Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 269: Therapy? Nah, Let’s Fight My Trauma
Chapter 269: Therapy? Nah, Let’s Fight My Trauma
Ashblade stepped through the gate.
The light inside flared bright, too bright.
He raised an arm and shut his eyes. It felt like walking into the sun.
The light didn’t fade at first. It pressed on him, warm and silent.
Then... it shifted.
The heat changed. The air turned dry.
The smell of dust and cracked ground replaced the sterile scent of the testing chamber.
Ashblade slowly opened his eyes.
He was no longer in a room.
He stood in the middle of a wasteland.
No walls. No floor. No sky dome above.
Just open ground, dry wind, and grey clouds moving slowly over an empty horizon.
He looked to his left.
Then right.
No one.
Whisperlash was gone.
No staff. No cameras. No lights.
Just him.
And then, without warning, two figures appeared ahead of him.
Not from smoke. Not from light.
They were just there, standing as if they’d always been.
Ashblade froze.
He knew them immediately.
His jaw clenched.
His fingers twitched near his blade.
The one on the left wore long white robes with gold trim, a calm face with dead eyes.
A sword floated behind his back—straight, spotless, and glowing.
The Sword Emperor.
A legend of a rival sect.
A man who never lost a duel.
And next to him—
The other man.
Tall. Muscled. Wearing dark red robes that looked stained with age.
His hair was wild and white, his eyes burning with rage and pride.
The Heavenly Demon.
The previous one.
The one Zain had replaced.
The one who had taken him years ago—kidnapped him from his home.
The one who threw him into the pit.
Who made him fight day after day.
Who screamed at him, broke his bones, made him starve, bleed, and crawl.
Who treated him like trash—until Zain crawled high enough to learn the art.
The Heavenly Demon Art.
That man never expected Zain to survive it.
Never expected Zain to perfect it.
Never expected Zain to kill him.
But Zain did.
And now here they both were.
Standing in front of him.
Alive—at least in this illusion.
Ashblade’s expression stayed still, but his heart beat a little faster.
"This is a will test," he muttered.
He looked around again.
No weapons. No system voice. No countdown.
Just these two.
His past.
Brought back to face him.
He let out a slow breath.
"Impressive," he said.
He took a few steps forward, boots crunching on dry dirt.
"They really managed to dig this deep."
The wind tugged at his coat. His silver hair swayed behind him.
He didn’t stop walking until he stood a few meters away from them.
The two figures didn’t move. Their eyes were locked on him.
Ashblade... no—Zain—grinned.
"Guess they think this’ll break me."
He rolled his neck.
"Too bad."
He looked at the Sword Emperor first.
"You never got to finish that hunt, did you?"
He stepped closer.
"And you—" he turned to the Heavenly Demon "—you thought I’d die in your pit."
His smile widened.
"But look at me now."
He opened his arms slightly.
"I’m the Heavenly Demon now."
He stepped back again, standing tall between the two illusions.
"And since we’re here... maybe I’ll finish what I started."
His eyes glowed faintly red as the ether around him stirred.
Even if this was just a mind trick or some kind of projection...
Even if this wasn’t real...
The hate inside him was.
And so was the will to crush them again.
Zain cracked his knuckles, eyes steady.
"Let’s see how real they made you."
His coat flared behind him as he rushed forward.
The dry wind roared around him.
The two enemies didn’t wait.
They moved at the same time.
The Sword Emperor lifted one hand slowly.
A shining blade appeared in the air, spinning and floating behind him like a ghost.
He stepped gently onto the air itself, walking without touching the ground.
Then he pointed forward.
[Heavenly Thread Slash]
A silver arc tore through the space between them, slicing the wind clean in half.
Zain barely tilted his body, avoiding a direct hit, but the wind pressure still grazed his cheek.
He didn’t stop.
He ducked low and launched a fist toward the Sword Emperor’s chest.
But before it could land—
The Heavenly Demon appeared beside him in a red blur.
[Demon Step Echo]
Zain was hit from the side—an elbow crashing into his ribs.
He stumbled back.
The old Heavenly Demon grinned.
"You’ve grown soft."
Zain gritted his teeth. He didn’t speak.
He leapt backward to get space—but the Sword Emperor didn’t allow it.
He flicked his fingers once.
[Hundred Petal Draw]
Thin sword energy burst from the floating blade, spreading like flower petals.
Each one was a slash of deadly force.
Zain twisted in mid-air, coat spinning, arms blocking most of the cuts.
But some still hit.
His boots scraped the ground as he landed roughly, breath short.
"Not bad," he said under his breath.
He looked down.
His sleeve was torn. His arm bled.
But he stayed standing.
The Heavenly Demon laughed and charged again, cloak flapping like a storm behind him.
[Demon Palm – Mountain Crasher]
His hand glowed red. Each strike felt like a hammer falling.
Zain blocked one. Then another.
But the third slipped through and hit his shoulder hard.
He slid back again, dust kicking up around his feet.
The Sword Emperor flew above them now, calm and focused.
[Celestial Blade Drift]
The sword spun once more and shot down like lightning.
Zain rolled sideways just in time as the blade slammed into the ground.
Zain crouched, panting lightly.
This was bad.
He hadn’t used a single skill yet.
And they were fighting like real enemies.
No—better than real.
They weren’t just memories.
The simulation made them fight at their prime.
And he was holding back.
Too much.
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
"Alright," he muttered.
He looked at the two figures standing before him.
"This feels real enough."
His grip tightened.
He straightened his back, eyes locked forward.
"Then it’s time."
He stepped forward slowly, the wind rising around him.
"Time to finish what I didn’t... in my last life."
And the ground cracked beneath his feet as the real battle began.
This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om
