Chapter 148
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Murim (Without Heroes)
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Cut down the delusion.
"An unstoppable impulse—dejaaahhh!!!"
The next day, I headed to the Swordsman Guild to calm my troubled mind. I was troubled, but since I'd paid for the training, I had to go no matter what. I hadn't gone yesterday, after all. In the end, I'd woken up in the middle of the night and done it again, then slept. So it was morning before I knew it. Even I thought I'd overdone it.
Anyway, it was a delusion.
I had to cut down the delusion.
I let out a spirited shout.
"You didn't show up yesterday, and now you've gotten sharper somehow? Something happen?"
—Clang!
I unleashed the repeatedly honed Director Swordsmanship, pouring a fierce assault on Karin. It was the ultimate strike infused with the very impulse of my soul itself, but it didn't even last four exchanges before it was shattered. My sword flew into the air.
"Urk!"
Sheit, who had been watching nearby, paled in shock and dodged the flying sword.
"Haa... haa..."
"Sharp, but no focus. What happened?"
My breath came in ragged gasps.
Karin approached and tapped my shoulder with her wooden sword as she asked.
"...Woman troubles have me pretty messed up."
"What the fuck did I just hear?"
"Two women say they like me. What the hell am I supposed to do?"
I'd gotten forgiveness from Claudia—no, not even forgiveness. I'd held Winia and reconfirmed Claudia's feelings. There were no issues at all, but some indescribable emotion lingered in my heart.
I, Kim Katt, thought I had to cut it down.
"Are you indirectly asking me to kill you right now?"
"I'm serious."
"..."
Her reaction confirmed it: Karin was definitely an old maid (suspected → confirmed). The sharpened edge of her wooden sword dug into my shoulder.
"...Your girlfriend, the one who came to watch that time?"
"Yes."
"And there's another one too?"
"It just kinda happened... Well, it's ambiguous to say there is."
"That's fucking wild."
Karin dragged over an oak barrel and sat on it.
In the meantime, I'd retrieved my sword.
Karin frowned, rested her chin on her hand, and glared at me.
"Hmm... You don't exactly look like the type girls flock to. Or do Mirkeshan men just hit the spot for local women? More importantly, something I've always thought—ever considered cutting your hair? In my opinion, that alone would make you look decent."
"Pardon? My hair? In my tribe's teachings, cutting hair isn't allowed."
"Figures."
Body hair, skin—received from parents.
Or rather, at some point, I just stopped taking care of it.
"Whatever, looks aside. That's how it turned out. So I came to cut down this troubled mind."
"Makes sense why you're sharp but unfocused. Pondering women mid-swing? That's a capital offense. In real combat, your head would've been gone ages ago."
"I just want to cut down this delusion."
"Delusion, huh."
According to Eastern legend, there's a sword called the White Dew Blade said to cleave human delusions. Inspired by that tale, I'd tried to sever my delusions with my blade, but without reaching a certain realm, it was hopeless.
"Never thought teaching swordplay would turn into counseling."
Karin pretended to ponder while sitting. Why "pretended"? Because she hopped off the barrel in under three seconds.
"I don't know much, but when that happens, you gotta swing the sword. Verbal counseling is useless anyway. If words fixed everything, who'd suffer? In the end, you gotta move your body."
She stepped down and spoke with a convincingly sage expression.
"Pick up your sword. It'll get better while swinging. Even if not, your skills improve, right? That's what matters."
"That's solid advice. Never imagined hearing that from the guild master."
"Heh. Or how about going outside and killing something? Head to the slums and off a thief. World's full of shit to kill. Might clear your head."
"That snapped me right out of it. Fuck, give me back my感動."
Sparring resumed.
—Clang!
This time, Karin went easy, and we exchanged seven blows. Was this her counseling style—giving a little leeway at key moments? I got a feel for it through the seven strikes.
Still, spilling my heart to an elder felt pretty relieving. Was this counseling? I didn't know if it worked that way, but there was probably some professional medical term for it.
As I went for the eighth strike, Karin's blade tip targeted my philtrum. I backed off for feedback, then we clashed again.
—Clang!
—Clang!
As I thrust my sword, I sank back into thought.
There was no affection in this otherworld.
It was just shitty, fucking dogshit.
Nothing but pain.
"Lost in thought again?"
"..."
But Claudia and Winia, whom I'd grown attached to, were different. Claudia was the first to make me feel human warmth since coming here, followed by Winia. In a world of nothing but pain, they brought warmth.
—Clang!
That's why I had to get serious about these two women.
It was natural to be serious about women you'd grown attached to.
