Chapter 12: Contractual Relationships

Heuk, heuk.

I gasp for breath.

Pushing my body to its limits, I run purely, without using my inner strength. The 20 kg of iron weights settled on both arms and legs naturally push my body to its limits. Then, the inner strength within me begins to settle in my body.

'Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.'

A martial art that straightens the vessel known as the body. However, this is a necessary step to fully utilize the Glacial Heavenly Moon and Brilliant Blazing Fire.

'There's more to learn afterward.'

My martial arts need to move on to the next level.

As I train my body and pass by the usual course, I see a girl swinging a wooden sword in the park.

Heuk!

She has a bob haircut.

She is dressed in comfortable casual clothes, black activewear.

Her face is familiar.

A girl I have dealt with before.

It's the woman accompanying the man I've seen before.

'Nam Hyerin, was it?'

However, something else catches my eye more than those things.

'Sword.'

She is practicing martial arts.

That sword is very familiar.

'It's the Namgoong Sword.'

Focused on swiftness, the Thirteen Strikes of the Lightning Blade.

It is a very impressive thunder sword technique.

Perhaps because Namgoong's last sword, despite being a heavy sword, pursues extreme swiftness.

But while looking at the sword, I noticed something strange.

When connecting the initial movements, the sword moves unnaturally as it unfolds.

'Is it a problem with her internal arts? No, seeing the lightning spark, it seems like the connection in the sword technique is unnatural rather than the internal arts.'

Especially when moving from the seventh initial movement to the eighth.

Having seen up to there, I realized one thing.

'Both movements are problematic.'

I can naturally see the problems.

It must be a sign that my Heavenly Eyes are already settling just right in this body.

But could it be because I've seen too much?

Nam Hyerin is glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you know it's wrong to spy on someone else's martial arts?"

"Would someone aware of that be swinging a sword in a park?"

"…"

Tsk tsk.

They behave like the young masters and ladies from righteous sects, raised with such delicacy.

Originally, practicing a family's secret techniques was meant to be done in the utmost secrecy. Yet, here they are, clumsily training in such a place and getting angry over someone watching.

"Still, to casually spy on a family's swordsmanship is…"

"More importantly."

I changed the subject to divert her attention.

"Don't you think the transition from the seventh to the eighth form feels unnatural?"

"… How could you?"

She's taken aback.

This is much better.

After annihilating the Namgoong clan last time, I felt sorry and taught them a technique, only for them to get angry and try to kill me.

"Was I too harsh?"

But it was unavoidable.

At that time, the Namgoong bastards were so desperate to kill me that I had no choice but to kill them.

"There's a method everyone knows."

"…"

Nam Hyerin frowned.

Seeing her expression demanding a clear answer, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Thirteen Strikes of the Lightning Blade pursue extreme speed. However, the swor you should learn first is the embodiment of the medium sword, the Emperor Sword Form."

"That's correct."

The history of the Namgoong clan is long. They are a proud family, even claiming to be the leaders of the Five Great Clans.

Why would such people learn the Emperor Sword Form, the embodiment of a medium sword, before learning the sword of extreme speed?

"The subtlety of the technique lies within."

"Are you speaking of the strong sword?"

"Swiftness and strength are distinctly different. One must know how to apply force. More precisely, perhaps it's about how to move the body."

I looked around, but there was nothing useful. I had no choice but to pick up a branch.

Thirteen Strikes of the Lightning Blade.

I had encountered a particular sword technique countless times in my previous life and had even conducted extensive research on the topic.

"The essence of a strong sword lies in how one applies force."

I maneuver the wooden sword.

The iron ring feels burdensome, and my posture is slightly twisted. However, if one cannot master this, then giving up is the only option.

'After all, a strong sword requires minimal movement.'

It's about using the least effort to produce the greatest strength.

That is the core principle of a strong sword.

In essence, it's also about moving the body efficiently.

"Huup."

I inhale deeply and execute the move.

Transitioning from the seventh sword technique to the eighth.

From head to waist.

My legs are firmly planted, while my upper body moves fluidly.

"So, you anchor your legs while driving power through your waist."

"Exactly."

I nod in agreement.

"But it's odd, isn't it? The Namgoongs have a terrible reputation, but their dedication to the sword is unmatched."

Nam Hyerin's body stiffens.

Ah, I think I understand now.

"You haven't truly mastered the technique, have you? You learned by observing. Likely, the instability in your internal arts stems from that."

"Can you discern that just by looking?"

"Absolutely."

With that, I turn my gaze to Nam Hyerin.

"Give it up."

"…What?"

"The Namgoong's Lightning Sword Technique cannot reach its full potential without a solid foundation in the internal arts. It relies on harnessing a special energy known as Blue Dragon Qi."

Her expression turns grim.

I can roughly piece together her story.

Since she hadn't formally trained in swordsmanship, she must have experimented based on rough guesses and the incomplete knowledge in her mind.

