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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 113: The Church (2)
***
Cheongyeum thrust out his foot like a spear. It was a speed that could not be avoided. Damien had to block the blow with his forearm.
Although he had blocked it, his forearm throbbed. It felt like he had been hit by a lump of iron.
‘As expected of a Master.’
Even with just their bare hands, a Master was strong enough to be called a monster. Damien’s body was as hard as iron, and could not be cut by a knife.
There was no time to be lost in thought. Cheongyeum was already launching a fierce attack.
Cheongyeum’s kicks rained down one after another. Damien’s eyes darted around busily.
‘There is no excessiveness in his movements. They are extremely simple, but fast and destructive.’
He was indeed a Great Elder. Since his regression, he had met many people, but this was the first time he had seen such a simple yet efficient attack.
However, Damien was no easy opponent either. He blocked all of Cheongyeum’s attacks and then used his hands and forearms to strike back.
A series of dull thuds rang out.
Cheongyeum’s expression became strange as he saw Damien blocking his attacks so easily.
“Hmm, I heard you were a swordsman. Where did you learn your martial arts?”
“I learned a little bit in case I needed to use it in an emergency.”
“It doesn’t seem like just a little bit. You’re much better than the paladins of our sect.”
Cheongyeum smiled with satisfaction.
“This is fun. I think we can go a little bit more intense.”
Damien looked at Cheongyeum carefully. He had realized something strange.
Cheongyeum’s main weapons were his two fists. He occasionally used kicks, but when he was actually fighting an opponent, he used his fists much more often.
However, in the recent exchange of blows, Cheongyeum had only used his legs. And even then, he had only used his right leg.
“I heard that you mainly use your fists.”
At Damien’s question, Cheongyeum burst out laughing.
“If I use my fists, it will be over too quickly. Using only my legs is my way of showing consideration.”
Damien laughed at that.
It was the first time since his regression that he had been shown ‘consideration’ by an opponent.
In other cases, it might not matter, but ‘consideration’ from an enemy was nothing more than being ignored.
He could not stand being ignored. Damien took out the Thousand Mile Sword that was hanging from his waist and put it into his subspace.
“What are you doing now?”
Cheongyeum tilted his head. He did not understand why the swordsman was putting away his sword.
“How can I use a weapon against an elder? I will continue to fight you bare-handed.”
At those words, Cheongyeum’s face froze for a moment. Then he started laughing loudly.
“An elder? You mean you’re going to go easy on me because I’m old?”
“I apologize if I have offended you. However, I have always been taught by my father to respect the elderly.”
Cheongyeum burst out laughing again.
“Fine, do whatever you want. But don’t come crying to me when you get beaten up.”
Once again, Cheongyeum was the first to move. He jumped forward and kicked out with his right foot.
Damien dodged the attack by twisting his body. Cheongyeum immediately retracted his extended leg. Then he swung his right leg at Damien like a whip.
All of his attacks were much sharper and more threatening than before. The shock that accumulated in his forearms with each block grew stronger.
‘As expected, the wall of a Master is high.’
Even though he was only using one leg, there were no gaps in his defense. And even now, Cheongyeum was not fighting seriously.
He was just poking and prodding Damien to see his level.
‘To break through this, I need to reach the Master level myself.’
Masters are those who have surpassed the pinnacle of technique and have opened up a new path.
Standing on that path, they could see many things. Things that lower-class knights could not even dream of.
That was why Damien could not defeat a Master class at his current level.
Even if he had the knowledge and experience of countless Masters in his head, it would not matter.
‘At this rate, I’m going to lose.’
In fact, it was only natural for Damien to lose in a spar against a Master.
However, his pride was hurt at the thought of losing just like that.
‘At the very least, I need to make him use his hands.’
Damien’s senses were at their peak. He used all of his senses to read Cheongyeum’s movements.
Then, Cheongyeum raised his right leg high into the air.
“If you block this, your arm might break!”
Cheongyeum’s heel plunged down towards Damien’s head.
Damien threw himself backwards. Cheongyeum’s heel passed just above his nose.
The heel hit the ground with a thud. The ground was dug deep into the ground as if a sledgehammer had been struck.
With the recoil, Cheongyeum leaped into the air and twisted his waist in midair.
At the same time, he brought his right shin down towards Damien once again.
***
“Let’s see if you can take this too!”
Cheongyeum shouted with an excited face.
The technique that Cheongyeum was now using could be called his trump card.
The movements were large, but they were quick because they were aimed at the opponent’s weakness and were executed with a downward motion.
Most people could not see through this attack and were defeated. Cheongyeum thought that Damien would not be much different.
However, just as Cheongyeum’s leg was about to press down on Damien’s collarbone, Damien lifted his body into the air.
At the same time, he turned his body. His shoulder rotated one full turn, deflecting Cheongyeum’s attack.
“No way?”
Cheongyeum’s face was filled with embarrassment, as even he had not expected this.
