전생검신 94권 02화

I’m walking in a dream.

Lost in fog.

I’ve walked in dreams before, but this time it felt weirder. My senses were all turned down, and only my consciousness was cutting through this faint mist, but I couldn’t see my own body walking through it. I had a faint sense of why I was here, but I couldn’t grasp my will properly.

One thing was certain – this place was nothing like the dreamland I knew.

As I pushed through the fog, a vague voice echoed in my head.

[… Only the child survived.]

[Both the father and mother… the parents died from the plague.]

[Tsk, tsk… Unlucky…]

Faded memories that clung to my unconscious mind.

Only today could I remember what those words meant.

It was what the villagers said when they found me starving to death, nothing but skin and bones during my childhood…

Ouch!

Suddenly, a pain felt like I was being beaten all over. I recognized that familiar pain of being kicked.

[You little brat! Do you want to die?]

[Hey! Do you want to die or not?!]

[You’re going to die today. I’m going to kick you to death like a dog!]

… Yes.

It was a memory I had brushed off as just another day of bullying. It was when Kim Manje—the big guy with a face like a toad—was mercilessly kicking me. I couldn’t remember why I was being beaten, but it was probably for something trivial.

And while I felt that pain again, a single thought crossed my mind.

Why am I alive?

…

A thought I’d had countless times…

Kim Manje, with his round, pockmarked face, was in no way handsome. But even he felt superior when he looked at my face, which was frankly just ugly. On top of that, my parents died from disease, and while I was bullied by Kim Manje and the village boys, I could do nothing about it… My childhood was a life that continued with no hope, with pain as my only companion when I fell asleep.

Why am I alive?

The answer to that question was always the same.

Because dying seemed painful.

I continued living because I couldn’t die.

Still, back then, there was a glimmer of hope. After enduring a few years at the village chief’s house, I managed to go out and live on my own as an escort, believing that becoming an escort would bring some light into my life later. However, working as an escort made me realize an even harsher reality.

[You really have no talent.]

[But what does it even matter for an escort, right?]

[Just try not to get killed while dodging knives.]

My martial arts instructor, who taught the escorts, clicked his tongue, dumbfounded by how talentless I was. When I realized this, my despair deepened. I had no money, no parents, I was ugly, and now I was talentless too! Even the other escorts started to scoff and distance themselves from me when they realized I had nothing to offer. I felt isolated and in my loneliness, I thought daily.

Why am I alive?

Why am I even living in such torment?

The excuse that it’s painful no longer held weight. Life as a lowly escort was tough and dangerous, sometimes I would even grovel on the ground begging for my life from bandits. I was starving and cold with a mountain of work to do, so I endured the pains from my frozen hands as if I had been sliced. Life was so hard and harsh that I wondered if dying with one clean cut would be easier.

…

When asked why I was living, I had no answer to give myself. I could only come up with the cowardly response that I lived because I couldn’t die. The thought that no one could be more miserable than I was would often cross my mind, and I sometimes pondered if death would be happier.

I held on through fifty long years only to die of a cold while descending the mountain…

… Damn it.

Why…

Why, even after experiencing so much and growing stronger, do these past memories still hurt?

After enduring so much pain, why do those past pains feel even worse?

I want to wake up from this dream quickly.

Just as I was desperately trying to turn my back on the past, it happened.

Tsuwaaat!

Suddenly, my essence split apart. I sensed a familiar aura emanating from my fragmented self and panicked.

‘…Mangnyang?!’

Why did I get a glimpse of Mangnyang earlier…?!

Huhwaaat!

Then, a little later, when I regained my wits, I heard a song.

Aaaah –

This deeply resonating song.

Amidst the heavenly chorus that rang out like an angel’s voice, I could feel the horrifying sensation from earlier wash away. Shadows danced around me, seemingly swaying to the unknown melody, and I found myself feeling strangely comfortable watching them.

As my heart began to settle, a strange voice called out.

[Is that your choice?]

A phrase I’d heard countless times.

I felt like I had returned to the place where I first heard those words. When I turned my head, there stood a figure cloaked in dark attire. We faced each other, but for some reason, I could not see its face.

[….]

