Chapter 296: A First Step to Go Down in History (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 296: A First Step to Go Down in History (2)
In the hall Roman Dmitry had just vacated, Viscount Conrad muttered with a dazed expression.
"...To lay the foundation for a new future by revealing it."
It was absurd.
The foundational theory alone was enough to spark a revolution, yet Roman Dmitry didn't hesitate to give away what he held in his hands. It wasn't for some grandiose cause like the advancement of humanity. He simply held the firm conviction that revealing this knowledge would actually make his own position even more unassailable.
It was baffling.
Roman Dmitry's confidence—his unbelievable arrogance—threw Viscount Conrad into utter confusion.
What if?
What would have happened if he had opposed Roman Dmitry back when the conflict between the Northeast Association and Dmitry was at its peak? Viscount Conrad was certain he wouldn't have survived. He had only been spared because Roman Dmitry wanted the forces of the 'Dmitry Duchy' intact. Had he raised even the slightest rebellion, he would have been utterly crushed.
Goosebumps erupted across his skin. Realizing that Roman was an existence far beyond what any fringe lord could handle, Viscount Conrad couldn't bring himself to say another word.
It was then that Viscount Lawrence spoke up.
"...From now on, we must accept reality. The master we serve is not someone who can be contained within a small patch of land in the northeast."
He looked back on his memories of Roman Dmitry.
When they had first met, right after Roman had wiped out Blood Fang, he had confidently declared that his actions were not wrong. Even back then, Viscount Lawrence had faintly sensed it. Roman Dmitry was not 'The Fool of Dmitry' as people claimed, but an existence whose mindset was already absolute. He hadn't recognized it as the qualities of an Overlord back then, but now he knew exactly what kind of being Roman Dmitry was.
"Our liege said he would announce a method of utilizing Aura through the 'Dantian' at the swordsmanship presentation. It will undoubtedly cause an uproar. A swordsmanship revolution will occur, and those who learn the method once exclusive to Dmitry will develop rapidly. But the resulting changes are not what we should worry about. No matter how strong they become, it is impossible for people who have barely mastered the basics to catch up to our lord. No, they won't even be able to catch up to Dmitry's soldiers, who receive our lord's direct teachings."
He spoke with absolute certainty.
Having followed Roman Dmitry, he had witnessed all of this firsthand.
Even if others grasped the concept of the Dantian, bridging the gap in their realms was practically impossible.
It was different from Alexander.
Alexander was merely the first pioneer; he was never recorded as the greatest swordsman. But Roman Dmitry had reached a realm that others could not even hope to touch. Those who received his teachings only felt a deeper awe as time went on. The deeper their knowledge grew, the more they realized that the heights Roman Dmitry had reached were something mere mortals dared not covet.
Therefore.
"We have become part of a historic moment. Future generations will record the day our lord redefined Aura, and just as it did with Alexander, the change brought about by our liege will bring prosperity to Dmitry. Keep this in mind, everyone. To survive as a member of Dmitry from now on, we too must possess capabilities worthy of being recorded in history."
It was a calmly delivered statement.
But just as he said, the nobles of Dmitry would inevitably be weeded out in this dog-eat-dog world if they remained at the level of a mere duchy.
* * *
A few days later, Dmitry was buzzing with excitement.
On the day of the swordsmanship presentation announced by Roman Dmitry, the estate was teeming with people who had flocked from far and wide.
Inside the Grand Auditorium, people took their seats.
Sitting in the very front row, the King of Umberto—once known as Marquis Drake—spoke.
"I cannot understand Lord Roman Dmitry's thinking at all. Redefining Aura... If he has developed a technique vastly superior to the existing system, why on earth would he invite even the Kronos Empire to present it? Frankly, I have doubts about his intentions."
It was a natural reaction.
When Aura was first invented, its emission was exclusive to the Kronos Empire.
Kronos had built an overwhelming power as a reward for being the first to seize it, and over time, information about Aura naturally spread across the entire continent. For any normal person, it would be standard to delay the leak of such technology for as long as possible. There was no reason to hold a swordsmanship presentation, especially while inviting hostile nations.
At the very back sat the guests from Kronos and Valhalla.
