Chapter 86

Chapter 86

The Hero Fucks the Magic Swords.

Episode 86: Breaking The Pride Of An A-Rank Magic Sword.

KWAANG! KWA-AANG!

Cheong-gang couldn’t believe the situation unfolding before her eyes.

It wasn’t uncommon for Magic Swords to fight against each other.

This happened often due to sparring or guild rivalries.

The guild Cheong-gang belonged to wasn’t particularly high-class, so conflicts were fairly frequent.

More than once, Cheong-gang and Kal had resolved such conflicts by showcasing the disparity in power.

Cheong-gang had also gained confidence from Magic Sword duels.

She was a rare A-rank Magic Sword.

Her skills were more than enough to handle most opponents with ease.

Moreover, Lethe, the sword before her, was a B-rank Magic Sword.

Apologies, but it shouldn’t even be a fair match against her.

‘But why on earth…?’

However, once the fight started, Lethe’s performance didn’t fall behind Cheong-gang’s at all.

No, in fact, she was stronger.

Of course, there were particularly powerful B-rank Magic Swords, so it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Still, the reason for Cheong-gang’s surprise was not because of Lethe’s attribute, but because it was fire.

‘I should clearly have the advantage here…!’

In a battle between Magic Swords, the attributes of each sword often determined the outcome.

Like light and darkness, some attributes naturally had an edge.

However, such Magic Swords were extremely rare.

Usually, they had more common attributes.

Cheong-gang’s power was ice and water.

Considering just the attributes, she should have the upper hand over the fire attribute of Lethe.

Yet, the fact that she was being overwhelmed meant there was a massive disparity in firepower.

‘On top of that, Si-hyeon’s control… it’s beyond imagination…’

When Magic Swords fought, the swords would transform, and their wielders would fight directly.

This synergy between sword and wielder was crucial.

In some cases, it could even amplify the sword’s abilities.

However, if the wielder’s combat skills were lacking, it would be impossible to draw out the full potential of the Magic Sword.

But as the battle progressed, Si-hyeon’s combat style and mastery over the sword were astonishing.

Cheong-gang had always thought of him as an unusual man.

Still, she never imagined that a rookie, fresh to the hunter world, would demonstrate such skill.

‘As frustrating as it is… his combat sense is several steps above Kal’s.’

In fact, Kal had underestimated his opponent and opened the fight with a massive ice attack, pouring all his mana into it.

He had probably wanted to intimidate his opponent and end the battle quickly, showing the disparity in strength.

It was a tactic Kal had often used, trusting in the power of Cheong-gang, his A-rank Magic Sword.

But Si-hyeon wasn’t fazed by the attack, easily dodging the ice and countering with flames that threatened Kal.

“Damn it!”

From the start until now, Kal had been busy defending against Si-hyeon’s relentless attacks.

After using a large amount of mana early on and being hit by unexpected attacks, Kal had been on the back foot the entire time.

Even when he tried to retaliate and buy some time, the overwhelming firepower of the opponent left him helpless.

The ice walls he had created to stall for time were effortlessly shattered by Si-hyeon’s flames.

Anyone watching could see that Cheong-gang and Kal were being pushed back one-sidedly.

‘This doesn’t make sense… I’m losing to a B-rank Magic Sword? And to an opponent with a reverse attribute advantage?’

Cheong-gang wasn’t someone who looked down on others like Kal did.

But as an A-rank Magic Sword, she definitely had pride and confidence in her abilities.

She had, after all, consistently proven her skills against other hunters and monsters.

…Yet, to suffer such an unexpected defeat here was both shocking and a blow to her pride as a Magic Sword.

“Arghhh!”

As a last-ditch effort, Kal launched a barrage of ice projectiles.

Large chunks of ice scattered in all directions, aimed randomly at Si-hyeon.

‘W-What is he doing? He should be conserving his mana!’

But it was nothing more than a reckless waste of energy born of desperation.

At this moment, they should have been conserving as much mana as possible, waiting for an opening to turn the tide.

The usual strategy would be for the hunter to buy time while the Magic Sword gathered mana.

However, it seemed Kal, scared by the flames, had no such intention.

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!”

All he was trying to do was drive his opponent back and avoid the flames.

At this rate, there was no way to win.

Of course, sometimes intimidation could force an opponent back and buy some time.

But it was obvious that Si-hyeon wasn’t someone such shallow tactics would work on.

BOOM!

Sensing the weakness in Kal’s ice projectiles, Si-hyeon instead charged forward, breaking through the attack.

Some ice shards brushed against him, but he trusted his physical abilities and endured them.

It was a completely different combat style compared to Kal’s.

CLANG!

“Urgh!”

Si-hyeon rushed in and swung his sword.

Kal, being a hunter himself, quickly raised his own sword to block the attack.

But it was only a temporary defense.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Si-hyeon didn’t stop there, following up with a series of rapid strikes.

