With a clash of steel and merciless blades, the swords cut through the flying stones with precision. Kang Sihyun's sword was one that illuminated the darkness, while Lee Hamin's was a blade that cleaved through the night. Three blades intersected, striking down the stones manipulated by Dekumunus. With every leap forward, the distance between them halved. Initially, it seemed they would never reach him, but soon, a mere swing of their arms would place their swords within striking distance.
Seizing an opening, Lee Hamin kicked off a stone and flew, landing right before Dekumunus. A purple aura spilled from the tip of his sword. Dekumunus, faced with a fierce onslaught, casually raised a hand to block. Lee Hamin's aura, unable to manifest its full potential, merely grazed Dekumunus's skin a few times before dissipating.
"Damn, he's tough."
Landing back on the ground after kicking off another falling stone, Lee Hamin cursed. Ordinary attacks were ineffective against Dekumunus. The creature, though lacking in diverse abilities beyond stone manipulation, was physically formidable. His thick skin and swift movements made him a challenging adversary.
The real battle began with trying to get Dekumunus off his chair, so Kang Sihyun stepped off his stone to swiftly evade and draw attention.
"What's that?"
"Keep him distracted!"
"…?"
"We need to make sure he doesn't have a chance to focus on me too!"
Following the sudden instruction, Lee Hamin frowned but diligently played his part. The dazzling exchange of two agile swords before Dekumunus turned his head slightly, following Lee Hamin's movements.
With a loud crash, the swords, enveloped in sword qi, clashed against Dekumunus's dark nails. Naturally, Lee Hamin was overpowered. The sword that clashed was soon knocked away. Dekumunus reached out to strike the now unarmed boy.
"Ugh."
In the nick of time, Lee Hamin raised his remaining sword to deflect Dekumunus's strike, checking the falling sword's position. Bravely stepping on the dark nail, he soared upwards.
With a sharp kick, Lee Hamin redirected the falling sword downwards.
"Swoosh!"
The previously powerless sword, now kicked with energy-wrapped feet, descended with increased velocity, more ferocious and threatening than if swung by hand.
With a thud, the sword finally struck Dekumunus's hand. Holding the sword's hilt with both hands, Lee Hamin infused it with mana, plunging downwards.
A thunderous collision ensued. Kang Sihyun, having drawn Dekumunus's attention away, transformed his weapon.
With a practiced posture, Kang Sihyun, now holding a luminous bow, aimed an arrow directly at Dekumunus's eye, targeting precisely.
The arrow, enhanced by a skill, flew from the bowstring. Infused with ample mana for a critical hit, it made a piercing sound as it split the air, hitting Dekumunus's cornea.
Dekumunus roared in agony. Stirred by the intense pain, he swiftly rose and plucked out the arrow lodged in his eye.
"Lee Hamin!"
Seizing the long-awaited opportunity, the boy engaged in a fierce battle responded to the signal. Massive energy gathered at the tips of his two swords. Lee Hamin, knowing the disadvantage of close combat, distanced himself about thirty steps from Dekumunus before swinging his swords. The swords never pointed downwards, their paths intertwining, unleashing dozens of auras.
It was akin to a bombardment.
With more mana invested than before, red scars appeared on Dekumunus's body. The purple auras, moving at Lee Hamin's will, enveloped and tore at Dekumunus like a pack of hyenas. Kang Sihyun, to continue the assault, recalled the arrow he had shot.
Holding the arrow tightly, exerting force as if it would shatter, one arrow split into four. Based on memories of severing chains, this was a practiced technique.
Initially managing only two, he could now create and shoot four arrows simultaneously. Kang Sihyun loaded all four arrows onto the bow, aiming at Dekumunus.
Concentrating fully, Kang Sihyun sensed the core's flow, his core resonating as his focus heightened.
"Penetrate!"
With a shout, four arrows shot simultaneously from the bowstring. Blood trickled from Kang Sihyun's mouth, his eyes narrowing. The arrows, endowed with an unknown powerful force, struck Dekumunus like lightning.
The arrowheads pierced through the flesh, intentionally avoiding bones for feasibility.
Dekumunus screamed. Engaged by Lee Hamin from behind and Kang Sihyun from the front, he was overwhelmed. The dark space brightened with the numerous arrows and was enveloped in a purple aura. Seizing the moment when Dekumunus's excitement narrowed his field of vision, Kang Sihyun went all out. Though the fight was against an illusion, neither wanted to waste more time than necessary.
However, even as an imitation, Dekumunus was still Dekumunus. Mimicking the lord of a dungeon, this colossal Irregular wasn't easily overwhelmed by the barrage of attacks.
