Anhyun focused all his senses on Juhyeonho, who was suddenly retreating. This wasn’t a move driven by instinct. Right now, Anhyun’s mind was spinning faster and more fiercely than ever before.
“How do you deal with a mage? It’s simple. The key is to keep your distance. Don’t give them a moment to cast their spells.”
“Of course, that’s just the general rule. But what if we consider a special case? Like a mage who can chain teleportation spells, or one with exceptional physical abilities? In that case…”
A vivid image formed in Anhyun’s mind.
He chased after Juhyeonho, swinging his spear like a windmill as he backed away.
“Sure, using anti-magic resistance isn’t a bad idea. But Anhyun, dodging suits you better. Why? Because you’re a Qi Spear Martial Artist. More precisely, you need to maximize the martial arts aspect of your spear technique. That style is optimized for evasion while allowing simultaneous attacks…”
“And here’s the trick—add a fake move.”
At that moment, Anhyun’s legs, which had been steadily advancing, suddenly began to move with uncanny agility, as if possessed.
At first, it looked like he was going to thrust straight ahead, but then, lightning-fast, he darted left, slashing his spear downward, then twisted right, swinging it in a sweeping arc.
Juhyeonho felt his mind go fuzzy. It had already been tough, but now his breathing grew ragged. It was as if he was facing not one opponent, but three.
But it was fine.
Whether it was one or three, as long as he could keep them in sight…!
With that thought, Juhyeonho forced his eyes wide open, trying desperately to memorize Anhyun’s movements. And just as three versions of Anhyun seemed to strike almost simultaneously, he swung his hand, wrapped in a destructive spell, with all his might, aiming to smash their heads.
But the hand, charged with terrifying energy, sliced through empty air.
For a moment, a dazed expression settled over Juhyeonho’s face.
Reflexively, he lifted his gaze in confusion.
When had Anhyun gotten into the air?
There he was—floating midair, holding his spear high above his head, his body curved like a crescent moon. His movements were grotesque, almost like watching an acrobat.
Whoosh!
With a sudden coil of his body, Anhyun swung the black spear with all his might. The spear tore through the air and crashed down hard on Juhyeonho’s head.
Smash!
“Ughk…”
Crimson droplets splattered. Juhyeonho’s head snapped violently. His face went numb, and a strangled groan escaped his parted lips.
As Anhyun lightly landed on the ground, he immediately glared at Juhyeonho, who was trembling and staggering backward.
“Good. Now that you’ve landed a solid hit, don’t stop. Don’t let up until it’s over.”
“If your opponent is groggy, that’s a reward for how well you’ve fought so far. It lets you strike harder, strike more decisively. Are you really going to waste that chance just because you’re happy about one successful attack?”
Without hesitation, Anhyun lifted his right foot. His upper body rose, and so did his spear.
Power flowed sequentially from the sole of his foot, through his leg, thigh, abdomen, chest, and finally his arm. That power was amplified by his mana, surging explosively.
Then, spreading his legs wide, he stomped down, channeling all that force into the spear’s tip.
Thud!
His right foot hit the ground, his upper body dropped, and the spear followed.
This wasn’t a standard thrust. As the spear, which had been angled sharply, leveled out, the tip drove straight into Juhyeonho’s chest.
Crack!
The concentrated explosive force tore through Juhyeonho’s chest. A massive shockwave erupted.
Blood gushed from his mouth and chest. His body was thrown to the ground, tumbling uncontrollably.
And then—
“Ah.”
Shinjaeryong, who had been watching the whole scene, let out a small breath of admiration.
He was now sitting on the ground. His mana was completely drained, so he could no longer aid the fight. Worse, he had severe wounds on both sides of his torso. The pain throbbed, and his vision blurred.
Still, Shinjaeryong steeled himself, never taking his eyes off Anhyun.
Juhyeonho let out a roar and struggled to rise. But before he could even steady himself, Anhyun struck again. Losing his composure, Juhyeonho’s hand shot out, as if to grab Anhyun’s throat.
But Anhyun never engaged in close combat unless absolutely necessary. Holding his spear long, he slipped away, then, as Juhyeonho’s attack missed, he readjusted his grip and thrust deeply—right where he had already wounded him.
The spear pierced through the chest again, blood spurting.
Shinjaeryong watched every moment without missing a beat. From the moment the fight resumed, his gaze had been fixed on Anhyun.
He gasped.
Anhyun had changed. No, he was beginning to change.
『User Anhyun’s new ability has been unlocked. The 4th latent ability slot has been consumed.』
『Congratulations! Latent ability “Body and Spear as One” has blossomed!』
He shone.
Anhyun began to glow, enveloped in radiant light.
Watching this, Shinjaeryong suddenly felt a thrill deep inside. Every movement of Anhyun, bathed in brilliant light, looked breathtakingly beautiful.
It wasn’t the excitement of reason, but the kind of awe you feel when witnessing something truly magnificent.
Suddenly, Shinjaeryong recalled a scene from long ago.
Snow falling from the sky.
He had sat quietly on a bench, endlessly watching the snow fall.
It fell, then melted.
Fell, then melted.
Fell, then melted.
But at some point, the snow began to accumulate. The snow that had once only melted no longer did.
It piled up.
