The Forge of the Single Fire (5)
'Intriguing.'
A smirk spread across Pokryong's face as he looked down at the arena.
His slit, reptilian pupils dilated with excitement.
The spectacle unfolding before him held a significance that went far beyond a mere trial.
After all, the clone facing Gaon was none other than the 'past Pokryong.'
It was a perfect replica, possessing the exact memories, experience, and combat prowess he had when he undertook the trial.
For Gaon to clash with such a clone meant...
'It's practically the same as me crossing swords with him myself.'
Indeed. The outcome of this duel would serve as a yardstick to measure the gap between himself and Gaon.
'I'm dying to find out.'
Their brief encounter in Labyrinth Village, and that overwhelming strike that had subdued Jacques von Heibrun in a single blow—both were deeply impressive, but they weren't enough. They were merely fragments, insufficient to gauge Gaon's true realm.
'But it's different now.'
This was a serious duel against his past self. A pure battle of life and death where nothing could be hidden or held back.
The moment Pokryong's gaze locked onto Gaon—
BOOM!
The clone moved first.
The instant it kicked off the ground, an explosion erupted, creating the illusion that space itself was warping.
'As expected...'
Watching from outside the arena, Pokryong marveled.
'...Even if it's my past self, that movement is absolutely flawless.'
A charge that pushed the overwhelming physical abilities of the dragon race to their absolute limit. Its speed was such that even lightning could not keep pace.
In a fraction of a second, the distance of dozens of meters vanished into nothingness.
Yet Gaon did not even flinch.
Without so much as a blink, he stood in place as silently as if time had stopped.
He looked utterly serene, as if the opponent's attack posed no threat to him at all.
"...!"
Pokryong flinched, his eyes widening.
A chilling sense of déjà vu washed down his spine.
'That's...!'
CLANG!
And his premonition became reality.
Gaon blocked the clone's attack with effortless ease.
It was the exact same bizarre defensive technique he had witnessed in Labyrinth Village.
"...!"
The clone hastily retreated, its footsteps pattering against the ground.
Its face betrayed clear fluster at having its full-power opening strike completely neutralized.
Yet Gaon remained motionless, quietly watching the clone back away.
It was as if he were waiting for his opponent to unleash his true power.
And as if to meet that expectation, the clone's aura underwent a sudden transformation.
RUMBLE!
The space vibrated.
An explosive energy radiating from the clone's body shook the surrounding air.
The overwhelming pressure unique to the dragon race began to weigh heavily upon the entire forge.
In the next instant, the scenery of the forge warped.
CRACK!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the solid stone floor, and crimson lava began to seep through the fissures.
Yes. It was not molten metal, but actual lava.
The hammers and weapons hanging on the walls vanished without a trace, replaced by towering volcanoes.
This was no longer a forge.
They were now in the middle of the legendary mountain range where the primordial dragons were said to have been born.
The ceiling had vanished, replaced by a scorching sky, while lava flowed like rivers in every direction.
—Transcendental Domain.
The ultimate technique that only a Sword Master could manifest.
An ability that projected one's lifelong philosophy of the sword and combat principles into physical space.
A realm that dragged the absolute dominion, once possible only within one's mindscape, into reality.
"..."
Indeed, the clone had realized after just a single clash.
That the opponent before him was not someone to be taken lightly.
That if he did not give his all, he would not survive even a single exchange.
"..."
A smirk finally played on Gaon's lips.
His expression showed that he was finally finding this interesting.
Slowly, Gaon began to shift his stance.
Sheathing the Feather Sword once more, he stepped back with his left foot and lowered his center of gravity.
His left hand gripped the scabbard while his right hand rested lightly on the hilt. Tilting his head down slightly, he raised his gaze to look at the clone.
It was a blatantly obvious drawing stance.
Though it was a simple and quiet motion, the flow of time within the Transcendental Domain seemed to grind to a halt.
Of course, the clone had no intention of just watching. The moment he saw Gaon take his stance, he lunged forward.
Pokryong's pupils contracted as he watched.
Empowered by the Transcendental Domain, the clone's movements were several times faster than before. The strike, cloaked in the searing heat of lava, carried an immense, terrifying energy.
'This time...'
Pokryong focused all his senses. He widened his eyes, held his breath, and locked his gaze onto Gaon's every movement.
'...I won't miss it.'
Until now, he had never had a proper chance to see it.
Not in Labyrinth Village, not during the battle against Heibrun, and not even in the clash just moments ago. Gaon's true strike had always unfolded too quickly for Pokryong to capture.
But this time would be different.
Even if he had to stake his honor as a Sword Master, he would witness that moment with his own eyes.
And then...
Slash.
...Gaon vanished.
"...?"
He who had been in a drawing stance was suddenly standing behind the clone.
There was no process in between. Only the beginning and the end. The middle had been completely erased.
Except for...
A single white line.
A pure white trajectory connecting where Gaon had stood to where he now was remained etched in the air.
The line was flawless. An absolute straight line, drawn without a single tremor or a shred of hesitation.
