Red Cult (2)

Lee Dojin gripped the wooden sword.

The black magic beast.

At first glance, the appearance of the unidentified monster looked like a giant toad.

Its head was a grotesque mix of a shark and a toad.

Dozens of eyes decorating the front of its head, which seemed to number over 20 at a glance.

And shark-like pointed teeth.

Four legs and one huge tail.

And two arms on what appeared to be the upper body.

It was truly a bizarre sight.

“M-magic energy concentration estimate at least S-rank or higher. That’s an S-rank or higher magic beast! It might be able to skillfully handle magic energy too!”

It was the shout of a male student wearing a strange artifact that looked like sunglasses at first glance.

A magic beast of at least S-rank or higher.

That explanation was enough to instantly choke the breath of all the students.

There was only one person who remained calm.

Lee Dojin stared directly at the surreal-looking magic beast.

He recalled the advice given by Sword Demon Jung Yong-ha. It was advice about killing intent.

-The crux of killing intent is in the mind. Express your intent to kill without hiding it. Towards a single target.

Thud

Heat and killing intent flowed simultaneously from Lee Dojin’s body.

The air distorted strangely. The black monster with dozens of red eyes emitted killing intent in response.

The killing intent of the black monster that had filled the classroom began to recede very slowly. The students finally felt their breath ease somewhat. And it wasn’t hard to know who was responsible for that.

The black magic beast, <Helrokan>, stretched out its two long arms. And it swung both arms towards Lee Dojin.

The two black arms rushed towards Lee Dojin’s body. Lee Dojin stepped forward strongly.

Five lines of white light slashed across the front. Dark red blood sprayed everywhere.

Chunks of severed arm flesh shot upwards.

Kruaaak!

A resounding roar spread from Helrokan’s huge mouth.

Chuaak!

New arms appeared from the severed shoulder stumps. And not just two arms, but a total of six arms appeared.

Crude regenerative ability.

Lee Dojin briefly threw his body backwards at that change.

He raised colorless sword energy again.

“Friend!”

Park Seonggu, who had escaped from Helrokan’s killing intent thanks to Lee Dojin’s performance, stood next to Lee Dojin.

“Well well, we’re experiencing real combat earlier than expected, aren’t we?”

Park Seonggu, of the tanker class, raised his magic shield to face forward.

“I’ll draw its attention, you attack.”

Crack! Crack!

Kang Changhyung, wearing a battle suit, started loosening his fists.

Sword energy wrapped around two swords.

Ryu Jia and Baek Hwayeon also stood next to Lee Dojin, holding swords.

A few other students also took out their weapons to provide support from a distance.

One person’s performance ignited sparks of courage in the hearts of the other students.

Lee Dojin wasn’t actually pleased with this response.

‘It’s dangerous.’

The black monster before his eyes was strong.

They seemed to have gained courage from seeing him respond to attacks without difficulty, but if those black arms had been aimed at other students, the result would have been completely different.

“Fall back, no. Lead the kids out of the classroom. I’ll handle this thing.”

Kang Changhyung, rather flustered by Lee Dojin’s firm rejection, furrowed his brow deeply.

“What did you say?”

Just as Lee Dojin was about to open his mouth again.

Kuwaaaaaaak!

The entire classroom shook. And five black tentacles burst out from all over the black monster’s body.

The creature seemed able to handle magic energy. And it could also shape it into forms it desired.

It was hard to grasp the limits of its abilities.

Slash!

In that blink of an eye moment, two huge tentacles flew into the air from Lee Dojin’s horizontal slash that had reacted.

But there were still remaining tentacles. A huge tentacle that was shot out slammed into Park Seonggu, who was holding a shield.

The magic energy surrounding the shield immediately shattered.

And it smashed Park Seonggu against the wall.

“Kuhuk!”

A mouthful of dark red blood spurted from Park Seonggu’s mouth.

He was certain that several ribs had been crushed.

His internal organs had also been damaged.

Even this could be said to be minimal damage because he had activated his magic shield.

Kuung!

The blonde martial artist, Kang Changhyung, who had barely deflected the tentacle with a full-power fist strike, couldn’t move his body for a moment.

His body had recoiled from pulling out his strength and inner power to the limit.

“Lee Dojin… did you just casually counter that kind of attack?”

Kang Changhyung looked at Lee Dojin’s back standing in front.

‘Damn, it’s wide.’

It looked incredibly huge.

Lee Dojin himself as a person.

Ryu Jia and Baek Hwayeon, who had gathered their strength to cut off one tentacle, were also staring intently at Lee Dojin.

“Get out of here. Take the other kids and the professor with you.”

“So we’re just burdens that are in the way, is that right?”

Kang Changhyung expressed doubt once again, as if he had to hear the truth directly from Lee Dojin’s mouth.

Lee Dojin was certain that this wasn’t sarcasm, but a question born from inferiority.

The 40-odd bulging eyes of the black monster moved back and forth.

“Yes, you’re burdens.”

Kang Changhyung, Ryu Jia, and Baek Hwayeon hardened their faces.

“For now.”

Lee Dojin added one more phrase at the end.

Calling them burdens was sincere, and the added words were also sincere.

Kang Changhyung opened his mouth again.

“Can you really kill that thing? Alone?”

“I can kill it.”

It was an answer without a shred of hesitation. Kang Changhyung couldn’t understand where that confidence came from. But those eyes full of conviction weren’t the eyes of someone telling a lie.

And Lee Dojin wasn’t the type of person to make empty boasts.

