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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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Unbelievable talent.
To read and counter Kwon Tae-ho’s movements, which were significantly faster than his own, after only three exchanges… Kwon Tae-ho was acutely aware of just how skilled a martial artist the Sword Demon was.
‘With that level of skill, his talent wasn’t even fully developed. Was it due to insufficient training time? Or maybe the lack of a competent mentor?’
The reason didn’t matter. What mattered was that the Sword Demon’s latent talent was now blossoming, spurred on by his fight with Kwon Tae-ho.
A swift victory had always been the ideal outcome, but now it was absolutely crucial. If he dragged this out, the Sword Demon would close the gap in their abilities.
‘Relying on speed alone won’t work anymore. Even if it does, I’m more likely to get hurt. In that case…!’
-Crackle!!
As Kwon Tae-ho charged, the Sword Demon raised his swords.
‘Fast. But I can see it!’
Kwon Tae-ho’s movements were clear in his sight. A confident grin spread across the Sword Demon’s face.
He could feel it himself. His talent was overflowing. He could now keep up with the movements he had initially been unable to follow.
Just like this-
‘Hmm?’
But then, a question arose in his mind.
Why did Kwon Tae-ho seem slower?
It wasn’t that he had gotten faster. Kwon Tae-ho had genuinely slowed down. Just as the Sword Demon realized this…
-Crackle…!
A Mana Bolt shot out from behind Kwon Tae-ho.
“!!”
The Sword Demon was momentarily startled, but he didn’t fall for the feint. He knew the attack was weak. He refocused, dedicating himself to cutting down Kwon Tae-ho.
But then.
-Boom!!!
“Ugh…!”
The solid impact of the Mana Bolt, striking him squarely in the chest, sent him stumbling backward. And then, Kwon Tae-ho’s fist followed swiftly.
-Whoosh!!
The Sword Demon barely dodged and retreated further.
‘What was that attack? A different technique?’
Indeed.
Realizing that his six-fold accelerated charge had been countered, Kwon Tae-ho had immediately changed tactics.
Kwon Tae-ho could maintain six magic slots simultaneously. He allocated four to acceleration and the remaining two to Mana Bolt and Spell Enhancement.
As a result, the amplified Mana Bolt was now powerful enough to inflict significant damage. It was no longer a mere distraction.
‘If speed alone can’t break through, I’ll add unpredictability.’
-Dash!!
Kwon Tae-ho closed the distance between them in an instant, launching a relentless barrage of attacks. The Sword Demon dodged and parried, but he quickly noticed something peculiar: each punch varied subtly in speed and force.
‘This is…!’
Kwon Tae-ho maintained three slots for Haste and used the other three to weave in basic spells like Acceleration, Inertia Control, Power Enhancement, and Shockwave with each punch. On top of that, he continued to harass him with Mana Bolts.
The Sword Demon didn’t know magic. But he could tell that the man before him was no ordinary martial artist.
‘…Impressive.’
During their first encounter, he had thought Kwon Tae-ho’s martial arts were straightforward and predictable. But now, his style was completely different that it made you wonder if it was the same person.
There were no tells, no patterns in his movements.
No hesitation, no overconfidence.
His movements revealed no hesitation, no overconfidence. There were no tells, no patterns. If a tactic failed, he adjusted without pause. This sheer practicality brought an involuntary chuckle to the Sword Demon’s lips.
“Haah!!”
Swinging his swords desperately, the Sword Demon remembered.
He remembered that wielding a sword was enjoyable.
It had been a long time.
The thrill of a close match. The sense of accomplishment from clashing with an equal.
How long had it been since he had felt these emotions?
He had originally pursued the sword for this very reason.
The pure pursuit of mastery, the joy of the clash itself.
How long had it been since he felt such pure joy?
-Grit.
He knew the answer.
From the moment he had vowed revenge and sought retribution, his sword had been filled with nothing but rage and regret.
How could he find joy in a sword driven by such emotions? How should he?
“…….”
The Sword Demon sighed softly, his grip tightening around his weapons. Deep down, he knew revenge was a destructive path. Yet, he clung to it because he had no choice.
Anyone who knew his story would probably understand.
After all,
After all, he had endured what few could imagine—losing his family not once, but twice.
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Every action has a cause and an effect.
This seemingly self-evident truth was shattered fifteen years ago with the appearance of dimensional rifts across the globe.
The rifts had appeared without any cause, without any warning.
They had greedily devoured hundreds of millions of people, leaving billions to grieve the loss and separation.
And among them was the Sword Demon and his family.
“Here’s your order of Hot Crispy Seasoned Fried Chicken combo!”
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
“Yes! Come again! Thank you!”
That day, a young man was leaving a store, carrying a large box of chicken.
