Chapter 65 - Hatchling's Nest (1)

A wide, thin blade floated leisurely in the air, and at my gesture, it was shot sharply towards the old tree in the manor.

The control of mana was flawless, and the thrown blade maintained its initial mana without any loss despite its fast flight. And then.

Kwaaaaaak!

It lodged sharply into the old tree, showing a satisfying result.

‘This thing is quite a piece of work.’

I had recently custom-ordered a large quantity of practice blades, and they were being used effectively in my training.

The size was 7 centimeters in length and 2.5 centimeters in width. The shape was that of a dagger, but since it was thinner than an actual dagger and thus lighter, it was much easier to control.

Thanks to this, the form was somewhat befitting of the technique name I had christened ‘Sword Control Technique’, which was incredibly satisfying.

‘From now on…’

It was about time to start increasing the number.

For now, two.

One and two were worlds apart in terms of difficulty.

Distributing mana evenly to both sides was key, but to continuously exert dominance over the two blades that had left my hand required more than double the concentration and delicacy.

Still, the encouraging fact was that thanks to Guyeopcho's Necklace, I could practice this process with a full load of mana every time.

This time, two blades floated into the air.

Each target was different.

One was for the old tree on the left, and the other was intended for the old tree on the right.

In fact, just attempting this could be called surprising progress.

It was only a short while ago that I had mastered a single coin.

Hwiing-

Hwiiing-

I raised all my senses and concentration and shot the two blades.

The destructive power of each might be less than when I attempted with one, but all other results had to be the same.

From the flight speed and trajectory, to the impact at the final moment.

Kwaaak!

Kwaaak!

The two blades shot out like a gale and accurately struck their respective targets.

It wasn't perfect, but for a first attempt, the result was satisfactory.

Even the act of slightly retrieving the mana at the last moment to protect the old tree went exactly as I intended.

This was a level that could be used in actual combat.

Especially if the opponent was a flying-type monster, it would be a very useful technique.

‘That’s enough for today.’

It was a satisfying training session.

Now, I just need to move to the physical training room and do some weightlifting, and my schedule for the day would be complete.

Thump thump.

At that moment, I felt a presence approaching me.

A large aura, enough to be counted on one hand within the Haewon Sword Family.

It wasn't too difficult to guess who it was.

“What were you doing here?”

The one who appeared through the darkness was Seo Ji-won.

“This is a training ground. What else would I be doing besides training?”

“What kind of training doesn't even have a single sword?”

“That's also a preconception. Just because it's a sword family doesn't mean we only do swordsmanship.”

“True. That's also true.”

Seo Ji-won nodded and looked at me with an indifferent gaze.

“By the way, our youngest has become quite famous. All because of that damn Doppelgänger quest.”

“So I hear.”

“Today, several reporters came to me and asked about you. Of course, I didn't say anything, so there's nothing to worry about.”

“Good job.”

“I'm saying you should handle it yourself. It's so annoying.”

Lately, the media companies seemed to be hell-bent on getting an interview with me.

Of course, I refused them all.

For now, I wanted to live quietly.

“To be honest, I still can't believe your change. And I understand less and less about you. What your true self is.”

“What you see is what you get.”

“Right. I'll admit you have outstanding talent. You might even be a genius.”

“But?”

“But the aura I feel from you is that of a third-rate Hunter, no, even less than that. That's why I really don't know. What kind of person you are.”

“I have no intention of trying to convince you what kind of person I am, big brother. Just accept what you see.”

Was Seo Ji-won the only one who thought this way?

If we were only talking about interest in me, my father and mother must have experienced the greatest confusion.

“A strange thought suddenly occurred to me.”

“What?”

“The thought of wanting to have a serious duel with you.”

“That is a strange thought.”

“You were a being like a speck of dust, not even in my consideration. Of course, even now, I don't think you are on a level where you can duel with me.”

“And?”

“Still, I have a feeling it would be somewhat interesting if we actually did it?”

He saw through me sharply.

There was not a single incorrect statement in what Seo Ji-won was saying now.

“A duel…”

“Will you accept? I have no intention of settling a victory or defeat with you. There's no need for that. I just want to lightly cross swords and feel your essence.”

“A duel with no victory or defeat?”

“Yes. I would like for us both to share swords, using only the Haewon Sword Style.”

It wasn't a bad proposal.

Since I had only been taught the early part of the Haewon Sword Style, many parts remained blank for me.

It would be the same for Seo Ji-won, but his sword style had experience imbued in it.

Since the Haewon Sword Style has the characteristic of imprinting the memories of swordsmanship onto mana, his experience would be beneficial to me in some way.

“Alright. I'll accept. Your proposal.”

“Then shall we start right away?”

I nodded and immediately drew the Reapersword.

***

Seo Ji-won's and my swords clashed, ringing a metallic sound in the night air.

But it wasn't very fierce.

The two swords had become instruments, creating a harmony.

This was because, as Seo Ji-won said, we were purely feeling each other's swords rather than determining a winner.

Chaeng!

Chaeng!

The Haewon Sword Style certainly had a unique aspect.

Due to the memories imprinted in the mana, when performing the forms, at some point, the body reacts on its own and performs a sword dance.

If one goes one step further from here, one reaches the ultimate realm where the sword and I become one.

That is the Sword Master.

That's why the Haewon Sword Style is interesting.

It's terribly abstruse, but if you can just peel back that one layer, the Haewon Sword Style will guide you on a shortcut to the path of a Sword Master.

Of course, it's a realm I've already reached, but I always feel a thirst for new swordsmanship.

And this endless desire for improvement will take me to a place higher than the realm of my previous life.

‘What a relief.’

That there is such an interesting swordsmanship in this unfamiliar world called Earth.

Chaeng!

Chaeng!

