Chapter 25: Sword Saint Cheon Yu-seong (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: Sword Saint Cheon Yu-seong (1)
Jinhyuk slowly turned his head.
Standing there was a man holding an incredibly worn-out sword.
...It was a sword he recognized.
A replica of a sacred relic that had been on display at the National Museum of Korea.
Specifically, the 'Iron Sword Inscribed with Qianlong'.
Which meant...
This guy was the persistent leech who had constantly challenged him in the Tower of Trials.
Jinhyuk scanned the opponent from head to toe.
A sharp impression.
A solid build standing well over 185 centimeters.
He looked like a finely honed sword.
'I didn't realize it because he acted like such a psychopath in the game, but he actually looks decent in reality.'
No, to be precise, he could easily put models to shame. With his perfectly proportioned body and sculptured face, he was the kind of handsome that was rare even on TV.
What a waste of a handsome face. Seriously.
"Don't you ever get tired of this?"
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.
Was chasing him around like that in the game not enough?
Now he was even following him to ruins.
Seriously, if I went to hell, this guy would probably follow me there too.
"That annoyed look on your face... Is that all I am to you?"
The man gritted his teeth.
At the same time, a murderous aura flared up.
Ah, right.
This guy had a massive chip on his shoulder about being ignored.
Dealing with him was always such a chore that Jinhyuk had momentarily forgotten.
"No, think about it logically. What kind of crazy bastard follows someone all the way here? And since you've lost that many times, shouldn't you just accept it by now? Please."
"This time will be different. Now that we've started over from the beginning, there's no way I'll lose to you."
He was impossible to talk to.
To be precise, he had never been reasonable from the start.
Sighing softly, Jinhyuk activated the 'Eye of Truth'.
[The skill activation has been canceled due to the level difference.]
Of course there would be a level difference.
But it didn't matter.
He had already gained additional stats from the effect of 'Song of Battle' on top of his existing Luck and Adaptive stats.
[The stat effects have neutralized the level difference.]
[Peering into the target's status window.]
——————————————————
Name: Cheon Yu-seong
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Level: 29
Strength: 35, Agility: 31, Stamina: 18, Mana: 10
Available Stat Points: 0
Coins Owned: 0
Class: Swordsman
Unique Ability: Song of the Sword
Skills: Lv6 'Soul-Chasing Sword Qi', Lv5 'Eye of the Immortal', Lv5 'Single Combat', Lv5 'Protective Aura', Lv5 'Battlefield Selection', Lv4 'Soul-Chasing Sword Dance', Lv4 'Darkness Barrier', Lv3 'Endurance', Lv3 'Tenacity'...
——————————————————
[Copy Condition: Cheon Yu-seong believes he is stronger than anyone else when it comes to the sword. Crush him using the 'sword', the weapon he is most confident in.]
A status window longer than any he had seen so far appeared.
'Did he recognize me through the [Eye of the Immortal]?' Besides, since the guy had been stalking him to a sickening degree and knew him inside out, it made some sense that he had managed to track him down here.
'Cheon Yu-seong...'
So that was his name.
The Tower of Trials.
A veteran of that place.
Cheon Yu-seong was among the most relentless players Jinhyuk knew.
He was incredibly skilled, too.
In fact, those who had crossed swords with him revered him as the "Sword Saint" or feared him as the "Sword Demon."
However...
'So this is his limit.'
Jinhyuk read the status window with an indifferent expression.
Level, skills, unique ability, stats.
Anyone else would have foamed at the mouth in shock, but to Jinhyuk, it was nothing special.
Of course, he had to admit that Cheon Yu-seong had grown stronger than before.
His build to become the Sword Saint was flawless.
But...
'The same goes for me.'
The gap hadn't narrowed in the slightest.
If anything, it had widened.
"I won't stop you if you're dead set on fighting, but are you sure about this? I didn't come here alone, you know."
Teresa, reacting to Cheon Yu-seong's murderous intent, was rapidly approaching.
Two or three minutes at most.
After that, it wouldn't be a one-on-one, but a two-on-one.
"The Saintess... You've made a useless ally."
Hmm...
