62 – The Uninhabited Graveyard (2)
Lian stared at the man, gripping the dagger in reverse.
He had never faced a spear user before. Even when he recalled his past life experiences, it was the same. But he knew what kind of weapon a spear was. It was a weapon capable of overwhelming reach, swinging, thrusting, slashing, and throwing, based on its overwhelming reach.
On the other hand, this is a dagger. While its attack speed is fast, it is not the ideal weapon against a spear.
Unless it’s a surprise attack.
‘But it’s better than bare fists.’
The reason for choosing the dagger was precisely that.
The initiative lies with the opponent. If he dives into the spear’s range, it might be advantageous, but the opponent is likely aware of that.
“…….”
Silence flows. In the moment when faint gunfire echoes through the thick fog, the man’s silhouette moves.
Shwaaack!
The spear blade shoots straight. Lian takes a step back, exhaling a shallow breath, then twists the dagger to deflect the attack.
Saaak!
The serpent-like bent spear blade strikes toward Lian’s neck. It might not be avoidable, but it’s enough to surprise Lian.
Lian twists his head completely backward. Without retrieving the spear, the man immediately sprays a volley.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Dozens of attacks come rushing with the wind, densely packed without any gaps.
Lian gathers magic to the lower part of his body, then explodes it, leaping backward.
He avoids what can be avoided and deflects what cannot with the dagger. Flames burst each time the leaping spear collides with the dagger.
‘… I didn’t see it wrong.’
The spear blade isn’t bending, but among the attacks, there are things that twist like snakes. If he hadn’t reached the 5th tier, the man’s attacks would have decided the outcome with just that assault.
Is it an illusion due to the fog? No. Lian trusts his senses.
‘Can he dodge that?’
The man’s eyebrows twitched. The unfolding sword dance was flawless just now. However, Lian not only refrained from using the proper technique but dismantled the sword dance with mere movements.
“Is he trying to hide his swordsmanship by acting rebellious?”
Lian didn’t think he hadn’t learned martial arts. Since the sword dance inherently mixed false and real moves, understanding martial arts was essential to dismantle it.
Lian was unaware of this fact. Even if he knew something about spear techniques, it wouldn’t have made much difference. When an attack comes, dodge it. If you can’t dodge, block it. Amidst numerous attacks, discern the ‘real’ one.
Lian only repeated that process.
It was an impossible task, but it wasn’t applicable to Lian.
The man looking down at Lian twisted his lips.
“It seems you have the skill to babble without any manners.”
“…”
Lian remained silent. His mind was filled with the spear moves the man had unleashed.
“If an adult asks… you should answer!”
Kuung!
The man lifted his right foot and kicked the ground. In the charged aura, mist exploded and surged backward.
What followed was the spear that had been soaring towards the sky, now descending towards Lian.
Can’t block that. Lian quickly made a decision.
Pajijijik!
Twisting the flow of the brainwaves, he forcibly slammed it into his body and then accelerated his body.
The spear blade narrowly grazed by. However, as if the man had anticipated it, he halted the spear in mid-air and then thrust the blade directly towards Lian.
Koong!
It was not a downward strike from the beginning, but a thrust.
“Ha.”
Indeed, it was no illusion. The window seemed alive. How was that possible? Rian chuckled dryly, crossing his arms.
Shuhaaa!
Through the surging mist like an explosion, Rian’s figure emerged.
“……”
The man closed his mouth.
It was an attack infused with thirty percent of his inner strength. Yet, Rian effortlessly blocked the attack with just a small dagger. Nothing was spilled. It was thanks to the unique sensation felt when he fully pulled back the spear.
But it wasn’t a mere defensive maneuver. He blocked it purely with strength and skill.
“Hiding like this?”
The more he concealed, the more intriguing it became.
The man smirked, pulling up his inner strength. The blade stained with blood quickly turned red.
[Blood Bloom]
If this were the Eastern Continent, he wouldn’t have used it. Even if the distinction between orthodox and heretical had become meaningless, the current appearance was enough to rile the hearts of those who pretended to be high-ranking in the orthodox faction.
However, it didn’t matter. Even when slaughtering innocent commoners, the nobles didn’t feel threatened. Those commoners were not the ones ‘protected’ by the nobles. They weren’t worth protecting if they didn’t benefit the nobles.
It was the same when he massacred hundreds and earned the title of Blood Demon.
The nobles didn’t bother with what was beneath their feet, as long as they weren’t opposing their intentions.
Of course, the current situation was different.
“But what can I do? They’re offering so much money.”
Frequent wars in the Western Continent. The corpses from those wars were valuable materials even in the Eastern Continent. They were often used in alchemical experiments or in mystical rituals.
