Chapter 76

Chapter 75: The Five Great Houses (2)

[You have obtained the skill 'Sword Demon Emperor Step (劍魔帝王步) (S)!]

[Sword Demon Emperor Step]

Acquisition Difficulty: S-

Description: A martial art that combines the Infinite Step of the Nangong House, one of the Five Great Houses, with the Sword Demon's unique martial art, 'Grave of Swords,' from the Demon Sect. It embodies the contrasting natures of the righteous sect, which pursues righteousness and chivalry, and the Demon Sect, which pursues dominance. When used, it increases movement speed by 70%, and if magic power is concentrated in the feet, it can also be used as an attack.

A skill that allows you to catch both rabbits.

'If I combine it with the shallow breathing passive, I can use my stamina efficiently even when moving long distances.'

Moreover, since I can now apply my weight and magic power, the same attack will be much more powerful.

It was a skill that truly captured the essence of the martial world.

Jinhyuk scanned the detailed description of the skill again.

'I thought I would have to reach the 20th floor to get it...'

Thanks to the foolish ones who walked into the tiger's den, I had a hearty meal.

On the other hand.

"Ugh!"

Seeing Jinhyuk smiling, Nangong Hyun gritted his teeth.

He must be angry.

His opponent was at ease, while he barely survived with the help of his comrades.

His pride was inevitably damaged.

Just then.

"Are you okay, Hyun?"

Three people, two men and one woman, approached Nangong Hyun.

The man in his mid-thirties was Huang Bo Junyue, a member of the Huang Bo House, one of the Five Great Houses, along with the Nangong House.

"I've never seen Nangong Hyun brother break a sweat like this."

The woman, who had just turned twenty, was Tang Xiaohua from the Tang House, known for its mastery of poisons.

"Why are you struggling so much against that guy?"

The last and youngest-looking man was Zhuge Tian from the Zhuge House.

"Damn it. I could have handled it alone. I didn't need your help."

"I'm not doubting your skills. But don't forget that the Grandmaster's order was to persuade, not to kill."

"Huang Bo Junyue brother is right. If you come with us willingly, there's no need to fight."

"But...! That guy knows about us! He already knew we came from the tower!"

Nangong Hyun shouted. The three people, who had been smiling, were taken aback.

"Really?"

"Is that true?"

"About that guy?"

They were far enough away that they couldn't overhear the conversation between Nangong Hyun and Jinhyuk.

They didn't expect him to say such a thing.

If Nangong Hyun's words were true, it was no small matter.

They had contacted many promising players, but none of them knew their true identities.

However.

"Huh? People live in the tower? That's ridiculous. Even if the housing prices in Seoul have skyrocketed, who in their right mind would set up home here?"

Jinhyuk, the subject of the conversation, looked as if he was hearing it for the first time.

"You... Didn't you say that to me just now?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you did!"

"Oh! I did say that he looks like a homeless person who's been in the tower for 10,000 years. Was that it?"

"Homeless? Did you just call me that?"

"Either way, don't get so worked up. It looks bad."

"..."

Swoosh!

Nangong Hyun drew his sword again.

"I've made up my mind. Whether it's persuasion or not, I'll cut out your tongue first."

The sticky killing intent in his voice.

Nangong Hyun took his stance.

Whoosh!

The sword lunged forward in an instant.

It was fast.

And fierce.

Like a venomous snake brushing against a leaf, the sword strike was hard to predict as it moved between points and lines.

But Jinhyuk easily dodged Nangong Hyun's attack.

'As expected, these guys' patterns are predictable.'

How does he plan to proceed after falling for such a simple provocation?

Moreover, didn't he say he would cut out his tongue?

No matter how complicated the process, if you know the goal, dodging is as easy as eating cold porridge.

"I quite enjoy playing hide and seek."

Jinhyuk sneered.

"Rat! Let's see how long you can run!"

[Nangong Hyun activates Level 11 'Infinite Step (無限步)!]

Instantly, his movements changed completely.

Nangong Hyun, using the representative stepping technique of the Nangong House, pursued him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The trajectory of the sword.

The inner power imbued in the sword remained the same.

The person didn't change.

Only the footwork was different.

However, that simple difference created a completely different outcome.

"Why? Can't you run away like an eel now? You were making such a big noise, but now you look ridiculous."

Nangong Hyun caught up to Jinhyuk.

Now was the time to stab the unguarded face of his opponent.

Of course, along with that arrogant tongue.

But at that moment.

[Level 1 'Sword Demon Emperor Step (劍魔帝王步)' activated!]

A gust of wind arose.

***

As time passed, Nangong Hyun's face became increasingly twisted.

'This...! This can't be...'

At first, he was complacent.

He thought Jinhyuk was just a talkative guy and planned to play with him a bit before putting him down.

There was a huge gap between the 20th and 4th floors.

There was an insurmountable wall between a martial artist and a novice player.

