Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Duel on the Rooftop
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Shaking off the clingy Mir with some effort, I headed for the rooftop.
Along the way, I recalled the sensation I'd felt when extreme heat and cold intertwined just moments ago.
It was a completely unfamiliar feeling, one I'd never experienced before in my life. But after pondering it deeply, something clicked.
‘Is it thanks to the Yin-Yang Sword?’
The common trait of divine weapons, divine artifacts, and divine tools called shinbyeong, shinmul, and shinki is that they perform far beyond the mere functions of ordinary weapons.
All three weapons in Eldest Martial Brother's possession were like that.
The principle of the Yin-Yang Sword's True Harmony wasn't limited to the weapon itself—it even influenced its owner.
In simple terms, merely possessing the Yin-Yang Sword granted one the ability to intuitively harmonize opposing energies.
Extreme yang and extreme yin.
Heat and cold.
Fire and ice.
The momentary union of those incompatible forces must have been because I, influenced by the Yin-Yang Sword, had unconsciously controlled both energies.
‘Is this another clue?’
I'd thought reaching the third stage of the Flame Arts of the Greatest required fully mastering the purple flames...
But now, I wondered if there might be another path.
That was the nature of martial arts realms.
Just as there's more than one mountain path to the peak, one simply had to find the route best suited to oneself.
‘A shame, though.’
Truth be told, it irritated me a bit every time I grasped a clue to the next stage like this.
If the world weren't such a mess, the moment the thought arose, I'd hole up in some remote mountain valley and focus solely on training.
That's why closed-door training existed for a reason.
On a separate note, I realized it was damn near impossible to cut ties with the mundane world while still in one's right mind.
My thoughts reached that point, and suddenly, Baek Rogwang came to mind again.
‘What kind of life has Master lived?’
It was a thought that often surfaced after my regression.
The strongest warrior I knew.
A man no different from the literal Martial God—what could have driven someone like him to seclude himself alone in a distant world like Spirit Mountain?
And that wasn't all—he'd even gone to the trouble of taking in disciples from another world.
‘To raise his own rival by hand?’
Considering Master's eccentric nature, that seemed the most plausible reason... but somehow, I doubted it.
No matter how much I racked my brain, it felt like there was some unknowable reason hidden away, beyond my current grasp.
“Hmm.”
This needlessly long corridor was sparking all sorts of random thoughts.
I shook my head and cleared my mind.
The duel with Barter was on the rooftop.
Naturally, it was the widest space in the building. The lack of obstacles was just a bonus.
But standing in front of the stairs to the rooftop was a familiar face.
It was Prince Glen Scarlett.
“......”
What was I supposed to say to this?
At this point in time, running into him felt a bit awkward.
Our last encounter hadn't exactly been pleasant, after all.
That aside, I held no real grudges against him.
He was pathetic in many ways, but he hadn't crossed the line by my personal standards.
I'm human too, after all—I judge people through my own subjective, biased lens...
And by those standards, Glen Scarlett hadn't overstepped.
So what were my judgment criteria?
Simply put: was he more pathetic than the old Ruan Bednicker or not?
“Ruan.”
Glen spoke in a stiff voice.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Got something to say?”
Maybe my flat tone threw him off.
Flinching slightly, Glen pulled his hat low over his eyes and said,
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“I kept thinking about what you said back then. At first, I was pissed. Like, what do you know, spouting off like that? But...”
“......”
“I heard you saved every cadet in this building. The dean said it too—that the moment you heard the screams, you threw yourself in to rescue us. And you didn't even reveal your family name. You saved them purely as Ruan, and earned their respect that way.”
As he spoke, his hunched shoulders and lowered head gradually straightened.
Finally, Glen looked me straight in the eye.
“Everything you said to me was true.”
“......”
Hearing that, I couldn't quite bring myself to ask,
‘What did I even say?’
I'm the type to quickly forget anything I deem unimportant.
In any case, I had enough sense to nod vaguely.
“You even stood your ground in front of Sir Barter, pushing your point without backing down—”
“Ah, enough. That's enough.”
I waved him off, cutting Glen short.
