---

Chapter 129

‘No matter how much of an Aura user you are, don’t forget that at the core, you’re just a human wrapped in flesh. Stay focused at all times and never let your guard down. Especially if you want to be a great Hunter. Always be wary of when a blind sword might come for your life.’

I pulled this crucial sentence from the first chapter of “Hunter Theory,” a textbook used even at the Academy. It’s a quote from Dr. Hilton, who is greatly respected both globally and personally.

‘You are wrong today, Doctor…’

As those thoughts crossed Yeon-woo’s mind, they rushed forward to recover the daggers that had fallen into Tae-oh’s embrace.

Even though it was uncertain whether wielding a sword against such an absurdly powerful body would inflict any damage, there was no choice but to act. If this were real combat, Albert would be dead while Yeon-woo hesitated.

Though it wasn’t quite an Aura Blade, they swung a wooden sword, enhanced by Aura, with all their might towards Richard’s back. However, it was effortlessly halted by Richard’s thick forearm, who didn’t even bother to look back.

“Yeon-woo… your power is a bit lacking. Aren’t you neglecting your training because you think using the Aura Blade would solve everything? You’ll need to consider what happens when you exhaust your Mana.”

“……!”

Richard calmly stated this, then swung his arm once. An overwhelming force surged towards the wooden sword like a tidal wave.

Yeon-woo’s balanced stance wavered, and in that fleeting moment, Richard redirected Albert’s sword, pivoting swiftly to deliver a kick to Yeon-woo’s abdomen.

“Cough!!”

The air in their lungs was expelled in an instant. Struggling to regain focus through blurred vision, Yeon-woo corrected their body mid-air using the Silver Shadow technique, propelled by the shimmering Mana.

“Unorthodox tactics are good, but in the face of overwhelming strength, you are powerless.”

Facing Yeon-woo, Richard swung his sword downwards in the air. Whoosh, the sound of wind slicing through the air was heard.

Boom!!

A storm engulfed Yeon-woo’s body. The wall of wind that was created was insurmountable, even with the propulsion gained through the Silver Shadow technique. They were swept away and tumbled outside the training ground.

As Yeon-woo coughed slightly from dull pain and raised their head, they spotted Richard glancing sideways at Albert, who was pushing forward with dual swords.

“On the contrary, no matter how strong you are, if you can’t land a hit, it means nothing.”

Richard’s figure wavered like a mirage. Albert’s swords clearly connected but failed to land a blow. Somehow, Richard evaded Albert’s attacks merely by shifting his body.

Richard’s kettle-like hand clasped Albert’s awkwardly positioned body and swung him towards Yeon-woo.

“Emergency dodge!!”

Yeon-woo hurriedly rolled on the ground to escape. Puff, dust rose as Albert crashed into the spot where Yeon-woo had just been.

Richard watched this unfold with a leisurely smile.

“There’s really no other word for it but the opposite.”

……

Even after that, the guided spar continued. Countless kicks and wooden sword strikes came, yet the control of power was so exquisite that they could rise and charge again and again.

“Huff, huff…”

Panting as if they might collapse, with their legs trembling like a newborn giraffe, Yeon-woo and Albert stood poised with their swords. Their determination not to drop their swords reflected in their foggy eyes.

Richard watched this with delight. The buttoned-down shirt he wore was in tatters, but the children’s resolve was dazzling.

‘I’m looking forward to the future.’

As time passed, Albert, on the other hand, began to show a more threatening demeanor as his strength waned.

This wasn’t due to biased affection as his son; as the captain of the kingdom’s knights, Richard viewed it objectively.

Conversely, Yeon-woo, the boy they called Choi Yeon-woo, became sharper with every drop of strength. There was a newfound dexterity in their balance of strikes and feints. What had felt somewhat awkward earlier was now falling into place.

Though Richard had offered various advice, the children needed to experience the differences firsthand. Pushing themselves to the limits would naturally drive growth, even if it meant struggling against their own limits.

“Alright, it’s about time to wrap this up. One last time, give it all you’ve got.”

Albert and Yeon-woo nodded in unison. The two didn’t immediately charge. They took their time, catching their breath and measuring the timing.

In an instant, the breaths of all three intertwined. Everyone sensed that this was the moment. Albert and Yeon-woo accelerated simultaneously.

Yeon-woo lazily swung their left arm. The shadows spread out beneath them suddenly bloated like a raven spreading its wings, enveloping the training ground like a dome. The most basic use of Shadow Mana.

As long as there was no direct light emitted from within, it would become an area unseeable and unfeelable.

Although Richard, as an Aura Master, might vaguely perceive the shape, at the level of an Aura Expert, it would be impossible for anyone within that pitch-black mass to locate their opponent.

One could even argue that it created an environment that served only as a penalty, but after rolling for several hours, this was the conclusion Richard had drawn. He was fighting while restricting himself to the entry-level of Aura Expert.

