Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

The earth trembled around the central zone of Celestia Sanctum as two figures clashed just outside the towering cathedral, the sky above pulsing with residual divine energy. Golden threads of light bled from the cathedral's spires, falling like slow-moving sparks over the battlefield, illuminating the shattered stones and broken statues surrounding the central plaza.

In the center of this chaos, Drake stood with his [Lesser Soul Sword Manifestation] skill in full activation, his body firm and steady, his wings of divine energy spread behind him like twin banners of radiance. Opposite him, Tenzing remained in place, his palms open, feet lightly set against the ground, breathing evenly. His expression was tranquil, yet his every movement whispered of precise violence ready to erupt.

The monk moved first. His body became a blur, the wind bending unnaturally as he vanished from sight. Drake's eyes caught it, the flicker of movement, and immediately his wings curved inward, wrapping around his body like a shield just as a palm strike crashed into them from above. The force exploded in all directions, creating a shockwave that ripped the nearest debris into dust. Drake was launched backward, flipping mid-air before landing with one knee against the stone. His blade flickered, resonating with a pulse of Imperial Ki.

"You're way faster than I expected."

Drake muttered without looking up. Tenzing exhaled softly as he descended, his robes barely touched by the gusts around them.

"And you're far more tough than I assume. Your control over divine energy alongside inner Ki is a rare sight."

Drake's reply was not in words but in motion. He darted forward, slicing upward with a vertical strike. Tenzing raised one arm and deflected it with his forearm, the impact echoing like clashing steel. Sparks of Ki erupted between them, Drake's gold colliding with Tenzing's translucent green. Their bodies became a flurry of strikes, fists, palms, elbows, knees. Tenzing used a rotating momentum, his Shaolin form flowing with continuous redirection, while the blond responded with heavy, honed precision, each strike compressed, brutal, and aiming to overpower rather than redirect.

They leapt away from each other at the same time, both skidding to a halt as columns of light burst from the cathedral behind them.

Drake pointed his sword to the sky. His wings unfolded again, this time more aggressively, pushing him upward in a swift charge. He spun mid-air and crashed down like a spear toward Tenzing, divine energy trailing behind him in long, burning arcs. The monk stepped sideways just in time, narrowly avoiding the downward slash. The moment Drake touched the ground, an explosion of force cracked the tiles of the plaza into a crater, and Tenzing retaliated by spinning and landing a heel kick toward the blond's ribs.

Drake blocked the kick with the flat of his sword and twisted, grabbing Tenzing by the arm. With a roar, he launched the monk skyward. But before he had gone more than a few meters, his body flipped mid-air, realigning with perfect balance. He floated, breathing calmly again, supported only by bursts of [Serene Wind Ki] beneath his feet. The wind obeyed him, and his eyes locked onto Drake's with no hatred—only clarity.

"You cling too tightly to your strength."

Tenzing said calmly. Drake's answer came in a flash of golden energy. He launched upward after the monk with such force that the crater beneath him deepened, and a stream of light carved the air in his wake. Their collision in the sky shook the heavens. Drake struck with his blade, radiant and wide-angled, but Tenzing deflected it with his forearms and countered with a double palm strike that sent a concussive blast toward the earth.

The two fighters flew across the airspace above the cathedral, exchanging hits in bursts of motion too fast for most to follow. Each movement cut across rooftops and split walls. The fight was no longer bound to the plaza—it had become a sky-bound duel of martial perfection.

They touched ground again near the eastern staircase of the temple, neither wounded, both covered in dust and sweat, but not blood. Tenzing dashed forward without hesitation, leading with a triple sequence of palm thrusts. Drake absorbed the first with his left forearm, parried the second with his blade, and countered with a forward thrust of his wing.

The divine energy surged from his wingtip, blasting Tenzing backward several meters. But even while falling, the young monk spun, landed with one hand on the ground, flipped, and balanced on one foot as if nothing had touched him.

The monk exhaled as the energy cleared around them, the air shimmering between his open fingers. Drake's feet skidded backward over the cracked stone, his Ki wings stabilizing him before he could fall. Their breath was steady, their eyes locked. Both men had already tested each other's rhythm, gauged the timing and flow of the other's movement.

