00088 <-- Episode 88 Karen Inasius (5) -->
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Originally, Karen Inasius’s pure fighting power was quite low compared to other revolutionary heroes.
Sword Hier and Prayer have different standards for measuring their level, so it cannot be said that they are a perfect match, but if we only consider their fighting ability, they are at the extreme level of a master.
Yet Karen was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. It was thanks to her secret art, Plague Bless.
Plague bless.
At first glance, the name Blessing of Disease seems contradictory. It would be more appropriate to call it Curse of Disease.
This was not simply a name full of sarcasm or contradiction.
It was literally a real blessing.
The sacred blessing of Prin that heals the sick. Karen combined it with Prayer’s destructive magic to transform it into a way to infect all kinds of diseases.
It was a truly terrible curse, but its triggering mechanism was still a blessing.
If it’s a curse, it’s something that can be countered or destroyed. The methods for dealing with all kinds of curses have been sufficiently developed in Terrano.
But no one ever thinks of going against God’s blessing. Why would anyone come up with such unnecessary methods?
That’s why Plague Blessing can neither be blocked nor avoided.
If you put your mind to it, you can definitely make the other person sick.
If you are weak, this will lead to death in itself, and even if you are strong, your fighting power will be seriously damaged.
That’s why Karen of old was able to reign as a strong person who could rival the superhuman level with skills comparable to those of a master. All the superhuman swordsmen who faced her were afflicted with illness and fell to the master level.
“If you know such an amazing technique, why wouldn’t you use it?”
Shihan smiled slyly as he looked at Karen.
The modified Honcheongi was a method that referenced the part related to ‘blessing’ among the activation principles of Plague Bless, and the part related to the penetration and fusion of divine power. Likewise, it cannot be avoided or blocked!
“Ta-at!”
Karen flew again.
She kicks the side of the time limit with a shout. However, the speed is much slower than before. Her divine power is being eaten away by the Honcheongi, and her physical abilities are also lowered.
“Slow.”
With a short pause, Shihan easily dodged the attack. Then he lightly extended his sword. Karen’s shoulder was torn open, and blood gushed out.
“Ugh!”
Stepping back, Karen regenerated her shoulder. Slowly, the wound began to heal. However, there were still traces of blood.
‘Has the healing power fallen this much?’
She hardened her complexion as she examined the condition of his body. Shihan slowly walked forward, holding a blackened greatsword.
“You’ve definitely gotten stronger, Karen. Just in terms of pure fighting ability, you’re already superhuman. You’re definitely stronger than the old Zexenguard or Theorant.”
If we include her unique regenerative powers, stamina, and versatile divine magic, she would have been able to compete with Sung Si-han during the time of the Savior of the Other World.
At the time, although his time limit was at the level of a god, his technical skills were considerably lacking, and Karen, who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, had many advantages in terms of compatibility.
“So you must have thought there was a good chance of winning?”
The clock ticked cheerfully. Karen asked softly.
“… … You’ve known about my Plague Blessing from before, right? Why didn’t you develop this technique back then?”
“There was no need to do that.”
Shihan shrugged.
“At that time, among the Imperial Sun and Moon Stars’ prayer leaders, was there anyone strong enough to develop the Honcheongi?”
Even towards the end of the revolutionary war, the Honcheongi was not used in actual combat. The Paewanggi or Pacheongi were sufficient.
“Because the image of the Honcheon-gi itself was so bad, I didn’t really want to use it.”
There was only one cleric in Terranor who was difficult to deal with with the existing celestial body alone. And that one was one of Seongshihan’s most trusted colleagues.
There was no reason to develop the Honcheongi.
“But now there is a reason.”
Shihan muttered in a cold voice.
“How does it feel to be a victim of your own tricks?”
Karen muttered in a similar tone.
“You copied it well. It must not have been easy.”
“Are you in a position to talk about others? Even you copied my toilet and appointed me as your queen?”
“Well, we did share a lot of technology among ourselves, didn’t we?”
Karen smiled bitterly. Slowly approaching her, Shihan drew the darkness up.
“You said you were prepared for my return, right? Then you should have expected this.”
In the great darkness, he becomes the form of a demon and aims the sword of darkness at the traitor.
“I’m not the boy you knew anymore, Karen.”
It was then that she suddenly sighed.
“Ha, actually, I took that into account. I didn’t know it would be like this.”
Then he spread his arms and let out a loud shout.
“Cron Lizate, bless my enemies with your trials!”
A silvery stream of air emanated from Karen’s entire body. Countless particles began to flow through the air, encroaching upon all directions like fog.
Its appearance was surprisingly similar to that of the Holy Spirit. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, except for the color, it was the same method and shape.
Shihan frowned.
“… … A blessing of illness?”
It is only natural that they are similar. That sacred art is the original of the modified Honcheongi, Karen’s Plague Blessing.
Saaaaa… … .
A silvery fog spreads in all directions. It looks beautiful and sacred on the outside, but it is a fog of disease that infects everything it touches.