His name was Baek Seong-cheol. 36 years old.
The man who would later call himself the Sword Demon before Kwon Tae-ho. But back then, he was just an ordinary neighborhood kendo instructor.
He had been a promising kendo athlete in his youth, though he never quite reached the national team level. After retiring, he drifted from job to job until he met his wife. They had a daughter, now ten years old.
Making a living as a small business owner in Korea was never easy, but Baek Seong-cheol was content with his life.
They weren’t wealthy, but they had enough. And when he returned home, his loving family was always there waiting for him. There were certainly more fortunate lives out there, but he wasn’t dissatisfied.
Therefore,
Even if someone had offered him a chance to completely change his life, he would have refused.
-Beep!!
But life doesn’t always go according to plan.
A sudden ringing in his ears. A massive rift appearing before his eyes.
“…Huh?”
When he regained consciousness after a bout of nausea and dizziness, the scene before him was completely different from the familiar streets of his neighborhood.
Oriental-style buildings, like those in historical dramas. People in traditional attire walking along the wide streets.
“Hey, waiter! Bring me a jar of ice-cold Bamboo Leaf Wine! No, make that two!”
“Coming right up!”
“Are you crazy?! That’s our entire day’s earnings! Do you think we’re made of money?!”
“Be grateful we’re protecting your market with our day’s earnings! If it weren’t for us, you’d all be dead after that Green Forest Gang raid!”
The snippets of conversation he overheard sounded like something straight out of the martial arts novels he had read in his youth. Even then, Baek Seong-cheol couldn’t comprehend what had happened to him.
But he wasn’t stupid.
As time passed, and he gathered information here and there, he gradually began to understand his situation. A mix of emotions flooded his mind.
Confusion turned to anger, anger to grief, grief to longing, longing to resignation, resignation to despair.
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About fifteen days later.
-Thud.
Baek Seong-cheol looked like a beggar.
In the harsh world of Jianghu, the fate of someone with no money, skills, or connections was predetermined. Reduced to a beggar, he barely survived by begging in the marketplace.
-…Grumble.
His stomach, empty for days, no longer growled properly.
‘…I’d give anything for a piece of meat.’
Come to think of it, the fried chicken he had been carrying on the day he arrived was the last meat dish he had eaten.
He realized just how fortunate modern people were, able to buy a variety of foods just a few steps from their homes.
“Are you… a wandering martial artist?”
An old man approached him as he sat slumped in an alleyway.
“That thing you have next to you… it’s wrapped in cloth, but it’s a sword, isn’t it?”
“Ah…”
Baek Seong-cheol’s gaze shifted to the bamboo practice sword he had been carrying since the day he arrived, along with the fried chicken. He shrugged and replied,
“It’s… kind of like a sword.”
“May I see it?”
“Yes.”
The old man drew the practice sword. He was surprised by its lightness, then by its material and shape.
“…I thought it was a sword, but it’s a wooden stick. A practice sword, perhaps?”
-Whoosh! Swoop!
The old man adjusted his grip and swung the practice sword expertly with one hand. Baek Seong-cheol was slightly surprised, but not overly so. There were many skilled martial artists in this world.
“You know how to handle a sword.”
“A little, in my younger days. Now, I’m just an old man. And not out of modesty, it’s the truth. Even in my prime, I couldn’t even break free of the third-rate.”
“If you’re third-rate, then I’m fourth or fifth-rate at best.”
“Do you think flattery will get you anywhere with an old man like me?”
“It’s not flattery, it’s the truth. And I wouldn’t mind if it did get me somewhere. As you can see, I haven’t eaten in days.”
Baek Seong-cheol spread his arms, showing off his ragged clothes. The old man considered for a moment, then said,
“Well, if you’re a martial artist, you shouldn’t be starving in the streets. Why don’t you go to Elder Dokgo’s residence?”
“Dokgo…? What does this elder do?”
“The Dokgo Family was a renowned swordsmanship clan in this area a few decades ago. Their lineage has dwindled, and their former glory is nowhere to be seen now…”
The old man’s gaze drifted off, lost in memories of the past. Then he added,
“The current head of the family is quite fond of young martial artists like yourself. If a wandering martial artist like you were to ask for his help, he’d probably give you a place to stay for the night. At the very least, you won’t be turned away.”
“That’s good to hear. Where can I find him?”
He would go anywhere for a warm meal. The old man pointed north.
“Follow the market road north until you reach a small mountain. Follow the foot of the mountain east, and you’ll find a mansion surrounded by an old wall. The family name is on the gate, so you won’t miss it.”
“Thank you, old man. You’ll be blessed. Oh, and what’s the name of the head of the family?”
“Dokgo Jang-un.”
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