Chapter 2535 – 2535. Savior Of The Academy

The moment I grasped the Hwaryeon Flying Blade, the Murderous Ghost kicked off the ground and charged at me.

Having focused my concentration since the Murderous Ghost appeared, I was able to track his movements without missing a beat. His hands went to his waist, and he drew two swords simultaneously.

Even though it was a drawing technique performed from a running, unbalanced posture, it was clean. He truly had perfect control over his body.

Clang!

I held the Hwaryeon Flying Blade vertically, blocking the Murderous Ghost’s sword draw. It was the Murderous Ghost who was impressed, seeing the blade bounce off.

“I heard you were wearing some strange armor, so I thought you’d be weak… But seeing you withstand my attack, it seems you’ve been training your body diligently.”

“My strength has gotten stronger recently. If we’re just talking about physical specs, I’m above you.”

I knew the Murderous Ghost’s real name, so I could check his status window.

『Name: Li Tao
Strength: A+ Stamina: S- Agility: S- Durability: A+ Mana: C
Trait: Ghost Soul (S)
Skills: Swordsmanship (S+), Ghostly Energy (S), Possession (B)
Trust: 37』

Except for strength and mana, his stats were one level higher than mine.

‘Seeing his high agility… there’s a high chance he specializes in speed battles.’

I could also tell his fighting style from the clothes he was wearing. He was the type to block or dodge attacks with his sword while fighting. That’s why he was wearing martial arts attire instead of armor.

‘A typical martial artist-type fighting style that fits the martial arts world. But why is his trust so high when we just met?’

I gripped the hilt of the Hwaryeon Flying Blade and counterattacked.

‘Let’s start lightly.’

Crack.

Red electricity sparked from the blade of the Hwaryeon Flying Blade.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Thunder Flash (雷光).

A red trail was drawn in the dark void, aiming for the Murderous Ghost’s neck. The Murderous Ghost stepped back using footwork. The tip of the Hwaryeon Flying Blade barely grazed his neck.

The Murderous Ghost grinned.

“Good. This is exactly the kind of fight I wanted.”

“You dodge well. Could you see my attack?”

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t see it. That slash was one that couldn’t be tracked by the eye. But a sword is just a sword. The one wielding the sword is ultimately the swordsman’s body.”

He meant that he predicted the slash by looking at my posture, not the sword.

‘Textbook.’

It was a textbook way to deal with a quick sword. But most people die to a quick sword because they can’t use this textbook method.

‘Just dodging Thunder Flash means he’s a first-class fighter or better.’

I acknowledged the Murderous Ghost’s skill. However.

『Li Tao’s Trust: 45』

‘Why the hell is this guy’s trust going up?’

I clicked my tongue.

It would be a mistake to think I’d go easy on him just because his trust was going up. I’m going to kill this bastard here. It’s already decided.

As I prepared for the next attack, the Murderous Ghost acted first. He wildly swung the swords in his hands. No, even though it looked wild, it wasn’t.

He continued his attacks naturally, like flowing water, without being bound by any form. The Murderous Ghost’s attacks became even more chaotic due to the ghostly energy (鬼氣) on the blades.

Sparks began to fly everywhere as our swords clashed.

‘Not good. This guy’s sword is getting faster the more he swings it. It’s getting hard to parry.’

I had one sword, and he had two. It wasn’t easy to shake him off with force.

I spread my left hand, which wasn’t holding a sword. Lightning gathered and rotated around the center of my palm, which was covered in a steel gauntlet.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Ten Thousand Thunders (卍雷).

If I shot it out, he’d dodge it nine times out of ten.

‘Discharge.’

The lightning compressed in my palm exploded in all directions.

The Murderous Ghost raised a protective barrier to shield his body. This moment, when he was concentrating on his barrier, was the opening I was aiming for.

A blade of energy formed on the Hwaryeon Flying Blade, mixing aura and lightning.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Thunder Aura Blade (雷罡刃).

The blade tore through the Murderous Ghost’s protective barrier and aimed for his right arm. It was too late when the Murderous Ghost reacted. A posture that made it difficult to move his weapon. However, the Murderous Ghost’s arm moved forcibly. His right arm was forcibly raised in a direction it couldn’t move, and the Murderous Ghost’s sword blocked my sword.

