Chapter 1518 – 1518. Ascension To The Light
A cave came into view.
It wasn’t a large cave. However, a gloomy atmosphere emanated from it.
I narrowed my eyes, gazing at the cave. The inside was dark. Even with strained vision, I couldn’t see well into it.
However, wind blew from the cave. The wind grabbed and shook my bangs as it passed.
I felt unpleasant.
It was as if the wind was measuring me.
‘The wind carries killing intent.’
I drew my sword from my waist. The blade gleamed in the sunlight.
“…Did you come from the cult?”
A man’s voice was heard from the cave, along with the wind.
“Are you Jeong Bae, the Sapsal Wind Ghost Sword?”
“That’s right. It seems you’re from the cult.”
A man emerged from the cave. He was in a beggar’s state. His clothes were tattered, and his beard was unkempt. His face was gaunt, as if he hadn’t eaten properly. What was strange was that, unlike his gaunt face, his body was solid and muscular.
An illogical physical state. It meant only one thing.
‘He has reached the ranks of a master. In other words, he has certainly reached the realm of the Ogi.’
I wasn’t surprised, as I had predicted it.
“What is your name?”
I sensed a subtle change in the wind’s direction. Instinctively, I spread my energy. The wind pushed back my senses, hindering them. Still, I found the starting point of the wind. It was blowing from the sword Jeong Bae held in his hand.
“I am Yeom Gu-seok of the Extinction Squad’s Lightning Flash.”
“Extinction Squad… You’ve come from a terrifying place to kill me. Won’t you pretend you didn’t see me? I’m about to leave this place. We didn’t meet each other.”
“Why should I do that?”
“Isn’t it burdensome for you to engage in a life-or-death battle with me? Even if I die, I don’t intend to die quietly. I’ll struggle to the very end.”
“If you were to run away, where would you go?”
“I will join the Murim Alliance.”
Not a bad plan.
Even if he was from the Demonic Cult, they wouldn’t refuse a wandering Ogi realm martial artist. He would be too valuable. They could also gain information about the Demonic Cult through Jeong Bae.
“There’s now another reason why I must kill you.”
“…Must you really?”
“The Divine Cult wants your head.”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. Jeong Bae suddenly attacked, swinging his sword.
The gentle breeze turned into a sharp wind blade. It was too late to react by swinging my sword. I raised my left hand, lowered my head, and wrapped my body in the black tiger robe I was wearing. The sword wind struck my body. Although the black tiger robe was slightly torn, I was unharmed, without shedding a single drop of blood.
However, I couldn’t hold out for long. The black tiger robe was tearing more and more.
“You act like a righteous hero, but you resort to a surprise attack. You’re a cunning one.”
“I can do anything to survive. That black robe you’re wearing, I’ll take it.”
“You’re being presumptuous with your greed.”
I moved my sword. From below to above, then from above to below.
‘Like when facing the Black Tiger, with the feeling of cutting through the Ganghwan.’
The sword wind that had been raging from all directions suddenly stopped. It was natural, as I had cut through the center of the wind.
“You grasped it in an instant… You’re not ordinary. As expected of an Extinction Squad member. Can you handle this as well?!”
Jeong Bae’s legs moved. Light as the wind. And as unpredictable as the wind.
‘Is that the Gale Step?’
He was right in front of me. The wind revolved around his sword blade.
‘I don’t know if it’s a sword or a chainsaw.’
I stepped back, raising my sword. If I simply countered, the wind would climb up my sword and tear my arm apart.
Crackling.
Lightning flashed from the blade. The lightning canceled out the wind and flowed back into him. Jeong Bae was startled and kicked off the ground. He barely dodged the current. Even in the midst of that, he swung his sword, sending out a sword wind.
Unlike the previous sword wind, this one was infused with Ganggi. It meant it was an attack that couldn’t be ignored.
I twisted my body to avoid the wind.
Immediately after, the wind gathered below and then shot upwards. My body floated into the air. Before I was completely blown away, I increased my weight using the principle of the Thousand-Pound Hammer. My floating body fell back to the ground.
Jeong Bae had already taken his stance and was ready to swing his sword.
‘It won’t go as you wish.’
Before my feet touched the ground, I extended my sword finger towards Jeong Bae. Electricity gathered and rotated at the tip of my finger.
Lightning Heaven Style (雷天流) – Ten Thousand Lightnings (卍雷).
Lightning was fired from the tip of my finger. Jeong Bae was surprised and swung his sword. A wall of wind rose, but the lightning pierced through the wall and struck his thigh. Blue electricity flowed through Jeong Bae’s body. Jeong Bae’s body stiffened from the electric shock.
“I had some expectations, but is that all you’ve got?”
Lightning Heaven Style (雷天流) – Lightning Flash (雷光).
Light flashed along with the sword. The light passed precisely through Jeong Bae’s neck.
‘There’s no feeling of satisfaction.’
Jeong Bae’s body, where the Lightning Flash had passed, became limp and disappeared.
“Body Swap?!”
I felt the presence of a sword behind me. I urgently threw myself to the side. His sword grazed my side. The black tiger robe was torn beyond repair. If it hadn’t been for the black tiger robe, I would have suffered a fatal wound.
I gritted my teeth.
