Nangin Cheon-ho (2)
“He’s fallen into a heart demon.”
Nangin Cheon-ho muttered as he looked at Yun-seok.
In truth, calling it a heart demon was too grandiose. The man had simply been swallowed by fear and lost his reason. It wasn’t an outburst of internal energy, after all.
“They said he was from the military, but it seems he doesn’t have much combat experience.”
This phenomenon was common in the chaos of war. Only soldiers who learned to control their own fear survived for long.
“Still, his fundamentals are solid, so he must have trained relentlessly day and night for years.”
To Cheon-ho’s eyes, Yun-seok’s basics were remarkably sturdy. He’d steadily observed his opponent’s attacks before raising his shield, and his swings were free of wasted motion. Because of that, Cheon-ho couldn’t even imagine that Yun-seok had first gripped a sword just 24 hours prior.
Even so, Cheon-ho assessed him like this.
“From the way he fought, he seemed to have some talent……”
Cheon-ho smacked his lips regretfully. If only his opponent had more experience, it could have been a decent fight.
Even as a despised wanderer, he was still a full-fledged martial artist of the Murim. It was a mindset Yun-seok, raised in the modern world, could never fully grasp.
“Not sure if you can hear me, but if we get the chance, let’s cross blades again.”
Cheon-ho gave a wry smile and raised his sword. He approached Yun-seok, who stood utterly defenseless.
But then.
“……?”
Cheon-ho suddenly halted. It was so faint even his sharp eyes might have missed it, but his hand trembled slightly.
“Trembling? Me?”
Cheon-ho wasn’t from a prestigious clan. Orphaned and raised in the rough streets, he’d survived by learning martial arts at the Blue Dragon Sword Hall by sheer luck. In other words, killing was his trade.
He’d been through countless real battles and survived near-death experiences beyond count. Over time, his human emotions had worn thin, and death no longer held much terror for him.
Yet……
“What is this ominous energy?”
Cheon-ho slowly scanned his opponent again. Yun-seok was still lost to reason. His body trembled faintly, and pale blood trickled from his clenched lips.
He looked like Cheon-ho could simply step forward and sever his neck with one swing. In fact, that’s exactly what Cheon-ho had planned until the unease hit him.
“……”
Cheon-ho’s thick brows furrowed. His battle-honed instincts, forged on the edge of life and death, were screaming.
Dangerous. Whatever it is.
That’s when it happened.
“Die!”
Yun-seok charged like a beast. His dazed eyes now burned with thick killing intent.
Cheon-ho was a bit surprised. Normally, someone in that state would swing wildly. But Yun-seok? His sword’s energy had grown savage, yet even without reason, he moved in proper form.
And incredibly fast.
“He’s already achieved some level of unity between mind and body?”
Even as the sword bore down on him, Cheon-ho smiled. Wanderers didn’t grow strong through training. Unlike martial clan disciples who devoted lifetimes to refining mind and flesh, wanderers broke their limits in the heat of desperate, flesh-rending battles.
Unique Skill: Weapon Enhancement
Clang! Sparks flew as their blades met. Cheon-ho swung experimentally, and Yun-seok parried it with his sword.
“Even with only instinct left, he knows how to fight? This is fun!”
Cheon-ho joyfully exchanged blows with Yun-seok. He could have ended it several times if he wanted, but he held back. Dragged into the Tower of Heaven, he’d lost his internal energy and the body honed to its limits had grown frail. Yun-seok was the perfect opponent to help him readjust.
Of course, he never considered the possibility of losing.
“……?”
Cheon-ho sensed something off after about a hundred exchanges. Yun-seok’s sword still pursued raw power. But when had it started? His killing intent poured out unchanged, yet the beastly trajectory had grown soft and yielding.
Is this possible?
Cheon-ho decided it was time to end the duel. But he didn’t rush. He carefully observed Yun-seok’s sword.
Then his eyes widened in disbelief.
This can’t be……?
It was clumsy and awkward, but unmistakable. It was his swordsmanship. The Blue Dragon Sword Hall’s Blue Firm Sword Technique, blended with the softness he’d naturally grasped in real combat—Nangin Cheon-ho’s unique style.
And it was being reproduced, however roughly, in Yun-seok’s hands.
Learned it? In the middle of a fight?
Of course, it lacked internal energy control—a half-baked form. But it wasn’t mere mimicry. If it were, he wouldn’t be this shocked.
Yun-seok’s casual swings contained the subtleties of Cheon-ho’s technique. It defied Cheon-ho’s common sense. This was the realm of martial enlightenment.
And he’s lost his reason, running on instinct alone…… No, maybe that’s why it’s possible?
