Whip Sword (1)
“As expected. Are all hunters around this time like this?”
Was it because the image of the Kingdom Guild stuck in Jeonghyeon’s mind from his previous life was too lofty? Hunters who must have made somewhat of a name for themselves anywhere were collapsing before him like paper dolls.
“I’ve…… never seen swordsmanship like this……!”
The hunters witnessing Jeonghyeon’s dissection swordsmanship for the first time were left dumbfounded by his unpredictable attack patterns. It was too fast for ordinary swordsmanship, like an assassin wielding a dagger, yet it retained the trajectory of a proper sword.
“Is it even swordsmanship……?”
One hunter watching Jeonghyeon’s rampage muttered in disbelief. Cold sweat dripped from the hand gripping his spear.
To their eyes, Jeonghyeon’s swordplay looked almost like magic.
“How does he already have an Epic Weapon?”
“Isn’t that knife just a harvesting blade?”
A crude, blunt knife typically used by porters, now emitting the distinctive crimson glow of an Epic Weapon. The Kingdom Guild hunters couldn’t believe their eyes.
“We’re about on the third floor now. Does anyone know where Han Serin is?”
Jeonghyeon’s question, asked as casually as if speaking to a child, carried an undercurrent of madness.
“Y-You won’t even make it there anyway!!”
Blue mana gathered at the toes of the spear-wielding hunter, who then kicked off the air and lunged at Jeonghyeon.
Paat-!
‘Storm Dragon Albatron’s awakener. Junseok…… Park, was it?’
Jeonghyeon clearly watched the hunter charging at tremendous speed, spear tucked under one armpit, and casually raised his blade.
‘Hah! I knew it!’
Spear users charging in a straight line usually aimed to block head-on. But Junseok, awakener of Albatron who freely manipulated the wind, had targeted that exact assumption.
Just before the sharpened spear tip reached Jeonghyeon, Junseok extended his free hand and unleashed mana. Paat-! Wind exploded outward, and at nearly a right angle, Junseok twisted his trajectory mid-air, targeting Jeonghyeon’s now-exposed flank.
“It’s over!”
With all his mana bursting forth in a single, decisive strike from the side, Junseok looked as if he had wings of wind sprouting from his back.
“?!”
But Jeonghyeon’s eyes tracked Junseok’s path perfectly.
‘He’s keeping up with my speed……?’
The moment he realized it, it was already too late. In a split second, Junseok’s vision blurred as Jeonghyeon vanished.
“What are you doing?”
Jeonghyeon’s curt question came from below Junseok’s body.
Jeonghyeon struck Junseok’s chin not with the blade, but with the pommel of his hilt.
Pak! A crisp sound rang out, and unable to withstand the momentum, Junseok’s body flew several meters before crashing into the floor.
Kugwang!
The elegantly laid marble tiles shattered, shards flying everywhere.
“He’s probably not the strongest one here. Next?”
Jeonghyeon deliberately lowered his voice, speaking calmly to instill fear in the hunters.
Junseok, who had received Albatron’s revelation, was memorable enough for Jeonghyeon.
In the future, he would become the guild’s vanguard, achieving great feats and serving as one of Kingdom’s central pillars. Even if it would take years for that to happen, he already held some standing within the guild.
Once the strongest leader fell, the hierarchy would sort itself out. There was no need to drag out pointless fights.
“Kuhuk…… Ack……!”
Junseok lay incapacitated on the ground, vomiting blood.
“If there’s no one, I’m going through.”
As Jeonghyeon strode forward after his declaration, no one in the third-floor lobby dared block him—they simply averted their eyes and parted to make way.
***
Reaching the next floor, a vast, empty training hall stretched out before Jeonghyeon’s eyes.
There, numerous hunters he would cross paths with in the future were arrayed as if awaiting him.
‘Plenty of familiar faces.’
In his previous life, they had been at each other’s throats; now, he felt a strange fondness.
Jeonghyeon chuckled to himself as he walked toward the center of the hall, as if something was hilariously amusing.
The hunters watching him offered no common questions like “Who the hell are you?” to this stranger. Instead, they gazed at him with pity, as if at someone marching to their death.
“You were looking for me?”
From their midst, someone who seemed to glow with radiance slowly approached Jeonghyeon.
Golden bobbed hair, clad in lightweight armor tailored perfectly for combat. Han Serin’s skin appeared even paler under the golden sheen.
“What’s your business?”
Her cold question pierced like dragon eyes, her own glowing golden.
That gold was the reason she had become Kingdom’s master at such a young age.
Golden symbolized the Light Dragon Solgaleh—an incandescent golden mana no other dragon could emit, drawn to her.
She was one of only three awakeners worldwide, including Jeonghyeon from his previous life, to receive Solgaleh’s revelation.
‘Seeing her like this brings back memories. Solgaleh. Do you remember me?’
“Long time no see…… No, first time meeting. Han Serin.”