Just now, I had rolled on the ground to avoid the attack. In the martial world, it was called the Lazy Donkey Roll (懶驢打滾) and was a target of ridicule.
Looking at Jeong Bae, he was sneering at me, his lips twisted.
“That was a very flamboyant movement. It’s a technique that I could never dare to imitate. Nor do I want to.”
“Shut up!”
I rushed towards Jeong Bae, using the Thunder Sound Step.
Jeong Bae inhaled sharply. The wind rose. It kept rising. The wind was his sword.
Crackling!
I spread lightning in all directions. The current was canceled out and disappeared as soon as it collided with the wind.
Wind and lightning. Their essence was energy.
Clang!
Sword and blade clashed.
Neither I nor Jeong Bae yielded, swinging our weapons. Sparks flew with each clash.
Even without creating wind, Jeong Bae swung his sword like the wind. It meant his swordsmanship was free and ever-changing. It was a sword technique close to Illusion Sword.
On the other hand, my sword was simple. As fast as possible, as heavy as possible. No unnecessary skills were needed.
From a slight distance, Jeong Bae would seem to have the advantage. But in this battle, I was the one in control. Jeong Bae’s feet were gradually being pushed back. For every five attacks I made, Jeong Bae countered twice.
“Why are you holding back on me?”
Jeong Bae asked. Even amidst the entanglement of wind and lightning, sword and blade, his voice was clear.
“You think I’m holding back?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Even now, your lightning completely controls my wind. I keep creating wind… but it’s blocked every time. The difference in skill between you and me is clear. Lightning Flash Yeom Gu-seok! What do you want from me?!”
He was a perceptive one.
As he said, I was holding back on Jeong Bae. It wasn’t just because of some trivial reason like wanting to show off my skills.
“I thought I might gain enlightenment by fighting like this.”
“Enlightenment? You’re blocked by a wall. I know that feeling well.”
Jeong Bae’s face contorted. I could feel his anger.
“But let me tell you. I am not a good training partner for you. Don’t ignore the fact that my sword can take your life.”
“Are you frustrated? If you’re frustrated, don’t just talk, try to take my life.”
“I will!”
Thud!
His right foot stomped hard on the ground.
The sound disappeared. I realized that the area around me had become a vacuum.
Jeong Bae leaped and swung his sword at the same time. The speed seemed slow. Our concentration exploded for a moment, and our thinking speed increased.
I met Jeong Bae’s eyes. He was only interested in killing me.
‘He’s confident of victory.’
There are times like that.
A premonition of success.
For example, in soccer. The feeling of scoring a goal the moment you kick the soccer ball. Jeong Bae was convinced he had killed me.
But that was just an illusion. Whether it would truly succeed had to be seen until the end.
Crackling.
I heard the sound of electricity crackling. It wasn’t coming from my ears. It was coming from my head.
The arm holding the sword moved. Even though I moved later than my opponent, I cut through his waist faster than his sword.
Whoosh!
The wind that had been raging from Jeong Bae’s sword grazed past me. My cheek was lightly cut. I wiped the wound on my cheek with the back of my hand and looked at the fallen Jeong Bae. His lower body was completely severed.
“One more time.”
“…What do you mean?”
“That feeling just now was good. Let’s do it one more time. I felt like I was about to grasp something.”
“……”
Jeong Bae was silent.
And at the end of his silence, he ground his teeth.
“Don’t be ridiculous! You fucking bastard! Can’t you see what state I’m in?! You cut my waist! You son of a bitch! So this is what my intestines look like! I’m glad I know something good before I die! You fucking bastard!”
“Your arms are fine, aren’t they? Swing your sword like you did before.”
“You son of a bitch!”
Jeong Bae raised the hand holding his sword. The wind was about to rise but disappeared. His arm fell limply.
“Damn it… I’ll pray for your death in hell!”
Jeong Bae died like that.
I felt a sense of disappointment and cut off his head.
‘Something. Just a little more… If I had just a little more, I felt like something would have happened.’
Of course, that was just my thought. In reality, everything might have been an illusion. I put Jeong Bae’s head in my inventory and returned.
That evening, Black Horse Hawk returned to the Heavenly Demon Cult with the head of Sapsal Wind Ghost Sword Jeong Bae.
•••
The Jongnam Heavenly Festival began.
Mireyeong and I walked towards Mount Jongnam, arm in arm. It was a light atmosphere, like a date.
However, the conversation we were having was not as light as the atmosphere.
“The security is tighter than I thought. We haven’t even entered the Jongnam Sect yet, and there are guards lined up everywhere.”
“They must have hired mercenaries. The crowds that have gathered are enormous.”
We were in a city below the Jongnam Sect. It was called Jongnam City. As the name suggested, it was a city in Jongnam.
The city was in a festive mood.
Tourists who had gathered to receive the mystical energy of the Jongnam Sect were constantly arriving.
Mireyeong and I were whispering to each other. Of course, we had cast a barrier around us so that others couldn’t hear.
“What about the Jongnam Sect’s barrier?”
“It’s more solid than usual. But it’s still within the expected level.”
“When shall we start?”
“It’s best to avoid the first day. The security feels particularly tight on the first day. Let’s start tomorrow or the day after. Today, let’s just have a date.”
“A date combined with a preliminary survey. Not bad.”