In a pain-stained world where I'd chewed on solitude, Claudia loved me and I loved her back, while Winia had given me irrecoverable pain but also said she liked me.
How should I conclude things with them? Raised in a monogamous world, could I accept embracing two women at once?
The dilemma deepened the more I thought.
"Daydreaming."
"Keurk!"
—Thwack!
Before I knew it, Karin had closed in and chopped my crown with her palm heel. My head rang, the world went white, and I faceplanted.
"Focus on the sword. No more mercy."
"...Got it."
We trained until I was drenched in sweat. Being physically exhausted kept other thoughts at bay. A true martial artist, Karin knew how to shake off delusions.
"By the way, guild master."
"Hm?"
Then, something I'd always wondered came to mind.
"Know anything about mana?"
"Fuck yeah, I do."
I stood, brushed off the dirt, and asked.
Yes, mana.
The mana that granted superhuman power to humans.
This had always bugged me.
"Does mana just... suddenly appear or something?"
"Want some mana?"
"Who wouldn't? Anyway, swordsmen like us in close combat and mages—feels totally different, right?"
"Martial artists accumulate mana in their bodies; mages form rings in their hearts."
"Accumulate mana in the body..."
I asked Karin how to accumulate mana. No high hopes, though. It wouldn't transmit through words, and it wasn't casual info.
I just wanted to know what mana was.
"Hm... I trained with my family's secret method. Can't tell you—it's proprietary."
"Don't worry, wasn't asking. Just clueless, wanted to hear about it."
"Eh, no biggie. Plenty have asked like you."
Karin continued.
"Training to accumulate mana in the body—they call it Mana Cultivation Method. Most noble houses have 'em, refined and systematized from ancestral wartime know-how."
"Oho, Mana Cultivation Method."
So that's why nobles were all so damn strong.
Training specialized methods from childhood. Karin was noble-born too.
"But if cultivation methods were the only way, accumulating mana would be impossible. Naturally, it manifests without training too."
"That's intriguing. What kind of case?"
I exaggerated my reaction to draw out her explanation. Life lesson: good interjections loosen tongues.
"Sometimes mercenaries awaken mana on the battlefield. Seen a few. Probably from combat moves or ragged breaths—some primal truth there. Cultivation methods are similar. Born from brawling to fight better."
"No way!"
I clawed my head and twisted—not exaggeration, pure shock. A regular mercenary awakening mana through war!
"Quit the dramatics and shut up."
"Yes."
Almost got smacked.
Anyway, Karin went on.
"Just what I know. Interested? Try killing a lot. Mercs who awakened were all bloodthirsty killers. Like I said, you got talent."
"So no path but bloody murder? Makes the world sound like hell."
"Didn't know? Now you do. This world's hell. People are like demons. Kill 'em all."
Definitely not right in the head.
"You're crazy."
"Kidding. One more round, then done. Can't do stamina, so grab anyone for that. I'll just defend—see how far you go."
"Yes."
This time, I cleared my mind. With utmost focus, I struck like a sharp needle. Karin defended as promised. Once, twice, three times. Advancing step by step, unleashing learned attacks.
A bit unsteady, but no counter. Eight strikes in, my hand twisted.
"Hm, not bad at all. Keep pushing."
"Yes. See you next time, guild master."
"Yeah."
Morning sword training ended. Helpful all around—sorted thoughts, grasped swordplay clues. Now, stamina training before heading back.
"Katt. Together?"
"Sheit, huh."
Sheit approached from the sidelines.
Casual greeting, stripped shirts, and off to the training grounds.
"Watched the whole thing—your strikes were vicious. But seemed troubled. What's up?"
Sheit asked cheekily while running beside me. Damn handsome—vibe of a guy who's made ten girls cry.
"What do I do if two women cling to me at once?"
I said while running, eyes forward.
"Two women?"
"Yeah."
"Common issue. A few cases—first, how's their relationship? Good or bad?"
"Dunno... Meh? They ignore each other?"
Claudia doesn't mind Winia much, but Winia seems to. No bloodshed though, so ignore-level.
"Hm, both courting you, but indifferent to each other?"
"Slightly different, but close."
Sheit reinterpreted based on my words and his experience. No need for details, so I agreed.
"Unique case. Usually they'd fight."
Tell me about it.
"Then wisest to accept both hearts."
This the best? Sure?
"Yeah. Good advice, thanks. We could be friends."
"Hehe. Glad I helped."
Nothing solved, but he bothered answering, so manners. Cultural difference?
Claudia says fine, Winia too.
But I'm a cheating bastard thinking only Claudia matters, and Winia wants accountability. Official two-timing.
Head's gonna explode, fuck.
Anyway, muscle training with Sheit.