But after the first clash, he realized he had underestimated his opponent.

'I'll put all my strength into it.'

If he used his most confident techniques, Infinite Step and Ghostly Sword, he could gain the upper hand in three breaths.

Yes, it would definitely happen.

But.

Despite using all his best techniques.

Why!

Why can't he even touch his shadow?

The overwhelming difference in footwork was like an insurmountable wall.

'What kind of bizarre movement is this...'

The straight yet irregular footwork was impossible to predict.

It was clear.

At least a few levels above Infinite Step.

"Hyun. I understand you're angry, but play it safe. If you hurt him, it'll be a headache later."

"Nangong Hyun brother! Finish it quickly. It's almost been five minutes."

"There's no need to waste time with a guy who can't even counterattack."

The other sect members who were with him chimed in.

To them, it looked like Nangong Hyun was just toying with his opponent.

Damn it.

I'm moving like crazy here!

Nangong Hyun was drenched in cold sweat, making futile strikes.

Then he had a thought.

Should I pretend to make a mistake and kill him?

Unlike a capture, which requires effort, using a killing move...

There were ways to deal with a guy who only runs away and can't counterattack.

His contemplation didn't last long.

[Nangong Hyun activates 'Taihua Sword Qi (太華劒氣)!]

Swoosh!

The sword at his waist emitted a blinding light. The sword qi conveyed his intent to kill.

At the same time.

"That's a mistake."

A cold, icy aura emanated from Jinhyuk.

More precisely, from the pair of swords he possessed.

[The Twin Dragon Swords respond to their master's call.]

Chill!

'...!?'

Nangong Hyun's eyebrows shot up.

He instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Then, at that moment.

"Roar!"

"Screech!"

A sharp, high-pitched sound interrupted.

The Sanhehui players shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Zombie wave from the right!"

"About 1,000 in number. Three minutes away!"

In the midst of their frantic battle, the first wave had approached.

There was no more time to play around.

"You were lucky."

Huang Bo Junyue shrugged at Jinhyuk.

If the zombie wave had come a bit later, the battle would have been over.

"Yeah, thanks to you, I survived. Our young master."

Jinhyuk put away the twin swords he had half-drawn.

"Oh my, look at him talk."

"You survived, you little rat. Hahaha! Your mouth is alive, but not much else. Isn't that right, Hyun?"

"Uh... ...Yeah..."

Nangong Hyun stammered.

What was that?

The immense killing intent he felt just now.

The chilling, ominous aura that made his spine freeze still made his hands and feet tremble.

A foreign magic power, unlike anything he had felt in the martial world.

One thing was certain.

If they had fought properly just now...

'I would have died.'

Yes.

He would have definitely died.

Nangong Hyun realized this.

Unfortunately, Zhuge Tian didn't.

"Hey. Next time, there won't be any zombies to save you. So behave and crawl. You've been living as our vassals for ages, so when we demand, you should bow down..."

Zhuge Tian didn't finish his sentence.

Boom!

His face shattered, spewing out the corn he had in his mouth.

"Sorry, what did you just say?"

Jinhyuk wiped the blood from his hands and smiled brightly.

***

"Ugh!"

Zhuge Tian covered his face with both hands.

His nose was completely flattened.

Blood gushed out between his knuckles.

"What did you just do, you bastard!"

"Ugh!"

Huang Bo Junyue and Tang Xiaohua instantly grabbed their weapons.

In contrast, Nangong Hyun was frozen in place, unable to move.

"Continuing the fight is fine, but are you sure? You'll be at a significant disadvantage."

By now, Yuanyuanhua, Lee Taemin, Teresa, and Chanyu Seong, who had been exhausted from fighting the Sanhehui, had all recovered their stamina and magic power.

"Roar!"

"Screech!"

Of course, the zombies were still closing in at a rapid pace.

"Looks like we'll have to continue the conversation later."

Huang Bo Junyue nodded heavily.

"The arena is ours. Don't even think about coming in. Look for somewhere else."

"We won't go to a place as trashy as that. Besides, we've already decided on a base."

"Hmm. You've secured a base?"

"Yes, the best place on the 4th floor."

Huang Bo Junyue glanced behind him.

The large supermarket right in front of the arena.

Of course, they chose that place.

"Not bad."

The large supermarket was surrounded by high walls on all sides, with a narrow entrance, making it easy to defend.

Especially with a few hundred people defending it.

It was filled with canned goods, water, and other food supplies, and the numerous miscellaneous items made it ideal for a long-term siege.

It's not for nothing that people are advised to go to a nearby supermarket if the world ends and a zombie virus breaks out.

However.

There was one fatal weakness.

A worst-case scenario that no one knew about.

'This 4th floor strategy is going to be very interesting.'

The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth turned upward.

A way to maximize the benefits of the base defense, including the arrogant martial world stragglers, had just come to mind.