Chapter 41. White Banner Order (4)
"This is insane!"
"He's beating the hell out of Sama Yun!"
"Did he just copy Sama Yun's technique exactly?"
"I told you! That guy is growing too!"
The chat exploded with cheers as Kang Yujin began fighting back against Sama Yun.
"Now that I think about it, Kang Yujin's fighting style was always wild. He just moved on instinct."
"But now he's actually starting to use techniques? Just from watching Sama Yun?"
"No, there were already small signs of it when he fought Lee Jukheon. But Lee Jukheon is a swordsman, so Kang Yujin probably couldn't learn much from him."
"Sama Yun is a power fighter who relies on physical ability, just like Kang Yujin. So Sama Yun's techniques are perfect for him!"
Geumgak also hammered away at his keyboard while watching the observation screen.
He wanted to share his excitement with the other Constellations.
"But we shouldn't relax yet."
"Marshal Tianpeng, what are you talking about?"
"Sama Yun still hasn't shown everything he has."
Geumgak paused after reading the message.
That was right.
Sama Yun had not yet revealed all of his strength.
"Priest King, grant me your power...!"
Sama Yun, whose face was twisted in pain, suddenly raised his voice.
Immediately afterward, a powerful energy surged from his body.
Kang Yujin didn't even need to check to know what it was.
Sama Yun had received the same kind of Blessing that the Nameless One had often granted him.
Kang Yujin immediately released Sama Yun and created some distance.
Didn't they say it greatly increases Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Magic Power for five minutes?
While the Blessing was active, Sama Yun might now be physically stronger than him.
But...
I hope the Nameless One doesn't give me a Blessing right now.
With that thought, Kang Yujin faced Sama Yun.
As Sama Yun charged at him violently, Kang Yujin raised his guard and blocked the incoming attacks.
"You bastard! You bastard...!"
Sama Yun continued throwing punches with an enraged expression.
"You..."
The more he attacked, the more distorted his expression became.
"How dare you use me to practice your defensive technique...!"
Sama Yun felt like he was going insane from anger.
The man standing before him, Kang Yujin, was copying the exact defensive posture Sama Yun himself had used just moments ago.
Until a little while ago, he looked like some wild street brawler. But now he's moving like a proper martial artist...!
Of course, Kang Yujin's technique wasn't particularly advanced.
He was simply copying Sama Yun's movements, so some parts were awkward and repetitive.
But Kang Yujin's exceptional physical ability covered those weaknesses.
Just what the hell is this guy?!
Even after receiving the Blessing and becoming stronger, Sama Yun had not managed to land a single clean hit.
Worse...
The more he attacked, the more refined Kang Yujin's defense became.
Kang Yujin was polishing his technique while fighting him.
"How dare you treat me like a training partner...!"
"I'm not practicing."
Unlike Sama Yun, whose face was twisted in fury, Kang Yujin remained calm.
"I'm just testing things."
"Urgh!"
Sama Yun roared as rage surged through him.
"I won't forgive you...!"
But even though he was angry, he didn't recklessly swing at Kang Yujin.
Years of real combat experience helped him think of his next move.
"Hup!"
He suddenly moved sideways toward the German car he had arrived in.
Then he kicked it toward Kang Yujin.
CRASH!
A tremendous noise rang out.
But Sama Yun never expected the car itself to hurt Kang Yujin.
It was only meant to block his vision.
His true target was the truck parked directly behind the car.
More specifically...
The roughly thirty bamboo spears loaded onto it.
"Hehehe."
Sama Yun jumped onto the truck and lowered his body.
He picked up a bamboo spear more than four meters long and looked at Kang Yujin, who was still standing in place.
"Isn't that a little too long to use as a weapon?"
"You ignorant fool..."
Sama Yun snorted.
"The S-rank Constellation I serve, the 'Priest King,' was a great ruler who created a vast empire stretching from Asia to Africa and exterminated wicked heathens."
"..."
"The great king used iron stakes when executing heathens."
