WHIR—!
The blizzard was growing more fierce.
Whoosh…
Yurim and Shin Yu's swords were exuding a strange dark energy.
Paaf—!
Shin Yu kicked off the snow from his feet and stepped forward.
CLANG—!
Sparks were sent flying as Shin Yu’s sword clashed against Yurim’s—The fight had begun.
Now, Yoo Hyun's three disciples would dance across the snowy field.
Each had endured their own hells, yet they were tangled together like threads at a crossroads.
Creak—!
Yurim, who drew upon Yaksha’s power, beca on par with Shin Yu in physical ability—Yaksha was such a being.
CLAP—!
[You used Black Flower.]
[Summon shadow hands that perform rapid strikes. Each attack deals damage equal to the amount of hands created. Each additional strike on the sa target deals 20% increased damage.]
Whir—!
Thick shadow hands appeared and spread out behind Yurim like wings.
Slash—!
Slaasshh—!
With an indifferent expression, Shin Yu cut down all the shadow hands.
Since it was an attack with a trait, he might have made a mistake trying to counter it. But as if his sword were all-purpose, he easily overca the danger.
Paf—!
Whir!
Clang!
Yurim got closer to him.
She had judged that the farther they were from Shin Yu, the more dangerous he beca. This was the best theory she could co up with at that mont.
Of course, her theory was wrong.
PAANNG—!
"Ugh..."
Shin Yu's kick accurately struck Yurim's sword.
Ziinng...
The impact was enough to shake her grip on the sword.
For a swordsman, not being able to hold their sword properly was equivalent to standing on the battlefield unarmored.
Swoosh—!
Shin Yu sent his sword flying.
Flinch!
However, he had no choice but to retrieve it midway through its flight.
Sothing dark had appeared, targeting the place where he stood.
Paf—!
Shin Yu retreated slightly.
He was being targeted by the Darkness Dweller.
BOOM—!
Imdiately, a fist made of Darkness fell where he was, creating a crater.
Although it seed like he had completely avoided the Darkness Dweller's attack, thanks to Yurim buying ti, Seol was able to prepare enough power.
Whoosh…
Another fist ca striking down.
CRACK—!
"Hmm…"
Shin Yu raised his sword horizontally to block the Darkness Dweller's fist.
Swept up by the fist, he faced a third Darkness Dweller.
With Seol's abilities having improved, he could now maintain three Darkness Dwellers, each as strong as a wolf.
A Darkness Dweller was waiting at a predetermined position, ready to unleash a fierce attack on the incoming Shin Yu.
Glance…
Although Shin Yu missed the second Darkness Dweller, he caught the position of the third one.
Therefore, he decided not to be pushed back.
[Shin Yu used Ground Drop.]
[50% of the incoming damage you take is redirected to the ground.]
[The ground might collapse.]
[This skill has a very long cooldown.]
BOOM—!
Shin Yu remained steadfast as half of the damage he would have received disappeared. Instead, the mountain's foundation collapsed in his place.
Having withstood the raging attacks, it was now Shin Yu's turn.
CLAP—!
The Darkness Dweller gathered the Darkness in its arm to form a shield.
Clank…
However, Shin Yu had a sword suitable for such a Darkness Dweller.
[Shin Yu used Iaido: River Split.]
[Swiftly draw your sword from its scabbard into a strike that deals massive damage to a single target.]
[This attack cannot be dodged.]
[50% fixed damage is applied to large opponents.]
BOOM—!
With a single thrust, Shin Yu slaughtered the Darkness Dweller.
However, Seol had anticipated this.
His inspiration flowed like a continuous stream.
He got the idea upon recalling the Demonic Beast he had faced at the Pitch Black Labyrinth's first gate.
The scattered remnants of the Darkness Dweller soon created countless tiny Darkness Dwellers.
"What…?"
Although they were weak, their sheer number temporarily obscured Shin Yu’s vision.
