Chapter 127. That Was Close

Whoosh!

The forest scenery flew past as Kim Do-Joon dashed forward. He was heading toward the enemy’s base. The dense woods were filled with obstacles, but he ignored everything, including twigs and branches.

This will definitely leave a trail, but who cares.

He wasn’t an elf, who could move through forests without a trace. Besides, being spotted wouldn't make much of a difference now. In truth, he was uneasy about moving further away from the academy, where the students were.

However, after considering everything, attacking head-on seemed like the best plan. That was why he’d set Elsar on fire as a distraction.

— Are you sure about this? You're charging into the enemy’s base alone.

Karlish, the spear he was holding, asked. He rarely intervened in Kim Do-Joon’s decisions, especially since he had grown so much stronger recently. However, Kim Do-Joon was about to confront a furious Spirit King on his own.

We don't have a choice.

If this turned into a prolonged battle, they’d undoubtedly lose. Waiting for the enemy to attack wasn’t an option, as they wouldn’t risk it while holding the advantage. Besides, if a battle broke out at the academy, the students could be caught in the crossfire.

Unlike the elves he had fought before, facing Nereid required undivided attention.

Karlish let out a low sigh.

— Your judgment is sound, but...

What's bothering you?

— This time... I just have a bad feeling.

Karlish admitted in a somber tone. The spear could feel the oppressive energy in the forest. The further they went in, the more overwhelming it became, as if the forest itself was suffocating them.

I still think we have a chance.

As he kept running, Kim Do-Joon briefly glanced at the back of his hand, where Vulcanus’ flame burned. With that, Vulcanus could instantly reach him from the academy.

Even without his Heart of Flame, Vulcanus was still a Spirit King, and more than capable of facing Nereid.

Whoosh!

Just then, something whizzed through the air toward his face.

"

Ugh!

" Kim Do-Joon grunted, barely dodging the projectile. He dropped low to the ground, slowing his momentum.

“

Grrr...

”

It was one of the Sea God’s knights, brandishing a shining sword with great aura. After encountering plenty of them throughout the forest, he knew he shouldn’t take it lightly.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The knight wasted no time to charge again.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Heavy armored boots pounded into the forest floor, leaving deep imprints. The aura sword came crashing down toward Kim Do-Joon’s head with full force.

I’m not going to make it!

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes widened, and he twisted himself just in time. But then, the sword’s trajectory shifted, slashing toward his shoulder like thunderbolt. The tip of the blade grazed his shoulder.

"

Grrr!

" the knight growled triumphantly as his aura flared even brighter.

However, a strange metallic sound rang out as the sword slid off. The knight’s water-formed eyes became even bigger in disbelief. Shocked, the knight faltered for just a second—which, to Kim Do-Joon, felt like eternity.

Grabbing the knight’s arm, he pulled back his sword. From his palm, a wave of freezing energy surged, encasing the knight in ice.

Crack! Crack!

“

Phew...

” Kim Do-Joon sighed as he stood up.

The frozen knight stood motionless before him, but he didn’t bother shattering it. Since the knights were made of water, they wouldn’t necessarily die from it.

“That was close. If that had hit me head-on, I would’ve been seriously hurt,” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

The aura blade the knights used was dangerous. If it landed perfectly, it could penetrate even his powerful defenses, including the Invincible Body.

— If the knight heard you say that, he’d be devastated.

Karlish remarked dryly after hearing Kim Do-Joon say the battle was close.

After all, the dead knight had spent his entire life honing his aura blade, believing it could cut through anything.

“...

Huh?

”

Kim Do-Joon tilted his head, confused. He had meant it as a compliment. It wasn’t every day he encountered something that could pierce his Invincible Body. So far, only the water gem Elsar had thrown earlier and his sparring match with Jecheon Seong had managed to breach it.

— Enough of that. Let’s keep moving, you fool.

His confidence could be seen as either the poise of a strong man or borderline arrogance. Karlish briefly wondered if this was how others felt when watching him back when he was alive. He couldn’t remember, but was still curious nonetheless.

"Alright then," Kim Do-Joon replied, gathering mana at his feet.

With a powerful push off the ground, he shot forward like a thunderbolt using Sky Thunder.

“

Huh?

” Kim Do-Joon muttered as he was about to descend.

Swoosh—! Swish—! Swoosh—!

Dozens of arrows, all cloaked in an ominous energy, rained down toward him, as if the enemy had been waiting for this exact moment.

Of course, now of all times...

Kim Do-Joon was still in mid-air, so he couldn’t dodge right away.

He tried to leap to the side as soon as he landed, but the rain of arrows had already covered a wide area.

Inventory!

Kim Do-Joon summoned a large shield that could cover his entire body from his inventory. He had found it in an old item box and kept it just in case.

Luckily, he had avoided the center of the arrow barrage, so only a few arrows were headed his way. Then, he raised the shield to block them.

Swoosh—!

What the heck?

However, the aura arrows pierced through the shield with ease. Without shattering or breaking it apart, they left clean, perfect holes, as if nothing had ever stood in their way.

“

Argh!

” Kim Do-Joon grunted in pain as several arrows grazed him. One arrow even lodged itself in his calf, sending a sharp jolt of pain up his leg, making him collapse to one knee.

How did these arrows pierce my Invincible Body so easily?

Kim Do-Joon gritted his teeth as he grabbed the arrow stuck in his leg. With a sharp tug, he yanked it out. Thankfully, the wound wasn’t deep. Thanks to the Superior Regeneration effect, the injury healed rapidly.

[The Blood Form effect has not been activated. Healing received: +0%]

Unfortunately, the skill Blood Chaser was of no help. It would only trigger and stack upon contact with the enemy’s blood, but the water knights didn’t bleed. Besides, his wounds were minor.

