Chapter 36: Sword and Mind as One (3)

The silent standoff didn’t last long.

“I will face you as much as you wish.”

Seo Ye-rin, nodding slightly with a faint smile as if pleased with Choa’s growth, immediately took her stance.

But behind that faint smile, Seo Ye-rin was sweating cold.

She didn’t know what had happened, but something was different.

From the aura she felt, to the sudden change in the density of magical energy—Seo Ye-rin realized it all and swallowed hard.

At that moment, Choa kicked off the ground.

In the pure white training room, two lines were drawn.

One was gold—the color of Choa’s hair.

In a movement two to three times faster than before, Choa closed the distance and lowered her stance right in front of Seo Ye-rin.

Then, what about the other line?

“Blood Flame Sacred Sword.”

“Huh..?!”

There was no need for further words.

A sword, crimson with the energy of Sacred Blood Qi.

A blood-colored slash extended outward in a clean, unbroken motion.

Something felt wrong.

Facing Choa’s strike, Seo Ye-rin couldn’t hide her confusion.

The speed of her growth was far too fast.

Even the extent of that growth was at an abnormal level.

It wasn’t something that could be explained away by increased magical energy or improved skill with a Trait.

‘What on earth is happening…?!’

Her movements were clean. Despite her experience as an A-rank Hunter, Seo Ye-rin found Choa’s techniques to be flawless.

From the distribution of power, to the footwork and swordsmanship that belonged in the realm of true skill.

There wasn’t a single flaw to point out in any of it.

‘Holding back won’t be enough.’

That had already been true before, but now it was even more so.

Though her measured rank was lower, Choa was not someone she could afford to go easy on.

Seo Ye-rin drew out her magical energy even more fiercely.

The flow of power pouring from her body surged like a tidal wave.

“There will be no more holding back!”

That shout was both a warning to Choa.

And a reminder to herself.

The woman before her was no longer just a junior she could teach, but a true imugi—one who had the qualifications and skill to rival her.

Seo Ye-rin, sometimes called Korea’s Fire Dragon, accepted the tension she felt from Choa’s strike as a thrill.

‘Shape armor out of magical energy. As solid as possible—and sharp enough to be used as a weapon.’

The magical armor, which had only briefly surrounded her during defense, now took visible form.

As if to say she would allow no further attacks, the magical energy wrapped around her entire body, taking the form of armor.

All of that thought and response happened in a split second.

The moment Choa approached, the analysis began, and by the time her sword extended, the magical armor was already complete.

It was a truly perfect and swift response.

This wasn’t the kind of reaction an A-rank Hunter should show against someone ranked only C.

It looked like an excessive response.

To someone unaware of Choa’s skill, Seo Ye-rin’s reaction would have seemed like overkill.

And that judgment was half right.

The part about it being “excessive” was wrong.

But the “pointless” part? That was right.

“What?!”

“It actually worked! I just tried it to see if it might—and it really did!”

Choa’s sword shattered Seo Ye-rin’s magical armor.

From her right side to her left shoulder.

The diagonally slashed armor broke into fragments and crumbled helplessly.

It was something that should have been impossible.

It had to be impossible.

As the world’s logic was overturned, Seo Ye-rin, gripped by shock, calmly analyzed the state of her armor.

Then she couldn’t stop herself from gasping.

‘This isn’t… destruction!’

Choa hadn’t broken the armor.

It only looked that way—what had happened was far more complex.

“Magical absorption…?!”

“Correct!”

As Seo Ye-rin muttered in a trembling voice, Choa beamed and replied brightly.

“I still can’t overpower your magic head-on, Hunter Seo Ye-rin!”

No matter how much Choa had advanced, she still wasn’t at the level to win by brute force against an A-rank Hunter.

If they had simply clashed magical energy against each other, Choa’s attack would have bounced off Seo Ye-rin’s armor without a trace.

Choa already knew that.

To carry out an attack that was bound to fail would be foolish.

But even if it was foolish, Choa had a way to turn such a reckless act into a masterstroke.

‘I tried applying the principle of Sword and Mind as One… and it actually worked?’

Bathed in a sense of accomplishment, Choa giggled.

While the viewers filled the chat with awe and shock, and Seo Ye-rin stepped back,
only Cheon Hwi realized what Choa had done.

‘She used the Blood Absorption Technique.’

The Blood Absorption Technique drains the opponent’s energy upon contact.

Normally, the process uses blood as a medium, but since the original martial art is the Absorption Technique, it can also absorb pure energy without needing blood.

Originally, it would have required direct flesh-to-flesh contact.

But as her realm advanced and she achieved Sword and Mind as One, Choa’s sword had become an extension of her body, naturally allowing her to use the Blood Absorption Technique through the sword’s movement.

“I’m continuing!”

