Chapter 62: Waiting Quietly (3)

For Seo Boram, the first to show her the initial wall was the head of the Mighty Seo Clan.

He was her father as well as her family head.

He was also the alliance leader that protected the northern frontier of Gyeonggi Province in South Korea.

People praised him.

Unlike the other Five Great Families, they didn't rule over their region.

Instead, they dominated.

If monsters were coming down from North Korea at the forefront, they would run faster than anyone to slaughter the monsters.

Seo Boram had seen this since her childhood.

When other heads of families were filling their interests, the Seos were the ones who stepped forward more than anyone.

Therefore, the virtues of the Mighty Seo Clan were three.

Martial prowess, righteousness, and chivalry.

They suppressed oppressors and performed acts of righteousness and chivalry.

Doing so required martial power was necessary.

However, even then, there were many losses because of their ways.

The Mighty Seo Clan was where knights and warriors with purpose among the Five Great Families gathered.

It embraced those who harbored hatred towards monsters.

Seo Boram grew up in such a place.

That was why she was most familiar with slaughter.

'It was fun.'

Slaughter, fighting, and force. What she experienced in her childhood pushed her into the battlefield.

She was usually nice but changed when she fought.

That was the kind of person Seo Boram was.

Her unique temperament, qualities, and talent added together.

Among her peers, she had no equal.

That was why she needed experience. So, she headed to the academy.

There, she was a bit happier. There were fewer who looked at her strangely.

But many looked at her as an equal.

So, Seo Boram was happy.

Because here, she could fight to her heart's content.

The second wall was Han Seojin.

However, it differed from her feelings for the head of the family, her father.

Her father, the head of the Mighty Seo Clan, seemed like someone she could surpass one day.

Her talent shone so brightly that she could be confident in herself.

If her feelings for her father were admiration, her feelings for Han Seojin differed slightly.

Awe.

A martial artist of the same realm.

Han Seojin is undoubtedly strong. However, his physical movements weren't much different from her own.

She often felt that way during their sparring sessions.

For a moment, the speed of his steps would increase tremendously, which she could only attribute to the superiority of his martial arts.

'It's different.'

He was a wall that she felt she could probably never overcome.

If she were one realm higher, could she compete against him?

She wasn't sure about that either.

However, there was one thing she was sure of. There were ten others like herself, and like herself, Seo Boram could only laugh sometimes because he easily defeated such people.

Seo Boram had also seen a proper confrontation.

He was stronger than the head of the Namgoong Clan and stronger than the centurions, Maria and Lukan.

No one she knew could easily kill someone in the realm of Enlightenment.

Lukan was a person who had reached Enlightenment.

But Han Seojin killed him effortlessly.

Then, did his realm the High Realm?

'No.'

This much was certain. He was neither in the High Realm nor the Superior Realm.

When he used the art that defeated his enemies, the gray energy looked like a mirage, but it was merely sword qi.

'Still, he's not in the High Realm.'

He was between the Middle Realm and the High Realm.

He seemed to be about that level.

That was why he was marvelous.

How could a person so easily kill those above their realm?

How could he so lightly defeat them like they're weaker than him?

When you reached a certain realm, you understood how difficult it was to kill the strong.

But it was always difficult to overwhelmingly defeat ten weaker ones. Moreover, he didn't even use sword qi.

[Unique trait, Six-Bladed Asura ignites the fighting spirit.]

Ah, she wanted to fight.

She, however, was sure to break. Losing was absolute.

The probability of winning?

It was infinitely close to 0.

Perhaps it would only happen if a natural disaster like a meteor falling from the sky occurred or if some transcendent being wanted to take revenge on Han Seojin.

He was such an overwhelming wall.

But she wanted to fight.

"Do you want to fight me?"

While summarizing information in the faculty office, I made an incredulous face.

Honestly, it was also absurd.

'What's this all of a sudden.'

While interrogating a prisoner captured earlier and gathering the information he had, Seo Boram suddenly barged into the staff room.

By this point, there should have been someone to stop her, but Seo Boram was, unfortunately, the next head of the Mighty Seo Clan. There weren't many who dared to block such a person.

Above all, she was also my student.

The matter that Seo Boram brought up as he suddenly entered the staff room was simple.

She wanted to have a match.

'Well, I can always entertain that.'

