Chapter 162: Outbreak (7)

But I failed to learn [Clone].

Before I could fully master the Imitation Art, the ‘Fall of the Moon’ occurred, and its impact caused the secret tomes to be lost, and [Clone] disappeared along with them.

‘It’s probably in the royal palace’s Vision Star Coffin.’

How many of Shadow’s secret tomes would be there if I went?

My brow narrowed.

I had to retrieve them all.

Without a single one missing.

Kwaang!

That was why I could never die in a fight of this level.

Kagagak……!

I blocked the descending axe blade with my chain.

Sparks flew in all directions.

But after blocking about three times, my chain could no longer hold and snapped.

A bluish aura shimmered on Dorian’s axe.

“Hehe.”

His eyes were filled with desire and killing intent.

Yet, even as I faced his momentum, my expression was as placid as a calm lake.

[Imitation, Athlon Sword]

The chain axe, now split in two.

The part where the iron weight had been emitted a light and instantly took a new form.

A one-handed sword with a pointed tip, in the shape of a typical broadsword.

I gripped it and swung.

As if waiting for that moment, Dorian wrapped my sword with his chain.

The corner of Dorian’s mouth curved up.

“Finally caught you.”

“No. You’re the one who’s caught.”

[Imitation, Knight’s Rapier]

Before I knew it, the other part of the severed chain axe, the handaxe, was also enveloped in a dazzling light.

The shape of light stretched and lengthened in an instant like taffy, and in the blink of an eye, the transformed rapier flew towards Dorian’s heart.

A critical moment, the sharp tip of the sword about to pierce his chest.

Taang!

Dorian quickly spun his body to parry the rapier.

Seeing me stagger back, Dorian laughed.

“For a ruined thief who can’t even use aura, you’re holding up pretty well, aren’t you? You’re definitely not someone to be taken lightly.”

Acting all relaxed, he once again swung his chain and rushed at me.

But for some reason.

Unlike his relaxed exterior, a single doubt was rising like smoke inside Dorian.

He seemed to be thinking.

Was the Imitation Art itself excellent?

Or was my skill in utilizing it to fight good?

Dorian seemed to lean towards the former, but the longer the fight dragged on, the more he felt a chilling sensation creep up the back of his neck.

[Shape Imitation], the vision that could be called the very first step and foundation of the Imitation Art.

It was easier than the other visions of Imitation Art and because of its excellent practicality and versatility, it was the technique Yugen used most often.

But it had a clear drawback.

While it had the advantage of being able to imitate anything that actually existed, it also had the major disadvantage of not being able to perfectly imitate characteristics, properties, or materials one hundred percent.

That’s why the targets of [Shape Imitation] were mostly factory-made weapons, keys, or traps with simple forms and non-special materials.

The reason martial strength was a major evaluation factor in the examination to become Yugen’s successor.

Various weapon skills, martial arts, and self-defense arts to supplement the Imitation Art.

At the time, Shadow’s vision vault contained countless types of weapons and various secret tomes, so I had been able to access them without difficulty.

That’s why I wasn’t flustered even when I saw the chain axe.

On top of that, I knew how to counter the chain axe and I also had the skill to imitate and use it myself.

In any case.

Dorian felt extremely foul that I was holding up against his attacks unexpectedly well and that he was even having doubts in this situation.

The most annoying thing was my stoic expression.

Even as my wounds increased and I swayed precariously as if I would collapse at any moment.

That attitude of maintaining a deadpan expression, showing no emotion to the point where it seemed like even that was part of a plan, was irritating.

‘……No.’

It was that, but there was a more fundamental reason.

A sense of déjà vu.

Strangely, the scene before him and the current situation felt like he had seen them somewhere before.

Along with a vague sense of anxiety.

He tried to shake his head to clear it, but it wouldn’t disappear easily, like the lingering dull headache after motion sickness.

‘Hehe. This is really fucking annoying.’

Still, he thought it didn’t really matter.

Because he would be the one to win this fight anyway.

There was a big reason for that, no, a gap that existed between them.

Aura.

I couldn’t use aura.

No matter how well one utilized their body, handled weapons, or had excellent combat sense, there was a world of difference between using aura and not using it.

One who had raised their aura and one who had not were different from their physical abilities, strength, and stamina.

They also couldn’t use advanced visions that presupposed an Aura Heart and especially, a weapon that was simply imitated could never handle the destructive power of a weapon enhanced with aura.

‘Just like, now… Huh?’

It was around then that a question mark appeared in Dorian’s eyes as he was swinging his chain like a storm.

Suddenly, the surroundings were dark.

Was that all?

He felt a breeze on his skin that shouldn’t be felt indoors.

Sensing something was wrong, Dorian immediately stopped his assault, backed away and looked around.

The space distorted and the floor he stood on and the surrounding environment had changed.

From the hotel suite where they had fought a fierce battle.

To the rooftop of a certain abandoned building.

Staring blankly at the countless twinkling constellations and the full moon looking down on them with its immense presence.

Dorian stood like that for a moment before turning his gaze back to me.

Anyone could see that the person who caused this phenomenon was none other than me.

“You. Don’t tell me……”

“Yes. You’re thinking correctly.”

Dorian let out a small gasp.

“To think you can use [Domain Imitation]. You’ve worked quite hard.”

“Do you know where we are?‘

Dorian glanced around and nodded.

It was definitely a place he remembered.

He couldn’t not know.

He had just seen it in his dream a little while ago.

“Isn’t this where we had our Successor Examination?”

