Seol-Hwi felt something come over him, like a hallucination, and then he felt himself getting sucked out of his body.
And soon, he was able to witness the AI standing in his place.
“Oh? Have you finally made it to the main story?”
The AI, who would usually curse at him right away, was speaking politely to him instead. Then it looked around slowly, and said,
“No doubt, it’s the Demon Heart Phantom Illusion Array surrounding the building. Did you summon me to fight this old man from Mount Hua?”
The AI casually revealed information that it knew, but Seol-Hwi didn’t. It was speaking calmly, but he was well aware of the filthy temper this guy had.
“No matter how many times I see an old Mount Hua bastard using demonic techniques, I can never get used to it. Well, okay. First of all, let’s look at your stats…”
How the heck can he speak so harshly…
“Hm. All the energy related things are mastered. Still, the health and internal energy are poor… combat power is… What? 12 million?! Hey, you asshole! How did you get so much without the help of your health and internal energy?”
It asked him that, but Seol-Hwi didn’t feel like telling the AI. Still, he needed information too, so he tried communicating with it.
“Ah, I understand. Basically, the more ignorant someone is, the more they use their body rather than their mind. If we add luck to it, you’re getting pretty good results.”
The AI started talking to itself. Although its tone was harsh, the AI seemed different from before.
Moreover, it didn’t intentionally put Seol-Hwi down either. This felt like an honest evaluation instead. Like its next words.
“Hey, you idiot. In order for the story to be as good as it can be, you need to develop your health and internal energy. Why didn’t you do it in order? What? You didn’t learn the Supreme Wind God yet?”
The AI continued mumbling to itself.
Seol-Hwi didn’t want to miss a single word of what the AI was saying. This guy obviously knew a lot more than him.
That’s what he was thinking, when Seol-Hwi heard it mention the Supreme Wind God.
Maybe that technique is a step higher than Wind God…
He wasn’t sure, but that seems to be the case. So Seol-Hwi tried asking.
“This is an early boss, why not just give in? Don’t try too hard to live with the little lives you managed to get.”
-You bastard…
“Ugh. A guy who’s stupid enough to only raise his combat power, wants to get angry with me? I can see your future! Didn’t I tell you last time?! Eventually, you’ll be used by the system and thrown away.”
-Hey, pay attention to your surroundings!
“See here! What are you trying to do?!”
Gu Yeom had a stiff expression on his face. After all, anyone who saw the AI talking by itself would not think of the situation as normal.
“Hmph. He doesn’t even know, I can end him in just two continuous moves.”
-Continuous? As in, linked?
“A linked technique.”
-Ahhh! He’s attacking!
The old man didn’t wait any longer. Before Seol-Hwi could even finish his words, Gu Yeom ran ahead.
The AI, who saw this a bit late, leaped into the air.
-Damn it!
Seol-Hwi cursed out loud.
Gu Yeom was approaching faster and faster! What is this guy doing floating in the air?
More importantly, the old man was doing something that was making him run twice as fast.
“Tch. Coward.”
The AI spit this out, and looked in the distance towards Gu Yeom. Seeing the opponent already approaching with his blade, the AI too swung his sword.
But strangely, the sword was swung downward, instead of in the direction of Gu Yeom.
-Ah! This is…!
Kwaaang!
A storm was forming. The waves of air rushed out like a tornado, and shook everything around them, as if it would bring down the entire building.
And Seol-Hwi noticed it.
Gu Yeom’s sword cut down the AI, but that was just an illusion.
Rather, it was the old man who was hurt.
Swish!
His body was lifted up into the air by the wind, and then slammed onto the ceiling.
The AI didn’t miss this chance.
“Haaah!”
Once again, the storm regenerated. This time, it was the Wind God Sword. Lightning was created along with the huge winds.
Papat!
Gu Yeom’s body, which had fallen, was once more thrown to the ceiling. And still, that wasn’t the end.
-A small change…!
Seol-Hwi saw drops of water forming on the tip of the AI’s sword. The AI intended to use the most destructive of the White Light Body techniques.
“Haaahhhh!”
With a cry from the AI, pure white frost spread out to their surroundings. A dense fog made everything invisible; what the crystals touched turned to ice.
And it completely covered the body of Gu Yeom.
“Kuaaak!”
However, the enemy was an elder of Mount Hua. At the moment when Seol-Hwi thought the last blow had been dealt, a light shone, dispelling the effects.
As a result, Gu Yeom’s half frozen body turned back to normal. But, he was looking at the AI with angry eyes.