Paaf—!
Flinch!
Suddenly, Shin Yu spotted Yaksha's mask peering out from behind the countless tiny Darkness Dwellers.
Yurim's attack had pierced through the gaps between the tiny Darkness Dwellers.
"Hmm!"
Clank!
[Shin Yu used Gentle Breeze.]
[Blades of wind flow through a wide area.]
…
BOOM—!
A sharp gust of wind exploded in all directions, with Shin Yu at its center, devastating its surroundings. It was as if Shin Yu was determined to remain standing alone.
In the end, Yurim had no choice but to retreat. Shin Yu took a deep breath.
Whir…
[Shin Yu used Sun Shower.]
[Consecutive defenses convert 20% of the mitigated damage into fixed-damage for your next attacks.]
PANG!
PIIIF—!
"Ha!"
After an unproductive clash, they both retreated to catch their breaths.
Shin Yu showed no change in expression.
His appearance looked so cold that it made one wonder if he actually wasn't the one wearing Yaksha’s mask.
"Yurim… are you only going to mimic others' swords for your entire life?"
Whir…
Spash…
Without responding, Yurim shook off the moisture from her sword. Seol stood in front of her and replied in her stead.
"Isn't that the sa for you?"
"Co to think of it, yes…"
Shin Rip, Shin Yu, and even Shin Kang—he had mastered the sword arts of all the mbers of the Shin family. The sword arts he used were never his.
Whir—!
Seol raised the fallen Darkness Dweller.
"It's pointless."
Shin Yu said to Seol, who wanted to keep fighting.
"Why are you so confident…?"
"Because I finally caught it."
"What…?"
Shin Yu raised his sword to his face, reflecting his own eyes.
"My hyungs’ swords…"
He muttered in a decisive tone.
"…and the old past hidden within them."
And then, with an awkward smile.
"Although I haven't even completed the 1st form…"
A chilling sensation overca Seol.
Seeing Shin Yu's smile, he felt imnse anxiety.
"As you know, the sword arts my hyungs used were made from the finely split sword art our ancestor had created."
"Yes…"
"I figured it out."
"What…?"
"Thunder, rain, and wind… What inspired our ancestor."
Swoosh…
His breath gave life to his sword.
Crack…
Craacckk…
"According to family records, our ancestor was a bandit. One record says he was a refugee fleeing from exploitation."
"What does that have to do with this…?"
"Our ancestor left records about enlightennt. Although most were unreadable… he said sothing was chasing him."
Bzz…
A spark of lightning flashed in Shin Yu’s eyes.
"I realized it the day I fell from the cliff… The power our ancestor feared, and in that power…"
Whoosh…
His sword began vibrating wildly.
"Was the path all of us siblings followed. Shin Rip, the eldest; Shin Hyun, the second; Shin Kang, the third…"
Shin Yu raised his sword as if steeling his resolve.
"…and , Shin Yu. We were all there."
BZZT—!
"Yurim! Dodge!"
"This is my sword."
WHOOM—!
[Shin Yu used Exceptional Skill: Storm.]
[It's an imperfect sword art.]
[This skill puts imnse strain on your body.]
[Lightning, Wind, and Rain swirl violently.]
CLAP—!
Upon witnessing the power of Lightning, Wind, and Rain at the sa ti, Seol threw himself—along with the Darkness Dwellers—in front of Yurim.
PAANNG—!
The Darkness Dwellers couldn't withstand the shock of the thrust and exploded, partially mitigating the thrust’s power.
PAANNG—!
PAAANNNG—!
Yurim was sent flying along with Seol.
"Cough…"
"Oof…"
Pwaaak—!
Crack…
Fortunately, Yurim flew far away and hit a tree but showed no major injuries.
If there was a problem, it was Seol.
"Cough…"
Half of his body was cut.
One arm was completely torn off, and the rest of his body barely held together, struggling to keep what was about to spill out from beneath his ribs.
