## Chapter 114 – 114. The Pursuit Squad (4) – Edited 24.10.05
#114. The Pursuit Squad (4)
I wielded my sword, infused with Diamond Qi, pressing Mapae-seon. But he remained composed, deflecting all my attacks.
Seeing him not even break a sweat, as if enjoying a warm cup of tea, I realized the gap between us. He provoked me by blocking or catching attacks he could have easily dodged.
Each time, it felt like he was saying,
‘Swing a hundred, a thousand times, and your sword will never leave a scratch on me.’
Indeed, his hand, which had blocked my sword countless times, remained unscathed.
‘That monster of an old man…!’
The Hand Qi blooming from his hand blocked me. It was several times harder and sharper than the Sword Qi the assassin leader had unleashed with all his might.
My blurry Sword Qi couldn’t break through it.
But even knowing that, I couldn’t stop. I was forcibly squeezing out my damaged mana circuits and Qi channels. If I backed down here, there would be no turning back.
Using magic to harass him was impossible, and even if I could, it didn’t seem like magic below the 2nd Circle would harm him.
‘…Should I end the matching?’
No matter how I looked at it, that was the right decision.
But ending the matching here wouldn’t solve everything. Ultimately, to resolve this situation, I needed to become stronger than the demon in front of me, but I didn’t know how long that would take.
A year? Three years? Maybe even longer. Of course, I could shorten the time with the dating app, but even that wasn’t certain right now.
I gripped the sword hilt tightly. If I loosened my grip even a little, I felt like I would lose it. Mapae-seon knew my condition and didn’t rush in or try to stall for time.
It was humiliating, but it was also another opportunity. He was currently off guard.
‘If I can inflict internal injuries here, it’ll be easier later.’
Of course, it wasn’t strange for him to be off guard.
Extreme Mastery versus the verge of Transcendence. The difference in realms was clear, and I was already severely injured.
If I were him, I would think of me as someone I could subdue at any time. Thanks to that, I had one last chance.
I didn’t expect to inflict a fatal wound or kill him.
Woooooong-
My mana circuits were in turmoil. I felt like I would cough up blood from the internal injuries, but I gritted my teeth and swallowed it back. Even as my damaged Qi channels screamed, I drew internal energy from my dantian.
The fading Sword Qi flared up again. I surrounded myself with auxiliary magic using the remaining mana. Various spells, including strength enhancement and speed increase, gave power to my whole body.
[Berserk]
Finally, using Berserk made my stamina consumption even steeper.
My legs, which were already heavy as if weights were attached, were now so damaged that I couldn’t even feel them. I wasn’t even sure if I was sitting or standing.
Crack-
Instead, massive muscles swelled under my skin, and my body felt light, as if it could leap out at any moment.
[Thought Acceleration]
Everything except me slowed down.
There was no written manual for the Unparalleled Diamond Body Technique. It was an intangible legacy passed down from intention to intention.
The Unparalleled Diamond Body Technique manual implanted in my head could only be read by me, but not all of it was allowed to me.
I could see the Diamond Saint’s intention that I shouldn’t recklessly covet it because it was clearly beyond my current realm.
But to land a blow on an absolute master who freely used Diamond Qi, this was the only way.
I forcibly opened the unopened page of the Unparalleled Diamond Body Technique dormant in a corner of my mind.
-…Foolish one.
I heard the Diamond Saint’s voice in my head. But even he didn’t stop me. He knew it too. That there was no other way.
“Unparalleled” means that all things are empty and have no fixed form or appearance.
Everything in the world is a virtual image created by conditions, and there is no permanent entity.
Even so, if I could give a permanent entity, wouldn’t I, who creates a true image in a world of illusions, be able to become the new truth of that world?
Unparalleled Sword Technique – Infinity.
The Diamond Qi that started at my feet covered everything. Time and space expanded, and only I stood at the end.
“Hmm?!”
The Hand Qi surrounding his hand faded.
I drew out all the remaining mana. The Diamond Qi assisted the 부족한 mana. Qi channels coughed up blood. The mana and internal energy moving through the mana circuits and Qi channels accelerated repeatedly.
Unparalleled Sword Technique – Heavenly Light.
Kwarururung!!!!
Lightning cried out, and a streak of light cut through Mapae-seon. The earth trembled at the violence of the energy.
The golden Sword Qi penetrated the faded Hand Qi.
A single line connected.
Swish! There was a definite feeling unlike anything before.
“Cough…”
Crimson blood dripped down. The internal injuries I had suppressed until now doubled in size and burst.
With trembling hands, I took out holy water and poured it into my mouth. One bottle, two bottles. I drank all the remaining holy water.
“…You bastard.”
Thud, blood that wasn’t mine flowed onto the floor.
“Just what the hell are you?”
A long scar had formed on Mapae-seon’s palm, who looked confused. He stared at the blood dripping onto the floor, unable to believe it.
At first glance, the wound looked quite deep. Not only that, but blood was flowing from his lips. He must have forcibly drawn internal energy to respond to my unexpected attack.
“At best, you’re at the peak of Mastery. Someone who can’t even handle Diamond Qi piercing my Hand Qi and inflicting a wound is impossible even for those blessed by the stars. No, was that even martial arts in the first place?”
“…Your tongue’s gotten long. Getting scared?”
Ignoring the blood rising to my throat, I opened my mouth with difficulty. I had to buy time to recover somehow.
“Haha! Yes, you’re right. It’s been over a decade since I’ve felt this chilled to the bone! No one will believe what I experienced today, even if I told them. Who would believe that Bonno was humiliated by a child who hadn’t even reached Transcendence, let alone Grand Mastery? Especially when the opponent was a half-dead cripple.”
