Among the Rakshasas, there exists a title that represents the measure of true strength.
"Evil."
Not every Rakshasa is granted that name. Only ten in total—those who rank within the top ten—are permitted to bear it.
Kalrik was the Third Evil.
Across all Rakshasas, that meant he was ranked third in strength.
Of course, whether he still held that position was uncertain. It had been centuries since he fell alongside the mountain. But no matter how much time had passed, one fact remained undeniable—he had once stood among the five strongest Rakshasas in existence.
Kalrik himself knew that better than anyone.
When he first met the human before him—when his scythe reached the man's shoulder—he had been certain.
This battle would end in an instant.
But—
BOOM!
It didn't take long for him to realize that certainty had been nothing but a delusion.
Slash!
A blade carved through his eye.
Kalrik threw himself backward, regenerating almost instantly. He should have pressed the attack, but he couldn't. The moment distance opened between them, a barrage of weapons poured down. Even when he thought he had evaded cleanly, waves of magma and ice would crash over him from nowhere.
"Fuuu…"
Kalrik retreated and stared at Jin-hyuk.
"Boy… are you truly human?"
"Yes. One hundred percent pure."
Frankly, he couldn't believe it.
Centuries ago, humans had been nothing more than prey. If a Rakshasa wished to eat, they were food. If a Rakshasa wished to play, they were toys.
And yet this human was matching him—matching the Third Evil—blow for blow.
If he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he would never have believed it.
"How can you possess such power—?!"
Before he could finish, swords rained from the sky.
Kalrik kicked off the ground and leapt into the air. Normally, he wouldn't bother dodging. Even if he took every strike, he wouldn't die.
But instinct screamed at him.
Against this human, he could not afford that.
Each soul had to be preserved.
Chains wrapped around his leg and dragged him back to the ground.
Without hesitation, Kalrik severed his own leg to escape, regenerating as he swung both scythes, unleashing blades of wind.
Jin-hyuk was already gone before the wind reached him.
…Was he imagining it?
Kalrik frowned.
Why did the human seem to be getting faster?
To confirm, he propelled himself forward on a current of wind, clashing head-on.
Twin scythes and greatsword collided in a furious exchange. Sparks burst endlessly, blooming like flowers in the darkness.
From afar, it might have looked evenly matched.
But it wasn't.
The first strike had reached Jin-hyuk's shoulder easily enough. That was why Kalrik had believed—truly believed—that he could land a hit anytime he wished.
Yet after that initial blow?
Zero.
Not a single strike had reached him again.
He hadn't even managed to trigger the mysterious barrier he had glimpsed earlier.
The longer the exchange continued, the more question marks filled Kalrik's mind.
Why?
Clang!
Why?!
Crash!
Why can't I touch him?!
He swung both scythes in a wide arc.
Even as the attack shot forward, Jin-hyuk advanced instead of defending.
For a split second, Kalrik wondered if the human had gone mad—
Then an unseen force erupted from the scythes.
A powerful reverse surge stripped them of speed and weight.
In that instant, Jin-hyuk's greatsword pierced through Kalrik's heart and throat.
'Damn it… If you're going to fight at range, stick to it.'
He had assumed that since Jin-hyuk launched swords from afar, close combat would be his weakness.
But when he closed the distance, he realized the opposite—melee might actually be worse.
Perfect balance. Refined swordsmanship. Reflexes and split-second judgment that activated exactly when needed.
What kind of master could produce such a monster?
"I'll regenerate and—"
BOOM!
An explosion tore him apart mid-sentence.
[Explosion Enchant]
Jin-hyuk exhaled softly and lifted his head.
The moment he confirmed Kalrik's regeneration point, he detonated the engraved stacks on the Sword of Inscription, Kamachi.
Before a single body part could fully regenerate—another explosion.
A faint smile curved Jin-hyuk's lips.
After exchanging dozens, hundreds of blows, stacking marks on the same location had become effortless.
In situations like this, Kamachi was more than useful—it was devastating.
A weapon that could detonate at will, for offense or defense.
'Stay sharp.'
He unleashed another torrent of weapons.
Kalrik wasn't as easily pinned down as Kang Woo-jin had been. The Rakshasa could regenerate from any scattered piece of flesh, choosing his rebirth point at will.
You couldn't look away—not even for a second.
A gust of wind howled.
Jin-hyuk swung behind him.
Kalrik staggered back, unable to withstand the force. The easy confidence on his face was gradually replaced by shock.
It made sense.
At the start, Kalrik had surpassed him in both power and speed.
Jin-hyuk had been careful not to lose sight of him, relying on motion detection to avoid another ambush. He had even restrained his use of Explosion Enchant, wary of Kalrik regenerating in an unexpected location.
