"Phew, that was close."
After finishing my preparations and heading to the training ground with my master, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
"Are you not coming with me?"
As I walked ahead without turning back, my master spoke from behind.
"Th-The Sword Emperor is waiting for us! Let's hurry!"
I quickly responded, trying to brush off the question.
I felt a bit awkward about facing my master at that moment.
Even though my intention to relieve my master's fatigue was purely innocent and noble (in my defense!), I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
"I really only intended to massage her shoulders at first..."
Let me explain.
After massaging her shoulders, I moved on to her arms.
Then, after her arms, I worked on her legs.
And after her legs...
Well, as I continued to find tense areas, I ended up massaging her entire body until morning.
And during that process...
"Cough!"
Although the room was completely dark, with no light entering, it was inevitable that my [Clairvoyance] ability allowed me to see my master's body as clearly as if it were daylight.
I mean, it was purely innocent, I swear!
I swallowed my excuses, which I wasn't even sure who I was making them to, and shook my head vigorously to try to forget the scene from last night.
Or, well, why not?
Why get rid of it? I'll just store it deep in the corner of my mind.
Anyway!
It was time to receive my master's teachings.
[ Jin Yuha and Baek Seol-hee have entered the training ground. ]
As I entered the training ground, I saw the Sword Emperor and Alice already there, warming up.
"Good morning!"
"You're late?"
"I'm sorry!"
Without making any excuses, I bowed my head.
Hmm, but...
"The rest of you are here too?"
I asked in surprise, seeing all my party members gathered in one corner of the training ground.
Well, the training ground was about the size of a football field, but still... was it necessary?
"You guys came too?"
"Yes, Instructor Baek Seol-hee called us. And remember how dangerous it was last time at
Sword Emperor Mountain! Today, we're going to train together and watch your every move!"
Soup answered with a determined look in her eyes.
Oh, right. I almost died during the Sword Emperor's training.
At that time, Alice had gone missing, so it was an unavoidable situation.
And in the end, I survived thanks to my master's help.
"Did Master call you?"
I turned my head to ask, and she nodded.
"Yes. Today, I'll teach you something that will require their help."
I wondered what she was going to teach me today.
"We don't have much time, so let's begin."
At that moment, the Sword Emperor spoke.
"First, let's talk about your sword. The Moon Shadow Sword Technique. You said you've gained the ability to see the path of the sword, right?"
"Yes."
"That's definitely a necessary sense for this crazy swordsmanship. But, gaining that ability doesn't make you stronger. Do you understand that?"
I couldn't refute her words and nodded in agreement.
She was right.
The ability to foresee danger and avoid it, essentially giving me an extra life.
With this ability, I had achieved an unprecedented level of stability in terms of defense.
And being able to see my actions in advance made things a bit more convenient.
However,
Even without this foresight, I had already been able to do this intuitively in the past. In terms of offensive power, there hadn't been any significant improvement.
"So, what I'll teach you today is Muah (No Self, basically the move where you empty your mind)."
"Mu...ah?"
"Yes, you tend to overthink during combat, don't you?"
"Er... me?"
I opened my mouth in surprise at this unexpected criticism.
Me?
Thinking too much?
Well...
To be honest, I couldn't agree with that assessment.
The extent of my thoughts during combat was limited to:
Positioning and movement of my party members.
Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.
Understanding the enemy's patterns.
Assessing the stamina and skill cooldowns of my party members.
And preparing fifteen different plans to deal with any variables that might arise.
Oh, and I guess deciding which of my skills to use and how to avoid enemy attacks could also be considered part of my thinking process.
So, at most, that was the extent of my thinking. It was ridiculous to say that I thought too much.
As I explained this and expressed my doubts, the Sword Emperor opened her mouth wide in disbelief, while my master glared at the party members.
"You're saying that you do all of that and still claim to not think much during combat?"
"Isn't that the basic responsibility of a party leader?"
"I was aware of it, but these guys are useless. They're holding you back."
I was still confused, so my master glared at the party members with a murderous intent. The Sword Emperor clicked her tongue and spoke.
"Tsk, Seol-hee was right. You'll definitely become stronger by learning Muah. Those who instinctively wield their swords from the start don't see much improvement from learning this, but in your case, there will be a significant difference."
Then, the Sword Emperor let out a dry laugh, as if she couldn't believe it.
"Even among men, you possess irregular powers, and your judgment speed is abnormally fast. I didn't realize it until now."
Well... I wasn't sure about that, but if learning Muah would make me stronger, then it was a good thing.
In fact, it was something to celebrate, especially since more demon gates would be appearing, and stronger demons would be emerging from them.
"However, you'll have to discard all the judgments you've made so far."
"Huh? Discard my judgments?"
Then who would make the decisions and judgments?
My master answered my question.
Srrrr...
