38. Martial God

Park Joon-hyuk couldn’t accept reality after his full-powered attack was effortlessly blocked.

“N-no way… I trained so hard…”

“No amount of training beats bloodline privileges and awakenings in this world. Nothing you do works against me, you talentless fuck.”

“Hmph! Doesn’t matter if you can’t hit me!”

Joon-hyuk zipped around me like a goddamn Pikachu leaving afterimages. For someone riding on constellation coattails while claiming to be Cheok Jun-gyeong’s reincarnation, this was pathetic.

I clenched my right fist, channeling White Flame, and planted a fire-powered punch straight into his gut as he zigzagged.

*THUD*

Joon-hyuk went airborne, cratering into the arena barrier.

“Ghk!”
“I’m faster, dipshit.”

Did he really think his speed meant anything to a dragon? His movements were clear as day to me.

“Keep denying it all you want. You’ll always be B-Class trash. A fucking NPC.”

“Keep acting arrogant and you’ll regret it!”

Says the guy getting styled on.

“I’ve earned my arrogance. Nothing you do can beat me.”

Suddenly, Joon-hyuk started laughing like a madman while clutching his stomach. Ominous energy seeped from his pores – not his own mana, but something darker. The Fragment of Gluttony.

“Let’s see if you can handle this! I’ve received a Fragment of Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins!”

“Fuck causality sideways. Gluttony already?”

Even as fragments began transforming Joon-hyuk’s body, I yanked out four shards before they could fully take root. Black armor coalesced around him regardless, morphing him into something resembling a corrupted general.

[Current constellation: Martial God Cheok Jun-gyeong. However, Joon-hyuk ignored his constellation’s warnings and succumbed to Gluttony’s desires.]

“So you can’t control your own champion?” I scoffed.

A deep voice echoed in my mind – the real Martial God:

[White Flame Dancer. This is my fault. I failed to guide him properly. Let me end this.]

“You know who I am, right?”

[Your identity matters not. I simply wish to stop him before he falls further.]

“Fine. But teach me all your techniques first.”

As the constellation’s memories flooded me – battlefields drenched in blood, endless waves of enemies falling to a single sword – I felt my body grow lighter. Even my nameless sword felt like a legendary blade.

“Heh. Easy.”

The corrupted Joon-hyuk charged, halberd swinging with monstrous strength that threatened to demolish the arena. But guided by centuries of martial mastery, my blade flowed like water, parrying each strike with precision.

*CLANG*

[Feel the might of Korea’s greatest sword through your own body!]

Spectators murmured in awe:
“That’s the White Flame Dancer…”
“She’s facing that miasma with just pure swordsmanship!”
“Sh-she’s honoring him by fighting fairly!”

Honor my ass. This was just damage control.

[Close your eyes.] the Martial God instructed.
“Why? Trying to show off?”

[Can’t you feel it?]