Chương 152: Soaring. (1)
The ties between people are strange.
For example, you make a friend and later find out that he's the grandson of the old man who owns the supermarket in your neighborhood—a small connection.
Or the Hunter you've admired for 10 years turns out to be an insane psychopath, he kills you, then you kill him, and now, your fates are connected—something like that…
No, let's stop there. That case is too specific.
Anyway, the essence of what I'm saying is simple. The ties between people are really indiscernible. I'd met many weird and mysterious people thus far, but the peculiarities of human connections continued to awe me.
-Hey, Kim Gongja. It's been a while since I've seen you, but you look great!
Specifically, I was awed by the person I was on a video call with.
-Somehow, you look more handsome than you did when we were young. Your face looks really smooth. I'm so jealous! You know, maybe I should have just followed you to the Tower when we left the orphanage. Kim Gongja, over here? The air is bad, and the people are bad. It's no place to live.
A man my age was chattering nonstop.
He wore a tidy suit.
I chanted the name of the man whose hair was parted 9:1.
"Kim Hanbija…"
-No, no. I'm Kim Hanbi now, okay? I changed my name.
"I heard from the director that you're wearing the badge of the National Assembly. Congrats, bud."
This guy was probably the most successful among our age group in the orphanage since he was a representative in the National Assembly.
The Director always used to say that 'it would be good to get lucky and climb to a higher position,' but it wasn't easy for young people like us to climb up.
-Aye. Gonja, I feel like I'm just the tail of a snake compared to you. Haven't you seen the internet? You're so popular. You've contributed a lot to raising our country's prestige.
"Sorry. I've been cut off from the internet these past few days, so I didn't know."
-Huh, really? That's surprising. Anyways, bud. Do me a favor.
Kim Hanbija smiled softly.
-I'm running for my constituency in the next general election. Unfortunately, since I'm young and fresh, I don't really have anything to appeal to the people. So what I'm saying is, would it be okay for me to promote that Kim Gonja and I were best friends back in the orphanage?"
"No, you can't"
I nodded my head.
"Good luck, Councillor. Do good politics. Politics that puts the people first. I ask that you uphold clean and honest politics."
-Huh? Ah. Hey! Hey!
Hanbija's expression became desperate.
-Gongja! Please help me! I need your help! I'm sorry I didn't contact you till now! I should've known that you'd make it that far in the Tower! O-, one picture! I'll make a poster! Please help me wear the Assembly Member badge one more time…
Click.
I hung up the phone without any hesitation. The last image that was displayed on the screen was that of my childhood friend crying and begging. When I saw it, a thought came to my mind.
'I became successful in the Tower.'
A childhood friend who had never contacted me before had called me. I couldn't believe that I'd received such a pitiful request from a member of the National Assembly. This was something that I couldn't have even dreamed of before I regressed 4,000 times.
Brrrr-
As soon as I hung up, my phone rang again. It was Hanbija. I became a bit annoyed.
"Hello."
-Gongja, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about the way we used to play together when we were young.
This guy….
He really had become a politician, hadn't he?
This shamelessness was truly something to behold.
-I'm sure you're busy, but could you just listen to what I have to say for a moment?
"I don't think I need to hear any more."
-Gongja. I know that nationality has very little meaning in the Tower. But we're both still Korean. This could be considered a personal connection. Right now, there are a lot of people who favor the National Assembly, the party, and you, Gongja.
"I will not be a pushover just to enjoy some favor."
-Tell us what you want…
"Uh, clean politics? I'd like you to work towards the peace of mankind."
-Not the impossible. You idiot!
Indeed. It was impossible….
If it was impossible, then there was nothing I could do about it….
"Oh, right."
At that moment, an idea popped into my head.
"There's something I'd like to ask."
-As expected! There's no way that you wouldn't want anything at all. What is it? You can tell me anything. The party is willing to do whatever it can. I even received a blank check before calling you.
"How reliable."
I smiled slightly.
"Do you happen to know anyone named Hwang Eunseo?"
