Namgoong Cheol (3)

Cheonma had said it. Any swordsman who had reached the realm of Unity of Man and Sword needed to possess this as a basic requirement.

Yun-seok realized the true meaning of her words. The tip was sharp, the base blunt. There was no blade, no distinction from the hilt. But the moment he thought of it as a sword.

Yun-seok could wield it as if it were an extension of his own body.

Whoosh!

His movements, reaching ultimate speed, left afterimages. The Blood Demon Sword shot forward, splitting into multiples. Yun-seok didn't limit the swords' targets to one spot but spread them wide. In this circular arena that now felt far too cramped, there seemed to be nowhere to dodge.

But...

The awe at the Formless Sword was short-lived. Regaining his composure as the Blood Demon Swords hurtled toward him, Namgoong Cheol realized something and flew into a rage.

"This pathetic trick isn't a Formless Sword! How dare you try to fool this young master with such a cheap technique!"

I never said it was a Formless Sword. He didn't even know the difference between a Formless Sword and a Sword Controlling Technique to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠begin with. And now he was claiming it wasn't one, accusing Yun-seok of trying to deceive him—what kind of twisted mind did this guy have?

Incomprehensible, but Namgoong Cheol bellowed a ki shout infused with fury as he assumed his stance.

"Go!"

Could even his voice carry magical power? The air trembled at the resonant shout. At the same time, a blue energy rippled from the sword he held in his stance. Astonishingly, it took on a tangible form.

"Heaven-Shaking Azure Dragon!"

Namgoong Cheol leaped back, thrusting his sword into the air. The blue energy enveloping the blade roared forth with a thunderous boom. No eyes, no nose, no whiskers, no scales. Yet its writhing motion and overwhelming presence evoked the image of a dragon.

The azure dragon, manifesting with a violent surge, devoured every incoming Blood Demon Sword and lunged toward Yun-seok from above.

What the hell...?

Were all those who reached the tower's final floors such monsters from this point on? Or was this guy just exceptionally strong? He had no idea. If it was the former, could he really surpass the final floor where even they had failed?

Namgoong Cheol's latest technique was so powerful that such anxieties naturally arose in Yun-seok.

Yun-seok steadied his breathing calmly. The dragon-shaped sword qi barreling toward him didn't seem avoidable by mere evasion. Nor was it certain he could block it with all his might.

"..."

Thus, Yun-seok recalled his duel with Cheonma, which now felt like ancient history. Her final move. If only he could recreate that tsunami-like strike that had engulfed even the vast mountains with his own hands...

Then perhaps there was a way.

The perfect harmony of strength and flow...

Cheonma had emphasized it endlessly while teaching him the sword. Only by blending the power to shatter all obstacles with the softness to embrace anything could one reach perfection.

Yun-seok had found some balance between the two, but it was still far from perfect. No, he didn't even fully grasp what perfection entailed. How could a contradiction of opposites ever be perfected?

Indeed, if he hadn't witnessed Cheonma's final sword strike, he would have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rejected her words outright.

Honestly, I still don't fully get it...

Back then, Cheonma had no internal energy and believed specific techniques were required to wield sword qi. Yet with a single slash, she summoned a tsunami. No magic was involved—just the sword of one human reaching the heavens.

Climbing the tower, Yun-seok had always trained with Cheonma's sword as his goal. He knew he was still far too lacking to attain enlightenment and surpass that realm.

But...

Now he had Blood Demon Qi to substitute for internal energy, and his sword knowledge had grown immensely.

Maybe now I can at least imitate it...

So imitation should be possible now. No, it had to be.

Yun-seok quietly stared straight ahead. He infused just the right amount of power into his hands gripping the sword. As if that were the proper way, the Blood Demon Qi—which always exuded savage ferocity—rippled more gently.

For some reason, Yun-seok felt like he was starting to understand. Why the path to perfection lay not in extreme strength, but in harmony with flow...

* * *

I'm still so far...

Yun-seok let out a short sigh at his own foolishness. Unity of Man and Sword wasn't just about wielding the blade like one's own body. It was truly becoming one with the sword. In the end, honing the sword was no different from honing oneself.

The moment that realization struck his mind.

Shwaaaaa—!

A crimson tsunami surged violently, engulfing the dragon. Not satisfied, it swallowed half of Namgoong Cheol's body before dissipating like foam.

"How...?"

Namgoong Cheol, collapsing with only half his body left, muttered blankly. His face showed utter disbelief—not at his defeat, but at something else.

"How in the world...? Cheonma... the sword...?"

Yun-seok flinched. It was because of the familiar word "Cheonma" woven into his mutterings.

Does he have some connection to her?

