Chapter 98


    Asura is showing me the sword path.


    I was definitely the one moving the sword, but it felt like Asura itself was fighting. I could see new paths and points I hadnt seen before.


    I could have pierced his forehead just now.


    But once again, I stayed my hand. All these paths and points, the so-called sword path, were a new learning experience and lesson for me.


    My movements have be much lighter, too.


    I realized that my movements had be very simr to Yeonseos. Of course, they werent as clean as hers. Looking purely at sword-rted technique, Yeonseo was a step above me. But I had something Yeonseo didnt.


    Stats and items.


    With the edge they gave me, I was creating movements that almost mirrored hers. I was physically creating a technique.


    Modifying Heavenly Demonic Flying Step into a foot technique would probably feel something like this.


    I could feel that I was growing in the midst of battle. It was different from fighting a monster. My growth felt far faster when I was facing humans. I swung my sword in a trance, in the state that was called being one with the sword.


    After not much time passed, I heard a notice.[The innate ability Sword Path Tracing has been awakened.]


    Huh?


    The notice startled me out of the trance Id been in.


    Sword Path Tracing?


    [Sword Path Tracing]


    An ability that creates sword paths. No matter the situation, it will trace sword paths to attack an opponent within attack range.


    For a moment, I nearly forgot I was in a battle against Gilsup.


    This is a pretty famous innate ability.


    It was an innate ability typically possessed by cream of the crop swordsmen,monly called the swordsmen Rankers. At least 50% of them possessed the special talent called Sword Path Tracing.


    And I acquired that.


    No, I didnt acquire it; I awakened it.


    Innate abilities were talents you already had within you, already-existing abilities that could be awakened via special means. I had unintentionally unlocked another innate ability.


    Even if I were going mad with pain, even if I myself couldnt see any paths. Even if I lost both my arms it will create a path and follow through, no matter what.


    That was the power of Sword Path Tracing. Both your arms could be cut off and the ability would still carry out the attack as long as the opponent was within attack range. There was even a case where the Sword Ghost Lee Changhyun sessfully pierced the Red Eye by gripping his sword with his teeth because his arms had been cut off.


    I felt a surge of happiness. It kinda feels like I just got a killer move.


    The day would undoubtedlye when I would be able to make very good use of this new card. I fought Byeon Gilsup with leisure, moving far more naturally and smoothly than before, now that Asura had taught me to read sword paths.


    * * *


    From the side, Yeonseo perceived it clearly: Hyukjin had gotten stronger once again. Every time she thought she was catching up to him, he pulled ahead again, and the process repeated. Looking at her rival made her feel a burst of agitation once again, a feeling that quickly transformed into happy excitement. Excitement from seeing a strong person, and happiness from the fact that she was that strong persons closest teammate.


    Like I said, hes got a serious talent for exciting people.


    She filled her eyes with the sight of Hyukjin. Just then, Byeon Gilsups spear fell out of his hands.


    Haah! Haah!


    Hyukjins sword, Asura, rested lightly on the spearmans throat.


    Do you acknowledge defeat?


    ...


    The panting Gilsup bit his lips. He had no choice but to acknowledge defeat, but he was being stubborn. It was hard for him to acknowledge that he, a spearman ss yer, was defeated by a sovereign ss. And that was a result Hyukjin had intentionally crafted.


    Im sure hes quite pissed.


    Hyukjin intentionally showed him openings and chose not to attack. He gave Gilsup many opportunities to win. Reason number one was because he was having fun with the new ability Asura had given him, and reason number two was to agitate Byeon Gilsup even more.


    The spearman spoke, barely managing to swallow his rage. It seems that the sovereign ss has many chances to acquire good items.


    Yes, of course. Its called sovereign for a reason.


    Your items are so strong that Im left wondering if this is truly a fair fight.


    By the standards of the future, that was apletely ridiculous thing to say. In the future, the item halo was recognized as another kind of skill. That was just a natural fact of life.


    But in the beginning days of ying, being overgeared wasnt recognized.


    In the early game, the public sentiment in not just Korea, but the whole world, was stacked against items in PVP. Hyukjin was keenly aware of that.


    Its the same now, huh.


    The flow of the past and now was the same.


    Items, you say.


    Hyukjin handed the Asura he was holding to Yeonseo, simply returning it to its original owner. He also gave the Wind Shoes +1 back to Sunghyun.


    Alright then. Ive passed on all the outstanding items.


    He stopped himself from saying one more thing, which was I havent even used the special ability of the Wind Shoes. He thought he would need to use Imaginary Running Start at least once, but that wasnt the case.


    His thoughts on the battle with Byeon Gilsup were simple.


    Its way easier than I expected.


    The PVP was way easier than he thought, even considering he had the help of Asura.


    On the other hand, you have something called the ss halo, Mr. Byeon Gilsup. Am I wrong?


    Thats


    If you want toment on items with me, its only right to talk about your ss halo first.


    ...


    Gilsup wasnt the type of person to harp on the ridiculous. He was rendered speechless for a moment.


    Though well, even your ss halo is meaningless.


    Hyukjin closed in on the spearman instantly using sh Step, an attack hed shown everyone here before. He got behind Gilsups undefended back and stabbed his neck with a dagger, severing the carotid artery.


    You mustnt let your guard down until the very end. It all happened in an instant. It was you who said that the PVP hadnt ended yet.


    With a single attack, blood surged out of Gilsups neck. Hyukjin released his grip.


    <em>Plop!</em>


    The spearman slumped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings, dying on the spot.[You have won the PVP match.]


