Chapter 45 - The Old Man of Muwon Sword Family (2)

I gripped the dagger in my hand.

Since it was an object tens of times heavier than a coin, the mana required to control it in the air was incomparably greater.

Ziiing!

First, I squeezed out all my mana and infused it into the dagger's blade.

As my dantian emptied, a momentary sense of fatigue washed over me, but the Guyeopcho necklace immediately replenished my mana.

A truly amazing item. I was once again amazed by the mysteries of the Abyss.

Ziiing!

And I repeated this process once more.

From here on was important.

I had to exert considerable concentration for the newly injected mana to assimilate with the existing mana without any sense of incongruity.

Ziiing!

And one more repetition. Three times was my limit for now.

If I were to infuse more mana than this, the dagger would likely escape my control.

“Hoo.”

I let out a deep breath and threw the dagger towards the wall.

Whirl.

The dagger flew towards the wall, spinning.

It wasn't a very powerful sight, in fact.

Compared to Han Byeong-cheol's throw, which had flown like a flash of lightning before stopping, it might have looked shabby.

However, I was planning to compete on a different front.

Although I might lose in power, I was confident that I would be superior in precise control, and I judged that could be my winning point.

The spinning dagger flew until it was just about to hit the wall, and.

Shuk!

At that moment, I controlled my mana and stopped its rotational movement.

The spinning blade straightened out and floated in the air for a moment.

“Amazing!”

Han Byeong-cheol, who was watching, let out a heartfelt exclamation of admiration.

However, this was probably the leisure of a winner.

If Han Byeong-cheol had stopped the dagger with just enough space for a piece of paper, there was enough space between my dagger and the wall for a coin to fit through.

Of course, my performance was not over yet.

Thwack!

A coin I flicked without delay flew through the air.

The coin drew a perfectly ordinary parabolic curve.

But the moment it collided with the wall, the coin stuck to it and began to slide down.

Srrrr!

And it passed exquisitely through the gap between the wall and the blade floating in the air.

An attempt that would have failed if it had been off by just a paper's width.

My fist clenched.

The coin fell to the floor first, followed by the dagger.

Thud.

I let out the breath I had been holding and looked at Han Byeong-cheol's face.

“I think I was in good condition today as well.”

At my words, Han Byeong-cheol opened his mouth a beat later.

“...You’re a crazy bastard.”

He had a look of utter defeat.

“I'm not yet at a level where I can control something thrown as fast as you, sir. So I tried a little trick.”

“A little trick, you say. This?”

“And I lost this match. You were the one who got the dagger closer to the wall, sir.”

Of course, I didn't mean it.

The only thing I lacked was mana capacity; my technical and artistic scores were all superior.

Also, I had shown that I could have gotten the dagger as close to the wall as Han Byeong-cheol if I had wanted to.

“No, this was my loss. You really got me good.”

Han Byeong-cheol admitted his defeat.

It wouldn't have been easy to admit it like this; he was a great man indeed.

He shook his head and continued.

“Since I lost the match, I’ll have to give you something.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“What about information on the Ujangsan Burning Dungeon?”

“Then please give it to me.”

Since this was the reason I had visited the Muwon Sword Family today in the first place, there was no reason not to accept it.

“Today, I was just planning to tell you a story, but I feel that won't be enough, so I'll give you some high-level information. Please keep this a secret, by the way.”

“Of course. But did you know that I would be raiding the Burning Dungeon soon?”

“Of course. What do you take the Muwon Sword Family's information network for?”

In that case, Han Byeong-cheol must also know that Seo Ji-won and I would be carrying out a joint operation.

I couldn't figure out his intention in giving me an information advantage, but for me, it was good news.

It was a good thing I came here.

***

Min Ha-rin had been swinging her sword for two hours straight without a break.

She had come out to the training hall and picked up her sword to get rid of a distracting thought in her head, but the more she swung the sword, the bigger the distracting thought became.

‘Seo Yohan.’

Those three syllables, a name she wasn't even sure was real, were constantly nagging at her mind.

With her mind so distracted, there was no way the swordsmanship she was performing could be executed properly.

“Haa.”

She put down her sword and let out a deep sigh.

She didn't like anything.

