Chapter 38: The Reincarnator Completes It

Before the regression. Lee Sehoon heard many stories from Samgyeon.

The unfortunate events of his childhood, the background of the crimes Samgyeon had committed, and the reasons for his bizarre behavior that defied common sense.

At first, it was part of the process to raise their affinity level, but as time went on, Samgyeon began to vent their pent-up emotions one by one.

And as the affinity level rose, the stories gradually deepened.

Whoosh!

Samgyeon then taught Lee Sehoon a technique they had never passed on to anyone else.

Clang!!!

A blue fist aimed at the blade was swiftly deflected, followed by a short spear from the opposite side rushing in.

In the blink of an eye, Jake quickly countered the incoming spear blade with a punch.

Clang!!

The punch was deflected to the right upon impact. In the meantime, he retracted the first punch and swung it again, but the same was true for his opponent.

Clank Clank Clank!

A blue fist enveloped in compressed mana and a spear blade engulfed in flames swung at each other relentlessly, as if they had practiced in advance, their attacks continuously interlocking.

If others saw this, they might think that Jake, the top student of Akalcof, was letting Lee Sehoon have it, but that was far from the truth.

‘What the hell is this…!’

When Lee Sehoon first created the Flame Wheel, Jake was a bit surprised but not overly so.

He had heard from friends that Lee Sehoon and Yeom Sung-ha had walked and talked together on Monday.

Though he didn't know the exact nature of their relationship, it wasn't strange that Lee Sehoon knew about the Flame Wheel Slash if he was close to Yeom Sung-ha.

Whoosh!

The problem was the Flame Wheel Slash that Lee Sehoon was wielding.

Originally, the Flame Wheel Slash was a spear technique focused on firepower, designed to dominate a wide area and pressure the opponent. Therefore, if the opponent was also focused on firepower, it usually turned into a contest of strength.

‘Here it comes again…!’

Clang!

However, the Flame Wheel Slash that Lee Sehoon used narrowed the area of control with two short spears, increasing the density significantly.

As a result, Jake's plan to destroy the weapon through a contest of strength completely failed, and he couldn't regain the initial momentum, leading to a situation where he was consistently on the defensive.

“Huff!”

Whoosh!

The spear blade grazed just below his chin.

Thinking he had narrowly avoided it, the moment he did, Lee Sehoon's wrist, holding the spear shaft, rotated half a turn and pulled inward.

“Ugh?!”

Clang!

The blade of the Black Cross Spear grazed his neck.

Using the cross-shaped blade was a technique anyone could do, but executing it so sharply was a different story.

A blow that could have been fatal if it had broken through the defense. Realizing this, Jake's body stiffened for a moment, and during that gap, Lee Sehoon's attacks poured in relentlessly.

Whoosh! Clang! Boom!

The spear blade and shaft, along with the lingering afterimages, spewed flames and relentlessly pressured him. Despite being on the defensive, Jake's eyes shone as he fortified his defense.

‘There's still a chance…!’

The physical abilities Lee Sehoon was displaying were only temporary due to a skill. Evidence of this was the flame at the tip of his head gradually fading.

The moment the skill's effect wore off and his physical abilities dropped, he could turn the tide.

Jake fortified his defense, waiting for that moment, and Lee Sehoon inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘Tsk. He's caught on.’

At first, he kept countering, but suddenly focused on defense.

It seemed he had noticed the duration of the skill, and his posture became more stable, indicating a calm mind.

‘The top student of Akalcof isn't just a title, after all.’

If this continued, the moment the skill's effect ended, he would be counterattacked and lose. Confirming the change in the situation, Lee Sehoon checked his body's condition.

‘At least my body is moving well as expected.’

The Flame Wheel Slash he had learned directly from Guanggyeon before the regression. Back then, he had been scolded for his poor imitation, but now he could reproduce it, albeit clumsily.

The power of the Four Jade Stones absorbed through the Skill had adjusted his body to match it.

‘Then…’

Now, he needed to use proper ‘techniques’ rather than just basics. Making the decision, Lee Sehoon kicked Jake and leaped backward.

