Chapter 235
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Accelerated Training
After Patriarch Muho's booming laughter echoed through the Wudang Sect's mountain gate, littered with the corpses of monsters, events unfolded with remarkable speed.
“Young Master Goon's plan has my full support. Whatever you need, just say the word.”
Patriarch Muho had thrown his full backing behind our group—more precisely, behind me—in the most enthusiastic way possible.
The way he'd burst into guffaws right after the battle ended made it clear he was deeply impressed that I'd smashed those monsters to pieces.
And so began our preparations for the battle against the horde of monsters.
The very first thing we did was,
-Splat! Splat!
dig holes in the ground.
It wasn't just our group, either. Everyone from the Wudang Sect—regardless of whether they were of the first, second, or third generation—was mobilized, digging holes at regular intervals around the outskirts of the sect's main hall.
Once the holes were dug, we placed the stones handed out by Miss Ye So-ha inside and buried them under soil.
“So, what exactly does this do?”
“To activate a large-scale spell, we need to prepare in advance. It's similar to attaching talismans.”
I stared anew at the stone in my hand upon hearing Cheong's reply as she buried stones in the ground beside me, just like I was.
It looked like nothing more than a colorful rock on the surface, but to think it served as a talisman.
“…Amazing.”
“We need to hurry. More monsters might attack at any moment.”
At that moment, a cold voice reached my ear.
I flinched and glanced back at Hwaryeon.
She didn't even turn her head toward me, completely focused on burying the stones.
But the chill radiating faintly from her entire body made it clear she was thoroughly pissed.
“…This is about me, right?”
“You're asking the obvious. If it were me, I'd have slapped you.”
A sigh escaped me at Cheong's firm response.
During the second attack, Hwaryeon had gone pale and screamed my name when I leaped into the midst of the monsters.
When I'd gone to check on her afterward, concerned, her response had been,
-It was an unavoidable situation. Don't worry about it.
The problem was that her icy tone told a completely different story.
As I resumed digging, I muttered excuses to Cheong that I couldn't dare say in front of Hwaryeon.
“No, it was a really urgent situation. Lives were on the line—what was I supposed to do? I can't exactly report every time before jumping into a monster horde.”
“That's not something you can just coldly rationalize. Not when it comes to feelings.”
Unable to refute her irrefutable point, I shut my mouth.
All I could do was ponder how to soothe Hwaryeon's heart.
“You don't need to do anything right now. Just give Lady Hwa some time.”
As if reading my mind, Cheong suddenly offered that advice.
“…What do you mean?”
“As Young Master Goon said, it was unavoidable. She's reacting that way now because the shock is still fresh, but she'll calm down and come around soon enough.”
“You think… so?”
“Yes. Besides, don't we have preparations to make for the decisive battle in just four days?”
She was right.
In a mere four days, we would wage war against the monster horde and destroy the sapling.
This very act of digging holes and burying stones was part of that preparation.
“Yeah. No time to worry about soothing Hwaryeon.”
Accepting Cheong's advice, I decided to put Hwaryeon's issue on hold for now. As soon as we finished burying the stones, I headed to Master Muyup's private training ground with Miss Ye So-ha and Daoist Hyunjin.
“Finally, finally, we're getting started!”
Master Muyup, who had been waiting there ahead of us, clenched his fist and shouted.
He hadn't said anything, but it was clear he'd been frustrated by how one thing after another kept delaying the Taiji Sword transmission.
I smirked at his eager expression, but Daoist Hyunjin piped up from the side with a question.
“But is it just us? I thought you planned to teach Taiji to all the Wudang disciples.”
I nodded at his words.
“That's the plan. But first, we need to make some preparations.”
“Preparations…?”
“Whatever it is, let's get started! What do we do first?”
Daoist Hyunjin, who naturally had no clue what I meant, and Master Muyup, who didn't care what it was.
Miss Ye So-ha stepped forward with a wry smile at the two of them.
“Please stay still for a moment.”
“Eh? Wh-what are you…?”
Master Muyup looked baffled as Miss Ye So-ha brought her index finger to his brow.
The moment a white light bloomed at her fingertip and pierced his brow, his body shuddered violently.
“Wh-what did you do? I feel weird…”
“I'll explain soon, so just wait a bit.”
Next, the white light pierced Daoist Hyunjin's brow, and then mine.
The sensation that hit as the light entered was, as Master Muyup said, utterly bizarre.
How should I describe it?
It felt like my body had split into multiples.
The strange foreign sensation throughout my body made my face scrunch up involuntarily.
When I shared that feeling with Miss Ye So-ha, she nodded in satisfaction.
“Good thing it connected properly.”
“So what the hell is this?”
Master Muyup couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
At his question, Miss Ye So-ha began her explanation.
“Young Master Goon succeeded in restoring the Taiji Sword faster than expected, but we only have four days.”
Four days.
An absurdly short time to learn a new technique.
To maximize efficiency in that brief window, Miss Ye So-ha had proposed 'sensory sharing.'
“Sensory sharing? What's that?”
