Chapter 155: One-on-One Duel (1)

Beads of sweat dripped into Kim Ki-Rok's eyes, slowing his reactions.

"

Hup!

"

A thunderous explosion rattled the air. Kim Ki-Rok, straining every muscle, poured mana into his armor and activated the artifact he had gained with the High Elf's help. Even so, the blast shattered his defenses and hurled him skyward. Mammon launched after him, eager to press the advantage, but Kim Ki-Rok triggered his Blink artifact just in time, vanishing and reappearing on the ground below.

Mammon halted midair, eyes alight with amusement.

This is fun.

Though fatigue slowed Kim Ki-Rok's reflexes, he somehow managed to evade and parry each assault. Even at less than full strength, his resilience was entertaining to behold.

"Sir Mammon, ten minutes have passed! Ten minutes!" Kim Ki-Rok panted.

Mammon bit back his impulse to charge and landed with a nod. "Very well."

Kim Ki-Rok collapsed to one knee, diving into his subspace pocket.

"What's that?" Mammon asked.

"It's a sandwich." Kim Ki-Rok tore off a bite, uncorked a potion, and downed it like water. Next, he fanned out a stack of scrolls and ripped them open in quick succession.

Mammon watched in silence, realizing each action was preparation for the next round. Whatever Kim Ki-Rok called a "sandwich" was clearly no ordinary snack.

"What exactly is a

sandwich?

"

"I packed it with spirit plants that boost physical ability," Kim Ki-Rok replied.

Mammon chuckled. "Then I suppose the potion and the scrolls you used also enhance your physical abilities."

"Yes, that's right. Both are meant to boost my physical strength."

Though Mammon found him strange, he understood the desperation. If Kim Ki-Rok won this twenty-five-minute duel, the Continental Alliance would be granted a ten-year reprieve. Mammon didn't particularly care what means Kim Ki-Rok used to survive. Yet, something didn't sit right.

"As far as I know, you're a stranger visiting from another dimension."

"That would be correct."

"Then why go so far as to sacrifice your strength and risk your life for another dimension?"

"If the Yuashiel Dimension falls, well... I'll spare you the details. Just know that if the Continental Alliance collapses, it'll be my dimension next in line."

Mammon didn't fully grasp it, but he could tell Kim Ki-Rok had his reasons.

Kim Ki-Rok stood up slowly and began stretching.

"How much time is left?" Mammon asked.

"Thirty seconds."

The demon gave a nod, eyes fixed on Kim Ki-Rok, then reached into the void.

Kim Ki-Rok's brows furrowed. "Huh?"

Mammon grinned at the reaction and opened his subspace.

"Ah! I was hoping you'd save that for when five minutes were left..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

"So you're aware of this," Mammon said, drawing a black sword from his subspace and giving it a light swing.

Kim Ki-Rok eyed the weapon. "Of course, Lord Mammon. Did you think I'd challenge you without gathering intel?

Ugh...

the cursed sword, Du Blanc."

Mammon was a swordsman who wielded a cursed blade. He had been limiting himself for the sake of enjoyment, but with Du Blanc now in hand, he was exponentially more dangerous than he had been fighting barehanded.

"You've been holding back, haven't you? Using only thirty percent of your power?"

Mammon paused, briefly speechless, and studied Kim Ki-Rok. "Just who the hell are you?"

Kim Ki-Rok had known, somehow, that Mammon was only using thirty percent of his strength, something he would never disclose. The demon's eyes glinted with curiosity once more.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kim Ki-Rok made a proposal. "If I share one of my secrets, would you limit yourself even further?"

"By how much?"

"Fifteen percent."

"Make it twenty," Mammon amended.

"Even fifteen percent would be twice as dangerous as when you were fighting barehanded, you know..."

"Twenty."

"

Tsk!

" Kim Ki-Rok licked his lips in disappointment. "Thirty seconds have passed. Shall I proceed?"

"I'll give you another thirty seconds."

"I have studied the footage of your duel with Sword God."

"I figured as much. Another secret."

"

Ugh

..."

Kim Ki-Rok frowned, arms crossed, slipping back into contemplation.

Another secret... Another... Ah, this one would soon be revealed to the Black Kingdom, anyway.

"Heroes—or otherworlders like me who go by the title 'Hunter'—use abilities we call superpowers. They're not derived from magic, divine authority, or elemental forces."

"Superpowers?"

"Exactly. Mine allows me to appraise people and objects."

"Hmm. Interesting... Ah! So that's why you asked me to drop my power to fifteen percent the moment I drew Du Blanc."

"Indeed."

The cursed sword Du Blanc possessed the ability to nullify all weakening effects.

"By equipping that, you'd be blocking my debuffs from affecting you."

"But you can still destroy my mana."

"Well, I'll have to do

something,

somehow."

Mammon let out a hearty laugh and lowered his sword hand. "Are you ready?"

"Uh... um... Give me five seconds." Kim Ki-Rok settled into his stance and activated a Skill. "Mirror."

Though ineffective against Greater and Intermediate Demons, it worked on Lesser Demons. He had deliberately targeted a warrior-type demon rather than a mage-type.