The distance that had closed widened again, and instead of chasing, Jake adjusted his posture and looked at Lee Sehoon.

“Planning to end it with the next move, I see.”

“Maybe?”

“What if I don't accept it?”

He had rushed in to end it quickly, but now that he knew a prolonged battle would be disadvantageous, there was no need to engage.

While considering fleeing until the skill's effect wore off, Jake watched as Lee Sehoon calmly replied.

“If you're scared, there's nothing I can do.”

“…What?”

“Akalcof's top student losing to Borshifa's top student twice is a bit much, isn't it? I understand your feelings, so do what you're comfortable with. I won't call you a coward.”

Lee Sehoon, with a slight smile, adjusted his posture.

Jake's eyes widened, and his face flushed, then turned pale as he felt his body grow cold.

Crack─

Had he ever been this calm despite being so angry?

Until now, he had swung his fists because of his sister's request and to receive the succession ritual again, but Jake felt the reason had changed.

‘Absolutely… I won't lose again…!’

The competitive spirit that had arisen since the day of his first defeat.

The first emotion he felt against an opponent of a similar age made Jake's eyes shine as he lowered his stance.

Creak─

Two fists at his waist.

His back bent, his head lowered, and only his elbows pointed upward.

Though it seemed completely unguarded, Lee Sehoon licked his dry lips, looking at him.

‘If he attacks half-heartedly, he'll be shattered.’

Though not visible externally, the momentum of the compressed mana inside the fists was alarming.

Impressed by Jake's grip strength, which exceeded his expectations, Lee Sehoon also adjusted his posture.

‘Right. Let's end it this time.’

Slightly lowering his two spears, Lee Sehoon crossed the spear blades vertically and summoned all his mana.

Whoosh─

The blood heated by the Skill and the fire-attribute mana, Hongryeon, surged through the pathways constructed by the Lingyan Divine Magic, racing through his body with terrifying momentum.

Even this much would be enough to knock out most of Akalcof's freshmen, but the opponent was the top student of the first year.

Therefore, to ensure victory, Lee Sehoon released the mana from the prayer beads on his right wrist and ankle.

‘Explosion.’

Sss─

Unlike usual, the dark-attribute mana was quietly absorbed into his body.

The ‘Black Dark Soul’ left by Yeom Sung-ha during training entered his body, and Lee Sehoon winced at the pain throughout his body.

“Guh…”

Receiving a mana attribute he didn't possess was a strictly prohibited action.

Not only was it inefficient, but the body, lacking the necessary mana circuits, could rebel, causing the mana to go berserk.

Thus, to others, Lee Sehoon's actions were tantamount to suicide.

‘A temporary pathway… It's been a while…!’

Naturally, there was a method he could use.

Squeal!

The metallic sound resonated within his body.

A hastily created path spread through Lee Sehoon's entire body, and he kicked the Black Dark Soul, which Hongryeon was eroding, into it.

“Suck…!”

Boom───!

Lingyan Divine Magic dissected a single body into dozens of parts.

To those encountering it for the first time, it seemed like a mad act, and indeed, pre-regression Lee Sehoon had struggled immensely to create even one path.

However, now he had a perfect understanding of how his body could be divided. In other words,

Whoosh!

There was no mana attribute Lee Sehoon couldn't handle.

The flames and darkness at the crossed spear tips. Having perfectly summoned the two mana attributes, Lee Sehoon took a deep breath and focused his eyes.

Whoosh─

The resonance of mana spread quietly, and the two men's breathing paused. At the moment when all the muscles and mana in their bodies were perfectly synchronized, all their strength converged.

Boom!

Kicking off the ground, they rushed at each other.

The distance closed in the blink of an eye. Just before the collision, Jake's legs suddenly stomped the ground.

Thud!

Simultaneously with the stomp, Jake's tightly clenched fists opened, and his palms pressed together in a prayer-like gesture.

“Guh…!”

Squeal───!

The extreme collision of compressed mana. Under the intense pressure, Jake slightly parted his touching fingertips to create an outlet.

Myers-style sword technique.

Blue Construction Light Silk.

A beam of light cut through the arena floor, swinging toward Lee Sehoon.

