Chapter 136: One Step Forward (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 136: One Step Forward (2)
A massive explosion rocked the area.
A storm of Aura erupted, tearing the illusory Butler to shreds.
At that moment—
Crack.
Shatter!
The sword shattered.
Since entrusting Blaze—his second forged sword—to Lucas, Roman had been practicing his swordsmanship with one of Dmitry’s famous blades. The weapon's quality wasn't bad. However, an ordinary sword simply couldn't withstand Roman’s power. Under the violent explosion of Aura, it shattered like glass.
It was an inevitable outcome.
Shards of steel tore into his palm, but as blood dripped down his hand, Roman couldn't help but chuckle.
‘This is truly enjoyable.’
His current life. At one point, he thought it would be an ordinary one.
He had hoped that retracing the steps of his past life might alleviate the boredom that had plagued his final years. The Heavenly Demon's twilight had been far too tedious. There hadn't been a single powerhouse in the world capable of threatening Baek Joong-hyuk. To a man who had spent his entire existence bound by the law of the jungle, a life of absolute safety held little appeal.
A deep yearning had always stirred within him.
He wanted to progress, to push his limits, but without a rival to test him, he had been forced to run in place.
And now, Roman had defeated Butler.
While that alone was cause for joy, the true reason behind his smile was how he had defeated him.
‘I believed the Heavenly Demon's path was perfect. And it likely was. The Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, which I created by building upon the knowledge of my predecessors, was undoubtedly the greatest martial art of its era. Yet, in this new world, I've embraced new methods, wielding the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique in an entirely different direction. This means that Roman Dmitry's Heavenly Demon Sword Technique still has room to grow.’
A thrill shot through him.
Just knowing there was still a path forward excited him.
This life was different from his last. Instead of merely retracing a journey that had already reached its peak, he could embrace new concepts and step into a world he had never experienced before. What a blissful feeling. The world had looked up to the life of the Heavenly Demon, Baek Joong-hyuk, but realizing there was no higher peak left to climb had only brought him an immense sense of emptiness.
The Salamander Continent.
Butler was only the beginning. He was merely a figure at the very bottom of the continental rankings. Masters who far surpassed him were scattered all across this land.
"Whew."
He took a deep breath.
Even though he hadn't eaten a single meal in a fortnight, the crisp air filling his lungs was enough to make him feel completely whole.
Standing alone, Roman looked up at the clear sky.
‘I hope this world holds endless variables unknown to me. Let strong foes like Butler constantly appear to test me. Let them threaten my life the moment I lower my guard. The more they do, the more meaning I will find in being alive. Just as the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique was forged into a perfect martial art through countless trials, the trials of this world will allow me to truly live as a human. In this life as Roman Dmitry—though I have fallen from the absolute peak back to the very bottom—I will claw my way to the summit once more.’
New powerhouses.
New concepts.
The sheer unpredictability of the future left him utterly thrilled.
He turned around. It was time to forge a sword again. Having reached a new realm, the blade he crafted this time had to be more perfect than ever before.
Just then—
Step, step, step!
"My Lord!"
"Are you alright?!"
People suddenly burst into the area. Led by Chris, Roman's subordinates arrived at the scene, their faces pale with urgency.
* * *
The moment they took in the surroundings, they knew instinctively: no one had attacked Roman. Rather, he was the sole cause of the devastation before them.
‘...How could this happen?’
Shock rooted them to the spot.
The area around the forge was completely in ruins. The landscape was utterly obliterated, looking as though an Archmage had unleashed high-circle magic.
This was impossible for a human. No matter how powerful an Aura Swordsman Roman Dmitry was to have defeated Butler, there was a rigid limit to the explosive power of Aura. Yet, what on earth was this sight? Though they had rushed over in a panic, his subordinates couldn't help but gulp as they scanned the sheer scale of the destruction.
"What is the matter?"
A dry voice cut through the silence.
Roman looked at his subordinates. His complexion was pale from his grueling training, but his eyes flickered with intense vitality.
Chris stepped forward. "We heard an explosion and rushed over. Did something happen, my Lord?"
"No, nothing happened."
"...Then I am glad. My Lord, we are your servants. We do not know what kind of training you are undergoing here, but if you ever need our assistance, please call upon us. We are always awaiting your command."
"I understand."
Roman turned his back to them. Since there was no actual emergency, he intended to send his subordinates away and resume his solitary training.
It was a hollow moment.
As Roman disappeared back into the forge, Chris slowly scanned the ruined landscape once more.
‘Does this mean he has taken yet another step forward?’
His heart pounded. A strange sense of suffocation gripped his chest.
Roman Dmitry.
Chris had started a new life after meeting him, growing stronger at a remarkable pace. Perhaps because of that rapid growth, he had recently grown quite confident in his skills. Even as he prepared for the upcoming tournament hosted by Roman, he hadn't felt the slightest worry about his potential opponents. No matter how strong they were, they wouldn't be stronger than Roman Dmitry. That certainty had given him the leisure to casually check on the progress of the other subordinates whenever he had spare time.
But looking at the devastation before his eyes, that complacency shattered.
He knew Roman was far ahead, existing in a realm beyond his reach, but this level of growth surpassed his wildest imagination.
‘Chris. What on earth have you been doing?’
A heavy wave of self-doubt washed over him.
When they first met, Chris had vowed to become stronger than Roman. As time passed, he realized how realistically impossible that goal was. Gradually, he had begun to settle into complacency rather than desperately trying to catch up.
It was a natural human instinct. When faced with an insurmountable wall, people tended to stop in awe rather than resolve to climb over it. Chris, too, was a weak human. Without even realizing it, he had stopped in his tracks, convincing himself that his current progress was enough.
