Ch.75Myriad Sword Emperor

“This isn’t good. We need to get out of here right now.”

“I agree with Flora. That guy isn’t someone we can handle on our own. At the very least, we’d need Deputy Commander Kanok to stand a chance…”

Flora and Theo looked at Seo-rin as they spoke. It was a place with no one else around except the three of them. They could freely mention each other’s real names and secrets.

It was a realistic assessment. This wasn’t an opponent the three of them could handle. If they went all out, could they even last a second? By any reasonable judgment, leaving this place immediately would be the right choice.

Yet it was regrettable. Even though they hadn’t been discovered yet, couldn’t they stay a little longer? Through fierce battles, he had obtained four martial arts manuals. It was just the first step in learning the Formless Flying Sword technique. The path forward was taking clear shape before his eyes.

If only he could advance a bit further, if only the sword’s original owner had a bit more talent, what might have been possible? The spiritual energy swirling in his mind chaotically mixed numerous martial arts techniques.

“It’s a shame.”

“What? A shame?”

Theo reacted to the words that had unconsciously slipped from Seo-rin’s mouth. He let out a hollow laugh as if in disbelief. Belatedly realizing what he’d said, Seo-rin shook his head.

“I think the same. Let’s get out of here today. That is, if we can.”

Seo-rin said this while looking at the firmly closed door. The space had the distinctive smell of a recently constructed building. He could sense someone approaching from beyond the door.

Powerful. But not comparable to the Ten Thousand Swords Master. This meant it was one of his subordinates.

[Knock knock]

Seo-rin approached the door and told his friends that it would be difficult to leave right now.

When the firmly closed door opened, it revealed one of the Ten Thousand Swords Master’s subordinates. He said:

“The sect leader is looking for you. He’s planning to hold an evening banquet and insists that you attend…”

A banquet in the wasteland where food was scarce—how much money were they spending? Their funding source must be enormous. Seo-rin filed away another piece of information in his mind.

From the beginning, they were a group conducting large-scale construction in the wasteland. It would be impossible without the Midas Guild continuously supplying materials. The relationship between the two groups needed investigation as well.

“Do we have to go now?”

A naturally condescending tone flowed from Seo-rin’s mouth. The subordinate of the Ten Thousand Swords Master twitched his eyebrows significantly and nodded.

“Yes, I was told not to return until I’ve brought all three of you.”

Seo-rin turned around. Theo and Flora, whose gazes met his, nodded. A newcomer who had just joined the group couldn’t possibly refuse an invitation from the leader.

The three followed the subordinate to their destination.

The talk of preparing a banquet was no lie. Food was overflowing everywhere. Large wine barrels were scattered about, and carts were filled with fruits and fresh meat rarely seen in the wasteland.

All the carts bore the seal of the Midas Guild.

“This must have cost a fortune… Impressive.”

The place they arrived at was a banquet hall built in a circular shape. This too showed clear signs of hasty construction. Numerous workers had been mobilized to smooth the floor, erect pillars, and put on a roof.

Seo-rin was guided to a place to the right of the central seat of honor. Theo and Flora were also seated nearby.

“Well then…”

The subordinate of the Ten Thousand Swords Master naturally withdrew. Although the protagonist of the banquet had not yet entered, an atmosphere of freely eating and drinking had already been created. Seo-rin calmly endured the gazes he felt from all directions as he picked up a wine cup.

“This has a nice aroma…”

‘Why did we even come here?’

A small voice whispered from behind him. It was Flora. Well, since they couldn’t escape, he thought they might as well enjoy themselves for now. They weren’t in immediate danger. No one at this gathering considered the three of them to be Blue Wing members.

As long as they didn’t make any mistakes, this precarious tightrope walk could be maintained indefinitely.

“We don’t have much choice, do we?”

‘You’re crazy…’

Perhaps so. Seo-rin nodded and tilted his cup. The strong alcohol that flowed into his mouth gently wet his tongue. The rich grape aroma that followed spread throughout his body.

A natural nasal sound escaped from the tip of his nose. It was strong liquor. But it went down smoothly. If he kept drinking, he would surely collapse without realizing he was drunk.

“Are you the Ten Thousand Swords Master’s woman?”

The one who addressed him was an unfamiliar woman. Quite young. Perhaps three or four years older than Theo. As he tilted his cup and met her gaze, the woman wore a strange smile.

“The Ten Thousand Swords Master’s woman? Are you talking to me?”

“Well, who else is sitting in that seat besides you?”

A sharp energy surged from behind him. It was Theo. He placed his hand on his sword and exhaled a low breath. A faint electric current flickered above it. Had he taken it as an insult to his friend?

Not an unpleasant feeling. Seo-rin raised his hand to block Theo’s gaze. Don’t get excited.

“Sera…”

The alcohol continued to flow in. Seo-rin’s hand holding the wine cup moved without stopping. Gulp, gulp. In the brief silence, only the sound of Seo-rin’s gulping echoed.

“I suppose you’ve offered your body to him?”

The small girl rose from her seat. Her white, rippling hair suddenly shot upward.

