Chapter 97 : Chapter 97
Chapter 97. Blue Lightning
The days of training continued.
"You're at it again, even after passing out yesterday?"
"Just come at me."
"You don't seem like a foolish human, though."
Today, it was Van and Conrad.
The two of them were a team.
Hyunwoo took a long breath and got into his stance.
He lowered his waist, brought his hand to the hilt of his sword, and stared at the two in front of him.
Van stood in front, and Conrad hid behind him.
Van's tattoo was 'Regeneration', and Conrad's was 'Amplification'.
A formation with a vanguard in charge of defense using 'Regeneration' and a rear guard in charge of offense using 'Amplification'.
It seemed the two had huddled together before the spar and perfectly prepared their roles.
Hyunwoo let out a small laugh.
'The guys who said their pride was hurt are taking this seriously when it's time.'
As if they would never accept defeat, the two High Orcs had once again joined forces to complete a strategy to torment Hyunwoo.
Thud—!
Van slammed his huge shield down as if taking root in the ground.
A ridiculously large shield that could cover his entire large frame.
This was a new weapon he had obtained from Gracia after officially learning 'High Orc Shield Arts' from other warriors.
Kdeudeuk—!
He put strength into his arm and firmly fixed the shield that was stuck in the ground.
Originally, the High Orc's shield arts were not meant to be used in such a crude manner.
The knack of deflecting the enemy's strength was also important in 'shield arts'.
For example, it was a method of bending rather than breaking.
But.
'This is a method only a High Orc who has obtained Regeneration can use.'
The method Hyunwoo recommended to Van was the exact opposite.
It was a method of breaking when faced with an unbearable force.
High Orcs were a race that grew stronger as they broke.
The 'Regeneration' tattoo that supported Van would make him endlessly stronger.
Therefore, Hyunwoo could also give it his all without holding back.
Vwoom—
Hyunwoo's eyes turned red, and the 'Vigor' tattoo engraved on his body shone black.
Explosive mana soaring from within his body!
When the overflowing power had stained even his sword completely black.
Kwaang—!
His figure shot forward in an instant.
The first swordsmanship he used was a sword aura that flew from a distance!
A bundle of sword aura was sprayed from the sword of him who had shot out as if flying.
Shoooong—!
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
⌜Cross Barrage⌟
A dozen or so sword auras that flew in an instant hit Van's shield.
Kwagwagwang—!
Despite the loud noise, Van stood firm against the bundle of sword auras.
A result Hyunwoo had already expected.
While firing the sword aura, he transformed Cheonbyeondo into a hwando and changed his stance.
He bent his body forward and brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.
The stance of a draw slash.
Swish—
In the meantime, Hyunwoo's sword, which had reached Van, shot towards him without any warning.
A sword with a hazy black mana rising around it aimed for Van's shield at lightning speed, but unfortunately, the spar was not 1v1.
Crack—!
"Where do you think you're going—!"
In the middle of the sword's path, Conrad's axe blocked its course.
A fighting style that stole the opponent's timing with other swordsmanship and finished with a draw slash.
It was a method that always worked in 1v1, but it didn't work in 2v1.
Conrad, who had blocked the sword, immediately rushed at him.
His eyes were already glowing red.
The 'Amplification' tattoo engraved on his body was also stained red.
Kugung—!
The force of him kicking off the ground with his enhanced body crushed the hard rock floor, and spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions.
Hyunwoo quickly threw himself backward and drew a fan shape with his sword.
⌜Veluma Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
Conrad had somehow read his presence and reached right in front of him.
Kwagwagwang—!
As the red aura of the axe and the blue defensive barrier met, a deafening roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth echoed.
Conrad raised his axe again.
In the meantime, Van had circled around behind Hyunwoo.
A completely surrounded situation.
But instead of panicking, Hyunwoo quickly sheathed his sword.
Click—
The strongest swordsmanship he could use right now.
⌜Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―99%⌟
Gripping the hilt of his sword, he sensed his surroundings.
Fwoong—!
Conrad's axe flying in, and,
Hook—!
Van, who threw his body forward as if to push him away with the shield he was holding.
Facing the opponents who had surrounded him from the front and back, Hyunwoo thought of a way to deal with them.
