Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 203 When the Dust Settles [1]

Ira and Yoo-Rin charged toward the whip with explosive speed.

The distance separating them was a mere three meters, with the whip lying precisely at the midpoint. In a contest of speed, the first to act would inevitably seize the advantage. However, this was a situation where both parties rushed towards the whip at the same time.

Thus, the faster one among them would be the winner.

And the winner of the speed contest was already decided.

"Ah!"

Ira snatched the whip from the ground. Just then Yoo-Rin was a fraction of a second behind, closing the gap in an instant. Without missing a beat, Yoo-Rin pivoted sharply, pulling her arm back and driving her gauntlet-covered fist forward with the force of a cannon shot.

The air cracked violently as the strike hurtled toward Ira.

Ira, recognizing the impossibility of countering or defending in such a compromised position, had anticipated this moment. She had prepared her next move well in advance.

Clang!

The Iron fist was abruptly intercepted, colliding with something sharp. The sudden impact sent Yoo-Rin stumbling back with force.

'...What?'

Shock flashed across Yoo-Rin's face as an armored knight stepped forward, emerging seamlessly from the wall. Its sword gleamed coldly as it raised the blade, standing protectively before Ira.

Before Yoo-Rin could react, more knights began to appear, materializing from the walls like specters summoned to battle. One by one, they filled the narrow passageway, and the sound of their heavy armor clinking against stone echoed. In mere moments, the space was crowded with an army of swords and spears, all aimed squarely at Yoo-Rin.

Trapped and surrounded, she realised that escape was no longer an option.

"Tch."

Instead of panicking, Yoo-Rin assessed the situation with a calm, analytical gaze.

The knights, clad in full armor, stood like silent sentinels. Their faces were hidden behind helmets, leaving no hint of humanity. If they were human, this could get troublesome.

She wasn't thinking in a moral sense, but a logical one.

Humans were adaptable, dangerously so. If these knights could learn Ira's combat style and coordinate their attacks, it would turn into a far more lethal encounter.

She didn't know what was going to happen or even given the time to think everything over.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Without a word, the knights advanced, their weapons raised. The narrow passage restricted movement, forcing attacks to come only from the front and rear. While this limitation hindered the knights, it also posed a significant challenge for Yoo-Rin, who found herself boxed in.

Still, she remained undeterred.

Swish! Swish!

Spears and swords slashed through the air at once.

With attacks coming both her back and front, she decided to completely give up on the possibility of defence.

Exhaling, she bent her knees and gathered power into her fist. Then, with a fierce leap, she slammed her fist into the ground with all her might.

BOOM!!

The floor shattered beneath her, sending violent tremors through the narrow passage. Cracks snaked out in all directions, rippling with devastating force. The knights staggered as their balance thrown off, and their tight formation crumbled into chaos ever so easily.

Seizing the opportunity, Yoo Rin lunged forward like a coiled spring unleashed. Her fist was swung and smashed into the armored chest of the knight before her. The steel plate crumpled inward with a deafening clang, and the knight was hurled backward like a broken doll.

It didn't end there. The fallen knight slammed into his comrades, their momentum disrupted as they collided in a tangled heap.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Two more knights approached from behind with swords in hand.

Yoo Rin sprinted toward the wall beside her, using it as a foothold. With a deft leap, she used the wall as a springboard, launching herself into the air. Her knee connected with one knight's helmet in a devastating arc, crumpling the metal and obliterating the skull beneath.

The knight crumpled to its knees, lifeless.

There was no message to highlight her victory.

Yoo Rin's sharp gaze caught the black mist seeping from the fallen knight's form. Beneath the armor was nothing—no flesh, no bones, only emptiness.

"As I thought, they're not human," she muttered under her breath.

The ominous mist dissipated as the knight dissolved into nothingness.

Thud! Thud! Thud!!

Yoo-Rin wasn't attacking with her full strength. Her punches lacked the weight and power she'd displayed earlier, and she wasn't even using her hips to generate force. These strikes were fast, precise, and clearly aimed to disorient rather than destroy. In boxing, they'd be classified as "straight jabs."