“W-what?”
“The apology's fine, the reflections are fine. I don't harbor any ill will toward you. Let's call what happened at the tavern just some harmless bickering.”
“R-right.”
“That all?”
When I pressed him, Glen hesitated.
As expected, he hadn't come just to apologize.
“I'm not that close with Perist noona.”
“Huh?”
“Every royal has that one person they lean on. Even in a hellish life, just thinking of them keeps you going. Like a beacon in the darkness.”
What was he getting at?
I could ignore him and walk past, but his desperate expression made my feet hesitate.
Prompting him, I asked,
“That noona you said you wanted to see before—is she your beacon?”
Glen smiled faintly.
It was the most honest expression I'd seen from him since we met.
“Yeah. She was kinder than anyone. Everyone loved noona, but her royal blood didn't manifest strongly. So she was disposed of. Which is why I'm saying...”
Glen fell silent.
His scarlet eyes fixed on me amid a brief hush.
One thing was clear.
He'd planted himself in front of me without properly organizing his thoughts.
“It seems Perist noona didn't have anyone like that.”
“Hmm.”
“That's not an excuse for her actions. What she did was wrong, and it swept up far too many people for it to be called a mere lapse. She'll have to pay the price. So the reason I'm telling you this... how should I put it? I think you need to know. Hate to say it myself, but...”
Glen hesitated before continuing.
“Sometimes I get these hunches. A royal's intuition, I guess.”
With a heavy sigh, he finished.
And that's when I roughly recalled our previous conversation.
“Hey, Glen.”
I spat out the thought that bubbled up, just like always.
* * *
The moment my foot hit the rooftop, a fierce wind greeted me. Even in this twisted world, the breeze still blew.
“......”
The open rooftop held more people than I'd expected.
My opponent Barter was there, of course, along with Dean Alderson and the young leaders.
At the far end by Barter stood Marco and the rest of the Special Task Force.
“Big bro!”
Even Nabi was here.
It felt like the first time seeing her since the underworld, but when had she joined?
Anyway, she was skilled enough and had received a blessing, so it wasn't surprising she'd survived.
Nabi rushed up, her face a picture of misery.
“W-why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“You're dueling Big Bro Barter...!”
“Yeah?”
“You know he's the captain of the Special Task Force! I know you're strong, Big Bro Ruan, but at the young leader level...”
I brushed past Nabi as she blabbered on about how she could smooth things over now, or to think of Seren, or other nonsense.
Only then did I clearly see the expressions of the young leaders standing a bit apart.
“...That Ruan guy. Think he'll be okay?”
“No way. His opponent's the eldest son of the Goodspring Family. And he's Special Task Force.”
“Barter's a whole ten years older just looking at him. A gap talent alone can't bridge...”
“...What the hell is Big Bro thinking?”
Unexpectedly, they all wore worried looks.
Even Karon, Hector, and Seren, who knew a bit about me.
“That him? The Bednicker spawn who doesn't know his place and challenged the captain.”
“Unbelievable. Even Hiro Bednicker couldn't best the captain...”
“...The Bednicker runt that not even the Iron-Blooded Duke wanted. No surprise there.”
The Special Task Force members behind Barter gossiped openly.
The only ones reacting calmly were Dean Alderson, Evan Helvin, and Mir Giant, who looked like he had no thoughts at all.
‘Ah.’
It hit me anew—this was the natural reaction.
At this point, Ruan Bednicker was still the poster child for pathetic greenhorns.
I'd half-intended that... but in this situation, it was different.
At the very least, I needed to etch my presence into everyone here.
In a crisis.
In a life-or-death moment, they had to follow my orders without hesitation.
I took a step with Thunder Heaven Steps.
Boom!
“......!”
My footfall swallowed the chaotic atmosphere.
With the first step, the qi aura cloaking my sole spread across the ground.
Rumble...!
A vibration like thunder in storm clouds echoed everywhere. For an instant, the whole building seemed to shake.
The martial art I'd created.
Lu An Bednicker's unique technique.
“......”
“......”
Just three steps, and the gazes around me had shifted.
