A Sinister Presence
Swoosh!
A sharp line was drawn through the air with a piercing screech.
The swift tip of a sword left a trail in its wake, scattering sparks in the process.
Clang!
"Urgh!"
With a harsh scraping sound, someone was pushed backward.
The young man's name was Mae Seon-woo. He was a scion of the Shaanxi Mae Clan, a rising star who carried high expectations within his family.
And yet...
"Your flank is wide open."
Against the man standing before him, Mae Seon-woo could not even put up a decent fight.
Mae Seon-woo's face contorted as he stared at the youth who was swinging his sword with a bright smile.
"Damn it...!"
He shouted in frustration.
"Why are you doing this?! You must have gathered all the stones by now!"
At Mae Seon-woo's words, his opponent, the Thunder Dragon Namgung Cheon, offered a sheepish grin.
"It can't be helped. Isn't this all part of making memories?"
"What absolute bullshit...!"
What utter nonsense. How could this possibly be a fond memory?
Mae Seon-woo was certain that the Thunder Dragon had already met the passing requirements.
It was only natural. There was no way one of the Seven Great Talents had failed to gather enough stones by now.
Yet, here he was.
"You've already got them all, and you're still trying to rob me?!"
Even in this situation, Namgung Cheon was picking fights and trying to steal more stones.
Mae Seon-woo could not accept such absurdity. Furthermore...
If it were just the Thunder Dragon, that would be one thing.
Dealing with one of the Seven Great Talents was already overwhelming, but the other person present was also a problem.
It was the figure leaning against a tree in the background, casually spectating the fight.
He had a somewhat small build for a male martial artist, but he possessed an incredibly handsome face and striking blue eyes.
Mae Seon-woo knew who he was. They had already exchanged greetings at the banquet.
The Young Sword Saint...!
He was the Young Sword Saint, the most famous figure of late.
He was said to be the successor of the Sword Saint Yoo Chun-gil, the former World's Greatest and hero of the Central Plains. Not only had he reached an astonishing realm at his age, but he had also achieved legendary feats against the unorthodox sects in Sichuan.
Word had it that his talent was so immense he could look down even on the illustrious Seven Great Talents.
Is that why...
Is that why he isn't even bothering to join the fight?
The Young Sword Saint had not budged an inch while the Thunder Dragon fought the two of them.
It was absurd enough that the Thunder Dragon could handle them alone, but...
Is he really just watching?
To think he was truly just spectating.
Damn it...
Did he deem them unworthy of his intervention? Mae Seon-woo felt his pride crumbling, but...
"I don't think you have time to look away."
"...!"
Before he could even process the thought, the Thunder Dragon's sword lunged forward.
Rumble!
With a low roll of thunder, the blade flashed.
By the time Mae Seon-woo opened his eyes, the Thunder Dragon's sword was resting against his throat.
"...Ha..."
Letting out a ragged breath, Mae Seon-woo spoke.
"...I lose."
"It was a good fight."
It was not a good fight.
It was an overwhelming toy-play, a complete mockery.
Both Mae Seon-woo and the Thunder Dragon knew this, but neither pointed it out.
That was just the kind of fight it was.
Mae Seon-woo finally reached into his robes, pulled out a white stone, and handed it to the Thunder Dragon.
Seeing this, the Thunder Dragon glanced briefly at Mae Seon-woo's chest pocket.
He caught a glimpse of two black stones inside.
"Hahaha. Thank you."
However, he did not bother to mention them.
"..."
"Well then, take good care of your companion, and I wish you the best of luck in passing."
At the Thunder Dragon's words, Mae Seon-woo looked back.
In the distance, he saw his companion, who had already been knocked unconscious by the Thunder Dragon.
"..."
To offer words of encouragement while robbing someone was utterly ridiculous, but Mae Seon-woo was in no position to complain.
"...Thank you."
That was the only response he could muster.
Once the fight was over, the Thunder Dragon walked back, spinning the newly acquired stone between his fingers.
"Hey, you could have helped a little instead of just watching."
I chuckled at his grumbling tone.
"You could easily handle them on your own anyway."
"Still, there's a certain joy in doing things together, isn't there?"
Joy, my foot.
You clearly didn't need any help.
He had done perfectly fine on his own.
