Ch.168Feeding Trough

“What a peculiar space this is.”

“An enemy identical to our own forces…”

Inside the ravine. What the commanders encountered after escaping the enemy formation were opponents identical to themselves. The techniques they used and their power were the same. When they opened their mana to enhance their physical abilities, the enemies grew stronger in tandem.

“It’s like looking into a mirror, isn’t it…”

“I’d like to explore the surroundings more if possible…”

Kanok muttered the last words in a small voice. With them sticking to us so persistently, that would be impossible…

Each knight commander pointed their weapon at their counterpart. Toward their mirror images standing opposite them.

“Who wants to fight me?”

At Kanok’s playful question, the Wind Knight Commander standing beside him frowned.

“Each of us should take on our own counterpart. We know best what techniques we use and what weaknesses we have.”

“But I already know everything…”

“You’re being casual even after coming this far?”

Kanok’s gaze shifted to something behind the enemy. Within a blurry hemisphere positioned there, he could sense a faint presence. It seemed to have used an unknown power to isolate itself from the outside space.

The enemy’s ability wasn’t limited to summoning doppelgangers identical to themselves. Occasionally, blue beams of light would shoot out, repeatedly blocking the commanders’ advance.

“I can feel their determination to never let us through… There must be something very important in there.”

Kuwung-!

Dustar stepped forward and collided his two fists. The solid gauntlets clashed, creating a wave that spread out gently. His hair extended in all directions, billowing like a lion’s mane.

Dustar’s figure disappeared momentarily, then reappeared in front of his identical enemy, swinging his fist.

“Hup!”

The moment Dustar appeared, the enemy reacted as well. With the same appearance as Dustar, in the same timing and posture, it extended its fist toward the identical point.

Kwaaang-!

That was the signal. The other commanders, who had been spread out widely, quickly rushed forward and began attacking their identical doppelgangers. Swords clashed against swords, fists and arms tangled in chaotic combat.

Kwaggang-!

Behind the battlefield, Seo-rin descended. The mana amplification organ in her body had been continuously rotating, restoring a significant portion of her depleted stamina. Though the pain accumulated in her body hadn’t completely healed, it wasn’t enough to prevent her from joining the fight.

However, she couldn’t approach. Something transparent was blocking her way. Even when she reached out her hand or struck the wall with her mana-infused fist, the transparent barrier didn’t budge at all.

Should I use the Magician Killer?

Just as Seo-rin placed her hand on her waist, her keen senses detected hostility. The moment she drew her dark-colored sword and slashed through the air, the rapidly approaching blue bombardment scattered in succession.

Tadatang-!

It wasn’t just once. Dozens of blue lights came flying one after another. Seo-rin had no choice but to frantically swing her sword while retreating.

Through the blue afterimages scattering in the air, a man revealed himself from beyond. With a smiling face looking at Seo-rin, he opened his mouth.

“Are you Seo-rin?”

It was a voice from her memory. Seo-rin could recall the voice contained in a tiny fragment of Hayato’s memories.

The voice that had asked if she would return to the original world. It was undoubtedly the owner of that voice.

Seo-rin took a deep breath and summoned her fighting spirit. She didn’t know his name or face. All she knew was his voice. This unknown enemy had now revealed himself.

‘He doesn’t use a sword… No signs of training in his arms or legs either… That means…’

It meant he was a reincarnator who used some kind of special power. Seo-rin naturally tightened her grip on her sword. The dark blade, which possessed the power to negate abilities, gleamed as it absorbed the light.

“Do you see that? It’s a skill called Mirror Field. It sets up an area where doppelgangers are summoned to fight on behalf of the enemy, copying all their abilities… Isn’t that cool?”

The man continued his unexpected explanation. He stretched out his hand to explain the space where the commanders were fighting, which only bewildered Seo-rin. Explaining one’s abilities in front of an enemy was behavior difficult to understand with the knowledge she possessed.

“It seems this place isn’t affected.”

Seo-rin replied while looking around. She couldn’t feel any special power, nor could she see any doppelganger of herself fighting like the commanders.

The man nodded.

“Unfortunately, there’s something called cooldown.”

“…”

He was someone with an alien sensibility. Not that other reincarnators were any different. Seo-rin silently drew up her mana. With a rotating sound of “keeeing!” her body flashed with sunlight.

