Ch.299EP.63 – A Knight’s Valor Contains No Recklessness (10)

Whiiiiing!

Just as a bee’s wings beat over two hundred times per second, knights who have reached the level of Sword Resonance can generate more than 200 vibrations per second in their blades.

However, this is merely the average level. The higher a knight’s skill, and the more accustomed they become to creating Sword Resonance, the vibrations increase dramatically, eventually producing over a thousand vibrations and earning them the title of high-ranking knight.

Much like the high-frequency blades seen in virtual sci-fi movies, this is why the realm known as Sword Resonance or Sword Clarity has been considered the essential destination for swordsmen to reach over tens of thousands of years.

Awakening to Sword Clarity doesn’t make one invincible, but it certainly serves as a lifeline in perilous battle situations and can deliver the decisive blow that secures victory.

Thus, resonance is a powerful force.

Even in the current era where manifestations of battle aura or sword energy represent even greater realms, Sword Resonance is not a level to be dismissed.

While the power of sword energy may be tremendous yet similar to the unknown depths of an ocean with uncertain arrival, Sword Clarity is like a mountain where steady progress shows consistent results with each step taken.

And so…

‘My Sword Resonance definitely vibrated 5,000 times per second, probably?’

For those who strive harder and struggle more, the power of resonance increases exponentially.

Just as a knight who specializes in struggling more than anyone else creates resonance five times stronger than other high-ranking knights.

Of course, this isn’t exact. It could be less, or it could be more.

But now,

‘The vibration seems to be increasing?’

At this moment, his resonance is stronger than ever before.

The resonance spread throughout his entire body creates even more vibrations than when wielded through a sword.

About twice the usual, approximately 10,000 vibrations per second were being generated, and Ihan thought he had created something quite formidable even by his own standards.

Despite its name suggesting it merely deflects or blocks attacks, Counter-Rebound Energy not only defends but completely pulverizes the enemy.

‘…I can’t use it for long though.’

Ihan lightly shrugged his shoulders.

The time he could use it was about ten minutes.

If used longer than that…

‘My body would melt away.’

This was a double-edged sword in a different sense than Invulnerability.

It was like being wrapped in a peerless treasure sword, but if mishandled, his entire body would melt until no form remained.

However…

‘Ten minutes is, well…’

BOOM!

“…quite enough.”

* * *

WHOOSH!

This time, Ihan moved first.

FWOOSH-!!

It was the manifestation of the Swift Divine Arrow Shadow, and in an instant, Ihan’s body moved like the wind, shooting straight toward Ninshubur.

“Hmm!”

Ninshubur grimly avoided the attack by moving his body.

To avoid confronting him head-on.

‘No matter how dangerous that technique is, it’s fine as long as it doesn’t touch me.’

No matter how dangerous that technique might be, it wouldn’t matter as long as it didn’t make direct contact, and since Ninshubur still had a significant advantage in speed and skill, avoiding it should be no problem at all…

BANG! BOOM! BOOM!

“Just because your speed is superior doesn’t mean I can’t block your movements.”

“!!?”

Geoksan Strike, Ihan’s signature fist technique, wasn’t aimed at attacking but instead became an obstacle blocking Ninshubur’s escape routes by preemptively occupying the directions he could move.

It was a simple strategy—if you can’t match the speed, then block all possible directions of movement—but right now, that strategy was incredibly effective.

It managed to block Ninshubur’s movement for about one second, and while one second might seem infinitely short to some,

SWISH!

“Got you.”

For others, it can provide an opportunity for reversal.

SWOOSH!

“!!?!”

Ihan’s massive palm roughly grabbed Ninshubur’s face and slammed him straight down into the ground.

CRASH!

Violently.

“Ngh!!”

But the pain Ninshubur felt wasn’t simply from being slammed into the ground.

Rather, external physical impact had little effect on him.

SCREECH!

Just from the touch alone, excruciating pain like a saw cutting through flesh surged through him.

SQUELCH!

And as Ihan’s strikes continued to pound Ninshubur, his flesh tore, blood poured out, and cruel wounds appeared, exposing bone.

SLASH!

However, no matter how severe the injury or wound, the divine body recovered.

As if such injuries were nothing.

“You brat!”

SWISH!

Ninshubur, having recovered his body, broke free from Ihan’s grip with ease, enraged at the blasphemous one who had damaged a god’s body.

Indeed, his skill was tremendous, and immediately the same torrent of strikes was unleashed without pause, but,

THUD!

…the one being wounded was not Ihan but Ninshubur.

