Episode 43

[I will kill youuuu!!]

The pig… no, Namgoong’s patriarch charged at me with an immense momentum.

Even putting aside its appearance, his physical ability was something far surpassed that of humans.

He was resolved to kill me by any means necessary.

‘I shouldn’t face something like that.’

A technique that explodes latent power, temporarily becoming stronger.

It’s best when such things fall apart on their own.

So, all I have to do is run away.

That’s what he must be thinking.

‘As if I could run away.’

With his already frenzied physical abilities,

Not to mention strength, but speed and magical power are one or two levels higher than mine.

Running away from such abilities would not be easy, even for me.

Moreover, this is a battlefield.

Nam Hyerin, Yoo Eunchae, and Seon Woohyeon could also be targeted.

It was a disadvantageous scenario for me.

Suddenly, laughter leaked out.

‘There are various reasons, but.’

I realized that I had somehow grown fond of those guys.

I gripped my sword.

I aimed my sword at him.

After being smeared like that a moment ago, do you think you can attack? I looked at him with provocative eyes.

[Youuuuuu!!]

The effect of my glare is undoubtedly clear.

The head of the Namgoong Clan quickly ran towards me. I lightly lifted my sword.

“Huup.”

I stopped breathing and readied myself.

My spirit was uplifted. I looked at him.

Pabababat!

The swiftly approaching figure. He stubbornly swung his sword, aiming for my arm.

‘Even in this situation, he wants to inflict pain, not aim for my neck.’

It’s an absurd confidence.

Chaeng!

I flicked the sword outward and dove inside. Then, he immediately reacted. He extended his arm with the sword, aiming for my dantian.

I forcibly held the sword and repelled it with strength, aiming at me.

“I’ve been saying this since before, but you’re too greedy.”

I swing the sword outward.

At the same time, I concentrate a small amount of frost palm martial art on my other hand.

Crrrrack─.

My left hand, imbued with the cold of destruction, naturally deflected the Namgoong Family patriarch’s attack.

And then, straight towards his face.

Sssnap─!!

I slapped his cheek.

[…!?]

He wore a bewildered expression.

Though I couldn’t feel the expression on a pig’s body.

Even in a life-threatening situation, the Namgoong Family Head clearly showed me his astonishment.

‘Has he never been slapped as he grew up?’

So, I immediately slapped the other side, too.

Sssnap─!!

[Youuuuu, are you mocking me till the end!!]

“Did you just realize that?”

I stretched my foot towards the sword aiming at me. When he tried to adjust, I immediately used the recoil to spring backward.

Boom!

The patriarch immediately approached.

Using the recoil to spring away, he caught up to me just by running.

He swings his fist. After catching the sword with telekinesis, I grabbed it with both hands and did a back-tumble.

However, realizing that his attack no longer worked, he attacked me with his entire body.

“Good attack!”

Praising the patriarch’s judgment, I immediately bent my waist. Then, the patriarch reached out his hand.

In his haste, his body went crackled and snapped out of place.

‘He’s trying to kill me, so he must think this is okay.’

Indeed, this is a dangerous situation.

I stand firmly on the ground with both legs.

I stretch my right hand up and my left hand down, extending them both.

Each pointed towards the sky and the earth.

Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.

My body and that of the Namgoong Clan head brushed against each other as if colliding for a moment.

Thud.

Though our bodies collided, only a light sound was made.

[Such an unbelievable technique!!]

“…!!”

The Namgoong Clan head stood in astonishment.

The body of the Namgoong Clan head began to spin once and then brushed past me.

Of course, it’s not like I came out unscathed.

My left arm was completely gone due to the strike a moment ago, and my right leg was damaged to the point of being hard to move.

‘It’s okay.’

After all, my body will be tempered by itself by the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

The more it is damaged, the more solidly it will be rebuilt. That’s the power of the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

I raised my sword towards the Namgoong Clan head.

My hands are trembling.

It was hard to maintain the proper stance.

‘This is the end.’

My body creaks.

The qi within my dantian isn’t all that plentiful.

I’ve been recuperating it bit by bit, while somehow managing to hold on, but even I have my limits.

I’ve resisted against a superior opponent to the best of my ability.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be wrong to consider me the most active participant here.

I looked at the head of the Namgoong Clan.

He didn’t know what to do. If things continued this way, the Namgoong clan would collapse with this guy.

All sorts of thoughts would flit through his mind.

Where did it all go wrong? What did I do wrong, etc.

He might feel unjust.

In a world where there are those more evil than himself.

Because he was the one singled out to die among them.

‘So what about it.’

It was just bad luck.

By chance, my student was from the Namgoong clan.

The one I encountered was from the Namgoong clan.

And because I could get what I wanted by taking him down.

‘Just think of it as bad luck.’

Whooooosh!!

Sword qi was imbued.

Crack.

The sword screamed as if this was its last.

‘Eternal Moonlight.’

Wooong!!

Moonlight descended. It was a more splendid light than usual.

A cool breeze scattered my hair.

Only this place overflowed with light under the dark sky.

My body shivered.

I stared straight at Namgoong’s family head.

[What on earth are you.]

“Han Seojin.”

[Keuheuheu. Still spouting such nonsensical excuses… It doesn’t matter. Since I can’t survive here anyway.]

His eyes became tranquil.

Standing on the threshold of death, is this what enlightenment feels like?

Namgoong’s family head’s eyes deepened.

He raised his sword.

[Thirteen Strikes of the Lightning Blade.]