The shadow, silenced for a moment, pointed a staff at me and spoke.

[No matter how many aeons you carry, you committed a most heinous crime… I, too, will fight with everything I have….]

Crash!

At that moment, the surrounding fabric of time and space shattered like a broken mirror. As the shattered space revealed terrifying beings that had been dancing around me, I felt a chill run down my spine as I recognized them.

What is that?!

A dreadful, indescribable ‘something’ was dancing and singing.

I found the melody strangely soothing, yet I couldn’t believe I was experiencing this.

How can I be enjoying such a twisted and horrifying song?! But…

‘I can’t deny that… it feels good…’

This is strange.

What in the world is going on?

What are these memories that I am grasping?

Why do I possess these memories?

As I felt a confusion about my identity, I noticed a bizarre will spring up inside me simultaneously.

What does it mean to question ‘why’ in life?

Is there even a need for such a question?

If such a question was necessary from the start, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.

And at the same time, amidst flooding feelings of disillusionment and despondency, I sensed my will beginning to dwindle like an extinguished flame.

With unimaginable aeons of experience, I could feel the absurd fatigue I felt about life turning me into a dim candlelight.

‘Hah… Hah… Hah…’

What is this…

‘Such a… such a massive something…’

I felt like I might just lose my mind under this enormous mental pressure unlike anything I had encountered before. Although I had never experienced anything like this, it felt like it belonged to me. It was a brutal, overwhelming timeless entity, devoid of any humanity.

I couldn’t even feel fear.

No, I couldn’t be fearful.

To feel fear, you need at least some self-love and awareness, but all of that had crumbled.

Only profound disgust and disdain for everything was deeply engraved within me. The pressure I felt was so overwhelming that I could only recoil in horror.

What is this… what kind of thoughts am I having… Even though I feel it, I can’t understand it at all!

And then, in the darkness, something squirmed and sank into the ground like some shapeless liquid. That ‘thing’ wriggled continuously, trying to take shape like a person, and it reached out to me with a mental voice.

[What is the most terrifying thing in the world?]

…?

That unexpected question momentarily diverted my confusion. It was out of place, yet somehow, as I heard that question, I felt the turmoil brewing inside me subside a bit. I was still muddled, as if I were walking in a hazy dream, but I managed to respond faintly.

‘…Being unable to achieve anything and just ending…’

My answer held nothing more than my usual belief. I had encountered countless terrifying beings in my life, yet none of them could become my greatest fear. My most terrifying fear was that the trajectory of this ‘life’ wouldn’t leave any meaning behind, vanishing into thin air.

Then that liquid-like ‘thing’ bubbled for a bit before breaking its silence.

[The direction may differ, but… you understand it very well… ]

‘…’

[The one who bestows meaninglessness (無意微) and ignorance (無知) upon everything… a nightmare that suggests everything is unexistential (無一物) yet still is…

You understand… that is what the most terrifying thing in the world is… ]

‘…I don’t understand what you’re saying…’

I didn’t quite get it, but… I could understand one thing.

That thing knows something.

[… It must have come to find your darkness.]

‘…’

[The darkness that leads to the boundary… essence… Right now, you are not worthy of attaining it but…

If it’s merely facing a meek reincarnation… ]

In that instant, I saw that the liquid-like thing was beginning to morph into something.

It gradually shifted to take on a human appearance.

[Try it if you can… you fool!]

Tsuwaaak!

As soon as those words ended, the dark something in front of me emitted a shadowy light, revealing fully formed human-like characteristics.

And as soon as I saw that, I gasped.

“…Me?”

The figure known as Baek Woong stood in front of me.

‘I’ had a cold demeanor, holding the Water Wednesday in one hand. The Water Wednesday, which wasn’t particularly long, pointed at me and suddenly unleashed an assault.

Kaang!

In the darkness, I unconsciously moved with my will to block it. I couldn’t be sure if I had a human body here given how dark it was. And just as I managed to fend off ‘my’ attack, I saw ‘myself’ suddenly summon the Fire Wednesday with the other hand and take a dual sword stance.

‘Dual swords?’

