Kang Oh soon released his Devil Trigger. Both of his hands tightly gripped Ubist, and his eyes were completely unfocused.

Burkan approached him and raised his gladius up high. He was ready to strike down Kang Oh if necessary!

He hoped he wouldn't need to.

"I hope you overcome the trial, Little Brother," Burkan said genuinely.

* * *

Kang Oh was in a world of everlasting darkness.

The darkness completely obscured his vision. It was similar to when he'd first taken Ubist's trial.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo."

Kang Oh breathed regularly and maintained his composure.

'He's definitely gotten stronger.'

He clearly remembered what his first trial was like.

So when Ubist popped out of his sword, he immediately noticed how much larger and wilder it had become.

Kuhaang!

Ubist suddenly roared.

[You have heard the King of Magical Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist's Roar. Ubist's Roar gives fear to its prey and reduces their abilities.]

[Nevertheless, you remain calm. Your Indomitable stat, as well as your experience fighting countless powerful foes, has allowed you to overcome your fear.]

[Your abilities do not decrease.]

Kang Oh smirked.

'You're not the only one who's changed. I've gotten stronger too!'

Ubist's trial.

Stats and levels were largely meaningless. After all, his and Ubist's strength grew equally.

What mattered was power; power that could surpass stats or levels! Willpower was also paramount!

"C'mon!" Kang Oh confidently yelled within the darkness.

Wouldn't it respect his bravery?

Kuhaaaah!

Ubist roared angrily and rushed at Kang Oh.

Due to his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh roughly knew where it was coming from.

'Right side!'

Kang Oh leapt and rolled onto the floor.

Spurt!

A bizarre sound rang out, one of Ubist tearing the space itself apart. Of course, Kang Oh wasn't intimidated by the sound.

Guided by his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh bravely swung his sword at a weak spot.

Slash!

He tried using a skill, but it didn't feel right.

'As expected, you can't use skills here.'

Kang Oh had tried it out just in case.

Bam!

Kyaahk!

Though his skill didn't activate, his attack landed nonetheless. His attack had struck Ubist's weak point! Obviously, red shards of light burst from Ubist's body as well.

Ubist immediately counterattacked.

Spurt!

It sounded like the dimension itself was being ripped apart again. But something was different this time.

Its paw released an energy blast akin to a slashing claw!

Kang Oh had experienced this last time too. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel how savage, powerful, and destructive it was. Of course, his Hyper Intuition warned him as well.

'How cowardly!'

He couldn't use combat skills, yet Ubist could. How unfair!

Kang Oh rolled onto the floor.

He knew that if he just barely dodged it, then he wouldn't come out unscathed.

Kang Oh didn't hear the energy, which had ripped through the space that he'd just occupied, crash into anything.

Which meant that this dimension was a large area without any walls or obstacles.

'Ok.'

Upon realizing that Ubist had just used a powerful attack and that there weren't any obstacles to hinder him, Kang Oh transitioned to offense.

A cut, a thrust, another cut, and another thrust!

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

His sword continuously clashed with Ubist's claws.

'As I thought, it has gotten stronger.'

When he was level 1, Ubist couldn't block his attacks so easily.

But now it was!

'If that's the case, then...'

Kang Oh tried a feint. He halted his sword midair. Ubist had prepared itself for Kang Oh's original strike, causing it to get off balance.

Then, he followed up with his true strike!

Swish!

His sword struck true.

Kyaa!

Ubist rushed at him, shoving the jet black darkness towards him.

However, it stopped its attack halfway. It had copied Kang Oh and had used a feint as well.

But the tactic wouldn't always work, especially when it wasn't done properly...

'There!'

His Hyper Intuition hadn't warned him of danger; it had merely pointed out a weak spot. Kang Oh seized the opportunity.

Swish!

Another clean hit!

Kya!

Ubist flinched backwards.

Kang Oh stepped forward and swung his sword, unwilling to let it get away.

Whenever he swung his sword, it felt as though his concentration was at its utmost.

'Thanks, Burkan!'

His spar with Burkan! He'd maintained a high level of concentration during his fight with Burkan, and that concentration had transferred over to his fight with Ubist.

Kang Oh swung his sword more precisely than before.

Clang, clang, bam, bam, clang, bam, swish, slash!

Ubist managed to block a few of his attacks, but as time went on, Kang Oh managed to gain the upper hand and damage it more and more.

Kuhaa!

Ubist leapt back and in an act of desperation, swung both of its front claws.

Swish, slash!

Abyss Claw x2!

Two Abyss Claws, each composed of three lines of darkness, flew at him, converging into an X.

Kang Oh gritted his teeth.

It was too late to dodge it, so he merely protected his vitals with his sword.

Screech, screech, screech!

Upon contact, his blade let out a shrill 'screech'!

As if that wasn't enough, a part of his body, which he hadn't been able to protect, was ripped apart.

[You have taken damage.]

[Remaining HP: 90%]

'I defended myself, yet it still shaved off 10% of my HP!?'

Ubist's attack power was so high that defense was largely meaningless against it. If he just defended, then he'd surely die. If that's the case, then the only way he'd survive is by attacking!

Kang Oh kicked off the floor.

Kuah!

Ubist dashed at Kang Oh.

It immediately became a battle of CQC. The two continued to aim for each other's vitals.

However, Kang Oh was much better at aiming for his enemy's vitals. After all, Hyper Intuition was on his side!

Bam, bam!

Ultimately, Kang Oh was the first to land a proper attack. He even landed a follow-up attack too.

Grr.

Ubist snarled and leapt back once more. It was probably thinking something like 'I'll finish you off with Abyss Claw!'.