“Your words are vulgar.”

Seo-rin tilted his head and looked at the woman. What swirled in her gaze was a faint jealousy. Did she want to sit in this seat? He couldn’t understand. Nor did he want to.

“Do you want to sit here? Next to the Ten Thousand Swords Master?”

That seemed to hit the mark. The woman closed her mouth. If she liked the Ten Thousand Swords Master so much, why not go confess her feelings instead of harassing a young girl?

“You little brat…”

“And you’re old.”

Pffft-!

At Seo-rin’s retort, large and small bursts of laughter erupted from here and there. Some people even spat out the food they had been holding in their mouths.

That was the signal. The seated woman stood up. Around her, prepared tables flew away, scattering food everywhere.

Her mental state is shallow. Just one retort and she explodes with anger alone. Seo-rin also rose from his seat. He didn’t forget to tilt the wine cup he was holding.

Empty. While he was at it, he grabbed the wine bottle next to him.

‘What are you thinking…?’

Flora’s concern followed belatedly. Seo-rin waved his hand. It’s fine. He wouldn’t lose. He had honed his ability to gauge his opponent’s strength. His instincts, sharpened in the wild, told him:

This was a fight he absolutely would not lose.

Unlike the woman who had overturned everything around her, Seo-rin remained calm. Lightly jumping over to leave his seat, Seo-rin landed in the center of the banquet hall.

Looking at the woman, he said:

“The old monster’s behavior was excessively vulgar. Come up. This young girl will teach you manners.”

Speaking lightly, he tilted the wine bottle. The strong alcohol sloshing inside gurgled as it flowed down his throat. Unable to drink it all, some spilled. The moonlight shining from the sky slowly trickled down the girl’s neck.

‘Is she drunk…?’

‘This is crazy…’

Seo-rin heard the voices flowing on the faint breeze. The sound of his friends talking. A smile formed on his lips. He never gets drunk. A warrior of the White Frost tribe should be able to drink alcohol all day and still maintain a clear mind.

His powerful mind wouldn’t be disturbed by just one bottle. Seo-rin’s gaze turned to the floor of the banquet hall. The woman still hadn’t moved. She just trembled with a flushed face.

Was there something wrong with her body? They say joints ache with age.

“I suppose your joints are troubling you with age? Why don’t you come up?”

That was the signal. The woman’s form suddenly soared. Her control of inner energy was smooth. The woman who fell under the moonlight arrived before Seo-rin.

“I won’t end this lightly…”

Shing-

The woman drew her sword. It didn’t extend straight out. It swayed gently, the blade tip swinging with the wind. It was what they called a flexible sword.

This was his first time seeing one in person.

But it wasn’t a problem. Seo-rin drew his sword. A red line raced along the snow-white blade of the White Dragon Sword as it was lightly drawn.

Was it because of the alcohol? The muscles in his body were pleasantly relaxed. It felt like he could handle intense movements without difficulty. His condition was good too. The moonlight in the sky gave him a feeling of great invigoration.

Swoosh-!

The woman took the initiative. The lightly swung sword came flying on the wind. A sword with a curved trajectory. Rather than meeting it head-on, it would be better to let it slide past.

Seo-rin moved as his steps took him. Staggering as if drunk, he took one step back, and a sharp slash passed right above his face. She was aiming only for his face.

Was she that envious of this beautiful face? How sad. If one isn’t blessed with good looks, one should at least have a good heart…

As if to interrupt his thoughts, attacks continued in succession. Seo-rin kept retreating while observing the woman’s wrist. There was no need to move much. As vital energy was channeled into her wrist rotation, the flexibly bending sword tip continued to pour out slashes.

The movement was similar to a snake’s. The moment he thought that, the woman’s sword, which had been maintaining a constant speed, accelerated. The timing was off. Seo-rin had no choice but to swing his sword to block it.

Clang-!

Whirr-

A series of surprising events. The moment Seo-rin’s sword blocked the woman’s, the flexibly bending blade rotated.

‘I’m going to get hit.’

Seo-rin immediately let go of his sword. As soon as he released it from his hand, the White Dragon Sword shot up into the sky. As if the goal from the beginning was to snatch away the sword, the woman’s blade moved quickly.

Whoosh-!

Avoiding the following attack, Seo-rin’s form flew backward. The way he rotated smoothly, as if riding the wind, was like a painting.

The place where Seo-rin landed was on top of a large pillar in the banquet hall. The girl, standing proudly in the moonlight, made a gesture. At that moment, blue mana that escaped from her body spread thinly, covering the entire hall.

It was then that the White Dragon Sword, which had been flung away during the fierce battle, rose. The floating sword flew to Seo-rin and positioned itself behind his back. At the same time, he realized:

‘So this is how it’s used.’

Even if he stretched his body carelessly, his balance didn’t falter. The mana flowing from his entire body created a slight breeze, gently supporting Seo-rin’s body.

The girl rotated on top of the short pillar. With movements like a dance.

The moment her small hand swept through the air and pointed to the ground, moonlight fell.

Crash-!