. While I used it as a last resort, the person who taught me this ability often found it amusing to use against opponents of higher skill levels.
And now, I was about to use this very ability.
Thinking of Kim Yoo-hyun and Han So-young made my heart ache. They were my Achilles’ heel. My chest burned with rage, but the killing intent that flowed through my eyes was icy cold. Staring at Horrence with cold eyes, I drew upon the magic coursing through my body and took a step forward. Then…
Whoosh.
There was no sound, just the faint noise of the wind. The only difference was that instead of facing Horrence from a distance, I was now behind him. Without hesitation, I struck his back with my sword.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion echoed as his body lurched forward, and the darkness clinging to his back trembled violently. Simultaneously, the afterimage at the original position flickered like a bad TV screen before quickly fading away.
“Grrr!”
He quickly regained his stance and turned around, but I had already moved to his blind spot.
Horrence swung his arm at the remaining afterimage, but his black sword sliced through nothing but air. It was merely a lingering image from his senses. From behind, I slashed at his exposed vulnerabilities with all my might.
With a thud, the Doom Knight’s right arm fell. The cleanly severed edge was visible. Darkness gathered around the severed right arm, but the recovery was slower than before. He hadn’t even fully regenerated his left arm, and dividing the darkness further slowed the process. It was a sign that the absorbed darkness was reaching its limit.
Horrence had lost both arms. He could still attack using the darkness, but that would mean dividing the darkness used for recovery into thirds. He had paid the price for breaking through Lee Yoo-jung, and now he was cornered by me and Go Yeon-ju Vivian.
“Grrr…”
Horrence finally seemed to grasp the situation and began to retreat. But it was too late. I had gained an overwhelming advantage in just two moves, and all that remained was to punish him for his provocation.
Horrence summoned a great darkness around him. His arms, now barely regenerating, seemed to have stopped entirely. It appeared he was trying to shield himself with darkness in a desperate bid to survive.
With a cruel smile, I channeled maximum magic into my sword and left hand, then launched myself forward. A jagged spear, the same that had pierced Lee Yoo-jung, shot up from the darkness, but I casually grabbed the darkness and tore it apart. Through the shredded darkness, I saw two dark, hollow eyes. As he tried to escape, I activated the magic for “Shift and Swap” once more.
Whoosh, snap! Once. Whoosh, snap! Twice. Whoosh, snap! Three times. Whoosh, snap! Four times. Whoosh, snap! Five times. Whoosh, snap! Six times. Whoosh, snap! Seven times. Whoosh, snap! Eight times. Whoosh, snap! Nine times. Whoosh, snap! Ten times.
Whoosh… As I was about to strike for the eleventh time, I hesitated. I remembered cutting his head, torso, legs, and neck, but after that, there was no reaction, and I just kept swinging blindly. His body was grotesquely twisted, barely maintaining its shape, with darkness melting away like wet paint on a rainy day. I paused, then calmly thrust my sword into his right eye socket.
Slowly, his body began to crumble. I grabbed his head with one hand, pulled it toward my knee, and struck upward. A dull impact hit my knee, and I felt something cave in. Just as I was about to stomp him into the ground…
“Stop, Kim Soo-hyun.”
“Huh?”
“Stop. It’s over. He’s not responding anymore.”
A hand on my shoulder made me turn. Go Yeon-ju had appeared at some point. I used my third eye to assess Horrence’s state. As she said, he had stopped reacting midway through. The darkness that had cloaked his body was dissipating, and his form was becoming translucent.
The large shroud of darkness he had summoned earlier must have been his last reserve. Tearing it apart had dealt him a fatal blow, and he had perished during my “Shift and Swap” assault.
After a moment, the Doom Knight vanished without a trace, leaving only a fist-sized black orb behind. I picked it up and tucked it into my coat. Strangely, the feelings of hatred and resentment that had welled up in my chest now felt oddly comforting. Go Yeon-ju watched me, tilting her head.
“You’re surprisingly calm.”
“What do you mean by ‘surprisingly’?”
“You know how in comics or novels, when a beloved comrade falls, the protagonist explodes with rage? Like a berserk mode?”
“I didn’t go berserk. Did it look like I did?”
The Shadow Queen nodded immediately. I gestured for her to continue, and she obliged.
“It just seemed like you were overexerting yourself. Before the kid got hurt, you were methodically and safely taking him down. But then, it felt like you suddenly got desperate.”
“I see.”
I smiled faintly and turned away. Her words hit a nerve, and I didn’t want to respond. But Go Yeon-ju followed, changing the subject slightly, perhaps reading my expression.
“Anyway, the kid’s fine. We used recovery magic quickly, and Aga was practically spamming Cure. There might be some lingering shock, but…”
“He’ll have to overcome it. There could be worse injuries in the future, and whining over something like this won’t do.”
“Hmm? You say that, but I don’t think that’s how you really feel. Your expression was something else earlier. Like, ‘No more support needed. I’m done.’”