Falling, covering, piling.
At that moment, Shinjaeryong snapped back to reality, utterly amazed. The snowflakes that had always melted away had now blanketed the ground so thickly that the pavement was no longer visible.
He still couldn’t forget that field of snow, shining with a dazzling light.
Clenching his fist tightly, Shinjaeryong thought of Anhyun.
“Anhyun… you…”
There had been several critical moments along the way. Whether by choice or circumstance, Anhyun had faced more than a few crises.
“But you never ran away.”
That was it. Anhyun had never once fled. With his given talent and relentless effort, he had always tried to overcome every obstacle.
Even if it meant falling into the abyss.
Still, Anhyun never gave up.
“Brother, I’ll really try my best.”
Accepting everything, he rose again like a stubborn toy.
“What should I do? What can I do?”
He struggled, determined to try again, to climb back up.
Not all of Anhyun’s actions were perfect, but one thing was undeniable.
He always tried. And he always gave his best.
Though his efforts didn’t always pay off immediately, Anhyun was a user who constantly showed Shinjaeryong a glimpse of potential.
That was how Shinjaeryong saw Anhyun—and why he had chosen him this time.
“Anhyun… you really…”
Shinjaeryong opened his eyes and stared at Anhyun. Still relentlessly pressing Juhyeonho, Anhyun radiated a dazzling aura.
Bright, lively eyes.
A grotesquely twisted body.
Arms guiding the spear in smooth arcs.
Feet pounding the ground without pause.
Everything was irregular.
Yet, somehow, Anhyun’s spear and body moved as one, with a divine fluidity.
Shinjaeryong cheered, a genuine shout from deep within.
Yes, that’s it. That’s the true Qi Spear Martial Artist.
No, that’s Anhyun, the Qi Spear Martial Artist!
Until now, whenever snow fell on the earth called Anhyun, it had always melted away.
But no longer.
Falling, covering, piling up.
Continuously covering and piling, until it began to shine.
At last, Anhyun’s time to shine had come.
“Kyaaaah!”
Had the match ended?
Juhyeonho, unable to endure any longer, collapsed. Anhyun stepped onto his fallen opponent’s stomach, then immediately raised his spear. Looking at the chest that was shattered beyond recognition, now nothing more than a rag, he drove the spear down with all his might. Every movement flowed seamlessly.
Then—
Just as Anhyun’s spear descended, Juhyeonho’s leg twitched.
At that moment, Shinjaeryong found himself chanting a spell without realizing it. Juhyeonho kicked with all his strength toward Anhyun’s back, who was standing on him.
A simultaneous counterattack.
In that split second, the world seemed to freeze. Or rather, time slowed to a crawl, as if reality itself had paused.
Shin Jaeryong’s hand moved almost on its own. As time passed, he gathered a small amount of magical energy and channeled it into the tip of his staff.
“───. ───. ───. Protect!”
Whoosh!
Clang!
Both Joo Hyunho and Ahn Hyun’s attacks failed to land.
Joo Hyunho’s kick was stopped dead by the protective barrier Shin Jaeryong had conjured.
As for Ahn Hyun’s spear, just as Joo Hyunho tilted his head back sharply and gripped the spear with both hands, it grazed his neck by a hair’s breadth—but he barely managed to dodge.
A brief silence fell.
During that moment, Joo Hyunho felt like he was losing his mind.
The opponent he had dismissed as a rookie suddenly changed in a strange way. Despite being battered to a pulp by Kim Soohyun and Helena, he hadn’t been able to mount any proper counterattack and had been mercilessly beaten.
“Ugh, ughhh!”
After a moment, Joo Hyunho groaned, struggling to pull the spear away, straining his arm. But Ahn Hyun didn’t relent. The fight was effectively over.
Swiftly moving his feet, Ahn Hyun twisted the shattered chest, causing Joo Hyunho to howl in pain. In that instant, he raised the spear again and drove it down.
Thud!
This time, the spear didn’t miss—it pierced straight into the neck.
Ahn Hyun didn’t stop.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
He stabbed the spear repeatedly, driving it deeper until it fully penetrated the neck.
Only after the eleventh thrust did a hole tear through Joo Hyunho’s flesh, and the spear pierced clean through, embedding itself into the dirt below. Without hesitation, Ahn Hyun twisted the spear deeply, as if pushing Joo Hyunho away.
“Grrrkk!”
From Joo Hyunho’s parted lips, a mixture of blood and foam gushed out. The blood spilled in all directions, staining the earth with dark, sticky patches.
“…Hah, hah!”
Only then did Ahn Hyun release the breath he’d been holding, feeling an inexplicable surge of joy.
He had simply followed the teachings he’d received. He had only abandoned the path he’d been pursuing until now and turned onto the path he was meant to walk.
And yet, everything was going exactly as he had hoped.
An experience he had never once encountered before. The continuous wave of exhilaration made his whole body tremble, as if caught in a thrilling illusion.
Finally, calming his breath, Ahn Hyun fixed his gaze on the trembling Joo Hyunho. Though his entire body was a wreck, Joo Hyunho was still alive.
“Now, tell me.”
Looking down at him, Ahn Hyun spoke in a low voice.
“Be careful. Explosive device. What does that mean?”