The Black Great Saber
The Black Great Saber, Paeng Do-jin.
Age: twenty-four.
A warrior of the Paeng Clan, possessing a solid, towering frame well over seven feet tall.
One of the Seven Great Talents, commonly known as "The Future of the Paeng Clan."
Or, the Heavenly Martial Body.
The owner of a god-given physique.
That was how the world evaluated the current Paeng Do-jin.
A body born solely to be a martial artist.
An overwhelming physical capability, paired with the Paeng Clan's exclusive divine arts built upon it.
Anyone who witnessed the Paeng Clan's saber techniques unleashed from the hands of the Black Great Saber believed, without a single exception, that Paeng Do-jin would one day surpass the Saber God.
The Heavenly Martial Body, huh?
I had only heard rumors and never truly understood what it felt like.
...But he really is something else.
Now that I was facing the Black Great Saber in person, I could see it. With a body like that, what couldn't he do?
He's solid.
The immediate impression he gave off was one of sheer mass and absolute density.
If I thrust a sword at him, would it even pierce?
He looked like a boulder shaped into a human form.
Hmm.
I quietly observed him before shifting my gaze to Dang Cheon-il, who was collapsed on the ground.
He seemed to have passed out, his eyes rolled back so only the whites showed. He was already scary-looking, but seeing him like this made him look downright grotesque.
Setting that aside...
...In a single blow?
He was still one of the Seven Great Talents.
Dang Cheon-il was hailed as the second coming of the Poison Sovereign within the Dang Clan, carrying all their expectations.
Yet, it took only one strike.
Even though Dang Cheon-il had lunged forward using his clan's secret martial arts, he had been laid low by a single punch from the Black Great Saber.
...Well, damn.
I was speechless.
I hadn't realized there could be such a vast difference in strength even among the Seven Great Talents.
And the real problem was...
Why is he looking for me?
My name had come out of his mouth.
The Young Sword Saint, Bang Seong-yeon.
A title I wasn't used to yet, and a name I didn't particularly like.
The moment I heard it, I scowled deeply.
He definitely has business with me.
It seemed that was the very reason he had boldly blocked our carriage.
But why?
I couldn't fathom it. Why on earth was the Black Great Saber looking for me?
I had no idea.
Tsk.
Regardless of the reason, I had to move. If he was going to act like this, I would eventually have to step out.
Just as I was about to stand up with that thought in mind—
"Stay here," Do-hyeong said, pressing down on my shoulder.
"We don't know his intentions. Wait for now."
With those words, Do-hyeong stepped out of the carriage.
"...Ugh, I really don't want to get involved with that guy. Tsk," Cheon Hye-in muttered in annoyance, following Do-hyeong outside.
Thus, only Cheon Ui-jin and I were left inside the carriage.
"Oh?"
The Black Great Saber's voice immediately drifted in from outside.
I focused my attention on their conversation.
Paeng Do-jin's eyes gleamed as he watched the people step out of the carriage.
He observed them with interest. The first to descend was a young man around his own age.
Is that him?
It was highly possible. He could tell the moment he saw him.
He's strong.
He was strong. Unlike the idiot from the Dang Clan who had rushed him earlier, this guy was the real deal.
He was certain of it.
Paeng Do-jin had always possessed incredible intuition.
Whether it was thanks to the extraordinary physical vessel of his Heavenly Martial Body, or simply because his primal instincts were exceptionally sharp, his gut feelings transcended common sense.
Whenever he felt something would happen, it almost always did.
To put his intuition into perspective: he had waited on this road for three straight days solely on the hunch that he would run into them here.
And look at that. They had actually appeared.
My instincts are never wrong, he reminded himself as he stared at his opponent.
A handsome man with sharp, defined features.
Was this guy Bang Seong-yeon? Just as Paeng Do-jin tilted his head to study him, another person stepped down from the carriage.
His eyes widened at the sight of her.
"Hahaha! Look who it is!" Paeng Do-jin burst into a loud laugh. It was a familiar face.
"Moon Dance Beauty!"
The Moon Dance Beauty, Cheon Hye-in.
Unlike the idiot from the Dang Clan, she was the real thing. He laughed, delighted to see someone who, like himself, stood far above the mediocre rabble.
Seeing him, Cheon Hye-in scowled.
"...Black Great Saber. What are you doing here?"
