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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: If You Play a Game, You Must Win (2)
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Let's admit what needs to be admitted.
I still have a long way to go.
At first, I thought that within the Mental Duelling Space, I'd be able to unleash everything I knew, becoming a genius descending from the darkness, dancing as I unleashed a one-man army.
But after getting thrashed like a dog, I realized that wasn't the case.
Martial arts wasn't simply about manifesting forms.
Take the sword I'd just been wielding, for instance.
If we're talking about the Flying Heaven Sword Art...
It consisted of six forms, from the first form, 'Winged Lightning Flash (飛翼電閃)', to the sixth form, 'Heavenly Light Slash (天光一閃)'.
Each form followed a set routine, performing specific movements.
Moreover, the subtleties of both 'Soft Sword Arts' (유검일지) and 'Hard Sword Arts' (강검일지) were woven into the essence of the forms.
To use a game analogy, each individual form was like a single skill.
How one took the forms they had mastered in their mind and linked them together could be considered the typical process of activating martial arts.
To put it simply, it was like building combos with forms, such as EQW auto-attack RQW.
...That's what I thought.
But the old geezer I'd faced earlier wielded a different kind of sword.
It was clearly the same form that had targeted my heart countless times, yet...
Sometimes it was a swift sword, fast as lightning; other times, a heavy sword that precisely countered my movements; and then, an illusionary sword that mixed in various feints.
The most basic stances that formed the foundation of a form—
Taking a step, swinging, twisting the body slightly, slashing, thrusting—every single one of these sequential movements was separated from the form, systematically picking me apart.
I was frustrated, but there was nothing I could do.
Furthermore, disassembling a form as knowledge that I 'believed to be correct' in my mind was impossible with my current understanding of martial principles (武理).
It was as if I knew the answer key, but hesitated to make a judgment that might be wrong.
But.
If I didn't do that, I couldn't win—
Based on that conviction, I swung my sword without hesitation, even though its form hadn't fully solidified in my mind.
The nameless old geezer's sword.
Although I knew nothing about how he utilized internal energy, what his actual routine was, or how he distinguished between forms...
Since I knew nothing, I broke down what I saw into the smallest possible pieces.
I broke it down again and again, leaving only the bare minimum of its form.
And within that, I poured the emotions I had felt.
Fighting spirit.
The smell of blood.
A murderous aura that felt like it could tear me apart at any moment.
The courage to sacrifice an arm without hesitation to sever an opponent's neck.
Yes.
Like a lone wolf.
A solitary hunter whose every step was stained with blood.
Imbued with the fierce spirit that would never retreat, even when facing a formidable foe.
* * *
"…!"
Mo Yong-wi-cheon felt a sudden surge of bewilderment.
Not only had he accurately parried the sword he thought was unstoppable, but from that moment on, it was as if he had become a different person. His straightforward swordplay vanished, replaced by irregular, unpredictable thrusts, as if he had become a wandering vagabond.
"Impossible!"
He let out a meaningless shout, wildly swinging his twin swords to completely subdue the already half-broken Geum Si-hyun.
Sometimes, he would effortlessly deflect attacks with an unpredictable surge of power.
What was clearly a feint just before a charge would suddenly materialize, striking at his life like a snake.
And.
Most essentially—
As if he were a completely different person. A subtle fighting spirit and murderous aura began to bind Mo Yong-wi-cheon's body like invisible shackles.
To feel such an oppressive presence from a swordsman his own age...?
The growing bewilderment weighed heavily on Mo Yong-wi-cheon's mind.
"Hwaaah!"
Realizing he could no longer be pushed back by sheer momentum, Mo Yong-wi-cheon drew up all his remaining internal energy.
Heaven and Earth Shattering Flash Sword (乾坤破閃劍).
Ultimate Technique. Unity of Heaven and Earth (天地歸一).
The sword embodying the will of Heaven (乾) and the sword embodying the will of Earth (坤) merged into one, creating heaven and earth and pursuing the primordial chaos.
This ultimate technique was originally designed for Qi-energy manipulation, so an immense amount of power drained away, causing a momentary sensation of weakness.
In return, a distinct black-and-white form, too vivid to be called mere sword energy, radiated brilliantly between the crossed swords.
In a real body, his Qi and blood would have been twisted at this point.
But it was possible because this was a mental duel.
The moment Mo Yong-wi-cheon, thinking he would decide the match with this one strike, looked at his opponent.
"…!"
Mo Yong-wi-cheon instantly realized his mistake.
"This, this shameless lowlife!"
Unfortunately, Mo Yong-wi-cheon was still a hothouse flower.
He had foolishly expected a perfectly natural and romantic duel where if he unleashed an ultimate technique, his opponent would respond with one of their own.
However, Geum Si-hyun had no such intention.
The moment the sword energy flared, he was already preparing to withdraw, concentrating even the internal energy needed for a counter-attack in his Yongcheon acupoint.
The Unity of Heaven and Earth forged by Mo Yong-wi-cheon slashed through the empty air.
But.
Seeing that, Mo Yong-wi-cheon instead concentrated his internal power on the sword blade to the utmost, with the single-minded determination to even draw upon his innate true Qi.
"Do you think such a petty trick will work?!"
