Shun POV:

I splayed my hand forward, and fangs parted. White Ki condensed into an orb that shook the surrounding area until a beam tore through the clouds. It split into five more, then ten more; each one spiralled toward the target assigned to them.

The Ki Cost, Stamina Drain, and control increased proportionate to the number of beams speeding across the battlefield, but I didn’t care.

Four merged back into one. Their advancement proceeded to the next step once the tiger head was recreated four times larger than before. Several roars accompanied white explosions that engulfed The Creed members.

It didn’t matter whether they were wounded or not since Tō empowered the concentrated Ki before it was expelled. In other words, Tō carried over the same usage from Tiger Rin but also gained several new ones from Tiger Retsu.

“!”

Lynil’s strikes crashed into a left hand until my right fist shot forward. The depression caved in. Shockwaves shattered the rising walls and signalled his departure beyond the horizon.

Didn’t I say I learn quickly?

So why wouldn’t I go further than what Shades showed me?

Rin represented Power, and that was why Tiger Retsu doubled the physical strength of my right arm for its duration. I flashed forward with a kunai, clashing against swords and spears. White lines darted around the battlefield. White flickers of light impacted craters further before detonating other areas fortunate enough to avoid destruction.

‘Spy.’

Bullets sprayed everywhere amidst the thick dust clouds. I manipulated the wind to my current limit, focusing only on one thing: protecting my daughter.

I failed several X ranked missions.

I failed to get my revenge.

‘Rin.’

But I gained something precious.

So I would fight.

Rin no longer just reversed the force back toward the target, it also amplified it. So when I caught Penny’s fist, her arm should have shattered the same way Filkruj’s did. The technique should have launched her backwards, but reality was different to what I expected.

Penny didn’t move.

Her lips curved into a wide smile before she leaned forward.

“Pffttt, how crafty!~ The kid can reflect back the force of physical attacks internally and amplify it, but the downside is the Ki Cost. It has to be equivalent to the force received, right?~”

“...”

She didn’t need an answer to know her deduction was flawless. Despite that being the first time I used Rin, Penny understood the way the technique worked, and that meant she was equal to Shades in strength at best or several levels higher than him at worse. I flipped back, avoiding dozens of powerful water attacks that threatened to shatter my Ki Armour.

‘Pyō.’

Tiger Retsu prevented combination techniques from being used. However, this wasn’t a drawback because it could stack with the core techniques of the Kuji-kiri instead.

Thousands of shurikens rained down on the battlefield. A high kick crashed into Lynil’s guard before he cut to the side in time to avoid a tiger fist quake the area.

“...His future potential makes him a worthy candidate to be a suitor for a Ravendawn.”

Elemental monsters continued their destructive assault while my hands blurred against several Creed members. Sparks danced amidst the dust clouds every time their weaponry collided with the straight blade of a ninjatō.

“So it would seem. He’s lacking in many ways, but the Family can tidy him up.”

I weaved through several sharp strikes from a woman with a medium tan. Their attack patterns changed, and their speed increased.

“You lot talk too much.”

“Heh. How cute. Let’s turn it up again~”

The wall to Jikki began to shake. It crumbled with the adjustments I made to their adjustments. Improvement came from every exchange that I entered with the intention of ending their lives.

Their words meant nothing to me when I had a timer continuing to fall.

The three Professions spiralled into one through seamless transitions. I rode on a lifelike wind eagle, carpet bombing the battered terrain further through bursts of condensed Elemental Ki.

A fire hawk flickered into view, but an enhanced spray of bullets lit the realistic bird up, denying it the chance to complete its objective. I jumped into the new smokescreen when spinning sickles shredded it apart.

Hidden flames rose to the surface. They exploded along the tiger arm, activating Tō’s passive state. Physical strength was doubled. The power of Elemental Ki was tripled, but both benefits decreased over a 4-minute window.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

This effect of Tō also had an 8-minute cooldown.

Fire took on a white appearance due to Rin, but the power that blasted the Creed member away included Tō. Several beams smashed into his chest, striking the same spot until a detonation consumed that area.

Wizard closed the earth above me. I travelled underground, manipulating the surface to put the elemental army in better positions.

‘!’

A giant water snake bulldozed its way into the same tunnel. Feza was determined to keep the fight on the surface, but I declined. My descent continued until a fair hand grabbed my wrist; mint green eyes flashed. A knee brought me to the stratosphere before the fall of high heel turned the terrain into a wide valley.

Mouthfuls of blood splattered everywhere.

Spy caught a man’s shin.

Rin reversed and amplified the force back.

The assault was never-ending. Dungeon Monsters couldn’t compare to dealing with The Creed, but I held on.

“This kid! He’s trying to forcefully break through to the next Ki Stage!~”

“I thought... he was smarter than that.”

“Stupid.”

“He’ll experience Ki Deviation at this rate.”

“Kihahaha! Then that’s all he’s worth. As Penny would say, turn it up again.”

Sweat accumulated on my forehead from the new intensity. It rolled down the sides, but the abrupt shifts in movement altered their destination. Some droplets rose. Others fell, but they all became a part of the destruction in the end.

Currents of water coiled around me. I sprinted over the surface of the stream, healing wounds before a flat hand sliced down. A whip slapped a Creed member into the towering valley wall when four tentacles attached to my back.

Hands flickered: a fist ejected a blaze of fire forward. A palm launched gusts of wind. An instep sent a ring of boulders crashing into the firestorm until an elbow ordered a rotating water drill to pierce through it all.

