Chapter 125: Saekma (色魔) Bang Ho-win (2)

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Twenty years ago, tens of thousands of people around the world suddenly disappeared. The event, which was later documented as the first ‘dimensional transition’ on Earth, resulted in a lot of casualties.

However, the so-called ‘casualties’ did not include those who were transported to the world of Murim. Because, the incident itself happened right at the moment when they were kidnapped. Those who were classified as ‘casualties’ were those who were exposed to the ‘unidentified wave’ that spread over a 3m radius from the people who were kidnapped.

At that time, humanity was not yet familiar with dimensions. We were still in the process of figuring out why did dungeon and rift occur, where did they come from and what was the identity of the Hell Gate?

So, it was only natural that we didn't know anything about the ‘unidentified wave' that occurred that day. However, one thing that humanity knows about the wave was the fact that anything exposed to it would disappear.

Someone who dreams of being a track and field runner lost their legs.

Someone who was working as an active hunter lost both of their arms. And people who were enjoying a date by holding their lover's hand and dreaming of marriage, lost their lover along with their right arm in that moment.

The wave even destroyed a main pillar that supported a building, leading to hundreds of people being buried under the collapsing building, causing the casualty rate to rise even more.

Who was the perpetrator?

Was it the fault of returnees who were abducted to the world of Murim out of nowhere?

Or is it the fault of those who were hurt just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time?

No one knows. No one was at fault, so no one could blame anyone.

* * *

The development of ‘Superpower-Only Simbeop’ ended in failure. No matter how much of a genius Ha Sunyoung was in the field of developing mugong, there was still a limit to what she could do.

She spent three months conducting research all day and all night, but during those three months she always felt like she was solving a multiple-choice problem that didn't exist in the first place.

However, amidst her failure,

“……heupp!”

From Celeste’s body, I could feel ether bursting out. She had successfully used her Simbeop despite the immense pain that she felt all over her body.

“I can't believe it.”

Right next to me, Director Kim, the director of the Geumgang Gymnasium and a C-rank body strengthening-type hunter, muttered.

He was one of the best superhumans in Korea in terms of ‘body strengthening theory’ and ‘body strengthening control’. I invited him here three months ago to dig into the theory of Simbeop. At that time, the conclusion Director Kim made was ‘impossible'.

He said that controlling ether was a hundred times more difficult than controlling essence. Therefore, even if it was possible to create a Simbeop that only needed a hyeolmaek, the difficulty of using it with ether would be extremely high.

However, that conclusion was made because all of us weren’t aware of Celeste’s talent. When I first met Celeste, I only thought that she was a girl with excellent talent. However, she turned out to be a girl with monstrous talent.

In mere three months since she started leaning Simbeop, her swordsmanship become sharper and sharper. Moreover, now she was able to perfectly control the ether inside her body.

Because of full-fledged geniuses like Seol Jungyeon, Ha Sunyoung and Taylor Nine around me, I overlooked Celeste's talent.

Besides, it wasn't just a matter of talent.

She had the mentality as well as the effort to grow stronger. She literally shed blood and tears to grow stronger. While looking at her, I even felt like my own effort of the last sixteen years wasn't anything serious. Perhaps that is why I am still weak right now.

‘…Yeah, thank you for your comforting words.'

Even Ha Sunyoung looked at Celeste with confused eyes.

“…Eyaa~ It was very surprising. How is that even possible?”

Although it is impossible to draw natural energy by using Simbeop that runs on ether, the circulating energy in the body itself moves at an outrageous speed. The ether that has not yet integrated into Celeste’s body was being dissolved swiftly.

“She’s a real monster.”

Ha Sunyoung remarked.

The mysterious art called mugong was something that gives the weak human body a power called ‘naegong’. By utilizing that power, humans are able to exert more stronger power than they originally could.

And body strengthening superpower is a power that strengthens the human body itself, allowing it to generate more powerful power.

So, when both of those powers mixed together, what would happen?

“In that state, can you walk?”

When Ha Sunyoung asked, Celeste clenched her fist and raised her foot. At first, I thought she was just walking normally. However I was wrong. What Celeste did right now was ‘Bubeop' taught to her by Ha Sunyoung.

Fwoooshh~~

Celeste made an explosive leap as if she was a cannonball that had been shot. In that state, she rushed towards Ha Sunyoung like an arrow with a wooden sword on her hand.

