There are people who never hesitate once they’ve made a decision. Jo Pil was exactly that type.
“Let’s see what you can do.”
With those casual words, Jo Pil kicked off the ground. He closed the ten-zhang distance in two steps. A flash of light erupted from his waist.
Shhhk!
What the-
My body moved before my thoughts. The extended spear shaft met the flash of light.
BOOM!
The impact sent my body flying backward.
Like a cannonball, I hurtled toward the patrol members. Shield or whatever—three or four at the front collapsed in a heap.
“Argh!”
“Captain! Are you alright?!”
…How could I be alright.
Holy shit.
I gripped the still-vibrating spear shaft tightly.
The flash had been Jo Pil’s sword.
And it was the fastest, strongest attack I’d experienced in my 27 years of life.
This much damage even though I blocked it?
If my reaction had been even slightly slower, I’d be climbing the mountain to the afterlife right now. I stood up, trying to calm my pounding heart.
Jo Pil was smiling.
“How disappointing. Is this all you’ve got?”
I could only block that attack because it was “all.” If I hadn’t leveled up after wiping out those twenty men earlier, I might already be dead.
Fuck, I picked the wrong fight.
My realm is Second-Rate. Despite that, I’d easily defeated two First-Rate masters until now. Through martial arts and abilities gained from the system, and my accumulated combat experience.
But with just one attack, I understood.
This guy is different.
I feel overwhelmed in every aspect. Jo Pil is on a completely different level from Lee Sogun or Black Mountain Blade. To the point where the word “death” comes to mind.
“You’re scared.”
Scared? Me?
I looked at my hands. The spear’s vibration had stopped, but my hands gripping it were trembling like aspen leaves. My heartbeat was so loud I thought everyone could hear it.
“How can you survive the turbulent martial world with such a chicken heart?”
Jo Pil clicked his tongue.
“This won’t do. Let me help boost your courage.”
“What?”
“Anger always overcomes fear—” Before I could understand his words, Jo Pil shook his sleeve. Multiple streaks of light shot out simultaneously.
Danger!
As soon as the red alert blared in my head, I swung my spear. Clang! Several flying daggers deflected with a sharp sound.
But I couldn’t block all the attacks.
“Kuk.”
One of the patrol members clutched his throat. Beyond his fingers, blood gushed forth around a single dagger.
“Kh-khk. Captain. Khrk.”
He fell to his knees with a gurgling sound. His still-young face was contorted with the terror of death.
“S-save me… Shhhk, thuck!”
No one survives daggers to both throat and forehead. He was no exception.
Splat. His face hit the ground that had just begun to thaw. He would never rise again.
It happened in an instant.
“I chose him because he looked youngest… Was he a cherished subordinate?”
I shook my head at Jo Pil’s question.
“No.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Actually, I don’t even know his name.”
“But he’s your subordinate?”
“He’s an NPC. No need to know his name or age.”
“What?”
I turned the corpse face-up. After wiping the dirt and snow from his face, I closed his bulging eyes.
Then I confessed to Jo Pil, who still looked puzzled.
“We’d only met three days ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why…” Jo Pil continued with a smile.
“Are you so angry?”
He was right. Something was boiling up from my gut. My head and chest were burning hot—I had to say something.
What was that guy’s name?
He was Number Seven in the patrol team. I’d forced him to carry a shield despite his protests and trained him whenever possible. Being young, he’d grin broadly whenever I gave him even a little praise.
What was his name?
I couldn’t remember in the end.
I don’t even know the names of people living in the same goshiwon—why would I need to remember some NPC I’d only known for a few days?
There was no reason or need to remember.
But… I’m irritated. I’m angry. I thought it would be different in a game, but even here, the fact that I couldn’t protect my team member.
All the reasons for training him, all the efforts of the past few days—vanished like bubbles.
I opened my mouth and exhaled hot breath.
“You bastard. You’re fucking dead.”
I bit down on the last remaining fasting pill and swallowed it. Along with the system message confirming my energy recovery.
BOOM-
I kicked off the ground and flew.
Jo Pil deflected the spearhead that thrust from his blind spot.
Clang! Kakakak.
Fast and powerful. Solid fundamentals and decent combat sense.
Not someone that rootless vagrants like the Hengshan brat or Black Mountain Blade could handle.
Taiyuan Jin Family… even a rotten fish is still a fish, eh?
Jo Pil thought as he effortlessly avoided the spearhead.
The decline of the Taiyuan Jin Family wasn’t recent news. Their former glory that once encompassed Shanxi Province had already vanished, leaving only faded past glories and rare talents appearing as scarce as beans in a drought.
Like this Jin Tae-kyung before him.
They’ve raised an interesting one.
Such skill at twenty. Though not quite at the level of Heavenly-Shaking Sword, already called Shanxi’s greatest master, he was an intriguing fellow.
Age aside, his internal energy and martial arts were mediocre, but… he knew how to fight. He knew exactly when to retreat, when to advance, and when opportunity arose, he struck like a demon.
Just like now.
“Ha!”
Shhk- Bang!
The spearhead flashed toward his face, piercing the air. With an explosive sound, Jo Pil’s hair fluttered.
My, would you look at that.
The series of movements with the spear—thrusting, striking—flowed smoothly and naturally. Not only that, but that movement of twisting his whole body to explode power was the Silk-Wrapping Force. Though still crude, there was no mistake.
Silk-Wrapping Force at such a young age?
Natural instinct, combat experience reminiscent of veteran warriors, and talent.
Terrifying potential. Just as Jo Pil thought this—
Jin Tae-kyung muttered with a hardened face.
