274 — The Price

Kang-! Kwakuakkuak-!!!!

A calamity and a natural disaster.
There was literally no word that fit better than this.

Sword Ghost So Hang-woo.
Heavenly Killing Star Yu Seha.

Not to mention their raw specs including stats,
And the heights they had reached, both surpassed at least S-rank,

The fight between the two swordsmen who had reached extreme skill
Raged like a storm of whitewater.

The murderous intent they exuded was no longer mere hostility.

One side was the crystallization of madness determined to complete something at any cost,
the other was a killing karma that vowed to kill by any means.

The clear fact was,
The sword qi unleashed by both of them
Were intense wills and images carved into the world.

A single slash of the blade.
A single flick of the sword.
A single draw.
A single clash.
That alone cut an entire building within the <Academy> cleanly away.
It shattered into small pieces, leaving no remnants.

Luckily, everyone was too frantic fighting to notice,
No one had come to help,
So the consolation, if any, was that no one else was caught up in it.

Those who could survive here
Would have to be at least the Overlord Sword or Plum Blossom Sword Empress level.

The swirling clash of the Ghost-Shadow Sword.

Yu Seha, who had first slipped out, let out a battle cry.

“Waaaah!!!”

At that, the Sword Ghost shouted as if giving advice.

“Stop screeching! It’s the weak who make the most noise! Don’t show emotion to the enemy; keep it inside!”

The Sword Ghost hollered and struck Yu Seha’s jaw.
A clean hit using the hilt.
Pain as if his skull would break.

Yu Seha used the pain as further fuel,
And slashed at the Sword Ghost’s flank.
Blood flowed out in a stream.
He thought he’d cut deep, but it was only a large surface area.
In the end, it amounted to nothing more than a scratch.

From that, he realized.

That having his left ring and index fingers cut off
Was literally a feint…

The Sword Ghost, who fought with all sincerity,
Was an absolute powerhouse that even Yu Seha’s genius could not catch up to.

His head felt like it would explode with rage.
But Yu Seha did not lose his composure.

He knew well.
that this opponent could not be defeated by blindly throwing everything into murderous intent.

Now he had to gather his killing intent, concentrate it,
And forge it into a single blade that would sever his foe’s life.

‘Focus!’

He felt keenly that in his current state it wasn’t enough.

Yu Seha lowered the sword in his hand and turned his body.

Three strands of sword ki spiraled and spread like spinning tops.

The three qi formed a triangle and surged toward the Sword Ghost.
It was undeniably a higher state of the Ghost Shadow Sword.

The Sword Ghost beamed with delight that the single line from moments ago had multiplied into three.

The Sword Ghost easily blocked them,
And then saw something puzzling.

“Hoo, hoo!”

Yu Seha slammed the Azure Dragon Sword down into the ground.
Like the great warrior ‘Hormann’ had done,
He activated the innate skill of the Twin Dragon Sword.

A space unfolded, enclosing them both.
There was nothing particularly special about it.
It was merely a transparent barrier.

Unfortunately, even its effect was nothing extraordinary.
The Azure Dragon Sword’s innate skill.
A spatial skill that projects the caster’s desired image and engraves laws into it.

With the Sword Empress’s help he had gained some feel for it and could use it,
but it was still too difficult to fully control and, crucially, he lacked time.

It merely prevented the Sword Ghost from going somewhere.
At the same time, it kept himself from fleeing this place.

This was Yu Seha’s determined resolution.

Jiiing-!

Yu Seha opened his hand.
What [SlaSla] produced were one potion and one pill.

Undoubtedly doping items.
Under normal circumstances there would be no time to take these,
But his opponent was the Sword Ghost, who intended to draw out all of Yu Seha’s power.
As if telling him to do whatever he wanted, the Ghost was waiting.

Yu Seha vowed to make him regret that decision bitterly.

Absolutely!

He shoved the potion and pill into his mouth.

The two items were paid commodities,
[Elixir of Physical Growth] and [Fruit of Celestial Martial Transformation].
They were powerful cash items that had greatly contributed to his initial strengthening.

As mentioned before, using them a second time would make his body go boom!
But that only applied when one was middlingly weak.

‘At least 80 durability.’

