Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Namgung Sparring (4)
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The progression of Namgung Serin's event unfolded like this.
First off, she was the type who absolutely hated losing. She hated it, and she'd never lost before. Normally, something like the Namgung Sparring Tournament would be a breeze for her, but to her dismay, the rumors swirling around Poison Phoenix Dang Ha-eun—who was representing the Sichuan Tang Clan in this tournament—were anything but ordinary.
A master who'd survived an assault from a division leader-level expert. Namgung Serin could no longer be certain of her victory.
Seizing on this mental vulnerability, a Demonic Cult spy would cast something akin to hypnosis on her. The protagonist would then shatter the spell, capture the spy, and deal with them. That whole sequence made up one event...
So how could I avoid getting directly involved? Simple. If Namgung Serin's mentality was rock-solid, that would do it.
And how to make her mentality rock-solid? Simple. Make her stronger. People get scared before exams because of their weak spots, after all.
I'd been dropping hints to her here and there. Her memories were foggy, but her body was freakishly sturdy, enough to guess she'd been a martial artist in the past. She'd probably pegged me as some senile hermit. It was all to lay the groundwork for handing her items later on.
Good. Things were going smoothly.
Let's keep it this way.
A dimly lit secret chamber. A single red lantern flickered with an uneasy glow. The man seated at the head of the table was an unrealistically massive figure, over eight feet tall, his thick robes making him look anything but human.
He addressed the masked figure sitting elsewhere.
"So... you failed to kill that Tang Clan bitch, and you haven't even gotten a proper look at the Namgung girl a few times..."
Gulp. Someone swallowed hard. A tense silence hung in the air, like walking on thin ice. The man scratched his chin with a puzzled expression.
"Strange. Were we always this incompetent?"
"...Grand Elder. There was a variable."
Breaking the heavy silence, someone at the far end of the table spoke up. The man called Grand Elder shifted his gaze slightly.
"Island Flower Division Leader. Speak."
His voice had dropped even lower, carrying a chill that promised to rip out throats the moment excuses ended. The Island Flower Division Leader spoke with his head half-bowed.
"By our plan, Sword Phoenix should have been even more on edge. We figured that once she heard about Poison Phoenix Dang Ha-eun's feats, her personality would leave her sleepless with anxiety."
"Right. That's why we spread those rumors on purpose. About how some idiot couldn't even handle a freshly adult girl. Reporting that to His Liege was utterly humiliating."
The Blood King Division Leader averted his eyes under the Grand Elder's stare. The man clicked his tongue and nodded his chin.
"So why is she still fine and dandy?"
The Island Flower Division Leader replied.
"According to our planted spy, Sword Phoenix has been climbing some mountain whenever she has free time lately."
"Hiking's good for mental health. Want me to bury you on one?"
"...Our separate investigation confirmed she's spending time with an old man up there before coming back. That's the variable I mentioned. Unless we kill that old man, the odds of Sword Phoenix falling to sorcery are minuscule."
"Hm..."
The Grand Elder's red eyes clouded over in thought, a milky film like a reptile's nictitating membrane covering them. It drew back like a curtain as he spoke again.
"That old man—is he a civilian? Touching civilians unnecessarily could draw the court's attention, and that's a headache."
With the imperial court already on edge from clashing with those Western Arclich bastards lately, rumors of the Demonic Cult slaughtering civilians would spell disaster.
The Grand Elder's bored eyes turned to the Island Flower Division Leader. The moment he said "civilian," he planned to kill him.
The Island Flower Division Leader shook his head in panic.
"No! That old man was teaching Sword Phoenix swordsmanship every day. From sunrise to sunset, swinging his sword without a hint of fatigue."
"Is that so? Then he's no civilian. But an old man teaching Sword Phoenix? Isn't it usually the other way around?"
"...We don't know the details."
"Whatever. Permission granted. Handle the aftermath yourself. A mountain, you say? If possible, take out Sword Phoenix in one go while you're at it."
The Grand Elder rose from his seat. The flickering lantern behind him cast a shadow over his enormous frame. The division leaders stood in unison with a rumble. The brief meeting ended there.
But the Grand Elder didn't leave. He only took a few steps—right up to the Island Flower Division Leader.
"Island Flower Division Leader."
"...Yes."
Clack. A massive hand like a pot lid rested on the Island Flower Division Leader's head. It made his skull look like an apple.
"The Blood King Division Leader lost his right arm. Don't think you'll just lose your left. Yours is your head."
In that moment, not a soul dared speak. The division leaders scattered like ants.
"It's already tomorrow."
Namgung Serin said out of the blue.
"All prepared?"
"Sort of... I've come up with a few tricks to try if things get dicey, but I'm worried you'll think they're cowardly."
"There's no such thing in a fight. You might catch some flak at the time, but in the end, people only remember the results that go down in the records. In battle, the one who sprinkles dirt in the enemy's eyes first wins."
