Chapter 187

Groooar!

The Ruthless Zima’s hand touched the ground again.

I didn’t know what principle he used to create it, but—

Sssssst…!

Black energy slithered out of the ground and gathered into a massive lump above his head.

That mass, reminiscent of an evil spirit.

Ruuuumble!

With a sound that shook the earth, it split into eight streams.

Whoooosh!

They surged toward me, like runaway locomotives about to tear the ground apart.

‘Two on the left, three on the right, and three below?’

I faced the attack and slowly began to step.

Ssst!

The manifestation of Silence.

As long as there was light anywhere in the world, I became stealthy.

Because the other side of light is shadow.

Within it, my movement speed increased, and not even the sound of my footsteps could be heard.

– “That’s right, you rascal! Just like that! This fellow’s dodging is a work of art!”

The Elder’s Unrivaled Supreme Footwork and the Shadow Shepherd King’s Silence had met.

An attack of this level is…!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoooosh!

One, two, three.

I steadily dodged Zima’s attacks.

With minimal movement, I deflected them aside.

The diverted streams flew past me, slamming into the floor or streaking up into the sky in showers of sparks.

Just as I dodged the seventh—

Boom!

An explosion rocked my eardrums.

“Kugh…!”

My side throbbed.

– “Ahem, are you not focusing, you rascal?”

The Elder’s scolding voice reached me.

– “Why is it that you’re always like this whenever I’m about to praise you?”

‘This is… a bit tougher than I thought, you know?’

A high-ranker wasn’t a high-ranker for nothing.

I’d barely managed to evade seven of the eight, but I couldn’t avoid one.

The fortunate thing was that it wasn’t a direct hit—more like a graze.

‘Of course.’

It throbbed, but the pain wasn’t unbearable.

Honestly, pain was all too familiar to me.

Ssst!

“Whew!”

Landing on the ground with a whistle, I was still in pretty good shape.

Just a slight scorch mark on my side.

At that sight, Zima’s brow twitched.

“…You dodged that?”

“It didn’t seem impossible to dodge.”

I gave him a grin.

“That can’t be! Even Andrey found this technique overwhelming…!”

“Then I guess Andrey is a pushover.”

“…Is he a guy who specializes in evasion?”

Zima judged me by his own standards and prepared to attack again.

In response, the Elder took a stance in front of my field of vision.

– “Now, try moving again. Match your steps and focus the energy in your body into your right hand. Now, like this! Do you see?”

Lately, the Elder’s teaching method had changed a lot.

Before, he would explain everything one by one and try to lead me to enlightenment.

Now, he simply showed me directly.

Was it because my motor skills, reflexes, and combat sense had reached their peak, so just watching was enough?

‘That’s true.’

It was the effect of the Ten Thousand Arts – Grand Purity Craftsmanship.

A grand method that, limited to the physical body, turned raw material into a genius.

– “Recall the Supreme Azure Mind Method.”

– “You just need to move the energy you’ve accumulated in your dantian to your hand according to the incantation.”

– “Also, energy is like a flow. You don’t have to use only the energy in your body; you can also use the energy from the outside.”

– “Ahem! Who told you to move so sluggishly? The body must be light! That’s how you can increase your speed and deliver that condensed power more strongly, isn’t it!”

The Elder moved before me as if dancing.

And that dance was so wondrous, it felt like I could dodge Zima’s attacks just by following his movements.

– “It’s fine to hold a sword, and it’s fine to hold a spear. However, a spear will be a bit more comfortable at first. It’s a weapon that’s good for focusing on one point.”

‘Yes, I understand.’

Fwoosh!

Following the Elder’s words, I immediately changed my sword into a spear.

And then I instinctively began to imitate his movements.

The footwork, the breathing, the movement of energy.

‘It’s working.’

Something I could never have done before, I was now doing as naturally as flowing water.

As if I’d always known how to move my little finger.

Twitch.

The energy that had been flowing smoothly began to writhe.

