Damned Transmigration - Chapter 27

WeTried Translations

Translator: Joy

Editor: Joy

◈ Damned Transmigration ◈

Chapter 27: Lessons to be learnt

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From the moment Chuk-sin-doo wrapped the Madorido in Ganggi, Yuri no longer needed to suppress his laughter. He understood that such a ridiculous, simple-looking attack required a depth of internal energy that even most experts would not dare attempt.

‘Good grief.’

Yuri’s eyes were still too dull to understand the current duel. Bakerd seemed to kick off the ground, only to be sent flying backward an instant later, arms raised to receive the Madorido as he crashed into the ground.

“Hoo!”

Chuk-sin-doo did not perform a celebration, but he used the cry as a kiai.

The allotted time for the duel was five minutes. Not even ten seconds had passed, yet Bakerd, embedded in the ground, could not rise.

The Madorido floated back to Chuk-sin-doo. Rather than approach Bakerd, he leisurely balanced it on the top of his foot.

“Will you stop?”

Bakerd reacted to the question. Suppressing a groan, he forced himself upright.

He had deployed protective Ganggi at the moment of impact. Thanks to that, neither arm had broken, but he had failed to disperse all the force. Several ribs had fractured.

“I’m... fine.”

Bakerd steadied his breathing. He used taut muscles to hold his broken ribs in place so they would not pierce his internal organs. Those were his only injuries. He had suffered no internal damage.

He settled back into his stance and glared at Chuk-sin-doo.

Thoom!

The Madorido bounced off Chuk-sin-doo’s foot again. This time, it was not fired in a straight line. The Ganggi wrapped around the Madorido spun violently instead.

Bakerd did not charge as he had before. He spread his feet wide, bent his knees into a horse stance, and extended both fists forward.

‘The Diamond-Shattering Fist.’

Yuri had seen it once during the month Bakerd taught him. It was the fist art that had earned Bakerd the title Fist Wolf and made him a sixth-tier martial artist. The Diamond-Shattering Fist was a style of weight and force, one that required extensive training in external arts.

“Diamond Body?”

Chuk-sin-doo’s lips twisted. He knew the Diamond Body was an illusion, but that did not mean he looked down on external arts that pursued it. His eyes could see how sturdy a defense Bakerd had built.

‘Can he break it head-on?’

Yuri swallowed and clenched his fists.

He had heard countless times that the difference between the sixth and seventh tiers was enormous, but he had never properly witnessed it. This was an immense opportunity, one Yuri could even call fortunate.

A chance to see how strong a transmigrator with special privileges could become. A chance to see how great the difference between the seventh and sixth tiers truly was.

Yuri focused and strained his eyes. He was not confident he could see every detail, but he wanted to see as much as possible.

Craaaash!

Chuk-sin-doo kicked the Madorido. Enhanced by the spinning, tornado-like Ganggi, it tore through the air as though a tornado itself had been fired at Bakerd.

This time, Bakerd reacted in time. He drew out his internal energy without restraint, building a firm shell of protective Ganggi. The nature of the Ganggi around both fists changed as well, becoming hard enough that it would neither break nor scatter.

Creak, crack...!

The force drawn from Bakerd’s twisted body turned his shoulders into gun barrels. His fists became cannonballs and fired.

Crunch!

Bakerd’s fists collided head-on with the Madorido.

He gritted his teeth at the power transferred through his fists. It felt as though his fists would be crushed and his body would burst apart. It felt as though his legs would fail to hold and leave the ground.

But he endured.

Bakerd roared and pushed both fists farther forward.

Thoom!

The Madorido bounced slightly upward. The Ganggi covering its surface was still whirling.

Bakerd’s fists throbbed. Even with Ganggi protecting them, they had been injured.

He had struck with the intention of shattering it, yet had only managed to push it away slightly. Still, he felt no disappointment. Receiving it head-on alone was an accomplishment.

‘Moonlit Reveller...’

He was gone.

Bakerd’s eyes widened. Where had he gone? A sharp warning stabbed through him, and Bakerd snapped his head up.

Chuk-sin-doo was in the nearby sky. He had not missed the Madorido, which Bakerd’s fists had sent upward.

Thoom!

Chuk-sin-doo’s forehead struck the Madorido.

‘A header?’

Yuri’s eyes widened at the sight.

A header from there? He had thought it would lack power, but that was a terrible miscalculation.

Craaaack!

The Madorido struck by Chuk-sin-doo’s forehead plunged toward Bakerd like a meteor.

“Kuhk!”

Unable to defend properly, Bakerd’s body twisted. The Madorido crushed his left arm before bouncing upward again.

Bakerd hurriedly dragged his feet back into position.