Then they moved… Drake's hand swept up, and the divine energy within his chest surged outward. The light around his arms bent, wrapping into a sphere between his palms. He took one breath and stepped forward as the golden sphere expanded into form, glowing with compressed force. [Harmonious Divine Pulse] pulsed with a deep, humming sound that reverberated across the broken cathedral courtyard. His wings flared behind him, the energy condensing into the swirling halo that outlined the power of the Imperial Ki combined with divine light.

Tenzing's expression didn't shift. He lowered his stance, both feet sliding into alignment as he drew his hands slowly together. Wind began to gather around his arms, spinning in wide arcs that folded into his palms. The air thickened with tranquil force. A golden outline emerged around his shoulders, a manifestation of will shaped like a massive open palm. The aura behind him took the form of a serene, towering figure, one hand raised as if to greet the world. [Buddha's Palm Strike] formed with utter clarity.

They launched at the same time.

Drake moved with full commitment, his pulse of energy drawn back behind him like a hammer ready to fall. Tenzing stepped into the wind, each stride a controlled release of power, his golden hand striking forward with unshakable certainty. The two forces met dead center.

When the clash happened, the entire cathedral plaza lit up. There was no explosion—at first. The energies ground against each other, locked in place as the two men roared. The golden aura of the Buddha palm began to crack, divine light seeping through its edges, and at the same time, the sphere of Imperial Ki twisted violently. Neither technique gave way.

But then it happened. A sharp crack echoed as the center ruptured. The pressure release launched both men in opposite directions. Drake was hurled through a section of stone railing, his shoulder smashing through ancient marble as he rolled across the ground and came to a stop in a crouch. His chest heaved, but he stood again immediately, wiping blood from his mouth. Tenzing landed more cleanly, his shoes sliding against stone as he absorbed the shock with a backward stance, only slightly pushed from the point of impact. Dust and heat filled the air.

They stared across the devastation at one another after a moment.

"That's the third time you've responded to that technique."

Drake said, brushing blood from his jaw as he stood.

"I've seen something like it before."

Tenzing replied, shaking his body a little and cracking his neck.

"Refined pulse control mixed with divine temperance. Although, as I said, that kind of martial harmony is not common."

Drake narrowed his eyes.

"I honed it in a Murim world scenario… I assume you did the same? I trained under a man named Park Zhen. Ever heard of Lord Varek?"

Tenzing blinked slowly, the wind swirling faintly at his back.

"No. The scenario I polished my techniques had a story against the Demonic Daoist Cult, in a place called Heaven's Hollow."

The name meant nothing to Drake. But it was enough to confirm what they both suspected.

"So there are multiple scenarios with similar, if not the same, theme."

Tenzing gave a small nod.

"Worlds with refined martial philosophy and absurd physical standards."

"You could say that."

Drake said as he shifted his weight and stepped forward again. His wings lifted behind him, not to fly, but to accelerate his body.

Tenzing closed the distance as well, his palm cutting through the air like a blade. The blond intercepted with the flat of his Ki-forged sword, the divine energy humming against the monk's serene wind. The shockwave sent both of them sliding back half a meter once more, but, yet again, neither fell. They both rushed in again immediately, fists and palms colliding, feet twisting to reposition, elbows clashing as they struck and countered in near-perfect rhythm. They no longer spoke. Every movement had to be deliberate.

Now, multiple blades of Ki whipped around Drake's arm as he rotated into a spinning slash, while Tenzing bent low under the arc and struck upward with a rising knee, catching the boy under the ribs. The impact forced air from his lungs, but he retaliated with a cross-punch wrapped in divine light. Tenzing caught the strike with both forearms, sliding backward with the force but recovering mid-motion and leaping over Drake's next sweep.

Their battle moved through the plaza surrounding the cathedral. They passed by shattered statues and broken pillars. The divine energy flowing from the temple itself continued to throb more strongly the closer they drew, affecting both men. Drake's divine Ki burned brighter, but it made him heavier. His wings flared wider, the holy energy too thick to control easily. Tenzing, by contrast, seemed to flow with it. The more pressure there was, the calmer he became. His [Serene Wind Ki] carried him like mist across broken stones, his body always in motion, but never tense.

A slash of Ki cracked a wall to their side. Tenzing jumped backward, and Drake stepped into the void, launching forward with a [Heaven-Sunder Step], his foot gliding in midair as he surged toward his opponent. Tenzing grounded himself, arms loose at his sides, and caught Drake's blade strike with the palm of his hand, redirecting it off his forearm and stepping inside the angle once more.

