Ch.117117. Cyber Joseon

Dangsu instinctively swung his sword to defend against the barrage of blades.

‘Interesting.’

The technique of throwing daggers exists.

But Dangsu didn’t consider this swordsmanship.

That was throwing technique, not the art of wielding a sword.

Yet somehow, he wanted to acknowledge Amon’s method as swordsmanship.

Dangsu desperately tried to find the reason why.

And only after Amon threw his sword once more did he understand.

‘Each sword carries intention.’

He wasn’t simply throwing swords with brute force.

Knees, head, shoulders—

He targeted them simultaneously, making it difficult to defend with conventional Eastern sword techniques.

In other words, each sword could be considered a lethal thrust.

It felt like six assassins attacking at once.

‘He throws each one with deliberate intent.’

Moreover, the shape of the swords was peculiar.

The crossguard functioned like the fletching of an arrow, and the center of gravity seemed designed for throwing.

This meant it wasn’t Amon’s improvisation but his unique swordsmanship.

Seeing Amon approach immediately after throwing, using blind spots to his advantage, Dangsu had to acknowledge it.

‘This is an entirely new form of swordsmanship.’

Not simply throwing to compensate for a sword’s range.

Throwing a sword in front, then approaching from behind; throwing swords from both sides, then approaching from above—it was a well-crafted strategy that used throws to attack vision and psychology.

Dangsu couldn’t help but admire Amon’s swordsmanship, which was like formal sword techniques yet unpredictably free-flowing.

At the same time, Dangsu had to acknowledge:

‘He has inherited the Vice Master’s will.’

Amon had definitely inherited his master’s will.

Of course, Amon’s master, the Vice Master, didn’t throw swords.

But analyzing opponents, utilizing blind spots and psychology, not being bound by formal techniques…

‘So that man found his successor.’

Dangsu recalled his colleague’s face and smiled contentedly.

With Amon’s proof complete, Dangsu prepared a technique to end the match.

‘Heavy stone quietly embraces the rain.’

Visualizing this image, Dangsu raised his sword upward from his waist.

Clang!

Amon’s sword collided with his, producing a clear metallic ring.

Amon’s charging stance collapsed.

In contrast, Dangsu’s posture remained unwavering, gripping his sword firmly with both hands.

He was as stable as a rock.

And like a rock embracing rain, Dangsu brought his sword down forcefully.

The sword cut down silently with enough force to slice the air.

Until that moment, Dangsu was certain of victory.

Until Amon suddenly dove in deeper.

‘!!!’

Instead of recovering his stance, Amon chose to charge.

He rammed his shoulder forward, reversing the situation and breaking Dangsu’s stance.

Dangsu dropped his sword and felt Amon’s arm entangle with his own, unable to suppress a wry smile.

‘How absurd.’

Normally, when one’s stance collapses, various reactions emerge to minimize damage.

Retreating, sacrificing one arm, or other actions that reveal one’s beliefs.

But Amon gambled instead of minimizing damage.

As if he didn’t mind being cut by the sword.

It was a choice typical of legendary berserkers, but in this moment, it was brilliant.

Amon’s arm, entangled with Dangsu’s, pulled him forward.

Using his shoulder as leverage, Amon flipped Dangsu over.

“Kuhak!”

With a clean throw, Dangsu expelled all the air from his lungs.

As Dangsu was thrown, his sword spun in the air.

Amon caught the sword and pointed it at the Master’s throat.

Then he said,

“Will you acknowledge my roots now?”

Dangsu nodded, looking at his own blade tip stopped before his neck.

“Your victory. I will accept that boy back.”

Amon nodded and withdrew the sword.

Thus, the match ended with Amon’s victory.

The Master took Amon’s hand to stand up, received his sword back, and spoke again.

“I’ll overlook the matter of that boy’s sister bewitching the Yodo.”

He turned from Amon to look at Sunwoo.

“From this moment, I acknowledge your return to the Sword Circle.”

Sunwoo’s shoulders twitched at the Master’s declaration.

His expression remained impassive, but his slightly upturned lips betrayed his feelings.

However, the Master’s next words were completely different from what Sunwoo expected.

“But I cannot accept your sister.”

“Why not? You said you’d overlook the Yodo matter…”

“I said I’d overlook it. Accepting your sister is a different matter.”

“That’s…”

“Do you really not know why?”

At the Master’s stern demeanor, Sunwoo sighed as if realizing something.

In the end, only Sunwoo was reinstated to the Sword Circle.