Ironically, it was in short supply. Tang Family tightly controlled the distribution network for all corpses from the Eastern Continent.
[Stealing corpses from the western continent could make a fortune.]
That’s why the vampire came to the western continent.
Of course, if caught, not only would he be in trouble, but his trading partners would also be silenced. However, the vampire thought the chances of that happening were low. To those who ruled over a city like a king, this was a trivial matter that wasn’t even worth their attention.
Chwajwajwajwak!
From Noble mtl dot com
At most, it would take a few seconds.
In that brief moment, the streaks that dyed the sky crimson cut through the thick trees like sheets of paper and advanced, covering the entire area.
The speed had increased several times since just a moment ago.
“Let’s see where he can hide!”
[Blood Burst Spear]
The feast of piercing attacks, known as the vampire, unfolded on the opposite side of the continent.
The spectacle was so intense that even the dense fog turned red.
It was too late to see and react with the naked eye.
The piercing attacks wriggled like living snakes and trapped Lian’s movements from all directions.
“This is something new.”
It felt different from when he faced Egon, the closest associate of the Black Society.
Back then, Egon didn’t put much effort into his attacks, only using the minimum force necessary to kill his opponent. It was like swatting a bug.
But the vampire’s attacks were filled with clear energy and sincerity.
“So this is what they call martial arts.”
It was completely different from what he had learned in the army. It twisted and blended its form organically according to the opponent’s movements.
It concealed a dagger behind its flamboyance.
It’s a shame.
Unconsciously, Lian murmured. If what he was holding right now was not a dagger but a spear.
He felt like he could imitate it.
‘…Isn’t it?’
Lian narrowed his eyes. His gaze moved from the spear to the dagger I was holding.
“Krahahahahaha! It’s already too late!”
The Bloodkin shouted. The spear had approached Lian’s nose in no time. There was no room for defense.
In that moment, Lian’s dagger began to move slowly.
‘Is he finally trying to draw it out!’
He was finally trying to reveal my martial arts.
But in the next moment, the Bloodkin realized that his thoughts were wrong.
‘…What is this?’
From Lian’s dagger, he felt a familiar sensation. A sensation that should not be felt.
Saaahk.
The movement of the arm, the way of using internal energy, even the subtle rise and fall of mixing true and false.
Everything was familiar.
‘What…’
It wasn’t because Lian’s dagger was famous for its unique technique. If anything, it was unknown in the world.
But because of that, the Bloodkin could only lose his mind and stare.
Lian’s dagger was stained with red. The blood flower (血華) that he obtained only after slaughtering hundreds of commoners was blooming from the tip of Lian’s sword, as if it were a lie.
“It’s a lie.”
The martial arts manual that the Hyeolgwi had studied did not contain any sword techniques. In a way, it was natural. The Hyeolgwi were primarily skilled in spear techniques, so it was unthinkable for someone to write sword techniques in a spear manual.
There were no written records or masters to learn from. The Hyeolgwi had reached this point solely through their own talents. There was no possibility of a similar faction. The martial art they had obtained through the Geoyeon was a lost art from long ago.
That’s why they could be sure. The martial art they had mastered did not include sword techniques.
But the reality unfolding before them denied that.
The martial art that Lian was displaying belonged to them.
No, it was even more than that.
It felt as if it was a martial art for swords from the beginning, not spears.
Boom!
Mist exploded. The impact of Lian’s blood aura tore through the air like a torn piece of paper.
“You…!”
The state of the Hyeolgwi who spoke like that was not intact. Their clothes were torn, and their body was covered in scars. The ground they had been standing on was deeply excavated.
It wasn’t a fatal wound, but any traces of mischief that had remained were now completely gone.
Lian still hadn’t revealed the true extent of their martial art.
There was no knowledge of what spells they used or what techniques they employed.
They didn’t even have the qualifications to discern.
“Not bad.”
Lian released the magic clinging to the sword and spoke. There was no intention of mockery in their words.
It was just that sincerity had unintentionally burst out of them.
The martial art that the Hyeolgwi had displayed was destructive, but at the same time, it had its flaws.
Certainly, though it resonated in the man’s ears with an entirely different meaning.
Quaaang!
A force erupted as if exploding around the Blood Demon.
“…I rescind the words of tearing you apart.”
Extreme vitality, refined to the limit, flowed from the Blood Demon’s eyes. Squelch. Such a sound echoed from the Blood Demon’s spear. The next moment, the spear split, dividing into two short spears.
“Even if you wish to die now, you won’t be able to. Until I am satisfied.”
*****