Currents revolved and moved according to my command.

Waves danced in tandem with the motion of gliding hands. Tentacles blurred in all directions. They elongated. They shortened, but once I somersaulted into the air, their merger fissured the earth with a rapid descent.

“I’m merely adjusting to kill you all faster.”

My feet hit the fractured ground before directing torrents of water to isolate The Creed’s co-ordinated movements. They weren’t the only ones capable of changing their fighting style.

“Arrogant prick.”

I cocked my head to the side at the same time a gun pressed against a woman’s forehead. She had a darker complexion than Penny that highlighted deep hazel eyes; they glared into mine when my lips parted.

“Watch your mouth.”

*Bang*

The spinning bullet launched her out of my Domain before a focused spray crashed into her chest.

“Haha!~ Let’s see how long he can keep this up for!”

***

“Sha.”

I lost count of the lacerations, deep bruises, cuts, ripped-off flesh, and other wounds healing within the Domain. The Creed stood opposite me—uninjured and without a single drop of sweat or dirt on any part of their bodies.

“Just how large are his Ki Reserves?”

“...It’s incredible for his current Ki Stage.”

I wiped the blood away from mouth, prepared to continue this until the timer reached zero when a voice entered my mind.

“My liege! They have arrived!!”

“Stay hidden.”

“A-as you command!”

It was as I expected.

Chloe and my daughter were targets that needed to be kept safe at all times due to the fail condition of this mission. I had managed to draw The Creed away for 4 days, but this was the limit.

“Too bad!~ Your daughter is about to die, kid.”

“Wrong.”

Smoke washed over the area, covering the hands that blurred within. Penny arrived, but the seal was formed before her fist could reach me.

‘Transfer.’

“It was an honour, my liege.”

I switched places with a female Shadow Deadmin. Her existence was erased by Penny. However, she had served her purpose not just for me but for my family.

I peered down at several Creed members exiting the tunnel from the shadowed ceiling. They rushed into the room when I landed in front of my daughter; the kusarigama spun in both hands, ready to fly forward at any moment.

“Shun...”

I ignored Chloe and observed Tembo folding his arms with the same controlled expression.

“We meet again, Dungeon Maniac. It looks like this is where it ends for you.”

‘...’

I observed his mannerisms, demeanour, and speech. Information was separated into the appropriate categories under Tembo’s profile in a matter of seconds. I concluded that he was probing me, but why?

I glanced back at Chloe, then at my daughter. She held the baby close to her chest, angling the child in a way that prevented her from seeing the scene in front.

‘…’

Chloe’s pupils dilated once my lips curved upwards.

“SHU—”

The chain and sickle shot forward, but a Creed member parried it to the side. If Tembo wanted to see how versatile the Codex could be, I’d oblige. He would find out soon enough the extent of my ability.

Ki flared, and two hands clapped together, forcing it to deviate.

Desperation made Chloe’s head shake. Agony made the tears pool, but what made them fall was the back protecting her. White Ki Arrays illuminated the cave when a confident voice drowned out the loud sobs.

“Grand Teleportation!”

Tembo’s eyes widened at the flash of light that consumed them all. I arrived back in the valley with the rest of The Creed. However, my daughter was near Rodon’s border, hidden inside a Choga I built before entering The Awakened Sentri’s Mausoleum. It contained food reserves and fresh water in case I had to escape the Ravendawn’s pursuit after killing Chloe.

“Keuk!”

My eyes bulged. Blood vessels popped; they poured out a liquid that dyed the world shades of scarlet. Sweat drenched the clothes I wore, but the pounding pain, bouncing off the four walls of my mind, tilted my equilibrium to the sky.

I stumbled.

“Retsu... S-Sha...”

The air rushed inside and added to the flames scorching my throat. Healing had no effect on the internal damage progressing at a rapid rate.

“Tō...”

Red patches splattered the area around me. I tried to harmonise the Ki spiralling out of control, but it backfired. The immense pain brought me to my knees and robbed me of the clarity my vision once had.

“What a shame.”

Tembo peered down at me; The Creed assembled behind him with solemn expressions.

“Jin... Pyō... Zai.”

Jin assessed my understanding of myself and Ki Channels. Pyō began to gather and direct the Deviating Ki along the temporary exit Zai created based on Jin.

My hands encapsulated The Creed within the mudra’s border.

A forceful expulsion obliterated the entire scenery in front of me.

‘...’

The strength of Snake Jin’s exit route was proportionate to my understanding. However, it became less stable the more often it was used in succession, which could lead to a permanent decrease in Ki Stage. The unnatural discharge of Deviated Ki also affected me. That was why my Ki Reserves and Stamina dropped by 1/10th.

The wind rolled the dust clouds to the side, revealing The Creed standing in the same position unharmed.

‘Tch.’

[Time Remaining: 254:30:40...]

Black hair clung to a forehead coated in sweat. Laboured breaths made the body struggle to raise a kunai toward Tembo.

“...Come on. Is this all The Creed has to offer?”

Ki erupted out of my body once I cocked my head to the side. Pitch-black eyes curved upwards when the shadow fell. At that moment, I banished the weakness, trying to disrupt the resolve I made. At that moment, the trembling dispersed.

‘That’s right. Focus everything on me.’

Penny stepped forward; her laugh already penetrating the status quo of silence.

“Look at this kid~ We should greet him properly. Right, Tembo?~”

Tembo flicked his chin forward, and the battle began once more.