"I knew it! I knew you'd come! When I heard Cheongwol Gate was participating in the Yongbong Association, I knew you had to show up!"
"I asked you what your reason was."
"I can finally fight you. My heart is pounding just thinking about it."
"...No, listen to what I'm—*sigh*."
Cheon Hye-in cut herself off, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"As expected, it's impossible to hold a conversation with you."
"Huh? We're talking just fine right now, aren't we?"
"I'm sorry, but this doesn't count as a conversation."
"Then what does? Should we speak with our blades? That's even better!"
Creak.
Paeng Do-jin drew his saber as he spoke. It was a black weapon of massive proportions.
Watching this, Cheon Hye-in murmured softly, "The Black Iron Saber... You received that?"
"Yeah. My father gave it to me as a gift for my birthday."
"So the Clan Leader of the Paeng Clan has finally chosen you as his successor."
The Black Iron Saber was the cherished weapon of the previous Clan Leader, the Saber God.
Even before him, it was a weapon passed down through generations of Paeng Clan Leaders.
The fact that Paeng Do-jin now held it carried a single, clear meaning.
Paeng Do-jin was the next Clan Leader of the Paeng Clan.
It was a blatant declaration of his status.
Hummmm.
A heavy pressure began to radiate from Paeng Do-jin. It was a wild, savage aura fitting for the massive frame gripping the saber.
Just as he was about to direct that creeping pressure toward the carriage—
Slash!
With a flash of light, Paeng Do-jin's aura was cleanly severed.
"Oh?" Paeng Do-jin's eyes widened with renewed interest.
"We are disciples of the great Cheongwol Gate," a deep, firm voice declared.
"We are traveling to the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance on official business, strictly adhering to the righteous path. By obstructing us, should we assume you intend to make enemies of both the Martial Alliance and Cheongwol Gate?"
A sharp sword qi began to spread through the air.
It sent a tingling sensation across the skin. Sensing this, the corners of Paeng Do-jin's mouth curled up aggressively.
"Your words sound like a scholar's, but your aura is violent. I like it."
Whoosh.
His saber cut through the air. With a heavy gust of wind, the tip of his blade pointed directly at the young man.
"And what if I say I am your enemy?"
"..."
A brief silence fell over the road.
Then, the young man's blue eyes flashed.
"I will cut you down."
The sword blade, which had been at a distance, instantly lunged toward Paeng Do-jin.
Paeng Do-jin's dark eyes flashed with excitement.
"A fine answer!"
The Black Iron Saber painted a stroke of ink in the air.
Boom!
Sword and saber clashed violently in midair.
Blue energy and black energy collided, generating a massive shockwave.
Rumble!
A deafening roar erupted from the atmospheric pressure, and the two combatants leaped back to create distance after the initial clash.
The blue-eyed youth, Do-hyeong, spun his sword once and fell into a stance.
He was preparing to execute a proper sword form.
"You," Paeng Do-jin said, his grin never fading.
"You're strong. I like you."
The sheer intensity of the curiosity and battle lust swirling in his eyes was almost toxic.
"What's your name?"
"..."
Do-hyeong frowned at the question.
He glanced back at the Cheongwol Gate carriage, then spoke.
"I am Bang Seong-yeon."
He gave his junior's name.
Hearing that, Paeng Do-jin laughed even louder.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Was he glad to have found the person he was looking for? Just as Do-hyeong narrowed his eyes at the reaction—
"You're a terrible liar," Paeng Do-jin said, his expression suddenly turning deadpan.
"...!"
"You are not the Young Sword Saint."
It was another absolute conviction.
There was not a shred of doubt in Paeng Do-jin's voice or eyes.
"Am I right?"
Faced with such unwavering certainty, Do-hyeong was left speechless.
"I like you, but you're not the one I'm looking for. Come out. You're inside, aren't you?"
Paeng Do-jin's gaze shifted toward the carriage.
Despite his call, the carriage remained silent.
Seeing this, Paeng Do-jin channeled his strength back into his saber.
"If you won't come out, that's fine too. I'll just force you out."
Crack.
The ground beneath Paeng Do-jin's feet fractured like a spiderweb.
Do-hyeong tightened his grip on his sword once more.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to get involved with him."
Along with a seductive voice, a flash of light erupted right before his eyes.