Damien’s body, which had been floating in the air, fell to the ground. He landed flat on the ground.
Damien’s body hit the ground first, and Cheongyeum landed a split second later.
Damien, not missing a beat, swung his leg low and kicked Cheongyeum’s leg.
No matter how strong Cheongyeum was, there was no way he could block an attack in midair. His body tilted to one side.
At this rate, his face would hit the ground.
As a Master and Great elder, he could not show such a disgrace. Cheongyeum had no choice but to use his hands to brace himself against the ground.
Cheongyeum stood up and looked at Damien with an incredulous face.
“What did you just do? It’s like you read my attack.”
“It was just a lucky hit.”
Damien said, brushing the dirt off his clothes. Despite Damien’s explanation, the question on Cheongyeum’s face remained.
“……This is interesting.”
But that was only for a moment. Soon, a fierce smile appeared on Cheongyeum’s face.
“This is the first time I’ve had such an interesting opponent. Not even among the Great Elders, there hasn’t been anyone like you.”
Cheongyeum clenched his two fists. The atmosphere changed drastically with that one action.
The frail old man was gone. All that was left was a beast that seemed ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.
“Weren’t you not going to use your hands?”
“You were keeping that in mind? I apologize for underestimating you.”
Cheongyeum seemed to not care at all.
“So let’s do this properly from now on.”
All that mattered to Cheongyeum now was his fight with Damien.
‘This is troublesome. I’ve awakened Cheongyeum’s wild side.’
He had only been able to succeed in his attack before because Cheongyeum was holding back.
That was a great feat in itself. A Master was a monster that surpassed humans. No matter how careless they were, a middle class could not find an opening.
It was like saying that you couldn’t kill a sleeping lion with a dog’s teeth.
However, Cheongyeum, who had revealed his true nature, was different. The few gaps that were left were now completely closed.
‘But I can’t avoid it.’
Damien also braced himself and prepared for Cheongyeum’s next attack.
“You’re amazing. You’re really an amazing guy.”
Cheongyeum exclaimed, his eyes shining.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, light erupted from the ground.
The next moment, his whole body felt heavier. It was as if an invisible hand was pressing down on him.
Damien looked down at the ground with a surprised face. It was a miracle he had seen before.
‘Divine power?’
Radiant Light, one of the Five Great Elders, had the divine power to ‘enhance’ anything.
She could enhance anything from physical abilities like strength and agility to the cutting power of weapons and even gravity.
“Radiant Light! What is this nonsense!”
As expected, Cheongyeum shouted, glaring at someone.
Damien also looked in the direction that Cheongyeum was looking.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman was looking at them.
Her radiant blonde hair reminded one of spring. The smile on her lips had a magical power that could captivate one’s mind. Her curvaceous figure was impossible to fully conceal even by the loose-fitting robe she wore.
Radiant Light.
One of the Five Great Masters and the leader of the sect ‘Blinding Pain’.
She had intervened in the fight between the two men.
“Elder Cheongyeum, don’t get too excited.”
“How can I calm down after something like this has happened!”
“I was just following Her Holiness’s orders.”
As Radiant Light stepped aside, an old woman appeared, leaning on a cane.
Her back was hunched and her back was protruding. One of her legs seemed to have some problem, so she limped.
She seemed to be in a lot of discomfort. However, the moment Damien saw her face, those things were no longer visible.
Holy Empress’s eyes were deep and calm, like the night sky.
Even Damien was momentarily lost and drawn into her eyes.
“Cheongyeum, I asked Radiant Light to stop the two of you.”
Holy Empress opened his mouth. Her voice was very clear. Thanks to that, Damien was able to come to his senses.
Cheongyeum immediately knelt on the ground. Damien did the same as Cheongyeum.
“Cheongyeum……”
Holy Empress looked down at Cheongyeum with a tired face.
“What will I do if you punch my guest……”
“Your Holiness! I did it with Sir Damien’s consent!”
Damien looked at Cheongyeum with a dumbfounded face. Cheongyeum gave him a pleading look.
“Sir Damien, is that true?”
“How could that be? He attacked me out of nowhere.”
Damien was not going to let it go. He coldly told the truth to the Holy Empress.
Holy Empress’s eyebrows shot up. Cheongyeum broke out in a cold sweat.
“I will not let this go today. You better be prepared.”
At the Holy Empress’s words, Cheongyeum’s expression turned as if the sky was falling down.
“Y-Your Holiness……!”
Cheongyeum called out to the Holy Empress with an anxious face. But the Holy Empress just turned her head away and ignored him.
“Sir Damien, let’s go with me. We need to discuss your rewards issue.”
“I understand.”
Damien answered hastily.
“Cheongyeum, you come too. I need your advice when we discuss the reward.”
“I understand……”
Cheongyeum replied with a look of utter defeat.
Holy Empress turned to Damien. He had a kind expression on her face, unlike when she was talking to Cheongyeum.
“Then, Sir Damien, shall we go?”
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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