Ch.345EP.72 – The Knight Wore a Suit (5)

A famous swordsman once said that the more skilled the swordsman, the lighter their footsteps.

Having a light body means being able to freely control one’s physique, which is sufficient to be called a master swordsman.

Naturally, meeting such a master is a difficult thing.

Masters aren’t so abundant that they’re treated as something extraordinary.

Even in prestigious knight orders, having around ten masters would be considered remarkable.

In that sense.

Swoosh-.

…Whether meeting a hundred masters at once was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to determine.

Despite countless knights moving in perfect unison, the floor wasn’t noisy at all.

They were infinitely light and infinitely swift.

Thud!

However, the power emanating from their swords was immensely heavy, and the aura they emitted was equally fierce.

Battle aura.

The powerful wave of life energy that only warriors trained in battle aura techniques could master had collectively descended upon him, and the battle aura released by thousands of people exuded a mountain-like pressure by itself.

Masters.

More than 10% of the Brass Knights deserved such a title, proving their formidable skills even before being half-demons, and the remaining 90% were also quite impressive.

At minimum, they were skilled enough to be ranked as elite knights.

If they wanted, they could annihilate two or three territories in a single night, and there were over a thousand such individuals.

The difference in power couldn’t be more desperate.

…Therefore.

Crack!

“He’s moving in that pressure…?”

His figure, advancing while casually ignoring that pressure, was something alien.

Thud, thud!

Of course, he couldn’t be completely free from the pressure, as his feet were sinking deep into the floor.

That was natural. The battle aura currently pressing down on that knight was an intense pressure that could turn even thick fortresses into sand.

“Raise your sword auras.”

Woooong!!

At Parhan’s command, thirty knights raised their sword auras.

They had noticed that the anti-bullet technique had principles similar to sword aura, and this was their first move to attack that monster.

No matter how formidable the sword aura he was wrapped in…

“I wonder if he can withstand colliding with dozens of sword auras.”

Whoosh!

The intense wave created by dozens of resonating sword auras burned even the air and melted the marble ground.

No matter how sturdy his body might be, as a living being, he couldn’t possibly block this attack.

Thud-!

…That should have been the case.

“?”

“!!?”

“??”

The faces of those who had launched their sword auras hardened.

“…Why?”

They should have pierced through, but they hadn’t.

Even without using that strange technique.

Screech!

Even when they tried to thrust their sword auras, they couldn’t penetrate his body.

Instead, only their swords were screaming.

– Vajra Indestructibility.

The Brass Knights’ mistake was not knowing the true nature of the mental energy that was impossible to break or even distort.

The Brass Knights looked at him as if seeing something incomprehensible, but he…

“Move.”

Whoosh!

The moment he crossed his arms and struck down forcefully, all the swords aimed at him shattered.

The swords containing sword auras broke like mirrors, and the forced destruction of the sword auras created a massive repulsive force that exploded.

The knights caught in this had no time to scream before being engulfed in the explosion, immediately losing arms or legs.

This alone was horrific enough, but…

Slash!

“Three for now.”

His sword flashed, instantly cutting through the bodies of three Brass Knights.

Thud thud thud…

Their bodies were instantly split apart before their comrades’ disbelieving eyes, but this distraction was a mistake.

Bang!!

His feet were still leaving deep imprints on the ground.

Whoosh!

He, Ihan, unleashed a deadly sword dance.

* * *

Ihan rarely uses swords or bladed weapons in general.

There are several reasons for this, including that fighting barehanded is both convenient and easier for controlling his strength.

He sometimes favors hand axes, but even then, he prefers to throw them rather than wield them directly.

However, there are times when he does use bladed weapons, specifically…

‘There are a lot of beasts today.’

When hunting beasts wearing human skin.

At those times, Ihan uses bladed weapons.

One might wonder why he doesn’t just stick to fighting barehanded if it’s more comfortable, but that would be incorrect.

He said using a sword is a bit uncomfortable, not that he’s weak with it.

Rather…

Slash!

When he wields a sword, he might be more awkward than when fighting barehanded, but he’s dozens of times more dangerous.

Why?

Well, that’s because…

Crack!

“I-I definitely blocked it, but why…?”

“Your shield was too thin. You should have brought a thicker one.”

“…Ha.”

Thud…

He rendered useless every means his approaching enemies tried to employ.

The Brass Knight who had advanced with plate armor and a thick iron shield was split in half along with his shield and armor.

But Ihan didn’t even glance at the cruel work he had created.

“Th-they’re rushing in like moths to a flame.”

Slash!

Because similar corpses were already scattered behind him.

Ihan didn’t bother counting how many he had cut down.

He simply advanced because they had tried to kill him.

Well, if they had been “human,” it might have been a bit uncomfortable.

Cutting down this many people would normally cause significant psychological trauma.

But.

Hiss-

‘At the point where they disappear without leaving remains, they’re no longer beings that can be called human.’

Like monsters, their remains were crumbling away.

All they left behind were traces like blackened charcoal.

This was an indicator that these so-called half-demons were no different from monsters, and it was a sight that didn’t even evoke guilt.

The fact that they were no different from monsters meant…

“-You’ve eaten people, haven’t you?”