PUK!!

Although Ha Sunyoung stopped it without any difficulty, her mouth was still hung open.

“The instantaneous speed… is almost equal to an S-rank.”

Celeste, who was only a B-rank hunter, produced an S-rank power output albeit momentarily.

“Just what will happen if she grows more than this? At first, I thought that she was a tiger cub because she was Salvatore’s daughter, but I was wrong. She turned out to be a dragon cub.”

Flop!

After only one leap and one swing, Celeste fell to the floor and passed out.

“……..”

“………”

We couldn't say anything for a while.

* * *

While Celeste was busy learning under Ha Sunyoung, I wasn’t just watching her and doing nothing either.

In the Floating Garden, there’s a small passage that leads to the House of Goblin, meaning that I could visit Seol Jungyeon whenever I wanted.

In the near future, I was going to face an SSS-rank expert. Therefore, I decided that it would be better to train by facing another SSS-rank expert, which was my Noonim.

“Noonim, please spar with me.”

The spar started.

Then I was defeated.

"Huh…?"

Less than 0.3 seconds since the spar began, I found myself lying on the floor. The only thing that I knew was that I had been beaten by something.

The sixth sense? Intuition? Insight?

All the prediction types of skill in my arsenal couldn't even follow Seol Jungyeon's single blow.

‘This is the real power of an SSS-rank.'

It was an obvious result because the difference between our skill is like heaven and earth.

Let's take some time to objectively evaluate myself.

My current level was 152, it was equal to S-rank.

However, just because I had become an S-rank, does it mean that my swordsmanship was also S-rank? Of course not.

Talent and skills that I possessed could be categorized as an S-rank, however, my own skill couldn’t.

I have been slacking in my swordsmanship training, and I’m sure that if I compete against a swordsman of a similar level who uses real ‘swordsmanship’, I would be defeated.

It was my own stupidity and arrogance to think that I would be able to fight against Seol Jungyeon noonim who had become one with the sword as a Hyunkyung Expert.

I tried to recall the past when I overpowered SS-rank Salvatore with my F-rank physical abilities. At that time, I managed to win against him by using numerous tanks to lure him into a power plant and then destroy the whole power plant… The important part was that I had never directly clashed with him.

I could only win against him because I had been working with him for a long time and could think of a way to defeat him.

And it would be nice if I could think of a way to defeat Seol Jungyeon noonim.

However, I was aware that it was impossible. Because, forget about parrying her strike, I can’t even see her sword!

When I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown, Seol Jungyeon noonim said,

“If so, why don’t you take your time and think about it a little more?”

"Pardon?"

After she said that word, she walked away from me and pointed her sword in the air. Then, things like pink cherry blossoms, things like pink lotus flowers, things like pink plum blossoms began to flutter in the air.

Wheeing…!

The hem of her clothes fluttered, then the sword in her hand began to let out a very smooth hum. Every time she steps forwards, a lotus flower blooms on the ground under her footsteps.

I was aware that If I touched it, I would die. Nevertheless, I kept reaching out towards it.

Who would believe that something as beautiful as that was in truth the Cheonma Singong?

How could this be the most evil sword art in the world?

I can't believe it.

I felt like I would lose my mind to the sweet scent of lotus as well as the smooth hum that came to my ears. If I died by her hand, it wouldn’t be because of the fierce swordsmanship she had, but rather because of her beauty.

After some time passed, other Murim people began to crowd around Seol Jungyeon. Even for those who had risen to the heights of Hwakyung and become the top 0.000001% of the world's strongest humans, Seol Jungyeon's swordsmanship was still an unknown realm that could never be imitated. However, it didn't seem like they came here to learn about the swordsmanship of the best swordsman, Seol Jungyeon.

Maybe they come just to see the rare scenery of Seol Jungyeon’s dancing.

"Ah…"

Someone let out a gap as Seol Jungyeon put her sword back into her sheath. Then she looked at me with a smile that resembles a fully bloomed lotus flower.

“So, did you find something that could help you out?”

I couldn't answer her question.

I couldn't tell her that I wasn’t able to concentrate on the swordsmanship at all.

* * *

Like that, about three months passed.

Gooooong~~!!

Together with the sounds that resemble a gong being hit violently, I stopped Seol Jungyeon noonim’s plastic sword with my metal sword.

