Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1475. Continental War (55)

Rather than sinking to my knees in pain, I choose to take one more step forward.

A great light gathered around Yuriel as I roared, “Even if it kills me, I won’t lose to you!”

The great light poured into me. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t end with a single strike, but the fact that my attack reached Ryu Han at all was encouraging enough. My breath was caught in my throat, but there was no way I could stop.

I kicked off the ground once more and swung my sword sideways. A sound that was impossible to believe slammed into my ears as the two swords collided in midair. For a brief moment, I faltered because I could see attacks that I hadn’t been able to see before.

I saw waves of attacks inundating me, but I decided that I could block them. Without stopping, I twisted my shoulders and deflected each slash one by one. Of course, I couldn’t avoid every attack. The slashes that I judged would only interfere with my sword path were ignored. My flesh was torn open, but...

‘Yuriel.’

All the small wounds healed at once.

‘Yuriel!’

Slash!

My chest split open, and blood burst out of the wound.

“Ugh!”

For a moment, confusion shook my mind, but my decision was quick. I didn’t see it. I could see his attacks so far, but this time, I couldn’t see them for some reason. It wasn’t that I missed it. What Ryu Han was doing had always been the same. He simply swung his sword or launched slashes so fast they were impossible to notice.

He had never properly learned the sword. Even if he held a different weapon, it probably wouldn’t have been much different. He just grabbed a sword and swung it intuitively. I thought I would be able to see it like usual, and I had prepared for it well enough, but...

“A cut...” I mumbled.

And it came from a direction I had never expected...

Naturally, Jin Yoo's words came to my mind. It was that ridiculous claim that Ryu Han’s sword could cut through space itself. Jin Yoo wasn't certain, but now that I experienced it firsthand, I had no choice but to admit that the blade had truly split space and reached me in an instant.

It was only natural for my thoughts to become tangled. Something impossible was happening right in front of me.

Of course, I knew this continent held tens of thousands of supernatural abilities. I followed the guideposts, faced countless powers, and fought against them, but the absurd ability to slice through space was something I had never even heard of.

As such, I questioned whether I could really win, but... I had to do it. No, I had to win. Ryu Han was a true genius. In fact, calling him a "monster" would fit better, but he never learned anything. He learned nothing and felt nothing. I had no idea how he reached such a realm, but I could say with certainty that it wasn't through a path like mine.

To grow stronger, I rolled across the dirt hundreds of times. I crossed blades hundreds of times with people stronger than him, for example, that masked hyung.

“Don’t think that swordsmanship alone is what determines the outcome of a fight.”

“Whoo... whoo...”

“There are countless factors that determine victory or defeat in battle. I neither think nor expect that you can do the same things that I can do, but I will at least drill that into your head.”

“Whoo... haa... haa...”

Right, Ryu Han had the stats and physical abilities of a swordsman, but his fighting style was closer to that of an assassin. The slashes that came flying in from unknown directions and the invisible blade reminded me that the attacks of the nameless assassin I had faced again and again were even sharper than his.

Even if I couldn't see them, I could still block and dodge them. I was not smart enough to learn everything, but there were plenty of ways to prepare for an ambush.

“All that holy power you have isn’t just for show, is it? If you can’t block it, then make a shield. Solidifying your holy power into a form is... what? Damn it...”

I immediately formed a shield out of holy power and pressed it tightly against myself.

“It’s uncomfortable? Did anyone ever tell you not to use swordsmanship? Did I ever tell you to change your equipment? Just block only the attacks you think you can't handle, use it only when you are closing the distance. Think of it as protecting only your vital spots.”

“Yaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Focus. Just because you have a means to protect yourself doesn’t mean you’re safe. Just because you’re holding a shield, don’t let the hand holding your sword sit idle. Swordsmanship, a sword, is made of points and lines. You tend to draw curves most of the time, but when you are holding a shield, I would tell you to use points more. Whoo... I mean, you should use thrusts. It’s something you lack, so this is what I will teach you.”

After covering myself with the shield, I placed Yuriel over the shield of holy power and threw myself forward. The sword capable of cutting through space pelted the shield made of holy power.

It was definitely different from my sparring matches with the nameless hyung. The shield made of holy power had blocked his hidden weapons without any trouble, but it found it difficult to take such powerful sword strikes relentlessly.

Just then, I was reminded of a woman capable of expertly wielding a mace and a shield— Rainelpia.

“So you want to know how to deflect attacks with a shield? You can just do it the same way you do with your sword, Mr. Ji-Hoon. There’s not really any special trick to it. Is it not working for you? That can’t be right... Then I’ll teach you for now. More importantly, there isn’t a scar left on my face, right?”

“Deflect it!”

“At the moment of contact, shift your center of gravity back... at an angle! Go practice over there with Hamgardia. Hamgardia!”

Boom!

“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Me as well? Hmm... I don’t really have much to teach you... Ah. If you're fine with learning the basic swordsmanship of a noble... it’ll probably be helpful. Strictly speaking, a noble’s swordsmanship is mainly focused on protecting yourself... so it might be easier to think of it as using your sword like a shield.”

“I deflected it! Hahaha! I deflect—Aaaargh!”

For a brief moment, I managed to block the space-cleaving blade with my shield and sword, but the shield crumbled away immediately afterward. In that instant of carelessness, my side and leg were slashed.

I almost stopped on the spot, but the voice of that brown-haired woman rose in my mind, and I kicked off of the ground once more

“How was I able to make it this far without giving up? You’re overestimating me, Mr. Ji-Hoon. The reason I’m able to keep going like this is because of my friends... Huh? Ah... if I had to say why... it’s probably because I never stopped and just kept walking forward.”

“Keep going! Keep going!”