But even before the light burst, Paeng Do-jin's arm was already in motion.
He raised his saber to his left to block.
Clang! A sword struck hard against the Black Iron Saber.
"Moon Dance Beauty!"
Paeng Do-jin's feet slid back from the impact.
It was a terrifying display of power coming from such a delicate-looking body.
"Honestly, you're as brainless as ever."
"Hahaha! Do you plan to fight me too? Fine by me!"
"*Sigh*..."
Cheon Hye-in loosely lowered her sword.
"I have no desire to do anything troublesome, but I do have a position to maintain."
"A position? What, do you have to protect the Young Sword Saint?"
Paeng Do-jin sneered as he spoke.
"They say he's so incredible, yet he's just hiding inside under protection. That's a bit disappointing."
"Protection?"
Cheon Hye-in tilted her head at Paeng Do-jin's words.
The playful smile she usually wore had completely vanished.
"Don't misunderstand. Do you really think I'm protecting him?"
"Are you saying you aren't?"
"Of course not."
Cheon Hye-in swept her hair back and looked at Paeng Do-jin.
"He isn't someone I can choose to protect or not. How could the weak protect the strong?"
"...Huh?"
Paeng Do-jin's eyes widened at Cheon Hye-in's words.
The weak?
Well, look at this.
His heart began to thump rapidly.
Cheon Hye-in was one of the very few young geniuses Paeng Do-jin actually respected.
She was someone he considered a worthy rival.
She was arrogant, but she possessed the skill to back up that arrogance with absolute confidence.
And yet, the Moon Dance Beauty is saying this?
She called herself the weak one and labeled the Young Sword Saint as the strong one.
Thump!
Paeng Do-jin's heart hammered against his chest.
How could that be possible?
"Intriguing. Now I absolutely have to see him."
He couldn't stand not knowing.
He had to see him, no matter what.
Fwooooosh!
Saber qi began to wrap around the Black Iron Saber.
"...Tsk."
"..."
Seeing this, Cheon Hye-in and Do-hyeong braced themselves simultaneously.
Paeng Do-jin was going to charge. There was no doubt about it.
They began to raise their energy, preparing for the clash.
Click.
The sound of the carriage door opening echoed.
Paeng Do-jin's gaze naturally drifted toward it.
First, a foot stepping out of the carriage came into view.
Slowly.
Very slowly, the tip of the foot touched the ground.
And in that instant—
Fwooooooooosh!
"...!"
Paeng Do-jin's entire body froze solid.
"Uh...?"
A single, hollow sound escaped his lips.
Paeng Do-jin's eyes trembled. Someone had stepped down.
It was a young man who still carried a trace of youthfulness.
At most, he looked barely past twenty.
His height was much shorter compared to the guy named Do-hyeong.
He had a relatively small build.
His physique was lean, with no prominent muscles to speak of.
He was strikingly handsome, but his utterly annoyed expression and sleepy eyes detracted from it.
His brow was furrowed with irritation, and a blue light glinted in his eyes.
He wore the uniform of the Sowol Squadron, proving he belonged to the elite force of Cheongwol Gate.
In a way, he didn't look like anyone particularly grand, but...
What is that...?
Paeng Do-jin found himself completely paralyzed just looking at the youth.
What on earth is that thing?
Tremble, tremble.
The arm holding his saber shook uncontrollably.
What was this creature that had just stepped out of the carriage?
Is it even human?
He looked human, but he was not.
Paeng Do-jin could feel it.
An ancient, distant presence looming behind the young man.
It felt as if a colossal shadow had flooded out, swallowing the entire mountainside behind them.
"*Sigh*."
A sigh echoed.
It was clearly a soft, quiet sound, yet it resonated in Paeng Do-jin's ears like a tolling bell.
"...What in the world is... Hm?"
The young man stopped mid-sentence and squinted at Paeng Do-jin.
As he did, the massive shadow behind him moved in unison.
It grew.
...It's growing. It's getting bigger and bigger.
The shadow expanded until it seemed to touch the heavens.
Having grown to such a colossal scale, the presence looked down on Paeng Do-jin from far above.
"What is this?"
[What is this?]
"You."
[You brat.]
"...Can you see this?"
[Can you see it?]
The shadow with blue eyes smiled.
At the overwhelming presence pouring down on him, Paeng Do-jin's face turned completely pale.