Go Yeon-ju mimicked my words and laughed. She didn’t seem particularly interested in the fact that we had defeated Horrence. Then again, if we hadn’t given the others a chance to intervene, Yoo-jung wouldn’t have been hurt. Honestly, I had been a bit tense when we opened the door, remembering the first round, but now I was sure. I was stronger in this second round.
When I didn’t respond, Go Yeon-ju peeked at me.
“Still, it seems like you’re hurting inside. Don’t worry too much. It’s not a flaw for the leader to care for the caravan members.”
At her words, I turned my gaze to Go Yeon-ju. Her eyes, usually playful, were now a calm, ashen gray, quietly observing me. There was a probing intensity in her stare. I met her gaze without flinching, and eventually, she was the one to look away.
In the silence that followed, I found myself lost in thought. I was indeed angry, as she had pointed out. But was it because Lee Yoo-jung had suffered at the hands of Horrence, or was it because I saw a reflection of Han So-young in her? The answer was already clear to me. Just as my thoughts were about to connect with Go Yeon-ju’s gaze—
“Hyung!”
“Brother!”
“Kim Soo-hyun!”
Voices from the group ahead called out to me. I set aside my thoughts about Go Yeon-ju’s eyes for the moment and raised a hand in response.
“Yoo-jung, how are you feeling?”
“Uh… I’m okay now, oppa. Ouch!”
“Seems like there’s still a bit left.”
“That’s because you’re pressing too hard… But could you move your hand, please?”
As Yoo-jung mumbled with a flushed face, I sighed and removed my hand from her abdomen. The visible wounds were completely healed. Judging by the number of potion bottles scattered around, it seemed we had gone a bit overboard with the treatment. However, her internal magic was still in shock, so she needed to rest for a while.
“Hey, your belly button is surprisingly cute.”
“An-hyun, shut up. Do you realize that’s a harassing comment?”
“Come on, hyung was touching you openly, and you didn’t say anything. Why am I the only one getting this treatment? Are you discriminating against me?”
“Hmph. Do you think oppa is a pervert like you? And stop talking like that. It’s annoying.”
An-hyun was laughing, trying to make a joke, albeit a poor one. Yoo-jung seemed to realize it was his way of comforting her, so she just snorted lightly and turned her head. At that moment, someone approached from behind and stood beside me.
“Soo-hyun, I’m sorry. I had to retire in the middle…”
The person speaking to me was Jung Ha-yeon. Her face was pale, almost bloodless, but she seemed to be doing better since she was standing on her own two feet. I shook my head at her, unable to find the words.
“No, it’s fine. It’s not anyone’s fault. In fact, I’m grateful to everyone for holding their own against the boss monster.”
My words seemed to lift the spirits of the group a little. However, Go Yeon-ju stood off to the side, arms crossed, quietly watching me. Her gaze had been unsettling from the start. But with the completion of the
I didn’t know what Go Yeon-ju had been thinking while watching us, but I took out the orb from my pocket and showed it to everyone. It was the magic stone that had been the core of the Doom Knight. There might still be some undead wandering the cave, but we had extracted everything we could from the
With everyone’s eyes on the magic stone, I spoke in a strong voice.
“I hereby declare the exploration of the
Most of the group responded with clear cheers. And finally, I noticed Go Yeon-ju’s eyes curve into a slight smile as she watched the celebrating group.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
The
Just kidding. Yes, dear readers, please put down those stones. I apologize. It’s not because I have a friend who promised to buy me dinner today, and I can’t go because of the continuous updates. No, no. Please calm down. :D (Ouch! Argh!) ㅜ.ㅠ In the next episode, you’ll see the group returning to Mule. Sniff.
PS. Do you think Soo-hyun was angry because Yoo-jung got hurt, or because he saw Han So-young in her? What are your thoughts, dear readers? ’~’
PS2. Please participate in the survey! I thought a thousand readers would join… ㅜ.ㅠ I’m asking for your help. :)
『 Reader Comments 』
천겁혈신천무존: Oh, you got first place? Congratulations! But can Soo-hyun eat me? Haha. Can the character I created, Kim Soo-hyun, really challenge the author?
카이혼: Here, I offer you continuous updates. So please, let go of your anger. Ahem.
ads123: I’m not sure what it is, but I hope this episode resonated with you even a little. It was a bit tricky to express. ㅜ.ㅠ
사람인생: It’s hard to say Soo-hyun gave it his all in this episode. He didn’t even use 화정. He only showed a part of his true skills. If you look at the explanations in this episode, it might make more sense.
현오: Hahahahaha. I really want to show this comment to others. Seriously,
블라미: Kyaaa! Soo-hyun roared! Horrence is dead!
난니가좋아: Hmm… Haha. Every time I see that, it makes my heart twinge a little. ㅜ.ㅠ
GradeRown: Ah, hahaha. I was reminded of the “Wind of the Nation” when I saw the end part, and it surprised me. Hahahahaha.
고장난선풍기: Yes, that’s right! Even though it wasn’t explicitly stated in this episode, there was still some energy left. :)
흠흠;;: Anti-magic power isn’t generated as an inherent ability. It can be created through special abilities and latent powers.
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