Chapter 60 - Elysion's Castle (2)

After hearing my plan, Min Ha-rin lost her words and just stood there blankly.

It was a good thing I was from the Haewon Sword Family's bloodline; otherwise, I might have heard her curse at me.

“Why? Does it seem reckless?”

“No, sir. Seven. Yes. I see.”

“Are you being sarcastic now?”

“No, sir.”

“What do you mean no. I can feel the ridicule in your tone.”

“I was not being ridiculous. I have always highly evaluated Unit Leader Seo Ji-han's talent.”

“Your choice of words is inappropriate. You evaluate me?”

“I’m sorry. My thoughts were short-sighted.”

I liked that Min Ha-rin had moved on from her one-word answers.

“You have to end it in one blow.”

“Pardon?”

“The doppelgänger. If you drag out the time, you'll face one and that'll be it.”

“……Ah, yes.”

“A duel between equals doesn't always go on for a long time. Sometimes they fight for three days and nights, but sometimes it ends in one or two exchanges. So, to face as many doppelgängers as possible, you should aim for a one-hit kill.”

“Is that possible?”

I held up the memo written by Han Byeong-cheol in front of Min Ha-rin's eyes.

“It's possible if you exploit the weaknesses well.”

Han Byeong-cheol had added his thoughts on the method as lengthy annotations, and in fact, he wasn't wrong.

Of course, I could find a more efficient method.

“Draw your sword.”

“Is this a duel, by any chance?”

“Not quite a duel. Let's just say it's to find a way to defeat you in a short amount of time.”

At my words, Min Ha-rin momentarily bit her lip.

Her pride must have been hurt by the words that I would finish her in a short amount of time.

“I am not the same person who lost in the Bimu.”

“I know. It would be troublesome if you were still at that level.”

“May I do my best?”

“You can win. You've probably been waiting for a day like today anyway.”

“I understand.”

In an instant, a fighting spirit emanated from Min Ha-rin's body.

The waiting room of Elysion's Castle had a unique setting.

Instantaneous regeneration of wounds.

It was probably a consideration by the castle's lord to allow the quest challengers to train to their heart's content for 24 hours.

“Come at me when you're ready.”

“Yes. I will come right away.”

Firmly sealed lips.

Blazing eyes.

Min Ha-rin's aura was as if she was going to eat me alive.

***

Min Ha-rin's heart pounded.

‘A rematch with Seo Ji-han.’

When she had heard the order for this quest from Han Byeong-cheol, she had vaguely expected that such a moment might come.

And that opportunity had really come.

Seo Ji-han had even proposed that she use this opportunity to her heart's content for revenge.

‘I must redeem myself.’

For the honor of the Muwon Sword Family.

And for her own pride.

Furthermore, to vent her frustration for not being able to meet Seo Yohan on this trip to the Abyss.

She couldn't be 100% sure she would win, but she was confident that she had become stronger than before.

She was also at least confident that she wouldn't be defeated as easily as last time.

With that thought, she raised her sword.

‘Above all, he’s too arrogant.’

Seo Ji-han was not a person she liked in many ways.

That expression, those eyes.

That atmosphere, as if he had transcended everything.

She didn't know how much of a genius he was, but she thought that a true genius in this world would never exude such an atmosphere.

Because she had experienced a true genius named Seo Yohan.

“Come at me when you're ready.”

“Yes. I will come right away.”

To remain calm at a moment like this, to not build unnecessary camaraderie with Seo Ji-han, she had only shown a distant attitude.

Thanks to that, she felt she could plunge her sword into Seo Ji-han’s chest without any burden.

The wound would regenerate immediately anyway.

Tatadada!

Min Ha-rin broke into Seo Ji-han’s territory with light footwork.

Her goal was a quick victory.

Seo Ji-han had declared he would finish her in a short amount of time, but she was thinking of doing that to him instead.

She thought that would give the rematch its meaning.

Hwiiik!

Hwiiik!

The swift sword cut through the wind and moved forward.

Seo Ji-han barely managed to dodge the sword and took a step back.

The initial momentum was important in a fight.

Thinking that she had successfully seized it, Min Ha-rin pressed her attack.

Chaaaaaeng!

The first clash of swords.

She had felt it during the previous Bimu as well, but Seo Ji-han’s sword didn't feel heavy.

It was light as a feather, feeling like it wasn't carrying much mana.

‘Still, I shouldn't be careless.’

She couldn't be defeated as easily as last time.

Min Ha-rin immediately followed up with a connecting move, drawing an arc with her sword.

Hwiiing!

The aesthetics of a curve drawn quickly and beautifully.

It was then.

Very suddenly, she felt a cold, blue aura from her right side.

A sharp and pointed sensation.

‘No way!’

It was undoubtedly the aura of a sword blade.

For a moment, she had lost track of Seo Ji-han's movements.

And so, she didn't see it.

How the sword had flown and cut her side.

“Aaargh!”

A sense of extreme fear she had never experienced before washed over her, and Min Ha-rin screamed without realizing it.

Seo Ji-han was smiling as he looked at her.

“It seems Grand Family Head Han Byeong-cheol has grasped your weakness very well.”

The side cut by the sword had healed without her even having time to feel the pain.

But the mental shock must have been great, as the back of her head felt numb as if hit by a hammer.