Clang!

The sword, raised by the power of the third party, the Guardian Spirit, blocked the Hwaryeon Flying Blade and shattered. His left-hand sword was swung. His blade was imbued with ghostly energy. It clearly had power comparable to aura.

Aura was the exclusive domain of sword masters, but to put it bluntly, it was the emission of energy. Aura was just the density of sword energy increased to an enormous degree. That was aura, just in a different form.

‘Should I go in? Or not?’

If I went in, I could definitely land a fatal blow. The problem was that I had to be prepared to take a fatal blow as well.

My hesitation was short.

I stepped back.

Even if I had full recovery, there was no rush. There was no need to push recklessly.

‘I’m the one with the advantage. There’s no need to overdo it.’

The Murderous Ghost, not caring about his broken right arm, which he had moved forcibly, looked at the Hwaryeon Flying Blade with gleaming eyes.

“That sword. It’s a very good sword. I want it. I’ll kill you and take it.”

“Know your place. You think you can kill me with your right arm broken? You should have realized by now. My skill is superior.”

“…I admit it. Our physical abilities are similar, but… your sword techniques, your judgment in battle, are superior. I can tell you’ve been through battles that are incomparable to mine. So, from now on, I’ll give it my all.”

A smile appeared on the Murderous Ghost’s lips. The smile soon twisted into a ghastly, eerie grin.

The Guardian Spirit behind him quietly seeped into the Murderous Ghost’s body. He had used his Possession (B) skill.

Two arms sprouted from below the Murderous Ghost’s shoulders. The broken right arm moved as it was forced to move. It hadn’t recovered. It was moving forcibly in its broken state, using the power of the Guardian Spirit.

The Murderous Ghost discarded the sword he was holding in his left hand. And he drew the greatsword from his back.

“You have four hands, but only one sword.”

“I know that tricks won’t work on you. I’ll focus on just one to cut you down.”

The Murderous Ghost moved his feet. His feet stopped before they touched the snow on the ground. No, he stepped on the air. And at that moment, the Murderous Ghost’s body disappeared.

[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 11]

Top right. The Murderous Ghost, appearing as if he were lying down, twisted his waist and swung his greatsword. I parried his attack with the Hwaryeon Flying Blade.

Clang!

The Murderous Ghost’s greatsword bounced off, revealing an opening.

[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 10]

I reversed my grip on the blade, spinning it and swinging it downwards.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Thunder Flash (雷光).

The Murderous Ghost stepped on the air and dodged upwards, landing on the ground.

“Amazing. You’re the first to keep up with this speed. Even Gokju had trouble reacting to this speed.”

I was the one who was surprised.

Just now, the Murderous Ghost moved at a speed similar to Instant. If it wasn’t for Instant, it would have been difficult to react.

“You can’t use that speed without any conditions. How many times do you have left?”

Blood began to flow from the Murderous Ghost’s eyes and mouth. Even so, the Murderous Ghost was smiling.

“You’re right. But your arm, which blocked my attack, is also trembling. They say speed is power. How long can you hold out?”

The Murderous Ghost stepped on the air again. By the time I heard the sound of air being torn, he was already behind me.

He’s challenging me to a speed battle?

Fine. I’ll play along.

[Using Instant (刹那). Remaining stacks: 9]

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).

Crackle!

Electricity that started from my spine spread throughout my body, stimulating it.

[Using Acceleration. Lasts for 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 8]

I moved behind the Murderous Ghost. The Murderous Ghost was startled.

“…What are you doing?”

His voice was filled with anger instead of joy.

“What are you talking about?”

“…You could have killed me just now. Why didn’t you swing your sword?”

“To show you that I’m faster than you. Got it? Now die.”

I swung the Hwaryeon Flying Blade. I cut through the Murderous Ghost’s body.

‘An afterimage?!’

The Murderous Ghost’s body became blurry.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Electromagnetic Wave (電磁氣波).

‘The Murderous Ghost’s location is on the left. No. He moved to the right.’

I raised the Hwaryeon Flying Blade, blocking the greatsword flying from the right.

