Myeong gasped as the icy water filled his lungs, the serpent's teeth slicing through him with brutal efficiency. He choked, his vision darkening, but then he was back, floating in the abyss, the creature looming once more. He realised that this must be
the hundredth time, or perhaps the thousandth. The creature charged again, its red eyes burning with an insatiable hunger. Myeong's body tensed, anticipating the pain, the brief flare of agony before oblivion. But this time, something shifted.
The darkness enveloped him, but instead of nothingness, he saw the desert again. Moobon Tae and Myo Kwang-Sun stood in their battle stances, the moon casting eerie shadows across the sands. Myeong wasn't just watching; he was seeing through their eyes, feeling their emotions, their intents.
Tae's grip tightened around his sword, his mind focused on every movement of Kwang-Sun. The aura of power and tension was palpable, and Myeong felt his heart racing. Kwang-Sun's grin widened, his confidence unshaken. As the fight began, Myeong experienced the clash from both perspectives: Tae's precise, calculated strikes, and Kwang-Sun's agile, almost playful dodges. He observed their techniques closely, the way Kwang-Sun held his sword, the force he put behind each swing, Myeong was able to experience it all first-hand.
[Sword Mastery has increased]
Then, the vision shattered, and he was back in the water, the serpent lunging at him. The pain was as excruciating as ever, but there was a sliver of something new—understanding. He died again, and the cycle repeated. Each time he returned to the fight, the details grew sharper. He felt Tae's frustration at Kwang-Sun's evasiveness, the overwhelming pressure Kwang-Sun exuded.
Myeong began to anticipate the serpent's attacks, his body reacting a fraction faster each time. The creature's movements were becoming predictable, its savage lunges less overwhelming. Despite dying repeatedly, he felt a strange sense of progress.
Sometimes, he played the character of Maboon Tae, and sometimes as Kwang-Sun, though the skills were not his own, he realised that he was rapidly improving the efficiency of the skills, whilst he studied, he learnt how to perform them, and it seems the system had acknowledged so as well.
[52 Skills Unlocked]
In one of the cycles, as Kwang-Sun teleported around Tae, Myeong noticed the faintest flicker of blue light preceding each move. It was almost imperceptible, but now he knew where Kwang-Sun would appear. When the scene reset, he focused on Kwang-Sun's eyes, recognising the glint that signalled his teleportation.
Back in the water, Myeong tried to move, to dodge. His body was sluggish, and unresponsive, but he knew he was learning. The serpent's jaws closed around him, and the vision returned. This time, he focused on Tae's techniques, the way he controlled his sword with fluid precision. Each slash was deliberate, every movement a calculated risk.
In the next cycle, Myeong managed to twist away from the serpent's initial lunge. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. The creature's tail whipped around, catching him off guard and ending his brief triumph. The desert scene unfolded again, and Myeong saw it differently. He began to see openings in Kwang-Sun's defence, subtle gaps that Tae could exploit.
As the cycles continued, Myeong's actions became more refined. He mimicked Tae's fluidity, his strategic thinking. He anticipated the serpent's moves with growing accuracy. The creature's massive jaws snapped shut, missing him by inches. For the first time, he felt hope.
Another vision of the desert, and Myeong focused on the moment when Tae activated his Overdrive. The transformation was immense, a surge of power that made Tae's attacks wild but incredibly potent. Myeong felt the raw energy, the abandonment of caution for sheer strength. He understood the risk, the potential for self-destruction.
The serpent attacked again, and Myeong embraced the desperation. He moved with a newfound urgency, his body responding with greater agility. He dodged and weaved, feeling the creature's frustration. It snapped at him, its teeth grazing his side, but he was still alive. The pain was real, grounding him in his fight for survival.
In the desert, Kwang-Sun's sickle cut through the air, and Myeong saw through Tae's eyes the moment of realisation. The teleportation skill was a powerful advantage, but it wasn't foolproof. Tae's counterattacks grew more focused, targeting the moments when Kwang-Sun reappeared. Myeong absorbed every detail, the patterns, the strategies.
Back in the water, Myeong faced the serpent with a new determination. He sidestepped its lunge, swinging an imaginary sword in a perfect arc. The creature recoiled, surprised. Myeong felt a surge of triumph, but the battle was far from over. The serpent's tail slammed into him, sending him sprawling. As darkness claimed him again, he knew he was close.
The cycles continued, each one a brutal lesson. Myeong honed his skills, merging Tae's precision with Kwang-Sun's unpredictability. He dodged, countered, and struck with increasing confidence. The serpent was relentless, but Myeong's resolve hardened with each death.
Finally, as the serpent lunged once more, Myeong moved with a grace and speed that mirrored the warriors he had observed. He twisted around the creature's massive head, avoiding its deadly jaws. The serpent's tail whipped towards him, but he anticipated the move, ducking under it with a fluid motion. For the first time, he was not just surviving; he was fighting back.
The desert vision came again, but this time it felt different. Myeong wasn't just an observer. He was part of the battle, feeling the rush of power, the thrill of combat. He saw through Tae's eyes the determination to overcome, and through Kwang-Sun's, the cunning to exploit every weakness. He was both predator and prey, a fusion of the two warriors.
Myeong felt a surge of triumph. The cycle was not just about dying; it was about learning, evolving. Each death brought him closer to victory. He knew he was far from finished, but for the first time, he believed he could win.
The last desert vision appeared. He was Kwang-Sun.
The weight of the sickle in his hand felt familiar, a part of him. He felt the confidence, the air of superiority that Kwang-Sun exuded. Across from him, Moobon Tae stood, his body emanating a fierce, black aura. The tension was palpable, but Myeong as Kwang-Sun felt no fear, only certainty.
"Your title of Sword Emperor will be forgotten after this day," Kwang-Sun's voice echoed, the words flowing effortlessly from Myeong's lips. "Followed closely by your entire nation!"
Tae's face twisted in defiance, but Myeong felt a surge of power as he raised his finger to his temple. With a sense of inevitability, he pressed gently. Tae's eyes widened in shock, his body shimmering as he began to fade. The moment was both surreal and exhilarating.
Myeong felt the transition from disbelief to acceptance in Tae's eyes. The Sword Emperor's figure disintegrated, dissolving into the desert wind. The sensation of power coursing through Myeong was intoxicating. Then, as quickly as it began, the vision ended.
He was back in the cold, dark waters, the serpent looming before him. A system message appeared in the system.
[Skill Acquired: (???)]
Without hesitation, Myeong embraced the newfound power. The serpent lunged, its jaws wide and menacing. Myeong's hand moved with a confidence he hadn't known before. He reached out, fingers tingling with energy, and touched the serpent's scaly skin.
"This ends now," Myeong muttered, echoing Kwang-Sun's chilling composure.
The serpent roared, a guttural, ear-splitting sound of fury and pain. Myeong felt the creature's immense power resisting, but the skill's energy surged through him, unstoppable. The serpent's form shimmered, the leathery skin losing its solidity.
Myeong watched, almost in awe, as the creature began to dissolve, its massive body breaking down into fragments of shadow and light. The red glow in its eyes flickered, then dimmed. The once fearsome beast crumbled away, its essence scattering into the depths of the water.
[System evolution initiated]
[System has now evolved to Valor Ascension System]