## Chapter 2733 – 2733. Dragon Hunter
A battle broke out. But the only ones fighting are me, Baek Jeong-su, Hite-ra, and Artoligue.
This was prearranged. We’re doing this to take over the Association, so we can’t use the Association’s forces. If hunters die, the Association can’t be maintained. Baek Jeong-su implicitly agreed to this as well.
They were spectators and breakwaters at the same time. They would protect the city from the aftermath of me and Baek Jeong-su clashing.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Swords push against each other. But neither side easily gives way.
‘Judging by strength alone, he’s about on par with me.’
He didn’t just get the title of the best dragon hunter for nothing. Baek Jeong-su is strong.
‘Let’s see what the Sword Emperor’s swordsmanship is like.’
I release the strength in my sword. The blades are facing each other. Naturally, my sword begins to be pushed back. Before I’m completely pushed back, I redirect Baek Jeong-su’s force and deflect the blade. The crossed swords fall away.
Fwoosh!
Red lightning crackles from the blade of the Hwaryeon Bido. White magic flows from Baek Jeong-su’s body.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Thunder Flash (雷光).
The red trail touched Baek Jeong-su’s shoulder. But Baek Jeong-su’s white magic gathered, forming a protective barrier like a body shield. The Thunder Flash bounced off, and I retreated three steps from the recoil.
‘The durability and recoil are higher than the body shield I use. It’s probably because of Baek Jeong-su’s ability.’
Baek Jeong-su’s ability is Amplification. It’s the ability to amplify magic output, physical strength, speed, reflexes, and senses by consuming magic power.
Baek Jeong-su clearly amplified his body shield just now.
‘I could end it in an instant if I opened my Domain. The problem is, the Hwaryeon Bido’s Domain isn’t charged. I could go to reality or another world to charge it, but… is there really a need?’
I didn’t think I would lose to Baek Jeong-su even without a Domain.
Baek Jeong-su swings his sword. My stance is broken, so blocking and countering is out of the question. Evasion is the best option.
[Using Acceleration. Duration: 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 11]
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 10]
Swish.
The sword cuts through the air. But a sharp wind is generated, scraping my body. I’m basically strengthening my body with magic power as well, so it’s not enough damage to draw blood. It’s just like lightly scratching the skin with a fingernail.
‘Aside from the damage, it’s unpleasant.’
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).
Overwhelming with speed.
It was the moment I was trying to regain my stance. Baek Jeong-su’s speed increased. I lost my turn. I hurriedly raised my sword to block Baek Jeong-su’s continuous strikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each time I blocked a strike, a shockwave exploded like a bomb. Little by little, damage accumulated on my body.
‘Did he amplify his overall physical abilities through Amplification? …Even so, he’s keeping up with my speed using Gale Lightning and Acceleration this easily? The effect of Amplification is more than I expected. If not….’
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 9]
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 8]
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 7]
I used Instant three times in a row to create distance between me and Baek Jeong-su. I needed to break Baek Jeong-su’s momentum. The one with the momentum has the advantage in battle. If the momentum is good, you can exert more power than usual. Of course, the opposite is also true.
I looked at my right hand holding the sword. My hand was numb.
Through a short exchange lasting less than a minute, I acknowledged that Baek Jeong-su’s potential was considerable.
“Hey. Were you always this strong? At this rate, you wouldn’t even be able to face the vice-chairman. Weren’t you not this strong before?”
“It’s because of you. I ate the Dragon Hearts and Dragon Heart Blood that I was supposed to give to my disciples for this battle.”
“If you just eat them without any plan, the efficiency will be the worst. Your disciples are pitiful.”
“It’s for the future of my disciples. I have to prevent the future where you win, don’t I?”
“Ah. Annoying.”
Doesn’t that mean this bastard ate all the Dragon Hearts and Dragon Heart Blood that I was going to become the Association President and take? Rage welled up, and I charged straight at Baek Jeong-su.
At first glance, it would look like I’m recklessly rushing in like a moth to a flame. The white magic surrounding Baek Jeong-su’s body intensifies. Judging by his stance, he seems to be trying to block my attack with a body shield and counterattack.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Thunder Gale Blade (雷罡刃).
The blade of lightning overlaid on the sword blade aims for Baek Jeong-su’s neck. If he’s trusting that body shield of his, this fight will end here.
Baek Jeong-su swung his sword first. No, he threw it. The giant sword flies towards my head. The magic power contained within was extraordinary.
‘That Sword Emperor bastard!’
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 6]
I had no choice but to use Instant to avoid it.
Immediately after, the impact felt in my abdomen sent my body flying upwards, stopping in mid-air. I stepped on a foothold made of magic power and straightened my body.
Hite-ra and Artoligue fighting outside the city can be seen. Light flashes, space is cut off, and shockwaves scatter the clouds. The mages were fighting.
Looking down, I saw Baek Jeong-su picking up the sword he threw.
“Is it because of the name Sword Emperor? Many people think that I would never let go of my sword. It’s a kind of prejudice. A sword is just a sword, after all.”
“That’s right. A sword is just a sword.”
I threw the Hwaryeon Bido containing lightning at Baek Jeong-su. The red sword fell like lightning. Whether he didn’t expect me to throw my sword out of the blue, Baek Jeong-su, startled, widened his eyes and raised his sword to block it.
It was the moment I disappeared from Baek Jeong-su’s sight.
