Side Story 53. Monster and Monster (3) (1/2)
KWANG!
An explosive sound burst out from the air. Seol Jihu and the monster shot backward after clashing.
—Kiuk!
Hitting the wall, the monster let out a groan. It was a little taken aback by the sheer force behind Seol Jihu’s attack. It was so strong that he blanked out for a second.
But if the damage it received was this big, the damage its opponent received should be larger by multiple times. Thinking so, the monster collected its mind and regained its footing. However, it jumped in a startle in the next moment.
The enemy must have been sent flying back, but a blinding light was recklessly rushing in.
—Kiiiiiiik!
The monster hurriedly swung its claw. Because it happened so quickly, it couldn’t tell whether it parried him off or if he dodged. What it did know was that the light that was about to reach its neck bounced back.
The monster panted as Seol Jihu landed lightly on the ground. It would be lying if it said it wasn’t surprised.
Strength and speed. The enemy was not inferior in a single area. In fact, he was superior.
At that moment, Seol Jihu’s head tilted slightly.
“...Strange.”
He muttered.
“You’re… nothing special.”
—Kiik?
The monster flinched. Only then did it realize that something was missing.
It slowly raised the arm that it had swung at Seol Jihu. The claw-like fingers had all exploded before it noticed.
Confusion hit before it even had the time to think, How?
It couldn’t be helped. A human being would be no different if an ant they thought they could stomp to death at any second suddenly displayed extraordinary physical ability.
No longer looking down on its enemy, the monster observed Seol Jihu closely.
—….
Upon closer inspection, it was shocked further. Not only was the enemy plastered with evil-incinerating energy, but his energy had also been amplified a level further through an increase in the level of existence.
There was only one thing it was sure of. Though it had no clue who created him or for what reason, the enemy was a godslayer designed to kill gods.
—Krrrrr…!
A long tongue suddenly shot out of the monster’s mouth. It had attacked, feeling a threat to its life.
Seol Jihu kicked off the ground and leapt up. The tongue chased after him but twisted around itself in vain.
Seol Jihu circled around in the air. Successfully reaching the monster’s main body, he raised his arm.
It was then. Pukak! A thorn suddenly popped out of the monster’s broken arm and coiled around Seol Jihu’s spear-wielding arm.
Not only did the monster try to throw him off, but it also squeezed his arm tight as if to crush it.
This was a mistake on Seol Jihu’s part. He did not expect the monster’s arm to suddenly grow back when his energy was still eating away at it.
However, Seol Jihu’s face was calm.
“So you only know how to show off with the power you were born with?”
The monster was shocked again the next moment.
Puk!
Seol Jihu raised his left hand and struck down on his right arm. The right arm that was holding onto the Spear of Purity snapped off from the shoulder joint.
What the monster saw next was Seol Jihu’s left palm that suddenly approached its face.
“You kind of remind me of someone.”
A flurry of sword qi shot out of his left palm.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Struck directly by countless sword qi, the monster was sent flying back, breaking through walls.
—Kiiiiuuuuk!
Black liquid spurted out of its wrecked mouth. Though it raised its body reflexively, its mind was completely shaken.
“People like that usually can’t do a thing if they’re crushed by overwhelming power. I wonder if you’ll be any different.”
The monster flinched.
“Why?”
Seol Jihu smirked while drinking an Elixeer.
“Did you think regeneration was something only you could do?”
His bleeding right shoulder wriggled, and a new right arm sprouted out.
“Or should I have pretended to be in pain a bit more?”
Seol Jihu threw the empty bottle on the ground before reaching out.
The Spear of Purity cut the monster’s tongue and flew back.
Different. Though the monster couldn’t quite put its finger on it, it had a feeling that the creature in front of it was different. But not knowing what Seol Jihu experienced in the Path of the Soul, the monster couldn’t understand just how different he was.
Experiencing something abnormal, the emotion that arose was rage.
The last bit of pride it had flared up.
—KIIIIIIIIIIII!
A high-frequency wave struck Seol Jihu’s ears. The monster then curled up, its body transforming all of a sudden.
Crack! Crack, crack! Craaaaaaack!
Skin grew on its long arms and legs, and sharp thorns sprouted out on its body. In the next moment, the curled up monster kicked off the ground.
It closed the distance in an instant and swung its left arm. Though the power behind the swing was large enough to cut a continent in half…
Koong!
All Seol Jihu had to do was not get hit by it.
The monster swung its right arm at the hastily moving Seol Jihu, but Seol Jihu jumped up lightly and got behind the monster’s back.
The monster pulled its left arm out and struck while twisting its body back. Unfortunately, it only hit the empty ground. Seol Jihu had already leapt back. The monster felt like it was being toyed with.
Puk! This time, a blunt force struck down before it even twisted its body. Seol Jihu had jumped up a beat faster and struck it with the spear shaft.
The monster’s body swayed. Even then, it managed to swing its arm, this time from left to right.
Seol Jihu lowered his body as soon as he landed on the ground.
Chwek!
A chilling sensation brushed past his neck and back. He straightened his back as soon as the monster’s hand went by, then rushed to the monster’s direction.
A spear blade spraying out golden light pierced the monster’s stomach.
—Keeeeeeu…!
The monster panted hard. The stomach penetrated by the Spear of Purity billowed out…
—Kuaaaaaaa!
Then, a bone suddenly popped out from its tailbone area and wrapped around Seol Jihu. Raising him into the air, the bone threw him back violently.
A fierce explosion echoed out. The ceiling tiles crumbled, and a cloud of dust rose from the broken wall.
—Kiik… Kiiik….
The monster grinned, panting with its mouth wide open. Though the enemy was good at dodging its attacks, now that he was hit directly, he certainly must be…
—Kiik?
The monster shut up. A golden light suddenly flashed from the rising smoke.
Next, a powerful whirlwind rose, dispersing the smoke. Then, a powerful wind stormed out.