I knew how to use twin swords, but since my primary style was still a singular one, I was astonished when my opponent took the stance with two blades. But the craziest part was what happened next.

Sword Heaven

Dual Dragon Wings!

Swoosh swish!

“…!”

Cough!

I staggered as I couldn’t properly block the dual sword techniques that my opponent unleashed. I wasn’t heavily cut, but I had a slight scratch that grazed my chest, suggesting my defense had been penetrated. A deeper cut might have cracked my ribs, which sent chills down my spine.

‘With two varying ‘transformations’… this is a staggering amount of technique!’

The reason I couldn’t properly counter it was due to the powerful will and dazzling shifts contained within the dual swords. Reaching the Divine Realm, I thought I could read any changes, but this twin sword technique was entirely beyond my comprehension.

‘Why is that?’

No matter how varied and limitless the techniques seem, in the Absolute Realm, one should read flows before killing intent and will reach the point where the flow can be severed without needing to read every pronged variation. But the way my opponent’s techniques unfolded completely disregarded the flow I reading, hitting as if I were dealing with basic techniques.

In an instant, memories of the Sword Heaven I had previously learned drifted through my mind.

[Reach Sword Heaven. Only upon reaching that level shall you be worthy of studying Peerless Techniques.]

The words of Bright Dragon resonated.

To achieve the level of Sword Heaven, where one can exert the Mind Control Technique properly, was required to earn the right to study Peerless Techniques…

That phrase now bore a new meaning.

[It’s just a process, not an outcome. Handling thoughts with intent doesn’t end with merely shaking the rules.]

… Handle thoughts with intent…

Shake the rules…

… The rules?

Pow!

While I was lost in thought, my opponent once again charged at me with the dual dragon wings technique. I instinctively began to read the [flow], but suddenly gritted my teeth.

No!

If I’m to grow even further… I can’t afford to lose this focus!

Kaang!

“Cough!”

I was sent reeling back from the pressure of the dual dragon technique. Hitting the ground, I rolled away. I maintained my focus and the goal of blocking each one of my opponent’s attacks. Luckily, I managed to rise back up without serious injury.

As I got to my feet, I noticed my ‘other self’ looking at me with a strange smile.

[That’s it… you rookie. Only the colorless one can sever dreams.]

Tadad!

As I got up, my opponent, instead of dual swords, wielded a spear. The stance was typical of the Thunder God Lineage, and I instinctively predicted an incoming attack from their spear style, and sure enough, a swift, deadly thrust came whistling towards my vital points.

Phew! Phew! Phew!

Kaang! Bang! Kaang!

I endured the barrage of thrusts for what felt like a hundred entries, but my body’s cutting scars began to pile up, and fatigue soon overwhelmed me. It was only natural that my opponent’s spear skill was above the level I had practiced. The thought that I could read the [flow] flashed through my mind, yet I still couldn’t read it completely. Instead, I fought tirelessly to anticipate the movements of their strikes with pure reflexes, energy, and experience.

‘Ugh…!’

Just as I was at my limit, it happened.

Flash!

Bam!

“Ugh… Aaargh…”

I felt a massive hole tear through my chest and fell forward.

Boom!

In that single moment, as dark shadows shot toward me, I failed to perceive the speed of my doom and left my chest exposed to a devastating strike. As I lay on the ground, squirming, I heard the voice of ‘me’.

[The heart is faster than light… the heart can already reach the ends of the universe… that realm is called the Heart Sword… and those who tread the Divine Realm already know this…]

“Cough…”

[Then is there not something that can exist faster than the heart?]

I could not respond to that voice. Partly because the pain was too great for my voice to come out, but more so because my understanding of martial arts wasn’t profound enough to answer that question. However, I began to regain my senses with just that one phrase.

Seeing my other self stroke its chin with some disappointment.

[Hmmm… You’re so inexperienced that you can’t even respond… You still have a long way to go to reach ‘this level’.]

“You… who are you…?”

I asked, murmuring, but I was too grievously wounded to be of much use.

[I just came out of the palace to see you… But at least you’re finally breaking your shell.]

“…”

[Experience what lies beyond the Divine Realm once.]