"Oof… Oof…"
Seemingly unable to bear such injuries, Blood of Origin started to regenerate his body.
In about ten seconds, his body would most likely return to normal, as if he had never been injured. But, of course, the pain would remain.
"That body… you're really a monster."
"Oof… You're one to say that…"
"Did you realize that resistance is aningless?"
Shin Yu possessed overwhelming strength. It was as if he was the god of the world’s favorite.
"Ha… Haha…"
Seol grinned mischievously and replied.
"That's up to ."
"Your resistance is…"
Whir…
What Seol had been studying over the years…
A possibility…
Upon recovering his mories, Seol viewed his past as research material—specifically, what happened in the Pitch Black Labyrinth. Why he hadn't been able to shed his shell, and why the shadows devoured him instead.
The year he turned twenty-seven, he found out the reason.
'It was because of fear.'
He feared the shadows… He feared getting closer to this unknown power.
If the shadows were sothing Seol himself had created, the outco would have been different.
WHIR—!
A new Darkness Dweller arose.
CLAP—!
It soon scattered into Darkness and engulfed Seol's body. The heavy Darkness was consuming him—no, it was the other way around.
Yurim was taken aback by the sight of Seol, who had never looked so unfamiliar before.
Shin Yu was equally surprised.
"Seol…"
"That appearance…"
Whir…
Crack…
[You enter the Night Crow form.]
…
BZZT—!
The painful experience that had previously failed.
But over ti, he was able to accept that power.
[A complete Darkness is enveloping your body.]
[You have gotten closer to the true source of Shadow.]
[Your physical capability has increased exponentially.]
[You absorb the Darkness Dweller’s stats.]
…
ssages kept appearing.
[It's a perfectly balanced power!]
[No restrictions have been applied.]
[Exceptional Skill: Night Crow's description has been updated.]
…
He had regained the power he once lost with his own hands.
Grin…
Shin Yu smiled.
"So you weren't just sitting and doing nothing."
"I couldn't do that. After all, a guest was coming."
Seol turned to Yurim and said.
"Yurim, can you stand?"
"Be quiet… Please… be quiet…"
For a mont, a form reminiscent of the past Yaksha appeared.
Although she was now calm, no one knew when the precarious power of Yaksha would collapse.
"Yurim!"
"S-Seol… I…"
Swoosh…
Seol reached out his hand to her.
"Take my hand."
"…"
"Let's move forward."
Yurim's trembling ceased.
She slipped her hand into Seol's.
"Yes!"
As she stood up, she quietly whispered.
"Help , Smiling Face… so I can remain as Yurim."
The mask didn't respond…
PAANNG—!
The three of them rushed forward again.
The blizzard raged on, as if the world itself wished to be covered in snow and forgotten.
A weather befitting their final monts…
CLANG—!
CLAANNGG—!
They had a chance, for sure.
After rging with Yaksha, Yurim’s movents beca faster and more aggressive. anwhile, Seol, having unlocked the true power of the Night Crow form, could now keep up with Shin Yu's movents.
Whir—!
CLANG!
Creak…
Shin Yu's movents had slowed down.
The thrust earlier was incomplete and had placed a great burden on his body.
'This is our only chance!'
Hooop…
[You used Black Flower.]
[Summon shadow hands that perform rapid strikes. Each attack deals damage equal to the amount of hands created. Each additional strike on the sa target deals 20% increased damage.]
Seol used his own body as the host for Black Flower. Since his physical abilities had skyrocketed, the strength, speed, and power contained within the shadow hands had explosively increased.
CLANG—!
Shin Yu blocked the attack with the sword he held in one hand, but he was pushed back.
This ti, he couldn't cut them off.
Shin Yu tried to create distance between Seol and Yurim, but they tried to close the distance between them.
Oof…
Oof…
PAANNG—!