I looked into Seo Boram's eyes.

They're endlessly straight.

Yet, within those eyes, flames were rising. That's fighting spirit.

The look of someone who desires to defeat an opponent stronger than themselves.

A smirk naturally flowed out.

'Did that stimulate you a bit?'

Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique

The martial art was created by my third reincarnation, intending to destroy everything that stands in my way.

The urge to defeat everyone.

It contained the extreme path of Defeating.

Those with mediocre talents would give up upon seeing such heavy intent.

But this one was different.

Instead, she tried to cling even more and learn even more. While revering me, at the same time, she had the heart to overcome me.

And I liked such things.

'Rather than saying one has already lost, or that dividing victory and defeat is meaningless.'

Those who fight while knowing that they will be defeated but still try to find a slight chance of victory.

I liked those with such temperament.

Moreover, these were my students. There was no reason not to teach them.

'It's about time to prepare.'

I had taught them once.

Then, at the very least, I had to make them possess the proof of having been taught by me, the strength.

"Good."

I'll teach you a move.

The training ground.

Two people faced each other in a place where no one else was.

Seo Boram stared ahead.

Han Seojin was in sight.

He said he would teach her a lesson, but his outfit looked infinitely comfortable.

Wearing an aloha shirt over his shirt and shorts, he moved nonchalantly in his sandals.

Some described him as a lucky commoner, but that wasn't it.

Her whole body tensed as she looked ahead.

She could see Han Seojin.

Lazily, he moved while holding his wooden sword loosely over his shoulder.

There were many openings.

It seemed one could rush in and knock him down at any moment.

'No.'

Her instincts warned her.

The experience of having observed him until now told her it wasn't so.

"What are you doing? We'll run out of time at this rate."

Han Seojin said with a smile.

He was right.

Since she was still lacking compared to Han Seojin, she had to move before he did.

Huff.

Her breath halted. How should she fight?

The answer was already decided.

Han Seojin.

That man had no weaknesses.

He was strong in short-term battles and strong in long-term battles. Skilled in fighting against many and strong in one-on-one fights.

She had to draw him into where she fought best.

'In one go.'

She must pour everything at once.

Everything she has.

That's the only way to have a chance of winning.

[Unique Trait, Six-Bladed Asura blooms.]

[Unique Trait, Six-Bladed Asura unfolds the Hell Path.]

Ssshh.

Behind her, Asura's figure appeared. The figure with three heads and six arms.

Three heads and six arms, each holding a different sword.

'It changed?'

Han Seojin looked at Six-Bladed Asura with interest.

Subtle but different. The swords held by the Asuras have changed.

One sword looked like a Defeating Sword, and the other looked like a Swift Sword.

'Let's see how much has changed, shall we?'

Han Seojin positioned himself. His movements were shaky, yet he managed to twist his body slightly.

Seo Boram was secretly pleased by this.

It felt like her growth was being recognized. Then, a smile leaked out.

Wouldn't this make her seem too easy?

Seo Boram took her stance and glared at Han Seojin.

He was her mentor and teacher who had taught her so much.

But now, he was also a wall that she needed to overcome.

'I'll surpass him.'

That's why she had to surpass her teacher.

Swoosh.

The sword moves. The swords of Asura moved as well. She used the sword art taught by her teacher, Six Paths One Gate.

This technique utilized six types of swords.

'Combining them into one is too much.'

It was still too much for her current level, but she didn't give up yet.

A grey qi swirled around Han Seoji, similar to the haze he used before.

The path of Defeating.

She knew it the moment she saw it. That was something she couldn't follow.

Yet, it flickered in her mind.

She couldn't escape the allure.

She worshipped strength, so she knew how absurd and filled with excess what he showed was.

'However.'

There's something gained from it.

It was already the peak of his intention of Defeating.

Her talent can chase after it. But for now, it only reaches the level of her teacher.

'Not enough.'

She wanted to surpass him—what that man possessed.

His strength.

The transmission of power had reached its extremity.

Six paths—additionally, Seo Boram's path began to whirl around.

'Ho.'

Han Seojin quietly marveled.

Six Paths One Gate.

A sword art Han Seojin devoted his heart and soul to. Seo Boram began to reproduce it in her way.

'Is it because the art is good.'

Its essence began to show.

The movements of the Asuras began to change. The somewhat mechanical movements softened.

