Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Spendthrift Necromancer (3)

AwakeningSword Immortal Seo Jincheol.

He knew Kim Minwoo well. His granddaughter had mentioned him a few times before.―That cowardly little loser! And the way he looked at me was so damn creepy. I almost gouged his eyes out, you know? If it weren't for Ilseong Group, I would've smashed one of his legs!

Public opinion was much the same. Lazy by nature, vulgar in both speech and behavior.

The only reason he hadn't gone around causing major incidents wasn't because he had great self-control, but because he was an enormous coward.

That was what practically everyone in the world said.‘And this is supposed to be that guy?’The Sword Immortal tilted his head.

His presence was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

It wouldn't have been strange for a normal person to burst into tears, or even piss and shit themselves.

Yet Kim Minwoo wasn't shrinking back in the slightest.

As though he were a veteran of a hundred battles.

The Sword Immortal examined Kim Minwoo's body.

Not a trace of mana could be seen. He was undoubtedly an ordinary person.‘A cowardly little loser, huh.’A hundred words meant nothing.

What mattered most was the reality before his eyes.

The Sword Immortal acknowledged it.

Kim Minwoo was a fairly promising seedling.

“You have good eyes.”

“My sword is even better.”

A smile appeared on the Sword Immortal's lips.

This was quite interesting.

“One hundred billion won is a lot of money.”

“That's exactly why it's worth spending at a time like this.”

“Have you ever swung a sword before?”

“A few times.”

“Let's go to the training hall.”

The Sword Immortal walked ahead.

Kim Minwoo followed behind him.

The place where the first-line disciples trained.

When the Sword Immortal appeared, the disciples' eyes lit up.

Moving to the center of the training hall, the Sword Immortal picked up a wooden sword.

At that moment, the savage pressure around him vanished as though washed away. To someone who didn't know better, he would have looked like an ordinary man.

“A duel only has meaning if it's fair. I've adjusted my body to match yours. Pick up a sword.”

“I'll learn a move from you.”

Kim Minwoo picked up a wooden sword.

A duel between an S-rank Awakened and an ordinary person.

Even without using mana, the difference in raw physical ability alone would make Minwoo no more than a one-punch opponent.

That seemed to be why he'd matched their physical conditions.‘Still won't be easy.’He knew the Sword Immortal well.

Because he was one of the characters you inevitably interacted with while playing the game.

Wind Swordsmanship

The Sword Immortal had created it and risen to become Korea's strongest Awakened.

But the Sword Immortal's swordsmanship had currently hit a wall.

At his level, simply taking a few elixirs wouldn't magically raise his realm.

This was the point where pure enlightenment became necessary as well.‘He'll stay like this for another five years.’Then he'd create a new sword art and advance to the next realm.‘Thunder-Wind Sword Art.’A sword art that blended the softness of wind with the speed and force of lightning.‘And I learned it directly from him.’Of course, he hadn't learned it as the thoroughly rotten Kim Minwoo.

Seo Yerim.

A four-star difficulty character, and the granddaughter of Sword Immortal Seo Jincheol.

Using that relationship, Woojin had learned the Thunder-Wind Sword Art from him.

The man truly deserved to be called the Sword Immortal.

Woojin had never defeated him even once.‘But this is different.’This was far earlier than back then.

The Sword Immortal wasn't yet the Sword Immortal he would become.‘And on top of that…….’With the limit on sensory synchronization gone, he could control his body far more precisely than before. In combat, that was an advantage.

Swordsmanship?

He had the upper hand, having learned a superior art.

Experience?

The Sword Immortal had been Awakened for decades and was certainly more seasoned, but Woojin wasn't lacking enough to be looked down on either.

And if their physical levels were identical too?‘I can do this.’If they were both fighting stripped down to nothing but their own skill, he had no reason to be at a disadvantage.

Of course, that was only true at this exact moment.‘As expected, no openings.’Even without mana.

Even with his body reduced to the level of an ordinary person.

The Sword Immortal was still the Sword Immortal.

There wasn't a single wasted movement in the stance with which he raised his wooden sword.

It perfectly defended everything from his face down to his abdomen.

Seeing that, a competitive fire bloomed in Kim Minwoo's eyes.

The Sword Immortal felt the same.‘He's really a beginner who's only swung a sword a few times?’He was stunned.

Kim Minwoo.

The stance of the brat he'd thought was nothing more than a reckless fool was far too refined.

Even the steps they took as they circled each other carried meaning. He would subtly expose an opening, or tense his toes as if ready to rush in at any moment.

