The scene shifted rapidly.

With every increase in speed, every spear hurled and deflected, Jinhyuks breath grew more urgent.

Yet it was the shallow breathing he had copied earlier that prevented him from collapsing.

Having prepared for a drawn-out fight, his foresight now paid off.

It was at that moment

!

Jinhyuk swung his dagger with great force.

Boom!

He deflected another spear that came at him head-on, sending it spinning through the air.

But it wasnt over.

Swoosh!

A barrage of spears densely filled the sky, each boasting a deadly aura as if layered with mandalas.

It was as if a storm brimming with dark clouds was rapidly approaching, darkening the sky.

Haha, this is something

Theres no time to get bored.

Despite the looming despair, Jinhyuk held his head high.

At first glance, it might seem like a chaotic storm of area-of-effect skills.

However, there was one rule to these attacks.

They were all targeted at critical points.

In the blink of an eye, Jinhyuk perceived the trajectory of the incoming spears.

There was no need to be scared.

He had done this countless times before.

Remember the rhythm from back then.

Jinhyuk relaxed his entire body.

Lightly, yet smoothly.

Recall that experience.

Whoosh!

Black energy burned even more furiously on his dagger.

The sound of slicing through the wind reached his ears.

The spears closed in, almost brushing against his hair.

Ill deflect them all.

Just then

Clang, clang, clang!

Bright sparks flew as metal clashed with metal, relentlessly pounding his eardrums.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Jinhyuk remained in place, fiercely swinging his dagger left and right, up and down.

Boom!

Bang!

He didnt miss a single spear, as if he had memorized their attack patterns, performing a godlike feat.

The bellowing roars of Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin were heard at that moment.

Damn it How about this!?

One spear aimed not at Jinhyuks body but at the uneven ground in front of him.

Utilizing the bumpy terrain to create an irregular trajectoryit was a ricochet technique.

Mixed in with the torrent of spears and hard to perceive, even harder to respond to.

Yet as if he had anticipated it

Crack!

Jinhyuk caught the spear shaft that sprung up from the ground with his bare hands.

H-He blocked that, too?

Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin stuttered.

His ace in the hole had been blocked, and it was perfectly natural to be flustered.

Moreover, most of the myriad of weapons he had been holding were now depleted.

It looks like youve shown all you have to offer. If you dont have anything more novel or interesting, Ill begin wrapping things up.

Jinhyuk stepped forward.

His steps were brisk yet light.

[And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast.]

Appropriately, the climactic part of the song flowed through the broadcast system.

As if signaling it was time to conclude this battle.

Perhaps it was Jinhyuks calm tone that wore on his nerves?

A voice filled with rage erupted from within Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin.

The one to decide when a battle ends is none other than myself!

[Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin unleashes Manjighyeong ()!]

Die!

Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin thrust a golden-hued spear, which bore the utmost manifestation of the Mandala.

Despite its heavy appearance, the spear moved with bullet-like speed.

Boom!

The spear pierced through Jinhyuks body.

Or so it seemed.

A mirage?

The bitter smile on Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyins face twisted into shock.

An optical illusion caused by prismatic ice reflections. By inducing carelessness at such close quarters, deception was inevitable.

When he thought it was dangerous.

A chilling voice emerged just beneath Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyins chin.

Lets turn the tables and have me hit you for a change.

Tired of only defending, there was no need to mention how frustrating and tedious it felt.

So.

Prepare to be hit, just once, but properly.

Jinhyuk threw Merlins staff, now small in size, towards the sky.

He simultaneously stabbed his dagger into the ground.

[Ice Formation Sword of Heaven triggers!]

From above, a streak of ice descended.

[Ice Formation Sword of Earth triggers!]

Ice erupted from the ground, meeting with the ice from above.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

An immense chill filled the air with vapor so dense it obscured the view.

Aaaargh!

Trapped inside, Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyins body was instantly frozen solid.

No matter how formidable a named monster he was, the intense cold rendered him immobile, encasing him in ice.

Grrr Do you think you have trapped me with this?

No.

This was just a stall for time.

There was still one thing left to do.

Crack, crack, crack.

Jinhyuk began to craft something out of ice before Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin.

This part required a thick and elongated shape.

And over here, it should be gently and smoothly carved.

Slowly, the ice sculpture took shape.

How many seconds had passed?

[The ice sculpture is complete.]

As the blizzard dissipated, the final product was revealed.

Excellent.

Jinhyuk nodded in satisfaction.

What stood before them, was a giant sculpted middle finger.

Large and beautiful, yet gallant in its defiance.

A perfect mockery, to say the least.

You This damned human! I will imprison you in the fiery pits of Avci hell, to suffer for endless eons. I will make you reincarnate thousands, tens of thousands of times as an insect! Waaagh!

Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin shook wildly within the ice.

The heat of anger made it all the more difficult to endure being trapped.

