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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 18: Arhan Guild (2)
Jeong Jinsu's eyes lit up the moment he saw the effects of the Intermediate Potion.
‘Heh heh heh. He took the bait.’
With a large guild like Arhan involved, the awareness of Intermediate Potions would rise quickly.
【Was your visit to the Pantheon meant to set up this situation?】
— No way.
Even though Yoojin was a regressor, he couldn't remember such trivial details.
'If that guy hadn't picked a fight, I wouldn't have even remembered it.'
He had thought of a few ways to promote the Intermediate Potion, but thanks to this unexpected encounter, things had become much easier.
But speaking of which,
— Fafnir, haven't you worked out all your kinks yet?
【Heh. If you're planning another round, I welcome it.】
Now that he had Fafnir's consent,
"Curious about the source of the soon-to-be-commercialized Intermediate Potion?"
"Hahaha. Well, I'd be grateful if you told me."
"I'll tell you if you spar with me."
Jeong Jinsu's cheeks twitched.
His pride must have been hurt after being challenged to a fight by a Hunter who had just Awakened.
"Regardless of the outcome?"
"It's an opportunity to learn from Arhan's Team Leader. Why would I add more conditions?"
Yoojin's mocking words further provoked Jeong Jinsu.
"Yongwoo, check on the rookie."
"Team Leader, are you really going to spar with a 1 Star Hunter?"
"The commercialized Intermediate Potion. It would be beneficial for Arhan to know its source first."
He spoke as if it were for the public good, but...
Jeong Jinsu, who had taken the bait, didn't hide the killing intent in his eyes.
【He's falling for it as if you've smeared honey on your tongue.】
— Those in large guilds have nothing but pride.
Of course.
It wouldn't be fun if he didn't take the bait after being so blatantly provoked.
Jeong Jinsu took out his personal weapons from a small subspace pocket.
A thin rapier.
And light armor reinforced with monster hide.
【A speed-oriented type, huh?】
— It'll be dangerous if the attacks accumulate.
【Hmph. I'll just ignore the trivial attacks and press forward.】
Fafnir replied confidently.
— Don't get careless. Your opponent is a veteran who's been stuck at the peak of 3 Stars for a long time.
From 3 Stars onwards, enlightenment was required to advance to the next rank.
However, that didn't mean you couldn't gain experience after reaching the maximum level.
If you gained the same amount of experience required for level 50, you would gain 1/5 of the stats obtainable at that rank.
Jeong Jinsu was a 3 Star.
After reaching the maximum level, if he leveled up, he would receive 1/5 of the 15 bonus stats, meaning 3 extra stat points.
'His stats should be higher than Fafnir's.'
He didn't bother warning him.
Fafnir was proud of his strength from when he was alive.
It wouldn't be bad for him to experience the gap of 25 years through this opportunity.
[Sparring System activated.]
[Calculating the defense and health of both Hunters.]
[A barrier will automatically activate if lives are at risk.]
[3, 2, 1]
[Sparring begins.]
"Are you going to use that summon as your champion again?"
"I have to fulfill my role as a Priest."
"Keep in mind that summons, unlike Hunters, are not protected by the sparring system."
His intentions were clear.
— Did you hear that? Even I'll have a hard time repairing that body, so don't get destroyed.
【Heh heh. I'll try my best.】
Fafnir slightly extended his right arm, gauging the distance to his opponent.
Jeong Jinsu was also measuring the distance.
'How fast was his reaction to the rookie's thrust earlier?'
His response to attacks was that of a typical in-fighter.
In that case, all he had to do was increase his speed so that Fafnir couldn't properly utilize his destructive power, which suited his large build.
Having made his decision, Jeong Jinsu took a step.
Thump— Thump—
Fafnir's blue irises slowly moved, following Jeong Jinsu's movements.
【Oh? He's different from the rookie.】
Fafnir's thoughts spread like a voice, no longer limited to Yoojin.
"What was that? Did someone turn on the air conditioning?"
"I wonder. It's eerie."
The team members watching the spar fidgeted.
The chill of the dead.
Those with weak minds would have been startled upon hearing Fafnir's thoughts, which sounded almost like a ghostly wail.
"A spirit? No. I can't even guess what kind of summon it is."