But now—
He didn't need to.
The steadily accumulating buffs from Ganjiang and Moye had pushed his stats beyond Kalrik's.
'Still… he's got a lot left.'
This was a completely different tier from Kang Woo-jin.
Incredible physical ability. Blinding reaction speed. And an immense number of souls.
How long would it take to burn through all of them?
"I've got a question," Jin-hyuk said casually.
"You drive a blade through me when I speak, yet now you ask questions?"
"Does Third Evil mean you're the third strongest among the Rakshasas?"
"You know well enough."
"Good."
"Good? What's good about it?"
A pure smile appeared on Jin-hyuk's face.
"It means the Rakshasa I'm about to kill is the third strongest."
Kalrik let out a dry laugh.
Then—
His lips curled upward.
It had been a long time.
A true battle—not a one-sided slaughter.
And even longer since he had wanted to win—not just to kill, but to win.
Kalrik stabbed both scythes into his own body.
Jin-hyuk immediately dropped his sword.
Enemy transformations and awakenings were never allowed to complete.
Kalrik endured the pouring attacks as he chanted a spell.
Souls were consumed at a terrifying rate, but he didn't care. If he won, he could replenish them later.
ROOOAR!
A violent wind erupted from his body as the secret technique neared completion.
A forbidden art that explosively enhanced physical ability at the cost of massive soul consumption.
Normally, he would have stopped here.
But—
'I will win.'
Kalrik continued.
Souls vanished in chunks, but he pressed on.
It had to end here.
Otherwise…
He might have to face something he had long forgotten.
Defeat.
The earth trembled under the gathering force at his feet.
He would launch forward in an instant and sever that human's head.
The spell completed.
Kalrik raised both scythes—
"…?"
A question mark formed in his mind.
When had it changed?
The chains wrapped around Jin-hyuk's arms were different. Dark blue, almost black—and radiating a vicious chill that hadn't existed before.
[Class Collector's exclusive skill "Borrow Technique Lv.1" activated!]
[Borrowing one unique skill, trait, or relic!]
[Borrowed Undying Dark Castro's relic "Millennial Cold Iron – Froststorm"!]
Jin-hyuk looked at the rapidly approaching Kalrik and spoke softly.
"In the biting chill of Frostheim… let ten thousand blossoms of ice bloom."
[Ten Thousand Hymns of Frost]
The coiled Millennial Cold Iron burst outward.
Crack—crack—crack—!
Centered on Jin-hyuk, an overwhelming number of ice flowers bloomed.
Kalrik's eyes widened.
It was like a tidal wave swallowing the entire battlefield.
There was no counter.
Before a disaster of this scale, a lesser being could only accept it.
"You monstrous bastard…"
His lips curved faintly.
He had no choice but to admit it.
This was complete defeat.
The ice flowers devoured him.
Already drained by the forbidden art, his souls were consumed in an instant.
Before long, even the last remaining soul flickered out.
Not far away—
"Heh."
Dark let out a chuckle.
He was half amused, half incredulous.
Jin-hyuk had just used a relic awakening technique Dark himself hadn't even mastered yet.
And he'd drained all the ice Dark had painstakingly accumulated in battle.
"Well… he is my master."
Dark shrugged, tilting his head.
"Oi, knight. Stop stealing glances and focus on your own fight. Our monstrous master doesn't seem to need your help."
"Silence, madman. You're the one hovering around him. Worry about your own battle."
They were close enough to talk for a simple reason.
Just in case.
All of them had kept Jin-hyuk within sight, ready to manifest beside him at any moment.
Dark snickered, watching Jin-hyuk.
Not even three minutes had passed since the battle ended.
Yet his breathing was already steady.
That meant he had fought with room to spare.
'I can't even measure him anymore.'
The opponent had been far from weak. That was why everyone had watched in tense silence.
And yet Jin-hyuk had crushed him.
One-sided. Overwhelming.
'How fast are you getting stronger?'
Smiling with clear amusement, Dark shot toward the fortress.
For some reason, witnessing Jin-hyuk's victory had stirred his blood.
He would kill faster. More.
These Rakshasas who dared block their path—
He would slaughter them all.
Just as Jin-hyuk steadied his breathing and turned toward the fortress—
Vrrrrr—
The horn inside his inventory reacted violently.
The moment he took it out, it shot toward the mountain behind the fortress.
Moments later—
RUMBLE—!
The mountain began to collapse.
And from beneath it—
Ssssss—
Two violet lights emerged.
Ding!
[The owner of the horn has been released from the seal!]
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T/N:
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