Cheon-ho cast aside his doubts. Whether Yun-seok was a freakish genius or this was a once-in-a-lifetime epiphany didn’t matter. What did was that each exchange made the fight harder.
I need to end this now!
With urgency burning like fire on his feet, Cheon-ho unleashed his full power. But it was too late. Yun-seok’s growth, now in full momentum, accelerated exponentially.
Cheon-ho realized once more.
It’s not just swordsmanship. He knows how to fight.
A natural battle sense, perhaps. Yun-seok’s instinct-driven body moved with machine-like efficiency for combat alone. No reason meant no limits.
Block what could be blocked. Dodge what could be dodged. But for attacks that couldn’t?
He throws himself into mutual destruction without hesitation. No countering that.
It wasn’t just trading flesh for bone. Yun-seok wielded his sword as if willing to offer his own bones if needed. Like a game of chicken. Yun-seok would gladly plunge off the cliff, while Cheon-ho still hesitated.
Cheon-ho pulled out his trump card.
I didn’t want to use this unless I had to……
Unique Skill: One Flash. Increases cutting power up to 4x on slashes. Consumes mana, with a cooldown.
He’d tested its power in the waiting room but vowed not to use it. Power gained without enlightenment would hinder his sword path. A naive thought, fresh in the Tower. And now, in just his second duel, that vow shattered.
“One Flash!”
As Cheon-ho shouted, a transparent film coated his blade. It resembled sword energy at a glance, but wasn’t.
Cheon-ho swung horizontally with all his might. Yun-seok sensed the dire energy and prioritized defense with his sword…… but that thin blade looked far too precarious to block this strike.
A victorious smile curled Cheon-ho’s lips.
But……
Kaching!
Cheon-ho’s One Flash was halted.
“……”
Cheon-ho’s eyes widened again. A reddish aura now clung to Yun-seok’s blade.
Unique Skill <Weapon Enhancement> has been activated.
The sudden text overlaying his vision snapped Yun-seok half back to his senses.
The first thing he saw was Cheon-ho’s shocked expression.
What…… was I doing?
It felt like waking from a vivid dream, though the details escaped him. He vaguely recalled fighting Kang Hyung-woo in a school classroom.
“……”
Yun-seok looked down at his sword. For some reason, a red aura enveloped the blade.
Mana depletion in 00:02:56.
Something coiled in his gut uncoiled and drained away. Was this mana?
Gripping his sword tighter, Yun-seok sent Cheon-ho flying back with his blade.
He still felt half-dreaming, pleasantly buzzed like after a few drinks. But he knew if he didn’t kill Cheon-ho, he’d be the one in danger.
With intent, his body moved fluidly.
Was I always this good with a sword?
Even amid such thoughts, Yun-seok’s swordplay was clean. Powerful yet supple. No fear of facing the enemy with just a blade, no shield.
Thrust, slash, overhead strike. He unleashed a flowing barrage.
Cheon-ho, on the defensive, focused desperately on blocking.
Clang! Clang! Kaching!
Swords clashed rapidly, sparks flying. At a glance, Cheon-ho seemed calmly weathering a drizzle……
But with Weapon Enhancement active, Yun-seok’s blade was no mere drizzle.
After ten exchanges, a hairline crack appeared on Cheon-ho’s sword. Soon, it spiderwebbed into fractures.
Then a transparent film appeared on Cheon-ho’s blade. One Flash’s cooldown had ended.
Cheon-ho swung as if waiting, and Yun-seok didn’t dodge.
Kakang!
Full-power strikes collided. Yun-seok emerged victorious.
One Flash boosted only cutting power. Cheon-ho’s blade bit deep into Yun-seok’s…… but stopped there.
The endless cracks shattered completely on that final clash, and Yun-seok’s sword pulverized Cheon-ho’s, surging forward.
Shlick!
The blade arced like a crescent moon, slicing Cheon-ho’s abdomen. Blood sprayed, guts spilling from the gaping wound.
Only then did Yun-seok return to reality.
Tremble tremble……
His blood-soaked body shook like a leaf.
2,000 AP has been awarded as a reward.
Unique Skill: Predation
One of the opponent’s skills has been randomly acquired.
He’d killed a man. And gained rewards in return.
But guilt? Surprisingly little.
If he hadn’t fought, he’d be dead. These rewards, these thoughts—all possible because he won.
1 Coin awarded as promotion reward.
Moving to 2nd Floor Waiting Room.
Please prepare for the next duel.
Yun-seok, who’d spent half his life as someone’s prey, finally understood.
The winner takes all.
Just as he’d lost everything to Kang Hyung-woo.
The victor claims it all.