Throughout the exam, the moment the Thunder Dragon spotted an enemy, he would immediately draw his sword and charge.
His speed was incredibly fast, to begin with.
And he's much more brutal than he looks.
The Thunder Dragon's swordsmanship was far more intense and lethal than I had anticipated.
If that kid with the title of 'Socheonggeom' who shared the same surname had a refined and calm style...
What is up with this guy?
The Thunder Dragon wielded a completely different kind of sword.
It was a bit absurd for me to evaluate the Namgung Clan's sword techniques, but that was how it looked to my eyes.
There's no hesitation, and he moves like a beast. Why?
He looked like a refined young noble, but his fighting style was that of a pure barbarian.
As if enjoying the act of swinging his sword, Namgung Cheon moved his blade while summoning thunder.
He was like thunder itself. Yes, that was the perfect description.
After all, thunder is never neat and tidy.
It was wild, chaotic, and unpredictable.
That was the kind of sword Namgung Cheon wielded.
He's strong.
He was truly strong.
Watching him for so long made it clear.
He was powerful enough to justify his reputation as one of the Seven Great Talents, completely incomparable to the other rising stars.
I did fight alongside him a few times.
But that was merely providing support.
He was having so much fun on his own that there was no room for me to step in.
Whether it was one opponent or two, he handled them all by himself. The most I did was keep watch or run interference.
Well, it made things easy for me.
And we got lucky with our opponents.
The only time we ran into another of the Seven Great Talents was at the very start of the second preliminary exam. We hadn't seen any since.
Thanks to that, my pockets were quite full.
Let's see what I've gathered...
Ten black stones and eight white stones.
It didn't seem like a lot considering we had fought until sunset.
Maybe it's because everyone was hiding so well.
Just finding other people in this vast mountain was a challenge in itself.
Still, at this rate...
The harvest wasn't bad. I was about to organize the stones I had collected when...
"But you know," the Thunder Dragon spoke to me.
"Yes?"
"The exam seems to be almost over. Don't you think?"
"Yeah. I suppose so."
I looked up at the sky. The sunset was fading completely.
At this rate, the second preliminary exam would be over soon.
I wonder how the others did.
I didn't care about Cheon Hye-in or Dongnyong, but if I had to worry about anyone, it was Cheon Ui-jin and Do-hyeong.
Since we hadn't crossed paths in the mountains, I trusted they had managed on their own.
Though I'm not really in a position to worry about them.
It was a relief I had teamed up with the Thunder Dragon. Otherwise, things might not have gone so smoothly for me either.
Recalling that, I looked back at the Thunder Dragon.
"In that case," the Thunder Dragon said with a bright smile.
"Since the exam is wrapping up, why don't we cross swords?"
"...What?"
So suddenly?
I stared at him, my eyes widening at his proposal.
Out of nowhere, he wanted to cross swords?
"A duel? Right now?"
"Indeed. The time is almost up, and searching for others is a hassle. It's a bit boring anyway, so why don't we do it for some fun?"
"...Is that really necessary?"
Why couldn't he just stay still? Why did he have to cross swords? When I looked at him with questioning eyes, he replied,
"Yes, absolutely."
"..."
Looking into the Thunder Dragon's eyes, I realized something.
Ah, I see.
Had this bastard wanted to do this from the very beginning?
He wanted to fight me.
Perhaps throughout this entire exam, that was the only thing on his mind.
His eyes gave it away. It was a desperate look that screamed he had to duel me no matter what.
"...Well..."
I really didn't want to. As I stared at the Thunder Dragon, wondering if I really had to fight him, he waved his hand.
"Ah, don't worry."
Oh? Was he saying it was fine to refuse—
"I wasn't asking for your permission."
Shring.
...Never mind.
It was a declaration.
A declaration that he was going to fight me right now.
With that, the Thunder Dragon drew his sword once more.
This is going to be a pain.
Because he had fought so well alongside me, I had temporarily forgotten that the Seven Great Talents were all lunatics.
I forgot that this guy got along famously with the Black Broadsword.
The Thunder Dragon approached me, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Do you really have to fight your teammate?"
"Fight? This is just a game, a game."
"You should stop glaring like that before you spout such nonsense. Seriously."
It seemed there was no point in trying to talk him out of it.
I let out a sigh.
Hmm.