Sama Yun grinned.
"He pierced straight through their bodies."
"Isn't that the story of Vlad III? The Romanian ruler who supposedly inspired Dracula?"
"Hahaha. You need to study history more."
Sama Yun laughed loudly.
"In the history of the Fantasy Realm, Vlad III heard the legend of the Priest King, became inspired, and copied him."
As Sama Yun spoke, he tightened his grip on the bamboo spear.
Then...
The bamboo began changing.
Its surface transformed into hard metal.
"And this is the Priest King's Constellation Armament..."
Sama Yun raised it.
"The Spear of Judgment that pierces the wicked!"
A Contractor capable of fully manifesting a Constellation Armament could create countless iron stakes out of nothing.
Unfortunately, Sama Yun had not reached that level.
To the Priest King, who possessed many Contractors, Sama Yun was only one Contractor responsible for a remote corner of East Asia.
That was why Sama Yun needed bamboo spears as material to create the iron stakes.
"Oooh!"
He threw the bamboo spear, which had completely transformed into a metal lance.
Under normal circumstances, a spear this long would be impractical as a throwing weapon.
But this wasn't simply a projectile.
Sama Yun didn't throw it toward Kang Yujin.
He hurled it high into the sky.
"You will be judged...!"
At that exact moment, the other bamboo spears began moving by themselves.
They all transformed into identical iron stakes and shot into the sky.
Then, while floating in the air...
They all turned toward Kang Yujin at once.
No matter how powerful you are...!
According to legend, countless heathens had been pierced by stakes and displayed across open fields as warnings.
Originally, the technique was meant to use many spears to impale multiple people.
But now...
Every spear was being used against Kang Yujin alone.
You can't block or evade a rain of iron stakes falling from the sky...!
No matter how strong Kang Yujin was, he would die if his entire body was pierced.
Sama Yun intended to kill him with more than thirty spears at once.
"Once your whole body is full of holes, I'll hang you somewhere high and put you on display...!"
The moment he shouted...
More than thirty spears moved simultaneously.
A terrifying rain of iron stakes descended toward Kang Yujin.
At Kang Yujin's speed, avoiding them was impossible.
But...
"You're such a pain!"
Divine Speed.
A man shot out from behind Kang Yujin and snatched him away.
Dozens of iron stakes slammed into the ground.
"Three or four of those would've gone through me if you were a little slower."
"Then thank me, you bastard!"
Lee Jukheon shouted irritably.
He had used his Awakening Skill, [Shrinking Distance], to rush in and drag Kang Yujin out of the falling rain of iron stakes.
The moment the dozens of spears had positioned themselves overhead, Kang Yujin had already signaled Lee Jukheon.
At the time, Lee Jukheon had nearly broken through the enemy formation and was about to join Kang Yujin.
After receiving Kang Yujin's look, he had waited for the right moment.
"Thanks."
"Huh?"
Lee Jukheon looked awkward when Kang Yujin thanked him immediately.
"Y-Yeah. Fine. At least you know."
He turned his head away.
"You bastards...!"
Sama Yun roared.
The iron stakes embedded in the ground moved again.
They pulled themselves free and once more turned toward Kang Yujin and Lee Jukheon.
"Something doesn't make sense."
"What doesn't?"
Lee Jukheon frowned.
"It's an S-rank Constellation Armament. It should at least be able to do something like that."
"Does a Constellation Armament normally give you supernatural powers like that?"
"What?"
Kang Yujin stared at the floating spears.
"Does simply summoning a Constellation Armament give you the power to freely control dozens of iron stakes?"
"..."
"The only Constellation Armaments I've seen so far are your Azure Steel Sword, Pegasus, and Scylla."
Kang Yujin narrowed his eyes.
"I've never seen someone suddenly gain powers like this just because they summoned one."
"Well..."
Lee Jukheon looked uncomfortable.
"You're right about that too."
He scratched his cheek.
"But maybe because it's an S-rank Constellation, it has some kind of abnormal ability?"