“...What kind of footwork is that?”
“Rough, domineering mana circulation. It made me instinctively assume a defensive stance...”
“...How old is Ruan Bednicker again?”
“Were the Bednickers hiding a talent like that all this time?”
I caught the Special Task Force staring in shock, but paid it no mind.
I fixed my eyes on my opponent.
Barter held a fairly large shield in hand—one that could fully cover his upper body if positioned right.
“I'd like to propose a duel format.”
Barter didn't flinch at my sudden informal speech.
Seeing my Thunder Heaven Steps had only slightly hardened his expression. The disdain was mostly gone.
“...Speak.”
“One exchange to end it. You seem confident in defense. Block my single punch, and I'll concede defeat.”
Barter's eyebrow twitched.
“That's too favorable for me.”
“Not necessarily.”
Having time to gather power was a huge advantage for me, wielder of White Sun Eclipse.
Barter didn't know that, though.
“Why suggest that format?”
“We both need to conserve mana. A real fight, and who knows what happens. If emotions run high and one of us gets seriously hurt or killed? We haven't even fought the princess yet.”
“......”
Before Thunder Heaven Steps, he might've scoffed. But now was different.
Barter, glaring at me, nodded.
“I accept.”
Thud...!
Barter slammed his shield into the ground and hunkered behind it like cover.
Hum—several blessings layered over his sturdy frame.
“Blessing of the Iron Wall...!”
“The captain's going all out...”
“He's fully activated the Shield of Divinity. Even a giant's fist would bounce right off...”
“......”
Meanwhile, I assumed my stance and focused. The onlookers' voices faded into the distance.
Igniting body and mind.
Gathering the heat throughout my body, like fanning a spark in my heart into flame.
‘Barter Goodspring.’
The Goodspring Family's super-genius, rivaling Hiro Bednicker.
I could feel him meeting me with full seriousness.
Then I couldn't half-ass my attack—that would be rude.
Not full power, but I'd give it my all.
Creak...
Muscles tensed. I forcibly accelerated the Three Veins' circulation. My clenched fist hardened like rebar, overlaid with internal energy.
My body temperature rose to the perfect level.
“Haaa...”
I exhaled hot breath.
I eyed the steadfast shield and Barter beyond it.
The technique I'd unleash was the first form of White Sun Eclipse: Blazing Inferno.
But I'd layer in the essence of Force Release I'd recently grasped, the second apprentice uncle's favored Weighted Palm method, and all.
If executed perfectly, the shield's strength wouldn't matter.
Whoosh—
After a deep inhale, I charged.
Naturally stepping Thunder Heaven Steps, a jolt of energy surged from my sole in that instant.
Sudden thunder qi coiled up my calf, thigh, and fist.
‘Union again.’
Not bad—I grinned.
In my unique interpretation, fire and lightning were strikingly similar...
And no metal shield could withstand thunder qi.
My heartbeat thrummed in my ears.
My tensed body endured the complex qi flow.
Then my fist met the shield.
First Form: Blazing Inferno.
Baaaang!
“......”
“......”
“...What?”
Someone muttered blankly.
Because nothing had happened.
The shield was intact, and Barter behind it was unharmed.
Exactly as I'd intended.
“......”
Barter said nothing.
Standing like a statue with shield raised, he just stared at me wide-eyed.
I hadn't inflicted internal injury...
But he'd surely felt the lingering traces of my internal energy permeating his body.
The sensation of unpermitted mana invading one's flesh was like bugs burrowing under the skin—utterly repulsive.
At the same time, he'd realized.
That if I'd willed it, that single punch could've shredded him from the inside.
‘No, wait.’
Would he even grasp that much?
The internal energy operation using not just Three Veins but every muscle; the Force Release essence from my demon legion commander fight; the Weighted Palm subtleties of second apprentice uncle; the sudden thunder qi fusion; and a dash of mercy mixed in...
That one punch carried excessive meaning.
I wondered.
How much had Barter sensed?
“Barter Goodspring.”
Tilting my head, I asked simply,
“...Do you get it?”
“......”