[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 5]
[Using Lightning Leap.]
I appeared above Baek Jeong-su’s head, who was blocking the Hwaryeon Bido. His eyes turned upwards, identifying me. As I clenched my fist, I felt a sense of relief. He must think that a normal fist wouldn’t be able to break his body shield.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Thunder Wave Suppression (霹波鎭).
I gathered all the power in my body into one fist and struck Baek Jeong-su’s body shield.
The body shield shattered. No, it would be more accurate to say it was severed.
‘A body shield is ultimately a barrier created by the flow of magic power. If you cut off that flow, you can break it as easily as breaking glass with a glass breaker.’
My fist landed squarely on Baek Jeong-su’s face.
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
He spat out blood and teeth from his mouth, rolled twice on the ground, and then stood up abruptly.
“You didn’t let go of your sword this time?”
“…Your abilities are admirable the more I see them. But the same attack as just now won’t work twice.”
Baek Jeong-su charged. I also grabbed the Hwaryeon Bido and faced him. Once again, the blades crossed. I decided to focus on this sword fight.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Crossing swords and exploding shockwaves.
On the surface, it seems like me and Baek Jeong-su are evenly matched.
But we, the parties involved, are feeling it. The victory in this battle has tilted towards my side.
At first, it was equal. It seemed that way because my and Baek Jeong-su’s physical abilities seemed similar. But as time passed, the difference in skill became apparent.
I easily became accustomed to Baek Jeong-su’s swordsmanship. It couldn’t be helped. From my perspective, Baek Jeong-su’s swordsmanship was exceedingly simple. Baek Jeong-su’s sword is heavy and sharp, but it lacked profundity.
To me, who sparred with Wi Yu like eating rice in the [Radiant Ascension Path] world, Baek Jeong-su’s martial arts were completely visible.
“…I knew it, but I can only admire your swordsmanship. If this were a sparring match instead of a duel, I would have admitted defeat a long time ago.”
“Your swordsmanship is specialized in fighting dragons, not humans.”
“I am a dragon hunter, after all.”
Deflect when he comes in strong.
Don’t engage when he comes in honestly.
Deceive when he tries to mix.
Break through when he tries to deceive.
Overwhelming difference in skill.
Baek Jeong-su continued the battle while sweating profusely. As the exchanges lengthened, the number of wounds etched on Baek Jeong-su’s body increased.
Body shield? Baek Jeong-su didn’t have the leeway for that. The reason Baek Jeong-su is holding on now is because he’s using all the magic power he would use for a body shield for Amplification, barely holding on.
On the other hand, unlike the beginning, I had no room for danger.
“Damn it…!”
Feeling impatient, Baek Jeong-su swung his sword greatly. A strike bigger than any strike he had shown so far flew towards me. A strike that could instantly cut off a dragon’s head.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Thunder Gale Blade (雷罡刃).
In comparison, I unleashed a strike that wasn’t even 1 meter long. The Thunder Gale Blade lightly shattered Baek Jeong-su’s strike and disappeared into the air.
“A strike isn’t good just because it’s big. What’s important is density.”
Baek Jeong-su gritted his teeth and glared at me.
“Looking at you makes me feel like my entire life is being denied. The miserable feeling of the things I’ve built up over the past decades of wielding a sword collapsing…. You must think I’m ridiculous and insignificant. I’m really envious of your talent.”
“Talent? Ah. I guess you could see it that way.”
To be honest, it doesn’t make sense that my skill is inferior to Baek Jeong-su’s in the first place. Putting aside the fact that the martial arts of this world are terrible, Baek Jeong-su and I have a difference in the years we’ve held and wielded a sword. If we were to compete in martial arts without other variables, it wouldn’t make sense for me to lose.
“It’s true that you seem ridiculous and insignificant. If you had submitted to me from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“…Gwangroe. I have one last request. Please spare my disciples and Vice-Chairman Seok Un-jae.”
“Why would I? When purging, you have to purge thoroughly. Don’t leave any room for doubt. Your disciples and Seok Un-jae will follow right behind you. It’s fortunate for you that you won’t be lonely even in death? Heh heh.”
“Gwangroe…!!!”
Baek Jeong-su exploded with anger and used Amplification. Pure white magic exploded out, and his muscles swelled up to the point where his skin couldn’t withstand it and tore. He amplified his body and magic power to the limit.
Knowing that he can’t kill me with technique, he’s trying to kill me with pure strength alone.
In other words, it’s his last struggle.
‘Anger is good. It can temporarily exceed the limits of strength.’
I can feel tremendous power from Baek Jeong-su’s sword. If he were to swing that sword, he could cut down even Mount Tai.
‘But it extremely narrows his vision. No matter how dangerous an attack is, it’s nothing if it doesn’t hit. It would work on Baek Jeong-su right now.’
Baek Jeong-su charges with a scream. I didn’t avoid it and walked forward.
Baek Jeong-su swung his sword. Part of the city is cut, and the ground is split by the aftermath. But he couldn’t cut me.
Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Blue Stream (碧溪).
A trick using footwork. Baek Jeong-su’s sword, which had lost its sense of distance, grazed past me. From Baek Jeong-su’s perspective, he must have cut my afterimage.
Belatedly, Baek Jeong-su made a face as if he had suddenly realized something, but it was too late. The red blade cut through Baek Jeong-su’s neck.
Thud.
I grabbed the loot rolling on the floor in my hand.