'It seems I can't use other traits.'

Seo Boram now felt stronger than before when she had used all traits.

Six swords move. All of them contained a single intent.

Strength.

Han Seojin smiled and lifted his wooden sword.

'Using Soul Origin Qi is too much.'

Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique.

He couldn't fully control it himself. Therefore, Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique couldn't be used. Then,

Ssssst.

A blue light bloomed from the wooden sword. Moonlight evolved into Soul Origin Qi, but Han Seojin remembered the power of the Moonlight.

That was enough.

'Moonlight.'

Moonlight bloomed from the wooden sword.

'It's also good not to use six sword paths at once, but one by one.'

Han Seojin moved. An endlessly light movement. Yet, it was also endlessly heavy.

Ssssssh!

Six swords move. Enormous pressure is conveyed.

Six-Bladed Asura.

The power it possesses.

The stronger the user's fighting spirit, the more it pressured the opponent.

'Interesting.'

Despite this, Han Seojin moved gracefully. Movement like the wind. The Wind God's Step Art does not get entangled in such things.

Clang!!

The sword clashes with the sword. Yet, the one being pushed back was Seo Boram's Asura.

It's like water flowing.

All the attacks she has been deflected and flow away.

"When you achieve the extreme of Swiftness, even this is possible."

Han Sejin flicked his sword. The Asura's sword was directed at him.

Kwang!

Seo Boram deflected the Asura's sword and looked at Han Seojin.

"Using the opponent's attack against them…"

"Then try blocking this too!"

Her momentum changed.

Six swords formed in a different shape. Thinner and sharper.

Swiftness.

Seo Boram moved. The Asura lifted the swords high.

Kakakakang!!

Many swords were swung in a flurry.

Han Seojin dodged, deflected, and parried the swords with graceful movements.

A bit of ease disappeared from his expression. In other words, it meant he was still at ease.

Such speed didn't reach him. Therefore,

'Strength.'

She infused the principle of Strong.

The movement of the swords began to change. Blood dripped from Seo Boram's nose.

Her head began to reject it.

The principle of Strong and the principle of Swiftness.

Seven swords were moving together.

And focusing on Han Seojin's movements.

Even for an exceptional genius, handling one thing would cause the brain to overload, but Seo Boram managed three simultaneously.

No, she had to.

She had to do so if she wanted to land even a single blow on that man.

Ssssssst.

The blade moved. Its movement was different from before. It contained the subtleties of Strong and Swiftness, just like Nam Hyerin had embodied the principle of Heavy and Defeating.

The only difference from that time was that there were seven blades, each containing two sword paths.

"Now, she can somewhat manage it."

Han Seojin pondered for a moment. Should he crush her straightforwardly, or should he tease her, making her feel the wall without quite touching it?

'Let's crush her.'

The hesitation was brief.

Such kids, when shown a wall, try to tear it down.

"Let me show you how to use the Only Gate."

At Han Seojin's words, Seo Boram was captivated by a strange sensation.

The moment he slowly lifted the wooden sword, it felt as if everything had stopped.

'This is.'

"Strength carries the flow, Swiftness finds gaps in the flow, Softness entrusts itself to the flow, Illusion adjusts the flow to oneself. Heaviness fits oneself into the world, and Defeating fits the world to oneself."

All of that is woven into one.

The Six Paths One Gate began from there. Six paths. When those are tied into one.

It was a strange sensation.

It was as if Han Seojin had grasped time and space entirely.

"This is the Six Paths One Gate."

It encapsulated six principles into one.

A single path was visible.

That path was infinitely slow. Infinitely fast, infinitely mighty, and infinitely gentle.

Heavy, light, fast, slow, strong, gentle, mighty, and weak.

'What.'

A single blade blocked seven of them.

It was an attack from all sides. However, in an instant, all her blades were drawn to his blade.

"It's a method of controlling the flow. It's also something you should reach someday."

Han Seojin chuckled and swung his wooden sword.

That was Seo Boram's last memory.

After kindly teaching Seo Boram, I headed back to the staff room.

Abel was there.

"What is it, Abel?"

"I came here for a purpose."

"Are you also asking for guidance?"

"Something more interesting than that."

Abel said with a smile.

"Shall we conquer the underworld together?"

What are you talking about, seriously?