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nChapter 75 To know the enemy and the self (1)

nBloodseeker Sword, an amorphous sword inspired by Chul Namgoong’s Sword Manipulation made from Bloodseeker’s Energy. It didn’t consume much energy, but three grips were his limit since it required high concentration to control. However, did the meditation training that he had done during his 45-day guarding mission help?

nHe’d gained two more swords as a result. This means that by adding the two he held in his hands, he could handle a total of seven swords at once.

n「 Six swords are being used. Increases strength by 1.」

n「 Seven swords are being used. Sword is infused with Phantom Energy.」

nAttack speed 4x, Power 3.5x, his magic (Bloodseeker Energy) consumption rate halved, and his agility and strength stats upped by one. Up until Phantom Energy, which he had no idea what effect it entailed, the effects brought by King of All Swords were inconceivably great.

nYoon-seok felt like it had great potential. It was an effect that maximized the efficiency of making Bloodseeker Swords. The limit to maintaining all seven swords was five minutes, but…

nIf he interpreted it differently, wouldn’t it mean that the harder he worked, the better it would become?

n‘If I could handle a hundred swords all at once….’

nHe was still far off from such a goal at the moment, but it might be possible someday if he continued to improve. No, he was sure it was possible. He realized that nothing was impossible with the human body by looking at the Heavenly Devil’s sword.

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n“…”

nAfterward, Yoon-seok, who had been practicing with the Bloodseeker Sword, felt an overwhelming sense of mental fatigue and stopped abruptly. Controlling Bloodseeker Sword was like solving a complex mathematical problem that required head. He wasn’t sure what was so difficult, but at least that was what Yoon-seok felt.

n‘It’d be more convenient if I had the skill to assist….’

nYoon-seok, who came from Earth, had no strange prejudices against the usage of magic. As important as it was to control a character, should he say that its performance was also important? Well, among those who came all the way here, who didn’t think that way…

nHe might gain control someday, but if the system could resolve the issue easily and quickly, Yoon-seok would’ve chosen the latter choice a hundred times over whether it was ability, stat, or skill, the Tower challengers’ nature grows stronger after combining the three.

n‘Nothing catches my eye.’

nYoon-seok opened the store and scanned through the skills being sold. Amplified Arithmetic, Enhanced Thought Process, Focus, Brain Burst, Automaticity, Ego Booster…

nThey might look strange as a single power, but an appropriate skill might be born after synthesizing them all. But he didn’t have the budget to purchase them now, so he had to pass it up for now.

n‘The only way to grow stronger is to keep ascending.’

nTaking it for granted, Yoon-seok finally checked his LP. Before he used 500LP to purchase a mission order, he’d completed additional achievements and gained 920LP.

n「List of Achievements」

n-One-up (Avoid 100 consecutive attacks) 30LP

n-One Strike Kill (Win with one attack) 30LP

n-Coin Collector (Achieve10 coins on-hand) 30LP

n-Slayer (Killed 1,000 challengers) 500LP

n-Only Unrivaled (Succeed in Only Difficulty mission) 300LP

n-Snake’s Tongue (Won victory in a duel via speech or deception) 30 LP

nAfter checking the conditions of the Slayer achievement completed during the mission trial, Yoon-seok laughed bitterly. Well, he guessed what kind of achievement it would be…but 1,000 people?

nHe didn’t think it was a system error, but honestly, it was unbelievable.

n‘Let’s save up LP for future use….’

nYoon-seok opened the chat room next. He’d learned about the mission trial from Elle in advance, and he had no one to talk to in the chat room, so naturally, he stopped visiting.

nEntering the chat room on the 9th floor

nCurrent Participants 2

/741

nA total of two current participants. Other than Yoon-seok, this meant that only one person was connected to the chat room.

n‘741 people?’

nIt was a surprisingly large number. Yoon-seok tried limiting it only to the Earth via the filter.

n‘So I’m the only one.’

nMaybe there’s more on the upper floors, but…

nHowever, after confirmation, Yoon-seok was the only Earth challenger on the 9th floor.

n-Predator: You there?

nYoon-seok talked to the only other person. No reply. They might be busy after joining the chat, or they didn’t want to answer. Deciding to wait a little longer, Yoon-seok trained with Bloodseeker Sword with the window open.

nThen the answer returned shortly after. It was just one word.

n-Fireworks: Newcomer?

nYoon-seok continued the conversation quickly, even though he laughed at the unexpectedly direct response.

n-Predator: Yes. But why are there so few people here compared to the total number?

n-Fireworks: It takes 1 or 2 tries for those who ascend, and those who can’t at first won’t, no matter how many times they try. They all went their own way.

nIt meant that there were this many people who gave up their mission and went to the plaza or returned to their respective worlds with tickets. Considering that those who chose a full return weren’t included among the participants, the number of people stuck on the 9th floor was easily estimated.

nWhat kind of trial would it be this time? Yoon-seok, who hadn’t heard about the ninth floor trial from Elle, asked.

n-Predator: Can you tell me about the trial?

n-Fireworks: There’s no point in telling you.

nThere’s no point? As he was typing to ask what they were talking about…

n-Fireworks: Think about how much you know about yourself before you challenge.

nFireworks left.

nCurrent Participants 1

/741

nThe lofty words made him question it further. What the hell did they mean by that? There was no way to know, but…

nThere was no hope in waiting for someone to enter the chat room and kindly explain it to him.

n‘Do I have no choice but to face it head-on?’

nYoon-seok somehow felt like he was back at the start, but he wasn’t that anxious. However, before choosing to head for the trial, he recalled what Fireworks had said, so he asked himself.