Confucius said human relationships are very strange.
Sometimes, the person who was thought to be dead could get their revenge.
2.
"Well, that's what happened."
"It was a natural and reasonable process."
After hearing my story, the Sword Saint nodded.
"I also received a lot of similar requests when I was ranked number one. Politicians, businessmen, and even people from my family contacted me hundreds and thousands of times."
"Heh. Even the Swedes are like that?"
"Regardless of where they live, people are all the same."
Clang!
The Sword Saint's sword clashed with mine. We were having a leisurely conversation, but our hands and feet were busy. We were fighting to improve each others' skills.
I was also listening to advice on living in the world.
"You have authority now. And a very special authority at that. After all, you gained this authority through your achievements and skills instead of political tactics or machinations, didn't you? The outside world adores you. The hunters in the Tower admire you."
"You're painting too much gold on my face. Old man."
"The more I say it, the more careful you'll be. Kid."
The Sword Saint swung his sword. Shriek! The sharp sword strike was aimed at my wrist. I raised my blade at an angle, allowing the sword to glance off of it.
This was an attack that my eyes would not have been able to follow in the past.
"Am I not being careful already?"
But now, I was able to chat like this while we exchanged blows back and forth. At times, I was even able to counter. Whoosh! I released Aura from my blade and caught the Sword Saint's sword.
"Mm."
The Sword Saint furrowed his eyebrows.
"Your usage of Aura is outstanding."
"I heard that I'm more talented in Aura than in swordsmanship."
"I don't know where you heard that, but it's true. Aura is mental. Its power is entirely dependent on how intense your mind image is, and its strength can vary greatly. What were you just thinking about?"
A house, filled with flames.
Trapped there was a group of children with their hands and feet bound. No matter how hard they struggled, they could not free themselves from their bindings.
『It hurts….』
『Please forgive me….』
I moved my Aura while thinking about the hands and feet of the children that were bound by the restraints. Shackles and chains. Writhing and struggling. With my Aura driven by that image, the Sword Saint's sword was firmly held in place.
"Nothing much."
I smiled.
"It's a trade secret. So I can't just reveal it to you for free."
"..."
The Sword Saint's blue eyes flickered slightly.
"…There is something that I deeply lament. Like conceding the [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] to the Chen Mu-Mun Guild. Maybe I should've done more, even if it meant using force."
"You're starting to regret things that happened in the past? You must be really tired."
"Cheeky brat!"
The Sword Saint smiled.
"I have no intention of conceding the number 1 rank!"
Blue Aura exploded from the Sword Saint's sword. Bang! The pressure spread out as if a pocket of compressed air had exploded. I quickly used my Aura to suppress the explosion.
"Haha!"
A youthful laugh escaped the old man's mouth.
"Good!"
The Sword Saint didn't stop with the explosion. Whoosh! Whoosh! Like a typhoon, the Sword Saint continued to unleash his blue aura. I stepped back, carefully cutting down the sword strikes hurtling towards me one after the other.
"So this is the joy that comes from finding a rival!"
The Sword Saint was visibly delighted.
"I didn't think you'd grow this much when we raced through the Aegim Empire together! It really is impossible to judge a book by its cover. I'm so glad that a young man like you appeared!"
The wind blades surged like a storm. By the time I cut one down, another took its place. Clang! I was somehow able to use my sword and my Aura to block it, but my movements were starting to become sloppier.
"Aren't you… enjoying yourself… too much?"
"This is fun! The Chen Mu-Mun Guild is improving day by day, and your skills are also increasing at an alarming rate! I feel like this life is truly worth living!"
The old man's laughter echoed across the field.
They were on the first floor of the tower, in an empty lot outside of the City of Ascension, Babylon. Many hunters had come to watch their spar. These hunters watched with their eyes wide open, recorded, and even wrote notes in their little notebooks.
"Amazing…."
"Is such a fight possible after one masters Aura?"
"That shouldn't be the case! The Aura being displayed by these two…."
