Episode 177 Takashi Akiyama (2)
* * *
– Let’s take a look at your skills.
“Is that so?”
– I’m not so lonely that I would accept anyone as a friend!
From Takashi’s strong voice, Kanghu paradoxically felt his loneliness.
It was a reaction I couldn’t just ignore because I knew the image of Takashi portrayed in the original work.
Takashi’s emotional response to and attraction to people needs to be seen with a twist.
That’s Takashi’s charm, but it’s also his weakness. It makes it difficult for people to approach you.
Swish!
Takashi’s clone threw the wooden practice dagger that was on the floor. And he also picked up a long sword made of wood.
Takashi was amazed at Kang-hu, who was bold but didn’t feel intimidated and said what he had to say in front of him.
According to what I searched for, it seemed like he had quite a bit of ability. At least it doesn’t suit my current level.
If you’re a guy who only talks about bragging, cut him off. Because we are not in a special relationship.
So there was no pressure.
When Kang-hoo passes the verification, it’s just a matter of becoming friends, or we’ll never see each other again.
Kanghu also thought that a good opportunity had come.
I never thought I could pass Takashi’s test with just a few words.
‘Now is the best time.’
I was sure.
As more time passes, the thirteen stars begin to get closer to Takashi again.
This is because we will be tackling a number of difficult dungeons in the next few months.
At that time, Takashi plays a decisive role in the strategy. The ‘pattern theory of all things’ that we chattered about like a parrot is working.
From then on, the Thirteen Stars often search for Takashi as needed. More skinship.
So, at that time, there was a high possibility that Takashi would not change his mind no matter how much Ganghu tried.
– There is no need to worry because the counting will be done on the large monitors at the front and rear. I’m ten years old.
As soon as Takashi finished speaking, the number 10 was engraved in red on the large electronic display board.
Soon the countdown began.
The number behind Takashi seemed so large that it was even distracting.
Right then.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Takashi’s clones, which were scattered throughout the training ground, began to rise one by one.
Unlike the detailed alter egos that Takashi drove himself, these were clones that were crudely made to resemble his alter ego.
It had a feeling of necromancy, but that didn’t mean it could be accurately classified as necromancy.
In particular, the relationship between the alter ego and the main body, which Takashi directly dealt with, was like a kind of community of destiny.
If you think about it simply, the alter ego that you deal with directly is the main body, and the rest are the alter egos of word concepts.
‘I didn’t mean to, but I have a useful card in my hand. I was wondering when I would have something to write about.’
As soon as Kang-hu started, he was fiddling with a tile in his head to use offensively.
I thought about various strategies, but it seemed like there was no better way than this.
The number has already become 1.
Cheoeok. Sigh.
Takashi (my alter ego) and Kanghu each took attack stances.
The two were looking at the time on the electronic display board out of the corner of their eyes, with their eyes fixed on each other.
And the moment it becomes 0.
Faaah! Papat!
They rushed at each other.
It was an active start, abandoning any strategic retreat for exploration or observation.
at that time.
【Third, use ‘soul wave’ to break the link between mentally connected enemies or summoned entities.
It consumes 250 mana and causes mental strain, but it can completely reset the enemy’s condition.】
Ganghu took out the target first. It was a soul wave.
This was the third constellation perk obtained from the wilderness strategist, and this was the first use.
“…Ugh!”
The pain came with time.
I felt a headache so severe that I could easily ignore the pain-relieving effect of the item.
At this level, I don’t even want to imagine how terrible the pain would have been if there had been no pain relief.
I was sure that in all likelihood, he would have immediately spun around and collapsed. That’s how strong the headache was.
Psssssut.
At the same time, Takashi’s ‘insignificant’ clones fell face down on the ground, helpless, like rice straw caught in the wind.
Takashi’s first clone was also caught in the soul wave.
This guy was also mentally connected to Takashi, so he could not be free from his influence.
– …and!
An exclamation full of embarrassment erupted from beyond the microphone.
Takashi was not taken aback by the attack that severed his mental link.
This is because anyone can see that he has characteristics that would make such an attack a weak point.
So, as soon as the link with the first alter ego was lost, I connected immediately and the gap was very short.
Kang-hoo, who was trying to cling closely, stopped immediately when he saw Takashi’s immediate reaction.
However, what surprised Takashi was the fact that Ganghu, known as an assassin, used this skill.
Breaking a mental link is, of course, a mental skill. It is usually used by hunters who specialize in magic.
It was not the nature of a skill that would come from an assassin. This is because there is no intersection at all.
– Quite a bit…
Takashi was about to continue his comment while expressing his own admiration for Kanghu’s attempt.
Ganghu used Soul Wave once more. This time, I didn’t forget to connect Jeon Gwang Bido at the same time.
Getting close is risky, but checking from afar is one-sided.
And through the previous exploration, I also learned that soul waves create a very brief but clear blackout.
“Ugh!”
Kanghu groaned.
I can somehow use it twice, but I can’t use it three times.
Mana was the second problem and the intensity of the pain was on a different level.
It almost felt like he would experience blackout from the pain while using the skill.
Although it was only for a moment, I experienced a dizzying and blurred vision. It’s not a good sign.
While Takashi was caught in the second soul wave and staggered, the dagger that flew at him with lightning struck him.