'Make the range of the draw slash wider…'
Hyunwoo, who had risen to the stage of applying the draw slash in battle, not just simply cutting the opponent with it.
If he widened the range of the draw slash into a semicircle, wouldn't he be able to deal with both of them?
It was when he was assessing his surroundings and spreading his senses wide like that.
“……!”
As if his thoughts had accelerated, the entire world began to slow down.
A phenomenon he was now very familiar with.
And the situation he had been waiting for so long.
'Master Event!'
Hyunwoo grinned and surrendered his body to the phenomenon.
In an instant, the surrounding environment changed.
'This is… a forest?'
A green forest.
A green forest, a rare sight in the Demon World, spread out before his eyes.
Splash—
He felt the cold stream flowing at his toes.
A very peaceful environment.
Moreover, his attire, except for the sword at his waist, seemed as if he had come out for a light walk.
He thought it was a master event that he had realized through ordinary training, but he soon found out that was not the case.
Hoo-ook—
The characteristic smell of wild demonic beasts brushed past his nose.
Click—
Hyunwoo brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.
The stance of a draw slash.
It was the same as the Volones Swordsmanship stance he had used until now.
But.
'…Hmm?'
He felt a different sensation.
The mana flowing through his body.
Thin strands of mana emanated from his body.
Like how cloth is woven from the warp and weft.
The thread-like mana from his body meticulously filled the surrounding environment.
The sensation felt through the mana.
His senses expanded explosively.
'Ugh…!'
For a moment, he felt a throbbing headache.
The trembling of the air in the breath that blew in.
The coldness of the stream water and the smoothness of the pebbles felt at his toes.
The foul smell of the demonic beasts mixed thickly in the grassy scent of the forest.
Even the murderous intent of the creatures that were getting closer and closer.
A flood of information rushed in through his expanded senses.
Hoo-ook—
The widely spread senses focused on the surroundings.
A space like a huge soap bubble surrounding him.
Soon, he realized what the range of the soap bubble was.
The range his sword could reach.
And.
Grr—!
When the approaching demonic beasts jumped inside that range.
Sreureuk—
Strands of mana wrapped around their bodies one by one.
Dilated pupils.
The movement of the muscles in their hind legs as they kicked off the ground.
Even the saliva dripping from their brandished arms and savage teeth.
Everything was felt vividly, like a slow-motion video.
Even the fact that all of it was within the range of his sword.
Click—
The moment he gripped the hilt of his sword, the deaths of the demonic beasts felt as close as the breath on his nose.
'Dominion… of space.'
The master ability of the Volones Swordsmanship was 'Spatial Dominion'.
He felt he could cut down anyone who entered the range where the tip of his sword was swung.
In an exhilaration as if he had become an absolute being.
Swish—
When his sword was drawn from its scabbard.
Seogeok—
All the demonic beasts surrounding him were simultaneously sentenced to death.
It was impossible to dodge his sword within this space.
Thud—
As the demonic beasts' heads fell to the ground, he returned to reality.
Van and Conrad appeared around his wide-open eyes.
Conrad's axe flying in from the side and the feeling of Van's shield from behind.
Swish—
Hyunwoo closed his eyes.
There was no longer a need to rely on sight.
Fwoong—
The threads of mana that came out of his body instantly expanded his senses.
The soap bubble of senses.
He vividly felt the movements of Van and Conrad who had entered it.
The cool axe blade and the shield charging like an iron wall.
Even the trembling of the ground they kicked off and the quivering of their skin as they rushed in.
Even with both eyes closed, their movements were engraved in his mind as if drawn.
And.
Flash—
As Hyunwoo opened his eyes, the sword drawn from its hilt cut through both the axe and the shield simultaneously.
"Keuk!"
"Heop—!"
Van and Conrad gasped and were thrown back.
He vividly felt even their movements as they fell to the ground.
A sensation as if he was completely dominating the space his sword could reach.
⌜Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―100%(M)⌟
Dominion of space.
The sensation of having mastered a 4-Star swordsmanship was tingling through Hyunwoo.
* * *
Van and Conrad, seeming exhausted, were lying on the training ground floor, resting.
A 2v1 fight that he thought was a reckless challenge.
In the end, he was able to defeat both of them through the mastery of the Volones Swordsmanship.
⌜Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―100%(M)⌟
He was finally able to master a 4-Star swordsmanship.