Jeonghyeon couldn’t hide his pleased smile.
“I saw everything. I acknowledge your skill, but if you’re here to join the guild, you’re going about it wrong. If you’re here to dismantle it, then it ends here.”
Serin’s haughty demeanor mirrored Solgaleh’s voice from beyond the status window.
“Neither. I just have a favor to ask.”
Jeonghyeon took a step closer to Serin.
An immense pressure surged around her, like a barrier warning that one more step would crush him flat.
“Speak from there.”
Curious how far her arrogance went, Jeonghyeon smiled as if finding it endearing and stated his purpose.
“Fight me. Pure physical strength, no mana. To the death.”
***
“Fight me. Pure physical strength, no mana. To the death.”
Words Serin from his previous life had always said whenever she saw Jeonghyeon.
As a fellow Solgaleh awakener, she constantly sought to surpass the superior Jeonghyeon.
“Why should I?”
“Because you’re strong.”
“No. If one of us dies, who handles those damn monsters?”
“The survivor kills enough for both.”
From the elegant, dignified lips of Serin always came talk of death.
“Come on. Not next time?”
“No such thing.”
Despite Jeonghyeon’s pleading, Serin would always attack mid-conversation.
Wielding a rare whip sword—its blade segmented and chained—unlike her graceful poise, her attacks were those of a utter madwoman.
Her style shredded any human or monster caught in its path to pieces. Even Jeonghyeon couldn’t afford a single lapse in focus, or he’d be swept away and critically wounded in an instant.
Thanks to that, Jeonghyeon had mastered every attack pattern of the whip sword he’d never even held.
Of course, he always slipped away before a decisive end.
“Coward, running again?! Next time, I’ll kill you for sure!”
Serin would curse him as a coward and vow a rematch.
Now, throwing those very words back at her felt strangely nostalgic.
“Hah. Why should I?”
Serin’s response matched Jeonghyeon’s past words exactly, making him burst into laughter he’d been holding back.
“Wow. Hearing that from your mouth gives me chills. Why else? Because you’re strong.”
Jeonghyeon readjusted his grip on the Blood Dissector.
“I respect your spirit. But if one of us dies, who kills all those monsters?”
“Even that’s the same? Did you reincarnate too?”
“Are you insane?”
“No, the survivor kills enough for both.”
“Hah.”
At that, Serin’s lips curved into a smile, as if pleased. She must have sensed he was her kind of person.
Naturally, since he was repeating her own words verbatim.
But current Jeonghyeon wasn’t a Solgaleh awakener. No reason or need to fight.
“Impressive, but next time, I’ll definitely accept your chal—”
“You said it yourself……! There is no next time!!”
As Serin calmly tried to refuse, Jeonghyeon pierced her space. Returning her habitual line that there was no next opportunity.
A force that would crush an ordinary human like a bug, but as Jeonghyeon’s right eye glowed crimson-black, the pressure neutralized.
“?!”
Chaeng-!
A sharp clash of metal rang out as Serin blocked the Blood Dissector with her sword, not yet transformed into a whip.
“How……! In this space……?!”
The other hunters were equally stunned.
No one should enter her absolute domain.
“Dragons’ powers have matchups, you see.”
Jeonghyeon knew that better than anyone.
That very matchup had left them helpless against the Demon King.
“You enjoy it too! Strength against strength! Let’s go!”
Jeonghyeon slashed diagonally with the Blood Dissector, spinning his body to target Serin’s flank.
Shuuk!
The sword whistled through empty air as Serin swiftly retreated.
“Hah.”
Her true nature, unknown even to her now—a battle-mad lunatic. Jeonghyeon knew it best.
“Fine. No regrets.”
Serin seemed to accept, dropping her spatial barrier.
“Everyone, stay back. Anyone using mana or interfering dies by my hand!”
The other hunters tried to dissuade her from falling for such a ridiculous provocation.
“But Guild Master……!”
“That’s an order.”
Her golden-glowing eyes silenced them; they hesitated and fell back.
“Mana sealed as promised. No regrets?”
Serin aimed her sword and asked.
“Of course.”
Jeonghyeon crouched low in response.
‘A leap, huh.’
Reading his stance, Serin swung her sword through the air.
Chwarak-! It shattered into segments, forming a whip.
“Missed that thing.”
Jeonghyeon kicked off the floor like Junseok had, charging like a bullet.
“Rip apart and die!”
The unpredictable whip sword lashed toward him, shredding his body in an instant—or so it seemed.
“?!”
Serin and the Kingdom members had anticipated that outcome, but reality unfolded differently.
Pak!
The Blood Dissector’s pommel struck Serin’s chin dead-on.
“Kuh!”
‘How did he get into my range……?!’
Serin staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief.
“How……!”
Jeonghyeon, thrilled to have found a worthy opponent, gleefully aimed his blade at her.
“If you knew how many times I’ve fought that whip sword, you’d be shocked.”