Serin threw a Ghost Spirit One Sword toward me.
—Paat!
Serin deftly dodged the incoming fireball. I followed up by launching a series of Ghost Spirit One Swords, but Serin reliably evaded all my attacks.
“Fast, but I don’t think a peak martial artist can’t dodge that,” she said.
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Yes. Even a top-tier fighter can dodge it if there’s enough distance or if they’re paying attention. I suggested it could be useful for long-range control, but that seems a bit off.”
Serin’s cool evaluation continued.
I had planned to use the Ghost Spirit One Sword from a distance to counter or poke, but it seemed less effective than I thought.
“Then how about this, Serin? If I use it suddenly right before jumping into close combat? Would that work?”
“If you do that… First, it’s under the assumption that I don’t know about the Ghost Spirit One Sword’s presence.”
Serin, with her eyes closed, pondered while biting her lip.
“It would hit for sure. Even if I were surprised and dodged, wouldn’t Geunhyeop immediately attack with something like the Sword of Ghost Spirit? If I tried to avoid or block it, I would lose my opportunity. In the end, I could lead the battle in my favor.”
“Exactly? Great. Then I’ll settle on using it for surprise attacks.”
The Ghost Spirit One Sword had quite decent speed and long range. And with good destructive power, it was a solid technique.
However, using it against a martial artist from a distance wasn’t recommended. They might evade it, and it would reveal the technique I possessed.
So, as I analyzed, I should use it just before combat, in an unexpected moment to catch them off guard.
Who would expect a fireball to shoot out of a sword technique?
Before swords even clash, would an opponent expect someone to prepare a stance at that distance? They’d think I was going to use some bizarre technique, not that a fireball would shoot out.
So, whether I hit or miss, it would be beneficial since they’d have to either dodge or block, allowing me to seize the advantage.
In short, I could gain a significant advantage in battles against martial artists who excel at close combat.
“I’ll practice, so just watch. Don’t engage; it could be dangerous.”
“It seems a bit risky to use at close range.”
Imagining a virtual enemy, I pretended to charge in, just before we clashed swords.
—Fwalak!
I unexpectedly launched a Ghost Spirit One Sword. The virtual enemy was startled and dodged the fireball, allowing me to unfold the Sword of Ghost Spirit.
—Shwaaa!
As they evaded the fireball, their defenses faltered, and my sword tip pierced their chest.
Great.
The simulation was perfect.
“Excellent. That’ll become a very lethal trump card. But right now, I think your speed isn’t quite there yet for activation.”
“This will improve with practice.”
Ever since taking in the essence of the Sword of Fate, I felt significant changes. I believed I could use my energy more skillfully and creatively.
Shooting fireballs with my hands?
That’s just a basic step. If I became more accustomed to releasing and controlling my energy, I could perhaps create some amazing skills.
That idea flooded my mind.
Despite how I look, I’m a modern human. Naturally, I’ve enjoyed numerous games, comics, and novels where superhumans with all sorts of abilities appear.
For instance, creating barriers with energy?
Or perhaps unfolding a domain.
I could even create flaming clones using energy or produce a rain of energy arrows to drop on them.
“Hehehe.”
The more I practiced handling energy, the more such skills would become a reality. Just thinking about it brought a smile to my face.
“But I’m worried that I might not end up being a martial artist but something akin to a true sorcerer…”
Lost in reverie, Serin approached me with a worried expression, taking my hand.
“Don’t rely too much on techniques that use your energy, Geunhyeop. If you focus solely on developing techniques and neglect your martial arts training, it’ll definitely backfire.”
“Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? I’m Jeolgyu Nachal. I’m not concentrating solely on energy. I seek the perfect combination of martial arts and energy, and that is my path.”
Peak Master. Ultra-Peak Master. Transformational Stage.
The martial world has these ranks, but not all martial artists who reach them use cookie-cutter styles and techniques.
Each of them has their own unique martial arts and paths.
“Thus, I will follow my chosen path. This is my unique martial art.”
“…Geunhyeop.”
When I expressed such sentiments, Serin nodded in admiration.
“Indeed. Very reliable. I should work hard too.”
“Let’s strive together. Let’s go beyond what’s ahead.”
“Yes. Understood.”
* * *
Namgoong Serin felt a sense of pride as she gave Geunhyeop a pat on the back.
‘He’s growing remarkably well.’
Geunhyeop was a very proactive martial artist. Using the special technique of the Sword of Fate, his desire to elevate his realm was immense.