The sensation of dominating space through the expansion of mana.
A reward that surpassed the exhilaration felt from that sensation remained.
The trait obtained from mastering a swordsmanship.
By mastering the 'Volones Swordsmanship', he was able to obtain Swiftness III.
⌜Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―A fast-unfolding draw slash swordsmanship.
It is faster to see the sword being sheathed than to see it being swung.
Proficiency: 100%(M)
Trait: Swiftness III(New!)⌟
⌜Trait: Swiftness III
Description: ‘You will no longer be bound by physical constraints.’
With instantaneous movements, you can transcend the laws of physics.
It becomes impossible to follow those movements with the eyes.⌟
And the rewards were not over yet.
⌜4-Star Swordsmanship Master(M).
The conditions have been met, and the fourth swordsmanship slot will be opened.⌟
The opening of the fourth slot.
He was about to check the new slot right away, but the system voice continued.
⌜Your understanding of swordsmanship increases with 4-Star Swordsmanship Master(M).⌟
'…Hmm?'
⌜The conditions for copying swordsmanship with 'Master of Copy' will be eased.
From now on, you can acquire swordsmanship of 2-Star or lower without any conditions.⌟
'Oh!'
A system voice saying that from now on, he could obtain 2-Star swordsmanship without any conditions, just like 1-Star swordsmanship.
It seemed he would be able to choose the swordsmanship he would learn in the future more easily.
Such unexpected gifts were always welcome.
⌜Name: Kim Hyunwoo
Title: Champion of the Bellatus Arena, Calamity Hunter, Trinity
Skills: ■Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―100%(M)(New!), ■Skirma Swordsmanship (2-Star)―100%(M), □, □(New!)
Unique Traits: Swordsmanship Synthesis, Master of Copy, Swordsmanship Genius, Pain Tolerance, Oxygen Tank, Mana Circulation, Hoshea's Five-Colored Shield
General Traits: Physique II, Swiftness III(New!), Balance II, Mana II⌟
A storm of rewards!
The rewards received from various parts of the status window glittered, making their presence known.
"Keu-eung……"
Conrad was still lying down, slowly exhaling.
Van groaned and got up from his spot.
"What was that just now?
I knew you were fast, but… I didn't feel anything until I was hit by the sword."
"I had an enlightenment."
"…Again?
You get strong as if you're eating a meal."
Hyunwoo looked at the frowning Van and shrugged.
What could he do, 'Swordsmanship Genius' was just that much of a cheat trait.
But without the help of such a cheat trait, he would not have been able to survive until now.
Although he was getting stronger day by day, complacency was forbidden.
'I need to get stronger.'
Even characters who were as strong as Hyunwoo was now had failed to reach the end of 'Masal' and ended up in the grave.
There was no need to shrink back at Van's gaze, which looked at him as if he were a monster.
Because he was still far from it.
"…Is it the royal bloodline after all?
No matter if he's a human, the power of bloodline cannot be ignored."
"A High Orc's bloodline isn't something to be looked down on anywhere, is it?"
“……”
"Stop talking nonsense and get stronger quickly if you don't want to be left behind."
"A being that gets stronger as quickly as you is rare even among the demons."
"That's because they're all lazy.
If a demon swung a sword every day, they would get much stronger than me."
"I don't think it's to that extent……"
Of course, it wasn't because of his bloodline but the power of his cheat-like traits, but there was no reason for his efforts to be ignored.
Literally, he had been training like a madman until now.
'Even if this were a real game, I'd have to be acknowledged for working this hard.'
Moreover, this place was reality.
It was the result of the blood and sweat he had shed until now.
As Hyunwoo nodded.
Kuru-reung—!
A blue lightning bolt suddenly struck down.
A lightning bolt falling inside a cave?
But a huge lightning bolt actually flashed and swirled in the empty air.
The location where the lightning bolt struck was 'Gracia's' tent.
The lightning, which seemed like it would cover the entire cave centered on it, soon subsided as if it had exhausted its power.
"Wh-what was that?"
"……!"
Van stuttered in surprise, and Conrad, who had been lying down and resting, also flinched and sat up.
Instead of being surprised, Hyunwoo's eyes lit up.
'Is it completed?'
A blue lightning bolt falling from the sky.
It was the effect when a 'special item' was created in the game.