Editor: Cherish
— Do you need strength? — There was a rough voice in his head.
Si Hoon intuitively guessed it was the voice of Musin's spirit, Jeon Tae Hwan.
'I want it!'
He had no reason to doubt it. Nor did he have the time.
Si Hoon decided that even if he was going to die today, he would have to get Musin's power by all means.
Together with the sound of a notice, a frame warning appeared before his eyes.
[You've received the power of Musin Jeon Tae Hwan]
['Container' isn't full, you only receive part of the power.]
(Editor's Note: From our translations it said 'bowl,' I prefer vessel or container, not sure what the correct English equivalent term should really be.)
Too busy to read all the notices now, he felt powerful energy bursting in his body.
There was so much power that at some point he even worried if it would blow him up..
The guy made an agonizing groan.
To endure the pain, he strongly bit down on his lip.
At last came the moment he'd been waiting for with all his heart.
That's why the pain he was enduring was nothing compared to what he'd been expecting for so long.
His veins began to protrude his skin, and his body flushed red.
The pain made everything before his eyes white.
'I must endure.'
Si Hoon looked at Yeong Hoon with his burning eyes.
The suffering and mockery he'd endured continued to spin in his head.
Compared to all the mental suffering he had experienced so far, this physical pain was nothing.
[Learning the Ultimate Dragon's Rapid Strike]
[Dragon Strike and Dragon Walk]
[Learning the first step, applying changes]
Information about learning particular abilities began to pop up in his head.
He was naturally learning how to control this explosive power.
With all his strength, the guy raised his sword and directed it at Kim Yeong Hoon.
— Kim Yeong Hoon! — An angry scream came out of Si Hoon's mouth.
Managing his power, Si Hoon used Dragon's Walk and rushed towards Yeong Hoon.
— That's… what the hell is that?! — Yeong Hoon screamed with a bewildered expression when he saw the guy who was on the brink of death suddenly gain great power.
He quickly raised his sword and prepared to repel Si Hoon's attack with swift moves.
Si Hoon's sword was shrouded in a haze of light as if a snake had escaped his rival's weapon and walked across his chest.
He easily cut through the high-end armor that Yeong Hoon was wearing.
Screaming in agonizing pain, scarlet blood poured from his chest.
— Bastard!!! — Yeong Hoon, who was full of hatred, started waving his sword around non-stop.
Thanks to the high-class outfit and high level, the edge of his sword began to gather strong energy.
— Ah… — Si Hoon, after being struck by the sword, moved back a bit.
Even with Musin's strength, he couldn't beat the Player 30 units ahead of him in level.
'But…' Si Hoon's eyes sparkled sharply.
Si Hoon was behind him in both strength and speed, but there was something in which Yeong Hoon was worse at.
The art of fighting.
The perfect sword technique he possesses.
This technique is the only way he can surpass Yeong Hoon.
'Dragon Punch No. 3 with a sword!'
The knowledge about this technique was passed on from Musin Jeon Tae Hwan first to the guy's head and then scattered over his body.
Yeong Hoon wrapped himself in a white shroud on all sides, so he couldn't see anything beyond his nose.
Si Hoon's sword pierced through the veil, throwing back his opponent.
— Why… why can a Level 20 Player throw me back?! — Yeong Hoon yelled, unable to accept what was happening.
This couldn't be happening. But it was, and it was happening to him right now.
He didn't have any experience in fights or knowledge about any techniques.
The only reason he was stronger than Si Hoon was because of his expensive equipment and high level.
— Ahh! — Yeong Hoon was reaching his limit, choking on shame for being unable to defend against Si Hoon's strikes.
With the logic of 'if I die, you should too,' Young Hoon threw himself at the guy with a crazy look.
But with such a reckless attack, it was now impossible to defeat or even hit Si Hoon, who had gained Musin's power.
At that moment, Si Hoon realized he had a great opportunity and pulled his sword to Yeong Hoon's neck.
'Victory!' His eyes shone brightly with hope.
But before the sword could touch Yeong Hoon's neck, the air around them darkened and there was an obstacle.
The guy who'd come with Yeong Hoon.
He countered Si Hoon's attack with a double-sided axe, and then pushed him back.
After receiving a powerful blow to his chest, dark blood flowed from Si Hoon's mouth.
— Ugh, what were you doing before?! — Yeong Hoon yelled at the guy now standing next to him, who was recently ordered not to interfere.
Even though he was unjustly accused, his expression didn't change a bit and he bowed deeply to Yeong Hoon.
— Excuse me, Deputy.
— Hurry… chop him up and bring him to me!
— Yes. — The man nodded his head without hesitation once he received the order.
His name was Jong Myung Ho.
He was one of the few talented players in the Mir Guild, and also the chief guard.
