Episode 78: Exchange Battle (3)
“Dae-hyun! Guard!!”
Yoon Sang-hyuk shouted sharply.
Before they knew it, the massive golem in front of them had multiplied from one to two, then three.
One was made of steel.
One was covered in ice.
And then, there was the green golem they had already been fighting.
Since these enemies hadn’t come from the sides, they had no choice but to face them head-on.
“ã…¡ã…¡ã…¡.”
“ã…¡ã…¡ã…¡ã…¡.”
Short, low incantations erupted almost simultaneously.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes glowed red like blazing flames, while cold breath escaped from Jo Yuri’s lips.
-Kwaaaang!
The first to explode was Yoon Chae-ha’s fireball.
The crimson blast struck the steel golem’s chest, causing its body to glow red-hot.
-Chaeeng!
Immediately after, several of Jo Yuri’s ice spears pierced precisely into the heated area.
As the freezing ice met the red-hot steel, a sharp hissing sound filled the air, and a thick mist rose up.
Unable to withstand the sudden temperature change—
-Zzzzt.
Cracks, like a spiderweb, rapidly spread across the metal surface.
At that moment—
-Sssk.
Yu Hana dashed forward, targeting the center of the fracture.
Her long sword sliced through the air, striking precisely at the golem’s split seam.
From within the crack, petals bloomed.
-Kugung…
The steel golem lost its balance and collapsed, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
But there was no time to catch their breath.
-Uuuung!
-Krrrrrr…
The enemies were still standing.
“…!”
Yet, Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze kept drifting to the left side. Without realizing it, she bit her lip.
Faint waves of mana pulsed through the air.
A sharp, intense clash pricked at her senses.
On the left side—
That was where Jung Haein was.
But despite all the time that had passed, the battle there was still ongoing.
She had never seen him take this long to fight someone before.
By now, it should have been over.
She knew it was needless worry, yet her eyes kept wandering in that direction.
The crimson flames in her eyes wavered slightly.
Then—
“Are you going to keep spacing out?”
It was Yu Hana.
Without even glancing away from the golems, she spoke in a low, firm voice, her expression unwavering.
“Do you think Haein is going to lose?”
“…”
“Stay focused.”
Yoon Chae-ha’s lips trembled slightly.
She was right.
Yu Hana’s cold words snapped her back to her senses.
“Phew…”
She took a deep, steadying breath.
At the very least, the Jung Haein she knew would never lose.
Fixing her gaze back on the enemy in front of her,
The crimson flames in Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes blazed even fiercer.
***
-Swiish!
The sound of the wind being torn apart accompanied the incoming arrow.
Instinctively, I twisted my body and swung my spear.
-Clang!
The sharp sound of metal colliding rang out.
The deflected arrow veered off course and embedded itself deep into a nearby wooden pillar.
But the attack didn’t end there.
“Catch me if you can~”
With a playful whisper, Sion vanished into the thicket in an instant.
Her presence faded, her position becoming increasingly unclear.
Then—
-Swaeeek! Swaek!
Arrows rained down from unpredictable angles, emerging from the shadows.
From atop a tree
From beneath the bushes.
From beyond a broken window.
Sion was making full use of the terrain, maximizing the advantage of an archer.
As expected, she was a hero exceptionally skilled at adapting to her environment.
-Clang!
Once again, I swung my spear, deflecting the incoming arrows.
As long as I could perceive them, they posed no real threat. Sion knew this as well.
These arrows weren’t meant to harm me; they were merely distractions meant to keep me pinned down.
I lowered my stance and took a brief breath.
Sion and I had fought countless times since childhood.
I had won many times.
She had won many times.
But every time she won, there was always one condition.
‘If I can’t close the distance—’
I would inevitably lose.
-Rustle.
Pressing my foot firmly against the ground, I launched myself directly into the thicket where Sion had hidden.
In that instant, my senses sharpened.
[Universal Perception has been activated!]
Every sense heightened like the tip of a needle.
I could feel the sound of the wind, the flow of the air, even the faint tremors in the ground.
A slight rustling in the bushes.
The subtle breath of Sion, holding her position just beyond.
I could have just used Phalanx to blast the entire area and end this quickly.
But I didn’t want to.
‘It’s not like Sion is some kind of demon.’
And honestly, I just felt like roughhousing with my childhood friend again.
This was just a mock battle, after all. Since Sion had come all the way here, it meant that this left flank no longer had much to do with the main forces.