That should be sufficient.

[The condition has been met.]

[You have successfully copied the Unique Ability Mandala(S)!]

[Mandala()]

Difficulty of Acquisition: S

Description: A unique talent that players who have mastered Buddhist techniques can use, similar to sword energy or holy power, it can bestow special forces upon weapons. It also enables users to predict the direction of incoming attacks through the practice of deep meditation.]

[The copied skill is stored in Worlds Memory.]

After fulfilling all those bizarre requirements, he finally obtained it.

A new unique ability, the Mandala!

Now then Shall I give it a shot for old times sake?

Cautiously, Jinhyuk began to manipulate his mana.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

A warm, cozy sensation enveloped him.

It felt like the life energy of all things was within his grasp.

Grrr This simple ice!

Even then, Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin contorted his body, trying to free himself from the ice.

Golden sparks flew due to the Mandala, but they werent enough to shatter the ice.

Tsk tsk.

Such a pitiable sight.

Its heartbreaking to see someone clueless use the Sword of Heaven ineffectively.

Dont waste your energy. Its futile to try to escape.

Nonsense! With my ability, there is nowhere I cant escape from.

No, you cant. Mandala is indeed a fine unique ability, but youre misusing it.

What do you mean?

If youve opened the door through meditation, then you should know how to maintain that serenity. Youre still overcome with rage, unable to properly control the flow of your mana.

And because of that, not even half your strength is being utilized effectively.

Who are you to presume so boldly? What do you know about this power!?

What do I know?

Certainly more than you, who has wasted tens of thousands of years idling. I know the true nature of this power.

And the worth it holds, all of it.

So let me show you.

How to properly use the Mandala.

[The Unique Ability Mandala () is activated!]

Crack, crack, crack!

Indescribable mists formed.

Suddenly, lightning tinged with gold manifested in Jinhyuks right hand.

H-How can this be? How could you possess that power!?

Doubt struck Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyins eyes like an earthquake.

An unmistakably familiar power resurfaced.

More refined and perfect than when he wielded it.

This is impossible.

How could a mere human, he thought, master Mandala?

A feat not even ascetic monks with decades of practice could achieve.

Yet no matter how much he denied reality, the blinding brilliance of the Mandalas energy could not be denied.

That was an undeniable reality.

Enough, now disappear.

Jinhyuk pulled back his hand that grasped the lightning.

His forearm muscles expanded rapidly.

W-Wait! Just just a moment, wait a sec!

Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin cried out hastily.

And at that moment.

Swoosh!

Jinhyuk loosed the lightning from his hand, and it pierced through Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin.

Hiss!

The melted ice dripped down.

Naturally, Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin inside was burnt to a crisp, breathless.

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have obtained the Key of Statue.]

Interface messages appeared one after another.

Thanks to defeating the named monster, he gained two entire levels.

Has it roughly ended?

Jinhyuk frowned as he caught his breath.

The pain that resonated through his body was hard to bear.

Ive pushed myself too hard.

Hunting Cadric and undead and then taking on Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin had drained his mana to a critical point.

Rest was necessary.

Of course, he needed to take care of some business first.

Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.

Name: Kang Jinhyuk

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Level: 21

Strength 16 Dexterity 16 Stamina 16 Mana 41 Gap 100 Luck 10 Adaptive 10

Stat Points Available: 6

Coins: Pending additional tally.

Class: None

Unique Abilities: Fusion, Grave of Swords, Blessing of Stars, Judgement of Anubis, Blood Demon Qi, Mandala

Skills: Lv5 Element of Fire, Lv4 Eye of Gluttony, Lv3 Sympathy, Lv3 Brand of Soul Combustion, Lv3 Poison Eater, Lv3 Shallow Breathing, Lv1 Ice Formation, Lv2 Daylight, Lv1 Grip of the Giant, Lv1 Chasing Spirit Sword

His newly acquired abilities and stat points caught his eye.

I should invest the stats in mana.

Considering the possibility of prolonged battles like this one, he needed to focus on investing in mana again.

[Mana has increased from 41 to 47.]

As he increased his mana, his swollen veins quickly subsided.

I feel alive again.

Using Mandala to its fullest to hurl that lightning was a big gamble, indeed.

However, the rewards were well worth the effort.

He mastered the advanced version of Ice Formation, Glacial Formation, thanks to completing Merlins staff.

And he even copied Mandala from Thousand Eyes and Hands Guanyin.

Not to mention, he leveled up, so isnt this the perfect raid?

An ideal conclusion.

All that was left was to find a suitable place to rest and clear his weariness.

Yes.

That would be normal to assume.

Rest comes with the night.

They will come before the night deepens.

Jinhyuks gaze shifted towards the forest.

Even at this moment, avoiding the eyes of the assassins from the Myriad Association watching him.

They must think its the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack, but well

Theyre in for a future quite different from what they expect.