A night sky with not a single cloud, filled with a massive full moon and stars.

Beneath it, on the rooftop of an abandoned building, two children stood facing each other.

[Domain Imitation].

This vision, which could be called a superior technique of [Shape Imitation], was known as the ultimate secret of the Imitation Art.

It was a vision that required considerable memory, attention, and observation skills, but when it was realized in conjunction with ideation, the resulting phenomenon could be said to be like a [Spatial Barrier].

Of course, their abilities weren’t the same.

A [Spatial Barrier] has a direct effect on the caster, but this just imitates a place from somewhere and moves it here, so it has no beneficial effects.

If there was one, it would be familiarity with the geographical environment?

Since various factors come into play to win a fight, that in itself is a pretty good advantage, but the problem was that this place wasn’t complex enough terrain to gain a geographical advantage.

Although it was night, it wasn’t dark, and the surroundings were wide open.

Being a rooftop, there was a risk of falling, but that much was whatever.

If anything, since I could use [Night Vision], imitating the inside of a dark cave would have been a hundred times better judgment.

‘But he purposely imitated this place? What’s the intention?’

Don’t tell me he’s trying to use my memories?

At the thought that popped into his head, Dorian smirked.

Yes.

This seemed to be it.

The Successor Examination.

The memory of that day was the starting point of all of Dorian’s hatred and a chain of injustice he thought he could never break in his life.

In a way, it was a trauma, a weakness and people with such trauma, when faced with that situation again, tend to become more passive and emotional than usual, feeling strong pressure or losing control.

Because of that, they freeze up or hesitate more and it was a natural result that such factors would have a negative impact on a fight.

I had aimed for that point, casting a sort of debuff on Dorian.

But.

‘You’ve made a big, big miscalculation.’

For Dorian, the memory of that day was not one he wanted to erase or avoid.

It was a memory he wanted to change.

So this was, rather, an opportunity for him.

A chance to change that shitty sense of injustice.

Just then, I opened my mouth towards him.

“Hajin. The master isn’t here right now.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say you would have beaten me back then if it weren’t for the master’s interference?”

As I said that, looking at Dorian, he could see the corners of my lips slightly raised.

It was definitely a smile.

“Prove it.”

“Kuk…… Kukuk. Puhahaha!”

Dorian couldn’t hold it in and laughed like a madman.

Then he shouted.

“Yeah, fucker. Don’t you regret this!”

He instantly closed the distance and swung his axe.

Kaang!

I blocked it with the longsword I had imitated.

But the ferocious energy contained in the handaxe shattered the longsword that blocked its path.

Wajangchang!

A blue light shimmered on his axe blade like a heat haze.

Aura Strike.

The exclusive property of those who had reached the highest level of Aura Expert, on the verge of mastery.

It was a technique he didn’t really want to use because of its high stamina consumption, and one he would rarely have a chance to actually use.

It was the same when facing me.

Even just swinging it with aura infused was enough to make my imitations unable to withstand and break.

Using an Aura Strike that consumed a lot of stamina was an excessive investment.

Dorian admitted it.

If the intention was to get him excited, it was a perfect success.

But, that was all.

Kaang! Kkang!

Every weapon I imitated shattered after failing to withstand even a single attack and though I escaped crises with excellent wit and senses, that was now the end.

Dorian decided not to drag it out any longer.

He asked one last time.

“Hand over the secret tome.”

Instead of speaking, I looked with my eyes.

‘Just prove it.’

Dorian smiled.

Alright.

Then die.

Dorian swung his axe.

Shhhhwak!

Even though there was a distance, my clothes were cut.

[Murder in the Void].

Whether there was distance or not.

It didn’t matter if there were obstacles or not.

To exert physical force on a point within one’s line of sight.

This was the advanced vision that had propelled Dorian to the position of vice-captain of Blood and was Dorian’s trump card.

I quietly looked down at my unexpectedly torn shirt.

He hadn’t shot something like a sword qi.

He had struck the empty air.

……In that case.

I kicked off the ground.

“Right. Just running away won’t work, will it?”

Watching me rapidly close the distance, Dorian cackled.

Then he swung again.

Towards my neck.

Shhhhwak!

At the same time, I threw my body at Dorian.

Peok!

A fountain of blood spurted from me.

The killing intent of the axe had accurately struck me.

But thanks to twisting my body, the point of impact was my shoulder, not my neck, and just in time, my flying body tackle reached Dorian.

Dorian lightly dodged it.

“Not even clo—?”

But Dorian couldn’t finish his sentence.

“……What. Is this.”

Dorian’s eyes, wide with shock.

Dorian slowly lowered his head.

Reflected in his eyes was a single sword blade, protruding from his chest where it had pierced him through.

He looked around.

The [Domain Imitation] had been dispelled.

The surroundings had changed back to the hotel’s suite and only then could Dorian realize the full story of what had happened.

A longsword was stuck upside down in a crack in the wall.

That longsword was the one I had been holding at first and the [Domain Imitation] had been nothing more than a feint to push him into this trap.

‘To think he wasn’t trying to use my trauma.’

It was indeed a cunning psychological game.

So Dorian had no choice but to admit it.

“……Hehe. You.”

He stared at me with his blurring vision.

I was clutching the wound from the axe and looking up at him.

“Hajin.”

In truth, Dorian.

No, Hajin knew.

Who was closer to being Yugen’s successor.

Even though he had been in Shadow for 5 years.

Paradoxically, because he had been there for 5 years, he knew better than anyone else.

He had just been in denial.

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