episode_0167

Huh ─

The sword swings.

Silence fell over the field.

It wasn’t because no one spoke or moved.

It was literally complete silence.

Perfect, quiet silence, not even the sound of grass swaying or wind blowing.

However.

That silence.

Soon it shattered.

───────!!

With heavy drinking that felt like the world was collapsing.

After waiting for a long time for the heavy drinking to reverberate throughout the field, the heavy drinking finally subsided and what was visible was—

It was a field where part of it disappeared without a trace.

Yeah, it’s gone.

Cuts, rips, etc. are not at that level.

He literally disappeared without a trace.

It was as if it had evaporated.

It was too bizarre to be considered a phenomenon created by one person swinging a sword.

It was a destructive mark that could not even be imitated even if a huge storm tore through the field for a long time.

A result that goes beyond the human realm and is close to a miracle.

The swordsman, the one who created such a miracle, was looking straight ahead in the same posture as he swung his sword.

Even though he displayed divine power that no human body could achieve, there was no joy on his face.

The swordsman was looking ahead with a completely calm expression.

yet.

“… I was truly surprised this time.”

His mouth opened, and a voice with difficult to read emotions came out.

“I never thought I could endure this.”

The swordsman spoke as if there was someone standing in front of him.

In front of him is a field that has been devastated and has completely lost its former appearance.

I wondered if anyone could really stand on top of it, but surprisingly, there was actually someone standing there.

Wade was still bleeding and holding a sword in one hand.

“Hmm… . That’s strange. I’m sure you couldn’t have stopped it with your skills… … .”

The swordsman narrowed his eyes and continued speaking.

There was a clear question in his eyes and voice.

The swordsman mastered Wade’s skills by mixing them with his sword.

It was clear that Wade had stepped into the same situation.

But still, there was a big gap between the two.

There is a significant gap that cannot be narrowed all at once.

That’s why the swordsman was confident.

That Wade would never survive his sincere attack.

Even if you are injured like that, never.

However, contrary to such expectations, Wade survived.

Of course, it wasn’t in perfect condition.

The wound was more open, and perhaps because of the aftereffects of the attack, additional large and small wounds appeared all over the body, making it a condition that could not even be joked about.

But, nevertheless.

Wade survived.

Although his wounds were deep, he survived despite facing the swordsman’s sincere blow from the front.

That was something that greatly exceeded the swordsman’s expectations.

Because of that, the swordsman’s expression was not bright.

However.

“… Well, it doesn’t matter.”

The swordsman soon shook off those lingering regrets.

“The result won’t change anyway.”

Because I thought nothing would change in the end.

It is true that Wade survived beyond his expectations.

But, that didn’t change anything.

The ending is ultimately the same.

Wade dies, he survives.

It just took a little longer to reach the result.

“This time I will give it an end.”

The swordsman raised his sword again.

and.

Wow─

His sword also began to cry loudly again.

Yeah, nothing changes.

All you have to do is swing the sword one more time.

Thinking like that, the swordsman was preparing to strike again.

“Hmm… ?”

The swordsman’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

It was because Wade suddenly started moving.

Wade, who had been standing still in place until now, suddenly started walking forward.

Toward the direction of none other than the swordsman.

“… Are you saying you won’t give up even when you get to this situation?”

The swordsman saw Wade’s actions as a struggle.

No matter what Wade does now, the result will not change.

Therefore, it is nothing more than a struggle.

“But in the end, it’s nothing more than struggling.”

The swordsman looked at Wade as if he felt pity.

“No matter what you do, you can’t win against me. Stop accepting that fact.”

Geomgong advised Wade to give up.

Stop struggling.

Just calmly accept the knife around your neck and death.

but.

Wade’s legs didn’t want to stop.

“… It’s a shame.”

The swordsman shook his head as if he was truly sorry.

Then he said:

“I really have to finish it this time. So that you don’t become ugly anymore.”

Wow─

The cries of the swordsman’s sword had reached their limit.

And then, the swordsman swung his sword.

───────!!

Again a roar filled the field.

A storm stronger than anything else in the world, created by one man, swept across the field once again.

however.

“… … .”

This time, Wade survived and did not die.

At that fact, the swordsman’s expression hardened slightly.

The swordsman has never lost his composure since reuniting with Wade.

Even when clashing swords or pointing swords at each other, his composure never broke down.

However, that composure was shaking at this moment.

Wow─

This time, the swordsman didn’t say anything.

I just immediately prepared for the next attack.

Soon, the sword’s cry shook the field again, and the swordsman swung his sword again.

──────!!

Once again, a storm raged.

Even though it is the third attack, its power is not diminished at all, and it is a devastating blow that can blow up a mountain in an instant.

However, this time too, the result did not change.

Wade was still alive and well.

At that fact, the swordsman’s expression became even harder.

“… … .”

Wordlessly, the swordsman raised his sword.

──────!!

Another storm broke out.

───────!!

Again, a storm arose.

However, no matter how many times he swings his sword, no matter how many times the storm he creates blows through the field.

The swordsman’s expression did not brighten.

It was a simple reason.

Because the result he wanted didn’t happen.

Because Wade never died.

