Chapter 1123 – 1123. Overcoming Limits
“I’d like to test you. Would you be willing to spar with me?”
“……”
The opportunity to spar with an S-class hunter for free doesn’t come often. Especially since Ha Heon-shin, nicknamed the ‘Monster God,’ has retired from the hunter world due to his age. However, no one thinks Ha Heon-shin has become weak.
Just looking at how he maintains a mid-40s appearance despite being over 80 years old, you can tell he’s no ordinary person.
So, why did he ask me to spar? Is it really to test my talent?
‘Why would he need to test my talent?’
I am the great noble of the [Baekhwan] world. After a few moments of thought, the answer came quickly. No, the answer was right next to me.
‘It must be because of Ha Seung-hee. Does he think I’m in a relationship with Ha Seung-hee?’
Perhaps Ha Heon-shin wants to test my talent, or more precisely, my limits. To see how far I can go.
“An opportunity to spar with the Monster God… it’s not something that comes easily. Rather, I’d like to ask you for a spar.”
“I’m glad you think that way. Strike while the iron is hot. Shall we do it right away?”
“I’d be honored, but we can’t spar just anywhere, can we?”
“I have a training ground I usually use. We’ll do it there.”
Ha Heon-shin gets up from his chair and walks out.
I was about to follow him when Ha Seung-hee pulled on my sleeve.
“What is it?”
“Since you’ve decided to spar with Grandpa, do your best. Don’t disappoint him.”
Ha Seung-hee’s eyes were troubled. I pondered what she meant, then realized she didn’t have much talent as a hunter. It seems she had disappointed Ha Heon-shin before.
‘Ha Jun-soo doesn’t have much talent as a hunter either. He’s impressive, but his power is only about B-class? That level.’
That’s impressive enough, but considering he’s the grandson of S-class Ha Heon-shin, it feels insignificant.
“I want to see that old man’s surprised face.”
“Don’t call my grandfather an old man, okay? And you’ll have to try hard to surprise him.”
I shrugged at Ha Seung-hee and left the study. A person who seemed to be a secretary approached and guided me and Ha Seung-hee. It seems Ha Heon-shin had stopped somewhere else for a moment.
We entered an annex next to the mansion. Now that I see it, the entire annex was a training ground. The ceiling was high, and an unusual energy could be felt from the walls.
‘Is it a barrier? It’s some kind of barrier, and I can tell it’s amazing.’
Remembering that the owner of this place is one of the richest people in Korea and an S-class hunter, even this amazing training ground doesn’t seem like much.
Murmur, murmur.
The surroundings became noisy. It was because the presidents, including Ha Seung-hee and Ha Jun-soo, had entered the training ground.
“Sorry for the crowd. Are you uncomfortable with their gaze?”
Ha Heon-shin, who appeared wearing a dobok, asked me. His firm muscles were visible through the dobok.
“Their gaze doesn’t matter to me, but I don’t like it when onlookers talk carelessly.”
“I’ll make sure they keep their mouths shut in my name, so don’t worry.”
“I trust in the Chairman’s name.”
Ha Heon-shin called out to an older man in a suit next to him.
“Secretary Choi.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Secretary Choi presented a box covered in cloth. On top of the cloth, a well-maintained sword exuded an aura of sharpness.
“I prepared this because I heard you use a sword.”
“It’s not an ordinary sword.”
“It’s a restoration of the hwandos used by Kim Yu-shin, made with a special method. It’s one of my treasures. I’ll lend it to you.”
“Ah, Kim Yu-shin. The Sea King, right? I know him well.”
“…Sea King… are you talking about Jang Bogo, the Maritime Emperor?”
“Ah, I’m not good with history, so I got confused.”
Ignoring Ha Heon-shin’s displeased expression, I took the sword. A cool sensation flowed through my arm and up to my head.
‘It’s a good sword.’
But it’s lacking compared to the Hwaryeon Bido. If you ask what’s lacking, it’s hard to say. It might be because my hand is used to the Hwaryeon Bido.
‘Should I take out the Hwaryeon Bido now? …There are too many eyes, so it’s better to hide it.’
