Ch.409EP.83 – The Knight’s Compass Has No Needle (8)

Whoosh!

The knight once again wrapped a typhoon around his body.

Cloud Dragon Eight Formation!

This was the second time casting it today.

However, this Cloud Dragon Eight Formation, clearly three times more powerful than the first strike, contained not just wind but also lightning that seemed to be wrapped in thunderbolts.

As the rotation accelerated and speed increased, the power it contained grew.

[Kaaaack!]

The Hydra’s head was no pushover either.

The mass of that enormous head alone was already a meteor-level disaster, and now that head was moving at near-sonic speed while incorporating the principles of spear techniques.

A typhoon containing lightning versus a meteor rushing at sonic speed.

These two forces…!

Kuuung-!

They collided with equal might.

Kwaddeudeugeuk…!!

A collision where neither could be called superior or stronger.

The massive shockwave created by the collision of the two attacks formed concentric circles, causing even the falling raindrops to momentarily pause—a strange phenomenon.

“Unnngh!”

But the Hydra and the knight moved their bodies without paying any attention to what strange phenomenon the raindrops were causing.

The knight raised his sword to scatter plum blossoms, while the Hydra spewed flames.

Hwareureu!

Hwaak-.

Blades of plum blossoms and flames of the fire jade!

The two forces, both containing killing intent, collided once again.

In this situation, it was the knight who took one step further.

Soong!

As he swung his axe, it absorbed the light of rotation and created a cutting wind.

Seogeo! Seogeo! Seogeo!

The snakes that had gathered to protect their king were sliced in half.

But-.

Kwajik!

Even with their bodies split in half, the snakes still bit the knight.

A snake-like behavior—threatening an opponent even if only the head remains with nerves intact.

However.

Wagreujak!

!!?

Astonishingly, the knight bit back at the snake that was biting him.

Ugeujik, ugeujik!

He chewed the snake, bones and all—not just bones but skin and even poison glands—and then.

Gulp!

The knight swallowed the snake as if nothing had happened, then grabbed the tail of another living snake and swung it hard.

Peoeoeok!

The snake made an excellent whip.

The durability of his sword that had used the plum blossom technique had reached its limit.

He needed to conserve his weapons and replenish his strength in this supply shortage situation, and the abundant snakes filled that gap.

They became his nutrients and his weapons.

It was an act no ordinary person could imitate, but he could do it.

[???]

“My disciple said I could do this!”

According to his status window:

Whether poison, stone, or wood, he can eat and digest it, so chew thoroughly.

…Of course, there was no instruction to eat like this.

‘I need to eat to get stronger!’

The knight decided not to worry about trivial matters.

[Hahaha! Have you ever seen such a madman!]

The Hydra laughed cheerfully while acknowledging him, even as its minions were dying.

This guy was a madman even demons would acknowledge!

With this not-at-all-pleasing title, the knight and the Hydra clashed.

The plum blossoms and flames had disappeared after repeated collisions, and Ihan aimed a punch at the Hydra’s head that had been spewing flames.

Peoeong!

[!!?]

Crushing Mountain Strike—3 stacks.

The Crushing Mountain Strike, enhanced with stacking effects, followed an unpredictable trajectory and struck the creature’s eye.

[Aaaaargh!]

But the eye didn’t burst.

Just 3 stacks wasn’t enough after all.

At least 10 stacks.

That’s what he would need to inflict meaningful damage on that hard body.

…Of course, even if he inflicted meaningful damage.

Kkureuk, kkureureureu!

Due to its [Immortality] attribute, all damage would be reduced to zero—that was the problem.

The Hydra’s head, which had been destroyed by the protective divine energy, began to regenerate.

And it wasn’t regenerating just one head.

Chwaaak!

…Two heads regenerated.

[Finally, I have emerged!]

[Congratulations, it’s quite exciting right now!]

[I was watching from inside. What a splendid festival.]

The black and white striped snake with a deep voice was not just a snake.

If anything…

“…If you’re a snake, be a snake. Why do you have an alligator’s head?”

It was a snake with the form and teeth of an alligator.

It didn’t appear to be the type that spewed poison or flames, but the knight judged the newly formed alligator-snake head to be dangerous.

Sure enough.

[Your body is quite hard. But, my teeth are quite hard too.]

Kwang!

“!!”

It was fast.

So fast it was difficult even to react.

In the blink of an eye, the knight was inside the widely opened mouth of the alligator-snake, and then-.

Kwadeuk!

It tried to bite down on the knight.

Udeudeudeudeuk!

He barely avoided being eaten by the alligator-snake, but the crisis wasn’t over.

Udeuk, udeuk!!

As boasted, the teeth were very sturdy.

They were also sharp, and the bite force was beyond imagination.

Kkudeudeudeuk!

The alligator-snake continued to apply force to devour the knight, while the knight struggled to keep its mouth from closing.

There was no time to use techniques.

It was purely strength against strength!

A battle between spear and shield.

The struggle between the eater and the one refusing to be eaten.

That was the essence of this brute force contest.

In this situation.

Paaaaat!

The alligator-snake’s body moved mercilessly.

To tire out the knight, it twisted its body and moved rapidly, continuously applying pressure to the knight in real-time.

Huuuuk-!

Was this the pressure felt by fighter pilots battling at Mach speeds?

Inside the snake’s mouth moving at Mach speed, it was difficult even to breathe oxygen, and the burden on his body kept growing.