Chuk-sin-doo was still in the air. He received the Madorido against his chest, twisted at the waist, and swung his leg wide.

Boom!

The Madorido became a cannonball once more.

‘Too fast...!’

Watching from afar, Yuri could only stare in shock.

Simply kicking an iron sphere from a distance would be difficult enough to handle, given its terrifying power and speed. Yet Chuk-sin-doo did not insist on ranged attacks alone. Even now, he occupied the air close to Bakerd and kicked the Madorido at him.

‘The attacks never stop. They keep linking together.’

He trapped the Madorido after it struck and rebounded in various ways, then immediately fired it again. He used his feet and head while refusing to use either hand, a mad obsession.

The problem was that the chain of attacks flowed with water-like freedom.

To Yuri’s eyes, Chuk-sin-doo seemed to blink through the air and teleport. Every time he did, the Madorido shot like a cannonball and slammed into Bakerd.

Bakerd could not even respond properly to the continuous barrage. All he could do was focus his protective Ganggi on defense and shield his head with both arms.

One-sided violence.

Even to Yuri, whose martial ability was not high, this looked less like a duel and more like a beating. The sight stirred complicated emotions in him.

First, he felt respect for the martial ability Chuk-sin-doo had reached after transmigrating several years earlier. Yuri did not know when that bastard had started embracing such a ridiculous concept, but the journey to that level of power could never have been easy. The fact that Chuk-sin-doo could proudly push that absurd concept was proof that his strength was real.

Then Yuri felt sympathy for Bakerd.

After the Raspion tragedy, Bakerd had put down the spear and become a martial fighter. He had spent twenty years reaching the sixth tier, yet all that martial ability seemed meaningless before Chuk-sin-doo’s fierce onslaught.

‘Is the difference between the sixth and seventh tiers really this great?’

Bakerd knew defeat was inevitable. But had he expected to be so thoroughly overwhelmed? Chuk-sin-doo had said that challenging an overwhelmingly powerful opponent mostly brought an understanding of one’s own weakness and despair.

Was Bakerd feeling that now?

Yuri clenched his fists and watched Bakerd. Under the continual impacts, Bakerd’s protective Ganggi shook and wore away. Unable to stop every attack completely, his clothes had been reduced to rags, and blood ran from between his clenched lips.

“Moonlit Reveller!”

The crowd watching the duel chanted Chuk-sin-doo’s title. It was one-sided violence, but Chuk-sin-doo’s flashy footwork and martial arts drew an explosive response.

At the unified chant, Yuri bit down on his lower lip.

Bakerd’s eyes were visible between the arms shielding his head. Surprisingly, they were not soaked in weakness or despair.

It was not because Bakerd’s eyes stirred anything in Yuri. It was not because he had grown attached during a month of training. It was not because Yuri disliked Chuk-sin-doo.

It was simply how Yuri, how Lee Su-hyeok, had always been. There was something twisted in him. He did not like everyone around him enthusiastically shouting Moonlit Reveller’s title. Rather than the Moonlit Reveller, who was beating someone one-sidedly, Yuri found himself identifying with the Fist Wolf taking the blows.

Of course, he could have quietly buried those feelings in his chest. He had learned the basic socialization needed to function in the real world long ago.

Even so, he opened his mouth because he had ultimately been spurred on by the very reasons he had just denied.

“Fist Wolf.”

He did not shout loudly. That would have been too awkward and embarrassing. But he did not mutter it in a tiny, crawling voice either. There was nothing wrong or shameful about this.

Yuri compromised somewhere in the middle and spoke the Fist Wolf’s title.

It was not a quiet voice. Haryeong and Elena, beside him, looked at Yuri in surprise.

For a moment, a clear expression crossed Haryeong’s face. She looked genuinely taken aback, then let out a small laugh. Elena, for some reason, looked moved.

‘Why are they both staring at me?’

He had not done it to attract attention, yet receiving it made him feel awkward. Yuri cleared his throat and focused on the duel again.

He did not know whether the call had reached Bakerd. If Yuri had wanted Bakerd to hear, he would have shouted. It was not as though he had said it specifically for Bakerd to hear.

Chuk-sin-doo trapped the rebounding Madorido with his left foot and fired it.

That was when Bakerd’s response changed.

After enduring with defense alone for several minutes, both of Bakerd’s arms moved.

‘Ah.’

The intent from his clenched fists differed from the Diamond-Shattering Fist he had used first. The movements of both arms were familiar to Yuri, making them easier for him to see.

‘The Fist of the Rending Cloud.’

It was the fist art they sparred with several times every day. Unlike then, the Fist of the Rending Cloud Bakerd used now clearly carried internal energy. He was not merely displaying the form either.

The first form of the Fist of the Rending Cloud, Floating Clouds, Wandering Waves, unfolded in its complete form.