It was almost impossible to believe. Yet he had no choice but to believe it.

After all, Kim Minwoo's body clearly wasn't one that had trained with a sword.

Hands without a single callus.

And the muscle mass across his whole body was pathetic. Looking at his body, he truly was a complete beginner who had never even taken up the sword. And yet, astonishingly, that beginner was now engaging him in a flawless battle of wits.

Truly, living long enough let you see everything.

The tension intensified without a single clash.

Then.

Kim Minwoo drew in a deep breath. This was a duel between masters.

The one who moved first would be read first.

But they couldn't keep circling each other forever.‘Guess I'll have to yield a move.’He thrust first.

“How dare you!”

Realizing his intention, the Sword Immortal charged like lightning in anger.

He was the Sword Immortal.

He hadn't lived such a worthless life that he'd accept a concession from some green youngster!

His sword flowed softly toward an opening.

Clack!

The two wooden swords collided violently. Kim Minwoo's sword had moved first.

He smoothly deflected the Sword Immortal's blade, then drove his wooden sword forward with the force of lightning!

The Sword Immortal twisted his shoulder aside in an instant.

But Kim Minwoo's assault didn't end there.

His sword followed like a snake and stabbed hard into the Sword Immortal's armpit.

Thud!

In that brief instant.

Kim Minwoo's wasn't the only sword to land. The Sword Immortal's wooden sword had struck his shoulder as well.

At that moment…….[Awakening has begun!][Your achievement is blooming!]

His achievement began to bloom.

The two men simultaneously took two steps back.

“……

You. Have you truly never learned the sword before?”

“No.”

Twenty-three years since Kim Minwoo's birth.

He had never learned the sword.

That was undeniably true.

Seeing the unwavering eyes before him, the Sword Immortal nodded.

“My apologies.”

“For what?”

“I should have been the one to request this duel first.”

“Then give this duel everything you have. Until one of us falls.”

“I will.”

The Sword Immortal acknowledged it cleanly.

In pure swordsmanship alone, this young man was more than worthy of being called his equal.

No.

If anything, this brat was better.

The Sword Immortal's gaze became utterly serious.* * *Waaaaah!

At the faint roar echoing through the building, Seo Yerim opened her eyes from where she'd been sitting cross-legged in meditation.

The Sword Sea Pavilion was unusually noisy today.‘Did something happen today? I don't remember anything special being scheduled…….’The only unusual thing she could recall was that some infamous wastrel was coming to tour the Sword Sea Pavilion.

Puzzled, she stepped out of the training room.

Several instructors were hurrying about.

“Did something happen?”

“The Sword Immortal is in the middle of a duel.”

“Grandfather is? With who?”

Seo Yerim's eyes sparkled.

Sword Immortal Seo Jincheol.

The greatest and most brilliant swordsman in the world.

Naturally, even a single one of his duels was worth watching.

She was incredibly curious to know who her deeply respected grandfather had chosen to duel.

Naturally, his opponent had to be someone remarkable as well.

Several figures flashed through Seo Yerim's mind.

Divine Spear, Fist King, Poison Demon…….

Every one of them was a supreme powerhouse ranked within Korea's top ten Awakened.

Someone at that level would be enough to make her grandfather personally step forward.

Then…….

The instructor scratched his head and said.

“Uh, well…… it's Kim Minwoo.”

“……

What?”

Kim Minwoo? Surely he didn't mean that Kim Minwoo?

No way…….

“The Kim Minwoo who was scheduled to visit today.”

But the instructor's next words shattered her expectations completely.

Seo Yerim was shocked.

She despised Kim Minwoo.

She could still vividly remember the snakelike gaze that had openly crawled over her body.

A pathetic, disgusting human being.

And a bastard like that was dueling her grandfather?

Something even she, his granddaughter, couldn't do?

“No, why on earth is Grandfather dueling that pervert? Hasn't he gotten something wrong?”

“Well…… apparently he wagered one hundred billion won on a single duel.”

“One hundred billion?”

“Yes. He said he'd donate all of it to the Sword Sea Pavilion whether he won or lost…….”

“Is he insane? One hundred billion…….”

Only then did Seo Yerim understand why the Sword Immortal had personally stepped forward.

Even the Sword Immortal couldn't casually ignore one hundred billion won.

That much money could replace the Sword Sea Pavilion's training facilities with the latest models. Quite a sum just for teaching a wastrel a lesson.

Of course.

Why else would Grandfather personally move for that damned wastrel?

Take away his money and he was nothing but a corpse.

