Sword Path (2)

Kim Jin-tae didn’t like Lee Dojin.

First, starting with him being in combat class 1 and currently holding first place in the exam.

The wooden sword in his hand, and that attitude as if he didn’t know defeat.

He disliked everything about him.

So he wanted to somehow give that arrogant face a taste of defeat.

A radiance rose from Kim Jin-tae’s sword.

---

I have no feelings towards that guy.

I threw out a plausible provocation because an example was needed.

It wasn’t just Group 12 and Group 21 around this named monster area right now.

The hyenas watching our battle of nerves from afar and biding their time. It was an example to shake them off.

Kim Jin-tae’s sword came down on me, tracing a blue trajectory.

I followed the trajectory with my eyes.

I could see it.

All of Kim Jin-tae’s movements.

They were such pathetic movements that I didn’t even feel the need to use my wooden sword.

I moved my feet.

Thwack!

I deflected Kim Jin-tae’s sword and dug into his face.

His eyes widened, probably not expecting me to suddenly rush in.

I utilized my internal qi technique.

The Reverse Heaven Divine Technique stirred in my dantian. A gentle energy flowed to my fingertips.

I moved my left hand. A strange heat flowed out and spread in the air.

Pububuk!

I quickly hit Kim Jin-tae’s upper body three times.

It was a consecutive strike I learned over the shoulder while getting hit by Fist King Hwangbo Seryeong.

My fists properly landed on the center of his upper body, the solar plexus and abdomen.

The armor of the battle suit he was wearing distorted abnormally.

I controlled my strength. Just enough to penetrate the battle suit’s defense and deal substantial damage.

Kim Jin-tae’s breath seemed to be cut off, and he shuddered with an “ugh” sound.

Jeouk!

I planted my fist into his abdomen once more.

And I strongly struck down on the ridge of the sword Kim Jin-tae was holding with my wooden sword.

The sword was thrown to the ground. The broken ridge fell to the cave floor in two pieces.

I tripped Kim Jin-tae and knocked him down. His body sprawled out powerlessly.

It was ridiculous.

I thought I might have to subdue him by breaking his arm, but there wasn’t even a need for that.

“How can you use a sword when you can’t even control distance.”

I said while staring at Kim Jin-tae, who was still squirming like an insect.

I know these guys are under a misunderstanding.

They’re misunderstanding that I’m using a wooden sword even in the mock exam because I look down on them.

I had no intention of correcting that misunderstanding.

It doesn’t matter to me if they keep misunderstanding.

“I felt there wasn’t even a need to use my wooden sword. Against your pathetic movements.”

Kim Jin-tae’s face twisted sharply.

“You… you bastard.”

He should be calm enough to get up now, but he still can’t. Either his legs have lost strength or he’s scared.

Countless gazes were fixed on me.

There seemed to be easily over 20 people encircling the groups of 12 and 21.

“I have no intention of giving up the named monster either. If anyone is greedy or wants to interfere, follow our group in.”

The words I was saying now were for those spectators.

“I’ll definitely kill those people in the final hour of person-to-person combat.”

The spectators flinched. But no words leaked out.

After confirming the silence, I opened the giant stone door that was the entrance to the named monster area, taking my group members including the tank Park Seong-gu.

Creak-

After all the group members entered, the door closed a moment later.

---

There was a long platform, and at the end of that platform was a chair.

It was a throne.

And sitting on that throne was a lizardman with a body as big as an ogre.

The Lizardman King, who rose from the throne and descended the platform majestically.

Kueeeeek!

It didn’t take very long for the Lizardman King to be brutally killed while vomiting blood.

The dead Lizardman King spat out 15 black beads.

Lee Dojin collected all the beads.

Just as he was about to leave the named monster area.

Kugugugugugu!

The ground began to shake.

“What’s this, suddenly.”

Park Seong-gu raised his shield.

Is only this area shaking? Lee Dojin quickly surveyed the room.

Ryu Jia slowly shook her head.

“The entire dungeon, the whole cave is shaking. As if… the crust is shifting.”

As soon as Ryu Jia’s words brushed the group members’ ears, their vision went dark simultaneously.

-The dungeon terrain is currently being transformed. This is part of the exam.

-We ask that the students please remain still.

-There is no problem for survival as you will be in an invincible state during the transformation.

Kwadududududuk!

Along with a roaring sound like the world screaming as it twisted.

Lee Dojin didn’t lose consciousness.

He maintained his body’s tension by utilizing his qi circulation technique.

But even so, when the dungeon’s terrain change ended and he opened his eyes, complete darkness was before him.

A blackout without an inch of light.