Seo Ji-won put a moderate amount of mana into his sword, matching my balance as he performed the sword dance.

Now that we were crossing swords directly, I could tell for sure.

Seo Ji-won's level was, as expected, at the entrance of a Sword Expert.

He was a strong person who would have difficulty finding an opponent even if he were placed on the Kalia Continent right now.

The problem was whether he could peel back one more layer from here.

‘I'm sorry, but it still seems far off.’

It was not an easy task.

Because a Sword Master was a rare level, countable on one's fingers even across the entire Kalia Continent.

The conversation of swords between us had already reached several dozen exchanges.

It was enough time to exchange our respective interpretations of the Haewon Sword Style.

There was something to be gained from Seo Ji-won's Haewon Sword Style, so it was beneficial and enjoyable.

And Seo Ji-won would have gained much more.

If he had approached the duel with an open mind, abandoning all preconceptions, that is.

“Amazing.”

“What is?”

“Your sword seemed light, yet at times it possessed an unknown weight.”

As expected, he wasn't a completely closed-off character.

I responded only with a smile.

“Seo Ji-han.”

“What.”

“I acknowledge it now. That you also have the qualifications of a unit leader, equal to me.”

“So you didn't think so until now. Well, your acknowledgement isn't that important, big brother.”

“And I'd like to make you another proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“The duel we've had so far was, in truth, just a sword dance.”

“So?”

“I plan to put my heart into the final sword strike of the duel, will you receive it?”

Making such a murderous proposal to his younger brother.

But it seemed like it would be okay.

If the Bimu dragged on, it would be another story, but there was no reason I couldn't receive just the final sword strike.

“Go ahead.”

“Then I will engage you with all my heart, without reservation.”

“As will I.”

In an instant, the aura that Seo Ji-won emanated changed completely.

Since he had announced that this was the final sword strike, there was no room for feints.

In the atmosphere that suppressed the surrounding space, Seo Ji-won's sword shone.

‘A hidden trump card.’

Shwaaaaa!

A sense of exhilaration was always felt from Seo Ji-won's sword.

As expected of the Sword Expert level.

Seo Ji-won packed a concise yet most efficient attack into a single sword strike.

Still, he seemed to have been considerate of his younger brother.

He said he would do it with all his heart, but at the last moment, he slightly eased up on his power.

‘I don't need this kind of consideration.’

I immediately infused mana into the Reapersword.

In a situation where we had promised to exchange only a single sword strike, it wasn't too difficult to find the optimal move I could make.

There was no need to think about the next move.

Shwaaaaaaaa!

The paths of the two swords crossed and slipped past each other just before impact.

The destination of the sword tips was each other's necks.

There was no killing intent, but the will to compete was full.

A fleeting moment passed, and just like that, our respective single sword strikes came to an end in an instant.

At the end of the sword path, we looked at each other.

The tips of the two swords were stopped in front of each other's Adam's apples.

Seo Ji-won's eyes wavered.

Even if it was by a paper-thin margin, he had recognized that my sword was slightly closer.

“Let's call it a draw.”

“…”

But Seo Ji-won was still silent.

“Because you were the one who eased up on the power at the last moment, big brother.”

I looked at Seo Ji-won and gave him a wide grin.

Of course, the smile I was making now was not really a smile.

Because I had poured more than my limit into this one sword strike.

It was a moment where even standing felt difficult.

***

Abyss.

The location of the portal to the nest was now marked on the map I received from Seo Ji-hoon, and I moved quickly towards it.

‘So this was the setup.’

The portal generation was not a fixed location but a random method. It seemed to appear at a moderately distant place from the current location of the map's owner.

The portal was open for only 40 minutes.

If I exceeded the time limit here, I would have to wait for the next time, so I had to hurry as much as possible.

The problem was that no matter how much I hurried, it was quite tight to make it in time.

‘If a monster appears in the middle of the way.’

Kraaaang!

In fact, there was no way it wouldn't appear.

The entire Abyss was a monster paradise.

What appeared before me were three Blood Wolfhounds.

I had no time to waste on guys like these.

Shwaak!

Shwaa!!

Shwaaaak!!

The Reapersword drew three lines at once, and the three Blood Wolfhounds had their heads chopped off on the spot.

But Blood Wolfhounds are not monsters that roam in groups of just three or four.

This meant that somewhere around here, there were many more of them in a pack.

My prediction was not off by a single inch.

Kwang!

Kwaang!

Blood Wolfhounds jumped out of the bushes without rest, and I cut down the monsters and ran straight ahead.

I had no leisure to slow down.

If only Blood Wolfhounds appeared until the destination, I planned to run straight like this.

Since Guyeopcho's Necklace was constantly replenishing my mana, I was not constrained by the number of individuals, provided they were low-level monsters.

A considerable amount of time had already passed.

[Time remaining: 2 minutes]

Fortunately, the destination was right ahead.

By the way, what a nasty setup.

To have to run without rest like this just to barely make it in time.

And to be truly nasty, the finishing touch would be to spread high-level monsters all around the destination.

In fact, I was already feeling that aura.

‘It's a Twin Head Troll.’

There were five of them.

It was impossible to kill them all, but there was no reason I couldn't pass through.

I took a breath and rushed into the midst of the monsters.

The five Twin Head Trolls let out huge and ferocious roars through their ten mouths.

Shwaaak!

The Reapersword flashed with light.

A few red lines were drawn, and blood splattered.

Of course, I knew well that these troll fellows would regenerate their wounds immediately.

‘And they would launch a ferocious counterattack at me as if nothing happened.’

But I didn't enter the midst of these guys without something to rely on.

[Pallas's Shield is activating.]

I did not stop running.

The portal was visible in front of me.

[Time remaining: 1 minute]

A truly nasty setup.

I thrust my body into the portal without delay.