【If you're curious, you'll have to find out yourself.】
"I was just about to do that..."
[Zephyr Sword Technique]
[Fifth Form]
[Sharp Attack]
"Here I come!"
Jeong Jinsu kicked off the ground and swung his sword with lightning speed.
Fafnir reacted almost simultaneously, trying to deflect the approaching blade, but—
The tip of Jeong Jinsu's sword grazed Fafnir's chest as he retreated.
Sparks!
Fafnir stumbled, fully absorbing the force behind the sword strike.
— You seem to be struggling. Want me to help?
【I haven't even warmed up yet, so just wait a bit.】
Fafnir exuded confidence.
Yoojin, ready to intervene in the fight at any moment, watched the situation unfold while channeling his spirit power.
[Kenex Combat Arts]
[Seventh Stance]
[Ten-Strike Flurry]
The martial arts that Park Haneul, Fafnir's past self, had mastered unfolded.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Incredible speed and power that made the air tremble.
The body, integrated with the draconian corpse through the curse inscribed beforehand, moved perfectly according to Fafnir's will.
Despite that, Fafnir's movements were somewhat clumsy.
【Hmm. This isn't right.】
Whoosh—! Whoosh!
His fists repeatedly cut through the air.
The draconian's physique was larger than a human's.
When fully extended, Fafnir's arms, inhabiting the draconian's body, weren't that different in reach from Jeong Jinsu's sword.
The fundamental reason why his attacks weren't connecting,
"His strength and reaction speed are fast, but his body is slow."
Jeong Jinsu's thin sword once again grazed Fafnir's body.
The draconian's scales had such excellent defensive capabilities that even Yoojin had to weaken them with Plague Zombie before he could create cracks.
However, the Hunter who had reached the peak of 3 Stars broke through the scales with just a few sword strikes without such effort.
Although the damaged area was minimal.
'The problem is that Fafnir is taking effective hits.'
〔Khahaha! At this rate, he might lose to the little human.〕
'We'll see about that.'
Yoojin watched with his arms crossed.
Clang! Clang!
The sharp sound of metal clashing echoed.
The scales inscribed with strengthening circuits shattered one after another, falling to the floor.
A one-sided battle.
They had exchanged blows non-stop for five minutes, but only Fafnir had sustained any damage.
Jeong Jinsu created distance and caught his breath, suppressing his surprise.
'Is this really a summon belonging to a 1 Star Hunter?'
His thrusts had definitely landed.
The heavy impact was proof.
However, despite his relentless attacks, Fafnir's movements hadn't slowed down at all.
The characteristic of the undead to keep moving even with damaged limbs.
Unaware of this, Jeong Jinsu simply assumed that Fafnir was tougher than he had thought.
A summon too powerful for a Hunter who had just Awakened.
Despite that—
"What's the point of a sturdy body if you just stand still?"
【I agree.】
Fafnir's lips twisted into a smirk.
An expression as vivid as that of the living.
【I've finished acclimating. Now, I'll go all out.】
‘Oh?’
Yoojin let out a short exclamation.
He understood the meaning behind Fafnir's words.
'He noticed it quickly.'
The draconian's body was much larger and tougher than a human's.
Powerful arms and legs.
The physique of a typical in-fighter.
However, the soul inhabiting that body, 'Park Haneul,' was originally an out-fighter who preferred swift movements.
'Even as a Death Knight, he favored quick attacks.'
Despite the increased synchronization through Soul Binding, Park Haneul's fighting style didn't suit the draconian's body.
'He'll realize it quickly if he faces an opponent of the right level.'
That was why he had provoked Jeong Jinsu with the promise of the Intermediate Potion supply.
He had thought it would be fast enough if Fafnir grasped it after the spar, but...
'As expected of my best subordinate.'
Yoojin smiled and released the spirit power he had gathered.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Unholy Blessing."
A gloomy energy flowed from Yoojin's hand and permeated Fafnir's entire body.
The divine spell newly acquired from the Pantheon.
[Unholy Blessing seeps into the Eldritch Dragon.]
[The target possesses energy from the Yin dimension.]
[All stats increased by 20%.]
Oh?
A novice Priest's buff increased stats by 20%?
'That's insane.'
The increase was astounding.
Low-level divine spells usually only amplified one or two stats at most.