'In this case, having talent actually proved to be a detriment.'

It's a pity.

However, it would be overly intrusive for me to intervene and resolve her issue.

While I owe the Duke of the Moon a favor, the Namgoong clan was my sworn enemy in my previous life.

An existence that should not coexist under the same sky.

'I'll overlook it this time, considering it's a different life.'

The enmity of a past life does not flow into the next.

It was one of my resolutions to completely maintain my sanity.

"Then I'm off."

I ran off to finish the rest of my exercise.

"…Just now."

Nam Hyerin reflected again on the advice she had received moments ago.

That man knows.

She had seen, not long ago, Han Cheoljin being overwhelmingly defeated.

At that time, she definitely thought he was strong. Even from a glimpse, she could tell his martial arts were formidable.

'But he used magic.'

She pondered over the words suddenly interjected by Han Seojin.

However, to outright dismiss it would be to ignore the dignity in those brief words, a dignity only true masters could possess.

Occasionally, such masters appear in the martial world, carrying that kind of dignity.

They would impart a lesson or two to those remaining in a clan they had connections with.

It was the nature of the righteous factions.

While some wish for the clan's destruction, many lament it.

These masters often seek out those with whom they have connections to take them in or to teach them a lesson like this.

'Is he a real master?'

A strangely confident tone.

And Nam Hyerin also felt something.

She almost exclaimed in admiration upon hearing it.

This sword technique—that's the right way to do it.

"Hoo…"

She assumed the position.

And then she began the seventh form of the Thirteen Strikes of the Lightning Blade.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

The sword cleaved through the air.

Up to here, it's the same.

'And at this point.'

She moved her legs.

She did so.

To move on to the next form, she thought it necessary.

But that man's method was different.

'Instead, it had to be fixed.'

Until now, she had let her body follow the flow of the moving force. That's why it was light.

She tensed her legs, letting her upper body follow the flow.

'To control the flow.'

The man seemed to define strong swordsmanship just like that.

The subtlety of strong swordsmanship.

And exhilaration.

Her mental fog vanished in an instant, as if the wind had pushed it away.

"Ah."

Whoosh!

The internal Blue Dragon Qi writhed. Crack—a blue lightning burst forth from the sword.

'I hit it!'

But at the same time, she felt a throbbing pain.

It was pain, starting from within her Dantian.

'…This too was hit.'

The problem was her internal arts.

Nam Hyerin had not formally received the sword from Namgoong.

Her martial arts were merely swordsmanship learned by picking up from Namgoong.

That she achieved this much with just that shows she was an enormous genius, but paradoxically, even such a genius couldn't properly learn Namgoong's sword.

「Give up.」

Han Seojin's words came to mind.

She clenched her teeth without realizing it.

She couldn't give up.

Because this was all she had left.

However, a man suddenly came to mind.

In a place where everything was in ruins, wrapped in black martial attire, he was a man basking in the moonlight with indifferent, clear eyes.

Blue-Eyed Martial Emperor.

A devilish general from the Evil Sect and a monster among monsters killed the top three of the righteous faction.

'It can't be.'

He had a completely different aura from that person.

That man possessed a destructive temperament, wanting to destroy everything, including himself.

'Han Seojin…'

Nam Hyerin engraved that name in her mind once again.

After finishing my exercises, I would sit in a lotus position in the motel room and practice my mana.

That was the routine.

'Is it a bit too early to move on to the next stage?'

My magic formula is divided into five stages.

The first is Glacial Heavenly Moon, the second is Brilliant Blazing Fire, and the third involves mastering the magic of Divine Thunderbolt.

The fourth is about integrating these three techniques.

The fifth has not yet been created.

I only named it Primordial, nothing more.

In my previous life—that is, during my second life, when I lived as a magician—I never reached the realm of the primordial.

While others utilized circle magic formulas, my method involved harnessing the power of the Dantian.

Thus, my realm differs from that of ordinary magicians.

'You might find something similar.'

But it's only similar in a literal sense.

Just as sugar and syrup both taste sweet but are not the same,

And the stage I must reach is…

'Brilliant Blazing Fire.'

Originally, it's correct to nurture the Glacial Heavenly Moon while embracing the Brilliant Blazing Fire.

Brilliant Blazing Fire is a flame that embraces everything, and the Glacial Heavenly Moon is a freezing power that can lead even its user to death.

Last time, in the battle with Abel, forcing the use of the Glacial Heavenly Moon was almost too much.

Even though I hadn't properly mastered the Brilliant Blazing Fire, I had forcibly twisted its structure to use it.

'I need to reduce its power a bit.'

Thinking about it, it was Abel who suddenly attacked us.

And it was Yoo Eunchae who had led him to do so.

I didn't know what was going on, but Yoo Eunchae seemed to want them dead.

That was also a reason why I spared that guy, Abel.