Tsu tsu tsu…

The figure that had pierced through my chest began to fade. Just then, I could feel something unknown standing in its place, though my vision was hazy and I couldn’t see it clearly.

In my last moment, it seemed to smile at me.

[The journey into the abyss of the martial soul begins now, rookie!]

At that moment, I realized.

That looks like ‘me’, but it is not me.

*

Kugugu…

Before I knew it, the sword was within my grasp.

I had somehow emerged from the depth of what felt like an endless dream, and found myself confronting a great dragon in mid-air. I raised the black sword, shining like obsidian, and aimed it at the dragon, feeling as if my essence shot into the depths of its heart.

‘Ah.’

I can see it.

What shouldn’t even be visible… I can see it.

Threads, entangled like silk, covered the corpse of the great dragon. I knew that they were not real threads, but they were so clear that I couldn’t pretend not to see them.

I didn’t need to ask anyone else.

Those threads were only visible to me. They must have been something that couldn’t be perceived otherwise.

‘I need to cut those threads entangled in the dragon’s corpse.’

People might think it’s easy to sever threads. But the moment I saw them, I instinctively felt that cutting those threads would be the hardest thing to do in the world. This was not only a reincarnation’s intuition but also a martial artist’s survival instinct being triggered by the ominous malignance radiating from those threads.

In other words, if I touched them incorrectly, I’d end up dying instead the moment I tried to sever those threads.

“Phew… Phew…”

I take a deep breath.

Maybe it was because of the ‘rookie’ sensation I felt when that being referred to me as such? I could feel the thrill of an experienced warrior replaced by an exciting stir of feelings within me. Although usually, that feeling would be undesirable for a martial artist, strangely, I found this thrill to be a good thing.

Is the thrill of combat always so good?

Am I just fighting due to habit?

If there’s no genuine interest in martial arts, can this even be called fighting?!

How long has it been since I felt the exhilaration from my very cells? I felt my entire body heat up for a moment. This was just the right state that ignites the passion for battle. While I was lost in the intoxication of my being, I suddenly sensed the entire world heaving around me.

Lines became curves, and shapes twisted.

Boundaries vanished, leaving only concepts behind.

While I stalked the bizarre scene before me, I could see the sensation of ‘threads’ becoming even clearer and more precise.

‘Threads!’

Not just the ones wrapping around the great dragon’s corpse.

The world, lacking in boundaries – threads scattered everywhere in this realm.

Was there so much thread in the world?

Looking closely, I could see that I myself was wrapped in them, feeling as if I were enveloped entirely. Though these threads had no effect on my movement, I realized they were the very essence that constituted my being. The moment these threads snapped, I would undoubtedly experience a daunting nightmare.

Tsu tsu tsu…

As I observed further, I noticed that a massive pillar of thread stretched down from the corpse of the great dragon to the ground. That pillar flowed in a ghastly blackness, and the malicious energy emanating from that darkness bore a truly horrifying intent. I could intuitively sense what it meant.

‘That must be… the curse of the great dragon…’

It was astonishing to perceive a conceptual entity resembling a curse as a pillar of threads.

The moment that curse anchored itself to the ground, the dragon would surely curse the earth, turning it into a realm of death.

So, I found myself pondering.

‘… Should I sever the threads of the dragon, or is it better to sever that cursed pillar?’

Urgent!

‘Ugh!’

A stinging sensation radiated from the wound on my chest, as if it were freshly inflicted. Yet, there were no actual injuries on me; this was merely a phantom pain. Yet, it was bizarre that the agony I experience in the fantasy transferred here. What was that battle I had gone through earlier, and who was the one there?

But I could also sense with that pain what I needed to do.

‘I must sever the origin of that curse! That’s the answer!’

If I merely cut the curse’s pillar, the dragon’s corpse would remain, and it would continue to unleash the conceptual curse. In short, the rightful conclusion would always be to cut down the dragon itself. I honed my focus fully, pouring my intent into the black sword.

….

Silence…?

‘What… what’s going on? I poured all my essence and intent into this black sword…?’