“!”

“Brat? Well, I think the real brat is the one who keeps pushing even when his advantage is dead.”

A hand axe, drawn from somewhere unknown, was precisely embedded in Ninshubur’s shoulder.

It wasn’t that Ninshubur had missed Ihan’s movement and failed to dodge.

Simply put,

“It doesn’t work, I told you.”

Ihan had merely taken the hit, and while taking it, he had drawn and thrown the axe.

It’s a simple principle. Enduring the opponent’s attack and delivering a strike in the midst of it!

Well.

CRACK!

This was only possible for Ihan, who possessed the absurd technique of Counter-Rebound Energy.

At this moment, Ihan’s entire body was a weapon.

Wherever he touched, it was like an electric saw slicing through the opponent’s entire body, or like a hedgehog with microscopic needles.

The only difference from ordinary needles was,

SCREECH!

“!!!?”

The excruciating pain it delivered.

Sword Resonance didn’t simply mean a vibrating blade.

It was a martial art technique that emitted the essence of the sword, sword power, and similarly, Counter-Rebound Energy was a force that manifested and exerted the human power possessed by a person named Ihan.

In that sense, Ihan’s human power was…!

“Grit your teeth.”

CRASH!!

Harder and more destructive than anything else.

“Nnngh…!?”

Ninshubur barely suppressed a scream, but his face visibly hardened, and convulsions ran through his entire body.

The moment Ihan’s fist struck him, the energy emitted by the human named Ihan seeped directly into Ninshubur, causing a phenomenon like black ink invading a pure white sheet of paper.

SCREECH!!

Normally, no matter how much human power was generated, it would be impossible for it to invade a god.

But as luck would have it, the opponent was a warrior who had reached the “realm of will.”

When energy that should have dissipated was concentrated by will, becoming like an indelible tattoo that damaged the divine body…

FWOOSH!

[Ninshubur!? Your arm is burning!]

“……”

[Ninshubur! Are you alright? You’re winning, right?!]

“…I’m sorry, my deity.”

─It seems fulfilling your wish will be difficult today.

…These were the words Ninshubur couldn’t bring himself to say.

* * *

Ninshubur’s left arm was burning due to the result created by the mixture of Counter-Rebound Energy and will.

I’m not sure why such a phenomenon occurred.

However, one thing was clear.

‘This is a positive sign for me.’

Just when it seemed the tide of battle had turned.

“…I acknowledge it. You are a strong warrior.”

“…?”

“Sword power, no, the tremendous destructive power emitted by your human power mixed with the ‘Light of Heroes’ is suppressing my recovery ability. Impressive.”

“What’s this Light of Heroes?”

“Isn’t it the power you’re handling now? It’s the threatening power that those called heroes awaken to. I see many warriors in the current era also handle this.”

“…Will.”

“I see that in this era, the Light of Heroes is called will.”

“……”

Ihan momentarily sensed envy in Ninshubur’s eyes.

As if handling will was something to be envious of…

“…Ah.”

“What’s with that look?”

“I see, you died before awakening to will.”

“……”

“That’s why you didn’t know. That’s why you couldn’t counter it. I understand now.”

“Hmm, you’re more perceptive than you look.”

“…Now even an ancient person is saying that to me.”

Something had seemed strange.

He wondered why a martial artist with such high skill wasn’t using will and was fighting only with pure physical ability and martial arts…

‘He couldn’t learn it, or rather, he died before learning it.’

Perhaps he died in his teens, or even earlier.

But his soul remained alive, so he only trained in martial arts.

However,

‘He’s still incredibly strong though.’

He was called the strongest warrior of ancient times.

That means he had already defeated all the strong ones of that time and reached that position in his teens.

‘A genius who died young.’

Having fought him directly, he knows.

If he had failed to invoke Counter-Rebound Energy, he would never have been able to defeat this opponent.

That’s how formidable and strong he was.

But even so, the tide of battle had turned, and now Ihan…

“Do you know why my deity is called the Goddess of War rather than the God of Combat?”

“…What?”

“It’s because she fought ‘wars that win.'”

“??”

“I admit it. Even if I took up a weapon, I couldn’t defeat you, so…”

SWISH!

“…I’ll focus on [war] rather than combat.”

…In an instant, Ninshubur disappeared from sight.

It wasn’t that he moved at a speed invisible to the eye.

Simply put,

“…This bastard, did he run away?”

He had abandoned all pride or whatever and fled at full speed.

…Leaving Ihan dumbfounded.