'Not a chance!' he thought. 'I'm not dumb enough to get hit by the same thing twice!'

Kang Oh rushed towards the location where he sensed a presence.

Before Ubist was even able to swing its front legs, Kang Oh attacked.

Left with no other choice, Ubist was forced to defend itself.

Clang!

They fought close up once more.

Ubist used everything at its disposal, including its claws, its tail and its fangs.

Whenever it did so, Kang Oh would either roll onto the floor and avoid its attack, or he would hold his sword askew and block it.

As they say, opportunity presented itself after disaster. Whenever Ubist exposed itself between attacks, Kang Oh would attack.

Hyper Intuition or not, even Kang Oh couldn't block or dodge all of Ubist's blows.

In fact, he'd lost quite a bit of HP!

In exchange...!

Ubist was riddled with sword wounds. As a result, its HP had dropped below half.

[Ubist's HP has dropped below 50%.]

[Ubist is creating a copy of itself made of darkness.]

'That's a relief.'

Kang Oh wondered what he'd do if Ubist cloned itself twice; after all, it'd gotten stronger since the last time he'd fought it. Fortunately, it only summoned one copy.

A short while later...

Kang Oh felt a chill at both his right shoulder and his left thigh.

Ubist's main body and its copy were striking at two different areas simultaneously.

'It feels like the left one's the real one.'

The copy tried to bite his right shoulder, but he avoided it. Then, he charged at the true Ubist, which was attempting to scratch his left thigh.

Clang.

Kang Oh deflected its attack! He then thrust his sword.

Stab!

Ubist retreated. Then, the copy attacked Kang Oh from behind.

'Back when I was level 1, I let it hit me from behind, but this time...'

When he'd first taken Ubist's trial, Kang Oh had focused on the main body, allowing the copy to get behind him.

Kang Oh quickly moved to the side.

Kuahk!

The copy assumed that it had left a large wound on its prey, but it hadn't actually accomplished anything.

Then...

Kang Oh quickly got back into position and whacked its face with his sword.

Whack!

Kehk!

Kang Oh didn't stop.

He struck the copy again and then rushed at the main body.

He engaged the main body in an intense battle and soon enough, he sensed the copy approach him.

'I'm not the same as I used to be!'

Kang Oh landed a huge hit on Ubist's main body, turned around, and launched himself at the copy.

The copy's claws raked Kang Oh's shoulder, but it was a flesh wound. Thus, he didn't take much damage from it. The copy's attack power was weak too.

"Take this!"

Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword. It flew through the air until it met the copy’s flesh.

Swish!

Shards of light exploded from it. Though of course, Kang Oh couldn't see them.

Anyhow, Kang Oh didn't fight them 2 on 1.

He moved, attacked, evaded, and defended deliberately, forcing the main body and copy to fight him 1 on 1. It proved to be a successful strategy.

Ubist couldn't take advantage of its numerical advantage at all.

'We're almost done here.'

Kang Oh had the advantage and was nearing victory.

However...!

Kyaoh!

Kyaa!

Ubist and its clone simultaneously roared and widened the distance between each other.

Kang Oh chased after the main body.

Spurt!

The copy unleashed an Abyss Claw from behind.

'So the clone can use that skill too!'

Kang Oh quickly rolled onto the floor and avoided the Abyss Claw.

Then, the main body attacked.

Abyss Claw!

It likewise unleashed the powerful, ferocious energy blast.

'This is crazy!'

Kang Oh feverishly rolled onto the floor as if it were his own bedroom.

He couldn't regain his composure, as Abyss Claws kept flying at him from both front and back.

'I can't keep going like this.'

At this rate, Kang Oh's Stamina would deplete before he could kill them. With his Stamina gone, he'd be a sitting duck.

'Letting them hit me isn't a viable option either.'

Abyss Claw. It was too powerful to allow even one of them to hit him.

'If that's the case, then...'

Kang Oh stood up. An Abyss Claw came flying at him from the side.

'I have to pierce through it!'

Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword at the incoming Abyss Claw.

Clang!

The attack was heavy enough to cause his sword to shake. Kang Oh forcefully tightened his hands around his sword.

"Uha!" he cried out.

At the same time, he cleaved through the Abyss Claw.

'I did it!'

However, now wasn't the time to be celebrating. The clone's Abyss Claw was coming after him.

He threw himself out of its way and avoided the Abyss Claw. Then, he charged at the main body!

Kang Oh cleaved through another one of the main body's Abyss Claws, dodged the clone's, and then charged once more!

It definitely wasn't easy cutting through the Abyss Claws. In order to do so, he needed to maximize his concentration and use all of his strength at the exact moment.

Avoiding the clone's Abyss Claw from behind wasn't easy either. He had to time it just right.

Yet Kang Oh continued to do it. In the end, he managed to reach the main body.

"Let's finish this!"

He put all of his remaining strength into this swing. Kang Oh's blade passed through the center of Ubist's body!

[Ubist has less than 10% of its HP remaining. It feels its life is at risk, so it has retreated deep into the darkness.]

[You have completed the Trial of the Demon Sword.]

Bam!

The darkness receded instantaneously. Then, he was greeted by the sight of Burkan staring vacantly at him.

Like he'd asked, Burkan was ready to strike him down if necessary!

"You ok, Little Brother?"

"I overcame the trial!" Kang Oh yelled confidently.

Then, he received a system message.

[By overcoming Demon Sword Ubist's trial, your assimilation rate with Demon Sword Ubist has dropped to 0%.]

[Devil Trigger has risen to the intermediate rank.]

[Now, your demon form will be even more powerful.]

[Your maximum assimilation rate has increased to 200%. Upon reaching 200%, you will be required to take the Trial of the Demon Sword again.]