Another condition shared between them. Richard had not moved a single step from that spot since the spar began. It was almost embarrassing to say he realized the handicap existed… because surely it meant he posed no real threat.

‘Tired… so tired that I can’t do anything more.’

While he would have liked to prepare a few more moves, he lacked the energy for it. Instead, it seemed wiser to focus on the sword he had left, so Yeon-woo slowed their pace.

They couldn’t swing much. They couldn’t fight for long. Therefore, they needed to place the best strike at the precise moment.

And that timing—the one that Albert would create for them.

‘Please, deliver it for me.’

Whether Albert knew or not what Yeon-woo was thinking, he approached Richard quickly, his dual swords hanging loosely by his sides.

It felt as if the complexities in his mind had drained away. The intricate movements of the Sword of the Lion’s Fang and the techniques became a pristine white.

What moved Albert now was instinct. He knew his father was strong. That fact had been his greatest pride, once long ago.

But as a swordsman? What did that say? Despite launching a joint attack on the swordsman in front of him, he hadn’t even landed a single effective blow. How did that realization strike Albert?

The answer was, quite simply, straightforward.

‘Frustration.’

Pure, unadulterated frustration. He was aware that Richard outclassed him in every aspect, from physical conditioning to swordsmanship. Yet, he believed he could at least graze him if he poured everything he had into it.

‘…What’s the point now?’

The weakness to blame lies with himself. He wasn’t training hard enough. He had settled into a sense of comfort, thinking too highly of himself.

What reflected in the hazy sight wasn’t his father, who should have been there, but his past self.

Perhaps it was due to the excessive rolling, but he couldn’t summon enough strength into his grip. The two swords moved in their own gentle arcs.

‘This… might be impossible like before.’

If he tried to block both swords with just one clumsily held sword, they would surely slip through and strike his body.

Normally, his left hand would be holding a sword, and now it felt useless. Instantly, he concentrated the Mana, wrapping it around his skin in several layers. The Aura Shield and sword moved in tandem to provide coverage.

The elegantly drawn sword transformed into a vicious blade upon impact. What had traced such a gentle arc plugged straight into the prey’s flesh, like a lion’s fang biting down.

‘Double Lion’s Fang, Deadly Claw.’

A dual strike reminiscent of a lion’s paw and teeth. A clean strike, disregarding defense or survival, aimed purely to slay, flew straight towards Richard.

‘Now!’

Yeon-woo instinctively sensed it. Now was the time. The Aura of Shadow, absorbing everything, created a dome in which nothing could pass through unscathed, was swept away by that fierce momentum.

In tune with this, Yeon-woo poured everything into this strike. Surely Richard would block it well, so he threw everything in.

He thought he’d swung with the finesse of a long sword, but it might be a short one. No, maybe a swift sword? He wasn’t sure. He just felt dazed.

The sword swung. It felt slow and fast, strong and soft all at once. Memories of an earlier sensation flooded back—of the night when the full moon rose in his heart.

The Mana of Shadow enveloped the sword, rippling and scattering. A gap opened in the darkness along the sword’s path.

It surrounded… no, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the shadow wrapped around the sword. The dark energy spun swirling around the blade and stretched forth, drawing a circle.

The moon rose in the dark sky. Using the pitch-black heavens as its canvas, the pure white blade painted a picture. Like a moon reflected in a lake, light, and heavy as the moon in the sky.

As swift as moonlight, yet slow as the moon crossing the horizon.

Full moon hanging in the sky.

The ever-indistinct technique of the Full Moon Dual Sword coldly cleaved through the space.

*

‘What a chilling level of power.’

Richard, staring at the wooden sword that had stopped just a little away from his neck, chuckled in disbelief. He was completely encircled by swords. One blow parried by his right-hand sword, the other blocked by the Aura Shield on his left arm.

The power and speed were difficult to believe for an entry-level Aura Expert, so he had to hastily conjure an Aura Blade in response to this threat.

The golden cloak, resembling a lion’s mane, draped around Richard, along with his armor and weaponry, all transformed into a translucent form around him. This is the “Manifestation” of the Aura Blade.

Richard’s manifestation focused more on absolute defensive power rather than destructive power. That was because his attribute was “Pride.”

Pride in his family, pride in himself. An unbreakable, indestructible self. Since he always held it close to his heart, it didn’t take long to conjure, and an opponent of mediocre skill couldn’t even scratch Richard’s body.

However, there were visible marks on the left arm that had warded off Albert’s attacks and on the fur cloak. They could be called mere scratches, but the fact that Richard had been marked without donning an Aura Blade was astonishing.

‘My eyes clearly do not deceive me.’

As the dark Mana faded into the ground, Richard looked down at the two fallen children.

‘Take good care of them, Yuri.’

Covered in dust, beaming with what seemed to be immeasurable joy, he smiled broadly.

(To be continued…)

 

---