Whoooosh!

The Ganggi following Bakerd’s fist swelled and scattered like clouds. The Madorido rushing in for a direct strike met Bakerd’s left fist.

The ultimate softness.

The Madorido was enveloped by clouds.

“Huh?”

Chuk-sin-doo reacted for the first time. The Madorido’s trajectory warped, and it bounced in a completely different direction.

Of course, that posed no issue for Chuk-sin-doo. This space was his field. Wherever the Madorido went, he could immediately receive it and attack.

But Bakerd’s fist had altered the Madorido’s path.

That drew Chuk-sin-doo’s admiration. Even if he was holding back, Bakerd had diverted his attack.

‘I thought he only excelled at straightforward fist arts that relied on power alone.’

Chuk-sin-doo smiled and kicked off the air. The Madorido, which had been soaring high, was stopped by the sole of his foot.

The Madorido plunged down.

Bakerd, breathing raggedly, immediately tracked it with his eyes. Then both feet began to execute the footwork that complemented the Fist of the Rending Cloud, Whirlwind Cloud Steps.

‘What is that?’

Yuri did not properly know that footwork. But he could tell it fit the Fist of the Rending Cloud perfectly.

Bakerd moved with agility that did not suit his huge body, dodged the Madorido, then leaped into the air and charged at Chuk-sin-doo.

“Hahaha!”

Chuk-sin-doo burst into laughter.

The Madorido had not returned yet, but that was no obstacle for him.

His signature art, Full Moon Killing Kick, was a Ganggi art.

Whoooosh!

A sphere of Ganggi appeared at Chuk-sin-doo’s foot.

“To think I’m actually using Full Moon Killing Kick!”

Though he shouted that, Chuk-sin-doo did not feel the slightest displeasure. Rather, he enjoyed the current situation.

Laughing heartily, Chuk-sin-doo kicked the sphere of Ganggi.

Screeeech!

The kicked sphere did not fire immediately. It shook violently, then split into dozens of spheres that filled the space before Bakerd.

Yuri’s mind was already in the middle of the duel. He considered which move of the Fist of the Rending Cloud he should use against the dozens of Ganggi spheres created by Full Moon Killing Kick.

‘Wind and Cloud Dance.’

The second form of the Fist of the Rending Cloud. The fist art that created the greatest variety of changes.

Bakerd chose Wind and Cloud Dance as well.

Wind and Cloud Dance, used alongside Whirlwind Cloud Steps, looked like a storm. Scattering, gathering clouds danced as they received the Ganggi spheres.

“Hahaha!”

Chuk-sin-doo continued laughing.

The Madorido had already returned to his foot.

Boom!

A direct attack pierced through all the transformations and Ganggi before slamming into Bakerd.

“Kuhk!”

Blood sprayed from Bakerd’s mouth.

He was given no time to recover. Chuk-sin-doo’s pressure continued, but Bakerd did not focus solely on defense. Actively using Whirlwind Cloud Steps, he deflected attacks with the Fist of the Rending Cloud and occasionally unleashed powerful strikes from the Diamond-Shattering Fist.

“Amazing.”

Haryeong, who had watched the duel without blinking, voiced her admiration.

“It seems Moonlit Reveller is holding back quite a bit, but Fist Wolf’s response is excellent. It is not perfect, but he is receiving Moonlit Reveller’s attacks and not missing his chances to counterattack. I thought Fist Wolf only excelled in fist arts that killed in a single strike, but... it seems that is not the case.”

Haryeong waited for Yuri’s answer, but none came.

Wondering what was wrong, she glanced over and saw that Yuri’s eyes were bloodshot red. His pupils moved busily from side to side.

‘Don’t tell me he can see it?’

That was impossible.

Unable to believe it, Haryeong stared openly at Yuri’s face. Normally, if she stared at him so obviously, he would look back and throw out some irritating remark. He did not do that now.

He was that immersed in the duel.

‘Even I can only barely see it.’

Haryeong hid her astonishment and returned her gaze to the duel. If Moonlit Reveller had not been holding back, she would not even dare try to watch. As it was, the duel barely remained within the range Haryeong could perceive.

But it was a range Yuri absolutely should not have been able to see.

‘Was his talent really this great?’

She had acknowledged that Yuri had a fair amount of talent. Bakerd’s diligent teaching for an entire month proved Yuri’s talent was genuine. Yet that talent seemed far greater than Haryeong had thought.

‘He can move like that too?’

Haryeong’s voice did not reach Yuri.

Every one of Yuri’s senses was focused on Bakerd and Chuk-sin-doo.