The Master turned his attention away from Sunwoo and advised Amon.

“Amon. One piece of advice: don’t get too close to those siblings.”

“Why?”

“Because a situation might arise where I have to cut you down.”

It was a bleak attitude that seemed incongruous after such a satisfying match.

With those somewhat ominous words, the Master departed.

Amon’s group was left alone in the training ground.

Amon tried to comfort the dejected Sunwoo.

“Don’t give up yet. I’ll find a way somehow…”

At that moment, Sunwoo interrupted Amon.

“No. This is enough.”

“Sunwoo?”

“After hearing the Master’s words, I think this is sufficient. Thank you, Amon.”

“No, it’s not over yet…”

“Let it end here. I was shortsighted. Please forget about my sister.”

Sunwoo firmly rejected Amon’s goodwill.

It was clearly strange behavior, but his resolve was so strong that Amon eventually gave up.

“Tsk… This doesn’t feel right.”

In the end, the matter of the Sunwoo siblings was left unresolved.

*

The day after the match.

Amon headed to the airport early in the morning.

He was there to meet Kathy, who was returning after finishing delayed work in America.

Hours later, when the plane arrived, Amon spotted his girlfriend.

“Kathy… huh?”

Then, noticing the figures beside Kathy, Amon let out a stupid sound.

For good reason—she had brought along people he never expected.

Gingerbread Mage.

George, the original of Mage.

And their younger sister, Levy.

The three had arrived in Joseon with Kathy.

While Amon was bewildered by this completely unexpected lineup,

Kathy embraced him and explained the reason.

“I thought we’d need them all, so I brought them.”

“Precognition?”

“You know I don’t rely on that anymore.”

“Analysis then?”

“Hmm… it’s not something to discuss here. I’ll tell you at our lodging.”

Kathy seemed to be preparing something important.

Amon’s mind was racing, but he stopped thinking about it, trusting that she would handle everything.

Eventually, Kathy explained why she had brought the three.

“I brought them for hacking.”

“Hacking?”

“Remember when we fought Ergos?”

“Agares.”

“Whatever. I realized then that our party is too vulnerable to hacking.”

This weakness hadn’t been highlighted before because our goal was simply to survive.

Amon and Sonia hadn’t received any procedures, and Kathy had only undergone genetic and magical imprinting, so surviving hacking attempts was easy.

But after fighting to protect the Vatican, she realized how naive that thinking was.

“Even if we’re fine, others aren’t.”

That’s why she brought these three siblings.

“I discovered recently that Levy here has talent as a hacker.”

Because she had been bedridden until now, they hadn’t known that Levy had Netwalker talent.

Perhaps her long sleep had specialized her neural pathways in that direction.

So Mage, the former security chief and current director of external intelligence, taught her hacking, and she eventually became a proper hacker.

“Now Mage will handle hacking defense, Levy will do the hacking, and George will take care of other programming for our party.”

As she introduced them, the three siblings bowed their heads.

“It’s been a while, Amon.”

“Long time no see.”

“Interesting person…”

They were George, Mage, and Levy respectively.

While Amon was receiving greetings from the three people he hadn’t seen in a long time, Kathy leaned on his shoulder.

“Whether it’s hacking or precognition, just tell me if you need anything.”

Since there was time before the Hunter Legion event, Amon immediately unburdened his mind.

“Then can you investigate some kids I’ll tell you about?”

Kathy readily agreed.

The results came in just a day later.

“Those people you mentioned, Ji Sunwoo and Ji Sunhwa.”

“Yes.”

“They’re all fake names.”

“I confirmed that at the hospital.”

He had known they were fake names since then.

But Kathy’s subsequent explanation far exceeded Amon’s expectations.

“Then you probably didn’t know this? Their first names are correct. Only the surname is different.”

“What’s their surname?”

“Ju.”

“Ju?”

“Yes. The surname of a treasonous family in Joseon.”

“…Wow.”

“And the girl seems to be from the direct line.”

“Good grief.”

Amon clapped his hands in amazement.

Kathy looked at him incredulously.

“How do you always manage to pick out these kinds of people?”

“That’s how I met you too.”

“…Tch. That’s unfair.”

Kathy blushed slightly and nestled into Amon’s arms.

Feeling Kathy’s warmth against his chest, Amon was lost in thought.

‘What should I do about those kids?’

And the squinting priest, who had been quietly listening from behind, muttered self-deprecatingly.

“Haha… nothing in this world is truly free.”