Chapter 164
Chapter 164
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Shin Tu
Shin Tu.
Seven Tribes Swordsmanship.
Sword arts modeled after the unique traits of each race.
Its power was beyond imagination.
But it had one major drawback.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ This swordsmanship cannot be used alongside the sword arts of other races. The Holy Sword had driven that point home.
There were countless geniuses in this world.
Even they couldn't wield the Seven Tribes Swordsmanship.
Soyeonhwa couldn't master it either.
Not even Paecheon had fully grasped it.
Meanwhile, I...
'I've learned several.'
But when the Holy Sword saw those sword arts, it claimed they were downgraded versions made easy for me to pick up.
Dark Moon, Mystic Heaven, Black Sea, Bright Thunder.
All four of them.
Over the past month, what I'd done was restore them all to their original forms.
Bright Thunder, the beastman lightning-attuned sword art.
It had transformed into...
'Dwarf swordsmanship.'
What Bright Thunder wielded was simple.
Concise and swift.
A sword art focused purely on power.
And...
'Its greatest strength is stacking.'
A sword art compatible with the hero's orthodox style.
...No, the hero's orthodox swordsmanship was compatible with all Seven Tribes arts.
But right now, Bright Thunder was the one I could wield best.
The Seven Tribes art harnessing the power of metal.
Kurrrung!
Purple lightning stacked endlessly upon itself.
A single swing turned into over a hundred blades of thunder.
"Damn, this guy's insane."
Shin Tu spat that out.
Guoooooo!!
Purple lightning surged like a wave, swallowing Shin Tu whole.
And then...
Pajijijijik!
Endless purple bolts crackled upward.
It didn't end with one strike—it kept splitting, attacking relentlessly while trapping him.
'Seven Tribes Swordsmanship: Bright Thunder.'
One of the seven arts, embodying lightning.
I closed my eyes and scanned my surroundings with my senses.
A single swing had unleashed thunder across a near 50-meter radius in all directions. It was time for a reaction.
'Nothing.'
No sign of Shin Tu.
But I didn't think this was the end.
'He used a power similar to mine.'
I didn't know what exactly, but Shin Tu had activated a gift akin to Steal Strike.
'A man who held that gift and operated as the Thief Hero.'
I didn't think he'd die to something like this.
However...
⚙ Holy Sword ⚙ Uh, uhh... Think that did him in? Dead from just that?
⚙ Holy Sword ⚙ The Thief Hero isn't really a frontline fighter. He's more about disrupting enemies and chipping away at the Demon King's immortality from behind. Magic and swordplay are best for combat, so the Sword Hero lops off the Demon King's limbs while the Thief and Saintess sow chaos among the foes. 'Still, he should have some fighting prowess, right?'
⚙ Holy Sword ⚙ To some degree, yeah. But that guy lost me at level 7 to begin with. '...'
So that meant the guy was level 7.
'Just level 7?'
Somehow, that didn't feel right.
He gave off the vibe of someone hiding something deep.
That's why I'd gone all-out with my swordsmanship from the start.
I scanned the surroundings.
Despite the Holy Sword's certainty, I had a hunch the guy was still alive.
The area was open grassland.
Bright Thunder had scorched nearly a 50-meter circle into oblivion—no Hidden Space in sight.
'Should I use the second sword art?'
Fwoosh.
Red flames licked along the blade as I prepared the second technique.
That's when...
"Y-You bastard!"
A voice rang out from directly behind me.
Thud. Thud.
He strode forward confidently, hands raised high, and addressed me.
"Give me a break, just once!"
"... "
Was that for real?
The sheer absurdity left me momentarily stunned.
I glared at Shin Tu.
Orc-green skin unique to his kind. Rat-like slitted eyes and a sleazy smirk. Plucking out his weird mustache had only made him look even more vile and underhanded.
As I stood there silently, he must've taken it as a cue.
Shin Tu squinted and spoke.
"Damn, no choice then."
Was he up to some trick?
I watched him warily, keeping my guard up.
"I'll give you something worth 100 Platinum Coins. Just let me off!"
He declared it boldly.
*
"Whew, I'm alive. Thought I was done for."
Shin Tu squinted, wiping sweat from his brow.
He cleared his throat with a khem and eyed me.
"So you're that infamous Han Yuseong, huh."
"Seems like it."
"Growing monster can go freeze. You're a monster through and through..."
He looked at me with utter exasperation.
Wasn't he the one who'd come sniffing around out of curiosity?
'...Though that did feel a bit off.'
⚙ Holy Sword ⚙ He was testing you. Figured if you were weaker, you'd ruthlessly steal his stuff! What the hell had this guy been through?
"Ahem, looks like you're chatting with the Holy Sword."
