...You Must Want to Die
"It seems today has turned into a productive occasion. My brothers have realized their own shortcomings, so I suppose we can call this a blessing in disguise."
A boy dressed in a yellow long-robe spoke as he lifted a bottle, pouring wine into Jo Pacheon’s cup before filling his own.
"This is Great Marsh Brew, a famous vintage of Unmong City. Its sweet aroma is truly exquisite. The first sip brings a heat like a raging fire, and even after swallowing, a powerful spirit lingers to envelop the body. It is the perfect wine for stoking a swordsman’s resolve. Brother Jo, wait here for a moment. I shall return shortly."
Having finished his piece, the boy in the yellow robe stood and stepped out of the pavilion.
"Bukjin. I must thank you for educating my younger brothers in my stead," he said, offering a polite hand-over-fist salute toward Bukjin.
"However, you too must experience defeat. My name is Dongbang Jeon. Remember it well. For from this day forward, this name shall become a goal you will never be able to chase down, let alone surpass, in your entire life."
As Dongbang Jeon finished speaking, he slowly raised his hand. Another boy standing nearby immediately brought him a sword. It was a remarkably ordinary blade. Seeing him use such a common weapon suggested that Dongbang Jeon possessed immense confidence in his own skills.
Dongbang Jeon drew the longsword.
"I shall give you the opportunity to strike first," Dongbang Jeon said with a composed smile.
Meeting that gaze, Bukjin smirked right back.
This guy’s acting like a bigger hotshot than all the others combined. But no one beats me when it comes to acting like a big shot!
"Fine. Then try and take this!"
Bukjin struck immediately.
The Azure Bird Sword whistles through the air, carrying the force of a heavy arrow.
The sword light tore through the void with massive power. The blade moved so fast that the air itself seemed to split, creating a visible, turbulent vortex that roared in its wake.
"Haha, not bad."
Dongbang Jeon stood his ground, unmoving. Just as Bukjin’s blade was about to reach his body, Dongbang Jeon’s sword began to vibrate violently. A streak of brilliant silver sword light blossomed from his blade. In an instant, the silver light tapped against the edge of the Azure Bird Sword, parrying Bukjin’s strike effortlessly.
Bukjin felt a massive force surge through the blade and into his arm.
That was at least a thousand pounds of force.
Bukjin made a quick assessment. That level of power was the absolute limit of a 10th-grade Warrior Rank. But in the next heartbeat, Bukjin realized he had miscalculated. Because...
Whoosh!
Suddenly, dark crimson flames began to bloom from Dongbang Jeon’s sword. The air grew scorching hot. Dongbang Jeon possessed fire-attribute Mystic Energy.
An elemental awakening! Dongbang Jeon... you’re already in the Master Realm!
The dark crimson flames surged down the Azure Bird Sword, rushing toward Bukjin’s hand.
Flap!
A sound like a bird taking flight echoed.
A swift movement technique that creates distance in the blink of an eye.
Bukjin widened the gap and surged his own Mystic Energy to extinguish the flames clinging to his sword. A look of genuine excitement crossed his face.
Whoa, I’ve finally met someone my age who’s reached the Master Realm!
"Your reactions are quite fast," Dongbang Jeon said with a calm smile. "To think you could withstand a strike from my blade! Impressive. Bukjin, you truly deserve to be called the young genius of Unmong City!"
Dongbang Jeon stroked the edge of his blade with his left hand.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted across the ordinary longsword. The faces of the boys watching the battle from the sidelines were filled with envy and reverence. The Master Realm! For young swordsmen under the age of sixteen, it was a realm of martial arts that felt like a distant dream.
"I am not a petty man. If you admit defeat now and apologize to my brothers, I will end things here today," Dongbang Jeon declared.
But Bukjin wasn't the type to simply accept such terms. Back on Earth, he had been a fanatical gamer. In his daily life, he had been timid and cautious about everything, but inside a game, it was a different story. In the virtual world, Bukjin feared nothing. He played with absolute confidence.
His favorite thing had been hunting game bosses. And now, facing Dongbang Jeon, Bukjin felt exactly as he did when confronting a boss in a game.
I just have to hunt him like a boss! I cleared the trash mob named Hahu Chung, and now a boss named Dongbang Jeon has spawned! Let’s do this! You never know who wins or loses until you try!
Bukjin encouraged himself inwardly. Furthermore, he was entertaining a dangerous thought.
I was brought to this world by the Grim Reaper. If that’s the case, if I experience death in this world, wouldn't I return to Earth? Even if I don't, I might meet that Reaper again. I can negotiate with him then to send me back!
Of course, such a thought carried immense risks and variables. It was better not to attempt it unless absolutely necessary. Rather than forcing the issue, Bukjin decided to act naturally and let the results follow.