They broke apart again when Drake's wings swiped outward, forcing Tenzing to retreat and avoid being struck. The momentum returned to the blond, who launched a spinning downward slash with his blade glowing white-gold. Tenzing rolled beneath it, spun on his heel, and launched a triple-palm sequence into Drake's side.

Each impact exploded with [Serene Wind Ki]. The blond staggered, but didn't fall.

They both stepped back, breathing heavier. The ground was torn, shattered in every direction around them.

"You clearly don't have a proper counter to my form."

Tenzing said, his voice calm but firm.

"And yet here you stand. That is truly impressive."

Drake gave a short nod.

"I have to be… I was told that you were the most dangerous one outside of your leader. We didn't have a perfect matchup for you; none of us had an ideal skill set to bring you down. But I've fought the Shaolin style before. I know enough to at least try, don't you think it's enough for me to do my best?"

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Tenzing didn't smile, but his face did, in fact, reflect some kind of surprise.

"Doing your best not because you have to but because you want to?"

He replied. Drake smiled faintly.

"That's why I'm still here."

"I can see that…"

The next clash began without more words. Tenzing's golden hand technique returned, this time infused with spinning wind currents that sharpened its edge. Drake's reply was immediate—he summoned [Harmonious Divine Pulse] again, the glowing sphere of condensed energy forming between his hands as he stepped forward. The two techniques met again.

There was no explosion this time. The energies folded into one another, spinning in opposite directions, creating a vacuum-like force that dragged both fighters into a swirling center. Drake's boots dug into the stone as he resisted the pull, while Tenzing's robes fluttered violently around his legs as he held position with seemingly no effort.

For a moment, they were locked in a perfect balance. Then the pulse cracked.

A burst of energy hurled both fighters backward once more. Drake crashed through another archway, rolled, and came up coughing. Tenzing flipped in the air and landed smoothly, only slightly winded. The difference in resilience was noticeable, and Drake felt it.

The blond's foot slammed against the ground, cracking the flagstones as he launched himself forward. Tenzing met him halfway, their limbs blurring as they exchanged blow after blow. Elbow met forearm, palm met shoulder, knees collided in midair, but neither gave ground. The courtyard around them looked more like a war zone than sacred ground now. Marble pillars lay in ruins, divine flames flickered where Ki had carved too deeply, and the wind howled with every motion from the monk. The Divine Energy surging from the cathedral enhanced both of them, yet one was starting to slow.

It was Drake… His breath came harder with each exchange. His wings still flared with radiant light, but they twitched less. His steps were just a fraction slower to recover. Sweat beaded down his jawline and mixed with the small trickle of blood from his mouth. Tenzing, by contrast, moved as though the fight had only just begun. His robes rippled with the rhythm of his movement, his expression remained focused but calm, and his breaths were smooth and quiet.

It was clear now, the blond boy was burning more energy to maintain this pace.

A clash came where both struck at the same time for the umpteenth time. Drake's fist slammed into the side of Tenzing's face, while the monk's palm struck the side of the blond's jaw with equal force. The two slid back across the broken stone, both recovering in an instant. Blood ran from the corner of Drake's mouth again, but he didn't wipe it away.

Tenzing's brow furrowed as he gazed at him.

"Now I can say it for certain."

He said, keeping his distance.

"Your energy is stable, but excited. You're enjoying this."

Drake spat blood to the side and gave a short nod.

"I am... This is the first time I've gone all out with someone who understands what this means. Every blow. Every step. Every decision. You know it all too."

Tenzing tilted his head, curious.

"What do you mean by that?"

Drake took a breath and stepped forward again.

"We're not trying to kill each other. That's what I mean. Every strike we've thrown has been with everything we have—but none of them with murderous intent. You know it. I know it. We just want to beat each other up."

The monk was silent for a moment. Then he sighed and smiled faintly.

"Huh, you're right… At first, I was prepared to end the life of my target if I had to. But now... it would be a shame to kill a martial artist like you. You are not relying on automated system skills but pure technique, even I can appreciate such diligence in training."

Drake allowed himself a tired smirk.

"Guess we're both too far into the path to waste it like that."

And then, they moved again.