Seong Si-han walked into the fog without hesitation.
“You idiot! Have you already forgotten? I’m an Earthling.”
As an Earthling, he is free from all magic and diseases of Terran. Karen’s amazing powers are no different to him than the fog on the lakeside.
“The diseases of Terranor do not work on me… … .”
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As Shihan continued to speak, laughing, a cough suddenly burst out.
“Coolook!”
He covered his mouth absentmindedly. Then his eyes widened.
“……uh?”
When I looked down, I saw red blood dripping down my palm.
***
A pure white bare foot kicked his chest. With a loud noise, Shihan flew backwards, spraying blood.
“Ugh!”
He struggled to get up, rolling around on the ground in an awkward manner. Then he stumbled and fell to his knees again.
After allowing Karen to attack him several times already, his body and spirit were in tatters.
“Ugh, ugh… … .”
Shihan looked up at Karen, breathing heavily. She was looking down at him with an arrogant expression.
The situation has completely changed from a moment ago.
“Uh, how… … Cool!”
Before he could speak, Shihan vomited blood again. Dark red blood poured out through his esophagus.
Terrible chills and fever come at the same time, turning into excruciating pain. The heart beats erratically, and spots appear and disappear on the skin repeatedly.
My vision was blurry due to the severe headache. I tried to open my eyes and asked.
“Why is the disease of Terranor affecting me?”
“Do you want to know why?”
Karen took something out of her bosom. It was a small pouch that fit into the palm of her hand.
When I opened the pouch, a black powder swirled around the entrance, giving off a faint light.
“……that?”
Shihan blinked. It felt somehow familiar.
“I was doing some interesting research in the black ivory tower.”
The Black Ivory Tower was using this black powder as a catalyst to study how Terranor’s magic could work on otherworldly beings.
“Actually, there’s nothing strange about the research itself. It’s only natural that the Magians, who have suffered so much from the monsters of Rusclan, would want to find an answer, right?”
What she suspected was the other side.
The Black Ivory Tower treated that research as the most secret of all. Of course, it is not new for the Magians to act secretly, but even considering that, their attitude seemed excessive.
Considering the purpose of the research, there was no reason to go to such lengths to keep it a secret.
“Unless there’s something fishy going on.”
Karen smiled broadly after packing up the road dust and putting it in her pocket.
“I sent you on a spy mission because I thought you were up to something. How can you call yourself a king if you can’t even figure out what’s happening within your own territory?”
After that, Karen continued to watch the situation in the Black Ivory Tower. During that time, she even had a spy steal some of the catalyst powder.
“Then it suddenly occurred to me. If magic works on beings from another world, wouldn’t it work on diseases too?”
So I tried it.
“It worked.”
Most of them have disappeared now, but in the early days of the Six Kingdoms, there were still many remnants of the Rusclan. There were also quite a few summoners who were powerful enough to call upon otherworldly beasts.
She tried using black powder against the otherworldly monster. Her genius talent soon found the answer.
“I was confused at first, but as I kept doing it, I started to get the hang of it.”
Only then could Shihan remember about that black powder.
It feels very similar to the powder used by the Magians of the Blue Ivory Tower when dealing with the cultists in the Berselt region.
“But the Black Ivory Tower? I heard that the Black Ivory Tower is only on the 8th floor… … .”
Shihan was puzzled. He couldn’t believe that an 8th floor magician, not even a floor master, had succeeded in such a grandiose research.
“Even during the revolutionary army era, many Magians tried, but ultimately failed… … .”
Karen shrugged.
“It was probably led by Lilstein. After all, the other three ivory towers, except for the White Ivory Tower, are all under that person’s control.”
If so, then it makes sense. After all, Lilstein has been deeply involved in research on the other world from the beginning.
‘Is that Lil Stein?’
Luckily, he managed to find some useful information. While he was racking his brain, Sung Si-han suddenly snorted.
“… … By the way, it’s very kind of you to explain. Are you always that kind to your enemies?”
Even if he is on the verge of death, there is no reason to explain it in such detail.
Karen smiled bitterly.
“That’s true. Then I’ll end it as you wish.”
“I wonder if that will happen!”
Shihan shouted and forced himself to get up. However, he was unable to keep his posture and stumbled again.
“Ugh!”
My body was not listening at all. It was not something that could be overcome simply with mental strength. The excruciating pain was painful, but it felt as if the signals from my body and mind were out of sync.
“Damn! Why is my body like this… … .”
Sword Hier protects the body with his sword and can even heal wounds. That’s why Alita’s broken arm healed back up in just a few days.
He had experienced countless battles. He had suffered many near-death injuries. Naturally, he was also accustomed to using the skills to restore his body.
But my body shows no signs of getting better. The speculation and the body are completely separate.
‘Why is it like this? It wasn’t like this for other people?’
The Imperial Sword Hierarchs, who had been infected with Karen’s disease in the past, were still able to maintain a certain level of fighting power, even though they were suffering from the disease. They were not as slow as they were now.
“Of course.”
Karen smiled broadly, as if she had expected this.