A chilling smile spread across Mapae-seon’s cold face. The murderous intent pressing down on the surroundings oppressed me.
‘…Is this the end?’
This was a more satisfying result than I imagined. Even an absolute master would be different if they were internally injured.
“It’s just a shallow scratch, but I acknowledge you as an enemy for breaking through Bonno’s Asura Qi.”
Woooooong!!!
An immense compression of Qi was felt from his clenched fist. The powerful demonic energy was shaking the earth.
If I got hit by that now, without being able to create a barrier, I would die instantly.
“Yeo-hwa!”
The voice, squeezed out with the last of my strength, echoed in the forest.
“I’ll be right back.”
“…I’ll be waiting.”
A faint smile bloomed on Chun Yeo-hwa’s lips as she pondered the meaning of my words for a moment.
‘End matching.’
My vision darkened.
[Matching has ended]
[Favorability change]
[Chun Yeo-hwa 87♡ → 99♡]
[Affinity Level change]
[Chun Yeo-hwa Lv.2 → Lv.4]
[Calculating…]
[3,000 Love Coins have been awarded]
[Remaining Coins: 3,980 Coins]
[Profile function has been newly reorganized]
[Update rewards have been paid. Please check your mailbox]
[Name: Chun Yeo-hwa
Age: 20 years old
Race: Human
Affiliation: AXZ-174
Occupation: Second Princess of the Heavenly Demon Church
Disposition: Cold, Cruel, Calculating, Pure Love, Jealousy (New)]
[Time remaining until rematching: 167:59:58]
[Would you like to register Yoo So-wol as a matching target?]
[Y/N]
“Ah, first, get rid of this.”
Returning to Earth, I pushed aside the countless screens that appeared before my eyes and immediately called an ambulance.
I was really going to die like this.
The ambulance arrived quickly and took me away. For reference, it wasn’t a hospital ambulance but a church ambulance. It would easily cost hundreds of millions, but I was planning to sell the Minotaur byproducts to the Seongbuk Choi family soon, so I wasn’t too worried.
***
“Hey, Kang Hyun-woo!”
Creak, bang! The person who roughly opened the hospital room door was none other than Choi Hye-na.
Her red hair was still impressive.
“You shouldn’t be running around like that in the church.”
“Don’t talk nonsense! What the hell are you doing that you’re always getting hurt!”
Choi Hye-na, who came in with an angry expression, was honestly a little scary. The fiercely rising mana was extremely rough.
I didn’t say anything and quietly looked at Choi Hye-na. I felt like I would get hit if I opened my mouth carelessly.
Of course, it was also true that Choi Hye-na looked particularly pretty today, so I couldn’t help but look at her.
“W-What is it… Staring at someone like that is embarrassing…”
“Did you come to visit me?”
“…We’re going to be engaged soon. Visiting is natural. Do you know how much the stock of the family’s businesses will fall if the reporters find out that we’re already having discord?”
“I know, I know.”
There was something wrong with Choi Hye-na’s words.
First of all, we had never officially announced our engagement. Therefore, there was no reason for reporters to follow us, and the stock price wouldn’t fall just because we were on bad terms.
The engagement ceremony was postponed until after graduating from the Magic Tower, so there was still a lot of time left.
“Thank you.”
“…If you’re thankful, don’t get hurt.”
Thump, Choi Hye-na placed a neatly packaged shopping bag on the bed.
“Oh, a gift? Can I open it?”
No answer came back, but I could see from her expression an unspoken coercion to open it quickly.
Carefully tearing open the wrapping, I couldn’t help but be surprised.
‘…This is?’
Ting-
[Information on the newly acquired item is being collected]
[Heavenly Moon Water (天月水)]
[Grade: Rare]
[This is a decoction made by a master of Heavenly Moon Flowers that bloom only at midnight on the day when the moonlight is strongest in 5 years]
[Effective in treating internal injuries]
The description said it was a decoction, but it was practically an elixir. Heavenly Moon Flowers only bloomed every 5 years in various places, so it wasn’t easy to obtain.
“I’m busy with research, so I’ll be going back. Drink that and get discharged quickly. Don’t forget that the Magic Tower’s semester is starting soon.”
With those words, Choi Hye-na ran out of the hospital room as if fleeing. I stared at her retreating figure for a moment, then drank the Heavenly Moon Water and meditated for a while.
‘Tsundere.’
In fact, my physical condition was almost back to normal. I had entrusted my treatment to a bishop-level priest at a high price from the Seongbuk Choi family. That alone would have cost billions, but now they were even giving me an elixir as a gift.
I should prepare a proper reward soon.
“Hoo…”
Having taken the Heavenly Moon Water, I got up from the bed. Thanks to that, I was able to completely shake off even the subtle aftereffects that remained.
I brought up the screen that had been occupying a corner of my vision since yesterday.
Ting-
[Would you like to register Yoo So-wol as a matching target?]
[Y/N]
Following Choi Hye-na, even Yoo So-wol. It seemed like everyone I had shared a body with would appear.
“…But if that’s the case, why isn’t Noel showing up?”
I pondered for a while, but no suitable answer came to mind. I decided to ask her next time I had a reason to call her and roughly brushed it off.
[Y]
[Name: Yoo So-wol
Age: 20 years old
Race: Human
Affiliation: AXZ-174
Occupation: Second Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect
Disposition: Pure, Attention-Deficient, Desire for Childbirth]
[Favorability change]
[Yoo So-wol 0♡ → 75♡]
[Affinity Level change]
[Yoo So-wol Lv.0 → Lv.2]
[You cannot earn coins from relationships with the opposite sex that you did not meet through the Otherworld Dating App]
