Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Light of the Sword
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Yong-un's skill search, sparked by Jin-cheol's simple question, had finally come to an end.
What began as mere curiosity nearly turned into an all-consuming obsession with these so-called skills.
Yet once Yong-un learned of a skill he himself hadn't known existed, the satisfaction he expected gave way to a lingering frustration.
Flutter.
In Yong-un's hand fluttered the last two sheets of paper printed out by the GHO staffer.
On the first sheet was a skill he could at least somewhat recognize. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [?? - ? Rank] • Martial art created by the Heavenly Brain Master. No one in the entire martial world besides Sword Demon Lee Yong-un has ever mastered it. • Requires "Ultimate Meaning"—the final gateway to mastering the Absolute Strike.
It had been nameless from the moment he first found it.
Of course, he'd mastered the entire manual, but he still hadn't settled on a proper name for it.
It would have been nice if the system had provided one, but how could a mere machine name something when even its owner couldn't?
"Truly wondrous."
Yet the machine stirred a sense of wonder in Yong-un.
The final line revealed something even the manual's owner—Yong-un himself—didn't know.
'Absolute Strike...'
The unexpected word brought a smile to Yong-un's lips.
He had undoubtedly absorbed and mastered everything within the manual.
And now, with the Demon-Slaying Sword in his possession, he could flawlessly execute even the fifth and final form detailed in it.
From that fifth form, he'd even unlocked the ability to wield the purple energy known as Geuk-ui.
Yet the manual held a separate Absolute Strike?
"Intriguing."
The full contents of the manual resided perfectly in Yong-un's mind.
He had memorized it so thoroughly that he could transcribe it perfectly with his eyes closed.
Yet nowhere in that mental copy was there any mention of an Absolute Strike.
The manual's very end culminated in the fifth form, so he'd simply assumed that was the pinnacle.
"Fascinating."
He didn't blindly trust the peculiar machine completely.
But dismissing it outright was impossible—the skills it had listed as his were all genuine martial arts he had mastered and could wield, listed with near-perfect accuracy.
'Can't ignore it entirely.'
The machine's precision instilled hope in Yong-un about this Absolute Strike.
Before he was a warrior, Yong-un was a demon.
A demon who would seize any path to power.
For such a being, the word "Absolute Strike" reignited the heart that had grown numb to thoughts of strength.
'Time to get back to real training after all these years.'
The word "training"—ever thrilling no matter how often he heard it—drew a broad smile across Yong-un's face.
He flipped to the second sheet.
"But what the hell is this?"
Unlike the first, this skill was utterly baffling. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ma? Challenge? - ? Rank] • Ma? Sha? ? saw this ? before ?. • Upon Challenge? success, activates as Ma? technique ??. • Can designate and ? weaker ?? than yourself as ?. Key parts were drowned in question marks, leaving barely any clues. Even the legible fragments only deepened the mystery.
"Challenge what? Designate and do what to something weaker than me?"
His smile vanished, replaced by furrowed brows.
Just looking at it built up stress.
Without hesitation, Yong-un set the second sheet down.
Snap.
He flicked his finger, and the paper on the desk burst into flames.
Whoosh.
Flames roared up, reducing the sheet to scattering ashes.
"Just pretend it never existed."
Once it was completely incinerated, only black soot remained on the desk as evidence of its destruction.
A massive hand, like a pot lid, swept across the scorched surface.
"Too bad. Can't ask for another even if I wanted to."
The voice of the hand's owner followed, turning Yong-un's tone icy.
"The staffer's gone. Why are you still hanging around?"
Yong-un shot him a glare he'd been ignoring.
"War God."
His sharp voice made the War God awkwardly scratch the back of his head.
The GHO staffer had left long ago.
Yet the War God, who had arrived on the same flight, hadn't joined him. He'd stayed behind, being a massive nuisance.
"I told you. I'm sticking around for a while. And..."
Smirk.
"I'm here to challenge you."
The awkwardness vanished from the War God's face, replaced by a thick grin.
No trace of embarrassment now. Instead, his battle lust surged, urging Yong-un to fight right then and there.
"Ahem..."
And caught in the middle, feeling like a total outsider.
Jin-cheol cleared his throat awkwardly, defusing the powder-keg tension.
Yong-un glanced at him.
"And why haven't you left yet?"
The skills were revealed, Jin-cheol's curiosity sated.
He should have a mountain of work waiting.
So why was he still parked here?
As Yong-un's expression soured, Jin-cheol shot a quick glance at the War God.
Did he have something to say?
"Don't sneak glances. Spit it out."
"I-Is that really okay?"
Jin-cheol's eyes and mouth faced Yong-un, but his gaze kept flicking to the War God.
What could make him hesitate like this?
Finally, Yong-un scowled fiercely.
"Won't say it twice. Whatever's on your mind—out with it."
The command dropped.
Jin-cheol squeezed his eyes shut, unable to dodge any longer, and shouted.
"The Mercenary King! Do you know of the Mercenary King?"
His voice boomed.
Yong-un tilted his head blankly, unfamiliar with the name.
But the War God's aura shifted subtly—the one Jin-cheol had kept glancing at.
= = =
Hunters had ranks.
From F-Rank, barely stronger than civilians,
to S-Rank, wielding superhuman strength and skills beyond mortal limits.
Most hunters saw S-Rank as the pinnacle.
But there was a rank above S: Royal Class.
Humanity's hope, known as the Six Lights.