“You’ve never been sick before, right?”
The Sword Hierarchs of Terranor, who naturally fall ill, learn to treat their illnesses with magic without being specifically taught by anyone.
However, Sung Si-han’s position is different. During his time in Terranor, when he was learning speculation, he never got sick due to the nature of being from another world.
“It looks like you haven’t suffered from any serious illness since returning to Korea.”
Karen’s prediction was not wrong.
The only diseases that the average Korean would get are seasonal colds or influenza, but they were able to avoid these thanks to their extremely trained bodies.
Of course, if I had caught a dangerous infectious disease like SARS or bird flu, it would have been a different story, but since I usually just stayed in my room, I didn’t catch it.
“How can I learn how to treat disease through speculation when I have never experienced it before?”
Karen snapped her fingers, laughing. A black aura rose between her fingers for a moment before settling down again. It was the time-limited celestial sphere that had infiltrated her.
“On the other hand, I’m quite familiar with the contamination of the Honcheongi.”
In the past, when Shihan was developing the Honcheongi, the one who volunteered to be a guinea pig was none other than Karen. No one is more adept at blocking or enduring the Honcheongi than she is. If Shihan had not changed the way the Honcheongi was used, it would not have been contaminated in the first place.
“Thanks to that, my abilities have declined quite a bit… … .”
At the same time as the shout, Karen rushed towards Shihan.
“… … I’m in a much better position than you!”
He continued to throw punches in succession while shouting sharply. Shihan also tried to counterattack in a flustered manner, but it was completely useless.
In an instant, countless hits struck, and the shock penetrated deep into the bones.
“Eww!”
He let out a scream and pulled up all his remaining strength. He gathered as much of the scattered celestial energy as possible and released a black light of fighting spirit.
“Honcheongi, turbulent flow!”
“This is impossible!”
Karen’s regime surged up the dark waterfall and collided with the river of speculation. The claymore broke and a massive explosion occurred.
Kwaaaaang!
Shihan’s entire body was swept away like a fallen leaf in a typhoon.
“Eww!”
***
Seong Si-han continued to vomit blood, using the broken sword as a cane.
“Ugh, kuluck!”
The spilled black blood is pooling on the floor. Blood spreads in all directions, almost as much as two or three pillows.
Shihan groaned, shivering.
“Ugh… … .”
Karen glared at him and scoffed in disbelief.
“Are you still hiding your power? Aren’t you ignoring me too much?”
She shouted coldly, her eyes glaring like ice.
“Use your weapon, Shihan! Otherwise, you will die by my hand!”
Even in the midst of the pain, Shihan smiled hollowly. Karen seemed to still think that he was hiding the power he had seen.
‘… … Do you really think that I’m hiding my strength even though I’m spitting blood into a bowl like this?’
At first, I was taken aback, but then I thought about it and it made sense.
He was one of the Seven Heroes of the Revolution who had been through all kinds of battles during the revolutionary war. He had been on the verge of death more than once.
By Karen’s standards, this level of injury is not that serious. If Sung Si-han’s position had been the opposite, he would have reacted the same way.
Shihan responded weakly.
“It’s a shame… … but this is my current level… … .”
There is no such thing as hidden talent.
I went into battle expecting Karen’s growth. I didn’t neglect to assess my opponent’s skills even during the battle. And then I came to a conclusion.
I can handle whatever tricks she has hidden.
I didn’t rush the fight because I had the time, and I fought with my chances of winning in mind. But in the end, I ended up ruining the fight by rushing.
It was through.
“Damn, I wish I had taken the time to fully recover… … .”
Karen looked blank as she watched Sung Si-han breathing heavily.
“… … Is it true that you lost your strength?”
Her face soon became filled with anger.
“What kind of joke is this? You’re going into a fight when you’re not even in the best condition? And you’re leaking information about yourself to the enemy? You’re not that inexperienced to do something so stupid, are you?”
For a moment, Shihan’s expression became blank.
“… …Karen?”
The woman in front of me no longer had the face of a cold-blooded traitor.
It was the face of his beloved older sister, who would scold him with anger, worry, and affection whenever he did something stupid in the past.
“What? Are you nagging me like you used to now?”
“ah…….”
Karen’s face hardened, visibly embarrassed. She let out a painful, labored taunt as she endured the pain.
“Or maybe you feel guilty now?”
“joy!”
Karen returned to her original form. With a cold murderous aura, she raised her right hand and took the form of a monk.
“So that stupid nonsense was true? Then there’s nothing left to see.”
A silver sword flashes sharply along the edge of the hand. It is a divine blade sharper than any other famous sword.
“Die, time is running out.”
Sung Si-han’s expression became urgent. There was really nothing he could do anymore. If Karen just lowered her hand, the situation would be over.
But she didn’t put her hand down right away. She hesitated for a moment and then stepped back. Then she looked behind her and smiled.
“Well, there’s no way those kids would just sit back and watch, right?”
Zenon and Alita were running towards me with their swords drawn.
“Time limit!”