"As expected, the Sword Saint is still superior to the Death King."
Mm.
'That's the popular opinion, isn't it?'
The spirit of victory boiled in his heart.
'Good. I'll show you.'
I still considered myself to be weaker than the Sword Saint. But what I thought was different from what other people thought. Very different.
"Sword Saint old man."
"What is it?!"
"Personally, I don't like showing off 'unfinished moves.' I feel it's not considerate to my opponent."
Taht! I cut one of the wind blades unleashed by the Sword Saint before stepping back, widening the distance between us.
"However, you and I aren't ordinary rivals, old man."
"Hoh?"
Instead of chasing or pressuring me, the Sword Saint simply lowered his blade. It seemed that he was interested in what I had to say.
"I'm not sure I understand, Death King. Do we have some kind of special connection?"
"That's right."
I smiled.
"Aren't we both disciples of the same sect?"
"..."
The old man's expression became stiff.
He knew that I was not talking about the Demonic Cult. I was talking about the Sword Emperor, Bae Hu-reyong.
Just like me, Bae Hu-ryeong was also attached to the Sword Saint.
'In the [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon], Bae Hu-ryeong acted against my master.'
The scene of Bae Hu-ryeong and my master performing the battle of wits had been broadcasted in the tower. Since it was aired, every hunter in the tower could watch it to their heart's content, and naturally, this meant the Sword Saint could as well.
'It was impossible for him to not recognize him.'
Most hunters might not have understood what they witnessed that day.
However, even if no one else knew, the Bae Hu-ryeong who was with the Sword Saint would know.
'It's natural.'
Because it was a martial art that he himself had created.
How could he not recognize it?
'We both have the same Bae Hu-ryeong.'
Now, we were both aware of [My Bae Hu-ryeong] and [The Sword Saint's Bae Hu-ryeong].
He had definitely realised the other's existence.
'And yet, the Sword Saint old man didn't ask me anything… He must have been waiting for me to mention it first. He really is considerate.'
However, he probably couldn't have imagined that I would bring it up at a time like this. He probably thought I would confess while we were talking in a private place.
This was proven by the fact that the Sword Saint appeared shocked and began to look around at our surroundings.
"No. Young man. Death King. If you say that here...!"
"Are you shocked?"
I smiled broadly.
"That's good! Old man! Please become even more shocked!"
"Wh-, what are you…?"
"This is my unfinished move! Please accept it!"
I pounced towards the old man.
That's right.
I only brought Bae Hu-ryeong up to catch the old man by surprise.
-Wow. You cheap bastard. It's fine if you do whatever you can in a fight, but this…
Despite his words, Bae Hu-ryeong, who appeared behind me, spoke in a tone that seemed to be filled with admiration. So with this praise coming from behind, I lifted up the Holy Sword and swung it down.
'The image I should think of is the fire from the house.'
The fire that burned there.
'The suffocating smoke.'
Aura exploded from my body. Reddish tentacles seemed to swarm from every direction. My Aura engulfed the small field like a raging fire, suffocating all living beings within it.
The empty lot soon became a fiery hell.
"...!"
The Sword Saint finally reacted then. He hurriedly roused his blue Aura to counter mine.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn't done yet.
『I don't want to die.』
Resentment.
『So hungry.』
Craving.
『I want to live…』
Hope.
I compressed these emotions into my Aura.
Every single strand of Aura carried the voice of a different child. Thus, they each burned in different paths with different intensities.
The flames became a living entity that attacked the Sword Saint.
"Hmm?!"
The Sword Saint hurriedly blocked the flames. Left, right, front, and back, he had to cut flames coming from every direction.
Naturally, the Sword Saint couldn't help but leave an opening when dealing with such an attack.
And I charged at that opening like an animal.
Infernal Heavens·Reformation.
First Formula.
The Burning Young Sword.
I decided to make it—my own Infernal Heaven.
The old man's eyes widened as he saw this move.
"I'm sorry. I win this fight!"
I fiercely slammed my sword towards the Sword Saint's head.
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