Just as it seemed Dekumunus's leg muscles twitched, indicating movement, he started to utilize his distinctive agility and robust physique.
With a thunderous crash, a sharp horn, reminiscent of a deer's, struck Lee Hamin. Despite his efforts to block with his crossed swords, the sheer force, likely exceeding 300kg from the massive figure, was too much. Trapped between the horn and a wall, the boy spat blood. Kang Sihyun, in an attempt to divert attention and mount a counterattack, hurriedly reloaded his bow, but it was too late.
In a flash, Dekumunus, exploiting a moment of vulnerability from attacking Lee Hamin, leapt towards Kang Sihyun. There wasn't enough time to draw the bow. Kang Sihyun, seeing his opponent close in, quickly shifted direction and unfolded a protective barrier.
Dekumunus's charge was halted by the barrier. A crack appeared on the protective shield under the assault of the sharp horn.
If only there had been one more.
The absence of Ban Haru, who had lost consciousness, was sorely felt. If there had been just one more person to handle the attack or distract Dekumunus while Lee Hamin and Kang Sihyun focused their efforts, the situation would have been significantly more manageable.
That's when it happened.
With a thud, something massive collided with Dekumunus's flank, sending him flying helplessly to the side. The creature, nearly as large as Dekumunus, had struck with such force that Dekumunus rolled twice before crashing into a wall.
Dekumunus, previously dominating the spot, was now replaced by a triumphant Pia, its purple horns stained with blood.
Kang Sihyun blinked, reprocessing the scene before him – Dekumunus trembling with a gaping hole in his side and Pia standing victoriously. Even witnessing it firsthand, Kang Sihyun found the sight unbelievable, his legs nearly giving way under the weight of the moment. He called out to the victorious creature.
"Pia."
Realizing it had been called, the fantastical creature flew closer, not reducing its size, indicating a readiness to continue fighting. Lee Hamin, stemming the bleeding from his abdomen, stood up. Kang Sihyun acknowledged the replenished forces with Pia's arrival and grasped his sword once more.
Now that their numbers were replenished, the second phase of their plan could begin.
With a mighty roar, Dekumunus screamed as attacks came from three directions. Pia, capable of only charging with its horn, was nevertheless sufficient against the imitation. The sheer ferocity of its charge, even in a bird's form, allowed Pia to contribute significantly, turning the tide in favor of Kang Sihyun and Lee Hamin, who intensified their attacks for a decisive victory.
Finally, Lee Hamin's sword severed one of Dekumunus's arms. The Irregular, now missing an arm, struggled vainly to counterattack, a task difficult with two arms and impossible with one.
As the onslaught continued, Dekumunus eventually fell, a victory that would have been unthinkable against the real Dekumunus with just two men and a fantastical creature. But with the imitation's strength not even half of Dekumunus's, victory came much faster than anticipated.
Dekumunus, gasping and coughing up blood, collapsed fully. Lee Hamin, panting heavily, drove his sword into the creature's head.
The space, previously enshrouded in darkness, began to crack. A definitive victory was theirs without a need for confirmation.
Kang Sihyun quickly approached the boy, aiding in his recovery.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. You?"
"I'm fine."
"How much mana do you have left?"
"About half."
Given that there were only two of them, it was inevitable they'd use a significant amount of mana in combat. Lee Hamin nodded, his own mana reserves slightly better at around 60%, since swordsmen rarely used mana except when utilizing aura.
Though the mana left was barely enough to confront Septimus, they weren't alone, which was a relief. After healing and collecting their weapons, Kang Sihyun picked up Ban Haru and placed Pia on his shoulder. With preparations complete, the dark space confining Kang Sihyun and Lee Hamin shattered with a sharp noise.
"Ugh!"
Blinded by sudden brightness after being in the dark, they shielded their eyes. Narrowing their gaze to adjust, Kang Sihyun and Lee Hamin looked ahead to see where they had emerged.
It was the academy once more.
They found themselves in a space possibly still within the realm of illusions, surrounded by darkness, with several spheres visible around them. The remnants of the dark sphere they had shattered lay at their feet, prompting Kang Sihyun to survey the room as his eyes adjusted to the light, only to stiffen suddenly at a new discovery.
A grotesque creature caught his attention.
It had a humanoid appearance, but its body was adorned with disproportionately large wings and a long tail, and it had only three fingers on each hand.
This being sat atop the largest dark sphere, its tail swaying gently.
"Keek, kick."
A laugh, so familiar yet so unsettling, echoed through the space.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