Then, I placed my hand on my waist. A duel with the Thunder Dragon?
Thinking about it, I let out a chuckle. It was rather absurd.
I'm actually thinking it might not be a bad idea.
I didn't entirely hate the prospect of fighting that monster.
Realizing that this was how I felt, I let out a dry laugh.
Ah, I'm screwed...
I was slowly being corrupted by this crazy world too.
I really don't want to engage in a fight with no benefits.
What was the point of this?
It was completely unnecessary. There was no reason to fight, yet he was forcing it.
I was someone who absolutely hated losing out, and yet...
Shring.
I was drawing my sword.
A fight with the Thunder Dragon was a losing proposition for me, but...
That's only if I lose.
If the problem was losing, then all I had to do was win, right?
The Thunder Dragon is strong, but...
Was he so strong that I couldn't win? Well, I had a strange feeling about that.
I was a madman myself.
To think I feel like I can actually take on one of the Seven Great Talents.
Maybe I had grown arrogant after consuming so many miraculous elixirs. It was something I wouldn't have even dreamed of in the past.
"Are you sure you won't regret this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the Thunder Dragon.
Hearing my question, the Thunder Dragon's eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled.
"Regret? I'm sorry, but..."
Rumble!
As the sun dipped below the horizon, dark clouds seemed to gather around the Thunder Dragon's sword.
"...I'm not the type of person who does that."
"What a wonderful personality you have..."
Sword Qi infused with the essence of the Namgung Clan.
Gripping it tightly, the Thunder Dragon prepared to charge at me.
Watching him, I prepared to activate the Gwangwolseomgyeong and adjusted my stance.
Snap.
"...!"
"...Hmm?"
At the sudden sound of a presence nearby, both of us immediately whipped our heads around.
Standing there...
"Ah. Oh dear."
A young man, carrying someone on his back with an awkward expression, was stepping on a fallen branch.
"...Did I interrupt something? My deepest apologies. Hahaha..."
Realizing we had noticed him, he spoke while trying to force a smile.
The Thunder Dragon frowned as he looked at him.
To be precise, he was looking not at the youth himself, but at the other young man slung over his back.
"...Seo Pyeong?"
Surprisingly, the person being carried was Seo Pyeong.
The Wudang Cloud Dragon, Seo Pyeong. He was slung over the youth's back, seemingly unconscious.
"Ah," the youth said, noticing the Thunder Dragon's gaze.
"We ran into a bit of trouble just now... and since my companion fainted, I was just carrying him back."
Seo Pyeong had fainted?
While the Thunder Dragon and I were processing this shocking news...
"Ah, please don't mind me. You gentlemen go ahead and finish what you were doing. I'm just passing through."
The youth spoke hurriedly and tried to move away.
The moment the Thunder Dragon tried to approach him upon seeing this...
"That is enough."
Someone appeared right between us.
I was startled. I hadn't sensed a single trace of their presence.
Turning my head, I saw a masked martial artist from the Martial Alliance.
"The preliminary exam has ended. Any further combat is strictly prohibited."
"..."
"Aww..."
At those words, the Thunder Dragon expressed his deep disappointment.
"Tsk... I really wanted to fight you..."
Muttering his complaints, he slid his sword back into its scabbard.
"We must verify the results, so please follow my lead."
The Alliance member spoke to the Thunder Dragon and began to move.
The Thunder Dragon followed him. I was about to follow as well when I suddenly looked back.
My eyes met the youth's.
He looked slightly surprised to see me, but then he gave a polite bow with a good-natured expression.
"..."
I returned the bow slightly.
However...
That guy.
My thoughts were entirely different.
...It's him.
Now I knew. I had been wondering where I had seen him before.
The back that Yoo Chun-gil was staring at.
The figure in the black cloak who had passed by me in the county town.
The one Yoo Chun-gil couldn't take his eyes off of.
Recalling that moment, I was certain.
It's him.
He was that guy. The one Yoo Chun-gil had been focusing on.
Which meant...
There's something about him.
It meant there was something unusual about that guy.
...What kind of human is he?
Even putting that aside.
Although the youth before me was wearing a friendly smile, I could tell.
How can his malice be so deep?
His presence was on par with an evil spirit at the very least.
A foul, terrible energy that could never emanate from a normal human...
Was wafting from that young man.