Chapter 91. Decisive Battle in Gangnam (4)
The moment the battle began...
Cheon Sangwoon went all out from the start.
With Durandal, he cleanly cut through the iron ball of the flail Kang Yujin swung at him.
It seemed to be an expensive weapon reinforced with magic, but against the legendary holy sword Durandal and Cheon Sangwoon's ability, that meant nothing.
To put Cheon Sangwoon's ability simply...
It was Sword Qi.
He infused his own life energy into his sword and fought using that qi.
He could increase the cutting power of the sword itself, or extend the qi to more than five meters to increase his range.
Unlike Lee Hyeonje's lightning, it couldn't suppress a wide area all at once.
But in close combat against a single target, it displayed overwhelming power.
In terms of specializing in one-on-one close combat...
He could be called a superior version of Kang Yujin.
But...
Cheon Sangwoon wasn't arrogant in the slightest.
Kang Yujin had overturned countless disadvantageous situations until now.
Knowing his explosive potential, Cheon Sangwoon never lowered his guard.
Close combat is dangerous.
Kang Yujin had the Skill that shattered the Flood Dragon in a single blow.
Cheon Sangwoon didn't know its exact mechanism.
But if Kang Yujin used it on him...
Even Cheon Sangwoon wouldn't survive.
I should leave him one flail.
If Kang Yujin lost all his weapons and came at him barehanded...
That would be even more dangerous.
Against an ordinary opponent, Cheon Sangwoon was confident he could overwhelm them even in hand-to-hand combat.
But against Kang Yujin...
One punch could cost him his life.
He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Maintain the proper distance and finish him for certain.
Without the slightest arrogance...
Cheon Sangwoon fought with everything he had.
Kang Yujin could tell that Cheon Sangwoon was fighting seriously without underestimating him at all.
He only disabled one flail.
The flail Kang Yujin had taken from Choi Cheolmin had been cut in two.
But Cheon Sangwoon had deliberately left the flail Kang Yujin had used for a long time untouched.
Kang Yujin immediately understood that this was intentional.
He wants me to keep fighting with the flail.
If Kang Yujin lost his weapon...
He would be forced to fight with his fists.
Cheon Sangwoon was wary of Kang Yujin's Awakening Skill.
I don't want to use my Awakening Skill on Cheon Sangwoon anyway.
Kang Yujin wanted to save his Awakening Skill [Shatter Everything] for an emergency.
If he used it here to defeat Cheon Sangwoon...
He might be left without a finishing move if an even stronger enemy appeared later.
I'll pretend to play along with him and wait for an opening.
He would act as though he had fallen for Cheon Sangwoon's plan.
As though he had become completely absorbed in fighting with the flail and forgotten about close combat.
He would deliberately pretend to be pushed back...
And wait for Cheon Sangwoon to misjudge his true ability and expose an opening.
That was why...
Kang Yujin himself wasn't fighting at full strength either.
Interesting.
Even he found it strange.
When he first became a Contractor...
He had simply charged forward recklessly.
He had thrown punches according to instinct and nothing more.
But now...
Against Cheon Sangwoon, the strongest Contractor in the Capital Region...
Kang Yujin was controlling the pace and using deception tactics.
I've grown a lot too.
Even the way he was avoiding Cheon Sangwoon's attacks showed that.
The ground around them had collapsed and become extremely uneven.
In the past, Kang Yujin would have had to constantly watch his footing.
But now...
He ran across it as naturally as flat ground.
That was because during his fight with Hwang Cheol, Won Pilso's subordinate, he had learned how to move across broken terrain.
That wasn't all.
Through Jegal Geum and Shi Jin...
He had learned the essence of martial arts.
While fighting Somun Gwang...
He had realized how important footwork was.
Watching Lee Hyeonje fight...
He had understood how terrifying an SS-rank Contractor could be.
And when he personally fought Lee Hyeonje...
He became certain that even an SS-rank Contractor could be defeated if he found the right method.
Even this morning...
Watching Choi Cheolmin attack had taught him how to handle a flail more effectively.
Everything he had experienced since arriving in the Capital Region...
Was becoming part of Kang Yujin's strength.
So...
Kang Yujin deliberately stumbled slightly, as though he had misstepped.
Then he swung his flail hard, as though trying to compensate for the mistake.
Cheon Sangwoon didn't miss the tiny opening created by that motion.
I'll become even stronger through this fight.
Cheon Sangwoon thrust sharply.
Kang Yujin made the flail's chain whip through the air, disturbing the trajectory of the thrust.
Then he activated [Circular Step] and moved toward Cheon Sangwoon's side.
He read it.
Kang Yujin couldn't tell whether Cheon Sangwoon had expected it from the beginning or noticed halfway through.
Either way...
Cheon Sangwoon responded.
The usual combination beginning with Circular Step wouldn't work against him.
Kang Yujin already knew that.
Circular Step, Second Rotation.
He pretended to circle around Cheon Sangwoon's side...
Then rotated one more time.
Reach him.
He secured an angled position.
He stomped the ground.
Zhenjiao.
Then came a punch.
And after that...
Hwaseong Sect Shoulder Crash.
BOOM!
With a thunderous impact...
Cheon Sangwoon was smashed into the wall of a ruined building.
Cheon Sangwoon had been born into a wealthy family.
His father was the president of a mid-sized company...
And his mother ran a design firm.
They both shared one belief.
A person should fulfill a role appropriate to their ability.
Those with talent had a duty to voluntarily take on difficult and burdensome tasks.
Meanwhile...
For an incompetent person to insist on taking responsibility for important matters was, in their eyes, sinful.
Naturally...
They firmly believed their only son would grow into an exceptional talent far superior to others.
They expected him to become a great leader.
So they educated him with that goal in mind.
Cheon Sangwoon lived up to their expectations.
Whether academics or sports...
He excelled in everything and naturally became the center of any group.
Student council president.
Club president.
Those positions always belonged to Cheon Sangwoon.
Until the day he inherited his father's company...
Cheon Sangwoon intended to accumulate experience like this and continue developing his abilities.
Then...
Ten years ago...
His life changed completely.
The Fantasy Realm descended.
The world fell into chaos.
His parents' businesses collapsed entirely.
Cheon Sangwoon...
Who had been walking a perfect path as a freshman in the business department of a prestigious university...
Lost everything in an instant.
When the world became dominated by Contractors...
The followers who had once surrounded him began mocking him.
They proudly declared that he had lost everything.
That a new world had arrived where people would be judged solely by ability.
But...
Even in this new world...
Cheon Sangwoon proved himself.
Not one of the people laughing at him could defeat him.
He defeated countless enemies and rivals...
And eventually rose to become one of the strongest Contractors in the Capital Region.
Naturally...
Followers gathered around him once again.
Even in the new world...
Cheon Sangwoon found himself in the role of leader.
When the Eight Guardians system was established...
He was guaranteed control of Gangnam, the most valuable area in Seoul and the heart of the Capital Region.
His position became even more secure.
His parents had taught him that people should fulfill roles suited to their abilities.
So Cheon Sangwoon never questioned why he should rule and protect people as one of the Eight Guardians.
