Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 319 – Betrayal and Division (3)

Heh.

‘I have a great idea,’ Han-Yeol thought with a smirk.

Gulp…!

Master Hee-Yun nervously gulped upon seeing the expression on his face. ‘W-Why is he smiling like a demon?’

She could sense an ominous aura emanating from Han-Yeol. ‘I… I must warn Father to be cautious around this man when I return home.’

Han-Yeol's unpredictability led her to believe that the S Group should also tread carefully, given their amicable relations with the government and the association. The man before her had the power to dismantle the entire S Group if he chose to.

Han-Yeol smiled upon noticing Master Hee-Yun's unease.

"Very well. The HY Group will issue an official statement regarding this matter. Kindly relay to whoever prompted you to wait for it."

"Y-Yes, I understand…"

Master Hee-Yun grasped that Han-Yeol's forthcoming announcement had the potential to disrupt the entire nation. However, she cared little for the storm it might cause; her sole desire was to depart this perilous place promptly.

Turning to leave, she was interrupted.

"Wait."

‘W-Why?’

Master Hee-Yun flinched as Tayarana called out to her. It seemed ironic; she felt like a trespasser caught red-handed, though all she sought was a swift exit from the mansion.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Let's spar."

"What?"

Master Hee-Yun was taken aback, doubting her ears. 'Did I hear correctly?'

"C-Could you say that again?"

"Let's engage in a sword fight. I desire a duel with you."

‘She’s serious?!’

“Ah… Hahaha…”

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Tayarana walked over to where Kandir and Taicin dueled a while ago.

‘Hey! I didn’t agree to this!’ Master Hee-Yun exclaimed inwardly, lacking the courage to voice it.

She sensed from Tayarana's gaze that refusal wasn't an option.

"I-Is it really necessary?"

"Yes, I want to spar with you, but don’t fret; I won’t go all out."

Kwachik!

A nerve bulged on Master Hee-Yun’s forehead.

‘W-What did she just say? Go easy on me?!’

Master Hee-Yun might have been pampered like a princess as the only daughter of the S Group’s chairman, but her love for the battlefield surpassed all else in this world. Chairman Ji Geo-Guk had tried earnestly to engage her in managing the group, yet she found such duties dull and mundane compared to the thrill of battling monsters.

While her income as a Master Rank Hunter paled in comparison to the S Group’s profits, she couldn't care less about her earnings as long as she could continue fighting. Aware of the limitations on a Hunter's strength, her obsession with defeating Kim Tae-San and becoming the nation's most powerful Hunter drove her to learn dual-wielding to gain an advantage.

‘She dares to claim she'll take it easy on me?’

Master Hee-Yun sensed the tremendous mana Tayarana emitted. Refusing to be looked down upon, she couldn't stay silent.

“Sure…”

Shiiing…

She unsheathed the greatsword she always carried on her back. Although she wasn’t wearing her signature crimson armor, the greatsword sufficed for the duel.

“Hmm…” Tayarana murmured, observing Master Hee-Yun before turning toward Han-Yeol.

Reading her intentions in Tayarana's eyes, Han-Yeol reluctantly relented, “Sigh… Fine…”

Seuk…

He extended his hand and concentrated his mana within it.

‘Don’t tell me… Are they planning to cheat by using a buff skill?’ Master Hee-Yun wondered, feeling a tinge of disappointment. However, what followed erased that sentiment.

‘Wow… That’s amazing…’ she muttered, awestruck.

Han-Yeol gestured and employed Psychokinesis to remove Tayarana’s armor piece by piece.

She allowed him to utilize his rare Psychokinesis skill to strip her of the armor. Although she could have managed it herself, it would have taken at least two minutes. Hence, she sought his aid, knowing he could accomplish it in a mere five seconds.

This feat was possible only because Han-Yeol possessed an extraordinary level of control using Psychokinesis—something not achievable by just anyone possessing the skill.

“Now it’s fair,” Tayarana declared.

“Alright, let’s give our best in this duel,” Master Hee-Yun responded.

Thud… Thud…

Master Hee-Yun gripped her greatsword and advanced toward Tayarana until they stood face to face.

Whoosh…!

A sudden gust of wind heightened the dramatic tension of their standoff.

“Okay, I'll act as the referee for this duel,” Han-Yeol declared.

Both nodded in agreement to his self-appointed role.

“The rules are simple: no skills allowed—rely solely on your swordsmanship.”

Again, both nodded in acknowledgment.

“Alright! Ready!” Han-Yeol exclaimed, lifting his hand.

Seuk…

Tayarana and Master Hee-Yun readied themselves, poised to lunge forward at the duel's onset.

Whoosh!

“Begin!”

Boom!

Both propelled themselves off the ground the moment Han-Yeol's hand swung downward.

“Haaaaaap!”

“…”

Master Hee-Yun shouted at the top of her lungs while Tayarana remained silent just before they clashed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As anticipated, Master Hee-Yun surpassed Tayarana in strength. A Berserker boasted incredibly high strength, and the weight behind the greatsword was notably heavier than that of a longsword.

‘Ha! She’s no match for me!’ Master Hee-Yun inwardly scoffed after several clashes with Tayarana.

‘She might possess abundant mana, but her swordsmanship pales compared to mine!’