Kwaaaang!

The shockwave from the greatsword sent my body flying backward, slamming into the ground. The Murderous Ghost wasn’t just faster.

I couldn’t just stand there blankly. The Murderous Ghost was falling to the ground from above, with his sword pointed at me. Blood and ghostly energy were flowing from the Murderous Ghost’s entire body.

Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) Flying Thunder God (飛雷神).

I dodged to the side and rushed at the Murderous Ghost, who had fallen to the ground. The Murderous Ghost reacted to my speed and swung his greatsword.

Our swords collided, creating a shockwave. We were both thrown back in opposite directions, and craters formed on the ground.

“Kuhahaha. I feel like I’m going to die! But how can a swordsman resist a fight like this! Give it your all, Jeokgwang!”

“You’re the one who’s dying. You give it your all.”

Blood flowed from between my lips. I had suffered internal injuries from the shock just now. When you think about it, my durability stat was lower.

‘Should I release the Hwaryeon Flying Blade now?’

I immediately erased that thought. I didn’t want to rely on the power of the sword after coming this far.

The Murderous Ghost and I simultaneously kicked off the air and charged at each other.

The instantaneous acceleration broke the sound barrier.

Kwaaaang!

By the time I heard the sound of the collision, we were already clashing for the second time. Parts of my suit were shattered.

The burden of breaking the sound barrier was steadily accumulating on my body. If I wasn’t wearing the Machina Suit, I might have collapsed first.

‘But that bastard is also possessed by a Guardian Spirit.’

Kwaaaang! Bang! Kwaaaaaang!

We continued to clash in the air. And we were thrown back by the shockwaves. Then, we charged again for the next attack.

This was already a race.

If we stopped, we would die.

Blood splattered with each clash. I couldn’t tell if it was my blood or his.

At this point, the outcome was decided.

I had full recovery, so I didn’t care if I died. But the Murderous Ghost didn’t.

The Murderous Ghost’s speed began to slow down at some point. I didn’t miss it and cut through the Murderous Ghost’s legs. The Murderous Ghost, having lost his legs, collapsed onto the snow-covered ground.

Steam rose from his bloodied body. The Guardian Spirit possessing him screamed in an attempt to rise. But the Murderous Ghost, already at his limit, couldn’t move.

“I lost. Even if I continued like this, I would have lost.”

“You admit it quickly.”

“How can I not admit it when I’m in this state… More than anything, how can I not know when we’ve been clashing? You were using sword techniques even while clashing at that speed. You let the shock that could be deflected flow away, and you endured the shock that could be endured. I… I was struggling just to maintain my speed.”

“…Was I?”

I narrowed my eyes and asked again. It wasn’t that I was trying to deceive him, I really didn’t know if I had done that.

“You didn’t even know it yourself? Haha. Right. Is there any other way to achieve oneness with the sword? Sword techniques that are ingrained in the body even without intention. That’s what oneness with the sword is.”

The Murderous Ghost looked at the greatsword and then let go of the hilt. The blade of the greatsword was cracked all over. It was already at its limit.

“…Kill me. I won’t beg for my life.”

“I will kill you. But before that… why didn’t you use the power of the devil? Your Guirak Valley should have made a contract with a devil.”

“As you said, I made a contract with a devil. Gokju told me to. But what I pursue is not a devil. I decided to live as a sword demon and die as a sword demon. Therefore, I have no resentment towards you. I’m just dying because I was defeated.”

“This guy is interesting. I’ll give you a special choice. How do you want me to kill you?”

“If it’s a murderous cut, isn’t it beheading? I’ve always beheaded the defeated. So, behead me.”

“The feeling of beheading is clean, I guess. Farewell.”

Swish.

I beheaded the Murderous Ghost.

The Guardian Spirit that had possessed the Murderous Ghost slowly rose and let out a curse-filled scream.

-Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

I looked at the Guardian Spirit with my Spirit Eye. Up close, I could see a spell that was suppressing the Guardian Spirit’s existence.

“Is this the Guirak Valley Lord’s trick? Stop.”

『Activating the Spirit Force of the Spirit Eye (SSS).』