Chapter 656

His body boiled.

But like a fever that suddenly flared up, it slowly cooled into lingering heat.

Yet the changes in his body continued.

It felt as though wings were sprouting from his back.

Shiva watched Su-ho with a pleased expression, his characteristic four arms folded across his chest.

The evolution continued.

And when the trembling of his body stopped, he saw a familiar hand at the edge of his vision.

It was a hazy hand of the same kind as Girard, which extended over his left shoulder.

[ Girard has successfully sprouted the second hand under your influence. ]

A brief notification.

He had succeeded.

“Is that it?”

That was it.

It was a little ridiculous.

It was this easy?

But it really was over.

Shiva applauded and congratulated him.

- Excellent. As expected of you.

“It’s been a long time since I brought Girard itself out...... But I didn’t know it would come out this easily.”

- Does that matter? What matters is that you did it.

“I suppose so.”

Su-ho controlled the hands as though fascinated.

The hands moved awkwardly, just like when he had grown a tail in Dragon Mode before.

‘Aren’t there any tips or something?’

Su-ho checked Girard’s information for the first time in a long while.

[ Girard ]

Rank : S+# Parasitic Soul Giant.

# Girard is one of the ancient beings and is classified as a Soul Giant that lives by parasitizing a target.

# Girard’s greatest characteristic is that, after successfully parasitizing a target, it gradually causes the target to lose their sense of self before completely taking control of the body.

# Most living beings are unable to overcome the immense status of a Soul Giant and surrender their bodies.

# Girard is influenced by the stats of the body it has parasitized.

# The first hand has been released.

# The second hand has been released.

A Parasitic Soul Giant.

Right, that was how this thing had been classified.

After all, the form he had first seen had also been a giant.

But a few lines among them bothered him.

The first was that, after successfully parasitizing a target, Girard gradually caused the target to lose their sense of self before completely taking control of the body.

The second was that most living beings were unable to overcome the immense status of a Soul Giant and surrendered their bodies.

So if I let my guard down, it will devour me?

He did not think his status was lower than Girard’s, but just in case, he asked Shiva.

- Hahahaha! You don’t need to worry about anything like that. You subdued Girard with your own power in the first place, so how could your status possibly be lower than Girard’s?

“Right?”

- Moreover, no matter how ancient Girard may be, its level should only be around that of a Demi-Constellation. But you are a Guardian God and stand on the verge of being promoted to a Constellation, don’t you? So you may subdue it and wield it as you please. There is absolutely no reason to be afraid.

Hearing that from Shiva of all people was very reassuring.

At that moment, Shiva, who had been looking at Su-ho’s Girard, approached and tightly grabbed one of Girard’s hands.

Although it had a translucent and hazy form, Shiva gripped it firmly as though it were living flesh.

Twisting one of Girard’s hands as though bending back its wrist, Shiva spoke to Girard.

- Still, if you feel uneasy just in case, do this. Girard, I know that by nature you are a parasite constantly watching for an opportunity. But if you keep acting up, I’ll cut off your arms.

“Will it understand you just because you say that?”

- It understands. I can see it.

“Ah?”

Those were not empty words meant to reassure him.

Shiva’s eyes, which saw through everything, truly could see it.

The existence of the Soul Giant crouching inside Girard.

Releasing the hand he had twisted, Shiva said,

- Serve your master well. Don’t remain passive. Be proactive. You’re capable of that, aren’t you? You’ll have to remain attached to this body for thousands upon thousands of years now, so wouldn’t clinging to your pride only be your loss?

Naturally, no answer came back.

But Shiva had made himself perfectly clear, and then he said to Su-ho,

- Now then, since your physical conditions have become completely identical to mine, why don’t you practice using your arms before you leave?

“Shall I?”

- It’s better to do it while you can. You learn quickly, so you’ll become accustomed to them soon.

“Good. Let’s do that.”

It was something he would have to practice eventually.

He disliked leaving a power he had obtained unused, and rather than using it clumsily, it was better to master it properly while he had the opportunity.

Especially since beings with four arms were virtually nonexistent among those around Su-ho.

He had to learn while someone like Shiva was here.

- First, to become accustomed to them, let’s give the hands names. Think of them as a kind of command word. That will make it easier to convey your intentions. Leave your left and right hands as they are, and give the newly sprouted arms names. Will you?

“Names?”

Giving names to body parts.

It felt somewhat childish, but the teacher’s word was law, so he decided to comply.

He did not think for long.

He decided to call the new arm extending to the left Third Hand, since it was his third hand, and the one on the opposite side Fourth Hand, since it was his fourth.

- Third Hand and Fourth Hand. Good. Shall we begin, then?

The real lesson began.

This felt distinctly different from learning a fist art or a technique.

Perhaps it was like learning how to ride a bicycle.

But as time passed, thanks to Su-ho’s excellence and Shiva’s seasoned instruction, Su-ho gradually began becoming accustomed to using Third Hand and Fourth Hand.

However, no matter how much he practiced, they still felt slightly awkward.

That could not be helped.

