Chapter 31 of 100
Chapter 31
8 min read1,895 words
Chapter 30. First Counterattack (2)
Seohui did not realize that Geun had arrived at Cheonilgwan until he encountered him.
<You have passed an important point. Would you like to save? >
Time froze as the message suddenly appeared.
Seohui blinked at the sight.
‘An important point?’
It was a description he had never seen before, which made him ponder.
‘Let’s try it.’
As soon as he agreed, the message changed and was placed before Seohui.
[Where would you like to save?]
■ Year 95 of the Imperial Calendar, Chapter 2-1. The Three Lives Gonma Offers
[Empty save slot]
[Empty save slot]
Recording time.
Even though there were no significant events, this was telling him something.
‘There must be a reason for this. There must be a reason for this to appear.’
Everything was like that.
This forced choice in front of him would affect his future in some way.
Especially, the record of 'saving' did not feel bad.
Rather, it seemed to help keep the center of an unnecessarily long life.
[Empty save slot]
Seohui decided to leave a record in the second slot marked as an empty save space.
□ Year 95 of the Imperial Calendar, Chapter 2-1. The Three Lives Gonma Offers
■ Year 95 of the Imperial Calendar, Chapter 2-15. [Becoming a Core Warrior] After failing the Mugando test, the final opponent.
[Empty save slot]
[Saved.]
‘Huh? What is this!’
Time flowed again, but Seohui couldn’t take his eyes off the saved text.
The final opponent after failing the Mugando test.
A completely unexpected text was recorded there.
If that was true, it meant he had taken the Mugando test and failed.
And the final opponent afterward.
Creak.
As the door opened, Seohui’s gaze turned to the side.
A middle-aged man was slowly descending the stairs.
Seohui realized.
That the opponent was Geun.
* * *
“Your name is Seohui, right?”
The middle-aged man, who was the spy Geun, spoke to him.
He extended a gray pill as he remembered.
“Take it.”
<You have obtained the Inner Power Enhancement Pill, Bisadan.>
“Elixir...”
“Yes. One pill can enhance your inner power equivalent to over ten years of cultivation.”
Seohui swallowed it as if it were nothing.
The effect of the elixir immediately reacted in his body.
Health 20,645 (↑85) / 20,645
Inner Power 23,680 (↑2000) / 23,680
“By the way, sir.”
Seohui asked and then turned his gaze to his waist.
The fine sword he was supposed to receive. But he lost it in the battle with Go Wol.
“Gonma said he would send a usable sword. Do you have it?”
“...”
Geun did not answer.
His expression seemed to darken, but it was just a guess.
“Here.”
Thud.
A sword thrown to the ground.
Seeing this, Seohui was certain.
As expected.
When faced with the same situation, he would continue to hand over items.
“Now, don’t ask any more questions and follow me.”
Geun turned around, but Seohui, who quickly retrieved the sword, had no intention of ending the conversation.
“You also gave me the Biryongdan, didn’t you?”
“What?”
Seohui’s words made Geun stop in his tracks.
“I heard from Gonma. You have it. Show it to me.”
“...”
This was similar to the past.
Geun’s expression was distorted as he slowly turned to Seohui and searched his pockets, throwing a pill.
“Take it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Seohui’s eyes widened.
He saw Geun’s fist coming as soon as he received the Biryongdan.
However, the fist did not hit its target.
Seohui had caught his wrist.
“You...”
This life was different, and he wouldn’t know that.
How much hardship he had endured to get to this point.
<Your stats have significantly increased.>
Health 26,733 (↑6088) / 26,735
Inner Power 29,180 (↑5500) / 29,180
“Why are you doing this?”
Seohui said while chewing the Biryongdan.
It’s water under the bridge now.
He would capture this guy and leap over Mugando.
“Did the First Disciple teach you to act so rashly?”
“...?!”
He was very surprised.
His shock was even greater when his wrist was caught.
[Your Mind Reading skill has improved.]
[Continuous Skill] Mind Reading
Basic Level ▶ Intermediate Level
He believed he could win.
The experience at Mugando, the use of openings, the increase in martial arts proficiency, and combat experience. Even the use of the Daebok Sword.
His stats, which were completely different from before, clearly pointed to that.
[State, Status]
Seohui [Low-Rank Squad Leader]
Life Coin 2 [Two chances]
Physical condition: Normal
[Value, Stats]
Health 26,733 / 26,735
Inner Power 29,180 / 29,180
Combat Power 100,000
But the tragedy of fate, they say, is that the more you try to escape, the more it relentlessly revives in reality.
[State, Status]
Geun [One of Gonma’s Guard Warriors]
Physical condition: Normal
Hostility: 77% (Warning)
Subordinate of the First Disciple of Heavenly Horse. Spy
[Value, Stats]
Health 15,000 / 15,000
Inner Power 12,000 / 12,000
----Crackle
Despite having only 10,000 health and inner power.
The combat power number, which was marked as ‘??’ before the Mind Reading skill improved.
Combat Power 190,000
Appeared.
A staggering 190,000.
This number.
Was significantly higher than even the beings of dawn.
* * *
Combat Power (戰鬪力).
Information that appeared as the Mind Reading skill reached the intermediate level.
From experience, the higher this number, the more drastically the ability increased.
Seohui [Low-Rank Squad Leader]
Health 26,733 / 26,735
Inner Power 29,180 / 29,180
Combat Power 100,000
His combat power number was an astonishing figure compared to his previous life.
Since Shinbi’s was 70,000, he could now easily overpower him.
Geun [One of Gonma’s Guard Warriors]
Health 15,055 / 15,055
Inner Power 12,032 / 12,032
Combat Power 190,000
But Geun’s was not just a little higher, but a staggering 190,000.
