I disguised myself as a warrior from the White Specter gang and asked the main headquarters of the gang. They told me it was in a city 10 km away. I greeted them and continued on my way. Of course, reaching the city quickly was difficult due to the large number of mercenaries, warriors, and bounty hunters. I had to be cautious—not because I feared fighting, but because I wanted to complete the task as quickly as possible. I needed to move fast to begin my journey.
After 30 minutes passed—if not for the mercenaries and warriors I had to avoid or hide my presence from—I would have arrived in 15 minutes. But it doesn't matter. I need to focus on my plan. First, I'll begin with infiltration. That won't be a problem. I can ask someone here to cause a commotion with another person near the guards—or even with the guards themselves—then slip in at full speed while concealing my presence with my technique.
I found a young man, though he was large, with red hair, tan skin, and full of scars—but his face was calm, bringing ease to the heart. I sat beside him and spoke. He told me he was a mercenary at the "Realm of Peak."
He asked if I was a swordsman and what my level was. I replied that he could consider me a swordsman, but I didn't know my level. I took the opportunity to ask about the powers of each realm—to both gather information and possibly hire him later.
I asked: "I want to ask, what are the abilities of each realm, and how do you advance through them?"
He replied: "Sure. Third, second, and first degrees are the basic levels—up to the bottom."
"First Degree is the 'Sword Mastery' level. At this level, the sword and its wielder are completely united, as if one. You reach the stage of Silk Sword, but only at the late phase of First Degree—not the early or mid."
"'Realm of Peak' allows one to see future movements and countless possibilities. In addition, mastery of the sword surpasses the Silk Sword level and reaches near-union. The user merges with the surroundings, feeling the entire environment, and their awareness covers the whole area."
"'Sword Perfection Realm' is when a human and sword become one—like a single manifestation. The user can even cut anything, including emotions. This is a realm where one can reach the level of slicing anything, even concepts like feelings or time. Those who reach this level are revered, and only 20 to 30 people exist in all of Murim."
"'Transcendence Realm' has only ever been achieved by five people in all Murim history. In this world, not many things exist. Its power lies in that the user can merge with the consciousness of the sword itself and create a unique sword based on their will and desires. In other words, the user forges a sword from their very being."
"Alright, that's the available information."
I said, "Good, I think I now understand all the realms. But I still don't know my level. I can see the sword in a state resembling foresight, and I've mastered it enough to cut anything—even sound. But I don't know which realm I'm in. My experience with the sword spans thousands of years; I've merged with it to the point it feels like a part of me. I can cut anything—even the mental space. Hmm... I think I'll ask the man next to me what he thinks my level is."
I asked: "Hey, can you tell me what level you think I'm at?"
He replied: "Strange. I feel an aura from you that's close to the 'Sword Perfection Realm,' but it's not pure—like seeing someone with the aura of 'Realm of Peak' while they're only a First Degree warrior. How about we duel and test it?"
I agreed, and we went to a mountain 800 meters away. Our battle began. He opened with a vertical slash, but I parried it with my hand. He followed with a massive cross-slash of aura.
I grabbed my sword and split his aura in half. Then I moved to his location, placed my sword on him, and signs of shock appeared on his face. But he fell silent and said, "I admit defeat."
"But based on your condition, you should be in the 'Sword Perfection Realm.' You cut my aura with a worn sword. But to confirm—can you see the future?"
I said, "No, I don't see the future. But I'm so used to fighting that I can predict with about 90% accuracy. I can sense an attack before it even begins—as if I feel the movement coming."
He replied, "Hmm, seems you're in the 'Realm of Peak,' but your sword mastery has surpassed your realm—to a level close to perfection. But you only lack one thing: enhancing your awareness of your surroundings. Then, you can step directly from 'Realm of Peak' to 'Sword Perfection Realm.' Your sword mastery is not the problem—you just need stronger perception."
I liked this guy and wanted to recruit him. I offered 20 gold coins but remembered my mission—stealing the documents. Damn. I asked someone to start a fight with the guards and offered five gold coins. He agreed immediately. As the fight started, I dashed forward, concealing my presence, sneaked to the third floor, and searched for documents.
