Ch.28White Dragon Sword

“It’s the White Dragon Sword. When you channel mana into the blade, a faint dragon image appears above it. They say it came from another dimension… though that hasn’t been confirmed. Its drawbacks are the short blade length and blunt edge… are you really sure you want to choose this?”

When Karnok asked, Saeeurin nodded. The short length and blunt edge didn’t matter. What was important to Saeeurin were the memories contained within the sword.

The rumor about it coming from another dimension was true. The memories within the sword revealed this truth to Saeeurin.

The image of a snow-white dragon descending upon towering mountain ranges. The mountain covered in eternal snow was a place where a dragon made of snow looked down upon the world.

A martial sect was established there.

‘When the dragon’s form is captured in the sword, nothing cannot be cut.’

Through the memories engraved in the sword, martial techniques flowed into him. The blunt edge wasn’t a problem. By wrapping cold energy around it to form a blade aura, it compensated for the lack of sharpness.

He contained the surging energy. The excited mana emitted coldness on its own, preventing it from flowing into the White Dragon Sword.

A faint gleam flashed across Saeeurin’s eyes.

Flora didn’t choose a weapon. What she selected was a bracelet made of intertwined black pearls.

“This is called the Veil of Night. In dangerous moments, it absorbs the wearer’s mana to create a barrier. The barrier’s strength isn’t exceptional, but in crucial moments, it could save your life at least once.”

The two had chosen their items. As Karnok nodded, Jack Churchill, standing beside him, moved his pen across a thick registry.

Watching this, Karnok said, “Just like Theo, this year’s newcomers have good eyes for items.”

“Did Theo receive a reward too?”

“Of course. Theo performed better than you two.”

When Saeeurin looked at Flora, she nodded. It seemed that while Saeeurin was asleep, Theo had already claimed his reward.

After finishing their business at the Imperial Palace, the three returned directly to the Blue Wing headquarters. Karnok and Flora headed to the Colosseum to watch the remaining matches, but Saeeurin stayed behind.

He made the excuse that his body wasn’t in good condition, but his main purpose was to fully absorb the memories contained in the sword.

After the two left, Saeeurin returned to his room alone and locked the door.

*Shing*

As the blade was smoothly drawn, a faint dragon image appeared above it. Mana originating from his heart raced through pathways, scattering biting cold.

*Swoosh*

Recalling the sword dance from the memories, Saeeurin began to move. His bodily senses became acutely heightened. What kind of swordsmanship could make one’s senses so sensitive?

Saeeurin let the naturally arising mana flow freely, as the technique instructed.

‘Climb the eternal snow and take the dragon’s mystique. Accept nature as it is and wield like flowing water.’

Mana carrying biting cold began to rise toward unfamiliar places. It traveled from the heart, past the throat, and invaded the head.

The pure white coldness blew away distracting thoughts. His vision blurred, and surrounding objects became hazy. It was a sensation he’d never felt before. He deliberately controlled his five senses to focus on one point.

It was enjoyable.

Though it was simply the act of wielding a sword, it brought joy. The pain in his wrists and ankles disappeared. His injuries hadn’t healed—the cold emanating from the mana had merely numbed the pain.

Yet conversely, his senses became more acute.

The more he read the memories, the more astonished he became.

‘The cold blade captures the mountain’s essence. The raging storm brings down even flying birds…’

The mana he had let flow freely responded to the technique. The transformation of mana that began at his shoulders narrowed through blood vessels and muscles.

Simultaneously, an explosive rush of mana headed toward the sword’s tip.

*Swish!*

A clean sword strike without any unnecessary movement. The blade that brushed through the air immediately moved toward the next motion.

The memories in the sword conveyed two martial arts to Saeeurin:

White Dragon Heart Technique

Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword

They were two yet one. Martial arts born from a single inspiration were split into two. It showed the thoughtfulness of the person who created them.

The Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword was an extremely swift sword technique. Its rapid strikes resembled the form of a white dragon hiding in a snowstorm.

The White Dragon Heart Technique made the body sensitive. It distanced one from pain while heightening other senses. It allowed one to detect an opponent’s hostility amid rapid sword strikes and prepare for the next move.

It wasn’t an internal energy cultivation method. There was no way to accumulate energy. The technique passed to Saeeurin only taught how to move internal energy.

