Chapter 297: Reaching the end……..



[Hidden Blade: First Form]

[Blue Moon]

-FLASH!-

As the tip of my blade left its scabbard, the golden aura within me surged to life in an

explosive burst of energy.

The technique, though labeled as a skill I supposedly owned, still felt foreign-alien, even- as if my body struggled to harmonize with its power.

The speed of my swing was something I could barely control.

My grip was firm, but the sheer force behind the attack was overwhelming, almost unnatural.

I wasn’t aiming to kill the clown-like Riley before me.

No, killing him wasn’t the plan.

But holding back would have been arrogant-a mistake I couldn’t afford against someone like him.

Unlike the previous version of myself, this one’s skill set mirrored mine far too closely.

His movements were agile, nimble, almost impossibly quick.

In a battle of attrition or speed, he held the upper hand, which meant I had no choice but to end this fight before he could fully exploit his advantages.

-SWOOSH!!!

The crescent arc of golden energy surged forth from my blade, slicing through the air with a sound that resonated like thunder.

It traveled swiftly, illuminating the void with its radiance.

My [Mind Acceleration] skill kicked into overdrive, my perception of time stretching thin as I assessed the situation in microscopic detail.

Under normal circumstances, an attack like this would have caught him completely off guard.

Even though the trajectory was slightly slower than what Seo could execute, it was still the Hidden Blade technique.

Few could anticipate or evade it without prior knowledge.

But this wasn’t a “normal” opponent.

He’s seen me use this now.

It would only take the smallest movement of my hand-the faintest shift in my stance-for him to decipher the path my blade would take.

And he would anticipate it.

“Ah~ there it is~!”

His voice rang out with a twisted sense of glee as the golden flash dissipated.

High above, the clown-like Riley leapt gracefully, his perpetual grin widening in excitement as he spun mid-air.

“Wow~! You’re even infusing the technique with divinity effectively now~ Did Second pass on his instincts to you as well~?”

-Tsk!

Clicking my tongue in frustration, I forced myself to focus. There was no time to waste.

This clown wasn’t just dangerous-he was lethal.

Positioning myself again, I gripped my sword tightly, every fiber of my being screaming to stay alert.

I cycled through my memory, recalling Seo’s techniques. If I could recreate even a fraction of her speed and precision, I might stand a chance of turning the tide.

But before I could even make my move-

He vanished.

“Wha-?!”

A sudden, sharp GUGH! escaped my lips as a searing pain erupted in my chest.

My vision blurred momentarily, and I felt warmth trickling down my torso. Looking down, my eyes widened in horror at the sight of a dagger, its blade protruding from my chest. “Ah, there it is,” he purred from behind me, his voice dripping with mockery and satisfaction.

I stumbled forward, coughing as blood spilled from my mouth, staining the ground below. “My~ My- Oopsies~” His words were sing-song, playful, but there was no mistaking the malice behind them. “I meant to target your heart more gently, but… well, as circumstances dictate, we can’t afford to hold back, can we? This pain, dear me, is a lesson- A gift, if you will~!”

His grip on the dagger twisted slightly, sending a fresh wave of agony ripping through my chest.

My knees buckled under the pain, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stay upright. “You… bastard,” I spat, each word tasting of iron.

“Aw~ Such harsh language!” he teased, his laughter ringing in my ears like a twisted melody. “But isn’t this exciting? Pain, struggle, desperation-it’s all so wonderfully human, don’t you think?”

I could feel his presence looming behind me, his aura oppressive and suffocating. My body screamed at me to move, to act, but the pain dulled my senses, slowing my reaction.

“Now, now, don’t fade on me too quickly,” he cooed, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath against my ear. “We’re just getting started~”

With a sudden, violent push, he wrenched the dagger free from my chest, and I staggered forward, barely managing to stay on my feet.

The world spun around me, but I gritted my teeth, forcing the dizziness aside.

The sanctuary’s healing effects reacted to my divinity, mending the wound on my chest in real-time.

Warm, gentle energy flooded through me, knitting my flesh and soothing the ache in my

heart.

It was an odd sensation-comforting and yet deeply unsettling, as though my body recognized the magic as both a blessing and a warning.

[Note: Sanctuary’s divine energy cannot keep up with user’s damage input.]

[Divine Energy: -500]

[Note: Fatal injuries will lead to divinity compromise.]

[Note: Depending on the severity of injuries, sufficient divinity may not cover the required

healing.]

[Note: Permanent divine energy loss is plausible if critical thresholds are exceeded.]

“Fuck…” I muttered under my breath, staring at the system notifications flashing before me.

My useless luck seemed to be haunting me again.

At this rate, I’d burn through all my divine energy before the fight even reached its peak.

Worse, the strain on my already exhausted aura meant my chances of survival were shrinking

by the second.

When it came to raw power, this wasn’t a battle I could win.

“Get up, Riley Hell! It’s not over yet~!” the clown-like Riley taunted, his voice dripping with mock amusement as he flung another dagger my way.

I moved instinctively, dodging the projectile with a sharp pivot and breaking into a sprint across the sanctuary’s vast hall.

Each step felt heavier than the last as I darted left and right, narrowly avoiding the relentless barrage of blades he hurled at me.

The sanctuary’s healing effects continued their work, patching up the minor wounds I

couldn’t avoid.

I gritted my teeth, relying on its restorative magic to carry me through, but the notifications were a constant reminder of the cost.