This time the clash was lighter, more like a dance. Arms interlocked, they spun, twisted, struck with precision and force—but for the first time, both men smiled. There was blood on their fists and bruises forming on their bodies, but there was no rage and no desperation. They were fighting at their peak, not as enemies, not guided by hatred, but by their pride as martial artists.

Each blocked the other's strike not with panic, but with joy in their movement. They felt that it was what they were born to do.

Drake leapt high and slashed with his Ki blade. Tenzing met it with a palm strike that sent shockwaves through the stone. The force of the counterattack launched the boy backward, but he flipped midair, wings flaring to correct himself before hitting the ground. The young monk followed, stepping through the shattered stones like wind through leaves. Another clash, then another counter... The battle was no longer just physical but also spiritual. Devotion to their respective martial art, and respect for the opponent.

But then, it happened. Drake's body shifted slightly after their last exchange. His foot landed heavily, and his balance tilted. Just the exact moment when four shadows appeared behind him. Unfortunately, he turned his head too late.

Without warning, the air behind Drake twisted. Four divine presences surged into existence, and the temperature of the battlefield shifted in an instant. Light erupted from the fractured stones at the edge of the cathedral's courtyard. The sky above shimmered for a fraction of a second as if recognizing their arrival, and the space behind Drake cracked open like glass. From that breach, four armored figures stepped forward in absolute silence. They did not speak. They simply appeared, and the battle changed.

The first moved faster than expected for something so large. A behemoth in ceremonial plate, his white and gold armor covered in divine blessing that glowed brightly, wielded a hammer so massive that it required both hands to lift. He descended upon Drake from behind without hesitation, and the moment the warrior raised the weapon high above his head, the air trembled from the force behind it.

The blond sensed it at the last possible moment, his instincts firing before his mind fully processed the threat. He turned to move, wings shifting to wrap around his body as a makeshift defense, but it was too late. The hammer came down in a devastating vertical arc and struck him clean across the side, bypassing his guard and crashing directly into his ribs... The sound of impact was immense.

Drake's body was lifted off the ground as if weightless and sent hurtling across the broken stone. He skipped once, twice, before finally rolling hard into a crater left by one of the earlier collisions with Tenzing. His arms pressed to the ground to catch himself, one leg sliding back as his momentum dragged him against the stone. He coughed violently, and blood hit the floor in thick drops, but he remained conscious, his body sparking with energy as he forced himself upright. His wings pulsed once, the divine energy wrapping his body, healing it little by little.

The second and third figures stepped forward immediately after. Twin paladins, both slender and sharp in movement, wielded shining swords and tall tower shields. Their armor was untouched by dust or dirt, polished to a mirror sheen, and from their bodies radiated a glow not unlike the energy that came from the cathedral's heart itself.

One moved to the left, the other to the right, flanking Drake with coordinated steps. Their blades gleamed with concentrated holy power, and when they raised them in unison. Both advanced, but by the time their blades swept out in clean diagonal arcs, Drake had recovered just enough. His wings surged again, and he propelled himself upward, twisting midair to narrowly avoid both slashes. The holy energy cut through the stone behind him with surgical precision, carving lines that burned gold at the edges before fading.

However, from above, the final figure descended.

He was not like the others. His presence was more refined, and his movement more fluid. The Paladin Champion hovered in place with radiant wings of his own, identical in form to Drake's. His white and gold armor was marked with the crest of sanctified authority, and in his hand he held a long divine lance, wrapped in spiraling flames of sacred fire.

"Come on…"

Said Drake without losing his unusual smile. The winged Paladin tilted forward and dived, extending the spear in a straight thrust meant to pierce clean through. Drake twisted midair and pulled his body out of line just in time, the tip grazing past his side. The heat singed his robes, and the divine aura scraped against his Ki barrier like sand against glass, but it did not pierce him. He landed in a crouch, breathing hard but grounded.

All four paladins stood now, perfectly spaced, forming a square around him as if the battle before had merely been a prelude. The energy in the area was no longer that of a duel—it was that of an execution site, and Drake was at its center. The hammer-wielder took his place at the rear, readying the massive weapon again. The twin swordsmen raised their shields and stepped in harmony. The Champion kept his wings active, floating just above and behind them, his lance pointed downward in warning, a silent threat from a higher power. They did not speak, nor did they question anything. Their purpose was clear.

