CHAPTER 13 - Cradle of the Broken Pilgrim (5)
Extraordinary abilities were a bit different from magic or martial arts.
They awakened postnatally once you aligned with the world's karma or met certain conditions.
The problem was that the awakening conditions varied from person to person, making the odds of manifestation extremely slim.
If it were just rare, that would be one thing, but extraordinary abilities were highly prized because their growth potential and efficiency far outstripped other powers.
Once they reached a certain level, they displayed overwhelming might that transcended other fields, showing dominant compatibility.
That was why, among all abilities, extraordinary abilities were the most treasured and valued.
In that sense, Han Su-ah's extraordinary ability was one of the rarest kinds out there.
Even manifesting just one—either healing or buffing—guaranteed success as a utility hunter.
But Han Su-ah had awakened both, an exceedingly rare occurrence.
And her output exceeded the average to boot, making her a talent who could aim for A-rank or higher down the line.
Still, she'd only been rated E-rank due to her sheer lack of experience.
During school, she'd lived a life unrelated to the hunter world, only awakening her ability at 22.
The Mugung Guild had scouted her after recognizing her talent, offering great terms and training her safely as a hunter.
Thanks to guidance from many people, she'd met quite a few hunters for a newbie.
Some exuded an aura that made her tense just by looking at them, while others inspired deep envy from the heart—veterans she yearned to become.
Yet among them all, Kim Sun-woo was the most unpredictable.
'He said he only started martial arts recently... but he got that strong?'
It had been four days since they got trapped in the treasure vault.
With just the two of them, they naturally talked a lot.
Stories from before he became a hunter, after, and even trivial daily stuff.
Han Su-ah had secretly teared up listening to Kim Sun-woo's calm recounting of his past.
Spending a full decade as an F-rank hunter to pay off that massive debt? He felt like someone who could do anything.
But the part about only practicing martial arts for a few days? She still couldn't wrap her head around it.
Whether martial arts or magic, you couldn't see visible results after just a few days of training.
But Kim Sun-woo was different.
His sword was fast, his movements light and agile.
Even to her untrained eyes, he showed no trace of clumsiness.
'...Is that what real talent looks like?'
Han Su-ah hugged her knees against the wall.
At the Hunter Academy, they'd praised her as an unprecedented talent among utility hunters.
Talent? What a joke.
Extraordinary abilities had nothing to do with talent.
It was just luck—a little better than most people's.
And proof of that was right in front of her.
Shyaaak!
A single sword sliced sharply through the air.
Claiming his shirt was getting in the way, Kim Sun-woo had asked her permission and stripped off his top, relentlessly training without pause.
The high-calorie emergency rations were depleted now—they barely covered essential calories, let alone staving off real hunger. And yet he never tired?
'...Nice body.'
Han Su-ah stared blankly at him, knees hugged tight.
His upper body, honed by diligent training, rippled with smooth, firm muscles.
The scars etched here and there were records of his history.
As Han Su-ah lost herself gazing at him in a daze, Kim Sun-woo was making his final preparations for the decisive battle.
Chwaak!
The Flying Thunder Flash stance pierced the air once more.
'A chain of rapid sword forms starting with Flying Thunder Flash.'
As Baek Ryuk Geom had advised, he was experimenting with creating a new sword form using Flying Thunder Flash.
But this wasn't something he could whip up in a short time.
It wasn't a wall he couldn't overcome or a lack of talent—just insufficient information.
Various unlearned elements were blocking the rapid sword form's development.
With enough time to mull it over, he could probably breakthrough on his own without lessons, but sadly, he didn't have that luxury now.
"Hoo."
"Good work. I'll clean you up right away."
"Thanks."
As Kim Sun-woo lowered his sword, Han Su-ah snapped out of it and approached.
To avoid getting caught staring, she feigned nonchalance and extended her hand.
Paaat.
Kim Sun-woo felt a refreshing coolness wash over him, cleansing his body.
He nodded in thanks, slipped his shirt back on, and plopped down cross-legged.
"Sssup."
He immediately began circulating energy with the White Flow Heart Method.
His dantian filled rapidly.
The difference from before? Its capacity had expanded immeasurably.
'I've absorbed all the spirit medicines.'
There had been seven spirit medicines on the shelves; over four days, he'd consumed them all.
He could feel his White Flow Heart Method internal energy, once the size of a mung bean, now swollen to fist-sized.
Every time he stepped with White Flow Step or swung White Flow Sword Technique, the massed energy writhed, asserting its presence.
As if begging to be used.
'Now this is a fateful encounter.'
Ignoring the lack of food and being trapped, it was ideal for training.
And right beside him was a companion who could heal and clean.
He and Han Su-ah had shared all sorts of stories over the four days.
Now they spoke casually.
Whether this camaraderie would last outside, who knew—but it beat being trapped alone in the secret vault.
"......"
As he circulated energy, Kim Sun-woo reviewed the black knight battle from four days ago.
