Chapter 703. Proving (3)

Chapter 703. Proving (3)

One's cultivation was accumulative. One trained over and over to accumulate their cultivation. Rather than building up, the more correct term would be 'buffing' up instead.

One repeated the same actions to build up their muscle memories. This process would be repeated over and over again. Repeated for a day, for a year, for a decade... The training of repeated actions would continue on for as long as possible.

Once upon a time, Morigawa Atsushi wondered why this was the case. Why did they need to repeat themselves? 'They' being martial artists in this case, of course.

Did mathematicians repeatedly practice addition and subtraction until they grew sick of them? Of course not. Even if those two concepts formed the foundation of mathematics, the mathematicians still wouldn't force themselves to repeatedly practice those two things again and again.

That story applied to practically all professions. Even in sports, where basics were seen as crucial to success, the pro athlete wouldn't spend the whole day training in them. A pro soccer player wouldn't practice dribbling all day, for instance.

That was the case for pro athletes, so what about martial artists boasting superior muscle memories than them? What was the point of the lengthy process of repeatedly doing the same thing?

Morigawa Atsushi couldn't understand it. However, his questions were always met with non-answers.

“That is the way of mastering martial arts, Atsushi.”

“You might not understand it now, but give it enough time. You will understand it, then.”

“Only by constantly repeating your training can you perfectly master your techniques!”

All the replies had been in the similar vein of those three. It was as if he was chasing after floating clouds. But now?

Morigawa Atsushi could finally understand the point of all the repeated training.

Engraving those actions to one's body...! Not to one's brain, but to the body itself! Only now did Morigawa Atushi finally learn what that meant.

His body was currently paralyzed from top to bottom. When the monster before his eyes leisurely reached out, all thoughts inside Morigawa Atsushi's mind emptied out, leaving a blank space. His muscles seemed to have turned into stone as the monster's hand closed in on him.

His blank brain couldn't even shout at him to move, that staying still like this was suicide. Like a mouse paralyzed by the sight of a hissing snake before its eyes, all Morigawa Atsushi could do was remain stiffly still.

However... His body suddenly moved.

Slaaaash!

His sword moved according to the trajectory Morigawa Atsushi had trained in for tens of thousands... No, hundreds of thousands of times!

Even though he hadn't thought about it... Even though he didn't even will it, his body still searched for its role, found it, and acted accordingly.

Engraving it to one's muscle memories! The act of repeating things until he almost died of boredom... has saved his life this once.

Claaang!

Of course, that didn't mean Morigawa Atsushi managed to wound the monster. As a matter of fact, the monster deflected the Japanese's sword strike with an annoyed flick of his hand. A sword that could chop through steel like a hot knife through butter couldn't even leave a nick on human flesh.

“Fuu-woop!”

However, it was still enough to sober Morigawa Atsushi up. He roused every ounce of power and jumped back before hurriedly panting away to regulate his breathing.

'That was close!'

A flood of sweat suddenly broke out all over Morigawa Atsushi's body. With this amount of sweat, maybe he could have even washed himself! Before his brain could process it, his body figured out first how close to death he had been.

If his body instinctively hadn't reacted, his head would've been separated from the neck by now! All those repeated training had indeed saved his life. Of course, that still didn't change the situation by much.

Morigawa Atsushi couldn't say this hellish situation had tilted in his favor just because he managed to create a bit of distance between himself and that monster. Kang Jin-Ho was still standing before him, after all. And that monster's glowing eyes were fixed on no one else but Morigawa Atsushi!

This intense pressure was making it hard to breathe. It felt like he was trapped inside a small cage with a wild beast. There was no escape. Meaning...

He had to fight and win somehow!

'Mm? Has my sword... always been this slender?'

Morigawa Atsushi's gaze briefly shifted to his katana. It was his favored weapon. He liked it so much that he even named it 'Moon River' like a pet.

Looking at it always calmed Morigawa Atsushi's mind. However, his favorite weapon looked so thin and weak today for some reason. His anxiety rearing its ugly head must be the culprit for his warped perception.

Step...

Kang Jin-Ho resumed walking toward Morigawa Atsushi a step at a time.

One step, then another...