With a powerful recovery skill as well, he could endure it.
In fact, the prerequisites practically required at least A-rank to use.
This was why Yu Seha hadn’t used them until now.

But now he could use them.
No—he had to use them.
If not now, there was no point.
If not now, it would mean nothing!!!

Thud-!

“Ghuuu!!”

The two substances he ingested fused inside his body,
and forcibly began to grow Yu Seha’s physique.

Muscles growing tougher.
Bones becoming more robust.
Vessels thickening and becoming more flexible.
Bursting veins and splitting flesh were healed by [Waves of Encroaching Light].

Enduring all convulsions with [Unwavering Insight] and [Tolerance for the Pain of Endurance], Yu Seha succeeded in further growing right there.

A definite S-rank realm.
And unquestionably mid-to-high S, what one might call mature mastery.

Naturally, it still wasn’t nearly enough.
Yu Seha lifted the Sword of the Saint.

Giiing-!

Geometric patterns etched across his limbs.
His evolved body solidified further,
And its characteristic markings appeared.

A current in the air over his whole body
Increased his understanding of all weapons.

An intangible vibration running through his soles
Spread like an earthquake and began to shake the ground.

A compendium of high-rank skills obtainable only through the [Eye of Reverse Heaven].

In effect, everything Yu Seha had accumulated to date and could now unleash.

Undoubtedly even top-tier S-rank,
Were being shattered by this overwhelming spec.

At the dazzling sight, the Sword Ghost smiled.
It was a smile that looked like yearning for someone dearly missed.

And indeed, that was the case.

The Sword Ghost was projecting onto Yu Seha a man he had longed to see.

‘Han-seong hyung…’

At last, I think I’ve found a clue to where you are.

The Sword Ghost lifted an oversized greatsword marked with the number ‘4’.
The initials GHS burst into fierce flames.
It was the masterpiece and weapon case that Ji Han-seong had used.

All the swords, except one single blade,
Were stored in the greatsword, creating a grotesque form.
A shape like a maw that could swallow heaven and earth.

“Come, Yu Seha!”
“……”

Pajijik-!

Yu Seha grabbed the golden spike on his shoulder.
He broke it.
At the same time, absorbing electricity from [Thundering Bolt], he immediately generated a new spike.

Space warped.
Yu Seha literally vanished.

The Sword Ghost did not flinch.
He swung the Ghost Shadow Sword straight at the monstrous figure running toward him.
Yu Seha’s Ghost Shadow Sword met it.

The two heart-swords collided in dizzying fashion,
blooming countless sparks like flowers.

And,
thus,
The result that appeared at the very end was…

“…Kuhk!”

It ended with Yu Seha’s defeat.

---

Clang-!

The shattered ‘Notung’ tumbled across the floor.
It was automatically retrieved by [SlaSla],
And Notung immediately began recovering its durability.

Every weapon except the Sword of the Saint was destroyed.

But that wasn’t the important part.
What mattered was…
Even after going this far,
And despite such desperate effort, the fact that he had been completely defeated.

Yu Seha lay sprawled on the ground,
shuddering as if he couldn’t believe it.

‘…This can’t be.’

How…
could this be…

He had done everything he could.

He burned with murderous intent,
surpassed his limits,
and forced his stats higher by taking elixirs.

Burning Flame Demon, Rising Dragon Tidal Wave,
Thundering Bolt, Frozen Permafrost.

In short, he used elemental skills that rivaled those of a great mage.

Overwhelming physical enhancements based on Monster Strength Rampage, Universal Mastery, and Gear Limiter, ultimately did not work.

“…Ghuuuurk!”

Yu Seha raised his head.
He looked at the monstrous old man before him.

Sword Ghost So Hang-woo.
Of course, he wasn’t unscathed either.

One ear had been cut off,
One eye had been gouged out,
And blood dripped down.

Countless cuts and wounds marked his body,
And the swords he held
Were all shattered except for the greatsword at the very center that had never even been drawn.

But that was all.
In the end, none were fatal enough to kill him.

For the first time, Yu Seha felt despair.

<Festival of the Fallen Warriors>,
The sparring with the Sword Empress,
The times he climbed the tower with the kids and raised his stars…

All the training and effort,
Meant nothing to the Sword Ghost.