Usually, channeling that much energy should cause any weapon—whether a martial weapon or a divine item—to overflow with the power of the Thunder God. But this black sword, shining like obsidian, exhibited a diminishing of light, turning an even darker color without showing any response. It was bewildering to witness such a lack of reaction after channeling a force almost comparable to what I’d infused into the Fire Dragon Sword.

Could it be that this black sword absorbs all my power?

Caught off guard by this unexpected turn, the voice of the Fire Dragon that had inhabited the Fire Dragon Sword cried out.

[Time is running out! The creature is ready to bestow its curse; soon, it will yield under physical principles and drop swiftly!]

“…!”

If what the Fire Dragon said was true, time was indeed running short. If this colossal creature began free-falling, it would reach the ground in the blink of an eye! Even the experts from the White Lotus Sect employing the Four Great Spirit Deities would be powerless to stop it. If I now tried to lift the dragon’s corpse with the powers of the Soul of the Evil God, even bolstered by the Thunder Spirit, it would remain impossible. My body was hastily prepared to channel Thunder only deployed into Yeodong-bin’s frame.

Something was going wrong.

Everything had seemed to progress without a hitch, so what had gone awry?

I quickly began to ruminate on what I might have done incorrectly while my body surged with energy, and eventually, I came to a realization.

‘Was it a mistake to imbue intent into this black sword?’

That was utter nonsense.

It was common knowledge among any expert that imbuing intent into weapons enhanced them—

Even those who surpassed the Absolute Realm utilized intent in their fight, and it was a constant consideration.

Without intent, no mutual strategy would hold.

However… the reaction from this black sword was rejecting ‘intent’, no, even my essence itself was being repelled.

It was undoubtedly a refusal made visible by my futile attempts to force it.

Then does that mean I should wield this black sword without imbuing it with intent?

‘… That’s ridiculous. Without intent, all it becomes is a regular swing through empty air…?’

There’s no way I could sever the causal links wrapping around the massive great dragon’s body with such a lackluster swing!

What nonsense this was.

How could I possibly find a way through this predicament?

At that moment, the words I had heard earlier flitted through my mind.

[Then can there exist something swifter than the heart?]

Something faster than the heart?

… Could that really be the key to wielding this black sword properly?

‘But where in the world could I find something faster…?!’

According to that sage, the heart could reach the ends of the universe the instant you think it. Nothing could outpace the heart itself, meaning that after attaining the level to read the [flow], I had been capable enough to confront any bolt of swift swordplay. I stood there, startled by my confusion when Idendon-bin surfaced in mind.

During one such moment of despair, Yeodong-bin had managed to rise again.

And with a single sword, he split the backbone of a dragon hundreds of times bigger than he was.

How was he able to accomplish that?

‘Did he cut down with the Heart Sword?’

No… That didn’t seem right. At that time, Yeodong-bin had been adept at the Sword Flying Technique, essentially utilizing the Heart Sword form constantly. Since he had faced an overwhelmingly powerful dragon, he must have employed something other than the Heart Sword to fell it.

What could be more powerful than the Sword of the Heart?

Upon reflection, I recalled he had never explained to me what that could be. He had taught me nothing about that because when I first struggled to even reach the Absolute Realm, anything beyond that would have been meaningless to teach me. There wasn’t even a reason to mention it.

Yet, upon pondering deeply, I recalled a peculiar conversation I had once.

[Hey Yeodong-bin, do you think the end of this world is an outcome?]

[Depending on one’s sight, there may be instances where even the universe’s end is not the end. ]

[The concept of causality is not merely the buildup of time.]

[Your Sword of the Heart is still young. The true Sword of the Heart is not merely defined by its sharpness alone.]

…!

In that moment, I looked at the black sword gripped in my hand once more. Then, I raised it and began to slowly draw a shape in the air.

A circle.

An odd sensation – while I shifted my sword trajectory deliberately to draw that circle, it felt like all material boundaries were melting away, dissolving into the air. I had no tangible realization of what I was cutting, but I felt this black sword was emitting something other than what existed in the physical world. Finally, as I completed the circle, bringing the start and finish together, I sensed a wave of that familiar quality of obsidian rising again, sharpening the sword’s tip.

Tsu tsu tsu!

The heart sets the blade’s edge.

