N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 377
"Are you saying that you will make me stronger now?"
Mark Gorton asked with wide eyes.
"Yes, that's right."
Raon nodded as he watched Mark Gorton's shaking pupils.
"Of course, I'm not going to raise your level right away, but I'm going to help you fully utilize your skills. Of course, my flying daggers training will also be included."
He shook a blunt iron dagger.
"So you don't have to be nervous. It's a light workout."
That's only light for you, isn't it?
Wrath looked at him and rolled his eyes.
'That could be true.'
I plan to attack Mark Gorton with an iron flying dagger rather than a wooden dagger, so if he doesn't regain his original strength, he'll be in quite a bit of trouble.
"I understand."
Mark Gorton seemed to understand what the training meant, so he tightly gripped the black sword in his hand.
"How is the black sword?"
"It fits my hand perfectly, just like I've been holding it since before."
"That's good."
Raon smiled. He chose it by looking at the shape and weight of the sword that Mark Gorton used, so it seems he made a good choice.
"Thank you. I will not disappoint you."
Mark Gorton bowed from a kneeling position. He was dignified and polite, as if he had returned to his days as a knight.
"Then please practice individually in the training ground. It will probably take over a day to prepare."
"I understand."
He went to the center of the training ground and began to swing the black sword.
Raon looked at Mark Gorton's sword technique before turning his gaze away.
'I should start too.'
He opened the two martial arts books that Glenn had given him. He had read them all and memorized them last night, but he quickly skimmed through them again in case he had missed anything.
'As the head of house said.'
Haknyuebido is a dagger technique that focuses on speed, and Geobokbi is a dagger technique that only increases power.
Since both martial arts are extremely focused on one aspect, if they are properly blended, a dagger technique that combines both speed and power will be created.
'He wouldn't have given me these two martial arts books just for that.'
Raon not only intended to create a new martial art by mixing the two sword techniques, but also to achieve the effect of growing the martial arts level itself.
'However...'
I can't stop there.
He was planning to blend in the dark shadow blade, a dagger technique that he had learned in his previous life that was unmatched in terms of stealth and accuracy.
It will take a century for you to create a martial art!
Wrath snorted.
A guy who doesn't even have a concept of the dagger, how dare you! Just swing your sword as usual!
He spat out his tongue, saying that it was impossible unless he reached his level.
'It will be difficult, but it's not impossible.'
The first weapon he picked up was a dagger. Although he didn't use it much in this life, he was confident in his understanding of the dagger.
If the King of essence were you, the king of essence would eat mint chocolate ice cream one more time than doing such a useless thing.
'Let's see.'
Raon closed his eyes and activated the ring of fire. The rings, which were rotating smoothly, suddenly resonated, creating a clear sound.
As his concentration increased to the point where his vision narrowed, the principles of Hakunyuebido, Geobokbi, and Heukjaebi (Black Haze), he began to blend in his mind.
Gooo!
When the ring of fire rotated a hundred times, the first outline came to mind.
'This is not it.'
The martial art was a way of focusing too much on the speed of Haknyuebido, so the power was lacking.
He immediately discarded it and thought of the second draft, but this time it was so slow that it couldn't even dodge a fly because it was focused only on power.
'It would be better to neutralize the two martial arts with Heukjaebi.
Without any disappointment, he immediately drew the next draft.
'This is also fun.'
Raon smiled as he thought of the image of tens of thousands of dagger flying around in his head.
A small dagger sprouted like a seedling in his mind, which was once filled with swords.
* * *
Mark Gorton lowered the sword he was swinging and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
'This is the best.'
The black sword that Raon had given him stuck to his hand like he had been swinging it since he was a child.
It seemed to be a much higher-grade item than the sword he had received from the king when he was in the knight order.
'To just hand it over to me...'
He had never heard of the name Black Sword, but he knew better than anyone how valuable a famous sword it was.
Such a sword was a treasure that could not be bought even with mountains of gold.
Mark Gorton took a short breath and turned to look at Raon.
'He's really hard to understand.'
He was certainly grateful for giving him such a famous sword and accepting him, a failure, with a short test, but he thought he was a strange person.
'But the most unique thing is....'
That concentration.
Raon said he was preparing for training, but he didn't move for a day and a half.
He seemed to be practicing martial arts in his head, but he was amazed that he could exert such concentration without even doing internal cultivation.
'Thanks to that, my training went well too.'
The feeling of swinging the sword was much sharper than usual because there was someone next to him burning with enormous concentration.
He felt like he could now exert the power beyond his current skill.
