One Step Further, Hoping to Advance (3) (Main Story Complete)
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Clang-!!
The iron swords in Park Jin-woo’s and my hands clash strongly against each other.
We don’t use any special items or skills.
Relying only on our own stats and sword runes, we gauge each other’s skills.
Right now, we were only utilizing abilities specialized for close combat.
Clang!
Clang-!!
Tremendous impact flows through the clashing swords.
But thanks to the firmly supporting auxiliary runes and durability stats, our faces showed no signs of strain.
“Ugh- What’s your strength stat?”
...I stand corrected.
It seems only I wasn’t strained.
Park Jin-woo looked at me with a pained expression and asked.
To that, I decided to answer honestly.
“118.”
“W-What?! No, how is your pure strength stat so high. You have separate stat pumping skills too, don’t you?”
From the academy underground dungeon onwards, whenever we hunted in a party, I’ve been fighting alongside Park Jin-woo almost always.
Having fought together for a long time, he knew my abilities well.
“We’re originally quite fast, aren’t we? Aren’t you similar?”
“Oh, you crazy bastard. I’m not at that level.”
Clang-! Clang-!
The speed of clashing swords increases.
Even without using any special abilities.
Even without imbuing attacks with magical power-.
The power contained in a single sword is at a level that cannot be ignored.
Me, the youngest S-grade Holder.
Park Jin-woo, still an A-grade Holder, but the most likely to reach S-grade after me.
You can tell just by looking at our ranks and types.
We were...
The strongest Holders when it came to using swords.
Clang clang clang-!!
“Hah! Hey! But! Do you! Remember that?”
Park Jin-woo asks, putting in a shout with each attack.
“Which! One!”
I answer while putting strength into my sword strikes as well.
Our duels were always like this.
We fight using only stats, martial arts runes, and ordinary items.
That’s because after we both reached a certain level, using magical power itself became dangerous.
Perhaps because of that, even when we had something to say during the duel, we could talk like this while crossing swords.
“When! We first! Fought! You were ahead in strength! And I was ahead in speed!”
“What?”
And then.
Park Jin-woo, who had been pressing relentlessly, grins.
“That- I think it might still be similar now?”
Park Jin-woo, the master of swift sword technique.
He reignited today’s duel.
***
Ippotranslation
***
“I really got thrashed miserably...”
Park Jin-woo, lying spread-eagled on the floor, said as if in disbelief.
Seeing that, I burst out laughing.
“I told you. I rarely lose in close combat since I got the enhancement-related rune.”
“Even so, the difference is too big.”
“If you’re upset, come back after improving your skills more.”
“Hah... I can’t even remember how many consecutive losses this is.”
I didn’t count exactly, but it’s probably certainly over 10 consecutive losses.
Since I got the [Forgotten Dragon Knight Pride] rune, I don’t remember losing to him.
Park Jin-woo, still lying down, sighed deeply for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing as if something was funny.
“What’s this. Have you finally gone crazy?”
Seeing my friend about to lose his mind, I feel a sense of guilt.
Was he really that shocked to learn that even my speed was higher...?
After laughing like that for a while, Park Jin-woo quietly called out to me.
“Hey.”
“What, man.”
And then.
“Thank you.”
Park Jin-woo finally drops that line.
For me, who had to keep even slightly less necessary runes until now, this might have been the most needed special effect.
After reading this effect...
For some reason, I can’t help but chuckle.
The reason was simple.
“This isn’t the end.”
In fact, I had vaguely thought for some time.
Although various effects like ‘superior runes’ and ‘rune bestowal’ have emerged to organize the runes I’ve held so far, there would surely be a limit to such organization.
If I finished all possible arrangements and filled all 50 rune slots.
Eventually, there would be a limit to the [Rune Hunter]’s abilities.
Even for a hunter who has now become quite veteran...
There would surely be a day when retirement approaches.
That’s what I had vaguely thought.
“Haha....”
But it wasn’t the end.
If you’ve reached the final stop, go back to the beginning-.
If you obtained a new rune today, obtain another new rune tomorrow-.
The system and [Rune Hunter]...
Were demanding that I move forward once more.
What lies ahead.
Whether there really is an end if I keep going....
Honestly, I’m still not sure.
The path I’ve walked so far seemed certain, but was always a series of uncertainties.
I thought I had overcome, but new mountains always appeared.
So I can’t say with confidence that I’ll do well from now on.
But.
Nevertheless, I will continue to move forward.
“Because that’s how I’ve made it so far.”
There was no coincidence in the tower I’ve built until now.
Everything was a huge inevitability connected and linked by chains.
I was planning to throw myself into that inevitability once again.
“What have you been making?”
And from somewhere.
A voice answering in response to my soliloquy.
A slightly cold impression and style.
But a woman with the warmest heart and character than anyone.
From the very beginning when everything started until now...
My lover who has always been by my side, Kim Chae-eun.
As always, she was looking at me with a playful face and smile.
A familiar scene and question I’ve surely seen somewhere before.
I smiled at that familiar scenery.
“Everything I’ve built so far. And my precious people.”
To that answer...
Kim Chae-eun also bowed her head with a pretty smile.
“Am I included in that?”
“Do you want to get scolded? You call that a question?”
“Hehe.”
She came up to me and linked arms.
I gently embraced that arm and walked with her along the long street.
On the path I will walk forward.
Like this, my people will always be with me.
Today.
Tomorrow.
Perhaps, even the tomorrow after tomorrow.
Hoping that those steps could be eternal.
I sent that small hope in the falling leaves.
...
...
“But how are you going to scold me?”
“What’s with that expectant look?”
“Tell me quickly~ How are you going to scold me?”
“I’ll tell you if you buy me pudding.”
“Don’t tell me it’s grape flavor? Hing, they don’t even sell that at the mart in front of our house anymore.”
“Then I just won’t scold you, I guess.”
“Ah, what’s this-!”
– (Main Story End) -‘
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