In that instant, I realized with complete clarity that this was in perfect alignment with the principles Yeodong-bin had once described.

‘Now I understand.’

This black sword was a true Sword of the Immortal.

Although I had grasped that concept mentally, I had never truly felt it – unlike the sword I usually brandished, this was a fully independent blade born of the essence of [heart]! The attributes of this unique sword bearing the power of the Fire Spirit were similar yet utterly different from the white sword executed in Thunder God Sword Name.

Still, I sensed something peculiar.

‘It shouldn’t be… shouldn’t it be incomplete?! It feels entirely complete!’

According to every theory up until now, I could tell that the blade I had just conjured up would be an incomplete one without the essence (氣) and the form (體) to support it. While training the Sword of the Immortal, it was evident my essence and intent influenced the balance of my martial energy according to the principles of Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence. Yet right now, both the essence I possessed and the body I was rooted in belonged to Yeodong-bin. Therefore, with that lack of essence and body, it should be a half-baked Sword of the Immortal.

Yet this black sword stood with an arrogant aura, emanating tremendous power.

Viewing that domineering and presumptuous demeanor stirred me to think.

‘Could it be… unlike the Thunder God Sword Name, this black sword might operate solely on the Heart without needing balance in Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence?’

Was it that the [heart] alone sufficed, while essence and mindset might become obstacles to it?

How could this even be possible?

This contradicted the very principles of the Sword of the Immortal I was taught by Yeodong-bin!

‘The Sword of the Immortal operates on the principles of Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence to maintain its balance! That’s why it was trainable in the first place, but how is this…?!’

Just as I was lost in confusion regarding the existence of this black sword, the words of Gong Sun Da-rang flickered through my mind.

[Those who reach the Divine Realm attain the world’s [heart], and thus their standards must break free of the human realm. The way of Nature (自然) ultimately means recognizing the incomparability of the cosmic causality.]

A teaching from Gong Sun Da-rang explaining the realm of the Natural Sword.

For some reason, I felt a connection between that explanation and this black sword.

‘Is it a sword devoid of artificiality (人爲)?’

Could it be possible that this black sword…!

A sensation brushed against my consciousness, leaving me unsettled. Most importantly, while handling this sword, I began to feel the chilling essence of intent seeping into my heart.

Urgent!

I felt the pain in my chest surge.

And this illusion began warning me of something.

[This sword] should not be handled for too long, unlike the power of the Thunder God’s sword.

If I didn’t settle this quickly, I’d be the one to get hurt on its sharp edge!

‘Whether it ends in rice or in soup… it’s time to act!’

Upon that realization, I turned to the Fire Dragon Sword I held in the other hand.

“…Fire Dragon Incarnate. Please assist me, as I cannot employ the Sword Flying Technique.”

I could summon the powers of the Thunder Spirit to fly, but to fell my enemy in one fell swoop, I needed to conserve every ounce of might. I needed the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s assistance to close that gap between myself and the dragon.

[Very well. How far do you intend to fly?]

I lightly placed my foot on the blade.

“To the head of the dragon.”

It was because I noticed a large cluster of ‘threads’ gathering around that area.

[Alright… Let’s go!]

Whoosh!

At that moment, the Fire Dragon did just that, piercing through the air with all its strength. Like a bolt transcending multiple times the speed of sound, I stood upon the blade with every muscle tense.

‘I can feel it… This black sword… is unlike the white sword of the Thunder God Sword Name.’

Every attribute and its potency differed.

No, rather it was specialized.

Now, I had to sever that dragon with the very specialization of this black sword, and in this context, that felt like an outright gamble. I thought that utilizing what was left of the Thunder Spirit’s powers to wield it would be a much safer move at any time.

But I could sense, even without intuition, that…

‘With the Thunder God Sword Name, I would find a limit!’

Should my level deepen further, then perhaps I could fell so much with the Thunder God Sword Name, but right now, there were undeniable physical limitations. This black sword was capable of reaching the more potent areas that the Thunder God Sword Name could not touch. I resolved to take that leap of faith in its extraordinary capability, focusing my spirit thoroughly.