"I think I need to correct you on two things. First, Teresa isn't my ally."
They were only working together temporarily because their interests aligned.
And second...
"I don't keep useless things around."
The moment Jinhyuk finished speaking, a sharp wind-splitting sound echoed.
Whoosh!
A silver shield came flying through the air.
A faint energy rippled across its surface.
It was a deadly weapon imbued with divine power.
"Ugh?!"
Cheon Yu-seong hastily swung his sword.
Clang!
He barely managed to deflect it.
However, the impact must have been severe, as a thick vein bulged on his forehead.
See? I told you not to be so arrogant.
"Why don't you run along before she gets here? It's not too late."
"...I won't let any pests interfere in our duel."
[Cheon Yu-seong activates Lv5 'Battlefield Selection'!]
A transparent barrier began to expand around Cheon Yu-seong's body.
In response, the corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
Just as expected.
A little provocation, and he reacts immediately.
A unique barrier that allowed the user to choose their desired battlefield: 'Battlefield Selection.'
It was the most powerful type of barrier in Cheon Yu-seong's arsenal.
Hummmmm!
An area roughly fifty meters wide was reconstructed.
A training ground came into view, littered with shattered marble and half-eaten Fasting Pills.
'A place fitting for him.'
To be this consistent with one's character... well, that was a talent in its own right.
Cheon Yu-seong gripped his sword with both hands.
"Now, you won't be getting any outside help."
A world severed by the barrier.
Cheon Yu-seong immediately activated his next skill.
[Cheon Yu-seong activates Lv5 'Single Combat'!]
[All of Cheon Yu-seong's stats increase by 10%!]
[The effect of 'Song of the Battlefield' received from Teresa disappears.]
[All stats decrease by 10%.]
Status messages popped up one after another.
This was the result of being forcibly nerfed by 'Battlefield Selection' and 'Single Combat'.
It was precisely because of these two skills that Cheon Yu-seong had confidently initiated the fight.
And it was precisely because of these two skills that Jinhyuk hadn't avoided it.
'...Hook, line, and sinker.'
He had a reason for willingly putting himself at a disadvantage.
The special condition attached to 'Fusion'.
– If the situation becomes overwhelmingly disadvantageous compared to the original copy conditions, the copy conditions will be adjusted accordingly.
And in this case...
[The copy condition has been adjusted.]
[Pre-copying and post-condition fulfillment are now permitted.]
[Fulfill the condition within the 10-minute time limit.]
The condition had changed.
He could copy the ability first, then fulfill the condition afterward.
"I will copy Cheon Yu-seong's unique ability."
[Copying unique ability 'Song of the Sword (S)'.]
['Song of the Sword': Understanding of bladed weapons increases by 200%. The body naturally finds the most efficient sword path, and the senses of the entire body become extremely sharp.]
[One of the essential abilities required to obtain the title of 'Sword Saint'.]
If his battles up until now had relied on experience and reflexes...
From the moment he acquired this ability, he could fight by understanding the sword and becoming one with it.
Shhhk.
Jinhyuk adjusted his grip on the dagger in his right hand.
Then, he beckoned Cheon Yu-seong with his left index finger.
"Stop... acting so relaxed!"
Cheon Yu-seong gritted his teeth.
At that exact moment...
Boom!
He kicked off the ground and lunged at Jinhyuk.
The distance closed in an instant.
He was fast.
However...
Clang!
Jinhyuk deflected the strike aimed at his flank.
The next attack followed immediately.
Clang! Clang!
In less than a second, several exchanges of blows occurred.
Every single strike was a deadly blow aimed at a vital spot.
Right then...
Cheon Yu-seong's face contorted even more fiercely than before.
"What... are you pulling right now?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb! Your specialty is mid-range combat, not close quarters. Why are you fighting me with nothing but a measly dagger?!"
Having fought him countless times, Cheon Yu-seong knew Jinhyuk's style.
He knew Jinhyuk preferred keeping his distance rather than engaging in close-quarters combat.
He was right.
He was right, but...
"Right now, I feel like this is more than enough."