They had shown up for this presentation, even enduring the humiliation of not being given seats of honor.
Edwin Hector spoke.
"Normally, it is only natural to doubt the intent behind such a presentation. But if it is Lord Roman Dmitry... From what I have experienced of him, he might have simply classified this 'new system' that others rave about as information that is perfectly fine to share."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"When I first met Lord Roman Dmitry on the Southern Front, he never retreated. Under any circumstances, he overwhelmed Hector's soldiers head-on, and in the end, as you know, we had no choice but to admit defeat. That is the very essence of Lord Roman Dmitry. A being born with the qualities of an Overlord. If he usurps the reputation of Alexander, who was called the first pioneer, through this presentation, then from that moment on, Dmitry's heritage will no longer be 'a remote corner of Cairo,' but the land that produced the one who redefined the system of Aura."
The situation had changed.
Dmitry, a remote territory in the northeast.
A barren land clinging to the Endless Mountains.
The people of Dmitry, whom everyone used to look down upon, would now secure the title of the first pioneer, just like Alexander.
It meant they would establish a true legacy.
Dmitry would gain symbolic status through this alone.
"In fact, I find this situation terrifying. Because it means Lord Roman Dmitry judged that even if he shared information whose very existence everyone doubted, it wouldn't pose any threat to him. Just as Kronos once overwhelmed other nations with Aura, Dmitry might already hold that level of absolute superiority."
Everyone fell into silence.
Though they were allies, Dmitry's actions inspired awe.
It was then that the surrounding noise died down.
Finally, the time announced by Roman Dmitry had arrived.
* * *
Behind the stage, Roman Dmitry recalled a certain individual.
His name was Namgung Jincheon.
Considered the greatest talent in the history of the Namgung Clan, he had once come to Baek Joong-hyuk and cried out in a voice filled with despair.
"Why? Why did you make the martial arts of the Demonic Cult public?!"
The downfall of the Righteous Faction Murim.
Namgung Jincheon had witnessed that reality.
The sword of the Namgung Clan, which he had proudly believed to be the absolute best, had been broken by Baek Joong-hyuk. The sight of him that day was seared vividly into Namgung Jincheon's mind. It was from then on that Namgung Jincheon secretly practiced the martial arts released by the Demonic Cult. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. He wanted to understand the Demonic Cult perfectly, and at the same time, he thought that by learning the martial arts of the Demonic Cult—the foundation of the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk—he might achieve similar growth.
One year, two years.
Time flowed by.
By the time ten years had passed, Namgung Jincheon realized the truth.
'It is not that the martial arts of the Demonic Cult are extraordinary. It is simply that the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk was special.'
The more he learned about demonic arts, the deeper he fell into despair.
Even at the exact same realm, the martial arts Baek Joong-hyuk unleashed displayed an inexplicable level of destructive power. Throughout the history of the Demonic Cult, there had never been anyone like him. Just as there had been several past Heavenly Demons who reached the Earth Stage, yet Baek Joong-hyuk was the only one who truly conquered the Murim, Baek Joong-hyuk's power simply defied common sense.
And so, he realized.
Even he, who was hailed as the greatest talent of his generation, would never dare step into the realm Baek Joong-hyuk had reached, even if he trained for hundreds of years.
So he sought out Baek Joong-hyuk.
With a completely broken expression, he looked at Baek Joong-hyuk and screamed.
"You are not human. Even though I struggled for ten years to master the demonic arts, I couldn't even begin to reach your heels. Why? Why on earth did you make the martial arts of the Demonic Cult public? Did you want people like me to realize the gap between us and fall into despair?"
At those words, Baek Joong-hyuk looked down at him.
"Yes. That is exactly what I wanted."
"...!"
"The history of defeat is fleeting. Those who do not remember that day will forget what happened in the past and grow resentful toward the Heavenly Demon Cult. That is why I made the martial arts of the Demonic Cult public. I wanted people like you to study our martial arts and experience firsthand how great our achievements truly are. Only then will the fear engraved deep in your bones suppress you on its own, even without our control."
It was shocking.
Study, experience, and look up to us.
It was beyond arrogant; it was terrifying.
