Chapter 124 – The Red Mask (part 3)

– Satan? – Si Hoon frowned.

Satan.

The demon whose name everyone knows.
A biblical character who incites people to commit sin.

One of the Seven Great Sins is within Satan’s domain.
Namely, pride.

– Are you saying that you are Satan? – Si Hoon, not believing his ears, stared at the red mask.

“The Devil” looked nothing like he had imagined.
Though he could see something barely discernible in the darkness, he was sure that there was a man standing before him.

– Exactly,” the masked man replied, and squeezed the hand that held Alex by the neck even harder.

Alex’s face went pale and he shook his legs.

– Stop it! – Si Hoon shouted.

It seemed to him that Alex was about to die.
A look of concern showed on his face.

– You seem to be nervous.

Si Hoon was silent.

– Is he that important to you? – The demon asked.

The boy pressed his lips together tightly.

“Is he important to me?” – Si Hoon himself.

– It’s none of your business,” he said raising his sword.

El Cuero’s sword.

Kang Woo saw his gift in Si Hoon’s hands, a sword made of high-end legendary elements.

“Kang Woo.”

As soon as Si Hoon received Alex’s hasty call that the Hell teachers had appeared, he tried to call Kang Woo, but he was apparently very busy and did not answer.

Which meant that there was no one to expect help from.

“I’ve got to beat this demon.”

He himself realized that it was almost impossible to beat him, and it was foolish to just hope for the best.

After all, this demon had defeated even the Sword of Justice.
Si Hoon didn’t stand a chance.

And yet…

“Dragon Throw.”

He applied one of the techniques he had learned from Jung Mu Jin.
The sword was immediately thrust swiftly and forcefully at Satan.

– Weak,” Satan muttered disappointedly.

He had no need to make any further effort.
With a single swing of his hand, he threw Si Hoon back.
Si Hoon immediately tried to rise, but he staggered.
There was determination in the boy’s eyes.

– I’m well aware of my own lack of strength.

He continued to use the sword and a blue light ran down the point, filled with Maryok.
Si Hoon got ready and swung the sword from bottom to top.
The anger-filled sword aimed for the demon’s head.

Satan snapped his fingers with ease and a black hurricane headed for Si Hoon.

– Ugh!

So Hoon was thrown backwards and vomited dark red blood.

Satan only snapped his fingers, but Si Hoon was shaking like he’d been hit with a sledgehammer.

– You are a desperate fellow.

Si Hoon coughed up blood.

– So why are you acting like this? Alex Osborne has nothing to do with you.

The guy’s gaze trembled.

“A man who has nothing to do with you,” were the words lodged in his head.

In fact, it was true.
Alex Osborne had not the slightest connection to Si Hoon.
He was neither his close friend nor his comrade.
He was only a hero he admired.
It was stupid to fight, risking his life, to save a man he had only seen through a monitor screen by this point.

He spat out blood once more.

“I know.”

He knew himself that he was being foolish and doing things that defied logic.
If Kang Woo were here, he would surely look at him sternly and scold him.

“However…”

The boy rose from the ground and, standing firmly on both feet, raised his head.
His gaze immediately stopped on the pale Alex, who was about to stop breathing.

“Kang Woo won’t understand that,” Shi Hong thought and grinned bitterly.

Kang Woo simply cannot understand what this man, the Sword of Justice, means to Si Hoon.
After all, he had never told other people about it.
It was not a blind faith in his ideal.

He was not a child looking at his hero through a monitor screen with naïve eyes.
Si Hoon was not some fanatical teenager.
He wasn’t going to sacrifice his life for a completely stupid reason.

Si Hong raised his sword and took a breath.
He certainly wasn’t going to explain to this demon the reasons for his behavior.

– Was it really that strange to try to save someone you had nothing to do with?

– Not weird, stupid.

– Stupid, ha…” Si Hoon laughed.
– Yes, that’s for sure.

Of course, he acknowledged that.
He had no hope that the creature in front of him would understand his act.
If it was difficult for an ordinary human, then it was not worth mentioning that a demon would understand.

– I’m sorry, Kang Woo…” muttered Shi Hong softly.

Shi Hong still had no time to repay Kang Woo for all his kindness.
No, he hadn’t even had time to bring any special help.
That was exactly what he had been thinking about as he prepared for battle.

– Phew.

Breathe in and out.
The power emanating from his stomach spread throughout his body.
He felt the sword continue in an invisible line.

Oneness with the sword.
Si Hong entrusted his body to the sword.

The boy pushed off the ground, and the demon put one arm forward, from which a sword, supported by Magi, emerged.

The black blade, supported by Magi, and the blue sword from Maryok merged in a strike.
Not a second passed before a real fight broke out.
But the preponderance of power was evident.