“……”

“I thought so. By eating people, you could become much stronger than other half-demons. It seems you’ve somehow managed to keep your brains from demonizing, but it appears that 90% of your bodies are already no different from demons, or rather, monsters.”

“……”

“…You’re worse than Nolbo.”

Instead of guilt, what arose was powerful disgust.

It was unimaginable how many people they must have devoured to become half-demons of that level.

Originally, he had found it strange that there were over a thousand elite knights, which even great noble families would find difficult to cultivate, and that these thousand elite knights somehow seemed weak. Now he understood why.

‘They’re just like real blood cultists.’

Creatures who grow stronger by eating people.

Creatures who grow stronger by consuming human flesh or fresh blood.

No wonder looking at them…

“I’ve been feeling uncomfortable all this time.”

There was a good reason for it.

Ihan felt not only disgust but also rising anger.

It was as if his brain was being invaded by the intense killing intent one might feel when facing a spellcaster, and he felt like he might lose his composure.

But he couldn’t allow that.

Although more than half of them were just physically strong brutes, among the remaining half…

“My, it’s a shame for such people to perish so meaninglessly here. How unfortunate.”

There were skilled individuals like this, so he still couldn’t lose his composure.

Not yet…

The narrow-eyed knight with an unpleasant smile spoke in a tone that didn’t sound regretful at all.

“Hmm, what kind of mental energy is this? It seems to be the type that enhances physical abilities… but it’s not so simple to define, it’s quite an unusual mental energy.”

As only those who have reached mental energy can see through it…

He seemed to have realized that Ihan’s ability to block sword auras with his bare body was due to mental energy.

“Well, I’ll find out if I grind up a few more.”

Whoosh.

As if saying he would find answers by grinding up people, he moved his knights again.

As if he would use his subordinates’ lives like coins to discover his strategy.

Really…

“Why do they all act the same?”

…Why do all these bastards think and act so similarly?

Woong!

Ihan rang his sword with a look of disgust.

Sword resonance.

Unlike the infinitely light sword resonance shown by the Brass Knights who had just charged, this was a heavier and more powerful sword resonance, and in an instant…!

Flash!

It bloomed into a flower bud.

A lotus flower of incomparable beauty, captivating to merely look at…

“Huh?”

…Where did the plum blossom go?

Ihan was utterly confused, wondering where his plum blossom sword technique had gone and why a lotus flower had suddenly bloomed, but the gradually blossoming lotus…

Whoosh…!

─Swallowed the entire Brass Knights.

*

*

*

“…What strange thing did you eat this time? Or did you receive another fairy blessing?”

The gray-haired boy, Derrick, was dumbfounded as he observed his master through the skill [Clairvoyance].

He wasn’t surprised by the sight of hundreds of lotus flowers devouring the half-demons.

“There’s so much I don’t know…”

He was speechless at seeing his “stats.”

Ding-.

━

Name: [Ihan Turtle]

Race: [??]

Traits: [New-Vajra Warrior(Lv.8+0.3), Strong Regeneration(Lv.7), Extreme Poison Resistance(Lv.6), New-Grand Master(Lv.8+0.2), Spell Slayer(Lv.7), New-Holy Maiden’s Blessing(Lv.3)]

(New)Vajra Warrior: A trait gained when a Vajra monk who views women as stones acquires strength that can overturn mountains. Can use dharma power, which suppresses demons and destroys evil.

+Dharma relics begin to form within the body.

+Can use dharma power even unintentionally.

+Dharma power constantly affects those designated as enemies.

Strong Regeneration: A trait that can only be possessed by those who have successfully refined their bodies. Increases regeneration of the entire body including skin, bones, muscles, nerves, and organs. The body becomes tougher with repeated physical training accompanied by pain.

+Able to deflect most impacts.

Extreme Poison Resistance: A trait evolved when basic poison resistance encountered the Demon King’s poison. Not only resistant to poison, but can also absorb poison like food, and can digest materials like stones and iron.

+Able to digest curses and similar as nutrients.

(New)Grand Master: A trait born from the combination of master’s quality, super-sensitivity, and indomitability. A martial artist who has founded a new school that transcends the era beyond being merely unique.

+(Unknown).

Spell Slayer: A trait given to those who have completed the Mage’s Natural Enemy quest. Increases magic resistance and instills psychological fear in mages.

+Activates the trait <Judge> according to mage hatred level, an evolved form of the trait <Berserker> that prevents stamina from dropping until all enemies are annihilated.

(New)Holy Maiden’s Blessing: A trait given to those blessed by holy maidens and saints. Brings consecutive luck and allows free use of holy artifacts that are not one’s own.

+Can use holy laws.

+Activates the trait <Holy Warrior-Monk> when learning holy power.

+Currently blessed by the Great Holy Maiden and other saints, able to resist not only curses but also the power of [Mystery].

━

“…What is Vajra Warrior now? Are you really trying to reach nirvana?”

And on top of that, there was also the premium trait <Holy Maiden’s Blessing> that he had never seen or heard of before.

He wondered if Vajra Warrior and Holy Warrior could even be compatible terms, such an unprecedented hybrid.

Derrick…

“…I don’t even know anymore.”

He decided to just watch.

Just to see what would come next.

The boy had given up on understanding and had become someone who simply enjoyed the spectacle.