I swung the sword in the air. It wasn’t bad. When I moved my mana, a blue sword aura formed on the blade. Using a bit of Yeongcheon Qi Gong, electricity flowed over the sword aura.
“It’s the sword aura of the Yeongcheon style. I knew you were of the Yeongcheon style, but seeing it in person is quite moving.”
“Do you know the Yeongcheon style?”
“I had a slight connection with the previous sect leader.”
Ha Heon-shin shook his head, reminiscing.
“It’s a boring memory, not worth telling you. Do you need more time to prepare?”
“This is fine. Aren’t you using a weapon, Chairman?”
“My body is my weapon.”
I looked at the dobok he was wearing. There was nothing special about the white dobok. It was a simple dobok. There were no accessories either. In other words, Ha Heon-shin was barehanded, without any weapons or armor.
I know Ha Heon-shin is S-class, but at this point, my pride is hurt.
“Before we spar, I want to be clear. What happens if I seriously injure you, Chairman? What if you die in an accident…”
Hostility poured in from all directions. The hostility from the affiliate presidents was nothing. The real thing was the aura coming from Ha Heon-shin directly. The aura was several times more intense than what I felt in the study, pressing down on me.
Ha Heon-shin, who had been stiff-faced, chuckled. The aura that had been pressing down on me disappeared.
“You’re quite cheeky.”
“…Did I offend you? I apologize.”
“No, there’s no need to apologize. It’s been ten years since I heard such words to my face, so I’m excited.”
Ha Heon-shin stepped back, creating distance between us. His gaze sharpened. The contained aura flowed out through his eyes.
“If you can kill me, try it. Even if I die in this spar, I won’t hold you responsible.”
“……”
“I hate men who only talk.”
I felt a chill run down my spine and gripped the sword tightly.
‘Sparring with an S-class or whatever. Being tested by someone is just annoying.’
I raised my fighting spirit along with my mana.
‘Screw the consequences. If I get the chance, I’ll kill that old man.’
Ha Heon-shin, sensing my killing intent, smiled as if amused. But that smile disappeared in an instant.
“Let’s begin.”
As soon as he finished speaking, I used Acceleration and an Instantaneous Movement to approach him. Ha Heon-shin’s reaction was just to move his eyes. I gritted my teeth. I realized that my best speed was nothing to him.
The image of a bear with an eagle’s head appeared and disappeared above Ha Heon-shin’s body. It was the A-class monster, the Eagle Bear.
Yeongcheon Style (影天流) Lightning Flash (雷光).
The sword, which had become a beam of light, was caught in his hand. I never dreamed it would be blocked so easily. I felt a slight sense of emptiness.
“Is that your ability, the Monster Steal (怪奪), Chairman?”
The ability to steal the characteristics of monsters. Ha Heon-shin’s ability was famous.
“That’s right. Right now, I’ve gained the physical abilities of the Eagle Bear. The Eagle Bear’s strength and reaction speed are more impressive than you think.”
Crack.
Electricity reacted to my will.
‘Seal his mana with Bongroe and cut him down. No matter how S-class he is, if he can’t use mana… Ugh!’
Sensing the danger, Ha Heon-shin threw the sword up. My body soared and collided with the ceiling. My body fell back down. Ha Heon-shin was waiting for me to fall, charging an uppercut.
Yeongcheon Style (影天流) Ultimate Technique (極技) Exploding Thunder (爆震雷).
A streak of blue lightning fell on him. The lightning exploded as soon as it touched his body.
It didn’t inflict any damage. He had taken a step back just before the lightning struck, avoiding the attack. There wasn’t a single scorch mark on his white dobok.
I landed on the ground and sighed.
‘I expected him to be strong… but not this strong.’
I thought of Han Ah-young and compared her to him. If Han Ah-young, who had just become S-class, fought Ha Heon-shin….
‘Ha Heon-shin would win nine times out of ten. Just as there’s a gap even within A-class, there’s a gap within S-class.’
Before the spar, I vaguely thought there might be a 1% chance of me winning. But after facing him directly, I realized there wasn’t even a 0.1% chance.