Thus, his answer to Dongbang Jeon was concise and simple.
"If you and your bastard brothers get on your knees and apologize to me, I'll let you off quietly today."
"...So, you truly wish to die."
Dongbang Jeon’s expression darkened. He began his assault once more. Blazing flames swung alongside his sword, and the surrounding air grew stiflingly hot. Bukjin summoned every drop of Mystic Energy in his body to meet the coming blade.
On the second floor of a pavilion within the Unmong City government office...
Dozens of distinguished guests from the four major cities of Pungeo Province were taking a brief rest before the event began. Originally, this Sword Testing Engagement was meant to be a small sparring event held within Unmong City. However, because Baek Hae-geum’s influence was so vast, guests from the major cities of the province had been invited and were now in attendance.
There were a total of nine provinces in the North Sea Empire. Pungeo Province was one of them, located in the southeast. It was a coastal region bordering the vast ocean and consisted of four direct territories: Sinjin, Dongmyeong, Daecheon, and Haean. Within these four territories were various cities of all sizes. Unmong City was merely a small city within the Haean territory.
On the second floor of the pavilion sat about a dozen major figures, each accompanied by a young boy. The elders were dressed plainly, but their aura and dignity were extraordinary. The boys appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, brimming with vigor and vitality. Each wore a sword at his waist and possessed a sharp, intense gaze.
These were the officially recognized "Sword Geniuses" of their respective cities. Anyone with significant influence in Pungeo Province or any recognized genius of the sword had received an invitation. Thus, it was quite a surprise that someone like Baek Geum-un had managed to secure an invitation and attend.
In truth, the reason Jo Pacheon had taken an invitation to the 3rd Academy was to target Bukjin. Bukjin was Jeong Sam-seok’s prized disciple and the one who had received the Virtuous Deed Sword. It was only because of Jo Pacheon’s attempt to flaunt his influence that Baek Geum-un had luckily obtained an invitation. Of course, neither Bukjin nor the other students knew the details of this background.
"Is that person the representative of Unmong City, Dongbang Jeon?"
A boy with a round, reddish face and long hair stood by the window, looking down at the battle below.
"From the looks of it, he’s only at the middle stage of the 1st-grade Master Realm. He’s so weak it’s almost pitiful. To think such a weakling awakened fire-attribute Mystic Energy... what a waste. A total waste."
"Senior BloodFlame, aren't your expectations a bit too high for peers in a small backwater like Unmong City?"
A clean-cut boy dressed in scholar’s robes spoke from another side. He had his hands resting on the windowsill. His fingers were so white and long they looked like a young girl’s. He watched the scene with an expression as if he were viewing an amusing performance from afar.
"Song Cheong-bong, aren't you ashamed to be called one of the Twelve Young Swordsmen alongside such a deficient character?" BloodFlame expressed his dissatisfaction without filter.
"It’s too early to think that way. The Twelve Young Swordsmen of the Outer Territories haven't been finalized yet."
This time, a boy dressed in luxurious white silk adorned with gold and jade jewelry appeared, wielding a golden fan. A thick, strangely feminine fragrance wafted from him. He spoke with a smirk.
"BloodFlame, even you don't know if you'll make the final cut for the Twelve. To be worrying about others... how laughable."
"Im Hae-dang, are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
In an instant, the boy called BloodFlame tensed his muscles like a leopard ready to pounce, looking as if he would strike at any moment.
"Why just talk? Why don't you actually go at it? It would be entertaining even if one of you died," said a boy named Song Gyeol-il from another corner, fanning the flames while snacking on sunflower seeds.
"Battles between young swordsmen are permitted today anyway, so go ahead and have at it. Hahaha!"
Hearing Song Gyeol-il’s words, BloodFlame and Im Hae-dang glared at him with furious expressions.
There were twelve boys in total on the second floor. Besides the four who had just caused a stir, others were present. Some were quietly embracing their swords in meditation, while others stood silently behind the elders they served. There was also a chubby boy who was busy chewing on a mouth full of snacks like a squirrel, saying nothing at all.
The elders, for their part, had a much softer atmosphere than the boys. They were busy conversing and networking with one another, seemingly indifferent to the commotion caused by the hot-blooded youths.
Just then...
Step, step.
The sound of footsteps echoed. The protagonists of these footsteps were none other than the Lord of Unmong City, Im Gun-hyeon, and his wife, Jin Ran-seo. They had descended from the third floor to offer their greetings to the figures on the second floor.
The boys seemed largely uninterested in the lord of a small coastal city. If anything, they harbored a slight resentment toward the Lord of Unmong for making them wait on the second floor for so long.