Master Hee-Yun utilized the vast resources of the S Group to study and train in every sword style globally. She went to great lengths, hiring numerous sword experts to personally train her until she mastered their techniques. As a result, she became the only person to have mastered every sword style on Earth.

‘I'll win if it's a duel of physical prowess and swordsmanship!’ she exclaimed, executing a powerful attack with her greatsword.

Tayarana took a step back, adjusting her longsword to deflect the energy carried by the greatsword, making it easier to block.

Clang!

‘Ha! Planning to defend until the end?’

Confident of her advantage, Master Hee-Yun pressed on aggressively.

Seuk! Seuk! Whoosh!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The intense battle demanded caution with each step, a single mistake potentially revealing an opening and deciding the outcome.

‘Oh? They're both quite impressive.’ Han-Yeol was particularly taken aback by Master Hee-Yun's skill.

Initially assuming she relied solely on mana without proper training, her movements revealed extensive swordsmanship and even proficiency in martial arts, efficiently utilizing her entire body.

Master Hee-Yun exuded the prowess of a seasoned martial artist.

‘Looks like she put in a lot of effort.’

Ultimately, the duel left a strong positive impression on Han-Yeol, although she remained wholly focused on her contest against Tayarana, oblivious to this fact.

“Hap!”

Tak! Seuk… Shwoong!

Master Hee-Yun stepped forward, swinging the greatsword with all her might. It was risky to execute a vertical swing, leaving her sides vulnerable. Yet, a horizontal swing would offer similar vulnerabilities as her opponent could easily jump over or duck under the attack.

Clang!

As anticipated, Tayarana parried the attack with her longsword, stepping backward.

‘She’s no match for me.’ Master Hee-Yun felt confident.

However, her overconfidence led to more reckless attacks, a change Tayarana astutely observed in Master Hee-Yun’s demeanor.

Shwooong!

Tak! Whoosh!

Master Hee-Yun continued to press on, swinging her sword again, yet Tayarana evaded once more by jumping back.

“Truly amazing…” Tayarana muttered in awe.

‘What the hell is she saying?’ Master Hee-Yun grumbled inwardly, hearing her opponent's praise, relentlessly continuing her assault with another swing of her greatsword.

“…But you’re too weak,” Tayarana added.

Kwachik!

Strike Two!

Master Hee-Yun felt insulted for the second time that day.

‘I won’t forgive you!’ She glared at her opponent, her eyes turning red.

Seuruk…!

However, despite the change in her aura, she wasn't utilizing any skills at that moment. A Berserker's blood often reacted to their emotions, which couldn't be deemed a passive skill but rather an instinctual response inherent to a Berserker. It aligned more with her natural biology. Either way, she ensured she didn't breach the duel's rules.

‘Haaaaaap!’

Clang! Clang! Whoosh! Puuuk! Pukeok!

“Keuk!”

Master Hee-Yun swiftly swung her greatsword three times and seized the momentary opening to deliver a forceful kick to Tayarana’s abdomen, propelling her to the far end of the duel arena.

“Cough!”

Though no blood emerged, Tayarana felt the kick’s impactful force.

A Berserker could summon strength from every muscle, channeling it into a powerful strike. It was remarkable that Tayarana remained standing despite such a forceful kick. Ironically, it was Master Hee-Yun who was more taken aback.

‘She withstood my kick…?’

Certain her kick hadn’t missed, she expected her opponent to at least cough blood or collapse to the ground.

“It’s my turn now,” Tayarana said.

Seuk…

“Hmph!”

Baaaam!

Their swords clashed once more, but this time, Tayarana displayed a much more aggressive approach.

‘Geez… This is quite the problem…’ Han-Yeol thought, scratching the back of his head.

He remained vigilant, prepared for any escalation in the increasingly intense duel between the two.

‘Ah… I have a lot of things to do today…’ Han-Yeol’s frustration mounted due to external factors.

“Haaaaap!”

Meanwhile, Master Hee-Yun grew increasingly frustrated as victory eluded her grasp, contrary to her expectations.

‘Why?! My swordsmanship surpasses hers by far, so why?!’

Tak! Seuuuk… Swhooong!

Clang!

“Keuk…!”

Their swords clashed again, locking together in a test of strength. Master Hee-Yun tried to push Tayarana back, but Tayarana adeptly maneuvered her waist to resist the force.

‘Why can’t I overpower her?!’

Whoosh! Shwoooong! Clang!

Master Hee-Yun’s eyes reddened further, her long-dormant Berserker instincts awakening.

Han-Yeol observed the duel and noted a key detail, ‘Master Hee-Yun is strong but lacks flexibility. Tayarana, while not as strong, compensates with her flexibility.’

Tayarana might have been weaker in sheer strength compared to Master Hee-Yun, yet she maximized her flexibility to counter most of her opponent’s strength.

‘Master Hee-Yun will start losing momentum soon,’ Han-Yeol predicted.

Indeed, it didn't take long for his assessment to prove correct.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

Master Hee-Yun’s movements began to lose efficiency. Her stamina waned as she relied solely on physical strength, neglecting to pace herself due to mounting frustration.

All of this was well within Tayarana’s calculated strategy.

‘Wow… As expected, Tara is such a formidable woman…’ Han-Yeol recognized the enigmatic nature behind Tayarana’s calm gaze.

Despite spending considerable time with her, discerning her thoughts remained an impossible task.