024 - Initiation Ceremony (1)
Mugung Guild proudly claimed one of the top ten spots among guilds in South Korea.
Naturally, they poured massive investments into the guild headquarters and training facilities.
Of course, that included systems like the Illusion Field used for rank assessments.
The minimum cost ran into the tens of billions, enough that people jokingly called it the benchmark for distinguishing true first-class guilds.
Of course, the usage rules for the Illusion Field were just as stringent.
You had to be at least a C-rank hunter, and even then, you needed to apply well in advance.
Clack.
Kim Sun-woo, fully geared up, turned his gaze to Robert, who was still swinging his spear in fluid arcs while dressed in a sharp suit.
Blond hair and blue eyes. An exotic aura, yet somehow blended with an Eastern vibe.
With a British father and Korean mother, it was only natural.
Rumor had it his father's side even held a noble title in England.
Apparently, going back a few generations turned up some famous knights.
Maybe that was why he wore full knight's plate armor—like something out of a movie—for raids.
Kim Sun-woo, on the other hand, was still using his old F-rank gear.
What he'd worn in the Cradle of the Broken Pilgrim had mostly been wrecked in the brutal fight with the black knight.
This was his spare set, and he was starting to feel the need for something new.
'I've got the money now. Maybe time to splurge on some top-tier gear.'
Kim Sun-woo was particular about his mobility.
That's why he favored light armor that only covered vital spots like the heart and flanks.
His one decent piece of equipment was the Black Flow Sword he'd claimed from the black knight.
As he loosely shook out his arms and stretched, Kim Sun-woo smacked his lips.
'Kinda disappointing, honestly.'
The guild master had personally chosen him as a mentor.
He'd hoped to build a smooth working relationship, but things had gotten messy.
Not his fault, of course.
As Robert had said, it was just a matter of personal like or dislike.
'So I'll learn what I can as fast as possible and get out.'
The training period wasn't long.
About five raids, by the standards they'd discussed—but Kim Sun-woo's goal was to pass in three.
No matter what, they wouldn't let personal grudges bleed into official business.
And if they did? He had no intention of just sitting back and taking it.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Then let's begin the spar. As we agreed beforehand—until one surrenders or loses consciousness."
"No objections."
Kim Sun-woo nodded.
He slowly raised his sword, lowering his stance to stay ready for anything.
A spear-wielding hunter.
The biggest threat was the reach advantage of his weapon...
Whoosh!
In an instant, Robert vanished from sight.
Kim Sun-woo's eyes widened as he kicked off the ground, leaping back.
Robert had closed the distance in a flash, his gleaming blond hair trailing like a banner as he invaded Kim Sun-woo's space.
"You held your own against a B-rank, so a C-rank must've seemed like nothing. I get it—I was the same way back then. But..."
Boom!
The spear tip thrust into empty air, exploding with a thunderous crack.
Kim Sun-woo had already arched his back to dodge.
Still, the tingling shockwave rippling through his body told him a split-second slower, and his throat would've been torn open—retirement on the spot.
Robert glared down at him from his thrusting stance, eyes icy.
"With that half-hearted mindset, you won't even clear the C-rank wall."
Whip.
He readjusted his grip in a blur, redirecting the spear mid-thrust.
Veins bulged on his pale hands—and Kim Sun-woo saw the long shaft plummeting toward him from above.
Scraaaape!
Kim Sun-woo's response was flawless.
From his arched-back position, he kicked off the ground, spinning mid-air.
The descending shaft sparked yellow and glanced off harmlessly.
As Robert frowned at how perfectly his attack had been deflected—
Thud.
—he back-somersaulted off his hands, finally regaining his footing.
'Whew.'
Cold sweat beaded on his skin.
He'd lagged just a hair behind Robert's tempo.
He'd gauged the man's power based on Baek San-hu's level, but Robert exceeded that by a wide margin.
"..."
One clash had ended the initial probes. Their gazes locked sharply in the center.
Without a word, they exploded forward, sword and spear weaving a dazzling dance in the air.
Clang! Scraaaape! Clang! Craaaack!
Dozens of collisions in a blink.
Robert pressed with near-five thrusts per breath, eyes narrowing coldly.
'Analysis on Kim Sun-woo complete.'
Even geniuses had lessons to teach.