They were eventually close enough to feel each other’s breaths.
Not only was he in a swordsman's domain, but it was as if he was in a standoff with soone whose sword was pressed to his throat.
CLANG—!
[Yurim used Iaido: River Split.]
[Swiftly draw your sword from its scabbard into a strike that deals massive damage to a single target.]
[This attack cannot be dodged.]
[50% fixed damage is applied to large opponents.]
BOOM—!
As ti passed, Yurim almost perfectly took away what Shin Yu possessed.
Her talent was soaring like a cot.
"Haha!'
"Haap!"
The three whose swords were entangled were laughing. It was as if they had just been playing with their swords.
It was as if they had returned to their childhood.
Since they were all desperate, they could acknowledge each other.
The world was frozen, yet the three who had been left in that world were moving more fiercely than ever.
PAANNG—!
Having defended against Seol's fist, Shin Yu used the hilt of his sword to strike Seol's cheek.
Crash…
"Cough…"
He couldn't inflict more intense pain—this was the best he could do—because Yurim would exploit even the slightest gap.
PAANNG—!
[Yurim used Sun Shower.]
[Consecutive defenses convert 20% of the mitigated damage into fixed-damage for your next attacks.]
Rainfall Sword's 1st form, Sun Shower.
PAANNG—!
Yurim cleanly perford the move.
As Shin Yu understood his hyungs’ swords the best, he easily dodged the attack.
However, not even he was expecting the next attack.
Creak…
Flinch!
He saw a familiar movent—a sword art that bends one's body like a snake and unleashes ten consecutive thrusts at once.
[Yurim used Downpour.]
[Perform 10 consecutive thrusts with your sword.]
[Every ti the opponent dodges an attack, reduce their rate by 10%. On the other hand, your damage output increases by the sa amount.]
PAANNG—!
Sword strikes rained down at an incredible speed.
If he wasn’t familiar with the technique or hadn't mastered it before, he would have faced a great disaster.
Thud…
Out of the ten thrusts, Shin Yu only allowed one attack to go through.
"But I didn't show you…"
"I read it…"
As if Shin Yu were a book, Yurim had unraveled his intent after skimming just the opening pages—Yurim's talent for seeing through the movents was in full bloom.
However…
"That's all it is."
TANG—!
Yurim and Shin Yu's swords clashed.
WHOOM—!
"Ugh…"
Shin Yu, along with his sword, broke Yurim's stance.
At this rate, Shin Yu could deliver a fatal blow to Yurim
SWOOSH—!
At that mont, Seol appeared and targeted Shin Yu's side.
"I knew it."
PAAF—!
Shin Yu kicked Yurim and sent her flying.
This was the mont Shin Yu had been aiming for.
Seol always appeared whenever Yurim was in danger and took the risk instead.
There were no exceptions—it was always like this. Now, it was ti for Seol to pay for his selflessness.
Whoosh…
After pulling his sword back, he twisted it in reverse and thrust it forward—a perfect thrust.
"Ugh…"
"It was slightly to the right."
Although Seol had stopped the sword from piercing his heart, it still went through his chest.
"NOO!"
Yurim scread.
Pfwaak—!
Shin Yu twisted his sword before he drew it out, creating a large hole in Seol's chest.
Thud…
Sticky blood splattered on the ground.
At this point, even Seol would be affected for a while.
"Uh…"
"Stay there. I'm going to end this with Yurim."
Step…
Step…
"Yurim, let's end this."
Shin Yu walked toward Yurim.
At that mont…
PAF—!
A snowball flew and hit Shin Yu's head.
Shin Yu didn't avoid it on purpose.
"What are you doing…?"
"Wait. I haven't lost yet."
"What can you do with that body…?"
Shin Yu frowned.
"I found a way out of hell. No matter how much you struggle, you won't be able to defeat ."
"Kik…"
Seol spat blood and laughed at Shin Yu.