Without hesitation, I charged in recklessly.
“Hahaha!”
Sion, who had been hiding, burst into bright laughter as she stood up.
Her eyes gleamed. It was as if she shared the same thought as me—her expression radiated excitement.
Fixing her gaze on me, she drew her bowstring to block my advance.
An arrow shot toward me—then, suddenly, it split mid-air.
In an instant, the single arrow fragmented into dozens, each veering sharply to encircle me.
Each arrow was infused with mana, moving as though alive.
“Wow.”
A perfect Eclipse Shot.
This wasn’t just rapid shooting—it was an entirely different level.
Once again, Sion had surpassed my expectations.
‘Dodge? Where?’
Technically, there was one small gap behind me in the web of arrows Sion had created.
If I leaped in that direction, I could evade the attack.
But at that moment, my eyes met Sion’s.
She curled her lips into a smirk, smiling as if luring me in.
That was exactly what she wanted.
If I turned my back now, the distance between us would only grow.
I would never be able to catch up to her again.
The decision was instant.
I didn’t stop moving forward.
Instead, I pushed ahead faster—more recklessly—whirling my spear with force.
-Chaeeng! Clang! Kaaang!
The spear left behind shimmering afterimages as it knocked aside the incoming arrows.
Mana-infused projectiles deflected sharply, while those I couldn’t block grazed dangerously close to my side and cheek.
‘Just protect the vital spots.’
If it’s not a vital spot, a few hits won’t result in elimination.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between us closed.
“Sion!”
Laughter seeped into my voice.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had such a thrilling and enjoyable battle.
Sion’s eyes widened slightly as I emerged through the storm of arrows.
Anticipating a possible close-range fight, she quickly drew the dagger from her waist.
Then, without hesitation, she stepped back, aiming to retreat by leaping onto the next tree.
‘Got you.’
I had already anticipated her move.
Without a moment’s delay, I hurled my spear toward the very branch she was about to step on.
—Swish!
The spear pierced the branch precisely.
—Crack!
The branch shattered, leaving Sion with no footing and throwing her off balance.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, she let out a small gasp as her body was sent airborne.
Not missing that brief opening, I lunged forward, diving straight into her space.
Then, using the momentum, I pushed Sion down onto another thick tree branch.
—Thud!
Pinned beneath me, her back hit the solid wood.
I straddled her, locking her movements in place.
One knee pressed against her abdomen, while one hand firmly restrained both of her wrists.
This was a familiar hold for her.
We had practiced it countless times since childhood.
“Haa…”
“Nngh…”
In an instant, the distance between us had shrunk to nothing.
Our breaths intertwined, and the heat from our pressed bodies transferred vividly through our skin.
“…Caught you.”
My low whisper shattered the silence.
The rapid thumping of her heartbeat traveled up her wrist, pulsing against my palm.
Sweat gathered along Sion’s neckline, slowly trickling down.
Sunlight filtering through the branches illuminated the droplets on her pale skin, making them glisten oddly.
“Haa… Haa…”
Her deepening gaze, her flushed cheeks tinged with heat, and her slightly parted lips—
Soft sighs, almost like faint moans, escaped from between them.
It seemed she had exhausted a great deal of energy dodging and countering.
Seeing her in such a state, I let out a light chuckle.
“I won.”
Gently, I pried the small dagger from her tightly clenched fingers.
At that moment, Sion’s eyes wavered intensely, and she suddenly gripped my wrist tightly.
“…Haein.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
Her fingertips, shaking ever so faintly, brushed slowly over my skin.
I smirked.
She must have been frustrated and unwilling to accept her defeat.
“Well, you Shouldn’t have dragged it out this long.”
I murmured playfully as I slowly brought the tip of the dagger to the side of her neck.
The cold metal met her heated skin, causing her body to flinch sensitively.
—Tzzzt.
The small barrier guarding her vital points distorted as if being torn apart.
With her barrier shattered, she would be considered fatally wounded and subsequently eliminated from the mock battle.
Even so, Sion still refused to let go of my wrist.
—Tap. Tap…
Even with her hands restrained, she persistently traced my wrist, almost desperately.
“Haein… just a little longer…”
With her eyes closed, she whispered in a small, pleading voice.
It was unfortunate, but rules were rules.
Still, thanks to her, I’d had the most fun in a long time.
It felt like my long-dormant battle instincts had reawakened.
“See you in a bit.”
Watching as Sion’s form slowly faded from the battlefield, I smiled.
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