Choa, now completely fired up, made her move.

She stepped into the Blood Sea Swimming Dragon Step.

Her joyful footsteps danced across the training room floor like a dragon at play.

She unleashed the Blood Flame Sacred Sword.

Her hand, reaching forward after breaking Seo Ye-rin’s magical armor, connected in clash.

The battle was evenly matched.

No—Choa was slowly gaining the upper hand.

Just as people don’t consciously think about moving their arms and legs, Choa now felt no discomfort in executing her swordsmanship.

Her sword danced fiercely, as naturally as if it had always been a part of her.

As if it had been hers from the start, and with every clash against that sword, the magical energy that drained away felt cruel to Seo Ye-rin.

“What… is this?”

In the end, Seo Ye-rin couldn’t help but grumble at the utterly absurd and unreasonable flow of the battle.

Even if they brought in another A-rank Hunter specialized in close combat,
those movements couldn’t be replicated.

Choa’s motions were so clean and precise, executed endlessly without tiring,
that Seo Ye-rin could say with confidence they were flawless.

There were no mistakes.

Just as people don’t make mistakes when breathing or moving their limbs,
for Choa, who had reached the realm of Sword and Mind as One, the sword was like her own arms and legs.

And that wasn’t all.

If it were just her movements being abnormally excellent, Seo Ye-rin might have found a way to turn the tide.

“Khk!”

Crash! The magical armor wrapped around her crossed arms shattered like glass struck by a hammer.

The fragments of magical energy scattered wildly, looking like starlight.

As she let out a groan, Seo Ye-rin’s gaze locked onto Choa’s sword.

That sword.

That crimson-drenched sword was the very thing forcing this unfair fight upon her.

With just a touch, it absorbed magical energy, broke down the structure, and in the end, consumed everything to convert it into Choa’s own power.

It was an outrageous ability—one Seo Ye-rin had neither experienced nor even heard of, and it was ripping away her magical energy helplessly.

Swallowing hard, Seo Ye-rin stepped back, searching for a way to break free from this absurd situation.

“Ghh…!”

“Haa…!”

And Choa also took a deep, ragged breath, trying to calm herself.

Her body had begun to warn her, reaching its limit from maintaining Triple Acceleration.

She’s strong, no doubt about that.

Even with the surprise, Seo Ye-rin hadn’t taken a single effective hit and continued to respond skillfully.

Choa couldn’t help but be impressed.

Still, she had to end this quickly.

Her body was nearing its true limit.

Even her Intuition was beginning to press heavily on her chest, screaming at her to cancel Triple Acceleration immediately.

‘This next attack will decide the outcome!’

Choa curled up the corners of her lips and shifted her stance.

She lowered her body, swung her sword behind her, and aimed it low as if dragging it along the ground.

Among the sword forms of Blood Flame Sacred Sword, this was the strongest technique Choa could currently use.

Having taken the preparatory stance, Choa gathered all her internal energy.

It was clear to anyone that she was preparing a finishing move.

Seo Ye-rin let out a sigh and swallowed the bitter taste rising in her mouth.

“…It can’t be helped. This is my loss.”

“Huh?”

A sudden declaration of defeat.

Choa blinked.

She was briefly flustered by the unexpected words, but just as quickly, Seo Ye-rin, gathering her magical power, parted her lips.

“Avesta.”

Boom! An immense wave of heat and pressure swept over the training room.

Stunned by the scorching gust of wind, Choa’s eyes widened as she instinctively leapt back.

It was pure instinct.

Her Super Intuition, an ability within the realm of the supernatural, combined with her survival instincts to react unconsciously.

Blood Flame Sacred Sword—its seventh technique.

“Crimson Moon Breath!”

The moon brightens the dark night.

Usually, it offers a soft white glow as a gentle gift to humankind, but occasionally, a red moon rises, ominous, and spreading equal dread across the land.

Such a red moon was called an ill-star since ancient times.

Revered as if it were a living entity, it reigned as a symbol of ominous fear in every era.

A chilling red moon sweeps across the earth with a thousand breaths.

A strike swift as light and sharp as a blade, yet heavy and clinging like blood, tears through the front.

But.

“You’re truly incredible.”

To Seo Ye-rin, who had now unlocked her Trait, Choa was no longer a match.

Fwoosh—flames roared upward.

Seo Ye-rin’s hair blazed like fire.

The rising flames gathered into a sphere, following Seo Ye-rin’s control.

The fireball, tinged slightly with white and burning bright yellow, was launched.

Compared to Choa’s technique, it looked unimpressive in size.

But Choa clenched her teeth in shock at the overwhelming power radiating from that fireball.

And just as the fireball was about to explode, colliding with Choa’s sword.

“That’s enough!”

Cheon Hwi, who had stepped between them at some point, shouted and declared the end of the duel.