With this exchange alone, I feel like my arm was going to break.

“Ugh…!”

Actually, I was only able to stop her attack because she was adjusting her strength in order to not injure my arm. On top of it, Noonim was only swinging her sword roughly without any naegong or her true skill. It was because if an Expert of Hyunkyung like her became serious, I would be killed almost instantly.

Nevertheless, her attack was still difficult to deal with.

“Heo-eok, huh!”

The side-effect of sparring with noonim for hours started to take a toll on my body. My vision was getting darker and darker, and the world kept spinning around in front of my eyes.

“…Let’s take a break.”

"No, we can’t. If it’s just this much….”

I know that at this moment, Celeste was also sweating blood in order to grow stronger. And as her senior in the hunter industry, I had no intention of giving up and taking it easy.

With a worried expression on her face, noonim asked.

“Is there any reason for you to take it this far?”

"Yes. That man will surely come to the Great Rift.”

It was a wild guess and a conviction at the same time. If Bang Ho-win really had the way to return to Murim, why was he still on earth? 

The system told me that in case of Supreme Dharma, he used his own energy to move the Murim people from Murim to Earth. I think that the method Bang Ho-win had would be similar to that.

That was why the answer I came up with was because he doesn’t have enough ‘energy' to do so.

“This is my first and last chance to call him out. We have to deal with him on the spot.”

“….Sparring with the strong will certainly be a great help in improving your skills. However, you can’t fight against a Hyunkyung Expert with only three months of preparation. Don't rush.”

“No, three months is enough.”

I raised my sword and aimed it towards her again.

“I will win.”

This sparring was a way for me to study ‘how to deal with the strong'.

Swordsmanship training? It was something that I could do later.

If I don't kill Saekma, I'm afraid I'll be insecure to even wander around with my guild members including Seol Jungyeon.

"But still….."

Noonim looked at me with a worried expression on her face.

It was understandable. Since both her and Bang Ho-win had similar strength, my claim of killing him might sound unrealistic to her when I can’t even land a hit on her.

I was aware that what I was doing right now was like an ordinary human practicing avoiding bullets.

Just like how it was impossible for humans to avoid a bullet no matter how many times they practiced, it was also impossible for a mere S-rank to stop the attack of a Hyunkyung Expert. However….. I intend to change the subject from ‘bullet' to ‘a human with a gun'.

It's still difficult to deal with, but at least a human with a gun had a preparatory motion before they shot. So even if it was impossible to win, it's not impossible to run away with a quick reaction or surviving through hiding behind hurdles.

My goal wasn’t to defeat Bang Ho-win in a one-on-one fight but to survive as long as I could to carry out my plan.

Whooong…!!

“…..!”

Seol Jungyeon noonim’s eyes opened wide as she saw me avoiding her surprise attack. Of course it wasn’t a serious attack from her. But nevertheless, I was able to avoid an attack from Hyunkyung Expert who bore the title of the ‘best swordsman’.

Little by little, I feel that my body is growing.  My body, my bones, my flesh, my skin, my blood, my head, my heart, and my soul feel different from before.

Then, I reached into the air and opened my inventory. It’s time to grow more stronger with things that I stole but couldn’t equip before.

[ has been equipped.]

[ has been equipped.]

[ has been equipped.]

(T/N In case you guys forgot the effect of the armor, you could find the first two on chapter 102 and the last one is at chapter 97.)

A pure white armor that gave off a pure white light was automatically equipped around my body. Then in my hand, a beautiful white sword with ominous red letters written on the blade appeared. Finally, a white boots matching the colour of the armor appeared and wrapped themselves warmly around my ankles and calves. As soon as I equipped it, my body instantly became lighter.

All of the equipment I wore right now was completely different from my usual equipment which had a dull colour of black.

So far, I had only used one sword while sparring in order to improve my physical stats. But from now on I'm going to properly gear up like how I would in a real hunt. This was in order to survive as long as I could.

“From now on, please do it sincerely.”

“I am always sincere to you.”

“…well, I know that too.”

Then, Seol Jungyeon suddenly laughed as she saw my exhausted self. It seems like she was having fun. Because I like the laughing Seol Jungyeon, I also laughed just like her. 

On that day, I was able to endure for 3 minutes and 17 seconds against the Supreme Cheonma.