“You…!”
It was an expression with mixed emotions. Because it felt like he was angrier at himself than at his opponent.
Then the AI opened his mouth and spoke to Seol-Hwi again.
“Look! Even though he was originally someone you could subdue, he survived just like that. He didn’t die at all! Because you don’t have enough skills for it! And he’ll be more annoyed as time passes…”
My internal energy wasn’t enough?
Only then did he understand what the AI was saying.
His health and internal energy were lacking. If that condition had been met in time, maybe his attacks would have been more powerful.
The AI was pointing this out.
Before I summoned the AI, I lost a lot of health and internal energy.
Seol-Hwi wasn’t in the best state when he called upon the AI to fight Gu Yeom. The power of his Thrift Wind Sword wasn’t at full force either.
Although he used the best technique he had, the enemy managed to live.
“Hey, still, don’t be nervous. As if I would lose! I mean, this is just a bit annoying.”
Tsss!
Seeing the heat rise from under the AI’s feet, Seol-Hwi knew what was happening.
It was making up for the internal energy it had lost.
“Kuak! Kuak!”
Fortunately, the old man was still having a tough time, as he was coughing up blood. He started talking to the AI.
“How… How…”
Gu Yeom looked at his bloodied palms, as if it was hard to believe. He spoke, with trembling hands,
“How can you not be wounded despite being cut by the sword?”
Seol-Hwi could understand his feelings. It was because even he thought that it was deceptive. The AI replied,
“You don’t have to know. Come at me quickly. I’m going to stomp all over you.”
Hearing those words, the old man was genuinely angry.
“Hahhhh!”
The old man ran forward to attack again.
And he used more of his light footwork technique, the one that narrowed the distance between them, which was too hard for the naked eye to catch.
What’s more surprising was that the AI avoided it easily.
Ching!
When he collided with the opponent’s sword, he pushed back Gu Yeom with fire energy.
Then the Wind God Sword was used.
Kwaang!
Seol-Hwi felt shocked at the admirable utilization of the technique.
It unfolded so naturally that it didn’t seem like a technique but a simple stab. Gu Yeom evaded the attack by swinging his body. And then, what came in was a quick blow.
Kwakwakwang!
And twenty hits.
That guy. He is different from me!
That was what Seol-Hwi thought.
The movements of the AI were conscious.
Moving the sword, moving a few steps, all of it required only minimal usage of the body.
What was shocking was that it didn’t use martial arts as the main attacks. It would only use them a couple of times.
Maybe that is why the techniques, which were basic ones, now looked so powerful.
In summary, it focused on stabs and slashes. They were the most effective sword techniques anyone could learn.
As a result, the AI’s constant attacks made it tough for Gu Yeom to balance and perform a counterattack.
“Haaah!”
Gu Yeom kept thinking that he was getting pushed back. Therefore, he forcibly widened the distance.
“You are quite rude.”
The AI knew that he was aiming to use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, and pushed him back again with the Wind God Sword.
“You…!”
Was it because there was some damage while avoiding? Or was it because Gu Yeom was hit with a strong attack?
One side of the old man’s face was covered in blood.
“Look, Gu Yeom. Give up. You aren’t someone worth remembering, right?”
“…”
The old man went silent.
With his eyes half closed, he looked at the AI.
“You brat. You’re touching on my pride.”
“…?”
“I promise this. Even if I die, I will never leave you alone. Only then will the dead Myung Kang stand up!”
With that, Gu Yeom prodded several points on his body. And as he did that, the old man’s face grew red.
“Oh? You’re using the hidden technique of Mount Hua?”
The AI nodded as if it already knew what was happening. Clicking its tongue, it said.
“But what do we do? I don’t know how to handle it. With your unstable body, can you even use… huh?”
It was then.
The AI, who acted arrogant, suddenly looked surprised.
-What’s happening?
“I forgot.”
-What?
“There is a time limit.”
-What?!
This isn’t funny! What does that mean?!
“Well, it is what it is. I neglected the death of the opponent and focused on bloodshed…”
The AI smiled awkwardly.
“This is bad. If that old man uses that martial arts, I don’t think you can win…”
Seol-Hwi looked at Gu Yeom. He was slowly turning less and less red.
And his eyes were gleaming.
-Hey, you bastard! Then what do I do?!
This is insane! How can you say this after making your opponent turn into a monster?!
“That’s why…”
Seol-Hwi’s vision was slowly turning blurry.
“Sorry.”
A short apology.
And then Seol-Hwi returned to his body.