I found them—but was intercepted by a man with long hair and bandages over his exposed chest. His face was hidden, and he asked: "Who are you?" I didn't reply and kept walking. But he drew his sword and lunged at me.
I barely blocked it—his aura was close to late 'Realm of Peak.' The real problem was that I needed to finish this quickly. Even though I could win, it had to be done in seconds.
Then a familiar voice appeared in my mind—the man who claims to be me. He said, "You're struggling, aren't you? Why not summon that person to finish this fast?"
I said, "Yes."
He replied, "Only you can summon him. Just think of him—and he'll appear before you."
I did what he said. The man appeared. I asked: "Please, sir, can you remove your mask? I'm curious—but only if you wish."
He replied, "You're interesting. If you want to see my face—why is that? What do you want to know?"
I responded: "I'm just curious, sir."
He said, "Your eyes and face say otherwise."
Shocked, I asked: "You mean—you can see emotions and intentions?"
He said: "Why should I answer that?"
I replied: "Maybe you're just too shy and soft to admit it."
His neck veins bulged in anger. He immediately charged and aimed for my open stomach—but I blocked it with a dagger and reinforced it with aura.
He was fast but full of openings. He was cunning—preventing me from retrieving my sword. Eventually, after I broke part of his blade, a shard hit the edge of his mask, and I managed to draw my sword.
I lunged at him, aiming for his neck—but he blocked it. I fought seriously, releasing a flurry of attacks. He lost focus briefly, and I charged, breaking both his sword and mask in a fraction of a second. The slash went from his upper shoulder to his navel—and did the same on the opposite side, creating a deep wound. He bled heavily and died sitting—his eyes lifeless.
But even that was too slow. It took five minutes. I should've finished in under five seconds.
The next fight took 3 minutes 40 seconds. The fifth fight: 21 seconds.
The thirtieth fight: 5 seconds.
The thirty-fourth: 3 seconds.
Before leaving, I asked for his name. He said: "Cheng Yan, Captain of the Guards in the White Specter gang. The second strongest person after the boss. Late stage 'Sword Perfection Realm.' Considered among the top 30 strongest in all Murim."
I laughed: "Interesting. So he's in the 'Sword Perfection Realm.' He seems strong. I shouldn't have underestimated him."
I erased the man from my consciousness and returned to reality. In my mind, 20 minutes had passed—but in reality, not even half a second.
The man I was fighting launched his attacks at me. I evaded all of them instantly and walked so fast it looked like teleportation. I slashed his mask and gave him the exact same wound as before.
This time, I wanted to recruit him. I placed a healing potion in his mouth and said: "I want to recruit you. Whether you like it or not. I don't just want to destroy the White Specter gang—if I succeed, you'll take the captain's seat."
He replied: "Hmm, I don't know. You almost killed me. But I also want to benefit for my own reasons. I also hate that leader—a drunken pervert who rarely trains. He once threatened my younger brother—so I worked for him under that threat."
I said: "So, are you in?"
He said: "Yes. I agree. I hope we can both benefit—and our ultimate goal is to overthrow that leader."
I left, carrying the documents. I returned quickly and met a man I had seen before. We greeted each other.
I offered him a proposal: "Let's go on a long journey together—even if one day we become sect leaders. I won't become a disciple or elder of any sect. I won't follow anyone. My goal is to discover something important to me."
He said: "That's better than staying in this gloomy village. I've spent most of my life dueling warriors, disciples, and even 'Realm of Peak' masters. But how much gold will I earn?"
I replied: "Don't think about money. You'll earn at least 30–50 gold coins monthly—and I'll cover housing. But first, I must leave now before I'm discovered. You go ahead—to a nearby village 12 km away."
He nodded and left. I grabbed my sword and bag and headed to the city of Sichuan, which is four days away—but if we walk fast, maybe two days. If uninterrupted, one and a half.
As for the village, I could reach it in 30 seconds. I sped up and arrived. I found the same man again.
By the way—I didn't even know his name. I asked: "What's your name?"
He said: "My name is Xing Jin. Nice to meet you, brother. And your name?"
I replied: "My name is Tian Shi. Nice to meet you, too. Our next destination is Sichuan—two days' walk, or four with breaks."