She couldn't say anything.

She could only hold back the tears welling up in her chest.

***

A quick victory.

It was the result of using my own insight based on the information written by Han Byeong-cheol.

Min Ha-rin, perhaps out of frustration, couldn't lift her head for a long time after losing to me.

It seemed she had really intended to win, but that was too reckless a thought.

It wouldn't have worked even if we had just fought normally, and since I had all her weaknesses in hand, the result was too obvious.

Still, Min Ha-rin soon admitted defeat and showed me proper respect.

“There's no need to be ashamed. About thirty percent of the reason I could finish it this quickly is because of your Grand Family Head.”

“I wish to receive your guidance. What should I do now?”

“Just do as I just did. Against your doppelgänger.”

It was easy to say, but in reality, it wasn't that simple.

I was me. Min Ha-rin was Min Ha-rin.

Since our conditions were different, she had to apply her own method.

‘Still, she has more mana than I do.’

She needed to make good use of this point.

As expected, Min Ha-rin was quite quick to understand.

When I explained and demonstrated how to defeat the doppelgänger, she followed along well.

And now, she was immersed in training, swinging her sword by herself for several hours.

“Hoo.”

I sat in a corner of the waiting room, cultivating my mana technique.

At the same time, in a corner of my mind, I pictured a virtual doppelgänger.

If the doppelgänger was completely like me, then it would also be a perfect genius.

Except for the lack of mana, there would be no weakness.

But there was no reason to worry at all.

The fact that I was stronger today than I was yesterday. And the conviction that I would be even stronger tomorrow. This simple belief was enough.

I already knew how the doppelgänger would fight, so all I had to do was respond accordingly.

“Hoo.”

For now, I just had to focus on my mana technique and put all my effort into adding a speck to my sesame-seed-sized mana.

“Um, Unit Leader Seo Ji-han.”

Just as I was concentrating, Min Ha-rin spoke to me.

“Why? Are you done practicing already?”

“That is not the case. But.”

“But what.”

“I am not being of any help to you, Unit Leader Seo Ji-han. Should I duel with you?”

“It’ll be over in a few exchanges anyway, what duel. Don't tell me you think your loss earlier was a coincidence.”

“That is not the case!”

“Then don't tell me you think you can find my weaknesses at your level.”

“I thought I might be able to find them if we repeated the duel.”

“Impossible. I can guarantee that.”

“Then how do you plan to defeat seven doppelgängers, Unit Leader Seo Ji-han?”

“That's for me to worry about, not you.”

“I understand.”

“And don't even think about fixing your weaknesses right now. In this quest, exploiting the doppelgänger's weaknesses is the priority.”

“I understand that as well.”

The doppelgänger had already been created, so it couldn't copy the insights gained in the waiting room.

With Min Ha-rin's talent, she would be able to win an easy victory against her doppelgänger.

She would definitely win up to three, probably four as well, and I wouldn't be disappointed if she reached the five I had suggested.

“By the way, was the previous record holder Kang Jae-gu of the Gwangun Sword Family?”

“Yes. He is the Grand Family Head of the Gwangun Sword Family. It is a record that has not been broken for 52 years.”

“Is he the number one in this country?”

The three people called the Three Sword Gods of this country had never fought each other, so people made indirect comparisons and offered different opinions.

Han Byeong-cheol of the Muwon Sword Family, Kang Jae-gu of the Gwangun Sword Family, and Mun Jeong-hwan of the Juno Guild. These were the candidates for number one.

“That is not the case! That is an outrageous story!”

“Then?”

“I believe that our Grand Family Head is the best among the Three Sword Gods.”

“Sounds like you're full of personal bias.”

“It is extremely objective. I know because I have watched him up close!”

Was the word 'objective' used in such a situation?

“Furthermore, there is nothing more absurd than the claim that he is the strongest just because he holds the highest record in this quest. There are numerous quest areas in the Abyss, and our Grand Family Head has cleared the most quests based on his active days. And I know that in terms of dungeon performance, our Grand Family Head is slightly above that person from the Gwangun Sword Family……”

A scoff escaped me.

“Min Ha-rin. You’re suddenly very talkative.”

“……Pardon?”

“You’re giving quite a passionate speech.”

At my sharp remark, Min Ha-rin’s expression changed, and she straightened her clothes.

“I’m sorry. I seem to have gotten excited over a sensitive topic.”

“If the two of them had fought when they were in their prime, there would be no such debate. Right?”

On the Kalia Continent, such a debate couldn't even exist.

Because there was an overwhelmingly strongest person.

“Or someone could appear like a comet and take the number one spot.”

“I know a strong candidate for that.”

“What?”

“A comet, I mean. I have met a hidden master who is not yet known to the public.”

Min Ha-rin was getting excited again.

I didn't know she was the type to get fired up over such topics.

“Who is that?”

“I cannot tell you. He probably doesn't want to be known. But he was more of a genius than anyone I have ever seen.”

That meant he was more talented than me.

Min Ha-rin was implicitly conveying that intention to me.

“You’re full of personal bias this time too.”

“That is not the case.”

“No. It's not objective at all.”

When I was pretending to be Seo Yohan, had I shown a more outstanding side than now?

No matter how much I thought about it, I didn't think it was to that extent.