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The Moment of Reckoning

The time was just past noon.

The sun hung high in the sky, yet it wasn’t too hot.

Autumn was already upon us.

A gentle breeze rustled through, tousling my hair.

I had not bothered with any maintenance, so it was understandable that it looked a bit frayed, but perhaps due to some transformation, my skin and hair always seemed to be in top shape.

“Maybe that’s why it’s so bothersome.”

With a swift motion, I gathered my long hair and tied it back.

Now things were a bit more comfortable.

Once I tidied up, the hair that had obscured my vision was gone, revealing the scene before me.

The first thing that caught my eye was the battered sparring stage.

It was clearly marked with the aftermath of Transformation Realm Martial Artists exchanging blows.

They mentioned they were upgrading the sparring stage as they ascended to the Eight Strong, so where was all that money going?

What a pointless expenditure, I thought.

Crack.

Loosening my wrist slightly, I lifted my gaze, and this time, I spotted people around the stage.

One of them was the referee, who was visibly tense.

The reason was probably mostly my fault.

“Must be the aftereffects of the last fight.”

I hadn’t caused any significant trouble during my battle with Yeongpung, but the sparring with Shin Ryong had created quite a stir.

That must be why the referee was so on edge.

“I do feel a little sorry about it.”

But what could I do?

If he was getting paid, he had to deal with it.

I knew from experience that the Martial Alliance offered decent compensation.

Glancing at the referee, he seemed close to the rank of Deputy Lord, so he was likely getting quite a substantial amount.

Time to earn that paycheck.

“And.”

There was another reason for the referee’s tension.

I slightly shifted my focus to look for the source.

A massive figure loomed close to eight feet tall.

Broad shoulders and a heavily muscled physique.

It was Sword King Peng Zhou.

He stood with his hands behind his back and his gaze fixed on me.

I could immediately sense something different from the last time.

“That old man isn’t messing around with his energy anymore?”

Previously, he had been showcasing all sorts of energies and pulling some ridiculous stunts.

Now, he was calm and collected.

The aura of a true strongman still radiated subtly, but he’d clearly contained much of it within himself.

Good. That made him much more pleasant to look at.

He wasn’t wasting energy on useless gestures, so it was a sight to behold.

However…

– Who’s going to win this time?

– Well, you’d think the Sword King would take it without question.

– But So Yeomra defeated Shin Ryong. Surely he wouldn’t lose to Sword King.

– Still, the Sword King is among the Six Seats. It’s hard to imagine he could lose to someone from the Late-Stage Talents.

– So you’re saying Two Dragons isn’t among the Late-Stage talents?

– …Well, Two Dragons is a Pejon’s…

A cacophony of conversations pierced my ears.

As I listened, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“This is a pitiful sight.”

How did the Sword King end up in such a predicament?

People were questioning his chances against me?

My rising value played a role in this, but the Sword King’s plummeting value also played a significant part.

“Tsk.”

Perhaps he sensed that, as his expression kept darkening.

It was unfortunate.

But what could you do? He had to carry the blame for being whipped by a Pejon.

Besides, honestly, while many were concerned about the outcome of this match, I could say their focus was mostly elsewhere.

That was right: who would win if I faced Two Dragons?

This was what many were currently curious about.

The Sword King who had lost to me and Two Dragons succeeding in defeating the youngest Transformation Realm martial artist, Shin Ryong.

The sparring conditions had changed, leaving them unable to clash, and it seemed that only heightened the anticipation.

Who was the stronger among the two?

Who was truly the supreme being among the Late-Stage talents?

“Hmph.”

This endless ranking game was unbearably tiresome.

What was so important about it?

“Damned old man.”

I scowled in annoyance.

With words like these drawing so much interest, it only indicated how shockingly the Sword King had regressed.

“Thanks to that, things have become frustrating.”

His overwhelming performance made my position much more bothersome.

Even if I was dealing with internal injuries, with a Pejon forfeiting, that would only complicate matters.

Would we never know who among So Yeomra and Two Dragons was stronger? This was something people would remain clueless about.