[

Kim Ki-Rok

] (Teperace)

Level: 1

Strength: 143

Vitality: 152

Magic: 133

Willpower: 182

Skills: Record (B), Time Rabbit's Luggage (S), Mirror (A) → (S), Swordsmanship (B), Martial Arts (B), ...

Kim Ki-Rok's level had dropped by one every ten seconds that he had Guardian equipped, and it now sat at Level 1. To offset the drop, he used Mirror to duplicate the demon's stats, stacked food and potion buffs, activated scroll effects, and poured mana into a stat-enhancing artifact.

"I'm ready."

At his signal, Mammon lunged forward, his sword slicing the air with a resonant hum. Their clash exploded like thunder through the surrounding ruins.

***

The Black Wizards had exposed a gap, but the rescue team didn't pause. Prioritizing escape, they tore through the Undead and monster horde in their path. Any delay could cost not only the lives of the dwarf survivors but also that of Kim Ki-Rok, who was buying them time by confronting the Demons. Thus, both the rescue team and the Hunters pressed on, carving through obstacles with grim determination. After pushing through the forest, they reached the plains and spotted the distant border city.

"Split in two!" roared Dwarf Champion Reardon of the White Hammer tribe. "First unit, turn and hold off the enemy! Second unit, escort the survivors to the border city!"

Following Reardon's command, the rescue team unit reformed to establish a defensive line. The second unit that was responsible for clearing the Gate surrounded the dwarven survivors to escort them safely.

Dwarf Champion Reardon, with his double-edged axe slung over his shoulder, checked on the retreating second unit and let out a sigh of relief. The Hunters were continuing toward the border city with the dwarf survivors in tow, and the city's gates swung open in anticipation of their arrival.

"The survivors are low on stamina, so progress might be slow... but there shouldn't be any major issues," said Serena, standing beside Reardon.

Although he gave a small nod in acknowledgement, his gaze never leaving the dark forest beyond. He could hear the faint, rhythmic thud of monsters closing in.

"Lady Serena."

"Yes, Champion Reardon."

"What did they call themselves again...

heroes?

"

"They call themselves Hunters."

"Ah, right. Those Hunters... what do they like?" Reardon asked, scratching his neck awkwardly. "We owe a lot to them, after all."

It was thanks to the Hunters that the missing dwarf survivors had been found and rescued, so even as the sound of approaching monsters echoed louder, the question felt more urgent to him.

"What do those Hunters like?" he repeated.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Hunters, like us, fight monsters. They value quality weapons and powerful artifacts."

"Hmm! Then I'll have to see to their requests myself. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, go ahead."

Spotting a monster emerging from the trees, Reardon gripped his double-edged axe with both hands, lowered his stance, and asked, "What's the name of the Hunter facing the demons?"

"His name is Kim Ki-Rok."

"Kim Ki-Rok."

"That's right."

***

Yoost shuddered as he looked down at the scorched earth shrouded in black and blue smoke. "This is insane. What the hell..."

He had always known Mammon imposed limitations on himself during combat. That was nothing new. And though Mammon's opponent was well-equipped with powerful artifacts, Yoost had judged him as a second-rate warrior at best, perhaps deserving of applause if he managed to endure even a single blow. Yet somehow, he had done more than survive. He had deflected, dodged, countered, and lasted ten full minutes. Now, after only a brief rest, he was exchanging blows with Mammon again. This human wasn't just hanging on, he was

fighting back.

Mammon laughed with delight, stepped back, and then launched forward using the recoil to thrust Du Blanc. Kim Ki-Rok responded with a punch, and the cursed blade clashed against Guardian. Another explosion rang out as the two forces collided.

Kim Ki-Rok tumbled across the battlefield, clearly outmatched, but still standing. Yoost clenched his lower lip. The outcome would depend on whether Kim Ki-Rok could endure the entire twenty-five-minute duel. As unthinkable as it seemed, if things continued this way, he just might survive the full duration. And Mammon, bound by his true nature, would accept the result and keep silent for ten years.

—Hars.

Yoost mentally reached out to Archmage Hars using communication magic.

—Yes, Sir Yoost.

—We cannot interfere or kill Kim Ki-Rok right now. If we do, Lord Mammon will slaughter us all for breaking the terms of engagement.

Hars nodded in agreement.

—It's also impossible to kill him immediately after the end of the duel. However, that changes when Lord Mammon leaves. The heroes... no, the Hunters, somehow always infiltrate our Kingdom and cause chaos. So, when the Greater Demon leaves, come back here and cast Tracking Magic on Kim Ki-Rok.

Hars nodded understandingly.

—We also can't touch him immediately after the duel ends, but once Lord Mammon leaves, it's fair game. These heroes... no,

Hunters,

always find a way to infiltrate the Kingdom and stir up trouble. So, when the Greater Demon departs, return here and place a Tracking Spell on Kim Ki-Rok.

Hars nodded again.

Kim Ki-Rok had been blown back by the explosion but was already rising to his feet. Even as his left arm hung limply—likely broken—Yoost's expression remained severe. Ten minutes had passed. Now, even with Mammon wielding Du Blanc, he had endured three more.

"Damn..." Yoost murmured, his expression clouded.

Meanwhile, Mammon seemed almost entertained, half-laughing, half-serious. He appeared eager to see what Kim Ki-Rok could become, perhaps even willing to let him live in the end.