‘My Lord is progressing faster than anyone I have ever seen. Defeating a 5-Star Swordsman in his mid-twenties is an unprecedented achievement in the history of the continent, yet he doesn't rest on his laurels. He continues to grow. For the past fortnight, while I was complacently strolling around checking on the others, my Lord was brutally pushing his body to its absolute limits to reach a new stage. What was I thinking, adopting such a lazy attitude? A man who has reached a height I wouldn't dare dream of catching up to still lives this fiercely every single day. Yet a mere nobody like me is already showing the pathetic attitude of settling for the present.’
Anger boiled within him.
Recalling Roman's gaunt appearance and realizing the grueling torment his Lord must have endured, Chris felt an indescribable sense of shame.
This was wrong.
The tournament hosted by Roman—even with his current skills, Chris knew he would win it. But beyond merely securing victory, Chris wanted to be a warrior who would never bring shame to Roman's name.
‘I cannot be satisfied with just winning. I must crush my opponents so overwhelmingly that no one will ever dare look down on my Lord. This tournament is only the beginning. I will strive endlessly until I can challenge him once again.’
"Let's go," he said, turning around.
From now on, he had no leisure to babysit anyone else. He would throw himself into his training with a desperate, life-or-death intensity, entirely focused on proving his worth right before Roman's eyes.
With fifteen days left until the tournament, Roman's subordinates, led by a newly awakened Chris, reached a turning point.
* * *
Exactly one month later, Roman completed the sword.
Fwoosh.
Flames flickered in the hearth.
Roman raised the weapon, letting the firelight dance across the polished blade.
‘Beautiful.’
For the past month, he hadn't taken his eyes off the sword for even a single second. Striking the metal without pause, he had achieved complete assimilation with the blade. What had started as a mere lump of steel had gradually transformed into the ideal shape he desired.
It was a sword perfectly suited to his current self. Though his physical condition was dreadful—having starved for an entire month—he wanted to test the weapon's power immediately.
He stepped outside.
Then, he summoned the illusory existences. The entities, artificially conjured by his heightened senses, took form. Unlike before, there were now three Butlers.
Step, step, step!
The three Butlers rushed at him simultaneously.
He used these phantoms as a yardstick for his own strength. They flared their Aura, perfectly coordinating their attacks to strike Roman from all sides.
Rumble!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The very atmosphere tore apart as layers of Aura stacked upon one another. An attack combining the strength of three 5-Star Swordsmen was more threatening than anything he had faced, yet Roman's eyes didn't waver in the slightest. If he were to encounter an enemy stronger than Butler, that being would wield power comparable to this. He had to overcome this level of force if he wanted to execute his future plans.
Step.
He took a single stride forward.
Staring straight ahead, he channeled the mana boiling in his Dantian straight into the blade.
‘Heavenly Demon Sword Technique - Middle Half Third Form.’
The sword of the Heavenly Demon.
The blade flashed in the darkness. Kicking up a violent gale, he slashed straight through the three Butlers, whose combined Aura had seemed ready to swallow the world.
Crash!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth shook.
Everything touched by his sword was instantly obliterated. The three Butlers were undoubtedly strong, but Roman's swordsmanship had reached a stage far beyond them.
Crumble.
The phantoms crumbled into dust, vanishing into the wind. Though they were merely illusory existences, Roman had reached the absolute certainty that he could destroy them.
‘Finally, the preparations are complete.’
He looked down at the sword. What would be a fitting name?
Salamander. Blaze.
If his previous swords represented his new life, he wanted this third sword to represent his current self.
‘I shall name you Darkness.’
The sword of the Heavenly Demon. An existence that would plunge his enemies into absolute despair.
Roman sheathed the blade. His Closed-Door Training was finally over.
* * *
When he returned to the estate, his subordinates were already waiting for him.
After lining the men up, Chris walked alongside Roman and reported on what had transpired.
"For the past month, exactly as you commanded, my Lord, we entered a state of infinite competition. We held recorded duels every three days. As a result, we have selected the six swordsmen with the highest win rates. Here is the list."
Chris handed over a parchment. Roman took it, his eyes scanning the familiar names.
[Chris, Kevin, Volkan, Puki, McBurney, Henderson.]
The first four were exactly who he expected. They had shown overwhelming growth, and in terms of raw skill, Roman had assumed they would unconditionally occupy the top ranks.
The last two, however, were a surprise. McBurney needed time to adapt due to his physical limitations, and Henderson, coming from a commoner background, had a starting point that severely lagged behind the others.
Yet, the results spoke for themselves.
Seeing McBurney and Henderson proudly listing their names among the top victors, Roman smiled silently.
Chris asked, "May we proceed with this roster?"
The final decision was Roman's. If he did not approve the list, regardless of the blood and sweat shed in their duels, the subordinates would accept his command without complaint. Their strength, their growth, their very lives—all of it had originated from Roman. If he concluded they didn't belong in the top six, they had absolutely no intention of questioning it. To them, Roman's word was absolute law. Even if he made a decision that defied all common sense, they possessed the blind faith to follow it.
"We will proceed with this," Roman said. "However—"
He looked out at his subordinates. Seeing their fiercely resolute expressions, he gave them the one reason why they absolutely had to win.
"This is a tournament held in my name. I do not believe there is such a thing as a beautiful defeat in this world. Prove to the people that you are existences worthy of bearing my name."
"We obey your command!"
Their unified shout carried a heavy weight. It was a desperate, life-or-death resolve. These men, who had once lacked the bearing of true warriors, had finally transformed into a genuinely respectable force.
"I will be expecting great things."
At those words, his subordinates silently staked their lives. Though they didn't yet know what kind of opponents they would face, they completely erased the very concept of defeat from their minds.
And so, the tournament drew near.