Now the swordsmith’s expression was as hard as a stone.

Like someone who noticed something was wrong.

“… Because.”

Looking at Wade, who still didn’t stop moving even after facing a double-digit storm head-on, the swordsmith suddenly asked.

“Why don’t you die?”

The voice contained many emotions, but the one that stood out the most was doubt.

The swordsman was genuinely curious.

Why doesn’t Wade die?

How many times has he been attacked by himself and still remains alive?

and.

“Why didn’t you get hurt at all?”

Why don’t I even get hurt?

Unlike the first time when he received additional injuries, at some point Wade was no longer even injured.

Wade received the swordman’s attack without any injuries, as if nothing had happened.

And, it continued to approach the swordsman as if nothing had happened.

“Why… … .”

The swordsman’s voice trembled for the first time.

The strongest man who seemed unwavering no matter what happened was shaking.

His world was shaken as he saw with his own eyes an incomprehensible phenomenon.

“Why… … !”

The swordsmith’s voice had now become a shout.

With shaking eyes and voice, he was demanding an answer from Wade.

What on earth happened?

What on earth have you done?

Wade did not give any answer to the swordsman.

I just looked at him with calm eyes.

***

After a full-scale battle with the swordsmith took place, Wade realized.

That there is a significant gap between him and himself.

Neither the attack with all his might nor the swordsmanship with all his might had any effect on the swordsman.

However, Wade did not despair over that fact.

No, to be more precise, I couldn’t afford to despair.

Because a sense of foreignness that he could not ignore was constantly bothering him.

The first time I felt a sense of heterogeneity was from the moment I encountered the swordsman.

At first it was at a minimal level.

It’s not that it’s not annoying, but it’s enough to be easily ignored.

However, the sense of heterogeneity grew as time passed.

The more you mix the sword and the sword, the more you divide the sum.

The sense of heterogeneity that grew like that eventually filled Wade’s mind.

So much so that I can’t even concentrate on the task in front of me.

Losing concentration in a fight where your life may end at any moment is no different from death.

Therefore, Wade tried to find out the identity of the feeling of heterogeneity as quickly as possible and resolve it.

However, contrary to Wade’s will, he was unable to find out its identity.

In the end, Wade had no choice but to engage in battle with the swordsman while his concentration was scattered due to the sense of heterogeneity, and he even suffered serious injuries.

It didn’t end there; instead, I ended up facing a storm that I couldn’t avoid or block.

A situation that can only be described as hopeless, with no possibility of survival.

However, ironically, it was not until Wade was so close to death that he was able to recognize the identity of the strangeness.

‘ah.’

The moment he realized the identity of the strangeness, a silent exclamation flowed from Wade’s mouth.

And, memories from the past came back to me one after another.

When he first met Sword Duke, Wade was defeated by Sword Duke.

It was my first real defeat in my life, and it was an overwhelming defeat.

I literally couldn’t use my hands or feet and just got hit one-sided.

To the point where I felt a deep sense of helplessness for the first time in my life.

However, it wasn’t that I didn’t gain anything from it.

Through that fight, Wade gained a clue to enlightenment that would allow him to advance to the next level.

Later, after being rescued by Bella, while lying in bed unable to move properly, Wade replayed the fight with the swordsman and continued to consider the clues.

Although I didn’t solve all the clues at that stage, it helped me progress to some extent, and thanks to that, I was able to defeat Hamel.

But after that, I barely had time to focus on training.

This was because he was being chased by the empire and had no idea what the church would do, so he had no time to train leisurely.

Because of that, Wade’s status was at a standstill for a while.

It was after he met Cheryl that Wade began to improve again.

In the space that Cheryl prepared for him, Wade forgot all distracting thoughts and focused entirely on training.

As a result, I was able to unravel all the clues I gained from my fight with the swordsman and step into a new realm.

A new realm beyond the realm of thought.

If the state of intention was the state of influencing the world by taking one’s will out of the body, the new state was the state of changing the world with one’s will.

By entering a new realm, Wade’s resolve became much stronger, and that changed everything.

Physical ability, sense, efficiency, everything has changed.

As if I had become a completely different person.

I was able to freely handle the textbooks that were originally difficult to write properly.

Even things that I couldn’t do originally became possible through handling my strengthened intention.

It was definitely a new level.

At least that’s what Wade thought.

And when I faced the swordsman again, those thoughts turned into confidence.

Although there may be a difference in degree, he immediately recognized that the swordsman was on the same level as himself.

however.

At this moment, when Wade recognized the identity of the strangeness that had been bothering him all along, he knew.

‘It wasn’t a new level.’

The place where he and the swordsman entered was not a new territory.

It wasn’t a new level, it was just a passing point.

The feeling of strangeness was not meant to bother him.

I was trying to tell you that all along.

The identity of the feeling of heterogeneity was ‘enlightenment.’

The moment I realized that, something changed.

Wade himself did not know exactly what had changed.

However, in the meantime, I did notice one change.

The storm coming towards you before your eyes, the despairing storm that seemed to swallow everything, no longer felt hopeless.

Sigh─

Wade slowly raised his sword.

and.

I gently swung my sword and cut down the storm.