Before long, a space was set up in the training hall for the spar.
A shadow flickered beneath Dang Gyu-young’s feet.
Meanwhile, Dang Jun-yeop stood with both arms relaxed at his sides.
His sleeves were wide and long enough to completely hide his hands, suggesting like most Dang family martial artists that hidden weapons and poison were his main specialties.
There was no telling how much he had concealed inside.
As for Dang Hee-yeon, she held several long spikes. Something like large nails or stakes.
They faced off, observing each other for a moment before Dang Gyu-young politely made the first gesture.
“I look forward to your guidance.”
“I hope you can back up that bold talk.”
“You won’t be disappointed.”
“…Let’s begin.”
With those words, the fight began.
Dang Gyu-young raised her mana and focused her mind.
In response, shadows spread wide behind her, pillars rose, and a roof formed overhead.
She had deployed [Shadow Corridor].
Despite their opponent bringing out a powerful move from the very start, Dang Jun-yeop and Dang Hee-yeon remained silent, seemingly focused only on their own tasks.
Ssssss…
Gliding across the training ground with fluid movement technique, they continuously threw things out.
Dang Jun-yeop scattered dozens of bean-sized pellets and yellow smoke began to rise from various spots.
Meanwhile, instead of spreading them out, Dang Hee-yeon poured her strength into throwing each spike one by one.
Thunk!
The spikes, infused with internal energy, drove deep into the ground.
She moved a short distance, planted another, then moved again to plant the next.
Though there weren’t many yet, a clear pattern was already emerging.
A formation.
They were occupying space to impose some kind of special effect.
It wasn’t clear exactly what kind of formation it was, but one thing was certain.
If it’s completed, this will get a lot more disadvantageous.
Dang Gyu-young seemed to think the same and acted immediately.
She first tried pulling out one of the spikes as a test, but unsurprisingly, it didn’t budge.
As expected of the Dang family, their throwing technique was formidable.
In that case, dismantling the formation was impossible.
Interference is the answer.
Following a flick of Dang Gyu-young’s fingers, two Qyu-shadow undead stepped out from the corridor and shot toward the opponents.
Tap!
Dang Hee-yeon kept her eyes on the Lab Director and the Shadow Lord as they rapidly closed in.
“Those look like undead.”
“Why say that now? You’ve been watching this whole time.”
“Watching? This is my first time.”
Dang Hee-yeon feigned ignorance.
In reality, she had probably been secretly observing since the first day of our training, but she couldn’t exactly admit that.
She had her pride as a martial artist.
Soon, Dang Hee-yeon pushed her movement technique to the limit, narrowly evading the Shadow Lord’s thrust.
She dodged the Lab Director’s bulked-up punch the same way, then hurled a spike with all her strength.
Thunk!
As she did, she muttered in a speculative tone,
“Doesn’t look easy to destroy. Since they’re undead, they’ll probably regenerate quickly.”
“I’m sure you know that since you’ve been watching.”
“What are you talking about? I’m just guessing.”
Even as she shamelessly denied it, her analysis was fairly accurate.
The Dang twin heroes and Hye-seong Group’s marksmen had overwhelming firepower, allowing them to destroy the Qyu-shadow undead whenever openings appeared.
Even the Lab Director who functioned as a sort of meat shield.
On the other hand, Dang Jun-yeop and Dang Hee-yeon were overall weaker than the twins, and their combat style didn’t seem focused on raw firepower.
They can take down the undead.
If they threw everything they had at it, it would be possible.
But the moment they did, the undead would simply be resummoned from the corridor, making it inefficient.
“Is there any need to fight head-on?”
“So you came in with that strategy.”
“I just came up with it.”
Dang Hee-yeon replied calmly as she continued her movement technique and planted another spike.
Thunk!
In short, their strategy was to avoid the Lab Director and the Shadow Lord while focusing solely on completing the formation.
Of course, evading all attacks from A-rank undead wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
Slash!
The Qyu Shadow Lord darted past at terrifying speed, leaving a wound on Dang Hee-yeon’s side.
It was long but not deep, likely thanks to her maximized movement technique and defensive techniques.
Even so, the damage would accumulate.
She’s willing to endure a certain amount.
Because once the formation was complete, she believed they could seize victory.
In response, Dang Gyu-young hoisted her shadow bat onto her shoulder.
It seemed the Qyu-shadow undead alone wouldn’t deal meaningful damage, so she was about to join the assault herself.
But as if reading that intention—
Boom!
The granules scattered across the floor exploded, and acrid smoke began to billow up.
When Dang Gyu-young tried to move around it, more explosions and smoke followed.
Boom boom!
Dang Jun-yeop asked in a mocking tone,
“Did you think I’d just leave it at that?”
“I assumed you’d come prepared with countermeasures.”
“Enough with the speculation. It doesn’t matter at this point anyway.”
“That’s true.”
Whether Dang Jun-yeop and Dang Hee-yeon had carefully planned this strategy with the Elders beforehand, or truly came up with it on the spot as they claimed, didn’t matter.
What mattered was that the fight had already begun, and they held the advantage.
Boom!
Dang Jun-yeop continued releasing poisonous smoke, kindly adding an explanation.
“As I mentioned earlier, it’s a neurotoxin. There are various types, but the effects are similar.”
“What kind of effects?”
“One breath dulls your senses, two stiffen your entire body, and three will have you writhing on the ground like a worm.”
“That’s quite a frightening poison.”
Dang Gyu-young nodded as if she had learned something new.
Then she took a deep breath, puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel, and kicked off the ground toward Dang Hee-yeon.