'Anyway.'

Thinking up to that point, I remembered the time I had asked Yoo Eunchae to become my disciple.

I found myself frowning without realizing it.

"Become your disciple?"

"Yes."

"On what basis should I trust you?"

"Me."

I pointed at myself with a finger and ate a piece of cake with a fork.

Hmm, this place is nice.

"Well, that's true. But considering the scene you showed earlier, it makes sense."

Yoo Eunchae groaned.

"What can you do for me?"

At her question of what I could do for her, I laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because the question is wrong."

It's not about what I can do for her.

"The question should be, 'What can't I do?'"

I am a reincarnator.

Over three lifetimes, I've accumulated a variety of knowledge.

Magic and martial arts.

And I've reached the pinnacle in all of those areas.

This world has supernatural powers, which I can't teach.

'But still.'

Three years.

If I really focused on supernatural powers for three years, it wouldn't take that long.

I can teach her what I know.

I look at Yoo Eunchae.

She was looking at me, her mouth agape.

"No, isn't that too arrogant?"

"Not arrogant."

It's simply the truth.

In my second life, it was the same.

And in my third life, it was the same.

Although the study of supernatural powers is unfamiliar,

'When I saw a guy named Abel, I created an imitation ice realm.'

It will be easier to approach than expected.

"What tremendous confidence."

"I have the skills to back up that confidence."

I opened my hand in front of her.

Cracks and ice began to form.

"You said you were a reincarnator?"

"…Yes."

"How far does your knowledge extend?"

"You're asking the wrong question."

"…?"

"The correct answer is there's nothing I don't know."

Yoo Eunchae winked with one eye as she spoke.

Acting cute out of nowhere.

She's asking for death.

'But the answer is impressive.'

There's nothing she doesn't know.

It means she has a thorough understanding of this game.

Usually, such a statement can only be made after investing tens of thousands of hours.

'Is it because she spent tens of thousands of hours in the game that she can't negotiate like this?'

I swallowed the words that were too harsh to say outright.

"If that's the case, as soon as you obtained the Ice Spirit, you would have tried to learn the Glacial Heavenly Moon in any way possible."

"That's right."

Yoo Eunchae nodded her head.

"You're not going to teach me the Glacial Heavenly Moon, are you?"

I nodded.

"That, isn't that an incredibly amazing magic?"

"Not at all."

"It's not?"

"It's an incredible magic that you dare not learn."

"…"

Yoo Eunchae looked at me, her mouth open, as if she couldn't believe it.

"Then, are you going to teach me the original Glacial Heavenly Moon?"

"The original? Are you referring to the Duke of the Moon's Heavenly Ice?"

"The Duke of the Moon's Heavenly Ice. It does have a nice ring to it."

"But you're saying the original is inferior?"

"…What?"

Yoo Eunchae looked at me with incredulous eyes.

"What are you talking about? Isn't the Glacial Heavenly Moon a magic that imitates the Duke of the Moon's Heavenly Ice?"

"At first, it was like that."

Only in the beginning.

But at some point, when it interacted with the Brilliant Blazing Fire, that is, the Flame of the World Tree, it completely transformed from the magic formula known as Heavenly Ice.

The Glacial Heavenly Moon, when used together with the Brilliant Blazing Fire, became much superior to the version used by the Duke of the Moon.

'On the other hand, I must learn the Brilliant Blazing Fire.'

That was the only downside, if it could be called that.

"How about something other than a disciple?"

"What do you mean?"

"A contractual relationship. A relationship where we exchange what we have to offer."

"What can you offer me?"

"Various things."

"Among them, is there anything like the Glacial Heavenly Moon?"

"Later, I will."

"Then we'll talk about it then."

"Uh, uh, there's only one teacher."

By this point, one becomes curious about the identity of that teacher.

"Who is that teacher?"

"I can't tell you. I learned it secretly from them."

Learning over someone's shoulder makes them a teacher.

'Come to think of it.'

There seemed to be someone who might just come to mind.

I looked at Yoo Eunchae.

'It couldn't be.'

Because that person was just too different.

"Then, let's just make it a contractual relationship."

"Great! Let's do well."

That was the whole story of the incident.

But the problem was what this so-called disciple did.

'Why does she talk so much?'

She babbles like a horse that's lost its reins.

She calls and tries to talk to me, her teacher, for two straight hours, and when I forcibly hang up, she comes to the motel and stays by my side.

"No, if a woman like me comes to your side, shouldn't I be the one feeling in danger?"

"Men and women are inherently different, my disciple."

"Ah, you're feeling shy. But I can't fall for anyone who isn't romantic. And though I only like my teacher's face, his personality is a bit off."

"Get out!"

"Teacher! Your lovely student has arrived!!"

She insists on not calling me a teacher, even though I am one.

Duke of the Moon.

Sorry, but I might have to kick my student out soon.