“My ability is called ‘The Gamer.’ It grants the user a special system that bestows extremely powerful abilities. Think of it as having an online RPG game system applied to me… though that’s probably hard for you to understand.”

“…I don’t understand. Why…”

“Why am I babbling about my own abilities? That’s what you were going to ask, right? Yes, people who end up fighting me tend to ask that question at least once…”

Before he could finish speaking, Seo-rin had to swing her sword with all her might again. Her swift sword technique spread out like a black curtain covering the front.

The attack that came flying was a blue bombardment.

“Ah, sorry. This is an auto system. If I don’t set it separately, it periodically flies at enemies… Where was I? Right, the reason for explaining my abilities…”

Seo-rin didn’t listen to the full explanation. Somehow, she felt the opponent’s intention was to stall for time. Just as Seo-rin’s rapidly advancing figure was about to reach the opponent, the man dragged his foot across the dirt ground.

Kung-kung-!

Swaaak-!

Before the dark blade could graze the man, his figure disappeared even faster. The next moment, the man appeared at a point not far from where Seo-rin was standing.

The man quickly continued speaking.

“It’s because of the ability’s constraints! When I explain my own ability in detail and in an easy-to-understand way, the power of the ability becomes even stronger! Guardian’s Auto Bombardment! Cooldown is 5 seconds, maximum target detection is 10 people! But! If I concentrate on just one target…!”

It was the same attack as before. Seo-rin’s body rotated half a turn simultaneously. With a sound of “kkigik-,” sparks burst in the air as she deflected all the incoming bombardments.

“Kuk…”

The impact transmitted to her hand felt twice as strong as before. This was not an illusion. Seo-rin shook her ringing sword once before charging toward the enemy again.

“Beast’s Gaze! It weakens the target’s abilities! To be precise, about 10 perce…!”

He speaks quickly while moving busily. Seo-rin swung her sword toward the suspicious power flying at her. The moment the dark blade touched the power.

With a small shockwave, black energy scattered in all directions. As long as she had the sword that negated abilities, no tricks could be used directly against her. Seo-rin lightly rotated the sword in her hand and drew her Gongjeol Sword with her left hand, swinging it.

Bwoong-!

The moment the mana-infused blade shone brightly. A thousand swords stored in subspace poured out all at once, creating a storm toward the enemy. Kkagagaggang-!

“Ch-Chopaemugo…? No, it’s Mangeomje martial art… This is pretty cool…!”

At that moment. The playful smile on the man’s face suddenly turned cold. Immediately after, the man rapidly spat out words.

“Entering auto system. Converting all abilities to battle mode. Duration is 3 minutes. Bless, Combat Enhancement, Heart-Stirring Howling, War Cry, Battle Orders, Healing Factor…”

As his words continued, the man’s presence grew even larger. At that moment. From within Seo-rin, a small whisper, her younger sister’s voice, was heard.

[He’s noisy, isn’t he.]

The moment Seo-rin unconsciously nodded. Her shadow stretched long and pierced through the opponent’s shadow across from her.

“…?”

As the man’s cold expression turned puzzled. Seo-ran’s voice echoed in Seo-rin’s mind.

[I’ve taken his voice. Just for a very brief moment.]

Much better. The moment Seo-rin smiled fiercely. Seo-ran moved her left hand to cut her finger and drew a tattoo on her face. The muscles in her arms and legs expanded, her field of vision narrowed, and the pain in her body quickly subsided.

“It’s nice that it’s quiet now.”

“…!”

At Seo-rin’s murmur, the man began charging first. Along with his rush, blue bombardments poured down from behind. As Seo-rin swung the sword in her right hand to deflect the light bombardment.

Seo-rin’s left hand gently caught the flowing Muramasa and slashed upward through the air.

It was a capricious sword that lengthened and shortened its blade at will. How long would the invisible blade be today? The moment the rapidly drawn transparent blade swept through the air.

One of the charging man’s arms was severed with a “jjek-” sound. However, the man’s speed didn’t decrease. Rather, he charged even faster, thrusting forward with his severed hand.

As if the fist were still attached.

The moment the severed arm extended toward the empty air.

Kwang-!

Seo-rin was sent flying backward by an impact she couldn’t understand.