At this, Dang Jun-yeop’s eyes widened.
“How foolish!”
Did she really think holding her breath for a moment would solve anything?
It was a clear miscalculation.
With a triumphant gesture, he waved his hand, triggering a chain of explosions.
Boom boom boom!
Through the thick poisonous smoke, Dang Gyu-young charged straight ahead.
After reaching Dang Hee-yeon, she joined the Qyu-shadow undead that were already attacking in unison.
Dang Jun-yeop watched the scene with immense satisfaction.
“It seems you’ve resorted to a desperate gamble, but this is the end.”
At best, Dang Gyu-young only had enough strength left to swing her bat a few more times.
After that, the neurotoxin would spread through her body and bring her down.
But contrary to his expectations, Dang Gyu-young continued swinging her bat as if nothing was wrong.
Whack!
Struck in the forearm, Dang Hee-yeon staggered back.
Before she could recover her stance, the Shadow Lord thrust forward with a longsword.
Swoosh!
She barely managed to dodge, only for another shadow bat to slam into her shoulder.
Even after halting the formation and pouring all her strength into evasion, bruises kept piling up across her body.
After taking hit after hit, Dang Hee-yeon finally snapped and shouted,
“Hey, you idiot! Are you just going to stand there and watch!?”
But Dang Jun-yeop, as if he had inhaled his own neurotoxin, stood stiffly and muttered,
“It didn’t work…? My poison…?”
He must have prepared it carefully to break through resistance, so it was only natural he’d be flustered when it didn’t work at all.
He soon regained his composure and shouted,
“Calling your brother an idiot. What kind of disrespect is that!”
“Shut up, you damn idiot! I said help me!”
“This won’t do! Use ‘that’!”
“‘That’? Now?”
“There’s no other choice!”
Dang Hee-yeon’s expression twisted in irritation, but she stepped back with her movement technique and reached into her robes.
Then she pulled out something shaped like a cylinder and aimed it at the charging Qyu-shadow undead and Dang Gyu-young.
The next moment, with a low click, the front of the cylinder opened—
Boom!
With a deafening roar, everything in front of it was obliterated.
I figured they’d have at least one or two hidden weapons like that.
They’re simple, powerful, and fast. Perfect for escaping a crisis.
Of course, there was no way Dang Gyu-young, being from the Dang family, hadn’t anticipated this as well.
Shrrr….
A faint, pale figure flickered into view some distance away, and soon Dang Gyu-young’s form emerged.
She had activated [Ghost Dance] at just the right moment.
Furrowing her brows, she addressed Dang Hee-yeon,
“That was a Thunderclap Bomb, wasn’t it?”
“It was. Why?”
“Isn’t that a bit excessive for a situation like this?”
It wasn’t something that could be easily made, given its level of power.
Whether due to immense cost or a complex crafting process, it had to be a significant investment.
And yet they had used it in what was merely a spar. Moreover, not even as a finishing blow, but just to escape a tight spot, which made it all the more absurd.
At that, Dang Jun-yeop gave a deliberately relaxed smile.
“For a weapon of that caliber, I suppose it was spent rather meaninglessly. But do you think that was our only option left?”
“……”
“It was somewhat unexpected that the poison didn’t work, but if you think that’s the end of it, you’re gravely mistaken.”
As he said that, he pulled out purple granules from his robes and began scattering them in all directions.
Shhhhh….
The smoke that rose was purple as well.
Meanwhile, Dang Hee-yeon had finished regrouping and added while gripping a stake in her hand again.
“It wasn’t a complete waste. Take a look around.”
“….…”
Dang Gyu-young slowly surveyed her surroundings, only to find that stakes had filled the training ground before she knew it.
A large formation was on the verge of completion.
If Dang Hee-yeon had been neutralized, it would have all fallen apart, so using it to escape that crisis had been more than worthwhile.
“Just a little more!”
Thunk!
With another stake driven into the ground, the battle resumed.
Dang Hee-yeon moved swiftly, making full use of her movement technique.
Dang Gyu-young and the shadow undead gave chase.
Dang Jun-yeop focused on spreading the unidentified purple poison pellets, occasionally firing hidden weapons to keep Dang Gyu-young in check.
As time passed, the remaining gaps in the formation were filled.
Thunk!
And the final stake was driven deep into the floor of the training ground.
Dang Jun-yeop and Dang Hee-yeon spoke at the same time with faint smiles of triumph on their faces.
“It’s over.”
“It’s finished.”
Shhhhh….
The green and purple smoke rising from all around thickened several times over.
Even so, it remained contained within the bounds of the formation.
Perhaps thinking there was nothing left to worry about now that victory was in hand, Dang Jun-yeop once again offered a helpful explanation.
“There’s no need to take down the undead. We only need to subdue you.”
“That’s true.”
“That’s why we set up this formation. So you can neither escape nor avoid it. Can you see the poison building up?”
“I can.”
Shhhhh….
Sure enough, the poisonous smoke steadily took over the interior of the formation, leaving Dang Gyu-young with fewer and fewer places to evade.
“Not only that. When multiple poisons are confined like this, they mix together and produce an even stronger effect.”
“A mixed poison.”
“As expected, you know your stuff. But no matter how capable you are, you won’t be able to withstand this.”
Shhhhh….
Before long, the smoke grew so dense that they could barely make out each other’s figures.
The siblings grew more confident by the moment, watching their opponent as if certain she would collapse in agony at any second.
Yet even after some time passed, Dang Gyu-young simply stood there blankly within the smoke.
Her expression remained completely calm.
“……?”
Dang Jun-yeop’s face twisted in confusion.
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