"It would be nice to have a sparring match at a time like this... ."
"Then let's do it."
When Mark Gorton muttered with regret, a low voice came from beside him. When he turned his gaze, Raon was looking at him with his eyes open.
"Raon-nim!"
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."
He got up and smiled as he stretched his shoulders and ankles.
"You said you wanted to spar, right?"
"Ah, that's... ."
"Since our original purpose was to spar, of course we have to do it."
Raon looked at Mark Gorton and nodded.
"Mark, you don't need to prepare."
"Yes."
Mark Gorton adjusted his black sword with a gleam in his eyes. He was in a state where his body was heated up because he had been practicing swordsmanship continuously.
"Then let's start right away."
Raon stepped back and held the dagger in both hands. Without saying a word, he threw three daggers from his right hand at the same time.
*Swish!*
The daggers that came flying with a sharp sound of air pressure aimed at the vital points of the thigh, shoulder, and abdomen.
*Gyaaang!*
Mark Gorton's body swayed as he barely dodged the three daggers.
"This is not good."
He was barely able to dodge the dagger, which was thrown without warning, but he felt a strange sense of danger.
'This is not the Raon I know.'
He had never seen Raon attack with such speed and accuracy before.
'Is this the power of the new martial art he is creating?'
Mark Gorton's eyes narrowed as he prepared to face Raon's next attack.
'I will not let him defeat me.'
Mark Gorton cut off the three flying daggers that Raon threw at his vital points with a diagonal downward slash of his black sword.
"It's light."
Unlike his expectations, the flying dagger that Raon threw was neither fast nor heavy.
To be honest, the wooden flying dagger that he had thrown from the cliff felt more powerful.
"How was it?"
"It was a bit too light."
"I see. Please wait for a moment."
He closed his eyes as he was. After a long time, a different momentum was blooming on Raon's shoulders, which had opened his eyes.
"I'll go again."
Raon threw three daggers at the same time in his left hand. The daggers, which aimed at the thighs, shoulders, and abdomen, was the same as before.
Mark Gorton narrowed his eyes and looked at the flying daggers.
"The same as before... Hmm?"
Although it was a flying dagger thrown with the same level of aura and method, the speed was more than twice as fast as before.
It also had the characteristic of being silent, like the swordsmanship of an assassin, and the aura felt blurry.
"It's not hard to hit, though."
Mark Gorton held his breath and unfolded the sword technique on Black Sword. The roughly bent sword strikes moved between heaven and earth, blocking all of Raon's flying daggers.
Cheo-jeong!
Not only the speed and secrecy, but also the weight and power of the flying daggers increased. He frowned at the recoil of a different level.
"Raon-nim. This is...?"
"Oh, just a moment."
This time, Raon closed his eyes again. He opened his eyes a little faster than before and grabbed the dagger with his right hand.
"Let's go again."
He lightly floated in the air and fired the flying dagger for the third time.
"The speed has increased again."
He felt that the second flying dagger was quite fast, but this time it was even faster, and
The secrecy of being unable to catch the aura deepened. If it were night, it would be impossible to properly grasp where to target.
Cheo-jeong-jeong!
Mark Gorton lowered his posture and poured out the sword strikes of the Black Sword. The aura rotating like a windmill collided with Raon's flying daggers.
"Kugh!"
The power has also increased.
It was not just the growth of speed and secrecy. The power contained in the flying daggers also achieved growth once again.
"Does this make sense?"
It was hard to believe that the power of the flying daggers could change so much in such a short time, even though he had just stood there and thought for a while.
"Whew..."
He exhaled hot breath after barely blocking the three flying daggers. When he raised his head, Raon was already in a state of meditation with his eyes closed.
Mark Gorton swallowed his saliva and shook the hand holding the black sword.
‘Well, you won’t get stronger from here, right?’
...
Raon's throwing of daggers and thinking were repeated three more times. The thinking time became shorter and shorter, and the speed and power of the flying dagger became so strong that it was now difficult to handle.
"Haa..."
Mark Gorton exhaled a turbid breath and controlled the black sword. He looked at Raon, who was on the other side, and bit his lip.
"Then, let's go."
Raon threw three flying daggerswith a leisurely gesture. The flying daggers that left his hand was soaked in the wind and struck down. The momentum was blurry, but the speed was so fast that it was terrifying.
“Eek!”
Mark Gorton bit his lip and unleashed the Black Sword's ultimate skill, Seoncheonbireo.
The powerful sword strikes that zigzagged clashed with Raon's flying daggers.
