Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Swordsman's Path (3)
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Scorpion Sword. This technique, practically the symbol of Shade, had drawn quite a bit of attention from various people within the academy. And for good reason—it was so bizarre and powerful that one had to wonder who on earth had created it. Not only was it hard to read the flow of attacks, but the swordsmanship, which seemed motionless one moment and then unleashed a barrage of strikes the next, was truly worthy of being called scorpion-like.
Mastering the Scorpion Sword was no easy task for Ban, either. He hadn’t obtained Shade’s sword itself, but the countless spars they’d shared had at least allowed him to analyze it, albeit slowly.
And the Scorpion Sword was a technique Ban had learned before even forging his second sword.
‘……What? That stance.’
A posture no human should take—or rather, no human should be able to take. Munet scowled as she glared at Ban. It felt ominous. A warning bell was ringing in her head, screaming that getting too close could mean instant defeat. And in most situations, a swordsman’s intuition was more accurate than logical thinking.
Even so, Munet had no other choice. She had to clash head-on. Darkness poured over her like a cascade. Hiding her presence was her specialty. If she wanted to, she was confident she could slip into anywhere in the world.
Hiding from a mere fledgling like this? Child’s play.
‘Fun.’
Watching her, Ban felt his heart pounding. It was perfect concealment. The darkness that had swallowed her body was rippling as if it could strike from anywhere, making him wonder if she had the Eustaine Clan’s fairy tale abilities.
He couldn’t see her. Couldn’t hear her. Couldn’t sense her. But Ban wasn’t afraid. He already knew her stealth skills were beyond what his senses could track. And yet, he provoked her anyway.
‘Come on.’
He felt his nerves pulled taut like a bowstring. If he let his guard down even for a moment, Munet’s sword could pierce straight through his skull. He sensed it. Just moments ago, even without knowing where she was, he’d felt her sword and dodged.
The years he’d lived as a swordsman hadn’t been wasted. In the decisive moment, even if his five senses failed, his sixth sense would move him. No matter how stealthily Munet approached or how ghost-like her speed, Ban was confident he could read her presence the instant she drew close enough to breathe down his neck.
He held his breath. Ban realized he didn’t like being underestimated as much as he’d thought. Was it because he’d grown used to being hailed as a genius ever since Citadel?
Suddenly being treated like a kid sparked an inexplicable surge of defiance.
‘Losing to that fledgling would sting.’
The fight didn’t start easily. She knew this was her best chance, so she wouldn’t waste it carelessly.
Erok watched their standoff, his brow furrowed.
‘……Skills beyond their years. Probably……’
He’d seen all kinds of geniuses, but few reached that level at Ban’s age.
He hadn’t learned swordsmanship himself, but he had an eye for strength. After all, he was a warrior who’d crossed the line between life and death countless times. That’s why he could sense the strange ‘boundary’ surrounding Ban right now.
It was like a barrier. The moment anyone crossed that line, Ban’s sword would shoot out without a hint of hesitation.
Munet knew it too. That’s why she hadn’t attacked yet. She’d thought she saw an opening, but Ban wasn’t sloppy enough to show one first. She had to admit it—he was a formidable opponent.
She needed to create an opening. How……?
The dilemma didn’t last long. She hadn’t only fought people who couldn’t even detect her. Clutching her rapier, she reached for her waist with her free hand. A small needle appeared in her grasp,
and she flung it.
Clang! Ban’s sword moved just as expected. No—more beautifully than expected. The moment it crossed his boundary, the needle hadn’t advanced even a finger’s width before bouncing off his blade. His lightning reflexes and precise strike against that tiny needle were astonishing, but she couldn’t afford to just admire them.
Munet slid forward like a shadow. As Ban’s huando broadsword deflected the needle, she had already circled behind him, thrusting her rapier. She was drawing her qi to its limit. Power that wouldn’t be detected. She silenced her breath, her footsteps, her very presence. In this state, even inside Ban’s boundary……he wouldn’t catch her right away.
And she was right. Ban only sensed her after her rapier had entered his boundary by about two hand spans, at which point he spun around. His short tachi swung to parry the rapier, but it was blocked by Munet’s rapier. His guard was open. One thrust now, and she’d win.
That’s how it should have gone.
‘……What?’
For a moment, Munet’s mind blanked. She didn’t know what had happened. Ban’s two swords were neutralized. So why was her rapier bending? Blocked by what? Deflected by what?
“Deflection.”
Ban muttered in a hoarse voice. The condition for 5-Star: concept.