She let out a small laugh at my words. That first-love-from-school kind of smile on her face packed a punch. Maybe I shouldn't have gone with the old man disguise? Should I switch it up now and shoot my shot?
...Damn it, things were going fine until these thoughts creep in. Lately, my biggest struggle was overcoming temptation and distraction.
"You know what? To be honest, I even thought this: if I'm going to lose in front of everyone, maybe it'd be better to just poison myself and collapse..."
The kind of thing you see on the 9 o'clock news all the time.
High schoolers making extreme choices from exam stress. And Namgung Serin was right at that age. Embarrassed after spilling her guts, she poked at the campfire busily.
In the desaturated night, only she near the firelight stood out in sharp relief. Her hair, tied back in a ponytail, exposed her long, pale neck.
"...Pretty pathetic, right, even to you, Elder?"
I watched her awkward smile shimmering beyond the haze, without meeting her eyes.
"Young lady."
At last, I felt the end of this brief encounter drawing near.
"I have something for you."
"Me?"
"My sword. See that small hut beyond the bushes? It's in there. I'd forgotten how to hold a sword myself, but I always meant to give it to someone worthy someday. Today, I found that owner."
"...I can't accept that."
Like hell she couldn't.
Before Namgung Serin could shake her head, I beat her to it. We'd come this far— no backing out now.
For reference, the item I'd prepared for her was the Heaven-Splitting Infinite Sword. A Namgung Family-exclusive blade that triggered special effects when paired with both the Sky-Bound Infinite Swordsmanship and the Sky-Bound Great Cyclic Divine Art.
Pure stats put it on the lower end of legendary tier, but the special effects were so powerful it was essential for a Namgung route.
I suddenly recalled the first time I'd gotten the Heaven-Splitting Infinite Sword and activated its special effect. Without that rush, I never would've stuck with this trash game until I became a hardcore vet...
"Don't refuse. It's a favor."
I dropped the playfulness and looked at her earnestly. She'd grown fond of me too, it seemed—my deathbed-old-man act tugged at her heart. Tears welled halfway in her eyes.
"...Okay. But you have to keep exercising every day and live a long, long time."
"Stop worrying about me and go. Linger too long, and the sword'll go cold."
She walked away with a heavy step, smile fading. The clearing was so vast the hut was a ways off. With each step she took, the silence thickened like dawn mist. Thinking this was our last day made my chest tighten too.
Then, out of nowhere, a long, slender needle-like dart fluttered toward my neck on the wind. What the hell? I twisted aside casually and dodged.
"Ho, you dodged that?"
Thud.
As the sneak attack failed, a figure dropped lightly from above... What was that? A mummy? Wrapped head to toe in bandages. One look and I knew his affiliation.
Demonic Cult for sure. No one else dressed that ridiculously.
This was baffling. The Namgung Sparring was tomorrow? Why were the Cult guys—who should be hypnotizing her—here?
'Ah. No way.'
It clicked. Since she came up here daily, they couldn't find the right moment for the spell? And her mentality hadn't crumbled much?
I got it. That freak was backup to fix the botched plan. Not knowing my strength, and ready to kill her if needed, he had to be at least division leader level.
I'd planned to bolt and one-shot him since I hated fighting, but a sudden idea made me pause.
Wait. If I play this right...
"No mummy costume needed. Which division leader are you?"
Since I planned to kill him anyway, he answered readily.
"Island Flower Division Leader. If you'd stayed put, you might've lived a bit longer. No need to get involved and cut your life short."
Division leader, huh. Then Namgung Serin with that sword wouldn't lose...
I mentally tallied it up, pulled the April Fools item Fake Blood from my pocket, and swished it in my mouth. Then I sprayed it everywhere and bellowed.
"Arrrgh! Urghhh! Eeeek!"
Maybe because I infused it with internal energy. Far off, Namgung Serin with the Heaven-Splitting Infinite Sword flinched, then shot toward me with lightness skill. The Island Flower Division Leader twirled a finger by his head.
"Lost your mind?"
I ignored him, tore off a bloodied lapel, tossed it to the ground, and backed away slyly.
"Awakening event, you hack."
"What nonsense. Hey, old man. Don't think you can pretend to go nuts and run. You're dead by my hand anyway—"
"You."
The moment I fully ducked behind the bushes.
The Island Flower Division Leader's charge halted abruptly. His head turned slowly. An ominous aura spread.
...Clearly just a novice not even at peak mastery. Why this pressure?
Hum, hum, hum—
Heaven-Splitting Infinite Sword raised sky-high. Blinding azure sword aura. Seeing the bloody cloth, a single tear streamed from Namgung Serin's eye. In a trembling voice, she pronounced the division leader's doom.
"I won't forgive you."
Not victory or defeat—a revenge for one person.
"Die."
The Heaven-Splitting Infinite Sword swung once.
Shlick.
The high clouds split in two.