Yet, even after hearing those words, Namgung Jincheon could not deny the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk in the slightest.
He had to accept the miserable reality.
Now, after neglecting the martial arts of the Righteous Faction and investing ten years of his life, Baek Joong-hyuk looked even more terrifying to him than he had during the catastrophe of the past.
Baek Joong-hyuk had said,
"Remember that despair. I, Baek Joong-hyuk, will gladly offer my neck with a smile if someone stronger than me appears. But if you do not have the confidence to overcome that despair, then kneel, bow your head, and accept the fact that the Heavenly Demon Cult, and by extension, I, the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk, exist as the heavens of the Murim."
Baek Joong-hyuk's words were absolute.
From that day until his death, not a single rebellion was ever attempted in the Murim.
* * *
He stepped onto the stage.
All eyes focused on him.
In anticipation of what was about to unfold, the audience barely dared to breathe.
Finally, Roman Dmitry looked out at them and spoke.
"Alexander. His method was wrong."
It was a powerful opening.
Rather than suggesting that everyone had their own path, he made a definitive declaration, instantly captivating the audience.
"Alexander claimed that a powerful 'Aura' could be manifested through the explosive force of emitting mana. However, this is a highly inefficient method. The emission Alexander spoke of refers to an unorganized, indiscriminate release, and it is only natural that such indiscriminateness is inefficient. Then why on earth did none of you question Alexander's method? Because he was the first pioneer? Because it is a system everyone follows as if it were absolute truth? Whatever the reason, you all failed to notice a simple flaw."
Alexander.
Roman did not know his true identity.
However, if Alexander had been a martial artist of the Murim, he would never have developed martial arts solely around the keyword of 'emission.'
Therefore, he was foolish.
Insignificant and pathetic.
Roman openly expressed his disdain toward Alexander, who might be watching him from somewhere even now.
"In magic, there are circles. Mana is accumulated within a circle, refined, and then manifested as a spell. Aura and magic are no different. If magic is a way to emit power that transcends human limits using mana, why did you never think to store mana in a space like a 'circle' during the process of manifesting Aura? If Aura Swordsmen also secured a storage space for mana, they would not merely express Aura through simple emission, but could utilize their mana delicately depending on the situation."
He criticized.
He disparaged.
He looked down on Alexander, who had failed to recognize this truth despite having such an obvious and excellent example right in front of him in the form of magic circles.
"What you are about to witness today is not indiscriminate emission, but a method utilizing the Dantian—a storage space similar to a circle."
Whoosh.
Mana surged.
Aura rose from the sword Roman Dmitry held, but it was vastly different from the Aura commonly known to the world. Aura was meant to be an explosive force. Mana erupting like an active volcano presented a fierce display, even with just a 1-Star Aura. Yet, Roman Dmitry's mana was calm. It was so faint that it made one wonder if it was even the same energy.
They had heard the rumors about Dmitry's soldiers.
It was said they used a quiet Aura.
Even without boiling or raging, their Aura possessed the destructive power to cleave through any enemy standing in their way.
The eyes of the crowd trembled.
Roman Dmitry's Aura.
They had already known of its uniqueness, but having the system of Aura explained and demonstrated in person was a shocking sight that was hard to readily accept.
He took a step forward.
A block of solid steel had been prepared in advance as an obstacle.
Roman Dmitry lightly sliced through the steel without any explosive burst of power.
Slice.
Crash!
The steel was cleanly severed.
Faced with this clear proof of the Aura's destructive power, some people covered their mouths in shock. According to Alexander's teachings, destructive power could not exist without explosive force. Yet, as if proving his initial statement that Alexander's method was wrong, Roman Dmitry had sliced the steel like tofu right before their very eyes.
And then...
"Just as the method of emitting mana from a storage space is called magic, I collectively refer to the method of emitting mana from the Dantian as 'martial arts.' That is what I wish to present to you today."
Flash.
Rumble!
He swung his sword once more.
The power manifested according to this new system—the swordsmanship Roman Dmitry referred to as martial arts—shredded the steel into dozens of pieces.
At that moment, the audience was certain.
They were standing at the precipice of a historic moment, just as the world had been when Alexander was recorded in history for inventing Aura.