“…Let’s go. Take the kids.”

Kang Changhyung said, glaring at Lee Dojin.

He was frustrated.

To the point of going crazy.

But he had seen with his own eyes that Lee Dojin’s judgment was entirely correct.

‘Someday.’

All he could do now was make a resolution that he would definitely stand shoulder to shoulder with him someday. Kang Changhyung and Baek Hwayeon swiftly led the students out.

“Dojin, be careful.”

Ryu Jia’s voice was heard. Lee Dojin nodded slightly.

Jjeoooong!

Lee Dojin swept away one black arm and tentacle that had stretched out towards the retreating students in a single stroke.

They should have completely left not just the classroom, but the combat department building by now. His friends had that much judgment.

The sound of students evacuating down the stairs faded. It meant everyone had evacuated.

Lee Dojin’s mind finally became calm.

Lee Dojin recalled the last question asked by Kang Changhyung, King Wang’s disciple.

The question of whether he could really kill it alone.

To tell the truth, he didn’t know.

‘But I have to.’

So that’s why I’m doing it. And until now, there hadn’t been anything he set his mind to do that he couldn’t accomplish.

Killing intent surged from Lee Dojin’s body.

Grind grind grind…

Helrokan ground its shark-like teeth. It was behaving strangely, crushed by Lee Dojin’s killing intent that had driven away its own killing intent.

The wooden sword was enveloped in sword energy. Colorless sword energy was layered dozens of times.

Whoosh!

Even the form of the wooden sword couldn’t be seen. A sword of white light.

The dozens of eyes on Helrokan’s toad-like body met Lee Dojin’s two eyes.

Heat was rising in Lee Dojin’s gaze.

Helrokan’s eyes burned bright red.

The killing intent of the two beings sizing each other up evaporated in an instant. It was the signal for battle.

Lee Dojin took a forward stance.

His body shot out in a straight line.

Reverse Heaven Sword

First Form

Soul Pursuit (追魂)

White light enveloped the ceiling. A streak of meteor advanced, scorching the ground.

Helrokan simultaneously shot out 12 tentacles to block the extreme thrust.

The black tentacles all disintegrated, scattering ashes, as soon as they touched the advancing stream of light.

Jjeoeoeoeoek!

A gust of light was rammed into the center of Helrokan’s body.

Along with Helrokan’s chilling scream, its countless magic energy was shot at Lee Dojin.

No, it covered the entire classroom.

The purpose of Helrokan’s mass release of magic energy just now was to create darkness.

The front of the classroom, which had been close to white, was dyed in a dark blackout.

Even Helrokan’s form was hidden and couldn’t be seen in that blackout.

Helrokan intended to hunt Lee Dojin in the world of darkness it had created.

‘I’m certain I inflicted a fatal wound.’

Lee Dojin calmly gripped his wooden sword again.

Skak! Sasasak!

Black blades made of magic energy emerged from the floor and walls with chilling sounds.

Lee Dojin had his eyes closed.

Like Ryu Jia.

Ryu Jia’s beautiful voice echoed in his head.

-It’s about feeling the ki.

-If you have confidence in yourself, you can gain sharper senses than when your eyes are open.

His hearing was doubled.

Lee Dojin advanced with his eyes closed. Becoming a streak of light walking through the darkness.

The black spikes rising from the ground and walls were all one beat behind.

Lee Dojin, who had opened his five senses, had completely avoided those places as soon as the magic energy stirred.

Kroaaaaak!

Helrokan’s cry filled with rage at all its attacks being in vain struck Lee Dojin’s ears.

The classroom that had been dyed black was instantly restored. Helrokan had retrieved all the magic energy it had shot out.

Lee Dojin opened his eyes wide at the suddenly changed view.

Helrokan rushed in at once, opening its mouth wide, not missing that gap. Over a hundred blades of magic energy extended from its entire body.

Just before Helrokan’s huge maw was about to bite and swallow Lee Dojin’s body──

The wooden sword Lee Dojin gripped as if to crush emitted white light.

Lee Dojin’s entire body was enveloped in light. Heat from white light streams flowed from his entire body like a mirage.

Reverse Heaven Sword

Third Form

Hundred Eight Sword Thunders (百八劍雷)

A hundred and eight sword paths extended in an instant.

It was a judgment made in a moment of mortal crisis.

And sword energy raised in an instant.

A gale raged. The ground Lee Dojin was standing on began to crumble due to the explosive sword energy wave that occurred.

Countless white slashes hacked at Helrokan.

All the blades of magic energy shattered like fragments and scattered in the air.

The center of Helrokan’s maw was cleanly cut off.

Its regenerative ability and Lee Dojin’s countless slashes contended with each other. Its body was repeatedly sliced like chunks of meat and then recovered.

Soon the match began to tilt.

Because Helrokan’s magic energy wasn’t unlimited.

Eight arms were cut off. Two of its four legs were severed.

Kroaaaaaaaak!

The second floor sank from Helrokan’s struggles.

Kwagwagwang!

And soon the ground completely shattered with a rumbling. Lee Dojin and Helrokan fell to the first floor simultaneously.

At that moment, Lee Dojin was gripping his sword with both hands.

Tak!

Lee Dojin mounted Helrokan’s body without hesitation.

He struck down with his wooden sword into the center of its body with all his might.

---

Baek Hwayeon rushed urgently at the sound of the building collapsing.

Shattered debris.

And dust rising from all directions.

On top of the huge black monster whose breath had ceased,

A man stood tall holding a wooden sword.