“Emperor Sword Form.”

[Keuheuheu… Let’s see you unfold the Emperor Sword Form!!]

Kwoong!

Namgoong’s family head charged at me again with his heavy physique.

However, although the body is heavy, its speed is distinctly fast.

It seems to have brought the body under its control more than before, becoming more efficient.

Wooong!!

The sword screamed out. I moved the sword.

Flash.

The sword became a line. The line soon split into dozens, rushing towards the clan head.

[What, is this?]

“You can consider it an honor.”

In a world where everything was becoming distant, I spoke to the patriarch.

This is the true essence of the Emperor Sword Form.

Countless lines try to bind the clan head.

Heavy sword.

Defeating sword.

The lines appear only when facing those who wield these two swords.

A group of swords that scrutinizes everything about the opponent, forcing attacks on them at will.

Therefore, the sword of one who correctly handles the Emperor Sword Form is nearly impossible to evade.

It must bring about the unfairness of having only to counterattack.

Swords with the secret of ascension all possess these secrets.

The Mount Hua’s Violet Mist Godly Sword, the Wudang’s Supreme Sword, and the Heavenly Demon’s Heavenly Demon Godly Technique.

They cannot be confronted head-on, the reason for their notorious reputation.

[Ha ha… This is the sword of Namgoong…!]

The head of the Namgoong Clan said, sobbing.

Crackle!

The blue light of the sword’s lightning intensified. An enormous force was felt.

Countless lines began to converge.

Eventually, they intertwined into a single line.

Emperor Sword Form.

The emperor struck down with his sword.

My form and the head of the Namgoong Clan’s form collided, and the head of the Namgoong Clan hung his head from afar.

[…I have a request.]

“When it’s time to die, you still act tough, you criminal bastard.”

[…What?]

I’ve been displeased from the start.

Nam Hyerin was abused at will, her vitality was sucked out of her, and the head of the Namgoong family forcibly conscripted civilians.

And yet, he acts all dignified as if he’s facing his end.

[So it is. You are, no, you were… Namgoong, Mi…ryeo… That child did everything she could for Nam Hyerin.]

“….”

[Please… grant her a… lenient treatment…]

Pfft!

Blood spurted out from the neck of the Namgoong family head as he spoke those words.

The disgusting and pungent smell of dark red blood.

“Master!!”

From a distance, Yoo Eunchae was running towards us.

A bit later, Seon Woohyeon followed behind. I could also see Shin Yura, working in hiding, and some others.

“Yoo Eunchae.”

“Huh? Yes!”

I approached Yoo Eunchae.

And then I whispered as quietly as possible.

“Grab everything you can right now.”

“Huh?”

“Grab everything you can. Others are eyeing it greedily.”

“Excuse me? Then, Master…”

“I’ll pass out, so just take me to my house.”

“Excuse me?!”

What do you mean, ’excuse me?

I want to give her a flick on the forehead, but my consciousness is fading.

All I remember is the pitch-dark night sky.

That’s where I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a bathtub.

Like a fountain, water was continuously pouring out inside the bathtub.

‘This place…’

Come to think of it, I’ve heard about it.

Beneath the Academy flows a spiritual vein.

Where a spiritual vein passes, an enormous amount of magical power overflows.

In this place, the Academy, magical power flowing from the spiritual vein eliminates physical fatigue. It is famous for its magical spring water, which has healing abilities comparable to those of a decent priest.

‘I survived.’

I thought I was really crossing the river of the dead.

Namgoong clan head, that ignorant bastard.

‘My body feels…’

Surprisingly light.

Was it a one-time excessive cost? The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra has made my body even more perfect.

And then.

Gurgle.

‘I’m hungry.’

There’s no strength in my body, yet it’s screaming for something to eat.

One of the drawbacks of the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

In the early stages, it consumes too much energy.

Splish splash.

I got out of the bathtub and went outside. A pleasant smell was wafting through.

Who is cooking?

“Ah, Master, you’ve come out… Aaaaahhh!!”

“Be quiet.”

I ignored Yoo Eunchae’s scream.

I also ignored the piercing stares.

I opened the refrigerator and immediately stuffed something like chocolate into my mouth.

I also put something like jerky into my mouth.

It’s cold, so it doesn’t taste great, but as the saying goes, hunger is the best sauce.

I devoured ten bags of jerky in an instant.

As I put the jerky in my mouth, I think.

‘Namgoong clan head, that guy.’

He is a criminal and an unnecessary person in the end, but still, his strength is real.

Because of that, I found myself thinking about the traits once again.

Unique Traits.

I felt once again what an immense power it really was.

That power significantly enhanced Namgoong’s patriarch, who had barely reached the level of high rank.

‘I didn’t really know what his traits are.’

But when it combined with his unique traits, I found it hard to handle.

Well, there was also the fact that I acted alone.

I wanted to take down the Namgoong clan leader as soon as possible rather than finding clues, so it was my fault for making a big deal out of it.

However, even I don’t act recklessly.

It may seem unplanned, but there’s always a plan in mind.

“I need to figure out what traits are.”

“Traits?”

“Yes. Do you know what kind of traits I might have?”

“I do know. Oh, no, rather than that, cover up below! Do you think you’re the only one here?! Hyerin is here too, you know?”

“Huh?”

Only then did I notice Nam Hyerin staring at me blankly.

Yoo Eunchae also pretended to cover her eyes while sneakily glancing at my body.

Have I ever seen such shameless ones?