– “Heh heh, it’s not as easy as you thought, is it?”

Yes.

It was difficult.

– “It’s because it’s your first time. Also, it’s because it’s an unnatural thing to do. You’ve started forcibly gathering energy that was flowing in its original direction, so it can’t be helped.”

“Hoo-eup…!”

While following the Elder’s movements, I also had to dodge Zima’s attacks.

On top of that, there was the pain of forcing the energy together.

– “That’s what a technique is. It’s only useful as a technique if you can perform it under any adverse conditions. But you’re not at the stage where you need to start from the basics, are you?”

Whooosh!

Zima’s attack created a gust of wind.

The black force grazed my left cheek, dizzyingly close.

Ssst!

Where the attack passed, another small gust of wind rose.

This time, it was mine.

Thud!

I put strength into my thighs and closed the distance with Zima.

‘Kughhhh.’

Inside, I endured the pain.

I even bit my tongue to keep my expression in check.

I was no longer naive enough to show the enemy when I was hurting.

“You little rat!”

Zima, as if frustrated, swung his fists indiscriminately.

Each punch fired out as fearsome energy.

‘Dodge.’

Dodging was something I’d done to death in the trials.

I’d done it even under penalties that dulled my senses.

‘And gather.’

Following the flow the Elder was showing me, I focused part of the energy in my body into my right hand.

‘I can’t gather it all.’

I knew instinctively.

Not only was it impossible—

If I did, my body would break.

In fact, even now, it was power I could barely withstand.

‘Huh?’

But the sensation was strange.

It wasn’t just the energy inside my body.

It felt like the natural energy outside was flocking to me as well.

– “Heh heh heh, do you know why I boasted that this technique was an all-time ultimate move?”

The Elder, having read my expression, laughed.

– “That’s why.”

“……”

– “The fact that you can draw upon not only your own power but also the surrounding energy. Isn’t it amazing?”

It was.

Not because I was shocked such a method existed—

But because the energy gathered in my hand was so intense my skin tingled.

“Wh-what are you trying to do!”

Zima, flustered, tried to create distance.

He couldn’t.

My approach was faster.

‘Finally, me too.’

Like Sun Spear, or Eldrin.

Or Lee Seonah, or Maximilian.

Am I getting an ultimate move?

– “Now, this is enough. With all your might! Try stabbing with the feeling of pouring everything you have into it!”

‘Yes.’

I did just that.

Aiming precisely for the center of Zima’s body—

Whoooosh!

I thrust the spear forward.

[300 Energy is used.]

‘Huh?’

Just by doing that, Energy was consumed.

That meant the energy gathered here was about 300 Energy’s worth.

That was a lot.

I had a lot of Energy thanks to items, but most hunters only had around 100.

“This is…!”

Zima screamed as he saw my attack.

And then, having no choice, he dropped into a horse stance and thrust his fist.

The Ruthless.

Secret Art.

Black Dragon Wave!

Kra-ga-ga-ga!

A dragon’s energy, like before, burst from his fist.

– “Don’t dodge. Clash with it. If it were to crumble against a mere technique like that, I wouldn’t have taught it to you in the first place.”

‘Yes.’

I’d already thrust.

I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.

But why was it?

Because the Elder spoke with such confidence, my heart grew calm.

Whoooosh!

Kra-ga-ga!

The energies released by the two high-rankers charged into each other.

A moment later—

Thump!

A heart-dropping sound echoed, shaking the entire space.

“Wh-what was that!”

“Gasp?!”

Idam’s troops’ eyes widened.

Krrk?

Kiii!

It was destructive enough that even the mindless monsters froze.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!

The two energies collided again and again, beginning a violent struggle.

– “Look.”

And then the energy erupting from my spear began to crush Zima’s Black Dragon Wave.

Anyone could see it.

An overwhelming difference in power.

– “A mere technique like that just melts away, doesn’t it!”

The Elder nodded proudly.