Rustle-!

Yu Seha’s iron-like spirit crumbled.
Reacting to that,
The Azure Dragon Sword’s barrier began to break.

“……”

Suddenly, at that moment.
The Sword Ghost stared at Yu Seha without any action.

He turned his body without a word.
Without giving Yu Seha even a moment to wonder why.

His back fully exposed.

He walked away calmly, as if the match were over.
A retreating figure that seemed to offer mercy.

He had been so talkative until moments ago,
And now fell into unbelievable silence.

The moment Yu Seha saw that,
He understood.

And then…
More than anything else in this world,
He felt intense terror.

‘No…’

His head went cold.
A chill ran through him.
His heart froze,
And a fear that dried and evaporated his blood swept over him.

Gasping with a hand on the floor, Yu Seha tried to shout.

Stop, the match isn’t over yet,
please look this way!

By any means,
He had to stop the Sword Ghost’s steps.

Yu Seha trembled as he reached out his arm.
His face hit the ground pitifully.

‘My body…’

Wouldn’t move at all.
The backlash and side effects that come after overclocking everything into the limit.

Already Yu Seha’s body and mind
Had long since been mangled beyond their limits.

It was a miracle he had held on this far.
He no longer even had the strength to make a sound.

“……”

Sluuurp.

Yu Seha wept without realizing it.
The first tears he’d shed since being bound to this place.

His heart pounded.
At the image of the future unfolding before him,
Blood-tinged tears soaked into his mouth.

The source of the fear Yu Seha felt
Was inferred from where the Sword Ghost
Was walking toward.

‘<Temple of the Demon King>……’

His beloved comrades,
The children,
And the women were there.

Yu Seha clenched his fist.
There was no doubt.

The Sword Ghost was giving him time.
Time to recover,
time to tend his body…
And…

Meowi…’

Time to capture and bring her back…
He didn’t need to see to know the tragedy that would follow.

‘No, no…!’

He couldn’t help but imagine it.

Meowi smiling with an apologetic face, saying ‘Mua…’.

And the Sword Ghost cutting her throat.

What would happen after that?

He would probably be brutally defeated.

With irremovable vengeance and hatred engraved in his chest…

This, according to the Sword Ghost’s intention,
Would become the means that lifted him above all else.

What the Ghost muttered in between,
About a celestial realm beyond the stars and such,
Would serve as the driving force to trample those things underfoot.

‘…Three years…’

No, one year will be enough.
I will surely become strong enough within that time to tear that absolute being apart.

But,
but,
what’s the point of that……
What on earth…

‘What meaning does that even have…?’

He felt his clenched hand twist painfully.
He squeezed so hard his knuckles cracked.
His digging nails tore his palm, blood dripping.

What meaning does that have…
What good is becoming strong after losing everything?

‘Sunlike talent? A genius who understands and internalizes at a glance?’

A personal ability to copy powers and elevate them further?
Infinite potential to ultimately become stronger than anyone else?

It means nothing.
It means absolutely nothing…

‘If you lose all that is precious…’

It means nothing!!!

Crunch, crunch!
A grotesque sound echoed.

Unable to use his hands,
Yu Seha clenched the hilt between his teeth.
Using it as a cane, he raised his body.

Unable to withstand the shock,
his molars shattered, but he didn’t care.
He stood up.
He had to get up.

‘It has to be now!’

It must be now and only now.
There’s no meaning in doing it later.
It cannot be later.

Only now.
Right now!!!
Right here, immediately!

‘Strong enough to kill that man…!’

I must become strong enough to protect our kids!!!
No matter the cost…!

‘I must become strong!!!’

A determination and resolve so desperate it was unmatched.
An intensity of feeling that could burn away every brain cell.

That immediately…
Granted Yu Seha new power and possibilities.

As if it had been waiting for this, the <Info Window> before Yu Seha flickered red and updated.

Dding-!

“……!?”

“……”

Yu Seha stared blankly at the words.
Sniff.

Tears fell.
Just a little,
tears of relief.

He did not hesitate.
Clenching the broken sword in his teeth in one motion…

“……!!!”

He pierced ‘Accept.’