Chapter 52: The Turning Tide: A Duel of Wits and Resolve

• The Simultaneous Siege

The Yokai Queen and the Yokai General.

Facing them simultaneously is a reckless endeavor.

Even if the plan was to defeat them both eventually,

the ideal approach would be targeting one first and then betraying the other to defeat them consecutively.

Hae Eung Eung was far from foolish enough not to know this.

‘In a normal boss battle, that’s exactly how it would have been.’

But this situation was different.

The Yokai Queen and General were not just bosses; they were rulers with countless subordinates.

And their subordinates weren’t ordinary foes; they were Yokai with special abilities known as Legacies.

If their numbers began to build, Hae Eung Eung and the Vanguard team would stand no chance.

‘They’re well aware of this, too.’

Knowing this, the Yokai Queen made the first move, proposing an alliance.

For now, she suggested using their combined forces to eliminate the powerful General.

And when her own forces arrived?

She’d betray them without hesitation, wiping out Hae Eung Eung’s team to secure absolute power.

Once all threats were eradicated and her reign was stabilized, the discontent of those outside the palace would be inconsequential.

The Yokai General might not have schemed so deeply, but Hae Eung Eung knew the end result would be the same.

[Final Choices]

[1. Ally with the Yokai Queen (General Elimination Route)]

[2. Ally with the Yokai General (Queen Elimination Route)]

Yet Hae Eung Eung chose neither.

[3. Face both simultaneously (Dual Siege)]

It was the most reckless, daunting option.

And that was precisely why it was the only correct answer.

Hae Eung Eung, confident in her skills above all, made her decision.

[You dare challenge us both?]

[We shall teach you that your confidence is but arrogance.]

Both powerful Yokai’s name tags turned red as the notification [Player Mode] appeared.

The grand boss battle commenced.

The moment the Silent Swordsman chose to face both adversaries simultaneously,

the throne room, designed to accommodate even colossal Yokai, transformed.

The atmosphere grew oppressively heavy, as if the entire chamber were plunging into the deep sea.

“Disengage sensory link now!!!”

“Oh crap, this is bad something huge is coming!”

“What was that? Why did it suddenly feel like being hit by a truck?!”

The viewers, sharing the protagonist’s sensory experience, were overwhelmed by the crushing pressure and scrambled to deactivate their sensory links.

But for Hae Eung Eung, the player in the eye of the storm, there was no escape from the immense force bearing down on her.

[We’ll crush you like an insect.]

They were coming.

Hae Eung Eung lowered her stance to evade the incoming attack, parrying with her sword as she prepared for a counterstrike.

But her eyes widened like never before.

It grazed her.

Despite her mastery of deflecting and countering every attack,

Hae Eung Eung’s left sleeve split apart from her wrist to her elbow with a sharp snap.

“Wait, she dodged, didn’t she?”

“Why is she still taking damage?”

“Something feels off this time.”

Those familiar with Hae Eung Eung’s usual unbeatable prowess began to piece it together.

“It’s the stat difference. Their base physical capabilities are worlds apart.”

“She reacted, but her body couldn’t keep up with the speed.”

“Honestly, with that size difference, the fact that she’s even holding her ground is absurd.”

Physicality. Strength.

The Queen and the General of the Yokai.

Facing them both simultaneously would be foolish.

Even if one planned to take them all on, the ideal approach would be to target one first,

using the other’s betrayal to subdue them consecutively.

Hae Eung Eung was not ignorant enough to overlook this strategy.

‘If this were an ordinary boss battle, that’s how I would have approached it.’

But this time was different.

The Queen and the General were not just bosses; they were powerful rulers commanding loyal subordinates,

many of whom wielded extraordinary abilities stemming from inherited Transmissions.

If their numbers started to grow, Hae Eung Eung and her team would find themselves utterly outmatched.

‘They must already be aware of this.’

The Yokai Queen struck first, proposing an alliance:

“Help me eliminate the powerful threat that is the Yokai General.”

And after her reinforcements arrived?

She would turn on Hae Eung Eung and her team, erasing them with her loyal followers.

With all rivals gone and her power solidified, external dissent would matter little.

The Queen would have already secured the fruits of her victory.

Whether the General had anticipated such a betrayal was uncertain,

but Hae Eung Eung knew the outcome would likely be the same.

[Final Choices]

[1. Ally with the Yokai Queen (General Subjugation Route)]

[2. Ally with the Yokai General (Queen Subjugation Route)]

And yet, Hae Eung Eung chose neither.

[3. Face both simultaneously (Simultaneous Subjugation Route)]

It was the most reckless and seemingly hopeless choice.