Since the copy condition required him to crush Cheon Yu-seong with a sword, he couldn't use anything else.
Above all, now that he had 'Song of the Sword', a single dagger was plenty to deal with him.
Of course, this was only from Jinhyuk's perspective.
From Cheon Yu-seong's point of view, it was infuriating.
"I'll kill you!"
An enraged Cheon Yu-seong swung his sword.
* * *
Clang!
Clang! Cl-cl-cl-clang!
Dozens... no, hundreds of exchanges passed.
'What on earth is happening?'
As time went on, Cheon Yu-seong found the situation increasingly incomprehensible.
This was a battlefield optimized for him.
On top of that, wasn't his opponent humoring him in close combat, even abandoning his specialty?
Every circumstance was overwhelmingly in his favor.
He had taken his victory for granted, but...
The tight balance refused to break.
And there was only one reason for this.
'He's using swordsmanship?'
It wasn't mere imitation or mimicry.
It possessed a seasoned mastery that felt as though it had been forged over ages.
Furthermore, the unconventional, unpredictable strikes that caught him off guard from time to time were, frankly, admirable.
Cheon Yu-seong backed away to catch his breath.
Unleashing so many skills in such a short span had taken a toll on his body.
"I don't know what you did, but it's impressive. To think you've mastered swordsmanship of this caliber without my knowledge."
"I've been studying hard lately. It's more fun than I thought."
To be precise, just a moment ago.
And from you, no less.
But if he said that out loud, the guy would probably lose his mind.
At Jinhyuk's smirk, Cheon Yu-seong's face hardened.
"Fine. Even if you abandoned your specialty, it was foolish of me to think I could handle you with mere swordsmanship. It was my mistake to hold back against a monster like you."
He had to admit it.
That he could never win unless he went all out.
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted drastically.
The sword was thrust straight forward.
And from its tip...
[Cheon Yu-seong activates Lv6 'Soul-Chasing Sword Qi'!]
Crackle...!
Blue mana coalesced along the blade.
It was the ultimate technique that severed everything it touched: 'Sword Qi'.
"Damn. Isn't that a bit much? Using Sword Qi against a beginner who just started learning the sword?"
"The very premise of you being a beginner is utter nonsense not even worth listening to."
Cheon Yu-seong dismissed it flatly.
Boom!
Then, unleashing his Sword Qi, he charged at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk looked back and forth between Cheon Yu-seong and his dagger.
'If I clash with him using this, the blade will be completely ruined.'
Even a +10 sword couldn't withstand Sword Qi.
It wasn't called the ultimate power for nothing.
In that case...
He just had to make one.
An ability that could counter Sword Qi.
No, an ability that could surpass it.
Jinhyuk grabbed the black pill resting on the rock.
"I will fuse 'Song of the Sword' and 'Demon Soul Pill'."
Hummmmm!
The moment he spoke, a blinding light burst forth.
[Fusion successful!]
[You have acquired the unique ability 'Grave of Swords (SS)'!]
['Grave of Swords': Understanding of bladed weapons increases by 500%. The body finds the optimal sword path, and the senses of the entire body reach their peak.]
[One of the essential talents required to obtain the title of 'Sword Demon'.]
[The copied ability is stored in the 'Memory of the World'.]
If possible...
He had wanted to use this ability after absorbing 'Frozen Tear'.
But...
If his opponent was going to push his limits, he had no choice but to bring out something fitting in response.
[The unique ability 'Grave of Swords' manifests.]
He who saw the end of the sword became a Sword Saint, but he who shattered that end became a Sword Demon.
The strongest, yet worst talent.
Thus, no one remembers him.
All that remains is a single sword thrust into a nameless grave.
This is the story of that Arch-Demon.
Rumble...!
An unimaginably ominous energy began to surge.
The marble dust scattered on the floor slowly drifted up into the air.
At that very moment...
[Lv1 'Black Moon Night' is activated!]
A black moon cast its shadow over Jinhyuk's dagger.
A pitch-black crescent moon that even dyed the light of the barrier.
"W-what is this absurd power...?"
Cheon Yu-seong froze mid-charge.
This was...
Dangerous.