Calling it a "battle" was embarrassing.
He couldn't match the tempo, got pummeled unilaterally, and fled to the treasure vault with a mortal wound.
If the black knight had followed, it would've been over.
But it stayed in the grand hall, giving him another shot.
'I've about matched its speed. The issue is power...'
The moment his sword clashed with the black aura on the black knight's blade, he'd felt crushing pressure.
His sword snapped, the recoil slamming his chest and inflicting severe injury.
Without Han Su-ah, he'd still be writhing, wounds unhealed.
The black knight hadn't gone all-out either, so assume it was 40-50% stronger than shown.
'...Still, I've got a shot at winning.'
He'd prepared plenty over four days too.
Devoured all seven spirit medicines from the vault and refined them into internal energy via White Flow Heart Method.
Plus progress in White Flow Step and White Flow Sword Technique—he was incomparable to when he first entered the dungeon.
Hell, he might even give C-rank hunter Kim Jin-cheol a decent fight now.
Tok tok.
As Kim Sun-woo finished circulating and stood, Han Su-ah—who'd waited quietly to avoid disturbing—asked with a worried look.
"Oppa, you sure it'll be okay?"
"It's our only option anyway. No sign of a rescue team finding this place, so we have to carve our own exit."
Clack.
Kim Sun-woo answered while donning pre-selected gear.
Four days of waiting, and still no rescue.
Whether they were truly underground or displaced elsewhere, he didn't know—but with food gone, they couldn't just wait blindly.
So Kim Sun-woo looked toward the black knight on its throne far ahead and said,
"Don't worry. I'll win for sure."
He had zero intention of dying in a dump like this.
The grand hall lay shrouded in silence under encroaching darkness.
The black knight sat leaning on its throne, chin propped as always.
Its mission: guard this place.
It didn't know when it began.
Reason, instinct, loyalty, doubt—all gone. It simply obeyed the command etched into its soul.
Nothing else remained.
...Flick.
Suddenly, the black knight jerked its head sideways.
—Kwaaaang!
A beat later, something pierced the air and shattered the throne's headrest, embedding in the rear wall.
The shaft still quivered with leftover force.
Had it not dodged, its head would've been pulverized with the throne.
Thuk. Thuk thuk. Thuk.
Then, objects rained into the hall's depths, stabbing into the floor.
Longswords, battle axes, spears...
Weapons from the treasure vault poured down like rain.
Chiiiik.
Next came Han Su-ah's flare, scattering in all directions to illuminate the hall brightly.
With all preparations complete,
Kim Sun-woo slowly stepped onto the red carpet.
Sring.
Drawing the sword from the treasure vault elicited a pleasing ring.
A treasure sword of immense value he'd never have touched in an ordinary life.
Though his first time wielding it, it fit his hand like it was always his.
Clack.
At the intruder's arrival, the black knight slowly rose from the throne.
Drawing its sword once more to fulfill its mission of guarding this place...
Whiiiish!
But a sharp whoosh assaulted first.
Kim Sun-woo, stepping with Flash Flow Step, became a streak of light, closing the distance in an instant.
Faced with the overwhelming momentum head-on, the black knight could only thrust its half-drawn blade forward.
Cclang—!
The sharply lunged sword tip clashed with the murky half-unsheathed blade.
The shockwave alone crumbled the stairs and throne to ash.
Yet the two locked in combat held their stances firm.
Crack crackle.
The thrust sword tip and blocking blade.
The two swords stood in sharp contest of strength, vying to push the other back.
Over the crossed blades, Kim Sun-woo grinned ferociously and narrowed his eyes.
"This time's different."
Kang!
He twisted his wrist first, breaking the taut balance.
Immediately stepping Flash Flow Step into the black knight's left blind spot, he slashed diagonally upward with a gripped sword.
Segeek—!
Too hard to block with a half-drawn blade.
Kim Sun-woo's sword sliced the black knight's breastplate, repaying the debt of its shattered ribs.
Thud.
The black knight kicked off instantly, leaping back to create distance.
Kim Sun-woo didn't pursue, exhaling lightly to sharpen his senses.
He could've pressed the advantage, but without knowing the foe's hidden tricks, gathering intel conservatively was key.
"I don't like owing debts. Sick of 'em by now."
Through the cleanly severed armor, only bones remained.
Glowing vividly within... clearly,
'Its life vessel.'
The core for lichs or death knights.
Without destroying that, it'd revive endlessly.
Figured it was death knight kin—and sure enough, a life vessel.
Swish.
Black aura gathered, filling the armor gap.
Eyeing the restored armor, Kim Sun-woo twirled his sword lightly.
Whirick.
Learning its weakness in the first clash was good news.
He could now sketch a rough strategy.
'Went all-out aiming to cleave the torso, but only partially severed the armor. Meaning...'
At least two ultimate strikes in succession to reach the life vessel.
"If it gets dicey midway, just open the palace exit. We'll grab some gold and leave."
Not a tall order.