As Drake straightened his posture once more, still wiping away the blood from his lips, a new movement broke the tension. Tenzing leapt high above the stone floor, his motion smooth and precise, and landed calmly in front of the four paladins. The divine warriors did not react with hostility or caution. Instead, they shifted positions with perfect unity, moving behind Tenzing and aligning themselves as if awaiting command.

Their formation was practiced and unquestioning, as though the monk were not merely a passing ally but their rightful superior.

Drake narrowed his eyes at the sight, his wings twitching faintly behind his back. Then he scoffed with a bitter smirk forming on his bruised face.

"So that's how it is."

He said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Now things make a little more sense about what's been going on in the human kingdom. The paladin order—so you're the one who took over after the goddess stopped answering. Wasn't it? We knew that 'Dragon Utopia' got the reins on them, but you're the one pulling the strings."

Without hesitation, Drake activated his [Heavenly Vision] trait, and the iridescent patterns of system data bloomed in his eyes. Several translucent windows hovered in front of him, revealing details on each of the four divine figures behind the monk. Three were listed as [Paladin Knight – rank B character] and one as [Paladin Knight – rank A character]; however, the one bearing the massive two-handed hammer returned a result that made Drake's brows pull together in surprise.

[Paladin Knight – Sir Gideon]

Drake's expression changed.

"Gideon…?"

He said aloud, then raised his voice.

"Hey! It's me—Drake! You scouted me in the outer sanctum just over a week ago, remember? I completed my divine mission, I made it back, and I was acknowledged. I'm one of you now—I'm a Paladin Champion too. You really don't recognize me?"

But there was no response. The towering figure of Gideon didn't move, didn't acknowledge his words in the slightest. His massive hammer remained steady in his grip, and his posture remained rigid, as though the name Drake Shaw meant nothing to him at all.

"There's no use, none of them have their minds anymore. What you're looking at is muscle and memory guided by a righteous path."

Tenzing said calmly, stepping forward. As he spoke, something began to glow on each paladin's forehead. The markings burned into view—symbols composed of loops and geometric angles, arranged in an unfamiliar formation. Drake's eyes adjusted instantly, and more windows from the system flared up, granting him the information automatically through his ocular skill.

"What did you do to them?!"

Drake asked, his voice colder now. Tenzing tilted his head slightly and gave the faintest shrug.

"Nothing cruel, let alone something evil, if that's what you're implying. They were already broken. After the goddess Arianka went silent, the entire paladin order fell into despair. Some screamed, some begged, and others almost gave in to insanity. Most simply waited for death or guidance, and all I did was provide direction. Their minds were already fragile. All it took was a mantra to guide them to the right path. You'd be surprised how easy it is to manipulate a fanatic. All you have to do is tell them what they already want to hear."

Drake's fingers curled tighter around the hilt of his energy-forged blade.

"So you just hijacked them? Turned them into weapons without will?"

"They needed something to follow, now they serve the world itself. After hearing their stories, I think they are right, the best way for them to reclaim balance is to exterminate the other factions."

Tenzing replied.

"And you're fine with letting them jump into a fight between two martial artists?"

Drake asked, his tone sharpening again.

"We both know what honor demands. One versus one. That's how it should be. You were fighting clean until now. Is this really how you want to end it?"

The monk closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

"Don't confuse me with your ideals. I share your discipline, yes. I believe in the purity of combat, yes. But this isn't a match in a temple courtyard. It's a war zone. This isn't about proving skill. It's about stopping threats before they grow too large to contain. I've already shown you more mercy than most would. But that doesn't mean I believe you aren't dangerous. If I must break every bone in your body to stop what's coming, then I will. Whether it's one on one or five on one… I will not hesitate."

There was a moment of silence between them, the energy in the air growing heavier as both sides prepared for the inevitable. The paladins behind Tenzing remained unmoving. Drake's wings opened wider, the glow from his back rising once again.

Then… The blond boy laughed.

It wasn't a taunt. It was clear and real, resonating across the broken courtyard, carried by the echo of sacred stone. He was bleeding, bruised, surrounded, and standing alone. But something about the entire situation sparked a fire inside him that had nothing to do with despair.

"Fine… Then come, all of you! I'm still here!"

Without a command, the four paladins surged forward as one, with Tenzing calmly following a step behind, hands raised and posture ready.