As the barrage continued, Kal was forced to backpedal, barely managing to parry each blow.

Even without his Magic Sword being fully powered, the strength behind Si-hyeon’s attacks was significant.

Every swing was sharp and powerful; nothing about them felt ordinary.

‘No way. Not only is his training superior, but his swordsmanship is far above Kal’s?’

From afar, it was hard to tell, but now that she was watching the fight up close, it was clear.

Compared to Kal, Si-hyeon’s body was solid and strong.

His swordsmanship was refined and perfected.

Most importantly, his fierce gaze, never leaving his opponent, was like that of a seasoned warrior who had crossed the line of death countless times.

How could a rookie hunter, who had only just begun wielding a Magic Sword, possess such a gaze?

THUD!

“Ugh!”

In the end, Kal allowed Si-hyeon to land a powerful kick to his chest, sending him flying.

Kal tumbled across the ground several times, clearly struck by the powerful force.

He was still dazed when Si-hyeon stood over him, pointing the sword directly at his face.

“Ugh! Kaack!”

“Do you want to continue?”

“Surrender! I give up, I lost!”

Though he still had some mana left, Kal immediately threw Cheong-gang onto the ground and admitted defeat.

Of course, Cheong-gang knew as well that continuing the fight was pointless.

‘…It’s a total defeat.’

As soon as the match ended, both Lethe and Cheong-gang transformed back into their human forms.

Lethe, still lively, smiled brightly and made a cute V sign with her hands.

“Yay~! Mister! We won! Against an A-rank Magic Sword!”

“Yeah, yeah. Good job.”

“Hehe! It doesn’t feel real! As expected, you’re amazing, Mister!”

Lethe snuggled right into Si-hyeon’s arms.

They looked so harmonious, like they had a perfect bond.

Cheong-gang watched the scene with a slight bitterness.

She and Kal weren’t exactly on bad terms, but at some point, their relationship became more business-like than that of partners.

And now that Lethe, a sword of lower rank than her, had won…

‘…It’s frustrating.’

On the other hand, Cheong-gang had lost to an opponent who was not only a lower rank but also had a disadvantageous attribute.

A dull ache throbbed in her chest.

The complete defeat had left a scratch on her pride.

A dungeon? It didn’t matter.

The experience of losing was different.

This result left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Since we won, we’ll be the ones to clear the dungeon as promised.”

Si-hyeon said this and left without saying anything more.

It was a considerate move on his part.

Seeing the victor hesitate in front of the loser only makes the defeated feel more miserable.

Cheong-gang swallowed the sigh that was about to escape and looked over at Kal.

“Kal… are you okay?”

“Phew! Does this look okay to you?”

After Si-hyeon disappeared, Kal finally ground his teeth and stood up.

His attitude made Cheong-gang a little angry, but she understood that his pride was hurt and tried to calm herself down.

“…This fight didn’t go well. They were better than us. But at least we can learn from this.”

“Ha! Learn what, from losing to a B-rank Magic Sword and a rookie?”

Kal mumbled while looking away.

But his voice was loud enough to be heard clearly.

“With such a difference in Magic Sword performance, how could we have won?”

“What? Are you saying I’m the reason we lost?”

“Then what else is there? We were overwhelmingly beaten, even though we had the better attribute!”

Cheong-gang bit her lip hard.

She was usually the type to remain calm and try to understand others.

But this was too much.

Sure, there was a difference in strength between Lethe and her.

But it was also undeniable that Kal’s sloppy combat style was the main reason for their defeat.

A contractor didn’t just rely on their Magic Sword; they must also bring out its full potential.

And what about Kal? Did he even use 50% of Cheong-gang’s abilities?

If he couldn’t do that, then he had no right to blame anyone else.

Still, Kal was putting all the blame for the defeat on Cheong-gang.

“Who was it that underestimated the opponent and got pushed back right from the start? You weren’t even taking the fight seriously.”

“How could I have known there would be such a difference in the Magic Swords’ performance?”

“Do you think it was just Lethe’s strength alone? It was because of the synergy between them!”

“So, an A-rank got beaten by a B-rank? Are you sure you didn’t hide your real rank? This is a scam!”

“What?”

Cheong-gang’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

Kal wasn’t a remarkable hunter by any means.

Maybe he had been once, but since teaming up with Cheong-gang, he had become lazy, drunk on power, neglecting his training and self-discipline.

The only reason he was still performing decently was thanks to Cheong-gang, an A-rank Magic Sword.

And now, after losing once, he was doubting her and throwing insults?

“Tch! Damn it! I’ve just been humiliated because I chose the wrong partner!”

With that, Kal stormed off ahead.

Cheong-gang didn’t stop him as he walked away.

Stopping him would have been too much of a blow to her pride.

Besides, if she heard any more of his insults, she felt like she might cry.

She was already furious from the loss, and hearing more would have made the situation unbearable.

Clench.

All she could do was clench her fists tightly, trying to hold back the rising anger.