Chapter 87: The Technique of the Reincarnated

The Technique of Dual Slaughter

Ma Guangshu created this new technique based on the sword method of Chojian, and as its simple name suggests, its structure was also straightforward.

It involved observing the opponent and instinctively exploiting their attacks and weaknesses. It was a kind of automatic attack, where both offense and evasion were carried out subconsciously.

However, it was a stubborn technique that could easily lead to one's death if one lacked experience or observational skills.

*Thud!*

For Yi Sehoon, who had always focused on performing every action efficiently, there was no more suitable technique.

‘Tricks...!’

Seeing Yi Sehoon break through the net and charge across the lake, Willi was taken aback but quickly changed his attack method.

*Crack!*

Once again, tree roots surged up from beneath the water.

The trajectory itself was extremely simple, but the real attack was the 'lotus stems' entangled around them.

*Bang!*

The lotus stems whipped out in all directions like whips.

Although their power was weaker than the tree roots, they could create footholds or collide with each other to create openings, and most importantly, their power was just right.

‘No matter how great his breakthrough ability, there must be a limit to his stamina.’

Lotus stems of this level could regenerate instantly even if cut, but a single touch from Yi Sehoon would cause his posture to waver or stiffen.

In reality, he would have to fight dozens or hundreds of people alone. If he exhausted himself and his physical abilities returned to normal, he could be easily subdued.

Just as Willi was confident in his strategy,

*Whoosh!*

Yi Sehoon's body broke through the lotus stems in the blink of an eye.

By slightly moving his head, shoulders, and other parts of his body, he dodged attacks by mere millimeters, and when it was impossible to avoid, he only cut a few of them.

*Swish—*

The lotus stems, cut in half or curved, bent in the direction Yi Sehoon wanted and entangled with each other, creating a path for him to pass through.

Stunned by the unbelievable sight, Willi gaped in shock.

‘He predicted... all of my attacks?’

His movements were so precise that it seemed as if he was guiding Yi Sehoon's movements.

Not only did he dodge the attacks, but he also predicted the phenomena caused by his own attacks. Willi couldn't even guess how many moves ahead he was thinking.

*Swish!*

Breaking through the lotus stems, Yi Sehoon cut one of the tree roots and began running along it.

At the end, he released mana from his feet and leaped.

*Boom!!!*

Yi Sehoon's body shot toward the Sacred Tree like an arrow.

*Thud!*

The blade of the Five-Colored Flower Sword easily pierced the body of the Sacred Tree, which was harder than steel. The cutting power surprised Willi for a moment, but he quickly understood the situation and smiled.

‘Stupid boy. What do you think you can do with that...’

No matter how sharp the sword, the size difference couldn't be ignored. Yi Sehoon's sword was far too short to cut through the Sacred Tree, which spanned dozens of meters.

*Crack*

Instead of retreating, Yi Sehoon clenched his teeth and, while holding the Five-Colored Flower Sword in reverse, refined a sword within his body.

Thousand Insect Sword (淺充劍) White Light (白光)

A bright white flash burst from the Five-Colored Flower Sword.

Confirming that the tip of the blade, which had felt sluggish, was now free, Yi Sehoon started running with all his might.

*Crack!*

Yi Sehoon climbed the Sacred Tree as if running on a wall, leaving a trail on its surface.

Confused by this incomprehensible action, Willi pulled out a new attack method.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Lotus stem spears pierced through the tree bark and shot toward Yi Sehoon.

Although it was difficult to dodge them at such close range, Yi Sehoon continued running, relying on the durability of the supply cloak wrapped around his body.

He drew the path that would cut across the Sacred Tree, identifying the weak points that would sever the mana circuits.

*Boom!*

Yi Sehoon burst the flames of the Five-Colored Flower Sword to signal Jake.

*Thud—!*

While Yi Sehoon drew attention, Jake, who had approached stealthily, rushed forward and poured all his mana into the Radiant Sword.

*Crack*

The massive greatsword, with a blade at least 3 meters long.

Jake's eyes focused on the wound Yi Sehoon had carved, imagining the maximum power he could unleash.

Just once.

Even if he couldn't kill it, if he could disrupt the mana flow for a moment, the fog covering the flood area would dissipate.

Then, Professor Kasar and the other faculty members would come to their rescue.

‘I have to succeed.’

If there was a moment when he absolutely had to succeed, it was now.

With his heart pounding wildly, Jake clenched his teeth and gripped the handle of the Radiant Sword even tighter.

*Snap*

A sound he shouldn't have heard echoed in his ears.

*Crash!*

Blue fragments scattered in all directions. The blade, filled with all his mana, shattered before he could even swing it.

Jake's eyes widened in shock, and time seemed to slow down.

‘Why...’

He had to succeed, he couldn't fail, so why did this happen?

Why couldn't his subconscious draw out his power?

In the flood of thoughts that rushed through his mind, Jake was swept away.

*Thud!*

A burning pain in his shoulder, and his body moved reflexively.

*Boom!!*

A lotus stem spear narrowly missed him.

Reacting instinctively to the attack, Jake looked up in surprise.

‘This is...’

Yi Sehoon, who had thrown a dagger to help him dodge the attack.

Despite being wounded and bleeding, Yi Sehoon continued to block the spears shooting up from below, protecting Jake.