As a result.
The condensed internal power flowed along the sword blade, forming a streak of sword energy that surged directly towards Geum Si-hyun's fleeing back.
It would be too late to dodge.
Feeling his strength drain from his entire body, Mo Yong-wi-cheon wore a triumphant smile.
Shwoooooosh—
He heard something rapidly descending. Mo Yong-wi-cheon involuntarily looked up at the sky.
"You crazy bastard—"
Geum Si-hyun's sword was falling precisely onto his head.
If he had even a little strength left, he could have dodged it.
Unfortunately, having instantly poured out all his power, he couldn't even twitch a fingertip.
In the end.
Before the Unity of Heaven and Earth could engulf Geum Si-hyun.
The sword Geum Si-hyun had tossed upwards at the very moment Mo Yong-wi-cheon gathered his power, first pierced Mo Yong-wi-cheon's avatar.
Along with the sensation of his vision turning red—
[Match End]
[Winner: Mangumjeonjangjeongpoommajakpaemankwanbu]
[Loser: Pateongeomgwi]
The world of Mental Duelling, where the concept of a mutual kill didn't exist, strictly determined the victor and loser.
"Another cowardly trick...!"
Mo Yong-wi-cheon gritted his teeth.
But.
A trick like that would only work once.
They had already agreed to a best-of-three match.
He would utterly slaughter him in the remaining two rounds.
[Would you like to challenge your opponent again?]
[Accept■ / Decline□]
And.
In the subsequent second round.
Mo Yong-wi-cheon was utterly annihilated by a sword wielded by Geum Si-hyun, a form he had never seen before.
No matter who saw it.
No matter how they judged it.
It was his complete defeat.
* * *
"Haaah..."
As I exhaled deeply and took off the headgear,
"Geum Si-hyun! Geum Si-hyun!"
"Not bad!"
"Argh! My money!"
"Why is that *your* money, puhaha!"
The surging excitement in the Simnyeongak poured out.
Mo Yong-wi-cheon wore a dazed expression.
I approached him and extended my hand.
Mo Yong-wi-cheon, looking up at me with unfocused eyes, suddenly twitched an eyebrow.
Perhaps he didn't have the energy to throw a tantrum in front of so many people, as he meekly took my hand.
[GodofBlade_11]
God of Blade, huh.
What an arrogant ID.
I could dig his grave later.
For now, I should fully enjoy the victor's privilege.
"Don't be too down. Your opponent was me, after all."
Recalling Mo Yong-taek's cheating face, I curled my lips into the most sardonic smile I could manage.
Mo Yong-wi-cheon's face crumpled miserably, and he roughly swatted my hand away.
It's an undeniable fact, you know.
If you didn't like it, you should've won.
Feeling a refreshing sensation well up in my chest, I briefly shared a warm moment with my fellow disciples who were congratulating me on my victory.
I then headed towards Mo Yong-taek, who had, at some point, set up a stall in a corner and was distributing gambling payouts.
I high-fived Un-hak, who was helping Mo Yong-taek.
"Oh! I knew you had it, Geum Si-hyun!"
Looking at Mo Yong-taek, who was blessing my victory with a very bright smile,
"Fifty percent."
I demanded a very reasonable and legitimate price.
Mo Yong-taek's expression twisted for a moment.
Seeing him like this, it was clear he shared blood with Mo Yong-wi-cheon.
"Even so, fifty percent is a bit much..."
"Sixty percent."
"Hey!"
"Seventy percent."
"Ugh... Fine, fifty percent..."
"Should've done that from the start."
I had secured the victor's rightful share along with it.
Both brothers were giving me profit and joy.
Taking in the sight of Na-rang and So-jeo smiling brightly from the spectator stands, I exited the Simnyeongak.
I'd retrieve the wolf-dog I'd temporarily left at the Seo family's estate, then return to the dorms to wash up and rest.
Although I hadn't physically moved, I had exerted so much concentration that my head throbbed.
As I leisurely strolled along, passing through the central area of the Baekhwa Academy, where various pavilions stood in rows—
"—?!"
A creature that burst out from an alley suddenly grabbed my clothes and yanked me inside with considerable force.
At first, I tensed, wondering if it was Mo Yong-wi-cheon or his gang, holding a grudge, launching a surprise attack.
But the color of the eyes I met for a fleeting moment, and the slightly pathetic, small stature, were all too familiar.
Without resistance, I was dragged, whimpering, into a deserted alley.
The kidnapper.
Cheon Ru-ri pushed me against the wall.
Was this the legendary 'kabedon'?
Though her arm raised higher than her head, grabbing me by the collar, felt quite pathetic and cute...
I carefully folded away the thought that could get me killed if I uttered it aloud, and lowered my gaze to meet Ru-ri's eyes, which were looking up at me.
"Hmm, Young Lady Ru-ri? What's wrong?"
Surely, this isn't a confession, is it?
I still don't understand the feelings of Sesshoumaru, who froze the ring.
But.
The words that flowed from Ru-ri's lips were.
"You, Demonic Cult?"
"…?"
They left me bewildered.
What is this? Is it like, 'Won't you become a demon?'
For some reason, an ominous future of becoming a donut flashed through my mind.