Auto Hunting

They couldn’t wrap their heads around what was currently happening. It was impossible to understand this unconventional situation.

Yang Jeong-cheon, who had retired from the frontlines several years ago, had the Red Dragon Twin Swords back in his hands.

This time, they were aimed not at a monster, but a human. Besides, whatever the outcome would be, wasn’t it too huge a price to pay to enter Jeokryong-dong’s prohibited area?

However, no one dared oppose their Lord’s decision.

Everyone was tense. It wasn’t just because of Yang Jeong-cheon.

Both he and Yoo-seong exuded a strange atmosphere.

There was no tension, no visible tremor or strain, just an endlessly serene atmosphere.

The experienced fighters recognized it. It was similar to watching two masters both prepared to take the sword against each other. They didn’t even have to walk long.

Yang Jeong-cheon led them to a training ground located right behind the library.

It was designed in such a way that applications could be immediately tested right after the theories were mastered. However, even the first Lord would not have imagined today’s turn of events.

“Don’t think about the damage around you. Whatever collapses or gets crushed, I do not want us to stop the match.”

Right now, an unprecedented duel in the history of the Red Dragon Society was about to take place.

“The same goes for you, too,” Yang Jeong-cheon replied as he turned to the crowd.

“You are welcome to focus your eyes on the match. In fact, I’d like to recommend that you watch it as much as possible. But, remember that you should not just move your eyes. You must also be quick on your feet. Keep that in mind.”

An eerie atmosphere instantly swept through the crowd.

“I can’t take responsibility if any of you gets caught up with the Twin Swords blades.”

Yang Jeong-cheon’s words rang throughout the silent training ground.

It was clear to everyone. No one could stop him now, not even his own daughter.

“Father…”

Yang Biyeon finally found her voice.

‘Should I praise his courage?’

“Why are you doing this? You don’t have to use the Twin Swords for sparring…”

“This is not a sparring match.”

“What?! Father—”

“Say nothing more. Just watch.”

Yang Biyeon quivered.

She knew.

The role she had to play was clear.

Yang Biyeon was first and foremost Red Dragon Society’s successor. She couldn’t let her emotions take over her.

She had to watch closely and learn. This was a match where her father waged everything.

And partly, it was for her sake.

More than anything else, Yang Jeong-cheon wanted her to see how the Ignition Psy worked in his hands.

‘Still…’

For Yang Biyeon, it was inevitable that there could only be one victor.

She looked at Yoo-seong wearily.

‘No matter how good Brother is, his opponent is The Yang Jeong-cheon.’

Number 2 rank in the former Ship Zone was not a hollow title.

The results were obvious.

‘No.’

Yoo-seong looked at Yang Biyeon, who inadvertently turned to him. Her eyes conveyed so much pain.

When had he seen her with such misery?

Then he turned, this time, facing Yang Jeong-cheon.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“What is it?” Yang Jeong-cheon asked.

‘Please,’ Yang Biyeon prayed. ‘Please stop this ridiculous match.’

“Are you stronger than Jin Wei-baek?”

‘Will my prayers ever be answered?!’ Yang Biyeon wanted to scream.

“You jerk!”

Anger had risen up amongst the crowd once they understood what Yoo-seong’s words meant.

Even Yoo Chong-gwan, an executive who was known to be the calmest among the Red Dragons, couldn’t help himself.

“You damn foreigner! What are you saying…?”

Just then, those who raised their voice fell silent.

They felt it. The change in temperature was instantaneous.

It was hot.

“What? You’re asking the obvious,” Yang Jeong-cheon laughed.

As the corners of his mouth raised, the blades of the Red Dragon Twin Swords opened up like an eerie smile.

“Check it out for yourself.”

In an instant, the heat that filled the area aggregated around Yang Jeong-cheon.

Hwaak-!

Yoo-seong’s hand crossed the air.

Click-!

Yoo-seong pressed the button. The very next moment…

Taang-!

It sounded as if a cannonball was fired.

The next thing Yoo-seong knew, he felt it before he could even see it, Yang Jeong-cheon’ blade was right in front of him.

It was Explosive Acceleration. With his age and experience, everyone knew Yang Jeong-cheon would take it easy at first.

Bam-!

Yoo-seong’s turned his body swiftly, turning his back a little too much in the process.

However, everyone admired his agility. Yoo-seong felt different from usual.

Bung-!

The blade on Yang Jeong-cheon’s other hand was aiming for the gap in his disorganized posture.

The same was true this time.

He turned around and avoided it. This wasn’t something that Yoo-seong’s Automatic Hunting was used to. This was the first time he faced an opponent with such a long-bladed weapon.

Normally, he would turn his body around with minimal movement and take advantage of the Spider Walk to break through.

However, now, for some reason, he could not.

On top of that, it was also strange that he could not feel any heat.

The Yang Family’s Ignition Psy could easily affect their surroundings just by getting emotional.

‘How many times have I experienced it now?’ Yoo-seong thought.

Even when he kept narrowly avoiding the blades, Yoo-seong did not feel any heat. There must be a reason why Automatic Hunting was trying to avoid the blades desperately.

