Ranker Who Lives Twice

Yeon-woo's eyes widened, and the Monkey King's exuviae burst into laughter.『Hahaha, little kid. You don't have to be that wide-eyed with surprise.』

"Monkey King…"

『Well, I guess I am worthy of respect. I am pretty great…』

"Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder… I understand that having to come up with names for skills is difficult, but…

The Monkey King's exuviae was speechless.

"All you did was add Eight Extremes to Sword Thunder…!"

Whack! While still maintaining his smile, the Monkey King's exuviae gently waved his fist. A destructive shockwave barely missed Yeon-woo.『If you die here from a crushed skull, you do know that no one will ever find out, right?』

"Now that I think about it, I believe you have an amazing talent for names." Yeon-woo did an about-face and brazenly replied without a single change of expression.

The Monkey King's exuviae frowned as if he did not approve of Yeon-woo's sudden flip flop. 『In any case, it seems like you're only getting more shameless. Honestly, I don't want to be criticized by someone who names his mythical beasts "Chirpy" or "Growl".』

"Hmm? When did I ever do that?"

The Monkey King exuviae's face became slightly twisted. 『Do you know how many times I heard your Mythical Beasts complain… No, let's forget it.』

Yeon-woo looked thoroughly confused. The Monkey King's exuviae started to feel disgusted by Yeon-woo's aloof attitude. 『Anyway, my true body created Heavenly Bracket to combine dozens of martial arts, magic spells, and other skills through the principle of Five Elements or Wu Xing.』 The Monkey King's exuviae continued to speak. 『However, since you've based your martial foundation and training on the Eight Trigrams, it's best to adjust Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder to the path you're on.』

The three stages of heaven, earth, and being were derived from the duality of yin and yang, leading to the classical elements, then the five elements. From there, the six pairs of yin and yang arose, leading to the seven stars and eight trigrams. Then, the perfection of the nine expedient means developed into the ten paramitas. The inevitable return of all worldly affairs back to the duality of yin and yang was a topic that Yeon-woo had listened to the Martial King speak about endlessly.

『The Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams are branches of study created to discuss and understand the laws of the world. However, the content and details of these branches of study are bound to change. That's probably why you've faced so many ups and downs in developing Sword Thunder. For example, a difference in interpretation or a waste of energy efficiency may have arisen without you even realizing it."

Yeon-woo nodded his head firmly. He knew that he had yet to completely understand Sword Thunder or Meteor Sword Art. All he knew was that he was progressing, but he understood little else about his development. Yeon-woo recognized that he lacked the experience and ability to master Meteor Sword Art, and he couldn't come to a satisfactory solution with the Yin sword.

『However, the confusion that you feel right now will disappear once you master the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder.』

"I see. All right." Yeonwoo nodded. He could feel the enthusiasm of the Monkey King's exuviae to assist him. Yeon-woo was also surprised that the Summer Queen had helped the Monkey King's exuviae to perfect the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder. "Then, what should I do now?"

『There are two methods: intensive or comprehensive. Which method would you like to try?』

"Since I don't have much time, I'll try the intensive method."

『Good. Just because you'll be learning quickly and intensively doesn't mean you'll learn less. Don't worry about the thoroughness of the instruction.』

For a moment, Yeon-woo felt that the Monkey King's exuviae was laughing evilly. Yeon-woo was about to change his choice to the comprehensive method, but… Sss! Bam!

"Ugh!" The Monkey King exuviae's elbow had already landed in Yeon-woo's stomach. Without a chance to even take a breath, Yeon-woo was sent flying, feeling a tremendous shock that he hadn't felt in a long time.

『To start, let's soften you up a little.』

'W-wait!' Yeonwoo wanted to shout out.

Bam! Bam! Bam! As if he had no time to listen to Yeon-woo's words, the Monkey King's exuviae raged like a storm and began to give Yeon-woo a beatdown.

***

'Damn it! Are all beings with eccentric natures like this!' Yeon-woo recalled how the Martial King had beaten him to a pulp under the pretext that it was the only way he could gauge Yeon-woo's skills. Why was everyone so fond of tormenting him? It was a constant source of frustration and anger to Yeon-woo

Yeon-woo thought that he would really get in trouble if things continued like this, so he used Blink to move as far away from the Monkey King's exuviae as possible.

『Oh-ho.』 When his clenched fist swung through empty air, the Monkey King's exuviae exclaimed.

And around that time…

[6th-step Dragon Body awakening]

[All powers have been released]

Yeon-woo immediately raised his powers to their maximum while he was still a distance away from the Monkey King's exuviae. At the same time, the Monkey King's exuviae folded space and quickly appeared in front of Yeon-woo, swinging his fist down.