Seeing this, Jake remembered the role Yi Sehoon had entrusted to him.

‘Swing with all your might.’

Whether the blade broke or his mana was insufficient, the only thing he had to do now was that.

Realizing this again, Jake clenched his teeth and ran forward.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Ignoring the spears that narrowly missed him, he poured all the remaining mana in his body into the Radiant Sword, forming the base of the blade.

*Hum!*

But compared to before, the size was ridiculously small. It was far too inadequate to cut through the Sacred Tree or contain all his power.

‘I need some other material...’

Besides the crystals created by mana, was there something else he could compress?

*Tap—*

A sound of something falling reached Jake's ears, and his gaze shifted downward.

Blood flowing from his shoulder, mixing with the lake water. The sight made Jake's eyes widen.

“Huff...!”

Holding the tip of the Radiant Sword, now encrusted with crystals, underwater, he ran with all his might.

*Crack!*

The incomplete blade cutting through the water. Looking at the blue light shining beneath, Jake poured all his strength into his hands.

*Thump, thump, thump—*

Even if his heart burst, his body shattered, or the Radiant Sword broke, he no longer cared.

All the strength that made up Jake was compressed into his hands for the first time.

*Crack—!*

A blue star shining underwater. Jake pulled out the newly formed Radiant Sword with all his might from the lake.

Sunny Radiance (晴暉星)

A blue light spanning dozens of meters cut through everything.

The blinding flash. Feeling a sense of fulfillment at the tip of his fingers, Jake turned his gaze to his sword rather than the enemy he had cut.

*Hum!*

A massive sword, formed by drawing in the lake water, and the clear blue sword aura enveloping it.

“...It's done.”

With a tired smile, Jake looked at the scene.

*Crack!*

The Sacred Tree, split in half along the path, slowly collapsed.

*Whoosh!*

The broken Sacred Tree created a massive wave as it fell into the lake.

An enormous current that could sweep away all nearby trees. When the aftermath subsided, two shadows rose from the water's surface.

“Phew! Huff... Huff...”

“Cough! Cough!”

Yi Sehoon, catching his breath, and Jake, coughing and spitting out water. Both were too weak to stand on the water's surface and were swept away by the current.

“Are you alive?”

“Just barely...”

His heart felt squeezed, and the rest of his body was drained of strength, making it hard to move.

He felt so numb that he couldn't even think clearly, as if he had poured out all his strength.

‘Is this my full power...’

The sense of exhaustion was so intense that he felt he might die, but on the other hand, he felt a sense of relief for having poured out so much.

Floating on the lake, Jake gazed blankly at the sky, where the fog still lingered.

“Hey, snap out of it. It's not over yet.”

Yi Sehoon, who was floating beside him, slapped Jake's cheeks.

“It's not over...?”

“What we just cut off was like its limbs. The core is probably still intact.”

“What do you mean...”

Jake, who had assumed it was defeated, looked at him with a bewildered expression.

*Crack!*

From the debris of the fallen Sacred Tree, a massive lotus bud rose with its stem.

The leaves, half of which were black, unfolded, and a giant eye in the center glared at the two.

[Damage rate 95%... Flood control impossible... Spatial ability unusable... Nutrients needed...]

The alien voice echoing in his mind. Realizing it came from the lotus, Jake's eyes widened.

‘It can use language?’

Even among monsters of the same rank, the danger level could vary greatly depending on their abilities and intelligence.

Realizing the monster in front of him was not ordinary, Jake tried to move by forcibly accelerating his blood flow.

“What are you doing?

Yi Sehoon, who was floating beside him, poked Jake's body, forcing his blood flow to slow down.

“You need to attack or defend when it's glaring at you like that!”

“I don't have the strength. Don't push yourself, just stay still. The fog is gone.”

“...The fog is gone?”

Jake, surprised by Yi Sehoon's casual tone, looked up at the sky.

The thick fog covering the sky. Realizing it was slightly murkier than before,

*Thud—*

A massive greatsword emerged from the smoke and pierced the lotus's body.

[——!!!]

The scream echoing in his ears and the lotus's stems writhing in pain. Jake's eyes widened as he looked at the greatsword that had fallen from the sky.

A rectangular blade with a dull gray color and a black handle, cracked like charcoal.

“Gray Smoke (灰煙)...”

The legendary sword made by the 'Starfire Artisan' Li Kensai, recognizing Kasar's talent and character.

Jake was stunned by its sudden appearance when Yi Sehoon looked up at the sky with a smile.

“An S-rank hero wouldn't just sit around.”

*Crack—*

The smoke covering the sky churned and soon transformed into the shape of a sword, falling across the flood area.

*Crack!*

The main technique of the Smoke Army Sword Kasar, 'Smoke Rain (煙天雨).'

Spreading smoke through the Gray Smoke and adjusting its shape to deliver a wide-ranging bombardment, it was a highly precise and powerful technique.

[An——... Life—... Continues—...]

*Crack!*

Dozens of greatswords fell on the core of the Sacred Tree, which was still regenerating and resisting, completely subduing it. Seeing this, Jake muttered softly.

“Did we defeat it...?”

The spell that could revive the dead.

But despite its fame, there was no more sound in his ears.

“We defeated it.”

The Sacred Tree had completely fallen.