Although the targets for this buff were limited to undead or those who wielded unholy powers, it wasn't a restriction for Yoojin, who mainly used undead.
'Now, for the next one...'
He channeled his spirit power again and infused it into Jeong Jinsu.
[Unholy Blessing seeps into the human.]
[The target does not possess mana from the 음차원.]
[All stats decreased by 10%.]
As Unholy Blessing took effect, Jeong Jinsu's movements slowed.
〔How is it? The new power I have bestowed upon you!〕
'Butt out, incompetent constellation. I'm the one who worked hard to obtain this.'
Don't try to take credit when all you do is watch.
"Are you really a 1 Star?"
Ignoring Jeong Jinsu's suspicious gaze, Yoojin activated the next divine spell.
[Using Punishing Spike.]
Black tattoos emerged on Fafnir's scales.
Patterns resembling thorny vines densely covered his body.
"Go wild."
【Now that's an order I like.】
Thump! Thump!
The ring shook violently every time Fafnir moved his legs.
Hundreds of kilograms of mass.
The undead, created from the draconian's corpse, scattered blue irises in all directions.
A dark shadow loomed over Jeong Jinsu.
'A mere stat decrease...'
He had been stuck at 3 Stars for years, conquering countless Gates.
Adapting to dulled senses was an easy task for a veteran like Jeong Jinsu.
[Zephyr Sword Technique]
[Twelfth Form]
[Piercing Attack]
With dazzling footwork, he evaded the enemy's attacks.
His thin sword, moving like lightning, tore at the scales.
As the damage accumulated, flesh exposed between the broken scales was ripped apart by the sword's sharpness.
'It'll be over soon.'
The moment Jeong Jinsu was certain of victory—
【Indeed. This body's fighting style is not about keeping distance from the enemy.】
Fafnir charged towards the flurry of sword strikes.
He suffered serious injuries, his flesh tearing and bones exposed, but his movements didn't slow down.
The body of the undead, with no blood flowing.
Unless their arms or legs were severed, the undead would never stop.
Fafnir's raised shoulder slammed into Jeong Jinsu's torso just as he was retracting his sword.
"Gah!"
With a pained cry, Jeong Jinsu was thrown back several meters, losing his balance and tumbling to the floor.
Although momentary, the impact was enough to take his breath away.
Jeong Jinsu immediately bounced back up and regained his composure.
'It seems he's adapted to some extent.'
The corners of Yoojin's lips curled up.
After that, the nature of the fight changed slightly.
Fafnir relentlessly pressed forward, aiming to land a decisive blow, rather than gauging distance.
On the other hand, Jeong Jinsu moved around the ring, responding passively.
Wounds accumulated on both sides.
Fafnir, who was moving more aggressively, barely had any scales left intact.
A large, dark bruise marked Jeong Jinsu's face.
Although hidden by his armor, his body was also bruised from the accumulated impacts.
Crash—!
Fafnir's momentum shifted.
With Yoojin's buffs, the balance of the match began to tip in their favor.
'Am I losing?'
Flames of fury flickered in Jeong Jinsu's eyes.
Even though he was stuck at 3 Stars, he had pride in having held his own in the number one guild in Korea for so long.
He would win.
No, he had to win!
'It's not like I have no chance. My footwork is faster.'
If he could subdue Yoojin, who was exposed and defenseless, he could turn the tide of the spar.
As soon as he made up his mind, Jeong Jinsu changed direction.
He narrowly slipped past Fafnir and dashed towards Yoojin, who was positioned at the rear.
【Oh dear. With my speed...】
Fafnir's troubled thoughts echoed.
A sinister gleam of joy shone in Jeong Jinsu's eyes.
'Just as I thought.'
[Releasing Punishing Spike.]
Did you think I wouldn't anticipate that?
As Yoojin snapped his fingers, the spirit power amplified by the accumulated damage exploded with ferocious momentum.
A pale shockwave mercilessly struck Jeong Jinsu's back as he was passing Fafnir.
"Gah!"
With a pained cry, a green light emanated from the ring, protecting Jeong Jinsu's body.
[You have received damage exceeding the limit.]
[The right side has lost.]
A heavy silence fell over the sparring field.
"What did I just see?"
The frozen time resumed its flow with the belated cries of the Arhan Hunters.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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