As the world destabilized…

Again, the realm became disturbed considerably. The degree of distortion depended on my concentration, and while all the boundaries wavered, those ‘threads’ became even more precise and clear in my focus, feeding my intuition.

And that pulsing world unveiled itself as the black sword’s power surged, shining ever so brightly as its edge became sharper.

‘In one instant!’

I didn’t know what I would be able to sever at this very moment, but I knew I could at least attempt it in a single stroke!

Everything will culminate in a split second.

‘Now…!’

And in the subsequent moment, I descended with the black sword, delivering a straightforward cut, employing the fundamental thrust of the Straight Blade.

Countless techniques flickered in my mind, but finally at the very last moment, I realized that the strongest technique was one that descended vertically from above.

And when I unhesitatingly slashed down with the black sword, entering a state of nothingness…

Swoosh!

The space I sheared open was minimal. Regardless of how long I could swing, it was just a mere span! Yet that small cut quickly exacerbated into a vast gash within the great dragon’s head.

Plook!

As if a cap had been removed, something was severed from the great dragon’s head in an instant. The threads snapped sharply, liberating their grips in an unison. Strangely enough, the dragon suffered no external wounds, appearing outwardly as if nothing had happened.

But then, the following moment unfolded a bizarre sight in front of my eyes.

Thud thud thud!

The other threads surrounding the great dragon’s form suddenly snapped, causing its frame to halt midair before it began to float gently upwards, as if defying gravity. Fragments of corporeal flesh began to scatter, slowly turning to dust.

Swooooosh…

“Ohhh!”

I couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

Is it turning into sand? The great dragon was progressively becoming noticeably clearer as it transformed into sand and fizzled away, and I confirmed that not a trace of its might remained.

I squinted, trying to grasp the event unfolding before me.

‘… Just like when Yeodong-bin cut it down…!’

Could it be… that this black sword possesses the same properties as that of the martial soul?!

I was filled with jubilation at the thought that I had taken another step of growth. However, just then…

Tsuwhack!

Out of the blue, my arm exploded as it turned into grains of sand!

It appeared as if that sand mirrored the sand from the Desert of Isolation.

“…Ugh, Aaaaargh!”

In an instant, I screamed watching my arm vanish into mists as if it had always been composed of sand! Naturally, the black sword also crumbled into grains, and I was the only one illuminated by the affliction of annihilation growing within the void!

“Cough! Ughhh…!”

What on earth is happening?!

Stifling my confusion, as I tried to hold it back, the voice of the Fire Dragon echoed in horror.

[What have you done?! All of your essence is… disappearing!]

“…?!”

[At this rate, you will revert back to nothingness…!]

My essence disappearing?!

Before I could grasp the measure of his warning, I felt all my senses turning rigid, filled with a suffocating darkness.

‘Hah!’

That darkness, imbued with an unfathomable cosmic dread, felt as though it whispered to me: you are meant to reside here.

The infinite despair I had previously sensed was speaking to me again.

I felt as if I were going insane.

“Wha, Hah… ugh…!”

Whispers.

A thousand aeons of darkness spoke around me.

This was not mine, the essence collapsing against the vortex of darkness colliding.

Could this be the price for having grasped that black sword?

Ziin!

As I was on the verge of losing my mind, a dazzling white sword unexpectedly appeared before my eyes.

[Hey Yeodong-bin.]

That white sword let out a sharp voice as if chastising me.

[You are yourself!]

Perehhh!

“Cough!”

The moment the white sword pierced my heart – I felt a stinging pain that awoke my senses. The excruciating material pain flooded my conscience once more, drawing me out of the encroaching shades of despair that plagued me. The instant I saw the white sword bore through my chest, I immediately understood.

That was the Sword of Heaven.

‘Ah…!’

Realizing I could soon no longer evade death, an involuntary smile crept across my face.

“Thank you… Sword Saint.”

*

Tick tock…

Tick tock…

I regained my senses, finding myself seated in a room, hearing the sounds of a clock.

“… Huhhh…”

Having been stabbed in the heart repeatedly, I felt a daze, drooling from my mouth, yet there was Al Karda calmly staring at me with a dry gaze.

He broke the silence after a moment.

“You survived the brawl.”

“`

 

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