Without its spear, the stranger shifted back and held a hand out to summon the weapon back into its grasp.

  But Youngho’s reaction was immediate and brutal. In a flash, he had closed the distance and landed a devastating strike on his armored opponent. It sounded like a thunderclap as his fist made solid and direct contact on armor.

  For a second, Jinyoung could see the armor plating shake and wobble from the blow. The next several blows came in quickly, first striking at the body and then moving on to the head. The armored figure staggered under the force of the blows and could only feebly put its hands up in defense to protect itself. But Youngho easily swept those defenses aside and landed a flurry of savage punches.

  The stranger tried to dodge sideways, but the damage had taken its toll. Their legs shook and movement was slow. Youngho easily caught his opponent and pressed them against the wall with one hand while pummeling away with the other. Even from a distance, Jinyoung could see the armor had been battered to breaking. Chunks of the helm had broken off, and it was only a matter of time before Youngho broke through the defenses completely.

  Jinyoung shook himself out of shock. If they didn’t act now, the stranger was as good as dead.

  “Willow! I need you to get his attention!”

  Willow shot back a look of surprise and fear. “Are you sure about that?”

  He wasn’t. Everything that had happened in the past hour was wrong. There was no question about Youngho’s infection. It was definitely sin and the longer he had it, the worse off they would be.

  But, Jinyoung was more concerned about the gate. Even if this was man-made, it was still a tear in time and space. Only monsters came through the gates, but the armored intruder was clearly something else.

  For all of humanity’s advancement in the understanding of the System, their understanding of the gates was unchanged.

  Long story short, they needed the stranger alive.

  “Willow, do it!”

  Her hands shook from the strain. Jinyoung could see clearly that she had pressed past her limits, but with [scan] he saw that her mana levels were almost nonexistent. The last of her reserve flowed into her hands and manifested as pure force.

  “[Arcane shot]!!”

  The spell flew out in a direct path with enough force that there wasn’t even an arc. It hit Youngho squarely in the back with just enough force to loosen his grip. The stranger slid against the wall and fell in a heap on the ground.

  Jinyoung didn’t wait. He [charged] and [dashed], letting his skill carry him across the large room and swung an upward cut. It was an attack designed to not kill, but to maim.

  It’s the arm, he thought. That has to be it.

  His arm traced a wide cut. He could nearly hear the sword sing as it cut through the air. But instead of carving clean through flesh and bone, the blade lodged itself an inch into Youngho’s blackened arm. And try as he might, Jinyoung could not dislodge it.

  He was so focused on what was right in front of him that he barely heard Willow call out a warning behind him.

  “Jinyoung!”

  He didn’t see the blow coming. The fist him squarely in the chest and in the blink of an eye he knew that at least two of his ribs were broken. The hit was strong enough that he was momentarily lifted off the ground before he crumpled to a heap.

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  At first, all Jinyoung could do was focus on catching his breath. He coughed and wheezed while trying to straighten his blurred vision. He was only vaguely aware of Youngho standing over him, but his eyes drifted down and focused on the stranger.

  Their armor was dented, broken in some places. Especially the helm which had cracked open completely exposing a face underneath. A human face with scars and bruises covering delicate features. But Jinyoung’s eyes were on her mouth. She was speaking but he couldn’t hear anything through the ringing in his ears.

  “Kaht hit hoff…”

  What?

  Jinyoung put his palms against the floor and pressed himself up to a kneeling position. His body screamed in pain with each movement, but he still had breath. And if he still had breath in him, then he still had a fight in him.

  “Kaht hit hoff…”

  Jinyoung shook his head. I don’t know what you’re saying.

  Out of Youngho’s view, the stranger lifted a gloved arm and slowly materialized the spear. Meanwhile Youngho stood over him, staring. He didn’t move, but his fists were balled up tight.

  I can’t beat him, he thought.

  He struggled to speak, but it was hard enough to breathe.

  Almost as if to respond, the stranger shook her head. She gripped the spear tight and then, with a flick of her hand, tossed it to Jinyoung.

  It took everything he had left to reach out with his hand and catch the spear haft squarely in his palm. The way the spear looked and the way it felt defied all logic. The spear itself seemed to be made of light, but it was solid. Heavy, even. But more than anything else, it was shockingly cold. The kind of glacial iciness that climbs through your limbs and chills you to your core.

  Youngho’s black eyes opened wide and he reacted by bringing his fists down. Jinyoung kicked out his legs against Youngho’s torso and pushed, sliding across the floor just before two fists smashed the spot the spot he would’ve been.

  “Kaht it hoff…!” the stranger repeated, but with more urgency this time.

  Between the broken ribs and the spear that threatened to suck the heat out of his body, it took Jinyoung a moment before he understood what she was saying

  Cut it off.

  He’d tried already and failed with his own sword. He could see the shattered remnants of the blade by Youngho’s feet. In fact, Jinyoung hadn’t even seen Youngho break his weapon. But judging by the black spreading over his shoulder, he likely broke it with his bare hands.

  Instinctively, he gripped the spear tighter but that only sent a blast of cold through his arm and into his body. Whatever this weapon was, it was as much a danger to the wielder as it was to their enemies.

  But Jinyoung didn’t have time to think before he saw Youngho step forward and ready himself to attack.

  Shit. How do I use this thing? he thought.

  Until now, the stranger had used the spear sparingly. Only using it for attack or parries. The few times Jinyoung or Youngho had landed direct blows on the spear itself, it had exploded with a knockback force that hit everyone nearby including the stranger who was wielding it.

  It can’t block.

  Youngho sprinted in and threw a savage punch. Unlike with monsters, the [scan] skill was slow to react. Almost as if the system were having trouble detecting the old man’s movements but the punch was telegraphed from a mile away. He drew his fist back and when he threw the punch, he put his entire body and full weight behind it causing him to skid past Jinyoung when he dodged out of the blow’s path.

  To avoid mishandling the spear, Jinyoung held it behind him. The monk’s movements were still jagged, lacking any depth or strategy. Each punch was designed to cause injury and damage all on its own, regardless of the follow up. That made each attack easier to dodge, but just barely.

  I can’t keep this up forever!

  He’d only have one chance, and if he messed this up, he was likely dead.

  Jinyoung [dashed] back, creating more distance between the two. He’d also need [charge] if this was going to work.

  Youngho stopped, surprised by the sudden retreat before stepping forward again. And just like before, he ran, pulling his fist back and launching the same punch with his entire weight behind it.

  This time, Jinyoung used the butt of the spear to catch Youngho’s arm and with a flick of the wrist, he turned him away. This simple parry pulled Youngho off-balance and he stumbled past Jinyoung, unable to stop in time.

  I hope I’m doing the right thing.

  He only had a split second, but it was enough. Jinyoung brought the spear point around and cut a wide swath up, just below where Youngho’s arm met his torso.This time the spear cut straight through offering almost no resistance.

  The old monk’s mouth opened wide and he let out a screeching wail, similar to what the wraiths sounded like. It was long and piercing. And at the end, the high-pitch faded until it was just a human scream before it cut off and Youngho tumbled to the ground.