But it was also the only correct answer.

Hae Eung Eung’s unshakable confidence in her abilities allowed her to make this bold decision.

[“You dare make an enemy of us both?”]

[“We will make you regret that arrogance.”]

The nameplates of the two formidable Yokai turned red.

[Player Mode Activated]

Thus began the climactic boss battle.

The moment the Silent Swordsman decided to face both powerful adversaries simultaneously,

the vast audience chamber, designed to accommodate even massive Yokai, felt as though it had plunged into the deep sea.

The air grew heavy, oppressively so.

“Disable first-person sensory links immediately!”

“We’re done for. This is insane.”

“What was that? Why did it suddenly feel like I got hit by a truck?”

Even the mere act of sharing sensory data left the viewers gasping under the overwhelming pressure,

forcing many to disconnect from their sensory links in panic.

Yet for the Silent Swordsman, who bore the brunt of this weight firsthand, there was no escape.

[“I will crush you like an insect.”]

It was coming.

Dodging and redirecting an incoming attack, the Silent Swordsman prepared to counter.

But her eyes widened in a rare display of shock.

A glancing blow.

For someone who had mastered counterattacks and deflection, the fact that her left sleeve covering her arm from wrist to elbow had torn vertically with a loud pop was unthinkable.

“Wait, did she actually dodge that?”

“Then why did she take damage?”

“Something feels off. This isn’t like her usual battles.”

The seasoned viewers, accustomed to her flawless victories, quickly discerned the issue:

“The gap in physical stats is too big.”

“Her reactions are fine, but her body can’t keep up with the speed.”

“Look at the size difference. It’s a miracle this fight is even happening.”

Size. Strength.

The disparity in their physical capabilities became glaringly evident.

The stark difference in physical prowess resulted in a massive imbalance in attack and defense.

Despite her extraordinary swordsmanship,

the Silent Swordsman found herself at a disadvantage against the General’s sheer overwhelming power.

Lacking any inherited Yokai bloodline, she couldn’t benefit from the base stat boosts they provided.

‘Normal tactics won’t suffice.’

She wasn’t blind to the limitations of her abilities.

Activating Azure Sea Technique and Blood Meridian Unsealing,

she carefully opened nine critical meridians, maximizing the efficiency of her internal energy flow.

She followed up with the Eight-Path Combo:

(Tan) – Precise strikes like pellets from a slingshot.

(Hap) – Channeling all force into a single point.

(Wan) – Attacks flowing like tidal waves.

(Gok) – Strikes that master the art of bending and curving.

For the first time, the Silent Swordsman unleashed a quadruple combo.

“Whoa, look at the speed of that blade!”

“Is this even humanly possible?”

From the start, she had no intention of prolonging the battle.

Dragging it out would invite reinforcements, diminishing any chance of victory.

To win, she needed more than just a plan she needed certainty.

‘I trust only in my swordsmanship, honed through relentless practice.

Even if it’s second-tier martial arts, as long as it’s my own, I can overcome this gap in power.’

[“Unbelievable. Is this truly the swordsmanship of a human?”]

Her (Tan-Hap-Wan-Gok) combo wove a continuous cascade of attacks,

tearing through the General’s once-impervious hide and striking deep enough to rattle his muscles beneath.

The livestream exploded with comments as Speedmaster donated 100,000 won:

[“Switching to Just Action mid-combo? Unreal!”]

Another 50,000 won followed:

[“Critical hits exploit the enemy’s weaknesses. Just Action capitalizes on your own strengths.”]

The Silent Swordsman’s mastery of internal energy allowed her to bypass the General’s lack of weak points, relying solely on her abilities to inflict critical-level damage.

And yet, this battle wasn’t one against a single enemy.

[“Screeeeeeech!!!”]

“My ears! That sound!”

“I thought my actual eardrums tore!”

“Even with sensory links off, why does it feel like my entire body is shaking?”

The Yokai Queen’s piercing scream disrupted the Silent Swordsman’s rhythm, forcibly breaking her battle trance.

Freed from his defensive position, the Yokai General swelled further, his body transforming into that of a beast no, a full-blown monster.

[“I never thought I’d see the day when I relied on your help, Queen.”]

[“Stop your chatter. Surely you’ve noticed the human isn’t using her full potential yet.”]

With the Queen’s support, the General fully embraced his Monsterization, the pinnacle effect of his beastly inheritance.

The commentator Ma Ga-Nom shouted, “It’s the Monsterization Transmission, a superior version of Beast Transformation!”

As the General charged like an unrelenting wall,

the Silent Swordsman responded with Falling Petal, Flowing Stream Steps, a technique balancing opposing forces.