Xi Hong’s hand, with which he was holding the sword, was hurt, but he paid no attention to it.
He stepped back and ducked, dodging the attack.
He swung El Cuero’s sword again.
His sword, like a wriggling dragon, moved swiftly toward the demon, cutting through the black veil behind which it hid.

However, the strong energy that burst out from behind it threw the guy back and dark red blood gushed out of his mouth again.

Si Hoon frowned.
There was no problem in applying the techniques.
It was just that their strength levels were too different.
No matter how many times he tried to pounce on the demon, it was no use.
It was like throwing an egg against a rock.

“But…”

He didn’t give up.
He had no right to give up.
Si Hoon rose on trembling legs and swung his sword again.
The boy headed toward the dreaded evil without an ounce of doubt.

***

Their swords met once more and once again, Si Hoon was thrown back.

“Amazing.”

Kang Woo was surprised.
And it wasn’t a mockery at all.
He was truly delighted.

Even now, when Kang Woo had reached the highest level of demon guise, Si Hoon’s physical qualities were astonishing.
And now, it was no longer a matter of sword skills or techniques.

There was no way a talented three year old could defeat a professional athlete.
Just like that, there was no way Kang Woo expected such a level from Si Hoon.

“Just as I thought, Si Hoon is many times better than Alex,” he blurted out in a smile.

Alex’s sword seemed to follow a righteous path, making his actions too easy to predict.
But Xi Hoon’s sword was different.

“He is invisible.”

Or rather, unpredictable.

No matter how many times Kang Woo fought Shi Hoon, he couldn’t figure out how he acted, whether he was following some kind of logic.
And it was these “possibilities” of Si Hoon that made Kang Woo’s heart beat faster.

– Aha! – Si Hoon found himself on the roof again.

Of course, all this thinking didn’t make the guy a World Ranker class Player.
Chances are, if he went up against Alex now, he’d lose.

“But it won’t be for long.”

Kim Si Hoon is evolving.
He hasn’t even been touched by the level 59 problem.
Now at level 60, he has even surpassed Kang Woo, even though it initially seemed like something unbelievable.
But Si Hong made the impossible possible.

“Of course, it’s only about the level.

Ultimately, the main indicator is not the level, but the strength inherent in the characteristics.
And that means that Kang Woo can compete with a Player of more than one-hundredth level.

“I’ll have to tweak the plan a bit.”

Kang Woo licked his lips as he looked at Si Hoon desperately lunging at him.

He had originally planned to anger Si Hoon, which would have motivated him to take the next action.
However, he changed his mind.
Si Hoon was acting too desperate.

“It seems to be more than just stubbornness.”

If it were, he wouldn’t be acting so aggressively.
Kang Woo thought about it, but immediately shook his head.

He couldn’t know everything about the guy just because he was under his command.

“Maybe it’s for the best.”

If attacking Alex has that effect on him, then it will be easier to influence him.

Kang Wu, holding Alex by the throat with one hand, fought Si Hoon with the other.
Si Hoon’s sword sharply glinted and before it made contact with Kang Woo’s sword, it abruptly changed its trajectory.
His sword began to move like a wriggling snake.

“That’s right, well done.”

The sword, bumping into the black curtain behind which Kang Woo was hiding, threw Xi Hoon backwards.
The boy used that force to do a somersault in the air and aimed it at Kang-woo’s head.

The movement was so finely tuned that it looked as if he was watching a circus performance.

“Exactly the right thing to do.”

Kang-woo gave in slightly.

Xi Hoon’s movements became stronger and more precise.
The mask, unprotected by the black curtain, cracked.

“Well done, lad!”

So Hoon, unlike Alex, did not try to keep his opponent alive by any means necessary.
He used every technique he knew to overpower his enemy, radiating the most genuine hatred in the process.

To kill the enemy.

A perfect sword, thinking of nothing but killing.

“Now that really could be called combat!”

If his capabilities had been even a little better, their battle could have been a great experience for both of them.
Kang Woo started to regret it a little, but immediately shook his head.

“Si Hoon will get stronger.

He is a gift sent from above, a heavenly miracle.
The spirit of Martial Arts lives in him.
In addition, he is also a disciple of the Sword Lord, Jeon Mu-jin.

So far, Si Hoon has only one flaw.

“And now we’re going to fix it,” Kang-woo’s gaze flashed.

It’s time to show him some real power.
Kang Woo concentrated his strength again.

But at that moment, Shi Hoon’s sword swinging body was enveloped in blue light.

[Your subordinate Kim Si Hoon took Musin’s power.]

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[Your subordinate Kim Shi Hoon had fully mastered the Celestial Dragon Punch]

“What?” a blue alert appeared in front of his eyes.
– Again?”

Kang Woo grinned.
This is something he definitely wasn’t expecting.

“He’s getting promoted without planning it himself.”