To think that wind could be this painful, and to realize how agonizing gravity could be at this moment!

Nevertheless….

Ujijik!

“…!”

The knight didn’t give up, and his grip.

Ppagak!

Ripped out the alligator-snake’s fang.

[Kuaaak!]

Ppagak! Ugeujik…!

They say the first time is difficult, but the second time isn’t.

The knight broke and broke again.

Finally.

Kwaaaaang!

“…Heok!”

The knight escaped from the supersonic torture by his own power.

With a thudding sound, he rolled hard on the ground, and in the knight’s hand was the alligator-snake’s huge fang, as if declaring who the winner of the strength contest was.

[Aaaak!]

[Stupid fool. You must have seen everything from inside? Don’t underestimate that warrior.]

[As always, your speech is polite, but you’re stupid.]

[Rather, the warrior’s strength exceeds all norms.]

[Among all the heads, yours had the strongest bite force….]

The Hydra didn’t rush at the knight easily.

Even though the opponent was gasping for breath, sweating profusely, and his palms were bleeding, the Hydra didn’t consider this moment an opportunity.

Rather.

[A wounded warrior is dangerous.]

Now is when he would be most ferocious.

Sure enough.

Woong-.

The alligator-snake’s fang that the knight had pulled out.

It resonated like a sword, displaying an ominous energy.

Wooooong!

The resonance grew stronger.

As expected of a mythical beast’s fang.

The energy it contained seemed equivalent to at least thirty famous swords combined.

It was already shocking that something that wasn’t even a sword was emitting resonance, but there was no time to worry about trivial matters in this situation.

“It seems I need to land one big hit to inflict meaningful damage on you.”

And one filled with mental energy.

Wagreujak, came the sound.

Strong pressure generated from the knight’s hand as his fingers dug into the fang, creating a handle.

Then-.

Jiing, jiiiing! Jiiiiiing!

The power of the sword’s resonance rotated in a circle.

A chakram of the sky—a blade even superhumans would acknowledge, filled with the knight’s mental energy.

[What a beautiful blade.]

“…It’s called the Blade of Non-Obstruction.”

Hwoong!

Heavenly Non-Obstruction Blade.

-Soong!

The blade forged with mental energy cut off one of the Hydra’s heads.

* * *

Ihan was currently giving his all.

He was not only mobilizing all the skills he had perfected through past training and practical experience, but also overexerting his mental energy beyond its limits, feeling like he might lose consciousness dozens of times.

Yet he didn’t close his eyes.

If he lost consciousness now…

‘I’ll die!’

Kuuung!

His body was already unbearably heavy from the excessive use of protective divine energy.

Nevertheless, Ihan drew the Non-Obstruction Blade and swung it.

To kill this creature now, he couldn’t spare even a little strength!

‘General! I believe in you!’

If you’re determined to die, you’ll live; if you’re determined to live, you’ll die.

Ihan threw himself to the brink of death.

Blood dripped from his nose, but wiping it would be a luxury he couldn’t afford.

Ihan ran and ran again.

[Kahaaaak!]

The Hydra gladly faced Ihan head-on without evasion, swinging its now nine heads like whips.

Seogeo! Seogeo!

And each time, Ihan’s Non-Obstruction Blade severed the Hydra’s heads.

The approaching demonic snakes were split in half as soon as they were exposed to the sword energy emitted by the chakram, and Ihan drank the spraying snake blood to fuel his momentum.

The more nutrients, the better.

Even poison didn’t matter!

He needed to burn every bit of fighting strength he had.

Soong!!

How many times had he swung the sword that contained the blue light of the sky illuminating the gray heavens?

Ten times?

Dozens of times?

No, hundreds of times?

“Heok, heok! Heoooook…”

…One thing was clear: he had swung his sword endlessly and fought in a state of selflessness, without consciousness.

Then, when he looked back.

Kuuuung!

…He saw the Hydra’s massive body falling, having lost all its heads.

“Ha─.”

…He had won.

Teolsseok-!

As soon as he confirmed this, he collapsed.

Physical strength depleted, mental strength depleted, mental energy depleted, fighting energy depleted.

He didn’t have the strength to move even a finger, and Ihan’s eyes were about to close before the approaching temptation of sleep….

[-That thing, it’s what you call mental energy, right?]

“!!!”

…His closing eyes snapped open.

[Among the prey that fell into hell, there are souls of once-famous warriors. Well, famous for accumulating evil deeds, but still famous.]

[Kheuheu, they’re like bugs. The title of warrior is too good for them.]

[But you learned a lot from those bugs, didn’t you? Like how to use your body.]

[I’m grateful for that. That’s why I ate them without causing pain.]

[Khahaha!!]

Kkumul-kkumul-.

The severed snake heads were regenerating.

It wasn’t just regeneration.

The headless body was also starting to regenerate, growing new heads.

Naturally, new bodies were also growing from each of the nine heads…

[Anyway, that mental energy thing is impressive. It’s incomparable to the bugs who came to hell.]

[We prepared well. If we hadn’t prepared, we would have definitely died?]

[It was dangerous.]

[He was strong.]

Kung! Kuung!

The Hydra, no longer a single connected body but split into nine separate creatures, opened its mouths and laughed heartily, and the headless body also completed its regeneration and began to divide.

Jjeojeojeok!

And so the number of Hydras of various sizes reached!

“Ha, eighteen.”

─Eighteen creatures surrounding him.

…Damn it all to hell.