Non-fatal daggers grazed my arms and legs, drawing thin lines of blood, but I forced myself

to ignore the pain.

Instead, I honed my focus, sharpening my senses to their absolute limit.

The fatal strikes-those aimed with precision and intent-I couldn’t afford to miss.

The sound of his daggers slicing through the air grew sharper, faster, a symphony of deadly precision that seemed to echo in the hollow space of the sanctuary.

My breathing was ragged, my muscles screaming for relief, but I refused to falter.

Turning on my [Pain Nullifier] skill now would be beneficial, offering me a brief reprieve

from the searing pain coursing through my body.

But I knew better.

Numbing the pain would only dull my senses, robbing me of the sharp edge that kept my

survival instincts intact.

Right now, the burning agony and the relentless adrenaline coursing through my veins were

the only things tethering me to the “zone” I was in a state where every second, every movement, determined whether I lived or died.

If he landed another fatal attack, there would be no coming back.

The sanctuary’s healing effects were already stretched thin, and my divine energy reserves

were depleting fast.

Worse, I had been forced to incorporate that dwindling energy into my aura to keep up with

him, leaving me dangerously exposed.

Stopping the infusion of divine energy into my blade crossed my mind, but doing so would

put me at an even greater disadvantage.

Just like the other Riley from before, the darkness lingering within this one was palpable.

That malevolent energy clung to him like a second skin, and my divine-infused attacks were the only thing he genuinely feared.

His movements made it clear-every time he dodged or blocked one of my counterattacks, there was a subtle tension in his frame.

Divine strikes weren’t just hurting him; they were crippling him in ways my standard attacks

couldn’t.

But this advantage came at a cost.

Coating my blade in divine energy drained me with every swing, eating away at what little I

had left.

The golden lightning I could summon-an ability that had carried me through most of my battles so far was useless now, its mana cost too steep to even consider.

Any of my other active magic skills would be a waste of precious resources, and I couldn’t afford to burn through what little mana remained in me.

It was a brutal balancing act: conserve energy to survive longer, or risk everything in a

decisive strike.

My fingers tightened around the hilt of my sword, the weight of the decision pressing down

on me like a suffocating shroud.

Each second stretched into an eternity as I assessed my options, the clown-like Riley circling

me with a playful grin that hid the predator lurking beneath, as he kept on throwing his

duplicated daggers.

That’s why… a fast decision was needed.

With my current mana reserves, I could only use Blink Step three more times.

Combining it with the Hidden Blade’s First Form would be my one final gamble. But with the relentless rain of daggers he kept throwing at me, each laced with the powerful

aura of his own making, there was no way I could freely enter his zone without taking

substantial damage.

That was only true, however, if I relied solely on my current stats.

The system interface flickered before my eyes, and a desperate plan began to form.

[Name: Riley Hell]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 132]

[Strength: A [0/100] [Agility: B [0/80]

[Endurance: C [0/60] [Luck: o [????]

[Power: C [0/60]

[Available Status Points: 104

I hesitated for less than a heartbeat before making my decision.

[Available Status Points: 104-100]

[Strength: A [0/100]] → [Strength: S[0/???]]

[Available Status Points: 4]

A surge of raw power coursed through my body as my Strength skyrocketed.

My muscles tightened, my grip on the hilt of my sword firming as if I held the very edge of

fate itself. The weight of exhaustion lifted momentarily, replaced by the intoxicating rush of

newfound strength.

Taking a deep breath, I planted my feet firmly against the ground, feeling the energy of my decision flood through me.

Mana surged at the soles of my feet, erupting in a burst of kinetic force.

[Blink Step (Proficiency: 10%)] → Activated!

In less than a second, the distance between us vanished. His wide grin faltered as my face was

suddenly within his arm’s reach.

But I wasn’t about to let him regain control.

This needed to end now.

[Hidden Blade: First Form]

[Blue Moon!]

With every ounce of aura I had left, I poured it into the strike.

The blade ignited in a golden brilliance, an arc of divine energy illuminating the battlefield as

it cut through the air.

-FLASH!!!

The sheer force of the attack created a shockwave, scattering the remnants of his daggers in a

blinding explosion of light and energy.

For the first time, the clown-like Riley’s expression shifted-his smugness replaced by a

flicker of genuine surprise.

“Good job- use it well okay-?” he said cheerfully, his tone almost mocking despite the grotesque sight before me.

I watched, wide-eyed, as his body was cleaved in half horizontally.

His upper half floated eerily in the air for a moment, a grin still plastered on his face.

Even as his form began to dissipate into shimmering motes of light, I could feel the

oppressive weight of his presence lingering.

But as his figure faded, so did my vision.

A haze enveloped my surroundings, distorting everything until I could no longer discern up

from down.

Then the pain hit-sharp and searing, ripping through my torso like an unstoppable wave.

What… is happening?

The world around me tilted violently. I tried to steady myself, but my legs gave out beneath

me.

My body collapsed onto the ground, and yet, I could still see it-my lower half lying there, motionless and detached as blood spilled out raining down on my face…

[Note: Trial Tutorial breakthrough progress is now completed!] [Congratulations! You have passed your trial!]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new skill!]

[Skill: Empathic Pain (S) acquired]

The system notifications blinked faintly in front of my fading vision, the words offering no

solace for the agony coursing through me.

Darkness closed in, swallowing me whole as the system’s final messages echoed in my mind.

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