A blade of mana created by compressed mana. Though the technique was crude, with such a high compression rate, it could be considered a form of ‘sword qi.’

Instead of dodging the attack, Lee Sehoon lowered his stance further and gripped the spear shafts tightly.

‘A bit lower.’

Though it looked perfectly constructed, it was essentially a random release of compressed mana.

Finding the gap in the Light Silk, Lee Sehoon rotated his wrists and aimed at the two crossed spear blades simultaneously.

Flame Wheel Slash─Modified.

Dark Bright Crescent.

A red crescent chasing the darkness slashed the blue beam.

Boom!!!

The terrifying shockwave that erupted upon impact.

The protective barrier in the arena shattered more than halfway, and the emergency mechanism activated, enveloping the two men in a barrier several times thicker.

“…”

“…”

The two crossed spear blades aimed at Jake's neck and the clasped hands a foot away from Lee Sehoon's chest.

Without the barrier, both would have died simultaneously, with Jake's head severed and Lee Sehoon's chest pierced. In this ambiguous outcome, the two men calmly looked at each other.

“…I lost.”

Jake sighed deeply and withdrew the hand aiming at Lee Sehoon's chest.

[Your bond with ‘Jake Myers’ has been established.]

The bond formed with the declaration of defeat.

This indicated that Jake had properly acknowledged him through this sparring session, but Lee Sehoon looked at him with a puzzled expression rather than joy.

“A draw?”

Considering the hero-grade equipment and Aria's request, accepting defeat so readily was surprising.

To Lee Sehoon's question, Jake answered awkwardly.

“Well, I could argue for a draw, but…”

The two short spears that had moved slightly away from Jake's neck. Seeing the spears, Jake smiled bitterly.

“My weapon broke, so it's hard to call it a draw.”

While Jake's Light Silk was shattered, Lee Sehoon's two short spears were intact.

Thus, Jake accepted his defeat without insisting on a draw.

‘Besides, using Light Silk, I was already losing…’

Light Silk, a technique that could be called a ‘fatal move’ among Jake's skills.

He had used it at full power, a technique he had never shown to his peers at Akalcof, and still lost.

“…”

The frustration that sank deep into his heart, as intense as the boiling competitive spirit. Though he acknowledged his defeat, Jake's heart was not at ease.

‘If I had a sword…’

He wouldn't have given up the disadvantageous distance, and his weapon wouldn't have broken like just now.

Though some might call it unsightly, the lingering regret. As Jake looked down at his hands with a dejected expression,

“Do you have one question?”

Lee Sehoon, watching him, asked.

“Can't you use a sword?”

The strange feeling he had sensed during the previous sparring. He had thought it was just a mistake, but through this sparring, Lee Sehoon clearly understood the source of that feeling.

‘This guy was using sword techniques with his bare hands.’

It would be difficult for those unfamiliar with the Myers family's sword techniques to distinguish, but Lee Sehoon, who had analyzed them before the regression, could feel the difference.

‘A guy this skilled with sword techniques wouldn't deliberately avoid using a sword.’

There must be something he didn't know before the regression.

To Lee Sehoon's question, Jake was momentarily taken aback, then nodded with a bitter smile.

“There are some circumstances.”

“Did someone force you to stop…?”

“No, it's not that. I guess I'm just not proficient enough…”

Jake, rubbing his red, swollen hands with a bitter smile. Seeing this, Lee Sehoon understood the situation.

‘It's because of that grip strength.’

Abnormally strong grip strength, far beyond his physical abilities. This was likely the reason Jake insisted on inefficient combat methods.

“Anyway, since I lost the sparring, here's the hammer…”

“Hey, Jake.”

“Yeah?”

“Want me to make you a sword?”

“…What?”

Seeing Jake's surprised expression, Lee Sehoon slightly smiled.

“A sword you can use without breaking.”

This might quickly raise Jake's bond level to Lv.2.

Thinking this, Lee Sehoon smiled confidently.

[Your bond with ‘Ma Gwang-su’ has been established.]

“…Huh?”

He belatedly noticed Ma Gwang-su standing dazed at the entrance of the lecture hall.