Rumble! A dark-red lightning bolt erupted from his fist, tearing the surrounding area into pieces.It was definitely Sword Thunder!However, it was different from the Sword Thunder that Yeon-woo was used to.This Sword Thunder was hotter than the one Yeon-woo used, as though its yang energy had been pushed to its maximum.

<Heaven Thunder>

Not wanting to lose, Yeon-woo took the same sword stance as the Monkey King's exuviae and quickly raised his hand up to meet the incoming blow. His Sword Thunder sparked from the tip of his fingers as it collided with the Monkey King exuviae's fist.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Rumble! As one Sword Thunder collided against the other, dozens of large and small chained explosions successively shook Yeon-woo's Illusory World. The two exchanged attacks at an incredible speed, and an ordinary player would find it impossible to keep up. Each attack was powerful enough to rip limbs off just from proximity alone. Since this was his Illusory World, Yeon-woo risked damaging his soul, which would impact his overall abilities.

However, the Monkey King's exuviae did not seem to care about this at all, so Yeon-woo had no choice but to meet the incoming attacks head-on. All the while, Yeon-woo thought one thing: 'He's strong.' The Monkey King's exuviae was far more powerful than he had expected.

Although Yeon-woo had already guessed the power level of the Monkey King's exuviae after the Crawling Chaos was subjugated, now that he was confronting the exuviae's blows directly, Yeon-woo finally understood just how powerful the Monkey King's exuviae truly was. Perhaps the exuviae could bring out the original Monkey King's powers since they were in an Illusory World.

'This is the true power of the Monkey King…!'

[Draconic Divine Eyes]

[Fiery Golden Eyes]

[Black Gubitara - Philosopher's Eyes]

Yeon-woo opened his eyes wide and tried to anticipate the path of his opponent's attack, but his opponent did not show any gaps. As Yeon-woo's power level had risen, his brain's computational speed had grown faster than ever, allowing him to observe many details. However, all his observations and efforts were all in vain as the Monkey King's exuviae made his next move. Instead of smashing Yeon-woo, the Monkey King's exuviae brought his left fist towards his body and began gathering power.

<Swamp Thunder>

Sword Thunder, which had spread in all directions from their constant clashes, was suddenly sucked into the Monkey King exuviae's fist, which compressed Sword Thunder tightly before making it explode out.

'Did his power increase…?' Just before the Monkey King's exuviae swung his fist, Yeon-woo instinctively felt a sense of danger and leaned back. Luckily, he managed to avoid the strike, but he finally understood something important.

The Monkey King's exuviae was using the same Sword Thunder as he was, but the exuviae's power was much stronger. It managed to shatter more than half of the small magic shields and barriers that Yeon-woo always used to protect himself. Although Yeon-woo did not have time to do the exact calculations, he could tell that the exuviae's Sword Thunder power seemed to have doubled.

However, as if he were just getting started, the Monkey King's exuviae quickly transitioned into a series of consecutive strikes. Each time the Monkey King's exuviae attacked, Sword Thunder's destructiveness increased. Three strikes, four strikes…then five strikes.

Whenever the Monkey King's exuviae attacked with different Sword Thunder strikes—Fire Thunder, Lightning Thunder, and Wind Thunder—Yeon-woo found himself powerless against them, and his feeling of helplessness deepened. All the magic shields and barriers that he used to protect himself collapsed. Furthermore, his own Sword Thunder had no effect. In fact, Yeon-woo's Sword Thunder was absorbed by the Monkey King's exuviae, who used it to increase his power.

As the exuviae revealed the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder one by one, the power level of the attacks doubled. By the time it reached Wind Thunder, the fifth of the Eight Extremes, its attack power was already thirty-two times that of the first strike. Considering that most gods were already defenseless against just one Sword Thunder strike, the combined destructive power of the three was unbelievable.

Thinking that he had to do something, Yeon-woo drew as much magic power as he could muster and released it all at once. However, even that was useless in the face of his opponent's overwhelming destructive power. Even the abyss below them shook with the impact. 'I have to think of a way to counteract his attacks.'

<Time Difference>

<Extrasensory Perception>

Yeon-woo tried to figure out the structure of the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder. However, when he opened his eyes and looked around, all he could see was light and heat. Even with his Draconic Divine Eyes and Fiery Golden Eyes, he could not peer into the essence of his opponent's strikes.