“Exactly what it sounds like—using a spell to link all of your senses together.”
“Ah…! So that's why…”
Daoist Hyunjin let out a sigh, having fidgeted awkwardly due to the foreign sensation plaguing his body.
Master Muyup followed up with a barrage of questions.
“Sharing senses… Impressive, but how exactly does that help?”
“Hmm, it might be better to experience it directly than for me to explain.”
At Miss Ye So-ha's glance toward me, I immediately drew my sword from my belt.
“Daoist Hyunjin, shall we spar once more?”
“Huh? Oh, sure…”
Daoist Hyunjin, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his awkward fist, finally drew his sword and faced me.
“Here I come!”
With a strong shout, Daoist Hyunjin charged.
I met his sword swinging for my side with the Taiji Sword.
Slowly, softly, I deflected Daoist Hyunjin's ferocious strike,
“Oh…?”
A peculiar sensation brushed through my body.
It felt like the sword in my hand was twisting in an unintended direction.
Unmistakably, it was the sensation Daoist Hyunjin felt upon being countered by the Taiji Sword.
“This is…!”
“Urgh…!”
Daoist Hyunjin, standing unsteadily, let out a gasp of astonishment.
Even Master Muyup groaned softly.
Seeing our reactions, Miss Ye So-ha smiled faintly and asked,
“How was it?”
“…I clearly felt the sensation of my sword being deflected. It was as if I were sparring against myself.”
“Same here. I was just standing still, but it felt like my body split in two and fought… I have no idea what I'm even saying.”
After hearing Daoist Hyunjin and Master Muyup's impressions, Miss Ye So-ha turned to me expectantly.
A subtly triumphant smile.
An expression I'd normally avoid, but this time I couldn't help smiling back.
“This should make it possible.”
“Heh, I told you it would work.”
Last night,
Miss Ye So-ha had proposed sensory sharing for accelerated training as the way to master the Taiji Sword in the tight four-day window.
“By sharing senses, swinging the sword once gives the experience of ten or twenty swings.”
Right now, with just the three of us sharing, it was only triple the efficiency, but if we linked with all the other Wudang disciples later, that efficiency would skyrocket.
“Hm? But why start with just us three instead of everyone at once?”
Master Muyup, who had been listening to Miss Ye So-ha's explanation with wide-eyed surprise, voiced a sudden question.
“To avoid side effects, the limit is about fifty people max.”
The number of surviving Wudang disciples currently in the sect, including elders and the patriarch, was one hundred thirty-seven.
To transmit the Taiji Sword via sensory sharing to all of them, we needed to divide them into groups.
“Since we can't share senses with every Wudang disciple at once, first the two of you will master the Taiji Sword. Then, with Young Master Goon included, we'll form three groups centered around you three and continue training.”
Master Muyup and Daoist Hyunjin nodded at Miss Ye So-ha's explanation, unable to hide their admiration.
“To think there's a method like this. Truly astonishing.”
“When I first heard about it, I wondered how it would work, but this is incredible.”
Miss Ye So-ha's lips curved into a deep smile at their praise.
But the gloating lasted only a moment before she sobered and explained the precautions.
“As I told Young Master Goon last night, this sensory sharing can't be maintained for long. Keeping it up too long risks damaging your original senses after it ends.”
“Yes, I remember. Max two hours a day, right?”
“Even that's the upper limit. I'd recommend sticking to about one hour.”
One hour.
A time that felt endlessly short compared to usual. I immediately turned to Daoist Hyunjin and Master Muyup.
“We don't have much leeway. Let's start right away.”
The two nodded at my words.
Master Muyup drew his sword as well, and I once more traced circles with my blade against the pair charging at me.
*
“Haah…! Haah…!”
An hour and a half later.
After stubbornly pushing Miss Ye So-ha for an extra half hour beyond the limit and swinging our swords without rest, Daoist Hyunjin finally collapsed from exhaustion.
Since the sensory sharing transmitted even the exhaustion, Master Muyup and I—who still had some reserve—were struck with a bone-deep weariness.
“…This seems to be the limit. Let's call it here for today.”
Witnessing it, Miss Ye So-ha unilaterally severed the sensory sharing.
The foreign sensation in my body, which I'd finally grown accustomed to, vanished, leaving an inexplicable emptiness and awkwardness.
“…Definitely not something to overuse. My senses feel off.”
“That's because we cut the sharing abruptly. You'll be fine after some rest.”
Nodding slowly at Miss Ye So-ha's words, Master Muyup headed to the large water barrel in the corner of the training ground.
As I watched him scoop water with a ladle nearby and gulp it down, I extended a hand to Daoist Hyunjin, who lay sprawled on the training ground floor catching his breath.
“Are you all right?”
“Hoo… I have to be.”
Daoist Hyunjin grabbed my hand and arduously pulled himself up.
Even while lying down, he hadn't let go of his sword hilt. He readjusted his grip and slowly traced a circle.
It still felt choppy in places, but it was hard to believe he'd achieved this after just two hours of training.