Chapter 63: Guild Admission Duel (3)

Saihan’s violet magic power surged from Jo Yongtae’s hand, seeping into the Death Knight’s armor.

Creak…

Healed by the unholy power, the knight slowly rose to its feet once more.

But Jo Yongtae wasn’t finished yet.

At this rate, there’s no chance of winning.

The past thirty minutes had been enough. The Death Knight alone stood no chance against that grotesque skeleton.

If that was the case, he had no choice but to directly control his Summoned Beast himself.

Whoosh!

In an instant, pitch-black magic power erupted from Jo Yongtae’s body, spreading like silken threads and connecting to the back of the Death Knight’s armor.

“Krrr…”

A searing pain, as if his brain were on fire, overwhelmed him as his vision flipped upside down. The Skeleton Warrior’s form rushed closer, as if yanked into focus.

The Death Knight’s vision overlaid his own.

Unlike Puppet Manipulation, which merely allowed him to control a marionette from a distance, this skill was on an entirely different level. It fused his consciousness with the Summoned Beast, sharing all its senses, enhancing its abilities with his own stats, and synchronizing his entire body with it.

This was the Fusion of Death.

Creak.

Following Jo Yongtae’s gaze, the Death Knight’s crimson eyes locked onto its opponent ten meters away: a Skeleton Warrior standing three handbreadths shorter than him. In terms of build, the difference was akin to that between an Orc Chieftain and a Goblin.

Just one hit is all it takes.

After all, the creature’s true form was merely a Skeleton Warrior with a Durability of only D-rank. A single successful strike would shatter it completely.

Once I take down that damn skeleton…

”…Victory will be mine.”

Creeeak!

With a spine-chilling metallic screech, the Death Knight began to move.

Click.

The Skeleton Warrior narrowed its glowing eye sockets, as if annoyed.

Clack!

The crossbow was reloaded and aimed once more.

Thwack!

With a dull thud, the sharp bolt sliced through the air.

Again, less than two seconds had passed between aiming and firing.

Normally, I would have been struck by every single bolt.

Clang!

But this time, the Death Knight’s sword accurately deflected the projectile.

Thanks to the added stats, my Agility had skyrocketed. Furthermore, the mental link allowed for precise synchronization of our movements.

Clatter!

The shattered bolt fell to the ground with a cold metallic sound.

!

For the first time, the Skeleton Warrior’s attack had been blocked. It narrowed its blue glowing eyes.

“Lee Taejun.”

Synchronized with the Death Knight, Jo Yongtae smirked.

“You’re not the only one who knows how to handle summoned beasts.”

Thoom!

A thunderous footfall shook the ground as the Death Knight’s massive form surged forward.

It charged straight across the Colosseum in a savage rush, driven by two urgent reasons: to close the distance before the Skeleton could reload its crossbow or draw another Holy Attribute Grenade, and to maintain the connection before his dwindling mana completely ran out.

To utterly crush that damned Lee Taejun.

As it charged, Jo Yongtae scraped together the last vestiges of his mana, layering every Undead buff he could muster upon the Death Knight:

A red status window flashed urgently in his vision.

“Ugh…!”

With a sound like a snapping thread, a torrent of blood gushed from Jo Yongtae’s nose.

But it didn’t matter.

His Death Knight had closed the fifty-meter gap in an instant, now standing nose-to-nose with the Skeleton. Jo Yongtae could see the Skeleton Warrior’s eye sockets flickering with panic, and behind it, Lee Taejun wore a strangely conflicted expression.

This is too easy.

After all, a skeleton was just a skeleton. If the Death Knight’s Dragon Force-infused sword struck at this range, it was bound to shatter instantly.

“Die, you bastard!”

Kwaaaang!

The Death Knight’s violet mana-infused sword sliced through the air.

Clack!

The Skeleton Warrior hastily dropped its crossbow and fumbled in its leather pouch, pulling something out.

But the Death Knight’s longsword crashed down on the Skeleton’s shoulder.

And then…

”…?”

Jo Yongtae felt as if time had frozen.

The sword flew with the force to cleave even Mount Tai in two.

Clang!

“Huh?”

The blade bounced harmlessly off the skeleton’s clavicle, failing to even crack the bone.

The Death Knight’s red eyes widened in disbelief.

“What in the world…?”

This was a sword capable of slicing through armored tanks like butter. Even a B-Rank Hunter would suffer a fatal wound if struck squarely by it.

So how could it fail to bisect a mere skeleton?