They turned a lifetime of mortal effort into fleeting glimpses.
They pierced through data from experience and training with raw instinct and intuition.
So what was a mere mortal like him to do?
'Simple.'
Empty your head.
The genius had already delivered perfection.
All he had to do was copy it and tweak for his style.
Improvement? Another genius would handle that.
Robert valued efficiency above all.
If it didn't work, it didn't. Admit the gap humbly, and you'd grow.
Whip.
Spinning his spear to reset his momentum, Robert recalled the footage of Kim Sun-woo's techniques.
'Lightning-fast speed like a gale, swordplay that splits like fractals, footsteps vanishing into shadows.'
A perfectly balanced trio.
No wonder Baek San-hu, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, sang his praises.
But if that's all he relied on, he wouldn't surpass Robert now.
Shrieeeek!
A sharper whoosh than before sliced the air.
Robert whipped his head around, but Kim Sun-woo had long vanished from sight.
He sharpened his senses to the limit, thrusting hard behind him on instinct.
Craaaang!
A heavy recoil surged back.
Robert frowned, staggering a few steps.
A committed counter, and this much impact?
'Mana reserves like... what?'
He'd barely started martial arts, yet this mana pool?
Even holding back, getting pushed was hard to believe...
'Right, the cradle opportunity.'
The tale of absorbing multiple spirit herbs at once to prep for the black knight was famous in the industry—and beyond.
Mana-wise, they were even, maybe Kim slightly ahead.
But fights weren't won on mana alone.
Shick-shick-shick!
Sword shadows blanketed the air, raining down.
Like a whirlwind obscuring his vision, Robert swung wildly.
Pa-graaaack!
The barrage of Absolute Shadow Chaos Flows shattered.
Clash of strengths—he held firm.
Blocking the onslaught, Robert scanned for an opening to counter—
But Kim Sun-woo had melted into the air, presence gone.
Saaak.
Mana surged; senses sharpened further.
Not some full-invisibility spell—he had ways to find him.
Savoring the sensory flow, he lightning-thrusted sideways into empty space.
Clang!
...Dark Flow Step broken.
Kim Sun-woo parried the incoming spear, exhaling shortly as he eyed Robert.
'Impressive. Can't underestimate a C-rank.'
He'd gotten cocky, he admitted.
Fought toe-to-toe with B-rank Baek San-hu, so C-rank seemed trivial.
Of course, Baek hadn't gone all-out.
It was an assessment spar; he'd held back to gauge him.
Still, he'd lowballed C-ranks—now that illusion was shattered.
Whip.
Robert, poised before him, spun his spear with flair before speaking slowly.
"I'll take back what I said earlier. You're not quite at the genius level I feared, Hunter Kim Sun-woo."
A slightly insulting remark.
But Robert's face was deadly serious.
Sincerity radiated off him.
Kim Sun-woo gave a wry smile, raising his sword to chest level.
"No need for that."
"...Pardon?"
Genius—embarrassing word, honestly.
Who decided that?
It just worked for him.
Worked, so he did it.
No need to explain.
It was as natural as breathing.
'Ready.'
The initial skirmish was to warm his body and clear his mind.
Provoking Robert into this setup had a point.
He'd had a small epiphany lately—something to test. Needed a partner.
Strong enough, sharp-eyed enough, tough enough. Robert fit perfectly.
Clack.
His sword grip shifted.
Robert's brow furrowed.
No such stance against Baek San-hu.
What was he building up to?
Staring intently, he replayed the footage in his head.
Kim's three signature footworks and sword arts: all countered.
Sheer momentum wouldn't get through—he knew that now.
So, something new?
But it felt... familiar.
A strange déjà vu hit. Then realization dawned—eyes widening in shock.
"Wait—this is..."
Whoosh!
A vivid floral scent slammed into his face.
Like staring into a blooming flower up close.
Gripping his spear tight, Robert forced down the tremor, exhaling low.
'...The realm of Sword Fragrance.'
Robert majored in his family's traditional swordsmanship but dabbled in martial arts worldwide.
Including Huashan Sect techniques.
Their elegant arcs echoed European knightly traditions.
But the illusion of plum blossom scent from the blade? Pure Huashan.
No way—he'd absorbed their arts from one clash?