Imbuing a sword with a ‘concept’ meant creating one’s own law. Like Yucheong from the mining city—they said his punches couldn’t be blocked by anything.
So what was the law of Ban’s Deflection?
It was exactly as the name implied.
Deflecting what was meant to be deflected.
Only then did Munet realize that the trajectory of Ban’s huando broadsword when it flicked the needle still lingered in the air. And the vortex enveloping that trajectory was writhing toward her rapier.
‘He calculated this in that split second?’
She poured in more power. To avoid getting caught in the vortex. To not retreat. But the vortex gaped open like a living serpent and bit down on her rapier……
The next instant, Ban’s huando broadsword was hovering over Munet’s throat.
“Looks like I win.”
Ban curled his lips into a smirk.
Munet glared at him with blazing eyes. She bit her lip as if refusing to accept it, then turned to Erok with a fearful look. Erok shook his head with a weary expression.
“Can’t rein her in.”
“Sir, I……”
“Enough. This bald kid seems to have some real skill. That’s something we should welcome. Help is help, as long as we’re not giving it with false expectations.”
“I’m not sure about false expectations, but I’d at least like to protect the village folks. My master’s there, after all. The village has been rowdy lately, and I’m a bit worried. Nearly had a big incident this time.”
“……Have you experienced the Night?”
Ban tilted his head at the question. It couldn’t just mean the everyday darkness……
“If you mean the Seeds of the Night, then yeah, I owe the Northern Region a bit. Saw wraiths, demon ghosts too.”
“That makes things quicker. What’s chasing me is vampires.”
“……Vampires?”
Ban looked baffled. He knew what vampires were. Unlike demon ghosts or wraiths, though, they were treated as mere myths. Partly because of the superstition that lighthouse light couldn’t stop them, but mainly since they’d been wiped out centuries ago.
Erok gave a strange smile.
“My rumors have spread through Shionel Village for decades. So why do I look young?”
“Word Command……wasn’t it?”
“Not impossible. But no. My Word Command isn’t strong enough to defy nature’s laws forever.”
Erok gazed at the sky. A crescent moon smiled down at him like a mischievous grin.
“I stole eternal life from them.”
He murmured quietly.
“And they won’t stop until they get it back.”
Ban still couldn’t grasp the full picture. He’d stolen eternal life from vampires and was being pursued by them. But if so, why not hide in the royal palace? As royalty, he could request protection anytime.
And if he’d stolen their eternal life, did that make him a kind of Seed of the Night now? Though Kisin wasn’t reacting……
‘……No clue.’
Ban stopped his complicating thoughts. What mattered were two things: the village needed Erok’s protection, and Erok needed Ban’s help.
“How can I assist?”
“……A warning first. Vampires aren’t pushovers. I see you’re strong, but there’ll come a moment when that strength feels powerless. Regret it then, and it’ll be too late.”
“As a swordsman, how can I stick only to safe bridges? Sometimes you cross stepping stones, leap cliffs too.”
Ban smiled.
“But if the workload’s more than expected, I might charge extra. How’s your wallet?”
“……You cheeky brat. You heard I’m older than your great-great-grandpa.”
“You look young. And I wouldn’t know the etiquette for a great-great-grandpa anyway.”
“End times. These are the end times……”
Erok muttered in a deeply melancholic tone, but he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips. Ban’s attitude wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“Fine. If you can truly resolve my long-standing worry, I’ll tell you what you need most.”
“Talking like you know what I need, sir.”
“……I’ve seen plenty like you, lugging around all sorts of weapons—especially ones heavy with use.”
Erok’s eyes had already pierced that Ban’s swords were no ordinary items. Within his ‘domain,’ few things could fool his perception.
“They favored weapons laden with memories. Especially those from capable people. Sometimes not even weapons—statues collectors, or weirdos hunting trunks possessed by goblins.”
“……I see.”
“In your case, it’s swords. Child of Seonwoo.”
Munet whipped around in shock, not Ban. He didn’t deny it, just crossed his arms and stared silently. Erok chuckled as if he couldn’t hold back his amusement.
“But do you know? Most Seonwoo folk leave a ‘book’ recording their life’s history before death.”
“I’ve heard.”
“And with that book, they leave their ‘goblin’.”
Swords, in your case. Accumulated over centuries.
As Erok said it, Ban’s eyes burned with an unprecedented hunger. Seonwoo traditions weren’t his concern, but that ‘sword’ was impossible to ignore.
Erok’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Would a clue to that goblin make a good reward?”