〈 Episode 632 〉 Flame Jade Holy Spear (Yeonokseongchang).
That was around the time I was listening to Mang's anger.
The guy speaks up to me.
"Hani, I'll ask you one last time."
"About what?"
"Do you have any intention of joining me?"
Hearing those words, I had to let out a hollow laugh.
To still be trying to recruit me even after coming this far.
It was absurd.
Just when I thought he was somewhat persistent. Seeing him come out like that made me realize.
'That must mean he needs me that much.'
More precisely, my authority.
Having consumed and withstood the Dragon's authority.
The power to swallow and steal.
That must be what he needed.
"This is your last chance. I have no intention of showing you any more mercy."
"Hmm."
Pretending to ponder, I lightly stroked my chin.
Then said to him.
"There's one more thing I want to ask."
Pointing at him with my fingertip, I asked.
"You said you'd release that guy once you get your body back. After releasing him, will he still be alive?"
"Hmm?"
Mang tilts his head upon hearing the question.
"That fragment or whatever, it seems like you need it. If you separate from that, will that guy survive?"
"Aha."
After adding a bit more explanation, Mang nodded as if he finally understood.
"A blessing will continue."
"Blessing?"
"Yes, the blessing of having ended his life by being helpful to me."
In other words, that statement.
It's just sugarcoating the fact that he'll die.
"There's no greater blessing than this..."
Mang, who was about to continue speaking, paused for a moment.
"I see."
He speaks as if he's realized something.
"You're going to refuse again this time."
Perhaps having gotten to know me a bit through our few conversations, he reads the situation.
Bastard, he's quick to catch on too.
"..."
"..."
Silence begins.
That was the signal.
Boom.
Crash-!
The guy and I quickly closed the distance between us.
Whirr-!
My Mind's Eye activates again.
Threads made of energy are visible from his body.
Seeing that, I turned my head.
Swish-! The sword grazes my hair.
Crackle-! The severed hair freezes.
Then the attacks cling on.
I quickly spin my body to deflect the sword.
Using that rotation's momentum, I aimed for his waist with my leg.
Boom-!
A rough sound erupts.
The attack didn't succeed.
Because my leg hit the ice that formed in the air, its power was halved.
The blocked attack caused my movements to float.
As if determined not to miss this, Mang swings his sword down.
If this continues, I'll be sliced.
Seeing that, I lightly flicked my middle finger.
From my fingertip, a spark flew toward the blade.
Ting-!
"...!"
A trivial act, but the sword's trajectory that was hit by it twisted.
Stab-!
Thanks to that, the sword struck the ground instead of my head.
And I immediately regained my balance and thrust out my fist.
Blaze-!
'Tuopa Cheonmu.'
Second Form.
Tubuicheongwon.
A sharp gale poured toward Mang.
Boom-! Once again, a barrier formed in the air blocked it.
Crunch-! But the attack broke through it and extended.
"...!!"
Mang's eyes widen at the shattering barrier.
Unorthodox movements.
Tuopa Cheonmu unleashes its power based on perfect form.
Because of that, its power should be somewhat lower.
'That doesn't mean it's weak.'
The fist wrapped in the gale struck Mang's abdomen.
The problem was.
Thud-!
"Ugh!"
Impact also came to my stomach.
Crash-!!!
A shockwave erupted, sending us both flying back.
Thud-! Crash-!
My body slammed into the wall and fell among the debris.
It wasn't a major impact, so I could brush myself off and stand up.
However.
'He kicked even in that state?'
Despite taking the Tuopa Cheonmu, the guy kicked me away.
While I was surveying him at this absurd situation.
"Cough. Ptui."
Mang coughed lightly and spat out blood, his face contorted.
He's gripping his abdomen with his hand, looking like he's in considerable pain.
Wooong.
I could see his upper body gradually healing.
Seeing that.
'Seems like he can use that authority too.'
Then he might be able to use the others as well.
But he's not using other authorities in battle.
Probably because he's conscious of my authority.
How troublesome.
Even setting that aside for now.
'I don't think I can take him down easily.'
The power is ambiguous, but
Speed is my advantage. However, the difference is minor.
It seems like we're roughly even.
But the biggest problem here is.
'My body is gradually slowing down.'
My flesh is slowing down little by little.
It's not that I'm particularly tired.
My energy has dropped quite a bit, but it's not to the point where I'd feel it's insufficient.
Then what's going on?
As I was confirming this change in my body.
"...How ridiculous."
The guy opened his mouth.
"To think I can't properly kill a single guy like you. Originally, I would have swallowed you in one bite and still had room to spare."
Hearing that, I lightly rolled my shoulders.
"Then why don't you drop the tail and run?"
"I can't do that. Even though the outcome of this fight is already decided, how could I flee?"