His existing body parts moved on their own even without him consciously recognizing them, whereas Third Hand and Fourth Hand were body parts that had suddenly sprouted like a tail, so although he seemed to be becoming accustomed to them, it was difficult to escape the compulsion that he had to control them consciously.

After teaching him for quite some time, Shiva said,

- Hmm. Everything is good, but there is one thing bothering me.

“What is it?”

- You can control them reasonably well now, but you still haven’t escaped the compulsion that you must consciously control them.

“That can’t be helped. They suddenly sprouted, and I never normally used anything like them. How could I suddenly use them naturally?”

- Still, they are connected to your body, so you should regard them as part of your body now. But it isn’t as though you cannot control them at all, so from what I can see, if we unblock this one obstructed acupoint, you should be able to make rapid progress.

“An acupoint?”

- It’s merely an expression. So, how about we try an extreme prescription?

“How?”

- Like this.

At that moment, Shiva’s fist smashed toward Su-ho’s face.

Booom!!

A tremendous roar.

Shiva’s fist struck Su-ho.

But what it struck was not his face, but two crossed arms.

Third Hand and Fourth Hand had remained still.

Having blocked Shiva’s fist, Su-ho let out a hollow laugh.

“This method of treatment is exactly the same as my master’s.”

- I don’t overuse things like this. I only do it when it is truly necessary.

“I know. You’re deliberately exposing me to danger so that I’ll move Third Hand and Fourth Hand instinctively, right?”

Shiva’s eyes curved at Su-ho’s answer.

- That’s right.

“But...... I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve somehow been tricked?”

- Haha, that’s your imagination. Anyway, let’s spar once. The rule is that we use only pure hand-to-hand combat, without mana or skills.

“Okay.”

At that moment, Shiva’s fist flew at him once again.

Su-ho raised his arms and blocked it again.

Then Shiva’s Third Hand immediately flew in and struck Su-ho in the face.

Booom!!

The air exploded behind his struck face.

Tremendous power.

“Ah.......”

It feels like all the flesh inside my mouth has been torn open.

This bastard, no matter how I look at it, I think he really did build all this up because he wanted to spar with me.

Shiva denied it, but considering that someone who had wanted to fight me for a long time had not brought up sparring even once throughout our entire meeting, something felt suspicious.

‘So what?’

It was not a life-or-death battle with their lives on the line, but merely a spar.

Besides, if necessary, he could later take Shiva into the Infinity Program or Sword Demon Realm and give him one satisfying fight.

- Stay alert!

Shiva’s fist flew at him once again.

***

How much time had passed?

This place was not the Sword Demon Realm, so Su-ho could not control time at will, nor could he control day and night or the surrounding space.

That was why he did not know how much time had passed.

But neither Su-ho nor Shiva cared about such things as they endlessly swung their fists.

They did not grow hungry or thirsty.

In the Sword Demon Realm, Sword Demon had deliberately manipulated the environment to make Su-ho, who did not need to eat or sleep, feel hungry and exhausted.

That allowed him to fight even more vigorously here.

Instead, the longer time passed, the more energetic the two of them became.

Every time they exchanged fists, dopamine coursed through them and adrenaline was released.

Shiva had always loved fighting, while Su-ho possessed a craving for power and a desire for growth, so their mounting sense of achievement sharpened their senses.

In many ways, the two of them stimulated each other.

A long time passed like that once again.

Shiva was still ahead in their record.

It was a pure contest of physical ability with skills and mana excluded.

Since their body sizes were also similar, Shiva, who was relatively better at using Third Hand and Fourth Hand, inevitably held the advantage.

As proof, Shiva had not been struck even once in the face or any other vital point, whereas Su-ho had already been struck hundreds of times in vulnerable areas, including his face and liver.

He did not make any pathetic excuses about how he would not have been hit if he had been holding a sword.

The current spar had a clear purpose.

Several more days passed like that.

The delight and desire in their eyes had now faded, leaving only intense concentration focused on each other and something resembling venomous determination.

Even though it was merely a spar rather than a life-or-death battle, that venomous determination had emerged.

Then it happened.

Su-ho stepped forward with his left foot and leaned his body far forward.

At the same time, using that momentum, he drove his right knee toward Shiva’s face.

Shiva’s forearm blocked the knee strike.

In the meantime, Shiva launched surprise attacks with his other hands, but even those were blocked by Su-ho’s other hands.

Then it happened.

Booom!!

Shiva’s face snapped to the opposite side.

And at the end of the strike was Su-ho’s Third Hand.

At last, he had landed an effective blow on Shiva’s face.

The corners of Su-ho’s mouth rose.

“Finally got you, huh?”

With Su-ho’s Third Hand fist still pressed against his face, Shiva also raised the corners of his mouth.

- You struck instinctively, didn’t you?

“You can tell?”

- Of course. I’m your teacher.

With those words, the two of them each took one step back.

Then, at the same time, they clasped their fists toward each other.

- You worked hard. You may descend the mountain now.

“It’s all thanks to you. I won’t forget this favor.”

Grin-

Their smiles crossed in the empty air.