How strong he was would only be known through a fight, but the pressure from the 90,000 difference felt like a noose around his neck.
“What is this?”
Perhaps because he saw his wrist being caught, Geun’s expression slowly distorted.
And suddenly, the strong resistance from his palm.
“Ugh!”
Seohui eventually released his wrist and took a few steps back, just in case.
But Geun did not attack.
Or, more accurately, there was a reason he did not attack.
‘Damn it!’
[Warning! Geun has discovered Seohui’s opening. How will you respond?]
This appeared from the start.
Perhaps due to the gap in combat power, an opening appeared even though the distance was considerable.
And the familiar choice windows.
Such a direct counterattack was suicidal.
There was no proper place to run, so he chose to defend.
<You have chosen to ‘defend’.>
‘Hiss!’
Seohui spat out a sigh.
Geun’s movement was beyond imagination.
He attacked with a speed that was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
“Gah!”
Geun’s thrust grazed Seohui’s collarbone and rose.
Clang!
Seohui lowered his stance and intentionally deflected the opponent’s sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After that, three exchanges in close combat.
Seohui was pushed back again.
His right shoulder, thigh, and left shoulder were cut.
Clang!
Finally, he barely pushed Geun back after a clash.
‘Damn it!’
[Warning! Geun has discovered Seohui’s opening. How will you respond?]
Another warning.
Even though he pushed him back, the window appeared again.
<You have chosen to ‘defend’.>
Whoosh!
In an instant, Geun, who appeared as if by magic, slashed vertically.
Seohui desperately twisted his body to defend.
<Critical Hit! Geun has inflicted significant damage on Seohui.>
Seohui [Low-Rank Squad Leader]
Health 16,835 (↓9,900) / 26,735
Inner Power 29,180 / 29,180
Geun [One of Gonma’s Guard Warriors]
Health 15,025 (↓30) / 15,055
Inner Power 11,952 (↓80) / 12,032
“Damn it...”
Seohui stepped back and clutched his left arm.
This was a misjudgment.
He should have twisted his body in the direction of the downward slash, but he turned in the opposite direction and was hit.
Geun’s sword had cut deep, exposing the bone in his wrist.
‘I can’t keep up with the opponent’s swordsmanship...’
A clear gap in skill.
Despite several exchanges, he couldn’t even land a hit, and instead, he was the one taking damage.
‘The Daebok Sword is out of the question...’
Perhaps the tendons were severed by this attack.
His left hand wouldn’t move.
“Where did you crawl out from?”
Geun asked, but Seohui didn’t respond.
He was angry.
At himself for being pushed back despite having high health and inner power.
‘I need to use martial arts. Martial arts...’
Seohui gathered his inner power at the tip of his sword.
Now, the only thing he could oppose with was his health and inner power.
If he didn’t use them, this fight.
He judged that he couldn’t win at all.
“Huh...?”
At that moment, a hint of confusion flashed in Geun’s eyes.
The energy flowing from the tip of the opposite man’s sword. He witnessed a phenomenon where the energy took on a spiritual quality.
“This guy. You’re not an ordinary person.”
Geun’s expression was etched with caution.
A skilled person who could hide their demonic aura.
He realized that the opponent had reached the level of generating demonic aura from his sword.
‘I need to take the initiative.’
Seohui immediately moved.
Swoosh!
A thrust that penetrated like a bolt.
Clang!
As Geun blocked, Seohui quickly recovered and slashed horizontally.
‘What!’
Geun’s face paled instantly.
Because the mist (cloud fog) had engulfed the surroundings before the opponent could swing his sword.
The sixth technique of the Sohima Martial Art, Sojang Gibyeon (素狀奇變).
Sojang means the form of ice, and Gibyeon means transformation, which blocks the opponent’s vision as if covered in fog before the sword is swung.
Whirl! Clang!
Despite this, Geun did not retreat and defended.
Seohui did not give up.
As soon as the opponent blocked, he turned his body and attempted a leg slash using centrifugal force.
“Ugh!”
Perhaps because of the extreme yin martial art?
Geun blocked the attack, but his expression distorted.
The cold had seeped into the blades that clashed several times.
“Hah.”
Seohui’s attacks continued.
Repeated diagonal slashes. This time, the cold seeped into his entire body as soon as he swung.
The third technique, Sobyeong Gae-dong (素氷開凍).
The extreme yin nature that spread throughout the body emitted a strong cold, covering the surroundings.
Not only that, but the snow and ice powder that spread with each sword clash made the opponent even more frozen.
Clang! Clang!
Indeed, Seohui strongly pushed Geun back, and gradually, he was forced to retreat.
Finally, as his figure collapsed, he tried to strike him down with even more force.
‘What!’
Suddenly, Seohui’s movement hesitated.
[Warning! Geun has discovered Seohui’s opening. How will you respond?]
It was an unbelievable sight.
The opponent had counterattacked by exploiting the gap in the connection of the techniques.
▶ Counterattack
▷ Defend
▷ Flee
He was furious to the core.
This time, he thought he could definitely inflict damage, but the crisis continued.
Seohui, no longer wanting to dodge, chose the first option.
<You have chosen to ‘counterattack’.>
Zing-.
For a moment, it appeared before his eyes.
The sword shadow (劍影).
The stage just before the sword energy (劍氣) that can be emitted by condensing inner energy (內氣).
It pierced his shoulder before he could react.
<Critical Hit! Geun has inflicted significant damage on Seohui.>
Seohui [Low-Rank Squad Leader]
Health 847 (↓15,988) / 26,735
Inner Power 29,180 / 29,180
And almost simultaneously, a