For Yuri, Bakerd’s blend of the Fist of the Rending Cloud, Whirlwind Cloud Steps, and Diamond-Shattering Fist was like an advanced textbook for a martial fighter. It was impossible to understand everything immediately, but Yuri observed each movement and stuffed it into his mind.

Bakerd was not the only textbook.

Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo.

Yuri naturally focused on that bastard’s movements as well.

Forming Ganggi was beyond Yuri’s reach right now. But given time, he could do it. Chuk-sin-doo’s Full Moon Killing Kick became a textbook showing Yuri how to form and transform Ganggi in the future he would certainly reach.

‘It is not only his Ganggi art that is incredible.’

Chuk-sin-doo moved freely through space. Yuri felt that movement might be incorporated into the freedom pursued by the Fist of the Rending Cloud.

What Yuri especially noticed was Chuk-sin-doo’s feet.

Sacred Flame Release and the Fist of the Rending Cloud. For now, those fist arts were enough. He had the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil, a divine supreme internal art. He had also obtained the Art of the Violet Lightning Flash, which would be useful once he could alter the nature of his internal energy.

But he did not know how to use his legs.

He had thought that he would someday obtain and learn a movement art or footwork, or create one himself. But legs were not only for walking and running. Watching Chuk-sin-doo’s movements made Yuri keenly realize that obvious fact anew.

Legs could be used for kicking too.

Yuri had only learned fist arts so far, but that did not mean he had to stubbornly insist on punching alone. Look at Chuk-sin-doo. He only used his kicks to strike the Madorido and Ganggi spheres, yet Chuk-sin-doo’s kicks themselves were excellent combat arts.

“One minute remains.”

Namgung Juwon, who had been watching the duel intently with hands behind their back, spoke.

Chuk-sin-doo had allotted five minutes for the duel. If Bakerd remained standing after that time passed, Bakerd would win.

“Haha!”

Though only one minute remained, Chuk-sin-doo was still at ease.

Bakerd had spent about two minutes firmly defending against the barrage, then spent the following two minutes actively attacking. Looking at it now, Bakerd seemed to have endured at first to assess Chuk-sin-doo’s methods to some extent.

“One minute is enough.”

Chuk-sin-doo spoke with a laugh.

If he had truly focused only on defeating Bakerd, if he had not held back, he could have brought Bakerd down with the first strike.

The reason he had not done so...

Was it because he felt a trace of sympathy for Bakerd, the illegitimate child of the Raspion Family whose life had been ruined by a transmigrator? Or because Bakerd had the spirit to challenge a higher-tier opponent he could never defeat?

Chuk-sin-doo had said Bakerd would gain nothing but weakness and despair. Yet perhaps, as someone who had climbed higher, he wanted to teach a martial artist who had chosen the harsh path of a martial fighter and now stood blocked by the wall of the seventh tier.

Whatever the reason, Chuk-sin-doo never considered his own defeat.

The Madorido returned to him. Chuk-sin-doo balanced it on the top of his right foot and spread both arms wide.

Whoooosh!

As though everything he had done until now had not been serious, the space around Chuk-sin-doo rippled. An amount of energy no one could believe came from a single human interfered with both space and mana.

Countless spheres of Ganggi appeared around Chuk-sin-doo.

“You will not die.”

Chuk-sin-doo smiled.

“Fist Wolf Bakerd. I will retract part of what I said in disrespect earlier. You did not despair at your weakness. I hope you will not despair even at this attack.”

“Huff... huff...”

Covered in blood, Bakerd breathed heavily. His fists would not properly obey him, but he barely managed to raise them.

“If you do not despair at this attack, if you resist while watching it to the end, you may gain something. Then you will be able to fall gladly.”

Bakerd bared blood-red teeth in a smile.

“Thank you. But I will not fall.”

“Hahaha!”

Chuk-sin-doo laughed heartily and slowly drew his leg back.

Wooooong!

The Madorido clung to his foot and moved together with Chuk-sin-doo’s leg. Countless spheres of Ganggi surged, while astonishing power gathered in Chuk-sin-doo’s leg and the Madorido.

“Secret technique of Full Moon Killing Kick.”

Yuri watched it all with bloodshot eyes.

That impossible Ganggi art. It was not even Chuk-sin-doo’s full power, yet the martial art about to unfold held strength that could only be called world-shaking.

‘I have to see it.’

Even if he could not understand it, he had to watch until the end.

“Heavenly Downpour.”

Craaaash!

Chuk-sin-doo’s foot struck the Madorido.

Countless Ganggi spheres became a meteor shower and rushed toward Bakerd.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Explosions that seemed capable of overturning the world reverberated through the space, and the crowd screamed.

“Pfft.”

At that moment, Yuri finally could not hold it in and involuntarily exhaled.

Orca and Lacey, who stood some distance away, looked toward Yuri.

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