"Is anyone here who hasn't dipped their feet in hell?"
"…"
"Don't make laugh. Everyone here has experienced hell, you arrogant bastard."
"I'm arrogant…?"
"Yes! I'm going to make you co to your senses right now!"
Cough…
Cough…
The Blood of Origin scattered on the ground started to return to Seol.
Sothing was about to start.
"Do you think you're the only one who got sothing from hell?"
Gulp…
Gulp…
The blood, mixed with snow, started to flow back to Seol. However, it didn’t look like Blood of Origin.
Seol's veins popped beyond his skin.
His blue veins revealed themselves.
Although repulsive, it was a sight that made one instinctively feel that sothing strange was happening.
"Seol…?"
Yurim asked while wiping the blood from her mouth.
"Yurim. Again. This is another choice."
"D-Don't do it! Why are you trying to…"
"I don't know if it will succeed. After all, this was a last resort."
"DON'T DO IT!"
"But still… this is the only way. I might never be able to go back…"
"No… Stop!"
"No, I must do it."
They each experienced different hells…
Yurim beca Yaksha and Shin Yu learned the Storm Sword. So, of course, Seol, too, got at least one thing from hell.
The Magic Engineering Blood Vessel Agras had planted in him…
His strange body had been infused with the mysterious substance called Atromil that could concentrate magic power.
"I never thought I'd be thankful to Agras… Atromil, devour my body!"
ZIINNG—!
The Magic Engineering Blood Vessels glowed as if Seol was having a seizure.
[Blood's Blessing activates.]
[Blood's Arrangent awakens!]
[Blood of Origin rembers the host's form.]
[Blood of Origin takes effect.]
[The Magic Engineering Blood Vessels collapse.]
[A chain reaction occurs.]
[Atromil causes abnormal reactions in the body.]
…
"Ugh…"
All of Seol's veins swelled.
Seol endured pain beyond what humans could feel—no, even more than that.
"AAAHHH—!"
Even though he had endured all sorts of pain, he couldn't resist the agony of having his flesh torn apart.
Crack…
What erged through his skin wasn't blood—it was the Darkness inside him.
Whir…
Swoosh…
PAANNG—!
Seol's body had literally exploded.
His body, which had endured even Atromil, had made the Darkness inside him burst all at once.
Shin Yu covered his mouth with his sleeve and watched the situation unfold.
GUOOO…
A mass of Darkness lay where Seol once was.
[Atromil and Blood of Origin form a new type of body.]
[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]
[You awaken Exceptional Skill: Midnight.]
[Exceptional Skill: Midnight is born!]
Shin Yu closed his eyes.
"Was the thod you thought of becoming a monster? Do you still have your consciousness…?"
PAAF—!
As the mass of Darkness targeted Shin Yu, he casually dodged it.
The movents were too exaggerated to call it an attack; there was nothing special about it.
As Shin Yu retreated, the Darkness headed straight for Yurim without losing montum.
"Is it rampaging…?"
The Darkness eventually reached Yurim as Shin Yu montarily stepped back to observe the situation.
Yurim remained unshaken by the approaching Darkness.
"Seol… you're there, right?"
Whir…
She spread her hand.
"You're there… right?"
Instead of answering her, the Darkness enveloped Yurim, as if it were devouring prey.
Yurim accepted the Darkness, embracing it tightly.
She was montarily startled by the invading Darkness but soon accepted the warmth she could feel within it.
Seol was definitely here.
He was still alive.
"I'm okay… So… show your path…"
Whir…
The shadows ford a vortex, engulfing Yurim’s body until her form vanished.
And then, sothing that had been seen a few tis happened.
Bzz…
"Don't tell …"
BZZZZT—!
Paf—!
Shin Yu quickly stepped back, widening the distance between them.
[Attempting to enter the Night Crow form with a target that isn't a summon.]
[Checking your connection with the target.]
[It's a perfect match!]
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