This single strike contained all of Morigawa Atsushi's pride and the weight of his life leading to this moment. Unfortunately...

He soon came to realize something. That something being how cold and uncaring this world could be!

Being able to achieve anything as long as one did their best... That was nothing more than inspirational nonsense.

Morigawa Atsushi had been constantly and diligently polishing his skills. He had accumulated and improved his cultivation as much as he could. However, what if someone else was improving a little more, a little faster, than him despite investing the same length of time as he did? The gap between the two would only exponentially grow bigger with time.

And it'd eventually become a gigantic wall that could not be breached no matter what anyone tried.

Grab!

Morigawa Atsushi's strongest, greatest sword strike...! The one he'd never be able to replicate again in his life...! The attack that contained his everything... was caught by Kang Jin-Ho's empty hand. And quite unceremoniously, too.

Morigawa Atsushi's body froze stiff instantly.

His attack was ineffective?

Yes, that didn't seem so outlandish. Obviously, Morigawa Atsushi had morals. Even if this strike was his strongest ever, he never expected to defeat Kang Jin-Ho with it. Hell, he didn't even think he could gravely injure Kang Jin-Ho!

After all, the best a little kitten could do in a fight against a lion was biting the lion's nose, now wasn't it?

Even so, this... This wasn't what he wanted to see. A strike produced with his body and soul in unison was grabbed by a hand. It wasn't even defended or deflected away!

“Heuh...!”

The reality was often unceasingly cruel and uncaring. Transcending past one's limits and defeating the enemy only happened inside the pages of shonen mangas. Such a thing never happened in reality. No matter how much a dog bared its fang, it was still a dog at the end of the day. It could never win against a tiger.

“Now, tell me,” said Kang Jin-Ho as he leisurely reached out again.

Morigawa Atsushi dazedly stared at the hand... No, the thing that should be called darkness itself gradually closing in toward his head.

Slowly, oh-so-agonizingly slowly...!

Thick demonic qi that resembled burning lava tickled Morigawa Atsushi's cheeks. The sensation of sticky, hot demonic qi that also felt ominous and eerie touching his face was similar to a warm snake hissing and licking his skin.

However, that sensation vanished pretty quickly afterward. After all, the only thing Morigawa Atsushi felt was his skin burning up when Kang Jin-Ho's hand, not demonic qi, finally gripped his head! This searing pain sent shockwaves throughout the Japanese's body, and his jaw fell from sheer shock.

“Tell me, who is the trash now?”

“Kuh-huh...!” Morigawa Atsushi continued to resist.

If Kang Jin-Ho had been someone who would spare anyone begging him for mercy, Morigawa Atsushi might have tried his luck. However, his instincts told him otherwise. This monster would never spare him. In that case... Shouldn't he at the very least try to maintain his dignity as a martial artist?

“Kill... me!”

Not losing his dignity and brazenness until the final moment... That was the only act of defiance he could offer.

Unfortunately for the Japanese warrior, though... He still didn't know the truth. He still didn't know what kind of a monster was gripping his head!

Kang Jin-Ho smirked. “I never thought of you as trash.”

“...?”

“Everyone has a different way of assigning value. And, at least in my book, you are not trash. Honestly, I'm even willing to acknowledge you as a martial artist.”

Confusion quickly dyed Morigawa Atsushi's eyes. Why was Kang Jin-Ho suddenly saying all this to him? What was he trying to do here...?

Those crimson-hued lights burning within Kang Jin-Ho's eyes broke through the demonic qi dancing and wavering like the darkness itself. When those crimson eyes arched in a suspicious manner, Morigawa Atsushi was instantly overcome with inexplicable dread and anxiety.

“The one who thinks of you as trash is not me, but... It's your boss. If it had been me, I would've never sent someone like you to this place to die, after all!”

“...?!”

What was Kang Jin-Ho even saying? Just what was he trying to imply here?

Sent to die? Morigawa Atsushi was...?

“Don't tell me... You really had no idea? Or were you simply pretending to not have noticed the truth? In that case, let me ask you something. Did you really think you could fight me with pieces of weak trash like them? You... and your boss?”

Kang Jin-Ho's cackle...! That cackle containing a hint of madness drove Morigawa Atsushi's mind to the absolute edge of the breaking point.