"You'll have to do it yourself. You've been relying too much on your disciple's guidance, and the stench of your laziness is making my teeth rot. I'll make them understand through physical experience."
With a stern expression, my master drew her sword and began walking towards the party members.
Hmm...
When she had that look on her face, things were never going to end well.
Clack!
"Stop playing the nanny!"
As I looked at the party members with concern, the Sword Emperor clapped her hands to get my attention.
"Leave them to Seol-hee. Let's start our lesson."
.
.
.
However, they didn't begin training right away.
"Can you wait for a moment? There are restrictions on using my ability. If I use it recklessly, my mana goes out of control."
"Oh, then how..."
"That's why I met with the magic kid yesterday."
The Sword Emperor let out a light laugh and took out a small box from her pocket.
She infused it with mana.
Wooooong...
A blue barrier formed around the Sword Emperor, encompassing an area of about 100 meters in radius, including me.
"Ah, don't worry. I got this from the magic kid as repayment for a debt I owed her."
Thump. Thump.
The Sword Emperor lightly tapped the barrier, satisfied with its strength.
"Hmm, this should be sufficient. The magic kid is indeed talented."
Then, she untied the old sword tied to her waist and slammed it into the ground.
It was a light movement, but the result was not. A heavy pressure filled the air.
'!'
Unconsciously, I took a step back and placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
The Sword Emperor stared at me with interest, stroked her chin, and said,
"It's been a long time since I used my ability... I still haven't repaid the debt I owe you..."
"But Master, it's because of you that—"
The Sword Emperor waved her hand, dismissing the idea.
"No, no. I studied your sword and Seol-hee's sword, and I taught her the Ice Sky Sword. That's like giving too much change, isn't it?"
Then, the Sword Emperor pointed at me with her finger and continued,
"You saved my granddaughter's life and provided a safe haven for me, where my mana could grow infinitely. Because of you, I was able to see my granddaughter again. But I put your life in danger, so it's not fair to consider it an equal exchange. It's an insult to the promise I made with my sword."
"Well, that's true."
I nodded in agreement with her words. If the Sword Emperor owed me a favour, it was only right to use it to my advantage.
The Sword Emperor smiled, pleased with my response, and raised the corners of her mouth.
"Ahaha! You're so bold! Now, receive this—this is my ability, the very reason I'm called the
Sword Emperor, the Thousand Hands Sword Formation."
With those words,
A white aura emanated from the Sword Emperor and condensed into sword energy in the air, forming a dense pattern like a rain of swords frozen in the sky.
.
.
.
The Sword Emperor called Baek Seol-hee a monster kid and a sword-crazed ghost, but that assessment was incorrect.
Baek Seol-hee was not a sword ghost obsessed with finding the most efficient way to kill enemies. To her, the sword was merely a tool for executing enemies.
She was a ghost obsessed with collecting swords, driven by a madness to gather all the swords in the world.
She was a sword-crazed ghost who would wield a sword until her dying breath, with no attachment to any particular sword.
The nickname 'sword ghost' would have been more fitting for the Sword Emperor herself.
If it weren't for her encounter with Alice, the Sword Emperor would have spent her entire life in an isolated place, tirelessly practicing and swinging her sword.
And she would have died swinging her sword.
Her ability, the Thousand Hands Sword Formation, was the culmination of her lifelong dedication to the sword.
By infusing a vast amount of mana into a designated area, she could create a field of sword energy, making it seem as if she were wielding a thousand swords simultaneously.
This ability was the pinnacle of form and technique, embodying her profound understanding of the sword.
Those who faced her felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness, as if they were fighting against a thousand swordsmen.
No matter which sword they wielded, a countering sword energy would fly towards them, leaving them with no choice but to abandon their own sword in despair.
Moreover, each of the sword techniques she employed was executed with extreme precision, making it difficult to find a weakness to exploit.
Only two people had ever withstood her Thousand Hands Sword Formation:
The superhuman, Mage Lina, who single-handedly nullified the entire formation.
And Baek Seol-hee, who, despite having her vital points pierced by countless swords, fearlessly charged forward and struck back with her own sword, ensuring mutual destruction.
Until now, only these two had stood against her.
And now, she was about to face her beloved disciple, the one she and her granddaughter owed their lives to.
"Jin Yuha, I wonder how many exchanges you can withstand against this..."
It had been a long time since she had been able to use her ability without any restrictions.
It was good to be alive.
To enable this, she had used up all the debts she owed to Mage Lina.
But it didn't matter.
Those debts were originally meant for Malsook, and using them for the person who saved her granddaughter's life was only right.
No, setting aside such debts and rationalizations,
She had finally found a worthy opponent to cross swords with, and that was the purpose and reason she had lived for.
Slurp—
The Sword Emperor, now fully immersed in her past madness for the sword, couldn't hide her excitement as she licked her lips.
"Show me, and prove to me the extent of your sword."
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
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