Cheo-eoreong!
The flying daggers and the sword collided, but the power was overwhelming. He couldn't block all three flying daggers, so he had to step back and dodge the flying daggers, barely blocking two of them.
Pi-eek!
A thin stream of blood flowed down from his left thigh, which had been grazed by the flying daggers.
“Kugh….”
Mark Gorton let out a deep sigh. If the flying daggers hadn't been aimed at a specific spot, it would have been really dangerous.
Raon was not satisfied with this flying dagger technique and was in a state of thought again. A chill ran down his spine.
‘This is too much, right?’
If the flying daggers came flying with even more speed and power, he didn't think he could handle it.
‘Should I stop him?’
As he was about to say that it was too hard to block, Raon's eyes lit up. Now, the thinking time was less than 10 minutes.
“It's now about halfway complete.”
He smiled brightly and took out a new flying daggers.
“Wait, just a minute…”
“Let's start again.”
Raon fired the flying daggers with those words. It felt like his heart was sinking because the flying daggers was now so fast and stealthy that it couldn't even be seen.
“Damn it!”
Mark Gorton raised his black sword with trembling fingertips.
‘What kind of training is this?!’
* * *
Raon lightly kicked the ground and threw the flying daggers he was holding in his right hand. The flying daggers, which had turned red with the power of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, curled up like a snake in water and disappeared.
Whoosh!
The flying daggers, which reappeared in an instant, exuded a chilling aura towards Mark Gorton's stomach.
“Kugh-eup!”
Mark Gorton took a step back, biting his lips until they bled. He turned his wrist so hard that it almost broke and raised the black sword. It was the Black Sword's ultimate skill, Chungchabigye.
Cheo-eoreong-eoreong!
The black sword, which was clad in strength, and the red flying daggers clashed, and a powerful shockwave swept through the center of the training hall.
Kugugugugu!
The flying daggers that Raon threw pressed down on Mark Gorton's sword like a human was holding it, crushing his entire body.
Kyaang!
Mark Gorton was unable to withstand the terrifying power of the flying daggers and was thrown back with the black sword. The flying daggers grazed his side instead of the target stomach.
Pi-eek!
The combat uniform he was wearing ripped open, and a stream of red blood flowed out.
“Hah-huk….”
Mark Gorton knelt down, staggering. His entire body was covered in large and small wounds, like freshly made sword marks.
Raon smiled as he threw and caught the flying dagger in his hand.
‘It's finally reached a certain level.’
Combining the speed of the Haknyuebido, the strength of the Geobokbi, and the stealth and precision of the Heukjaebi, he had finally found the right path for his new dagger technique.
“Mukgyeolbi."
Raon named the new flying dagger technique Mukgyeolbi. It was a bold name that meant a flying dagger technique that was perfect without a single flaw.
This doesn't make sense....
Wrath narrowed his eyes in a triangular shape as he watched the flying daggers floating in the air.
How can you create a martial art in this short amount of time at your level?
He roared in disbelief.
You haven't reached the transcendent realm like the king of essence or your grandfather. How on earth did you manage this?
‘Well.’
Raon smiled as he pushed Wrath away.
'Just practice well.' Raon replied, pushing Wrath aside and smiling.
That again! The king of essence sick of hearing it!
'Sorry, but it's the truth.'
Of course, it's not just about doing well.
The weapon that was closest to him while he lived as an assassin was not a sword, but a dagger. He had mastered the Heukjaebi (Black Haze) in his previous life, and his understanding of dagger was high enough to harmonize the three martial arts in this short amount of time.
‘It'll be complete if I just polish it a little. Not only Mukgyeolbi, but….’
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Mark Gorton, who was shaking his shoulders.
‘That person too.’
Mark Gorton was in a state where his body and aura were activated, as if he had rolled around on the battlefield while facing Mukgyeolbi. His skills themselves did not improve much, but he was now able to use all of his abilities.
‘It's time to improve his skills.’
He smiled faintly and gestured to Mark Gorton.
“Mark, let's start again.”
“Again, again?”
Mark Gorton shook his chin as he sat down.
“Isn't it over?”
“It's not over yet. It's just the beginning. There are still a lot of things to polish. I think I can increase the power and speed a little more.”
“I don't think I'm at the level to receive this anymore.”
He shook his hand with a pale face.
“No. You can do it. I believe in you.”
Raon raised his fist and cheered Mark Gorton on.
‘It's just the beginning, so why not?’
This was the most critical moment for Mark Gorton to increase his skills. It might be challenging and sometimes life-threatening, but all of it would turn into blood and flesh
Occasionally life-threatening?
