Bang!
In this collision, the one bounced away was not Dong Bong-su but Paitan. Moreover, he was bounced much farther than when Dong Bong-su had been pushed back.
"Urp! Kuak!"
Paitan rolled several times in the air before landing on the ground.
However, perhaps the shock still remained—he couldn't stand properly. Black blood poured out in clumps through his mouth. He had suffered no light internal injury.
"Sword Energy...?"
He muttered while using his saber as a staff to steady his posture. But he soon shook his head. Because something like an indistinct haze was rising sharply from Dong Bong-su's blade.
The Sword Energy Paitan knew didn't materialize like that. For Sword Energy to substantiate enough to be visible to the naked eye in that way, one had to reach at least the level of Sword Ring.
But...
That wasn't a Sword Ring. If it were a Sword Ring, there should be that characteristic ring where bundles of Sword Energy gathered, but it wasn't visible.
"What on earth is it...?"
Sizzle.
Instead of answering, Dong Bong-su grabbed and tore his sleeve to wrap his hand, torn even longer from the recent shock, with cloth.
When that was done, Dong Bong-su approached Paitan again while speaking.
"Sword Energy."
"...!?"
Paitan couldn't believe it. The ordinary Sword Energy he knew couldn't be like that.
However, it was definitely Sword Energy. Just not the kind of 'ordinary' Sword Energy he knew, but a different [Sword Energy].
[Sword Energy Lv.3 Proficiency: 1.68%]
A technique that overlays energy onto the sword to increase destructive power. It dramatically increases attack power, but maintaining Sword Energy requires significant internal power.
—The emission effect of Sword Energy slightly increases range.
Attack Power Bonus: 150%
Range Bonus: 3%
Energy Consumption per Second: 50 JP
In fact, though Dong Bong-su had learned the skill [Sword Energy], there had been almost no times when he needed this technique. Because until now he hadn't met an opponent who could properly receive this skill. This time, Paitan would become the first stage where he could freely experiment with Sword Energy's power.
Swoosh.
Dong Bong-su charged at Paitan again.
At this, Paitan urgently raised his blade to block Dong Bong-su's Sword Energy. Blade energy had already been overlaid on his saber. However, unlike Dong Bong-su's Sword Energy, his blade energy showed no outward sign at all.
The collision of skill [Sword Energy] and martial art blade energy.
Bang!
The force energy generated by Dong Bong-su and Paitan collided with each other, causing an explosion.
Twice, three times, four times...
As Sword Energy ran rampant, explosions continued.
In that time, the Northern Ghosts had already been completely slaughtered, and the mercenaries were watching their duel from afar, surrounding them. It was a duel between masters difficult to experience in mercenary life. They watched the two fight with even more concentration than when fighting the Northern Ghosts.
Bang! Clang! Kakang!
Dong Bong-su was swinging the Wanderer's Sword madly regardless of whether Paitan blocked or not. He deliberately didn't use irregular tactics utilizing the Inventory. Not because the mercenaries were watching. He just wanted to know how much his own pure strength amounted to.
And he could soon be certain.
That it seemed okay to go out into the Martial World now.
Thud-thud!
Paitan was continuously being pushed backward by Dong Bong-su's attacks. Though there was the reason that Dong Bong-su's Sword Energy was strong, the more fundamental problem was that strange power occasionally burst from Dong Bong-su's sword to push him backward.
"What is it? What the hell is this again!"
"Consecutive Strike."
Dong Bong-su kindly told him while swinging the Wanderer's Sword once more.
[Consecutive Strike (Passive) Lv.1 Proficiency: 17.74%]
A Wanderer's sword strikes, learned only through real combat without formal techniques, are crude but frightening because they're unpredictable. Above all, even if the enemy is not struck by their sword, a Wanderer never gives up and persistently clings on. If they cannot slash in one strike, then twice, three times, even over a hundred times they will swing to surely kill the enemy.
—Causes special status ailments to enemies who receive the player's attacks consecutively.
—On 2-consecutive strike success, causes 'bleeding' to the enemy
—On 2-consecutive strike failure, pushes the enemy backward. (Lv.1 activated)
※ For successive attacks to be recognized as consecutive strikes, the attack and next attack must occur within 1 second. The effects of status abnormalities that occur differ according to level.
"Kuk!"
Paitan was knocked back again due to the second effect of Consecutive Strike. What was fortunate for him was that this peculiar technique only pushed him backward without inflicting special damage.
However, Dong Bong-su had already grasped all the advantages and characteristics of this technique, and had learned one technique that matched very well with it. A combination technique he couldn't experiment with until now because enemies all died before seeing Consecutive Strike's effects—Dong Bong-su was about to execute it now.