Why did the Skeleton Warrior merely flinch slightly, as if stung by a mosquito, its eye sockets barely flickering?

Then, the Death Knight’s wandering gaze settled on one thing:

The skeleton’s left hand, clutching a Holy Attribute Grenade.

The moment he recognized the pure white light spreading across the bone like a stain, he cursed:

“Shit.”

He realized the truth.

“It’s not immune to the Holy Attribute.”

This skeleton was indeed taking damage from the Holy Attribute.

However, its absurd durability made it appear completely unscathed, even while continuously absorbing damage.

To put it in human terms, it was like being exposed to radiation levels far exceeding the lethal threshold, yet experiencing nothing more than a mild allergic reaction.

Jo Yongtae’s analysis had been only half right.

Lee Taejun’s Summoned Beast was undoubtedly a special skeleton, unlike ordinary Skeleton Warriors.

But it wasn’t immune to the Holy Attribute.

It was simply an incredibly durable skeleton, possessing a durability that transcended its very species.

Which meant, naturally…

A single blow from the Death Knight’s sword shouldn’t have been enough to inflict any significant damage.

“Just what the hell is that thing…” Jo Yongtae groaned.

Whirr!

”?!”

Something descended from the sky, obscuring the Death Knight’s vision. Jo Yongtae’s eyes widened as he recognized it.

A fishing net?!

After parrying the Death Knight’s attack, the Skeleton Warrior had retreated with lightning speed. It pulled a fishing net from its leather pouch and hurled it with uncanny precision directly over the Death Knight.

As the Death Knight thrashed in confusion, entangled in the net, suddenly—

Go to hell.

With a click, the Skeleton Warrior’s jaw unhinged, releasing a chilling, guttural voice.

Jo Yongtae, of course, couldn’t understand the ancient imperial language of that dimension.

Yet, the voice that seemed to strangle his throat and the blazing blue light in its eyes were enough for him to realize something was terribly wrong. He also understood the true nature of the fishing net that had ensnared him.

“Shit…”

He spat out the curse and frantically tried to sever the Synchronization.

Fwoosh!

A blinding light erupted from the entire net, searing his vision.

“Gwaaaaaaah!”

Simultaneously, excruciating pain engulfed Jo Yongtae’s entire body. Holy Attribute Mana surged from the net constricting him.

Sizzle!

The Death Knight belched out thick, black smoke.

“Gwaaaaaaaah!”

It was Jo Yongtae who writhed in agony, as if electrocuted.

Unlike Synchronization Manipulation, which allowed him to control his summoned beast from a distance, Fusion of Death perfectly synchronized the caster and the beast. In a sense, it was a skill that even transferred consciousness.

Fusion of Death was a skill that synchronized the caster and the summoned beast. Naturally, every sensation the summoned beast experienced—all five senses—was fully conveyed to him.

Thud.

The knees of both the summoned beast and Jo Yongtae buckled simultaneously. With a resounding boom, the Death Knight collapsed first, emitting a cloud of dark smoke. Foaming at the mouth, Jo Yongtae followed suit.

As his consciousness faded and his vision darkened, he strained to lift his head and glare at the members of the Hwiryung Guild.

This was absurd.

Even if we overlooked Taejun’s use of Synchronization Manipulation to control the Skeleton as if it possessed a higher consciousness, and even if we generously ignored the fact that he had equipped it with a Holy Attribute weapon, the Skeleton’s durability was still impossible.

He must have resorted to some underhanded tactic.

The Skeleton’s otherworldly durability defied all common sense, even by the standards of this world. A Skeleton Warrior that could shrug off an attack from a Death Knight several tiers above him? Such a thing shouldn’t exist.

Clearly, Taejun had employed some foul trick before the duel. If Jo Yongtae’s expectations were to be met, the Hwiryung Guild members should have erupted in outrage the moment they witnessed the outcome.

But instead…

”…”

He was crushed by an oppressive silence, a suffocating stillness.

Despite the obvious foul play in the duel, despite witnessing a scene that defied all common sense, not a single guild member raised a hand to protest.

They simply stood in silence, their gazes as cold as frost, silently scrutinizing Jo Yongtae.

In a way, this was only natural.

Since ascending to the position of Vice Guild Leader, Jo Yongtae had shown his guild members nothing but greed and cruelty: hoarding all the essence stones meant for everyone, openly beating new recruits under the guise of enforcing discipline, and even using porters and weaker members as meat shields during expeditions, leaving them crippled.