Myung Ho, who was the same size as Dae Su, had a double-sided axe with which he rushed to Si Hoon.
— If you come with us, we'll leave one of your hands intact.
— What nonsense… — Si Hoon bled as he stood up, leaning on his sword.
But Si Hoon himself was also aware that he couldn't defeat the big guy coming at him.
[Your internal organs are severely damaged]
[If you do not take action, your condition will deteriorate]
The system's warnings intervened with Si Hoon's thoughts.
Collapsing, he knelt on one knee.
'No matter what, I can't win?' There was a huge wall of 30 levels between him and Yeong Hoon that he couldn't overcome.
No, in fact, he couldn't even reach that wall to begin with.
— Let's face it. — Myung Ho was getting closer and closer to the guy. — In the end, you're weaker than our deputy. —
The words he said so confidently cut Si Hoon's heart like a sharp knife.
But it was true.
No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grab onto Yeong Hoon.
From the beginning, this path was too complicated and long.
— Oh… — A sad tear rolled down Si Hoon's cheek.
He remembered the face of his mother who had been abandoned by Kim Jae Hyun.
'I'm sorry I gave birth to you,' the words spoken by his weeping mother after that man left their house.
'I'm sorry I gave birth to you…' — is there anything more painful in this world than those words?
But he couldn't deny her words, because he hasn't found a single reason for his existence.
His existence is filled with pain; there hasn't been a single moment of happiness.
— I'm sorry, guys… — Si Hoon said, shivering as he bowed his head to Han Sol, Dae Su, and Eun Bi.
Though they'd only met a short while ago, they were his first and only friends.
He felt responsible for putting them in this situation, and sorry that he could not protect them.
— You have to admit, pain is a feeling only the weak have, — Myung Ho said as he swung his axe.
Si Hoon turned his head towards the large man approaching him. The axe pointed at his leg was already swinging through the air.
— Ah… — Si Hoon quickly shut his eyes.
When he imagined that his leg was about to be cut off, fear began to take hold of his mind.
There was a rattle of metal, followed by Jong Myung Ho's scream.
Si Hoon slowly opened his eyes.
Someone's back was right in front of him.
— Huh. Wonderful words. — Kang Yu nodded thoughtfully with a self-assured smile on his face, easily pushing Myung Ho's axe aside.
— Kang Yu…? — Si Hoon uttered in surprise, staring at the guy who came out of nowhere.
Kang Yu turned his head slightly to look back at him, and calmly said:
— Let's leave the explanations for later. Get some rest. Han Sol, help Si Hoon.
— Ah… yes! — Han Sol nodded her head.
After not seeing Kang Yu for so long, her face reflected both joy and discouragement.
— You're from Hwaran…? — Myung Ho cautiously asked, keeping his eyes on the guy.
Of course, they knew very well that the government was investigating the Devil's Teachers.
Considering that the government hasn't been acting out lately, waiting for the right time, there was a good chance the man who just appeared was one of their employees.
— If so, do you think I'd come alone?
— Well, in that case…
— You and I are not so close to be asking so many questions. You'd better start attacking.
Myung Ho, with a rigid expression on his face, lifted his axe from the ground.
Kang Yu was right.
In this situation, empty conversation was pointless.
— In that case, I'll make you talk.
— Ha-ha-ha. That's great. That's the right attitude to have. — Kang Yu flashed a bloodthirsty smile and pulled his hands forward. — Come, attack. —
Kang Yu's cheeky behavior caused Myung Ho's expression to falter.
He put power into his arm with the axe and blue energy from Maryok began to envelop him.
Unlike Myung Ho who was preparing for a furious attack, Kang Yu lazily stood, waiting with his arms crossed on his chest.
'This self-righteous bastard.' Myung-ho looked at the relaxed guy with hatred and dissatisfaction, who wasn't even preparing for the fight. 'Last time, he was just lucky.'
This time, he won't get off so easily.
Myung Ho picked up his sword full of Maryok and rushed to Kang Yu.
The axe, shrouded in bright blue light, was aimed at the guy's throat.
Kang Yu slowly raised one hand at the axe flying towards him.
'Crazy!'
Without any protection, he was going to stop the two sided-axe with his bare hands.
Everything has a limit, even madness.
He watched, waiting for the axe flying to Kang Yu to cut him in half.
— What?!
The axe he'd put all his power into was easily stopped by Kang Yu.
— What was it that you said earlier? Oh, I remember now.
The axe caught by the guy started bending right in his hands.
With a charming smile, he continued:
— Was it… pain is a feeling that only weak people are entitled to? — Kang Yu nodded his head, licking his lips. — I agree with you completely. —
The axe fell to the ground, flattened like it was squashed under a press.