Failed Possession Chapter-27

## Chapter 27. *The Spar*

—

From the moment Chuk Shin-do wrapped the **Demon-Guiding Orb** in aura, Yuri no longer needed to suppress his laughter.

Because he understood.

That ridiculous, simple-looking attack required such profound internal energy mastery that even most experts wouldn’t dare attempt it.

‘Good lord.’

Yuri’s eyes were still too dull to properly follow this spar.

He only saw Bakered kick off the ground—then somehow Bakered was already flying backward, catching the **Demon-Guiding Orb** with both hands before crashing into the earth.

“Hoo!”

Chuk Shin-do didn’t perform the ceremony this time, but he used that word like a battle shout.

The allotted time for the spar was five minutes.

Not even a minute had passed—barely ten seconds, if that.

Yet Bakered, embedded in the ground, couldn’t rise.

The floating **Demon-Guiding Orb** returned to Chuk Shin-do.

He didn’t bother approaching Bakered and instead casually rested it on the top of his foot.

“Want to stop?”

he asked.

Bakered reacted.

Suppressing a groan, he forced himself upright.

He had deployed protective aura the moment he received the attack.

Thanks to that, his arms hadn’t broken—

but because he couldn’t fully disperse the impact, his ribs had shattered.

“I’m… fine.”

Bakered steadied his breathing.

He tightened his muscles to hold the broken ribs in place so they wouldn’t pierce his organs.

Only external injuries. No internal damage.

He reset his stance and glared at Chuk Shin-do.

Thud.

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** bounced again off Chuk Shin-do’s foot.

But this time it wasn’t a straight shot.

Instead, the aura around it spun violently.

Bakered didn’t rush in like before.

He spread his feet wide, bent his knees into a horse stance, and thrust both fists forward.

‘Vajra-Shattering Fist.’

Yuri had seen it once during his month of training.

The fist art that earned Bakered the title Fist Wolf and raised him to the 6th Rank.

A heavy, crushing style that demanded intense external body training.

“Indestructible Vajra?”

Chuk Shin-do’s lips twisted.

He knew the concept was a myth—

but he didn’t underestimate external training that pursued such durability.

His eyes saw exactly how solid Bakered’s defense was.

‘Can he… break it head-on?’

Yuri swallowed hard and clenched his fists.

He’d heard many times that the gap between the 6th and 7th Rank was enormous—

but he had never witnessed it properly.

So this was an enormous opportunity.

To see how strong a possessed one could become.

To see the difference between Rank 7 and Rank 6.

He focused, straining his eyes.

He couldn’t catch everything—

but he wanted to see as much as possible.

—BOOM!

Chuk Shin-do’s foot kicked the **Demon-Guiding Orb**.

The violently rotating aura tore through space.

It looked like a tornado being fired.

This time Bakered reacted in time.

He drew out his internal energy without reserve, reinforcing his protective aura.

The aura on his fists changed nature.

Unbreakable.

Unshakable.

Crack—crack—!

Power ripped from his twisted frame used his shoulders like cannons.

His fists fired like artillery shells.

CRASH!

Bakered’s fist collided head-on with the **Demon-Guiding Orb**.

His teeth ground together.

It felt like his fist would shatter, his body explode.

His legs threatened to lift off the ground.

But he endured.

With a roar, he pushed his fist forward harder.

Thunk!

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** bounced slightly upward.

The swirling aura still raged.

His fist burned.

Even through aura protection, he’d been injured.

He had struck intending to destroy it—

but only managed to push it back slightly.

No regret.

Stopping it head-on was already an achievement.

‘Full-Moon Play…’

He wasn’t visible.

Bakered’s eyes widened.

Where—

A sharp warning pricked his senses.

He snapped his head up.

Chuk Shin-do was in the nearby sky.

He hadn’t missed the **Demon-Guiding Orb** that Bakered’s punch had deflected upward.

Thunk!

Chuk Shin-do smashed it with his forehead.

‘A header?’

Yuri’s eyes flew open.