As he inspected the shield with holes punched through it, a thought crossed his mind.

Seeing how the shield was pierced so easily, maybe it’s thanks to my Invincible Body that I only got cut.

He put the damaged shield back into his inventory.

Swoosh—!

Suddenly, a shadowy figure rushed at him from behind. Kim Do-Joon spun around swiftly, swinging his spear. The figure dodged by twisting their body, then slashed at him with a short sword.

Having seen it coming, Kim Do-Joon swiftly pulled back his spear, blocking the attack with the shaft. Then, the enemy’s face was finally revealed.

“An elf?” Kim Do-Joon muttered, looking puzzled.

The figure wore clothing similar to Elsar’s and had long, hand-width ears

—

but something was off.

Unlike most elves, who usually had pale skin, this one’s skin was deep, blood-red.

“

Krrr

...

Kyaaak!

” The elf let out an incomprehensible shriek, slashing down violently with his sword.

Kim Do-Joon blocked the strike with his spear, his eyes widening at its sheer force.

I-I can... win...!

The red-skinned elf’s mind was foggy and tunnel-visioned. One thought was deeply etched in their mind: humans were enemies! The one before him was an invader who’d trespassed on their land!

Strength surged through the elf’s body. It felt like the blood flowing through their veins, usually a gentle stream, had turned into a raging torrent. He felt as though he could do anything. His stamina and mana had amplified several times over, fueling his frenzy.

I can... kill... this human... no problem...!

The red-skinned elf snarled, dragging his sword along the length of Kim Do-Joon's spear. The blade, wrapped in ominous aura, raced toward Kim Do-Joon’s hand, aiming to slice through his fingers. Without wasting any seconds, Kim Do-Joon let go of the spear.

"Die!" the elf screamed, his eyes gleaming wildly as he thrusted his sword straight at Kim Do-Joon’s neck.

Flash!

Then, a white light blazed through the air.

Before the elf could even comprehend anything, his head was severed cleanly from his body. It flew through the air, before falling to the ground, rolling away.

Kim Do-Joon, holding a radiant white ax, looked down at the severed head with a cold and sharp gaze.

"

Huff

... What was that?" he muttered under his breath.

This elf was unlike anything he had fought before. It was more formidable than Naiyel, more powerful than Elena, and even more intense than Eldora.

Though the elf wasn’t their equal, the blood-red energy that pierced Kim Do-Joon’s defenses made him a serious threat.

“

Tsk

.” Kim Do-Joon clicked his tongue in annoyance.

There was no time to dwell on it. All around the forest, that same eerie aura was rising. More enemies were coming.

With a swift kick, Kim Do-Joon flipped his spear into the air, catching it smoothly as he prepared for the next wave.

***

In front of a giant tree root, where the academy once stood...

"Sir, you can't do this here!"

Son Chang-Il nervously tried to dissuade an elderly man from sitting there. However, the latter paid him no mind. He didn’t even seem to register a word Son Chang-Il said. The old man sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, as if lost deep within himself.

What am I supposed to do...?

As the old man refused to budge, Son Chang-Il grew anxious. He’d witnessed a fraction of the elder’s power earlier. A single slash of his sword had sent a shudder through the ground, shaking the very air. Although the root remained unscathed, the sheer force of the strike proved just how extraordinary the old man was.

Tap tap.

Someone lightly tapped Son Chang-Il on the shoulder. He turned to see the woman he had seen in Kim Do-Joon’s shop before. If he remembered correctly, she was Yoon Si-Ah. She held up a small card with a few written words.

— Don't disturb him.

She then gestured to be quiet, causing Son Chang-Il to blink in confusion.

What does that mean? What is he even doing? He’s just sitting there with his eyes closed!

Even though many questions swirled in his mind, he couldn’t ignore her warning. Yoon Si-Ah was said to be an exceptionally skilled healer—someone Shin Yoo-Sung had spoken highly of. He would have to trust her judgment, at least for now.

Meanwhile, the elderly man, Jecheon Seong, was completely disconnected from the world around him. His consciousness was diving deeper and deeper into himself.

...

In the martial world, besides warriors, there were also those called Shaman, otherwise known as magicians in other dimensions. Although their meditations seemed similar, the essence of their practice was entirely different.

Shamans sought to connect themselves to the world, to expand their minds and invite external forces through their deep contemplation of the universe, nature, and beyond.

However, for a warrior like Jecheon Seong, meditation was a journey to delve into one's essence, breaking down the self until only the core remained. A pursuit of the infinitesimal, seeking the ultimate truth of the self.

Shamans meditated to become one with the world, but warriors meditated to transcend it. To the untrained eye, both would seem like superhuman feats, but the paths were fundamentally different. Yet, Jecheon Seong had reached a level beyond both.

They’re not so different after all,

Jecheon Seong had once said.

At the height of his power, when the world had started calling him the Lord of Demons, Supreme Sword of the Martial World, or the 37th Heavenly Demon, Jecheon Kang, he had realized the ultimate truth: the self and the universe weren’t separate. To understand oneself was to understand the world. Hence, to transform the self was to transform reality.

Suddenly, there was a subtle shift in the air. Jecheon Seong’s eyes opened and he rose from his seat, silently unsheathing his sword.

“

Rawr

—”

Even Bo-Mi trembled as he clung to Siwelin. For the first time, fear had overtaken his admiration for strength.

Son Chang-Il felt the same. His heart pounded as he watched the old man move, feeling an inexplicable dread settle in his chest. The old man, who was no ordinary warrior, had become an overwhelming presence, a giant among men.

Son Chang-Il stood there stunned, while Siwelin gently stroked Bo-Mi, trying to calm him. Meanwhile, Jecheon Seong raised his sword to the sky, reflecting off the sunlight that soon filled the surroundings.