Her body, her mind, and even the swordsmanship she was performing—everything was a mess.

On days like this, continuing to train was meaningless.

So she trudged down from the training hall.

In the late evening, the streetlights illuminating the area around the training hall felt strangely lonelier. But.

‘Huh?’

A presence she had only just noticed.

A person was standing under a streetlight.

It was disconcerting to have only noticed him now, but what was even more disconcerting was the fact that he was not from the Muwon Sword Family.

It was Seo Ji-han of the Haewon Sword Family, who had dealt her a bitter defeat not long ago.

‘But why is he here at this hour.’

Although she didn't know the reason, Min Ha-rin first bowed her head in greeting.

“It’s been a while, Ms. Min Ha-rin.”

He had, with a very high probability, been watching the training hall until now.

She couldn't even guess how long he had been there.

The thought made her feel embarrassed.

Because of her poor condition today, her swordsmanship had been a real mess.

“Excuse me, but were you watching everything?”

“I’m the one who should be excused. For peeking at someone else’s swordsmanship without permission.”

As she had guessed, she had shown a disgraceful side of herself to Seo Ji-han.

For a moment, Min Ha-rin wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

She wanted to smack her own head for being caught up in useless, distracting thoughts.

She should have shown an improved version of herself to Seo Ji-han of all people.

In fact, she thought she had grown one step further after that day's defeat, but to show such a side of herself at a crucial moment.

She felt like going back up to the training hall and showing him a proper performance.

“By the way, what brings you to our Muwon Sword Family at this hour…”

“I was on my way back after meeting with the former Family Head, Han Byeong-cheol. And I happened to see a familiar face training their swordsmanship in the training hall, so I took the liberty.”

“Ah…”

She had heard that Han Byeong-cheol had called Seo Ji-han separately after that day’s Bimu.

At that time, Min Ha-rin had felt a great sense of deprivation.

Even she, the rising star of the Muwon Sword Family, had not yet had the opportunity to have a private meeting with Han Byeong-cheol, but an outsider who had crushed her so thoroughly had enjoyed such an honor at once.

Looking back, that day was a day she felt endlessly small.

“Anyway, I enjoyed watching your swordsmanship, Ms. Min Ha-rin. It looks much better than before.”

Of course, she thought it was just a polite lip service.

Until she heard the next words.

“I’m not sure if you have something on your mind, as your swordsmanship seemed a bit distracted, but still, the overall flow feels like it has taken a step forward, shall I say?”

“...Pardon?”

“It seems you’ve gained some enlightenment, but seeing as you haven’t fully assimilated it, I don’t think you realized it on your own. Has someone given you an epiphany recently?”

For a moment, Min Ha-rin’s mind went blank.

The something overwhelmingly powerful aura that Seo Ji-han exuded. And the feeling that he was seeing right through her. In fact, it was an absurd thing.

No matter how much of a genius he was, Seo Ji-han was just a new Hunter who had just acquired his license.

But what Seo Ji-han was saying now was also true.

There were two people who had given her enlightenment recently.

One of them was, surprisingly, Seo Ji-han, with whom she was talking right now. The shocking defeat she suffered in the Bimu that day had made her reflect and think a lot.

And one more person.

There was the unidentified Hunter, Seo Yohan, who was clearing the same Abyss as her, yet whose level she couldn't even fathom.

Come to think of it, the two people’s surnames were coincidentally the same.

Could they be from the same Haewon Sword Family?

“Do you perhaps know the name, Seo Yohan?”

Min Ha-rin had blurted out her inner thoughts without realizing it.

Her face flushed for a moment, but she felt like she was grasping at straws.

“I don’t. Who is that?”

As expected, she had asked for nothing.

The train of thought where she had hoped for a connection just because of the surname ‘Seo’ was a truly foolish idea in retrospect.

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

Of course, Seo Ji-han would have no way of knowing the intention of this question, but a sense of embarrassment washed over her for some reason.

She just suddenly felt like hiding somewhere.

***

One day before the Ujangsan Burning Dungeon raid.

In the training hall, the Chamryongdan members were practicing their swordsmanship, dripping with sweat.

In fact, it was the first time I was seeing the members train at this time.