A header? From there?

He assumed it would be weak.

A terrible miscalculation.

CRASH!

Like a meteor, the orb slammed into Bakered.

“Urk—!”

Unable to defend properly, Bakered’s body twisted.

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** crushed his left arm and bounced upward again.

He dragged his feet and barely recovered his stance.

Chuk Shin-do was still in the sky.

He trapped the orb with his chest, twisted his waist, and swung his leg wide.

BOOM!

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** became a cannonball again.

‘Too fast…!’

Even watching from afar, Yuri could only gape.

Even just kicking a steel ball from distance was terrifying enough—

but Chuk Shin-do didn’t rely solely on long range.

He dominated the sky above Bakered and kept kicking from close proximity.

‘The attacks never stop. They keep chaining.’

He trapped the rebounding orb in countless ways and instantly fired again.

Feet and head only—

never using his hands.

A madman’s stubbornness.

Worse—

the transitions were fluid, natural, free.

To Yuri’s eyes, Chuk Shin-do seemed to blink and teleport midair,

and every time, the **Demon-Guiding Orb** slammed into Bakered like artillery.

Under that relentless assault, Bakered couldn’t even respond.

All he could do was concentrate his protective aura and cover his head with both arms.

One-sided violence.

Even Yuri, not very high-ranked himself, could see—

this wasn’t a spar.

It was a beating.

He felt complicated emotions.

First—respect.

For the level Chuk Shin-do had reached.

No matter when he started that ridiculous persona, reaching that height couldn’t have been easy.

The fact he could flaunt such nonsense confidently proved his strength was real.

And—

pity.

For Bakered.

The man who abandoned the spear after the Laspion tragedy and poured twenty years into becoming a martial artist.

His Rank-6 strength looked meaningless before this onslaught.

‘Is the gap between Rank 6 and Rank 7 really this big?’

Bakered had expected defeat.

But had he expected to be crushed this one-sidedly?

Full-Moon Play had said:

What you gain from fighting someone overwhelmingly stronger is mostly your own helplessness and despair.

Was Bakered feeling that now?

Yuri clenched his fists.

Bakered’s protective aura was eroding under the continuous blows.

His clothes were shredded.

Blood seeped from his tightly shut mouth.

“Full-Moon Play!”

“Full-Moon Play!”

The crowd chanted his title.

Because it looked flashy—

because it was spectacular—

they cheered.

Yuri bit his lower lip.

Between Bakered’s guarding arms, his eyes were visible.

Strangely—

they weren’t filled with despair or helplessness.

It wasn’t because Yuri sensed something special.

Not because of affection from a month of training.

Not because he disliked Chuk Shin-do.

He’d always been like this.

Twisted somewhere.

Everyone cheering the bully irritated him.

Instead of the overwhelmingly strong Full-Moon Play—

he found himself siding with Fist Wolf getting beaten.

He could’ve kept it to himself.

He was socially trained enough to know better.

Yet—

perhaps because of the earlier denial—

impulse pushed him.

“Fist Wolf.”

Not loud.

But not a whisper either.

A middling voice.

Haryeong and Elena stared at him in surprise.

Haryeong smirked, clearly amused.

Elena looked strangely moved.

‘Why are they looking at me?’

Embarrassed, Yuri cleared his throat and refocused.

Did Bakered hear?

Who knows.

Maybe.

The orb bounced up.

Left-foot trap. Shot.

And then—

Bakered changed.

For minutes he’d only defended.

Now both arms moved.

‘Ah.’

The intent in his fists was different from Vajra-Shattering Fist.

The movement was familiar to Yuri.

‘Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist.’

Their daily sparring art.

But now—

it carried full internal energy.

Not just form.

The first stance—

**Floating Cloud Drift**—

manifested perfectly.

—WHOOSH!

Aura swelled and scattered like clouds.

The charging **Demon-Guiding Orb** met Bakered’s left fist.

Extreme softness.

The orb was swallowed by clouds.

“Huh?”