n‘How much do I know about myself?’

nHe had no clue. So he had to ascend. He would know once the side effects of b Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum} disappeared.

n「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」

nOnly one step to the tenth floor. Not long left.

n「Countdown is starting.」

nThe arena was as familiar as the waiting room. As soon as the countdown began, Yoon-seok’s eyes widened.

n「3.」

nCarrying two swords on the back, a mask, a full-body suit, and Arch Hunter’s Hunting Gloves. Even Bloodseeker Energy was radiating off his body…

nThe moment he saw the other person, he could immediately understand why Fireworks said that.

n「2.」

nIt wasn’t a monster, challenger, nor a re-creation of admins. The opponent on the 9th floor was…

nHis cloned self.

n「1.」

nSuddenly, he remembered Chul Namgoong on the 7th floor, who believed the moment to be reality. Maybe it was himself that was recreated by the Tower.

nOf course, it was just a passing thought. He didn’t have time to think about it further.

n「START!」

nAfter the countdown, the duel began. He had no choice but to fight to his best abilities.

nTadak.

nTwo Yoon-seoks sprinted forward at the same time. Muscle movement, step-by-step distance, and their timing in drawing their swords. Should he say that it was like watching a decalcomania? As if a mirror had been installed between them, the movements of the two perfectly matched.

nHowever, the moment their swords intersected, Yoon-seok could feel the stark difference between the two.

nBoom, boom, boom!

nDisplayed in a battle of power versus power. The difference was overwhelming.

n“…?”

nWhy was there such a huge difference? Was it because the spectrum wasn’t aligned? Yoon-seok could not understand even when he was bounced back from the collision.

nIt was too late to understand and act here.

nWhoooooosh!

nYoon-seok immediately created five Bloodseeker’s Swords. With the effect of King of All Swords, the blade also radiated the dark grey aura of Phantom Energy. But it was the same for his opponent.

nSwooshhhhhhhh!

nWhen Yoon-seok quickly fired the swords, the other side was also sent all five of his Bloodseeker Swords at him.

nBoom! Boom! Boom! Booooom!

nTheir attacks met in mid-air. If the condensed forces were equal, then they would be counterbalanced. However, the situation once again went against Yoon-seok’s expectations.

n“…!”

nThe momentum was weaker than the first time, but the opponent’s Bloodseeker Sword smashed Yoon-seok’s and quickly surged toward their initial target.

nCl-clang! Clang!

nYoon-seok swung his swords to block it, realizing why the difference occurred. The opponent didn’t simply use b Bloodseeker Ultimatum}. It was faint, but he could tell by paying close attention that a bluish aura settled on top of the Bloodseeker Energy as if it was coated.

nYoon-seok knew what it was at once.

n‘Azure Dragon Energy…’

nIt wasn’t Skill Synthesis. Yoon-seok had never combined the two. That’s why he couldn’t understand. Yoon-seok tried mixing b Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum} and {Azure Dragon’s Energy}, but the two were like oil and water.

n“Who are you…?”

nYoon-seok asked, but his other self didn’t answer. He just moved like a machine as he approached Yoon-seok.

nAt the same time, a phrase appeared.

n「 To Lady’s Commandment, all beings within the realm lose healing effects.」

nIt wasn’t written by Yoon-seok.

n‘Damn it…’

nAs long as his healing effects were lost, he would die instantly once his vital points, such as the heart or head, were hit. That would be the same for his other-self. Nevertheless, for him to use that kind of law…

n‘Does he have that much confidence?’

nYoon-seok didn’t show any pride. In the previous exchange of blows, there was a huge delay. It was dangerous to accept his opponent’s desire for a short-term war. Yoon-seok was about to develop a Lady’s Commandment as retaliation, but without leaving him a chance, his other self appeared right in front of him.

n‘Enhanced Speed.’

nAnother one of Yoon-seok’s powers. When he came to his senses, it was after the blue light burst out of his gloves.

n「The soul of an ancient hunter protects the User from unknown dangers.」

n“…”

nYoon-seok clenched his teeth. He almost died in that second, and he knew that his opponent had the same card in his deck…

nBut he’d already lost his Arch Hunter’s Hunting Gloves card not long after the duel had started. There was no way his cloned opponent was given an extra advantage, was there? Yoon-seok smiled bitterly at the sudden question.

n‘Let’s not make excuses. The conditions are the same.’

nHe had denied it, but Yoon-seok already sensed it. The specifications in the system were perfectly consistent. Nevertheless, the difference between the two was hard for him to admit, the pilot’s skills were too different.

nThe question remained.

n‘How much do I know about myself?’

nFirework’s words were spot on. Unlike what Yoon-seok had accepted, the question didn’t apply to the mental part. As the word suggested, it was asking about how much he understood himself.

n‘…’

nYoon-seok didn’t know himself. No, he thought he knew, but…

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nIt wasn’t like that at all, now that he’d seen it. The more he looked at himself, the more the fact engraved itself in his bones. His opponents knew all the cards he had in his deck, and he was using them more efficiently than Yoon-seok was.

n‘Is that what the actual trial is…?’

nThe other self he was up against in this duel wasn’t a clone of his personality or humanity. It was more of an AI specifically programmed for combat.

n-Fireworks: It takes 1 or 2 tries for those who ascend, and those who can’t at first won’t, no matter how many times they try.

nIt was only then that Yoon-seok understood.

n‘Does it mean I have to use everything to win?’

nPeople who clearly understood their cards and used them better than their cloned selves would win with ease. On the contrary, it would be tougher than any other duel he participated in. It would be extremely tough, but he was confident.

n‘…Interesting.’

nUp until now.

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