Thud! Clang!
The Wanderer's Sword and Paitan's saber clashed twice again, and accordingly [2-consecutive strike failure] activated.
[2-consecutive strike failure. Player strongly pushes the enemy backward.]
As the familiar mechanical sound rang in Dong Bong-su's head, Paitan was pushed backward with a slide.
Simultaneously, Dong Bong-su disappeared from Paitan's view.
"Wh-what...!"
Stab.
He couldn't spit out the word 'is this.' Because there was no one in this world who could speak with their uvula and tongue cut vertically from the root.
Without him knowing when he'd gone behind, Dong Bong-su was standing behind him.
Squelch.
Dong Bong-su pulled the Wanderer's Sword from the nape of Paitan's neck.
Blood poured like a fountain from Paitan's mouth and throat as he fell backward. His eyes were asking a final question even in that situation.
'What is this!?'
Dong Bong-su kindly provides an answer this time too.
"Footwork."
[Footwork Lv.4 Proficiency: 15.77%]
A mysterious gait devised to efficiently avoid the opponent's attacks.
—Upon activation, teleports once in one of the four directions: front, back, left, or right.
Cooldown: 5 minutes
Current Applied Level: Lv.4 (The player can adjust this skill's level range.)
Movement Distance: 4m
Energy Consumption per Use: 1000 JP
Dong Bong-su had teleported behind him after pushing Paitan backward with Consecutive Strike's knockback effect. The desperate evasion technique had combined with Consecutive Strike to evolve into an excellent combination.
***
Slice.
Dong Bong-su cut off the dead Paitan's ear. It was the signal announcing the battle's end.
Waaahhh!
The mercenaries shouted in jubilation. And an all-too-familiar festival began.
The outlaws called mercenaries began cutting off the Northern Ghosts' ears without exception.
They laugh with joy even while covered in blood all over their bodies. It's fine if blood flies into their mouths, and it doesn't matter if messy flesh and blood splatters into their eyes or ears. How could such things be important? When the most precious things in the world are scattered everywhere within arm's reach.
"Kahahaha!"
"Ears, ears! Money, it's money! Money is everywhere!"
Who said modern society was a gold supremacist society? No. Anywhere in the world, anywhere in the universe, gold has the highest value. In the past, in the present, and in the future. No matter which era you go to, the animal called human is an animal that laughs and cries over money.
Dong Bong-su knew that well. Though it was difficult for him to understand, humans were such animals. Sometimes there were humans who weren't, but it wasn't his concern anyway. Such herbivores weren't objects of Dong Bong-su's interest.
The more humans are stained with desire and engulfed in madness, the more wicked and passionate they become, and above all... the stronger they are. And Dong Bong-su was a hunter who hunted such people.
Whoosh—
He watched the mercenaries engulfed in madness, then quietly raised his head. The moon that had risen at some point was dimly illuminating here and there on the grassland.
The moon...
Luna in ancient Greek. Derived from that, the word lunatic was created in English. However, by now that meaning wasn't 'moon-like' or 'like the moon.' That original form had all disappeared and it had become synonymous with madman or psycho.
The moon and madman.
Yes. What a fitting combination.
Dong Bong-su faintly twitched his cheeks.
Whoosh—
On this mad night, toward the twitching moon, he quietly exhales his breath.
***
After about half an hour passed, all the festival ended.
Dong Bong-su first had the mercenaries set up military tents. The grassland's night was cold, no less than a desert night. They had to set up tents and avoid the wind before it became completely dark. If they didn't, those who died without even properly using the money they'd earned would appear in succession.
Next, what he did was organize a fifty-man reconnaissance force to send up to Manhan Mountain. Though they had annihilated the main force including the Northern Ghost Group's leader, several hundred Northern Ghosts still remained. There was a need to confirm why they remained at Manhan Mountain. Or if they weren't there, investigate why not. Absolutely.
Lastly, Dong Bong-su sent a victory messenger to Li Zi-song. From here, Liangcheng that Li Zi-song was attacking was half a day's distance in the southwest direction. Probably by tomorrow morning, the messenger he sent would arrive at Li Zi-song's camp at Liangcheng. Then Li Zi-song, receiving this news, would send a new messenger here. Dong Bong-su could take the next action according to the contents of that order then.
Now the matters at Manhan Mountain were settled for the time being. More precisely, it would end when the remaining Northern Ghosts were killed, but that too would be resolved before long.
However...
Something felt somehow unsettling. Like these sticky bloodstains dried stickily all over his face and entire body.