    Cheon Soojis eyes widened as she watched. She hadnt been able to read Hyukjins movements just now.


    A clean strike free of superfluous movements.


    No, it wasnt just about being clean. It was downright <em>terrifying</em>.


    The way he cut a persons throat was extremely natural.


    They might be in a PVP zone where yers were resurrected, but even so, severing a living persons carotid artery wasnt something just anyone could do. Just now, Hyukjin almost looked like a demon of ughter who had killed a thousand, tens of thousands of times. Sooji felt the breath catch in her throat.


    Scary.


    It was scary and terrifying. She reyed it in her mind and found that she wouldnt have been able to avoid that merciless strike, either. She was sure of it.


    If that man wanted to, he might be able to kill all of us here.


    No, she knew that was an exaggeration. But still, she felt a strange sense of pressure from that man. Her heart thumped unbidden, and a strange nervousness, a strange <em>fear</em>, pulsed through her veins. And in the midst of it, there was a tingly, exhrating thrill.


    Her heart began to beat wildly.


    That man. I want him.


    In the meantime, Byeon Gilsup revived in a sh of light.


    * * *


    * * *


    After reviving, Gilsups face flushed red. Hyukjin grinned at him in open provocation.


    We can fight again if you like.


    ...


    But Gilsup had already felt it. Facing Hyukjin was like facing a wall. He was a strong person Gilsup couldnt even begin to face with his current skills.


    Im furious.


    He was angry, but there was nothing he could do. A defeat was a defeat.


    And Im scared.


    On one hand, he was furious, and on the other, he was scared. Those two contradictory emotions gripped him as Hyukjin continued talking.


    Im a sovereign ss. Youre a spearman ss. I imagine that 1 vs. 1 PVP is a spearmans specialty.


    ...


    Though in terms of the result, the ss difference was pretty much meaningless.


    Hyukjin himself was a little fascinated. It had simply been too easy. Even if two people were the same level and a simr ss, their abilities would be heaven and hell apart based on talent. They were both men in their 20s, but there was a marked difference in skill within that group.


    Even though Byeon Gilsup should be a yer with a talent that Kim Taechun cant evenpare to.


    And yet, he won, and far more easily than he expected. So easily that he wondered if this was really alright. In any case, he sessfully carried out the 1st round of forestalling, which meant he could also get the thing Cheon Sooji had promised him.


    This was where it really began.


    Ive brought all my party members here.


    Hed gone out of his way to bring all his party members here for this picture. After winning a 1 vs. 1 and provoking the other party, they would have a group battle. Hyukjin wanted to prove not only his individual strength, but his overwhelming skill even in a guild vs. guild battle. He wanted to show them that there was a true sky beyond the one they knew.


    Weve had a battle that shows off your specialty Hyukjin stared at Song Kiyeol as he spoke, So how about having a battle that shows off mine this time? Its only fair that I also get a chance to show you what a ss halo is. What do you think?


    Kiyeol fell into a moment of thought. What Hyukjin was saying was that direct battle wasnt his forte, so they shoulde at him if they had the balls, and he would show them his true ability, the sovereign ss. The gears in Kiyeols brain turned rapidly, flicking the abacus beads of profit and loss from epting this battle.


    He realized Hyukjins intent. Hyukjin wasnt asking them to fight like this simply to provoke.


    His intent is clear.


    A simple fight wasnt what he wanted. Goosebumps rose up not just on his arms, but on the back of his neck.


    How can a person like him possibly be 20 years old?


    He was almost sure he knew what Hyukjin intended. When he realized it, Kiyeol found himself growing calm.


    First. To show not just his individual dominance, but the dominance of his entire team.


    In addition


    Second. To bolster my assertion that we need to actively cooperate with his party.


    In other words, to prove that his discernment as the Guildmaster of Taeguk Shield was correct.


    Third. To make the Taeguk Shield guild members submissive by showing an overwhelming difference in skill.


    In other words, he was pre-empting every possible problem. Once he fully realized Hyukjins intent, Kiyeol had to really think for a moment. If things went as Hyukjin intended, it was almost guaranteed that Taeguk Shield would be defeated. He couldn''t be sure if their loss would truly be a good thing.


    And if we were to win?


    That would be good in its own way. He had more than enough willingness to cooperate with Hyukjin anyway. From what Kiyeol had seen so far, Kim Hyukjin hadpetence in spades. If Taeguk Shield won, Kiyeol would be able to take a slightly more favorable position in their rtionship moving forward.


    We will do our best to win.


    Winning was of course good, but there wasnt much to lose from losing, either. That was the kind of big picture Hyukjin had drawn for him.


    And so, he epted.


    I ept your proposal, Mr. Kim Hyukjin.


    Their side had a rough estimation of the other sides forces,piled based on the eyewitness reports of the survivors from the Hill of Blowing Wind. Kiyeol figured that they might have a slight edge in that regard.


    Hyukjin spoke to Senia. Senia. Can you dere a GVG zone instead of a PVP zone?


    The deration of a GVG zone requires the sponsorship of a Guardian. Not long afterwards, Senia spoke again. It is possible to dere a GVG. This GVG will be sponsored by the Herdsman of Las Vegas.


    Notices came in.


    [A GVG Zone has been dered.]


    [Moving to the GVG Zone.]


    The yers were covered in light, and no one was able to see the profound smile on Hyukjins lips.


    Song Kiyeols belief that this was a big picture drawn Hyukjin drew for him was only half right.