Falling Petals, Flowing Streams: a duality of complementary movements, inspired by flowers falling with the current of water and water carrying the petals along.

Even amidst the storm of the General’s rampage,

the Silent Swordsman narrowly evaded his ferocious charge,

her flowing mane and billowing cloak a testament to her finesse.

The slightly humorous tension from the awe-inspiring evasion faded as quickly as it came.

The Silent Swordsman’s face betrayed no relief, only a deepening sense of foreboding.

No matter how exquisite her footwork had been, the truth was stark she hadn’t deflected even a fraction of the force.

The Yokai General, with his body as unyielding as a towering rock formation piercing the ocean, was no mere pebble to be whisked away by gentle streams.

He was a landslide of stone and earth, the kind that redirected rivers and obliterated paths.

“The Queen must be stopped!”

The urgency in her voice cut through the charged atmosphere as she readied herself again.

Behind her, the Yokai Queen’s chest expanded grotesquely,

preparing another ear-splitting wail to shatter the battlefield’s tenuous balance.

But before the Queen could unleash her sonic attack,

two massive hands, spectral and menacing, wrapped around her throat.

The Boogeyman, in his relentless grip, tightened his hold,

his spectral figure flickering as he poured his strength into subduing her.

The Queen’s legs trembled as as her pale, monstrous visage twisted with fury.

“She’s preparing to leap! Stop her! Wendy—!”

The warning rang out, but the ground trembled violently before it could be heeded.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Reinforcements pounded against the doors of the grand Audience Chamber, sending a wave of unease among the defenders.

Wendy hesitated, torn between holding the door and stopping the Queen.

The stalemate broke as the Prince sprinted past her, determination blazing in his eyes.

“She won’t escape!”

The Prince, nimble and unyielding, hurled himself at the Queen just as her monstrous legs coiled like springs.

With a concealed dagger, he struck the corded muscle of her left leg, disrupting her motion but failing to stop her completely.

CRASH!

The Yokai Queen sprang upward, slamming into the chamber’s towering ceiling.

Her massive frame ricocheted violently between walls, ceiling, and floor, sending shockwaves that sprawled both the Prince and Boogeyman.

When she landed, her glowing eyes locked onto the Prince with seething rage.

“You’ve always been a thorn in my side,” she hissed. “A bastard child who stole His love, His attention everything that should have been mine. I’ll end you here!”

Despite his battered state, the Prince clenched his bloodied fist and stepped forward.

“Don’t worry about me, Wendy. Guard that door, no matter what!”

With grim determination, the Prince and Boogeyman faced the Queen, their combined will buying precious moments for the Silent Swordsman.

Now, it was her and the Yokai General a pure, unbroken duel.

‘This is the turning point,’ she thought, gripping her sword tighter.

Defeating him now meant hope; failure would doom the raid entirely.

The Yokai General loomed like an immovable mountain, his presence a crushing weight.

To pierce his defenses required precision and skill far beyond anything she had encountered.

‘Power alone won’t win this.’

The Silent Swordsman shifted her stance.

This wasn’t just another battle it was the decisive confrontation.

To win required surpassing every limit.

The Yokai General’s devastating charge was both fast and relentless.

Each evasion and counterattack drained her inner energy an overwhelming toll she couldn’t sustain.

Inflicting meaningful damage demanded even greater reserves, something she was rapidly depleting.

Yet, fate tipped in Hae Eung Eung’s favor for the first time.

“For a human to wield such battle prowess, I must commend you,” the General admitted. “Were this not a contest for the throne of the Yokai Realm, I would have gladly fought you at full strength. But alas, the timing is unfortunate.”

“Do not call me dishonorable. This, too, is strategy in the pursuit of victory.”

Despite his overwhelming advantage, the General miscalculated.

“Your artifact the sword you wield it is inactive because the conditions haven’t been met, am I wrong?”

“It must be a weapon imbued with extraordinary legacy. Its power triggers only when your opponent uses their full strength. A strike requiring both combatants to reach their limits.”

Though partly correct, his assumption underestimated Hae Eung Eung’s skill.

Believing her prowess came solely from the sword, the General grew cautious.

He halted his assault, adopting a defensive stance.

“Even without striking you down with full power, time is on my side. The Prince’s forces will collapse eventually. Break yourself against my defense. Despair as your strength fades.”

In doing so, he unwittingly gave her the opportunity she needed.

Freed from the grueling toll of evasion and counterattacks, Hae Eung Eung could now focus on a singular, precise strike.

This was the moment to turn the tide.

The raid’s timeline could be accelerated.

The burst damage phase had begun.