Being from the same Murim, it was possible, but upon second thought, it didn't add up. Raguna, the merchant from Sehelanbard, had said the Tower of Heaven last opened 500 years ago. That meant Namgoong Cheol was at least from 500 years back...

How could such a person know Cheonma?

"You... You're that old man's disciple, aren't you?"

Even on the verge of death, that seemed his greatest concern. Namgoong Cheol spat blood onto the floor as he asked.

Yun-seok couldn't tell if the "old man" referred to the Cheonma he'd met. He neither affirmed nor denied it. Regardless of whether it was the same person, he questioned if he could proudly claim to be her disciple.

Misinterpreting the silence, perhaps...

"Pfft! Hahaha! She said she'd never take a disciple, yet that old hag deceived me after all!"

Whatever was so funny, Namgoong Cheol burst into laughter. Yet his eyes grew as cold as winter wind.

Sensing something off in his tone, Yun-seok asked,

"...Deceived? What, did you beg to be her disciple and get rejected?"

A probing question born of suspicion. But it hit the mark.

Namgoong Cheol's face flushed red.

"Urgh...! That senile old bat not only deceived this young master but blabbed about that too?!"

There seemed to be a misunderstanding, but Yun-seok held back and asked something else. Honestly, it was absurd. Just moments ago he'd called Yun-seok a demon spawn to be executed, yet he'd secretly begged Cheonma to take him as a disciple?

"...Weren't you from the righteous sects?"

Yun-seok knew from the chat room about the enmity between the demonic cults and righteous Murim. He didn't know much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about the Namgoong family, but seeing Namgoong Cheol—heir apparent—shouting about justice and demons, he'd assumed righteous faction. And that assumption was correct.

It simply didn't matter to Namgoong Cheol.

"Righteous sects mean nothing. Any man born into this world must aspire to the heavens!"

With such bold declaration from a Murim native, non-Murim Yun-seok had nothing to say. But hearing it reminded him belatedly of the Heavenly Pursuer's aspiration.

—Unparalleled under heaven. Grow stronger, ever stronger, until no one in the world can match you. That is all I desire from you.

A wish so fervent it lingered as an aspiration even after becoming a manager, yet ultimately unfulfilled in life.

Come to think of it, his nickname was Heavenly Pursuer.

Heavenly Pursuer—literally, a warrior chasing the heavens. Fitting, considering even as a manager, he couldn't abandon the dream and tried to steal Yun-seok's body.

"Enough prattle—kill me! A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. In the end, this young master will stand at the top!"

He told others to stop talking while doing most of it himself. Even in this moment, and far in the future as a manager—it seemed his chattiness was innate.

Yun-seok chuckled softly.

"You dare... mock this young master?! Just you wait! Someday I will...!"

Wait and see? The Namgoong Cheol before Yun-seok was mere recreated data. Even in the future, he never achieved his aspiration.

"I don't mock your dream... but I can't help pitying you now."

The cruelty of the Tower of Heaven hit him anew. A being destined to reset and vanish after this duel, yet Namgoong Cheol's obsession with his dream was utterly real.

If I fail to reach the top, will I end up like that?

What aspiration would he hold then? No idea. He couldn't even imagine. He didn't fully know what he wanted now, let alone in a distant future.

But Yun-seok didn't dwell on it.

"You wretch!!!"

Slash—!

At least he'd claimed victory safely on this floor. One step closer to the summit.

Yun-seok etched that fact into his heart.

Climbing higher would reveal it eventually. What the Tower of Heaven truly desired from challengers, what lay at its summit. And what he himself sought—and wandered for—in this place.

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Yun-seok closed his eyes briefly.

Elle had explained. Beyond fulfilling contractors' aspirations or side tasks like plaza errands, managers received a base WP stipend.

But nothing was free.

Is the base WP the price for binding us to ordeals like this?

Elle said trials featuring managers' past lives weren't unique to the 7th floor—they were common. Perhaps managers lent their life's deeds, past or not, receiving WP as compensation.

Keep climbing, and I might encounter Elle's past self someday.

Grateful as he was, Yun-seok and Elle weren't close enough for deep familiarity. Still, he was curious about her. Her unexplained devotion lingered as a question.

Liberation Witch—what aspiration led to such a title, and what life earned it?

Beyond that, simple curiosity burned.

She won't tell me even if I ask.

She hadn't even shown her face. She seemed to hide something, but etiquette kept him from pressing.

Anyway, that's not the point...

Yun-seok entered the Achievement Shop and bought a Mission Directive for 500 LP. Tearing it would trigger a non-duel trial, seamlessly handling any commissioned manager's request via Elle.

But first, as always: checking rewards from this floor.