Suddenly, Yeon-woo had a thought that the power of his opponent's strikes might have something to do with Consciousness or Illusory Change. The main reason for this battle was so that the Monkey King's exuviae could teach Yeon-woo the principles of the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder through the recognition of Illusory Change…! 'But how? Can I infuse Sword Thunder with Consciousness? What do I do after that?'

The Monkey King's exuviae had provided no instructions nor hints about the skill, which meant that Yeon-woo had to learn it the hard way—through direct confrontation. However, he couldn't just stay still, so Yeon-woo exerted his Consciousness and raised his Sword Thunder once again.

Yeon-woo's Sword Thunder connected the sky to the earth, soaring high to block the incoming storm of light. Compared to the exuviae's explosive strike, Yeon-woo's Sword Thunder seemed insignificant and puny. At that moment, Yeon-woo instinctively realized what he had to do. He needed to change his Illusory World through Illusory Change. The Monkey King's exuviae had previously mentioned that Illusory Change was different from creating a holy territory, after all.

Yeon-woo thought, 'Would it work if I combined the two concepts together? Let's try it.' He had no time to think of any other approach as the storm of light was seconds from smacking him. As Yeonwoo supported the core of his Sword Thunder with a maximum output of Consciousness, he also elongated the Sword Thunder's shadow and wound it around Sword Thunder. In this way, he managed to compress the chaotic Sword Thunder with his shadows.

With Yeon-woo's Consciousness inside the Sword Thunder and his shadows wrapped around its exterior, Sword Thunder's composition grew more solid. Yeon-woo felt a strong sense that his Sword Thunder and his Consciousness were connected as one.

<Illusory Change>

The nature of his Sword Thunder changed when Yeon-woo added an attribute. If his first Sword Thunder strike contained Heaven Thunder, the first of the Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder, then this second Sword Thunder strike contained the presence of Swamp Thunder. This made Yeon-woo's world go topsy-turvy. He felt as if his vision had turned inwards, and he was forcefully pulling something hidden deep within him. Additionally, by forcing something out into reality, Yeon-woo felt as if he were showing his will to the physical world. He felt as though his soul were being sucked into his Sword Thunder.

His Sword Thunder chaotically wavered as if it would break down at any moment, but it showed an unimaginable synergistic and powerful effect. Crackle! Fizzle! Rumble! Yeon-woo gritted his teeth and raised the newly formed Sword Thunder up.

Boom! The Monkey King exuviae's storm of light clashed with Yeon-woo's Sword Thunder, making the surroundings quake. Yeon-woo instantly sensed his imminent defeat. The Monkey King's exuviae could multiply his power thirty-two times, but Yeon-woo could only manage double. However, this development made Yeon-woo feel as if he had broken through the barrier that had blocked him for so long. His mind felt refreshed and rejuvenated.

The storm of light spread and almost overwhelmed the entire Illusory World.

Bam! Although it seemed on the verge of swallowing up the Illusory World and abyss, the exuviae's Sword Thunder suddenly stopped its rampage and completely disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Yeon-woo stood still for a long time as if possessed by something. Then, as he slowly lowered his gaze, he saw his trembling hands. Even though his mind felt refreshed…did his instincts feel fear in the face of that powerful force? If the Wind Thunder had struck him...he pondered what would have happened.

『The Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder is completely different from the eight individual movements or Ways. Each time one moves from one Way to the next, a new attribute is added that multiplies the power.』 The Monkey King's exuviae explained to Yeon-woo with a confident attitude, as though he were sharing a hard-won and treasured toy with a friend. 『It's a force that is designed simply to destroy.』 The Monkey King's exuviae looked tired and worn out. 『But, as you can see, it's something you can use too often. It consumes a lot of power and Consciousness.』

Sss! The exuviae's color faded so much that Yeon-woo would not have been surprised if the Monkey King's exuviae fainted. Since the Monkey King's exuviae was utilizing a spirit body that did not possess any magic power, a powerful technique like this would consume his spiritual power.

『For now, this is the extent of what I can show you. I don't think I'll be able to retain my Consciousness if I show you the sixth and seventh Way. As for the eighth Way, I'm not even sure if my original body can do it.』

Yeon-woo, who had only just learned the second way, nodded. Furthermore, Yeon-woo had no idea what the dangerous eighth way would look like.

『Still, it seems like you've figured out how to use it, so let's continue until you get used to it.』 The Monkey King's exuviae clenched his fist tightly. He seemed to be expecting a lot of fun in the near future. Sss!

"W-wait, stop… Damn it!" Yeon-woo spread his Sky Wings once more.