Expectations
"It’s finished. What do you think? Isn't it insane?" Hana Lin stood with her hands on her hips, radiating a sense of triumph. Her shoulders were practically touching her ears, a posture of pure, unadulterated pride in her own handiwork. If you looked only at her demeanor, she seemed like a child showing off a new toy, but her craftsmanship was always beyond reproach.
"It's impressive." I lifted the scabbard she had forged and examined it from every angle. The base was the same deep black as Hyeonwol, but it was overlaid with rugged, silver engravings. Up close, the texture resembled the bark of an ancient tree; from a distance, it looked like dragon scales. It was less of a scabbard and more of a work of art. Even ignoring its practical function, it looked like something that would fetch a small fortune on the market.
"Hehe, right? You have no idea how much work I put into this, so it better be! Now, this part here is super important because..." Hana Lin began her explanation with a beaming smile. Half of it was technical jargon I couldn't quite parse, but I listened patiently.
"Okay, put the sword in!"
It took over ten minutes for her to finish. Finally, it was time to test its performance. I unhooked Hyeonwol from my waist, scabbard and all, and drew the blade. The power radiating from the sword was palpable. If I left it as it was, no matter how much I tried to suppress my strength, anyone with a keen eye would be wary of me. This scabbard was the solution I’d commissioned from Hana Lin to prevent exactly that.
'I spent a lot of time wondering what materials to use, but I got lucky.'
The primary material for this scabbard was the heart of the Rock Spirit I had defeated previously. Because it was saturated with the dense energy of a Greater Spirit, it was the perfect medium to contain and mask the power of Hyeonwol. I focused my intent on the sword's energy and slowly slid it into the scabbard. The fit was precise. As the blade sank deeper, the power I could feel leaking from it gradually faded. If I, standing right next to it with my hand on the hilt, could barely feel it, then it would be virtually impossible for anyone else to detect.
"It's perfect. You really are amazing."
"Hmph! Easy peasy! Oh, and what are we eating today?" Hana Lin turned to me, her mood bright, and asked about dinner. We had been eating together every evening since our trip to Jangsan-gul. It had started as a one-time thing, but it had somehow become a set routine. Having eaten alone for years, it had felt awkward at first, but now, I found the company comforting.
However, today wouldn't work. I had things to do tonight. I couldn't just let those Red Heaven Cult members walk away.
"I don't think I can make it today."
"Ehh! Why...?" Hana Lin’s shoulders, which had been perky just a moment ago, slumped. Her voice was dripping with disappointment.
"I'll treat you tomorrow instead!"
"Oh! Then I want beef!" The way she immediately asked for something expensive the moment I offered to pay was cheeky, but I had enough financial breathing room now that I could afford it. I had 1.467 billion won—the price I’d fetched for the Rock Spirit's byproducts, excluding the heart. That was enough to browse even the most high-end shops.
"Fine. Find a restaurant beforehand!"
"You got it!" I left the shop, leaving Hana Lin to happily start her search. The exchange match was about to begin.
Before the exchange match, in the waiting room where all the participants had gathered, the air was thick with the sound of people networking. Thanks to the translation magic inherently imprinted on everyone born after the Great Cataclysm, communication was effortless. Since everyone here was a talent from a prestigious family, most of them already had some level of acquaintance with one another.
"Oh! It's been a while, Hazuki-san. I heard the news that your dungeon raid was a success."
"I heard you reached the level you’ve been longing for, Liam-san. Congratulations."
At the center of it all was Endo Hazuki, the descendant of the Japanese Sword Saint. She was the one said to rival Korea’s Baek Ho-san in swordsmanship. Having inherited his techniques, Hazuki was a world-renowned prospect.
"It’s a shame Baek Ha-yeon isn't here. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally test our skills against each other."
Ever since they first met as children, Hazuki had considered Baek Ha-yeon her rival. She even harbored a goal to settle the long-standing debate between Baek Ho-san and the Sword Saint in her own generation. But the fact that Ha-yeon hadn't attended this exchange was a shock.