I managed to block it by twisting the sword diagonally, but it was really just a block.
So, he couldn’t stop himself from getting caught up in the ‘push’ sent by Kang-hu to Jeon Gwang-vido.
– 100 million!
Takashi’s body flew straight in a parabola. It was a destructive force created by a push that I was completely unprepared for.
Without further ado, Kanghu used leaps and accelerations in succession and caught up with Takashi.
The same opportunity never comes twice to such a talented person. One visit is a lot.
So I thought this was my last chance, and things looked pretty good.
at that time.
Schiiing!
Takashi, who was holding the long sword tightly even as his body was flying, slashed the long sword across the ground.
It was as if the movement was intentionally trying to create a spark.
Tsutsu!
Soon, something of dark red light mixed with the created flames fiercely attacked Ganghu.
‘shit.’
After all, levels and skills are not built up in vain.
Even after receiving a proper blow, Takashi was immediately in the counterattack phase.
It was a surprisingly similar tendency to his own, thinking of all possibilities before going into battle.
In an instant, I was caught up in the light.
From the beginning, I couldn’t avoid it because my body was completely focused on chasing Takashi.
So I turned it over.
At that moment, Ganghu felt that it was a skill that caused blindness. Because I couldn’t see ahead.
[Resonance’s vision]
The response was made immediately.
A resonance vision skill that automatically consumes 0.5 mana per second only when blinded.
I was wondering when I would have something to use like the soul wave I wrote about earlier, but thanks to Takashi, I got a start.
‘It looks good.’
It is unfortunate that while blindness persists, one sees the world in black and white.
The value of the skill was very great in that it was completely unaffected by blindness.
Once again, I feel grateful to Gloria for contributing to the skill robbery.
Ganghu appeared to be staggering, making hand gestures as if he were suffering from blindness. It was a deception.
Faaah!
Then, as if Takashi thought it was the right moment, he fired the sword energy he created with his long sword at Ganghu.
Because it was based on a wooden sword for practice, it was not sharp, but it was enough to strike bluntly.
However, it was a meaningless attack for Ganghu, who could see the path clearly thanks to Gongmyeong’s vision.
Ta-tat.
Ganghu avoided the path of the sword with light and cheerful movements.
Takashi couldn’t believe his eyes.
This is because Ganghu’s blindness condition has not yet been resolved. The debuff was maintained.
However, Ganghu easily dodged the attack as if he could clearly see the path.
It was a neat avoidance that moved only as much as was necessary to be considered a prediction.
– haha.
Takashi smiled with a hint of helplessness. I was surprised by Kanghu twice in a short period of time.
First, I was surprised that there was a skill that forcibly severed the link with the alter ego.
Second, I was surprised to learn that there is a solution that can easily overcome blindness.
Assassins focus on extreme attacks, so they are inevitably weak against debuffs or interruptions.
Such an assassin’s characteristic and a kind of ‘chronic disease’ did not apply to Kang-hu.
and.
-Are you getting a little upset?
The reaction Kanghu wanted came from Takashi. It seems like the medicine is going up.
– wait for a sec. Just take one bite at the beginning of the year and go again.
Then came the second reaction that I expected.
Although the expression “tobacco” is used, it is not the type of cigarette we generally think of.
It was a type of special move Takashi used when he needed to concentrate his mind to burn something unidentified.
In the original work, there is only a rumor that it is related to drugs, but nothing has been proven.
In any case, putting it in his mouth meant that he was more sincere than ever about the current situation.
And then the full-scale battle began.
The practice weapons they are holding are not threatening, but their attitude towards each other is more threatening than ever.
It was a very fierce battle.
* * *
As the battle continued, Ganghu increasingly realized that Takashi was a difficult opponent.
It was frustrating that the constellation scan did not work at all because the target I was dealing with was an alter ego, not the main body.
So, it was difficult to see at once the area in which he specialized or his purpose.
The original work did not explain the constellation setting in detail, so there were not enough elements to guess.
Of course, since the level difference between each other was significant in the first place, it was enough to give full marks just for holding on well without collapsing.
The biggest reason why engagement is becoming more and more difficult.
‘The pattern is being analyzed.’
He said he felt that Takashi was increasingly ‘learning’ and ‘researching’ his own movements.
Kanghu wasn’t the only player who played strategically by reading his opponent’s patterns. I knew Takashi could do it too.
Rather, he was more persistent.
In order to add variables to the battle, Kanghu actively used Shadow Walk in conjunction with the Illusion Art of Illusion.
However, no matter where it was read, its true location was revealed. The trick didn’t work at all.
‘Is it a habit?’
I asked myself, but Kang-hu didn’t notice anything.
If you can’t recognize it yourself, it’s a really subtle habit. A habit that is almost invisible on the outside.
That’s what Takashi saw.
at that time.
– Haaa!
With Takashi’s sharp strike, the wooden sword he raised with all his might cut into the front of Ganghu’s face as he approached from behind.
A fleeting moment.
Saaagh…!
Ganghu’s front hair, caught in the maximum amount of sword energy created by the wooden sword, was cut off.
If it had been a real fight and if the body had leaned forward a little more, it would have been a blow that would have wiped out the front of the face.
“Damn it.”
Kang-hoo, who worked hard today, wrinkled his brow once again.
As expected, Takashi was not an average player.