At my words, the guy holds back a smile again. It was a truly disgusting smile.
At that moment.
"You must be feeling it, right? That your body is gradually not listening to you."
"..."
Hearing Mang's words, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
As expected, was this strange sensation his doing? How did he do it?
'It's not poison.'
After reaching immunity to all poisons, there's no way something like poison could invade my body.
If it's not poison, then what?
As I was looking at Mang with questions in my eyes.
The guy gives me the answer.
"Dragons, you see. They usually don't leave their nests. Do you know why?"
"Why, because you get stronger if you stay here?"
"No."
He lightly points at the ground with his hand.
"It's not that I get stronger by being here, but because the other dragons get weaker."
"...Oh."
Hearing that, I let out a slight exclamation of admiration.
This is some different information.
"This place may be insignificant, but it's my nest. So if a little more time passes. You'll probably slow down like a crawling snail. There's no way you can beat me here."
"Hmm."
My stuttering body was already becoming uncooperative.
'This is problematic.'
This was quite problematic.
I didn't expect there to be a terrain issue.
Furthermore.
'The continuous regeneration is also annoying.'
If this continues, just as the guy said, the fight will drag on and reach a point where I only suffer losses.
It's good that he's not using his authorities, but.
'Then my authority isn't that useful either.'
Stealing has bothersome conditions.
It wasn't something I could do right now.
Then, the only option left now is.
'End it as quickly as possible.'
That's the only thing.
But how?
While I was briefly pondering.
"Why, are you now thinking of accepting my invitation-"
"Ah."
Fortunately, I remembered that there was at least one method.
I don't know if it'll work, but there was one thing to try.
'Should I try it?'
The warning from Paejon that I absolutely shouldn't use, which I've kept hidden away.
Paejon told me that unless I enter the domain of the Mind's Eye,
I should absolutely never use it.
When I first tried it, my organs burst and my body nearly exploded and died.
After that, I only attempted it through mental imagery. I never actually did it.
That.
It seemed like now would be the perfect time to use it.
After a brief hesitation.
Swoosh.
I lightly extended my right hand into the air.
Blaze---!! Flame jade gathered at my fingertips.
"Hmm?"
Mang's expression showed question upon seeing that.
But it quickly turned into a sneer.
He probably thought I was trying something, but it seemed like the technique I used earlier.
Right, I've used flame jade so much.
And earlier, it was blocked with a single sword strike, so it must seem unremarkable.
However.
"Still planning to struggle? Even if you do... hmm?"
The mouth that was about to mock me stopped.
And Mang's eyes grew wide as saucers.
Blaze.
The gathered and completed flame jade, for some reason, began to spin much faster.
I also focused all my nerves on my palm.
Blaze----!!!!
Much faster than the usual rotation speed. So fast that.
Whoosh-!
The surrounding cold air was being drawn in and sucked toward the flame jade.
At that moment.
Blaze.
The dragged-in cold air caught fire.
And transformed into flames, seeping into the flame jade.
Rotation and compression.
And the flame jade, fully charged with heat, began to burn fiercely.
"...You bastard! What are you trying to do right now!"
Seeing this, Mang urgently swung his sword from a distance.
Swoosh--!!
Not knowing what it was, he seemed to have sent a sword qi to stop my action.
The judgment was quite good.
But at the same time, it was also wrong.
Slash---!!
Blood splattered heavily.
The sword qi struck my chest squarely.
An attack incomparable to the graze from earlier.
At the same time, crackle-! Ice sprouted from the slashed wound.
It's somewhat of a critical wound, if you could call it that.
But amid all that, I didn't release the flame jade.
Thanks to that.
'It worked.'
The technique didn't fail.
And finally, I grasped the completed flame jade.
Grab-!
Without any hesitation.
At that moment.
Crash----!!!!
The gathered flames exploded, and the heat swallowed the space.
******************
"Ugh-!"
Mang thrust his sword out to block the spewing heat.
The heat wasn't aggressive. It didn't seem to be heat with that intent.
Just.
'It's hot.'
It was just hot, and hot again.
The heat meeting the cold air spewed out steam.
Within the completely obscured vision.
Mang's face contorted heavily.
The heat should have all dissipated, but for some reason, the temperature of the space seemed to have risen considerably.
'What on earth did he...'
As Mang was keeping his guard up and staring straight ahead.
Whoosh-! Blaze-!
In an instant.
The wind blew and cleared away the steam.
After seeing the place where all the steam had been cleared, Mang's face was colored with shock.
"...!"
There.
Gu Yang-cheon, with ice from sword wounds lingering on his chest.
"Not too bad."
Something flickering with blue flames.
That is to say...
Looking at its shape alone.
'A spear...?'
He was standing there holding a long spear made of flames.