If hunters transcended humanity, Royal Class transcended even hunters.
Light of Warmth.
Light of Cold.
Light of Earth.
Light of Sea.
Light of Birth.
Light of Death.
"Among the Six Lights, Light of Earth—that's what they call the Mercenary King."
Yong-un pondered Jin-cheol's words.
Beings who transcended the realm of hunters, who were themselves warriors...
Jin-cheol's tone revealed how the world—hunters and civilians alike—revered Royal Class as sacred.
Existences above hunters.
'Makes sense. Even in S-Rank rankings, they picked the War God as top hunter but never mentioned Royal Class.'
That alone suggested Jin-cheol wasn't wrong.
The Six Lights reigning above S-Rank hunters.
Smirk.
"Fascinating."
A grin crept unbidden onto his face.
Such mighty beings existed in this world.
How could he not rejoice?
Before he was a demon, Yong-un was a warrior.
He craved strength, yearned to challenge those stronger than him.
And now, such a foe had appeared.
A powerhouse the whole world adored and acknowledged.
"War God."
Yong-un called out, voice brimming with joy at this new path upward.
The War God scowled deeply.
"What do you want?"
"Of everyone I've met, you're the most like a true warrior."
"Warrior? What's that? Sounds like some term Chinese hunters would use."
"Those filled with battle lust, eager to fight the strong—even to the death. That's what we call warriors."
"......"
Understanding dawned, and the War God ground his teeth.
"Have you ever fought the Mercenary King?"
Jin-cheol shuddered at the question.
The War God flushed with rising irritation, clenching his fist.
He had fought.
Not just anyone—the Mercenary King, one of the Six Lights, a Royal Class monster.
"Don't you already know?"
Was it that famous?
Yong-un looked to Jin-cheol.
But Jin-cheol shook his head darkly and pointed at the War God.
"Hear it from him directly?"
"Yes. With the man himself here, it'd be rude to recount his tales secondhand. My apologies."
Fair point.
Yong-un turned to the War God.
"Tell me yourself. The Mercenary King... the Royal Class. Was he strong?"
He deliberately chose words to prod the War God's battle lust.
And it was the perfect choice.
"Strong as hell. Why else would I have challenged him?"
Just the word he wanted.
Smiling, Yong-un placed a hand on the War God's shoulder.
Then voiced his real curiosity.
"How do I stack up?"
Jin-cheol and the War God stared at him in unison.
For a moment.
Then the War God curled his lips slyly.
"At the level you showed last time? Pretty damn close."
Close?
"Close to what?"
The War God's grin split wide.
"Close to Royal Class. Meaning you're still weaker than one."
The War God's amused tone made the Demon-Slaying Sword at Yong-un's waist rattle faintly.
As if protesting: My master's the strongest in the world—what nonsense is this?
But far from offended, Yong-un's smile broadened.
"You want to test me?"
"Show me what you're hiding? Proof you're stronger than Royal Class?"
Swish.
Yong-un and the War God rose from their seats.
As if by silent agreement, they slammed their foreheads together.
Just like their first meeting.
Thud!
"I'll show you."
= = =
The nameless manual that birthed the Sword Demon, Yong-un.
Its creator, the Heavenly Brain Master, was no demon.
Yet all of Yong-un's energy stemmed from "ma"—demonic essence.
Why?
'Simple...'
Because demonic power reigned supreme over all energies.
And this was what the nameless manual, born of demonic essence, truly sought to create.
Shhh.
Geuk-ui, the purple energy unknown to the Central Plains.
It held supremacy even over demonic power—the pinnacle of all energies.
In other words, Geuk-ui's superiority over any energy was an immutable truth.
"Is that... all you've got?"
Dust-caked and seated, the War God's face twisted in shock.
Plip. Plip.
Stone dust rained around him.
The Demon-Slaying Sword—his brush—had just dotted the final stroke on the canvas of empty air.
Shing.
As it slid back into its sheath, the Geuk-ui energy dissipated.
"Guess I'm not quite there yet."
Yong-un turned away, expressing genuine regret at the War God's words.
Not enough for those Royal Class types, it seemed.
But while regret tinged his thoughts, a smile played on Yong-un's lips.
Joy at a path upward. Iron will to reach its end.
And anticipation drawing his steps outward.
Before fully leaving, he fixed the War God with a steady gaze.
"Since I haven't reached the end of my path, I can't say this is everything."
There was still more.
The Absolute Strike of the nameless manual.
"Once I master it, challenge me again."
The new realm of swordsmanship even Yong-un hadn't touched.
Thud.
The door closed behind him, leaving the War God alone in the training hall.
"Damn bastard, that's not what I meant..."
The War God, still dazed with shock, slowly lifted his head.
Crackle.
Amid the stone dust falling like rain,
his eyes fell on the sword scars Yong-un had carved.
Across an entire wall of the massive 200-pyeong training hall—deep, massive gashes where the War God sat.
"Royal Class..."
A smile crept onto the War God's lips as he stared.
No—ecstasy lit his face, a man's pure joy.
Then he scoffed.
"Heh, won't be long before the Six Lights change."
His gaze turned to the firmly shut door.
"Knew you were different from the start..."
He pushed up from his seat with quivering legs.
Shudder.
Legs that had held like mountains now trembled endlessly.
His voice, thrilled and shocking, echoed through the empty hall.
"Listen to the end next time, Seventh Light."
What did that mean?
Words that would make any listener doubt their ears rang out once more.
"Light of the Sword."