Chapter 213

Chapter 213

Skillfully controlling one's mana without letting it erupt was a crucial technique, and this was an area that Young-Hoon had confidence in.

‘I'll finish the match before he even gets the chance to use that skill.’

With Young-Hoon’s focus somewhat scattered, Yu-Seong's attacks began landing effectively even though they were all being blocked or avoided.

Despite the increasing injuries, Young-Hoon didn't show much concern. Indeed, pain was just a fleeting sensation. After all, it would all be over if he died.

Watching Young-Hoon, Yu-Seong had a small doubt.

‘I feel like his movements have become slower...?’

The change could simply be due to exhaustion, or Young-Hoon could possibly have some trick up his sleeve.

However, releasing the tension he had just gained would be foolish. Yu-Seong chose to continue pouring out his attacks rather than retreating.

Meanwhile, some of the rampaging mana around Young-Hoon leaked out as if it wanted to escape outside at any moment.

‘It’s time...!’

Just as Young-Hoon recognized it was the opportune moment, Yu-Seong also saw the stream of mana. Just as he gave up his attack and tried to back away a bit, he heard a loud scream signaling the end.

“Thorns of Death!"

Sharp thorn spears sprouted all over Young-Hoon's body like that of a porcupine.

Just as he grew long and thick spears all around him, Young-Hoon felt something from behind grip his neck tightly.

‘A shadow?’

In a desperate moment, Yu-Seong had activated his Shadow Bind Skill. However, the range of the thorn spears was too wide. The large and sturdy thorn spears pierced and destroyed even the walls inside the room, causing the narrow passage to collapse with a loud rumble.

Baaaang-!?

Even as debris fell around them, neither Young-Hoon nor Yu-Seong could afford to pay much attention to the damage done.

Buuubuk-!

The piercing sound of flesh being torn apart resonated in Yu-Seong's ears. Soon, blood gushed out from all over his body, which had holes all over.

"Kuaak-!" Yu-Seong screamed in pain. He shook violently as he was impaled by the sharp thorn spears. As Young-Hoon collected his mana, Yu-Seong collapsed weakly to the ground.

"Haa, haaak...!" Kneeling down on the ground, Young-Hoon let out rough groans while sweating profusely. He slumped down in place once he could no longer endure it.

With not a single ounce of strength left in his body, Young-Hoon looked down at the collapsed Yu-Seong, who was bleeding profusely onto the ground.

‘I've killed him…’

Perhaps due to the sudden rise of a shadow that had grabbed Young-Hoon’s neck, or perhaps because of his extraordinary reaction which had been caused by luck or skill at that moment, Yu-Seong had his vital areas like the brain and heart spared.

However, despite that, he had sustained injuries that no ordinary person could survive. No, even without the injuries, no person could survive if they lost that much blood.

‘Sorry it turned out like this.’

In fact, Young-Hoon did not hold a grudge against Yu-Seong. If he had to pick someone to hate, it would be In-Young, who had asked him to kill Yu-Seong in the first place. The nauseating taste of blood filled his mouth as he let out a solitary smile.

"Kueeek-!"

Blood poured out of his mouth like a waterfall, and he could not help but feel the damage he himself had caused by accumulating and releasing mana at an excessive level.

Finally, as Young-Hoon collapsed on the dungeon floor beside Yu-Seong, he caught an unusual phenomenon through his blurry vision. He became very suspicious.

‘Green light?’

Where did such a bright light come from in this dark dungeon?

‘No way... Could there be a healing-type player hiding here?!’

Young-Hoon was surprised, but he could not do anything about it. He had no strength left. Moreover, even the most extraordinary healing ability could not heal such severe injuries.

‘Choi Yu-Seong is dead.’

That was the immutable truth, after all. Thinking so, Young-Hoon closed his eyes, unable to hold on to his consciousness any longer.

***

How much time had passed? Yu-Seong, who had become a gruesome sight with holes all over his body, seemed to gradually return to his original form. His hazy eyes suddenly became clear and sharp.

"Argh-!" He immediately groaned in agony and shuddered. His body temperature dropped rapidly due to the loss of blood.

Nevertheless, Yu-Seong quickly checked the dungeon timer.

‘10 hours and 30 minutes.’

The last time Yu-Seong had checked the time was 5 hours and 30 minutes before meeting Young-Hoon. Thus, five hours had passed since then.

Considering that the battle didn't last very long, Yu-Seong realized that he had lost consciousness for at least four hours or more. Moreover, he had lost consciousness inside the dangerous dungeon. If Young-Hoon's last attack had not created a wall that would have prevented monsters from approaching, both of them would have faced certain death by now.

‘I was lucky in many ways.’

He had tremendously improved his recovery ability before meeting Young-Hoon, the debris had formed a thick wall, and he hadn’t even been crushed underneath the thick dirt wall! Certainly, there was simply no other way to describe the situation other than luck.

Yu-Seong felt cold sweat dripping down his back. Then, laughing, he watched the Green Wind Spirit Cat, which was running around all over his body and poking him.

‘If I hadn't summoned it at the last moment, I would have been in big trouble.’

What Yu-Seong had chosen in his last moment before falling unconscious and sacrificing his life to Young-Hoon's special move hadn’t been a spear or a gun.

‘If I had not used Shadow Bind Skill to interrupt the thorn spears…’

If he hadn't used Shadow Bind, his brain and heart would have been shattered by now, and he would have become a lifeless corpse. Even if he had displayed his divine power like the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, Young-Hoon's suicidal attack would have been an unavoidable strike in the narrow confines of the dungeon.