A cool sensation pressed down on his whole body.

The only thing visible was the notification window showing the remaining time.

-Time remaining until exam end: 02:25:12

“Is anyone around?”

As soon as Lee Dojin’s words ended, a gentle voice was heard along with the sound of a presence.

“Dojin.”

It was Ryu Jia’s voice.

“It’s dark. It seems like only the two of us fell here.”

Unlike Lee Dojin, Ryu Jia was looking at him.

Because a streak of light flickered in the darkness.

And that light was Lee Dojin.

People with souls that had stood at the crossroads of life and death countless times while mastering mental techniques appeared as light.

In the view of the completely blind, those who shone with pure light were mostly superhumans counted among the top heroes.

Ryu Jia thought of it as the caliber of the soul.

Lee Dojin, the only one among the first-year students who emitted that radiance.

“First… we need to get out of here.”

He was showing a flustered look that had never been seen before in this complete darkness.

“Would you raise your hand?”

Lee Dojin raised his right hand without answering.

“Open your palm.”

Lee Dojin complied with Ryu Jia’s words. Ryu Jia’s palm overlapped on top of Lee Dojin’s palm.

A warm sensation spread to both of them.

Zing…

A faint wave of qi stirred in Ryu Jia’s palm. That qi current flowed into Lee Dojin’s palm.

Harmless.

It was a clear energy without any aggressive intent.

Ryu Jia’s clear voice echoed in Lee Dojin’s ears.

“There are various ways to find your way in the dark. I can locate living things with the hearing I’ve cultivated since childhood, but that’s something Dojin, who doesn’t originally live in darkness, can’t do right away.”

Ryu Jia sent another wave of clear energy through her palm.

“You can find walls and flow qi like this, or emit aura like top-class hunters who have mastered martial arts use. You can make living things react by doing things like that.”

Ryu Jia interlocked her fingers with Lee Dojin’s hand.

“And creating qi sense. I think Dojin can do it too.”

“Qi sense?”

“Yes, it’s the technique that becomes the foundation for what’s commonly called the mind’s eye. Just as there’s hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It’s creating another sense with qi.”

Looking at Ryu Jia, who seemed to have no fear in this terrible blackout, Lee Dojin felt anew that there was still a lot he didn’t know about his morning training partner.

“It’s nothing great. A martial artist of Dojin’s level would have been using it without knowing. It’s just focusing your qi and mind on seeing this world.”

Step.

Their steps advanced side by side.

“Surround your heart with qi. And spread the qi in time with your heartbeat. Inside your body. Shall we try it?”

Lee Dojin followed Ryu Jia’s words.

He utilized the Reverse Heaven Divine Technique and surrounded his heart with qi.

Thump-

And he spread waves of qi in time with his heartbeat.

As the waves repeated, qi spread widely throughout his body.

“And then you look directly. You convince yourself that your qi can see the world.”

Whoosh…

He seemed to hear the flow of air he hadn’t felt before.

It was a strange feeling.

Though nothing was visible, it felt like his vision had widened.

Rustle-

He heard the sound of something approaching quickly. Though still nothing was visible, the enhanced senses and hearing from the qi sense allowed him to guess the space where the opponent would be.

“And in the end, you can only trust your own sword.”

With those words, Lee Dojin and Ryu Jia let go of each other’s hands. The warm sensation disappeared, and the cool handle of a sword filled their hands.

Cool, but because it was cool, something that could be thoroughly trusted.

That’s what a sword was to a swordsman.

Thwack!

A sword dance unfolded from the hands of the two who simultaneously stepped forward.

The legs of a giant cave spider that had approached, recognizing Lee Dojin and Ryu Jia as prey, were all cut off.

Lee Dojin, who avoided all the extending spider webs, mounted the cave spider’s back and stabbed the wooden sword with colorless qi rippling into its neck.

“That’s the sword path I’ve walked. And I think that sword path wasn’t wrong.”

Ryu Jia, who advanced past the cave spider’s corpse, picked up something.

It was a lantern.

When she breathed qi into it, blue-green light flowed from the lantern.

And that light faintly cleared away the darkness of the blackout.

‘It’s bright.’

Lee Dojin could clearly see Ryu Jia holding the lantern.

The swordswoman with her eyes closed.

Though Ryu Jia’s vision would still alternate between white and black, she stood firmly.

Dignified like a sharpened sword.

“In the end, I came to the academy and made a friend like Dojin.”

Lee Dojin slowly opened his mouth.

“I think so too.”

Ryu Jia smiled.

“Now let’s get out. From the darkness.”

The two walked through the cave together.

They walked the sword path drawn by two swords.