He focused the heat on the blades, Yoo-seong realized. If it touches me, I will burn.

He might be on to something.

Tatak-!

Dodging Yang Jeong-cheon’s attacks was becoming extremely taxing for Yoo-seong.

He took a quick step back and leaped as high as he could. He landed on top of a huge tree just outside the training ground.

In his own calculation, he must have been 6 to 7 meters above the ground.

Yang Jeong-cheon responded aggressively.

Using Explosive Acceleration, he followed Yoo-seong as he swung his swords.

Squeak-!

His ascent did not even leave marks on the tree. Then, as the blades grazed through the trunk, the tree exploded into more than ten pieces.

Each section of the wood had become completely burned.

It didn’t even burn with visible fire. It had turned directly into ash.

‘Just how hot is this?’ Yoo-seong thought.

He shrugged off his frightening estimate.

“I have waited for far too long,” Yang Jeong-cheon said.

“Warm up’s over.”

Yoo-seong jumped off from his position.

Yang Jeong-cheon’s Red Dragon Twin Swords were waiting for him below.

Unlike before, they were shining in a bright shade of red. This was the minimum level for becoming a Red Dragon Lord.

Yang Jeong-cheon was awakening two perfect red dragons to satisfy the greedy fellow before him.

‘You have to put your whole heart into a state of perfection.’ Yang Jeong-cheon thought.

‘You can’t be satisfied with being the best hunter in this current generation.’

“It’s over!” Yang Jeong-cheon yelled as he jumped.

He crossed the swords over his chest.

Then, a fiery X mark flew from them toward Yoo-seong.

There was no need for any other complicated tricks. The two awakened red dragons were enough.

It was the continent’s strongest destructive power. The crowd had begun to murmur.

“It’s over.”

“That young man will die.”

It was as if everyone knew.

It was an attack that no one can ever directly receive.

Perhaps they were right. However, it was a little unfair to judge a match that had barely just begun.

No one heard the sound Yoo-seong’s body made.

Crash-!

It started right after the match began when Yoo-seong dodged Yang Jeong-cheon’s first attack.

He wasn’t the only one who was done with warming up.

Go-oh-!

Yoo-seong’s body had now finished adapting.

Out of nowhere, his left-hand pulled out a blade. To fight against a sword, he needed his own sword.

“Huh?” one of the Red Dragon members mouthed as the others watched with him in stunned silence.

“Plum flowers?”

It couldn’t have been real flowers.

However, everyone saw it, including Yang Jeong-cheon.

Countless plum flower petals were falling from the sky. Just then, a phenomenal optical illusion was formed by the movement of the blades.

Two fiery red dragons contained in the flying X mark made their way through the myriad of fluttering plum blossoms.

No one heard a thing, but everyone felt what happened. They felt the petals settling on the scales of the red dragons. This triggered the red dragons to release the heat they contained.

The collision ended with an explosion of plum blossom petals.

“Whoa!”

The crowd, who were already watching from a distance, couldn’t help but coat themselves with Aura for protection.

When they looked back, Yoo-seong was nowhere to be seen.

Thack-!

Yoo-seong descended behind Yang Jeong-cheon.

“What the hell?”

Turning around, Yang Jeong-cheon broke into laughter.

“How much do you have left?” Yang Jeong-cheon asked.

‘I won’t be able to use the automatic hunting button for a while,’ Yoo-seong thought.

Unintentionally, he did not answer Yang Jeong-cheon’s question.

This was because he was ecstatic, once again lost in his own head.

Yoo-seong just had the perfect realization from the last clash.

He was breathing differently. It was a breathing technique similar to someone using a Gong.

Ten hours ago, Yang Biyeon demonstrated to him the power of the Red Dragon Gong with the pendulums.

Despite using a lower amount of CE than Yoo-seong, she was able to push the pendulum further than he did.

‘A Gong doesn’t just increase Aura efficiency,’ Yoo-seong thought.

It was much more specific than that.

It changed the physical properties of the Aura.

It was somehow similar to Psy, but in an entirely different concept.

The Red Dragon Twin Swords were supposed to contain a tremendous amount of heat around them.

However, they did not have a trace of warmth, even up close.

Yoo-seong found it strange.

If an object was that hot, it naturally emitted heat around it.

This was where Yang Jeong-cheon came in.

With the Red Dragon Gong, he somehow contained the energy, preparing it for an explosion, Yoo-seong speculated.

Gongs were not controlled with fine veins. It was a form of natural-release Aura.

Thus, it was not as powerful as Psy, but still had the same Aura-bending characteristic.

For the Yang family, who are born with Ignition Psy, their Gong was used to stabilize the heat. Thus, it was easier for them to concentrate on swinging the sword.

Now, Yoo-seong just applied the same concept.

He formed a new Gong to compliment Automatic Hunting.

Go-oh-oh!

As soon as he realized it, he felt confident.

‘I can win.’

He raised his blade before him and dug his feet hard on the ground.

Now, it was his turn. It was time to hunt a dragon.