With a martial artist like him, he would inevitably become an extraordinary master someday.
While Namgoong Serin felt proud of this fact, she also felt anxious.
…
Geunhyeop’s growth rate was impressive. Far faster than her specialized martial arts training and potion consumption since childhood.
Geunhyeop, who was merely a notch above an average fighter during their first meeting, had already reached a level where he could defeat first-tier martial artists. In terms of internal energy, he actually surpassed the combined levels of herself and Wi Hayoung.
With rapid growth like that, it wouldn’t be long before he caught up.
But that wouldn’t be the end. Geunhyeop would continue to improve even faster after catching up.
What if the gap widened…?
What if Geunhyeop grew stronger and she couldn’t keep up?
‘I might become a burden…’
That was a terrifying thought. Namgoong Serin didn’t want to be a hindrance to her husband. Wi Hayoung, being a sage, operated in a different realm and wouldn’t be a burden. But she was a martial artist like herself.
If her skills fell short, it could become a weakness and lead to her becoming a burden.
Those thoughts made Namgoong Serin anxious.
She had recently poured tremendous effort into training, but perhaps due to her growing anxiety, she hadn’t shown significant results. She was still stuck at the intermediate stage of peak mastery.
Although she had seen some results through repeated practical training, it paled in comparison to Geunhyeop’s explosive growth.
‘I can only work harder.’
Namgoong Serin firmly nodded.
“Now then, shall we practice our olfactory training?”
“What! Ahhh!”
Suddenly, Geunhyeop buried his face between her breasts.
“Stop! That’s not okay! Because of your movements, I’m sweating…!”
“That’s a good thing!”
“Please shut up!”
Though she yelled, she didn’t completely dislike this intimate side of Geunhyeop.
‘It’s proof he desires my body.’
Shame was undeniable, though.
‘Anyway, I need to train the Sword Technique of Boundless Space even more rigorously. By mastering it, I can teach Geunhyeop even better martial arts… Since Geunhyeop needs to grow stronger, I must elevate my own level as his master.’
Namgoong Serin gently stroked Geunhyeop’s head, which was buried between her breasts.
* * *
While training martial arts, the days passed as I also handled the business of Nachal Agency as its leader.
As the world was rebuilt, our power steadily increased. Consequently, profits were soaring sky-high, promising to morph us into a local strong sect if we properly established militaristic capabilities and a martial talent development system.
What should we do about it?
One day, Galbihong spoke up.
“Jeolgyu Nachal. We’ve received a new request. It’s deemed necessary for the leader to handle it personally.”
“What kind of request is it?”
“It’s a request that came from the Blue Jar Transport Agency.”
“The Blue Jar Transport Agency? That isn’t from this area, is it?”
If my memory served me right, that agency was located in the neighboring town. But transport agencies typically became widely known, regardless of their location.
“Correct. They sent a request to our Nachal Agency on the road used by the Blue Jar Transport Agency.”
“Has a Green Forest band appeared?”
The Green Forest band was indeed the arch-enemy of transport agencies.
If they suddenly showed up, logistics would ground to a halt, and we couldn’t generate profit. So they might be requesting us to eliminate them.
“They aren’t the Green Forest band. It’s a group of demons.”
“A group of demons?”
“Yes. A group called the Flying Claw Rakshasa has emerged.”
“The Flying Claw Rakshasa?”
Galbihong began explaining.
The Flying Claw Rakshasa.
They were said to be a demon race resembling harpies often portrayed in fantasy.
From the waist up to the thighs, they resembled humans.
But their long arms were feathered wings, ending in cruel claws like those of a bird of prey.
They used these arm-wings to fly freely in the sky and wield martial arts. Their martial arts were known for their claw techniques. They were said to scratch and tear humans with those vicious claws.
Below the knees, they had long chicken-like feet, adding to their treacherous appearance.
“The Flying Claw Rakshasa have blocked the road and repeatedly attacked transport goods. It seems they requested assistance because it’s hard to counter them due to their ability to fly.”
“Hmm…”
If the Green Forest band is human bandits, these Flying Claw Rakshasa are literally flying bandits.
“Galbihong. How strong are these Flying Claw Rakshasa?”
“Naturally, they are weaker than a fighter like Madunachal. They match the size of a human, after all. But even if they are individually weak, they fight as a group and can fly, making them rather dangerous.”
An airborne demon, huh.
“Alright.”
I’ve decided.
It’s time to test the Ghost Spirit One Sword against these creatures.
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