“K-Kugh! Crazy!”

Zima’s face contorted in pain.

“The Black Dragon Wave is splitting?! My secret art, which has never been broken before…! Why!”

“You know why?”

A pressure so intense my lips trembled washed over me, but I forced a smile.

“Because my technique has never been broken before either.”

Of course, it was my first time using it.

I was just saying it to piss him off.

Kwaaaaa!

In the end, my energy tore apart most of the Black Dragon Wave and slammed into Zima.

“Ku-kuheoooook!”

His scream was thick with pain.

The energy had weakened slightly after grinding through the Black Dragon Wave, but it was still powerful enough to turn his body into rags.

Gush!

Blood poured from Zima’s mouth.

His body, tattered like a rag, swayed unsteadily.

His legs trembled as if they had no strength left.

‘Still, what’s amazing is…’

He was still standing after taking that hit.

“Kraaaak!”

However—

I still hadn’t used all my power.

“Hyaaaap!”

With a shout, I gathered energy into my spear again.

[300 Energy is used.]

Since I decided to screw you over, I’ll screw you over completely.

Even if it hurts me a little.

You’ll hurt more than me.

Woooong!

After gathering energy again, I stared at the tattered Zima.

Whooong!

I took my stance.

I was about to step forward and release the spear—

‘Huh?’

Me.

– “Hmm?”

And the Elder.

Our eyes widened.

Ssst! Sssst!

‘That’s…’

It was the Toxin Mist.

The Toxin Mist that had dismantled every formation seemed to have finished its feast.

It rushed toward me at a fierce speed.

The strange part was this—

Part of the Toxin Mist’s energy naturally mixed into mine.

After a rough assessment with the Supreme Azure Mind Method, exactly 300 Energy’s worth of energy was added.

– “This is…!”

The Elder’s mouth fell open.

– “Hoh, what a fine idea. Using the absorption of surrounding energy to mix in the energy of poison…! As expected of you. I teach you one thing, and you understand two—and develop it further!”

No.

This just…

seemed to happen by chance.

[Ting!]

It was then.

[You have acquired the skill, ‘Poison Flash’ (S-Rank).]

[This skill has room for further growth.]

‘Poison… Flash?’

[Skill: Poison Flash]

[Rank: S]

[Effect 1: Gathers energy in a weapon and releases it all at once.]

[Effect 2: As much energy as is gathered, the energy of poison is added.]

[Effect 3: Uses 300 Energy.]

Poison Flash.

It was a skill name that felt clean—one I liked.

Sssssst!

The Toxin Mist, which had gifted me a sudden surge of energy like Santa Claus on Christmas, settled back into my body.

Woooong!

Green energy now shimmered at the tip of my spear.

‘Elder.’

I called out to him in my mind.

– “What is it?”

‘May I dare to call this technique a secret art of the Ten Thousand Arts?’

Ten Thousand Arts was a term for a vast and diverse collection of arts.

A single technique called Poison Flash.

Was it really okay to call it by the grand title of a Secret Art?

I was asking my master as his disciple.

– “Of course.”

The Elder nodded.

– “That technique is more than worthy of it. It was a technique I often used in my lifetime. My version didn’t have poison in it, but isn’t the essence of the Ten Thousand Arts flexibility?”

‘Thank you.’

Nod.

After bowing my head once to the Elder, I readjusted my grip on the spear.

Now was the time to unveil the newly born technique to the world.

“Kughhhh!”

Zima, eyes wide, barely squeezed out what little strength he had left and prepared a counterattack.

I opened my lips.

“Consider it an honor.”

Whooong!

I extended my spear toward him.

“To have witnessed a secret art of the Ten Thousand Arts before you die.”

“……!”

Kwaaaaaaa!

The condensed energy in my hand exploded forward.

Ten Thousand Arts.

Secret Art.

Poison Flash.

And then—

Flash!

A green light covered the space like a spark.

It was my first secret art.