Jo Yongtae had long ceased to deserve any sympathy or support within Hwiryong. To them, he was more loathsome than any monster.

“Damn it, you bastards…”

But he had never learned to reflect on his past and repent for his mistakes.

The moment the arena’s announcement echoed through the space, an indescribable rage consumed his mind, and the true nature he had long suppressed began to surface.

Still sprawled on the ground, he lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes darting wildly. His gaze wasn’t fixed on Lee Taejun, but on Ko Youngmin, who was desperately gnawing at his fingernails, his face a mask of despair.

“Just a little further, and I could have seized Hwiryong for myself.”

Yes.

If only that monster Go Geonho hadn’t existed.

He would have long since dragged that cowardly rat from his position and claimed Hwiryong as his own.

Since that was impossible, he’d maneuvered Ko Youngmin into digging his own grave.

He’d tipped off Bae Hyeon-su about Hwiryong possessing the Lich’s Bone Chamber.

Then, feigning ignorance, he arranged a meeting between Bae Hyeon-su and Ko Youngmin.

Despite knowing about their secret deal, he’d deliberately turned a blind eye.

Ultimately, Bae Hyeon-su’s plan had crumbled, leaving Ko Youngmin completely cornered.

Now, Jo Yongtae only needed to seize the perfect moment to secure concrete evidence.

He’d then blackmail Ko Youngmin into resigning himself.

But at that crucial juncture…

Lee Taejun.

That bastard had barged in and completely wrecked everything.

And now, he was trying to steal the masterpiece Jo Yongtae had painstakingly crafted.

“Goddamn it! How hard did I work to create this opportunity?”

Jo Yongtae muttered, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“You think I’d just hand it over to your little brat for free?”

Impossible.

If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it all.

As primal fury, born of greed, consumed his mind, Jo Yongtae staggered to his feet and reached out beside him.

Whoosh—

Simultaneously, a small Dimensional Gate opened, reminiscent of the abyss itself.

From within, he retrieved an Item—a heart-like object dripping pitch-black blood.

Normally, this thing was not only locked away in a Subspace dimension but also sealed with layers upon layers of Mana, wrapped two and threefold for absolute containment.

He’d resort to this only when cornered, with no other way out in sight.

The future hung in the balance.

This was their ultimate trump card, a forbidden measure reserved for the most desperate circumstances.

And now…

It’s time to use it.

The black heart pulsed violently in Jo Yongtae’s hand.

Upon seeing it, the Hwiryung Guild members erupted into horrified whispers.

“What? I thought it was over!”

“Isn’t that the Forgotten Demon’s Heart? It’s a banned item! How does he even have it?”

“Is he really going to use that?! Goddamn it, that crazy bastard…!”

A forbidden item capable of summoning otherworldly monsters.

“Wait, Yongtae! What are you doing…!”

The guild members stared in horror as Ko Youngmin shouted urgently. Even Go Geonho, who couldn’t fully penetrate the triple barrier within the otherworld dimension, frowned slightly, a hint of bewilderment on his face.

Jo Yongtae smirked bitterly at Taejun, who stood silently before him.

Crack.

The Evil Spirit’s heart in Jo Yongtae’s hand shattered. Instead of blood, a thick, Saihan mist erupted in all directions, swirling and settling like a poisonous fog.

Swaaaah…

As Jo Yongtae’s piercing gaze faded into the mist,

Kreeeaaah!

A horrifying shriek filled the arena, drowning out all other sounds.

“No wonder he was so venomous,” I muttered calmly amidst the chaos as a pitch-black mist instantly engulfed the arena. I couldn’t exactly blame him.

Jo Yongtae had displayed intense hostility even before the duel, making me wonder if there was some hidden reason behind it.

Did you really think I’d hand over an opportunity I created to your little brat for free?

It seemed the deal between Ko Youngmin and Bae Hyeon-su had been orchestrated by Jo Yongtae.

The Bone Chamber of the Dead Wraith was a treasured secret of the Hwiryong Guild, passed down from generation to generation by the Guild Leaders. I’d been puzzled how an outsider like Bae Hyeon-su could have learned of its existence. Now it was clear: Jo Yongtae had acted as the middleman.

No wonder he’s fighting so desperately.

It was like a cow accidentally stepping on a mouse. The mouse, crushed beneath its hoof, writhed desperately, baring its teeth.

But as I checked the Status Window floating before me, a smirk crept across my lips.

Well, no matter how much it struggles…

My firm belief remained unchanged: a mouse crushed beneath a cow’s hoof is still just a dying mouse.