"Indeed. I never imagined I wouldn't be able to meet her here."
"Kim Ilshin... was it? The person who defeated Baek Ha-yeon. I heard he even took down a Rock Spirit all by himself this time."
The conversation naturally shifted to Kim Ilshin. When Hazuki brought up the information she’d recently acquired, Liam waved his hand dismissively.
"Eh, I decided a long time ago that that information was incorrect."
"Pardon? Even if you say that, it was an official announcement."
"You can't believe everything just because it's an official announcement. We found out that one of the Wind God Guild members who investigated the incident was close with Kim Ilshin."
Hazuki still looked unconvinced. Liam didn't give up on persuading her.
"In the request where Kim Ilshin first made a name for himself by taking down a Penitent, that Hero was with him, too. You can see the pattern here, right?"
Liam didn't doubt his own judgment for a second. He leaned in, setting the mood as if he were revealing a smoking gun. "Honestly, tell me, does it make any sense for a single swordsman to take down a Rock Spirit?"
"That... is true, I suppose."
Hazuki hadn't believed it at first, but hearing it laid out like that, she started to think it was possible. To destroy a spirit, one needed the ability to twist the laws of the world. It wasn't something that could be done with raw strength alone. But that thought lasted only a moment. Remembering Baek Ho-san, Hazuki couldn't help but harbor doubts.
"Then what about what Baek Ho-san said...? I heard he told him to become his disciple."
"Well, I don't know about that... but since his own granddaughter lost in an important sparring match, I suspect he might just be trying to hype up his opponent."
'I don't think that's it...'
Hazuki had seen Baek Ho-san up close. The sheer pressure she’d felt back then was still vivid in her mind. Because of that, she couldn't agree with Liam's speculation that Baek Ho-san would act out of shame. How could someone who had transcended the boundaries of humanity harbor such petty, human emotions?
'I wish I were his opponent.'
There was no method more certain than facing Kim Ilshin directly. If they crossed blades just once, she would be able to gauge his skill to some extent. But unfortunately, that opportunity had already sailed. Kim Ilshin had chosen someone other than Hazuki as his desired sparring partner.
'Why did he pick someone named Oliver? He's not even a swordsman, and he's not well-known...'
It was just as Hazuki was thinking this. *Creak.* The waiting room door opened, and Kim Ilshin walked in. She recognized his face immediately. Hazuki instantly sensed his energy.
'...Huh?'
It was strange. The energy she felt from Kim Ilshin wasn't as vast as she had expected. It was unremarkable, similar to the level of an average academy student. It was hard to believe this was the energy of the man recognized by the Great Hero Baek Ho-san and who had taken down a Rock Spirit alone. Confused, Hazuki looked at Liam. Liam just shrugged, his expression saying, 'See? I told you.'
There was almost no chance that Kim Ilshin was hiding his energy. If he were, he should have felt like he had no energy at all, or it should have been extremely faint.
'But that's not it.'
The energy currently emanating from Kim Ilshin was far too natural to be the result of any interference. The flow of his energy shifted moment by moment as his body moved and touched objects. It was something that couldn't be artificially manufactured. The sword at his waist didn't feel special, either. The exterior was beautiful, but that was all.
'Does he have some other ability...?'
Maybe he didn't rely solely on swordsmanship. Since he’d taken down a Rock Spirit alone, that possibility couldn't be ruled out. Once she reached that conclusion, a thought naturally followed.
'It's a shame...'
Kim Ilshin wasn't a swordsman striving toward the pinnacle of the blade. For Hazuki, who needed an opponent to share a connection with through swords, it was simply disappointing. Still, she was curious about the ability that allowed him to face a Rock Spirit. She hoped his opponent in the sparring match would be able to draw out everything he was capable of.
And not long after, Hazuki realized that all of her assumptions had been wrong. Kim Ilshin was a swordsman forging his way toward the absolute end of the blade, and he was, in fact, far ahead of her.