“Fuck, what is this.”
Jo Pil’s foot slipped. In that moment of distraction, Jin Tae-kyung’s spear bored in like a snake. Though Jo Pil leaped back to create distance, the internal energy behind the spear was extraordinary.
Shriiiiiek!
The first hit he’d allowed. His upper garment split open, revealing his chest.
“Ah, damn. Could’ve ended it there.”
Could’ve ended it? Against me, One Strike One Kill Jo Pil?
Looking at Jin Tae-kyung clicking his tongue in regret, Jo Pil felt intense rage.
“YOU BASTAAAARD!”
His qi-infused roar shook the forest. Jo Pil’s eyes rolled back as he charged at Jin Tae-kyung.
The moment I cut a long gash in Jo Pil’s clothes, the system alert rang.
Ding.
-[Lv.??? Jo Pil] enters [Berserk] state!
-Strength and Agility increase for duration!
Damn. Even more than this?
“RAAAAH!”
BOOM- CRASH!
Each strike slammed down with thunderous impact. The ground tore up and trees were ripped out by their roots. With his eyes rolled back white, Jo Pil rampaged like a literal madman.
Problem is, he’s not just any madman.
He’s a fucking master-level madman. If not for my [Duelist] title that increases combat abilities by 10% in one-on-one battles, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.
KWAAANG- That’s not martial arts. It’s bombardment.
However, Jo Pil’s current state lacks precision. His normally concise and quick movements have become exaggerated and full of openings due to the excessive force from [Berserk].
Just need one opening… problem is, I can’t find it. He’s gone berserk and laying waste to everything around him—I can barely dodge, let alone think about blocking.
Getting within his range would mean being torn to shreds.
“Captain!”
“Let us help!”
I frantically waved off the patrol members rushing forward.
“No, stay back! Don’t come! Retreat!”
Are these guys insane? Coming here? We’ve already lost one pointlessly. The patrol team’s annihilation isn’t what I want.
And…
If they come, my Duelist title effect will disappear!
[Duelist] only applies in one-on-one battles.
I’m barely hanging on as it is—if the title effect disappears, who knows how much longer I can last.
“Get back, you bastards!”
With that shout, I quickly dove to the side. Sure enough, Jo Pil’s sword pulverized the ground.
CRASH!
“Captain!”
Hyeok Mujin’s cry came a beat late. Despite my warning, he was already charging in. Behind him, Han Yeop’s face showed determination.
“Hey, don’t—!”
“Jo Pil, you vicious bastard!”
“Get away from our Captain!”
But they were too late. Hyeok Mujin and Han Yeop, having run with all their might, thrust their weapons at Jo Pil, who was distracted by me.
“Die!”
Sword and spear. Spear and sword. Good timing and good attacks, as if they’d practiced. But one thing was wrong—their opponent.
“How dare you! You little rats!”
Jo Pil’s response was swift. He planted his sword and spun, striking both weapons with his bare hands.
Facing sword and spear barehanded is suicidal. But it was different in this martial world. More precisely, Jo Pil as a master was different.
Crack- SNAP!
With just his palm touching the flat of the blade, Hyeok Mujin’s sword shattered before even reaching Jo Pil. Han Yeop’s face turned to shock as he saw his spearhead cleanly severed off.
The result of Jo Pil’s straight hand blade.
“What the—”
“Impossib—”
Before they could finish, Jo Pil’s hands struck both their chests.
They spewed blood as they slammed into trees.
“I’ll kill you.”
No white showed in his eyes as he smiled coldly. The berserk state had ended and he’d regained his senses.
Fuck… from bad to worse. Mountains of trouble. Surrounded on all sides. Jo Pil you son of a bitch.
The situation was spiraling toward the worst possible outcome. If someone was going to stop him, it had to be me.
“JO PIL-!”
Internal energy pulled up at full power rapidly spread throughout my body.
I kicked off the ground and shot toward him.
Jo Pil opened his mouth with a broad smile.
“Yes, I’ll kill you first.”
But I had something to rely on.
Right now, he’s unarmed.
A mistake made in his berserk state.
And I was confident I could end everything before he could draw and swing the sword on his back.
The next moment, I pulled up all the internal energy in my danjeon with everything I had. Concentrated all power into just the spear tip—a single point—and thrust.
“DIE!”
The final form of the Jin Family’s Spear Arts, Heaven-Piercing One.
If it can pierce the heavens, why not Jo Pil’s heart? I was certain.
With this… it ends.
In the slowed-down world, I saw Jo Pil’s face. He was smiling. The moment I saw that smile, I realized.
Something was wrong.
Kakakak.
Jo Pil’s sword was faster than my spear. The blood-stained red blade pushed aside my spear shaft and bore inward.
As my qi-infused spearhead pierced empty air—slash.
With a chilling sound, my chest felt cool. Then came the searing pain and gushing blood. Thankfully, pulling back at the last moment had avoided a fatal wound.
Damn it.
What the hell happened? Jo Pil charged at me as I staggered backward.
Swish swish swish!
Red sword light poured forth. Each strike too fast to see properly and overwhelmingly powerful. I gritted my teeth and swung my spear, but Jo Pil’s momentum and martial arts completely outmatched me.
Slash. Stab. Swoosh.
Lightning crossed my entire body. The blade that stabbed and sliced through my shoulder, knee, and side pulled out along with spurts of blood.
“Kuhek.”
“You didn’t drop your weapon. I’ll praise you for that.”
Jo Pil added.
“Let’s see if you can endure this too.”
The next moment, his hand struck my chest.