It was the money after all.

“I should go watch. Instructor, want to come with me?”

Her mood improving sharply, she smiled.

She could watch the wastrel get beaten up and replace the somewhat outdated facilities while they were at it.

Wasn't that killing two birds with one stone?

And so she headed toward the duel together with the instructor.

“This can't be…….”

Yerim was dumbfounded.

Had someone put her under hypnosis?

Otherwise, she couldn't understand the sight before her.

It was definitely that Kim Minwoo.

But that Kim Minwoo was fiercely trading sword strikes with the Sword Immortal.

Their wooden swords skimmed past each other's bodies by the narrowest margins.

Grandfather absolutely wasn't going easy on him.

If he were, he wouldn't be wearing such a delighted smile.‘What is this?’Sword strikes as soft as the wind, yet at times as sharp as lightning.

Watching Kim Minwoo's sword, Seo Yerim felt an overwhelming sense of distance.

A duel performed through pure physical skill, without so much as a handful of mana.

It was art.

Only then did Yerim understand why the cheers had never stopped.

“Not bad!”

“You too, old man!”

“Hoho, you unruly colt!”

Two swordsmen rampaged to their hearts' content within the tiny world of the training hall.

She had never seen her grandfather look so happy.

Grind.

Yerim bit her lip.

She had devoted her entire life to the sword in hopes of gaining the recognition of the grandfather she respected.

At only twenty-two years old, she'd even earned a title.

Sword Phoenix Seo YerimShe was proud of herself.

Maybe not yet.

But she'd always believed that someday, she would certainly become the first swordsman of her generation to be acknowledged by her grandfather.

But at this rate, that would be…… stolen from her.

By that wastrel she hated so much she could barely stand the sight of him.

Cold sweat ran down between her brows.* * *10 minutes.20 minutes.30 minutes.

As the duel continued, Kim Minwoo was gradually pushed further onto the defensive.‘My stamina's failing me.’No matter how much the Sword Immortal restricted his body, he was fundamentally an S-rank Awakened.

Their natural recovery rates couldn't possibly be the same.

The Sword Immortal didn't slow down.

He didn't tire either.

But Minwoo was different.23 years spent eating, drinking, and lazing around as a wastrel.

How good could his stamina possibly be?

Swordsmanship could only be performed while the body still had strength to move.

An ordinary person would be exhausted after just three minutes of sparring.

And this had gone on for 30 minutes.

His head was going numb.

His whole body trembled.

He was enduring through superhuman willpower, but even that was nearing its limit.

Then.

The Sword Immortal, who had been wielding his sword in a trance, suddenly came to his senses.‘Damn.’The Sword Immortal felt regret.

The wall that had blocked him.

He felt as though he was finally about to glimpse it!

They had dueled for too long.

The strange thing was that Kim Minwoo had lasted this long at all.‘What incredible mental strength.’His surprise lasted only a moment.

Then the Sword Immortal's heart warmed as though he were looking at his own grandson.

“I was too caught up in myself. My apologies.”

“……

Huff. You haven't forgotten what you promised earlier, have you?”

This still wasn't enough to raise the achievement.

He needed to get hit more.

If it ended here, all of this would be for nothing!

Please hit me some more!

Kim Minwoo expressed that sentiment elegantly.

“……

Right. Until one of us falls.”

The Sword Immortal nodded.

The outcome already seemed obvious.

Yet even in a stance that looked ready to collapse at any second, Kim Minwoo refused to fall.

His eyes still burned with fighting spirit.

Tenacity like steel wire.

An indomitable will to fight.

Even a hunger for victory!

This young man was already a fully formed swordsman.

“Yes. You never know who's better.”

“Until you test them.”

Grin.

Smiles appeared on both their lips.

“Then take this too.”

The Sword Immortal rushed forward as though pouncing and thrust his wooden sword.

Head, shoulder, body.

Three precise sword strikes chained together.‘I'm not blocking.’If he took these, he felt like he'd finally be able to collapse properly.

Instead of defending, Kim Minwoo launched an attack of his own as if determined to take them both down together.

His wooden sword slipped between the three converging strikes and slammed into the Sword Immortal's chest.

Crack!

Bam-bam-bam!

As both their wooden swords smashed into each other's bodies.

Kim Minwoo crumpled to the floor.

Flash!

A brilliant blue light erupted from his body.

There was no mistaking it.

Awakening.

And an awakening close to the absolute highest level!

“Awakening?”

“It's awakening!”

“What kind of achievement gives off light like that……!”