I formed the shield once more and threw myself into the wave of blades.

It felt like I was pushed even farther back than before, but eventually, I would certainly reach him. I just had to keep walking, like what Brush had done, and I would reach my destination.

Sure enough, the distance between Ryu Han and me steadily narrowed, and I could clearly see confusion creeping into his eyes, which had never wavered.

Just then, Oksana noona’s voice echoed in my head.

“It’s the eyes. Yes, the eyes you’re looking at right now. I am ridiculously weak compared to you, Mr. Ji-Hoon, and the others, but there’s one thing I know for certain. In the end, what decides a fight at the lowest level is the eyes. More importantly... Mr. Ji-Hoon... today’s tactics exam is... Ah! Where are you going? Mr. Ji-Hoon!”

“I’ll win! I’ll definitely defeat you!”

In a down-and-dirty fight, what would decide victory or defeat was one's spirit. It was important to say that one could win and that one had no intention of losing.

Even if I kept getting wounded, even if my own blood kept splattering before my eyes, and even if my shoulder was being cut and my leg was giving out, it was imperative for me to keep on declaring that I could still win.

I saw Ryu Han taking a step backward. I gnashed my teeth once more and swung my sword.

Clang!

Of course, I had expected him to block it. His sword and hands were faster than mine, but my legs were faster than his. It was just a slight difference, but there were plenty of ways to make use of that advantage.

“Ah... Mr. Ji-Hoon. I’m sorry. I’ve told you before, but you’re not really my type... and there’s someone I like—Ah... huh? Ah... you’re asking how I can fight so well with such a small build? Even though I’m not that fast? Well... it’s footwork. It’s the basics. You want me to teach you? Right now?”

Instead of stupidly trying to block everything with just my sword, I decide to lean into my few strengths. It felt as if the countless footsteps I had taken hundreds of times were visible on the ground. Left, right, the distance between us narrowed until he was already right in front of me, and I realized then that I had taken a position I had never once been able to take before.

Until now, the initiative had always been in his hands, but this time, it was in my hands.

Instinctively, I knew that now was the moment to swing my sword.

“Aaaaaaaaah!”

I let out a desperate scream and brought the blade down. Then, I lifted it again and saw Ryu Han’s face as he blocked my strike.

Clang!

We were so close that our faces could touch. My hands were trembling. In this contest of strength, I had the advantage. As I gnashed my teeth once more, Ryu Han’s voice reached me.

“...”

“...”

“What are you fighting this hard for?”

His voice remained devoid of emotion, but his eyes were locked onto mine. I couldn't understand what he was trying to ask, and I also had no idea why he would even ask such a question.

Even though I was in the middle of a fierce battle, I found myself thinking about that meaningless question.

Several answers hovered on my lips. To save the continent, to protect the marginalized, to uphold justice, and because I was a hero, but in the end, only one face came to mind.

“For a friend,” I said.

“...”

“For a friend!” I shouted.

Boom!

A deafening noise echoed, and the two of us retreated from each other. Ryu Han’s sword became more complex and sharper. I realized that it wasn't like he had never trained as a swordsman, but he had simply chosen not to make use of his swordsmanship until now.

His sword cut through space and flew toward my neck. Ryu Han had been trying to keep a certain distance between us, but now, things had changed, and he had decided to attack me first.

It looked like he had lost his composure, yet his sword was sharper than ever. I could feel myself being pushed back. I brought out another shield, displayed my footwork, and shouted to steel myself, but the gap just wouldn't close.

The difference between us was just too massive. He was a true powerhouse, and I was just a novice who had only begun to understand how to fight. I was crumbling down.

Just then, bad thoughts flashed through my head.

‘Can I... win?’

“Yaaaargh!”

‘Can I... really defeat that monster?’

“Aaaaaaaagh!”

‘What more do I have to do... What do I have to do to win?’

“...”

Even so, I lifted my head once more and steadied myself. I recalled that voice, his expression, and his face. I recalled the face of someone who believed in me and told me that I could do it.

“You can do it.”

“Yeah... heuuk... heuk... I can do it!” I shouted.

Rumble!

A massive clump of light poured out from Yuriel.

“Ah...”

It was an incredibly warm light. I had no idea if I was just seeing things, but...

“Heuk... heuuuk...”

It felt like Jin Yoo was holding the sword with me—no, he was definitely looking at me, as if telling me that I could do it, as if telling me that I would succeed.

For a moment, it felt like everything around us was engulfed by the light, and it was like only Jin Yoo and I remained in a vast white space.

I could see him looking at me, murmuring something. I couldn’t hear his voice, but from the shape of his lips, I felt like I roughly understood what he was trying to say.

“Mr. Ji-Hoon.”

The tears I thought had finally stopped and would never fall again poured out of my eyes.

“Y-yeah! Heuk... aaaaaaaaaargh!”

Without a doubt, Jin Yoo and Yuriel were supporting me. It wasn’t an illusion. He was definitely guiding me forward.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah! Yeah! Ready... heuk... ready...” I mumbled.

There were so many things I wanted to say to him. Why had he left without a word? Could he come back here? However, there was no time to say any of it. I knew that if I looked away for even a moment, my head would go flying into the air.

“Yaaaaargh!” I shouted.

“...”

“Heuk... hyaaaaaaaaa!”

Moonlight gathered into my sword; it was a light I had never felt before.

Ryu Han’s weapon shimmered as well.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

The light completely pervaded my vision.

“Haa... ha... heuk... heuuuuung...” I cried.

“...”

“...”

At last, I saw Ryu Han on the ground.

Never again, never again.

I couldn't hear any voices, but...

“...”

“Heuuuuuuung... heuuuk... heuuuung...”

Yuriel was still shining... beautifully, at that.