Normally, I would still be at the Spring of Elixir, treating my body.

“Unit Leader! You’ve returned to the family house early today!”

“Tomorrow is D-day. As the unit leader, shouldn't I check on the members? I can't just trust that you've taught them well, Ho-joong.”

“Hey! You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m not kidding. When it comes to swordsmanship, I don't really trust other people.”

“I’m hurt. To hear such words from you, of all people, Unit Leader!”

Choi Ho-joong showed a genuinely sulky expression.

“There’s nothing to be hurt about.”

“How can I not be hurt when you say that?”

“What do you think it means that I, who don't trust others, left Chamryongdan to you?”

“...Pardon?”

“Think about it carefully.”

The stiff expression on Choi Ho-joong’s face was softening in real time.

He was such a simple guy.

“There’s no one like me, right?”

“Stop getting emotional over nothing and gather the kids.”

“Yes!”

It was now one day until the dungeon raid.

In fact, the amount of time was definitely not enough for them to change significantly just because I taught them myself.

There wasn't enough physical time, and the members weren’t geniuses.

However, I could change their mindset in just one day.

That was my role for today.

“Baek Ji-ah.”

“Yes! Unit Leader.”

“You will be the members’ representative for today’s sparring. Draw your sword and attack me.”

“Pardon? Yes!”

Baek Ji-ah showed a momentarily flustered expression at my words, but soon took a sparring stance.

Her eyes were shining.

She would know herself that this opportunity was a special privilege.

“What are you doing? Not coming at me.”

“Here I come!”

Baek Ji-ah calmly gathered her mana and then charged.

Swishhh!

Swishhh!

Her sword cut through the air.

As I had felt during the admission test, Baek Ji-ah’s sword was linear and fast.

Even now that the Haewon Sword Family’s Muyoung Sword Style was ingrained in her, that characteristic hadn't changed.

If anything, the Muyoung Sword Style was like a custom-made suit that could bring out her strengths.

Claaang!

Her mana operation, transmitted through the Reapersword, was also a passing grade.

Despite not having learned the Muyoung Sword Style for long, it was a quite well-executed strike.

Although I gave Ho-joong a little jab today, it seems the guy taught them well.

Claaang!

Claaang!

I continued to clash swords, pressing Baek Ji-ah.

Although I was short on mana, there was actually no need for a big attack.

Just by poking at the hard-to-block spots, she would be too busy defending and eventually crumble.

And I planned to wring out her remaining strength like wringing a dry towel.

“This side is open!”

“Yes! Heup!”

There was no one else in the world who could draw out one’s limits in such a safe way as I could.

In that sense, Baek Ji-ah was having a very good experience today.

Ten minutes had passed since the sparring began.

In the end, Baek Ji-ah failed to block a perfectly ordinary thrust and fell flat on her back on the training hall floor.

“Haa, haa!”

And then she let out ragged breaths.

I left Baek Ji-ah behind and asked the rest of the Chamryongdan members.

“Anyone with questions?”

Shin Ah-yeon immediately raised her hand.

“Speak.”

“Was the sword style you just used the Haewon Sword Style, Unit Leader?”

To ask the question I wanted right from the start.

I liked it very much.

“It was not.”

“But the sword style you used was not the Muyoung Sword Style either.”

“So it’s neither. Why think so hard about it.”

At my answer, the members looked confused.

The swordsmanship of the Haewon Sword Family was largely divided into two.

The Muyoung Sword Style, which everyone belonging to the family could learn.

And the Haewon Sword Style, which only direct blood relatives could learn.

In fact, within the family, no other sword style existed, nor was there a reason for one to exist.

That was why the fact that I had used a different sword style had puzzled them.

“It’s a sword style I created. Is that strange?”

“N-no, sir!”

Of course, their expressions showed they didn't believe me.

To be honest, I didn't create it.

It was something I learned during my time as Johan Raven.

“If you perform to my liking in the Burning Dungeon tomorrow, I will teach it to the entire Chamryongdan right away.”

“Really?”

“Do I look like I’m lying?”

It seemed they didn’t believe I had created it, but their motivation was definitely piqued.

As expected of swordsmen, their eyes were sparkling at the news of a new sword style.