'Well, yes. But I'll control it well.'
Just to the brink of death.
With a gentle smile, Raon fired an even more advanced Mukgyeolbi at Mark Gorton. The blood-red flying daggers, like a silent cry of a thunder dragon hidden in a lightning strike, rushed towards Mark Gorton's forehead.
“Hwaaaa!”
Mark Gorton roared and poured out his sword strikes. The black sword emitted the darkest light it had ever produced, but it was swept away like sand hit by a wave, unable to withstand the power contained in Mukgyeolbi.
Kwaaang!
A powerful explosion sounded, and Mark Gorton was thrown back and buried in the ground.
“Ugh….”
Mark Gorton got up staggering. His arms and legs were trembling with exhaustion.
‘Good.’
Raon smiled as he saw him.
‘He's definitely improved.’
Raon watched him with a smile.
"You've definitely improved."
Just a while ago, Mark Gorton had demonstrated more than his original level of power. It might not be a significant leap, but he had taken a small step up the ladder.
"I…I might die like this..."
"We'll keep going. In training, there's no room for breaks."
"Just a moment!"
"There are no moments in my training."
Raon fired Mukgyeolbi once again. The dagger turned into a streak of light, heading sharply towards Mark Gorton's left chest.
"Oh..."
Mark Gorton clenched his trembling hand around the sword hilt.
"I need to be careful, one wrong move and I'll die..."
The instincts of a knight and a mercenary screamed in his mind. He knew that one mistake would mean the end.
He forced strength into his grip, igniting the dormant aura.
"Ah...!"
Mark Gorton screamed not out of battle cry, but out of a plea for mercy, as he executed the final technique of Beolran-do.
Kwaaah!
Eventually, he muttered in his darkening vision, which had become like night.
'I think I came to the wrong place…'
* * *
"Huff..."
Burren let out a deep breath as he opened his eyes. The bluish light, resembling a gust of wind, illuminated the training room.
"Is this the Soung Hwans elixir?"
He examined his hands and smiled with excitement. As a direct line of Zieghart, he had consumed many elixirs, but the Soung Hwans elixir was special. It didn't just increase his aura; it transformed his physique while enhancing his combat capabilities.
"It looks like I can use this now."
He hadn't used the Consuming Roar technique because he hadn't mastered it, but now he felt he could.
Burren raised his eyebrows as he examined the ceiling.
"Once again, that guy helped me."
The reason he had received the Soung Hwans elixir was because Raon had won the Six Kings Assembly duel tournament. He felt grateful to the person who had given him such a valuable elixir without hesitation.
"The best way to repay this is to become stronger."
Raon always considered not only himself but also the growth of the Light Wind squad. Repaying this elixir meant that all members of the Light Wind squad should become faster and stronger.
"Now, where should I go?"
About five days had passed.
The clock on the wall showed that five ticks had passed.
"Now, I should leave."
He hadn't absorbed all the Soung Hwans elixir, but he had practiced enough to make further training more effective.
Burren stood up, dusted off his dusty training clothes, and smiled with an expression that resembled "the goose that laid the golden egg."
"What happened to Raon and Mark Gorton..."
When he tried to find out where Raon and Mark Gorton, who were supposed to be teaching techniques, were, a small explosion echoed from where the explosion had just occurred.
Kwaaaaah!
A powerful shockwave exploded, and someone flew through the sky and crashed into the ground.
"What... what's going on?"
Burren, wondering what had happened, looked around the training ground. It seemed like there had been a war, with every part of the training ground being torn apart and not a single undamaged spot in sight.
"What on earth happened?"
Inside the training ground, all noise and shock were completely blocked, so he had no idea. But it felt like a war had just taken place.
Zap!
As Burren was bewildered, something started crawling towards him from the spot where the explosion had just occurred.
"Ugh!"
Thinking it might be a zombie, he raised his sword to strike, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was none other than Mark Gorton, who had come with Raon.
"Mark Gorton?"
"P-please... save me..."
Mark Gorton, looking pitiful with a bloody face, clung to Burren's ankle with trembling lips.
"Save me!"
"What?"
Burren stood there, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, when Raon emerged from the dust and sand.
"It seems like it ended well."
Raon gestured toward the fallen Mark Gorton on the ground.
"Mark, it's not over yet. Let's do it one more time. Just once more..."
Burren swallowed hard, looking at the eerie scene before him.
"What on earth did you do..."
What had Raon done that turned a person into something resembling a zombie?