And along that boundary...
The world began to split.
CRACK!
The volcanic earth manifested by the Transcendental Domain split cleanly in half.
The scorching sky tore open to the left and right, and the volcanoes in the background parted along the line.
...And of course, the clone was no exception.
From the moment the pure white line pierced his flesh, his body had already been severed in two.
The scale-covered body stumbled, losing its balance.
His slit eyes rolled back in shock, staring blankly into the void, as molten metal dripped from the gruesome bisection of his torso.
THUD!
Before long, Pokryong's clone lost all strength and collapsed to the ground.
"...!"
Pokryong's jaw dropped in spite of himself.
He had seen it. He had definitely seen it.
He had mobilized every single one of his senses as a Sword Master to capture that split second.
Yet, he still could not comprehend Gaon's strike.
'What in the world was...'
—0.01 seconds.
At that exact moment,
a conversation he had with Heukgol a few weeks ago flashed through his mind.
"Every single fight ended in 0.01 seconds."
The test to determine the qualification of the 13th Sword Master.
The thousands of battles that had unfolded within Heukgol's mindscape had ultimately converged into a single conclusion.
An overwhelming strike. An absolute end.
And now... that conclusion had finally become reality.
The clone began to dissolve, turning into molten metal and scattering away.
At the same time, the torn world of the Transcendental Domain reverted to the original forge.
Click.
A clear metallic ring echoed. It was the sound of Gaon sheathing the Feather Sword.
His movements were incredibly natural and calm, as if the strike he had just delivered was as routine as taking a breath.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A suffocating silence descended upon the forge.
Eyes wide with shock. Pupils trembling in disbelief. Faces grown pale from holding their breath.
In a mere fraction of a second, the single line left by Gaon's sword had frozen time itself for everyone present.
* * *
Thump, thump.
The battle was over.
I felt the blood rushing in my ears as I finished sheathing the Feather Sword.
My heart was pounding wildly. My breath was barely under control. Even my fingertips trembled slightly.
'Phew...'
The aftereffects of using the Soul of the Sword Master still clung to my entire body.
Slowly, I raised my head.
My razor-sharp consciousness gradually returned to reality, and the senses that had been fully immersed in combat slowly resurfaced.
The forge was wrapped in silence. No one moved, and no one spoke. It was as if time itself had stopped.
Your killing intent has consumed the battlefield.
Under that absolute pressure, the witnesses have frozen as if time itself has stopped.
[Reward: Active Skill 'Ultimate Killing Intent' acquired.]
"...?"
I couldn't hide my surprise at the completely unexpected reward.
'What is this now?'
It was a highly unfamiliar skill. Ultimate Killing Intent?
To check the details of the reward, I immediately opened my skill window.
Name: Ultimate Killing Intent
Rating: ★★★★★★★★★ (9-Star Legendary)
Type: Active Skill
Cost: None
Cooldown: 12 Hours
[Description]
Killing intent is not mere anger or hostility. It is a pure will converged toward death.
As the most talented genius among hundreds of millions of Sword Masters, you have reached a realm where you can dominate the battlefield without even swinging your sword.
Since your singular focus on death will become your 'sword' itself, any enemy has no choice but to kneel before your presence.
[Effects]
Inflicts the status effect 'Heart Extinction' on the designated target.
'This is...'
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. The situation was remarkably similar to when I had acquired Ultimate Auto-parrying.
Killing Intent. A skill that inflicted a status effect on enemies of a lower level than the user. Originally, 'Advanced' was the highest tier, but this time, just like with Auto-parrying, it had gained the prefix 'Ultimate.'
This was by no means a coincidence. It meant that the results I was producing were breaking the boundaries set by the system.
And it also meant that I was successfully walking the path of an irregular who would change the entire board.
'By the way... Heart Extinction.'
It was a status effect I had never seen before.
But as I read down the skill description, I quickly grasped its true nature.
The technique I had already used several times—the pure pressure I had used to suppress opponents via the Soul of the Sword Master—had been redefined into an entirely 'new skill.'
'This is... insane.'
It was an incredibly useful reward.
It meant that even without consuming MP or relying on the Soul of the Sword Master, I could now suppress an opponent once every twelve hours.
I had gained a versatile tool that could be utilized in many different ways.
If I could hasten the True Name Awakening of the Feather Sword at the Lashutku Ruins, the synergy with 'that' ability would be astronomical.
Brushing my thoughts aside, I looked at the avatar of the god and gathered my composure.
"So, what is the result of the trial?"
[...]
The eyes of the guardian deity, who had been staring blankly down at me, trembled slightly.
[There is no need for words.]
A brief reply, followed by a declaration.
[Congratulations.]
"..."
[This is unprecedented. For two people to pass this trial in a single day.]
RUMBLE!
No sooner had those words left its mouth than the inner wall of the forge began to slowly split open.
A glowing, fiery light pushed back the darkness, revealing a new path leading deeper inside.
[To craft the relics most suited to the two of you... let us proceed to the Forge of the Single Fire.]