Chapter-5
Magma And Ice
Cover Art credit: Evan Luans (@suptlr)
Ji-yeong disappeared from right in front of Ha-Jin's eyes and before he could react, he was sent tumbling down the ring with a sharp pain in his stomach.
"What the actual fu-" Ha-Jin's thoughts were interrupted as he was kicked onto the ropes of the ring. He coughed blood but this time, rather than sitting there and taking the beating, Ha-Jin managed to react to the oncoming punch and rolled out of the way, getting up onto his legs and into his stance.
[Martial Art:WTF Taekwondo has been activated]
The system notification appeared in front of Ha-Jin as he dodged a punch.
Judging from Ji-Yeong's position, Ha-Jin predicted a high kick and ducked. However, Ji-Yeong had tricked him and used a Brazilian kick instead. Ha-Jin lost consciousness for a split second as the pain shot through his head.
A crimson liquid dripped from Ha-Jin's head as he finally managed to land a strike on Ji-Yeong, which even if blocked had taken a toll on Ji-Yeong.
"How the hell is he so fucking strong?!" Ha-Jin thought as he tried to dodge another punch from Ji-Yeong.
This time however, his legs would not budge no matter what. As Ha-Jin looked down at his legs, he saw ice covering his legs. "This guy is so strong physically and he can use Mana arts too?! Are you serious right now?!" He thought as he weaved and managed to dodge the punch.
[Main Skill:Body Mana Manipulation has been activated]
Ha-Jin first spread the Mana to his legs, breaking free of the ice, then to his right arm, throwing an overhand punch straight to Ji-Yeong's face, this time sending him tumbling down across the ring.
Switching the spread of his Mana so quickly took a great toll on Ha-Jin, but that didn't matter, if he didn't do anything right now, he would with no doubt be killed by this monster of a teenager.
Ha-Jin spread his mana to his legs and lunged at Ji-Yeong as he was getting up and kicked him in the face.
A sharp pain shot up Ha-Jin's legs as he tripped over seemingly nothing and fell face first onto the floor.
"God damn you, motherfucker" Ji-Yeong walked up to him, speaking for the first time. He kicked Ha-Jin in the stomach as he coughed blood, tumbling across the ring, holding his stomach.
"If this goes on… i'm gonna… die…" Ha-Jin muttered weakly, receiving a kick to the face.
Ha-Jin used all his mana and power to get up and lunged at Ji-Yeong, biting him on the neck.
"Fuck Martial Arts! This is how I really fight!" Ha-Jin yelled, throwing all his body weight onto Ji-Yeong. He fell onto his back and Ha-Jin ripped off some of the flesh on his neck.
Ha-Jin bit down onto his left ear as Ji-Yeong's body flailed around on the floor. "Let go of me, you fucking wild beast!" Ji-Yeong yelled, continuing to pummel Ha-Jin.
Ha-Jin on the other hand, would not give up or let go. He started hitting Ji-Yeong in the stomach using his elbows.
Ji-Yeong managed to push Ha-Jin off of him, however, he had to give up his ear in the process.
Ha-Jin lunged at him again, attempting to hit him with a right hook as his legs were suddenly frozen by ice and when he looked at his arm, magma had engulfed it.
The burning sensation of magma on his arm slowly crept through Ha-Jin's body. "This guy can use two mana arts?! Not one… but two?! What kind of prodigy does it take to even accomplish that?!" Ha-Jin thought to himself, breaking the ice and shaking off the magma that was on his right arm. His arm was burnt and he was in no condition to fight.
Ha-Jin felt weaker than ever, not just because of his injuries, but rather… however much he'd hate to admit it, his opponent's superiority. Ha-Jin felt like he was being drowned in a pool of piranhas, sinking deeper and deeper to his death. That is how it felt to go up against such a prodigy, one that he knew he couldn't beat.
Ha-Jin looked around the ring for things that he could use to his advantage. Just when he had lost hope, he saw it, the thing that could lead him to his victory.
Ha-Jin spread half of his mana to his eyes and the other half to legs. Just as Ji-Yeong started to move to strike Ha-Jin, he saw it, he saw his attack pattern and weaved out of the strike's trajectory, barely dodging it.
Ha-Jin shifted the mana to his legs and sprinted towards Ji-Yeong with one burst and used his skill "Strike" to hit Ji-Yeong with an overhand punch.
The magma had made his arm numb. That was good. Ha-Jin's vision was getting woozy from his fatigue and his low mana and hp levels.
The blue Arena was blood red… no, everything was blood red. Probably because it was blood. There were a lot more wasted movements in his attacks now.
[WTF Taekwondo skill: High Kick has been used]
A high kick caught Ji-Yeong off-guard and he failed to block it, taking the strike straight to his face. The kick drew blood from his head.
Ha-Jin used this chance of vulnerability to unleash a flurry of attacks towards the off-guard Ji-Yeong. Kicks, punches, jabs, anything he could think of, he just desperately needed to defeat the guy. For his life itself.
Ha-Jin suddenly retreated from the flurry of attacks. The surprise was evident on Ji-Yeong's face as he tried to catch the boy.
Just as he caught Ha-Jin by his collar, something lashed across his torso, drawing blood and tearing the fabric of his bloodied T-Shirt.
[Passive Skill:Weapon Mastery has been Activated]
[Mana reserves are low]
[Time before skill deactivation: 5 minutes]
Ha-Jin had torn some rope off of the arena and was using it as a weapon. It was his last chance of winning. Ha-Jin swiftly swirled the rope around Ji-Yeong's arms, pulling them behind his arms.
There was a Crack as Ji-Yeong cursed loudly. Ha-Jin had managed to dislocate Ji-Yeong's arms.
Ha-Jin didn't relax just yet, he continued his brutal assault of lashes and punching. What Ha-Jin didn't expect was the Pop that came from Ji-Yeong's arms and he felt himself fall onto the ground, holding his stomach, grovelling on the ground.
Ji-Yeong had just relocated his joints. Ha-Jin had not taken this into account at all.
"Not good… Not good at fucking all!" Ha-Jin yelled as his grip around the rope loosened. He couldn't keep his grip anymore, he just didn't have enough energy or mana reserves to do anything anymore… it was over.. he was dead for sure this time… no emergency skills, nothing…
Ji-Yeong continued his relentless assault of kicks on Ha-Jin as he grovelled on the ground.
Ha-Jin coughed out blood, the burning sensation from his right arm was coming back… he couldn't take this for much longer.
[User's hp is below 20%]
[Initiating Rest Mode]
Ha-Jin's eyes closed as he fell into slumber.
[User is unconscious]
[Initializing Auto Battle Mode]
[Heart rate has been accelerated temporarily]
[Regeneration has quickened significantly]
Notifications kept popping all around Ha-Jin even though he was unconscious. Ji-Yeong kicked Ha-Jin again, but this time a hand grabbed onto his leg and bit into the flesh, tearing a piece of it off as blood spurted out of the place where the flesh used to be.
Ji-Yeong retreated, his face distorted into an expression of pain.
Right now, the person in front of him didn't seem alive at all… it was like he was already dead. His presence and malice were so strong, they reversed the effects that Ji-Yeong's malice was having on Ha-Jin.
The Ha-Jin right now had pitch black eyes and white pupils, truly a frightening sight. Never should a boy look like this, with so much bloodlust, malice, the itch to massacre.
Ha-Jin swallowed the flesh he had torn off of Ji-Yeong's leg with a big gulp and took his stance. Though he did not utter a singular word, his expression clearly said.
"Come right at me, asshole."