But this was actually better. Saeeurin took the technique and modified the White Dragon Heart Technique to suit this world. It was a process he had already gone through several trials and errors with. Saeeurin was able to engrave the image of a massive snow-covered mountain in his mind without issue.

*Swoosh*

The intense sword dance came to an end. The blade carrying biting cold traced an elegant trajectory before being sucked back into its scabbard.

*Click*

“Hah…”

He had fully received the memories. Now all that remained was to become familiar with them. A cold sigh escaped through Saeeurin’s bright red lips.

‘I’ve had enough sleep for today…’

If he didn’t get proper sleep, he wouldn’t grow taller…

Weighing his excitement for his brother’s growth against the excitement of new learning, Saeeurin lay down on the bed.

And about ten minutes later, he got up again.

*Swish!*

The snow-white sword traced a brilliant trajectory.

***

During the competition, Saeeurin remained secluded. Engraving the memories into his body took precedence over the competition results.

Theo and Flora stayed at the Blue Wing headquarters for similar reasons. Both were busy mastering the use of their newly received items.

Saeeurin leaned against the training ground wall, watching Theo. What Theo had received as a reward from the competition was a small ring.

Lightning’s Oath.

A ring said to contain heaven’s lightning. It was imbued with magic that amplified lightning-attribute mana.

In many ways, it was a perfect item for Theo.

“Here I go!”

*Crackle!*

With Theo’s shout, blue lightning burst from his body. The amount of electricity emanating from his body was noticeably greater than before.

Both his speed and power had increased. But what good was being stronger if he still couldn’t control the direction?

Saeeurin closed his eyes.

Immediately after, a *thud* sound was heard. It was obvious without looking. It was the sound of Theo crashing into the training ground wall.

Saeeurin turned his head to look at Flora. She was using the Veil of Night in a different way. Instead of creating a barrier to protect her body, she used minimal mana to create footholds in the air.

There were many other applications as well. Flora was continuously growing stronger.

At that moment, the trio’s gazes turned toward the entrance of the training ground. A familiar presence was felt nearby. The one who appeared was Karnok.

“Everyone’s working hard, I see?”

“Deputy Commander Karnok.”

After a brief greeting, Karnok immediately approached Saeeurin.

“Found it, Saeeurin.”

“Found what…?”

“The person you asked me to find.”

*Thud*

Saeeurin received an envelope from Karnok. After checking its contents, he gaped in astonishment.

In the past, when Saeeurin had just begun learning to read, he had read through the entire Blue Wing manual with Flora’s help and submitted an application to the Blue Wing headquarters.

Reincarnator Tracking Application

Members of Blue Wing were granted one privilege: the right to use the Empire’s intelligence network to track specific reincarnators.

He hadn’t expected much, as the information he provided was very limited. But now, results had come back.

Basic Information

Name: Hayato

Age: Estimated 27

Origin: Japan

Reincarnation-Related Information

Reincarnator Status: Confirmed

Memory Recovery Point: Estimated about 20 years ago

Ability and Weapon-Related Information

Main Weapon: Katana

Blessing: Extraordinary Time [Makes time slower for others within a certain radius]

Special Notes

Confirmed to be operating with other reincarnators. Last sighting at the border of the Radan Kingdom.

The document included basic profile information along with a composite sketch of the target. Saeeurin stared blankly at the man in the sketch.

How could he forget? All his brothers had been slaughtered by this man. The image of them falling while spraying blood was still vivid in his mind.

Saeeurin gritted his teeth. Through his clenched teeth, a seething voice emerged.

“Are we going after this person right now?”

“Not right now. It’s impossible while the competition is ongoing.”

“Then…?”

“After the competition ends, we’ll select personnel to hunt him down. However, you won’t be included in that personnel.”

“W-why not?”

“Saeeurin, it’s because you’re not good enough. We can’t assign a low-ranking member to track a target who has survived Blue Wing’s pursuit for 20 years. The personnel assigned to this mission will be three mid-rank members, two high-rank members, and one deputy commander.”

Saeeurin closed his mouth. He had worked endlessly to become stronger. But the wall of revenge was distant and high. It was frustrating that he couldn’t take revenge with his own power.

Saeeurin asked, just in case:

“To become a mid-rank member…”

“You’re still far from it. You need to complete at least three dispatch missions before qualifying for the promotion exam.”

Three dispatch missions. There were only a few days left until the competition ended. The time was impossibly short.

After staring at the document in his hand for a long time, Saeeurin sighed and vented his anger.

“I understand.”