Even so, Ira knew she couldn't afford to let a single one connect!

Her thoughts drifted back to the earlier exchange when she'd deflected one of Yoo-Rin's punches with her left hand. Initially, she'd intended to block it outright. However, the moment her hand met the incoming fist, she felt the sheer force coursing through it and instinctively shifted to a deflection instead.

Despite her quick reflexes, her left hand wasn't spared. The skin was still bruised, and a persistent ache throbbed through her arm.

She had also taken the full brunt of one of those punches to her face, but it was the merciless headbutt that caused the most damage. A sharp, throbbing pain radiated from her nose as blood trickled down her face, leaving her wondering if the impact had broken it.

Those brief exchanges made it abundantly clear who was physically stronger between the two fighters.

I don't understand at all! What kind of existence is this damn girl?!

Ira inwardly questioned as she narrowly dodged another jab.

Is she the descendant of some ogre? No, an Oni? No, that can't be right—she doesn't have any horns!

Another punch whistled past her ear.

Could she be concealing them with magic? But I'm not sensing any magic apart from those gauntlets!

Her eyes darted to the gauntlets Yoo-Rin wielded, burning with an unnatural heat. Ira's frustration deepened.

Are those gauntlets some sort of enchanted artifact? Is that some kind of Mystery Item?

Unbeknownst to Ira, the gauntlets Yoo-Rin wielded were a gift from her Star Contract, Kim Jakga.

[Item Entity -████ - Earth Scorching Gauntlets.]

†Rating: S

†Object Class: Sleeper

A mystery item imbued with the fragment of an unidentified dark constellation's soul. The Scorchbearer Gauntlets consume the user's spiritual energy reserves to exponentially amplify their output, creating a destructive force.

However, the gauntlets themselves were extraordinarily heavy, requiring the wearer's strength to be at least Level 40 to lift, let alone wield properly.

Just from a glance, Ira knew she would be in problem if she took another punch to the face or any of her vitals.

"Tch! Damnit!"

Ira hissed under her breath as Yoo-Rin's punches grew fiercer and more relentless, pushing her further into a corner.

Gritting her teeth, Ira shifted tactics. Her eyes darted toward one of the fallen knights sprawled lifelessly on the cold passage floor. Extending her hand, she channeled her magic, dark energy surging and wrapping itself around the corpse.

Wriggle! Wriggle!

A thick, unnatural mist seeped into the knight's body, animating it with a semblance of life.

With jerky movements, the knight staggered to its feets and charged at Yoo Rin with its sword raised high.

"....?!"

Yoo-Rin abruptly sensed the murderous intent, halting her punch mid-swing and leaping back.

Clang!!

The great sword slammed into the ground where she'd been standing moments before, sparks scattering on impact. Not taking any chances, Yoo-Rin widened the distance between herself, Ira, and the reanimated knight.

Ira smirked faintly and greedily seized the opportunity. She retracted her whip and focused her sorcery once more. This time, she was cautious, conserving her energy reserves by summoning only two additional entities.

From the swirling dark mist emerged two new figures. One carried a bow and a quiver of arrows, while the other clutched a weathered wooden staff.

What are those things? More summons?

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Yoo-Rin clicked her tongue as her eyes darted between the figures.

Tch! As if this situation wasn't bad enough, she brought in more of her lackeys. Should I have attacked instead of retreating?

In such a narrow passageway, evading ranged attacks was almost impossible, especially without a shield or any form of cover. Every step back only worsened her predicament, leaving her with fewer options to counter.

Damn it... if that sister had summoned a full firing squad instead of these three, I'd already be skewered like a pincushion.

Sweat beaded on her brow as she quickly calculated her next move.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Her thoughts were interrupted as the knight—massive and built like a tank—charged at her with terrifying speed. At the same moment, the Archer nocked an arrow, and the Magus began chanting an Incantation to use magic.