For the first time—

Chuk Shin-do reacted.

The trajectory twisted—

bouncing away in a completely different direction.

Of course, for Chuk Shin-do, that wasn’t a problem.

This was his field.

Wherever the orb went, he could retrieve and attack instantly.

But—

that Bakered had redirected it—

that made him admire it.

‘Thought he only had brute force…’

Chuk Shin-do smiled.

He kicked off the air.

The rising **Demon-Guiding Orb** stopped under his sole.

It dropped downward.

Bakered’s exhausted eyes tracked it.

His footwork unfolded.

The steps linked with Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist—

**Storm-wind Cloud Steps**—

fully deployed.

‘What is that?’

Yuri didn’t properly know that footwork.

But he could tell one thing clearly—

that unfamiliar movement fit the **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist** perfectly.

Bakered moved with a nimbleness that didn’t suit his large frame, evading the **Demon-Guiding Orb**, then leapt high into the air and charged straight at Chuk Shin-do.

“Ha ha ha!”

Chuk Shin-do burst out laughing.

The orb he had kicked hadn’t even returned yet.

But that meant nothing to him.

His signature technique,

**Full-Moon Kick-Slaughter Art (滿月**,

was an aura art.

—WHOOSH!

A sphere of aura formed at his foot.

“To think I’d actually have to use Full-Moon Kick-Slaughter Art!”

He shouted it like a complaint—

but he didn’t feel even a hint of displeasure.

Rather, he was enjoying himself.

Laughing heartily, Chuk Shin-do kicked the sphere of aura.

Kiiiiiik!

The sphere didn’t fire immediately.

It trembled violently.

Then—

it split into dozens of pieces, filling Bakered’s entire front.

Without realizing it, Yuri’s mind had already stepped into the center of the spar.

He calculated which move of **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist** could counter those dozens of aura spheres.

‘Storm of Wind and Clouds.’

The second form of the style.

The fist with the most variations.

Bakered chose the same.

Storm of Wind and Clouds, combined with **Storm-wind Cloud Steps**, looked like an actual tempest.

Clouds scattered, gathered again, and danced—

catching the aura spheres.

“Ha ha ha!”

Chuk Shin-do kept laughing.

At some point, the **Demon-Guiding Orb** had already returned to his foot.

BOOM!

A direct shot pierced through all the swirling changes and aura—

and slammed into Bakered.

“Kgh—!”

Blood burst from Bakered’s mouth.

There was no time to recover.

Chuk Shin-do’s pressure continued relentlessly—

yet Bakered didn’t retreat into pure defense.

He actively deployed **Storm-wind Cloud Steps**, deflecting attacks with **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist**, and occasionally fired fierce counterblows from **Vajra-Shattering Fist**.

“Amazing.”

Haryeong, who hadn’t even blinked while watching, muttered in admiration.

“It looks like Full-Moon Play is holding back quite a bit, but Fist Wolf’s responses are excellent. Even if it isn’t perfect, he receives the attacks and never misses chances to counter. I thought Fist Wolf specialized only in one-strike-kill techniques… but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

She said that and waited for Yuri’s reply—

but none came.

Glancing over—

his eyes were bloodshot red.

And his pupils were darting frantically.

‘No way… is he actually seeing it?’

Impossible.

Haryeong stared at his face in disbelief.

Normally, if you stared at him like this, he’d throw some cheeky remark.

But now—

nothing.

He was completely immersed.

‘Even I can barely follow it…’

Suppressing her shock, Haryeong turned her gaze back.

If Full-Moon Play weren’t holding back, she wouldn’t even dare look—

but right now, the spar barely remained within the range she could perceive.

But Yuri—

he shouldn’t be able to see this.

He shouldn’t.

‘Was his talent really this absurd?’

She already admitted he had talent.

A month of training under Fist Wolf proved that.

But this—

was far beyond what she’d imagined.

‘He can even follow movements like that…?’

Her voice didn’t reach him at all.