‘But I can’t give up.’
The image of a white wolf appeared above Ha Heon-shin’s body. Golden eyes and a horn on its forehead. It was the S-class monster, Lycros. And Lycros’s characteristic was lightning.
‘…That damn old man.’
Lightning flew from Ha Heon-shin. It wasn’t ordinary lightning. It was lightning imbued with mana. Lightning that I couldn’t ignore.
‘I’ll deflect it.’
I swung my sword at the lightning. The lightning clung to the sword, trying to electrocute my body.
‘The direction of the lightning was simple. It’s not a technique Ha Heon-shin usually uses. He deliberately used lightning to tease me.’
The will contained in the lightning was weak. I could steal it at this level. Ignoring the pain from the electric shock, I swung my sword again. The deflected lightning flew towards Ha Heon-shin.
“Oh ho.”
Ha Heon-shin exclaimed, reaching out his hand. He had no intention of dodging. He intended to deflect the lightning I had deflected. I had predicted that arrogance. Ha Heon-shin was entitled to it.
And then, the lightning exploded.
Kwakwakwakwang!
Yeongcheon Style (影天流) Ultimate Technique (極技) Exploding Thunder (爆震雷).
‘I mixed the principle of Exploding Thunder when deflecting the lightning. Unlike other ultimate techniques, it has an unusually good compatibility with Exploding Thunder. Maybe it’s because of the lightning attribute.’
“Ahem. I took a hit there.”
After the short explosion, Ha Heon-shin coughed lightly. His white dobok was scorched, but his skin had no injuries.
‘…That’s a bit shocking.’
I regained my composure. There was still a chance. Ha Heon-shin’s goal was to test my talent. So, the spar would last at least three minutes.
I kicked off the ground and charged at Ha Heon-shin.
•••
Three minutes had passed.
“You have potential.”
Ha Heon-shin said. It wasn’t a compliment. His eyes were filled with boredom and disappointment. I hadn’t met Ha Heon-shin’s standards.
I took a ragged breath and created distance. Compared to my sweaty self, Ha Heon-shin’s breathing was calm.
“Let’s finish this and have dinner.”
Ha Heon-shin clenched his fist and stepped forward, putting strength into his legs. The impact of his power became a gust of wind that swept through the training ground.
If it were the old me, I would have given up here. I didn’t care how Ha Heon-shin evaluated me. There was nothing to gain from him thinking highly of me.
‘But….’
Ha Seung-hee, who was in a safe place, was silently watching me.
‘I promised Seung-hee I’d show that old man’s surprised face.’
I gripped the sword with both hands and pulled up my mana. I squeezed out every last bit of mana from every corner of my body. Aftereffects? When have I ever cared about that? If necessary, I could use Complete Recovery.
Next, I raised my concentration. I looked not at Ha Heon-shin, but at the sword in my hands. Ha Heon-shin knew this was my last attack and was waiting.
‘Heavenly Mind.’
[Activating Heavenly Mind (天心). Duration: 1 minute.]
My will refined my mana, the mana became sword aura, and the sword aura became lightning, seeping into the blade.
The concentration heightened by the battle exceeded its limits, leading me to a realm I couldn’t yet understand.
Was the sword me?
Was the lightning me?
I didn’t know.
However, the existence I had to cut down was clearly visible.
Yeongcheon Style (影天流) Ultimate Technique (極技) Heavenly Light (天光).
I became a beam of light and charged at Ha Heon-shin. I could see Ha Heon-shin’s shocked expression. The image of a dark red rock monster flashed above his body. Ha Heon-shin raised both hands for the first time, creating a guard.
I cut through him.
I put all my strength into my staggering legs, preventing myself from falling. I didn’t want to fall pathetically.
I heard the sound of liquid falling behind me. It was Ha Heon-shin’s blood.
I turned around, savoring the sensation of the slash that remained on my fingertips. Ha Heon-shin, with his arms cut, was looking at me with a surprised expression. It wasn’t a fatal injury.
“Amazing. To think you could break through even the defense of the Red Rock Turtle (赤巖龜)….”