And it was disappointing.

“I should have tried to take it all in.”

I felt I had only half of what I deserved from the Pejon.

“Could he have done this on purpose?”

With Two Dragons leaving, basking in applause and praise.

Was it possible the Pejon had anticipated this?

“…Maybe not.”

He was surprisingly filled with cleverness.

He could have been calculating this all along.

The problem was that I couldn’t question his motives.

“Regrettably, what can I do?”

It was already spilled milk, and furthermore…

“There might be a way to resolve it to some extent.”

That at least was a relief. Just as I nodded to myself, I was interrupted.

“Where do you think you’re looking?”

With that voice from the Sword King, I redirected my gaze.

“What? Are you thinking about something else while standing right in front of me?”

“Ah, I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

I offered an honest apology.

Yet, the Sword King’s expression didn’t soften at all.

“Truly, you are infuriatingly arrogant. But, given you are that man’s son, it’s only fitting.”

“Um.”

With my thumb and pinky, I contemplated my words before replying.

“It’s certainly natural for children to resemble their parents; on that note, it must be a blessing for Clan Leader Pang.”

“What?”

“Your son does not resemble you at all, in many ways. Isn’t that truly fortunate?”

To be honest, I’d say Pang Woojin was slightly better on many levels, but that didn’t matter at this moment.

As I spoke with a smile, the elder’s brow deepened further.

“It seems I will have to split that little mouth of yours to silence you.”

“That sounds scary.”

“Does the world lifting you high make you think everything belongs to you? Truly filled with a lofty arrogance.”

Thud.

Sword King’s presence pressed firmly down on the ground.

Even upon seeing it again, it remained an impressive size.

“Do not be mistaken. I made mistakes against Two Dragons, but a miracle won’t occur for you.”

“Mm…”

Heeding his words, I rubbed my cheek.

“Clan Leader Pang seems to keep pretending not to know.”

“Pretending?”

“Why do you keep thinking of it as a ‘miracle’? You should know better than anyone else.”

The corner of his eyes twitched slightly, recognizing that I had struck the nail on the head.

“Why keep wrapping the truth when it’s obviously bare? Does that bring you comfort?”

“…!”

Creek.

Finally, a coarse sound escaped the Sword King’s lips.

“You embarrassed yourself back then. Did you get hit too hard in the head? Why are you speaking such nonsense?”

As I spat that out, I glanced around.

At the same time, I fortified the sounds around us.

It wasn’t full soundproofing—merely a means of suppressing the spread of sound.

“Stop blabbering nonsense and hold your sword properly instead of flapping your jaw. How many times do you think you’ll be beaten?”

“You…!”

Squeak—!!

The Sword King’s muscles twitched as if about to spring forth any moment.

Even as I watched that, my gaze continued searching around.

‘About time… a little more than one moment left.’

The remaining time was roughly that. While my thoughts wandered, I peered back to check.

Direction towards where the sponsors of the Central Plains and those who lost would gather—a pavilion.

I gave it a quick look before nodding.

‘Not bad!’

Judging by that, this should work out.

Having made this judgment, I gazed at the referee.

“It seems preparations are complete. Shall we get started?”

“…Huh…?”

The referee’s face blanched at my words.

It appeared the condition of the Sword King was also well known to the referee.

“You can begin since it doesn’t matter.”

He waved his hand, dripping with unease.

Even as he said that, the Sword King’s aura only swelled stronger.

“I swear, I will trample you down right here, with my name on the line.”

Hearing those words made me smirk.

“That’s one of the most common lines I’ve heard… yet I’ve never seen anyone succeed with it.”

Normally, those who spoke to me like that ended up in one of two situations.

Either they would be trampled beneath my feet or find their necks severed in death at my hands.

Which fate would the Sword King meet?

“I won’t have high expectations. I simply dare to hope.”

I clenched my hand multiple times, then declared.

“One moment.”

Thwack.

Clenching my fists tight, I said, “Just hold on for that long.”

That was all I wanted from the Sword King.

 

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