Every nerve Yuri had was focused on Bakered and Chuk Shin-do.

Bakered, mixing **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist**, **Storm-wind Cloud Steps**, and **Vajra-Shattering Fist**, was like an advanced textbook of a true martial artist.

He couldn’t understand it all yet—

but he burned every movement into his mind.

And Bakered wasn’t the only textbook.

Full-Moon Play.

Chuk Shin-do.

Naturally, Yuri focused on him too.

Forming aura like that was impossible for Yuri right now.

But given time—

he could.

Full-Moon Kick-Slaughter Art had become a lesson showing how aura should be shaped and manipulated.

‘It’s not just the aura technique that’s amazing.’

Chuk Shin-do roamed freely through space.

That movement—

it felt like something that could merge with the “freedom” pursued by **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist**.

And what drew Yuri’s attention most—

were Chuk Shin-do’s **legs**.

He already had **Blazing Burst Fist** and **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist**.

That was enough for fists.

For mental cultivation, he possessed the supreme **Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique**.

He had also obtained **Purple Lightning Flash Art** for future attribute conversion.

But—

he didn’t know how to use his legs.

He’d planned to learn or create footwork someday.

Yet legs weren’t just for walking or running.

Watching Chuk Shin-do made him realize that obvious truth anew.

Legs—

could be used to kick.

He’d only learned fist arts—

but that didn’t mean he had to limit himself to punching.

Look.

Even though Chuk Shin-do only kicked the **Demon-Guiding Orb** and aura spheres—

his kicks themselves were already a complete combat method.

“One minute left.”

Namgung Ju-won, who had been watching with arms behind his back, finally spoke.

The allotted time was five minutes.

If Bakered remained standing—

he would win.

“Ha ha!”

Only one minute left—

yet Chuk Shin-do was still relaxed.

Bakered had defended solidly for two minutes to analyze his style—

then spent two minutes attacking.

“One minute is plenty.”

If he truly meant to finish it—

if he hadn’t held back—

he could’ve ended it in the first strike.

Why hadn’t he?

Was it a bit of sympathy—

for Bakered, the illegitimate survivor of the Laspion massacre whose life had been destroyed by the possessors?

Or respect—

for the audacity of challenging an unbeatable opponent?

Or a desire to teach something to a warrior stuck at the Rank-7 wall?

Whatever the reason—

Chuk Shin-do never once considered losing.

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** returned.

He balanced it on his right foot and spread both arms wide.

—WHOOOOOSH!

As if everything before had been nothing—

space around him rippled.

An aura no single human should emit interfered with space and mana.

Countless aura spheres rose around him.

“You won’t die,”

Chuk Shin-do said with a grin.

“Fist Wolf Bakered. I’ll retract part of what I said earlier. You don’t despair at helplessness. I hope you don’t despair at this attack either.”

“Huff… huff…”

Covered in blood, Bakered raised his trembling fists.

“If you don’t despair… if you keep watching and resisting until the end… you might gain something. Then perhaps you can fall satisfied.”

Bakered bared blood-red teeth and smiled.

“Thank you. But… I won’t fall.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Laughing loudly, Chuk Shin-do slowly drew his leg back.

—WOOOOOOOM!

The **Demon-Guiding Orb** stuck to his foot.

Countless aura spheres churned.

Terrifying power concentrated into his leg and the orb.

“Full-Moon Kick-Slaughter Fate… Secret Art.”

Yuri watched with bloodshot eyes.

That absurd aura technique—

not even full power—

yet what was about to unfold carried world-shattering force.

‘I have to watch.’

Even if he couldn’t understand—

he had to see it through.

“**Heaven-Filling Downpour.**”

—BOOOOOOM!

Chuk Shin-do kicked.

Countless aura spheres became a meteor shower and surged toward Bakered.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

A world-flipping explosion thundered through space.

The crowd screamed.

“—Hah.”

At that moment—

Yuri finally exhaled without realizing it.

From afar,

Orca and Lacy both turned to look at him.

—