"Yes."
"Probably singing praises of my stellar character, eh?"
A smug grin spread across his face as he reached to stroke his mustache—then winced.
Stellar character, huh.
We were talking about his character, so I gave a slight nod.
"So what brings you here?"
"H-Hold on! Ease up on those killer eyes!"
Killer eyes? What was he on about.
I beamed brightly at Shin Tu, who was promising that 100-Platinum-Coin item.
"Th-That smile doesn't look like you're coveting my stuff... No, never mind."
Shin Tu cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Why I'm here? It started with a message from the west."
"Can't you keep it simple?"
"Hey now, this epic tale deserves—Fine, fine. A storyteller must heed the audience's call. Ahem. Anyway, to cut to the chase, it's simple."
Shin Tu met my gaze.
"I've come personally to take you as my disciple."
Disciple?
I leaned back skeptically, eyeing him.
"Your master?"
"Yeah. After seeing your swordplay, I know just how to teach you."
Teaching, huh.
I studied Shin Tu.
His fighting style was utterly despicable. If I made an enemy of this guy, one thing was certain.
'He'd be a pain in the ass.'
He had techniques that reinforced that certainty.
Clones that he could materialize to attack foes.
Even while facing me, he never let his guard down.
'Plenty to learn here.'
But that was one thing.
This was another.
"More importantly, there's something else."
"What... Ah."
Shin Tu's face fell, and he sighed deeply.
He rummaged in his pocket and handed me something.
'Transparent item?'
Up close, it was like transparent gloves.
What was this?
"A cherished possession of the Beast King once called the Ice Sovereign."
"... "
So, Cheong Yura's father's item?
I pocketed the transparent gloves—just in case.
'Appraise.'
But first, figure out what it was.
⚔ Item ⚔ 🧤 Ice Dragon Gauntlets (A) Gauntlets forged from millennium snow harvested in frigid mountains. ◇ Adds ice attribute to all bare-hand attacks. ◇ Chance to inflict Freeze on attacks. ◇ Converts mana to ice attribute. '...What the hell.'
This was like the Thunder Dragon Sword.
Even the name was similar.
Thunder Dragon Sword and Ice Dragon Gauntlets.
Was there something to this?
For now, I stashed the Ice Dragon Gauntlets in my subspace.
"Ahem. You look pleased. Sharp-eyed juniors are always welcome."
"So how exactly are you going to teach me?"
"...You lack slyness."
"Me?"
I lacked slyness?
I reflected on my own combat style.
True enough.
Aside from laying traps, poisoning, or sniping with arrows from afar, I fit the swordsman mold better.
"Heh... So you get it. Then let me teach you about attributes in combat. First up: Wind Bind. Even I, hailed as a genius among thieves, took at least three years to master it."
"Wind Bind—the technique from earlier that releases killing intent to feel like an attack?"
"...Yeah, you'd know how exceptional it is."
"I think I've mastered it."
"What!?"
Shin Tu's eyes bulged as he stared at me.
"Wh-What nonsense! Impossible!"
As he denied it, I focused.
I recalled blades of wind. Shin Tu had refined it into killing intent.
'Then I'll use...'
Aura.
The next best thing after mana that I handled well. Blades infused with aura.
I hurled one at Shin Tu.
"Show me, then... Gasp!"
Shin Tu ducked his head nimbly.
Pang!
Air burst with a pop, erasing a chunk of ground where he'd stood.
'...It even has destructive power?'
But then it couldn't be used as a feint.
As that thought crossed my mind...
"No way... What the hell is this guy... How do you even teach a freak like this..."
I overheard Shin Tu muttering in a daze.
*
We headed up from the Labyrinth.
Nothing major—we were thinking of surfacing anyway when we ran into Shin Tu.
He called himself my master.
But I suggested heading up to prepare for any surprises.
I subtly probed Ermé, but she seemed caught off guard too, averting her eyes.
'Well, at least he behaved during that.'
Apparently, future Shin Tu never met Ermé.
Otherwise, she'd have hinted at who he was.
We returned to our makeshift clan building, and...
"... "
The stench of blood hung thick in the air.
I could sense it keenly, but the others couldn't.
'Which bastard...'
The punks who'd messed with Finn came to mind.
My mood soured instantly.
"Um... Is something wrong?"
Ermé asked cautiously.
⚙ Holy Sword ⚙ Master, radiating that much aura will overwhelm everyone around you. '...Oops.'
Instead of apologizing, I followed the blood scent.
And there...
"... "
Three fingers.
And...
'...Blue hair.'
I knew that hair.
The Thief's Sanctuary had taught me its owner.
'Diago.'
Looks like rest was off the table.