In fact, it was his instinctive sense trained alongside Bak Ok-Rye that had saved his life once again. Feeling his physical body gradually recovering, Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh and got up from the floor.

"Ugh..." He couldn't help but groan.

Thankfully, he didn’t have much difficulty in moving his body.

The last thing Yu-Seong remembered was the power of the thorn spear. After confirming that his arms and legs were still intact, he ran his hand over his face and let out a bitter laugh. "At this rate, even if they called me an undead, not a troll, I wouldn't have anything to say."

Likely, he would be called a half-immortal.

Above all, Yu-Seong, who valued survival above everything else, had obtained the ability he needed most to escape the death crisis that could reach him at any time.

Then, Yu-Seong’s gaze turned to Young-Hoon, who still hadn't regained consciousness.

'I learned a lesson from you.’

Yu-Seong's original approach to combat had been to save his secret techniques for as long as possible. He believed that the sooner he could see through the opponent's underlying motives, the easier it was to fight them. And in fact, this was true in most battles.

‘But if the opponent risks their life…’

Moreover, if there was not a significant difference in skill, the one who first used a technique that could instantly overpower the opponent's life might have an advantage.

‘Of course, if that attack is blocked, then the danger will come soon after…’

It was often called ‘burning one's bridges’.

For those who had no place to retreat and had to fight, they often believed that they should use their full power. After all, they had the thought that they had nothing to lose. In most cases, they would even push themselves and surpass their own capabilities. In fact, desperation could lead to a new transcendence.

‘From now on, when I fight someone with that kind of look in their eyes, I should not drag it out.’

Even if you were fully prepared, there might be tactics that were unavoidable. At times like this, the best defense was a good offense.

Recalling the previous battle, Yu-Seong sat in front of Young-Hoon and summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat again.

Meow-!

Had it grown even more since then? Yu-Seong smiled contentedly as he listened to the small whimpering sounds emanating from the Green Wind Spirit Cat. Then, pointing to the unconscious Young-Hoon, he said, "Heal that person please.”

The Green Wind Spirit Cat tilted its head curiously at Yu-Seong, but soon obeyed and jumped down onto Young-Hoon's body. It began its healing by poking the man.

As he watched Young-Hoon gradually recover, Yu-Seong fell deep in thought.

‘Young-Hoon, the Witch's underling.’

Although he was a remarkable performer in Korea, the original novel portrayed him as someone who had been manipulated by In-Young and had died a pitiful death. Indeed, it was a regretful end. Although the details were vague and only briefly mentioned in the original novel, Yu-Seong remembered an important point.

‘If Young-Hoon hadn't been under the influence of In-Young's Charm Skill, perhaps his choice would have been different.’

In fact, Yu-Seong had had this thought ever since he had first seen Young-Hoon in the dungeon.

‘What if I undo the Charm Skill and use him as a sword to strike Choi In-Young from behind…?’

In order to do so, Young-Hoon could not be killed. Yu-Seong also needed to find a way to control him somehow.

The Nine-headed Snake’s Ring, the Green Wind Spirit Cat, the Young Phoenix’s Heart, and the powerful regeneration ability Yu-Seong had gained from the Tower or Heaven—all of these abilities had been acquired so that he could challenge danger and almost resurrect himself like he had just experienced.

Despite the slight danger he had faced, the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived. Yu-Seong sat cross-legged with closed eyes, operating the God’s Chakra.

As time passed once again, a voice suddenly interrupted him by calling out, "...What are you doing, Choi Yu-Seong?"

In the midst of concentrating on God’s Chakra, Yu-Seong slowly opened his eyes to the sudden voice. He saw Young-Hoon, who was still unable to stand, looking at him with surprise in his eyes.

Checking the dungeon timer for a moment, Yu-Seong nodded.

‘

Two more hours have passed.’

Now the Chakra, which had been emptied to aid Yu-Seong’s regeneration, had fully recovered.

While Yu-Seong nodded again with satisfaction, Young-Hoon asked, "If I'm not mistaken, this is not the underworld but the dungeon I remember coming to."

"That's correct," replied Yu-Seong calmly.

Young-Hoon slowly stood up, still trembling, with a bitter smile playing on his lips. He asked, "You didn't die even after taking that attack earlier on?"

"As you can see," replied Yu-Seong.

"But I don’t see a Heal-type player here…?”

“Instead, I have a cat with healing powers." Yu-Seong then summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat onto his palm and grinned. It was a clever creature that had disappeared after healing Young-Hoon.

“A Heal-type pet? You have something unusual. No, but still…”

Young-Hoon couldn't help but grin at the sight of Yu-Seong's now-healthy body, which was completely different from the hole-ridden state he remembered. He then asked, "What are you, some kind of undead?"

"I thought I could be called immortal, but being treated like an undead… Isn't that a bit too much?" Yu-Seong said.

"How the hell are you alive?" Young-Hoon shouted.

"Like I said, I have a healing ability at the level of an immortal," explained Yu-Seong.

“Then why did you save me?!" screamed Young-Hoon with genuine anger visible in his red eyes. He yelled, "You should have let me die! I was going to die anyway. Did you not even want to let me have the last bit of satisfaction in my heart?"

Although he clenched his fist and tried to draw on his mana, all he could do was groan from the excruciating pain that ran through his body like burning fire.

"I roughly checked, and your mana circuit has been severely damaged. You'll need to rest for at least two weeks to use mana," said Yu-Seong calmly.

“So why did you…!” shouted Young-Hoon.

“Don't you hate Choi In-Young?” Yu-Seong asked calmly, interrupting Young-Hoon's outburst once again.

Before he knew it, his Third Eye was now open on his forehead. Finally, his Third Eye was awake.